by theseseans (NYC)
Sunn O)))
When: Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Where: Brooklyn Masonic Temple, Brooklyn, NY
With: Earth, Pelican, Eagle Twin
12:08 a.m. - The lights went down and the crowd applauded. But that always happens. Twenty-plus minutes of lighting changes and constant fog machine output, however, is fairly unusual. From my seat in the balcony, I looked down on the people in the front row and felt sorry for them: they were surrounded, invisible to my sight, by increasing amounts of choking, opaque fog. Pity gave way to empathy as those 20 minutes rolled on, ushering in more and more suffocating smoke, until the entire Brooklyn Masonic Temple was filled. Visibility was reduced to about 10 feet in any direction. Did someone just enter the stage? No, that was just a fresh batch of fog spewed from a machine rolling across the stage. The fog was so thick that it could actually be seen in layers.
Of course, before those Kings of Drone Doom took the stage, even before they blanketed the audience with throat-closing clouds of dry ice, another band I really wanted to see played – Earth. I arrived just before Dylan Carlson and Co. took the stage, which gave me enough time to say a few hellos and find a good vantage point. Carlson kept his stage talk to a minimum and the band opened with “Omens and Portents II: Carrion Crow,” before entering into an extended version of “The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull.” The band wasn’t super tight, but that was OK. They sounded – and felt – truly organic.
Performing as a four-piece (Carlson on guitar, backed by long-time drummer Adrienne Davis, Don McGreevy on bass and Steve Moore on keys), they just didn't sound as fully-realized as on 2008's massive and mult-layered Bees.... Going in, I really wanted them to play with a big band to hear live what I heard on record. What I got, though, was something unexpected: instrumental rock delivered in a more personal and intimate way than I could possibly have expected. Davis pulsed with her entire body, the rest of the band following her undulations. Perfect time wasn’t asked for; rather a simple togetherness was expected. I am more a fan of 2005's Hex... and its subsequent records than the noise/drone Earth helped pioneer early in their career. So when they followed “Bees” with a new and as-yet-unrecorded song that flowed in the same vein as their recent releases, I was thrilled. That song was livelier – and busier – than anything else I've heard Earth play. Carlson said the band will start recording a new record in December. Not as thrilling was their truncated set: they played just three songs. A solid 40 minutes, but I was expecting more.
12:25 a.m. - Earth had ended their set nearly 30 minutes prior. The Temple was full to the brim with smoke. The minimalist recorded chanting of Gyuto monks present during the set change came to end. Someone in the restless audience called for “one more song!” The tension broke and the crowd released a collective – and much-needed – laugh. When Mssrs. Anderson and O'Malley did enter, they were greeted with raucous applause which they quickly silenced with a few slow (and deafening) open chords. Thee Drone had begun.
Regular collaborator Attila Csihar entered, dressed initially like the rest in black "grimm robes." He began much like he did on Sunn's latest, Monoliths & Dimensions: slow and dry. Rhythmic isn’t the right word. Perhaps deliberate is a better choice. Like the fog, the more Csihar spoke, the more invasive his voice became. Realization struck: this is what we were there for. The crowd breathed in. Everything about the beginning of that particular performance was hypnotizing.
I’m not sure I can accurately describe the journey from beginning to end, point A to point B, but I can tell you how I felt before the show. I could not wait to see Earth and hoped I would be able to make it all the way through Sunn’s legendarily demanding set. I just wasn't a huge fan. I liked Monoliths a lot, but their older material did little for me. Seeing them live, and with Attila Csihar, no less, certainly made this special for me. While Csihar's presence (not to mention his incredible costumes) was a major highlight, it wouldn't be fair to ignore the near-telepathic communication between O’Malley, Anderson, Csihar and keyboardist Steve Moore, who performed double duty that night. They played as a single unit. Slow strokes and massive, ear-flattening sound melted under Csihar’s guttural delivery. Hooded and alone, they might have come off as the pretentious artistes they are occasionally accused of being. But behind Csihar, it honestly seemed they might have been as transfixed as the crowd. Waving their guitars against the massive power they unknowingly (or maybe knowingly) awakened, they worked the entire Temple into a climax unlike anything I’ve experienced before. Theirs was a performance clearly meant to be seen from beginning to end, by those those with patience and perseverance.
Point B? I left more a fan of Sunn O))) than I ever thought I could be.
Attila Csihar photo by Greg Cristman. Catch the rest of Greg's photos, along with some videos at Brooklyn Vegan's wrap up.
October 30, 2009
LIVE REVIEW: SUNN O))), EARTH
October 29, 2009
CRUSTCAKE INTERVIEWS: SECRETS OF THE MOON
by Andrew Wilhelm (Denver)
German black metal is usually associated with the tomfoolery of Nargaroth and countless NSBM clones, but Secrets of the Moon make one hell of an impression. Per black metal's standards, there's plenty of blasphemy to go around, but Secrets of the Moon avoid traditional constructs and inject their form of black metal with plenty of doom and clear production. And although they have no original members ala Napalm Death, that hasn't stopped the hellish momentum of this trio one bit.
I caught up with Secrets of the Moon's drummer, Thrawn, for a quick conversation during the band's Denver appearance on the Night Eternal Above America tour, also featuring Moonspell and Divine Heresy. We discussed American beer, the making of the band's new album, Privilegivm, and wankers trying to start fights in the pit.
How is the U.S. tour going so far?
So far, it's quite good. For us, it's the first time in the States. We had a couple of good shows in New York and Atlanta was good. We have already been in Canada; we played Montreal and Toronto. Detroit was a bit lame, but it doesn't matter. Everything has been going well so far, we have a good atmosphere on the bus with Moonspell because we are sharing a bus.
What are your initial impressions of the States?
We are quite surprised, it's so much different from back in Germany. I think the audience is better for us. After the shows, so many people are showing up wanting to talk to us and take pictures, even if people had never heard of our band before.
The tour was originally supposed to include Book of Black Earth and Samael, but both had to drop off. How did you take that?
We were looking forward to touring the States with Samael. When we got the bad news, it was very sad. But Divine Heresy, they are cool guys, we like them a lot.
They play a very different style of music from you guys, how does that go down with the audience?
I think it's going quite well. They always have people in the front. There's also a lot of people just showing up for them.
How are you liking the American beer over here?
(Laughs) Especially from Germany, that's a hard question. Most of the time, we are getting PBR, so this one [points to our Budweisers] is okay. Maybe you should work on that.
Have you ever had Miller High Life?
Yeah. I don't like it. (Laughs)
Not surprised. What was the making of the new album [Privilegivm] like?
It was a bit different. We had some very had times, especially two years ago, not because our only founding member [vocalist/bassist Daevas] left us, it really doesn't matter for us because he was never so much involved in the songwriting process. Since the second album, Carved in Stigmata Wounds, it was always sG, the vocalist [and guitarist], and me. We were always the motor of the band. But that was good for the band, I think, we're still good friends. For the whole songwriting process, all the things we wanted to...for all the visions to fulfill, it was just perfect. It was one of the best things to could have happened to the band.
Last summer, we were just sitting down and we were just sharing our ideas and just writing songs without wasting so much time in the rehearsal room. We just met each other and we had the feeling to write new songs. It was just a flowing process, it was just perfect. It was totally different way of songwriting for us, it's kind of a new chapter and new path for us. It's [Privilegivm's] the best album we can imagine for us.
My impression of the new album is that it's less black metal and more melodic. What led y'all toward that direction?
For us, it's 100% black metal, because it's black music that comes from our hearts, and for us it's the perfect black metal album. We have some melodies here and there, but we always had them in the previous albums. Now we some more doomy parts, we love doom a lot, it was a part of Secrets of the Moon. I don't know, I think it sounds more raw than the previous album. 100% black metal.
Where did the idea for the album cover come from?
Before this cover, we had the idea kind of a cross with snakes, but there was a problem with the copyright. There's a friend of ours, his name is Metastazis, he's a well-known black metal artist from France living in New York nowadays. He was doing photos for the last Taake album, also Gorgoroth. He came up with this idea with the apple. You got this apple - it's a daily fruit, you can see it everywhere. But this one is just black, grey, and there's this hole in this apple. It's not a bite, it's a hole. When you have the CD in your hands, you don't know what's inside of the apple. And the apple is the ultimate sin, and so for us, it's our personal inverted cross. It's pure blasphemy.
