NO CLEAN SINGING

HALT! HERE BE THINGS OF YORE THAT PENETRATED MY EAR HOLES AND TO WHICH MY EYES PAID HEED

Jun 152012

I’m still trying out reader suggestions for the title of these posts in which I collect recently discovered music and news items, but I’m thinking it still needs work. Anyway, here are things I saw and heard over the last 24 hours that I thought were worth passing along. Most of the music is brand new, and it’s all good.

There are six very diverse songs in here, with accompanying art, from Tyrant of Death, Destroyer 666, Early Graves, Death I Am, and Polarization. That’s a lot of music for a single post, but just think of this like a packaging together of three or four posts you’d read on any other metal blog. If you like, you could read and listen a little at a time over the rest of the day. I just don’t feel like chopping it up.

TYRANT OF DEATH: “FROM EARTH TO HELL”

I saw that Tyrant of Death have released a new song. This one is especially easy to pass along, because DGR wrote the following introduction. Copy and paste . . .

“While not as ridiculous on the release scale so far this year, Tyrant Of Death is still putting out a mighty chunk of music for people to listen to. I reviewed (and introduced some of you to) his work earlier this year with the release of Re-Connect, and in between the time I started and finished that review he released two songs.

He’s released another one now, this time inspired by the new Ridley Scott ‘Not Alien but totally Alien’ movie Prometheus that just came out. Man, is it a doozy, clocking it at almost nine minutes of crushing industrial death. It’s a solo guitar work this time, with the only vocals being samples from the movie and distorted screams (although a couple do sound like T.o.D contributor Lucem Fero). It is, however, totally free and available on The Tyrant Of Death Bandcamp. Plus it does have an awesome song title in, “From Earth To Hell”.

With that intro, enjoy the song right after the jump, and feel free to share thoughts about Prometheus while we’re on that subject. Continue reading »

HEATHEN BEAST’S VIDEOS DO NOT FUCK AROUND – AND NEITHER DOES THEIR MUSIC

Free Shit, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC, SHORT BUT SWEET 9 Responses »

Jun 142012

I’m no expert on India, and really, who could be? The country is so vast, its population so large and diverse, its history so ancient and complex, its cultures and traditions so multifaceted, that to me it seems almost incomprehensible. But though I’m no expert, I know from reading that it is the birthplace of four of the world’s major religions — Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism — and on top of that it has the third largest Muslim population in the world, as well as adherents of Christianity, Judaism, Zoroastrianism, and many other faiths. Looking at it from afar, it’s a place where daily life seems dominated by religious rituals, observances, and traditions of one kind or another.

Heathen Beast don’t like what they see. They are an Indian black metal band based in Mumbai whose focus is on religion, which they view as a destructive plague on mankind. This alone doesn’t necessarily distinguish them from black metal bands the world over, but they have a particular focus on religion in India, which means that the object of their anger and scorn is not Christianity (as it is for BM bands in so many other countries), but the influence of more locally important religions such as Hinduism and Islam and what they perceive as the destructive effect of those faiths on the people, the environment, and even the animals of their country.

Back in November 2010, I wrote about their debut EP, Ayodhya Burns, in this post. Recently, they’ve released a second three-track EP called The Drowning of the Elephant God. Thematically, the title track is about the Hindu festival of Ganesha (the elephant god of the EP’s title), which culminates in the immersion of painted Ganesha statues made of plaster in rivers, lakes, and the sea — a practice that has been releasing a multitude of toxic elements into water systems throughout the country (according to this article) for many decades. Continue reading »

MINISTRY: “RELAPSE” (and the new “GHOULDIGGERS” video)

Album Reviews, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC 5 Responses »

Jun 142012

(DGR is in some kind of keyboard-pounding fugue state, with his third review in three days . . . and more are coming. Today, the subject is Ministry’s latest release, which is out now on 13th Planet Records. And at the end, we’ve got the just-released official video for the song “Ghouldiggers”.)

This disc right here. Man.

If any of you read my Electronica Clusterfuck of 2012 post, where I took on three decidedly not metal albums, then you’ll probably remember that I mentioned having a fondness for the various aggrotech genres, including industrial metal. No name is more synonymous with industrial metal than Ministry. They’ve influenced hundreds of bands, and frontman Al Jourgensen has to be eating people’s souls in order to stay alive long enough to kick out more music, given what the man has been through.

You may also recall that I sort of reservedly mentioned that I would try to work on something about Ministry, and well, here it is: My thoughts composed (as best I could) on Relapse, Ministry’s comeback album, and a hot mess in the form of about an hour of industrial metal.

