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 (CHI)
Devin Townsend is best known for his work in industrial metallers Strapping Young Lad, but barring City, his albums with them are not his finest hour. Not even close.
In 1997, Townsend released Biomech under the Ocean Machine moniker, and while it would be the only album released as such, it stands as an underrated classic. Cosmo Lee said that Townsend is one of the few people who can make big, glossy production work, and I am in full support of that statement. Biomech has a huge sound and is full of hooks, but this isn't some '80s pop-metal throwback. Townsend takes the listener to a dream world, though not an ideal one. He's lost in a huge, unforgiving metropolis moving a million miles a minute and unable to stop, before going out to sea to drift away from society. He wants to find beauty in life, but he's struggling amidst mental oppression far and vast. In a way, the outward rage from Strapping Young Lad becomes inward on this album.
I won't bore you with a further dissection of the album - that's for another time, another decade that Biomech is left unappreciated - so here's the video for "Life," the second song off the album. Buy Biomech now; it really is one of the best albums ever.
June 30, 2010
CRUSTY CLIP OF THE WEEK: OCEAN MACHINE - 'LIFE'
THE SWORD READY NEW ALBUM, RELEASE ARTWORK, TRACK LISTING
Austin heavy stoner/doom rockers the Sword (you remember them, right?) are back -- finally -- and ready to drop Warp Riders on Aug. 24 via Kemado.
This time around, the four-piece tapped producer/engineer Matt Bayles (Mastodon, Isis) to help them realize a sci-fi narrtative-driven concept album. Said vocalist/guitarist/songwriter J.D. Cronise to Decibel, "It's a science fiction story, and it deals heavily with themes of light and dark and perceptions of time. One of the main settings is a planet, which has experienced tidal locking, creating a side of perpetual day and a side of perpetual night." He explained further to Noisecreep. "I didn't really want to revisit the same stuff again on another record and talk about the same things and doom and gloom and sorcerers and ravens and things," he said. The artwork alone should be enough to tip off even the densest of listeners.
The Sword previewed some new material at last year's fantastic Fun Fun Fun Fest. Notably -- and this is excluding the fact that Warp Riders features songs written in keys other than D -- the band is exploring a really kickass new ZZ-Top-meets-Hawkwind sound, so you know it's gonna rawk.
Make the jump for track listing and live dates.
Warp Riders:
1. Acheron/Unearthing the Orb
2. Tres Brujas
3. Arrows in the Dark
4. The Chronomancer I: Hubris
5. Lawless Lands
6. Astraea's Dream
7. The Warp Riders
8. Night City
9. The Chronomancer II: Nemesis
10. (The Night the Sky Cried) Tears of Fire"
The Sword live:
July 3 - iTunes Music Festival - London
July 5 - Barfly - London
Oct. 8-10 - ACL Festival - Austin
June 29, 2010
LIVE REVIEW: THE BASTARD NOISE
By The WZAd (ATX)
When: Tuesday, June 15th, 2010
Where: Emo's, Austin, TX
With: Mammoth Grinder, Hatred Surge
During Chaos in Tejas, I got to see The Bastard Noise play a venue full of punks from around the world, supported by Mammoth Grinder, Gehenna and Morne (featuring members of Grief and Disrupt). Mere weeks later I saw Bastard Noise play the same venue, again supported by Mammoth Grinder (in addition to Hatred Surge), to a crowd of about forty. There’s something very wrong with that.
Mammoth Grinder is used to playing smaller crowds while opening for bigger bands. After their Chaos in Tejas set opening for about five other bands, guitarist Chris Ulsh asked me “did that feel awkward to you?” I replied no and asked if it did to him. “It always feels awkward,” Ulsh said. However, they didn’t show any signs of awkwardness when they played their set before The Bastard Noise.
It was an unusual set for the band. Alex Hughes from Hatred Surge supplanted bass duties for the night, and the guitar tone was recently augmented by the mythical Boss HM-2 pedal. Fittingly, they played their cover of Entombed's “Supposed to Rot.”
Unlike many of the bands today sucking from Entombed’s teat, Mammoth Grinder make no pretensions about being a hardcore band. These guys make low-fi, Neanderthal-style Heavy Death Metal, with the ripping speed of Discharge. As always, when they played they tapped a wellspring of something dark and brutal. Seeing these guys never gets old.
One of my other perpetual favorites, Hatred Surge, took the stage immediately afterwards. Playing mostly stuff from their latest release, Deconstruct, they bridged the gap between the brutal styling of Mammoth Grinder and the pure powerviolence that is The Bastard Noise's recent output. I noticed that Hughes uses a Sunn concert bass head – but only because I felt it in my chest. The band blasted and lurched through their set, and much headbanging did occur.
The Bastard Noise had to use some of Hatred Surge’s equipment due to their own equipment failing, and Eric Wood wasn’t too happy about that. They didn’t let it affect their performance though, and they soon filled the room with sounds and noises that bounced off each other and into our collective skulls. Harsh popping and squealing sounds cut through the jazzy, bubbling bass and throbbing, jumping drums. Eric Wood yelled and screamed and belched into his microphone while his fingers danced up and down his bass, and Alex Hughes bowed in praise of his idol’s mastery of the instrument.
Faiza Kracheni from Hatred Surge and Mindless took the stage with The Bastard Noise for a performance of “Through Modern Existence (The March of the Trolls),” a song the band has been enlisting local performers for while touring the country (Jay Randall from Agoraphobic Nosebleed sang for the Massachusetts show). She fucking nailed it and Wood commented, “maybe she can be in three bands now!”
The Bastard Noise are making some of the best music today, to say nothing of underground/extreme/hardcore/powerviolence/whatever subgrouping you can try and jam them in. If they’re coming to your town, make sure to go see them. Also buy their new album, A Culture of Monsters, especially if you’re looking for something fresh to rattle around inside your mind.
