Seven albums in two years, all funded by his fans. Is Ginger Wildheart an example of the future of the music industry? I don’t know, but I’m definitely not complaining about it. Those of us who are on the wagon have already got our hands on the most recent Pledge funded Ginger album, Albion, which see’s him returning to the studio with the band he has been touring with for the last few years.
Against Me – Transgender Dysphoria Blues
“No more troubled sleep, there’s a brave new world raging inside of me.” Sometimes music transcends it’s genre. It becomes a hell of a lot more important than words on a lyric sheet or notes in a song. I think it’s fair to say that the latest Against Me album Transgender Dysphoria Blues could be placed into that category. Telling the story of a women trapped inside the body of a man it follows lead singer Laura Jane Grace’s decision to come out as a transgender woman, it is a piece of music that tells much more than just the story hidden away within the songs.
Bruce Springsteen – High Hopes
Bruce Springsteen is a man who should need no introduction, back with his eighteenth studio album High Hopes The Boss has taken the unusual decision of forgoing the normal writing process and instead releasing a selection of reworked tracks and some covers. He’s joined, as usual, by The E Street Band but also be a few new additions including one Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine) who has been playing with the great man live.
Skull Fist – Chasing the Dream
If you call your band Skull Fist you should really have a certain obligation towards your audience. That band needs to play music as ridiculously brutal as the name, but with just that touch of cheese. It’s a name that shouldn’t take itself too seriously, sadly Chasing The Dream fails to hit those goals.
Bastions – Bedfellows: The Bastard Son
British hardcore gang Bastions are two albums into their career and appear to provide something different from the gang of Gallows inspired bands currently on the market. Rather than being obsessed with being fast and brutal, this is a group that infuse their hardcore with emotion, in a style that is very similar to the likes of Touche Amore (although featuring less melody) and Converge. Their latest release is an EP by the name of Bedfellows: The Bastard Son.
Dripback – Inhaling the Ashes
Opening by roaring “come on you cunts” is a great way to get anyone’s attention, following that up with a collection of six angry angry songs is a good way to make sure people stick around . That’s exactly what Dripback do on their EP, Inhaling the Ashes.
Iced Earth – Plagues of Babylon
The revolving door that is Iced Earth has been doing it’s thing once again and Plagues of Babylon, which was only released around a week ago, already features an ex member, drummer Raphael Saini, who admittedly was only working on a short term basis until they found a full time replacement for Brent Smedley. It’s also the first album for bassist Luke Appleton and the eleventh that Jon Schaffer’s heavy metal baby have released, on which he is the only permanent fixture.
Ministry – From Beer to Eternity
From Beer to Eternity is going to be the last album, at least for now, released by Al Jorgenson’s Ministry, following the death of guitarist Mike Scaccia. It’s the industrial metal titans 13th album and will bring to end a career filled with a fair share of controversy.
Katatonia – Dethroned and Uncrowned
Coming out of Stockholm, Sweden Katatonia have taken a similar career path to their friends in Opeth. Starting off as a death metal band they are considered forerunners of the genre, but are now at a position in their career where they can be said to have outgrown it and moved away from their metal roots. This was summed up in last years release Dead End Kings which was more of prog rock album than a metal one and gained a mixed reaction, with some fans harking back to the metal sound they knew and loved and some embracing the brilliance of this new Katatonia. This year Katatonia went one step further with Dethroned and Uncrowned a crowd funded album that saw them taking the tacks from Dead End Kings and stripping them back even further.
Trivium – Vengeance Falls
With a star that once burned brighter than a hot day in hell, Trivium should be one of the biggest metal bands on the planet right now. However, a dodgy second album and an inability to regain their former momentum has led to them floundering in the middle of the scene, well liked by many but not embraced by the masses. With their sixth album, Vengeance Falls, they are attempting to rectify that by bringing in David Draiman to produce, a controversial move to say the least.
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