words by Jamie Ludwig, photos by Carmelo Espanola

BV Chicago contributors Jamie Ludwig and Carmelo Espanola were on the scene in Chicago at Reggie's on 2/3 to take in the ongoing Slow Southern Steel/Hail! Hornet tour. The tour hits NYC at Europa TONIGHT (2/8) and tickets are still available. -BBG

Hail Hornet! @ Reggie's

An enthusiastic crowd gathered at Reggie's Rock Club in Chicago on Friday night (2/3) for a rare appearance of Southern metal super-group Hail! Hornet, with Atlanta psychedelic-sludge trio Zoroaster, and the Chicago premiere of the Slow Southern Steel, a documentary exploring the heaviest bands throughout the South [ED: it premiered in NYC last year].

Directed by Chris Terry (CT, front man for Little Rock, Arkansas-based Rwake) and David Lipke, and produced by Karim Kahn of I Am Better Than Everyone Records, Slow Southern Steel has been drawing attention among heavy music fans since production began in 2009. The devil horns that flew as the house lights went down and the opening credits started to roll seemed telling that many in the sizable audience had been awaiting the screening for quite some time.

Slow Southern Steel proved itself to be a smart, thoughtful film that sheds light on how regional culture and common experiences continue to shape art even in a time where the spread of technology and the homogenization / strip mall-ization of the American landscape can appear to render those factors invalid. Told exclusively through the musicians' perspectives and featuring interviews and concert footage from over 40 bands including Hank III, Kylesa, Eyehategod, Alabama Thunderpussy, Torche, Dark Castle, Sourvein, Music Hates You, and Weedeater, Slow Southern Steel is a testimony to the longevity, power, and rich diversity of sounds of an under-recognized genre. For the uninitiated, it provides an honest and compelling look into a music community where good riffs matter more than what you wear or how many records you've sold.

The film left the audience primed for a show, and thankfully the night was only just beginning. Zoroaster took to the stage in a haze of smoke and laser lights, visually matching the moody atmospherics of its dark, groove-laden metal. A slight muddiness that plagued the beginning the set was soon remedied, leaving guitarist/vocalist Will Fiore's winding, experimental guitar solos to soar over the rumble of Mike Morris' bass and Dan Scanlon's unwavering drum beat. The effect was heavy enough for the vibrations to resonate off the floor.

Hail! Hornet, comprised of vocalist T-Roy Medlin (Sourvein, Buzzov*en), drummer Erik Larson (Alabama Thunderpussy), guitarist Vince Burke (Beaten Back to Pure), and bassist / Slow Southern Steel narrator "Dixie" Dave Collins (also of Weedeater, Buzzov*en) capped off the night with a set of raunchy, fuel-guzzling metal. The same crowd that only an hour ago had sat so peacefully through a feature-length film combusted into a volatile pit, as if everything up to this point in the evening had just been foreplay before getting down to business.

Although this tour is Hail! Hornet's first as a unit, you wouldn't know it from watching. With the grace of a chainsaw the band barreled through songs from their second and latest record Disperse the Curse (Relapse) as well as a few tracks from their debut eponymous album. Chaos reigned as Medlin cooed from the stage, "I wanna see you fucking miserable in the morning." It's a guarantee that many of Friday's concertgoers weren't so chipper come Saturday, but it's doubtful that after such a celebratory night out anyone really cared.

The tour arrives in NYC tonight (2/8). More pictures from Chicago below...

Continue reading "'Slow Southern Steel', Hail! Hornet & Zoroaster played Reggie's (pics & review), hit NYC tonight"

by BBG

Sourvein at Saint Vitus (more by BBG)

Sourvein will team with Order Of The Owl for a show at Acheron on March 9th, one of a few dates for the Southern dirge mavens in March. The shows directly follow a stint of dates for Hail! Hornet, who feature T.Roy Medlin of Sourvein on vocals.

Order of The Owl is the new project featuring ex-Zoroaster bassist Brent Anderson. So far the band has no releases to their name, but you can stream a couple demos from the band below.

Hail! Hornet hits Europa with Zoroaster (who just played Saint Vitus) on February 8th. There will also be a screening of Slow Southern Steel at the show. Tickets are still on sale.

Dates below...

