DOWNLOAD: Narrows - "Absolute Betrayer" (MP3)

photos by Stephanie Crumley, additional SSoS photos by Suren Karapetyan

All Pigs Must Die @ Acheron

At Acheron in Brooklyn on Friday night [Kevin Baker of All Pigs Must Die's] singing and stage presence were roughly the same: self-possessed but bristling, an act of containing endless rage more than distributing a measurable amount. He barked short lines at maximum bellow, and the phrases and images ran together from song to song: "the soil soaked with blood," "merchant of death," "erase from existence," "no graves, no coffins" -- you get it. His ire slowly expanded, and what would happen when he popped? At one point he whipped a drumstick over the heads of the crowd in the tiny space; at another, during a problem with the sound system, he crashed the microphone stand against an overhead speaker. But he was careful, even graceful.

All of that can make a band imposing. What makes this one special -- its first full album, "God Is War" (Southern Lord), was one of the better rock records of any kind last year -- is that it strikes a weird place between aggression and virtuosic joy. You don't have to know anything about Ben Koller, the drummer, to recognize how good he is; he's been a member of the metalcore band Converge since the late '90s, and his loud playing is full of momentum, swing and flourish. (He performed the entire set with a wide, hungry smile.) Likewise what came from the guitar of Adam Wentworth and the bass of Matt Woods: big, rugged, articulated and stylized sound, suggesting different sources every 30 seconds or so.
[NY Times]

If you missed All Pigs Must Die, catch them with Narrows on March 9th at Knitting Factory. Narrows is readying the release of their new LP Painted via Deathwish on 2/28. Stream a new track, "Absolute Betrayer", below (or download it above) alongside pictures from Acheron....

Continue reading "All Pigs Must Die, Seven Sisters of Sleep & Low Places played Acheron with Grudges (pics)"

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Narrows - "Absolute Betrayer" (MP3)

All Pigs Must Die in MA on 12/29 (more by Stephanie Crumley)

Speaking of All Pigs Must Die... In addition to the previously discussed show they're playing at Acheron on 1/20 with Seven Sisters of Sleep, Low Places, and Grudges, they're also playing a NYC date as part of a tour toward SXSW with Narrows on March 9th at Knitting Factory, Tickets for the new Brooklyn show are on sale. All dates are listed below.

The shows are in celebration of Narrows' forthcoming LP Painted, due via Deathwish on February 28th. Download a new track above/stream it below...

Continue reading "Narrows going on tour w/ All Pigs Must Die, releasing 'Painted' (MP3 & dates)"

words by BBG, photos by Samantha Marble

Narrows

"This is the first night of our European tour," Dave Verellen said as Narrows took the stage a shade past 11PM at Cake Shop on 4/24. As the first date of their tour before the band shipped off tour Europe, I guess he was technically right. The NYC show almost didn't happen though; guitarist Jodie Cox resides in the UK and was delayed due to the volcanic ash in Europe. But the hardcore gods were smiling upon the sweaty basement at Cake Shop, and molten magma could not stop the destruction to come.

Narrows was on point. The instrumental portion of the band were noisy and powerful, furious and tight - you would never know their members live on different continents. Over it all, ex-Botch mainman Verellen spent a good portion of the show leaning on the front row of the crowd. He spent the second portion doubled over and screaming his lungs out. There is a reason why some consider him to have one of the greatest voices in hardcore.

The BV/1000 Knives show also featured the badass Acid Tiger (celebrating their new LP, and with guitarist Jim Carroll of HopeCon on second guitar), the post-hardcore stylings of I Hate Our Freedom, and antisocial grind greats Psychic Limb. All four bands executed well, with Acid Tiger sounding particularly huge with the addition of the second guitarist.

Pics and tons of video from the show below...

Continue reading "Narrows, Acid Tiger, I Hate Our Freedom & Psychic Limb @ Cake Shop in NYC - pics & video"

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Acid Tiger "Feel It" (MP3)

Acid Tiger (photo by Chloe Rice)


Ben Koller is a busy dude. Besides drumming for one of the most innovative hardcore bands in the land, Converge, the man is also working on a number of projects including Acid Tiger, his band with Lukas Previn (Thursday, The AKAs), Adam Wentworth (Bloodhorse), and J Rattlesnake. The foursome will release their self-titled debut on Deathwish with the first downloadable track, "Feel It", available above. Stream two more tracks at Deathwish. The LP hits stores on 4/27 (order it).

