by The WZA'd (Philadelphia)
The most common complaints about Isis usually involve the word “sleep.” As in: “Nah man, I just never got into Isis, they put me to sleep.” Of course, I would be lying by omission if I didn’t tell you that I have used “Hym” on Oceanic to lull me to sleep on long car rides. I never think of it as boring though – I just like how mellow the song is.
On Oceanic, Isis created soundscapes of strummed chords and screamed vocals, eliminating verse-chorus-verse structure. The LA quintet perfected a type of songwriting that ebbed and flowed, relying on dramatic, quiet/loud dynamics. Panopticon was much of the same. Somewhere around that time, every Isis copycat band this side of Rosetta started doing the same thing and taking themselves way too seriously.
But Isis have moved on. Wavering Radiant is musically denser than any of their other albums and is, by far, their best to date.
Even the band's vibe is different – conceptually, Isis has moved away from towers and mosquitoes and oceans and worms (or whatever was on the cover of In the Absence of Truth) and entered the realm of dreams. Here they flourish, trippier than ever. There are enough connections to older Isis – the distorted bass from Panopticon is sprinkled throughout and the intro to “Hand of the Host” seems like it could come right off that album. But quiet/loud? That’s gone. On “Stone to Wake a Serpent,” loudness comes in short bursts. It’s as if the band knew what their critics were saying and went, “oh yeah?”
What makes this album is the details. At the apex of the aforementioned song, a guitar screams in the background while Aaron Turner sings. The bass tone in the beginning of “20 Minutes/40 Years” sounds like something off Nine Inch Nails’ With Teeth, but turns into something more organic and beautiful. This isn’t an album about riffs – guitars (up to three at points, never sounding messy) dance around keyboard and bass lines while Turner alternates bellowing and screaming. On this song, it's drummer Aaron Harris who provides atmosphere. Now think that last part over.
This is still a metal album, though, and it rocks like one. The 10-minute epic “Threshold of Transformation” is filled with the heaviest sludge Isis could find in the ditch, though it emerges into something more melodic and evolves into the most moving song on the album.
Wavering Radiant isn't just good. It’s really good. And Isis know it too. Touring behind Radiant, Isis played nearly every song on the album at each show, leaving space for only a couple songs off past LPs. Live, it’s obvious these guys know they made a good record and that confidence is the bedrock of this album.
Reflecting their tendency to sweat the details, even the insides of the sleeves have artwork. In fact, it’s all covered in artwork – the only space for text is left on the front of the cover of the first disk. What the artwork actually depicts is… I can’t say. Stars? They seem to shimmer, like lights do when looked at underwater. And what about those weird tentacle-looking things?
But this is dreamland. It doesn’t have to make sense in the physical world. The abstract artwork complements the music yet still lets it speak for itself, as does the elegant simplicity of the whole package. This, my friends, is what is called “Artistic Vision.”
9/10 [Audible]
9/10 [Physical]
[Front Cover]
[Inside Spread]
[Covers for both disks, side 1]
[Covers for both disks, side 2]
June 28, 2009
Crustcake Reviews: Isis - Wavering Radiant [4/21/09; Ipecac]
June 24, 2009
Crusty Clip of the Week: Kyuss - One Inch Man
Every single Wednesday without fail, your hosts post a suitably stale video clip that we think needs to be revisited. Click here for more Crusty Clips. Got a clip you think we should post? Send it to crustcake@gmail.com.
by The WZA'd (Philadelphia)
If the stories are true, the video below doesn't embody the best era of Kyuss. Their 1995 swansong ...And the Circus Leaves Town, from which this song was taken, featured only two original members and the band disbanded a scant few months after its release. If there's any video that tries to capture the True Kyuss Experience, it's this one. These guys were something to be experienced, not just listened to. For proof, pay special attention to the long-hairs surrounding the band, swaying, bobbing and tripping in the dim light of Mario Lalli's generator-driven bare bulb. Truly electrifying.
However, because the sound/video quality on that video isn't great, I offer this as compensation. I think it's the only one they ever did [edit: nope, I was wrong, check comments below for two more] and it's about what you'd expect from these Low-Desert punks. I mean, of course they would play in the desert under a lava-lamp sky.
Kyuss - "One Inch Man":
Buy: Kyuss - And the Circus Leaves Town... [Amazon]
June 22, 2009
Freshly Baked: Amesoeurs
In "Freshly Baked," we feature promising young bands or bands that are otherwise lacking the attention we think they deserve.
by theseseans (NYC)
Amesoeurs got my attention after reading Pitchfork's stellar Show No Mercy column and they have held it ever since. If you are a regular reader of The Cake, you know that we have been very interested in black metal's current expansion away from the aesthetic-centered, lo-fi traditions of old, into new waters (see: Nachtmystium, Tombs). So when SNM-scribe Brandon Stosuy said the band delivers a "gorgeous blend of expansive dark pop and shoegaze with trace elements of black metal," we listened up. Now we urge you to do the same.
Download: Amesoeurs - "Heurt" [MP3]
Even though Amesoeurs broke up shortly after releasing their self-titled full-length, the record has lost none of its impact. What makes this record stand out is Amesoeurs' ability to push genre boundaries while retaining a classic, pop-centered approach to songwriting. Melodies will stay in your head for days and you'll be singing along in French before you know it. The only real problem with the record is how much better the pop parts are than the black metal sections. While the black metal parts are great, they just don't have the same impact pianist/vocalist Audrey's subdued and haunting voice has on the rest of the record. But enough with the explanations, give the track a chance!
June 19, 2009
Crustcake Picks - Chicago Shows 6/19-6/25
by Clive Candy (CHI)
Or: a newcake reveals his poor taste.
I'm torn about this coming Friday eve. There's really nothing in the way of high- (or mid-, or lowermid-) shows that night. So I offer a choice!
