by Fred Pessaro // BBG

Fell Voices art

Fell Voices will play a rare set of East Coast dates on their way towards Europe and Roadburn 2013, logging shows with Anicon and Ashencult (who recently played Acheron) in Philadelphia and NYC. The West Coast black metal crew will play Saint Vitus on March 23 and tickets are on sale (Philly show goes down 3/24 at Millcreek Tavern).

As mentioned, Anicon plays 538 Johnson tonight (2/22) with Vorde, Ghede and Negation.

Related black metal crew Ash Borer (they share members) recently released a new track from their forthcoming 12" due on Gilead Media. Stream that track below, alongside a list of all tour dates.

Continue reading "Fell Voices schedule East Coast dates with Ashencult & Anicon"

by Fred Pessaro // BBG

One Tail One Head at Inferno Festival, April 2012 (more by Fred Pessaro // BBG)

2012 was a year of considerable personal growth for me, as a person, a photographer and a music fan. As I recounted in my favorite photos of 2012, I got to shoot some of my favorite bands of all time and travel the globe in search of new ones. The beginning of the year was spent dealing with personal drama, and if it werent for key records in my life I shudder to think at where I would be right now. To every band on this list and many who aren't, I cant thank you enough.

First order of business, my musical pallette is much much larger than just a series of metal records. This is NOT a list of my favorite records of the year, because that would surely include other entries from across many different genres. This is, however, a list of some of my favorite heavier records.

To me, the term "heavy" can be defined in many ways, from the elongated riff on a doom record to a noise squall to a particularly punishing punk-rock beatdown. While most of the following records are "heavy" in the traditional "distortion and loud guitars" sense, a few are not. You'll see metal, you'll see deathrock, you'll see raw punk, you'll see hardcore, and many spots in between in the numbered list below. And to answer your question, yes you'll see Swans... right beside D-Clone and Asphyx.

My favorite records of 2012 are below. Hopefully you'll see a connection in favorites or maybe discover something new. Regardless, I hope you found your own favorites of the year whether in this list or outside of it.

Continue reading "The Year in Heavy (Fred Pessaro // BBG's favorite metal, punk & other records of 2012)"

by BBG

Dropdead at Europa (more by Keith Marlowe)

Chaos in Tejas have announced another round of bands for their 2012 shindig (first round here), including rare appearances from legendary post-hardcore band Moss Icon (a one-time only reunion), as well as Japan's Reality Crisis and Skizophrenia (their only US dates), and repeat offenders/favorites like Dropdead, Municipal Waste, Midnight, Ares Kingdom, Puerto Rico Flowers, Xeno & Oaklander, Thou, the Rival Mob, Boston Strangler, Crazy Spirit, Brain Killer, Power Trip, Wiccans (who just played one of the final shows at Emo's), and many many others. A full list of additions and the new flyer is below.

Since the original announcement, two previously announced bands have dropped off the original lineup: Mexican black metal band Nyogthaeblisz disappeared from the lineup after their anti-Islamic/Semitic/Abrahamic stance and involvement in known NSBM (National Socialist) label Satanic Skinhead was pointed out by a few blogs. That led to Antisect and The Mob even threatening to not play. Word then spread that Disma's Craig Pillard released nazi-glorifying records under the name Sturmfuhrer. Disma then dropped out as well due to "the drama" that ensued. Craig would not comment on the matter, but other members of Disma say he has changed.

In related news, Thou will hit the road for a string of dates with The Body this week on the West Coast. Both bands will also be at the inaugural Gilead Media festival (chaired by the Gilead Media label) in Oshkosh, Wi on 4/28 and 4/29 which will feature appearances from (in alphabetical order) Arms Aloft, Aseethe, Ash Borer, Baby Boy, Darger + Plague Mother, False, Fell Voices, Get Rad, Hell, Loss, Mutilation Rites, Northless, Protestant, A Scanner Darkly, and Sleepwalker. More details are available at the site.

All tour dates, new additions to Chaos in Tejas, and the show flyer is all below.

Continue reading "Chaos in Tejas adds bands & loses some due to controversy; Gilead Media launches festival"

Bloodiest @ Saint Vitus in Nov. (more by BBG)

When music documentarian (((unartig))) was first asked about a year end contribution, his initial reflex was: "Sausage - Hummus - Hitler!", the first two clearly being worse than the third. But then a performance enhancing Hewlett-Packard printer got in the way and spat out the list of 10 bands, video shot (((unartig))) included, that is below...

Continue reading "(((unartig)))'s top 10 music discoveries of 2011 (videos he shot included)"

by BBG

Midnight at Rites of Darkness (more by BBG)

2011 was a year that I spent delving deep into record bins, in the pit at shows, and searching for the most brutal of the brutal at festivals across the country including Maryland Deathfest, Chaos in Tejas, Rites of Darkness, SXSW, the A389 Anniversary show, California Discord Fest, and many others. It was also a year when I revisited my hardcore roots, and went further down the rabbit hole with DIY shows and independent records.

2011's choices for best of the year were tougher than I could have imagined, as opposed to my clear cut 2010 choice for favorite album of the year. That said, favorite records are about playability, and these are the LPs that wore out my needle and earned the most plays on my digital device (note: I made sure to remove a record that I was directly involved in because that would clearly be near the top of the list). I hope you enjoyed these records as much as I did in 2011 and if not, please share what you enjoyed below. I already can't wait for 2012.

My favorite records and shows of 2011 are below.

