photos by Greg Cristman, additional photos by BBG

Directly after the mayhem that was our Deathmatch event at Scoot Inn on 3/16 (first set of pictures HERE; more on the way) BrooklynVegan & Power of The Riff/Thrasher took over the Austin venue for an official SXSW showcase. The night portion was headlined by Black Breath (an exclusive SXSW appearance) and featured appearances from Ringworm, All Pigs Must Die, Narrows (who also played the bridge show), KEN Mode, Enabler and Young and In The Way. The overall brutal vibe of the day continued into the night with ripping performances from top to bottom, circle-pitting, and hardcore scream-a-longs.

Young and In The Way's "American Blackened Crust" opened the showcase a bit past 8PM, drawing from black metal in both tendency to blast as well as in symbolism, ferocity and costuming (see the inverted cross of bones). Young and In The Way may be a relatively young band, but they are wise beyond their years in creating dark atmosphere to accompany their taut and razor sharp odes to negativity.

Following YAITW was Enabler, a Milwaukee band that contains members of Harlots and Fall Out Boy (no shit). They draw from the melodic d-beat of bands like Tragedy in their take on crusty hardcore. The band are preparing a new LP All Hail the Void for release in May, so look out for that and make sure to catch them on the road soon.

KEN Mode played only two shows in Austin this year, and thankfully our showcase was one of those. The band's noise-rock meets hardcore aesthetic has always been great, but now with a more stable bass player (Andrew LaCour) it seems that the band has hit its stride on the live stage. LaCour's animated stage antics work well for the band too, adding to the wide-eyed maniacal glances that guitarist/vocalist Jesse Matthewson throws to the audience over his microphone.

On paper, Narrows is a fantastic sounding band; members of Botch, Unbroken, and more collide to form a hardcore supergroup. Thankfully, the reality is as indelible as the concept.... in fact better. Since I saw them kill it at Cake Shop close to two years ago, Narrows have gelled into an entity all its own, a thought cemented with their latest and highly-reccomended release on Deathwish, Painted (out now). As a live band they are similarly amazing; is there anything as pleasing to a hardcore kid as screaming into a microphone along with Dave Verellen?

All Pigs Must Die is similar in concept to Narrows, a "supergroup" comprised of the jaw-dropping sticksman Ben Koller (Converge), the raspy throat of the energetic Kevin Baker (The Hope Conspiracy), guitarist Adam Wentworth (The Red Chord, Bloodhorse) and bassist Matt Woods (American Nightmare, Bloodhorse). While any band with Ben Koller is worth a look just for his jaw-dropping skills behind the kit, APMD rise above that with songwriting and a live show that is similarly impressive in its intensity. Scoot Inn was no exception; these guys rule.

Ringworm has been around almost as long as their fellow Clevo-core natives Integrity (21 vs 24 years!), and its clear that their live show has been honed over time to a fine point. The band's thrash-y hardcore crossover incited circle pits and mosh mayhem during their set, reminding us why the band are veterans of their scene. Amazing live band, and now with Aaron of Keelhaul back in their ranks, they've never sounded better.

Batting clean-up was Black Breath, the Seattle band that fused groovy Swedish death metal with hardcore vocals and aesthetic. They opened their set with personal favorite "Black Sin", and the band's live show is as potent as their LPs. If you've never seen Black Breath then please do so right away.... word is they may be on the road in the near future. One of my major highlights of the weekend.

I'd like to thank all of the bands that killed it at Scoot Inn on 3/16, the staff at Scoot Inn for being so helpful/accomodating, my partners for this show in Power of The Riff and Thrasher, and most importantly everyone who showed up to support the show and the bands and to have a good time.

More pictures from the Friday night show at Scoot Inn is below.

Continue reading "BV-BBG/POTR/Thrasher SXSW showcase in pics & review (Black Breath, Ringworm, All Pigs Must Die, KEN Mode, more)"

by BBG

Mares of Thrace

If guitarist/vocalist Thérèse Lanz (left) looks a bit familiar to you, it might because of her recent stint as bassist for the mighty KEN Mode. That time has passed (they've moved on to include Andrew LaCour of Khann in her stead), but all the while Thérèse has been involved in her main gig Mares of Thrace.

Take the very deceiving (and almost twee) photo above with a grain of salt because the Canadian duo (guitar/drums) explore a nihilistic cocktail of noise-punk, caustic hardcore and bowel-rattling sludge on their latest LP for Sonic Unyon Metal, The Pilgrimage (due April 24th). Stream the new song "The Gallwasp" from that LP below..

