by BBG

Mutilation Rites (photo by BBG)

Brooklyn band Mutilation Rites have gone through their share of shake-ups, but it seems everything is coming together at once. With a well-received demo and split with Batillus, and the recently released I Am Legion (via Gilead Media, stream it below) in the open, the black metal quartet now have a stable lineup with the recent addition of Ryan Jones (Today is The Day, Wetnurse) on bass and are poised to release an oft-delayed 12" via Forcefield, as well as their much-anticipated debut long-player, Empyrean, with new label Prosthetic Records. "Fogwarning" from that album makes its debut here. Preorder Empyrean and stream "Fogwarning" along with another track called "Realms of Dementia", below.

We asked guitarist/vocalist George Paul a few questions about Empyrean, being a band in New York City, and the road. The results are alongside all streams, below...

Continue reading "an Interview with Mutilation Rites & new song stream (debut)"

by BBG

Leviathan's True Traitor True Whore

Leviathan's True Traitor True Whore was hands down my most anticipated release of this year, especially considering my reverence for his last LP Massive Conspiracy Against All Life. True Traitor True Whore is Jef Whitehead's personal statement toward the recent charges brought upon him, according to his interview in Pitchfork, and it is also one of his most daring and overtly "rock" leaning records yet. TTTW is one of my favorite sort of records, opening itself up more and more with repeated listening, and is definitely another notch in his already storied career as an outsider artist. Stream three Leviathan tracks below, which previously posted at Pitchfork (x2) and Invisible Oranges, and get your copy via Profound Lore.

The same night that Torche and Part Chimp attack Mercury Lounge (11/9), Exhumed will team with Goatwhore and Havok to play Europa. Tickets are still available to both Europa and Merc, but I have a pair of tickets available for giveaway for the Europa show. Head below for more details on how you can win. The Torche/Part Chimp split, which we previewed recently, is currently streaming in full at Spin.

Concussion will hit Public Assembly on 11/10 with Worms In Women And Cattle (Pippi Zornoza from the live incarnation of Wold), Syphilitic Lust, and Sannhet.

And last but not least, The Ocean have added a show at Saint Vitus on 11/8 with Family, Alekhine's Gun, and The Binary Code. All US dates and some in their home base of the EU, are below.

More details on how to win those Exhumed tickets, an incredible Neurosis video and more suggested NYC shows are below.

Continue reading "Evillive (special Leviathan edition)"

words by Ilya Blokh, photos by Samantha Marble

Misery Index

You can judge the intensity (and quality) of a show by what remains on the ground after the crowd clears. Usually there are beer bottles- sometimes a stray shoe or a cell phone. After Concussion, Mutant Supremacy, Magrudergrind and Misery Index tore apart The Union Pool on Saturday, February 20th there were two items of note: a bullet and a tooth.

Local act Concussion opened with a short but sweet set of pummeling thrash - I was psyched to finally see them play with a decent sound system. They have a good mix of fast riffs and technical guitar lines, but shine especially when they find a moment to slow things down and build up tension. They recently added two new members (Dan from Haunted Castle/Mutilation Rites and Matt from The Dip), have been playing a ton of shows, and are planning to record new material soon.

Mutant Supremacy were up next, with a straight-forward, conservative take on old-school death metal. It was a bit too wall-of-sound for me, though I dug the alternating high/low pitched vocals. There was even an appropriately cheesy band/fan exchange (all of it growled): "Thank you." "You're welcome." "No one is welcome here."

Magrudergrind tore through a blistering set of short, nasty, delicious songs that finally got the crowd moving. These three unassuming looking dudes have the grindcore/powerviolence thing down to perfection - nothing too techy or melodic, just blindingly fast grind that only lets up for a brief moment here and there. They've got great stage presence, and their banter and bizarre sound-samples are a welcome breather between songs.

Misery Index finally took the stage and, despite the intensity of the preceding acts, raised the bar all the way to the fucking roof. Constantly shifting from chugging, groovy riffs to breakneck speed, all of it backed up by unrelenting blast beats and chunky growled vocals, they are the sonic equivalent of swinging a wrecking ball around a room. Several minutes into their set the crowd virtually exploded and didn't let up until the last discordant note dropped out of the air. Things got surprisingly explosive for The Union Pool - a place where crossed-arms and flaccid head-bobbing are the norm - and much of the audience ended up seeking refuge on top of the bar.

In short, an amazing performance - Misery Index could easily be playing Gramercy, Irving, etc, so I'm glad they stick to smaller venues. Magrudergrind and Misery Index will be touring for the next month and putting at least a few dentists to serious work.

More shots of Misery Index and Magrudergrind (none of Mutant Supremacy or Concussion, sadly) are below.

Continue reading "Magrudergrind & Misery Index played Union Pool - pics"