The Sword at SXSW 2013 (more by Sara Linder)

Apocryphon was released last fall, and ever since then The Sword have kept moving. The Austin quartet will spend a month on the road this summer, kicking off a string of North American dates in their native Texas and heading westward with Castle and American Sharks. Dates include both coasts, a hefty chunk of Canada, and very little to no love for the Midwest. Look for the tour to hit Music Hall of Williamsburg on August 18, tickets go on AmEx presale at noon and regular sale on Friday (6/14) at noon.

After the summer dates, look for The Sword to hit the road with Clutch. All tour dates and some video is below.

Continue reading "The Sword add summer dates before Clutch tour"

crowd at Starland Ballroom in 2011 (more by Keith Marlowe)

As discussed, NJ venue Starland Ballroom is reopening this year after damages from Hurricane Sandy forced them to close. When we last posted, it had been announced that "something" would happen on June 4 (aka today), and it turns out that that "something" is the announcement of the venue's initial schedule for this September - December. Shows announced include Two Door Cinema Club (10/9), Clutch (12/28), and more.

Full current schedule below...

Continue reading "Starland Ballroom announces initial 2013 schedule"

by Fred Pessaro

Earth rockers Clutch not too long ago played a massive set of dates on our shores, and will head to the UK and Europe this summer. On returning, the band will kick off another big set of dates; look for Clutch and The Sword to play The Capitol Theatre in Port Chester on Sepetember 26 (tickets go on sale Friday (6/7) at noon), The Paramount in Huntington, NY on September 27 (tickets on sale Friday at 10AM), and probably most excitingly, Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ on December 28 which is finally reopening after Hurricane Sandy walloped it last year (ticketing info forthcoming).

Another date in particular will see Clutch play alongside Dropkick Murphys, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts, The Gaslight Anthem, Mighty Mighty Bosstones, The Hold Steady, Larry and His Flask and more as part of the Shindig Festival in Baltimore's Carroll Park on September 14. More details and ticketing information is available via the fest.

All other dates are listed, along with a Clutch song stream, below.

Continue reading "Clutch touring with The Sword this fall (dates)"

Shout Out Louds at Webster Hall in 2010 (more by Dominick Mastrangelo)

today in NYC
* Whiplash @ UCB
* Los Vega @ Barbes
* Brain Cloud @ Barbes
* The Thermals @ Ace Hotel
* Ester Rada @ Slipper Room
* Greys, Shahman @ Cake Shop
* Tony Scherr Trio @ Living Room
* Shellshag, Pity Party @ Acheron
* Deep Space w/ Francois K @ Cielo
* The Campilongo Trio @ Living Room
* Frank London's Shekhina Big Band @ The Stone
* Kria Brekkan, Aaron Roche @ Church of the Advent Hope
* Wyatt Cenac, Yannis Pappas, Erik Bergstrom @ Littlefield
* The Electric Set, Sexy Neighbors, Trepanning @ Silent Barn
* Bernhoft, Baby Alpaca (Duo Set), Cameron Hull @ Glasslands
* Shout Out Louds, Little Children @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* Lily & The Parlour Tricks, Alice & the Glass Lake @ Mercury Lounge
* Child Abuse, Pyrrhon, Say At Last, Valerie Keuhne @ Death By Audio
* Kestrels, Adult Dude, Graveyard Lovers, Sweethearts @ Public Assembly
* Hannibal Buress, Taylor Ketchum, Kate Hendricks, Michael Che, Mike Denny, Nimesh Patel @ Matchless

Kria Brekkan (of Iceland's Mum) plays tonight at Church of the Advent Hope (111 E. 87th St). It's free.

Toronto's Greys play their first of two NYC shows this week tonight at Cake Shop. Stream their new EP, Drift, and read our interview with them HERE.

The music portion of SXSW officially starts tomorrow (3/12), but there's some shows tonight too. Follow @BVSXSW on Twitter.

Follow @BrooklynVegan on Twitter.
Follow @bvChicago for just Chicago stuff.
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Be our friend on Facebook too, and BV Austin's friend on Facebook and BV Chicago's friend on Facebook.

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Clutch is streaming a new song at NPR from their forthcoming LP Earth Rocker. If you missed it, check out our interview with guitarist Tim Sult.

Hip hop producer Hit-Boy ("Niggas in Paris," "Clique," "Backseat Freestyle," "Goldie") is releasing a compilation, All I've Ever Dreamed Of, this week (3/12) and he just revealed a track from it, "Cypher," which features a zillion rappers (Schoolboy Q, Casey Veggies, Xzibit, Rick Ross, Method Man, Red Man, Raekown, and more). Check it out below.

