Samothrace at Saint Vitus (more by Greg Cristman)

Before the mammoth Torche show on Saturday (3/2), Samothrace played Saint Vitus on Friday (3/1), joined by touring partners Pilgrim and Howl, with Bezoar holding down the local support. Pictures/video from the show are available at Invisible Oranges. Samothrace's tour wraps tonight (3/6) with a show in Chicago at Ultra Lounge.

If you missed it, check out an interview with Samothrace at Invisible Oranges.

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.

Skeletonwitch aboard the BV-BBG/Rocks Off CMJ cruise (more by Jonathan McPhail)

Skeletonwitch are definitely road dogs, currently out on a set of dates with Barn Burner that hits The Loft in Poughkeepsie this weekend (7/14, tickets) and then hits the Great White North. After this round of dates concludes, look for the Ohio crew to head back out on the road for shows with Havoc and Early Graves, which will include an NYC stop at Knitting Factory on September 27th with Mutilation Rites. Tickets go on sale Saturday (7/14) at 10AM. Knitting Factory makes no mention of Early Graves and lists Howl instead, but the tour flyer says differently. See that below.

All known tour dates on that Skeletonwitch/Havok tour are below.

Continue reading "Skeletonwitch on the road, playing Poughkeepsie this weekend and Knit in September (dates)"

photos by Greg Cristman and Stephanie Crumley

Municipal Waste @ Metal Suckfest

After a pre-party on 11/3 with Mayhem, the inaugural Metal SuckFest kicked off on Friday (11/4) at Gramercy Theater with a headlining appearance from Richmond's own Municipal Waste, who were joined by Today is The Day, God Forbid, All Pigs Must Die, Magrudergrind, Black Tusk, Howl, This is Hell, Ramming Speed and Prime Evil. Pictures of all bands except Prime Evil (who we missed) adorn this post.

Hardcore supercrew All Pigs Must Die also played a last minute surprise show at Saint Vitus later that night. A video from that show, and more pictures from night one at Gramercy (night two is on the way), below...

Continue reading "Metal Suckfest @ Gramercy Theater (night one pics)"

by BBG

Magrudergrind at Music Hall of Williamsburg (more by BBG)

Metalsucks have announced most of their lineup slated for the Metal Suckfest 2011 at Gramercy Theater on November 4th and 5th. Joining the previously announced artists will be God Forbid, Howl, Black Tusk, Ramming Speed, Prime Evil, A Life Once Lost, Scale the Summit, Fight Amp, and Ultrageist across the two days. Tickets are on sale for both 11/4 and 11/5, or you can buy them packaged with tickets for Mayhem who play the day before (Metalsucks Pre-Game). Lineups by day and the show flyer is below.

Reminder: TWO of the artists slated to play the Metal Suckfest will play NYC this weekend. Fight Amp will support Weedeater/Oxbow/Bison BC at Europa on Saturday (9/10, tickets) and Despise You/Magrudergrind/Backslider/The Communion/Defeatist are at Shea Stadium (9/11).

Woe is also scheduled to play that Mayhem date at Gramercy, but will be in NYC next week as part of a show with 40 Watt Sun at Public Assembly on 9/16.

More shows happening this weekend are listed in Evillive.

The almost-full Suckfest lineup and the show flyer is below.

Continue reading "updated Suckfest lineup (tix on sale), Weedeater this weekend"

words & photos by BBG

Crowbar @ Irving Plaza

"Helmet promised and delivered the entire "Meantime" album and more. Never got to see them in the early 90's when they were all the rage, cuz' I was already really not into going to shows in 92' and much more into smoking pot and making videos at the School of Visual Arts, but that "Meantime" CD, I remember, sure did get a workout for awhile.

Paige Hamilton, probably the most infamous post-hardcore millionaire ever, has always been an interesting fella in the annals of the mini-major/independent controversies that sort of started and ended in the post Nirvana, halcyon days of 90 whatever, with A & R's running around and signing every art school weirdo, whilst taking all the blue M&M's from their green rooms. Interesting to see them after all these years and ponder, "Has it really been 20 fucking years since film school?" Jeez. Paige looks good and his guitar was quite loud and supra, ahem, "staccato". Just a really weird bill, what with Helmet sort of inheriting that weird art school place they once lorded over. Not really metal, not really alternative, not really punk. Couldn't help but wonder how much of that one million bucks he still has? Great set, nada banter, just loud and sing alongish..." [TrashmansReader]

Metalliance is in Merriam, Kansas tonight (without Helmet). All dates and more pictures and some videos from Irving Plaza are below...