Enjoy fun, slightly overwrought melodic death metal? Maybe even metalcore? I really do dislike putting that word with that suffix. But nevertheless, if you fit this bill, I'd check out Act of Destruction at Doug's Rockhouse (wtf?) in (fucking) Aurora. More Killswitch Engage than Amon Amarth, but I've got an embarrassing weakness for the former. Everbody's gotta get hooked on metal some way, right?
Right?
Or, if you'd like something slightly more cred-worthy/less embarrassing, check out The Killer at the Bottom Lounge on Friday. Plus, you don't have to schlep out to Aurora. Slightly less technical than Converge and not quite d-beat, but nonetheless a satisfying hardcore/metal combo pack.
Sloooooow down (Hey! You hit Sunn O)))! Speed up!) on Saturday for some instrumental doom from Bongripper (unfortunate name, but not relatively so) at Memories. Fairly straightforward, but entertaining enough if slow-mo headbanging's your bag.
Perennial (I guess?) other-music crustcake favorites THE HOLD STEADY are playing the Taste of Randolph Street for TEN BUCKS (suggested entry fee/what you pay if you're not a jerkoff). An outdoorsy/BBQ-ey atmosphere is almost unfairly improved by the presence of these five wacky dudes. Meet you in the party pit.
It ain't metal, but it's all legit on Tuesday. See the fuckin' Germs, man. They might be as old as the fogies they once spat blood on, but they're still around.
Where are you now, MINOR THREAT?!
Quiet week, it seems. Turn up speakers accordingly.
Crustcake Picks - Chicago Shows 6/19 - 6/25Friday 6/19/09 - Act of Destruction, Kalaticus, Seven Year Existence, Life in Shadow, Sacred Dawn @ Doug's Rockhouse in AURORA (why don't they just have it in Elgin?)
OR
The Killer, Jungle Rot, Harm's Way, Jumpsuit, Kamikaze Eyes @ the Beat Kitchen
Saturday 6/20/09 - Bongripper, Salt of the Earth, Imperial Battlesnake (woot!), Making Ghosts, the Jonestown Choir @ Memories (21+)
Sunday 6/21/09 - THE HOLD (FREAKIN') STEADY @ Taste of Randolph Street
Tuesday 6/22/09 - The Germs, Krum Bums @ Reggie's Rock Club
June 18, 2009
Crustcake Interviews: Justin Bartlett aka vberkvlt
As part of our unfailing committment to champion the best parts of a culture we hold dear, we here at Crustcake are expanding our coverage ov Thee Metal Musick to metal culture, writ large. Metal's aesthetic – be it dreadlocked, corpsepainted, bullet-belted, Viking-horned or otherwise – is as integral to the scene as the metal itself. Over the upcoming months, look for articles, features and interviews with some of the artists, designers, filmmakers, writers, movers, shakers and scene-makers making waves in the metal milieu without music.
First up, Van Damned's interview with maniacal, detail-obsessed illustrator Justin Bartlett, aka vberkvlt. Hailing from the wicked, frostbitten hills of San Diego, this self-proclaimed Black Ink Warlock has spewed forth a blasphemous array of album layouts and covers, t-shirt designs, illustrations, skateboards and denim jeans(!) for a growing list of casualties that includes Gorgoroth, Aura Noir, SUNN O))), Intronaut and Watain. Bartlett is among the vanguard of new-school metal illustrators who are earning their place next to Pushead, Locke, Seagrave and Riggs as revolutionary, mold-breaking, insta-classic artists. Van caught up with Bartlett via e-mail to talk about sado-goats, Internet nerds and (of course) burnt Norwegian churches.
- You seem to apply a fairly tongue-in-cheek approach to an otherwise grimmm aesthetic. How important is humor to you? Does humor have a place in heavy metal?
I've always appreciated humor and the absurd, but I do take my work seriously ... most of the time, anyways. I don't try to add an overbearing sense of humor to my work or, more importantly, irony. For some, a deformed corpse-Jesus coming out of a giant, earthen vagina might be really "kvlt"-looking. For others, it's funny. I like to/try to create imagery that at least grabs someone's attention. I suppose, depending on their musical or artistic tastes or "metal backgrounds," they can draw whichever response is natural for them.
The world of Metal is so incredibly diverse. And of course humor has a place in it, intentional or otherwise. There are obviously some genres of metal where the use of humor wouldn't fit, such as Orthodox Black Metal. But if you need a good laugh just read or listen to any interview with Lemmy, go to a Manowar concert, or check out any recent Q & A with Fenriz.
- You’re fairly open about your artistic debt to Voivod’s Michel “Away” Langevin. Who else do you draw influence from? Edward Gorey? Shel Silverstein?
Well, I really only started doing hand-drawn illustrations a few years ago. I used to draw a lot when I was younger and drew in a similarly-detailed way. Mostly the subjects were animals like insects and reptiles. I had a huge interest in deep-sea creatures, monsters (Aliens and Predator) and, of course, occasionally some XXX stuff that got me in trouble from time to time. For the most part I stopped drawing during high school. I wanted to be a biological illustrator for a while and I went to college for a degree in biology, which went no where. So after years of just doing Photoshop and Illustrator stuff, I felt like I had really lost some part of my creative ability, or at least a way (in which) I really wanted to express myself. There seemed to be a huge resurgence in hand-drawn album artwork and a reaction against digital work in the graphic design world in general (which) really inspired me to start again, years later. I've never really tried to develop my technique into some sort of style or look. I didn't go to art school. I just draw how I want. There's nothing really profound to it, it just comes out like that.