Continue reading "Sourvein schedules dates after Hail! Hornet tour"

photos by Samantha Marble

[Black Cobra is] a band of concision, pacing and respect for the ear and attention span, a bassless two-piece that plumps out its low end and whose epics last only six minutes or so... Whatever they do on their records, they can reproduce live, and slightly more vividly. They made loud music in a small room -- in fact, in this ideal dream of a small room -- sound as good as it can.

They blazed through every track of the new album and a few from the past ("Five Daggers," "Negative Reversal," "Chronosphere"), and finished with the same change-up that the end of "Invernal" brings. First "Abyss," slow and grooving, with swing and syncopation. Then "Obliteration," the set's shortest song, at what sounded like the fastest tempo they could responsibly manage. [NY Times]

Black Cobra continues its trek eastward after more dates in the Northeast tonight (in Allston, MA), concluding a few days before the holidays in their home-state of California. All dates and more pictures from Saint Vitus are below...

Continue reading "Black Cobra played Saint Vitus w/ Zoroaster, The Body & Gang Signs (pics)"

by BBG

Dixie Dave of Weedeater at Europa (more by BBG)

BrooklynVegan is proud to present the inaugural US tour of Hail! Hornet, the Southern supergroup consisting of "Dixie" Dave Collins (Weedeater, Buzzov*en), Erik Larson (Alabama Thunderpussy, Parasytic), Vince Burke (Beaten Back to Pure) and T-roy Medlin (Sourvein, Buzzov*en). The quartet recently released their second LP Disperse The Curse via Relapse and you can stream it in its entirety below.

In addition, the tour will feature TWO other notable appearances: Zoroaster (who play NYC next week with Black Cobra) and a screening of the excellent Slow Southern Steel which was directed by CT of Rwake (and which made its East Coast debut in August). Full tour dates are below, including Europa in Brooklyn on 2/8. Tickets for that show are $15/17 DOS and will be on sale soon.

If you missed it, Rwake's Rest made both the Decibel and Pitchfork favorites of the year.

All tour dates, that Hail! Hornet stream and the tour flyer, below...

Continue reading "Hail! Hornet hitting the road with Slow Southern Steel movie"

Red Chord/Trap Them/ Gaza photos by Brian Reilly, Kvelertak/Zoroaster by Taylor Keahey, words by BBG

Trap Them in NJ

The Red Chord, Trap Them, and Gaza played The School of Rock in South Hackensack, NJ on Friday (3/11) on the road to SXSW where each band will play a BV event, Trap Them & The Red Chord play Full Metal Texas on 3/17 and Gaza are playing Lovejoys on 3/18 with Ringworm, Wormrot, Magrudergrind, many others. Pictures from the NJ show are in this post

Also on 3/11, but on the other side of the U.S., another participant in Full Metal Texas, Kvelertak, made it into the country and played their first US show at Thee Parkside in San Francisco, CA. Pictures of them and tourmates Zoroaster (unfortunately none of Weedeater) are below.

As you can see in the pictures below, founding bassist Brent of Zoroaster is not on board as part of the current trek. Creative Loafing has more on his absence:

In February, stoner metal stalwarts Zoroaster announced that they were embarking on U.S. and European tours without bassist and founding member Brent Anderson. Although no one involved will divulge any details surrounding the temporary split, it's being characterized by the band as a case of tough love. "The future of Brent and Zoroaster is up to him," drummer Dan Scanlan says. "We felt that he needed to take some time to get his personal affairs in order."

Scanlan adds that Anderson has not been kicked out of the band, but his reinstatement depends on how things look for him when the group's schedule slows down in June.

In the meantime, Scanlan and guitarist Will Fiore have recruited Whores' drummer Travis Owen to fill in playing bass on the road.

Trap Them's smashing new LP, Darker Handcraft, is out now via Prosthetic. Stream the entire thingon NPR.

More pictures and all dates below...

Continue reading "Trap Them, Red Chord, Gaza, Kvelertak & Zoroaster played shows on 3/11, on way to SXSW (pics & dates)"

by BBG

Weedeater at The Studio at Webster Hall (more by Markus Shaffer)

After over a year of literally crippling injuries to all three of WEEDEATER's members hitting the headlines, including infamous classics like "Dixie Dave blew off part of his foot with a shotgun," or "Keko tore his meniscus this week," and "Shep broke his goddamn pinkie on tour" or even "Dixie nearly died in his ninja-scuba assassin Halloween costume" and more, the band still forged on through these blows for multiple tours -- several regional and national headlining tours, as well as supporting Down and The Melvins -- to finally complete [their new] record. Although delayed by eight months, the haggard trio infiltrated Steve Albini's Electrical Audio Studio in Chicago this past September to pound out Jason... The Dragon.

