words & photos by BBG

Integrity & Pulling Teeth @ A389 Anniversary

After Weekend Nachos played Sonar's smaller stage on Saturday, the party then moved to the larger stage, where Young and In The Way played their blackened-crust on a candle-lit stage. Black Metal aesthetics and a taut set made YAITW's performance one of my favorites of the day. Make sure and check out the band's new LP V: Eternal Depression, as well as their forthcoming 2LP Amen/I Am Not What I Am compilation due on the label this week.

Junior Bruce, featuring Scott Angelacos of Bloodlet on vocals, played stoner-doom which was a perfect lead-in to the great Seven Sisters of Sleep. The latter, who played Friday at Acheron (pictures on the way), play sludgy-hardcore and ripped out an excellent set of mid-paced pummeling. The always dependable Magrudergrind helped speed things up directly afterword.

Pulling Teeth played their final show after Magrudergrind, and had the crowd bouncing around and singing along to their set. Vocalist Mike Riley spent the final two songs bouncing between the stage and the crowd, as his backing band played material from across their output, including latter works like "From Birth" and "At Peace" from their latest LP Funerary. It's always sad to see a band of that caliber go away, but at least the Baltimore quintet does it with style and grace. Check out my interview with Dom of Pulling Teeth that we posted last week.

The caustic-negativity was ratched up for Gehenna, who played their black-metal-infused hardcore to a somewhat quieter audience. Mike Apocalypse staggered across the stage like a wide-eyed madman for the duration of their set, which seemingly confounded those looking to do some good old-fashioned moshing.

Integrity's metallic hardcore followed Gehenna, closing with the unfuckwithable trifecta of "Vocal Test" into "Hollow" into "Micha: Those Who Fear Tomorrow". The night at Sonar ended with Eyehategod, who dipped into all of the old classics for their set, as well as their "new" song "New Orleans is The New Vietnam" (which they have been playing for a few years now).

Overall, a great night with my personal highlights of the evening being Young and In The Way, Pulling Teeth, Weekend Nachos, Gehenna, Full of Hell, and Integrity. One final note... as much as I love Eyehategod both live and on record (a lot), the band is in desparate need of some new material... its been 12 long-years since Confederacy of Ruined Lives and they definitely have some creative-life left in them (see Soilent Green, Down, the recent Kill Life flexi and Mike's work in noise music, Hawg Jaw, Outlaw Order, Arson Anthem, etc).

Pictures from the first part of the day are HERE. The rest of the pictures from Saturday's A389 Anniversary show, aka everything mentioned above, are below...

Continue reading "A389's anniversary @ Sonar in pics & review (PART 2) -- Eyehategod, Integrity, Gehenna, Pulling Teeth & more"

words & photos by BBG

Weekend Nachos

A389 Records descended upon Sonar in Baltimore on January 21st with sixteen bands, hailing from from places like Belgium and Canada, and all over the US. The 9+ hour show was headlined by Eyehategod and included repeat A389 Anniversary offenders Integrity, Gehenna, and Seven Sisters of Sleep. It featured bands, that while rooted in hardcore, dipped their toes into crust, powerviolence, grind, doom, sludge and everywhere in between.

The first portion of the show took place on the smaller stage at Sonar, where Eddie Brock kicked off the evening followed by Homewrecker featuring fill-in bassist Joe Yanick of Masakari. John Hoffman of Weekend Nachos (who is touring with Homewrecker, and recently played ABC No Rio) and Dylan Walker of Full of Hell both dropped in to do vocals for Homewrecker.

Hatewaves, which features members of Pulling Teeth and Triac, followed the pair, opening their set with an appropriately absurd announcement: "Direct from a supporting slot from Don Ho, you wanted the second best, you got the second best... Hatewaves."

The crew deals in ridiculous lyrics over brutally fast hardcore, and delivered on both fronts despite an absurdly short-and-to-the-point set. Triac's blistering grind followed Hatewaves.

