photos by Jonathan McPhail, words by BBG

Sweet Cobra had a helluva welcome at their very first NYC appearance on February 12th. A few short moments after the Chicago band took the Union Pool stage, the show sold out. It helped that they were the first band on a serious bill that included the heavyweight left-right punches of Thin-Lizzy-worshipping skate-punks Doomriders & dark-doom-lords Unearthly Trance.

The room was packed to the gills with moshpits breaking out during Unearthly Trance that were only later outdone by the crowdsurfing during Doomriders. More pictures and some videos from the incredible Saturday show are below.

Continue reading "Doomriders, Unearthly Trance & Sweet Cobra played Union Pool (pics & video)"

by BBG

Brian Gibson and Jason Kendall of Megasus at Acheron (more)

After releasing their punishing self-titled LP with 20 Buck Spin (and playing an equally punitive live show at Acheron), Megasus is back to release a new 5" mini-EP with Brutal Panda Records. The Menace of The Universe 5" features a pair of new tracks from the Providence beatdown artists including "Damned Hammer" and the title track, which is streaming below. Guitarist Ryan Lesser is responsible for the (impressive) artwork duties on the release, which will include die-cut six-panel packaging. You can see the art and pre-order the EP at Brutal Panda's site.

Megasus, the only band that has the distinction of having a record on Brutal Panda and 20 Buck Spin all while having a song in Rock Band 2, currently have no dates on their calendar. Neither does Lightning Bolt who share drummer/bassist Brian Gibson.

In between working on his fretwork and art for the upcoming release, Ryan Lesser also found time to tell us what his favorite things were in 2010. Check out that list while you listen to the song stream for "Menace Of The Universe" below.

Continue reading "Megasus releasing an EP (listen to a track), Ryan Lesser told us his 20 Favorite Music Things of the year (check it out)"

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Sweet Cobra - "Mercy" (MP3)

Mat Arluck is gone but not forgotten. The guitarist's legacy lives on, as Arluck left his dirty fingerprints all over the new LP by Sweet Cobra. Mercy (pictured above) hits store shelves on Tuesday (9/28) via Black Market Activities. The album, which mixes moments of driving and riffy hardcore with Torche's alternating sugary sweetness/guitar thunder, features the melodic burner/title track "Mercy" available for download above. Reminds me a bit of Hull as well... multi-part vocal harmonies.

Currently, the Chicago band has no plans to make it out east, but will play a pair of dates with the great Young Widows: Friday (9/24) at Mulligans in Grand Rapids, Michigan and a hometown Record Release show on 10/8 at Beat Kitchen.

by BBG

Mat Arluck of Sweet Cobra

Our hearts are broken. We lost a member of the Seventh Rule family today. RIP Mat Arluck. You will be missed more than you'll ever know. -[Seventh Rule Twitter]

It's a sad day, as the metal community mourns the loss of Mat Arluck of Sweet Cobra to cancer. For the uninitiated, the band released their killer album Bottom Feeder on Seventh Rule this year, and was preparing to release a new (and completed) album for Black Market Activities. Though Arluck had left the band a year ago, he contributed to said new LP, Mercy, which was recorded at Volume Studios in their hometown of Chicago by Sanford Parker and mixed at God City Studios by Kurt Ballou. The band plans to continue on and commented on the loss to the Chicago Reader. That statement and a video below...

Continue reading "Mat Arluck (of Sweet Cobra), RIP"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Disfear - "Get It Off" from "Live The Storm", out 1/22 (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Lair Of The Minotaur - "Horde of Undead Vengeance" from "War Battle Metal Master" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Rwake - Leviticus from "Voices Of Omens" (MP3)

A Storm Of Light

How do you top what will surely be one of the greatest metal shows of the year? Try adding A Storm Of Light - the new project from Josh Graham (recently ex- Red Sparowes, Battle Of Mice, Neurosis visuals)! Graham, Domenic Seita (ex-Asea), and Pete Angevine (Satanized) will open the January 25th date @ the Brooklyn Masonic Temple (now sold out), but not before playing Union Pool on Jan 20th with Ghastly City Sleep & Titan. Stream their new track, "Mass" from their upcoming LP "And We Wept The Black Ocean Within" @ MySpace. (and look for my interview with Josh coming very soon!)

D-Beat fiesta up in this mutha! Swedish D-Beat badasses Disfear will release their new crusher-of-an-album, "Live The Storm" on 1/22 via Relapse. Produced by Kurt Ballou (Converge, et al.), the album features the first go around by ex-Entombed axeman Uffe Cederlund.... Download "Get It Off" above!

more below.....

Continue reading "This Week In METAL (1/18/08)"