Tuesday's Metal Releases

Absu - Absu Deluxe Edition (Candlelight)
Alesana - The Emptiness (Fearless)
Armageddon - Embrace The Mystery/Three (Century Media)
Aspera - Ripples (Inside Out)
Broken Teeth - Viva La Rock, Fantastico (Perris)
Carpathian Forest - We’re Going To Hollywood For This – Live Perversions (Metal Mind)
Dark Age - Acedia (AFM)
Dark Funeral - Angelus Exuro Pro Eternus (Regain)
Dream Evil - In The Night (Century Media)
Fozzy - Chasing The Grail (Riot)
Free Reign - Tragedy (Riot)
Green Carnation - Alive and Well in Krakow (Metal Mind)
Ihsahn - After (Candlelight)
Manimal - The Darkest Room (AFM)
Mnemic - Sons Of The System (Nuclear Blast)
Mob Rules - Radical Peace (AFM)
Myrath - Desert Call (Nightmare)
Suicidal Tendencies - Live At The Olympic Auditorium DVD (Suicidal)
Taking Dawn - Time To Burn (Roadrunner)

THOUGHTS: Lots of metal bands releasing albums this week (or should I say 'weak'), but still I predict under a thousand being sold in total.  Suicidal Tendencies has always had a place in my heart, but I am not too into this live record.  It's just nothing good, and it's not even the band live at their best point.  Pass.
Fozzy is surprisingly good, although my pick of the week would go to Ihsahn for his bizarro experimental Angel. You can stream that album in full here.

Ihsahn of Emperor gets back to writing some tunes

Some new music was posted today from Ihsahn of Emperor fame.  The last album he put out was angL back in early 2008, and his forthcoming album After is due out on January 26th of 2010.... so for the first single to be released this early, is pretty nuts.   ...althoough I guess 2010 is a lot closer than it seems.
Anyway, the single from After is 'Frozen Lakes On Mars' and you can listen for free right here.  The album showcases the Ihsahn with drummer Asgeir Mickelson (Spiral Architect), bassist Lars K. Norberg (Spiral Architect) and saxophonist Jorgen Munkeby (Shining).

And here's a little quote from the man himself: 

"This is my first album written with 8-string guitars as basis which has been both challenging and inspiring.” Again working at his own Symphonique Studio, with additional work at Toproom Studio (co-engineered by Borge Finstad), After was mixed by Jens Bogren (Opeth, Katatonia). A meticulously laid out recording that took over eight months to complete, Ihsahn further added, “I have felt more confident and more at ease with the material. I let the songs themselves lead the way I just followed the natural impulses."

The string sounds good to me.  Thicker.