by Black Bubblegum

Before High On Fire and Om, there was (and now is) Sleep, but before THAT, there was Asbestosdeath:

Asbestosdeath started life as trio consisting of Al Cisneros on bass, Chris Hakius on drums, and Tom Choi on guitar. Matt Pike later joined as a second guitarist. They recorded two 7"s: their first ("Unclean", 1990) was self released (Asbestos Records) and a second 7' ("Dejection," 1990) was released later that year by Profane Existence. Choi left Asbestosdeath to form Noothgrush after the release of the second 7". The band recruited Justin Marler to replace Choi and changed their name to Sleep. - [Wikipedia]

Continue reading "remembering Asbestosdeath (video, High on Fire, Om...)"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Vitamin X - "Deal With It" w/ John Brannon of Negative Approach (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Vitamin X - "You Suck" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Hooded Menace - "Grasp Of The Beastwoman" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Mammoth Grinder - "God is Stuck in a Black Hole" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Saros - "Reversion" (MP3)

Cattle Decapitation live @ Gilman, photo by Taija Lynn

Cattle Decapitation have announced dates in support of their new record, The Harvest Floor due on 1/20/09. Supported by Psyopus, Book Of Black Earth, and Gigan, full tour dates are below, but no NYC just yet.

Adding insult on top of insult to injury, Maryland Death Fest have added powerviolence bad-asses Despise You (with Phil Vera of Crom), as well as grinders Pigsty. This is on top of Mayhem, Bolt Thrower, Enslaved and soooo many others... Unfortunately, Repulsion have cancelled their appearance.

Need a fix of fun, skull-splitting hardcore? Vitamin X have dropped their new record, Full Scale Assault on Tankcrimes and it is one awe-inspiring slab of lightning riffery and old-school hardcore punk produced by none other than Steve Albini at Electrical Audio Studios. Sporting ultra-suh-weeeet artwork by John Baizley of Baroness, the band has been kind enough to drop off a pair of MP3s from the record... check out "Deal With it" featuring John Brannon of Negative Approach and "You Suck" downloadable above and pick up the album here.

How many times has a headliner you dug dropped off a bill, and you were actually pleased with the results? In a bit of shuffling, Doomriders have dropped off their bill with Tombs at Union Pool on 12/20 (frown), BUT Bloodhorse (who are working on a new record), Keelhaul(!), and Acid Tiger (Ben from Cave-in, Converge) have been added! So Keelhaul in NYC, huh? Exciting, and it sounds like they have more than just the show on their agenda...

We are going to Brooklyn to record another cd with Andrew Schneider in December. Yee haw.-[Keelhaul myspace]

Doomers My Dying Bride have revealed details of their new album, For Lies I Sire due in 2009 via Peaceville! Spanning nine tracks and recorded with producer Mags, vocalist Aaron Stainhorpe recently discussed the new record with Beyond The Dark Horizon.

Saros, the Bay Area blackened prog metal band contructed from members of the almighty Weakling and Amber Asylum, will drop their new album Acrid Plains on Profound Lore 2/17/09. Album art is below and check out the new MP3, "Reversion" available for download above.

Mammoth Grinder are scheduled to rage through the tri-state in the new year. The trio will be in town on Jan 3rd to double up.. playing shows at ABC No Rio (matinee) AND The Charleston (night) in support of their long-player Rage & Ruin and No Results 7" due together on Assassinated Records. Alternating between thundering doom and crusty hardcore, check out heavily doom-oriented "God is Stuck in a Black Hole " from Rage & Ruin, downloadable above.

Gracial death-doomers Hooded Menace are responsible for the massive Fulfill The Curse on Razorback Records. It's out NOW and it's absolutely frightening.. highly reccomended for fans of Coffins and death-doom in particular. Check out the track "Grasp Of The Beastwoman" from Fulfill The Curse and pray for your own safety that these Finns never make it to the US... it'll be a massacre.

More news on Intronaut, Pelican, The Sword, Krallice, Saint Vitus, Total Fucking Destruction and more as The Week In Metal continues...

Continue reading "This Week In METAL (11/20/08) "

by Black Bubblegum

Sleep in Germany, 1993 (permission from Al Cisneros)

Sleep departed from this Earth 'round 1996, and not with a bang, but a whimper. In 1995, the future members of Om and High On Fire began work on their third LP, the follow-up to their highly-acclaimed Holy Mountain. Upon completion, Sleep delvered their new album, entitled Dopesmoker to their label, London Records, who deemed it "unmarketable". Undeterred, the band headed back to the studio and reemerged with Jerusalem, a leaner version of Dopesmoker with re-written lyrics. Again, London Records refused and as a result, Sleep disbanded.
Jerusalem AND Dopesmoker have since seen the light of day, and in that time the legend of Sleep has grown by leaps and bounds.

