Maryland heavy rockers Clutch will be heading out on the road in September for a tour with The Sword and Graveyard. That's a pretty solid lineup, and a good opportunity to check out Graveyard live if you haven't yet had a chance to do so. Dates after the jump.
Clutch also has a live album forthcoming, Full Fathom Five, which will be out August 12th via the band's own label, Weathermaker Music. Check out a cut off the album, "Texan Book of the Dead," at Ultimate Guitar.
Clutch - Fall 2008 Dates:7/26/2008 Dfest - Tulsa, OK
8/02/2008 House of Blues - Atlantic City, NJ %
9/19/2008 Hooligan's - Jacksonville, NC *
9/20/2008 Jester's Pub - Fayetteville, NC *
9/21/2008 The Pit - Kill Devil Hills, NC *
9/23/2008 The Orange Peel - Asheville, NC *
9/24/2008 Center Stage - Atlanta, GA *
9/25/2008 House of Blues - Lake Buena Vista, FL *
9/26/2008 Culture Room - Ft. Lauderdale, FL *
9/27/2008 State Theatre - St. Petersburg, FL *
9/29/2008 WorkPlay Theatre - Birmingham, AL *
9/30/2008 Valarium - Knoxville, TN *
10/1/2008 Cannery Ballroom - Nashville, TN *
10/3/2008 House of Rock - Corpus Christie, TX #
10/4/2008 Stubb's - Austin, TX #
10/5/2008 Midnight Rodeo - Amarillo, TX #
10/6/2008 Black Sheep - Colorado Springs, CO #
10/7/2008 Mesa Theatre - Grand Junction, CO #
10/9/2008 Harlow's - Sacramento, CA #
% w/ Murphy's Law, Lionize
* w/ The Sword, Graveyard, Never Got Caught
# w/ The Sword, Graveyard
July 2, 2008
Tour: Clutch, The Sword, Graveyard
July 1, 2008
Crustcake Reviews: The Sword - Gods of the Earth
by crustcake gerf (NYC)
I don't want to beat a dead horse to death, so I'll try to keep this brief. The Sword released their sophomore LP, Gods of the Earth, three months ago today via Kemado Records. Kemado and all their hired guns (as in, outsourced PR-- we've received press releases from at least three different PR firms) certainly know how to whip up a PR storm, and we've been playing along posting about The Sword left and right in recent months.
The release of their first LP, Age of Winters, was also surrounded by such hype, and I give credit where credit is due-- Kemado knew what they had on their hands when they signed The Sword, and they capitalized on the opportunity. But, for all the hype, The Sword is but one of many good 'stoner rock' or 'revival metal' bands to hit recording studios and the club circuit in recent years.
It just so happened that The Sword became the movement's reluctant (or perhaps not so reluctant) standard bearers, the poster boys for this retro metal movement. And with that perch came more critical praise and critical lambasting than the band was ever due. The Sword was built up to be something they were not, and now the same publications who hyped them up in the first place during the Age of Winters days are now railing against the band because Gods of the Earth isn't, like, the best metal record ever and stuff. Overhype creates a vacuum.
Anyway, I got my hands on a copy of the limited edition (run of 1,000) gatefold LP version of Gods of the Earth for this review. Musically, Gods isn't much of a step forward from Age of Winters. In fact, the songs are a bit less focused and the production isn't quite as full. After "The Sundering," a brief instrumental intro which utilizes acoustic guitar, the album stumbles out of the gate with "The Frost-Giant's Daughter," by far the weakest cut on the album. The rest of the record is better, capped by the epic duo of "The Black River" and closer "The White Sea." Overall, Gods is more of the same retro metal we heard on Age of Winters-- it will satiate your desire for that brand of metal but it won't blow your mind.
Physically, the record isn't exceptional. The only element remotely interesting is the embossed cover-- the pillars and sword are raised against the background-- but even this makes the record seem a bit 'cheap.'
The inside spread is occupied in whole by lyrics, and the back cover is a continuation of the image on the front, which looks like a two-dimensional rendition of a diorama, or a still from South Park's evil twin. The record itself is black vinyl, and the labels are a simple image of several swords arranged in a circle, each one pointing to the circle's center.
Kemado got at least one thing right with this vinyl release-- each LP comes with a unique code to download the album at no additional charge. I do have two minor complaints about this, though: the MP3's are only available to download once you have physically opened the LP (they ought to be available upon placing the order for the LP) and the MP3's are 192kbps (they should be at least 320kbps). Just minor gripes, like I said-- at least they're giving you the tracks. That being said, vinyl is the best way to enjoy this album.
7.0/10 [Audible]
6.5/10 [Physical]
Download: The Sword - "Fire Lances of the Ancient Hyperzephyrians" [MP3]
Buy: The Sword - Gods of the Earth [Amazon]
June 30, 2008
Monday Metal Update 6/30
Metal Injection is reporting that Opeth has announced the first two dates of their planned fall North American tour with High On Fire and Baroness. The House of Blues website, however, lists the Chicago support as High On Fire and Nachtmystium. This is going to be one of the best tours of the fall, and as soon as all the details are sorted out we'll let you know.
