Oregon doom metallers YOB have returned, and Profound Lore is offering a way to purchase their latest record, The Great Cessation a few weeks before its official release date.

Go HERE to purchase this record before all your friends.

Tracklisting for “The Great Cessation” goes as follows:

1. Burning The Altar [Click To Preview]
2. The Lie That Is Sin
3. Silence Of Heaven
4. Breathing From The Shallows
5. The Great Cessation

Ruination, the highly anticipated new album from Glendale, Arizona extreme metallers JOB FOR A COWBOY, is available for streaming in its entirety on the band’s MySpace page. Due on July 7 via Metal Blade Records, the 10-song follow-up to 2007’s Genesis was tracked and mixed at AudioHammer studios in Sanford, Florida with producer Jason Suecof (THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, DEVILDRIVER, TRIVIUM).

“The ideas involved with the new album branch off from our last record, Genesis, but are more politically based,” states singer Jonny Davy. Topics addressed by the album’s schema revolve around modern-day worldwide dilemmas and controversial issues including “propaganda in the mainstream media and television, humanitarian rights of Northern Korea, the modern genocidal government of Nubia, the use of torture in American military tactics, overruling by world governments and police states/martial law.”

JOB FOR A COWBOY filmed a video for song “Regurgitated Disinformation” on June 6 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In addition to the video shoot, the evening included a full live set from both JOB FOR A COWBOY and a special-guest opening act.

Ruination marks the JOB FOR A COWBOY recording debut of drummer Jon “The Charn” Rice, who has toured with the band since the release of Genesis.

Upon the release of Ruination, JOB FOR A COWBOY will hit the road as one of the featured acts of the 2009 Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival alongside SLAYER, MARILYN MANSON and more. The 27-date North American trek is slated to launch on July 10 in Sacramento, California.

North Carolina’s sludge pillagers WEEDEATER have been confirmed as support for a full-on North American DOWN tour. The lineup changes throughout the routing; The Canadian dates feature secondary support from VOIVOD, while the bulk of the American dates feature THE MELVINS. Other opening support for the tour will be DANAVA for the first half and EVIL ARMY for the latter half of the dates.

WEEDEATER will play several shows in North Carolina and Tennessee on the way to the opening and after the closing of the tour, and will headline sporadically in chunks throughout the main tour.

WEEDEATER’s latest album God Luck And Good Speed was released in 2007 on Southern Lord Recordings; a deluxe double LP version just released in 2009.

