Morbid Rupture's Album of the Year

MOB 47

This has been a long overdue post. However, it is pretty fitting to feature Sweden's OG hardcore band MOB 47 a week before they play here in Brooklyn (get info/tix here).

To be really blunt, these guys are like what Agnostic Front is to hardcore in America. These Swedish punx only have 22 songs to their name but I only have eight of them, which are featured in the now-legendary Kärnvapen Attack EP. You can pretty much purchase it at any independent record store but if you can't, order it at Havoc Rex - who officially reissued this hardcore gem.

Quest For the Jewels of Endless Life

This past Sunday, friend Jake put on a giant Halloween show at Roberta's in Bushwick, Brooklyn. Since he has excellent taste in music, he booked Rhode Island's ultimate doom band PILGRIM as part of the Samhain celebration. Here is some footage that I took. Enjoy and be doomed.

Hallow's Eve

Do you need something to do on Halloween other than making a fool out of yourself in a costume? You can head over to the ever-so-queer Club Europa at 9PM and catch the official release show for NEGATIVE PLANE's new album, Stained Glass Revelations!

HOUR OF 13

Even though the crust has taken a backseat (for now), the doom rolls on. I would like to first point out that my respect for the notorious Earache Records has gone up a bit due to their latest signing: doom powerhouse HOUR OF 13 from North Carolina. "Demons All Around Me" is a track to listen to. Wow.

At first glance, when you put "doom" and a southern state in the same breath, you will most likely get a trendy, bearded, "molasses"-style heavy band. With these guys, you don't get any of that. What you do get, however, is straight-up, traditional doom metal of the highest (er, lowest) order. One thing that interests me is that their first ever show was done at a doom festival in fucking Ireland of all places, and their second show will be this Saturday, October 16, at Brooklyn's Union Pool with the Gates of Slumber. If you're in the area, fucking be there.

HORRÖR

It's been a while since I put on some crust, or even discovered some new crust bands to listen to. Today, I stumbled upon HORRÖR from Spain. These guys are very much rooted in the Swedish side of things but there's still something about them that makes them listenable and not recyclable. They're worth a listen. Or you can just say you know one more obscure crust band from somewhere in Europe.

LORDS OF BASTARD

Now here is a pleasant surprise! I received the self-titled LORDS OF BASTARD compact disc the other day and, when I judged the cover, I expected this to be your standard doom rock band. Well, I was wrong. This is insanely heavy, fuzzed out to the far reaches of space and organic as all hell! To drop some names: Electric Wizard, Sleep, Black Sabbath (fucking obviously), The Obsessed and throw in some catchy Kyuss and early Queens of the Stone Age for good measure. If any of these bands tickle your fancy, give these Scots a spin.

BEASTMILK

I've been meaning to write about this odd band for a while but, of course, I slept on it. Fenriz of Darkthrone featured these guys in his blog a few weeks ago but they were so good to my ears that I just had to put them here, for whatever it's worth. I just ordered their cassette tape just now which I highly recommend you doing. Basically, there's no accurate way for me to describe them. Imagine Samhain (a favorite of mine!) mixed in with the classic post-punk sounds of Joy Division and Killing Joke, but in a super gritty manner. Listen closely for some not-so-obvious influences... Oh, and can you ask for more reverb? The spirit of the late-70's and early-80's lives on through BEASTMILK!

THE SAVAGE ROSE

Via friend Karina.



Okay, it must be known that this is my one of my favorite styles of heavy rock. Read up on THE SAVAGE ROSE here. Holy fuck, what a great tip! Hail Danmark!

Welcome To the Wasteland

Oh, look what we have here! If you're in the NYC-area, especially Brooklyn, it is mandatory to come to this show. Here we have New York's defenders of true steel NATUR along with New England's recent gem HESSIAN (who has just been Fenriz-approved) and Brooklyn-based doom trio BAD DREAM. This will be happening at The Acheron and will go down October 12. You're pretty much a false metal poser if you don't attend. Just sayin'.

Con Clavi Con Dio

The nameless ghouls themselves, GHOST, have uploaded a new track entitled "Con Clavi Con Dio" on their MySpace page. Nothing more needs to be said.

Needless to say, they are the band to see at the Live Evil Festival in London. If you can make it out there, do it.

Speak now from the text, pray for all die.

HORROR SHOW

Deathwish Inc. does not disappoint (usually) with quality hardcore and while surfing around their site and e-shop, I came across this hardcore gem: Philly's HORROR SHOW.

