Ghoul sprays the crowd with blood at MDF 2012 (more by Fred Pessaro // BBG)

We are very sorry to announce that we have to cancel our appearance at St Vitus in Brooklyn this coming Sunday (10/21) due to massive shitdickery on our part. We'll try to make it up to anyone who was planning on going in the coming year. There's still an awesome show happening with Satan's Satyrs, No Stayer, and Destroyed In Seconds, so by all means go to the show! And if you don't mind traveling a little we will still be playing at NJDF on Saturday night. Right across the river. One PATH Train ride and you're there. -[Ghoul]

Of course there are a few metal shows going on in NYC on that Saturday night (10/20) if you dont head to New Jersey, including the BV-BBG showcase with Yakuza, Royal Thunder, and many others (tickets).

by Fred Pessaro // BBG

'One Man Metal' still, Jef Whitehead (Wrest of Leviathan) on right

Noisey have run the first part of an amazing three-part series on One Man Metal, featuring Leviathan, Striborg and Xasthur. The series, thus far, has revealed the three notoriously hermetic individuals in a light ever seen before. Check it out below... highly reccommended.

The previously discussed Ghoul show at Saint Vitus on 10/21 is one of two area shows for the band, who will also bless NJ Deathfest at Hartleys in North Arlington, NJ on 10/19 - 20. The two-day event will also feature appearances from Waco Jesus, Malignancy, Phobia, Internal Bleeding, Waking The Cadaver, Gorgasm, Deceased, and many many more. Tickets are on sale.

Graveyard have a new song from their forthcoming LP Lights Out streaming at The Wall Street Journal. Repeat, The Wall Street Journal.

All Evillive-approved shows are listed below, along with hat great OMM video.

Continue reading "Evillive ('One Man Metal,' NJ Deathfest, more)"

Ghoul at Maryland Deathfest 2012 (more by Fred Pessaro // BBG)

Ghoul will team with Satan's Satyrs, No Stayer and one more TBA for a show on October 21 at Saint Vitus. Tickets are on sale. The show is the only known East Coast date thus far for this West Coast band, but more are surely on the way.

Ghoul recently played the Gwar-B-Q in Richmond in August, and toured with the band earlier this year. Check out video of Ghoul from that below.

Continue reading "Ghoul playing NYC show at Saint Vitus with Satan's Satyrs"

by BBG

Godflesh at MDF

Hand in hand, the gasmask wielding pair strolled on to the stage to the sound of air raid sirens. Their arrival announced the coming of reunited grindcore greats Nasum, one of the headliners at Maryland Deathfest on May 25th playing their farewell round of shows. A rare appearance from Godflesh and related band Napalm Death (Godflesh's Justin Broadrick was an early member of ND) were the night's outdoor (read: true) headliners, playing the large stages and rounding out a lineup that included campy thrash, Swedish death metal, noisecore pioneers, Romanian black metal and many stops in between.

Brooklyn's Castevet opened the show at 3:30PM, sporting new bassist Nick McMaster (also of Krallice). I missed the next band Nashgul (and would later miss Setherial in the same room), but managed to catch the campy and fun Ghoul, who take cues from their ex-tourmates Gwar in the theatricality and dousing-the-audience-in-"blood" arenas. Finnish death metal crew Demigod, who were a highlight at Rites of Darkness, opened the outdoor stage and delivered a similarly inspired performance.

Today is The Day were next on the indoor stage, playing quite possibly my favorite performance from the band and definitely a highlight for the day. The band's new lineup featuring the rhythm section of Wetnurse is a perfect match for Steve Austin's madman antics, and I heard quite a few comments afterword to the tune of "I forgot how much I used to love Today is The Day". Their former labelmates on Amphetamine Reptile, Unsane, would also kill it later that evening.

Negura Bunget, or what left of them, followed on the indoor stage (the bulk of the original band was recently replaced), and seemed oddly placed and limp following Today is The Day. Meanwhile, thrashers Artillery riled up the thrashers on the outside stage but didnt do much for me.

Napalm Death headlined the first of the two outdoor stages, playing material from each of their prior albums to a circle-pitting, crowd-surfing audience. Besides being the originators of the genre, Napalm Death is also one of grind's tightest live crews; the term legend is more than well-deserved.

The crowd had lined up in front of the second stage a long time before Godflesh ripped into their first chord, so from the moment that the band kicked into "Like Rats" the pits and surfers had easily migrated to the other end of the parking lot. The duo (and requisite drum machine) played material from their legendary Streetcleaner and though they slightly overstayed their welcome, it was nonethless amazing to see them live.

