by Black Bubblegum

Torche @ Webster Hall (more by Jason Bergman)

We just received confirmation that Dredg will hit the road with Miami thunder trio Torche and NOT with the Norwegian nu-metal quartet Torch (as occasionally misreported), for a string of dates in April. One of those nights is at Highline Ballroom with Maps & Atlases on April 19th. Tickets go on sale here, though no on-sale date has been specified.

Torche's aforementioned 12" EP, Healer / Across The Shields is currently on pre-order via Hydra Head. The EP contains the two tracks from Meanderthal that bear it's title, two music videos for those tracks on a bonus DVD, and two NEW jams ("Mash It Up" & "Sugar Glider"). Pick copies of that 12" in purple, orange and black.

Dredg are also on board for SXSW 2009. They play the Independent Label Group showcase at Buffalo Billiards on March 20th with Riverboat Gamblers, P.O.S., As Tall as Lions, Funeral Party, & Lights.

Torche released my numero uno heavy record of last year, Meanderthal. They have been playing as a trio since the departure of Juan Montoya, and will be in Atlanta this weekend as part of the Scion Rock Fest. All dates below...

Continue reading "Torche & Dredg - 2009 Tour Dates"

by Black Bubblegum

Mastodon & a stormtrooper @ NYC Comic Con on Friday (TD-2243)

The previously mentioned Scion Rock Fest on Feb 28th in Atlanta, GA boasts a COLLOSSAL lineup including Mastodon, Neurosis, High on Fire, Boris, Torche, Nachtmystium, Wolves in the Throne Room, Kylesa, Rwake, Pig Destroyer, and about a trillion other bands straight out of a Black Bubblegum fantasy.

Want to go? We have ten pairs of tickets AND ten copies of the Josh Graham-designed poster (peep it below) available for giveaway! Email us at BVCONTESTS@HOTMAIL.COM with a subject line of "Scion" for your chance to win. Winners will be selected at random and notified on Feb 13th.

Josh Graham and A Storm of Light will play Europa on Sunday Feb 15th supported by the mighty Zoroaster (also at Scion), Belgian badasses Amenra, and I, Parasite. Tickets are still available. A Storm of Light and Nadja have a split due on March 3rd via Robotic Empire.

Poster and full Scion lineup below...

Continue reading "Scion Rock Fest is coming - full Atlanta lineup, ticket contest"

by Black Bubblebgum

sunn o))) @ Knitting Factory (more by Damien Neva)


Ya hear that rumble? Thats the sound of great records perched in the distance waiting to descend on 2009 (more on that later). While this year will bring about great music and another set of "next big things", let's take the time to be thankful for 2008 and all of it's memorable records and shows. Here are my favorite records of 2008:

Continue reading "the year in Metal (Best of 2008, what's coming in 2009)"

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...)"

The Dodos, Department of Eagles, Torche, Harvey Milk, Abe Vigoda, The Duchess and the Duke, Jay Reatard, Sun Kil Moon, Why? and Women were among the twenty 2008 "honorable mentions" Pitchfork awarded today. In other words, these albums will not be part of the Top 50 of 2008 they are publishing soon.

What was your favorite album of 2008?

The Dodos opened for the Walkmen @ Brooklyn Masonic Temple last night (12/16)

by Black Bubblegum

Ex-Torche-er Juan Montoya @ Webster Hall (more by Jason Bergman)

According to Lambgoat, and seemingly validated by the band's MySpace page (peep the "band members" section), guitarist Juan Montoya is no longer with Torche. Information is limited, but according to one message board poster, the band said,

We havent made a real announcement about it yet but we will. Juan is no longer playing with us due to lots of personal reasons. We'll be a three piece for a while. Did it two nights in a row and we think it was excellent. Sorry if anyone's bummed out. We're not.

Thanks!

Juan Montoya, while he was in Torche, recently interviewed Harvey Milk's Steven Tanner for Revolver. You can read that HERE. All tour dates, and videos of Torche playing as a trio in Orlando on November 25th, below...

