by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Engineer - "Drunk On Blood" (MP3)

Engineer at Union Pool (more by Brian Reilly)

It was almost exactly a year ago that I last saw Syracuse's Engineer at Union Pool, playing a BrooklynVegan event with Rosetta (who play The Charleston soon), KEN Mode (who recently played NYC, and cancelled their return trip with Deafheaven on June 17th) and My America. Their set that night was primarily comprised of songs from their forthcoming LP, and indicated a different, but nonetheless brutal, direction for the hardcore band.

Now those songs have emerged on Crooked Voices, Engineer's latest LP for Black Market Activities. Due on June 7th, Crooked Voices mines similar territory to previous releases, stomping and angular sludgy-hardcore, with a notable exception of only clean guitars. The changes in guitar tone allows the band to expore different facets of their sound while still maintaining the bludgeon like on "Drunk on Blood' (which makes its debut here) and "The Idiot's Theme". Check out both streaming below and the former downloadable above.

So far no Engineer tour dates to speak of, but hopefully that will change soon.

The Engineer record is the first of three upcoming LPs for Black Market Activities, as the label also has upcoming releases with Ed Gein and Khann. Khann features vocalist/guitarist Andrew LaCour, whose brother (Stephen) plays in a band that will be in NYC TODAY (5/25), Trap Them. Look for Trap Them to join Converge, Burning Love, and the recently added Psychic Limb at a sold-out Santos. Psychic Limb have a new LP (available now).

Continue reading "Engineer releasing 'Crooked Voices' (listen to 2 new songs)"

by BBG

Despise You / Magrudergrind tour flyer

While we prepare for the ONSLAUGHT of pre/post MDF destruction, prepare for some incredible news that Despise You and Magrudergrind will team up to play NYC in September as part of the former's first East Coast tour! No news on the whens/wheres or even the other whos, but we'll keep you up to date.

Ruin Lust has been added to the previously discussed Wolvserpent/A Story of Rats show at Acheron on June 4th.

Unfortunately, KEN Mode has dropped off of the previously discussed Deafheaven show at Cake Shop on 6/17 with Gholas. More details are forthcoming.

More suggested NYC shows, a new Engineer track (!) and a stream of the entire Weekend Nachos album Worthless is below...

Continue reading "Evillive (Despise You, Engineer, Weekend Nachos, more)"

words by BBG, photos by Brian Reilly

The unreal KEN Mode at Union Pool

Rosetta, KEN Mode, Engineer, and My America did their damnedest to destroy Union Pool on Friday (5/28) as part of a BV/1000Knives production.

My America opened the show at the stroke of 8:45 with their Louisville take on Am-Rep punk. It was my third time seeing the band as of late. Each time I left as impressed with the band's tone and intensity. And dudes have tunes!

As a fan of Engineer, it was fascinating to hear the band's set of mostly new material. With a greater focus on songcraft and melody, the songs seemed to have more light and shade and less pedal-to-the-floor bombast that could be found on earlier releases like 2008's The Dregs. That's not to say this band was anything but pummeling, it's just that the new material varies in it's assault.

I defy any fan of Unsane, Today Is The Day, Am-Rep, and/or noisy, thundering punk to not absolutely love KEN Mode. The Canadian band's high-energy performance was my highlight of my evening. Their take on noise rock filtered through a hardcore lens was furious, energetic, menacing and ultimately, very impressive. I already can't wait for their NYC return. Word is that the band will do their next NYC date surrounding the recording of their new LP at GodCity with Kurt Ballou! That LP will see the light of day on Profound Lore, though an official date is still TBD.

Rosetta headlined the evening, and as usual, the Philadelphia band played a swelling, but ultimately muscular set culled from their recent A Determinism of Morality LP (out NOW on Translation Loss). Less than 24 hours later, the band would play ABC No Rio (a different set, by the way) with Starkweather.

More pics and some video from the Union Pool show are below...

