Blur will play a live show in Hyde Park in Summer 2009. Graham Coxon will join Alex James, Dave Rowntree and Damon Albarn onstage for this first time since their Royal Festival Hall performance in 2000. The concert will take place at London's Hyde Park on Friday 3rd July 2009, and tickets will be on general sale from 9am Friday 12th December 2008 at www.livenation.co.uk. [BLUR] (thx cmandel)

Band of Outsiders @ Max's Kansas City, NYC, 1981

Veterans of the 80's downtown music scene, Band of Outsiders disbanded 20 years ago this month. (Their farewell CBGB gig, with Nikki Sudden sitting in, became a live album named for the date, Armistice Day.)

today in NYC
* DANCE
* Jim Gaffigan @ Town Hall
* Band of Outsiders @ Lakeside Lounge (free)
* Dr. Lonnie Smith Trio @ Iridium Jazz Club
* Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns) w/ TMBG @ 92Y Tribeca
* King Khan & BBQ Show, Vivian Girls & The A-Bones @ Bowery Ballroom

Band of Outsiders reunited to play a benefit show for Laura Kennedy (original bassist of the Bush Tetras) at Cake Shop on October 26th of this year. Tonight they play a 2nd reunion show at Lakeside Lounge (162 Avenue B). It's free. Video from Cake Shop, and more info on the band, below...

What else?

Continue reading "What's going on Sunday? (Band of Outsiders)"

THE JESUS LIZARD REFORM,
ANNOUNCE APPEARANCE AT ATP: THE FANS STRIKE BACK FESTIVAL, MAY 2009!!

All Tomorrow's Parties are extremely excited to announce that THE JESUS LIZARD have reformed and will perform at the Fans Strike Back festival in 2009.

In what has to rank as one of the most unlikely developments in rock, the awe-inspiring primal force of the Jesus Lizard will return, briefly, in 2009. The original lineup of David Yow, Duane Denison, David Wm. Sims and Mac McNeilly will reform for a very limited series of live dates in 2009, starting with the All Tomorrow's Parties event dubbed The Fans Strike Back in Minehead, UK on May 9 and 10 and ending with a final appearance in Chicago in late November. These shows will be the Jesus Lizard's first since disbanding in 1999 and the first in twelve years to feature the original storied quartet. As anyone who has experienced the Jesus Lizard live can attest, they are one of the most intense and visceral musical assemblies to ever stalk a stage. This fleeting reunion offers an incredible opportunity to either be blown away all over again or to immerse yourself in the sweaty power and driving mayhem for the very first time.

In celebration of this event, Touch and Go Records will reissue four full-length releases from the Jesus Lizard in May 2009. Remastered recordings of Head, Goat, Liar, and Down will be available on both LP and CD, all with expanded packaging and liner notes. Bob Weston is heading up the remastering process with Steve Albini, the original session engineer, sitting in.

Jesus Lizard are playing "ATP UK Weekend 1". "ATP UK Weekend 2" is the one the Breeders are curating, and that's the one Shellac and Gang of Four (maybe not the original lineup?) were just added to. More UK ATP details below...

Continue reading "JESUS LIZARD reform for ATP UK & at least one US show ++ reissues ++ Gang of Four + Shellac"

by Black Bubblegum

18th Dye are back in action and will support Marnie Stern & Gang Gang Dance at Santos Party House on November 29th as part of a tour to promote their new album Amorine Queen (out NOW). It will be their first US tour since their dissolution in 1999.

With their groundbreaking, catchy and explosive rock 18TH DYE earned great recognition in the international music press during the '90s, with albums Done (1992), Crayon (1993), Tribute to a Bus (1995) and Left (B-Sides and Rarities) (1999)...

From 1992 to 1998, the band was signed to Matador Records, and toured with Stereolab and Yo la Tengo, amongst others, also recording with legendary producer Steve Albini. They completed three BBC Peel sessions (the only Danish band to do that) and scored several Top 10 hits on the English indie charts while receiving attention on the CMJ chart in the US. After having released the album 'Tribute to a Bus' and after extensive touring in Europe and the US, 18TH DYE stopped playing and it was not until 2005, at VibraCrunch07 Festival, that they began playing live again. ....Now all three are together once again: 18TH DYE!

