Here is the initial lineup for Willamette Week's MusicfestNW, scheduled for Sept. 7-11, 2011 in Portland, Oregon, and it's pretty great. The multi-venue fest includes big outdoor performances by Band of Horses (Sunday, Sept. 11), Explosions in the Sky (Saturday, Sept. 10), and Iron & Wine (Friday, Sept. 9), in addition to shows with everyone from Archers of Loaf to Big Freedia to Butthole Surfers to Neurosis. Tickets go on sale Friday, June 3rd. Check out the full list below...

Continue reading "MusicfestNW 2011 -- dates & initial lineup"

words by BBG, photos by Chloe Rice

Sammy Duet of Goatwhore (also ex-Acid Bath)

Village Voice: It's been noted that CMJ is noticeably more "metal" this year, and there's a sense that metal's becoming more and more respected all-around.

Mike Williams of Eyehategod: Well, I wouldn't call Eyehategod "metal", but I do see extreme, heavy music in general getting new attention from some different areas of the population. Also we've played in NYC for CMJ before, back in the '90s, so it doesn't really seem like a new thing. Anyway, is it "respected" or is it "trendy"? "Trendy" meaning hipsters now have discovered us. Who knows? I welcome all people who are remotely interested to check us out.

In what was definitely one of the most highly anticipated NYC metal shows of the year, and one of only a handful of metal shows during CMJ (Type O Negative at Irving Plaza, the official BrooklynVegan-BBG Relapse Records Showcase, among others), Eyehategod returned to NYC with an appearance on a Rocks Off Boat Cruise with Goatwhore, Pig Destroyer, and Strong Intention. To say people went a little apey is a bit of an understatement (see below pictures of moshpits, people hanging from balconies, and general insanity for further proof).

The caged animal is unleashed again TONIGHT (10/26), when Eyehategod play their SECOND area show, this time at Europa with Unearthly Trance, Tombs, Strong Intention, and BV-BBG/Relapse showcaser Howl. Tickets are still available.

Pics of Howl, along with Misery Index, Salome, Revocation, Black Anvil, Complete Failure, and Gloominous Doom from the BV-BBG/Relapse Showcase at Fontana's are on their way. More pics from the boat cruise (from hell?) are below...

Continue reading "Eyehategod played on a boat w/ Goatwhore, Strong Intention & Pig Destroyer (pics), playing Europa tonight"

words by Black Bubblegum, photos by Justina Villanueva

"We went mainly to see Repulsion, a seminal grindcore band from Flint, Michigan, who opened the show. Before setting on their current moniker they called themselves "Ultraviolence" and then "Genocide", which lends some insight into the group's aesthetic. Song titles include "Splattered Cadavers", "Pestilent Decay" and "Maggots in Your Coffin", and lyrics concentrate on fear, outrage and death. The crowd that gathered to see Repulsion at the Temple was 98% male and 90% under the age of 30. More than half boasted shoulder-length hair (or longer); nearly everyone wore a black T-shirt." [More Intelligent Life]

Repulsion, Brutal Truth, and Pig Destroyer added a little filth and decay to an already waterlogged Brooklyn on 7/31 at Brooklyn Masonic Temple. It was Repulsion's first NYC show EVER. The teaming also doubled as a release party for Decibel's Precious Metal book, which showcases Repulsion's Decibel Hall Of Fame comp LP/classic Horrified as its centerpiece.

More pictures from the show are below...

Continue reading "Repulsion (their first NYC show ever), Brutal Truth & Pig Destroyer @ Brooklyn Masonic Temple - pics"

words by Black Bubblegum, photos by Justina Villanueva

Goatwhore @ Gramercy! (July 23, 2009)

The legendary dark sons of southern hatemongering, Eyehategod, will trudge their way through the swampy muck of the Lousiana lowlands towards the Northeast where they will team up with Goatwhore and Strong Intention for a trio of dates. One of those dates will include Pig Destroyer on Oct 24th as part of a Rocks Off Boat Cruise in NYC!!! Tickets go on sale today (8/3) at noon. All dates below.

Goatwhore, winners of my award for "favorite band with the least favorite name", has a particularly amazing pedigree of former members of Acid Bath as well as current members of Soilent Green (which in turn shares members with EHG). Dax Riggs (of solo and Deadboy & The Elephantmen fame) was also a member of Acid Bath.

Goatwhore released the mega-Carving Out The Eyes Of God earlier this year and the band recently played (7/23) Gramercy Theater in NYC with Abigail Williams, SWAATS, Abysmal Dawn, and Daath. Pics from that show are above and below.

Meanwhile, EHG affiliated projects are going full speed ahead. NOLA supergroup Down (with Jimmy Bower of EHG) is hitting the road with Melvins & Weedeater (Nokia on Sept 11, tix here).

Pig Destroyer played NYC on July 31 with Repulsion & Brutal Truth. Those pics are forthcoming, but dig on a killer three way interview done between the guys here.

Other bands who recently announced boat shows include Deer Tick and Dead Meadow.