The reactivated Nasum (who we recently interviewed) headlined the indoor stage at Sonar and similar to the Godflesh and Napalm Death, the crowd let loose by the time Rotten Sound's Keijo Niinimaa belted out the first vocal. The five piece will be missed, but they definitely went out with a bang.

More pictures from day two at Maryland Death Fest are below. If you missed it, check out day one pictures HERE and a set of Rorschach's pictures HERE.

Continue reading "Maryland Deathfest Day 2: Godflesh, Napalm Death, Nasum, Today is The Day, Unsane, Ghoul, Demigod and more "

Gwar at MHoW (more by Chris La Putt)

How do you up the ante on a Gwar show? Have them headline a Zombie Prom.

This is a zombie event like no other!! Irving Plaza will be full of the undead!! Booze, Blood & GWAR!!

...Take your official prom photo. Receive your official prom pin.
The Zombie King and Zombie Queen of the prom will receive special prizes...

There will be a "Pageant of the Undead" - Zombies don't do beauty pageants...they do gore pageants!

There will be a crowning of the King and Queen of the prom. Yes, there are prizes!

The grand finale is when the sickest band in metal history...Hark to the hideous majesty of your MASTERS, rulers of Earth, the MIGHTY GWAR will take the stage.

In related news, Ghoul recently returned from a tour with Gwar, will head out on the road for some dates on their campaign toward Maryland Deathfest and Chaos in Tejas. Look for that tour to hit Saint Vitus on May 23rd with Nashgul, Occultist, and Pizza Hi Five. Tickets are still available.

All tour dates and some video is below.

Continue reading "Gwar playing Zombie Prom benefit for Cory Smoot (dates)"

by BBG

Ghoul at California Discord Fest (more by BBG)

Ghoul, who are now on board for Chaos in Tejas 2012 and scheduled to play Saint Vitus in May (tickets), will hit the road for a string of dates with Gwar, Municipal Waste, and Legacy of Disorder that will include a stop at Starland Ballroom on 3/18. All dates are listed below. Municipal Waste is readying their new LP The Fatal Feast via Nuclear Blast on 4/10.

In related news, Cannabis Corpse will now feature Landphil of Municipal Waste on vocal duties, and you can cath them on the road for a string of dates with Revocation and Ramming Speed. The dates include a stop at Saint Vitus on April 28th. All tour dates are below.

Sathanas will headline the first ever live appearance from Vrolok, along with NY's Hubris & NJ's Mortum at Cake Shop on Saturday (tonight, 2/11). $12 gets you in the door for this night of local black metal. Show flyer is below and Facebook event page is here.

Some great artists that are definitely metal friendly: Paul Romano, Mike Wohlberg, Kat Gun, Buddy Nestor, and Caitlin Hackett, will band together for an art show at Gristle Tattoo (178 N8th St) on 2/25. More details can be found at this link.

Black Breath has a new track, "Mother Abyss", currently streaming below. The track, which debuted via Revolver Friday, is from the band's forthcoming LP Sentenced to Life. Look for the LP on March 27th via Southern Lord.

More suggested NYC shows, some live Coffins video, tour dates and that Black Breath stream, below...

Continue reading "Evillive (Coffins, Black Breath, Ghoul, Municipal Waste, Gwar, Cannabis Corpse & more)"

by BBG

Saint Vitus @ Irving Plaza in 2011 (more by BBG)

Chaos in Tejas (May 31-June 3 in Austin) have announced ANOTHER batch of bands to add to their ridiculous lineup including Saint Vitus, Church of Misery, No Statik, Toys That Kill, Pegasus, Martial Canterel, Anasazi, Bloodwing (mems of The Spits, who are on tour soon), Harm's Way, Hatred Surge, the Hex Dispensers, John Wesley Coleman, Joyce Manor, and many many others. The current full lineup and flyer is below and tickets are FINALLY going on sale TODAY (1/31).

Doom legends Saint Vitus are currently preparing their new LP Lillie: F-65 for Season of Mist. The record, their eighth and first in seventeen years (!), is tentatively set for release at the end of March. More details are forthcoming.

In related news, members of Mind Eraser also serve as personnel in Magic Circle, another Chaos in Tejas band. Look for Magic Circle to team with Pilgrim (who we recently interviewed), Windhand, and Natur at Public Assembly on March 1st.

The updated Chaos in Tejas lineup is below along with the flyer.

Continue reading "Chaos in Tejas 2012 expands again; tickets on sale today"

by BBG

Ghoul at California Discord Fest (more by BBG)

Ghoul will play a string of East Coast dates surrounding their Maryland Deathfest appearance, including one in Brooklyn on May 23rd at Saint Vitus with Population Reduction (mem Voetsek). Ticket info is forthcoming.

