Grayceon at BV/Profound Lore SXSW 2011 (more by Samantha Marble)

As discussed at Invisible Oranges, the two-track Grayceon EP, Pearl & The End of Days, is nearing its release date of February 12 via The Flenser. The band, which features cellist Jackie-Peretz-Gratz also of Giant Squid, recently released a stream of "Pearl," but BV is pround to present a stream of the remainder of the EP's other song, "End of Days." Stream the new EP in full below.

Continue reading "stream Grayceon's new 'Pearl & The End of Days' EP in full"

by BBG

"Giant squid sound like June of 44, neurosis and system of a down made an awesome three way music baby." [SethCDiamond

"hey LADIES, it's a great weekend to be a WOMAN in PUNK! canadian riot grrrls WHITE LUNG are in town tonite @ 538 johnson + tmw @ the acheron" -Maria Sherman

Giant Squid @ Saint Vitus

Translation Loss celebrated their roster at two shows in the East Coast, including NYC at Saint Vitus on 4/21. The Philadelphia-based record label looped in west-coast cello-centric metal crew Giant Squid for the special occaision, filling out the rest of the bill with appearances from Rosetta (who headlined the evening), Fight Amp and East of the Wall. Pictures and video from Saint Vitus on Saturday are below.

Shortly after the close of the show, I braved the elements to head to the sweltering-hot-and-obscenely-packed Acheron to catch the tail end of Crazy Spirit before White Lung hit the stage for their second of two NYC shows (the first was at 538 Johnson the day before). Thankfully, I missed a fight that broke out at the venue during the show and managed to catch all of the bratty-punk set by White Lung who, despite microphone issues and too much stage volume (which forces the vocals too high in the PA), were totally fun and unique. Video from Acheron is below.

If you missed Fight Amp, the band will be in NYC very soon... look for the Am-Rep-meets-hardcore trio to bless Union Pool on June 14th as the special guest for the previously announced Harkonen/The Atlas Moth/Whores show as part of the BrooklynVegan-BBG/Brutal Panda Northside showcase. Tickets are still on sale OR you can use your Northside badge to get in.

All pictures and video from Acheron and Saint Vitus are below.

Continue reading "Rosetta played w/ Giant Squid; White Lung played w/ Crazy Spirit; Fight Amp added to Northside show (dates/pics/video)"

by BBG

Rosetta at Gramercy Theater (more by Di Lynn Ring)

Whenever vocalist Mike Armine isn't handling vocals over spacey post-hardcore riffs with his band Rosetta, you can probably catch him crouching in the corner activating some of the samples and ambient tracks that provide texture and depth to their live show. Now Armine is welcoming an LP of tracks that further explore his ambient tendencies with Verse & Cleansing Undertones of Wake/Lift, a full-length that delves head-first into waves of noise, tones, and feedback, abandoning some of the clenched-fist approach of Rosetta in favor of introspection. Stream all of Verse & Cleansing Undertones of Wake/Lift below and look for the LP on Translation Loss Records this week.

Rosetta released a split with Junius and the The Determinism of Morality LP last year, and recently played with Kings Destroy at Saint Vitus on March 14th. The band will return to the space on April 21st as a special guest where they will join Giant Squid, Fight Amp and East of The Wall. Tickets are still available.

All tour dates and that Mike Armine stream below...

Continue reading "Mike Armine welcomes a new LP (stream it); Rosetta added to Translation Loss bill (dates)"

by BBG

Jackie of Giant Squid at BV/Profound Lore SXSW (more by Samantha Marble)

Fight Amp, Giant Squid, East of The Wall and special guests will team up for Translation Loss showcases at North Star Bar in in Philadelphia on 4/20 (with Rosetta) and at Saint Vitus in Brooklyn on 4/21 (with special guest TBA). Tickets for both shows are on sale (at the links).

Giant Squid, who released the Cenotes EP last year, is celebrating its vinyl release with these shows. The band currently have no other new releases on the way but their labelmates Fight Amp do...

Studio time is officially booked for our next full-length! Starting April we're recording to 2" tape at Gradwell Studios here in South Jersey, same place we used for our splits with Black Tusk, Kowlloon Walled City, and Ladder Devils. Here come the bummer jams...

Meanwhile, East of the Wall are hitting the road for a string of US dates with Hull and Black Tusk. You can also catch Brett from East of the Wall at Union Pool as part of Argonauts. All tour dates and some video is below.

Continue reading "Translation Loss schedules label showcases with Fight Amp, Giant Squid, East of the Wall and more"

A Storm of Light

Josh Graham is multitasking, and not in a chew gum and walk kind of way either. Graham first burst on the scene as the newest member of Bay Area titans Neurosis, handling the visual element which included live pieces and graphic design, eventually leading into the legendary "A Sun That Never Sets" companion DVD. On the heels of that well received DVD, Josh went on to direct music videos and design artwork for Dillinger Escape Plan, Enon, Jesu, Khann, Underoath, Saves The Day, and many others.

Meanwhile, Josh wielded a heavy (like the music) axe (like the guitar) in Red Sparowes featuring members of the like-minded Isis, Battle Of Mice [RIP] with members of local metallers Made Out Of Babies, and Tribes of Neurot (a Neurosis related experimental project). His tenure with Red Sparowes has recently come to an end, but that hasn't stopped Mr. No-Sleep from starting another band... A Storm Of Light." [Black Bubblegum, March 2008]

Continue reading "Josh Graham lists 10 Great Things About 2009 (A Storm of Light plays w/ Coliseum & Coalesce @ Europa Wednesday)"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Amber Asylum - "Bitter River" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Amber Asylum - "Auger Of Thrall" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Giant Squid - "Panthalassa" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Saros - "Reversion" (MP3)

Amber Asylum (photo by Taija Lynn)

Neurosis. Weakling. Noothgrush. Graves At Sea. Saros. Swans. Ludicra. Members of some seriously heavy bands have contributed to the Bay Area beast known as Amber Asylum. But towering stacks and bowel-shaking riffs aren't at the root of their heaviness, it's a much deeper source that draws from chamber music, post-rock, dark ambient, and the avant-garde.