Pics and dates below...

Continue reading "Eyehategod tour dates including a Rocks Off boat in NYC w/ Pig Destroyer & Goatwhore (who played Gramercy - pics)"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Repulsion "The Stench Of Burning Death" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Brutal Truth "Evolution Through Revolution" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Pig Destroyer "Loathsome" (MP3)

Repulsion

Only four days left (July 31st) until the upcoming NYC debut of grind gods Repulsion along with the unfathomable support crew of Brutal Truth and Pig Destroyer at Brooklyn Masonic Temple. Tickets are still available.

The show will double as a book release party for Decibel's new book Precious Metal, which compiles 25 of their favorite "Hall Of Fame" LPs like Slayer's Reign in Blood, Napalm Death's Scum, Eyehategod's Take as Needed for Pain, Darkthrone's Transilvanian Hunger, Sleep's Jerusalem, The Dillinger Escape Plan's Calculating Infinity as well as the centerpiece for July 31st, Repulsion's Horrifed (Brutal Truth's Need To Control was also a Hall of Fame recipient, but didn't make the book). Decibel will also release a special "Decibill" at the show featuring pieces on all three bands by Decibel greats J. Bennett and Jess Blumensheld (cover of that is below).

In celebration of this momentous show, we asked Kevin Sharp (Brutal Truth), JR Hayes (Pig Destroyer) and Col Jones (Repulsion) to discuss one of the other bands on the bill, what they mean to them and extreme music. Their thoughts are below... a must read!

In addition, we'd be remiss if we didn't (again) mention another major show going down this weekend.... the Show No Mercy/BV-BBG event on Sunday, August 2nd at Public Assembly with Keelhaul, Minsk, Unearthly Trance, Defeatist, and STATS! So to get even MORE celebrate-y up in this mutha, we are happy to announce a MEGA-giveaway for BOTH shows. The prize includes tickets to both shows, records, the Decibel book and more.

Details on that prize and how to win it, the above-mentioned interview, as well as flyers for both shows, and more, below...

Continue reading "Repulsion, Brutal Truth & Pig Destroyer metal mega-post (interview, contest, shows this weekend & more)"

by Black Bubblegum

Repulsion circa 1992

They played Europa last night (5/17), and now we can confirm that Brutal Truth are playing another NYC show on July 31st at Brooklyn Masonic Temple. Brutal Truth will team up with Pig Destroyer (their first NYC appearance in two years) and US death metal/grind pioneers Repulsion!

In their first EVER NYC appearance, Repulsion will play ALL of their compilation Horrified as part of a salute to that classic collection of demos recently named the greatest Grindcore album of all time by Decibel Magazine.

While relatively unsung compared to heavyweights such as Napalm Death and Carcass, Repulsion nevertheless had a big impact in shaping the then-young grindcore genre during its brief heyday in the late '80s. As illustrated by a sole full-length release, the 1986 recording Horrified, the band's sound fell somewhere between the earlier proto-grind of Boston hardcore band Siege and the more fully developed grindcore of the early Napalm Death recordings, at least as far as the evolutionary ladder goes. They were also one of the first metal bands to use horror- and gore-oriented lyrics, thereby helping start a tradition that soon would descend to deeper and deeper depths of depravity as successive bands strove harder and harder to outdo one another.... Repulsion's music has still held up fairly well over the years, having been reissued several times and championed by bands and artists including Carcass, John Zorn, Napalm Death, Exhumed, Cattle Decapitation, Scott Hull of Pig Destroyer and Agoraphobic Nosebleed, and numerous others. -[allmusic]

July 31st. Brooklyn Masonic Temple. Ticket info forthcoming. Must. Go.

Agoraphobic Nosebleed, recently saw the coming of their new album Agorapocalypse. We interviewed Scott Hull before Scion Rock Fest.

Repulsion videos below...

Continue reading "Repulsion finally playing 1st NYC show (@ Masonic Temple) w/ Pig Destroyer & Brutal Truth (who played Europa) "

words by Black Bubblegum, photos by Steven Brown & Anthony Childs

DOWNLOAD: Rwake - Leviticus (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Kylesa - Said And Done (MP3)

"How about this fuckin' lineup man? Whoever put this thing together, I'd like to shake their hand" - CT of Rwake

Boris (Steven Brown)


I'd like to think it was the jawdropping lineup decreed by the gods upon Mt Scion that brought people out in droves to The Masquerade in Atlanta on February 28th, but I would imagine that some of it was also due to "free show" factor. Either way, there is something ridiculawesome about bands as great as Harvey Milk, Wolves In The Throne Room, and Coalesce having to turn people away due to reaching capacity. That is my idea of sweet metal justice... some of my current favorite bands in front of the audiences they deserve.

