by Fred Pessaro // BBG

Batillus at the InvisibleOranges day party, SXSW 2013 (more by Greg Cristman)

After finishing up a string of Invisible Oranges-sponsored dates with Mutilation Rites (who play with Black Breath this weekend), sludgy-doom crew Inter Arma will head back out on the road for a set of dates with thrashy Richmond crew, Earthling. The dates include stops along the Northeast, including NYC for a show at Public Assembly on April 27. Tickets are on sale.

The show will also double as a record release party for the mighty Batillus, who is celebrating the release of their new album Concrete Sustain. The band recent toured the US on the strength of the new LP, and both Batillus and Inter Arma played the Invisible Oranges day party at The Jr while on their respective tours (pics here).

As discussed, Inter Arma will play Scion Rock Fest in Memphis this year, and have been added to the previously discussed bill featuring Intronaut and Mouth of the Architect at Saint Vitus on June 15 (tickets).

Tour dates  are listed, along with related album streams, below.

Continue reading "Inter Arma & Earthling announce East Coast dates, add Batillus record release show"

As you know, BrooklynVegan is returning to Austin for SXSW this year and throwing four days of day parties at The Main & The Jr aka 603 Red River Street at the corner of 6th aka the old Emo's location. Those happen Wed (3/13), Thurs, Fri and Saturday (3/16). All shows are 100% FREE with RSVP.

We announced Saturday and Thursday, and now HERE IS FRIDAY...

Continue reading "BrooklynVegan free SXSW 2013 Friday day party lineup (Polyphonic Spree, Thermals, Akron/Family, Shout Out Louds, Diamond Rings, TOY, Half Moon Run & more)"

by Fred Pessaro

Today is the Day at Maryland Deathfest 2012 (more by Fred Pessaro // BBG)

Invisible Oranges, in association with BrooklynVegan and my forthcoming Noisey video show Heavy Dicks, are proud to present the first annual Invisible Oranges day party during SXSW 2013! IO & HD take over the indoor stage at the old Emo's at 6th & Red River aka The Jr on March 15, as part of the four days of two-stage BV parties at the venue. The free show, running from noon until 6PM, will feature the following bands:

March 15, 2013 @ The Jr, Austin, TX
Today is the Day
Pallbearer (also playing the official IO/BV showcase)
KEN Mode
Royal Thunder
Inter Arma
Batillus
Baptists

We also want to thank M for Montreal, mophie, Onkyo, Vox, Blackstar, Korg, Redigi, Zico, ASCAP, Mirrored Media, and Mail Chimp for assistance in making this a FREE event. RSVP for the show HERE. SXSW Badges are also welcome.

Today is the Day, Black Tusk and KEN Mode are currently on a North American tour, and will play Saint Vitus tonight (3/6) and 3/8 at The Studio at Webster Hall. The package tour also puts Fight Amp on both NYC dates.

"Heavy Dicks" is a new show premiering on Noisey in the coming months that is centered around metal. (Full disclosure: I'm one of the hosts.) Check out the trailer for the show alongside a new Today is the Day video for "Sick of Your Mouth," below....

Continue reading "Invisible Oranges Presents a SXSW Day Party (at BV venue) w/ Today is the Day, Pallbearer & more PLUS: Heavy Dicks!"

Yob at Saint Vitus (more by Caroline Harrison)

After a raucous first night with Yob at Saint Vitus (2/10), the party continued Monday (2/11) with opening appearances from Batillus and Sea of Bones. The sold-out show featured no new material from Yob, though Batillus, who is readying the release of Concrete Sustain, did play a new track at the Brooklyn venue. Check out more pictures as well as video from last night (including that new Batillus jam) at Invisible Oranges.

by Fred Pessaro // BBG

Yob @ Saint Vitus, 2/10/2013

Yob played their first of two NYC shows last night at a sold-out Saint Vitus (2/10), snagging support from Hull and Bezoar. The show is part of a BV/Invisible Oranges-sponsored short run of dates for the Portland crew, who play again at Saint Vitus tonight (2/11) with Batillus and Sea of Bones. Tickets are still available for tonight's show (which is on the verge of sell out), highly recommended.

