HUNTERS MOON - THE SERPENT'S LUST
A very straightforward killer mix of black metal and traditional heavy metal from Down Under, this duo has one carnivorous riff after another smashing you face-on. Think of it as if Hobbs Angel of Death and Iron Maiden must have had wicked anal sex and given birth to this bastard child and then it came and clawed your eyes out. No "epic" songs to bore your to death either, these guys have everything better to do and they damn well know it. Now get it and suffer! (FA)
HELLS HEADBANGERS
www.hellsheadbangers.com, throneoffire@hellsheadbangers.com, http://www.huntersmoon.cjb.net/, inconspiracywithsatan@hotmail.com, www.myspace.com/thehuntersmoon
DESTRUKTOR - NAILED
Seething deaththrash from Australia too, reeking of kerosone and arsenic and The Devil's evil blessings. Growling angers spews from the bowels of hell without a sliver of mercy. It had been a few years since their previous release and this proves that it was definitely worth the weight, the have only taken the extreme several steps further. Heck, it's practically an inspiration. Collaborate with Satan and put your soul on the auction block NOW! (FA)
HELLS HEADBANGERS
www.hellsheadbangers.com, throneoffire@hellsheadbangers.com, www.destruktor.com, www.myspace.com/666destruktor
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Saturday, November 28, 2009
BROWN METAL
BROWN JENKINS - DEATH OBSESSION
These guys (well, one guy, really) have found "their" niche as far as dark doom and sludgy blackness goes. The songs are a bit long but they maintain a level of quality downtuneage to keep you compelled. Raw and rough, they don't stray from previous formula at all, so you can rest assured they deliver on all your expectations. It's as deadly as ever, and apparently it"s the end of the line as this project will transition to a new one called "The Ash Eaters" and laid to rest. GO! (FA)
MORIBUND RECORDS
www.moribundcult.com, info@moribundcult.com, www.myspace.com/brownjenkins13
These guys (well, one guy, really) have found "their" niche as far as dark doom and sludgy blackness goes. The songs are a bit long but they maintain a level of quality downtuneage to keep you compelled. Raw and rough, they don't stray from previous formula at all, so you can rest assured they deliver on all your expectations. It's as deadly as ever, and apparently it"s the end of the line as this project will transition to a new one called "The Ash Eaters" and laid to rest. GO! (FA)
MORIBUND RECORDS
www.moribundcult.com, info@moribundcult.com, www.myspace.com/brownjenkins13
UNDER THE SIGN OF HECK
GORGOROTH - QUANTOS POSSUNT AD SATANITATEM TRAHUNT
I'm a little late on this one, been traveling. Well it's out and say what you will, I dig it. They haven't gone the direction of awful as their Norwegian peers have, and while it's not quite the same sound they had once upon it time, it's still dark, emotional, There is a a huge Judas Priest influence I can sense this time around, a good mix of traditional heavy metal and black metal vocals. I have heard others say they hate their current direction, but that's just silly. They haven't lost their edge one bit. Don't be scared! (FA)
REGAIN RECORDS
www.regainrecords.com, info@regainrecords.com, www.gorgoroth.info, infernus.gorgoroth@gmail.com, www.myspace.com/gorgoroth
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
DEATH BEFORE METAL OF DISHONOR
NOCTURNAL FEAR - METAL OF HONOR
More war-obsessed deaththrash hellslaughter from these vile bastards, and without war, they would probably be nothing. Forget all that cookie-cutter fun "retro thrash" TRASH that is so common these days, Nocturnal Fear are the real deal! No gimmicks, no trying to hard to capture any misbegotten 80s essence, and no silly "old school" nuances! Just fast, face-ripping thrashy badassness! And, as I always heap praise upon, they make good use of film dialogue with excerpts from the last Rambo film and the first Conan (granted their superfluous acoustic guitar overlay could be done away with so we can hear Basil Pouledouris's somber score for Conan instead, but it's a minor gripe) which add to the mood of anger and disgust and lustmord this album so brilliantly exudes. Sweep aside those poser thrash losers popping up everywhere and embrace the real, mean, raw deal! (FA)
MORIBUND RECORDS
www.moribundcult.com, orders@moribundcult.com, www.myspace.com/nocturnalfear
Friday, October 16, 2009
FISTS OF FURY
BLEEDING FIST - BESTIAL KRUZIFIX666TION
Much more than a few fists will be bleeding after this violent endeavor! Grinding, shocking, in the vein of Angel Corpse, Blasphemy, and early Possessed and Morbid Angel. Slovenian hatred spews forth a mighty massacre of black/death in the bestial fashion that only some few can master. Blitzkrieg bombardments of anger that never relent, never compromise. Heads will spin, heads will roll, and spines will shatter. An MCD is already in the works for early 2010. Get in line now! (FA)
MORIBUND RECORDS
www.moribundcult.com. orders@moribundcult.com, www.bleeding-fist.com, www.myspace.com/bleedingfist, bleedingfistofficial@gmail.com
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
IN NOMINE SATHANAS. YET AGAIN.
SATHANAS are writing their new album to be released through PAGAN RECORDS early to mid-2010 followed by a European tour. Artwork is being handled by SICKNESS 666 of Thailand. For info visit www.sathanas.net.
www.myspace.com/sathanasmetal
www.myspace.com/sathanasmetal
Monday, October 12, 2009
IMMORTAL RITES
IMMORTAL - ALL SHALL FALL
Well the eagle has landed. One of the most anticipated releases of the year is finally upon us. Whether their "break-up" stunt of several years ago was just that, a stunt, to generate further interest in the band is something I've always wondered. Then again, in the YouTube and MySpace and Guitar Hero age, nothing is left undiscovered for long as is. Continuing down their path of more traditional heavy metal with black metal vocals since "At the Heart of Winter" many moons ago, Immortal have yet to disappointed this bitter and jaded metal veteran, especially in the way many of their Norwegian countrymates (who shall remained unnamed simply because I'm downright tired of saying them) have in the name of SELLING OUT. Yes, I said that, because that's the straight reality of it. Anyway, sure, I worried when I heard Immortal was signing to Nuclear Blast with their previous "Sons of Northern Darkness", and with good reason. Thankfully, that turned out to be unfounded. That album did not lack in ANY way, shape, or form. Now flash-forward to seven years and an alleged "break-up" later, and we have more of the same. Cold, emotional, and dark black metal with plenty of older traditional metal use, for all the better. Semi-long songs that don't bore or drift off into oblivion. Expect nothing but absolute Immortal in their finest form. The wait was well worth it! (FA)
NUCLEAR BLAST
www.nuclearblastusa.com, www.immortalofficial.com, www.myspace.com/immortalofficial
LETHAL WEAPON
WEAPON - DRAKONIAN PARADIGN
Once hailing from Bangladesh, Weapon relocated to Canada to pursue their black metal dreams and weave them into your nightmares. Slow and mid-paced and ever so creeeeeeeeeepy, Weapon also mix killer elements of the darkest death metal brew and even some acoustics to make pigeon-holing their style even all the more difficult. Far from cookie-cutter is perhaps the best way to describe this black metal concoction. Oh don't fret, there's more than enough vileness to keep you coming back for more! Nothing short of catchy, nothing shy of hateful. Choose your Weapon without any hesitation! (FA)
THE AJNA OFFENSIVE
www.theajnaoffensive.com, ajna@theajnaoffensive.com, www.weaponchakra.com, www.myspace.com/theweaponchakra
Once hailing from Bangladesh, Weapon relocated to Canada to pursue their black metal dreams and weave them into your nightmares. Slow and mid-paced and ever so creeeeeeeeeepy, Weapon also mix killer elements of the darkest death metal brew and even some acoustics to make pigeon-holing their style even all the more difficult. Far from cookie-cutter is perhaps the best way to describe this black metal concoction. Oh don't fret, there's more than enough vileness to keep you coming back for more! Nothing short of catchy, nothing shy of hateful. Choose your Weapon without any hesitation! (FA)
THE AJNA OFFENSIVE
www.theajnaoffensive.com, ajna@theajnaoffensive.com, www.weaponchakra.com, www.myspace.com/theweaponchakra
Friday, October 9, 2009
MERRIMACK-GO-ROUND
French black metal institution and MORIBUND recording artists MERRIMACK are confirmed as support for the "U.S. Plague Tour 2009," which will feature headliners MARDUK and also NACHTMYSTIUM, MANTIC RITUAL, and on select dates BLACK ANVIL. This tour will be MERRIMACK's first (and highly anticipated) performances on American soil, all in support of new album Grey Rigorism, recently released in North America by MORIBUND. Says founding guitarist Perversifier, "We're very happy to finally hit American soil and spread the disease of Grey Rigorism there." Grey Rigorism is being hailed by critics as one of the year's very best black metal albums, with the well-respected Decibel even calling it a "hollow-horned masterpiece...with a cold, communicable bitterness few modern-day BM hordes have the ability to convincingly convey."
MERRIMACK have also added a new date in Salt Lake City, Utah on December 9th. Here are the rest of the confirmed dates/venues:
Nov 19 Allentown, PA @ The Sterling Hotel*
Nov 20 Worcester, MA @ The Palladium*
Nov 21 Montreal, QC @ Les Foufounes Electriques*
Nov 22 Toronto, ON @ Wreck Room *
Nov 23 Baltimore, MD @ Sonar
Nov 24 Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
Nov 25 Tampa, FL @ Brass Mug
Nov 27 New Orleans, LA @ The Bar
Nov 28 Austin, TX @ Red 7
Nov 29 Ft Worth, TX @ Ridglea Theater
Nov 30 Tulsa, OK @ The Marquee
Dec 2 Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad
Dec 3 Tempe, AZ @ The Clubhouse
Dec 4 Hollywood, CA @ The Key Club*
Dec 5 San Marcos, CA @ The Jumping Turtle*
Dec 6 San Francisco, CA @ DNA Lounge*
Dec 7 Portland, OR @ Satyricon
Dec 8 Seattle, WA @ Studio Seven
Dec 9 Salt Lake City, UT @ Club Vegas
Dec 10 Denver, CO @ Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom
Dec 11 Kansas City, MO @ Riot Room
Dec 12 Chicago, IL @ Reggie's Rock Club
Dec 13 St Paul, MN @ Station 4
Dec 14 Detroit, MI @ Blondie's
Dec 15 Cleveland, OH @ Peabody's
Dec 16 New York, NY @ Gramercy Theater*
* = to feature BLACK ANVIL
For more info, consult www.moribundcult.com, www.myspace.com/merrimackofficial, and www.thunderdometouring.com.
DIMENTIANON A DOZEN
DIMENTIANON To Play Alongside Marduk; New Lineup Completed
DIMENTIANON is proud to announce that they have been selected as the opening act for the New York date of Marduk's upcoming US tour! The tour - featuring Nachtmystium, Mantic Ritual, Merrimack and Black Anvil, in addition to Marduk of course - hits NYC's Grammercy Theater on December 16th, with DIMENTIANON leading of the night's chaos.
Additionally, DIMENTIANON's new line-up is complete, joining the remaining members Greg L.(Guitar) and M.(vocals), are Zoltan V. (Lead Guitar), Maureen M.(Bass), and Pete C.(Drums). The band is currently finishing writing the material for the next full-length on a to-be-determined label. Songs set to appear on the album include: A Credit to Dementia, The Forgotten, Undying Bliss, Breathe Deep, A Dirge to the Death ov Life, Love and Hope, Gamma Velurum and Collapse the Void.
DIMENTIANON's previous full-length Hossanas Novus Ordo Seclurum as well as a self-released live CD-R from 2008 are available for review/coverage now.
http://www.myspace.com/dimentianon
http://www.dimentianon.com
DIMENTIANON is proud to announce that they have been selected as the opening act for the New York date of Marduk's upcoming US tour! The tour - featuring Nachtmystium, Mantic Ritual, Merrimack and Black Anvil, in addition to Marduk of course - hits NYC's Grammercy Theater on December 16th, with DIMENTIANON leading of the night's chaos.
Additionally, DIMENTIANON's new line-up is complete, joining the remaining members Greg L.(Guitar) and M.(vocals), are Zoltan V. (Lead Guitar), Maureen M.(Bass), and Pete C.(Drums). The band is currently finishing writing the material for the next full-length on a to-be-determined label. Songs set to appear on the album include: A Credit to Dementia, The Forgotten, Undying Bliss, Breathe Deep, A Dirge to the Death ov Life, Love and Hope, Gamma Velurum and Collapse the Void.
DIMENTIANON's previous full-length Hossanas Novus Ordo Seclurum as well as a self-released live CD-R from 2008 are available for review/coverage now.
http://www.myspace.com/dimentianon
http://www.dimentianon.com
Sunday, September 13, 2009
TWO FROM REGIMENTAL
HELCARAXE - BROADSWORD
Viking metal can sometimes be pretty comical, so much so that it can easily be ridiculed as can just about all things metal. I mean seriously, singing of battles you never even fought in? Just kidding. But yes, sometimes Viking metal just doesn't quite do it in the serious department. Enter Helcaraxe, who with their second effort of crushing Viking death metal scorch any doubt of extra cheese. Blinding fast and wicked brutal, Vikings are back from the grave and heat to pillage and plunder! (FA)
REGIMENTAL RECORDS
www.regimentalrecords.com, info@regimentalrecords.com, www.helcaraxe.com, www.myspace.com/helcaraxe
PSYKOTISK/VREDGAD
Now we're taking business! A minimalist split of cold, hateful black metal recorded way back in 2005 and just now seeing the light of day.. The layout of the CD hearkens back to the days of old, with black and white forest imagery taking precedence. It truly feels like a time-warp, it truly feels warped. Minimalist black metal captures the true essence of the music in a way polished, pretty production simply never will. Give this one a whirl. You're yearning for true black metal will be pleased! (FA)
REGIMENTAL RECORDS
www.regimentalrecords.com, info@regimentalrecords.com, www.psykotisk.cjb.net, www.vredgad.com
Viking metal can sometimes be pretty comical, so much so that it can easily be ridiculed as can just about all things metal. I mean seriously, singing of battles you never even fought in? Just kidding. But yes, sometimes Viking metal just doesn't quite do it in the serious department. Enter Helcaraxe, who with their second effort of crushing Viking death metal scorch any doubt of extra cheese. Blinding fast and wicked brutal, Vikings are back from the grave and heat to pillage and plunder! (FA)
REGIMENTAL RECORDS
www.regimentalrecords.com, info@regimentalrecords.com, www.helcaraxe.com, www.myspace.com/helcaraxe
PSYKOTISK/VREDGAD
Now we're taking business! A minimalist split of cold, hateful black metal recorded way back in 2005 and just now seeing the light of day.. The layout of the CD hearkens back to the days of old, with black and white forest imagery taking precedence. It truly feels like a time-warp, it truly feels warped. Minimalist black metal captures the true essence of the music in a way polished, pretty production simply never will. Give this one a whirl. You're yearning for true black metal will be pleased! (FA)
REGIMENTAL RECORDS
www.regimentalrecords.com, info@regimentalrecords.com, www.psykotisk.cjb.net, www.vredgad.com
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
THE OLD PELICAN AND THE SEA
New PELICAN Song Posted
PELICAN have posted a new track from their upcoming album on their official MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/pelican.
The song, entitled "Strung Up From The Sky", is one of the eight tracks encompassing the band's upcoming full-length What We All Come To Need, being released on October 27th, their first for Southern Lord Recordings.
Promos of What We All Come To Need will be available shortly. Please get in touch with Earsplit with all coverage requests and inquiries, and check out the following sites for further info:
http://www.myspace.com/pelican
http://www.southernlord.com
http://www.myspace.com/southernlordrecordings
http://blog.southernlord.com
PELICAN have posted a new track from their upcoming album on their official MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/pelican.
The song, entitled "Strung Up From The Sky", is one of the eight tracks encompassing the band's upcoming full-length What We All Come To Need, being released on October 27th, their first for Southern Lord Recordings.
Promos of What We All Come To Need will be available shortly. Please get in touch with Earsplit with all coverage requests and inquiries, and check out the following sites for further info:
http://www.myspace.com/pelican
http://www.southernlord.com
http://www.myspace.com/southernlordrecordings
http://blog.southernlord.com
CHOPPED IN HALF!
OBITUARY Tour Update
Death metal titans OBITUARY are readying to embark on a North American headlining tour in support of latest long player Darkest Day, released via Candlelight Records this past June. The tour will kick off on September 3rd at The Rock in Tucson, AZ and pillage its way through a month's worth of shows before coming to a close on October 4th at Headliner’s Music Hall in Louisville, KY. The band will be joined by Goatwhore, Krisiun, The Berzerker and Warbringer.
OBITUARY
9/3/2009 The Rock - Tucson, AZ
9/4/2009 U.B.’s Bar - Mesa, AZ
9/5/2009 Gator’s - Farmington, NM
9/6/2009 Bluebird Theater - Denver, CO
9/8/2009 Galaxy Theatre - Santa Ana, CA
9/9/2009 Key Club - Los Angeles, CA
9/10/2009 Slim’s - San Francisco, CA
9/11/2009 Hawthorne Theatre - Portland, OR
9/12/2009 El Corazon - Seattle, WA
9/14/2009 Sugar - Victoria, BC
9/15/2009 Plazza Club - Vancover, BC
9/17/2009 Warehouse - Calgary, AB
9/18/2009 Starlite Room - Edmonton, AB
9/19/2009 The Riddell at University of Regina - Regina, SK
9/20/2009 Royal Albert Arms - Winnipeg, MB
9/22/2009 Rave - Milwaukee, WI
9/23/2009 The Pearl Room - Mokena, IL
9/25/2009 Opera House - Toronto, ON
9/26/2009 Imperial de Quebec - Quebec City, QC
9/27/2009 FouFounes - Montreal, QC
9/28/2009 The Trocadero - Philadelphia, PA
9/29/2009 The Blender Theatre at Gramercy - New York, NY
9/30/2009 The Palladium - Worcester, MA
10/2/2009 Volume 11 - Raleigh, NC
10/3/2009 Orange Peel - Asheville, NC
10/4/2009 Headliner’s Music Hall - Louisville, KY
Check out fan filmed footage of the band's performance at this year's Ilosaarirock Festival in Finland here:
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=451309518&blogId=507078070
RECENT TESTIMONIALS:
"Outside of Cannibal Corpse, no Floridian death metal band has been as consistent and relevant. There’s lots of gas left in this tank… Darkest Day most certainly has more variety and staying power than 2005’s Frozen In Time and 2007’s Xecutioner’s Return. Keep it coming, OBITUARY. -- Blistering
"Darkest Days then? For the opposition and the much vaunted 'new breed' of death metal, maybe, but for the triumphant OBITUARY, the only dark days I can see ahead of them are when they come to try and write an album that’s anywhere near as flawless as this. Face-gurning, shit-eating-grin-inducing, fist-banging death metal, the way that granny used to make it. Take a big slice, kids, and eat it while it’s still hot. -- Live4Metal
"Even though it would seem impossible, OBITUARY have released the best CD of their career with Darkest Day. -- Metal Life
"OBITUARY continue to cement their place in death metal royalty and add to their mostly excellent legacy a full twenty years after their debut." -- Teeth Of The Divine
http://www.obituary.cc/
http://www.myspace.com/obituary
Death metal titans OBITUARY are readying to embark on a North American headlining tour in support of latest long player Darkest Day, released via Candlelight Records this past June. The tour will kick off on September 3rd at The Rock in Tucson, AZ and pillage its way through a month's worth of shows before coming to a close on October 4th at Headliner’s Music Hall in Louisville, KY. The band will be joined by Goatwhore, Krisiun, The Berzerker and Warbringer.