Continue reading "18th Dye - reunited & touring (dates) (Santos show)"

by Black Bubblegum

Sleep in Germany, 1993 (permission from Al Cisneros)

Sleep departed from this Earth 'round 1996, and not with a bang, but a whimper. In 1995, the future members of Om and High On Fire began work on their third LP, the follow-up to their highly-acclaimed Holy Mountain. Upon completion, Sleep delvered their new album, entitled Dopesmoker to their label, London Records, who deemed it "unmarketable". Undeterred, the band headed back to the studio and reemerged with Jerusalem, a leaner version of Dopesmoker with re-written lyrics. Again, London Records refused and as a result, Sleep disbanded.
Jerusalem AND Dopesmoker have since seen the light of day, and in that time the legend of Sleep has grown by leaps and bounds.

Nowadays Sleep is cited by most (if not all) doom metal enthusiasts as a seminal band, and usually in the same breath as such heavyweights as Saint Vitus (who are also reuniting) & Pentagram.

Since it was announced that Sleep would reunite for the ATP's The Fans Strike Back Festival, fans have been clamoring to hear more details about the reunion, as well as the reasons behind it and whether they would play any additional shows. Luckily, we were able to corner Al Cisneros of shortly after his tour of Europe with Om to discuss some of these issues as well as shed some more light on Om, Shrinebuilder, and High On Fire's new album!

---

When I interviewed you in September, were the plans already in the works, or did the ATP folks corner you at the festival and start to nail it down then?

Continue reading "another interview w/ Al Cisneros of Om & Sleep -------------------------- on the reunion, future plans"

by Black Bubblegum

If there's one thing that ATP is good at, it's a reunion. One gaze through the ATP Nightmare Before Christmas 2008 lineup and it becomes evident that the Melvins and Mike Patton haven't let us down with the addition of Boss Hog. The Jon Spencer/Cristina Martinez (husband-wife) project (formed post-Pussy Galore and pre-Blues Explosion) will be, though technically not broken up, playing their first gig in over seven years.

A little history, courtesy the world's most accurate online encyclopedia:

Boss Hog was formed in 1989, as something of an accidental side project, when Jon and Cristina were told of a last minute vacancy on the bill at the influential New York punk club CBGB's. The pair put together a group of musicians from members of The Honeymoon Killers and Unsane, along with Kurt Wolf from Pussy Galore. The gig is reported to have been an underground sensation in New York, not least because Cristina performed the whole show naked.

The same line-up of Spencer, Martinez, Charlie Ondras, Jerry Teel and Kurt Wolf recorded the mini-album Drinkin', Lechin' & Lyin' for the record label Amphetamine Reptile in 1989. Martinez continued the sexual notoriety by appearing on the cover naked save for thigh-length black leather stilletto boots and arm-length black leather gloves.

Jon Spencer has also been keeping busy lately with his band Heavy Trash. They played a few NYC shows back in August. We're not sure what else Christina is up to. All Boss Hog dates and a video below...

Continue reading "Boss Hog (Jon Spencer) - ATP UK, Maxwells & Bowery too?"

"Killdozer are a three-piece band hailing from Madison, Wisconsin - the dairy state, of all places. Anyone who has ever seen them perform can bear witness to their awesome bombastic aural onslaught. Vocalist/bass player Michael Gerald innocently jerks thunderous pounding rhythms from his instrument, while letting forth a mighty roar perhaps more startling because of his otherwise unassuming stage presence. Flanked by Bill and Dan Hobson, on ear-splitting guitar and bone-jarring drums, Michael conveys vivid impersonations of the Great American Dream gone astray, exaggerating in no small detail the potential for existential adventure in the lifestyles of the everyday man. Not to be confused for some trend-kissing band of posing pseudo-intellectuals, Killdozer offsets their warm visions of reality with songs you may remember from your past, bringing you back to those fond memories of jaded youth." [The New Puritan]

Michael Gerald is a lawyer now, and he graduated NYU School of Law in 2001, at least that's what his LA law firm bio says... and is consistent with the NYU Law hat he was wearing when he first came on stage to a relatively small, but excited festival crowd. Is there a demand for Killdozer in 2008? I'm not sure it matters, or that the band would care, but it was kind of sad that the majority of the fest's crowd chose Trail of Dead who were playing at the same time on another stage. I found that out when I walked over to catch the end of Trail of Dead after Killdozer finished their set. Regardless, Killdozer (to quote myself) killed it.