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Monday?"

As I stated previously, Clutch gets some of their heavier mojo back on their new burner "Earth Rocker." The Maryland stoner crew will take some of that riffy goodwill on the road with them as part of a full assault attack on North America and Europe that will last them well into July. US dates kick off as soon as next week, and include a stop in NYC at Terminal 5 on May 2 as part of a string of dates with The Sword and Lionize. Tickets go on AMEX presale at noon on Wednesday (2/27) with regular sale hitting on Friday (3/1) at noon.

Clutch will release their new album, Earth Rocker, on March 19. All tour dates are listed, alongside a stream of the album's title track, below.

Continue reading "Clutch touring in 2013, playing NYC at Terminal 5 (dates) "

Frightened Rabbit @ T5, Nov. 2010 (more by Lionel Bergeron)

SXSW has just announced another round of bands for the 2013 edition of the annual music festival that will happen March 12 - 17. This brings the total current number of acts to around 1300. Someome of the highlights include Vampire Weekend, Frightened Rabbit, The Thermals, Black Lips, Camera Obscura, Merchandise, Bleached, Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire, Eagles of Death Metal, Parenthetical Girls, Indians, Night Beds, IO Echo, KEN Mode, Prince Paul, Pure Bathing Culture, Sepalcure, UK motorik post-punks TOY, Finnish instrumentalists K-X-P, Toronto's Moon King, UK indie rockers Splashh (not Brooklyn Splash with one "h") and loads more. Head to BV Austin for the whole Round 3 list.

by Fred Pessaro // BBG

Tim of Clutch at Emo's East, December 2011 (more by Tim Griffin)

One of my first ever live shows (not including arena jams with mom and pop) was seeing Clutch at the original 9:30 Club in DC. I remember it vividly, vocalist Neil Fallon strutted on stage and sang like he was reading from a bible, ripping out page by page and throwing it into the crowd. Along with the thundering groove-oriented instrumentation, that left quite an impression on my young mind (early teens at the time), as did Transnational Speedway League's mix of hardcore and stoner metal. The early days of Clutch, the always bountiful DC hardcore scene, and another little semi-local band from the area, The Obsessed, helped form my early tastes.

It's hard to believe that show was close to twenty years ago and that Clutch is approaching a quarter-century as a band. Older is wiser in my book though, and the Maryland stoner/hard rock crew are back with Earth Rocker, their tenth LP due on March 19 via their own Weathermaker Music imprint. The LP is definitely a departure from their last few efforts, which climbed further down the blues rabbit hole, and a return to the band that penned riff-y rockers like  the ones found on their self-titled, The Elephant Riders and Pure Rock Fury. We've got the premiere of the new album's title track which you can stream below.

With the band's new LP on deck and more than two decades behind him, I cornered Clutch guitarist Tim Sult to ask him a few questions about the release and their history. You can read that below.

Continue reading "An interview with Tim Sult of Clutch (and a new song debut)"

Starland Ballroom (more by Tim Griffin)

Another victim of Sandy. The NJ music venue writes:

A MESSAGE FROM THE STARLAND BALLROOM:

The last two weeks in New Jersey have been a testament to our state's resilience. We've witnessed New Jersey's worst days, but also its greatest humanity. We've seen destruction, but we've also seen ho
pe, hard work and determination.

Our situation at Starland is a microcosm of these scenarios -- yet one we realize is significantly less important than one's home, family or livelihood. Hurricane Sandy devastated our electrical system and damaged our sound, lighting, heating / cooling and plumbing systems - all necessary ingredients in operating a public venue. Given the demand for these components in the regional housing and commercial sectors, we do not anticipate being able to open again until Spring 2013.

Speaking of 2013, it's the year in which we intend to celebrate Starland Ballroom's 10th anniversary. So we're dedicated to taking this time to rebuild the state's best concert venue, and make it even better. We'll take inspiration from all of our New Jersey neighbors who are working hard to get their lives back to normal. When it's all said and done, we'll be here for some of the best live concert celebrations available.

You can help in this effort: Send us an email to info@starlandballroom.com with your suggestions and ideas on how to make Starland even better. We'll read every last one of them.

Most of our shows will be canceled. A few will be moved to new locations. We'll have them listed here and at Starlandballroom.com ASAP.

