Saturday, October 31, 2009

Happy Halloween!

Some spooky songs for you this Halloween, enjoy!


Siouxsie & the Banshees "Halloween" Live 1981



Anacrusis "The Munsters Theme"



Iron Maiden "The Number of the Beast"

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Rock n' Roll For Life Baby!

Deathy Thrash Metal with a humourous underside. I can dig it!

Check out Horrific with their song "Death Rock"

I Was Gladly Fed Through The Teeth Machine!

So the new The Red Chord album is out and I went out and bought it today as soon as I could. It's amazing and I haven't stopped listening to it since I got home. Here is one of the best songs off the album "Mouthful of Precious Stones"

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

New Airbourne album this winter!

Australian hard rockers Airbourne have announced a tentative release date for their follow-up to 2008's Runnin' Wild as February 2010, titled No Guts, No Glory. It may not be metal, but it kicks just as much ass. I'm looking forward to seeing Joel O'Keeffe climb some more towers in support of the record, and a UK tour has been announced around the time of release.

Here's a live video of "Diamond In The Rough" off Runnin' Wild


Friday, October 9, 2009

Free 15 Track MetalManiacs Sampler


MetalManiacs' October sampler is now up for free download! There are some great tracks here, including new ones from Vader, Belphegor, Revocation, Scar Symmetry, Ensiferum, and many more. Also check out an NHR Records sampler at the same location. You can get your hands on these at...

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Doom Metal: Is There Anything Better?


So I'm a huge Doom Metal fan and i find each new band I come across in the genre to be amazing. Stoner Doom is wonderful, Death Doom is not it sucks. Drone Doom is okay at times not a big fan. Regular ol' Doom Metal influenced by Black Sabbath is the good stuff!

Bands:

Electric Wizard

Orange Goblin

The Gates Of Slumber

Ea

Lord Azmo (check 'em out good band)

Om

Doomsword

Pagan Altar

Esoteric

Reverend Bizarre

Sleep

Saint Vitus

Warning

Friday, September 25, 2009

Iron Thrones Exclusive Interview


I had the privilege of interviewing Adam Clemans and Steve Henningsgard of progressive death metal up-and-comers Iron Thrones, a band I recently discovered and was eager to learn more about. The guys were extremely courteous and provided some great insight into a band you're sure to hear more from in the near future. Check it out as we talk metal, Minnesota, and pizza...

Thank you very much for taking the time to chat! Hopefully this interview will open up even more eyes to the music, because this is about as good as metal gets. First off, could you provide us with a little history of the band? Iron Thrones has seemingly come out of nowhere, at least for this fan, but has it been a long process getting the project off the ground?

Adam (Vocals) - Well the band had been around for a couple years under the moniker "Everest", before I joined. I had been living in Chicago prior to that and touring in my old band Veil of Maya. When I moved home I noticed that "Everest" was looking for a vocalist, so I was very excited to get in contact with them. A week or so later I was in the band and had begun writing and tracking for "Visions of Light".

Steve (Guitar) – Yeah, really once Adam joined the band is when we became “Iron Thrones”. Our sound and lineup had changed so much since the “Everest” days, and there were a lot of bands with the same name. In particular, some shitty jam-band from California was debating litigation if we didn't change our name, and we didn't feel it was worth it to fight for such a common name! A new name gave us a fresh start, and I think it really helped us out in the long run.

You list Opeth, along with other progressive bands, as an influence on your Myspace. Opeth are the kings in their field, but are you influenced by some of the old school progressive groups like ELP, King Crimson, Rush, Pink Floyd, etc. as well?

Adam - Yeah of course! I grew up hearing records like Pink Floyd's "Meddle" as well as King Crimson's "Lizard" & "Islands", thanks to my dad.

Steve – Honestly, hearing how obvious some of our influences were in “Visions of Light”, has really inspired me to expand my musical horizons. Having a guy like Adam in the band helps: that guy has the most insane/obscure album collection!


Besides making the music itself, the album Visions of Light was completely self-produced and self-released, correct? That must be one hell of a satisfying feeling having done it yourself and come out with such a fantastic product.

