by BBG

Today Is The Day at Highline Ballroom (more by BBG)

And so it has begun. After a fun Maryland Deathfest 2011 (pictures of day 1, 2, 3, 4), the festival has announced confirmations for MDF 2012 including some amazing names (Bethlehem, Demigod, Ghoul, Church of Misery, The Devil's Blood, Dragged Into Sunlight, Ulcerate, others) and even a true a headscratcher (Anvil?). Full lineup thus far is below. Maryland Deathfest X kicks off on May 24th, 2012 at Sonar. No tickets yet

In related news, Today is The Day, whose rhythm section once was home to half of Mastodon and now features members of Wetnurse (Curran & Ryan), have completed their new LP Pain Is A Warning and are preparing its release for August 16 on Black Market Activites/Good Fight. Preorder it now, and check out the lead track "Expectations Exceed Reality" streaming below.

Anvil plays Bowery Ballroom on July 30th as part of a summer tour. Tickets are still available.

All MDF additions, that new Today is The Day, and some video is below.

Continue reading "initial Maryland Deathfest lineup, new Today is the Day song"

by BBG

Suffocation

The tongue-wagging vocalist Frank Mullen will return to NYC, as NYDM gods Suffocation, The Faceless, and Decrepit Birth will team up with Fleshgod Apocalypse and Through The Eyes Of The Dead to soil Gramercy Theater on 10/16. Tickets are on sale. The show is part of a greater tour for the bands dubbed the Decibel Defiance tour. Full dates are below.

And while we're on the subject of classic 90s death metal, Incantation have announced that Mortician, Fatalist (who we profiled here), and Funerus will open the NYC show at Rebel on 11/20. Ticket info still unavailable. The show will be part of a short stint of dates for Incantation, Fatalist, and Funerus.

All dates and some videos below...

Continue reading "Suffocation, Faceless, Decrepit Birth & others touring (dates) "

by BBG

Misery Index at BV-BBG CMJ (more by Samantha Marble)

In lieu of my forthcoming Short Wave Warfare column (formerly known as This Week in Metal), I figured I would present a short blast of interesting shows coming up - for the dark side in you.

The biggest news of the pack is that Death metal greats Deceased will team up with the defenders of the filth, Superchrist, for the Slaves To The Grave tour which includes Union Pool on April 17th. Deceased is scheduled to make an appearance at MDF this year, while Superchrist is recovering from the release of Defenders of The Filth last year.

All Deceased tour dates and many more upcoming shows, continued below...

Continue reading "upcoming shows & dates (Deceased, Misery Index, AxCx, Magrudergrind, Mammoth Grinder, Naam & more) "

by BBG

Godflesh (1988-2002) - Mission is Terminated

"On April 10th 2002, I disbanded Godflesh. This was something I had painfully been pondering since GC Greens' departure from the band in Oct 2001. Regrettably it took until the day of leaving for a lengthy U.S tour for the realization to finally take its toll on me.

"Unfortunately the finality of the decision and the responsibilities of making the decision proved too much for me to bare, and I collapsed under the weight. I found that without GC Green, Godflesh is not Godflesh, and him leaving proved to be an omen for me. I also feel that everything we originally intended or even imagined with Godflesh we have done....

"JUSTIN K BROADRICK / MAY 2002"

Godflesh joins the recently confirmed 16, Asphyx, Crowbar, Katatonia, Omega Massif, Sick Of It All, and the mighty Ulver as well as quite a few others who have recently been confirmed and Agnostic Front, Suffocation, 7 Seconds, Black Cobra, Weedeater, Rwake, and many more who were previously confirmed. Full (current) lineup below...

Continue reading "Godflesh reuniting, playing Hellfest in France (lineup) "

Baroness @ Bowery Ballroom - 11/20/2009 (more by Tim Griffin)

BBG will publish his own list of the best metal albums of 2009, but in the meantime here's what Decibel Magazine had to say:

Continue reading "Decibel's Top 40 Metal Albums of 2009 "

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Saviours - "Acid Hand" (MP3)

Battlefields

Battlefields are hitting the road (again) this time with Overmars and TWO dates in NYC. Europa gets the bands on August 16th and The Charleston gets them on Septemeber 3rd. Full tour dates are below. Battlefields' massive Thresholds of Imbalance was released earlier this year while Overmars' Büccolision EP dropped in the tail end of last year.