What a goddamn odd release. That’s not saying anything new when it comes to Ministry, considering that they pretty much pioneered the way on odd things. With Uncle Al being completely batshit insane, taking on anything from politics to drugs to politics to…drugs, Ministry have always been a band with a ton of character. They’ve probably rubbed more people the wrong way than I could even think to count by being so far left that they’ve pretty much shot off of the planet and wound up near Alpha Centauri by this point. The fact that Relapse continues this trajectory isn’t shocking, not one bit. What is shocking is how much of a time capsule this disc really is. Continue reading »

I SPILL YOUR GUTS: SOUNDTRACK POSSIBLY BETTER THAN THE MOVIE

Metal News 5 Responses »

Jun 142012

Of course you’ve heard of the forthcoming summer blockbuster movie I Spill Your Guts, directed by James Balsamo and headed your way from Acid Bath Productions, though not to a theater near you.

No? You haven’t? Seriously?

Huh. Well, it includes appearances by Frank Mullen (Suffocation), Oderus Urungus (GWAR), Skeletonwitch, and Andrew W.K.

Still not ringing any bells? Okay. Well, the soundtrack will include music from 40 bands, including Suffocation, Ghoul, Cannibis Corpse, and Immersed.

Still clueless? Well, don’t worry. The movie looks clueless, too. But the soundtrack might be cool. Check out a recently released (revised) official trailer for the movie after the jump, which includes some nice metal, along with a few more tasteful posters. Continue reading »

EYE-CATCHERS: HELCARAXË AND MANIC SCUM

Eye-Catchers, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC 11 Responses »

Jun 132012

As you know, I’m a sucker for cool album art. Long ago, I started an experiment, testing the hypothesis that if the album art is cool, the music will probably be cool, too. There’s absolutely no reason why the two should necessarily go together, but it just seemed that way to me. So, I started a series of NCS posts where I picked music to check out based solely on the album art. You can see the previous installments through the EYE-CATCHERS category link on the right side of this page.

I haven’t done one of these posts in ages, but decided to revive the series today with new music from two bands: Helcaraxë and Manic Scum.

HELCARAXË

I knew nothing about this New Jersey band until seeing the stupendous painted album art (above) for their forthcoming album (their third), Red Dragon. The artist is Alan Lathwell, who it turns out also did the awesome cover for the latest album from The Horde (check that HERE).

I didn’t find any definitive word about a release date, but I did find that Helcaraxë have recently uploaded their entire discography to Bandcamp, including a song-stream for four tracks off of Red Dragon — one of which (“Skin Changer”) features guest vocals by Mikael Stanne of Dark Tranquillity. So I listened to those four songs, and they support the EYE-CATCHERS hypothesis: This is a genuine bonanza. Continue reading »

FUCK YOUR EARS (RUMPELSTILTSKIN GRINDER’S “GHOSTMAKER”)

Album Reviews, Phro's Posts 4 Responses »

Jun 132012

(I manipulated Phro into reviewing the new album by Rumpelstiltskin Grinder, because I can. Ghostmaker will be released by Candlelight Records on June 19.)

Islander sent me Rumplestiltskin Grinder’s new album Ghostmaker for review. As with most things our Glorious Leader does, no one really knows why he wanted me of all people to review it. But I did. I thought I’d share the experience with you. It went something like this…

*******

The night is dark like the eyes of a blind corpse. The cold air dangles its long fingers from the sky and runs them listlessly through your hair and over your skin. The sound of a dog whimpering and choking on something fatty in the distance is the only noise in your ears aside from your throbbing heart and timid footsteps.

In your right hand is a bucket of goat cocks, pig testicles, horse vaginas, and frog eyes. In your left hand is a small shovel. And in your hip pocket is a Swiss army knife, because your father told you to always be prepared. You forgot your flashlight, though, because, let’s face it, no one’s memory improves much after a few dozen shots of Jack Daniels. Fortunately, the moon is full, and its obese, pimply face, glistening like a glitter-covered Santa Clause climbing a few flights of stairs, sheds enough light for you to see.

You’ve been walking for a few minutes, having parked your car at the edge of the cemetery, but soon you see what you’ve come for. The headstone is simple and uninspiring, and the name is illegible in this light, but, let’s be honest, it matters little who lies beneath.

You set the bucket down, careful not to spill any of its contents, and begin digging a small hole. After a few minutes, a hole no bigger than your head lies gaping in the fresh soil. From your front pocket you pull out a portable music player, set it on the head stone, and press play. Continue reading »

“THAT’S METAL!” – BUT IT’S NOT MUSIC (NO. 55)

That's Metal -- But It's Not Music 36 Responses »

Jun 132012

Greetings brethren and sistren, ’tis time for another edition of THAT’S METAL!, a rare mid-week edition, in fact. For the uninitiated, these are posts in which we collect videos, photos, and news reports that cause us to think, “Shit, that’s metal!”, even though it’s not music. Here we go . . .

ITEM ONE

I know this is a matter of taste, but in my opinion, everything tastes better with bacon on it. Such a sentiment will be offensive to vegetarians, animal rights advocates, nutritionists, gourmands, and people of advanced intellect everywhere. Even though I am not a person of advanced intellect, I am also conflicted in my feelings about bacon for many of the same reasons that cause offense to all those people. However, it just tastes too fuckin’ good for me to alter my own behavior or personal taste!

