by BBG

Shane Embury on stage with Venomous Concept (more by BBG)

Lock Up is a deathgrind side project originally formed by Shane Embury (Napalm Death, Venomous Concept), Nicholas Barker (ex-Cradle of Filth, Dimmu Borgir) and Jesse Pintado (Napalm Death, Terrorizer). Lock Up was joined by Peter Tägtgren (Hypocrisy) for its debut album, 1999's Pleasures Pave Sewers, and Tomas Lindberg for 2002's Hate Breeds Suffering and a Japanese tour...

Lock Up have played very few live shows. In 2009, the band announced that they would play the Damnation Festival that year. The line-up featured Embury, Barker, Lindberg and Reisenegger. It was touted as the band's last ever live show; however, they later booked more shows for 2010. -[Wiki]

All tour dates and some video below...

Continue reading "Lock Up (mems of Napalm Death/Disfear) schedule tour with Goatwhore (dates)"

photos by Jonathan McPhail, words by BBG

Goatwhore

Exhumed teamed with Goatwhore, Havok, and Brohammer at Europa on Wednesday night (11/9), as part of the latter three's tour together. Exhumed's appearance was the most rare after being away from the road and on mini-hiatus for a few years (save for an MDF appearance), but it was Goatwhore who drew the most excitement, probably due to the fact that the band is on the road constantly. By all accounts, the kids also went nuts for high-energy thrashers Havok.

Pictures of all four bands, some video, the Exhumed album stream, and tour dates are below.

Continue reading "Exhumed played Europa with Goatwhore, Havok, and Brohammer (pics/video)"

by BBG

Leviathan's True Traitor True Whore

Leviathan's True Traitor True Whore was hands down my most anticipated release of this year, especially considering my reverence for his last LP Massive Conspiracy Against All Life. True Traitor True Whore is Jef Whitehead's personal statement toward the recent charges brought upon him, according to his interview in Pitchfork, and it is also one of his most daring and overtly "rock" leaning records yet. TTTW is one of my favorite sort of records, opening itself up more and more with repeated listening, and is definitely another notch in his already storied career as an outsider artist. Stream three Leviathan tracks below, which previously posted at Pitchfork (x2) and Invisible Oranges, and get your copy via Profound Lore.

The same night that Torche and Part Chimp attack Mercury Lounge (11/9), Exhumed will team with Goatwhore and Havok to play Europa. Tickets are still available to both Europa and Merc, but I have a pair of tickets available for giveaway for the Europa show. Head below for more details on how you can win. The Torche/Part Chimp split, which we previewed recently, is currently streaming in full at Spin.

Concussion will hit Public Assembly on 11/10 with Worms In Women And Cattle (Pippi Zornoza from the live incarnation of Wold), Syphilitic Lust, and Sannhet.

And last but not least, The Ocean have added a show at Saint Vitus on 11/8 with Family, Alekhine's Gun, and The Binary Code. All US dates and some in their home base of the EU, are below.

More details on how to win those Exhumed tickets, an incredible Neurosis video and more suggested NYC shows are below.

Continue reading "Evillive (special Leviathan edition)"

by BBG

Exhumed at Maryland Deathfest (more by BBG)

Exhumed's gore-obsessed and tongue-in-cheek death-grind makes a triumphant comeback on All Guts, No Glory, the band's first LP of new material in eight years. The LP, out now via Relapse Records, is streaming in full below. After a triumphant East Coast showing at Maryland Deathfest, Exhumed have resumed their road duties and are currently on their first leg of dates with Cephalic Carnage and Withered. The second leg of dates kicks off in the tail-end of October with Cephalic Carnage and Goatwhore, and will include the East Coast and November 9th at Europa. Tickets for the Brooklyn show are on sale.

All tour dates and the album stream is below.

