THE RED CHORD's Guy Kozowyk is not too short on opinions. When Headbangers Blog sat down him a few days ago, they got all the dirt! Guy talked about his disdain for deathcore (and apologizes if his band had anything to do with it), highlights of their recently completed stint on Mayhem Fest, his beef with Suicide Silence and their ilk, the next album by The Red Chord and how falling asleep behind the wheel of a touring van has become practically a way of life. Click here to listen to the full audio interview.
Instead of posting a half dozen bite-size stories about the latest news from the doom/sludge underground, I decided to compile it all into one big nasty ball o'resin and load y'all up with enough album updates, tour dates, and general sludgefuckery to BLOW. YOUR. FUCKING. MINDS. Load up the bong, and read on…
Cult sludge act GRIEF have reunited and are currently plotting a European tour with the totally respectable crusty metallic hardcore (NOT metalcore) band TRAP THEM. They've also announced two East Coast shows, with plans for an equally-short West Coast run shortly thereafter.
Oct 24 2008 - BALTIMORE, Maryland @ THE NOWAREHOUSE
Oct 25 2008 - PHILADELPHIA, PA @ THE KHYBER PASS w/ BLACK COBRA
The best band in the world, a.k.a. EYEHATEGOD, played a 20th anniversary show with CROWBAR in New Orleans this past weekend. The date was made even more special as it fell on the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's devastation of the city, and came just as the threat of Hurricane Gustav loomed over the still-healing city. I made the pilgrimage down there to see the show, and goddamned if it wasn't one of the best I've ever seen. EYEHATEGOD played three new songs and announced that they are currently writing their next album. CROWBAR are also knee-deep in new tunes; their next record is expected to drop in 2009, with Kirk himself proclaiming that not only did they plan to tour, they "want to play every country that's got electricity!"
Last night, the METAL Injection crew got together, smoked an took in the new album from Metallica, Death Magnetic.
The first few tracks were not bad at all; quite tolerable. Hearing these new songs felt like the last 3 albums were a bit of a detour and this was actually their natural progression post-Black album. It was almost shocking to hear solos again. Sure some songs sounded a little long but it was decent enough to forgive (at the time).
When track 5, "All Nightmare Long" hit, we were blown away. It sounded as though they invited Kerry King into the studio to help produce the track. This is bar none the best track on the album. Real fast, real heavy. What the entire album should be. Just a really awesome old-school thrash jam. It was all downhill from there… (more…)
Ever since The Dillinger Escape Plandropped off their co-headlining run with Suicide Silence due to Gil Sharone having previous commitments with his other band, Stolen Babies, rumors have been running rampant that the reason is because Gil Sharone is out of the band. The rumors were further fueled by speculation at the PRP that the band has "allegedly been on the hunt for a suitable replacement with Raanen Bozzio, son of drumming legend Terry Bozzio, said to be a candidate". Raanen even uploaded two videos of him playing Dillinger songs, believed to be his audition. Then a few days later, drummer extraordinaire Marco Minnemann (remember him?) announced at clinic shows that he plans to work with the band in the coming months. Things got so out of hand, that guitarist Ben Weinman had to comment on the situation to Kerrang!:
"He didn't leave and we didn't kick him out. He will be busy, though, working with his other band a lot over the next year, so I am talking to other dudes both for Dillinger possibilities and just for me to play with on other creative projects. We still may be touring and writing with Gil, though. Kinda in the air. No big drama though or anything."
So there you have it. He's busy alright! He may or may not be back!
RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE was scheduled to make their first performance in Minnesota since their hiatus tonight at the Target Center, but they surprised demonstrators yesterday evening at the Ripple Effect non-partisan demonstration event in front of the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul with a festival-ending a cappella performance that began a march towards the Republican National Convention at the Xcel Energy Center. Ripple Effect was a scheduled demonstration in support of sustainability, activism, political awareness, and self-actualization, and it was originally expected to feature performances from ANTI-FLAG, I SELF DEVINE, DEAD PREZ, MICHAEL FRANTI, WOOKIEFOOT and MATISYAHU and speeches from Medea Benjamin and Will Steger among others. After a day of performances directing postive support towards non-partisan (yet decidely liberal) causes, ANTI-FLAG announced that it was important that the crowd stay around "because things [were] about to get crazy".