The Brooklyn-based punk band will celebrate the LP this weekend (their only current date) with a performance at the BV/1000 Knives presentation of Narrows along with I Hate Our Freedom (mem Texas Is The Reason) and Psychic Limb. Pre-sale ticketing is kaput, but tickets are still available at the door. It's one of two shows that BV/1000 Knives will present over the weekend, with The Red Chord, the NYC return of Premonitions of War, Tiger Flowers, and Descender rounding out the Sunday (4/25) lineup at Public Assembly. $10 gets you in at the door.

Adam Wentworth and Ben Koller have also announced their involvement in All Pigs Must Die, a new project featuring Adam's Bloodhorse comrade Matt Woods and Kevin Baker of The Hope Conspiracy (that recently played Cake Shop). The band recently recorded new material with Kurt Ballou for a forthcoming release.

Lukas, Ben, and Kevin Baker also serve time in United Nations, with Geoff Rickly (Thursday) and Jonah Bayer rounding out the lineup. UN will release their new EP Nevermind The Bombings, Here's Your Six Figures via Deathwish soon.

BV/1000 Knives/AEG Live are also happy to present Converge at Santos Party House on 5/6 with support from Touche Amore, Lewd Acts, and the phenom Black Breath. Tickets are going fast, but are still available.

Some vids and all tour dates are below...

Continue reading "new Acid Tiger MP3, show Saturday & other tour dates "

by BBG

Narrows at Knitting Factory (more by Samantha Marble)

I have nothing against Cave In. That band rules, but I did notice a trend on my way out of the Cave In show at Knitting Factory in November; every other person seemed to remark how amazing the opener, Narrows, was. For a band with members scattered across the globe (literally), it's rather impressive for them to not only be so cohesive but to even get together and play live at all, let alone in NYC... TWICE in less than a year.

YUP, 1000 Knives and BrooklynVegan are proud to announce the return of Narrows to Cake Shop on April 24th with two bands TBD. The show is not part of a tour, just a one off exclusive East Coast appearance! Sounds like a road-tripper to me, but before you leave make sure and buy advance tickets for $10. If you're a gambler, roll the dice and buy $12 tickets at the door.

In addition to that whopper of a show, yesterday we announced another show at Cake Shop - Blacklisted, Gods & Queens, Tiger Flowers (who blessed us with a new joint), and Chambers on 3/6. Tickets are on sale. It's one of two shows that Blacklisted is playing as part of a BV/1000 Knives Production, with the second going down this Friday at Cake Shop (1/15) with HopeCon (win tix). BV is also presenting Tombs/Rosetta on 1/22 at Union Pool, Magrudergrind/Defeatist on 1/23 at Cake Shop, and Unsane/Made Out of Babies on 2/6 at Union Pool.

All Narrows dates below...

Continue reading "Narrows coming back to NYC - BV Presents a one-off show @ Cake Shop & other 2010 tour dates "

words by BBG, photos by Sam Marble

Cave In, Narrows, and Trap Them completed a short tour of the east coast as part of Cave In's first trek in close to four years. The band was also touring off of Planets of Old, which dropped earlier this year in limited vinyl, and will be released on CD with an accompanying DVD in the new year. Culled from their first reunion show in Boston, the DVD features live footage of the entire show. Dig on a taste of that here.

The show also marked the first East Coast date for supergroup Narrows, which features Dave Verellen of Botch, as well as members of Unbroken, Some Girls (which featured Wes Eisold of Cold Cave), and many others. For Trap Them, it was their first NYC show since pummeling NYC with Napalm Death, Coliseum, Kataklysm and Toxic Holocaust.

Coliseum, who recently played Fun Fun Fun Fest with Coalesce, are heading back out with the KC band and hitting up NYC on Dec 30 at Europa with A Storm Of Light. Tickets are on sale.

More pics from the Brooklyn show below...