The pair will haul out their amps and vitriol on a string of US dates that will include a stop at Saint Vitus on May 15th with support TBA. All tour dates are listed with thatsong stream and a full set of live video below... definitely worth a watch.

Meanwhile, KEN Mode will appear at the BV-BBG/Power of The Riff/Thrasher showcase at Scoot Inn on 3/16, part of a full day of shows at the Austin venue that also includes the BV/POTR show as part of the daytime Converse/Thrasher Deathmatch festivities.

Continue reading "Mares of Thrace prepare for "The Pilgrimage"; stream a new song and catch them on tour"

by BBG

Black Breath at Santos (more by BBG)

Just to be clear, in addition to many day parties (some at Hotel Vegas), BrooklynVegan is presenting THREE official SXSW showcases in Austin this year. Two are still unannounced (Tuesday and Wednesday night). Here is info on the third...

After the sun goes down on the BrooklynVegan/Power of The Riff day party at Converse/Thrasher Deathmatch (literally and figuratively), BV, POTR, Thrasher and Southern Lord will begin preparations for our OFFICIAL SXSW showcase that Friday night at the same venue! Starting at 7PM, look for appearances from:

Scoot Inn on Friday night (3/16)
Black Breath (their only SXSW appearance!)
Ringworm
All Pigs Must Die
Narrows
KEN Mode
Young and In The Way
Enabler

That's right, the ONLY time you can catch Black Breath during SXSW is at Scoot Inn on Friday night (3/16)! So get to Scoot Inn early and stay all day and into the night for the party! Set times are forthcoming.

Black Breath are currently gearing up to release their new LP Sentenced To Life via Southern Lord on 3/27. Stream a new track, "Mother Abyss" alongside a bunch of video from some of the other bands at the official showcase, and the flyer, below...

Continue reading "Announcing the BrooklynVegan/Power of The Riff/Southern Lord/Thrasher Official Showcase at SXSW 2012"

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)"

words & photos by BBG

The Atlas Moth @ Union Pool

The Atlas Moth / KEN Mode overcame a damp, bitterly cold night at Union Pool on Saturday with locals The Year is One as part of an East Coast/Midwest tour. Both touring bands focused on material from their new LPs on Profound Lore. The Atlas Moth's An Ache for Distance was recently released on the label. KEN Mode's Venerable hit earlier this year.

The Atlas Moth fought through technical issues for the first portion of their set, but resumed a triple guitar attack by the time they hit the title track from their current LP. The band brought along disco-ball style lighting in multiple colors to add a psychedelic visual touch.

KEN Mode, sporting their third bass player in their last three NYC appearances, welcomed Andrew LaCour (of Khann) on low-end for this tour. Though the changing bass slot may weigh heavily on some bands, KEN Mode are no more worse for wear; the Canadian band sounded as vicious as ever on songs like "Book of Muscle".

More pictures and video from Brooklyn, as well as the remaining tour dates, are below...

Continue reading "The Atlas Moth, KEN Mode on tour, played Union Pool w/ The Year is One (pics & video)"

by BBG

The Atlas Moth (Stavros far left)

The Atlas Moth continue down their uniquely forged labyrinth of hardcore, black metal, sludge, and all of the above on their latest and possibly most realized effort to date, An Ache For The Distance. The follow-up to their amazing A Glorified Piece of Blue Sky, the new LP marks their first effort for Profound Lore and first since releasing the One Amongst The Weed Fields digital covers EP last year. An Ache For The Distance arrives on September 20th, and you can stream the new title track for the first time below alongside the previously released "Coffin Varnish" and "Holes In The Desert".

The Atlas Moth toured heavily behind the release of A Glorified Piece of Blue Sky, hitting NYC with Dark Castle in the early stages, then SXSW (for two of our shows, at Emo's and Hoeks Death Metal Pizza), again with Harvey Milk/Coalesce followed by Nachtmystium/Zoroaster/Dark Castle (x2), and eventually back at SXSW and on back to NYC as part of Metalliance with bands like Crowbar, Saint Vitus, and Kylesa. Now the band is preparing to hit the road for a string of dates with KEN Mode (also BV SXSW veterans x2) including October 1st at Union Pool with The Year is One.

In preparation for the tour and the impending release, we sat down with vocalist/guitarist Stavros Giannopolous to discuss the origins of the record, their home base of Chicago, and his participation in the black metal super crew Twilight.

All tour dates, the song stream (with NSFW cover art) and that interview is below.