Fans holding tickets to the canceled shows will receive a full refund, including fees. If you bought tickets online or via phone, you will receive an automatic refund within 7-10 business days. If you bought your tickets from a Ticketmaster retail outlet, you may return your tickets to that exact location for your refund. Tickets purchased here at Starland can be turned in for a full refund plus service fees during new hours of operation - Thursdays and Fridays from 3-6pm and Saturdays from 11am-2pm. The Box Office will not be open on Thanksgiving. Fans holding tickets to relocated shows, but unable to attend due to the new location, are also entitled to a refund. 2012 Starland SeasonPass holders will be permitted to use their passes for shows in 2013.

We regret that any of these shows are going away, but not as much as we regret the pain, suffering and destruction experienced by our customers throughout the Garden State. Much like the spirit of New Jersey, you can't stop rock n' roll. And we don't intend to.

Jersey proud, Starlanders. We'll see you soon.

Continue reading "Starland Ballroom closed till at least Spring 2013 "

Wino on stage with Saint Vitus at MDF 2012 (more by Fred Pessaro // BBG)

Clutch will team with Mondo Generator, Saviours and Wino for a string of East Coast dates leading up to a New Year's Eve show outside of Boston. Those dates include a stop at Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ on 12/30. Tickets go on AMEX presale today (9/19) at 10AM and regular sale on Friday and are currently on fan presale.

Wino, who played Saint Vitus in August, will return to the Greenpoint venue to play a sold-out show with the band Saint Vitus on Tuesday (9/25) as part of their string of US dates. The band also recently released a new Live EP via Scion. Download it for free here and stream it below along with a couple videos and a list of all tour dates.

Continue reading "Clutch touring with Mondo Generator, Saviours and Wino, add Starland Ballroom date; Saint Vitus releases Live EP"

3/4 of Kyuss (no Josh Homme) announced the creation of Kyuss Lives! last year. Original Kyuss members Brant Bjork, John Garcia, and Nick Oliveri, along with guitarist Bruno Fevery, have live dates scheduled this year in Australia, New Zealand, Europe, South America and now North America too. So far it's just two U.S. shows, but more will be announced. One of those is at The Fox Theater in Pomona, CA on October 8th, and the other is at NYC's Terminal 5 on September 23rd (the same venue Queens of the Stone Age recently played). Both Kyuss shows are with The Sword, and tickets for both go on sale this week (Terminal 5 goes on sale Friday).

In semi-related news, stoner-blueshounds Clutch will hit the road with Corrosion of Conformity (Animosity lineup) to play a string of dates together that will include Brooklyn Bowl on 7/20 (tickets go on sale Friday). The following day, Clutch play a solo show aboard the Temptress on 7/21 (a Rocks Off Concert Cruise). Tickets for that show are not yet listed.

All tour dates and some videos below...

Continue reading ""Kyuss Lives!" announces shows w/ the Sword +++ Clutch touring w/ Corrosion of Conformity (and playing a boat)"

photos by Dana (distortion) Yavin

"I'm watching Motorhead in Atlantic City.
Nothing else needs to be said. #Lemmy" - Mike Conroy

Not long after passing through both Starland Ballroom in NJ and Best Buy Theater in Times Square, the Motorhead / Clutch / Valient Thorr tour hit House of Blues in the gambling capital of NJ. No Valient Thorr, but pictures from the rest of the 3/4 House of Blues show continue below...

Continue reading "Motorhead & Clutch played Atlantic City (pics) "

photos by Greg Cristman

Doro Pesch & Lemmy in Times Square

"When you're at a Motorhead show there is only one thing to do, get yourself lost in the music and follow the rhythm of the crowd. The vibrations of the amplifiers, the feedback, the music, and your aggression guide your body. All body functions like hunger, sweat, fatigue, your bladder, don't exist at a Motorhead show. It's only when the music ends you realize you have to drain, which is how a good old fashioned rock show is supposed to be.

Other highlights of the night was the New York return of Mikkey Dee, who absent the last time they came around due to a comittment to the Swedish version of "I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here," Lemmy's shout out to 1983 (the year I was born), and last but certainly not least, Doro Pesch (of Warlock fame) joining the band for "Killed by Death."" [Examiner]

Continue reading "Motorhead (and Doro Pesch), Clutch & Valient Thorr played Best Buy Theater (pics & setlist)"

photos by Taylor Keahey, words by BBG

Motorhead @ the Warfield

If you missed it during its brief theatrical run, Lemmy, 49% Motherfucker, 51% Son Of A Bitch is out TODAY (2/15) on DVD and Blu-ray. The release paints the Motorhead/Hawkwind badass as a simple man who loves his trivia, Jack Daniels, and Marshall stacks turned to 11, but more importantly is an excellent portrait of a rock n roll icon. If you are a fan of metal, punk, Motorhead, or sleazy rock n'roll, it's worth a look. Pick up a copy today, or try your luck at winning one! Details are below.

