by BBG

Kevin Baker of All Pigs Must Die @ Power of The Riff (more by Taylor Keahey)

Here is our third and final installment in a series where we asked our favorite artists about their highlights of 2011. This batach includes contributions from members of All Pigs Must Die, Altar of Plagues, Hull, "Grim" Kim Kelly, J.Bennett, Chris Bruni (Profound Lore) and many others. Part 1 is HERE. Part 2 is HERE. Part 3 is below...

Continue reading "The Year in Heavy 2011 according to artists & friends (part 3)"

by BBG

Wolvhammer 2011 (photo by Samantha Marble)

"Motorhead meets black metal," was how Minneapolis's Wolvhammer was originally described to me. The "black n' roll" description is apt and got me salivating, but neglects to note the many other influences that crept their way in - an inevitably when dealing with four individuals.

Wolvhammer masheds up Eyehategod's misanthropic sludge to Craft's nihilistic black metal on their impressive debut LP Blackmarketeers Of World War III (which we streamed in its entirety), a path that is further explored on The Obsidian Plains, their new LP due on Profound Lore on 10/25. The band released "Writhe" from the new LP previously. Now their Sanford Parker-produced monster "Shadowhorn" makes its debut in this post. Check them both out below, alongside some questions that I asked drummer Heath Rave about the new song, album, and his adopted hometown of Chicago.

Continue reading "an interview w/ Wolvhammer and a new song (premiere)"

photos by Samantha Marble & BBG, words by BBG

Tombs @ Lovejoys

After a day of mayhem and floorpunches with Ringworm on Friday (3/18), the BrooklynVegan/Profound Lore Records day show on Saturday at Lovejoys centered more on the metal side of things. The 3/19 show featured nine bands in total, of which four called the label home. The amazing Tombs headlined, and I couldn't help but feel a large share of local (NYC) pride since three of the nine bands call Brooklyn home (Tombs, Castevet, Batillus).

more below....

Continue reading "BV/Profound Lore Day Party @ Lovejoys - pics & video (Tombs, Bruce Lamont, Mike Williams, Batillus, Dark Castle & more)"

by BBG

Flyer, with art by Glyn Smyth of Scrawled Design

I am ecstatic to announce my partnership with the great Profound Lore Records for an Austin day party at Lovejoys (604 Neches St, right downtown) on March 19th! The free day show (lineup above) will run from noon-7pm and include Dark Castle, The Body, Deafheaven, Wolvhammer, Grayceon, Castevet, Batillus, Altaar from Norway (!), and the blasting NYC killers Tombs. Set times and more details are forthcoming but in the meantime save the date!

Altaar @ by:Larm 2010

March 19th is the last of FOUR BV DAY PARTIES catering to fans of heavy music, including the previously discussed Full Metal Texas show on 3/17 at Emo's with Trap Them, Rwake, Hull, All Pigs Must Die, and the recently added Kvelertak! Details on March 16th and 18th are still to come.

Moments after the BrooklynVegan/ProfoundLore day party comes to a close, the official Profound Lore SXSW showcase will begin at Valhalla! That show kicks off at 7PM and will feature a headlining set from Slough Feg, as well as performances from KEN Mode, Castevet, Grayceon, Bruce Lamont, and Wolvhammer. Check out the incredible show poster below and get a screened copy of it at the show from the artist, Glyn Smyth of Scrawled Design.

Bruce Lamont plays Union Pool in Brooklyn on SUNDAY (2/27) with Lichens, Kevin Hufnagel & Cocaine & Abel. Union Pool will also host The Body TONIGHT (2/22) with Braveyoung & Elks.

Show flyers, a stream of Deafheaven's awesome demo and more pictures of the mighty Altaar from Norway's by:Larm 2010 are below!

Continue reading "BrooklynVegan & Profound Lore present a Free Day Party @ Lovejoys (lineup, related shows, live Altaar pics & more)"

by BBG

Inquisition @ Red 7

Will the whole thing be like this? I'm currently in Austin, TX prepping to see Fun Fun Fun Fest (tickets here) this weekend and already in the two days leading-up Red 7 has hosted a pair of killer shows. The Wednesday show featured the new Faiza Kracheni (ex-Hatred Surge) project Mindless alongside the crusty and blackened Wolvhammer. Last night (11/4), Chaos in Tejas hosted a free and eclectic heavy shindig headlined by Saviours and featuring Inquisition, Pack of Wolves, HOD, and Naw Dude.

The punishment at Red 7 continues through the weekend and into Sunday (11/7), when BrooklynVegan will host Landmine Marathon, Mammoth Grinder, Ratking (mems Made out of Babies, Gorilla Biscuits) and an act that was previously listed as "special guest" that we can now reveal as Floor! The Red 7 show is their only non-Fun Fun Fun Fest show (they play the festival proper that afternoon) coming up, and quite possibly could be their last show EVER. If you are in the area, get down to Red 7... it's free with your FFF writband and a measly $5 without.

Unfortunately I missed all support for the Wolvhammer/Mindless show, as well as Pack of Wolves, HOD, and Naw Dude (all bands I was looking forward to seeing), but pictures of the rest, below...