Adam - Yeah, it was 100% self produced and released. It feels really good, to be honest with you. Having a DIY ethic to what we are doing is a liberating feeling and frees us to do anything we want with our own music. In a way Iron Thrones is a "selfish" band because we do what we want to do because we love doing it.

Steve – *Laughs* Yeah I never really thought about it that way, but “selfish” is a good word for it. Taking the time to buy the recording equipment and learn how to use it, really pretty much lets us do whatever the hell we want, start to finish. Having a mobile recording rig opens up a lot of opportunity to record in fun places, like the middle of a forest or some old barn that's about to fall over or something. I foresee a lot of experimentation with our recording process in the future.

From what I’ve read, reviews of the album have been overwhelmingly positive. Is the praise as widespread as it seems, or have you had to weather some criticism also? If so, do the critics inspire you as much as the acclaim?

Adam - We were all very excited when the record came out and the reviews started pouring in. We were taken very much by surprise when we noticed that most of the reviews were positive! We have gotten a few here and there pointing out flaws, but that only inspires us to do better the next time around.

Steve – It's a nice feeling when you find someone who clearly enjoys what you're doing, and many of the criticisms have been valid, but I think taking any reviews too much to heart can be dangerous, either positive or negative. It's fun to write with the audience in mind, but when you start to worry if people will like what you're doing as much as your previous work, you're guaranteed to have problems growing as a musician. That said, thanks to everyone who's written about us, as it has always resulted in more people hearing and potentially enjoying our music!

Your base of operations is Minneapolis, Minnesota. Quoting from your site, "The members of Iron Thrones were drawn much like cards from a deck. Fate pulled five guys from all over the US to Minneapolis, MN for a purpose." Coming from across the country, why choose Minneapolis as your headquarters?

Adam - Well Minneapolis was the base for the band from day one, and it is where I was born and raised. So it was only natural for the band to stay there. Our bassist Curt came to Minneapolis for schooling and Pete moved up from Iowa purely for the band, so we were all basically stationed in MN anyway.

Steve – I was born in Connecticut, but grew up in the Minneapolis suburbs, so I'd call myself a native pretty much. I think living in Minnesota, given its insane weather and super-passive-aggressive people, likely contributes to our sound. Not many places in the world go between 100+ degrees with 95% humidity in the summer, to -30F with several feet of snow in the winter.

I really don’t know much about music in Minneapolis besides Prince and The Replacements. What’s the metal scene like? I imagine it would be the birthplace of many a frosty black metal band, like Scandinavia.

Adam - I wish!!! I'm a huge black metal fan!! Its safe to say that the MN metal scene is pretty low-key. Back in '00 - '05 there was a lot more going on, but as the years have passed and new trends keep coming and going the scene has kind of thinned out.

Steve – Yeah, there really isn't a hell of a lot going on around here lately. I think the weather is right for Black Metal, but the mentality is so different. You really don't get very many strong personalities around here, and pretty much everyone has the same background and religion, so nobody's really that angry. Scandinavian countries have such rich histories in comparison, it's bound to create some intense music.

After doing a little research it seems like the city has a fairly active Scandinavian (particularly Swedish) folk music scene. Does that kind of atmosphere also mean a big following for metal bands like Opeth via the “Swedish connection”? If so, how has that helped Iron Thrones establish a fan base, since you fit into a similar genre?


Adam - I wish I could say yes. But we don't really have much of a following in MN. We're trying though, haha.

Steve – It seems difficult to motivate people to come out to local shows any more. Hopefully as our live show progresses along with our music, we'll have an easier time getting people to come check us out!

I see the band is looking for a second guitarist. I can’t seem to find anything about “former members” on your site nor Myspace, has Iron Thrones always been a group with one guitarist? How does this affect playing live, is the guitar workload Jimmy Page-esque? Also, how goes the search for an additional guitar player?


Adam - No we actually have always had a second guitarist (minus the past few months). We recorded "VoL" with two, which is why we are trying so hard to find another because we feel that our sound isn't as big as we'd want it to be live. So anyone reading this, its an open invite to drop us a line!!

