Today is a little bit lighter on the new release front, but I've noticed that tends to happen before a really big new release week. And guess what? Next Friday is a big one. There may not be a single massing album coming next week, but there are a few very significant ones, and a ton of smaller, interesting albums. It looks like I will have four or five album reviews for you next week. In the meantime, I've got a selection of solid albums and interesting singles for you below. 

It's a big week here at Both Kinds of Heavy. I was able to review one of my most anticipated albums of the year and another release that clicked with me much more than I was expecting. Throw in a third album review and a column, and it was a jam-packed few days. But wait, we're not done yet! I've got several more exciting releases to recommend today, including a live EP that I'm incredibly hot on, a new album from a band I recently decided that I love, some good prog rock, and much more. You know what to do. 

After a couple weeks without any truly huge album releases, we've got a couple of big ones this week: Mastodon and Russian Circles. There are also a few big-name albums out this week that I'm entirely disinterested in, so we're skipping those! As always, I've got a selection of stuff I'm pretty excited about waiting for you after the break.

It's a bit of a slower week for albums, which isn't surprising because there are some big releases coming in the very near future. That said, it's an absolutely great week for singles. I've compiled several exciting tracks below and, of course, I've got a few albums I'm pumped about as well. They're all waiting for you below in the deep, deep dark. Or after the Read More link, whatever. 

I don't know if I've ever expressed the fact that I genuinely love putting this column together every week. Giving myself a little musical scavenger hunt every makes every Friday feel a little like Christmas morning. And there's nothing better than hearing someone say that they discovered something new through my picks - it genuinely makes me happy. So thank you for reading, and if you find anything that strikes your fancy, let me know in the comments section or drop me a line at bothkindsofheavy@gmail.com

This week is a mix of singles and albums, and, as always, it's an eclectic bunch. Read on!

I try to get these posts out as early in the day as possible, but this week was a challenge - there was simply too much good stuff to check out! I didn't even get to everything that caught my eye. That's a good problem to have, right? Anyway, below we've got some new versions of old materials and a bunch of great new stuff, including a few that really push the boundaries of metal. Raise the horns and read on!

Many of my posts from the old Weebly version of my site didn't port over when I brought Both Kinds of Heavy to its new home. I'll be reposting all of my essays that got left out here as standalone posts. But to recreate all my link-heavy New Music Friday posts would be time consuming, to say the least. so as a half-measure, all missing entries are linked below. 

After a week away at the festival of a lifetime, I'm back with more new music recommendations. It's not a particularly stacked week, but I've got some gems for you that are new today, as well as a few things I missed last week.