Continue reading "Cave In, Trap Them & Narrows played Knitting Factory in Brooklyn - pics & setlist "

by Black Bubblegum

Cave In: Gods of Woodland Hardcore

It was bound to happen, and now it has. Cave In will play NYC on 11/19 at Knitting Factory as part of a short east coast tour with Narrows and Trap Them! Ticket info is forthcoming.

Cave In, who came out of hiatus over the summer, are also playing shows with Coalesce in the next week for FREE in ATL on 10/7, and 10/8 in LA at The Knitting Factory (one of the last shows at the California venue). RSVP for those FREE shows here.

The tour announcement comes on the heels of the announcement that the limited Planets Of Old 12" will be re-released as an CD EP in the new year. All dates below...

Continue reading "Cave In playing shows! - Knitting Factory in NYC, an East Coast tour w/ Trap Them (dates), free in ATL & LA (RSVP)"

by Black Bubblegum

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

by Black Bubblegum

Tail Swallower & Dove

Seattle's These Arms Are Snakes have declared their new album and Suicide Squeeze debut, Tail Swallower & Dove finis! Due Oct 7th, the record was produced by Chris Common at the Red Room (Matt Bayles & Common's recording studio) in Seattle.

In related ex-Botch news, Minus The Bear has announced another US tour this time with Annuals. The tour includes another date a Webster Hall with Sylvie on October 25th, tickets go on sale Saturday 8/9 at noon here.

Also in the ex-Botch file, the new Narrows seven-inch isn't out yet, but you can get it digitally on iTunes and Amazon.com.

A video of Minus the Bear's recent Jimmy Kimmel appearance and all tour dates below...

Continue reading "Minus The Bear & Annuals tour dates, Kimmel video & the new These Arms are Snakes record "

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Pulling Teeth - Live @ Sound & Fury 2K7 (ALBUM ZIP)
DOWNLOAD: Gnaw Their Tongues - Bubonic Burial Rites (ALBUM ZIP), ALBUM ART
DOWNLOAD: Gnaw Their Tongues - Vomiting Helplessly (ALBUM ZIP), ALBUM ART

Opeth!

Twenty six. Thats how many days we have left until the new Opeth record hits the streets. Mikael Akerfeldt & the boys have put in WORK when it comes to publicity for this record so check out a few interviews that they did here, here, here, here, here, and a seven-parter here. Whew! And here's a taste of their setlist from the Universal City, CA date (May 2nd) of the Progressive Nation Tour:

Master's Apprentices
Baying of the Hounds
In My Time of Need
Wreath
Heir Apparent
The Drapery Falls

More dates have been added to the Cavalera Conspiracy tour.... check for the full tour dates below. Missed the presale? Don't worry, tickets are back on sale as of Friday morning @ 10am.

Speaking of the Cavaleras, check out the cover for the new Soulfly record Conquer here, as well as the tracklisting below. Conquer will feature guest appearances by David Vincent (Morbid Angel) and Dave Peters (Throwdown).

Speaking of two nights at the venue formerly known as Irving Plaza, tickets are still on sale for the first of two At the Gates reunion shows. The second night is sold out.

much, much more...............

Continue reading "This Week In METAL (05/09/08)"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Narrows - "Life Vests Float, Kids Don't" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: These Arms Are Snakes - "Horse Girl" (MP3)

As mentioned by our fair compatriot Largehearted Boy, today marks the release of instru-metallers Russian Circles's Station on Suicide Squeeze. Mosey on over to Spinner and check it out. Me likey.

Russian Circles share a band member, ex-Botch-er and bassist Brian Cook, with These Arms Are Snakes who have announced a new album of their own. Slated for recording on May 9th and release on Oct 7th, the new album (the name is a secret) also has a new home....Suicide Squeeze! Chris Common, drummer of These Arms Are Snakes and producer of 2006's Easter (as well as Mouth Of The Architect's new one, and records by Minus the Bear) will run the boards.

Ryan Fredriksen (These Arms Are Snakes) has his own side project, Narrows, featuring the one and only Dave Verellen (ex-Botch) on throat but also boasting members of Unbroken and Some Girls. The band will release a 7" EP this month on Deathwish, followed by an LP due later this year.

Russian Circles are playing the MHOW with Daughters on June 29th. Tickets are on sale.