by BBG

LSOD at Scion Rock Fest 2010 (more)

Bad news folks, Master has cancelled their US tour with Lightning Swords of Death & Mobile Deathcamp which obviously includes this week's show at Europa. Paul Speckmann has commented:

"We arrived Tuesday morning in Holland and after intense questioning we proceeded to the eye and body scan machine. Along with the other passengers, we proceeded to the plane. We arrived in Detroit and went to passport control. I waited for about two hours for any word on the guys. The police came to explain that the visa waiver program didn't apply to musicians. So they sent me to customs and proceeded to tear apart everything and sent me on my way. I waited for six hours to get on another airplane and return to Europe. Thankfully the lady at the Delta checkout counter was very helpful and confirmed that the guys would be on the next plane in the evening and I could return with them. The guys were escorted to the plane by four police officers and returned their passports when we arrived in Amsterdam. Since when are musicians and terrorists in the same category? Again I apologize to all the bands, organizers and fans of course. I guess the CD cover of the Human Machine CD has become a reality!"

A LSOD live video from Scion Fest below...

Continue reading "Master cancel tour w/ Lightning Swords of Death"

by BBG

Old school death-metallers Master will hit the road for dates with Lightning Swords of Death and Mobile Deathcamp (mem of Gwar). The tour, which kicks off in Frederick, MD on March 2nd, hits NYC and Europa on March 4th. Tickets are not on sale as of this post. The tour is in support of Master's 2010 release via Pulverized Records, The Human Machine.

Lightning Swords of Death recently dropped their The Extra-Dimensional Wound on 2xLP. Pick up a copy. We interviewed LSoD about the LP last year.

Full tour dates and some video below...

Continue reading "Master touring w/ Lightning Swords of Death & Mobile Deathcamp (dates)"

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Lightning Swords Of Death - "Nihilistic Stench" (MP3)

LSOD at Scion Rock Fest (more)

The reaction was immediate; LA's Lightning Swords of Death floored me in the choking fog of Lit Lounge last year, destroying the small crowd at the NY date of a short east coast campaign. Then it happened again when Scion Rock Fest got their heaping dose of rattling doom riffs and charging black metal fury. LSOD was to be feared, and their riffs to be admired.

During both appearances, the band played songs that didn't appear on their previous release The Golden Plague, but would later show on The Extra-Dimensional Wound, the band's new album which hits store shelves Tuesday (5/25) via their new home Metal Blade Records. "Nihilistic Stench" from that album is available for free download above.

As the band prepares to release their ravenous new beast into the wild, we cornered maniacal vocalist Autarch for a sit down on his band, its moniker, the LA scene, and the new LP. Check that interview out below...

Continue reading "an interview w/ Lightning Swords of Death & a new MP3"

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Altar of Plagues - "Atlantic Lights" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Black Breath - "Children Of The Horn" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Celeste - Morte Nee(s) (Zipped LP)
DOWNLOAD: Get Rad - "Life Without A Plan" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Get Rad - "Honest Man/Wild Man" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Inter Arma - "Epicenter" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Ufomammut - Eve Snippets (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Nachtmystium - "No Funeral" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Yakuza - "Stones And Bones" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Sayyadina - "Razor Discipline" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Culted - "Spirituosa" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Year of No Light - "Hierophant" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Castevet - "Grey Matter" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Deathwish MMX Spring Sampler (Zipped MP3 files)

Twilight

Surprise! After a few CDs made their way into record stores accidentally (I am told) Twilight, the Blake Judd/Wrest project that now features N. Imperial (Kreig), Aaron Turner (Isis), Stavros Giannopoulos (The Atlas Moth) and Sanford Parker (Minsk) is out NOW on CD via Southern Lord! The record was engineered by Sanford Parker, who also contributed synths, and features eight tracks with Robert Lowe (Lichens) contributing vocals to three of them. No official word on a release date for the LP, but get out and order a copy... I think I may enjoy it more than the new Nachtmystium. Speaking of the new Nachtmystium, Stereogum recently premiered the keyboard heavy "No Funeral" from the forthcoming Addicts: Black Meddle Pt. II. Dig on that above.

