“My wife and I don’t believe in Jesus so we’re sure as hell not going to be celebrating a fake birth,” Slayer’s guitarist Kerry King told U.K.’s Kerrang! magazine of his Christmas plans. “If we want to get a gift for someone, then we’ll do it because we want to.”

Instead, King planned to spend the day watching sports and drinking tequila.

“I’m gonna spend the holiday season watching American football and drinking,” he said. “I live pretty close to Mexico so it’s not too difficult to find a good bottle of tequila.”

While King won’t be doing X-mas shots in the name of J.C., he just might raise a raucous this New Year’s Eve.

“I’m sure we’ll be persuaded,” he said. “But we’ll probably stay at home until the amateurs pass out! Usually we prefer to light it up at our house with a bunch of friends. At least that way I don’t get into trouble for fucking shit up. Until the wife notices the next morning, of course!”

Norwegian extreme metal band SATYRICON have announced a North American tour in support of its upcoming seventh studio album, The Age of Nero (January 13, 2009; KOCH Records). The band will hit the road alongside Cradle of Filth for a 33 city trek that is scheduled to launch January 15 in Sayreville, NJ and run through February 28 in Philadelphia, PA.

Largely written in a remote cabin in the Norwegian mountains by headman Satyr and produced by “Evil” Joe Baresi (Tool, Saviours, Queens of the Stone Age), The Age of Nero features eight songs that are a departure from the band’s previous way of working, as the guitars have been seriously downtuned.

SATYRICON TOUR DATES:
(all dates also include Cradle of Filth)

January 15 Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom All ages / $20 ADV / $23 DOS
January 16 Worcester, MA @ The Palladium All ages / $25 ADV / $25 DOS
January 17 Montreal, QC @ Metropolis All ages / $29.50 ADV / $29.50 DOS
January 18 Quebec City, QC @ Theatre Capitole All ages / $37.50 ADV / $37.50 DOS
January 20 Toronto, ON @ Sound Academy All ages / $31 ADV / $33.50 DOS
January 21 Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues All ages
January 23 Detroit, MI @ Harpo’s All ages / $20 ADV / $25 DOS
January 24 Milwaukee, WI @ The Eagles Club All ages / $20 ADV / $25 DOS
January 25 Chicago, IL @ House of Blues All ages / $25.50 ADV / $28 DOS
January 26 Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue All ages / $22 ADV / $25 DOS
January 28 Englewood, CO @ Gothic Theatre 16+ / $23 ADV / $26 DOS
January 30 Calgary, AB @ MacEwan Hall Ballroom All ages / $33.50 ADV / $36.50 DOS
January 31 Edmonton, AB @ The Union All ages / $33.50 ADV / $36.50 DOS
February 2 Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom 19+ / $35 ADV / $35 DOS
February 3 Seattle, WA @ Showbox All ages / $25 ADV / $25 DOS
February 4 Portland, OR @ Roseland All ages / $23 ADV / $25 DOS
February 9 Orangevale, CA @ The Boardwalk All ages
February 10 San Francisco, CA @ Regency Center All ages / $25 ADV / $27 DOS
February 11 Los Angeles, CA @ Henry Fonda Theater All ages / $27 ADV / $27 DOS
February 12 Anaheim, CA @ The Grove of Anaheim All ages / $26.50 ADV / $26.50 DOS
February 13 Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theatre All ages / $23.75 ADV / $27.50 DOS
February 14 Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues All ages / $26 ADV / $28 DOS
February 16 San Antonio, TX @ Scout Bar All ages / $25.50 ADV / $28 DOS
February 17 Dallas, TX @ House of Blues All ages / $23.50 ADV / $25 DOS
February 18 Houston, TX @ House of Blues All ages
February 20 Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade All ages / $25 ADV / $28 DOS
February 21 Orlando, FL @ The Club at Firestone All ages / $23.50 ADV / $26.50 DOS
February 22 Pompano Beach, FL @ Cinema Club All ages / $22 ADV / $25 DOS
February 24 Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel 18+ / $24 ADV / $26 DOS
February 25 Norfolk, VA @ The Norva All ages / $20.50 ADV / $23.50 DOS
February 26 Baltimore, MD @ Ram’s Head Live All ages / $20.50 ADV / $22 DOS
February 27 New York, NY @ Nokia Theater All ages / $25 ADV / $27 DOS
February 28 Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero All ages / $25 ADV / $27 DOS

