A Last Look to 2017
Since new music (we are actually interested) in will be released soon, this will be the last episode solely dedicated to 2017’s Shit We Missed. If there is anything else we really should go back to, please let us know, and we’ll work it in later. Also, PA was second state to enter the union, so they are this week’s Bands Across America feature!
Reviews:
Spirit Adrift – Curse of Conception (20 Buck Spin)
Necrot – Blood Offerings (Tankcrimes)
Dark Matter Secret – Perfect World Creation (The Artisan Era)
Bands Across America
Pennsylvania: Dark Waters End
Spirit Adrift – Curse Of Conception
Necrot – Blood Offerings
Dark Matter Secret – Perfect World Creation
BANDS ACROSS AMERICA:
Dark Waters End
The Sideshow Podcast 
Spirit Adrift: I agree with Brian on it. I don’t love the vocals, but everything else about it gives me plenty to like. And I do like Khemmis better. Hunted by Khemmis is one of the best albums that I listened to in 2017. But it was released in 2016 so it never appeared on any year end list for me. Between Pallbearer, Khemmis, and now Spirit Adrift, I’m sort of getting into this style of metal having really enjoyed all 3 of these bands in the past 12 months. I think someone needs to come up with a better description of these bands than simply doom metal. I’m not sure how you can call the song “Graveside Invocation” and the second half of “Starless Age” doom-y by any sense of the definition. Maybe Doom ‘n Roll?
Dark Matter Secret: but I love all those things you said you didn’t like about it! It really just boils down to guitars, guitars, and more guitars. If there was one theme of 2017 for me it was guitar instrumental music, aka shred. I really got into shred guitar and discovered some amazing music by artists I was aware of but never really listened to before such as Jason Becker, Paul Gilbert and Buckethead. Dark Matter Secret was the top of the guitar instrumental albums released in 2017.
January 2018 has the potential to be the best January ever for metal releases and that is not hyperbole. It’s more a matter of how poor the releases usually are. But this year sees Audrey Horne, Bloodshot Dawn, Joe Satriani, John 5, Machine Head, Tribulation, and Orphaned Land all being released in January. I’ve even given the new Leaves Eyes a try.
Early impression of the new Bloodshot Dawn album: this is my jam!
I couldn’t agree more that we need a better name for bands along the lines of Spirit Adrift and Pallbearer. I have definitely used “Doom & Roll” in referring to the style to some friends before, but I’m always a bit hesitant when making real suggestions for new genre tags on the show. To a lesser degree, a band like Castle or another I’ve been checking out recently called Dool fit a bit in that realm. They are both a bit more on the Sabbath version of doom.
I 100% get why you love Dark Matter Secret. Knowing everything I know about you, it is a perfect fit. Just….not quite for me.
January definitely has potential, but with great potential comes great potential failures! ….I’m looking at you Machine Head. I’m trying to approach the album with an open mind, but we’ve heard 25% of the album already and they’ve all be really bad.
I’m not fully ready to start what will surely be much discussion about the new Machine Head album, but I will say that I have lowered my expectations due to early reviews panning it. But the point about this possibly being the best January ever for the metal releases still remains valid. I’m already really enjoying Audrey Horne and Bloodshot Dawn. Just having two good albums already this early in the year far surpasses any January that I can remember.