As if breathing new life into his nearly-defunct Battle Kommand imprint, self-releasing an EP of raw, earthy, Old Skool Black Metal and snagging a primo spot opening for Doom legends Pentagram this summer wasn’t enough, Blake Judd of Chicago-based Nachtmystium announced Monday that his band of blackened psychonauts will go back into the studio for a split 7” EP with fellow Windy City death purveyors Cianide.
From their MySpace:We are honored to announce our next release!! We will be doing a split 7" EP with Chicago death metal veterans / legends CIANIDE!!! Cianide has been an extremely influential band both musically and ideologically for this band since it's inception. We're extremely honored to be planning this unholy alliance with our long-time Chicago brethren.
Judd also said Tuesday that the aforementioned EP will indeed be available on vinyl later in the year.
We plan to record this summer, as do Cianide. As for the who's-where's-and-when's of the release, that is all TBA. We will most likely release it on Battle Kommand or possibly just as a 50/50 split between the two bands. We will post relevant news later in the summer as things come together.
Anyone unfamiliar with Cianide's cruel and old school death metal - have a listen here.
Also from their MySpace:We've confirmed today our label for the "Doomsday Derelicts" MLP! We're working with the noble BLUT & EISEN RECORDS from Germany on this MLP. The vinyl will be limited to 500 units only, with no repress. This will be for both U.S. and EU territories. oing back to our roots a bit here in all ways with this release, and working with B&E Records is exactly what we'd hoped for with this release.
Bonus: Doomsday Derelicts features some nifty hand-drawn cover art by none other than Seldon Hunt (ISIS, Neurosis, Earth).
We'll post news on availability, where to get it, when it will be out, etc. when the vinyl is in production.
April 30, 2009
More Nachtmystium News
ISIS' Wavering Radiant Now Streaming on MySpace
Less than a week before the album's release, Wavering Radiant is currently streaming on ISIS' MySpace page. While the very limited vinyl edition is completely sold out, the CD will be released on May 5th and we're sure they'll make enough of them for everybody this time. Meanwhile, unless you have the vinyl or have already pirated the album (shame!), why not head over to their page and take a listen to it? ISIS is a good band. They make good music. We hear this is a good album. Just sayin'.
Also, after the jump you'll find ISIS' upcoming tour tour dates with Tombs and Pelican.
ISIS w/ Tombs, Pelican:
05-15 San Diego, CA - Casbah
05-16 Tempe, AZ - The Clubhouse
05-17 Albuquerque, NM - Launchpad
05-19 Austin, TX - Emo's
05-20 Dallas, TX - Granada Theatre
05-21 Houston, TX - Meridian - Red Room
05-22 Baton Rouge, LA - Spanish Moon
05-23 Birmingham, AL - Bottle Tree
05-25 Orlando, FL - The Social
05-26 Gainesville, FL - Common Grounds
05-27 Jacksonville, FL - Jack Rabbit's
05-28 Atlanta, GA - The Earl
05-29 Carrboro, NC - Cat's Cradle
05-30 Washington, DC - Black Cat
05-31 Baltimore, MD - Sonar
06-02 New York, NY - The Filmore at Irving Plaza
06-03 Philadelphia, PA - TLA
06-04 Northampton, MA - Pearl Street
06-05 Boston, MA - Paradise
06-06 Montreal, QC - The National
06-07 Toronto, ON - Phoenix Theatre
06-09 Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop
06-10 Cincinnati, OH - 20th Century Theatre
06-11 Detroit, MI - Small's
06-12 Chicago, IL - The Bottom Lounge
06-15 Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater
06-16 Salt Lake City, UT - Club Sound
06-18 Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theater
06-19 Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom
06-20 Seattle, WA - Neumo's
06-22 San Jose, CA - The Blank Club
06-23 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall
06-24 Los Angeles, CA - Henry Fonda Theatre
Live Review: Napalm Death, Kataklysm, Cattle Decapitation, more
by Van Damned (ATX)
Napalm Death
When: Sunday, April 23, 2009
Where: Emo's, Austin, TX
With: Kataklysm, Cattle Decapitation, Toxic Holocaust, Coliseum, Trap Them and more...
After nearly four mind-melting hours of death, grind and thrash from some of modern metal’s premier acts, veteran grind progenitors Napalm Death casually walked onto Emo’s outdoor stage and proceeded to blow everybody’s proverbial socks off.
