It was a shorter week in the US with July 4 but we still got plenty of great new heavy music, like the killer new Blackbraid album. We also got new singles from Cryptopsy, Ringworm, Outer Heaven, ...

Every catchy pop track hides possibilities. And once a metal band picks it up, the song shifts character—sometimes darker, sometimes heavier—always in an unexpected way. That’s the joy of reinvention ...