words by Jamie Ludwig, photos by Carmelo Espanola

BV Chicago contributors Jamie Ludwig and Carmelo Espanola were on the scene in Chicago at Reggie's on 2/3 to take in the ongoing Slow Southern Steel/Hail! Hornet tour. The tour hits NYC at Europa TONIGHT (2/8) and tickets are still available. -BBG

Hail Hornet! @ Reggie's

An enthusiastic crowd gathered at Reggie's Rock Club in Chicago on Friday night (2/3) for a rare appearance of Southern metal super-group Hail! Hornet, with Atlanta psychedelic-sludge trio Zoroaster, and the Chicago premiere of the Slow Southern Steel, a documentary exploring the heaviest bands throughout the South [ED: it premiered in NYC last year].

Directed by Chris Terry (CT, front man for Little Rock, Arkansas-based Rwake) and David Lipke, and produced by Karim Kahn of I Am Better Than Everyone Records, Slow Southern Steel has been drawing attention among heavy music fans since production began in 2009. The devil horns that flew as the house lights went down and the opening credits started to roll seemed telling that many in the sizable audience had been awaiting the screening for quite some time.

Slow Southern Steel proved itself to be a smart, thoughtful film that sheds light on how regional culture and common experiences continue to shape art even in a time where the spread of technology and the homogenization / strip mall-ization of the American landscape can appear to render those factors invalid. Told exclusively through the musicians' perspectives and featuring interviews and concert footage from over 40 bands including Hank III, Kylesa, Eyehategod, Alabama Thunderpussy, Torche, Dark Castle, Sourvein, Music Hates You, and Weedeater, Slow Southern Steel is a testimony to the longevity, power, and rich diversity of sounds of an under-recognized genre. For the uninitiated, it provides an honest and compelling look into a music community where good riffs matter more than what you wear or how many records you've sold.

The film left the audience primed for a show, and thankfully the night was only just beginning. Zoroaster took to the stage in a haze of smoke and laser lights, visually matching the moody atmospherics of its dark, groove-laden metal. A slight muddiness that plagued the beginning the set was soon remedied, leaving guitarist/vocalist Will Fiore's winding, experimental guitar solos to soar over the rumble of Mike Morris' bass and Dan Scanlon's unwavering drum beat. The effect was heavy enough for the vibrations to resonate off the floor.

Hail! Hornet, comprised of vocalist T-Roy Medlin (Sourvein, Buzzov*en), drummer Erik Larson (Alabama Thunderpussy), guitarist Vince Burke (Beaten Back to Pure), and bassist / Slow Southern Steel narrator "Dixie" Dave Collins (also of Weedeater, Buzzov*en) capped off the night with a set of raunchy, fuel-guzzling metal. The same crowd that only an hour ago had sat so peacefully through a feature-length film combusted into a volatile pit, as if everything up to this point in the evening had just been foreplay before getting down to business.

Although this tour is Hail! Hornet's first as a unit, you wouldn't know it from watching. With the grace of a chainsaw the band barreled through songs from their second and latest record Disperse the Curse (Relapse) as well as a few tracks from their debut eponymous album. Chaos reigned as Medlin cooed from the stage, "I wanna see you fucking miserable in the morning." It's a guarantee that many of Friday's concertgoers weren't so chipper come Saturday, but it's doubtful that after such a celebratory night out anyone really cared.

The tour arrives in NYC tonight (2/8). More pictures from Chicago below...

Continue reading "'Slow Southern Steel', Hail! Hornet & Zoroaster played Reggie's (pics & review), hit NYC tonight"

by BBG

Sourvein at Saint Vitus (more by BBG)

Sourvein will team with Order Of The Owl for a show at Acheron on March 9th, one of a few dates for the Southern dirge mavens in March. The shows directly follow a stint of dates for Hail! Hornet, who feature T.Roy Medlin of Sourvein on vocals.

Order of The Owl is the new project featuring ex-Zoroaster bassist Brent Anderson. So far the band has no releases to their name, but you can stream a couple demos from the band below.

