KREATOR / SWALLOW THE SUN: ACE OF SPADES, SEPT 24, 2012

 Concert Reviews  7 Responses »
Sep 262012
 

(In this post DGR reviews the performances by Kreator, Swallow the Sun, Solanum, Blessed Curse, and Black Mackerel at Sacramento’s Ace of Spades on Sept. 24, 2012.)

I understand that there are people out there who don’t have weekends off and likewise work crazy schedules where their two days off aren’t in succession, but Monday shows always seem a little crazy to me. Few people are brave enough to venture out of their homes, knowing full well they either have Tuesday off or have work the next day, to attend a show on a Monday.

I also know that being in a band is a 7-day per week job, so Monday on their end is just another day. But I’m musing about Monday shows in part to explain what seemed like a somewhat small turnout for this one.

Ace Of Spades was about 1/3rd full, which is around 200-300 people, which is a lot, but Ace Of Spades is a pretty big place and this is the first time I’ve ever seen a show where people had space to pit, rock out, and in general have their own personal space without having to worry about crashing into other folk. Parking was also easier than hell to find this time, too.

I’d like to extend a fuck yeah to those of us who did go to a show on a MONDAY, because damn, it seemed like we had a hell of a time, didn’t it?

Continue reading »

THE MONOLITH RISES

 Metal News  17 Responses »
Sep 252012
 

It’s time. Time for a big plug about an ambitious new metal site about to be born. Some of you have been hearing rumblings about this project for a while, but the rising has now finally begun. Its name is THE MONOLITH.

I’ve been a behind-the-scenes, fly-on-the-wall witness to the development of this project for quite a long time, but have been keeping my gabby yap shut until it reached the point where the principal organizers began disclosing information publicly, and that’s now happening. So here’s a recap of what’s been revealed to date (and more information will be coming soon). In the interest of full disclosure, please be aware that although what follows is based on publicly disclosed info, these are my words and they haven’t been reviewed or approved in advance by The Monolith’s operators. Also be aware that lots of the people involved in this venture are friends of mine.

THE CONCEPT

This isn’t going to be just another metal blog (for example, the awesome Par Olofsson has designed the site’s artwork), although it will certainly include the kind of content you would expect from a metal blog. It’s billed as “an entertainment hub for alternative culture, focusing on music (and film) from the very darkest corners of the human mind”. So what exactly does that mean?

Well, at its core it’s about trying to build a community of people who are passionate about metal and who want to collaborate in supporting the scene and seeing it progress in a positive way. The site already seems to have attracted the backing of lots of artists, fans, label reps, PR folks, etc.

The Monolith will, of course, include the kind of free online content that readers have come to expect from a top-flight metal blog — breaking news, album reviews, interviews, song and album premieres, etc. — and the mission will be to generate positive, interesting, and entertaining writing. The names of all the writers haven’t been revealed yet, but I can tell you they’re an experienced, knowledgable, multi-national collective of people whose names you will recognize and who have experience writing for or running their own blogs. I’m expecting good reading from them. But there’s a lot more in store, too. Continue reading »

PATHOLOGY: “THE TIME OF GREAT PURIFICATION”

 Album Reviews  5 Responses »
Sep 252012
 

(TheMadIsraeli reviews the new album by San Diego’s Pathology, which is out today on Victory records.)

So yeah, remember these guys?  They released one of the most brutal slam albums ever last year, Awaken to the Suffering?  Yeah.  I reviewed that album (here) cause it ran over waves of children and chopped them up as if it were a blasting, grinding lawn mower in a field of miserable little shits who didn’t deserve to live anyway.  I’m kind of surprised that we’ve already got a new album, but I’m not at all offended because The Time Of Great Purification is as brutal, if not more brutal, than its predecessor.

I think it’s fair to say that Pathology have consistently released quality death metal, but I definitely think the introduction of Jonathan Huber on vocals changed this band for the better.  The music on this album is intensely violent, and if you can believe it, Huber has turned up the roid rage on his vocals even more than before.  Now, instead of a blood-gurgling beast, he sounds like he’s gurgling blood as bile and worms spew out of his mouth and the ground beneath him corrodes and rots away.  It’s fucking mental. Continue reading »

“EPICLOUD” – THE DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT

 Album Reviews  1 Response »
Sep 252012
 

(Today we’re posting two different reviews of “Epicloud” by the Devin Townsend Project. In this one, DGR gives us his take on this unusual album. You can read Andy Synn’s assessment here.)

You’re probably in one of two pretty large camps when it comes to this album. Camp A probably saw the name attached to this disc and immediately rushed to check it out, and Camp B had absolutely no idea what was going on here.