Opeth - Fall 2008 Dates (so far):
September 24 - Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
October 6 - San Francisco, CA @ The Grand Ballroom at the Regency Center
[Carcass]
In other awesome tour news, reunited death metal legends Carcass have announced several dates with more to follow. Confirmed dates and the rest of Monday Metal Update after the jump.
Carcass - 2008 Dates:
June 27 - Tuska Open Air (Finland)Dates for the so-called 'Blackest of the Black' tour have been confirmed. The tour features an old love, Danzig, and a new one, Skeletonwitch, along with Dimmu Borgir, whose polished epic 'commercial' Black Metal we find thoroughly entertaining. Also along for the ride, Moonspell and Winds of Plague.
June 28 - Gods Of Metal Festival (Italy)
July 4 - Metal Camp 08 (Slovenia)
July 9 - Rockwave (Greece)
August 2 - Wacken Open Air (Germany)
August 16 - Brutal Assault Festival (Czech Republic)
August 17 - Sziget Festival (Hungary)
August 29 - Hole In The Sky (Norway)
August 30 - Loud From The South Festival (Holland)
September 6 - Nokia Theater (New York, NY)
September 27 - Witchfest (South Africa)
October 9 - Capitol, Perth (Australia)
October 10 - HQ Complex, Adelaide (Australia)
October 11 - The Arena, Brisbane (Australia)
October 12 - The Metro Theatre, Sydney (Australia)
October 13 - Billboard, Melbourne (Australia)
October 18 - Loud Park @ Saitama Super Arena (Japan)
November 15 - Danish Metal Awards (Denmark)
Blackest of the Black 2008:
Oct. 09 - Ft. Laudersale, FL @ Revolution
Oct. 10 - Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Live
Oct. 11 - Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle
Oct. 13 - Richmond, VA @ Toads Place
Oct. 14 - Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
Oct. 15 - New York, NY @ Roseland
Oct. 17 - Worcester, MA @ Palladium
Oct. 18 - Montreal, QC @ Metropolis
Oct. 19 - Toronto, ONT @ Sound Academy
Oct. 21 - Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
Oct. 22 - Minneapolis, MN @ Myth
Oct. 24 - Detroit, MI @ Fillmore Theater
Oct. 25 - Chicago, IL @ Congress Theater
Oct. 26 - St. Louis, MO @ Pageant
Oct. 28 - Houston, TX @ House Of Blues
Oct. 30 - Dallas, TX @ Palladium
Oct. 31 - Kansas City, KS @ Uptown
Nov. 01 - Denver, CO @ Fillmore Theater
Nov. 03 - Las Vegas, NV @ The Joint
Nov. 04 - [to be announced]
Nov. 05 - Los Angeles, CA @ Gibson Amphitheater
Nov. 07 - Portland, OR @ Roseland
Nov. 08 - Seattle, WA @ Showbox At Market
Nov. 10 - San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield
Down will be heading down under for a handful of dates in October. The band will be touring Europe soon, including some dates with Metallica and The Sword. Visit Down's site for ticket info.
Down - 2008 Dates:
Jul 10 Markthalle HamburgNwsbyts:
Jul 12 Live Music Hall Koln
Jul 13 KB Malmo
Jul 14 Tradgarn Gothenburg
Jul 16 Bergenhus castle Bergen *
Jul 18 SKK Hall St Petersburg *
Jul 20 Skonto Stadium Riga *
Jul 22 Parco Nord Bologna *
Jul 23 Ptofi Nord Budapest %
Jul 25 Levski Stadium Sofia *
Jul 27 Ali Sami Yen Stadium Istanbul *
Jul 29 Barby Club Tel Aviv
Oct 10 Brisbane, The Arena (18+)
Oct 11 Sydney, UNSW Roundhouse (Licensed All Ages)
Oct 12 Melbourne, Palace Theatre (18+)
* w/ Metallica, The Sword
% w/ The Sword
• Revival thrashers Warbringer have lost their drummer and are currently seeking a replacement.
• A Swedish school teacher has been fired before ever setting foot in a classroom due to his participation in a Black Metal band.
• Metal Kult has an interview with Kurt Ballou and Jacob Bannon from Converge.
Continue Reading...
May 19, 2008
Monday Metal Update 5/19
Good fucking morning. Team crustcake-NY saw Torche and The Sword on Saturday, and Torche fucking ripped us a new one. They assaulted the sold-out Music Hall with a one-two... three-four-five-six punch of the first half dozen songs off Meanderthal, hardly stopping to breathe, and then proceeded to pummel for another thirty-odd minutes of thunder-pop glory.