Are there any newer bands that you've been listening to lately?
At home, I only listen to old 70s music and 80s and 90s doom and drone bands. The only that I can recommend to all the people in the States is a Dutch band called The Devil's Blood. They're not black metal at all, but they have a black metal vibe. Also, a band from Sweden, Grand Magus, they combine doom metal with 80s-influenced metal.
I don't know if you saw it when y'all were playing, but there was this douchebag going around trying to start fights with people...
Here?
Yeah, here. He eventually got kicked out 3/4-s into your set...
I don't understand people like this. Metal should be a relaxed atmosphere, of course, when there's a black metal band playing on stage, you should just catch the atmosphere and share it with other people. Or maybe, you are just there alone and listening to the stuff, enjoy it. But starting fights...these people have to get kicked out.
Have y'all had any dumb hecklers at any of your shows?
No, nothing. That's never happened to us.
Do you have any last comments you want to make?
We really enjoy being in the States, and we hope to come back next year.
We hope y'all come back too.
GAZA PREMIER NEW SONG OFF NEW RECORD, HE IS NEVER COMING BACK
Just when you think you've heard all that is heavy, a megaton band like Gaza comes along to show you how wrong you are. The Salt Lake City sludgecore upstarts' new release, He is Never Coming Back, will come out November 10th. Just to tease us, they premiered a new song, “Canine Disposal Unit/The Anthropologist,” a two-fer-one combo on Revolver's Bootleg site.
Fans of mind-crushing, chaotic music will probably like this, so that means pretty much all of you. Go listen to that track, hit up the band's myspace, then buy the album when it comes out next month.
CRUSTCAKE PICKS - ATX SHOWS 10/30 - 11/1
by Van Damned (ATX)
I'll keep this short and sweet: basically, we got a nice three-day lineup to transition into November, which could end up going down as THE single best month for metal this town has seen in a whole minute. Stay tuned.
This weekend though, we got some classic industrial metal, some classic deranged, psychedelic alt-rock and some classic instrumental post-metal. Plus, time falls back an hour Saturday night so there's a little extra time to party (or sleep off your evening's activities Sunday morning.)
Make the jump for the pertinent details.
Crustcake Picks: ATX Shows 10/30 - 11/1
Friday, Oct. 30: The Revolting Cocks' LubricaTour feat. Jim Rose, Blown Load and Left Spine Down @ Emo's
Saturday, Oct. 31: Butthole Surfers, Peaches (yeah, that Peaches) @ Stubb's
Sunday, Nov. 1: Pelican, Black Cobra, Struck By Lightning @ Emo's (You can read our very own Andrew Wilhelm's review of Pelican and Black Cobra's Denver show here.)
October 28, 2009
PRIOR TO THE RELEASE OF NEW ALBUM, PRIESTESS SIGN TO TEE PEE RECORDS
New York's burgeoning psych-metal/weird-rock purveyors Tee Pee Records (Iron Age, Witch, Night Horse) have announced the recent signing of Montreal's Priestess for the February 2010 U.S. release of their sophomore album, Prior to the Fire (out now in Canada.) The long-awaited follow-up to 2006's acclaimed debut Hello Master (featuring the ubiquitous hit "Lay Down,") Prior finds the Thin Lizzy-worshiping foursome expanding their take on epic, challenging (and occasionally proggy) boogie-metal, circa 2009. Like Valient Thorr without the nudge-nudge, wink-winks, Priestess approach 70s-era rock and metal with a steel-eyed, blue-collar earnestness. At SXSW this year, dudes fought to the teeth to show every sweaty, beer-breathed hesher in attendance that the four Canucks who (unfortunately) got lumped in with Wolfmother and the Darkness can simply outplay everybody else.
Make the jump to sneak a peek at Prior's spacey, psyched out cover art and limited tour dates.
Priestess on tour:December 4 - Dante's, Portland, OR w/ Early Man
December 5 - The Comet, Seattle, WA w/ Early Man
December 8 - 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis, MN w/ Naam, Early Man
December 9 - Empty Bottle, Chicago, IL w/ Naam, Early Man
December 11 - Mohawk, Buffalo, NY w/ Naam, Early Man
October 26, 2009
BORIS/TORCHE SPLIT STILL NOT OUT IN AMERICA, BUT IS IN JAPAN
Aaron Turner, who just got married (congrats dude!), recently posted images of the finished artwork for the Boris/Torche split we talked about last July. The split, entitled Chapter Ahead Being Fake, has actually already been released in Japan under the same name but with different (but badass) artwork through Daymare Records. Still no word on the American release date.
Below, watch a Boris music video for their song H.M.A., which you can find on the second of three 7" records Boris is releasing this year.
Uh, what the fuck?
October 23, 2009
CRUSTCAKE PICKS - NEW CAKE IN THE OVEN: AHAB'S THE CALL OF THE WRETCHED SEA
[Ed. note: Though we normally pick our Cakes in the Oven from among the newest (or most recent) of releases, we thought Beau did such a good job on this one that we wanted to share it with you anyway, despite its arguable staleness. The album really is as good as he says it is. Plus, Ahab's new record is barely three months old, so check it out if you like your cake a tad more moist.]
by Beatmasterspeech (LA) 
Download: Ahab - "The Hunt" [MP3]
As Germany's self-proclaimed "nautical doom pioneers," Ahab navigate one hell of a cold, dark abyss on their 2006 release, The Call of the Wretched Sea. This magnificent display of funeral dirge is the second offering in a three-part concept series based on famous nautical-themed books they call the "Nantucket Saga." Ahab released the third and final installment, The Divinity of Oceans, in July. On Wretched Sea, the quartet chose the Herman Melville classic Moby-Dick, going so far as to quote passages from the book directly. Sound familiar? It should. Though Mastodon took on the White Whale a full two years earlier, I would put up cash money that Ahab's rendering of ole' Moby Dick is 10 tons heavier than the boys' from ATL.
As for the music itself, multi-instrumentalist Daniel Droste (Midnattsol)'s somber synths and guttural growls evoke the darker side of Swallow the Sun or Opeth and drummer Cornelius Althammer must have been recorded on a frigid glacier in the bleakest of climes. I just can't say enough about the textures this recording explores: raw, desolate, depressive, sometimes just plain pissed off, Ahab's The Call of the Wretched Sea should be a standard for European funeral doom. Their July release, The Divinity of Oceans, sees the band pushing into proggier territory, abandoning the growl as the sole vocal hallmark and blending in some baritone howls. Start with Wretched Sea to get the full effect of Ahab's maritime sadness then sail onto their current release.
LIVE REVIEW: PELICAN, BLACK COBRA, AND SWEET COBRA @ MARQUIS THEATER, DENVER, CO 10/21/09
by Andrew Wilhelm (Denver)
Pelican
When: Tuesday, October 22, 2009
Where: Marquis Theater, Denver, CO
With: Black Cobra, Sweet Cobra
Animalistic. That's perhaps the best word for Tuesday night's bill of Pelican, Black Cobra, and Sweet Cobra at the Marquis Theater in Denver. Metal shows are quite zoo-esque anyway: crazed animals out for blood in captivity. The fact that there were two bands with "Cobra" in their name was even more ridiculous. As such in the animal kingdom, however, not all animals are created equal.
Looking at their name, Sweet Cobra would be appropriate for a young band looking to relive 80s pop-metal. In reality, the Chicago quartet (though they performed as a trio for this show, guitarist Matthew Allen Arluck was MIA) are yet another band who definitely sound metal, but seem to have came to heavy music from noise rock and Murder City Devils rather than traditional forms of extreme metal. Bassist Botchy Vaquez's vocals were as burly as his low end, and guitarist Robert Lanham Jr. provided plenty of angular, sometimes quasi-psychedelic guitar parts. The vocals could have been mixed a little higher, and the fact that Sweet Cobra were the first band of the night didn't help reception-wise. Nevertheless, I can't hate on a band that gives it their all, and Sweet Cobra certainly did.
Now, a confession: I've intentionally skipped out on Black Cobra. Twice. The first time, they opened for Slough Feg, whose twin guitar attack mesmerized me so much I thought Black Cobra couldn't live up. Then they played at SXSW, but their set conflicted with Absu's. If you're thinking, "Andrew Wilhelm, you are an ignorant fuck," you are exactly right and I have repented for my sins. I've never heard a band with such huge tone, especially when the lone guitarist, Jason Landrian, makes up half of the band! When Landrian wasn't singing, he was flailing around on stage, clearly enjoying himself. I've always gotten a slight Fu Manchu, surfer-ish vibe from the duo's ultra-heavy form of stoner metal anyway, so the stage movements seemed appropriate. Black Cobra packed the venom Sweet Cobra was somewhat lacking.
