Andy Nelson with Paint it Black at Fun Fun Fun Fest (more by BBG)

Mamiffer, Tombs, Locrian, Thou, Fuck The Facts, The Atlas Moth and many more contribute to the second part of our continuing series where we asked some of our favorite artists about their 2011 highlights. Part One HERE. Part Two below...

Continue reading "The Year in Heavy 2011 according to artists & friends (part 2)"

by BBG

Crone photo by Danielle Hardy

You may recognize the name Jeff Caxide as a guilty party in one of the most influential bands of the early 2000s, Isis. With that stellar and much revered project behind him, Caxide has entered into a new venture with Crone and a new album Endless Midnight due on July 19th via Translation Loss. The new LP explores some of the ambient textures that Isis touched upon, yet goes further down the rabbit hole.

Dont think Jeff can escape his past that easily though. His former Isis cohorts Aaron Harris and Bryant Clifford Meyer lend guest appearances on the record along with John LaMacchia (Candiria) while Aaron Turner joins Mamiffer bandmate Faith Coloccia on artwork detail. Check out the Endless Midnight art and a stream of "The Silver Hammer", the third track from the James Plotkin produced LP, below.

Meanwhile, Isis has unleashed the floodgate on older live material, releasing five live LPs via their website. Tracklistings and album details are also below...

Continue reading "Jeff Caxide of Isis is Crone, releasing LP (song premiere)"

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Metal Swim Compilation (Zipped MP3s)

Zoroaster at The Studio at Webster Hall (more by Markus Shaffer)

Adult Swim have posted an album of FREE downloadable tracks. The record, entitled Metal Swim features rare and unreleased tracks from some familiar names around these parts (Isis, Boris, Skeletonwitch, Ludicra, Zoroaster, Red Fang, etc) including new tracks from Withered's forthcoming LP Dualitas, Torche's Songs for Singles, AND Kylesa's Spiral Shadow among many many others. Download the album at the site or above, and dig on the tracklisting (and some video) below.

Continue reading "new tracks by Boris, Isis, Torche, Kylesa, others on free comp "

Owl City fans (by Chris Lynch)

Absolute Punk: I also read online that when you are a fan of Botch, that seems a little different especially for the music that you make. What kind of role do you feel a heavy band like them play on your music? Do you think you will ever try out heavier music or are you going to stick to the softer stuff for now?

Adam "Owl City" Young: I used to play drums in a heavy band called Isle, largely influence by stuff like Botch, Pelican, Neurosis, Isis. Even though bands like that are generally on the opposite side of the spectrum from the music I put out, I think the thing that inspires me still comes though -- the idea of becoming completely lost in the sound. The idea that imagery can be merely suggestive but not so subjective as to tell you how or what to think. It's far more about what the music says to you rather than somebody telling you how to feel. That's really interesting to me...

...Absolute Punk: You also have listed Mogwai as a musical influence, which shows that you are into a wide array of musical tastes. Do you feel like people overlook that based on your music output?

Adam "Owl City" Young: It's funny how a lot of people might assume a given artist only listens to the kind of music he/she creates. That certainly may be the case for some, but for me, it's nearly the opposite. I have a hard time truly enjoying anything I hear on pop radio, or even pop music in general. It's always been tough for me to draw any kind of inspiration from "conventional" music so to speak. Blame it on the stuff I listened to in high school, but for some reason bands like Mogwai or Rachel's or Telefon Tel Aviv are just way more interesting. They payoff is greater. Their songs hold a mystique that three and a half minute radio singles, in my opinion, often tend to lack. Therein was an exciting challenge when I began creating music for Owl City. It was pop music. I'd never made pop music before, I didn't even listen to it, but I wanted to create it because it was new.

Absolute Punk: You also have a tour coming up with Maroon 5 in about a week, and then John Mayer after that. How excited are you for that?

