photos by Jonathan McPhail, words by BBG

Deicide who released their last LP and Century Media debut To Hell with God last year, headlined Gramercy Theater on 3/3 with Jungle Rot, Abigail Williams, Lecherous Nocturne. The show was part of their string of dates together through the end of March, and also one of the first shows on the trek. Pictures of Deicide (with Glen Benton in tow) are in this post, though unfortunately no shots of the support.

The Deicide show was one of four notable shows going on on Saturday night with Drugs of Faith taking over Death By Audio (pics), Tombs/Argonauts hitting Union Pool (pics), and Catheter/Laughing Dog hitting 538 Johnson.

More Deicide pictures from Gramercy are below.

Continue reading "Deicide played Gramercy Theater (pics)"

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Immolith - "Hymns to the Countess" (MP3)

Woe at Public Assembly (more by BBG)

Woe will hit Saint Vitus on January 30th for a show with Abigail Williams, Immolith, and Vattnet Viskar. Tickets are on sale. The show, a make up date for the cancelled Dark Funeral tour, is one of TWO dates for the Philadelphia/NYC black metal crew, who will also bless Saint Vitus again with Immolith, as support for the latter's record release, along with Dominium, Mortum, and Salo on March 2nd (tickets are on sale).

Immolith are preparing to release their new LP StormDragon via Metalhit. Check out the new track "Hymns to the Countess" above/streaming below and look for the LP on (how appropo) Valentine's Day. Because nothing says I love you like bulldozing black metal.

All tour dates, and some streams of material by Immolith, Woe and Vattnet Viskar are below.

Continue reading "Woe schedules two NYC dates; Immolith prepares new LP"

by BBG

Inquisition at Rites of Darkness (more by BBG)

Dear Fans, friends and supporters of Dark Funeral,

It is with great regret that we have to inform you today that our North American Tour has to be postponed. Due to circumstances and events way beyond our control, there is no other way but to postpone these dates. And yes, our triumphant return to the United States Of America is definitely not cancelled, but postponed. And we will try to announce the new North American tourdates as soon as possible, so you better stay tuned!

However, our appearance at the 70,000 Tons Of Metal-Cruise will take place as planned. Hope to see some of you there.

photos by Greg Cristman, words by BBG

Mayhem @ Gramercy Theater

Believe it or not, Mayhem actually did play (and didn't cancel) the "pre-game" for the Metal Suckfest at Gramercy Theater on 11/3. They hit the NYC venue with tourmates Woe, Keep of Kalessin, Abigail Williams, & Hate as part of their string of dates together. No word on if Necrobutcher's recent exorcism affected his on-stage ability, but judging from the below video of "Deathcrush", I doubt it.

That same night, across town, a member of Mayhem (Rune Eriksen) was providing an original recorded soundtrack to artwork at Saint Vitus as part of "Of Stardust", a exhibition/concert at the venue. How was that?

Pictures & video from Mayhem @ Gramercy are in this post (the actual Metal Suckfest pics coming soon!). They continue, setlist included, below...

Continue reading "Mayhem played Gramercy Theater with Woe, Keep of Kalessin, Abigail Williams & Hate (pics, video & setlist)"

by BBG

Mayhem at Irving Plaza (more by Paul Birman)

After cancelling their last batch of dates, Mayhem will head back out to North America for a fall tour with support from Keep Of Kalessin, Hate, and Abigail Williams. Woe will also join on thirteen dates, though no word on which ones. The tour hits NYC at Gramercy Theater on November 3rd. Tickets info is forthcoming. Full tour schedule is below.

In related news, Woe mastermind Chris Grigg recently penned an open letter to Liturgy's Hunter Hunt-Hendrix, an excerpt of which follows:

To the point, then: we get it, dude. You think you are very, very important. Everything about you oozes a sense of superiority. Looking at only the first few pages of your Transcendental Black Metal essay, we find the following:

You somehow decided that black metal is the "culmination of the history of extreme metal."

You explain that traditional black metal is ultimately unfulfilling: "Hyperborean [traditional, Scandinavian-derived] Black Metal represents the mountaineer's arrival at the peak and a supposed leap off of it... And he is left, crestfallen, frozen and alone, in the Hyperborean realm."

You authoritatively claim the blast beat as belonging to black metal, though far from unique to it, because it allows you to rationalize your I-can't-maintain-a-hyper-blast beat by plainly stating, "the technique of Hyperborean Black Metal is the blast beat."

You audaciously inform us that your work is the next stage of the art's evolution with "[Transcendental Black Metal] is a sublimination of Hyperborean Black Metal in both its spiritual aspect and its technical aspect."

Those passages, the essay on the whole, and every attempt to defend your position shows that you lack even the smallest sliver of modesty or respect for your peers or listeners. These qualities -- rather, the lack of these qualities -- are not unusual for black metal artists to possess; after all, concepts of superiority and elitism are hallmarks of traditional black metal. In your case, though, they do not apply because you have gone so far out of your way to show that you are not the typical black metal musician, you are not part of this world -- you are an outsider wearing some (just some) of black metal's skin. I appreciate you taking the effort to describe what you are attempting to do; however, when you make lengthy, authoritative statements decrying black metal as dead and outdated, when you deride everything that came before you as little more than a failed attempt at something that is unreachable, you're thumbing your nose at everyone who does not see things your way. It's obnoxious. It's rude. It's annoying.

Continue reading "Mayhem announces a new North American tour, Chris Grigg of Woe calls Liturgy rude, annoying & much more"

by BBG

Gods of New York Death Metal, Immolation, will play The Studio at Webster Hall with Arsis on July 28th. Tickets for the show, part of the ongoing Blackened Music Series, are on sale. The show is a one off for Immolation, who will hit the road in late September with Vader, Abigail Williams, Lecherous Nocturne, and Pathology, tagging the Crazy Donkey in Farmingdale on September 30th (ticket info forthcoming). Arsis played the Crazy Donkey on Sunday (6/6) with Misery Index and Dying Fetus. How was that show?

Immolation released the sure-to-be-year-end-fave Majesty & Decay earlier this year. Full tour dates and some vids are below...

Continue reading "Immolation tour dates & a July NYC show w/ Arsis "