Genghis Tron @ Coachella 2009 (more by Darren Kim)

All My Children video at Gawker. Genghis Tron video below...

Continue reading "WTF: ditzy girl knows Genghis Tron (?!) who gets boy gigs @ Mercury Lounge & Knitting Factory (today on All My Children)"

photos by Darren Kim

"Coachella exists in two time zones: the event itself and its digital afterlife. The second zone, on cameras and blogs and Twitter and video-sharing sites, comes a heartbeat after the first, like a rockabilly slap-back echo. In its 10th year now, Coachella has been the music festival for the most technologically advanced teenagers-to-young-professionals, sniffing around the alternative mainstream. Even when the music doesn't present an argument they haven't heard before, they're controlling their own media representation of it; the act of listening is almost immediately contextualized into their own lives." [NY Times]

Continue reading "Coachella 2009 - Day 1 in Pictures "

photos by Justina Villanueva, words by Black Bubblegum

Black Anvil, in mid thrash.

The bunny was shown no mercy on Easter Sunday, as Genghis Tron, Tombs, Wetnurse, and Black Anvil took care of business at Public Assembly (4/12). The Brooklyn venue was packed for the show that "might be" the last NYC show for da 'Tron in 2009 - the band is setting aside some time post-Coachella to work on new material.

Tombs, who are back from a long trek with Pelican and Wolves in The Throne Room, have only a couple shows lined up until the band hits the road with Isis (and Pelican on some dates). Tickets for Isis/Pelican/Tombs on June 2nd at Irving Plaza are on sale.

Wetnurse have a couple area dates in the next couple weeks: April 16th in Bloomfield, NJ with Landmine Marathon (who fuckign DESTROYED last night, more on that later) and April 26th at Union Pool with The Austerity Program & Tournament. After that, the band will play a second Show No Mercy event at Public Assembly on May 3rd with A Life Once Lost, Buried Inside, and Rosetta. A month and a half after that, the band hits the road with Lord Mantis (who we profiled here) for a US tour.

By my strictly unscientific polling, Black Anvil might have recieved the most "oohs and ahhs" of the night. If you missed them, then you have two more chances to catch the band in NYC in the coming months: May 20th at Chief Bodega with Vermefug, Entrails Massacre, and PLF and July 11th at Rock Star Bar with Dimentianon. The band has one additional show lined up for Richmond, on May 9th, where they will team up with Occultist and Bastard Sapling.

More pictures from the show below...

Continue reading "Black Anvil, Genghis Tron, Wetnurse & Tombs @ Public Assembly in Brooklyn - pics "

by Black Bubblegum

Genghis Tron Live at Europa, 3/27/09 (more by Justina Villanueva)

Pelican and Tombs have been added to select dates of the previously mentioned Isis tour including the currently on sale show at Irving Plaza on June 2nd. Updated tour dates are below.

Tombs also has two other dates on their calendar: April 19th with the mighty Bison BC in Danbury CT and April 12th (Easter) with Wetnurse, Black Anvil and Genghis Tron for Show No Mercy at Public Assembly. Want to go to the Brooklyn one? I have 2 pairs of tickets up for grabs. Details on how to win below.

After defiling Easter Sunday, Genghis Tron will head to Coachella. From their they head home to dedicate the rest of the year to writing and recording the follow-up to Board Up The House. Public Assembly may be their last show for a long time, so if you didn't catch them (and possibly almost get killed) when they played Europa with Converge and Coliseum, don't miss this.

Isis have a new album on the way, Wavering Radiant. Look for it on May 15th.

Pelican recently played SXSW and recorded their debut EP for Southern Lord.

Mike Hill (of Tombs) and Isis have a history together; Hill produced songs on Isis's The Red Sea EP. Before the release of Tombs' mammoth Winter Hours, we interviewed Mike Hill. Tombs recently played SXSW, check out a video of that below.

Black Anvil, who recently dropped Time Insults The Mind on LP, have a few other dates lined up including April 10th in Bethpage, NY.

Bison BC will also be in the hood soon... taking on Children at Death By Audio on April 18th.

More videos and all tour dates below....

Continue reading "Tombs touring w/ Pelican & Isis, playing PA w/ Genghis Tron "

words by Black Bubblegum, photos by Justina Villanueva

That singer from Ceremony got ups, yo!