WEEDEATER live:
7/28/2009 Drips’ - Hickory, NC
7/29/2009 Rocket Club - Asheville NC
7/30/2009 The Muse - Nashville TN w/Zoroaster
7/31/2009 Hi Tone Cafe - Memphis TN w/Rwake, The Lewd, Royal Thunder
8/01/2009 Diamond Ballroom - Oklahoma City OK w/Down, Danava
8/03/2009 Beaumont Club - Kansas City MO w/Down, Danava
8/04/2009 The Venue at Playmaker’s - Fargo ND w/Down, Danava
8/05/2009 Burton Cummings Theatre - Winnipeg MB w/Down, Voivod, Danava
8/07/2009 Edmonton Events Centre - Edmonton MB w/Down, Voivod, Danava
8/08/2009 MacEwan Hall - Calgary AB w/Down, Voivod, Danava
8/10/2009 Commodore Ballroom - Vancouver BC w/Down, Voivod, Danava
8/11/2009 Showbox SoDo - Seattle WA w/Down, Melvins, Danava
8/12/2009 Roseland Theater - Portland OR w/Down, Melvins, Danava
8/14/2009 Grand Ballroom - San Francisco CA w/Down, Melvins, Danava
8/15/2009 The Wiltern - Los Angeles CA w/Down, Melvins, Danava
8/16/2009 House of Blues - San Diego CA w/Down, Melvins, Danava
8/18/2009 House of Blues - Anaheim CA w/Down, Melvins, Danava
8/19/2009 House of Blues - Las Vegas CA w/Down, Melvins, Danava
8/21/2009 In The Venue - Salt Lake City UT w/Down, Melvins, Danava
8/22/2009 Gothic Theatre - Denver CO w/Down, Melvins, Danava
8/24/2009 Black Sheep - Colorado Springs, CO
8/28/2009 Red 7 - Austin, TX w/Dixie Witch
8/29/2009 Rock Bottom Tattoo Bar - San Antonio, TX w/Dixie Witch
8/30/2009 Walters On Washington - Houston, TX w/Dixie Witch
9/01/2009 CW Center Stage - Atlanta GA w/Down, Melvins, Evil Army
9/02/2009 House of Blues - Lake Bueno Vista FL w/Down, Melvins, Evil Army
9/03/2009 Brass Mug -Tampa, FL
9/06/2009 Volume 11 Tavern - Raleigh, NC
9/07/2009 The Half Shell - Virginia Beach, VA
9/08/2009 Sonar - Baltimore MD w/Down, Melvins, Evil Army
9/09/2009 Northern Lights - Clifton Park NY w/Down, Melvins, Evil Army
9/11/2009 Nokia Theatre Times Square - New York NY w/Down, Melvins, Evil Army
9/12/2009 Electric Factory - Philadelphia PA w/Down, Evil Army
9/13/2009 House of Blues - Boston MA w/Down, Melvins, Evil Army
9/14/2009 AS220 - Providence, RI
9/15/2009 Webster Theater - Hartford CT w/Down, Melvins, Evil Army
9/16/2009 Main Street Armory - Rochester NY w/Down, Melvins, Evil Army
9/18/2009 Koolhaus - Toronto ON w/Down, Voivod, Evil Army
9/19/2009 Emerald Theatre - Detroit MI w/Down, Melvins, Evil Army
9/21/2009 The Vogue Theatre - Indianapolis IN w/Down, Melvins, Evil Army
9/22/2009 House of Blues - Cleveland OH w/Down, Melvins, Evil Army
9/24/2009 Sokol Auditorium - Omaha NE w/Down, Melvins, Evil Army
9/25/2009 Pop’s - Sauget IL w/Down, Melvins, Evil Army
9/26/2009 The Pearl Room - Mokena IL w/Down, Melvins, Evil Army
9/28/2009 Jackpot - Lawrence, KS
9/29/2009 The Gypsy - Fayetteville, AR
10/02/2009 The Jinx - Savannah, GA
10/03/2009 Soapbox - Wilmington, NC w/ASG

MUNICIPAL WASTE frontman TONY FORESTA loves tearing up stages around the world with his bandmates, but apparently the singer has another passion which you may not know about - art.

In the video below, watch as FORESTA takes you around his apartment in Virginia, showing you his favorite pieces of art that he’s bought and collected over the years.

Check out the video below the jump.

Catch MUNICIPAL WASTE spreading the aggression through Europe this Summer at the following shows:

16 Jul 2009 - Svojsice, Czech Republic - Obscene Festival
17 Jul 2009 - Hamburg, Germany - Hafenklang
18 Jul 2009 - Lottum, Netherlands - Weistock Festival
19 Jul 2009 - Frankfurt, Germany - Elfer Club
20 Jul 2009 - Munich, Germany - Feierwerk
21 Jul 2009 - Kranj, Slovenia - Izbruhov Kulturni Bazen
23 Jul 2009 - Pinarella Di Cervia, Italy - Rockplanet Club
24 Jul 2009 - Genzano di Roma, Italy - Init Club
25 Jul 2009 - Lorca, Spain - Lorca Fest
26 Jul 2009 - Barcelona, Spain - Apollo
12 Aug 2009 - Oslo, Norway - Oya Festival
14 Aug 2009 - Derby, UK - Bloodstock Festival
28 Aug 2009 - Leeds, UK - Leeds Festival
29 Aug 2009 - Reading, UK - Reading Festival
30 Aug 2009 - Eindhoven, Netherlands - Dynamo Outdoor Festival
31 Aug 2009 - Bielefeld, Germany - AJZ
02 Sep 2009 - Athens, Greece - An Club
03 Sep 2009 - Cologne, Germany - Werkstatt
04 Sep 2009 - Antwerp, Belgium - Trix
05 Sep 2009 - Bischofswerda, Germany - East Club
06 Sep 2009 - Brno, Czech Republic - Faval
08 Sep 2009 - Vienna, Austria - Chelsea
09 Sep 2009 - Budapest, Hungary - Durer Kert
10 Sep 2009 - Belgrade, Serbia - Living Room
11 Sep 2009 - Zupanja, Croatia - MKC
12 Sep 2009 - Helsinki, Finland - Tavastia
14 Sep 2009 - Zurich, Switzerland - Dynamo
19 Sep 2009 - Lisbon, Portugal - Cine-Teatro de Corroios

