You know how there is a four pm? Did you know there is another 4 in the morning? I'm going to introduce myself to it tomorrow for work. Not looking forward to it. Oh well, plenty of new metal and beer to keep lull me to sleep. The beer seems to be doing more of the lulling.
It is a great week too. I'm not just saying that either.
To the metals…
Carcass – Surgical Steel
Genre: Melodic Death Metal
Origin: Liverpool, England
Label: Nuclear Blast
Buy Now on Amazon.com
Carcass are death metal legends, and they are not to be fucked with. This marks their first batch of new material since, the now inappropriately, titled Swansong. These old dogs certainly show why they are legends, and should remain legendary.
Gwar – Battle Maximus
Genre: Gwar
Origin: Richmond, Virginia
Label: Metal Blade
Buy Now on Amazon.com
By now, you know Gwar. They play thrashy, punk influenced metal about violence, depraved sex, intergalactic conquest, and so on. I personally think this is their best work since Beyond Hell, but I know if they found that out they'd kill me, and it would be an honor.
American Sharks – American Sharks
Genre: Stoner
Origin: Austin, Texas
Label: The End
Buy Now on Amazon.com
These guys reek of Austin, in that way that just stinks so good. They've got stoner rock roots with a strong punk influence and oh, so much fuzz.
Cloudkicker – Subsume
Genre: Instrumental Progressive Metal
Origin: Columbus, Ohio
Label: Self-released
God dammit Ben Sharp! Why are you so fucking good? Subsume is a return to the heavier side of Sharp that you may have missed on last years Fade, which is still fantastic. There still certainly is plenty of atmosphere and pretty parts, as there should be on a Cloudkicker record, but the main attraction is Sharp's melodic guitar work. It's so fascinating that he is able to release music entirely instrumental, and not repeat himself. A contender for one of the top albums of the year, for sure. PS, I'm completely aware this actually came out on 9/14.
Buy Now on Bandcamp.com
Cult of Luna – Vertical II EP
Genre: Post Metal
Origin: Umea, Sweden
Label: Density
Buy Now on Amazon.com
After Cult of Luna dropped the monster album Vertikal earlier this year, it was a welcomed surprise to find out they were dropping a follow-up EP already. Vertikal II picks up right where the album left of and continues to sweep the listener up into its epic arms, then crush you.
Check out our exclusive stream here.
Felix Martin – Scenic Album
Genre: Instrumental 14 String Guitar
Origin: Caracas, Venezuela
Label: Prosthetic
Buy Now on Amazon.com
At first glance you feel like you know what you know what you're going to get with Felix Martin, right? Guy with a super fancy guitar means wank-fests. False! Martin is a virtuoso for sure, but he has actual songs here, rather than just excuses to solo. There is quite the diverse mixture of songs here too. Jazz, metal, and even some straight up Primus-like jams. This = quality. Also, Marco Minnemann on the drums. Best.
Haken – The Mountain
Genre: Progressive
Origin: London, England
Label: InsideOut
Buy Now on Amazon.com
This one is for all my fellow prog-nerds. Haken's latest sounds like an awesome blend between Leprous, Orphaned Land, and Dream Theater (in minor ways for the latter). This is a breath of fresh air from the prog world. Quite good.
Pinkish Black – Razed To The Ground
Genre:
Origin: Forth Worth, Texas
Label: Century Media
Buy Now on Amazon.com
Most bands you can say sound like one band or another as a way to get others to listen to them. Not Pinkish Black. It is a bit trickier when you're stuck going, "They play synth-driven doom with no guitars or bass. So they are just like…" If you don't mind your metal on the slow but epic side, do yourself a favor and get on board with Pinkish Black.
Satyricon – Satyicon
Genre: Black Metal
Origin: Oslo, Norway
Label: Nuclear Blast
Buy Now on Amazon.com
Satyricon have always been one of those bands to stay pretty true to their roots. Much like Immortal, They are able to progress just enough with adding some atmosphere, good production and whatnot, but still stay fairly true to black metal.
A Storm of Light – Nations to Flame
Genre: Post Metal/Doom/Industrial
Origin: New York, New York
Label: Profound Lore
Buy Now on Amazon.com
It isn't everyday that a post metal band brings Ministry to mind, but this is the case for A Storm of Light. Judging by the tracks "Fall" and "Disintegrate" there is a pretty solid industrial vibe here. It makes me wonder where they got the doom/post metal label I found them receiving everywhere else. Pretty interesting.
Týr – Valkyrja
Genre: Folk Metal
Origin: Torshavn, Faroe Islands
Label: Metal Blade
Buy Now on Amazon.com
Týr are easily my favorite band in their genre. They stick to a lot of the folk metal tropes, but they do so with really memorable musicianship and unique, interesting vocal work. The latest album isn't exactly a massive step out of their usual albums, but the quality has yet to diminish.
Ulcerate – Vermis
Genre: Technical Death Metal
Origin: Auckland, New Zealand
Label: Relapse
Buy Now on Amazon.com
I must have been living under a rock since 2007. How have I never encountered Ulcerate? This is an awesome technical death metal record that is brutal. Definitely getting this, then perusing their back-catalog.
Windhand – Soma
Genre: Stoner/Doom
Origin: Richmond, Virgina
Label: Relapse
Buy Now on Amazon.com
This band is awesome. However, they do one thing this genre is notorious for. They bury really good vocals behind a wall of fuzz. Somewhere in the mix, I can hear some really great echoing singing that should be pushed to the forefront. Alas, they are traditional in their approach to doom. Still an awesome release.
Wolvserpent – Perigaea Antahkarana
Genre: Doom
Origin: Boise, Idaho
Label: Relapse
Buy Now on Amazon.com
And now wrapping up my accidental Relapse trio is the band with the best/silliest name in this week's Weekly Injection. My exposure to this album has been limited so far but from what little I've heard it seems epic, evil, and all over the place. You have my attention Wolvserpent.
Also dropping today…
Anathema – Universal DVD (Kscope)
Ashes Of Ares – Ashes Of Ares (Nuclear Blast)
Bombus – The Poet And The Parrot (Century Media)
The Charm The Fury – A Shade of My Former Self (Pavement)
Damnations Day – Invisible, The Dead (Nightmare)
Deaf Havana – Old Souls (Razor & Tie)
Deals Death – Point Zero Solution (Spinefarm)
Eyes Set To Kill – Masks (Century Media)
Grave – Morbid Ascent EP (Century Media)
Grave Miasma – Odori Sepulcrorum (Profound Lore)
Incredible Me – Est. 2012 (Razor & Tie)
Means End – The Didact Re-Release (Rogue)
Mindcage – Our Own Devices (Kinematic)
The Persevering Promise – An Illusion In Shambles (Pavement)
Ringworm – Bleed EP (Relapse)
Season Of Mourning – Salvation (Toil)
Seidr – Ginnungagap (Bindrune(
Siren's Cry – Scattered Horizons (Nightmare)
Stray From The Path – Anonymous (Sumerian)
Subrosa – More Constant Than The Gods (Profound Lore)
Taberah – Necromancer (Dust On The Tracks)
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