Continue reading "Exhumed released new LP (stream it), touring w/ Cephalic Carnage & others (dates)"

words & photos by BBG

The rotting putrid stench of decaying flesh on skull filled the halls of Santos Party House last night (12/2), as the gods of Black Metal, Watain returned to NYC. The show, part of an ongoing tour with Goatwhore and Black Anvil (that was supposed to be with Behemoth and Withered and Black Anvil), also featured a set by Hamsoken, the latest project from Nick Forte of Rorschach.

The night easily belonged to Watain, whose bloodspattered (literally... my clothes are flecked with crimson) megawatt set was both lightning fast, and bulldozer tough. Every detail of Watain's set is devoted to the dark arts: tattered Mad Max style clothing, rotting corpses, candlelight, torches, smoke machines, scowls, corpse paint - they have it all and more. Goatwhore may have won the "loudest band" title for the night, but Watain won the most mesmerizing.

That's not to say that the support wasn't great. Goatwhore's live prowess is unstoppable and when the band broke into "Apocalyptic Havoc", that's when I first realized how rowdy this Watain/Goatwhore crowd would be; we got a taste during Black Anvil's set but this was next level. Black Anvil yet again impressed with their blackened thrash-and roll, something I hadn't experienced since their set with Eyehategod. Dudes rule. Hamsoken opened the night, delivering competent, primitive black metal that neither disappointed nor impressed.

More pictures from the uber-packed Santos are below...

Continue reading "Watain desecrated Santos Party House (w/ help from Goatwhore, Black Anvil & Hamsoken) -- pics"

by BBG

Trap Them at The Studio at Webster Hall (more by Greg Cristman)

Trap Them, who you may have recently caught at The Studio, are still on the road for the rest of November and most of December. Right now they're still touring with Every Time I Die and Howl. On December 5th their tour-mates change to Job For A Cowboy, Skeletonwitch and Misery Index, and as recently revealed, those are the bands they'll play with at the previously mentioned show at Santos Party House on 12/16. Tickets are still available.

That's not Trap Them's only upcoming NYC show though! BrooklynVegan and 1000 Knives are proud to present the band's return to NYC in 2011, with All Pigs Must Die, Psychic Limb, and one more band TBA. The show, Trap Them's only scheduled headlining gig at the moment, goes down at Cake Shop on January 15th, 2011 and tickets are on sale.

If you're wondering who All Pigs Must Die is, the band is a supergroup of sorts comprised of members of Converge, Bloodhorse, and The Hope Conspiracy. APMD released their debut EP via Shirts & Destroy and though there are elements from all of the aforementioned, the release heads down a crustier, blackened d-beat path. Pick up a copy now.

In other good/bands-being-revealed-as-actually-playing-Santos news, the previously discussed Watain show at Santos recently got a little more interesting with the addition of the incredible Goatwhore and Hamsoken. Tickets are still available. Goatwhore is currently on tour with Watain and Black Anvil, but was previously not going to go as far as NYC with the other bands (or so they said). Goatwhore played Europa with Black Dahlia Murder on 9/30.

Full Trap Them tour dates as well as some video, is below.

Continue reading "Trap Them extends tour - more NYC shows happening (1 w/ All Pigs Must Die) +++ Goatwhore playing w/ Watain"

by BBG

Shane on stage with Napalm Death (more by Justina Villaneuva)

The grind supergroup Venomous Concept (1/2 Napalm Death, 1/2 Brutal Truth) play Europa Thursday (9/23) with the uber-buzzy Nails and the fantastic and sickening Villains (who also play Acheron with Thrones and Christian Mistress on 10/13). Strong Intention may have dropped off, but ticket availability hasn't. Get yours now, or try your hand at winning one of two pairs to the show, and/or pairs to see Goatwhore support Black Dahlia Murder at Europa on 9/30 (tickets also still available).

9/30 is also the same day as Envy at Santos and Buzzov•en at Public Assembly (note the new venue for the latter).

Some live video, updated dates, as well as details on how to win tickets, below...

