T-SHIRT UPDATE (IS MWOP SCARING PEOPLE AWAY?)

 IQ Subtraction, Metal News  56 Responses »
Aug 112011
 

On Sunday we launched a free NCS t-shirt campaign. I realize that Sunday’s aren’t the best days to launch campaigns, except maybe for surprise military attacks, but I did this as I do almost everything in life, i.e., completely on impulse. Which is to say, I didn’t spend a lot of time thinking it through. Nevertheless, I anticipated that the orders for these babies would roll in like a flood tide and we’d max out by Monday morning. I mean, come on! The shirt is free, and we’re even paying for the shipping. All I asked was that people wear them. Now, who wouldn’t get up on that deal?

Well, a lot of people did e-mail me on Sunday asking for a shirt, and more e-mails have arrived since then. We had a noticeable up-tick after we posted Phro’s review of the FUCKING GOOD PANCAKE TOUR‘s inaugural show in Humptulips, since the shirt features the tour poster. But still, we offered to give away this shirt to the first 100 U.S. and Canadian residents who asked for one, and as of yesterday, we were only about halfway there. This caused my brow (what little of it there is) to furrow. It just didn’t make sense.

So, I went back and read through e-mails I’ve received about the shirt, and I began to get an inkling of the problem. A few older metalheads, including one of my friends, complimented me on the shirt design, but said they had small kids and didn’t think it would be a good idea to wear the shirt around them. On the other end of the age spectrum, a few people still living with their parents had some concerns about how mom and dad would react. At first, this didn’t make sense to me. I went and looked again at the tour poster.

It’s colorful, and who doesn’t enjoy colorful things? It includes a picture of a brain, and that promotes . . . uh . . . it promotes braininess, which is good, right? It also includes a syringe, which is what I use to get most of my nutrients, so it’s a nutritional shirt, too. Plus, it’s got the word FUCKING on there, and who doesn’t like a good fuck (or at least the idea of a good fuck)?

So, I pondered, what could the problem be? I stared at the poster a long time and thought really hard about it. By the time my headache went away, I had figured out the problem: MASSIVE WALL OF PENIS! (more after the jump . . .) Continue reading »

FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE: “AGONY” (Take 2)

 Album Reviews  36 Responses »
Aug 102011
 

No one sounds like Fleshgod Apocalypse. No one. Not even close. In a remarkably short time, over a span of only two albums and an intervening EP, the band have established a unique and immediately recognizable style. The second of those albums, Agony, fully and brilliantly achieves what the band have been moving toward since their inception — a remarkable union of classical music and blistering death metal, heated to a full boil. The album is a bombastic whirlwind that leaves you breathless and wide-eyed in wonder.

On Agony, all of Fleshgod Apocalypse’s signature ingredients are now firmly in place. The extravagant symphonic keyboards and piano instrumentals of Francesco Ferrini are now woven completely through the magic carpet of every song, a completely co-equal partner with the thunderous performances of the other band members. Although even the timing and power of the guitar riffing and bass rhythms give off the favor of orchestral composition, Ferrini’s musical creations, more than anything else, put an indelible stamp on the music, invoking the ornate classical masters of the band’s Italian homeland in their most extravagantly fiery moments — Vivaldi, Paganini, and Rossini.

Of course, other metal bands use symphonic keyboards in their music, though more often in an effort to add background ambience and atmosphere than as a co-starring role in the performance. But, as Fleshgod Apocalypse have explained, they view the classical music of the 17th and 18th centuries as the death metal of that era —  as music that was (and is) powerful, dramatic, and heavy — and so their goal, now fully realized, has been to unite music from two very different worlds that nevertheless have in common the ability to produce (in my words, not theirs) complete emotional catharsis. And that brings us to the drumming.  (after the jump . . .) Continue reading »

FLESHGOD APOCALYPSE: “AGONY” (Take 1)

 Album Reviews  11 Responses »
Aug 102011
 

(Today we have not one but two reviews of the just-released album, Agony, by Fleshgod Apocalypse. Israel Flanders turns in this one.)

This is the very image and sound of death approaching you.

Let’s get something straight from the get-go:  This is a no-holds-barred, no-messing-around, no-nonsense, non-stop symphonic blitzkrieg of insurmountable proportions that may very well top The Monolith Deathcult’s legendary sophomore album Triumvirate.

Yes.  I just said it.

If you’re looking for ham-fisted forced diversity, get the fuck out.  If you’re looking for pretentious “boundary breaking” and lots of pretty, clean vocal sections to make it feel “sophisticated,” I highly suggest you turn in your brutal-ass war-bringer club membership card.  This is metal, in all of its epitomizing glory.

