We’re now five months into 2010, and it’s time for another monthly update to the list of forthcoming new albums we first posted on January 1. (All the other updates can be found via the “Forthcoming Albums” category link on the right side of our pages.)  Below is a list of still more projected new releases we didn’t know about at the time of our previous updates, or updated info about some of the previously noted releases.

Once again, we’ve cobbled together news blurbs about bands whose past work we’ve liked, or who look interesting for other reasons. Needless to say (but we’ll say it anyway), these are bands that mostly fit the profile of music we cover on this site.

So, in alphabetical order, here’s our list of cut-and-pasted blurbs from various sources since our last update about forthcoming new releases. Look for the bands you like and put reminders on your calendar. Or if you’re old school like us, just get ‘em tattooed someplace you can see without a mirror (because reading stuff backwards is hard).

THE ACACIA STRAIN: “Western Massachusetts’ chuggernauts The Acacia Strain, have completed work on their new album, which will be released July 20th in North American and August 2nd in Europe via Prosthetic Records.”

ATHEIST: “Reactivated seminal technical metal pioneers ATHEIST will enter LedBelly studios in Atlanta, Georgia on July 5 to begin recording their long-awaited, as-yet-untitled fourth album. Engineering the session will be Matt Washburn. Additionally, the band has secured the services of one of metal’s most significant talents of the past decade, Jason Suecof (TRIVIUM, CHIMAIRA, DEVILDRIVER), to handle the mixing of what promises to be a modern classic from the pioneers of technical metal. . . . ATHEIST‘s forthcoming album is tentatively scheduled for a late 2010 release and will be followed by a world tour in 2011.”   (more after the jump . . .)

THE AUTUMN OFFERING: “The Autumn Offering is nearing completion of the recording process for their new self-titled album. Vocals are currently being tracked and the effort will be mixed by Pete Rutcho (Bury Your Dead) in June. A September release via Victory Records is planned.”

BONDED BY BLOOD: “‘Blood Spilled Offerings’, a new song from Pomona, California thrashers BONDED BY BLOOD, is available for streaming on the band’s MySpace page. According to a press release, the track is ‘a charging juggernaut of a song that gives a look at the inner workings of the Crong. They are the alien race that have taken control of future Earth in the band’s original sci-fi tale. ‘Blood Spilled Offerings’ comes off BONDED BY BLOOD‘s upcoming sophomore album, Exiled To Earth, which is set 600 years in the future and tells the tale of the Crong, an alien race who were sent to Earth long ago with one goal: global domination. A skilled group of warriors must now face the impossible and overthrow the Crong to take back our planet. Exiled To Earth will be available in North America on August 10 via Earache Records.”

BRUTUS: “Dutch death metallers BRUTUS have inked a deal with Unique Leader Records and Deity Down Records for the release of their sophomore album, Murwgebeukt (Total Loss). Due on July 20 in Europe via Deity Down in collaboration with Alpha Prime Music and Unique Leader Records in the rest of the world, the CD was recorded with drummer Ploegbaas, who took his own life shortly after the sessions were completed. A song from the album, “Lijdensweg” (Living Hell), is available for streaming on the band’s MySpace profile.”

BURDEN OF GRIEF: “German melodic death/thrash metallers BURDEN OF GRIEF will release their new album, Follow The Flames, on July 2 in Europe via Massacre Records. The follow-up to 2007′s Death End Road will contain 10 new songs. The limited-edition version of the CD will include a bonus disc featuring cover versions of eight metal classics. The album was mixed and mastered by Swedish producer/multi-instrumentalist Dan Swanö (EDGE OF SANITY, OPETH, DISSECTION, BLOODBATH). The cover artwork was created by Gustavo Sazes (ARCH ENEMY, SONIC SYNDICATE, GOD FORBID).”

COPROLITH: “Finnish ‘blackened death metallers’ COPROLITH will release their full-length debut, Cold Grief Relief, on June 17 via Violent Journey Records. The CD was recorded at Cut Circle Studio by Roland Nordström and was mixed by Jonas Eriksson at Second Floor Studio.”

DAATH: “Always one determined to abide by no preconceived industry standards and stray far from conventionality are the Atlanta based quintet Daath, who against all odds triumphantly return and enter the studio early next month to begin tracking their highly anticipated third full-length release. The drumming phenom Kevin Talley (ex-Chimaira, Dying Fetus) begins tracking in Atlanta on June 7th with renowned producer Mark Lewis (All That Remains, Trivium, Devildriver) and co-producer Eyal Levi (guitars) at the helm. . . . ‘We’re currently in the final stages of pre-production and begin recording with Mark Lewis on June 7th here in Atlanta. The release is planned for this fall.’”

EQUILIBRIUM: “Verbrannte Erde, a brand new song from German pagan/folk metallers EQUILIBRIUM, is available for streaming on the band’s MySpace page. The track comes off the group’s new album, Rekreatur, which is scheduled for release on June 18 via Nuclear Blast Records.”

GRAVE: “Swedish death metal legends GRAVE will release their new album, Burial Ground, on June 14 via Regain Records.”