Did I brush shoulders with death during Converge's set? Nate Newton's swinging bass whizzing inches from my face, Jacob Bannon's foot on my hand as the crowd fought to tear me a part, nor Jacob's swinging microphone straight out of a Roger Daltrey/Who video caused my near collapse. It was a moment of deviant kismet; All of a sudden Jacob Bannon snapped his wrist and whipped the microphone cord causing it to coil around my neck only nanoseconds before a stage diver jumped squarely on top of me. Hanging by the mic cord, my feet were on the floor and my body was at 45 degrees, the crowd around me holding me up from behind. I could feel myself choking until a bouncer rushed over and unwrapped for the cord from my neck... Hung at a Converge show... I guess that one hasn't happened yet (luckily).

The bill for the evening was massive, filled with the Deathwish roster of past (Ceremony) and present (Rise & Fall, Coliseum, Pulling Teeth), save for Genghis Tron, Converge's tour mates from last year's trek with Baroness and The Red Chord. Unlike Justina (who shot the whole show), I arrived towards the end of Ceremony's set, missing Coliseum, Rise & Fall, and Pulling Teeth, unfortunately.

Genghis Tron and coordinated lighting rig played their first show of 2009 directly following Ceremony. They opened with the epic title track to their critically acclaimed LP, Board Up The House. Drum-machine centric bands such as The Austerity Program, Godflesh, and GT have a large hurdle to get over in heavy music; the fact that there isn't a human being smashing the kit behind them in a genre that depends on brutality is definitely a negative in the live setting. That said, Genghis Tron make the best of it, and Mookie is a passionate and energetic frontman. Justina managed to catch my favorite moment of their set on video (below)... a cover of "Bad Penny" by Big Black!

Converge hit the stage right around 12:30 AM, running through material spanning the length of their career including "Locust Reign" from their 1999 split with Agoraphobic Nosebleed, "Heartache", "Hellbound", "Eagles Become Vultures" (video below), "Last Light" and many others.

At one point during the show, a crazed "fan" slapped a bear hug on Jacon Bannon wrestling him from the stage and onto the crowd floor.

When Jacob finally got back on stage he remarked, "I don't even know what happened here. I'm like nervous to keep playing... should we keep playing?"

They did (no encores), finishing the evening with "Concubine" from Jane Doe and a special treat for the metalheads mixed in with the hardcore kids... a cover of "Wolverine Blues" by the mighty Entombed sung by John Petitbone (Himsa, Botch, Undertow). It was their "second time" performing the song. Jacob Bannon took a breather during that one.

I've seen Converge a lot, so I was hoping to hear a lot of new songs, ones I haven't seen them perform in a while, or anything else out of the ordinary. Unfortunately the new material was in limited supply, but the two new ones they did play bore the Converge seal of oddball drum fills, Swedish Death Metal guitar tone, and clear roots in hardcore. The Entombed cover in particular was a highlight for me... well, that and the whole not dying thing.

Converge are scheduled to hit the studio in May to record their new album, according to our recent interview with Jacon Bannon.

Genghis Tron will play Public Assembly on April 12th with Tombs, Black Anvil, and Wetnurse as part of the Show No Mercy series.

More pics & videos (from the whole show, 3/27 in Brooklyn), below...

Continue reading "Converge, Ceremony, Coliseum, Genghis Tron, Rise & Fall and Pulling Teeth @ Europa in Brooklyn - pics"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Woe - "Alone With Our Failures" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Castevet - "Stones" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Crucifier - "When The Bough Breaks" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Crucifier - "The Funeral" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Dimentianon - "Dead and Forgotten" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Batillus - Batillus EP (ZIPPED MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Wetnurse - "Not Your Choice" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Ocean - "The Beacon" (MP3 Snippet)
DOWNLOAD: Ocean - "Of The Lesser" (MP3 Snippet)

Woe on 1/7/08, photo by Scott Kinkade

The Ocean/Salome/Riff Cannon/Batillus edition of Brandon Stosuy (Pitchfork)'s Show No Mercy showcase at at Public Assembly isnt even here yet (that's on 2/15. Check out the Seldon Hunt flyer below), but we have already have word on some of the bands in the months to come, including Genghis Tron, Krieg, Tombs, Wetnurse, Villains, and Crucifier!