Continue reading "an interview w/ the Atlas Moth, a song debut & tour dates too "

La Dispute @ the Acheron in 2010 (more by Samantha Marble)

Sound and Fury Fest, notoriously shut down after a riot last year, returns this year and takes place in the Earl Warren Showgrounds in Santa Barbara, CA from July 22-24. The lineup consists of several hardcore and metal bands including Defeater, Burning Love, and Deafheaven, who all have upcoming NYC shows.

Tourmates Defeater and La Dispute play The Studio tonight (5/24), after having played Krazy Fest this past weekend. Tickets are still on sale if you need some last minute hadcore plans. You can read about the 5/20 show at Altar Bar at 'A Brief Intermission'...

"...One thing is for sure, La Dispute do not lack energy. Dreyer and company rarely stayed still, and that energy was reciprocated enthusiastically by the crowd. They played a set full of great songs from their incredible full length, Somewhere at the Bottom of the River Between Vega and Altair, including the crowd favorite "The Castle Builders," in which, to the fans delight, they considerably slowed down the ending sing-along. They also played both songs from their split with Touche Amore, which translated into incredible live songs and were certainly favorites of the crowd.

Meanwhile Touche Amore are touring ferociously in support of their upcoming sophomore album Parting the Sea Between Brightness and Me which will be released June 7 via Deathwish. Their 3+ month tour includes the previously announced Santos Party House show on June 24 with Title Fight, The Menzingers, and Dead End Path (tickets). Touche also head out on a European leg with La Dispute. All dates are listed below.

Touche Amore's Deathwish labelmates Deafheaven play Cake Shop on June 17 with Gholas. As mentioned, KEN Mode unfortunately dropped off the show, though they will still appear on other dates of the tour. An updated list is below.

Burning Love open for Converge and Trap Them Wednesday (5/25) at the sold out Santos Party House, and at other dates which are listed below. La Dispute opened for Trap Them at the Acheron in 2010.

All tour dates below...

Continue reading "La Dispute, Defeater, Sound & Fury Fest, Deafheaven, KEN Mode, Touche Amore --- dates & stuff"

by BBG

Despise You / Magrudergrind tour flyer

While we prepare for the ONSLAUGHT of pre/post MDF destruction, prepare for some incredible news that Despise You and Magrudergrind will team up to play NYC in September as part of the former's first East Coast tour! No news on the whens/wheres or even the other whos, but we'll keep you up to date.

Ruin Lust has been added to the previously discussed Wolvserpent/A Story of Rats show at Acheron on June 4th.

Unfortunately, KEN Mode has dropped off of the previously discussed Deafheaven show at Cake Shop on 6/17 with Gholas. More details are forthcoming.

More suggested NYC shows, a new Engineer track (!) and a stream of the entire Weekend Nachos album Worthless is below...

Continue reading "Evillive (Despise You, Engineer, Weekend Nachos, more)"

by BBG

Deafheaven at the BV/Feed The Beat Day Party (more by Samantha Marble)

KEN Mode is on a seemingly neverending US tour in support of their new LP Venerable, and the band will bless NYC one more time in June, this time with touring partners Deafheaven. The pair will hit Cake Shop on June 17th with support from the mighty Gholas. Congrats to Deafheaven, who recently welcomed their new album Roads To Judah via Deathwish. Both Deafheaven & KEN Mode played the BV/Feed The Beat Day Party during SXSW.

All KEN Mode dates, suggested upcoming NYC shows, some streams, and video from last week's Batillus/Morne/Belus show are below.

Continue reading "Evillive (Deafheaven, KEN Mode & more) "

photos by Samantha Marble & BBG, words by BBG

Tombs @ Lovejoys

After a day of mayhem and floorpunches with Ringworm on Friday (3/18), the BrooklynVegan/Profound Lore Records day show on Saturday at Lovejoys centered more on the metal side of things. The 3/19 show featured nine bands in total, of which four called the label home. The amazing Tombs headlined, and I couldn't help but feel a large share of local (NYC) pride since three of the nine bands call Brooklyn home (Tombs, Castevet, Batillus).

more below....

Continue reading "BV/Profound Lore Day Party @ Lovejoys - pics & video (Tombs, Bruce Lamont, Mike Williams, Batillus, Dark Castle & more)"

photos by Samantha Marble & Tim Griffin

Surfer Blood (by Tim Griffin)

SXSW started out for us this year on two stages with fifteen bands at Emo's for a free six hour BrooklynVegan day party presented by Feed the Beat.

