DIRT CULTURE UNDERGROUND MUSIC AND PHILOSOPHY

CALLING IT A DAY/NIGHT/YEAR/LIFETIME

2010-12-03T13:46:00.000-08:00

Well it’s been grand, and I was honored to take over the “Dirt Culture” moniker from its former print editor and turn it into this here wonderful blog back in 2008, but I’ve decided to move on to bigger and better things. No, I have not stopped writing, and I never, EVER will! I have joined forces with Forbidden Magazine (www.forbidden-magazine.com) an AWESOME print and webzine, and have never been happier. The other guys are all very dedicated, reputable, and know their stuff and we are also working on some releases, including the entire March Into The Sea discography on CD! I highly encourage all of you to check out Forbidden’s site at the URL above and also “Like” Forbidden Magazine on Facebook (oh come on, you’re on there 25 hours a day anyway!). So, in conclusion, I’m neither dead nor dying (yet), and if you want to add me on Facebook, it’s “Michael Mahyar Hojjatie” or my personal email is hailthehodge@gmail.com. Thanks, and have a great rest of 2010!

POWER TO THE PROG!

2010-05-26T04:53:00.001-07:00

ProgPower USA XI Lineup Finalized

The full lineup for the 11th annual installment of ProgPower USA -- the largest alignment of progressive, classic and power metal bands on American soil -- has been finalized for this September's festivities.

As always, the massive event, held in Atlanta, Georgia, will include a plethora of both stateside and European acts, including headlining acts Kamelot, Accept and Hammerfall, along with Turisas, Nocturnal Rites and more. This year's festival will also mark the first American appearances from Paradox, Leprous, Delain, Tarot (featuring Marcto Hietala of Nightwish), Seventh Wonder and many more international acts.

In addition to the main two days of the event, there will be two days of pre-fest shows and activities based around ProgPower, including a Mid-Week Mayhem show on Wednesday, September 8th, and a Fest Kick-Off Show on Thursday, September 9th.

There are actually only approximately 300 tickets still available for the fest, so don't wait! View the full lineup below, and check out the official website for ProgPower USA for full details, ticket info, the history of the fest and more: http://www.progpowerusa.com

PROGPOWER USA XI ITINERARY:

9/08/2010 ProgPower USA XI Mid-Week Mayhem

Ross the Boss (New York) - "A Night of Manowar Classics" with Scott Columbus
Vangough (Oklahoma)
Seven Kingdoms (Florida)

9/09/2010 ProgPower USA XI Kick-Off

Accept (Germany) 10:45 - close
Leprous (Norway)* 9:15 - 10:15
Borealis (Canada) 8:00 - 8:45
Six Minute Century (Texas, USA) 6:45 - 7:30

9/10/2010 ProgPower USA Day 1

Kamelot (US/Norway)
Nocturnal Rites (Sweden)
Turisas (Finland)
Tyr (Faroe Islands)
Seventh Wonder (Sweden) *
Leaves' Eyes (Norway/Germany)
Illusion Suite (Norway) *

9/11/2010 ProgPower USA Day 2

Hammerfall (Sweden)
Tarot (Finland) *
Delain (The Netherlands) *
DGM (Italy) *
Oceans of Sadness (Belgium) *
Stormwarrior (Germany) *
Paradox (Germany) *

* = first ever performance on American soil

http://www.progpowerusa.com

________

LET'S RAID THE ARMOURY!

2010-05-26T04:52:00.000-07:00

New Titles Coming This Summer From Armoury Records!

BLACK RIVER . PROGHMA - C . VOTUM

BLACK RIVER
Black ‘N’ Roll
Release Date: July 20, 2010
All-star band BLACK RIVER features within its ranks members of Behemoth, Dimmu Borgir, Neolithic and Rootwater. Black ‘N’ Roll is the band's second full-length and offers 45 minutes of gritty, bar-ready riff rock anthems! The 11-track long player was recorded at Studio Sonus and Studio Gdansk, engineered by Malta (Behemoth) and includes the eccentric track "Jumping Queenny Flash" which is, as the title suggests, a merging of Sex Pistol’s "God Save The Queen" and The Rolling Stones’ "Jumpin' Jack Flash" covers. Black ‘N’ Roll debuted at #20 on the official Polish charts upon its European release earlier this year. Said guitarist Kay of the offering: “It has the taste of good whiskey, it smells with sweat of girls dancing at the strip bar and with odor of car tires burnt on tarmac.” For fans of The Cult, Monster Magnet and Danzig.

BLACK RIVER is:
Taff - Vocals (Neolithic, Testor, Geisha Goner, Rootwater)

Orion - Bass (Behemoth, Neolithic, Vesania)
Daray - Drums (Dimmu Borgir, Neolithic, Vader, Masachist, Faust et al)
Art - Guitars
Kay - Guitars (Kayzen, Kashtany, Neolithic)

http://www.myspace.com/blackriverpl

http://www.youtube.com/blackriverrock

.........................................................................

PROGHMA-C
Bar-do Travel
Release Date: July 27, 2010
The tale of PROGHMA-C began in 2002, when a group of experimental music aficionados decided to merge their paths of musical exploration into a single, sonic entity. The band seamlessly combine trance, ambient, rock, pop, new age, death, fusion and progressive influences into a sound that is very much their own unique, powerful beast. Debut Bar-do Travel was recorded at Studio X in Olsztyn, Poland with Szymon Czech and features nine-tracks of heady, eclectic awesomeness (including an unexpected cover of Bjork’s “Army Of Me”). PROGHMA-C wishes only to enhance the palette of our musical universe. For fans of everything from Tool to Meshuggah.

"...Bar-do Travel is the best Polish album since Decapitated's Organic Hallucinosis and the best debut since Out Of Myself by Riverside. Definitely a must-hear..." – DarkPlanet.pl

PROGHMA-C is:
Piotr “Bob” Gibner - Vocals
Pawel “Smaga” Smakulski - Guitar/Synth
Lukasz “Kuman” Kumanski - Drums
Michal “Waski” Gooretzky - Bass

http://www.myspace.com/proghmac

.........................................................................

VOTUM
Metafiction
Release Date: August 3, 2010
The second full-length from Polish prog/atmospheric wizards VOTUM, Metafiction is at once dark, somber and beautiful; emotional music for those who enjoy the mysteries of the human mind. The record, recorded at the famed Izabelin Studio in Poland, is a seven-track concept album that focuses as much on the music as it does the lyrics and visual art surrounding it. VOTUM’s concern is not of the particular style of music they play but rather the atmosphere pouring from within. For fans of Opeth, Porcupine Tree and Anathema.

"…Metafiction is a progressive musical puzzle. A puzzle to a psychotic search. A mindgame; look for the pieces, connect them together and write the ending of the story.” – Power Of Prog Blog

VOTUM is:
Maciej Kosinski - Vocals
Alek Salamonik - Guitars
Adam Kaczmarek - Guitars
Zbigniew Szadkowski - Kayboards
Bartek Turkowski - Bass
Adam Lukaszek - Drums

http://www.myspace.com/votumband

http://www.votumband.pl/

.........................................................................

http://www.eaglerockent.com/

SACRIFICE A BULL FOR ME.

2010-05-26T04:48:00.000-07:00

SANDS OF TIME
BRUTAL ATMOSPHERIC DEATH METALLERS MITHRAS RELEASE LIMITED EDITION COLLECTION OF EARLY DEMOS & RARITIES

This much anticipated special release features 14 tracks from the Mithras vaults. Airing both unheard rarities and remastered demos from the 1998-2003 chapter in their 11 year history, the booklet includes loads of old pictures and extensive liner notes from Rayner Coss and Leon Macey, with additional contributions from early members, including Liam Kavanagh (ex-guitarist / producer), Steve Crompton (ex guitarist) and Justin Joyce (ex drummer).

The first 100 copies are hand numbered and are available on a first-come first-served basis.

The are available to order now:

http://mithras.bigcartel.com/product/sands-of-time-cd

The CD costs £8 including tax and postage in the UK, and £11 including tax and postage outside the UK.

A sample of the track "Gods Among Men" is currently on the Mithras Myspace player.

Full SANDS OF TIME tracklisting:
1 Gods Among Men (re-recorded 2003 pre 'Worlds...')
2 Ancient Prophecy (re-recorded 2003 pre 'Worlds...')
3 The Caller And The Listener (from 'Bequeath Thy Visions' demo)
4 Bequeath Thy Visions (from 'Bequeath Thy Visions' demo)
5 Transcedence (from 'Bequeath Thy Visions' demo)
6 Vae Solis (from 'Dreaming In Splendour MCD')
7 Dreaming In Splendour (from 'Dreaming In Splendour MCD')
8 Wrath Of God (from 'Dreaming In Splendour MCD')
9 Tomb Of Kings (from 'Tomb Of Kings' demo)
10 As The Wind Blows (from 'Tomb Of Kings' demo)
11 Conquered Realms (from 'Gods Among Men' MCD)
12 Gods Among Men (from 'Gods Among Men' MCD)
13 Ancient Prophecy (from 'Gods Among Men' MCD)
14 Plagued Lands (from 'Gods Among Men' MCD)

WOW, THESE GUYS ARE BACK!

2010-05-26T04:41:00.001-07:00

DESULTORY To Release First Full-length In Over A Decade

Reactivated legendary Swedish death metallers DESULTORY recently completed work on their long-anticipated upcoming new album, Counting Our Scars. The full-length -- their first since 1996's Swallow The Snake -- was recorded, mixed and mastered by Tore Stjerna at Necromorbus Studio (Watain, Unanimated, Deströyer 666 etc) in Alvik, Sweden. Song titles include: "Counting Our Scars," "In A Cage," "Ready To Bleed," "This Broken Halo" and "Uneven Numbers." Full track listing and cover art to be revealed in the coming weeks.

Said the band of the new record: "What gets inside always stays inside. This music once shaped us and the marks it left will forever keep itching. DESULTORY never died; it just went down deep below and beneath the surface and it slowly kept growing. Throughout the years, there are many of you out there who never stopped waiting, asking the same question over and over. Now when we finally meet again, Counting Our Scars feels like liberation; the bleeding is over. This album is for all of us who never stopped waiting."

Counting Our Scars will be released via Pulverised Records later this year. Official street date TBA.

DESULTORY is:
Klas Morberg - Vocals, Guitars
Håkan Morberg - Guitars
Johan Bolin - Bass
Thomas Johnson - Drums

http://www.myspace.com/desultoryofficial

http://www.pulverised.net

ABBY FABBY

2010-05-26T04:40:00.001-07:00

ABIGAIL WILLIAMS Confirm West Coast Dates; Complete First Australian Tour

ABIGAIL WILLIAMS will headline a string of West Coast dates in the coming week to celebrate the completion of their second full-length album. The shows will follow the band’s first Australian dates, supporting North Carolina’s Nile. The shows are the first American performances of the year for the band.

ABIGAIL WILLIAMS have completed work on their still untitled second album. Recorded at Conquistador Studios in Cleveland, Ohio, eight new songs are planned for the band’s album currently planned for release on September 14. Vocalist/guitarist Ken Sorceron with engineer Cole Martinez commanded the audio takes while Peter Tagtgren (Dimmu Borgir, Immortal, Celtic Frost) mixed the tracks. The record was mastered at Black Lounge Studios in Sweden.

Sorceron recently commented, “there is a lot less keyboards on the new songs. They are far more guitar-driven and have a bit more of a traditional sound in some ways but still very ABIGAIL WILLIAMS sounding. We let ourselves have much more room with writing this album, kind of a more open, free environment than any we have employed before. The studio experience this time round was very natural to us. We recorded everything with much more ease and I think it has helped in capturing a very honest vibe.”

Confirmed dates for ABIGAIL WILLIAMS:

6/01/2010 The Rock - Tucson, AZ
6/02/2010 UB’s Bar - Mesa, AZ
6/03/2010 Whiskey A Go-Go - West Hollywood, CA
6/04/2010 The Crossing - Palmdale, CA
6/05/2010 Stramler Park - Bakersfield, CA
6/06/2010 Chain Reaction - Anaheim, CA

ABIGAIL WILLIAMS’ debut full-length In the Shadow of a Thousand Suns and Legend EP are available in stores now (iTunes, Amazon and others for digital).

http://www.myspace.com/abigailwilliams
http://www.candlelightrecordsusa.com

http://www.myspace.com/candlelightrecordsusa

I FEAR NO FACTORY.

2010-05-22T05:25:00.001-07:00

FEAR FACTORY Confirm More In-Stores/Meet-And-Greets
Additional North American Dates Announced

Candlelight Records today confirms three more in-store/meet-and-greets as part of FEAR FACTORY's ongoing Fear Campaign American Tour 2010. All four members of the band will be available to meet with fans at Magnolia Thunderpussy in Columbus, Ohio on May 30, Digital Ferret Records in Philadelphia on June 6, and Vintage Vinyl Records in Fords, New Jersey on June 10.

FEAR FACTORY, currently on tour supporting their latest album Mechanize, had a brief scare earlier this week when their tour bus nearly went off road while in route to Boise, Idaho. Luckily no one was injured and the band made their show at Knitting Factory Concert House without much delay. Guitarist Dino Cazares says, “we were on our way to Boise for a day off when about 8:45am our bus driver fell asleep at the wheel. He swerved to the opposite side of the road. Most of us woke up when we felt the bus on the rumble strips and then the dirt. He woke up in time to swerve back onto our side of the road and pull over.” Continuing he notes, “thank god there was no on coming cars or 18-wheelers on the road. Everyone is fine just a little nervous.”

The second leg of FEAR FACTORY’s Fear Campaign American Tour continues the band’s ongoing promotion and the worldwide momentum surrounding the quartet’s eighth studio album, Mechanize. Released February 9, the album has received amazing fan and media acclaim. The record is approaching 90,000 sales worldwide and continues to see significant weekly sales. The North American dates, now expanded to run through the end of July, follows the band’s recent eight-day European tour supporting Metallica, and their successful performance at Revolver Magazine’s Golden God Awards scheduled for television broadcast this Saturday via VH1.

FEAR FACTORY’s latest radio single, “Final Exit” made impact this week at hard rock/metal stations nationwide. The song is expected to follow the success of earlier singles “Powershifter” and “Fear Campaign.” As earlier reported, the band have done two special edits of the 8:11 minute song with hopes to position the song for breakout play on the country’s larger Active Rock stations. Vocalist Burton C. Bell noted, “Dino and I have created the edits to condense the song into a time specific for radio. We are very happy fans are loving the song for it is one that touches upon the importance of the freedom of choice and personal liberty that all human beings should be allowed.”

Complete tour dates are noted below and available at the band’s official website, http://www.fearfactorymusic, and official social networking sites located at http://www.myspace.com/fearfactory and http://ww.facebook.com/fearfactory. Tickets are available via all major ticket agencies and each venue’s in-house box offices. Mechanize is available in stores now and via Candlelight’s official webstore located at http://www.candlelightrecordsusa.com.

FEAR FACTORY with Prong, Silent Civilian, Thy Will Be Done

5/21 – Club Sound @ In the Venue, Salt Lake City UT

5/22 – Marquis Theatre, Denver CO

5/24 – Pop’s, Sauget IL

5/26 – The Machine Shop, Flint MI

5/27 – The Intersection, Grand Rapids MI

5/28 – Headliner’s Music Hall, Louisville KY

5/29 – The Rave, Milwaukee WI (live webcast!)

5/30 – Al Rosa Villa, Columbus OH (in store: Magnolia Thunderpussy, address below)

6/01 – The Norva, Norfolk VA

6/02 – Jesters’ Pub, Fayetteville NC

6/03 – Jaxx, W. Springfield VA

6/04 – The Palladium, Worcester MA

6/05 – Webster Theater, Hartford CT

6/06 – Trocadero, Philadelphia (in store: Digital Ferret, address below)

FEAR FACTORY with All That Remains, Silent Civilian, Thy Will Be Done

6/08 – Higher Ground, S. Burlington VT

6/09 – Port City Music Hall, Portland ME

6/10 – Starland Ballroom, Sayreville NJ (in store: Vintage Vinyl, address below)

6/11 – Northern Lights, Clifton Park NY

6/12 – The Town Ballroom, Buffalo NY

FEAR FACTORY with Silent Civilian, Thy Will Be Done

6/15 – Mr. Small’s Theatre, Millvale PA

FEAR FACTORY with 36 Crazyfists, After the Burial, Divine Heresy, Baptized in Blood

7/07 – House of Blues, W. Hollywood CA

7/09 – Roseland Theatre, Portland OR

7/10 – Studio Seven, Seattle WA

7/11 – Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver BC

7/13 – Flames Central, Calgary AB

7/14 – The Starlite Room, Edmonton AB

7/15 – Riddell Centre, Regina SK

7/16 – The Garrick Centre, Winnipeg MB

7/17 – The Rock, Maplewood MN

7/19 – People’s Court, Des Moines IA

7/20 – Metro, Chicago IL

7/21 – Harpo’s, Detroit MI

7/23 – Opera House, Toronto ON

7/24 – Parterre Parc Jean Drapeau/Heavy MTL Festival (no tour package)

7/25 – Fillmore NY @ Irving Plaza, New York NY

7/26 – Recher Theatre, Towson MD

7/27 – Crocodile Rock, Allentown PA

Instore address information:

Magnolia Thunderpussy: 3pm, 1155 N. High St., Columbus OH 43201. Phone 614-421-1512

Digital Ferret: 5pm, 732 S. 4^th St., Philadelphia PA 19147. Phone 215-925-9259

Vintage Vinyl Records: 5pm, 51 Lafayette Rd., Fords NJ 08863. Phone 732-225-7717

http://www.candlelightrecordsusa.com

GRAVERY

2010-05-22T05:23:00.000-07:00

GRAVE Unveil New Track

Visit http://www.myspace.com/regainrecords to check out the new track from Swedish death metal legends GRAVE. "Liberation" comes off the band's eagerly anticipated new studio album, Burial Ground, scheduled for release via Regain Records this summer. Following its release, GRAVE will embark on a string of festival performances including:

6/03/10 Jam Rock Open Air - ®amberk, CZ
6/04/10 Alte Brauerei - Annaberg-Buchholz, DE
6/11/10 Death Feast Open Air - Hünxe, DE
6/12/10 Czech Death Fest - Èervený Kostelec, CZ
7/20/10 Eisenwahn Open Air - Obersinn, DE

Further GRAVE developments to be revealed shortly.

http://www.grave.se
http://www.myspace.com/gravespace
http://www.regainrecords.com

CA-CORRECTION

2010-05-22T05:20:00.001-07:00

PELICAN Confirm Chicago Shows; Songs To Air During CBS And IFC Programming

PELICAN will be embracing their hometown roots, playing at Chicago's annual Do Division Street Fest this June. The event takes place on Saturday & Sunday, June 5th & 6th, on Division Street in Downtown Chicago. The outdoor festival will draw in over 50,000 people for the two-day event, and will showcase PELICAN playing at dusk on Saturday, June 5th. They'll share the stage with Headlights, CoCoComas, Maritime, headliners The Hood Internet and more, as their stage is hosted by comedian Neil Hamburger! Get the full scoop at: http://www.do-divisionstreetfest.com. The band will play their hometown again following night at The Empty Bottle, headlining over local acts Medusa and Miracle Condition, featuring members of celebrated cult Chicago band US Maple.

Also just confirmed; PELICAN's song "The Creeper" -- the second track on their most recent release What We All Come To Need -- will appear in the season finale of CSI: Miami, on CBS this Monday, May 24th (we recently announced this as airing on May 31st - sorry about that)! Check your local listings. You can then tune in on June 8th, to indie film channel IFC, as music from the album will appear on the show Dinner With The Band, in an episode hosted by the reunited Murder City Devils.

PELICAN Live:

6/05/2010 Do Division Street Fest - Chicago, IL

6/06/2010 The Empty Bottle - Chicago, IL

What We All Come To Need -- PELICAN's fourth full-length album, and first for Southern Lord Recordings -- was released in October, and has been praised by many as the band's most intelligent and cohesive material yet. Stay tuned for more updates on the band to be announced shortly.

http://www.myspace.com/pelican
http://www.southernlord.com
http://www.myspace.com/southernlordrecordings
http://blog.southernlord.com

http://twitter.com/twatterlord

BLACK TUSKEN RAIDERS

2010-05-21T04:58:00.000-07:00

Black Tusk’s Taste The Sin now streaming online

BLACK TUSK: Taste The Sin Streaming Online
Savannah, GA’s BLACK TUSK is currently streaming their Relapse debut Taste The Sin in its entirety via Stereogum.com. Taste The Sin will see its North American release date next Tuesday, May 25th (May 31st internationally) and will be available digitally as well as on CD and gatefold LP. Additional release information can be found here.
BLACK TUSK are about to embark on a run of dates with PENTAGRAM in support of Taste The Sin starting this weekend. Immediately following, BLACK TUSK will support EYEHATEGOD for a string of dates before heading out on a co-headlining US tour with Atlanta’s ZOROASTER in June. A complete listing of confirmed BLACK TUSK tour dates can be found below with more to be announced soon.
BLACK TUSK recently filmed the first video from Taste The Sin, for the track “Red Eyes, Black Skies”, with director Kevin Custer (FLOGGING MOLLY, HATEBREED, TOMBS) in Austin, TX. The video is expected to see its premiere imminently.
BLACK TUSK Tour Dates:
***All dates from May 21 thru 29 w/ PENTAGRAM***
May 21       Raleigh, NC                   Volume 11 Tavern
May 22       Savannah, GA               The Jinx
May 23       Orlando, FL                   The Backbooth
May 25       Houston, TX                   Walters On Washington
May 26       Austin, TX                     Emo’s (w/ RWAKE)
May 27       New Orleans, LA            The Hanger
May 28       Nashville, TN                 The End
May 29       Newport, KY                  Southgate House
May 30       Johnson City, TN           Hideaway

***All dates from June 5 thru 9 w/ EYEHATEGOD***
June 5        Raleigh, NC                   Volume 11 Tavern
June 6        Louisville, KY                 Headliners
June 9        Richmond, VA               Alley Katz
***All dates from June 15 thru July 10 w/ ZOROASTER, DARK CASTLE***
June 15       Birmingham, AL           The Nick
June 16       Memphis, TN                 Hi Tone Café
June 17       Oklahoma City, OK        The Conservatory
June 18       Dallas, TX                      The Lounge On Elm
June 19       Austin, TX                     Emo’s
June 21       Albuquerque, NM           Burt’s Tiki Lounge
June 22       Scottsdale, AZ               Rogue
June 23       Ramona, CA                  Ramona Mainstage
June 24       Hollywood, CA               Viper Room
June 25       Oakland, CA                  Oakland Metro
June 26       San Francisco, CA         Thee Parkside
June 28       Portland, OR                 Satyricon
June 29       Seattle, WA                  Funhouse
July 1         Salt Lake City, UT          Club Vegas
July 2         Denver, CO                    Larimer Lounge
July 3         Kansas City, MO           Riot Room
July 4         St. Paul, MN                 Turf Club
July 6         Chicago, IL                   Empty Bottle
July 7         Newport, KY                  Southgate House
July 8         Pittsburg, PA                 31st Street Pub
July 9         New York, NY                Webster Hall
July 10        Philadelphia, PA            Khyber
July 11        Harrisonburg, VA           Blue Nile

“Meet Mastodon’s backwater brethren. This power trio — the rising star of Savannah’s metal underground — mix heavy metal and hardcore sounds into a frightening blast of hellfire” – Spin.com

“Black Tusk is poised to conquer the world” – Flagpole

“Mind-blowingly fun” – BrooklynVegan

REPOSTED FROM AVMANIACS.NET

STREETS OF FIRE

2010-05-21T04:44:00.000-07:00

CITY OF FIRE Debut To Be Released Via Candlelight Records

CITY OF FIRE, featuring Fear Factory vocalist Burton C. Bell and bassist Byron Stroud, will release their self-titled debut album via Candlelight Records on August 24. The album, recorded at renowned Factory Studios in Vancouver in late 2008 with additional material completed in April of this year, features Bell and Stroud with guitarist Terry Murray, drummer Bob Wagner (Econoline Crush), and guitarist Ian White. The album features fourteen songs, including remakes of The Cult’s “Rain” and T-Rex’s “Children of the Revolution.” It will also include the band’s video for the song ‘Rising.’

Bell says, “CITY OF FIRE is the culmination of our life's musical influences. It is a mature approach to a sound that has been lost in today’s music. Do not approach this album expecting to hear the sounds of any of our other bands for this is altogether a different beast. Based in hard rocking groove, psychedelic, and post-punk sounds of the '70s and '80s, this band experiments without restrictions or conceptual boundaries. The world is our palette, and we are using every color to our advantage.”

Awareness of CITY OF FIRE has been about for well over a year but only now will the record find proper American and Canadian release. Metal Hammer editor Alexander Milas calls the record, “absolutely incredible. I can’t say enough about how diverse the record is. It is not a Fear Factory record; it is something completely different and unique. It is heavy and beautiful… so, so gorgeous.” Popular metal website SMN News adds, “CITY OF FIRE is a surprisingly organic and melodic album full of great and diverse songs.”

It was early 2008 when the Cobalt Hotel in Vancouver hosted the reunion of Canadian-born Stroud’s old band Caustic Thought; a popular local band that had not played together for twelve years. Little did the bassist and his old band mates (including Wagner and White) realize that this special evening would light a spark that would take the reunion further than they initially expected. Later recruiting Murray and adding friend/band mate and lone American Burton C. Bell (also of Ascension of the Watchers, G/Z/R, Ministry) the spark had now become a spirited new band.