Hail! Hornet hits Europa with Zoroaster (who just played Saint Vitus) on February 8th. There will also be a screening of Slow Southern Steel at the show. Tickets are still on sale.

Dates below...

Continue reading "Sourvein schedules dates after Hail! Hornet tour"

by BBG

Dixie Dave of Weedeater at Europa (more by BBG)

BrooklynVegan is proud to present the inaugural US tour of Hail! Hornet, the Southern supergroup consisting of "Dixie" Dave Collins (Weedeater, Buzzov*en), Erik Larson (Alabama Thunderpussy, Parasytic), Vince Burke (Beaten Back to Pure) and T-roy Medlin (Sourvein, Buzzov*en). The quartet recently released their second LP Disperse The Curse via Relapse and you can stream it in its entirety below.

In addition, the tour will feature TWO other notable appearances: Zoroaster (who play NYC next week with Black Cobra) and a screening of the excellent Slow Southern Steel which was directed by CT of Rwake (and which made its East Coast debut in August). Full tour dates are below, including Europa in Brooklyn on 2/8. Tickets for that show are $15/17 DOS and will be on sale soon.

If you missed it, Rwake's Rest made both the Decibel and Pitchfork favorites of the year.

All tour dates, that Hail! Hornet stream and the tour flyer, below...

Continue reading "Hail! Hornet hitting the road with Slow Southern Steel movie"

photos by BBG, Cough photos by Samantha Marble

Cough

Slow Southern Steel blew into town on a typhoon-like Saturday night (8/13), bringing with it late night performances from Cough (with special guest/film director CT on vocals!), Apostle of Solitude, and Earthling. Though an unfortunate accident prevented the Jaegermeister from appearing as advertised, the show was an excellent night that both celebrated southern music and celebrated WITH it.

The main attraction was Slow Southern Steel, the oft-delayed documentary on the southern-fried metal phenomenon that has given birth to bands like Eyehategod, Buzzov*en, Rwake, Dark Castle, Kylesa, Zoroaster and more. Ninety minutes in length, the NYC showing was the first time that the film had been screened outside of director CT's (of Rwake) native Little Rock, Arkansas. While SSS does feature all of the usual suspects and pieces on the influence of bands like Eyehategod, the film focuses more on the people, culture, and the human side of southern rock. The influence of church, growing up with livestock, Katrina, and the hotly debated rebel flag were given as much attention as Buzzov*en. As a result, Slow Southern Steel is a broad but intriguing look into that music scene. With deliberate-pacing and an excellent sense of humor, this is a film for music fans of any genre or anyone interested in understanding the different cultures that exist within our own borders. Here's to hoping this documentary receives a proper release sometime soon.

Following the film, we were blessed by performances by Earthling (a Richmond thrash-meets-black metal crew), Apostle of Solitude (Indianapolis doom) and headliner Cough, who hadn't played NYC since The Charleston late last year. Earthling was a pleasantly-solid band and considering that they only have a demo to their name, they'll move quickly. Apostle of Solitude features Bob Fouts (ex-The Gates of Slumber) on low-end, and the band's traditional doom jams were much-better represented live than on their recent release. See them live if you can. Cough, as usual, delivered a killer performance of slow-crawling doom destruction and closed their set with a cover of "Tired of Being Alive" by Danzig with CT on vocals. It was an excellent end to an equally excellent night.

More pictures from Knitting Factory on Saturday night are below.

Continue reading "Cough, Apostle of Solitude & Earthling played w/ 'Slow Southern Steel' (pics)"

by BBG

Dark Castle, heavily featured in Slow Southern Steel, at LPR (more by Markus Shaffer)

Reminder! This Saturday is the previously discussed Slow Southern Steel event at Knitting Factory with Cough, Apostle of Solitude, and Earthling (tickets). The show is one of THREE BV heavy-music events in the coming week, as Monday (8/15) will see From Ashes Rise with Fuck The Facts, Night Birds and Full of Hell at Public Assembly and Friday (8/19) will see Toxic Holocaust at Europa with Holy Grail, Krum Bums and Salo. Tickets are still available.

