Tuesday's Metal Releases

The 11th Hour - Burden Of Grief (Napalm)
Arkona - Goi, Rode, Goi (Napalm)
Defiance - The Prophecy (Candlelight)
Epica - Design Your Universe (Nuclear Blast)
Geist - Galeere (Prophecy)
Genitorturers - Blackheart Revolution (MVD)
Hellbastard - The Need To Kill (Selfmadegod)
Hypocrisy - A Taste Of Extreme Divinity (Nuclear Blast)
Mayhem - Pure F----ing Mayhem DVD (Prophecy)
Mr. Death - Detached From Life (Agonia)
Nile - Those Whom The Gods Detest (Nuclear Blast)
Nocturnal Fear - Metal Of Honor (Moribund)
Oppressor - The Solstice of Agony and Corrosion (MVD)
Savage Messiah - Insurrection Rising (Candlelight)
Shadow Gallery - Digital Ghosts (InsideOut)
Slayer - World Painted Blood (Columbia)
Various Artists - Swedish Death Metal Soundtrack (3 CDs) (Prophecy)
We Came As Romans - To Plant A Seed (Equal Vision)

THOUGHTS:  Granted Slayer  are massive in the metal world, but even with them included in today's album releases the metal genre is very poorly represented with this bunch of bands.  We Came As Romans?  Who the fuck are they....?    I actually looked them up to see if maybe I was missing something and I couldnt make it past this first photo.......

Despite that massive dud, a few of the other no-names are better than those Roman screamo dorks.  Shadow Gallery are technically proficient progressive metal, and I like it- but you need to be a major D&D dork who attends Medieval fairs AND is a part-time LARPER to get into it.

Nile and Savage Messiah aint bad, but turned out some more of the same.  The Genitorturers new album isn't great, but just like GWAR people are fans because of the live show, not the album.

Alright, time to get back to what matters here- Slayer.  World Painted Blood is the best Slayer album since Divine Intervention back in 1994 and I may even rank it higher than that.  It's heavy, fast, and very Slayer.  Dave Lombardo's drums sound organic and effortless, and Kerry King seems to be back to his signature sound, and Hanneman is branching out a bit with some wild guitars.   You can listen to the full album legally and lawfully right here.   To me there are about 4 or 5 songs I would rank as really great, and the rest are good.  My favorite track so far 'Unit 731'.  I warn you though- the album sounds super compressed and caps out at certain points when you listen online and to digitally sent versions.  I assure you that on the actual cd the mixing is a lot cleaner.