On the big stage Anamanaguchi kicked things off right at noon with a high energy, 8-bit pop rock set to a dedicated crowd who showed up early to catch them. Fresh off the Bruise Cruise, the garage rockin' Turbo Fruits kept the party going. By 1:30, with a buzz already kicking in thanks to the free Sailor Jerry and Sparks we were serving, a Place To Bury Strangers brought it with their intense, high volume noise, and then Darwin Deez followed, replacing armed-cross spectators with pockets of dancers and coordinated dance routines on stage. By the time Chiddy Bang (who arrived a bit late and therefore also had to play a shorter set) took the stage, the large room was filled in and people were ready to sing along to the rappers whose setup includes a mic and drumset, and backing tracks courtesy of bands like MGMT and Passion Pit (members of whom were in the audience). The Vaccines, all the way from the UK, kept the momentum going with their brit rock, though they also played a short set reportedly due to worries over the singer's voice.

By the time Mister Heavenly took the stage, you were lucky to find a place to stand, due in part to the many wanting to check out Michael Cera's bass skills. Many were also multitasking, aka watching music and eating the massive amounts of free burritos that Taco Bell delivered through the back door and were handing out all over the place. As Andrew pointed out, "Mr. Heavenly perfored an appropriately lovely set, its two frontmen trading verses in their own styles." The two frontmen are of course Nick Diamonds from Islands and Honus Honus from Man Man. The group is rounded out by Modest Mouse drummer Joe Plummer.

And finally, as Bill pointed out, Surfer Blood "gave us an enjoyable hits-packed [headlining] set from their first album." That of course was going down on the bigger outside stage while Kylesa was completely destroying on the inside stage - I actually watched more of Kylesa than Surfer Blood, but BBG can tell you more about that...

Deafheaven (by Sam Marble)

Despite traffic issues that made The Roller open the inside stage on the late side, the Austin band's bulldozing doom thunder opened the BV festivities at SXSW with a roar. The Roller is one of my favorite heavy bands in Austin, so it was great to see this powerful foursome in action on a BV stage (until I can convince 'em to come up north!).

When the Deafheaven guys arrived, their tees were a dead giveaway. Sporting merch from Hate Forest, Hellfish (records), and Slowdive, it was obvious to see the band's influences, but their live show was definitely born of hardcore. Wide-eyed cocalist George Clarke was in the audience's face, or thrashing maniacally as the band tore through tracks like "Violet" from their forthcoming Roads To Judah and "Libertine Dissolves" from their demo.

The Secret followed Deafheaven, and their blistering blast-y down-tuned hardcore reminded me of breathren Trap Them, Rotten Sound, or Converge in the live setting. Furious blackened hardcore that was technical and powerful.

KEN Mode was next, delivering the hardcore-infused noise rock jams that shine on their new LP Venerable. KEN Mode would leave shortly after their set to headline Scoot Inn as part of a Thrasher show with Dark Castle, The Body and others.

Blackened electric swamp-blues from Dax Riggs kept energy levels on high before Trash Talk brought the crowd to a circle pitting/crowd-surfing frenzy. The band was short their usual bassist though, as Spencer was in the hospital after being stabbed by some "nazi motherfuckers" at a hardcore show in their native California. Despite the replacement, Trash Talk was undeterred and as incendiary as ever.

Kylesa closed the day out with faves like set-opener "Hollow Severer", "Tired Climb", "Running Red", and "Scapegoat", before calling it a day before a sold-out crowd. Excellent set from these Savannah greats, who seem to get better (and bigger) with each show.

All in all it was an amazing first day at SXSW that continued two hours later with six more hours of bands at Swan Dive.

Thanks to Feed the Beat, Orange (who provided the thunder behind Kylesa), Line 6 (the mics), Korg (keyboard), Vox (amps), Blackstar (and amps), Sensible Portions, Honest Tea, Raw Revolution, Sailor Jerry, SPARKS, everyone at Emo's, The Syndicate, Andy, Erik, Katie, Zach, Nevonah, The Roller, Anamanaguchi & Surfer Blood for being so amenable, as well as all of the bands for being incredible! Mostly, we'd like to thank anyone/everyone who made it out on a Wednesday afternoon... your support is appreciated.

Lots more pictures and videos from the whole day, below...

Continue reading "BrooklynVegan/Feed the Beat Emo's Day Party in pics & video (Surfer Blood, Kylesa, Mister Heavenly, Trash Talk & more)"

photos by Jonathan McPhail & BBG, words by BBG

Ringworm @ Lovejoys (by BBG)

Ringworm headlined the BrooklynVegan/1000Knives Day Show at Lovejoys on 3/18, the third of four BV-BBG metal shows at SXSW this year. Kicking off a little after noon, the show featured nine bands that mostly were of the hardcore/grind ilk, with the exception of doom overlords Cough.