Nowadays Sleep is cited by most (if not all) doom metal enthusiasts as a seminal band, and usually in the same breath as such heavyweights as Saint Vitus (who are also reuniting) & Pentagram.

Since it was announced that Sleep would reunite for the ATP's The Fans Strike Back Festival, fans have been clamoring to hear more details about the reunion, as well as the reasons behind it and whether they would play any additional shows. Luckily, we were able to corner Al Cisneros of shortly after his tour of Europe with Om to discuss some of these issues as well as shed some more light on Om, Shrinebuilder, and High On Fire's new album!

---

When I interviewed you in September, were the plans already in the works, or did the ATP folks corner you at the festival and start to nail it down then?

Continue reading "another interview w/ Al Cisneros of Om & Sleep -------------------------- on the reunion, future plans"

by Black Bubblegum

Al Cisneros & Matt Pike of Sleep in High School 1990

From our interview with Om at ATP:

BV: If you got a call from Matt Pike and Chris [Hakius] today to reunite for a show or two, would you be into reforming Sleep?

Al Cisneros: Reforming? No.

Sleep will share the stage with Devo, Spiritualized, and Grails at ATP UK's The Fans Strike Back in Minehead on May 8th-10th, 2009, playing two nights which will be a "world exclusive that will never be repeated". DAMMMIT! Ugh. Anyway, what does "The Fans Strike Back" mean?

For this festival we are reviving something we did in 2007; asking the people that come to the festival to decide who plays! So half of the lineup is chosen by us (ATP) and the other half by you. Everyone that buys a ticket will get a chance to vote for 10 acts they would like to appear at the festival, and we will be compiling charts of the results and approaching acts to see if they are available to play the festival...

Voting will commence in just over 2 weeks on Monday 17th November.

In other ridiculously-awesome-American-doom-bands-that-are-not-reuniting-in-America-news, Al Cisneros's Shrinebuilder bandmate Wino is getting Saint Vitus back together at Roadburn.

Also Om related: Grails have a show coming up at Union Pool and another with Flower Travellin' Band.

Om is currently touring Europe. Tour dates and some videos are below...

Continue reading "Sleep reuniting for The Fans Strike Back, an ATP UK festival"

by Black Bubblegum

Baroness

In a heavy music equivalent of bodyblow-bodyblow-uppercut, Baroness, announced a show with Coliseum and Minsk at the Bowery Ballroom on November 22nd, part of a greater east coast tour that also includes a show at Maxwell's in Hoboken. Bowery tickets are on sale.

Baroness is about to leave on a tour with Genghis Tron that will take them through Canada before sweeping back down to the US to join the Opeth & High On Fire tour that just so happens to hit Nokia Theatre in NYC without Baroness, but with the mighty Nachtmystium, this Thursday, September 18th - tickets are still available for that.

Coliseum recently scheduled another mega-tour of their own with Torche & Clouds.

Minsk and Trouble played earlier this week at both Music Hall of Williamsburg and Knitting Factory.

Baroness's buddies and fellow Georgians Kylesa will soon be at the Music Hall Of Williamsburg (tickets) & Bowery Ballroom (tickets) opening for Pinback.

All Baroness dates below...

Continue reading "Baroness - 2008 tour dates w/ Coliseum & Minsk "

by Black Bubblegum

Matt Pike, you deserve that cigarette * (MTV)

* smoking is bad

Rumor no more. Opeth & High On Fire touring together. NYC date is September 18th with Nachtmystium. Tickets are NOW ON PRESALE. All dates below...

Continue reading "Opeth & High on Fire - updated 2008 Tour Dates (Nokia)"

by Black Bubblegum

Opeth live at Ruisrock 2008 (jsantala)

You thought Metal Masters was good? What about Neurosis / Mastodon / A Storm Of Light? Chew on this... The interwebs are going apey (guilty as charged) with the rumors of an Opeth / High On Fire / Baroness / Nachtmystium tour and now Blabbermouth has released a set of UNCONFIRMED tour dates, which we have now mostly confirmed. See below.

Patience, NYCers. I am sure NYC will be included, or at least that's what Akerfeldt said in May.

