by BBG

Tombs at BV-Rocks Off Official CMJ Showcase 2011 (more by Jonathan McPhail)

Decibel released their list of the best LPs of 2011. The list features a few repeat offenders and not too many surprises. One record listed technically came out in 2010 (and made my list of favorites that year). You can check out the full thing below. What record do you think they left off?

Continue reading "Decibel Magazine's Top 40 of 2011"

by BBG

Primate at Scion Rock Fest 2011 (more by Adam Murray)

Mastodon have released another video from their upcoming LP The Hunter (due on September 27th). The new video, for "Spectrelight", features Scott Kelly from Neurosis, and follows recent video releases of "Curl of The Burl" and "Black Tongue". All of them are viewable below.

So far no word on a US tour from the Atlanta four-piece, though knowing them a massive one will surely follow. The band has only one current tour date scheduled, 10/26 at the Verizon Theatre in Dallas, TX with Soundgarden. Neurosis, also with just one upcoming date, play this weekend in Portland as part of MusicFestNW. Their show is at Roseland Theater on Saturday with Grails, YOB and Akimbo. Tickets are still available for those without festival passes. The entire MusicFestNW begins Wednesday. Check out the schedule HERE.

In other news, Relapse recently signed Primate, a band featuring Bill Kelliher of Mastodon, Kevin Sharp of Brutal Truth, and Mike Brennan of Javelina among others. No word on when they will follow-up on their Draw Back A Stump EP from earliser this year, but we'll keep you up to date. In the meantime, Brutal Truth are releasing a new LP via Relapse; look for End Time on 9/27. Stream two new songs at their Facebook.

All tour dates and that new video is below.

Continue reading "Mastodon release new video, Relapse sign Primate (releasing Brutal Truth even sooner), Neurosis play Portland this week"

by BBG

Dan Lilker and Kevin Sharp on stage with Brutal Truth (more by Samantha Marble)

Dan Lilker and Kevin Sharp just played Europa with Brutal Truth. Now the grind band has scheduled a new show with Venomous Concept, their side project with Shane Embury and Danny Herrera of Napalm Death. Europa gets the look on September 23rd, tickets are on sale. The show is the lone US date thus far, with a string of dates in Japan currently on tap for the weeks prior. So far, no word on the upcoming Wolfbrigade and Bruce Banner splits or the upcoming album the the band discussed late last year.

Just a few weeks before that Europa will also play host to Japanese hardcore badasses Systematic Death, who will take the stage with the mighty Dropdead (!) for a show at Europa on September 18th. Tickets are on sale. The show is so far the lone date for Systematic Death, though Dropdead has a local show at AS220 in their native Providence, RI on 8/14.

And while we're on the subject of Japanese hardcore, A.G.E. are scheduled to tear down Knitting Factory with the freight train known as Hellshock (!) with support from Parasytic, Cervix, Perdition. The show goes down on devil's night (Oct 30th, how appropo) and tickets are on sale. Hellshock's They Wait For You Still dropped in the tail end of last year. Again, no other US dates for A.G.E. so far.

All Venomous Concept dates and some video below...

Continue reading "Venomous Concept schedule a NYC show, Systematic Death, Dropdead, A.G.E. & Hellshock too (dates) "

words by BBG, photos by Samantha Marble

Brian of Eyehategod/Soilent Green

It'd be easy to mistake the Eyehategod/Brutal Truth/Nachtmystium/Black Anvil/Tombs throw down as a full on assault on the audience. And while in a sense it was, to the metal fans in attendance, it was a more of a big party. Songs like "Sister Fucker", "High on Hate", and "Filled With Secrets" don't outwardly point to a celebratory vibe, but in the context of that show, beers were hoisted and invisible oranges were raised.

Tombs kicked off the evening at a ridiculously early 6PM with a set that seemed to be filled with new tunes making full use of their new guitarist. It was my first experience with Tombs as a four piece, and the addition definitely adds a fuller sound.

