CRACK OPEN THE COFFINS!

COFFINS unearthed for West Coast US tour

Japan’s Coffins is finally making it back to the US after last year’s successful East Coast tour. This time they will bring the doom/death to the American West Coast. Going along for the ride are their Oakland label mates Stormcrow. The tour will start in Seattle on April 30th and culminate with both bands appearing at the infamous Los Angeles Murderfest alongside such bands as Samothrace, Eyehategod, Despise You, General Surgery, 16, Abscess, Ghoul and many others.

Coffins released their 3rd LP Buried Death in 2008 to much critical acclaim in the metal world. A split release with Stormcrow will come later in 2009, followed by their 4th LP to be released on 20 Buck Spin in 2010. Stormcrow have a vinyl only split release, Sacred Death, with 20 Buck Spin label mates Laudanum coming out on 20 Buck Spin in April.

COFFINS West Coast tour:
4/30/2009 El Chorazon - Seattle, WA w/Skarp, Grey
5/01/2009 Northern - Olympia, WA w/Thrones, Sixes
5/02/2009 Satyricon - Portland, OR w/Thrones, Aldebaran
5/03/2009 Oak St Speakeasy - Eugene, OR w/HC Minds
5/04/2009 Auntie Moe’s - Eureka, CA
5/06/2009 KFJC radio live recording - San Jose, CA
5/07/2009 Annie’s - San Francisco, CA w/Laudanum, Samothrace
5/08/2009 Gilman St. - Berkeley, CA w/Aldebaran
5/09/2009 The Knitting Factory (part of LA Murderfest) - Los Angeles, CA

http://www.coffins.jp
http://www.myspace.com/intothecoffin
http://www.20buckspin.com
http://www.myspace.com/20buckspin

NOW COME BACK FROM THE ABSU!

ABSU MOMENTUM RUNNING HIGH
TOUR KICKING OFF EARLY JUNE

ABSU performed their first live show in nearly eight years on Friday, March 20. The special appearance, part of the annual South-By-Southwest Music Festival, received glowing reviews from the Austin Chronicle: “ABSU left to a ringing chant of their name, thus making it clear that this 18-year pillar of metal still reigns supreme in the land of the dark.” The show featured selections from the band’s recently released, self-titled new album. In its first month, the record has sold out three pressings as fans have rushed to buy the album currently enjoying its third week at the number 2 position on the CMJ college/hard rock charts.

Drummer/vocalist Proscriptor says, “the feedback from our eponymous-titled album has been overwhelmingly positive and a reaction I was not expecting. This is just the beginning of our insidious magic(k) and mystery.” Recently featured as the cover story for Metal Maniacs, Absu is the first to offer new material since the trio’s critically acclaimed album Tara (2001, Osmose Productions). Terrorizer Magazine calls Absu, “a sound incarnate of a band making the underground amazing again… an undeniable masterpiece.” KNAC.com adds, “a captivating album that weaves together black metal, death metal, prog and Sumerian legend into one awe-inspiring package.” MetalSucks.net also notes, “the crux of Absu is a ridiculously tight band playing perhaps their best songs ever.”

ABSU announced their upcoming US tour prior to Christmas and are now preparing for the nationwide trek. The tour set to kick off June 6 in San Marcos, California and wrap up June 29 in the band’s hometown of Dallas, Texas originally noted to feature support from labelmates GLORIOR BELLI, AVERSE SEFIRA and SOTHIS. The lineup has had a recent change with Philadelphia-based RUMPELSTILTSKIN GRINDER replacing AVERSE SEFIRA. Guitarist Matt Moore comments, "RUMPELSTILTSKIN GRINDER is excited to steal all hope from the holy along with ABSU, GLORIOR BELLI and SOTHIS as part of the ultimate black-thrash campaign for North American annihilation."

France’s GLORIOR BELLI make their first trip to North America in support of ABSU. The band’s new album, Meet Us At The Southern Sign, will be released on June 6 and will be available for sale during the tour. Infestvvs says, “it is obviously a great honor for GLORIOR BELLI to be part of the tour and support the return of ABSU. One question however remains; will you rise and prove yourself strong enough to bear the forbidden flame with us or will you get burned by the fires of illumination?” Popular metal portal Metalkult.com today premieres the song “In Every Grief-Stricken Blues” from the new album. The band is now completing a special advance video that will premiere via their official MySpace page in the coming weeks.

SOTHIS released their debut, De Oppresso Liber, on September 2. Mixed by Andy LaRocque (King Diamond), the record has enjoyed growing and consistent sales since release. This will be the band’s first national tour. Band leader Dross says, “we are really looking forward to conquering stages on the upcoming tour and are proud to share a stage with such strong bands. As of this weekend, we have completed the video for the title track of our recently released CD, De Oppresso Liber, so you should be hearing news of where it will debut very soon.”

Tickets for all shows are now on sale via www.enterthevault.com and all venue box offices and local ticket agencies. Confirmed dates are:
6/06/2009 Jumping Turtle - San Marcos, CA
6/07/2009 House of Blues - W. Hollywood, CA
6/08/2009 Thee Parkside - San Francisco, CA
6/09/2009 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 Firewater - Dallas, TX

Candlelight Records is distributed exclusively throughout the US via Caroline Distribution, EMI Music for Canada and Plastichead Music for the rest of the world.

YE GO TO THE ABSU!

ABSU - ABSU
Wow, I was in college 8 years ago when their last album was released! The wait was damn well worth it though, and like fine wine, Absu gets better with age, something only so few bands can remotely brag about. More of the same esoteric and occult worship that certainly only a handful of "with it" individuals would understand accompanies their usual killer brand of fast blackthrash with some keyboards-keyboards here and some acoustic-acoustic there. Most notable is that this is the first release with long-timers Equitant and Shaftiel contributing full-time yet they still did pitch in with songwriting and musical arrangements. And their replacements do a damn fine job of keeping the spirits of things. If you've gone down the Absu road before, all of your expectation will be both met and surpassed. Never fear and never doubt, for Absu shall never sellout! (FA)
CANDLELIGHT RECORDS
www.candlelightrecordsusa.com, www.myspace.com/absu

WHAT THE ZELL?

MINSK
THE RITUAL FIRES OF ABANDONMENT
I bought this album simply due to the sticker on it. It said for fans of Neurosis, Isis, and etc. They belong to Relapse which releases some pretty good stuff if you know what you are looking for. In this case it was HEAVY AS FUCK DOOM! I hate how people just stereotype this band as an Isis or Neurosis clone cause they are not. What seperates them from those bands are the tribal beats. I really do believe if it wasn't for the drumming this album wouldn't stand out so much. The beats have a psychedelic feel to them. Not trippy and full of reverb and delay sort of thing but sounding like they came from a 60s album. The riffs are plenty in dynamics and are extremely diverse in what they do. Some moments you have a very clean guitar and then you get a very very heavy guitar tone. The vocals on this album is very clean at times and then others a droning metal yell like Hetfield. The songs are usually 10 minutes and they go all over the place. There isn't a single bad track on this album. If you listen to this album, you will see why the bassist/producer, Sanford Parker, was chosen to be the producer for Nachtmystium's Assassins : Black Meddle Pt 1. He can help achieve very spacey/psychedelic tones like Hawkwind yet make it as heavy as a Randall Dunn album(Boris, Wolves In The Throne Room, Sunn O))) ). (ZELL SABREHAVEN)
RELAPSE RECORDS
www.relapserecords.com, relapse@relapserecords.com, http://shop.relapse.com/artist/artist.aspx?ArtistID=10180, www.myspace.com/minsk

BURIED AT SEA
GHOST
So I drove two hours to Chicago to go see Nachtmystium's Assassins CD release party. So I went there by myself because of stupid friends. I get there and drink a beer and watch the first band. Well after they played I went to the merchandise booth and started talking to the guy working the booth. I recognized him immediately and starting talking to him. He was Sanford Parker. So we started talking about heavy music and shit. Well I complimented him on how good the Minsk album was. So he asked me my opinion on the first which I said I didn't own. He quickly pointed how that he had it in stock with him so I bought it. Next he asked me if I have listened to BURIED AT SEA which I said no. He told me it's heavy drone like Sunn O))) but had the Hawkwind feel of Minsk. Plus it's the band he plays guitar in and sings. So I bought it. Fast forward to later that night. I get home at 2 am and decide to listen to this album. I found it weird that it was 2 seconds short of 30 minutes and it was ONE TRACK. So this is how I can describe it. It drones, it's spacey, and heavy. You won't hear the vocals until 14 minutes into it. It's like a very large classical piece where it builds up to a point and sortof explodes. In this case the explosion is the metal bit otherwise this is an ambient piece. I highly recommend this for people who like stuff that is a bit out there for most people yet want something heavy. Otherwise go back to your radio rock. (ZELL SABREHAVEN)
NEUROT RECORDINGS
www.neurotrecordings.com, customerservice@neurotrecordings.com, www.myspace.com/buriedatsea


AMENRA
MASS IIII
This is a hard album to describe. I think their myspace page describes their sound on simple terms. Down-tempo/Trance/Hardcore yet it's a little complicated from that. You can hear those sounds but it's a little bit more than that. One thing I do like is the religious ties on the album. The songs have a tendency to go into religious bits but instead of sounding happy, it sounds like they mourn religion. "I bare.my arms.now drive your nails through my palms.when we meet.drive those.nails right through my feet.I have given you something real.you thought that you'd never feel." The guitars are deep and sound like most doom metal bands but they have a tendency to play something lighter yet still overdriven. It's somewhat shoegazey at times. I love the sound and the emotion they convey but at the same time I keep getting images of this would be the soundtrack to self mutilation or death. Not a "rest in piece" kind of death but the act of falling from grace. (ZELL SABREHAVEN)
www.hypertensionrecords.com, info@hypertensionrecords.com, www.churchofra.com, www.ritualofra.com, www.myspace.com/amenra

ZOROASTER
VOICE OF SATURN
Ok so I bought this album from the drummer right when they were in Chicago. They played this album live for the show. They were awesome live. So on this album they once again changed their sound. Most doom or sludge bands don't progress much at all, they usually tend to release the same stuff over and over again like most Darkthrone worshiping black metal bands. With Zoroaster, this time they use more Moog synthesizers and such. Vintage analog sounds which are so much better than synths used in this digital age. The first song begins of noodling of a synthesizer. When the second song begins it's some nice midpaced doom with some interesting bits. Near the middle of the song it gets quiet and then a piano and acoustic guitar begins to play. After a few seconds of that they go into a shoegaze moment. A FUCKING SHOEGAZE MOMENT! I love shoegaze so this bit is a great way to end the show. Most of the songs follow the doom metal route that the second song had but they mix it up a bit with the synthesizers and stuff. Another thing that should be mentioned is this album is slightly faster than Dog Magic.(ZELL SABREHAVEN)
TERMINAL DOOM RECORDS
www.terminaldoomrecords.com, terminaldoomrecords@gmail.com, www.myspace.com/thezoroaster

"BREAKIN' THE LAW, BREAKIN' THE LAW!"

Judas Priest will take to the road again this summer to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their classic album "British Steel."