Having seen Pelican five times now (tied with Slayer!), there is something new every time I see them. Sadly, this time, it was the presence of a mosh pit. The pit didn't erupt until the third song, "Dead Between the Walls," and when it came I don't think anyone was expecting it. In high school, I heard stories about meatheads moshing to A Perfect Circle's "3 Libras," and moshing to Pelican seems equally baffling. Pelican have loads of intricacies in their sound, which makes pit dancing to them quite counter-intuitive.
The stupidity of a few audience members aside, the band came off as more enthusiastic and confident in their performance than ever before. Pelican mostly performed songs of off their forthcoming record, What We All Come To Need. Despite guitarist Trevor de Brauw complaining about the altitude in Denver, they were far from sluggish. They just looked really...delighted to be onstage, a far cry from the stiffness of some post-rock influenced bands. As cliche as it is at metal shows, the more familiar songs off the setlist got the crowd more worked up. Longtime staple "Drought" didn't make the cut, but two standouts were "GW" and "Sirius," the latter preceding a rather awkward encore. Drummer Larry Herwig bolted before the rest of the band, confusing the audience into thinking the altitude finally overcame him. Pelican proved this wrong by closing with "City of Echoes," bolstered by an extended breakdown where Larry and his brother, bassist Bryan, jammed after de Brauw and Laurent Schroeder-Lebec hung their guitars up.
An excellent show altogether, and I'll leave you with this thought: wouldn't "Angel Tears" totally fit on a My Dying Bride album?
CRUSTCAKE PICKS - LA SHOWS 10/23 - 10/30
by beatmasterspeech (LA)
Hey Angelenos! How about that Ancestors record release show where the cops shut it down before Black Math Horseman or Ancestors even had a chance to strum a note? That was cool! I love the police! Well this week we have two shows at official venues that either have a permit to put on shows or have paid off the necessary pigs to leave 'em alone. Stop one should be this saturday at the Viper Room. Early Man, Valient Thorr, and a heavy rockers Totimoshi will be rippin' it up Sunset Strip style. Between sets, step outside and smoke a cig in the same spot where River Phoenix OD'd.
The following Wednesday is a crustcake perfect show. The Troubadour will host Pelican, Black Cobra, and Sweet Cobra. Sweet Cobra made my top 10 of 2007 back in the early days of Crustcake. Go check 'em out live and see why!
CRUSTCAKE PICKS - LA SHOWS 10/23 - 10/30Saturday 10/24 - Early Man, Valient Thorr, Totimoshi - Viper Room
Wednesday 10/28 - Pelican, Black Cobra, Sweet Cobra - Troubadour
October 22, 2009
NACHTMYSTIUM TOURING WITH MARDUK, RECORDING BLACK MEDDLE, PT. II, GENERALLY BEING AWESOME
Chicagoan Blake Judd has announced that his perpetually-revolving band of blackened psychonauts Nachtmystium will enter the studio in January to record the follow-up to 2008's critically-acclaimed Assassins: Black Meddle, Part I. Judd said the band will again be working with producer extraordinaire Sanford Parker and is demoing some material with him this month. Judd said the new material is "reminiscent of Assassins with more of a rock and roll edge" and cited his love for industrial icons Ministry and Kiling Joke as influences. The new record is expected to drop in March or April 2010.
More good news for Nachtmystium fans: long-time Swedish black metal blasphemers Marduk are taking the Nacht' on the road as direct support this winter. Actually, this is good news for everybody since Marduk's (and front-man Mortuus', whose side project Funeral Mist's Maranatha is one of the year's best – and strangest – black metal releases, by the way) inability to attain visas earlier this year pretty much ran the much-lauded Blackenedfest straight into the ground. Frenchmen Merrimack, Pittsburgh's Mantic Ritual and NYC's Black Anvil fill out the rest of the bill.
Tour dates and poster preview after the jump.
Marduk with Nachtmystium, Merrimack, Mantic Ritual and Black Anvil - U.S. Plague 2009 Tour Dates:Nov 19 2009 - Sterling Hotel - Allentown, Pennsylvania
Nov 20 2009 - The Palladium - Worcester, Massachusetts
Nov 21 2009 - Les Foufounes - Montreal, Quebec
Nov 22 2009 - Wreck Room - Toronto, Ontario
Nov 23 2009 - Sonar - Baltimore, Maryland
Nov 24 2009 - The Masquerade - Atlanta, Georgia
Nov 25 2009 - Brass Mug - Tampa, Florida
Nov 27 2009 - The Bar - New Orleans, Louisiana
Nov 28 2009 - Red 7 - Austin, Texas
Nov 29 2009 - Ridglea Theater - Ft. Worth, Texas
Nov 30 2009 - The Marquee - Tulsa, Oklahoma
Dec 2 2009 - Launchpad - Albuquerque, New Mexico
Dec 3 2009 - The Sets - Tempe, Arizona
Dec 4 2009 - The Key Club - Hollywood, California
Dec 5 2009 - Ramona Mainstage - San Marcos, California
Dec 6 2009 - DNA Lounge - San Francisco, California
Dec 7 2009 - Satyricon - Portland, Oregon
Dec 8 2009 - Studio Seven - Seattle, Washington
Dec 10 2009 - Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom - Denver, CO
Dec 11 2009 - Riot Room - Kansas City, Missouri
Dec 12 2009 - Reggie’s Rock Club - Chicago, Illinois
Dec 13 2009 - Station 4 - St. Paul, Minnesota
Dec 14 2009 - Blondie’s - Detroit, Michigan
Dec 15 2009 - Peabody’s - Cleveland, Ohio
Dec 16 2009 - Gramercy Theater - New York, New York
TOXIC HOLOCAUST POST FULL CONCERT VIDEO, STILL INDUCING WHIPLASH ON TOUR
Perennial thrash maniacs (and 'cake favorites) Toxic Holocaust have kindly shared with us video of their full April 18, Syracuse, NY, show (back when they were on tour supporting Napalm Death and Kataklysm) for your headbanging, beer-swilling enjoyment. Joel Grind and Co. hardly ever take a break from touring, so chances are they're coming to your home town pretty soon.
Tour dates and concert set list after the jump.
April 18, 2009 - Lost Horizon (Syracuse, NY) Set List:01 - Metal Attack
Toxic Holocaust on tour w/ The Black Dahlia Murder, Skeletonwitch & Trap Them:
02 - Endless Armageddon
03 - Wild Dogs
04 - Feedback Blood and Distortion
05 - War Is Hell
06 - Reaper's Grave
07 - Death Brings Death
08 - Gravelord
09 - 666
10 - The Lord of the Wasteland
11 - Nuke The CrossOctober 22 Iowa City, IA @ Picador
October 23 DeKalb, IL The House Café @ (w/ TRAP THEM)
October 24 Madison, WI @ Annex
October 25 Columbus, OH @ The Basement
October 26 Evansville, IN @ Boney Junes
October 27 Nashville, TN @ Rocketown
October 29 Metairie, LA @ The High Ground
October 30 Jacksonville, FL @ Jack Rabbits
October 31 Augusta, GA @ Sector 7G
November 1 Wilmington, NC @ Soapbox Laundrolounge
November 2 Baltimore, MD @ The Ottobar
November 3 Farmingdale, NY @ The Crazy Donkey
November 4 Hartford, CT @ Webster Underground
November 6 Cleveland, OH @ Peabody’s Down Under
November 7 Grand Rapids, MI @ The Intersection
November 8 Louisville, KY @ Uncle Pleasants
November 10 Syracuse, NY @ Lost Horizon
November 11 Buffalo, NY @ Mohawk Place
November 12 Poughkeepsie, NY @ The Chance
November 13 Bucksport, ME @ The Kave
SLEEPYTIME GORILA MUSEUM TOUR WEST COAST THIS NOVEMBER, EVERYBODY ELSE S.O.L.