Call me obsessed, but the new Black Breath, Heavy Breathing, is on serious rotation lately- much like their previous EP Razors To Oblivion was last year. The new LP has Kurt Ballou's dirty little fingers all over it, bringing their rich early Swedish death metal meets hardcore sound to life, as exhibited in "Children of The Horn" available above. Get Heavy Breathing now via Southern Lord. Black Breath will open the BV/1000 Knives/AEG Live Converge extravaganza at Santos Party House on 5/6 along with Touche Amore and Lewd Acts. Make sure and get their early (their live show is worth it), and get your tickets in advance (it WILL sell out). Seriously brutal and fun stuff... you gotta love a band that screams "reject Christ, spit on the cross" at the top of their lungs. Or am I alone on that one?

Though it only lasts two tracks (but conversely- 35 minutes), the new EP from Altar of Plagues, Tides, is every bit as powerful as White Tomb, one of my favorite LPs of last year. AoP's new Tides EP is currently up for pre-order via Burning World Records (cop it), but until that package arrives, make sure and dig on "Atlantic Lights" from the EP (50% of the record!) , which makes it's world premiere here!

An LP from last year that was just too good to be free was Celeste's Misanthrope(s). With a potent mix of black metal, furious hardcore, and even melody, it was a seriously underrated record that deserved much more attention than it got. Even though Misanthrope(s) is barely in the rear view, the band has released their new LP, Morte Nee(s) for FREE download (get it above). Make sure and order a copy of the LP for yourself via Denovali as well though, it's one to keep for posterity.

Richmond's Inter Arma totally floored me at The Charleston with their furious mix of black metal, southern stoner style and Neurosis-style imperial riffage. Besides being a jawdropping live band, Inter Arma has also put together a pretty memorable record as well in the form of Sundown, out soon on Forcefield Records. Featuring members of another great Richmond band, Bastard Sapling, check out the band when they hit the road in July, but until then, check out Sundown!

A darkness has settled over the land... details on Watain's new album have been revealed! Entitled Lawless Darkness, the effort was recorded at Necromorbus Studio (Deathspell Omega, Funeral Mist, Ondskapt, Nominon, Unanimated et al) in Alvik, Sweden, and is due on June 7 with the below cover art and the tracklisting as listed down below. The release follows their picture disc EP Reaping Death which quickly disappeared, though the CD single is currently available.

That Watain cover, plus news on Blood Revolt (Primordial + Revenge), Loss, Man Is The Bastard, Hail of Bullets, Woe, a new Inquisition LP, and more as Short Wave Warfare continues....

Continue reading "Short Wave Warfare (04/20/10)"

words by Kim Kelly, intro by BBG, photos by Christopher Mumma & BBG

Thou

SXSW was a blast, but days before that the Scion Rock Fest shook the college town of Columbus, Ohio (March 13th) with it's mix of metal gods of the past (DRI, Cannibal Corpse, Voivod, Shrinebuilder, etc) and killers of today (Ludicra, Landmine Marathon, Yob, Thou, etc). The one-day fest was spread throughout four of the town's venue, meaning any one person could only see a limited amount of the full lineup. Luckily I went to Columbus with my own camera, two other photographers (Jessie Barber and Christopher Mumma), and crossed paths with writer Kim Kelly along the way. If there is a metal show worth a damn within hundreds (thousands?) of miles from Kim, she'll be there. Her version of the story along with half of the pictures from the day (the rest HERE), below...

