THE WEEKLY INJECTION: New Releases From KRALLICE, EARTHLESS & More Out Today 1/28

This week's new heavy metal releases include a shred legend, a posthumous farewell, and more! To the metals…

Burned In Effigy – Rex Mortem

Genre: Death metal/neoclassical
Origin: Chicago, Illinois
Label: Self-released

Buy now from Bandcamp

I frankly don't know a lot about this band, but I was intrigued to read "Neoclassical Melodic Death Metal" in their bio somewhere. On this album there's a sound that was both impressive technically and a lot of fun. Sure, you're getting technical guitar playing and sinister vocals, but when that neo-classical side of the band hits you can't help but bounce or sway with the melodies.

https://youtu.be/pnx6WGfFxFA

Big Big Train – Welcome To The Planet

Genre: Progressive rock
Origin: Bournemouth, England
Label: English Electric

Buy now from Bandcamp

If you're looking for some sweeping prog rock with catchy melodies, then the latest from Big Big Train should be on your playlist today. This comes just a year after their underrated record Common Ground. While this is a triumphant progressive album, it is one that comes coupled with tragedy as this is the posthumous release of vocalist David Longdon who passed in November. It turned out to be a beautiful farewell.

https://youtu.be/SCJbOlUNQVs

Cloakroom – Dissolution Wave

Genre: Shoegaze/doom
Origin: Northwest Indiana
Label: Relapse

I'm keeping the airy vibes going on the latest from Cloakroom. Dissolution Wave features fuzzy guitars, breathy vocals, and tons of atmosphere. If you're fond of Nothing, the calmer Junius moments, and all that, then you should give this one a spin and get lost in it. Greg has a full review here.

https://youtu.be/j3gmeEYFUs8

Earthless – Night Parade Of One Hundred Demons

Genre: Stoner/psychedelic
Origin: San Diego, California
Label: Nuclear Blast

Now for riffs! Earthless are bringing old school Zeppelin/Sabbath-esque jams on Night Parade Of One Hundred Demons. The record technically only includes two songs – the forty-one minute two-part title track and "Death to the Red Sun." These songs are psych journeys. Weed not required to enjoy, but it certainly doesn't hurt.

https://youtu.be/PM0z-t0GRSE

Krallice – Crystalline Exhaustion

Genre: Avant-garde black metal
Origin: Queens, New York
Label: Krallice

Buy now via Bandcamp

These fellas don't waste any time putting out new music these days. Less than a year after Demonic Wealth, they're already back with experimental darkness on Crystalline Exhaustion. The little I've heard as of this writing is as weird as it is evil. This has all the epic synths, blast beats, harsh production, and bells(?) you didn't know you wanted.

https://youtu.be/a-NLJjtdh-U

The Last Ten Seconds Of Life – The Last Ten Seconds Of Life

Genre: Deathcore
Origin: Mansfield, Pennsylvania
Label: Unique Leader

The Last Ten Seconds Of Life album is appropriately self-titled because it's a perfect encapsulation of what this band is, has been, and can be. There are robust grooves, eerie guitar leads, lots of rage, and heaviness throughout. The pits these songs will open up in a live setting will be rough. Read Max's full review here.

https://youtu.be/gWR4C75J0UQ

Steve Vai – Inviolate

Genre: Shred/rock
Origin: Carle Place, New York
Label: Favored Nations/Mascot

Wrapping this week with a god damned legend. This one includes all his unparalleled shredding abilities that will continue to impress a certain genre of guitar dork. Inviolate also features his new guitar toy featured on the cover called The Hydra. Related: I was surprised to learn that despite having a career of almost forty years this is only his tenth solo album.