Bell explained to Noisecreep in 2009, "Byron and I have always talked about music and realized that we had many similarities between us: the same music likes and dislikes. He knew that I would love the music he and the guys were creating and he was right. When I first heard the music I was pretty excited.”

Discussing the album’s two unique remakes and the decision to include them, Stroud notes, "'Rain’ really fits well with the concept of the record and the vibe of Vancouver, which really influenced CITY OF FIRE. I have been wanting to do a version of that song for a long time and once we started writing the record, I knew this was the band to do it.” Murray adds, “aside from being a killer rock song, we chose ‘Children of the Revolution’ because we felt the title was a relevant commentary on the climate of the world today. Kids have a lot to revolt about these days and hopefully this will be an anthem for it. We knew that Burt's voice could give this song a modern edge to it, and make it for this generation."

CITY OF FIRE will see North American release just as Fear Factory finish up their Canadian run of dates which will include their performance at Montreal’s Heavy MTL Festival where the band will appear alongside Megadeth, Slayer, Mastodon, Korn, Rob Zombie, Lamb of God and more.

http://www.myspace.com/thecityoffire
http://cityoffire.com
http://www.candlelightrecordsusa.com

http://www.myspace.com/candlelightrecordsusa

TIME TO WREAK HAVOK!

2010-05-21T04:42:00.000-07:00

HAVOK Continue To Tour In Support Of Debut

Thrashers HAVOK are ready to kick off their next tour in support of their 2009 debut, Burn. The tour, alongside Germany’s Primal Fear, begins Thursday, May 20 at New York’s Gramercy Theater and follows their early April performances in support of Hammerfall. For these dates, the band will be performing as a trio due to the recent departure of guitarist Shawn Chavez.

The Denver-based band will perform selections from Burn and several new songs the band has recently written for their next album currently planned for early 2011. Commenting regarding the tour lineup, vocalist/guitarist David Sanchez notes, “we have recently parted ways with our lead guitarist and will be performing as a trio for the upcoming tour. Although, we’re down a member for this trip, we plan on raging just as hard as usual, so don’t expect to see us slow down.”

HAVOK, currently featuring Sanchez with drummer Ryan Bloom and bassist Jesse de Los Santos, recorded their debut at Dirty D Studios in late 2008. Mixed by Bart McCrorey at Motaland Studios and featuring artwork by illustrator Halsey Swain, the album has received high acclaim since release one year ago. Blabbermouth called it, “a damn good, consistently written thrash album… add it to your list of Essential Thrash Albums of 2009." Denver Westword says, “HAVOK makes thrash seem relevant again.” MetalSucks.net adds, “while every song on the album is guaranteed to give you roadburn, the songs are also dynamic, giving the album excellent replay value.”

HAVOK have been impressing a growing fan base since their formation in 2004. Via two independently released recordings, PWN 'Em All and Murder By Metal (both quickly selling out their pressings), the band have reached audiences far outside their regional borders. Consummate road warriors, the band have performed alongside Exodus, Destruction, Into Eternity, Cephalic Carnage, and have toured with Hammerfall, fellow new thrashers Hatchet and Bonded By Blood, among others. Signing with Candlelight Records in early 2008, Sanchez noted, "this is the break we’ve been working toward and now that it’s finally here we’re more than ready to make the most of it. We are both psyched and humbled to be a part of the Candlelight roster."

Havok’s Burn is available in stores now. Confirmed dates on their tour with Primal Fear include:

05/20/10 Gramercy Theater - New York, NY
05/21/10 Jaxx - W. Springfield, VA
05/22/10 Harpers Ferry - Allston, MA
05/23/10 Imperial de Quebec - Quebec City, QC
05/24/10 Opera House - Toronto, ON
05/26/10 Peabody's - Cleveland, OH
05/27/10 Blondie's - Detroit, MI
05/28/10 Phoenix Hill Tavern - Louisville, KY
05/29/10 The Rave - Milwaukee, WI
05/30/10 Station 4 - St. Paul, MN
06/01/10 Bluebird Theater - Denver, CO
06/03/10 El Corazon - Seattle, WA
06/04/10 Satyricon - Portland, OR
06/05/10 Slim's - San Francisco, CA
06/06/10 Galaxy Theater - Santa Ana, CA
06/08/10 House of Blues - W. Hollywood, CA
06/09/10 UB's Bar - Mesa, AZ
06/10/10 The Rock - Tucson, AZ
06/12/10 Meridian - Houston, TX
06/13/10 Emo's - Austin, TX

http://www.myspace.com/havok
http://www.candlelightrecordsusa.com
http://www.myspace.com/candlelightrecordsusa

CA-CAWWWW!

2010-05-21T04:39:00.001-07:00

PELICAN Confirm Chicago Shows; Songs To Air During CBS And IFC Programming

Also just confirmed; PELICAN's song "The Creeper" -- the second track on their most recent release What We All Come To Need -- will appear in the season finale of CSI: Miami, on CBS this Monday, May 31st! Check your local listings. You can then tune in on June 8th, to indie film channel IFC, as music from the album will appear on the show Dinner With The Band, in an episode hosted by the reunited Murder City Devils.

PELICAN Live:

5/05/2010 Do Division Street Fest - Chicago, IL

5/06/2010 The Empty Bottle - Chicago, IL

http://www.myspace.com/pelican
http://www.southernlord.com
http://www.myspace.com/southernlordrecordings
http://blog.southernlord.com

MARY HAD A LITTLE LAND.

2010-05-21T04:38:00.000-07:00

Official Maryland Deathfest VIII Posters Available For Presale Via WARLORD CLOTHING!
Time Is Running Out!

Official MDF VIII posters are currently available for presale via WARLORD CLOTHING. Presale orders will be accepted until Thursday May 20th (TOMORROW) Don't miss out!

This poster will be for sale through WARLORD CLOTHING at this year's Maryland Deathfest in Baltimore, MD May 28 - 30. This is a limited edition silk screened 18" x 24" three-color poster illustrated by Farron Loathing. Only 300 will be available. You can make sure you get yours here right now for a discounted presale price of only $10. They will be $12 at the fest and WILL sell out quick!

Buy it online: http://www.warlordclothing.com

Bring a copy of your receipt with your name and order number on it to the WARLORD CLOTHING booth to pick up your poster.

In other WARLORD news:

WARLORD CLOTHING and Trendkill Productions will be in attendance at this year's edition of Hellfest in France June 18 - 20 and will be hosting several autograph signings at their tables including: Fear Factory, 16, Weedeater, Magrudergrind, Godflesh, Exodus, Sepultura, Doom, General Surgery, Crowbar, Suffocation, Dying Fetus and Mondo Generator! More info: http://www.hellfest.fr
New T-shirt additions on the WARLORD site:
16
Sourvein
Rotten Sound
Pungent Stench
Misery Index
Birdflesh
Gravehill
Lightning Swords Of Death
Sayyadina
Bad Acid Trip
Malignancy
Dreaming Dead
Circle Of Dead Children
Wehrmacht
D.I.S.
http://www.warlordclothing.com
http://www.myspace.com/warlordclothing

I PREFER MAGNUMS, MYSELF.

2010-05-21T04:33:00.000-07:00

RAMESSES: New Release Details Unveiled

The psychedelic doom trio RAMESSES were spawned in the woodland of Dorset, England in 2003, and have been brutalizing their devoted fanbase ever since, unleashing a rash of EPs and demos, one full-length release, splits with Negative Reaction and Unearthly Trance and more over the past seven years. They've ripped a wound in the UK and across Europe with brutalizing live shows alongside some of the best and heaviest names in the extreme metal world.

2010 brings the next slab of raging doom from RAMESSES, in the form of their second mammoth full-length release Take The Curse, which is set to infect the general public on the 2010 Summer Solstice, June 21st. Releasing the album is new label Ritual Productions; the label formed by the band's management. The beast will see worldwide release on CD and digital download formats through Ritual, as well as a 2xLP version to be released by Scottish label At War With False Noise.

On Take The Curse, mournful harmonies are the backdrop to the ever-increasing influence of The Occult on the band. Although a riff tsunami remains the centerpiece, the RAMESSES sound is refracted through even more circles of hell; of dirge-sludge, of rhythm, of Lucifer himself. Grim melodies, blistering spaced-out guitar solos and atmospheric samples add depth to the tracks and display the band's eclectic traits and 70's influences.

Take The Curse Track Listing:
1. Iron Crow
2. Terrasaw
3. Black Hash Mass
4. Take The Curse
5. Vinho dos Mortos
6. Baptism Of The Walking Dead
7. Another Skeleton
8. Hand Of Glory
9. The Weakening
10. Khali Mist

Take The Curse is a shattering expression of cruelty where RAMESSES' bleak sound finds an accurate counterpart in UK artists Jake and Dinos Chapman (http://www.jakeanddinoschapman.com) and their grand vision of suffering; the Chapman's controversial art piece "Fucking Hell" has become the front cover art of Take The Curse. The pieces of this masterpiece used for the album's art have never been released to the public until now. The CD version of the album will come with two alternative covers, and first 200 orders through the label website will receive a limited edition collectors art card set featuring the 2 alternative covers. The music and the artwork dredge the turpitude of humanity and explore the utter horror of possibility. Prepare to be engulfed by torrential riffing!

Check out the cover art, updated band photos, the official video for the track "Khali Mist" off of Take The Curse and more at this location: http://www.earsplitcompound.com/site/?p=665.

http://www.myspace.com/ramesses666
http://www.ritualproductions.net
http://www.myspace.com/ritualproductions

WHERE'S NATASHA?

2010-05-21T04:31:00.001-07:00

BORIS To Spend Their Summer Vacation Deafening North Americans

Japan's most potent psychedelic rock quartet BORIS have just locked down their next North American escapade.

After many previous tours to the continent, superheavy post-doom-rock unit BORIS will return to North America this summer in a major way, storming the continent on a tour that will last from the end of July through the month of August. Kicking off in California, the opening leg of the tour will see the band accompanied by Russian Circles as main support for the first few weeks, and by Red Sparrowes for the second leg, which also winds down in the Golden State at the end of August.

But BORIS will not let a tour die off quietly.... This full tour shall take place in advance of the previously announced appearance by SUNN O))) and BORIS amalgamating to perform as ALTAR -- as heard on their 2006 Altar full-length -- at the third annual All Tomorrow's Parties Festival in beautiful upstate New York, performing alongside Sleep [performing Holy Mountain], Iggy & The Stooges [performing Raw Power], Sonic Youth, Mudhoney, Raekwon, Explosions In The Sky and tons more this Labor Day weekend.

Stay tuned for a forthcoming major announcement regarding several new Boris releases!

BORIS North North American Summer Excursion 2010:
7/24/2010 The Casbah - San Diego, CA
7/25/2010 Plush - Tucson, AZ
7/27/2010 The Loft @ Palladium Ballroom - Dallas, TX w/ Russian Circles
7/28/2010 The Mohawk - Austin, TX w/ Russian Circles
7/30/2010 Spanish Moon - Baton Rouge, LA w/ Russian Circles
7/31/2010 The Engine Room - Tallahassee, FL w/ Russian Circles
8/01/2010 The Masquerade - Atlanta, GA w/ Russian Circles
8/02/2010 Cat's Cradle - Carrboro, NC w/ Russian Circles
8/03/2010 930 Club - Washington DC w/ Russian Circles
8/04/2010 Starlight Ballroom - Philadelphia, PA w/ Russian Circles
8/07/2010 The Middle East - Cambridge, MA w/ Russian Circles, Cave In
8/08/2010 Le Tulipe - Montreal, QC w/ Russian Circles
8/09/2010 Lee's Place - Toronto, ON w/ Russian Circles
8/10/2010 Magic Stick - Detroit, MI w/ Russian Circles
8/11/2010 Southgate House - Newport, KY w/ Russian Circles
8/13/2010 Metro - Chicago, IL w/ Russian Circles
8/14/2010 Firebird - St. Louis, MO w/ Russian Circles
8/15/2010 Granada Theatre - Lawrence, KS w/ Russian Circles
8/16/2010 Marquis Theater - Denver, CO w/ Red Sparrowes
8/17/2010 *TBA - Salt Lake City, UT w/ Red Sparowes
8/19/2010 Republik - Calgary, AB w/ Red Sparowes
8/20/2010 The Starlite - Edmonton, AB w/ Red Sparowes
8/22/2010 Rickshaw Theater - Vancouver, BC w/ Red Sparowes
8/23/2010 Neumo's - Seattle, WA w/ Red Sparowes
8/24/2010 Hawthorne Theatre - Portland, OR w/ Red Sparowes
8/26/2010 Great American Music Hall - San Francisco, CA w/ Red Sparowes
8/27/2010 El Rey - Los Angeles, CA w/ Red Sparowes
8/28/2010 The Glass House - Pomona, CA w/ Red Sparowes
9/05/2010 Kutsher's Country Club - Monticello, NY @ ATP Fest - "Altar set" w/ SUNNO)))

Please stay tuned, as more BORIS live aktions are to be announced shortly.

http://homepage1.nifty.com/boris
http://www.myspace.com/borisdronevil
http://www.southernlord.com
http://blog.southernlord.com
http://www.myspace.com/southernlordrecordings
http://twitter.com/twatterlord

LONG LIVE THE KVLT!

2010-05-19T03:17:00.001-07:00

We have ton of stuff happening to update you all on this time around…

On the live front the Nihilistic Terror Across Florida dates will take place on May 21 and 23. It’s been four years since we last played the Culture Room, a venue we’ve always considered home. So with that being said we are pleased to say that the first show will take place there in our hometown of Fort Lauderdale, FL on Friday, May 21. We will be filming the set in its entirety and will include it on the DVD being released later in the year through Arctic Music. On Sunday, May 23 we will storm the Brass Mug in Tampa, FL. The last time we were in Tampa was on the Hellstorm Of Unholy Legions 2005 tour so we are looking forward to playing the Brass Mug again this time with songs from the new album in our arsenal. The only other booked appearance for the year will be at the Michigan Deathfest. The date has been moved from Saturday, July 17 to Saturday, August 21. On this date we will headline the main stage on day two of this event.

On the release front this year we have many things being released. First up is a “best of” CD titled Desecrations: A Decade of Defiling the Cross. In the next few days we will announce and notify the winner of the contest we ran who will receive 2 signed copies of the release. After that we will be releasing the still untitled live DVD that will span the years 1999-2010. This will include two full concerts along with other shot footage from over the years. We are also working on re-releasing the very obscure mCD Order of The Fly. Since there has been a lot of inquiries as where to find this the time has come to re-issue the recording. The original was released to only 250 in 1999 and has been out of print since 2000. The re-issue will have bonus tracks these being the Of Evil and Hatred session aka our portion of the Kult ov Azazel/Krieg split along with some unreleased recordings. Negativity Records will be releasing the split 7” with Teratism titled In League With Satan, a tribute to Venom, which will be out at some point during the year. Finally, we will begin pre-production for the new album in July which will be named Violators of the Covenant.

There’s also some new merchandise available. A new exclusive t-shirt design obtainable only through Relapse Records is available in all sizes at www.relapse.com . We also now have embroidered logo patches for sale that can be seen on the website, wwww.kultovazazel.com, under the merchandise section. They are also available through Metal Negro at www.metalnegro.com.

EYELOVEGOD

2010-05-19T02:41:00.000-07:00

New Orleans sludge metal titans EYEHATEGOD performed a special one-off show last Friday at Emo's in Austin, Texas. Those lucky enough to be in attendance witnessed the band play their coveted first two full-lengths -- In The Name Of Suffering and Take As Needed For Pain respectively -- in their entirety! Needless to say, it ruled in unimaginable ways. Elaborated Hellbound.ca of the historic spectacle: "...The collective anticipation and tension swelled like a ripening fruit ready to burst...The slow riffs of [Jimmy] Bower [also the drummer of Down], Brian Patton [also Soilent Green’s guitarist] and relatively new bassist Gary Mader sounded as though they were literally being strummed beneath the surface of a murky Louisiana swamp, such was their slow and powerful delivery...It was a thunderous, distinctly southern kind of blues 'n' doom poured through a punk-rock filter."

EYEHATEGOD -- Bower, Patton, Mader, vocalist Mike Williams and drummer Joey LaCaze -- will kick off their long-anticipated US tour alongside psychedelic black metallers Nachtmystium (from June 4 – 15) and a rotating roster of other eclectic openers on June 3 at Blackbooth in Orlando, Florida. The band will pillage through 16 cities before winding down in Chicago for two dates at the Empty Bottle where they will again perform In The Name Of Suffering (June 19) and Take As Needed For Pain (June 20) in their entirety. If you missed it the first time, now's your chance!

EYEHATEGOD US Tour 2010
6/03/2010 Backbooth - Orlando, FL w/ Withered
6/04/2010 Ground Zero - Spartanburg, SC w/ Nachtmystium, Withered
6/05/2010 Volume 11 - Raleigh, NC w/ Nachtmystium, Withered, Black Tusk
6/06/2010 Headliners - Louisville, KY w/ Nachtmystium, Black Tusk
6/07/2010 Fubar - St Louis, MO w/ Nachtmystium,
6/08/2010 Muse - Nashville, TN w/ Nachtmystium, Withered
6/09/2010 Alley Katz - Richmond, VA w/ Nachtmystium, Black Tusk, Strong Intention
6/10/2010 Krug’s - Frederick, MD w/ Nachtmystium, Brutal Truth, Strong Intention
6/11/2010 Unitarian Church - Philadelphia, PA w/ Nachtmystium, Brutal Truth, Black Anvil, Tombs
6/12/2010 Europa - Brooklyn, NY w/ Nachtmystium, Brutal, Truth, Black Anvil, Tombs
6/13/2010 Club Hall - Providence, RI w/ Nachtmystium, Brutal Truth, Black Anvil, Tombs, Howl
6/14/2010 Daniel St - Milford, CT w/ Nachtmystium, Howl
6/15/2010 Rocko’s - Manchester, NH w/ Nachtmystium, Howl
6/16/2010 Bug Jar – Rochester, NY
6/17/2010 Now That’s Class - Cleveland, OH w/ Keelhaul, The Atlas Moth
6/18/2010 Blondie’s Detroit, MI w/ The Atlas Moth, Strong Intention
6/19/2010 Empty Bottle - Chicago, IL w/ Anal Cunt, Weekend Nachos, Strong Intention
6/20/2010 Empty Bottle – Chicago, IL w/ The Atlas Moth

http://www.myspace.com/eyehategod

NACHTMYSTIUM ROOLZ!

2010-05-19T02:37:00.000-07:00

NACHTMYSTIUM Team Up With MetalSucks.net To Exclusively Stream The New Track “Addicts”

NACHTMYSTIUM embrace the true spirit of individuality and intolerance forming solely as an outlet to express the dark musical visions and summonings of those involved. This vicious, uncompromising group’s (led by mastermind Blake Judd) much anticipated new full-length offering, Addicts: Black Meddle Pt. II, is set for a June 8th release. The disc is hailed by Decibel Magazine as “One of the 25 most anticipated albums of 2010.”

MetalSucks is exclusively streaming the track “Addicts” now, so click on the link below to check it out.
http://www.metalsucks.net/2010/05/14/exclusive-song-premiere-nachtmystiums-addicts/

Blake Judd also recently spoke with The Examiner and speaks in-depth about a plethora of topics He is quick with the commentary and stone-forged opinions, offering firm and honest explanations behind nearly every corner of the band’s startlingly mature progressive journey. Click below to check out this very interesting piece.
http://www.examiner.com/x-34254-Cape-Cod-Rock-Music-Examiner~y2010m5d13-Nachtmystium-continue-to-destroy-conformity-and-reshape-black-metal-parameters

NACHTMYSTIUM kicked off their 2010 touring cycle by joining up with German thrash legends Kreator and will be touring the U.S. with EyeHateGod this June, with more touring to be announced shortly.

NACHTMYSTIUM live actions:
5/23/2010 Festung Open Air - Festung, Germany
6/04/2010 Ground Zero - Spartanburg, SC w/ Eyehategod, Withered
6/05/2010 Volume 11 - Raleigh, NC w/ Withered w/ Eyehategod, Black Tusk
6/06/2010 Headliners - Louisville, KY w/ Eyehategod, Black Tusk
6/07/2010 Fubar - St Louis, MO Eyehategod,
6/08/2010 Muse - Nashville, TN w/ Eyehategod, Withered
6/09/2010 Alley Katz - Richmond, VA w/ Eyehategod, Black Tusk, Strong Intention
6/10/2010 Krug’s - Frederick, MD w/ Eyehategod, Brutal Truth, Strong Intention
6/11/2010 Unitarian Church - Philadelphia, PA w/ Eyehategod, Brutal Truth, Black Anvil, Tombs
6/12/2010 Europa - Brooklyn, NY w/ Eyehategod, Brutal, Truth, Black Anvil, Tombs
6/13/2010 Club Hall - Providence, RI w/ Eyehategod, Brutal Truth, Black Anvil, Tombs, Howl
6/14/2010 Daniel St - Milford, CT w/ Eyehategod, Howl
6/15/2010 Rocko’s - Manchester, NH w/ Eyehategod, Howl
6/18/2010 Hellfest - Clisson, France

http://www.myspace.com/nachtmystium
http://centurymedia.com

DNS

2010-05-19T02:36:00.000-07:00

DARKENED NOCTURN SLAUGHTERCULT To Play First American Shows

Subterranean German black metal legion DARKENED NOCTURN SLAUGHTERCULT will land on US soil for the first time ever later this week to perform three rare and special shows alongside Inquisition and Ritual Combat (among others). On the Anthems Of Pestilence & Death mini tour 2010, the band plan to condemn venues in San Francisco, Compton and Brooklyn before heading home, where they will plot their next bouts of onstage chaos. View tour fliers here: http://tinyurl.com/23nfb6c

DARKENED NOCTURN SLAUGHTERCULT: Anthems Of Pestilence & Death 2010

**5/21/2010 Sub Mission - San Francisco, CA w/ Ritual Combat, Spiculum Iratus, Altar Of Extinction and Pandiscordian...
http://www.localendar.com/public/submission

**5/22/10 Oasis Club - Compton, CA w/ Inquisition, Ritual Combat, Spiculum Iratus and more...

**5/23/2010 Europa - Brooklyn, NY w/ Inquisition, Dimentianon and Agrath
http://www.europaclub.com

DARKENED NOCTURN SLAUGHTERCULT was spawned over a decade ago and after four infernal full-lengths -- their most recent, the venomous Saldorian Spell, was unleashed last year via War Anthem Records -- wish to levy their blasphemy upon unsuspecting shores. You are encouraged to succumb to the summoning.

DARKENED NOCTURN SLAUGHTERCULT is:
Onielar - Vocals, Guitar
Velnias - Guitar
Horrn - Drums
Adversarius - Bass

http://www.slaughtercult.de
http://www.myspace.com/dnsofficial
http://www.war-anthem.de

HELLS HEADBANGERS DOUBLE DOSE FROM DOWN UNDER

2009-12-02T22:37:00.001-08:00

HUNTERS MOON - THE SERPENT'S LUST
A very straightforward killer mix of black metal and traditional heavy metal from Down Under, this duo has one carnivorous riff after another smashing you face-on. Think of it as if Hobbs Angel of Death and Iron Maiden must have had wicked anal sex and given birth to this bastard child and then it came and clawed your eyes out. No "epic" songs to bore your to death either, these guys have everything better to do and they damn well know it. Now get it and suffer! (FA)
HELLS HEADBANGERS
www.hellsheadbangers.com, throneoffire@hellsheadbangers.com, http://www.huntersmoon.cjb.net/, inconspiracywithsatan@hotmail.com, www.myspace.com/thehuntersmoon

DESTRUKTOR - NAILED
Seething deaththrash from Australia too, reeking of kerosone and arsenic and The Devil's evil blessings. Growling angers spews from the bowels of hell without a sliver of mercy. It had been a few years since their previous release and this proves that it was definitely worth the weight, the have only taken the extreme several steps further. Heck, it's practically an inspiration. Collaborate with Satan and put your soul on the auction block NOW! (FA)
HELLS HEADBANGERS
www.hellsheadbangers.com, throneoffire@hellsheadbangers.com, www.destruktor.com, www.myspace.com/666destruktor

BROWN METAL

2009-11-28T19:14:00.000-08:00

BROWN JENKINS - DEATH OBSESSION
These guys (well, one guy, really) have found "their" niche as far as dark doom and sludgy blackness goes. The songs are a bit long but they maintain a level of quality downtuneage to keep you compelled. Raw and rough, they don't stray from previous formula at all, so you can rest assured they deliver on all your expectations. It's as deadly as ever, and apparently it"s the end of the line as this project will transition to a new one called "The Ash Eaters" and laid to rest. GO! (FA)
MORIBUND RECORDS
www.moribundcult.com, info@moribundcult.com, www.myspace.com/brownjenkins13

UNDER THE SIGN OF HECK

2009-11-28T14:24:00.000-08:00

GORGOROTH - QUANTOS POSSUNT AD SATANITATEM TRAHUNT
I'm a little late on this one, been traveling. Well it's out and say what you will, I dig it. They haven't gone the direction of awful as their Norwegian peers have, and while it's not quite the same sound they had once upon it time, it's still dark, emotional, There is a a huge Judas Priest influence I can sense this time around, a good mix of traditional heavy metal and black metal vocals. I have heard others say they hate their current direction, but that's just silly. They haven't lost their edge one bit. Don't be scared! (FA)
REGAIN RECORDS
www.regainrecords.com, info@regainrecords.com, www.gorgoroth.info, infernus.gorgoroth@gmail.com, www.myspace.com/gorgoroth

DEATH BEFORE METAL OF DISHONOR

2009-10-21T22:22:00.000-07:00

NOCTURNAL FEAR - METAL OF HONOR
More war-obsessed deaththrash hellslaughter from these vile bastards, and without war, they would probably be nothing. Forget all that cookie-cutter fun "retro thrash" TRASH that is so common these days, Nocturnal Fear are the real deal! No gimmicks, no trying to hard to capture any misbegotten 80s essence, and no silly "old school" nuances! Just fast, face-ripping thrashy badassness! And, as I always heap praise upon, they make good use of film dialogue with excerpts from the last Rambo film and the first Conan (granted their superfluous acoustic guitar overlay could be done away with so we can hear Basil Pouledouris's somber score for Conan instead, but it's a minor gripe) which add to the mood of anger and disgust and lustmord this album so brilliantly exudes. Sweep aside those poser thrash losers popping up everywhere and embrace the real, mean, raw deal! (FA)
MORIBUND RECORDS
www.moribundcult.com, orders@moribundcult.com, www.myspace.com/nocturnalfear

FISTS OF FURY

2009-10-16T22:00:00.000-07:00

BLEEDING FIST - BESTIAL KRUZIFIX666TION
Much more than a few fists will be bleeding after this violent endeavor! Grinding, shocking, in the vein of Angel Corpse, Blasphemy, and early Possessed and Morbid Angel. Slovenian hatred spews forth a mighty massacre of black/death in the bestial fashion that only some few can master. Blitzkrieg bombardments of anger that never relent, never compromise. Heads will spin, heads will roll, and spines will shatter. An MCD is already in the works for early 2010. Get in line now! (FA)
MORIBUND RECORDS
www.moribundcult.com. orders@moribundcult.com, www.bleeding-fist.com, www.myspace.com/bleedingfist, bleedingfistofficial@gmail.com

IN NOMINE SATHANAS. YET AGAIN.