All tour dates and a pair of album streams, including their latest LP Transmission Zero, are below....

Continue reading "Ghoul schedules shows around MDF, playing Saint Vitus w/ Population Reduction (dates & streams)"

by BBG

Volume 8 of the incredible Chaos in Tejas will go down on May 31st through June 3rd in Austin, Texas, and this year and much like last, its chock full of incredible rare appearances from across the punk, crust, indie, and metal world. Among the announced are crust legends Antisect, The Mob (UK), the reformed and final lineup of Nasum, Best Coast (who recently got a new drummer), Tear it Up (who recently reunited in NYC), Varukers, Winter, Iceage, Forward, Ghoul, Double Negative (who play NYC next week), and so much more. The announcement is just the first batch of bands, with an additional 100+ still to come. Check out the Chaos in Tejas flyer above. Full list of bands below...

Continue reading "Chaos in Tejas 2012 (initial lineup)"

by BBG

Ghoul at California Discord Fest (more by BBG)

If ever there was a match made in tour-pairing heaven, its Ghoul with Gwar on the upcoming Return of the Maggot tour. Both Gwar and Ghoul practice faceless heavy music with a ultra-black sense of humor. Both aren't afraid to let a little blood spray on the crowd. Both have a highly entertaining live show. But while Gwar's chemistry relies heavily on stage theatricality, Ghoul's is quite the opposite, using minimal stage props and focusing on what matters the most, well-honed songwriting.

If you believe the rumors about Ghoul's genetic makeup, it makes sense that they'd crank out excellent records; the nameless, faceless fiends may or may not contain members of Ludicra, Dystopia, Stormcrow, Impaled, Asunder, Engorged and many others. And while Ghoul is definitely a serious band, they're definitely one to disembowel you with their blunt-death metal riffs and then make bad jokes while they play with your spilled entrails. Metaphorically speaking. I hope.

Ghoul is preparing to follow-up 2006's Splatterthrash with their latest opus of guts & gore Transmission Zero. The new LP, currently up for preorder, hits the racks on November 8th, but you can preview four of the eleven songs below. Check out "Off With Their Heads", "Blood Feast", and "Metallicus Ex Mortis" below alongside the album title track, which makes its debut here. Listen to those those alongside previous releases Splatterthrash and We Came for the Dead / Maniaxe also streaming below.

The Return of The Maggot tour kicks off today (10/18), so make sure and catch Ghoul (like at Irving Plaza on 10/23, tickets) at the dates below.

Continue reading "Ghoul releasing 'Transmission Zero' (song premiere), now on tour with Gwar (dates)"

by BBG (who is in California right now)

Ghoul in Orange County

Try as you might, you could not escape the Dystopia chants at an otherwise quiet industrial park in Orange County on Sunday night (9/25). It's understandable considering the greatness of Dystopia, and the fact that 2/3 of its members were playing in newer projects (Ghoul and Mange).

The two day at California Discord Fest, which originally featured appearances from Rattus, Dropdead, Despise You, Lack of Interest, Ghoul, Mange, ACxDC, Murder Construct, unannounced guest Exhumed and many others, was pared down considerably after a 9PM police visit on Saturday broke-up the show at its original location at The Vortex in downtown Los Angeles. Unconfirmed rumors blame a lack of correct permits. Regardless, locals quickly picked up the slack with house shows that night, a set by Magrudergrind included, and two new shows were scheduled for Sunday.

Though the bulk of the local lineup did not play (including Lack of Interest and Despise You), the two Sunday makeup shows were quickly scheduled outside the city in Fullerton with Dropdead, Exhumed, Ghoul, and Mange. The shows were set in a practice studio approximately a fifth of the size of the original venue and it was soon invaded by a swarm of punks, a good number of which did not get in due to capacity. Rattus, in their reported final US appearance, played the early show at the venue which I unfortunately missed due to a miscommunication (fail on my part).

The late (6PM) make-up show on Sunday featured a headlining appearance from Dropdead, who teamed with Exhumed, Ghoul, and Mange. Dropdead was great as usual, though the band has been sticking to a similar script with respect to set list for years now; the band hasn't released any new material in a while save for splits with Converge and Look Back and Laugh (who they covered at the show). Exhumed's booming death metal that wowed me at Maryland Deathfest didn't disappoint either, so make sure to catch them in NYC at Europa on 11/9 (tickets are still available). Mange, who opened the show and struggled with equipment diffuclty, played a more-sludge-leaning version of powerviolence that had the crowd primed for faster material; this was definitely a crowd built for speed.