OBITUARY
9/3/2009 The Rock - Tucson, AZ
9/4/2009 U.B.’s Bar - Mesa, AZ
9/5/2009 Gator’s - Farmington, NM
9/6/2009 Bluebird Theater - Denver, CO
9/8/2009 Galaxy Theatre - Santa Ana, CA
9/9/2009 Key Club - Los Angeles, CA
9/10/2009 Slim’s - San Francisco, CA
9/11/2009 Hawthorne Theatre - Portland, OR
9/12/2009 El Corazon - Seattle, WA
9/14/2009 Sugar - Victoria, BC
9/15/2009 Plazza Club - Vancover, BC
9/17/2009 Warehouse - Calgary, AB
9/18/2009 Starlite Room - Edmonton, AB
9/19/2009 The Riddell at University of Regina - Regina, SK
9/20/2009 Royal Albert Arms - Winnipeg, MB
9/22/2009 Rave - Milwaukee, WI
9/23/2009 The Pearl Room - Mokena, IL
9/25/2009 Opera House - Toronto, ON
9/26/2009 Imperial de Quebec - Quebec City, QC
9/27/2009 FouFounes - Montreal, QC
9/28/2009 The Trocadero - Philadelphia, PA
9/29/2009 The Blender Theatre at Gramercy - New York, NY
9/30/2009 The Palladium - Worcester, MA
10/2/2009 Volume 11 - Raleigh, NC
10/3/2009 Orange Peel - Asheville, NC
10/4/2009 Headliner’s Music Hall - Louisville, KY
Check out fan filmed footage of the band's performance at this year's Ilosaarirock Festival in Finland here:
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=451309518&blogId=507078070
RECENT TESTIMONIALS:
"Outside of Cannibal Corpse, no Floridian death metal band has been as consistent and relevant. There’s lots of gas left in this tank… Darkest Day most certainly has more variety and staying power than 2005’s Frozen In Time and 2007’s Xecutioner’s Return. Keep it coming, OBITUARY. -- Blistering
"Darkest Days then? For the opposition and the much vaunted 'new breed' of death metal, maybe, but for the triumphant OBITUARY, the only dark days I can see ahead of them are when they come to try and write an album that’s anywhere near as flawless as this. Face-gurning, shit-eating-grin-inducing, fist-banging death metal, the way that granny used to make it. Take a big slice, kids, and eat it while it’s still hot. -- Live4Metal
"Even though it would seem impossible, OBITUARY have released the best CD of their career with Darkest Day. -- Metal Life
"OBITUARY continue to cement their place in death metal royalty and add to their mostly excellent legacy a full twenty years after their debut." -- Teeth Of The Divine
http://www.obituary.cc/
http://www.myspace.com/obituary
Monday, August 31, 2009
NEW N' STUFF
The title, artwork and full tracklisting of TENEBRAE IN PERPETUUM's forthcoming third album are finally disclosed. On "L'Eterno Maligno Silenzio", enigmatic Italian Illuminates daub their black rites across a richer, more expansive canvas than hitherto. Supplemented by the ordination of new vocalist Ildanach, the high priests of sombre psalms merge the darkest shades from the colour spectrum into a frenetic fusion teeming with mystical magnificence and dissonant grandeur. Tracklisting is as follows:
1. Percepire La Luce Attraverso Il Sepolcro
2. L’Eterno Maligno Silenzio
3. Dissoluzione In Preghiera
4. Incubo Rosso Cupo
5. Il Morto Cthulhu Aspetta Sognando
6. Dei Corpi Silenti
7. Rapitemi, Anime Della Natura
8. Oltre I Confini Umani
"L'Eterno Maligno Silenzio" was recorded & mixed at Necropalace Studio, mastered at 322 Studio and will be released on September 25th via Debemur Morti Productions.
Label : http://www.debemur-morti.com
Small cover : http://www.debemur-morti.com/img/dmp0058-07_1.jpg
Big cover : http://www.debemur-morti.com/img/dmp0058-07_4.jpg
1. Percepire La Luce Attraverso Il Sepolcro
2. L’Eterno Maligno Silenzio
3. Dissoluzione In Preghiera
4. Incubo Rosso Cupo
5. Il Morto Cthulhu Aspetta Sognando
6. Dei Corpi Silenti
7. Rapitemi, Anime Della Natura
8. Oltre I Confini Umani
"L'Eterno Maligno Silenzio" was recorded & mixed at Necropalace Studio, mastered at 322 Studio and will be released on September 25th via Debemur Morti Productions.
Label : http://www.debemur-morti.com
Small cover : http://www.debemur-morti.com/img/dmp0058-07_1.jpg
Big cover : http://www.debemur-morti.com/img/dmp0058-07_4.jpg
WHORWOROTH
GORGOROTH To Release Quantos Possunt Ad Satanitatem Trahunt
The unleashing of Quantos Possunt Ad Satanitatem Trahunt, the ninth studio album from Norwegian black metal legion GORGOROTH, is drawing near. Recorded at drummer Tomas Asklund's Monolith Studio and mastered at the Cutting Room in Stockholm, Quantos Possunt Ad Satanitatem Trahunt is the first recording featuring the band's official new lineup of guitarist/founder Infernus, former vocalist Pest, former guitarist Tormentor, bassist Frank Watkins (Obituary) and Asklund (Dissection, Dark Funeral et al). The record was produced by Infernus and co-produced/engineered by Asklund. Said Infernus of the nine new tracks: "[they are] mature. The record is indeed harder and more sinister than anything we have ever done before. It is an album I can be proud to say I am standing a 100% behind."
View the cover art here:
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=451309518&blogId=507265917
GORGOROTH - Quantos Possunt Ad Satanitatem Trahunt track-listing:
1. "Aneuthanasia"
2. "Prayer"
3. "Rebirth"
4. "Building a Man"
5. "New Breed"
6. "Cleansing Fire"
7. "Human Sacrifice"
8. "Satan-Prometheus"
9. "Introibo ad Alatare Satanas"
Check out an excerpt of "Prayer" on Regain's MySpace Page: http://www.myspace.com/regainrecords
In related news, Quantos Possunt Ad Satanitatem Trahunt will receive a limited-edition picture disc vinyl release on Infernus' own label, Forces Of Satan Records.
Check the official website for further updates: http://www.forcesofsatan.com.
GORGOROTH will perform at the sold-out Hole In The Sky Sky festival in Bergen, Norway this weekend. This will mark the band's first live appearance in nearly two years.
Quantos Possunt Ad Satanitatem Trahunt will be released in the US on October 27, 2009.
http://www.gorgoroth.info/
http://www.myspace.com/gorgoroth
The unleashing of Quantos Possunt Ad Satanitatem Trahunt, the ninth studio album from Norwegian black metal legion GORGOROTH, is drawing near. Recorded at drummer Tomas Asklund's Monolith Studio and mastered at the Cutting Room in Stockholm, Quantos Possunt Ad Satanitatem Trahunt is the first recording featuring the band's official new lineup of guitarist/founder Infernus, former vocalist Pest, former guitarist Tormentor, bassist Frank Watkins (Obituary) and Asklund (Dissection, Dark Funeral et al). The record was produced by Infernus and co-produced/engineered by Asklund. Said Infernus of the nine new tracks: "[they are] mature. The record is indeed harder and more sinister than anything we have ever done before. It is an album I can be proud to say I am standing a 100% behind."
View the cover art here:
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=451309518&blogId=507265917
GORGOROTH - Quantos Possunt Ad Satanitatem Trahunt track-listing:
1. "Aneuthanasia"
2. "Prayer"
3. "Rebirth"
4. "Building a Man"
5. "New Breed"
6. "Cleansing Fire"
7. "Human Sacrifice"
8. "Satan-Prometheus"
9. "Introibo ad Alatare Satanas"
Check out an excerpt of "Prayer" on Regain's MySpace Page: http://www.myspace.com/regainrecords
In related news, Quantos Possunt Ad Satanitatem Trahunt will receive a limited-edition picture disc vinyl release on Infernus' own label, Forces Of Satan Records.
Check the official website for further updates: http://www.forcesofsatan.com.
GORGOROTH will perform at the sold-out Hole In The Sky Sky festival in Bergen, Norway this weekend. This will mark the band's first live appearance in nearly two years.
Quantos Possunt Ad Satanitatem Trahunt will be released in the US on October 27, 2009.
http://www.gorgoroth.info/
http://www.myspace.com/gorgoroth
IA MARDUK ONCE AGAIN!
MARDUK Announce North American Headlining Tour
Following three very special U.S. appearances earlier this month in Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York (effectively breaking their streak of visa issues), Swedish black metal battalion MARDUK will return for a full North American headlining tour this November. The band will be joined by Nachtmystium, Mantic Ritual, Merrimack and Black Anvil (on select dates).
Dubbed U.S. Plague Tour 2009, the trek will kick off on November 20th at the Palladium in Worcester, MA and run through 21 more dates before coming to a close in New York City on December 16th at the Gramercy Theater, where the band recently played to an overwhelming crowd response. Said Phil Freeman from The Village Voice of the performance, "MARDUK's sound was a room-filling roar, with Mortuus' vocals chewing through the mix like a rabid bear."
U.S. PLAGUE TOUR 2009
11/20/2009 The Palladium - Worcester, MA w/ Black Anvil
11/21/2009 Les Foufounes Electriques - Montreal, QC w/ Black Anvil
11/22/2009 Wreck Room - Toronto, ON w/ Black Anvil
11/23/2009 Sonar - Baltimore, MD
11/24/2009 The Masquerade - Atlanta, GA
11/25/2009 Brass Mug - Tampa, FL
11/28/2009 Red 7 - Austin, TX
11/29/2009 Ridglea Theater - Ft Worth, TX
11/30/2009 The Marquee - Tulsa, OK
12/02/2009 Launchpad - Albuquerque, NM
12/03/2009 The Sets - Tempe, AZ
12/04/2009 The Key Club - Hollywood, CA
12/05/2009 The Jumping Turtle - San Marcos, CA
12/06/2009 DNA Lounge - San Francisco, CA
12/07/2009 Satyricon - Portland, OR
12/08/2009 Studio Seven - Seattle, WA
12/10/2009 Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom - Denver, CO
12/11/2009 Riot Room - Kansas City, MO
12/12/2009 Reggie's Rock Club - Chicago, IL
12/13/2009 Station 4 - St Paul, MN
12/14/2009 Blondie's - Detroit, MI
12/15/2009 Peabody's - Cleveland, OH
12/16/2009 Gramercy Theater - New York, NY w/ Black Anvil
Check out the U.S. Plague Tour Poster here:
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=451309518&blogId=507325807
MARDUK's eleventh studio album, Wormwood, will be unleashed in the U.S. on October 13, 2009.
Following three very special U.S. appearances earlier this month in Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York (effectively breaking their streak of visa issues), Swedish black metal battalion MARDUK will return for a full North American headlining tour this November. The band will be joined by Nachtmystium, Mantic Ritual, Merrimack and Black Anvil (on select dates).
Dubbed U.S. Plague Tour 2009, the trek will kick off on November 20th at the Palladium in Worcester, MA and run through 21 more dates before coming to a close in New York City on December 16th at the Gramercy Theater, where the band recently played to an overwhelming crowd response. Said Phil Freeman from The Village Voice of the performance, "MARDUK's sound was a room-filling roar, with Mortuus' vocals chewing through the mix like a rabid bear."
U.S. PLAGUE TOUR 2009
11/20/2009 The Palladium - Worcester, MA w/ Black Anvil
11/21/2009 Les Foufounes Electriques - Montreal, QC w/ Black Anvil
11/22/2009 Wreck Room - Toronto, ON w/ Black Anvil
11/23/2009 Sonar - Baltimore, MD
11/24/2009 The Masquerade - Atlanta, GA
11/25/2009 Brass Mug - Tampa, FL
11/28/2009 Red 7 - Austin, TX
11/29/2009 Ridglea Theater - Ft Worth, TX
11/30/2009 The Marquee - Tulsa, OK
12/02/2009 Launchpad - Albuquerque, NM
12/03/2009 The Sets - Tempe, AZ
12/04/2009 The Key Club - Hollywood, CA
12/05/2009 The Jumping Turtle - San Marcos, CA
12/06/2009 DNA Lounge - San Francisco, CA
12/07/2009 Satyricon - Portland, OR
12/08/2009 Studio Seven - Seattle, WA
12/10/2009 Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom - Denver, CO
12/11/2009 Riot Room - Kansas City, MO
12/12/2009 Reggie's Rock Club - Chicago, IL
12/13/2009 Station 4 - St Paul, MN
12/14/2009 Blondie's - Detroit, MI
12/15/2009 Peabody's - Cleveland, OH
12/16/2009 Gramercy Theater - New York, NY w/ Black Anvil
Check out the U.S. Plague Tour Poster here:
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=451309518&blogId=507325807
MARDUK's eleventh studio album, Wormwood, will be unleashed in the U.S. on October 13, 2009.
RUN THROUGH THE JUNGLE ROT!
Death metal institution and Napalm recording artists JUNGLE ROT will be heading to Europe to spread the message of metal along the frontlines. Touring in support of latest album (and Napalm debut) What Horrors Await, after their European conquest JUNGLE ROT will return to the US and play a slew of dates across the country with DEICIDE. Here are the confirmed dates/venues:
August 29, 2009 US - Milwaukee, WI / Liquor Sweets (21+)
September 3, 2009 GERMANY - Hamburg / Markthalle (w/ Six Feet Under)
September 4, 2009 GERMANY - Jena / F Haus (w/ Six Feet Under)
September 5, 2009 GERMANY - Munich / Backstage (w/ Six Feet Under)
September 6, 2009 SWITZERLAND - Erstfeld / Transilvania (w/ Six Feet Under)
September 9, 2009 BELGIUM - Gent / Frontline
September 10, 2009 HOLLAND - Tiburg / Little Devil
September 11, 2009 GERMANY - Rostock / Alte Zuckerfabrik
September 12, 2009 GERMANY - Kassel / K19
September 13, 2009 HOLLAND - Weert / Triangle Club
September 14, 2009 TBA
September 15, 2009 AUSTRIA - Dornbirn / Schlachthaus
September 16, 2009 AUSTRIA - Vienna / Viper Room
September 17, 2009 CZECH REPUBLIC - Pardubice / RC Ponorka
September 18, 2009 GERMANY - Bayreuth / Juz Komm
September 19, 2009 GERMANY - Leipzig / Hellraiser
October 7, 2009 US - Dallas, TX / House of Blues (w/ Deicide)
October 9, 2009 US - Houston, TX / The Meridian (w/ Deicide)
October 10, 2009 US - San Antonio, TX / Sunken Garden (w/ Deicide)
October 11, 2009 US - El Paso, TX / Club 101 (w/ Deicide)
October 13, 2009 US - Sparks, NV / New Oasis (w/ Deicide)
October 14, 2009 US - Santa Ana, CA / Galaxy Theater (w/ Deicide)
October 15, 2009 US - San Jose, CA / Voodoo Lounge (w/ Deicide)
October 16, 2009 US - San Marcos, CA / The Jumping Turtle (w/ Deicide)
October 17, 2009 US - Yucaipa, CA / Angel's Roadhouse (w/ Deicide)
October 18, 2009 US - West Hollywood, CA / The Key Club (w/ Deicide)
October 21, 2009 US - Englewood, CO / The Gothic Theater (w/ Deicide)
October 22, 2009 US - Wichita, KS / Oz Cafe Concert Venue (w/ Deicide)
October 23, 2009 US - West Dundee, IL / Clearwater Theater (w/ Deicide)
October 24, 2009 US - Detroit, MI / Harpos (w/ Deicide)
NORTH AMERICAN PRESS: Please get in touch ASAP for guest-list spots
EUROPEAN PRESS: Please contact ben@napalmrecords.com for guest-list spots
For more info, please consult www.napalmrecords.com and www.myspace.com/junglerot.
BEWARE THE NAZXUL!
Legendary Australian black metal band NAZXUL have been confirmed for the 2010 installment of the Maryland Death Fest. This will be the band's first performance ever on North American soil, and it will be in support of newest album Iconoclast, the band's first full-length since 1995's classic Totem debut. Released in North America by MORIBUND on July 28th, NAZXUL's Iconoclast is the culmination of almost a decade of chaos magick and gnosis, and is already reaping critical acclaim worldwide.
NAZXUL's performances in Europe and even in their native Australia are few and far between, but have now become the stuff of legend. The band is currently putting together a full North American tour to coincide with their performance at next year's Maryland Death Fest. Comments guitarist/bassist Adrian Henderson, "2010 shall see the rise of the antipodean cult Nazxul! The black wings of death shall spread across America in a whirlwind of terror and madness. Nazxul is dead - all hail Nazxul!"
For more info, consult www.moribundcult.com and www.myspace.com/nazxul
LIGHT FUNERAL
DARK FUNERAL: New Album Title Revealed
Swedish black metal legion DARK FUNERAL have set Angelus Exuro Pro Eternus as the title of their upcoming new full-length scheduled for release in the US this November. Said guitarist Lord Ahriman in a MySpace update earlier today: "Peter Tägtgren [Hypocrisy, Pain] is currently mixing our new album at his Abyss Studios. Once we have approved the final mix, Jonas Kjellgren [Scar Symmetry] will be mastering it. By listening to the rough-mix, the final production will kill totally, no doubt! Can’t wait to blast the final result in the stereo! We decided to go for a bit rawer sound this time, and not as crystal clear and perhaps polished as our last album [Attera Totus Sanctus], but no worries. The production still holds the high quality that you would come to expect from us. We haven’t pulled 'a Metallica' so to speak!
DARK FUNERAL shot a video for "My Funeral," one of the new tracks off Angelus Exuro Pro Eternus, in August. Said Ahriman, "The video was shot in and outside an old and closed mental hospital. The environment was just killer and suited the video theme perfect! The video is currently being edited by Standard Film Team and within the next 2-3 weeks should be ready for world premiere. Due to the graphic violence and somewhat gory nature of the video, I would assume that we will be forced to edit two versions, one soft and one hardcore version. Exactly how and where we’ll release them is yet to be decided.
View photos from the video shoot here: http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewPicture&friendID=11713147&albumId=3054398
http://www.darkfuneral.se
http://www.myspace.com/darkfuneral
http://www.regainrecords.com
Swedish black metal legion DARK FUNERAL have set Angelus Exuro Pro Eternus as the title of their upcoming new full-length scheduled for release in the US this November. Said guitarist Lord Ahriman in a MySpace update earlier today: "Peter Tägtgren [Hypocrisy, Pain] is currently mixing our new album at his Abyss Studios. Once we have approved the final mix, Jonas Kjellgren [Scar Symmetry] will be mastering it. By listening to the rough-mix, the final production will kill totally, no doubt! Can’t wait to blast the final result in the stereo! We decided to go for a bit rawer sound this time, and not as crystal clear and perhaps polished as our last album [Attera Totus Sanctus], but no worries. The production still holds the high quality that you would come to expect from us. We haven’t pulled 'a Metallica' so to speak!
DARK FUNERAL shot a video for "My Funeral," one of the new tracks off Angelus Exuro Pro Eternus, in August. Said Ahriman, "The video was shot in and outside an old and closed mental hospital. The environment was just killer and suited the video theme perfect! The video is currently being edited by Standard Film Team and within the next 2-3 weeks should be ready for world premiere. Due to the graphic violence and somewhat gory nature of the video, I would assume that we will be forced to edit two versions, one soft and one hardcore version. Exactly how and where we’ll release them is yet to be decided.
View photos from the video shoot here: http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewPicture&friendID=11713147&albumId=3054398
http://www.darkfuneral.se
http://www.myspace.com/darkfuneral
http://www.regainrecords.com
Monday, July 27, 2009
IA MARDUK!
MARDUK: More Wormwood Details Revealed + Tour Update
Swedish black metallers MARDUK are currently holed up in Endarker Studios in Norrköping, Sweden mixing their 11th studio album, Wormwood. The album will contain 10 tracks. View the cover art here:
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=451309518&blogId=502451407
Said guitarist Morgan Håkansson from the studio, "Greetings, we are just working out the final details for the upcoming album set to be released in September [via Regain Records]. The recordings are coming along just fine. The studio work is being [split] with rehearsals for the upcoming festivals and the US dates coming up in August. Be prepared for the great day of wrath! More news to be unveiled within the coming days!"
Wormwood Track Listing
1. "Nowhere, No-One, Nothing"
2. "Funeral Dawn"
3. "This Fleshly Void"
4. "Unclosing The Curse"
5. "Into Utter Madness"
6. "Phosphorous Redeemer"
7. "To Redirect Perdition"
8. "Whorecrown"
9. "Chorus Of Cracking Necks"
10. "As A Garment"
Following a last minute visa issue that forced the band to sit out Blackenedfest, MARDUK, have scheduled the following US tour dates with support from Withered and Black Anvil. “We are excited to finally be over in the states and do these shows after all the problems with the visas," said Håkansson. "The three shows in August are just the start. We are preparing for a full tour in the winter that will cover all the areas we missed on Blackenedfest. Please join us as we raise the Banner Of The Wolf!”
MARDUK Confirmed Dates:
8/12/2009 Sonar - Baltimore, MD
8/13/2009 Johnny Brenda's - Philadelphia, PA
8/15/2009 Gramercy Threatre - New York, NY also w/Tombs
http://www.marduk.nu
http://www.myspace.com/truemarduk
http://www.regainrecords.com
Swedish black metallers MARDUK are currently holed up in Endarker Studios in Norrköping, Sweden mixing their 11th studio album, Wormwood. The album will contain 10 tracks. View the cover art here:
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=451309518&blogId=502451407
Said guitarist Morgan Håkansson from the studio, "Greetings, we are just working out the final details for the upcoming album set to be released in September [via Regain Records]. The recordings are coming along just fine. The studio work is being [split] with rehearsals for the upcoming festivals and the US dates coming up in August. Be prepared for the great day of wrath! More news to be unveiled within the coming days!"
