This week's new heavy metal releases include mostly Jethro Tull and live albums! To the Tull… I mean metals… Sorry?
ALSO! Today, Bandcamp is doing one of their days of giving 100% of what you pay directly to the labels and artists. So if you can get stuff from Bandcamp, please do.
Greylotus – Motherwort
Genre: Technical/progressive death metal
Origin: Baltimore, Maryland
Label: Drewsif Recordings?
Buy now on Bandcamp
Throughout 2024 Greylotus has been slowing dropping killer singles. Well, they've all lead to this. Motherwort is a six track EP that showcases technical metal that is impressive on every level. They should be a household name… if your household talks a lot about technical metal. Mine does, but I'm the only one that likes it.
Jethro Tull – The Jethro Tull Christmas Album – Fresh Snow At Christmas
Genre: Christmas rock
Origin: Blackpool, United Kingdom
Label: InsideOut
Buy now on Bandcamp
Back in 2003 the OG heavy metal Grammy winners released their Christmas album. Now, twenty-one years later it's getting a re-release. I historically don't bother mentioning re-releases, but I'm making an exception this week for two reasons. In addition to a Bruce Soord remix this is comes with two live albums and this is weirdly Jethro Tull week at the Weekly Injection. You'll see…
Neckbreakker – Within The Viscera
Genre: Death/groove metal
Origin: Silkeborg, Midtjylland, Denmark
Label: Nuclear Blast
But now on Bandcamp
On their debut album Neckbreakker (fka Nakkeknaekker) are introducing themselves with the swing of a sonic hammer. This has hardcore barks, tense builds, breakdowns, and heavy grooves. No bullshit here.
No Cure – I Hope I Die Here
Genre: Metalcore/hardcore
Origin: Birmingham, Alabama
Label: SharpTone
Buy now from the band
Here's another really heavy one. This EP features eight tracks of bitesized hardcore fury. Each track includes a guest spot. You're getting cameos from people from Gideon, Bareknuckle, The Slam Brigade, and lots of other heavy hitters.
Tarja – Rocking Heels: Live At Hellfest
Genre: Symphonic metal
Origin: Kitee, Pohjois-Karjala, Finland
Label: earMusic
But now on Amazon
Back in 2016 Tarja Turunen played France's Hellfest with her solo band and this is that almost all of that set. This is largely a showcase of her ability to shine on a stage and how strong her solo material is. The nine tracks also include a Nightwish medley and a cover of Muse's "Supremacy" as well.
Thulcandra – Live Demise
Genre: Black metal
Origin: Munich, Germany
Label: Napalm
But now on Bandcamp
This is a live record of a hometown show from 2011. Since it's from so long ago, it's all material from their first two records Fallen Angel's Dominion and Under a Frozen Sun. Not sure why it took so long to come out, but it's a sweet time capsule of that era of the band.
Various Artists – Aqualung Redux
Genre: Jethro Tull covers
Origin: Various
Label: Magnetic Eye
But now on Bandcamp
As promised, here's more Tull. Over the years Magnetic Eye Records has put out albums where doom, sludge, etc. band's cover an iconic album on full. They've done Sabbath, Hendrix, Pink Floyd and now you're getting Huntsman, Motorpsycho, The Sword and more covering Aqualung. Most of these versions are much, much heavier. Also…
Various Artists – Best Of Jethro Tull Redux
Genre: Jethro Tull covers
Origin: Various
Label: Magnetic Eye
But now on Bandcamp
In addition to an album in full, Magnetic Eye also releases a second album of the greatest hits from the same band. This compilation includes Elephant Tree, Hastronaut, Oceanlord and more covering non-Aqualung songs. I know some of you are worried, and there's no need to fret. You can still hear some flute on both of these releases.
Also dropping this week…
- Among These Ashes – Embers Of Elysium (Alone Records) – Groove/power metal
- Angelic Foe – Amulets And Charms (Wormholedeath Records) – Symphonic metal
- Athena XIX – Everflow Part 1: Frames Of Humanity (Reigning Phoenix) – Progressive/power metal
- Axioma – Live Totality (Stained Glass Torments) – Post-black metal
- Blanck Mass – Bloodhound/You (Weirding Way) – Experimental
- Burn Down Eden – Epiphany (Seek and Strike) – Thrash
- Catharia – Unimaginable Dreams Of Fate (Extreme Metal Music) – Black/extreme metal
- Citzend – The Spiral (Majestic Mountain Records) – Post-metal/Americana
- Disoriented – Crossed The Line (Self-released) – Death metal
- Fireblood – Goatslayer (Rot Room) – Southern metal/sludge
- Ghoulhouse – Fresh Out Of Flesh (Horror Pain Gore Death) – Death metal
- Gleemer – End Of The Nail (Other People Records) – Shoegaze
- Kir – L’appel du vide (Godz ov War Productions) – Black metal/psychedelic
- Kronowski – Do I Need A Reason (Self-released) – Power metal
- Panzerchrist – Maleficum 1 (Emanzipation) – Death/black metal
- Pillar Of Light – Caldera (Transcending Obscurity Records) – Doom/sludge
- Powell-Payne – Voila (Frontiers) – Melodic rock
- Shotgun Sawyer – Shotgun Sawyer (Ripple) – Blues rock
- Spanaway – Songs of Yesteryear (Burial Whisper) – Post-hardcore
- Sunlight – Son Of The Sun (Total Metal Records) – Heavy metal
- Tak Matsumoto Group – TMG II (Frontiers) – Rock
- Until I Wake – Renovate (Fearless) – Post-hardcore/hip hop
- Vosforis – Cosmic Cenotaph (Inner Hell Records) – Industrial/gothic metal
- Wizard Tattoo – Living Just For Knife Fighting (Garage Fire Records) – Psychedelic/progressive rock