Among other things (like telling the crowd to drink beer), Michael pointed out that they, Killdozer, a reunited band who (according to Wikipedia) were active from 1983-1996, are "old". Maybe that's what guitarist Bill Hobson was trying to disprove when, towards the end of the set, he climbed to the top of the scaffolding, played some guitar up there, climbed back down and then played some more guitar with his back on the stage - it was all part of the awesomeness that was the climatic ending of the set. As Austin Daze points out, "The trio left stage with amplifiers feeding back, and the crowd (including members of the headlining acts) screaming for more."

After the show I talked to drummer Dan (brother of Bill) Hobson who told me that Killdozer are not finished yet, and that they're even, though slowly, working on new material. Austin Daze also talked to the band. Their video interview, more pictures, and the setlist below...

Continue reading "Killdozer @ Fun Fun Fun Fest, Austin, TX - pics & setlist"

Far @ the Troubadour - Oct 16, 2008 (kata rokkar)

Far reunited for two California shows in mid-October. Proof is in the picture above, and in the setlist below. Five more reunion shows are scheduled for the end of November in Europe.

And though there doesn't seem to any plans for an east coast show (yet?), that doesn't mean Far frontman Jonah Matranga will be a stranger to NYC. Monday (today), November 10th, Jonah will play a solo show at Europa in Brooklyn (tix), and Tuesday he's playing a $10 show at the Gershwin Hotel in Manhattan (7 E. 27th St, 8PM). There are no advanced tickets for the latter, but you can reserve one for eleven cents. All dates below...

Continue reading "Far reunited & played 2 shows, Jonah Matranga is on tour"

by Black Bubblegum

Al Cisneros & Matt Pike of Sleep in High School 1990

From our interview with Om at ATP:

BV: If you got a call from Matt Pike and Chris [Hakius] today to reunite for a show or two, would you be into reforming Sleep?

Al Cisneros: Reforming? No.

Sleep will share the stage with Devo, Spiritualized, and Grails at ATP UK's The Fans Strike Back in Minehead on May 8th-10th, 2009, playing two nights which will be a "world exclusive that will never be repeated". DAMMMIT! Ugh. Anyway, what does "The Fans Strike Back" mean?

For this festival we are reviving something we did in 2007; asking the people that come to the festival to decide who plays! So half of the lineup is chosen by us (ATP) and the other half by you. Everyone that buys a ticket will get a chance to vote for 10 acts they would like to appear at the festival, and we will be compiling charts of the results and approaching acts to see if they are available to play the festival...

Voting will commence in just over 2 weeks on Monday 17th November.

In other ridiculously-awesome-American-doom-bands-that-are-not-reuniting-in-America-news, Al Cisneros's Shrinebuilder bandmate Wino is getting Saint Vitus back together at Roadburn.

Also Om related: Grails have a show coming up at Union Pool and another with Flower Travellin' Band.

Om is currently touring Europe. Tour dates and some videos are below...

Continue reading "Sleep reuniting for The Fans Strike Back, an ATP UK festival"

words by Black Bubblegum, photos by Chris La Putt & Zach Dilgard

RS by Chris La Putt

RS by Zach Dilgard

After running up and down the stairs of the Knitting Factory to run an errand for the band, I ran backstage and caught a huddled Rival Schools preparing for their set. Whispering back and forth for a moment, the four of them ran up the stairs and hit the stage.... to be greeted by cheers & applause. Definitely a moment that I won't soon forget. I quickly headed upstairs to the balcony in time to catch the band tear into the day's, and United By Fate's, opener "Travel By Telephone". Over the next half hour or so, Rival Schools graced the BrooklynVegan day (now night.. we were a little behind) show with the first six tracks of United By Fate (closing with "Used For Glue") (video below), a cover of The Smiths' "How Soon Is Now?" (made famous during Walter Schreifels' stint in Quicksand), as well as revealing a few new arrows in their quiver ("Big Waves"). All in all, it was what you would expect to see from a Rival Schools show... the Schreifels pogo, Sammy Siegler bouncing up and down on his stool like it was spring-loaded, well-executed start-stop dynamics, and a good-time-by-all.

My only complaint was the mix... I was able to catch the band at Rebel a few days prior (with Trail of Dead and Margot & The Nuclear So & So's), and what I enjoyed the most about that set was how well it highlighted Ian Love's effects-heavy guitar flourishes, something that was lost in the outward mix at the Knitting Factory.