Those acid-tinged, kitchen-sink metallurgists Sleepytime Gorilla Museum are taking their self-described "costumed festival of hyperventilating self-derangement" back on the road for four exclusive west coast dates this November. Some of us here at the 'cake have had the privilege of witnessing the Museum so believe us when we say it's an event not to be missed. These four dates will be SGM's final performances for the rest of the year.
Tour dates and more info after the jump.
Tour Dates:11/12/09 @ Neumos - Seattle, WA
Sleepytime Gorilla Museum is:
11/13/09 @ WOW Hall - Eugene, OR
11/14/09 @ Dante's - Portland, OR
11/20/09 @ The Independent - San Francisco, CA.
Carla Kihlstedt (violin, percussion guitar, voice)
Dan Rathbun (bass, slide-piano log, pedal-action wiggler, cockroach, voice)
Nils Frykdahl (guitar, voice)
Matthias Bossi (drums, mallet percussion, oration, voice)
Michael Mellender ('Todo tipo de cosas', voice)
SHIRTLESS AND SWEATY, HIGH ON FIRE ENTER STUDIO TO RECORD NEW ALBUM
Oakland's favorite power trio, High on Fire, have (finally) gone back in the studio to record the follow-up to 2007's absolutely punishing Death is this Communion. Mssrs. Pike, Matz and Kensel completed pre-production with producer Greg Fidelman (Slayer, Johnny Motherfucking Cash) in August and are in the middle of tracking the new record, slated for an early 2010 release.
Actually, right now they're taking a seven-week break from recording to tour with a few other bands you might be familiar with. But we're pretty confident they'll be back in black as soon as the tour wraps.
Dates after the jump.
Adult Swim Presents:
Metalocalypse’s Dethklok with Mastodon, High on Fire and ConvergeOctober 23 Toronto , ON Sound Academy
October 24 Buffalo, NY The Fairgrounds
October 25 Albany, NY Armory
October 27 Boston, MA House of Blues
October 30 New York, NY Hammerstein Ballroom
October 31 Washington, DC Patriot Center
November 1 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory
November 5 Atlanta, GA Tabernacle
November 6 Myrtle Beach, SC House of Blues
November 7 Orlando, FL Hard Rock Live
November 8 Pompano Beach, FL Pompano Beach Amphitheatre
November 11 Dallas, TX House of Blues
November 12 Verizon Wireless Theater Houston, TX
November 13 Austin, TX Austin City Music Hall
November 14 Tulsa, OK Brady Theater
November 16 Las Cruces, NM Pan American Center
November 17 Mesa, AZ Mesa Amphitheater
November 18 Las Vegas, NV House of Blues
November 19 Los Angeles, CA Palladium
October 21, 2009
CRUSTY CLIP OF THE WEEK - BIRTH A.D. 'CAUSE PROBLEMS' LIVE IN AUSTIN
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 Andrew Wilhelm (Denver)
A friend of mine sometimes says that a band will have "all the right patches in all the right places" to criticize said band playing for style, not substance. Concerning the thrash revival, this sentiment rings true. With the exception of Municipal Waste and Toxic Holocaust, both jamming before "thrash" became the new old sensation, I get the sense that most of these kids rehashing Exodus riffs are superficially rebelling against kids with emo jeans and eyeliner. Image is important in metal, yes, but if the patches on your jackets are sewn on together better than your songs, that's a tragedy.
Austin's Birth A.D. will have none of that shit. They know thrash wasn't just about spilling High Life all over your vintage Overkill shirt, but using metal riffs and punk velocity to criticize social norms and raise the ire of squares. Song titles like "Bring Back the Draft" and "This Scene Sucks" pretty much speak for themselves, but Birth A.D. have piss and vinegar in their veins, and it shows in their playing. As the band says on its Myspace, "Fuck your party metal, we're here for war!!!"
The clip, filmed at Austin's now-deceased Room 710 in July, is by no means "stale" but Birth A.D. are fucking awesome and deserve more recognition.
October 20, 2009
METAL ART EXHIBITS: ARIK ROPER, JOHN BAIZLEY, PAUL ROMANO
John Baizley, Arik Roper and Paul Romano are easily among the most critically- and fan-appraised artists in metal today. Each has offered a unique style to the world of metal and their pieces have adorned countless album covers, tour posters and shirts. For us at Crustcake, if something has art on it by any of these greats, we view that as a selling point.
Now you can enjoy these artists in the manner in which art has been enjoyed for centuries: on a wall at a gallery in an exhibit. Each one of these artists has or will have an art exhibit going into November at three respective locations. Full details below.
Arik Roper - Hidden Dimension:October 24 - November 28 @ The Fuse Gallery
Paul Romano - Workhardened:
93 2nd Avenue (between 5th & 6th Streets), NYC, NY 10003
Details here.October 10 - November 10 @ The Toothless Cat Gallery
John Baizley - New Works:
1050 N. Hancock St., Suites 86/88, Philadelphia, PA 19123
Details here.November 6 - 30 @ Metropolis
154 N. Prince Street, Lancaster, PA 17603
Details here.
LIVE REVIEW: GOATWHORE, THE BERZERKER, WARBRINGER, VEX @ RED 7 ATX
All photos by Nick Darrah
by The WZA'd (ATX)
This year’s metal releases have been peppered with thoughtful, spacey – and lengthy – high-concept records with crossover accessibility ranging from Crack the Skye to Monoliths and Dimensions. Generally, I’ve been happy about them, but while listening to the new Baroness I realized I wasn’t going through my usual motions: headbanging, randomly switching between air guitar and drums, beating up hipsters, fighting dragons, etc. I had thoughts like, “is this metal? What is metal? How many trips into prog-laden alternate dimensions of musical space-time can I take before I finally forget how to headbang?”
I decided I needed a way out. I’m all for trippy prog stuff, but I needed to touch base with what is metal and true. I needed a crowd of sweaty drunk heshers wearing black t-shirts. I needed a pit. I needed fast, loud music about death and destruction.
I needed to see Goatwhore at Red 7.
That night, my photographer friend Nick and I made the journey downtown. When we got there, we went inside Red 7 and I immediately started looking for Ben Falgoust II, Goatwhore’s frontman. I had been told to look for him at the merch table, so I walked over to it and was amazed: Goatwhore’s display of merch was the biggest I’ve ever seen from a touring band. Thongs, patches and a plethora of satanic T-shirts, among other black-colored goodies, crowded the merch corner.
“We have a lot of it at times,” Falgoust said. “Sometimes I’m like ‘maybe we should slim down a little bit,’ but sometimes ideas just keep rolling and you’re like, ‘let’s do this one!’”
Ben and I talked about a few other things, like how awesome Relapse is, the perception of black metal among kids these days, Dave Witte, living in Metairie, LA, how sweet the Municipal Waste tour is going to be, playing with Eyehategod and Pig Destroyer on a boat and the story behind their T-shirt that says “Stay Sick/Stay Fuck/Hail Satan.” We eventually parted ways, and Nick and I walked inside for the show.
Vex were the local band the promoters decided to tack onto this lineup. They played variations on death metal that ranged from melodic to old school-style death metal. However, the singer’s stationary performance sticks out in my mind as the defining aspect of their set. Nothing, ladies and gentlemen, is more brutal than standing in one place.
When the next band got onstage, we thought their Obituary and Carcass shirts were dead giveaways as to the kind of metal they were going to play. Warbringer, however, is a thrash metal band in the vein of Anthrax. The crowd ate it up, and near the end of the set the singer mentioned that they weren’t “the kind of band that isn’t cool with you guys coming on stage to headbang and stuff.” The audience took the hint and soon people were crawling onto the stage. Similarly, the band's guitarist made a few trips into the crowd to shred among us.
As Warbringer’s set ended, I started wondering about The Berzerker. I had never heard of this band before, but people all over the show were wearing the t-shirts. I looked more closely and read the fine print under the band’s name: “Extreme Industrial Grind.” Quickly, I became excited.
Their set is a blur to me now. For the entirety of it, I shut out the world and focused on the band. I love this band, I thought while my body underwent spasms contracted from trying to keep up with their cybergrind. By the time they were done, my shirt was soaked in sweat and I could barely stand.
“That band was so good,” I said.
“It looked like you were enjoying them,” Nick said.
“Yes. Yes I was.”
