Weekly Binge 1/30/2015

Plenty of great releases this week from almost every genre. Grindcore entrepreneurs, Napalm Death, stand tall with their new LP, "Apex Predator - Easy Meat". Following this are phenomenal releases by progressive bands Nightingale and Periphery with "Retribution" and "Juggernaut: Alpha & Omega" respectively. Other releases include albums by Angelus Apatrida, Ingested, Jorn Lande and Trond Holter, Lord Dying, Papa Roach, Sodom, Venom and more! Enjoy and feel free to comment below!

Also don't forget to check out the Top Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Albums of 2014!

Pick of the Week

Napalm Death - Apex Predator - Easy MeatRecommended Track: Beyond the Pale

Genre: Grindcore
Label: Century Media

Napalm Death have stood at the top of the grindcore heap for over 30 years and continue to adapt their style without sounding desperate. Their 15th LP, "Apex Predator - Easy Meat", continues vocalist Mark “Barney” Greenway's adaptation of socio-political tragedies into intense verse. In this case, we find the collapse of a poorly constructed sweatshop building in Bangladesh, wherein 1500 workers were killed. In other words, the "easy meat" (workers) became victims of the "apex predators"(big business). Greenway's passionate growls speak volumes, and the tight backing of Mitch Harris(guitars, backing vocals), Shane Embury(bass, backing vocals), and Danny Herrera(drums) pulls it all together. Songs such as “Dear Slum Landlord” and “Hierarchies” have Greenway singing in addition to his trademark barking roar, while the backing screeches of Harris make "Predator" one of the more lyrically versatile albums the band has released. 30 years is a long time, and Napalm Death show no signs of slowing down.

Runner-Ups

Nightingale - RetributionRecommended Track: The Voyage of Endurance

Genre: Progressive Rock
Label: InsideOut

Periphery - Juggernaut: Alpha & OmegaRecommended Track: Graveless

Genre: Progressive Metal
Label: Sumerian

Notables

Other notable releases this week include:

• 2Cellos - CelloverseGenre: Instrumental | Label: Portrait
• Angelus Apatrida - Hidden EvolutionGenre: Thrash Metal | Label: Century Media
• Ascension - The Dead of the WorldGenre: Black Metal | Label: Season of Mist
• Battleaxe - Power From the Universe Re-releaseGenre: NWOBHM | Label: SPV
• Battle Beast - Unholy SaviorGenre: Heavy Metal/Power Metal | Label: Nuclear Blast
• Black Sheep Wall - I'm Going to Kill MyselfGenre: Sludge Metal | Label: Season of Mist
• The Body and Thou - Released From Love/You, Whom I Have Always HatedGenre: Sludge Metal | Label: Thrill Jockey
• Diablo Blvd. - Follow The DeadlightsGenre: Death Metal/Thrash Metal | Label: Lifeforce
• Gov't Mule - Sco-MuleGenre: Blues Rock | Label: Evil Teen
• Grimoire - L'aorasie Des spectres rêveurs - EPGenre: Black Metal | Label: Eisenwald
• If These Trees Could Talk - Above The Earth, Below The Sky Re-releaseGenre: Post-Rock | Label: Metal Blade
• If These Trees Could Talk - Red Forest Re-releaseGenre: Post-Rock | Label: Metal Blade
• Ingested - The Architect of ExtinctionGenre: Death Metal | Label: Century Media
• Iron Witch - Single Malt - EPGenre: Sludge Metal | Label: Witch Hunter
• Jorn Lande and Trond Holter - Dracula: Swing of DeathGenre: Heavy Metal | Label: Frontiers
• Level 10 - Chapter 1Genre: Heavy Metal/Power Metal | Label: Frontiers
• Lord Dying - Poisoned AltarsGenre: Sludge Metal/Thrash Metal | Label: Relapse
• The Lone Bellow - Then the Morning CameGenre: Indie Rock | Label: Descendant
• Night Demon - Curse of the DamnedGenre: Traditional Metal | Label: Century Media
• Papa Roach - F.E.A.R.Genre: Hard Rock | Label: Eleven Seven
• Sodom - Sacred Warpath - EPGenre: Thrash Metal | Label: SPV
• Sumokem - The Madness of Lu Shen Ti Vol. 1Genre: Stoner Doom Metal | Label: Handshake
• Sweet & Lynch - Only To RiseGenre: Hard Rock | Label: Frontiers
• Venom - From the Very DepthsGenre: Black Metal | Label: NWOBHM
• Visigoth - The Revenant KingGenre: Power Metal | Label: Metal Blade
• Voices - LondonGenre: Progressive Black Metal | Label: Candlelight
• Xibalba - Tierra Y LibertadGenre: Death Metal/Hardcore | Label: Southern Lord

Thanks for reading and hope you found something new to listen to. See you next Friday for the next Weekly Binge where I will break down more notable goodies.

- The Catalyst