Also, I never really had paid much attention to other established illustrators until after I started drawing again and some people had seen my work. A lot of responses were, "Hey, that looks sort of like Edward Gorey or Nick Blinko." So I had to check them out. Nick Blinko from Rudimentary Peni blows me away with his detail. His style (seems) to be very unrefined and primitive, like his music. I had a few of the newer Rudimentary releases, but none of the old stuff which had much more intense illustrations ("Death Church," "The EP's of RP"), so I went out and bought them. I also enjoy Edward Gorey's drawings, although I am only familiar with a small chunk of his extensive amount of work. (Coincidently I just bought my first Edward Gorey book today.) [Ed. note: This was received June 14, 2009.]
"Artistic debt" might be a bit of an exaggeration, but I do really enjoy Away's work. Mostly because it is so 'metal' without relying on the standard iconography of upside-down crosses, sado-goats with huge boners raping nuns, etc... His style really compliments the music. It's unique and, just like Voivod, he's always done his own thing. I'd encourage any readers to order his new book, which is a compendium of decades of really awesome drawings.
I also really like a lot the hand-drawn/Xeroxed underground-metal and -punk demo tapes and albums that were (and still are) circulating back in the 1980s. It's just really honest and primitive.
- How does your approach to album layout and design differ from your approach to illustration? Is it as simple as the difference between Micron pens and Bristol pads vs. Wacom tablets?
Usually when I am doing an illustration for a t-shirt or poster, it's a bit easier because I'm only really creating one image that fits onto one area. But with an album, there are usually multiple illustrations and text, so I have to figure out how to fit it all together without it looking like someone just cut and pasted a bunch of crap together. I've never used a Wacom tablet, but I've used some found imagery for collage work.
- Can you describe your journey through heavy metal? Were there any significant “ah-hah” moments you remember? Were you always looking for faster, heavier (and more kvlt) bands?
I kind of got into metal in a reverse way: most people start out listening to more popular or accessible stuff like Judas Priest, Maiden or Sabbath when they're younger and gradually get into harder stuff like Slayer, Celtic Frost or Venom. When I was a kid I had heard all of the classic stuff through older friends, but I was more into electronic/ post-punk music.
Hmm... a strange journey indeed. I think it must have all started when I bought a Cure tape when I was in fourth grade. From there, I got into Depeche Mode, New Order and Joy Division and then naturally migrated to more angsty/heavy stuff in my early pre-teen years like Nitzer Ebb, Nine Inch Nails, Skinny Puppy, Pigface, Front 242, KMFDM and Ministry. From there I think I jumped into Helmet, Jesus Lizard, Sepultura and Neurosis, who had a huge influence on me. This was back in the early 1990s, when a lot of the underground metal scenes were starting to get more recognition. I (got) really into Morbid Angel, Cadaver, Carcass, Godflesh, Entombed -- all of the early Earache releases. Also about that same time, the whole Norwegian Black Metal scene "blew up" because of the arsons and murders. I remember reading about the church burnings and murders in some UK magazine then seeking out Emperor, Enslaved, Gorgoroth, Satyricon, Darkthrone, Immortal and Burzum. I would buy anything with a grim, black-and-white cover, an illegible logo and corpsepainted faces. Naturally this lead to purchasing tons of crap (with) a few good albums here and there.
Keep in mind that this was before the Internet, so you really had to dig around for this stuff. That made it much more 'true' and special than it is today. actually finding something by surprise or, after months of trying to trade something, getting it in the mail, sitting down and listening to it with your friends. Now you can just click on MySpace, download a bunch of albums for free in five minutes, order a Mystifier shirt and the Master's Hammer Die Hard box set from Nuclear War Now! that's distributed by some guy in Chile and automatically claim yourself as "kvlt." Not that I am complaining, but I think music is a bit more disposable when it's so accessible.
- What prompted changing your name from wearetherobots to vberkvlt?
Mostly the subject matter of my work and the bands I work for. Also, back when I thought I needed a regular nine-to-five design job to make money, I had to have a website that sounded somewhat friendly. "We Are The Robots" is from Kraftwerk and was also some sort of personal, pseudo-social commentary. I just got sick of it and didn't see how it really represented my work. Originally I was going to start a line of t-shirts with the new name but figured that I wouldn't have time for that and also (be able to) freelance. I think VBERKVLT (Uber Cult) rolls off the tongue better. Plus, it's also an inside joke for internet metal nerds. It's funny, but not ironic. I like to say it's ironically ironic.
- Who have you been rocking out to lately?
I've really gotten into the Ramones' "End of the Century" lately after watching their documentary. The juxtaposition of their very simple style with freak-show producer Phil Spector's "wall of sound" really makes a great pop album.
I can't always be grim and frostbitten. But in that spectrum, I've been listening to the new Katharsis, Embrace of Thorns, Teitanblood, Funeral Mist, Altaar, Necrovation, Repugnant, Katalysator/Invidious, a bunch of Unholy Crucifix tapes and spoken word stories by DOOM DOM.
Please support real underground music by PURCHASING the releases, or people like me will be out on the streets sucking dick for food.
- Upcoming projects?
I just finished a pretty intensive project for The Observatory, a band from Singapore. The CD is a 32-page, fully-illustrated, hard-bound book. I think it's been my biggest project in terms of work. It's got five or six really big drawings. There will also be an LP version, prints and three shirts. It's completely devoid of any metal references, but still very much my style.
On a side-note, I've been wanting to do a children's book for a couple of years now and this was definitely my impetus for starting one.
Hmm, let's see. I have three shirts for Barnaby Black that I need to finish, some illustrations for SUNN O))), Wolves in the Throne Room, Dragged into Sunlight, Trap Them [Who Bartlett says has an upcoming release on Southern Lord, ed.], Altaar, Bohemian Grove and Vorkreist.
///
Bartlett was adamant that we include the myriad links to artists, bands and other sundry scenemakers he included in his responses.