Finally, Goatwhore took the stage, clad in gauntlets and bullet-belts. Here was a serious band. Their performance was a display of both intense concentration and crowd-pleasing interaction. Goatwhore is a band comprised of musicians' musicians, and the dedication to their craft is intense and awe-inspiring. Each member has been part of another great band (Acid Bath, Soilent Green, Ritual Killer, Nachtmystium), but Goatwhore's unified performance was impressive. But as serious as they were, they also knew that the performance was as important as their musical ability. They engaged the audience, showing off and talking a little bit in-between songs. Ben took the time to fist-bump me not once but three times.
The audience loved it too – a happy drunken pit formed and stayed active for the set. Everybody was wet. People were covered in sweat, spit, beer and in some cases, blood. But nobody slowed down. Nobody got tired. The writhing crowd threw up their horns in salute. This was what I came for. This was what we all needed.
SOUTHERN LORD SIGNS BLACK BREATH
Southern Lord are regarded as choice tastemakers in the metal realm. From Sunn O))) to Wolves in the Throne Room to The Accüsed, the California label continues to unearth some of the most outré metal to date, in some cases crossing over to the non-denim and leather crowd.
And now Southern Lord has a new act to unleash: Seattle's Black Breath. Raise your chalices of PBR and click below to read more.
Black Breath spews out filthy, metal-infused hardcore that recalls Discharge, Celtic Frost, Bathory and Swedish death metal. There's even a little garage in their sound - Mudhoney casts a long shadow over their hometown. Like any band with those influences, Black Breath's energy is abundant. Their riffs even more so. Of course, being out in rainy Seattle, the group also possesses a certain dreariness and despair unique to themselves.
Southern Lord will reissue Black Breath's debut EP, Razor to Oblivion, on November 10th. Their as-yet-unnamed debut LP, recorded by the legendary Kurt Ballou of Converge, will see the light of day sometime early next year.
Black Breath's next show is going down on November 27 at El Corazon in Seattle. They'll be whipping up mayhem with reunited thrashers D.R.I. and Countdown to Armageddon. A tour is in the works for next year - maybe they'll tour with similarly-named Death Breath? One can hope for such a Listerine-crushing affair.
October 19, 2009
HOWL ENTER STUDIO, PLAY SHOWS WITH EYEHATEGOD
Good news everyone! Howl will enter the studio to record an album that will be released next year! Their eponymous EP (which you can stream on their myspace) dropped on Relapse earlier this year and we were floored by it. To consider a full album's worth of what we heard on that EP makes our collective pair of pants feel a little tighter.
Northeastern metalheads should be excited as well - not only is Howl playing three dates up there in the near future, but they're playing a couple of them with NOLA sludge legends Eyehategod. Neat!
Read more for show details.
Howl 2009 Show Dates:-Friday October 23 New York, NY @Fontana’s (The Relapse/Brooklynvegan CMJ showcase show featuring Complete Failure, Revocation and Salome. Don't miss this one!.)
-Sunday October 25 Cambridge, MA @Middle East (with Eyehategod, Goatwhore and others)
-Monday October 26 Brooklyn, NY @Europa (with Eyehategod, Tombs, Unearthly Trance, and Strong Intention)
FRESHLY BAKED: DEMONICAL
In "Freshly Baked," we feature promising young bands or bands that are otherwise lacking the attention we think they deserve.
by theseseans (NYC)
Download: Demonical - "Baptized In Fire" [MP3]
“Bringing death to all,” spews Sverker Widgren on ‘World Serpent,’ the second track from Demonical’s latest offering Hellsworn. Whether the mythical serpent in question is meant to parallel the band is anyone’s call, but Demonical are without a doubt death to — and for — all.
The Swedish foursome bring death metal some much-needed weight. While there have been recent celebrations of an “old school”-style resurgence in death metal, I’ve always leaned toward whatever felt good, parameters be damned. Demonical have found their footing in punk-inspired (but not too saturated) rhythm and structure while diving deeper into death’s sound and force. Drummer Ronnie Bergerståhl can sound mutli-limbed when he wants, but the real key to his playing is his knowledge of when to keep flashy fills at bay, instead focusing on a song’s drive and pummel.
The same could be said of each member of Demonical. There is a clear respect for what they are creating and each performance reflects an appreciation of the end result.
Death for all? I think so.
October 16, 2009
CRUSTCAKE PICKS - CHICAGO 10/16 - 10/19
by Jordasch (CHI)
I just wrote a column about auto-tune for a dork-culture blog I write for. I wonder if auto-tune would ever reach the metal world...
Could you auto-tune a death growl? Vocoder a black metal wraith-scream? Studio-cleanse a screamo?
Oh fuck. You can do that last one.
Jay-Z would be happy, then, with the shows in the uh...city of asshole politicians? We don't have a catchy name. Oh wait, yeah we do.
Crustcake Picks - Chicago Shows 10/15 - 10/19Thursday 10/15/09 - flippin' DINOSAUR JR. AND MIKE WATT @ The Vic (see you there)
Friday 10/16/09 - Pelican @ Reckless Records (for free Free FREE)
Saturday 10/17/09 - Mastodon, Dethklok, Converge, High on Fire @ the Aragon
Monday 10/19/09 - Satyricon, Chthonic, Withering Soul, Rosenguard @ the Double Door
October 15, 2009
ENSLAVED TO TOTALLY DOMINATE ROADBURN FEST
Oh Roadburn, must you tempt us American headbangers so?
An entire stage curated by Tom G. Warrior? Thorr's Hammer AND Goatsnake reuniting? Candlemass performing Epicus Doomicus Metallicus in its entirety? Motherfucking Comus? Can this fest get any better?
Yes, thanks to Norway's Enslaved. But the prog black metal wizards won't be performing just as Enslaved.
They have been announced as Roadburn's "artist in residence," and members of the band will take part in some unique performances scheduled during Roadburn.
Enslaved will kick off their residency with a performance on April 15, 2010, which according to guitarist Ivan Bjornson, will "pan towards the latter-day Enslaved and will consist of a set list specially put together for Roadburn; emphasizing the heavy, the psychedelic and not but least — the visual aspect of what Enslaved is today." Not good news if you thought the band peaked with Frost, but fans of newer material will certainly be pleased.
On April 16, Enslaved side project Trinacria will perform as part of the earlier mentioned Tom. G. Warrior curated event, "Only Death is Real." Also on the same day, Dream of an Opium Eater, a side project of Bjornson, will perform a set. Having originally formed for the 2007 edition of the Roskilde Festival, the Roadburn performance will be the group's fourth show.
But Enslaved will save the most epic for last, when they will play a set with Norway's prog-jazz juggernauts Shining (who are in no way related to Swedish black metallers Shining) called the Armageddon Concerto. The Concerto will take the Roadburn audience, probably high out of their minds, "on a journey from our present state to the inevitable downfall of this world — through Ragnarok and a following period of vacuum and nothingness, a brief and painful post-apocalyptic era; and finally through the rise from the ashes to a new beginning in a distant time and space." Fucking heavy, maaaan.
In short, if you haven't booked your flight to Holland yet, you might want to now.
Roadburn is scheduled for April 15-18, 2010, at the 013 Venue and Midi Theatre in Tilburg, Holland. For more on the festival, go here.
October 12, 2009
LIVE REVIEW: KYLESA/SAVIOURS/RED FANG/TAUNTAUN @ MARQUIS THEATER, DENVER, CO 10/9/09
Photo credit: HeadovMetal
by Andrew Wilhelm (Denver)
Kylesa
When: Friday, October 9, 2009
Where: Marquis Theater, Denver, CO
With: Saviours, Red Fang, TaunTaun
Kylesa, that band of ne'er do wells from Savannah, Georgia, sure do bring out a weird set of folks. Classic metalheads, punks with Unholy Grave backpatches, heavily bearded Isis fanatics, and regular Joes and Janes peppered in here and there. Well, it didn't look as strange as the 1991 Public Enemy tour with The Sisters of Mercy. Kylesa aren't a crossover band - sure, their sound is driven by hardcore energy, but more informed by Sabbath and Hawkwind than D.R.I. and S.O.D. But Denver's fucking freezing this time of year, and the need for warmth transcends cliques.