Continue reading "Juan Montoya 'no longer playing with' Torche (now a trio)"

DOWNLOAD: Steinski - The Payoff Mix (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Steinski - Lesson Two (James Brown Mix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Steinski - Lesson Three (History of Hip Hop) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Bon Iver - Skinny Love (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Shearwater - Leviathan Bound (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal (Dj Doc Rok Remix) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Fucked Up - No Epiphany (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Fucked Up - Twice Born (MP3)

Plush's Fed & The Dodos' Visiter

It's the time of year when people start talking which album was the best this year. That usually means I start cramming and trying to figure out what I still haven't heard and look forward to what others have to say to make my selection process slightly easier. Part of what I'm saying is, I'm not ready to answer that yet. According to the aggregated critics at MetaCritic, this is what was best this year...

1 London Zoo by The Bug
2 Fed by Plush
3 For Emma, Forever Ago by Bon Iver
4 Dear Science, by TV On The Radio
5 Exit by Shugo Tokumaru
6 Fleet Foxes by Fleet Foxes
7 Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!! by Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds
8 Robyn by Robyn
9 Hercules And Love Affair by Hercules And Love Affair
10 What Does It All Mean? 1983-2006 Retrospective by Steinski

Other bands currently ranking in Metacritic's Top 30: The Dodos, The Music Tapes, Shearwater, Portishead, Harvey Milk, Torche, The Hold Steady, Drive By Truckers, and Fucked Up.

Also put out albums this year: Sigur Ros, Jamie Lidell, Laura Marling, Lykke Li, Marnie Stern, Jenny Lewis, She & Him, Conor Oberst, My Morning Jacket, MGMT, The Black Keys, Calexico, Crystal Stilts, Crystal Castles, Crystal Antlers, Grails, Al Green, Anathallo, Flight of the Conchords, Frightened Rabbit, Wolf Parade, Vampire Weekend, Vivian Girls, The Walkmen, Santogold, Parts & Labor, Cut Copy, Hot Chip, David Byrne, Death Cab For Cutie, Beck, Beach House, Elbow, REM, M83, NIN, No Age, Of Montreal, Destroyer, Department of Eagles, Deerhoof, Deerhunter, The Dears, and Deer Tick (though Deer tick was out in 2007 and reissued in 2008) (and I guess Radiohead is qualified too) (and Metallica, AC/DC and Guns N' Roses) (and JACK JOHNSON) (and a million others).

Who else? What are your favorites this year? Who will Pitchfork pick as #1?

The Bug is going on tour with Nine Inch Nails. Those dates are below...

Continue reading "What is the best album of 2008? (when did it come out?)"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Growing - Live at ATP (MP3, MEDIAFIRE)

Boris @ Webster Hall (more by Jason Bergman)

As someone anonymously pointed out in the Maxwell's show post, Boris are playing Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn on 12/3, this time with Clouds and Growing. Tickets are on sale now. Tickets for their 11/9 Maxwell''s show are also still available.

The Maxwell's show is before Boris's tour with Nine Inch Nails. The Brooklyn date is one of four shows that Boris has lined up with Growing after the NIN tour. It's possible Clouds are playing those other three post-NIN shows too, but that information hasn't been released yet. Stay tuned for updates.

In typical Boris style, the band released a new probably limited live album? I think... well.. does anyone speak Japanese?

Growing dropped their latest effort All The Way in September, played ATP NY that same month, and then went on tour with Hot Chip.

Clouds also shared a NYC bill with Boris when they played Webster Hall back in July. Torche played that show too and that's who Clouds is going back out on tour with later this month. All dates for everyone below...

Continue reading "Boris, Clouds & Growing - updated 2008 Tour Dates (MHOW)"

by Black Bubblegum

While on their European (mega)tour with Torche, Pelican hit a bit of a snag....

Two days ago we had a spare half hour to spend in Rome before heading to the venue, so we decided to go see the Coliseum. We parked nearby and went to take a brief twenty minute walk around the area. When we returned to our van we found that it had been broken into, despite being parked on a major street in broad daylight. Four bags were stolen, the contents including computers, passports, wallets, ipods, our soundguy's microphone collection, and, most devastatingly, a number of personal journals and two portable recording devices containing hours of song ideas that are now lost forever.

Pelican's North American 'Champions Of Sound' tour with Kayo Dot & Stove Bredsky kicks off in Mt. Clemens at the end of October.

