Hooded Menace at Union Pool in 2011 (more by Fred Pessaro // BBG)

Hooded Menace have a new video for "Crumbling Insanity" off their LP Effigies of Evil out now via Relapse. Check that out below.

Check out a new Weapon lyric video for "Crepuscular Swamp" from their forthcoming LP, Embers and Revelation, below as well.

If you missed it, Down have a new EP; COC is touring and so is Gaza. Cynarae are on their way here too and Strife have a new song.

All Evillive-approved shows for the next two weeks are listed below. What did I miss?

Continue reading "Evillive (Hooded Menace, Weapon)"

Hooded Menace at Union Pool (more by Fred Pessaro // BBG)

It's been more than a year since Hooded Menace sat atop a stacked bill of Negative Plane, Ilsa and Anhedonist at Union Pool, but I remember it like it was yesterday. It was just one of those shows that sticks with you. Hooded Menace's crawling death-doom was booming, larger-than-life and just plain stunning on that gorgeous June evening.

Hooded Menace's focus was on their then-recent LP Never Cross the Dead but now the Finnish band has a new one: the forthcoming Effigies of Evil LP out via Relapse on September 11. Check out two new tracks from the LP, including "Summoned into Euphoric Madness" which makes its debut here. Both are below.

Speaking of that show at Union Pool, don't miss Ilsa when they team with Gehenna, Young and In The Way, Psychic Limb and Skin Like Iron at Acheron on Friday 8/10.

So far no US dates scheduled for Hooded Menace, but hopefully that will change soon. Until then, stream the two new songs below.

Continue reading "Hooded Menace readies 'Effigies of Evil' (stream two tracks)"

photos by Taylor Keahey, words by BBG

Solitude Aeturnus in Las Vegas

"It's time to Sab out on y'all," said the Yeti-sized longhair covered in more ink than the Sunday New York Times.

The dude is question was John Fitterer, frontman for L.A. metallers Crowned in Fire, and the "Sab" he was referring to was Black Sabbath.

It was a telling statement early on at the Doom in June fest Saturday at the Cheyenne Saloon, where the aforementioned Brit metal pioneers loomed almost as large over the event as the monster riffs that defined the day...

All the way from Finland, Hooded Menace brought some crippling death doom in the form of a monstrously heavy, elephantine crawl that rumbled like tectonic plates colliding.

Maryland's Iron Man followed, overcoming some drummer troubles (they had to play with a replacement) to wow with their upper-register, trad metal classicism.

Scott "Wino" Weinrich made the acoustic guitar sound electric during his unplugged set, which he ended by walking into the crowd.

And then there were headliners Solitude Aeturnus, who quickly demonstrated why they were perched atop the lineup... The band played the fan favorite "Opaque Divinity" early on in their set, and fittingly so: For doom lifers, it was a moment that at least approached the divine. -[Las Vegas Review-Journal]

Hooded Menace's short tour also brought them to Maryland Deathfest, Union Pool, and Chaos in Tejas. I hope they don't think we're stalking them.

Wino played Mercury Lounge in February, and as part of Saint Vitus at Irving Plaza in March. Wino's Shrinebuilder bandmate Al Cisneros plays with his band Sleep at Terminal 5 on June 22nd with Winter and White Hills.

More pictures from Doom in June II, below.

Continue reading "there was 'Doom In June' in Las Vegas Saturday (pics)"

photos by Keith Marlowe and Harriet Roberts, words by BBG

The Spits

While I was going hardcore at Emo's, metal and garage were well represented at Red 7 on Thursday. Split across the venue's two stages, the outdoor patio was reserved as a Garage stage with The Spits, The Arrivals, Shellshag, TV Ghost (who are on tour with The Spits), High Tension Wires, and OBN III's, while the indoor stage housed metal from Hooded Menace (who played Union Pool before Texas), Undergang, Acephalix, Bone Sickness, and Mammoth Grinder. Pictures of many of the bands from from both stages at Red 7 are below.

Origin of M

After the show, I met up with Keith and Harriet to trek over to The Broken Neck, a DIY venue hosting an afterparty with Tragedy (who played Europa before Texas) and Origin of M. We arrived just in time, as they were letting one in and one out due to capacity issues. We were able to slide in after a short wait. Origin of M played a crusty hardcore set with some rock style leads (ala Thin Lizzy) and sounded good, though the singer's drunken ranting in Japanese was a bit off-putting/odd. Slamming beer after beer, he loved to crowdsurf almost as much as loved to rip beer-cans apart in his mouth and chew on the aluminum. Yum. Tragedy, as usual, were unbelievable despite a PA system that was clearly DIY (and on the brink of toppling over).

