New Releases From THERION, CHILDREN OF BODOM & More Out 12/15-12/31

The last Weekly Injection of the year includes three light weeks of live metal, zombies, an AI take over, and more! To the metals…

Week of 12/15

Children Of Bodom – A Chapter Called Childen Of Bodom (Final Show In Helsinki Ice Hall 2019)

Genre: Melodic death metal
Origin: Espoo, Finland
Label: Spinefarm

Buy now on Amazon

As the title says, this was the last show by Children of Bodom. It includes live cuts of a bunch classics like “Needled 24/7,” “Downfall,” “Follow The Reaper,” and fifteen more. Frontman Alexi Laiho, of course, briefly kept a “Bodom” project going until his death in 2020, but this is the final thing from Bodom-prime… unless they unearth some vault tracks or demos or something. A review by Jillian is here.

Evergrey – From Dark Discoveries To Heartless Portraits

Genre: Progressive/power metal
Origin: Gothenburg, Västra Götaland, Sweden
Label: Napalm

Buy now from Bandcamp

Up next we have a mixed bag compilation from one of Sweden’s finest. This includes songs throughout their entire run in three forms. This has about a third epic live versions, a third somber piano/vocal renditions, and a third rough demos. Tom S. Englund really shines on the piano/vocal tracks, but everything here should please a fan. Jordan has a full review here.

Therion – Leviathan III 

Genre: Symphonic/operatic metal
Origin: Stockholm, Sweden
Label: Napalm

Buy now on Bandcamp

After a little over a year, Therion are already back with their third and final (?) installment in their Leviathan story. As expected this is a massive sounding record that while operatic/power/whatever at it’s core, has moments of melodic death metal, doom, neo-classical, and more. It’ll be fun to put the trilogy into one playlist and go on an adventure. Jordan back at it again with a review right here.

Also out this week…

• BlackFlow – Seeds Of Downfall (Personal) – Heavy metal/doom
• Capsule – Ferox (Self-released) – Hardcore
• Cryptworm – Oozing Radioactive Vomition (Pulverised) – Death metal
• Ecology: HomeStones – Ecology: HomeStones (Sleeping Giant Glossolalia) – Experimental
• Empires Of Euphrates – Echoes Of Ancient Past (HPGD) – Melodic/atmospheric death metal
• (hed)p.e. – Detox (Suburban Noize) – Rap metal
• Horrifier – Horrid Resurrection (Personal) – Death metal
• Mavis – Grief Is No Ally (Arising Empire) – Metalcore
• Observe The 93rd – Eternalism (Self-released) – Alternative rock
• Ritvs – Der Tag Naht (Dying Victims) – Hard rock
• Solitary Sabred – Temple of the Serpent (Vinyl Store) – Heavy metal
• Strigampire – All To Dominate (Self-released) – Melodic black metal
• Swim or Drown – Trapped (WTF Records) – Hardcore
• Warcoe – A Place For Demons (Helter Skelter) – Doom
• Witchsnake – Deathcult Of The Snake (Helter Skelter) – Stoner/doom

Week of 12/22

D – 血界

Genre: Symphonic/gothic metal
Origin: Kanagawa, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan
Label: God Child

Stream it here

On their tenth record D are dropping a double album. Each disc opens with version of their “New World” single. One is the “Dreizehn” version and the other the “Justice” version. I’m not going to pretend I know what that means, but I’m assuming this sets the tone for the rest of the record. Both versions are a lot of fun though.

Frostbite Orckings – The Orcish Eclipse

Genre: AI Generated melodic death metal
Origin: Some computer somewhere/Germany
Label: Metalverse

Buy now from Frostbite Orckings

I’m conflicted on this one. This is an AI project by Stefan Schmidt (to quote Metal-Archives.com the “low, rakkatakka” and “Wah-wah” vocals of Van Canto) and a company called Music Bits. Rather than pulling from existing bands, Music Bits used new music performed by session musicians, and fed this to a computer. This album is the result. Why not just put out those songs? Anyway, it does feel a little off, but ultimately solid. I could see Kiss using this tech to actually put out new stuff and live forever as their avatars.

Also dropping the week of 12/22

• Atronos – Erwachen (Purity Through Fire) – Black metal
• Bergrizen – Die Falle (Purity Through Fire) – Black metal
• Funeral Vomit – Monumental Putrescence (Xtreem) – Death metal
• Overlorde – Awaken the Fury (No Remorse) – Power/heavy metal
• Sad – Black Metal Craft (Purity Through Fire) – Black metal
• Tragik – Realm Angelic (Self-released) – Melodic rock
• Ulfarr – Orlegscaeft (Purity Through Fire) – Black metal

Week of 12/29

Dominum – Hey Living People

Genre: Power metal
Origin: Nuremberg, Bavaria, Germany
Label: Napalm

Buy now on Bandcamp

This is the brainchild of songwriter/producer Felix Heldt (Feuerschwanz, Visions Of Atlantis) playing the character of Dr. Dead and he’s backed by a band of zombies. This is a catchy one with some fun lore. AI metal and zombie bands? What a world we live in.

Womb Rot – Bodiez In The Trunk

Genre: Death metal/hardcore
Origin: Corpus Christi, Texas
Label: Vile Tapes

Buy now on Bandcamp

Taking us into the New Year with some nasty Texan metal just like Baby New Year would want. This is a seven song release that includes their four track demo from January and three new tracks. It’s a heavy one violent one.

Also dropping the week of 12/29

• Lord Of The Lost – Weapons Of Mass Seduction (Napalm) – Rock/industrial covers