EDITORIAL: LISTEN TO SALUTE IMMEDIATLEY
Listen to Salute immediately. Not even kidding. My notes on the Bristol three-piece's 2009 album The Underground are simply: "Hellbastard. Hellhammer. Venom. Celtic Frost. Voivod. Killing Joke. Midnight." But holy shit are they are so much more than that! This is filthy, wastoid, caveman metal. This is buzz-saw, 40-oz., gutter-sleaze perfection. And when Fenriz starts wearing YOUR shirt to go camping, I'll say the same about your band. So for the love of Lemmy, listen to Salute immediately!
Buy Salute - The Underground [here].
June 28, 2010
CRUSTCAKE REVIEWS: DOVE - DOVE LP/CS
by Van Damned (SATX)
I mean, of course Dove came from Florida. From the swampland stomp of "You and I" to the humidity-slackened snarl of "Never a Straight Line," it's pretty clear that the same Sunshine State that gave us both Morbid Angel AND Torche spawned Dove.
Apropos, because Dove guitarist/vocalist Henry Wilson (ex-Cavity) at one time played in Floor with Steve Brooks (ex-Cavity), who would go on to later form Torche. [See a helpful Venn diagram here.] So if Floor and Cavity birthed Torche directly, then Dove is like Torche's beaming uncle. There are moments, like on "This You Can Trust," where the pedigree is all but obvious. On it, a churning, z-tuned guitar/bass double attack roils underneath a stuttering drum beat and half-shouted/half-sung vocals. Sludgey? Duh. Poppy? A little. Hardcore? Just a pinch.
In fact, if there ever was a hardcore band for stoners, Dove would be it. Riffs are thick as mud. Songs strike and fade like a joint's flaming cherry. Solos are hinted at. Call it hardcore in the key of DOOM.
Self-released in 2004, then lavishly re-released on vinyl and cassette by Financial Ruin in 2010, Dove is one of those Rosetta Stone artifacts that connects two seemingly disparate entities. And at just 34 minutes, it's a digestible chunk of history that can also stand on its own merits.
Dove broke up shortly after this album was released, but during their short run, they shared bills with everyone from Mastodon and Baroness to the Sword.
Thoughtfully included in the LP issue is a half-dozen, full-color assortment of show fliers, a postcard, a logo sticker and two Electric Warrior Dove bootleg stickers, a patch and a hand silkscreened cover. (Did I mention that it was lavish?) The LP is limited to 150 on purple vinyl and 150 on green. I have a purple 302/250, though, and my tape is one of at least two 13/150s floating around, so, you know. I'd get moving fast though, 'cause the tapes already sold out and what with these Floor reunion shows and all, this album is already a hot commodity.
7/10 [Audible]
9.5/10 [Physical]
[Purple vinyl with extra goodies]
[Tape with silkscreened cardboard sleeve]
Buy Dove - Dove LP here.
June 24, 2010
LIVE REVIEW: ENTOMBED
by Carmelo Espanola (CHI)
Entombed
When: Saturday, June 5th, 2010
Where: Reggie's Rock Club, Chicago, IL
With: Jungle Rot, Woe of Tyrants, Sweet Cobra, Black Breath
All photos by: Carm
Sweden and Chicago have a long history of cultural exchange. At the turn of the 19th century, Chicago had the second largest Swedish population in the world, just next to Stockholm. The carpenters who rebuilt Chicago after the Great Fire of 1871 were Swedish immigrants, and it was known for a long time that "the Swedes built Chicago". To this day, the centuries-old neighborhood of Andersonville continues to be a hotbed of Swedish culture in the United States. Therefore, it was more appropriate for the godfathers of Swedish death metal, Entombed, to play a show in Chicago on the 20th anniversary of their landmark album, Left Hand Path.
Seattle's Black Breath, along with peers Trap Them and Nails, have been leading the new wave of old school death metal crossover. Despite a month long tour with hardcore antiheroes Converge and a spot at the most recent Maryland Death Fest, these Seattlites never showed any signs of road fatigue with their high energy attack. I even spotted Alex Hellid from Entombed bobbing his head in approval. Heavy is as heavy does when best describing Black Breath in a live setting.
Long-time Chicago hardcore vets Sweet Cobra took the stage next with a sense of urgency which translated into a hard charging set. They took advantage of the opportunity to preview the new songs form their upcoming album, Mercy, to one of the most diverse crowds they could play in. The news songs carried a breath of youthful exuberance that would make anybody want to get on their skateboards and carve up an empty pool. I am looking forward to hearing these new songs in vinyl format when the album drops in the summer.
Wisconsin's Jungle Rot played an economical style of death metal. Their approach conveys traces of mid-90's Immolation and Obituary with the galloping brute force they exude. They eschew technical prowess in favor of good ol' pit smashing brutality. A few more refinements into their sonic palette and they would be a well-oiled death metal machine. They do bring the fun factor into their approach and the crowd gave them a well-deserved response.
The Louvin Brothers would shudder at the thought of having their lone hit "Satan Is Real" being appropriated by Entombed as the intro music to the sweet and sinful surrender of death metal. Entombed continued this thematic direction by starting off with "Chief Rebel Angel" from Morning Star, then segued into "Demon" from Wolverine Blues. From there on, it was a time warp to the days of Grindcrusher tours with a hearty smorgasbord of songs from Clandestine, Wolverine Blues, and the main dish, most of the songs from Left Hand Path. Oldies like "Supposed To Rot", "Sinners Bleed", "Out Of Hand", "Strange Aeons", "But Life Goes On" and "Drowned" sounded like they just came yesterday. L.G. Petrov proved he is still an O.G. voice to be reckoned with in the death metal game. The chainsaw guitar tone pioneered by Nihilist guitarist Leif Cuzner more than 20 years ago is alive and well in the capable hands of Alex Hellid's seering riffs. The rhythm section of Nico Elgstrand and Olle Dahlstedt infused fresh new blood into the veins of death metal. After the set ended with "Left Hand Path", the crowd screamed for more and Entombed rewarded them with not one, but two encores. No matter how many trends come and go, Entombed will continue to be relevant and influential as the prime exporters of hot and heavy Swedish death metal.