Chaos in Tejas continues. Pictures of everything else I did earlier in the night HERE. Mictures from Red 7 and Broken Neck, below...

Continue reading "Chaos in Tejas 2011 in pics & review (part 2)"

by BBG

Hooded Menace

While Tragedy was tearing down Europa with Citizens Arrest, Hooded Menace played a rare show Tuesday at Union Pool (5/31) as part of a short stint of dates that included Maryland Deathfest (pictures from their appearance) and tonight's show at Red 7 for Chaos in Tejas with Undergang, Acephalix, Bone Sickness, and Mammoth Grinder. Tuesday was Hooded Menace's first NYC date and one of four total (they played Philly the day before). Ilsa and Anhedonist, and Negative Plane also played the Brooklyn gig. Pictures from the show are in this post.

Ilsa's new LP (which we interviewed them about) was brought to life at the venue and sounded fantastic, but it was Anhedonist that truly knocked my socks off that night, as the Seattle band played all new material from a forthcoming LP. Negative Plane's reverb-drenched black metal was piercingly loud and blasting, and was quickly followed up with a conversely low-end Hooded Menace. Hooded Menace's doomy riffs sounded great on the Union Pool system; I can't wait to catch them again tonight.

More pictures from Union Pool and some video courtesy of UN:ART:IG, below...

Continue reading "Hooded Menace, Ilsa, Anhedonist & Negative Plane played Union Pool (pics & video)"

words & photo by BBG

Inquisition

After Cathedral and Neurosis on days one and two respectively, Voivod headlined the large outdoor stage at Maryland Deathfest on Saturday (5/28), with Inquisition heading up the indoor stage at Sonar.

Though there are no pictures of Masakari, Mammoth Grinder, Creative Waste, Cretin, & Blood Freak, I did catch sets from the headliners as well as Avulsed, The Kill, Drop Dead, Doom, Defeated Sanity, Acid Witch, Hooded Menace, Cyanide, In Solitude, Impaled Nazarene, Hail of Bullets, Nunslaughter, and Exhorder.

Voivod

A crusty and furious set from Doom, an awesome and energetic set from Voivod, blackened doom destruction from Hooded Menace, Austrailian grinders The Kill and Detroit doomers Acid Witch were definitely my favorites, but I also thoroughly enjoyed what I saw of Hail of Bullets (around half of their set) as well as the political and furious Drop Dead.

Hooded Menace play Union Pool TONIGHT (5/31) with Negative Plane, Anhedonist, and Ilsa (who we interviewed) as part of a BrooklynVegan event. Online ticketing is not available, but there are tickets at the door for $13. Doors are at 8PM and the show starts at 8:30.

Tragedy, who played MDF Day One, also plays a show in Brooklyn tonight.

More pictures from the third day at Maryland Deathfest are below...

Continue reading "Maryland Deathfest 2011 -- Day 3 in pics & review (Voivod, Inquisition, Hooded Menace, The Kill, Acid Witch, more)"

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Negative Plane - "Angels Of Veiled Bone"

Hooded Menace


BrooklynVegan & 1000 Knives are proud to present a four-band bill of darkness, headlined by the NYC debut of Finnish death/doom dealers Hooded Menace! The show, which will take place on 5/31 at Union Pool, will see the Roadburn-bound band team up with Negative Plane (!), Anhedonist, and Ilsa as part of a string of dates in between appearances at MDF and Chaos in Tejas 2011.

Hooded Menace released Never Cross the Dead in 2010, and are preparing to release a split 7" with the mighty Asphyx via Doomentia Records. The band is also heading to the studio in February to record two new tracks, though no word on where those will land. Full tour schedule is below.

Negative Plane needs no introduction, as the Brooklyn band's Et In Saecula Saeculorum was a fave among the blackened set. The band recently released the CD version of their new LP Stained Glass Revelations via The Ajna Offensive which features "Angels of Veiled Bone", downloadable for the first time here (it premiered at Invisible Oranges) and streaming below.

For the unfamiliar, Ilsa was named a band to watch by Darkthrone madman Fenriz. The band released their seriously ripping new LP of death/doom odes, Tutti Il Colori Del Buio, via Contagion Releasing. Order a copy, it's pretty great.

Anhedonist's The Drear demo was so well received, that Parasitic will be pressing the (surprisingly melodic!) death-doom release on vinyl for a late Feb/early Mar release.

All tour dates, the song stream and some video is below.