Adam "Owl City" Young: It'll be new territory and I'm excited to see how touring works at that level. I don't know much about either band but I'm looking forward to the tour to say the least.

intro by BBG, interview by Mike Hill

Last night, June 23rd, marked the final Isis show ever in Montreal. And here is Part Two of our discussion with Aaron Turner of Isis (check out part one). Mike Hill cornered the guitarist and Hydrahead Records owner on one of their last ever dates on the west coast in early June (they played MHOW and Webster this past weekend). The Isis frontman reflects on his time with the group, band democracy, the writing process, House of Low Culture/Old Man Gloom and so much more. The results are below...

Continue reading "an interview with Aaron Turner of Isis by Mike Hill (part 2) "

words by BBG & Klaus Kinski, photos by Meghan McInnis

Isis played their last show in Brooklyn last night. Holy hell, amazing. They will certainly be missed. -isjimthere

One night after bidding Manhattan adieu at Webster Hall, Isis played Music Hall of Williamsburg with the Melvins and Totimoshi as part of the final leg of their ongoing tour together (which concludes tonight in Isis's old home base of Boston). After tonight (6/21), Isis will trek to the great white north with Cave In for a pair of dates leading to their final gig in Montreal - the site of the first Isis show in 1997.

Au revoir Isis, you will be missed. Klaus was at the show. His review with more pictures and video from MHOW, and Isis's setlist, below...

Continue reading "Isis played their final NYC show @ Music Hall of Williamsburg w/ Totimoshi & the Melvins - pics, video & setlist"

words by BBG, photos by Lori Baily

"Totimoshi, Melvins, Isis @ Webster Hall. Why would
I not be here? #fuckyeah." - Aaronzeem

"After Totimoshi, the Melvins hit the stage! I was expecting Isis to be next, as they were always billed as the support act, and, honestly, the Melvins are just more important. But, I'm guessing the groups are alternating for the stint they're doing together, which I guess makes sense, especially since, as mentioned before, Isis is breaking up." [An Uncontrollable Urge]

Mike Hill of Tombs recently interviewed Aaron Turner of Isis. Part one of that interview is posted, with a second and equally fascinating part on the way.

All Isis dates, with the Webster Hall pictures and two of the night's setlists, below...

Continue reading "Isis, Melvins & Totimoshi @ Webster Hall - pics & setlists"

by Mike Hill

Aaron Turner of Isis

I received a phone call from Isis guitarist Mike Gallagher one night back in March asking if my band, Tombs, would be available to support Isis on a short run of dates on the West Coast. The Mayhem tour, which we were supposed to be on, had just been cancelled, we were eager to get back on the road so the answer was emphatically "yes". Furthermore, touring with Isis is one of the easiest tours you could ever be on. Aside from the shows being packed, the band and their crew are some of the warmest and most professional people I've ever known.

During the months leading up to the tour, it was announced that this would be the final Isis tour, ending a nearly 13 year career. To me it was an end of an era, both personally and as a fan of extreme music. I had witnessed the formation of the band back in Boston during the late 90's at most of their early shows. It was clear to me that the band was on a trajectory that would take them past their murky, D.I.Y. roots and propel them into a realm that most bands aspire to but few actually reach.

[ED: Make sure and catch the band at their last NYC shows this weekend! Tonight's show at Webster Hall (6/18) is soldout, but MHOW tomorrow (6/19) is still available]

Their contribution to the world of music is undeniable as most of their imitators would attest to. Within the decade plus that the band existed, they continued to challenge themselves and their fans with an ever expanding palette of creative textures and moods, yet always maintaining a common thread running through each release that would identify them as the originators.

During the week that would be their final West Coast shows, I had the opportunity to sit with Aaron Turner and reflect of the past, present and future.

===

MIKE HILL: We're a couple of days into this tour, how is it going so far? Is everyone having a good time?

