photo (from a different show) by Jesse Angelo
by crustcake gerf (NYC)
When I arrived at Europa on Friday, the first of six bands-- Baltimore's Pulling Teeth-- was already in the midst of their set. Pulling Teeth play hardcore infused with metal and bits of thrash. They have a new album-- Paranoid Delusions, Paradise Illusions-- out tomorrow via Deathwish. A song from that album, "Bloodwolves," is streaming on their MySpace page and it's pretty epic.
Pulling Teeth were followed by Belgium's Rise and Fall, also on Deathwish. A friend commented that they'd have been somewhat unremarkable had they been from the States and I'm inclined to agree. Pretty straight-ahead hardcore, nothing ground breaking, but it's cool that there's music like that coming out of Belgium and it's great that they were able to make the trip into the US for this tour.
Next up was a personal favorite-- Coliseum. Because I'm an old man, I was standing far in the back in order to avoid the bulk of the crowd. This made it difficult to fully experience the band's live fury, particularly drummer Chris Maggio's, but this is a band that throws down every single show they play (and that's a lot of fucking shows). These guys pour their heart and soul into everything they do, and it's evident.
Next up was Ceremony, who are signed to Deathwish's 'sister' label, Bridge 9. They didn't make much of an impression on me, but people tend to say good things about them. They would probably be rad at a raging basement show.
Then, Genghis Tron. Still don't really get this band, but I'm going to listen to the record, finally. I swear. Throwing that shit on my iTunes right now. I'm curious. Color me biased (I'm a drummer), but I just can't get behind drum machine bands. There are exceptions, but they are rare. And honestly, by this point I was four hours into the show and really just wanted to see Converge. Six bands is simply too many.
Any show fatigue I had was swiftly erased by Converge, who played for over an hour and not a moment too long. They played a lot of the 'hits,' including personal favorite "Last Light," off their under-appreciated You Fail Me album. That song is the fucking jam. They played a few new ones, including one they recently leaked online, and first impressions were positive. They haven't lost their touch. Somewhere during their set Jacob Bannon got tackled into a stage dive and ended up in the crowd. As the culprit was quickly ejected, Bannon returned to the stage and the band picked up right where they left off. They closed with, not surprisingly, "Concubine" off Jane Doe, which is one of the most vicious songs ever put to tape.
This blog has some video clips from the show and this one has some photos. Brooklyn Vegan has a review and photos as well.
March 30, 2009
Converge, Coliseum, Pulling Teeth, and More Played Europa
March 26, 2009
Isis stream new song, detail Wavering Radiant
by theseseans (NYC)
Isis have released a new song, "20 Minutes/40 Years" from their upcoming record Wavering Radiant. The record is set for release on May 5th via Ipecac Recordings, with a limited vinyl release on April 21st.
Download: Isis - "20 Minutes/40 Years" [MP3]
Personally I didn't like this song very much upon first listen, but it grew on me fast. The song has some nice compositional choices and manages to be heavy, relaxing, and celestially "pretty" all at once.
Read more for the album art and track listing.
Isis - Wavering Radiant
1. Hall Of The Dead
2. Ghost Key
3. Hand Of The Host
4. Wavering Radiant
5. Stone To Wake A Serpent
6. 20 Minutes / 40 Years
7. Threshold Of Transformation
March 24, 2009
Wolves In The Throne Room announce headlining US tour
Wolves In The Throne Room have announced one hell of a US tour. Seeing the band headline will be awesome on it's own level, but the fact that WITTR will be bringing Krallice and A Storm Of Light only elevates this tour.
The band is currently touring in support of their new record Black Cascade. Read more for the dates.
