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)"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Vitamin X - "Deal With It" w/ John Brannon of Negative Approach (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Vitamin X - "You Suck" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Hooded Menace - "Grasp Of The Beastwoman" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Mammoth Grinder - "God is Stuck in a Black Hole" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Saros - "Reversion" (MP3)

Cattle Decapitation live @ Gilman, photo by Taija Lynn

Cattle Decapitation have announced dates in support of their new record, The Harvest Floor due on 1/20/09. Supported by Psyopus, Book Of Black Earth, and Gigan, full tour dates are below, but no NYC just yet.

Adding insult on top of insult to injury, Maryland Death Fest have added powerviolence bad-asses Despise You (with Phil Vera of Crom), as well as grinders Pigsty. This is on top of Mayhem, Bolt Thrower, Enslaved and soooo many others... Unfortunately, Repulsion have cancelled their appearance.

Need a fix of fun, skull-splitting hardcore? Vitamin X have dropped their new record, Full Scale Assault on Tankcrimes and it is one awe-inspiring slab of lightning riffery and old-school hardcore punk produced by none other than Steve Albini at Electrical Audio Studios. Sporting ultra-suh-weeeet artwork by John Baizley of Baroness, the band has been kind enough to drop off a pair of MP3s from the record... check out "Deal With it" featuring John Brannon of Negative Approach and "You Suck" downloadable above and pick up the album here.

How many times has a headliner you dug dropped off a bill, and you were actually pleased with the results? In a bit of shuffling, Doomriders have dropped off their bill with Tombs at Union Pool on 12/20 (frown), BUT Bloodhorse (who are working on a new record), Keelhaul(!), and Acid Tiger (Ben from Cave-in, Converge) have been added! So Keelhaul in NYC, huh? Exciting, and it sounds like they have more than just the show on their agenda...

We are going to Brooklyn to record another cd with Andrew Schneider in December. Yee haw.-[Keelhaul myspace]

NOICE! Meanwhile, look for Tombs to play a show at Death By Audio on Dec 6th, play a few shows opening for Don Caballero at both Maxwell's and Europa, and embark on a short tour in the new year with Dysrhythmia. Full Keelhaul and Tombs dates are below.

Doomers My Dying Bride have revealed details of their new album, For Lies I Sire due in 2009 via Peaceville! Spanning nine tracks and recorded with producer Mags, vocalist Aaron Stainhorpe recently discussed the new record with Beyond The Dark Horizon.

Saros, the Bay Area blackened prog metal band contructed from members of the almighty Weakling and Amber Asylum, will drop their new album Acrid Plains on Profound Lore 2/17/09. Album art is below and check out the new MP3, "Reversion" available for download above.

Mammoth Grinder are scheduled to rage through the tri-state in the new year. The trio will be in town on Jan 3rd to double up.. playing shows at ABC No Rio (matinee) AND The Charleston (night) in support of their long-player Rage & Ruin and No Results 7" due together on Assassinated Records. Alternating between thundering doom and crusty hardcore, check out heavily doom-oriented "God is Stuck in a Black Hole " from Rage & Ruin, downloadable above.

Gracial death-doomers Hooded Menace are responsible for the massive Fulfill The Curse on Razorback Records. It's out NOW and it's absolutely frightening.. highly reccomended for fans of Coffins and death-doom in particular. Check out the track "Grasp Of The Beastwoman" from Fulfill The Curse and pray for your own safety that these Finns never make it to the US... it'll be a massacre.

More news on Intronaut, Pelican, The Sword, Krallice, Saint Vitus, Total Fucking Destruction and more as The Week In Metal continues...

Continue reading "This Week In METAL (11/20/08) "

by Black Bubblegum

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

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

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

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

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