AARON TURNER: I think everybody's having a good time. There's a lot of mixed feelings I think. Everybody in the band going into this knowing this is the last tour colors their perception of the experience quite a bit. I can't really say what it's like for those guys, but I was expecting some sort of cathartic feeling out of the process but it really, at the moment, just feels like another tour; which is not to say that I'm cynical about it because with almost every show I've ever played with Isis, I've tried to put myself into it as much as I possibly can so that still holds true. There is a thought that's crossed my mind at times, during each set, knowing that this is the last time that we'll ever play as Isis in this particular city...I don't really know how I feel about it yet, I feel like it's going to take me a while to process it and I feel like it's not going to actually feel like the final shows until we're at the end on the east coast and there's like two shows left.

But everything is going pretty good, I mean...we've toured with so many bands, I've gotten to see how other bands interact and I feel very lucky with how well we get along even if we're deciding to call it quits and there's some weird stuff that comes up with that, for the most part we get along really awesome.

continued below...

Continue reading "an interview with Aaron Turner of Isis by Mike Hill (part 1) "

by BBG

DOWNLOAD - Melvins - "The Water Glass" (MP3)

Murder City Devils at Nokia (more by Brian Reilly)

After a show at Nokia earlier this year, The Murder City Devils are coming back for more east coast shows and a second NYC-area helping in 2010. That new short run of east coast dates includes a Maxwell's show on July 16th. Advanced tickets for the NJ show are only available at Tunes (according to the venue's website).

The show is less than a month after MCD drummer Coady Willis plays NYC twice with The Melvins, as part of their tour with Isis and Totimoshi (Isis's last tour ever). Tickets for 6/18 at Webster and 6/19 at MHOW are still available.

In other news, The Melvins have their new album The Bride Screamed Murder, due on Ipecac on TUESDAY (6/1). Dig on "The Water Glass" above. The LP isn't their only release on deck either. They'll also share a split on Hydra Head Records with tourmates Isis:

...Two ISIS songs featured on this split are amongst the last recorded output to be released by the band, and are (relatively) exclusive to this 12". The first, "Way Through Woven Branches" has previously only been available as a bonus track on the Japanese edition of their most recent full length "Wavering Radiant". The second track "Pliable Foe", has never been released anywhere, and believe or not (at the time of this writing anyway), has managed to escape being sucked into the shadowy vortex of illegal internet file sharing. Both tracks were recorded during the sessions of the aforementioned "Wavering Radiant" album... The Melvins tracks featured on the flipside of this platter are culled from their latest full length album "The Bride Screamed Murder", albeit in highly altered forms from what appears there and are exclusive to this release. Remixed and reworked by the band themselves along with the help of ever nimble and able engineer and ally Toshi Kasai, these tracks are prime examples of The Melvins persona as we've come to know it - alternately jarring, tuneful, heavy, and bizarre.

All dates and some videos below...

Continue reading "Murder City Devils announce dates (Maxwell's) ++ a new Melvins MP3 & a split with Isis being released"

by BBG

Isis at Irving Plaza (more by Paul Birman)

"ISIS has reached an end. It's hard to try to say it in any delicate way, and it is a truth that is best spoken plainly. This end isn't something that occurred over night and it hasn't been brought about by a single cataclysmic fracture in the band. Simply put, ISIS has done everything we wanted to do, said everything we wanted to say. In the interest of preserving the love we have of this band, for each other, for the music made and for all the people who have continually supported us it is time to bring it to a close. We've seen too many bands push past the point of a dignified death and we all promised one another early on in the life of the band that we would do our best to ensure ISIS would never fall victim to that syndrome...

Continue reading "Isis is breaking up"

by BBG

"Seriously, when is this show going to appear on the MHOW and on ticketmaster? It's killin me!" -Anon

Isis at Irving Plaza (more by Paul Birman)

As previously reported and now realized, The Melvins & Isis will team up with Totimoshi for a second NYC show, at Music Hall of Williamsburg on June 19th. Tickets finally go on sale Thursday at noon. Tickets are also still available for the show at Webster Hall one day earlier. Full tour dates and some vids are below...