First up, March 1st, a scant two weeks after the Ocean/Salome rumble off, Show No Mercy turns the speed waaaaay up with the pairing of the black metal horde Krieg and Philly's Woe (others TBA). Krieg is the brainchild of Imperial, former member of Nachtmystium and Twilight, the defunct black metal super group that at one time featured Blake Judd (Nachtmystium), Malefic (Xasthur), Wrest (Leviathan, Lurker of Chalice), Hildolf (Draguar) and even, for a short time, Aaron Turner (Isis). Woe released the awesome A Spell For The Death Of Man, which is available for pay-what-you-want digital download.

Three weeks later (3/22) as part of a record release party for Paragon Records, Crucifier, will team up with Villains, Castevet, Nocnitsa, and Dimentianon. Crucifier are welcoming their new 10", Trampled Under Cloven Hooves and have posted a pair of MP3s for download... check out "The Funeral" and "When The Bough Breaks". Castevet are welcoming the Salt/Stones 7", which is available for pre-order here. Check out "Stones" from that 7" available for download above. The new Villains album, Lifecode of Decadence, is due "soon" on Nuclear War Now.

And finally, on April 12th, Genghis Tron will headline an eclectic night with Tombs and Wetnurse. Genghis Tron are also playing a show scheduled a few weeks before at Europa, with Converge/Coliseum/the entire Deathwish roster (not really) (tickets). Genghis Tron are also playing Coachella. Tombs will release their new album Winter Hours on Feb 17th. Wetnurse recently played The Charleston with Graf Orlock and Lewd Acts.

Woe and Tombs will team up on Feb 21st to play ABC No Rio with Black Anvil and Bastard Sapling. Later that same night, Tombs plays Death By Audio with Defeatist, Engineer & The Wayward. We interviewed Mike Hill of Tombs here.

Villians & Castevet recently played Public Assembly with the mighty Malkuth and Ipsissimus.

Cannabis Corpse recently played Show No Mercy with Skeletonwitch. Vice Magazine dressed up as the Cannabis Corpse Weed Monster and lived to tell about it. Here's a great quote about the experience:

"The costume smelled of many many many men, and beer, and scrotum, and more beer and MORE scrotes."

February 15th flyer below...

Continue reading "upcoming Show No Mercy lineups, other metal shows, MP3s"

by Black Bubblegum

GT @ The Knitting Factory Tap Bar (Photo by Justina Villanueava)

I take that back... it's nothing but good news. Genghis Tron has been officially added to the previously announced show at Europa on Mar 27th with Converge, Coliseum, Ceremony, Rise & Fall, & Pulling Teeth. Tickets are still available (for now).

Genghis Tron is featured on the soundtrack for Underworld: Rise Of The Lycans (out now), contributing "Board Up The House (Renholder Remix)", a Danny Lohner remix of the title track from last year's fantabulous LP. The band has also dropped all five (!) volumes of their Board Up The House Remixes.... though you better hurry, Volume 1 is already sold out.

by Black Bubblegum

Converge in Moscow (photo by Alexander Welsh)

Good news / bad news / good news. Let's start with the bad news.

All signs point to Genghis Tron off of the previously announced Deathwish super bill of Converge, Pulling Teeth, Rise & Fall, and Ceremony (now ex-Deathwish) at Europa in Brooklyn on March 27.

UPDATE: Genghis Tron said they will know for sure soon whether they will be playing this show or not. Stay tuned...

UPDATE 2: Genghis Tron are in fact also playing this show.

Tickets are still available.

Now some good news... Coliseum has been added to the Europa bill!

Even more good news: It's part of a seven date mini-tour leading up to the recording of their new long-player in May. Look for the follow-up LP to No Heroes to land on Deathwish/Epitaph later this year. Converge is also playing the embarassingly awesome Scion Rock Fest in Atlanta, GA.

In related news, the Supermachiner side project is back in print. Here's a little history on Supermachiner:

Supermachiner originally began as a collection of four track recordings by J. Bannon (Converge) in 1994. The music was much different than his known vocal work in Converge, having more in common with influences Swans, Bauhaus, and others... Along with the help of good friend Ryan Parker (Daltonic, Black Spot, The Jaded Salingers), the project was brought back to life in the winter of 1998...