Martin Popoff's World's Away: Voivod and the Art of Michel Langevin http://www.voivodbook.com/
Other recommended artists:
Uwe Bremer
Franciszek Starowieyski
Theodor Kittelsen
Wayne Barlowe
Austin Osman Spare
Recommended bands:
Katharsis (http://www.noevdia.com)
Embrace of Thorns (http://www.myspace.com/embraceofthorns)
Teitanblood (http://www.teitanblood.com)
Funeral Mist (http://www.funeralmist.se)
Altaar (http://www.myspace.com/altaarnorway)
Necrovation (http://www.necrovation.com)
Repugnant (http://www.myspace.com/epitomeofdarkness)
Katalysator/Invidious (http://myspace.com/invidiousdeathmetal)
Unholy Crucifix (http://www.last.fm/music/Unholy+Crucifix)
June 17, 2009
Five "Dope" Albums That Changed the World
It’s unclear exactly when the word “dope” jumped from its negative noun form (as a euphemism for idiot or dummy) to its positive adjective form (as in, “so-and-so’s new record is dope!”) We here at Crustcake suspect it was right around the time illegal drugs and rock n’ roll reached an equal foothold in youth culture. As an unsurprising result, the word in its current form stands out significantly in the glossary of rock and metal’s gruesome grimoire.
Take, as proof, these five “dope” albums that changed the world.
Eyehategod
Dopesick
[Century Media; Released April 2, 1996]
By beatmasterspeech (LA)
Eyehategod's appropriately titled album Dopesick sounds exactly what it feels like when you've just pushed the last of your stash up your crusty, infected vein. The walls of feedback displayed on album opener "My Name Is God (I Hate You)" pair up quite nicely with the physical feeling of being dopesick. Imagine your bones becoming brittle, eyes dried and crispy, skin so itchy you want to rip out of it. Dopesick is the audio version of that feeling.
Now you might be saying to yourself, "Man! This review does not give me the desire to listen to this record." Well, EHG certainly create sick tension but they definitely get their fix on as well. At the moment of your most tortured listening experience, Jimmy Bower and Co. break out the bottom end and let the swamp stomp flow back through your veins. All is good. Like, really good... until you run out. Then it's back to dopesick. This record may be the only way to experience the highs and lows of extreme addiction without actually having to draw back red blood and release.
///
Sleep
Dopesmoker
[Tee Pee; Officially released April 22, 2003]
By theseseans (NYC)
The first time I ever hit a bong, it didn't go well. There was a lot of coughing, hacking and peer pressure to do it again. Not to mention one of my friends went into an asthma attack and totally freaked out. Fast-forward three years. My Czech friend Aika and I have built a motherfucking igloo on his front lawn (we lived in Maine at the time so this was very possible; it had a chimney/vent and everything) completely dedicated to smoking. We used to sit in there with a gas mask and just fucking blaze.
And that's really what Sleep's Dopesmoker is. It's a fucking igloo. It's gas-mask hits. It's the entire essence of pot smoking's musical culture pushed well past normal limits. Dopesmoker is one hour-long song that really, really, doesn't need to be an hour long. But that's what makes it the ultimate piece of stoner metal; because let's be honest, you don't need to smoke pot out of a gas mask sitting in your own igloo to get high, but fuck me if it isn’t awesome.
///
Monster Magnet
Dopes to Infinity
[A&M; Released March 21, 1995]
By The WZA'd (Philadelphia)
At a little over an hour, Dopes to Infinity, Monster Magnet’s third album, is one "monster" of an album; an experience made up completely of stoner epic after poppy stoner epic. In the beginning, echoing guitar effects and radio chitchat turn quickly into a foreboding sludge riff, later switching gears into a psychedelic jam for the stars. Immediately after that is Monster Magnet’s foray into the mainstream with “Negasonic Teenage Warhead,” a song with a catchy “wow now now” guitar hook and a ‘90s era MTV-friendly video.
With the trippy album art involving a planet, some sort of machine and a naked girl in space, funny song titles like “Ego the Living Planet” (based on a comic book character), and extra-spacey lyrics, it’s obvious that these guys just wanted to have fun, smoke nug, and not take themselves too seriously. Dopes to Infinity is arguably our most accessible “Dope” album, sharing attributes of both the Stoner Rock movement and Alterna-‘90s grunge. Monolithic, psychedelic fun.
///
Electric Wizard
Dopethrone
[Rise Above; Released September 25, 2000]
By crustcake gerf (NYC)
Dopethrone is probably Electric Wizard's most important album and arguably their best. This is pure unadulterated Doom with a Capital D; drugged, doped, blown out, and heavy-as-fuck. With the proper listening environment and at the proper volume, this is one of the heaviest albums ever recorded, by any band in any genre -- this is absolutely not a headphones album and the effect is lost at lower volumes. Turn it up loud enough, though, and it will crush your soul. Standout tracks include the opening pair of "Vinum Sabbathi" and "Funeralopolis," which play out like a single musical statement and the despairingly heavy "I, the Witchfinder."
///
Agoraphobic Nosebleed
Frozen Corpse Stuffed With Dope
[Relapse; Released June 11, 2002]
By Van Damned (ATX)
We’ll assume Scott Hull wasn’t briefed about the quote Nasum skinsman Anders Jakobson gave Decibel editor Albert Mudrian for his 2004 book, Choosing Death: The Improbable History of Death Metal & Grindcore (Feral House). Though the big-and-burly Hull is famously congenial, we can’t help but imagine Hull prickling a little at Jakobson’s assertion that “drum machines are not grindcore.” Hull, after all, has been one of grind’s most visible experimenters, adding Iommi-tinged grooves to a Heartwork-era framework of skin-flaying guitar riffs, backed by brain-breaking blastbeats which are often programmed on his own home computer. That Hull is inclined to throw in everything from shotgun blasts and cocaine snorts to random voicemails, Tibetan throat singing and even dance-inflected drum’n’bass is enough to give the “one-vision” purists nightmares for weeks.