Listen to the two tracks, "Inconsiderate Me" and "One For the Angels," on the Deathwish artist page. Basically, this is the sound for East Coast hardcore, i.e. Gorilla Biscuits, first Judge EP, Minor Threat, etc... these guys know how to do it.

I'm not sure where you can find their actual releases, but Deathwish has the "final vinyl collection of all existing Horror Show recordings" in the form of Notes From The Night That Never Ended. This is definitely worth your time.

THE PIST

Here's a band that was tipped on to me last night by Weibs of the Metal Inquisition Radio Show/Natur. Whilst discussing hardcore and punk bands, he mentioned THE PIST: a band I'm surprised I never listened to! Early-Eighties British punk/hardcore "piss off" attitude played by a bunch of old East Coast dudes. They formed in '92 and only lasted four years, with only one full-length, Ideas Are Bulletproof, to their name. If Kill Your Idols, Poison Idea, Negative Approach and early Bad Religion mean anything to you, this is a band to listen to.

VOIDS OF VOMIT

VOIDS OF VOMIT

For fans of Kaamos.

PILGRIM

Last night, I saw Total Social Suicide and FrustraitoR play at the pathetic Europa Club in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Also on the bill were Morbid Rupture's very own featured Nightlore, Jason from Generation Record's crust punk band (heavily influenced by His Hero is Gone) and yet another Rhode Island gem: PILGRIM!

This was striking to me in a number of ways. First, for the few of you who noticed by now, the past few entries were of doom bands. Lord Vicar being one of them. Well, as soon as the Rhode Island three-piece hit the stage (and hard, at that), there was an insane true doom (and Lord Vicar) feeling. The insanely heavy-hitting drumming (which caused the drummer to break a stick during the very fucking first song!), the super loud bass guitar, smooth and bottom-heavy guitar tone/riffing and those fucking doom vocals! You know, the somewhat nasally-yet-powerful singing. Simply stunning. They played for about 20-30 minutes and I was just in doom heaven. To say it was hypnotizing would be an understatement. You MUST see them in order to understand what I'm saying here.

You can get the band's demo at this location. It's actually pretty fucking mandatory. It's also free so don't be a bitch.

The Druid

I just came back from SLEEP's comeback NYC show at the horrible Brooklyn Masonic (Hipster) Temple. It was about as good as the following video.



90 minutes of SLEEP is a bit overwhelming.

THE WANDERING MIDGET

Guess what? I have some more doom for y'all! And this band is yet another fine doom group from the land of a thousand lakes (AKA Finland). Here we have THE WANDERING MIDGET, and they pretty much play traditional, Candlemass-y doom very, very well. Listen to Samuel Wormius' singing...the music wouldn't be complete without 'em. They only have one album (so far, hopefully) called The Serpent Coven and it's worth a couple of listens, and more. Thanks to Pat from Theater of the Absurd for the tip!

Labor Day

To celebrate this fine American holiday, here are some classic American tunes for your barbeque (or whatever you do today).









And of course...

LORD VICAR

Last night, while I was out with a friend, we were talking about doom metal and Finland's LORD VICAR came up during the conversation. Talk about a doom metal band. You might recognize some of the names in this band, particularly guitarist Peter Inverted from Reverend Bizarre (RIP) and singer Chritus from Count Raven. That in itself is worthy of praise as both bands are simply incredible. If you like your doom melancholic, depressing and, above all else, doom, look no further. You'll get some rocking Pentagram stuff and gloomy Candlemass stuff, all in one band...and still sound unique. The band's debut album, Fear No Pain, is out now and you really need it. Like, really.

VOMITORY (USA)

As usual, Sundays are boring. Like, insanely boring. To kill time, I decided to look up Vomitory on Metal-Archives. Of course, I was referring to the well-known Swedish death metal band and I always thought they were the only band with the name. To my surprise, I saw a couple of bands with the name and I decided to click on the American one.

And I'm fucking glad I did!

This hidden gem, VOMITORY from Louisiana, only has two demos under their crusty belts which automatically makes them great. Death metal bands from the late-Eighties/early-Nineties are usually the most vicious at their demo stages and when a band only has demos, it's guaranteed to be good.

This southern death horde plays death metal the way it sounded like back then: doomy, brutal, morbid, etc. You know the drill by now (I hope). Anyway, enjoy these tracks!

