I'm not sure what is going on lately, but it seems that there is an abnormal amount of metal bands around with chick singers. I'm not sure what to think about this. I like a few of the bands, and now days some of the chicks sound like dudes. Here's a list of metal bands that have chick singers:

• Arch Enemy
• In this Moment
• Lacuna Coil
• Nightwish
• Otep
• Kittie
• Tristania
• Within Temptation
• Straight Line Stitch
• Flyleaf
• Walls of Jericho
• Bleeding Through
• Made out of Babies
• Echoes of Eternity
• Stolen Babies
• Holy Moses
• After Forever
• Nemesea
• Epica
• Theatre of Tragedy
• Cadaveria
• Deadlock
• Masterlast
• Beautiful Sin

What do you think? Should the chicks stay out of metal? Any other metal bands that have chick singers that need to be added to the list?

Arch Enemy will be playing at Station 4 in Saint Paul, Minnesota on Tuesday, May 20, 2008.

The Eels will be playing at the Pantages Theatre in Minneapolis, MN on Monday, April 07, 2008.

These are this week's new release CD honorable mentions:

• American Music Club - The Golden Age
• Ray Davies - Working Man's Cafe
• Allison Moorer - Mockingbird
• The Raveonettes - Lust Lust Lust
• Atlas Sound - Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel
• Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
• Cryptacize - Dig that Treasure
• A Cursive Memory - Changes
• Mike Doughty - Golden Delicious
• Flying - Faces of the Night
• The Grand Archives - Grand Archives
• Headlights - Some Racing, Some Stopping
• Jim Lauderdale - Honey Songs
• Gary Louris - Vagabonds
• The Mountain Goats - Heretic Pride
• No Kids - Come Into My House
• Panther - 14 Kt. God
• Seven Mary Three - Day & Nightdriving
• Throw Me the Statue - Moonbeams

Last night I went to the Rock in Maplewood, MN to see Exodus. It was a pretty good show. Not too crowded. It was originally scheduled to be Warbringer, Arsis, Goatwhore and Exodus. But Warbringer and Arsis were no shows due to vehicle trouble and weather. I'm surprised any bands make it to Minnesota in February. The show ended up being Insurection, Goatwhore and Exodus.

I got there a little late to see Insurection, saw there last song. Goatwhore was ok. They played a pretty long set. They were very heavy and had zero guitar solos. The bass player was covered in leather and spikes, looked like a black metal guy from Antartica or something. Kind of hilarious. But they were good, I'd probably check out some of their stuff.

Exodus took the stage next. Only two original members, the guitar player and the drummer. They still sounded awesome. Did some classic songs and some new stuff too. Really got the pit going. The set was pretty short. They came back for the encore and played a bunch of incomplete covers. Like Motorbreath, Phantom of the Opera, Dirty Deeds, etc. It was kind of funny, felt like they were avoiding playing the Toxic Waltz. But they finally did.

The funniest part of the night was during Goatwhore, some guy got up on stage and proposed to his girlfriend. How romantic, proposing to your girl during a Goatwhore set.

Pretty good little metal show. I'm glad I went. I actually like seeing shows at the rock.

Between the Buried and Me will be in Maplewood, Minnesota at the Myth on May 12, 2008 on the Progressive Nation 2008 tour. Which features Dream Theater, Opeth, Between the Buried and Me and Three. I'm going to see Opeth and Between the Buried and Me, love both of those bands.

These are this weeks honorable mentions:

• Antietam - Opus Mixtum
• British Sea Power - Do You Like Rock Music?
• Deaf Pedestrians - And Other Distractions
• Flo & Eddie - The Phlorescent Leech & Eddie/Flo & Eddie
• Idiot Pilot - Wolves
• Monster Magnet - 4-Way Diablo
• Carrie Newcomer - The Geography of Light
• Robert Pollard - Superman Was a Rocker
• The Rumble Strips - Girls and Weather
• Sworn Enemy - Maniacal

Here are the new releases worth mentioning this week. Lots of heavy stuff and indie rock.

The Helio Sequence - Keep Your Eyes Ahead
Joe Jackson - Rain
Shelby Lynne - Just a Little Lovin'
The Mars Volta - The Bedlam in Goliath
Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
Bonnie "Prince" Billy - Wilding in the West
Bullet for My Valentine - Scream Aim Fire
Ida - Lovers Prayers
Thao - We Brave Bee Stings and All
Obituary - The Best of Obituary
Protest the Hero - Fortress
Radar Bros. - Auditorium

Buckethead
Festi De Bella Luna
Saturday, May 24, 2008

Buckethead will be shredding in the Twin Cities. I'm not too sure what Festi De Bella Luna is tho? But I'm going to find out, cuz I'd love to see Buckethead again.

Rush
Xcel Energy Center
May 22, 2008

Geddy and the boys are coming back to the Twin Cities. I was a little bored last time they came, so I'll have to think really hard about going to this one.

Gigantour

Myth in Maplewood, MN
May 09, 2008

Children of Bodom, High on Fire, In Flames, Job For a Cowboy, Megadeth

I saw Megadeth on the Heaven and Hell tour, I wouldn't mind seeing them in a smaller venue. Plus High on Fire would be cool to see.

The Black Dahlia Murder, 3 Inches of Blood, Hate Eternal, Decrepit Birth

Station 4 in St. Paul
February 09, 2008

Lots of great metal is coming to the twin cities in the upcoming months. Very exciting.

April, 8 2008 at Triple Rock, Minneapolis

Baroness, Converge, The Red Chord, Genghis Tron

Get your tech metal math rock fix. I love all 4 of these bands! I will be there for sure.

Some noteable releases that came out this week:

• Cat Power - Jukebox
• Drive-By Truckers - Brighter Than Creation's Dark
• Liam Finn - I'll Be Lightning
• North Mississippi Allstars - Hernando
• Black Mountain - In the Future
• Bodies of Water - Ears Will Pop & Eyes Will Blink
• Matt Costa - Unfamiliar Faces
• Dead Confederate - Dead Confederate
• Destroy All Monsters - Live in Tokyo & Osaka
• Evangelicals - The Evening Descends
• The Feelies - Crazy Rhythms
• The Kennedys - Better Dreams
• Times New Viking - Rip it Off
• The Whigs - Mission Control
• With Blood Comes Cleansing - Horror