AMON AMARTH LIVE

 RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  4 Responses »
Apr 222011
 

I really needed a palate-cleanser after that last post about the Revolver “Golden Gods” Award, and man, did I find one: good quality film of Amon Amarth‘s performance in Denver on April 17.

They played Seattle on the night of April 20. My two NCS co-founders Alexis and IntoTheDarkness were at that show and reported that it was indeed epic. I was out of town and missed it. I am not happy about that.

I’m having to console myself with these Denver clips. The first one is the band playing “Destroyer of the Universe” and the second is “Tock’s Taunt – Loke’s Treachery Part II”. Both songs are from Amon Amarth’s new album, Surtur Rising, which is one of our favorites of the year-to-date. Check them out after the jump. Fuck yes. Continue reading »

MINECRAFT . . . FOR METALHEADS

 RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  9 Responses »
Apr 222011
 

(Our guest contributor Rob K. is back with another contribution — this one about three of his musical discoveries that you may not have known about.)

Metal is not unlike the nerd sensation taking over computer screens everywhere: Minecraft. You stumble around the internet, uncovering useless stuff, digging up places you really shouldn’t, digging deeper to ultimately find that rare metal (see what I did there?) and build a full-size replica of the Starship Enterprise out of Album Covers. Or, you know, whatever tickles your fancy. You hold the fort after dark, knocking back waves and waves of evil trolls and flamers trying at every turn to “dis you’re band dawg” [mispelling to achieve ultimate real-ness].

It’s becoming ever more clear, as our genre grows older everyday, that more and more people paint a stark picture of deathcore.

Don’t get me wrong, this genre has its fair share of copycats. But come on fellas (and ladies), EVERY genre and sub-genre over the whole spectrum of music has its copycats. Frankly, I occasionally break away from metal for a while and listen to other things. And while I don’t mind the occasional rap or hip-hop song (it’s gotta have meaning, none of that booty clapping, money and hoes bullshit), for the most part, I can’t tell any of it apart from one artist to another. Same thing goes for country (looking back though, today’s “country” is nothing more than pop/rock with twangy steel guitars; Johnny Cash is rolling in his grave).

Continue reading »

RANDOM VIDZ: TURISAS AND KVELERTAK

 RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  1 Response »
Apr 212011
 

Still short on time, I’m just tossing two videos your way because I like both bands and you might be fans, too, in which case you’ll be curious about these two brand new videos.

Shortness of time means no introductions. I’ll simply say that Turisas has released a video for a song called “Stand Up and Fight”, which is good advice, because I’ve tried to fight while lying on my back and it’s not a recipe for success. The song is the title track from the band’s third album. The video isn’t yet in embeddable form, but here is the link where you can see it.

I will also say that Kvelertak has also just released a new video. “Ordsmedar av Rang” is the name of the song, and it comes from the band’s self-titled debut album, which was released June 21, 2010 via Indie Recordings and then released again in North America on March 15 via The End Records, with six bonus tracks included. You can see that video after the jump. Continue reading »

WHO WILL DEFINE THE TEENS?

 RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  9 Responses »
Apr 212011
 

(Brutalitopia is a great name for a metal blog. If we’d thought of it first, you might be reading “Brutalitopia” right now. But instead of us, two other dudes thought up the name, and they’ve put together some great content to go along with it, too. Check that site now if you never have before (use this link). Today, in response to our appeal for help, Brutalitopia Jack has contributed the following thought-provoking guest post.)

Historically speaking, trends and styles tend to occur in phases. This is certainly true for music, and putting metal under the microscope is a great test of this theory; NWOBHM was the representative blueprint of heavy music in the late 1970s, thrash was the mid-80s, and death metal reigned right around the time Metallica sold out. As for the current era, there’s little doubt that heavier progressive acts have assumed dominion for the foreseeable future.