HASTE THE DAY: “Indiana-based Christian metalcore band HASTE THE DAY will release its new album, Attack Of The Wolf King, on June 29 via Solid State Records. A brand new song from the album, “Dog Like Vultures”, is available for streaming via the band’s MySpace page.”

HATE: “Polish extreme metallers HATE will enter Hertz Studio in Bialystok, Poland on June 5 to begin recording their new album, Erebos, for a late 2010 release via Listenable Records. Erebos, which comes from ancient Greek and means literally “deep darkness” or shadow, will contain at least nine new songs, which are said to be a fusion of blackened death metal, industrial and ambient sounds, deathcore and heavy metal.”

HELMET: In a recent interview, vocalist/guitarist Page Hamilton of the alternative metal legends HELMET said that the release of the band’s new album (Seeing Eye Dog) “has actually been pushed back to August 24 as we try to finish artwork and finalize the tracks.”

HORNED ALMIGHTY: “Danish black metallers HORNED ALMIGHTY have finished recording their fourth album, Necro Spirituals, for a late 2010 release via Candlelight Records. The effort will once again be mixed and mastered by Jacob Bredahl (LAST MILE, ex-HATESPHERE), who previously worked with the band on last year’s Contaminating The Divine CD.”

IMMORTAL: “Norwegian black metallers IMMORTAL will release a concert DVD, The Seventh Date Of Blashyrkh, this summer via Nuclear Blast. The disc will include professionally filmed video footage of the band’s headlining performance at the 2007 edition of the Wacken Open Air festival, which was held August 2-4, 2007 in Wacken, Germany.”

IN THIS MOMENT: “Century Media Records has set a July 13 U.S. release date for A Star Crossed Wasteland, the third album from Southern California’s IN THIS MOMENT. The CD was recorded at The Wolves Den studio in Las Vegas, Nevada with producer Kevin Churko (OZZY OSBOURNE, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH).”

ISIS/MELVINS: “The split 12″ from Isis and Melvins has now been slated for a July 13th release via Hydra Head Records. The split will feature two songs from each band. The Isis tracks are amongst the last recorded output to be released by the band. Both were recorded during sessions for the band’s Wavering Radiant album. Meanwhile, Melvins’ contribution is comprised of two tracks from their latest full-length, The Bride Screamed Murder. However, said tracks have been remixed and reworked.’”

KATAKLYSM: “Canadian death metallers KATAKLYSM have completed the recording process for their new album, Heaven’s Venom, for an August 24 release (one day earlier internationally) via Nuclear Blast Records. The follow-up to 2008′s Prevail was produced by KATAKLYSM guitarist Jean-Francois Dagenais (MALEVOLENT CREATION, MISERY INDEX) and is currently being mixed by Tue Madsen (THE HAUNTED, MNEMIC, DARK TRANQUILLITY).”

KYLESA: “Between extensive tours of Europe, Kylesa will enter the studio on May 31 to begin recording the follow-up to the critically-acclaimed album Static Tensions. The new album is the band’s debut for Season of Mist Records. The sessions will take place over the month of June at the legendary Jam Room in Columbia, SC with Phillip Cope (Baroness, Withered) at the helm as producer.”

MUSHROOMHEAD: “In a March 2010 interview with the ’Iron City Rocks’ podcast, Jeffrey Nothing revealed that the working title of MUSHROOMHEAD‘s new album is Slaughterhouse Road. The band recently finished mixing the CD for a tentative late August/early September release via Megaforce. Produced by co-founding member and drummer Steve ‘Skinny’ Felton, the album promises to be the band’s ‘most violent- and epic-sounding to date!’”

PRIMORDIAL: In an interview with The Obelisk (here), Primordial frontman Alan ‘Nemtheanga’ Averill disclosed that the Irish black/folk metal band plans to record its next album in June, with a  release projected for September or October 2010.

RAMESSES: “The psychedelic doom trio RAMESSES was spawned in the woodland of Dorset, England in 2003, and has been brutalizing its devoted fanbase ever since . . . . 2010 brings the next slab of raging doom from RAMESSES, in the form of their second mammoth full-length release, Take The Curse, which is set to infect the general public on the 2010 Summer Solstice, June 21. Releasing the album is new label Ritual Productions; the label formed by the band’s management.”

SERENITY DIES: “Melodic thrashers SERENITY DIES will release the Hacksawcracy EP on July 15, 2010. Taking inspiration from the likes of MEGADETH and METALLICA with a uniquely modern twist that emphasizes memorable songwriting, surgically precise riffing, and one hell of a rhythmic punch, the Maldives-based act sprints out of the blocks with refreshing vigor. The EP features guest appearances by Rob Caggiano (ANTHRAX) and Mikko Salovaara (KIUAS) who perform guitar solos on “Psycho Ride” and “Dystopian Law”, respectively.”

SEVERE TORTURE: “Dutch death metallers SEVERE TORTURE will release their fifth full-length album, Slaughtered, on June 29 (one day earlier internationally) via Season of Mist. The CD was recorded at Split Second Sound Studios in Amsterdam with producer Jochem Jacobs.”