Lemmy and Motorhead are currently on the road with Clutch & Valient Thorr. The tour hits Best Buy Theater in NYC on 2/28 (tickets), Starland Ballroom in NJ on 3/3 (tickets), and the House of Blues in Atlantic City on 3/4 for those who like to gamble (tickets).

Until those dates hit, you can gear up for the show by checking out pictures from the San Francisco stop at the Warfield on Feb 2nd, which are with the contest details and all tour dates, below...

Continue reading "Motorhead, Clutch & Valient Thorr tour continues (pics), Lemmy DVD out now (win one)"

by BBG

Lemmy of Motorhead at Roseland (more by Chris La Putt)

Motorhead will hit the road for "The Wörld is Yours 2011", a tour with Clutch scheduled in the new year, tagging Best Buy Theater in NYC on February 28th and Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ on March 3rd. Ticketing info for both shows is forthcoming.

The start of the tour coincides with the opening of the new film LEMMY: 49% Motherf**ker, 51% Son Of A Bitch:

Over four decades, Motorhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister has registered an immeasurable impact on music history. Nearly 65, he remains the living embodiment of the rock and roll lifestyle, and this feature-length documentary tells his story, one of a hard-living rock icon who continues to enjoy the life of a man half his age.

Shot on a combination of High Definition and Super 16mm film, "Lemmy" includes interviews with friends, family, bandmates past and present and such admirers/peers as Metallica, Slash, Dave Grohl (Nirvana/Foo Fighters), Ozzy Osbourne, Peter Hook (Joy Division/New Order), actor Billy Bob Thornton, wrestling superstar Triple H, Alice Cooper, Mick Jones of The Clash, and many more.

Continue reading "Motorhead announce 2011 tour dates & movie screenings"

photos by Greg Cristman, words by BBG

Neil Fallon of Clutch

Craveonline: Not to get overly personal right off, but will your new baby put a kabosh on how much touring Clutch does?

Neil Fallon of Clutch: We hadn't planned any touring regardless, baby or not. We've pulled back on our touring just because the older you get; it becomes a drag to just go on touring forever and ever. This two-month tour we're about do [with Black Label Society & Children Of Bodom] is about as long of a tour as we're willing to do... We'd actually only like to tour four weeks at a time. This one is an exception to the rule because it's a support slot and you can't really pick and choose how long you're gonna play. We also knew that after this one we were really going to focus on writing the next record so they're wouldn't be a lot of touring.

The sold-out BV-BBG Saturday night showcase at Union Pool was also one of those events. Pictures from that show are forthcoming, but more from Clutch and the rest of the gang at Hammerstein (some setlists included), with all remaining dates, below...

Continue reading "Clutch played Hammerstein Ballroom w/ Black Label Society & Children of Bodom (pics & setlists) "

After a hectic day of updating the constantly updating Bonnaroo lineup page, the entire thing has been announced. Gwar, Norah Jones, and the rest of the lineup below...

Continue reading "the complete 2010 Bonnaroo lineup (Stevie Wonder, The Melvins, Kings of Leon, Isis, Local Natives & many more) "

by BBG

"In the course of talking about the reissue I brought up the idea of playing some shows because I was like well look, if we were ever going to do this, if we were ever going to play again, you know, now would be the time to do it." - J Robbins

Jawbox was one of a few who defined the sound of the 90's underground. After releasing records on respected uber-indie Dischord, the band dropped their masterpiece For Your Own Special Sweetheart as their major label debut for Atlantic. Razor sharp post-hardcore riffage collided with tense emotional songwriting to create one of the greatest, yet most unsung LPs of the era. The band followed up Sweetheart with a self-titled LP before calling it quits in 1997.

Recently Jawbox celebrated reissued Sweetheart and celebrated with a performance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. We cornered vocalist/guitarist J Robbins before that performance to talk about the band, their future, his production work, and the Baltimore/DC music scene...

Continue reading "an interview with J. Robbins of Jawbox"

NJ's Starland Ballroom is running a sale of 50% off all December shows (password = TTS09). That includes the December 5th Sharon Jones show, the December 26th Danzig show, the December 30th Dilinger Escape Plan/Thursday show, and the Clutch show happening on New Years Eve.

Life of Agony play Starland Ballroom on Saturday night.