It seems that Devin Townsend has attracted one hell of a following in the past few years. Watching that fanbase grow has been amazing, especially since I got the opportunity to jump on that train in ’05 with SYL’s Alien. I’ve heard a lot of his material, from solo works to band projects to joking band projects, and now it all seems to have come to a head with this disc.

It appears that everyone who consistently listens to him loves his stuff; very few people are on the fence when it comes to this material. For many fans, the name Devin Townsend seems like an almost instant purchase these days; it definitely carries a lot of weight. Not so much with me, because I’ll be the first to admit that, yes, he has created music that I haven’t fully enjoyed, and hey, they can’t all be zingers. So when it came to Epicloud, I like to think that I approached it free of supposition or any sort of false pretense as to what this might actually be.

So, if you do happen to be on the fence here and are looking for guidance about whether Epicloud might be worth your time, allow me to offer my services. No album is perfect, but I will say this: I have listened to Epicloud a ton since I was offered the opportunity, and I have enjoyed it tremendously. Continue reading »

ANAAL NATHRAKH RELEASE THE FIRST SINGLE FROM “VANITAS”: “OF FIRE AND FUCKING PIGS”

 Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  18 Responses »
Sep 252012
 

Candlelight Records will be releasing Anaal Nathrakh’s new album on October 15. Its name is Vanitas. Earlier in September, Candlelight released a teaser clip of samples from the album (which we featured here). A few hours ago a single from the album appeared on the UK version of iTunes. Its name is “Of Fire and Fucking Pigs”, which is an evocative song title if there ever was one.

There was no fanfare about the release of this single, as far as I can tell. No advance announcement. No press release. And no official song stream of the song. I found out about it through posts on the Facebook pages of Candlelight and the band. I presume there will be a press blast later this morning.

Unfortunately, for now the song can only be downloaded by denizens of the UK — and those denizens can go here to do that. However, the interhole being the interhole, someone has procured the track and uploaded it to YouTube. This may not last long, so you might want to catch it quick — after the jump. By the way, the song is stupendous.

UPDATE! AN also just announced a Canadian tour — details after the jump. Continue reading »

DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT: “EPICLOUD”

 Album Reviews  11 Responses »
Sep 252012
 

(Today we have reviews of the new album from the Devin Townsend Project by two of our writers. As you’ll see, neither of them was aware the other was also reviewing the album. This first one is by Andy Synn. The second one, by DGR, can be found here.)

So it falls to me to review this one then? Well, I think we all knew it likely would do, since a) I’m generally the one who enjoys Devin’s work the most, while also b) being objective enough to treat each album, each song, with a good bit of critical clarity.

Credentials established, I’m going to start the review proper by giving it a 10/10… for the name anyway. This is certainly an album that is both ‘Epic’  and ‘Loud’. So it succeeds on both fronts there. Though you’d be amazed at how long that took me to ‘get’. Sometimes I’m a little dense. Still, Epicloud has crystallised for me why it is I like Devin’s work so much, despite (or perhaps because of) its unapologetic pop leanings.

Yes it has wide appeal, but it’s clearly not for everybody. Hell, it’s not designed for everybody. It’s not made to impress people, or gain critical plaudits. It does, however, prove that you can have a poppy vibe without dumbing down or selling out. And most importantly, it’s made for the sheer love of making music.

And THAT is precisely what gets me. Paradoxically, the more extreme and blackened my listening tastes become, the more Devin Townsend’s carefree, devil-may-care approach to music-making also appeals to me, as an opportunity to just let my hair down, and just FEEL. Continue reading »

SEEN AND HEARD: GOATWHORE, HIGH ON FIRE, AEON, GENERAL SURGERY, FURYBORN

 Free Shit, Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  7 Responses »
Sep 242012
 

This is another daily collection of things I saw and heard this morning that I thought were worth sharing. It’s heavy on the death metal, because the death metal is heavy on me.

GOATWHORE

This is a big Goatwhore day. First, I saw the news that Goatwhore will be touring the U.S. and Canada with High On Fire and Lo-Pan. The tour begins on Nov. 15 in Austin and concludes on Dec. 22 in San Francisco. On selected stops, Primate (featuring Brutal Truth vocalist Kevin Sharp) and Corrosion of Conformity will also be performing.

This should be an ass-mauling, face-lacerating show. I’m happy that it’s stopping in Seattle, because it’s important to be happy for yourself in order to be happy for other people, or so I tell myself whenever I see stupendous tours that stop in Seattle but may not stop where you live. The full schedule is after the jump.

