Torche
When: Saturday and Sunday
Where: Subterranean (Saturday),
Wicker Park Fest (Sunday), Chicago, IL
With: Baroness, Earthride, Valkyre, Yakuza Arkestra, Local H, The Hood Internet, and many more
by Andrew Wilhelm (CHI)
Chicago hasn't been nice to Torche this year. While touring with Coheed and Cambria -- no, that in and of itself wasn't the bane of the band -- this spring, malicious thieves broke into Torche's van and cleaned them out. Passports, amps, guitars, laptops -- all gone. To say it put a damper on the band is putting it too lightly -- their livelihood was taken from them. Not long after the incident, a Paypal fund was set up to help the band replace lost gear.
"We ... purchased a lot of stuff like certain amps, cables, pedals, a bunch of stuff like that. Luckily, through the donations account, we were able to replace one guitar and one bass, which was awesome," said Jonathan Nunez, Torche's bass player.
Torche had to sit out the Detroit and Canadian dates of the Coheed tour as a result. Despite the setback, Torche haven't given up on the Windy City. Floor, the former band of vocalist and guitarist Steve Brooks, played a much-hyped shows for an enthusiastic crowd in June. And this weekend, Torche will play two nights in Chicago. On Saturday, they will be playing Subterranean with Baroness, and on Sunday, they will be playing the uber-hip Wicker Park Fest with loads of bands. While Torche is eager to play for their fans here, Nunez is a little apprehensive about returning.
"We have fun playing Chicago," he said. "We have a lot of friends there. But I'm definitely nervous,"
The band is embarking on a North America tour to drum up interest for their new EP, Songs for Singles. Despite being an EP, it is the band's official follow-up to their critically acclaimed Meanderthal. Singles was intended to be a full-length, but it didn't turn out that way for the band. The EP was recorded over "three to four band practices," according to Nunez, and some of the vocal tracks planned for a full-length were cut.
Most of the album is signature Torche: fast, to-the-point, catchy, stoner pop. People who dug "Rockit" and "Grenades" won't be able to resist.
"I ... like playing that energetic, upbeat vibe. (I like to) keep the energy going like the Ramones, song after song after song," Nunez said.
"Face The Wall," however, is quite a departure for the band. One of the longer songs on the record, "Wall" combines a shoegaze-like build with mournful vocals from Brooks. It almost seems like something expected from Alcest. In fact, that song, in conjunction with the title of the album, the fact that the EP was recorded without longtime band member Juan Montoya, who left the band in late 2008, all give Singles a slightly more somber feel than the rest of the band's catalog. Slightly. Nunez and I agree that most of the EP is still upbeat, catchy rockers.
Of course, that's not the first time Torche has deviated from their sound. Singles will also be the band's first release after their split with Boris, Chapter Ahead Being Fake. Their contribution to the split, "King Beef," sounds more like a lost track from Godflesh's Streetcleaner sessions than the happy-heavy combo Torche have cut their teeth on. Boris contacted them about doing the split and they were in no position to deny. If Boris wanted to do a split with you, you wouldn't either.
"We just wanted a heavy, machine-sounding" song, Nunez commented on "King Beef's intent.
Whatever their aim, Torche don't do anything by halves.
Songs for Singles will be released this September via Hydrahead Records.
July 31, 2010
PREVIEW: TORCHE IN CHICAGO
July 30, 2010
TRIPTYKON ADD MORE US DATES
Feeling left out because you thought Triptykon weren't coming to your city? Dying to yell out a request for "Wine in My Hand (Third From the Sun)" or "Mexican Radio?" Fret not, as Tom G. Warrior's new ensemble will be procreating the wicked at more venues on their fall tour with 1349 and Yakuza. Practice your "ughs" and "ohs," and don't forget to leave that denim jacket with the Cold Lake backpatch at home.
Click below for dates.
Triptykon, 1349, Yakuza - 2010 Tour10/6-New York, NY @ The Gramercy Theatre
10/7-Boston, MA @ The Middle East
10/8-Baltimore, MD @ Otto Bar
10/9-Philadelphia, PA @ Polaris
10/10-Montreal, QC @ Les Foufounes Electrique
10/11-Toronto, ON @ The Opera House
10/13-Cleveland, OH @ Grog Shop
10/14-Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Smalls Theatre
10/15-Detroit, MI @ The Majestic Theatre
10/16-Chicago, IL @ The Bottom Lounge
10/17-St. Paul, MN @ Station 4
10/19-Denver, CO @ The Marquis Theatre
10/21-Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
10/22-Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre
10/23-San Francisco, CA @ Slim’s
10/24-Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre
10/25-Tucson, AZ @ The Rock
10/27-Tulsa, OK @ The Marquee
10/28-Fort Worth, TX @ Ridglea Theatre
10/29-Austin, TX @ Emo’s Outside
10/30-Houston, TX @ The Warsaw
July 29, 2010
NEW NO FRIENDS VIDEO: 'TRADITIONAL FAILURES'
No Friends have released a new video for "Traditional Failures," from their new 12" EP we were talking about a while ago. The band features Tony from Municipal Waste and some dudes from New Mexican Disaster Squad and plays super straight ahead hardcore. Well...this song has a little more melody than most, but it's still awesome.
The video was put together by Jason Shevchuk who was in Kid Dynamite (which also featured hardcore legend - Paint It Black - Dan Yemin) and None More Black, which featured Paul Delaney (currently of Black Anvil). Kid Dynamite are a frequent reference point for Shook Ones, the punk band featuring "Funds" from Black Breath...Anyway, punk and metal. Props to Punknews.org for premiering this video a couple days ago.
CRUSTCAKE REVIEWS: NARROWS / HEIRESS 7" SPLIT
by theseseans (NYC)
Narrows has tenacity, and I love it. The worldwide spread of its band members should have left me satisfied after seeing them once live. Owning their initial 7" and follow-up full-length should have left me satisfied, too, but as it goes in this digital age, I want more. Luckily, Narrows seem to feel the same way I do. Undaunted by distance (no longer New) they keep writing and recording. Their latest effort is a 7" split with the Seattle band Heiress.
Narrows' side continues the band's math-rock-meets-hardcore excellence with "Recurring" and "Feel the Sun." "Recurring" starts with pounding rhythms and fast, bouncing riffs. The track steamrolls along until the ending breakdown. Unlike most breakdowns, this isn't about mosh pits. This song literally breaks down, slowing falling apart until it's end. A refreshing take from a hardcore band."'Feel the Sun" follows a similar arrangement, fast then slow. But instead of collapsing upon itself like "Recurring," "Feel the Sun" slows down to become more melodic, more complex. Throughout both songs, Dave Verellen's voice is nothing but full-on command. The rest of Narrows do an excellent job of either heeding his call, or finding ways to make his wrath a complimentary sound.
Heiress make a perfect pairing for Narrows as they too bring a math-major smartness to their predominately hardcore sound. Heiress drift a little farther outside the margins than their 7" counterpart, as "Husk Worship" drifts into "post" territory. "Communist" shows the band's strength in quality over quantity. Until I noticed its 1:25 run time, I assumed it to be a three-minute song. The band has a heavy sound without overly "heavy" guitars. John Pettibone's vocals (ex-Himsa) help achieve this sound as well.
The pairing of these two bands fits perfectly, making for one smooth listen from A to B. The quirky packaging picks up on this and runs with it. Both sides are pressed with Narrows' now signature vinyl centers, only to have Heiress' side cross out the logo and scrawl across it. The interior writing combines the two bands. The packaging itself is non-traditional as it literally opens up from the center, displacing buildings to deliver you the record.
Vinyl - Narrows
Vinyl - Heiress
Front Cover - Opening
Back Cover
Outer Spread
Inside Spread
Inside Text
Audio: 7 / 10
Physical: 8.5 / 10
Buy: Narrows / Heiress 7" Split
July 28, 2010
CRUSTY CLIP OF THE WEEK: W.A.S.P. - 'ANIMAL (FUCK LIKE A BEAST)'
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)
Living in our empires of brick, steel, concrete, and most of all plastic, we forget we are animals. Kill to survive, fuck to conquer, abiding only by the laws of nature. Sure, we can create skyscrapers and philosophize on concepts such as "Fuckin' magnets, how do they work," but are we really different from the untamed animals we supposidly dominate? Evolutionary psychologist and musician Blackie Lawless sought answers to this question, and in 1984, he, along with his research team W.A.S.P., published his findings as a single, "Animal (Fuck Like a Beast)." Nature must have not been ready for his revelations that, yes, we are animals, and we like to fuck like beasts. But why confine yourself to the ivory tower of academia when you can score bitches and rock out to thousands of fans worldwide with your research? W.A.S.P. gained greater recognition with their studies on how animals adapt to different habitats ("Blind in Texas") and forays into motivational speaking ("I Wanna Be Somebody"), but "Animal" was their crossover into popular science. Lawless, with a modified research team, returned to the topic of "Animal" in 1987's "The Manimal," but has since abandoned his scientific career in favor of political punditry. Chris Holmes, a former scientist associated with W.A.S.P., never recovered from a shocking confession that he was an alcoholic.