Old enough, in some cases, to have literally fathered some of the bands playing the inside stage, Napalm Death can lay legitimate claim to quite simply being one of the single fastest and heaviest active groups in extreme metal.
Emo’s played host to two shows Sunday evening. Inside, vegan death/grind terrorists Cattle Decapitation helmed a youthful, death-heavy lineup featuring Swine Horde, Rose Funeral and the absolutely stellar Woe of Tyrants, whose recent Kingdom of Might (Metal Blade) is a near pitch-perfect slab of epic blasts, brutal breakdowns and Maiden-esque dual-guitar histrionics. Nice guys and, despite being short a bass-player due to stomach flu, dudes absolutely owned the inside stage.
Outside, though, the night was all about the godfathers of grind.
Beginning with crust-grind upstarts Trap Them, the bill worked as a primer for introducing new fans to the differing sounds Napalm Death have helped engender since their legendary inception in 1981.
Trap Them garnered much critical acclaim following their buzzing, brilliant Seizures in Barren Praise (Deathwish, Inc.). Vocalist Ryan McKenney said he hopes to see its follow-up pressed and printed by the year’s end.
Louisville, KY punk/metal bulldozer Coliseum followed. Hulk-sized guitarist/vocalist Ryan Patterson alternately barked, bellowed and berated at the audience, while bassist Mike Pascal and drummer Chris Maggio thrashed through a set heavy on hits from 2007’s No Salvation (Relapse) and the 2005 Goddamage EP.
Death-thrash revivalists Toxic Holocaust invited the now-rabid audience to break tooth and neck on just-this-side-of-campy ragers “War is Hell,” “Wild Dogs” and fan-favorite “Nuke the Cross.” Say what you will about the Great Speed/Thrash Revival of 2007, but Joel Grind and his revolving Toxic Holocaust door earn easy marks for injecting a healthy dose of fun into an otherwise cheerless movement.
Stalwart Canadian hyperblasters Kataklysm tore through a ploughman’s share of their familiar brand of brutal, technical death metal, which only served to whip the already-frothing Heshers into a manic frenzy.
Finally, two Brits and two Yanks -- four men who, let’s face it, already started to notice receding hairlines and paunchy beer bellies around the time the lads in Swine Horde were born -- walked on stage and laid down the Almighty Truth.
While some metal legends have mutated into addled cartoons of their former selves, the Birmingham bashers have fused into an even faster, heavier and more brutal unit. Even more impressive, they’ve developed into actual songwriters, a trait mostly missing altogether in the more-is-always-better approach of modern grindcore.
Released in January of this year, Napalm Death’s fourteenth (!) studio album, Time Waits For No Slave (Century Media,) has once again put the grind kings on magazine covers and critics’ short lists. Fittingly, their live show was a further extension of that single-minded dedication to unadulterated aural extremity.
Put simply, after nearly 30 collective years, Napalm Death are still, without doubt, the Gods of Grind.
Yes, they played “You Suffer.”
And yes, if you blinked, you missed it.
April 29, 2009
Three Words: Cave In Reunion
Or, rather, the end of their 'hiatus,' according to the band:
After 3 1/2 long years, Cave In has decided to end its hiatus. Please join us for an EP release show at Great Scott’s (1222 Commonwealth Ave., Allston MA) on Sunday, July 19th @ 9PM. Also playing will be our friends Disappearer and Phantom Glue. Copies of the “Planets Of Old” limited 12″ (recorded by Adam Taylor, Alex Hartman & Johnny Northrup @ Camp St. Studio) from Hydra Head Records will be available that night.Color us way psyched, duh. Tickets for the show go on sale this Friday at 10am EST right here. So, queue up that link in your browser Friday morning, grab your tix, and we'll see you in Allston! Continue Reading...
We hope to see your lovely selves.
Steve, Adam, J.R., Caleb
CAVE IN
Crustcake Reviews: Kylesa - Static Tensions [3/17/09; Prosthetic/20 Buck Spin]
by The WZA'd (Philadelphia)
At the beginning of Static Tensions, Kylesa’s latest album, the band’s two drummers pass a rhythm back and forth to each other, playfully sending the beat from right to left and back again. Then suddenly the drummers synchronize, the guitars kick in, and playtime is over. Laura Pleasants screams in warning that she hears “the raven calling to you,” and when Phillip Cope reaches “the root of the problem,” it really hits the fan. From that point on, the album wastes no time; meandering instrumental and ambient passages found on previous albums are gone, replaced by more-than-solid songwriting and an unrelenting rhythm section.