Black Anvil followed with a set that also relied heavily on newer material from their upcoming Triumvirate. The band's relative cooling to the the live stage in 2010 (to write and record mostly) meant a heaping dose of brutality... of course then again, maybe it's the whole "don't know what you've got, til it's gone" factor. (I missed their set opening for Immortal, and only caught them briefly at Scion Rock Fest)

Nachtmystium was up next, and aside from brainchild Blake Judd, the band was sporting a wholly new lineup made up of members of Lord Mantis and a new guitar player (Jeff Wilson recently left the band). Their set contained little of the controversial elements from their new LP Addicts (meaning, no keyboards, overly-compressed snares, etc) and instead concentrated on the melodic black metal blasting. "High on Hate" from the new LP sound particularly impressive live.

Brutal Truth followed, pulling from across their groovy grind catalogue, as barefooted vocalist Kevin Sharp barked out vocals at the crowd. Their set was good, but I found my eyes glued to drummer Richard Hoek for almost the entire set. Hoek is infinitely watchable/listenable, as he alternates between precision blasting, goofy faces, and making ridiculous remarks at the crowd.

After all that lightning-quick pummel, it was nice to have Eyehategod on stage to take it nice and slow. The band pulled out all of the classics for their shortened set (a shade over an hour), and whipped the crowd into a fever pitch. Pit action, stage dives, and sing-alongs were a-plenty, and the band seemed genuinely more excited to be in Brooklyn than they were just seven months prior. Incredible set.

More Eyehategod dates HERE. Tons of pics, and some videos from the Brooklyn show, below...

Continue reading "Eyehategod, Brutal Truth, Nachtmystium, Black Anvil & Tombs played Europa in Brooklyn - pics & video"

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Nachtmystium - "Every Last Drop" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Nachtmystium - "Addicts" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Nachtmystium - "No Funeral" (MP3)

Eyehategod at Europa (more by Samantha Marble)

Saturday (6/12) marks the massive Eyehategod / Brutal Truth / Nachtmystium / Black Anvil / Tombs show at Europa. The uber-stacked bill still has tickets available but if you are lucky, you can win one of FOUR sets for free! Details on how to win are at the bottom of this post.

Of all of the above touring bands, only Nachtmystium have a freshly minted album under their wings (Black Anvil's Triumvirate impacts on 9/28). The followup to the critical/fan smash Assassins: Black Meddle, the highly controversial LP Addicts: Black Meddle Part II, is out now via Century Media. Check out a few tracks from that LP available for download above.

In an recent interview that I did for Metalsucks, Blake Judd of Nachtmystium revealed that the Twilight project (featuring Aaron Turner of Isis, Sanford Parker of Minsk, N. Imperial of Kreig, Wrest of Leviathan, and Stavros Giannopolous of The Atlas Moth) was working on new material and might have a new member:

There are talks that somebody from Sonic Youth might be playing with us as well. Sanford's [Parker] partner is Jeremy Lemos. He's Sonic Youth's sound technician live. So we're pretty closely connected to them through him. Thurston Moore is a big black metal fan, so we've been in talks with him about getting him involved and doing something on the next record, which we're all really hoping will happen.

Some videos and contest details are below...

Continue reading "Nachtmystium play w/ Eyehategod Saturday (WIN TIX), Thurston Moore to play on Twilight album? (not that Twilight!)"

words by Kim Kelly, intro by BBG, photos by Christopher Mumma & BBG

Thou

SXSW was a blast, but days before that the Scion Rock Fest shook the college town of Columbus, Ohio (March 13th) with it's mix of metal gods of the past (DRI, Cannibal Corpse, Voivod, Shrinebuilder, etc) and killers of today (Ludicra, Landmine Marathon, Yob, Thou, etc). The one-day fest was spread throughout four of the town's venue, meaning any one person could only see a limited amount of the full lineup. Luckily I went to Columbus with my own camera, two other photographers (Jessie Barber and Christopher Mumma), and crossed paths with writer Kim Kelly along the way. If there is a metal show worth a damn within hundreds (thousands?) of miles from Kim, she'll be there. Her version of the story along with half of the pictures from the day (the rest HERE), below...

Continue reading "Scion Rock Fest in pics & review (part 1) - Ludicra, Liturgy, D.R.I., Yob, Thou, Lightning Swords of Death & more "

Eyehategod at Europa (more by Samantha Marble)

Eyehategod don't do small. First it was Goatwhore, Pig Destroyer and Strong Intention on a boat. Then it was Tombs, Howl, Unearthly Trance, and Strong Intention.