Low Places, who were a bit loose at times, played following Triac and pounded the crowd with their negative hardcore, eventually trashing the stage before Full of Hell got on. Full of Hell's noise-peppered hardcore brutality was the first set of the day to get the crowd really moving.

Pick Your Side, a new project featuring Jeff of Haymaker/Left for Dead/Chokehold and two members of Fuck The Facts, followed Hatewaves, and by the end of the second song Beckmann had already incited a pit and stage-dived. The band is prepping to release their new LP Let Me Show You How Democracy Works on A389, but had a select set of the LPs with special screened covers at the show.

Weekend Nachos batted clean-up on the small stage, which was packed to capacity by the time they took the stage. Possibly the most violent pit of the day, the Chicago crew had plenty of stage dives and singalongs to go along with their uber-brutal set.

The party then moved to the larger stage. More on that (with pictures) HERE. More pictures of everything mentioned above, below...

Continue reading "A389 celebrated their anniversary at Sonar (pics & review - PART 1) -- Weekend Nachos, Pick Your Side & more"

by BBG

Dom with Pulling Teeth at Maryland Deathfest (more by BBG)

2012 will be the third year that BrooklynVegan will be in attendance at the A389 Anniversary (check out pics from 2010 and 2011), and while the staggering lineup (which now includes Magrudergrind in place of the cancelled Starkweather) will surely mean a day of negative and brutal hardcore, there will also be a bit of sadness mixed in. Pulling Teeth, which contains A389 Records honcho Dom Romeo, will play their final show in their hometown of Baltimore. The band, which formed in 2005, was rooted in the nihilistic hardcore of bands like Left for Dead but experimented with different genres as they grew, eventually releasing last year's Funerary.

As A389 gears up for their annual anniversary show this weekend, and Pulling Teeth play their final practice in preparation for their final goodbye, we cornered Dom to discuss his thoughts on the band, A389 Records, the forthcoming show, and his attempts at a reunion of Bloodlet, Deadguy, or Integrity with the Melnicks. The results of said conversation is below.

FYI, tickets are still available for the A389 Anniversary show at Sonar in Baltimore, MD on January 21st. See you there.

Continue reading "an interview with Dom Romeo (Pulling Teeth, A389 Records)"

by BBG

Integrity at A389 in 2010 (more by Chris Bavaria)

The annual A389 Anniversary bash returns for its eighth year in 2012, expanding to TWO stages of acts at Sonar in Baltimore. The show goes down on January 21, 2012 and will feature appearances from Eyehategod, Integrity (a staple for the bash), Gehenna (who recently revisited their Land of Sodom 7" and Upon The Gravehill and played A389 in 2010), Starkweather, Weekend Nachos, Seven Sisters of Sleep, Starkweather, and Pick Your Side all in their only area appearances, in addition to appearances from Full of Hell (who is streaming their new record), Triac, Low Places, Hatewaves, and many others. Full lineup is below. Tickets are on sale now.

In related news, A389 will release a new flexi from Kill Life, a band featuring members of Integrity, Crass, Fucked Up, Magrudergrind and Pulling Teeth. Kill Life is joined by none other than Mike IX Williams of Eyehategod on the D.E.A. (Dead End America) 7", which is up for order now.

For those of you who can't wait until January, you can catch Integrity in Connecticut in October.

Full lineup is below, alongside some video.

Continue reading "A389's 2012 Anniversary Bash announced & on sale"

by BBG

Integrity at A389 2011 (more by BBG)

Still no NYC date to speak of, but Integrity will play a rare show in New London, Connecticut at The El 'N' Gee on October 1st. Tickets for the all ages show are on sale. Dwid of Integrity recently released the Parasite / Vermaypyre split 7" on his own Holy Terror imprint. Stream/downbload all of the Vermapyre side of the split at the Internet Archive.