Continue reading "Venomous Concept & Goatwhore are coming soon (win tix) "

by BBG

Adam "Nergal" Darski, the 33-year-old guitarist/vocalist from Poland's greatest extreme-metal export, BEHEMOTH, has been diagnosed with a life-threatening form of leukemia, a cancer of blood-forming tissues of the bone marrow. The disease, for which Adam is currently receiving treatment at the hematology division of the Gdansk Medical University Hospital, has advanced to the point where he is in urgent need of a bone-marrow transplant. (A bone-marrow transplant is when special cells [called stem cells] that are normally found in the bone marrow are taken out, filtered, and given back either to the same person or to another person.) In light of this, Darski wants to remind everyone about the need to be on the marrow registry. The more people get tested and donate, the more of a chance for life there is for him and others in the same situation. -[Blabbermouth]

Behemoth cancelled all previous dates of a tour with Watain, Withered, and Black Anvil. Now Watain have rescheduled, but this time with Black Anvil and Goatwhore. The tour (sans Goatwhore) will play Santos on 12/2. Tickets are on sale. While Goatwhore isn't on the NYC date, they WILL play NYC on September 30th at Europa supporting The Black Dahlia Murder with Arkaik . Tickets are on sale.

Our wishes are with Nergal. All dates and some videos below...

Continue reading "Nergal needs bone marrow, Watain reveal rescheduled dates, touring w/ Goatwhore who are touring w/ Black Dahlia Murder"

by BBG

Goatwhore classes up Ozzfest

Die, die, die already! After 2008's Ozzfest featured just a single date and 2009 was non-existent, I figured that maybe, just maybe, Ozzfest had finally been put to bed. I was sadly mistaken. Over six dates across the US, 2010's Ozzfest will feature appearances from (I think) an almost completely missable main stage of Ozzy Osbourne, Motley Crue, Halford, Devildriver, and Nonpoint along with a semi-respectable second stage featuring Black Label Society, Drowning Pool, Kingdom of Sorrow, Goatwhore, Skeletonwitch, Saviours, and Kataklysm. Ozzfest hits Hartford, CT on 8/21 and Camden, NJ on 8/22. Tickets go on sale 5/22. All dates and some videos are below.

Continue reading "Ozzfest 2010 (has a decent second stage) - dates, lineup..."

words & photos by BBG

How do Cro-Mags relate to Goatwhore? Read on...

Get out your basketball jerseys. Black & Blue Bowl 2010 is billed as "The Return to NYC" and features the legendary Cro-Mags along with Madball, H20, Trapped Under Ice, Skarhead, and many others. It takes place this year at Webster Hall on 5/15. Tickets are on sale. Full show details with the poster are below.

It's not the only NYC show on the horizon featuring hardcore legends. The great Underdog will return with Inhuman, Billy Club Sandwich, and Staring Problem for a show in celebration of their forthcoming discography Matchless due on May 18th via Bridge 9. Santos Party House will do the honors on June 12th, and tickets are on sale.

Sick of It All's new LP Based On A True Story is due on Century Media on April 20th. The band's ninth full-length effort has sparked a hometown brawl in celebration; Tickets are on sale for their appearance at Gramercy Theater on 6/11. Support comes from Maximum Penalty, This is Hell, and Last Call Brawl. More dates below.

And lastly, the quest for animal liberation continues as Earth Crisis will kick off a tour with a headlining show at Gramercy Theater on April 22nd. Dudes in bandanna headbands are stoked. Tickets are on sale. The NYC date falls right before their appearance at the New England Hardcore & Metal Fest which also features Cro-Mags, Mastodon, Baroness, Gaza, Skeletonwitch, 1349, and a slew of others.

New England Hardcore & Metal Fest also made their presence felt at SXSW, where they featured a slew of bands including the unfucwitable Goatwhore, who headlined the day show at Emo's Annex on 3/19. Pics from that appearance, full Black & Blue details, SOIA & Earth Crisis dates, and videos are below...