Now, BrooklynVegan and Osiris are proud to announce another unmissable lineup: Eyehategod with Brutal Truth, Nachtmystium, Black Anvil, and Tombs at Europa on June 12th! Ticket info is forthcoming, as well as their full US tour sked. Meanwhile, EHG is also scheduled to play Emo's in Austin on May 7th to perform all of In The Name of Suffering and Take As Needed For Pain. Drool.

Both EHG and Tombs are also playing MDF 2010 (which recently added Nirvana 2002 and Krallice). Tombs recently played the Relapse showcase at SXSW along with Voivod, Kill The Client, and many others. We have pics from that coming soon.

Black Anvil can be seen much sooner. They play NYC on TUESDAY (3/30) with Immortal at Brooklyn Masonic Temple. Tickets are still available. The band recently finished tracking their new LP, Triumvirate. Want to win a pair of Immortal tickets? Details how are at the bottom of this post...

As previously discussed, Nachtmystium's Addicts: Black Meddle part II is on the way via Century Media. Look for it June 8th.

All currently announceed Eyehategod dates, some videos and the contest below...

Continue reading "Eyehategod playing NY w/ Brutal Truth, Nachtmystium, Tombs & Black Anvil (who play Brooklyn w/ Immortal - win tix) "

by BBG

Shrinebuilder at LPR (more here)

Atlanta no more! Scion Rock Fest 2010 will take place in Columbus, Ohio on March 13, 2010. The show will officially expand its reach from one to FOUR venues in Columbus: Circus, Newport Music Hall, Skully's, and Bernie's Distillery. 2010's lineup contains zero return bands from the 2009 festival but does contain sets from bands that released my favorite albums of last year (namely Magrudergrind, Yob, Absu) and played my favorite shows of last year (Lightning Swords of Death, Landmine Marathon, Trap Them, Black Tusk, Ludicra) in addition to sets from headliners Cannibal Corpse, Voivod, Shrinebuilder, Brutal Truth.

The rest of the lineup, the show flyer, and RSVP info is below...

Continue reading "Scion Rock Fest 2010 (March 13 in Ohio) - lineup announced"

words by BBG, photos by Paul Birman

Phobia. RULING.

NYC faced the Waste on 12/9, and the animals were let loose when Municipal Waste, Brutal Truth, Phobia and Cauldron teamed up at Gramercy. Tons of pics below.

Municipal Waste ends their tour in their hometown of Richmond on Friday (12/11), and after a month away from the road, hop on a flight to Europe to continue the madness. Brutal Truth also has exotic locales in their sights; after Richmond, the triumphant and reunited band hits Japan for a set of dates starting on 12/15, but will be back in time for Dan Lilker to join up with Crucifist for some January dates on the east coast. Phobia carries on from Richmond into the south before ending the tour in Texas.

Full tour dates for all bands, as well as some videos with the rest of the pictures (and some setlists), below...

Continue reading "Municipal Waste, Phobia, Brutal Truth & Cauldron @ Gramercy Theater in NYC - pics, video & setlist"

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Municipal Waste - "Wrong Answer" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Brutal Truth - "Evolution Through Revolution" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Phobia - "Protest/Solution" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Phobia - "Savannah's Assault" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Cauldron - "Conjure The Mass" (MP3)

Dave Witte on stage with Burnt By The Sun at cake shop (more by Paul Birman)

T-minus thirty hours and counting until Municipal Waste, Brutal Truth, Phobia, and Cauldron crash lands at The Gramercy (on 12/9). Tickets are still available if you havent partaken thus far.

Municipal Waste are currently burning through the US on the strength of critical fave Massive Aggressive which includes "Wrong Answer", downloadable above with a video for it below. Meanwhile Brutal Truth are celebrating their reunion and return to the stage with a critically lauded LP Evolution Through Revolution, while Phobia are still doing dastardly deeds with 22 Counts of Violence.

Cauldron recently dropped their debut album, Chained To The Nite, on Earache. Dig on "Conjuring The Mass" above. The band is on board for a select set of dates with MW. This past Sunday's Toronto show (12/6) served as the setting for an upcoming live DVD for the Canucks. More on that DVD soon.