Lebenden Toten will team with Social Circkle, Nomad Rosenkopf and Sectss for their first NYC show ever at Acheron TONIGHT (8/12) as part of an UNDEAD Gig Volume show. It'll be a rough one. Check out video of Lebenden Toten in action below.

Loma Prieta is on the road with Punch, and will hit Acheron on August 18th with Nailed Shut and Grudges. Loma Prieta played NYC late last year with Punch at ABC No Rio, belated pictures from that show are below. Grudges recently released their demo, stream that below and check them out supporting Victims and Defeatist with DBCR at Acheron on 8/28 if you can't make the Punch/Loma Prieta show.

August 18th has another amazing show in store as well, as Bloody Pheonix (mems of Despise You) will play The Charleston that night with Salo, Hivesmasher, Spicoli. Reminder, Despise You plays NYC on 9/11 with Magrudergrind. Salo will also support Toxic Holocaust at Europa on August 19th.

More suggested shows, those belated Loma Prieta pictures, and some video, including YOB live last weekend, is below.

Continue reading "Evillive (Slow Southern Steel, Lebenden Toten, Loma Prieta, Bloody Pheonix & more)"

by BBG

Apostle of Solitude

Everyone, I have some bad news: due to a serious illness in his family, Jason has had to go to Utah for a couple of weeks, and we have to drop off SHoD XI [Stoner Hands of Doom] and the Slow Southern Steel premiere in NYC. I hope that you all understand... it's not something that we wanted to do, frankly we'd hoped to start getting busy again... but family has to come first. - [Karl of The Gates of Slumber]

Apostle of Solitude's last LP, Last Sunrise, saw release on Profound Lore Records last year, and the band recently released a pair of splits with Dawnrider, Rituals of the Oak, and The Flight of Sleipnir. For the unfamiliar, Check out some audio of the old-school doom band (featuring members of The Gates of Slumber) below.

As discussed, CT of Rwake will be in the house to present his film Slow Southern Steel, so expect this Arkansas madman to do some collaboratiing with either Cough, Apostle of Solitude or Earthling on stage. Doors are at 10PM, tickets are on sale (limited seats available), and there will be a bunch of free Jagermeister for all of you maniacs.

Cough, Apostle of Solitude and Earthling are all on board for Stoner Hands of Doom XI, an annual festival in Frederick MD. The show will feature numerous doom luminaries over its three days (August 12-14), including Earthride, Hour of 13 and Windhand among many others. Windhand is also scheduled to play Acheron on August 19th.

Check out some streaming audio, alongside the film trailer below...

Continue reading "Gates of Slumber cancel shows, so Apostle of Solitude coming to Brooklyn instead"

by BBG

Its been a long time since news has surfaced on the forthcoming Slow Southern Steel documentary, produced by CT of the infamous Rwake. The film, "about underground heavy bands south of the Mason Dixon", features performances and interviews from some of the area's biggest troublemakers (like members of Eyehategod, Hank III, Kylesa, Torche, Dark Castle, Zoroaster, Weedeater, and many more) as they explore "living and growing up in the bible belt". Get familiar with the trailers below if you aren't already.

BrooklynVegan is proud to announce that we will host the exclusive Northeastern screening of Slow Southern Steel at Knitting Factory on August 13th! The screening, which will take place at 10PM, will feature FREE Jagermeister (for a limited time) as well as an appearance from the director CT. Then following the film, Knitting Factory will host performances from some of our favorite doom-y bands The Gates of Slumber, Cough, and Earthling. Tickets are on sale (admission includes the movie and the show).

CT of Rwake at LPR (more by BBG)

Rwake have announced that they will release their new LP Rest on September 27th via Relapse. Preorder the new LP and check out the art that will bless the CD, digital, and the olive green and 180 gram black vinyl versions.