Continue reading "Floor revealed as our Fun Fun Fun guest @ Red 7 -- where Wolvhammer, Inquisition, Saviours & others just played (pics) "

by BBG

Wolvhammer's debut LP Blackmarketeers of World War III (album art above) is Midwestern bludgeon done right. The record is chock-full of well-crafted daggers of black-metal/doom/crusty goodness, achieving one of the hardest things for an artist: a sound and an identity. The record is out now via Init Records, but before you fork over some cash, dig on a full album stream available below...

Continue reading "Wolvhammer -Blackmarketeers of World War III album stream"

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Wolvhammer - "Suicide Brigade" (MP3)

Minneapolis's Wolvhammer can't decide what they are, and that's the best part. Black Metal? Post-metal? Crust? Sludge-doom? Wolvhammer chooses it all.

Its that kitchen sink mentality - nothing is off limits, that makes the band's debut album Blackmarketeers Of World War III such a compelling listen. The LP's lead track, "Suicide Brigade", is a perfect example; beginning with a blasting black metal intro, the song evolves into a half speed Hellhammer style punk groove before slowing entirely to a doom piece by the halfway point. It rips, and more importantly underlines a key point: with barely two years in existence, Wolvhammer has an identity and a sound all their own.

With Blackmarketeers Of World War III due via Init Records on July 13th (yet currently available via their mail order), we sat down with bassist Micah Leonetti to discuss the origins of the band, Minneapolis, and the new LP. Get the MP3 above. Read our chat below...

Continue reading "an new MP3 & an interview w/ Wolvhammer"

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: The Howling Wind - "Teeth of Frost" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Palace of Worms - "Rite of Blood" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Unholy Grave - "Little Bastards" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Coffinworm - "Start Saving For Your Funeral" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Darkthrone - "Eyes Burst At Dawn" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Wolvhammer - Dawn Of The 4th (Zipped MP3, Mediafire)
DOWNLOAD: Panopticon - "Beginning Of The End" featuring Rob "The Baron" Miller (MP3 Snippet)
DOWNLOAD: From Ashes Rise - "All In Due Time" (Live) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Alcest - "Percées De Lumière" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Wormrot - "Indonesia" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Jucifer - "Rifles" (MP3)

Ryan of The Howling Wind w/ Unearthly Trance (more by Samantha Marble)

Ryan Lipynsky probably best known for his role as doom-destroyer in Unearthly Trance, but he's been around the block with projects as varying as Motive, Pollution, Thralldom and The Howling Wind, who will release their latest LP Into The Cryosphere via Profound Lore in April. The Howling Wind, which includes Tim Call of Parasitic Records, Aldebaran, and others, toils in icy doom and black metal much like the ripping "Teeth of Frost" available above. The band also has the Mortuary Library 7" due out later this year via Parasitic.

In related news, NYC doomers Unearthly Trance have hit the studio to record their new album V with Sanford Parker. The band currently has one show on their calendar, April 21st at The Charleston with Lair of The Minotaur as part of a string of East Coast dates in celebration of Evil Power, their new album due out on their own The Grind-House Records imprint. Look for that LP in middle April.

Raw and punishing Japanese grind returns with Grind Killers, the new LP from Unholy Grave! Recorded live in a Dutch studio in September 2008, these 23 tracks were mastered last year and will see a release on Selfmadegod Records in March 2010. Check out "Little Bastards" available for download above. Meanwhile, Selfmadegod will also release a Peel Sessions disc with Agothocles recorded in 1997 and The Grind Years from Psycho.

Coliseum with new drummer Carter Wilson (far right)

Coliseum has signed with Temporary Residence Limited! The band has completed recording their new LP with J Robbins which will see the light of day this summer and will feature appearances from Will Oldham, members of Young Widows, Jason Noble, and many others. Congrats boys!

Harvey Milk will release their new album, A Small Turn of Human Kindness via Hydrahead on May 18th! Can't wait. The current tracklisting is below. Make sure and catch Harvey Milk with Coalesce and The Atlas Moth on tour and at Le Poisson Rouge on 3/8 (tix).

The "De-cancellation Tour" routing is almost complete! Make sure and catch Ludicra on the road this spring doing select dates with Krallice including Europa on 4/18 as part of a BV/Osiris presentation! Tickets are on sale. Full tour routing is below.

The dark forces of Coffinworm have revealed more details from their upcoming shadowy effort for Profound Lore, When All Became None. Sanford Parker has helmed the sludgy blackened doom LP, which features six tracks and is due for release in April. Dig on "Start Saving For Your Funeral" from the LP, downloadable above. Coffinworm will appear at the BV/CC/1000K Pizza Party alongside Zoroaster, Landmine Marathon, and many others. Album art is below.

That album art, and news on Corrupted, Triptykon, Autopsy, Black Shape of Nexus, Virus, Darkthrone, Rosetta, and so much more, as Short Wave Warfare continues...

Continue reading "Short Wave Warfare (03/3/10) "