Continue reading "Scion Rock Fest in pics & review (part 1) - Ludicra, Liturgy, D.R.I., Yob, Thou, Lightning Swords of Death & more "

by BBG

Shrinebuilder at LPR (more here)

Atlanta no more! Scion Rock Fest 2010 will take place in Columbus, Ohio on March 13, 2010. The show will officially expand its reach from one to FOUR venues in Columbus: Circus, Newport Music Hall, Skully's, and Bernie's Distillery. 2010's lineup contains zero return bands from the 2009 festival but does contain sets from bands that released my favorite albums of last year (namely Magrudergrind, Yob, Absu) and played my favorite shows of last year (Lightning Swords of Death, Landmine Marathon, Trap Them, Black Tusk, Ludicra) in addition to sets from headliners Cannibal Corpse, Voivod, Shrinebuilder, Brutal Truth.

The rest of the lineup, the show flyer, and RSVP info is below...

Continue reading "Scion Rock Fest 2010 (March 13 in Ohio) - lineup announced"

by Black Bubblegum

Lightning Swords of Death

What better place to see the black metal attack of Liturgy (though some call them "white metal"), Lightning Swords of Death, Bastard Sapling, and Agrath than the dingy basement of Lit Lounge, where the bands squared off on August 17th as part of Precious Metal.

I arrived bright and early to catch Agrath, the only band of the four that I wasn't familiar with. The NYC band had some interesting discordant riffage and were tight/executed very well, but had little to no stage prescence- save for the moments in between songs when the vocalist croaked song titles in his best black metal screech. If Agrath can somehow channel the evil from their riffs into their live show, they could be something interesting.

Richmond's Bastard Sapling followed, whom I was previous familiar via their performance at the ABC No Rio in Feb with Tombs, Black Anvil, and Woe (helluva bill right?) back in February. Beyond intense performance from this thrashy black metal five piece which includes the ex-drummer from CR (who are reuniting in September). Killer band, and highly reccommended if you get the chance to catch them.

Lightning Swords of Death was the main attraction of the evening for me, and the Los Angeles band managed to be beyond amazing in what ranks as one of the greatest performances I have ever seen in the basement of Lit Lounge. LSOD played with a fog machine (set to maximum, I am guessing?) which, when coupled with the Lit Lounge house light rig, clouded the basement and recalled a Zoroaster live show. Each member contributes a vital piece to LSOD: Roskva's (who also does time in Endless Blizzard) thundering guitar tone recalls that of a doom band and not one more conducive to tremolo picking. Reverend Black snarls, crouches low and plays bass like an unhinged barbarian, complete with a freakout noise session that would have made Thurston Moore proud. Lead vocalist Autarch vocals are fantastically diabolical, and he is comfortable in the role of blasphemous ringmaster. And drummer Thrudvang... he is talented and all but I pretty much can't guarantee much more than that because the fog was so damn dense.

LSOD were unbelievable live and I cannot reccomend them enough. I find it somewhat shocking that a major like Metal Blade would sign a band of this style (although Century Media did sign Nachtmystium), but I am beyond excited to see it. Random question though... is this band's name a reference to the great Lone Wolf and Cub series of kung fu films? If so, my appreciation for that moniker jumps up considerably.

It was a tall order for Liturgy to top LSOD, and the four piece did their best. Drawing heavily from their to-be-lauded LP Renihilation, the band were tight, focused, and muscular. I have seen Liturgy many a time, and it seems that this relatively young band is experienced beyond their years and keep getting better. During their second to last song, guitarist/vocalist Hunter broke a string and instead of having the audience wait until he replaced that string, said "that's it, sorry guys". A few in the audience started to trickle out, but screams of "one more" eventually led the band to make a deal: if they could wait until the string was changed and the band would play on. The audience did, and Liturgy did. Sounds like a fair trade to me.

More pictures from the show below...