Wormwood Track Listing
1. "Nowhere, No-One, Nothing"
2. "Funeral Dawn"
3. "This Fleshly Void"
4. "Unclosing The Curse"
5. "Into Utter Madness"
6. "Phosphorous Redeemer"
7. "To Redirect Perdition"
8. "Whorecrown"
9. "Chorus Of Cracking Necks"
10. "As A Garment"
Following a last minute visa issue that forced the band to sit out Blackenedfest, MARDUK, have scheduled the following US tour dates with support from Withered and Black Anvil. “We are excited to finally be over in the states and do these shows after all the problems with the visas," said Håkansson. "The three shows in August are just the start. We are preparing for a full tour in the winter that will cover all the areas we missed on Blackenedfest. Please join us as we raise the Banner Of The Wolf!”
MARDUK Confirmed Dates:
8/12/2009 Sonar - Baltimore, MD
8/13/2009 Johnny Brenda's - Philadelphia, PA
8/15/2009 Gramercy Threatre - New York, NY also w/Tombs
http://www.marduk.nu
http://www.myspace.com/truemarduk
http://www.regainrecords.com
THERE WILL BE BLUT.
French BLUT AUS NORD decided to leave Candlelight Records and unite with Debemur Morti Productions. The faceless Entity is currently recording its upcoming, vinyl-only, album entitled "What Once Was..." to celebrate its return to the Underground realm.
Prepare to embrace The Supreme Abstract once more !
Band website : www.blutausnord.com
Label website : www.debemur-morti.com
Prepare to embrace The Supreme Abstract once more !
Band website : www.blutausnord.com
Label website : www.debemur-morti.com
THE SUNN O))) NEVER SETS.
SUNN O))) and EAGLE TWIN - East and Southern US Aktions Announced
The third wave of SUNN O))) live aktions on American soil in support of Monoliths & Dimensions have been announced, this time blanketing the East Coast. As on their previous Midwestern and upcoming West Coast tours this summer, label mates EAGLE TWIN will be joining SUNN O))) on these dates, in support of their debut full-length The Unkindness of Crows, which was released this week. A very special night on the tour will at Brooklyn's cavernous Masonic Temple in Fort Greene, where SUNN O))) and EAGLE TWIN will also be joined by Southern Lord brethren EARTH and PELICAN.
SUNN O))) w/ EAGLE TWIN East and Southern 2009
9/17/2009 Mr Small's - Pittsburgh, PA
9/19/2009 AS220 Broad Street Studio - Providence, RI
9/20/2009 First Unitarian Church - Philadelphia, PA
9/22/2009 Brooklyn Masonic Temple - Brooklyn, NY w/ Pelican, Earth
9/23/2009 Sonar - Baltimore, MD
9/24/2009 Bijou Theatre - Knoxville, TN
9/25/2009 The Orange Peel - Asheville,NC w/ Faust
9/26/2009 Legends Banquet & Special Event Center - Atlanta, GA
9/27/2009 Seney-Stovall Chapel - Athens, GA
9/28/2009 Seney-Stovall Chapel - Athens, GA
9/30/2009 Mercy Lounge - Nashville, TN
MAXIMUM VOLUME YIELDS MAXIMUM RESULTS.
http://www.ideologic.org
http://www.myspace.com/eagletwin
http://www.southernlord.com
http://www.myspace.com/southernlordrecordings
http://blog.southernlord.com
The third wave of SUNN O))) live aktions on American soil in support of Monoliths & Dimensions have been announced, this time blanketing the East Coast. As on their previous Midwestern and upcoming West Coast tours this summer, label mates EAGLE TWIN will be joining SUNN O))) on these dates, in support of their debut full-length The Unkindness of Crows, which was released this week. A very special night on the tour will at Brooklyn's cavernous Masonic Temple in Fort Greene, where SUNN O))) and EAGLE TWIN will also be joined by Southern Lord brethren EARTH and PELICAN.
SUNN O))) w/ EAGLE TWIN East and Southern 2009
9/17/2009 Mr Small's - Pittsburgh, PA
9/19/2009 AS220 Broad Street Studio - Providence, RI
9/20/2009 First Unitarian Church - Philadelphia, PA
9/22/2009 Brooklyn Masonic Temple - Brooklyn, NY w/ Pelican, Earth
9/23/2009 Sonar - Baltimore, MD
9/24/2009 Bijou Theatre - Knoxville, TN
9/25/2009 The Orange Peel - Asheville,NC w/ Faust
9/26/2009 Legends Banquet & Special Event Center - Atlanta, GA
9/27/2009 Seney-Stovall Chapel - Athens, GA
9/28/2009 Seney-Stovall Chapel - Athens, GA
9/30/2009 Mercy Lounge - Nashville, TN
MAXIMUM VOLUME YIELDS MAXIMUM RESULTS.
http://www.ideologic.org
http://www.myspace.com/eagletwin
http://www.southernlord.com
http://www.myspace.com/southernlordrecordings
http://blog.southernlord.com
WANNA DO ANAAL?
ANAAL NATHRAKH: New Record In Stores July 28th!
New ANAAL NATHRAKH long player, In The Constellation Of The Black Widow, hits North American record shelves on July 28th! The record is being released via Candlelight Records.
In The Constellation Of The Black Widow track listing:
1. "In The Constellation Of The Black Widow"
2. "I Am The Wrath Of Gods And The Desolation Of The Earth Music"
3. "More Of Fire Than Blood"
4. "The Unbearable Filth Of The Soul"
5. "Terror In The Mind Of God"
6. "So Be It"
7. "The Lucifer Effect"
8. "Oil Upon The Sores Of Lepers"
9. "Satanarchrist"
10. "Blood Eagles Carved On The Backs Of Innocents"
Commented ANAAL NATHRAKH vocalist V.I.T.R.I.O.L. on the new material: "Constellation is faster, more insidious, more ominous, more musically dextrous and wilder than ever before. The album features a curve ball guest appearance from Zeitgeist Memento of Mexican extremists REPUBLIKA."
Formed in 1998, ANAAL NATHRAKH have recorded five full-length albums. Based in Birmingham, the band fuses traditional black metal with elements of industrial, grindcore and early-day death metal resulting in a one-of-a-kind soundscape that has earned it high acclaim from media and fans around the globe.
What press folks are saying:
"In The Constellation Of The Black Widow is another crushing example of why this two-man band accomplishes much more than most fully equipped metal stalwarts. ANAAL NATHRAKH are more like great weavers of music and ideas than just a band in that they bring together some really inventive views on structure and dynamics but then hide them underneath this aural assault that can only be likened to being run over by a 16 wheeler with spikes on its treads, on fire, while acid leaks from the bottom." -- Crave.
"Their sound is a weapon... music of mass destruction. Hell, if these Brits get any heavier the music will cross over into pure white noise, the kind that would tear at the very fabric of reality as we know it." -- The Metal Observer
"ANAAL NATHRAKH's latest is a return to bestial form, full of impossibly fast blast beats, black/death-grind hybrid riffs, and ridiculously tortured vocals. Though not the band’s best, In the Constellation of the Black Widow is a stern reminder of why ANAAL NATHRAKH are often mentioned in the same breath as today’s most notable black metallers." -- Metal Sucks
http://www.myspace.com/anaalnathrakh
http://www.anaal-nathrakh.tk/
http://www.candlelightrecordsusa.com/
http://www.myspace.com/candlelightrecordsusa
New ANAAL NATHRAKH long player, In The Constellation Of The Black Widow, hits North American record shelves on July 28th! The record is being released via Candlelight Records.
In The Constellation Of The Black Widow track listing:
1. "In The Constellation Of The Black Widow"
2. "I Am The Wrath Of Gods And The Desolation Of The Earth Music"
3. "More Of Fire Than Blood"
4. "The Unbearable Filth Of The Soul"
5. "Terror In The Mind Of God"
6. "So Be It"
7. "The Lucifer Effect"
8. "Oil Upon The Sores Of Lepers"
9. "Satanarchrist"
10. "Blood Eagles Carved On The Backs Of Innocents"
Commented ANAAL NATHRAKH vocalist V.I.T.R.I.O.L. on the new material: "Constellation is faster, more insidious, more ominous, more musically dextrous and wilder than ever before. The album features a curve ball guest appearance from Zeitgeist Memento of Mexican extremists REPUBLIKA."
Formed in 1998, ANAAL NATHRAKH have recorded five full-length albums. Based in Birmingham, the band fuses traditional black metal with elements of industrial, grindcore and early-day death metal resulting in a one-of-a-kind soundscape that has earned it high acclaim from media and fans around the globe.
What press folks are saying:
"In The Constellation Of The Black Widow is another crushing example of why this two-man band accomplishes much more than most fully equipped metal stalwarts. ANAAL NATHRAKH are more like great weavers of music and ideas than just a band in that they bring together some really inventive views on structure and dynamics but then hide them underneath this aural assault that can only be likened to being run over by a 16 wheeler with spikes on its treads, on fire, while acid leaks from the bottom." -- Crave.
"Their sound is a weapon... music of mass destruction. Hell, if these Brits get any heavier the music will cross over into pure white noise, the kind that would tear at the very fabric of reality as we know it." -- The Metal Observer
"ANAAL NATHRAKH's latest is a return to bestial form, full of impossibly fast blast beats, black/death-grind hybrid riffs, and ridiculously tortured vocals. Though not the band’s best, In the Constellation of the Black Widow is a stern reminder of why ANAAL NATHRAKH are often mentioned in the same breath as today’s most notable black metallers." -- Metal Sucks
http://www.myspace.com/anaalnathrakh
http://www.anaal-nathrakh.tk/
http://www.candlelightrecordsusa.com/
http://www.myspace.com/candlelightrecordsusa
ROT THROUGH THE JUNGLE!
Napalm recording artists JUNGLE ROT announce a handful of US tour dates before they head off to Europe in September in support of Six Feet Under. Touring behind the latest critically acclaimed album (and first for Napalm), What Horrors Await, the Wisconsin death metal masters will hit the following cities:
July 24 – Chicago, Illinois @ Nite Cap
August 8 – Kenosha, Wisconsin @ Ruether High School (w/Lazarus A.D., DNR,
Corruptor, Conniption) ALL AGES
August 9 – Michigan City, Indiana @ White Eagle Park (w/After The Quarrel,
Beresith, Jarvis) ALL AGES
August 21 – Aurora, Illinois @ Rockhouse
August 29 – Milwaukee, Wisconsin @ Liquor Sweets
***The Midwest Heshfest w/ Vadim Vom, Beltfed Weapon, Demized, Evil
Incarnate, Ominous, Cyanosis, Hammered, Blood Obsession, Carnal
Befoulment, Meth Tooth, 40oz Fist, New Society Of Anarchists, Rictus
Grin, Memories Wither
All dates and venues are CONFIRMED. For more info, consult www.junglerot.net, www.myspace.com/junglerot, and www.napalmrecords.com .
July 24 – Chicago, Illinois @ Nite Cap
August 8 – Kenosha, Wisconsin @ Ruether High School (w/Lazarus A.D., DNR,
Corruptor, Conniption) ALL AGES
August 9 – Michigan City, Indiana @ White Eagle Park (w/After The Quarrel,
Beresith, Jarvis) ALL AGES
August 21 – Aurora, Illinois @ Rockhouse
August 29 – Milwaukee, Wisconsin @ Liquor Sweets
***The Midwest Heshfest w/ Vadim Vom, Beltfed Weapon, Demized, Evil
Incarnate, Ominous, Cyanosis, Hammered, Blood Obsession, Carnal
Befoulment, Meth Tooth, 40oz Fist, New Society Of Anarchists, Rictus
Grin, Memories Wither
All dates and venues are CONFIRMED. For more info, consult www.junglerot.net, www.myspace.com/junglerot, and www.napalmrecords.com .
Sunday, July 19, 2009
IN THE CANDLELIGHT, OH BOY WHAT A SIGHT!
CANDLEIGHT USA Tour Update - ABIGAIL WILLIAMS, HAVOK, SOURVEIN
Candlelight artists ABIGAIL WILLIAMS are on the road now, as part of the Conquer & Curse Tour alongside Goatwhore, Abysmal Dawn and Daath. The tour, which began last week, has more than a month remaining. ABIGAIL WILLIAMS have been touring steadily for the past year in support of their 2008 full-length In The Shadow Of A Thousand Suns.
HAVOK will thrash it up in August with a mini-tour beginning in their hometown of Denver through the Southwest and up through California. The band's debut Burn is out now on Candlelight Records, receiving great response from the press. Much more news soon on this unit...
Southern sludge-mongers SOURVEIN have just announced a week of gigs late this month, hitting some East Coast and Midwest towns alongside Saviours. Candlelight released the limited edition Imperial Bastard EP last year, and plans for a new full-length are in the works...
All dates are posted below.
-----
THE CONQUER & CURE TOUR 2009
ABIGAIL WILLIAMS, GOATWHORE, ABYSMAL DAWN, DAATH
7/17/2009 Cheyenne Saloon - Las Vegas, NV
8/18/2009 Gator’s - Farmington, NM
7/19/2009 Larimer Lounge - Denver, CO
7/20/2009 Riot Room - Kansas City, MO
7/21/2009 The Muse - Nashville, TN
7/22/2009 Plan B - Danville, VA
7/23/2009 The Blender Theatre at Grammercy - New York, NY
7/24/2009 Jaxx - West Springfield, VA
7/25/2009 Webster Underground - Hartford, CT
7/26/2009 FouFounes - Montreal, QC
7/27/2009 Wreck Room - Toronto, ON
7/28/2009 Penny Arcade - Rochester, NY
7/29/2009 Peabody’s - Cleveland, OH
7/30/2009 Pearl Room - Mokena, IL
7/31/2009 Canopy Club - Urbana, IL
8/01/2009 Rave - Milwaukee, WI
8/02/2009 The Hub - Edelstein, IL
8/03/2009 Marquee - Tulsa, OK
8/04/2009 The Conservatory - Oklahoma City, OK
8/05/2009 Scout Bar - Houston, TX
8/06/2009 Scout Bar - San Antonio, TX
8/07/2009 Lola’s - Ft. Worth, TX
8/08/2009 Red 7 - Austin, TX
8/09/2009 The War Legion Underground - Amarillo, TX
8/10/2009 The Compound - Albuquerque, NM
8/11/2009 The Rock - Tucson, AZ
8/12/2009 U.B.’s Bar - Mesa, AZ
8/13/2009 Chain Reaction - Anaheim, CA
8/14/2009 Jerry's Pizza - Bakersfield, CA
8/15/2009 The Exit - Fresno, CA
8/16/2009 Modesto Virtual - Modesto, CA
8/17/2009 Moose Lodge - Rosamond, CA
8/18/2009 Tonic Lounge - Reno, NV
8/19/2009 Club Vegas - Salt Lake City, UT
8/20/2009 American Legion - Casper, WY
8/21/2009 Sheridan County Fairgrounds - Sheridan, WY
HAVOK
8/06/2009 3 Kings Tavern - Denver, CO w/Saviours
8/07/2009 The Compound - Albuquerque, NM w/ Dread, Tedbrudos, Vetalas
8/20/2009 The Bunkhouse - Las Vegas, NV (21+)
8/21/2009 UB’s Bar - Mesa, AZ w/ PinHed (members of Divine Heresy, Mushroomhead)
8/22/2009 Vaudeville - Tucson, AZ w/ The Besmirchers, Limbless Torso, Chainsaw Justice
8/24/2009 Music Trader - San Diego, CA (free show - record store) w/ Nihilist
8/25/2009 Royal Dive - Oceanside, CA (21+) w/ Nihilist
8/26/2009 Paroah’s Den - Riverside, CA w/ Witchaven, Nihilist, Kombat
8/27/2009 Pizza Factory - Modesto, CA w/ Witchaven, Nihilist, Kranial Damage
8/28/2009 Four Eighteen Projecct - Santa Cruz, CA w/ Witchaven, Nihilist
8/29/2009 Kennel Club - Sacramento, CA w/ Psychosomatic, Cheapskate
SOURVEIN
7/26/2009 Smiling Moose - Pittsburgh, PA w/ Saviours
7/29/2009 Union Pool - Brooklyn, NY w/ Saviours, Children
8/01/2009 Krug's Place - Frederick, MD w/ Ol' Skratch, Savious
8/02/2009 The Summit - Columbus, OH w/ Saviours
8/03/2009 Subterranean - Chicago, IL w/ Saviours
8/04/2009 Cactus Club - Milwaukee, IL w/ Saviours
http://www.myspace.com/abigailwilliams
http://www.myspace.com/havok
http://www.myspace.com/sourvein13
http://www.candlelightrecordsusa.com
http://www.myspae.com/candlelightrecordsusa
Candlelight artists ABIGAIL WILLIAMS are on the road now, as part of the Conquer & Curse Tour alongside Goatwhore, Abysmal Dawn and Daath. The tour, which began last week, has more than a month remaining. ABIGAIL WILLIAMS have been touring steadily for the past year in support of their 2008 full-length In The Shadow Of A Thousand Suns.
HAVOK will thrash it up in August with a mini-tour beginning in their hometown of Denver through the Southwest and up through California. The band's debut Burn is out now on Candlelight Records, receiving great response from the press. Much more news soon on this unit...
Southern sludge-mongers SOURVEIN have just announced a week of gigs late this month, hitting some East Coast and Midwest towns alongside Saviours. Candlelight released the limited edition Imperial Bastard EP last year, and plans for a new full-length are in the works...
All dates are posted below.
-----
THE CONQUER & CURE TOUR 2009
ABIGAIL WILLIAMS, GOATWHORE, ABYSMAL DAWN, DAATH
7/17/2009 Cheyenne Saloon - Las Vegas, NV
8/18/2009 Gator’s - Farmington, NM
7/19/2009 Larimer Lounge - Denver, CO
7/20/2009 Riot Room - Kansas City, MO
7/21/2009 The Muse - Nashville, TN
7/22/2009 Plan B - Danville, VA
7/23/2009 The Blender Theatre at Grammercy - New York, NY
7/24/2009 Jaxx - West Springfield, VA
7/25/2009 Webster Underground - Hartford, CT
7/26/2009 FouFounes - Montreal, QC
7/27/2009 Wreck Room - Toronto, ON
7/28/2009 Penny Arcade - Rochester, NY
7/29/2009 Peabody’s - Cleveland, OH
7/30/2009 Pearl Room - Mokena, IL
7/31/2009 Canopy Club - Urbana, IL
8/01/2009 Rave - Milwaukee, WI
8/02/2009 The Hub - Edelstein, IL
8/03/2009 Marquee - Tulsa, OK
8/04/2009 The Conservatory - Oklahoma City, OK
8/05/2009 Scout Bar - Houston, TX
8/06/2009 Scout Bar - San Antonio, TX
8/07/2009 Lola’s - Ft. Worth, TX
8/08/2009 Red 7 - Austin, TX
8/09/2009 The War Legion Underground - Amarillo, TX
8/10/2009 The Compound - Albuquerque, NM
8/11/2009 The Rock - Tucson, AZ
8/12/2009 U.B.’s Bar - Mesa, AZ
8/13/2009 Chain Reaction - Anaheim, CA
8/14/2009 Jerry's Pizza - Bakersfield, CA
8/15/2009 The Exit - Fresno, CA
8/16/2009 Modesto Virtual - Modesto, CA
8/17/2009 Moose Lodge - Rosamond, CA
8/18/2009 Tonic Lounge - Reno, NV
8/19/2009 Club Vegas - Salt Lake City, UT
8/20/2009 American Legion - Casper, WY
8/21/2009 Sheridan County Fairgrounds - Sheridan, WY
HAVOK
8/06/2009 3 Kings Tavern - Denver, CO w/Saviours
8/07/2009 The Compound - Albuquerque, NM w/ Dread, Tedbrudos, Vetalas
8/20/2009 The Bunkhouse - Las Vegas, NV (21+)
8/21/2009 UB’s Bar - Mesa, AZ w/ PinHed (members of Divine Heresy, Mushroomhead)
8/22/2009 Vaudeville - Tucson, AZ w/ The Besmirchers, Limbless Torso, Chainsaw Justice
8/24/2009 Music Trader - San Diego, CA (free show - record store) w/ Nihilist
8/25/2009 Royal Dive - Oceanside, CA (21+) w/ Nihilist
8/26/2009 Paroah’s Den - Riverside, CA w/ Witchaven, Nihilist, Kombat
8/27/2009 Pizza Factory - Modesto, CA w/ Witchaven, Nihilist, Kranial Damage
8/28/2009 Four Eighteen Projecct - Santa Cruz, CA w/ Witchaven, Nihilist
8/29/2009 Kennel Club - Sacramento, CA w/ Psychosomatic, Cheapskate
SOURVEIN
7/26/2009 Smiling Moose - Pittsburgh, PA w/ Saviours
7/29/2009 Union Pool - Brooklyn, NY w/ Saviours, Children
8/01/2009 Krug's Place - Frederick, MD w/ Ol' Skratch, Savious
8/02/2009 The Summit - Columbus, OH w/ Saviours
8/03/2009 Subterranean - Chicago, IL w/ Saviours
8/04/2009 Cactus Club - Milwaukee, IL w/ Saviours
http://www.myspace.com/abigailwilliams
http://www.myspace.com/havok
http://www.myspace.com/sourvein13
http://www.candlelightrecordsusa.com
http://www.myspae.com/candlelightrecordsusa
IN NOMINE SATHANAS.