There are plenty of doom bands out there that understand the power of a great riff and an impressive vocal, but what separates Yob from the pack is something entirely different. The trio's live show incorporates a swing -- a groove that deviates from standard pacing and hits off of the traditional downbeats. They're almost hard to headbang along to for the most part, but when they do lock in it just makes those parts seem more muscular and menacing.

More pictures and video from Sunday's show are below.

Continue reading "Yob played Saint Vitus w/ Hull & Bezoar (pics, video), do it again to night with Batillus & Sea of Bones"

Yob at Beat Kitchen in Chicago, Sept 2012 (more by Carmelo Espanola)

Nanotear, BrooklynVegan and Invisible Oranges are proud to welcome incendiary gods of doom, Yob for a two night stay at Saint Vitus on Feb 10 & 11! Support for will come from Hull and Bezoar on the first evening, while night two will feature an appearance from Batillus. That show is a rare, one-off appearance for the Oregon doom killers, and not part of a larger planned tour. Tickets are on sale for both 2/10 and 2/11.

photos by Fred Pessaro // BBG; words by Lauren Jackson

Nachtmystium @ Saint Vitus, 11/19/2012

On Monday night, Chicago's Nachtmystium exercised a sonic assault on a packed St. Vitus, which was one stop on a BV-sponsored tour. The band found support from local favorites Batillus, Mutilation Rites and Sannhet, as well as fellow Chicago metal outfit, Lord Mantis.

Sannhet started the night off at a properly late hour, complete with light show and white noise projections during their set which, incidentally, fit their extreme performance perfectly. Straddling the line between clear riffs and static, Sannhet's songs were highly structured, but drenched in a top layer of noise--much like the garbled images one can almost make out under TV snow.

Batillus carried through that same noisy sensibility, with frontman Fade Kainer's harsh vocals, manipulated to a point where they could have been confused as something inhuman and otherworldly. The band's industrial sensibility lent an edge to their doom-influence dirges and, while slower than all the other bands on the bill, made Batillus equally brutal as next band Mutilation Rites' most unforgiving riff.

Raw and fast as hell, Mutilation Rites brought down a set that seemed to make everyone at Vitus grind their teeth and brace themselves for the two remaining bands--Lord Mantis and headliners Nachtmystium. And by the time the headliners took to the stage, Vitus was packed, humid, and frenetic with the furious energy from each unbelievable performance.

To attend a show so consistently brutal and so consistently good, with band after band bringing all the energy they could to bolster up American black metal favorites, Nachtmystium, was a true treat for the metalhead's soul. And, as usual, Nachtmystium did not disappoint, and punctuated the night with an assaulting set that lasted just over an hour.

By the end of the set, the hooded black figures who had filed in at the start of it all came out sweaty, some with fogged glasses, and all with grins because everyone had gotten what they wanted: blackened brutality.

Check out more pictures and video from the show below, including video of Batillus performing a new track "Mirrors."

Continue reading "Nachtmystium played Saint Vitus with Lord Mantis, Mutilation Rites, Batillus & Sannhet (pics, video)"

Salvation at Power of The Riff East, August 2012 (more by Greg Cristman)

With their  dates with Night Sins now behind them, Salvation have plotted a course back to NYC for a show on January 13 at Saint Vitus. There the band will join NYC black metal favorites Raspberry Bulbs and noise terrorist extraordinaire Pharmakon. Tickets are on sale.

Similarly, support for the previously discussed Nachtmystium show has changed yet again, this time with Mutilation Rites, Batillus, Sannhet and Lord Mantis. Tickets are still available for the 11/19 show at Saint Vitus.

Meanwhile, support for the previously discussed Eyehategod shows at Saint Vitus have been announced, with Magrudergrind, Clean Teeth and The Communion taking on 11/27 (tickets) and Mortals (Record Release), White Widows and one more TBA taking on 11/28 (tickets).