Continue reading "Hooded Menace playing Brooklyn w/ Negative Plane (whose LP is out now) -- MP3 & dates"

by BBG

The cover for the classic Winter LP, Into Darkness

It's official, you will see me at Roadburn 2011. The European festival announced today that the sunn o))) curated day at Roadburn would feature an appearance for NYC Doom Metal gods WINTER (wow), along with Earth, Scorn, Beaver, Aluk Todolo, Menace Ruine, Hooded Menace, The Secret and Atilla Csihar's Void Ov Voices. For Winter, it'll be their first show back together since their split nineteen years ago (1992). For the unfamiliar:

"Winter were an American doom metal band from New York. Employing vocals reminiscent of death metal, they were acknowledged as creators of some of the heaviest and slowest doom metal ever composed! Hour of Doom demo tape (1989) Into Darkness (1990) Future Shock Records Eternal Frost (1994) (EP) Nuclear Blast Records The album was re-released in 1992 by Nuclear Blast, and again in 1999 (including the EP)"

As previously mentioned, NYC band and recent Thrill Jockey signees Liturgy were also recently added to the festival lineup. What we didn't know at the time was that Liturgy are also playing Glasslands on December 9th in addition to their show witu Orphan, Dope Body, and Elks at Acheron on December 3rd. All dates below..

Roadburn flyer and current lineup below too...

Continue reading "Roadburn lineup expands, includes WINTER! ++ Liturgy adds another NYC show (updated dates and lineup) "

by BBG

Scott Kelly of Neurosis (more here)

Every spring, every metalhead asks every other metalhead the same question:

"Are you going to Maryland Deathfest?"

For some, the answer to that question is about to get a little bit easier. Neurosis will headline one night of the 2011 festival alongside a killer, and previously announced lineup of Cripple Bastards, the recently reunited Exhumed, Exhorder, Hooded Menace, Machetazo, Impaled Nazarene, and many more. The show is one of only two confirmed Neurosis dates currently scheduled, with the second being the previously discussed Godspeed You Black Emperor-curated ATP show in Minehead.

Nightbringer is also confirmed to play MDF 2011, and the Colorado band (who recently dropped a four-way split and Apocalypse Sun on Ajna) is also scheduled to appear at Dingbatz in Clifton, NJ on September 4th alongside Profanatica, Krieg, and Wehwalt.

Neurosis are releasing two albums on August 30th in celebration of the band's 25th anniversary: Live At Roadburn 2007 and a reissued and redesigned Enemy Of The Sun with new artwork by Josh Graham (whose band A Storm of Light is opening one of the TWO Sleep shows happening at Masonic Temple in Brooklyn). Neurosis drummer Jason Roeder is also part of Sleep's new live lineup.

MDF 2011 takes place from May 27th to the 30th at Sonar in Baltimore. Full MDF lineup, Neurosis live album art and tracklist, updated Sleep tour dates, and some video below....

Continue reading "Neurosis added to MDF 2011 (lineup), releasing live album"

words by Black Bubblegum, photos by Justina Villanueva

DOWNLOAD: Bloody Panda - "Pusher" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Bloody Panda - "Miserere" (Excerpt) (MP3)

Bloody Panda @ Santos Party House on 6/27

Fresh off of their show at Santos Party House (6/27) with Swans legend Jarboe, the hooded "doomusic" lowlifes of NYC's Bloody Panda have announced a US tour in support of the upcoming album Summon slated for liftoff in late-July. The tour, which is scheduled to bounce along the east coast, is scheduled to conclude on August 21st at Union Pool where the band will play a record release party for the LP/DVD. In a previous edition of This Week In Metal, we dropped an excerpt from "Miserere" off of Summon, but this week we have a NEW treat in the form of the song "Pusher" which is downloadable above!

Summon will be released on the mighty Profound Lore, current home to YOB, Krallice, Amesouers, Hammers of Misfortune (who are touring with Ludicra and coming to NYC), Wold (who had a "greatest hits" tape) and many other faves.

While Bloody Panda are a crew of hooded menaces, but they aren't THE Hooded Menace, who recently signed to Profound Lore and will drop the follow-up to Fulfill the Curse in early 2010. More about Hooded Menace HERE.

More pics of Jarboe and Bloody Panda, and all tour dates, below.....

Continue reading "Bloody Panda played Santos w/ Jarboe (pics), announces tour (dates) ++ new MP3 "

by Black Bubblebgum

sunn o))) @ Knitting Factory (more by Damien Neva)


Ya hear that rumble? Thats the sound of great records perched in the distance waiting to descend on 2009 (more on that later). While this year will bring about great music and another set of "next big things", let's take the time to be thankful for 2008 and all of it's memorable records and shows. Here are my favorite records of 2008:

Continue reading "the year in Metal (Best of 2008, what's coming in 2009)"

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) "