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Upcoming metal releases: February 2011

Artwork by Stacey Rozich

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The deluge began in January, but I was still tired from year-end s***. I’m already way behind on January releases (not to mention 2010 ones… and 2009 ones… and 2008 ones…), but I’ve heard enough of February’s releases to offer the following sort-of-informed opinions. (For the “full” (i.e., compiled to the best of our limited ability) calendar of releases, see here. Use the Agenda view on the top right, and click on entries to expand and collapse them.)

— Cosmo Lee

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SHOULD RULE HARD

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The big release this month is Earth’s Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light 1. It comes out February 22 on Southern Lord. You can stream it in full here. For images of its artwork and commentary by cover artist Stacey Rozich, see here. Other notables are Crowbar’s first record in six years, and Darkest Era’s debut, from which we premiered a track here. That Darkest Era record is so tasty. Helrunar’s Sól is a massive double album of black/Viking goodness. Poland’s Infernal War and Kriegsmaschine have a small but evil split in Transfigurations. To Cast a Shadow are the first goth metal band to excite me in years.

Abysmal Dawn – Leveling the Plane of Existence (2/1)
Crowbar – Sever the Wicked Hand (2/8)
Darkest Era – The Last Caress of Light (2/15)
Earth – Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light 1 (2/22)
Helrunar – Sól (2/8)
Infernal War (Pol)/Kriegsmaschine – Transfigurations (split) (2/15)
Noisear – Subvert the Dominant Paradigm (2/1)
Svart Crown – Witnessing the Fall (2/8)
To Cast a Shadow – In Memory Of (2/15)
Total Fucking Destruction – Hater (2/15)

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MIGHT RULE HARD

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Virus funded a good chunk of their new album’s recording through fan pre-orders – a cool, sensible idea. Much buzz has built up around Fen. Will they live up to it? Perhaps the most interesting record here is a non-metal one, Pulse by Thomas Giles (aka Tommy Rogers of Between the Buried and Me). Clips here and here suggest a mix of Pink Floyd, Nine Inch Nails, modern Cynic, and maybe even Queen.

Belphegor – Blood Magick Necromance (2/8)
Drugs of Faith – Corroded (2/22)
Evergrey – Glorious Collision (2/22)
Fen – Epoch (2/15)
Fen & De Arma – Towards the Shores of the End (split) (2/15)
Hatred Surge/Mammoth Grinder – Split 12″ (2/15)
Impiety – Worshippers of the Seventh Tyranny (2/15)
Neuraxis – Asylon (2/15)
Thomas Giles – Pulse (2/1)
Virus (Nor) – The Agent That Shapes the Desert (2/15)

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NOTABLE REISSUES

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Anacrusis – Hindsight (2CD reissue) (2/15)
Blut aus Nord – The Mystical Beast of Rebellion (2CD deluxe reissue) (2/8)
Death – The Sound of Perseverance (2CD deluxe reissue) (2/15)
Hour of 13 – The Ritualist (remastered reissue) (2/8)
Neurosis – Souls at Zero (deluxe reissue) (2/15)
Primordial – Storm Before Calm (CD/DVD reissue) (2/15)

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WHY DOES THIS EVEN EXIST?

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Six Feet Under – Wake the Night! Live in Germany (DVD) (2/1)

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