I'm guessing that this summer the Weekly Injection will be moving to Fridays. Does sooner (or later in some cases, I guess) release dates really effect your record purchasing? I think having different release dates from other countries is areally stupid idea in the digital age, but fridays seems like a weird day for new music. I'm probably just so used to new music on Tuesdays. Anywhoozle, this edition includes forest metal, one of the longest-running rock bands ever, my personal prog god, and more! To the metals…
A Forest Of Stars – Beware The Sword You Cannot See 
Genre: Atmospheric black metal
Origin: Leeds, England
Label: Prophecy
Buy now on Amazon.com
I initially heard about this band in the same breath that I heard Agalloch. They both play epic, atmospheric black metal, but A Forest of Stars has more of an experimental angle to them. So this album features more of their awesome unique metal that dabbles in folk and prog, but with higher production value than before. This is band needs more of your attention, they deserve it. Sidenote: according to their label's site, the album drops today in North America today,but distribution only. Not entirely sure what that means, but fuck international release dates.
Monsterworks – The Existential Codex 
Genre: Progressive
Origin: Palmerston North, New Zealand
Label: Eat Lead & Die
Buy now here
This band just won't slow down. They dropped two great albums last year, and they're already back with another. Much like their last two records, this one is also weird and thrashy.
Negura Bunget – Tau 
Genre: Progressive folk metal
Origin: Tomisoara, Romania
Label: Lupus Lounge /Prophecy
Buy now on Amazon.com
Here is another band that feels like they fell out of some forest ritual. I want to compare them to A Forest of Stars, but while Negura Bunget could also be considered "atmospheric black metal" they are more folk based, but also more experimental in a different way. Good stuff, hard to describe, which makes me appreciate it more.
Scorpions – Return To Forever 
Genre: Heavy metal
Origin: Sarstedt, Germany
Label: Universal
Buy now on Amazon.com
So I saw these guys about five years ago on their farewell tour. Since then two albums, and nonstop touring. Quite the long wave goodbye. Anyway, these is basically just a Scorpions record. You don't really have your big "Blackout," "Big City Nights," etc hit anthem, but it's on par with the non-radio old material.
Steven Wilson – Hand. Cannot. Erase.
Genre: Progressive
Origin: Kingston, London, England
Label: Kscope
Buy now on Amazon.com
Metal? Nope. Probably his calmest and lightest solo release yet, actually. However, where his last two solo releases have been full on jazzy, lengthy, dark progressive rock songs, this one is about 50% upbeat prog with Rush-like enthusiasm and 50% somber Steven Wilson normalcy. More solos than ever though and it's so great to hear his band shred in this arena. A reminder of his band – Guthrie Govan, Marco Minnemann, Nick Beggs, and Adam Holzman. Clearly my favorite release of the week.
Various Artists – Immortal Randy Rhoads: The Ultimate Tribute 
Genre: Heavy metal
Origin: Various
Label: UDR
Buy now on Amazon.com
I'm always so torn on these. I appreciate paying homage to a band or musician, but most of these fall flat. Chuck Billy always manages to shine in these and all the guitarists like Gus G., Dweezil Zappa, Alexi Laiho, and others do a good job of both imitating Randy Rhoads while simultaneously putting their own stink on the solos. However, eight of these songs are sung by Tim "Ripper" Owens. Why not either diversify the vocals with other voices or just have Ripper front the whole thing? I actually loved his work in Iced Earth and Charmed Walls of the Damned, but when he's on covers his vocals are so jarring. I also realize that this one isn't about the overall band since it's a guitarist tribute, but still could shake up genres, singers, tempos, keys, just something to make it cooler.
Also dropping today…
Acherontas – Ma IoN (Formulas of Reptilian Unification) (WTC)
Apostate – Time of Terror (Ferrrum)
Autumnia – Two Faces Of Autumn (Solitude)
Bleak – Bleak EP (Blasphemour)
Caveat – Kobayashi Maru EP (Tridroid)
Cherubs – 2 Ynfynyty (Brutal Panda)
Death Engine – Mud (Throatruiner)
Devathorn – Vritra (WTC)
Disrupted – Heavy Death EP (Apocalyptic)
Dysrider – Bury The Omen (Tenacity)
Embrional – The Devil Inside (Hellthrasher)
Fossils – The Meating EP (Indisciplinarian)
From Ashes To New – Downfall EP (Better Noise)
Fuck Off – Hell On Earth II (Revisited & Faster) (Xtreem)
Glaciation – Sur les Falaises de Marbre (Osmose)
Godless Angel – Harvester Of Shadows (Inverse)
Helrunar – Niederkunfft (Lupus Lounge)
Hiram-Maxim – Hiram-Maxim (Aqualamb)
Imperial Triumphant – Abyssal Gods (Code 666)
In Other Climes – Leftover (Bastardized)
Isabrut – Isabrut (Iron Bonehead)
Ithaqua – Initiation To Obscure Mysteries (Iron Bonehead)
The Jury and the Saints – The Jury and the Saints (SPV)
Kjeld – Skym (Hammerheart)
Lamentations of the Ashen – Libertine Cyst (Fragile Branch)
Leucrota – Demo (Sentient Ruin)
Leviathan – Scar Sighted (Profound Lore)
Maestus – Voir Dire (Domestic Genocide)
Monox – Perception Changes (Fat Brek)
Night – Soldiers Of Time (Gaphals)
Sabertooth Zombie – Human Performance IV (Twelve Gauge)
Sannhet – Revisionist (The Flenser)
Sewercide – Severing The Mortal Cord (Infernal Devastation)
Sons Of Texas – Baptized In The Rio Grande (Razor & Tie)
Subversion – Animi (Rogue)
Tahtiportti – Tahtiportti (Svart)
Tauusk – Hermit (Cimmerian Shade)
Thunderheart – Night Of The Warriors (Killer Metal)
Trident – Shadows (War Anthem)
Triumvir Foul – An Oath Of Blood and Fire (Godz ov War / Third Eye Temple)
UFO – A Conspiracy of Stars (SPV)
