I don’t know about you, but I kicked off my concert calendar for 2010 with New York death metal legends Immolation, long-running Brazilian trio Krisiun and, of course, the insanely brutal South Carolinian band Nile. Talk about starting the year right.
By the time I arrived to the Grammercy Theatre in Manhattan, I learned that Abigail Williams dropped off (due to reasons unknown to me). Also, Los Angeles-based Dreaming Dead were also on the bill though I had no idea who they were.
I made it inside just in time to catch Dreaming Dead. I haven’t heard anything about these guys (and gals) so, needless to say, I was a tad curious. From what I made out, the band played generic modern death metal—lots of guitar solos and acrobatic riffs and a good amount of Slaughter of the Soul worship. Guitarists Elizabeth Schall Elliot and Laura Christine really know how to play their instruments, but I wasn’t exactly feeling the music.
Krisiun were up next and, of course, their legions of fans here in New York were pumped. I’ve seen them quite a number of times over the years (the last time was with Destruction) and they always deliver the goods. However, as much as I enjoy them live and on record, I feel they’re one of those bands that if you’ve seen them once, you’ve might as well seen them a bunch of times. (Read: it’s pretty much the same show.)
To keep the momentum going, bassist/vocalist Alex Camargo kept the banter to a minimum during their short set. The band ripped through about six songs, which were evenly culled from their catalog with emphasis on their latest offering through Century Media, Southern Storm. If you like your death metal fast and punishing, look no further.
I gotta be honest here: I’ve never seen Immolation live before. Yes, I am from New York and I’m well aware of how often Yonkers’ finest play here. It’s just that, for one reason or another, I had never made it out to an Immolation show. I really like the band (Dawn of Possession is genius), so I was really pumped to finally see them.
The band opened with “Passion Kill” and I knew I was in for a ride. To finally be able to see guitarist Bob Vigna’s signature stage moves and bassist/vocalist Ross Dolan’s insane amount of hair was truly an experience. Classics like “Father, You’re Not A Father” and “Burial Ground” are still as strong today as when they first came out.
“The Purge,” from the band’s forthcoming album Majesty and Decay (Nuclear Blast Records), showed that the band hasn’t run out of great ideas. At the end of their set, I was more than impressed. I can’t wait to see these guys come through again in support of their new album. I have a feeling it’s going to be quite amazing.
Finally, we have Nile. I don’t think an introduction is necessary. These Egyptian-obsessed tech-death machines seemed to be in great spirits when they came onstage to a packed crowd. “Kafir”, from the band’s great new album For Whom the Gods Detest (Nuclear Blast Records), kicked things off and was followed with “Sacrifice Unto Sebak” and another new one, “Hitite Dung Incantation” (they never fail with the great song titles).
Guitarists Karl Sanders and Dallas Toler-Wade, drummer George Kollias and bassist Chris Lollis were on fire. The fans were treated to “Serpent Headed Mask” from their first record, Amongst the Catacombs…, as well as some tried-and-true favorites such as “Lashed to the Slave Stick”, “Sarcophagus,” “Execution Text” and, of course, “Black Seeds of Vengeance.”
The last time I caught these guys live, they were touring in support of their 2007 release, Ithyphallic. At that show, though I liked the band, their song selections didn’t seem to work for me live. However, this time out, with For Whom the Gods Detest —and a much more ripping song selection—the band really kept me on my toes for the entire show. Nile are better than ever and I strongly suggest to attend one of their shows if they’re in the area.—Henry Yuan
SHRINEBUILDER have announced two new live dates to their upcoming roster. The band have been confirmed for their second NYC show, taking place at the E+L Auditorium of Manhattan’s New York University this March 11th, just two days before their appearance at the Scion Rock Fest in Columbus, Ohio alongside Pelican, Cannibal Corpse, D.R.I. Liturgy, Absu and more.
These two newly announced SHRINEBUILDER dates fall directly after the previously announced West Coast US Neurot Recordings tour, also featuring labelmates A STORM OF LIGHT and with special appearances from HARVESTMAN at three Bay Area shows. SHRINEBUILDER will also perform at this year’s Roadburn Festival in Tilburg, Holland alongside Thorr’s Hammer, Goatsnake, Enslaved, Eyehategod, Eagle Twin, Church of Misery and more (http://www.roadburn.com/).
SHRINEBUILDER consists of guitarist/vocalist Scott Weinrich (Hidden Hand, St. Vitus), bassist/vocalist Al Cisneros (Om, Sleep), guitarist/vocalist Scott Kelly (Neurosis) and drummer Dale Crover (the Melvins).