As with their Southern Lord debut God Luck And Good Speed, the Jason... album was mastered by the legendary John Golden at Golden Studios in southern California, unearthing the true grit that this band dumps forth. [press release]

All dates, some videos, the tour flyer, and the new album tracklist and Arik Roper-created cover art, below...

Continue reading "Weedeater releasing 'Jason... The Dragon' (art & tracklist), touring w/ ASG & then Zoroaster (2011 dates)"

Corrosion of Conformity fans (more by BBG)

The lastest list of SXSW additions is below....

Continue reading "More SXSW 2011 lineup additions"

photos by Chris La Putt, words by BBG

Kylesa's latest release Spiral Shadow is garnering its share of year-end accolades, and the band continues to play shows through the end of the year after recently completing a tour with High on Fire and Torche that brought them to Webster Hall in October. But Kylesa isn't content; they've already announced another tour for the new year!

BrooklynVegan is proud to present Kylesa's Spiral Shadow January 2011 tour of the East Coast, featuring appearances from Zoroaster, Rosetta, and Fight Amp along the way. The tour makes an NYC stop on 1/26 at Santos Party House with Rosetta and Fight Amp. Tickets are on sale now for the BV/1000 Knives co-production. All dates are below.

If this were science class, I'd propose the hypothesis that NYC loves Kylesa. I would then prove said theorum with the evidence of their recent surprise show with Hull at Public Assembly that took place one night after the above-mentioned Webster Hall show. It was an excellent turnout on short notice, on that possibly-hurricane-threatened day, and the Savannah band were great as they ripped through staples from previous burners as well as new classics like "Don't Look Back". Pictures from that show are HERE and HERE.

And a second set of pictures from the Webster Hall show is in this post. They continue with the tour flyer and all tour dates below...

Continue reading "Kylesa touring in January -- dates & more Webster Hall pics"

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Metal Swim Compilation (Zipped MP3s)

Zoroaster at The Studio at Webster Hall (more by Markus Shaffer)

Adult Swim have posted an album of FREE downloadable tracks. The record, entitled Metal Swim features rare and unreleased tracks from some familiar names around these parts (Isis, Boris, Skeletonwitch, Ludicra, Zoroaster, Red Fang, etc) including new tracks from Withered's forthcoming LP Dualitas, Torche's Songs for Singles, AND Kylesa's Spiral Shadow among many many others. Download the album at the site or above, and dig on the tracklisting (and some video) below.

Continue reading "new tracks by Boris, Isis, Torche, Kylesa, others on free comp "

photos by Greg Cristman, words by BBG

Nachtmystium, Zoroaster, The Atlas Moth, and Dark Castle played their second of two NYC dates at Knitting Factory on 9/19 (the first show was four days earlier at The Studio at Webster Hall). Now they're back on the road. You can catch them at Kung Fu Necktie in Philadelphia tonight.

More pictures from Knitting Factory, and some new videos from The Studio at Webster Hall show, below...

Continue reading "Nachtmystium, Zoroaster, The Atlas Moth & Dark Castle played Knitting Factory (pics & video) "

photos by Markus Shaffer, words by BBG

Blake Judd, saluting the horned one

Long Island Press: I've heard some traditionalists who deride Nachtmystium as populist black metal-does that mindset ever influence your artistic choices?

Blake Judd of Nachtmystium: I don't care what anyone says about my band. Nachtmystium is my life, it's all I do, and any f**king asshole black metal douche bag who wants to question me or my integrity can feel free to do so right to my face if he feels so inclined. I and the four people who travel with me six to seven months out of the year are total extremists in our lifestyles and there is nothing "fancy" or "glamorous" about our lifestyles as members of Nachtmystium, We just happen to get paid enough these days to keep gas in our van (note, VAN) and the wheels on it turning and maybe pay a month or two of rent each after a tour. If someone thinks that is like living some rock star lifestyle, think again.

