This edition features some over the top epicness, some subtle weirdness, heaviness throughout, and more! To the metals…
Battle Beast – Bringer Of Pain
Genre: Heavy metal
Origin: Helsinki, Finland
Label: Nuclear Blast
Buy now on Amazon.com
Nothing too crazy here, just some straight up heavy metal rocking. Like Lita Ford or Pat Benatar with some modern production, and a little more edge. They'd pair well with Iron Maiden or Ghost too.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3k7r_U8b40[/youtube]
Dool – Here Now, There Then
Genre: "Dark rock"
Origin: Netherlands
Label: Prophecy
Buy now on Amazon.com
This band is pretty awesome actually. It features the rhythm section of The Devil Blood, guitarists from Gold and The New Media, and frontwoman Ryanne van Dorst. A pretty solid lineup and a really solid album of spooky rock.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RolTlqf4xMY&t=5s[/youtube]
Edenbridge – The Great Momentum
Genre: Symphonic Power Metal
Origin: Linz, Austria
Label: SPV
Buy now on Amazon.com
In a rather dramatic change of pace to this Weekly Injection, Edenbridge bring us to an epic alternate universe. The symphonic elements and percussion are particularly impressive here for some reason. They're like Nightwish or Epica, but they are doing something that I can't put my finger on to make me like them more.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPxlQxwHNEs[/youtube]
Horseneck – Heavy Trip
Genre: Stoner/Sludge
Origin: Sacramento, California
Label: self
Buy now on Bandcamp
If you like your low-tuned sludge with some post-hardcore, or some blues, or any sort of other unexpected weirdness then you need to get Heavy Trip now. These guys love Every Time I Die, but they bring so much more to the table. I didn't see this record coming, but I'm glad it found me.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHlmxnOcpDM[/youtube]
Mord’A’Stigmata – Hope
Genre: Post-black metal/avant garde
Origin: Bochnia, Poland
Label: Pagan
Buy (and sample) now on Bandcamp
Hope is in the ballpark of what you imagine when you think of the post-black metal scene. There are a few expansive, evil, and atmospheric songs on this record. Each track feels like an achievement upon its completion in the way a book does, because so much story has been traversed. Where they differentiate themselves is when they lean into that "avant garde" label. They introduce odd synths and other instruments occasionally that break up the black metal. We're not talking Sigh-level instrument dabbling (or even close, really), but the spirit is there.
(waning) – Still Hours
Genre: Post metal/shoegaze
Origin: Sacramento, California
Label: Buriedinhell Records
Buy (and sample) now on Bandcamp
Gushing about (waning) isn't new for me on Metal Injection. I once said that this band should be on your radar, and this album is why. Still Hours has the band sounding the best they ever have across the board. Vocals are better than ever, keys are more epic than ever, and the heaviness is doom-ier than ever. Great record, great band. Get on these guys if you're into Neurosis, Nadja, and all that shit.
Xibalba – Diablo, Con Amor… Adios
Genre: Death Metal/Hardcore
Origin: Pomona, California
Label: Closed Casket
Buy now from Closed Casket
Let's end this week in a chunky, heavy place. Xibalda are a boot-to-the-face hardcore/death metal hybrid. This EP is brief, under eight minutes, but it has all the force of a full length. Also, with lyrics flipping between Spanish and English while discussing Latino heritage, they are a rarity in metal and an important voice.
Also dropping today…
Black Sites – Monochrome (Mascot) – Alt metal
A Breach Of Silence – Secrets (Eclipse) – Metalcore/melodic death metal
Cnoc An Tursa – The Forty Five (Apocalyptic Witchcraft) – Folk metal/Black metal
Crystal Viper – Queen Of The Witches (AFM) – Heavy metal
Cultes Des Ghoules – Coven (Hells Headbangers) – Black metal
Ember Falls – Welcome To Ember Falls (Spinefarm) – Alt metal
Ghost Iris – Blind World (Long Branch) – Metalcore
Jagged Vision – Death Is This World (Fysisk Format) – Sludge/stoner
A Killer’s Confession – Unbroken (EMP) – Nu-metal
Lecherous Gaze – One Fifteen EP (Tee Pee) – Psych/punk
Morta Skuld – Wounds Deeper Than Time (Peaceville) – Doom/stoner
Sunlight’s Bane – The Blackest Volume: Like All The Earth Was Buried (Innerstrength) – Black metal/grindcore
Vermilion Whiskey – Spirit Of Tradition (10 South) – Hard rock/stoner
The Wild! – Wild At Heart (eOne) – Heavy metal