Doom metal from Indianapolis? Who knew? Gates Of Slumber have been on our radar for awhile around here, we've just been waiting for a good opportunity to mention them. And a free MP3 is just about the best excuse to mention a band on an MP3 blog, so here ya go. Solid old school doom.
Download: Gates of Slumber - "Ice Worm" [MP3]
Yo LA people, listen up. That Torche show we told you about will be limited to 150 people, so get your ass over to Relax Bar tonight early. It will probably be the best show you see all year.
Make the jump for more.
We don't take back anything we said about Josh Homme last week, but the Queens of the Stone Age frontman's response to many in the blogosphere calling him a homophobe is pretty rad:Member of the Peanut Gallery: Some journalists and citizens on the Internet are wondering: Q? Am I a homophobe because I included a slang for gay in with other 'acceptable' curse words during a verbal lashing I gave a young concertgoer, after being hit by his shoe, during a show the other day? A= Nope. My gay family and friends, as well as myself, KNOW I am not a homophobe. For years now I've known gay is not a choice; one's skin color doesn't determine one's intelligence level; and red hair doesn't mean you're someone's stepchild.
You see, it's not the words, it's their intent. I never said, nor suggested, that being gay is wrong, but apparently, based on your outrage to my flu-infused rant, you do! By that logic... I also told that young whipper snapper I'd have anal sex with him... how can I possibly reconcile these opposing viewpoints? I called him a pussy too. Does it mean I hate our one worlds' collective vagina? I never have been nor intend to be politically correct. That's your cross to bear. To me, that PC world would suck more shit than the porta-potty truck at Glastonbury.
Homophobic? I'm in QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, for crissake... You say, 'So. Your band name doesn't prove anything.' Maybe not. But it's a helluva lot more definitive than the logic of some watchdog... (sorry canine-American, canine-European, canine-African, canine-Australian and canine-Asian) moralist, keeping score from pure perfectionville?
If your glass house is squeegeed that clean and you need to do something, do what the great philosopher Bill Hicks once suggested — forgive me. Or don't. I'm not asking for either, OK? I think you should let both of your cheeks go loose so the stick will drop out. Either way I expect that you'll soon find another injustice from your chair, then roll to your bullhorn and point it out to the rest of us... Because you're so above it all. Or If you'll allow me to translate a wish of mine into your PC lingo: Will you please go have, consensual, sex with yourself. Pretty please with all natural, carbon offset sugar on top.
[The Funeral Pyre]
The Funeral Pyre will be hitting the road, sharing some dates with Prosthetic labelmates Antagonist. Check out "Black Earth" over at The Funeral Pyre's MySpace page.
The Funeral Pyre - 2008 Dates:6/23 Hollywood, CA – Knitting Factory (with Cattle Decapitation, Phobia, Skarp)
Antagonist - 2008 Dates:
7/10 Hollywood, CA – The Relax Bar (with Thou, Leech, more)6/28 Salinas, CA – Jump n’ Around (with Arsonists Get All The Girls, Moria)
The Funeral Pyre, Antagonist, Sea of Treachery - 2008 Tour:7/12 Oklahoma City, OK – The Factory
The Funeral Pyre released Wounds on May 27th.
7/13 Dallas, TX – Fat Daddy’s
7/14 Austin, TX – Emo’s
7/15 Amarillo, TX – The War Legion Underground
7/16 El Paso, TX - TBA
7/17 Albuquerque, NM – Launch Pad
7/18 Scottsdale, AZ – Vertical Venue
7/19 Rancho Cucamonga, CA – Nitty Gritty
7/22 Los Angeles, CA – The Whisky
7/23 Palmdale, CA – Palmdale Vets Hall
7/24 San Marcos, CA – Jumping Turtle
7/25 Anaheim, CA – Chain Reaction (with Conducting From The Grave)
7/27 Bakersfield, CA – The Dome
7/28 Fresno, CA – The Exit
7/29 Soledad, CA – The Castle (The Funeral Pyre headlines)
7/30 San Jose, CA – San Jose Skate
And lastly, as if you haven't heard already, George Carlin is dead at the age of 71 from heart failure. He will be missed.