KVELERTAK LP AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER
So Sean was asking about Norway's Kvelertak the other day, and I told him they remind me a lot of a Scandinavian Doomriders. Sort of Converge-y, but with more Turbonegro party rawk and Kylesa crust.
They also remind me of French Toast: filling, and goes great going down, but not particularly good for you.
On the bright side, John Baizley lent his (unmistakeable) touch to their cover art, Justin Bartlett scrawled an equally owl-centric T-shirt design, and Trap Them's Ryan McKenney and Taake's Hoest each contributed vocals to different songs.
So, to sum up: Kvelertak=Doomriders, Converge, Turbonegro, Kylesa, Baizley, Bartlett, Trap Them, Taake and French Toast.
Win!
Their self-titled, 180g 2xLP is availble for pre-order here. It's out July 5.
Make the jump for owl-tastic album art and European tour info.
Kvelertak Summer 2010 Tour Info:Jun 29 2010 Hovefestivalen (time TBC)
Jul 10 2010 UK Brighton @ Concorde 2 (Converge,Kylesa,Gaza)
Jul 11 2010 UK Plymouth @ White Rabbit (Matinee) (Converge,Kylesa,Gaza)
Jul 12 2010 Ireland Dublin @ Whelans (Converge,Kylesa,Gaza)
Jul 13 2010 UK Birmingham @ O2 Academy 2 (Converge,Kylesa,Gaza)
Jul 14 2010 UK Glasgow @ Garage (Converge,Kylesa,Gaza)
Jul 15 2010 UK Manchester @ Academy 2 (Converge,Kylesa,Gaza)
Jul 16 2010 UK London @ ULU (Converge,Kylesa,Gaza)
Jul 17 2010 Slottsfjellfestivalen Tønsberg, NO
Jul 19 2010 Germany Hamburg @ Markthalle (Converge,Kylesa,Gaza)
Jul 20 2010 Sweden Gothenburg @ Brew House (Converge,Kylesa,Gaza)
Jul 21 2010 Sweden Stockholm @ Debaser Slussen (Converge,Kylesa,Gaza)
Jul 22 2010 Sweden Malmo @ Debase (Converge,Kylesa,Gaza)
Jul 23 2010 Germany Berlin @ Columbia Club (Converge,Kylesa,Gaza)
Jul 24 2010 Germany Nurnberg @ Z-Bau (Converge,Kylesa,Gaza)
Jul 25 2010 Germany Bochum @ Matrix (Converge,Kylesa,Gaza)
Jul 26 2010 France Paris @ Trabendo (Converge,Kylesa,Gaza)
Jul 27 2010 France Bordeaux @ BT59 (Converge,Kylesa,Gaza)
Jul 28 2010 France Nantes @ Le Ferrailleur (Converge,Kylesa,Gaza)
Aug 2 2010 Belgium Antwerpen @ Trix (Converge,Kylesa,Gaza)
Aug 3 2010 Switzerland Geneve @ L’usine Kab (Converge,Kylesa,Gaza)
Aug 4 2010 Italy Milan Magnolia @ Summer Open air (Converge,Kylesa,Gaza)
Aug 5 2010 Italy Rimini @ Velvet (Converge,Kylesa,Gaza)
Aug 6 2010 Germany Munchen @ Feierwerk (Converge,Kylesa,Gaza)
Aug 7 2010 Germany Leisnig @ Suck n Summer Fest (Converge,Kylesa,Gaza)
Aug 8 2010 Poland Krakow @ Loch Ness (Converge,Kylesa,Gaza)
Aug 9 2010 Hungary Budapest @ Dürer Kert (Converge,Kylesa,Gaza)
Aug 10 2010 Austria Salzburg @ Rockhouse (Converge,Kylesa,Gaza)
Aug 11 2010 Croatia Zagreb @ Mocvara (Converge,Kylesa,Gaza)
Aug 12 2010 Austria Wien @ Arena (Converge, Kylesa,Gaza)
Aug 15 2010 Belgium Ieper @ Ieper Fest Ieper, BE
Aug 20 2010 Pstereofestivalen Trondheim, NO
Sep 4 2010 Rått og Råde Festivalen Stavanger, NO
June 23, 2010
UNEARTHLY TRANCE RELEASE 'V' ARTWORK
Fresh from Ryan Lipynsky's Guitar World photo-shoot, Brooklyn's Unearthly Trance posted the cover art for their upcoming full-length, V. Relapse will be issuing V on CD and 2xLP on Sept. 28, with a cassette coming via Unearthly Trance's own Humanless Recordings. The one-part doom, two-parts punk trio have tour plans in the works for this fall with Suma. We'll keep you informed as more info surfaces.
Read more for the V artwork, created by Glyn Scrawled.
Unearthly Trance also recently released a split with crustcake favorites The Endless Blockade. You should purchase that from Chrome Peeler Records.
V Cover Art:
Upcoming Unearthly Trance shows:Jun 26 Europa W/ Floor, Javelina, Hot Graves Brooklyn, NY
Jul 30 The Broadway Bar Lee Altomare benefit w/ Deathcycle and Communion. Amityville, NY
Aug 14 The Charleston W/ Coffinworm, Archon Brooklyn, NY
Oct 1 AS220, w/ SUMA / Sin Of Angels PROVIDENCE, RI
Oct 2 ELEVENS w/ SUMA and Black Pyramid Northampton, MA
Oct 5 Half Penny Pub w/ SUMA Syracuse, NY
Oct 10 Melody Inn w/ SUMA, Racebannon, Coffinworm Indianapolis, IN
CORROSION OF CONFORMITY 'ANIMOSITY' LINE-UP TO THRASH HEADS ONCE MORE
North Carolina's Corrosion of Conformity may be more known for their more doomy and Southern-influenced material, but in the 80s, they were a killer crossover machine. Animosity is a thrash classic in its own right, and some would argue that the band hasn't topped it since. Well, if you're one of those people, you're in luck! COC's Animosity era line up - Woody Weatherman on guitar, Mike Dean on vocals and bass, and Reed Mullin on drums - will be playing together again for a short west coast tour this August!