On a Cryptopsy-adding-a-keyboard-player note (aka please don't let it be true), rumors of a Opeth & Dream Theater collaboration are heating up in the wake of their participation in Progressive Nation tour. A partnership was actually discussed more than TWO YEARS AGO and confirmed by the band on May 11, 2006. Not sure if this is the same thing, but look for something to be announced and released soon. Tour dates below....

Continue reading "Opeth - touring w/ High On Fire & Baroness (confirmed!), collaborating w/ Dream Theater??"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Pulling Teeth - Live @ Sound & Fury 2K7 (ALBUM ZIP)
DOWNLOAD: Gnaw Their Tongues - Bubonic Burial Rites (ALBUM ZIP), ALBUM ART
DOWNLOAD: Gnaw Their Tongues - Vomiting Helplessly (ALBUM ZIP), ALBUM ART

Opeth!

Twenty six. Thats how many days we have left until the new Opeth record hits the streets. Mikael Akerfeldt & the boys have put in WORK when it comes to publicity for this record so check out a few interviews that they did here, here, here, here, here, and a seven-parter here. Whew! And here's a taste of their setlist from the Universal City, CA date (May 2nd) of the Progressive Nation Tour:

Master's Apprentices
Baying of the Hounds
In My Time of Need
Wreath
Heir Apparent
The Drapery Falls

More dates have been added to the Cavalera Conspiracy tour.... check for the full tour dates below. Missed the presale? Don't worry, tickets are back on sale as of Friday morning @ 10am.

Speaking of the Cavaleras, check out the cover for the new Soulfly record Conquer here, as well as the tracklisting below. Conquer will feature guest appearances by David Vincent (Morbid Angel) and Dave Peters (Throwdown).

Speaking of two nights at the venue formerly known as Irving Plaza, tickets are still on sale for the first of two At the Gates reunion shows. The second night is sold out.

much, much more...............

Continue reading "This Week In METAL (05/09/08)"

DOWNLOAD: Enslaved - RUUN (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Tera Melos - When Worms Learn To Fly (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Weedeater - Potbelly (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Avatar - Schlacht (MP3)

Motorhead's Lemmy

You need the heavy? Austin is bringing it this year! To recap, we have
already
discussed
quite
a few
amazing
bands
and
showcases
so
far, so lets get to some of the other ones that are must see!

Continue reading "Black Bubblegum's guide to METAL @ SXSW 2008"

by Black Bubblegum

High on Fire @ Europa, Brooklyn, NY (davebgimp)

For those who missed High On Fire's massive show in Brooklyn a few weeks ago (with the mighty Saviours, A Life Once Lost, & Car Bomb) Woozy captured it on video! ... thunderous drums, evil looks, and sustain for days. The sets by A Life Once Lost & Car Bomb will follow in the coming week (Feb 29th & Mar 7th respectively).

Also courtesy of woozyfly: the entire Baroness show from December 1st at Bowery Ballroom when they opened for Witchcraft.

Previously High on Fire playing Relapse showcase @ SXSW

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: COLISEUM - Fall Of The Pigs (MP3)

Relapse announced their scorched earth campaign across Austin! High on Fire, Coliseum, Municipal Waste, Genghis Tron, Vverevvolf Grehv.....Ouchie. Me need plane tickie. Well, at least I can take comfort in the fact that Coliseum answered my prayers by setting up a show at Europa in Brooklyn on May 4th with Young Widows and Tombs (check out a new song here). Tickets are on sale.

Continue reading "Coliseum in Brooklyn, Relapse Records @ SXSW, Tour Dates"

by Black Bubblegum

NY's own Suffocation @ 2006 NE Hardcore & Metal Festival (Markcoatsworth)

Gigantour has cancelled their April 24th date in Worcester, Massachusetts.... but, every single band ON Gigantour added another date to make up for it - April 25th (one day later)... in Worcester, Massachusetts. All the Gigantour band performances will now instead be part of day one of the New England Metal & Hardcore Festival! Thats right.... Megadeth, In Flames, Job For A Cowboy, Children Of Bodom, and High On Fire will meet up with almost 70 other bands including headliners Dimmu Borgir, Shadows Fall, Behemoth, Ministry, Meshuggah, and Nevermore during the three day festival (Full band list below). Tickets ($47.50 for Fri, $45 for Sat or Sun or $129 for all three) go on sale this Friday, Feb 15th at 10AM via enterthevault.com, tickets.com, or by phone at 800-477-6849.