Continue reading "Sick of it All & Earth Crisis touring (not together), Underdog, Cro-mags, Black & Blue Bowl 2010, Goatwhore @ SXSW, more"

by BBG

Misery Index at BV-BBG CMJ (more by Samantha Marble)

In lieu of my forthcoming Short Wave Warfare column (formerly known as This Week in Metal), I figured I would present a short blast of interesting shows coming up - for the dark side in you.

The biggest news of the pack is that Death metal greats Deceased will team up with the defenders of the filth, Superchrist, for the Slaves To The Grave tour which includes Union Pool on April 17th. Deceased is scheduled to make an appearance at MDF this year, while Superchrist is recovering from the release of Defenders of The Filth last year.

All Deceased tour dates and many more upcoming shows, continued below...

Continue reading "upcoming shows & dates (Deceased, Misery Index, AxCx, Magrudergrind, Mammoth Grinder, Naam & more) "

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 "

words by BBG, photos by Chloe Rice

Skeletonwitch

Metal Underground: You've toured with some great bands already. Like you said, you just got off the Children of Bodom tour, Danzig, which had to be really cool, and many other people. Who's been your favorite to tour with?

Scott (of Skeletonwitch): I don't think I could pick a favorite. We haven't had a bad experience. Especially, the bigger tours; definitely not. Maybe some smaller, earlier tours when we were in the pick-up truck which just sucked sometimes on our own account. But, everybody's been cool to us; Glen Danzig was fucking awesome. One of the coolest guys ever, took care of us and everything. Same thing with Amon Amarth and same thing with Bodom.

Chance (of Skeletonwitch): Yeah, we would run out of beer, Bodom would [say]," Take some of ours, we have too much." I have negative [to say] about the large tours. I'm glad to be a part of it.

Scott: A lot of bands won't tell you if it was bad. But, really, it wasn't. Like, I got nothing; don't have any dirt on anybody. Everybody was cool.

There are many that do blackened thrash, thrash, or some variant thereof, but what separates the 'witch (and Municipal Waste, DRI, and a select few others for that matter) from the pack is that the boys don't take themselves too seriously. Every song was introduced by a tongue in cheek intro ("This one's about Satannnnnnnnn!") by vocalist Chance, and followed by the nail-cuffed Ohioan zig-zagging across the stage, pointing at audience members and crowdsurfers while screeching out lyrics. Many PBRs went into the wildman's perfomrnace/theatricality, and all I could do was beam from ear to ear. Skeletonwitch is a very fun live band.

The show was the last US date in 2009 for the hard-touring Skeletonwitch. They're prepping to hit Europe in the tail end of November and December. All dates and more pictures from Union Pool, below...

Continue reading "Skeletonwitch & Black Anvil @ Union Pool in Brooklyn - pics"

words by BBG, photos by Chloe Rice

Sammy Duet of Goatwhore (also ex-Acid Bath)

Village Voice: It's been noted that CMJ is noticeably more "metal" this year, and there's a sense that metal's becoming more and more respected all-around.

Mike Williams of Eyehategod: Well, I wouldn't call Eyehategod "metal", but I do see extreme, heavy music in general getting new attention from some different areas of the population. Also we've played in NYC for CMJ before, back in the '90s, so it doesn't really seem like a new thing. Anyway, is it "respected" or is it "trendy"? "Trendy" meaning hipsters now have discovered us. Who knows? I welcome all people who are remotely interested to check us out.

The caged animal is unleashed again TONIGHT (10/26), when Eyehategod play their SECOND area show, this time at Europa with Unearthly Trance, Tombs, Strong Intention, and BV-BBG/Relapse showcaser Howl. Tickets are still available.

Pics of Howl, along with Misery Index, Salome, Revocation, Black Anvil, Complete Failure, and Gloominous Doom from the BV-BBG/Relapse Showcase at Fontana's are on their way. More pics from the boat cruise (from hell?) are below...