The intriguing situation with prog, however, is the labyrinthine absorption of various sounds and styles that so conspicuously distinguishes itself in today’s muddled scene. Listeners and critics alike often refer to groups as dissimilar as Opeth and Mastodon as progressive, and no issue is made of it. Some argue that the label “progressive” should be understood less as a genre and more as a descriptor of approach and stylistic ethos, but that’s a discussion for another day. The fact remains that progressive metal is at the forefront and will be for some time.

The logical and fanatical question then becomes this; as we enter the second decade of the new millennium, will the burgeoning progressive metal frontier yield a Big Four like Thrash once did? The short answer (at least to this guy) is no. And that’s only because we’ll simply never see a collective reaction to such a limited number of bands ever again; the digital age makes it impossible for even 40 bands to hold the attention of the whole metal community. But while we likely won’t be able to point at four groups as the unquestioned, paramount torchbearers of metal in the 2010s at the end of the decade, it’s not a futile enterprise to attempt to identify four that could really break into the forefront in the next several years. Essentially, fuck everything I just said and put on your pretending caps.  (more after the jump . . .) Continue reading »

THIS WILL SELL BIG IN THE RED STATES

 RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  1 Response »
Apr 212011
 

Some metal blogs are spending time writing about the latest pronouncements from Sammy Hagar and Duff McKagan, breaking news items such as KK. Downing leaving Judas Priest, and other subjects that induce us to yawn with the kind of gaping mouth-openness that only a serious oxygen deficit can induce.

Here at NCS, we’re dealing with the serious metal shit, like the news that NunFuckRitual has signed with Debemur Morti Productions and is currently working on its debut album. NunFuckRitual, or NUNFUCKRITUAL if you prefer, is a Norwegian concoction consisting of Teloch (Nidingr, Mayhem), Espen T. Hangård (Killl, NoPlaceToHide), Dan Lilker (Nuclear Assault, S.O.D., Anthrax) and Andreas Johnson (Tyrant, The Black).

I recognize Dan Lilker’s name and of course the Nuclear Assault and Mayhem references stand out, too. But, honestly, as curiosity-peaking as all that was, what sealed the deal for us was the band’s name. I mean, honestly, how can you pass by a band name like NUNFUCKRITUAL (I’ve decided I prefer the all-caps version of the name)? You just know the album is headed straight for a Walmart or K-Mart exclusive, with the merch getting the full push by Hot Topic. I’m dyin’ to see the album title.

And what about the music, you may ask? Well, the first words that popped into my head were “pop smash!”  (more after the jump . . .) Continue reading »

NEW MUSIC FROM NORWAY: HELLISH OUTCAST, 66CRUSHER, and TAAKE

 RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  6 Responses »
Apr 202011
 

I’m still in guerilla mode (or gorilla mode) here at NCS — short on time and only able to burst through the door, throw randomized pieces of music your way, and then vanish, while relying on our other regular contributors and guests to do the real writing. In this post, I’ve got new songs from three Norwegian bands whose music covers a wide swath of the Norwegian metal landscape: Hellish Outcast, 66Crusher, and Taake. We’re even making an exception to the normal rule around here with some clean singing. All this music is righteous, so do check it out.

HELLISH OUTCAST

What do you get when you combine Thebon (Keep of Kalessin‘s vocalist), Mads Lillevedt (a/k/a Alkolust, the drummer for Byfrost), bassist Max Morbid (BREED), and guitarist Martin Legreid (66Crusher)? You get Hellish Outcast. We first came across this band for one of our MISCELLANY posts last July (you can read about that here). At that time, Thebon had just joined the band, and they were working on a debut album. Lacking new music, we focused on a 2008 EP called Raping-Killing-Murder, which we liked a lot.

Hellish Outcast has now finished that full-length — Your God Will Bleed — and Terrorizer has just premiered an official video for the song “Face Forced Down”. My reaction? I think someone left the gates of Hell unlocked and these dudes got out. (more after the jump . . .) Continue reading »

PAIN’S NEW VIDEO: TITS, ASS, AND DRUMKIT MAYHEM

 RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  8 Responses »
Apr 182011
 

Less than two weeks ago, we featured a brand new song called “Dirty Woman” from the new album by Pain — a long-running band fronted by Peter Tägtgren, who’s perhaps best known as the vocalist/guitarist for Hypocrisy. The new album, You Only Live Twice, is due for release on June 3.