Pelican and Torche's entire tour schedules are below.

Continue reading "Pelican robbed in Rome"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Sigh - "Black Metal" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Salome - "Black Tides" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Salome - "White Tides" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Crom - "The Black Ring" (M4A)
DOWNLOAD: Light Yourself On Fire - "Love And Death" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Monarch! - "Mer Morte" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Tweak Bird - "Whorses" (MP3)

War is beautiful...... Torche (more by Jason Bergman)

Torche have teamed up with labelmates (and former tourmates) Clouds, for a string of freshly minted US tour dates with Coliseum and Black Cobra providing support. Torche is also currently gearing up for a European tour with another set of labelmates, Pelican, which concludes on October 11th. The first date on the Torche / Clouds tour is October 24th with Coliseum. CMJ is October 21st - 25th. Will we see Torche, Clouds or Coliseum at CMJ? No word yet (natch), but when we know, so will you. Full tour dates below.

Speaking of Pelican, the boys have issued a rather thorough update in which they detail their loooong awaited split with These Arms Are Snakes (due on Hydrahead, limited quantities), a split 7" with Young Widows (due in 2009), a collaborative split 7" with Suicide Note, and a Fire In Their Throats.... 2LP release in Viva Hate Records. But the band also dropped more interesting news..... including the fact that the band will tour the east coast in the fall, have a video for "Lost in the Headlights" in the works, and are working on their follow up to City Of Echoes. More details to come. Speaking of These Arms Are Snakes, the band recently posted "Red Line Season" to their myspace for streaming.

Coffins have contributed two songs, one new and another a cover of "The Day Man Lost" by swedish death metallers Carnage, to a split 7" with sludgy-grind enthusiasts Skullhog. Pick it up NOW at No Escape, it's limited to 500 copies (200 on red wax). Coffins also have the following releases lined up: the Warhead 7" EP (on Torture Garden); Split 7" EPs with Womb (on Necroharmonic), Lobotomized (on Plague Island), and Spun In Darkness (Battle Kommand); Split 12" LPs with The Arm And Sword Of A Bastard God (the vinyl release on Enucleation, originally on CD via 20 Buck Spin), Anatomia & Grudge (the three-way split vinyl release on Enucleation, originally dropped on Grindmind), and XXX Maniak (the vinyl release on Haunted Hotel, originally released on CD via Creeping Vine); a Singles collection from 2004-2008 (on Living Dead Society); a mini album (on Bones Brigade); a track on the Death Metal Power Compilation Vol.1 (on Final Punishment).
Engineer is currently working on their follow up to The Dregs, and have "close to five songs completed". Look for the band to line up a few new shows in the coming months.

Sigh drops their new record, A Tribute to Venom, on limited edition etched vinyl with CD via The End Records on Sept 2nd. A Tribute To Venom is just that, a set of Venom covers reimagined in way that only Sigh could. Check out the artwork below, download their cover of the Venom classic (and namesake for an entire genre) "Black Metal" above. Want a copy of A Tribute To Venom on vinyl/CD? Email BVCONTESTS@HOTMAIL.COM (subject: Sigh). Include your first and last name. One winner will be picked at random and contacted. Sigh will hit the road in September with Zimmer's Hole & Unexpect, hitting BB Kings in NYC on Sept 16th. Tickets are still available, full tour dates are below.

Salome, Lair Of The Minotaur, Behemoth, Napalm Death, Municipal Waste, and much more below.........

Continue reading "This Week In METAL (08/28/08)"

words by Black Bubblegum, photos by Jason Bergman

Torche

Meet your new favorite band. If not you, then someone who's seen them live. Torche lit up (sorry) Webster Hall on July 10th with flapping down-tuned guitar strings, full body (not just head) bangs, bombastic loudquietloud, and hooks, hooks, and more hooks. The band drew heavily from the critically accliamed Meanderthal, but also from last year's equally acclaimed In Return. In the live setting, their sound definitely adheres closer to their (also must-have) self-titled LP, rumbling low-end thunder. They invited Q (dummer for Clouds) on stage to play toms on "Fat Waves".