[Torche]
Towards the end, Steve Brooks and Jaun Montoya pulled out their bomb-stringed axes and laid waste with "Meanderthal" and "Tarpit Carnivore." We felt like little kids again. And, unlike the last time, the sound for Torche was fantastic. Full-bodied and well-balanced, like a good beer.
Now that that's out of the way, let's start the week off right with-- what else?-- a Black Sabbath cartoon, courtesy of Iann Robinson:
[Harvey Milk]
Thanks, Relapse, for reissuing all those old Harvey Milk records. That was, like, super nice of you. And thanks to Hydra Head for putting out their new one, The Best Game In Town, which will be available on June 3rd (or earlier, if you're into sharing and stuff).
The Milk-- the other gay man from Athens, GA-- will be touring this summer with label-mates Clouds (who's new album will be out June 18th) and a few other bands.
Harvey Milk - 2008 Dates:Jun 17 2008 The Earl Atlanta, Georgia w/ Pride Parade and Major Stars
Remember those Anaal Nathrakh Canadian dates? Cancelled.
Jun 18 2008 The Milestone Charlotte, North Carolina w/ Pride Parade and Major Stars
Jun 19 2008 Canal Club Richmond, Virginia w/ Clouds
Jun 20 2008 Knitting Factory NYC, New York w/ Growing, Clouds, Bloody Panda
Jun 21 2008 Great Scott Boston, Massachusetts w/ Clouds and 27
Jun 22 2008 The Elevens Northampton, Massachusetts
Jun 23 2008 Europa Brooklyn, New York w/ Growing and Clouds
Jun 24 2008 Johnny Brenda’s Philadelphia, Pennsylvania w/ Clouds
Jun 25 2008 Otto Bar Baltimore, Maryland w/ Dianogah and Clouds
Jun 26 2008 Soapbox Wilmington, North Carolina
Jun 27 2008 40 Watt Athens, Georgia w/ Pride Parade
Jun 28 2008 Bottle Tree Birmingham, Alabama w/ Pride Parade
Jul 7 2008 Club Schocken Stuttgart
Jul 8 2008 Festaal Kreuzberg Berlin
Jul 9 2008 Hafenklang Hamburg
Jul 10 2008 Worm Rotterdam
Jul 11 2008 Recyclart Brussels
Jul 12 2008 Supersonic Festival Birmingham
Jul 13 2008 Glasgow Stereo / ABC 2
Jul 14 2008 The Ruby Lounge Manchester
Jul 15 2008 Underworld London
Jul 16 2008 La Maroquinerie Paris
Jul 17 2008 FZW Dortmund
Jul 18 2008 Dour Festival Dour
Hyper-political deathcore band Architect is heading into the studio to record the follow-up to last year's All Is Not Lost.
Death metal legends Nile will be touring Europe this fall with Severe Torture and Grave.
Nile, Severe Torture, Grave - 2008 European Dates:25/09 Haarlem, Netherlands @ Patronaat
More tours...
26/09 Vosselaar, Belgium @ Biebob
27/09 Essen, Germany @ Turock
28/09 Eindhoven, Netherlands @ Effenaar
29/09 Hamburg, Germany @ Markthalle
30/09 Aalborg, Denmark @ Studenterhuset
01/10 Orebro, Sweden @ Satin
02/10 Oslo, Norway @ Maiden
03/10 Goteborg, Sweden @ Musikens Hus
04/10 Malmoe, Sweden @ KB
05/10 Berlin, Germany @ K17
Warbringer, Gama Bomb - UK Dates:06/09 London, UK @ Underworld
Ignite - Australian Dates:
06/10 Glasgow, UK @ Ivory Blacks
06/11 Edinburgh, UK @ Studio 24
06/12 Bristol, UK @ The Croft
06/13 Plymouth, UK @ White Rabbit
06/14 Milton Keynes, UK @ The Pitz
06/15 Poole, UK @ Mr C's7/16 Brisbane @ Club 299
Blacklisted, This Is Hell - North American Dates:
7/17 Sydney @ Bald Faced Stag
7/18 Adelaide @ Enigma Bar
7/19 Melbourne @ Arthouse
7/20 Perth @ Amplifier6/13 Syracuse, NY @ Klub Polski
That's it for us. Feel free to head on over to Brooklyn Vegan, where Black Bubblegum has some tasty bits for you, but please come back! We'll be here waiting for you, like some insecure friend who you only hang out with because you feel bad.
6/14 Amherst, MA @ TBA
6/15 Montreal, QC @ @ Club Lambi
6/16 Quebec City, QC @ L'Anti
6/17 Ottawa, QC @ TBA
6/18 Hamilton, ONT @ TBA
6/19 Toronto, ONT @ Reverb
6/20 Windsor, ONT @ TBA
6/21 London, ONT @ The Embassy
6/22 Erie, PA @ Forward Hall
May 15, 2008
Crustcake Picks - NYC Shows 5/15 - 5/21
by crustcake gerf (NYC)
It's being reported that Saturday's Torche/Sword show is already sold out. A bummer if you didn't get tickets in advance, but a boon for the bands, especially Torche who deserve all the recognition and support in the world after the masterstroke that was Meanderthal. The show will be opened by Priestbird (read our interview) spin-off Lapdog of Satan.