Hull’s kitchen-sink approach scaled its first cohesive peak on Agoraphobic Nosebleed’s Frozen Corpse Stuffed With Dope. The 2002 album is a demanding listen to be sure, but among the 38, lightning-fast digiblasts of spasmodic grind lay some caustic, acid-etched gems. Sure the lyrical content broaches some pretty un-PC subject matter (misogyny, religious blasphemy, drug use) but guitarist/programmer Hull and his triple-pronged, vocal-chord-shredding co-conspirators could (frankly) give two shits. After Frozen Corpse, Hull would go on to perfect an artier, more-meta grind, both with his traditional-grindcore-leaning side band Pig Destroyer (2007’s Phantom Limb, Relapse) and on this year’s ANb release, Agorapocalypse (Relapse), which finds Hull and Co. discovering songcraft -- and enjoying it. As it is, Frozen Corpse Stuffed With Dope stands as a turning point between Hull’s earlier, juvenile approach to grind (he’s buddies with Seth Putnam, after all) and his later, more cerebral releases.
June 15, 2009
Live Review: ISIS, Pelican, Tombs
by theseseans (NYC)
ISIS
When: Thursday, June 2nd, 2009
Where: The Filmore at Irving Plaza, NYC
With: Pelican, Tombs
For the first time in ages I was at a "big" show and went down to the front to catch Tombs. An obvious fan, I wanted to see how the bands precise, oft-buried melodies, subtle control over feedback and blistering riffs went over with the crowd. I was pleasantly surprised to see a lot of bobbing heads and even a few people singing along. What really impressed me, however, was Tombs' drummer Andrew Hernandez. Over the numerous times I have seen Tombs, Hernandez always seemed to be the wild card; he could be dead on, but sometimes seemed lost. Which is understandable for someone who joined the band right before their Relapse debut Winter Hours came out. But this night Hernandez rose from behind his kit, not just to pound the drums that much harder, but to control Tombs' set. The road seems to have treated the band well: their playing was tight and abrasive while maintaining the clout of their shifting atmospheres.
I have never been a fan of Pelican. Even so, I was more impressed with their set than I thought I would be. Their opener was accessible, engaging, and enjoyable; but as their set wore on, boredom eventually grabbed hold of me. A cover of Earth's "Geometry of Murder" was a high point, but, all in all, I was ready to get to ISIS.
I had never seen ISIS, but lord, I was ready. Panopticon made me a fan; I felt In The Absence Of Truth had great moments and direction, but lacked destination. Wavering Radiant however, floors me completely. Guitars sound tighter and more focused. Melodies have found a comfortable place amidst the noise. As ISIS opened with "Hall Of The Dead," you could feel their confidence in the record: there is something encouraging about a band opening a set with the first song off their latest record. It seems to say, "Yes! We, as a band, are excited about being here, playing this!" Certainly Arron Turner's awkward movements conveyed excitement and a near-complete submission to the music he was creating onstage. Their set continued to favor Radiant, which was fine by me. Live, the songs had an extra power that was entrancing and I was perfectly happy with their set choices. There were, of course, some old ones thrown in the mix, including an encore performance of "The Beginning and The End." Overall ISIS' set left me feeling different from when they began and this is the highest praise I can give to a live act with ISIS' atmospheric, blossoming sound. I was consumed by a sound that is meant to do just that. As a band far into a career that has survived constant criticism and a fan base that seems to think they have already peaked, ISIS are still playing like every movement is necessary.
June 12, 2009
Crustcake Picks - Chicago Shows 6/12-6/18
by Clive Candy (CHI)
Yaheydere!
Sorry for the late post, but I wanna make sure you guys know about the Isis/Pelican/Keelhaul show at the Bottom Lounge tonight. Post-metal has always seemed a bit post-fun to me, but Isis did put on a hell of a show the last time I saw them. Granted, I was blitzed out of my skull.
Saturday night's pretty vacant, but I'll give a shout-out to Maggot Twat (at Clearwater Theater all the way out in Dundee, Illinois) for possession of self-awareness: they just might know that grindcore song titles are hilarious.
A quick side-note: wanna impress your metal (or non-metal) friends with your ability to tap into the collective unconscious (is that a Magic: the Gathering card?)? Try the Cannibal Corpse game! Pick a CC record and have a group of people look at the tracklist. Have everyone say the song they're thinking of on the count of three. Nine out of ten times, it'll be the same song. Points for combining gore with perversion ("Orgasm through Torture"). Although I guess all Cannibal Corpse songs do that.
Back to Maggot Twat:
"The most popular song on their MySpace, "I Wanna Get Laid", sounds like "Pause for Porno" X "Method Man" + the staples from Drag Me to Hell. A winning combination.
Pitchfork junkie? Slum your way over to the Pearl Room for Absu on Tuesday night.
Warped time-signature junkie? Like seeing the most jacked person in metal beat up teenagers? Dillinger Escape Plan's your Wednesday plan. Oops. That was stupid.
And although they're lacking somewhat in the brutal-ness category, I'd be at Imperial Battlesnake on Thursday night at the Cobra Lounge. Again, a sense of humor and a healthy dose of Slough Feg-influenced thrashing wins the day.
Thanks again to Chicago Metal Factory for the scheduling wizardry!
Public Service Announcement
We received the following press release:
UNSIGNED BANDS: BEWARE OF LABEL STAFF IMPOSTERS & IMPERSONATORS
You’re an unsigned band playing a local show and someone approaches you claiming to represent Nuclear Blast or Metal Blade Records. They say they want to sign you, book studio time for your band, buy you plane tickets, or even put you on Ozzfest, yet no contracts are ever involved. Sound too good to be true? That’s because it is.