But who's opening, you ask? Not to worry: Goatsnake, Righteous Fool (which features Dean and Mullin), Eagle Twin, and Black Breath! And to make sure nobody gets off on the wrong foot, the tour begins at the Southern Lord sponsored The Power Of The Riff Festival in Los Angeles. Scheduled to play that fest, in addition to the bands just mentioned, are Repulsion, Trap Them, Nails, and From Ashes Rise. The full line up will be coming soon, but could we handle it? Those are all of our favorite bands right there! L.A., you are some lucky bros.
Click below for more information.
Southern Lord West Coast Mini Tour8/08 Echo and Echoplex - Los Angeles, CA @ The Power of the Riff Fest
8/10 DNA Lounge - San Francisco, CA
8/12 Neumo's - Seattle, WA
June 22, 2010
CRUSTCAKE INTERVIEWS: SLAUGHTER STRIKE
By The WZAd (ATX)
Andrew Nolan, a scene veteran, is currently the bass player and songwriter for both powerviolence band The Endless Blockade and new death metal band Slaughter Strike (who just released their demo for free online). Graciously, he agreed to be on our latest episode of the Crustcast, and has also answered a few interview questions for me about Slaughter Strike.
Crustcake: What was the impetus of Slaughter Strike forming?
Andrew Nolan: A need for more distractions in our individual lives? We’re all friends and good friends with a shared musical love form bands together.
Crustcake: What is the “essence” of death metal in relation to Slaughter Strike? In other words, why is it important to think of the band as a death metal band?
Nolan: We’re not afraid of proclaiming ourselves as being a strictly genre band like many people seem to be. We have no desire to take our music to the mythical next level or transcend any musical classification. We’re just a death metal band pure and simple. Our self imposed restrictions give us strength.
As far as essences go that’s a harder thing to talk about and to paraphrase Austin Osman Spare; the more you talk about it the harder it is to understand.
I think that on its most simplistic and most effective level death metal mirrors the Vama Marga and can be defined as “Shighra, Ugra and Tivra”; that is “fast, terrible and intense”. Consequently the death metal that contains these qualities is the death metal I’m interested in.
A lot of metal fans and artists have an almost laughable desire for intellectual acceptance; they love to tell you which guitarists are technically proficient and who’s actually more like a classical jazz guitarist than a metal guitarist (and really, how is this even a selling point in death metal?). Or people get boners because some boiler on youtube filmed herself playing a Carcass song on the piano. Fantastic, like Carcass is somehow improved when played on a piano, give me a fucking break.
If death metal is not fast, terrible and intense then it fails. If death metal is not a visceral art form at its base then it fails. The satisfaction of the intellect should not be the first priority of death metal.
Crustcake: SS is death metal, but sounds very much like it was filtered through hardcore punk (not many death metal bands cover bands like Siege). Was this a conscious decision when writing the music?
Nolan: Siege are definitely one of those bands that several genres claim as their own and they certainly were at the forefront of one of several converging currents that birthed grindcore and death metal. And let us not forget that both Napalm Death and Exhumed both covered Siege long before we ever existed as a band.
I think if our band sounds like its sound is filtered through hardcore punk then that’s probably an unconscious decision and proof that I can’t really get that far away from my basic writing style.
The conscious decision we did make from the start though was to be as immediate as possible and to forgo endless intros and outros, extraneous passages and unnecessary influences that detract from the overall effect. I love death metal, but the curse of so many bands over the years has been to write albums where the first three songs are great and then after that they get progressively more boring until you almost don’t care about the last track. I think this is less of an issue currently but even some of the bona fide genre classics suffer this problem.
And finally there is a huge No Security influence on our sound. Both Mentally Murdered and Left Hand Path are two of my all time favourite records and the more punk based rhythms on both of those records are largely responsible for leading me to investigate classics like Crudity, Asocial, Totalitar, Svart Parad, No Security, Mob 47 and Anti-Cimex.
Crustcake: You have commented on your blog that “having an underground DIY approach to booking shows and much much more is not old school death metal. It's just fucking death metal.” Most modern-day death metal bands don’t promote their bands this way though, with the exceptions of your band and Mammoth Grinder immediately coming to mind. However, both bands are rooted in living hardcore scenes and have the DIY ethos of those scenes. Is this mentality more hardcore than death metal?
Nolan: The part you quoted about being DIY in approach isn’t the most salient point of the entire statement but it still merits further discussion. I made those points largely as a pre-emptive remark; I’ve been around a while and I see revolving trends. I see people looking for the next thing to proclaim as their own, I see labels looking for the next thing to sell and I see journalists looking to have a hand in pushing whatever they perceive as the beginnings of a new trend.
To me the very idea of ‘old school death metal’ implies that every skate boarder for Jesus, shaved head and camo pants wearing guitar masturbator of recent times is somehow a legitimate heir to the throne of death metal. The shit that was produced in the latter half of the 1990s is an aberration and should be treated with the mocking contempt it deserves.
To draw a parallel; in hardcore no one would look at stuff like Shai Hulud, Snapcase and Coalesce and say that was the definition of hardcore punk. Those bands were born out of the hardcore scene but don’t define hardcore particularly well.
So as far as I’m concerned the idea of a band being lauded solely because they don’t use drum triggers, choose to release cassettes or book their own shows is the least important aspect of what makes them a death metal band. That stuff is pretty much bottom line entry level shit and a band needs to do much more than that to be considered good. I’d rather my band was appraised (for good or for bad) without the least meaningful part of our aesthetic being taken into account.
Already you can spot the bands that think a Boss HM2, a scissor beat and proclaiming themselves to be ‘old school death metal’ is all you need to be considered worthy.
There are countless bands (and there has been for years) that take the route we openly embrace, Nun Slaughter instantly come to mind. And of course all over the world there are terrible bands that will never be anything but ‘local death metal’ because they have no idea how to get themselves out there and are perpetually waiting to be asked to open up for Obituary and Entombed when they pass through the local Enormo-Dome.