Continue reading "Helmet played 'Meantime' & Saint Vitus, Crowbar, Kylesa, Red Fang, Howl & the Atlas Moth played Irving Plaza too (pics)"

Metalliance photos by Samantha Marble, Whitehorse photos & words by BBG

Helmet @ Dirty Dog

Metalliance swoops in on NYC TONIGHT (3/25) at Irving Plaza (tickets still available). The tour moves into its East Coast leg after hitting SXSW and the south last week. Pictures of Saint Vitus, Helmet, Crowbar, Kylesa, Red Fang, Howl, The Atlas Moth and more from the Austin stop adorn this post.

A friday night during SXSW is always nuts, but nothing could compare to the scene at Dirty Dog which was packed to the gills on 3/18. With a line snaking down the block through the already heavily trafficked 6th Street, Dirty Dog was clearly beyond capacity (and then some) with people itching to see the traveling festival to the riff, as well as the SXSW addition of the almighty Weedeater (the show also featured Witchburn, who I/we missed). Dirty Dog was the place to be that night for metal fans in the area and it showed; during Kylesa's set the venue frantically removed tables to add extra capacity and even reportedly/unfortunately told a few bands that they had to remove their merch table as well. Venue issues aside, the bands sounded great and there was a reason why everyone wanted in; Metalliance is stacked with killer bands and performances.

Saint Vitus @ Dirty Dog

It may sound blasphemous, but knowing I would see Saint Vitus tonight in NYC, I left halfway through their set to head to the WFMU showcase down the street. It was there in a relatively light Barbarella that I caught one of my favorite performances at SXSW, Australians Whitehorse who tore the place down with their crushing death-doom punctuated with noise. Absolutely sick band that deserves to be playing to the hessian masses, and luckily for NYCers, you'll be able to catch them with The Body at Acheron on 4/1.

More pictures from Metalliance and Whitehorse at WFMU, and tour dates, below.

Continue reading "The Metalliance tour hits NYC tonight, Whitehorse is coming soon (here are pics from both at SXSW)"

by BBG

Kylesa @ Santos in January (more by Samantha Marble)

The Metalliance tour featuring Helmet (playing all of Meantime), Saint Vitus, Crowbar, Red Fang, Howl & The Atlas Moth has expanded, adding dates on the west coast and adding the great Kylesa to the bill as well. All dates are now on sale including tickets to March 25th at Irving Plaza.

Crowbar's killer new LP Sever The Wicked Hand is out now via E1. Order a copy, it's definitely highly recommended and could be Windstein's best work yet.

Saint Vitus's Wino just completed a solo tour with Scott Kelly. Maybe you caught them Saturday night at Mercury Lounge.

The full updated set of Metalliance tour dates and some videos, below...

Continue reading "Metalliance expands tour, adds Kylesa (updated dates)"

by BBG

Crowbar at Santos (more by Samantha Marble)

As discussed, the "Metalliance" tour will join Helmet (who will play all of Meantime) with Saint Vitus and Crowbar. Tickets are currently on sale for the NYC stop which will hit Irving Plaza on March 25th with additional openers Howl, Red Fang, and The Atlas Moth (and even more bands TBA). The full lineup for the entire tour will be revealed in one week, but until then you can check out the routing below.

Meanwhile Kirk Windstein of Crowbar will be back in NYC to play Nokia Theater on April 28th and in NJ at Starland Ballroom on April 30th as part of Down. Tickets go on AMEX presale at 10AM on 1/26 and regular sale at noon on 1/28 for Nokia, and at noon on 1/28 for Starland Ballroom.

Down's Jimmy Bower will play Europa on Feb 18th as part of Eyehategod. Tickets are still available for the show which includes Misery Index, Magrudergrind, Strong Intention & Mutilation Rites.

Don't forget that Crowbar's new LP Sever The Wicked Hand will hit store shelves on February 8th via E1 Music. Tour dates and some videos below...

