As the calendar suggests, the halfway mark of the year is upon us. We plan on commemorating (is that the right word?) the event by posting our respective top-5 of 2014 lists in the coming week. There will be some obvious choices, and a few odd-balls, which always keeps things lively and fresh. Furthermore, it’s always fun to compare these lists against our year-end lists. Things always change. Or, the more things change, they more the stay the same. Something to that effect. – David E. Gehlke
General housekeeping
Our vintage video of the week: Arch Enemy’s massively-overlooked “The Immortal.”
Win a copy of Prong’s new Ruining Lives by clicking here.
Features
Danish progressive metallers Anubis Gate have hit their stride with Horizons. Read what the band has to say about said stride-hitting here.
Fresh-faced Texas modern metallers Shattered Sun have the backing of some serious industry veterans. Read about their story here.
A reconfigured Sworn Enemy has returned with a new album, Living on Borrowed Time. Vocalist Sal Lococo was kind enough to discuss it with DR.
Reviews
Short reviews (15 in all) a-plenty in this month’s Rapid Fires installment.
A great trip back through time with Dio’s Live in London: Hammersmith Apollo, shot in 1993.
Dissonant and crushing, Serpentine Path’s new Emanations is a winner, according to Matthew Bowling.
Making Baby Jesus cry: Trap Them’s excellent new Blissfucker.
Arkan’s Sofia is female-fronted oriental metal of the highest order.
Veteran death metallers Nunslaugther return with a new full-length, Angelic Dread.
“A vast and masterful experience” would be Tombs’ new Savage Gold.
More veteran death metal: Incantation’s sturdy Dirges of Elysium.
YAITW (Young and in the Way) aren’t just some whippersnappers on When Life Comes to Death.
Devin Townsend has hit a new creative plateau with Casualties of Cool.
Improperly branded as a nu-metal act, Sweden’s Avatar turn in another album of quality with Hail the Apocalypse.
The news in ten
1. Panzerfaust visits the Westboro Baptist Church…and gives them the finger.
2. Iron Maiden’s Bruce Dickinson to fly WWI plane over Sonicsphere.
3. New lyric video from Goatwhore: “FBS.”
4. Amon Amarth and Sabaton team up for fall North American tour.
5. Anthrax to release Chile in Hell DVD in September.
6. Voyager releases video for “Hyperventilating.”
7. Arch Enemy releases video for “You Will Know My Name.”
8. Opeth releases the cover art for their much-anticipated Pale Communion album.
9. Hammerfall returns from hiatus to release new album this fall.
10. Check out this guy playing Slayer on his banjo.