Steve – *Laughs* Yeah, the search hasn't been going very well. We even put tabs up on our website to make it easier, but so far only one or two guys have sent us anything. As much as we'd like to have a second guitarist again, Curt (bassist) and I have been writing our new material under the assumption we likely won't find one any time soon. I think we've done a good job filling up the sonic void live, adjusting our arrangements and thickening our tone, but it's definitely not the same.

Speaking of playing live, your 2009 East Coast tour focused mainly on the Midwest and Northeast. Has this been the extent of your shows so far, or have you paid the South and West Coast a visit? Ever played out of the United States?

Adam - Unfortunately our east coast tour ended up falling through do to some booking conflicts. It's really hard for a band like us who has little to no label support trying to go to a new area. Promoters aren't as willing to go out of the way to try to get venues booked because the lack of draw. We have not been to the West Coast YET!! or been lucky enough to play outside the US.

Steve – Both Adam and I have played all over the place in previous bands, and so we're both anxious to get out and do it again. We're doing our best to be smart about it, and wait until we can find good shows with established local/regional bands, vs. playing with two other touring bands with no fanbase, for two kids in some random town in PA on a Wednesday night.

You’ve visited Chicago, New York, and many points in between…which city has the best pizza?

Adam – Chicago!!!!

Steve – Chicago!!!!

You guys look poised to take the metal world by storm, but Iron Thrones doesn’t seem like a band too concerned with popularity. With the group picking up steam, what changes, if any, will more recognition bring about?

Adam - We are all very dedicated to taking this band to what ever level happens to come our way. We aren't trying to impress labels or add a million people a day on myspace, but we will keep doing what we love doing and whatever happens, happens.

Steve – Agreed. We're all in this band to express ourselves through the music we love and most relate to, not to impress teenage girls into buying our records. If that were our goal, we sure as shit wouldn't be playing such an unpopular genre of music! Personally, my goal with getting the word out about us, is to find the few people out there that dig what we're doing, and connect with them. I know there are a few out there, and judging by the nice comments and conversations we've had with them, our music seems to make them as happy as it makes us. I think when you're in it for the music, you use it to express who you are, and so when you find people that really enjoy your music, you're connecting with them on a level that goes much deeper than if you're just playing what the masses want to hear. I think that's infinitely more rewarding than money.

What does the future hold for the band, and when can fans expect a new record from Iron Thrones?

Adam - Well we are in the process of writing new stuff. We're not sure if we are going to do an EP or a full length, but time will tell. We are all very pumped with how the new stuff is turning out, and we can't wait to finish it up and get it out!

Steve – Given our 100% control over everything, we'll likely be experimenting with the whole recording and releasing process. It'll be a lot of fun!

Thanks a lot for taking the time to answer some questions, it’s great getting some insight into an amazing new band! This certainly seems like an “I was there when…” moment, catching you guys right before you put the metal world on its ear. Any last words you’d like to share before you go forth and conquer?

Adam - I'd like to say thanks to you for all the kind words and interest! And thanks to anyone/everyone who's ever taken time out of their day to listen to us!

Steve – Yes, thank you!

You can check out Iron Thrones at
www.myspace.com/ironthrones

And don't forget to download their album Visions of Light for free!

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Friday, September 11, 2009

Layne Staley Interview

With Alice In Chains regrouped and releasing a new album, Black Gives Way To Blue, it's a good time to remember the man that helped make them great originally. This 1996 interview with the late Layne Staley is a touching reminder of a man who was taken before his time. As frail as he sounds here, he still has a sense of humor, honesty, and edge that can't be duplicated.

Black Gives Way To Blue is set for a September 29th release on Virgin Records.





Layne Staley 1967-2002

Alice In Chains have also just announced their European tour dates...

UK dates will be announced on Monday. Stay tuned.