2009-10-14T23:27:00.000-07:00

SATHANAS are writing their new album to be released through PAGAN RECORDS early to mid-2010 followed by a European tour. Artwork is being handled by SICKNESS 666 of Thailand. For info visit www.sathanas.net.

www.myspace.com/sathanasmetal

IMMORTAL RITES

2009-10-12T00:05:00.000-07:00

IMMORTAL - ALL SHALL FALL
Well the eagle has landed. One of the most anticipated releases of the year is finally upon us. Whether their "break-up" stunt of several years ago was just that, a stunt, to generate further interest in the band is something I've always wondered. Then again, in the YouTube and MySpace and Guitar Hero age, nothing is left undiscovered for long as is. Continuing down their path of more traditional heavy metal with black metal vocals since "At the Heart of Winter" many moons ago, Immortal have yet to disappointed this bitter and jaded metal veteran, especially in the way many of their Norwegian countrymates (who shall remained unnamed simply because I'm downright tired of saying them) have in the name of SELLING OUT. Yes, I said that, because that's the straight reality of it. Anyway, sure, I worried when I heard Immortal was signing to Nuclear Blast with their previous "Sons of Northern Darkness", and with good reason. Thankfully, that turned out to be unfounded. That album did not lack in ANY way, shape, or form. Now flash-forward to seven years and an alleged "break-up" later, and we have more of the same. Cold, emotional, and dark black metal with plenty of older traditional metal use, for all the better. Semi-long songs that don't bore or drift off into oblivion. Expect nothing but absolute Immortal in their finest form. The wait was well worth it! (FA)
NUCLEAR BLAST
www.nuclearblastusa.com, www.immortalofficial.com, www.myspace.com/immortalofficial

LETHAL WEAPON

2009-10-12T00:03:00.000-07:00

WEAPON - DRAKONIAN PARADIGN
Once hailing from Bangladesh, Weapon relocated to Canada to pursue their black metal dreams and weave them into your nightmares. Slow and mid-paced and ever so creeeeeeeeeepy, Weapon also mix killer elements of the darkest death metal brew and even some acoustics to make pigeon-holing their style even all the more difficult. Far from cookie-cutter is perhaps the best way to describe this black metal concoction. Oh don't fret, there's more than enough vileness to keep you coming back for more! Nothing short of catchy, nothing shy of hateful. Choose your Weapon without any hesitation! (FA)
THE AJNA OFFENSIVE
www.theajnaoffensive.com, ajna@theajnaoffensive.com, www.weaponchakra.com, www.myspace.com/theweaponchakra

MERRIMACK-GO-ROUND

2009-10-09T10:49:00.001-07:00

French black metal institution and MORIBUND recording artists MERRIMACK are confirmed as support for the "U.S. Plague Tour 2009," which will feature headliners MARDUK and also NACHTMYSTIUM, MANTIC RITUAL, and on select dates BLACK ANVIL. This tour will be MERRIMACK's first (and highly anticipated) performances on American soil, all in support of new album Grey Rigorism, recently released in North America by MORIBUND. Says founding guitarist Perversifier, "We're very happy to finally hit American soil and spread the disease of Grey Rigorism there." Grey Rigorism is being hailed by critics as one of the year's very best black metal albums, with the well-respected Decibel even calling it a "hollow-horned masterpiece...with a cold, communicable bitterness few modern-day BM hordes have the ability to convincingly convey."

MERRIMACK have also added a new date in Salt Lake City, Utah on December 9th. Here are the rest of the confirmed dates/venues:

Nov 19 Allentown, PA @ The Sterling Hotel*
Nov 20 Worcester, MA @ The Palladium*
Nov 21 Montreal, QC @ Les Foufounes Electriques*
Nov 22 Toronto, ON @ Wreck Room *
Nov 23 Baltimore, MD @ Sonar
Nov 24 Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
Nov 25 Tampa, FL @ Brass Mug
Nov 27 New Orleans, LA @ The Bar
Nov 28 Austin, TX @ Red 7
Nov 29 Ft Worth, TX @ Ridglea Theater
Nov 30 Tulsa, OK @ The Marquee
Dec 2 Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad
Dec 3 Tempe, AZ @ The Clubhouse
Dec 4 Hollywood, CA @ The Key Club*
Dec 5 San Marcos, CA @ The Jumping Turtle*
Dec 6 San Francisco, CA @ DNA Lounge*
Dec 7 Portland, OR @ Satyricon
Dec 8 Seattle, WA @ Studio Seven
Dec 9 Salt Lake City, UT @ Club Vegas
Dec 10 Denver, CO @ Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom
Dec 11 Kansas City, MO @ Riot Room
Dec 12 Chicago, IL @ Reggie's Rock Club
Dec 13 St Paul, MN @ Station 4
Dec 14 Detroit, MI @ Blondie's
Dec 15 Cleveland, OH @ Peabody's
Dec 16 New York, NY @ Gramercy Theater*
* = to feature BLACK ANVIL

For more info, consult www.moribundcult.com, www.myspace.com/merrimackofficial, and www.thunderdometouring.com.

DIMENTIANON A DOZEN

2009-10-09T10:45:00.000-07:00

DIMENTIANON To Play Alongside Marduk; New Lineup Completed

DIMENTIANON is proud to announce that they have been selected as the opening act for the New York date of Marduk's upcoming US tour! The tour - featuring Nachtmystium, Mantic Ritual, Merrimack and Black Anvil, in addition to Marduk of course - hits NYC's Grammercy Theater on December 16th, with DIMENTIANON leading of the night's chaos.

Additionally, DIMENTIANON's new line-up is complete, joining the remaining members Greg L.(Guitar) and M.(vocals), are Zoltan V. (Lead Guitar), Maureen M.(Bass), and Pete C.(Drums). The band is currently finishing writing the material for the next full-length on a to-be-determined label. Songs set to appear on the album include: A Credit to Dementia, The Forgotten, Undying Bliss, Breathe Deep, A Dirge to the Death ov Life, Love and Hope, Gamma Velurum and Collapse the Void.

DIMENTIANON's previous full-length Hossanas Novus Ordo Seclurum as well as a self-released live CD-R from 2008 are available for review/coverage now.

http://www.myspace.com/dimentianon
http://www.dimentianon.com

TWO FROM REGIMENTAL

2009-09-13T16:15:00.000-07:00

HELCARAXE - BROADSWORD
Viking metal can sometimes be pretty comical, so much so that it can easily be ridiculed as can just about all things metal. I mean seriously, singing of battles you never even fought in? Just kidding. But yes, sometimes Viking metal just doesn't quite do it in the serious department. Enter Helcaraxe, who with their second effort of crushing Viking death metal scorch any doubt of extra cheese. Blinding fast and wicked brutal, Vikings are back from the grave and heat to pillage and plunder! (FA)
REGIMENTAL RECORDS
www.regimentalrecords.com, info@regimentalrecords.com, www.helcaraxe.com, www.myspace.com/helcaraxe

PSYKOTISK/VREDGAD
Now we're taking business! A minimalist split of cold, hateful black metal recorded way back in 2005 and just now seeing the light of day.. The layout of the CD hearkens back to the days of old, with black and white forest imagery taking precedence. It truly feels like a time-warp, it truly feels warped. Minimalist black metal captures the true essence of the music in a way polished, pretty production simply never will. Give this one a whirl. You're yearning for true black metal will be pleased! (FA)
REGIMENTAL RECORDS
www.regimentalrecords.com, info@regimentalrecords.com, www.psykotisk.cjb.net, www.vredgad.com

THE OLD PELICAN AND THE SEA

2009-09-01T00:13:00.000-07:00

New PELICAN Song Posted

PELICAN have posted a new track from their upcoming album on their official MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/pelican.

The song, entitled "Strung Up From The Sky", is one of the eight tracks encompassing the band's upcoming full-length What We All Come To Need, being released on October 27th, their first for Southern Lord Recordings.

Promos of What We All Come To Need will be available shortly. Please get in touch with Earsplit with all coverage requests and inquiries, and check out the following sites for further info:

http://www.myspace.com/pelican
http://www.southernlord.com
http://www.myspace.com/southernlordrecordings
http://blog.southernlord.com

CHOPPED IN HALF!

2009-09-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

OBITUARY Tour Update

Death metal titans OBITUARY are readying to embark on a North American headlining tour in support of latest long player Darkest Day, released via Candlelight Records this past June. The tour will kick off on September 3rd at The Rock in Tucson, AZ and pillage its way through a month's worth of shows before coming to a close on October 4th at Headliner’s Music Hall in Louisville, KY. The band will be joined by Goatwhore, Krisiun, The Berzerker and Warbringer.

OBITUARY
9/3/2009 The Rock - Tucson, AZ
9/4/2009 U.B.’s Bar - Mesa, AZ
9/5/2009 Gator’s - Farmington, NM
9/6/2009 Bluebird Theater - Denver, CO
9/8/2009 Galaxy Theatre - Santa Ana, CA
9/9/2009 Key Club - Los Angeles, CA
9/10/2009 Slim’s - San Francisco, CA
9/11/2009 Hawthorne Theatre - Portland, OR
9/12/2009 El Corazon - Seattle, WA
9/14/2009 Sugar - Victoria, BC
9/15/2009 Plazza Club - Vancover, BC
9/17/2009 Warehouse - Calgary, AB
9/18/2009 Starlite Room - Edmonton, AB
9/19/2009 The Riddell at University of Regina - Regina, SK
9/20/2009 Royal Albert Arms - Winnipeg, MB
9/22/2009 Rave - Milwaukee, WI
9/23/2009 The Pearl Room - Mokena, IL
9/25/2009 Opera House - Toronto, ON
9/26/2009 Imperial de Quebec - Quebec City, QC
9/27/2009 FouFounes - Montreal, QC
9/28/2009 The Trocadero - Philadelphia, PA
9/29/2009 The Blender Theatre at Gramercy - New York, NY
9/30/2009 The Palladium - Worcester, MA
10/2/2009 Volume 11 - Raleigh, NC
10/3/2009 Orange Peel - Asheville, NC
10/4/2009 Headliner’s Music Hall - Louisville, KY

Check out fan filmed footage of the band's performance at this year's Ilosaarirock Festival in Finland here:

http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=451309518&blogId=507078070

RECENT TESTIMONIALS:

"Outside of Cannibal Corpse, no Floridian death metal band has been as consistent and relevant. There’s lots of gas left in this tank… Darkest Day most certainly has more variety and staying power than 2005’s Frozen In Time and 2007’s Xecutioner’s Return. Keep it coming, OBITUARY. -- Blistering

"Darkest Days then? For the opposition and the much vaunted 'new breed' of death metal, maybe, but for the triumphant OBITUARY, the only dark days I can see ahead of them are when they come to try and write an album that’s anywhere near as flawless as this. Face-gurning, shit-eating-grin-inducing, fist-banging death metal, the way that granny used to make it. Take a big slice, kids, and eat it while it’s still hot. -- Live4Metal

"Even though it would seem impossible, OBITUARY have released the best CD of their career with Darkest Day. -- Metal Life

"OBITUARY continue to cement their place in death metal royalty and add to their mostly excellent legacy a full twenty years after their debut." -- Teeth Of The Divine

http://www.obituary.cc/
http://www.myspace.com/obituary

NEW N' STUFF

2009-08-31T23:54:00.000-07:00

The title, artwork and full tracklisting of TENEBRAE IN PERPETUUM's forthcoming third album are finally disclosed. On "L'Eterno Maligno Silenzio", enigmatic Italian Illuminates daub their black rites across a richer, more expansive canvas than hitherto. Supplemented by the ordination of new vocalist Ildanach, the high priests of sombre psalms merge the darkest shades from the colour spectrum into a frenetic fusion teeming with mystical magnificence and dissonant grandeur. Tracklisting is as follows:

1. Percepire La Luce Attraverso Il Sepolcro
2. L’Eterno Maligno Silenzio
3. Dissoluzione In Preghiera
4. Incubo Rosso Cupo
5. Il Morto Cthulhu Aspetta Sognando
6. Dei Corpi Silenti
7. Rapitemi, Anime Della Natura
8. Oltre I Confini Umani

"L'Eterno Maligno Silenzio" was recorded & mixed at Necropalace Studio, mastered at 322 Studio and will be released on September 25th via Debemur Morti Productions.

Label : http://www.debemur-morti.com
Small cover : http://www.debemur-morti.com/img/dmp0058-07_1.jpg
Big cover : http://www.debemur-morti.com/img/dmp0058-07_4.jpg

WHORWOROTH

2009-08-31T23:52:00.000-07:00

GORGOROTH To Release Quantos Possunt Ad Satanitatem Trahunt

The unleashing of Quantos Possunt Ad Satanitatem Trahunt, the ninth studio album from Norwegian black metal legion GORGOROTH, is drawing near. Recorded at drummer Tomas Asklund's Monolith Studio and mastered at the Cutting Room in Stockholm, Quantos Possunt Ad Satanitatem Trahunt is the first recording featuring the band's official new lineup of guitarist/founder Infernus, former vocalist Pest, former guitarist Tormentor, bassist Frank Watkins (Obituary) and Asklund (Dissection, Dark Funeral et al). The record was produced by Infernus and co-produced/engineered by Asklund. Said Infernus of the nine new tracks: "[they are] mature. The record is indeed harder and more sinister than anything we have ever done before. It is an album I can be proud to say I am standing a 100% behind."

View the cover art here:

http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=451309518&blogId=507265917

GORGOROTH - Quantos Possunt Ad Satanitatem Trahunt track-listing:
1. "Aneuthanasia"
2. "Prayer"
3. "Rebirth"
4. "Building a Man"
5. "New Breed"
6. "Cleansing Fire"
7. "Human Sacrifice"
8. "Satan-Prometheus"
9. "Introibo ad Alatare Satanas"

Check out an excerpt of "Prayer" on Regain's MySpace Page: http://www.myspace.com/regainrecords

In related news, Quantos Possunt Ad Satanitatem Trahunt will receive a limited-edition picture disc vinyl release on Infernus' own label, Forces Of Satan Records.
Check the official website for further updates: http://www.forcesofsatan.com.

GORGOROTH will perform at the sold-out Hole In The Sky Sky festival in Bergen, Norway this weekend. This will mark the band's first live appearance in nearly two years.

Quantos Possunt Ad Satanitatem Trahunt will be released in the US on October 27, 2009.

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

IA MARDUK ONCE AGAIN!

2009-08-31T23:50:00.000-07:00

MARDUK Announce North American Headlining Tour

Following three very special U.S. appearances earlier this month in Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York (effectively breaking their streak of visa issues), Swedish black metal battalion MARDUK will return for a full North American headlining tour this November. The band will be joined by Nachtmystium, Mantic Ritual, Merrimack and Black Anvil (on select dates).

Dubbed U.S. Plague Tour 2009, the trek will kick off on November 20th at the Palladium in Worcester, MA and run through 21 more dates before coming to a close in New York City on December 16th at the Gramercy Theater, where the band recently played to an overwhelming crowd response. Said Phil Freeman from The Village Voice of the performance, "MARDUK's sound was a room-filling roar, with Mortuus' vocals chewing through the mix like a rabid bear."

U.S. PLAGUE TOUR 2009
11/20/2009 The Palladium - Worcester, MA w/ Black Anvil
11/21/2009 Les Foufounes Electriques - Montreal, QC w/ Black Anvil
11/22/2009 Wreck Room - Toronto, ON w/ Black Anvil
11/23/2009 Sonar - Baltimore, MD
11/24/2009 The Masquerade - Atlanta, GA
11/25/2009 Brass Mug - Tampa, FL
11/28/2009 Red 7 - Austin, TX
11/29/2009 Ridglea Theater - Ft Worth, TX
11/30/2009 The Marquee - Tulsa, OK
12/02/2009 Launchpad - Albuquerque, NM
12/03/2009 The Sets - Tempe, AZ
12/04/2009 The Key Club - Hollywood, CA
12/05/2009 The Jumping Turtle - San Marcos, CA
12/06/2009 DNA Lounge - San Francisco, CA
12/07/2009 Satyricon - Portland, OR
12/08/2009 Studio Seven - Seattle, WA
12/10/2009 Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom - Denver, CO
12/11/2009 Riot Room - Kansas City, MO
12/12/2009 Reggie's Rock Club - Chicago, IL
12/13/2009 Station 4 - St Paul, MN
12/14/2009 Blondie's - Detroit, MI
12/15/2009 Peabody's - Cleveland, OH
12/16/2009 Gramercy Theater - New York, NY w/ Black Anvil

Check out the U.S. Plague Tour Poster here:

http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=451309518&blogId=507325807

MARDUK's eleventh studio album, Wormwood, will be unleashed in the U.S. on October 13, 2009.

RUN THROUGH THE JUNGLE ROT!

2009-08-31T23:47:00.001-07:00

Death metal institution and Napalm recording artists JUNGLE ROT will be heading to Europe to spread the message of metal along the frontlines. Touring in support of latest album (and Napalm debut) What Horrors Await, after their European conquest JUNGLE ROT will return to the US and play a slew of dates across the country with DEICIDE. Here are the confirmed dates/venues:

August 29, 2009 US - Milwaukee, WI / Liquor Sweets (21+)
September 3, 2009 GERMANY - Hamburg / Markthalle (w/ Six Feet Under)
September 4, 2009 GERMANY - Jena / F Haus (w/ Six Feet Under)
September 5, 2009 GERMANY - Munich / Backstage (w/ Six Feet Under)
September 6, 2009 SWITZERLAND - Erstfeld / Transilvania (w/ Six Feet Under)
September 9, 2009 BELGIUM - Gent / Frontline
September 10, 2009 HOLLAND - Tiburg / Little Devil
September 11, 2009 GERMANY - Rostock / Alte Zuckerfabrik
September 12, 2009 GERMANY - Kassel / K19
September 13, 2009 HOLLAND - Weert / Triangle Club
September 14, 2009 TBA
September 15, 2009 AUSTRIA - Dornbirn / Schlachthaus
September 16, 2009 AUSTRIA - Vienna / Viper Room
September 17, 2009 CZECH REPUBLIC - Pardubice / RC Ponorka
September 18, 2009 GERMANY - Bayreuth / Juz Komm
September 19, 2009 GERMANY - Leipzig / Hellraiser
October 7, 2009 US - Dallas, TX / House of Blues (w/ Deicide)
October 9, 2009 US - Houston, TX / The Meridian (w/ Deicide)
October 10, 2009 US - San Antonio, TX / Sunken Garden (w/ Deicide)
October 11, 2009 US - El Paso, TX / Club 101 (w/ Deicide)
October 13, 2009 US - Sparks, NV / New Oasis (w/ Deicide)
October 14, 2009 US - Santa Ana, CA / Galaxy Theater (w/ Deicide)
October 15, 2009 US - San Jose, CA / Voodoo Lounge (w/ Deicide)
October 16, 2009 US - San Marcos, CA / The Jumping Turtle (w/ Deicide)
October 17, 2009 US - Yucaipa, CA / Angel's Roadhouse (w/ Deicide)
October 18, 2009 US - West Hollywood, CA / The Key Club (w/ Deicide)
October 21, 2009 US - Englewood, CO / The Gothic Theater (w/ Deicide)
October 22, 2009 US - Wichita, KS / Oz Cafe Concert Venue (w/ Deicide)
October 23, 2009 US - West Dundee, IL / Clearwater Theater (w/ Deicide)
October 24, 2009 US - Detroit, MI / Harpos (w/ Deicide)

NORTH AMERICAN PRESS: Please get in touch ASAP for guest-list spots
EUROPEAN PRESS: Please contact ben@napalmrecords.com for guest-list spots

For more info, please consult www.napalmrecords.com and www.myspace.com/junglerot.

BEWARE THE NAZXUL!

2009-08-31T23:43:00.000-07:00

Legendary Australian black metal band NAZXUL have been confirmed for the 2010 installment of the Maryland Death Fest. This will be the band's first performance ever on North American soil, and it will be in support of newest album Iconoclast, the band's first full-length since 1995's classic Totem debut. Released in North America by MORIBUND on July 28th, NAZXUL's Iconoclast is the culmination of almost a decade of chaos magick and gnosis, and is already reaping critical acclaim worldwide.

NAZXUL's performances in Europe and even in their native Australia are few and far between, but have now become the stuff of legend. The band is currently putting together a full North American tour to coincide with their performance at next year's Maryland Death Fest. Comments guitarist/bassist Adrian Henderson, "2010 shall see the rise of the antipodean cult Nazxul! The black wings of death shall spread across America in a whirlwind of terror and madness. Nazxul is dead - all hail Nazxul!"
For more info, consult www.moribundcult.com and www.myspace.com/nazxul

LIGHT FUNERAL

2009-08-31T23:40:00.001-07:00

DARK FUNERAL: New Album Title Revealed

Swedish black metal legion DARK FUNERAL have set Angelus Exuro Pro Eternus as the title of their upcoming new full-length scheduled for release in the US this November. Said guitarist Lord Ahriman in a MySpace update earlier today: "Peter Tägtgren [Hypocrisy, Pain] is currently mixing our new album at his Abyss Studios. Once we have approved the final mix, Jonas Kjellgren [Scar Symmetry] will be mastering it. By listening to the rough-mix, the final production will kill totally, no doubt! Can’t wait to blast the final result in the stereo! We decided to go for a bit rawer sound this time, and not as crystal clear and perhaps polished as our last album [Attera Totus Sanctus], but no worries. The production still holds the high quality that you would come to expect from us. We haven’t pulled 'a Metallica' so to speak!

DARK FUNERAL shot a video for "My Funeral," one of the new tracks off Angelus Exuro Pro Eternus, in August. Said Ahriman, "The video was shot in and outside an old and closed mental hospital. The environment was just killer and suited the video theme perfect! The video is currently being edited by Standard Film Team and within the next 2-3 weeks should be ready for world premiere. Due to the graphic violence and somewhat gory nature of the video, I would assume that we will be forced to edit two versions, one soft and one hardcore version. Exactly how and where we’ll release them is yet to be decided.

View photos from the video shoot here: http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewPicture&friendID=11713147&albumId=3054398

http://www.darkfuneral.se
http://www.myspace.com/darkfuneral
http://www.regainrecords.com

IA MARDUK!

2009-07-27T21:54:00.000-07:00

MARDUK: More Wormwood Details Revealed + Tour Update

Swedish black metallers MARDUK are currently holed up in Endarker Studios in Norrköping, Sweden mixing their 11th studio album, Wormwood. The album will contain 10 tracks. View the cover art here:

http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=451309518&blogId=502451407

Said guitarist Morgan Håkansson from the studio, "Greetings, we are just working out the final details for the upcoming album set to be released in September [via Regain Records]. The recordings are coming along just fine. The studio work is being [split] with rehearsals for the upcoming festivals and the US dates coming up in August. Be prepared for the great day of wrath! More news to be unveiled within the coming days!"

Wormwood Track Listing
1. "Nowhere, No-One, Nothing"
2. "Funeral Dawn"
3. "This Fleshly Void"
4. "Unclosing The Curse"
5. "Into Utter Madness"
6. "Phosphorous Redeemer"
7. "To Redirect Perdition"
8. "Whorecrown"
9. "Chorus Of Cracking Necks"
10. "As A Garment"

Following a last minute visa issue that forced the band to sit out Blackenedfest, MARDUK, have scheduled the following US tour dates with support from Withered and Black Anvil. “We are excited to finally be over in the states and do these shows after all the problems with the visas," said Håkansson. "The three shows in August are just the start. We are preparing for a full tour in the winter that will cover all the areas we missed on Blackenedfest. Please join us as we raise the Banner Of The Wolf!”