Wolves In The Throne Room 2009 Headlining US Tour5/13/2009 Marquis Theatre - Denver, CO *
5/14/2009 The Picador - Iowa City, IA *
5/15/2009 Triple Rock Social Club - Minneapolis, MN
5/16/2009 Bottom Lounge - Chicago, IL +
5/17/2009 Casbah - Hamilton, ON +
5/18/2009 Wreck Room - Toronto, ON +
5/19/2009 La Sala Rosa - Montreal, QC +
5/21/2009 Great Scott - Allston, MA +
5/22/2009 Europa - Brooklyn, NY %
5/23/2009 Sonar - Baltimore, MD (Maryland Deathfest)
5/24/2009 Club Hell - Providence, RI %
5/25/2009 Wallingford American Legion - Wallingford, CT +
5/26/2009 The Studio at Webster Hall - New York, NY +
5/28/2009 Kung Fu Necktie - Philadelphia, PA + [6 PM show]
5/28/2009 Kung Fu Necktie - Philadelphia, PA + [10 PM show]
5/29/2009 Gallery 5 - Richmond, VA +
5/30/2009 The Hideaway - Johnson City, TN +
6/01/2009 Caledonia - Athens, GA +
6/02/2009 The Earl - Atlanta, GA +
* = w/ Krallice
+ = w/ Krallice, A Storm Of Light
% = w/ A Storm Of Light
March 22, 2009
Converge post online teaser for new record
photo by Jesse Angelo
Converge have posted an online teaser for their upcoming untitled new record. The track is fast and heavy, but also has a little "flare" to it, sounding a bit different for the band (honestly we think the guitar parts sound a bit like the band's old material).
The band is currently on tour with Coliseum and Pulling Teeth
March 18, 2009
Show No Mercy Shows No Mercy
by crustcake gerf (NYC)
It's the gift that keeps on giving. Brooklyn's Show No Mercy series, started by Pitchfork scribe Brandon Stosuy late last year, continues to bring killer underground extreme music to Brooklyn. The inaugural installment of the series was headlined by Nachtmystium, the second edition by Skeletonwitch, and the latest by USBM legend Krieg, so you know Stosuy isn't fucking around.
The next show, this Sunday, 3/22, is a release party for Paragon Records' black/death crew Crucifier and post-Black Metal trio Castevet. If Black Metal isn't your thing, the show following will feature Genghis Tron, Tombs, Wetnurse, and Black Anvil. Surely you can find something in that lineup to embrace. Info for both shows and flyers are below, and Brooklyn Vegan has MP3s from Crucifier, Castevet, Wetnurse, and Dimentianon.
3/22
Public Assembly, 70 N. 6th Brooklyn
Back Room, 8pm, $8
Show No Mercy & Paragon Records Present:
Crucifier and Castevet release party with
Crucifier
Villains
Castevet
Nocnitsa
Dimentianon
4/12
Public Assembly, 70 N. 6th Brooklyn
Back Room, 8pm, $12
Show No Mercy presents
Genghis Tron
Tombs
Wetnurse
Black Anvil
March 11, 2009
The A/V Connection - 'Watchmen' Goes Mainstream with the Music
by Joey Angerone
I just caught the early screening for 'Watchmen,' the new action flick based on the old DC comic. WOWZERS. To say the film is ambitious would be an extreme understatement. It instantly grabs you with its intriguing characters, snappy dialogue, and its consistently flawless cinematography. OK... I'm done kissing ass. This is director Zack Snyder's second huge blockbuster in three years. Some of you might be familiar with his last film, '300,' which, coincidentally, was one of the subjects for my first A/V Connection installment. Remember? Yeahright. Unlike '300' however, 'Watchmen' is not shot entirely on green-screen, which makes it much more cinematic and, well... real.
I am not a superhero nerd. I couldn't even get through the first ten minutes of 'Iron Man,' but 'Watchmen' is the ultimate snti-superhero film (I don't count 'Hancock' because I didn't see it, and well... it's just plain bullshit). The film takes place in a slightly altered 1985 where Nixon is still serving as president, and superheroes helped to win the Vietnam war. Yeah... slightly altered. But we're not talking about you're average superheroes. They curse, they kill without remorse, and without giving away too much of the plot... in the case of The Comedian (Jeffery Dean Morgan), they're sexually aggressive and just downright disobedient. True Americans! And that's the reason why I loved this film so much. But I'm not Siskel or Ebert (which one is dead?), so onto the music!