As soon as this was said, I looked to the back of the stage and saw RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE surrounded by a troop of Minnesota state patrol officers! The crowd quickly became aware of the high possibility of a performance by RATM, and began to direct the protest chants in support of the cause. After an entire afternoon peacefully celebrating these positive concepts that I described above, we sang along in unison of our support to let the heavily armed officers know who we wanted to see play: "Who's capitol? Our capitol!", "FREE PRESS! FREE PRESS!", "Fuck you I won't do what you tell me!", "…in the lannnnd of the freee!, anddd the home of thhheeee braaave!!", "music is not a crime!", "LET THEM PLAY!!!" LET RAGE PLAY!!!". Although the fans in attendance were very diverse, the objective of the demonstration was clear, aware, liberal, and focused - and we wanted to see RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE push us over the edge. However, the Minnesota police, the snipers on the roofs, paramilitary troops blanketing the city, and other supporters of the GOP unfortunately had their way and RATM was never allowed to take the stage to play their instruments that night.
Instead, Zach, Tom, Tim, and Brad made their way into the middle of the crowd to perform one of the most intimate sets of their entire career. As the entire audience sat down around the band, the entire crowd launched into a highly inspired accapella jam of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE protest classics like "Bulls on Parade" and "Know Your Enemy" that were led by Zach on megaphone and a rhythm section of Tom, Tim, and Brad on hand-clapping! While Tom Morello may have been relegated to clapping along with the rest of us instead of playing his wah-heavy guitar anthems, the intention of the performance was even more evident as a result. For nearly fifteen minutes, RATM led the focused movement through a set of songs that only helped to reaffirm the definitive values which were shared by all in attendance. "Rally round your family, with a pocket full of shells".. "… Some of those who hold office… Are the same that burn crosses!"..
Immediately after the band concluded their brief performance, they turned southeast and urged all of those in attendance to proceed peacefully as they marched unannounced in the direction of the Xcel Energy Center and the Republican National Convention contained within. In the hours that followed, I and the people of the United States peaceably (albeit loudly and confidently) marched in a defiant parade through the streets of St. Paul, Minnesota in a unified voice opposing the "war against the poor". After a mile long journey we arrived at the convention, and even then the crowd remained polite and responsible. However, following twenty minutes of songs and chants outside the convention , the heavily armed contingent of war veterans and national guard members who formed the police coalition there that night informed us that they would begin to "shoot us, pepper us, and arrest us if we didn't leave within twenty minutes". The only weapon that any of us carried to the convention that night was our voices, but it seems as if that was enough to set the police state in motion all across the city to silence our agenda. Within minutes, their announcement the police began to beat us back with tear gas bombs, batons, and rubber bullets at numerous locations and the peaceful protest that RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, MICHAEL FRANTI, and ANTI-FLAG began on the capitol hill was dispersed.
On the local news that night the peaceful march is never mentioned, only condemnations of the minimal outbursts on the outskirts by so-called "violent anarchists". Tomorrow a new march on the convention is sure to begin.
The Deciblog has uncovered this amazing clip of a few elderly Americans reviewing heavy metal band HARVEY MILK. Really, the clip speaks for itself. I must warn you, if you are drinking anything or eating anything, finish before watching this. You don't want to swallow a teabag or anything.
AC/DC's new single, "Rock 'N Roll Train" has been posted on the band's official website. This new direction for AC/DC can be described as rather psychadelic…not really, IT'S FRIGGEN AC/DC. You already know what the song sounds like before even hearing it, and that's just fine!
SLIPKNOT's entire new CD All Hope Is Gone is currently streaming at AOL Music
There is a new new e-card online for THE HAUNTED's new record Versus and it's pretty fucking awesome. Crank up your speaker and jam out to their single Moronic Colossus right here
WHITECHAPEL has posted the track "Eternal Refuge" on their MySpace page.
Download an MP3 of SIGH covering VENOM's "Black Metal" on BrooklynVegan.
Supergroup shmoopergroup! There is a band named UNITED NATIONS which (officially) features the dude from Thursday and the dude from Glassjaw and probably a dude from CONVERGE. They are calling it powerviolence, its pretty awesome. Check out their entire album on their MySpace page.
Watch a live version of HATEBREED's "I Will Be Heard" at Headbanger's Blog.
Check out an awesome clip that Earache posted of MUNICIPAL WASTE going record shopping with our very own Grim Kim by clicking here.
AGE ETERNAL (formerly MIDDIAN) have disbanded. Originally formed in 2005 by Mike Scheidt after Yob's breakup, Middian released their one and only album, Age Eternal, in 2006. The record expounded upon Yob's epic tranced-out dirges by experimenting with elements of pure doom and post-hardcore, and was greeted by an overwhelmingly positive response from sludgefreaks and doom 'heads all over. Two years after the album was released by Metal Blade, Middian were contacted by a little-known local band from Milwaukee called Midian (note the single 'd') and were dragged into a grueling court battle over the rights to their band's name. They were dropped by Metal Blade, forbidden from selling their merchandise and records, and forced to change their name to Age Eternal. One long, uncertain year later, the band has called it quits.