There’s been a rash of imposters in several states claiming all of the above and more. Some try to extort money from bands by claiming they need it to place a deposit on whatever it is they’re promising. Others want free entry into a show, free CDs & band merchandise, or backstage access. Whatever the case, what’s clear is that these imposters have such low-self esteem that they’re willing to lie about who they are.
Bands, DO NOT LET YOUR HOPES OF GETTING SIGNED BLINDSIDE YOU. Staff members at Nuclear Blast and Metal Blade:
· conduct official business via their official office e-mail & telephone number.
· can produce a business card with the label’s logo, official office address, and official telephone number.
· NEVER ask unsigned bands for “deposit” money.
Nuclear Blast and Metal Blade Records wish to keep their reputations among metal fans & metal musicians in good standing, as we understand how hard bands work to bring their music to the metal community. These imposters are mocking everything we stand for as independent metal labels, as musicians, and as fans.
If ANYONE approaches your band claiming to be from a label and asks for money, for free entry into a show, free CDs or merchandise, or backstage access, your FIRST response should be to be skeptical.
Call the label asking to verify staff names and positions. Or, take your photo with the imposter/impersonator and send it to the label’s general e-mail address to inform them of what they are promising.
June 11, 2009
New Video: Mastodon - Oblivion
Mastodon have posted another video off of their most recent Crack The Skye for the song "Oblivion." While the album has divided fans with it's (mainly) rock sound, "Oblivion" is pretty undeniable in it's rock-awesomeness. Enjoy!
Mastodon -"Oblivion"
Crustcake Picks - NYC Shows 6/11 - 6/17
by crustcake gerf (NYC)
If you missed Trap Them when they came through on May 25th, tonight's your chance to make up for it: they'll be at the Charleston along with Victims and Black Breath.
Friday, choose between Liturgy's 'bliss metal' or Junius' epic, heavy post-rock. It's a tough call.
Then, wrap up your weekend the right way with Brooklyn Vegan's Black Bubblegum's Northside Festival showcase featuring Doomriders, Zoroaster, Clouds, Sourvein, Howl, Cough, and more. That's gonna be a damn good time.
Crustcake Picks - NYC Shows 6/11 - 6/17Thursday 56/11/09 - Victims, Trap Them, Black Breath @ The Charleston
Friday 6/12/09 - Junius, Irepress, Moving Mountains @ The Studio at Webster Hall
Friday 6/12/09 - Liturgy, Animal, Vaz, Musclebrain, Acid Tiger @ Silent Barn
Sunday 6/13/09 - Doomriders, Zoroaster, Clouds, Sourvein, Howl, Cough, Wetnurse, Javelina, Liturgy @ Europa
Live Review: Magrudergrind, The Endless Blockade
by theseseans (NYC)
Magrudergrind, The Endless Blockade
When: Thursday, May 28th, 2009
Where: The Charleston, NYC
With: Atakke, Unearthly Trance
I was super, super pumped to catch The Endless Blockade, in the sure to be intimate basement styling of the Charleston, who do not often tour outside their native Canada. The shows draw just got better with the inclusion of DC grind force Magrudergrind. After Atakke and Unearthly Trance both put on welcoming performances to open the show (with special humorous shout outs from Atakke's front woman to her parents who were both in attendance), The Endless Blockade unleashed a truly volatile performance that evoked a real sense of danger. Luckily, the crowd embraced the noise, chaos, and light speed to a crawl tempo changes that help define the "powerviolence" sound (and fury). Several times The Endless Blockade's frontman was physically embraced by the audience as well, whether out of self preservation, or just the chance to open ones mouth near the mic and participate in the seemingly controlled chaos is any one's guess. After the very, very brief set everyone present seemed to have the same facial expression: what the fuck, holy shit, that was awesome.
Magrudergrind followed shortly after doing what they do best, grind. With their self titled album recently released their set favored newer material; not such a bad thing with the strength of tracks like "Lyrical Ammunition for Scene Warfare." Following a very impressive performance, Magrudergrind didn't seem phased, guitarist R.J. beckoned the crowd closer (something like.."get the fuck closer, this is a basement, why does it feel like Maryland Death Fest?") while frontman Avi exploded though the air, across the stage, and often into others.
Both of the bands bring the best parts of grind out effortlessly; punk rock was more the name of the game here, not technical guitar riffage. For a genre and a show that features so much, well, noise, it was surprising to see a small room of people so full of smiles; and the reason was obvious: Magrudergrind were great, but The Endless Blockade made this show seem special.
June 10, 2009
Crustcake Exclusive: New Constants MP3, New Album July 14th
by crustcake gerf (NYC)
Download: Constants - "Those Who Came Before pt. I" [MP3]
I'm a long-time fan of this Boston-based trio, so when crustcake had the opportunity to premiere an MP3 of course we took it. The track above is the third track off Constants' forthcoming sophomore full-length, The Foundation, The Machine, The Ascension, which will be out on July 14th via The Mylene Sheath.
As the title suggests, the album is conceptually divided up into three 'movements' of sorts, and will appropriately be available on gatefold 3xLP (100 brown/gray/clear and 300 cream). As if the brilliant music itself (think spaced-out, epic, ardent post-rock with lots of textures and ample use of chorus/delay on the guitars) wasn't enough, those little details right there have me gaga for this record, and I'll be sure to do a proper review when my LP arrives.
In the meantime, I'll be enjoying "Those Who Came Before pt. I" and wishing I was in Europe for their June tour (dates below).
