HAVE A FEST WITH TROLLS!

 RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  10 Responses »
Apr 222011
 

What do you get when you give metal-playing trolls a shitload of beer, an accordion, a saxophone, some folk-ish melodies, a drummer who spits blasts like an automatic weapon, a mix of shrieking and clean vocals, and then ramp their delivery up to the speed of balls-to-the-wall grindcore? Well, I’m so glad you asked. What you get is Norway’s TrollfesT playing “Die Verdammte Hungersnot”.

We’ve written about TrollfesT a bunch in the past (most recently, here). They’ve got a new album coming out (En Kvest For Den Hellige Gral) on Noiseart Records on April 29. To help promote the album’s debut, they’re releasing weekly videos, and today’s installment is a live performance of that song  “Die Verdammte Hungersnot”. Since almost every NCS post today has involved videos, we thought, why not toss in a little TrollfesT mayhem to round off the day and get us in a proper swilling mood for the weekend? Indeed, why the fuck not?

Everything about these dudes screams, “Party now because tomorrow you die!” As further evidence, watch this hell-raising video. I like the way the lead singer manages to work in gulps of beer in between bouts of screaming like a banshee, and how the rest of the guys, who have their hands full with instruments, look longingly at the imbibing in between banging their heads and blasting away on their instruments. So, check the rocking video after the jump. I feel like chugging a six-pack and sailing on into the good night ahead . . . Continue reading »

BLOODBATH OVER BLOODSTOCK: “EATEN”

 RANDOM FUCKING MUSIC  20 Responses »
Apr 222011
 

Bloodbath is fucking sick. To quote Noisecreep, because they called it right: “When you can count vocalist Mikael Åkerfeldt (Opeth), guitarists Anders Nyström and Per Eriksson (Katatonia), bassist Jonas Renkse (Katatonia), and drummer Martin Axenrot (Opeth) in your band’s lineup, you definitely have the right to brag.”

Bloodbath’s three studio albums and two EPs kill shit, and they’re among our favorites here at the NCS Island. Unfortunately, the band doesn’t play live shows very often, but the one they did at the UK’s Bloodstock festival was captured on film and it’s about to be released (on April 25) by Peaceville Records in a DVD called Bloodbath Over Bloodstock. The DVD is also supposed to include a 16-page booklet, bonus footage taken from the PartySan Festival in 2008, and extensive band member interviews.

Today, the aforementioned Noisecreep exclusively premiered an excerpt from the DVD, with Bloodbath playing the song “Eaten”, from the band’s Nightmares Made Flesh album. It’s fucking sick. Watch it here after the jump (and thank you, Noisecreep). Continue reading »

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 »

REVOLVER GOLDEN GODS AWARDS ANNOUNCED: LET THE HURLING BEGIN

 Metal News  64 Responses »
Apr 222011
 

I don’t know why I’m posting about this. It’s not news that I give two shits about, and we usually avoid posts that just make fun of people. On the other hand, when people make themselves look ridiculous without any assistance from us, then I guess it’s fair game. And I suppose this could be considered “newsworthy” in the sense that it’s further confirmation that Revolver magazine and everything associated with it has become an utter irrelevancy to metal as it exists today.

So, after the jump, you can see the list of award winners at “America’s only hard-rock and heavy-metal award show” presented on April 21 at Club Nokia in beautiful downtown Los Angeles. (Can that really be true?!?  Fuck, NCS should start its own award show just so Revolver can never honestly use that line again.)

And to make myself feel better about this otherwise worthless post, here is some REAL news — this post that appeared on the Anaal Nathrakh Facebook page last night: “Today we got a USA booking agent and we are workin on a USA tour!” 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 »

SUMMER SLAUGHTER 2011: DATES AND VENUES

 Metal News  3 Responses »
Apr 212011
 

At the end of March we enthusiastically reported the line-up that had just been announced for this year’s edition of the SUMMER SLAUGHTER TOUR. In case you’ve forgotten, here it is:

The Black Dahlia Murder
Whitechapel
Darkest Hour
Six Feet Under
Dying Fetus
As Blood Runs Black
Oceano
Fleshgod Apocalypse

One slot still remains to be filled — the slot that’s reserved for the outcome of fan voting among 10 candidates. The voting is closed, but the tour’s promoters haven’t yet revealed the winner. But the dates and venues have now been released. See those after the jump . . . 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 »

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