by BBG

Dave Verellen of Narrows (more by Samantha Marble)

Another year gone, but not without lasting memories! Eyehategod (x2). Akitsa. Rorschach (x2). BV-BBG @ CMJ. Ludicra. BV @ Northside. Keelhaul... Not to mention the tons of memories jogged by my turntable and iPod. Estimates place the number of albums released in 2008 at 115,000, and while similar data for 2009 is scarce, I think that number seems on the low side. With so many to choose from, you can imagine that it was tough to sift through 20 (22 actually) that represented my year...

Continue reading "The Year in Metal (BBG's best of 2009)"

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

DOWNLOAD: Slough Feg - "Tiger Tiger" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Prizehog - "Husky" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Wildildlife - "Shining Son" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Funeral Mist - "Jesus Saves" (EDIT) (MP3)

Slough Feg have announced their new album, Ape Uprising, due June 3nd on Cruz Del Sur! Recorded by Justin Phelps and Justin Weis (again), and later mastered at Traxwork studio. Check out the Larry Luna cover art above. Iron Kodex will do the vinyl honors for Ape Uprising in "the end of April" in a limited edition run of 666 copies. Slough Feg will join the mighty Absu, Wildildlife, and many others as part of the WFMU/Acquarius Records show at Spiro's on March 20th during SXSW. Prizehog is also along for the ride... check out "Husky" downloadable above, and pick up their CD-R at Aquarius Records!

Karma To Burn are BACK and have scheduled a short tour of the east coast, though no NYC date is scheduled.... you'll have to travel up to Danbury to check 'em out on Apr 22 at Cousin Larry's. Full tour dates are below.

The music portion of SXSW kicks off in Austin today (3/18). if you're there, stop by our party and check our our guide for even more heavy show options, or just to grab all the free music.

Church of Misery have completed recording of their new album, Houses of the Unholy, and are streaming a new song, "El Padrino", at their myspace. Look for the new record on Rise Above Records, which is on pre-order here.

Zoroaster, The Gates of Slumber, and Serpentcult are tripleteaming the US, having added US dates including a night at The Studio @ Webster Hall on August 9th. Ticket info is forthcoming. Zoroaster recently dropped Voices of Omens on their own Terminal Doom Records, while Serpentcult recently dropped The Weight of Light on Rise Above.

Funeral Mist's Maranatha is out NOW. Check out an edit of "Jesus Saves" available for download above.

Cattle Decapitation were already on their way to NYC to play with Mayhem, Marduk, Cephalic Carnage, Withered, AND the just-added Lair of The Minotaur at Irving Plaza on May 21st (tickets here). But NOW the band has added another NYC show, part of yeat another round of dates for the band, but this time as headliners! Ticket info is forthcoming for Cattle Decapitation, Rose Funeral & Woe of Tyrants at The Studio @ Webster Hall on May 1. Full tour dates are below. In related news, make sure and check out the mighty Withered (who absolutely killed it at Scion) when they headline Union Pool on April 16th!

Bison BC & Children will team up for a show at Death By Audio on April 18th, linking up with Violent Bullshit (ex-Panthers), Circle of Buzzards (with Bob D'Amico and Jason Lowenstein of Sebadoh and Fiery Furnaces) and Naam. Children's new record is due on Kemado on April 14th, no word on the title yet. Bison BC are riding high off of their killer record from last year, Quiet Earth, and Death By Audio will be the bands first appearance since they played Europa with Harvey Milk. Full Bison BC tour dates are below.

The Devil & The Sea

One record that I gave alot of spins in 2008, but didnt make my year end faves was The Devil & The Sea's Heart vs Spine (pick that up here). The band is gearing up to tour the Northeast and have added a date at The Charleston on Mar 31st with another band that has been ringing my ears lately, Music Hates You. Full tour dates are below.

Justin K Broadrick dropped a MEGA-update on all of his projects, including Jesu, GreyMachine (with Aaron Turner), White Static Demon, Solaris BC and his many many remix projects. On the Jesu front, look for TWO live LPs, Opiate Sun EP in July, Infinity in June, Heart Ache reissue with a bonus Unreleased EP from 2003, and a reissue of the ENVY/jesu with an "Unconfirmed Bonus Mix". Check out the full update here.

Grief have called it quits... again. Sob. Their appearance at Maryland Deathfest has been cancelled as well. In honor of the fallen, Kill That Cat posted a video from a show before they kicked the bucket for the first time. Check that out below.

