Back with another large batch of recent releases and the forthcoming. As my fingers aren’t totally back to full snuff, the reviews are a bit short and sweet. I aim to get the guts of the releases covered however.

Iron Maiden: Somewhere Back in Time

If you are a metal fan of a certain age, you will have these tracks in many different forms I would bet. Released with their most recent worldwide trek, complete with their own plane (a fully Derek Riggs Eddie-decorated 757) flown by Bruce, this is really aimed at the young tykes who have not been around long enough to remember some of this stuff. I am guessing that the discs will be a gift from the older generation of metalheads to the younger version. If this were a book, it would be a lovely cross-section of what makes Iron Maiden one of the greatest metal bands of all time.

You can even download a free three-day version of the album for nothing from Iron Maiden; If you don’t have all the albums get this and if you do own them, get it to give to yer favorite younger rocker. Good… of course it’s good, it’s bloody Iron Maiden! Up the Irons!

Opeth: Watershed

Here’s another band that seem to enjoy making reviewers come up with new superlatives.  A line-up change has not halted the member’s quest to show us that you can hit the levels of Floyd-esque sublime brilliance via death metal. If you like Opeth you will love this disc. If you like prog-metal you bloody well should like it and if you are fan of well crafted metal of any kind ditto. It's simply revolting how talented this lot are… growing with each release taking their music to an even higher level. Get this disc, hit play, and from “Coil” on enjoy the brilliance. Essential… whether or not you go for the edition with bonus tracks.

Puscifer: V is Viagra-the Remixes

Here’s more bizarre weirdness from this lot. This time remixed. Is it essential for anyone but fans of the band? Well, is any re-mix album ever? If you like this lot you will love the twisting and turning of the various near-do-wells who show up to mangle Puscifer tracks. Outrageous… yeah, check out the bonus “Country Boner”; One of those albums for when you are a complete nutty mood. Long live Puscifer. If you didn’t exist we would have to invent you lot.

Melvins: Nude with Boots

Odd? Check. Eclectic? Check…with occasional bursts of Kiss-like tongue-in-cheek over the top goodness. Yep, that is here too. Fun, dumb, and full of it, the Melvins have another good one to add to their back catalogue. “Suicide in Progress”; even has a wonderful southern fried feel to it. You never know what to expect track to track on here, which is a good thing.

Atris: Lensing

Mentioning Coldplay in the PR is probably not a good way to get my attention, but for some reason I didn’t toss this one aside. It's a similar vibe to plod music which is what constitutes sub-Coldplay pop these days but with a hint of originality. It mostly bored the tar out of me but it wasn’t awful. In fact, I would say there is less of samey element on here as there are on that band’s releases. Probably good for the morning-after hangover.

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