Turn this up when you're getting "9.5.-N.A.S.T.Y." with that special someone.
ENSLAVED TO UNLEASH AXIOMA ETHICA ODINI IN SEPTEMBER
Recently, These Seans asked readers to share their favorite Enslaved album. The answers were as diverse as (what we assume) our readership is. Now that the Norwegian progressive black metallers are releasing a new record, you 'cake enthusiasts just might have to reevaluate your choice.
Enslaved will release Axioma Ethica Odini in the States on September 28 through Nuclear Blast Records. It will be released as a standard CD, double vinyl, and a special gatefold seven-inch format, which will include the album on CD and a bonus seven-inch featuring new recordings of the songs "Jotunblod" and "Migration."
Make the jump for album art and track listing.
Axioma Ethica Odini Track Listing:01. Ethica Odini
02. Raidho
03. Waruun
04. The Beacon
05. Axioma
06. Giants
07. Singular
08. Night Sight
09. Lightening
July 27, 2010
SOUTHERN LORD SIGNS NAILS
Southern Lord is no longer just 'making moves,' by signing NAILS, it's fucking checkmate. NAILS themselves are not a band who hesitate or stumble with uncertainty. As Invisible Oranges put it, "They want to kill you...with a Louisville Slugger on the front lawn, in full view of the neighbors." One our favorite records this year, Unsilent Death will be re-released by Southern Lord (a 12" should be available October 5th) with a new record from NAILS expected in 2011. The typically drone-doom laden label has released some of the best grind/hardcore this year: Trap Them, Masakari, Black Breath, and Italy's The Secret.
NAILS will be on the road all Fall, read more for the dates.
NAILS 2010 Fall tour8/08 Echo/Echoplex - Los Angeles, CA @ Power Of The Riff Fest [info]
* = w/ Venomous Concept
9/05 Nile Front Room - Mesa, AZ
9/06 10756 Limas - El Paso, TX
9/07 Ten Eleven - San Antonio, TX
9/08 Red 7 - Austin, TX
9/09 The Nightmare - Dallas, TX
9/10 Downtown Music - Little Rock, AR
9/12 Firehouse - Birmingham, AL
9/13 585 Wells - Atlanta, GA
9/14 Talent Farm - Pembroke Pines, FL
9/15 Transitions - Tampa, FL
9/16 Warehouse 8B - Jacksonville, FL
9/17 Legitmate Business - Greensboro, NC
9/18 Daniel's Pub - Cincinnati, OH
9/19 Dojo - Indianapolis, IN
9/20 Double Door - Chicago, IL *
9/21 Blondie's - Detroit, MI *
9/22 Sonar - Baltimore, MD *
9/23 Europa - Brooklyn, NY $
9/24 Katacombes - Montreal, QC *
9/25 Sneaky Dees - Toronto, ON *
9/26 242 Main - Burlington, VT
9/27 Bogies - Albany, NY
9/28 Church - Boston, MA
9/29 Lilly's Pad - New Haven, CT
9/30 The Church - Cleveland, OH
10/01 Mickey Finn's - Toledo, OH
10/02 1108 Main - Cedar Falls, IA
10/03 *TBA - Minneapolis, MN
10/04 *TBA - Kansas City, MO
10/05 Blast O Mat - Denver, CO
10/08 Club Soda - San Diego, CA
10/09 Sub - San Francisco, CA
$ = w/ Venomous Concept, Strong Intention
July 23, 2010
CRUSTCAKE PICKS - NEW CAKE IN THE OVEN: CASTEVET'S MOUNDS OF ASH
by theseseans (NYC)
Upon its release, Castevet's Mounds of Ash sent the online metal world into an identity crisis. It's a record that refuses to be labeled. Rather than a finished piece of art we can look at, Mounds of Ash seems to be alive, ever changing. Everyone seems in agreement about its "sorta-black"-ness, but we argue over what else this record is: Grind? Post-hardcore? Fader Magazine? ... Really?
I can tell you one thing: Mounds of Ash is my current number one record of 2010. It is flat-out brilliant. Mounds of Ash touches every level of musical enjoyment for me. The record sounds fantastic. The compositions are fantastic -- they're complex, but not just for complexity's sake -- and always enjoyable. The performances are flawless, precise and enthusiastic. Mounds of Ash is just as haunting as it is satisfying.
I hear passing black metal sounds in Castevet, but I've never thought of them as a black metal band. I asked guitarist Andrew Hock what he thought Castevet were.
"Our intentions are nothing more than to create a sound that expands the creative potential of heavy/extreme music," Hock said. "As opposed to an emotionally singular approach, we aim for a sound that touches on the wide spectrum of human emotional capability. The template for our sound is most certainly Metal and (its) various sub-genres. However, we seek to transcend genre labeling in favor of a sound that is honest and true to our experiences, both musically and otherwise."
Questions about the post-hardcore labelings resulted in a much more blunt response: "It's a fucking metal record."
However, Hock soon returned to the idea of transcendence.
"Our goal is not to be a "this" or "that" kind of band," he said. "The transcendence of genre is integral to our function as a band."
To satiate my own curiosity, I asked whether or not Hock viewed Castevet as a black metal band, or, at least, a band that plays black metal. Hock said that black metal was a "true musical passion" that affected both riffing and harmonies in Castevet.
When I listen to this record, I hear wonderfully sorrowful guitar work. The title track spends more time picking out somber chords than anything else. The guitars on "Grey Matter" and "Stones" display Hock's lack of restraint, not stopping just with riffs but using all of his fingers to cover a range of frets. Melodies seep under the riffs. When he does stop to hold a chord or let notes ring, we appreciate these lasting sounds through a rear window as Ian Jacyszyn's perpetually inventive drumming keeps the listener engrossed with what comes next. Joshua Scott does his bass duties dutifully. Placed between two daunting creative forces, he uses his instrument with purpose, bridging the complex drumming and elaborate tonalities. Hocks's vocals are static throughout the record but this does not bother me. They are used effectively and are never out of place.
So is this a post-hardcore record? Yeah, I think so. I think it's a metal record too. I think it has grind's driving purpose and black metal's mood and atmosphere. Mostly, I think this a record I can get excited about. It's also a record I can relax to, getting lost in it's layers. A record that does so much, is easy to enjoy.
Buy: Castevet - Mounds Of Ash
LIVE REVIEW: FLOOR
Floor
When: Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Where: Empty Bottle, Chicago, IL
With: Droids Attack, Aqualonian
by Andrew Wilhelm (CHI)
The second part of the Side B of My War review trilogy isn't so much connected to the album as it is to one of the people who played on it. Bill Stevenson was Black Flag's drummer from 1981 to 1986, but he's best known as the drummer and primary songwriter for The Descendents. Combining punk aggression with hooks that would make the Ramones blush, the Hermosa Beach, California quintet, along with St. Paul's Hüsker Dü, blazed through college radio and helped lay the foundation for 90s underground rock. Hell, isn't "I Don't Wanna Grow Up" the mantra of touring bands?
Like The Descendents, Floor, best known as Steve Brooks' pre-Torche band, applied pop sensibilities to an extreme form of music. Instead of punk, Floor dealt in catchy sludge. They were from Florida, and you could certainly tell - the oppressive heat sweated out those doom riffs, but since Florida is sunnier than the always-sunny Philadelphia, there's some Beach Boys-esque licks peppered in too. The band broke up in 2004, but recently got back together for exclusive shows in Atlanta, Chicago, Philly, Richmond and NYC.
I have to admit I was somewhat skeptical about seeing Floor live. What Floor did, I always though Torche do better. Torche themselves have gained a bit of popularity, so why would Brooks want to play with his old band again? Furthermore, Brooks didn't exactly get a warm welcome in Chicago when Torche were touring with Coheed and Cambria. Floor exceeded all my expectations and managed to move a crowd still mostly hung over from the riotous two days of Eyehategod. I went from a skeptic to a believer within just a couple songs.
Before I could experience Floor, however, I had to wade through boring stoner rock.
Madison, Wisconsin's Droids Attack featured the boss from Sinistar on their kick drum, and sadly, that was the most intriguing thing about the band. There's not much to say about them aside from that they were by-the numbers stoner rock. If I want to listen to Monster Magnet, I'll listen to Monster Magnet. Should I feel the urge to rock Kyuss, I'll rock Kyuss. You get the picture. Aqualonian, composed of Michael Makela and Michael Henry from Bongzilla and also from Madison, were slightly better, but not exactly memorable. The band's sound lies somewhere in between Sleep and Om - longform but not quite meditative. Too cheefed up to find a workable balance or structure. Did Madison peak in creativity with Killdozer? That merits an investigation.