When I arrived at the venue, Denver's very own TaunTaun were busting out old jams through new amps. The band had an ample sound, but the crowd wasn't quite feeling save for a couple of headbangers, and worse, most of the band looked a little stiff onstage. Local bands don't get any respect, do they? Bassist Matty Clark thrashed his Rickenbacker around, displaying more energy than his comerades, and you can't look not badass with a Rickenbacker (see: Lemmy, Cliff Burton, Rick James). TaunTaun ended their set with a cover of Metallica's cover of Diamond Head's "Am I Evil" - a stock cover choice, but one that made the crowd less dormant. In all fairness, vocalist/guitarist Chris Fogal does the modern brawly voice with classic-sounding riffs better than Hetfield does.
Red Fang, straight out Portland, were the first of the national acts to play. They ape Motorhead and Zeke in sound, but can't quite nail the way those bands make bombast tight and concise. Vocals alternated between guitarist Maurice Bryan Giles and bassist, Aaron Beam, and while Giles gave a delivery ready for battle, Beam seemed a little tired. To his credit, Beam did admit he was somewhat out of breath halfway through the band's set. A potentially killer band muffled by a merely adequate performance.
Saviours were up after Red Fang. Vocalist/guitarist Austin Barber did his best David Lee Roth imitation during soundcheck, giving the crowd a good indication that their set would have energy in spades. While I'm not a huge fan of the band on record, their set was well-paired with a "Happy Meal," the venue's deal where $5 snags you a bottle of High Life and a shot of well whiskey. Saviours galloping riffs and fantastical lyrics became more alive on stage, and the crowd responded well. They only let up to announce a new song, and for a metal band, that's the only way to pace yourself. Surprisingly, the band did not play their video single "Narcotic Sea." If that was off-putting to the fans, I certainly couldn't tell.
The band people were here to see, however, was Kylesa. Opening with "Scapegoat," vocalist/guitarist Laura Pleasants came in with deep natural growl complementing the band's bass-heavy assault. Phillip Cope, who also provides guitars and vocals, has a tendency to sound stoner-ish and unconvincing live, but here he was furious and on-point. For a tone as big as Kylesa's, the sound better come through clear, and for the most part it did. Bands with a lot of bass sometimes drown all the other elements out, but maybe that's because I'm used to Emo's (Austin) soundmen. Kylesa's set emphasized their metal and punk leanings, but trimming the psych couldn't stop the crowd from being entranced. And the way these people respond entranced? Creating a pit that gradually grew, something I've never seen in metal before (Slayer pits open big and stay big). The floor looked slippery from spilled Happy Meals, but no little kids cried. By the time the closer, "Hollow Severer" came around, crowd surfing and pit dancing was at full force. Kylesa's drumming duo, Carl McGinley and Eric Hernandez, did a short jam, but it would have been nice to see them go into full prog-rock excess. Despite the chaos on and off stage, they managed to keep time with each other. Los Melvins, y'all got competition!
It was still fuckin' freezin when I exited the venue, but better cold and filled with metal than just cold.
CRUSTCAKE PICKS - ATX SHOWS 10/13 - 10/19
by The WZA'd & Van Damned (ATX)
Nothing is more difficult, and therefore more precious, than to be able to decide.
-Napoleon Bonaparte
Austin heshers, you have a couple decisions to make. Tomorrow, October 13th, both über-geeky tech-death weirdos Dysrhythmia (feat. Colin Marston of Gorguts and Krallice) and Deathwish-approved Belgian hardcore heroes Rise and Fall are coming to town. The catch: they're playing at two different venues with two different sets of support groups. Then on Saturday, Philly sludgemasters Javelina and Japan's post-everything icons Mono are playing, but, again, at two different venues. Which will you choose?
Will's made plans for Rise and Fall tomorrow and Javelina on Saturday. Van is finding the precious difficulty of choice a tad overwhelming and has yet to make up his mind.
We'll see you when we see you.
Crustcake Picks: ATX Shows 10/13 - 10/19-Tuesday, Oct. 13: Dysrhythmia, Baring Teeth, Woodgrain @ Red 7
-Tuesday, Oct. 13: Rise and Fall, Bitter End, Mammoth Grinder, Creatures @ Emo's
-Saturday, Oct. 17: Javelina, Pasadena Napalm Division, Curse the Heavens @ Red 7
-Saturday, Oct. 17: Mono, Maserati @ Mohawk
PELICAN HONORED WITH EPONYMOUS BURGER AT KUMA'S, INSPIRE FEVERISH NIGHT TERRORS ABOUT ACTUAL "PELICAN BURGERS"
Ever been to Kuma's?
Apparently theirs are the best burgers in Chicago. AND they're metal-themed. A scrumptious twofer.
An even better twofer? On Friday, October 16th, Pelican's doing an in-store to promote their new record, What We All Come to Need, at Reckless Records in Wicker Park, followed by an album listening party at Kuma's itself (where that aforementioned burger will be unveiled). Hit the jump for the full list of in-store performances, tour dates, and, best of all, the constituent ingredients for dat burger...
THE IN-STORES!
10/16/2009 Reckless Records (Wicker Park) / 1532 N. Milwaukee Ave, Chicago IL - 7:00 pm
http://www.reckless.com
10/22 2009 The Record Exchange / 1105 West Idaho St, Boise ID - 5:30 PM
http://www.therecordexchange.com
10/24/2009 Easy Street Records (Queen Anne) / 20 Mercer St, Seattle WA - 3:00 pm
http://www.easystreetonline.com
10/25/2009 Jackpot Records (Hawthorne) / 3574 SE Hawthorne St, Portland OR - 3:00 pm
http://www.jackpotrecords.com
**this is a DJ SET, Pelican will be playing their favorite records!
THE TOUR!
10/18/2009 Triple Rock Social Club - Minneapolis, MN w/ Minsk, Sweet Cobra
10/19/2009 Riot Room - Kansas City, MO w/ Minsk, Sweet Cobra
10/20/2009 The Marquis Theatre - Denver, CO w/ Black Cobra, Sweet Cobra
10/21/2009 Club Vegas - Salt Lake City, UT w/ Black Cobra, Sweet Cobra
10/22/2009 Neurolux - Boise, ID w/ Black Cobra, Sweet Cobra
10/24/2009 El Corazon - Seattle, WA w/ Black Cobra, Sweet Cobra
10/25/2009 Hawthorne Theatre - Portland, OR w/ Black Cobra, Sweet Cobra
10/27/2009 Independent - San Francisco, CA w/ Black Cobra, Sweet Cobra
10/28/2009 The Troubadour - West Hollywood, CA w/ Black Cobra, Sweet Cobra
10/29/2009 The Casbah - San Diego, CA w/ Black Cobra, Struck By Lightning
10/30/2009 Clubhouse - Tempe, AZ w/ Black Cobra, Struck By Lightning
11/01/2009 Emo's - Austin, Texas w/ Black Cobra, Struck By Lightning
11/02/2009 Granada Theater - Dallas, TX w/ Black Cobra, Struck By Lightning
11/04/2009 Outland Ballroom - Springfield, MO w/ Black Cobra, Struck By Lightning
11/05/2009 The Picador - Iowa City, IA w/ Black Cobra, Struck By Lightning
11/28/2009 The Shelter - Detroit, MI w/ Black Cobra, Gods & Queens
11/29/2009 The Soundlab - Buffalo, NY w/ Black Cobra, Gods & Queens
12/01/2009 First Unitarian Church - Philadelphia, PA w/ Black Cobra, Disappearer
12/02/2009 Highline Ballroom - New York, NY w/ Black Cobra, Disappearer
12/03/2009 Harper's Ferry - Allston, MA w/ Black Cobra, Disappearer
12/04/2009 Rock And Roll Hotel - Washington, DC w/ Black Cobra, Disappearer
12/05/2009 The Orange Peel - Asheville, NC
12/07/2009 Earl - Atlanta, GA w/ Black Cobra, Disappearer
12/08/2009 Bottletree Cafe - Birmingham, AL w/ Black Cobra, Disappearer
12/09/2009 Cider House - Knoxville, TN w/ Black Cobra, Disappearer
12/10/2009 Ravari Room - Columbus, OH w/ Black Cobra, Disappearer, Brainbow
12/11/2009 Empty Bottle - Chicago, IL w/ Black Cobra, Disappearer
THE BURGER!
A ten ounce Kobe Beef patty, with pan seared scallops and lardons, in a garlic white wine sauce on top of a parmesan crisp, and served with white wine-garlic Aioli.
I hope I'm not the only one who thinks that sounds world-ending.
October 8, 2009
ONE DAY LEFT! ENTER TO WIN FREE SAINT VITUS TICKETS!