One show (or rather, two) that you can still grab tickets for is the Progressive Nation double-header at Terminal 5 next week. In addition to headliners and creators Dream Theater, the tour features Opeth, Between the Buried and Me, and 3.
And now, a special announcement from crustcake hip-hop dilettante Scott Roc:
Come Saturday I'll be knocking back tacos and beers with friends out in the desert, but if I was in New York I'd go see Yo Majesty at South Paw. The Miami booty bass group has been blogged about pretty extensively, so I won't go into it much here other than to say you don't have many opportunities to see a group of lesbians rock a show topless ("Your boy 50 Cent does his show with his shirt off. Why can't I?" - JWL B of Yo Majesty), rapping about kryptonite pussy over the kind of beats the famously misogynistic 2 Live Crew used.Download: Yo Majesty "Club Action" [MP3]
Download: Yo Majesty "Kryptonite Pussy" [MP3]
Upcoming show details and ticket info after the jump.
NYC show picks 5/15 - 5/21:
Saturday 5/17 - The Sword, Torche, Stinking Lizaveta, Lapdog of Satan @ Music Hall of Williamsburg [sold out]Continue Reading...
Saturday 5/17 - Yo Majesty, Does It Offend You, Yeah? @ South Paw [tix]
Wednesday 5/21 - Dream Theater, Opeth, Between the Buried and Me, 3 @ Terminal 5 [tix]
Thursday 5/22 - Dream Theater, Opeth, Between the Buried and Me, 3 @ Terminal 5 [tix]
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 10, 2008
The Sword - New Video: "Maiden, Mother, & Crone"
by crustcake gerf (NYC)
With all the coverage we've been giving The Sword lately, you might think Kemado's been sending us checks. Well, they haven't. The Sword is just that good and we're still that poor.
Headbanger's Blog just premiered the band's new video for "Maiden, Mother, & Crone," and the video is just as badass as the video for "Fire Lances of the Ancient Hyperzephyrians," but in a totally different way. The "Fire Lances" video was a vibrantly colored conceptual piece, while "Maiden" is mostly a grayscale medieval metal performance video.
Check it out, and then check out The Sword on tour with Torche.
March 31, 2008
Crustcake Picks - New Music 4/1
by crustcake gerf (NYC)
Chiggedy check it out, kids. Tomorrow, The Mighty Sword (actually, just 'The Sword'... I get a little carried away sometimes) unleash their mighty Gods of the Earth upon the world. I demand a video like the one they did for "Fire Lances of the Ancient Hyperzephyrians" for every single song on the record.
Download: The Sword - "Fire Lances of the Ancient Hyperzephyrians" [MP3]
We're not really into cover bands (except for this one), but this Ministry Cover Up album sounds interesting. Via the press release:
Loaded with contributions from Revolting Cocks’ Sin Quirin and Josh Bradford, Burton C. Bell of Fear Factory, Prong’s Thomas Victor, and the late, great Paul Raven, Cover Up is a star-studded collection of vintage rock covers. Everyone from Deep Purple, to ZZ Top, to the Stones get a classic Ministry send-up.Check out a preview at the band's MySpace.
Also out tomorrow, In Flames' latest, A Sense of Purpose. If you're a fan of the second half of the band's discography, you'll dig it.
And lastly, Swedish death metal legends Dismember are back with their self-titled eighth studio album. A little late in the game for the eponymous LP, dontcha think guys? Midlife crisis, perhaps? Check out some tracks at their MySpace. Those guitars sound like a friggen engine. A massive, rusty, evil engine with spikes and horns and skulls all over it.
Our picks:
Dismember - Dismember [Amazon]Continue Reading...
In Flames - A Sense of Purpose [Amazon]
Ministry - Cover Up [Amazon]
The Sword - Gods of the Earth [Amazon]
Monday Metal Update 3/31
by crustcake gerf (NYC)
I have good news, better news and even betterer news. The good news? The Sword's monumental second offering Gods of the Earth is currently streaming in its entirety over at the band's MySpace. The better news? The Sword have added east coast dates to their previously-announced west coast stint. Hurrah.
And the betterer news? Said east coast dates are with Torche, who's Meanderthal is currently rocking my face right off. Gods of the Earth is out tomorrow, and Meanderthal is out next Tuesday.
[Torche]
The Sword & Torche - East Coast Tour:5/9 Ft Worth TX @ Lola's
Type O Negative will be touring the US starting in May with a mighty diverse set of supporting acts.