Battlefields have posted the new song “Quake and Flood” from their upcoming Translation Loss Records debut Thresholds Of Imbalance, due late March 2009: http://www.myspace.com/battlefieldsdoom.

Battlefields’ Translation Loss debut Thresholds Of Imbalance was recorded at The Devil’s Workshop in Minnesota with drummer and engineering Rob Schmidt manning the helm and was mastered by Nick Zampiello at New Alliance Audio. The band will be performing at this weekends KUMA fest in Chicago, IL and will also be embarking on a full US tour with labelmates Irepress in early 2009.

The band are currently on tour, with tons of other upcoming dates and plenty more dates TBA thorough the coming year.

12/18/2008 Minneapolis, MN – The Uptown Bar w/Host, Empires
12/19/2008 The Haunted Basement – Des Moines, IA w/Samothrace, Druids, Seaberg
12/20/2008 Double Door – Chicago, IL @ Kuma’s Doom Fest w/Kongh, Minsk, Samothrace, Indian
12/22/2008 The Afterdark – Steven’s Point, WI
12/31/2008 The Aquarium – Fargo, ND
1/10/2009 Fargo Theatre – Fargo, ND w/Dillinger 4,Eyedeas & Abilities, The Awesome Snakes

tour with Irepress
3/06/2009 The Factory – Rochester, MI
3/07/2009 Mac’s Bar – Lansing, MI w/The Plague Years
3/10/2009 Borg Ward – Milwaukee, WI
3/11/2009 *TBA – Minneapolis, MN w/Dark Castle, Vernal Pool
3/12/2009 The Aquarium – Fargo, ND w/Dark Castle, Vernal Pool
3/13/2009 Nutty’s North – Sioux Falls, SD @ Init Fest w/The Blinding Light, Cougar Den
3/16/2009 The Avenue – Wichita, KD
3/18/2009 Reno’s Chop Show – Dallas, TX w/Zoroaster
3/23/2009 Zepplin’s – El Paso, TX
3/24/2009 The Living Room – Tuscan, AZ w/Hellas Mounds
3/25/2009 Che Cafe – San Diego, CA w/Name
3/27/2009 The Knitting Factory – Los Angeles, CA w/Name
3/30/2009 Samurai Duck – Eugene, OR
3/31/2009 Kelly’s Olympian – Portland, OR w/Nanda Devi, Paranaut
4/01/2009 The Funhouse – Seattle, WA
4/03/2009 Burt’s Tiki Lounge – Salt Lake City, UT
4/14/2009 Three Kings – Denver, CO w/Mustangs & Madras, Adai
4/05/2009 Jackpot Saloon – Lawrence, KS w/The Cast Pattern
4/06/2009 The Fubar – Saint Louis, MO
4/09/2009 Washington St Art Center – Vermillion, SD

KOCH Records announces the addition of critically-acclaimed heavy trio HIGH ON FIRE to its roster. The band just completed a run of West Coast dates and now will focus on writing the new CD that will be released in Summer 2009.

HIGH ON FIRE — Matt Pike (guitar, vocals), Des Kensel (drums) and Jeff Matz (bass) –have released four critically acclaimed albums during its career, starting with their debut, The Art of Self Defense, on the now defunct Man’s Ruin label. Their latest album, Death Is This Communion, was released in 2007 and was produced by famed producer Jack Endino (Nirvana, Mudhoney).