Continue reading "updated Melvins & Isis tour dates (Brooklyn show appears) "

by BBG

Melvins played all of Houdini at Webster Hall in 2009 (more by Ryan Muir)

The Melvins will hit the road for a string of dates in early summer. Those dates include the previously discussed Bonnaroo, as well as a pair of NYC dates: June 18 at Webster Hall and June 19th at Music Hall Of Williamsburg. Ticket info is forthcoming.

UPDATE: Some of these Melvins dates are with Isis!

Coady of Melvins/Big Business also plays with Murder City Devils who recently played Nokia Theatre, their first NYC show in many years.

Dale Crover also plays in Shrinebuilder who are scheduled to play NYU with Wolves In The Throne Room and Salome on 3/11. Tickets for NYUers are up now.

All tour dates and some vids below...

Continue reading "The Melvins & Isis - 2010 Tour Dates"

After a hectic day of updating the constantly updating Bonnaroo lineup page, the entire thing has been announced. Gwar, Norah Jones, and the rest of the lineup below...

Continue reading "the complete 2010 Bonnaroo lineup (Stevie Wonder, The Melvins, Kings of Leon, Isis, Local Natives & many more) "

The lineup to the 2010 Bonnaroo Festival is being announced today, but not all at once. Bands playing the the festival will each be announcing themselves one by one... making it like a big game for people to figure out, and...

For the first time ever, tickets will go back on sale the same day as the announcement. The top two tiers of tickets sold out quickly during our Holiday pre-sale in December, so make sure to act fast. Payment plans will once again be offered for both GA and VIP tickets.

The festival will be held from June 10-13, 2010 on our beautiful 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee. Get ready for an amazing four-day weekend with more than 150 of your favorite bands, top comedians, art, activities, workshops, vendors and much more.

UPDATES: Jeff Beck, John Fogerty, Medeski Martin & Wood, Punch Brothers, Isis, Chromeo w/ guest Daryl Hall, The Avett Brothers, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Carolina Chocolate Drops (video below), Big Sam's Funky Nation, Neon Indian, The Black Keys, Monte Montgomery, Bassnectar, The Constellations, Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers, Ingrid Michaelson, Blues Traveler, 311, The xx, Mayer Hawthorne and the County, Regina Spektor, Wale, Norah Jones, Jay-Z, Thievery Corporation, GWAR, She & Him, Jimmy Cliff, Tokyo Police Club, Kid Cudi, Japandroids, Dr. Dog, Baaba Maal, Zac Brown Band, The National, John Prine, Dave Rawlings Machine, Manchester Orchestra, Local Natives, Dropkick Murphys, Jay Electronica, The Postelles, Reblution, Damien Marley & Nas, NeedtoBreathe, Tenacious D, Jamey Johnson, They Might Be Giants, Lotus, The Entrance Band, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Clutch, Tori Amos, The Melvins, The Dodos, Kings of Leon, The Dead Weather, Deadmau5, Martin Sexton, Blitzen Trapper, The Gaslight Anthem, Mumford & Sons, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Ave, Tinariwen, Here We Go Magic, Julia Nunes, Disco Biscuits, Rise Against and reportedly the Flaming Lips with Stardeath and White Dwarfs covering Dark Side of the Moon (still not confirmed by the band). Paul Simon is also rumored.

Continue reading "2010 Bonnaroo lineup revealing itself today (keep track of who's playing here) ++ tickets on sale at noon"

Baroness @ Bowery Ballroom - 11/20/2009 (more by Tim Griffin)

BBG will publish his own list of the best metal albums of 2009, but in the meantime here's what Decibel Magazine had to say:

Continue reading "Decibel's Top 40 Metal Albums of 2009 "

photos by Paul Birman, words by Klaus Kinski & Black Bubblegum

Aaron Turner of Isis

Isis, assisted by Chi-town's Pelican and local heroes Tombs, hit up Irving Plaza on June 2nd as part of a larger tour for the ex-Boston, now-LA band. The Irving Plaza show marks the home stretch for Pelican and Tombs who have basically been on tour since March, having hit up SXSW and joined forces with Wolves In The Throne Room (who recently played NYC).