The summertime trek, which gets underway July 1 in St Charles, MO, has the metal icons co-headlining with Whitesnake on most of the dates. The outing wraps up Aug. 11 at Morrison, CO's Red Rocks Amphitheatre and comprises stops at festivals, fairs and outdoor venues across the nation, as well as a July 9 stop in Toronto. The full schedule is below.

Judas Priest has been a regular act on the summer concert circuit in recent years, including the Ozzfest and Metal Masters tours. This year's jaunt marks the upcoming anniversary of the group's 1980 release, "British Steel," and the band will commemorate the event by playing the classic album in its entirety at upcoming live shows--including hit singles "Breaking the Law" and "Living After Midnight"--as well as songs from other albums.

Remastered in 2001 and reissued with a few bonus tracks, the fresh version of the three-decade old album preceded the band's most recent release, 2008's "Nostradamus," which debuted at No. 11 on the Billboard 200, becoming their highest charting album ever.

NEW FROM CAPTAIN KYRCK

New Titles from Kyrck - March 2009

008: Manes – Solve Et Coagula cd 10 euros

009: Ulver – Vargnatt cd 13 euros comes with free poster

010: Order of the Ebon Hand – A Mystic… cd 10 euros

Past titles:

007: Ved Buens Ende “Those..” cd 13 euro comes with free poster

006:Strid s/t cd 13 euro comes with free poster

005: Thorns “Stigma Diabolicum”cd 13 euro comes with free poster

Limited edition leatherbooks :

Ulver 22 euros comes with free poster

Ved Buens Ende 22 euros comes with free poster

Manes 2 cd 25 euros

Strid 22 euros comes with free poster

Thorns 22 euros comes with free poster

Kawir 22 euros

Postage is not included in the price, contact us for a quote. Available as quantities last.
NOTE: we suggest registered for additional 3,5 euro per package for safety
K.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
The Present:
Ulver : Vargnatt CD + Leatherbook
Manes : Solve et Coagulla CD
Order of the Ebon Hand : Mystic Path to the Netherworld
Ved Buens Ende.. "Those who caress the Pale" Leatherbook CD

The Past:
Ved Buens Ende.. "Those who caress the Pale" Leatherbook CD
Strid "s/t" CD
Thorns "Stigma Diabolicum" CD

The future:
Limbonic Art: Rehearsal 95-96 Cd/LPs
Aptorian Demon: new full length cd
Strid/Raumr : split CD/LP
Manes/Manes split LP
+more...

Kyrck Prod. & Armour, P.O.BOX 3336, 102 10, Athens, HELLAS (GR)
www.kyrck-productions.cjb.net

SUSPERIA SINGER UPDATE

SUSPERIA: Singer's Operation A Success Despite Further Complications

Oslo, Norway -- Despite further complications SUSPERIA singer Athera (Pal Mathiesen) successfully underwent open heart surgery on Monday March 16th 2009 at Rikshospitalet University Hospital, Oslo, Norway. Originally scheduled to have a triple bypass operation, surgeons discovered further problems which resulted in the vocalist also having a main artery - which previously ran to his lungs -connected directly to his heart. Athera will remain in hospital to recuperate and has been advised by doctors that full recovery will take between three and five months.

Still in some agony from his ordeal and in reflective mood, Athera said: "Wow - Well what happened there?! It looks like this time my name wasn't on the guest list at the pearly gates or the other place down below. I got through the surgery and I'm now back in the regional hospital after five days at the specialist heart clinic. Here in my hospital bed I'm contemplating the enormity of what happened - the what ifs and the what might have been. I'm in agony but the strong medication helps. It was a heavy operation having my body parts re-arranged - If a musician ever needed a "TUNE UP," I hope this was it. There are some tough times ahead but I will get there in the end."

Commenting further on the messages of support and with an eye on the future he added: "I'm truly amazed at people's humanity at times like this, with all the goodwill messages I've been getting from friends and strangers. Once again the metal community comes through with flying colors, putting their prejudices aside to come together as one. Respect to those who took the time to send messages of support. It's heart-warming to get messages from metalheads who don't have the time of day for my band yet still find the time to send a message.You all helped me get through this, and strengthened my metal heart! .I will be out of the game for a while till my chest bones completely heal and I can sing fully again. I wish my boys a good trip round the UK in May on the tour, and am confident they will bring along a singer that will make the show worth while for you. I wish I could be there, "

As previously reported, SUSPERIA have confirmed the postponement of Norwegian dates, which were set for April 09. Their UK tour in May with Breed 77 will go ahead at the insistence of Athera himself, having urged the band not to let their UK fans down and to look at finding a replacement vocalist.

The release of SUSPERIA's next studio album is set for early summer as planned, through Candlelight Records. Full details will be announced shortly.

http://www.susperia.net
http://www.myspace.com/susperiafans
http://www.candlelightrecordsusa.com

TALES FROM THE SEIZURE CRYPT

Seizure Crypt - Underneath The Gun
Punk and Metal. I love 'em both. Having grown up listening to Crossover during the 80's as a kid, it's been a while since I've heard something as good as this. It contains some really cool dual vocals that exchanges from one guy to the other rather perfectly. The riffs are pretty catchy with lots of twists and turns to make it a pretty good fucking record. I've been slowly getting back into the newer NYC hardcore/crossover shit in the past year or so and this is definately one of the best so far. I might have to look into their back catalogue and to check out their older stuff. Mainstream music is for idiots. (UGLY GREG)
SELF-RELEASED
wwww.seizurecrypt.com, www.myspace.com/seizurecrypt

AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN THE THRONE ROOM

WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM to headline North American tour

Acclaimed ethereal USBM unit WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM have just announced their upcoming North American tour this May, which they will be headlining. Joined by a host of other acts such as Krallice, A Storm of Light, Thrones and more along the way, the band has also been added to this years Maryland Deathfest which lands in the middle of the tour, appearing alongside Destroyer 666, Absu, Bolt Thrower, Brutal Truth and more.

WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM - headlining North American tour

5/13/2009 Marquis Theatre - Denver, CO w/Krallice

5/14/2009 The Picador - Iowa City, IA w/Krallice

5/15/2009 Triple Rock Social Club - Minneapolis, MN

5/16/2009 Bottom Lounge - Chicago, IL w/Krallice, A Storm of Light

5/17/2009 Casbah - Hamilton, ON w/A Storm of Light, Krallice

5/18/2009 Wreck Room - Toronto, ON w/Thrones, Krallice, A Storm of Light

5/19/2009 La Sala Rosa - Montreal, QC w/Thrones, Krallice, A Storm of Light

5/21/2009 Great Scott - Allston, MA w/Krallice, A Storm of Light

5/22/2009 Europa - Brooklyn, NY w/Thrones, A Storm of Light

5/23/2009 Sonar - Baltimore, MD - as part of Maryland Deathfest

5/24/2009 Club Hell - Providence, RI w/A Storm of Light

5/25/2009 Wallingford American Legion - Wallingford, CT w/Krallice, A Storm of Light

5/26/2009 The Studio at Webster Hall - New York, NY w/Krallice, A Storm of Light

5/28/2009 Kung Fu Necktie - Philadelphia, PA w/Krallice, A Storm of Light [6 PM show]

5/28/2009 Kung Fu Necktie - Philadelphia, PA w/Krallice, A Storm of Light [10 PM show]

5/29/2009 Gallery 5 - Richmond, VA w/Krallice, A Storm of Light, Forensics

5/30/2009 The Hideaway - Johnson City, TN w/Krallice, A Storm of Light

6/01/2009 Caledonia - Athens, GA w/Krallice, A Storm of Light
6/02/2009 The Earl - Atlanta, GA w/Krallice, A Storm of Light

All of this action after the now ongoing tour WITTR is on alongside Tombs and label mates Pelican. The band are touring in support of their third full-length Black Cascade, which is reaping massive critical response from the media!


"...an undeniably powerful, epic slab of atmospheric black metal." - Decibel

The group’s music is swirlier and noisier and more cathartic than most black metal;
its long pieces reward your attention with real musical narrative." - The New York Times

"Wolves in the Throne Room have moved from talented upstarts to potential leaders
of the 'new wave of black metal' with Black Cascade." - Sea of Tranquility


An updated press gallery for Black Cascade is fully operational: http://www.southernlord.com/press/wolvesinthethroneroom

SELFMADE IN THE SHADE PART 2

New from SELFMADEGOD Records:

MOTHRA - Dyes
If you like blastbeats, sonic beat downs, hoarse vocals, choppy riffs and something like Unsane on speed, then you've got it here in MOTHRA. Songs take a left turn and then a right before circling back and threatening to turn the wheel violently while stepping on the gas, damn the consequences. Just when you think you're in for a high-octane ride, they throw a slow burner at you, and yet you're compelled by the power of MOTHRA to stay on board. And when you've about caught your breath, they throw even more tricks at you , if only to demonstrate that when you think you have this band figured out, you probably don't. Fans of Converge, Burnt By The Sun and older The Dillinger Escape Plan pay head!
http://www.myspace.com/mothra

EGOIST - Ultra-Selfish Revolution
Besides some solos from Patrick Mameli of Pestilence and C-187 fame, a maniac from Poland named Stanislaw Wolonciej recorded and produced the album Ultra-Selfish Revolution himself, under the name EGOIST, and that included writing and performing all of the music himself. And what does this music sound like? Well, take the off-time tempo, crunch and clean-tone moments of Meshuggah and add prog metal influences and sound effects from outer space, and clean and supremely confident vocals over top, and you have something approximating what EGOIST does on this, the second release. Fat, downtuned riffs pile up, ready to slap upside the head anyone who foolishly isn't paying attention. Melodies and harmonies with large helpings of reverb and texture weave an enveloping cloud that will give any prog rock enthusiast something to get excited about. And throughout it all EGOIST keeps moving, not content to ride any one set of ideas for too long before expanding, growing and tugging you along for the ride.
http://egoist.metal.pl/
http://www.myspace.com/egoistpoland

http://www.selfmadegod.com
http://www.myspace.com/selfmadegodrecords

PLATEAU OF GORGOROTH

GORGOROTH TRADEMARK VERDICT REACHED

Oslo City District Court has delivered a verdict on the main question in the GORGOROTH trademark case, which took place at the end of January 2009. The court has decided that King Ov Hell's trademark registration #243365 of the band name GORGOROTH is NOT valid and shall therefore be deleted. The court states that King ov Hell and Gaahl excluded themselves from the band GORGOROTH when they tried to fire Infernus in October 2007. The court further states that Infernus cannot be excluded from GORGOROTH, unless he himself decides to quit. Infernus is very pleased, but not surprised, by this verdict. The remaining issues concerning financial matters and such are yet to be decided upon.

Blabbermouth.net has received the following statement from bassist Tom Cato Visnes and vocalist Kristian Espedal regarding the latest developments in their legal dispute with guitarist Infernus over the rights to the GORGOROTH band name: "Regarding the recent court case over the use of the name GORGOROTH, Kristian Espedal and Tom Cato Visnes confirm that parts of the verdict have been decided and went in favour of Infernus. This is only a partial verdict on the case. Because of the complexity of this case, there will be further court hearings and the final verdict will be announced within a few weeks.”