Continue reading "Eyehategod played on a boat w/ Goatwhore, Strong Intention & Pig Destroyer (pics), playing Europa tonight"

by Black Bubblegum

They say that the clothes make the man, but in the music world, the drummer makes the band. That's the only way to explain the string of successes that have followed Dave Witte since he first sat behind the kit as a member of the influential yet under-appreciated Human Remains. Since then, Witte has played with some of the greatest bands in the heavy underground, laying the back beat to names as powerful as Municipal Waste, Discordance Axis, Anodyne, Black Army Jacket, Melt Banana, and we can't forget about Burnt By The Sun.

Burnt By The Sun recently released their swansong, Heart of Darkness, via Relapse Records. In celebration of this last LP, the band will embark on final tour of Europe in October with only one US date scheduled: October 2nd at Cake Shop with Tombs, Black Anvil, Bloodhorse, and Torchbearer. Considering the band members' current undertakings, it isn't out the question to say that this could be their last show for a very very long time.

With that as a primer, I fired some questions at Dave Witte about Municipal Waste, the end of Burnt By The Sun, and the possiblity of him returning to the kit for Human Remains, Discordance Axis or Black Army Jacket. The conversation is below....

Continue reading "an interview w/ Dave Witte (of Burnt by the Sun, Municipal Waste, Human Remains, Black Army Jacket...)"

words by Black Bubblegum, photos by Justina Villanueva

Goatwhore @ Gramercy! (July 23, 2009)

The legendary dark sons of southern hatemongering, Eyehategod, will trudge their way through the swampy muck of the Lousiana lowlands towards the Northeast where they will team up with Goatwhore and Strong Intention for a trio of dates. One of those dates will include Pig Destroyer on Oct 24th as part of a Rocks Off Boat Cruise in NYC!!! Tickets go on sale today (8/3) at noon. All dates below.

Goatwhore, winners of my award for "favorite band with the least favorite name", has a particularly amazing pedigree of former members of Acid Bath as well as current members of Soilent Green (which in turn shares members with EHG). Dax Riggs (of solo and Deadboy & The Elephantmen fame) was also a member of Acid Bath.

Goatwhore released the mega-Carving Out The Eyes Of God earlier this year and the band recently played (7/23) Gramercy Theater in NYC with Abigail Williams, SWAATS, Abysmal Dawn, and Daath. Pics from that show are above and below.

Meanwhile, EHG affiliated projects are going full speed ahead. NOLA supergroup Down (with Jimmy Bower of EHG) is hitting the road with Melvins & Weedeater (Nokia on Sept 11, tix here).

Pig Destroyer played NYC on July 31 with Repulsion & Brutal Truth. Those pics are forthcoming, but dig on a killer three way interview done between the guys here.

Other bands who recently announced boat shows include Deer Tick and Dead Meadow.

Pics and dates below...

Continue reading "Eyehategod tour dates including a Rocks Off boat in NYC w/ Pig Destroyer & Goatwhore (who played Gramercy - pics)"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Harpoon - "Frogs, Boils, Locusts..." (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Complete Failure - "Like Rainbows in Gasoline" Demo (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Complete Failure - "Brown Acid Brainwound" Demo (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Complete Failure - "Subliminal Force of Suggestive Notion" Demo (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Super Happy Fun Slide - "Fast One" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Super Happy Fun Slide - "Bohemian" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Elder - "White Walls" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Serpentcult - "The Weight Of Light" (MP3)

Welcome to this week in Metal! This week we'll start with the pedal to the floor with Harpoon of Chicago, who will release their new LP Double Gnarly / Triple Suicide on Interloper Records. Featuring members of 7000 Dying Rats, the band recorded the LP in August 2008 with Andy Nelson (Weekend Nachos), sending it off to metal-mastering go-to Scott Hull (Pig Destroyer, Agoraphobic Nosebleed) for the finishing touches. The trio takes advantage of the drum machine gun to create a relentless grind assault reminiscent of Plague Bringer, Agoraphobic Nosebleed, or Genghis Tron (sans keys). Check out "Frogs, Boils, Locusts..." available for download above, and cop it on limited LP (400 in black, 100 in white & blue marbled vinyl) when it drops on Feb 10th! Harpoon recently added bassist DJ Baracca (ex-Lair of The Minotaur) to their ranks and have added a few live dates in and around the Chi (dates below).