I also saw that Goatwhore have today premiered a new official lyric video for “Death To the Architects of Heaven”, a killer song from their 2012 album, Blood For the Master. You can watch that after the jump, too. Continue reading »

OBLIVION: “CALLED TO RISE”

 Album Reviews  3 Responses »
Sep 242012
 

(In this post TheMadIsraeli reviews the forthcoming debut album from the Bay Area’s Oblivion. In a companion piece that you can find here, TheMadIsraeli also conducts an extended video interview of Oblivion’s Nick Vasallo and Ted O’Neill.)

Oblivion are one of the most badass death metal bands to emerge this year, seemingly appearing out of nowhere in a sea filled with sub-par deathcore and been-there-done-that modern tech-death that’s completely devoid of soul and conviction.  Called To Rise is an album that really brings back what I’ve missed too often since my discovery of death metal: smart riffing, effective song composition, and a keen sense of when to show off and when to not.  In a lot of ways, the album bombards the listener with elements, traces, and straight-up throwbacks to the tech-death of the 90’s (my favorite era of death metal).

It doesn’t hurt, of course, that Oblivion has some undeniable talent behind the name.  Ted O’Neill is an astounding guitar player capable of producing soul-shredding riffs and brain-melting solos, but his partners in crime are also quite badass.  Vocalist/bassist Nick Vasallo is an accomplished classical composer (a talent that factors prominently into the accomplishments of Called to Rise), and drummer Luis Martinez of now-defunct death metal/deathcore greats Antagony (for whom Vasallo was the sole composer). Joining the fold recently is second guitarist Victor Dods of the also now-defunct progressive death metal band Hacksaw to the Throat.

For everyone in this band, Called To Rise is an official return back into the metal world.  Especially most impressive is Ted O’Neill, who’s been out of the game for 25 years.  To repeat: This is the first time he’s played guitar in TWENTY-FIVE YEARS.  Just think about that as you listen to what Oblivion have done so far. Continue reading »

AN NCS VIDEO INTERVIEW: NICK VASALLO AND TED O’NEILL OF OBLIVION

 Interviews  5 Responses »
Sep 242012
 

(In this feature, TheMadIsraeli conducts an extended video interview of Nick Vasallo and Ted O’Neill of new Bay Area death metal heavyweights Oblivion.  Also be sure to check out TheMadIsraeli’s review of Oblivion’s forthcoming debut album, Called To Rise.)

So, here it is my first video interview. I have to say, I was a bit nervous about how this was going to go. I’d never done this before, the method sounded iffy (a Skype call recorded using Camtasia), and I had an up-and-coming band who were unfortunately the guinea pigs of an experiment that could’ve gone horribly wrong.

Fortunately, thankfully, and awesomely enough, however, Oblivion and I got what I feel to be a kickass interview, especially for a first time try at it. Nick and Ted are awesome dudes (as you’ll see in this video), and I really enjoyed doing this.

I need you NCS readers though to be heavy on the feedback about this. Did you like it? Do you like the idea? Would you like to see more? Cause if so, I’m pretty sure I know a few people who’d be willing and eager to jump at the chance.

Enjoy the interview. It’s long, detailed, and kind of insane. Continue reading »

AN NCS PREMIERE: GRAND SUPREME BLOOD COURT – “PILED UP FOR THE SCAVENGERS”

 Premieres  7 Responses »
Sep 242012
 

Come forward and bow down, for the Grand Supreme Blood Court is in session . . . and their judgment is Death, always Death. The only question is how will the sentence be carried out? The Court is about to answer that question, and based on the song we’re premiering for you today, there will be blood, and pain.

GSBC may be a new band, but it’s packed with Dutch death metal veterans. In addition to three current members of Asphyx — Martin van Drunen (vocals), Bob Bagchus (drums), and Alwin Zuur (guitars) — the band also includes lead guitarist Eric Daniels (a member of Asphyx for the recording of five of the band’s first six albums and now returning to metal after a decade-long hiatus) and bass-player Theo van Eekelen (Hail of Bullets).

The Grand Supreme Death Court’s debut album — Bow Down Before the Blood Court — was mixed by the legendary Dan Swanö (Edge Of Sanity, Bloodbath) and it’s scheduled for release by Century Media on November 12 in Europe and November 20 in the U.S. The gruesome album cover was created by Axel Hermann (Asphyx, Grave, Unleashed, etc.).

Lyrically, the debut will be a concept album based on an historical Blood Court that actually existed, though the details have yet to be revealed. Today we have the first taste of the music — “Piled Up For the Scavengers”. Continue reading »

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