The Foundation, The Machine, The Ascension Cover art / Tracklisting:
1. Genetics Like Chess Pieces
2. Damien
3. Those Who Came Before pt I
4. Those Who Came Before pt II
5. The Nameless
6. The Timeless
7. Identity of Indescernibles
8. Eternal reoccurance
9. Abraxas pt I
10. Abraxas pt II
11. Ascension
12. ...Passage
Constants Live:
10.06.09 / ES Gijon Savoy Club
11.06.09 / PT Braganca Central Pub
12.06.09 / ES Madrid Ritmo y Compas
13.06.09 / ES Bilbao Aurki
14.06.09 / ES Zaragoza, tba*
15.06.09 / ES Barcelona, tba*
18.06.09 / CH Aarau KiFF
19.06.09 / AT Dornbirn Cafe Schlachthaus w/ At The Soundawn
20.06.09 / IT San Martino Secchia di Carpi Rottura Del Silenzio Festival
21.06.09 / IT Montebelluna Osteria Tocchetto
22.06.09 / AT Vienna Chelsea w/ Lehnen
23.06.09 / HU Budapest After Music Pub
24.06.09 / PL Krakow Kawiarnia Naukowa
25.06.09 / PL Lublin, Tektura
26.06.09 / PL PL Warsaw Progresja w/ Tides From Nebula
27.06.09 / PL Szczecin Kontrasty Club w/ Tides From Nebula
28.06.09 / DE Berlin NBI
29.06.09 / DE Chemnitz Subway to Peter
30.06.09 / CZ Beroun Barka Toçnik
01.07.09 / DE Dresden, AZ Conni w/ City Of Ships, Braveyoung
02.07.09 / DE Leipzig Zoro w/ City Of Ships / Braveyoung
03.07.09 / DE Cologne MTC
04.07.09 / NL Den Helder De Bliksem
05.07.09 / NL Zwolle Eureka w/ Iroha
June 9, 2009
Crustcake Reviews: Brutal Truth - Evolution Through Revolution [4/14/09; Relapse]
by The WZA'd (Philadelphia)
When Brutal Truth returned and debuted some of their new songs on “This Comp Kills Fascists, Vol. 1,” they were placed alongside their modern grindcore peers. That their music held up with everybody else’s is a testament to both their influence and continued authority over the genre.
Three of those four songs return on the vinyl edition of “Evolution Through Revolution,” their newest full-length from Relapse, but re-recorded and significantly clearer. That doesn’t mean that the songs are any less brutal or insane though; this new album is a huge collection (22 songs worth!) of grindcore hooks, brutal riffs, sludgy bass, and classic Brutal Truth “smoke, grind, sleep” mentality.
Why anybody would want to get really high and play insanely fast beats me (brutally). It’s not like they’re just pounding out blast-beats and recycled Napalm Death riffs either – these guys are doing things you just wouldn’t expect. Modern grindcore often sounds like a mess of blast-beats, indecipherable riffs, and mindlessly screamed vocals, but Brutal Truth pays special attention to every aspect of their grind machine.
See, Brutal Truth aren’t trying to amaze you with speed or their scene-cred. They just want to mess with your head. Everything about their music has a sense of collaborative wrongness that just feels so right. Riffs are sporadic and weird; the album often feels like music to walk around in a daze to, with passages of brutal grind to keep momentum going. Richard Hoak, their drummer, is also all over the place, never leaving any space for you to grab hold to a song and get tired of it, filling in the gaps with, well, a lot of fills. As for the singing - remember how you tried to figure out how Napalm Death possibly said "you suffer but why" within that one second? A lot of the vocals (provided by Kevin Sharp and Dan Lilker) on the album are like that.
“Evolution Through Revolution” is a chaotic, murky album, a haze of grindcore with flits of notes sliding back and forth across guitar necks under cymbal crashes. Brutal Truth are never messy, but precise in their chaos.
The vinyl packaging of the album reflects their grind-haze, with shades of beige coloring most of the artwork and a splash of words behind every picture. Personally, I like this album cover more than the CD version because it's funnier and, in my opinion, truer to the music. Two smiling people with huge guns in front of the American Flag pretty much sums it all up.
The packaging itself is fairly standard - a gatefold with artwork inside, one 180-gram disk, and a lyric sheet. However, the biggest advantage to buying the album on vinyl is the bonus tracks. "Forever in a Daze" and "Dogs of War" are both from the "This Comp Kills Fascists" compilation, but are re-recorded and sound awesome.
8/10 [Audible]
8/10 [Physical]
\
[Front Cover]
[Inside Spread]
[Disk and back of lyric sheet]
June 8, 2009
New Video: Narrows - Gypsy Kids
Narrows have posted a video from their recently released (and quite excellent) full length New Distances. The song "Gypsy Kids" is accompanied by an unusually graphic and fairly disturbing video. Obviously not aiming for the MTV crowd here....
New Distances follows the band's previous 7" effort.
June 4, 2009
Crustcake Picks - Chicago Shows 6/4-6/11
by Clive Candy (CHI)
New blogger here!
So I emailed my favorite metal blahg a few months ago and asked if they had any recommendations for decent Chicago-area metal blogs with similar taste. They said they didn't, but then asked if I felt like inaugurating their Chicago "bureau." Do blogs have bureaus?
Crustcake has bureaus.
They will inaugurate your bureau.
So, without further ado, the first installment of Crustcake Picks for the Chicagoland area:
Neo-thrash/speed/death/black weirdos Skeletonwitch are playing The Empty Bottle this Thursday (that it's 21+ might be distressing to the lil' Crusties and Crustettes out there). I discovered these dudes a few years ago thanks to the most brilliant guy writing for a douchy site I hate to love, but I'm just now getting the chance to sink my teeth into 'em. Raise the Red Lantern and Black September support, with Nachtmystium's Blake Judd (CHITOWN WOOT) DJing. I'd go just to see whether Blake likes Cut Copy.