The two entered the studio with Kurt Ballou (Converge) in the winter of 1999. During these sessions, Ballou also contributed a great deal to the material. The finished album titled "Rise Of The Great Machine" was released by the defunct Undecided label in 2000 (now out of print). After the album release, future projects were planned but never materialized...

"Rust" features the sought after "Rise of the Great Machine" tracks, as well as four track ghosts of forgotten songs, and other unique audio experiments. All of it showcasing the artistic spirit that made Supermachiner such a unique animal for the time. All the while foreshadowing the future marriage between the "post hardcore" and "shoe-gaze" genres that dominate today's avant garde/experimental music world.

Continue reading "Converge - 2009 Tour Dates (Brooklyn w/ Coliseum)"

by Black Bubblebgum

sunn o))) @ Knitting Factory (more by Damien Neva)


Ya hear that rumble? Thats the sound of great records perched in the distance waiting to descend on 2009 (more on that later). While this year will bring about great music and another set of "next big things", let's take the time to be thankful for 2008 and all of it's memorable records and shows. Here are my favorite records of 2008:

Continue reading "the year in Metal (Best of 2008, what's coming in 2009)"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Jarboe - "The House Of Void" (MP3)

Lords... and they're angry! Typocracy)

I bid you good day kind sir and m'lady! May I also say Fuck All Y'all Motherfuckers! That is definitely one album that I have had on blast all this week... the new record by spazzy Louisville hardcore freaks, Lords! Check out "Blasphemy Act" from Fuck All Y'all... currently streaming over at their myspace. Of course it isn't all gravy for dem Kentucky boys. Let's cut to the chase:

Matt Jaha will not be playing bass in the band anymore, and rather than cancel the upcoming tour Eric and I decided to do it as a two piece...I just get some more amps to make up for the bass...

The mighty Anaal Nathrakh have finished writing their new album, the follow-up to the critically-lauded Hell is Empty, and All the Devils are Here from 2007! Mick Kenney is currently shaping the songs in the studio and hopes to have V.I.T.R.I.O.L.'s vocals done in February for an album release in June of 2009...

Victims

Deathwish has signed one of my favorite crusty European bands, Victims! Look for the band to re-release Killer on Deathwish later this year.

As we discussed earlier, Jarboe dropped Mahakali while Early Man dropped Beware The Circling Fin on The End Records. Want 'em both? Email BVCONTESTS@HOTMAIL.COM (subject: Early Jarboe) and win one of three sets of BOTH the Early Man EP on 10" vinyl and the Jarboe CD. Include your first and last name, winners will be contacted. Meanwhile, dig on Jarboe's "The House of Void" available for download above.

Whaaa? A surprise Saviours show at The Charleston?

Tickets for the previously mentioned Kreator tour that will swing through Nokia Theater on April 8th go on sale 11/01 at noon.

Watain LIVE from The Knitting Factory, Slayer, The Hellacopters, Genghis Tron, Cynic & The Sword, all as This Week In Metal continues....

Continue reading "This Week In METAL (10/16/08)"

by Black Bubblegum

Mookie Singerman of Genghis Tron in Belfort (Photo Rod | Le-HibOO.com)

Good News: Genghis Tron announced another tour of the US.
Better News: It's a headlining tour.
Best News: The band has lined up one NYC date, October 25th (during CMJ), at Schmarket Schmotel (where they have played before) with an absolutely killer lineup of DMBQ, An Albatross, Akimbo, and Monotonix with more TBA.

When Genghis Tron finishes with their previously mentioned dates with Baroness in Canada, the trio will hit the road with checkboard-obsessives Yip Yip playing dates with Black Cobra, Behold The Arctopus, and Lovepump United labelmates (Mookie Singerman's label) Clipd Beaks.

The band is currently on tour with The Faint (who recently played Terminal 5, but not with Genghis Tron) and Jaguar Love (who recently played Southpaw).

Monotonix are also playing Knitting Factory on October 24th (one night before Market Hotel & also during CMJ). Monotonix are also on tour as we speak. All Genghis Tron dates below...