5/10 Memphis TN @ Hi Tone
5/11 Nashville TN @ Exit / In
5/12 Covington KY @ The Mad Hatter
5/13 Detroit MI @ The Magic Stick
5/14 Columbus OH @ Ravari Room
5/15 Washington DC @ Rock and Roll Hotel
5/16 Philadelphia PA @ First Unitarian Church
5/17 Brooklyn NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
5/18 Cambridge MA @ Middle East Downstairs
5/20 Raleigh NC @ Lincoln Theater
5/21 Savannah GA @ The Jinx
5/22 Tallahassee FL @ The Beta Bar
5/23 St. Petersburg FL @ State Theatre
5/24 Orlando FL @ The Social
5/25 Gainesville FL @ Common Grounds
5/26 Atlanta GA @ Lenny's
5/27 @ Birmingham AL @ Bottle Tree
5/28 Baton Rouge LA @ Spanish Moon
5/29 Houston TX @ Rudyard's
* all dates also w/ Stinking Lizaveta
[Type O Negative]
Via Brooklyn Vegan:Black nail polish, camo shorts, AND denim vests? Dark lords Type O Negative will hit the road in May with kings-of-the-breakdown Hatebreed and goat-horders 3 Inches Of Blood.
We're not the biggest Hatebreed fans (you don't start the damn song with a breakdown, guys!), but we certainly wouldn't mind hearing a Crowbar cover or two courtesy of Kingdom of Sorrow.
Type O Negative - 2008 Tour Dates:5/9 - Worcester, MA @ The Palladium *
Nine Inch Nails announced a summer tour.
5/10 - Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom *
5/11 - Norfolk, VA @ The NorVa *
5/13 - Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues *
5/14 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Trocadero *
5/16 - Providence, RI @ Lupos #
5/17 - Allentown, PA @ Crocodile Rock #
5/18 - Baltimore, MD @ Rams Head Live #
5/20 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution #
5/21 - Orlando, FL @ House of Blues #
5/23 - Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle #
5/24 - New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues #
5/25 - Houston, TX @ Verizon Wireless #
5/27 - Dallas, TX @ Palladium #
5/28 - San Antonio, TX @ Sunset Station #
5/30 - Phoenix, AZ @ Marquee Theater #
5/31 - Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues #
6/01 - Los Angeles, CA @ Avalon #
6/03 - Anaheim, CA @ The Grove #
6/04 - San Francisco, CA @ Grand Ballroom #
6/06 - Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater #
6/07 - Spokane, WA @ Big Easy #
6/08 - Billings, MT @ Shrine Auditorium #
6/09 - Rapid City, SD @ Rushmore Hall #
6/10 - Denver, CO @ Ogden Theater #
6/12 - Kansas City, KS @ Beaumont #
6/13 - St. Louis, MO @ Pops #
6/14 - Milwaukee, WI @ Rave #
6/16 - Minneapolis, MN @ 1st Avenue #
6/17 - Fargo, ND @ The Venue #
6/19 - Grand Rapids, MI @ Orbit Room #
6/20 - Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom #
6/23 - Toledo, OH @ Headliners #
6/24 - Chicago, IL @ House of Blues #
6/25 - Cincinatti, OH @ Bogarts #
6/27 - Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall #
6/28 - New York City, NY @ Terminal 5 #
6/29 - Johnson City, NY @ Magic City #
* w/ Kingdom of Sorrow & Soil
# w/ Hatebreed, 3 Inches of Blood
Nine Inch Nails - North American Tour 2008:Jul. 25 - Pemberton BC @ Pemberton Festival
Jul. 26 - Seattle WA @ Key Arena at Seattle Center
Jul. 28 - Edmonton ALB @ Rexall Place
Jul. 29 - Calgary ALB @ Pengrowth Saddledome
Jul. 31 - Winnipeg MAN @ MTS Centre
Aug. 02 - Minneapolis MN @ Target Center
Aug. 05 - Toronto ONT @ Air Canada Centre
Aug. 07 - Uncasville CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena
Aug. 08 - Worcester MA @ DCU Center
Aug. 12 - Knoxville TN @ Knoxville Civic Coliseum
Aug. 13 - Duluth GA @ Gwinnett Arena
Aug. 15 - Oklahoma City OK @ Ford Center
Aug. 16 - Houston TX @ Toyota Center
Aug. 18 - Dallas TX @ American Airlines Center
Aug. 20 - Saint Louis MO @ Scottrade Center
Aug. 22 - Cleveland OH @ Quicken Loans Arena
Aug. 23 - Auburn Hills MI @ Palace of Auburn Hills
Aug. 27 - East Rutherford NJ @ Izod Center
Aug. 29 - Philadelphia PA @ Wachovia Center
Aug. 31 - Lexington KY @ Rupp Arena
Sep. 02 - Morrison CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheater
Sep. 03 - Salt Lake City UT @ The E Center Of West Valley
Sep. 05 - Oakland CA @ Oracle Arena (formerly Oakland Arena)
Sep. 06 - Inglewood CA @ The Forum
[The Melvins]
The Melvins will be releasing their followup to 2006's (A) Senile Animal on July 8 via Mike Patton's Ipecac label. The album will be called Nude With Boots. Jared and Coady of Big Business are on board. More to come.
