by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Green Beret - Demo (ZIP)
DOWNLOAD: Social Cickle - "No I Won't" (MP3)

Gaza photos by Dean Chooch Landry

Gaza at Acheron, 11/12

West Coast punks No Statik will return to NYC to play Acheron on January 7th. Details on support are still TBA. This San Francisco band features members of great bands like Artimus Pyle, Scrotum Grinder, and Look Back And Laugh and is streaming some material below.

Agoraphobic Nosebleed is streaming a new set of songs available from their forthcoming flexi in Decibel. Stream those at Soundcloud. Make sure to check out the lyrics, which diss everyone from Scion to Obituary to Kurt Ballou and everyone in between. Speaking of Obituary, I have a pair of tickets available for giveaway for their Saturday (11/19) show at Santos. Details on how to win are below.

After playing a FREE show at Acheron a couple weeks ago, Seraphim will return to play with Pilgrim, Dutchguts and The Year is One on December 15th at Saint Vitus. The band is returning form a recent stint of dates with Pulling Teeth overseas.

Windhand will team with NATUR and Pilgrim for a 3/1 show at Public Assembly. Windhand ripped it at Acheron in their last outing, and their new LP out soon on Forcefield is gold. Ordering details are forthcoming but doom fans, you need this one.

As previously discussed, Brain Killer will lead a Nick Poot memorial show on 11/26 at Tommy's Tavern. Joining the band will be Green Beret, featuring members of the great Social Circkle. Check out their demo above and buy a cassette copy via their label. Social Circkle also recently released their Expiration Date EP via Side Two, check out "No I Won't" from that release above. Fans of 80s style hardcore take note of both.

A full set of photos of Gaza at Acheron on 11/12, a Doomsday Student video, and all suggested shows are below. What did I miss?

Continue reading "Evillive (No Statik, Windhand, Social Circkle, Gaza, Seraphim)"

by BBG

Agoraphobic Nosebleed / Despise You Split

Lots of metal/hardcore updates that need to be addressed, so in honor of my non-existent Short Wave Warfare column I've added them here to my weekly suggested show column, Evillive. Check out some of interesting records that are out now/on the way, alongside some of my suggested shows in the coming weeks!

Agoraphobic Nosebleed have teamed up with the awesome Despise You to release a split on Relapse Records entitled And On And On... due on April 26th. Preorders are up now, and you can order it with a jaw-dropping tee if you so desire. Agoraphobic Nosebleed contains Kat of ex-Salome fame.

UK stoner doomers Bong will welcome their new LP Beyond Ancient Space via Ritual Productions on May 16th. Stream a new song, "Onward to Perdóndaris", below along with a Burzum cover.

A reminder: White Lung will team up with Pollution for a pair of dates including tonight (4/8) at Acheron and tomorrow (4/9) at Cake Shop. Joining the pair at Acheron is Kicking Spit, a new venture featuring members of Seasick and ANS, who recently dropped a new 12"/CD via Tankcrimes (download it digitally for free). Stream the EP in full below. Speaking of ANS, they recently shared a split with the mighty Ramming Speed, stream that below as well and buy a digital copy at their bandcamp or a 12" via the label.

Altar of Plagues will release their new LP Mammal via Profound Lore, stream a new track "Feather & Bone" at Stereogum and a stream of an edit of a second track, "Neptune is Dead", below. Look for the new LP on 5/17 and check out an album "trailer" below.

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Continue reading "Evillive (or is it Short Wave Warfare?) (Agoraphobic Nosebleed, Altar of Plagues, Bong & much more)"

by BBG

Salome at Union Pool (more by kolored)

"I'm no longer in Salome because of personal conflicts within the band. I wish them well if they decide to continue on, and I hope they're successful with all their projects. I'm continuing with Agoraphobic Nosebleed and will hopefully be forming another project in the future.

Thanks for everyone's support over the years. I greatly appreciate it." - Kat

As Kat pointed out in an interview in 2009, Salome started playing together in 2006.

Baroness @ Bowery Ballroom - 11/20/2009 (more by Tim Griffin)

BBG will publish his own list of the best metal albums of 2009, but in the meantime here's what Decibel Magazine had to say:

Continue reading "Decibel's Top 40 Metal Albums of 2009 "

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Asphyx - "Scorbutics" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Gods & Queens - "Head To Wall" (Quicksand cover, MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Catalyst - "I Hate The Future" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Planks - S/T (Rapidshare, Zipped MP3)
DOWNLOAD: They Are Cowards - Demo (Mediafire, Zipped MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Overmars - "Born Again" (MP3 Snippet)

Asphyx

Thanks all who came out Sunday night to Public Assembly. Full recap and pics coming soon HERE. In the meantime, pics from Friday's Repulsion show are HERE.

