Monday, April 12, 2010

LISTEN TO THIS FUCKING BAND: The Gates of Slumber



Great dudes, great band, and holy fucking epic! Trad metal as it should be played - with skill, precision, and a whole lotta fuckin' balls. Dirty denim'n'leather, Icarus Witch, Judas Priest and Pagan Alter-worshipping sonsabitches from the desolate Midwest who came thundering out from the prairies with a Profound Lore debut and are now pummeling the masses with their brand-new Rise Above-sanctioned slab, "Hymns of Blood and Thunder." They just tore it up with Weedeater and Black Tusk in Illadelph a few days ago, are hitting Europe hard with Cathedral and Church of Misery this month, and will be mercilessly storming the mellow stages of Roadburn 2010 in a few short days! I'll be there to take in the carnage.

BLOOD AND THUNDAAAAAAAAAH!

Oh, and, duh - LISTEN TO THIS FUCKING BAND.

Friday, April 9, 2010

Pensées Nocturnes Have "News to Spread"

As a writer, I often get unsolicited emails from publicists, promoters, bands, and various industry schmucks (as well as the inheritance-wielding Nigerian bankers we all know and love). Most of the time it's fine, a lot of the time it's annoying (seriously, I DO NOT CARE that Psychostick or Stigma are touring) and once in awhile, it's really fucking cool, and I find myself being introduced to new bands that I'd have otherwise never encountered. This is one of those (read it to yourself in a French accent for extra adorability):




For the release of the second "Pensées Nocturnes" album : "Grotesque", out on March 27th, LADLO Productions propose you an Ultra Limited (yet cheap) “GROTESQUE pack” (CD + T Shirt + Patch). Pensées Nocturnes is a mix of innovative and avant-gardist Black Metal acclaimed by the press.

http://www.myspace.com/ladloproductions
http://www.myspace.com/penseesnocturnes

Tracklist

1 - vulgumpecus
2 - Paria
3 - Rahu
4 - Eros
5 - Monoses
6 - Hel
7 - Thokk
8 - Next



The best part is that I've listened to the record, and it's really good! Very avant-garde, in the "let's incorporate some vague militaristic elements, some gothy clean vocals, keyboards, free jazz, and a whole bunch of other shit and see what sticks" kind of way, with the grime and gloom of black metal smeared all over it. Carnivalesque, in a Sigh sort of way, but imbued with just enough of that eerily eldritch French take on post-rock to appeal to more adventurous fans of Amesoeurs, too. It's a shame that this album won't be given the kind of attention the latest pile of bollocks from Century Media Deathcore Band #7 or Washed-Up Hair Metal Band #47 will be getting from the Twitterverse ; music like this is what keeps metal interesting, and keeps pushing its boundaries past the mouth of hell. So check them out, spread the word, and tell me what you think.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

EYEHATETOURING



Literally COULD NOT BE more stoked for this. My favorite band and a bunch of my favorite dudes, palying my favorite (legal) Philly venue, on the day before I graduate and leave college behind forever? Fuckin' hell. My only complaint is that the Atlas Moth and Howl won't be at the Illadelph date, so I'll have to wait a little longer to see their precious little faces again. Why not make this into one of those retarded 'fests' like Summer Slaughter, except with only good bands? They're halfway there already.

Best Tour of 2010. No fucking question about it.


6/03/2010 Backbooth - Orlando, FL w/ Withered

dates w/ Nachtmystium
6/4 Spartanburg, SC @ Ground Zero w/ Withered
6/5 Raleigh, NC @ Volume 11 w/ Withered, Black Tusk
6/6 Louisville, KY @ Headliners w/ Black Tusk
6/7 St. Louis, MO @ Fubar
6/8 Nashville, TN @ Muse w/ Withered
6/9 Richmond, VA @ Alley Katz w/ Black Tusk, Strong Intention
6/10 Frederick, MD @ Krug's w/ Brutal Truth, Strong Intention
6/11 Philadelphia, PA @ Unitarian Church w/ Brutal Truth, Black Anvil, Tombs
6/12 Brooklyn, NY @ Europa w/ Brutal Truth, Black Anvil, Tombs
6/13 Providence, RI @ Club Hall w/ Brutal Truth, Black Anvil, Tombs, Howl
6/14 Milford, CT @ Daniel St w/ Howl
6/15 Manchester, NH @ Rocko's w/ Howl

6/16 Rochester, NY @ Bug Jar
6/17 Cleveland, OH @ Now That's Class w/ The Atlas Moth
6/18 Detroit, MI @ Blondie's w/ The Atlas Moth, Strong Intention
6/19 Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle w/ Strong Intention
6/20 Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle The Atlas Moth

Friday, April 2, 2010

Start Saving For Your Funeral

I love getting packages - especially when they're from sweet boys in sweet bands like Coffinworm that are willing to mail me t-shirts that I may or may not have been too tipsy to remember taking with me at SXSW.



Seriously, how rad is that design?

Preorder their VICIOUS new record (and Profound Lore debut!) HERE.

Thursday, April 1, 2010

CASTEVET Complete Work On Debut Album

File under: Good News!

This band seriously rules. They're from Brooklyn, and may have stolen a sip or two from the same goblet as Krallice, but tackle their sneakily subversive style of black metal with technical ecstasy and post-hardcore catharsis. Definitely going to be one of those bands that people glom onto and start praising to high hell as soon as promos get sent out. Fuck it - I saw 'em at Heart of Winter with a bunch of leather-clad heathens, and have been waiting for the rest of the world to sit up and take notice of 'em ever since.

According to my boy Bruni's website:

Brooklyn, NY’s CASTEVET have completed work on their debut album. Entitled “Mounds Of Ash”, the three-piece have already made quite a reputation in their local scene with their highly praised “Stones/Salts” 7” EP (which sold out pretty much immediately) and their strong live performances respectively.


Like an apocalyptic conjuring, a thrusting into utter darkness, almost coming across as a ritualistic summoning of an amalgamation of VOIVOD, progressive/post hardcore (i.e. RORSCHACH, UNSANE, ANODYNE , a band in which Castevet bassist J. Scott was once a part of coincidentally) and the haunting and disorienting avant-black metal dissonance found in the likes of such acts as VED BUENS ENDE and DEATHSPELL OMEGA, with “Mounds Of Ash” CASTEVET will rise to prominence within the forward-thinking movement of the underground extreme metal scene, one which is comprised by a very select few elite acts, while at the same time standing their own ground within their local scene. This will all come to prominence when "Mounds Of Ash" unleashes itself on May 25th, an album which will also become a sonic harbinger to the downfall of humanity.

With the band seeking to play live and tour as much as possible, tracklisting for “Mounds Of Ash” (which was captured in the Thousand Caves Studios by Colin Marston of KRALLICE) goes as follows:

1. Red Star Sans Chastity
2. Mounds Of Ash
3. Grey Matter
4. Red Aura
5. Stones
6. Wreathed In Smoke
7. Harvester

An MP3 of the track ‘Grey Matter’ can be heard via the MP3 section of Profound Lore's website!