by BBG

Saint Vitus

Arguably the centerpiece of the entire Maryland Deathfest lineup was the return of the UK doom juggernaut Electric Wizard (pictures HERE), so suffice it to say that a large portion of the Sunday (on 5/28) roster leaned in that direction. Doom legends Saint Vitus headlined the second stage that night, while the bluesy Church of Misery, glacially-paced Cough, zen-like Yob and eclectic Rwake all represented for the genre.

The rest of the day fell all over the map, from speedy straight-edge to grind, black metal to crust, and death metal of the technical and primitive sorts. The odd-experimentalism of Bethlehem caught my ear the most, but sets from the always entertaining Suffocation, Disma, Pentagram (black/thrash from Chile), Ulcerate, Mortuary Drape and Agents of Abhorrence were similarly fun. I unfortunately arrived too late to catch Backslider or Coke Bust. Demonical's old school Swedish death metal sounded excellent but didn't put on much of a live show and my flirtation with Morgoth was interrupted in favor of Rwake's full set.

More pictures from the final day at Maryland Deathfest is below. If you missed it, check out pictures from day 1 HERE (and Rorschach HERE), day 2 HERE and day 3 HERE.

Continue reading "Maryland Deathfest Day 4: Saint Vitus, Mortuary Drape, Bethlehem, Rwake, Church of Misery, Disma and more"

Ulcerate at Public Assembly last night

We had our van broken into in New York last night at our accom. We've lost all our guitar gear (preamps, effects units), some drum equipment, stage banner and all of Svart Crown's merch was also ripped off. We're going to keep going but this is a fucking terrible start. We had phenomenal shows in Philadelphia and NYC last night so this is an absolute kick in the fucking teeth. -[Ulcerate]

The show was the same night as the sold-out Loss, Pallbearer, Sewer Goddess show at Saint Vitus. Pallbearer also played a boozy aftershow at Acheron later that night.

HR with Bad Brains at Music Hall of Williamsburg (more by Erik Erikson)

The two-day benefit for Lucinda's Kids at Bowery Electric begins today (4/29) with Marah, Jesse Malin, Willie Nile, Jimmy Gnecco, Dave Milone, Jim Boggie, Aaron Lee Tasjan, Ptter Ericson Stakee.

H.R. of Bad Brains plays night two, Monday, of that Manhattan benefit, but first he'll headline a Brooklyn show of his own at Public Assembly tonight (4/29) with support from Paranoid Social Club, The WonderMics, Groundswell, Matt Pless, and Jay Samel. Tickets are on sale.

The show is one of a few notable events at Public Assembly in the coming months. Xeno & Oaklander will headline Public Assembly on May 11th with David J (Bauhaus), Frank (Just Frank), and DJ sets by CREEP and Todd Pendu. Tickets are still available. Xeno & Oaklander are currently touring in the Midwest.

Also going down in the near future at Public Assembly, Idiot Glee (who we profiled last year) will play with Nick Diamonds (of islands), Celestial Shore, and DJ Udbhav on May 11th. $8 gets you in. Idiot Glee recently posted a new video for "That's All For Everyone" which is viewable below. The track comes from the band's Don't Go Out Tonight 7" and is a cover of Fleetwood Mac. Pick up a copy.

Public Assembly will host The X-Ecutioners, Da Beatminerz and "special guests TBA" alongside resident DJs Total Eclipse and Gen.Erik on May 3rd. Details, including cost, are forthcoming but prepare for a night of jaw-dropping turntablism.

NYC PopFest is coming to Public Assembly, as is Tombs/Ulcerate in May and Martyrdoom in June!

Check out that Idiot Glee video and more videos below.

Continue reading "HR playing Public Assembly, as are Xeno & Oaklander, The X-Ecutioners and Idiot Glee (but not together)"

by BBG

Ulcerate

Ulcerate will team with Tombs for a string of US dates that will include May 19th at Public Assembly, as part of their campaign towards Maryland Deathfest 2012. Ticketing info is forthcoming. The New Zeland band recently signed to Relapse for the follow-up to their much loved The Destroyers of All LP.

Tombs will also play a local show in the meantime, teaming with Argonauts, Psychic Limb & The Year is One for a show at Union Pool on March 3rd.

Tombs recently waved goodbye to long-time bassist Carson James, who will be temporarily replaced by Paul Delaney of Black Anvil for an upcoming LA show at The Roxy on 2/11 with Exhumed, Black Tusk, Revocation, and Royal Thunder as part of a Scion showcase for Relapse Records.

All tour dates and some streams are below.

Continue reading "Ulcerate to tour East Coast with Tombs before MDF"

by BBG

Seven Sisters of Sleep at A389 2011 (more by BBG)

Seven Sisters of Sleep (mems Tafkata) are two for two with releases in 2011, dropping both their excellent debut and their similarly crushing split with Children of God this year. Get both at A389. Though no full East Coast trek has been planned, Seven Sisters of Sleep will join the great All Pigs Must Die, labelmates Low Places, and NYC's Grudges for an NYC date at Acheron on 1/20, just a few days after the always awesome A389 Anniversary show at Sonar in Baltimore with Eyehategod, Gehenna, and many others.

