Enabler: All Hail the Void (Southern Lord, 7/17/12)
“Speechless”
Enabler may be a relatively “new” name in metalcore, but it’s full of proven parts, including two ex-members of Shai Hulud as well as ex-members of Trap Them, Today is the Day, Harlots, and more. Unfamiliar listeners may raise an eyebrow upon seeing Andy Hurley’s name listed, but the Fall Out Boy / The Damned Things drummer has long roots in hardcore, including a number of Midwest bands and a touring stint in Earth Crisis.
“Loco-Motive” f. Large Professor
Despite getting the highly successful collaboration with Damian Marley in 2010, fans have waited a good bit for a new solo album from Nasir Jones. Life is Good, a personal album with overt references to his split with Kelis, may or may not continue his platinum-selling streak — but it’s a return to form either way.
With Lions: Equipo (6/12/12)
Last month, vocalists and film/TV-score producers Christian Celaya and Woody Ranere — together as the cine-pop duo With Lions — delivered the second installment of an ambitious four-EPs-in-a-year cycle. And though the seven-song installment is an arty and orchestrated affair, make no mistake: Equipo is pop in its purest form.
In 1998, Swedish hardcore outfit Refused addressed a letter to its fans, proclaiming, “Refused are fucking dead.” Most were left longing for a reunion, particularly without seeing the band get its due for its ahead-of-its-time swansong, The Shape of Punk to Come: A Chimerical Bombination in 12 Bursts. Now, after nearly 15 years, those fans finally got their wish, and a bunch of grateful Americans are seeing the band live this week and next.
Napalm Death: Utilitarian (Century Media, 2/28/12)
After surviving more than 20 years together, Napalm Death still is going strong. Earlier this year, the English extreme-metal outfit released its latest acclaimed effort, Utilitarian — its 15th to date.
For its latest video, the band teamed up with director Tim Fox (Tesseract, Skindread) to fulfill its vision for “The Wolf I Feed.” Incorporating apocalyptic, sci-fi visuals, it explores the song’s themes about exploitation of power, propaganda, and religious dogma.
Judgement Day: Polar Shift (Minus Head, 7/31/12)
After months of creative seclusion in a northern California barn, string-metal trio Judgement Day has reemerged with an acoustic album, Polar Shift, that deviates from its electrically enhanced material — all without sacrificing its dark, metal-washed sound. The band’s third full-length studio album goes back to its street-performer roots with un-doctored instrumentals that embrace the dynamic variation of the drums, cello, and violin.