11/19 HOL, Tilburg - 013, on-sale 10:00 AM, www.013web.nl
11/20 BEL, Antwerp - Trix Zaal, on-sale 12:00 PM (noon), www.biebob.com
11/21 GER, Weisbaden - Schlachthof, on-sale 10:00 AM, www.eventim.de
11/24 CZE, Prague - Lucerna, on-sale 9:00 AM, www.ticketpro.cz
11/25 POL, Warsaw - Stodola, on-sale 9:00 AM, www.livenation.pl
11/27 HUN, Budapest - Petofi Csarnok, on-sale 9:00 AM, www.eventim.hu
11/29 AUT, Vienna - Gasometer, on-sale 9:00 AM, www.musicticket.at
11/30 GER, Munich - Thearterfabrick, on-sale 10:00 AM, www.eventim.de
12/2 ITA, Milan - Alcatraz, on-sale 12:01 AM, www.ticketone.it
12/3 SWI, Fribourg - Fri-son, on-sale 6:00 AM, www.starticket.ch
12/4 FRA, Paris - Bataclan, 10:00 AM, www.avosbillets.com

Monday, September 7, 2009

New Portal album due this fall!

One of Australia's best metal exports, Portal have set the release date for their newest album Swarth (Profound Lore) for October 20th. Blast this one for all your trick-or-treaters or in the background at your Halloween party, it's some of the darkest metal there is. The tracklist for the new album is as follows...

1. Swarth
2. Larvae
3. Illoomorpheme
4. The Swayy
5. Writhen
6. Omenknow
7. Werships
8. Marityme
You can check out "Larvae" here

Wednesday, September 2, 2009

Noise Pollution

They say that you play too loud. Well baby, that's tough.

And those words made Bon Scott my hero forever. Brian Johnson shared the same sentiment with "Rock and Roll Ain't Noise Pollution". Rock and metal were made for two purposes, to put a smile on your face and to be played LOUD. Dangerously loud. Headphones don't do the music justice, you can't feel the sound. The average listener today is confined by their laptop's volume. That's where the majority of my music is kept, and small external speakers don't help much. So when I need volume, I pop a cd in my stereo. I've also tried running my computer through my guitar amp as a speaker, which loses some quality in the process. But it's LOUD. And needless to say, it's caused some complaints, especially in college. My first noise complaint (of many) was AC/DC's "Down Payment Blues". I remember The Living End caused some issues with "Carry Me Home", and my neighbors were never too fond of Skeletonwitch and God Dethroned. Even Iron Maiden was frowned upon. Now if someone asks politely and respectfully, I turn it down. But if they're rude and insulting, they can have my volume control when they pry it from my cold, dead fingers.

My question is, what were some of your first noise complaints? How do you usually respond when someone tells you to turn it down? By holding your ear and mouthing "What??" ?

Monday, August 31, 2009

The Babysitters Club. Metal.



How this film has escaped so many metalheads I have no idea. Here's a clip, I encourage you to head to Blockbuster or something and pick it up. No seriously. Do it now.

(The Satanic rituals start at 2:45)

Saturday, August 29, 2009

KISS - Modern Day Delilah


I'm about as big a classic rock fan as they come, but I have never found this band to be remotely likeable. That being said, there's got to be at least one person out there who will enjoy this. Here's a new tune, "Modern Day Delilah" off their upcoming LP Sonic Boom (Universal/Roadrunner) due October 6th. The album is supposedly a Walmart exclusive, which I have no problem with (I thought AC/DC's Black Ice was a pretty refreshing addition to their catalog), but there's no way in hell I'll be venturing out to pick this one up. If this is your cup of tea, more power to you.

Here it is, drumroll please.... (not from Peter Criss, he doesn't appear on the album. Eric Singer plays drums on the record and dons The Catman facepaint. I can't imagine why, no one wants to be Peter Criss. Not even Peter Criss.)
Modern Day Delilah (mp3)

Poll Results

After his day in the sun, everyone's favorite MetalSucks hater Ziltoid's results are in. An approval rating of 58% of 146 polled, Ziltoid pat yourself on the back.

What Might Have Been

Okay I've tried to post this at least twelve hundred times tonight on MetalSucks, it's gonna be really funny if the other times I posted magically show up.

I was asked what I had planned if I won the MS Takeover contest...

To be honest I really didn't have much prepared, I figured the results were a forgone conclusion. I definitely would've given some love to the boys in Whitesnake though. And there woulda been lotsa feathers and glitter.

Seriously though, one band I would've covered was Portal. Brilliant Australian death metal, and it takes a lot for a death metal band to catch my attention. The genre just doesn't appeal to me much, but these guys do it right in my book (except for some ridiculous costumes). I encourage everyone to check them out on Profound Lore Records, especially since this band has never been mentioned at all on MetalSucks. In fact, there are many good bands on Profound Lore that MS neglects. It was refreshing to see Salome get some coverage a little while ago. Anyway, Portal is an extremely talented, raw, and dark as fuck band. Death metal as it was supposed to be.