In related news, the great Dark Castle have completed recording their new LP at Electric Audio in Chicago with Sanford Parker. The follow-up to Spirited Migration will be released by Profound Lore on CD, with At a Loss (their former home) doing the vinyl honors. Spirited Migration is FINALLY out now on vinyl and available on all of their tour stops. Look for it!

More pictures and video from the Studio are below...

Continue reading "Nachtmystium, Zoroaster, The Atlas Moth & Dark Castle played The Studio (pics & video) "

by Kim Kelly w/ photos by Samantha Marble

Zoroaster at The Khyber

Writer Kim Kelly has completed her (epic) journey on the road with the Summer Southern Burn Tour aka the indomitable team of Zoroaster, Black Tusk, and Dark Castle. She kept a diary along the way, revealing the first part a few weeks ago, and now the conclusion! (below) - BBG

Continue reading "Tour Diary: Kim Kelly on the road w/ Zoroaster (part 2)"

by BBG

Nachtmystium at Europa (more by Samantha Marble)

Nachtmystium, Zoroaster, The Atlas Moth, and Dark Castle are going to tour, and BrooklynVegan and 1000 Knives have teamed up to present the Manhattan show at The Studio at Webster Hall on September 15th! Tickets are on sale. It's one of two NYC shows on the trek. The foursome also play Knitting Factory in Brooklyn on September 19th. Tickets are on sale for that too. All dates are below.

In other news, Zoroaster and Dark Castle's recent tour mates, Black Tusk, are scheduled to play NYC on with Fu Manchu at Santos Party House on 9/4. Support will come from the great It's Casual, along with Vagina Panther. Tickets are on sale. The show is part of a larger set of dates for Fu Manchu and It's Casual; dig on those below too.

Continue reading "Nachtmystium touring w/ Zoroaster, the Atlas Moth & Dark Castle ++ Black Tusk touring w/ Fu Manchu (2010 dates) "

words by BBG, photos by Markus Shaffer

"Watching Zoroaster. Their singer has terrible posture. #srsly -ReignInBlonde

"God damn last night was EPIC!! Dark Castle killed it!!" -s11bryant11d

"At Hull and Black Tusk at Webster. You should be too. Heavy as fuck" -goes cube

Black Tusk, the grimmest of the grim

Black Tusk, Zoroaster, Dark Castle, and Hull formed a fantastic quadruple bill at The Studio at Webster Hall on July 9th as part of a larger tour for the BV-sponsored trio of Zoro/BT/DC. Earth-shaking riffs abounded, fog-machines and lighting where on blast. Hull was the best I have ever seen them. We heard a new black metal influenced Dark Castle song. Chloe Puke (Atakke) guested vocals with Zoroaster. Zoroaster played mostly material from their upcoming Matador (it rules). Stevie Floyd (Dark Castle) guested vocals with Zoroaster. And Black Tusk could not contain the good times. I'd have to say it was a good night.

Tons of ragin' pics and some video from the show is below...

Continue reading "Black Tusk, Zoroaster, Dark Castle & Hull played The Studio (pics & video) "

Phosphorescent (sort of) in Toronto (more)