As Walter kindly pointed out on stage, you can check an interview with the band right HERE (part one anyway). Try and catch them in Novemeber at Mercury Lounge and Maxwell's if you can, but if not (both shows are sold out), Walter promised they'd be back much more including with a new album. More pictures, including one of the setlist, and a video from Knitting Factory below...

Continue reading "Rival Schools @ Knitting Factory (BV CMJ) -pics/setlist/video"

by Black Bubblegum

Led Zeppelin in Central Park, 1969

"As you probably know, Jimmy [Page], Jason [Bonham, son of John Bonham] and I are actually rehearsing and we've had the odd singer come in and have a bash. As soon as we know -- which we don't -- we will let you know. But we really hope that something is going to happen soon because we really want to do it and we're having a lot of fun, actually, just rehearsing. Jason is actually tremendous. . . We really wanna do something and Robert doesn't want to do this, at least for the moment. I don't really know what his plans are. He really doesn't want to make loud music anymore. We do. I mean, I love acoustic music, but it doesn't stop me from turning something up . . . And what we've done so far sounds absolutely fantastic. When it does come, it will come, and you'll know about it."

Led Zeppelin, Robert included, reunited in December of 2007 in tribute of Atlantic Records impresario Ahmet Ertegun.

Robert Plant has otherwise been keeping busy with the "acoustic" music he's making with Alison Krauss. Video below...

Continue reading "Led Zeppelin to tour with a new singer? John Jones speaks"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Rival Schools - "Take One For The Team" (MP3)

"So yeah, I draw the line at Quicksand". - Walter

Walter Schreifels. Sam Siegler. Two names of a very select few who defined a sound and a movement in the late 80s and early 90s, New York Hardcore. Building upon the zen-like teachings of prophets with names like HR, MacKaye, and Raybeez, Walter Schreifels and Sammy Siegler cut their teeth in the blooming NYC scene with the legendary Gorilla Biscuits, Youth Of Today, and Judge, as well as Side By Side, and Project X.

Quicksand and CIV, as well as MTV support, multiple LPs and music videos followed, culminating in the reunion of the two Youth of Today bandmates in Rival Schools. Sam and Walter formed the band in 1999, with their lone LP United By Fate coming in 2001. The band split the following year, scrapping existing recordings that were believed to be the basis of the new album. Six years passed, and Walking Concert, Nightmare of You, Head Automatica, and solo work followed until early 2008, when Rival Schools announced their reformation. The announcement was followed by festival dates in Europe, ultimately leading to a handful of US shows.

Which leads us to NYC... The band have lined up a pair of shows at Maxwells and Mercury Lounge in early November which sold out quickly, but the band have also agreed to headline the free BrooklynVegan day party at Knitting Factory on Oct 25th! In part one of their first joint interview ever, we poked and prodded Sammy and Walter about their past & present projects, the old days, and blow-up dolls...

Continue reading "an interview w/ Rival Schools (Walter & Sammy) (part 1)"

"As much as I wanna play along, I can't contain myself...FAR IS BACK! Under the unique moniker, Hot Little Pony, Far has lined up two LA shows and a handful of UK shows to boot. Today the highly influential rock group released a video contest and a steamy new single that covers mid-90s R&B sensation, Ginuwine. Not only that but a they snagged a nice little indie snob article on Filter Magazine's website." [Kata Rokkar]

Continue reading "FAR (Hot Little Pony) is back! - tour dates & a new "single""

photos by Tim Griffin

Shudder to Think is an American Post-Hardcore/Alternative rock group. Formed in 1986, they released three albums on the Washington, D.C. Dischord Records label and have been labeled a punk band, though they drew upon a wide range of stylistic influences, including pop. Their music is characterized by a complex mix of these stylistic influences, as well as by technical precision and melodic virtuosity. Singer Craig Wedren's characteristic operatic singing style set the band apart from other post-punk D.C.-area bands. [Wikipedia]

Continue reading "Shudder to Think, Pattern is Movement & the Jealous Girlfriends @ Webster Hall, NYC - pics, setlist"

As many have informed me (thanks all!) (you hippies!) (just kidding!), Phish is back and they have three shows coming up in Virginia. Tickets are already on presale. If you don't want to go to Virginia, "the band intends to announce additional touring in 2009 early next year." If you miss the presale, "tickets go on sale to the public on Saturday, October 18th at 10 AM EST and may be purchased online at Ticketmaster."

by Black Bubblegum

F*ck You, We're Touring!

