This week's edition includes lots of great prog, a Rattata, a supergroup, a Rattata, some spooky shit, ANOTHER FUCKING RATTATA, and more! To the metals…
Black Crown Initiate – Selves We Cannot Forgive 
Genre: Progressive death metal
Origin: Reading, Pennsylvania
Label: eOne
Buy now on Amazon.com
This band became a force to be reckoned with from the get go. The Wreckage of Stars was phenomenal and Selves We Cannot Forgive continues this band's ability to bring brutality and beauty. This record also marks their first with ex-Faceless guitarist Wes Hauch (mind you, his contribution was only in one song). A follow-up to a great record is always a challenge, and these guys crushed that challenge.
Despised Icon – Beast 
Genre: Deathcore
Origin: Montreal, Canada
Label: Nuclear Blast
Buy now on Amazon.com
Admittedly, this was not a band I payed attention to during their initial run. People seemed pretty stoked when they came back in 2014, so these folks should be more excited for Beast. Equal parts hardcore and death metal, so if you're a fan of both big gang vocals and pig squeals, this one is for you.
Dunsmuir – Dunsmuir 
Genre: Heavy metal
Origin: Earth
Label: Hall Of Records
Buy now on IndieMerch
Neil Fallon of Clutch can't relax. This time he's teaming up with fellow Company Band conspirator Dave Bone, Fu Manchu bassist Brad Davis, and Black Sabbath/Heaven and Hell/Dio drum-god Vinny Appice. The result sounds A LOT like Clutch. I'm not mad about that fact one bit though.
Hammers Of Misfortune – Dead Revolution
Genre: Progressive
Origin: San Francisco, California
Label: Metal Blade
Buy now on Amazon.com
Prog metal bands comes in many shapes and sizes, and I always appreciate a band that seems to stand alone. Hammers of Misfortune are one of these bands. This Bay Area collective dabble with the occult rock sound, while including some Judas Priest-esque rocking, Deep Purple organ shredding, and more. A great record from a great band.
Periphery – Periphery III: Select Difficulty 
Genre: Djent/Progressive
Origin: Washington DC
Label: Sumerian
Buy now on Amazon.com
Periphery are a band that has done a great job tinkering with all sorts of different sounds and influences while still sounding exactly like Periphery. Select Difficulty has the band pushing melody closer to the forefront than I've heard them do before. There were times when I was listening to this thinking that it sounded like a Linkin Park song if everything was palm-muted. At the same time, there were moments that sounded like an intense Slipknot grooves. If you've never been into the band, this won't give you a reason to love them. However, if you're a fan at any level, you'll probably enjoy this.
Revocation – Great Is Our Sin 
Genre: Technical death metal/thrash
Origin: Boston, Massachusetts
Label: Metal Blade
Buy now on Amazon.com
David Davidson and the boys never let up. In their decade as a band, they have dropped six records and two EPs of eclectic thrashy metal, and it's all been solid. Great Is Our Sin is unmistakably Revocation, and there's nothing wrong with that. Get ready to feel like you suck at guitar all over again.
Salem's Pot – Pronounce This
Genre: Doom/stoner
Origin: Sweden
Label: RidingEasy
Buy now on Amazon.com
This band would pair well with Hammers of Misfortune, or perhaps someone like Blood Ceremony, Ghost, or Purson. I'm sure you've already got the idea of what this record sounds like from those contemporaries. In case you don't, just know that this album is made of riffs, weed, and mystique. So, if you want to get spooky and stoned with an album this week, here's the one.
Wreck and Reference – Indifferent Rivers Romance End 
Genre: Experimental/Noise
Origin: Los Angeles, California
Label: The Flenser
Buy now on Amazon.com
Ending this week in a weird way. This record is more electronic than I remember this band being, but just as dark and interesting. Not really metal, but certainly heavy emotionally. Get this one spinning if you feel like some good ol' dread.
Also dropping today…
(hed)p.e. – Forever! (Pavement) – Nu metal/Rap metal
Aeges – Weightless (Another Century) – Alt rock/metal
Baptism – The Devil's Fire (Season Of Mist) – Black metal
Bottomfeeder – Sink To The Depths (Good Fight Music) – Metalcore
Capsize – A Reintroduction: The Essence Of All That Surrounds Me (Equal Vision) – Post hardcore
Centinex – Doomsday Rituals (Agonia) – Death metal
Crown The Empire – Retrograde (Rise) – Post hardcore
Defeated Sanity – Disposal Of The Dead // Dharmata (Willowtip) – Technical death metal
Denouncement Pyre – Black Sun Unbound (Hell's Headbangers) – Death/black metal
Despite – Synergi (Eclipse) – Melodic death metal
Dust Moth – Scale (The Mylene Sheath) – Atmospheric/Progressive
Forevermore – Integral (Solid State) – Progressive
Forty Winters – Rotting Empire (Dead Truth Recordings) – Death metal
Karmakanic – Dot (InsideOut Music) – Progressive
Killing The Messenger – Fuel To The Fire (EMP) – Metalcore
Mizery – Absolute Light (Flatspot Records) – Hardcore
Nuke – Nuke (Hell's Headbangers) – Speed metal
Numenorean – Home (Season Of Mist) – Post-black metal
Profanatica – The Curling Flame Of Blasphemy (Hell's Headbangers) – Black/death metal
The New Low – Continuance (Razor & Tie) – Alt rock/metal
Twisted Sister – Metal Meltdown (Blu-ray)(Loud & Proud) – Glam
Unmerciful – Ravenous Impulse (Unique Leader) – Brutal death metal
Vanhelgd – Temple Of Phobos (Dark Descent) – Death metal
Witherscape – The Northern Sanctuary (Century Media) – Atmospheric/Progressive death metal