On a semi-related note, Dave Witte shared the stage with Black Anvil at the BV sponsored Burnt By The Sun show at Cake Shop recently. Black Anvil has been added to the already STACKED bill of The Hope Conspiracy, Blacklisted, Mother of Mercy, United Nations show at Cake Shop on 1/15. It's one of two (known) shows coming up on the BV roster, the second being Magrudergrind at Cake Shop one week later.

Blacklisted recently surprised us all by releasing No One Deserves To Be Here More Than Me on ZERO notice, a digital and vinyl only release via Deathwish Inc. The album follows their monumental Heavier Than Heaven, Lonelier Than God which dropped in 2008 on the label. Pick the new record up here.

For more on Dave Witte of Municipal Waste and Burnt By The Sun, check out an interview we did with him here.

Remaining MW tour dates and a few videos are below....

Continue reading "Municpal Waste are on the road w/ Brutal Truth, Phobia & Cauldron (NYC Wednesday) - dates ++ MP3s"

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

They say that the clothes make the man, but in the music world, the drummer makes the band. That's the only way to explain the string of successes that have followed Dave Witte since he first sat behind the kit as a member of the influential yet under-appreciated Human Remains. Since then, Witte has played with some of the greatest bands in the heavy underground, laying the back beat to names as powerful as Municipal Waste, Discordance Axis, Anodyne, Black Army Jacket, Melt Banana, and we can't forget about Burnt By The Sun.

Burnt By The Sun recently released their swansong, Heart of Darkness, via Relapse Records. In celebration of this last LP, the band will embark on final tour of Europe in October with only one US date scheduled: October 2nd at Cake Shop with Tombs, Black Anvil, Bloodhorse, and Torchbearer. Considering the band members' current undertakings, it isn't out the question to say that this could be their last show for a very very long time.

With that as a primer, I fired some questions at Dave Witte about Municipal Waste, the end of Burnt By The Sun, and the possiblity of him returning to the kit for Human Remains, Discordance Axis or Black Army Jacket. The conversation is below....

Continue reading "an interview w/ Dave Witte (of Burnt by the Sun, Municipal Waste, Human Remains, Black Army Jacket...)"

by Black Bubblegum

Municipal Waste and the mighty Phobia are going on tour and teaming up with Brutal Truth and Cauldron for a string of dates along the way. Those include a NYC show at Gramercy Theatre on 12/9. Tickets are on sale.

Phobia, who dropped 22 Random Acts Of Violence via Willowtip last year, are currently working on a video for "Rise Up". Look for that soon.

Meanwhile, Municipal Waste drummer Dave Witte will be in NYC this Friday (10/4) at Cake Shop when he will join Burnt By The Sun in their only scheduled US show brought to you by 1000 Knives and Brooklyn Vegan! Support will come from none other than Tombs, Black Anvil, Bloodhorse, and the recently added Torchbearer. There are no advance tickets... you can only get 'em at the door... unless, of course, you were to win one of TWO FREE PAIRS. For more on how to win those tickets, look at the bottom of this post.

The show is one of two BV sponsored shows for the weekend, the second being Woe, Aluk Todolo, Malkuth, and Castevet at Union Pool on 10/4. Tickets are $8 at the door.

Dave Witte has also been known to join the live incarnation of Melt Banana, though his schedule dictates that he won't be playing with them during their upcoming North American tour.

Full Municipal Waste tour dates, and their "Gore Version" of the video for "Wrong Answer", below...

Continue reading "Municipal Waste & Phobia touring (some dates w/ Brutal Truth), Burnt by the Sun @ Cake Shop Friday (win tix)"

words by Black Bubblegum, photos by Justina Villanueva

"We went mainly to see Repulsion, a seminal grindcore band from Flint, Michigan, who opened the show. Before setting on their current moniker they called themselves "Ultraviolence" and then "Genocide", which lends some insight into the group's aesthetic. Song titles include "Splattered Cadavers", "Pestilent Decay" and "Maggots in Your Coffin", and lyrics concentrate on fear, outrage and death. The crowd that gathered to see Repulsion at the Temple was 98% male and 90% under the age of 30. More than half boasted shoulder-length hair (or longer); nearly everyone wore a black T-shirt." [More Intelligent Life]

More pictures from the show are below...

