NEW MUSIC OUT TODAY: 3/18/2008

Executive Editor Brandon Geist’s quick takes on the (shitload of) new albums hitting record stores on this day of our lord, March 18, 2008:

A Girl A Gun A Ghost - Through the Eyes of Ahab (Siege of Amida/Ferret)

A more annoying Every Time I Die taking on Mastodon source material (Moby Dick) and not making a leviathan of an album.

Black Tide - Light From Above (Interscope)
Editor in Chief Tom just saw these teenragers live at the SXSW music fest in Austin, Texas, last week, and he claims that frontkid Gabriel Garcia shreds it up like a young Dave Mustaine. Having never seen the Tide come in, I can’t confirm or deny this, but I can say that as far as this album goes, it sounds to me like the Jonas Brothers gone ’80s metal.

Broadcast Sea - Wounded Soldier (Pluto)

Alternately soaring and crushing hard rock with influences ranging from June of 44 to Isis, and subject matter heavy enough to match the sonics—vocalist-guitarist Sterling Cash’s lyrics were inspired by the experiences of his brother, who is a U.S. soldier serving in Iraq.

Bury Your Dead - Bury Your Dead (Victory)

These breakdown-obsessed Massholes actually take an occasional break from the breakdowns on this, their follow-up to 2006’s Beauty and the—uh—Breakdown, which makes for much less monotonous listening.

Cavity - Laid Insignificant (Hydra Head)

Reissue of these long-retired Floridian Swamp Things’ umpteenth album; full of filthy, dopesick sludgecore—now remastered with bonus tracks and, probably, track marks.

Hemlock - No Time for Sorrow (Blind Prophecy)

You know why I love that last Throwdown record, Venom and Tears, so much? Because, of all the gazillions of bands that have tried to ape Pantera over the years, only Throwdown, on that record, have done it right. Hemlock? Not so much.

Jarboe and Justin K. Broadrick - J2 (The End)

Enacting just about every art-metal perv’s wet-dream porn scenario, Godflesh/Jesu nerd-stud J.K. Broadrick and ex-Swan siren Jarboe get it on. But no surprise here: The results are way more scary than sexy.

Jucifer - L’autrichienne (Relapse)

Now this is sexy. Singer-guitarist Amber Valentine’s babydoll-coos-to-banshee-howls, Russ Meyer–approved outfits, and wall of fuzzed-out amps are so hot and heavy, you almost forget that her doom-pop duo actually has a fucking dude (buzzkill!) on drums.

Kingston Falls - Armada on Mercury (Facedown)

These Hoosiers take their name from the fictional town where the Gremlins movies are set—fitting, perhaps, since the heavily pop-punk-infused metalcore on their latest record is about as burly and intimidating as Gizmo.

Mindless Self Indulgence - Never Wanted to Dance: The Remixes (The End)

Talk about self-indulgence—a remix album? Come on. What’s the last good remix album put out by a heavy band? Fear Factory, Remanufactured? Nah, in hindsight, even that kinda sucked.

Red I Flight - The Years (Victory)

Is this band name supposed to be clever? Because I know Red I Flight’s completely generic metalcore definitely is not.

The Sword - Fire Lances of the Ancient Hyperzephyrians 10” (Kemado)

Vinyl of the lead single off this Austin-based retro-metal quartet’s new album, Gods of the Earth, which drops April 1. For completists and/or vinyl fetishists only.

Unearth - Alive From the Apocalypse DVD (Metal Blade)

I haven’t watched this career-spanning double DVD, but according to Revolver writer Dave Wedge, who reviewed the thing in our April issue, the Unearth boys tell tales of pissing on groupies on here. Which begs the question: Who the fuck would let Unearth pee on them? Mötley Crüe, that’s one thing. Marilyn Manson, fine. But Un-fuckin-earth?! Groupies, you disappoint me.

B’S PICK: Unearthly Trance - Electrocution (Relapse)
Beautifully misanthropic, gutter-scraping doom metal from the dirty streets of NYC, baby. Echoes of Neurosis, Grief, Burning Witch…