This edition features metal legends, prog metal darlings, a band with "Moose" in their name, and more! To the metals…
Between The Buried And Me – Automata I 
Genre: Progressive metal
Origin: Raleigh
Label: Sumerian
BtBaM have returned with their first of two records this year in Automata I. Part I has the band bringing the heavy back that may have been missing for some on Coma Ecliptic. Frankly this one feels short to be called an album clocking in at about thirty-five minutes, but that's the only complaint I have since those thirty-five minutes contain new gems for the band like "Condemned to the Gallows," and "Blot." We have a full review right here from Michael.
Crippled Black Phoenix – Horrific Honorifics 
Genre: Progressive/post-rock
Origin: United Kingdom
Label: Season Of Mist
This band has always been a hard one to track, and this album is no different. They dabble in groovy southern rock, spacey post-rock, 80's-esque new wave, and more. This album is a diverse journey within itself, and a lot of fun. Also, look at the kitty cat on the cover!
Judas Priest – Firepower 
Genre: Heavy metal
Origin: Birmingham, England
Label: Epic
It's truly amazing how so many bands seemingly set out to be the next Judas Priest by just just playing exactly how they play. With advances in technology, other musical influences, and a wider array of techniques the new bands SHOULD be able to out-Judas Priest the originals, but just don't. Halford and the guys are metal gods for a reason. Firepower might be the band's best record in twenty plus years, and that's sad since this also seems like the beginning of the end for the band.
Ministry – AmeriKKKant 
Genre: Industrial
Origin: Chicago, Illinois
Label: Nuclear Blast
America in 2018 is giving Uncle Al a lot to be mad about, and he's had five years since the last Ministry record to get worked up. If you dug the band since the Bush-era trilogy, you'll probably enjoy this album. Jourgensen does some cool shit on here. I especially enjoy the harmonica in "Twilight Zone." Still, and regardless of your political leanings, some of these lyrics are cringe worthy. Michael reviews it here.
Them Moose Rush – Don't Pick Your Noise 
Genre: Experimental/progressive
Origin: Bjelovar, Croatia
Label: TMR Records
As much as I love Between the Buried and Me, Them Moose Rush are easily dropping the most interesting album of this week. Don't Pick Your Noise sounds like an album someone poured out of a blender after mixing Destrage, Sikth, At The Drive-In, and a dash of Primus. This record is proggy, catchy, and weird as hell.
Twitching Tongues – Gaining Purpose Through Passionate Hatred 
Genre: Hardcore/doom
Origin: Los Angeles, California
Label: Metal Blade
This band is weird, and not in the way the Them Moose Rush are weird. There are moments that sound like Hatebreed, others that sound like Slayer, and others that are general crushing heaviness, yet vocals are mostly in a the area of a gruff Helmet. It makes for a juxtaposition I haven't heard before. Their previous album, Disharmony, was quite a few end of year lists in 2015, and yet I just never got around to checking them out. So, I guess I'm late to this party. Cool party.
Also dropping today…
Actors – It Will Come to You (Artoffact Records) – Post-rock/darkwave
Dorothy – 28 Days In The Valley (Roc Nation) – Alt rock
Drudkh – They Often See Dreams About the Spring (Season Of Mist) – Black metal
Eryn Non Dae – Abandon Of The Self (Debemur Morti) – post metal/atmospheric
Killer Boogie – Acid Cream (Heavy Psych Sounds) – Heavy metal
Krosis – Solem Vatem (Unique Leader) – Progressive deathcore
Myles Kennedy – Year of the Tiger (Napalm) – Rock
Ondt Blod – Natur (Fysisk Format) – Hardcore
Plastic – Here There Is No Gravity (Sweet Low Records) – "Drug rock"
Ritualz – Doom (Artoffact Records) – New wave
Stone Temple Pilots – Stone Temple Pilots (Rhino) – Grunge
Tax The Heat – Change Your Position (Nuclear Blast) – Rock
Turbowolf – The Free Life (Self) – Rock
The Watchers – Black Abyss (Ripple Music) – Stoner