Interviews! Brooklyn Vegan metal correspondent Black Bubblegum spoke with Josh Graham, a name you might not immediately recognize, but should. Graham is the man behind Neurosis' visuals, has played guitar with Red Sparowes, and recently started a new project, A Storm of Light, whose debut, And We Wept the Black Ocean Within, is due out June 2nd via Neurot.
Pitchfork's Brandon Stosuy had a chat with Tomas Lindberg of Disfear/At The Gates and indispensable Meshuggah skinsman Tomas Haake.
Headbanger's Blog shot the shit with The Sword's JD Cronise.
Remember that Obituary tour? Well, yeah, it's canceled.
Lastly, At The Gates have added a second NYC date. Presale here now, regular sale here Tuesday.
That's it for today, happy Monday!
March 19, 2008
Fire Lances Of The Ancient Hyperzephyrians
by crustcake gerf (NYC)
The Sword is traveling down a promotional path familiar from their Age of Winters days-- in anticipation of Gods of the Earth, they are being heavily marketed to-- and embraced by-- the indie rock community. Some 'true' metalheads scoff at such things, but it's just fine by me. The band will riff your fucking head off, Stereogum video premiere or not.
After a bit of stock 20th century black & white war film reel, we're treated to a colorful but sinister live-action/animation hybrid world. There are so many cultural references and influences here that I won't even try to list them all, but central to the story is a gilded chest that immediately calls to mind Indiana Jones' Ark of the Covenant.
No word who's behind this video, but I wouldn't mind seeing a TV series or feature film from its creators. It's that badass.
Watch it at Stereogum.
Download: The Sword - "Fire Lances of the Ancient Hyperzephyrians" [MP3]
Gods of the Earth is out April 1st on Kemado.
March 9, 2008
Monday Metal Update 3/10
by crustcake gerf (NYC)
It's no secret that we dig The Sword. It's also no secret that the band's sophomore album drops on April Fools' Day. The album, Gods of the Earth, is no sophomore slump-- the band has taken their signature proto-metal sound and honed it into an album so badass that its 40-some minutes fly by in what seems like half the time. The band will be heading to the UK for a few dates with Saviours and Black Cobra before heading back stateside for a west coast run with Slough Feg and Brooklyn's Children.
The Sword - West Coast Tour 2008 (with Slough Feg and Children):April 14 - Lubbock, Texas - Jake’s Sports Center
The Sword - Gods of the Earth cover art:
April 15 - Albuquerque, New Mexico - Launchpad
April 16 - Phoenix, Arizona - The Brickhouse
April 17 - San Diego, California - The Casbah
April 18 - Los Angeles, California - El Rey Theatre
April 19 - San Francisco, California - Slim’s
April 21 - Pan Portland, Oregon - Berbati’s
April 22 - Seattle, Washington - Neumo’s
April 24 - Boise, Idaho - Neurolux
April 25 - Salt Lake City, Utah - Club Vegas
April 26 - Denver, Colorado - Bluebird Theatre
April 28 - Wichita, Kansas - BarleyCorns
April 29 - Oklahoma City, Oklahoma - Conservatory
Download: The Sword - "Fire Lances of the Ancient Hyperzephyrians" [MP3]
Several dates for At The Gates' forthcoming North American reunion tour have been announced. The tour, which features support from Darkest Hour and Municipal Waste, kicks off in New York on July 10.
At The Gates - North American Tour 2008 (with Darkest Hour and Municipal Waste):July 10 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza
July 11 - Worcester, MA - The Palladium
July 12 - Montreal, QC - Le Medley
July 13 - Toronto, ON - Opera House
July 14 - Chicago, IL - House of Blues
July 15 - Sauget, IL – Pop's
July 17 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live
July 18 - San Antonio, TX - White Rabbit
July 21 - Denver, CO - Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom
July 23 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon
July 24 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theatre
July 25 - San Francisco, CA- The Fillmore
July 26 - Pomona, CA - Glasshouse
July 27 - Hollywood, CA - Henry Fonda Theatre
Tickets for the Denver show go on sale this Saturday, 3/15, at 10 am, but no other ticket info is yet available.
Download: At The Gates - "Bister Verklighet" (No Security Cover) [MP3]
If you're down in Austin, TX right now, you're probably not reading this blog. You're probably out getting hammered, watching some great bands, schmoozing with industry types, etc. But, if you are reading this blog, why? we wanted to let you know about another cool SXSW showcase.
Radar Recordings, Giant Step Productions, and Sargent House are putting on a swell show to close out the festivities this Sunday. The show features Coliseum, Constants, Genghis Tron, Maps and Atlases, Caspian, Russian Circles, crustcake favorites Junius, and a reunited Seneca, among others. It's definitely one of the festival's better showcases.