Continue reading "KEN Mode, Rosetta, Engineer & My America played Union Pool - pics & video "

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Rosetta - "Ayil" (MP3)

Rosetta at Public Assembly (more by Brian Reilly)

In the age of the post-post-sub-subgenre, it can be a bit tough to carve a niche for your band, let alone make compelling and forward-thinking tunage. Rosetta know how to keep it fresh; the Philadelphia band has continually revamped their approach from LP to LP, drawing from the dreaded "Neur-Isis" gene pool, yet also delving into atmospherics, post-rock, and an amalgam of influences to create their own stew that is as effective on record as it is live (very effective).

Now Rosetta has a new LP, Determinism of Morality, that flexes a bit more of a slimmed down approach, and the results are great. Check out the track "Ayil" available for download above, and pick up a copy of the album on Translation Loss.

Rosetta is scheduled to play FRIDAY (5/28) alongside new Profound Lore signees Ken Mode, the unstoppable Engineer, and Am-Rep-by-way-of-Louisville faves My America as part of a BV/1000Knives production at Union Pool. You can also catch them at an all ages show at ABC No Rio in the afternoon one day later.

All Rosetta tour dates, and some video (including the band performing "Ayil" at Public Assembly) are below...

Continue reading "new Rosetta LP out now (MP3), NYC Friday & more tour dates "

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: KEN Mode - "The Romanticist" (MP3)

The unfucwitable KEN Mode!

BrooklynVegan and 1000 Knives are proud to announce Ken Mode with My America and Engineer at Union Pool on May 28th! For the unfamiliar, Winnipeg's Ken Mode play a particular blistering brand of metal/noise rock/hardcore that recalls Today Is The Day, Unsane, and early Mastodon. The band is prepping to release a new album, the follow-up to the badass Mennonite which dropped in 2008.

My America recently wowed me at The Charleston when they played with Tiger Flowers. Fans of AmRep, Young Widows, and noisecore take note. Ruling!

The great Engineer have completed recording of their new album, and are working on artwork and additional tour dates in May and August (stay tuned!). Engineer's last album, The Dregs, was named one of Decibel's Top 40 albums of 2007. I concur.

Continue reading "Ken Mode playing NYC w/ My America & Engineer, tour TBA "

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: YOB - "Burning The Altar" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Burnt By The Sun - "Inner Station" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Weekend Nachos - "A Few Blocks South" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Nadja & Black Boned Angel - "II" Edit (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Greymachine - "Vultures Descend" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Burning Love - 2009 Demo (Sendspace MP3 link)

YOB Live (hevisto)

Out this week, the return of the mighty YOB with their absolutely colossal new album The Great Cessation. If you were a fan of masterful, thundering, sickening doom or the previous material by YOB or Middian/Age Eternal, this album is HIGHLY recommended... possibly their best LP yet? The Great Cessation is currently on sale at the Profound Lore, and the band recently was interviewed by Hellbound.

The brutal band with the awesome name, Weekend Nachos, are hitting the road at the end of August and into September bludgeoning the Northeast with dates including Rockstar Bar on Sept 4th! The band is currently supporting their new LP Unforgivable out now at your favorite distro or via the band. Check out "A Few Blocks South" from Unforgivable and make sure and get out to Rockstar Bar on 9/4, if you ain't chicken.

Cave In is BACK officially with the release of the Planets of Old 12", and the song "Retina Sees Rewind" available now on iTunes! The ultra-limited 12" is available July 28th, and in much larger numbers at their comeback show on July 19th in Allston, MA.

Maryland Deathfest has announced the inital 2010 lineup and.... whoooa nelly!
ENTOMBED, OBITUARY, EYEHATEGOD, PENTAGRAM, SINISTER, INCANTATION, PORTAL, HAEMORRHAGE, IMPALED, GRIDLINK, INGROWING (Czech Republic), GRIDE (Czech Republic), 16, BIRDS OF PREY, MASSGRAVE (Canada), FUCK THE FACTS (Canada), TOMBS, HOWL

Out now via 20 Buck Spin, the collaborative LP between Nadja & Black Boned Angel. Black Boned Angel is probably best known as the alter-ego of Campbell Kneale of Birchville Cat Motel, who collaborated with Nadja over 2+ years to create the three tracks which formed this LP, as well as the Christ Send Light EP. The graphic artwork is very indicative of the collaborative spirit of the LP as well, as it is also a collaboration between revered artists Stephen Kasner and David D'Andrea. Check out a snippet of one of the tracks on the LP above. Also out now, BBA's new LP Verdun available via Riot Season.