photos by Adam Murray and Genie Sanchez, words by BBG

Morbid Angel

Two outdoor tents, a club, and a theater hosted 26 bands. Perhaps by design, the premises lacked alcohol (except for the theater). So bad behavior was scarce. Fans happily bounced from venue to venue, queuing for some bands (Wormrot, Floor, Atheist, Obituary, Morbid Angel), and eating burgers from the Grill 'Em All trucks. To order the Witte Burger (beef, bun, cream cheese, deep-fried bacon, beer-and-Sriracha-soaked onions, malt vinegar aioli), my friend Robert merely pointed several feet away, where Dave Witte himself was standing.
-[Invisible Oranges]

Saturday (3/5) was the left coast's turn for Scion Rock Fest 2011. The one day, multiple venue festival relocated to Pomona, CA this year, and housed legendary names like Morbid Angel, Obituary, Integrity, Agalloch, and many more alongside names of tomorrow and underground favorites like Bastard Noise, Anaal Nathrakh, Floor, Wormrot, and many more.

Kvelertak were supposed to play too. but their passports and visas were stolen at the airport moments before they boarded the plane to the US. As a result, they'll also miss some days of the Weedeater/Zoroaster tour, but should "be in the states by Friday" (3/11). That means they should have no trouble making it to SXSW where they're on board to play Full Metal Texas. The band was replaced in Pomona by Black Cobra.

More pictures and some videos from Scion Rock Fest 2011, below...

Continue reading "Scion Rock Fest 2011 in pics & video (Morbid Angel, Obituary, Integrity, Agalloch & more) (but not Kvelertak)"

by BBG

Haymaker

It started with me, G.I.S.M., and Cracker Barrel. On my way to Sonar in Baltimore on 1/22, a democratic vote in the Honda Accord led to a late lunch at the most American of all pit-stops, Cracker Barrel. Lined with rocking chairs (for sale!) and a menu with items like "Chicken Fried Chicken", I could feel the burning stinkeye as I walked through the "homey" restaurant and "country store", surrounded by a crew of tattooed hooligans, wearing my G.I.S.M. sweatshirt that reads "Die, You Bastards!!!" (replete with an anarchy symbol fashioned from an AK-47).

This un-American theme would continue later that night with the US debut of UK band Rot in Hell who openly discussed their disdain for the US ("I don't give a fuck"). Dropdead would add to that sentiment by (predictably) pointing out that the government was lying to us all, while the band that would follow had printed their manifesto on a 7": Fuck America. This negative, anti-authoritarian, and anti-social tone is how I like my hardcore, and what I got at the A389 anniversary.

The US may not have been king on stage, but its currency was king at the merch tables (save for Dropdead's that is) where phrases like "limited to 65", "ultra-rare", "test pressing", and "band only copies" reigned supreme. As we arrived at the venue, the merch tables were swarmed, as the show was an eBay fiend's dream with "show only" items like an Integrity flexi-disc and a 10" commemorating the 2010 edition of the show. The kids ate it up, as expected, so look for those items in a secondary market near you.

Pharoah's post-metallic hardcore kicked off the 2011 show at the stroke of 7PM, followed by blasting and punishing Californians The Love Below shortly thereafter. Seven Sisters of Sleep followed the pair, and the former members of Tafkata, Spring Break!, and Arm & Sword of a Bastard God ripped out crusty-sludgy post-metal that impressed. My first visit with SSoS was a great one.

Following SSoS was Pale Creation, and though their live show left something to be desired, the highly energetic Rot in Hell brought back the fun and energy. The rare US appearance doubled as the band's As Pearls Before Swine record release party, and in line with their negative imagery and blackened sound, RiH were not so much in a celebratory mood as they were antagonizing. Terms like "Fuck America" and "shite" (in reference to America/its products) were peppered throughout the on-stage banter. RiH got the pit started for the next band, Providence's Dropdead.