I think another interesting topic to cover would be a throwback to the NWOBHM. Most of these bands, and pre-1990s bands in general, don't get the coverage they deserve on this site. I've been researching the formation of the scene, and it'd be cool to learn about what it was like to be there while it was in full swing (the idea comes from a recent issue of Classic Rock Magazine which had some pretty nice pictures of the 'night NWOBHM was born'). Coverage of some of the bands history forgot, not necessarily the Maiden, Priest, Def Leppard as usual.

Also I would've definitely included some sludge and stoner metal. I can never get enough of bands like Clutch, Nebula, Down, Black Cobra, Sleep, Kyuss, Eyehategod, etc. I also would've recommended some lesser known bands in these genres like Elder and others. The usual reaction when bands like these (Clutch in particular) are mentioned on this site is overwhelmingly positive, so it'd be nice to give the people what they like while covering some of my favorite genres. Heavy psychedelics and sludgy riffage all the way, while retaining musicality unlike Sunn O))) and \\\Maytag or whatever. I like me some metal that keeps the blues still in the picture.

That's about all I had in mind, thanks for the interest though!

And God I hope I haven't posted this a million times...

Friday, August 28, 2009

Portal - Black Houses


Some of Australia's finest death metal, off Portal's 2007 album Outre (Profound Lore).

Black Houses (mp3)

Scorpions - Big City Nights


Check out this classic Scorpions tune off 1984's Love At First Sting (EMI, Mercury).
Big City Nights (mp3)

Ziltoid: Destroying an institution or raising it from the ashes?

For any followers of MetalSucks.net, you're probably well aware Ziltoid has taken the helm. Now is a perfect opportunity to ask the necessary yet difficult questions. Has he lived up to the hype? Has he let you down? How can he improve? Would you have voted differently? Feel free to use the discussion space to share your thoughts. And don't forget to vote in Ziltoid's first and only approval poll, right here!

Thursday, August 6, 2009

Iron Maiden "22 Acacia Avenue"

Anytime you're down the East End, pay Charlotte a visit with this classic Maiden track "22 Acacia Avenue" off arguably the greatest heavy metal album ever recorded, The Number Of The Beast (1982 EMI)

22 Acacia Avenue (mp3)

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Electric Wizard


Electric Wizard, doom metal/stoner metal at it's best. The terrible production of their album Dopethrone makes it all the more enjoyable. If you like black metal, doom metal or stoner metal i would pick up this album. Click the link for their song Dopethrone.

Thursday, July 30, 2009

None More Black - Belphegor

"Bondage Goat Zombie" by Belphegor, off the album Bondage Goat Zombie (Nuclear Blast 2008)
How much more black could this be? And the answer is none, none more black.

Bondage Goat Zombie (mp3)

New Skeletonwitch Album Art

The release date is set for October 13th for Skeletonwitch's 3rd full-length studio album Breathing the Fire (Prosthetic)

Flaying

From Flaying's album "Commandments-Violated" the song Injection. Defiantely worth a good listen.

Sunday, July 26, 2009

BTBAM - Aspirations


Check out a classic track from Between The Buried And Me, Aspirations off their self-titled release...progressive metal at its finest
Aspirations (mp3)

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Nunslaughter


There should be more death metal bands out there like Nunslaughter. They play pure unrelentless old school death metal. No female vocals, no keyboards, no guitar solos, just pure untamed death metal the way it should be. I was graced to be able to listen to their second full length album "Goat", what a wonderous piece of music. After their first album which was released in 2000, three years later they produced their best album to date. Being around since the early 80's and not making an album till 2000. Their longest song is on "Goat", which clocks in around 3 minutes and 7 seconds. Most songs don't even reach 2 minutes in length. On "Goat" they have a sense of humor and also put their hatred for christians and relgion in the lyrics. This album is probably one of the best albums I have ever listened to. Recommended if you like Autopsy or Demo era-Death. Get this album NOW!!!

