ANALDICKTION: “SLUTS”

 Album Reviews, Phro's Posts  36 Responses »
Aug 252011
 

(Would you wanna run into these dudes in a dark alley? I think Phro would. Yes, we have a guest-review from the tentacle master hisself. Which means that if you have children, they need to be locked up in the next county before you read this. And if you don’t have children, well just write that off the list of your life goals. My anus feels raw just reading this.)

12:24…12:24…12:24…12:25…

The red glow of the alarm clock filled my room like an over-sized cock slapping you in the face.  It wouldn’t go away, and it wouldn’t let you forget that it was there.  And it kind of made my head hurt.

I closed my eyes again and rubbed them—wait.  Why were my hands covered in warm…liquid.  Oh, god, I thought, not a-fucking-gain…what the hell happened here??

I slowly rolled onto my belly and felt something poking my hip.  It felt squishy.  I assumed that was not good.  After sighing dejectedly, I pushed myself to my feet and attempted to find the light switch.  The moment light bathed the room I vomited like a dog chewing on grass.

Let’s back up 24 minutes.  (more after the jump . . . oh yes . . . much, much more) Continue reading »

NCS T-SHIRT UPDATE

 IQ Subtraction  64 Responses »
Aug 242011
 

Well now, when you offer to send people free t-shirts, the least you can do is give them an update, so they don’t think you’re just fuckin’ with them after a too-late night in the neighborhood watering hole.

If we were a really top-flight, professional web site that had discovered ways of milking our traffic for actual monetary gain, we’d have our shit together. We’d already have the fuckin’ shirts made and in the mail. However, as I think I’ve made clear, we’re just a broke-down, jake-leg, half-assed labor of love created by an impulsive cretin (me) plus some other people who actually have a brain but remarkably still send me writings to publish. With no advertising, because, well . . just fuck that raw.

That means that we’re not a smoothly functioning, well-oiled machine. We don’t yet have a contract with a shirt-screen-printer to make the shirts we’re giving away, because we spend too much time listening to music and not enough time making arrangements to print shirts. BUT, we’re pretty damned close to getting that part of this project done.

The main point I want to convey is that WE DON’T FUCKIN’ LIE WHEN IT COMES TO MASSIVE WALL OF PENIS! We WILL be sending the shirts out. Just give us a little more time. By the way, remarkably enough, we still haven’t maxed out on our limit of 100 shirts. So, if you think your gramma wants a shirt with Cephalopodic Sperm Packets right on the front for her birthday (and what else can you think of to give your gramma for birthday?), hit us up.

And, y’know, if she wants a shirt with Sperm Howitzer on the front, you’ll just have to tell her to be patient. It will come. That will be the next shirt. Tell her it’s a reason to live.

RXYZYXR: “NONZERO”

 RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  2 Responses »
Aug 242011
 

Well, the old fuckin’ day job, which persists in being a jealous mistress, has got me traveling again. That will put a crimp in my output for the next few days. Fortunately, other folks are stepping up to provide the content. And you know what happens when you put a crimp in a garden hose and then let it go.  Just wait ’til I get uncrimped!

But, as crimped as I am, I had to make time for this new video. You remember RZYZYXR, don’t you? Sure you do! We featured them here only 6 weeks ago. How could you forget an eye-catching, palindromic name like that? I’m still not sure exactly how to pronounce the name. I’m just calling them sexy, because listening to their music is like . . . well, you know.

We’ve been waiting eagerly for their new music video for a song called “Nonzero”, and I got an eagerly awaited e-mail from the band this morning with news that it’s finally out. The verdict? Well, let’s just say that groups like Textures and CiLiCe need to move over and make room, because they’ve got some blazing new company.

Unlike the first video, it appears that for this one the instrumentalists in the band (who are overseas — Russia, I think) managed to get in the same room with their talented Florida-based vocalist Thomas Wills. The only unfortunate part about that is it appears they killed him. Back to the drawing board! I’ll tell you what — this song is fuckin’ killing me, too! It’s just unadulterated awesomeness. Watch it after the jump. Continue reading »

VADER: “WELCOME TO THE MORBID REICH”

 Album Reviews  6 Responses »
Aug 242011
 

(NCS writer TheMadIsraeli reviews the new album from Vader, but I can’t resist tossing in my two cents at the end, too.)

Vader is a band I hold very dear. They were a band who captured me late in my metal history but have since become an essential staple, and a Top 10 band of all time for me.  By my lights, no one else in death metal plays with such speed and venom, while carrying it off with a sense of imperial might and regal dignity.

I’ve been looking forward to Welcome To The Morbid Reich like you wouldn’t believe. Every time this band drops a new album, they stomp out the competition, and the only members of the death metal elite who can even begin to compete are Dying Fetus, Suffocation, and Immolation. Yes, we now have Fleshgod, yes, we now have Revocation, but neither of them have the cred, the PERFECT 10+ album discography, and the musicianship that Piotr Wiwczarek and whoever he recruits into the line-up lately manage to generate. (He’s a hell of a recruiter, too. I mean, this guy had Krzysztof Raczkowski behind the kit. One of the greatest drummers extreme metal ever saw (R.I.P Doc).)

