by BBG

Aura Noir at Maryland Deathfest (more by BBG)

An excellent example of poor planning? I arrived in Oslo on February 9th, just a few short hours before Aura Noir played a local show right next to where I was staying. If their performance at MDF was any indication, I surely missed out. For now their only other upcoming dates are in Europe in May, and are listed below.

One of the strengths of Aura Noir is their ability to bottle their vitriolic energy onto recorded media, a phenomenon that happens again on their latest LP Out to Die due via Indie Recordings on March 23rd (pre-order available). The effort is the band's follow-up to the well-received 2008 release Hades Rise, which sees the past & present members of Mayhem, Virus, Immortal, Dødheimsgard and Cadaver delving deeper into their mailicous brand of black metal and thrash.

Check out the new cover art and tracklisting, along with a stream of new track "Abbadon" which is making its premiere in this post, along with some live video, below...

Continue reading "Aura Noir are "Out to Die" (stream a new song from the LP)"

photos by Stefan Raduta, words by BBG

Egyptian-artist Nader Sadek brought his vision of flesh, petroleum, death metal, and tragedy to life with a FREE show at Santos on 11/20. Based on his In The Flesh concept LP, the artist assembled a team of musicians who helped create the LP including Steve Tucker (ex-Morbid Angel), Flo Mounier (Cryptopsy), Rune Eriksen (Aura Noir, Ava Inferi, ex-Mayhem), Carmen Simões (Ava Inferi) and Novy (ex-Vader / ex-Behemoth). The entire experience, from stage design to the masks worn by some of the musicians to the music, came from the mind of Sadek for this one-time event. Check out some more pictures below...

Continue reading "Nader Sadek brought "In The Flesh" to life at Santos Party House (pics)"

words & photos by BBG

Neurosis

After a day of heavy music that culminated in the last US set from Cathedral, the second day of Maryland Deathfest was marked by sets from Neurosis, Aura Noir, Corrosion of Conformity, Funebrarum, Marduk, Exhumed, Kylesa, Machetazo, Cripple Bastards, Pulling Teeth, Nocturnal, The Impalers & Nails. Save for the latter two (and COC), I was able to catch all of them... with my favorite sets of the day going to Neurosis, Cripple Bastards, Funebrarum, and Exhumed.

Neurosis's set touched on songs from their latest Given To The Rising and reached back as far as Souls at Zero for "The Web". The band closed with "Through Silver In Blood" which, considering I had met the album's producer Billy Anderson earlier in the day, had a special meaning and power on top of the band's already considerable weight. Favorites like "Locust Star" and "A Sun That Never Sets" also made an appearance during the band's incredible set. The full setlist is listed below. A picture of Exhumed's is down there too.

Marduk

Marduk, Aura Noir, Black Anvil, and Panzerfaust are on a tour that hits Music Hall of Williamsburg on June 3rd. Tickets are still available. Their full list of dates is below.

A ton more pictures from Friday, below...

Continue reading "Maryland Deathfest 2011 -- Day 2 in pics & review (Neurosis, Cripple Bastards, Funebrarum, Exhumed, Marduk, more)"

by BBG

Marduk at Gramercy (more by Paul Birman)

Despite their failed tour with Mayhem, Marduk have almost become live staples in the US as of late with two visits to NYC in as many years (with Nachtmystium/Black Anvil/Merrimack at Gramercy, and with Withered/Tombs/Black Anvil at Gramercy). The Swedes will be back in the US to play Maryland Deathfest, but this time will hit NYC with the self-proclaimed ugliest band in the world Aura Noir (!!!), Panzerfaust, Black Anvil and HOD at Music Hall of Williamsburg on June 3rd. Tickets go on sale at noon on Friday (1/21). All other known tour dates are below.

Black Anvil played two sold-out shows with Trap Them and All Pigs Must Die this past weekend, at Union Pool and at Cake Shop.

More tour dates and some videos below..

Continue reading "Marduk playing Brooklyn w/ Aura Noir, Black Anvil, Panzerfaust & HOD (and other dates)"

by Black Bubblegum

Ocean

My favorite of the two Oceans, the one missing a definite article in front of their name (Ocean of Maine), will be the next heavy band to headline Show No Mercy at Public Assembly (Feb 15th). As part of some sort of bizarre doom-off, Ocean will try to out rumble and underpace the mighty Salome, Riff Cannon, and Batillus who are also on board for the (anti-) festivities. Both Ocean (profiled here) and Salome (who we profiled in August) released full-length LPs last year... Pantheon of The Lesser and S/T respectively. Riff Cannon will drop their debut LP in 2009 and Batillus recently made their new self-titled EP available for free download here.

Speaking of Salome, lead vocalist Kat will make her first Agoraphobic Nosebleedappearance on Agorapocalypse, the latest LP from Scott Hull's pummeling grindcore project. Due April 14th, Agorapocalypse won't be the lone AnB in 2009; the band plans a series of splits for this year with a wide array of bands including Despise You, ANS, Agents of Satan and Thrones!

