Goatwhore at Saint Vitus last night (more by Fred Pessaro)

Goatwhore, 3 Inches of Blood, Revocation and Ramming Speed played a sold-out Saint Vitus last night (4/29), part of a touring package that saw Goatwhore headlining US dates and 3IOB headlining in Canada. Check out pictures from the circle-pitting mayhem at InvisibleOranges.

In related news, Boston thrash team Ramming Speed who opened the show have announced a new LP, Doomed To Destroy, Destined To Die, due on Prosthetic later this year. Check out a lyric video below.

Continue reading "Goatwhore, 3 Inches of Blood, Revocation & Ramming Speed played Saint Vitus (pics); Ramming Speed ready new LP"

The Casualties at Ottobar, Feb 2012 (more by Chris Boarts-Larson)

The Casualties will liven up Acheron on Feb 15 when the band joins Perdition, Agitator and Sad Boys for a show at the space. Look for utter insanity. Tickets are on sale. The band is also scheduled to do select dates with Goatwhore, though not scheduled to play Saint Vitus when the band hits with 3 Inches of Blood on April 29 (tix). Casualties dates are below.

Speaking of Perdition & Sad Boys, don't forge... they play tonight with Who Killed Spikey Jacket?, Goosebumps and Murderer.

All Casualties dates, plus Casualties and Perdition video, are below.

Continue reading "The Casualties going on tour, some dates with Goatwhore"

by Fred Pessaro // BBG

Goatwhore at Bowery Ballroom, Dec 2012 (more by Fred Pessaro // BBG)

Commence thrash armageddon. Goatwhore and 3 Inches of Blood will tour this spring, logging a set of co-headlining, mostly-eastern North American dates. Support will come from favorites Revocation and Ramming Speed (who recently played NYC) at the tail-end of their trek, one of which will go down at Saint Vitus on April 29. Tickets are on sale.

Full tour dates for the springtime trek are below.

Continue reading "Goatwhore and 3 Inches of Blood touring together (dates)"

Frightened Rabbit @ T5, Nov. 2010 (more by Lionel Bergeron)

SXSW has just announced another round of bands for the 2013 edition of the annual music festival that will happen March 12 - 17. This brings the total current number of acts to around 1300. Someome of the highlights include Vampire Weekend, Frightened Rabbit, The Thermals, Black Lips, Camera Obscura, Merchandise, Bleached, Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire, Eagles of Death Metal, Parenthetical Girls, Indians, Night Beds, IO Echo, KEN Mode, Prince Paul, Pure Bathing Culture, Sepalcure, UK motorik post-punks TOY, Finnish instrumentalists K-X-P, Toronto's Moon King, UK indie rockers Splashh (not Brooklyn Splash with one "h") and loads more. Head to BV Austin for the whole Round 3 list.

by Klaus Kinski

High on Fire at Music Hall of Williamsburg (photo by Lukas Hodge)

On Friday November 30th, BV's intrepid master of metal content BBG caught the High on Fire / Goatwhore / Primate / Lo-Pan show at Bowery Ballroom. On Saturday (12/1)December 1st, it was my turn to see this epic line-up, only on this night the show was happening at Music Hall of Williamsburg in your man Klaus' back yard. Was the show a total sausage-fest? Absolutely. Did each and every band thoroughly kick ass and take names? You bet your ass, motherfucker.

My primary reason I wanted to check out this show was the fact that Primate was on the bill, but boy am I glad I got to the show early and stayed late because from start to finish every metal itch I had was thoroughly scratched. The surprise of the evening has got to be how mightily and thoroughly the completely-unknown-to-me opener Lo-Pan absolutely crushed their 8pm sharp opening slot. Lo-Pan plays sludgy, stoner rock that is heavy as hell and manages to incorporate tasty riffs that remind me of old Sabbath with hints of slowed down Thin Lizzy and Kill Em All era Metallica. What sets Lo-Pan apart from most sludge metal you hear nowadays (besides the fact that Lo-Pan is effing awesome) is the fact that they have a singer who, god forbid, has abandoned the played-out 'craft' of screaming and grunting incoherently and actually sings. Like, melodically and articulately. Think Maynard James Keenan with a little more stank. As the first of four bands, Lo-Pan was playing to an unfortunately underpopulated audience. But after their set it was so obvious that everyone there thought they totally kicked ass, and I heard many people remark how glad they were they got to the show early and caught their set. Check em out!

After Lo-Pan, Primate, my primary reason for being at the show, took the stage. For those keeping score, Brutal Truth is one of my favorite bands of all time. BT frontman Kevin Sharp is the frontman for Primate and happens to be one of the greatest frontmen of all time. I'll basically buy into any project he's associated with. Primate plays loud, relentless grindcore at very high volumes which was a sonic departure from Lo-Pan and which finally got the crowd moving a little. As a barefooted Sharp prowls the stage screaming his balls off under the shadow of a ragged cowboy hat, his bandmates unleash hell. The thing I like about Primate, aside from the aforementioned speed and volume, is the fact that there is a touch of humor to their approach. Whereas Brutal Truth is super earnest grindcore, Primate comes across as a bit more playful. It's like how Murphy's Law is an antidote to the super earnest, straight-laced hardcore scene. Yes, Primate is grindcore, but there's something less rigid about them. They were awesome and vastly increased the energy level of the room.

