Notable new releases, mid Nov 2016

The big release this time (the big release of 2016) is Metallica - Hardwired....  : I bought it right away,  but then I would have done whatever the content because it's Metallica and I've been with them since the mid 80s. The album consists of 2 'discs', or 3 if you buy the deluxe version. The first two consist of new songs, 6 per 'disc' (meaningless if you buy electronically). The third has the already-known Lords of Summer, along with three covers and a load of live stuff.

It's more of Metallica doing what they do, and I mean that in the best way. The three singles that we've heard already are clearly very strong songs and were full of promise. After a few listens, the album sounds like a very well-engineered continuation of Death Magnetic with a few nods to earlier albums. For me it goes off a little during the second disc. I'm not a fan of the 'slow and heavy'. But the thrash returns with a vengeance as the disc finishes off with Spit Out the Bone, which is like an ace they'd kept up their sleeve.

The covers are the Ronnie Rising medley, previously released on the RJD tribute album, Purple's When a Blind Man Cries (standing in for Nothing Else Matters pt. whatever) and Maiden's Remember Tomorrow. All excellent stuff. I'm not a fan of live but I'm enjoying listening through the selection on the third disc. Mostly early stuff (all from the first two albums if I'm not mistaken, except for Hardwired). It gets 5 rather than 4.5 simply because it's Metallica. I don't care if that doesn't make sense to anyone else.
★★★★★

Also moving me in the last couple of weeks:

Sirenia - Dim Days of Dolor : I do love a bit of symphonic metal, and this has it all, proper operatic vocals (new singer Emmanuelle Zoldan), proper orchestra and choir, growled vocals. There's plenty of variation which makes for an enjoyable and interesting listen.
★★★★☆

(Symphonic metal fans also note: Dark Sarah - The Puzzle, a continuation of concept album Behind the Black Veil. And Diabulus in Musica - Dirge for the Archons)

(Steve Grimmett's) Grim Reaper : I was almost as excited about this as the Metallica release and for similar reasons. A new Grim Reaper album. Unmistakeable and brilliant.
★★★★★

Toby Knapp  - The Atchitect of Paradox :  I've never really been mad about Guitar Heroes (the games or the actual heroes). This is an album of guitar-based instrumentals, and I've found myself playing it again and again.
★★★★☆

Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons - (self-titled) : Phil Campbell was loyal to Motorhead and Lemmy for a lot of years. Without Lemmy's Rickenbacker, vocal chords and input, this isn't going to be anything like Motorhead, and it's probably right that Campbell and his sons (no word on whether they're actually bastards) find its own direction. Powerful rock, clean vocals.
★★★☆☆

Sixx:A.M. - Prayers for the Blessed Vol 2 : I'm feeling less warm about these two volumes than about Modern Vintage. I'm not sure whether it just needs time, I'll reserve judgement on this one because I've heard some good sounds as I've listened through and I want to like it.

I must give another mention to the Avenged Sevenfold album The Stage, I gave it a solid 4 in the last post, but this is another one that I've found myself playing again and again and liking it more and more. I have to upgrade that one to a 5
★★★★★

As usual, all music I've listened to goes into my New Rock and Metal releases playlist. Note that I now archive this off to leave only the more recent ones in there. For the older ones, see my 2016 rock  / metal releases playlist. Just sort that one by date to see the most recent at the top.

Notable Recent Rock / Metal Releases, start of Nov 2016

After a little bit of a fallow period, maybe, the last week or two has seen some excellent releases (and some purchases on my part).

Top of the list is Testament - Brotherhood of the Snake : They've been thrashing since the early days of Metallica, Megadeth et al. But I've never paid them much attention, which is my loss. I'm off to see them tonight (Nov 5) along with Amon Amarth and excited about that. If they play this entire album I won't be disappointed, every track has merit. If I can't buy a tee-shirt I will be disappointed, because the artwork is as epic as the music. An easy 5 out of 5 and purchased. [later update: I did get the tee shirt, the sound sucked a bit, which is a shame and often the way with second on the bill. But an excellent show otherwise, a great night.]
★★★★★

I've been looking forward to Graham Bonnet - The Book too. Rainbow's Down to Earth is one of my all-time favourite albums. For me, his voice is up there with Dio's as one of the great voices of Rock. The new songs are quality songs and at (unbelievably) age 68 his voice sounds almost as great as ever. There's a bonus disc containing covers of songs from his history (including three from the Rainbow album). It's become a bit of a trend for artists to re-record classic songs, I'm not sure that it always works, but the ones in question here sound pretty faithful generally. New guitarist Conrad Pesinato doesn't try to do Ritchie Blackmore but does entirely his own thing. The result is some worthwhile new versions of these songs.
★★★★★

Avenged Sevenfold - The Stage : The marketing campaign for this album involved some conspicuous secrecy, I'm not sure that worked because the album hasn't been as well-received as the last one. But I like it, lots of hooks and very listenable. Notable is the final and 15-minute track, Exists, which features a Carl Sagan-type speech from Neil deGrasse Tyson.
★★★★☆


As usual, all music I've listened to goes into my New Rock and Metal releases playlist. Note that I now archive this off to leave only the last couple of weeks-worth in there. For the older ones, see my 2016 rock  / metal releases playlist. Just sort that one by date to see the most recent at the top.