CHRISTIAN MISTRESS

Doro? Warlock? Acid? Stos? No! This is fucking CHRISTIAN MISTRESS from Olympia, WA! This band plays heavy metal of the highest order and is a giant middle finger to all the wimpy modern metal bands out there today. I get a strong feeling of the Belgian/French scenes (Mausoleum Records, basically) and it's been a long time since any band has done this. Listen to "Desert Rose" in the 20 Buck Spin player. If your mind isn't blown, I don't want anything to do with you. Get their debut LP, Agony & Opium, NOW! Thanks Shadow Kingdom Records!

MAGMA

Probably the world's very first "weird" band, and definitely the most innovative/avant-garde of its time. France's MAGMA is just a band where words can't do justice. Just watch the live clip below. I don't even know what else to say, really. Keep in mind this is one of the more "easy-listening" songs in their catalog.



Classically trained drummer/shrieker Christian Vander and co. will be playing at the Highline Ballroom in NYC on September 20. It's worth it.

Endtime

You have no idea how much I want to sleep right now. But! I'm listening to Trouble's Psalm 9 album. A tough decision, indeed.



A criminally overlooked band.

DRAGONAUTA

Ho-ly shit. It's been a while.

Anyway, this latest post shouldn't be disappointing. I'm going to step away from the usual countries for a minute (Germany, Sweden, USA, etc.) and head down south to Argentina. Buenos Aires, to be exact. Here resides DRAGONAUTA, a psychedelic stoner/doom/heavy rock band that is as epic as their name.

These guys are basically an insanely fuzzed out version of Trouble, Pentagram, Saint Vitus, etc...rolled into one package. Not only will you find insanely heavy riffs, but a listen to a track like "God Half Blind" will make it obvious to you that these dudes take great care in making actual hooks as well! Michael Schenker-era UFO worship? These short bursts of catchiness and NWOBHM-inspired melodies are so effective in their execution that it just makes you want to scream. Not to mention they will make you keep coming back for more. Highly fucking recommended!

Some new NATUR

Thursday, September 9. Save that date.

Why? Brooklyn's defenders of true fuckin' steel NATUR will be playing at the Cake Shop to celebrate the release of their first single 7", Decion b/w Spider Baby. It's a pretty monumental occasion since this band is meant for vinyl and the newly founded The Year is One Records (started by Mark from the Casualties, who is a huge vinyl freak) is putting it out. Hail! "Decion" is a brand new cut while "Spider Baby" was given the re-recorded treatment. Of course, in trueness, it was laid down on 2" tape. Can't get better than that, really.

Also on the bill is Mutant Supremacy, who will also be having their record release party. I guess this will be literally a "record" release party since the last one was for the CD version of their debut full-length, Infinite Suffering. I hope you like your death metal extra deadly because these guys bring it. And I hope you enjoy Morbid Angel.

A nice surprise to this fun-filled evening is MR's featured black metalers: Rhode Island's Nightlore! They're one of the very few black metal bands (even American black metal, no less) that I enjoy and I'm really stoked to be seeing them. Fuck!

Sorry kiddos: 21+ only. But that won't stop you, now would it?

POPULATION REDUCTION

I haven't been focusing on the grind and power-violence side of things recently and I feel awfully bad about that, especially when a band like POPULATION REDUCTION exists. Goddamn, do these Bay Area grinders know how to shred. Basically, take the best bits of early grind (Napalm Death, Carcass, Extreme Noise Terror...the usual suspects) and throw in some Capitalist Casualties and a pinch of riffing from Nuclear Assault and you get these guys. The cool thing is that the band is only made up of two people: Dr. X on drums and vocals and Peter Svoboda on guitar and vocals. They do have bass tracks in their studio record, Each Birth a New Disaster, so I wonder what they sound like live. I first heard these guys on their split 10" with the mighty Abscess and was way impressed. Quality stuff here!

PHLEGETHON

It appears that Hooded Menace's highly-talented multi-instrumentalist Lasse Pyykkö is in every kick-ass Finnish death metal bands these days, and PHLEGETHON is no exception. No sirree. In fact, this is one of Lasse's earliest bands (dating back to 1988), which explains why he can't do wrong in the death metal realm.

Basically, what we have here is pure fucking death metal, just the way all of us real death-freaks like it: organic, raw and putrid as fuck. I mean, look at the band name. The band's latest offering, a discography disc entitled Drifting in the Crypt, is the perfect gateway into Lasse's sick history and it even includes the group's latest demo track, "Circle of the Hybrid Statues," which shows the band still going strong with fresh ideas. This is worth checking out!