MARDUK Confirmed Dates:
8/12/2009 Sonar - Baltimore, MD
8/13/2009 Johnny Brenda's - Philadelphia, PA
8/15/2009 Gramercy Threatre - New York, NY also w/Tombs

http://www.marduk.nu
http://www.myspace.com/truemarduk
http://www.regainrecords.com

THERE WILL BE BLUT.

2009-07-27T21:53:00.000-07:00

French BLUT AUS NORD decided to leave Candlelight Records and unite with Debemur Morti Productions. The faceless Entity is currently recording its upcoming, vinyl-only, album entitled "What Once Was..." to celebrate its return to the Underground realm.

Prepare to embrace The Supreme Abstract once more !

Band website : www.blutausnord.com
Label website : www.debemur-morti.com

THE SUNN O))) NEVER SETS.

2009-07-27T21:51:00.000-07:00

SUNN O))) and EAGLE TWIN - East and Southern US Aktions Announced

The third wave of SUNN O))) live aktions on American soil in support of Monoliths & Dimensions have been announced, this time blanketing the East Coast. As on their previous Midwestern and upcoming West Coast tours this summer, label mates EAGLE TWIN will be joining SUNN O))) on these dates, in support of their debut full-length The Unkindness of Crows, which was released this week. A very special night on the tour will at Brooklyn's cavernous Masonic Temple in Fort Greene, where SUNN O))) and EAGLE TWIN will also be joined by Southern Lord brethren EARTH and PELICAN.

SUNN O))) w/ EAGLE TWIN East and Southern 2009

9/17/2009 Mr Small's - Pittsburgh, PA
9/19/2009 AS220 Broad Street Studio - Providence, RI
9/20/2009 First Unitarian Church - Philadelphia, PA
9/22/2009 Brooklyn Masonic Temple - Brooklyn, NY w/ Pelican, Earth
9/23/2009 Sonar - Baltimore, MD
9/24/2009 Bijou Theatre - Knoxville, TN
9/25/2009 The Orange Peel - Asheville,NC w/ Faust
9/26/2009 Legends Banquet & Special Event Center - Atlanta, GA
9/27/2009 Seney-Stovall Chapel - Athens, GA
9/28/2009 Seney-Stovall Chapel - Athens, GA
9/30/2009 Mercy Lounge - Nashville, TN

MAXIMUM VOLUME YIELDS MAXIMUM RESULTS.

http://www.ideologic.org
http://www.myspace.com/eagletwin
http://www.southernlord.com
http://www.myspace.com/southernlordrecordings
http://blog.southernlord.com

WANNA DO ANAAL?

2009-07-27T21:50:00.001-07:00

ANAAL NATHRAKH: New Record In Stores July 28th!

New ANAAL NATHRAKH long player, In The Constellation Of The Black Widow, hits North American record shelves on July 28th! The record is being released via Candlelight Records.

In The Constellation Of The Black Widow track listing:
1. "In The Constellation Of The Black Widow"
2. "I Am The Wrath Of Gods And The Desolation Of The Earth Music"
3. "More Of Fire Than Blood"
4. "The Unbearable Filth Of The Soul"
5. "Terror In The Mind Of God"
6. "So Be It"
7. "The Lucifer Effect"
8. "Oil Upon The Sores Of Lepers"
9. "Satanarchrist"
10. "Blood Eagles Carved On The Backs Of Innocents"

Commented ANAAL NATHRAKH vocalist V.I.T.R.I.O.L. on the new material: "Constellation is faster, more insidious, more ominous, more musically dextrous and wilder than ever before. The album features a curve ball guest appearance from Zeitgeist Memento of Mexican extremists REPUBLIKA."

Formed in 1998, ANAAL NATHRAKH have recorded five full-length albums. Based in Birmingham, the band fuses traditional black metal with elements of industrial, grindcore and early-day death metal resulting in a one-of-a-kind soundscape that has earned it high acclaim from media and fans around the globe.

What press folks are saying:

"In The Constellation Of The Black Widow is another crushing example of why this two-man band accomplishes much more than most fully equipped metal stalwarts. ANAAL NATHRAKH are more like great weavers of music and ideas than just a band in that they bring together some really inventive views on structure and dynamics but then hide them underneath this aural assault that can only be likened to being run over by a 16 wheeler with spikes on its treads, on fire, while acid leaks from the bottom." -- Crave.

"Their sound is a weapon... music of mass destruction. Hell, if these Brits get any heavier the music will cross over into pure white noise, the kind that would tear at the very fabric of reality as we know it." -- The Metal Observer

"ANAAL NATHRAKH's latest is a return to bestial form, full of impossibly fast blast beats, black/death-grind hybrid riffs, and ridiculously tortured vocals. Though not the band’s best, In the Constellation of the Black Widow is a stern reminder of why ANAAL NATHRAKH are often mentioned in the same breath as today’s most notable black metallers." -- Metal Sucks

http://www.myspace.com/anaalnathrakh
http://www.anaal-nathrakh.tk/
http://www.candlelightrecordsusa.com/
http://www.myspace.com/candlelightrecordsusa

ROT THROUGH THE JUNGLE!

2009-07-27T21:49:00.000-07:00

Napalm recording artists JUNGLE ROT announce a handful of US tour dates before they head off to Europe in September in support of Six Feet Under. Touring behind the latest critically acclaimed album (and first for Napalm), What Horrors Await, the Wisconsin death metal masters will hit the following cities:

July 24 – Chicago, Illinois @ Nite Cap
August 8 – Kenosha, Wisconsin @ Ruether High School (w/Lazarus A.D., DNR,
Corruptor, Conniption) ALL AGES
August 9 – Michigan City, Indiana @ White Eagle Park (w/After The Quarrel,
Beresith, Jarvis) ALL AGES
August 21 – Aurora, Illinois @ Rockhouse
August 29 – Milwaukee, Wisconsin @ Liquor Sweets
***The Midwest Heshfest w/ Vadim Vom, Beltfed Weapon, Demized, Evil
Incarnate, Ominous, Cyanosis, Hammered, Blood Obsession, Carnal
Befoulment, Meth Tooth, 40oz Fist, New Society Of Anarchists, Rictus
Grin, Memories Wither

All dates and venues are CONFIRMED. For more info, consult www.junglerot.net, www.myspace.com/junglerot, and www.napalmrecords.com .

IN THE CANDLELIGHT, OH BOY WHAT A SIGHT!

2009-07-19T20:46:00.000-07:00

CANDLEIGHT USA Tour Update - ABIGAIL WILLIAMS, HAVOK, SOURVEIN

Candlelight artists ABIGAIL WILLIAMS are on the road now, as part of the Conquer & Curse Tour alongside Goatwhore, Abysmal Dawn and Daath. The tour, which began last week, has more than a month remaining. ABIGAIL WILLIAMS have been touring steadily for the past year in support of their 2008 full-length In The Shadow Of A Thousand Suns.

HAVOK will thrash it up in August with a mini-tour beginning in their hometown of Denver through the Southwest and up through California. The band's debut Burn is out now on Candlelight Records, receiving great response from the press. Much more news soon on this unit...

Southern sludge-mongers SOURVEIN have just announced a week of gigs late this month, hitting some East Coast and Midwest towns alongside Saviours. Candlelight released the limited edition Imperial Bastard EP last year, and plans for a new full-length are in the works...

All dates are posted below.

-----
THE CONQUER & CURE TOUR 2009
ABIGAIL WILLIAMS, GOATWHORE, ABYSMAL DAWN, DAATH

7/17/2009 Cheyenne Saloon - Las Vegas, NV
8/18/2009 Gator’s - Farmington, NM
7/19/2009 Larimer Lounge - Denver, CO
7/20/2009 Riot Room - Kansas City, MO
7/21/2009 The Muse - Nashville, TN
7/22/2009 Plan B - Danville, VA
7/23/2009 The Blender Theatre at Grammercy - New York, NY
7/24/2009 Jaxx - West Springfield, VA
7/25/2009 Webster Underground - Hartford, CT
7/26/2009 FouFounes - Montreal, QC
7/27/2009 Wreck Room - Toronto, ON
7/28/2009 Penny Arcade - Rochester, NY
7/29/2009 Peabody’s - Cleveland, OH
7/30/2009 Pearl Room - Mokena, IL
7/31/2009 Canopy Club - Urbana, IL
8/01/2009 Rave - Milwaukee, WI
8/02/2009 The Hub - Edelstein, IL
8/03/2009 Marquee - Tulsa, OK
8/04/2009 The Conservatory - Oklahoma City, OK
8/05/2009 Scout Bar - Houston, TX
8/06/2009 Scout Bar - San Antonio, TX
8/07/2009 Lola’s - Ft. Worth, TX
8/08/2009 Red 7 - Austin, TX
8/09/2009 The War Legion Underground - Amarillo, TX
8/10/2009 The Compound - Albuquerque, NM
8/11/2009 The Rock - Tucson, AZ
8/12/2009 U.B.’s Bar - Mesa, AZ
8/13/2009 Chain Reaction - Anaheim, CA
8/14/2009 Jerry's Pizza - Bakersfield, CA
8/15/2009 The Exit - Fresno, CA
8/16/2009 Modesto Virtual - Modesto, CA
8/17/2009 Moose Lodge - Rosamond, CA
8/18/2009 Tonic Lounge - Reno, NV
8/19/2009 Club Vegas - Salt Lake City, UT
8/20/2009 American Legion - Casper, WY
8/21/2009 Sheridan County Fairgrounds - Sheridan, WY

HAVOK

8/06/2009 3 Kings Tavern - Denver, CO w/Saviours
8/07/2009 The Compound - Albuquerque, NM w/ Dread, Tedbrudos, Vetalas
8/20/2009 The Bunkhouse - Las Vegas, NV (21+)
8/21/2009 UB’s Bar - Mesa, AZ w/ PinHed (members of Divine Heresy, Mushroomhead)
8/22/2009 Vaudeville - Tucson, AZ w/ The Besmirchers, Limbless Torso, Chainsaw Justice
8/24/2009 Music Trader - San Diego, CA (free show - record store) w/ Nihilist
8/25/2009 Royal Dive - Oceanside, CA (21+) w/ Nihilist
8/26/2009 Paroah’s Den - Riverside, CA w/ Witchaven, Nihilist, Kombat
8/27/2009 Pizza Factory - Modesto, CA w/ Witchaven, Nihilist, Kranial Damage
8/28/2009 Four Eighteen Projecct - Santa Cruz, CA w/ Witchaven, Nihilist
8/29/2009 Kennel Club - Sacramento, CA w/ Psychosomatic, Cheapskate

SOURVEIN

7/26/2009 Smiling Moose - Pittsburgh, PA w/ Saviours
7/29/2009 Union Pool - Brooklyn, NY w/ Saviours, Children
8/01/2009 Krug's Place - Frederick, MD w/ Ol' Skratch, Savious
8/02/2009 The Summit - Columbus, OH w/ Saviours
8/03/2009 Subterranean - Chicago, IL w/ Saviours
8/04/2009 Cactus Club - Milwaukee, IL w/ Saviours

http://www.myspace.com/abigailwilliams
http://www.myspace.com/havok
http://www.myspace.com/sourvein13
http://www.candlelightrecordsusa.com
http://www.myspae.com/candlelightrecordsusa

IN NOMINE SATHANAS.

2009-07-19T20:42:00.000-07:00

Unearthly Evil Productions

U.S. black / death metal masters SATHANAS will be releasing the follow up to 2009’s Pagan Records release Nightrealm Apocalypse through Unearthly Evil Productions in the United States. Sathanas are currently seeking labels to partake in equal partnership in the international release and distribution of the album. Sathanas guitarist/vocalist Paul Tucker reports the release to be the bands most aggressive and best release to date. Sathanas are seeking labels from the following regions, Europe, Asia, and South America, with North America being handled by Sathanas and Unearthly Evil Productions.

For information contact Paul – sathanaspaul@hotmail.com or Ed – ed@unearthlyevil.com

www.sathanas.net / www.unearthlyevil.com

MUNICIPAL WASTE OF SPACE

2009-07-13T22:18:00.000-07:00

Tony from Municipal Waste

By Mike SOS

While catching up with thrash revivalist Municipal Waste's frontman and master of disaster Tony Fontana during the last day of their tour with Lamb of God, we talked about their trek, learned a lot about the Virginia quartet's soon to be released album MASSIVE AGGRESSIVE, and had a great time shooting the breeze about metal.

So talk a little bit about the tour, Lamb of God, man, how’s it’s going?
Well, we haven’t been home for almost seven and a half weeks. We went and mixed the album right at the beginning of the tour, so we’ve been on the road forever, but today’s the last day. Last night, we played Richmond, which is our home town and that was a really crazy show. The tour’s been great. The crowd’s been really receptive to us. The crowd actually goes crazier for the new stuff, so I guess that’s a good sign, just seeing people digging our new songs. We’ve been playing a couple new songs every night just so the crowd can get used to ‘em and it’s been cool...the response has been really good.

What’s the difference between the new stuff and the old stuff? How do you see people reacting different?
Well I hate to say it's more aggressive‘cause that’s the name of the album, but it is. It’s a little bit heavier and a little bit faster and it’s got parts that make people move around. It’s definitely got some circle pit anthems on there.

Talk a little bit about the recording process. What was easy and hard to do, who you worked with, etc.?
We worked with Zeuss, who did our last album, who's famous for all those other crazy bands that he’s done. He really was stressed about making the record sound good and he wanted to be-- everyone to be happy with it. He pushed each band member really hard to get the best performances out of us. He did a really good job man. We’re so proud of it, like, really proud of this record. It came out so good.

Any highlights, song titles, any funny stories from recording?
There’s a song that’s called “Upside Down Church.” It’s the ultimate evil song, ‘cause what’s more metal and evil than an upside down Church? Nothing. Yeah! So, “Upside Down Church" and “Shredded Offering"...those are the two that we’ve been playing on this tour and they're just heavier and quicker, faster, and pissed-ter!

How do you spend your downtime on the road?
Drinking has been quite the thing on this tour. But no, that’s not all we do. There’s a lot of people who think that. But on this tour it’s really just been trying to get to the next place because almost every day off we had, our van would fuck up or we’d have a van problem. It was crazy dude. We’ve been through five vans on this tour. We broke down in the middle of the mountains in Canada. And we had to rent a truck. We rode to the show in the back of a pickup truck. We pulled up to the Ricoh Coliseum in Toronto in a pickup truck. And we always say "Municipal Waste is gonna fuck you up". And so the Lamb of God dudes say, “Municipal Waste is in a pickup truck.” So yeah, that’s been crazy. Usually what we do on our down time is get our fucking van fixed and try to get to the next show. And it’s so weird ‘cause we don’t break down when we have a show. But when we have a day off it’ll fucking break down. So there’s our day off, in a rest area waiting for a tow truck.

I’m sure you guys have some crazy rest area stories, stuff you’ve seen across the country.
I stayed with Lamb of God. I rode in their bus one night. And I was in the crew bus, the crew-- you know, it’s like 15 dudes and we’re all sitting up in the bus, watching movies, drinking beer. And it was five in the morning and both buses stopped at this rest area. We all poured out and it looked like just a crew of drunk zombies walking around this rest area, like a truck stop. I was like, I feel bad for the people that work here. They must probably think all these scary metal zombies are wandering around the place.

That's fodder for a film or something!
I was looking at Randy (Lamb of God) and I was like, yeah, man everyone’s half asleep and everybody’s hair’s fucked up and it’s really funny.

Municipal Waste has always been talked about as being on the cusp of the thrash revival...talk about thrash metal in general and some of the new favorites you’ve seen and some of the old favorites you guys still keep close to your hearts.
I mean a lot of people say that we’re leading a revival or whatever. And I think that’s cool, it’s awesome that there’s bands out there doing that, you know? It’s crazy ‘cause when we started, that was it...there wasn’t anybody. We were playing it ‘cause we loved that type of music, you know? We were playing it in our basements and people’s living rooms and shit, and it’s crazy how over the past eight, almost nine years now, it's come back in full force. It’s cool to be a part of it, you know? It’s also cool, as far as being a part of it, to be able to tour with and meet bands that I used to idolize, like touring with Destruction and shit like that. It’s an honor. And I get to meet rad people all the time. And I think it’s really cool to hear that Scott Ian digs my band. Like I met Kerry King and he told me that he has the Waste in his iPod. I thought that was cool as shit, man. I love being a part of it. I love being a part of something that’s exciting and that people believe in and get behind. It’s exciting.

So for people that don’t know, why should someone come see a Municipal Waste show?
Why should people come to see us? I don’t know. I think we’re definitely a thrash band. But we have our own thing going on. We’re not trying to rip anybody off. We bring our own energy and we bring a good time. We have a fun show and we play ‘cause we love it and we have a good time up there, and I think the crowd feeds off that. You know? It’s a good time. Come out and chin up.

Any memorable shows you can tell us about? Anything that stands out in your mind?
There’s been so many shows. We toured with At The Gates. How many people can say they did that? You know, what a fucking honor. We played with shows with NOFX. We played with fucking Slayer. That rules, ‘cause we’re able to play with so many different kinds of bands. You know? So yeah, I love it, it’s just exciting. I get to see all these killer bands, that I would have to usually pay money to see. What makes us different is we don’t care about being rock stars. We’re just doing it ‘cause we like to have a good fucking time. And I mean even the people that used to be in our band are still good friends with us. I mean we did a reunion show with our first album's lineup playing the entire first album and nobody in the current band gave a fuck, you know? They’re just like, “Oh cool. I get to go see the Waste and I don’t have to play"...just cool like that. There’s no egos...we’re all just doing it ‘cause we love it. We’re having a good time. And I think that people that know our band know that about us.

What are you looking to do that you haven’t done before musically or career-wise or performance-wise with the new album?
Tour Japan. We’ve toured everywhere the world, and we’ve never done Japan. We’ve done Australia. We’ve done Iceland. We played fucking Puerto Rico. We’ve never been to Japan. It’s so weird. So that’s what I want to do damn it.

What are the touring plans for the immediate future?
We're gonna do Europe and the US tours with us headlining. We’re gonna bring out bands that we like. And we’re gonna-- then after that we’re gonna just start doing crazy shit like doing Brazil, Australia, Japan, do a proper Canada run ‘cause Canada was great on this tour.

Stemming from this experience with the Lamb of God guys, what kind of bill would you guys want to put together ultimately or what kind of bill do you guys dream of being on that you haven’t been on yet?
I want to tour with Motorhead and Slayer and Cannibal Corpse. I love Cannibal Corpse. And I think for everyone in our band, those are the three bands that we’re waiting for to call us. Go on and call us dudes. ‘Cause we love ‘em. And yeah, that’s a definite. What other dream tours? If Violence ever did a reunion, I would want to do that.

Who was probably your-- the most underrated thrash band you feel that never got the recognition they deserve?
I think Tankard is pretty underrated. I really liked that band and I don’t think a lot of people really know about them. You’d be surprised whenI tell people about Tankard and they’re like, “What?” I guess because they’re from Germany and the records are a bit harder to find. But I would say they’re pretty underrated. Like they weren’t even in that GET THRASHED movie that much, yet that was one of the first thrash bands I heard.

What initially got you into thrash metal?
I just liked the fact that it was punk. There’s a punk side to thrash, and I guess that was the gateway for me ‘cause I grew up listening to a lot of punk and hardcore and stuff like that. And then I started after hearing SOD and DRI and shit like that kind of opened the flood gates.

Do you still skateboard or have you retired?
I used to skateboard when I was kid, but I was actually more of a surfer. I lived in Florida. But yeah, I can’t do that anymore. I’m not good at all. I suck. I tried it not too long ago and it was miserable.

When you're not working in Municipal Waste isn’t on the road, what do you do back in Virginia?
Well, after getting back tomorrow, I’m leaving in a week to go on a bike trip. I ride bikes a lot. Me and four of my friends are riding our bikes from Richmond, Virginia to Philadelphia, which is pretty far. It’s gonna take seven days to do it. That’s what I do. I like to get out and just hang out with my friends. I love playing basketball and just meeting people, drinking, listening to records, going to hardcore shows. Shit like that man, I still love music so much, I go to shows almost every night when I’m in town, I’m home. When I’m not on tour and listening to bands, I’m at home watching bands or listening to records.

What’s the main thrust regarding the new album you want to really convey to everyone?
The thing that we want to convey most is that if they’re looking for another party album, go buy our last two records because we’re taking it a little bit further. We’re just trying to do something different, be a little bit more creative, and I think we actually did it. The people that have heard it say “Wow, you guys did it, you guys really made something different.” Instead of just doing another thrash record like everybody else, I think we kind of brought our own flavor to it and actually did something creative with the style of music.

Were you guys afraid of not being able to get out of the joke-metal genre and not really get taken seriously?
I don’t mind it. I mean I love having fun and I don’t give shit and if people don’t like that, then whatever. We’ll always joke around and we’ll be funny guys and do our thing. But with this record we just wanted to do something different. And yeah, you know, we’re just-- you know, it feels good to be creative. I don’t want to be a band that just relies on a gimmick. And I think our fans know that and they don’t want that. They want something different too. They want to get their asses stomped by metal.

So I guess it would be safe to say this new album is an ass stomping new direction for you guys?
Yeah, definitely. It’s ass stomping new direction.

MIKE S.O.S IS GOD!

2009-07-13T22:07:00.000-07:00

OLDE YORK
EMPIRE STATE
COUNTDOWN
Maintaining the classic NYHC sound and a no frills DIY mindset from the days of yore, Olde York comes barreling down the lane with an authentic 12-track tour de force entitled EMPIRE STATE. Embodying the spirit of hardcore’s CBGB Sunday matinee glory days while skillfully blending the styles of acts such as Cro Mags, Warzone, Sick of It All and Leeway (whose singer Eddie Sutton makes a cameo here) into one big gang chorus pile-on, this Big Apple quartet makes no bones about their roots or their allegiance to the underground by pumping out anthemic pit pleasers like “Five Year Plan” and “Still Believe”. Think hardcore died after CB’s shut its doors? Olde York will make you think twice. www.countdownrecords.com -Mike SOS

CANDLEMASS
DEATH MAGIC DOOM
NUCLEAR BLAST
Swedish doom metal pioneers Candlemass return with a refined sense of confidence with their latest offering, the eight-track DEATH MAGIC DOOM. Comfortably settling into yet another round of changes (most notably on the vocals), Leif Edling and company showcase that they are still able to conjure feelings of dread and despair straight from the Black Sabbath playbook (“Hammer of Doom”) with grace and respect but not without interspersing their own bells and whistles (as well as some kick ass solos) into the mix. This veteran unit maintains mid-paced mauling tempos for the most part, yet at times opt for the upbeat with success (“Dead Angel”) while the powerful tandem of killer vocals and memorable riffs propel tracks like “House of 1000 Voices” into the upper echelon of the slow, deep, and hard. Candlemass snaps back into fine form on their latest affair, exhibiting an unforeseen energy that boldly pushes their brand of doom metal into exhilarating new worlds. www.nuclearblastusa.com -Mike SOS

EMPIRE OF DUST
PROMO 2008
SELF-RELEASED
Modern metal mayhem comes courtesy of NYC’s Empire of Dust, whose four-song sampler displays a unit who sharpened its teeth on a steady stream of Slayer riffs and Swedish thrash with a discernible New York death metal influence. Logistically laying down a genuine sense of brutality in between setting off an array of pummeling grooves a la Lamb of God at their most seething (“2”), this band, which boasts ex-members of NYHC fixture Indecision as well as Entorturement, steamrolls over the opposition with a healthy dosage of metallic melody for the heavier-minded. www.myspace.com/empireofdust -Mike SOS

THE HUMAN QUENA ORCHESTRA
THE POLITICS OF THE IRREDEEMABLE
CRUCIAL BLAST
Patience is required to properly experience the latest offering from The Human Quena Orchestra, as this Bay Area drone duo upkeep a sordid and suspenseful atmosphere throughout the duration of THE POLITICS OF THE IRREDEEMABLE. Immersed in dark waves and dissonant swirls of industrial feedback, this six-track excursion’s calculated slow-crawl accentuates an overall foreboding tone, intensified when scattershot screams of terror and dread rise from the abyss. Yielding a vacuous apocalyptic din, this tandem successfully serve up a sluggish soundtrack to the final days of mankind. www.crucialblast.net -Mike SOS

EAST FOREST
THE EDUCATION OF THE INDIVIDUAL SOUL
AQUILO
East Forest is NYC by way of Pacific Northwest entity that provides a unique musical endeavor that melds field-recorded nature sounds, pulsating New Age beats, and meditative piano into its framework of THE EDUCATION OF THE INDIVIDUAL SOUL. Bolstered with a picturesque soundscape whose airy ivory tinklings and puffy bass lines radiate relaxing hues of transcendental light, this one-man project concocts an ambitious journey into the fragile human psyche, thwarting modern life’s static with a translucent barrage of calming music exposing the duality of the human existence. www.eastforest.org -Mike SOS