Confirmed SHRINEBUILDER Live Appearances:
3/02/2010 The Casbah – San Diego, CA
3/03/2010 Echo – Los Angeles, CA
3/04/2010 Echo – Los Angeles, CA
3/05/2010 The Voodoo Lounge – San Jose, CA w/ Harvestman, Brain Oil
3/06/2010 Oakland Metro – Oakland, CA w/ Harvestman, Laudanum
3/07/2010 The Independent – San Francisco, CA w/ Harvestman
3/09/2010 Neumo’s – Seattle, WA
3/11/2010 E+L Auditorium @ New York University – New York, NY
3/13/2010 Scion Rock Fest – Columbus, OH
4/17/2010 Roadburn Festival – Tilburg, Holland
More news will be announced shortly on this already legendary group.
ENSLAVED founding member/songwriter/rhythm guitarist Ivar Bjørnson has sent in the following studio update:
“This is a short blog from the studio where we – ENSLAVED – have started to record our new album. We are doing the drums in Duper Studios here in Bergen – this time around we are recording everything in our hometown, something we last did with [2004’s] Isa. Iver Sandøy (Trinacria, Manngard, Emmerhoff & T.M.B.) is engineering the drum recording; and we feel we are in very good hands.
“The remaining instruments will be recorded in Herbrand [Larsen, keyboards] and [lead guitarist] Ice Dale’s Earshot Studio, with a few small exceptions done in Peersonal Sound (my own studio). We’re starting off as we always do: with me and [drummer] Cato [Bekkevold] going in first. The session started out beautifully with the perfect starting point for the drum sound and the first song being laid down by Cato. This song is a musical and lyrical contemplation on a rune – one associated with travel… We’ll get back to more on the songs later!
After Vertebrae, it has been a hectic period, with shows, tours and everything that is going on around the band. Yet it has been a remarkably self-energizing process making this new album. For starters, the dynamics have never been better, both literally in the music – and metaphorically, meaning the working climate within the band. Writing music is rewarding when you know the other members will take your ideas seriously and give everything they’ve got to make the best out of every single idea.
“The amazing feedback we’ve gotten after Vertebrae hasn’t exactly made us more modest: We picked up some very valuable confidence from that. A third pillar of inspiration is the continuing ideological struggle against the dogmas: political, monotheistic, moral dogmas that keep getting a stronger and stronger chokehold on man. Some dangers are growing while others are on the rebound (for now). ENSLAVED is an ongoing project to channel alternative currents; resistance to those trying to force-fit the mind into the tiny squares of one-doms and tyrannies.
After all that hot air, I’ve asked Cato to provide some thoughts on the new material and the recording process:
“Hi there! We started yesterday to set the sound, and from there on the drums for two songs were nailed. Today, on the second day, we started at noon and worked our way through three more songs. Ivar is very easy (to work with) and we are really getting payback for the work put in advance of the recording. I am, in other words, getting close to finishing my part of the album, and that’s fine by me – I would climb the walls if the whole session would take anything more than a week. The songs are, like always, pretty varied both in mood, speed and style. The cool thing is that none of us actually know how it’s gonna turn out in the very end. What ideas Ice Dale has for guitar solos, only he knows. -Cato”
There’s a long journey ahead before the release, we’ll try and keep you posted on how it is coming along; including information about album title, track names, artwork, dates etc.
Last year, Earache Records released Heavy Metal Killers—a compilation of the best up-and-coming traditional heavy metal bands around the world. Not surprisingly, most of the bands that were featured hail from Scandinavia and Europe. Only two bands—Cauldron and White Wizzard—represent North America, with the latter being the only one from America. I asked myself, where the hell are the other American bands? For a country that spawned such great bands as Manowar, Agent Steel, Riot and Abattoir, there must be some young bands out there carrying the torch. Well, there aren’t many but I have found one. That band is Rhode Island-via-Brooklyn’s Natur.
Natur’s sound can be best described like this: Roky Erickson, after having one drink too many, singing over the heaviest riffs from the Judas Priest and Mercyful Fate catalog. Unlike White Wizzard, who in my opinion are too polished and glam-sounding, Natur are extremely raw, aggressive and full of attitude, similar to Iron Maiden’s Paul Di’Anno years.
The self-titled demo starts off with “Metal Knights,” an intro/instrumental track that sounds as glorious as the title. In true heavy metal fashion, it’s packed with lots of solos and melodies—thanks to guitarists Dino Destroyer and Weibust (who also supply the great vocals). Immediately following the intro track is “Zorched,” which is very reminiscent of early Angel Witch and Diamond Head, if “Fast” Eddy Clarke (Fastway, Motorhead) was swinging the ax. Which is to say: the song is built upon lots of different riffs rather than ideas, and has a punk-ish, “fuck you” attitude. More importantly, the songs are memorable. The excellent rhythmic foundation is layed by drummer Tooth and bassist the Mexicutioner, and is best demonstrated on “Goblin Shark” and the closer “Spider Baby.”