Owen Hart was the first band of the day and could have been the band of the day. Their furious riffy hard-grind was an excellent way to kick things off, and was one of my favorite sets of the week. Owen Hart fucking rules, so get out and catch 'em at a local house show before they start playing bigger stages.

Salvation left the Lovejoys floor bloodied and battered with their furious hardcore, and were followed up by the always incredible Kill The Client. Vocalist Morgan spent as much time shredding his throat as he did crowdsurfing during the Dallas grinders' killer set. They're an incredible live band propelled by the great Bryan Fajardo (Phobia, Noisear, etc) behind the kit.

KEN Mode's set mirrored the set they played two days earlier at Emo's in intensity and power, and slowed things up a bit before Richmond's 10-ton doom monster Cough. Primarily focused on their latter material, Cough is never anything less than impressive, and the walls shook outside the venue with their high volume doom riffery. Magrudergrind was on tour with Cough and sharing backline, so their slower parts packed an extra umph on Cough's (considerable) gear. Another quick and ballsy set from the always awesome Magrudergrind.

Gaza arrived a bit later than the rest of the gang due to their set at New England Metal & Hardcore Fest, and their off-time, dissonant hardcore was a big hit to the capacity Lovejoys crowd. Inciting gang chants of "He! Is! Never! Coming! BACCCCK!", vocalist Jon Parkin paced back and forth in front of the crowd as his Salt Lake City backing band concentrated their set on latter material.

Wormrot is one of the hardest touring and most impressive grind bands on the scene, and for good reason. Drummer Fit and his lightning fast feet clobber the bass drum and propel the tunes forward with unbelieveable precision and velocity. Meanwhile, guitarist Syid matches Fit's pummeling timing, but does so with a calm/collected manner; at these speeds you'd think Syid would be huffing, puffing and drenched in sweat. Amazing live set.

Ringworm's setlist was focused on Birth is Pain, the band's LP released in 2001 and were every bit as blistering as they were a few months earlier at Fun Fun Fun Fest. Pitting began, Human Furnace's drenched hair whipped about, and the band bruised the crowd past the 7pm curfew playing on an awesome full set. Cleveland's finest, indeed.

In all, I'd like to thank Lovejoys for being so accomodating, Left Hand Brewing for fueling the mayhem, all of the incredible bands, Andy, Merrick, Ron, my partner 1000Knives, and most importantly, everyone who came out to the show! More pictures & some videos, below...

Continue reading "Ringworm, Wormrot, Gaza, Magrudergrind, Cough, KEN Mode, Kill The Client, Salvation & Owen Hart @ Lovejoys (BV-BBG Austin Day 3 pics & video)"

BrooklynVegan Week in Austin begins once again at Emo's where we'll kick off a six hour day party presented by Feed the Beat at noon on Wednesday, March 16th. The 100% free, two-stage lineup looks like this:

Outside / Main Stage @ Emo's
12:00 PM Anamanaguchi
12:45 PM Turbo Fruits
1:30 PM A Place To Bury Strangers
2:15 PM Darwin Deez
3:00 PM Chiddy Bang
3:45 PM The Vaccines
4:30 PM Mister Heavenly
5:15 PM Surfer Blood

Inside / Metal Stage @ Emo's Jr
12:20 PM The Roller
1:10 PM Deafheaven
1:55 PM The Secret
2:40 PM KEN Mode
3:30 PM Dax Riggs
4:20 PM Trash Talk
5:10 PM Kylesa

It's another lineup I'm super excited about, and note: We purposely put Darwin Deez and Chiddy Bang back to back to encourage live collaboration, Mister Heavenly is the new Sub Pop-signed supergroup of sorts, and this is the only day party where you'll be able to catch a set by Kylesa!

I'm also happy to point out again (like at our Friday party), though everyone will sound great already, they are going to sound even better thanks to our official microphone sponsor Line 6, not to mention due to the help of the Korg keyboards, and Vox & Blackstar amps that we'll have on hand - all generous and much-appreciated BrooklynVegan show sponsors.

Also Note:

• we'll also have FREE snacks courtesy of Sensible Portions.
• we'll keep you hydrated with FREE Honest Tea.
• you can keep your energy levels high with FREE Raw Revolution bars.
• FREE Sailor Jerry cocktails while supplies last.
• and there will be even more FREE FOOD and DRINKS (TBA)!