Continue reading "NYC Metalliance date on sale ++ Down announce shows"

photos by Greg Cristman, words by BBG

Trap Them

"Shit Happens: The Tour" crash-landed at the sold-out Studio at Webster Hall on 11/3. Featuring headliner Every Time I Die with Howl and She Rides, the show marked the return of the great Trap Them, who was last seen in NYC supporting Cave In at the also-sold-out Knitting Factory close to a year ago. Since then, the band has kept a low profile on the live circuit but released the killer Filth Rations EP on Southern Lord and recorded a new LP with Kurt Ballou (!) which is due at their new home Prosthetic Records in March of next year. Look for that, I will.

More pictures from the mayhem and all setlists except Trap Them's from The Studio at Webster Hall are below.

Continue reading "Every Time I Die, Trap Them, Howl & She Rides played the Studio (pics & setlists) "

photos by Alysse Gafkjen, words by BBG

Valient Thorr strike a pose

Valient Thorr headlined Southpaw in Brooklyn on 9/23 with support from Junius and Howl as part of a larger overall tour for the three bands. If you missed Howl, you won't have to wait long to check them out again, as the band is hitting the road for an upcoming tour with Trap Them and ETID. Tickets are on sale for their date at The Studio at Webster Hall on November 3rd.

If you missed Valient Thorr and Junius, you won't be able to catch them in NYC in the forseeable future, but you will be able to catch them both in Austin at Fun Fun Fun Fest along with a slew of other notables. Look for Valient Thorr to dip into Stranger at the show, as that recently released LP is out now.

More pictures from the show are below...

Continue reading "Valient Thorr, Howl & Junius played Southpaw (pics) "

by BBG

Trap Them at Knitting Factory (more by Samantha Marble)

Trap Them and Howl will hit the road for a string of dates with Every Time I Die as part of "Shit Happens: The Tour", tagging The Studio at Webster Hall on 11/3 in the process. Tickets are on sale. The show is one of two Howl dates in the NYC area, as the band will play Southpaw on 9/23 with Valient Thorr and Junius (who recently played Acheron). Tickets are still on sale for that too.

Meanwhile, Trap Them will spend the month of September working on their new LP for Prosthetic Records with Kurt Ballou at God City, documenting the process on their spankin' new blog.

All tour dates and some videos, below...

Continue reading "Trap Them touring w/ Every Time I Die & Howl who is touring w/ Valient Thorr & Junius (dates)"

photos and words by BBG

On their way to Boston to record their new LP with Kurt Ballou at God City, acerbie noise rock killers KEN Mode played Acheron on Tuesday (8/17) with Brooklyn's own blackened hardcore greats Castevet and Boston's spacey post-rock/metallers Junius. The heroes in Junius filled in at the last minute for East Of The Wall after an illness required the band to cancel their appearance.

Junius are currently out with ORBS, but will circle back through NYC with Howl and Valient Thorr, tagging Southpaw on 9/24. All dates below.

In related news, Acheron has a pair of interesting shows this weekend: Friday is grind-day with Baltimore's Triac, along with Curandera (ex ASRA & Tombs, current Mutilation Rites) and Backslider, and Saturday is female-fronted Richmond doomers Windhand (mem Facedowninshit).

More pictures and some videos from the KEN Mode show below...

Continue reading "KEN Mode, Castevet & Junius played the Acheron (pics, video, more upcoming shows, Howl dates)"

by BBG

Wormrot

Singapore grind trio Wormrot, who released one of my favorite LPs of 2009 (which has since been reissued by Earache this year), will play Santos Party House on September 2nd alongside Order of Ennead (members of Deicide, also Earache), Mobile Deathcamp (which features Beefcake of GWAR) and Skull Crusher. Tickets are on sale.

Cannibal Corpse will play Santos on Nov 19th with Dying Fetus, Vital Remains, and Devourment. Tickets are on sale. The show is one of two at Santos for Devourment, as the band will also support Cattle Decapitation a month prior (10/18, tickets).

Merauder has been added to the previously discussed Inside Out show at Santos on August 14th (tickets).

Early Man will headline Europa on 10/10 with an assist from a pair of other Earache bands, Evile and Bonded by Blood. Tickets are on sale. The band is on the run promoting their new LP Death Potion, out now via The End.

