That's Not Metal

Some potential break-out records and long-awaited works populate May reviews with Ibaraki, Malevolence, Static Dress, Cave In, Puppy, Septicflesh, and Casket Feeder, but first, after the heartbreaking news we remember the wonderful Trevor Strnad.

Ibaraki 26:53
Malevolence 58:15
Static Dress 1:13:28
Cave In 1:25:46
Puppy 1:42:36
Septicflesh 1:55:56
Casket Feeder 2:08:51

The mystery of Rammstein's possible fake tour dates has us scratching our heads, Suicide Silence make a blast return to their roots, and we talk about versatile vocalists, our personal most important hardcore bands, and question what it could take to knock some of the big league bands off the top, as well as live reports from Tool's Fear Inoculum tour and Helloween's returning run.

Releases:
Halestorm - Back from the Dead
Fozzy - Boombox
Three Days Grace - Explosions
Silverstein - Misery Made Me
Simple Plan - Harder Than It Looks
Stand Atlantic - F.E.A.R.
Upon a Burning Body - Fury
Ibaraki - Rashomon
Terror - Pain Into Power
Puppy - Pure Evil
God Mother - Obeveklig
Chamber - Carved In Stone
Ufomammut - Fenice
Wo Fat - The Singularity
Cosmic Putrefaction - Crepuscular Dirge for the Blessed Ones
Tómarúm - Ash In Realms of Stone Icons
Haunter - Discarnate Alis
Malthusian / Suffering Hour - Time's Withering Shadow
Negative Plane - The Pact

This week's Hyperblasts sees our review of Rammstein's dramatic and diverse new album Zeit swiftly coming through the pandemic with more actual music, along with all the usual news antics.

Releases:
Watain - The Agony & Ecstasy of Watain
Devil Master - Ecstasies of Never Ending Night
Mizmor & Thou - Myopia
The Gathering - Beautiful Distortion
Dälek - Precipice
Helms Alee - Keep This Be the Way
The Lord - Forest Nocturne
Dischordia - Triptych
Al-Namrood - Worship the Degenerate
No/Más - Consume/Deny/Repent
Throwe - Forfald
Skull Fist - Paid In Full
Udo Dirkschneider - My Way
Beachdog - Beachdog
James and the Cold Gun - False Start
Heriot - Profound Morality
Rammstein - Zeit

Architects, While She Sleeps, The Wonder Years and Tribulation lead a barrage of tracks, and we cast our minds over ill-fitting collaborations.

Releases:
Darkher - The Buried Storm
Prince Daddy & the Hyena - Prince Daddy & the Hyena
Spanish Love Songs - Brave Faces Etc.
Rope Sect - Metanoia Sessions
The Troops of Doom - Antichrist Reborn
These Arms are Snakes - Duct Tapes & Shivering Crows
Greyhaven - This Bright and Beautiful World
Monuments - In Stasis
Analepsy - Quiescence
Egregore - The Word of His Law
Incandescence - Le Couer De L'Homme
Månegarm - Ynglingaättens öde
Undeath - It's Time... To Rise from the Grave
Bob Vylan - Bob Vylan Presents the Price of Life
Northlane - Obsidian
Ocean Grove - Up in the Air Forever
Bodysnatcher - Bleed-Abide
Primus - Conspiranoid
Audrey Horne - Devil's Bell
Amenra / Cave In / Marissa Nadler - Songs of Townes van Zandt Vol. III
Vanum - Legend
Corpsessed - Succumb to Rot
Archgoat - All Christianity Ends
Static Abyss - Labyrinth of Veins
Mirror - The Day Bastard Leaders Die
Caliban - Dystopia
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizzard - Omnium Gatherum
Tribulation - The Dhampir

Divisive picks and party tricks lead April's reviews on TNM of new Meshuggah, PUP, Watain, Carpenter Brut, Undeath, Devil Master, Cancer Bats, and The Good, The Bad and the Zugly, as well as a first trip to Ghost's Imperatour.

Meshuggah 24:27
PUP 57:13
Watain 1:15:40
Carpenter Brut 1:43:26
Undeath 1:58:31
Devil Master 2:10:36
Cancer Bats 2:22:40
The Good, The Bad and the Zugly 2:34:43

The yearly Grammys sigh comes from bizarre decision of metal winner, Clutch hit us with the first taste of their next album (mystic), and Rammstein get misshapen in the Zick Zack video.

Releases:
Papa Roach - Ego Trip
The Good, The Bad and the Zugly - Research and Destroy
Health - Disco 4: Part II
Destruction - Diabolical
Hällas - Isle of Wisdom
Mors Principium Est - Liberate the Unborn Inhumanity
Tome of the Unreplenished - Earthbound
Terzij de Horde - In One of These, I am Your Enemy
Signals Midwest - Dent
Oceanator - Nothing's Ever Fine
Heart to Gold - Tom

Returning by popular demand after last week's launch, our new news and questions show takes a moment to celebrate the life of Taylor Hawkins, before turning to The Gaslight Anthem returning as an active band and the potential of a remixed The Blackest Beautiful edition. Alec hears of Pen Pineapple Apple Pen for the first time.

Releases:
Meshuggah - Immutable
PUP - THE UNRAVELING OF PUPTHEBAND
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Unlimited Love
Carpenter Brut - Leather Terror
The Hellacopters - Eyes of Oblivion
Satan - Earth Infernal
GGGOLDDD - This Shame Should Not Be Mine
Black Death Cult - Diaspora
Blood Countess - Occulta Tenebrais
Kublai Khan - The Lowest Form of Animal
Devon Kay & the Solutions - Grieving Expectation
Evil Invaders - Shattering Reflection
Nite - Voices of the Kronian Moon
Ignite - Ignite

We debut our much-requested weekly news and questions show, dissecting Ghost's chart performance for Impera, the bands who've done best and worst during the pandemic, and lay out our first release calendar.

RELEASES:
Soul Glo - Diaspora Problems
Camp Cope - Running With the Hurricane
Helpless - Caged In Gold
Dream Widow - Dream Widow
Placebo - Never Let Me Go
Abbath - Dread Reaver
Sakis Tolis - Among the Fires of Hell
Absent In Body - Plague God
Emma Ruth Rundle - Orpheus Looking Back
Killing Joke - Lord of Chaos
Animals As Leaders - Parrhesia
Port Noir - Cuts
Architects - For Those That Wish to Exist At Abbey Road
Bâ'a - Egrégore
Falls of Rauros - Keys to a Vanishing Future
Desolate Shrine - Fires of the Dying World
Father Befouled - Crowned In Veneficum
Kanonenfieber - Yankee Division / Stop the War
MWWB - The Harvest
Reckless Love - Turborider

We lead with a huge look at Ghost's Impera in our March reviews as Papa guns for the bigtime, with Vein.fm, some right jokes with Sabaton, Midnight, Camp Cope, Soul Glo, Helpless, and Véhémence, as well as Rammstein's return.

Ghost 29:05
Vein.fm 1:05:17
Sabaton 1:27:02
Midnight 1:50:45
Camp Cope 2:01:24
Soul Glo 2:12:17
Helpless 2:24:39
Véhémence 2:33:01

TNM Does Horror turns a year old, so we're throwing a birthday bash for all listeners with the new Scream & Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies. It's a face-off of the re-quels, both spinning commentary on the idea, with some surprise disagreements on what's really going on in them.