In other Saint Vitus show news, look for the great Pinkish Black to team with Naam for a show at Saint Vitus on December 1st (tickets).

by Caroline Harrison

Car Bomb at 285 Kent, 10/20/2012

Pitchfork's unofficial Show No Mercy CMJ showcase on Saturday (10/20) at 285 Kent featured New York acts Car Bomb, Batillus, Pyrrhon, Primitive Weapons, and Theologian. Special guest Andy Stott, who played earlier in the day at a Pitchfork & MoMA PS1 CMJ show, DJ-ed starting around 1:30.

Industrial electronic group Theologian played the first set of the night, followed by Primitive Weapons who slammed through an energetic set. Singer Dave Castillo's hardcore frontman antics kept the crowd engaged.

Brooklyn's Pyrrhon played two of the new tracks up on their bandcamp during their set and anyone who worried that the bizarro metal outfit couldn't keep up the anxious intensity of their debut LP needn't have worried. Pyrrhon is even weirder than ever, and they were at the top of their game on Saturday. New York doom metal fixtures Batillus played a roaring set after Pyrrhon. Their sludgy doom was a definite genre shift following the previous three bands.

Next up was Car Bomb who assault the senses when they play. Besides immense sound and dizzying technical prowess, the band has built -- yes, built -- a number of light effects triggered by different band members. The effect is a disorienting light show not suitable for people prone to motion sickness or seizures. (Word has it that Kimbra and her band showed up to see Car Bomb.) Following the last set of the night, Andy Stott's electronic set marked a shift in the evening, and the crowd turned over.

Pyrrhon will be playing at Saint Vitus on October 27th with Tombs, 16, and Serpentine Path. Batillus will also be playing at Saint Vitus, but on Nov. 19th supporting Nachtmystium, Jarboe, Bruce Lamont (of Yakuza, who played our own BBG's CMJ showcase on Saturday), and Lord Mantis. Primitive Weapons are playing with Vision of Disorder at Music Hall of Williamsburgon November 24 and supporting Into Another at Bowery Ballroom on December 16.

Car Bomb recently self-released w^w^^w^w, their first album since leaving Relapse Records. It is available digitally on their bandcamp page, and physical copies will be available "sometime in mid-October." Andy Stott's new album, Luxury Problems, is out on October 29 via Modern Love.

More pictures from 285 Kent are below.

Continue reading "Car Bomb, Batillus, Primitive Weapons, Andy Stott + more played Show No Mercy showcase @ 285 Kent (pics, review)"

by Fred Pessaro // BBG

Kowloon Walled City at Cake Shop, Sept 2010 (more by Justin Tyler)

San Francisco sludge killers Kowloon Walled City's last go around in the NYC area was paired with the nasty doomers in Batillus (who play 285 Kent on the same day as the BV-BBG showcase). The two played a string of shows together, including a pair of dates at Acheron and Cake Shop. Possibly owing some influence to their nautically-themed tour mates, KWC are readying their new LP and first in four years, Container Ships. The long-player hits on December 4 via Brutal Panda, pre-order yours.

Container Ships features seven tracks including the first song to see the light of day, "The Pressure Keeps Me Alive." Check that out below, alongside the track listing and the album art. No tour dates yet, but that should change very soon. Until then, get familiar with their recorded works below.

Continue reading "Kowloon Walled City readies 'Container Ships' (stream a song)"

by Fred Pessaro // BBG

Nachtmystium at The Studio at Webster Hall, Sept 2010 (more by Markus Shaffer)

"Nachtmystium, regretfully, has to reschedule its upcoming US tour due to an unavoidable family emergency. The band (and Nachtmystium co-horts Lord Mantis) will still be able to perform the last four dates of the tour on the east coast, but all other dates will be rescheduled for the near future. Nachtmystium apologizes to all the fans and promoters as this was an unavoidable circumstance and we wish that things were different. However, we are beyond excited to come play for you soon. To those fans who will still be able to see us in November, we can't wait to destroy your eardrums. See you soon!"