NYC experimental doom metal band BLOODY PANDA have completed work on their new album, entitled Summon. The record will be released on August 11, 2009 via Profound Lore Records.

Recorded at New York’s Excello Recordings and Secret Weapon Studios with engineer Jason Marcucci (Flaming Lips, The White Stripes) and the band’s Josh Rothenberger, Summon is the follow up to the band’s debut Pheromone.

Summon will be issued as a two-disc, CD/DVD release; the DVD bringing to life an abstract visual interpretation of the 20-plus minute BLOODY PANDA track “Miserere”. Filmed in various Brooklyn locales and coupled with footage captured in Jatiluhur Dam, Indonesia, this optic translation is a very dark and mysterious offering that features world-renowned Butoh dancer Yuko Kaseki. “Miserere” was shot and edited by BLOODY PANDA’s Bryan Camphire, Blake McDowell and Josh Rothenberger, all of whom are also New York City based filmmakers.

“Summon spans two years of work — not just songwriting and recording, but also collaborations with different percussionists, studios, guest musicians, dancers and video artists,” comments BLOODY PANDA guitarist Rothenberger. “The final piece of the puzzle was Profound Lore, a label that has the attention of not only the metal world, but of the experimental art community as well; making it a good home for this release; the most important relic we’ve given birth to thus far.”

The track listing for BLOODY PANDA’s SUMMON is as follows:
1.) Gold
2.) Pusher
3.) Saccades I
4.) Saccades II
5.) Miserere
6.) Grey
7.) Hashira

An excerpt from the new BLOODY PANDA track “Miserere” can be digested HERE, while the premiere of the new song “Pusher” can be heard at THIS LOCATION.

BLOODY PANDA will launch a month-long North American tour on July 21 in Bethlehem, PA. The 27 city trek will run through August 21 at the Union Pool in Brooklyn. A full listing of upcoming BLOODY PANDA tour dates follows this message.

BLOODY PANDA features Yoshiko Ohara (lead vocals), Josh Rothenberger (guitar), Bryan Camphire (bass, vocals), Blake McDowell (keyboards, organs, vocals), Richard Schwarz – drums, percussion and Gerry Mak (Tuvan Throatsinging, overtonal chant).

BLOODY PANDA tour dates:

July 21 Bethlehem, PA Burners
July 22 Philadelphia, PA Kung Fu Necktie (w/ Woe)
July 23 Washington, DC The Red And The Black (w/ Salome)
July 24 Richmond, VA Nara Sushi (w/ Dysrhythmia)
July 25 Wilmington, NC Soapbox (w/ Dark Castle)
July 27 Savannah, GA The Wormhole
July 28 Gainesville, FL The Atlantic
July 30 Miami, FL Goo (w/ Dark Castle, Maruta)
July 31 TBA
August 1 Atlanta, GA Drunken Unicorn (w/ Dark Castle, Withered)
August 2 New Orleans, LA Hi Ho Lounge (w/ EYEHATEGOD)
August 3 Baton Rouge, LA Lacey’s House (w/ Thou)
August 5 Little Rock, AR Downtown Music (w/ Zucura)
August 6 Nashville, TN The End
August 7 Indianapolis, IN Casa Del Kotex (w/ Black Arrows Of Filth And Impurity)
August 8 Chicago, IL White Star Bar (w/ Giant Squid, Grayceon, Lord Mantis)
August 9 Columbus, OH The Summit (w/ Lord Mantis)
August 10 Pittsburgh, PA Howler’s (w/ Giant Squid, Grayceon)
August 12 Buffalo, NY Mohawk Place
August 13 Toronto, ON Wreck Room
August 14 Montreal, QC Katacombes
August 15 Portland, ME New Systems Laundry (w/ Ocean)
August 16 Boston, MA Church
August 18 TBA
August 19 TBA
August 20 Baltimore, MD Talking Head
August 21 Brooklyn, NY Union Pool

