RIVERS OF NIHIL ALBUM ART (PLUS A NEW LIVE TRACK) AND A NEW SONG FROM DANZIG

 Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  4 Responses »
Aug 132013
 

Here are a few things I saw and heard last night that I thought might be of interest.

RIVERS OF NIHIL

We’ve been following Pennsylvania’s Rivers of Nihil since all the way back in January 2012. Last December we reported that they had signed to Metal Blade Records and would be recording their full-length debut for the label with Erik Rutan (Hate Eternal) at Mana Recording Studios in March. We also streamed a demo version of a new song that will appear on the album named “Rain Eater”.

Yesterday we got a good look at the album’s cover by veteran metal artist Dan Seagrave, and it’s quite the eye-catcher, don’t you think? We also got the album’s name (The Conscious Seed of Light) and the release date: October 15.

On July22 , the band played one of the new tracks — “A Fertile Altar” — live at Saint Vitus in Brooklyn, and it was caught on video. The sound quality is good and the song rocks hard. Check it out next. Continue reading »

SEEN AND HEARD: ELIRAN KANTOR / KATAKLYSM, FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE, AND BONE DANCE

 Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  7 Responses »
Aug 122013
 

A few quick hits for you from my own quick spin through my e-mail and the interhole this afternoon.

ELIRAN KANTOR AND KATAKLYSM

Last week we brought you some news about the next album by Canada’s Kataklysm, Waiting For the End To Come, including the artwork for the CD. I thought the artwork was okay, but it didn’t elevate my pulse rate. HOWEVER, the artwork previously revealed is only for the standard jewel case version of the CD and a limited edition cassette tape of the album. There is an alternate cover for “the deluxe digipak” and the LP versions of the album, and you’re looking at it.

No disrespect intended to Peter Sallai, but I find this creation by the stellar Eliran Kantor much more appealing. It reminds me of what a collaboration between John Martin and Gustave Doré might have produced. Love it! Continue reading »

NEW BEHEMOTH SONG! “BLOW YOUR TRUMPETS GABRIEL”

 RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  6 Responses »
Aug 112013
 

Last week we received the disappointing news that the release of the upcoming tenth studio album by Poland’s almighty Behemoth (entitled The Satanist) would be delayed to early 2014. However, the band played one of the new songs — “Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel” — at the BRUTAL ASSAULT festival in The Czech Republic last night (August 10), and a fan-filmed video of the performance has now surfaced.

The song is an absolute monster. It begins as a slow, black crusher and then it fuckin’ explodes at the mid-point. The fan video has the usual imperfections, but you can hear the song pretty well and the visuals are amazing, notwithstanding the imperfections. Strobing lights, explosions of flame, great plumes of smoke — combine all that with the power of the song, and it’s quite a thing to see and hear. Which you can do right after the jump. Continue reading »

ARSIS, NE OBLIVISCARIS, THE BINARY CODE, SADISTIC BUTCHERING, ANION

 RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  3 Responses »
Aug 102013
 

I know you didn’t ask what I’ve been watching and listening to on this gray Pacific Northwest morning, but I’m telling you anyway, because that’s how blogging works.

ARSIS

A new Arsis video premiered yesterday. The song is “Scornstar” from their 2013 album Unwelcome. It was directed by Scott Hansen. It’s footage of the usual kind of thing that happens at an Arsis show. You know, people foaming at the mouth, chicks showing their tits, dudes ripping their hearts out of their chests, people’s guts exploding, bodily fluids and intestines spraying every which way. For people who’ve seen them play live before, it’s kind of old hat. But if you’re new to the band I guess it might be interesting.

I don’t really understand why this kind of regular occurrence was newsworthy. Must have been a slow news night at the TV station that broadcast the report. You can watch it next if you want. Continue reading »

SEEN AND HEARD: RUSSIAN CIRCLES, BLACK TABLE, AND A JENSEN-ENGLUND (THE HAUNTED) GUITAR PLAYTHROUGH

 Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  14 Responses »
Aug 092013
 

Here’s a collection of recommended things that caught my eyes and ears over the last 24 hours.

RUSSIAN CIRCLES

My introduction to Chicago’s Russian Circles came at a live show in Seattle a few years ago, and I was sold, fast. Their fifth album, Memorial, is due on October 29 via Sargent House. Long way off, but based on a track that premiered yesterday at Pitchfork it’s a date worth remembering.

For anyone who still thinks instrumental “post rock” doesn’t pack enough visceral kick to shake your skeleton from skull to tarsus, listen to “Deficit”. Man, it’s a heavy beast. It sets a doomy tone with a moving wall of guitar noise and a hypnotic drumbeat at the outset. The intensity builds from there, and beginning at the 3:00 mark it’s fuckin’ headbang city all the way forward (accompanied by a memorable chiming melody). Listen to “Deficit” below all these links. Continue reading »

MELVINS COVER BUTTHOLE SURFERS, IN A CHICAGO PARK, WITH FREE ICE CREAM, AND JEFF PINKUS

 Exceptions to the Rule, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  4 Responses »
Aug 092013
 

Well, this was just too damn cool not to share.

It’s a new video produced by The Onion’s AV Club of Melvins covering a song by Butthole Surfers in Chicago’s Humboldt Park. Joining in on the song was the Surfers bassist Jeff Pinkus in place of Jared Warren. Behind them is an ice cream truck.

According to the AV Club, the ice cream truck was basically there as a prop. But then Buzz Osborne had the bright idea of yelling “free ice cream!”, and before you know it the band had an enthusiastic audience. The fact that the audience consisted of a bunch of kids didn’t stop the band from playing “Graveyard”, or from causing the song to collapse into a squall of bass-driven feedback while Osborne tossed ice cream into the crowd and Melvins drummers Dale Crover, and Coady Willis beat the shit out of their kits.