Union Pool has gone metal! Besides the previously mentioned Dysrhythmia show and the Hull / Giant Squid / Grayceon shindig, the venue has also lined up a few other notable shows in the coming months including the mighty Atomic Bitchwax on August 1, f'n Cable on August 15th (3 days before the release of The Failed Convict), and finally Neurot signees It's Casual on August 23rd. Full Cable tour dates are below. Stream the new Dysrhythmia album, Psychic Maps, here.

Baroness have completed work on their new album due in October via Relapse Records!

Burnt By the Sun are preparing their FINAL album for release, Heart Of Darkness due on August 18th via Relapse Records. Check out "Inner Station" available for download above, which is also on the Relapse Contamination 2009 comp available for $5.99 on iTunes. The band has scheduled a gang of Euro-dates, but none in the US so far... although with Dave Witte gearing up to release Municipal Waste's Massive Aggressive, I'm guessing it might be a while.

Check out a video interview with Municipal Waste, live video of Saint Vitus, as well as a new project featuring Chris Colohan of Cursed, Pentagram, Burzum, 3 Inches Of Blood, Kayo Dot, and much more as This Week In Metal Continues...

Continue reading "This Week In METAL (07/13/09)"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Saviours - "Acid Hand" (MP3)

Battlefields

Battlefields are hitting the road (again) this time with Overmars and TWO dates in NYC. Europa gets the bands on August 16th and The Charleston gets them on Septemeber 3rd. Full tour dates are below. Battlefields' massive Thresholds of Imbalance was released earlier this year while Overmars' Büccolision EP dropped in the tail end of last year.

Marduk, who are coming to the US and playing Gramercy with Tombs and Black Anvil, have announced the title for their new album. Behold Wormwood.

Black Anvil are playing a free show at Duff's TONIGHT (6/27).

Asphyx's Death... The Brutal Way is out now overseas, but the LP will drop on Ibex Moon in the US on September 1. Look for the LP honors to be handled by War Anthem Records and the limited edition CD to come with a DVD of their 2007 reunion show in Germany. Until then, dig on the music video for the title track below. In related news, Martin Van Drunen's other band, Hail of Bullets, will release a limited MCD (2000 copies) entitled Warsaw Rising on July 17th.

That video, plus news on Dark Castle, Suffocation, Saviours, Gaza, sunn 0))) and more as This Week In Metal continues...

Continue reading "This Week In METAL (06/27/09)"

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)"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: -16- - "So Broken Down" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Obscura - "Universe Momentum" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: JODIS - "Continents" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Satyricon - "The Sign Of The Trident" (MP3)

Happy New Year and Welcome Back to The Week In Metal! We took some time away, but believe me, the hate only grew STRONGER.

Wolves In The Throne Room have emerged from the dark forests of the Pacific Northwest to announce a pair of new releases and drop more details on their previously announced upcoming live LP, Live At Roadburn 08! First up, the Malevolent Grain EP will hit Southern Lord with a 180-gram LP bang, with Conspiracy Records dropping a small pressing of picture discs for the record (a limited batch of CDs will be available on tour). Then on March 31st, the band will drop Black Cascade their new full-length on Southern Lord! Both Malevolent Grain and Black Cascade were recorded by Randall Dunn/Mell Dettmer and are the first to feature new guitarist (former touring member) Will Lindsay of ex-Middian / Age Eternal fame. In addition, WITTR's Live at Roadburn 08 will be released with a companion DVD available with the first pressing of 500 copies, with 150 coming in gold vinyl with a silkscreen. Full WITTR tour dates are below, including their date at Scion Rock Fest.