In the meantime you can also catch both Bruce Lamont AND Batillus this weekend, though at different shows. The latter will perform at 285 Kent as part of the Show No Mercy showcase while the former will be on stage as part of Yakuza's exclusive NYC showing at Saint Vitus (aka the BV-BBG showcase). Tickets for the latter show are still available or use your CMJ badge (a limited number allowed in). Entry includes PBR, Sailor Jerry's and Mercy drink while supplies last.

All tour dates and the BV-BBG showcase flyer is below.

Continue reading "Nachtmystium cancels some shows, Weapon drops off & Lord Mantis added to tour(updated dates)"

Car Bomb at CMJ 2010 (photo by Fred Pessaro // BBG)

Car Bomb will headline the Pitchfork-Show No Mercy unofficial CMJ event that will go down on October 20 at 285 Kent, tagging Batillus, Pyrrhon, Primitive Weapons and Theologian plus "special guests." Tickets are on sale. The show is one of three Pitchfork shows announced during CMJ.

Car Bomb have decided to go it alone with w^w^^w^w, their new album and first release since leaving Relapse Records. Stream all of that LP below and order the CD/vinyl via the band (due in "mid-October").

The show is the same night as the $5, complimentary-while-supplies-last PBR/Sailor Jerry/Mercy-drink, BBG showcase at Saint Vitus featuring exclusive CMJ appearances from Yakuza, Royal Thunder, Enabler, Fight Amp, Helen Money and Sannhet. Tickets are on sale.

Pitchfork flyer and LP stream are below.

Continue reading "Car Bomb, Batillus, Pyrrhon, Primitive Weapons, more playing Pitchfork's Show No Mercy unofficial CMJ showcase"

by Fred Pessaro // BBG

Lecherous Gaze

I am proud to announce a pair of Power of The Riff East afterparties, set to burn Saint Vitus to the ground on Saturday (9/1) and Sunday (9/2)! Both shows will be all ages, open at 11:59 PM and start promptly thereafter. Saturday's lineup looks like this:

**Secret Guest Headliner
*Secret Guest
Lecherous Gaze (mems Annihilation Time)

Then the next night, start saving for your funeral and check out the following lineup:

*Secret Guest Headliner
Batillus

Lecherous Gaze is scheduled to play three NYC shows this weekend, tagging the unmissable Perdition/Culo/School Jerks/Inservibles/Deformity show at 285 Kent on 8/31 and Low Tide Beach in Rockaway the next day (9/1) with Culo (again), A-Truth, Merda, Mutant Genes, Fake Hooker and Beach Arabs. The latter show is free. The shows are part of a larger tour for Lecherous Gaze, check them out on the road at the dates listed below.

Tickets are still available for 9/1 and 9/2 Power of the Riff shows separately (with a free screened poster) or as a two-day pass that comes with a Southern Lord vinyl pack.

A list of tour dates and  video are below.

Continue reading "The Power of The Riff East schedules after-parties at Saint Vitus"

Fight Amp at Union Pool, June 2012 (more by Markus Shaffer)

Fight Amp is preparing to release the new LP, Birth Control, via Translation Loss! Check out two new tracks from Birth Control below and look for it in the flesh on September 25. Preorder your copy here.

Batillus will play a one-off show at Saint Vitus tonight, gathering Gnaw (ex-Khanate), Summoner and Bezoar for support. Tickets are still available.

If you missed it, Pentagram will play all of Relentless at Power of The Riff East next weekend!

All suggested shows for the next two weeks and streams are below. What did I miss?

Continue reading "Evillive (Fight Amp, Batillus and more)"

by BBG

Whitehorse

Australia's Whitehorse headlined a rainy night at Acheron yesterday (6/12), joined by tourmates Batillus, NYC doom trio Unearthly Trance and death-grind newcomers Skullshitter (who I caught earlier this week, pictures). The Whitehorse/Batillus tour, which kicked off in early June at Chaos in Tejas, continues in support of a trio of splits for Whitehorse with their tourmates, as well as Cross and Hot Graves.