tonight in NYC
* Michael McDonald @ Caroline's
* Mary Halvorson Quintet @ Roulette
* Coliseum, Burning Love, Tournament @ Europa
* The Rondelles, The Love Loves @ The Rock Shop
* Stornoway, Dinosaur Feathers @ Mercury Lounge
* Garage A Trois, The Dead Kenny G's @ Maxwell's
* Charred Walls of the Damned @ Gramercy Theatre
* Minus The Bear, Everest, Keepaway @ Webster Hall
* Phosphorescent, Dawes @ Pier 54/Hudson River Park
* Smoosh, The Beets, German Measles @ The Bell House
* Red Wanting Blue, Honor By August @ Mercury Lounge
* Kid Sister, D.I.M., JDH & Dave P @ Santos Party House
* Steve Earle, Allison Moorer, Roseanne Cash @ City Winery
* Dinowalrus, Deleted Scenes, Hume, Family Trees @ Glasslands
* Delorean (DJ), DJ Raspberry Jones, DJ Treeboy @ Littlefield
* Pterodactyl, YellowFever, Dream Diary, The Numerators @ Cake Shop
* Imaginary Icons, Corita, Supermajor, The Prices, Hilli @ Fontana's
* Run DMT, Tonstartssbandht, Speculator, Jeremy Smoking @ Silent Barn
* Itutu: Armitage Gone! Dance w/ Burkina Electric @ Celebrate Brooklyn
* Old Soul, Christine Martucci, Heavy Weather, Eli Cook @ Knitting Factory
* TKA, Corina and Noel : The 30th Anniversary of Fever Record @ Crotona Park
* My Teenage Stride, Secret Twins, Knight School, Bad Indians @ Death By Audio
* Andrea Parkins/Tom Chess/Peter Evans, Rhyton, Marc Orleans/Tom Carter @ Zebulon
* Kool Bob Love, DJ Spinna, Waajeed, Rob Swift, Rhettmatic @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
* Mexican Institute of Sound, La Bien Querida, Isa GT, Los Rakas, Afro Cuban Punk, Moderatto @ Bowery Ballroom
* Los Punsetes, Sol Okarina, Alex Cuba, La Bien Querida, San Pascualito Rey, The Pinker Tones, Furland, Locos Por Juana, Jumbo (LAMC Acoustic Showcase) @ (Le) Poisson Rouge

YellowFever didn't make it to South Street Seaport, but they are scheduled to play Cake Shop tonight as planned.

Tonight is your first chance to check out at show at the Rock Shop.

Phosphorescent and Dawes for free tonight. MP3s of both bands for free at Insound.

Wolf Eyes played Secret Project Robot last night with Black Dice and Growing. Video below.

Coliseum play Europa tonight. Check out a recent BBG interview.

Zoroaster play the Studio on Friday. Their new album, Matador, comes out 7/13, but you can stream the whole thing, and check out their new video for "Red Eyes, Black Skies", below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Thursday?"

Writer Kim Kelly is currently on the road with the Summer Southern Burn Tour with the indomitable team of Zoroaster, Black Tusk, and Dark Castle, and she's keeping a diary. Her first entry is below!

The Summer Southern Burn tour impacts NYC at The Studio at Webster Hall on July 9th (with Hull. Tickets are still on sale and I'm giving away tickets to all the dates on the tour at my twitter. Tune in, tune down, and watchout for a serious bangover. - BBG

keep reading...

Continue reading "Tour Diary: Kim Kelly on the road w/ Zoroaster (part 1) "

by BBG

Dark Castle at Lovejoys (more here)

It's already way obvious that the next month is gonna be NUTS! Zoroaster are up there ruling as we speak -[GrimKim, Tuesday night in Birmingham, Alabama]

BV will have reports from Kim Kelly, aka Grim Kim, from the road on the Summer Southern Burn Tour.

As if the tour isn't grueling in itself, Dark Castle have added some solo dates on the off days. Updated tour dates for the trek, as well as Dark Castle's new dates and some video are below.

Continue reading "Zoroaster, Dark Castle, Black Tusk are on tour - updated dates"

by BBG

Zoroaster at Hoeks Death Metal Pizza (more by Diana Zadlo)

Though we aren't that far-removed from their monolithic 2009 release Voice of Saturn,
Zoroaster is on the prowl with a new LP, a new label, and a (slightly) new direction with Matador, the band's debut for E1 Music (current home to High on Fire). The release date of Matador falls on July 13th, falling two days after the band completes its latest batch of touring with the fantastic Black Tusk (who's new album Taste The Sin is out NOW on Relapse) and the equally rifftastic monsters in Dark Castle. That tour impacts The Studio at Webster Hall on July 9th (with new addition Hull - tickets are still available). While you wait for these badass Southerners (as in from south of heaven) to hit your town, the band has let loose a new track for us to gnaw on. Stream "Black Hole" below.

Some videos and full tour dates, also below...

Continue reading "new Zoroaster track & updated tour dates (Hull added to NYC)"

by BBG

Zoroaster at Hoeks Death Metal Pizza (more by Diana Zadlo)

The Summer Southern Burn tour will team up three behemoths of the southern metal underground this summer: Black Tusk, Zoroaster, and Dark Castle! Featuring rotating headlining slots by Black Tusk and Zoroaster and support from one of my favorite young heavy bands (Dark Castle), this promises to be a serious set of shows and BrooklynVegan is proud to be on board as a sponsor.