Tomorrow we pick our winner for a free pair tickets to go see Saint Vitus on October 18th at Sonar is Baltimore. Get those entries in!
To enter, simply email us at crustcakecontests@gmail.com and let us know which Wino project you like the best! The winner will be picked tomorrow!
Our tickets are for October 18th at Sonar with Saviours, Vincent Black Shadow and 60 Watt Shaman. Read more for details on all the shows.
Saint Vitus live 2009-Friday, October 16th @ Club Europa in Brooklyn, New York
-Saturday, October 17th @ Palladium in Worcester, MA w/ The Misfits & Type O Negative
-Sunday, October 18th @ Sonar in Baltimore, MD
CONVERGE RELEASE VIDEO FOR 'AXE TO FALL'
Converge have released their first video from Axe To Fall. The title track sees a quick cut, horror inspired look from Craig Murray. Enjoy!
CRUSTCAKE PICKS - LA SHOWS 10/8 - 10/13
by beatmasterspeech (LA)
This post will be blunt as I need to get back to my day job to clear my schedule for the buttload of shows coming up. Free show tomorrow night at the Knitting Factory featuring Coalesce and... wait for it... wait for it... Cave In. It's another Scion sponsored show so RSVP here and get there early, very early. If you get turned away at the door tomorrow night, check the Key Club action with Toxic Holocaust prepping the crowd for Satyricon. If that's not enough, Motörhead is playing the way too expensive Nokia Theater this Friday. As loud as Lemmy & Co. tend to be; just park on the side of the 110 Freeway near the Staples Center and roll down the window - you may catch "No Class" or "Ace of Spades" before the PoPo comes. No LA crustcake reader should miss out on Ancestors' FREE record release show this Saturday night! Also on the bill are label mates Black Math Horseman which are always a treat live. LA's newest vinly shop, Vacation Vinyl, has been putting on some rad shows lately; they will add to that with a free show by Skeletonwitch on Sunday followed by another free show by Nadja on Monday.
Read more for full list, see you out there!
CRUSTCAKE PICKS - LA SHOWS 10/8 - 10/1310/8 - Cave In, Coalesce - Knitting Factory (Scion Presents Free show)
10/8 - Toxic Holocaust, Satyricon - Key Club
10/9 - Motorhead - Nokia Theater
10/10 - Ancestors, Black Math Horseman, Astra - The Warehouse @ 219 W. 24th St / Hill St.
10/11 - Skeletonwitch - Vacation Vinyl
10/12 - Nadja - Vacation Vinyl
10/12 - Javelina - Knitting Factory
10/13 - Mono - El Reay
10/13 - Nadja - Synchronicity Space
CRUSTCAKE PICKS - NEW CAKE IN THE OVEN: REVOCATION'S EXISTENCE IS FUTILE
by The WZA'd (ATX)
Download: Revocation - "Existence is Futile" [MP3]
This is one of those “only when the stars align” moments for metal. Bands like Revocation don’t come very often, and when they do it’s something to cherish. The last time this much raw talent, creativity, song-writing skill and pure love of metal was concentrated in a few dudes with a common purpose, we got Mastodon. In the eyes of some (including Cosmo Lee, who tapped Revocation as possibly the next great metal band), they’re here to pick up the baton that Mastodon (arguably) dropped with Crack the Skye.
The band knows it too. When I asked Dave Davidson, the power-trio’s guitarist, if he thought he could beat Brent Hinds in a guitar solo duel to the death, he responded with a hearty “Yeah, fuck it. Let’s challenge him. I’m calling [him] out.” They have big ambitions as well – while not touring as of now, they’re looking for the biggest bill they can fit on. “We feel strongly about this record and we want to get out there and play in front of as many people as we can,” Davidson says after mentioning The Black Dahlia Murder and Megadeth as two bands he would like to tour with. “We definitely want to try and be big and see what happens.”
If Existence is Futile is any indication, Revocation shouldn’t have too much trouble getting big in the metal world. There’s shredding a-plenty, riffs galore, groovy Rex Brown-esque bass lines and extremely technical drumming, all wrapped up in songs that simply slay.
It’s refreshing that I’m finding it hard to slap a genre label on Revocation. Davidson says of the variety in style on the album: “There are definitely songs that are straight-up death metal like ‘Leviathan Awaits'... and there are different influences on there like British Heavy Metal, like our song ‘Anthem of the Betrayed.’ We write music we like to hear, and we never really align our selves with ‘oh this isn’t death metal enough’ or ‘this isn’t thrash enough.’”
The emphasis on individual songs is one of the band’s strong suits. Other bands like Lamb of God or The Black Dahlia Murder tend to have albums with songs that run together, but historically, good bands that have easily distinguishable songs do very well (“Seek and Destroy,” “Raining Blood,” “Cemetary Gates,” “Blood and Thunder”). While it’s hard to say if Revocation will ever have their own “Master of Puppets,” it’s easy to imagine songs like “Existence is Futile” and “Pestilence Reigns” being played in a stadium in front of hundreds of screaming fans. I’m hoping it will happen.
As of right now, the album is streaming online for free. If you haven't bought it already, give it a listen!
October 7, 2009
CRUSTCAKE PICKS - CHICAGO 10/7 - 10/12
by Jordasch (CHI)
Big, BIG, BIG week for metal in Chicago. This crappy weather is bringing out all the doom 'n gloom musically, I guess. I, for one, have been grooving to the new Ancestors (insofar as anyone can "groove" to 14 minute prog epics). Slick sidewalks and slate-grey skies just seem to go great with tortured Sabbath-style riffs. My picks after the jump.
Crustcake Picks - Chicago Shows 10/7 - 10/12Wednesday 10/7/09 - Butthole Surfers, The Bomb, The House Gloria Vanderbilt (part of the 100% awesome Riot Fest, going on until Sunday) @ The Metro
Friday 10/9/09 - Gojira, Burst, Zoroaster @ Logan Square Auditorium
Sunday 10/11/09 - Nachtmystium, Indian, The Swan King @ The Beat Kitchen (you will almost certainly see me at this show)
Monday 10/12/09 - Kylesa, Saviours, Red Fang, The Atlas Moth @ Bottom Lounge
BARONESS STREAMS BLUE RECORD, ANNOUNCE ALL-AGES SHOW WITH KYLESA IN SAVANNAH, HAVE ONE BEAR OF A TOUR
For months, we have waited for this day. Now, it is upon us. The masses can listen to the new Baroness record, Blue Record, for free on the band's myspace. Now, go forth and bear witness to the greatness that is this album.
If you're in Savannah on October 17th, you have the opportunity to see Baroness play live twice in a row. One show is an all-ages show with Black Tusk, and the one after that is a 21+ show with Unnamed. As an added bonus, both shows have Kylesa playing as well. That right there is a lineup you CAN'T miss.
After that show, Baroness is heading on one hell of a US tour, featuring some awesome supporting bands. Check out all the dates below. It'll be hard to miss them, so if you've never seen them before, make the effort! If you happen to live in Georgia, you definitely shouldn't miss the show including Pig Destroyer, Torche and Iron Age. Oh, the body parts we would give to be able to see that show.