Unearthly Evil Productions
U.S. black / death metal masters SATHANAS will be releasing the follow up to 2009’s Pagan Records release Nightrealm Apocalypse through Unearthly Evil Productions in the United States. Sathanas are currently seeking labels to partake in equal partnership in the international release and distribution of the album. Sathanas guitarist/vocalist Paul Tucker reports the release to be the bands most aggressive and best release to date. Sathanas are seeking labels from the following regions, Europe, Asia, and South America, with North America being handled by Sathanas and Unearthly Evil Productions.
For information contact Paul – sathanaspaul@hotmail.com or Ed – ed@unearthlyevil.com
www.sathanas.net / www.unearthlyevil.com
U.S. black / death metal masters SATHANAS will be releasing the follow up to 2009’s Pagan Records release Nightrealm Apocalypse through Unearthly Evil Productions in the United States. Sathanas are currently seeking labels to partake in equal partnership in the international release and distribution of the album. Sathanas guitarist/vocalist Paul Tucker reports the release to be the bands most aggressive and best release to date. Sathanas are seeking labels from the following regions, Europe, Asia, and South America, with North America being handled by Sathanas and Unearthly Evil Productions.
For information contact Paul – sathanaspaul@hotmail.com or Ed – ed@unearthlyevil.com
www.sathanas.net / www.unearthlyevil.com
Monday, July 13, 2009
MUNICIPAL WASTE OF SPACE
Tony from Municipal Waste
By Mike SOS
While catching up with thrash revivalist Municipal Waste's frontman and master of disaster Tony Fontana during the last day of their tour with Lamb of God, we talked about their trek, learned a lot about the Virginia quartet's soon to be released album MASSIVE AGGRESSIVE, and had a great time shooting the breeze about metal.
So talk a little bit about the tour, Lamb of God, man, how’s it’s going?
Well, we haven’t been home for almost seven and a half weeks. We went and mixed the album right at the beginning of the tour, so we’ve been on the road forever, but today’s the last day. Last night, we played Richmond, which is our home town and that was a really crazy show. The tour’s been great. The crowd’s been really receptive to us. The crowd actually goes crazier for the new stuff, so I guess that’s a good sign, just seeing people digging our new songs. We’ve been playing a couple new songs every night just so the crowd can get used to ‘em and it’s been cool...the response has been really good.
What’s the difference between the new stuff and the old stuff? How do you see people reacting different?
Well I hate to say it's more aggressive‘cause that’s the name of the album, but it is. It’s a little bit heavier and a little bit faster and it’s got parts that make people move around. It’s definitely got some circle pit anthems on there.
Talk a little bit about the recording process. What was easy and hard to do, who you worked with, etc.?
We worked with Zeuss, who did our last album, who's famous for all those other crazy bands that he’s done. He really was stressed about making the record sound good and he wanted to be-- everyone to be happy with it. He pushed each band member really hard to get the best performances out of us. He did a really good job man. We’re so proud of it, like, really proud of this record. It came out so good.
Any highlights, song titles, any funny stories from recording?
There’s a song that’s called “Upside Down Church.” It’s the ultimate evil song, ‘cause what’s more metal and evil than an upside down Church? Nothing. Yeah! So, “Upside Down Church" and “Shredded Offering"...those are the two that we’ve been playing on this tour and they're just heavier and quicker, faster, and pissed-ter!
How do you spend your downtime on the road?
Drinking has been quite the thing on this tour. But no, that’s not all we do. There’s a lot of people who think that. But on this tour it’s really just been trying to get to the next place because almost every day off we had, our van would fuck up or we’d have a van problem. It was crazy dude. We’ve been through five vans on this tour. We broke down in the middle of the mountains in Canada. And we had to rent a truck. We rode to the show in the back of a pickup truck. We pulled up to the Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto in a pickup truck. And we always say "Municipal Waste is gonna fuck you up". And so the Lamb of God dudes say, “Municipal Waste is in a pickup truck.” So yeah, that’s been crazy. Usually what we do on our down time is get our fucking van fixed and try to get to the next show. And it’s so weird ‘cause we don’t break down when we have a show. But when we have a day off it’ll fucking break down. So there’s our day off, in a rest area waiting for a tow truck.
I’m sure you guys have some crazy rest area stories, stuff you’ve seen across the country.
I stayed with Lamb of God. I rode in their bus one night. And I was in the crew bus, the crew-- you know, it’s like 15 dudes and we’re all sitting up in the bus, watching movies, drinking beer. And it was five in the morning and both buses stopped at this rest area. We all poured out and it looked like just a crew of drunk zombies walking around this rest area, like a truck stop. I was like, I feel bad for the people that work here. They must probably think all these scary metal zombies are wandering around the place.
That's fodder for a film or something!
I was looking at Randy (Lamb of God) and I was like, yeah, man everyone’s half asleep and everybody’s hair’s fucked up and it’s really funny.
Municipal Waste has always been talked about as being on the cusp of the thrash revival...talk about thrash metal in general and some of the new favorites you’ve seen and some of the old favorites you guys still keep close to your hearts.
I mean a lot of people say that we’re leading a revival or whatever. And I think that’s cool, it’s awesome that there’s bands out there doing that, you know? It’s crazy ‘cause when we started, that was it...there wasn’t anybody. We were playing it ‘cause we loved that type of music, you know? We were playing it in our basements and people’s living rooms and shit, and it’s crazy how over the past eight, almost nine years now, it's come back in full force. It’s cool to be a part of it, you know? It’s also cool, as far as being a part of it, to be able to tour with and meet bands that I used to idolize, like touring with Destruction and shit like that. It’s an honor. And I get to meet rad people all the time. And I think it’s really cool to hear that Scott Ian digs my band. Like I met Kerry King and he told me that he has the Waste in his iPod. I thought that was cool as shit, man. I love being a part of it. I love being a part of something that’s exciting and that people believe in and get behind. It’s exciting.
So for people that don’t know, why should someone come see a Municipal Waste show?
Why should people come to see us? I don’t know. I think we’re definitely a thrash band. But we have our own thing going on. We’re not trying to rip anybody off. We bring our own energy and we bring a good time. We have a fun show and we play ‘cause we love it and we have a good time up there, and I think the crowd feeds off that. You know? It’s a good time. Come out and chin up.
Any memorable shows you can tell us about? Anything that stands out in your mind?
There’s been so many shows. We toured with At The Gates. How many people can say they did that? You know, what a fucking honor. We played with shows with NOFX. We played with fucking Slayer. That rules, ‘cause we’re able to play with so many different kinds of bands. You know? So yeah, I love it, it’s just exciting. I get to see all these killer bands, that I would have to usually pay money to see. What makes us different is we don’t care about being rock stars. We’re just doing it ‘cause we like to have a good fucking time. And I mean even the people that used to be in our band are still good friends with us. I mean we did a reunion show with our first album's lineup playing the entire first album and nobody in the current band gave a fuck, you know? They’re just like, “Oh cool. I get to go see the Waste and I don’t have to play"...just cool like that. There’s no egos...we’re all just doing it ‘cause we love it. We’re having a good time. And I think that people that know our band know that about us.
What are you looking to do that you haven’t done before musically or career-wise or performance-wise with the new album?
Tour Japan. We’ve toured everywhere the world, and we’ve never done Japan. We’ve done Australia. We’ve done Iceland. We played fucking Puerto Rico. We’ve never been to Japan. It’s so weird. So that’s what I want to do damn it.
What are the touring plans for the immediate future?
We're gonna do Europe and the US tours with us headlining. We’re gonna bring out bands that we like. And we’re gonna-- then after that we’re gonna just start doing crazy shit like doing Brazil, Australia, Japan, do a proper Canada run ‘cause Canada was great on this tour.
Stemming from this experience with the Lamb of God guys, what kind of bill would you guys want to put together ultimately or what kind of bill do you guys dream of being on that you haven’t been on yet?
I want to tour with Motorhead and Slayer and Cannibal Corpse. I love Cannibal Corpse. And I think for everyone in our band, those are the three bands that we’re waiting for to call us. Go on and call us dudes. ‘Cause we love ‘em. And yeah, that’s a definite. What other dream tours? If Violence ever did a reunion, I would want to do that.
Who was probably your-- the most underrated thrash band you feel that never got the recognition they deserve?
I think Tankard is pretty underrated. I really liked that band and I don’t think a lot of people really know about them. You’d be surprised whenI tell people about Tankard and they’re like, “What?” I guess because they’re from Germany and the records are a bit harder to find. But I would say they’re pretty underrated. Like they weren’t even in that GET THRASHED movie that much, yet that was one of the first thrash bands I heard.
What initially got you into thrash metal?
I just liked the fact that it was punk. There’s a punk side to thrash, and I guess that was the gateway for me ‘cause I grew up listening to a lot of punk and hardcore and stuff like that. And then I started after hearing SOD and DRI and shit like that kind of opened the flood gates.
Do you still skateboard or have you retired?
I used to skateboard when I was kid, but I was actually more of a surfer. I lived in Florida. But yeah, I can’t do that anymore. I’m not good at all. I suck. I tried it not too long ago and it was miserable.
When you're not working in Municipal Waste isn’t on the road, what do you do back in Virginia?
Well, after getting back tomorrow, I’m leaving in a week to go on a bike trip. I ride bikes a lot. Me and four of my friends are riding our bikes from Richmond, Virginia to Philadelphia, which is pretty far. It’s gonna take seven days to do it. That’s what I do. I like to get out and just hang out with my friends. I love playing basketball and just meeting people, drinking, listening to records, going to hardcore shows. Shit like that man, I still love music so much, I go to shows almost every night when I’m in town, I’m home. When I’m not on tour and listening to bands, I’m at home watching bands or listening to records.
What’s the main thrust regarding the new album you want to really convey to everyone?
The thing that we want to convey most is that if they’re looking for another party album, go buy our last two records because we’re taking it a little bit further. We’re just trying to do something different, be a little bit more creative, and I think we actually did it. The people that have heard it say “Wow, you guys did it, you guys really made something different.” Instead of just doing another thrash record like everybody else, I think we kind of brought our own flavor to it and actually did something creative with the style of music.
Were you guys afraid of not being able to get out of the joke-metal genre and not really get taken seriously?
I don’t mind it. I mean I love having fun and I don’t give shit and if people don’t like that, then whatever. We’ll always joke around and we’ll be funny guys and do our thing. But with this record we just wanted to do something different. And yeah, you know, we’re just-- you know, it feels good to be creative. I don’t want to be a band that just relies on a gimmick. And I think our fans know that and they don’t want that. They want something different too. They want to get their asses stomped by metal.
So I guess it would be safe to say this new album is an ass stomping new direction for you guys?
Yeah, definitely. It’s ass stomping new direction.
By Mike SOS
While catching up with thrash revivalist Municipal Waste's frontman and master of disaster Tony Fontana during the last day of their tour with Lamb of God, we talked about their trek, learned a lot about the Virginia quartet's soon to be released album MASSIVE AGGRESSIVE, and had a great time shooting the breeze about metal.
So talk a little bit about the tour, Lamb of God, man, how’s it’s going?
Well, we haven’t been home for almost seven and a half weeks. We went and mixed the album right at the beginning of the tour, so we’ve been on the road forever, but today’s the last day. Last night, we played Richmond, which is our home town and that was a really crazy show. The tour’s been great. The crowd’s been really receptive to us. The crowd actually goes crazier for the new stuff, so I guess that’s a good sign, just seeing people digging our new songs. We’ve been playing a couple new songs every night just so the crowd can get used to ‘em and it’s been cool...the response has been really good.
What’s the difference between the new stuff and the old stuff? How do you see people reacting different?
Well I hate to say it's more aggressive‘cause that’s the name of the album, but it is. It’s a little bit heavier and a little bit faster and it’s got parts that make people move around. It’s definitely got some circle pit anthems on there.
Talk a little bit about the recording process. What was easy and hard to do, who you worked with, etc.?
We worked with Zeuss, who did our last album, who's famous for all those other crazy bands that he’s done. He really was stressed about making the record sound good and he wanted to be-- everyone to be happy with it. He pushed each band member really hard to get the best performances out of us. He did a really good job man. We’re so proud of it, like, really proud of this record. It came out so good.
Any highlights, song titles, any funny stories from recording?
There’s a song that’s called “Upside Down Church.” It’s the ultimate evil song, ‘cause what’s more metal and evil than an upside down Church? Nothing. Yeah! So, “Upside Down Church" and “Shredded Offering"...those are the two that we’ve been playing on this tour and they're just heavier and quicker, faster, and pissed-ter!
How do you spend your downtime on the road?
Drinking has been quite the thing on this tour. But no, that’s not all we do. There’s a lot of people who think that. But on this tour it’s really just been trying to get to the next place because almost every day off we had, our van would fuck up or we’d have a van problem. It was crazy dude. We’ve been through five vans on this tour. We broke down in the middle of the mountains in Canada. And we had to rent a truck. We rode to the show in the back of a pickup truck. We pulled up to the Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto in a pickup truck. And we always say "Municipal Waste is gonna fuck you up". And so the Lamb of God dudes say, “Municipal Waste is in a pickup truck.” So yeah, that’s been crazy. Usually what we do on our down time is get our fucking van fixed and try to get to the next show. And it’s so weird ‘cause we don’t break down when we have a show. But when we have a day off it’ll fucking break down. So there’s our day off, in a rest area waiting for a tow truck.
I’m sure you guys have some crazy rest area stories, stuff you’ve seen across the country.
I stayed with Lamb of God. I rode in their bus one night. And I was in the crew bus, the crew-- you know, it’s like 15 dudes and we’re all sitting up in the bus, watching movies, drinking beer. And it was five in the morning and both buses stopped at this rest area. We all poured out and it looked like just a crew of drunk zombies walking around this rest area, like a truck stop. I was like, I feel bad for the people that work here. They must probably think all these scary metal zombies are wandering around the place.
That's fodder for a film or something!
I was looking at Randy (Lamb of God) and I was like, yeah, man everyone’s half asleep and everybody’s hair’s fucked up and it’s really funny.
Municipal Waste has always been talked about as being on the cusp of the thrash revival...talk about thrash metal in general and some of the new favorites you’ve seen and some of the old favorites you guys still keep close to your hearts.
I mean a lot of people say that we’re leading a revival or whatever. And I think that’s cool, it’s awesome that there’s bands out there doing that, you know? It’s crazy ‘cause when we started, that was it...there wasn’t anybody. We were playing it ‘cause we loved that type of music, you know? We were playing it in our basements and people’s living rooms and shit, and it’s crazy how over the past eight, almost nine years now, it's come back in full force. It’s cool to be a part of it, you know? It’s also cool, as far as being a part of it, to be able to tour with and meet bands that I used to idolize, like touring with Destruction and shit like that. It’s an honor. And I get to meet rad people all the time. And I think it’s really cool to hear that Scott Ian digs my band. Like I met Kerry King and he told me that he has the Waste in his iPod. I thought that was cool as shit, man. I love being a part of it. I love being a part of something that’s exciting and that people believe in and get behind. It’s exciting.
So for people that don’t know, why should someone come see a Municipal Waste show?
Why should people come to see us? I don’t know. I think we’re definitely a thrash band. But we have our own thing going on. We’re not trying to rip anybody off. We bring our own energy and we bring a good time. We have a fun show and we play ‘cause we love it and we have a good time up there, and I think the crowd feeds off that. You know? It’s a good time. Come out and chin up.
Any memorable shows you can tell us about? Anything that stands out in your mind?
There’s been so many shows. We toured with At The Gates. How many people can say they did that? You know, what a fucking honor. We played with shows with NOFX. We played with fucking Slayer. That rules, ‘cause we’re able to play with so many different kinds of bands. You know? So yeah, I love it, it’s just exciting. I get to see all these killer bands, that I would have to usually pay money to see. What makes us different is we don’t care about being rock stars. We’re just doing it ‘cause we like to have a good fucking time. And I mean even the people that used to be in our band are still good friends with us. I mean we did a reunion show with our first album's lineup playing the entire first album and nobody in the current band gave a fuck, you know? They’re just like, “Oh cool. I get to go see the Waste and I don’t have to play"...just cool like that. There’s no egos...we’re all just doing it ‘cause we love it. We’re having a good time. And I think that people that know our band know that about us.
What are you looking to do that you haven’t done before musically or career-wise or performance-wise with the new album?
Tour Japan. We’ve toured everywhere the world, and we’ve never done Japan. We’ve done Australia. We’ve done Iceland. We played fucking Puerto Rico. We’ve never been to Japan. It’s so weird. So that’s what I want to do damn it.
What are the touring plans for the immediate future?
We're gonna do Europe and the US tours with us headlining. We’re gonna bring out bands that we like. And we’re gonna-- then after that we’re gonna just start doing crazy shit like doing Brazil, Australia, Japan, do a proper Canada run ‘cause Canada was great on this tour.
Stemming from this experience with the Lamb of God guys, what kind of bill would you guys want to put together ultimately or what kind of bill do you guys dream of being on that you haven’t been on yet?
I want to tour with Motorhead and Slayer and Cannibal Corpse. I love Cannibal Corpse. And I think for everyone in our band, those are the three bands that we’re waiting for to call us. Go on and call us dudes. ‘Cause we love ‘em. And yeah, that’s a definite. What other dream tours? If Violence ever did a reunion, I would want to do that.
Who was probably your-- the most underrated thrash band you feel that never got the recognition they deserve?
I think Tankard is pretty underrated. I really liked that band and I don’t think a lot of people really know about them. You’d be surprised whenI tell people about Tankard and they’re like, “What?” I guess because they’re from Germany and the records are a bit harder to find. But I would say they’re pretty underrated. Like they weren’t even in that GET THRASHED movie that much, yet that was one of the first thrash bands I heard.
What initially got you into thrash metal?
I just liked the fact that it was punk. There’s a punk side to thrash, and I guess that was the gateway for me ‘cause I grew up listening to a lot of punk and hardcore and stuff like that. And then I started after hearing SOD and DRI and shit like that kind of opened the flood gates.
Do you still skateboard or have you retired?
I used to skateboard when I was kid, but I was actually more of a surfer. I lived in Florida. But yeah, I can’t do that anymore. I’m not good at all. I suck. I tried it not too long ago and it was miserable.
When you're not working in Municipal Waste isn’t on the road, what do you do back in Virginia?
Well, after getting back tomorrow, I’m leaving in a week to go on a bike trip. I ride bikes a lot. Me and four of my friends are riding our bikes from Richmond, Virginia to Philadelphia, which is pretty far. It’s gonna take seven days to do it. That’s what I do. I like to get out and just hang out with my friends. I love playing basketball and just meeting people, drinking, listening to records, going to hardcore shows. Shit like that man, I still love music so much, I go to shows almost every night when I’m in town, I’m home. When I’m not on tour and listening to bands, I’m at home watching bands or listening to records.
What’s the main thrust regarding the new album you want to really convey to everyone?
The thing that we want to convey most is that if they’re looking for another party album, go buy our last two records because we’re taking it a little bit further. We’re just trying to do something different, be a little bit more creative, and I think we actually did it. The people that have heard it say “Wow, you guys did it, you guys really made something different.” Instead of just doing another thrash record like everybody else, I think we kind of brought our own flavor to it and actually did something creative with the style of music.
Were you guys afraid of not being able to get out of the joke-metal genre and not really get taken seriously?
I don’t mind it. I mean I love having fun and I don’t give shit and if people don’t like that, then whatever. We’ll always joke around and we’ll be funny guys and do our thing. But with this record we just wanted to do something different. And yeah, you know, we’re just-- you know, it feels good to be creative. I don’t want to be a band that just relies on a gimmick. And I think our fans know that and they don’t want that. They want something different too. They want to get their asses stomped by metal.
So I guess it would be safe to say this new album is an ass stomping new direction for you guys?
Yeah, definitely. It’s ass stomping new direction.
MIKE S.O.S IS GOD!
