Sea of Tranquility

It's a great time for metal fans!

24 May 2013

Scott Jessup

Approaching midway through 2013 and June is looking very enticing with many promising new releases including:

Megadeth - Super Collider

Children Of Bodom - Halo Of Blood

Amon Amarth - Deceiver Of The Gods

Dark Moor - Ars Musica

Black Sabbath -13

Masterplan - Novum Initium

Orphaned Land - All Is One

Queensryche - Queensryche

After being on a roll Megadeth dropped the ball taking a step back with Thirteen while thrash titans Kreator and Testament went on for the win with their latest and superior respective albums. Having sampled two songs off the oddly titled Super Collider I do have mixed feelings like I did with Thirteen. But I do still hope that in 2013 we will see Megadeth release something special once again.

After reading comments like Halo Of Blood is the album that should have come out after Hatebreeder my fingers are crossed for the new one from Children Of Bodom.Follow The Reaper was the last album I thoroughly enjoyed so I hope this release changes that.

Given their past releases melodic death metallers Amon Amarth and the symphonic metal band Dark Moor are two groups which I have no hesitation in placing my order for when they have new material. I don't expect their latest albums to change my opinion and can't wait to hear what they have both recorded this time.

No doubt the legendary Black Sabbath's long awaited studio release 13 will be one of the years biggest metal related sellers. I am holding off sampling any of this one till the release day but the track they released did receive positive feedback. Though it still isn't quite the same with the absence of drummer Bill Ward.

Masterplan have seen more line-up changes as once again Jorn Lande is no longer their vocalist so it will be interesting to hear how this turns out. With Roland Grapow being such a major part of the band I can only assume it will follow a similar power metal path, and that's very much a positive.

Orphaned Land are such an impressive band and I have no doubt All Is One will be something else and once again you will need to reserve your copy as they are one popular group.

To one of my most anticipated music releases for June and I never thought I'd be so eager to hear a new Queensryche album ever again. It is certainly not a case of two is better than one and I have little to no interest in Tate's version of this once great band that gave us those fantastic memorable albums many years ago, but things are really looking up in relation to his former band mates. The two songs we have been able to sample so far being "Redemption" and "Where Dreams Go To Die" have fuelled my anticipation levels making this a must buy.

Scott Jessup