Floor, on the contrary, did not fuck around. The group, whose lineup was Brooks, guitarist Anthony Vialon, and drummer Henry Wilson, played their self-titled album all the way through, and it was a rush seeing those songs coming together in a live environment. Torche's success has been beneficial to Floor - not only did a good amount of people come out on a Tuesday night, but Brooks' aluminum guitar made the songs even heavier than before. Brooks was embracing his inner rock star, getting close to the crowd, making poses Yngwie Malmsteen would sue for trademark infringement with, and wagging his tongue like he owned the Empty Bottle. Wilson looked excited to perform too, often pointing towards Brooks or Vialon if they were busting out a particularly sweet riff. The peak of the crowd's enthusiasm was during "Song of Lolita," odd given that the song is about snagging some underage poon (hence the title). Hearing people sing along to "Don't you think it's time/We made love/I don't wanna wait until you're old enough" was entertaining, especially since many of them, including the band themselves, would never think to do such a thing. Floor could really doom out too, judging by the jam between "Iron Girl" and "Night of Full of Kicks."
Some reunions were never meant to be, but Floor's definitely was. Hopefully they will be under-recognized for not much longer. Torche got a new record coming out in the fall tour - a Floor/Torche tour would be epic.
One last plug - if you haven't checked out Van Damned's review of the Dove S/T reissue, get on over there, stat.
July 21, 2010
TRIPTYKON IS COMING TO THE U.S. AND WE COULDN'T BE MORE EXCITED
'Member when we were all bummed out about not being able to see Tom Warrior's post-Celtic Frost incarnation Triptykon at Roadburn? As crushed as we were then, we're equally as stoked to hear that Warrior's bringing Triptykon state-side, with black metal experimentalists 1349 and Chicago sax-metal quartet Yakuza in tow. Triptykon's Eparistera Daimones is already one of our favorite records of the year, so their set alone is worth its weight in Swiss chocolate. Here's hoping they'll whip out some old Celtic Frost gems like they did at Roadburn.
Tour dates and more after the jump.
Triptykon, 1349, Yakuza - 2010 Tour:
08/14/10 Jalometalli Festival Oulu, FI
08/19/10 Summer Breeze Open Air Dinkelsbühl, GERMANY
08/28/10 Hole In The Sky Festival Bergen, NO
09/17/10 The Romandie Lausanne, SWITZERLAND
10/07/10 Kyttaro Live Athens, GREECE
10/07/10 Middle East Cambridge, MA
10/08/10 Gramercy TheatreNew York, NY
10/15/10 Majestic TheatreDetroit, MI
10/16/10 Bottom Lounge Chicago, IL
10/17/10 Station 4 Saint Paul, MN
10/24/10 El Rey Theatre Los Angeles, CA
10/29/10 Emos Austin Austin, TX
July 20, 2010
INDIAN LIVE AT KUMA'S BLOCK PARTY: VIDEO POSTED
Indian are unquestionably awesome. Kuma's is unquestionably awesome. Indian playing a show at Kuma's? Duuuuuuudeee...that's just, duuude. Dude. Man. Woah. I can't even talk coherently, that's how awesome it is.
A couple weekends back, Kuma's hosted the 5th annual edition of their block party. Hot dogs on pretzel buns, good beers on tap, friendly people, and best of all, tons of local metal with no entry fee. With that and the Eyehategod weekend, it's been a pretty heavy summer in Chi-town. Indian easily stole the show at Kuma's, and luckily for us, Video by Wes got it on tape.
The video can't be embedded, so click here to feed your doom craze. Also, at :40, you can see me in the Thou shirt looking like a douche. Now you know whose ass to kick about not being moved by Coalesce. Cheers.
July 17, 2010
CHICAGO: THE HIGH CONFESSIONS RECORD RELEASE PARTY TONIGHT
Sanford Parker has the producer game on lock, with clients including Indian, Batillus, Yakuza, and his own Minsk. Steve Shelley provides drums for the legendary Sonic Youth. Chris Connelly helped teach us that the mind is a terrible thing to taste. Jeremy Lemos is a noted engineer, having worked with the likes of Jim O'Rourke, Hewhocorrupts and Jack Rose (R.I.P.), and also makes experimental noise in White/Light. In February 2009, the four got together to bang out some tunes, and the result was The High Confessions.
We promise not to use the "s" word, but in all truth, this stuff is too good. The High Confessions reflects the musical personalities of its members, creating soundscapes that are sometimes droney, sometimes angular, but always engrossing in the end. Arguably, it's the best thing from Relapse this year. Also, the band's initials are THC. Heh heh.
Stereogum is currently streaming their debut record, Turning Lead Into Gold With The High Confessions and while it will be in stores tomorrow, Chicagoans can celebrate its release tonight! The High Confessions will be DJ-ing at the Burlington on 3425 W. Fullerton Ave., located in Logan Square. If you want to buy the record on CD or vinyl, it will be available then, so you won't have to wait. Come on out and enjoy some great music and drinks. Yes, you can drink on a Monday night for something this awesome. You've got our approval.
July 15, 2010
NYC, GO SEE LANDMINE MARATHON TONIGHT
If the New York Times Review of Tuesday's Salome, Landmine Marathon, Wetnurse show wasn't enough for you, head out to Cake Shop tonight to catch the encore featuring your female fronted headlining tandem, along with Batillus and Clean Teeth. Should be a 'punch yourself in the face it's so good' type of show.
And if you missed it around the interwebs, check out Landmine's recent video for 'Shadows Fed To Tyrants' above.
Fun fact:
Batillus a have playlist in Duff's bar in Brooklyn. If you're ever drinking there, you could pick a lot worse, so do everyone else a favor, puck a buck in and invest well. 
CRUSTCAKE REVIEWS: TRAP THEM - FILTH RATIONS
by theseseans (NYC)
Trap Them vocalist Ryan McKenney told Brooklyn Vegan, "We like to have the opportunity to release at least one EP in between each full-length we do. It gives us a chance to experiment a little more and give us a foundation for the next LP." Not a band to bullshit, Trap Them's recent vinyl-only (with digital tracks available for purchase) EP, Filth Rations, fulfills all those statements and more.
Filth Rations starts with "Carnage Incarnate," a song that picks up directly where Seizures In Barren Praise left off. Brian Izzi's riffs jump octaves and hurdle across the fretboard, but never lose sight of their goal: Power. The two other new songs -- "Degenerate Binds" and "Dead Fathers Wading In The Bodygrounds" -- stray from Trap Them's usual (Left Hand) path. "Degenerate Binds" has the riffs and the power but brings in simpler, bigger chord movements. This, coupled with Izzi's unusual low-end only guitar work, gives the song more of a punk feel that reaches a different type of power for the band. "Dead Fathers..." immerses Trap Them in the slow terrain of doom they flirted with on Seizures' "Mission Convincers." While the tempo may be down, the effect is the same. "Dead Fathers..." may be most mildly paced song I know the can make me want to throw a fist in the air.
Curiously, Converge's Kurt Ballou -- who recorded the EP at his God City Studios -- contributes glockenspiel to the song, a trick he also pulled on Converge's last effort, Axe To Fall. The 'spiel is low in the mix, accenting chord movements, but adds a uncomfortably welcome, creepy atmosphere to the background.
"Dead Fathers..." feels like the natural close to the EP, but we get one more: a rerecorded version of "Digital Dogs With Analog Collars." The song, first presented on Sleepwell Deconstructor, was rerecorded due to line up changes that have occurred since Sleepwell's release. Most notably is ex-Coliseum skinsman Chris Maggio (making his debut with Trap Them on this release), who seems incredibly comfortable within Trap Them, leaveing his mark all over Filth Rations. "Digital Dogs…" benefits from his drumming, but there are only subtle changes to song.
Audio: 8/10
Physical: 8/10
Justin Bartlett handled the artwork for Filth Rations. A more apt album title and artist paring may never have happened before, as Justin's sewer scenes literally become part of the vinyl (as an etched side B). The art is a playful balance of the cartoon and the extreme. Bartlett also did the liner "notations," which are slightly more legible than Seizures' vinyl release. While slightly daunting to sit down with and try to read, the serial killer-type scrawl compliments Trap Them's aesthetic. All in all, a fantastic physical productive pair perfectly with it's fantastic audio counterpart.
Front Cover
Back Cover
Vinyl
Etching
Sleeve/Insert, Front
Sleeve/Insert, Back
Glockenspiel/Close up of text
[BUY] Vinyl, Digital : Trap Them - Filth Rations
Chris Maggio not featured in band photo. No updated photos of Trap Them's current line up are available.