Scott Givens, VP of Metal, says, “HIGH ON FIRE is one of the most important bands in the metal genre and we are extremely excited to be working with them.”

High on Fire performed on Gigantour 2008, alongside heavyweights Megadeth and KOCH recording artists In Flames, and recently wrapped up a tour with Opeth.

For more information, go to: www.highonfire.net.

Photo by www.dirtjunior.com

When Sweden’s Amon Amarth came to NY on October 20, 2008, to play The Fillmore NY at Irving Plaza, we sat down for an in-depth question-and-answer interview with singer Johan Hegg, guitarist Johan Söderberg and bassist Ted Lundström at our New York headquarters.

After our work was over, it was time to lighten the mood. And how do you lighten the mood in a room full of Viking metallers? You break out some mead, that’s how. In the following video, watch as mead connoisseurs Hegg, Söderberg and Lundström demonstrate how to make their favorite brew out of everyday items such as empty water jugs, honey, raisins, oranges, yeast and balloons.

So, if you’re over the legal drinking limit where you live and have a hankering for some sweet, Viking alcohol, check out the video below.
(more…)

Avant-garde extreme metal outfit COBALT has completed work on its highly anticipated new album, Gin, which will drop on March 17, 2009 via record label Profound Lore.

The follow up to the Colorado-based band’s critically acclaimed LP, Eater of Birds, Gin sees COBALT forge a markedly darker and rougher edged path, carving out a surreal outburst of intense sound that pushes American underground metal into new and uncharted realms.

Gin was recorded at Colorado’s Flatline Audio Studios with Producer Dave Otero, by COBALT members Erik Wunder (who doubles as Jarboe’s touring drummer) and Phil McSorley (currently deployed in Iraq), and is dedicated to the writings of Ernest Hemingway and Hunter S. Thompson. The album once again features a guest appearance from Jarboe as the ex-SWANS chanteuse contributes otherworldly vocals to the twisted tracks “A Clean, Well Lighted Place” and “Pregnant Insect”.

The complete track listing for Gin is as follows:
1. Gin
2. Dry Body
3. Arsonry
4. Throat
5. Stomach
6. A Clean, Well Lighted Place
7. Pregnant Insect
8. Two Thumbed Fist
9. The Old Man Who Lied His Entire Life
10. A Starved Horror

What do you do when you are Eyehategod and Jimmy Bower is too busy with Down to put out a new record? Start a band and put out a record without him, of course. Dragging Down the Enforcer (Seasons of Mist) is the first full-length from Outlaw Order, aka 00%, aka everyone from Eyehategod except Bower.

I was lucky enough to see Outlaw Order once at a Southern Lord SXSW showcase. At the time I hadn’t heard anything from them, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. But I was psyched just knowing the band was made up of nearly everyone from Eyehategod, which is one of my favorite bands of all time. Not just favorite sludge or metal band, favorite among any style of band. Period. They are everything that is great about punk and metal: heavy as hell, harsh vocals, great riffs and they have a name that you feel uncomfortable with when you wear their shirts in public. Not to mention Eyehategod have an amazing ability to conjure genuine fear.

I have never felt more frightened at a show than the first time I saw Eyehategod. There were broken bottles onstage and in the audience, and band members were eating random pills while they played. People were dragged out of the club bleeding and the band looked like they were about to self-destruct the whole time. Not to mention they were playing some of the greatest heavy riffs of all time.

So needless to say my expectations were a little high as I waited for Outlaw Order to start their SXSW set. Right before they were about to begin, their drummer, Joey LaCaze, was nowhere to be found. Finally he came busting out of the bathroom in the back of the club, his shirt unbuttoned and puke all over his jeans. When he got to the stage and noticed the vomit, he simply said, “What do you want? This ain’t the fucking Strokes, man.” And with that they preceded to destroy the room.