The Masquerade is a 2+ level club. The biggest stage, dubbed "Heaven", is located on the second floor and houses somewhere in the neighborhood of 1000 people. Two adjacent clubs on the main level, "Hell" & "Purgatory", house considerably less: "Hell" is primarily a dance floor, so there were some obstructed sightlines. "Purgatory" had multiple tiers, no elevated stage and very little room in front of the band. Behind the venue in a grassy area which was muddy due to the prior night's rain, a 4,000 person capacity tent was constructed for the main stage.

continued below...

Continue reading "Scion Rock Fest in review & pictures (Boris, Neurosis, Kylesa, Salome, Withered, Krallice, 1349 & more)"

by Black Bubblegum

Scott Hull performing with Pig Destroyer @ Europa (Josh Sisk)

Scion Rock Fest in Atlanta is just a few days away (Feb 28th) and until the opening tones of Kylesa's guitars, we'll present a series of discussions with some of the key artists taking one of the four stages at the Masquerade.

As either the maniacal mastermind behind Agoraphobic Nosebleed, riffmeister for deathgrind gods Pig Destroyer, ex-member of provocateurs AxCx, or honcho of Visceral Sound, Scott Hull has left a significant mark in the racks of your friendly neighborhood record store. On April 14th, Scott Hull's "digi-grind" project Agoraphobic Nosebleed releases it's second LP, Agorapocalypse and although ANb won't be in Atlanta (the band has logged only one show in it's existence), Pig Destroyer will. We sat down with Hull to discuss his upcoming work behind the boards, the current status of Pig Destroyer, solo work, and the coming of the Agorapocalypse.

====

Agorapocalypse drops on April 14th, how would you estimate the new ANb differs from previous releases? How has the addition of Kat changed your sound?

I feel as though everything leading up to Agorapocalypse has been nothing more than a series of demos. For me Agorapocalypse is where the band really starts. The sound is more focused and alive. It doesn't in any way resemble "digi-grind". In addition to Kat's amazing vocals, she's added a new sense of excitement to the band. She's opened up a lot of new possibilities and brings a unique perspective.

continued below...

Continue reading "an interview w/ Scott Hull (Pig Destroyer / ANb)"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Opeth - "Lotus Eater" (edit) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Gates Of Slumber - Ice Worm (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Gates Of Slumber - Trapped In The Web (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Leviathan - Made As The Stale Wine Of Wrath (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Lurker Of Chalice - I (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Wold - Frost Crystal Symmetry (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Ascend - Ample Fire Within (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Wolfbrigade - "Prowler" (MP3)

Intronaut Live in Barcelona, 2007 (buckyrocks)

New Century Media signees Intronaut will be back in town in August 8th at the Knitting Factory (on sale NOW), this time bringing Behold... The Arctopus and Mouth Of The Architect! Following up last year's excellent yet grab-baggy The Challenger sort-of-EP, the boys will head back into the studio in April to record a new LP. Mouth Of The Architect have a new album on the way as well, Quietly, and you can preview first single "Hate And Heartache" at the Translation Loss MySpace.

Speaking of Colin Marston, the new record for his black metal project with Mick Barr, Krallice, is in the can and is due in July via Profound Lore. Mick Barr's Ocrilim are on board to play a Todd P show opening for the mighty Thrones at Death By Audio on May 22nd. Thrones, aka Joe Preston of Melvins, High On Fire, and many other esteemed projects was spotted playing guitar with the mighty Harvey Milk at SXSW and WFMU has the whole thing available for download.

more...........

Continue reading "This Week In METAL (05/02/08)"

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)"

DOWNLOAD: Pig Destroyer - Gravedancer (MP3)

by Black Bubblegum (a BV metal correspondent)

Calculators out..... The Dillinger Escape Plan will be back in NYC on Sunday December 16th, to play hits (and I mean that in a Tony Soprano kinda way) from their critically acclaimed new Faith-No-More-meets-odd-time-signature-Napalm-Death LP, "Ire Works". Tickets are still available.

Getting all morse code-y with DEP is Genghis Tron, who recently posted "Board Up The House" off of their new upcoming record for Relapse. Check it at their MySpace. Also, you can catch Mookie Singerman's (Genghis Tron) awesome monthly column "Route 666" in Decibel Magazine.

Speaking of Decibel, check out their picks for 2007's best heavy records.... I wonder which ones were Mookie's, John Darnielle's (Mountain Goats) & Jeffrey Walker's (ex-Carcass) faves? (they all write for Decibel)

Decibel's Top 40 Records of 2007
1.Pig Destroyer - Phantom Limb (John's #4)
2.Watain - Sworn to the Dark
3.The Dillinger Escape Plan - Ire Works
4.Jesu - Conqueror
5.Baroness - The Red Album
6. Neurosis - Given to the Rising (playing some shows)
7. Witchcraft - The Alchemist
8. Portal - Outré
9. High on Fire - Death is this Communion (Dave Hill liked this too)
10. A Life Once Lost - Iron Gag

More list, and tour dates (High on Fire included), below....

Continue reading "Dillinger Escape Plan, High on Fire, Genghis Tron, Decibel's Top 40 of 2007, 2008 Tour Dates"