Last but not least, this free show was made possible due to our co-presenters Feed the Beat, who hook touring bands up with free Taco Bell (where eating vegetarian, and even vegan, is easy). As they say, "for five consecutive years, the Feed the Beat® program has provided a total of 365 music artists/bands with food on the road. Touring music artists can relate to eating on the road and the Feed The Beat helps by picking up their post-show late-night dinner tabs."

Feed the Beat artists (past and present) include Dr. Dog, White Rabbits, Wavves, Best Coast, Andrew W.K., Cults, Passion Pit, Phosphorescent, Suckers, Tokyo Police Club, The Sword, Anamanaguchi, Girl Talk, Delta Spirit, A Place to Bury Strangers, Lucero, Turbo Fruits, Municipal Waste, Chiddy Bang, The Bouncing Souls, The Gaslight Anthem, Those Darlins and many more.

Thanks also to Zach Jaeger of Tonally Dude for creating the flyer you see below...

Continue reading "BrooklynVegan & Feed the Beat present a Wed. Day Party (Emo's 2-stage lineup announcement)"

by BBG

Ringworm at FFF Fest 2010 (more by BBG)

I've been super busy booking bands for FOUR upcoming metal shows in Austin, TX. Let's recap what's announced so far. You know about the free show with Profound Lore on 3/19 at Lovejoys (with Tombs, Dark Castle, The Body, many others) and the free Full Metal Texas (with Trap Them, Hull, Rwake, and more.. stay tuned for the rest of the lineup, including one last addition to our stage).

Now I'm happy to announce the third party which is happening 3/18 at Lovejoys! BrooklynVegan/1000 Knives are proud to present eight more bands including Ringworm! The gods of Clevo-core who will headline an unfucwitable day of 10,000 MPH speed and destruction! Well, destruction for sure. Speed? For the most part.

3/18 at Lovejoys (noon -7pm)
Ringworm
Wormrot
Gaza
Magrudergrind
Cough
KEN Mode
Kill The Client
Salvation
Owen Hart

As if the door price wasn't great enough (FREE), Left Hand Brewery will provide gratis suds while supplies last. More details are forthcoming, but if you're headed to Austin (or already there), for now make sure and block off noon - 7PM on 3/18 for this (21+) event!

Check out some videos of some of the bands below...

Continue reading "BrooklynVegan/1000 Knives Austin Day Party @ Lovejoys (lineup includes Ringworm, Wormrot, Gaza & more)"

by BBG

Flyer, with art by Glyn Smyth of Scrawled Design

I am ecstatic to announce my partnership with the great Profound Lore Records for an Austin day party at Lovejoys (604 Neches St, right downtown) on March 19th! The free day show (lineup above) will run from noon-7pm and include Dark Castle, The Body, Deafheaven, Wolvhammer, Grayceon, Castevet, Batillus, Altaar from Norway (!), and the blasting NYC killers Tombs. Set times and more details are forthcoming but in the meantime save the date!

Altaar @ by:Larm 2010

March 19th is the last of FOUR BV DAY PARTIES catering to fans of heavy music, including the previously discussed Full Metal Texas show on 3/17 at Emo's with Trap Them, Rwake, Hull, All Pigs Must Die, and the recently added Kvelertak! Details on March 16th and 18th are still to come.

Moments after the BrooklynVegan/ProfoundLore day party comes to a close, the official Profound Lore SXSW showcase will begin at Valhalla! That show kicks off at 7PM and will feature a headlining set from Slough Feg, as well as performances from KEN Mode, Castevet, Grayceon, Bruce Lamont, and Wolvhammer. Check out the incredible show poster below and get a screened copy of it at the show from the artist, Glyn Smyth of Scrawled Design.

Bruce Lamont plays Union Pool in Brooklyn on SUNDAY (2/27) with Lichens, Kevin Hufnagel & Cocaine & Abel. Union Pool will also host The Body TONIGHT (2/22) with Braveyoung & Elks.

Show flyers, a stream of Deafheaven's awesome demo and more pictures of the mighty Altaar from Norway's by:Larm 2010 are below!

Continue reading "BrooklynVegan & Profound Lore present a Free Day Party @ Lovejoys (lineup, related shows, live Altaar pics & more)"

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: KEN Mode - "Book Of Muscle" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: KEN Mode - "Obeying The Iron Will..." (MP3)

Ken Mode at Acheron (more by BBG)

As I said in 2008, KEN Mode rules. If Unsane spent less time at Swans shows and more at hardcore matinees, they'd probably rip out noisecore obliteration like 2008's Mennonite and 2006's Reprisal (both available for FREE download for a limited time). Now KEN Mode is prepping to release their latest offering of blunt-force ferocity, the spankin' new Venerable LP via Profound Lore on March 15th.