I’m here to tell you this is probably Vader’s best work since the mighty De Profundis, the thrashier onslaught of The Beast, and the cacophony of brutality that was Impressions In Blood. To sum it up for you…

THIS ALBUM WILL TEAR YOU TO SHREDS! (more after the jump . . .) Continue reading »

ENTRAILS’ “THE TOMB AWAITS”: A REVIEW AND A SONG PREMIERE

 Album Reviews  16 Responses »
Aug 232011
 

Just when I thought no one was going to give Disma a run for their money this year in the sweepstakes of monstrous, old-school death metal, Entrails has arrived with The Tomb Awaits. But the tomb is not awaiting. Entrails has already sealed us inside, and decaying undead things are starting to crawl hungrily in our direction.

The appeal of old-school, Swedish-style death metal never seems to wane, and you don’t have to look hard to find newer bands embracing the music as their own. But it takes more than retro affinity, old HM-2 distortion pedals, and guitars tuned to drop-Z to summon up the black spirits of old Dismember and Grave, Unleashed and Entombed. Authenticity is what we want, and Entrails brings it, while adding a special flair that also keeps the sound fresh (or freshly desiccated) without sacrificing the essential aura of festering putrescence.

Originally taking shape in 1991 in a small converted woodshed outside of Växjö, Sweden, Entrails have roots that sink deep into the morbid scene. The band died out by 1998 without ever releasing a demo of their material, but circa 2009, guitarist Jimmy Lundqvist resurrected some of the band’s old tapes and began to re-record the songs in a home studio, eventually recruiting Jocke Svensson (Birdflesh, Litania, Devilry) to provide the ghoulish vocals.

After producing a pair of demos and adding members to the band, Entrails finally released their debut album, Tales From the Morgue, in 2010, after mixing and mastering by the almighty Dan Swanö. As it happens, Mr. Swanö did the mix and master on the new album, too, in addition to contributing guest vocals. (more after the jump, including a song premiere from The Tomb Awaits . . .) Continue reading »

ATRUM: “OPUS VICTUM”

 Album Reviews  8 Responses »
Aug 232011
 

(Andy Synn reviews Opus Victum, the debut EP by an impressive Icelandic band called Atrum.)

I’m very happy today to be bringing you a review of this Icelandic band’s stunningly impressive debut EP. I discovered the group after hearing about their recent performance at Eistnaflug, Iceland’s premiere metal festival where they appeared alongside Triptykon, Solstafir and The Monolith Deathcult, holding their own against these impressive acts with refined skill and power.

This extreme metal quartet’s music blurs the line between black and death metal, melding them with inspirations and aspirations drawn from classical music, to craft an epic blizzard of blackened fury and ground-shaking death metal heft that recalls a more deathly Keep Of Kalessin wrapped in a cold and venomous shroud of despondency.

“Ymir” opens the record with teasing strains of classical brass that quickly descend into a torrent of hellish blasting and crackling, electrified riffs, evoking barren, storm-lashed landscapes of wind and shadow. Piercing torrents of martial brass penetrate the blackness as the band whiplash back and forth between overwhelming fury and rolling, unpredictable groove, the vocals delivered with bite and conviction – their slithering, venomous delivery accented by guttural expulsions of hate and bile.

The song’s mid-section wears its Emperor influence proudly in its nuanced, shining drum work and imperious keyboard lines, as the band’s multiple vocalists engage in some dark and subtle harmonies. The soaring and impressive solo work that follows is underpinned by an avalanche of kick drums, while the vocals continue to impress both in their versatility and intriguing delivery that recalls a less epic, yet more violent and more unshackled Thebon from Keep Of Kalessin. (more after the jump . . .) Continue reading »

THREAT SIGNAL UNLEASHES A NEW SONG

 RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  4 Responses »
Aug 222011
 

One week ago, we took note of the release date and album art for the new Nuclear Blast release by Canada’s Threat Signal. We also took note of a statement by the band that the whole new self-titled album would mark a return to the days of Under Reprisal, “but with bigger balls”. Well, as they say, talk is cheap. We welcomed that statement, but were cautiously awaiting the real proof.

Now we have some proof, because not long ago the band posted the first track from the new album on their Facebook page, and they’ve also made it available for free download (though you’ll have to share it on Facebook or Twitter to get the download). It’s called “Fallen Disciples”. Too soon to render a verdict on the whole album based on one song, but I will say this — the song do have some big testes.

The song is built around a pneumatic jackhammer of downtuned riffage working overtime. The vocals sound authentically pissed-off, even when they’re hurling the melody straight at your face. The guitar solo swirls and screams with abandon. It’s a swift kick in your own testes.  Worth checking out I think.

