2010 has already seen several new heavy albums blast through headphones of eager metal heads including the likes of Bullet For My Valentine’s Fever, Dark Tranquillity’s We Are the Void, and Fear Factory’s Mechanize. While Fever may be somewhat of a disappointment, the latter two albums display bands at the near top of their game, which is ever so satisfying for bands who have been thrashing our ear drums for two decades. And, accordingly, three additional new metal releases throw another barrel of gas on the already monumental fire that is the metal scene of 2010. The following three new metal releases are worth shuttering the sound waves:
Sevendust: “Cold Day Memory” – With original Sevendust guitarist Clint Lowery returning to shred once again, Cold Day Memory is Sevendust’s finest album since 2003’s Seasons (which was the last album featuring Lowery before CDM). Perhaps not as aggressive as 2006’s Alpha, this album continues on the mature path set up by the 2007 album, Chapter VII: Hope and Sorrow, and adds an extra layer of depth to Sevendust’s progression as artists. Standout tracks include “Splinter,” “Forever,” “Unraveling,” “Karma,” and “Confessions.”
Godsmack: “The Oracle” – Following up their less than thunderous 2006 album entitled IV, Godsmack delivers the goods with a fine return to form on their newest release, The Oracle. The album establishes a fine line between their heaviest songs on 2003’sFaceless and their more experimental material on IV. Standout tracks are “Saints and Sinners,” “What If?”, “Devil’s Swing,” “Good Day to Die,” and “The Oracle.”
As I Lay Dying: “The Powerless Rise” – After releasing two albums that put them on the map (Shadows Are Security and An Ocean Between Us), San Diego’s As I Lay Dying has done it again with their newest album The Powerless Rise. Though not as catchy or elaborately composed as their previous albums, The Powerless Rise is hands down As I Lay Dying’s most earth-shattering album to date. Being that the songs on this album are probably the least commercially appealing of the band’s career, The Powerless Rise is a work that requires several listens to appreciate its innovations. Standout tracks include “Anodyne Sea,” “Parallels,” “Condemned,” “Upside Down Kingdom,” “Vacancy,” and “The Only Constant Is Change.”