Produced by Kurt Ballou at God City, Venerable is noisy, tense, brutal and definitely punk rock, opening with the endlessly repeatable "Book Of Muscle" (available for download here for the first time) as well as "Obeying The Iron Will...". Head to Noisecreep for a third track, "Batholith", and down below for streams of both new tracks, along with all of Mennonite and Reprisal.

For those of you who doubt the bombast that is KEN Mode live, check the video from Acheron below and make sure to join them when they hook up with Black Breath and Clean Teeth to play The Studio at Webster Hall on April 2nd. Tickets are on sale for the show they play one day after another they have scheduled in Long Island.

All streams and tour dates, which include a visit to SXSW, are below.

Continue reading "KEN Mode releasing 'Venerable', touring (new MP3 & 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

KEN Mode at Union Pool (more by Brian Reilly)

One record I am dying to hear? Without a doubt it's KEN Mode's forthcoming LP for Profound Lore which the band will record in mid August with Kurt Ballou at God City! After witnessing the band's destructive Unsane-meets-hardcore clobber the crowd at Union Pool, if even a touch of that live energy and crunch is captured on record it will surely be badass.

Luckily for Brooklyn, KEN Mode will loop down to Brooklyn to play The Acheron on August 17th on the way to God City alongside Castevet and more TBA! The show is just sixteen days after Castevet supports Altar of Plagues at The Studio at Webster Hall.

Speaking of Unsane, a reminder: the band will play all of their landmark Scattered Smothered & Covered at Santos on August 5th with Keelhaul, Pigs, and Disappearer. Tickets are still available.

Full KEN Mode dates, and some video is below...

Continue reading "KEN Mode tour dates, a Brooklyn show w/ Castevet"

words by BBG, photos by Brian Reilly

The unreal KEN Mode at Union Pool

Rosetta, KEN Mode, Engineer, and My America did their damnedest to destroy Union Pool on Friday (5/28) as part of a BV/1000Knives production.

My America opened the show at the stroke of 8:45 with their Louisville take on Am-Rep punk. It was my third time seeing the band as of late. Each time I left as impressed with the band's tone and intensity. And dudes have tunes!

As a fan of Engineer, it was fascinating to hear the band's set of mostly new material. With a greater focus on songcraft and melody, the songs seemed to have more light and shade and less pedal-to-the-floor bombast that could be found on earlier releases like 2008's The Dregs. That's not to say this band was anything but pummeling, it's just that the new material varies in it's assault.

I defy any fan of Unsane, Today Is The Day, Am-Rep, and/or noisy, thundering punk to not absolutely love KEN Mode. The Canadian band's high-energy performance was my highlight of my evening. Their take on noise rock filtered through a hardcore lens was furious, energetic, menacing and ultimately, very impressive. I already can't wait for their NYC return. Word is that the band will do their next NYC date surrounding the recording of their new LP at GodCity with Kurt Ballou! That LP will see the light of day on Profound Lore, though an official date is still TBD.

Rosetta headlined the evening, and as usual, the Philadelphia band played a swelling, but ultimately muscular set culled from their recent A Determinism of Morality LP (out NOW on Translation Loss). Less than 24 hours later, the band would play ABC No Rio (a different set, by the way) with Starkweather.

More pics and some video from the Union Pool show are below...

Continue reading "KEN Mode, Rosetta, Engineer & My America played Union Pool - pics & video "

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Rosetta - "Ayil" (MP3)

Rosetta at Public Assembly (more by Brian Reilly)

In the age of the post-post-sub-subgenre, it can be a bit tough to carve a niche for your band, let alone make compelling and forward-thinking tunage. Rosetta know how to keep it fresh; the Philadelphia band has continually revamped their approach from LP to LP, drawing from the dreaded "Neur-Isis" gene pool, yet also delving into atmospherics, post-rock, and an amalgam of influences to create their own stew that is as effective on record as it is live (very effective).

Now Rosetta has a new LP, Determinism of Morality, that flexes a bit more of a slimmed down approach, and the results are great. Check out the track "Ayil" available for download above, and pick up a copy of the album on Translation Loss.