Asphyx's Death... The Brutal Way is due out in the US on August 18th, but it's shipping NOW at the Ibex Moon site. It's a sickening death/doom trip that's part down-tuned riff fest, part beastly conjuring, but 100% heavy heavy heavy. Recommended for fans of old school death metal, Entombed, Dismember, Autopsy, and the like. Check out one of the tracks, "Scorbutics", available for download above.

Gods & Queens currently have a new split 7" on the way via Hawthorne Street with the mighty Medusa, and have taken the time to drop off a killer cover of the Quicksand classic, "Head To Wall"! Download that above.

Weedeater have announced that Steve Albini will record their new album, which will be available in Spring 2010.

Swallow Your Teeth is the end of a long road for Richmond's The Catalyst, as the band has dropped multiple releases over their seven year history but THIS is their first LP! The noise-core merchants are currently streaming their Swallow Your Teeth at Scene Point Blank, but you can download the sick opening track, "I Hate The Future", above! The Catalyst have a few shows in the very near future, including The Glass Door on August 14th and a TBA show lined up for Aug 15th in Manhattan. Full tour dates are below. Pick up a copy of Swallow Your Teeth here.

Attention hardcore fans! Lambgoat is reporting that the legendary Disembodied will release Psalms of Sheol on Prime Directive in August, comprised of thirteen tracks of rare and unreleased material that includes the Existence In Suicide MCD and the Confession 7". Disembodied has reunited and sporadically played shows recently.

Baroness has a new album on the way, which we knew, but we now can attach a name to that effort Blue Record! The LP was recorded in Dallas, Texas with producer/engineer John Congleton (Explosions In The Sky, Black Mountain) and will hit the racks in October. Meanwhile, dig on the cover art (to the left) and the tracklisting below!

First of all, The Endless Blockade would like it be known that they "have not broken up". As a matter of fact, they finally released their split with Agoraphobic Nosebleed and have a split with The Bastard Noise out soon (stream the new BN track here). The boys in TEB "just figured another band would give us even less time in our lives to do anything else". That new band? Slaughter Strike.

Candlelight records has signed the mighty midwestern band The Atlas Moth, whose new album A Glorified Piece of Blue Sky will be released on Oct 6th. The band dropped their massive EP, Pray for Tide, on Witch Trial last year.

Planks have reissued their 2008 split with Tombs as the "European edition" featuring artwork by Mike Wohlberg. If you never got a hold of the Black Box Recordings version, it is highly recommended. Pick that up through the either of the bands on tour. Meanwhile, Planks recently made their massive S/T LP (where these two songs came from) available for free download! Pick that up above. Mike Hill of Tombs has posted all of the lyrics from the massive Winter Hours via his blog.

Crucial Blast is set to release Overmars's 2008 LP Born Again. The LP combines electronics, ambient soundscapes, Swans industrial dirge, and the thunder of Neurosis to create a different and powerful take on post-metal. The band is scheduled to hit the US with the mighty Battlefields, logging a pair of dates in NYC: Europa on August 16th and September 3rd at The Charleston. This will destroy.

Mastodon, High On Fire, Converge, and Dethklok announced dates (and a presale).

The premiere of the NEW Goes Cube video for "Saab Sonnet", more news on Black Sun, Absu, Trap Them, Kylesa, Anaal Nathrakh, and Darkthrone as This Week In Metal continues.....

Continue reading "this week in Metal (8/5/09) (includes new Goes Cube video)"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Coalesce - "Questions To Root Out Fools" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Brutal Truth - "Sugardaddy" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Agoraphobic Nosebleed - "Agorapocalypse Now" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: General Surgery - "Restrained Remains" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Lord Mantis - "Lord Mantis"
DOWNLOAD: Mournful Congregation - The June Frost Medley (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Atomic Bitchwax - "Revival"
DOWNLOAD: Weekend Nachos - "Pain Over Acceptance" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Weekend Nachos - "Shot In The Head" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Ruins - "Suicidal Pulse" (MP3)

Coalesce LIVE at Scion Rock Fest (photo by Mike White)

Relapse is KILLIN' IT in the 09 so far. In one month's time, Relapse will destroy the Earth with THREE grind releases that could all potentially make my list of favorites for the year! First up, Mumakil's new album Behold The Failure which is out NOW on Relapse. Made up of ex members of Knut, Behold The Failure has been in constant rotation since it dropped on Mar 31st. Hear the whole thing here. Then on April 17th, Relapse aims to make you empty your wallets, by releasing both the new Brutal Truth (Evolution Through Revolution) and Agoraphobic Nosebleed (Agorapocalypse) on THE SAME DAY. In other ANb/Brutal Truth news, if you skate, dig on the ANb, Total Fucking Destruction (featuring Richard Hoak of BT), Crom, and Cryptic Slaughter decks for sale here. ANb and Crom dropped a split 7" which is fading fast.... head here to scoop it before it goes bye-bye.

