by BBG

Constants

Constants have a new Justin Broadrick-produced record called If Tomorrow The War, out NOW. The band will celebrate by embarking on a short east coast tour which will include on 10/15 at Union Pool with the unstoppable (and unmissable) Rosetta and Cleanteeth (a BrooklynVegan/1000 Knives production). $10 gets you in to the Brooklyn show. The band will then take it on the road for a month+ tour in the US with Translation Loss representatives Irepress.

Rosetta dropped their new LP A Determinism of Morality via Translation Loss, and recently played NYC with KEN Mode at Union Pool on 5/28.

Constants dates, and some video is below...

Continue reading "Constants playing Union Pool w/ Rosetta, touring (dates) "

words by Ilya Blokh, photos by Jason Jamal Nakleh

Mike Armine of Rosetta with ppl rocking the f out.

Saturday (12/12) brought Tombs, Junius, Irepress and Rosetta to The Studio @ Webster Hall for a somewhat bizarre cross-section of heavy genres. Tombs are fresh off a month-long European tour promoting Winter Hours with Buried Inside, while Rosetta have just released a three-way split with Year Of No Light and (the newly revamped) East Of The Wall.

Rosetta opened the show with a mind-blowing set - easily the highlight of the show. Their vast, powerful, and almost nautical sound reminds me a lot of Russian Circles. The singer, Mike, was clearly not a fan of the stage and spent most of his time down on the floor with the crowd - always a welcome gesture. The crowning moment was when the audience literally peer pressured the guys into playing an encore - it's always great to see this sort of connection between band and fans. Can't wait for their next show in January with Tombs, Battlefields and City of Ships.

Next up were Irepress. Instead of focusing on a coherent sound, they threw a pile of disconnected elements - dance beats, proggy guitar noodling and some basic breakdowns - on top of each other, in a quantity over quality approach. Why have a keyboardist if he spends most of the show playing air drums? In any case, part of the crowd was clearly into it and there was a decent amount of "dancing", including a strangely epileptic mix of drum'n'bass moves and flying kicks.

Junius played next, with a heavier take on the old goth/darkwave sound that moved from straight pop songs to darker and more complex pieces, straying even into some Radiohead'ish moments. Not my cup of tea really, but it was well put together, soothing and a nice break before the last band.

The excellent sound at Webster Hall was a good match for Tombs' wall-of-sound approach, which tends to get lost on sub-par sound systems. Easily the most consistent and hard-working band in the NYC scene, the guys tore through a solid set with their trademark, all-business approach (have you ever seen one of them smile?) which, as always, ended with at least one band member smashing their instrument on the ground. They are at their best when the drums slow down and a little groove enters the mix and hopefully we'll see more of that in the future.

More pictures from the show are below...

Continue reading "Tombs, Rosetta & friends @ The Studio @ Webster Hall - pics"

by BBG

Tombs at Cake Shop (more by Samantha Marble)

As previously discussed, Tombs will do battle with Rosetta, Irepress, and Junius at the Studio @ Webster Hall today (Saturday, 12/12, tix here), but that isn't the only show scheduled for the Brooklyn killers/year-end list toppers.

BrooklynVegan is proud to present Tombs with Rosetta, City of Ships, and Battlefields at Union Pool on January 22nd in association with our friends at 1000 Knives. Flyer for that show is below.

In other Rosetta news, the band recently dropped a three way split with Year of No Light and East Of The Wall on Translation Loss. Pick that up here. The East of The Wall lineup on the split differs slightly from the lineup today:

EAST OF THE WALL is excited to announce its new lineup. Joining the band are guitarist Chris Alfano and drummer Seth Rheam. Both played in the band Biclops with EAST OF THE WALL bassist Brett Bamberger and guitarist Kevin Conway. Due to the merging of the two bands' lineups, all music created by the aforementioned collective, along with guitarist Matt Lupo, will be released under the name EAST OF THE WALL. This will include the release of the groups next record, Ressentiment, due out next summer through Translation Loss Records.

With this lineup change, EAST OF THE WALL has parted ways with original drummer Mike Somers. The band would like to thank Mike for his outstanding musicianship and hard work since the inception of the band.

January is turning out to be a nutso month, with the previously announced Magrudergrind/Defeatist show at Cake Shop and HopeCon/Blacklisted at Cake Shop (TICKETS), not to mention the previously discussed Disembodied show at Santos.

Rosetta/Battlefields/City of Ships & East of The Wall dates, along with the Tombs flyer, below...