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Doomriders - "Lions" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Portal - "Omenknow" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Javelina - "Step Child" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Karma To Burn - Live at Lit Lounge 4/20/09 (Zipped MP3)
DOWNLOAD: 20 Buck Spin Label Sampler (Mediafire, Zipped MP3 via)
DOWNLOAD: Kowloon Walled City - Gambling On The Richter Scale (Zipped MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Converge - "Axe To Fall" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Power Pellut - "Black Molly" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Black Skies - "Smoke and Mirrors" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Yoga - "Seventh Wind" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Sleep - Live at ATP 5/9/09 (MP3)

Javelina @ the Northside BV-BBG Showcase (more by Jason Walker)

Alright! I get it. Doomriders rules. Revocation is up there. There's a new Converge and Baroness on the way. But even with all of those great releases, it suprises me that Javelina isn't near some of the top of those lists. The band's filthy debut was a monster and their new one, Beasts Among Sheep, only adds to their considerable reputation. If you are a fan of the last LP, this one is a must have. Dig on "Stepchild" above and preorder the limited edition LP version of Javelina's Beasts Among Sheep via Brutal Panda Records and the CD version via Translation Loss.

Speaking of that Doomriders album, Darkness Come Alive is out NOW via Deathwish Records. Though the party vibe that permeated through Black Thunder is mostly gone, it has been replaced by a propulsive punk rock fury and, at times, a Misfits-era Danzig croon (see "Come Alive")! There are quite a few killer moments on this long-player, but we present to you the most "fuck you" of them all, the galloping "Lions" downloadable above!

In our last round up, we shined a light on into the deepest fathoms of Australia and the truly frightening Portal. The band's claustrophobic and positively frightening new death metal LP, Swarth, relies as much on freak-out atmosphere as it does killer discordant riffery. Swarth is due out on 10/20 via Profound Lore and we have a second taste in the form of "Omenknow" above.
Misery Index have completed four new songs and are looking to enter the studio in early 2010 to record their follow up to Traitors! Stoked.

Iron Age @ Cake Shop (more by Jason Walker)

I still remember that kick ass Cake Shop show with Iron Age, Mind Eraser, and Sex Vid, and walking out of that show wanting more. Thankfully, I can add to those great memories with a PAIR of Iron Age shows in the coming weeks! First up, the rowdy Texans will team up with the great Mother of Mercy (profiled here) for a show at Cake Shop (10/16). The next day (10/17), look for the band to pull a double header with a day show at Generation Records and a night show at The Charleston with Brain Killer, Naam & Descender. Speaking of Mind Eraser, the band will team up with the kick ass Iron Lung for a string of east coast dates which will include Cake Shop on 11/8! Full Iron Age and Iron Lung dates are below.

Black Skies will release the limited edition vinyl from their 2008 EP Hexagon on I'm Better Than Everyone Else Records. The Chapel Hill doom trio is currently on the hunt for drummer #5, but not before blessing us with some seriously killer riffage in the form of "Smoke & Mirrors" above. Preorder Hexagon here.

Power Pellut is also releasing their debut LP via I'm Better than Everyone Else Records. Preorder that here and dig on "Black Betty" from that LP above!

Church of Misery will release a live record culled from their recent set at Roadburn 2009! More details are to come, but look for Burning World to do the honors in November/December of this year. In the meantime, dig on this killer live video from Roadburn 2009!

That video, news on Kowloon Walled City, Boris, Asphyx, Struck By Lightning, Ringworm, Repulsion and more!

Continue reading "This Week In METAL (09/30/09)"

by Black Bubblegum

High caliber, consecrated.

Clutch and Wino are opening for Shadows Fall (grody) on July 3rd in Atlantic City. That's bad news for those with a fear of New Jersey, crap metalcore (that's me), or crumbling casinos from the 80s. As tempting as it still is to go to that show just for the openers, there is now much less of a reason to. Clutch and Wino will team up for a US tour in September with Revolution Mother. That tour, which kicks off one month after Clutch's tour with Baroness and Lionize, includes NYC shows at Irving Plaza on Oct 9th and 10th. Ticket info is forthcoming.

Clutch is preparing to release their new album, Strange Cousins From The West on July 14th via their own Weathermaker imprint. Stream "50,000 Unstoppable Watts" from that LP at their myspace.

Wino, who recently found a new bass player after the passing of Jon Blank, is touring off of Punctuated Equilibrium which was released earlier this year. Jean-Paul Gaster of Clutch plays drums in the Wino band.

Revolution Mother's new LP, Rollin' With Tha Mutha is due on Ferret Music on July 7th. Pre-order that record here.

All dates below...