There are only three ingredients here: guitars tuned to B, copious amounts of blazing speed, and brutality with the heft and weight of a bag full of sledgehammers being flung at you by by an iron golem out of the most badass of fantasy realms.  Did I forget the orchestra?  You know why I didn’t include it as an ingredient?   Orchestras are brutal.  Got a problem with that concept?  Didn’t think so. (more after the jump . . .) Continue reading »

VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE (NIGHTRAGE, DIRGE WITHIN, AND LANDMINE MARATHON)

 RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  17 Responses »
Aug 092011
 

Well, that’s what people say. In my experience, they usually say it when they’re trying to calm you down after you’ve been exposed to something you really aren’t interested in or maybe dislike intensely. But, taken literally, it’s true. Variety IS the spice of life, or at least one of them. Along with oregano.

That saying popped into my head when I took a short break from my fucking day job, which is currently wearing me down to a stump, and found the following three pieces of music, two of which are brand new releases by Nightrage and Dirge Within and the third of which is a recent live video of Landmine Marathon kickin sumasss.

NIGHTRAGE

Nightrage will be releasing their fifth album, Insidious, via Lifeforce Records on September 27 (one day earlier internationally). To whet appetites for that release, the band have made the title track available for streaming on their facebook page. It features the band’s former vocalist Tomas Lindberg (At the Gates, The Crown, Lock Up). That was enough to make me listen, though the interesting album art by Gustavo Sazes helped, too.

The song is quite nice, too, with an unexpected acoustic outro. Lindberg is in good voice on this headbanging thrasher, which is to say naaaasty. I’m all in favor of your visiting the Nightrage facebook page, but it happens you’ll also find the song stream after the jump. Continue reading »

DARKANE UPDATE

 Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  7 Responses »
Aug 092011
 

How many Darkane fans do we have in the audience? Well, let’s see, I can count at least two — myself and Israel Flanders, who tipped me to this bit of recent news that I missed. It will actually be fairly significant news to long-time fans of this Swedish band.

Darkane’s debut album, Rusted Angel, issued in 1999, with vocals provided by one Lawrence Mackrory. But by the time the band released their second album, 2001’s Insanity, Mackrory was gone and Andreas Sydow was in. Two more albums followed with Sydow behind the mic, and then 2008 saw the release of the band’s latest album, Demonic Art, with yet another new vocalist, Jens Broman.

Last week, it was announced that Broman has decided to leave, and guess who his replacement is? Yes, Darkane have come full circle, back to Lawrence Mackrory. Since his departure from the band, he has been the vocalist for another Swedish outfit called F.K.U. (for whom he’ll continue to be a member) as well as the vocalist for Scarve (France) since 2009. He will be making his live comeback with Darkane on September 20 in Strasbourg, France at the opening show of the band’s headlining European tour, with support provided by Destinity and Devastating Enemy.

When you’ve been away from a band for roughly 13 years and are about to rejoin them for a big tour, what do you do? Well yes, you fucken rehearse. And as it happens, Darkane have released a video of the new Darkane rehearsing two songs from their discography — “Fading Dimensions” from Layers of Lies (2005) and yes, a throwback to Rusted Angel, “July 1999”. Mackrory has got a versatile voice, which you’ll get a sense of on this video. I presume we’ll get more evidence of that in the near future, since Darkane also reports they’re working on a new album. For now, check out the video after the jump. Darkane’s facebook page is here. Continue reading »

REVOCATION: “CHAOS OF FORMS”

 Album Reviews  6 Responses »
Aug 092011
 

(Israel Flanders reviews the new album from Revocation. He likes it big-time.  So do I.)

Yeah, it’s Revocation time.  Which means it’s fuck-shit-up time.

I think we’d all be full of it if we, as a collective, denied that this was an extremely anticipated album.  Empire Of The Obscene was like being put through the deathrash equivalent of a butcher shop, Existence Is Futile was like having your brain scrambled (cheesy song reference for the win) by hot pokers and sewing needles.  So what does that make Chaos of Forms?

THE HUMAN BLENDER TO END ALL FLESH-RIPPING MONSTROSITIES!