Continue reading "Genghis Tron - 2008 Tour Dates (Monotonix, Akimbo, the Faint, Clipd Beaks, Yip Yip & CMJ included)"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Deathwish Inc. Summer Sampler (MP3 ALBUM ZIP*)
DOWNLOAD: AKIMBO - Great White Bull (EXCLUSIVE MP3) from the forthcoming Jersey Shores

Lemmy Is God (Rui M Leal)

I haven't even seen it yet, but I have hereby declared the following as one of the most metal movies of 2008. It's called Lemmy: The Movie. A feature-length documentary on the man, the legend, Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead. In case you had some doubt about how amazing this will be, check out this video of Lemmy and his then drummer "Philthy Animal" trashing a hotel room. Motorhead are one of the Metal Masters, and tickets are still available.

Downloadable above, check out the first tasty nugget from Akimbo, pulled from their upcoming Jersey Shores LP! Akimbo's new concept album, about how "sharks.... will totally fuck you up" is due later this year on Neurot Recordings. Akimbo are scheduled to play Jello Biafra's 50th BDay party with the Melvins.

While all of us are getting riled up for Monticello, All Tomorrow's Parties have announced the curators for 2008's Nightmare Before Christmas.... Melvins & Mike Patton! Info is limited so far, but we do know it'll take place between December 5 - 7 at Butlins Holiday Camp in Minehead and you can expect to see the following confirmed performers: Melvins, Isis, Neil Hamburger, Dälek, Big Business, The Locust, Zu, and Fantômas performing The Director's Cut! More deets are available here. Melvins will drop Nude with Boots this July on Ipecac. Mike Patton recently released a soundtrack to a short film, A Perfect Place.

keep going....

Continue reading "This Week In METAL (06/03/08)"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: The Sword - "Fire Lances Of The Ancient Hyperzephyrians" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Soilent Green - "Antioxidant" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Iron Maiden - "Intro", "Aces High", & "Two Minutes To Midnight", Live in Tokyo Feb 16th, 2008 (VIDEO, WMV)

Neurot Recordings have announced details for THREE Neurosis-related releases in the next two months! First up, a new solo album from the mighty Scott Kelly, who will release The Wake on May 5th, his first release in the seven years since his debut Spirit Bound Flesh. Two weeks later, the world's most intense elementary school teacher Steve Von Till drops A Grave is a Grim Horse, his first non-Harvestman release in six years (Harvestman recently collabo'd with Fear Falls Burning). More details on A Grave Is A Grim Horse can be found here. The third we knew about, but has now gone official: A Storm Of Light's debut And We Wept the Black Ocean Within will be released on June 2nd. Read our recent interview with Josh Graham here.

Tickets for the previously mentioned second At The Gates show go on sale Thursday April 3rd at 10 AM here. Tomas Lindberg's other band, the mighty Disfear, have announced a few more dates, including another show in Brooklyn at Europa on May 22nd with Trap Them and Bloodhorse! Ticket info for Disfear at Europa isn't available, but there are still tickets for their show at the Knitting Factory. New tour dates are down below.

MUCH MORE..............

Continue reading "This Week In METAL (04/02/08)"

by Black Bubblegum, photos by Leia Jospe

Let's start with the good news. They are all OK - NO injuries. Genghis Tron narrowly avoided a truly great disaster when the right rear wheel of their van went Audi 5000 and sent them skipping across three lanes of traffic into the relative sanctuary of a ditch in the median. From the band:

"Deja vu. For the second time in Genghis Tron's career we got into a pretty harrowing car accident. Yesterday afternoon while driving on I-71 in Ohio, the rear right wheel of our van decided to jump ship. We spun out across three lanes of busy traffic and landed in a ditch in the median. Somehow we managed to avoid all other cars and luckily no one was injured, but our van and trailer have certainly seen better days."

"We've set up a paypal donation button on our MySpace page to help us get back on the road in time for next week's tour with Converge. You can also send donations to gtmerch AT gmail DOT com. Every little bit helps...thanks in advance and make sure your tires aren't dickwads like ours! "

Genghis Tron recently played a bunch of shows at SXSW including the Brooklyn Vegan free day party at Emo's Lounge. More photos from that show below....