IGNOMINIOUS INCARCERATION
OF WINTER BORN
EARACHE
UK death metal mavens Ignominious Incarceration’s truncated technical torrents of dastardly death metal is bound to garner the quintet the well-deserved attention and accolades from those who appreciate bands who exercise the difficult task of balancing ferocity and brevity. Manning a full-on ambush with all of the expected death metal tactics and weaponry in tow, the path this neophytic unit follows seems a bit too well tread on the surface, but upon closer inspection this squad manages to expertly compose elements of old school devastation and beatdown deathcore together to coexist in utter disharmony (“In The Face of Absolution”), working in symbiosis in fighting the same battle to destroy at all costs. Explosive yet refined for such a young act, if you've ever pined for a cross between the brain-rattling dynamics of Suffocation and the warmongering malice of Amon Amarth (“Of Winter Born”, “Elusion of Mortality”), this band delivers. www.earache.com -Mike SOS

BLINDING EYE DOG
PROLOGUE
SELF-RELEASED
Maryland quintet Blinding Eye Dog exhibit a boisterous brand of punk on the troupe’s 18-track offering PROLOGUE. Fueled with an irreverent sense of humor (“Super Action Monster Man”, “Duck Duck Goose (In A)”) that matches the lo-fi high energy vibes (“Assassin”) and pervasive beer-swilling devil may care street punk attitude on cuts such as “Barbara” and “The Line”, this freewheeling act makes it pretty apparent that it doesn't take itself too seriously yet still pumps out a raucous strain of reckless rock (“Shame”). Definitely sounding best after a couple of pints while some of your more mischievous friends plot the ensuing evening’s shenanigans, Blinding Eye Dog reinforce the simple yet effective piss and vinegar punk rock straight from the back alley. www.myspace.com/blindingeyedog -Mike SOS

THINNING THE HERD
DEVIL MASK
SELF-RELEASED
Scraping the seedy underbelly of the Big Apple with enormous rock riffs,NYC trio Thinning the Herd return with another batch of stonerriffic hard rock chock full of grit and substance on the five-track DEVIL MASK. Bridging the gap between the heavier side of grunge and the groovier side of metal, tracks like “Kitchen Sink” summon a ‘90s power rock vibe kind of like Monster Magnet meeting up with Soundgarden while “Uninformed” strikes with the subtlety of a punch square in the gut and “Simple Job” rocks like the best song your favorite Swedish stoner rock band never wrote. If you enjoy in your face music with an exhilarating rock ‘n roll aura, Thinning the Herd is a bonafide choice for a hellacious good time. www.myspace.com/castrosbeard -Mike SOS

VANMAKT
AD LUCIFERI REGNUM
PULVERISED
Far from reinventing the wheel yet capable to drum up some scare with their competent yet common strand of evil blackened metal, nefarious Swedish troupe Vanmakt blast their way through nine-tracks of misanthropic misery on AD LUCIFERI REGNUM. Dispersing a maelstrom of tremolo-picked madness (“Reincarnation Hatred”, “The Ascension”), this band employs a large sum of tried and troo genre tactics and nuances to hammer its menacing message through unsuspecting skulls, yet it should be noted that if you already pledge allegiance to the most sadistic from the Nordic states, there’s nothing here you haven't experienced before. Nonetheless, Vanmakt does an acceptable job of conjuring the spirits of the underworld and should appeal to those who like a mix of symphonic death metal with a bit more bite. www.pulverised.net -Mike SOS

VARIOUS ARTISTS
DOOM (TRANSITIVE VERB)
SELF-RELEASED
A triple slab o’ doom oozes from your speakers courtesy of a three-way split disc from a caustic mix of bands rising up from the recesses of the deep sure to give little children nightmares and keep neighborhoods on lockdown. Up first is Evoken, a veteran New Jersey funeral doom troupe whose chilling offering “In Solitary Ruin” masterfully sets the bleak tone for this collection with a firm handle on down tempo despair. Oak take the reigns next with an understated touch of death metal sprouting up in between the detached devastating riffs heard on “Gates Are Open”. Rounding out the triad of tragic triad, Black Roller Crop Rotation takes the affair to a whole new level of grim thanks to “Prayers From the Rotten Soil”, featuring a bevy of experimental leanings forming a cacophony of undistinguishable vocal squeals, jet-propeller-esque swirls of dissonance, and hypnotic industrial noise. You've been warned. www.myspace.com/oakdoom -Mike SOS

CELAN
HALO
EXILE ON MAINSTREAM
Celan is a noise rock supergroup of sorts, featuring musicians from flu.ID, Unsane, Oxbow, and Einsturzende Neubauten collaborating to form a massive musical force which defies convention yet keeps an hand on the aggression throttle. This collective’s debut offering HALO melds acerbic abrasive noise rock, atmospheric ambience, bluesy melancholy, and clobbering hardcore into 11 engaging tracks custom made for those who demand post-hardcore explorations to plow deeper. With Chris Spencer’s trademark belligerent bark leading the charge, tracks like “All This and Everything” pack a familiar yet ferocious wallop while a judicial keyboard presence float in and out, allowing for an unpredictable array of shapeshifting moods to proliferate (“One Minute”, “Sinking”, “Washing Machine”). Ambitious without alienating its built-in audience, Celan boldly goes into new lands with all of the member’s strengths on full blast. www.mainstreamrecords.de -Mike SOS

IMPIETY
TERROREIGN
AGONIA
As brutal as a Singapore cane shot to the skull, Impiety does their homeland proud once again with another blistering blackened thrash release entitled TERROREIGN. Laden with a diabolical attitude which assists the impending decent into hell (“As Judea Burns”), this 10-track sojourn into the chasm of evil melds crass old school death metal ideologies a la Hellhammer and Morbid Angel with a genuine sense of hatred fueling the apocalyptic one-two vocal assault and divebomb friendly guitar combination (“Bestial to the Bone”). Maintaining a frantic pace throughout while summoning the minions of the underworld to rise and fight the light to the death (“Goatfather”), Impiety’s caustic delivery and over the top metal wares catapult this veteran unit back to the head of extreme metal’s most sadistic acts. www.agoniarecords.com -Mike SOS

SLOUGH FEG
APE UPRISING!
CRUZ DEL SUR
Veteran underground traditional metal outfit Slough Feg have been known to walk a bit on the wild side throughout the course of their twenty plus year proto-metal existence and this unit’s latest release bares no exception. Interspersing the squad’s patented eccentricities with a confident swagger straight out of 1978 for all to see, the triumphant and tumultuous eight-track endeavor APE UPRISING takes it back to a time when metal was still in its gestation stage, slugging it out with punk rock rebellion and glam rock excess. Customarily springing from an impenetrable foundation of Sabbath, Maiden, and Thin Lizzy, Slough Feg have comprised a sci-fi concept album based around a simian overtaking of the world to a pulsating old school metal soundtrack laden with the sort of killer vintage tones and stellar musicianship that marvelously melds the dazzling twin guitar and pounding rhythmic wares of UFO, Judas Priest, and other luminaries from the seminal NWOBHM days. Slough Feg’s most recent disc renders a durable and dependable lesson in metal with a smorgasbord of exhilarating twists and turns along the way. www.cruzdelsurmusic.com -Mike SOS

BURIAL HORDES
DEVOTION TO UNHOLY CREED
PULVERISED
Greek black metal merchants Burial Hordes employ the primitive approach on their evil eight track sojourn into the abyss titled DEVOTION TO UNHOLY CREED. Armed with raw production values for an authentic black metal in the basement feel (“Hellborn”), a slew of skewered guitar riffs that range from jarring to muddy, and an unearthly vocal presence that sounds as if it crawled out of the catacombs, tracks like “Infernal Necromancers” beguiles diabolical urges to come to fruition while “God’s Cutthroat” and “Abysmal Goatfeast” carry an impact to stand on their own, yet are forebodingly sandwiched in between a disturbing chant whose ominous tone solidifies each track’s morbid sense of dread and despair. Sinister and sinewy with a vicious bark and venomous bite, Burial Hordes have unleashed a vitriolic album that gives praise to its predecessors while unrepentantly damning the rest of society. www.pulverised.net Mike SOS

OCEANO
DEPTHS
EARACHE
Chicago-bred quintet Oceano stake a claim of being the most pissed-off band on the planet, and if you could decipher the cavernous musings of vocalist Adam Warren and what he was screaming and growling about, they may be right, as the viscous racket adorning cuts like the slow-churned "Disgust for Your Kind" and the frantic fury of "District of Misery" do work as evidence for a lively debate. Make no mistake, the vocals (despite hard to comprehend) are a strongpoint, solidifying this outfit's abrasive viciousness with a twist to rival peers like Emmure, Misery Signals, and All Shall Perish for the new heavy crown. The 13-track debut DEPTHS firmly stands its ground with a batch of rote yet bombastic low-end grooves, keeping things both excruciatingly bottom-heavy and brutal, yet resonate with an all too standard delivery within the deathcore paradigm. Luckily, Oceano picks up momentum as the album rolls along, managing to venture a bit off the threadbare path of palm-muted breakdown bliss in key spots to implement nuances such as symphonic black metal texture and crisp solos, yet ultimately fall flat in relying on prototypical old hat genre maneuvers that undoubtedly score big in a moshpit of dayglow shirts and bad haircuts yet yield overwrought results on disc. www.earache.com -Mike SOS

DEVILS WHOREHOUSE
BLOOD & ASHES
REGAIN
Devils Whorehouse unashamedly mimic virtually every significant nuance from the Danzig playbook, starting with the rebel punk of The Misfits, bridging into the experimental discord of Samhain before culminating with a hybrid of the multitude of sounds from Glenn's eponymous offerings through the years, so if you're looking for something original, you've been warned. If you want to hear worship and tribute done to perfection (by a band who were once a Misfits/Samahain cover band no less) however, this Swedish squad's admirable affection of the works of the Evil Elvis is spot-on, covering all eras faithfully while producing an uncanny vocal likeness that this lot (featuring members of Marduk) nail down with howling furies intact. In fairness, this crew conveys a bit more than blind Danzig homages, as their admirable death 'n roll packs a wallop here as well, but BLOOD & ASHES' most glaring point of reference precariously sits as its biggest strength and crippling weakness. www.regainrecords.com -Mike SOS

MOTHRA
DYES
SELFMADEGOD
Polish metalcore quartet Mothra present a succinct seven-track excursion on DYES. This offering blends a potpourri of extreme styles together to form a math-y, sludgy monster that channels death metal aggression and hardcore abrasiveness with hints of grindcore madness ("Squant") and dastardly dissonance for an extra bite ("Hooloovoo"). Creating a sonic atmosphere where brevity and brutality go hand in hand, this unit fuses a slew of off-kilter elements from all corners of the extreme metal paradigm forming a brash offshoot of band reminiscent of the likes of Poison the Well, Entombed, Gojira, and Botch, making this act essential for those who champion a heavy hybrid spirit. www.selfmadegod.com -Mike SOS

DESTROY DESTROY DESTROY
BATTLE SLUTS
BLACKMARKET ACTIVITIES
Destroy Destroy Destroy's sophomore effort showcases a multi-faceted metal attack that blends Viking metal might and symphonic black metal grandiosity with a perpetual classic metal vibe running throughout this unit's 12-track affair entitled BATTLE SLUTS. Meshing the styles of 3 Inches of Blood, Manowar, and Children of Bodom within the confines of a war-torn battlefield, this battle-hungry sextet bash out a histrionic blast of fantasy metal that goes perfect with a pair of 12-sided dice and a stack of Conan the Barbarian novels ("Agents of Hypocrisy"). Borrowing a chunk of their style from the epic and power metal fields (especially referenced via the atmospheric keyboard presence permeated throughout) while slaying with a convincing twin guitar battering ("Born of Thunder", "The Wretched Forrest"), those who enjoy metal with a medieval twist will have little problem tuning into this band of warrior's theatrical offering. www.blackmarketactivities.com -Mike SOS

ENSOPH
REX MUNDI X-IIE
CRUZ DEL SUR
Industrial Italian act Ensoph create a chaotic cybermetal experience on the 12-track REX MUNDI X-IIE, setting their apocalyptic visions to a frenetic soundtrack that chillingly juxtaposes harsh electronic noises, Gothic overtones and metallic aggression ("Shame on You!"). Tracks like "Dance High and Shine, Shiva!" shares as much in common with the eeriness of Marilyn Manson as it does the synthetic throb of KMFDM, while "Thir(s)ty Pieces of Silver" sounds like a Dream Theater track defiantly trapped in a Tron-like maze. Championing a futuristic tone chock full of Front Line Assembly-esque mechanical madness leading the charge, this sinister shapeshifting unit's presentation is far from fresh yet it yields enough intriguing moments (their cover of "Would" by Alice in Chains in particular) to keep the middling PVC-donned EBM and darkwave contingent content. www.cruzdelsurmusic.com -Mike SOS

ORCUSTUS
ORCUSTUS
SOUTHERN LORD
An authentic blast of malefic black metal arrives from the depths of depravity courtesy of Norwegian troupe Orcustus, whose eponymous full-length debut comes some seven years after this troupe's initial introduction. Serving a barrage of vintage buzzsaw riffs ("Jesus Christ Patricide") and hellacious vocal rasps that wouldn't sound out of place from lauded black metal affairs of yesteryear ("Of Sophistry, Obsession, and Paranoia"), this unit (who can't seem to keep a lineup intact) project grim ideals direct from the bowels of the abyss. Featuring ex-members of groundbreaking outfits Gorgoroth and Enslaved, this squad's display of volatility and viciousness renders a bleak and raw old school assault ("Conversion"), conjuring an ominous sense of hatred and dread with every drum blast and bombastic bass reverberation ("Death and Dissolution"). Perfect for those who flock to the darkness, Orcustus has made a simple yet effective album cloaked in chaos and evil to the bone. www.southernlord.com -Mike SOS

ARISE
THE RECKONING
REGAIN
Swedish death thrash outfit Arise provide 10-tracks of straight from the textbook Gothenburg-style metal on THE RECKONING. Despite this nimble quintet far from groundbreaking delivery, the spot-on fury ("No Memory of Light") and enormous arsenal of breakneck riffs and melodic breaks they employ are cleverly composed with a well-proportioned mix of familiar twists and meat and potatoes mashings which effortlessly fuses The Haunted and In Flames ("End of Days"). Exhibiting metalcore sensibilities with a reverence for the genre's pioneers in mind, the latest from Arise is a solid and satisfying affair whose unwavering by the numbers approach rings out with sinister sincerity. www.regainrecords.com -Mike SOS

DECEIVER
THRASHING HEAVY METAL
PULVERISED
There's nothing deceptive regarding the 10-track lean and mean high-grade meets lo fi old school assault Sweden's Deceiver lays on the ears, as this trio's tumultuous din captures the darker nuances of the golden age of thrash without sounding rehashed or forced. Whether it be the tortured vocals and primitive skin bashing tandem heard on "Dead to the World" and "Machinery of God" or the grimly grandiose feel emanating from "Graveyard Lover" and the instrumental "Legacy", even though THRASHING HEAVY METAL yields a strange sensation that you've heard this all before if you own a Priest, Entombed, or Mercyful Fate album or two, this squad's inspired interpretations rise above usual reference points to provide an enjoyable travel back through time. Tacking on a vicious streak laden in vitriolic vehemence, this unit's display of vintage metal will get the job done for fans of the rawer side of extreme metal's first wave. www.pulverised.net -Mike SOS

LANDING PROJECT
HERE GOES EVERYTHING
SELF-RELEASED
NYC poppy punk rock troupe Landing Project return with HERE GOES EVERYTHING, a solid seven-track excursion that exhibits the unit's versatile array of angsty anthems bursting with melody ("Yea, Exactly"). Taking cues from acts like Against Me, this quartet writes hook-laden tunes sizzling with barbed lyrical bite, opting to sing about more personal topics instead of social messages ("Turn Up Your Stereo"). Tapping into the sound of punk rock's bare essentials with a flair for dramatics ("Butterscotch"), Landing Project inject their simple yet effective approach with an honest heaping of soul, giving the slightly undercooked production with punchy delivery a raw emotional rush that copiously spills from the speakers. www.myspace.com/landingproject -Mike SOS

ENDSTILLE
VERFUHRER
REGAIN
Warmongering German black metal squad Endstille attack once again with VERFUHRER, a scathing and abrasive nine-track affair. Incessantly blasting your skull with pounding percussion and decaying your ears with blood-curdling vocal rasps, this maliciously militant outfit doles out diabolical doses of mid-paced malevolence ("Symptoms") whose razor sharp buzzsaw guitars cut to the bone ("Depressive/ Abstract/ Banished/ Despised"). Assuredly exhibiting a keen sense of dynamics by implementing slower waves of intensity to its arsenal ("Endstille") while maintaining the band's trademark penchant for administering skull-crushing barrages of monolithic crust-laden fury ("Hate Me...God?"), Endstille 's blackhearted single-minded approach conveys intense waves of blast beated and tremolo picked madness with just the right touches of innovation to shape this release's belligerent battlefield aura. www.regainrecords.com -Mike SOS

CAULDRON
CHAINED TO THE NITE
EARACHE
Canadian metal trio Cauldron provide a traditional slab of metal that conjures up a slew of intertwined influences on the nine-track CHAINED TO THE NITE. From the album's Spinal Tap-esque artwork depicting a naked woman bound in chains to the unit's darkened blend of 80's melodic metal and NWOBHM, Cauldron's points of reference are prickly and don't always gel well together, resulting in quite a few instances of clunky cheekiness whose waning flashes of power quickly fizzle out before they can attain any sense of momentum. While displaying moments of promise ("Midnite Hour"), this release takes a while to warm up to, ultimately rendering a confusing listening experience that radiates with an oddball sense of familiarity that keeps only the most ardent of metal purists intrigued. www.earache.com -Mike SOS

SAMAEL
ABOVE
NUCLEAR BLAST
Decisively leaning towards the black metal roots of their early endeavors, Swiss metal veterans Samael return with a pummeling 11-track offering entitled ABOVE. Toning down the industrial elements commandeering the band's more recent discs (although a protruding electronic drum trigger is seamlessly inescapable) while amping up the vitriolic black metal velocity to previously unheard levels ("God Snake", "Virtual War"), Samael's brazen assault is adorned with layers of symphonic keyboards and bludgeoning tremolo guitars ("Illumination") fortifying a listening experience laden in scorn. Realizing their sojourn back to the glories of their early days while carrying over a handful of the strongest nuances from their latter-day releases for a modern twist on old themes ("On the Top of it All"), by manipulating metal's darker side and embracing their past, Samael snaps back to a furious form that leads the quartet back into the depths of the abyss. www.nuclearblastusa.com -Mike SOS

EPHEL DUATH
THROUGH MY DOG'S EYES
EARACHE
Experimental Italian outfit Ephel Duath are renowned for developing collections of distinct metallic left turns, but this time this now-reduced down to a trio readily take on a different yet equally daunting task of conveying a canine's perspective of the world to music on their latest disc THROUGH MY DOG'S EYES. This ambitious nine-track excursion is chock full of dizzying riffs that part the seas between noisy jazz and avant garde metal ("Guardian") woven into a barrage of non-linear compositions stockpiled with heady interludes and juggernaut vocals ("Bella Morte") set to a warped array of odd-time signatures ("Bark Loud") . Despite the album's preposterous premise, Ephel Duath manage to keep the subject matter blunt and concise. turning out an provocative batch of progressive metal in the process. Challenging to novices, Ephel Duath continue to carve their own unique marks into the metal tree of life. www.earache.com -Mike SOS

PRONG
POWER OF THE DAMN MIXXXER
13TH PLANET
Tommy Victor turned the original mixes from Prong's latest disc POWER OF THE DAMAGER over to some of his technically-advanced musician friends to remix and POWER OF THE DAMN MIXXXER is the end result. This 13-track endeavor showcases the behind the boards prowess of metal peeps such as Jon Clayton (Pitchshifter) and Greg Puciato (Dillinger Escape Plan) whose cosmetic cleansings and synthesized twiddlings give tracks like "The Banishment" (a song covered by two different mixes here) a throbbing makeover that pulsates with a bastardized concoction of industrial metal heft and electronic bounce ("Changing Ending Troublng Times"). Providing a ton of opportunities to take the rage to the dance floor ("Looking for Them") while laying a virtual perfect soundtrack down to a dark and futuristic action-adventure flick, Prong's latest is not only is a show of respect from the artists who contributed their own spin to Prong's genuine rawness but supplies a great deal of industrial strength metal to take the party into the morning light. www.prongmusic.com -Mike SOS

I SEE STARS
3-D
SUMERIAN
Young Michigan troupe I See Stars have melded elements of modern hardcore and screamo with electronica on their debut 3-D to create a catchy but disheveled 11-track affair. Haphazardly cut and pasting modern dance synths into power punk rock songs, this quintet's ready for Warped Tour juxtaposition of styles comes off forced and even clumsy at times (especially during the heavier moments) yet renders momentary flashes of triumph when the vocoder-enhanced vocals meeting chugging choruses that alt rock radio crave come a knockin' ("3D", "The Big Bad Wolf"). Throw in a cameo from one of the rappers from Bones Thugs N Harmony and instant street cred gets applied, yet this troupe's tepid attempt to get to the top of the Hot Topic list falls flat, especially when redundant breakdown parts from screechy melodies rears its worn head. www.sumerianrecords.com -Mike SOS

CRESCENT SHIELD
THE STARS OF NEVER SEEN
CRUZ DEL SUR
California power metal unit Crescent Shield display a gallant galloping metal assault on their latest nine-track disc THE STARS OF NEVER SEEN. Championing a traditional metal style bursting with steel-plated melodies, this quartet's histrionic choruses are contagious ("Temple of the Empty"), rivaling those at the top of the power metal mountain ("The Bellman", "10,00 Midnights Ago") while the rampant guitar and soaring vocal combination elicits a much-warranted delight for headbangers of all ages to embrace ("The Grand Horizon"). This troupe exhibit the versatility to both shred and alter mood, shifting focus between rousing metal and pensive moments of reflection for a well-rounded all killer no filler feel. Seamlessly meshing the best of Blind Guardian, Iced Earth, and Queensryche while contorting elements from metal's pioneers such as Dio and Maiden, Crescent Shield's formidable flurry of aggression is fortified with an articulate attention to detail which ties their thunderous heavy metal roar with a supple dash of passion. www.cruzdelsurmusic.com -Mike SOS

EBENEZER
A TRIUMPH OF COLOSSAL ACHIEVEMENTS
SELF-RELEASED
Taking the DIY hands-on approach with their music to the extreme, Pennsylvania instrumental duo Ebenezer provide a well-measured blend of style and substance on their six-track offering A TRIUMPH OF COLOSSAL ACHIEVEMENTS. Besides teaming jaw-dropping flashes of virtuoso percussion and fretwork with a wise beyond their years sense of composition that channels everyone from Maiden to The Fucking Champs ("Warlock Owl"), this tandem's release comes inside of a hand-sewn fabric case, rendering an exquisite hearftfelt vibe that most run of the mill locals just can't match up to. If you have a hankering for vocal-less music with an eye opening showcase of balls and bite, look no further than Ebenezer's latest affair. www.myspace.com/epicebenezer -Mike SOS

THE BAKERTON GROUP
EL ROJO
WEATHERMAKER
Bonafide 21st Century bluesmen The Bakerton Group unleash their second experimental musical adventure the 10-track offering EL ROJO. Yielding a galactic listening experience chock full of heady jams and wicked instrumental breaks, this alter ego outfit of alt metal kingpins Clutch (with vocalist Neil Fallon trading in cunning lyrics and clever vocal deliveries for rhythm guitar) perfectly displays the sound of world class musicians collectively digging deeper, unearthing a smorgasbord of styles that implementing dub rock ("Work 'Em"), funk ("Chancellor"), and freewheeling jazz rock laden with '70s keyboard explosions (thanks to Opeth's Per Wiberg ), and alto sax flourishes. Taking their main band's patented left of center approach off to uncharted territory, The Bakerton Group's odyssey is undeniably constructed from Clutch's impenetrable foundation, yet EL ROJO independently stands as a next level triptastic delight for fans of groovy improvisational rock to imbibe and enjoy. www.weathermakerrecords.com -Mike SOS

A SHORT BREAK UNTIL THE DUST SETTLES IN IRAN.

2009-06-17T02:07:00.000-07:00

I am Iranian, not shy about it (why would I be?), and am very concerned about the events of the last week, so much so that almost all my time and concentration outside of work is dedicated to spreading the word about the struggle of my countryfolk. Until the situation there is resolved, I will not be posting on here. Metal isn't going to matter right now, this takes priority. In the meantime, please follow the important Twitter tweets from within Iran including mousavi1388, Change_For_Iran, and IranElection. You can also follow me at thefatherland. Thanks for your patience and understanding. I will return as soon as it all calms down.

MIGHTY IMPIETY!

2009-06-05T03:44:00.001-07:00

IMPIETY End All Life With Latest Album

Singapore's almighty maelstrom returns, possibly with their most furious release to date. IMPIETY are one of the world's most notoriously destructive bands, gaining that reputation over the course of their near 20-year existence. The band's incalculably destructive nature amalgamates insanely high-speed blasting, brutally-fast riff structures and relentless guttural torment, resulting in some of the most destructive blackened death metal on the planet.

IMPIETY's 6th studio album - appropriately entitled Terroreign: Apocalyptic Armageddon Command - is arguably the band's most hellish bloodstorm of relentless rage to date. Dedicated to and based upon the pitiful scum that humans are, the album presents a grim look at man's final days on Earth. The album presents ten tracks in total, including an Intro and Outro exclusively provided by Holocausto Vengeance of Beherit!