That video, and news on Atheist, Craft, Obscura, Municipal Waste, and soooo much more as The Week In Metal continues!...

Continue reading "This Week In METAL (03/18/09)"

DOWNLOAD: Napalm Death - "The Silence Is Deafening" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Napalm Death - "Low Life"(MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Napalm Death- "When All Is Said And Done" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Amesoeurs- "Gas In Veins / Amesouers" (MP3 Excerpt)
DOWNLOAD: Cobalt- "Arsonry" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Hellmouth- "Praying For Plague" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Big Business- "Gold & Final" (MP3)

Absu

With Absu's new self-titled LP due only a few weeks away (Feb 24th), the band have announced their participation in CIII along with French black metallers Glorior Belli, Austin's Averse Sefira, and Sothis, including a date at BB Kings on June 21st! Tickets are currently on presale here and go on sale to the general public on March 5th. Glorior Belli recently dropped a preview of their upcoming album.

Funeral Mist, the black metal crew featuring Mortuus of Marduk, have announced their NEW album, Maranatha due on Norma Evangelium Diaboli (link NSFW) on Feb 23rd! Funeral Mist's last album, Salvation, was released in 2006. In related/as exciting news, Marduk have announced more dates for their previously reported US trek with Mayhem, Cattle Decapitation, Cephalic Carnage, and Withered including Irving Plaza on May 21! No ticket details as of yet, but we'll let you know when they surface. Full tour schedule below.

Javelina have announced the more details about their previously announced Sanford Parker-produced LP coming soon on Translation Loss. Their sophomore effort will include nine original tunes, as well as a Buzzov*en cover ("Whisky Fit") that will be featured on a upcoming tribute record (which will also feature contributions from Sourvein, Deadbird, Fistula, Kylesa, Zoroaster and many more). Look for the new record in late summer or early fall with song titles like "You're Going to Hate This", "Towers of Silence", "The Black Blizzard" and "Stepchild".

Grace of Landmine Marathon

Landmine Marathon have scheduled an East Coast tour including TWO nights in NYC! On April 13th, Grace and the boys will descend upon Lit Lounge (Precious Metal) backed by Wizardry and Seizure Crypt. Three days later (4/16), the band have set aside the day to play an additional show in Brooklyn... details are forthcoming. Landmine Marathon are also on board to play both the New England Hardcore & Metal Fest, as well as the Los Angeles Murderfest. Full tour schedule below. Speaking of Wizardry, the band will record their entire live show at Union Pool on Feb 25th for later release.

Pelican have signed with Southern Lord! The band is currently recording material at Red Room studios in Seattle for what will be their debut EP for the label. Look for the new material to be "heavier, darker and very riff-oriented," according to guitarist Trevor De Brauw. Pelican also announced a slew of tour dates with Tombs (none in NYC), including a stint with Wolves In The Throne Room that will bring the trio to SXSW as part of the Southern Lord showcase. WITTR have a new EP AND LP on the way, and recently dropped a live LP, Live at Roadburn.

Deathspell Omega's Veritas Diaboli Manet in Aeternum - Chaining the Katechon EP, culled from their split with S.V.E.S.T. is out NOW at Southern Lord, and if you were a fan of their last LP, I highly reccommend it. Also of note at Southern Lord: Wolves in The Throne Room's previously mentioned Malevolent Grain EP, the new and mega-rare Boris/Michio Kurihara Cloud Chamber LP (1500 total copies) as well as the Boris Vs. Choukoku - More Echoes, Touching Air Landscape reissue. WITTR's new album Black Cascade is due on Mar 31st.

Speaking of WITTR, Scion Rock Fest is a little more than two weeks away, and we have 10 PAIRS of tickets and 10 Josh Graham designed posters for giveaway. In the meantime, dig on the recently posted set times below (thx anon)!

As we originally reported in September, sunn o))) has a new album on the way that we THOUGHT was called Dimensions. Turns out, according to an interview with The Quietus, the new album is due in May, will be entitled Monoliths & Dimensions, and will feature Jessika Kenney, Eyvind Kang, as well as frequent contributors Oren Ambarchi, Attila Csihar (Mayhem) and Dylan Carlson (Earth). Check out the tracklisting below. Speaking of Stephen O'Malley, the previously discussed Aethenor record, Faking Gold & Murder is out NOW.

Napalm Death, Malkuth, Hellmouth, Cynic, Reverend Bizarre and more below...

Continue reading "This Week In METAL (02/10/09)"