Aaaaaaaaand we're back! The first Weekly Injection of 2020! Did you miss me? No? That's understandable. I did miss you. Anyway, this week's new heavy metal releases include riffs, kawaii-influenced bops, gloom and more!
To the metals…
Apocalyptica – Cell-0
Genre: Heavy metal/cello rock
Origin: Helsinki, Finland
Label: Silver Lining
These guys are hitting twenty-seven years of making rock jams without guitars, and good for them. They made cello cool for a lot of people. Cell-0 sees the band taking the instrumental route that they did in their early days when they broke on to the scene playing Metallica songs. These are all originals, but at this point you know these guys can craft solid originals and they don't need a singer to make them interesting.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0byT8C0UEZ8][/youtube]
Haunt – Mind Freeze 
Genre: Heavy metal
Origin: Fresno, California
Label: Shadow Kingdom
I'll start my clarifying that this is the Californian Haunt, because metal is really good about reusing names (There are at least three Slayers in the history of metal). It's impressive to hear from these folks so soon since they just dropped the quite good If Icarus Could Fly last year. This one is a hard rocking one that is paying homage to the earliest days of Iron Maiden and classic heavy metal. These guys are wall to wall riffs and if you ever have the chance to experience these riffs live, I highly recommend it.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VT2wjKsTNcs][/youtube]
Lotus Thief – Oresteia
Genre: Avant-garde/doom
Origin: San Francisco, California
Label: Prophecy
Now lets get a lil weird. Lotus Thief are always bringing spooky jams, and Oresteia is no different. This new one feels like a more adventurous Chelsea Wolfe record that embraces blackened elements within the emotional atmosphere.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pOuuXQ2QOk][/youtube]
Poppy – I Disagree
Genre: Nu metal
Origin: Los Angeles, California
Label: Sumerian
This one will not be for everyone, but it's one hell of a ride. It's a very modern mix of J-pop-inspired happiness with hardcore breakdowns, nu metal grooves, and some Eagles-esque guitar harmonies. By the way, this description is based solely on the opening track "Concrete," and the rest of the record expands beyond that. This one is for fans of Baby Metal and the Toki Wartooth tracks featured in Metalocalypse. I've never heard anything like it, and I'm intrigued.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gmswmbosYo][/youtube]
Pressure Cracks – This Is Called Survival
Genre: Hardcore
Origin: Los Angeles, California
Label: War Against Records
Buy now from War Against Records
Fever 333's and ex-Letlive's Jason Butler is straying from the Fever's rap metal vibe to bring us some straight up hardcore fury. This is a brief EP that contains four tracks, so it's a brief pummeling, but it is an efficient one. This is closer to the Letlive sound, so fans that miss that might enjoy it more.
Snorlax – II EP
Genre: Blackened death metal
Origin: Brisbane, Australia
Label: Caligari Records
Buy now on Bandcamp
I don't usually look into a band just because they have a fun name – well, actually that's like 90% of why I check out a band. Anyway, this is a collection of evil, lo-fi, blackened tracks that in no way seem to pay tribute to everyone's favorite rotund Pokemon. I mean, this is heavy, so maybe that's the nod? This may not be the one for those that are hoping for a metal cover of the PokeRap, but it's certainly for those that like blast beats, tremolo picking, and darkness.
Sample on Bandcamp as well
Also dropping today…
Body Stuff – Body Stuff 3 EP (The Chain) – Industrial
Brothers of Metal – Emblas Saga (AFM) – Power/heavy metal
Crowhurst + Gavin Bryars – Incoherent American Narrative (Prophecy) – Sludge/experimental
Kassad – London Orbital (Hypnotic Dirge) – Post-black metal
The Krueggers – Hysterical Cold Side and Dark Memories (Eclipse) – Alternative/grunge
Loma Prieta – Continuum/Fate (Deathwish Inc.) – Hardcore
Oceans – The Sun And The Cold (Nuclear Blast) – Death/nu metal
Mortal Incarnation – Lunar Radiant Dawn (Sentient Ruin) – Death metal/doom
Mystic Prophecy – Metal Division (Rock of Angels) – Power/heavy metal
Rage – Wings of Rage (SPV/Steamhammer) – Heavy metal
Unreqvited – Mosaic II (Prophecy) – Post-black metal
vvilderness – Dark Waters (self-released) -Black Metal
Re-dropping today…
Behemoth – I Loved You at Your Darkest Tour Edition (Metal Blade) – Blackened death metal
Lotus Thief – Rervm (Luxus) (Prophecy) – Avant-garde
Vital Remains – Forever Underground (Osmose Productions) – Death metal
Waldgefluster – Stimmen Im Wind 2020 (Nordvis) – Black metal