Continue reading "Repulsion (their first NYC show ever), Brutal Truth & Pig Destroyer @ Brooklyn Masonic Temple - pics"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Repulsion "The Stench Of Burning Death" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Brutal Truth "Evolution Through Revolution" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Pig Destroyer "Loathsome" (MP3)

Repulsion

Only four days left (July 31st) until the upcoming NYC debut of grind gods Repulsion along with the unfathomable support crew of Brutal Truth and Pig Destroyer at Brooklyn Masonic Temple. Tickets are still available.

The show will double as a book release party for Decibel's new book Precious Metal, which compiles 25 of their favorite "Hall Of Fame" LPs like Slayer's Reign in Blood, Napalm Death's Scum, Eyehategod's Take as Needed for Pain, Darkthrone's Transilvanian Hunger, Sleep's Jerusalem, The Dillinger Escape Plan's Calculating Infinity as well as the centerpiece for July 31st, Repulsion's Horrifed (Brutal Truth's Need To Control was also a Hall of Fame recipient, but didn't make the book). Decibel will also release a special "Decibill" at the show featuring pieces on all three bands by Decibel greats J. Bennett and Jess Blumensheld (cover of that is below).

In celebration of this momentous show, we asked Kevin Sharp (Brutal Truth), JR Hayes (Pig Destroyer) and Col Jones (Repulsion) to discuss one of the other bands on the bill, what they mean to them and extreme music. Their thoughts are below... a must read!

In addition, we'd be remiss if we didn't (again) mention another major show going down this weekend.... the Show No Mercy/BV-BBG event on Sunday, August 2nd at Public Assembly with Keelhaul, Minsk, Unearthly Trance, Defeatist, and STATS! So to get even MORE celebrate-y up in this mutha, we are happy to announce a MEGA-giveaway for BOTH shows. The prize includes tickets to both shows, records, the Decibel book and more.

Details on that prize and how to win it, the above-mentioned interview, as well as flyers for both shows, and more, below...

Continue reading "Repulsion, Brutal Truth & Pig Destroyer metal mega-post (interview, contest, shows this weekend & more)"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Crucifist - "Honor" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Flood - "Aphelion" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Culted - "Social Control" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Fall Of Efrafa - INLÉ (Zipped MP3 Album)

Fall of Efrafa

Though the rain is mostly gone, it's still a doomy gloomy day here at Week In Metal, where we kick things off with Fall of Efrafa, who have dropped their FINAL album of thundering post-hardcore sludge on Denovali. It's called INLÉ and takes inspiration from an extremely unlikely source, the book Watership Down. The final in a trilogy of LPs that also included OWSLA and ELIL, INLÉ is available for FREE download above of for purchase via Denovali or Sound Devastation.

More details on Shrinebuilder have surfaced, including the FULL album art, as well as the tracklisting for the upcoming self-titled LP. Dig on that art here and the tracklisting below. Speaking of Al Cisneros, Vice blog recently interviewed Sleep and Om are on their way to NYC.

Roadburn has announced that 2010's Roadburn event will be partly curated by none other than Tom Warrior of Celtic Frost/Hellhammer/Triptykon fame! His new band Triptykon will headline Only Death Is Real, the Friday 4/16/10 event, and Tom will choose an additional 16 bands for the festival! Stokeage. More info is to come.

San Francisco's Flood, who take a line or two from the great Khanate with their low & slow doomy funeral marches, recently dropped their new LP Native on the esteemed MeteorCity (get that here). Check out a track from that massive LP, "Aphelion", which is downloadable above. Flood currently has no plans to head out east, but here's for hoping!

Kirk Lloyd is currently shopping an EP of unreleased material by legendary southern dirge merchants Buzzov*en!

It was recorded in Brooklyn by Shane and mixed by Mike Davidson and Brian Hill. Its 4 songs including "Nod" which was previously released on a split with Sourvein. The 3 other tunes are "Paintake","Breed" and "Mainline". "Mainline" got redone by the At A Loss lineup, but is actually a good bit different... with the original lineup of Brian Hill on bass, Ash Lee on drums, ...and this is the only recording with Johhny Brito on gtr. [Also look for] ...Pat Vigil now in Watch Them Die doing 2nd vocal on "Breed"!!