June 23, 2008
Monday Metal Update 6/23
June 19, 2008
Crustcake Picks - LA Shows 6/19 - 6/25
by beatmasterspeech (LA)
Oh shit shows for real this time!!!! June 23rd @ The Relax Bar – Torche & Clouds, OH SHIT! Tonight @ The Echo – Earth, OH SHIT! Tonight @ The Smell – Lesbians. Honorable mention goes to June 23rd @ Knitting Factory – Cattle Decapitation, Phobia, Skarp, The Funeral Pyre and many more.
Let’s break it down. You should not miss Torche and Clouds in the intimate setting of the Relax Bar. No, they do not have a pro stage set up there, but Torche will most likely be set up on the floor so you can be face to face with the bomb string explosions. I’m pretty sure this show will sell out so get their early. Larry from Pelican will be DJ’ing between bands. Earth will be cool and Lesbians are always a trip. And you can always get down with the grind if you aint feelin’ the Torche show. Now everyone together, repeat after me... OH SHIT!
LA show picks 6/19 - 6/25:Thursday 6/19 - Earth @ The Echo [tix]
Thursday 6/19 - Lesbians @ The Smell
Monday 6/23 - Torche, Clouds @ Relax Bar
Monday 6/23 - Cattle Decapitation, Phobia, Skarp, The Funeral Pyre and more @ Knitting Factory [tix]
May 26, 2008
Crustcake Picks - New Music 5/27
There are only a few new records that piqued our interest this week. Greg Anderson (Sunn O))), Goatsnake, Southern Lord Records) and Gentry Densly (Iceburn, Eagle Twin) have a collaboration out, called Ascend. Check out some samples...
Download: Ascend - "Ample Fire Within" (edit) [MP3]
Download: Ascend - "Divine" (edit) [MP3]
Download: Ascend - "V O G" (edit) [MP3]
Also out tomorrow, The Funeral Pyre's Prosthetic Records debut, Wounds, which is sure to be a good one, and New York hardcore's H2O have a new one out via Bridge 9, Nothing To Prove. Formed in 1995 by a former Sick Of It All roadie, H2O is RIYL gang vocals, sing-alongs, and happy hardcore.
Our picks:
Buy: Ascend - Ample Fire Within (Southern Lord) [Amazon]
Listen: The Funeral Pyre [MySpace]
Buy: The Funeral Pyre - Wounds (Prosthetic) [Amazon]
Listen: H2O [MySpace]
Buy: H2O - Nothing To Prove (Bridge 9) [Amazon]
April 17, 2008
Crustcake Picks - LA Shows 4/17 - 4/23
by beatmasterspeech (LA)
This weekend is a biggy! Local metal booker/promoter Church of the 8th Day has once again brought back the Los Angeles Murderfest, coincidentally taking place on 4/20 weekend. There are shit ton of bands that are a must-see for any self-respecting metalhead; so, if you live in LA and are into heavy music, you should be at this or you'll be asked to turn in your metal membership club card.
(I, hypocritically, will not be in town as I’m attending the first annual Crustcake Summit meeting taking place in Nuevo York. I’ll be sure to take notes and present them to all the blog's shareholders.)
Some key players in the festival of murder are: Napalm Death, Converge, Baroness, The Funeral Pyre, Vital Remains, Repulsion, Entombed, Extreme Noise Terror, Meat Shits, Waco Jesus, Today is The Day, Trap Them... the list goes on and on and on. Check out the full lineup and schedule here. I would like to add that the Knitting Factory parking garage is pretty slack on security so don’t be afraid to drink a few down there on the cheap before heading in to the show.
But, if the brutal side of metal ain’t your fancy this weekend, yous gots options my friend. The Sword are jamming the righteous riffs at El Rey Theatre Friday night with Maiden-esque metalers Slough Feg and Brooklyn's Children (featuring members of Early Man and S.T.R.E.E.T.S.).
Download: The Sword - "Fire Lances of the Ancient Hyperzephyrians" [MP3]
And it may not be the Helmet we grew up with, but Page Hamilton and Co. will be playing your favorite Helmet jams on Friday as well at the Key Club.
