When I first started playing bass in high school, my friend Thomas and I made it a point, as all metal youngsters do, to learn songs by our favorite bands. The two of us spent years slaughtering songs by Metallica, Black Sabbath, and, of course, Slayer. As a metal fan, it is hard to not address the passing of Jeff Hanneman. Listening to tracks that shaped me so much as a musician and a metal fan like "Black Magic," and "Die By the Sword" has become surprisingly emotional knowing the man behind them is gone. As I constructed this week's Weekly Injection, I played Show No Mercy. It was sort of distracting. So much headbanging…
So, as more and more Slayer fans find their way out of the woodwork and carve letters into their skin, I leave you to some new albums…
Control Human Delete – The Prime Mover
Genre: Industrial Black Metal
Origin: Enschede, Netherlands
Label: Code666
Once I got over the silly name, I found a pretty unique metal experience here. This band is like if you smashed Anaal Nathrakh into Genghis Tron. A very digital sounding album, that manages to have an element of rawness and humanity to it.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-JdYBkJBPGo[/youtube]
Delain – Interlude
Genre: Gothic/Symphonic
Origin: Zwolle, Netherlands
Label: Napalm
Most bands wait at least a decade before re-recordings songs from previous albums as well they probably should. While Delain's debut dropped seven years ago, the band is re-dropping a couple year old songs. On this compilation the band decided to give fans new versions of songs from last years’s We Are the Others, along with a couple new tracks, some live songs, and some covers. Artists covered include Talk Talk, New Ballads, and metal titans The Cranberries.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EuYcoQE3B8[/youtube]
Joe Satriani – Unstoppable Momentum
Genre: Instrumental Guitar Wankery
Origin: West Bury, New York
Label: Epic
I would be willing to bet some of the more elitist metal fans out there will scoff at the inclusion of this album. Yes, Joe Satriani plays over-the-top, wanky, happy, guitar rock, but he does it very, VERY well. So many guitarists owe their left hand, and left testicle for that matter, to this man. Unstoppable Momentum is a lovely collection of guitar driven tracks that you probably can’t play.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yvIkbStKSw[/youtube]
Sodom – Epitome of Torture
Genre: Thrash
Origin: Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Label: Steamhammer
Sodom is a band that has been around for 33 years, and in some ways they really sound like it. There is a certain grizzled and aged quality to their music. This is not a bad thing. The band is able to take what is now considered a classic sound and do it right. There are so many bands out there that are blatant ripoffs Sodom and bands like them. It’s nice to know that on their 14th album, these veterans can still out-thrash all the throwback bands of today.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ifyH9UVxXk[/youtube]
May 7, 2013
Acolyte – Alta (Mordgrimm)
Amber – Lovesaken (Halo Of Flies)
The Amenta – Flesh Is Heir (Listenable)
Atrocity – Okkult (Napalm)
Dug Pinnick – Naked (MVD)
Earthling – Dark Path (Forcefield)
F.K.U. – 4: Rise Of The Mosh Monsters(Napalm)
Freedom Call – Ages Of Light (SPV)
Gama Bomb – The Terror Tapes (AFM)
Gloomball – The Distance (SPV)
Grime – Deteriorate (Forcefield)
In The Silence – A Fair Dream Gone Mad (Sensory)
Kingdom Come – Outlier (SPV)
Magister Templi – Lucifer Leviathan Logos (Cruz Del Sur)
Metal Law – Lawbreaker Re-Release (Metal On Metal)
M:pire Of Evil – Crucified (Deadline)
Nordheim – Refill (Maple Metal)
Rhapsody Of Fire – Live (AFM)
Sacred Gate – Tides Of War (Metal On Metal
Sadgiqacea – False Prism (Candlelight)
Sidious – Ascension to the Throne ov Self (Kaotoxin)
Temple of Thieves – Passing Through The Zeros (Goomba)
Tormented – Death Awaits
V8 Wankers – Got Beer? (SPV)
Vicious Rumors – Electric Punishment (SPV)