Revocation and Misery Index will support Despised Icon at their last ever NYC show alongside The Judas Syndrome and Everything's Ruined at Europa on 9/11. Tickets are on sale. Misery Index released Heirs to Thievery earlier this year via Relapse. Full tour dates for the whole trek is below.

Howl was just in NYC with Black Cobra, and now the Rhode Island band will loop back to NYC to play Southpaw with Valient Thorr and Junius on September 24th. Tickets are on sale. Full Valient Thorr dates are below....

NYC's Hallux will celebrate the release of their debut LP alongside Malkuth and Bad Girlfriend at Union Pool on September 9th.

Tour dates and some video is below....

Continue reading "Wormrot, Early Man, Evile, Bonded by Blood, Cannibal Corpse, Merauder, Revocation, Misery Index, Valient Thorr & other upcoming shows & tour dates"

words and photos by BBG

East of the Wall

Primus be damned. Black Cobra raged out at The Studio at Webster Hall on Friday (7/30) with help from Rhode Island killers Howl, the Ohio freight train known as Struck By Lightning and the incredible and beyond-under-rated East Of The Wall. All four bands delivered dependably massive sets in the Studio space, though as a veteran of shows with BC/Howl/SbL, I was most struck by the five piece lineup of East of The Wall (they played with four on tour, and at SXSW). Incredible night and thanks to all who came/were involved.

East of The Wall plays again TONIGHT (8/2) with Name, Meek Is Murder, and Iron Thrones at The Charleston.

More pics from the show, and some video, below...

Continue reading "Black Cobra, Howl, Struck by Lightning & East of the Wall played The Studio @ Webster Hall (pics, video) "

by BBG

Black Cobra at Gramercy (more by Chris LaPutt)

There aren't many cases when a duo can make a seriously ear-splitting racket. Jucifer (who is coming to NYC). Dark Castle (them too). Lightning Bolt. And one that you definitely can't leave off of that list is the thundering and formidable Black Cobra!

The San Fran band was last seen in NYC at the ultra-ultra-sold-out Gramercy show supporting the great High on Fire, but now the band (which features members of the great Cavity and Acid King) will hit the road for a US headlining tour of their own sponsored by BV. What's more? It'll be alongside similarly muscular miscreants, Howl! Struck By Lightning (who knocked me out at The Studio in April) and the fantastic French doom outfit Monarch! will rotate in the final slot. Struck By Lightning will be on the bill when the package impacts NYC on July 30th, where they will join forces with the incredible East of The Wall at The Studio at Webster Hall. Tickets are on sale.

In the meantime, Black Cobra's Chronomega is out NOW via Southern Lord. Howl, who played NYC post-SXSW, have a new album, Full of Hell, out now via Relapse. Struck By Lightning released Serpents on Translation Loss in the tail end of last year.

Full tour dates, the tour flyer, and tons of video are below...

Continue reading "Black Cobra, Howl & Struck by Lightning - 2010 Tour Dates"

words by BBG, photos by Meghan McInnis

Flourishing is frightened!

Howl and Javelina were almost home by the time they hit Cake Shop on 3/25 with Sea of Bones and Flourishing. The pair of bands had burned through tons of dates on the way to and fro SXSW 2010 where Javelina played Emo's on 3/17 and both played Red 7 on 3/20. Check out the tour diary for Decibel Javelina did along the way.

The night was a special one for the great Flourishing, who celebrated the release of their new EP A Momentary Sense of the Immediate World on The Path Less Traveled Records. The absolutely mammoth Sea of Bones also were on board, with their two guitars, two basses, and four (usually six!) full stacks behind them, rumbling through doom riff after thundering doom riff.

More pics and video from the show are below...

Continue reading "Howl, Javelina, Sea of Bones & Flourishing @ Cake Shop (pics & video) "

words by BBG, photos by Samantha Marble

Mike Hill, who wasn't the only guitarist in Tombs at SXSW...

While I was thrashing my rear off between the two stages at Mohawk on 3/17, Samantha Marble was also nodding away at the Relapse showcase at Red 7 down the street. She managed to capture shots of Kill The Client, Howl, Mammoth Grinder, Graves of Valor, and Tombs who were playing with a second guitarist (!) before scooting back to Mohawk to catch High on Fire (like I did). Ah, the lure of the Pike is just too great.