BURNT BY THE SUN have posted a second advance track, “Inner Station”, from their new full length album Heart Of Darkness. “Inner Station” can be heard now via the band’s MySpace page: MySpace.com/ BurntByTheSun along with “F-Unit.”

The brand new track is also available now as an exclusive advance download via the Relapse Records Contamination 2009 ITunes digital album.

BURNT BY THE SUN have posted a series of four in-studio videos shot during the Heart Of Darkness recording sessions online now at this location.

The web episodes were produced by Ronen Kauffman of IssueOriented.com. Heart Of Darkness, the follow-up to 2003’s The Perfect Is The Enemy Of The Good, was recorded at Trax East Recording Studios with producer Eric Rachel (HATEBREED, THE RED CHORD, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, A LIFE ONCE LOST). Heart Of Darkness is set for an August 18th North American release date, August 24th internationally.

26 Jun 2009 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Gothenburg Metaltown Festival
16 Jul 2009 - Svojsice, Czech Republic - Obscene Festival
17 Jul 2009 - Hamburg, Germany - Hafenklang
18 Jul 2009 - Lottum, Netherlands - Weistock Festival
19 Jul 2009 - Frankfurt, Germany - Nachtleben
20 Jul 2009 - Munich, Germany - Feierwerk
21 Jul 2009 - Kranj, Slovenia - Izbruhov Kulturni Bazen
23 Jul 2009 - Pinarella Di Cervia, Italy - Rockplanet Club
24 Jul 2009 - Genzano di Roma, Italy - Palarockness Club
25 Jul 2009 - Lorca, Spain - Lorca Fest
26 Jul 2009 - Barcelona, Spain - Apollo
12 Aug 2009 - Oslo, Norway - Oya Festival
14 Aug 2009 - Derby, UK - Bloodstock Festival
28 Aug 2009 - Leeds, UK - Leeds Festival
29 Aug 2009 - Reading, UK - Reading Festival
30 Aug 2009 - Eindhoven, Netherlands - Dynamo Outdoor Festival
31 Aug 2009 - Bielefeld, Germany - AJZ
02 Sep 2009 - Athens, Greece - An Club
03 Sep 2009 - Cologne, Germany - Werkstatt
04 Sep 2009 - Antwerp, Belgium - Trix
05 Sep 2009 - Bischofswerda, Germany - East Club
06 Sep 2009 - Brno, Czech Republic - Faval
08 Sep 2009 - Vienna, Austria - Chelsea
09 Sep 2009 - Budapest, Hungary - Durer Kert
10 Sep 2009 - Belgrade, Serbia - Living Room
11 Sep 2009 - Zupanja, Croatia - MKC
12 Sep 2009 - Helsinki, Finland - Tavastia
14 Sep 2009 - Zurich, Switzerland - Dynamo
19 Sep 2009 - Lisbon, Portugal - Incrivel Almadense

Black Sabbath gave birth to heavy metal on February 13, 1970, the day the British band’s self-titled debut was unleashed onto the world.

There, I said it. And to fully appreciate the power of the crew’s (or partial crew’s) new release, The Devil You Know (Rhino), it’s important to revisit some Sabbath history.

Featuring the godlike original lineup of guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler, drummer Bill Ward and vocalist/self-proclaimed Prince of Darkness Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath established the standard of heavy music with that epic first album, and refined it over their 40 plus year career—a career that hasn’t been without its upheaval.

The first, and most potentially catastrophic event, was the unfortunate and turbulent departure of Ozzy in 1979 due to unprofessional attitudes (read: his legendary drug and alcohol–fueled antics). While Ozzy quickly (and to many, surprisingly) gained newfound success with his solo band (featuring ex-Quiet Riot guitar wizard Randy Rhoads), Tony, Bill and Geezer were still left without a singer.