Dropdead made sure to point out their longetivity at A389 ('doing this for 20 years"), and broke-up their set of crusty and break-neck grind/hardcore with political and animal rights testimony. Fast, bludgeoning and beyond powerful, the Rhode Island band's performance was my first indication of the pit mayhem that would follow. But there was no way I could have predicted Haymaker.

Haymaker's reputation precedes them; tales of agression and live show violence coupled with their well-regarded recordings made their rare US appearance all the more exciting. Dressed like a clan of Western Virginia hillbillies, the band took to the stage while the clearly-inebriated vocalist took to the pit, performing the entire set while shoving off zealous fans. Trash cans were thrown, pizza boxes became weapons, and the kids went nuts. Pit antics aside, the two guitars/bass/drums, which featured Johnny Ibay of Fuck The Facts, were booming, unrelenting, and technically proficient. Haymaker was as good as they were fun, which says a lot.

It's tough to follow a band like Haymaker, but I can't imagine a better way to start an Integrity set than with the Humanity Is The Devil opener "Vocal Test". Apparently vocalist/mastermind Dwid agrees. Backed by a dual guitar attack played by a band half his age, Dwid's version of Integrity in 2011 were great, and delivered classics like "Incarnate 365", "Systems Overload", and newer material. Awesome set from Dwid & co, but Haymaker was the king of the stage (and the floor) that night.

More pictures from A389 are below.

Continue reading "A389 2011 in pics & review (Integrity, Haymaker & more)"

by BBG

Yob at Scion Rock Fest 2010 (more)

Scion has confirmed exclusively to LA Weekly that they will be bringing their metaltastic Rock Fest this year to Southern California.

"Scion's major event of the year," confirms their publicist, "is a huge metal festival with four stages and 30 bands. We did the first in Atlanta and the second in Columbus [check out part one and and two of our pics & review]. It's always a mix of legendary bands, important bands and up-and-coming bands, representing all the areas of underground metal. And like all the stuff we do it's all ages and free."

"What no one knows yet," he continues "is the next one will be on March 5, 2011 in Pomona. We're taking over the Fox Theater and the Glass House and building two more stages nearby."

Headlining the Scion Rock Fest in the LA area will be death metal royalty Morbid Angel with their first US show in six years (and as of now, the only scheduled US date in 2011)

...Founding member guitarist Trey Azagthoth, regarded by many as the greatest death metal guitarist of all time, will be at the helm along with bassist David Vincent (member 1986-1996 & 2004 - present) and Destructhor (member since 2008).

The Scion Rock Fest will include 26 bands on four stages (including The Fox Theater, The Glass House and two outdoor stages). -[LA Weekly]

Rumors circulated right around the announcement of Scion Rock Fest 2010 that Morbid Angel would play that year's show. Glad to hear that those were (somewhat) true. Hopefully Morbid Angel schedule some shows outside of California too.

One of the bigger names at Scion Rock Fest in 2010 was Shrinebuilder. Don't forget that half of Shrinebuilder, Scott Kelly and Wino, are going on a solo tour in February. Tickets are still on sale for the February 12th Mercury Lounge show which now looks like this:

Scott Kelly (of Neurosis) 11:30
Wino (of Saint Vitus) 10:30
Man's Gin (of Cobalt) 9:30
Hunter Hunt-Henrix (of Liturgy) 8:30

You can also catch all of Liturgy (who played Scion Rock Fest 2010) on January 14th At Silent Barn with Controlled Bleeding, Cellular Chaos, PAK, and Diablo, January 27th at Union Pool with Naam, Yr Youth, and Arms, February 10th at Glasslands with Extra Life, Lichens, and Chaos Majik, and February 25th At Monster Island Basement with Talk Normal and Nat Baldwin. More local metal shows are listed in the latest edition of Evillive.

The PRP is also reporting a rumored list of other artists playing Scion Rock Fest 2011. I can confirm that at least half of a dozen of those are true. That list is reprinted below...