Continue reading "Lightning Swords of Death, Bastard Sapling & Liturgy @ Lit Lounge in NYC (Precious Metal) - pics"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Asphyx - "Scorbutics" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Gods & Queens - "Head To Wall" (Quicksand cover, MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Catalyst - "I Hate The Future" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Planks - S/T (Rapidshare, Zipped MP3)
DOWNLOAD: They Are Cowards - Demo (Mediafire, Zipped MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Overmars - "Born Again" (MP3 Snippet)

Asphyx

Thanks all who came out Sunday night to Public Assembly. Full recap and pics coming soon HERE. In the meantime, pics from Friday's Repulsion show are HERE.

Asphyx's Death... The Brutal Way is due out in the US on August 18th, but it's shipping NOW at the Ibex Moon site. It's a sickening death/doom trip that's part down-tuned riff fest, part beastly conjuring, but 100% heavy heavy heavy. Recommended for fans of old school death metal, Entombed, Dismember, Autopsy, and the like. Check out one of the tracks, "Scorbutics", available for download above.

Gods & Queens currently have a new split 7" on the way via Hawthorne Street with the mighty Medusa, and have taken the time to drop off a killer cover of the Quicksand classic, "Head To Wall"! Download that above.

Weedeater have announced that Steve Albini will record their new album, which will be available in Spring 2010.

Swallow Your Teeth is the end of a long road for Richmond's The Catalyst, as the band has dropped multiple releases over their seven year history but THIS is their first LP! The noise-core merchants are currently streaming their Swallow Your Teeth at Scene Point Blank, but you can download the sick opening track, "I Hate The Future", above! The Catalyst have a few shows in the very near future, including The Glass Door on August 14th and a TBA show lined up for Aug 15th in Manhattan. Full tour dates are below. Pick up a copy of Swallow Your Teeth here.

Attention hardcore fans! Lambgoat is reporting that the legendary Disembodied will release Psalms of Sheol on Prime Directive in August, comprised of thirteen tracks of rare and unreleased material that includes the Existence In Suicide MCD and the Confession 7". Disembodied has reunited and sporadically played shows recently.

Baroness has a new album on the way, which we knew, but we now can attach a name to that effort Blue Record! The LP was recorded in Dallas, Texas with producer/engineer John Congleton (Explosions In The Sky, Black Mountain) and will hit the racks in October. Meanwhile, dig on the cover art (to the left) and the tracklisting below!

First of all, The Endless Blockade would like it be known that they "have not broken up". As a matter of fact, they finally released their split with Agoraphobic Nosebleed and have a split with The Bastard Noise out soon (stream the new BN track here). The boys in TEB "just figured another band would give us even less time in our lives to do anything else". That new band? Slaughter Strike.

Candlelight records has signed the mighty midwestern band The Atlas Moth, whose new album A Glorified Piece of Blue Sky will be released on Oct 6th. The band dropped their massive EP, Pray for Tide, on Witch Trial last year.

Planks have reissued their 2008 split with Tombs as the "European edition" featuring artwork by Mike Wohlberg. If you never got a hold of the Black Box Recordings version, it is highly recommended. Pick that up through the either of the bands on tour. Meanwhile, Planks recently made their massive S/T LP (where these two songs came from) available for free download! Pick that up above. Mike Hill of Tombs has posted all of the lyrics from the massive Winter Hours via his blog.

Crucial Blast is set to release Overmars's 2008 LP Born Again. The LP combines electronics, ambient soundscapes, Swans industrial dirge, and the thunder of Neurosis to create a different and powerful take on post-metal. The band is scheduled to hit the US with the mighty Battlefields, logging a pair of dates in NYC: Europa on August 16th and September 3rd at The Charleston. This will destroy.

Mastodon, High On Fire, Converge, and Dethklok announced dates (and a presale).

The premiere of the NEW Goes Cube video for "Saab Sonnet", more news on Black Sun, Absu, Trap Them, Kylesa, Anaal Nathrakh, and Darkthrone as This Week In Metal continues.....

Continue reading "this week in Metal (8/5/09) (includes new Goes Cube video)"