The song has gotten under our skin big-time. It’s a dirty piece of Southern-style road-house rock with some catchy-as-ebola metal riffs that will make you wanna bang yo fuckin’ head.

Today, Pain released their official video for the same song, and it’s a hoot and a half to watch. Not surprisingly, given the name, lyrics, and style of the song, the video features some nasty pieces of hotness bumping and grinding and swapping spit. But during the interspersed footage of Pain playing the song, watch what the drummer does to his kit. Wonder what kind of burr got under his saddle?

I’m tellin’ you, if this video don’t put a smile on your face, then you’re one cold motherfucker.  Watch after the jump . . . Continue reading »

MY CORPSE SHALL RISE, BUT IT AIN’T GOIN’ TO HEAVEN

 RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  No Responses »
Apr 172011
 


Hot off the presses, or whatever it is they call video editing machines, we have a video released today by the almighty Autopsy for one of our favorite songs of 2010 — “My Corpse Shall Rise”.

Like Autopsy itself, the video is old-school: black-and-white footage of the band playing the song in the studio, which isn’t 100% in sync with the audio track, and some cut-rate video flame effects. But I don’t care much about the quality of the video, because the song rules, and watching Autopsy do the dishes while it plays would be just fine with me.

You can see and hear it after the jump. Continue reading »

NO RHYME OR REASON: ANAAL NATHRAKH, DEVOLVED, AND CYANIDE SERENITY

 RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  15 Responses »
Apr 172011
 

Surgical Brute’s first post of our NCS Saturday included songs from five bands, and Misha served up another one today, all of which are well worth hearing. So I’m probably pushing my luck by adding this post with still more songs. I do realize there’s a limited amount of time you’re going to spend listening to new music in a given day, and I also realize we’re not the only metal site most of you visit. But I just can’t resist. There’s probably some psychiatric name for inability to resist impulse, but whatever it is, I’ve got it.

Usually, there’s some organizing principle behind the music collections we feature in a post, even if it’s nothing more than “these songs will flambé your brain.” But today there’s really no rhyme or reason to what I picked, except I came across all three of these offerings in the last 48 hours and just felt compelled to share what I found.

Two of these bands I know well and I’m a big fan of both. The third is a new discovery. What I have for you, then, is a high-quality video of Anaal Nathrakh laying waste in a live club performance; a video for a brand new (and somewhat surprising) song by Australian/California tech-death band Devolved; and a new, crushing re-recording of a song by another tech-death band, UK’S Cyanide Serenity, which features their new lead singer Travis Neal (Divine Heresy). And to top it off, we’ve got the schedule for a just-announced Anaal Nathrakh European tour . . . after the jump. Continue reading »

KRYTERIUM

 RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  1 Response »
Apr 172011
 

(Today, our guest contributor Misha clues us in on an Idaho extreme metal band called Kryterium.)

Boise, Idaho isn’t the richest of extreme metal environments, and I’ll be the first to attest to that. Sadly, few extreme acts originate from the State of Idaho period, notwithstanding the greater population numbers in what we locals call the Treasure Valley.

Of those few bands, fewer still are actually signed to record labels. Kryterium is one of those few bands. Formed in 2006, Kryterium has shared the stage with numerous extreme bands. I know that saying you shared the stage with a different band is like saying you once made a skiing trip to Sun Valley, where Bruce Willis purportedly owns a home. What Kryterium shares in common with those in the substantial list of bands is extreme metal. I’m not going to waste precious time and space by name-dropping every band they’ve played with, but I can list some of the notables like the following: Darkest Hour, Suffocation, Necrophagist, Dying Fetus, Pyscroptic, The Acacia Strain, Incantation, Samael. For all the good that list does, Kryterium cannot truly be compared with any of them.

I would describe Kryterium’s music as a chunky brand of groove metal mingled with elements of grindcore and death metal.  (more after the jump . . .) Continue reading »

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