Crustcake: Your two bands, The Endless Blockade and Slaughter Strike, have gained and are gaining popularity in the midst of resurgences in their respective genres (Powerviolence and “old-school” death metal). How much of a coincidence is this?
Nolan: People are noticing us because there are other people doing similar things I guess. Regarding power violence, I’ve been mining that narrow trough to varying degrees of purity and success since about 1995 now so any recognition I get out of it isn’t really a big deal (I think I’ve played through at least three power violence revivals now) .
For Slaughter Strike it’s very early days and it’s really only on the basis of one relatively well received demo tape and an as yet unreleased 12”. Time will tell if people remained interested or if we’re just being grasped onto as a gimmick or message board one-upmanship.
Cruscake: Cyclopean Records is putting out the first Slaughter Strike record. Why did you choose that label in particular?
Nolan: Before the demo was even out we’d had a handful of relatively known labels offer us record deals on the basis of three half mixed mp3s on myspace. I guess it was partly due to the Blockade connection and partly due to the ex-members of Rammer thing.
We thought this was ridiculous and decided to release an interim 7” or 12” before working on our full length. Jason Tarpey is someone we’ve known for a few years and we felt had a genuine interest in releasing our music and wasn’t merely trying to get in on the ground level of the new trend of ‘old school death metal’.
Profound Lore is doing our full length CD with 20 Buck Spin is releasing the vinyl version. Both Chris and Dave are good people that we’ve known for a while and feel a kinship with beyond “please give us some money to finish mixing our record”.
SLEEP ANNOUNCE TOUR DATES
New York! Philly! Chicago! Austin! Portland! San Fran! If you reside in or near these places, prepare for a Eyjafjallajokull-esque cloud of smoke coming your way in the fall. Why? Sleep are doing shows in these cities.
No, people, we're not foolin'. This is the real Sleep (well..it's Matt, Al and Jason Roeder of Neurosis on drums). They really are playing this fall. And there will be no shortage of riffs and some green magic. What are you waiting for? Memorize all the lyrics to Holy Mountain and Dopesmoker now! You know we're not gonna miss these shows, work and relationships be damned.
Dates and venues after the jump.
Sleep Fall 2010 Tour09.03.10 Kutsher's Country Club - All Tomorrow's Parties, Monticello, NY
9/07 Starlight Ballroom, Philadelphia, PA
9/08 Brooklyn Masonic Temple, New York, NY
9/09 Logan Square Auditorium, Chicago, IL
9/10 Mohawk, Austin, TX
9/11 Roseland Theater / Music Fest NW, Portland, OR
9/12 Regency Ballroom, San Francisco, CA
WEEKEND NACHOS RELEASE BLEED - NEW 12"
A couple months ago, we reported that Chicago powerviolence crew Weekend Nachos were (and still are, actually) streaming a heeeeeaaavvvyyyyy new track, "Bleed," off of the EP of the same name. The title track signaled a much sludgier direction for the band, but we were not complaining. In fact, being the doom fiends we are, we rejoiced. Andrew Wilhelm caught them in Chicago recently with Eyehategod, and while he'll elaborate more in his review coming soon, he was floored by "Bleed," to say the least. Like many of you, we have been anxiously waiting for the new EP to come out. The people want more powersludge!
Well, now you can order Bleed at Relapse's online store. For you collectors, the link has pressing information too. Get your hands off those white vinyls, they're ours!
If you don't want to get the record over the Internets, Weekend Nachos will also have the new EP available at their upcoming shows. You can find dates by clicking below. 
Upcoming Weekend Nachos ShowsJuly 10 - Indianapolis , IN - Dudefest 2010
July 18 - Chicago, IL - Albion House (Bleed Record Release show)
July 23 - Berkeley , CA - 924 Gilman St (w/ LOW THREAT PROFILE)
July 24 - Sacramento , CA - 16th St Café (w/ LOW THREAT PROFILE)
July 25 - Boyle Heights , CA - The Blvd (w/ LOW THREAT PROFILE)
June 21, 2010
PACK OF WOLVES ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM, MEMBERS
About this time last year, I sung the praises of Austin's Pack of Wolves, a four-piece whose 2009 LP Betrayer combined "the aggro-chug of Venom, hardcore's dissonance and vitriol, Maiden-esque dual-guitar histrionics, Pantera's groove and the occasional, well-placed D-beat or breakdown." And while Pack of Wolves killed at 2009's SXSW, they spent the better part of the ensuing year honing their kitchen sink bludgeon into a sleeker, sharper and darker assault.
With the addition of new members Gabriel Bishop (bass, Vietnam) and Josh Holstein (drums, Axes to the Sky), Pack of Wolves are prepping the release Penance of Pestilence, a 10" due on Arclight in September. From the two new tracks posted on their Myspace, it's pretty clear that the catchy Swedish riffage that anchored Betrayer has been smeared into an epic, black roar. While there's still enough chunk and chug evident to satisfy your average At the Gates fan, Pack of Wolves are howling at a freezing moon rising over the Lone Star State.
Make the jump for tour info and more.
Pack of Wolves July mini-tour:7/18/2010 @ Nightrocker Live, San Antonio, Texas
Official video for "Concession" from Betrayer:
7/19/2010 @ Mohawk, Austin, Texas
7/24/2010 @ The Nightmare, Dallas, Texas
7/25/2010 @ The Bucanneer, Memphis, Tennessee
7/26/2010 @ Downtown Music, Little Rock, Arkansas
CRUSTCAKE REVIEWS: HOWL - FULL OF HELL
by theseseans (NYC) 
Howl's Full of Hell was easily one of our most anticipated records of 2010. Their three-song, self-titled 2009 EP grabbed our attention — and our repeated, repeated listens — with its huge riffs, excellent tone and an attitude not usually seen in bands with this much groove. Hell follows the EP with more of the same, but without much improvements.