Amber Asylum is the brainchild of Kris T. Force, multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and collaborator with Neurosis, Matmos, Swans, and many many others. Over the years, AA has featured a revolving door of collaborators (including Steve Von Till and John Cobbett). For their new album, Force collaborated with Leila Abdul-Rauf (Saros, Bastard Noise), Jackie-Perez Gratz (Giant Squid, Grayceon), Eric Wood (Bastard Noise), and Chiyo Nukaga (Noothgrush, Graves at Sea), in addition to guests Sigrid Sheie (Hammers of Misfortune) and Jarboe. Amber Asylum's new album, Bitter River, is out now at the Profound Lore site (and coupled with the new Saros for a discount), but the band has dropped off a pair of tracks from their upcoming LP for download above.

With a rap sheet like that, you can bet that Amber Asylum's collaborators are busy with their other projects.

Giant Squid and Grayceon are hitting the eastern shores this August, and have lined up a date at Union Pool on August 12th with the mighty Hull (who recently dropped Sole Lord). Full tour dates are below. Giant Squid's new Matt Bayles (Minus The Bear, Mastodon) produced effort, The Ichthyologist, is out now independently. Pick it up through the band, and download one of those tracks above.

As we discussed back in November, Saros recently released their new album Acrid Plains via Profound Lore (get that here) and have a few dates lined up of the west coast including one with Yob (who released a new song and has a record coming). Full tour dates are below, download "Reversion" from Acrid Plains above.

Bastard Noise recently played No Fun Fest.

Jarboe is coming to Santos Party House on June 27th. Tickets are still available.

Tour dates for Saros and Giant Squid, as well as Amber Asylum and Giant Squid videos are below...

Continue reading "Amber Asylum - MP3s from collaborator heavy new album +++ Giant Squid, Grayceon & other tour dates"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Crowpath - "The Deed" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Crowpath - "One With Filth" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Crowpath - "Plague Bearer" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Graf Orlock - "Run Over By A Truck" (M4A)
DOWNLOAD: Cripple Bastards - "Sangue Chiama" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Ocean - "The Beacon" (Excerpt) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Ocean - "Of The Lesser" (Excerpt) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Kylesa - "Set Controls for The Heart Of The Sun" (MP3, Pink Floyd cover)
DOWNLOAD: Kylesa - "Between Silence & Sound" (Remix) (MP3)

Crowpath

Let us all give thanks to Crowpath. For it is on November 25th, that the Swedes will brutalize us at the highly chaotic crossroads of brutal grind, death, doom, and hardcore with their new album One with Filth. The eleven-track LP One With Filth is currently up for preorder with a shirt at Willowtip Records, but you can download THREE of those tracks above, including "The Deed" available only here!

How can it get any better? Maryland Deathfest have added Napalm Death, Venomous Concept, and Misery Index to the already STELLAR lineup which includes the mighty Bolt Thrower. Tickets for Maryland Deathfest are on sale.

As we discussed last week, the mighty Graf Orlock have a new record on the way, Destination Time Today. The third installment in their cinemagrind trilogy, da Graf have been (un)kind enough to hook us BV'ers up with the new jam "Run Over By A Truck", downloadable above!

Ocean (of Maine) drops their new record, the two-track Pantheon Of The Lesser on Important Records on 11/11... check out the pair of MP3 excerpts available for download above. Likey? Pick it up right cheah...

Trap Them's massive new album Seizures In Barren Praise and the domestic issue of Carpathian's Isolation is out NOW via Deathwish Records. Broke/cheap & want 'em both? Email BVCONTESTS@HOTMAIL.COM (subject: Trap Them) and win BOTH CDs or BOTH LPs! Include your first and last name, your preference in format (CD or LP)... winners will be selected at random and contacted. Meanwhile, get your listen on at Hardcore Night's Trap Them Listening Party "and Beer Chugging Contest" (awesome) at The Charleston on 11/13.. flyer is below. Trap Them also was interviewed by Crustcake and sat in at WNYU! Download it here (forward to the 27 min mark).

Italian me(n)tal pantients Cripple Bastards dropped their new grinder Variante Alla Morte on FETO Records (owned by Shane Embury and Mick Kenney). Check out "Sangue Chiama", one of the few tracks over 30 seconds long (hell, over 10 seconds long), available for download above!

Neurosis have announced a few new new bands for the Beyond The Pale event at Roadburn 2009 including Om, Six Organs Of Admitttance, Skullflower, and A Storm Of Light! Hmmm, Wino is at Roadburn with Saint Vitus, Scott Kelly of Neurosis is obviously there, and now Al Cisneros from Om is on board.... thats 3/4 of Shrinebuilder... we'll keep you posted for new additions as come up! As originally discussed in February, Scott "Wino" Weinrich has a new solo album in the works... but now it has a name and a date! Look for the new album, Punctuated Equilibrium on Jan 20th 2009, and check out the album art!

That album art plus details on the Amenra US tour, news on Mastodon, Jesu, Metallica, Giant Squid, Agoraphobic Nosebleed and so much more below...

Continue reading "This Week In METAL (11/12/08) "