But the Matchitehew Assembly is truly the place to hide from the retarded midwestern weather this weekend. Not only are Marblebog headlining their first American show at Machitehew on Friday, they're the first Hungarian black metal band to ever play in the States. If I find out that a blackened death or deathened black band played before them, I will be disappointed.
In addition to Saturday-night headliner Krieg (also pimped by Mr. Stosuy at one of his untouchable Show No Mercy rollouts), Jersey purveyors of lo-fi black in the tradition of Ulver and early Mayhem, the weekend also features four Chicago-area acts: Bloodyminded, Velnias, Oakeater, and Locrian. Crank Sunn's BPM up slightly and throw in a few claustrophobic electronics, and you'll have a good idea what Locrian's aiming at.
The whole weekend's all ages, too.
All's quiet until fucking MAYHEM, MARDUK, CEPHALIC CARNAGE (bravo for their album art), CATTLE DECAPTIATION, WITHERED (a crustcake favorite) AND LAIR OF THE MINOTAUR (can't say I know the last one, but the name alone might carry the day) arrive at the House of Blues next Thursday to melt face. Odd venue choice, but I guess House of Blues doesn't really have a booking M.O. Eh, I'll enjoy my $9 g&t.
Crustcake Picks - Chicago Shows 6/4 - 6/11Thursday 6/4/09 - Skeletonwitch, Raise the Red Lantern, Black September, DJ Blake Judd @ The Empty Bottle
Friday 6/5/09 - Matchitehew Assembly Evening 1 (Headlined by Marblebog) @ Co-Prosperity Sphere
Saturday 6/6/09 - Matchitewhew Assembly Evening 2 (Headlined by Krieg) @ Co-Prosperity Sphere
Thursday 6/11/09 - Mayhem, Marduk, Cephalic Carnage, Cattle Decapitation, Withered, Lair of the Minotaur @ The House of Blues
June 1, 2009
Live Review: Wolves in the Throne Room, A Storm of Light, Krallice
by The WZA'd (Philadelphia)
Wolves in the Throne Room
When: Thursday, May 28th, 2009
Where: Kung Fu Necktie, Philadelphia, PA
With: A Storm of Light, Krallice
Kung Fu Necktie is a small bar in Philly under the El train and isn’t much of a metal venue. They have some indie shows and cute stuff like that, but according to a Yelp.com review, sometimes “DJs crank it to the point of distortion.” Nothing against DJs, but I think it's fair to assume that Krallice, A Storm of Light, and Wolves in the Throne Room are probably going to be cranking it a bit higher. If I had read this review before the show, I might have guessed at the sound quality for the night. I’ll break it down for you: not great. In fact, the night was a series of ups and lows, leading up to the highlight of it all - a 45 minute set by the band we all came to see.
Because of some arrangement with the venue (I’m guessing), all three bands on the WittR tour played two sets that night - one at 6 which was all-ages and one at 10 that was 21+. I got there at six and sound checks were done about forty minutes later, at which point they actually opened the doors. I bought a T-shirt and went inside with some of the guys in Lenore, a local prog-metal band. We waited for some more sound-checking to be done before Krallice played.
I was right up front at the “stage” at this point, just waiting for everybody to get it together. I place “stage” in quotation marks because it was the smallest I’ve seen in a while – a little alcove filled with big-ass amps off to the side of the bar. Metalheads spilled over into the bar area. There would be no pit tonight.
When Krallice began playing, I backed away slowly. I wish I could say that I was backing away out of fear of the evil in their music, but it was simply because they were too loud. I don’t listen to this band. I don’t know if they do this usually. I do know that their albums don't sound like smothering iron sheets of bass-y white noise though. Sadly, I don’t know if I heard a single note their entire performance, let alone melody. At one point I tried to give in and let the sound wash over me, thinking maybe I would feel the music or find some other stupid way I could try to harness this noise. No dice. Looking back, that was probably the worst decision of the night – I should have waited outside the venue until they were done playing and saved myself a couple days of my right ear ringing. I can hear it in my head now: it’s just going “NNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!”
After that, I was despondent. I knew Krallice sounded way better than this on their albums, and I figured it was probably just the venue. But would Wolves sound like this? I hadn’t heard of A Storm of Light, so I figured they were another black metal band, and I feared it would be more of the same stupid noise.
I was happily surprised. A Storm of Light had very powerful performance, and I thought that Josh Graham’s singing was pretty good (despite the distortion provided by the terrible PA system). However, their quiet/loud shtick, while done very well, became tiring after a while. Around the time of the last song, I could tell that the audience wasn’t buying it anymore. I myself was ready to move on. I wished for a pit that would never come and started counting hipsters. One, two… oh look, a douche with a big-ass backpack.
Next up was Wolves, who played a four-song set (two from Black Cascade, 1 from Two Hunters, 1 from Diadem). As they started playing, smoke filled the room. Suddenly the alcove thing made sense. Wolves was trying to set up a mood. People were actually getting into the music. Sure, there wasn’t enough room to jump around and stuff, but headbanging was good enough. Sad to say, the PA system was still distorting vocals. Despite that, the sound quality was pretty good, and they managed to be overwhelming without sacrificing the music.
At this point I witnessed something rare: a fully attentive audience. Everybody was moving, nobody was hitting each other, and we were all focused on the band. I cannot think of any greater compliment to the band.
I left the venue feeling pretty good. I had a T-shirt, a record (“Two Hunters”), and a night worth talking about. I saw Wolves in the Throne Room play an alcove next to a painting of Tupac in a tiny venue under a train. Looking back on it, I can't imagine seeing them any other way. A Storm of Light, maybe, but Wolves seem right at home in a tiny alcove, smoke rising from the stage.