"Gaahl and King wish Infernus the best of luck using the banner of GORGOROTH on his art.”

http://www.gorgoroth.info
http://www.regainrecords.com

WE'RE ALL HOPING FOR THE BEST...

SUSPERIA VOCALIST TO UNDERGO OPEN HEART SURGERY

OSLO, NORWAY: SUSPERIA vocalist Athera (Pal Mathieson) remains under close observation at Akershus Universitetssykehus Hospital in Lørenskog, Norway following his heart attack last week. The singer has been diagnosed with a previously undetected genetic disorder that will require the replacement of three narrowed arteries and three heart valves. He will undergo a triple heart by-pass operation through open heart surgery on Monday March 16th 2009. Meanwhile the singer is being kept on heavy doses of medication to keep his blood thin and his heart rate down.

Though in a serious, but stable condition, a highly spirited and medicated Athera speaking from his hospital bed sent the following message: "Hey everyone out there in the metal universe - friends and strangers. Thanks for all your messages of support. I'm lying here in the hospital reading them all and it's really nice to see that so many of you have taken the time to send them. It's overwhelming. I've had a big shock and it's not something I would want anyone to experience. You know, I always wanted to hit the headlines - but not in this way! Looks like the SUSPERIA curse has hit again, a new album and tour on the way and one of us complicates it all. But damn it, we will never let anything stop us - ever! Even if death itself comes knocking and believe me it did. I am undergoing open heart surgery this Monday to replace some broken valves and veins, and then this metal heart will beat once again. The Doc(tor) says I'll be back stronger than ever. I will have to spend a long time in the hospital, but it's not that bad. You should see the nurses taking care of me. Could be worse. Looking forward to getting back up and on the road again. Sorry for the shows that I'm not going to be able to do. I will make it up to you guys. You all make me stronger, I am truly grateful."

Future plans for SUSPERIA remain mixed. However the band have confirmed the postponement of Norwegian dates, which were set for April 09. Their UK tour in May with Breed 77 will go ahead at the insistence of Athera himself. He has urged the band not to let their UK fans down and to look at finding a replacement vocalist.

The release of SUSPERIA's next studio album is still set for early summer as planned, through the band's new label Candlelight Records. Full details will be announced shortly.

www.susperia.net
www.myspace.com/susperiafans
www.candlelightrecordsusa.com

DOUBLE DOSE OF MILITARY MIGHT.

EMPIRE AURIGA - AURIGA DYING
It's a cold, bleak world painted by Empire Auriga, where tanks grind miles of skulls under them and rivers of blood run knee deep. War is eternal, and survival is a skill set only so few have mastered. The military industrial complex interjects its ugly thoughts into all facets of life. Harsh, bombastic darkwave by Empire Auriga is all we have to listen to. Is it torture, or the most morbid form of pleasure? Only you, the audience, can decide for yourselves! (FA)
MORIBUND RECORDS
www.moribundcult.com, nathan@moribundcult.com, www.myspace.com/empireauriga

ATOMTRAKT - NUKLEARCHETYP
The much anticipated (at least by me!) second release of cold and grim industrial/darkwave anthems of Atomtrakt does not disappoint in the slightest. Eerie and dark military culture worship summoning the dead spirits of nationalist kings, dictators, and generals who time and time again I won't hesitate to say maintain a sense of order, discipline, and productivity in the world that no amount of democracy (especially when it becomes a sham circus of identity politics among it's welfare statehood) can ever hope to create. Atomtrakt shows us that is still that sliver of hope that this world can still be salvaged and redeemed from the yoke of failed democratic ideals. Reclaim your ideals, your identity, and your pride and don't succumb blindly to mass hysteria. It's proven time and again how miserably it fails. Hail discipline, ultra-nationalism, hail Atomtrakt! (FA)
MERCENARY MUSIK
www.mercenarymusik.com, info@mercenarymusik.com, www.atomtrakt.com, www.myspace.com/atomtraktofficial

XBLOKH

Yale student sues airline for $1M over lost Xbox
21-year-old says he received ‘an unconscionable run-around’ from carrier
updated 7:14 a.m. MT, Wed., March. 11, 2009

CINCINNATI - A Yale University student from Ohio has filed a lawsuit seeking $1 million from US Airways for a video game console he says was taken from his luggage.

Twenty-one-year-old Jesse Maiman alleges that during a flight from New Haven, Connecticut, to Cincinnati in December, his Xbox 360 with a specialized hard drive disappeared from his luggage.

Maiman says he got what he called "an unconscionable run-around" from the airline, according to The Cincinnati Enquirer newspaper. He's asking $1,700 for the loss of the gaming system and for the maximum damages allowable, or $1 million.

A US Airways spokeswoman said the airline was unaware of the suit but noted that the government limits liability for lost luggage to $3,300 per bag.

Dig unearths female 'vampire' in Venice
In 16th century, 'shroud-eaters' were thought to rise up and drink blood
By Ariel David
updated 1:20 p.m. MT, Fri., March. 13, 2009

ROME - An archaeological dig near Venice has unearthed the 16th-century remains of a woman with a brick stuck between her jaws — evidence, experts say, that she was believed to be a vampire.

The unusual burial is thought to be the result of an ancient vampire-slaying ritual. It suggests the legend of the mythical bloodsucking creatures was tied to medieval ignorance of how diseases spread and what happens to bodies after death, experts said.

The well-preserved skeleton was found in 2006 on the Lazzaretto Nuovo island, north of the lagoon city, amid other corpses buried in a mass grave during an epidemic of plague that hit Venice in 1576.

"Vampires don't exist, but studies show people at the time believed they did," said Matteo Borrini, a forensic archaeologist and anthropologist at Florence University who studied the case over the last two years. "For the first time we have found evidence of an exorcism against a vampire."

Medieval texts show the belief in vampires was fueled by the disturbing appearance of decomposing bodies, Borrini told The Associated Press by telephone.

During epidemics, mass graves were often reopened to bury fresh corpses and diggers would chance upon older bodies that were bloated, with blood seeping out of their mouth and with an inexplicable hole in the shroud used to cover their face.

"These characteristics are all tied to the decomposition of bodies," Borrini said. "But they saw a fat, dead person, full of blood and with a hole in the shroud, so they would say: 'This guy is alive, he's drinking blood and eating his shroud.'"

Modern forensic science shows the bloating is caused by a buildup of gases, while fluid seeping from the mouth is pushed up by decomposing organs, Borrini said. The shroud would have been consumed by bacteria found in the mouth area, he said.

At the time however, what passed for scientific texts taught that "shroud-eaters" were vampires who fed on the cloth and cast a spell that would spread the plague in order to increase their ranks.

To kill the undead creatures, the stake-in-the-heart method popularized by later literature was not enough: A stone or brick had to be forced into the vampire's mouth so that it would starve to death, Borrini said.

That's what is believed to have happened to the woman found on the Lazzaretto island, which was used as a quarantine zone by Venice. Aged around 60, she died of the plague during the epidemic that also claimed the life of the painter Titian.

Much later, someone jammed the brick into her mouth when the grave was reopened. Borrini said that marks and breaks left by blunt instruments on several among more than 100 skeletons found by the archaeologists show that the grave was reused in a later epidemic.

Such a reconstruction of events is plausible, as is the link to the superstitions about "shroud-eaters," said Piero Mannucci, the vice president of the Italian Society of Anthropology and Ethnology.

"Maybe a priest or a gravedigger put the brick in her mouth, which is what was normally done in such cases," Mannucci said.

The anthropologist, who did not take part in Borrini's research, said that at a time when bacteria were unknown, such superstitions were a way for the terrified population to explain the waves of plague epidemics that killed millions during the Middle Ages. Jews were also often accused of spreading the disease.

Borrini said the discovery shows that vampires in popular culture were originally quite different from the elegant, aristocratic blood-drinker depicted in Bram Stoker's 1897 novel "Dracula" and in countless Hollywood revisitations.

"The real vampire of tradition was different," he said. "It was just a decomposing body."

BLOODOSAKED GLORY!

New BLOODSOAKED CD "Sadistic Deeds...Grotesque Memories", is now available for Pre-Order!

visit: http://www.myspace.com/bloodsoakedband or http://www.comatosemusic.com to order!


"Rotting In Filth", the new video from BLOODSOAKED - the North Carolina based Death Metal band can be viewed below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbDGgpbrmDA


"Rotting In Filth" is the opening song from BLOODSOAKED's 10-track second album, "Sadistic Deeds...Grotesque Memories", which will be released in late April on Comatose Music. The CD was recorded, mixed and mastered at Kazrog Studios by Shane McFee. According to the press release, the album is a vile dose of old school, no frills, straight forward classic Death Metal, nothing more, nothing less. The album cover is a evil painting made by the artist Torch.

"Sadistic Deeds...Grotesque Memories" track listing:

01. Rotting In Filth
02. Suicide
03. Exsistence Denied
04. Grotesque Memories
05. Rise With Me
06. Depression
07. My Own God
08. Unborn Horror
09. Blind Death Beating
10. Gates To Hell (Obituary Cover)



You can catch BLOODSOAKED on his 18 day "Slaughtering The South III" tour begining April 29th.

Full "Slaughtering The South III" tour dates/venues:

April 29 @ Volume 11 Tavern / Raleigh, North Carolina
May 1 @ Ground Zero / Spartanburg, South Carolina
May 2 @ The Longbranch Saloon / Knoxville, Tennessee
May 3 @ The Bulldog Cafe / Fairdale, Kentucky
May 4 @ The Riot Room / Kansas, MO
May 5 @ Cesspool Castle / Joplin, MO
May 6 @ 516 Soundstage / Shreveport, Louisiana
May 7 @ Rockstar Sports Bar / Fort Worth, Texas
May 8 @ The Backroom Club / Abilene, Texas
May 9 @ Thunder of Gods Festival / Dripping Springs, Texas
May 10 @ Walters on Washington / Houston, Texas
May 11 @ @ Insomkneeaks / Baton Rouge, Louisiana
May 12 @ Latitudes Bar & Grill / Panama City, Florida
May 13 @ Gasoline Alley / Largo, Florida
May 14 @ The Dungeon / Orlando, Florida
May 15 @ The Oasis Bar / Charleston, South Carolina
May 16 @ Swayze’s / Marietta, Georgia
May 17 @ Plan B / Danville, Virgina


For more information, visit www.myspace.com/bloodsoakedband


Peter - Bloodsoaked

Paragon Records Update

DIAMATREGON
Crossroad LP
Record number three from this French black metal horde. A concept record of sorts, influenced heavily by the blues, hence, Crossroad. Buzzing, blasting, blurred black metal fury, but with a strange melodic undercurrent, close listening does in fact reveal some blues, but those blues are buried beneath a roiling black sea of furious guitars, wild drum blasts and howled vokills. Gloriously grim, noise drenched and black.Who would have thought that members of distorto psych rockers The Gunslingers and avant alchemical post rockers Aluk Todolo were capable of such black brutality. - Andee/tUMULt

Sound sample here:
http://www.paragonrecords.org/mp3/01_wine.mp3

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SECTIONED:
Oldschool melodic death metallers, SECTIONED, have posted their demo for free download here:
http://www.filezzz.com/download/36262/Sectioned.rar.html
Their debut album, title TBA, will be released later this year.

