Led by the charismatic vocalist / guitarist / lyricist Mike Scalzi, who has easily established himself as one of the best and most distinct vocalists and lyricists in all of metal, The Animal Spirits (which features an appearance from Brocas Helm vocalist Bob Wright) will align itself as another gem in the illustrious Slough Feg repertoire and be considered as one of the great metal releases to be released this year.

Due in North America on October 26 via Profound Lore Records,  The Animal Spirits will feature the following track listing:

01. Trick the Vicar
02. The 95 Thesis (courtesy of Stereogum)
03. Materia Prima
04. Free Market Barbarian (courtesy of Stereogum)
05. Lycanthropic Fantasies
06. Ask the Casket
07. Heavyworlder
08. The Tell-Tale Heart
09. Kon-Tiki
10. Second Coming
11. Tactical Air-War

Continue reading: BLABBERMOUTH.NET – SLOUGH FEG: Two New Songs Available For Streaming.

In addition, the inside booklet includes actual X-rays and MRIs from various injuries sustained by all four Earthride members over the years. Something Wicked is available via the band’s own Earth Brain Records.

“Something Wicked is definitely an Earthride album; all the elements are there. You’ve got the Clutch inspired waves of orange amplified riffage, the deep, grooving counterpoints of the rhythm section, and of course Sherman’s over-the-top vocal deliveries, which mix equal parts Lee Dorrian and Lemmy. And naturally, it’s heavy as fuck.” — Stonerrock.com

Warp Riders marks the first release where the group has worked with an outside producer. Helmed by Matt Bayles , the album is anchored by an epic science-fiction narrative. The storyline is a psychedelic space opera that explores temporal themes of death and rebirth.

Warp Riders also finds The Sword expanding its range from pure metal to include bone-crunching hard rock at large. Rather than dampening its sound, the band actually sounds more amplified than ever, spewing out some of its most scalding riffs to date and channeling an unearthly bellow from its low end.

Continue reading: BLABBERMOUTH.NET – THE SWORD: Entire New Album Available For Streaming.

V was recorded in New York , New York at SIR studios with engineering help from Sanford Parker and Rich Tapper. The record was mastered by Collin Jordan at the Boiler Room and mixed by the band’s own Jay Newman. Photos from the studio during the recording session can be viewed HERE.

According to Stereogum / Haunting The Chapel: “For those unfamiliar with Krieg’s more swarming, primitive sound, he’s releasing his sixth album The Isolationist this fall. It follows 2006’s Blue Miasma with a wallop. The almost 60-minute collection was recorded beautifully by Jameson’s Twilight bandmate Sanford Parker — its the deepest sounding Krieg record to date — and features guest spots from another Twilight cohort Wrest (Leviathan) on bass, guitarist Joseph Van Fossen (Noctuary), and drummer Chris Grigg (woe). As far as the tone, Jameson notes: “It is my ugliest and most personal child, going deep into the darkest places in my own history on earth. I’m a fucked up wreck, and this record shows that.” “Ugly,” but with plenty of gorgeous, mind-melting riffs. See for yourself via the bludgeoning, dynamic All Paths To God” - Brandon, Stereogum / Haunting The Chapel.

Continue reading:  Krieg – “All Paths To God” (Stereogum Premiere) – Stereogum.

“Shaggy Providence “post-doom” twosome the Body’s excellent second album All The Waters Of The Earth Turn To Blood opens with the collective voices of the Assembly Of Light Choir, its 13 female members weaving a light, airy hymn that turns ominous as it uncoils over seven minutes and collides with a heavy, sludgy crunch supplied by Lee Buford (drums) and Chip King (vocals/guitar). The core duo mentions being influenced by Charles Manson, Shoko Asahara, and Jim Jones. That’s conceptual, maybe philosophical. They could add Sunn O))) for visual presentation — and maybe some of the patient, painterly doom details spread throughout the collection — but otherwise they chart their own expansive course. Sometimes they make me think of godhead Silo literalizing Skyward In Triumph with the help of almost three dozen extra musicians. Other times they’re a focused punk beat-down as suffocatingly crusty and heavy as Fistula. On a track like “Ruiner” you get Khanate-esque vocalizations amid the elegantly dirty Earth-on-Eyehategod ebb and flow “–Brendon, Stereogum / Haunting The Chapel

Continue reading: The Body – “Even Saints Knew Their Hour Of Failure And Loss” (Stereogum Premiere) – Stereogum.

“I learned of Valborg last year through Tom G. Warrior’s blog. They’ve since become one of my favorite metal bands. They embody a rare combination of aesthetics: minimalism and atmosphere, but with power and rhythm.  A huge Godflesh influence informs the guitars, with hints of Killing Joke and Celtic Frost – which makes sense since those bands were a big influence on Justin Broadrick. In Crown of Sorrow, which came out earlier this year, this plays out dramatically. The record has no tremolo picking that I could detect – notes ring out with Broadrickian singularity – but it is very much black metal. (Interestingly, Valborg identify themselves on MySpace as “Death Metal / Gothic / Rock). This refutes the perception that black metal is some formula of tremolo picking + blastbeats + corpsepaint. Valborg do use blastbeats and corpsepaint. But even their use of the latter is minimal” – Cosmo Lee, Invisible Oranges.