Baroness Tour Dates:
October 17 Savannah, GA @The Jinx (with Kylesa and Unnamed)
11/18 to 11/28 include dates with both Earthless and US ChristmasNovember 18 Washington, DC @Rock and Roll Hotel
Dates with Earthless and Iron Age
November 19 Philadelphia, PA @First Unitarian Church
November 20 New York, NY @Bowery Ballroom
November 21 Cambridge, MA @Middle East
November 22 Buffalo, NY @The Traif
November 24 Detroit, MI @Magic Stick
November 25 Chicago, IL @Reggie’s Rock Club (with An Albatross)
November 27 Minneapolis, MN @Triple Rock
November 28 Kansas City, MO @The Riot Room
November 29 Denver, CO @Bluebird Theater (with Earthless and Gaza)
November 30 Salt Lake City, UT @Club Vegas (with Earthless and Gaza)December 2 San Francisco, CA @Bottom Of The Hill
12/7 to 12/10 include dates with both Iron Age and Dark Castle
December 3 Hollywood, CA @Troubadour
December 4 San Diego, CA @The Casbah
December 5 Tempe, AZ @The ClubhouseDecember 7 Austin, TX @Emo’s
Soundwave Festival dates from 2/20 to 3/1 include Faith No More and Meshuggah:
December 8 Houston, TX @Warehouse Live
December 9 New Orleans, LA @One Eyed Jacks
December 10 Orlando, FL @The Social (with Torche)
December 11 Atlanta, GA @The Masquerade (with Torche, Pig Destroyer, and Iron Age. DO NOT MISS THIS FUCKING SHOW. DO. NOT.)February 20 Brisbane, Queensland @RNA Showgrounds
February 21 Sydney, NSW @Eastern Creek Raceway
February 26 Melbourne, NSW @Royal Melbourne Showgrounds
February 27 Adelaide, S. Australia @Bonython Park Oval
March 1 Perth, W. Australia @Bassendean Oval
CRUSTY CLIP OF THE WEEK - BURST 'WHERE THE WAVE BROKE'
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 Van Damned (ATX)
Sorry we missed last week's Crusty Clip. It was assigned to me and I dropped the ball. Got a good excuse, though. See, the night before, Will and I were watching Burst shoot the lights out in what was their first – and last – Austin show ever. In July, the Swedish post-core experimentalists announced on their MicePace that after this fall's tour and for"the foreseeable future, Burst will lay down its arms" and go on "indefinite hiatus." As expected, the news was met with many a beaten brow and much gnashing of teeth. So you'll have to pardon those who stayed up late, drank "Nineteenhundred" beers (see what I did there?) and watched in stunned amazement as Burst went out with a bang (sorry, couldn't help it.)
Still not sure who I'm talking about? Check out the (admittedly cheesy) video* for "Where the Wave Broke," from 2005's stunning Origo (Relapse). While Burst are known for displaying the thundering complexity of Leviathan-era Mastodon or fellow Swedish death-prog melody-makers Opeth (lead howler Linus Jägerskog's between-song banter rivals Mikael Åkerfeldt in terms of acid-tongued wit delivered in bone-dry baritone), "Wave" finds the quintet dialing in the emotion – appropriate as the song was written as a tribute to Mieszko Talarczyk, leader of now-defunct Swedish digi-grinders Nasum, who died in the December 2004 tsunami. Burst bassist Jesper Liveröd moonlighted in Nasum, and the whole band were affected by his death. As close to a single as Burst ever had, "Wave" works as a three-minute introduction to both their technical dexterity and anthemic, raw-hearted emotion, two touchstones that define their sound. Simply unmissable.
Buy: Burst - Origo [Amazon]
*[Ed. note: But seriously, the whole play-in-a-dark-room-shot-through-with-holes-of-bright-light thing is so 1999.]
October 6, 2009
BRUTAL TRUTH PLAY EVERYWHERE, WITH EVERYONE
This news is a little stale, but too awesome to not discuss. Brutal Truth have announced further touring plans in support of Evolution Through Revolution which will take them from the US to Japan and Australia. Along the way Brutal Truth will share the stage with Municipal Waste and Converge among others. Gee those shows won't rule or anything.
Evolution Through Revolution is one of our favorite records, have you not heard it yet? Stream it here! Watch video here!
Read more for full tour info.
BRUTAL TRUTH w/ MUNICIPAL WASTE, PHOBIA, CAULDRON 2009December 4 Detroit, MI Magic Stick
BRUTAL TRUTH w/ CONVERGE 2009
December 5 Cleveland, OH Grog Shop
December 6 Toronto, ON Opera House
December 7 Montreal, QC Foufounes
December 8 Worcester, MA Palladium
December 9 New York, NY Gramercy Theater
December 10 Philadelphia, PA First Unitarian ChurchDecember 15 Tokyo, Japan O East
December 16 Nagoya, Japan Club Quattro
December 17 Osaka, Japan Big Cat
BRUTAL TRUTH w/ BLOOD DUSTER, CAPTAIN CLEANOFF 2009December 19 Brisbane, Australia The Hi-Fi
December 20 Melbourne, Australia The Hifi Bar
December 21 Sydney, Australia Manning Bar
EXTRA! EXTRA! EX-SLEEP MEMBER RELEASES IRONICALLY-TITLED "GOD" ALBUM, TOURS BEHIND IT
I guess you could call this a very special (mini) episode of Crustcake Picks - Chicago.
Om comin' at cha!
Dudes (well, they were down to just Al Cisneros for a hot second, so just "dude" for a lil' while) got a new drummer (Emil Amos from Grails) and just put out a new record produced by my favorite asshole (other than my own).
Go see 'em TONIGHT at the Bottom Lounge. Complete tour dates after the jump.
Om, Lichens Tour 2009Oct-06 Chicago, IL Bottom Lounge
Oct-08 Detroit, MI Magic Stick
Oct-09 Toronto, ON Wrongbar
Oct-10 Montreal, QC La Sala Rossa
Oct-11 Brooklyn, NY Europa
Oct-12 Boston, MA Institute of Contemporary Art
Oct-13 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom
Oct-14 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda's
Oct-15 Washington, DC DC9
Oct-16 Chapel Hill, NC TBD
Oct-17 Atlanta, GA The Earl
October 5, 2009
CRUSTCAKE PICKS - ATX SHOWS 10/6 - 10/13
by The WZA'd (ATX)
Another Week, another five shows to go to in Austin, the live music capital of the world. Metalheads of all shapes, sizes, colors and flavors should be overjoyed at this week's cornucopia of shows. We've got death metal, thrash metal, progressive metal and weird metal. Ghostface Killah is also stopping by for those of you who are interested. Of course, those of you who are interested are probably reading another site right now, so I won't bother you with that too much. Anyway, show dates for you below. Enjoy all that. I'll see you out there. If you recognize Van or me, don't be a stranger!
Edit: I just realized that on the same day Dysrhythmia is playing, Rise and Fall are playing at Emo's with Mammoth Grinder. Make your choice! /Edit.
Crustcake Picks: ATX Shows 10/6 - 10/13-Tuesday, Oct. 5: These Arms are Snakes, dd/mm/yyyy, Baron Grod @ Red 7
-Thursday, Oct. 8: Goatwhore, The Berzerker, Warbringer, Vex @ Red 7
-Saturday, Oct. 10: The Accüsed, Krum Bums, Condemned Unit, You People @ Emo's
-Tuesday, Oct. 13: Dysrhythmia, Baring Teeth, Woodgrain @ Red 7
-Tuesday, Oct. 13: Rise and Fall, Bitter End, Mammoth Grinder, Creatures @ Emo's
THE GATES OF SLUMBER'S HYMNS OF BLOOD AND THUNDER VINYL PRE-ORDER
If you liked Hymns of Blood and Thunder, the new album by The Gates of Slumber, and you followed the "CD now, vinyl later" rule in the hopes that such a record would be pressed, your hopes have paid off.
Download: The Gates of Slumber - "Chaos Calling" [MP3]
There are three different vinyl packages being released by Rise Above Records, so if you like your Doom Metal to rise out of spun wax instead of downloaded files, you have plenty of options. You can pre-order them all at the Rise Above Records online store.
CONVERGE HOLD LISTENING PARTY IN NYC FOR AXE TO FALL
by The WZA'd (ATX)
Download: Converge - "Axe to Fall" [MP3]
It's easy to be jealous of New Yorkers. They have an insane amount of great local bands, plenty of shows to go to every week, they live in one of the capital cities of the world, their street food is pretty good and The Arrow Bar in the city is holding a listening party for Converge's Axe to Fall, their new full-length (which we love), on October 16th. The rest of us can take solace in the fact that New York is a smelly, expensive place to live and go Sox.
Details on listening party below.
Where: The Arrow Bar
85 Avenue A
New York, NY 10009
When: 10/16, during "Metal Happy Hour" and afterwords.
Axe to Fall is to be released on October 20th on Epitaph Records. See Converge on their current tour with Mastodon, High on Fire and Dethklok
LANDMINE MARATHON REVEAL DETAILS OF NEW ALBUM
Deathgrind act Landmine Marathon have released details about their forthcoming Prosthetic release, including the title, which is Sovereign Descent. While no tour dates have been announced in support of the album yet, the band did say this: "We look forward to sharing some of the final results soon and even more so playing these songs live on the road!" Our estimate as to when the band will start touring has the word imminently in there somewhere.
Also mentioned was the inclusion of Dan Seagrave's legendary artwork to the album. Lastly, there are also videos up from the recording of the album for your viewing pleasure.