SODOM: “The band will enter the studio during the coming months to begin recording its new album for a late 2010 release. Bassist/vocalist Thomas “Angelripper” Such recently stated about the group’s new material, ‘There has never been a SODOM album which is so wide-ranged, as powerful and as typically SODOM as this one.’”

SOTAJUMALA: ““Paratiisin kutsu” (The Call of Paradise), the new video from Finnish metallers SOTAJUMALA [is now available for viewing]. The song comes off the band’s new album Kuolemanpalvelus, which is scheduled for release on June 2 through Cobra Records. The CD was recorded at Studio Audio and Basement Alliance studios in Jyväskylä, Finland while the mastering was handled by Svante Forsbäck at Chartmakers in Helsinki. Kuolemanpalvelus is available for streaming in its entirety for a limited time at the Record Shop X web site.”

SPECIAL DEFECTS: “Meshuggah guitarist Fredrik Thordendal recently began recording material for his second album (the first as Fredrik Thordendal’s Special Defects in 1997). The effort will likely be available later this year. Among those contributing to the album is Soilwork drummer Dirk Verbeuren.”

VINDICATOR: “Midwest thrash maniacs VINDICATOR will release their sophomore album,The Antique Witcheries, on August 10 via Heavy Artillery Records. . . . The Antique Witcheries is described in a press release as ‘a masterpiece of modern thrash metal mayhem sure to please fans of DARK ANGEL, TESTAMENT andEXODUS.’”

WHITECHAPEL: ““Breeding Violence”, a brand new song from Knoxville, Tennessee death metallers WHITECHAPEL, is available for streaming . . . . The track comes off the group’s third album, A New Era Of Corruption, due on June 8 via Metal Blade Records.”

ZOROASTER: “Atlanta, Georgia’s “psych metal” band ZOROASTER has completed work on its sophomore album, Matador, for a July 13 North American release via E1 Music.”

My co-Author IntoTheDarkness turned me on to Texas in July this past summer not long after they released their full-length CD I Am. I liked it immediately and have found myself going back to it periodically since then (and I’ll eventually explain why). When I first started listening to I Am, I knew nothing about the band and there wasn’t a lot to learn on the netz, though I did discover that despite their band name the guys were from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. (As a native Texan, I was a little disappointed by that discovery, but managed to get over it.)

Recently, after one of my periodic returns to I Am, I decided to hunt the web again for more info and found a lot more than when I looked the first time 6 months ago. For one thing, the band’s MySpace page now shows more than 1 million song plays, which is a shit-load. And I found that the band had released an EP called Salt of the Earth in October 2008 (both releases are now available on iTunes).  I also found all sorts of on-the-surface reasons why the odds would be against me liking this band.

First, they’re really young (ages 16-18, and two of them still in high school) and I’m really not.  I’ve found very few metal bands that young who have enough song-writing sophistication and playing chops to be worth more than a brisk once-over. Second, look at that photo above: kind of screams “Emo!” doesn’t it? Third, their label (CI Records) bills them  as a Christian metalcore band. Now don’t get me wrong — they’re some bands stuck in that same genre pigeon-hole that I really like (e.g., August Burns Red) — but it’s not a long list. My tastes these days tend to run toward the more brutal end of the extreme metal spectrum.

But against all these odds, I’m still addicted to Texas in July. Call it a guilty pleasure. And the source of the appeal, as it should be, is the music. To explain . . .It’s plenty heavy — heavier than I would have expected based on the superficial facts listed above. Intricate, blistering drumwork meshed with melodic-death style, down-tuned riffing and plenty of crushing, layered breakdowns. And Alex Good delivers with a combination of outstanding hardcore howling and death-metal gutterals. But what really draws me back to I Am again and again are the melodic hooks worked into each song by the superb guitar work of Christian Royer. They make each song distinct and memorable, and ultimately that’s what brings me back to I Am — that combination of melodies that stick in my head, intelligently interwoven with honest, blast-furnace brutality.

And that turns the youthfulness factor of this band on its head — because they definitely don’t sound like a bunch of teenagers just starting out.  These guys are already accomplished song-writers and skilled musicians, way beyond their years. They remind me of three bands I like a lot rolled into one — Darkest Hour, August Burns Red, and Impending Doom. I’m truly perplexed about how these guys learned their craft so well at such an early age. And, by the way, where did 5 dudes from PA come up with a name like Texas in July?

Young they may be, but they’ve already had one traumatic experience most of us are lucky enough to avoid our whole lives: this past summer they had a head-on collision with another car while on tour.  It left all the band members with varying degrees of injury and cost the life of the other driver. Keep that in mind when you watch the following live performance video, which includes my favorite song off I Am,”It’s Not My First Rodeo.”  Royer and bassist Ben Witkowski use crutches to hobble on stage and then perform the set while seated, and through it all, while riffing the hell out of his guitar, Royer’s got the most infectious grin on his face. Ah, the resilience of youth . . . .