Terroreign: Apocalyptic Armageddon Command tracklisting
1. Intro
2. Vientos de Holocausto
3. Atomic Angel Assault
4. Terroreign
5. As Judea Burns
6. Goatfather
7. Bestial to the Bone
8. The Black Fuck
9. My Dark Subconscious
10. Outro

http://www.mightyimpiety.com
http://www.agoniarecords.com

OUT NOW!

2009-05-22T04:07:00.000-07:00

OUT NOW - Available from Mercenary Musik

Cold Dimensions presents:

MORTUUS INFRADAEMONI - Imis Avernis CD

Revealing Massive Black Metal Atmospheres, Mortuus Infradaemoni follow up on
the path
they trod before and deliver nine Raw Echoes of the Hidden Cosmos Between
Life and Death.

Tracklisting
Obscuritas Ubique Et In Aeternum
Darkland
Imis Avernis
Bastard
Doresh El Ha'metim
Mortuus Et Prodeunt Infradaemoni
Merihim Rises
Der Tod
Animatus

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TRIST - Willenskraft CD

Willenskraft" (engl.: "willpower") is the fourth album of the former Lunar
Aurora musician Tristan (aka Aran)
under the moniker Trist. It continues the multi-faceted Ambient Black Metal
journey which began with
prior albums and offers Ambient and nature collages in combination with
straightforward midtempo Black Metal.
The sound of the sea carries the listener through six songs and processes.
A developement, a coming to consciousness, a creation, will and power...

Tracklisting
Bewusstsein
Wagemut
Zweifel
Herzenswunsch
Verhinderer
Wandlung

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GRAU Presents:

LONGING FOR DAWN - Between Elation And Despair CD

The Third Opus from Canada's leading Atmospheric Funeral Doom outfit.
Monumental and Unique heart felt melancholic melodies supported by crushing
rhythmic parts, hammering drums and sorrow filled vocals, shrouded in
ritualistic and
highly evocative ambient soundscapes, a distinct and truly singular
listening experience.
Longing For Dawn are definitely walking their own path, onward towards a new
dawn...

Track Listing
Our Symbolic Burial
A Sunrise At Your Feet
Reflective
The Piscean Dawn
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Mercenary Musik
P.O. BOX 41986
L.A., CA 90041
www.mercenarymusik.com

CANDLELIGHT RECORDS UPDATE

2009-05-18T21:59:00.000-07:00

Out Now: BLOOD TSUNAMI, HAVOK and SUSPERIA
Coming Soon: GLORIOR BELLI, 1349, OBITUARY and ANAAL NATHRAKH
Plus: CIII Tour Update

BLOOD TSUNAMI - Grand Feast For Vultures
Release Date: May 5, 2009
“BLOOD TSUNAMI kicks serious ass the same way vintage Kreator, Destruction and Testament,” said Decibel Magazine in review of BLOOD TSUNAMI’s highly acclaimed 2007 debut, Thrash Metal. Now returning with seven blistering new songs the Norwegian metallers, featuring among their ranks former Emperor drummer Bard “Faust” Eithun, have crafted even faster, darker and heavier titan tunes that really capture the essence of the thrash genre fans both old and new know and love.
Formed in 2004, BLOOD TSUNAMI is an instant adrenalin shot of classic thrash. Reviving the long cherished vibe of both German and Bay Area scenes, the band bring a new modern approach to the fan favored genre. Two sparingly circulated demos is all it took before the band found themselves a growing fanbase, solid reputation and ultimately a deal with Nocturnal Art Productions (the label owned/operated by Emperor/Zyklon guitarist Samoth). Kerrang calls the band’s wicked metal mixture, “unstoppable pedal-to-the-metal old school thrash metal mayhem.”
Recorded at Lion Heart Studios in Oslo, Grand Feast for Vultures was produced in cooperation by the band and Oyvind Larsen. Album packaging was rendered by Alex Horley.
"Thrash Metal offers a series of threatening savageries that capture the all-out feel and sound of the era well but with a diversity and strength that lifts them up and away from the reinventing-the-wheel crowd. If only St. Anger could have come close to this.” – Terrorizer

“Quite frankly there's no reason to go anywhere else for your thrash fix.” - Metal Hammer

“With classic metal cover art and a title that even spells it out for you, Blood Tsunami satisfies fans of the thrash-tastic.” - MP3.com
http://www.myspace.com/bloodtsunami

HAVOK - Burn
Release Date: May 19, 2009
Thrash metal has seen a noted return to popularity over the last few years. Be it via reformations of tried-and-true artists like Testament, Exodus, and Death Angel, or the rise of a whole new crop of bands, the genre has successfully found renewed consumer focus. For Denver-based HAVOK, the release of their debut, Burn, is a celebration of years of hard work and dedication. Recorded in late 2008, Burn features 12 savage tracks that showcase the young band’s technical precision and musical creativity. Featuring artwork by upcoming illustrator Halsey Swain, Burn is a solid start for a promising band.
HAVOK -- vocalist/guitarist David Sanchez, guitarist Shawn Chavez, drummer Ryan Bloom and bassist Jesse de Los Santos -- have been impressing their growing fanbase since their formation in 2004. Via two independent recordings, PWN ‘Em All and Murder By Metal, both quickly selling out , the band have reached audiences far outside their regional borders. Sanchez says of the band’s signing, “this is the break we’ve been working toward and now that it’s finally here, we’re more than ready to make the most of it. We are both psyched and humbled to be a part of the Candlelight roster.”
"HAVOK lays it down old-school heavy like a sharp stick in the eye." - Gene Hoglan, Strapping Young Lad/Dethklok/Dark Angel/Testament etc.
http://www.myspace.com/havok

SUSPERIA - Attitude
Release Date: May 19, 2009
Passion has long been at the core of Norway’s SUSPERIA . Battling their way through obstacles that would crush lesser humans, their journey bears a musical heart that has year-after-year delivered onto their loyal and growing fanbase quality music that strikes with not only power but shines with their unique sense of melody. Attitude, the band’s latest album, again finds the band making unparalleled strides. With a new label and even stronger focus, the band hopes to reach a new level of success.
Formed in 1998 by drummer Tjodalv (then of Dimmu Borgir) and guitarist Cyrus (then of Satyricon/Old Man’s Child), SUSPERIA released their debut, Predominance, in 2001. The much-acclaimed Vindication followed in 2003 and after signing with Norwegian indie label Tabu in 2004, the band quickly unveiled third album, Unlimited. Brave Words Bloody Knuckles called the album, “a scorcher from start to finish, on par with Testament classic The Gathering.”
Commenting on the new album, vocalist Athera recently noted, “ten years and still the same five guys. We have worked nearly two years on this material, perfecting it for your pleasure and our devoted fans. It will take you back to the early days with melancholic riffing and dark emotional vocals. It’s a perfect blend of everything SUSPERIA has been and become.” Recorded at various studios during the later part of 2008, Attitude was mixed by Fredrik Nordstrom (In Flames, Meshuggah).
http://www.susperia.net
http://www.myspace.com/susperiafans

GLORIOR BELLI - Meet Us at the Southern Sign
Release Date: June 2, 2009
Metal Kult calls the music of France's GLORIOR BELLI "as darkly beautiful as it is gloom inducing." With their new album (first for Candlelight), Meet Us at the Southern Sign, the band look to build upon their already growing stateside fanbase. Their album finds release as the band embarks on their first American tour alongside labelmates Absu and Sothis. It will be their most extensive tour since their formation a an adventure they are looking forward to.
Dating to 2002, Paris-based GLORIOR BELLI unveiled their first recordings in mid-2005. The album, Lavdate Dominvs, saw very little US distribution but it found the attention of inquisitive listeners. So much so that when their first proper stateside introduction came in 2007 (Manifesting the Raging Beast, Southern Lord), the band found a solid base in which to comfortably nestle their unique take on black metal. Fans are already anticipating MUATSS and with due merit.
http://gloriorbelli.luxferous.com
http://www.myspace.com/gloriorbelli

1349 - Revelations of the Black Flame
Release Date: June 2, 2009
If ever there was a band to truly turn heads, Norway’s 1349 are more than up for the challenge. Since their inception, the band has not only shocked but impressed music fans with their theatric image, blistering speed and over-the-top ferocity. Their live shows have become legend as their rapidly growing fanbase and acclaim mounts. Now with album number four, the quartet once again go for the jugular but this time round with a twist. The intensity shifts revealing a sound of days past but with a modern and, of course, always sinister soul. Decibel Magazine once boldly said, "almost every corpse-paint commando in Scandinavia might as well pack up their shit and go home while they can." May we now lead you to door?
From their beginnings 1349 have been touted as a band to watch. All Music Guide called them, "a band ripe with promise," in a review of debut, Liberation. The band, featuring always outspoken vocalist Ravn, guitarist Archaron with bassist Seidemann and studio drummer Frost (Satyricon), quickly took the metal world by storm and have not let go since. Committed to the stage, 1349 have been to the US five times in the last two years and plan to return again leaving no city untouched by their musical madness.
“Without question an incineration of the highest order” - Metal Maniacs
“1349 certainly has the ferocious chops to back up their northern pedigree.” - Sounds of Death
http://www.legion1349.com/
http://www.myspace.com/1349official

OBITUARY - Darkest Day
Release Date: June 30, 2009
When OBITUARY announced plans to record a new album in early 2007, the metal world stood up and applauded. One of death metal’s crown jewels was returning and fans couldn't have been more enthused. The album, Xecutioner’s Return, delivered the goods as only OBITUARY could. Now, two years later, the band returns with eighth full-length Darkest Day. Signature in every way, the record proves the band gets even better with age.
OBITUARY's core of brothers -- John Tardy (vocals) and Donald Tardy (drums) -- with guitarist Trevor Peres came together in 1984 forming what would become one of death metal's most successful and internationally respected bands. OBITUARY 2009 -- the Tardy brothers, Peres, guitarist Ralph Santolla and bassist Frank Watkins -- remains unwaveringly brutal. Said John Tardy about new CD Darkest Day, "It came out really sick and I cannot wait for you guys to hear it... it is heavy!" Added guitarist Ralph Santolla, "The new stuff is heavy, some of my favorite OBI riffs yet. Trevor's guitar sounds huge and menacing. If you like OBITUARY, you're gonna love this record."
The band once again worked with artist Andreas Marschall, who created the art for The End Complete, Frozen In Time, and the group's last record, Xecutioner's Return.
http://www.obituary.cc
http://www.myspace.com/obituary

ANAAL NATHRAKH - In The Constellation Of The Black Widow
Release Date: July 14, 2009
Based in Birmingham, ANAAL NATHRAKH formed in 1998. The band fuse traditional black metal with elements of industrial, grindcore and early-day death metal resulting in a one-of-a-kind soundscape that has earned them high acclaim from media and fans around the globe. Commenting on the new album, vocalist V.I.T.R.I.O.L. (Mistress, Benediction) reveals, “Constellation is faster, more insidious, more ominous, more musically dextrous and wilder than ever before. The album will feature a curve ball guest appearance from Zeitgeist Memento of Mexican extremists Republika.”
According to the band’s official website, ANAAL NATHRAKH was created for one purpose: To be the soundtrack for Armageddon and the true spirit of necro taken to its musical extremes. The band has collaborated with such legendary figures as Attila Csihar (Mayhem), Shane Embury and Danny Herrera (Napalm Death), Nick Barker (Dimmu Borgir, Cradle Of Filth etc.), Joe Horvath (Circle of Dead Children), Sethlans Teitan (Watain) etc.
http://www.anaal-nathrakh.tk
http://www.myspace.com/anaalnathrakh

CANDLELIGHT'S CIII TOUR UPDATE
ABSU is touring the US for the first time in nearly 8 years! Don't miss it!
Candlelight’s CIII - Absu, Glorior Belli, Rumpelstiltskin Grinder and Sothis

6/6/2009 Jumping Turtle – San Marcos, CA
6/7/2009 House of Blues – W. Hollywood, CA
6/8/2009 Thee Parkside – San Francisco, CA
6/9/2009 Hawthorne Theatre – Portland, OR
6/10/2009 El Corazon – Seattle, WA
6/12/2009 The Underground – Calgary, AB
6/13/2009 The Exchange – Regina, SK
6/14/2009 Royal Albert Arms – Winnipeg, MT
6/15/2009 Station 4 – St. Paul, MN
6/16/2009 The Pearl Room – Mokena, IL
6/17/2009 Peabody’s – Cleveland, OH
6/18/2009 Wreck Room – Toronto, ON
6/19/2009 Petit Campus – Montreal, QC
6/20/2009 Penny Arcade – Rochester, NY
6/21/2009 BB Kings Blues Club – New York, NY
6/22/2009 Jaxx – W. Springfield, VA
6/23/2009 Volume 11 – Raleigh, NC
6/24/2009 The Muse – Nashville, TN
6/25/2009 The Masquerade – Atlanta, GA
6/26/2009 The Garage – St. Petersburg, FL
6/27/2009 Culture Room – Ft. Lauderdale FL
6/29/2009 Trees – Dallas, TX

ABSU TOUR UPDATE

2009-05-13T02:12:00.000-07:00

US black metal legends ABSU will tour the US for the first time in nearly 8 years on Candlelight Records' third North American label package tour. Set to kick off on June 6, CIII will feature ABSU, with support from French black metal troupe GLORIOR BELLI, Los Angeles-based SOTHIS and the recent addition of Pennsylvania thrashers RUMPELSTILTSKIN GRINDER. The tour will visit 22 cities throughout the US and Canada beginning in San Marcos, California and wrapping up in Dallas, Texas on June 29.

CIII follows the success of Candlelight's previous label tours — the first in 2005 featuring ENTOMBED, CROWBAR, PRO-PAIN and THE MIGHTY NIMBUS, and second in 2007 featuring ENSLAVED, DARK FUNERAL and then-newcomers ABIGAIL WILLIAMS.

The label, maintaining offices in Philadelphia and London, continues to grow since launching American operations in 2001. Candlelight is distributed throughout the US exclusively via Caroline Distribution, EMI Music for Canada and Plastichead Music for the rest of the world.

Absu, Glorior Belli, Rumpelstiltskin Grinder and Sothis:
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

http://www.absu.us
http://www.myspace.com/absu

EKLEIPSI FOR MAY.

2009-05-13T02:11:00.000-07:00

May newsletter

Tamerlan
The antiexistence
Dark Ambient / Neoclassical / Gothic
"The Antiexistence represents the opposite of the time and space continuum that we live in today.
It represents the “place” where world periods of completely different times form this type of entity, which is of course chaotic by it’s nature, but still every part of it fits perfectly in some strange manner. This album is a soundtrack for this entity".

Venefica
Dark Scarlet
Piano / Classical
Neither shape nor shadow

All our releases are available for listening and download at www.ekleipsi.com

TOMBS INTERVIEW

2009-05-13T02:07:00.000-07:00

Tombs

By Mike SOS

Mike Hill, guitarist/vocalist from NYC's Tombs was gracious enough to give some insight on the trio's latest endeavor from Relapse Records WINTERHOURS, in addition to info on his vast musical projects via email.

How did you come up with the name of the band?

MH: The name was taken from the infamous New York incarceration facility

How would you describe your music?

MH: Metal.

What are you currently listening to musically?

MH: Death in June, Leviathan, Swans, Neurosis

What sets Tombs apart from other bands?

MH: We aren't afraid to play less.

How does a Tombs song get written?

MH: I sit at home with my guitar and work on some riffs. At practice we arrange the songs, then I go home and work on lyrics.

What's up with your label and your recording studio and has the full-time status of Tombs taken away from other endeavors?

MH: The label is still going strong. The second entry of my split 12” series is coming out in a few months. It's the Dead in the Woods / Diet Pills split, two outstanding UK bands. I also just repressed the TOMBS / PLANKS split 12-in. My "studio" is little more than the rehearsal space we share with How We Lost the War. I've trained myself to subsist on 4-5 hours a sleep per night so I can get it all over the fence.

Do you prefer the studio or the stage and why?

MH: They're both satisfying but I prefer the stage. Playing live is a more cathartic experience; the studio creates a lot of stress and feels more like "work". Playing live is just rolling up in the van, rocking out and then it's on to the next thing.

What would you like Tombs to accomplish this year?

MH: I'd like the do 2 full US tours, hit Canada and do another more extensive European tour. I'd also like to get new material written.

Why should we come see Tombs?

MH: Because we don't care if people like us or not. Also, none of us have "sensitive beards" or mustaches.

What bands do you get compared to that you agree with? Disagree with?

MH: Mastodon and High on Fire and I don't agree...though both are excellent, we're coming from a less rock 'n' roll vibe.

INTERVIEW WITH RUMPLESTILTSKIN GRINDER.

2009-05-13T02:04:00.000-07:00

Rumplestiltskin Grinder

By Mike SOS

While corresponding with bassist/vocalist Shawn Riley and guitarist Ryan Moll of Philadelphia metal outfit Rumplestiltskin Grinder via email, we learned of this crew's strange worship ritual, how they got their name and what they've got in store now that their latest offering from Relaspe Records LIVING FOR DEATH, DESTROYING THE REST has been unleashed to the unsuspecting public.

How did you come up with the name of the band?

SR: It was bestowed upon us by the god we worship, Malebolgia.

RM: A lot of people underestimate the sheer power of Malebolgia. Not only did he create Spawn, but he has answered every one of our prayers. I've prayed to many deities in my day, but this is the only one that shows 100% results 100% of the time. I pray for money... I get money... I pray for bitches... I get bitches. Most recently I prayed for my cat to inherit human behavior. Sure enough, I came home later that night to find him lounging in my favorite reclining chair wearing my bathrobe, reading the paper and smoking a pipe. Since then, I've woken up at 6 AM every morning to eat breakfast with him and drink coffee together. I like mine a dark roast with light creme, while he prefers simple decaffeinated.

How does a RSG song get written?

SR: Just like any other music gets written. One dude is like, "check out this riff bro". Then it's like "totally killer riff dude, let's celebrate." After that we drink like four cases of beer and then write another riff a week later. Eventually we form them into songs.

RM: Sometimes we just get frustrated and just pray to Malebolgia to write a song for us. These ones usually turn out to be our hits.

Who are some of your influences? Any we'd be surprised with?

SR:Well obviously you've got thrash like Slayer, Exodus and Metallica. Then you can definitely hear shredding influences like Yngwie and King Diamond. What you might not pick up on right away is that we listen to stuff such as Offspring and more mainstream stuff like that and you can definitely hear that influence, in Matt's solos especially. The heavier punk and hardcore parts we have are influenced by older punk like Misfits and Black Flag.

RM: Most of my influences only happen when I am under them. Other than that, I listen to a bunch of different kinds of music, but I'm not sure how much influence I take from bands that I listen to that aren't metal. I think sometimes I get influenced indirectly when I'm listening to something rather non-metal and it just inspires me to want to write some killer riffs that have nothing to do with the song I am listening to at the time. I think this might also have a lot to do with my short attention span. Then there are times that I am influenced by the visions I conjure up in my head. Take for example an owl with a wooden face standing next to an old cloaked wizard carrying a staff and pointing towards the twilight in an open field. I may think of that and I'll want to write a riff that sounds like it would fit how that vision makes me feel.

How would you describe RSG to someone that never heard you before?

RM: I'd probably just play it for them and let them describe it. I hate describing our music. Thrash? I guess... But we're really much more than that… I would just say fucking METAL.

SR: I would just punch someone in the face who never heard us before.

RM: There! THAT’S what we sound like! A punch in the face. No description needed.

Why should we come see a RSG show?

SR: So you'll know what we sound like. That way when you meet us you won't get punched in the nose. We do put on an energetic show though. We fuckin’ shred dude. Seriously.

RM: Malebolgia has done miraculous things for our performance abilities.

Do you prefer the stage or the studio and why?

SR: Ah geez. The stage is definitely cool because you have a crowd but the studio is awesome cuz you're rocking like all day long. It gets intense in the studio, brah.

RM: I would have to say live. There is nothing more rewarding than playing a kick ass show in front of a bunch of people that really dig us, hell even a handful of people that really dig us. The studio is too much sitting around. I'm too fidgety. I do spinkicks in my sleep I'm told. I'm not too good with sitting still. Never have been...

When I'm not in RSG, I'm...?

SR: a douche?

RM: a gremlin.

What sets RSG apart from other bands?

RM: The fact that we base our music and our image purely on what WE want to do and not what is the current trend. We don't try to dress a certain way or write a certain way. We just do what is comfortable to us and try to make it good while having a good time with it.

SR: I guess you could say that RSG is really goofy. The music kicks ass and our attitude definitely shows that we are in this to rock without taking ourselves too seriously.

What's the toughest part of being in a metal band?

SR: Aside from the fact that only dudes come to the shows... nothing. It's cool hanging out with whomever. But like Brian Posehn says in his standup "Grow some tits and then you can have my autograph" Ha.

RM: Tits... Somehow they manage to fix everything in life.

What would you like RSG to accomplish this year?

RM: Definitely more shows. We need to get the fuck out there and play.

SR: I want to get some decent touring under our belt to really promote our new album. There are people all over the world that want to see us play so we need to get out there and give them what they want. I really want to make it to Italy, Germany and out west to California and Vancouver, Oregon, etc. It would be great to go to Canada again as well because our album's doing really well up there and it's a great time up there.

Any final words for the readers?

SR: When I first glimpsed at this question, I thought it said "Any final words for the stabbers?" In that case, stab on my friends. RSG salutes you. Don't get caught though, because we need more people on the streets that are willing to put a knife in somebody.

RM: Don't stab anyone with tits though. Or at least not IN the tits. Stab for the balls! And HAIL MALEBOLGIA!!!

REVIEW-O-RAMA

2009-05-13T01:47:00.000-07:00

MANTIC RITUAL
EXECUTIONER
NUCLEAR BLAST
If the story of Pittsburgh, PA thrash metal neophytes Mantic Ritual's heading out west, scoring a record deal and recording their debut in Germany (but not before touring the world with the likes of heroes Destruction and Exodus) sounds too good to be true, then you need to get a little less jaded, as this tale is completely accurate. EXECUTIONER is the end result of this quartet's ultimate sojourn into the realm where velocity reigns supreme, an 11-track ode to the heyday of the legendary Bay Area uprising that mightily summons the power of KILL 'EM ALL, BONDED BY BLOOD, and SO FAR, SO GOOD, SO WHAT with a lackluster sense of self seeping through. While this squad is undeniably tight and well-disciplined in the art of shred ("Black Tar Sin", "Panic", "Murdered By Death"), the prevalently placed ripping retro vibes on everything here from the early Hetfield growls to the Holt/Hunolt fancy fretwork leave little room for this unit to break from the 1987 mold, opting to worship at the altars of Kreator and Slayer exclusively. Almost at times portraying to be too vintage for their own good, within the recent resurgence of bullet belt wearing, gratuitous solo playing headbanging music, Mantic Ritual unquestionably stand a cut above the rest thanks to their jaw-dropping tightness, yet need to develop past the glory days of the genre if they want to go toe to toe and pump the kind of essential entities thrash metal music's top dogs continue to lay down. www.nuclearblastusa.com -Mike SOS

MAEGASHIRA
THE STARK ARCTIC
SPARE CHANGE
New Jersey doom merchants Maegashira clobber your cranium with a sludgy six-track sixty minute deluge into the depths of this quartet's off-centered musical soul, drudging up shards of boogie-laden stoner metal and heinous hardcore metal heft from their collective musical wreckage along the way to comprise THE STARK ARCTIC. Not afraid to allow their inner Eyehategod to usurp the moment nor dive headlong into an icicle-inducing crushing metal jam, this fearless foursome's boisterous proclamation of pure power renders an unorthodox yet punishing listening experience whose few and far between bellicose vocals keep the menacing tones creeping inside your head ("Back to Muro") long after the song is over. If you've got the patience to let the psychedelic elements soak through these diabolical jams layered in lava, Maegashira's new album projects a convincing slab of slow-churned vitriol embracing the darker side of the spectrum. www.sparechangerecords.com -Mike SOS

SSS
THE DIVIDING LINE
EARACHE
Liverpool, UK quartet SSS (Short Sharp Shock) provide an expedient excursion to relentlessly bang your head to in the form of the 20-track THE DIVIDING LINE. This crossover crew's dead-on thrash metal acumen and authentic skate punk methods would make both Suicidal Tendencies and Destruction proud ("Toxic Bee”,” Purple Reign"). Displaying a unit at the top of their game, SSS gleefully barrels through track after track of lean and mean take no prisoners brutality with a self-induced panic-stricken mania and seething anger leading the charge ("Invertbrate", "Sk8 + Destroy"). Fortifying the frontlines of the recent thrash resurgence with an endless barrage of infectious choruses played at breakneck speed, this brazen affair masterfully combines the devastating brevity of SOD, DRI, and Municipal Waste and is essential for those who love to live in the fast lane. www.earache.com -Mike SOS

IMPIETY
DOMINATOR
PULVERISED
Singapore black metal troupe Impiety maintain a dastardly level of speed throughout the course of their latest five-song, 15-minute endeavor DOMINATOR, as this black-death hybrid troupe bludgeon the ears with a speed-driven assault exploding with bad intent. Tracks like "At War with Temujin" demonstrate this veteran squad's penchant for whipping up a maelstrom of malevolent riffs, hyperspeed percussion, and diabolical vocal all in the name of evil while the title cut showcases a blackened outlook with a particularly menacing vocal performance full of grunts and laughs guiding the hellacious affair. Dripping with demonic overtones and wrought with a vicious display of velocity, Impiety's brief yet potent strike yields a listening experience tailor made for those unafraid of the darker side of the spectrum. www.pulverisedrecords.com -Mike SOS