July 14, 2010
CRUSTY CLIP OF THE WEEK: PROCLAMATION - 'NOCTURNAL DAMNATION'
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)
Man, am I glad the World Cup is over. Spain's team will be the darlings of the country in the coming months, but I'm confident that what Crustcake readers admire most about Spain is its bestial black metal. I viewed the final match between Spain and the Netherlands as a gladiator match between Teitanblood and Asphyx. My apologies to Martin van Drunen superfan these seans, but Teitanblood won. However, Teitanblood have no videos -- live or otherwise -- so I'm featuring a performance clip from the also-excellent Proclamation. The trio show their Blasphemy influence more than their end-of-year-list-making countrymen, but Proclamation keep the Ross Bay sound alive, not stagnant. In fact, the label Ross Bay Cult, run by Blasphemy themselves, distributes Proclamation's records and have done merchandise for the band before. Hail chaos.
July 12, 2010
FULL POWER OF THE RIFF LINEUP ANNOUNCED
Remember that Power of the Riff fest we mentioned when we reported that Corrosion of Conformity's Animosity lineup were doing some shows? Well, the full line-up has been announced, and...WOW.
The poster, designed by our boy Justin Bartlett, says it all. (Read more for the full showing.)
Beatmasterspeech, you best be at this.
Corrosion of Conformity have also announced more dates, which are available below.
(Click on the image to see it enlarged.)
Corrosion of Conformity "Animosity" Lineup 2010 Tour07/30 Asheville, NC @ Stella Blue
07/31 Raleigh NC @ The Pour House
08/08 Los Angeles, CA @ Echo and Echoplex - The Power of the Riff Fest
08/10 San Francisco, CA @ DNA Lounge
08/12 Seattle, WA @ Neumo's
08/13 Austin, TX @ Emo's
08/14 Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater
FRESHLY BAKED: UZALA
In "Freshly Baked," we feature promising young bands or bands that are otherwise lacking the attention we think they deserve.
By Van Damned (TX)
Download: Uzala - "Plague" [M4A]
Doom is one of the great chameleon genres of metal: it can be dirt-caked and decrepit; it can be mournful and elegiac; or, such as in the case of Boise, Idaho's Uzala, it can be powerful and majestic. The four-piece -- helmed by husband/wife duo Chad Remains and Darcy Nutt -- have released what may be the demo of the year. At just four songs and 19 minutes long, it shows a band nascent in inception, yet mature and wizened in actualization. I caught up with the busy tattoo artists via e-mail to talk about Kurosawa films, analog audio and, of course, DOOOOOM! 
Crustcake: Where did the name Uzala come from? Is it a reference to the Kurosawa film?
Chad Remains: Steve (Gere, drums) came to rehearsal one day and said, "I just saw the best movie in the whole world!" I hadn't seen it in quite some years and neither had Darcy (Nutt, vocals/guitars). We watched it again and it definitely hadn't lost anything on a second or third viewing. Gorgeous and enormous landscape shots fraught with peril and wonder. I think I'll go watch it again. The relationship that develops between the Captain and Dersu is a beautiful thing. (And I want one of those old Winchester Model 1895 Muskets in 7.62x54R that Captain carries...)
Crustcake: Tell me briefly how the band came came together. With this being your first demo, it must have been fairly recently. Is this correct?
Chad Remains: In March of 2009, Darcy and I decided to go to The Bombshelter and drink a bottle of vodka and play some music. We had a few ideas that stuck even through the haze of drinking and she and I were determined to make a band out of this conception. I had previously played some music with Stephen -- mostly down-tuned Earth worship -- so I knew that he and I had a good chemistry. He is a talented musician, in addition to being a solid drummer, so I called him up to see if he would be interested. Our first bass player, Evil Mike Wiensz, was interested, even though his talents lie more in the direction of black/death guitar ripping. He left Uzala shortly after we recorded "The Reaping" so that he could concentrate more fully on his band, Tears of the Wizard. We wish him the best. Mirce joined up soon afterwards, soon earning the nickname "The Hook Up" since he is constantly acquiring killer ancient musical gear. Heh heh... So now we feel we have a cohesive lineup and we are making the music we want to hear and play.
Crustcake: How did your sound come about? Did you have a feel for what you were going to do ahead of time or did it emerge after getting together?
Chad Remains: I think a lot of our sound comes from using dinosaur amplification and guitars. Our newest piece of gear is Darcy's Orange 4x12" cabinet, but it still has an old vibe to it with the speakers that are loaded. In addition to this is our simplistic nature of playing -- we don't attempt to over-complicate our songs with fancy drumming or guitar work; our abilities are also a limiting factor here for certain! Of course there are elements of the sound that shift and change as we get more comfortable with the songs, but I really doubt that we will be featured in Guitar World anytime soon.
Crustcake: Who's responsible for the songwriting? Tell me a little about the process.
Chad Remains: Darcy had a couple of tunes that she had been playing on acoustic guitar before the band was formed and she and I rewrote and rearranged them late at night until we felt they were more suitable for this band. Sometimes the songs start forming out of a single riff that I come up with at rehearsal, but we attempt to get most of the song processes finished at home so that our practice time as a band isn't filled with endless jamming. We have had a few riffs that get tossed in the bin after a couple of weeks, usually because they don't have the kind of atmosphere that we are after or they are too complicated. Darcy will usually come up with a scratch vocal melody and some lyrics and the we dissect everything at home until we are pleased with the result.
Crustcake: From where does Uzala draw its primary influences?
Chad Remains: If you mean bands and the like, I would have to say that some of our favorites are Earth, Cream, Goatsnake, Sleep, YOB, Dark Throne, Grand Magus (and) Electric Wizard. Hell, this list could go on for quite some time. Darcy and I were absolutely blown away by Death Row at Roadburn this year. Roadburn is a killer festival and she and I have been (as audience attendees) three years running now. Living in Boise, Idaho, doesn't offer the most extensive list of touring bands - so we travel to see bands. We do get lucky now and again with some killer bands coming through. Some recent (ish) killers were High on Fire, Red Fang, Wolves in the Throne Room (and) Toxic Holocaust - so it's not as bleak as one might imagine.
Crustcake: Those of us who live on the fringes of America's heartland (New York, California, Texas) tend to see its interior as pretty barren, artistically. Do you share the same opinion?
Chad Remains: Consider that there have been some pretty amazing bands formed here in the hinterlands. Caustic Resin, Septic Death, H Hour (became TAD), Treepeople, PussyGutt, to name a very few just from Boise. Hell, LaMonte Young was born in Bern, Idaho! It does seem though that a lot of young people move from the small towns and small cities to try their hand at a bigger place with a more educated audience and more venues. There is definitely a conservative atmosphere here and conformity is very important to most.
Crustcake: You plan to release released your demo on cassette tape. What are your thoughts on analog audio versus digital? Is putting Uzala out on vinyl a priority to you?
Chad Remains: We would love to see our songs on vinyl and I ... see it as the best archival form of an album. CDs seem much more disposable to me with the smaller artwork. Even the media itself seems to make less of an impression. A big fat black slab of vinyl just looks more impressive to me than a shiny CD. Playing records is also something a bit more active on the part of the listener as well. Even with an automated turntable, you're still going to get off of the couch sooner or later if you want to hear the rest.
Cassettes are cool as well. Maybe just because (the) first music I owned as a kid were cassettes. Def Leppard's Pyromania and Michael Jackson's Thriller, since you didn't ask! Ha ha! There is also a darker vibe inherent in cassette tapes and the degradation can yield some really cool sounds. Most of us here in this music wouldn't be the same without those old Celtic Frost tapes that our buddy dubbed for us (because) we dubbed Cro-Mags for him! Tape trading is cool -- and maybe someday it will the record industry! One can only hope...
So far as analog versus digital is concerned, if we are talking inside of the realm of the recording process, really digital recording is just another tool and it can be misused like any other. That being said, there's something very permanent feeling about hitting the VU meters really hard on a 2-inch tape machine. I am not an audio expert by any means and Uzala recorded two of our songs with a computer and mixed in Pro Tools. I'll let you decide which ones.
Crustcake: Some bands to which Uzala draw an immediate comparison include Jex Thoth and the Devil's Blood. Do you agree? Do you share an affinity for those bands?
Chad Remains: Gotta say that Totem/Jex Thoth are fucking amazing. I also heard a small bit of Sabbath Assembly which promises to be killer. I haven't heard much of The Devil's Blood, to be honest -- although I did see a brief bit of a set of theirs at Roadburn a couple of years ago. I'm actually listening to "Christ or Cocaine" right now since you brought it up. I like the early Judas Priest style riffing going on in here.
Crustcake: In fact, I'd say it's safe to say that women in doom are pretty rare. I'd love to get a comment from Darcy about what drew her to the band and doom in general.
