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THE RESISTANCE: Sweden's New Metal Supergroup

resistancesweden

Supergroups can be fun to think about, but how well do they work in practice? Well, I happen to be pretty partial to Bloodbath myself, so in light of Sweden's reliability in this area, The Resistance should be worth getting excited about. The line-up consists of former members of legendary acts such as In Flames, The Haunted, Dimension Zero, and Carnal Forge.

Here's the roster as it stands now: (more…)

Tour Dates

Black N' Blue Bowl 2011 Will Spin Kick Your Face Off

Black N Blue Bowl 2011

For all of you that appreciate good hardcore and punk, this year's Black and Blue Bowl cannot be missed. For the $35 price, just The Gorilla Biscuits and Agnostic Front would be enough to make me go. But add to that Sick of it All, Terror, Antidote, Backtrack…and all of the others, holy crap! Details: (more…)

Reviews

NORMA JEAN: Live at The Gramercy Theater, NYC 3.18.11

Norma Jean Live Edit

If you want the best that metalcore has to offer, do yourself a favor and stick with the bands that broke the scene in the first place. Case in point: Norma Jean. Whatever the merits of their own sound, the band will probably always be plagued by those who say "they're just trying to sound like Botch", which I don't think is completely fair to the band. And whatever the quality of their subsequent releases, there will be many who continue to say "I'll always like Bless the Martyr, Kiss the Child, the most". I am among the guilty in this case, but I was still excited to see them play, regardless of what the set-list turned out to be. (more…)

Latest News Tour Dates Underground Pitch

NO HAWAII Continue The Pattern of Awesome Bands From Gothenburg

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by James Zalucky

From the streets of one of Metal's most legendary cities, a young band has begun to perk-up the ears of the European Metal underground. No Hawaii emerged out of Gothenburg, Sweden in 2007 with their debut EP, Bruce Lee in Your Brain. They have since played live shows across western and central Europe and released their first full-length album, Snake My Charms, in the summer of 2010. No Hawaii will be touring Europe this month in support of their debut. Possible US dates have not yet been determined.

No Hawaii remains relatively unknown here in the states, but with all the buzz surrounding them, maybe that will begin to change. I was only introduced to their music a couple days ago and was interested to hear what Gothenburg is producing these days. I was also intrigued by their…um…"curious" name. Maybe they're being confusing on purpose so people would remember the name? If there's some sort of connotation or inside joke behind the name, it's been totally lost on me, but oh well, onto the music! (more…)

Around the Interwebs

Idea for TV Show: CSI- Oslo

by James Zalucky

So a few years ago, I was browsing the internet for funny Black Metal photos, when I stumbled onto this forum and found a treasure chest of hilarity.

Cause of death…"Frozen by Icewinds"

Black Metal History Month Show Recap

Immortal Live: Gramercy Theater, NYC 2/19/11

by James Zalucky

So it seems that, since most of my Metal Injection colleagues were off on vacation last weekend (some in Hawaii, some in Sweden- not sure who I'm more jealous of), it was up to me to go down to Manhattan and see Absu and Immortal, and report on it to you guys. Immortal doesn't come to the US that often, and with the short list of cities on the tour, my buddy Colin and I were lucky to see them altogether. So in honor of Black Metal History Month, here you are:

We arrived about 20 minutes before the doors opened, which obliged us to stand in line that had formed outside. Luckily enough there was no shortage of fellow metal-nerds to chat with. From the mood of the crowd outside, I knew this was going to be a fun night. (more…)

Black Metal History Month Reviews

Essential Black Metal Listening: DARKTHRONE – A Blaze in the Northern Sky

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by James Zalucky

Faded am I, behind a wall of consciousness
Still feeling a different world
Surrounding me
Chilling voices fill my head-
I open my eyes

