This edition includes shredding, weed, doom, and more! To the metals…
Arch Enemy – Will To Power 
Genre: Melodic death metal
Origin: Halmstad, Sweden
Label: Century Media
Boy now on Amazon.com
An their second Alissa White-Gluz (ex-The Agonist) fronted album, and their first studio album with Jeff Loomis (ex-Nevermore) on guitar duties, Arch Enemy are still bringing it. Melody and guitar gymnastics have always been at the forefront of this band, but both elements are on a whole new level here. I'm tempted to say that this is the best era of the band, but it's at least the highlight of the current chapter.
Cannabis Corpse – Left Hand Pass
Genre: Death metal
Origin: Richmond, Virginia
Label: Season Of Mist
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Weed and metal have basically always gone hand in hand since the heavy proto-metal hippie shit. This album is about as weedy as it gets without sounding like Sleep. The chaps from Cannabis Corpse (members of The Black Dahlia Murder, Municipal Waste, Six Feet Under, and Gatecreeper) are now on their fifth album of the heaviest marijuana-themed metal out there. Features the next hit "Papyrus Containing the Spell to Protect Its Possessor Against Attacks from He who Is in the Bong Water." Kevin has a review here.
Comeback Kid – Outsider 
Genre: Hardcore
Origin: Winnipeg, Canada
Label: Nuclear Blast
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These are some pissed off Canadians. On their seventh album, they're bringing their aggression juxtaposed with catchy-as-fuck melodic hardcore with a new rhythm section in tow. I frankly don't know too much about this band, other that I feel like my faithful readers that whine about how metal something is probably think this isn't metal enough.
The Great Discord – The Rabbit 
Genre: Progressive metal
Origin: Linköping, Sweden
Label: The Sign Records
Boy now on Amazon.com
This band is weird, and that's a wonderful thing. They're cut from the Marilyn Manson cloth of theatrics, but their music is much heavier while being paired with tremendous singing. I listened to their first record a ton, and I'm excited to hear the unique and wonderful voice of Fia Kempe once again.
Lionize – Nuclear Soul
Genre: Hard rock/blues
Origin: Silver Spring, Maryland
Label: The End Records
Boy now on Amazon.com
Lionize are like if Clutch never lost the organ from the Beale Street record and listened to more gospel music and Deep Purple. This band has so much emotion in their sound while singing about nerd shit (and introspective shit too, I guess). They're an underrated force in the stoner rock scene.
Living Colour – Shade 
Genre: Heavy metal
Origin: New York, New York
Label: Megaforce
Boy now on Amazon.com
First off, skip you're "They're still around?!" comments. Yes they are, they're still incredible, an you're not interesting for your comment. Second, like I said, they're still incredible. Shade is a strong, STRONG album from a band this late in their career. Corey, Vernon and the rest still got it big fucking time.
Usnea – Portals Into Futility 
Genre: Blackened Funeral Doom
Origin: Portland, Oregon
Label: Relapse
Boy now on Amazon.com
Ending this week on a slow, heavy place. Unsea are heavy, slow, spooky, and ready to take you on a journey with this five track epic. This has the makings of a doom album of the year contender.
Also dropping today…
Alice Cooper – Welcome To My Nightmare Special Edition DVD (Eagle Rock) – Hard rock
Alter Bridge – Live At The O2 Arena + Rarities (Napalm) – Hard rock
Argus – From Fields Of Fire (Cruz Del Sur) – Doom/heavy metal
Burn – Do Or Die (Deathwish) – Hardcore
Crematory – Live Insurrection CD/DVD (SPV) – Gothic metal
Lynch Mob – The Brotherhood (Rat Pak) – Hard rock
Stray From The Path – Only Death Is Real (Sumerian) – Metalcore
Temperance – Maschere: A Night At The Theater DVD (Scarlet) – Melodic metal
Threshold – Legends Of The Shires (Nuclear Blast/Metalville) – Progressive metal
