Opeth
Heritage
Roadrunner

When I first heard “The Devil’s Orchard” from Heritage, I knew immediately that Opeth’s tenth album was going to be different, was going to make a statement, was going to grab people’s attention, for better or worse. Yes, the Swedish progressive metal band has traveled a long way from Orchid‘s death/black metal roots, gradually emphasizing the progressive aspect more and more with each release, especially in recent years with Ghost Reveries and Watershed, but Heritage is the weirdest Opeth offering yet. Make of that word what you will, but with Heritage Opeth fans the world over can expect an album that’s devoid of growling vocals (Damnation it’s not, though), flushed with odd time signatures, accentuated with classical guitar flourishes, and bursting with a clean guitar tone that noodles through bluesy riffs bordering on a jazz-metal fusion. Sure, some of that’s familiar territory, but it’s never been delivered in such overwhelming doses and is sure to divide the ranks. It’s also worth noting that Per Wiberg’s organ is featured more prominently than ever before and the songs, which have an average length of about six minutes (not one of them breaking the ten minute mark), are quite short as far as Opeth songs go. It all adds up to one unusual and unforgettable Opeth experience (including the highly symbolic cover by longtime collaborator Travis Smith), one you might not warm up to if you’re looking for another My Arms, Your Hearse or Morningrise. However, if you’ve always loved what Mikael Åkerfeldt and company can do when they let their genius freak freely, if you’ve got a soft spot for their mellower stuff and have dug the direction the band’s been heading, Heritage might just win you over.

Listen to “The Devil’s Orchard” from Heritage!

Monster Truck
The Brown EP
Self-Released

The Brown EP is Monster Truck’s second four-song output in as many years, and despite the fact that they roll through an EP’s worth of mean, 70s-fried rock in the same amount of time bands from that era devoted to one song, it’s still well worth the two beer it takes to get through it. A product of Steel Town, Canada (that’s Hamilton for you non-Canucks), Monster Truck is all hairy chests ‘neath leather vests and The Brown EP boasts a bad-ass, big-wheeled boogie that’ll blow your mud flaps way back. Nationally speaking, I’d put ‘em somewhere between the laid back roots n’ groove of The Sheepdogs and the million man spark of White Cowbell Oklahoma, but the way “I Am Freedom,” “Love Attack,” “Seven Seas Blues,” and “Righteous Smoke” crank the crotch mojo into the red, ride the organ like it was Gravedigger, and preach about souls on fire make ‘em sound like KISS, Grand Funk Railroad, and Mountain mud wrestling at a biker rally. Best part is, you can get this EP, and their self-titled one, for free right here. Boss, right? You bet, just like the tunes.

Listen to “I Am Freedom” from The Brown EP!

If anyone ever says nothing good ever comes out of Saskatchewan, you just tell ‘em about The Sheepdogs. You see, these prairie hippies, with their Southern 70s roots rock, just won a competition to be on the cover of Rolling Stone. With an abundance of beard, The Sheepdogs will be bringing some nostalgic honour to the cover of the infamous rock mag, which is really nice to see. Normally I wouldn’t care about this sort of thing, but I’ve been a fan of this hard workin’, travelin’ band for about four years now, ever since I obtained a copy of their 2007 debut album, Trying to Grow, which they independently released. In fact, they’ve also independently released two other albums as well, 2009′s The Sheepdogs’ Big Stand and 2010′s Learn & Burn, so the fact that they also won a record deal with Atlantic with this contest is a nice feather in their beaded headband. So, congratulations to The Sheepdogs, who are probably going to get a lot of love outside of Canada now. Much deserved. Now check out the video for their song “I Don’t Know”!