Continue reading "Rosetta touring w/ Battlefields (dates), playing NYC show w/ Tombs (BV presents), released split w/ Year of No Light"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Minsk - "Three Moons" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Magrudergrind - "Excommunicated" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Magrudergrind - "Lyrical Ammunition For Scene Warfare" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Afgrund - "Klinisk Digital Kyla" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Afgrund - "Borja Fran Noll" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Thou - "Into The Void" (Black Sabbath cover, MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Thou - "Sweet Leaf" (Black Sabbath cover, MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Thou - "Lord Of This World" (Black Sabbath cover, MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Thou - "Black Sabbath" (Black Sabbath cover, MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Black Pyramid - "Visions of Gehenna" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Gnaw Their Tongues - "Rife with Deep Teeth Marks" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Complete Failure - Heal No Evil (ZIPPED MP3 Album)

Lots of ground to cover, since we missed ya last week, so lets get right to it with the mighty Minsk! The Chicagoan's new album With Echoes In The Movement Of Stone is out now, and it definitely delivers on the promises of The Ritual Fires of Abandonment. Highly recommended, as evidenced by the monstrosity "Three Moons" available for download above!

At The Charleston on 5/29, I managed to catch the pummeling Magrudergrind along with the equally awesome powerviolence of The Endless Blockade. The pair are touring surrounding their MDF appearance, and while TEB doesn't have a new album out, Magrudergrind DOES; a self-titled LP available now via Willowtip! Cop that here, and cop a pair of songs from the record above!

Also up at Willowtip, the new LPs by Defeatist and Afgrund! The new Defeatist LP, Sharp Blade Sinks Deep Into Dull Minds, is actually a compilation of previous EPs and other releases, but definitely provides a good preview as to what these grinders are about before their new LP drops (soon). Meanwhile Afgrund's new LP, Vid Helvetets Grindar, is also on preorder. Check out the band's deathgrind-y groove on tracks like "Klinisk Digital Kyla", "Borja Fran Noll", both downloadable above.

Check out two noteworthy streams... Khanate's Clean Hands Go Foul and Xasthur's All Reflections Drained. Both albums are out NOW via Hydra Head Records. In the meantime, check out an awesome interview with James Plotkin of Khanate and make sure and buy that Khanate hunting knife too!

Goes Cube are finally home from their tour promoting the massive Another Day Has Passed. Their "homecoming show" is scheduled for tonight (6/5) at Union Hall with The Detachment Kit amd The Thin Man. Tickets are still available.

Ancestors have completed recording their follow-up to last year's Neptune With Fire. Featuring four songs, and three interludes, I had a chance to preview a few tracks which are definitely as epic as their previous material, and just as compelling. Look for Sera Timms from Black Math Horseman and David Scott Stone to make an apperance on the as-yet untitled LP, and look for more news very soon!

A member of Pelican and a member of Tombs have agreed to a "bro tat" commemorating their current tour together. So what you say? YOU can decide what it is! Pictures from their recent show together at Irving Plaza are HERE in case you missed them.

Iron Age and Sex Vid are in town this weekend. More info, dates, and an MP3 from Iron Age's Tee Pee Records debut, HERE.

Liturgy have been added to our Northside Festival showcase. Howl have been added to the roster of Relapse Records, and we just got word that so were Black Anvil!

Black Pyramid has released their new self-titled LP on the doom stable Meteor City Records. While vocalist Andy Beresky comes off sounding like J.D. Cronise at times (NOT a bad thing), these Massachusetts boys definitely are in a whole different category than The Sword. With an ability to balance their bombastic blues riffs with stylistic touches of the greats (ie Electric Wizard, Sleep, Pentagram, etc) without sounding derivative, check out a video for Black Pyramid's "And The Gods Made War/Visions of Gehenna" below and download "Visions of Gehenna" above! Full BP tour dates are below, including their appearance at the Stoner Hands Of Doom Festival.

That video and Thou, Indian, Ulver, Brutal Truth, Wolves In The Throne Room, Municipal Waste, and Narrows as This Week In Metal Continues...