Without any sort of announcement, Unearthly Trance performed all of their second LP, In The Red, at the show. Video of that performance is still forthcoming, but for now check out video of Whitehorse and Batillus as well as pictures of all of the bands below.

Continue reading "Whitehorse played Acheron with Batillus, Unearthly Trance and Skullshitter (pics)"

photos by Greg Cristman, words by BBG

Dayton City Paper: How would you describe Mares of Thrace to a stranger?

Frontwoman Therese Lanz: I would describe Mares of Thrace as an armada of angry drag queens riding nuclear warhead-equipped rabid rhinoceroses in a kamikaze mission of destruction into an Alabama Pentecostal megachurch service.

Sky Burial were on a tour of their own in support of a new record Where Four Rivers Flow which is out now via Replenish.

In related news, Batillus is scheduled to play with Whitehorse and Unearthly Trance at Acheron on June 12th. New band Skullshitter, which features a member of Mutant Supremacy, will open the show. Skullshitter is also scheduled to play on June 9th at Saint Vitus with Phobia, Strong Intention, Ramming Speed, and Full of Hell. Tickets are still available. Stream the Skullshitter demo along with the pictures below.

Continue reading "Mares of Thrace played Saint Vitus with Batillus, Sky Burial and Mortals (pics)"

photos by Dana (distortion) Yavin, words by BBG

May 15th, 1993. That was the last time that death metal legends Autopsy played NYC (at The Tilt with Incantation and Vital Remains), so Friday's appearance at the Bell House (5/4) was a long-time coming. The show was one of a pair of dates for the band, who continued on to play Reggie's in Chicago with Cianide the next evening before heading back to California to prepare for Maryland Deathfest. Support came from NJ death metallers Funebrarum (their first NYC show in 6 years), gods of Brooklyn doom Unearthly Trance and crusty DM killers Undergang, the latter of which came all the way from Denmark just to play The Bell House show. Pictures, video and setlists are in this post.

In other news, Unearthly Trance have added another NYC date, this time supporting Whitehorse (!) at their upcoming date at Acheron on June 12th with Batillus. Batillus recently released a new song from their split with Whitehorse, look for Whitehorse's contribution later this week.

More Autopsy below...

Continue reading "Autopsy played Bell House with Funebrarum, Unearthly Trance & Undergang (pics, video & setlist); UT add a show"

by BBG

Batillus at Subterranean (more by Carmelo Espanola)

As discussed, doom greats Batillus and Whitehorse have teamed up for a split 12" due via Vendetta Records. The band will have copies when they hit the road for a string of dates together that will include a stop at Acheron on June 12 but you can hear the first track out of the gates, an edit of "Feral" by Batillus, for the first time below.

Besides those Whitehorse dates, Batillus will also play NYC with Mares of Thrace (who are on tour/have a new record), Sky Burial and Mortals at Saint Vitus on May 15th. Tickets are on sale.

Stream that new Batillus track below.

Continue reading "Batillus release new song from Whitehorse split (premiere)"

by BBG

Sky Burial at club 1808 during SXSW (more by BBG)

Tennesee's Sky Burial's new LP Where Four Rivers Flow is out now via Replenish Records. The album ebbs and flows with a clear nod to post-rock, but somehow steers clear of the well-worn pensive-brutal-pensive paths laid by Isis by employing the opposite direction... post-rock kids discover hardcore and doom. Stream Where Four Rivers Flow below in full, download your copy for free and get a physical copy via Replenish Records.

Sky Burial will embark on a string of East Coast dates in May and join on for the previously discussed Mares of Thrace show on May 15th at Saint Vitus, which now ALSO includes Batillus (who is touring with Whitehorse) and Mortals. Tickets are on sale. All tour dates and that LP stream. below.