Continue reading "Genghis Tron cancels some shows due to van accident"

DOWNLOAD: No Kids - For Halloween (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Clipd Beaks - Melter (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Parts & Labor - Fractured Skies (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Grand Ole Party - Look Out Young Son (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Mae Shi - Run To Your Grave (MP3)

THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 2008, FREE (flyer by Ryan Muir)

Emo's Annex
Holy Fuck 5:20
Phosphorescent 4:30
MEN (Le Tigre) 4:00
Lykke Li 3:30
MEN (Le Tigre) 3:00
Why? 2:30
No Kids 1:45
Peter Moren 1:00
Dawn Landes 12:15
The Ting Tings 11:30

Emo's Lounge
Fleet Foxes 5:30
Clipd Beaks 4:45
Genghis Tron 4:00
Parts & Labor 3:15
Team Robespierre 2:30
comedy by Eugene Mirman 2:15
Grand Ole Party 1:30
The Muggabears 12:45
The Mae Shi 12:00

Mp3's above. Videos below...

Continue reading "BrooklynVegan during-SXSW THURSDAY DAY PARTY"

Genghis Tron (crowd) @ Market Hotel - Mar 1, 2008 (mercurialn) (video)

* Help Wanted
* Yaz is reuniting
* Killing Joke is reuniting
* Vampire Weekend is playing SNL
* Blake Sennett's fiance is Winona Ryder
* Jenny Lewis's boyfriend Johnathan Rice is playing Bowery
* The Constantines are NOT playing Mercury Lounge anymore tonight
* Saturday Looks Good To Me are playing Knitting Factory w/ Spanish Prisoners

Video of Rilo Kiley (Jenny Lewis) watching the Paris Hilton sex tape below.
What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Monday?"

video from last night's show.....

Continue reading "Genghis Tron - 'Board Up The House' @ Market Hotel (video)"

* Wynn Walent & Cheyenne are playing Pianos
* Earth Crisis plays Blender Theater
* Patti Smith @ Lincoln Center's Allen Room
* Keren Ann & Dean & Britta @ Bowery Ballroom
* Cadence Weapon & Burn Ruffians @ Union Hall
* Titus Andronicus & Eamon Hamilton @ Galapagos
* Roky Erickson & Thurston Moore @ Webster Hall
* Perfect From Now On paperback book release party
* Genghis Tron, Aa, Shooting Spires, Ponytail, etc @ Market Hotel
* Lo-Fi-Fnk, The Cansecos & Finger on the Pulse @ Highline Ballroom (LATE)

Unlike High Places last night, the Genghis Tron show IS HAPPENING AT THE MARKET HOTEL tonight. Metal Injection recently filmed Genghis Tron being interviewed and playing a show. Videos below. What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Saturday?"

by Black Bubblegum

Both Coliseum and Baroness have announced separate tours with before they hit the road with Converge/The Red Chord/Genghis Tron. Baroness will be joined by Young Widows (who recently signed to Temporary Residence) for their new Kurt Ballou-produced LP (does he produce everything?) and will be in NYC to open the Dalek/Russian Circles show @ Mercury Lounge. Now if we can only convice Evan Patterson to persuade his brother Ryan to play a Coliseum date in NYC soon..... All dates below...

Continue reading "Converge, Red Chord, Genghis Tron, Coliseum, Baroness, Young Widows, Russian Circles... - updated 2008 Tour Dates"

DOWNLOAD: Shooting Spires - Right (MP3)

Shooting Spires @ Pete's Candy Store, Sept 2007 (Jason Glastetter)

Shooting Spires is the bedroom art-pop project of BJ Warshaw, bassist and vocalist for Parts & Labor. Retreating from the Brooklyn stalwarts and their extroverted noise-punk, his self-titled debut album is an agoraphobic mix of soaring choruses and tormented electronics, fueled on Brian Eno, Boredoms and Peter Gabriel.

Continue reading "Shooting Spires (BJ Warshaw) - MP3, Tour Dates (w/ band)"

by Black Bubblegum

converge @ nuvolari libera tribù, 20/07/07, cuneo (italy) Charlie Cravero

Converge. Baroness. The Red Chord. Genghis Tron. Coliseum. No, this isn't a list of the best heavy albums of the past two years.... it's a list of bands that are going on tour... TOGETHER. Dubbed "The Lambs For Lions", Converge has announced the initial dates for their freight train of a tour in 2008. They play Blender/Gramercy Theater in NYC on April 1st - tickets are not on sale yet.