Production on this album is also a lot more clear than on their previous effort, Time Will Fuse its Worth, which, while sounding powerful and massive, was also unclear and muddy – which was fine for that album. For Tensions though, only the guitar tones sound disgusting. Both drummers (Carl Mcginley and Eric Hernandez) come in completely clear, and both are assigned to a respective speaker. It’s a nice trick, and it works better when you’re wearing headphones (preferably ones with solid bass).
In fact, Kylesa’s unique drum setup is more crucial to this album than it was on the last one. On that one, both drummers stayed locked into pretty much the same beat for the entire time. However, on this album you’re more likely to hear time being kept in your right ear while a wild fill is being carried out in your left (or vice versa). Having both drummers also allows for more flexibility; for a more chaotic sound, they stray from each other, but when they want to pack a punch behind a riff, they just stay in line and pound harder.
To Walk a Middle Course felt more like it had movements than individual songs, but on Static Tensions, every song stands out on its own. “Insomnia For Months” isn’t the drawn-out, drugged-up drone fest its title lets on – instead, it’s manic, and before you notice, it’s over. Then “Said and Done” pounds a catchy melody into your head before chugging into the bridge and coming back to slam you with that melody over and over again. “Running Red” begins with a piano intro before moving into a dark, seductive guitar line and Pleasants’s deceptive, smooth singing until it hits the head-bobbing chorus. “Nature’s Predators” begins and ends with rain, and is fittingly thunderous. Once the song reaches the bridge, a guitar lightly drops notes like rain onto the percussion, which makes a fitting tap-tap-tap behind each one. “Perception” is one last chugga-chugga-chugga classic Kylesa post-sludge beat-you-over-the-head song before “To Walk Alone” starts its shuffling, tribal-sounding drums and psychedelic Kyuss-like interweaving guitar melodies. “To Walk Alone” is the most hopeful sounding song on the album, acting as a refreshing palette-cleanser after the insomnia, confusion, anger, and mourning.
Static Tensions is Kylesa’s most mature, focused, and unique album to date. They didn’t half-ass a thing, and that includes the packaging. This review is for the deluxe limited-to-500 double LP version of the album, which you might have trouble getting your hands on at this point. The regular version is available from 20 Buck Spin.
John Dyer Baizley of Baroness fame made the artwork for this album, and it’s stunning. The man simply knows how to match an album to his art, yet manages to keep his signature style for everything he does. Buying any vinyl with his artwork on it is infinitely preferable to a CD; the level of detail simply can’t be appreciated on such a small canvas. This piece captures the mood of the album and the visual themes here can be found throughout the rest of the packaging.
The design of the package is a little unusual – it’s a gatefold, but it slips inside a cover with the album art on it. The gatefold itself is minimalistic in design; the outside is dark green with a drawing of a branch crossing from front to back, and the inside is a textured purplish brown with the album’s logo printed on each side, mirroring itself. The first disk of the vinyl itself is a really cool blending of neon green and black, and the second disk is black and red (with maybe a hint of purple). The disks are 45 rpm disks, so the sound quality is better. They’re also pretty thick, which is nice because they’ll last longer and play truer.
Inside (but not attached to) the gatefold is a book the size of the rest of the record, with scrawled lyrics and artwork based on the same theme of the cover inside. There’s also a poster of the album art, and because it’s longer it shows the complete picture. In the package, there was also a sticker of the logo printed on the gatefold, and a patch that says “Kylesa” which makes me want to get one of those studded punk jackets just so I can sew/iron it on.
9/10 [Audible]
9/10 [Physical]
\
[Front Cover]
\
[Outside Gatefold]
[Inside Spread]
[Inside Spread With Extras]
[Inside Art/Lyrics Book]
[Extras]
[Discs]
[Buy] the regular edition of Kylesa's Static Tensions
Freshly Baked: Elder
In "Freshly Baked," we feature promising young bands or bands that are otherwise lacking the attention we think they deserve.
Download: Elder - "White Walls" [MP3]
by crustcake gerf (NYC)
Ironically, those three young lads pictured above are in a band called 'Elder.' Perhaps the name is fitting, though, because the soulful stoner-doom jams these dudes are kicking out are already quite mature. The above MP3 comes off the band's self-titled record, released last year via MeteorCity, and the song is a doozie. The MP3 is a tinny 56k, though, and the self-titled release is currently only available in CD form (for a whopping $15.99, no less!).