And by sheer happenstance, I came across several bacon-related items in the past couple of days, which I interpreted as a cosmic message to baconize NCS in this THAT’S METAL! installment. The first item is above (via Presurfer). You can buy it for $2,999.99 from the Everything Should Taste Like Bacon web site, run by Seattle-based J&D Foods, the same company that gave you baconlube (bacon flavored personal lubricant). It’s advertised as follows:

“Is there a better way to show your love of bacon forever than to be buried wrapped in it? We don’t think so. This genuine bacon casket is made of 18 Gauge Gasketed Steel with Premium Bacon Exterior/Interior, and includes a Memorial and Record Tube, Adjustable Bed and Mattress and Stationary and Swingbar handles. It also includes a bacon air freshener for when you get that buried-underground, not-so-fresh feeling.”

Yup. That’s a fine lookin’ ride. But wait, there’s more! Continue reading »

WRETCHED: “SON OF PERDITION”

Album Reviews 4 Responses »

Jun 132012

(DemiGodRaven is in review mode, with his second assessment in as many days. Today’s subject is the latest release by North Carolina’s Wretched.)

There’s something to be said for the old grind of, “Third time’s a charm,” when it comes to Wretched.

They’re a band that have been consistently good, but for some reason just never quite clicked with me. Exodus Of Autonomy was an excellent disc that stood in the bridge between metalcore and melodeath, leaning heavily as hell on the melodeath side, and the follow-up, Beyond The Gate, took the group even further into territory that probably made them unrecognizable to the breakdown crowd. Personally, I thought Beyond The Gate retained a lot of Wretched signature style, including their tendency to write some very interesting instrumentals in order to break up the flow of the album.

Two years removed from that album, we find ourselves again with Wretched knocking at our door, this time with a disc that honestly surprised the hell out of me, and finally, finally, got me to say more than, “Yeah, Wretched are a pretty good band.” Son Of Perdition is a huge album with as many swings and frantic movements as Wretched could pack into their run time. It’s dynamic as all hell and morphs the band into a much darker beast than they were beforehand. Continue reading »

FEAR FACTORY: “THE INDUSTRIALIST”

Album Reviews 11 Responses »

Jun 122012

(Here we have a review by TheMadIsraeli of the ninth studio album by Fear Factory.)

Time for some of that brutal-ass machine-tight cold-as-titanium machine-gun palm-mute and double-bass assault SON.

Mechanize was the shit. The Industrialist is the love child of the band’s seminal albums Demanufacture and Obsolete. This album could’ve been released in the 90’s and dominated just as much as the rest of their work did. It dominates even now, in this saturated market of clean vocals all over the place and weak-sauce composition that is critically lauded somehow as “progressive” and all that cockamamie horse shit because the bands can do basic syncopation and play riffs on eight string guitars while only using two of them.

Fear Factory have never really sprinkled their music with this bullshit. They are honest about what they do, and what they do is kickass brutal industrial-tinged metal that is dedicated to being simply crushing above being technical, progressive, or similar buzz words in the popular parlance. They’ve generally been practicing the same sound their whole career (although it’s obvious that for some fucking reason, as stupidly simplistic as his riffs are, there is something about the way Dino Cazares writes as opposed to Christian Wolbers that just hits right), and it hasn’t ever really gotten stale for me.

This is classic Fear Factory at its best. Machine-gun riffs, excessive double-bass assaults with technical wizardry up top, and well-incorporated electronic and symphonic flourishes. Mix this with Burton C. Bell’s legendary battle cries combined with his baritone, almost inhuman clean voice, and it’s just a thoroughly absorbing experience overall. Continue reading »

HOUR OF PENANCE: “SEDITION”

Album Reviews 6 Responses »

Jun 122012

(DemiGodRaven turns in this review of the latest release by the Italian death metal stallions in Hour of Penance.)

The fact that it has taken as long as it has for this review to be written is a sign that someone at NCS should get the shit beat out of them. I will gracefully bow out of this equation since I feel I am already doing my part by penning this, so I highly recommend Andy . . . mostly for kicking out a Whitechapel review as I was 1/4 of the way through one of my own and saying everything I was going to say.

It has been a solid couple of months since Sedition saw release, and I have spent the entire time getting my face beaten in by this disc. Hour Of Penance are one of the highlights amongst the Italian death metal scene at the moment, only recently really vaulting themselves into the spotlight, just as brethren and kin Fleshgod Apocalypse have really begun to capture people’s attentions. To say that the bands share some similarities isn’t a statement meant to imply that Hour Of Penance are derivative, it’s just a statement of fact. The bands have been intertwined throughout their histories, as one was launched from the other.

Whilst Fleshgod have taken a more orchestral route filled with blastbeats and ridiculously over-the-top operatic vocals, Hour Of Penance have followed the much darker, more brutal route in their music. Whilst one band have chosen to overwhelm the listener with sheer bombast, Hour Of Penance apparently decided that with Sedition they were going to bludgeon everyone. If Agony was 2011’s death metal kick in the ass for the mainstream, then goddamnit, Sedition should be 2012’s. Continue reading »

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