The legendary Autopsy will reunite at Maryland Deathfest 2010 bringing along with them Coffins, Melechesh, and Jesus Crost! Chris Reifert's current home, Abcess, recently released a split with Population Reduction.

More on Brutal Truth, Culted, Salome, Napalm Death, Torche, a new grind-fiesta in Williamsburg, and so much more, below...

Continue reading "This Week In METAL (07/22/09)"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Minsk - "Three Moons" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Magrudergrind - "Excommunicated" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Magrudergrind - "Lyrical Ammunition For Scene Warfare" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Afgrund - "Klinisk Digital Kyla" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Afgrund - "Borja Fran Noll" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Thou - "Into The Void" (Black Sabbath cover, MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Thou - "Sweet Leaf" (Black Sabbath cover, MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Thou - "Lord Of This World" (Black Sabbath cover, MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Thou - "Black Sabbath" (Black Sabbath cover, MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Black Pyramid - "Visions of Gehenna" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Gnaw Their Tongues - "Rife with Deep Teeth Marks" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Complete Failure - Heal No Evil (ZIPPED MP3 Album)

Lots of ground to cover, since we missed ya last week, so lets get right to it with the mighty Minsk! The Chicagoan's new album With Echoes In The Movement Of Stone is out now, and it definitely delivers on the promises of The Ritual Fires of Abandonment. Highly recommended, as evidenced by the monstrosity "Three Moons" available for download above!

At The Charleston on 5/29, I managed to catch the pummeling Magrudergrind along with the equally awesome powerviolence of The Endless Blockade. The pair are touring surrounding their MDF appearance, and while TEB doesn't have a new album out, Magrudergrind DOES; a self-titled LP available now via Willowtip! Cop that here, and cop a pair of songs from the record above!

Also up at Willowtip, the new LPs by Defeatist and Afgrund! The new Defeatist LP, Sharp Blade Sinks Deep Into Dull Minds, is actually a compilation of previous EPs and other releases, but definitely provides a good preview as to what these grinders are about before their new LP drops (soon). Meanwhile Afgrund's new LP, Vid Helvetets Grindar, is also on preorder. Check out the band's deathgrind-y groove on tracks like "Klinisk Digital Kyla", "Borja Fran Noll", both downloadable above.

Check out two noteworthy streams... Khanate's Clean Hands Go Foul and Xasthur's All Reflections Drained. Both albums are out NOW via Hydra Head Records. In the meantime, check out an awesome interview with James Plotkin of Khanate and make sure and buy that Khanate hunting knife too!

Goes Cube are finally home from their tour promoting the massive Another Day Has Passed. Their "homecoming show" is scheduled for tonight (6/5) at Union Hall with The Detachment Kit amd The Thin Man. Tickets are still available.

Ancestors have completed recording their follow-up to last year's Neptune With Fire. Featuring four songs, and three interludes, I had a chance to preview a few tracks which are definitely as epic as their previous material, and just as compelling. Look for Sera Timms from Black Math Horseman and David Scott Stone to make an apperance on the as-yet untitled LP, and look for more news very soon!

A member of Pelican and a member of Tombs have agreed to a "bro tat" commemorating their current tour together. So what you say? YOU can decide what it is! Pictures from their recent show together at Irving Plaza are HERE in case you missed them.

Iron Age and Sex Vid are in town this weekend. More info, dates, and an MP3 from Iron Age's Tee Pee Records debut, HERE.

Liturgy have been added to our Northside Festival showcase. Howl have been added to the roster of Relapse Records, and we just got word that so were Black Anvil!

Black Pyramid has released their new self-titled LP on the doom stable Meteor City Records. While vocalist Andy Beresky comes off sounding like J.D. Cronise at times (NOT a bad thing), these Massachusetts boys definitely are in a whole different category than The Sword. With an ability to balance their bombastic blues riffs with stylistic touches of the greats (ie Electric Wizard, Sleep, Pentagram, etc) without sounding derivative, check out a video for Black Pyramid's "And The Gods Made War/Visions of Gehenna" below and download "Visions of Gehenna" above! Full BP tour dates are below, including their appearance at the Stoner Hands Of Doom Festival.

That video and Thou, Indian, Ulver, Brutal Truth, Wolves In The Throne Room, Municipal Waste, and Narrows as This Week In Metal Continues...