Boris headlined the gala with Michio Kurihara in tow. Michio definitely blessed the band with some amazing dual lead work with Wata during "Pink". It never fails to impress me the kind of firepower they bring (over 1200 watts in vintage Matamps, Sunns, and Orange), and the volume definitely shows. Unfortunately though, as much as I love Boris and their ability the experiment and keep things fresh and new, the night belonged to Torche. (That was HARD for me to say)

Clouds show some of the same traits that make Torche so great, but to a lesser degree: big bombast, riffage galore all undercut by hooky songs. Clouds handled the stage well, almost making up for he fact that Adam McGrath is NOT doing Cave-in.

So how many of you bought that $250 Japanese pressing of the Boris Rainbow box set? More pics below...

Continue reading "Torche & Clouds (and Boris) @ Webster Hall, NYC - pics "

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Melvins - "Nude With Boots" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Graf Orlock - "A Shocking Interrogation" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Anaphylactic Shock - "Ultimatum" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Adai - "Hawkins" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Rob Halford - Metal Hammer interview podcast (MP3)

Weedeater sets fires while Jeff Matz (High On Fire, Zeke) admires (wusspie)

Smoke monsters Weedeater have announced a co-headlining tour with Black Cobra, including one date in NYC at the Knitting Factory! Tickets are on sale. Tour details are below. Black Cobra's Feather & Stone is now available on gatefold LP at their webstore. Weedeater is still touring off the might of God Luck & Good Speed.

Just because At The Gates doubleheader (July 9th & 10th @ Irving Plaza) (and many of their announced dates) is sold out, doesn't mean that the Bjorler twins are forgetting their day job. The Haunted dropped an update on their new record and plans to tour the US in 2009!

Roooooadtrip! Kirk Windstein (Crowbar, Down, Kingdom Of Sorrow) has announced that Crowbar and the legendary Eyehategod will share the stage in New Orleans at One-Eyed Jack's on August 29th for their 20th anniversary show! Crowbar also recently announced that they will tour "every country that's got electricity" with their forthcoming 2009 album.

Totimoshi and Nebula announced a US tour, sweeping coast to coast in early August and concluding in mid-September. NYC has been blessed with August 25th at the Knitting Factory with Tournament. Tickets are on sale. Nebula have just finished an EP, Heavy Psych, though there is no release date as of yet. Totimoshi will drop Milagrosa on July 8th celebrating with a record release party with Big Business and Triclops! Check out the newly minted video "Gnat" featuring Eugene Robinson of Oxbow....

That video, Watain, Graf Orlock, Carcass, Converge, and much much more below...

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

by Black Bubblegum

"I gotta get an alarm system for this fuckin thing" - Steve (Torche)

Torche at SXSW 2008 (Priya of the Beige House)

Some NE-anderthals broke into Torche's van and as a result, Dade County's finest will not be able to make their scheduled appearance at Downtown Music Hall in Little Rock in order to get the hooptie fixed.

"Due to lowlife motherf*ckers breaking into our van, we have to cancel our show in Little Rock, AR tomorrow May 7. Stinking Lizaveta may still be playing though. Sorry for any inconvenience"

Torche's Meanderthal came out early last month. They are playing with The Sword at MHOW and with Boris at Webster Hall.

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Opeth - "Lotus Eater" (edit) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Gates Of Slumber - Ice Worm (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: The Gates Of Slumber - Trapped In The Web (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Leviathan - Made As The Stale Wine Of Wrath (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Lurker Of Chalice - I (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Wold - Frost Crystal Symmetry (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Ascend - Ample Fire Within (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Wolfbrigade - "Prowler" (MP3)

Intronaut Live in Barcelona, 2007 (buckyrocks)

New Century Media signees Intronaut will be back in town in August 8th at the Knitting Factory (on sale NOW), this time bringing Behold... The Arctopus and Mouth Of The Architect! Following up last year's excellent yet grab-baggy The Challenger sort-of-EP, the boys will head back into the studio in April to record a new LP. Mouth Of The Architect have a new album on the way as well, Quietly, and you can preview first single "Hate And Heartache" at the Translation Loss MySpace.

