Wipe the blood from your teeth and get in the pit, it’s time for the most magical time of the year, Record Store Day! It’s that special day when your favorite local record store gets all sorts of new, reissued, and/or limited edition records. That means those of us who worship at the dark altar and spin the black circle have all sorts of goodies to pick from. So, in honor of Record Store Day, we’re going to point out some of the bands who have awesome releases worth checking out. Peep the stuff below and then get thee to the record store!

Metz is one of our favorite bands. John Reis is the Swami of Rock, the Down Stroke Warlord. In a glorious, magical union, these guys found their way into a studio together and recorded some rockin’, dirty jams. They’re releasing a 7″ with two tracks, one of which you can hear below and, goddamn, it gives us chills.

Melodic hardcore rockers Ignite are releasing a 7″ called “Vipers and Thieves.” It’s a previously unreleased track from the A War Against You session, so that alone is enough to be excited about. We are still obsessed with that album, so we’re picking up this one for sure. Check out the song “Nothing Can Stop Me” below to get sample the sort of awesomeness Ignite brings.

If you’re in the market for some hardcore riffage, check out the Killswitch Engage picture disc “Define Love.” It’s a typical track for these dudes; fast, fierce, and embedded with an anthem-like chorus. If you like Killswitch Engage, you’ll like this. Plus, it’s a damn fine looking picture disc. We could all use more picture discs on our shelf. (via Revolver)

“Hey You” is everything we love about the Thermals. Catchy, raw, and rockin’, it’s got a groove that makes you want to dance and thrash. So a 7″ with this track? Yeah, we’ll buy that. The thing is, the B-Side is – wait for it – a cover of Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit.” Holy crap! The Thermals doing “White Rabbit” is the kind of special magic that only Record Store Day can bring.

Our pals from Relapse Records are doing a limited release of Death’s famous live album, Vivus! : Dividium Live In Eindhoven. This is a ripping, heavy metal classic and it absolutely deserves the double LP treatment it’s getting. Relapse makes damn fine vinyl, so you know this one is worth hunting down. It’s limited to a mere 1000 copies, so it might be tough to track down, don’t hesitate.

The Vandals “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” is one of the best live albums ever. For some of us, the Vandals define punk rock. This concert captures their madness, intensity, and inability to take anything seriously. Kung Fu Records are rereleasing this masterpiece on clear black splatter vinyl, which looks incredible. Even if you already own this one (or multiple copies, like us), you’ll want this limited edition.

If you need to know where you can pick up some of these mighty fine records, you can head over to Record Store Day’s website and find a store near you. Support a local business, buy some rad records, and throw up some horns. \m/

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Image: Cartoon Network