Klaus Kinski was at the show Tuesday night, he writes...

Continue reading "Isis, Pelican & Tombs @ Irving Plaza in NYC - pics "

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Orcustus - "Asphyxiokenisis" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Subrig Destroyer - "God Of Furnace" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Disappearer - "A Skull Full Of Bats" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Roller - "Rattle Of The Shaman" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Gnaw Their Tongues - "Rife with Deep Teeth Marks" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Velvet Cacoon - "Funeral Noir" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Black Arrows Of Filth & Impurity - "Damn, Girlfriend, That Napalm Exfoliates As It Burns" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Black Arrows Of Filth & Impurity - "If Shit Were Gold, The Poor Wouldn't Have Assholes" (MP3)

Orcustus

Orcustus, a vile and caustic black metal crew that at one point featured Infernus and Tormentor of Gorogoroth, have released their long-time-coming LP via Southern Lord. Try and choke back the vomit while you check out "Asphyxiokenisis" above, and pick up the LP here.

While we're on the BM tip, a misanthrope who released my second favorite record of last year, Leviathan, has dropped a new split entitled Sic luceat lux with Greek black metallers Acherontas. Pick it up at Zyklon-B Productions.

Converge is currently in the studio recording their new album, fingers perched with on twitter. Meanwhile, Nate of Converge dropped some details on the new Doomriders record, Darkness Come Alive, which he professes to be "not as [much of a] party record" and a "little more serious". More in an interview here.

Speaking of Doomriders, Boston's Disappearer (also featuring Jebb Riley) have released The Clearing on Magic Bullet Records in CD and 2LP formats. Pick it up here, and dig on the MP3 for "A Skull Full Of Bats" above!

20 Buck Spin is repressing one of their greatest releases, the Graves At Sea / Asunder split. Pick that up here.

Red Sparowes have announced that they will hit the studio in August to record their LP follow-up to Amorphisms EP. Follow Red Sparowes on Twitter.

UK doomers Moss have a new 10" EP, Tombs Of The Blind Drugged, due this month via Rise Above Records. Preorder info isn't available yet, but when it is, you can pick it up here.

Black Arrows of Filth & Impurity. I know, the name is kind of a mouthful... but the names of the bands that are associated with this death/grind/ambient crew are pretty common around these parts: Demiricous, The Dream Is Dead, and Racebannon. BAOFAI drop their new album 1984 (Eternal) on Gilead Media and are streaming four tracks at their myspace, but have dropped off "Damn, Girlfriend, That Napalm Exfoliates As It Burns" and "If Shit Were Gold, The Poor Wouldn't Have Assholes" above! Pick up 1984 (Eternal) here.

Call me a loyalist, but I had the feeling that after being somewhat disappointed by In The Absence Of Truth, Isis would come back as strong as ever. Make sure and check out Wavering Radiant on May 5th or now, if you are a record fiend or feel like streaming it all at their myspace. Look for Isis at Irving Plaza on June 2nd with Tombs & Pelican (tickets here), and check out the video for "Holy Tears" below!

That video, Subrig Destroyer, Beherit, Velvet Cacoon, sunn 0))), Nattefrost, and more, as This Week in Metal continues!

Continue reading "This Week In METAL (05/02/09)"

by Black Bubblegum

Genghis Tron Live at Europa, 3/27/09 (more by Justina Villanueva)

Pelican and Tombs have been added to select dates of the previously mentioned Isis tour including the currently on sale show at Irving Plaza on June 2nd. Updated tour dates are below.

Tombs also has two other dates on their calendar: April 19th with the mighty Bison BC in Danbury CT and April 12th (Easter) with Wetnurse, Black Anvil and Genghis Tron for Show No Mercy at Public Assembly. Want to go to the Brooklyn one? I have 2 pairs of tickets up for grabs. Details on how to win below.