Darcy Nutt: I have always been fond of various types of metal. From Carcass to Sleep, Goatsnake to Emperor, Thorr's Hammer to Celtic Frost, I love the heaviness of doom. There is room in the music for the listener to expand on what is there. Chad and I used to play music together a bit a long time ago. We share a very similar aesthetic with music. We knew what kind of stuff we wanted to play, and what we'd like to hear, and so Uzala happened. There seem to be more women in doom these days. I honestly don't think about it at all. I'm a tattoo artist as well, which has for a long time been a "man's business", so I'm very used to being a minority in my field. No big deal. I do what I like, and I like what I do.
Crustcake: How does the song "Fracture" fit it with the rest of Uzala's overall sound? I get some pretty gnarly Celtic Frost vibes from that song.
Chad Remains: Well, it probably is a bit of a departure since I am doing the singing on that one. The lyrics are pretty much straight Robert E. Howard sorcery and the riffs are in the vein of Celtic Frost and Dark Throne, in spirit at least. It's also the only song that I use distortion (self-built RAT clone). Everything else is fuzz tones. I think we will probably have some more songs like "Fracture", but only time will tell. It seems to hit the audience sideways up against the head when we do it live. Feels frenetic and venomous to play and sing it for me. It definitely calls forth a blacker side of the band.
Crustcake: "Plague" has such a powerful vocal melody. Tell me a little about how that song came together.
Chad Remains: Our drummer, Stephen, came up with that one and brought a recording to us with a scratch vocal line and piano. We then adapted it to guitars and drums and then Darcy rewrote the vocal melody a couple of times and altered the lyrics. Stephen is a talented musician and often has great insight to share with us for arranging songs and for getting the most out of our simple song structures. The origins of the tempo were from a discussion that Stephen and I had late one night about how a record sounds at the inside near the label when the autoreturn doesn't work anymore. That "shhhhhhssssshhhhh...kkkkkk...shhhhhhsssshhhhh...kkkkkkk..." that only vinyl lovers can appreciate.
Crustcake: What's next for Uzala? Plans for a full-length? A tour?
Chad Remains: We have a few great gigs coming up ... with Zoroaster, Black Tussk, and our friends Dark Castle and PussyGutt at the Red Room here in Boise. Also playing with Black Skies and our friends Beautician at this great outdoor spot in Black Canyon in July. We try to play about once a month here locally, and we are planning a small Northwest tour for the fall. Planning is still in embryonic stages right now, but Seattle, Olympia, Portland, Eugene, and Reno are on the list. We are currently writing a few new songs and we have several more that didn't make it on the demo and haven't been recorded yet. We are hoping to do a full-length recording before the year is out, but I am not convinced that we should do a self release. I am talking with a label right now about doing a 7-inch release, but I don't want to say too much since nothing is certain as of yet. Uzala shirts are available (any colour you like ... as long as it's black!) and we have embroidered patches and cassettes being shipped as I write this. We are shopping out the demo to some labels and of course they are available from us at our gigs or folks can contact us through Myspace (www.myspace.com/uzaladoom) or find us on Facebook. Anybody interested can also contact me for bookings or demos at chadremains@gmail.com. Thanks.
July 9, 2010
CRUSTCAKE INTERVIEWS: DARKTHRONE
by Andrew Wilhelm (CHI)
There's the Glimmer Twins. There's the Toxic Twins. And then there's the grimmest duo of them all - Gylve "Fenriz" Nagell and Ted "Nocturno Culto" Skjellum, known the world over as Darkthrone.
Fenriz and Nocturno Culto have had a interesting creative trajectory. Darkthrone began as a death metal band, but possessed by Bathory and Venom, they morphed into the black metal institution that would shape the genre. Transilvanian Hunger, their best known album, is a cold, hypnotic masterpiece that, for better or (definitely) worse, has been imitated throughout the world. Nowadays, Darkthrone just wanna ROCK. Since the beginning of the 00s, they've incorporated more punk and traditional heavy metal into their sound. Their latest, Circle the Wagons, is more of a dirty heavy metal album than a punky black metal album, and it is arguably the best out of their new direction. Fenriz himself is a vocal critic of modern metal, and uses Darkthrone's myspace to run one of the best music blogs dedicated to finding forgotten old-school and old-school-at-heart metal. His mixtapes for Vice are also well worth checking out.
I spoke with the legendary Fenriz via e-mail about Wagons, crust punk, whether he'll bring back Neptune Towers, and more.
[Ed. note: We were so taken with Fenriz's quirky and idiosyncratic capitalization, spelling and formatting that, although it would break from our normal editorial policy, we decided to leave his answers completely unchanged.]
Crustcake: First, since the blog I write for is named Crustcake, what's your taste in crust?
Fenriz: first of all, i got into punk through various ORIGINAL punk bands, so i never had a "direction" at all, i like everything as long as it has at least a bit raw or organic sound. with crust i assumed it was d-beat laden ugly sounding stuff that also had metal in it for some reason. i think i actually like all kinds of punk. from Discipline from Holland to Haggis to Septic Death to Dead Boys to new york dolls and the Sonics and Christian Death 1st album to Bad Religion to Amebix to His hero is Gone to World Burns To Death to Judge to Concrete Sox to No For An Answer to Crumbsuckers to Ramones etc etc etc
Crustcake: Circle the Wagons seems to me more of a dirty heavy metal album than a black metal record. What sort of direction were you going for in the new record?
Fenriz: yeah, well the way i see it we haven't really played black metal since the 2004 SARDONIC WRATH and that was 5 albums ago, and also that album had way much more than black metal on it. we started out in 1988 as a mix between punk and more and more metal to deaththrash to technical horror death metal to black metal and then back to metal punk and heavy metal and speed metal/nwobhm style again. the circle was completed but more like an outwards spiral as we keep accumulating more and more experience and knowledge about more and more music and bands
we don't discuss musical direction, in our world that would be artificial, we have made songs on our own and ALL should be recorded and accepted - that code was started after the recording of A BLAZE IN THE NORTHERN SKY in 1991!
but i can tell you what I went for, i made songs because they came to me, but the little power i have over my creations, i tried to pull some of it in the direction of early us metal like AGENT STEEL '1985 or early Swedish speed metal songs from early 80s
Crustcake: In general, what about raw/unpolished production appeals to you?
Fenriz: everything. when a child is faced with the first hearing of FUZZ rock it either likes it or not. if it likes it, it likes RAW music. and anything RAW should be free in the nature, hence ORGANIC. in the shops you can BUY meat but it lies on PLASTIC trays.
Crustcake: "Stylized Corpse" and "I am the Working Class" both discuss class. What inspired the concepts for these songs?
Fenriz: not the way i see it, i can not discuss the lyrics, atleast not for Teds song STYLIZED, discussing lyrics kinda kills the song. but i am the working class is so much more, it tells why i don't play live, why i don't MEET many people or TRAVEL (all day, so i don't have to see your face) and the lyrics are also explaining the difference between me and all those who lose touch with reality only touring and living just off the music. but that's the way I see it. others think reality is meeting 40 new people everyday but i see it as shallow. but i have the right to make songs pushing MY views as much as the next man. if not, i would squander my freedom.
Crustcake: "Bränn Inte Slottet"...how did the direction of that song come about? It is definitely not like the rest of the album.
Fenriz: nah, it's an instrumental, they are usually different. it was the first song that was written for the album in summer 2008 when i saw that old swedish movie with the chant on it and i immediately made music (the first heavy part) in my head. but just the scetch, the song was pondered and mulled over in my head all through the time the rest of the songs were made and recorded (in batches as usual) until it was the last thing that was finished.
Crustcake: How does Wagons fit in with the Darkthrone canon? Do you feel the need to reconcile the newer direction with Transilvanian Hunger et. al., or do the albums compliment each other?
Fenriz: no, we never look back, always after the last song is finsished, enough to complete the album, we start writing new songs. you see these things as albums, but they are really compilations of singles that were never released - in the way that we just make a song each and record them. then repeat in the next months or so. the 4 last albums were written that way. i have to say albums, but we just make SONG BY SONG, what happens happens. just like in nature, we let coincidences rule as much as we can. it's very christian to try to obtain full control of creation, hahaha
Crustcake: What accounts for the shifting roles - performance, songwriting, etc. - in Darkthrone between yourself and Ted?
Fenriz: that's what became. what more can i say, we never lay plans, it's all very holistic, Sir.
Crustcake: The vinyl version of Wagons was released before the CD version. Was there a particular reason for that?
Fenriz: WE'RE A VINYL BAND!!!
Crustcake: Recently, Metal Haven, a metal-centric record store in Chicago, closed its doors, continuing the decline of record stores in America. Has the same been happening in Norway?
Fenriz: oh yeah, the fat-kid metal store (a friend of mine calls trendy black metal FAT KID METAL, haha, good one Andy).Got a bit of a pot belly myself, also cuz of black metal HAHAHA! but i digress. it still does mail-order, right? the kids decide what they want, and they want dvd's and video games instead of buying cd's in stores, it seem. everyone loses!
i always needed to buy vinyls from mailorder anyway, norwegian stores or any other place only had shelf space for standard stuff, it seemed, atleast from 1987 and onwards. before that the stores had what i wanted. maybe because my taste wasn't TOTALLY MANIACAL until 1987.