The good news is that Belgium's Electric Earth Records will be pressing the album onto vinyl: Mell Detmer (Sleep, Earth, Boris) re-mastered the album for vinylcutting, the artwork has been re-colored and printed on a heavy gatefold sleeve, and the initial run will be 500 copies on 180 gram vinyl (400 black and 100 orange/red swirl). Preorder for that begins May 1st.
To tide you over in the meantime, I recommend heading over to Concrete Lo-Fi Records, where you can download Elder's split with Queen Elephantine (who I caught live at a screening of 'Such Hawks, Such Hounds') for free (!), or heading over to Elder's MySpace and giving "Riddle of Steel Pt. 1" a spin. The song features a Sleep-worshiping (but with better bass tone) primary riff that segues into a 35007-esque interlude that's both surprising and surprisingly appropriate.
If you happen to live in or near Allston, MA, catch Elder on May 16th at O'Brien's with We're All Gonna Die, Gozu, and Ironweed.
April 28, 2009
Freshly Baked: Naam
In "Freshly Baked," we feature promising young bands or bands that are otherwise lacking the attention we think they deserve.
by crustcake gerf (NYC)
Download: Naam - "Kingdom" [MP3]
Alright all y'all cannabis enthusiasts out there, spark one up and get ready for a trip. Despite this post's title (and the URL of the band's MySpace page), Naam ain't no death metal band-- I'd recommend them to fans of Dead Meadow, the Black Angels, Om, Black Mountain, and other rad psychedelic shit.
I had a chance last month to catch a fantastic live set by the Brooklyn heavy psyche trio, who recently signed to Tee Pee Records. The band threw down sweet stoner grooves, amazing tone, and reverb-drenched vocals, playing songs off their soon-to-be-released debut EP, Kingdom. You can check out a live clip from the show of the song "Skyling Slip," the first track on Kingdom, below the fold.
Kingdom cover art-- watercolor by Ryan Hamilton:
Naam - "Skyling Slip" (live at Piano's, 3/29/09):
Look for a full-length sometime in the future via Tee Pee.
Want FREE Mastodon/Kylesa/Intronaut Tickets?
As we reported back in early March, Mastodon are currently riding Skye-high around North America with touring partners Kylesa and Intronaut. Though within their own contexts, the team from Savannah's latest tops the team from Atlanta's, Crack the Skye certainly has its moments.
The almighty 'cake has managed to get our grubby little hands on not one but TWO pairs of tickets for the Shockhound-sponsored tour's NYC-area dates: May 9th at the Fillmore and May 10th at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. Sorry, non-NYC-based readers...
To win, simply email crustcakecontests@gmail.com with the correct answer to the following question:
About which famous Victorian-era Englishman has Mastodon written at least three songs?
Contest ends next Tuesday, Cinco de Mayo at 10am EST. Two winners will be chosen at random from correct entries to receive a pair of tickets each to the NYC show of their choice.
Mastodon, Kylesa, Intronaut 2009 remaining dates:
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
April 27, 2009
Crustcake Reviews: Tombs - Winter Hours [2/17/09; Relapse]
[Tombs now]
by crustcake gerf (NYC)
Where oh where to begin with this record? From the pounding percussion of opener "Gossamer" to the eerie atmosphere of the final outro "Old Dominion," Winter Hours is a complete, concise, and focused package.
Mixing frontman Mike Hill's (ex-Anodyne, Versoma) 'working-man,' hardcore-rooted vocals and guitar tones that range from ghostly to atmospheric to downright vicious with the precise and supportive bass lines of Carson Daniel James and the captivating, inventive drumming of Justin Ennis (who has since been replaced by Andrew Hernandez, ex-ASRA) with elements of black metal and post-rock, 'Winter Hours' is certainly greater than the sum of its parts. This isn't a hodge-podge of sleeve-worn influences-- though some of the influences are more apparent than others (Neurosis, Swans, Darkthrone). Tombs has really captured a sound all their own with Winter Hours.
[Tombs then-- 'Winter Hours' lineup]
Standout moments include the pummeling of the aforementioned "Gossamer" (video here), the assault-and-release of "Beneath the Toxic Jungle," the cathartic emotion of "Merrimack" (a personal favorite), and the dark energy and twists and turns of "Filled with Secrets." But there is nary a track on the record that ain't up to par.
The album as a whole is relatively short, clocking in just over 37 minutes, which may leave you itching for more. But that's a good thing, right? Better that than droning on too long, I say-- good albums always seem too short.