Continue reading "This Week In METAL (06/05/09)"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Harpoon - "Frogs, Boils, Locusts..." (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Complete Failure - "Like Rainbows in Gasoline" Demo (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Complete Failure - "Brown Acid Brainwound" Demo (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Complete Failure - "Subliminal Force of Suggestive Notion" Demo (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Super Happy Fun Slide - "Fast One" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Super Happy Fun Slide - "Bohemian" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Elder - "White Walls" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Serpentcult - "The Weight Of Light" (MP3)

Welcome to this week in Metal! This week we'll start with the pedal to the floor with Harpoon of Chicago, who will release their new LP Double Gnarly / Triple Suicide on Interloper Records. Featuring members of 7000 Dying Rats, the band recorded the LP in August 2008 with Andy Nelson (Weekend Nachos), sending it off to metal-mastering go-to Scott Hull (Pig Destroyer, Agoraphobic Nosebleed) for the finishing touches. The trio takes advantage of the drum machine gun to create a relentless grind assault reminiscent of Plague Bringer, Agoraphobic Nosebleed, or Genghis Tron (sans keys). Check out "Frogs, Boils, Locusts..." available for download above, and cop it on limited LP (400 in black, 100 in white & blue marbled vinyl) when it drops on Feb 10th! Harpoon recently added bassist DJ Baracca (ex-Lair of The Minotaur) to their ranks and have added a few live dates in and around the Chi (dates below).

Absu have announced a new self-titled album, posting the ripping new track "Girra's Temple" to their myspace. Due on Feb 24th on Candlelight Records, the band have also lined up a few dates including SXSW on Mar 20th at Spiros and at... you guessed it... Maryland Deathfest. Meanwhile, Absu is garnering alot of media attention lately... check out features in Metal Maniacs, Terrorizer, and Zero Tolerance.

Hot off of the release of his first solo album Punctuated Equilibrium, Wino will play his first show with his solo band (featuring skinsman extraordinaire Jean-Paul Gaster of Clutch) at the 9:30 club in Washington, DC on Sat Feb 7th! Wino will be joined by King Giant and the mighty Salome, who will be in NYC with Ocean on Feb 15th. In related news, Clutch have released their first digital single "King Of Arizona" (iTunes users, buy it here), from the upcoming remastered Slow Hole to China, Rare & Unreleased. The band have lined up a few dates with their alter ego (most of 'em anyway), The Bakerton Group including Feb 27 at The Chance in Poughkeepsie and Feb 28 at The Crazy Donkey in Farmingdale. Full tour dates below.

As much theorized and finally realized, The Auditory Assault Festival will take place at Club Europa on May 16 & 17.

Complete Failure announced a short tour of the east coast and the midwest with Polish grinders Antigama including an NYC date at Europa on May 20th. Details are forthcoming, full tour dates are below. The Pittsburghers (CF) have posted a trio of demo tracks at their website, check them out above. Antigama is prepping for March 3rd, when Relapse will drop their new album Warning.

Mastodon's Crack The Skye artwork

Mastodon is currently streaming "Divinations" from the upcoming Crack The Skye. Check it out kids... it's a burner! The single is also available for sale with a limited edition tee. Mastodon and Genghis Tron are playing the Coachella festival this year.

Eyehategod, Rotten Sound, Cripple Bastards, Malignancy, Resistant Culture, and Voetsek have been added to the Los Angeles Murderfest!

Napalm fucking Death will be in NYC in April!

Rise Above dropped the new album by Belgians Serpentcult, a doomy hybrid of Electric Wizard and High on Fire fronted by Michelle Nocon, a female with some SERIOUS pipes. The Weight of Light was produced by Billy Anderson (Sleep, Neurosis, Melvins) and the band is streaming three of those tracks at their myspace, with the title track available for download above. So far the band haven't added any North American dates, but if they do, we'll let you know (european tour dates below). Meanwhile, dig on an interview that Serpentcult did with Hellride Music here.

Coliseum have announced a slew of tourdates (below) as well as a new seven-inch entitled "True Quiet / Last Wave" on Deathwish! Full tour dates are below. Coliseum with join Converge, Genghis Tron (who was recently added), Ceremony, Pulling Teeth, and Rise & Fall at Europa on March 27th.

Blut Aus Nord have posted "The Formless Sphere (Beyond The Reason)" to their myspace page, the first new song from the upcoming Memoria Vetusta II - Dialogue With The Stars. Look for in Feb 23rd on Candlelight.

Valient Thorr have added a February 6th show at The Shank in Greenpoint (98 Bayard @ Leonard) with Acid Tiger, Golden Error, with Tournament. This show makes it TWO NYC dates.... don't forget about their upcoming show with Anthrax and a half pipe.

Minsk, Slayer, Battlefields, Devourment, Obituary, and more below...

Continue reading "This Week In METAL (02/02/09)"