I find it kinda great that I became the most hated writer at METAL INJECTION last week. Who knew so many people remembered The Damned Things fondly? In case you missed it here they are: collaborations that worked and ones that didn't. Continue to leave your comments about how wrong I am.
On to the metals…
Annihilator – Feast
Genre: Thrash
Origin: British Columbia, Canada
Label: UDR
Buy now on Amazon.com
I have already expressed my excitement for this record. Now that I've heard it, I'm still excited about it. There are some really cool tracks on here and it isn't all thrash all the time. There are some great moments of melody and even funk to shake things up a bit.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vb215AZrVi0[/youtube]
Bl'ast – Blood!
Genre: Hardcore
Origin: Santa Cruz, California
Label: Southern Lord
From what I had to look up Bl'ast are a big deal in the hardcore community. I did discover that this is their first record in twenty-four years, and it doesn't sound like it. I would have never guessed this was angry old dudes trying to sound young and angry. They just sound angry. EDIT: This WAS recorded by a bunch of young dudes. Dave Grohl found then mixed this recording session. My bad.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S22aJ_948n0[/youtube]
Gorguts – Colored Sands
Label: Progressive/Technical Death Metal
Origin: Richmond, Canada
Label: Seasons of Mist
Buy now on Amazon.com
We like Gorguts. You should too. If you don't, you're wrong. Respect yours Canadian death metal masters, young'n. Stream it here and/or check out our interview with Luc Lemay.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vk7nb-idmdI[/youtube]
Kreator – Dying Alive
Genre: Thrash
Origin: Essen, Germany
Label: Nuclear Blast
Buy now on Amazon.com
What we have here is a live album and DVD from the German thrash legends you so adore. The DVD is quite flashy and fancy. Lots of fast cuts to keep up with all the thrashiness. The CD sounds fucking good too. I've heard quite a few thrash live albums that skimp on audio production, presumably because it's so fast you won't notice, but this is not one of them. Solid.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRs1WwLqSdA[/youtube]
Monsterworks – Earth
Genre: Prog/Thrash/Stoner
Origin: Palmerston, New Zealand
Label: Casket
Buy now on Amazon.com
While, I've already raved about this hidden gem, I'll still give you a nutshell review. These guys can do just about anything metal, and they can do it well. Black metal? Check. Stoner? Check. Kitchen sink? Check.
[youtube]http://youtu.be/6G1VV8Qs5A0[/youtube]
Nine Inch Nails – Hesitation Marks 
Genre: Industrial
Origin: Cleveland, Ohio
Label: Columbia
Buy now on Amazon.com
I fucking LOVE Nine Inch Nails. I wasn't so stoked about Reznor's sideband How To Destroy Angels though. HTDA felt like a slower version of NIN fronted by Reznor's wife. Hesitation Marks is like HTDA fronted by Reznor. Occasionally dance-y, but mostly on the slower and somber side. Not bad, but guitar-NIN fans won't give a shit about this album.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgwrxcO48N8[/youtube]
The Safety Fire – Mouth Of Swords
Label: Progressive
Origin: London, England
Label: Century Media
Buy now on Amazon.com
This band feels like a completely different band than their first album Grind The Ocean. Somewhere along the way the band listened to The Ocean, Mars Volta, and a lot of Sargent House Records math rock bands. These guys really will be the perfect opener for that upcoming BtBaM tour.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogsAP4qMChA[/youtube]
Turisas – Turisas2013
Genre: Battle Metal
Origin: Hameenlinna, Finland
Label: Century Media
Buy now on Amazon.com
Curious. A few years ago when I came across Turisas I remembered a band that was violin fueled music fit to wage war on your enemies to. Now, I'm hearing Lordi with a different singer. TJ dug it quite a bit though.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRym6gz4bVA[/youtube]
Vattnet Viskar – Sky Swallower
Genre: Atmospheric Black Metal
Origin: Plaistow, New Hampshire
Label: Century Media
Buy now on Amazon.com
Now this is more up my alley. Some epic, heavy blackened metal. There are elements of the Post scene here too, but over all, it's just a great record. William thought to here with his review.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enDkKkJZtkE[/youtube]
Vista Chino – Peace
Genre: Desert Rock
Origin: Palm Desert, California
Label: Napalm
Buy now on Amazon.com
Jeremy says everything I'd want to say in his review here. I'm just fascinated that it took this long for these guys to decide to do this. I can't help but wonder what this would be if Josh Homme had also come back.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7kUwTk2vfk[/youtube]
Also dropping today…
Arabrot – Arabrot (Fysisk Format)
Black Magician – The Pursuivant EP (Svart)
Carpe Noctem – In Terra Profugus (Code 666)
Cathexis – Shades Of Apocalypse (Mulligore)
Church Of Void – Dead Rising (Svart)
Crossfaith – Apocalyze (The End)
Deliverance – Hear What I Say! (Roxx)
Eibon La Furies – The Immoral Compass (Code 666)
Emblazoned – The Living Magisterium EP (Deepsend)
Evocation – Excised And Anatomised EP (Century Media)
Ferocity – The Sovereign (Deepsend)
Girl On Fire – Not Broken (Century Media)
Gog – Ironworks (Season Of Mist)
Heretic Cult Redeemer – Heretic Cult Redeemer (Iron Bonehead)
Ildjarn – Forest Poetry Re-Release (Underground Activists)
Ildjarn – Ildjarn Re-Release (Underground Activists)
Ildjarn – Strength and Anger Re-Release (Underground Activists)
Infected Society/F is for F–k You/Miserable Failure – Miserable F–king Society (Kaotoxin)
Kingshifter – 26 Tons (Pavement)
Kriadiaz – Kriadiaz (Pavement)
Loss Of Self – 12 Minutes EP (The Flenser)
The Mezmerist – The Innocent, The Forsaken, The Guilty (Shadow Kingdom)
Nephren-Ka – The Fall Of Omnius (Kaotoxin)
Nhor – Within The Darkness Between The Starlight(Prophecy)
Nomad Son – The Darkening (Metal On Metal)
Nomad Son – First Light Re-Release (Metal On Metal)
Revamp – Wild Card (Nuclear Blast)
Reveler – Iridescence (Infamous Empire)
Scalpel – Sorrow and Skin (Sevared)
Saint Vitus – C.O.D. Re-Release (Season Of Mist)
Saint Vitus – Die Healing Re-Release (Season Of Mist)
Shreddy Krueger – The Grieving (InVogue)
Stonegriff – Prologus Magicus (Metal On Metal)
Suicidal Tendencies – Collection (Valberg)
Thranenkind – The Elk (Lifeforce)
Triumph, Genus – Všehorovnost je porážkou prevyšujících (Iron Bonehead)