With the energy level of the audience at a good pitch, blackened thrash metal greats Goatwhore took the stage, giving the audience a glimpse at yet another sub-genre of heavy metal. Makes sense. We already had our sludge and our grindcore. Going into this show I honestly had very little familiarity with Goatwhore but based on last night's performance I have to say they are effin great and I loved their set immensely. And, whoa boy, were they ever loud. I was up front for the entire show, but during Goatwhore's set there were moments where the double-bass drumming was so fast and furious that I thought it was going to loosen the contents of my bowels and create an unpleasant situation for everyone in my immediate vicinity. Jesus Christmas... for a four piece these guys make a lot of noise. And I have to give props to frontman Ben Falgoust; this guy absolutely owns the stage. From whipping his hair around in time with the music, to air guitaring furiously along with the guitar solos, to fist-bumping members of the audience, Ben succeeded in whipping MHOW into a frenzy. Some good ole fashioned pushing and shoving and beer spilling and people slipping and throwing up devil horns. It was awesome.

Six or seven beers, three bands, and one desperately needed bathroom break later, it was time for the highly anticipated set by stoner metal Gods High on Fire. At this point in the evening I, like mostly everyone else in the room, was hot, sweaty, hammered, a touch belligerent, and ready to rock my socks off. Matt Pike, who looks a little heavier than I remember (maybe a side-effect of rehab?), to me really is a living guitar god. No, he's not a shredder. No, he's not a brainiac genius inventing techniques and crazy gear. He just does what he does so well that he makes his MANY imitators look preposterous. He has a gift for creating the fattest, heaviest riffs of all time. And when you add bass player Jeff Matz (who was once in a band called Camarosmith which is basically the funniest band name ever) and pummeler Des Kensel into the mix, you get a slow burning wall of sound that is one relentless hook after another. Heavy. Heavy. Heavy. This was such a perfectly curated show that gave everyone a little taste of several different metal genres and I don't think my ears or my bowels will ever be the same.

Head below for the Bowery Ballroom setlist which, reportedly was identical to the MHoW show.

Continue reading "High on Fire, Goatwhore, Primate and Lo-Pan played Music Hall of Williamsburg (review)"

by Fred Pessaro // BBG

High on Fire are on tour and played two NYC shows this weekend, the first of which was at Bowery Ballroom on 11/30 with tourmates Goatwhore, Primate and Lo-Pan. The shows marked not only a triumphant return for guitar god Matt Pike following his stint with rehab, but also a chance to document his return for all posterity: both Bowery Ballroom and the following night's show at Music Hall of Williamsburg were recorded for a live album. Pictures from Bowery are in this post (and pics and a review from Music Hall are on the way). More, and a video of Primate performing Black Flag covers at the after-party at Saint Vitus, below...

Continue reading "High on Fire recorded a live album at Bowery Ballroom with Goatwhore, Primate & Lo Pan (pics & vid of Primate's Black Flag afterparty set)"

by Fred Pessaro // BBG

High on Fire at BV-PoTR Deathmatch 2012 (more by Greg Cristman)

Sure, Pike's stolen guitar still hasn't show up, but High on Fire have some other news to celebrate. Matt Pike is on the mend following his stint in rehab and now will team with Goatwhore and Lo-Pan for a US tour. Look for the tour to hit November 30 at Bowery Ballroom and December 1 at Music Hall of Williamsburg along with Primate (who recently dropped an new LP this year). Tickets go on AMEX presale on noon on Wednesday (9/26) and regular sale on Friday (9/28).

All tour dates are listed below, along with a brand spankin' new video for "Death to the Architects of Heaven" by Goatwhore.

Continue reading "High on Fire, Goatwhore & Lo-Pan team up for US tour, including two NYC shows with Primate (dates)"

photos by Greg Cristman, words by BBG

Lock Up @ Europa - 2/16/2012

UK band Lock Up, featuring an ailing Tomas Lindberg and bass tones from Danny Lilker (Nuclear Assault) in the the place of Shane Embury (Napalm Death, Venomous Concept), played Europa on February 16th as part of their round of dates with Goatwhore and Strong Intention. The NYC date featured appearances from both The Year is One and Mutant Supremacy, as well as vocals on some of the Lock Up tracks from Ben of Goatwhore while Lindberg was coating his throat in cloraseptic and downing Dayquil. Get well soon Tompa! Pictures from the show are in this post.

In related news, Goatwhore's new LP Blood for the Master is out NOW via Metal Blade Records. Stream "Parasitic Scriptures of the Sacred Word" from the LP at Pitchfork and order your copy at Metal Blade.

More pictures from Europa are below.

Continue reading "an ailing Lock Up played Europa w/ Goatwhore, Strong Intention, The Year is One & Mutant Supremacy (belated pics)"

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

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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...

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