Continue reading "Scion Rock Fest 2011 will be in California, Morbid Angel confirmed (and more artists rumored) ++ more Liturgy dates"

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Thou - "By Endurance We Conquer" (MP3)

Sleep at Brooklyn Masonic Temple (more)

Lists are very subjective. A "best of" list is always an amalgam of personal experiences - that fateful moment when you press "Play" for the first time, in addition to a grade of excellent songwriting. The records I've listed below had a profound impact on me this year, as did many of the shows that I attended and put on in the past twelve months. I'd like to thank all the artists who made this list as well as the ones who didn't, in addition to people like 1000 Knives, Osiris, Bill Dozer, Ian Dickson and venues like Union Pool, The Studio at Webster Hall, Acheron, Santos Party House and a slew of others for keeping heavy music alive in NYC. But mostly, thank YOU, the reader and the listener!

Alright, enough with the sappy bulshit, let's RAGE...

Continue reading "the year 2010 in Metal (BBG's favorite records & live shows) "

words by BBG, photos by Chris Bavaria

Dwid of Integrity

Billed as "The Show That Ends The World", heavy music label A389 Records celebrated six years of existence (and it's owner Dom of Pulling Teeth celebrated his 33rd birthday) at Sonar in Baltimore on Jan 8th & 9th, 2009. It marked the second year in a row that Integrity and Pulling Teeth graced the Sonar during one of the first weekends of the year. Integrity (featuring Dom on guitar) teamed up with Oak, Pala, and War Priest last year.

Dwid, PT & the gang were on board for the second night at the venue (along with Ringworm, Seraphim, Gray Ghost, and Gehenna), but Pulling Teeth also made an appearance the night before as the backing band for Jon Mikl Thor of Canadian metal greats Thor:

Jon Mikl THOR is an enduring icon of glam rock/metal, and one of the true originators of rock theatre. THOR's enviable career got off the ground with his appearance on the Merv Griffin Show in 1973 and he has maintained a steady pace ever since, selling hundreds of thousands of records. Over the last three decades, THOR has explored the tongue-in-cheek Sweet/Mott the Hoople/Bowie stylings, hard hitting metal moves of the 80Õs, and flirting briefly with Nu-Rock/Metal in the late 90Õs. - [Thor bio]

Slumlords (which also features Dom of PT), Deathammer (mems of Oak), and No Redeeming Social Value were also on board for the festivities, though the previously billed Starkweather were forced to cancel their appearance. No offense Starkweather, but from the looks of the near riot below, Baltimore did just fine.

More pics and a shit ton of videos from the melee are below...

Continue reading "A389 celebrated a birthday in Baltimore - pics (Integrity, Ringworm, Thor, Pulling Teeth, NRSV & 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.

Gray Ghost has been added as Starkweather's not-to-shabby replacement. The band released their Deep In The Shallow End on Chainsaw Safety Records and are offering a taste of said release for download above.

Integrity and Seraphim have a combo pack due this week on A389 which includes the To Die For 10" (first time on wax), as well as a Seraphim 7". The pre-order is currently sold out. Though To Die For isn't available, you can download virtually all of Integrity's other releases for FREE, including Those Who Fear Tomorrow available above.

dates below...

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

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Doomriders - "Lions" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Portal - "Omenknow" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Javelina - "Step Child" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Karma To Burn - Live at Lit Lounge 4/20/09 (Zipped MP3)
DOWNLOAD: 20 Buck Spin Label Sampler (Mediafire, Zipped MP3 via)
DOWNLOAD: Kowloon Walled City - Gambling On The Richter Scale (Zipped MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Converge - "Axe To Fall" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Power Pellut - "Black Molly" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Black Skies - "Smoke and Mirrors" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Yoga - "Seventh Wind" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Sleep - Live at ATP 5/9/09 (MP3)

Javelina @ the Northside BV-BBG Showcase (more by Jason Walker)

Alright! I get it. Doomriders rules. Revocation is up there. There's a new Converge and Baroness on the way. But even with all of those great releases, it suprises me that Javelina isn't near some of the top of those lists. The band's filthy debut was a monster and their new one, Beasts Among Sheep, only adds to their considerable reputation. If you are a fan of the last LP, this one is a must have. Dig on "Stepchild" above and preorder the limited edition LP version of Javelina's Beasts Among Sheep via Brutal Panda Records and the CD version via Translation Loss.

