Heavy Metal.

With this album, Mastodon has gottne a little less metal and a little more classic rock. The vocals are pretty much all singing now, but they still keep it pretty heavy. The drummer also contributes vocals on some songs now as well. No songs really stand out above the rest on this album, but the album as a whole is amazing. Mastodon has really come through, completing their 4 elements concept (this album being their air/space/ether element). Great guitar playing, great drumming. It took me a few listens, but this is probably Mastodon’s best album to date.

Recommended Tracks:
1. “Oblivion”- **** Great Verse riff, catchy chorus.
2. “Divinations”- **** Starts with banjo, most upbeat song on the album.
3. “Quintessence”- ** Decent song, a little repetitive.
4. “The Czar”- *** 11 minute song about Rasputin and Czarist Russia.
5. “Ghost of Karelia”- *** One of the heavier songs on the album.
6. “Crack the Skye”- **** Heavy song dedicated to drummer’s late sister.
7. “The Last Baron”- *** 13 minutes long, good guitar work.

—Jason Fahn

Sounds like: Satyricon, Moonspell

Samael is an Industrial Black Metal band from Switzerland which formed in 1987. Above is Samael’s newest album & their 9th to date.
Simply put, this album is badass. Above is one of the best albums I have ever reviewed for KAMP. The album combines the brutality of Black Metal with the harshness of Industrial Metal to create something simply awesome. Samael has been around for awhile and their experience and skill shows in that nearly every song on the album is malevolently addicting. This album is amazing and I would definitely suggest giving it a spin if you like Black or Industrial Metal at all.

Recommended Tracks:
2. “Virtual War”- Brutal.
4. “Earth Country”
5. “Illumination”
10. “On The Top Of It All”- More melodic.
11. “Black Hole (Verso Mix)”- More industrial.

—Michael Matts

Sounds Like: Lighter Devil Wear Prads, Before Their Eyes, less progressive Chiodos, Gwen Stacy, From Autumn to Ashes, In Fear and Faith, Hopesfall, less crappy A Day to Remember, A Skylit Drive

This is a solid release from a relatively low-key band. They aren’t particularly unique (notice the large number of similar bands), but they do their genre well. They mix hardcore rhythms, metalcore breakdowns (CHUG CHUG CHUG!!!), catchy emo vocals, and creative song structures. It’s love/hate, but this is definitely a good album regardless.

BEST TRACKS:
2. “Into Hell’s Mouth We March”- Excellent intro to the overall sound of the band. Melodic guitar riffs, catchy chorus, harcore rhythms, and machine gun double-bass breakdown. Best variety all in 1 track. 3:01
6. “We Are Nameless”- More epic, fast, driving rhythms, and I really like the melody of the chorus. This has single potential. 3:52
11. “Life And Limb”- More of a hardcore-influenced song, brutally solid riffing and killer breakdowns. A more intense song, comparatively. 3:56

—Schyler Orr Else

Sounds like: Faith No More

Believer is a band from Pennsylvania. They started out as pretty much a straight up thrash band and released their first alabum in 1989. Believer produced two more albums which took a heavier and more progressive turn until the band brok up in 1994. 14  years later in 2008, the band reformed and now have released their 4th studio album entitled Gabriel.

Gabriel is a progressive/thrash/death album with technical elements. Most songs in the album deal with philosophical issues, morality, and the like. I really was not sure what to expect from this album when I first picked it up and the first time I listened to it… I could only describe it as odd. Beliver blends a lot of styles into this album and even into each song. This at first threw me and I was not sure what to think of the album. After listening to the album for awhile though, I began to really enjoy it. For a band as old as Believer, these guys show a lot of originality and fresh ideas in their music. Each song has a different feel to it and I would say if you look for it there is something for almost any metal listener in this album. I would definitely give this album a spin. These guys keep trying to go somewhere new with their music which is refreshing in our genre that sometimes seems a tad stagnant.

Recommended Tracks:
“Medtown”
“A Moment in Prime” ***
“Red Shift”
“Focused Lethalith”

— Michael Matts

Sounds like: Unearth, Shadows Fall

God Forbid is a thrash metal/metalcore band from Jew Jersey that formed in 1998. Earthsblood is God Forbid’s 5th studio album. I would say this album by God Forbid incorporates more elements of thrash than it does metalcore. This album surprisingly has a good variety of songs, there really are not that many that sound too much alike. I would say this is a good thing since the album only consists of 10 songs.
This album was well put together. It has a good mix of songs that are catchy from the start. I would have to say that there really are only a few songs taht are really good whereas the other songs on the album seem only to support or highlight how good the other songs are. The songs that are relaly good in this album are definitely worth a play, the others not so much. I would definitely give this album a try & I feel that most listeners will enjoy.

Recommened Tracks:
“Empire of the Gun” ***
“War of Attrition”
“Earthsblood”
“Gaia (The Vultures)”

— Michael Matts