THE WEEKLY INJECTION: New Releases From BEHEMOTH, SUNN O))), ULVER, and More Out Today – 2/4

This week's edition of THE WEEKLY INJECTION includes some corpse paint, some choreographed hopping, some Xzibit, and more!

To the metals…

Behemoth – The Satanist 

Genre: Blackened Death Metal
Origin: Gdańsk, Poland
Label: Metal Blade

Buy now on Amazon.com

This will mark the first Behemoth album in nearly five years and the first since Nergal's diagnosis and triumph over leukemia. This album feels like five years of pent up rage being released. There may or may not be a song or two on here about Satan. Just a heads up. This return is mighty.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yosDDDAmE2g[/youtube]

 

Caliban – Ghost Empire 

Genre: Metalcore
Origin: Essen, Germany
Label: Century Media

Buy now on Amazon.com

I'm going to lay it out upfront that I have no prior knowledge of Caliban beyond the video accompanying this post. Sol reviewed them here. All I know is that they have low chugging verses, sing-song choruses, and choreographed hopping This could be a million times worse, but it still sounds like something seeping out of a distant Hot Topic.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwbLDiATifE[/youtube]

 

Grand Magus – Triumph and Power

Genre: Doom/Heavy Metal
Origin: Stockholm, Sweden
Label: Nuclear BlastBuy now on Amazon.com

Ready for some epic Doom? Yes please. It's a little cheesey but I'm feeling it. I'd say this band is a 3 Inches of Blood 45 being played at 33 PRM. The choruses are over the top and awesome. Like most doom, the band is led by great blue-based guitar work.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01HKzJyXZOg[/youtube]

 

Shrapnel – The Virus Conspires 

Genre: Thrash
Origin: Norwich, England
Label: Candlelight

Buy now on Amazon.com

What we have here is the debut of thrash throwback band Shrapnel. Great homage is payed to bands like Exodus, Testament and even some death metal in here. Not reinventing the wheel or anything, but this is pretty great actually.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnUr4emI6PM[/youtube]

 

Sunn O))) & Ulver – Terrestrials 

Genre: Drone
Origin: Seattle, Washington & Oslo, Norway
Label: Southern Lord

Buy now on Amazon.com

What happens when the kings of Doom-Drone team up with Norway's ex-Black Metal/now Avant-Ambient gods? The result is rather strange and oddly relaxing. Fans of either band should be hitting this one up. The accompanying sample does not do this journey justice.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgEdQux-P5c[/youtube]

 

Within Temptation – Hydra 

Genre: Symphonic Metal
Origin: Waddinxveen, Netherlands
Label: Nuclear Blast

Buy now on Amazon.com

I don't want to say that all of these older Operatic/Symphonic metal bands sounds the same now, but I'm going to imply it heavily. If you are in need up some uplifting music to provide a soundtrack to your triumphs pick up this new Lacuna C-, Nightwi-, Within Temptation record. I will give it to them for including some interesting guests to break up the monotony though. Guests include Dave Pirner (from Soul Asylum), Howard Jones (ex-Killswitch Engage/Devil You Know), Tarja, and Xzibit (Pimp My Ride). Insert Yo Dawg meme here. Full review here.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAiV8RpqzME[/youtube]

 

Also dropping today…

Abyssal – Novit Enim Dominus Qui Sunt Eius (Iron Bonehead)
Corpsessed – Abysmal Thresholds (Dark Descent)
Down From The Wound – Violence and The Macabre (Comatose)
Exmortus – Slave To The Sword (Prosthetic)
For Today – Fight The Silence (Razor & Tie)
Heikki Hautala – Pyövelin Vaatteet (Ektro)
Jenx – Drift (M-Tronic)
Lie In Ruins – Toward Divine Death (Dark Decent)
Mayan – Antagonise (Nuclear Blast)
Mesetiah – Tesis EP (Inverse)
Metal Noam – Avram (Mountastic)
Omnizide – Death Metal Holocaust (Carnal)
Prostitute Disfigurement – From Crotch To Crown (Willowtip)
Scott H. Biram – Nothin' But Blood (Bloodshot)
Truckfighters – Universe (Fuzzorama)
Yautja – Songs Of Descent (Forcefield)