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KHORS
Mysticism
The Ukrainian pagan dark metallers are currently available for interviews (email preferred). Still don't know who they are?
Band info: Formed by former Astrofaes bassist, Khorus, and later joined by Helg (Runes Of Dianecht) and Khaoth (Tessaract, ex-Astrofaes, ex-Hate Forest), Khors play Ukrainian black metal that combines a somber atmosphere with rich melodies. Since their formation, KHORS have quickly garnered a reputation for their unforgettable live performances, playing alongside Obtest, Behemoth, Butterfly Temple, Bloodrain, and many more. Khors have previously released two acclaimed albums on the Oriana label in addition to a live DVD. Mysticism, is out now on Paragon Records.
http://www.khors.info

http://www.myspace.com/khorspagan



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CRUCIFIER & CASTEVET!
To celebrate their upcoming releases, CRUCIFIER and CASTEVET will appear live on March 22nd at Public Assembly in Brooklyn, as part of the ongoing Show No Mercy series from Pitchfork. Alongside will be Villains, Nocnitsa and Dimentianon.

Public Assembly
70 North 6th St.
Brooklyn, NY
11211
Closet Subway: L to Bedford Ave.

Cross Streets: Wythe and Kent
http://www.publicassemblynyc.com

http://paragonrecords.org
http://www.myspace.com/paragon_records

WITCH!!!

SUSPERIA VOCALIST SUFFERS HEART ATTACK


OSLO, NORWAY -- Athera ( Pal Mathieson) , vocalist with Norwegian band SUSPERIA, was rushed to Akershus Universitetssykehus Hospital in Lørenskog, Norway on the morning of March 9th suffering from acute stomach pains and heavy bleeding. Initial tests revealed that the singer had suffered a heart attack caused by a damaged blood vessel. Athera is currently in the intensive care unit under close observation, while further tests are carried out. He is expected to remain hospitalised for the foreseeable future. At this moment future plans including touring commitments remain unchanged, until a full diagnosis of his condition has been confirmed.

Athera recently completed vocals on SUSPERIA's fifh studio album, which is due for an early summer release through the bands new label Candlelight Records.The band worked continuously throughout 2008 on the album which Athera described as "going back to the early days with the melancholic riffing and dark emotional vocals and coming all the way through to today, with a perfect blend of everything Susperia has been and become."

Everyone involved with the band wishes Athera a fast and speedy recovery.

www.susperia.net
www.myspace.com/susperiafans
www.candlelightrecordsusa.com

TIMMYYYYYYYYYYY!

Tim Williams
By Mike SOS

When catching up with VOD and Bloodsimple vocalist Tim Williams in early 2009, we talked about the return and immediate future of seminal unit VOD, where that leaves Bloodsimple in the mix, lamented over the NYC scene and relived some of the rich NYHC history Williams played a big part in.

What prompted the reunion and the DVD?
TIM WILLIAMS: Well what prompted the reunion was kind of strange, you know, because Bloodsimple is very, very fucking busy. And there was no time, for at least me and Mike to do any VOD. And I can’t really exactly recall what prompted it. But I know the guys, we always still wanted to do it but we just didn’t really know how. And Matt was really involved with his shit and Brendon and Fleish were doing their shit and me and Mike were doing ours. Bloodsimple tacked on like a headliner show on Long Island. And you know, we wanted to make it something special. Bloodsimple is alright on Long Island, but we really weren’t super big, we were like bigger in places like Texas and shit like that. So we were in Atlantic City one weekend just hanging out and talked about wanting to get started with that and how we could just make it a really, really fun night. And we both were like, “Ah, it’ll probably never happen.” But I was like, “Fuck it, I’m gonna ask those guys.” You know? And it wound up working out and we hadn’t played in like fucking seven or eight years, you know. Word got out that there was a special guest and word got out that it was, you know, big. It didn’t take an idiot to put it together that every VOD member was gonna be in the club that night. And we hadn’t played or rehearsed in years. And we did three songs-- or I think we only did two. I think we just did “Choke” and “DTO” and part of something else. And the crowd reaction was just so fucking ridiculous that that kind of planted the seed. And then the DVD came to light and we did a couple of shows for that and those were really successful. And next thing you know we just finally got off our asses and made it all happen. That’s pretty much how it went down.

There’s a new VOD album in the works, is that correct?
TIM WILLIAMS: Yeah, that is officially correct and I honesty couldn’t be happier. I was at rehearsal last night out on Long Island and you know, we got three songs in the bag and we finally record just a quick little rough recording in the studio so I can write my lyrics to and we can kind of listen back to see what we have. And those three songs are fucking monsters man. They’re really fucking sick. So I’m really happy with them so far.

Any idea who you guys are gonna be working with or what’s the deal, like I guess is it still too early to tell or--
TIM WILLIAMS: It’s a little too early tell. There’s definitely like one major producer we’re working out. But I don’t want to say anything until I get some paperwork in front of me, but he’s a really big name and if he gets his hands on it it’s gonna be fucking great. And as for the labels and business, I know we just want to keep it very small and in house. I don’t need any big label. We all know what VOD’s capable of and we really just want to make our record for our fans that have come to the last couple of shows, people who I’ve met worldwide during Bloodsimple. If we reach a couple of new ones in the process. I want to make a record for my fans and for my peers. Like VOD has always been a favorite of like the bands. I get people coming up to me, you know, Bloodsimple did some amazing fucking touring with some huge-- we rode with some huge people and so many people in bands are into VOD. I’m really just-- want to make it for the fans and I want to make it for the bands who have given me props over the years and that’s about it. You know, no egos or-- I’m just making music on my own terms now and I feel I’ve earned that and I feel really proud that I can actually have people still interested. And like I’m in the position where I can make music on my own terms. So that’s pretty much where we’re at.

It’s nice to see you guys get that kind of respect
TIM WILLIAMS: Yeah, you know, I’m a big fan-- you know, I don’t need fame. You know, I’ve had my fair share of it honesty. And money-wise I’ve always been alright with money ‘cause I’m a hard worker. And I’d much rather have the gratitude from people come up to me, you know, from various bands and be like, “Yo, you’ve influenced me this way and you did that for me and this song did that for me.” And now they’re saying that, you know, various people within the business-- I think it’s hilarious that VOD is, like, spawned this fucking metal core shit which is pretty hilarious to me. And to me that’s the biggest reward right there, to be looked at as a pioneer, which I never fucking thought would ever happen in a million years. And to have prominent people in the music business come up to me and say that kind of shit to me, that’s the biggest reward ever. And you know, I really show gratitude for that.

How do you feel about being put at like the top of the metalcore totem pole?
TIM WILLIAMS: Well it’s very hard to say if you’re at the top. Like I said I’m really humbled and I think it’s amazing. I don’t feel any pressure at all. I feel I’m gonna do what I always do and take it, you know, the only pressure I feel is the last Bloodsimple record vocally I think I really, really did a really good job and I have to somehow top that and the musicians within Bloodsimple were phenomenal and I really don’t want to take a step back, I need to expand on that. And that’s where the challenge lies for me. But I don’t know if I’m at the top of any totem pole at all. I just feel I’m doing my own thing. And that’s what I’ve always done and I’ve been lucky to stay in the game for as long as I have.

Who would you cite as like a metal core band that either you really like or you see a lot of VOD in?
TIM WILLIAMS: I see a lot of fucking-- well as for liking I’m really, really picky with the music I like. So there’s, you know, it’s just cause I’ve been in it for so long it’s got to be really fucking good to catch my attention. And then for me to like it on top of it, and that’s not arrogance and that’s not me being a dick, I’m just so submersed in it. I live my life through it. It’s a huge part of my life and it really takes a lot. I don’t even know what the fuck metal core is anymore honestly. Like you said it’s so diverse and there’s so much. But you know, like Killswitch Engage is a really good band. And I’ve heard I’ve had a pretty heavy influence on them and that’s an honor ‘cause they’re really big and they’ve really stuck to their roots and done very well. Lamb of God, I don’t know if you can consider them metal core, but I think they’re phenomenal and it took me a while to catch on to them, but I really fucking like them now. And Converge, they’re not metalcore at all. I really respect them for a band that has really stuck to their roots and it’s come full circle for them and they have shared a certain amount of respect and they command their niche and I really respect that. Even bands like Dillinger Escape Plan, I really respect what they have done with their career. You know, that kind of keep going and going and have done well. You know? Bands like that, I’m sure if you hang up the phone I’ll think of a couple more. But off the top of my head those are the bands that come on my iPod. I have everybody on my iPod but some of ‘em I skip. But when bands like that come up on my iPod I tend to listen and you know, I don’t hit the skip button. That to me signals that I actually like them. You know?

Obviously coming from Long Island and hitting the New York hardcore scene has definitely been probably a pivotal part of your upbringing and basically shaped your sound, you know what I mean? How much of it do you still follow? How do you feel that the scene-- I don’t know, I mean I know you guys are always on the road and basically you’re more of a national act now, but like, do you still keep your finger on the pulse of what’s going on locally?
TIM WILLIAMS: Funny you use the term finger on the pulse, ‘cause that’s pretty much what I do. You know, it’s not as easy as it used to be ‘cause I’m really busy and it isn’t as big a scene as it once was, that’s for shit sure. Long Island has taken significant hits, they’ve lost a lot of clubs and New York City needless to say has nothing left, you know, to play at small club wise unless you want to play at the Knitting Factory, which personally to me sucks dick for heavy music. You know? But like I said, it’s really hard. But you know, I’m pretty much a grassroots guy and the bands I came up with I keep an eye on, like Madball, Crown of Thorns. I heard Murphy’s Law just played the Trash Bar and packed it out and I was happy to hear that. You know, just like bands that when New York to me are the bands that I’m always interested in such as Subzero, Sick of It All, even Biohazard, those are the guys that changed my life and influenced me. You know, I remember sending an e-mail out to Freddy Madball not too long ago when I was on the Disturbed tour and being on a big tour like that it’s ridiculous. And one day I flipped on-- I was all bummed out and I flipped on DMS and I worked out to it and then fucking made me feel so fucking good to know that I came from that and what I do now, you know, I bring my music to the big stages. But I came from them and Freddy Madball and Madball changed my life. And they had a big influence on our music within VOD and if it wasn’t for bands like that I don’t know if I’d be where I was today. You know? And that was, you know, that’s how I keep my finger on the pulse. I look out for them and I try and hook up bands when I can, when I’m in a position to hook them up. And I just go with it, you know, bands like Candiria, shit like that, you know, I always go check them out and check to look up on them on myspace and shit like that to see where they’re at. You know, I try my best. But like I said, I’m not a kid anymore. I’ve got a lot of fucking responsibility. And it’s really hard to that unless it’s something I really got to go out and see.