Six String Slaughter


Six String Slaughter, a new death metal band from Denmark. They just released their first Ep entitled "The World Slaughter Ep". An excellent Ep, good production, lots of melodys and still they manage to remain pure death metal in vein of bands like Morbid Angel and Kataklysm to name a few. All of the members have been in bands before. I obtained their new ep from the lead singer of the band, Daniel Wilkens. He was also in the band Deadicated. Highly recommend checking them out. They have a myspace and a facebook. Great new death metal!

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Profound Lore

"This is a realm where middle ground doesn't exist. Fuck middle ground." announces Profound Lore Records on their website. Forget what you thought was heavy. It's a feather to Profound Lore. This is one of, if not the, heaviest labels in existence. It's dark, it's black, it's doom, it's noise, and it will scare the pants off you. The bands on this label shrug off not only the conventions set by pop music, but they also shed the archetypes of their own genres. Some of the acts on Profound Lore are so heavy as to be almost unlistenable, even for the hardest of metalheads. But the acts here are not slasher film gross-outs, they're haunting psychological horror masters. Some of these beasts include Alcest, Cobalt, The Gates Of Slumber, Krallice, Portal (Aus), and Wold. The site has a selection of free downloads to sample some of this sonic terror, make sure you pack an extra pair of underwear. Always cordial, Profound Lore apologizes if it takes awhile to receive your order. It's a long way from the depths of Hell to your doorstep.

Brand new Clutch track!

Bluesy rockers Clutch have a fresh new bonus track Metroliner Special available for free download on their website, check out their latest release Strange Cousins From The West while you're at it!

You can get the new track here...
http://www.pro-rock.com/freesongweathermaker/

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Lord Gore


A great band for old school death metal/doom metal. Lord Gore has proven themselves a worthy band in the goregrind genre. They have song titles, album titles and lyrics that will repulse you. Gore driven maniacs, sick twisted geniuses, sadistic surgeons these would be ways to describe the men in Lord Gore. The band started in 1998, Portland, Oregon, from the first demo to their last full length album they will forever reign as masters of the genre. The lead singer Gurge, his vocals are always changing never staying the same. So that every release is a new and different experience. Unlike that of Cannibal Corpse nowadays, with George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher. The album "Resickened" is probably their best offering they made during Lord Gore's existence. If you like old school death metal, death metal or grind you will hold Lord Gore dear to your heart. Mandatory Metal: Liquid Lunch, Brainfucker, Kicked to Death, Morgue Whore, Rape Camp and Lord Gore

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Lair Of The Minotaur


Warlord!!! Shouts Steven Rathbone (Lead singer/guitarist) at the top of his lungs during their song with the same name. Lair Of The Minotaur (LotM) originated in Chicago, Illinois. Their greek mythology inspired lyrics, sludgy riffs with some thrash thrown in, and some raw production are some of the things that LotM fans have come to love about them. Playing a very aggressive style of thrash, people whom are very precise about genre labeling would consider them aggro thrash. Not quite sure what other bands would fall into this sub-genre, but that really doesn't matter much. Their latest release "War Metal Battle Master" wasn't their best album, but it did show the world what talent they possessed. The production on the album was much better then that of the likes on "Carnage". This band is one that I would highly recommend taking a listen to especially if you like sludge or thrash metal, or even maybe black metal?
Mandatory Metal: Warlord, Carnage Fucking Carnage, War Metal Battle Master, The Wolf and Doomtrooper
Horde Of Undead Vengeance (mp3)

Free Revolver Sampler!

A new 21 track sampler is available for free download from Revolver magazine. Some big names here, including Baroness, Dying Fetus, Living Colour, Job For A Cowboy and much more! You can download it here....
http://redmusic.com/mayhem/

Circle Of Dead Children


Formed in October 31st 1998, a deathgrind band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvannia. The band name, when uttered in front of a Catholic or any other church goer or anyone that has kids brings thoughts of crazy mad men whom love to see little children dead or worse. This though is far from true, the band name came from one of the band members dreams. Dreaming about a circle of flags from different countries, and on each one was a dead child. Their songs are very short, a typical thing in the grindcore genre. After their first self-titled demo the band signed to Willowtip records. They released their first album under that record. Later they switched from numerous different record labels, then finally back to Willowtip once again. Only two original members remain in the band, but still they are going strong. They have made quite a name of themselves in the grindcore/deathgrind genre.
Mandatory Metal: Pigeon Vs. Crow, It's A Bloody Day When You Get Your Head Nailed to A Kross, Extreme Cannibal Smoke!, Destiny Of The Slug, Corsage Of Fresh Meat and Rotten Pride

None More Black - 1349





Sculptor Of Flesh by 1349 off the album Hellfire (Candlelight 2005)

How much more black could this be? And the answer is none, none more black.