OLDE YORK
EMPIRE STATE
COUNTDOWN
Maintaining the classic NYHC sound and a no frills DIY mindset from the days of yore, Olde York comes barreling down the lane with an authentic 12-track tour de force entitled EMPIRE STATE. Embodying the spirit of hardcore’s CBGB Sunday matinee glory days while skillfully blending the styles of acts such as Cro Mags, Warzone, Sick of It All and Leeway (whose singer Eddie Sutton makes a cameo here) into one big gang chorus pile-on, this Big Apple quartet makes no bones about their roots or their allegiance to the underground by pumping out anthemic pit pleasers like “Five Year Plan” and “Still Believe”. Think hardcore died after CB’s shut its doors? Olde York will make you think twice. www.countdownrecords.com -Mike SOS
CANDLEMASS
DEATH MAGIC DOOM
NUCLEAR BLAST
Swedish doom metal pioneers Candlemass return with a refined sense of confidence with their latest offering, the eight-track DEATH MAGIC DOOM. Comfortably settling into yet another round of changes (most notably on the vocals), Leif Edling and company showcase that they are still able to conjure feelings of dread and despair straight from the Black Sabbath playbook (“Hammer of Doom”) with grace and respect but not without interspersing their own bells and whistles (as well as some kick ass solos) into the mix. This veteran unit maintains mid-paced mauling tempos for the most part, yet at times opt for the upbeat with success (“Dead Angel”) while the powerful tandem of killer vocals and memorable riffs propel tracks like “House of 1000 Voices” into the upper echelon of the slow, deep, and hard. Candlemass snaps back into fine form on their latest affair, exhibiting an unforeseen energy that boldly pushes their brand of doom metal into exhilarating new worlds. www.nuclearblastusa.com -Mike SOS
EMPIRE OF DUST
PROMO 2008
SELF-RELEASED
Modern metal mayhem comes courtesy of NYC’s Empire of Dust, whose four-song sampler displays a unit who sharpened its teeth on a steady stream of Slayer riffs and Swedish thrash with a discernible New York death metal influence. Logistically laying down a genuine sense of brutality in between setting off an array of pummeling grooves a la Lamb of God at their most seething (“2”), this band, which boasts ex-members of NYHC fixture Indecision as well as Entorturement, steamrolls over the opposition with a healthy dosage of metallic melody for the heavier-minded. www.myspace.com/empireofdust -Mike SOS
THE HUMAN QUENA ORCHESTRA
THE POLITICS OF THE IRREDEEMABLE
CRUCIAL BLAST
Patience is required to properly experience the latest offering from The Human Quena Orchestra, as this Bay Area drone duo upkeep a sordid and suspenseful atmosphere throughout the duration of THE POLITICS OF THE IRREDEEMABLE. Immersed in dark waves and dissonant swirls of industrial feedback, this six-track excursion’s calculated slow-crawl accentuates an overall foreboding tone, intensified when scattershot screams of terror and dread rise from the abyss. Yielding a vacuous apocalyptic din, this tandem successfully serve up a sluggish soundtrack to the final days of mankind. www.crucialblast.net -Mike SOS
EAST FOREST
THE EDUCATION OF THE INDIVIDUAL SOUL
AQUILO
East Forest is NYC by way of Pacific Northwest entity that provides a unique musical endeavor that melds field-recorded nature sounds, pulsating New Age beats, and meditative piano into its framework of THE EDUCATION OF THE INDIVIDUAL SOUL. Bolstered with a picturesque soundscape whose airy ivory tinklings and puffy bass lines radiate relaxing hues of transcendental light, this one-man project concocts an ambitious journey into the fragile human psyche, thwarting modern life’s static with a translucent barrage of calming music exposing the duality of the human existence. www.eastforest.org -Mike SOS
IGNOMINIOUS INCARCERATION
OF WINTER BORN
EARACHE
UK death metal mavens Ignominious Incarceration’s truncated technical torrents of dastardly death metal is bound to garner the quintet the well-deserved attention and accolades from those who appreciate bands who exercise the difficult task of balancing ferocity and brevity. Manning a full-on ambush with all of the expected death metal tactics and weaponry in tow, the path this neophytic unit follows seems a bit too well tread on the surface, but upon closer inspection this squad manages to expertly compose elements of old school devastation and beatdown deathcore together to coexist in utter disharmony (“In The Face of Absolution”), working in symbiosis in fighting the same battle to destroy at all costs. Explosive yet refined for such a young act, if you've ever pined for a cross between the brain-rattling dynamics of Suffocation and the warmongering malice of Amon Amarth (“Of Winter Born”, “Elusion of Mortality”), this band delivers. www.earache.com -Mike SOS
BLINDING EYE DOG
PROLOGUE
SELF-RELEASED
Maryland quintet Blinding Eye Dog exhibit a boisterous brand of punk on the troupe’s 18-track offering PROLOGUE. Fueled with an irreverent sense of humor (“Super Action Monster Man”, “Duck Duck Goose (In A)”) that matches the lo-fi high energy vibes (“Assassin”) and pervasive beer-swilling devil may care street punk attitude on cuts such as “Barbara” and “The Line”, this freewheeling act makes it pretty apparent that it doesn't take itself too seriously yet still pumps out a raucous strain of reckless rock (“Shame”). Definitely sounding best after a couple of pints while some of your more mischievous friends plot the ensuing evening’s shenanigans, Blinding Eye Dog reinforce the simple yet effective piss and vinegar punk rock straight from the back alley. www.myspace.com/blindingeyedog -Mike SOS
THINNING THE HERD
DEVIL MASK
SELF-RELEASED
Scraping the seedy underbelly of the Big Apple with enormous rock riffs,NYC trio Thinning the Herd return with another batch of stonerriffic hard rock chock full of grit and substance on the five-track DEVIL MASK. Bridging the gap between the heavier side of grunge and the groovier side of metal, tracks like “Kitchen Sink” summon a ‘90s power rock vibe kind of like Monster Magnet meeting up with Soundgarden while “Uninformed” strikes with the subtlety of a punch square in the gut and “Simple Job” rocks like the best song your favorite Swedish stoner rock band never wrote. If you enjoy in your face music with an exhilarating rock ‘n roll aura, Thinning the Herd is a bonafide choice for a hellacious good time. www.myspace.com/castrosbeard -Mike SOS
VANMAKT
AD LUCIFERI REGNUM
PULVERISED
Far from reinventing the wheel yet capable to drum up some scare with their competent yet common strand of evil blackened metal, nefarious Swedish troupe Vanmakt blast their way through nine-tracks of misanthropic misery on AD LUCIFERI REGNUM. Dispersing a maelstrom of tremolo-picked madness (“Reincarnation Hatred”, “The Ascension”), this band employs a large sum of tried and troo genre tactics and nuances to hammer its menacing message through unsuspecting skulls, yet it should be noted that if you already pledge allegiance to the most sadistic from the Nordic states, there’s nothing here you haven't experienced before. Nonetheless, Vanmakt does an acceptable job of conjuring the spirits of the underworld and should appeal to those who like a mix of symphonic death metal with a bit more bite. www.pulverised.net -Mike SOS
VARIOUS ARTISTS
DOOM (TRANSITIVE VERB)
SELF-RELEASED
A triple slab o’ doom oozes from your speakers courtesy of a three-way split disc from a caustic mix of bands rising up from the recesses of the deep sure to give little children nightmares and keep neighborhoods on lockdown. Up first is Evoken, a veteran New Jersey funeral doom troupe whose chilling offering “In Solitary Ruin” masterfully sets the bleak tone for this collection with a firm handle on down tempo despair. Oak take the reigns next with an understated touch of death metal sprouting up in between the detached devastating riffs heard on “Gates Are Open”. Rounding out the triad of tragic triad, Black Roller Crop Rotation takes the affair to a whole new level of grim thanks to “Prayers From the Rotten Soil”, featuring a bevy of experimental leanings forming a cacophony of undistinguishable vocal squeals, jet-propeller-esque swirls of dissonance, and hypnotic industrial noise. You've been warned. www.myspace.com/oakdoom -Mike SOS
CELAN
HALO
EXILE ON MAINSTREAM
Celan is a noise rock supergroup of sorts, featuring musicians from flu.ID, Unsane, Oxbow, and Einsturzende Neubauten collaborating to form a massive musical force which defies convention yet keeps an hand on the aggression throttle. This collective’s debut offering HALO melds acerbic abrasive noise rock, atmospheric ambience, bluesy melancholy, and clobbering hardcore into 11 engaging tracks custom made for those who demand post-hardcore explorations to plow deeper. With Chris Spencer’s trademark belligerent bark leading the charge, tracks like “All This and Everything” pack a familiar yet ferocious wallop while a judicial keyboard presence float in and out, allowing for an unpredictable array of shapeshifting moods to proliferate (“One Minute”, “Sinking”, “Washing Machine”). Ambitious without alienating its built-in audience, Celan boldly goes into new lands with all of the member’s strengths on full blast. www.mainstreamrecords.de -Mike SOS
IMPIETY
TERROREIGN
AGONIA
As brutal as a Singapore cane shot to the skull, Impiety does their homeland proud once again with another blistering blackened thrash release entitled TERROREIGN. Laden with a diabolical attitude which assists the impending decent into hell (“As Judea Burns”), this 10-track sojourn into the chasm of evil melds crass old school death metal ideologies a la Hellhammer and Morbid Angel with a genuine sense of hatred fueling the apocalyptic one-two vocal assault and divebomb friendly guitar combination (“Bestial to the Bone”). Maintaining a frantic pace throughout while summoning the minions of the underworld to rise and fight the light to the death (“Goatfather”), Impiety’s caustic delivery and over the top metal wares catapult this veteran unit back to the head of extreme metal’s most sadistic acts. www.agoniarecords.com -Mike SOS
SLOUGH FEG
APE UPRISING!
CRUZ DEL SUR
Veteran underground traditional metal outfit Slough Feg have been known to walk a bit on the wild side throughout the course of their twenty plus year proto-metal existence and this unit’s latest release bares no exception. Interspersing the squad’s patented eccentricities with a confident swagger straight out of 1978 for all to see, the triumphant and tumultuous eight-track endeavor APE UPRISING takes it back to a time when metal was still in its gestation stage, slugging it out with punk rock rebellion and glam rock excess. Customarily springing from an impenetrable foundation of Sabbath, Maiden, and Thin Lizzy, Slough Feg have comprised a sci-fi concept album based around a simian overtaking of the world to a pulsating old school metal soundtrack laden with the sort of killer vintage tones and stellar musicianship that marvelously melds the dazzling twin guitar and pounding rhythmic wares of UFO, Judas Priest, and other luminaries from the seminal NWOBHM days. Slough Feg’s most recent disc renders a durable and dependable lesson in metal with a smorgasbord of exhilarating twists and turns along the way. www.cruzdelsurmusic.com -Mike SOS
BURIAL HORDES
DEVOTION TO UNHOLY CREED
PULVERISED
Greek black metal merchants Burial Hordes employ the primitive approach on their evil eight track sojourn into the abyss titled DEVOTION TO UNHOLY CREED. Armed with raw production values for an authentic black metal in the basement feel (“Hellborn”), a slew of skewered guitar riffs that range from jarring to muddy, and an unearthly vocal presence that sounds as if it crawled out of the catacombs, tracks like “Infernal Necromancers” beguiles diabolical urges to come to fruition while “God’s Cutthroat” and “Abysmal Goatfeast” carry an impact to stand on their own, yet are forebodingly sandwiched in between a disturbing chant whose ominous tone solidifies each track’s morbid sense of dread and despair. Sinister and sinewy with a vicious bark and venomous bite, Burial Hordes have unleashed a vitriolic album that gives praise to its predecessors while unrepentantly damning the rest of society. www.pulverised.net Mike SOS
OCEANO
DEPTHS
EARACHE
Chicago-bred quintet Oceano stake a claim of being the most pissed-off band on the planet, and if you could decipher the cavernous musings of vocalist Adam Warren and what he was screaming and growling about, they may be right, as the viscous racket adorning cuts like the slow-churned "Disgust for Your Kind" and the frantic fury of "District of Misery" do work as evidence for a lively debate. Make no mistake, the vocals (despite hard to comprehend) are a strongpoint, solidifying this outfit's abrasive viciousness with a twist to rival peers like Emmure, Misery Signals, and All Shall Perish for the new heavy crown. The 13-track debut DEPTHS firmly stands its ground with a batch of rote yet bombastic low-end grooves, keeping things both excruciatingly bottom-heavy and brutal, yet resonate with an all too standard delivery within the deathcore paradigm. Luckily, Oceano picks up momentum as the album rolls along, managing to venture a bit off the threadbare path of palm-muted breakdown bliss in key spots to implement nuances such as symphonic black metal texture and crisp solos, yet ultimately fall flat in relying on prototypical old hat genre maneuvers that undoubtedly score big in a moshpit of dayglow shirts and bad haircuts yet yield overwrought results on disc. www.earache.com -Mike SOS
DEVILS WHOREHOUSE
BLOOD & ASHES
REGAIN
Devils Whorehouse unashamedly mimic virtually every significant nuance from the Danzig playbook, starting with the rebel punk of The Misfits, bridging into the experimental discord of Samhain before culminating with a hybrid of the multitude of sounds from Glenn's eponymous offerings through the years, so if you're looking for something original, you've been warned. If you want to hear worship and tribute done to perfection (by a band who were once a Misfits/Samahain cover band no less) however, this Swedish squad's admirable affection of the works of the Evil Elvis is spot-on, covering all eras faithfully while producing an uncanny vocal likeness that this lot (featuring members of Marduk) nail down with howling furies intact. In fairness, this crew conveys a bit more than blind Danzig homages, as their admirable death 'n roll packs a wallop here as well, but BLOOD & ASHES' most glaring point of reference precariously sits as its biggest strength and crippling weakness. www.regainrecords.com -Mike SOS
MOTHRA
DYES
SELFMADEGOD
Polish metalcore quartet Mothra present a succinct seven-track excursion on DYES. This offering blends a potpourri of extreme styles together to form a math-y, sludgy monster that channels death metal aggression and hardcore abrasiveness with hints of grindcore madness ("Squant") and dastardly dissonance for an extra bite ("Hooloovoo"). Creating a sonic atmosphere where brevity and brutality go hand in hand, this unit fuses a slew of off-kilter elements from all corners of the extreme metal paradigm forming a brash offshoot of band reminiscent of the likes of Poison the Well, Entombed, Gojira, and Botch, making this act essential for those who champion a heavy hybrid spirit. www.selfmadegod.com -Mike SOS
DESTROY DESTROY DESTROY
BATTLE SLUTS
BLACKMARKET ACTIVITIES
Destroy Destroy Destroy's sophomore effort showcases a multi-faceted metal attack that blends Viking metal might and symphonic black metal grandiosity with a perpetual classic metal vibe running throughout this unit's 12-track affair entitled BATTLE SLUTS. Meshing the styles of 3 Inches of Blood, Manowar, and Children of Bodom within the confines of a war-torn battlefield, this battle-hungry sextet bash out a histrionic blast of fantasy metal that goes perfect with a pair of 12-sided dice and a stack of Conan the Barbarian novels ("Agents of Hypocrisy"). Borrowing a chunk of their style from the epic and power metal fields (especially referenced via the atmospheric keyboard presence permeated throughout) while slaying with a convincing twin guitar battering ("Born of Thunder", "The Wretched Forrest"), those who enjoy metal with a medieval twist will have little problem tuning into this band of warrior's theatrical offering. www.blackmarketactivities.com -Mike SOS
ENSOPH
REX MUNDI X-IIE
CRUZ DEL SUR
Industrial Italian act Ensoph create a chaotic cybermetal experience on the 12-track REX MUNDI X-IIE, setting their apocalyptic visions to a frenetic soundtrack that chillingly juxtaposes harsh electronic noises, Gothic overtones and metallic aggression ("Shame on You!"). Tracks like "Dance High and Shine, Shiva!" shares as much in common with the eeriness of Marilyn Manson as it does the synthetic throb of KMFDM, while "Thir(s)ty Pieces of Silver" sounds like a Dream Theater track defiantly trapped in a Tron-like maze. Championing a futuristic tone chock full of Front Line Assembly-esque mechanical madness leading the charge, this sinister shapeshifting unit's presentation is far from fresh yet it yields enough intriguing moments (their cover of "Would" by Alice in Chains in particular) to keep the middling PVC-donned EBM and darkwave contingent content. www.cruzdelsurmusic.com -Mike SOS
ORCUSTUS
ORCUSTUS
SOUTHERN LORD
An authentic blast of malefic black metal arrives from the depths of depravity courtesy of Norwegian troupe Orcustus, whose eponymous full-length debut comes some seven years after this troupe's initial introduction. Serving a barrage of vintage buzzsaw riffs ("Jesus Christ Patricide") and hellacious vocal rasps that wouldn't sound out of place from lauded black metal affairs of yesteryear ("Of Sophistry, Obsession, and Paranoia"), this unit (who can't seem to keep a lineup intact) project grim ideals direct from the bowels of the abyss. Featuring ex-members of groundbreaking outfits Gorgoroth and Enslaved, this squad's display of volatility and viciousness renders a bleak and raw old school assault ("Conversion"), conjuring an ominous sense of hatred and dread with every drum blast and bombastic bass reverberation ("Death and Dissolution"). Perfect for those who flock to the darkness, Orcustus has made a simple yet effective album cloaked in chaos and evil to the bone. www.southernlord.com -Mike SOS
ARISE
THE RECKONING
REGAIN
Swedish death thrash outfit Arise provide 10-tracks of straight from the textbook Gothenburg-style metal on THE RECKONING. Despite this nimble quintet far from groundbreaking delivery, the spot-on fury ("No Memory of Light") and enormous arsenal of breakneck riffs and melodic breaks they employ are cleverly composed with a well-proportioned mix of familiar twists and meat and potatoes mashings which effortlessly fuses The Haunted and In Flames ("End of Days"). Exhibiting metalcore sensibilities with a reverence for the genre's pioneers in mind, the latest from Arise is a solid and satisfying affair whose unwavering by the numbers approach rings out with sinister sincerity. www.regainrecords.com -Mike SOS
DECEIVER
THRASHING HEAVY METAL
PULVERISED
There's nothing deceptive regarding the 10-track lean and mean high-grade meets lo fi old school assault Sweden's Deceiver lays on the ears, as this trio's tumultuous din captures the darker nuances of the golden age of thrash without sounding rehashed or forced. Whether it be the tortured vocals and primitive skin bashing tandem heard on "Dead to the World" and "Machinery of God" or the grimly grandiose feel emanating from "Graveyard Lover" and the instrumental "Legacy", even though THRASHING HEAVY METAL yields a strange sensation that you've heard this all before if you own a Priest, Entombed, or Mercyful Fate album or two, this squad's inspired interpretations rise above usual reference points to provide an enjoyable travel back through time. Tacking on a vicious streak laden in vitriolic vehemence, this unit's display of vintage metal will get the job done for fans of the rawer side of extreme metal's first wave. www.pulverised.net -Mike SOS