INFERNAL BLASPHEMIES

A while back, we covered the incredible upcoming Swedish-via-Holland death metal group ENTRAPMENT. There were only a few songs available through the band's MySpace (including a great Nihilist cover) and their only physical appearance was in the recent Invocation of Death Vol. 1 compilation tape from Death Invocation Records...until now.

Belgium's Detest Records (finally) just put out the debut demo tape this morning (EST time) and, of course, everyone needs to order it! It's limited to a mere 350 copies and I reckon it will sell out soon. This is only the beginning for this incredible band!

Also check out Guitar World Magazine's MetalKult blog for a cool feature on Entrapment as part of their Notes From the Underground series!

SEAMOUNT

Yet another German doom rock band! Actually, the singer, Phil Swanson, is American but whatever. Here we have sEAMOUNt (officially spelled like that) and these guys play doom rock of the heaviest order. Kinda standard doom singing, lots of open-E chugging when it's heavy and groov-y drumming. Obviously, the bass playing is good and fluid. They're a bit more rock-y than metal, much like in the vein of Thin Lizzy in terms of melodies and metal-ness and very Devil's Blood-ish in a contemporary sense. I think that paints a pretty good picture.

Not much else to say, really, other than this is doom done good. Worth listening to!

GOREMENT

Now I know where Bloodbath blatantly got their logo from...

The band in question here is yet another Swedish death metal band ca. early/mid Nineties is GOREMENT. I recently ordered their discography CD compilation, Darkness of the Dead, from a label which will remain unknown and as I'm listening to the disc now, this really is just "another Swedish death metal band." However, there is some darkness emitted from the sludge-like riffs and some nice, melancholic melodies (not unlike Finland's Convulse and early Amorphis). Gorement doesn't rely too heavily on speed, as most of the songs are mid-paced, but there are short bursts of blasts and the like. Overall, a varied album and filled with darkness.

This may not blow your mind, but it's a nice addition to your collection and worth a listen or two. This is especially critical if you claim to be into Swedish death metal. Just sayin'.

CAUCHEMAR

How the fuck did I not feature this incredible band here before? Of course, I'm talking about Montreal's upcoming, super-fine doom band CAUCHEMAR. Their EP/mini-LP, La Vierge Noire, is now out on the Bay Area's incredible Nuclear War Now! Productions and it's absolutely mandatory that you order it. I'm not shitting you. Go listen to the two tracks up on their MySpace and worship them. Great, haunting and eerie female vocals courtesy of Annick Giroux (who also provides the bass playing), fantastic riffing and soloing by François Patry and Patrick Pageau holding it down Dave Holland-style. The best part is that everything is in French, from the lyrics to the layout of the album. I dunno about you guys, but I get a kick outta foreign things. It leaves everyone else in mystery and it's pretty rad.

Like Pagan Altar or Seventies-Judas Priest? How about some Black Sabbath or Mercy? It's a no-brainer, really.

BURIAL INVOCATION

So my friend and I were browsing the Detest Records distro page and BURIAL INVOCATION from Turkey (of all places) caught our attention. Let's just say that this unorthodox location for death metal has produced a really fucking amazing and brutal band!

They have a demo tape out, Rituals of the Grotesque, and you can pick it up at Detest or other like-minded distros from around the world (wide web). The first thing I thought after hearing "Desecration Remains" was early Dismember + insanely brutal vocals. Nothing wrong with that at all! "Haunted Crypts of the Ancient Dead" is more slow and epic and gives a frighteningly dismal feeling - which is how real death metal should feel like. This is highly recommended!

They're also playing the ridiculous Kill-Town Death Fest in Denmark. If you happen to live around there, there really is no excuse to miss it!

Oh, and note the amazing logo art! It was done by the talented Daniel Desecrator.

MIDNIGHT RIDER

Sorry for the giant gap between updates. There really isn't any excuse I can say for this other than me being super busy with my "real job" and other things.

Anyway, I'd like to introduce to you people Germany's heavy/doom rock/metal band MIDNIGHT RIDER. The core of the band is made up of Wayne, Cliff Bubenheim and fronted by Blumi (also of Metalucifer Germany). That in itself is pretty great since we all know how amazing and credible one must be to be in the ranks of Metalucifer. Rounding out the band as session members are Shinji "Samm" Tachi (of course, of Metalucifer) and Kenji Naruse from Japan.