LA show picks 4/17 - 4/23:Friday 4/18 - Sunday 4/20 - LA Murderfest @ Knitting Factory [tix]
Friday 4/18 - The Sword, Slough Feg @ El Rey Theatre [tix]
Friday 4/18 - Helmet @ Key Club [tix]
April 7, 2008
Monday Metal Update 4/7
by crustcake gerf (NYC)
Earth's The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull puts me to sleep.
In a good way. Throw it on when you lay down to go to bed and it'll lull you gracefully into a relaxed slumber. It's also the perfect record for a lazy Sunday afternoon. And it would have been the perfect soundtrack for the Coen brothers' magnificent No Country For Old Men, had that film not already been perfect sans music.
Dylan Carlson and his drone dream team will be touring the US later this month and into May.
Earth - US Tour 2008:4/25 Bottom Lounge - Chicago, IL
Proving that Earache isn't all second-rate bands and reissue upon reissue of catalog classics, the label will be releasing LA neo-thrashers Bonded By Blood's debut album, Feed the Beast, on May 12th in the UK and June 10th in the US. Check out four tracks from the album at BBB's MySpace.
4/26 Wexner Center for the Arts - Columbus, OH w/Sword Heaven
4/27 The Dame - Lexington, KY
4/28 Springwater - Nashville, TN
4/29 Bottletree - Birmingham, AL w/Fur Elise, Liz Durrett
4/30 The Earl - Atlanta, GA w/Fur Elise, Liz Durrett
5/01 Calendonia - Athens, GA w/Fur Elise, Liz Durrett
5/02 Rocket Club - Asheville, NC
5/03 Downtown Events Center - Raleigh, NC
5/04 Rock and Roll Hotel - Washington, DC w/Kayo Dot
5/05 Johnny Brenda’s - Philadelphia, PA w/Kayo Dot
5/06 Knitting Factory - New York, NY w/Kayo Dot
According to their MySpace profile, The Funeral Pyre is Death Metal / Death Metal / Metal. Sonically, they're really more of a Black Metal band, but they don't wear corpse paint, so... I guess we'll call them 'Blackened Death Metal.' That seems to fit.
Check out the track "Black Earth" from their forthcoming LP Wounds (Prosthetic) at the band's MySpace.
The Funeral Pyre - US Tour 2008:4/18 Hollywood, CA – The Knitting Factory
5/23 Los Angeles, CA – Relax Bar
5/24 Phoenix, AZ – TBA
5/25 Albuquerque, NM – TBA
5/26 Denver, CO – The Kingdom of Doom
5/27 Omaha, NE – TBA
5/28 Salina, KS – The Blue Goat
5/29 Tulsa, OK – Under The Mooch
5/30 Dallas, TX – TBA
5/31 Houston, TX – TBA
6/01 Beaumont, TX – TBA
6/02 Austin, TX – Red 7
6/03 San Antonio, TX – TBA
6/04 Corpus Christi, TX – The Compound
6/05 El Paso, TX – Corona
6/06 Tucson, AZ – TBA
6/07 Yuma, AZ – Bucklin Park
6/08 Las Vegas, NV – TBA
6/09 Stateline, NV – Tahoe Underground
6/10 Portland, OR – Rotture (Joe Preston’s Mancampus)
6/11 Eugene, OR – TBA
6/12 San Francisco, CA – Annie’s Social Club
6/13 Fresno, CA – The Exit
[Candlemass]
Swedish doom pioneers Candlemass are touring the US for the first time in 17 years. The band released King of the Grey Island last year, check out a few tracks at their MySpace.
Candlemass - US Tour 2008:5/19 Jaxx – W. Springfield, VA
That's it for us today, be sure to check out more crucial metal news and updates over at Brooklyn Vegan. Happy Monday!
5/20 BB King Blues Club – New York City, NY
5/22 Starland Ballroom – Sayreville, NJ
5/23 Peabody’s – Cleveland, OH
5/24 The Pearl Room – Mokena, IL
5/25 Station 4 – St. Paul, MN
5/28 Studio Seven – Seattle, WA
5/29 Hawthorne Theatre – Portland, OR
5/30 Slim’s – San Francisco, CA
5/31 The Jumping Turtle – San Marcos, CA
6/01 Whisky A Go Go – Hollywood, CA
6/03 Brickhouse – Phoenix, AZ
6/04 Launchpad – Albuquerque, NM
6/05 Scout Bar – San Antonio, TX
6/06 Scout Bar – Houston, TX
6/07 Ridglea Theater – Fort Worth, TX
6/08 The Muse – Nashville, TN
March 20, 2008
Crustcake Picks - LA Shows 3/20 - 3/26
by beatmasterspeech (LA)
Ok people, I’m fucking swamped with work right now but I care about y'all (as much as passive blogger can) and I want to throw some shit out there so people can get pumped on live music.