At its best, Full of Hell flirts with Dylan Carlson-like riffs ("Horns Of Steel"), but where Carlson knows how to take the sparse and draw the listener in, Howl sometimes gets caught playing riffs without direction or embellishment. The guitar leads on the EP were sparse, with plenty of room to develop, and I feel the same with Full of Hell. Often the leads are perfect (as in the incredible "Asherah/Jezebel"), but just as often there is too much empty space, just begging for a little something extra.
Howl's sound is a little hard to nail down: they bring big, spacious riffs, but couple them with vocalist Vincent Hausman's consistently brutal delivery. What sets them apart comes from drummer Timmy St. Amour, whose sound isn't the full-on pounding you might expect to accompany the big riffs or the power of Hausman's throat. Instead, his drums sound flat, relaxed. His double-bass work is often lulling, not exhilarating. Somehow, this works perfectly with Howl's sound. The album's centerpiece, the previously mentioned "Asherah/Jezebel," brings everything together for what will undoubtedly be one of my favorite songs of 2010. The guitar leads are full and beautiful, the vocals are placed perfectly around the riffs and the drums keep your head moving.
While I don't think that Full of Hell is an absolute knock-out, it has some fantastic moments. Most of the record's songs clock in between three and five minutes, but the album's closer, "The Day of Rest," pushes past 10 minutes and never feels stale. I'm hoping that Howl continue to push their boundaries, because they have already found some real moments of excellence. Considering that this is just their first full length, Hell leaves me just as excited for Howl's future.
The physical product is absolutely fantastic. While I would have liked an insert, the art (by Ryan Begley) and layout is the kind of presentation that leaves you sitting on the couch just staring, satisfied. The LP is available in red vinyl or black, 180-gram vinyl. I went with the 180-gram because I expect this record to get repeated listens.
Front Cover
Back Cover
Inside Gatefold
Back Gategold
Record
I also like the attention to detail that carried over to the download cards:
Audio: 7/10
Physical: 8.5/10
Buy: Howl - Full of Hell
June 19, 2010
PREVIEW: EYEHATEGOD IN CHICAGO
by Andrew Wilhelm (CHI)
Where: Empty Bottle, Chicago, IL
When: Saturday and Sunday
With: Nachtmystium, Weekend Nachos, Strong Intention, Plague Bringer, The Atlas Moth, Yakuza
As I began my interview with Mike Williams, vocalist for New Orleans' Eyehategod, he commented that he vomited while brushing his teeth shortly before the interview began. For a snarky asshole like me, this would have been the perfect opportunity to ask Mr. Williams "Did you brush your teeth with a bottle of jack?" Quickly, I realized that making a Ke$ha reference to an underground hardcore/metal legend would be, even for my standards, in bad taste.
Or perhaps not - Eyehategod count notorious anti-P.C. grinders Anal Cunt, who were supposed to play Saturday's show before canceling their tour - amongst their contemporaries. Finding common ground with Seth Putnam would seem impossible - he's made a career of burning bridges before the blueprints get drawn up. "I Became A Counselor So I Could Tell Rape Victims They Asked For It" and "Connor Clapton Committed Suicide Because His Father Sucks" - say no more! Williams says that both of the groups were in similar places when they started out - Anal Cunt may have crammed twenty songs in the space that Eyehategod uses for two, but both were creating a lot of noncommercial music.
"We were both surprised that anybody liked our bands, we both couldn't beleive that anybody liked the noise we were making, we kinda bonded from there," Williams said.
Things haven't been quite the same since Putnam's coma, though.
"He's lost a little bit of his sense of humor. I know he's not fully recovered, but he seems kind of strange. The old Seth was fun, and for all the bad stuff he did, he was a pretty funny guy. He was more mischievous back then," Williams said.
Of course, it's not like Eyehategod don't have their eyebrow-raising song titles. "White Nigger," a fan favorite from Take as Needed for Pain, seems divisive on the surface. White dudes using the word nigger? What an abomination! Of course, San Francisco punkers The Avengers had a song called "White Nigger" - that's where the band got it from. As Williams explains further, it's an anthem of Southern unity. And being from the south, we don't have any use for P.C.
"The main thing is about being from the South and being called somebody, like 'white trash,' and then someone's called a 'nigger' - we're all in this together. The South gets a bad reputation, plus of course we were trying to be shocking."
Despite the Southern flavor of Eyehategod's music, Williams doesn't think that it is inaccessible to non-Southerners. "Believe me, there's ignorant people everywhere," Williams said when asked if the music has an element that could only be understood by those living in the South.
Eyehategod's shows could themselves be constructs of unity. The first time I saw them live was at the Chaos in Tejas festival in May 2009 - freshly graduated from the University of Texas - with Harvey Milk. Eyehategod, by nature, fucking killed it, but what really made the show was who came out. Looking at the crowd, I saw punks. Crusties. Metalheads. Pantera lovin' good ol boys.
"I'm an old punk rock kid from the 80s, I grew up wearing the boots and the Black Flag t-shirts. In the mid-80s, it got generic and boring, that's when bands like Slayer and Exodus came along and everything really got exciting again. I'm super stoked to see people with mohawks and people with long hair at the same shows," Williams said.
In accordance, exposing decadence and filth encompass the majority of Eyehategod's point of view. Jimmy Bower and Brian Patton let their riffs breath in too much of the toxic, salty New Orleans air, which is just one part of the band's aesthetic.. The original cover of Dopesick featured a woman ensnared in bondage leather, the band makes pleas for drugs and horny women onstage, and sing lyrics such as this from "Pigs," off of In the Name of Suffering: "Through chemicals and meditation/I find my self /Denying society and the laws of undoing/Our temple of denial."
"I was always kind of an introverted kid, always into the Mafia, anything dark and negative I seemed to gravitate towards when I was a kid," Williams said.
His lyrics are some of the little poetry that not only riffs off of Charles Bukowski's piss-whiskey-and-loose-women style but doesn't front when it comes to grit, something a lot of Bukowski's acolytes can't say.
"He is the writer that made me realize you don't have to write about puppies and daises or something, you can write about your real life," Williams said. He also cites Jean Paul Satre and William S. Burroughs as major influences.