Sound-wise, we get a really hard rockin', doom-tinged type of heavy metal much like the Seventies Pentagram stuff and all of the bands of that style. I also get a feeling of a little psych-rock in there, as well. Think Hawkwind.

Interested yet? You should be, since you can't really go wrong with bands that play in this ancient style. Unless, of course, you're The Sword.

WINDHAND

I've been turned on to a lot of female-fronted doom bands lately (Jex Thoth, Blood Ceremony, et al), but none are more filthy and nearly as loud as WINDHAND from Richmond, Virginia. The vocals of Dorthia Cottrell have a very Devil's Blood-y feel to them, almost like Glen Danzig if he were a woman. The guitars (and probably the bass as well) are so drenched in fuzz that you can't even make out the white noise associated with heavy distortion. I guess we can thank those RAT Pedals for that. The riffs are real sludgy and southern, and them being from Virginia kinda helps that. All in all, a band worth listening to. Female singers in doom are just mysterious and way more convincing...if done right. These guys and gal definitely do it right.

CRUDE SS

Are you surprised that this hardcore gem is from Sweden? Of course not! Here we have CRUDE SS, a unique hardcore band that played fast and morbidly slow with extreme feeling and aggression. It doesn't look like they will ever play again (haven't done so since '85) since Hocke, their drummer, died. Bummer. At least we got this crude music to enjoy.

Invoke the King of Hell

Out now on Iron Pegasus Records...



Holy shit! The debut 7" from Sweden's GHOST, entitled Elizabeth, is finally available - get this NOW!

NO EMPATHY

I've been in a very black metal mood as of late and even though I don't exactly like many newer black metal bands (or what some people call "black metal"), I'm really digging this new find from Germany - Leipzig's NO EMPATHY. It's pretty obvious after listening to "Chalice of Vaus" and "Rust" that these guys totally understand the black metal aesthetics: raw, gritty, unpolished, riff-based and bleak as hell. I sense some influences from early Watain and Secrets of the Moon and the tortured vocals are just perfect (not over-the-top). Their debut full-length, Rust, seems to have come out earlier this year and is available through Iron Bonehead but I guess you can probably get it from the band as well. Enjoy!

HELLBRINGER

A little thrash ain't gonna hurt no one...right? Australia's HELLBRINGER deliver thrash metal of the highest order, in which they successfully encompass all styles (Bay Area, East Coast, German, etc.) into one. The band, formerly known as Forgery, go from Destruction (outfitted with Schmier-like shrieks) on "The Rapture" to some East Coast, Demolition Hammer-ish style on "The Hammer" to all-out South American on "The Banished". Old-school Sepultura fans take note. To further add to their credibility, their debut EP was mixed by none other than Harris Johns. This guy has mixed Coroner, Exumer, Kreator...you know, the thrash greats. If those 3 tracks mean anything, we might see a potential re-revitalization of thrash metal - with these guys sitting on top. Yep, L.A.'s pretty much run its course.

Oh, and I love how they don't have a logo yet.

EDIT: Josh of Hellbringer has informed me that the EP is still under the Forgery name. Just a little heads up!

MAUSOLEUM GATE

I'm not exactly sure of what to say about Finland's latest NWOBHM-inspired speed demons MAUSOLEUM GATE. They're just fucking awesome! They kind of remind me a bit of their neighbors in Enforcer - fast, catchy and heavy metal as all fuck. I stumbled upon these guys while browsing Shadow Kingdom Records. I guess I found something to put in my shopping cart. They have a demo out (on CD) so you best get it.

NIGHTLORE

Could it be...?! Quality black metal from, of all places, Rhode Island?! Yes, my friends, it's true. Jamestown's very own NIGHTLORE has the spirit of early black metal of the Swedish kind and though they don't exactly turn heads with their originality (or, rather, lack of), they can bust out convincing and authoritative black metal far better than almost all American wannabe's - and even some Scandinavians. There's a lot of variety in the riffs here and the playing is quite skilled. There should be enough elements to satisfy every metal fan, and they left me pretty fucking satisfied.

I'm guessing the songs on their MySpace are quite new, and if so, a good musical future is ahead for them. Check these guys out - they are definitely worth a listen or three!

America's Biggest Metal Party

Well, I never did get to finish my Supreme Brutality series since I got lazy (yet again) but rest assured that Maryland Deathfest was one hell of a fucking time! Words can't really describe how exciting and fun the festival was.