Continue reading "Clutch & Wino - 2009 Tour Dates"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Celeste - Misanthrope(s) LP (Zipped MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Ulcerate - "Caecus" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Ulcerate - "Tyranny" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Black September - "Purification" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Bloody Panda - "Miserere" (Excerpt) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Oak & Bone - "Build Walls" (MP3)

Ulcerate

Back to bludgeon.... it's This Week in Metal! This week, we kick things off with a death metal record that is currently in high rotation, Ulcerate's searing new LP Everything is Fire. Out NOW via Willowtip, check out a pair of MP3s from that LP available above. This New Zealand band are able to hit that seemingly impossible sweet-spot where brutality meets technicality and melody meets dissonance. Highly recco'd!

Bloody Panda is back a new LP due on Profound Lore, Summon. Due August 11, the band will release a CD/DVD for Summon which will include seven tracks, one of which ("Miserere", an excerpt above) is interpreted visually on DVD. Yoshiko Ohara, their signature vocalist and a known visual artist, is responsible for the cover art. The DVD was shot, in Brooklyn and Indonesia, and edited by band members Bryan Camphire, Blake McDowell, and Josh Rothenberger. Josh also told us that...

the whole DVD project came about through our collaboration with Cave dance studio on Grand St. in Williamsburg. It was there that we met Berlin-based Butoh dancer Yuko Kaseki a few years ago. We Asked her to dance to one of our tunes last year, and then shot most of the DVD at Cave with her last August/Septemeber.

Fresh off of a triumphant set at Maryland Deathfest, Asphyx is back and will domestically release their new album, Death...The Brutal Way via Ibex Moon. Due September 1st, the record will also be released in a limited edition version with a live DVD, Live at Party.San Open Air Festival 2007. Asphyx recently welcomed Martin van Drunen (Pestilence, Hail of Bullets, Bolt Thrower) back into the fold after his departure 17 years ago.

Black September, who first came onto my radar via their work with Thou and Winters In Osaka, has a new 7" out NOW, The Sermon of Vengeance. Mastered at The Boiler Room by Collin Jordan (Nachtmystium, Minsk), check out "Purification", one of two new tracks by the black metal punks from The Sermon of Vengeance above and order that 7", as well as other releases here.

Pelican's new EP, the tour only CD Ephemeral, is out on 12" at Southern Lord packaged with a Seldon Hunt designed tee. In addition, Earth's previously rare Radio/Live LP is available via Southern Lord as well.

Filth-ridden hardcore is the order of business for Syracuse's Oak & Bone, a badge the band wears with pride on their debut 7" out NOW via Hex Records (one time home to Ed Gein, Engineer, Playing Enemy, and Cursed). Check out "Build Walls" from that 7" above. The crew recently played NYC with another fave of mine, crusty black-metal punks Infernal Stronghold, and are prepping to release a split 7" with Like Wolves on Barbarossa Records. Pick up their debut 7" and look for that split!

Anaal Nathrakh's Mick Kenney is back with his former bandmates in Mistress to resurrect Fukpig, who released their last LP Nuclear Apocalypse in 2003. Pick up Spewings From A Selfish Nation before it's gone (100 copies total!). Anaal Nathrakh's In The Constellation Of The Black Widow is out June 26th via Candellight. Preorder the vinyl at Mick/Shane Embury's FETO records.

A preview of that Fukpig, as well as news on Down touring with Melvins(!!!) Jucifer, Celeste, Mastodon, Clutch, and much more below...

Continue reading "This Week In METAL (06/16/09)"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: YOB - "Burning The Altar" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Caïna - "To Pluck The Night Up By Its Skin" (MP3)

sunn 0)))

According to ancient Mayan prophecy, The Age Of The Fifth Sun draws to a close in 2012 when armageddon will fall upon the land. Considering this is only 2009, it is entirely possible that sunn 0)))'s soundtrack to the end of days/new album, Monoliths & Dimensions, may have been delivered a bit prematurely (out NOW). Not that a moment on Monoliths resembles anything less than meticulous detail; Attila Csihar's Bela Lugosi-like vocals, heavenly choirs, harp, trumpet, and orchestra all add to the nauseating rumble, and at times, shimmering beauty emanating from their full stacks. Pick it up at Southern Lord on CD. Vinyl is due this summer. The boys have also announced a rough sketch idea of their upcoming tour plans:

We are preparing tours as a 4 and 5 piece in support of this opus. Attila Csihar and Steve Moore (Zombi) will be in the ranks as well as a yet undecided 5th member for some shows. Randall Dunn will be on the big guns.