"Our lawsuit is finally coming to a close. It has been a hard year, and we could not have done it without the support of the metal community world wide and the time and money people donated to our cause. We are eternally in your debt. Sadly, the lawsuit came with a high cost to us personally and interpersonally.
Scott Headrick is quitting the band and moving. Mike S felt he needed to back off from touring due to family and work/lack of work issues, cutting his touring commitment from 60-70 shows a year to a handful of shows, mostly local to the West Coast, for an indefinite amount of time, maybe permanently. This extreme change in direction, coupled with the immense stress of our lawsuit and inner conflicts in the band resulted in Scott's decision to move on with his life. Scott Headrick is the highest caliber of person. We mourn his loss, and support his need to take care of himself. We are very sad to share this news about Age Eternal, but are confident that it must and will open the doors for new music creation and growth.
Will Lindsay and Mike S will continue to write music with the goal of recording and doing some shows, under another name, as a new band and not Age Eternal. And with Will’s now full-time commitment playing guitar with the immaculate Wolves In The Throne Room, people should be expecting to see him in their hometown in the USA and abroad very soon.
Once again, we cannot thank the metal community and people who donated their money and time enough. We feel extremely fortunate to be a part of such a quality group of people, and we will pay your kindness and generosity forward."
On the bright side, according to the Mike Scheidt (guitars/vocals) himself, sorely-missed bringers of dooom YOB have reunited and plan to record a new album of original material that they hope to release in 2009. They also plan to play a limited number of West Coast, East Coast, and possibly UK/European shows, so keep an eye out for updates and get those frequent flier miles ready - this is one reunion you can't afford to miss.
Rock Band fiends…Entertainment Weekly recently got the scoop on a bunch of new full album releases coming to the Rock Band platform in the coming weeks. The most exciting being the seminal 1986 classic Peace Sells…But Who's Buying? by Megadeth.
While being a worthwhile addition to the Rock Band library, I would've much have rather seen Rust In Peace in there. That would be a truly Dave-riffic release. But, beggars can't really be choosers. This also strikes me as a little strange, as the actual song, Peace Sells, is one of the confirmed songs from the forthcoming game, Rock Band 2. Will the full album download be a little cheaper since the title track is already on disk? Anyways, just download Peace Sells…But Who's Buying? the day it is released, and let our numbers do our talking and maybe we will get more full metal album downloads in the future.
Here are the other albums being released: Foo Fighters' The Colour and the Shape Stevie Ray Vaughn's Texas Flood Jane's Addiction's Nothing's Shocking Red Hot Chili Peppers's Blood Sugar Sex Magik
No official release date for these has been announced, so keep a lot out in the DLC section.
Seeing as though WARBRINGER vocalist John Kevill pretty much shits obscure thrash bands, we thought it would be beneficial to our loyal junkies if he were to school them in the fine art of obscure thrash. So, every once in a while, John will write up a piece about a band you absolutely need to check the fuck out in a little piece we call ThrashBringer. We start things off slow with the not so obscure KREATOR:
Probably the first thrash band that really made me click with the genre was Kreator. At the point that I first heard Pleasure to Kill and Coma of Souls, which I got at the same time, my exposure to thrash had been pretty limited; I was mostly into the more traditional metal stuff. I hadn't really gone far past Priest and Maiden. I was into some speed/power metal too, like Blind Guardian and early Helloween, but this was a different and more vicious beast altogether. The first couple times I heard Pleasure to Kill I thought it was a total mess, it was rawer, sloppier, and all around nastier than anything I'd heard up to that point. But then it clicked. THIS ALBUM IS HERE TO BRING YOU ZE DEATH! The songwriting is there too, and the thickly German accented vox (for both Mille and Ventor) is evil as evil gets (AWAIT! ZE AXE IN YOUR BACK!) .
I consider the first 5 Kreator albums to be total classics, each one notable in its own way, getting more progressive and technical on each release but never losing the intensity and heaviness. Extreme Agression and Coma of Souls both have a tech-thrash edge to them, but they still rip your face off. I'd put the classic Kreator output over the classic period of any of the big 4, or possibly anyone else in thrash. Still one of my all time favorite bands, and a huge influence on our music. We are gonna be touring with them in the states, It'll be amazing for me as a fan to be opening up for one of my favorite bands every night.
WARBRINGER is on tour now with FINTROLL. Click here for details. Stay tuned for more ThrashBringer in the coming weeks.