“You lie in the graveyard / Well, you’re rotting away / When I talk to you daily / You’ve got nothing to say”. Such wholesome lyrics. Such a heart-warming sight. Watch the video after the jump.

Continue reading »

SEEN AND HEARD: SHINING (SWEDEN), KATAKLYSM, THE RUINS OF BEVERAST, ARMAGEDON

 Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  5 Responses »
Aug 082013
 

Here’s the promised second part of today’s effort to catch up on noteworthy new things from the last several days.

SHINING

Sweden’s Shining announced a while back that their next album, 8 ½ – Feberdrömmar I Vaket Tillstånd (scheduled for release by Dark Essence on Sept 23), would feature many guest vocalists, in addition to frontman Niklas Kvarforth of course. As of today, we know who they are, and it’s an interesting list that includes more than a few black metal luminaries:

1. “Terres Des Anonymes” featuring FAMINE of PESTE NOIRE
2. “Szabadulj Meg Önmagadtól” featuring ATTILA CSIHAR of MAYHEM, TORMENTOR
3. “Ett Liv Utan Mening” featuring PEHR LARSSON of ALFAHANNE
4. “Selvdestruktivitetens Emissarie” featuring GAAHL of GOD SEED, WARDRUNA, ex-GORGOROTH
5. “Black Industrial Misery” featuring MANIAC of SKITLIV, ex-MAYHEM
6. “Through Corridors Of Oppression” featuring KVARFORTH

The songs themselves date back to an earlier era in Shining’s life. Original pre-production tracks of the songs were used as the foundation, with the addition of newly recorded bass and guitars as well as keyboards performed by Lars Fredrik Fröslie (Angst Skvadron, Wobbler, Asmegin). Should be worth checking out when it arrives. Continue reading »

SEEN AND HEARD: BROKEN HOPE, EVOCATION, NEW DOMINION

 Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  1 Response »
Aug 082013
 

You may have noticed that new music round-ups have been scarce this week. We’ve been going overboard on the reviews instead. However, I have been maintaining a constant vigil and collecting worthwhile new things as I’ve seen them. Only problem is that the list has grown so damned long, even after just a few days of watching and not writing, that the list has become unwieldy. So I’ve done some fairly random paring down and split this catch-up round-up into two parts, this being the first.

BROKEN HOPE

Do you sometimes wish that revered old bands who have fallen apart would just stay down, so you can be left with your fond memories instead of having them tarnished with a mediocre comeback? Unfortunately, it seems that comebacks tend to be mediocre a lot more often than awesome. But judging from the first new song in this round-up, that probably won’t be the case with Chicago’s Broken Hope.

They recorded five albums between 1991 and 1999 and then split up, but they’re coming back with a new album named Omen of Disease that’s due on October 20. The song that premiered yesterday is “Flesh Mechanic”. It’s a grisly riff monster, fresh guts dripping from its teeth, and trench-level roars bellowing from its throat. The solo in the song is white hot, and the whole thing is brimming with feral energy. If only all comebacks sounded this putrid. Continue reading »

STUFF I HAD TO FIND ON MY OWN ‘CAUSE ISLANDER & HIS CRONIES MISSED IT – 2ND EDITION

 RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  11 Responses »
Aug 062013
 

(I guess it’s obvious that neither I nor my NCS cronies wrote this.  Just like the first installment back in January, NCS guest contributor KevinP did this.)

IGORRR – Hallelujah

I was gonna save the best for last, but I was too excited and figured we’d start off with a huge mindfuck.  This is also my new favorite thing of all time (for this week anyways).  I’m even willing to give partial credit to our CEO for posting the Apathia Records Comp recently, which featured ÖXXÖ XÖÖX.  IGORR is the main solo project of Gautier Serre (of ÖXXÖ XÖÖX fame).  While listening to the prior band, I stumbled across this gem.

I’m not going to spoil it for ya, just listen and keep listening, it has a little bit of everything (even chicken clucks).  The French have officially cornered the market on weird shit.  “Vegetable Soup” makes me feel like I’m walking around EPCOT (yeah Walt Disney World), then a techno opera, a farm, a techno farm dance club, whatever.  (It also has plenty of metal parts, don’t be scared.)

http://adnoiseam.bandcamp.com/album/hallelujah
http://adnoiseam.bandcamp.com/album/nostril
https://www.facebook.com/IgorrrBarrroque Continue reading »

CONDUCTING FROM THE GRAVE: “INTO THE RABBIT HOLE” PLAYTHROUGH

 RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  2 Responses »
Aug 042013
 

(DGR wrote this feature about a new video from Sacramento’s Conducting From The Grave.)

You may remember that the last time we checked in with the Conducting From The Grave guys, they were neck deep in their kickstarter campaign and had just released a song entitled “Into The Rabbit Hole”. Well, the band succeeded, garnering close to 19k out of the original goal of 15,000 and have since announced that the disc will likely see a late-September/early-October release as they figure out how to get the merchandising side of things taken care of.

A few days ago the band also uploaded a playthrough video of the aforementioned “Into The Rabbit Hole” song that rotates between guitarists Jeff and John and bassist Jordan. I think playthrough videos are interesting as hell because you can really learn how to play a song yourself by studying them, or in my case just rest your head in your hands as you’re reminded you’re not even half the musician that these guys who are just shredding away are. I don’t even play guitar and watching these guys fly along to the song is fascinating.

I have heard bits and pieces of the full self-titled release and it’s a pretty good one to look forward to. It has a metric fuckton more guitar playing than Revenants, so if you missed that element from that disc, it’s back, and hybridized with a much more death-metal focused sound. Until we get more to show off from that disc though, you’ll just have to be satisfied with another take on this song. Continue reading »

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