Killdozer played with all original members at Touch and Go Records' 25th anniversary celebration in Chicago, Illinois on September 9, 2006. To promote the event, flyers declared "Fuck You, We Reunite!", harkening back to the name of their farewell tour ("Fuck You, We Quit!) [Wikipedia]

Killdozer 2008 is still all original members. That includes Michael Gerald (vocalist, bassist, founder), Dan Hobson (original drummer), and Bill Hobson (original guitarist). It has also been confirmed that Paul Zagoras (guitars from 1993-1996) will join the band for some songs in Wisconsin. No NYC tickets yet. All dates below...

Continue reading "Killdozer - reunited, playing NYC & other places - tour dates"

by Black Bubblegum

YOB in 2005

A little good with the bad. Age Eternal (formerly known as Middian) have unfortunately announced their dissolution in the wake of their legal woes with the band Midian ("I have only one 'd' in my name, but that don't mean I ain't getting your royalties!"). Sad news, here's what the band had to say:

Sadly, the lawsuit came with a high cost to us personally and interpersonally. Scott Headrick is quitting the band and moving. Mike S felt he needed to back off from touring due to family and work/lack of work issues, cutting his touring commitment from 60-70 shows a year to a handful of shows, mostly local to the West Coast, for an indefinite amount of time, maybe permanently.

This extreme change in direction, coupled with the immense stress of our lawsuit and inner conflicts in the band resulted in Scott's decision to move on with his life. Scott Headrick is the highest caliber of person. We mourn his loss, and support his need to take care of himself.

We are very sad to share this news about Age Eternal, but are confident that it must and will open the doors for new music creation and growth.

Continue reading "YOB reunites & playing shows, Middian (age eternal) no more"

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: Portraits of Past - "Implications of A Sinkhole Personality" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Sinaloa - "Seek Harbor" (MP3)

Portraits of Past circa 1994

Before screamo was a filthy word, the fallen but celebrated pioneers Portraits of Past were blazing a trail and leaving a small but compelling legacy in their wake. Thirteen years after calling it a day, Portraits Of Past have re-emerged to play a few select shows including a pair on the east coast: at Death By Audio on Friday Aug 29th and Cake Shop on Saturday August 30th. The band will be performing their entire 010101010 LP, which was recently compiled with five live tracks and the rest of their recorded output (except for their track from the Stealing the Pocket LP compilation which "has been lost") on their Discography, out now on Ebullition Records. Pick it up here.

Both NYC shows will be supported by Ampere which features guitarist Will Killingsworth of the late great Orchid. Ampere has several songs streaming at their myspace. In 2006 Ampere dropped a split LP with Sinaloa, who recently dropped Oceans of Islands on Level Plane. Check out "Seek Harbor" above.

Tropic of Nelson is also on the bill at Death by Audio, and will play NYC again two days later with a pair of ex-Don Caballero bands, The Poison Arrows and Knot Feeder.

Earlier this month Portraits of Past played San Francisco and Berkeley. Video from one of those shows below.

Continue reading "Portraits of Past - reunited, playing 2 NYC shows, MP3, video"

by Black Bubblegum

Bluetip

The recently reformed Bluetip (featuring members of the mighty Swiz) have lined up a handful of dates including one at Mercury Lounge on August 24th. Tickets are on sale. Let's hop in the time machine, courtesy of the world's most accurate encyclopedia:

Bluetip was a rock band from Washington, D.C. It was formed in 1995 by ex-members of Swiz, and released four albums, an EP, and a number of singles before splitting up in January 2002.

Bluetip's music is a fairly accessible brand of 'post-hardcore' punk rock, but without the bleak introspection of many of their Dischord labelmates.

Following the demise of Bluetip, Jason Farrell and Joe Gorelick went on to form Retisonic, who are also on hand for the show. Retisonic was captured by Punkcast a few years ago. The Netherlands (the band, not the country) and The Surrounding Areas, a band constructed Frankenstein-style from pieces of Texas Is The Reason, Walking Concert, and Jets To Brazil, will jumpstart the evening.

Ex-Swiz-er Nathan Larson recently reunited with his band Shudder To Think at Baltimore's Virgin Festival.