High on Fire's new album, Snakes For The Divine is out NOW, and the band is hitting the road with Bison BC, Priestess, and Black Cobra is celebration. Tickets are still available for the 4/9 date at Gramercy.

Tombs are scheduled to team up with a dream team of heavy music greats on 6/12, as Eyehategod, Nachtmystium, Brutal Truth, and Black Anvil will team up at Europa as part of a BV/Osiris production. Tickets are on sale monday (3/29) at noon.

More photos from Relapse & High on Fire are below...

Continue reading "High on Fire, Kill The Client, Howl, Mammoth Grinder, Graves of Valor & Tombs @ SXSW (pics) "

words by BBG, photos by Samantha Marble

Andrea of Howl will destroy you

Howl and Javelina are here, and ready to wreck NYC with Sea of Bones and Flourishing as part of a BV/1000 Knives production that kicks off TONIGHT (3/25) at Cake Shop. It's an early show, so doors are at 7 and the show begins PROMPTLY at 7:30. Want to go? I have two pairs of tickets up for grabs, details at the bottom of this post.

The show will serve as a record release party for the incredible Flourishing (featuring Garett of Wetnurse), who drop their new EP A Momentary Sense of the Immediate World on The Path Less Traveled Records next week. Cop it.

Howl is also prepping to release their new album Full of Hell on Relapse Records, pre-order that now. They played many of those new songs at their appearance at the BrooklynVegan, Converse, Tee Pee Records & Chronic Youth co-hosted Attitude Adjustment show at Red 7 in Austin, Texas on 3/20. Javelina (who filled in for Nebula) was also on board, playing the metal stage (with The Gates of Slumber, Priestess, Naam, and Liturgy) with the other stage featuring raging hardcore (Alpha & Omega, Touche Amore, Iron Age, Trash Talk) and some of the greatest names in underground hip hop (Black Milk, Buckshot of Black Moon with special unannounced guest Smif N Wessun!) for a killer mix...

"Black Milk (March 20, Red 7): After Detroit superproducer/MC Black Milk's set, someone behind me compared Milk's band to The Roots. But even Philly's finest have never been as dynamic as hard-hitting drummer Daru Jones, keyboardist AB and Milk himself during their set. With a driving rendition of posse cut "The Matrix," Milk proved that he's as dope on the mic as he is behind the boards for stars like GZA. If the forthcoming Album Of The Year consists of this trio live in the studio, you'll hear no complaints" [Eye Weekly]

Continue reading "Howl & Javelina in NY tonight (win tix), played BV party @ Red 7 w/ Black Milk, Buckshot, Priestess, Trash Talk,more (pics)"

by BBG

Buckshot (more by Tim Griffin)

I know we are a bunch of teasers, in between all of the (not so subtle) hints we have dropped lately. But now BrooklynVegan, in association with Tee Pee Records, Chronic Youth and Converse, is proud to announce 'Attitude Adjustment' at Red 7 in Austin on Saturday, March 20th from Noon to 6PM! The free show will pair some of the greats in hip hop with brutal hardcore, all while a riff-stravaganza destroys the other stage. You've been warned. Here's the lineup:

Indoor Stage
5:30 PM Black Milk
4:30 PM Buckshot
3:45 PM Trash Talk
3:00 PM Iron Age
2:15 PM Touche Amore
1:30 PM Torae
12:45 PM Alpha & Omega

Outdoor Stage
5:00 PM The Gates of Slumber
4:15 PM Nebula
3:30 PM Priestess
2:45 PM Bison BC
2:00 PM Howl
1:15 PM Liturgy
12:45 PM Naam

The Red 7 show is one of MANY BrooklynVegan shows during the festival this year, and one of four that involves metal. The other three are the two stage Emo's shindig with Torche and Fucked Up on 3/17, the Profound Lore/20 Buck Spin Official showcase on 3/19, and the BV/100Knives/Crustcake Pizza Party on 3/18. Actually it's five if you count the M for Montreal show on 3/20 with VOIVOD.

Other non-metal BV shows include our official showcase on 3/17 with Califone, Serena Maneesh and more, and the BV/Anso party on 3/18 with Tyvek, Cheeseburger, and many more, and our day party at Club DeVille on 3/19 with Lucero, The Antlers and others. Half of this stuff is still not fully announced. Stay tuned.

