In case you didn’t know, March is Metal Month. Just like previous years, metal labels are teaming up with retailers and websites all this month to bring you special content and amazing deals on great music. I’ve already browsed the selections available through a number of retailers, and these are deals you won’t want to miss! If you’ve been waiting to purchase some of the key releases so far this year, now is the time to stop waiting and start buying!

Ironically, though, the March release calendar starts off very slowly, with this week having a very short release list in comparison to other weeks this month. The top release for this week is a pretty big name, though, and there are a number of other excellent bands with good releases today. Let’s make the month of metal truly excellent – don’t miss out on these new releases!

Every Time I Die, Ex-Lives (Epitaph)

Ex-Lives is following on the footsteps of Every Time I Die’s best performances yet. 2007’s The Big Dirty debuted at #41 on the Billboard charts, and 2009’s New Junk Aesthetic came in at #46 in its first week. The Buffalo-based group has been out of the spotlight for a while, but their current tour with The Devil Wears Prada is a perfect introductory measure for this new release, while their stint on the Warped Tour this Summer will likely help a great deal as well. The positive reviews that the album has received thus far, combined with the music videos for “Underwater Bimbos from Outer Space” and “Revival Mode,” are all a good indicator that this is another winning album for the band. Hopefully Ex-Lives can exceed the performances of its predecessors to become the highest-selling album of Every Time I Die’s career thus far.

Xandria, Neverworld’s End (Napalm)

Xandria is a German symphonic metal band, in the same vein as Leaves’ Eyes, Sirenia, and Epica. Their sophomore album Ravenheart and the single of the same name gave them a lot of recognition around Europe, although they never rose to a great deal of popularity in the U.S. Neverworld’s End is the group’s first album in five years, after two singer changes between 2008 and 2010. New singer Manuela Kraller seems to have made a good first impression, as the album has already received overwhelmingly positive reviews from many critics. If you’re looking for a new symphonic metal group to try, Xandria is just what you’re looking for.

Also being released this week:

Pharaoh, Bury the Light (Cruz Del Sur)

Diabulus in Musica, The Wanderer (Napalm)

Heidevolk, Batavi (Napalm)

Zombie Sam, Zombie Sam (Coroner)

The Sacrificed, 3 (Roxx)

Invader, Invader (Innervenus)

Neroargento, The Advertising Box (Coroner)

Belie My Burial, Pale Beyond (Twin Robot)

Malrun, The Empty Frame (Mighty)

Next Week: An extremely well-stocked and diverse week of new releases awaits us, including several veteran names and a slew of talented newcomers. March Is Metal, indeed! Get ready for a week loaded with metal excellence!