Independent of that, Genghis Tron will embark on their own merry jaunt, with a stop at SXSW, and one in Brooklyn on March 1st with Aa, Ponytail & Shooting Spires. All Converge dates below...

Continue reading "Converge - 2008 Tour Dates with Baroness, The Red Chord, Genghis Tron"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Unearthly Trance - Permanent Ice (MP3)

That's it. I'm calling Mayor "Doomberg" (as El-P calls him)! We need to get one of those keys-to-the-city and have the week of the 21st designated as official Neurosis & pals week.

First, you have the two killer Neurosis shows back to back at a Masonic temple (Jan 24th & 25th... and possibly with Mastodon in tow). Then on the 26th Scott Kelly (of Neurosis & now Shrinebuilder fame) and Jarboe (Swans) play a solo show at the Pussycat Lounge! Make sure to stay and check out NYC mainstays Unearthly Trance lay waste (flyer).

Speaking of the guys from Unearthly Trance..... check for them as they embark on a tour with the always great Pelican and Black Cobra (mems Acid King, and recently off tour with The Sword). Dates at the end of this post.

More below......

Continue reading "this week in METAL (01-04-07)"

by Black Bubblegum (a BV metal correspondent)

Dillinger Escape Plan @ Blender Theater, NYC - Dec 16, 2007 (CRED)

How long until A.O. Scott and Elvis Mitchell start reviewing films with "two devil horns up" or "4 1/2 Pentagrams"? First, the NY Times article on Sunn 0))) & Boris, then more recently articles on Enslaved & Behemoth, and now Dillinger Escape Plan? Great article that, although short, captures some of the fury that is a Dillinger Escape Plan show..... You know your metal band is doing something right (or reeally wrong?) when the New York Times describes your show as a "thickly textured maelstrom".

More metal below....

Continue reading "this week in METAL (12-26-07)"

DOWNLOAD: Pig Destroyer - Gravedancer (MP3)

by Black Bubblegum (a BV metal correspondent)

Calculators out..... The Dillinger Escape Plan will be back in NYC on Sunday December 16th, to play hits (and I mean that in a Tony Soprano kinda way) from their critically acclaimed new Faith-No-More-meets-odd-time-signature-Napalm-Death LP, "Ire Works". Tickets are still available.

Getting all morse code-y with DEP is Genghis Tron, who recently posted "Board Up The House" off of their new upcoming record for Relapse. Check it at their MySpace. Also, you can catch Mookie Singerman's (Genghis Tron) awesome monthly column "Route 666" in Decibel Magazine.

Speaking of Decibel, check out their picks for 2007's best heavy records.... I wonder which ones were Mookie's, John Darnielle's (Mountain Goats) & Jeffrey Walker's (ex-Carcass) faves? (they all write for Decibel)

Decibel's Top 40 Records of 2007
1.Pig Destroyer - Phantom Limb (John's #4)
2.Watain - Sworn to the Dark
3.The Dillinger Escape Plan - Ire Works
4.Jesu - Conqueror
5.Baroness - The Red Album
6. Neurosis - Given to the Rising (playing some shows)
7. Witchcraft - The Alchemist
8. Portal - Outré
9. High on Fire - Death is this Communion (Dave Hill liked this too)
10. A Life Once Lost - Iron Gag

Continue reading "Dillinger Escape Plan, High on Fire, Genghis Tron, Decibel's Top 40 of 2007, 2008 Tour Dates"

Akimbo = "Heavy, fast metal from Seattle." Genghis Tron = "Electro-prog with thrash breaks and screeching vocals." (thanks Todd P for the perfect descriptions)

GENGHIS TRON @ KNITTING FACTORY

Together the two bands helped to make my eardrums bleed last night (March 8, 2006) in the Knitting Factory tap bar (that's a good thing). Right now they're on tour together.

AKIMBO @ KNITTING FACTORY

Catch them with Hot Cross and USAISAMONSTER Thursday night in Brooklyn.