Speaking of Colin Marston, the new record for his black metal project with Mick Barr, Krallice, is in the can and is due in July via Profound Lore. Mick Barr's Ocrilim are on board to play a Todd P show opening for the mighty Thrones at Death By Audio on May 22nd. Thrones, aka Joe Preston of Melvins, High On Fire, and many other esteemed projects was spotted playing guitar with the mighty Harvey Milk at SXSW and WFMU has the whole thing available for download.

more...........

Continue reading "This Week In METAL (05/02/08)"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD:Boris - "Akuma No Uta" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD:Wolves In The Throne Room - "I Will Lay Down My Bones Among the Rocks and Roots" (MP3)

Wolves In The Throne Room

Remember that Boris show at Webster Hall? Ends up it is part of a tour.... a BIG one with the mighty Torche and Wolves In The Throne Room!

Boris is hitting the road to promote their Smile-ing new baby, due Tuesday on Southern Lord, while Torche is still riding high on the recent release of their monstrous Meanderthal (out now). Olympia, WA's Wolves In The Throne Room have been true road warriors... just back from the Roadburn Festival, the band is still touring off of last year's critically-acclaimed black metal masterpiece Two Hunters.

Torche will also be in Brooklyn with The Sword @ MHOW. The Webster Hall show on sale NOW. All Boris tour dates below....

Continue reading "Boris, Torche & Wolves in the Throne Room - Tour Dates"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Capsule - "Cobalt Connection" (ZSHARE MP3 LINK)
DOWNLOAD: Capsule - "Determinal" (ZSHARE MP3 LINK)

These guys are on some other shit. Featuring members of some seriously mighty bands (ex-Torche & Tyranny of Shaw, currently Kylesa) Capsule play a frenzied blend of metal-meets-post-hardcore that is somehow both calculated and chaotic. Pull all of the prog tendencies out of Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and put him back in front of a post-hardcore rhythm section with ADD, distill the results, and you'd have something that sounds like them. Think Dysrhythmia or Behold... The Arctopus with gang vocals and a furious punk slant..... lots of technicality, odd time signatures, and jaw-dropping left turns.

Their FIRST LP Blue is out now. For more praise, see what Decibel has to say. Pick it up at Robotic Empire.

If you missed 'em last night (April 15) at the Brooklyn Cat House, catch 'em tonight (April 16 at the Charleston (on Bedford) with BirthdayBoyz. They're on tour with Furnace. All dates below...

But first check out the ridiculous interview that Colin from Capsile did with Rick Smith of Torche on his blog.

Continue reading "Capsule - MP3s & 2008 Tour Dates (tonight in Brooklyn)"

by Black Bubblegum

Torche

Torche's 10,000 lb cupcake, the new album Meanderthal, smashes it's way on to shelves today. Meander, it does not: Torche gets right to the point with pop songs masked in massive waves of chunky distortion, yet like it's other namesake, Meanderthal clubs us over the head with doom riffs heavy enough to please even the most die hard of Corrupted fans. Definitely, their best yet.

Don't believe me? Stream the whole damn thing.

Download a single track at Paper Thin Walls.

Torche is playing Music Hall Of Williamsburg with The Sword, and tickets are still on sale. It's part of a much bigger tour. Check out a recent live video below....

Continue reading "Torche - 'Meanderthal' (out today) (stream it), MP3 too"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: The Sword - "Fire Lances Of The Ancient Hyperzephyrians" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Soilent Green - "Antioxidant" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Iron Maiden - "Intro", "Aces High", & "Two Minutes To Midnight", Live in Tokyo Feb 16th, 2008 (VIDEO, WMV)

Neurot Recordings have announced details for THREE Neurosis-related releases in the next two months! First up, a new solo album from the mighty Scott Kelly, who will release The Wake on May 5th, his first release in the seven years since his debut Spirit Bound Flesh. Two weeks later, the world's most intense elementary school teacher Steve Von Till drops A Grave is a Grim Horse, his first non-Harvestman release in six years (Harvestman recently collabo'd with Fear Falls Burning). More details on A Grave Is A Grim Horse can be found here. The third we knew about, but has now gone official: A Storm Of Light's debut And We Wept the Black Ocean Within will be released on June 2nd. Read our recent interview with Josh Graham here.