Continue reading "The Year in Heavy (BBG's favorite records & shows of 2011)"

by BBG

Seven Sisters of Sleep at A389 2011 (more by BBG)

Seven Sisters of Sleep (mems Tafkata) are two for two with releases in 2011, dropping both their excellent debut and their similarly crushing split with Children of God this year. Get both at A389. Though no full East Coast trek has been planned, Seven Sisters of Sleep will join the great All Pigs Must Die, labelmates Low Places, and NYC's Grudges for an NYC date at Acheron on 1/20, just a few days after the always awesome A389 Anniversary show at Sonar in Baltimore with Eyehategod, Gehenna, and many others.

All Pigs Must Die was recently given an "honorable mention" in Pitchfork's top metal of 2011 list (though no shout out for Seven Sisters of Sleep). Check out the full list, along with some streaming APMD material and a few videos below...

Continue reading "Pitchfork lists the best metal of 2011, All Pigs Must Die & Seven Sisters of Sleep schedule a Brooklyn show"

by BBG

Ash Borer @ the Acheron

Ash Borer headlined its second of two NYC dates on Saturday (7/16). One night after hitting Tommy's Tavern, they played Acheron with touring partners Ruin Lust, as well as dark ambient band ITHI and locals Anchorites. Last night in Providence at AS220 marked the conclusion of dates for Ash Borer / Ruin Lust, who each were touring with releases in tow (Ash Borer with a new LP/cassette discog, Ruin Lust with a new demo).

Epic and atmospheric, Ash Borer played a fantastic set with fill-in bassist Mike from Ruin Lust/Fell Voices, as evidenced in the video below (their entire set, courtesy of UNARTIG).

Support was similarly fantastic, with Ruin Lust ripping a set of atonal blackened death metal anchored by jawdropping drums by Mike, ITHI laying down dark textures, and Anchorites bringing the blackened crust. Ruin Lust has grown considerably since my first experience with them; this Brooklyn band is now a force to be watched.

More pictures from Acheron and video from both NYC shows below...

Continue reading "Ash Borer, Ruin Lust, ITHI & Anchorites played the Acheron (pics, video)"

by BBG

Negative Plane at Union Pool (more by BBG)

If you are a fan of the blackened arts and aren't checking out Ash Borer, Ruin Lust, ITHI, and Anchorites at Acheron on Saturday (7/16), most likely you'll be checking out an impressive bill of Negative Plane, Occultation, and Ominous Resurrection at Lone Wolf (1089 Broadway in Brooklyn). The show, which kicks off at 8PM, is 21+ and is FREE with a suggested donation of $5 (or more) at the door if you so choose. FREE is great, but is pretty much a steal for this bill, so if you can then donate hard. Negative Plane cancelled.

Check out some live video of Negative Plane, who released the awesome Stained Glass Reflections on Ajna this year, below.

Continue reading "Negative Plane (update: cancelled) vs. Ash Borer Saturday"

by BBG

Flourishing @ Public Assembly

Flourishing hasn't existed quite as long as Wetnurse, but Wetnurse/Flourishing guitarist Garett Bussanick has already cranked out a pair of Flourishing releases in as many years. The second release for the band he also sings for is due on August 2nd via The Path Less Traveled Records. The Sum Of All Fossils features eight tracks of atonal eclectic guitar wizardry that crosses barriers between grind, death metal, prog, and post-hardcore. Check out the lead track from the LP, "By Which We're Cemented", streaming below for the first time.

Flourishing will team up with Humanity Falls to play Port 41 in NYC on July 10th as part of a larger tour for Humanity Falls and their touring partners The Leviathan's Mandible. All tour dates are below along with a new Humanity Falls track and a stream of their 2010 LP Ordaining The Apocalypse.

Humanity Falls will link up with the the Ash Borer/Ruin Lust tour at The Meatlocker in NJ on 7/12. That's one day after Ash Borer play NYC for the first time at Tommy's Tavern (not at Semi-Legit as previously announced. the show was moved). July 16th at Acheron is still on, and with support from ITHI.

Back on 4/13 while Floor was blasting down the walls and Hawks were trying to keep their pants on at Music Hall of Williamsburg, The Ocean were playing with the always impressive East of The Wall and Flourishing at Public Assembly next door. A set of belated pictures from Public Assembly are in this post. They continue, along with album details, streams, and tour dates, below...

Continue reading "new Flourishing LP (song premiere) ++ dates & belated pics from Public Assemblys show w/ The Ocean & East of The Wall"

by BBG

Ash Borer live (photo by Sean Patrick Leydon)

For a band with barely an LP to their name, Ash Borer have made some serious waves. After splits with Fell Voices and demo tapes made the rounds in the netherworld, the California band recently released their discography via Psychic Violence which included material from a forthcoming vinyl LP due on Pesanta Urfolk. Check out a stream of "In the Midst of Life, We Are in Death" from the LP with an accompanying video snippet below.

In the meantime, Ash Borer will hit the road with Ruin Lust (mem Fell Voices) and will hit Acheron on July 16th alongside Ithi and Semi-Legit on July 11th as part of an East Coast tour. Ithi recently played the Utech Festival and contains Luke who, with Ash Borer's Nhate Clmnt, are Servile Sect. Check out some new material from Servile Sect's recent Trvth too.

All Ash Borer dates and a stream of that new material is below.

Continue reading "Ash Borer releasing new LP, touring (new song stream, dates)"