LANDING PROJECT
HERE GOES EVERYTHING
SELF-RELEASED
NYC poppy punk rock troupe Landing Project return with HERE GOES EVERYTHING, a solid seven-track excursion that exhibits the unit's versatile array of angsty anthems bursting with melody ("Yea, Exactly"). Taking cues from acts like Against Me, this quartet writes hook-laden tunes sizzling with barbed lyrical bite, opting to sing about more personal topics instead of social messages ("Turn Up Your Stereo"). Tapping into the sound of punk rock's bare essentials with a flair for dramatics ("Butterscotch"), Landing Project inject their simple yet effective approach with an honest heaping of soul, giving the slightly undercooked production with punchy delivery a raw emotional rush that copiously spills from the speakers. www.myspace.com/landingproject -Mike SOS
ENDSTILLE
VERFUHRER
REGAIN
Warmongering German black metal squad Endstille attack once again with VERFUHRER, a scathing and abrasive nine-track affair. Incessantly blasting your skull with pounding percussion and decaying your ears with blood-curdling vocal rasps, this maliciously militant outfit doles out diabolical doses of mid-paced malevolence ("Symptoms") whose razor sharp buzzsaw guitars cut to the bone ("Depressive/ Abstract/ Banished/ Despised"). Assuredly exhibiting a keen sense of dynamics by implementing slower waves of intensity to its arsenal ("Endstille") while maintaining the band's trademark penchant for administering skull-crushing barrages of monolithic crust-laden fury ("Hate Me...God?"), Endstille 's blackhearted single-minded approach conveys intense waves of blast beated and tremolo picked madness with just the right touches of innovation to shape this release's belligerent battlefield aura. www.regainrecords.com -Mike SOS
CAULDRON
CHAINED TO THE NITE
EARACHE
Canadian metal trio Cauldron provide a traditional slab of metal that conjures up a slew of intertwined influences on the nine-track CHAINED TO THE NITE. From the album's Spinal Tap-esque artwork depicting a naked woman bound in chains to the unit's darkened blend of 80's melodic metal and NWOBHM, Cauldron's points of reference are prickly and don't always gel well together, resulting in quite a few instances of clunky cheekiness whose waning flashes of power quickly fizzle out before they can attain any sense of momentum. While displaying moments of promise ("Midnite Hour"), this release takes a while to warm up to, ultimately rendering a confusing listening experience that radiates with an oddball sense of familiarity that keeps only the most ardent of metal purists intrigued. www.earache.com -Mike SOS
SAMAEL
ABOVE
NUCLEAR BLAST
Decisively leaning towards the black metal roots of their early endeavors, Swiss metal veterans Samael return with a pummeling 11-track offering entitled ABOVE. Toning down the industrial elements commandeering the band's more recent discs (although a protruding electronic drum trigger is seamlessly inescapable) while amping up the vitriolic black metal velocity to previously unheard levels ("God Snake", "Virtual War"), Samael's brazen assault is adorned with layers of symphonic keyboards and bludgeoning tremolo guitars ("Illumination") fortifying a listening experience laden in scorn. Realizing their sojourn back to the glories of their early days while carrying over a handful of the strongest nuances from their latter-day releases for a modern twist on old themes ("On the Top of it All"), by manipulating metal's darker side and embracing their past, Samael snaps back to a furious form that leads the quartet back into the depths of the abyss. www.nuclearblastusa.com -Mike SOS
EPHEL DUATH
THROUGH MY DOG'S EYES
EARACHE
Experimental Italian outfit Ephel Duath are renowned for developing collections of distinct metallic left turns, but this time this now-reduced down to a trio readily take on a different yet equally daunting task of conveying a canine's perspective of the world to music on their latest disc THROUGH MY DOG'S EYES. This ambitious nine-track excursion is chock full of dizzying riffs that part the seas between noisy jazz and avant garde metal ("Guardian") woven into a barrage of non-linear compositions stockpiled with heady interludes and juggernaut vocals ("Bella Morte") set to a warped array of odd-time signatures ("Bark Loud") . Despite the album's preposterous premise, Ephel Duath manage to keep the subject matter blunt and concise. turning out an provocative batch of progressive metal in the process. Challenging to novices, Ephel Duath continue to carve their own unique marks into the metal tree of life. www.earache.com -Mike SOS
PRONG
POWER OF THE DAMN MIXXXER
13TH PLANET
Tommy Victor turned the original mixes from Prong's latest disc POWER OF THE DAMAGER over to some of his technically-advanced musician friends to remix and POWER OF THE DAMN MIXXXER is the end result. This 13-track endeavor showcases the behind the boards prowess of metal peeps such as Jon Clayton (Pitchshifter) and Greg Puciato (Dillinger Escape Plan) whose cosmetic cleansings and synthesized twiddlings give tracks like "The Banishment" (a song covered by two different mixes here) a throbbing makeover that pulsates with a bastardized concoction of industrial metal heft and electronic bounce ("Changing Ending Troublng Times"). Providing a ton of opportunities to take the rage to the dance floor ("Looking for Them") while laying a virtual perfect soundtrack down to a dark and futuristic action-adventure flick, Prong's latest is not only is a show of respect from the artists who contributed their own spin to Prong's genuine rawness but supplies a great deal of industrial strength metal to take the party into the morning light. www.prongmusic.com -Mike SOS
I SEE STARS
3-D
SUMERIAN
Young Michigan troupe I See Stars have melded elements of modern hardcore and screamo with electronica on their debut 3-D to create a catchy but disheveled 11-track affair. Haphazardly cut and pasting modern dance synths into power punk rock songs, this quintet's ready for Warped Tour juxtaposition of styles comes off forced and even clumsy at times (especially during the heavier moments) yet renders momentary flashes of triumph when the vocoder-enhanced vocals meeting chugging choruses that alt rock radio crave come a knockin' ("3D", "The Big Bad Wolf"). Throw in a cameo from one of the rappers from Bones Thugs N Harmony and instant street cred gets applied, yet this troupe's tepid attempt to get to the top of the Hot Topic list falls flat, especially when redundant breakdown parts from screechy melodies rears its worn head. www.sumerianrecords.com -Mike SOS
CRESCENT SHIELD
THE STARS OF NEVER SEEN
CRUZ DEL SUR
California power metal unit Crescent Shield display a gallant galloping metal assault on their latest nine-track disc THE STARS OF NEVER SEEN. Championing a traditional metal style bursting with steel-plated melodies, this quartet's histrionic choruses are contagious ("Temple of the Empty"), rivaling those at the top of the power metal mountain ("The Bellman", "10,00 Midnights Ago") while the rampant guitar and soaring vocal combination elicits a much-warranted delight for headbangers of all ages to embrace ("The Grand Horizon"). This troupe exhibit the versatility to both shred and alter mood, shifting focus between rousing metal and pensive moments of reflection for a well-rounded all killer no filler feel. Seamlessly meshing the best of Blind Guardian, Iced Earth, and Queensryche while contorting elements from metal's pioneers such as Dio and Maiden, Crescent Shield's formidable flurry of aggression is fortified with an articulate attention to detail which ties their thunderous heavy metal roar with a supple dash of passion. www.cruzdelsurmusic.com -Mike SOS
EBENEZER
A TRIUMPH OF COLOSSAL ACHIEVEMENTS
SELF-RELEASED
Taking the DIY hands-on approach with their music to the extreme, Pennsylvania instrumental duo Ebenezer provide a well-measured blend of style and substance on their six-track offering A TRIUMPH OF COLOSSAL ACHIEVEMENTS. Besides teaming jaw-dropping flashes of virtuoso percussion and fretwork with a wise beyond their years sense of composition that channels everyone from Maiden to The Fucking Champs ("Warlock Owl"), this tandem's release comes inside of a hand-sewn fabric case, rendering an exquisite hearftfelt vibe that most run of the mill locals just can't match up to. If you have a hankering for vocal-less music with an eye opening showcase of balls and bite, look no further than Ebenezer's latest affair. www.myspace.com/epicebenezer -Mike SOS
THE BAKERTON GROUP
EL ROJO
WEATHERMAKER
Bonafide 21st Century bluesmen The Bakerton Group unleash their second experimental musical adventure the 10-track offering EL ROJO. Yielding a galactic listening experience chock full of heady jams and wicked instrumental breaks, this alter ego outfit of alt metal kingpins Clutch (with vocalist Neil Fallon trading in cunning lyrics and clever vocal deliveries for rhythm guitar) perfectly displays the sound of world class musicians collectively digging deeper, unearthing a smorgasbord of styles that implementing dub rock ("Work 'Em"), funk ("Chancellor"), and freewheeling jazz rock laden with '70s keyboard explosions (thanks to Opeth's Per Wiberg ), and alto sax flourishes. Taking their main band's patented left of center approach off to uncharted territory, The Bakerton Group's odyssey is undeniably constructed from Clutch's impenetrable foundation, yet EL ROJO independently stands as a next level triptastic delight for fans of groovy improvisational rock to imbibe and enjoy. www.weathermakerrecords.com -Mike SOS
EMPIRE STATE
COUNTDOWN
Maintaining the classic NYHC sound and a no frills DIY mindset from the days of yore, Olde York comes barreling down the lane with an authentic 12-track tour de force entitled EMPIRE STATE. Embodying the spirit of hardcore’s CBGB Sunday matinee glory days while skillfully blending the styles of acts such as Cro Mags, Warzone, Sick of It All and Leeway (whose singer Eddie Sutton makes a cameo here) into one big gang chorus pile-on, this Big Apple quartet makes no bones about their roots or their allegiance to the underground by pumping out anthemic pit pleasers like “Five Year Plan” and “Still Believe”. Think hardcore died after CB’s shut its doors? Olde York will make you think twice. www.countdownrecords.com -Mike SOS
CANDLEMASS
DEATH MAGIC DOOM
NUCLEAR BLAST
Swedish doom metal pioneers Candlemass return with a refined sense of confidence with their latest offering, the eight-track DEATH MAGIC DOOM. Comfortably settling into yet another round of changes (most notably on the vocals), Leif Edling and company showcase that they are still able to conjure feelings of dread and despair straight from the Black Sabbath playbook (“Hammer of Doom”) with grace and respect but not without interspersing their own bells and whistles (as well as some kick ass solos) into the mix. This veteran unit maintains mid-paced mauling tempos for the most part, yet at times opt for the upbeat with success (“Dead Angel”) while the powerful tandem of killer vocals and memorable riffs propel tracks like “House of 1000 Voices” into the upper echelon of the slow, deep, and hard. Candlemass snaps back into fine form on their latest affair, exhibiting an unforeseen energy that boldly pushes their brand of doom metal into exhilarating new worlds. www.nuclearblastusa.com -Mike SOS
EMPIRE OF DUST
PROMO 2008
SELF-RELEASED
Modern metal mayhem comes courtesy of NYC’s Empire of Dust, whose four-song sampler displays a unit who sharpened its teeth on a steady stream of Slayer riffs and Swedish thrash with a discernible New York death metal influence. Logistically laying down a genuine sense of brutality in between setting off an array of pummeling grooves a la Lamb of God at their most seething (“2”), this band, which boasts ex-members of NYHC fixture Indecision as well as Entorturement, steamrolls over the opposition with a healthy dosage of metallic melody for the heavier-minded. www.myspace.com/empireofdust -Mike SOS
THE HUMAN QUENA ORCHESTRA
THE POLITICS OF THE IRREDEEMABLE
CRUCIAL BLAST
Patience is required to properly experience the latest offering from The Human Quena Orchestra, as this Bay Area drone duo upkeep a sordid and suspenseful atmosphere throughout the duration of THE POLITICS OF THE IRREDEEMABLE. Immersed in dark waves and dissonant swirls of industrial feedback, this six-track excursion’s calculated slow-crawl accentuates an overall foreboding tone, intensified when scattershot screams of terror and dread rise from the abyss. Yielding a vacuous apocalyptic din, this tandem successfully serve up a sluggish soundtrack to the final days of mankind. www.crucialblast.net -Mike SOS
EAST FOREST
THE EDUCATION OF THE INDIVIDUAL SOUL
AQUILO
East Forest is NYC by way of Pacific Northwest entity that provides a unique musical endeavor that melds field-recorded nature sounds, pulsating New Age beats, and meditative piano into its framework of THE EDUCATION OF THE INDIVIDUAL SOUL. Bolstered with a picturesque soundscape whose airy ivory tinklings and puffy bass lines radiate relaxing hues of transcendental light, this one-man project concocts an ambitious journey into the fragile human psyche, thwarting modern life’s static with a translucent barrage of calming music exposing the duality of the human existence. www.eastforest.org -Mike SOS
IGNOMINIOUS INCARCERATION
OF WINTER BORN
EARACHE
UK death metal mavens Ignominious Incarceration’s truncated technical torrents of dastardly death metal is bound to garner the quintet the well-deserved attention and accolades from those who appreciate bands who exercise the difficult task of balancing ferocity and brevity. Manning a full-on ambush with all of the expected death metal tactics and weaponry in tow, the path this neophytic unit follows seems a bit too well tread on the surface, but upon closer inspection this squad manages to expertly compose elements of old school devastation and beatdown deathcore together to coexist in utter disharmony (“In The Face of Absolution”), working in symbiosis in fighting the same battle to destroy at all costs. Explosive yet refined for such a young act, if you've ever pined for a cross between the brain-rattling dynamics of Suffocation and the warmongering malice of Amon Amarth (“Of Winter Born”, “Elusion of Mortality”), this band delivers. www.earache.com -Mike SOS
BLINDING EYE DOG
PROLOGUE
SELF-RELEASED
Maryland quintet Blinding Eye Dog exhibit a boisterous brand of punk on the troupe’s 18-track offering PROLOGUE. Fueled with an irreverent sense of humor (“Super Action Monster Man”, “Duck Duck Goose (In A)”) that matches the lo-fi high energy vibes (“Assassin”) and pervasive beer-swilling devil may care street punk attitude on cuts such as “Barbara” and “The Line”, this freewheeling act makes it pretty apparent that it doesn't take itself too seriously yet still pumps out a raucous strain of reckless rock (“Shame”). Definitely sounding best after a couple of pints while some of your more mischievous friends plot the ensuing evening’s shenanigans, Blinding Eye Dog reinforce the simple yet effective piss and vinegar punk rock straight from the back alley. www.myspace.com/blindingeyedog -Mike SOS
THINNING THE HERD
DEVIL MASK
SELF-RELEASED
Scraping the seedy underbelly of the Big Apple with enormous rock riffs,NYC trio Thinning the Herd return with another batch of stonerriffic hard rock chock full of grit and substance on the five-track DEVIL MASK. Bridging the gap between the heavier side of grunge and the groovier side of metal, tracks like “Kitchen Sink” summon a ‘90s power rock vibe kind of like Monster Magnet meeting up with Soundgarden while “Uninformed” strikes with the subtlety of a punch square in the gut and “Simple Job” rocks like the best song your favorite Swedish stoner rock band never wrote. If you enjoy in your face music with an exhilarating rock ‘n roll aura, Thinning the Herd is a bonafide choice for a hellacious good time. www.myspace.com/castrosbeard -Mike SOS
VANMAKT
AD LUCIFERI REGNUM
PULVERISED
Far from reinventing the wheel yet capable to drum up some scare with their competent yet common strand of evil blackened metal, nefarious Swedish troupe Vanmakt blast their way through nine-tracks of misanthropic misery on AD LUCIFERI REGNUM. Dispersing a maelstrom of tremolo-picked madness (“Reincarnation Hatred”, “The Ascension”), this band employs a large sum of tried and troo genre tactics and nuances to hammer its menacing message through unsuspecting skulls, yet it should be noted that if you already pledge allegiance to the most sadistic from the Nordic states, there’s nothing here you haven't experienced before. Nonetheless, Vanmakt does an acceptable job of conjuring the spirits of the underworld and should appeal to those who like a mix of symphonic death metal with a bit more bite. www.pulverised.net -Mike SOS
VARIOUS ARTISTS
DOOM (TRANSITIVE VERB)
SELF-RELEASED
A triple slab o’ doom oozes from your speakers courtesy of a three-way split disc from a caustic mix of bands rising up from the recesses of the deep sure to give little children nightmares and keep neighborhoods on lockdown. Up first is Evoken, a veteran New Jersey funeral doom troupe whose chilling offering “In Solitary Ruin” masterfully sets the bleak tone for this collection with a firm handle on down tempo despair. Oak take the reigns next with an understated touch of death metal sprouting up in between the detached devastating riffs heard on “Gates Are Open”. Rounding out the triad of tragic triad, Black Roller Crop Rotation takes the affair to a whole new level of grim thanks to “Prayers From the Rotten Soil”, featuring a bevy of experimental leanings forming a cacophony of undistinguishable vocal squeals, jet-propeller-esque swirls of dissonance, and hypnotic industrial noise. You've been warned. www.myspace.com/oakdoom -Mike SOS
CELAN
HALO
EXILE ON MAINSTREAM
Celan is a noise rock supergroup of sorts, featuring musicians from flu.ID, Unsane, Oxbow, and Einsturzende Neubauten collaborating to form a massive musical force which defies convention yet keeps an hand on the aggression throttle. This collective’s debut offering HALO melds acerbic abrasive noise rock, atmospheric ambience, bluesy melancholy, and clobbering hardcore into 11 engaging tracks custom made for those who demand post-hardcore explorations to plow deeper. With Chris Spencer’s trademark belligerent bark leading the charge, tracks like “All This and Everything” pack a familiar yet ferocious wallop while a judicial keyboard presence float in and out, allowing for an unpredictable array of shapeshifting moods to proliferate (“One Minute”, “Sinking”, “Washing Machine”). Ambitious without alienating its built-in audience, Celan boldly goes into new lands with all of the member’s strengths on full blast. www.mainstreamrecords.de -Mike SOS
IMPIETY
TERROREIGN
AGONIA
As brutal as a Singapore cane shot to the skull, Impiety does their homeland proud once again with another blistering blackened thrash release entitled TERROREIGN. Laden with a diabolical attitude which assists the impending decent into hell (“As Judea Burns”), this 10-track sojourn into the chasm of evil melds crass old school death metal ideologies a la Hellhammer and Morbid Angel with a genuine sense of hatred fueling the apocalyptic one-two vocal assault and divebomb friendly guitar combination (“Bestial to the Bone”). Maintaining a frantic pace throughout while summoning the minions of the underworld to rise and fight the light to the death (“Goatfather”), Impiety’s caustic delivery and over the top metal wares catapult this veteran unit back to the head of extreme metal’s most sadistic acts. www.agoniarecords.com -Mike SOS
SLOUGH FEG
APE UPRISING!