Speaking of that Doomriders album, Darkness Come Alive is out NOW via Deathwish Records. Though the party vibe that permeated through Black Thunder is mostly gone, it has been replaced by a propulsive punk rock fury and, at times, a Misfits-era Danzig croon (see "Come Alive")! There are quite a few killer moments on this long-player, but we present to you the most "fuck you" of them all, the galloping "Lions" downloadable above!

In our last round up, we shined a light on into the deepest fathoms of Australia and the truly frightening Portal. The band's claustrophobic and positively frightening new death metal LP, Swarth, relies as much on freak-out atmosphere as it does killer discordant riffery. Swarth is due out on 10/20 via Profound Lore and we have a second taste in the form of "Omenknow" above.
Misery Index have completed four new songs and are looking to enter the studio in early 2010 to record their follow up to Traitors! Stoked.

Iron Age @ Cake Shop (more by Jason Walker)

I still remember that kick ass Cake Shop show with Iron Age, Mind Eraser, and Sex Vid, and walking out of that show wanting more. Thankfully, I can add to those great memories with a PAIR of Iron Age shows in the coming weeks! First up, the rowdy Texans will team up with the great Mother of Mercy (profiled here) for a show at Cake Shop (10/16). The next day (10/17), look for the band to pull a double header with a day show at Generation Records and a night show at The Charleston with Brain Killer, Naam & Descender. Speaking of Mind Eraser, the band will team up with the kick ass Iron Lung for a string of east coast dates which will include Cake Shop on 11/8! Full Iron Age and Iron Lung dates are below.

Black Skies will release the limited edition vinyl from their 2008 EP Hexagon on I'm Better Than Everyone Else Records. The Chapel Hill doom trio is currently on the hunt for drummer #5, but not before blessing us with some seriously killer riffage in the form of "Smoke & Mirrors" above. Preorder Hexagon here.

Power Pellut is also releasing their debut LP via I'm Better than Everyone Else Records. Preorder that here and dig on "Black Betty" from that LP above!

Church of Misery will release a live record culled from their recent set at Roadburn 2009! More details are to come, but look for Burning World to do the honors in November/December of this year. In the meantime, dig on this killer live video from Roadburn 2009!

That video, news on Kowloon Walled City, Boris, Asphyx, Struck By Lightning, Ringworm, Repulsion and more!

Continue reading "This Week In METAL (09/30/09)"

Gelatin's dad, bottom left of the picture

gelatin posted this on November 9th, 2008 @ 2:12:06 pm

So, I met up with my dad at the Dirty Dog Saloon [in Austin, TX] before the [fun fun fun] fest. I didn't get a chance to eat anything, and we decided we'd have a couple of drinks and then go get some food. Well, about 8 pints later and I still hadn't eaten and it was time to go to the fest.

My dad didn't buy a ticket, so he hopped the fence and somehow didn't get busted. I almost immediately lost him in the crowd. And many hours later when I eventually found him, he was totally wasted and missing a shoe. Apparently, a "skinhead" had pushed him into the mosh pit. My dad didn't take kindly to that so he poured his beer over the dude's head and they got into a fist fight. I guess the cops pulled my dad off the dude and that's when he lost his shoe.

Somehow the cops decided my dad was an innocent victim in all of it and they let him back into the fest, even though he didn't have a wristband. After the fest we couldn't remember where he parked so we walked to my friend's car which was really really far away, and I guess the walk really fucked up my dad's foot.

We finally found his car, but for some reason he had brought a gas-powered generator with him, and it had tipped over in the car (which was a rental). So the car just overwhelmingly reeks of gasoline. However, he insisted he'd be fine and was just gonna sleep in the car for a while. And I left with my friends.