The reason why I love these four tracks so much is that it’s heavy metal done the way it’s supposed to be done. Not only does the band have loads of authentic attitude, and just the right amount of catchiness (if you heard Tank’s “Honor & Blood,” you’ll know what I mean). The lyrics and themes are not the usual Satanic or H.P. Lovecraft themes employed by so many bands in the genre. But Natur’s tongue-and-cheek humor doesn’t take away from the actual music.
Natur reminds me why I got into heavy metal in the first place—the riffs hit so hard that you can’t help but headbang. True heavy metal isn’t dead, and these guys prove it. But don’t just take my word for it: head over to their MySpace page to stream this demo for yourself.—Henry Yuan
Batillus’s Fade Kainer. Photo by Tommy Kearns & Chloe Rice
Brooklyn doom crew Batillus have stepped up their game on their latest effort, the Beard Destroyer Tour CDR-EP. This release is limited to 75 copies, featuring handcrafted packaging by Northern Owl, and contains three songs that clock in at a total running time of 24:10. The EP was recorded at Sterling Audio in Brooklyn, NY, by Brendan Tobin (Red Sparowes, Made Out of Babies) and mastered by Josh Bonati.
The EP kicks off with “The Division,” which features the debut of new vocalist / synth-monger Fade Kainer (Inswarm, Jarboe). Kainer adds some deep, crispy flavor to the band’s mid-tempo riffage and snaking, psych-doom lines. So if you like doom–and we know you do–get some below:
HIGH ON FIRE has completed work on its long-awaited, fifth studio album and follow-up to 2007’s Death is This Communion. Titled Snakes for the Divine, the record will drop on February 23, 2010 via E1 Music.
Today, HIGH ON FIRE premieres the first new song from Snakes for the Divine, unleashing the powerhouse “Frost Hammer”. The out-of-this-world track sees the Oakland band at the peak of its powers, delivering state-of-the-art heavy metal as only HIGH ON FIRE can while legendary guitarist / vocalist Matt Pike roars about “icy skies, frozen minds and galactic eyes.”
When asked for comment on “Frost Hammer”, Pike called the song, “”An icy death lullaby”. Check out the gigantic track now as it debuts via Stereogum’s Haunting the Chapel at this location.
The track listing for HIGH ON FIRE’s Snakes for the Divine is as follows:
1.) “Snakes for the Divine”
2.) “Frost Hammer”
3.) “Bastard Samurai”
4.) “Ghost Neck”
5.) “Fire, Flood & Plague”
6.) “How Dark We Pray”
7.) “Holy Flames of the Fire Spitter”
In addition to Pike, HIGH ON FIRE features drummer Des Kensel and bassist Jeff Matz.
To kick off the New Year and the new decade, we must first go back all the way to 1988. Why? The answer is simple: Jersey City’s Grind Bastard just released their debut EP, 200grind (pronounced “two thousand and grind”), and it’s quite possibly the best grindcore and death metal EP I’ve heard since the late-Eighties.
The band, featuring Annunaki vocalist Tony Stanziano on bass, former Funebrarum drummer Brian Jimenez, former Cyber Christ guitarist Mike Stecz on vocals and former Lethal Strike guitarist Marcus Acosta, plays no-bullshit grindcore and death metal the way the legendary English bands did.
If the band’s name—which was taken from Benediction’s album of the same name—didn’t tip you off, their riffs surely will. The opening to “Worthless Generation” is extremely hardcore punk influenced, which was the way grindcore was and should be. The guitar tone is insanely vicious and dense, and brings in mind bands like Extreme Noise Terror and Napalm Death.
Though the riffs and the vocal style harken back to the glory days of English grindcore, there is an equal amount of New York hardcore influences. “Product of a Mindless Scene” displays the band’s sense of groove in similar fashion to New York Hardcore pioneers Madball and Sick of it All while the EP’s closing track, “Unchallenged Fate”, flawlessly blends the two styles together with a healthy dose of blast beats, two-step beats, primitive death metal guitar solos (think old Sepultura) and tough-guy gang vocals.