The Red 7 show will also be one of two hip hop events we are involved with at SXSW this year. We're also happy to report that we're media sponsoring the official Audible Treats showcase on 3/20. More details to come! Pictures from their most recent CMJ show HERE.

Buckshot tells a story in the video, along with the flyer, below...

Continue reading "announcing 'Attitude Adjustment' - a Saturday party @ Red 7"

by BBG

Javelina at The Charleston (more by Chloe Rice)

Are we gluttons for punishment? That is the only way to account for the fact that Javelina will beat us down at TWO BrooklynVegan events in the coming weeks.

We are pleased to announce that Javelina will play one of the two stages at the BrooklynVegan Day Party at Emo's in Austin on 3/17 along with the previously announced Fucked Up and the incredible Torche.

Then, just a shade over one week after we destroy Austin as part of SXSW, BrooklynVegan and 1000 Knives will team up to present Javelina again, this time with another SXSW-er, Howl, as well as Sea of Bones and Flourishing at Cake Shop in NYC on 3/25.

More upcoming shows, flyers and videos, below...

Continue reading "Javelina playing BV shows (in NYC & Austin), 'Full Metal Texas' announces lineup, Your Demise & more "

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Gray Ghost - Deep In The Shallow End (Mediafire Link)
DOWNLOAD: Chainsaw Safety Records/ A389 Records Sampler (Sendspace Link)
DOWNLOAD: Integrity - Those Who Fear Tomorrow (Zipped MP3s)

Iron Age at The Charleston in Oct '09 (more by Chloe Rice)

If you've ever raised a can of suds to the sound of blackened-thrash, then most likely the soundtrack was Skeletonwitch. The Ohio party animals are hitting the road in February, tagging the great Iron Age, Howl, Black Tusk, Doomriders, and even Ringworm for select dates in (continued) support of their thrash-terpiece, Breathing The Fire.

While the 'witch isn't scheduled to crash land in NYC, Iron Age IS, having nailed down a date at The Charleston on Feb 16. Here's to hoping it goes better than the last time they played The Charleston. All dates below.

Also a reminder: Mammoth Grinder, which features Alex from Iron Age (on occasion), will be at The Charleston on Jan 12th.

Meanwhile, Ringworm is preparing to reissue The Promise on wax via A389 and record their new album, Scars, this spring. The Cleveland band is one of many greats scheduled for a show in Baltimore in celebration of the sixth anniversary of A389 Records and the owner's (Dom from Pulling Teeth) birthday. The two day event (Jan 8th & 9th, 2010) will feature appearances from Canadian badasses Thor (backed by Pulling Teeth), Integrity, Gehenna, Pulling Teeth, Slumlords, No Redeeming Social Value, Deathammer (members of Oak), Seraphim, and many others. Holy Terror fans are officially stoked. Tickets are still available for both the first and second nights, in addition to a two day pass. Starkweather was originally scheduled to play the show, but were forced to drop out:

If you look at your hand and feel the tender center of your palm...well a few days ago, the drummer tore that at his day job. We waited a few days to find out what's going on before making an official announcement, and unfortunately it's going to put him out of commission for a while. [Vocalist] Rennie said his hand looked like a catcher's mitt. So regrettably to their disappointment, mine, and yours they had to bail out of the show.

dates below...

Continue reading "upcoming Iron Age, Skeletonwitch & Ringworm dates, an A389 Records anniversary party, MP3s & more"

by Justina Villanueva

Eyehategod on a Rocks Off Boat (more by Chloe Rice)

Before I dive into quotes and explanations, I would like to thank twitter and my cellphone for allowing me to take notes at the most inconvenient of times -- like being smushed in between a bunch of big and way-too-stoked hardcore dudes at the Burnt By the Sun show. Because I was a stupid stoner as a teenager, its pretty hard to remember all the stuff I see at shows...

Continue reading "Justina lists the Top 10 greatest things she's heard metal bands (and 1 non-metal band) say on stage in 2009"

words by BBG, photos by Samantha Marble

Kat of Salome

After a massive afternoon, the party was just getting started when Gloominous Doom kicked off the BrooklynVegan-BBG/Relapse CMJ showcase at Fontana's on 10/23. Nebula, Ume, Goes Cube, Naam, and Crystal Antlers all played killer sets in the afternoon, but I was itching for sheer brutality. Fortunately, I had seven great preformances to keep my energy going on through the night.

