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 »

PSY COMES BACK WITH “GENTLEMAN”

 RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  10 Responses »
Apr 142013
 

Nope, not metal, not even close. But since I slapped “Gangnam Style” up on the site last August, I figured I might as well do the same with Psy’s new music video, “Gentleman”. I’m a little faster this time — I missed the premiere of “Gangnam Style” by a month; “Gentleman” debuted only yesterday. Of course, as I write this it already has over 6.9 million YouTube views. In case you were wondering, the “Gangnam Style” video now has over 1.5 billion views.

I watched this new thing with low expectations. Don’t get me wrong, I thought “Gangnam Style” was a kick in the ass, but holy hell, every time I turned around over the next two months there the damned thing was, either the original or some parody of it. Shit got old. And I was afraid we were in for a re-tread with “Gentleman”.

But it turns out to be pretty good. I mean, the novelty of Psy’s schtick has worn off, and it would be really tough for him to top the batshit craziness of the earlier video, but the song is catchy, and I like the fact that at least as much of it is in Korean as in English. And the video, while not as nuts as the first one, gets points for self-parody. And for the catapult springboards. And what dude doesn’t want to stick a finger up his butt and pass it beneath the nose of a cute chick?  Here you go: Continue reading »

NEW FREE AMON AMARTH SONG: “DECEIVER OF THE GODS”

 Free Shit, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  8 Responses »
Apr 132013
 

Yesterday Amon Amarth unveiled the cover art, title, and release date for their new album Deceiver of the Gods, which I duly reported here. I seem to have stirred up some shit on our site with a less-than-enthusiastic reaction to the album art. I still maintain that it’s a mixed bag, but I try not to judge a book (or an album) by its cover. More important is what lies within.

With this band, here in 2013, you know with a high degree of certainty what will lie within. Both thematically and musically, the band have settled on a formula that has made them exceedingly popular. It’s a formula that happens to appeal to me, though I must admit that I would love it if the band broke their own mold every now and then and fired something different in the kiln.

Today brought us a stream — and a free download — of the new album’s title track. It’s a thrashier attack than much of what was to be found on 2011’s Surtur Rising, but no less catchy than what you would expect from this band, and with an appealing dual-guitar melody in the mid-part. As my NCS colleagues have pointed out, it also includes a key change!

Have Amon Amarth broken the mold with this song? Nope — it will not throw the Amon Amarth faithful for a loop, nor will it change the minds of those listeners who aren’t impressed with this brand of Viking-themed melodic death metal. But it’s only one song. We may still hear something we aren’t expecting. In the meantime, listen to this one after the jump. 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 »

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 »

FIVE OF MY FAVOURITE . . . BANDS WHO SHOULD HAVE BEEN HUGE

 RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  39 Responses »
Apr 112013
 

(Andy Synn is back with yet another of his five-item lists of favorite things.)

TheMadIsraeli’s review of the newest Killswitch album (which I still haven’t actually gotten around to listening to) got me thinking, mostly about missed chances and wasted potential. As a fan of KsE, even I have to acknowledge that, due to a variety of factors, some beyond their control, some due to their own decision-making, the band may have squandered some of their early potential.

That may sound rather harsh; it’s not meant to be but it may sound it. But I think it’s unfortunately an accurate assessment of things as they stand. Losing Jesse, the stalling of their initial momentum while they recruited Howard, the more simplistic, mainstream leanings that sanitised their most recent work… all these combined with the general state of the music industry and some unfortunate timing, have meant that the band never reached the “megastar” status which was, however fleetingly, hinted at by their early potential.

Now I know what you’re thinking. Killswitch Engage are pretty damn mainstream, at least by metal standards, right? Well that’s kind of my point… we often forget, we proud underground warriors, that for most bands, being part of the metal “mainstream” means fuck all to the “actual” mainstream. Bands with legitimate underground cred who get the merest sniff of wider exposure are immediately attacked for “selling-out” even when they’ve not changed a thing, they just happened to be in the right place at the right time.

But what I’m talking about here are five bands who had the possibility, however slight, of achieving real recognition (mainstream or otherwise), real status, without sacrificing their integrity or identity, but for whom it never quite “happened”. Continue reading »

WATCH SUFFOCATION, EXHUMED, JUNGLE ROT, RINGS OF SATURN, AND ADIMIRON LIVE

 RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  1 Response »
Apr 112013
 

I’m really slow in spreading the word about this event — my man Vonlughlio tipped me to it the day it happened. In a nutshell, Suffocation, Exhumed, Jungle Rot, Rings of Saturn, and Adimiron performed live at the Saint Vitus Bar in Brooklyn, NY, on the night of April 5. That was the second night of the Despise the World 2013 North American Tour, which is still in progress. The Saint Vitus show was webcast live, as it happened, on Gander.tv.

But the show was also recorded as it was happening, and the entire thing can still be streamed.

Even better, the stream of the live performance is embeddable, which means I can stick it right here at NCS for as long as the stream lasts — all 5 hours of it.

I don’t know how many people would choose to watch the entire show — I skipped around, myself — but it’s pretty damned cool just to have it available. Also, Exhumed played a new song called “The Rotting” from their next album, which should be out in the summer. Check out the show right after the jump. Continue reading »

BOB MALMSTRÖM, BLOOD RED THRONE, AND SVARTSYN

 RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  4 Responses »
Apr 102013
 

Now that I have your attention, thanks to that new album cover above, I have three more random pieces of new music to share with you today.

BOB MALMSTRÖM

It’s been way too long since we’ve featured anything by Finland’s Bob Malmström here at NCS. I first tumbled to them in December 2011 after catching their official music video for a song called “Eliten”, which was a kind of searing, headbanging, thrash/hardcore/punk onslaught, as rendered by a bunch of dudes in suits sipping champagne. For a fair amount of background about the band’s politically incorrect philosophies and interests, you might check out the post I wrote at that time.

Today brought a fresh reminder of how much ass this band kick: the debut of a lyric video for the title track from a new Bob Malmström album entitled Punkens framtid, which, according to Google Translate, means “Punk future” in Swedish. The new song rocks so hard it nearly knocked me flat, but I somehow kept my feet despite bouncing around in a solo mosh pit of my own making. 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 »

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