What else are you doing besides music these days?
TIM WILLIAMS: Well you know, I’m a daddy now so that’s a big thing and that doesn’t make anything fucking easy, you know? It’s really hard and that’s taking up a lot of my time, but it’s all good ‘cause if you’re gonna put your time into anything it might as well be a kid. And I’m a proud father of a 18 month old little girl. You know? And she is the best. And she keeps me grounded and she gives me a reason to get out there and do my thing. As of now I’ve put touring on hold because it’s not where I am right now. I’m a proud member of local 608 union, carpenters union in New York City. And that keeps me very busy and I also do my own work on the side. And on top of it fucking somehow write a record. So I take my vacations within music. I’ve got a couple of things...I gotta go record in California, so I’ll take time off for that. And I think were going to Europe in the summer to do some shit, and take time off for that. But otherwise, you know, I got a lot of things going on and I’m proud of what I’ve become, you know, career-wise and musician-wise. I really couldn’t be happier.

Growing up in Long Island, how did that shape your music, how did that shape your style, how did that shape your viewpoint on the way music should be played?

TIM WILLIAMS: Long Island was a very-- I don’t live there anymore, you know, but my mother’s still out there so I’m out there all the time. And it’s-- Long Island for us VOD would be absolutely not without Long Island hardcore. You know, VOD, we came out of high school just playing metal and then we met the guys from Loyal To None were the first hardcore band to show VOD any sort of attention. Not to go too far off the question here, but VOD, I don’t know, it was just the universe was aligned, there was just such a fucking scene. I don’t know what it’s like out there now. I don’t think it’s anything like it was. But it was such a vibrant, enormous scene, like, when VOD and you know, Silent Majority, Neglect, Disciplinary Action, Mind Over Matter and it was just every weekend, the Seattle of hardcore for us. It was bands coming in from out of town, Overcast, Bloodlet. Bands from the city, you know. And it was kind of hard to break into the city and you know, VOD just kicked that city door open and we fucking came in and we came in fucking guns blazing. Sure we were a little nervous, but I had some guy-- I had, you know, Rabies from Warzone sneaking me in the back door of a club saying I’m part of the fucking family now, “You can get in wherever the fuck you want.” And hearing that, you know, it’s just like, you know, that’s like he’s like a fucking prominent figure. Having Vinny Stigma come up and shake your hand and Freddy Madball and all these guys and you know, it was just such a fucking scene. It was ferocious. It was exciting. And you know, VOD played when “Still” was about to come out...2200 fucking people showing up to see an unsigned fucking band. That doesn’t fucking happen twice dude, never. We didn’t know that was gonna happen. We played with Korn at the Roxy one night. A month, two months later we recorded “Still” and showed up at the PWAC and there was a line five people deep wide wrapped around the fucking building. I had never seen it like that ever in my life and I’ll never see it like that ever again. And I was 20 years old. I wasn’t even 21 yet. And growing up on Long Island was instrumental in my lyrical content at the time. Shaped my lyrics, shaped me as a musician and shaped me, you know, to prepare myself for the journey ahead as into the main stage and the national acts. And I flew NY hardcore flag every fucking where we went, throughout the VOD years, the Bloodsimple years, I brought that shit to the top and I’ve had James Hetfield fucking, you know, Jerry Cantrell, Phil Anselmo listening to fucking hardcore and listening to VOD and Bloodsimple. And I wouldn’t have any of that without VOD. Period.

What the toughest part about growing up in the New York City metro area and being a musician?
TIM WILLIAMS: There’s fucking nothing. It’s a really bad time right now. There is no fucking scene if you ask me. There’s no young scene anymore. It’s a lot of indie shit, it’s a lot of hipster shit, it’s not a metal town, it is not a hardcore town. It’s not even a punk town anymore. It’s not. And I’m-- dude I never took a break from heavy music. I went right from VOD straight into fucking Bloodsimple. This is my first break in over ten years. And I got, you know, I’m deep in that. I know what the fuck is going on. There ain’t nothing and that’s the hardest part. And it’s sad. There’s no more dirty clubs where you can roll up and pack 70-80 people in, start small and make look like it’s packed. There’s no more CBGB. Just today I thought if we mint, if this record kicked off and we did, we had a good response, if we have that then I could release it and have it packed out. I never saw CBGB so packed out than when I opened up to Superjoint Ritual. Fucking CBGB. And I never saw Phil Anselmo so excited to fucking play a show. And I had ringside seats to watch him rip that fucking band. And I know that guy personally, he an underground person. He’s not-- he’s a fucking punk rock hardcore [INAUD] rock fucking guy who likes to play dirty fucking clubs with bands like Superjoint Ritual. And I never saw that guy so alive. And he ripped it up. And I thought, with VOD, if that place was still open and VOD hits right with this record, we can have a moment like that. But then I’m like there ain’t no fucking place like that anymore. There won’t be and it’s fucking sad. You know? You go to the trash bar now in Brooklyn and that place has a decent sound, but it’s not like CB’s, you know, and it’s not like Coney Island High. And it sure as shit ain't like the Wetlands. And all those places are gone and that’s the saddest, most frustrating thing. There ain’t no New York scene anymore and it sucks.

Bloodsimple’s taking a break I’m assuming?
TIM WILLIAMS: Yeah, you know, personally I really, you know, I don’t want to get too much into the details. But it was just personally I mainly needed to take a break from it, you know. I’m not gonna speak for any of the other members in the band. But Bloodsimple went hard. Bloodsimple did more touring in six years-- I guess four years-- I guess six years, than VOD did in ten, Bloodsimple was balls to the walls a touring act. And we toured hard. You know, in an RV. We weren’t all glammed out in a fucking bus. And when we did Europe we did it in a van. We were getting murdered. And needless to say my personal life got, you know, I’m just gonna-- I don’t want to say everything, but it’s just Bloodsimple’s on a hiatus right now and it became the right moment, you know, in our lives to be lucky enough to do VOD where I can still create and I’m gonna roll with that for now. I would like nothing more if the time arrived and Bloodsimple can get in the studio and see if, you know, Bloodsimple isn’t as fortunate as VOD, you know, we weren’t as, you know, I don’t know what you want to say. But I don’t know if Bloodsimple can just get up and record a record again a couple of years from now. But if that opportunity presented itself I will gladly do it. And I’ll just leave it at that.

Is there more a brotherly bond in VOD or Bloodsimple?
TIM WILLIAMS: No, there’s a huge brotherly bond, but there’s a brotherly bond within both bands, there’s a deep, deep bond within Bloodsimple just as there’s a deep bond within VOD. You know, those are my bros and they’re some of my favorite people on this earth. Love ‘em, I hate ‘em, they are. And I had lifetime experiences with them that I’ll never forget. And it’s just, you know, Bloodsimple is just, right now, on hiatus. And you never know what’s gonna happen. You know, at one point I never thought I’d be doing another VOD record. So you never know.

What's the timeframe for this to get done? Is it kind of take as it comes?
TIM WILLIAMS: VOD, I want to be in the studio early summer, you know, but that’s gonna be very, very hard to achieve. But I would like to have the record done so that maybe we can go to Japan and do that Loudfest a year from now in like October. We might do some festivals in this summer. But without having a record out it’s gonna be kind of hard. But we’ll see what happens with that. And you know, personally I just want to put it out there that I’m actually working on putting out a book of my personal journals and poetry that I’ve written throughout the years of being on the road with VOD and Bloodsimple. And I’m also working on getting a web, my personal solo music, a website up where I do a lot more of my mellow stuff. But you’ve always heard mellow songs on a lot of my records. But this is going to be strictly mellow material. And I’m very excited about that and I’ve already got one song that I’m working on in the studio. And I hope for that page to be up in early ’09. And I hope people come to it, check it out and that there’ll be lyrics and journal entries and poetry and one track to start it all off with.

Who were some of your main influences? Are there any that we would be surprised by?
TIM WILLIAMS: What, for this VOD or--

In general. I mean, right now, where you’re at right now, standing where you’re at, who do you see, “Hey, you know what, I like what that guy’s doing. Maybe I could fine-tune that this way.” Or, “I admire the path that guy chose, I want to try to walk like that or try to maybe do it my way.”
TIM WILLIAMS: I’m doing-- well I’ve always done it my way. That’s the only way I think I’ve survived that long. You know, I’ve been lucky enough to be inventive and be considered an original singer. You know? And that’s very hard to achieve. But influences-wise I’m really looking at bringing it back to, you know, on the VOD stuff, a much rawer, vicious approach to the vocal style as opposed to Bloodsimple that was still raw, but it was a little more glossy and refined. But VOD I’m bringing it back to a lot of punk rock, early hardcore, you know, my style of hardcore and some really, but also with the really sick twist of what I’ve developed over the years. And you know, influences and music-wise I’m listening to a lot of different stuff. Like I’m listening to a lot of indie bands that are-- I don’t know how much of that’s gonna come out, but those are the types of bands, like Band Of Horses, Kings of Leon, that have really been catching my ear lately and I’ve really been listening to them a lot. And heavy music wise I just take it as it comes. You know, I’ve listened to so much of it over the years it comes up and I’m in the mood, like Metallica was on today and I was digging that. And you know, I just hit my shit on shuffle every day and I walk out the door. And you know, that’s where I’m at. But there’s a lot of music in my head these days and it’s hard to put my finger on it. Every given day it’s a different fucking day.

Any final comments for the readers?
TIM WILLIAMS: The goals are to achieve a five star VOD record for the fans that that’s the utmost priority, that VOD is back. And we’re not looking to change the fucking world ‘cause I couldn’t care less. We’re not looking to rewrite the face of heavy music at all. We’re just looking to record five star critically acclaimed VOD record that should have came a long time ago. And get out there, get out to the UK, do the northeast, maybe do California, maybe do a little southeast, get to Japan, maybe reach some fans out in South America and just check the shit out of people like we always do. Period. VOD. And there’s no doubt from the songs that I’ve heard that they’re ridiculous and over the top and we’ve got our hands on a sick all star known producer that has pretty much already said he’s going to commit. And this record is going to be, with the power of IMPRINT and the catchiness of the first album, but it’s probably gonna be the first VOD record that actually sounds really fucking good. And that’s no insult to anybody who’s worked with us in the past, it’s just VOD’s always seemed to miss its mark on our fault, not on any of the producers we worked with, on our fault. And I think this record’s really gonna fucking sound the way it should sound. And personally my goals are to get this poetry book out and get my acoustic stuff off the ground and hopefully in late ’09 record an acoustic and to have the release coincidence with the release of my book. That’s a lot of work, but I’m thinking I can achieve it. So we’ll see.

You’ve got a full plate my friend.
TIM WILLIAMS: Yeah, but it’s the only way to do it. You know?

CAN YOU DUG IT?

Dug from King's X
By Mike SOS

When speaking with Dug Pinnick from King's X over the phone a while back, everything from his upbringing to the making of the trio's latest outstanding disc XV to what aspirations the bassist/vocalist has left was discussed.

What do you guys do in the studio that helps incite the unique King's X edge ?
DUG: We don't do anything. We've been together for 25 years, and we've always just done what we do. Most everything that we do is just from instinct. We don't usually have any real deep conversations about how we want to do a song, or any concept or anything. When we're in the studio, we just go in and make music. We don't really think about it. And if there is any real magic going on, we don't really know it, because we're too busy painting the pictures. The fun that we get is when the record is done, and when the songs are all mixed. And then we sequence them. And then when we look at the sequence, then we realize what really happened. And then we smile and give it to the world.

