Look Out For: April 2008 Releases

Last month we were treated to some fantastic albums from some fantastic artists, and this month we're almost just as lucky. A few of these names might be unfamiliar to you at first, so make sure you check out their respective Myspaces to hear some sounds, especially The Sword who are currently streaming the whole of their new album. Also, feel free to recommend me or any other readers any albums I might have missed in the comments section!

1st April: The Sword – Gods of the Earth

Despite only recently learning of this band via Guitar Hero II, with Freya instantly becoming one of my favourite tracks, it would seem a fantastic time to discover these rockers, whose music draws comparisons to classic rock bands such as Black Sabbath. Although not a wholly original sound, the combination of head banging riffs and ridiculous song themes, which have no place in this day and age have proven to be a really enjoyable listen, and I’m expecting the group’s first full album to be full of chonktastic guitars and classic cheesy vocals, which is no bad thing. And if that's not enough, you get a FREE STICKER.

8th April: Ashes Divide – Keep Telling Myself It’s Alright

I quite enjoyed the side project partnership of Maynard James Keenan (Tool) and Billy Howerdel, A Perfect Circle, despite their final album being absolutely terrible. Since all that fell apart, Howerdel has invested his time into Ashes Divide (I refuse to use their method of spelling the name, which sees the name all in uppercase apart from the ‘d’. It’s not cool, it’s not clever and it never will be). However, despite the name and the hints that this could be an emo-infested record, I’m willing to give Howerdel the benefit of the doubt, knowing that he is capable of creating a very good song. I won’t hold my breath for anything too spectacular however.

21st April: 36 Crazyfists – The Oculus EP

Soon to be back for their fourth album, and still remaining relatively unheard of, the Crazyfists have made quite a few changes to their sound, and look to be releasing their most ‘brutal’ album yet. But before that they are releasing this precursor EP, to give us a taste of what’s to come. It’s certainly going to be in the vein of the likes of Killswitch Engage, and probably won’t be quite good enough to top them, but it remains interesting to see the band try a few new tricks even if they are old ones.

21st April: The Last Shadow Puppets – The Age of Understatement

As much as I don’t really want to succumb to the immeasurable overhyping of this side project from Arctic Monkeys' frontman Alex Turner and Miles Kane from sub-par indie lot The Rascals, I have to give the two guys full credit and support for doing something extremely different from the sounds that have seen them become the NME’s love bitch. Apparently going for a retro sound, I remain quite intrigued to see what the NME has to say about it, and more to the point, whether it is actually good.