Tickets for the previously mentioned second At The Gates show go on sale Thursday April 3rd at 10 AM here. Tomas Lindberg's other band, the mighty Disfear, have announced a few more dates, including another show in Brooklyn at Europa on May 22nd with Trap Them and Bloodhorse! Ticket info for Disfear at Europa isn't available, but there are still tickets for their show at the Knitting Factory. New tour dates are down below.

MUCH MORE..............

Continue reading "This Week In METAL (04/02/08)"

by Black Bubblegum

Torche burnin' a hole their way through SXSW - Mar 14, 2008 (EAR FARM)

Now that Torche have completed their trip down to Texas, for whatever reason, they can get down to bidness and play some shows up north right? They haven't been up to the five boroughs since sharing the stage with the admirable Justin K Broadrick (Jesu, Godflesh, ex-Napalm Death, etc) last year and they have that new record coming out on April 8th on Hydrahead....

Good news! We don't have word on a full tour, but they will play a show with The Sword (who have their mostest bestest album ever coming out April 1) and "doom-jazz" band Stinking Lizaveta at Music Hall Of Williamsburg on May 17th! Tickets are on sale.

Zombie Eaters AKA The Sword @ Red 7 (BV SXSW) - Mar 12, 2008 (The Syndicate)

Big news from the aforementioned Justin K Broadrick.... his FINAL project has released a 4CDR set of his Infinite Guitar 1 & 2 / Guitar & Bass Improvisations Vol 1 & 2, limited to a measly 150 copies. Um, get this now while you still can.....

Justin's old band Napalm Death also played SXSW.

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Trap Them - They Followed the Scent of Jihad All The Way to Thieves Paradise from "Sleepwell Deconstructor" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Earth - Omens And Portents I: The Driver from "The Bees Made Honey In The Lions Skull" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Nasum - Doombringer from "Helvete" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Behemoth - Prometherion from "The Apostasy" (MP3)

The Hidden Hand, Place Of Skulls, The Obsessed, Spirit Caravan, and the aforementioned Shrinebuilder all have had one thing in common, the stamp of quality by doom legend Scott "Wino" Weinrich. Now Southern Lord brings word of "Punctuated Equilibrium", aka the "Wino" solo record! Backed by skinsman extraordinaire Jean-Paul Gaster (Clutch) and Jon Blank (Rez n) on bass, the new record will be tracked by producer (and legend in his own right) J Robbins (Jawbox, Burning Airlines, etc).

Fresh off of the right & left hook known as "Sleepwell Deconstructor" and "Seance Prime", hardcore punkers Trap Them will be bobbin' & weavin' through Europe and the east & west coasts through the end of April, including a date at the Charleston on March 12th and another at The Knit on June 16th. Look for them to support the massive multi-instrument collective The Ocean and grind pioneers Extreme Noise Terror in Europe. Sprechen about Germany's The Ocean, check out their guest blog over at Headbanger's Blog and if you play cello and/or viola and feel like touring Europe & the US, email em!

D-Beat kings Tragedy (ex-His Hero Is Gone) have added a May 2nd show at the Knitting Factory with Japanese hardcore band Systematic Death & Disnihil. Tickets are on sale. Definitely highly reccommended.....

Torche posted a new track from their upcoming Kurt Ballou-produced LP "Meanderthal". The track "Piranha" is now streaming at their myspace, and the "Meanderthal" track listing and updated tour dates (including a date with Municipal Waste & Iron Lung) is below......along with a whole lot of other stuff....

Continue reading "This Week In METAL (2/13/08)"

by Black Bubblegum

Miami's own Torche has announced plans for "Meanderthal", their second LP and third overall release on the heels of the mighty "In Return" EP. Aaron Turner's Hydra Head will release "Meanderthal" on April 8th, which (like almost everything nowadays) will be produced by Kurt Ballou (Converge) at GodCity in Salem, MA. Meanwhile look for the boys to play a string of dates (below) including the Hydra Head showcase at SXSW, and a few opening for Georgia badasses Harvey Milk.....

Continue reading "Torche - new record, 2008 Tour Dates (Harvey Milk, SXSW)"