https://youtu.be/o8H4wRglcbE

Also dropping this week…

• Aegrus – The Carnal Temples EP (Osmose) – Black metal
• Amoth – The Hour Of The Wolf (Rockshot Records) – Progressive metal
• AngelBlast – Throne Of Ashes (Edged Circle Productions) – Death/black metal
• Atrox Trauma – On The Line Of Nothing And Something (Wormholedeath) – Thrash
• Benthik Zone – εἴδωλον (Onism Productions) – Atmospheric black metal
• Buzzard Canyon – Drunken Tales Of An Underachiever…The Saga Continues (Argonauta Records) – Stoner/doom
• Bye Bye Tsunami – Bye Bye Tsunami EP (Nefarious) – Progressive/experimental
• Celeste – Assassine(s) (Nuclear Blast) – Black metal/sludge
• Crystal Ball – Crysteria (Massacre) – Hard rock
• Dark Meditation – Polluted Temples (Satanik Royalty Records) – Heavy metal
• Dawn of Solace – Flames of Perdition (Noble Demon Records) -Gothic metal/doom
• Dead Nexus – Becoming the Ancients (Self-released) – Thrash/death metal
• Deathcult – Of Soil Unearthed (Invictus) – Death metal
• Death Shroud – Death, Slavery And The Pursuit Ov Sadness (Wormholedeath)
• Deeper Graves – The Colossal Sleep (Disorder Recordings) – Experimental/ambient
• Depleted Uranium – Origins (Self-released) – Powerviolence
• Detset – Vermeil (Out Of Line Music) – Hardcore/modern metal
• Dying Light – Far From Life (Self-released) – Melodic metal
• Ectoplasma – Inferna Kabbalah (Memento Mori) – Death metal
• Freaks And Clowns – We Set The World On Fire (Metalville) – Power metal
• Gloves Off – Life…And Everything After (Upstate) – Hardcore
• Harpyie – Blutbann (Metalville) – Folk metal
• Hazemaze – Blinded By The Wicked (Heavy Psych Sounds) – Doom
• Jethro Tull – The Zealot Gene (InsideOut) – Prog
• Kraemer – All The Way (Frontiers) – Hard rock
• Krosis – E.V.I.L. EP (Seek and Strike) – Progressive deathcore
• Lana Lane – Neptune Blue (Frontiers) – Progressive
• Lawnmower Deth – Blunt Cutters (Dissonance) – Comedic thrash
• Lva – In Lvmine Ignis Vestri (Ascension Records) – Black metal
• Malefic Throne – Malefic Throne EP (Hells Headbangers) – Death metal
• Milquetoast – Caterwaul (Wise Blood) – Punk/doom
• The Mist From The Mountains – Monumental – The Temple Of Twilight (Primitive Reaction) – Melodic black metal
• Mur – Cut the Rivers Vein (Self-released) – Black metal/folk
• Nasson – Scars (Frontiers) – Progressive metal
• Night Hag – Phantasmal Scourge (Rotted Life Records) – Death metal/doom
• Oculi Melancholiarum – Noche azul (BMC Productions) – Depressive black metal
• Possessor – The Speed of Death (APF Records) – Sludge/thrash
• Praying Mantis – Katharsis (Frontiers) – Heavy metal
• The Quill – Live, New, Borrowed, Blue (Metalville) – Stoner
• Rabid Dogs – Black Cowslip (Time To Kill) – Sludge/grindcore
• Ravenous Death – Visions From The Netherworld (Memento Mori) – Death metal
• Sarcasm – Stellar Stream Obscured (Hammerheart Records) – Blackened death metal
• Sartori – Dragon's Fire (Rockshots Records) – Power metal
• Secondhand Depression – Secondhand Depression (Old Haunt Studios) – Gothic rock
• Spectral Dance – Crusaders of the Void (Helldprod Records) – Black metal
• Stone House On Fire – Time Is A Razor (Electric Valley) – Hard rock
• Tangent – Tangent EP (Dying Victims) – Heavy/speed metal
• Tension – Decay (Dying Victims) – Heavy metal
• Thumos – The Republic (Snow Wolf Records) – Post-metal
• Tine – Mergae Maris Profundi (Self-released) – Melodic death/black metal
• Tormentor Tyrant – Tormentor Tyrant (Everlasting Spew) – Death metal
• Toxpack – Zwanzig.Tausend.Volt (Napalm) – Streetcore
• Vicious Knights – Alteration Through Possession (Dying Victims) – Death metal/thrash