Eyehategod may be putting out material later this year, and Williams has a couple books finished awaiting to be edited. Cancer as a Social Activity, Williams' collection of poetry, is available from the Housecore Records online store. But in the meantime, the band will continue to suffocate their audicene live. And it's exactly what we need.
For details on this weekend's shows, start here.
June 16, 2010
CRUSTY CLIP OF THE WEEK: VENOM - 'WELCOME TO HELL'
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 (SATX)
Well here it is, boys and girls: the fountainhead. The origin to whom every grim-and-frostbitten, corpsepainted, bullet-belted, goat-raping, Christ-inverting, nun-punching church burner from Nor-Cal to Norway owes a blood debt. Black metal's original gangsters, Venom. Sure, there were others who did it faster, louder, heavier or more Satanic, but none managed to impel a thousand greasy-haired pizza faces into starting a band -- much less single-handedly invent an entire genre -- the way these three spotty kids from Newcastle-upon-Tyne did. Say what you will about their technical skill, production values or choices in fashion, but you can't deny that Venom rules. And rules hard, at that.
Ancient cries crying,Continue Reading...
Acting fast upon the way of the dog,
Welcome to HELL!
INDIAN SIGNS TO RELAPSE, TO PLAY KUMA'S BLOCK PARTY
When Relapse does doom, they do it right. It's hard to argue with the classic diSEMBOWELMENT, the crushing psych of Minsk or the demonic New Yorkers Unearthly Trance. Relapse has further upped their doom game by signing Chicago's Indian.
Since 2003, Indian have been cranking out some of the best Midwestern doom you've never heard of. Powered by Sunn heads and Emperor cabs, it goes without saying that their sound is huger than huge. It's rich, thick, and full of hate. Recently, they were bolstered by the addition of ex-Middian/Wolves in the Throne Room guitarist and Nachtmystium sideman Will Lindsay. The quartet will enter the studio in October with producer wunderkind Sanford Parker to break ground on a new album set to be released in early 2011. We're all looking forward to it.
Indian will also be performing at the Kuma's Corner Block Party July 10 with Earthride, Red Fang, The Atlas Moth, Lord Mantis and plenty more. If you can't make it down to Dudefest in Indianapolis, this is the next best thing. Great metal and some of the best burgers in Chicago. And the country, while we're at it.
As an added bonus, click below for a live clip of "The Sycophant" from 2008.
WHITESNAKE RELEASE THEIR OWN WINE
For 80s metal bands, it's hard to stay relevant. Whitesnake - the reason many of our readers in their early-to-mid 20s are here - are no exception. They can't exactly rely on Tawny Kitaen - how our older readers got through the more hormone-driven parts of their lives - to appear in videos anymore, so they have to keep the dream going somehow! If you're Steve Vai, the renowned shredder who played on 1989's Slip of the Tongue, you appear in a video with Orianthi. Alas, she's just a run of the mill shredder who happens to be a girl (if she had Mick Barr's chops, on the other hand, she may have some suitors coming her way). David Coverdale realizes that his fanbase in the 80s can still be capitalized on. The band's fans aren't guzzling MD 20/20 and Natty Light anymore - they've grown up! With this in mind, Whitesnake will release their own wine on July 1. The 2008 Zinfadel is, straight from Mr. Slow an' Easy himself:
"It's a bodacious, cheeky little wine, filled to the brim with the spicy essence of sexy, slippery Snakeyness ... I recommend it to complement any & all grown up friskiness & hot tub jollies ...So, come on, readers! Make your loved one a fool for your lovin' tonight.
Is this love? ... I believe it is ..."
And even if you're not into their ballads, you can't deny that "Still of the Night" is a righteous jam:
Continue Reading...
June 15, 2010
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ENSLAVED ALBUM?
by theseseans (NYC)
A band I had not, until recently, taken the time to investigate was Norway's Enslaved. Despite their almost 20 year span as a band, their critical acclaim and reputation within the metal world, I simply had not given any of their records the time of day.
While participating in the latest episode of the Crustcast, Enslaved came up and both Andrew Nolan and Cosmo Lee cited Enslaved as a band whose entire catalog was good. It was mentioned that Enslaved treaded on several different styles through their career, but the change was always organic, felt as a natural transition from album to album. As I write I am on the final track of their 1994 record Frost, and I am mightily impressed. Excellent black metal with touches of local Norse themes and sounds and, more importantly, a real feeling toward that culture.
So as I begin to explore the rest of Enslaved's catalog, I'm asking for your opinion: What is your favorite Enslaved album? Period? Group of Albums? Help me out in the comments and let me know what you think my next listen should be.
VASAELETH VINYL NOW AVAILABLE
Vasaeleth put out one of my favorite records this year in Crypt Born & Tethered To Ruin. This record made feel like I had found my Portal or Teitanblood, acts that I can appreciate but never really fell in love with. So it was with much excitement that I saw that 20 Buck Spin had vinyl copies of the record finally up for sale (via the Swedish label Blood Harvest).
Crypt Born is a low-fi death metal record that boasts some serious songwriting under all the fuzz. Vasaeleth features memebers of Dagon and Legions Of Astaroth. Read more for the album art, the excellence of which helps to demand a vinyl purchase. 
June 14, 2010
CRUSTCAKE PICKS - CHICAGO SHOWS: 6/14-6/20
by Andrew Wilhelm (CHI)
Is Mayor Daley going to have to bring in the National Guard to stop the massive overflow of metal this week? We hope not.
Hot off the heels of their Maryland Death Fest performance, Pestilence will be rolling into town tonight, bringing new-thrashers Warbringer and death metal OGs Vital Remains with them. If you're looking for something a little more on the free side, get on that Blue Line and rock yourself down to the Debonair Social Club for locals Hate and Regrets. They'll ensure Wicker Park is a little less American Apparel and a lot more metal, at least for that night. Hate's demos are available for download here, here, and here.
