AN ARCHSPIRE UPDATE

 Metal News  1 Response »
Apr 152013
 

I’ve been following Archspire for a long time, since December 2010 to be exact, when I came across their debut EP in one of my MISCELLANY excursions. Here’s part of what I wrote back then:

“This is a truly eye-popping convulsion of tech-death, with schizophrenic rhythms, astounding technical riffing and drumwork, and tiny threads of reappearing melody that stitch the songs together into cohesive wholes. And I’m not sure I’ve ever heard a death-metal vocalist bark out the lyrics faster than Archspire’s . . . . This is most definitely a band to keep your eyes on; you will hear more about them.”

Take it from me, it’s nice to be clairvoyant. We have indeed heard a lot more from this band — their 2011 debut album All Shall Align kicked a lot of ass and it landed them on a bunch of Canadian and European tours. But 2013 is turning out to be their most promising year yet. In early March, they signed with Season of Mist, and they’re now recording their SoM debut (and second album overall), which should appear later this year.

Today I saw a new studio video from the band’s sessions at Rain City Recorders. There appears to have been beer involved, but you wouldn’t know it to watch and listen to drummer Spencer Prewett. Holy fuck. We’re talking hyper-fast human blur activity. Continue reading »

NACHTYSTIUM IS KAPUT. . . BUT HATE MEDITATION IS STILL COMING

 Metal News  8 Responses »
Apr 152013
 

[UPDATE:  In reaction to this post and similar reports elsewhere, Blake Judd has stated that Nachtmystium is NOT kaput and is in fact re-grouping to record a new album for release in 2013. Details here.]

Over the weekend, the news made the rounds on the interwebz (e.g., here) that Chicago’s Nachtmystium is no more (although, as you’ll see in a minute, this news actually broke in March). The following “official statement” was re-published by various sources:

“We are sorry to inform you that NACHTMYSTIUM have decided to cancel all their live activities in the foreseeable future. The band has parted ways with their long time lead guitarist, Andrew Markuszewski, and their recording engineer/synth player, Sanford Parker. The remaining three bandmembers of NACHTMYSTIUM as of today are going to bring the band to a state of hiatus.”

Although I didn’t see it at the time, the handwriting appeared on the wall via a March 7 article on Stereogum, in which writer Michael Nelson reported the following message he received from Nachtmystium’s Blake Judd: “Hate Meditation is my main focus currently as Nachtmystium is on somewhat of a hiatus for the time being.”

I guess it’s now more than “somewhat of a hiatus”. Among other things, Nachtmystium’s official Facebook page has disappeared. Continue reading »

DARK THINGS RISING: DIABLERIE, THOU ART LORD, AND SLIDHR

 Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  4 Responses »
Apr 142013
 

Here are a pair of dark new discoveries from yesterday, new music from two bands with veteran members who have new albums on the way — Diablerie from Finland and Thou Art Lord from Greece — plus an update (with music) about the debut album coming from Ireland’s Slidhr.

DIABLERIE

I found out about this band via an e-mail from fellow blogger fireangel (Night Elves Forest), who keeps her fingers pressed tightly to the pulse of Finnish metal. Diablerie began in 1998, released a debut album in 2001 (Seraphyde), dissolved in 2003, and re-formed in 2006. The members of Diablerie’s current line-up have been active in other bands, with four of them being current or former members of a melodic doom/death band named Rapture and drummer Petri Mäkipää spending time with Fleshred, Ghoul Patrol, and The Nibiruan.

Last year Diablerie put out an EP (Transition), and according to fireangel’s report, they’ve now recorded material for a future full-length release. Recently, the band put two new demo tracks on Soundcloud — “Selves” and “Osiris” — and both are really good. Continue reading »

THE DEVIL’S BLOOD, ORCHID, AND UNCLE ACID

 Exceptions to the Rule, Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  No Responses »
Apr 132013
 

I went hunting for new music this morning and found a trio of songs that just cried out to be bundled together. Crying makes me uncomfortable, so I relented. All three songs are exceptions to our rule around here. All three songs reach back into the 60’s and 70’s for their inspiration. None of them is a skull-cleaver or a face-melter, but they’ve nonetheless wormed their way into my head. Before I de-worm myself with something that’s more typical for this site, I’m sharing the experiences.

THE DEVIL’S BLOOD

On January 22 of this year, this occult Dutch group announced that they were disbanding, but would be releasing additional recordings before disappearing into the void from whence they came. The first of those is a full-length album entitled III: Tabula Rasa or Death and the Seven Pillars, which Metal Blade plans to release on June 11.

Selim “SL” Lemouchi has explained that all of the songs are demos recorded in his home recording studio and given only “a simple mix”. The first song from the album that debuted yesterday is “White Storm of Teeth”.  Continue reading »

AMON AMARTH REVEALS NEW ALBUM TITLE (“DECEIVER OF THE GODS”) AND QUESTIONABLE COVER ART

 Metal News  44 Responses »
Apr 122013
 

Well, as DGR wrote in a message I just saw, “In case you guys were worried, it appears that Amon Amarth’s new cd will in fact be about vikings.” Whew, that’s a relief.

Today, the band disclosed that Deceiver Of The Gods is the title of their new album, and that it will be released in June via Metal Blade Records. Andy Sneap, handled the production and there will apparently be a guest appearance by former Candlemass singer Messiah Marcolin, which is intriguing.