Tyler Bates, who also supplied the timpani-heavy soundtrack for '300,' is back composing for Snyder again. This time, however, the sounds are a bit less 'Gladiator' and a tad more 'Black Hawk Down.' And as much as he does a wonderful job of intensifying the action scenes, there's a larger force at work here: the completely mainstream songs dispersed throughout the movie! The opening fight scene set to Nat King Cole's "Unforgettable" is, well... kind of unforgettable (sorry). "99 Luftballons," "All Along The Watchtower," and even Simon and Garfunkle's campy folk mainstay, "Sound Of Silence" all make a cameo. To be honest, I wasn't expecting this at all. As a filmmaker, I would generally tend to stay away from songs that have already made an overwhelming impact on other mainstream films. Sorry Mr. Snyder, but "Ride Of The Valkyries" belongs in 'Apocalypse Now,' and that's where it should stay. BUT! That being said, the love scene between Nite Owl (Patrick Wilson), and Silk Spectre (Mailn Akerman) with Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" blasting through the speakers, uh... GENIUS!
I don't want to give away too much. Go see it. Better yet, smoke a phatty of sour deisel, get a pound of buttered popcorn and talk through the whole flick without even putting your phone on vibrate. Because as Nite Owl says to The Comedian right after they mow down a group of rabble-rousers in the street: "What happened to the American dream?" To which The Comedian deftly replies, "It came true, you're looking at it".
- Joey Angerone
March 6, 2009
New Music available from Doomriders, Coliseum, Narrows, Integrity...
Deathwish Inc. has just released its summer sampler, and it is a fucking doozy. Featuring new tracks from Doomriders, Coliseum, Integrity, The Hope Conspiracy, Narrows, Jacob Bannon and more. Fuck that's awesome.
Read more for track listing and download links...
DEATHWISH INC SPRING SAMPLER "MMIX"
IMAGE:http://www.deathwishinc.com/files/3255.jpg
DOWNLOAD LINKS
http://www.deathwishinc.com/files/MMIX.zip
http://www.sendspace.com/file/w9psab
http://www.mediafire.com/file/in1cmwwrz4m/MMIX.zip
TRACK LISTING
1. In The Shadow Of God - The Hope Conspiracy
2. Chambered - Narrows
3. Nightcrawlers - Lewd Acts
4. Last Wave - Coliseum
5. Breaking Out - Victims
6. Slipping Away - Reign Supreme
7. Flesh and Below - Trap Them
8. Lies - Nails
9. Coyotenia - Rot in Hell
10. Divide - Mother of Mercy
11. Spirals - Carpathian
12. Forever Is Destroyed - 108
13. Culture - Ressurection
14. Walter Miller Jr. - End of a Year
15. Do You Like To Slam Dance? - Doomriders
16. Bloodwolves - Pulling Teeth
17. Learn To Love The Lie - Integrity
18. Bitter Cold - Supermachiner
19. Heavy Blood (Empty Version) - J. Bannon
Kick Ass Video: Nine Inch Nails - "Wish" (featuring Greg and Ben from DEP)
by theseseans (NYC)
Despite Trent Reznor's recent efforts to get the music industry up to speed by releasing a ton of new material for free (or pay as you wish), his newer material just doesn't do a lot for me. But man, when I was a teenager, I fucking loved The Downward Spiral, and my all time favorite song by Nine Inch Nails has to be "Wish" (from the Broken EP).
I was pretty stoked last night when I came up this video of NIN performing "Wish" with Greg and Ben from The Dillinger Escape Plan, who covered the song on their Plagiarism release. The video is shot in HD, looks and sounds great, and captures an awesome performance. Not to mention the song rules. Did I already say that?
March 5, 2009
Kylesa joins Mastodon on tour
This tour should just be called, "Do you like music?" because if you do, there is no excuse for missing Kylesa and Mastodon when the pair join forces (along with Intronaut, thanks Jesse) in April and May. Even better, this tour actually goes all over. If you miss it, that's your fault.
