photos by Justin Tyler, words by BBG

Destroyed in Kowloon

Kowloon Walled City headlined Cake Shop on 9/18 as part of a tour with NYC greats Batillus. Riff Cannon provided support that night and the next in Boston.

KWC faithfully reproduce some of their fantastic guitar tones live, and then some. The four piece delviered a blistering set at Cake Shop that was as impressive as their recent recorded output. Batillus improve every single time I see them, and the Brooklyn band delivered another fantastic set that included material from their recent split with Hallowed Butchery and future/previously-unreleased material.

If you missed the show, you can catch both KWC and Batillus when the bands play Acheron with Liturgy on Oct 2nd.

More pictures and some video from Cake Shop is below...

Continue reading "Kowloon Walled City, Batillus & Riff Cannon played Cake Shop (pics, video & another show soon) "

by BBG

Batilus on stage with Kat of Salome (more by Chris LaPutt)

Complete Failure. Celeste. Thou. These are some of a few bands that have offered their recorded output for FREE in the past, and considering the quality of those releases, they easily could have charged for those LPs. Now two other bands that have offered their material for free download in the past, Batillus and Kowloon Walled City, will hit the road for a string dates which will include TWO NYC shows. Both shows will be presented by BrooklynVegan & 1000Knives with a performance from Riff Cannon on the first date, Cake Shop on Sept 18th, and Liturgy on the second, October 2nd at Acheron.

Download all of KWC's releases at their site and Batillus's debut EP (before they added Fade) at their site.

Batillus was last seen at Cake Shop, where the band destroyed amidst a similarly fierce lineup of Salome and Landmine Marathon. Video from that show and tour dates are below...

Continue reading "Batillus & Kowloon Walled City - 2010 tour dates (2 NY shows) "

words by Black Bubblegum, photos by Justina Villanueva

Ocean

February 15th was a challenge... logistically and emotionally: Logistically because I had planned to catch as much of both Show No Mercy's Ocean/Salome/Riff Cannon/Batillus event AND Zoroaster / Amenra / A Storm Of Light show as possible. Emotionally because obviously, there were some casualties... namely Ocean who I only caught 15 minutes of, and Batillus and Riff Cannon who I completely missed. Frown. The single positive out of missing this trio of bands is that Batillus are good 'ol local boys, so the chances to catch them again in NYC are much greater in the near future. If you have a chance to catch them (and I have before) you should.

Now on to more positives.... I was able to catch most of the Europa show (more on that later) and almost all Salome, who were just devastating! The thundering duo of R. Moore (guitars) and Deal (drums) punctuated an already frightening performance by lead howler Kat. Hell hath no fury like Kat's shredded voicebox.... how a sound that unholy comes out of a person that small, I will never know. Make sure to look for them when they make it up to NYC next, and if you are going to be in ATL for the OMG Fest (read: Scion Rock Fest), make sure and catch them.... they'll be on early.

More pictures below...

Continue reading "Salome & Ocean @ Public Assembly (Show No Mercy) - pics"

by Black Bubblegum

Ocean

My favorite of the two Oceans, the one missing a definite article in front of their name (Ocean of Maine), will be the next heavy band to headline Show No Mercy at Public Assembly (Feb 15th). As part of some sort of bizarre doom-off, Ocean will try to out rumble and underpace the mighty Salome, Riff Cannon, and Batillus who are also on board for the (anti-) festivities. Both Ocean (profiled here) and Salome (who we profiled in August) released full-length LPs last year... Pantheon of The Lesser and S/T respectively. Riff Cannon will drop their debut LP in 2009 and Batillus recently made their new self-titled EP available for free download here.

Speaking of Salome, lead vocalist Kat will make her first Agoraphobic Nosebleedappearance on Agorapocalypse, the latest LP from Scott Hull's pummeling grindcore project. Due April 14th, Agorapocalypse won't be the lone AnB in 2009; the band plans a series of splits for this year with a wide array of bands including Despise You, ANS, Agents of Satan and Thrones!

Mayhem, Marduk, Cattle Decapitation, and Cephalic Carnage have added a date together in Seattle Washington @ Studio Seven on June 5th. Pleasegodletitbeafulltour... Pleasegodletitbeafulltour... Cattle Decapitation's The Harvest Floor dropped on Jan 20th.

Brutal Truth recently announced their involvement in the Auditory Assault Festival (with Gadget, Kill The Client, Jig-ai and others), and now comes word that the band will have released their new record before then! Enter Evolution Through Revolution, recorded at Watchman Studios by Doug White (Psyopus) and due on April 14th via Relapse. Stokeage. Brutal Truth drummer Richard Hoak will do double duty at the Auditory Assault festival, also playing with his Total Fucking Destruction project.

Isis announced their new album, Wavering Radiant, due on May 5th via Ipecac Records! Produced by Joe Baressi (Tool, Queens of The Stone Age), look for the wax to hit the streets on Apr. 21. Tool's Adam Jones contributed guitar tracks to a pair of songs on Wavering Radiant.

Sweet do, Jared Big Business!

Big Business have announced their new album, Mind The Drift due in April via Hydra Head Records. Produced by Phil Ek (The Shins, Earth, Fleet Foxes, Built To Spill), the record is the first to feature new guitarist Toshi Kasai. Stream the new track "Gold and Final" at their myspace.

Ahhh... NOW I know why 1349 are heading out on tour.... Revelations Of The Black Flame is the name of the recently announced new album by the black metallers! Recorded at StudioStudio Nyhagen in Bøverbru, Norway, 1349 have enlisted Tom Gabriel Fischer to help man the boards! Look for it sometime this spring. Meanwhile, Tom Gabriel Fischer's new venture post-Celtic Frost, Triptykon, is currently in the demo phase. 1349 will be at BB Kings on March 2nd, tickets are available here.

The sickos in Sourvein have scheduled a few new dates, including an NYC date that looks to be part of an upcoming US tour. No details just yet, but set aside April 19th until then. Tour dates below.

The previously announced Converge show at Europa on March 27th (tickets here) just got a little bit nuttier with the addition of Genghis Tron, Ceremony, Rise and Fall, and Pulling Teeth.

Lair Of The Minotaur's new DVD, WAR METAL BATTLE MASTER is out NOW at Southern Lord. Meanwhile, bassist Nate Olp (Demiricous) has been sent in to replace the departed DJ Barraca for live gigs. DJ recently left LOTM to joined Harpoon, who's new record, Double Gnarly / Triple Suicide is due on Feb 10th via Interloper Records.

News on Sublime Cadaveric Decomposition, Weekend Nachos, Carcass, Blut Aus Nord, Lamb Of God, Javelina, and more below...

Continue reading "This Week In METAL (01/23/09)"