Marduk, who are coming to the US and playing Gramercy with Tombs and Black Anvil, have announced the title for their new album. Behold Wormwood.

Black Anvil are playing a free show at Duff's TONIGHT (6/27).

Asphyx's Death... The Brutal Way is out now overseas, but the LP will drop on Ibex Moon in the US on September 1. Look for the LP honors to be handled by War Anthem Records and the limited edition CD to come with a DVD of their 2007 reunion show in Germany. Until then, dig on the music video for the title track below. In related news, Martin Van Drunen's other band, Hail of Bullets, will release a limited MCD (2000 copies) entitled Warsaw Rising on July 17th.

That video, plus news on Dark Castle, Suffocation, Saviours, Gaza, sunn 0))) and more as This Week In Metal continues...

Continue reading "This Week In METAL (06/27/09)"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Harpoon - "Frogs, Boils, Locusts..." (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Complete Failure - "Like Rainbows in Gasoline" Demo (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Complete Failure - "Brown Acid Brainwound" Demo (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Complete Failure - "Subliminal Force of Suggestive Notion" Demo (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Super Happy Fun Slide - "Fast One" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Super Happy Fun Slide - "Bohemian" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Elder - "White Walls" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Serpentcult - "The Weight Of Light" (MP3)

Welcome to this week in Metal! This week we'll start with the pedal to the floor with Harpoon of Chicago, who will release their new LP Double Gnarly / Triple Suicide on Interloper Records. Featuring members of 7000 Dying Rats, the band recorded the LP in August 2008 with Andy Nelson (Weekend Nachos), sending it off to metal-mastering go-to Scott Hull (Pig Destroyer, Agoraphobic Nosebleed) for the finishing touches. The trio takes advantage of the drum machine gun to create a relentless grind assault reminiscent of Plague Bringer, Agoraphobic Nosebleed, or Genghis Tron (sans keys). Check out "Frogs, Boils, Locusts..." available for download above, and cop it on limited LP (400 in black, 100 in white & blue marbled vinyl) when it drops on Feb 10th! Harpoon recently added bassist DJ Baracca (ex-Lair of The Minotaur) to their ranks and have added a few live dates in and around the Chi (dates below).

Absu have announced a new self-titled album, posting the ripping new track "Girra's Temple" to their myspace. Due on Feb 24th on Candlelight Records, the band have also lined up a few dates including SXSW on Mar 20th at Spiros and at... you guessed it... Maryland Deathfest. Meanwhile, Absu is garnering alot of media attention lately... check out features in Metal Maniacs, Terrorizer, and Zero Tolerance.

Hot off of the release of his first solo album Punctuated Equilibrium, Wino will play his first show with his solo band (featuring skinsman extraordinaire Jean-Paul Gaster of Clutch) at the 9:30 club in Washington, DC on Sat Feb 7th! Wino will be joined by King Giant and the mighty Salome, who will be in NYC with Ocean on Feb 15th. In related news, Clutch have released their first digital single "King Of Arizona" (iTunes users, buy it here), from the upcoming remastered Slow Hole to China, Rare & Unreleased. The band have lined up a few dates with their alter ego (most of 'em anyway), The Bakerton Group including Feb 27 at The Chance in Poughkeepsie and Feb 28 at The Crazy Donkey in Farmingdale. Full tour dates below.

As much theorized and finally realized, The Auditory Assault Festival will take place at Club Europa on May 16 & 17.

Complete Failure announced a short tour of the east coast and the midwest with Polish grinders Antigama including an NYC date at Europa on May 20th. Details are forthcoming, full tour dates are below. The Pittsburghers (CF) have posted a trio of demo tracks at their website, check them out above. Antigama is prepping for March 3rd, when Relapse will drop their new album Warning.

Mastodon's Crack The Skye artwork

Mastodon is currently streaming "Divinations" from the upcoming Crack The Skye. Check it out kids... it's a burner! The single is also available for sale with a limited edition tee. Mastodon and Genghis Tron are playing the Coachella festival this year.