CRUZ DEL SUR
Veteran underground traditional metal outfit Slough Feg have been known to walk a bit on the wild side throughout the course of their twenty plus year proto-metal existence and this unit’s latest release bares no exception. Interspersing the squad’s patented eccentricities with a confident swagger straight out of 1978 for all to see, the triumphant and tumultuous eight-track endeavor APE UPRISING takes it back to a time when metal was still in its gestation stage, slugging it out with punk rock rebellion and glam rock excess. Customarily springing from an impenetrable foundation of Sabbath, Maiden, and Thin Lizzy, Slough Feg have comprised a sci-fi concept album based around a simian overtaking of the world to a pulsating old school metal soundtrack laden with the sort of killer vintage tones and stellar musicianship that marvelously melds the dazzling twin guitar and pounding rhythmic wares of UFO, Judas Priest, and other luminaries from the seminal NWOBHM days. Slough Feg’s most recent disc renders a durable and dependable lesson in metal with a smorgasbord of exhilarating twists and turns along the way. www.cruzdelsurmusic.com -Mike SOS
BURIAL HORDES
DEVOTION TO UNHOLY CREED
PULVERISED
Greek black metal merchants Burial Hordes employ the primitive approach on their evil eight track sojourn into the abyss titled DEVOTION TO UNHOLY CREED. Armed with raw production values for an authentic black metal in the basement feel (“Hellborn”), a slew of skewered guitar riffs that range from jarring to muddy, and an unearthly vocal presence that sounds as if it crawled out of the catacombs, tracks like “Infernal Necromancers” beguiles diabolical urges to come to fruition while “God’s Cutthroat” and “Abysmal Goatfeast” carry an impact to stand on their own, yet are forebodingly sandwiched in between a disturbing chant whose ominous tone solidifies each track’s morbid sense of dread and despair. Sinister and sinewy with a vicious bark and venomous bite, Burial Hordes have unleashed a vitriolic album that gives praise to its predecessors while unrepentantly damning the rest of society. www.pulverised.net Mike SOS
OCEANO
DEPTHS
EARACHE
Chicago-bred quintet Oceano stake a claim of being the most pissed-off band on the planet, and if you could decipher the cavernous musings of vocalist Adam Warren and what he was screaming and growling about, they may be right, as the viscous racket adorning cuts like the slow-churned "Disgust for Your Kind" and the frantic fury of "District of Misery" do work as evidence for a lively debate. Make no mistake, the vocals (despite hard to comprehend) are a strongpoint, solidifying this outfit's abrasive viciousness with a twist to rival peers like Emmure, Misery Signals, and All Shall Perish for the new heavy crown. The 13-track debut DEPTHS firmly stands its ground with a batch of rote yet bombastic low-end grooves, keeping things both excruciatingly bottom-heavy and brutal, yet resonate with an all too standard delivery within the deathcore paradigm. Luckily, Oceano picks up momentum as the album rolls along, managing to venture a bit off the threadbare path of palm-muted breakdown bliss in key spots to implement nuances such as symphonic black metal texture and crisp solos, yet ultimately fall flat in relying on prototypical old hat genre maneuvers that undoubtedly score big in a moshpit of dayglow shirts and bad haircuts yet yield overwrought results on disc. www.earache.com -Mike SOS
DEVILS WHOREHOUSE
BLOOD & ASHES
REGAIN
Devils Whorehouse unashamedly mimic virtually every significant nuance from the Danzig playbook, starting with the rebel punk of The Misfits, bridging into the experimental discord of Samhain before culminating with a hybrid of the multitude of sounds from Glenn's eponymous offerings through the years, so if you're looking for something original, you've been warned. If you want to hear worship and tribute done to perfection (by a band who were once a Misfits/Samahain cover band no less) however, this Swedish squad's admirable affection of the works of the Evil Elvis is spot-on, covering all eras faithfully while producing an uncanny vocal likeness that this lot (featuring members of Marduk) nail down with howling furies intact. In fairness, this crew conveys a bit more than blind Danzig homages, as their admirable death 'n roll packs a wallop here as well, but BLOOD & ASHES' most glaring point of reference precariously sits as its biggest strength and crippling weakness. www.regainrecords.com -Mike SOS
MOTHRA
DYES
SELFMADEGOD
Polish metalcore quartet Mothra present a succinct seven-track excursion on DYES. This offering blends a potpourri of extreme styles together to form a math-y, sludgy monster that channels death metal aggression and hardcore abrasiveness with hints of grindcore madness ("Squant") and dastardly dissonance for an extra bite ("Hooloovoo"). Creating a sonic atmosphere where brevity and brutality go hand in hand, this unit fuses a slew of off-kilter elements from all corners of the extreme metal paradigm forming a brash offshoot of band reminiscent of the likes of Poison the Well, Entombed, Gojira, and Botch, making this act essential for those who champion a heavy hybrid spirit. www.selfmadegod.com -Mike SOS
DESTROY DESTROY DESTROY
BATTLE SLUTS
BLACKMARKET ACTIVITIES
Destroy Destroy Destroy's sophomore effort showcases a multi-faceted metal attack that blends Viking metal might and symphonic black metal grandiosity with a perpetual classic metal vibe running throughout this unit's 12-track affair entitled BATTLE SLUTS. Meshing the styles of 3 Inches of Blood, Manowar, and Children of Bodom within the confines of a war-torn battlefield, this battle-hungry sextet bash out a histrionic blast of fantasy metal that goes perfect with a pair of 12-sided dice and a stack of Conan the Barbarian novels ("Agents of Hypocrisy"). Borrowing a chunk of their style from the epic and power metal fields (especially referenced via the atmospheric keyboard presence permeated throughout) while slaying with a convincing twin guitar battering ("Born of Thunder", "The Wretched Forrest"), those who enjoy metal with a medieval twist will have little problem tuning into this band of warrior's theatrical offering. www.blackmarketactivities.com -Mike SOS
ENSOPH
REX MUNDI X-IIE
CRUZ DEL SUR
Industrial Italian act Ensoph create a chaotic cybermetal experience on the 12-track REX MUNDI X-IIE, setting their apocalyptic visions to a frenetic soundtrack that chillingly juxtaposes harsh electronic noises, Gothic overtones and metallic aggression ("Shame on You!"). Tracks like "Dance High and Shine, Shiva!" shares as much in common with the eeriness of Marilyn Manson as it does the synthetic throb of KMFDM, while "Thir(s)ty Pieces of Silver" sounds like a Dream Theater track defiantly trapped in a Tron-like maze. Championing a futuristic tone chock full of Front Line Assembly-esque mechanical madness leading the charge, this sinister shapeshifting unit's presentation is far from fresh yet it yields enough intriguing moments (their cover of "Would" by Alice in Chains in particular) to keep the middling PVC-donned EBM and darkwave contingent content. www.cruzdelsurmusic.com -Mike SOS
ORCUSTUS
ORCUSTUS
SOUTHERN LORD
An authentic blast of malefic black metal arrives from the depths of depravity courtesy of Norwegian troupe Orcustus, whose eponymous full-length debut comes some seven years after this troupe's initial introduction. Serving a barrage of vintage buzzsaw riffs ("Jesus Christ Patricide") and hellacious vocal rasps that wouldn't sound out of place from lauded black metal affairs of yesteryear ("Of Sophistry, Obsession, and Paranoia"), this unit (who can't seem to keep a lineup intact) project grim ideals direct from the bowels of the abyss. Featuring ex-members of groundbreaking outfits Gorgoroth and Enslaved, this squad's display of volatility and viciousness renders a bleak and raw old school assault ("Conversion"), conjuring an ominous sense of hatred and dread with every drum blast and bombastic bass reverberation ("Death and Dissolution"). Perfect for those who flock to the darkness, Orcustus has made a simple yet effective album cloaked in chaos and evil to the bone. www.southernlord.com -Mike SOS
ARISE
THE RECKONING
REGAIN
Swedish death thrash outfit Arise provide 10-tracks of straight from the textbook Gothenburg-style metal on THE RECKONING. Despite this nimble quintet far from groundbreaking delivery, the spot-on fury ("No Memory of Light") and enormous arsenal of breakneck riffs and melodic breaks they employ are cleverly composed with a well-proportioned mix of familiar twists and meat and potatoes mashings which effortlessly fuses The Haunted and In Flames ("End of Days"). Exhibiting metalcore sensibilities with a reverence for the genre's pioneers in mind, the latest from Arise is a solid and satisfying affair whose unwavering by the numbers approach rings out with sinister sincerity. www.regainrecords.com -Mike SOS
DECEIVER
THRASHING HEAVY METAL
PULVERISED
There's nothing deceptive regarding the 10-track lean and mean high-grade meets lo fi old school assault Sweden's Deceiver lays on the ears, as this trio's tumultuous din captures the darker nuances of the golden age of thrash without sounding rehashed or forced. Whether it be the tortured vocals and primitive skin bashing tandem heard on "Dead to the World" and "Machinery of God" or the grimly grandiose feel emanating from "Graveyard Lover" and the instrumental "Legacy", even though THRASHING HEAVY METAL yields a strange sensation that you've heard this all before if you own a Priest, Entombed, or Mercyful Fate album or two, this squad's inspired interpretations rise above usual reference points to provide an enjoyable travel back through time. Tacking on a vicious streak laden in vitriolic vehemence, this unit's display of vintage metal will get the job done for fans of the rawer side of extreme metal's first wave. www.pulverised.net -Mike SOS
LANDING PROJECT
HERE GOES EVERYTHING
SELF-RELEASED
NYC poppy punk rock troupe Landing Project return with HERE GOES EVERYTHING, a solid seven-track excursion that exhibits the unit's versatile array of angsty anthems bursting with melody ("Yea, Exactly"). Taking cues from acts like Against Me, this quartet writes hook-laden tunes sizzling with barbed lyrical bite, opting to sing about more personal topics instead of social messages ("Turn Up Your Stereo"). Tapping into the sound of punk rock's bare essentials with a flair for dramatics ("Butterscotch"), Landing Project inject their simple yet effective approach with an honest heaping of soul, giving the slightly undercooked production with punchy delivery a raw emotional rush that copiously spills from the speakers. www.myspace.com/landingproject -Mike SOS
ENDSTILLE
VERFUHRER
REGAIN
Warmongering German black metal squad Endstille attack once again with VERFUHRER, a scathing and abrasive nine-track affair. Incessantly blasting your skull with pounding percussion and decaying your ears with blood-curdling vocal rasps, this maliciously militant outfit doles out diabolical doses of mid-paced malevolence ("Symptoms") whose razor sharp buzzsaw guitars cut to the bone ("Depressive/ Abstract/ Banished/ Despised"). Assuredly exhibiting a keen sense of dynamics by implementing slower waves of intensity to its arsenal ("Endstille") while maintaining the band's trademark penchant for administering skull-crushing barrages of monolithic crust-laden fury ("Hate Me...God?"), Endstille 's blackhearted single-minded approach conveys intense waves of blast beated and tremolo picked madness with just the right touches of innovation to shape this release's belligerent battlefield aura. www.regainrecords.com -Mike SOS
CAULDRON
CHAINED TO THE NITE
EARACHE
Canadian metal trio Cauldron provide a traditional slab of metal that conjures up a slew of intertwined influences on the nine-track CHAINED TO THE NITE. From the album's Spinal Tap-esque artwork depicting a naked woman bound in chains to the unit's darkened blend of 80's melodic metal and NWOBHM, Cauldron's points of reference are prickly and don't always gel well together, resulting in quite a few instances of clunky cheekiness whose waning flashes of power quickly fizzle out before they can attain any sense of momentum. While displaying moments of promise ("Midnite Hour"), this release takes a while to warm up to, ultimately rendering a confusing listening experience that radiates with an oddball sense of familiarity that keeps only the most ardent of metal purists intrigued. www.earache.com -Mike SOS
SAMAEL
ABOVE
NUCLEAR BLAST
Decisively leaning towards the black metal roots of their early endeavors, Swiss metal veterans Samael return with a pummeling 11-track offering entitled ABOVE. Toning down the industrial elements commandeering the band's more recent discs (although a protruding electronic drum trigger is seamlessly inescapable) while amping up the vitriolic black metal velocity to previously unheard levels ("God Snake", "Virtual War"), Samael's brazen assault is adorned with layers of symphonic keyboards and bludgeoning tremolo guitars ("Illumination") fortifying a listening experience laden in scorn. Realizing their sojourn back to the glories of their early days while carrying over a handful of the strongest nuances from their latter-day releases for a modern twist on old themes ("On the Top of it All"), by manipulating metal's darker side and embracing their past, Samael snaps back to a furious form that leads the quartet back into the depths of the abyss. www.nuclearblastusa.com -Mike SOS
EPHEL DUATH
THROUGH MY DOG'S EYES
EARACHE
Experimental Italian outfit Ephel Duath are renowned for developing collections of distinct metallic left turns, but this time this now-reduced down to a trio readily take on a different yet equally daunting task of conveying a canine's perspective of the world to music on their latest disc THROUGH MY DOG'S EYES. This ambitious nine-track excursion is chock full of dizzying riffs that part the seas between noisy jazz and avant garde metal ("Guardian") woven into a barrage of non-linear compositions stockpiled with heady interludes and juggernaut vocals ("Bella Morte") set to a warped array of odd-time signatures ("Bark Loud") . Despite the album's preposterous premise, Ephel Duath manage to keep the subject matter blunt and concise. turning out an provocative batch of progressive metal in the process. Challenging to novices, Ephel Duath continue to carve their own unique marks into the metal tree of life. www.earache.com -Mike SOS
PRONG
POWER OF THE DAMN MIXXXER
13TH PLANET
Tommy Victor turned the original mixes from Prong's latest disc POWER OF THE DAMAGER over to some of his technically-advanced musician friends to remix and POWER OF THE DAMN MIXXXER is the end result. This 13-track endeavor showcases the behind the boards prowess of metal peeps such as Jon Clayton (Pitchshifter) and Greg Puciato (Dillinger Escape Plan) whose cosmetic cleansings and synthesized twiddlings give tracks like "The Banishment" (a song covered by two different mixes here) a throbbing makeover that pulsates with a bastardized concoction of industrial metal heft and electronic bounce ("Changing Ending Troublng Times"). Providing a ton of opportunities to take the rage to the dance floor ("Looking for Them") while laying a virtual perfect soundtrack down to a dark and futuristic action-adventure flick, Prong's latest is not only is a show of respect from the artists who contributed their own spin to Prong's genuine rawness but supplies a great deal of industrial strength metal to take the party into the morning light. www.prongmusic.com -Mike SOS
I SEE STARS
3-D
SUMERIAN
Young Michigan troupe I See Stars have melded elements of modern hardcore and screamo with electronica on their debut 3-D to create a catchy but disheveled 11-track affair. Haphazardly cut and pasting modern dance synths into power punk rock songs, this quintet's ready for Warped Tour juxtaposition of styles comes off forced and even clumsy at times (especially during the heavier moments) yet renders momentary flashes of triumph when the vocoder-enhanced vocals meeting chugging choruses that alt rock radio crave come a knockin' ("3D", "The Big Bad Wolf"). Throw in a cameo from one of the rappers from Bones Thugs N Harmony and instant street cred gets applied, yet this troupe's tepid attempt to get to the top of the Hot Topic list falls flat, especially when redundant breakdown parts from screechy melodies rears its worn head. www.sumerianrecords.com -Mike SOS
CRESCENT SHIELD
THE STARS OF NEVER SEEN
CRUZ DEL SUR
California power metal unit Crescent Shield display a gallant galloping metal assault on their latest nine-track disc THE STARS OF NEVER SEEN. Championing a traditional metal style bursting with steel-plated melodies, this quartet's histrionic choruses are contagious ("Temple of the Empty"), rivaling those at the top of the power metal mountain ("The Bellman", "10,00 Midnights Ago") while the rampant guitar and soaring vocal combination elicits a much-warranted delight for headbangers of all ages to embrace ("The Grand Horizon"). This troupe exhibit the versatility to both shred and alter mood, shifting focus between rousing metal and pensive moments of reflection for a well-rounded all killer no filler feel. Seamlessly meshing the best of Blind Guardian, Iced Earth, and Queensryche while contorting elements from metal's pioneers such as Dio and Maiden, Crescent Shield's formidable flurry of aggression is fortified with an articulate attention to detail which ties their thunderous heavy metal roar with a supple dash of passion. www.cruzdelsurmusic.com -Mike SOS
EBENEZER
A TRIUMPH OF COLOSSAL ACHIEVEMENTS
SELF-RELEASED
Taking the DIY hands-on approach with their music to the extreme, Pennsylvania instrumental duo Ebenezer provide a well-measured blend of style and substance on their six-track offering A TRIUMPH OF COLOSSAL ACHIEVEMENTS. Besides teaming jaw-dropping flashes of virtuoso percussion and fretwork with a wise beyond their years sense of composition that channels everyone from Maiden to The Fucking Champs ("Warlock Owl"), this tandem's release comes inside of a hand-sewn fabric case, rendering an exquisite hearftfelt vibe that most run of the mill locals just can't match up to. If you have a hankering for vocal-less music with an eye opening showcase of balls and bite, look no further than Ebenezer's latest affair. www.myspace.com/epicebenezer -Mike SOS
THE BAKERTON GROUP
EL ROJO
WEATHERMAKER
Bonafide 21st Century bluesmen The Bakerton Group unleash their second experimental musical adventure the 10-track offering EL ROJO. Yielding a galactic listening experience chock full of heady jams and wicked instrumental breaks, this alter ego outfit of alt metal kingpins Clutch (with vocalist Neil Fallon trading in cunning lyrics and clever vocal deliveries for rhythm guitar) perfectly displays the sound of world class musicians collectively digging deeper, unearthing a smorgasbord of styles that implementing dub rock ("Work 'Em"), funk ("Chancellor"), and freewheeling jazz rock laden with '70s keyboard explosions (thanks to Opeth's Per Wiberg ), and alto sax flourishes. Taking their main band's patented left of center approach off to uncharted territory, The Bakerton Group's odyssey is undeniably constructed from Clutch's impenetrable foundation, yet EL ROJO independently stands as a next level triptastic delight for fans of groovy improvisational rock to imbibe and enjoy. www.weathermakerrecords.com -Mike SOS
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
A SHORT BREAK UNTIL THE DUST SETTLES IN IRAN.
I am Iranian, not shy about it (why would I be?), and am very concerned about the events of the last week, so much so that almost all my time and concentration outside of work is dedicated to spreading the word about the struggle of my countryfolk. Until the situation there is resolved, I will not be posting on here. Metal isn't going to matter right now, this takes priority. In the meantime, please follow the important Twitter tweets from within Iran including mousavi1388, Change_For_Iran, and IranElection. You can also follow me at thefatherland. Thanks for your patience and understanding. I will return as soon as it all calms down.
Friday, June 5, 2009
MIGHTY IMPIETY!
IMPIETY End All Life With Latest Album
Singapore's almighty maelstrom returns, possibly with their most furious release to date. IMPIETY are one of the world's most notoriously destructive bands, gaining that reputation over the course of their near 20-year existence. The band's incalculably destructive nature amalgamates insanely high-speed blasting, brutally-fast riff structures and relentless guttural torment, resulting in some of the most destructive blackened death metal on the planet.
IMPIETY's 6th studio album - appropriately entitled Terroreign: Apocalyptic Armageddon Command - is arguably the band's most hellish bloodstorm of relentless rage to date. Dedicated to and based upon the pitiful scum that humans are, the album presents a grim look at man's final days on Earth. The album presents ten tracks in total, including an Intro and Outro exclusively provided by Holocausto Vengeance of Beherit!
Terroreign: Apocalyptic Armageddon Command tracklisting
1. Intro
2. Vientos de Holocausto
3. Atomic Angel Assault
4. Terroreign
5. As Judea Burns
6. Goatfather
7. Bestial to the Bone
8. The Black Fuck
9. My Dark Subconscious
10. Outro
http://www.mightyimpiety.com
http://www.agoniarecords.com
Singapore's almighty maelstrom returns, possibly with their most furious release to date. IMPIETY are one of the world's most notoriously destructive bands, gaining that reputation over the course of their near 20-year existence. The band's incalculably destructive nature amalgamates insanely high-speed blasting, brutally-fast riff structures and relentless guttural torment, resulting in some of the most destructive blackened death metal on the planet.
IMPIETY's 6th studio album - appropriately entitled Terroreign: Apocalyptic Armageddon Command - is arguably the band's most hellish bloodstorm of relentless rage to date. Dedicated to and based upon the pitiful scum that humans are, the album presents a grim look at man's final days on Earth. The album presents ten tracks in total, including an Intro and Outro exclusively provided by Holocausto Vengeance of Beherit!
Terroreign: Apocalyptic Armageddon Command tracklisting
1. Intro
2. Vientos de Holocausto
3. Atomic Angel Assault
4. Terroreign
5. As Judea Burns
6. Goatfather
7. Bestial to the Bone
8. The Black Fuck
9. My Dark Subconscious
10. Outro
http://www.mightyimpiety.com
http://www.agoniarecords.com
Friday, May 22, 2009
OUT NOW!
OUT NOW - Available from Mercenary Musik
Cold Dimensions presents:
MORTUUS INFRADAEMONI - Imis Avernis CD
Revealing Massive Black Metal Atmospheres, Mortuus Infradaemoni follow up on
the path
they trod before and deliver nine Raw Echoes of the Hidden Cosmos Between
Life and Death.
Tracklisting
Obscuritas Ubique Et In Aeternum
Darkland
Imis Avernis
Bastard
Doresh El Ha'metim
Mortuus Et Prodeunt Infradaemoni
Merihim Rises
Der Tod
Animatus
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------
TRIST - Willenskraft CD
Willenskraft" (engl.: "willpower") is the fourth album of the former Lunar
Aurora musician Tristan (aka Aran)
under the moniker Trist. It continues the multi-faceted Ambient Black Metal
journey which began with
prior albums and offers Ambient and nature collages in combination with
straightforward midtempo Black Metal.
The sound of the sea carries the listener through six songs and processes.
A developement, a coming to consciousness, a creation, will and power...
Tracklisting
Bewusstsein
Wagemut
Zweifel
Herzenswunsch
Verhinderer
Wandlung
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------
GRAU Presents:
LONGING FOR DAWN - Between Elation And Despair CD
The Third Opus from Canada's leading Atmospheric Funeral Doom outfit.
Monumental and Unique heart felt melancholic melodies supported by crushing
rhythmic parts, hammering drums and sorrow filled vocals, shrouded in
ritualistic and
highly evocative ambient soundscapes, a distinct and truly singular
listening experience.
Longing For Dawn are definitely walking their own path, onward towards a new
dawn...
Track Listing
Our Symbolic Burial
A Sunrise At Your Feet
Reflective
The Piscean Dawn
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Mercenary Musik
P.O. BOX 41986
L.A., CA 90041
www.mercenarymusik.com
Cold Dimensions presents:
MORTUUS INFRADAEMONI - Imis Avernis CD
Revealing Massive Black Metal Atmospheres, Mortuus Infradaemoni follow up on
the path
they trod before and deliver nine Raw Echoes of the Hidden Cosmos Between
Life and Death.
Tracklisting
Obscuritas Ubique Et In Aeternum
Darkland
Imis Avernis
Bastard
Doresh El Ha'metim
Mortuus Et Prodeunt Infradaemoni
Merihim Rises
Der Tod
Animatus
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------
TRIST - Willenskraft CD
Willenskraft" (engl.: "willpower") is the fourth album of the former Lunar
Aurora musician Tristan (aka Aran)
under the moniker Trist. It continues the multi-faceted Ambient Black Metal
journey which began with
prior albums and offers Ambient and nature collages in combination with
straightforward midtempo Black Metal.
The sound of the sea carries the listener through six songs and processes.
A developement, a coming to consciousness, a creation, will and power...
Tracklisting
Bewusstsein
Wagemut
Zweifel
Herzenswunsch
Verhinderer
Wandlung
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------------------------
GRAU Presents:
LONGING FOR DAWN - Between Elation And Despair CD
The Third Opus from Canada's leading Atmospheric Funeral Doom outfit.
Monumental and Unique heart felt melancholic melodies supported by crushing
rhythmic parts, hammering drums and sorrow filled vocals, shrouded in
ritualistic and
highly evocative ambient soundscapes, a distinct and truly singular
listening experience.
Longing For Dawn are definitely walking their own path, onward towards a new
dawn...
Track Listing
Our Symbolic Burial
A Sunrise At Your Feet
Reflective
The Piscean Dawn
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Mercenary Musik
P.O. BOX 41986
L.A., CA 90041
www.mercenarymusik.com
Monday, May 18, 2009
CANDLELIGHT RECORDS UPDATE
Out Now: BLOOD TSUNAMI, HAVOK and SUSPERIA
Coming Soon: GLORIOR BELLI, 1349, OBITUARY and ANAAL NATHRAKH
Plus: CIII Tour Update
BLOOD TSUNAMI - Grand Feast For Vultures
Release Date: May 5, 2009
“BLOOD TSUNAMI kicks serious ass the same way vintage Kreator, Destruction and Testament,” said Decibel Magazine in review of BLOOD TSUNAMI’s highly acclaimed 2007 debut, Thrash Metal. Now returning with seven blistering new songs the Norwegian metallers, featuring among their ranks former Emperor drummer Bard “Faust” Eithun, have crafted even faster, darker and heavier titan tunes that really capture the essence of the thrash genre fans both old and new know and love.
