by BBG

Junius at Fun Fun Fun Fest 2010 (more by BBG)

As reported, Ghost had to drop off the previously discussed US tour with Enslaved/Alcest. It's a hard road to try and find a replacement for a tour of that magnitude, especially at this hour (the tour kicks off next week!), but luckily we can exclusively report that the road-dogs in Junius will step to the plate in their stead! Tickets are still available for 9/25 at Gramercy Theater with Fin'amor. All dates are listed below.

For the unfamiliar, Junius owes as much debt to guitar-drenched alterna-pop of the 90s as they do to Isis or Mogwai. Their alternately pulverizing and melodic tunes use emotionally charged clean vocals as a centerpiece, yet always seem sincere, somber, and never sappy. Junius are preparing to release Reports From the Threshold of Death, the band's new album of expansive and epic space-rock on 10/25 via Prosthetic Records. Check out a track from that album, "All Shall Float", for the first time below!

Reminder: Junius have a split with Rosetta on the way via Translation Loss as well. Alternative Press has a song from that one.

All tour dates, the album art, and the song stream are all below...

Continue reading "Junius replacing Ghost on Enslaved tour (dates), releasing new LP on Prosthetic (song debut)"

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Book of Black Earth - "Cross Contamination" (MP3)

After two-plus years away from the studio (and one BV SXSW day party) Book of Black Earth is back with another crusty blackened thrash LP in The Cold Testament, the follow-up to 2008's Horoskopus. The Seattle band's latest effort, due on May 24th via Prosthetic Records and on vinyl via Inimical Records, features eight tracks of unrelenting, crust-ridden blackened pummel accentuated with buzzsaw guitars courtesy of producer Chris Common (Pelican, The Sword). Feel the arctic blast of the deceptively melodic burner "Cross Contamination", which is making its premiere in this post. Download it above. Stream it below, and preorder The Cold Testament on CD via Prosthetic.

Outside of his time as a member of Book of Black Earth, vocalist/guitarist TJ Cowgill has a few different balls in the air. Currently, Cowgill is serving as founder/head conjurer for clothing label Actual Pain, who recently released their Spring line. The ex-Teen Chtulu madman also has a solo project in King Dude, who released the Tonight's Special Death LP in August of last year. The King Dude project mirrors apocalyptic folk like Current 93 or Death In June, and contains less of the blasting distorted guitars that serve as the basis for BOBE. Stream King Dude's latest LP below and check out his bandcamp for more details.

Cowgill also runs Wall of Dogs, a cassette label that released the Cross tape (Cowgill is a member of the blackened band) as well as a forthcoming release from Tit Pig. Stream "Acid Bath" by Tit Pig below, a track that effectively straddles the line between stoner-blues and hardcore fury, and look for the new cassette when it drops via the label.

So far no tour dates for BOBE, but that will undoubtedly change and soon. Until then, check out the tracklisting for the new LP, the song stream, and some live video of the band performing the new tracks "I See Demons" and "Research and Destroy" below...

Continue reading "Book of Black Earth releasing 'The Cold Testament' (MP3 premiere) ++ listen to King Dude, Tit Pig & more too"

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Dragged Into Sunlight - "Boiled Angel" (MP3)

I was a bit shocked when the news that the UK's Dragged Into Sunlight had signed to Prosthetic Records. Not that the label toils in bands that I despise - just the opposite, but that anyone outside of the true underground realm would sign such a foul and loathsome band.

Trust me, I mean that as a complement. Dragged Into Sunlight is ambient doom blackened through and through. You can hear their demonic touch on their Prosthetic reissued LP Hatred For Mankind due on January 18th, 2011 for the first time on US soil. Produced by the great Billy Anderson and featuring atwork from Justin Bartlett, Hatred For Mankind features seven tracks of pure vitriol like "Boiled Angel", which is available for download above and streaming below.

Dragged Into Sunlight have announced April European dates with Rwake, but are currently plotting a North American invasion. Stay tuned. Announced dates, the song stream and some video is below.

Continue reading "Prosthetic releasing Dragged Into Sunlight LP (MP3) "

words & photos by BBG

Matt Pike of High on Fire @ the Mohawk

Want to make my life simple? Put two killer showcases in the same venue. Well, unfortunately it wasn't three showcases in the same venue (Relapse was going on over at Red 7 - pics coming soon). Following the big bang of the BrooklynVegan day party at Emo's, I hightailed it over to the Mohawk on 3/17 (right next door to our quieter official BrooklynVegan showcase going on at Club DeVille...) (editor's note: ...that was often drowned out by the metal sounds blaring over the wall while bands like the The Middle East were playing soft sets...) for a double bill of mayhem with the Action PR Showcase on the outdoor stage and the Prosthetic Records showcase on the indoor. The night at the Mohawk show was marked by competing headlining sets: the great Landmine Marathon (who played the BV day party that day) and none other than High On Fire (one of their only appearances at the fest).

Also along for the ride were such notable greats as The Gates of Slumber, Withered (who also played Emo's), Zoroaster, Naam, Priestess, The Funeral Pyre, and many others. Not a single bad apple in the bunch. Of those, I had never seen The Funeral Pyre or Clinging To The Trees of A Forest Fire - both were impressive. TFP did blackened death with such intensity, it was hard to not be compelled to head nod. Clinging did abstract and atonal grindcore in the best way.

Although I missed Landmine Marathon (who would probably be in the running), best performance of the night goes to High On Fire who blazed through new material and old including the epic "Baghdad" (!) from their debut The Art of Self Defense. As their set progressed, it seemed that the band got looser on their instruments, and as a result, much tighter and more cohesive.

In related news, High On Fire recently dropped the new video for "Frost Hammer". View it, as well as other vids and some pics from the epic show, below...

Continue reading "new High on Fire video, pics from the Action PR & Prosthetic Records SXSW showcases, more "

by BBG

Laura of Kylesa (more by Paul Birman)

Earlier I discussed my favorite LPs of the year, but why leave the fun to just one? I asked some of my favorite artists and promoters for their 2009 highlights. The responses were great. You already saw some of them. Justina listed some quotes, Liam Wilson talked about Philly, and Josh Graham listed good things about 2009. They continue below. You'll find lists of favorite songs and albums of the year, not to mention answers to crucial questions like:

• What are Coalesce's favorite pizza toppings?
• Which one of my top 20 artists of the year tried to get in a cab with Kirsten Dunst?
• What is the #1 sauce/condiment of 2009?

Continue reading "The Year in Metal continued (BBG asked countless others to make lists... and here they all are)"