Rwake have a few dates scheduled in their near future, including July 30th at Downtown Music Hall in their native Little Rock, and a second show at the same venue as part of the Mutants of the Monster Festival from September 2-4. The festival will feature appearances from Rebreather, Suplecs, Deadbird (performing The Head and The Heart in its entirety) (not to be confused with the band of the same name), Across Tundras, Seahag, Pallbearer, and many many notable others. Full festival details are below.

A reminder: Weedeater will play NYC on 9/10 at Europa with Oxbow, Bison BC, and Fight Amp. Tickets go on sale Thursday at noon.

Another quick reminder: Torche play Music Hall of Williamsburg TOMORROW (7/20) with Big Business and Helms Alee. Tickets are still available. Helms Alee released Weatherhead in June, stream it.

Continue reading "a 'Slow Southern Steel' screening & concert in NYC, new Rwake, Mutants of the Monster Festival & more"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Portal - "Larvae" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Pelican - "Strung Up From The Sky" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Heims - "W.O.F." (Edit) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Heims - "Heims" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Merrimack - "In The Halls Of White Death" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Gnaw Their Tongues - "Rife With Teeth" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Mammoth Grinder - "Frozen" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Mammoth Grinder - "Total Extinction" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Converge - "Dark Horse" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Kowloon Walled City - "Clockwork" (MP3)

Yes, that is a clock on his head.

Portal is currently prepping their new album, Swarth, for release via Profound Lore on 10/20. For the unaware, Portal is definitely an odd duck (in the best way possible!), as the Aussies employ discordant chord patterns ala French BM masterminds Deathspell Omega, and a generally discomforting atmosphere abounds. Dig on the extremely promising "Larvae" from Swarth available above! The abstract blackened death metal band from Australia is also one of a few bands that have already been announced for Maryland Deathfest 2010 along with additions like Gorguts, Asphyx, Wolfbrigade, Gridlink, Impaled, and many many noteable others! Full MDF list is below.

Mammoth Grinder has released their new LP, Extinction of Humanity, which is available via Cyclopean Records. The band, which (as we know) shares members with Hatred Surge & Iron Age, combines an old school death metal approach of Entombed / Dismember with the charge of hardcore. Their new LP delivers on the promises made on No Results. Check out a pair of MP3s from Extinction of Humanity available for download above!

As previously discussed, Gnaw Their Tongues are releasing All The Dread Magnificence Of Perversity on 9/8 via Crucial Blast. Check out a song from the LP above, "Rife With Teeth".

In case you somehow missed it, the new Converge track, "Dark Horse" premiered on Stereogum last week. Axe To Fall has been in heavy rotation since I received a copy of this bad boy a few weeks ago, and I think that this could be their best record since Jane Doe. Check out the MP3 above and judge for yourself.

Pelican

Their show with sunn O))) / Earth / Eagle Twin is little more than three weeks away (tix), and now Pelican has dropped a new MP3 for download from their LP, What We All Come To Need. Dig on "Strung Up From The Sky" above. Helmed by Chris Common (These Arms Are Snakes) in July and featuring appearances from Greg Anderson (sunn O))), Goatsnake, etc), Aaron Turner (Isis), Ben Verellen (Harkonen, Helms Alee), and Alan Epley (Life And Times), the new album is set to blast off at their new home, Southern Lord. Look for Pelican to hit the road with Black Cobra and Disappearer for a fall tour. Black Cobra also recently signed to Southern Lord.

As previously discussed, Kowloon Walled City, is currently prepping their new LP Gambling On The Richter Scale for release 9/29 on The Perpetual Motion Machine. Preorders for the new Kowloon Walled City are up here, but meanwhile, dig on one of the tracks from the LP, "Clockwork", above.

More on Teitanblood, Heims, Slow Southern Steel, Rise & Fall, Municipal Waste, Circle Of Dead Children, and many more as This Week in Metal continues...

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

by Black Bubblegum

CT & Rwake in Tampa, FL (Nicole Kibert)

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. Yesterday we spoke to Scott Hull of Pig Destroyer and Agoraphobic Nosebleed. Today it's CT...