Is it organic? You guys go in without basically a preconceived notion and then hammer stuff out?
DUG: Pretty much. I mean, I wrote ten songs off of this new record. And I brought my demos I with me. And I'd play a song, and we'd listen to it maybe twice. And then Jerry would go into his drum room.."How does that part go again?" And before I could even find it on my fret board, he had already known what it was. And then we just kind of go through the songs. We did maybe two or three takes, and that was it. And Michael said, "Well, if it ain't broke, don't fix it." And we just left it at that. And then we come back and we do the bass and then guitars and the vocals. But making a record is more work than a lot of emotional feelings of what you're creating. I don't think hardly anybody ever realizes what they're doing until they're done with it, when it comes to Earth.

It seems like there's a lot more uplifting vocals on this in general..
DUG: Well, you know, it is. And I just read a review a couple days ago about the new record. And somebody said, "Kings X are happy again, yay!" I guess it's true. All the music that we've done has always reflected on how we feel, what we're going through, what's happening in our life at that moment, or what we're focused on. So there was two divorces going on. There was a questioning of my faith. There was questioning sexuality. There was questioning the nature of man. Why is there so much suffering? I think we all just started looking at the world more realistically than through the little stained glass window that we started out looking at the world in. And so those things have changed. But I think we went through a lot of things. And we come out of it. And hopefully we're stronger. And the only thing that kept us going was hope. And at the end of the day, after writing as many songs and as many records as we've put out, I just want to have fun. I just want to go out and rock out and have some fun, have some great jump around, sing along, and go. Because that's what life's all about, just having a good time in the moment. In fact, I can't change the world. I can't change anything. But I still can give you a good time for a couple hours. And that's what it's all about. But we just connect and feel that we're people, and that we love each other, and that we're loved.

Actually, there's a lot of gospel-like singing on this. There's a lot of refrain as if you'd expect a choir to back you up at times.
DUG: Well, I did that on purpose, because when you go to a King's X show, people sing along all the time. The songs were never really written with a sing-along in mind. And on this record, there's a couple of songs on the record that I thought, "You know, it will be fun to hear the crowd sign this." And so "Go Tell Somebody," "All Right," and "Pray for Me," are especially three songs that I just look forward to the crowd singing along and just letting them take over. I mean they can be the choir for me. And I do believe that when everybody participates it brings everybody closer.

How do you feel your new label SPV's doing for you guys? How is it doing in the new market, in the new technology? Like where does KingsX fit into that?
DUG: Ooh. We're still trying to figure that out, like everybody else. You know, everything's changed. People are going, "What's the next big thing? Where's the new Nirvana? Where's the new Beatles?" Well, it already happened. It's called the internet and downloading, and a new way of doing things. Because the old way is over, period. And we're all just finally waking up and realizing. And if you don't step up to the plate, we don't have a job. So it's been really, really hard for us to figure out how to continue to do what we love to do and make a living at it.
Luckily, we do have VPs, however you say it, with Inside Out, and a cool manager who works-- all three entities kind of work together. And they really believe in us. And it's a lucky thing. It's a rare thing, actually. They actually got their little machine going on. It's on the new record, King's X XV And so they're pushing it. I mean I've done more interviews on this record than I've done in ten years. The record came out today. And it's number one on Amazon Rock. So it's like somebody's doing their job. So we're hoping that people will get to hear that. We're not going to get rich and sell millions and millions of records. That's passed now. But if we can just get everybody back on board that thought that we broke up around DOGMAN and pick up and get out there and just do our thing again, we'll be fine.

Totally. Well, you guys never really stopped doing your thing. It's more like the crowd left.
DUG: Well, the two things that happened was, number one, is when we left the major record label. Well, we were with the label that just weren't able to get the word out like it could have been. There was no more videos on MTV and stuff like that. So things have changed.

Having massive cross-over appeal, you guys get lumped in the metal, into the grunge, like the pioneers of grunge.What's your take?
DUG: We don't know what we are, that's the problem. Nobody does. And that's always been the problem. People try to categorize it, and they can't. And we didn't try to be this. We just did what we did.

Do you enjoy touring?
DUG: You know, I love touring, and I miss it. I haven't been on the road for three years, and I'm ready to lose my mind. I mean literally. I mean because I've been doing this almost all my life. I go on the road, and I come home. My body and my mind mentally is used to it. And this is the longest I've been home in 25 years, I think. It's taken its toll on me. I've gotten to a place where I've gotten depressed and I've gotten-- just didn't know what to do with myself. And it's just all the bad things. Because all you got to do, and you ain't got nothing to do. And I don't mean saying that you don't not have nothing to do, like there is nothing to do. I mean there's grass to be cut. There's your business to keep up with, being on-line all the time with management and taking care of things, and writing music, and doing those things. But after a while, if you're not giving it to anybody, it just turns into this ball of energy in your house that weights you down. I'm ready to get out there and start singing some of these songs and having some fun, smiling, look at the faces.

Who are some of your new favorite bands?
DUG: I'm really digging Protest the Hero. There's just something about those guys. I guess it's because they got that theater thing going, that they got that emo thing going. And then, all of a sudden, they throw a groove in there, and all of a sudden, they got that Muse thing or Radiohead thing happening. And I'm just going-- and then all of a sudden, where did this shit come from? And I sit there and go, "This is the same." And I don't know if I like it as much as I am just proud and in awe of these kids who sit down and fuckin' did their homework and came up with something just really fuckin' stomping. And another band I love called Seemless. There's a band called Stateless, too. I like both of them. I bought them both at the same time, and I get them mixed up. But I love both of them. Now Stateless is more like with a drummer and a piano, with very sparse melody. But the vocals are just-- I mean when the guy sings, he makes me cry. And I don't know if it's the sound of his voice or what he's singing. But he's touched a nerve in me. And so it's pretty mellow, too. But it really moves me. I play it almost every day.

Do you guys get a better reaction in Europe than you do in America?
DUG: You know, it's the same, really. It's all good. It's the same. We pack clubs out. They're not huge clubs, but we pack them out, just like we do in the U.S.. They're a lot of fun. European people listen differently than Americans do. Americans get drunk and just kind of hang out and have fun, and just kind of let it just float. But Europeans, they listen. They listen to everything that you're doing. And they respond, which is really cool. And they're very loyal. It's like you can be the flavor of the week in America, but you go to Europe and play there until you die. And they're cool like that. I want us to do a DVD in London, a live one. I hope we can still do it. That's been on my list for a long time.

What's left for you guys?
DUG: Here is what it is. I want to write a song that that deems as number one, a great song for that moment at least once. I mean the whole world. Everybody goes it's like when "Smells Like Teen Spirit" came out, everybody knew it. Or "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" by The Beatles or something. It's like everybody knew that song. I want to write a song like that, that everyone goes, "That's the tune." And then I'm done. I'm gonna go cook. And the cool thing about it is the odds of that are like winning the lottery. So you just keep doing it. It's the chase that I enjoy. It's not the end, it's the chase of just continually writing and trying to write better songs, and be creative, and have fun doing what I do. Because if I do ever write that number one greatest hit song in the world, well, where do I have to go after that? It's like I don't know. So the bottom line is I'm fine. And somebody always said, "What's your goals?" And I said, "Well, if you reach for the moon, you might get to the top of the mountain. But if you reach for the moon, you might hit the stars." So it's like you just got to keep on pushing.

KATY MAE I?

Katy Mae
By Mike SOS
While corresponding with vocalist/guitarist/founding member Phil Doucet via email, he touched upon Katy Mae's influences and style as well as what sets this now quartet apart from the rest of the rough and tumble pack of musicians that hail from the Big Apple.

How did you come up with your band's name?
The name is based on the Lightnin' Hopkins song, "Katie Mae Blues" He was a Texas musician considered to be the father of country blues. I liked his story and the way he would record for anyone on the spot for money or whiskey.

What sets your band apart from other bands?
What I like about our band is that is soley based on songs. Possibly to our detriment, we have never been concerned with image or things like that. It makes it hard, especially in NYC. We try and write the best material we can and present it with no pretense.

How has living in NYC impacted your music?
I've lived in NY for 12 years or so and I've never really thought about it. From a songwriting perspective...NY doesn't have any impact. From a personality standpoint...I'm sure a great deal, especially when we tour.

How does a KM song get written?
Typically an idea will be brought in, and we'll play with it until it seems right. Regardless of where the seed starts it has to get filtered through the band and thats what makes it a Katy Mae song. The real trick is not letting your brain interfere with your guts.

How has adding a second guitarist affected your music?
Hans (2nd gtr) is great, he opens up our sound to brand new ideas. lead lines on top of the main melody, stuff that was impossible to do with one guitar. He is a great musician and his ability to sing as well makes it a lot of fun writng and performing. It has changed the dynamic a bit but like anything new, I feel confident that it will be positive. Our newest songs sound fantastic.

How would you describe your music to someone who never heard you before?
In my mind, we are a rock and roll band. We often get lumped into "alt-country", and that's fine, but it is a small part of what we do. What always meant the most to me about rock and roll, is that it can be so many different styles and attitudes. We don't posture to anything specific, but we'll go from "full on" guitar fury like "Let Me Bring You Down", to an acoustic drone song like "Pigtails and Ponyrides" or "Cigarette Song". I'm glad that we can do that and it won't effect our demographics...beause we don't have any.

When I'm not in KM, I'm...?
When I'm not doing Katy Mae, I'm being a father to my 16 month daughter. Let me tell you...music is a cakewalk compared to that.

Who are some of your musical influences? Any we'd be surprised by?
I grew up with my dad playing The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Fleetwood Mac, Meat Loaf, and Elton John in the background, while I would play with my Hot Wheels and Matchbox Cars on the floor. I'm convinced that that firat stuff that gets in your heart has the greatest impact. If I had to, I could listen to the Beatles exclusively for the rest of my life.

As bands and songwriters go beyond the Beatles...Hank Williams Sr., Buddy Holly, The Who, Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Everly Brothers. I don't consider this a "closet thing", but many people do...I am a huge fan of the Doors, and I don't give a fuck what anybody thinks about it.

Why should we see KM live?
If you like our songs on CD or MP3, and you want the, undistilled, unabridged audio experience, come out and see us live. I love records, but when a band can add to that on stage it makes me love that band even more. And hopefully we do that.

What has been your best musical experience thus far? Your worst? The one you've learned the most from?
We played a venue in Philadelphia earlier in 2008, World Cafe Live, with Back Door Slam. It is a great big beautiful room with a balcony and it was packed. That experience was pretty special to me. And we sold more CD's than we ever had before at a show. The worst...just the opposite...anytime we've been on tour and had to play for less people than were on the stage. It makes you appreciate those great shows even more, but it also keeps your head in check. It keeps you in balance...you're not as big as you think and your not as small as you think. I learned the most from a band I was in before Katy Mae...lesson learned...never try to grow pot on the dashboard of your van while on tour in Texas!