Oh, and the bands! A ton of heavy hitters this year, but obviously the masters that comprise AUTOPSY stole the whole damn show. 70 minutes of unrelenting metal of death...come on. NIRVANA 2002's third ever show was also pretty historic, even if technical problems unfortunately reared its ugly head (and, of course, US customs).

A real hidden gem was on the second day, where Norway's OBLITERATION tore the stage and us in the audience. That band plays with so much feeling, man. Then there were ENTOMBED and Michigan's legendary REPULSION, with the former playing a much more old-school set than I thought! Always a good thing! Bobby Liebling and PENTAGRAM really shocked me with Victor Griffin back on the guitar - and for good I hope! They played "Relentless" though unfortunately I missed it since I needed a spot for Entombed! Ugh! Sacrifices had to be made, unfortunately!

WATAIN, though I wanted to hear a lot more new songs from their brilliant Lawless Darkness, would've been the highlight of the first day had Japan's über-crushing COFFINS didn't play! Talk about riffs! The band has it all: Celtic Frost worship, massive riffs, insanely simple and brutal drumming...classic stuff, for sure.

As for disappointments? Unfortunately, we need to include ASPHYX in this category. Why? They played so well but the sound just sucked! Not only did Mayhem fuck them last year but this year they were destroyed by sound problems. These guys simply can't get a break! D.R.I. were a bit of a letdown as well, as they played an amazing show here in New York City earlier this year. The drummer was just all over the place and, of course, there were problems with the guitar signal.

Some logistical problems definitely include the "Side Lot" stage, where the stage is on a fucking hill and the awfully low-volume PA systems outside. Food was a bit expensive for what it was and the vendors were somewhat of a letdown. Other than that, it surely didn't ruin a good time!

MDF...my life is simply incomplete without it! Here's to next year being even better (if possible)! Cheers!

This is only less than half of what went down...

Supreme Brutality, part VIII - WATAIN

Uppsala's black metal horde WATAIN will finally return to these damned shores for Maryland Deathfest and I couldn't be more stoked. I kinda stopped paying attention to that whole scene for a few years simply because a lot of the shit that's coming out is really whack but a handful of bands, like Watain, really keep it exciting. Their upcoming album, Lawless Darkness, is gonna blow some heads...! I saw them at Wacken in 2008 and seeing them live was a total trip! Really excited for this one.

Supreme Brutality, part VII - OBLITERATION

I've been waiting a long time for a death metal band like this one! Norway's OBLITERATION's debut album, Perpetual Decay, blew me the fuck away and one of the very few death metal albums today that I can listen to over and over again. Do you like the first Suffocation album? You're gonna love this band. Their latest release, Nekropsalms, isn't much different though they went full-on with the psychedelic/Autopsy feeling. I must point out that their drummer, Kristian Valbo, is fucking AMAZING!



By the way! They will be playing a free show in New York City at Fontana's with Nekromantheon and Unearthly Trance on June 3rd. Highly suggested...

Supreme Brutality, part VI - FROM ASHES RISE

Okay! It's been a long time coming and I think now that we're only 3 days away, I'll pack the shit outta this feature starting now. Anyway, the biggest surprise (aside from Sodom canceling) is the addition of reactivated melo-crusters FROM ASHES RISE! I've been a fan ever since I got their amazing split 12" with Victims a while back. Imagine Tragedy playing a more melodic and less nihilistic brand of hardcore. Don't worry, FAR are just as pissed off. It's great to see them close out the fest... I just hope everyone will have enough energy left!

Here are some clips of them playing in Montreal a few weeks ago. In HD, of course.

BEAST

"What the fuck?" That was the first thing that came to my mind when I first heard BEAST from Sweden. To put it in a nutshell, these guys have a hard-edged garage punk rock sound. Imagine Germany's Dean Dirg with a more "Swedish heavy metal" touch, if you will. Not sure if they have any releases out (yet) but it appears they have shirts already. Check them out for a good, fun listen!

Finnish Progressive Rock

Pretty lazy Sunday afternoon today. Here are some cool Finnish prog bands.







And of course...

WITCH HUNT

WITCH HUNT has been a band that I've been listening to for quite some time now. They play really aggressive and catchy punk, and they go from really melodic to really fast (like Bad Religion) or both at the same time. I also hear a lot of influences from indie rock and 80's post-punk/new wave. The dual female/male vocals aren't cheesy like many of the modern metal bands (ugh!), which is such a breath of fresh air. But yeah, these guys/gals are fast as hell! Check out their split with Sweden's To What End?, which is the record that got me into them.