SUNN O))) "Monoliths & Dimensions" tours 2009

Midwest USA July 2-12
West coast USA August 5-11
East coast/Southeast USA September 18-30
Middle & East Europe/Scandinavia October 17 - Nov 1st

There should also be UK and Japan jaunts following those pieces. We are working on it, more to come.

We are also considering and contemplating a few special event concerts with an expanded acoustic ensemble lineup. This is a whole different ballgame but may be in the cards and we have a few loyal partners in Europe on board to help manifest if/when the time is correct.

ATP's Fans Strike Back festival took place last week, two nights of Sleep included. Check out our pre-ATP interview with Matt Pike HERE. Video and setlist from the ATP shows below.

YOB's new album for Profound Lore, The Great Cessation, now has an official release date, July 14th! The new effort by the reformed Eugene, OR doom colossus will span five tracks over it's 60+ minutes including "Burning The Altar" which is downloadable above! Look for US dates to follow, and once we have news on NYC, you know you will too.

YOB's album art, plus videos of Sleep, news on The Dillinger Escape Plan, Clutch and Baroness, Opeth, Converge, Ringworm and much more as This Week In Metal continues....

Continue reading "This Week In METAL (05/17/09)"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Nebula - "The Dagger" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Dark Castle - "Awake In Sleep" (MP3)

Dark Castle

DIY is the name of the game for Florida's Dark Castle, as the duo has garnered a ton of buzz on the southern metal scene as of late due to their self-released EP and incessant touring. The northeastern touring love is on the way (this summer?), but in the meantime, Dark Castle's new LP, Spirited Migration is out NOW in digital formats (iTunes, amazon) with one of those amazing tracks, "Awake In Sleep" available for download above! Spirited Migration is due on May 26th in hard formats (CD, Vinyl) via the mighty At A Loss Records, so y'all wax lovers betta recognize!

Nebula will illustrate truth in advertising on July 7th when the trio drops their new album, Heavy Psych. Tee Pee Records will plead guilty to releasing the follow-up to 2006's Apollo, which includes "The Dagger" downloadable above. For the unaware, Nebula features former members of Fu Manchu, Mondo Generator, and Karma To Burn (who recently played Lit).

Australia's dark kings of blackened thrash, Destroyer 666, will release their NEW album on July 14th via Season of Mist! Defiance will be D666's first release in six years and first LP in seven, and will have artwork that'll look a little somethin' like this:

Another set of Aussies, black metallers Nazxul, will release their first new material in more than ten years via Moribund! Look for more details on the new album, Iconoclast, in the months ahead as well as some US dates.

Show No Mercy on June 7th at Public Assembly is SET with the recent additions of the the ungodly Woe, Black Anvil, and Snake Sustaine (mems-ALOL) to the previously announced Salome. While we wait for the show, you can check out some recent interviews that the guys in Woe did here, here and here. Flyer is below.

Obscura has pulled out of the previously mentioned Relapse Contamination tour due to sickness, rendering all dates after May 11th cancelled. That includes NYC's date at Fontana's.

News and videos from Clutch, Ocean, Swarm Of The Lotus, Torche, Cripple Bastards, Orange Goblin and More, as This Week In Metal continues!

Continue reading "This Week In METAL (05/08/09)"

!!! is playing ACL 2009 (more by Chris Graham)

"The 2009 Austin City Limits Music Festival will showcase a diverse blend of acts both fresh and familiar at the eighth edition of the event in Zilker Park October 2-4. Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band, and Beastie Boys are performing for the first time at the Festival, with Kings of Leon, Ben Harper and Relentless7, and Thievery Corporation returning to Zilker Park once again. John Legend, The Dead Weather, and The Levon Helm Band will also make their ACL Festival debut, while Austin's own Ghostland Observatory will no doubt deliver another memorable set for festival goers.

With over 130 artists on this year's bill, the list of acts awes at each note with the likes of Sonic Youth, Mos Def, Toadies, Flogging Molly, The B-52s, Lily Allen, Citizen Cope, Arctic Monkeys, The Decemberists, Coheed and Cambria, Andrew Bird, Girl Talk, and many more.

In the tradition of the TV show from which it was born, the Festival has always aimed to offer musical discovery for the fans. The 2009 lineup is rich with pop, country, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, indie rock, hip-hop, and gospel, to name a few, spanning cultures and countries from New Orleans to Venezuela to France."

