It’s a short week of releases, so I don’t have much to comment on today. A belated special acknowledgment to all of the military veterans reading this – we salute you and thank you for your service. To everyone else, I hope you were able to enjoy your three-day weekend, and if you couldn’t, then here are some albums for you to buy that will clear those thoughts from your mind.

For Today, Immortal (Razor & Tie)

It used to be unusual to see an openly Christian band leaving a known Christian label for a non-Christian label, but it seems those days are in the past, as we’ve had two prominent examples in the past year of Christian bands heading for non-Christian labels. The first was Impending Doom’s departure from Facedown Records for a contract with eOne Music, and the second was For Today’s split with Facedown to sign with Razor & Tie. Granted, Facedown does have a reputation for supporting younger bands in their early careers before sending them off to other Christian labels such as Tooth & Nail or Solid State, but this break in the norm is a bit unexpected. Regardless, though, Immortal will likely be an important step for Iowa’s second-biggest metal export. After the success of 2010′s Breaker and the announcement of their participation in the entirety of Warped Tour this year, For Today has a lot riding on the performance of this new album. They returned to Will Putney at The Machine Shop for production on this album, so that should ensure some of the success carries over. But as we’ve learned in the fickle music industry these days, nothing is guaranteed. So For Today will need to work very hard for this album to top Breaker and set new standards of success for them.

Twisted Sister, Live at Hammersmith (Armoury)

Apparently Armoury Records has been re-issuing a great deal of Twisted Sister’s older material recently, although very little promotion has been done for any of the releases. This live album, though, will attract plenty of attention from diehard collectors. The majority of the two-disc set features the band’s entire set from a 1984 performance at London’s prestigious Hammersmith Odeon. This concert occurred during the band’s peak years, during the Stay Hungry world tour of that year. And if that wasn’t enough, there are also two bonus tracks recorded at a 1979 live show in Port Chester, NY. As I said, this is a collector’s gold mine of rare live material, so veteran fans won’t want to pass this up. Besides the collector’s value, though, it’s also nice to hear the band playing some songs live that you very likely would never hear in a more current live show.

Also being released this week:

Dawnbringer, Into the Lair of the Sun God (Profound Lore)

Ne Obliviscaris, Portal of I (Aural)

Truth & its Burden, Choices (Rite of Passage/Mediaskare)

Daytrader, Twelve Years (Rise)

Next Week: Key releases from veterans, established acts, and up-and-comers flood the charts with new metal in just seven days. I can’t wait! Get excited for the excellence that is sure to come!