The pacing is nice, with a break in the intensity coming smack dab in the middle of the record ("Story of a Room") before the assault continues with "Divide," a more post-rock-influenced affair. Winter Hours finishes out nicely, with the slow burn of "Seven Stars of the Angel of Death" into the previously mentioned instrumental outro "Old Dominion," which just sort of floats away into the ether.
As for the physical product, well, the LP is available from Relapse in black or brown vinyl, but I opted for the black as it's of a heavier weight (180 grams). The single 12" LP is a gatefold, with a matte finish that's appropriate for Thomas Hooper's earth-tone watercolors which depict, on the cover, a gender-ambiguous holy figure-- a sort of 'miraculous watermark' you might find on an ancient scroll or a piece of toast. It's quite stunning and the original watercolor appears to be for sale from Hooper directly.
Lyrics are printed on the inside and the record itself is contained within a black slip with watercolor 'stains' on it.Apologies for the craptacular photos. I don't have a proper 'camera obscura' handy and was forced to resort to my laptop's built-in camera, which is certainly better suited to taking brooding MySpace pics than quality shots of such a beautiful record. (Brooding MySpace pics totally coming soon.) Photo disaster averted, thanks Betsey!
Winter Hours certainly sets the bar extremely high for Tombs' future efforts, but I have a feeling the band is just starting to come into their own. I've had a chance to see them close to a dozen times over the last year or so, and I can say with confidence that nearly every time I've seen them they've improved. They're gearing up to hit the road with Isis and Pelican soon, so you know the future holds great things for this band.
9.5/10 [Audible]
8/10 [Physical]
Download: Tombs - "Gossamer" [MP3]
Listen: Tombs - Winter Hours [full album stream]
Buy: Tombs - Winter Hours [Relapse]
Doomriders talk new record, Darkness Come Alive
Noisecreep.com recently caught up with Nate Newton of Doomriders (and Converge) to chat about Doomriders' upcoming full length. The record will be titled Darkness Come Alive and is expected to see release early summertime. We immediately realized how much better our summer is going to be and then decided to spread the news. Newton commented on the record:
"It's not as [much of a] 'party record,' [but] it's similar [to Black Thunder] in that it was written by the same people, pretty much, so it's gonna sound like us, obviously. There's dueling guitars and lots of harmonizing, you know. It's a punk metal record. It doesn't have quite as much of the 'fun' vibe, I guess. It's a little more serious."You can check out the whole article here to see what else Nate had to say about the recording, writing, and overall assembly of the record. Continue Reading...
Nachtmystium announces tour with Pentagram
[Pentagram]
Nachtmystium, everybody's favorite progressive psychedelic Black Metal band, will be playing a few tour dates with legendary Doom band Pentagram. People on the East Coast, sorry - this is a West Coast tour only (plus Chicago and Austin).
In other Nachtmystium news, their blog says that their guitarist recently survived a drive-by shooting. This only goes to support our theory that there's some kind of shit-magnet factor involved with Black Metal (although almost being shot isn't nearly as bad as say... being stabbed 52 times or having your skull turned into necklaces). Oh, and have you ordered your EP yet?
Tour dates below the jump.
06/27/2009 The Empty Bottle - Chicago, IL
06/30/2009 Studio Seven - Seattle, WA
07/01/2009 Satyricon - Portland, OR
07/02/2009 DNA Lounge - San Francisco, CA
07/03/2009 House of Blues - Hollywood, CA
07/06/2009 Emo's - Austin, TX
April 24, 2009
Neurosis' Scott Kelly talks at and about Beyond The Pale
Neurosis's Scott Kelly has created an "extremely interactive blog that will be updated by the bands/artists throughout [Roadburn 2009]," according to his regular blog, "We Burn Through The Night." "Beyond the Pale" is a Neurosis-hosted event at the Roadburn fest that looks like it will be an almost religious experience.
The lineup for Roadburn 2009 already looked awesome enough: Wolves in the Throne Room, Baroness, Colour Haze, SAINT FUCKING VITUS, and tons of other awesome bands are going to be there. Too bad it's all the way over there in the Netherlands...
Also: BrooklynVegan did a pretty comprehensive interview with Scott Kelly and got him to talk about Roadburn, Neurosis, his other projects, and the as-of-yet-unheard holy grail of all things doom, Shrinebuilder. If you're a fan of anything Scott Kelly may have ever been involved with ever (including Mastodon and the Scion Rock Fest), go check out that interview.