Rosetta is scheduled to play FRIDAY (5/28) alongside new Profound Lore signees Ken Mode, the unstoppable Engineer, and Am-Rep-by-way-of-Louisville faves My America as part of a BV/1000Knives production at Union Pool. You can also catch them at an all ages show at ABC No Rio in the afternoon one day later.

All Rosetta tour dates, and some video (including the band performing "Ayil" at Public Assembly) are below...

Continue reading "new Rosetta LP out now (MP3), NYC Friday & more tour dates "

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: KEN Mode - "The Romanticist" (MP3)

The unfucwitable KEN Mode!

BrooklynVegan and 1000 Knives are proud to announce Ken Mode with My America and Engineer at Union Pool on May 28th! For the unfamiliar, Winnipeg's Ken Mode play a particular blistering brand of metal/noise rock/hardcore that recalls Today Is The Day, Unsane, and early Mastodon. The band is prepping to release a new album, the follow-up to the badass Mennonite which dropped in 2008.

My America recently wowed me at The Charleston when they played with Tiger Flowers. Fans of AmRep, Young Widows, and noisecore take note. Ruling!

The great Engineer have completed recording of their new album, and are working on artwork and additional tour dates in May and August (stay tuned!). Engineer's last album, The Dregs, was named one of Decibel's Top 40 albums of 2007. I concur.

Continue reading "Ken Mode playing NYC w/ My America & Engineer, tour TBA "

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Arckanum - "Þursvitnir" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Impetuous Ritual - "Ceremonial Disembowelment" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Amenra - "Wear My Crown" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Fistula - "Bi-Polar Bear" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Fight Amp - "Be Safe" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: KEN Mode - Holiday Sampler (Zipped MP3s)
DOWNLOAD: Elder - "Friendly Fire" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Struck By Lightning - "False Hope" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Ludicra - "A Larger Silence" (MP3)

Dark Castle @ Union Pool (more by Sam Marble)

In recent months, the upswing in metal coverage on BV has rendered the moniker "Week In Metal" unnecessary. Small blurbs in "WIM" (as we call it around here) about Dark Castle have given way to photosets from their shows and posting of tour dates as they happen. Chalk it up to progress.

Starting this week, we will introduce a bit of a new direction for the old Week In Metal column, but without straying too far from the previous. The new column, entitled Short Wave Warfare, will scale back a bit, focusing on news that falls below the radar as well as shining a spotlight on new bands and upcoming shows in the NYC area. It won't be weekly. I hope you enjoy it.

Stay tuned for more upcoming shows in addition to Coalesce at Europa, Magrudergrind at Cake Shop, and The Hope Conspiracy at Union Pool, as well as a year-end best of 2009 post from myself and some of my favorite artists.

Thanks for reading. News on Portal, Oxbow, Master's Hammer, a collaboration between sunn O))) and Ulver, a new Haiyaino Daisuki & Gridlink, Amenra, Earthride, Kreator, Mammoth Grinder and so much more as (the new) Short Wave Warfare continues below....

Continue reading "Short Wave Warfare (12/9/09) (formerly This Week in Metal)"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Intronaut - "The Literal Black Cloud" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: KEN mode - "The Romanticist" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Discordance Axis - ENTIRE Live Set from CBGB, 6/3/00 (Mediafire Link, setlist/credit)
DOWNLOAD: Noothgrush - Live at KZSU 5/01/96 (Mediafire Link, setlist/credit)
DOWNLOAD: Wolves In The Throne Room - Live at Slim's 10/2/07 (Mediafire Link, setlist/credit)

Gojira's The Way Of All Flesh

Gojira has finally announced news on it's latest punch to the gut, The Way of All Flesh! The much anticipated follow-up to From Mars to Sirius will drop on October 13th on Prosthetic, and look for the band to hit Europe with In Flames in late Sept/Oct (tour dates below). Joe Duplantier played on the Cavalera Conspiracy album, who recently played Irving Plaza with The Dillinger Escape Plan.

As we discussed before, Intronaut are on tour with Behold The Arctopus and Mouth Of The Architect (Deadsea and Wetnurse are also on the colossal NYC bill), packin heat from the forthcoming Prehistoricisms on Sept 16th. Check out "The Literal Black Cloud", available for download above!

KEN mode dropped their new record, Mennonite on their own label, Arctodus Records. Pick it up here. The follow-up to their 2006 release on Escape Artist, Reprisal, KEN mode draws from the glory days of Am-Rep and noise punk, adding a brute force Mastodon-type approach. We have "The Romanticist" from Mennonite available for download above, but be careful, it's mean & nasty.

much, much more below...

Continue reading "This Week In METAL (07/29/08)"