-Darkthrone, from Paragon Belial

Through the years of Heavy Metal's existence, there have been a few records which, through their innovative sound and striking character, have defined the nature of particular movement. In the dark, cold world of Black Metal, one could easily point to the early Bathory records, along with those of Mayhem and other members of the Norwegian "inner-circle". However, one record stands out in my judgment for shaping Black Metal's crude, haunting, and atmospheric sound: A Blaze in the Northern Sky. While most fans would agree on Darkthrone's essential contributions to the genre, some may quibble with me over my choice of this record, "How could you not pick [insert other early Darkthrone release here], its so much more KVLT!!!". After all, Blaze was one of the first Black Metal records I ever owned (I bought it when I was 17), so I understand how this may make me biased in its favor. However, after years of being a fan, I still maintain that A Blaze in the Northern Sky is Darkthrone's most essential release, at least from their Black Metal-era. (more…)

Underground Pitch

Protean Collective: Enlighten and Conquer

by James Zalucky

Sometimes it's hard to separate awesome underground bands from crappy ones. Contributor James Zalucky is willing to take one for the team and go through our massive collection of demos from unsigned artists and every now and then, pick one he likes and pitch you on why you should like them. Here is the third installment:

Protean Collective

Protean Collective is a progressive metal/hard rock band from Boston, MA. While their music roams through intricate arrangements and thoughtful modes of expression, the band maintains a raw, aggressive attack on the senses. With expressions both “cerebral and emotive”, the band’s unique sound brings the unity of the two concepts into sharp relief. Their influences include bands like Porcupine Tree, Soundgarden, Meshuggah, Pain of Salvation, Rush, Queens of the Stone Age, Mastodon, Tool, King Crimson, and Opeth. Hell, with taste like that, how can you go wrong? (more…)

Latest News

Kevin Talley dives in SIX FEET UNDER

by: James Zalucky

So apparently Six Feet Under recently lost their rhythm section, with bassist Terry Butler and drummer Greg Gall taking off. Understandably this has sent frontman Chris Barnes hunting for new members to fill the void. There are a lot of experienced musicians out there who have either played with multiple bands and are known as such. One such man is Kevin Talley, who has made his name with acts like Daath, Chimaira, Misery Index, Hate Eternal, Suffocation, and of course Dying Fetus. (…and many, many others)

A performance record like that makes Talley a solid choice, and hopefully he'll add a much needed spark to the band's sound, as he has been announced as the new drummer for the band. In the meantime, check out this footage of Kevin Talley in the studio with Daath:

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A/V

Guitar Players: Lessonize This!

by James Zalucky

For all of you metal guitar players out there, I think I have something you'll appreciate. Now I know there are a ton of guys on YouTube with "how-to-play" videos for the guitar, but I recently stumbled on this one and found his lessons very helpful.

Check out his lesson for Megadeth's Holy Wars. Trying to learn the verse always gave me trouble and I would often lose patience when trying, but this lesson finally gave me the right idea. (Note that the lesson focuses on Holy Wars alone, and does not expand into The Punishment Due…which probably merits a video of its own)

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He puts the tab on the page and plays each part several times, builds each part on top of the previous one, and does a good job of guiding you through the process.

If you like what you see here, check out his YouTube page. He has a lot of great lessons for Megadeth, Slayer, and lot of other great bands. I hope you found this as useful as I did, and if anyone has other great instructional channels they know of, go ahead and post them- you can never know too many songs!

Reviews

CD Review: AGALLOCH – Marrow of the Spirit

Marrow of the Spirit

by James Zalucky

When it comes to creativity, few bands can match the power and brilliance of  AGALLOCH. Over the course of their career they've taken folk, black metal, doom metal, and several other elements to craft a truly unique sound. When you hear one of their songs, you know who you're listening to. Therefore, it was with much excitement that I agreed to review their latest album, Marrow of the Spirit.