Eyehategod, Rotten Sound, Cripple Bastards, Malignancy, Resistant Culture, and Voetsek have been added to the Los Angeles Murderfest!

Napalm fucking Death will be in NYC in April!

Rise Above dropped the new album by Belgians Serpentcult, a doomy hybrid of Electric Wizard and High on Fire fronted by Michelle Nocon, a female with some SERIOUS pipes. The Weight of Light was produced by Billy Anderson (Sleep, Neurosis, Melvins) and the band is streaming three of those tracks at their myspace, with the title track available for download above. So far the band haven't added any North American dates, but if they do, we'll let you know (european tour dates below). Meanwhile, dig on an interview that Serpentcult did with Hellride Music here.

Coliseum have announced a slew of tourdates (below) as well as a new seven-inch entitled "True Quiet / Last Wave" on Deathwish! Full tour dates are below. Coliseum with join Converge, Genghis Tron (who was recently added), Ceremony, Pulling Teeth, and Rise & Fall at Europa on March 27th.

Blut Aus Nord have posted "The Formless Sphere (Beyond The Reason)" to their myspace page, the first new song from the upcoming Memoria Vetusta II - Dialogue With The Stars. Look for in Feb 23rd on Candlelight.

Valient Thorr have added a February 6th show at The Shank in Greenpoint (98 Bayard @ Leonard) with Acid Tiger, Golden Error, with Tournament. This show makes it TWO NYC dates.... don't forget about their upcoming show with Anthrax and a half pipe.

Minsk, Slayer, Battlefields, Devourment, Obituary, and more below...

Continue reading "This Week In METAL (02/02/09)"

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)"

by Black Bubblegum

Michael Amott & Jeff Walker (Carcass) @ Gods Of Metal, June 28, 2008 (shadowgate)

Remember that rumored Carcass show line-up? The one with 1349, Suffocation, Necrophagist, Aborted, AND Rotten Sound? Confirmed, for at least some of the shows anyway (NYC being one of 'em). Let me explain....

The "Exhume To Consume Tour"(Carcass) will intersect with the "Pillage The Village Tour" which sees Necrophagist teaming up with Dying Fetus, Veil Of Maya and Beneath The Massacre. According to the band's individual myspaces and Blabbermouth's reporting on "Pillage" and the Carcass shows, that means that the date at the Palladium in Worcester, MA will get BOTH tours on a single bill and NYC will have Dying Fetus added to the already stupid-ridiculous lineup. So based on those sources, we have the whole thing all Encyclopedia-Brown-ed out for you, down below.

So NYC now gets a mini-festival of sorts..... as we can expect Carcass, 1349, Suffocation, Necrophagist, Aborted, Rotten Sound, AND Dying Fetus. Doors at 11AM (not really).

Dig on the ill flyer (STILL loving that Re-animator theme), and all tour dates, below.....

Continue reading "updated Carcass Tour Dates & lots of openers"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Black Elk - "Eyebone" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Thou - "An Age Imprisoned" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Thou - "I Was Ignored. And Judged. And Cast Down." (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Caina - "Willows And Whippoorwills" (MP3)

Sunday night (July 13th) at their BB King's show, Strong Island's own Suffocation confirmed it's participation in Carcass's "Exhume To Consume" tour (as we reported earlier). So let's recount, shall we? That makes Carcass, Suffocation, Necrophagist, & Aborted, but there are also rumors circulating that Rotten Sound (who still haven't confirmed) and 1349 are on board as well, bolstered by Sonar's (a club in Baltimore, MD) advertisement for "Carcass, 1349, Aborted, Rotten Sound, and special guest TBA". Considering that Necrophagist & Aborted have been confirmed for the tour, that should round out the lineup. We'll keep you posted, but just the thought of Carcass, 1349, Suffocation AND Rotten Sound... yikes. Sounds awesome.