If the ferocious opening riff of “Cretin” doesn’t snarl at you like the most savage and demonic of wolves waiting to tear your liver out and force you to eat the remnants after they’ve feasted, the rest of the song will certainly teach you right.  Ferocious thrash riffing, blast beats abounding, shredderific solos, and that sense of signature Revocation experimentation and flirtation with jazz fusion and even southern rock (mostly found in David Davidson’s solos) we’ve all come to love. (more after the jump . . .) Continue reading »

NOTES FROM THE UNDERGROUND

 IQ Subtraction, Phro's Posts  19 Responses »
Aug 092011
 

(I intended to write my own review of the inaugural show of THE FUCKING GOOD PANCAKE TOUR, but I was blinded by a money shot from one of the Cephalopodic Sperm Packets’ Super Soakers and spent the rest of the show in the ER of the Humptulips Trauma Unit as medics used a cornucopia of solvents trying to remove sticky white stuff from my corneas. Fortunately, Phro was on hand and provided this report.)

As the lights dimmed in the crowded VFW hall of Humptulips, Washington, the throng of metalheads reached maximum thronginess.  It was like being trapped inside of grandma’s underwear right after a healthy dose of Mexican food.  Definitely a place you wanted to be, but still not entirely comfortable.  I even got some smelly splooge on me, though I have no idea where it came from…

Anyway, doors opened at 5:30, but when I got there at 4:00, there was already a 200-yard long line.  Lorises in full black-metal regalia darted in and out of the line, supplying patrons with food, drinks, assorted tour memorabilia and pee/poop bottles.  I noted down a memo to myself to ask Mr. Lander what he did with all the waste material, but I ended up finding the answer out later during the show.  But more about your mother’s fat ass later!  Zing!  (No, but really, what did you do with all that filth, Mr. Lander?)

The doors, amazingly enough, actually DID open at 5:30, and the hall was filled to capacity by 5:45, with nary a soul bitching about not being able to see.  It was like I’d died and gone to heaven!  But there weren’t any naked Valkyries with tentacles, leather wings and dildo swords, so we’ll just assume it was nothing more than a masterfully planned show.  (much more after the jump . . .) Continue reading »

MORS SUBITA PUTS ANOTHER HOLE IN MY HEAD (AND A SMILE ON MY FACE)

 Metal News, RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  11 Responses »
Aug 082011
 

We stumbled across a terrific unsigned Finnish band called Mors Subita at the end of May. They had just released an official video for a song called “The Sermon” from their debut album (then unreleased) called Human Waste Compression. I was so damned taken prisoner by the song that I immediately posted about it (here).

Turns out that I wasn’t the only one taken by the music. This morning, Violent Journey Records announced the signing of Mors Subita and an official release date for Human Waste Compression: September 21. I have to admit, it was cool to see words from our earlier post quoted in the Violent Journey release. But I would have been very happy for these dudes anyway.

As icing on all this good pancake, I also discovered that last Friday the band released an official video for a second song from the new album, called “Burden”. I like the song as much, maybe even more, than “The Sermon”. It’s yet another heavy-grooved blast of compulsive rhythms and catchy melody that punched another hole right through my head. It was really fucken tough to resist headbanging, but I was afraid something would come out through the holes if I did.

Check out Mors Subita’s latest sonic missile after the jump, and start counting the days until Sept 21. Suomi perkele! Continue reading »

COMMUNIC: “THE BOTTOM DEEP”

 Album Reviews  1 Response »
Aug 082011
 

(Andy Synn follows his SYNN REPORT on the discography of Norway’s Communic (located here) with this review of the band’s brand new album.)

After several listens, my impression is that The Bottom Deep is an overall darker affair than we have seen before from Communic. The progression from Payment Of Existence has seen the group shift their focus slightly from their characteristically expressive melodic nuances to a pressurised, gloomier form of morose and self-absorbed introspection. The songs have a doom-laden vibe that matches the enigmatic concept which underpins the record. The ever-present and insidious synths have taken on a far darker tone, working for the band as yet another tool with which they can mine the rich seam of deep-seated personal tragedy which fits the conceptually-bound constraints of the album perfectly.

“Facing Tomorrow” begins the record in striking style, inflicting heavy damage with a wall of guitars that bears remorselessly down upon the listener from the off. Cryptic and convoluted, the song bulges at the seams with ferocious metallic power, the sheer meatiness of the guitar tone giving every power-house riff and nimble scattering of lead notes a sense of prodigious potency that, coupled with Tor Atle Andersen’s display of manic, multi-limbed drumming, provides each song with a dense, unshakeable foundation.

Singer Oddleif Stensland has altered his vocal style subtly, delivering his abstract lyrics with a more resonant croon, deeper and more constrained than before. His grittier delivery adds another string to his bow, not yet as strong as his traditional mode of singing, but showcasing the man attempting to grow and develop the use of his instrument further. (more after the jump . . .) Continue reading »

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