The Gloominous Doom opened the show, and every metal bill could use a band like this. Metal is a very self-serious genre which is great in some respect, but laughable in others. It's always refreshing to see a band like this, Municipal Waste, or on a local level, Copremesis, come in an make people realize that metal can be fun/wacky too. GD plays what has been described as kitchen sink metal, a bit of death metal, grind, and even ska (!), playing songs with titles like "Urine Trouble". Good times, and by the way, NO ONE rocks a cowbell like Jeff GD (on his prosthetic leg!).

Howl followed GD, and obviously I have gone on record about how killer this band is on its EP and live, but in the basement of Fontana's, their sound seemed especially large. If you dig EARLY Mastodon, crust, and even (Stockholm) Swedish Death Metal (Entombed, etc) make sure and pick up their EP. Look out for an interview with vocalist/guitarist Vincent coming soon.

Complete Failure was after Howl, a band that I have been a fan of since seeing them with the great Antigama at Europa. Anchored by the killer fills of Mike Rosswog (ex-Circle Of Dead Children/Today is The Day) and featuring a thrashing wildman in Joey Mack on vox, Complete Failure do a great crusty grind hybrid that is absolutely fierce live. ComFail recently let me post their entire album for FREE DOWNLOAD, which thankfully has popped up all over the net. These guys rule.

Black Anvil followed, and hopefully you know by the amount of times I have seen them, that these ex-Kill Your Idols folk would tear Fontana's a new one, and they did. The band also previewed some new tracks from their upcoming LP.

Revocation was next up, dispelling the notion that technical death metal can't still be brutal. Tons of live energy from these youngn's, and you can expect to hear much more for them in the near future. Their new, and highly praised album, Existence is Futile is out NOW.

I have a soft spot for Salome, and this band was beyond destructive at this show. Bowel-shaking riffs and stunning vocals were only equaled by tense moments of feedback and silence before the world came crashing down again. A seriously epic performance from this band... I can't wait until their new album blasts off on Profound Lore! And to the wise-ass audience member, it is NOT pronounced "salami" (ha).

Misery Index capped off the night, opening with what could be one of my favorite intros this side of the "Imperial Theme" from Star Wars... "We Never Come in Peace" from Traitors. Brutal, intense and unbelievable set from this Baltimore crew who pulled mostly from their latest LP, Traitors. Misery Index is currently cranking out new jams for the follow up to Traitors, so look for that next year!

To conclude, thanks again to everyone who made it out to Fontana's during the day and/or night. I'd like to personally thank all bands that played, Fontana's, CMJ, Betsey and Relapse Records, and especially Dave Ehrlich from Relapse. Most impoortantly, I couldn't have done it without the support of you. Many thanks!

More pictures below...

Continue reading "BV-BBG official 2009 CMJ show - pics (Salome, Misery Index, Howl, Revocation, Black Anvil, Complete Failure & more)"

words by BBG, photos by Samantha Marble

Eyeloveeyehategod

Eyehategod was back to it's old tomfoolery at Europa on 10/26, just two days after they done-gone-and nearly sunk the Temptress with Goatwhore, Pig Destroyer, and Strong Intention (figuratively speaking, of course). The band was greeted by a sold out house and a similarly killer lineup at Europa, with BV faves Unearthly Trance, Tombs, and Howl, and accompanying tourmates Strong Intention in Greenpoint.

In between cigarettes, snot rockets, cigarettes, spitting, and more cigarettes, Eyehategod cranked out a booming set that added insult to injury; classics like "Dixie Whiskey" were piled on to "Sister Fucker (Part I)" and magnificent renditions of "$30 Bag". Powerful riffs were mimed with open mouths. Fists were raised. This was a killer set, and I'm pretty sure that everyone there enjoyed it as thoroughly as I did.

There were moments during the show when I got the impression that Eyehategod didn't have a 100% comfort level with each other on stage; song starts/stops seemed carefully coordinated between band members with deliberate, darting looks and nods. If anything, that makes their performance all the more impressive; once they did hit that first note, EHG would settle into a decimating and singular groove. Absolutely riveting.

More pictures from the show below...

Continue reading "Eyehategod, Howl, Tombs, Unearthly Trance & Strong Intention @ Europa in Brooklyn - pics"