A month or so after the grind mayhem, Relapse will drop the new Coalesce, Ox, their first record since the classic 0:12 Revolution is Just Listening which was release TEN YEARS AGO. The quartet recently debuted two new tracks; check out "Wild Ox Moan" streaming at their myspace and download "Questions To Root Out Fools" above!

Swedish gore-grinders General Surgery will drop their new album Corpus In Extremis on Listenable Records on April 7th, which includes the massive "Restrained Remains" available for download above! Check out their myspace page or their home page for a preview, dig on the album cover (to the right), and swing way low for tour dates.

Malkuth's latest record Sefirah Gevurah is out NOW on Hospital Productions. Pick it up here. The band has one show on their itinerary... May 9th at Starr Space in Bushwick. Mark your calendars.

Mournful Congregation recently dropped their new LP, The June Frost, on Enucleation Records, and if you like your guitar chords served up in first-gear (or maybe even in neutral) this funeral doom opus is for you. Check out the above snippet MP3 featuring moments from The June Frost above, and pick that record up here. For more on the band, check out an interview with Mournful Congregation here.

The Atomic Bitchwax will re-release their LP TAB4 on Tee Pee Records. Check out "Revival" available for download above and look for the record on 4/21.

The previously mentioned Atheist tour has expanded. Check out current tour dates below. Tickets for their July 12th show at BB Kings are currently on sale.

Weekend Nachos have offered up two new songs from their upcoming LP Unforgivable due on Deep Six Records in May. Check out "Pain Over Acceptance" and "Shot In The Head" downloadable above.

Xasthur's new full length LP on cassette, All Reflections Drained has sold out. "The 2xLP should be out shortly"

More on The Auditory Assault Festival, Om, Coffins, Dark Castle, Lord Mantis, The Holy Mountain, Church of Misery, Minsk, and sooo much more as The Week In Metal continues...

Continue reading "This Week In METAL (04/09/09)"

by Black Bubblegum

Who has the gnarliest throat? The answer may suprise you...

Scion Rock Fest in Atlanta is just a couple days away (Feb 28th) and until the opening tones of Kylesa's guitars, we'll present a series of discussions with some of the key artists taking one of the four stages at the Masquerade. Tuesday we spoke to CT of Rwake, yesterday we spoke with Jacob Bannon of Converge, and on Monday we spoke to Scott Hull of Pig Destroyer and Agoraphobic Nosebleed. Today, we speak with Scott Hull's ANb band mate Kat (pictured above, top left, with long blonde hair).

Turns out the whole "big things, small packages" thing is not just a way for your family to cheat you on birthday gifts. Case and point: Kat from Salome. This pint-sized terror could scare the "grrr" off a tiger with the ferocious voice showcased on two recent releases, Salome's self-titled debut and the coming Agorapocalypse by ANb (due via Relapse on April 14th). A few weeks ago, Salome scared the pants off us at Show No Mercy and as a result, we felt it necessary to confer with said instigator using a few choice interrogatives. Check 'em out below.

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How long has Salome been in existence? What were the circumstances behind the formation?

We started playing together in 2006. I met Aaron at a music store and we started talking about music and realized that we liked a lot of the same stuff. We were both interested in doing a doom type project. Rob and Aaron had played together in other bands before Salome, so we started jamming and the fit was really natural.

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Continue reading "an interview with Kat of Salome & Agoraphobic Nosebleed"

by Black Bubblegum

Scott Hull performing with Pig Destroyer @ Europa (Josh Sisk)

Scion Rock Fest in Atlanta is just a few days away (Feb 28th) and until the opening tones of Kylesa's guitars, we'll present a series of discussions with some of the key artists taking one of the four stages at the Masquerade.

As either the maniacal mastermind behind Agoraphobic Nosebleed, riffmeister for deathgrind gods Pig Destroyer, ex-member of provocateurs AxCx, or honcho of Visceral Sound, Scott Hull has left a significant mark in the racks of your friendly neighborhood record store. On April 14th, Scott Hull's "digi-grind" project Agoraphobic Nosebleed releases it's second LP, Agorapocalypse and although ANb won't be in Atlanta (the band has logged only one show in it's existence), Pig Destroyer will. We sat down with Hull to discuss his upcoming work behind the boards, the current status of Pig Destroyer, solo work, and the coming of the Agorapocalypse.

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Agorapocalypse drops on April 14th, how would you estimate the new ANb differs from previous releases? How has the addition of Kat changed your sound?

I feel as though everything leading up to Agorapocalypse has been nothing more than a series of demos. For me Agorapocalypse is where the band really starts. The sound is more focused and alive. It doesn't in any way resemble "digi-grind". In addition to Kat's amazing vocals, she's added a new sense of excitement to the band. She's opened up a lot of new possibilities and brings a unique perspective.

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Continue reading "an interview w/ Scott Hull (Pig Destroyer / ANb)"