He called me this morning and somehow made it home. Still with only one shoe.

While searching for my dad I ran into Teebro, and The Dead Milkmen were every bit as terrific as I hoped they'd be. I think I've had enough my dad for a while. [gelatin]

I never thought I would find out who the man I saw almost die in the pit during Integrity's set at Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin on Saturday was. I also never thought I would find out how the fight started. Somehow, not only did I find a message board with a description of the incident (see above), the whole thread is amazingly dedicated to this man who "gelatin" claims is her/his dad.

I noticed the fight when, all a sudden, all of the scariest members of the pit acknowledged knowing each other by packing together with their eyes locked on this guy (gelatin's dad), and with their faces clearly reading "kill". I was really scared for their target. Now I understand why they were so pissed off.

On a related note, when I saw gelatin's dad (I realize stereotyping is not good), my first thought was, "this guy paid to come to this festival?". I now know the answer to that question. And speaking of sterotyping, it is unconfirmed whether these guys actually consider themselves "skinheads" (You'll notice gelatin also put "skinheads" in quotes), but it worked for the title, and I'm sure they're very nice guys normally..... More pictures of the attack below...

Continue reading "when 'skinheads' attack (during Integrity @ Fun Fun Fun Fest)"

DOWNLOAD: Ehnahre - "Part II" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Wetnurse - "Not Your Choice" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Agenda Of Swine - "Amongst The Forgotten" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Early Graves - "Safety Net Acrobats" (M4A)
DOWNLOAD: Wrnlrd - "Breath Of Doors" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Behexen - "Born In The Serpent Of The Abyss" (MP3)

Enslaved's Vertebrae

Enslaved announced domestic details of their new album "Vertebrae"..... it's due October 28th at their new home, Nuclear Blast! As previously reported, the band is ready to pounce on Europe with Stonegard & Krakow in tow. In related Enslaved news, Herbrand Larsen of has been tapped to produce the new album by the Gaahl/King Ov Hell version of Gorgoroth. The band will enter the studio on August 25th to record eight new tracks written by King ov Hell with Frost of 1349/Satyricon/Keep Of Kalessin fame on drums. 1349 will be at Nokia on Sept 6th (stoked! tix still avail) with Carcass, Rotten Sound, Suffocation, and Necrophagist. Satyricon recently announced the title of their new album due on November 3rd, The Age of Nero.

Boston's Ehnahre, featuring former members of Kayo Dot, will drop The Man Closing Up on Sept 1st via Sound Devastation Records. The gloomy experimental death/doom band enlisted Nick Zampiello (ISIS, Old Man Gloom, Mare, etc) to master the record, Jonah Jenkins (Only Living Witness, Raw Radar War) on guest vocals, as well as appearances by ex-Kayo Dot-ers Forbes Graham & Greg Massi. Check out on "Part II" (downladable above) featuring vocals by Jonah Jenkins!

Early Graves (fka Apiary) dropped We: The Guillotine on August 19th. Featuring a guest shot by Eugene Robinson (Oxbow), Steve Austin (Today Is The Day) appears on (vocals and guitar) and produced the record for Ironclad (Trevor from Unearth's label) Check out "Safety Net Acrobats" above.

Nifelheim, Lamb Of God, Wetnurse, Kylesa, Integrity, Withered, Om and more below...

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

DOWNLOAD: Black Anvil - "Ten Talons Deep" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Transitional - "This Paradise Pt. 1" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Capricorns - "November Suicides" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Capricorns - "The Bell Rang Backwards" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Phobia - "Protest/Solution" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Phobia - "Savannah's Assault" (MP3)

Agalloch

Folkin' black proggers Agalloch has announced that they are at work on their fourth LP, the follow-up the the critically acclaimed Ashes Against The Grain! The band recently parted ways with The End and "have received several offers ranging from the ridiculous to the very interesting" with respect to a new home, but no decision is expected until 2009. Meanwhile, Agalloch also announced the release of The Demonstration Archive, a retrospective of songs from 1996 - 1998 before they signed to the label. For more info on The Demonstration Archive, including how to pick it up, head here.