April 23, 2009
Harvey Milk and Xasthur 2xLP pre-orders now up at Hydra Head
We here at Crustcake love vinyl, and we know you do too. We also love Sludge and Black Metal, and again, we know you sure don't mind 'em either. So when Hydra Head says that Harvey Milk's Life... The Best Game In Town and one-man Black Metal act Xasthur's All Reflections Drained are going to be released as double LPs and you can pre-order them now, naturally we figured you'd like to know (especially since the Wavering Radiant double LP sold out so fast... yep, still kicking ourselves for missing that one).
Read on for more information.
According to the Hydra Head blog, there are also special pre-order items for each album that you can buy separately, like T-shirts, slipmats for Xasthur, and cool cups to drink out of for Harvey Milk (in all three primary colors and green)! So, have fun shopping at the Hydra Head store.
In other Harvey Milk news, did you know they're performing at All Tomorrow's Parties in England on May 9th ("They were gonna ask The Cramps to play before us but then they died so we moved up a spot.")? Did you also know that the legendary Stoner Rock group Sleep was going to be there? Do we have any English readers willing to buy five plane tickets?
Harvey Milk:
May 9 - Minehead @ ATP Fans Strike Back Weekend 1
May 11 - London, London and South East @ Forum
May 22 - New Orleans, LA @ The Zeitgeist
May 23 - Houston, TX @ Rudyards
May 24 - Austin, TX @ Red 7
May 25 - Denton, TX @ Rubbergloves
May 26 - Birmingham, AL @ Bottletree
April 22, 2009
Blackened Sludge band Lord Mantis announce US tour
Lord Mantis, a Chicago-based band that's part black metal and part sludge in the vein of Neurosis, will be playing a handful of tour dates with Seventh Rule labelmates and NYC natives Wetnurse.
If you've never heard Lord Mantis before, we'd recommend going to their myspace and listening to the one song they have on there, because it kills. The group features the current drummer from Indian, along with a former member of Nachtmystium. Lord Mantis also have an album coming out on April 28th, Spawning The Nephilim, so be on the lookout for that in stores.
Read more for the dates.
Lord Mantis and WetnurseJune 27 - Philadelphia, PA @ The M Room
June 28 - Baltimore, MD @ Talking Head
June 30 - Gainesville, FL @ The Atlantic
July 1 - Tampa, FL @ The Brass Mug
July 2 - Miami, FL @ Churchill's
July 3 - Tallahassee, FL @ The Engine Room
July 4 - Savannah, GA @ The Wormhole
April 16, 2009
Crustcake Picks: NYC Shows 4/16 - 4/22
by theseseans (NYC)
Tomorrow I'm off to Texas for four days, all y'all staying in the city have a few killer shows to check. If I wasn't going to Texas I would (without a fucking doubt) go see Landmine Marathon this Friday at The Charleston with Mutant Supremacy. After the incredible show they put on Monday I will make a point to see them whenever I get the chance.
Landmine Marathon - Live at Lit Lounge (4/13/09):
After that gar-un-teed good time, you can catch Bison B.C. with Children, Naam, and more on Saturday at Death By Audio in Williamsburg. Sunday brings a (not so) tough choice: The Haunted is at B.B. Kings but Torche, joined by Dredg and From Monument to Masses, will be over at Highline Ballroom. Up to you.
Monday brings late-nineties instrumental desert rockers Karma To Burn, recently reformed for tours in North America and Europe. They're playing at Lit Lounge, of all places, along with Tiger Flowers, Mabus, and Isthmus. Monday is 4/20 too so, you know, it fits.
More after the jump.Friday 4/17/09 - Landmine Marathon, Hibagon, Mutant Supremacy @ The Charleston
Saturday 4/18/09 - Children, Bison B.C., Violent Bullshit, Circle of Buzzards, Naam @ Death By Audio
Sunday 4/19/09 The Haunted, Nachtmystium @ B.B. Kings
Sunday 4/19/09 Dredg, Torche, From Monument to Masses @ Highline Ballroom
Monday 4/20/09 Karma To Burn, Tiger Flowers, Mabus, and Isthmus @ Lit Lounge
April 15, 2009
New Nachtmystium EP
Nachtmystium have announced the release of a new EP Doomsday Derelicts next month through Battle Kommand Records. The EP will be be mail order only and will include a few extra goodies from the band. Expected to be released May 5th, you will be able to order Doomsday Derelicts from Battle Kommand's online Nachtmystium store.
Read more for line up, track listing and further details.
