Blind Guardian LP Reissues (9/14) : So follow me on this one – but what if Black Sabbath weren’t from the UK but instead were from Middle Earth and instead of Ozzy their frontman was Elrond? Well that’d get you most of the way there to understanding Blind Guardian. For 30 years they’ve been writing and performing power fantasy metal with songs deeply steeped in the lore of JRR Tolkien. Today is a big week for US fans since Nuclear Blast is reissuing their first 4 albums on LP for the first time since the Mid 90s. So if you’re the type whose favorite part of ‘Ramble On’ is when they talk about Mordor and Gollum, or you just want to hear what it would sound like if elves had electric guitars you should catch up on Blind Guardian
Paul Simon – In Blue Light (9/7) : Who says you can’t get a second chance at a 1st impression? Ever the perfectionist Paul Simon has gone back into the studio to rerecord 10 of the B-est of B sides from the post Garfunkel days. You won’t find big hits like ‘Mother and Child Reunion’ or ‘You Can Call Me Al’ as those were clearly perfect the first time around. For a good weekend activity build yourself a playlist with each of 10 songs playing back to back with the previous version to hear the differences for yourself.
Christine 4K (9/11) Now that it’s September it means we can start celebrating Halloween (especially since it won’t be 90+ degrees every day) and it’s not Halloween without Stephen King. For its 35th anniversary the killer-car-thriller Christine is getting remastered for 4K (which is like Blu Ray, but better). The timing is also good because John Carpenter is about to return to the big screen having worked on the score for the upcoming Halloween score for the first time since 1978. Christine will be one of 4 John Carpenter Films to get the 4K treatment this fall.
Clutch – Book of Bad Decisions (9/7)
Cultch is one of those bands that sounds like distilled rock and roll. There’s no punk, no pop, just about no metal. Three hairy guys playing guitar, bass, and drums. They have been remarkably consistent for a band that has been around for 25 years. A lot of the bands that sound like this are from Europe, but Clutch is from Maryland.
St. Paul & The Broken Bones – Young Sick Camellia (9/7)
Their first two album were basically throwback soul. The new album was produced by Jack Splash, who has worked with Alicia Keys, Kendrick Lamar, and John Legend. As you would expect, the new album is slicker and sounds more modern. It’s still R&B, though, but it’s closer to John Legend than Sharon Jones.