Crustcake: How did your relationship with Dennis Dread begin? What about his style made you want to work with him?
Fenriz: I wanted an end to all computer designed covers, so Ted said why not ask Dennis that he already knew because we had a sublabel called TYRANT SYNDICATE on Peaceville and Ted released ABSCESS on there..and their covers were drawn by Dennis. Now we finally had hand drawn covers! and we wanted the "guy" on the cover to have patches on his vest or jacket, initially we wanted real old bands like Rush and Cirith Ungol but there was talk about copyrights so i thought: OFCOURSE! we'll have underground bands instead, that we are in contact with. first it was DEATHHAMMER, then NOCTURNAL, then MORNE. then Dennis wanted to include Teitanblood as well, and since Ted and me both liked Seven Chalices we said OK! 
Crustcake: What are your feelings on mainstream media/non-metallers doing reports/documentaries/etc. on black metal? Has attention from non-metal outlets been positive or negative for metal?
Fenriz: i think the people that does them are as different as those who do black metal. i think you are either not metal or un-metal, i think everyone can enjoy it- just the way i like old brazilian music. BOSSA RIO!!! and all the 150 ca other subgenres or main ones apart from metal i like.
bottom line is: i don't need a book or a documentary to BE black metal, and i pity those who think they do.
Crustcake: How was the experience being filmed for Until the Light Takes Us? I know you've said you haven't seen it - do you ever plan to?
Fenriz: no plans yet, i don't enjoy watchin myself on tv or film very much. it was soon ten years ago and i was coming out of a depression, i didn't really registered how it "felt" being filmed many times. i'm not THAT "emo", hahaha!!
Crustcake: What advice do you have for young fans of metal, being assaulted with "plastic" metal?
Fenriz: Go to the BAND OF THE WEEK blog on darkthronemyspaceofficial!!! don't listen to the free cd's that come with the glossy magazines. don't be a sucker or a chump!
Crustcake: Some people say there's no use distinguishing between "true" and "false" metal - do you agree or disagree with them?
Fenriz: HAHAHA! who are these clowns?! i have endless supplies of THIS - NOT THAT examples, but that means for every cool band i mention i have to mention some daft band. and i prefer pure focus on the cool bands. like in the band of the week blog! or the last 3 album booklets. lots of great recommendations.
Crustcake: Despite all the crap that's out there, what keeps you interested in metal?
Fenriz: i live and breathe metal, there is no quitting. i constantly keep being bombarded by new fresh bands by literally hundreds of hundreds of informants, that's how it goes being in the scene FOR LIFE. in EVERY style there is band AND great music, it's better just to face it and seek out the cool stuff. although there are genres with only crap (eurodance, hard trance, modern r'n'b etc). usually the crap has the most plastic sound.
Crustcake: I am quite a fan of your Neptune Towers project. Do you have any plans to do something with it again? Going somewhat further, is there any electronic music you're currently listening to?
Fenriz: it's 50% electronic, 50% other stuff. half of the mixes on RESIDENT ADVISOR and MNML SSGS pages are great, but then i always liked synth/electronic music since my discovery of it in the 80s, the neptune towers stuff is just a tribute to KLAUS SCHULZE or EDGAR FROESEs aqua...KRAFTWERK.. but after i finished it i couldn't stand more ambient stuff. i am a SLAVE TO THE RHYTHM and generally prefer stuff with beats in 115 bpm - 135 bpm. but there are many exceptions, like both Ted and me like DUBSTEP. but i'll always prefer dub techno to it, cuz of the tempo stuff i just mentioned.
i have had no plans making any more synth stuff at all, in 1995 it was over for me. i got burnt out because i made and participated on around 12 albums and several demos in 93-96, so i decided instead of filling my head with EVEN MORE MUSIC than emptying my head of my own music all the time. the one that heard the most music WINS!!!
Crustcake: Finally, and perhaps most importantly, where's a good place to get some drinks in Oslo?
Fenriz: i quit going out in May 2005, i have no idea what's going on in central Oslo. LAST TRAIN is always a good spot.
Crustcake: Any other comments you'd like to make? Thank you for taking the time to do this interview.
Fenriz: Hang loose and listen to DEAD MOON!!!
July 7, 2010
CRUSTY CLIP OF THE WEEK: CORRUPTED - 'EL MUNDO FRIO'
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 (TX)
It's too hot to do anything but sit around in the AC and try to move as little as possible. It's that part of the summer where the heat and the sun warp the corners of your peripheral vision and time slows to a crawl. Anything above 60 bpm makes my head hurt. So it's basically been nothing but Eyehategod, Grief, Harvey Milk, Electric Wizard, Dystopia, Unearthly Trance and buckets and buckets of ice-cold beer. If this sounds like you, slowly (so as to avoid inducing extraneous perspiration) turn up the volume on your computer speakers and listen to this gorgeously crushing section of reclusive Japanese sludge godfathers Corrupted's 71-minute El Mundo Frio and try and think cold thoughts.
LIVE REVIEW: THE EYEHATEGOD WEEKEND, PART 2
Eyehategod
When: Sunday, June 20, 2010
Where: Empty Bottle, Chicago, IL
With: Nachtmystium, The Atlas Moth, Yakuza, Bongripper
and
Ten Suicides
When: Sunday, June 20, 2010
Where: Reckless Records Wicker Park, Chicago, IL
Two trains (Blue Line at Divison, Forest Park-bound to Monore Red Line Howard-bound) and a bus (N201) later, I was back in my Evanston apartment. Cradled backed into the arms of yuppiedom (why I actually live there is a long story).
I did not want to be there. What I wanted was more punishment. Time to get reckless at Reckless.
Wicker Park, for those who haven't been to Chicago, is where American Apparel/Crystal Castles-fixed-gear types hang out. Pitchfork's home base is there. Enough said. Therefore, a noise set would be quite abrasive to the regulars. Luckily, Ten Suicides were plenty harsh. Comprised of Eyehategod's Mike Williams and Joe LaCaze, Mark Solotroff, Isidro Reyes, and James Moy of Bloodyminded, and Ryan McKern of The Guilt Of..., Ten Suicides was a little under 30 minutes of ear-splitting electronic manipulation. Solotroff screamed into a cornucopia of microphones, Williams strummed loosely on his guitar, LaCaze pushed his way and screamed into the crowd, and no one was making anything resembling Starlight Vocal Band. Due to the confines of the venue, it wasn't quite as confrontational as a Bloodyminded show, but still a hell of a good time. At the instore, I saw plenty of veterans from last night, including Zac Ohler from Strong Intention. 3 p.m. was the right time for us. Any earlier and people would still be sleeping off the hooch.
A few hours of rest, and back to the Empty Bottle! I expected tonight to be slightly more mellow (key word: slightly), due to the doomier opening groups, but that did not prove to be the case.
After having a beer with Charge Shot blogger and former Crustcaker Jordasch, I went up front to check out local doom merchants Bongripper. I had originally set out to see the band back in January at the Speed Trails at leftist compound Locked Out, but from what I suspect is a unwillingness to give in to irony, the band never played. Their name could say it all: low-and-lower doom that I'd have to consult Aquarius Records on how many o's to use for "doom." But Bongripper also have a thing for harmony. Underneath the subsonic rumblings were melodic constructions attempting to gain air. To say the least, it sustained my attention. Unlike most doom bands whose only speeds are "stroll through the graveyard" and "crawling in tar," Bongripper thrashed it out on occasion, and the members clearly had to chops to switch speeds with ease. This quartet is one to look out for in the future.
Usually, Yakuza's Bruce Lamont is behind the bar at the Empty Bottle, but the chance to open for Eyehategod doesn't come every week. I hate to say this, especially because I was really looking forward to seeing them live, but I was a little underwhelmed by Yakuza's set. There seemed to be a disconnect between the band's earlier, more metal material, and the later stuff that leans towards more the atmospheric and psychedelic side of the spectrum. More importantly, for someone who works there, you would think Lamont's saxophone would have came through clearly, but it was a little low in the mix. From what I could tell, Lamont's got a big, dry tone similar to John Coltrane's. All the Yakuza dudes are ace musicians; things could have coalesced a little better.
