There seems to have been a large amount of technical/progressive death metal albums released this year, so I'm catching up and waiting for the grandaddy of them all, Nile's new album to drop next month.

http://metalprovider.net/wp-content/...ER-300x298.jpg

Outcast - Awaken the Reason (2012)

Good music, poor vocals, which is sadly the case for a lot of the tech/progressive death metal albums I've listened to so far. The band is from France so there's definitely a Gojira influence in the sound, but unfortunately there just isn't enough here to make me really want to come back, which is a shame because the music is above average.

http://www.nuclearblast.de/en/data/b...pg?x=330&y=330

Psycroptic - The Inherited Repression (2012)

Sadly this band falls into the same category as Outcast, good music, poor vocalist. This guy just isn't up to the task of doing death metal vocals and instead settles for somewhere around the 'core region, which sounds okay on the more melodic groove songs, but for their more death metal focused songs it just sounds out of place. The music is decent though, if not very inventive.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TsvsYiVVmx...%5B2012%5D.jpg

Gorod - A Perfect Absolution (2012)

Out of the three this is the one that I'll most likely end up keeping. It does suffer a little from repetition but there were some well done clean sections that I wasn't expecting and the vocalist is actually up to the task. While it doesn't come within spunking distance of Spawn of Possession's new album, it's the least deformed.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...yL._SS500_.jpg

Not that bad actually. It makes me want to hear the forthcoming album a lot more than I did, so I guess it's done it's job.

listening to this right now.....and i have to agree....much better than i thought it would be

Which previous PiL material would you guys compare it to?

early i would say.....it has that kind of...."experimental" post punk feel to it.....and just enough Lydon rambling.....but also kind of stands on its own

One Drop is similar to Metal Box
I Must Be Dreaming is a bit like late 80s P.I.L.
The Room I Am In is a spoken word thing a bit like Religion off the first album.

Lollipop Opera is just plain weird

yeah the final track is an odd one :)

Alright, I'm going to have to check this out I think! :)

This week:

A Place to Bury Strangers - Exploding Head
The Album Leaf - In a Safe Place
Apostle of Hustle - Folkloric Feel
The Beatles - Magical Mystery Tour
Blondes - ST
CANT - Dreams Come True
Clive Tanaka Y Su Orquestra - Jet Set Siempre
Cloud Control - Bliss Release
Dr John - Locked Down
Hot Chip - Made in the Dark
Jamie Woon - Mirrorwriting
Joe Jackson - Look Sharp!
Julia Holter - Tragedy
Kitchens of Distinction - The Death of Cool
Le Tigre - Feminist Sweepstakes
The Kills - Blood Pressures
The Knife - ST
The Men - Open Your Heart
The Quarter After - ST
This Heat - ST
The Walkmen - You & Me

Pg.lost - Key (2012)

http://www.thesirenssound.com/wp-con...g.lost-Key.jpg

Such a great album from one of my favorite post-rock bands.