Mayhem, Marduk, Cattle Decapitation, and Cephalic Carnage have added a date together in Seattle Washington @ Studio Seven on June 5th. Pleasegodletitbeafulltour... Pleasegodletitbeafulltour... Cattle Decapitation's The Harvest Floor dropped on Jan 20th.

Brutal Truth recently announced their involvement in the Auditory Assault Festival (with Gadget, Kill The Client, Jig-ai and others), and now comes word that the band will have released their new record before then! Enter Evolution Through Revolution, recorded at Watchman Studios by Doug White (Psyopus) and due on April 14th via Relapse. Stokeage. Brutal Truth drummer Richard Hoak will do double duty at the Auditory Assault festival, also playing with his Total Fucking Destruction project.

Isis announced their new album, Wavering Radiant, due on May 5th via Ipecac Records! Produced by Joe Baressi (Tool, Queens of The Stone Age), look for the wax to hit the streets on Apr. 21. Tool's Adam Jones contributed guitar tracks to a pair of songs on Wavering Radiant.

Sweet do, Jared Big Business!

Big Business have announced their new album, Mind The Drift due in April via Hydra Head Records. Produced by Phil Ek (The Shins, Earth, Fleet Foxes, Built To Spill), the record is the first to feature new guitarist Toshi Kasai. Stream the new track "Gold and Final" at their myspace.

Ahhh... NOW I know why 1349 are heading out on tour.... Revelations Of The Black Flame is the name of the recently announced new album by the black metallers! Recorded at StudioStudio Nyhagen in Bøverbru, Norway, 1349 have enlisted Tom Gabriel Fischer to help man the boards! Look for it sometime this spring. Meanwhile, Tom Gabriel Fischer's new venture post-Celtic Frost, Triptykon, is currently in the demo phase. 1349 will be at BB Kings on March 2nd, tickets are available here.

The sickos in Sourvein have scheduled a few new dates, including an NYC date that looks to be part of an upcoming US tour. No details just yet, but set aside April 19th until then. Tour dates below.

The previously announced Converge show at Europa on March 27th (tickets here) just got a little bit nuttier with the addition of Genghis Tron, Ceremony, Rise and Fall, and Pulling Teeth.

Lair Of The Minotaur's new DVD, WAR METAL BATTLE MASTER is out NOW at Southern Lord. Meanwhile, bassist Nate Olp (Demiricous) has been sent in to replace the departed DJ Barraca for live gigs. DJ recently left LOTM to joined Harpoon, who's new record, Double Gnarly / Triple Suicide is due on Feb 10th via Interloper Records.

News on Sublime Cadaveric Decomposition, Weekend Nachos, Carcass, Blut Aus Nord, Lamb Of God, Javelina, and more below...

Continue reading "This Week In METAL (01/23/09)"

by Black Bubblebgum

sunn o))) @ Knitting Factory (more by Damien Neva)


Ya hear that rumble? Thats the sound of great records perched in the distance waiting to descend on 2009 (more on that later). While this year will bring about great music and another set of "next big things", let's take the time to be thankful for 2008 and all of it's memorable records and shows. Here are my favorite records of 2008:

Continue reading "the year in Metal (Best of 2008, what's coming in 2009)"

DOWNLOAD: Black Anvil - "Ten Talons Deep" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Transitional - "This Paradise Pt. 1" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Capricorns - "November Suicides" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Capricorns - "The Bell Rang Backwards" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Phobia - "Protest/Solution" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Phobia - "Savannah's Assault" (MP3)

Agalloch

Folkin' black proggers Agalloch has announced that they are at work on their fourth LP, the follow-up the the critically acclaimed Ashes Against The Grain! The band recently parted ways with The End and "have received several offers ranging from the ridiculous to the very interesting" with respect to a new home, but no decision is expected until 2009. Meanwhile, Agalloch also announced the release of The Demonstration Archive, a retrospective of songs from 1996 - 1998 before they signed to the label. For more info on The Demonstration Archive, including how to pick it up, head here.

As we announced a couple weeks ago, doomy instrumental trio Capricorns have released River Bear Your Bones in jolly old England, but the US will see the record on September 30th. Have no fear, as we have posted 25% of the whole record (above) for you to download!

Intronaut's new record, Prehistoricisms, is up for preorder, with or without a limited edition tee ($4 more). Check out "The Literal Black Cloud" from Prehistoricisms here.

Black Anvil

World, Black Anvil. Black Anvil, world. I wish it was that easy, because word needs to get out on these grim lords constructed from ex-members of Kill Your Idols. Drawing from early black metal and thrash and with only an occasional foray into Emperor-style tremolo picking, their new LP Time Insults The Mind is an unholy creature of shadow. Check out "Ten Talons Deep" available for download above and the video of the band tearing through "Deathsomnia" (also from Time...). and pick up the record at Momentum Records when it drops. The band is also playing Traxx in Ronkonkoma on August 23rd and The Charleston on Sept 30th.

That video, plus Neurosis, Coalesce, Converge, Municipal Waste, Rosetta, sunn 0))), Corrupted and more after the jump...

Continue reading "This Week In METAL (08/07/08)"