Continue reading "Sky Burial touring, added to Mares of Thrace show (which now has Batillus & Mortals too) --- dates & LP stream"

by BBG

Australia's Whitehorse

Australian gods of death-doom Whitehorse are heading back to the states for a string of US dates, kicking it all off with shows at Chaos in Tejas and eventually creeping up the East Coast before heading out west. The first leg of dates, from Austin to NYC, will feature NYC doom favorites Batillus, including in Brooklyn on June 12th at Acheron. Additional support is still to be announced, but the show will set you back $10.

Whitehorse and Batillus will share a split 12" (!) due in late May via Vendetta Records.

In May, Vendetta Records will be releasing a split 12? featuring two new Batillus songs on side A and a new song from Australia's Whitehorse on side B... Special thanks to Andrew Mittelman and Sound Generation for making this record happen, and to James Plotkin for his always-superb mastering skills.

Whitehorse released their mammoth Progression and followed it up with a set of US dates last year. All current dates, and a stream of that LP is below.

Continue reading "Australia's Whitehorse touring US, some dates w/ Batillus (including Acheron)"

photos by Samantha Marble, words by BBG

Hull will team with Caltrop and Family for a Brooklyn show at Saint Vitus on April 20th. U.V. PØP plays the same venue later that night. The early show will open doors at 8PM and will set you back $10. Tickets are on sale.

The show is part of a string of dates scheduled for Caltrop in celebration of their new LP Ten Million Years and Eight Minutes, out via Holiday For Quince Records on April 3rd. All Caltrop dates are below.

Speaking of U.V. PØP, that 4/20 appearance recently completed its lineup, adding the awesome Lost Tribe and DJ Plastic Flowers to the bill. Tickets are on sale. You can also catch U.V. PØP two nights earlier at Home Sweet Home.

Hull recently played a homecoming show at Acheron on 3/23 with Mutilation Rites, Batillus and Trenchgrinder. Pics & video from that show are in this post. More below...

Continue reading "Caltrop prepping LP, touring, playing NY w/ Hull (who recently played Acheron); Lost Tribe added to UV POP (dates & pics)"

by BBG

A Storm of Light at the Tone Deaf showcase (more by Greg Cristman)

A Storm of Light plays NYC TONIGHT as part of a round of dates with Mustard Gas & Roses (mem Isis) and Magic Circle. Tickets are still available for the Saint Vitus show. The band recently played a round of dates surrounding SXSW including the Tone Deaf showcase (pictures). Tonight's show is in direct competition with Hull, Mutilation Rites, Batillus and Trenchgrinder at Acheron, the latter two of which played Lovejoy's as part of the BV Day Party. Hull also played Red 7 with Fear on 3/15, which was down the street from Pallbearer, Screaming Females, Ringworm & Power Trip (pictures).

Punk rock crew Kim Phuc will team with Family Curse and Herzog Rising to play Death By Audio on April 7th. The show is one of a few notable and recently added shows at the space, including April 14th with White Suns (who have a new LP on Load, stream a song below), Pop 1280, and Richard, April 28th with Dysrhythmia, Kayo Dot & Vaura, and 4/29 with a mystery guest, Child Abuse, Behold...The Arctopus and PAK.

Check out the recent Decibel Flexi of In Solitude covering Samhain's "Mother of Mercy".

Youth Attack have updated their site with orders for the new Salvation House of the Beating Hell EP, new second Hoax EP, a new ARTS LP Thousand Wounds of War, and so much more. Head to their site for more details (I recommend the Hoax, ARTS and Salvation records).

If you missed it, we posted two sets of pictures from Deatmatch during SXSW (SET 1, SET 2), a set of pictures from Lovejoy's during SXSW, my official showcase during SXSW, and pictures from our bridge show. We welcomed a new EP from Cop Problem, interviews with Black God, new shows from Ilsa, Rorschach, Old Man Gloom, D-Clone, Young Widows, Autopsy and more. Got stoked and then immediately diappointed with the Kiss it Goodbye reunion and scratched our heads in disbelief at the "Death to All" reunion and Wolvhammer cover of The Cure (the latter in a positive way).