Early Man have announced that they have signed with The End and will release a new EP this fall produced by Jack Endino! Early Man is currently on the road with Valient Thorr and are scheduled to hit the Bowery with Monotonix on July 25th. Tickets are still available. Tour mates Skeletonwitch have added a few headlining dates around the Early Man tour, including one at the Knitting Factory on July 26th with the mighty Titan and Krallice. Tickets are on sale. More Skeletonwitch headlining dates below. Skeletonwitch hits the road this fall on the Blackest Of The Black tour. Also available over at Metalkult, footage from their April show at BB Kings.

The mayhem-inducing Gaza have announced they will head into the studio, "hoping" to have their new record out in October. Gaza released their last record, the critically acclaimed I Don't Care Where I Go When I Die in 2006. Me = stoked.

Cursed, At The Gates, Agnostic Front and much much more below......

Continue reading "This Week In METAL (07/15/08)"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Disfear - The Cage from "Live The Storm" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Saviours - Cavern Of Mind from "Into Abandon" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Wolves in the Throne Room - I Will Lay Down My Bones Among the Rocks and Roots from "Two Hunters" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Kylesa - Where The Horizon Unfolds from "Time Will Fuse Its Worth" (MP3)

Disfear will bring "The Storm" across North America in April, including an appearance at the New England Hardcore & Metal Festival (that bill is unbelieveable), the Maryland Deathfest, and the Knitting Factory on April 16th with Bloodhorse. Tickets are on sale.

Unfortunately, the obituary (not the legendary band) section for this week is way too big. Modern Life Is War has called it a day, their recently announced spring tour will be their last. Check out tour dates below and get out to the show! Prog-metal legends Voivod have announced that their next LP for The End, constructed by riffs left behind by Dennis "Piggy" D'Amour, will be their last. Piggy succumbed to colon cancer in 2005. Current members Snake, Away, and Jasonic (aka Jason Newsted, ex-Metallica), will join ex-members Blacky and E-Force to put together the final 13 songs, and possibly do some farewell shows.

Continue reading "This Week In METAL (03/01/08)"

by Black Bubblegum

NY's own Suffocation @ 2006 NE Hardcore & Metal Festival (Markcoatsworth)

Gigantour has cancelled their April 24th date in Worcester, Massachusetts.... but, every single band ON Gigantour added another date to make up for it - April 25th (one day later)... in Worcester, Massachusetts. All the Gigantour band performances will now instead be part of day one of the New England Metal & Hardcore Festival! Thats right.... Megadeth, In Flames, Job For A Cowboy, Children Of Bodom, and High On Fire will meet up with almost 70 other bands including headliners Dimmu Borgir, Shadows Fall, Behemoth, Ministry, Meshuggah, and Nevermore during the three day festival (Full band list below). Tickets ($47.50 for Fri, $45 for Sat or Sun or $129 for all three) go on sale this Friday, Feb 15th at 10AM via enterthevault.com, tickets.com, or by phone at 800-477-6849.

That doesn't do it for ya? Prefer your bands with "f*ck" in their name? How about the Maryland Deathfest? Along with bands like Torsof*ck and F*ck... I'm Dead, you can check out monsters like the mighty Anaal Nathrakh (their only US appearance scheduled for this year) Repulsion, Disfear, Grave, Impaled, and thrash legends Nuclear Assault. Tickets can be purchased here. (Full band list and set times below)

Maybe a deathfest sounds too tame, you like your festival with a little more zazz. How about a murderfest? The LA Murderfest to be exact, taking place in Los Angeles, CA @ The Knitting Factory in Hollywood from April 18th - April 20th. The Converge/Baroness/Red Chord/Genghis Tron extravaganza will be in the hiz-ouse, along with NH's own Trap Them, Vital Remains, and vegetarian superheroes Cattle Decapitation. Honestly, can you really argue with the tagline "2 stages + 3 days = Total Brutality"?

Don't live in those towns? Too lazy to travel to them? Irrational fear of mechanized transportation? Luckily, a few killer bands will be swinging through a town near you on the Summer Slaughter 2008 (dates TBD, starting in June)..... bands like The Black Dahlia Murder, Kataklysm, Vader, Cryptopsy, and Whitechapel! Other dates and lineups below....

Continue reading "New England Metal & Hardcore Fest 2008, MD Deathfest, LA Murderfest, & Summer Slaughter, Solid PR SXSW"