To reiterate: HOLY FUCK! One of the best lineups I've ever seen, and they're sure to add at least a dozen more bands over the next few months. I swear, every Maryland Death Fest is better than the last. The fest has been grinding away since 2003, and I had the pleasure of having my guts punched in and face ripped off at the 2007 & 2008 editions. This year had Anaal Nathrakh, Nuclear Assault, Grave, Hellnation, Disfear, Coffins, Blood Duster, and Macabre; the year before featured the likes of Extreme Noise Terror, Zyklon, Ghoul, Cripple Bastards, Misery Index, Flagitious Idiosyncrasy in the Dilapidation (best all-female Japanese grind band ever) and tons more. This year? Man oh man, this year…well, read for yourself. So far, Ryan and Evan (i.e. the dudes who plan this madness) have confirmed the following bands for MDF VII:
PESTILENCE- Netherlands (!!!!) MAYHEM - Norway (one of only three US shows! if they don't play "Chainsaw Gutsfuck," someone's gettin' smacked) ATHEIST - Florida (!!!!!) ASPHYX - Netherlands (words can't express how much this band rules) IMMOLATION - New York BRUTAL TRUTH - New York (grindgrindgrind) ABSCESS- California (yessssss) HAIL OF BULLETS - Netherlands (old school death done right) GENERAL SURGERY - Sweden (FUCK YEAH!) TODAY IS THE DAY- Tennessee (strange. very strange) PHOBIA - California (LOUD, PROUD, AND PUNK AS FUCK! this band destroys all. poser-stomping glory) SAYYADINA - Sweden FLESH PARADE - Louisiana (YES) JIG-AI - Czech Republic ANTIGAMA - Poland CROWPATH - Sweden GNOSTIC - Georgia MAN MUST DIE - Scotland ENTRAILS MASSACRE - Germany TRIAC - Maryland (HELL yeah)
And many more to come! Now, we all know that half of these bands might drop off in the nine months 'til the fest (considering the recurring trend that MDf's been plagued with since its inception), but goddamn is that list a beautiful sight. There's a good mix of old-school death, tech death, gore, and grind so far, with Mayhem playing the wild card. They definitely need to bring the splatterthrash and add Ghoul (come on, you KNOW they're gonna play this, just like they do every year). I'm hoping that they'll add in some more powerviolence/crusty stuff (psst, bring back Skitsystem!); I know Hellbastard's supposed to tour this spring, so I'll be crossing my fingers for that. Also, more old-school death and black metal, please!
No matter which way you slice, dice, or hack it with a chainsaw, Maryland Death Fest '09 is going to rule just as hard, if not way fucking harder than it has in previous years. It ain't called "North America's Biggest Heavy Metal Party of the Year" for nothin'! Anyone who's witnessed the crusty fights, blow-up dolls, chicken suits, fake (and real) blood, endless circle pits, Creepsylvanians, and 24-hour-blastbeat-a-thons set against the seedy Red Light background of downtown Baltimore knows what I'm talking about.
MDF VII is being held at Sonar in Baltimore, MD, May 22 - 24, 2009. No word on pricing or running order yet, but we'll keep ya posted. Check out MDF's official forum here.
Be there or you're officially fired from metal. Forever.
Now THAT'S going to be one fun show. Legions of spiky-haired street punks and mallrats facing the 'Waste's sick moshin' skate thrash? It's gonna be a massacre…OF AWESOME. Also, Municipal Waste play first, so all the metal kids can feel free to leave after their set and leave the punkers to their pogoing. Everybody wins!
Confirmed dates:
October 8 - Baltimore, MD @ The Ottobar
October 9 - Philadelphia, PA @ J C Dobbs
October 10 - Buffalo, NY @ Club Paradise
October 12 - Chicago, IL @ Riot Fest
THE RED CHORD's Guy Kozowyk is not too short on opinions. When Headbangers Blog sat down him a few days ago, they got all the dirt! Guy talked about his disdain for deathcore (and apologizes if his band had anything to do with it), highlights of their recently completed stint on Mayhem Fest, his beef with Suicide Silence and their ilk, the next album by The Red Chord and how falling asleep behind the wheel of a touring van has become practically a way of life. Click here to listen to the full audio interview.
2 horns up
Last night, the METAL Injection crew got together, smoked an took in the new album from 
Instead, Zach, Tom, Tim, and Brad made their way into the middle of the crowd to perform one of the most intimate sets of their entire career. As the entire audience sat down around the band, the entire crowd launched into a highly inspired accapella jam of 
Now THAT'S going to be one fun show. Legions of spiky-haired street punks and mallrats facing the 'Waste's sick moshin' skate thrash? It's gonna be a massacre…OF AWESOME. Also, 
