Woot! Back from my spring leave of absence and ready to assault the web with more writing! For my past few Metalhead Minutes, I’ve been delving into some band’s from the obscure underbelly of some of metal’s rising artists (in my eyes). This week I’ll bring things back a bit closer to the surface; some of the commoners might actually be listening to the choices I’ve selected for this post. These songs come from two albums that will be unavoidable for anyone who even passively associates themselves with metal in the spring of 2009!
First, take a listen to the lead single from Mastodon‘s newest album, Crack the Skye. As a reminder, this album will be in stores everywhere on Tuesday, and “Divinations” is an epic, psych’n’roll metal masterwork that is only an indicator of the direction these Georgian metalheads have decided to take. I’ll have my review of the album posted on Monday, so I won’t get into the specifics now, but just enjoy the preview video for now to tide you over!
Video: Mastodon, “Divinations” (from Crack the Skye, available 03/24)
Maybe this is an unsuspecting choice for anyone who’s followed my tastes on the site, but honestly, Chimaira is a band that has never let me down. Despite the harsh treatment the band has endured from the community in general over the past few years, I’ve always seen them as a band that is thinking outside the box and pushing boundaries rather than being confined by them. Over the years, their attack has continued to be refined and “Secrets of the Dead” indicates another progression. The track comes from their forthcoming album The Infection, an album that will be sure to cement the band a permanent place in the metal history books. Though it still clings tight to the trash and groove metal centerpiece that Chimaira fans will know and love, death metal, epic doom metal, and black metal are all nuanced, as well. Simply put, “Secrets of the Dead” seems to meld my favorite aspects of all things brutal, and I hope the rest of the album is of the same caliber. In theory, a song like this could’ve been a mess, but Chimaira seems to have hit created a legendary sound for their newest evolution. Listen to “Secrets of the Dead” now and see what you’ve been missing!
MP3: Chimaira, “Secrets of the Dead” (from The Infection, available 04/21)
Nearly half a decade has passed since Doves had released Some Cities, and now the English indie rock trio has been the studio getting ready to release Kingdom of Rust. I, for one, will be scrounging up the pounds and pence to purchase the album on April 6th. Who is with me?!?
MIND INVERSION 