Congratulations! If you are reading this, you survived this weekend's Supermoon invasion. It was a little touch-and-go, as we all know, and those we lost to that celestial monster will be missed. However, for their sake, we have to carry on. For 'Mercia! For Earth! For Metal! Just know this Moon. We'll be ready next time, and we're watching you, you bastard.
Now to the metals…
Amon Amarth – Deceiver of the Gods
Genre: Viking Metal
Origin: Stockholm, Sweden
Label: Metal Blade
Buy now on Amazon.com
Amon Amarth are sort of the AC/DC or Motorhead of their genre. Each round they give you exactly what you’d expect, and it's exactly what you want. There are songs about Loke, Warriors, the North, etc, but it’s all awesome and unique to Amon Amarth.
Chthonic – Bu-tik
Genre: Melodic Black Metal
Origin: Taipei, Taiwan
Label: Spinefarm
Buy now on Amazon.com
The best band that you can name out of Taiwan has returned with the follow-up to 2011’s Taksago Army. It features a lovely collection of melodic black metal tracks with traditional Eastern instruments and influences. Not since the band’s breathrough, Seediq Bale, have I been this excited about a Chthonic release. Check out Alex’s full review here.
Havok – Unnatural Selection
Genre: Thrash
Origin: Denver, Colarado
Label: Candlelight
Buy now on Amazon.com
Havok are one of the few bands that are flying the modern thrash flag well. There are just so many bands that sound somewhere between Exodus and Anthrax that are so easy to forget. Havok manages to take the thrash formula and shake it in a way that makes the listener come back again and again. Greg says it best here.
Mouth of the Architect – Dawning
Genre: Atmospheric Sludge
Origin: Dayton, Ohio
Label: Translation Lost
Buy now on Amazon.com
Yeah, my bad. I misread the release date last week. Doesn’t matter though, because it’s worth mentioning how great it is again.
Orphaned Land – All Is One
Genre: Middle Eastern Folk Metal
Origin: Bat-Yam/Petah-Tikva, Israel
Label: Century Media
But now on Amazon.com
Orphaned Land has always had an element of Middle Eastern Folk music in their metal, but All Is One pushes it to the forefront. The album features a twenty-five person choir that raises this album to another level of epicness. All Is One makes me want to seek out the rest of the band’s catalog. Our very own Alex raves here.
Palms – Palms
Genre: Post Rock
Origin: Sacramento, California & Boston Massachusetts
label: Ipecac
Buy now on Amazon.com
What happens when 3/4 of Isis hook p with Chino from Deftones? Pretty much what you'd expect. The music is ambient and epic in that way the post metal masters from Isis are, and Chino sings in that way that only he can pull off. Mind you, the album gets HUGE, but it doesn't really get heavy. Jeremy goes into further detail here.
Queensryche – Queensryche
Genre: Progressive
Origin: Bellevue, Washington
Label: Century Media
Buy now on Amazon.com
Two months ago when I took over The Weekly Injection, my first batch of albums included Geoff Tate’s Queensryche. I applauded Tate’s version to a degree, but not without jabbing at the whole two Queensryche ridiculousness. It left me curious as to what Todd La Torre’s version of the band. Now that it’s here, I gotta say I prefer this one. The music itself is more interesting, and La Torre fits the role really well. The most interesting this about this whole thing is that it made me curious about Queensryche. Before all this nonsense, I only knew “Silent Lucidity” and Operation Mindcrime, and I’m sure I’m not the only one in this boat. So congrats to both parties. Your silly squabbles made a new person give a shit.
Scorpion Child – Scorpion Child
Genre: Southern Rock
Origin: Austin, Texas
Label: Nuclear Blast
Buy now on Amazon.com
I saw these guys open for Clutch, Lionize, and Orange Goblin a few months ago, and they were great. They play a straightforward, but effective brand of classic influenced rock. Bluesy to the core, as an Austin band should be, and even a little bit sexy. I’m not afraid to admit it. There’s a hint of Zeppelin here, too.
Serj Tankian – Orca
Genre: Classical
Origin: Beirut, Lebanon
Label: Reprise
Buy now on Amazon.com
What is this ClassicalInjection?!? Yes, right now it is. Serj from System of a Down has been out doing his thing for a while now, and after the success of the Elect The Dead Symphony thing, it only makes sense to release a full-on classical album. If you enjoyed any of Serj’s solo outings, you will probably appreciate this. The piano playing is clearly Tankian’s style, which then translates out to an entire orchestra. This makes me respect Tankian’s solo career much in the way I appreciate Mike Patton’s (See: Mondo Cane). It's an artist trying something crazy, and fucking nailing it. It was recorded last year, and is ust making its way to stores.
Also dropping today…
Abnormal Thought Patterns – Manipulation Under Anesthesia (Lifeforce)
Attila – About That Life (Artery)
August Burns Red – Rescue & Restore (Solid State)
Behexen – Rituale Satanum Re-Release (Debemur Morti)
Damned Spring Fragrantia – Divergences (Basick)
Dio – Magica Re-Release (Niji)
Firewind – Apotheosis: Live 2012 (Firewind)
From Hell – Heresy (Paper + Plastick)
Graveyard Of Souls – Shadows Of Life (FDA Rekotz)
Hesperian Death Horse – Mrtav (Play The Assassin)
Iliac Thorns – It (Inverse)
Imprecation – Satanae Tenebris Infinita (Dark Descent)
Insanity – Death After Death Re-Release (Hells Headbangers)
Lantern – Below (Dark Descent)
Lesbian – Forestelevision (Translation Loss)
Locrian – Return To Annihilation (Relapse)
Man's Gin – Rebellion Hymns (Profound Lore)
Morality Crisis – Boats (Minnesconsin)
Moss Of Moonlight – Winterwheel (Cascadian Alliance)
Mumakill – Flies Will Starve (Relapse)
Necrotic Disgorgement – Documentaries of Dementia (Comatose)
Nosdrama – Gravity (Inverse)
One Inch Giant – The Great White Beyond (Soulseller)
Ramming Speed – Doomed to Destroy, Destined To Die (Prosthetic)
Send Me Home – The Struggle EP (Harbor)
Sister Sin – Dance Of The Wicked Re-Release (Victory)
Skeletal Spectre – Voodoo Dawn (Pulverised)
Spirits Of The Dead – Rumours Of A Presence (The End)
Svartsyn – Black Testament (Agonia)
Toad – Endless Night (Comfort Point)
The Vein – Scouring the Wrekage of Time (Shadow Kingdom)
Viranesir – Fountain Of Uncertainty (Merdumgiriz)
White Wizzard – The Devils Cut (Earache)
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