We've also teamed up with with 1000 Knives to present the NYC show on July 9th at The Studio at Webster Hall. Black Tusk will headline the night and tickets are on sale.

Zoroaster have announced the release date of July 13th for their upcoming LP, Matador, due at their new home, E1 Records. The LP follows their self-released Voice Of Saturn which featured "White Dwarf" and it's accompanying video. Dig on the album art and the tracklisting below. The band recently decimated Hoeks Death Metal Pizza along with The Atlas Moth, The Funeral Pyre, Coffinworm, Trash Talk, and many notable others.

Black Tusk have a record of their own on the way, Taste The Sin, due on 5/25 via Relapse Records. The band directly supported Weedeater on their recent trek with The Gates of Slumber and Struck By Lightning, making quite an impression when they played The Studio at Webster Hall.

Despite parking issues and general SXSW malaise Dark Castle played the Emo's day show on 3/17 during SXSW, the BV-sponsored 20 Buck Spin/Profund Lore showcase, and a surprise show at Lovejoy's the following day. The band absolutely destroyed Union Pool with The Atlas Moth in November of last year.

Full tour dates, tour flyer, and Matador album art/tracklisting is below...

Continue reading "Zoroaster, Dark Castle & Black Tusk - 2010 tour dates"

by BBG

DOWNLOAD: Zoroaster - "White Dwarf" featuring Brent Hinds of Mastodon (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Zoroaster - "Brazen Bull" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Zoroaster - "Bullwhip" (MP3)

Zoroaster at Hoeks Death Metal Pizza (more by Samantha Marble)

Zoroaster has a new 50s B-movie horror-tastic video for their Voice of Saturn rager "White Dwarf". The clip, directed by Nick Hood was shot in their native ATL and features, much like the song, Brent Hinds of Mastodon. Check it out below.

During SXSW, Zoroaster debuted a ton of new material from their forthcoming new album for E1, Matador. The material had the weighty Zoroaster feel, but with less of the droney heaviness and a more direct, almost doom-meets-crust punk direction. No word on when the Sanford Parker-produced LP will actually hit the shelves (though a release party is scheduled for July 17th in their native Atlanta with All The Saints and Wizard Smoke). In the meantime, dig on some video of the new track "Ancient Ones" from the BV show at Hoeks, along with new official video described above, below.

Continue reading "Zoroaster video premiere - 'White Dwarf' starring Brent Hinds"

words by BBG, photos by Diana Zadlo, Samantha Marble, BBG

Grace of Landmine Marathon (by Samantha Marble)

A hearty thanks go out to everyone who showed up to the BrooklynVegan/1000 Knives/Crustcake show at Hoeks Death Metal Pizza on 3/18! Though the hot sun was blaring down, the bands in the shade somehow made it hotter with their scorched earth policy and unbridled energy.

Trash Talk was beyond violent, The Atlas Moth was soaring/epic as usual, The Funeral Pyre was furious and powerful (as I found out the previous night), Book of Black Earth's crusty metal was ferocious, and Kill The Client was just as punishing as they were at Emo's. Due to some scheduling issues, we bumped Speedwolf to the last slot after Trash Talk and I missed them entirely, though reviews from the trustworthy point toward badass. Zoroaster played mostly newer material from their promising new doom-crust-leaning LP, and managed to hold back their massive firepower on stage to just "loud as fuck" as opposed to "bleeding ears". Landmine Marathon were fun and elblematic of what is great about metal today. And Coffinworm? Just plain sick blackened doom.

More pics and and a bunch of videos are below...

Continue reading "pics & video from the Hoeks pizza party (Coffinworm, Trash Talk, Landmine Marathon, Zoroaster, Atlas Moth, more) "

words by BBG, photos by Samantha Marble

Mike Hill, who wasn't the only guitarist in Tombs at SXSW...

While I was thrashing my rear off between the two stages at Mohawk on 3/17, Samantha Marble was also nodding away at the Relapse showcase at Red 7 down the street. She managed to capture shots of Kill The Client, Howl, Mammoth Grinder, Graves of Valor, and Tombs who were playing with a second guitarist (!) before scooting back to Mohawk to catch High on Fire (like I did). Ah, the lure of the Pike is just too great.

