words by BBG, photos by Samantha Marble

Andrew of Castevet

Though reportedly no champagne bottles were popped, nor was the gatorade dumped on anyone, Lit Lounge's bill on June 7th was a celebration on many levels. Castevet welcomed their new LP Mounds of Ash into this world via Profound Lore Records (cop it) and brought along with them an unstoppable bill to mark the occasion. Precious Metal recently celebrated four years in existence, and it was PM founder Curran Reynolds's birthday!

No matter what occasion it is, whenever you combine Castevet, Woe, Batillus, and Flourishing, its going to make for an unmissable night of punishing metal. Pics from the show continue below.

Castevet is hitting the road with Altar of Plagues and Velnias for a string of shows leading up to their NYC appearance at The Studio at Webster Hall on August 1st with Man's Gin. Tickets are on sale.

Continue reading "Castevet, Woe, Batillus & Flourishing @ Lit Lounge (pics) "

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: D.I.S. - "Speak Of Hate" (MP3)

Psychic Limb at Cake Shop (more by Samantha Marble)

After a weekend of ragin' (if you went to MDF), grillin', or just plain chillin', it might be a good idea to blow off some (more) steam at TONIGHT's killer Monday night lineup at Lit. D.I.S. will headlining the fourth anniversary of Precious Metal (congrats Curran!) with a show alongside the always fun Psychic Limb and Olde Ghost. $6, as always, gets you in.

The show is part of a larger tour for D.I.S., who have released their new LP Critical Failure via Deep Six Records. Check out the lead track "Speak Of Hate" above. D.I.S. features Leon Del Muerte of Phobia/Exhumed/Intronaut among their ranks.

Full D.I.S. tour dates, as well as some video, are below.

Continue reading "D.I.S. play the 4th anniversary of Precious Metal & other dates"

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"

words by Black Bubblegum, photos by Justina Villanueva

Unearthly Trance - July 13, 2009

"Thankfully, when Unearthly Trance come crashing through a howling wall of feedback into their sludgy doom metal riffing, we are back in the land of physically pulverising heaviosity. With a technical deftness that could easily be lost beneath the dark distorted extremes of their sound, they shift seamlessly from their sludge beginnings to heavy-as-hell crust punk scorchers and then back all the way to full-on epic doom, showered with slow slow riffs and funereally paced stick-shattering drum crashes. This expert combination of dynamics, progressive experimentation and sheer brutal heaviness leaves the crowd stumbling from the Notecave's sweaty depths with suitably ringing ears and clawing fists." [an April 2009 review]

Unearthly Trance headlined a night of otherwise mechanized heaviness provided by Chi-City's Harpoon and Casket Architects at Lit Lounge on July 13th as part of the weekly Precious Metal party. The show was one of a pair for Harpoon, who also hit up The Charleston the following night.

Unearthly Trance, who recently played the BV-BBG showcase at the Northside Festival, is scheduled to play another BV-BBG event... Show No Mercy at Public Assembly on August 2nd with Keelhaul, Minsk, STATS, and Defeatist.

Harpoon, who we originally profiled here, is touring off of Double Gnarly / Triple Suicide which was released earlier this year.

More pics, and a video of Harpoon, from the show are below....

Continue reading "Unearthly Trance, Harpoon & Casket Architects @ Lit - pics"

photos by Paul Birman, words by Black Bubblegum

Trap Them

"Much like label brethren Trap Them (oft believed to be of Swedish origin), Victim's power lays in their earthy roar and their direct, fat free apocalyptic barrage that is built on the simplest of elements, i.e. rattling beats, pounding bass, stabbing riffs and, most importantly, raw, raw vox, frantically bellowed without respite. Unlike Trap Them, there appears to be no urge to push their sound forward into the 21st century, no, no, no, Victims seem content on raging as if it was 1989 against everything and everyone." [Teeth of the Divine]

Victims, Trap Them, and Black Breath teamed up with Black Anvil to play Lit Lounge last night (5/25) as part of the previously discussed Precious Metal 3rd Anniversary Party. If you missed out, then save June 11th on your calendar, because all three (sans Black Anvil) will be in Brooklyn at The Charleston on that date. Tons of pics from last night's assault are below...