Formed in 2004, BLOOD TSUNAMI is an instant adrenalin shot of classic thrash. Reviving the long cherished vibe of both German and Bay Area scenes, the band bring a new modern approach to the fan favored genre. Two sparingly circulated demos is all it took before the band found themselves a growing fanbase, solid reputation and ultimately a deal with Nocturnal Art Productions (the label owned/operated by Emperor/Zyklon guitarist Samoth). Kerrang calls the band’s wicked metal mixture, “unstoppable pedal-to-the-metal old school thrash metal mayhem.”
Recorded at Lion Heart Studios in Oslo, Grand Feast for Vultures was produced in cooperation by the band and Oyvind Larsen. Album packaging was rendered by Alex Horley.
"Thrash Metal offers a series of threatening savageries that capture the all-out feel and sound of the era well but with a diversity and strength that lifts them up and away from the reinventing-the-wheel crowd. If only St. Anger could have come close to this.” – Terrorizer
“Quite frankly there's no reason to go anywhere else for your thrash fix.” - Metal Hammer
“With classic metal cover art and a title that even spells it out for you, Blood Tsunami satisfies fans of the thrash-tastic.” - MP3.com
http://www.myspace.com/bloodtsunami
HAVOK - Burn
Release Date: May 19, 2009
Thrash metal has seen a noted return to popularity over the last few years. Be it via reformations of tried-and-true artists like Testament, Exodus, and Death Angel, or the rise of a whole new crop of bands, the genre has successfully found renewed consumer focus. For Denver-based HAVOK, the release of their debut, Burn, is a celebration of years of hard work and dedication. Recorded in late 2008, Burn features 12 savage tracks that showcase the young band’s technical precision and musical creativity. Featuring artwork by upcoming illustrator Halsey Swain, Burn is a solid start for a promising band.
HAVOK -- vocalist/guitarist David Sanchez, guitarist Shawn Chavez, drummer Ryan Bloom and bassist Jesse de Los Santos -- have been impressing their growing fanbase since their formation in 2004. Via two independent recordings, PWN ‘Em All and Murder By Metal, both quickly selling out , the band have reached audiences far outside their regional borders. Sanchez says of the band’s signing, “this is the break we’ve been working toward and now that it’s finally here, we’re more than ready to make the most of it. We are both psyched and humbled to be a part of the Candlelight roster.”
"HAVOK lays it down old-school heavy like a sharp stick in the eye." - Gene Hoglan, Strapping Young Lad/Dethklok/Dark Angel/Testament etc.
http://www.myspace.com/havok
SUSPERIA - Attitude
Release Date: May 19, 2009
Passion has long been at the core of Norway’s SUSPERIA . Battling their way through obstacles that would crush lesser humans, their journey bears a musical heart that has year-after-year delivered onto their loyal and growing fanbase quality music that strikes with not only power but shines with their unique sense of melody. Attitude, the band’s latest album, again finds the band making unparalleled strides. With a new label and even stronger focus, the band hopes to reach a new level of success.
Formed in 1998 by drummer Tjodalv (then of Dimmu Borgir) and guitarist Cyrus (then of Satyricon/Old Man’s Child), SUSPERIA released their debut, Predominance, in 2001. The much-acclaimed Vindication followed in 2003 and after signing with Norwegian indie label Tabu in 2004, the band quickly unveiled third album, Unlimited. Brave Words Bloody Knuckles called the album, “a scorcher from start to finish, on par with Testament classic The Gathering.”
Commenting on the new album, vocalist Athera recently noted, “ten years and still the same five guys. We have worked nearly two years on this material, perfecting it for your pleasure and our devoted fans. It will take you back to the early days with melancholic riffing and dark emotional vocals. It’s a perfect blend of everything SUSPERIA has been and become.” Recorded at various studios during the later part of 2008, Attitude was mixed by Fredrik Nordstrom (In Flames, Meshuggah).
http://www.susperia.net
http://www.myspace.com/susperiafans
GLORIOR BELLI - Meet Us at the Southern Sign
Release Date: June 2, 2009
Metal Kult calls the music of France's GLORIOR BELLI "as darkly beautiful as it is gloom inducing." With their new album (first for Candlelight), Meet Us at the Southern Sign, the band look to build upon their already growing stateside fanbase. Their album finds release as the band embarks on their first American tour alongside labelmates Absu and Sothis. It will be their most extensive tour since their formation a an adventure they are looking forward to.
Dating to 2002, Paris-based GLORIOR BELLI unveiled their first recordings in mid-2005. The album, Lavdate Dominvs, saw very little US distribution but it found the attention of inquisitive listeners. So much so that when their first proper stateside introduction came in 2007 (Manifesting the Raging Beast, Southern Lord), the band found a solid base in which to comfortably nestle their unique take on black metal. Fans are already anticipating MUATSS and with due merit.
http://gloriorbelli.luxferous.com
http://www.myspace.com/gloriorbelli
1349 - Revelations of the Black Flame
Release Date: June 2, 2009
If ever there was a band to truly turn heads, Norway’s 1349 are more than up for the challenge. Since their inception, the band has not only shocked but impressed music fans with their theatric image, blistering speed and over-the-top ferocity. Their live shows have become legend as their rapidly growing fanbase and acclaim mounts. Now with album number four, the quartet once again go for the jugular but this time round with a twist. The intensity shifts revealing a sound of days past but with a modern and, of course, always sinister soul. Decibel Magazine once boldly said, "almost every corpse-paint commando in Scandinavia might as well pack up their shit and go home while they can." May we now lead you to door?
From their beginnings 1349 have been touted as a band to watch. All Music Guide called them, "a band ripe with promise," in a review of debut, Liberation. The band, featuring always outspoken vocalist Ravn, guitarist Archaron with bassist Seidemann and studio drummer Frost (Satyricon), quickly took the metal world by storm and have not let go since. Committed to the stage, 1349 have been to the US five times in the last two years and plan to return again leaving no city untouched by their musical madness.
“Without question an incineration of the highest order” - Metal Maniacs
“1349 certainly has the ferocious chops to back up their northern pedigree.” - Sounds of Death
http://www.legion1349.com/
http://www.myspace.com/1349official
OBITUARY - Darkest Day
Release Date: June 30, 2009
When OBITUARY announced plans to record a new album in early 2007, the metal world stood up and applauded. One of death metal’s crown jewels was returning and fans couldn't have been more enthused. The album, Xecutioner’s Return, delivered the goods as only OBITUARY could. Now, two years later, the band returns with eighth full-length Darkest Day. Signature in every way, the record proves the band gets even better with age.
OBITUARY's core of brothers -- John Tardy (vocals) and Donald Tardy (drums) -- with guitarist Trevor Peres came together in 1984 forming what would become one of death metal's most successful and internationally respected bands. OBITUARY 2009 -- the Tardy brothers, Peres, guitarist Ralph Santolla and bassist Frank Watkins -- remains unwaveringly brutal. Said John Tardy about new CD Darkest Day, "It came out really sick and I cannot wait for you guys to hear it... it is heavy!" Added guitarist Ralph Santolla, "The new stuff is heavy, some of my favorite OBI riffs yet. Trevor's guitar sounds huge and menacing. If you like OBITUARY, you're gonna love this record."
The band once again worked with artist Andreas Marschall, who created the art for The End Complete, Frozen In Time, and the group's last record, Xecutioner's Return.
http://www.obituary.cc
http://www.myspace.com/obituary
ANAAL NATHRAKH - In The Constellation Of The Black Widow
Release Date: July 14, 2009
Based in Birmingham, ANAAL NATHRAKH formed in 1998. The band fuse traditional black metal with elements of industrial, grindcore and early-day death metal resulting in a one-of-a-kind soundscape that has earned them high acclaim from media and fans around the globe. Commenting on the new album, vocalist V.I.T.R.I.O.L. (Mistress, Benediction) reveals, “Constellation is faster, more insidious, more ominous, more musically dextrous and wilder than ever before. The album will feature a curve ball guest appearance from Zeitgeist Memento of Mexican extremists Republika.”
According to the band’s official website, ANAAL NATHRAKH was created for one purpose: To be the soundtrack for Armageddon and the true spirit of necro taken to its musical extremes. The band has collaborated with such legendary figures as Attila Csihar (Mayhem), Shane Embury and Danny Herrera (Napalm Death), Nick Barker (Dimmu Borgir, Cradle Of Filth etc.), Joe Horvath (Circle of Dead Children), Sethlans Teitan (Watain) etc.
http://www.anaal-nathrakh.tk
http://www.myspace.com/anaalnathrakh
CANDLELIGHT'S CIII TOUR UPDATE
ABSU is touring the US for the first time in nearly 8 years! Don't miss it!
Candlelight’s CIII - Absu, Glorior Belli, Rumpelstiltskin Grinder and Sothis
6/6/2009 Jumping Turtle – San Marcos, CA
6/7/2009 House of Blues – W. Hollywood, CA
6/8/2009 Thee Parkside – San Francisco, CA
6/9/2009 Hawthorne Theatre – Portland, OR
6/10/2009 El Corazon – Seattle, WA
6/12/2009 The Underground – Calgary, AB
6/13/2009 The Exchange – Regina, SK
6/14/2009 Royal Albert Arms – Winnipeg, MT
6/15/2009 Station 4 – St. Paul, MN
6/16/2009 The Pearl Room – Mokena, IL
6/17/2009 Peabody’s – Cleveland, OH
6/18/2009 Wreck Room – Toronto, ON
6/19/2009 Petit Campus – Montreal, QC
6/20/2009 Penny Arcade – Rochester, NY
6/21/2009 BB Kings Blues Club – New York, NY
6/22/2009 Jaxx – W. Springfield, VA
6/23/2009 Volume 11 – Raleigh, NC
6/24/2009 The Muse – Nashville, TN
6/25/2009 The Masquerade – Atlanta, GA
6/26/2009 The Garage – St. Petersburg, FL
6/27/2009 Culture Room – Ft. Lauderdale FL
6/29/2009 Trees – Dallas, TX
Coming Soon: GLORIOR BELLI, 1349, OBITUARY and ANAAL NATHRAKH
Plus: CIII Tour Update
BLOOD TSUNAMI - Grand Feast For Vultures
Release Date: May 5, 2009
“BLOOD TSUNAMI kicks serious ass the same way vintage Kreator, Destruction and Testament,” said Decibel Magazine in review of BLOOD TSUNAMI’s highly acclaimed 2007 debut, Thrash Metal. Now returning with seven blistering new songs the Norwegian metallers, featuring among their ranks former Emperor drummer Bard “Faust” Eithun, have crafted even faster, darker and heavier titan tunes that really capture the essence of the thrash genre fans both old and new know and love.
Formed in 2004, BLOOD TSUNAMI is an instant adrenalin shot of classic thrash. Reviving the long cherished vibe of both German and Bay Area scenes, the band bring a new modern approach to the fan favored genre. Two sparingly circulated demos is all it took before the band found themselves a growing fanbase, solid reputation and ultimately a deal with Nocturnal Art Productions (the label owned/operated by Emperor/Zyklon guitarist Samoth). Kerrang calls the band’s wicked metal mixture, “unstoppable pedal-to-the-metal old school thrash metal mayhem.”
Recorded at Lion Heart Studios in Oslo, Grand Feast for Vultures was produced in cooperation by the band and Oyvind Larsen. Album packaging was rendered by Alex Horley.
"Thrash Metal offers a series of threatening savageries that capture the all-out feel and sound of the era well but with a diversity and strength that lifts them up and away from the reinventing-the-wheel crowd. If only St. Anger could have come close to this.” – Terrorizer
“Quite frankly there's no reason to go anywhere else for your thrash fix.” - Metal Hammer
“With classic metal cover art and a title that even spells it out for you, Blood Tsunami satisfies fans of the thrash-tastic.” - MP3.com
http://www.myspace.com/bloodtsunami
HAVOK - Burn
Release Date: May 19, 2009
Thrash metal has seen a noted return to popularity over the last few years. Be it via reformations of tried-and-true artists like Testament, Exodus, and Death Angel, or the rise of a whole new crop of bands, the genre has successfully found renewed consumer focus. For Denver-based HAVOK, the release of their debut, Burn, is a celebration of years of hard work and dedication. Recorded in late 2008, Burn features 12 savage tracks that showcase the young band’s technical precision and musical creativity. Featuring artwork by upcoming illustrator Halsey Swain, Burn is a solid start for a promising band.
HAVOK -- vocalist/guitarist David Sanchez, guitarist Shawn Chavez, drummer Ryan Bloom and bassist Jesse de Los Santos -- have been impressing their growing fanbase since their formation in 2004. Via two independent recordings, PWN ‘Em All and Murder By Metal, both quickly selling out , the band have reached audiences far outside their regional borders. Sanchez says of the band’s signing, “this is the break we’ve been working toward and now that it’s finally here, we’re more than ready to make the most of it. We are both psyched and humbled to be a part of the Candlelight roster.”
"HAVOK lays it down old-school heavy like a sharp stick in the eye." - Gene Hoglan, Strapping Young Lad/Dethklok/Dark Angel/Testament etc.
http://www.myspace.com/havok
SUSPERIA - Attitude
Release Date: May 19, 2009
Passion has long been at the core of Norway’s SUSPERIA . Battling their way through obstacles that would crush lesser humans, their journey bears a musical heart that has year-after-year delivered onto their loyal and growing fanbase quality music that strikes with not only power but shines with their unique sense of melody. Attitude, the band’s latest album, again finds the band making unparalleled strides. With a new label and even stronger focus, the band hopes to reach a new level of success.
Formed in 1998 by drummer Tjodalv (then of Dimmu Borgir) and guitarist Cyrus (then of Satyricon/Old Man’s Child), SUSPERIA released their debut, Predominance, in 2001. The much-acclaimed Vindication followed in 2003 and after signing with Norwegian indie label Tabu in 2004, the band quickly unveiled third album, Unlimited. Brave Words Bloody Knuckles called the album, “a scorcher from start to finish, on par with Testament classic The Gathering.”
Commenting on the new album, vocalist Athera recently noted, “ten years and still the same five guys. We have worked nearly two years on this material, perfecting it for your pleasure and our devoted fans. It will take you back to the early days with melancholic riffing and dark emotional vocals. It’s a perfect blend of everything SUSPERIA has been and become.” Recorded at various studios during the later part of 2008, Attitude was mixed by Fredrik Nordstrom (In Flames, Meshuggah).
http://www.susperia.net
http://www.myspace.com/susperiafans
GLORIOR BELLI - Meet Us at the Southern Sign
Release Date: June 2, 2009
Metal Kult calls the music of France's GLORIOR BELLI "as darkly beautiful as it is gloom inducing." With their new album (first for Candlelight), Meet Us at the Southern Sign, the band look to build upon their already growing stateside fanbase. Their album finds release as the band embarks on their first American tour alongside labelmates Absu and Sothis. It will be their most extensive tour since their formation a an adventure they are looking forward to.
Dating to 2002, Paris-based GLORIOR BELLI unveiled their first recordings in mid-2005. The album, Lavdate Dominvs, saw very little US distribution but it found the attention of inquisitive listeners. So much so that when their first proper stateside introduction came in 2007 (Manifesting the Raging Beast, Southern Lord), the band found a solid base in which to comfortably nestle their unique take on black metal. Fans are already anticipating MUATSS and with due merit.
http://gloriorbelli.luxferous.com
http://www.myspace.com/gloriorbelli
1349 - Revelations of the Black Flame
Release Date: June 2, 2009
If ever there was a band to truly turn heads, Norway’s 1349 are more than up for the challenge. Since their inception, the band has not only shocked but impressed music fans with their theatric image, blistering speed and over-the-top ferocity. Their live shows have become legend as their rapidly growing fanbase and acclaim mounts. Now with album number four, the quartet once again go for the jugular but this time round with a twist. The intensity shifts revealing a sound of days past but with a modern and, of course, always sinister soul. Decibel Magazine once boldly said, "almost every corpse-paint commando in Scandinavia might as well pack up their shit and go home while they can." May we now lead you to door?
From their beginnings 1349 have been touted as a band to watch. All Music Guide called them, "a band ripe with promise," in a review of debut, Liberation. The band, featuring always outspoken vocalist Ravn, guitarist Archaron with bassist Seidemann and studio drummer Frost (Satyricon), quickly took the metal world by storm and have not let go since. Committed to the stage, 1349 have been to the US five times in the last two years and plan to return again leaving no city untouched by their musical madness.
“Without question an incineration of the highest order” - Metal Maniacs
“1349 certainly has the ferocious chops to back up their northern pedigree.” - Sounds of Death
http://www.legion1349.com/
http://www.myspace.com/1349official
OBITUARY - Darkest Day
Release Date: June 30, 2009
When OBITUARY announced plans to record a new album in early 2007, the metal world stood up and applauded. One of death metal’s crown jewels was returning and fans couldn't have been more enthused. The album, Xecutioner’s Return, delivered the goods as only OBITUARY could. Now, two years later, the band returns with eighth full-length Darkest Day. Signature in every way, the record proves the band gets even better with age.
OBITUARY's core of brothers -- John Tardy (vocals) and Donald Tardy (drums) -- with guitarist Trevor Peres came together in 1984 forming what would become one of death metal's most successful and internationally respected bands. OBITUARY 2009 -- the Tardy brothers, Peres, guitarist Ralph Santolla and bassist Frank Watkins -- remains unwaveringly brutal. Said John Tardy about new CD Darkest Day, "It came out really sick and I cannot wait for you guys to hear it... it is heavy!" Added guitarist Ralph Santolla, "The new stuff is heavy, some of my favorite OBI riffs yet. Trevor's guitar sounds huge and menacing. If you like OBITUARY, you're gonna love this record."
The band once again worked with artist Andreas Marschall, who created the art for The End Complete, Frozen In Time, and the group's last record, Xecutioner's Return.
http://www.obituary.cc
http://www.myspace.com/obituary
ANAAL NATHRAKH - In The Constellation Of The Black Widow
Release Date: July 14, 2009
Based in Birmingham, ANAAL NATHRAKH formed in 1998. The band fuse traditional black metal with elements of industrial, grindcore and early-day death metal resulting in a one-of-a-kind soundscape that has earned them high acclaim from media and fans around the globe. Commenting on the new album, vocalist V.I.T.R.I.O.L. (Mistress, Benediction) reveals, “Constellation is faster, more insidious, more ominous, more musically dextrous and wilder than ever before. The album will feature a curve ball guest appearance from Zeitgeist Memento of Mexican extremists Republika.”
According to the band’s official website, ANAAL NATHRAKH was created for one purpose: To be the soundtrack for Armageddon and the true spirit of necro taken to its musical extremes. The band has collaborated with such legendary figures as Attila Csihar (Mayhem), Shane Embury and Danny Herrera (Napalm Death), Nick Barker (Dimmu Borgir, Cradle Of Filth etc.), Joe Horvath (Circle of Dead Children), Sethlans Teitan (Watain) etc.
http://www.anaal-nathrakh.tk
http://www.myspace.com/anaalnathrakh
CANDLELIGHT'S CIII TOUR UPDATE
ABSU is touring the US for the first time in nearly 8 years! Don't miss it!
Candlelight’s CIII - Absu, Glorior Belli, Rumpelstiltskin Grinder and Sothis
6/6/2009 Jumping Turtle – San Marcos, CA
6/7/2009 House of Blues – W. Hollywood, CA
6/8/2009 Thee Parkside – San Francisco, CA
6/9/2009 Hawthorne Theatre – Portland, OR
6/10/2009 El Corazon – Seattle, WA
6/12/2009 The Underground – Calgary, AB
6/13/2009 The Exchange – Regina, SK
6/14/2009 Royal Albert Arms – Winnipeg, MT
6/15/2009 Station 4 – St. Paul, MN
6/16/2009 The Pearl Room – Mokena, IL
6/17/2009 Peabody’s – Cleveland, OH
6/18/2009 Wreck Room – Toronto, ON
6/19/2009 Petit Campus – Montreal, QC
6/20/2009 Penny Arcade – Rochester, NY
6/21/2009 BB Kings Blues Club – New York, NY
6/22/2009 Jaxx – W. Springfield, VA
6/23/2009 Volume 11 – Raleigh, NC
6/24/2009 The Muse – Nashville, TN
6/25/2009 The Masquerade – Atlanta, GA
6/26/2009 The Garage – St. Petersburg, FL
6/27/2009 Culture Room – Ft. Lauderdale FL
6/29/2009 Trees – Dallas, TX
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