All Pigs Must Die was recently given an "honorable mention" in Pitchfork's top metal of 2011 list (though no shout out for Seven Sisters of Sleep). Check out the full list, along with some streaming APMD material and a few videos below...

Continue reading "Pitchfork lists the best metal of 2011, All Pigs Must Die & Seven Sisters of Sleep schedule a Brooklyn show"

DOWNLOAD: Warning//Warning - "Ghosts" (MP3)

Black Cobra at The Studio at Webster Hall (more by BBG)

In addition to their tour with Kyuss Lives! and The Sword that includes 12/9 at the Paramount in Long Island and 12/10 at the Wellmont Theatre in NJ, Black Cobra have added a round of dates that include Saint Vitus (the venue) on 12/11 with Zoroaster and The Body. Tickets are on sale. The full slate of dates are below. Black Cobra recently released Invernal.

France's Warning//Warning are touring the US and will hit Acheron on 11/20 with Nomad and more TBA. Check out a song from the bands new record There's Nothing Left above and look for them on the road at the dates below.

Saint Vitus (the band) have signed to Season of Mist and will release a new album.

Relapse signed the great New Zealand band Ulcerate. If you havent heard of them, make sure to check out their LP Destroyers of All which dropped this year, not to mention their highly recommended 2009 album Everything is Fire. It's great to see this band's audience growing in the US.

It seems that Seein Red/Larm cancelled their Chaos in Tejas 2011 appearance for a damn good reason... hearing damage. And now Seein Red have called it quits! R.I.P. Seein Red, I posted a live video in tribute below.

That video, a stream of the Pallbearer demo, a stream of a new Rise & Fall song, a new Pulling Teeth video, a new Oathbreaker video, and a live Monarch! video is below along with more suggested NYC shows...

Continue reading "Evillive (Black Cobra, Saint Vitus, Ulcerate, Pallbearer, Oathbreaker, Pulling Teeth & more)"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Celeste - Misanthrope(s) LP (Zipped MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Ulcerate - "Caecus" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Ulcerate - "Tyranny" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Black September - "Purification" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Bloody Panda - "Miserere" (Excerpt) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Oak & Bone - "Build Walls" (MP3)

Ulcerate

Back to bludgeon.... it's This Week in Metal! This week, we kick things off with a death metal record that is currently in high rotation, Ulcerate's searing new LP Everything is Fire. Out NOW via Willowtip, check out a pair of MP3s from that LP available above. This New Zealand band are able to hit that seemingly impossible sweet-spot where brutality meets technicality and melody meets dissonance. Highly recco'd!

Bloody Panda is back a new LP due on Profound Lore, Summon. Due August 11, the band will release a CD/DVD for Summon which will include seven tracks, one of which ("Miserere", an excerpt above) is interpreted visually on DVD. Yoshiko Ohara, their signature vocalist and a known visual artist, is responsible for the cover art. The DVD was shot, in Brooklyn and Indonesia, and edited by band members Bryan Camphire, Blake McDowell, and Josh Rothenberger. Josh also told us that...

the whole DVD project came about through our collaboration with Cave dance studio on Grand St. in Williamsburg. It was there that we met Berlin-based Butoh dancer Yuko Kaseki a few years ago. We Asked her to dance to one of our tunes last year, and then shot most of the DVD at Cave with her last August/Septemeber.

Fresh off of a triumphant set at Maryland Deathfest, Asphyx is back and will domestically release their new album, Death...The Brutal Way via Ibex Moon. Due September 1st, the record will also be released in a limited edition version with a live DVD, Live at Party.San Open Air Festival 2007. Asphyx recently welcomed Martin van Drunen (Pestilence, Hail of Bullets, Bolt Thrower) back into the fold after his departure 17 years ago.

Black September, who first came onto my radar via their work with Thou and Winters In Osaka, has a new 7" out NOW, The Sermon of Vengeance. Mastered at The Boiler Room by Collin Jordan (Nachtmystium, Minsk), check out "Purification", one of two new tracks by the black metal punks from The Sermon of Vengeance above and order that 7", as well as other releases here.

Pelican's new EP, the tour only CD Ephemeral, is out on 12" at Southern Lord packaged with a Seldon Hunt designed tee. In addition, Earth's previously rare Radio/Live LP is available via Southern Lord as well.

Filth-ridden hardcore is the order of business for Syracuse's Oak & Bone, a badge the band wears with pride on their debut 7" out NOW via Hex Records (one time home to Ed Gein, Engineer, Playing Enemy, and Cursed). Check out "Build Walls" from that 7" above. The crew recently played NYC with another fave of mine, crusty black-metal punks Infernal Stronghold, and are prepping to release a split 7" with Like Wolves on Barbarossa Records. Pick up their debut 7" and look for that split!

Anaal Nathrakh's Mick Kenney is back with his former bandmates in Mistress to resurrect Fukpig, who released their last LP Nuclear Apocalypse in 2003. Pick up Spewings From A Selfish Nation before it's gone (100 copies total!). Anaal Nathrakh's In The Constellation Of The Black Widow is out June 26th via Candellight. Preorder the vinyl at Mick/Shane Embury's FETO records.

A preview of that Fukpig, as well as news on Down touring with Melvins(!!!) Jucifer, Celeste, Mastodon, Clutch, and much more below...

Continue reading "This Week In METAL (06/16/09)"