Hellyeah, Opeth, Steel Panther, Wednesday 13, Ghost

Hellyeah – Welcome Home

This album will forever mark the final recordings of the legendary Vinnie Paul. Of course, he’ll be most remembered for his work with Pantera, and the way he revolutionized how drummers recorded their bass drums. Once Vulgar Display Of Power came out, everyone wanted Vinnie’s sound.

Check out any metal album from that era as proof. Vinnie and company were always in a damned if you do, damned if you don’t situation, as a lot of his followers wanted this band or anything Vinnie did to be Pantera II, and it just wasn’t.

Say what you want, but Chad Grey’s vocals, and his lyrical cadences have always been unique to him. You hear him, and know who he is, and for me, when his melodies are on, or he’s pouring his angst into a song, there are very few artists that came out around the time that he did that do it better.

As a result, this band was always going to be a combination of Mudvayne, and some of the more hard rock aspects of Pantera/Damageplan. Some of the times it worked out great, and other times, it has just kind of left me empty.

But I have to say, this album really stands out from everything they’ve released. Was it this strong before Vinnie passed away?

Or did they go back, and make sure the album was the ultimate tribute to their fallen brother? Either way, several of the tracks that I’ve heard have caught me off guard with how much I have enjoyed them.

It will be interesting to see what they do moving forward, in the meantime enjoy Welcome Home.

Opeth – In Cauda Venenum

This is a band whose fanbase is beyond devoted. If they release a new album expect to hear “this is the greatest album of all time” or the question, “does Mikael Åkerfeldt get back to doing guttural vocals?”

In any event, mainman Åkerfeldt recently said the last thing he’d ever do when writing a song is contemplating what a fan may want from him or the band. The album comes in various forms, including English and Swedish. Musically, it is a combination of a bunch of things the band has done well over the years, maybe not as death metal as some would want, but you do get the right ingredients of everything.

It’s metal where it needs to be, and it’s proggy in all of the right places. Let’s be honest here, most fans of the band will check this album out. To get a further taste of the album, check out my previous post regarding the track “Dignity” here.

Steel Panther – Heavy Metal Rules

There are still people getting upset over this band. They don’t quite get “it”, and don’t like their schtick, because in most cases, it hits too close to home.

They probably dressed just like them during the heyday of the Sunset Strip. Or don’t get the jokes, because they’re still lampooning some of their favorite bands the 80s had to offer.

And let’s face it, are probably better musically, than most of said bands, even if you think they’ve surpassed their fifteen minutes.  But the band still has the same whit they had before donning the name Steel Panther and keep coming back for more on album number five.

Here is a recent episode of Talking Metal where Emily interviewed the band’s bass player Lexxi Foxx.

Wednesday 13 – Necrophaze

We recently featured the video for the track “Bring Your Own Blood” off of the album. At this point in time, if you aren’t aware of Wednesday 13, you were probably locked away for the past fifteen-plus years.

His music has always been a mix of hard rock, horror themes, and the female persuasion. Channeling the same campy horror movies that influenced the likes of Rob Zombie, and Misfits, with a splash of Type O Negative, Wednesday 13 has found his niche in the hard rock and metal world.

Ancient VVisdom – Mundus

Yesterday we posted about the upcoming third album by Nathan Opposition’s other band Vessel Of Light. Today we’re posting about his other band’s fourth album, Mundus.

This album channels the news and deprivation of today. Pushing the band further down the course they established on their previous releases. They make sure to provide you with provocative lyrics, crushing riffs, and videos that always go hand in hand with the message they’re trying to convey.

KMFDM – Paradise

The groundbreaking industrial metal band returns to stir shit up once again. Their lyrics have always been inspired by the world’s underbelly, injustice, and chaos.

This album is no different, touching on all things you’ve come to love from the band, including an updated version of their classic “Megalomaniac” simply titled “Megalo”. If you’re a fan of the band, Ministry, or Nine Inch Nails, this album will surely not disappoint.

CoreLeoni – II

Ronnie Romero is always the focal point of any band he’s a part of, regardless of if its Rainbow, The Ferrymen, Lords Of Black, or CoreLeoni. The band is made up of current, and former members of bands like Gotthard, U.D.O., and Jorn Lande.

The track below “Queen Of Hearts” reminds me of early Dio, as in Holy Diver era Dio. Someone that has obviously influenced Ronnie as he’s constantly compared to him.

Ghost – Seven Inches Of Satanic Panic EP

I would be remiss if I didn’t post about this EP.  Earlier this month I did post about “Kiss The Go-Goat”, the first single off of this 7″ EP.

The B-side if you will is the track “Mary On A Cross”. Both tracks definitely have the 60s psychedelia tuned up, with Tobias Forge pushing the band in yet a different direction after Prequelle, which is also being re-released in an expanded vinyl reissue.

Here are some other albums that come out today:

Of Mice & Men – Earthandsky
The Replacements – Dead Man’s Pop
DragonForce – Extreme Power Metal
Trust – Fils De Lutte
Dayseeker – Sleeptalk
Borknagar – True North
Bison Machine – Seas of Titan
Wind Rose – Wintersaga
Vortex – Them Witches
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – This Is the Place EP
Ghost – Prequelle Exalted
Anacrusis – Suffering Hour Reissue
Anacrusis – Reason Reissue
Cynic – Traced In Air Remixed
Social Distortion – Mainliner (Wreckage From the Past) Vinyl Reissue
Social Distortion – Mommy’s Little Monster Vinyl Reissue
Social Distortion – Sex, Love and Rock ‘n’ Roll Vinyl Reissue
Thunder – The Greatest Hits

Article by Victor M. Ruiz of Mars Attacks Radio & Podcast, and Galaxy Of Geeks Podcast.  Connect with him on Twitter:  @vmr907