words by BBG, photos by Samantha Marble

Naam

Naam headlined the Cake Shop on a rainy Wednesday (6/9) with help from newest Relapse signees Cough, Massachusetts doom trio Elder, and Brooklyn metali-garage punks Elks. The show was part of a tour for Cough / Elder, which lead them up into New England before heading back down to Cough's home territory of Richmond, VA.

Though you can't tell much from their MySpace page, I could tell that Brooklyn's Elks are on to something. The band kicked out a brief but ripping set of punk-y garage inflected metal, providing an ample kick start to the show and a perfect lead-in to the Massachusetts big riffers Elder. Cough followed Elder and blew me away with their unstoppable doomy sludge pummel. It was my second experience with the band in NYC (the first was at Northside) and now that Cough has a second guitarist in tow, they are sounding more massive than ever! Naam's bluesy space-a-delic sounds were well executed as usual, though my personal highlight was seeing the trio rock "Black Ice". It's good to know that although they normally let the riffs breathe, they can (when they want) pummel as fast and furious as any of the bullet-belted folk. More pics from the show are below...

Continue reading "Naam, Cough, Elder & Elks played Cake Shop (pics) "

by BBG

Bundy of Naam @ the Charleston (more photos by Samantha Marble)

The pointer in the above photo taken at the Torche (who just announced another Brooklyn show) show at The Charleston is none other than Bundy of Naam, who will play a BV/1000 Knives show alongside Elder, Elks and BV-BBG Northside alums Cough on Wedneday (June 9th) at Cake Shop.

In other Cough news, the Richmond band has announce that they have signed to Relapse Records (!) and are currently working on their new LP Ritual Abuse with Sanford Parker which will see the light of day this fall via the label.

In other BV Cake Shop news,this Saturday (6/5) brings two BV-affiliated shows. There's the FREE Yeasayer show on Governor's Island. And, Monolith, Voyager, Seraphim and Altered State are set to tear down Cake Shop. Doors for that one at 5PM.

Tour dates, flyers, some videos, and current Cough dates are below...

Continue reading "Cough now on Relapse & on tour w/ Elder - BBG show @ Cake Shop Wednesday w/ Naam (and other one this Saturday)"

by BBG

Naam at the Action PR showcase at SXSW (more here)

Naam will headline Cake Shop on June 9th alongside support from Richmond's downtuned miscreants Cough, the rifftastic Elder, and Brooklyn's own Elks as part of a BV/1000 Knives production. $10 gets you in the door.

The show is one of a pair that Naam will play with the mighty Elks, as both will support Karma To Burn and Year Long Disaster at Knitting Factory on Friday (5/14). Want to go? I have two pairs of tickets and one copy of Karma to Burn's new album Appalachian Incantation to give away, details on how to win are at the bottom of this post. Appalachian Incantation hits store shelves on 5/18.

Naam is also scheduled to play the NY Eye & Ear Fest on My 23rd. Black Dogs, Liturgy, Effi Brest, Twin Stumps, Blondes, Hunters, and more will all play the fest over the show's two days. Tickets are still up for May 22nd, May 23rd, or both.

Cough last played NYC as part of the BV Northside Fest show at Europa alongside Doomriders, Sourvein, Unearthly Trance, and many others. Unearthly Trance will be back for Northside Fest this year, this time as part of the BV/1000 Knives production of Floor at Europa. Tickets are still on sale or you can get in with your Northside badge.

Some videos, full Cough dates, and details on how to win Karma To Burn tickets are below...

Continue reading "Naam playing Cake Shop w/ Cough, Knitting Factory w/ Karma to Burn (win tix & an album) & other dates "

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Arckanum - "Þursvitnir" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Impetuous Ritual - "Ceremonial Disembowelment" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Amenra - "Wear My Crown" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Fistula - "Bi-Polar Bear" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Fight Amp - "Be Safe" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: KEN Mode - Holiday Sampler (Zipped MP3s)
DOWNLOAD: Elder - "Friendly Fire" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Struck By Lightning - "False Hope" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Ludicra - "A Larger Silence" (MP3)

Dark Castle @ Union Pool (more by Sam Marble)

In recent months, the upswing in metal coverage on BV has rendered the moniker "Week In Metal" unnecessary. Small blurbs in "WIM" (as we call it around here) about Dark Castle have given way to photosets from their shows and posting of tour dates as they happen. Chalk it up to progress.

Starting this week, we will introduce a bit of a new direction for the old Week In Metal column, but without straying too far from the previous. The new column, entitled Short Wave Warfare, will scale back a bit, focusing on news that falls below the radar as well as shining a spotlight on new bands and upcoming shows in the NYC area. It won't be weekly. I hope you enjoy it.

Stay tuned for more upcoming shows in addition to Coalesce at Europa, Magrudergrind at Cake Shop, and The Hope Conspiracy at Union Pool, as well as a year-end best of 2009 post from myself and some of my favorite artists.

Thanks for reading. News on Portal, Oxbow, Master's Hammer, a collaboration between sunn O))) and Ulver, a new Haiyaino Daisuki & Gridlink, Amenra, Earthride, Kreator, Mammoth Grinder and so much more as (the new) Short Wave Warfare continues below....

Continue reading "Short Wave Warfare (12/9/09) (formerly This Week in Metal)"

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)"