Download: Junius - "Hiding Knives" [MP3]
Download: Seneca - "Too Late for Yesterday" [MP3]
In other SXSW-related news, MetalSucks is starting rumors.
(Nadja)
Toronto duo Nadja, who played to a small, but captivated audience on Friday in Brooklyn, will be releasing their new album, Desire In Uneasiness, on April 8th. So says the press release:The music on Desire... explores some new territory for the band, the addition of a real live drummer taking the band down some new paths of psychedelic wandering and jazzy atmosphere while maintaining the brutally grinding bass groove and beautifully corrosive shoegazer guitar distortion that makes up Nadja's sound.
Yup, that sounds about right.
Download: Nadja - "Stays Demon" [MP3]
That's it for today, happy Monday!
Download: The Sword - "Fire Lances of the Ancient Hyperzephyrians" [MP3]
Download: At The Gates - "Bister Verklighet" (No Security Cover) [MP3]
Download: Junius - "Hiding Knives" [MP3]
Download: Seneca - "Too Late for Yesterday" [MP3]
Download: Nadja - "Stays Demon" [MP3]
February 6, 2008
Mastodon are 'Rockstars', Torche to Release New Album, Dillinger Escape Plan on TV
by crustcake gerf (NYC)
Brooklyn Vegan reports that Mastodon will be joining the "Rockstar Energy Mayhem Tour":
Mastodon has announced plans to tour with the supremely dubious named "Rockstar Energy Mayhem Tour", providing support for (ugh) co-headliners Slipknot & Disturbed, as well as Machine Head, Dragonforce, The Red Chord and many others. Tentative dates are below...The 'many others' includes Sevendust, Airbourne, Five Finger Death Punch, 36 Crazyfists, Black Tide, Suicide Silence, and Walls of Jericho. Yikes...
Alright, let's go about this in a methodic fashion.
First, the 'pros':
• Mastodon rocksNext, the 'questionables':
• DragonForce are a bit of a guilty pleasure and I would totally be down to witness their wankery live
• Machine Head - never been super geeked out about themNow, the 'no, thank yous':
• The Red Chord - used to be super geeked out about them
• Airbourne - who the hell are they? Their name sounds cool...
• Slipknot - no, thank youAnd now for the kicker. As someone pointed out on BV, Rockstar Energy Drink, the curator of this tour, is owned and operated by the Weiner family. No, not Oscar Meyer-- I'm talking about Weiner as in Michael Weiner, who you probably know better as Michael Savage. Still confused? Watch this:
• Disturbed - uhhh
• Sevendust - nah, thanks though
• Five Finger Death Punch - who?
• 36 Crazyfists - nope
• Suicide Silence - I think I may have heard of them...
• Walls of Jericho - nah... I mean, I'd rather watch them than Disturbed, but I'd rather not watch them than watch them...
Salon.com has a great article about Savage. It's a bit old, but interesting nonetheless.
So, let's recap. 2 'pros', 3 'questionables', and 7 'no thank yous' (oh, and that whole Michael Savage thing). Sorry, Mastodon, looks like I won't be seeing you this summer. It's nothing personal, and I certainly hope you guys make some dough, but I'm just not going to be able to make it. Good thing you just played a pair of epic shows in a temple in Brooklyn with Neurosis. That should be enough to hold me over for awhile.
In other metal news, Brooklyn Vegan is also reporting (Black Bubblegum, on his game again) that Torche, who's In Return EP earned a spot on my best of 2007 list despite containing a mere 20 minutes of music, are set to release their sophomore full-length on April 8, one week after The Sword's Gods of the Earth hits your speakers.
Miami's own Torche has announced plans for Meanderthal, their second LP and third overall release on the heels of the mighty In Return EP. Aaron Turner's Hydra Head will release Meanderthal on April 8th, which (like almost everything nowadays) will be produced by Kurt Ballou (Converge) at GodCity in Salem, MA. Meanwhile look for the boys to play a string of dates (below) including the Hydra Head showcase at SXSW, and a few opening for Georgia badasses Harvey Milk.....No northeast (or west coast) dates yet. Guess we'll have to wait until after Meanderthal hits shelves.
TORCHE - 2008 TOUR DATES
February 24 - Churchill's Pub Miami, FL*
March 9 - Common Grounds Gainesville, FL
March 10 - The Jinx Savannah, GA
March 11 - Drunken Unicorn, Atlanta, GA**
March 12 - Downtown Music, Little Rock AR**
March 13 - Andy's Bar, Denton TX**
March 14 - Hydra Head Records Showcase at SXSW ***
* with WATERFORD LANDING, TOUNGE OF THE HEARTWORM, JACUZZI BOYS
** with HARVEY MILK
*** with HARVEY MILK, KAYO DOT, CLOUDS, EVERLOVELY LIGHTNINGHEART
Lastly, just a reminder that Dillinger Escape Plan will be on Conan O'Brien tonight (thx MetalSucks). Surely they'll play "Milk Lizard," which I think is an Every Time I Die cover...