ORDER OF ENNDEAD
ORDER OF ENNDEAD
EARACHE
Order of Ennead is a bold blackened death metal troupe whose latest eponymous offering showcases a band with a serious multifaceted extreme metal strike. Featuring Deicide skin basher Steve Asheim, this quartet's scope explores the vastness of both the forests in the Netherlands and the catacombs in Stockholm with a diabolical rasp and an adventurous sense of composition leading the caravan ("The Culling"). Tracks like "Conferring With Demons" tackles glacial Nordic nuances with honor and finesse while "As Long As I Have Myself I Am Not Alone" demonstrates the squad's crushing technical prowess and ability to balance out a lengthier track with intriguing twists. Add in an excellent usage of piano throughout the disc, most notably on the closer "Dismantling an Empire" and this colossal concoction of forward-thinking metal combines a solid amalgamation of styles and an unquestionable vitriolic virtue to create an enjoyable listening experience for those who dwell in the dark. www.earache.com -Mike SOS

GHOULS
GHOULS
DESPISE THE SUN
After putting out numerous demos, Italian gore metal troupe Ghouls have finally released a full-length record, an eight-track self-titled affair that champions a hearty old school death metal appeal with a barrage of depraved lyrical content that borders the redundancy line. Radiating the retro brutality of Obituary and Cannibal Corpse on "The Messiah of Torture and Perversion" while harkening back to the heyday of shock with song titles like "Menstrual Vaginal Cry", Ghouls may be a bit too late to the party, but they do manage to find a niche by scraping through the entrails and keeping the aura bloodsoaked on tracks like appropriately slice and dice sachet of "Snuff Movie". www.myspace.com/despisethesunrecords -Mike SOS

BANG CAMARO
BANG CAMARO II
BLACK SWORD
Metal's favorite glee club return with II, Bang Camaro's sophomore effort chock full of tongue in cheek stadium anthems for the modern age. This act's unique choral lead singer situation and shredding pop metal riffs clear the path for a raucous 10-track joyride through the heavy metal parking lot. Tracks like "Miss Illusion" and "Night Lies" blast you back to the era of excess, using virtually every groan-inducing metal cliché from country fried ("Life is Hard on the Road") to campfire balladry ("The Hit") to its advantage with an unwaveringly tasteful yet bombastic sense of grace. Sounding gargantuan yet retaining a feel as if they were unearthed from the recesses of the Sunset Strip, this infectious spectacle's latest offering displays Bang Camaro's transcending from novelty act to full-fledged arena metal masters, able to set fists in the air and Bics overhead with their contagious and crisp delivery. www.bangcamaro.com -Mike SOS

AVANTASIA
LOST IN SPACE PART 1 & 2
NUCLEAR BLAST
Edguy frontman Tobias Sammet's side project Avantasia has garnished massive success, so much so that his earlier records LOST IN SPACE PART 1 &2 can get a deluxe consolidated reintroduction to the masses. This collection combines the two previously released entities with a slew of operatically-tinged guest appearance metal bonus goodness for an essential purchase for the definitive fan of Sammet and his powerful and melodic metal musings. www.nuclearblastusa.com -Mike SOS

BLACKOUT SHOPPERS
PASS OUT
SELF-RELEASED
Long overdue, prolific NYC punk troupe Blackout Shoppers have unleashed a proper album in the form of PASS OUT. Overflowing with the sprit of the NYC underground prior to the gentrification of the LES, this tenacious 20 track assault embraces hardcore punk's roots and NYHC mayhem to kick up a sterling showcase of sneering anarchic anthems ("One Way System", "Used Cars") and breakneck blasts of volatility ("Gashuffer", "Double Breakdown") guaranteed to get the party spinning completely out of control. If you miss the good old days when punk was a battle cry and not a fashion statement, you will love Blackout Shoppers. www.blackoutshoppers.com -Mike SOS

LETHARGY
PURIFICATION
CANDLELIGHT
Welsh troupe Lethargy bundle hard rock heft of the 90'swith progressive rock compositions and classic rock durability into their 11-track sophomore sojourn PURIFICATION. Sounding at times like a cross between Porcupine Tree, Staind, Alice in Chains and Warrior Soul, tracks like "Bleechin' Bones" and "14:9" pack a wallop with its mid-tempo mix of melodic metal while the title cut could have come from the latest Alter Bridge disc by way of Fates Warning and "I See Man's End in His Construction" find the unit channeling both an inner Zeppelin and Dream Theater. Ambitious enough to go the extra mile with a tasty solo or a left of center interlude yet not too far removed to slip back into familiar hard rock paradigms, this group's ability to concoct solid slabs of rock laden with a sly in-between sound bursts with a broad appeal that fans of all things rock can easily sink their teeth into. www.candlelightrecordsusa.com -Mike SOS

DARKESTRAH
THE GREAT SILK ROAD
PARAGON
Exploring the epic evilness of the black and pagan metal scenes, German by way of Central Asian (Kyrgyzstan to be exact) unit Darkestah have plotted out a dastardly five-track, 54-minute excursion laden with a folksy degree of traditional instrumentation and a general sense of damnation seeping through this squad's infernal pores ("Inner Voice"). Fortified by an incessant stomp that moves with a menacing yet cinematic-like grace ("Cult of aTengri") all tied together with a fittingly demonic female lead vocal rasp providing the netherworldly narrative, THE GREAT SILK ROAD deserves to be exalted as a sweepingly exotic affair that followers of atmospheric dark metal will find no problem gravitating towards. www.paragonrecords.net -Mike SOS

FLU.ID
IOTS
EXILE ON MAINSTREAM
German experimental hardcore troupe flu.ID have made an album proper by repackaging two previous 10-inch releases with a few bonus tracks and a strange assortment of electronic interludes to create a 15-track collection of schizophrenic heaviness and offbeat weirdness titled IOTS. Imagine Refused jamming out with Dillinger Escape Plan while a techno party looms in the background for an idea of what this eclectic trio brings to the table. Channeling hardcore's dissonant aggression while releasing an unsettling helping of tech metal warfare and savage noise rock on unprepared ears ("Estonia Flutet Die Titanic", this unit isn't content until you've been disturbed ("New Imperial Sadism"), destroyed ("Ordinary Different") and devastated ("b"). Wryly unorthodox yet totally crushing, this offering yields an ominous listening experience and requires a slew more comprehension than most, but is well worth the brain contortions if you enjoy music laced with chaos ("Strategy First"). www.southern.com -Mike SOS

THOSE WHO BRING THE TORTURE
TANK GASMASK AMMO
PULVERISED
Swedish death metal merchants Those Who Bring the Torture reinforce their band's moniker by carrying out a sublime shot of what their name suggests on TANK GASMASK AMMO. While this quartet won't be scoring any awards for most unique metal crew, their '90s death metal meets groovy grindcore redux ("All Hail The Goat") fits snugly between your Entombed and Dismember albums as songs like the blunt "You Should Be Brutally Slaughtered" and the D-beat madness of "Expecting a Search- Visibly Hiding the Flesh" lead this unit's riff-heavy low-growled bludgeoning. And hey, what metalhead worth their salt can resist thrashing about to a song entitled "Mutant Slut"? Providing a dash of old school good friendly violent fun, Those Who Bring the Torture have developed an admirable yet familiar blend of extreme metal goodness deserving of a few spins. www.pulverisedrecords.com -Mike SOS

SAXON
INTO THE LABYRINTH
SPV
Veritable New Wave of British Heavy Metal veterans Saxon continue to slug it out in the metal scene with their latest release INTO THE LABYRINTH. This 13-track disc is carried by bombast and bravado with Biff Byford guiding through both familiar and treacherous waters with a slew of convincing lead singer clichés at hand. Even though controversial career decisions this squad chose through the years put them in precarious positions both musically and with the audience, songs like "Live to Rock" and "Hellcat" exude the come-uppance spirit of their early years and show that there's still some gas left in the tank. Striking a balance between their biker rock days and a slick metallic gloss aimed for a mass appeal, the latest Saxon disc does an adequate job of highlighting many different sides of a group still fighting for respect after all these years. www.spv.de -Mike SOS

RAGING IN THE DARK
THE PASSION + THE TREACHERY
SELF-RELEASED
Raging in the Dark is a Queens, NY female duo whose six-track offering showcases a shadowy mix of dark-edged alternative rock. From grunge-laden dynamics found on "Window" to forlorn vocals heard on "Ophelia" to eerie atmospherics of "Human Now", this tandem sets an ominous mood with a Hole meets Nirvana by way of Sonic Youth influence creating their haunting yet inviting aura. Bolstered by a boisterous percussive clamor and a slew of sinewy riffs, THE PASSSION + THE TREACHERY have carefully constructed a living monument to a time gone by with reverence and fury intact. www.myspace.com/nepenthenyc -Mike SOS

SHIROCK
EVERYTHING BURNS
SELF-RELEASED
Nashville, TN outfit Shirock comprise their 12-track offering EVERYTHING BURNS with a plethora of stadium-filling choruses and big rock mystique, developing a huge sound likening the band to U2 or Oasis ("Drag You Down"). Slick production screaming for adult alternative airplay, flawless male-female vocal tradeoffs, and the familiarity tracks like grandiose "Time Goes By" radiates assist in this quintet's quest to not only rock the world but spread their message to help the planet via their non-profit organization (named EVERYTHING BURNS). Brimming over with soaring melodies and just the right touch of emotion, Shirock's album has the right elements to pull those enamored by Coldplay or Muse along for an uplifting journey. www.shirock.net -Mike SOS

VOETSEK
INFERNAL COMMAND
SELFMADEGOD
Blistering speed and sheer volatility fused together best describes the aural assault San Francisco quintet Voetsek are responsible for on their 17-track, 21-minute punk meets power violence excursion. Fronted by a female vocalist who sounds like she's undergoing an exorcism, this squad's blend of throttling thrash metal guitars ("Frozen Heart", "Bully With a Badge") and on the edge of falling off the road grindcore tendencies ("Screwdriver Smile") enable INFERNAL COMMAND to bridge a gap between scenes so old schoolers and neophytes alike can appreciate this barrage of charming speedcore maulings dripping with attitude and unpredictability. www.selfmadegod.com -Mike SOS

HARPOON
DOUBLE GNARLY/TRIPLE SUICIDE
INTERLOPER
Harpoon is a Chicago-based duo (now beefed up to a trio) whose grindcore meets metal batterings are backed by programmed drums, an element that sets a definitive tone for DOUBLE GNARLY/TRIPLE SUICIDE. Coming off as sterile and clinical when artificial beats become inhumanly overbearing ("Throngs") despite maintaining a crushing concoction of blasting guitars and glass-gargled vocals throughout ("The Cacographer", "Lefty", "Frogs, Boils, Locusts..."). Even though shards of Slayer, Napalm Death, and Pig Destroyer rear their heads in sporadic spurts on this 12-track affair, overall these morsels of metallic goodness are detracted by synthetically sounding skin bashing that plagues the entire production. Re-record drums with a powerhouse behind the kit (Dave Witte? Danny Herrera?) and the results would be radically different, but for now this disc is a few steps away from being something to marvel. www.interloperrecords.net -Mike SOS

SUIDAKRA
CROGACHT
WACKEN
German Pagan metal veterans Suidakra are back with a rousing nine-track presentation titled CROGACHT. Authentic Celtic instrumentation (bagpipes and tin whistles) and epic death metal collide to bring the revered Irish myth of Cuchulainn to life with a flurry of orchestral metal providing the dramatic soundtrack. Fortified via a well-balanced mix of crushing Viking metal ("Baile's Strand") and intense traditional compositions ("Feats of War"), Suidakra finds themselves at full-strength during the glorious fury of "Scathach", a piece where both of the band's unique styles juxtapose to create a colossal listening experience. CROGACHT is an album laden with sweeping melodies and displays a captivating vigor that whisks you away into Suidakra's epic brand of metallic folklore. www.wackenrecords.com -Mike SOS

ENSLAVED
VERTEBRAE
NUCLEAR BLAST
Norwegian metal merchants Enslaved have put out their most progressive album to date with their latest (and tenth!) offering, the eight-track VERTEBRAE. Far removed from their primitive origins, this squad's psychedelic rock meets black metal approach takes Pink Floyd into the catacombs for a swirling sojourn into lands discovered by the likes of Opeth ("Ground"). Using a mesmerizing black metal foundation ("New Dawn") to launch haunting riffs and atmospheric sections, Enslaved have realized the unimaginable possibility of making a black metal album boundless. Lurking with rich subtleties and a devastating sonic crush, VERTEBRAE showcases a stunning collection of music that requires multiple listens to fully appreciate the grandiose vision and creative splendor of Enslaved, yet stands strong as another top-notch release in the band's impressive catalog. www.nuclearblastusa.com -Mike SOS

FUELBLOODED
OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH
SELF-RELEASED
Hailing from the Netherlands, hybrid metal quintet Fuelblooded showcase a bevy of styles on their latest nine-track endeavor OFF THE FACE OF THE EARTH. Drawing initially from a prime selection of melodic Euro metal, this unit places an amalgamation of influences into its framework, whipping up its own hard hitting sonic brew along the way. Technically proficient ("The Cult of Ego") and harmonic fretwork ("The Wrath of A'ath") help Fuelblooded get their inner In Flames on while the title cut brings a deliberately darker tone and "The End Starts Here" takes a turn into progressive territories reserved for the likes of Nevermore or Scar Symmetry. Depositing a solid array of metal Fuelblooded fits somewhere between Trivium, Megadeth, and Darkane when it comes down to doling out a multifaceted metal attack. www.fuelblooded.com -Mike SOS

HELLVETO
NEOHERESY
PULVERISED
Featuring six tracks connecting a pulled-back brand of black metal with massive pagan and symphonic overtones, Polish one-man band Hellveto lays down a multi-layered metallic strike with NEOHERESY. Able to switch from tremolo-picked rage to serenity-laden subdued with relative ease (and more importantly with the audience following along), this disc possesses both a savage grace and a warmongering spirit, showcasing an orchestral belligerence somewhere between Emperor and Faith No More on "Milczace Sumienie" while "Taran" slithers with a sense of foreboding atmospherics. Strengthened by an omnipresent use of keyboards setting mood swings and overall aura, Hellveto has crafted a bellicose affair whose broad scope and non-traditional leanings will keep you guessing. www.pulverised.net -Mike SOS

BENEATH THE MASSACRE
DYSTOPIA
PROSTHETIC
Crippling Canadian quartet Beneath the Massacre is a dizzying deathcore troupe whose latest 10-track enterprise DYSTOPIA jackhammers sweeping guitar runs, feral blast beat drums, and vicious vocals into your cranium for over 30 minutes. And when it's over, what does the listener retain besides one hell of a headache? Not a whole lot, actually, although this band's jaw-dropping velocity and unbridled brutality found on cuts such as the relentless "Bitter" and "Procreating the Infection" is something to marvel at while the surprisingly slow and more painful delivery audible on the properly named "Lithium Overdose" salvages this squad from being caught in the middle between being totally breakdown-reliant and spastic riff friendly into a somewhat more palatable direction. Otherwise, this blistering offering does its damndest, sacrificing musicality for sheer sonic bludgeoning for fans of dastardly technicality to get wrapped inside of. www.prostheticrecords.com -Mike SOS

NAER MATARON
PRAETORIANS
SEASON OF MIST
Sticking to their roots, Greek black metal troupe Naer Mataron unfurl an expected mix of blast beat mayhem, evil vocal croaks and shrieks, and wrath-inducing tremolo-picked guitars on their most recent album PRAETORIANS. This 11-track release maintains the authentic black metal template to a fault, retaining the genre's trademark rawness sans any progressive tendencies. Making up for the album's lack of surprises by stirring a hearty cauldron brimming over with pure demonic fury ("Incarcerating Gallantes"), despite the incessant drum blastings and primitive compositions detrimental to some, those hankering for a shot of troo black metal will have nary a problem championing this resilient troupe's latest endeavor. www.season-of-mist.com -Mike SOS

DEAD BY WEDNESDAY
PAWNS
ECLIPSE
Connecticut crushers Dead By Wednesday unleash an explosive onslaught of politically charged rap metal on their 13-track venture PAWNS. Armed with a bevy of brawny hardcore riffs ("Pawns", "Break the Walls", "Restitution") and a solid twin vocal attack that works against one another nicely while running metal's stylistic gauntlet from guttural death ("Araroba") to frenzied punk ("Violent Tradition"), this disc offers a durable yet retread sound marred at points by sticking too close to the formula, rendering tracks like "Chosen" and the Hatebreed-esque "Society's Blood" a bit past shelf life. But if you can get past the Suicidal Tendencies and Downset worship, tracks like the So Cal punk meets Hed PE-infused "Liberty" and the Sworn Enemy by way of E-Town Concrete vibe on "Fractured" contain the surefire elements that keeps a steady stream of flailing limbs moving on the dancefloor. www.eclipserecords.com -Mike SOS

KHORS
MYSTICISM
PARAGON
Ukrainian septet Khors rely way too much on keyboards to be considered a full-on black metal troupe, as their gloomy metal inclinations and moody morosity indicates on their latest eight-track endeavor MYSTICISM. The intro on "Red Mirrors" sounds so 1987 it hurts while "In The Cold Embrace of Mist" boasts a key solo that sounds more in step with Deep Purple than anything in corpsepaint. Yet this unit's somber vibe remains strong between the flowery tinklings, pouring on the pity like a hybrid of Moonsorrow and Katatonia during the disc's darkest hours of need ("Winterfall"). www.paragonrecords.net -Mike SOS

ARKAN
HILAL
SEASON OF MIST
Intertwining a hearty helping of genuine Moroccan and Algerian music into a mixture of mediocre melodeath, Arkan's sophomore effort HILAL offers a perplexing listening experience. Teeming with a glossy production (thanks Fredrik Nortstrom) that produces an enormous sound ("Chaos Cypher") which can't obscure the awkwardness of obligatory ethnic music breaks clashing with a Gojira meets Daath style of metal, this disc is tough to endure when a plethora of different acts in Arkan's general direction do a more exciting job at what this squad intends to achieve. www.season-of-mist.com -Mike SOS

TRIBULATION
THE HORROR
PULVERISED
Retro Swedish death metal clan Tribulation pound out a loving tribute to the genre's salad days on their righteous nine-track affair THE HORROR. Killer guitar riffs and brazen solos lead this savagely savvy quartet's descent into the abyss ("Curse of Resurrection", "Beyond the Horror"), backed with just the right touch of slow-churned doom ("Seduced by the Smell of Rotten Flesh") before raring back with a resoundingly crust-infused blackened battering ("Crypt of Thanathophilia"). This quartet nails the spirit of the good old days with a speed-laden, Stockholm-influenced downtuned assault armed with its fair share of death 'n roll nuances for a groove-loaded crushing good time that will take fans of Dismember, Dissection, and Entombed back. www.pulverised.net -Mike SOS

PISTOLA
THE BLEEDER
DESEO
Pistola's latest 12-track venture THE BLEEDER maintains this NYC unit's pensive post-hardcore attack revealed on previous offering HOLD FOR BLISS. This band's biggest strength remains the delicate balance of brooding power and somber restraint they exert throughout the course of their 12-track offering, as "Tragedy is a Beauty Queen" walks a tightrope with mesmerizing percussion and Patricia Gradin's fearlessly cascading vocals complementing deftly jagged fretwork while staccato rhythms meld with soaring vocal performances on the engaging "Be Patient" and the biting "Music Snobs". Glistening with melody (the Sabbath-esque swing of "Out and About with Danny Rowe" stands out here) while attentively displaying the gritty underbelly of the Big Apple thanks to a cavalcade of raw Unsane meets Quicksand guitars and PJ Harvey meets Robert Plant vocal histrionics ("We're Alright Pt. 2", "The Battle of 4 Vs. 5"), Pistola entrances, engulfs, and intrigues listeners with their brand of potent post hardcore. www.pistola.us -Mike SOS

DANCE CLUB MASSACRE
CIRCLE OF DEATH
BLACK MARKET ACTIVITIES
Symphonic black metal plus deathcore equals Chicago's Dance Club Massacre's latest 10-track excursion CIRCLE OF DEATH. If you could imagine what a cross between Dimmu Borgir and Horse the Band would sound like, songs like "Hoosh Hoosh" and the WWE-inspired "Have You Ever Chopped a Wolf?" will give you an indication of what the amalgamation of these clashing styles sounds like. Disjointed, misguided, and overwrought with cliché, this disc's lighthearted lyrical stance and pseudo-ominous feel (thanks to an annoying presence of keyboards as well as a redundancy of deathcore themes) renders this presentation as something you can skip over and not feel too badly about. www.blackmarketactivities.com -Mike SOS

PULLING TEETH
PARANOID DELUSIONS/ PARADISE ILLUSIONS
DEATHWISH
Baltimore, MD's Pulling Teeth's bastardized combination of adept songwriting and vitriolic velocity retains a hardcore heft while firing a multi-dimensional assault chock full of intrigue and aggression. Sludgier and darker than your garden variety hardcore unit, tinkering with atmospheres and dynamics yields the monstrous results heard PARANOID DELUSIONS/ PARADISE ILLUSIONS, this quintet's latest five-track, 24-minute sojourn. Still displaying a set of chops that shred like Slayer and the ferocity to clobber like Converge, by adding in foreboding ambience via Moog and keyboards ("Bloodwolves") and a boldness that permits spacey rock jams a la Cave In to morph from the mayhem ("Ritual"), this quartet takes their assault past hardcore's normal limits.vwww.deathwishinc.com -Mike SOS

GEISHA
DIE VERBRECHEN DER LIEBE
CRUCIAL BLAST
Britol, UK troupe Geisha champion a smorgasbord of sound on their six-track sophomore affair DIE VERBRECHEN DER LIEBE. From jumpy noise rock riffs to sludge rock rhythmic slanderings to thunderous stoner rock percussion to trip-laden extended psychedelic space rock jams, this exploratory troupe provides a dissonant post hardcore offering boldly veering into parts unknown with a dizzying swagger and hyperkinetic sense of danger in tow. Equally at home in the spaceship or the swamp, this swirling excursion ends off on a high note with "Theme From Diana", a colossal 30-minute plus endeavor that intertwines shards of random dialogues with a shape-shifting yet raw drone metal feel and scrawls of white noise feedback to close out this intense and boundless squad's sojourn. www.crucialblast.net -Mike SOS

AZAGHAL FINNISH NEW ALBUM.

2009-05-13T01:44:00.000-07:00

Finnish black metal legends AZAGHAL have finished recording the follow-up to their highly acclaimed 2008 album, Omega. The upcoming album, titled Teraphim, will again be released by MORIBUND and should be out during this Summer. Artwork is done by Eelco Duppen (Graveland, Wyrd, Azaghal).

The full tracklisting for Teraphim (with English translations) is as follows:

1. Elilum - Suuri Tyhjyys (Elilum - The Great Emptiness)
2. Filosofi (The Philosopher)
3. Teraphim - Puhdistava Tuli (Teraphim - The Cleansing Fire)
4. Hänen Musta Liekkinsä (His Black Flame)
5. Helvetin Ikuisessa Loistossa (In the Eternal Grandeur of Hell)
6. Kyy (Viper)
7. Uhrattu (Sacrificed)
8. Pimeyden Kutsu (The Call of the Dark)
9. Samaelin Kuiskaus (Samael's Whisper)

Samples will be available soon at www.myspace.com/azaghalterrorcult. AZAGHAL have also been confirmed to play at Black Lights Festival in Czech Republic (in Divisov, near Prague). For more info, consult www.blacklights.cz/en/index.htm.

MORE MORIBUND

2009-04-30T01:40:00.000-07:00

DODSFERD - SUICIDE AND THE REST OF YOUR KIND WILL FOLLOW
I cannot lie, I was beginning to get a little concerned here that these guys (well "guy", really) were going to flood us with album after album and lose all specialness they once had. Lo, was I wrong. This latest slayer has only two tracks, one over 20 minutes and one more than 16 minutes and interject plenty of mood and atmosphere to quickly quell any doubts about them, er, him. Hey, to me less is more, but it's okay if more is the good kind of more. This is really moody. I hate overusing words, but I mean it here. It doesn't get too fast, but it does pierece the skin slowly and painfully. Dodsferd can curse us with as many alubms as they damn well please, and use me as a sacrifical lamb if they'd so like! (FA)
MORIBUND RECORDS
www.moribundcult.com, orders@moribundcult.com

HORDE OF HEL - BLODSKAM
Well isn't this cute, these guys want to remain all anonymous and stuff as to who they are. Sounds like a "Blodskam" to me! Oh I'm so kidding, relax already! Just when you started to think that Scandanavian metal may be lacking due to overexposure and selling-out and other such foolishness, here cometh a new, refreshing, and kickass dose of black metal mania and industrial-laced lunacy to reassure you. Crushing, doomy in parts, like a hammer striking the perpetual anvil that is you, Horde of Hel unleash Hel and leave no surviviors accounted for. Don't take my words for it, take this 14 song nihilistic plunge your damn self! (FA)
MORIBUND RECORDS
www.moribundcult.com, orders@moribundcult.com, www.myspace.com/heldivine, www.youtube.com/hordeofhel

MARTHA MARTHA MARTHA!

2009-04-30T01:12:00.000-07:00

Southern Lord Signs THE ACCUSED

Southern Lord Records is pleased to announce the signing of legendary Seattle splatter rock kings THE ACCUSED! Said label head Greg Anderson: "THE ACCUSED and guitarist Tommy Niemeyer were basically responsible for turning me onto hardcore/punk and underground metal. If it wasn't for me witnessing THE ACCUSED slay the audience -- and me -- in 1985 I may be writing this today!"