High on Fire's new album, Snakes For The Divine is out NOW, and the band is hitting the road with Bison BC, Priestess, and Black Cobra is celebration. Tickets are still available for the 4/9 date at Gramercy.

Tombs are scheduled to team up with a dream team of heavy music greats on 6/12, as Eyehategod, Nachtmystium, Brutal Truth, and Black Anvil will team up at Europa as part of a BV/Osiris production. Tickets are on sale monday (3/29) at noon.

More photos from Relapse & High on Fire are below...

Continue reading "High on Fire, Kill The Client, Howl, Mammoth Grinder, Graves of Valor & Tombs @ SXSW (pics) "

words & photos by BBG

Matt Pike of High on Fire @ the Mohawk

Want to make my life simple? Put two killer showcases in the same venue. Well, unfortunately it wasn't three showcases in the same venue (Relapse was going on over at Red 7 - pics coming soon). Following the big bang of the BrooklynVegan day party at Emo's, I hightailed it over to the Mohawk on 3/17 (right next door to our quieter official BrooklynVegan showcase going on at Club DeVille...) (editor's note: ...that was often drowned out by the metal sounds blaring over the wall while bands like the The Middle East were playing soft sets...) for a double bill of mayhem with the Action PR Showcase on the outdoor stage and the Prosthetic Records showcase on the indoor. The night at the Mohawk show was marked by competing headlining sets: the great Landmine Marathon (who played the BV day party that day) and none other than High On Fire (one of their only appearances at the fest).

Also along for the ride were such notable greats as The Gates of Slumber, Withered (who also played Emo's), Zoroaster, Naam, Priestess, The Funeral Pyre, and many others. Not a single bad apple in the bunch. Of those, I had never seen The Funeral Pyre or Clinging To The Trees of A Forest Fire - both were impressive. TFP did blackened death with such intensity, it was hard to not be compelled to head nod. Clinging did abstract and atonal grindcore in the best way.

Although I missed Landmine Marathon (who would probably be in the running), best performance of the night goes to High On Fire who blazed through new material and old including the epic "Baghdad" (!) from their debut The Art of Self Defense. As their set progressed, it seemed that the band got looser on their instruments, and as a result, much tighter and more cohesive.

In related news, High On Fire recently dropped the new video for "Frost Hammer". View it, as well as other vids and some pics from the epic show, below...

Continue reading "new High on Fire video, pics from the Action PR & Prosthetic Records SXSW showcases, more "

by BBG

So a few weeks ago,I sat down with Crustcake.com and Rich Hall (1000 Knives) to decide the greatest Austin venue for a metal show. BrooklynVegan metal is already going HUGE this year between a show on 3/17 at Emo's (with Torche, Fucked Up, Salome, Dark Castle, The Atlas Moth, Javelina and more TBA), and another day party at Red 7 on 3/20 (lineup TBA), so we figured why not go small. REALLY small.

BrooklynVegan/Crustcake/1000 Knives Present a Pizza Party at Hoeks Death Metal Pizza! The day show happening on Thursday, March 18th will be headlined by a special guest we can't announce yet and feature nine of our favorite destroyers. This show promises to be one of the biggest- um, I mean SMALLEST metal shows during SXSW. Who's on board?

lineup:
* Special guest
* Zoroaster
* Coffinworm
* Kill The Client
* Landmine Marathon
* Book of Black Earth
* The Atlas Moth
* The Funeral Pyre
* Speedwolf

The party kicks off at noon. More details are on the way. Check out the flyer and some videos of other recent shows at Hoeks below...

Continue reading "come to a metal show @ Hoeks Death Metal Pizza in Austin"

by BBG

Laura of Kylesa (more by Paul Birman)

Earlier I discussed my favorite LPs of the year, but why leave the fun to just one? I asked some of my favorite artists and promoters for their 2009 highlights. The responses were great. You already saw some of them. Justina listed some quotes, Liam Wilson talked about Philly, and Josh Graham listed good things about 2009. They continue below. You'll find lists of favorite songs and albums of the year, not to mention answers to crucial questions like:

• What are Coalesce's favorite pizza toppings?
• Which one of my top 20 artists of the year tried to get in a cab with Kirsten Dunst?
• What is the #1 sauce/condiment of 2009?

Continue reading "The Year in Metal continued (BBG asked countless others to make lists... and here they all are)"