While BV/Crustcake SXSW party vets The Atlas Moth were setting up, I had considered holding a candlelight vigil for vocalist/guitarist Stravos Giannopoulos's beloved mustache. The band's tight performance and Giannopoulos's pimpin' yellow Ol' Dirty Bastard (R.I.P.) shirt made up for the dearly departed facial hair, however. As if they were all channeling the spirit of Wu-Tang (on the real, ODB's Return to the 36 Chambers is some next-level shit), the band was tighter and heavier than their performance with Harvey Milk, though it's not like they were slacking that night either. Psychedelic elements are as prevalent in their music as it is on their shirts, and luckily, it's not some of that old flower-power tripe. Their vibes are for when the sun goes black and we become hedonists in the dark. Party on, Garth! They closed out with the post-metally number "...Leads to a Lifetime on Mercury," and on that note, I am glad to say Giannopoulos' mustache did not have Sampson-like qualities.
My comments about Nachtmystium's previous performance stand for this one, too, as they played the exact same songs. No need to go further, though I will say this: I wish Plague Bringer could have played again.
As with the previous night, I wasted no time getting to the front once Nachtmystium turned off their amps. I am a glutton for many things, bodily punishment especially. Williams, appearing with two more Cranberry Vodkas, seemed a little more jovial at the onset of this performance, making jokes with the crowd before Eyehategod ripped into the entirety of Take As Needed For Pain. He playfully complained that the band needed to look at a shirt the band was selling on tour that had the tracklistings for Pain and In the Name of Suffering on the back, as it served as the band's setlist. Jimmy Bower and Brian Patton survived the previous night and they still pushed their riffs-and-feedback gumbo as if they were playing to a crowd the size of Live Aid. Over the course of the set, Williams got surlier, brandishing around the mic stand as if he was going to strike someone down. Well, he almost smashed my hand with it. And he punched me in the chest, lightheartedly and with contempt simultaneously. At one point, someone brought the band shots, which Williams declined. The gift-giver took Williams' shot instead. Funnily enough, when that dude tried to get on stage again, Williams shoved that poor motherfucker off stage. His attitude, the wall of southern discomfort created by Bower and Patton, being pushed from behind and some unnamable force - all of this made me thrash harder than the Saturday show. There was more backwoods swamp dread in the air that night.
Western to Lawrence to Red Line to N201 to bed. An intense weekend, one that won't be matched this year.
July 6, 2010
LIVE REVIEW: THE EYEHATEGOD WEEKEND, PART 1
Eyehategod
When: Saturday, June 19, 2010
Where: Empty Bottle, Chicago
With: Nachtmystium, Plague Bringer, Strong Intention, Weekend Nachos
Observe: side B of Black Flag's My War. Greg Ginn let his riffs get a second-hand high, Henry Rollins became even more thirsty and miserable, Bill Stevenson had no idea what he was getting into and Dale Nixon was just following orders. The murk of basement shows past had seeped into their sound, now too dark to be re-imagined by noodling hipsters in the Dirty Projectors two decades later. On the cover, Hitler was laughing, with his pearly whites by Marlboro Lights, as he was about to stab you. The process of weeding out began upon the record's release in 1984 -- while some punks desperately wanted things to be at 45 RPM, some hardcore kids took a lot of direction from these three jams.
Eyehategod were one of those bands. Jimmy Bower has the Black Flag bars tattooed sandwiched in between the words "My War." That should say volumes about what the side B to that record did for metal.
The New Orleans legends' first night of a two-evening stand at the Empty Bottle began a week of shows from bands who have paid their dues to the that eternal B-side. Those reviews will be coming soon, but now I'm focusing on Eyehategod.
Let's get to the madness, shall we?
Weekend Nachos were given the daunting task of warming up the boozing and smoking (outside the venue, per Chicago law) crowd. The band were in fine form, but the show-goers hadn't quite warmed up yet. Vocalist John Snyder, all too connected with the inertia of the patrons, threw a hardshell bass case into the crowd. He succeeded in getting some stares, and to me, it was a Friday "Daaaaaaaammmn" momemnt, but overall there were still only a few pit warriors. The man of the half-hour, though, was guitarist Andy Nelson and his seven-string/Sunn combo. Huge tones are his thing, and were they ever huge on "Bleed!" Our man The WZA'd said that song is more Goatsnake than powerviolence, and live, this is especially true. Weekend Nachos still have an adrenaline fix to attain, as showcased by "Shot in the Head." To conclude, I'm looking forward to their record release show.
Next up were Baltimore's Strong Intention. Last time I saw the group was when they played with Anal Cunt (who were supposed to play this show, but canceled) and The Gates of Slumber in Austin a couple Novembers ago. An odd lineup, I realize. Safe to say, not much has changed with the band in the time passed. Straight-forward, no filler grindcore was the order of the night. Not a huge variety between songs, but their wall-to-wall blasts didn't disappoint. Grindcore is often best at its purest. The crowd remained a little still at this point, but more people seemed to seep in for Strong Intention than Weekend Nachos.
While the night belonged to Eyehategod, Plague Bringer were the best of the opening bands. Clad in cult movie t-shirts -- guitarist/programmer Greg Ratajczak with Jackie Treehorn's sketch from The Big Lebowski and vocalist Greg Rosenthal representing Blue Velvet -- the duo churned out a set of hate-fueled drum machine insanity. This abrasive industrial metal was once the calling card of Chicago/El Paso institution Ministry, and while I might be boasting, Plague Bringer are more than carrying that torch. Rosenthal shreds his throat with every word he screams, matching the "DON'T YOU FUCKING LOOK AT ME" quote from his shirt. Ratajczak shifts between classic chug-chugg riffing to grindy interpretations of Unsane noise rock fluidly. Whatever module he's using for the drums locks in with the band: they have that mechanized pounding that gives off a fitting dystopian future vibe. For the last song, "One into Par," Mark Solotroff of Bloodyminded and Anatomy of Habit (who Ratajczak also plays guitar in) got on stage to contribute vocals and electronics. He acted as a doubler to their sound, nothing I can complain about. Plague Bringer may only have two members, but they have the intensity of bands twice or even three times their size. (As a side note, I later asked Rosenthal if they had both planned to wear shirts from cult movies. He said no. We chatted about David Lynch for a little bit before I left. Rad dude.)
In the last episode of the Crustcast, our pundits railed quite a bit against Nachtmystium, or more accurately, on Blake Judd, since he IS Nachtmystium. I have to admit, too, that I don't have an entirely favorable view of the band. While I was a huge fan of Instict: Decay, the songwriting quality of later albums seems to be more "LOOK HOW DIVERSE MY TASTES ARE, GUYS" rather than carefully integrating those tastes into good songs. A lot of supposedly "open-minded" writers and fans like to give Es for Effort though, calling new the Nachtmystium album groundbreaking like it was '70s Miles Davis. In addition, some of Judd's recent interviews tend to convey "I'm too cool for metal" despite that his fan base is pretty much metalheads. And whatever happened to Judd's Pink Floyd obsession? Before I begin to rant further, I will say that although I did not derive joy from Nachtmystium's set, it was a packed house and a lot of people seemed did enjoy them. Having been unable to secure a live synth player, Nachtmystium focused on the fast songs. "Hellish Overdose," "High on Hate" and opener "Your True Enemy" got many horns up in the air. Bassist Andrew Markuszewski, also of Lord Mantis, broke a string in the middle of the set, but it didn't seem to slow the band down. The only track pre-Assassins performed was "A Seed for Suffering," and most of the more ambient sections of that song were cut out. I could understand why they did so. Since the set was pretty much all fast songs, it would make sense to keep the pace fairly consistent. It would have been nice of "Keep 'em Open" was in the set list too, but in all, they were just the only thing between me and a NOLA-style beatdown.
Once Nachtmystium got off, I rushed to the front so I could get some prime real estate for Eyehategod. Being up front was uncomfortable in the best way possible. The quintet played the entirety of their debut full-length, In the Name of Suffering, and I felt all the grooves. HARD. Bower, with his guitar proudly stating he's a RCA -- Registered CoonAss -- and Brian Patton churned out riff after tar-drenched riff. Eyehategod have been through a lot -- drug addiction, jail time, Hurricane Katrina -- and all those negative vibes made the guitars even more sweltering. Throughout the night, I loved life and wanted to leave this world at the same time, that is how much of an emotional headrush the music and raging in the front put me through. The power of the guitars themselves seemed to push against the crowd, and the crowd pushed back, resulting in a gloriously agonizing sense of intimacy. Williams, whose two Cranberry Vodkas onstage were most likely not all he drank, was rather surly throughout the performance. He had humorous quips here and there, but he seemed pissed and drunk. A woman next to me asked him to turn up his vocals, and he responded by saying that she shouldn't be so close to the monitors. Granted, his vocals were a little low, but I was soaking in the riffs too intensely to care. When the amps were turned off, I knew I was going to hate myself in the morning. It was worth it.
One of the heaviest nights of my life. And thank Side B of My War for it. Look out for the Sunday night show review coming soon.
July 4, 2010
HAPPY HOLIDAZE: INDEPENDENCE DAY
Never ones to sip on Haterade, your humble cake bakers want to wish every one rockin' and rollin' Fourth of July. So crack open a cold one, crank Harvey Milk's ode to "Old Glory" (from 2006's Special Wishes, available here) and celebrate the legal separation of 13 upstart colonial renegades from their tyrannical, imperial overlords.
