words by Black Bubblegum, photos by Justina Villanueva

Unearthly Trance - July 13, 2009

"Thankfully, when Unearthly Trance come crashing through a howling wall of feedback into their sludgy doom metal riffing, we are back in the land of physically pulverising heaviosity. With a technical deftness that could easily be lost beneath the dark distorted extremes of their sound, they shift seamlessly from their sludge beginnings to heavy-as-hell crust punk scorchers and then back all the way to full-on epic doom, showered with slow slow riffs and funereally paced stick-shattering drum crashes. This expert combination of dynamics, progressive experimentation and sheer brutal heaviness leaves the crowd stumbling from the Notecave's sweaty depths with suitably ringing ears and clawing fists." [an April 2009 review]

Unearthly Trance headlined a night of otherwise mechanized heaviness provided by Chi-City's Harpoon and Casket Architects at Lit Lounge on July 13th as part of the weekly Precious Metal party. The show was one of a pair for Harpoon, who also hit up The Charleston the following night.

Unearthly Trance, who recently played the BV-BBG showcase at the Northside Festival, is scheduled to play another BV-BBG event... Show No Mercy at Public Assembly on August 2nd with Keelhaul, Minsk, STATS, and Defeatist.

Harpoon, who we originally profiled here, is touring off of Double Gnarly / Triple Suicide which was released earlier this year.

More pics, and a video of Harpoon, from the show are below....

Continue reading "Unearthly Trance, Harpoon & Casket Architects @ Lit - pics"

photos by Jason Walker, words by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Pollution - "Tiny Black Burns" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Unearthly Trance - "Diseased" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Defeatist - "Isolation Tactics" (MP3)

Unearthly Trance

Call me greedy, but when I recently posted the Show No Mercy/BV-BBG lineup of Keelhaul, Minsk, and STATS, followed by that lonely "+1 TBA"... I got a little sad. Why just one? Luckily, Brandon Stosuy & I (we came up with the lineup together) were on the same page, so that +1 TBA is now +2, AND we are proud to announce the addition of Unearthly Trance and Defeatist to the August 2nd lineup at Public Assembly!

Defeatist, which contains members of the much lamented Anodyne (with Mike Hill of Tombs), recently dropped Sharp Blade Sinks Deep Into Dull Minds on Willowtip. The LP is actually a compilation of previously released EPs and splits that will have to sate us while we await the arrival of Sixth Extinction, featuring 19 new tracks recorded by Colin Marston. The band is scheduled to take on the destructive Texas duo of Mammoth Grinder (who we profiled here) and Hatred Surge (who I loved at SXSW) on July 17th at The Charleston.

Unearthly Trance recently played the BV-BBG bash at Europa, and are scheduled to take on Lit Lounge on Monday (7/13) with the mighty Harpoon, one of two dates for Harpoon (they headline The Charleston on 7/14). Full Unearthly Trance & Harpoon dates are below.

In possibly related news, Pollution, a band that may or may not contain members of Unearthly Trance and/or Villains, has been added to the kick-ass Harvey Milk/Torche shindig at Music Hall of Williamsburg on July 26. Tickets are still available. The band is also scheduled to play Don Pedro's on Saturday (7/11) with The Choke and Bukkake Boys. Pollution dropped the nasty.DNA cassette, which will reportedly surface on LP via Feast of Tentacles. Check out "Tiny Black Burns" from that release above. Feast of Tentacles is responsible for the recent 2LP of another fave, Cough.

More pics and some thoughts on Unearthly Trance, Cough, Howl, Javelina, Doomriders, Sourvein, and Clouds at the BV-BBG at Europa on 6/14, as well as tour dates for Pollution and Harpoon are below....

Continue reading "bands added to BBG Show No Mercy show (@ Pub Assembly), more pics from the BBG show @ Europa (Northside Fest)"

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)"