Nachtmystium - Doomsday Derelicts EP
Track listing:
1. Bones
2. Life of Fire
3. Hellish Overdose
4. Pitch Black Cadence
Lineup:
Blake Judd - Lead and rhythm guitars, vocals
Jeff Wilson - Rhythm guitars
Jon Necromancer - Bass, backing vocals
Sanford Parker - Moog, synth, effects
Zack Simmons - Drums, percussion
Recorded at Electrical Audio - Chicago, IL
Engineered by Sanford Parker, May, 2008
April 14, 2009
Agoraphobic Nosebleed streams Agorapocalypse
Stream: Agoraphobic Nosebleed - Agorapocalypse
Relapse just keeps the grind coming! After Brutal Truth streamed their latest on MySpace, Agoraphobic Nosebleed have set up a site to stream their latest full length Agorapocalypse. This, the band's second full length comes out today so if you haven't picked up your copy yet, give a listen right here. Kat from Salome sounds awesome on this record!
Both Kat and Richard Johnson of ANB will be playing tonight at the Rock n' Roll Hotel in DC for the record release show, but they will be playing with their own respective bands Salome and Drugs Of Faith. The rest of the bill is flushed out with Landmine Marathon and Misery Index. So you know, we really think you should go to this show.
Live Review- Tombs, Genghis Tron, Wetnurse, Landmine Marathon, Napalm Death?
by theseseans (NYC)
I was going to write this day by day through my weekend of shows, but last night I saw Landmine Marathon and my priorities changed. Their set was without a doubt the best show I've seen this year, and I would implore everyone to catch them if you have the chance (they will be back in NYC this Friday playing The Charleston, GO!). Landmine Marathon's death/thrash attack was energetically and enthusiastically performed while vocalist Grace Perry did what any front man or woman tries to do: she captivated the audience. The first ten minutes of their set was physically jaw dropping. I've been a fan of Landmine Marathon before, but after that show I love this band.
But before then....I left work on Saturday just in time to grab a slice of pizza before heading down to the Napalm Death show at the Blender Theater. Unfortunately when I arrived my name was not on "the list" as it was supposed to be and I could not get in. Major bummer. However, I ran into some of the fine folks from Relapse Sunday night at Genghis Tron who were in town for both the Napalm and Genghis Tron show. From all accounts Napalm put on one of the best shows of their career that night (damn it!), with the supporting cast doing fine jobs as well. I also heard several other accounts of people not being able to get in even though they were "on the list." It's a shame when I venue can't get organized, out of the three times that I have gone to the Blender Theater, I have had problems with the staff twice now, awesome.
Sunday night however, was killer. I got to the show early because I had yet catch either Black Anvil or Wetnurse before, and both acts impressed. I was instantly a fan of Black Anvil's throaty take on psyched out black metal. The band kept their set interesting mixing tempos, trading vocals, and displaying a wide palate drifting between blackened thrash and spaced out guitar psych. Wetnurse brought an urgency to their sound in a live setting, which to me brought a lot of material new life. Their live show also befitted from their fittingly theatrical frontman and spastic guitar play(ers/ing).
Tombs put on one of the edgier performances that I've caught from the act, and I mean that in a good way. Both guitarist Mike and bass player Carson broke strings, and drummer Andrew beat the living hell out of his kit. Apparently the road has been good to the band, or at the very least, artistically beneficial. The ambient space in their set and sound was perfectly suited to counter the aggression Tombs brought to the stage. Genghis Tron finished the night off with their now signature light show, and played well. I mean, I know a lot of their stuff is programmed, but take a couple minutes and watch Hamilton play those guitar parts. Mookie was his usual goofy self making a few Easter jokes and keeping the mood light, while also delivering a great performance, I really felt that his clean voice sounded stellar.
All in all great shows, killer weekend! 
April 13, 2009
Brutal Truth stream Evolution Through Revolution
Stream: Brutal Truth - Evolution Through Revolution
Brutal Truth have streamed their entire new record Evolution Through Revolution via their myspace page today. The album will be released April 14th through Relapse Records, and having listened to the album a few times already we can assure you, it's....brutal. The long running grindcore/hardcore act do not disappoint.
April 10, 2009
Crustcake Pics: NYC Shows 4/10 - 4/15
by theseseans (NYC)
NYC is serving up a lot this weekend, so much so that I am personally going to three shows! First up, this Saturday Napalm Death come to the Blender Theater with (a personal favorite) Trap Them, Toxic Holocaust, and Abigail Williams. I am excited to see Napalm for the first time, but also to see how Trap Them go over in a larger venue. If that show doesn't interest you then perhaps ABC's d-beat fest will, featuring Kontatto, Atakke, Rabia, and Zhenia Golov.