What are some of the advantages/ disadvantages of being a NY band?
I don't know if there are any advantages being in a NYC band. I'd say that for the most part its a disadvantage. There are too many scenesters who want to marginalize the music in New York. There is no community, just trends.

Do you prefer the studio or the stage and why?
I love recording and I love playing live equally. They're two different beasts, to succeed at either you need to prepare your mindset accordingly.

What bands are you currently listening to?
Current bands I like are Midlake, Centro-Matic, Black Mountain, Bonnie Prince Billy, Drive By Truckers. Older stuff that I've been into lately, The Creedence Clearwater Revival Reissues...amazing sound and amazing music. I'm kinda caught in a Creedence obsession right now...if you don't own any CCR albums, pick up Cosmos Factory, listen to the first track "Ramble Tamble"...if I wanted to summarize a certain facet or aesthetic of what Katy Mae attempts to be, it is in this song.

What are the plans for KM in 2009?
We did a residency at The Living Room (NYC) every Friday night. We will be a slightly stripped down set, and I'm very excited about it. It gives us a chance to play our material in a different way, and try out songs that we don't ordinarily do live. Then we leave for week long tour down to Atlanta in late January. We'll being playing in DC the night of the inauguration, which is great. Then in March we'll be heading down to Austin for some SXSW shows. After that I would love to start recording a follow up to the EP we just put out, YOU MAY ALREADY BE A WINNER.

SIC SEMPER TYRANNIS!

John Wilkes Booth
By Mike SOS

Self-professed proprietors of "dirt rock", three out of the four members of Long Island rock unit John Wilkes Booth (vocalist Kerry Merkle, drummer Christian Horstmann and guitarist Jason Beickert) sounded off on a number of topics, from how they chose their intriguing moniker to their new disc SIC SEMPER TYRANNIS to where they fit within the grand scheme of the NYC rock scene in a candid and sometimes tongue in cheek email interview.

How did you come up with your band's name?
CH: It was easy to remember.
JB: We're racists.
KM: Other choices were Bukkake Orange, Twinks & Bears. We liked JWB best and no we are not rascists.

What sets your band apart from other bands?
CH: We play different songs then they do
JB: Merkle and his lyrics.
KM: We don't create music for any one specefic "scene" we write for ourselves. I feel many bands have lost the quest for their own sound. Seems like so many bands are trying to sound like each other.

How has living in NYC/ Long Island impacted your music?
CH: Makes it tough, everyone's a rock star here.
JB: We take pride in being an antithesis to the typical LI/NY music scene. Seeing what's out there, it's not pretty sometimes. Along with the bands we most often jam with (Borgo Pass, 12 Eyes, Wormsmeat, Maegashira... and im sure others we have yet discovered) we hope to bring back some respectability to the scene.
KM: Nobody supports original music so it has made us bitter angry musicians.

How does a JWB song get written?
CH: Three of the four members agree its good enough, about 80%.
JB: Some songs are written off an entire jam and are completely oprganic,while others are more structured in sort of a reductionist kind of way, but all in all it's a collective effort. Some take a few weeks, others linger for years.
KM: There are different types of processess but usually we jam on a riff & work and re-work it for months.

How would you describe your music to someone who never heard you before?
CH: It sounds like Dirt Rock.
JB: It's like leftovers. May not be exactly what your looking for, or it's something you could'vebeen longing for all day... but either way you get there, it's completely satisfying...In a re-heated kind of way.
KM: Dirt Rock.

When I'm not in JWB, I'm...?
CH: Running my business, playing drums or masturbating.
JB: Being a sad but optimistic NY Islanders fan.
KM: A unemployed union carpenter.

Who are some of your musical influences? Any we'd be surprised by?
CH: Melvins, Clutch, Kyuss,Swing and Big Band, Jazz
JB: Slash, Chris Haskett, Chris Whitley, Jimi.
KM: I dig a lot of mellow indie rock. I am a huge fan of Pedro The Lion & Elliott Smith. I listen to a lot of jazz, too.

Why should we see JWB live?
CH: 'Cause we're extremely sexy.
JB: You can throw things at us and hear us say "Fuck".
KM: Because we will rock your face off.

What has been your best musical experience thus far? Your worst? The one you've learned the most from?
CH: Best - recieving oral while playing. Worst - forgetting how the song goes. Learned From - first time I was talked into playing with the flu and a fever.
JB: Best- high school variety show...it's all been downhill since then. Worst- playing at an ice cream parlor and not getting any ice cream. I'm done learning from shows.
KM: Best- the completion of our cd. It was a long process but something we a most proud of. The worst- our West Virginia gig. It was like a 10 hour drive to play a "music festival" in someone's backyard at 1 in the morning to a bunch of drunk rednecks. We learned to get more info on a gig before booking.

What are some of the advantages/ disadvantages of being a NY band?
CH: All the hot women the fame and the money.
JB: Nobody comes to see you besides your family and friends. Dont get me wrong, friends and family rule, just that nobody goes to shows anymore. Nobody's interested in any kind of music scene it seems.
KM: I really wish there was a supportive scene. The pay to play thing is just distgusting. There are many great bands that people are missing out on because they are the trend. NY is a rough place to be in a band.

Do you prefer the studio or the stage and why?
CH: Stage, all my fans can adore me
JB: I enjoy both for different reasons. Stage for the energy, studio for the ability to put something down on tape which you and your mates created that will last forever.
KM: Each have their own qualities. I love the stage for the energy & excitement of performing but the studio is where things are created and that is exciting too. So I can't really say I have a favorite.

What bands are you currently listening to?
CH: Clutch, Melvins, Kyuss and Big band drum battles.
JB: Clutch, Torche, random jazz, new Metallica, and the girlfriend is wedging Hot Chip in my ears consistently. Dont know if that's good or bad.
KM: 31 Knots, Bill Frisell, Naked City, The Melvins, JUNO Soundtrack.

What are the plans for JWB in 2009?
CH: I'm not sure about the rest of the band, but I want to travel the world in search for the perfect taco.
JB: Record, some road trips, abroad??
KM: We have been working on new tunes & we are hoping to record them in 2009.

Any final words?
CH: My only regret is I have but one life to live for my band.
JB: Keep it Brown.
KM: It's like screaming in forest and nobody hears you, but people really should pull their heads out of their asses and stop letting promoters take advantage of them. The only large descent sized venues on Long Island make band pay to play. It is a cancer that erodes at the culture of local music. Oh, and Sonic Youth rules.

AND SOME MORE!

EMERY
WHILE BROKEN HEARTS PREVAIL
TOOTH AND NAIL
Transplanted South Carolina emo rockers Emery provides a stopgap release in the form of the seven-track WHILE BROKEN HEARTS PREVAIL. Heartwrenching histrionics and hard rock riffs collide at the Warped Tour on cuts like the showtune-esque "Thoughtlife" and the keyboard punk rock sunshine of "Always Depends". This quintet (who now call Seattle home) combines airy melodies ("Do The Things (You Want)") and punchy punk rock with a convincing array of pop sensibilities ("Edge of the World", "Always Depends"), striking a startling middle ground between Thursday and Motion City Soundtrack. www.toothandnail.com -Mike SOS

DISTORSIS
DISTORSIS
SELF-RELEASED
Distorsis is a Canadian trio armed with the capability to lay down concrete slabs of hefty hard rock swelling with melody ("Fire", "Free") while a noticeable spacey stoner rock vibe seemingly lurks overhead ("No Love Lost"). Jampacked with extended instrumental interludes brazen with swirling guitars and tribal percussion sandwiched in between a bevy of gritty guitars and beefy bass ("Angel and the Animal"), this band melds the angst of Alice in Chains, the modern metal crunch of BLS and Ozzy, and the eclectic left-turns of Hawkwind to yield a wild and heavy ride chock full of sonic surprises. www.distorsis.com -Mike SOS

ANAEL
FROM ARCANE FIRES
PARAGON
Described as occult black metal, Anael stretches those boundaries on FROM ARCANE FIRES. Keeping the riffs raw and the death rasp/ tremolo picking combo fully loaded ("All Souls' Night"), this seven-track endeavor's tedious and lengthy arrangements give ample opportunities for Anael to do what they do best, which is build colossal movements within its dastardly design such as the sinewy "Muspilli". Displaying a wealth of progressive tendencies unlike most corpsepainted crews helps this troupe develop a hypnotic majesty that veers into less-traveled extreme metal roads ("Song of the Moth"), offering the average fan a bit more than bargained for. www.paragonrecords.com -Mike SOS

HANSON BROTHERS
IT'S A LIVING
WRONG
Showcasing a punk hardcore hybrid that takes its lyrical content strictly from the game of hockey, Hanson Brothers (the band, not the characters from SLAPSHOT) play with a straight-up raucous energy on their latest live offering IT'S A LIVING. This squad's Ramones meets the Misfits in the penalty box sound is bolstered by heroic tales on the ice and group sing-alongs aplenty, as this 27-track release gives a good idea of what happens when power play mentalities and power chords collide. Containing members of No Means No, if you want to let off some steam and not lace up the skates, this disc provides the next best alternative than getting creamed into the boards. www.southern.net -Mike SOS

LLYNCH
WE ARE OUR GHOSTS
BASTARDIZED
German quintet Llynch pulled out the stops while comprising their latest album WE ARE OUR GHOSTS. This 10-track disc oozes with post-hardcore grit and champions atmospheric alternative metal elements, as cuts like "Athena" recollect the wares of Handsome and Quicksand while the jagged "If It Ain't Rotten, It Ain't Mine" scours the underbelly to unearth the sounds of Will Haven and Unsane. Off-kilter yet retaining a sense of melody a la Deftones, Llynch does a bang-up job juxtaposing pristine tones and jarring dissonance within a crushing metallic assault that fans of left of center metal can easily identify with. www.bastardized.net -Mike SOS

EVAN HAMMER
BRIGHT DAY FOR A FROG'S REBELLION
SELF-RELEASED
The latest project by Brooklyn-based bassist Evan Hammer is a versatile release made by a multitude of musicians corralled to form a collective that dutifully brings this batch of songs admittedly "written by a younger man" to life on the 10-track BRIGHT DAY FOR A FROG'S REBELLION. Switching between jangly drug-era Beatles ("Martin Kane's Magic Kandy Kanes") and woebegone acoustic folk ("Hello Love") isn't an easy transition to get right, yet Hammer successfully chose the right musicians to achieve each song's uniqueness, whether it be best suited for a smoky nightclub ("Little Girl"), a psychobilly luau ("What She Wants With Me"), or a post-grunge campfire ("A Barren Blue"). A musical potpourri that forms a composite of a wide range of styles from Barenaked Ladies to The Killers to Elliot Smith ("Harold Called This Morning", "Honeypot Delinquents"), if you like variety, Evan Hammer delivers. www.evanhammer.com -Mike SOS

GHOSTLIMB
BEARING AND DISTANCE
LEVEL PLANE
California hardcore punk trio Ghostlimb pour a lifetime of aggressions into their 18-minute, 15-track disc BEARING AND DISTANCE. Featuring a flurry of short, sharp, and succinct strikes, this squad relentlessly rips out tracks like "Ruins" and "The Force That Gives Us Meaning", tearing through speakers with an imminent impact that requires immediate attention. Keeping the pace at constantly manic while steamrolling over the listener with a cavalcade of speedy drums, nimble yet crushing riffs and passionate raspy vocals ("Ocean Floor", "Port of Call"), if you're looking for a well-balanced mesh of velocity and rage, Ghostlimb brings it. www.level-plane.com -Mike SOS