Continue reading "Trap Them, Victims, Black Anvil & Black Breath @ Lit Lounge (Precious Metal) in NYC - pics "

by Black Bubblegum

Trap Them @ Knitting Factory (more by Zach Dilgard)

Three years of any kind of party in NYC is a milestone. TONIGHT (5/25), Swedish crusties Victims, BV faves Trap Them, upstart badasses Black Breath, and the recently added Black Anvil will be at Lit Lounge to help celebrate the third anniversary of Precious Metal. The show is part of a larger tour for Victims, Trap Them, and BB, that will conclude in Philadelphia on 6/12 and includes another date at The Charleston on 6/11.

Trap Them are coming off of a triumphant tour with Napalm Death (photos from NYC here) including one stop at Maryland Death Fest with the mighty Bolt Thrower.

Decibel Magazine recently ran a piece on Precious Metal's three year anniversary, and the man behind it, Curran Reynolds (who we interviewed last year).

All dates below...

Continue reading "Precious Metal turns 3 Monday night + other Trap Them dates "

DOWNLOAD: Gods & Queens - "Untitled 3" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Gods & Queens - "Untitled 2" (MP3)

photos by Justina Villanueva, words by Black Bubblegum

Gods & Queens played the eensy weensy Lit Lounge on Monday 2/2 along with My America Is Watching Tigers Die, Ain't Rights (mems Pollution, Battletorn), and Praqtiss. The occasion was the weekly 'Precious Metal' party that Curran Reynolds does at the East Village venue.

Gods & Queens is currently gearing up for a European tour in April, but have a pair of shows before that, including one with Ghastly City Sleep (ex-pg.99 & City Of Caterpillar, Gregor Samsa) at Union Pool in Brooklyn on March 26th.

The band dropped their untitled LP filled with untitled songs on Robotic Empire in the tail end of 2008. Decibel went apeshit over it and named it as their 19th fave of the year.

Jamie Getz of G&Q also played in Versoma with Mike Hill. Mike Hill and his new(er) band Tombs play Union Pool TONIGHT (2/4) with Dysrhythmia. Check out our new interview with Mike if you didn't already.

All tour dates, and more pictures from Lit Lounge, below...

Continue reading "Gods and Queens MP3's, Lit Lounge pics & 2009 tour dates "

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Wetnurse - Not Your Choice (MP3)

The source argument of Malcolm Gladwell's bestseller The Tipping Point is that the smallest of sparks can set the world ablaze. Hailed as one of "the most vital music nights in town" by Time Out New York, Curran Reynolds is testing Gladwell's theory every Monday at Precious Metal, where the heavy underground can literally be found underground.... in the basement of Lit Lounge.

In addition to Precious Metal, Curran Reynolds has a few other balls in the air. He does PR for multiple heavy indie labels and beats the skins for his band, Wetnurse. This April Wetnurse signed with Seventh Rule (starter home for Akimbo, Sweet Cobra, Plague Bringer, among others). They'll drop Invisible City on September 30th (this Tuesday).

Invisible City is just that, an unseen metropolis of unpredictable left-turns and locals-only rights that only the most learned of metalheads should be able to traverse, yet catchiness grows like a weed through the cracked concrete. Stylistically, Invisible City reflects the diversity of Precious Metal, representing noise rock, metal, post-hardcore, and grind while never falling into the trappings of any single genre.

Wetnurse is prepping for an east coast tour in the month of October, kicking off with an Invisible City record release show at Precious Metal at Lit Lounge on Sept 29th (tonight) and concluding with an opening slot for the mighty Harvey f'n Milk at Europa on November 2nd (tickets are on sale)

We sat down with Curran earlier this month to discuss his party, Lansing-Dreiden, the influence of Steve Austin, and..... Tchaikovsky?

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BrooklynVegan: So let's start out with the origins of Precious Metal...

Continue reading "an interview w/ Curran Reynolds (Wetnurse, Precious Metal)"