Canadian rockers Barn Burner will be burning down the cozy Ronny's on Thursday. Those poor fuckers had to play Colorado Springs - Ted Haggard had his ministry here, that's all you need to know - on Sunday, so help them cope and buy them a beer or four. Noisy synth-poppers Cold Cave were supposed to play Chi-town back in February, but line-up shifts forced them to reschedule for Thursday. To me, they sound like if Ian Curtis didn't commit suicide and sang for the band that rose from his demise, New Order. Basically, if New Order didn't suck. Smoke-loving dark ambient duo Locrian, one of my favorite local bands, will support.
Capping it all off is a double-header from New Orleans legends Eyehategod. Two nights equals double the sludge, double the black eyes, and double the unplanned pregnancies that will result from such madness. They'll also be playing with some of Chicago's finest - Nachtmystium both nights, Weekend Nachos on Saturday, and The Atlas Moth and Yakuza on Sunday. Too bad ultra-leftist grinders Anal Cunt had to drop off - perhaps Seth Putnam will write a song about it. Mike Williams will also be doing a noise set with Mark Solotroff (Bloodyminded, Anatomy of Habit) as Ten Suicides Sunday afternoon at the Wicker Park Reckless Records. Yeah, you gotta go to hipster-land again, I know, but trust me, it'll be worth it.
Crustcake Picks - Chicago Shows 6/14-6/206/14 - Pestilence, Warbringer, Vital Remains, Enfold Darkness, Sacrifical Slaughter @ Reggie's Rock Club
6/15 - Hate, Regrets @ Debonair Social Club (FREE!)
6/16 - Barn Burner, Raise the Red Lantern, The Muzzler, The Witches Tit @ Ronny's
6/17 - Cold Cave, Locrian, Hair Police @ Empty Bottle
6/19 - Eyehategod, Nachtmystium, Strong Intention, Weekend Nachos @ Empty Bottle
6/20 - Eyehategod, Nachtmystium, Yakuza, The Atlas Moth, Bongripper @ Empty Bottle
- Ten Suicides (Mike Williams + Mark Solotroff) @ Reckless Records - 1532 N. Milwaukee Ave. - 3 PM (FREE!)
June 11, 2010
THE CRUSTCAST: EPISODE 4
By The WZAd (ATX)
Download: The Crustcast [MP3]
Going on a trip anytime soon? You got a vacation from work? Bad commute in the morning? Two hours which you just don't know how to fill? You're in luck buddy. We recorded a new episode of the Crustcast, and it is hot and fresh out of the oven! We used a little too much yeast though, so it's a lot bigger than we thought. But hey, who doesn't like hearing us talk, especially when "us" includes Cosmo Lee of Invisible Oranges, Andy Nolan of The Endless Blockade, our own Sean Walsh and, of course, me?
In this episode we talk about Nachtmystium's new songs a little bit, Isis breaking up and Maryland Deathfest. We even throw in a half-hour discussion about the relevance of analog media (tapes, zines, vinyl) in the digital age. Get excited!
And remember kids, you can subscribe to the 'cast through iTunes or whatever service you use by going here.
Show notes and songs used below. Let us know what you think!
Songs included in order of appearance:
Insect Warfare - "Oxygen Corrosion"
Isis - "In Fiction"
Nachtmystium - "No Funeral"
Despise You - "All the Regimes you hold most dear"
Nirvana 2002 - "Zombiefication"
Anatomia - "Morgue of Cannibalism" (Thanks Carm ;))
Trap Them - "Carnage Incarnate"
Nails - "Unsilent Death"
Accept Death - "Punish the Retarded"
The Endless Blockade - "Deuteronomy"
News Mentioned:
Isis decides to call it a day
Nachtmystium Preview Tracks:
One
Two
Nachtmystium banned from Scion Rock Fest
Nachtmystium "We Hate Nazis" T-shirt
New This Comp Kills Fascists!
CHRISTIAN MISTRESS SIGNS TO 20 BUCK SPIN AND GUESS WHAT -- THEY RULE
We got hip to Olympia's Christian Mistress in March, when Brandon Stosuy interviewed Darkthrone's Fenriz. The Hiking Metal Punk referenced CM twice, which prompted Stosuy to inquire further. Said Fenriz, "What's not to like? They play heavy metal the old way, the exact way we enjoy it ourselves." When it comes to Fenriz, that's good enough for us.
Their web presence is pretty anemic (read: nonexistent) so we were really stoked to see not only that they signed to 20 Buck Spin -- who will release their debut LP Agony & Opium August 24 -- but that Stosuy's Haunting the Chapel is hosting a track from their forthcoming album, called "Home in the Sun."
Stosuy called Christian Mistress "perfect beer-from-a-can summer music" and we're inclined to agree.
Make the jump for a peek at album art and other info.
In 2009, Christian Mistress released their debut, two-track EP, Mother of Mercy. It's available here and here. The title track from the EP was posted on NPR's website as part of a special section on classic heavy metal workout songs.
Lineup:
Christine Davis - Vocals
Ryan McClain - Guitar
Oscar Sparbel - Guitar
Rueben Storey - Drums (Funerot)
Johnny Wulf - Bass
June 10, 2010
HATE ETERNAL ANNOUNCE EAST COAST TOUR DATES, PLANS TO ENTER STUDIO
Hate Eternal are a close second in my book of the all-time greatest death metal bands. Morbid Angel edge them out slightly but god-damned if it isn't close. That's the real talk concerning my views on Erik Rutan, he's been part of both. So I do not kid when I say that upon reading the latest Hate Eternal tour dates and not seeing an NYC date, I am seriously considering taking a bus to Philly for the Hostile City Death Fest.
Gushing aside, Hate Eternal have announced a short East Coast tour and plans to enter the studio to record their follow up to Fury and Flames. Details after the jump.
In case for some reason you didn't believe me:
Hate Eternal w/ Cannabis Corpse and Order of Ennead8/24 Atlanta, GA The Masquerade
8/25 Spartanburg, SC Ground Zero
8/26 Raleigh, NC Volume 11 Tavern
8/27 W. Springfield, VA Jaxx
8/28 Philadelphia, PA Polaris Hostile City Death Fest**
**no Cannabis Corpse