As we announced a couple weeks ago, doomy instrumental trio Capricorns have released River Bear Your Bones in jolly old England, but the US will see the record on September 30th. Have no fear, as we have posted 25% of the whole record (above) for you to download!

Intronaut's new record, Prehistoricisms, is up for preorder, with or without a limited edition tee ($4 more). Check out "The Literal Black Cloud" from Prehistoricisms here.

Black Anvil

World, Black Anvil. Black Anvil, world. I wish it was that easy, because word needs to get out on these grim lords constructed from ex-members of Kill Your Idols. Drawing from early black metal and thrash and with only an occasional foray into Emperor-style tremolo picking, their new LP Time Insults The Mind is an unholy creature of shadow. Check out "Ten Talons Deep" available for download above and the video of the band tearing through "Deathsomnia" (also from Time...). and pick up the record at Momentum Records when it drops. The band is also playing Traxx in Ronkonkoma on August 23rd and The Charleston on Sept 30th.

That video, plus Neurosis, Coalesce, Converge, Municipal Waste, Rosetta, sunn 0))), Corrupted and more after the jump...

Continue reading "This Week In METAL (08/07/08)"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: The Sword - "Fire Lances Of The Ancient Hyperzephyrians" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Soilent Green - "Antioxidant" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Iron Maiden - "Intro", "Aces High", & "Two Minutes To Midnight", Live in Tokyo Feb 16th, 2008 (VIDEO, WMV)

Neurot Recordings have announced details for THREE Neurosis-related releases in the next two months! First up, a new solo album from the mighty Scott Kelly, who will release The Wake on May 5th, his first release in the seven years since his debut Spirit Bound Flesh. Two weeks later, the world's most intense elementary school teacher Steve Von Till drops A Grave is a Grim Horse, his first non-Harvestman release in six years (Harvestman recently collabo'd with Fear Falls Burning). More details on A Grave Is A Grim Horse can be found here. The third we knew about, but has now gone official: A Storm Of Light's debut And We Wept the Black Ocean Within will be released on June 2nd. Read our recent interview with Josh Graham here.

Tickets for the previously mentioned second At The Gates show go on sale Thursday April 3rd at 10 AM here. Tomas Lindberg's other band, the mighty Disfear, have announced a few more dates, including another show in Brooklyn at Europa on May 22nd with Trap Them and Bloodhorse! Ticket info for Disfear at Europa isn't available, but there are still tickets for their show at the Knitting Factory. New tour dates are down below.

MUCH MORE..............

Continue reading "This Week In METAL (04/02/08)"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Integrity - Those Who Fear Tomorrow THE ALBUM (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Blacklisted - Live on WERS 2006 Live Show (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Converge - Live in Minneapolis, MN 9/21/05 Live Show (MP3)

Oh you silly Cursed! Why, oh why, do you have an such a crushing new album (III: Architects Of Troubled Sleep) and yet you spurn us Americans? I mean only Burlington, VT and Niagara Falls, NY? Are we not big enough fans? Did we not read your interviews in Decibel, Chart Attack, and Exclaim? Until we get an answer, look below for some Canadian dates, European dates, and every other goddamn place dates.

Thrash metal legends Testament have posted a new song, "More Than Meets The Eye" from their new album The Formation Of Damnation on their myspace. Make sure and check them out April 6th (tickets are still available) at BB Kings.

Dwid Hellion has announced a new Integrity album, "The Blackest Curse", for Deathwish Inc this year, accompanied by a DVD film. Head over here for a FREE copy of their landmark album "Those Who Fear Tomorrow"! Integrity will hit the roads of Europe with Converge and Coliseum this summer.

Continue reading "This Week In METAL (03/22/08)"