Dillinger Escape Plan - "Milk Lizard":
Continue Reading...
January 24, 2008
Danava - "Where Beauty and Terror Dance" Video
New York's Kemado Records has a hot roster. The Sword? Check. Saviours? Check. Dungen? Check. Priestbird? Check. Danava?
Danava (pronounced Dah-nu-vuh), one of Kemado's youngest bands, bring their own quirky approach to retro metal and they absolutely slay live.
Via Deciblog:
Dan Kim’s video for “Where Beauty and Terror Dance” (the first single from Danava’s upcoming record UnonoU) resists easy descriptors, but one thing’s for sure: it’s easily the best argument for psychotropic drugs since The Prodigy’s “Out of Space.” Smokin’ footage of Danava performing in a Portland club! Kabuki-style make-up and masks! Knives and blood, blood and knives! Grainy black and white footage that casually references German Expressionist Cinema and Ingmar Bergman’s The Seventh Seal!Double-bass kicks! A riff that totally bites Blue Öyster Cult! All that’s missing in the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach? A little more cowbell, duh!Check out the brand spankin' new video...
Danava - "Where Beauty and Terror Dance":
Danava's UnonoU, on which "Where Beauty and Terror Dance" appears, will be out February 19th. Here's the tracklisting:
1. UnonoU
2. Where Beauty & Terror Dance
3. The Emerald Snow Of Sleep
4. A High Or A Low
5. Spinning Temple Shifting
6. Down From A Cloud, Up From the Ground
7. One Mind Gone Separate Ways
Danava [MySpace] [MP3]
UnonoU [Amazon]
Continue Reading...
January 21, 2008
Crustcake Picks - New Music 1/22
New York's MGMT are one of Rolling Stone's Artists to Watch in 2008, but don't take their word for it-- take ours. After bursting onto the scene with 2005's Time to Pretend EP (Cantora Records), MGMT landed a tour with Of Montreal (who are, incidentally, from Athens, GA and not Montreal). Their major label debut, Oracular Spectacular, has already been out digitally for a few months (and it's quite a trip), but the physical manifestation hits stores tomorrow.
Speaking of Athens, GA-- garage rock trio The Whigs are back tomorrow with their sophomore effort Mission Control, which has been in steady rotation over here at crustcake HQ. It's sure to elicit feelings of nostalgia for the bygone days of Generation X's teen spirit.
The real fun begins, however, with Saviours' Into Abaddon. Already the proud owner of two 9/10 ratings (Lambgoat, Drowned in Sound) and a positive (if convoluted) review from Decibel, Into Abaddon is sure to be punishing your eardrums for many months to come.
More after the jump.
Saviours are on the road right now with High On Fire and A Life Once Lost through February 23rd. They'll continue on from there for some dates through the northwest, down through the midwest, and into Texas, before heading to the UK for dates with Black Cobra and label-mates The Sword. All dates available on their MySpace page.
Looks like the 2008 record release party is finally picking up! Here are our picks:Black Mountain - In The Future [Amazon]
Disfear - Live the Storm [Amazon]
MGMT - Oracular Spectacular [Amazon]
Mono - The Sky Remains the Same as Ever (DVD) [Amazon]
Pelican - After the Ceiling Cracked (DVD + 3" CD) [Amazon]
Saviours - Into Abaddon [Amazon]
The Whigs - Mission Control [Amazon]
Check Largehearted Boy for a more comprehensive list of tomorrow's new releases.
MGMT - "Time to Pretend" (David Letterman):[MP3] Black Mountain - "Tyrants"
[full album stream] Black Mountain - In The Future[MP3] MGMT - "Time to Pretend"[MP3] Saviours - "Into Abaddon"
[MP3] The Whigs - "Right Hand on My Heart"
January 18, 2008
More Metal Updates Than You Can Shake a Sword At
It's a metal day over at Brooklyn Vegan, with three metal posts so far (four if you count Rush, but why would you?). Black Bubblegum sure is on top of his game!
Included are updates on Disfear, J2, Cursed, Lair of the Minotaur, Psyopus, Megadeth, In Flames, High On Fire, Converge, Baroness, The Red Chord, Coliseum, and the same Sweet Cobra video we posted last week.
Phew!
Black Bubblegum also touches on The Sword's forthcoming sophomore LP, which has been in steady rotation since it hit my desk recently. Gods of the Earth is big folks; epic lyrical themes, pounding percussion, and giant riffs abound.
NYC's Kemado Records are poised for a one-two punch of riffin' revival metal in early 2008-- in addition to Gods of the Earth (out April Fool's day) they're also releasing Saviours new one, Into Abaddon, next Tuesday (also in steady rotation at crustcake HQ).
On top of all that, over at MetalSucks you'll find an update on Century Media's latest acquisition, LA's