All in all, Outlaw Order is not that far off from Eyehategod. They still have that patented NOLA sludge sound that Eyehategod created. In general, though, there is a faster, more punk/crust influence in the music. Think Black Flag or Anti-Cimex. On the seven inch Legalize Crime, the faster punk sound was a little more evident than on the full length, Dragging Down the Enforcer, but it still is there.

When they slow it down, the riffs are actually a lot more in line with Soilent Green than Eyehategod. I assume it is because without Jimmy Bower, Brian Patton (who serves time in both Soilent Green and Eyehategod) is able to let forth his vision a bit more. So in general they are a little bit more notey, and off-time and involve more Soilent Green–style sliding.

Lyrically and concept-wise, Dragging Down the Enforcer deals with having troubles with the law, a subject all too familiar for the members of Outlaw Order. The word is that they started the band while every member was on probation. Awesome. Just like Eyehategod, if Outlaw Order is talking about some fucked up shit, it is because they have lived through some fucked up shit.

Mike Williams’ vocals are almost unintelligible, which is just how I like it: a sick stream of harsh vitriol that sounds like stream of conscious vomiting. I didn’t get any lyrics with my promo, but I am assuming they’re some kind of William S. Burroughs cutup presentation of Eyehategod lyrics—so I wouldn’t be able to follow along anyway. With song titles like “Double Barrel Solves Everything” you know you got greatness on your hands. Just trust that Mike Williams has led an amazingly interesting life and let him spew his hateful experience at you.

The only weird part of the record really is the much cleaner production, especially in the drum sound. The cymbals have this sharp, long wash over them and the kick and snare sound oddly triggered at times. This is especially noticable on a song like “Safety Off,” which starts with just the drums. Of course as soon as the killer sludge riff comes in I don’t notice it as much, but it is not my favorite aspect of the record.

Is Outlaw Order’s Dragging Down the Enforcer as good as classic Eyehategod records like Dopesick or Take as Needed for Pain? No, but it’s not really fair to compare the two—after all, they may share members but they are not the same band. Judged strictly on its own merit, Dragging Down is a short blast of pure NOLA sludge and a great addition to the Southern Nihilism Front. I love it. I am going to listen to it on repeat, a lot. And man I hope they go on tour sometime soon. I need a little bit more puke on my jeans, and a little more fear in my heart. —Geoff Garlock

THE END RECORDS announced today the signing of Brooklyn heavy metallers HULL. The hard-working quintet has made a name for themselves in the New York underground over the past few years and will be a welcome addition to THE END’s growing family of diverse artists. The band comments:

“We are very excited to be signing to The End, as we are a very hands-on, do-it-yourself band, and they seem to work that way as a record label. Besides, we wouldn’t sign with anyone that we couldn’t go have a few beers with!”

HULL’s first release for THE END will be a full-length entitled Sole Lord, the followup to 2007’s self-released Viking Funeral EP.

“As far as the album is concerned, we have been working with John Cosenza of Meteor Sound in Far Rockaway, NY. Everything is tracked and we are currently working on editing, mixing, and vocals ourselves in our studio in Brooklyn and once that’s finished we’ll be mastering with Alan Douches at West West Side. The artwork was done by Josh Graham (Neurosis, A Storm of Light) and the album has a conceptual, Siddhartha-esque pilgrimage theme and is set in third dynasty ancient Egypt.”

A release date has not been set for Sole Lord.

THE BAKERTON GROUP—the psychedelic instrumental jazz-laden alter ego of Clutch (all 4 original Clutch members make up The Bakerton Group)—have just announced the release of their album El Rojo.

Produced by Clutch and J. Robbins at Magpie Cage Studios in Baltimore, MD, El Rojo will be the first full tilt release from THE BAKERTON GROUP. In addition, Per Wiberg from Opeth was brought in to handle all piano, synth and keyboard duties on all 10 of El Rojo’s tracks.

In other Clutch related news, some of the footage from the band’s first ever live DVD/CD, Full Fathom Five, will be featured on Comcast Cable’s On Demand “Concert TV” channel starting December 15th, along with classic rock icons Led Zeppelin, Judas Priest, Black Crowes, Deep Purple, Santana, U2 & Motorhead.