Ozzy’s replacement came in the form of up-and-coming heavy metal god Ronald James Padavona (who later adopted his now well-known moniker, Dio), formerly of Elf and Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow, and the band released Heaven and Hell in April of 1980.

With Dio onboard, Black Sabbath not only came back with a vengeance, but they reshaped the way heavy metal was played, once again, and revolutionized what is now known as doom metal. Heaven and Hell spewed many timeless hits and fan favorites, such as the title track, “Neon Knights,” “Die Young,” “Children of the Sea” and “Lady Evil.”

Butler, Appice, Dio, Iommi

Mob Rules followed just one year later, though Bill Ward was replaced with legendary skinsman Vinny Appice. Even with this “minor setback,” Iommi’s heavier-than-fuck riffs and Butler’s hard-hitting bass delivered the goods (as evident in the album’s classic title track and “The Sign of the Southern Cross”).

Following the release of the band’s next live album, Live Evil, in 1982 Dio called it quits and went on to secure his legacy with his solo band. Tony and Co., on the other hand, kept carrying Sabbath’s fire admirably, albeit coming up a bit short of their previous efforts.

It was also during this time period that Tony became the only original Sabbath member in cast of revolving rock heavyweights, most notably vocalists Glenn Hughes and Ian Gillan (both formerly of Deep Purple), drummer Eric Singer (formerly of Alice Cooper’s band and current Kiss/Avantasia drummer), and bassists Cozy Powell (who has played with Yngwie J. Malmsteen, Michael Schenker and Rainbow) and Bob Daisley (Rainbow, Yngwie and, interestingly enough, both Ozzy and Dio’s bands).

In 1992, the Mob Rules lineup reunited to release Dehumanizer, a return to form of sorts. The rest of the Nineties were spent with the classic lineup of Iommi, Butler, Ward and Ozzy headlining shows and spearheading the annual Ozzfest tour, which produced 1998’s Reunion live album/DVD.

Then in early 2007, the Mob Rules lineup announced they would play some shows under the name Heaven and Hell (thanks to the legal sanction preventing the use of the name Black Sabbath sans Ozzy courtesy of Sharon Osbourne). Bill Ward was originally asked to join but he declined the offer, citing a lack of interest in playing in a band without Ozzy. The reunion was so successful that what started out as a few select shows soon grew into a series of full-blown world tours.

Which brings us to the present—29 years since the release of Heaven and Hell, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Vinny Appice and Ronnie James Dio have released a brand new, surely soon-to-be classic album, The Devil You Know. And without further ado, here’s a look at the greatest, heaviest and most sinister Black Sabbath record since 1975’s Sabotage.

The Devil You Know opens strongly with “Atom and Evil,” and it’s immediately evident that Tony and his doom crew are not phoning this one in. Mirroring the album’s sinister artwork (courtesy of the extremely talented Norwegian artist Per Haagensen), “Atom and Evil” revels in all that is doom. The main riff is mean as hell and recalls that classic riff from “Black Sabbath”: three notes, pure evil. The production couldn’t be more perfect. The drums have that dark, earthy tone and you can literally feel Butler’s bass lines. And let’s not forget about the classic Iommi guitar tone, which is perfectly intact and as relevant as it ever was. After this first track faded out, I knew I was in for the ride of my life.

Next up is “Fear,” and what a follow-up it is. Heavy palm-muting abounds and Dio’s vocals are incredible (so much so that to really discuss them would require a whole other review). Sure, we all know those jokes about him: his height, his age, Elf, but make no mistake—his talent is simply flawless. Bands like Candlemass, Pentagram, Saint Vitus, Warning and Cathedral (all excellent bands in their own right) can come up with quality riffs, but none of their singers can evoke the same feelings in the listener like Dio can. It’s something to be heard, not explained.