INFERNÄL DEATH

And here we have yet another band from Germany: the blackened thrash metal horde INFERNÄL DEATH! If you like bands like Old, Nifelheim, Trench Hell or, of course, Venom, you'll feel right at home (or hell) with these guys. They've a tape out, Gods of Chaos, which you can get on the band's MySpace or Hell's Headbangers Records.

Garage Days at Lucky 13 Bar

Here's something I don't see very often here in New York City...

My friend Mike from Inhuman has been DJ-ing at Lucky 13 Bar in Park Slope, Brooklyn every Wednesday night as part of the Garage Days event. He spins the best old-school hardcore, death metal, heavy metal, punk, etc. and Johny of Brooklyn-based Candiria will be tending the bar. Next week's installment will feature the go-go dancers that Lucky 13's famous for so I suggest you attend this!

I know all of you have a Facebook. Click here for more information!

Obscure Old School Metal Playlist MySpace

So this dude Arjan has an AWESOME thing going on in the form of the Obscure Old School Metal Playlist on MySpace. It's basically a MySpace page set up with a flash playlist thing with the best (and obscure, duh) old and new-old bands covering all styles. The latest bands on this recent list includes Winterhawk, Gun, old Immolation and Samael, Hellshock... the list is pretty extensive. Check it out! Also refer to the top friends section for some more wicked awesome bands, such as Natur from New York City and Ghost from Sweden!

RUNNING WILD

Some classic RUNNING WILD before they became those fuckin' pirates! This is the real Running Wild!





Check out the rest of this legendary Bochum '85 show and other amazing heavy/speed metal footage at this dude's YouTube channel!

Metal Punk Buttons

For all of you pinheads out there! Haha! Check out this really cool place to get some metal and punk pins. This dude has shit from Witchfinder General to Nifelheim and for you punks, he's got pins from Tragedy to Anti-Cimex. It's $1USD for each and these things are pretty big - like 1.25"! I actually just ordered 3 pins from him. No rip offs there!

ELIMINATOR

The Teutonic bastard child of early Anthrax and Blood Feast, Germany's ELIMINATOR is a no-joke thrash metal beast that sounds more like they're from New Jersey than Nordrhein-Westfalen. Speed is the name of the game with these guys and the vocals are the tried-and-true style of the harsh thrash style (think Possessed or, again, Blood Feast). Their demo, Violence and Death, is out now. Get it!

Hidden Gems

It's a pretty crappy Sunday, what with all the rain and shit going on outside. Anyway, I was just browsing through YouTube and decided to surf through some really obscure heavy metal (not necessarily just NWOBHM). Feast your ears upon these treasures!

What happened?

Maybe I was born too late.

Never Cross The Dead

You know the drill... BUY THIS!



Never Cross The Dead, the new LP from Finland's HOODED MENACE, is out today via Profound Lore Records. Seriously recommended for everyone into Autopsy, early Cathedral, early Asphyx, Candlemass, Swallow The Sun and Opeth (though, if you only heard of the last 2, you're probably new so prepare yourself for a real experience in filthy fucking death/doom). You can read the review for this record over at MetalKult.

Please note that the first link directs you to Relapse's E-Store where you can purchase the album in a package (w/ either a shirt or a hoodie). For all of you price-conscious, deal-seeking people out there...

Mandatory Suicide

Listen up, you demons: the legendary crust punk band from Finland, RIISTETYT, is playing an early show at ABC no Rio in the Lower East Side. Check out the flyer below.



The Rockstar Bar in Brooklyn will have the late show. Why not go to both?

SEPULCRO

I've been yearning for some "new" NWOBHM for a while and I think I found the answer! Portugal's SEPULCRO is a super obscure NWOBHM-style band that has all of the right qualities of the days of old: epic songs, amazing vocals, killer guitar work and, of course, excellent riffs! I think my favorite part about them is that they capture the essence of their time perfectly. They formed in '81 but they mixed the heavy rock style of the late-70's really well with the emerging heavy metal sound at the time. Good luck finding stuff from these guys. They only have 3 demos and split up in 1988. Damn...

Great ABSCESS/AUTOPSY Interview

MetalKult posted an awesome interview with Chris Reifert and Danny Corralles of fuckin' AUTOPSY and ABSCESS. I won't say any more so click here to read for yourself!