Clutch will end 2008 the same way they began it, on the road. In late December, they will headline a short run with Viking Skull and Russian Circles as support. Starting Feb 11th to March 3rd, both Clutch and The Bakerton Group will simultaneously tour the the United States, before heading to the studio to record the new Clutch CD.


Tracklist for El Rojo
1. Time Horizon
2. Chancellor
3. Peruvian Airspace
4. Bien Classico
5. Life on Lars
6. M(f)HS
7. The Gigantowakhia
8. Work ‘em
9. Last Orbit
10. Bill Proger’s Galaxy

Clutch Live!

w/ Russian Circles and Viking Skull!
Dec 27 2008 Starland Ballroom Sayreville, New Jersey
Dec 28 2008 Webster Theater Hartford, Connecticut
Dec 29 2008 930 Club Washington DC, Washington DC
Dec 30 2008 Newport Music Hall Columbus, Ohio
Dec 31 2008 Orbit Room Grand Rapids, Michigan

Candlelight Records confirms the completion of the final recordings from black metal legends Emperor. Titled Live Inferno, the special live series features various releases recorded/filmed during the band’s sold out 2005-2007 reunion performances. Several formats will be available including a 2xCD/slipcase with 16-page booklet, a limited edition box featuring 2 CDs & DVD with an enhanced 24 page booklet, a single DVD, and two limited edition double-vinyl gatefold sets. April 16 is set as the European release date for the series with April 21 set as the North American release date.

The audio aspect of the Live Inferno series features exclusive recordings from the band’s headlining performances at Norway’s Inferno Festival and Germany’s Wacken Open Air Festival. Each recording will be pressed as individual double-vinyl sets; the first pressing limited to 1000 on black vinyl with any additional pressings in varied colors selected by the band. A special gold-vinyl seven-inch limited to 2000 titled Thus Spake the Nightspirit (featuring a live rendition of the band’s famed song from the album Anthems to the Welkin at Dusk with a live recording of “Inno A Satana” from the album band’s popular In the Nightside Eclipse album) will be pressed and released via the label’s official webstores beginning February 16.

The video portion, titled Live at Wacken Open Air 2006 – A Night of Emperial Wrath, has a running time of 70-minutes and includes footage professionally filmed at the Wacken Open Air Festival with additional on-stage and exclusive backstage footage filmed and compiled by the band.

“It looks like these releases will be the final nail in the coffin for Emperor,” says guitarist Samoth. “They are a testimony of the live reunion that took Emperor to even new heights; unique events like Wacken where Emperor headlined in front of 60 000 people. We had a great run of shows and feel lucky that we were able to come back even bigger and perform songs from our complete catalogue for a lot of dedicated fans old and new. There will be several cool formats and limited editions coming that should be a nice treat for the fans and a worthy representation of the Emperor legacy. Emperor is dead, long live the Emperor!”

Confirmed track listings include: Disc 1/Inferno: Infinity Burning (medley), Cosmic Keys to My Creations & Times, Thus Spake the Nightspirit, An Elegy of Icaros, Curse you all Men!, Wrath of the Tyrant, With Strength I Burn, Towards the Pantheon, The Majesty of the Nightsky, The Loss and Curse of Reverence, In the Wordless Chamber, Inno a Satana, I am the Black Wizards, Ye Entrancemperium, Opus a Satana. Disc 2/Wacken: Infinity Burning (medley), Cosmic Keys to My Creations & Times, Thus Spake the Nightspirit, An Elegy of Icaros, Curse you all Men!, With Strength I Burn, Towards the Pantheon, The Majesty of the Nightsky, The Loss and Curse of Reverence, In the Wordless Chamber, I am the Black Wizards, Inno a Satana.

http://www.myspace.com/emperorhorde
http://www.candlelightrecordsusa.com