Grind Bastard are a band who’s not afraid of wearing their influences on their sleeves. Interestingly enough, they are also simply not a tribute act, either. They are so well grounded in their classic-Earache and hardcore roots that they manage to sound extremely fresh in today’s streamlined, polished, saturated and overly technical extreme music scene. If they existed back in 1988, there would be no doubt that the late, great John Peel would champion them the same way he did Carcass, Bolt Thrower, Heresy and so forth. Hell, they probably would have even entered Digby Pearson’s radar.
200grind can now be streamed on the band’s MySpace page, where you can also purchase a limited CD version. This is strongly recommended if you are fed up with the constant garbage that is labeled as grindcore, hardcore and death metal these days. —Henry Yuan
Led by mastermind Blake Judd (above, center), Chicago-based psych black metal act NACHTMYSTIUM are currently recording with Sanford Parker (Minsk) at Volume Studios. For the much anticipated Assassins Part II, they have enlisted the talents of Wrest (Leviathan, Lurker of Chalice, Twilight) to record all drum tracks, as well as Will Lindsay (Wolves in the Throne Room, Middian) on bass.
NACHTMYSTIUM kicks off their 2010 touring cycle by joining up with German thrash legends Kreator so head over to www.myspace.com/nachtmystium to view their complete touring itinerary.
Judd further describes his excitement over this upcoming album: “Our love for post rock and industrial (a la Ministry, Killing Joke, etc) is even more present this time around. We’re hoping to make a record that will continue to push extreme music into uncharted territories. We hope to see you all soon.”
Released in 1983, Sam Raimi’s The Evil Dead had a do-it-yourself, home-made vibe that gave the director a lot of hands on experience as a filmmaker. It later served Raimi well when he moved up to big-time Hollywood with the Spider-Man franchise, and in January, the original Evil Dead is coming back to theaters…to the delight of horror buffs and metalheads alike.
The Evil Dead series was a big underground horror hit that also had a big following from the underground metal world. It inspired songs from Deicide, Dr. Shrinker (the finest death metal band from Milwaukee), Mortician, Necrophagia, and Regurgitation, who later became Old Lady Drivers, one of the first Earache bands. As Albert Mudrian recalled in his book Choosing Death, Chuck Schuldiner and Kam Lee used to go see Evil Dead every weekend, and one night when they were standing on line, Schuldiner said, “Why don’t we just change the name of the band from Mantas to Death?”
Now thanks to the kind folks at Grindhouse Releasing, who put out deluxe DVD packages of Lucio Fulci’s The Beyond, Cannibal Holocaust, and I Drink Your Blood, the o.g. Evil Dead will be touring American theaters from January 8 through June 13. One showing will have a triple bill of all three Evil Dead flicks—Evil Dead II and Army of Darkness—another will have a triple bill with Pieces and Zombie (check the links below for dates).
If you haven’t seen the original The Evil Dead yet, as Bruce Campbell said in an official Grindhouse Releasing statement, “Nothing can prepare an audience for what they are about to see, because nothing punishes an audience like Evil Dead – especially on the big screen. I’m really glad it’s back. People are gonna be hurt.” —David Konow
David Konow is the author of Bang Your Head, and has also contributed to Guitar World, Geek Monthly, Fangoria, and many other publications and websites.
“Tom [Araya] gave various medical treatments more than a fair shot,” said Slayer’s manager Rick Sales, “but they just haven’t handled the problem, so he’s biting the bullet and is scheduled for back surgery at the end of this month.”
This difficult decision made by the band’s bassist/vocalist Tom Araya means the cancellation of Slayer’s immediate tour plans that include the American and Canadian Carnage Tour dates that were set to kick off on January 18, as well as the band’s UK/European tour scheduled for March and April. Booking agents for both Slayer and Megadeth are already hard at work to see if these dates can be rescheduled, so those holding tickets are asked to sit tight as more info will be announced as progress is made.
The headbanging Araya, known for aggressively swinging his long mane of hair while performing, began experiencing back problems while on the band’s Australian/New Zealand/Japanese tour last October. In spite of his rapidly increasing pain and discomfort, he carried on with the tour, but immediately upon returning home saw an orthopedic specialist who diagnosed a Cervical Radiculopathy. The rocker initially did not want to take the major surgery route, so the specialist recommended a series of minimally-invasive procedures. While those procedures have resulted in some improvement, Araya continues to deal with intermittent bouts of severe pain, numbness and muscle spasms. The surgical procedure that Araya will undergo, called an Anterior Cervical Discectomy with Fusion, is a relatively routine practice and the recovery rate is excellent.
Sales added, “As unfortunate as this is for so many people – the Megadeth and Testament camps, the concerts’ promoters, and, of course, the fans – Tom’s health is the number one priority, and this has to happen.”