Continue reading "This Week In METAL (06/05/09)"

photos by Justina Villanueva, words by Black Bubblegum

The oh-so-Brutal Truth

Pummeling, fist-pumping, extreme grindcore was the order of the day at Europa in Brooklyn on Sunday (5/17). It was day two of the Auditory Assault Festival, and the godfathers of modern grind, Brutal Truth, met up with the mighty Misery Index, Rotten Sound (who released one of my fave records of 2008), Crowpath (them too), Total Fucking Destruction (with Richard Hoak of BT), Pigsty, Jig-ai, Sulaco, and others. Many bands on the AAF roster were making their first pit stop towards their eventual destination, Maryland Death Fest, which goes down this weekend in Baltimore with Bolt Thrower, Mayhem, Pestilence, Napalm Death, and about 50 of their closest friends.

The cavalcade of NYC shows surrounding MDF continues as Antigama / Complete Failure impacts Europa TONIGHT (5/20), Mayhem / Marduk / Cephalic Carnage / Cattle Decapitation Lair Of The Minotaur / Withered hit Irving TOMORROW (5/21, tickets here), Wolves In The Throne Room hit Europa on FRIDAY (5/22, tickets here) and then again on TUESDAY (5/26, tickets), Trap Them at Lit Lounge on MONDAY (5/25), and last, but certainly not least, Unearthly Trance / The Endless Blockade / Magrudergrind at The Charleston on 5/28.

Brutal Truth will be back in Brooklyn on July 31st with Pig Destroyer and Repulsion, who are playing ALL of the influential Horrified, as part of The Blackened Music Series at Brooklyn Masonic Temple. Tickets are now on sale.

Tickets are also now on sale for our own showcase happening at Europa on June 14th.

More pictures from the Auditory Assault Festival below....

Continue reading "Auditory Assault Fest assaulted Europa (pics) + upcoming metal shows & tix (like MDF, Repulsion & BBG @ Northside)"

by Black Bubblegum

Repulsion circa 1992

They played Europa last night (5/17), and now we can confirm that Brutal Truth are playing another NYC show on July 31st at Brooklyn Masonic Temple. Brutal Truth will team up with Pig Destroyer (their first NYC appearance in two years) and US death metal/grind pioneers Repulsion!

In their first EVER NYC appearance, Repulsion will play ALL of their compilation Horrified as part of a salute to that classic collection of demos recently named the greatest Grindcore album of all time by Decibel Magazine.

While relatively unsung compared to heavyweights such as Napalm Death and Carcass, Repulsion nevertheless had a big impact in shaping the then-young grindcore genre during its brief heyday in the late '80s. As illustrated by a sole full-length release, the 1986 recording Horrified, the band's sound fell somewhere between the earlier proto-grind of Boston hardcore band Siege and the more fully developed grindcore of the early Napalm Death recordings, at least as far as the evolutionary ladder goes. They were also one of the first metal bands to use horror- and gore-oriented lyrics, thereby helping start a tradition that soon would descend to deeper and deeper depths of depravity as successive bands strove harder and harder to outdo one another.... Repulsion's music has still held up fairly well over the years, having been reissued several times and championed by bands and artists including Carcass, John Zorn, Napalm Death, Exhumed, Cattle Decapitation, Scott Hull of Pig Destroyer and Agoraphobic Nosebleed, and numerous others. -[allmusic]

Agoraphobic Nosebleed, recently saw the coming of their new album Agorapocalypse. We interviewed Scott Hull before Scion Rock Fest.

Repulsion videos below...

Continue reading "Repulsion finally playing 1st NYC show (@ Masonic Temple) w/ Pig Destroyer & Brutal Truth (who played Europa) "

by Black Bubblegum

Brutal Truth @ Maryland Deathfest 2007

Maryland Deathfest's belligerent younger sibling, Auditory Assault Fest, takes place THIS WEEKEND in Brooklyn on May 16th and 17th At Europa. Tickets are still available in daily and two day pass increments.

It was also announced that there will be an afterparty on Saturday (5/16) at The Charleston featuring Buckshot Facelift (ex-Biolich), The Communion, and PurseSnatcher.

AAF set times and poster below...