After defiling Easter Sunday, Genghis Tron will head to Coachella. From their they head home to dedicate the rest of the year to writing and recording the follow-up to Board Up The House. Public Assembly may be their last show for a long time, so if you didn't catch them (and possibly almost get killed) when they played Europa with Converge and Coliseum, don't miss this.

Isis have a new album on the way, Wavering Radiant. Look for it on May 15th.

Pelican recently played SXSW and recorded their debut EP for Southern Lord.

Mike Hill (of Tombs) and Isis have a history together; Hill produced songs on Isis's The Red Sea EP. Before the release of Tombs' mammoth Winter Hours, we interviewed Mike Hill. Tombs recently played SXSW, check out a video of that below.

Black Anvil, who recently dropped Time Insults The Mind on LP, have a few other dates lined up including April 10th in Bethpage, NY.

Bison BC will also be in the hood soon... taking on Children at Death By Audio on April 18th.

More videos and all tour dates below....

Continue reading "Tombs touring w/ Pelican & Isis, playing PA w/ Genghis Tron "

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Isis - "20 Minutes / 40 Years" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Aaron Turner - new Isis album podcast (MP3)

Isis have announced dates for their US tour in support of their upcoming album Wavering Radiant, due on May 15th via Ipecac Records. Full tour dates are below, including a June 2nd date at Irving Plaza which goes on sale 4/4 at noon.

Wavering Radiant, the band's fifth album and first since their 2006 release In The Absence of Truth, is produced by Joe Barressi (Melvins, Kyuss, QOTSA) and features Adam Jones of Tool on two tracks. The record is seven tracks long and spans 54 minutes, including the track "20 Minutes / 40 Years" which lasts neither. Check that track out for download above. For y'all vinyl heads (like me), Conspiracy Records will do the honors (preorders start April 1), dropping a 3000 copy pressing of the gatefold 180 gram 2LP on April 21 in multiple flavors: 100 transparent blue, 400 solid dark blue, 1000 solid yellow, and 1500 black. For more on the album, check out the studio footage below and download the podcast with Aaron Turner above.

Tool was recently announced as part of the 2009 APW lineup and rumored to play Lollapalooza.

Video and tour dates below...

Continue reading "Isis - new album, MP3 & 2009 tour dates"

by Black Bubblegum

Ocean

My favorite of the two Oceans, the one missing a definite article in front of their name (Ocean of Maine), will be the next heavy band to headline Show No Mercy at Public Assembly (Feb 15th). As part of some sort of bizarre doom-off, Ocean will try to out rumble and underpace the mighty Salome, Riff Cannon, and Batillus who are also on board for the (anti-) festivities. Both Ocean (profiled here) and Salome (who we profiled in August) released full-length LPs last year... Pantheon of The Lesser and S/T respectively. Riff Cannon will drop their debut LP in 2009 and Batillus recently made their new self-titled EP available for free download here.

Speaking of Salome, lead vocalist Kat will make her first Agoraphobic Nosebleedappearance on Agorapocalypse, the latest LP from Scott Hull's pummeling grindcore project. Due April 14th, Agorapocalypse won't be the lone AnB in 2009; the band plans a series of splits for this year with a wide array of bands including Despise You, ANS, Agents of Satan and Thrones!

Mayhem, Marduk, Cattle Decapitation, and Cephalic Carnage have added a date together in Seattle Washington @ Studio Seven on June 5th. Pleasegodletitbeafulltour... Pleasegodletitbeafulltour... Cattle Decapitation's The Harvest Floor dropped on Jan 20th.

Brutal Truth recently announced their involvement in the Auditory Assault Festival (with Gadget, Kill The Client, Jig-ai and others), and now comes word that the band will have released their new record before then! Enter Evolution Through Revolution, recorded at Watchman Studios by Doug White (Psyopus) and due on April 14th via Relapse. Stokeage. Brutal Truth drummer Richard Hoak will do double duty at the Auditory Assault festival, also playing with his Total Fucking Destruction project.