SONIC SYNDICATE
LOVE AND OTHER DISASTERS
NUCLEAR BLAST
Swedish metalcore sextet Sonic Syndicate portray the perfect product of their environment, as LOVE AND OTHER DISASTERS carefully follows templates from the genre's commercial successes to comprise this band's by the book sound. Tracks like "Contradiction" easily fits somewhere on the Bullet for My Valentine radar, while the pseudo-ballad "My Escape" and "Damage Control" takes the keyboards out for a spin for a trip reminiscent of Scar Symmetry or Bleeding Through. Sonic Syndicate's solid yet completely unoriginal metalcore grows weary after a few spins, but won't tire those entrenched in flavor of the week mallcore. www.nuclearblastusa.com -Mike SOS

ROADSAW
SEE YOU IN HELL
SMALL STONE
Boston-based outfit Roadsaw have returned from "indefinite hiatus" with SEE YOU IN HELL, a durable 11-track comeback. Bringing their brand of blue-collar heavy blues rock to the forefront, the Fu-Manchu meets Nebula groove on "Go It Alone" proves the band capable of laying down banging buzzsaw riffs, the fuzzed-out title track stomps like a sludged-out AC/DC, and the muscular barroom blues of "Leavin" manages to coherently cross the wares of Tesla and Seemless. Roadsaw also get contemplative during the acoustic desert rock of "Dead Horse", but for the majority of the time this triumphant act turns up the volume and cranks out an impressive return disc fortified with the kind of nasty guitar heroics and gritty rhythms that stoner metal fans will embrace. www.smallstone.com -Mike SOS

SUSPYRE
WHEN TIME FADES
SENSORY
Suspyre is a progressive metal troupe whose 11-track trek WHEN TIME FADES takes the listener through a labyrinth of dark passageways illuminated with fierce metallic explosiveness. Equipped with the similar songwriting devices as Dream Theater, Fates Warning, and Nevermore, Suspyre precisely pulls from each to form their own spin on the genre, as songs like the galloping power metal might of "The Light of the Fire", the jazz brass coming from out of nowhere on "Reign", and the startling fretwork audible on "Lighted Endrhyme" denote the unique stamp this band offers. Discernibly darker with a fondness for the symphonic ("Siren"), Suspyre produce a rich musical experience that fans of Helloween and Children of Bodom alike can agree on. www.lasersedgegroup.com -Mike SOS

SOTHIS
DE OPRESSO LIBER
CANDLELIGHT
Sothis breaks the barrier for being a black metal band from Los Angeles, not some far corner of Europe. This unit's nine-track affair, produced by Andy LaRocque, captures the nefarious nuances of the genre without too much interference, allowing the malevolent interplay between atmospheric keyboards, thunderous drums, and rapid-fire riffs to reap full benefit on cuts like "Beneath a Black Boiling Sky" and the mauling mid-tempo scowl of "Obsidian Throne". Genuinely grim and convincingly vicious, songs like the haunting "The Cold Disconnection" and "Perpetual" demonstrate this squad's penchant for pummeling with evil intent, making DE OPRESSO LIBER an album for habitants of the dark side to seek out. www.candlelightrecordsusa.com -Mike SOS

SAMOTHRACE
LIFE'S TRADE
20 BUCK SPIN
Unbridled doom metal with a slew of icy blues tendencies is what Lawrence, KS quartet Samothrace serves up on their four-track, 48-minute offering LIFE'S TRADE. Echoing their Western states sentiments by adding American Indian tribal rhythms into the intricate musical maze to create a swirling effect that morphs Pink Floyd and Isis ("Awkward Hearts"), this band uses everything at their dispose to create sonic walls of slow-churned savagery. Showcasing a tremendous twin guitar tandem whose sludgy call and response shines throughout the disc, this crushing release embodies the spirit of desolation at its most absolute. www.20buckspin.com -Mike SOS

PSYCROPTIC
OB (SERVANT)
NUCLEAR BLAST
Tasmanian technical metal troupe Psycroptic display nine tracks of diabolic grooves with dizzying musicianship on OB(SERVANT). With a heavily-influenced Dimebag growl audible on many of the chunky riffs sprinkled amongst the maddening metallic minefield of double bass dramatics, cuts like "The Shifting Equilibrium" and the uninhibitedly evil vocals of "Horde in Devolution" slay with '90s metal power, while the old school pummel of "Slaves of Nil" and the somber intro into roaring blasts of death metal found on "Initiate" highlight samples of this quartet firing on all cylinders. Constantly challenging the listener with tumultuous tempo shifts while providing ample parts thrash, death, and technical in the mix, Psycroptic's brand of extreme metal is steeped in futuristic visions, fueled by explorations of legacies of brutality to comprise this unit's metallic fury. www.nuclearblastusa.com -Mike SOS

DALI'S LLAMA
FULL ON DUNES
SELF-RELEASED
Zach Huskey and Dali's Llama are a tad heavier this time around judging by the voluminous FULL ON DUNES. Once again boasting special guest appearances (this time featuring the likes of Mario Lalli and album producer Scott Reeder), this nine-track excursion drives harder than previous releases, as cuts like the fun and fuzzy "Full On" rocks and "Smoke Tree" rip through the speakers with Alice In Chains-esque intensity while "Floating" exhibits this trio's ability to launch itself deep out of the orbit. As much as this batch of tunes bite, the overall feel of this disc also resonates with the looseness of old friends playing around the campfire, most noticeably on cuts like "Cheap and Portable". Acting as a sidebar to Desert Sessions of sorts while functioning as a full-time project, Dali's Llama provides an outlet for worshippers of the movement to get their kicks. www.dalisllamarecords.com -Mike SOS

KATY MAE
YOU MAY ALREADY BE A WINNER
MAGGADEE
The latest five-track excursion from NYC's Katy Mae showcases a beefier output than past releases thanks to the group adding a second guitar, a move that furthers this unit's reputation of taking its rock 'n roll seriously. Strengthened by their ability to draw from their vast influences ranging from anthemic heartland rock ("Falls Down") and upbeat college rock ("Let Me Bring You Down") to alt-country twang with Smithereens-like wallop ("You May Already Be a Winner"), Katy Mae blends classic rock aura with chunks of modern rock muscle to create stirring tunes with sweeping dynamics ("Dust of My Friends"), reminiscent of a powerful mix of Pearl Jam and The Who. Multi-faceted and always ready to rock, Katy Mae's balancing act is worthy of repeated spins for anyone that can appreciate genuine rock 'n roll that knows its roots. www.katymaemusic.com -Mike SOS

FIFTYWATTHEAD
FOGCUTTER
SIGNED BY FORCE
Lumberingly heavy, Fiftywatthead flattens your head with a ruthless attack of sonic bombast with slight psychedelic overtones on the eight-track FOGCUTTER. Viscous guitars hurl lava-soaked boulders for riffs ("Followed by Thunder", "Iron Clad") while the valiant rhythm section fortifies homebase ("Last Leg", "Seadawg") with demonic vocal conjurings resonating the warmongering mantra of High on Fire interpreted by Melvins ("Capsized") lead the charge. There's also a slew of creepy noise rock entities dispersed throughout the course of this intriguing offering to round out this Canadian troupe's ominous brand of stoner metal that specializes in providing punishing heft with a sinister sneer, leaving Fiftywatthead a multitude of weapons at their dispose to crush your soul. www.signedbyforce.com -Mike SOS

VIKING SKULL
GLOOM DOOM HEARTACHE & WHISKEY
CANDLELIGHT
Don't allow the Faces-esque silliness on "Drink" spoil the venomous stew of metal the UK's Viking Skull concocts on GLOOM DOOM HEARTACHE & WHISKEY. This nine-track effort amply borrows the firepower from Motorhead, Black Sabbath, and AC/DC to meld a three-pronged metal assault that mercilessly kicks you in the gut with a barrage of burly grooves ("Start A War", "Shot Down"). There's also a prominent punk metal vibe permeating through the disc that wouldn't sound out of place from Danzig, Alabama Thunderpussy, Warrior Soul ("In for the Kill") or Queens of the Stone Age ("Double or Quits"), assisting in shaping this band's soulful sound that goes beyond fuzzy bass riffs and gravel-throated vocals. Truly incensing a sense of reckless abandon unheard since Guns 'N Roses emerged from the gutter, Viking Skull keeps their end of the bargain with the devil by pumping out simple and subtle meat and potatoes metal that's lean and ready for a scuffle. www.candlelightrecordsusa.com -Mike SOS

ELDER
ELDER
METEORCITY
Prepare to blast off into the galaxy with Elder and their eponymous five-track jaunt that reaches to infinity and beyond. Capturing the space rock vibe down to each throbbing bass note, stabilizing scrawl of feedback, and cosmic guitar riff, this nubile Massachusetts trio mold themselves after bands like Sleep and Electric Wizard, imbibing the magic seeds and elixirs of the likes of Sabbath and Yob to accommodate the outer limits funk on cuts like "Ghost Head". Adorned with an abundance of swirling rhythms whose mammoth gravitational pull recalls the works of Monster Magnet and Fu Manchu, there's a whole new world waiting for you once you strap yourself into this interplanetary album's wild eyed ride. www.meteorcity.com -Mike SOS

BLEED THE SKY
MURDER THE DANCE
NUCLEAR BLAST
Oklahoma City, OK act Bleed the Sky implement the emotions of enduring the endless rigors of being in a fledgling metal band just scraping by into an explosive 12-track album MURDER THE DANCE. Crossing metalcore anthem choruses with jagged shards of pummeling metal ("Sullivan", "Slavior"), this act falls somewhere between Strapping Young Lad, VOD, Deftones and Kataklysm when applying a new school neck-breaking approach to savagery, propelling tracks like the spiraling "Morose", the lung-tearing "Kettle Black" or the screeching title track to the forefront of ferocity. With a slew of suffocated rhythms and woozy dissonance floating in and out of chaotic tracks like "The Sleeping Beauty", this band respectively place a sturdy smattering of modern metal pieces together to formulate a style which echoes their plight and struggles of climbing the ranks. www.nuclearblastusa.com -Mike SOS

SINNER
CRASH AND BURN
CANDLELIGHT
Presenting their first new album in almost six years, the German metal troupe Sinner bust through the gates with CRASH AND BURN. This 11-track offering renders a no-nonsense fist-pumping heavy metal vibe that falls somewhere in between fellow countrymen Accept and Scorpions in terms of fluidity and tenacity. Tracks such as "Revolution" adds a touch of Sunset Strip shimmy to the mix while "Break the Silence" hits hard with a simple yet crunchy riff that nicely melds melody and bite. While this disc would've been a can't miss smash 25 years ago, Sinner's latest manages to properly recreate heavy metal's days of yore with dignity fully intact. www.candlelightrecordsusa.com -Mike SOS