Sunday sees another installment of the Show No Mercy series at Public Assembly. This week's show should have a little something for everyone featuring Genghis Tron, Tombs, Wetnurse, and Black Anvil. Monday closes out a great run of shows with Precious Metal bringing Landmine Marathon in to Lit Lounge kick our ass and steal our hearts.
More after the jump.
Saturday 4/11/09 - Napalm Death, Kataklysm, Toxic Holocaust, Abigail Williams, Trap Them @ Blender Theater
Saturday 4/11/09 Kontatto, Atakke, Rabia, Zhenia Golov - $7 @ ABC No Rio
Sunday 4/12/09 - Genghis Tron, Tombs, Wetnurse, Black Anvil @ Public Assembly
Monday 4/13/09 - Landmine Marathon, Villains @ Lit Lounge
April 8, 2009
Tombs to open for Isis on upcoming US tour
Dates have recently been posted for Isis' upcoming US tour which features crustcake favorite Tombs opening. Isis will be supporting Wavering Radiant (which I, Sean, have been thoroughly enjoying lately) while Tombs continue to support Winter Hours, a record we feel very confident will be littered all over our best of 2009 lists. We will definitely be hitting up the NYC stop in June.
Pelican will also be part of the tour, read more for the dates.
Isis, Pelican, Tombs 2009 US TourMay 15, 2009 San Diego, CA Casbah
May 16, 2009 Tempe, AZ The Clubhouse
May 17, 2009 Albuquerque, NM Launchpad
May 19, 2009 Austin, TX Emo's
May 20, 2009 Dallas, TX Granada Theatre
May 21, 2009 Houston, TX Meridian - Red Room
May 22, 2009 Baton Rouge, LA Spanish Moon
May 23, 2009 Birmingham, AL Bottle Tree
May 25, 2009 Orlando, FL The Social
May 26, 2009 Gainesville, FL Common Grounds
May 27, 2009 Jacksonville, FL Jack Rabbit's
May 28, 2009 Atlanta, GA The Earl
May 29, 2009 Carrboro, NC Cat's Cradle
May 30, 2009 Washington, DC Black Cat
May 31, 2009 Baltimore, MD Sonar
June 2, 2009 New York, NY The Filmore at Irving Plaza
June 3, 2009 Philadelphia, PA TLA
June 4, 2009 Northampton, MA Pearl Street
June 5, 2009 Boston, MA Paradise
June 6, 2009 Montreal, QC The National
June 7, 2009 Toronto, ON Phoenix Theatre
June 9, 2009 Cleveland, OH Grog Shop
June 10, 2009 Cincinnati, OH 20th Century Theatre
June 11, 2009 Detroit, MI Small's
June 12, 2009 Chicago, IL The Bottom Lounge
June 15, 2009 Denver, CO Bluebird Theater
June 16, 2009 Salt Lake City, UT Club Sound
June 18, 2009 Portland, OR Hawthorne Theater
June 19, 2009 Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom
June 20, 2009 Seattle, WA Neumo's
June 22, 2009 San Jose, CA The Blank Club
June 23, 2009 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
June 24, 2009 Los Angeles, CA Henry Fonda Theatre
April 4, 2009
New Video: Mastodon - "Divinations"
by theseseans (NYC)
Yeah, I know this video isn't really new, but well, see below. I finally pulled my head out of work, taxes, moving, etc. and found this video. The song "Divinations" is fucking killer, and the video a little silly. The track comes from Mastodon's new full length, Crack The Skye, which I just picked up today. My initial thoughts were all positive, there were a couple songs (namely the two songs eclipsing the ten minute mark) that will need more attention before I can really form my opinion, but so far, I'm fucking into it! Love the big chorus in album opener "Oblivion."
What do you think of the record?
Enjoy the video!
Mastodon - "Divinations"
The State of the 'Cake (we need writers!)
Dear Regular Readers,
As you have probably noticed, our productivity around this corner of the net has seriously diminished lately. Gerf is incredibly busy, and I am in the midst of the two busiest months of my life.
It's not like we didn't need more writers before, but we could really use a new writer or two right now. Please email us if you have any questions, are interested, have a friend you'd like to recommend, whatever.
Yours Truly,
Sean
crustcake@gmail.com
