Metal

After the release of Crack the Skye in 2009, it appeared that Mastodon were ready to become the new kings of progressive rock. Something strange happened on the way to their next album, though, and what emerged was The Hunter. One look at the track list is sure to confuse fans, as the longest song on the album clocks in at five and a half minutes. The Hunter showcases Mastodon in their most streamlined form, producing an album that is, for the first time in their career, immediately catchy.

I was first turned on to this band by a friend in the summer of 2009. She introduced them to me by showing me the video to one of their hit singles, a ballad called “The Bleeding.” I rewound the video over and over so I could listen to each part individually.

The thing that caught my attention first was the way the two guitarists fed off of each other. I was hooked. I went on to the bass and then the drums.

“Just listen to the lyrics already,” my friend exclaimed.

Red's latest album Until we have Faces, released in February, is a tantalizing mix of beautiful vocals and screams by Michael, amazing drumming and chord mashing by Joe and the Twins, respectively, and chorale and instrumental backgrounds. The message of their music is subtle but undeniable, and their track "Feed The Machine" is perhaps the most pointed song from the album.

Milan, Italy is a land saturated with elaborate cemeteries, gothic architecture and eerie monuments. It contains a rich history of mystery, magic, death and folklore. Born and raised in the region, metal trio "The Black Oath" fully embrace this aspect of their hometown and make that clearly visible in their first full length album, The Third Aeon.