Obscura, an astonishing tech-death band from Deutchland that may or may not be named after the classic Gorguts LP, are streaming a trio of new tracks from massive and recommended upcoming LP Cosmogenesis. Relapse has been kind enough to allow one of those tracks to be made available here for download... check out "Universe Momentum" available above! Cosmogenesis impacts on Feb 17th.

Tombs is pulling double duty on Feb 21st, having scheduled a day show at ABC No Rio with Black Anvil, Woe, and Bastard Sapling and a Winter Hours Record Release show with Defeatist, Engineer, and The Wayward later that night at Death By Audio. Winter Hours is due on Feb 17th via Relapse.

YOB have announced that they will hit the studio in late March with Sanford Parker to record their new album of "5 songs hitting about the 60+ minute mark". Look for it to surface in late summer 2009. In the meantime, Northwesterners can catch the band at their first reunion gig on 2/28 at The Ash Street Saloon in Portland, Oregon.

Shrinebuilder

Shrinebuilder is in progress! The band blogged through the weekend as they completed recording of their debut album for Neurot.

The previously announced Down/Weedeater/Evil Army tour has been postponed.

With a tagline like "2 stages + 2 days = Total Brutality", you better f'n deliver. That said, The LA Murder Fest will turn those sunny California skies black on May 9th & 10th when Coffins, Landmine Marathon, Ghoul, Stormcrow, Agenda of Swine, and Lack of Interest hit the stages of The Knitting Factory in Hollywood! Also on the bill are sickening sludgemeisters -16-, who's new record Bridges To Burn drops on Jan 20th. Check out "So Broken Down" available for download above from the record and to all y'all left coasters, support the band when they hit the road with Giant Squid! Tour schedule is below.
General Surgery will also report for duty at the LA Murderfest, and recently announced the release of their split with Butcher ABC. Look for it on CD via Obliteration Records on January 11 (email grindrock@hotmail.com for a copy) and limited-to-1,000 LP in February via Living Dead Society/Coperaction Records (email unsane_crisis@hotmail.com for a copy). The band will also hit the road with Ghoul following the Murderfest and leading up to Maryland Death Fest (thx SMNNews). Full tour dates are below.

Malkuth, an absolutely killer black metal band featuring members of No Neck Blues Band, have scheduled a show on 1/25 at Public Assembly with Villians, Castevet, and Ipsissimus. Malkuth recently released Mutus Liber out on Hospital Productions and are prepping their second LP for the label.

Converge have scheduled a show at Europa on March 27th! Tickets are on sale. Converge has been added to the Scion Rock Festival in Atlanta... yet one more reason to go! (Thanks Chris!)

Also recently added at Europa, Young Widows will team up with The Austerity Program, My Disco, and Tournament for a show on April 1st! Ticket info is forthcoming, full Young Widows tour dates below. Tournament is lined up to play with Kylesa, Tombs, and Black Anvil at The Charleston.

Satyricon's new record The Age of Nero drops on Jan 13th via KOCH Records, and I have to say that I definitely enjoyed it a hell of alot more than Now, Diabolical. Check out the video for "Black Crow On a Tombstone" below and dig on "The Sign Of The Trident", which the band has made available for download above! Satyricon will hit the road opening for Cradle of Filth at Starland Ballroom on Jan 15th (tix here) and have scheduled an NYC date at Nokia Theater on Feb 27th (tix here).

That Satyricon video, Mastodon, Khanate, Burnt By The Sun, Dillinger Escape Plan, Coliseum, Amenra, Pestilence and more as The Week In Metal continues...

Continue reading "This Week In METAL (01/13/09)"

by Black Bubblegum

Tombs @ Death By Audio - March 21, 2008 (davebgimp)

Another night (May 27), another stellar heavy lineup as Tombs will hit the stage with Syracuse's Engineer, Rosetta, and Giant. This show was supposed to be at Death By Audio, but now you can check out the fatal four-way down at The Wreck Room off Flushing Ave in Bushwick (click here for directions). Updated (on friday) tour dates and related news below.

Continue reading "Tombs, Engineer, Rosetta, Giant - show tonight, new spot"