Absu have announced a new self-titled album, posting the ripping new track "Girra's Temple" to their myspace. Due on Feb 24th on Candlelight Records, the band have also lined up a few dates including SXSW on Mar 20th at Spiros and at... you guessed it... Maryland Deathfest. Meanwhile, Absu is garnering alot of media attention lately... check out features in Metal Maniacs, Terrorizer, and Zero Tolerance.

Hot off of the release of his first solo album Punctuated Equilibrium, Wino will play his first show with his solo band (featuring skinsman extraordinaire Jean-Paul Gaster of Clutch) at the 9:30 club in Washington, DC on Sat Feb 7th! Wino will be joined by King Giant and the mighty Salome, who will be in NYC with Ocean on Feb 15th. In related news, Clutch have released their first digital single "King Of Arizona" (iTunes users, buy it here), from the upcoming remastered Slow Hole to China, Rare & Unreleased. The band have lined up a few dates with their alter ego (most of 'em anyway), The Bakerton Group including Feb 27 at The Chance in Poughkeepsie and Feb 28 at The Crazy Donkey in Farmingdale. Full tour dates below.

As much theorized and finally realized, The Auditory Assault Festival will take place at Club Europa on May 16 & 17.

Complete Failure announced a short tour of the east coast and the midwest with Polish grinders Antigama including an NYC date at Europa on May 20th. Details are forthcoming, full tour dates are below. The Pittsburghers (CF) have posted a trio of demo tracks at their website, check them out above. Antigama is prepping for March 3rd, when Relapse will drop their new album Warning.

Mastodon's Crack The Skye artwork

Mastodon is currently streaming "Divinations" from the upcoming Crack The Skye. Check it out kids... it's a burner! The single is also available for sale with a limited edition tee. Mastodon and Genghis Tron are playing the Coachella festival this year.

Eyehategod, Rotten Sound, Cripple Bastards, Malignancy, Resistant Culture, and Voetsek have been added to the Los Angeles Murderfest!

Napalm fucking Death will be in NYC in April!

Rise Above dropped the new album by Belgians Serpentcult, a doomy hybrid of Electric Wizard and High on Fire fronted by Michelle Nocon, a female with some SERIOUS pipes. The Weight of Light was produced by Billy Anderson (Sleep, Neurosis, Melvins) and the band is streaming three of those tracks at their myspace, with the title track available for download above. So far the band haven't added any North American dates, but if they do, we'll let you know (european tour dates below). Meanwhile, dig on an interview that Serpentcult did with Hellride Music here.

Coliseum have announced a slew of tourdates (below) as well as a new seven-inch entitled "True Quiet / Last Wave" on Deathwish! Full tour dates are below. Coliseum with join Converge, Genghis Tron (who was recently added), Ceremony, Pulling Teeth, and Rise & Fall at Europa on March 27th.

Blut Aus Nord have posted "The Formless Sphere (Beyond The Reason)" to their myspace page, the first new song from the upcoming Memoria Vetusta II - Dialogue With The Stars. Look for in Feb 23rd on Candlelight.

Valient Thorr have added a February 6th show at The Shank in Greenpoint (98 Bayard @ Leonard) with Acid Tiger, Golden Error, with Tournament. This show makes it TWO NYC dates.... don't forget about their upcoming show with Anthrax and a half pipe.

Minsk, Slayer, Battlefields, Devourment, Obituary, and more below...

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