More suggested shows, a stream of a new Horseback song, the Split Cranium LP (with Aaron of Isis and members of Circle) a 16 song, an Author & Punisher song, a White Suns song and more is below. What did I miss?

Continue reading "Evillive (Kim Phuc, Horseback, Salvation, Split Cranium, 16, more)"

by BBG

Rosetta at Gramercy Theater (more by Di Lynn Ring)

Rosetta will team with Kings Destroy, Hollow Leg and Clamfight for a one-off date at Saint Vitus on March 14th. Tickets are on sale.

The Brooklyn show is one of a few select dates coming up for Rosetta, including an interesting show with Batillus, Restorations, and Sunburster in Philadelphia on 2/10 as part of a celebration of the art of Bruno Guerriero

Decibel Magazine presents the art of Decibel's head designer and chief illustrator Bruno Guerreiro with a special Kung Fu Necktie art show and musical showcase February 10th at 8pm....

Showing:
- Collection of original metal and rock show posters
- Original illustrations featured in Decibel
- Other original Bruno Guerreiro works

In other news, King Destroy will welcome their new LP And The Rest will Surely Perish via The Maple Forum this year. In the meantime, if you can't make Saint Vitus, then head to Chaos in Tejas (which is officially on sale) to catch them, and check out their new video for "The Toe" below.

Continue reading "Rosetta playing an art show; Hull/Batillus add an NYC date; Kings Destroy prep new LP"

by BBG

Batillus @ Acheron

Batillus headlined Acheron last night, their last show of the year on their homebase of NYC and a primer for their forthcoming West Coast dates with The Atlas Moth and Kowloon Walled City. Batillus's appearance featured a new song, one of several that band has already written for their follow-up to Furnace, the band's celebrated debut with Seventh Rule. Details on that are forthcoming.

Richmond crew Inter Arma were the lone touring band on the bill, joining locals Belus at the Acheron. Inter Arma linked up with Balaclava on earlier dates. Balaclava played Acheron a few days earlier.

Acheron will host another noteworthy show (that I booked) TONIGHT (10/27) at 9PM with Thrones, Danava, Caltrop, and Psychic Limb (who recently played a boat). It's one of two Thrones/Danava dates in NYC. The second is Thursday at Union Pool with La Otracina and Ben von Wildenhaus at 8PM.

More pictures and videos from last night and all tour dates are below...

Continue reading "Batillus, Inter Arma & Belus played Acheron (pics & video), Danava & Thrones kick off 2-night NYC run there tonight"

photos by Greg Cristman, additional Rwake photos & words by BBG

Rwake / Hull (by Greg Cristman)

"Hey man, I'm Gravy," he said as he shook my hand.

The man was guitarist Kris Graves of Rwake. I wondered whether that nickname came from his abilities as a guitarist and where he is from (the comfort-food lovin' South - specifically Little Rock, Arkansas), or if it was simply a play on his last name. I'd like to think the former, judging by the soulful and unique sludge-doom of Rwake at Mercury Lounge last night (10/10).

Rwake were in town to help celebrate the release of Hull's Beyond The Lightless Sky, out today via The End Records. Though performing as a five-piece due to the absence of keyboardist/vocalist Brittany Fugate (aka "B"), Rwake performed favorites like "Crooked Rivers" next to material from the new record Rest, out now via Relapse. The show, which ended past midnight, was the only current East Coast date for Rwake until a scheduled appearance at MDF.

Hull's focus was Beyond The Lightless Sky, performing the LP in its entirety with assists credited to Sarah of Bezoar, Joe Merolla (Death First), and Fade Kainer (Batillus). Their hour-long set featured tribal drums, synth/noise textures, and (quite clearly) a wall of loud rumbling 4x12s.

Primitive Weapons were the first band of the night after a DJ set from yours truly, bringing their sludge-influenced post-hardcore to a 2/3 packed room that filled significantly by the end of their last overdriven note. Pictures of them, Hull, and Rwake await below...

Continue reading "Rwake, Hull & Primitive Weapons played Merc (pics)"