Eluveitie
Helvetios
Nuclear Blast
http://eluveitie.ch/
Probably one of the coolest folk metal bands out there.  Is there such a thing?  Cool and folk metal?  Yeah, I guess… This band keeps it metal, but with all of those crazy folk elements too (Like a Hurdy Gurdy).  For the most part it’s fairly thrashy and catchy.  Throw in that violin, hurdy gurdy and bagpipes, you’d be like… WTF?  These aren’t metal instruments?  Well this band works them in perfectly.

Heidevolk
Batavi
Napalm
http://www.heidevolk.com/www/
It must be folk metal week?   This band is Dutch and has been around for 10 years.  This band isn’t quite as folky as Eluveitie, whereas they don’t have folky instruments.  There is more of a viking metal feel here, not quite as heavy/brutal as Amon Amarth, as there are some more clean sung vocals… but the music is pretty much all metal.  Melodic guitars with a bit of a folk feel.

Exciter
Death Machine
Massacre
http://www.myspace.com/exciterofficial
This band has been around for quite some time, and actually this album came out in 2010 for the rest of the world and is now available officially in North America.  This band is what Thrash metal is all about.  Just classic in your face thrash.  This album has over the top vocals, catchy fast riffs and a nice raw in your face sound.

Napalm Death
Utilitarian
Century Media
http://www.napalmdeath.org/
After a bozillion albums, these guys are still at it.  While the production is a bit more polished, these guys still deliver a raw in your face deathy grind.   Songs are still fairly short and brutal as hell.  They really make you want to beat someone’s face in.  🙂

Ministry
Double Tap (Single)
AFM
http://www.thirteenthplanet.com/ministry/?article=41
While just a single, this almost takes me back to some old school Ministry.  Catchy, fast and industrial sounding.  Reminds me a bit of “Theives”  or “Burning Inside” but heavier and louder!  Can’t wait to hear more.

Christian Mistress
Possession
Relapse
http://www.christianmistress.com/
This band sounds like Trouble with female vocals.  Also a bit like another new release… The Devil’s Blood.  Kind of a doomy, stoner metal thing but yet, it’s got an upbeat tempo and a bit more catchy than a typically doom or stoner band.

The Intersphere
Hold On, Liberty!
Long Branch
http://theintersphere.com/
I’m not quite sure why this is being marketed to metal radio… it’s more of an alternative hard rock sort of thing.  It’s better than the drivel out there like Seether, or Hurt or whatever is out there now.  But yeah it’s not really that heavy and just more melodic.  It reminds me a bit of Big Wreck

Pigeon Toe
The First Perception
Lifeforce
http://www.myspace.com/pigeontoeband
This is a Prog Rock/Metal band from Germany, while starting off some songs more like a Porcupine Tree, they get going a bit more into some metal type stuff… but yeah it’s got more of an emphasis on the Progressive Rock than Metal and while not a math metal band, they seem to have a good feel with some vocal harmonies, great melodies and some catchy guitar.  This is probably an album to just hang out, sit back and chillax to.  (yes I said “chillax”)

Death
Vivus!
Relapse
http://www.emptywords.org/
Two separate live shows from godfathers of death metal… One from Whiskey A Gogo and one from Dynamo Open Air.  It’s amazing they pulled off their later stuff off live…. it’s just so complex…. I saw them play once at metalfest and I guess at the time I didn’t really appreciate it… that and it was in the Eagles Ballroom and sounded like ass… everything sounded like ass in there for a number of years.  Anyway, this is a great double disc set highlighting how great this band was and how great they were live!

Mr. Big
One Acoustic Night – Live from the Living Room
Frontiers
I actually don’t have this to listen to… so, no review, sorry!