Continue reading "Auditory Assault Fest this weekend - set times & afterparty"

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

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 Bubblegum

Swede badasses GADGET in 2007.

I definitely have been going on and on and on about the awesome Maryland Deathfest, and while my stoke-ability level is still tres tres high, we now have have something closer to home to look forward to from the very same team behind MDF! Behold the Auditory Assault Festival with it's holy-shit list of grind badasses:

Auditory Assault Festival
May 16 + 17 in New York City
venue T.B.A.

First bands announced:
Brutal Truth (New York)
Gadget (Sweden)
Sayyadina (Sweden)
Pigsty (Czech Republic)
Jig-Ai (Czech Republic)
Kill The Client (Texas)
Total Fucking Destruction (Pennsylvania)
Defeatist (New York)

Kill The Client was one of my favorite records of 2008. Brutal Truth reformed and played their first reunion show in NYC in August of 2008. Total Fucking Destruction recently dropped Peace Love & Total Fucking Destruction on Enucleation (Thx KK & Coma1138).

DOWNLOAD: Cynic - "Integral Birth" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Darkthrone - "Hiking Metal Punks" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Architect - Death & Taxes (Rough Mix) (MP3)

Cynic

We kick things off with the reunited prog-death of Cynic and their new record, Traced In Air, due on Season of Mist on Oct 28th. Traced In Air is Cynic's first album in 15 years, since the release of the now cult classic Focus. Comprised of founders Paul Masvidal and Sean Reinert, both members of the legendary Human-era Death members, "Integral Birth" (downloadable above) is the first song to emerge from Traced In Air. Metalkult has posted a pretty extensive interview with Paul of Cynic.

Darkthrone have posted a new song from their upcoming album Dark Thrones and Black Flags, due Oct 20th on Peaceville. The record will be released on three formats: a regular edition in jewel case, a vinyl edition, and a special edition in a slipcased jewel case package with exclusive new video footage. Check out "Hiking Metal Punks" available for download above and head on over to their mini-site to stream two others!

Keelhaul have announced a handful of midwest & southern dates, though no NYC dates so far. The band is currently working on new material for a new record, the follow up to 2006's massive Subject To Change Without Notice, "and quite possibly a dvd". No word as to the details of when that record would emerge but when pressed, the band offered that they "are old & slow".

YOB, who recently reformed, have signed to Profound Lore and added a new bass player Aaron Reiseberg.

Doomriders

Doomriders & Disfear will team up for a split seven-inch available via Deathwish Records. A "Tour Edition" of the split will be available from the bands during their upcoming European tour with SSS, but the rest of us will have to wait for the preorder. Doomriders have a new album due next year.

As we discussed before, Neurosis is curating the "Beyond The Pale" event at Roadburn 2009, and last week they announced four of those bands... The Young Gods, Guapo, Akimbo, and US Christmas.

The Roadburn Flyer, Brutal Truth, The Gates Of Slumber, Gojira, YOB, and more as The Week In Metal continues....

Continue reading "This Week In METAL (10/09/08)"

by Black Bubblegum

Sunday is supposed to be the day of rest, but not this week.... as heavy music fans have THREE high profile shows to choose from! First up, the return of influential grinders Brutal Truth (with Dan Lilker of ex-Anthrax / SOD / Nuclear Assault fame) who are playing their first NYC show since their reunion and the release of new material on the This Comp Kills Fascists record, out now on Relapse. Tickets are still available.

Tonight's show (August 17) starts at 7 and the band will be joined by Chicago's Macabre, Devourment, Malignancy and The Communion. The Communion also played a show on Thursday with Gridlink, Hayaino Daisuki, and ASRA (maybe you caught The Melvins/Big Business that night instead). Gridlink, Hayaino Daisuki, and ASRA play Jersey City (469 Central Ave) tonight - one of six tour dates they had scheduled.

Feeling a little less grind and a little more doom? The mighty Weedeater is playing the Knitting Factory Tap Bar with Black Cobra. tickets are still available

Brutal Truth is currently Dan Lilker, Kevin Sharp, Rich Hoak, and Eric Burke (Nuclear Assault). All tour dates, tonight's flyer and a video below...

Continue reading "Brutal Truth & other heavy shows to choose from "