Metal Blade also unveiled the album’s cover art, which is supposed to depict “the last battle between the Gods and Loki who arrives at Vigridr field accompanied by the army of the dead during Ragnarok, the end of the world.” The event, of course, is a badass slice of legend. However, I must say that the cover art is not quite as badass as the event it is supposed to depict. Maybe it will grow on me. Continue reading »

FREE SHIT: FOUR TICKETS TO “DEATH TO ALL” AND ONE COOL COMP

 Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  1 Response »
Apr 122013
 

Life can be summed up as follows: You don’t get what you pay for, and then you die. Which is why getting things for free is so damned important. It gives you that little flicker of hope that maybe things will balance out before your tiny spark gets sucked into the void. Of course, it’s a false hope, but the capacity for self-delusion is vital in leading a happy life.

Okay, now that I’ve got you in a cheery mood, here’s some a that free shit.

“DEATH TO ALL” TICKETS

The Death To All tour, which pays tribute to late legendary vocalist and guitarist Chuck Schuldiner and raises money for the Sweet Relief charity, is starting its 2013 run tomorrow night in West Hollywood and will continue through the end of this month. Unlike last year’s inaugural edition, this tour will feature one line-up, the Human–era Death lineup consisting of guitarist Paul Masvidal, bassist Steve DiGiorgio, and drummer Sean Reinert (with Max Phelps of Exist providing the vocals). The set list will focus on Human and the three Death albums that came before it, Scream Bloody Gore, Leprosy, and Spiritual Healing. 

And guess what? Thanks to Live Nation, we have two sets of two tickets to give away for the tour’s April 24 stop in New York City at Irving Plaza. Continue reading »

YOUR UPDATES FROM THE WORLD OF WARFARE: MURDER MADE GOD, HATE MEDITATION, AND CROCELL

 Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  5 Responses »
Apr 112013
 

I think we’re very broad-minded around here. For example, in our last post we let Andy Synn talk about five excellent bands, most of whom integrate clean singing into their music. However, balance must be maintained. And therefore in this post we return to news and new music from the frontlines of sonic obliteration, with Murder Made God (Greece), Hate Meditation (multi-national), and Crocell (Denmark).

MURDER MADE GOD

This Greek band have recorded a new album named Irreverence, which is emblazoned with that eye-catching cover art you see above, and as of today it became available for pre-order from the Brutal Bands label (here). Also, I’ve learned that package orders placed with Brutal Bands before May 31 will be fulfilled with a free “Throne of Derision” shirt designed by Mike Majewski of Devourment. Check out his piece of nasty work, big as life, right after the jump: Continue reading »

SEEN AND HEARD: HANG THE BASTARD (“SWEET MOTHER”), ABIOTIC (THE “FACADES” VIDEO), AND SUMMONING (“OLD MORNINGS DAWN” TRAILER)

 Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  7 Responses »
Apr 102013
 

Here’s a round-up of a few of the things I saw and heard in the last 24 hours.

HANG THE BASTARD

I heard a new song by a London-based band named Hang the Bastard. NCS writer Andy Synn sent me a link to this song. I love this song with a deep and abiding love, not a platonic kind of love but a rough, messy, sweat-and-fluid-drenched, up-against-the-wall kind of love, with clothes ripped off and strewn around the floor and some blood smear left on the paint from all the scratches.

The name of the song is “Sweet Mother”, and Hang the Bastard released it a couple of weeks ago. It has huge, beefy, fuzzed-as-hell riffs coming out of every orifice. It squalls and crushes and lacerates. It maketh my head to bang so vigorously that I’ve been left in a permanent bobble-head condition.

The vocalist sounds like he gargled with gasoline and then ate a lit match before tracking his part; I hope the other guys had the decency to stick a fire extinguisher down his throat when he was done. Continue reading »

THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER RELEASE NEW SONG (“INTO THE EVERBLACK”) AND ALBUM DETAILS

 Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  6 Responses »
Apr 092013
 

We’re way past the end of our typical posting day, but this news can’t wait: The Black Dahlia Murder and Metal Blade have revealed the album cover and release date for the band’s new album Everblack and have given all of us the first new song from the album for streaming: “Into the Everblack”.

The album will be released on June 11 and has now become available for pre-order here. The cover art, which is just fuckin’ delicious, is by none other than New Zealand’s Nick Keller. If you hang around this site with any regularity, you’ll know who he is because we’ve repeatedly raved about his work for NZ’s Beastwars, among other accomplishments.

Other luminaries were involved in the album’s creation — mixing by Jason Suecof (with Ryan Williams) and mastering by Alan Douches — and the album will include for the first time a song (“In Hell Is Where She Waits For Me”) that’s actually about the famous, unsolved 1947 “Black Dahlia murder” of Elizabeth Short from which the band took its name.

And that brings me to the just-released new song . . . Continue reading »

EARACHE PRESENTS THE WORLD’S SHORTEST ALBUM AND ONE OF THE YEAR’S MOST INSPIRED VIDEOS

 Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  1 Response »
Apr 092013
 

I had time this morning to snoop around the web and my e-mail inbox in search of interesting new music and new videos. Unfortunately, at the moment my fucking day job isn’t allowing me enough time to listen to everything I found, much less write about it.

I thought to myself, wouldn’t it be great if I could find a whole album’s worth of songs I could listen to in about 82.8 seconds, with a video to go along with it?

And wow, what an amazing coincidence! Just as those thoughts crossed my mind I found a whole album of music lasting only 82.8 seconds (including the spaces between songs) AND a video to go with it! Yeah, it happened just like that.

How do you get 13 songs on an 82.8 second album? You fuckin’ griiiiiind, that’s how. Here’s the track list (plus run times for each song) for what Earache Records is billing as “The World’s Shortest Album”: Continue reading »

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