Added Niemeyer on joining the Southern Lord roster: "Because we are a pretty unclassifiable band, THE ACCUSED has had a rough time finding a label who really knows what this band is about; that our fans are all over the place demographically. Greg Anderson at Southern Lord is the guy who totally 'gets it' when it comes to THE ACCUSED. He knows exactly 'how metal' we are and 'how punk' we are and all the other weird shit in between that makes The Accused what it is: splatter rock. Hooking up with Anderson and the great staff of Southern Lord is the best thing that's happened with this band in a long time. It feels like THE ACCUSED are strapped onto a huge bottle rocket and Greg's about to light the fuse."

The band will enter the studio with uber producer Billy Anderson (Melvins, Neurosis, Brutal Truth, Cattle Decapitation, High On Fire etc) to record 14 new tunes. Appropriately titled The Curse Of Martha Splatterhead, the release will mark their first full-length studio effort in four years. The band will be making several live appearances in support of their new opus, including a freshly announced slot at SuperSonic Festival in Birmingham England July 25, 2009 alongside Corrupted and Thorr's Hammer. Prepare to hear a lot more from Martha and the boys via Southern Lord in the very near future! You have been warned...

http://www.splatterrock.com
http://www.myspace.com/kingsofsplatter
http://www.southernlord.com
http://www.myspace.com/southernlordrecordings

CURTAIN CALL

2009-04-30T01:11:00.000-07:00

Mesmerizing black-doom monolith BROWN JENKINS have currently finished writing for their next (and final) album, Death Obsession. The album will be seven tracks and 40-plus minutes, and will also feature artwork by Dennis Dread (Darkthrone, Abscess, Phobia). Reports mainman UA, the music on Death Obsession is “much heavier/darker than Angel Eyes but also catchier, more intense. It combines some of the slowest stuff I've written so far with some of the most abstract/aggressive. The songwriting is also very different...much more technical, I guess. As one would guess [by the title], the focus of the entire LP is simply death.” For more info, consult www.myspace.com/brownjenkins13 and www.moribundcult.com.

RED LIGHT GREEN LIGHT

2009-04-30T01:04:00.000-07:00

PAPSMEAR
MUSIC TO KILL BY
METAL WAR
Just by perusing the booklet defunct Las Vegas thrash band Papsmear accompanies their retrospective MUSIC TO KILL BY with, you can tell these guys were at the forefront of their scene, as homemade flyers touting shared bills with the likes of COC, Pestilence, and Hirax can attest to. Armed with a feral thrash metal attack that always appeared to be on the brink of falling apart, this band who really never made it out of Vegas combines blistering speed, sneering vocals, whammy bar antics, and lyrical discourse taken straight from the playbook to comprise their style. This multi-faceted collection boasts live recordings, demos, and a DVD of the good old days when beer was cheap, girls were easy, and posers were soundly disposed of or at the very least according to the live shows heard here, resoundly heckled and harassed from the lead singer's microphone. Diehard thrash maniacs will need this, but there's way better stuff, both reissued and current, out there to check out before you have to dig into this one. www.metalwarprod.com -Mike SOS

BECOMING THE ARCHETYPE
DICHOTOMY
SOLID STATE
Christian metal troupe Becoming the Archetype and producer Devin Townsend have made a monstrous modern metal album called DICHOTOMY. This 10-track affair packs gargantuan riffage, pummeling bass lines, grandiose keyboards, and gruff vocals into every track, but isn't afraid to wield an acoustic for some sweet classic metal interludes ("St. Anne's Lullaby", "How Great Thou Art") or go Pink Floyd with a female singer/piano combo ("Deep Heaven"). Teetering between the progressive and melodeath end of the spectrum, fans of In Flames and Strapping Young Lad will definitely want to get their hands on this one. www.solidstate.com -Mike SOS

IRONWEED
INDIAN LADDER
SMALL STONE
Albany, NY quintet Ironweed take matters into their own hands on debut disc INDIAN LADDER. Boasting ex-members of Greatdayforup, this band displays sludgy stoner metal chops on cuts like "Thorn" and "Rid The Earth" yet make a fair share of intriguing detours within the metal spectrum on tracks like "Lifeless Coil" and "Penny for Your Prayers" to keep your smoked skull active. Brimming over with dirty grooves, thick riffs, and a solid vocal performance that cohesively ties it all together, Ironweed nicely fills the gap left by Alabama Thunderpussy while throwing in choice chunks of metallic goodness a la Down for that kick in the ass listening experience you've been craving. www.smallstone.com -Mike SOS

SCALE THE SUMMIT
CARVING DESERT CANYONS
PROSTHETIC
Scale the Summit's captivating alliance of guitar wizardry with adventurous musical compositions sounds like a cross between the forward-thinking The Fucking Champs and the cathartic charge of Pelican on their second effort CARVING DESERT CANYONS. This invigorating unit's jostling eight-track excursion is an instrumental metal fan's dream come true, as this technically proficient quartet put on a veritable musician's clinic to disc ("Glacial Planet") while skillfully investing the listener emotionally without assistance from any vocals ("City in the Sky"). Rousing and rocking, Scale the Summit lack of stuffiness is what helps them excel so well in getting their point across, as this band doesn't just blow your face off with flurries of flawless runs and fills but writes heartfelt and hearty progressive rock jams bursting with the aforementioned for a multi-faceted assault not just restricted to the progressive sect. www.prostheticrecords.com -Mike SOS

NOISM
+-
CRUCIAL BLAST
Noism consists of guitar and drum machine unleashing sonic batterings of cybergrind at dangerous BPM's. Armed with a disturbingly cold and robotic rampage, this 12-track affair reaps 20+ minutes of aural menacing complete with electronically manipulated drum poundings incessantly jackhammering into your cerebrum while blistering guitars fade in and out of the barrage of percussive insanity. This album will drive you mad if you allow its chaotic cadence to envelope your ears long enough, as Noism's representation of mechanized madness is truly devoid of any sense of stability. www.crucialblast.com -Mike SOS

BIONIC
BLACK BLOOD
SIGNED BY FORCE
Canadian rock outfit Bionic deliver a galactic group of good times rock tonnage on their bombastic 10-track attack BLACK BLOOD. Bad to the bone rhythms ("Learn to Love the Government") and fuzzed-out jams ("Theme for a Young Lion") collide with a marching band ("Freedom Now, Baby") for the supercharged cruise through the desert in a muscle car vibe. Honkytonk piano, rowdy horns and badass guitar bends are tatooed all over this disc, subtlety exposing hard rock's gritty underbelly without a hint of restraint ("Econo Tusk", "Soft as Magarine"). Dripping with attitude reinforced with a smattering of soulful rock 'n roll, this disc melds the freewheeling natures of Queens of the Stone Age, Fu Manchu and Clutch together for a raucous ride rocks fans will clamor for. www.signedbyforce.com -Mike SOS

GOJIRA
THE WAY OF ALL FLESH
PROSTHETIC
The latest album from Gojira solidifies this French quartet's place amongst metal's elite, as this avant-garde unit's extraordinary juxtaposition of crushing and progressive elements is stretched past the point of reproach on the 12-track THE WAY OF ALL FLESH. Fueled by an ecological mindset which sets the lyrical tone of take care of Mother Earth or else, this squad doles out a harbinging mix of epic death metal complete with dizzying time signature switches and waves of doom metal monotony ("The Art of Dying") and industrial strength grooves that simply brutalize ("Toxic Garbage Island", "Yama's Messengers"), while challenging your ears with superlative blasts of sonic excess ("Vacuity"). Providing a bevy of dazzling dynamic shifts and a haunting black metal intensity throughout ("Wolf Down the Earth"), Gojira has created a unique strand of metal music that gets better after every listen. www.prostheticrecords.com -Mike SOS

BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY
BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY
SELF-RELEASED
Texas metal quartet By Any Means Necessary lay down a furious thrash meets modern metal clobbering on their three-track eponymous endeavor. Imagine Chimaira going toe to toe with Exodus ("Discord of War") for an idea of what kind of beatdown to be prepare for. Throw in some some tasty Pantera-esque guitar runs and a powerful rhythm section's exuding brute force and allow the headbanging to begin. This disc delivers sharpened blows of metallic might with flashes of Bay Area glory and a nasty attitude hammering it home. www.myspace.com/byanymeansnecessary -Mike SOS

GUILLOTINE
BLOOD MONEY
PULVERIZED
Sweden's Guillotine slay the world with their authentic brand of hostile thrash metal on the reunited unit's latest 12-track affair BLOOD MONEY. Melding blistering speed, groovy riffs, and disciplined rhythms, there's a whole lot of Kreator and Exodus in these guy's bag of tricks as tracks like "Insane Oppression" and "War" denote, yet there's also a Sacred Reich-esque vibe permeating from cuts like "Die/Live?" and some sweet apocalyptic lyrical content in "Our Darkest Day". And of course, being from Sweden, how can you play thrash and not borrow a bit from The Haunted ("Welcome to Dying")? A rousing slab of headbanging and tasty riffs abound, Guillotine bind a strong cross-section of elements that make great thrash metal together, developing a stirring offering for those who enjoy an insatiable need for speed wrought in wrath. www.pulverized.net -Mike SOS

PRO-PAIN
NO END IN SIGHT
REGAIN
16 years on the job and still going strong chugging out memorable heavy tuneage, Pro-Pain follows up their recent string of solid offerings with NO END IN SIGHT. This 11-track endeavor finds Gary Meskil and crew pumping the usual meat and potatoes hardcore metal might with the blue collar work ethic that warrants this band's hard nosed reputation ("Halo", "Let The Blood Run Through the Streets"), yet there's some discernible switches happening throughout NO END IN SIGHT that really stand out given their tried and true formula. The increased implementation of melody, especially vocally (and clean-sung at that), is a pretty stark diversion for this veteran act, as it gives off a modern hardcore approach to cuts like "All Rise" and "Hour of the Time" while allowing this troupe to include another choice layer to its already menacing arsenal. Add in a sterling guest guitar spot by Cannibal Corpse's Rob Barrett ("Pheonix Rising") and bagpipes for a stomping pub rock feel ("Go It Alone") to the band's stalwart hardcore metal delivery for more hints of deviation to the steamroller sound championed since Pro-Pain's inception and you can mark this disc as yet another durable release from an always reliable unit with some unexpected aural surprises making perfect fits into their punishing paradigm. www.ragainrecords.com -Mike SOS

TOTAL FUCKING DESTRUCTION
PEACE LOVE AND TOTAL FUCKING DESTRUCTION
ENUCLEATION
Total Fucking Destruction provide an unusual socio-apocalyptic musical experience meshing offbeat bursts of grindcore mired in jackhammered repetition with an unabashed thumb at the nose punk attitude kicking down the door on the irreverent 23-track assault titled PEACE LOVE AND TOTAL FUCKING DESTRUCTION. Menacing at times ("Anyone But Me") yet consistently maintaining an upbeat and bright feel not unlike SOD ("Grindcore Salesman", "Doublespeaker"), Brutal Truth grind guru Rich Hoak pulls double duty on drums and vocals here, conducting the ensuing madness while flailing away on the kit like an escaped convict on the lam. Hurling heaps of biting commentary about the state of the world into the mantra-like lyrics of this frenetic centrifuge only makes the room spin faster and the urge to hang on for dear life that much more tangible, as TFD have furnished a vociferous rollercoaster ride through society's gritty underbelly on this acerbically expedient expedition. www.enucleationrecords.com -Mike SOS

WETNURSE
INVISIBLE CITY
SEVENTH RULE
Malleable NYC metal unit Wetnurse whip up another furious flurry of forward thinking metal on the quintet's latest effort INVISIBLE CITY. This extreme eight-track excursion eagerly runs up and down the aisles in the heavy metal supermarket, grabbing everything in sight, chucking it into a brooding battleship-like shopping cart for their diabolical devourment. Channeling the vocal gymnastics of Candiria, the efficient instrumental elegance of Baroness, the dynamic dissonance of Dillinger Escape Plan, and the disenchanted discourse of Today is the Day, this squad squarely bridges the gap between modern metal waters on cuts like the mesmerizing "Conversations With the Moon" and the demonically-charged "Show Your Spell Miss Hell". Best absorbed via uninterrupted listen, Wetnurse's sweeping stylistic shifts seamlessly meld into each other to form an elaborate tapestry of crushing avant garde metal whose vivacious musicianship raises the bar on what the amalgamation of adventurous and battering should sound like. www.seventhrule.com -Mike SOS

BIBLE OF THE DEVIL
FREEDOM METAL
CRUZ DEL SUR
Hey man, is that FREEDOM METAL, man? Well, turn it up, man! Yeah, that's the vibe the latest eight-track affair which Chicago's defenders of the faith Bible of the Devil emits, right down to the gruff yet glittery Paul Stanley meets Paul D'ianno vocal caterwaul of Matt Hoffman . Tracks like "Womanize" maintain a classic metal feel by keeping the genre's traditional sounds and structures intact with unfettered authenticity while the terrifically-reworked twin guitar mayhem and galloping rhythms featured throughout reek with familiarity yet rock so hard you don't care that you've heard it all before from a Priest or Scorpions album from the mid '70s. Not shy in paying homage to their influences in the most respectful of ways, this album is a slamming affair that will have any classic metalhead and gray beard worth their salt scrambling through their closet for the old school denim jacket with the Maiden patch on the back. And so what if "Ol' Girl" apes Thin Lizzy down to the tee, the band does an admirable job of dramatizing what a modern-day Lynott may come up with, so relax a bit, chug a brew and sit tight and enjoy this time machine joyride Bible of the Devil have stepped up and supplied. www.cruzdelsurmusic.com -Mike SOS

DIMENSION ZERO
HE WHO SHALL NOT BLEED
CANDLELIGHT
Boasting an impressive pedigree (featuring members of Soilwork and In Flames) and a penchant for punishment, Swedish melodic death metal troupe Dimension Zero return with its fourth installment of brutality with HE WHO SHALL NOT BLEED. This 11-track effort merges blistering thrash with diabolical death 'n roll, relying heavily on a ferocious flurry of relentless riffs, pummeling rhythms, and vicious vocals on tracks like "Going Deep" and the furious title track while tracks like "Red Dead Heat" and the slightly more melodic "Hell Is Within" hammer the group's metallic points into your skull with boisterous blunt force. Despite its noticeable lack of tempo variation, the continuously frantic pace set here plays up Dimension Zero's strengths, allowing the listener to throw caution to the wind and headbang to heart's content with reckless abandon. www.candlelightrecordsusa.com -Mike SOS

SUGAR RED DRIVE
SUGAR RED DRIVE
SELF-RELEASED
Poughkeepsie, NY modern rock mavens Sugar Red Drive have fused a wealth of familiar sounds together assuring a readiness for rock radio dominance on the quartet's eponymous 11-track debut. Huge hooks, driving guitars, and a solid vocal performance bolster hard rockers like "Comin' Down" and tender moments like "Millers Child", instantly cramming these guys in between Three Days Grace, Theory of a Deadman, and Hinder in the battle to knock Nickelback off the top of the mountain. Providing a durable batch of tunes that are easy to hum along to ("Grace") or rock out to ("One More Time"), Sugar Red Drive display an uncanny acumen for making rock music aimed for hockey arenas and sports highlight reels. www.myspace.com/sugrareddrive -Mike SOS

LECHEROUS NOCTURNE
THE AGE OF MIRACLES HAS PASSED
UNIQUE LEADER
South Carolina quintet Lecherous Nocturne bust out from the gates of the netherworld with a devastating eight-track excursion in tow titled THE AGE OF MIRACLES HAS PASSED. This blistering and brutal unit (featuring members of Nile and Monstrosity) rip and tear with a dastardly death meet black metal amalgamation on cuts like the pulverizing "We Are As Dust" and the exasperating slow crawl of the title track. Providing a compact (this disc only runs 28 minutes long) yet complete aural bludgeoning, this release brims over with an uncompromising array of surprisingly memorable moments bordering on catchy ("Requiem for the Insects") in between its chaotic abrasiveness, swiftly catapulting this act to the top of the extreme metal fold. www.uniqueleader.com -Mike SOS

XYSTUS
EQUILIBRIO
SENSORY
Dutch metal project Xystus surpasses typical rock opera expectations on the troupe's latest grandiose expose entitled EQUILIBRIO. This brazen theatrical affair boasts a cast and crew over 130 members strong, including a massive choir reserved for religious celebrations and a show-stealing full scale orchestra to properly carry mainman's Bas Dolmans' epic vision to life. Highlighted by the immense vocal talents of Simone Simons (Epica) and George Oosthock (Orphan) as major characters, this sweepingly majestic presentation's ace in the hole can be found via the symphonic might and bold pomp the orchestra doles out, cutting through the competent power metal backdrop at just the right times to stir up drama, create tension, and enrich the entire production with its captivating sparkle and shine. This is one not to miss if you enjoy progressive metal at its most bombastic as well as a piece of work which screams to be experienced with all accoutrements intact. www.lasersedgegroup.com -Mike SOS

CAPRICORNS
RIVER, BEAR YOUR BONES
RISE ABOVE
UK instrumental metal menaces Capricorns inject an undercurrent of visceral volatility into their latest sludgy sojourn RIVER, BEAR YOUR BONES. Setting off a dastardly stoner rock feel that trades genre-typical flashes of excess for barrages of skull pounding passages that could easily be mistaken for pit stomping hardcore if not for the spacy interludes in between , this eight-track affair contorts without compromise, showcasing its metallic malleability with every doom-laden riff ("5") and dramatic shapeshifted rhythm hammered out ("1", "3"). Boasting former members of Iron Monkey and Orange Goblin in its ranks explains and bolsters the sheer heaviness this squad exudes while intertwining the wares of usual suspects such as Pelican, Isis, Neurosis, Baroness, and Mastodon, an arduous task that Capricorns takes on with a triumphant arsenal of prolific yet pounding avant-garde atmospheric metal chops. www.riseaboverecords.com -Mike SOS

WE INSIST!
OH! THINGS ARE SO CORRUPTIBLE
EXILE ON MAINSTREAM
Freewheeling French troupe We Insist! throw convention to the wind on their latest release OH! THINGS ARE SO CORRUPTIBLE, weaving a durable alternative metal safety net channeling Faith No More, Primus, Clutch and System of A Down while embedded impressions of quirky rock and a predominant level of jazz (propelled by a call and response between the patented twin saxophone presence) assert importance. This 12-track offering sweeps through speakers with determined density, at times displaying the frantic power of a renegade juggernaut on the lam ("Time is Lazy", "The Sailor") while demonstrating a love for the dark and cinematic ("Early Recollections", "Half Awake") . Capturing an unorthodox amalgamation of rhythmic swerves, psychedelic grooves and whiskey-soaked jangle , this oddball sextet's bottomless bag of intriguing musical textures amped with an intoxicating intensity bestow tracks like "Imperial Catechism" a hearty stomp and "The Great Disorder" an icy chill. This disc's herky-jerky nature and off the grid train of thought is not for everyone, but for those who crave more creativity in their rock music, this one delivers. www.southern.com -Mike SOS

THYRFING
HELS VITE
REGAIN
Swedish Viking metal veterans Thyrfing have undergone some lineup changes (most notably vocally) since their last offering in 2005, yet this quintet seems to have gained strength from the shakeup and have decisively become darker in the process. HELS VITE is the troupe's icy seven-track statement, a releases which comes complete with a proper balance of menacing guitars, gargantuan drums, tortured growls, and keyboard flourishes driving cuts like "Griftefrid" straight down into the depths of Hell, while "Isolation" works under a deliberate pace while emitting dramatic blackened vibes accentuated with acoustic guitar interludes and battleground horns that you'd expect from any corpsepainted crew a cut above the median. If you're a fan of bombastic black metal with an evil streak a mile wide, HELS VITE provides all the nuances necessary to get your demonic kicks. www.regainrecords.com -Mike SOS

NASHVILLE PUSSY
FROM HELL TO TEXAS
SPV
Sticking to the cowpunk attitude meets raw rock 'n roll formula they've been championing for over a decade, Nashville Pussy returns with another batch of road ready boogie friendly whiskey-soaked hellbound tunes on the 12-track FROM HELL TO TEXAS. Never ones to shy from subtleties, songs like the fiery "I'm So High" and "Drunk Driving Man" are self-explanatory accounts direct from the hard living rock lifestyle, while tracks like "Pray for the Devil" showcase Ruyter Suys' formidable Gibbons meets Perry guitar chops and "Why Why Why" and "Late Great USA" display this tandem's ability to pump out contagious hand-clapped and cowbell friendly hooks that get the whole crowd moving. Bursting at the seams with songs about drugs, drinking, drinking, and drugs, Nashville Pussy continues its chug on its raucous rock route, huffed up on whatever they can get their paws on, not afraid to share a taste of its non-stop country-fried rock attack. www.spvusa.com -Mike SOS

OMNIUM GATHERUM
THE REDSHIFT
CANDLELIGHT
Finnish sextet Omnium Gatherum, fresh off their last release STUCK HERE ON SNAKE'S WAY, return with another 11-track endeavor entitled THE REDSHIFT. This melodic death metal unit's latest batch of tunes demonstrates this act's versatile composition skills, as this album branches out from the usual melodeath malaise long enough to dabble in Goth metal, progressive, and doom for a more revealing glimpse at a band who,despite making headway, still seem to be searching for their niche. While tracks like "Shadowkey" sound a bit rote and par for the In Flames meets Dark Tranquility course, tracks like the mid-tempo mauling brought on by "Shapes and Shades" give off Machine Head-esque power, instrumental "Song for December" provides a welcomes somber break in the action and "No Breaking Point" and "Greeneyes" cleverly intertwine the wares of Moonspell and Katatonia for an intriguing dip into the gloom and doom realm. Ominum Gatherum's well-versed metal approach keeps listeners engrossed throughout yet a bit more fine-tuning may sharpen this squad's output for the next time around. www.candlelightrecordsusa.com -Mike SOS

RABID RABBIT
RABID RABBIT
INTERLOPER
Two bassists, minimal vocals, and swirls of dense psychedelic avant garde metal arrive via Chicago's Rabid Rabbit on the crew's latest jaunt, an elitist-friendly vinyl-only eponymous seven-track affair. Sounding like a cross between Sonic Youth, Melvins, and Giant Squid, this foursome fearlessly hammers out a cavalcade of over your head noise rock mired in sludge metal low-end rhythms ("First Blood") and free-form jazz structure while the atmospheric fretwork allows aerial acrobatics in tracks like "Ephederine" to shine. Thirsty ears looking for a challenge will warm up to the earthy tones and unorthodox style, but for those not seeking adventure, this may render a bit too sharp of a turn to get into. www.interloperrecords.net -Mike SOS

STICK AROUND.

2009-04-04T01:23:00.000-07:00

STUCK MOJO - THE GREAT REVIVAL
This is the type of shit that just needs to stop, seriously. A new Stuck Mojo album? Who the fuck cares about a new Stuck Mojo album? I thought this was a joke at first, but no…it’s true. Stuck Mojo is clinging to the dream, folks. Stuck Mojo was synonymous with their vocalist Bonz, but he isn’t even the rapper for this band anymore. That’s almost like Dead Kennedys going on without Jello Biafra, or Iron Maiden going with Blaze Bailey as vocalist. It just doesn’t work. Stuck Mojo have had a new rapper/singer named Lord Nelson as their front man since 2006. It’s quite ridiculous when he sings the song, “15 Minutes of Fame,” because he wasn’t even in Stuck Mojo when the band briefly flirted with nu-metal success, thanks to touring with all those lame fucks who dominated the late ‘90’s-early 2000’s. To make this release even more laughable, almost every song on “The Great Revival” breaks into an awful chorus that is highly reminiscent of those harmonic pseudo-heavy rock bands with attractive female lead singers that were big about 5 years ago. I’m not saying that Lord Nelson sounds like a woman, but when he stops rapping and goes into singing the chorus, it sounds like something straight out of Lacuna Coil or Evanescence. It sounds like Stuck Mojo is trying to fit into the My Chemical Romance scene, but they fail miserably at it, because “The Great Revival” sounds outdated by popular culture standards. It’s a bit “too little, too late.” Stuck Mojo isn’t relevant anymore, and haven’t been for a long time. I honestly don’t think Stuck Mojo fans from back in the day would even care about this new album, especially since Bonz isn’t even in the band. I wish some bands out there, like Stuck Mojo, would learn this tragic hardship of rock n’ roll, and just go on and do different things rather than attempt to sound relevant and fail miserably at it under a familiar moniker. “The Great Revival” is an epic fail. Shame on you, “Stuck Mojo.” Shame on you. (Evil Matt)
NAPALM RECORDS
www.napalmrecords.com, nathan@napalmrecords.com, www.stuckmojo.us, www.myspace.com/stuckinthemojo

CRACK OPEN THE COFFINS!

2009-03-31T00:15:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-03-30T23:42:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-03-27T21:59:00.000-07:00

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?

2009-03-27T21:30:00.000-07:00

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!"

2009-03-27T21:26:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-27T15:35:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-27T15:34:00.001-07:00

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

2009-03-27T15:07:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-19T00:02:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-19T00:01:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-16T22:30:00.001-07:00

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...

2009-03-15T22:26:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-03-15T22:14:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-15T22:10:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-03-15T22:04:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-03-15T21:54:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-15T21:51:00.000-07:00

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