To hear the song for yourself and to download it, the band’s Facebook page can be accessed here. I don’t yet have the ability to embed it, or I’d do that right here. [UPDATE: YES I DO NOW HAVE THE ABILITY TO EMBED IT!] The new album is scheduled for release in physical and digital formats on October 7 in Europe and October 11 in North America. It was produced and mixed by Zeuss at Planet-Z Recordings in Hadley, MA, and that’s usually a good sign — already being borne out by the sound of “Fallen Disciples”.

Go listen to the song after the jump. And hey, will someone get those poor dudes a bunch of towels and a hot toddy? Continue reading »

VIRUS: “THE AGENT THAT SHAPES THE DESERT”

 Exceptions to the Rule, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  7 Responses »
Aug 222011
 

A Facebook friend of mine, a talented metal guitarist and songwriter with eclectic musical tastes (The Binary Code’s Jesse Zuretti), posted a comment last night about a song from a Norwegian band called Virus that caught my eye. He wrote: “Check this band out if you like David Bowie, Black Metal, East of the Wall, and GROOVE. Some of the best lyrics I’ve read in years.” Really now, how could I resist?

The song that was the subject of that FB post is the title track to the band’s 2011 album (their third), The Agent That Shapes the Desert. The band itself is largely the brainchild of a guitarist and vocalist named Carl-Michael Eide (“Czral”), who at times past has been a part of bands such as Ulver, Satyricon, Ved Buens Ende, and Nattefrost, with collaboration from a very talented drummer named Einar Sjursø (“Einz”), and on this album, a terrific bassist who calls himself Bjeima.

Since listening to the song (plus a couple of others), I’ve done some reading and seen descriptions that refer to desert-rock and Voivod, but I’m not sure what desert rock is and the Voivod comparison is certainly an imperfect one. I prefer Jesse’s description, though personally I’d substitute David Byrne of The Talking Heads for David Bowie. And yes, the odd, sometimes campy-sounding clean vocals do take some getting used to, but the music is fascinating. It’s definitely avant-garde, with segments of jazz-style bass and drum instrumentals and other-worldly guitars that have to be heard to be believed. But yes again, it does include some massively irresistible grooves.

It’s also heavy enough to qualify as metal in my book, and I’m categorizing it as an Exception to the Rule around here, not because of the clean vocals but despite them (though I confess they’re growing on me). And finally, I also agree with Jesse that the lyrics are way cool. In fact, after the jump I’ve set them out right after the song. Check this out. You won’t hear anything else like it today, or possibly for the rest of the year. That may or may not be a compliment. You decide. Continue reading »

BYZANTINE

 Album Reviews  8 Responses »
Aug 222011
 


(TheMadIsraeli looks back at the discography of West Virginia’s Byzantine — and he’s spreading the music around, too.)

Byzantine is one of the most original, most kick-ass, most awesome metal bands in the last 10 years and SHAME ON YOU IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHO THEY ARE.  No one else has yet reproduced their combination of Bay Area thrash metal, death metal, Meshuggah math-metal stylings, jazz fusion, and the grooves and melodic nature of the post-thrash movement and made it all work so seamlessly and so well.

I’ve always felt that the future of metal lies in bands who engage in fusions, and I think we’ve seen this become quite clear in current bands such as Revocation. But Byzantine, as an idea, is THE epitome of the modern metal band.  Theirs was (and I hope will be) the kind of direction we need to see more in this age of brutality.

So yes, the subject of today’s feature is what, in my mind, is one of metal’s most important bands.  Reviews of their (thus far) three album discography follow, and guess what?  That’s right, another download of the full thing.  Except this time we’re indefinitely hosting it, with no time limit on your freedom to grab these slabs of goodness. (more after the jump . . .) Continue reading »

TONY ROHRBOUGH: “THE WORK”

 Album Reviews  8 Responses »
Aug 222011
 

(NCS writer TheMadIsraeli reviews the solo instrumental album from ex-Byzantine guitarist Tony Rohrbaugh.)

This review has been a long time coming and is VERY overdue. Tony Rohrbough, for those who don’t know, is the lead guitarist of progressive groove-metal masters Byzantine (a band who will be the subject of a retrospective, with a full discography download, in the post that follows this one), and if you’ve never heard of Byzantine, you need to get educated about them, because you’ve been missing out on one of the best bands of the last 10 years.

I’ve had this album for 3 months now, trying to absorb all that it is. I didn’t want to give this a rushed review, a sloppy review, because this man is one of my favorite guitarists of all time. As a guitar player myself, I IDOLIZE this dude’s playing. The riffs he wrote in Byzantine and his solos in that band’s recordings were just enrapturing to me. I wanted to do this dude proper justice on his first solo outing, and even as I sit here and try to review this now, I don’t think I’m going to do it justice, but I will try.

Let’s establish one thing at the outset: This is a solo album, but this is not a solo album meant to show off Tony Rohrbough’s beastly shred capabilities. This is an exercise in song-writing. Yeah, there are more leads and solos than on your average album, because of the lack of vocals, but that’s far from the point. Rohrbough is creating compositions here, something most shred masters can’t do for shit on their own. (more after the jump . . .) Continue reading »

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