UK punk rockers ABOVE THEM have their brand new full-length Are We A Danger To Ourselves? available from Kiss of Death Records. Three songs from the LP are streaming below, and the rest can be heard here. These guys remind me a lot of THE LOVED ONES and SMOKE OR FIRE; plenty of bouncy energy in the songs with just a touch of gravel in the vocals. Vinyl and digital download info is available from the KOD store.

From the inbox:

Bullet Tooth is proud to announce the worldwide signing of Minneapolis Minnesota’s, THROW THE FIGHT. For the past three decades, Minneapolis has had its finger on the pulse of the musical world. There’s something about the Northern Midwest crowds that demand passion and energy from their musical acts. Throw The Fight continues that tradition, bringing an authentic display of metal-edged, hard rock. It’s the kind of energy one hears on the band’s newest album, the John Feldmann (Atreyu, The Used) produced, What Doesn’t Kill Us (June 5, 2012).

Months after initial talks with the band, Bullet Tooth president Josh Grabelle flew out to Minneapolis to see the band play in their element. “I watched Throw The Fight play at First Ave in front of 1000+ hungry music fans and they tore the roof off the place. They were exactly what I had hoped they would be and reminded me of a young Bullet For My Valentine. These guys are stars.”

“We’re really excited to be working with Josh Grabelle and Bullet Tooth. Our new record has been a long time coming and it feels good to be partnering with a label that understands what we’re trying to accomplish. Josh has a great track record of breaking bands,” commented guitarist Ryan Baustert.

Recorded during a three week stretch in Feldmann’s own Los Angeles studio, What Doesn’t Kill Us runs the gamut, stretching across metal and alternative, to just plain-old, white-knuckled rock ‘n’ roll. Serving to example is the blinding intensity behind tracks like “One Step Away,” “Lifesaver” and “Lights Out For Summer,” which are imbued with soulful, intelligent songwriting to accompany TTF’s brand of angst-ridden fervor.

- Noise-pop/melodic rock outfit from Cardiff, UK. Sturdy songwriting with a little bit of fluff mixed in (listen to “School II”). The more popular the SILVERSUN PICKUPS get, the brighter the spotlight on a 90s alt-rock revival.

- Power-metal/thrash with a progressive element and vocals that sound like MEGADETH put through an industrial cheese grater.

- Brand new WAR OF AGES song from the band’s upcoming fifth full-length Return to Life. Not sure I the ‘RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE’ style groove the band previously hinted at, but the ‘clean’ vocals are more pronounced than ever before. Also, solos leading into mosh. Did these guys morph into ALL THAT REMAINS?

From the inbox:

A decade ago, pop-metal party icon, ANDREW W.K., released his renowned debut album, I Get Wet. In honor of the album’s 10-year anniversary, ANDREW W.K. has joined forces with Century Media Records for a special re-issue edition to be released on July 17, 2012.

With Andrew being a huge metal fan himself and a huge fan of Century Media in particular, both parties were more than ecstatic when the opportunity arose to pair up for this special release. Andrew explains, “Even after all these years, I clearly remember the first day I heard the band Mayhem’s album, “De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas”. Its dark psychedelic sensations made me realize I had found a new destiny – and had found the greatest music ever made. When I turned that seminal Mayhem album over and looked at the fine-print on the back cover, I saw a bold and clear stamp bearing the name Century Media. Another wave of destiny washed over me and a new dream was born: that I, Andrew W.K., would somehow be part of this great label’s story of musical power and glory. This fantastic company was not only willing to be an active player in the most crucial and illuminating of the arts (aka music), but also was willing to submit themselves to the same higher calling which motivated their most dedicated and influential artists. It gives me great pride and pleasure to confirm that Century Media is the destined home for our special edition of ‘I Get Wet’. It also gives me proof that dreams not only come true, but that they make dreams into real power. Never in a million zillion years would I have imagined that the black wizards would use their cosmic keys to create a time for my humble musical dreams. The moon may be frozen, but its cold light is brighter than ever. Let my album’s release and all our collective efforts help shine an even brighter light on all of humanity, and to further prove that the manifestation is not just underway; it is complete.”

Century Media Records Director of Marketing, Matt Polen, adds, “When we heard Andrew W.K. was looking for a partner for this release, we jumped at the chance team up. I think I speak for the whole company when I say it’s a dream for us to work with him.”

I Get Wet features hit songs that helped make ANDREW W.K. the household name that he is today. The album includes party anthems, “Party Hard”, “Party Til You Puke” and “She Is Beautiful”. This special reissue will include not only the full-length original album, but also a second disc featuring a generous helping of never- before-heard live recordings, early demo versions, alternate mixes and other previously unreleased material. There will also be a limited number of autographed deluxe editions each containing a very special “SOMETHING” directly from Andrew’s private collection – including everything from a lock of his hair to a world tour airplane ticket stub. In addition to the special CD release, I Get Wet will also be reissued as a special double gate-fold vinyl LP.

- I think as part of the signing, Century Media should have negotiated a clause in his contract that he has to provide a quote for each release the label puts out. Not necessarily a good quote, just an ANDREW W.K. quote. Also – uhh yea, I think I’ll be picking this up!

- From the band’s upcoming debut full-length Twelve Years, out May 8th on Rise Records. Weighty melodic rock, vocals look like they improved a lot on what was already a strong trait for the band.

USELESS I.D. – Symptoms (Fat Wreck): Long-running Israeli punk band USELESS I.D. finally lands with a full-length on Fat Wreck Chords. I know it’s seemingly inconsequential at this point what label USELESS I.D. puts their music out on in the U.S. (they were mainstays on Kung Fu, and The Lost Broken Bones came out on Suburban Home), but Fat Wreck is a symbiotic match that feels perfectly natural. Symptoms has a speed deficit compared to their forbidden-beat catalog mashers Redemption and No Vacation From The World, but much like the songwriting evolution displayed by NO USE FOR A NAME and especially MILLENCOLIN, the band has really find a nice groove in the mid-tempo world. Symptoms is impeccably recorded and every instrument comes through with authority. “Sleeping With Knives” and “Obsessive Compulsive Order” are stompin’ standouts and big ol’ rock anthems, a far cry from the band’s skatepunk origins, but the textures wear so much better.

THE BURIAL – Lights and Perfections (Facedown): Indiana based Christian metalcore band THE BURIAL go all-out MESHUGGAH on Lights and Perfections. Although there’s a mild celestial to feel to Lights, it’s mostly hammertime, with layer after layer of bulldozing riffs, tremendous drumming and gripping growled vocals.  The 40 minute full-length is a gigantic leap past the band’s 2010 effort, The Winepress (Strike First), which while technically impressive, left no breathing room in the band’s songs. Lights reminds me of early BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME, before the band thought six minute songs were short. And while I mentioned MESHUGGAH a moment ago, perhaps that’s not the most accurate since THE BURIAL do not take the same kind of austerity approach to their rhythmic assault, but a similar styled up-and-down chugging/grinding craft factors prominently into their mode of operation.

HUMAANA – Comfort EP(Panic): HUMAANA are a post-punk band that feature two members of the now defunct pop-punk band LATE NITE WARS. You wouldn’t draw a connection between the bands unless you were told about it. Comfort is a five song EP that has some soul, warmth, and skittishness. Songs wander, shift and pop. “Live Like the Sixties” is a tightly wound four minute jam session that somehow feels catchy without having any pull-out memorable bits and pieces. Effervescent is how I think of HUMAANA, not in a lightweight meaning, but there’s this kind of bubbly charm to their music that just rolls out of my speakers and sets the mood.