Walking Concert figurehead Walter Schriefels has reformed Rival Schools.

photos by Shawn Brackbill

"Although the band never officially split there has been little Beachwood Sparks activity since 2002" [Wikipedia]

Beachwood Sparks @ SP20, Seattle, WA - July 13, 2008

As [Beachwood Sparks] explained in their timid hippie drawl, they weren't sure how this [Sub Pop 20th Anniversary Festival] show was going to go. But aside from a little flat harmonizing at the beginning, they sounded note-for-note like they had never broken up. With the sun shining, a little breeze blowing, and a great big sky overhead, their mix of hippie twang, Byrds-ish tremolo, and hazy dream pop, made it seem like they were serenading the elements like the nature fruitcups they are. They performed "You Take The Gold", "Confusion Is Nothing New", "Desert Skies" and "Silver Morning After". It was like a greatest hits review with no filler. The only other thing I could have asked to hear is their Band-like cover of Sade's "By Your Side". But when I heard they have a new album on the way, that filled me with more joy than any song I could have heard that night.

Then came the much-anticipated Green River reunion....
[Seattle Weekly]

Continue reading "Beachwood Sparks - SP20 pics, new album, 2008 Tour Dates"

Denali's last reunion show (via)

Hi folks,
Well sheesh. We knew it was going to be fun to get back together, but we really had no idea that so many would notice. While we will not be touring, we have decided to do two more shows this fall, the first of which will be in New York. We wanted to give you all some advanced notice before tickets go on sale Friday so that you can be prepared.

The show is going to be in Brooklyn at the wonderful Music Hall of Williamsburg, a somewhat new (renovated) venue owned by the Bowery Ballroom folks that lives in the same space where North Six used to be. It's just off the BQE at Metropolitan or the L train at Bedford Ave, depending on which way you're coming from.

The date of the show is Friday September 26th, and the tickets will be going on sale THIS FRIDAY, July 25th at 12 noon.

photos by Shawn Brackbill

It was the birthday present everybody wanted from the start. Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament of Pearl Jam and Mother Love Bone. Mudhoney's Mark Arm and Steve Turner. Mother Love Bone/Love Battery guitarist Bruce Fairweather. Drummer Alex Shumway. Every member of original grunge band Green River, joined together for the first time in two decades. [Billboard]

Continue reading "Green River @ SP20, Seattle, WA - pics"

Shudder To Think @ Bowery Ballroom (more by Chris La Putt)

As previously reported, "Shudder to Think officially back together, playing Virgin Fest". Add Chicago, Ontario, Philadelphia, Boston, New Orleans, LA, San Francisco and NYC to that list...

Continue reading "Shudder To Think - 2008 Tour Dates (Webster Hall)"

a July 4th ticket (CRED)

As someone pointed out, The Feelies played Maxwell's last night (June 30, 2008) too...

Continue reading "The Feelies played a private show last night (video) "

by Black Bubblegum

DOWNLOAD: F*ck The Facts - "The Storm" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: F*ck The Facts - "Absence & Despite" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Amenra - "Razoreater" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Grand Magus - "Like The Oar Strikes The Water" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Grand Magus - "Silver Into Steel" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Soulfly - "Unleash" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Humanfly - "Shot Into Space" (EDIT) (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Cavalera Conspiracy - LIVE in Arendal, Norway on June 26 2008 (PROFESSIONALLY SHOT WMV, Megaupload)

Welcome to This Week In Metal, Special Potty Mouth Edition! Fuck The Facts shall rage from sea to sea as they begin "Grinding Into Cataclysm" (their tour name) with Psyopus, War From A Harlot's Mouth, and Left To Vanish. FTF have a new record, Disgorge Mexico, due July 22nd on Relapse Records and have been kind enough to bless us with some tracks for download! Check out "The Storm" and "Absence And Despite" above and check 'em out at the Knitting Factory on August 18th (ticket info forthcoming). Full tour dates are below. Fuck The Facts also have an upcoming split LP with Leng Tch'e.

Opeth has announced two new dates as part of their previously mentioned North American tour. Here is the best part (as if THAT wasn't good enough): Word is that High On Fire & Baroness will open the shows! As more dates roll in, you'll have em, but so far all we have are Chicago on September 24th and San Fran on October 6th. Pics from their last NYC show at Terminal 5 HERE.

Doomriders have announced a show at Europa in Brooklyn on August 24th! Tickets are on sale.

Doom riff lords Grand Magus will drop Iron Will on July 9th in the US via Candlelight and recently sat down with Metal Hammer to go over Iron Will track by track. Check out "Like The Oar Strikes The Water" and "Silver Into Steel" downloadable above.

Continue reading "This Week In METAL (06/30/08)"