Manowar
The Sons of Odin
Magic Circle Music
Street: 10.24
Manowar = self proclaimed “true metal”
If you are familiar with the metal world then there is no question that you have heard of Manowar. There are generally three viewpoints on the band. One you love them, two you hate them with a passion and three, you pass them off as a novelty and think what they do is cool in a laughable sort of way. Being a band of the fans Manowar is releasing their first EP, which contains a wealth of material that most EP’s do not have. You have a two live cuts and three studio cuts, which will be on the upcoming Gods of War Manowar album. All swelling with that Manowar power and essence of classic metal, cheese ball as it may seem. The only slight difference in the new material is the added orchestration, though that isn’t a bad thing at all , as it adds to that whole epic feel of the songs. The EP also contains a short documentary from the Manowar fan convention in 2005, along with rehearsal footage from the Heart of Steel sessions in the Czech Republic as well as some other goodies. Ultimately, the fans will snatch this sucker up and it isn’t a bad starting point for folks new to the band who need to take them in a small dose. – Bryer Wharton

Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies
Love Their Country
Fat Wreck Chords
Street: 10.17
Me First and the Gimmie Gimmies = Melody makers from NoFx, Lagwagon, Swinging Utters, And Foo Fighters + A genius punk rock look at the songs of pop culture.
Me First have been making fun records that everyone seems to love for years, and it was only matter of time that they set their sights on country music, but would this magnificent band lower themselves to record lame offerings like “Achy Brakey Heart?” The answer is no. They took it upon themselves to challenge the best that country music had to offer from Hank Sr.’s “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry,” to which they add beautiful bagpipes to, and putting a Misfits’ intro on the front of Willie Nelson’s “On the Road Again.” When they launch into Kris Kristofferson’s “Sunday Morning Coming Down,” it made me realize that sometimes a great song is a great song no matter how it’s played. To me Me First has never been a novelty band, but they’re also a great band when it comes to re-interpreting these great songs for a different audience. – James Orme

Meliah Rage
The Deep and Dreamless Sleep
Screaming Ferret Records
Street: 09.12
Meliah Rage = Metallica + Exodus + Riot + Judas Priest
Here is a bit of metal trivia for you, according to the bands bio Godsmack’s Sully Erna who is their vocalist now, used to play drums for Meliah Rage. Fortunately, the bands sound nothing alike. These fellows have been around the block, originally formed in 1985 they play straight up metal with a good dosage of thrash thrown in the mix. The vocals are a mix of James Hetfield with a slight power metal taste. From what I gathered this is actually a reunion album, and unlike a lot of 80s metal bands that break up and reunite nowadays, this record is actually enjoyable. There is a certain bite and punch that just ups the energy of the whole thing, and most importantly the vocalist has a good range and doesn’t sound like a blabbering dolt. – Bryer Wharton

Moros Eros
I Saw The Devil Last Night And Now The Sun Shines Bright
Victory Records
Street: 10.31
Moros Eros = Ad Astra Per Aspera + Modest Mouse + The White Stripes + Talking Heads
Moros Eros’ sound is in the realm of indie-pop-rock-experimentalish. It is hard to strap down to any one genre. I Saw The Devil Last Night And Now The Sun Shines Bright is the band’s first full-length and should win an award for having such a lengthy album name. The album’s title can be taken a few different ways just as the music on the album can. It can be looked at in a creepy, satanic sort of way, where seeing the devil makes life better somehow, or that seeing the devil makes life better because after seeing the ultimate darkness and evil everything else in life seems better. It all depends on how each person interprets it, just as some people might say a movie has graphic violence; others might say it is realistic. Moros Eros’ music runs along the same lines as their album title; the music can either sound sad or happy depending on the person and their outlook on life. The 10 tracks on the album are good, have some good hooks, catchy vocals and get better with each listen, but unfortunately still not good enough to care about in the long run. – Jeremy C. Wilkins

Mouth of the Architect
The Ties that Blind
Translation Loss Records
Street: 08.22
Mouth of the Architect = Cult of Luna + Neurosis + Isis
In a way this album as compared to the band debut, Time & Withering, is a slight letdown. It is still pretty much the same formula, slow doom filled dirges with hints of melody peering in from time to time. The big difference is how the record peaks ones interest. The first record holds your attention allowing you to cling to every note. The Ties that Blind sort of keeps you fading in and out of full attention. It’s very easy to zone out while listening to it. Whether that is a bad thing or not is questionable, it could just mean that its melodies are more trance inducing, and even when you aren’t consciously listening to it your subconscious is still zoned in. But I’m not a psychologist and it could just be that it is less interesting than what came before it. – Bryer Wharton