Tonight, Relax Bar plays host to highly praised crusty blackened Atlanta outfit Withered who will be supported by local favorites The Funeral Pyre.
The Funeral Pyre - "Wounds":
Withered - "Silent Grave":
Also tonight, get your head smashed at the Key Club with Nile, The Faceless, Suicide Silence, and Nachtmystium. Nile has never let me down in terms of limitless death metal, and what else can be said about Nachmystium? You’ll find yourself humming their riffs for the rest of the week.
Download: Nile - "Lashed to The Slave Stick" [MP3]
Download: Suicide Silence - "Ending Is The Beginning" [MP3]
Saturday, you'll be at Tony’s Bar seeing Intronaut, Yakuza, and The Fucking Wrath (oh shit!!!). If you still haven’t gotten your fix of sweep arpeggios and blast beats, stop by The Whiskey and be pummeled into submission by techy grind masters Beneath The Massacre.
Download: Yakuza - "Cancer of Industry" [MP3]
Download: Beneath The Massacre - "Society’s Disposable Son" [MP3]
Oh yeah, hip hop poet Saul Williams is at The Troubadour on Saturday as well if you need to mix things up a bit.
LA show picks 3/20 - 3/26:Thursday 3/20 - Withered, Snakes Alive, The Funeral Pyre @ Relax Bar
Thursday 3/20 - Nile, Suicide Silence, The Faceless, Nachtmystium @ Key Club [tix]
Saturday 3/22 - Intronaut, Yakuza, The Fucking Wrath @ Tony’s Bar
Tuesday 3/25 - Beneath The Massacre @ The Whiskey A Go-Go [tix]
Tuesday 3/25 - Saul Williams @ The Troubadour [tix]
January 17, 2008
Crustcake Picks - LA Shows 1/17 - 1/23
Looks like metal has come out to play in 2008 finally! The NAMM convention is making its annual stop in So-Cal and with it comes all the bands and managers trying to get sponsers and free goods. It’s as if they say "we’re here, hey why not play a show right?"
Along with the jun juns of metal, hip hop pokes its head out this week. Jump on over to the Temple Bar in Santa Monica tomorrow and give Boston natives Audible Mainframe a round of applause for making waves in the California hip hop community. If you love The Roots, I highly suggest you check them out. Or brave the poop smell of the La Brea Tar Pits and check out Peanut Butter Wolf at the El Rey Theatre this freaky Friday.
Sunday brings the ruckus. Om will be giving kids an experience over at the The Echo or if you need things a bit heavier, come headbang with me at the Relax Bar with my pals The Funeral Pyre, Intronaut, Book of Black Earth, and Winterthrall (best metal show coming up).
If you didn’t get your fix on Sunday, not to worry as the mighty thrash masters Exodus will be exploding heads along with Goatwhore, Arsis, and future thrash masters Warbringer at the House of Blues, Sunset on Monday.
To cap it all off, get your gym shorts on and start stretching for the Cancer Bats, This Is Hell and Gallows at the Chain Reaction.
Or you could watch VH1 Classic and think about how cool concerts look on TV.Friday 1/18 - Audible Mainframe @ The Temple Bar
Friday 1/18 - Peanut Butter Wolf @ The El Rey Theatre
Sunday 1/20 - Intronaut, The Funeral Pyre, Book of Black Earth, Winterthrall @ Relax Bar
Sunday 1/20 - Om @ The Echo
Monday 1/21 - Exodus, Goatwhore, Arsis, Warbringer @ House of Blues, Sunset Strip
Wednesday 1/23 - Gallows, Cancer Bats, This Is Hell @ Chain Reaction[MP3] Peanut Butter Wolf - "Casio"[MP3] Intronaut - "Gleamer"
[MP3] Arsis - "Oh, The Humanity"