That doesn't do it for ya? Prefer your bands with "f*ck" in their name? How about the Maryland Deathfest? Along with bands like Torsof*ck and F*ck... I'm Dead, you can check out monsters like the mighty Anaal Nathrakh (their only US appearance scheduled for this year) Repulsion, Disfear, Grave, Impaled, and thrash legends Nuclear Assault. Tickets can be purchased here. (Full band list and set times below)

Maybe a deathfest sounds too tame, you like your festival with a little more zazz. How about a murderfest? The LA Murderfest to be exact, taking place in Los Angeles, CA @ The Knitting Factory in Hollywood from April 18th - April 20th. The Converge/Baroness/Red Chord/Genghis Tron extravaganza will be in the hiz-ouse, along with NH's own Trap Them, Vital Remains, and vegetarian superheroes Cattle Decapitation. Honestly, can you really argue with the tagline "2 stages + 3 days = Total Brutality"?

Don't live in those towns? Too lazy to travel to them? Irrational fear of mechanized transportation? Luckily, a few killer bands will be swinging through a town near you on the Summer Slaughter 2008 (dates TBD, starting in June)..... bands like The Black Dahlia Murder, Kataklysm, Vader, Cryptopsy, and Whitechapel! Other dates and lineups below....

Continue reading "New England Metal & Hardcore Fest 2008, MD Deathfest, LA Murderfest, & Summer Slaughter, Solid PR SXSW"

* OM are not playing Luna Lounge tonight
* Early Man are playing Knitting Factory Satuday
* High On Fire are playing Europa Sunday

by Black Bubblegum

Gigantour in Luna Park, Sydney Australia (geeewocka)

Gigantour is back! Mustaine & co will bring his traveling circus (think EVIL clowns) to the Hammerstein Ballroom in NYC on April 22, with swede-death monsters In Flames, Children Of Bodom (not the coffee press), the devastating High On Fire (also on a seperate tour near you, and now coming through NYC), young'uns Job For A Cowboy, and of course, Megadeth. Tickets are on sale.

Megadeth (with the newly recruited Chris Broderick from Nevermore and Jag Panzer) will also embark on a short UK tour in February before hitting the US & Canada in April. All tour dates below.....

Continue reading "Gigantour 2008 (Megadeth, In Flames, High On Fire)"

OM @ Roadburn Festival 2007, Tilburg, Holland (CRED)

With Pilgrimage (Southern Lord) garnering all types of year-end accolades, the Sabbath-as-meditation'ers Om will hit the road again - this time with Holy Mountain labelmates Lichens and Daniel Higgs of Lungfish. Starting on Jan 16th in Seattle, they'll hit the Luna Lounge in Brooklyn on Feb 8th. Tickets are on sale, .

Last time the boys came through NYC, it was at Europa and Knitting Factory with Grails.

And speaking of ex-Sleep dudes and albums of the year, nine-string guitarist Matt Pike and High On Fire have cancelled a date from their current winter tour (Feb 10th in Hackensack, NJ), and added a new one in Brooklyn... Feb 10th @ Club Europa! Tickets Are On Sale. All tour dates below.....

Continue reading "OM & High On Fire playing Brooklyn, Tour Dates, Daniel Higgs"

DOWNLOAD: Pig Destroyer - Gravedancer (MP3)

by Black Bubblegum (a BV metal correspondent)

Calculators out..... The Dillinger Escape Plan will be back in NYC on Sunday December 16th, to play hits (and I mean that in a Tony Soprano kinda way) from their critically acclaimed new Faith-No-More-meets-odd-time-signature-Napalm-Death LP, "Ire Works". Tickets are still available.

Getting all morse code-y with DEP is Genghis Tron, who recently posted "Board Up The House" off of their new upcoming record for Relapse. Check it at their MySpace. Also, you can catch Mookie Singerman's (Genghis Tron) awesome monthly column "Route 666" in Decibel Magazine.

Speaking of Decibel, check out their picks for 2007's best heavy records.... I wonder which ones were Mookie's, John Darnielle's (Mountain Goats) & Jeffrey Walker's (ex-Carcass) faves? (they all write for Decibel)

Decibel's Top 40 Records of 2007
1.Pig Destroyer - Phantom Limb (John's #4)
2.Watain - Sworn to the Dark
3.The Dillinger Escape Plan - Ire Works
4.Jesu - Conqueror
5.Baroness - The Red Album
6. Neurosis - Given to the Rising (playing some shows)
7. Witchcraft - The Alchemist
8. Portal - Outré
9. High on Fire - Death is this Communion (Dave Hill liked this too)
10. A Life Once Lost - Iron Gag

Continue reading "Dillinger Escape Plan, High on Fire, Genghis Tron, Decibel's Top 40 of 2007, 2008 Tour Dates"