Isis announced their new album, Wavering Radiant, due on May 5th via Ipecac Records! Produced by Joe Baressi (Tool, Queens of The Stone Age), look for the wax to hit the streets on Apr. 21. Tool's Adam Jones contributed guitar tracks to a pair of songs on Wavering Radiant.

Sweet do, Jared Big Business!

Big Business have announced their new album, Mind The Drift due in April via Hydra Head Records. Produced by Phil Ek (The Shins, Earth, Fleet Foxes, Built To Spill), the record is the first to feature new guitarist Toshi Kasai. Stream the new track "Gold and Final" at their myspace.

Ahhh... NOW I know why 1349 are heading out on tour.... Revelations Of The Black Flame is the name of the recently announced new album by the black metallers! Recorded at StudioStudio Nyhagen in Bøverbru, Norway, 1349 have enlisted Tom Gabriel Fischer to help man the boards! Look for it sometime this spring. Meanwhile, Tom Gabriel Fischer's new venture post-Celtic Frost, Triptykon, is currently in the demo phase. 1349 will be at BB Kings on March 2nd, tickets are available here.

The sickos in Sourvein have scheduled a few new dates, including an NYC date that looks to be part of an upcoming US tour. No details just yet, but set aside April 19th until then. Tour dates below.

The previously announced Converge show at Europa on March 27th (tickets here) just got a little bit nuttier with the addition of Genghis Tron, Ceremony, Rise and Fall, and Pulling Teeth.

Lair Of The Minotaur's new DVD, WAR METAL BATTLE MASTER is out NOW at Southern Lord. Meanwhile, bassist Nate Olp (Demiricous) has been sent in to replace the departed DJ Barraca for live gigs. DJ recently left LOTM to joined Harpoon, who's new record, Double Gnarly / Triple Suicide is due on Feb 10th via Interloper Records.

News on Sublime Cadaveric Decomposition, Weekend Nachos, Carcass, Blut Aus Nord, Lamb Of God, Javelina, and more below...

Continue reading "This Week In METAL (01/23/09)"

The last (and first) time Jesu came to the US, the group was plagued with visa issues that resulted in the cancellation of several US dates. Luckily, they got their visa situation sorted out and that March/April 2007 tour kicked off at Irving Plaza with Isis (who'll be there again on 11/1/07 to kick off their tenth anniversary tour).

That premiere show wasn't without its problems; front-man Justin was sick and jet-lagged, their set was short, and the sound wasn't all that great. I've been anxiously awaiting a follow-up headlining tour and I'm happy to say my prayers have been answered. Jesu will headline a CMJ show at the Grammercy on 10/20 with the mighty Torche (tix).

In other Jesu/Justin K. Broadrick/Final related news, Justin has re-opened his web label Avalanche Recordings and with it will be unleashing a TON of amazing Jesu and Final records including:

• JESU - PALE SKETCHES: 8 tracks of unreleased Jesu material recorded between 2000 and 2007. Available on CD now, and will start accepting pre-orders for the 2xLP edition in January 2008.
• FINAL - GUITAR & BASS IMPROVISATIONS VOL 1: Only 60 of these suckers will be made. Some will be available online, others will be available at select Final shows. Features 4 songs comprised of bass, guitar, and fx and totals almost 55 minutes.
• FINAL - GUITAR & BASS IMPROVISATIONS VOL 2: Like volume 1, only 60 of these suckers will be made. Also like volume 1, some will be available online, others will be available at select Final shows. Features 3 songs comprised of bass, guitar, and fx and totals just over 45minutes.
• JESU - HEART ACHE: The highly anticpated vinyl version of the classic and rare 2004 release. 1500 copies will be made, 300 of which will be red. They'll start taking pre-orders in January 2008.

So, yeah, tons of tour dates, tons of upcoming releases.... now if Final would just do some US gigs I could die a happy man - Klaus

All Jesu & Isis tour dates below.....

Continue reading "Jesu (& Isis) - 2007 Tour Dates ---- (by Klaus)"