But my clear favorite was definitely Ghoul (possibly due to never seeing them before), whose crusty thrash was both powerful and campy. Shrouded in blood-soaked hoods, the band ripped through a set of oldies and new material while costumed "guests" came on stage to soak the crowd with fake (?) blood. Ghoul is definitely a fantastic live band, and their low-tech approach to stage gore will fit perfectly with tour-mates Gwar (who hit Irving Plaza on 11/23, tickets). Make sure and get there early.

More pictures from California Discord Fest, including Ghoul and Dropdead setlists, are below. A second set of photos, which includes some of the bands from Saturday before the fuzz broke up the party and that Magrudergrind house show, are on the way.

Continue reading "California Discord Fest was shut down, but Ghoul, Exhumed & Mange did get to play a show (pics)"

by BBG

Jason of Frodus spits at Death By Audio (more by Ryan Muir)

Regents, featuring members of Sleepytime Trio and Frodus, will hit the road for a short string of dates that will include a show at Acheron on 10/8 with Defeatist and Psychic Limb. Their full slate of dates are below. Regents recently dropped a 7" via Lovitt Records, which is streaming below in its entirety.

The great doomers in Earthride will team with When The Deadbolt Strikes and Archon at Acheron on 10/7.

Singapore black metal crew Impiety are touring the US this fall, and will hit Saint Vitus on 10/14 with Funerus, Sacristy, Discordia, and Warstrike 666. Full tour schedule and the video teaser is below.

Dysrhythmia will team with East of The Wall, Meek is Murder and City of Ships for a show at Union Pool on 10/22, a 1000 Knives CMJ event.

If you missed it, this week I interviewed Wolvhammer and we are streaming the new Dead In The Dirt, a new Landmine Marathon song, a new Wormrot song, and The Body/Braveyoung LP. Also this week we heard that English Dogs are touring on Forward Into Battle, and I reflected upon the amazing Urfaust/Black Anvil/Krallice/Ruin Lust show.

Deceased will team with Bitchslicer, Hellcannon, and Possessor at Saint Vitus on 10/7.

Stream a new Ghoul track, "Blood Feast", below alongside more suggested NYC shows and an Impiety tour teaser. What did I miss?

Continue reading "Evillive (Regents, Earthride, Impiety, Dysrhythmia, Ghoul & more)"

by BBG

Gwar at MHOW (more by Chris LaPutt)

Gwar will take their pus-ridden tour on the road with Every Time I Die, Warbeast, and Ghoul(!), hitting Irving Plaza on October 23rd. Tickets for that show go on sale today (August 12) at 10AM.

The tour, dubbed the "Return of The World Maggot Tour", will kick off in middle October in North Carolina and loop the country, eventually heading back to the East Coast by the end of November. Full tour schedule is below. Gwar is also headlining the Gwar-B-Q, which will feature the debut of Argonauts, as well as performances from Darkest Hour, Battlemaster, and many others.

Ghoul (who may or may not contain members of Impaled, Ludicra and Engorged) will perform material from their forthcoming eleven-track Transmission Zero LP, due on Tankcrimes. The band will also dip into that new LP at the California Discord Fest in Los Angeles, alongside Rattus, Dropdead, Lack of Interest, Despise You, Magrudergrind, and many many notable others on 9/24 and 9/25 at the Vortex. Tickets are still available.

All tour dates and some classic Gwar video on Joan Rivers and Jerry Springer is below.

Continue reading "Gwar announce Fall Tour w/ Ghoul & others (dates)"

by BBG

Today Is The Day at Highline Ballroom (more by BBG)

And so it has begun. After a fun Maryland Deathfest 2011 (pictures of day 1, 2, 3, 4), the festival has announced confirmations for MDF 2012 including some amazing names (Bethlehem, Demigod, Ghoul, Church of Misery, The Devil's Blood, Dragged Into Sunlight, Ulcerate, others) and even a true a headscratcher (Anvil?). Full lineup thus far is below. Maryland Deathfest X kicks off on May 24th, 2012 at Sonar. No tickets yet

In related news, Today is The Day, whose rhythm section once was home to half of Mastodon and now features members of Wetnurse (Curran & Ryan), have completed their new LP Pain Is A Warning and are preparing its release for August 16 on Black Market Activites/Good Fight. Preorder it now, and check out the lead track "Expectations Exceed Reality" streaming below.

Anvil plays Bowery Ballroom on July 30th as part of a summer tour. Tickets are still available.

All MDF additions, that new Today is The Day, and some video is below.

Continue reading "initial Maryland Deathfest lineup, new Today is the Day song"