Mastodon, Kylesa, Intronaut 2009 datesApr. 10 - Workplay Theater - Birmingham, AL
At SXSW:
Apr. 11 - House of Blues - New Orleans, LA
Apr. 13 - Granada Theater - Lawrence, KS
Apr. 14 - Fox Theatre - Boulder, CO
Apr. 16 - Martini Ranch - Phoenix, AZ
Apr. 18 - Coachella - Indio, CA
Apr. 19 - Great American Music Hall San Francisco, CA
Apr. 21 - Hawthorne Theatre - Portland, OR
Apr. 22 - Neumo's - Seattle, WA
Apr. 23 - Commodore Ballroom - Vancouver, BC
Apr. 24 - MacEwen Ballroom - Calgary, AB
Apr. 25 - Starlite Ballroom - Edmonton, AB
Apr. 26 - The Odeon - Saskatoon, SK
Apr. 28 - The Garrick - Winnipeg, MB
Apr. 29 - Fine Line Music Hall - Minneapolis, MN
Apr. 30 - Metro - Chicago, IL
May 01 - Crofoot Ballroom - Pontiac, MI
May 02 - Beachland Ballroom - Cleveland, OH
May 04 - Le National - Montreal, QC
May 05 - Opera House - Toronto, ON
May 07 - House of Blues - Boston, MA
May 08 - TLA - Philadelphia, PA
May 09 - Fillmore @ Irving Plaza - New York, NY
May 10 - Music Hall of Williamsburg - Brooklyn, NY
May 12 - 9:30 Club - Washington DC
May 13 - Cat's Cradle - Carbarro, NC
May 14 - Orange Peel - Ashville, NC
May 15 - Center Stage - Atlanta, GA
March 20 – Austin, TX – Red 7 (SXSW Tone Deaf Touring Showcase)
March 2, 2009
New Video: Skeletonwitch - "Sacrifice For The Slaughtergod"
Skeletonwitch have unveiled their latest video, "Sacrifice For The Slaughtergod" which comes from their Prosthetic Records debut Beyond The Permafrost. Enjoy!
Skeletonwitch - "Sacrifice For The Slaughtergod"
Skeletonwitch also has extensive touring plans for 2009, including dates with labelmates Kylesa, read more for the dates.
Skeletonwitch 2009 dates3/6 Ravari Room - Columbus, OH (w/ Early Man)
3/12 Uncle Pleasants - Louisville, KY (w/ Misery Index, Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza)
3/13 Milestone - Charlotte, NC*
3/14 Hideaway - Johnson City, TN*
3/15 Muse - Nashville, TN*
3/16 Downtown Music - Little Rock, AR*
3/17 Hi-Tone - Memphis, TN*
3/18 Club Dada - Dallas, TX*
3/19 Rock Bottom - San Antonio, TX*
3/20 Red 7 - Austin, TX (SXSW)*
3/21 Rudyard's - Houston, TX*
3/22 Candle Factory - New Orleans, LA*
3/24 Brass Mug - Tampa, FL*
3/25 The Jinx - Savannah, GA*
3/26 Lucky's Pub - Wilmington, NC*
3/27 Rocket Club - Asheville, NC*
3/28 The Nick - Birmingham, AL
4/10 Marquee - Tempe, AZ**
4/11 Sunshine Theater – Albuquerque, NM**
4/12 Gothic Theatre – Denver, CO**
4/14 Pop's – St. Louis, MO**
4/15 Diamond Ballroom – Oklahoma City, OK**
4/16 Granada Theater – Dallas, TX**
4/17 White Rabbit – San Antonio, TX**
4/18 Meridian – Houston, TX**
4/20 Headliners – Louisville, KY**
4/21 Peabody's – Cleveland, OH**
4/22 Town Ballroom – Buffalo, NY**
4/23 Mr. Smalls – Pittsburgh, PA**
4/24 Starland Ballroom – Sayreville, NJ**
4/25 Webster Theater – Hartford, CT**
4/26 Sonar – Baltimore, MD**
4/28 Norva – Norfolk, VA**
4/29 Volume 11 – Raleigh, NC**
4/30 Masquerade – Atlanta, GA**
5/1 Club Firestone – Orlando, FL**
5/2 Revolution - Ft. Lauderdale, FL**
* w/ Kylesa
** w/ Amon Amarth
Anyone seen this band live? We think they are pretty sweet, but theseseans is always complaining about the recording sounding too thin. Any word on how they sound live?