OLD

Finally! Germany's OLD finally gets a place here! As their name suggests, these dudes play a very ancient and sinister style of speed metal in the vein of early Bathory, Celtic Frost, Sodom and Destruction... you get the idea.

I was first introduced to them by my friend Anton a while back and these guys totally blew me away. If I can recall, Old were the first band in this style that I really liked. Anyway, much thanks to Anton!

Anyone know what's going on with these dudes? They've been keeping silent for months and the Metal Archives listed them as "On Hold". Interestingly enough, it appears that 2 of the guys play in Nocturnal now (!), another fine German thrash band. Great, but... we need more Old!

You can get Down With The Nails at Peaceville Records. Do it!

SWALLOWED

Yet another young death metal band in the vein of Autopsy from northern Europe, this time it's SWALLOWED from Finland. I think you know the drill by now. They have a 7" out so definitely contact them if you're interested!

It always amazes me how every band within this field sound so unique and execute the doom-laden death metal sound so well...

Only Death Is Real

Just got this beast in the mail earlier this afternoon. Only Death Is Real is the definitive history of Hellhammer and the early years of Celtic Frost, penned by Tom Warrior with contributions from Martin Eric Ain and a forward from Darkthrone's Nocturno Culto. Needless to say, this is a must-have for any true fan of extreme and underground metal.

Only Death Is Real weighs in at a ludicrous 4 pounds and is packed with awesome photos and artwork from throughout their brief 2-year tenure. I believe it's every photo that ever existed, or at least close to it.

I just started reading it and of course, in true Tom Warrior fashion, the writing is simply immaculate and the attention to detail is almost frightening. In other words... this is fucking awesome.

You can pick this tome up at many online distros, both large and small, but if you want to be guaranteed a copy, order from the publisher: Bazillion Points Publishing.

If you are serious about the underground, Hellhammer or Celtic Frost, you need this book. It is simply essential. Know your roots.

TYRANT

No, this is not the same Tyrant from Sweden (obviously?)... this is the ultra-obscure heavy metal TYRANT from Australia, formed in 1982! Since forming, they put out one EP in '84 and their first LP didn't surface until 2000. Talk about a comeback.

To be honest, I'm not too familiar with their music but their latest demo track from their upcoming album is fucking killer! I'm shocked that it's listed as a "demo" since it sounds amazing. Not polished and clean-sounding like their peers and the other songs have a real 80's arena-metal feel which is awesome. Seems like time and modern trends do not affect these Aussies - much respect to them!

Check these dudes out now - summer is creeping in slowly but surely, and what's better than partying with awesome 80's metal? I thought so.

More new stuff!

Following the previous post about the new track that Entrapment posted, Sweden's MIASMAL has a new track up, entitled "Creation of Fire" from their upcoming 7" EP, on their MySpace page! What can I say? D-Beats, punishing riffs, morbid production, punk-ish attitude... all of this makes killer death metal and Miasmal knows how to include them. Look for their 2-song 7" EP on Detest Records this month.

New ENTRAPMENT song!

The Dutch death brigade ENTRAPMENT posted a new song on their MySpace and I can't tell you how much I am waiting for them to release something! Unmixed, but just like the new Death Breath, they can release it as-is and it will be awesome nonetheless. Enjoy and die!

THE ICEMEN

Here's the latest band that is blowing my mind right outta my fucking head: New York City's THE ICEMEN! This band formed in the early 80's around the same time the New York hardcore scene is starting to roll but didn't release anything until 1992 with their only EP, R.I.P. Obviously, this cult status means they are simply amazing.

I heard of these guys when connecting various NYHC people together. One of my favorite drummers, Mackie Jayson from Cro-Mags and Madball, played with these guys and I've heard a few songs by them a while ago. Last night I was lurking in Generation Records with some friends before the Ace Frehley show and I stumbled upon the band's second official release, The Iceman/It'll Be Your Grave 7" single.

This single pretty much has everything I love about hardcore punk and metal. It's quite evident from the first few measures of "The Iceman" that these guys, rounded out by guitarist/vocalist Marco Abularach and bassist Noah Evans, worship heavily at the altar of Motörhead. Add Mackie's signature power-drumming style and you have some totally crushing crossover. "It'll Be Your Grave" has some serious Bad Brains feeling and this dates back before Cro-Mags(!)... no shit.

I seriously can't stop listening to this. I'm pretty happy that it came with a download card. This is 4 and a half minutes of solid fucking gold!!