Continue reading "ACL (Austin City Limits) - 2009 festival lineup announcement"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Harpoon - "Frogs, Boils, Locusts..." (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Complete Failure - "Like Rainbows in Gasoline" Demo (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Complete Failure - "Brown Acid Brainwound" Demo (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Complete Failure - "Subliminal Force of Suggestive Notion" Demo (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Super Happy Fun Slide - "Fast One" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Super Happy Fun Slide - "Bohemian" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Elder - "White Walls" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Serpentcult - "The Weight Of Light" (MP3)

Welcome to this week in Metal! This week we'll start with the pedal to the floor with Harpoon of Chicago, who will release their new LP Double Gnarly / Triple Suicide on Interloper Records. Featuring members of 7000 Dying Rats, the band recorded the LP in August 2008 with Andy Nelson (Weekend Nachos), sending it off to metal-mastering go-to Scott Hull (Pig Destroyer, Agoraphobic Nosebleed) for the finishing touches. The trio takes advantage of the drum machine gun to create a relentless grind assault reminiscent of Plague Bringer, Agoraphobic Nosebleed, or Genghis Tron (sans keys). Check out "Frogs, Boils, Locusts..." available for download above, and cop it on limited LP (400 in black, 100 in white & blue marbled vinyl) when it drops on Feb 10th! Harpoon recently added bassist DJ Baracca (ex-Lair of The Minotaur) to their ranks and have added a few live dates in and around the Chi (dates below).

Absu have announced a new self-titled album, posting the ripping new track "Girra's Temple" to their myspace. Due on Feb 24th on Candlelight Records, the band have also lined up a few dates including SXSW on Mar 20th at Spiros and at... you guessed it... Maryland Deathfest. Meanwhile, Absu is garnering alot of media attention lately... check out features in Metal Maniacs, Terrorizer, and Zero Tolerance.

Hot off of the release of his first solo album Punctuated Equilibrium, Wino will play his first show with his solo band (featuring skinsman extraordinaire Jean-Paul Gaster of Clutch) at the 9:30 club in Washington, DC on Sat Feb 7th! Wino will be joined by King Giant and the mighty Salome, who will be in NYC with Ocean on Feb 15th. In related news, Clutch have released their first digital single "King Of Arizona" (iTunes users, buy it here), from the upcoming remastered Slow Hole to China, Rare & Unreleased. The band have lined up a few dates with their alter ego (most of 'em anyway), The Bakerton Group including Feb 27 at The Chance in Poughkeepsie and Feb 28 at The Crazy Donkey in Farmingdale. Full tour dates below.

As much theorized and finally realized, The Auditory Assault Festival will take place at Club Europa on May 16 & 17.

Complete Failure announced a short tour of the east coast and the midwest with Polish grinders Antigama including an NYC date at Europa on May 20th. Details are forthcoming, full tour dates are below. The Pittsburghers (CF) have posted a trio of demo tracks at their website, check them out above. Antigama is prepping for March 3rd, when Relapse will drop their new album Warning.

Mastodon's Crack The Skye artwork

Mastodon is currently streaming "Divinations" from the upcoming Crack The Skye. Check it out kids... it's a burner! The single is also available for sale with a limited edition tee. Mastodon and Genghis Tron are playing the Coachella festival this year.

Eyehategod, Rotten Sound, Cripple Bastards, Malignancy, Resistant Culture, and Voetsek have been added to the Los Angeles Murderfest!

Napalm fucking Death will be in NYC in April!

Rise Above dropped the new album by Belgians Serpentcult, a doomy hybrid of Electric Wizard and High on Fire fronted by Michelle Nocon, a female with some SERIOUS pipes. The Weight of Light was produced by Billy Anderson (Sleep, Neurosis, Melvins) and the band is streaming three of those tracks at their myspace, with the title track available for download above. So far the band haven't added any North American dates, but if they do, we'll let you know (european tour dates below). Meanwhile, dig on an interview that Serpentcult did with Hellride Music here.

Coliseum have announced a slew of tourdates (below) as well as a new seven-inch entitled "True Quiet / Last Wave" on Deathwish! Full tour dates are below. Coliseum with join Converge, Genghis Tron (who was recently added), Ceremony, Pulling Teeth, and Rise & Fall at Europa on March 27th.

Blut Aus Nord have posted "The Formless Sphere (Beyond The Reason)" to their myspace page, the first new song from the upcoming Memoria Vetusta II - Dialogue With The Stars. Look for in Feb 23rd on Candlelight.

Valient Thorr have added a February 6th show at The Shank in Greenpoint (98 Bayard @ Leonard) with Acid Tiger, Golden Error, with Tournament. This show makes it TWO NYC dates.... don't forget about their upcoming show with Anthrax and a half pipe.

Minsk, Slayer, Battlefields, Devourment, Obituary, and more below...

Continue reading "This Week In METAL (02/02/09)"