“Bible Black” is the band’s first single and, in my humble opinion, doesn’t represent the album purely. It’s a superb song, but definitely doesn’t set the exact tone of the album. “Double the Pain” starts off with a double-tracked bass riff, one with slight overdrive and one with a phase effect. This is one of the album’s faster songs, and contains lush guitar overdubs and super thick drums. “Rock and Roll Angel” and “Turn of the Screw” unfold in the same fashion (more or less), while “Eating the Cannibals” is a full-on hard-rocker (similar to “The Mob Rules” or “Wishing Well”). The guys back off the tempo for “Follow the Tears,” but kick into high gear once more with the guitar-driven “Neverwhere.” When the album’s end arrives, in appropriately epic fashion, with “Breaking Into Heaven” it sounds as if Iommi’s droning riff, nicely doubled with the vocals, is in fact creeping up from hell.

There’s a reason why the members of Heaven and Hell are all considered rock royalty. Does Tony Iommi really write the most evil riffs in metal? Is Geezer Butler actually the world’s heaviest bassist? Can Dio still sing? Does Vinny Appice earn his spot in the Sabbath legacy? The answers to these questions—a resounding yes—are all proved on The Devil You Know. Easily one of the best metal records in the past decade, The Devil You Know grabs you by the throat and drags you straight to the deepest pit of hell, where all three of these four immortals are perched proudly in their thrones.—Henry Yuan

Vocalist Ben Falgoust (GOATWHORE, SOILENT GREEN) has joined SUICIDE WAR, the hardcore/metal/thrash hybrid from New Orleans, Louisiana featuring two members of VALUME NOB — Frey Thieler on guitar and Sammy Molina on bass — alongside BLACK LABEL SOCIETY/ex-CROWBAR drummer Craig Nunenmacher. Thieler says, “Craig, Sammy, and I cannot be more happy to have him in the group. Ben has been a longtime friend of everyone in the band, and could not be more excited to be a part of this project.”

SUICIDE WAR is:

Frey Thieler (VALUME NOB) - Guitar
Craig Nunenmacher (BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, ex-CROWBAR) - Drums
Sammy Molina (VALUME NOB) Bass
Ben Falgoust (SOILENT GREEN, GOATWHORE) - Vocals

Thieler adds, “As of now, we only have two rough tracks of guitar and bass up on the [MySpace page], but within the next day or so we will be posting up two songs with drums, guitar and bass.”

Oakland, CA metal quartet SAVIOURS have entered San Francisco’s Lucky Cat Recording Studios with Producer Phil Manley (of Trans Am / The Fucking Champs) to begin work on the follow up to its sophomore LP Into Abaddon.

Set for an October 13, 2009 release date, the as-yet-untitled SAVIOURS album will feature the lineup of guitarist / vocalist Austin Barber, bassist Cyrus Comiskey drummer Scott Batiste and guitarist Sonny Reinhardt (ex-Watch Them Die), who joined the band in 2008.

When asked for comment, Batiste asserted, “We just got back from ravaging Europe, playing the whole new album every night. With Sonny joining us, the tempos and guitar work have definitely been cranked up a few notches, though the heaviness is still intact. The new jams are road toughened and more killer than we could have imagined.”

In advance of the album’s release, SAVIOURS will issue three new 7” records, all of which will drop on June 23. The vinyl-only EPs will be strictly limited to 500 copies each with artwork branded by Tim Lehi of San Francisco’s BlackHeart Tattoo. Details on the three EPs are as follows:

- SAVIOURS Acid Hand 7” EP (features the new tracks “Acid Hand” b/w “Slave to the Hex”). See the cover art here .

- SAVIOURS Burnin’ Cross 7” EP (features the new track “Burnin’ Cross b/w “Fire in the Sky” [SAXON cover]). See the cover art here .

- SAVIOURS F.G.T. 7” EP (features the new track “F.G.T.” b/w “Running Wild” [JUDAS PRIEST cover]). See the cover art here .

“The demos we did with Scott Ecklein in Oakland this April came out so good that we thought should do something with them,” Batiste continued. “So we tracked a few covers for b-sides and decided to do a limited vinyl 7″ thing so people can check out some of the new songs before fall.”

The new SAVIOURS song “Acid Hand” has been posted online courtesy of ALARM Magazine.

Photo by BEKKER