With water flowing and birds chirping in the background, the album opens with the cello tune, They Escaped the Weight of Darkness. AGALLOCH has always had something of the melancholy to their music, but this opener is nothing short of pure distilled despair, a theme that runs through the entire album. Guest musician Jackie Perez Gratz plays a melody so somber that it could easily fit the soundtrack to a funeral. I’d be surprised if you can get through the song without a frown on your face. (more…)

Reviews

CD Review: CRADLE OF FILTH – Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa

by James Zalucky


For many metal listeners, the name Cradle Of Filth provokes a great deal of scorn and resentment. This is especially true among passionate Black Metal fans who feel insulted at the band's association with the genre. Some people are turned off by the extravagant subject matter, and dismiss the band's themes as sophomoric and stupid. Many feel a cringing resentment towards parts of their fanbase (I have to admit that when I saw them in 2007, it was a great show, but it did feel slightly like a Hot Topic staff convention…) and well…some people just REALLY hate Dani Filth. For my part, although I can sympathize with much of this, I am still a fan of Cradle Of Filth. Yes, they can be a little silly (The video for Temptation made my skin crawl), but they've still made some very entertaining and compelling music. The Principle of Evil Made Flesh, Midian, Nymphetamine, Cruelty and the Beast, and Dusk and Her Embrace all hold a special place in my collection. I was very disappointed with Thornography, but after Godspeed on the Devil's Thunder, much of my confidence in the band was restored and was hopeful when I heard about the release of their latest album: Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa. (more…)

Reviews

CD Review: ATHEIST – Jupiter

by: James Zalucky

ATHEIST has a history that is both triumphant and frustrating. Triumphant due to their glorious artistic feats and enormous influence. Frustrating due to their all-too-short run as technical death metal visionaries. Aside from various early demos, their catalog consists of three genre-defining classics: the raw, blistering debut, Piece of Time; the brilliant, essential masterpiece, Unquestionable Presence; and of course the mind-blowing jazz-metal of Elements. They only went on a few tours, and lost founding bassist Roger Patterson relatively early in their career. Misunderstood in their own time, ATHEIST has since become a favorite for many fans who never had the chance to see them in their original form. However, in 2006, Kelly Shaefer and Steve Flynn reformed the band for a few shows and soon enough, they began work on a new album.

So here it is: Jupiter. (more…)

Reviews

CD Review: MONSTER MAGNET- Mastermind

by James Zalucky

Before saying anything else, I'll admit that I wasn't expecting very much from this album. I never really liked MONSTER MAGNET, except for some stuff off their 1995 album, Dopes to Infinity. Otherwise, many of their well-known songs remind me too much of the painful mediocrity of the late 90's, especially in the world of contemporary hard-rock. If someone were to ask me about the band, I'd probably tell them to listen to KYUSS instead. So I tried to keep an open about their new record, Mastermind, as I started the first song: Hallucination Bomb.

My first reaction: Holy Crap!!! (more…)

Underground Pitch

Revolutionary Smut: How Much is that Shotgun in the Window?

by James Zalucky

Sometimes it's hard to separate awesome underground bands from crappy ones. Contributor James Zalucky is willing to take one for the team and go through our massive collection of demos from unsigned artists and every now and then, pick one he likes and pitch you on why you should like them. Here is the second installment:

Revolutionary Smut

Revolutionary Smut is a blend of Metalcore, Punk, and elements of old-school Screamo. The band started out as a wildly energetic, noise-infused hardcore punk band and after a few years of playing shows, gaining a loyal following, and a few line-up changes, the band expanded their sound- keeping its raw edge, guttural screams, and obnoxious energy intact. Their influences include bands like Trap Them, Converge, Hum, Page 99, Age Sixteen, Everytime I Die, Acacia Strain and many others.

Why You Should Care

If you're looking for a band who combines stylistic elements from all facets of hard music, then this is a band to get excited about. Whether you're into Punk, Hardcore, Noise-rock, or Metal, you can find something to like in Revolutionary Smut. They can use speed while staying in control, they can use breakdowns without exhausting them, and they can use melody without losing any of their aggression. One of the great things about Revolutionary Smut is their versatility. Their various influences give them the opportunity to play with a variety of bands. I recently saw them perform at a Punk festival where they were very well received, even though they didn't exactly fit into any typical Punk label (Perhaps that's why). After playing tons of shows over the past four years, they've shared the stage with bands like DRI, Sham 69, Star Fucking Hipsters, The Breathing Process, Gang Green, The Fad, and The Misfits.

(more…)

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