I'll always remember the first time that I picked up Judge's Bringing It Down and saw..... "Mike Judge: Throat". Damn right. Conversely, Rwake's liner notes in Voices of Omens and If You Walk Before You Crawl, You Crawl Before You Die credit CT with "vocals". I beg to differ.

CT's rusty razorblade of a throat and his band of Arkansan hooligans, Rwake, have been around for more than ten years, trudging in sludge, doom, and wading in the generally unpleasant mucky southern marsh that birthed Eyehategod and Buzzov*en. Rwake dropped their last LP in 2007, the critically acclaimed Voices Of Omens. Since then the band has kept busy on the road, and CT has spent a good portion of his free time at the helm of a documentary examining the southern underground metal scene. It's called Slow Southern Steel.

With Scion Rock Fest right around the corner and Rwake set to hammer the Masquerade stages, We sat down with CT to discuss his band, the movie, and emerging artists on the southern metal scene.

===

Rwake released Voices Of Omens in 2007, since then have you guys been working on any new material? If so, any recording plans? What are they?

Yes, we have a few new songs, but we'll be holding off on playing them for a bit. We want them to be just right. One new song is 11 minutes long and it's called "It Was Beautiful, But Now It's Sour" we have about 3 more in the making that are almost finished. When we get em done, I'm sure we'll be headed right back to Sanford [Parker]'s to lay it all down.

continued below...

Continue reading "an interview with CT of Rwake "

by Black Bubblegum

Kylesa @ Music Hall Of Williamsburg (More By Tim Griffin)

Do you enjoy the hard rockin sounds of southern metal but have an un-natural fear of crust punk legends? Want to see a certifiably badass band tear you a new one in a room the size of someone's basement? Well friends, you are in luck! It looks like Kylesa have scheduled a show at The Charleston (!!!) with Tombs (!!), Tournament, and Black Anvil(!) as part of Hardcore Night on Jan 28th, the day before they take the stage opening for Amebix (tickets for that show here). Charleston flyer and Kylesa's full tour schedule below. That includes the previously mentioned dates with The Haunted.

In other Kylesa news, the band recently announced their new album Static Tensions, due in March on Prosthetic with 20 Buck Spin doing the honors on the vinyl tip. Look for the vinyl to be released in two versions: a regular edition with a single LP with an eight-page LP-size booklet and a "deluxe", a limited-to-500 gatefold 2xLP on colored vinyl mastered at 45 RPM! Fellow Savannah madman John Dyer Baizley of Baroness will do the
artwork honors. That's it to the right.

Kylesa also announced they are on board for the holy shit fest, I mean, the Scion Rock Fest at The Masquerade in Atlanta, GA on Feb 28th with Mastodon, Neurosis, High on Fire, Boris, 1349, Cryptopsy, Torche, Nachtmystium, Wolves in the Throne Room, Baroness, Harvey Milk, Zoroaster, Withered, Krallice, Toxic Holocaust, Skeletonwitch, Rwake, A Storm of Light, Warbringer, Salome, Suidakra, Tyr, and Alestorm. That shit is FREE. More info forthcoming.

Kylesa, as well as Rwake, Zoroaster, and many other luminaries, will be featured in Slow Southern Steel, a documentary profiling the southern metal scene. Details about screenings up north are sketch, but we'll let you know if anything arises. Slow Southern Steel is directed by CT, aka the razorblade throat behind Rwake.

Tip o' the hat to Invisible Oranges, who recently spotted a flickr page belonging to Laura Pleasants of Kylesa.

Skeletonwitch will be here on Sunday 1/11 with Cannabis Corpse and Attake. Attake is also playing the Amebix/Kylesa show.

A Storm of Light will headline Europa on 2/15 with Amenra and Scion-ers Zoroaster. Tickets are still on sale.

Charleston flyer and tour dates below...

Continue reading "Kylesa playing the Charleston & Scion Rock Fest (so is Neurosis, Mastodon, High on Fire, Torche, Boris...)"