July 2, 2010
FRESHLY BAKED: MUTANT SUPREMACY
In "Freshly Baked," we feature promising young bands or bands that are otherwise lacking the attention we think they deserve.
theseseans (NYC)
Download: Mutant Supremacy - "Morbid Dismemberment" [MP3]
For a death metal band to be successful, there has to be a certain level of skill present. But for a death metal band to be truly great, they've got have personality too. Such physically demanding music spews bands that can impress, but few that have something extra. Brooklyn's Mutant Supremacy have the skills, the songs and a genuine love for what they do to take their dream and make it a full-time reality. It comes across in everything they do. I interviewed founding members Sam Awry (guitars, vocals) and Robert Nelson (drums) about the band, their dual role in Atakke and their love for everything death.
Mutant Supremacy have completed their debut and we'll keep you updated on when it becomes available. They recently went through a line-up change, adding Curt Johnson on guitar. Grab a free download for "Morbid Dismemberment" (which is featured in the video game 'Splatterhouse') and read on.
Crustcake: Atakke predates Mutant Supremacy, correct?
Awry: Yes.
Crustcake: You two are both in Atakke and Mutant Supremacy, yes?
Awry: Yes.
Crustcake: So what is the drive, the need, of Mutant Supremacy?
Awry: Death metal.
Nelson: Death metal is the drive.
Awry: It is death metal for death metal's sake.
Nelson: I believe it was Sam's idea to play death metal.
Awry: Well, I believe Robert also had the idea to play death metal once or twice in his life.
Crustcake: So you guys have a soul-burning desire for death metal (and) Atakke wasn't satisfying that desire for you, hence Mutant Supremacy was born?
Awry: Yeah, pretty much. In its purest sense, it's for a love of death metal. I could wax philosophically about how it was needed for this or that, but basically it was needed because it's cool.
Nelson: It's because, when you play certain types of music, you feel certain types of music and you want to play them. But there are times when you have a void for something you want to play because you can't find the people to play with. You find someone else that you connect with and it's just like, "Yes!"
Crustcake: Based on the newer songs that I've heard, in comparison to the older material on the Myspace, I feel like the newer material is better. Almost exponentially. Not to say that the older material is bad, but there seems to be a lot of writing growth, as well as much better recording value. Two things stood out to me as big differences were Nelson's drumming and the vocals.
Awry: I agree.
Crustcake: Was that something you went out of your way to achieve?
Awry: Yes, and those things aren't things that you can always achieve immediately. When we recorded the (older) songs you heard on the Myspace page, Robert had been out of the country and we really hadn't been practicing for nine months. We were not in top form. And when we started playing (and) writing these songs, I hadn't been a vocalist in seven years and I'd never been a death metal vocalist. So since we've been able to spend more time practicing, Robert's gotten his chops way back up to full fighting mode and I've been able to work on a develop my voice (by) basically abusing my throat (and) figuring out how to go deeper. [Laughs].
Nelson: With anything, the more you do, the better you're going to get. Singing, drumming, whatever. We really found our pocket to sink into. We're sounding and preforming better due to that.
Crustcake: Do you feel like the material itself is growing in that same way?
Nelson: I do.
Awry: Yeah, I do too. I think it's a different progression from a technical aspect. The old songs that we still play, the way that they sound now, is because of practice and being an active band. We're not that most technical death metal band, but it is taxing music. You get better by doing it.
Crustcake: Absolutely. Some of my favorite death metal bands, like Asphyx for example, are not very technical at all, but are still incredibly awesome.
Awry: Yeah, it's very convincing. I haven't heard Asphyx's demos, but I'm sure that Martin van Drunen wasn't born being able to sing like that. He continually did that with his voice until it became something for him. The last band that I sang in a) was a punk band, and b) it was seven years ago. I couldn't do what I can do now with my voice when we first started.
Nelson: We're continually evolving and we keep getting better. I feel like we're 10 steps above where we were when we first recorded our demos.
Awry: And the songwriting has progressed, once again, because we're an active band now. When we recorded the demos, we were recording songs that I had written independently. We recorded them quickly, and were not practicing regularly. Now, we've been playing together for three years, we practice several times a week and are writing songs together as a band. Not to mention that me and Robert are in two bands together. Every time I play music, it's with Robert. So we've really learned how to write together. We're really a band now. The demos is stuff I had and we put drums to (it). I hope this doesn't sound bad. Usually when bands say they are progressing, it just means that they suck.
Crustcake: So now that you guys are, as we've thoroughly discussed, a full-time band, what are the goals for the band?
Awry: We have a record that we just finished tracking and that we are almost done mixing and we're going to put that out.
Crustcake: Is it going to come out self-released? Do you have plans to shop it to any labels first?
Awry: It's going to be self-released (on) CD and vinyl.
Crustcake: Are you planning any sort of tour to support it?
Nelson: Definitely.
Awry: We're going to. We're not planning it yet, but we are going to. We're going to do everything that real bands do! [Laughs] We'd like to think of ourselves as a real band. [Laughs] In the fantasy world I live in anyway. Hell, we're a good real band while I'm at it!
Crustcake: So there are plans to do a vinyl release? What are your personal thoughts on vinyl?
Awry: Yes. We rely like vinyl.
Nelson: We actually have a artist who is working on a cover specifically with the vinyl release in mind. John Clue, he's a sick fucking tattoo artist and a sick fucking painter. He agreed to do the art for us and it's really going to be a great cover. We're thinking about doing a full sized poster inside too. We're really excited. It should be fucking awesome.
Awry: We're also going to put it out on CD.
Crustcake: So that it can be free on the Internet? [Laughs]
Awry: If we were a popular band, it would already be up for free on the Internet! [Laughs] No, but I hope people download it and listen to it and enjoy it. We recorded the record with Joe Cincotta who has a studio called Full Force in Long Island. He's been Suffocation's soundman since they got back together. He's recorded the last three Suffocation records, he's done sound for Obituary. He's in Criminal Element, and he's recorded records for them. Joe recorded and engineered the record. It's rock solid. A lot of the bands I've been in, since I've started making records, which was about 12 years ago, we've always been a fight to explain to the engineer what our music is supposed to be like. It's hard to find a studio that you can afford where the people really understand underground music, transgressive music. You know, normal studios record rock and pop because that's where the money is. It really is transgressive, because it is so unmarketable. It's really a labour of love. It certainly has been this way with me, [laughs] no one has ever bought any of my fuckin' records. I've got 600 copies of my first CD in my Mom's garage, still, 10 years later. Joe really understands our music and it really shows. It sounds like everyone on the record means what they are doing. It sounds like a metal record is supposed to sound like.
Nelson: It makes a big difference when you record with somebody who understands what you are trying to do.
July 1, 2010
BATILLUS ANNOUNCE FALL TOUR WITH KOWLOON WALLED CITY
Batillus, my favorite doom band (although I have been listening to a lot of new Harvey Milk lately), are bringing their slow sounds of death to the South by way of the East Coast this fall. Accompanied by Kowloon Walled City, this tour is already turning into a monster: featuring shows with Thou, Disappearer, Fight Amp and Riff Cannon.
Batillus not only just recorded their debut full length with Sanford Parker but also have a split with Hallowed Butchery via Vendetta Records, of which we have art and more info on after the jump.
Batillus / Hallowed Butchery 12" Split
Side A - Batillus
The cover photo is by Scott Irvine, with the layout for the release handled by Ryan Scott Fairfield (Hallowed Butchery).
1. The Division
2. The Children of the Night Make Their Music
3. Beyond the River
Side B - Hallowed Butchery
1. An Introduction
2. Coffin Life
Batillus, Kowloon Walled City Fall tour 2010Sat 9/18 New York, NY @ Cake Shop w/ Riff Cannon
Sun 9/19 Boston, MA @ Great Scott w/ Disappearer, Riff Cannon
Mon 9/20 Providence, RI @ AS220
Tue 9/21 Baltimore, MD
Wed 9/22 Pittsburgh, PA @ Garfield Artworks
Thu 9/23 Knoxville, TN @ The Pilot Light w/ New Brutalism
Fri 9/24 Atlanta, GA @ Eyedrum - Forward to the Apocalypse Fest
Sat 9/25 New Orleans, LA @ Hey Cafe w/ Thou
Sun 9/26 Baton Rouge, LA @ w/ Thou
Mon 9/27 Birmingham, AL @ Magic City Wholesale
Tue 9/28 Nashville, TN
Wed 9/29 Chapel Hill, NC
Thu 9/30 Richmond, VA @ Strange Matter
Fri 10/1 Philadelphia, PA @ w/ Fight Amp, Ladder Devils
Sat 10/2 Brooklyn, NY