Friday, July 17, 2009

Psych-O-Delia Friday - Colour Haze


This German stoner/psychedelic band has been at it for 15 years already, but in case you haven't checked them out now's as good a time as any. Deutschland's own Rockpalast sums it up best:

"Colour Haze ist eine Stoner- und Psychedelic-Rock-Band aus München. 1994 gegründet, ergab sich 1999 die bis heute aktuelle Bandbesetzung. Anfänglich stark von Black Sabbath beeinflusst, finden heute bevorzugt warme, trancelastige Melodien und tief verzerrte Riffparts Verwendung wie auch komplexe Songstrukturen, Jazz-Elemente und zunehmend Jams. Liedmonumente von epischer Länge werden mittlerweile durch weltmusikalische Zutaten aufgebrochen, Stefan Kogleks Gesang ist zurückgenommen und wirkt oft eher als zusätzliches Melodieinstrument denn als erzählerische Kraft. Colour Haze geben Progressive-Rock das Progressive zurück."
(http://www.rockpalast.de/bands/colour_haze/)

I have no idea what that means, but if you're planning a road trip to Venus in your VW Microbus, this makes some great road trippin' music.

Here's Silent off the 2008 album All

Colour Haze - Silent (mp3)

Thursday, July 16, 2009

The Ancestors

It seems like a fitting way to begin by introducing some of the bands that helped start the fire that would develop into heavy metal. Taking cues from the blues, rock and roll, classical music, and other genres, these bands were some of the heaviest, loudest, and darkest of their time.

Deep Purple - The classic incarnation of Deep Purple produced many great tunes that will never be forgotten, and that can be viewed as direct precursors to heavy metal. Ritchie Blackmore, playing a heavy blend of blues and classical music, wrote some of the most memorable riffs rock music has ever seen. Ian Gillan tore through songs with the unprecedented aggression and versatility. From haunting moans to banshee screams, Gillan provided an unforgettable voice to the metal machine of Deep Purple. Roger Glover and Ian Paice supplied a forceful rhythm section that drove the beast, while the influence of Jon Lord's keyboard can still be seen today in the darkest recesses of metal.
Mandatory Metal: Child In Time, Pictures Of Home, Burn, Lazy, Black Night, Highway Star

Led Zeppelin - Robert Plant, John Paul Jones, John Bonham, and Jimmy Page made up arguably the biggest rock band of all time throughout the 1970's. Incorporating strong blues influences, the foursome turned up the volume and brought blues-rock to a new level of popularity on both sides of the Atlantic. Jimmy Page, one of the finest guitarists in rock history, turned blues guitar into a full orchestra through groundbreaking production techniques and geniune skill. Robert Plants soaring vocal style certified him as a true bluesman, while John Paul Jones created mini symphonies on keys and drove the beat on bass. John Bonham, gone before his time, was one of the most powerful and dextrous drummers the world has ever seen, and his style will never be duplicated. In between bluesy numbers, straightforward rockers, and forays into funk and reggae, the mysticism and occult interests of Led Zeppelin (particularly Jimmy Page) let the band venture into dark territory.
Mandatory Metal: Kashmir, Stairway To Heaven, Dazed And Confused, Communication Breakdown, No Quarter, Immigrant Song

Black Sabbath - Without a doubt the darkest band of the three mentioned, Black Sabbath went to new levels of occult and evil imagery to become one of the first acts to define the heavy metal aesthetic. Tony Iommi's powerful riffs were as evil as possible, while still retaining firm blues roots. Ozzy Osbourne, the Prince Of Darkness himself, provided devilish moans and shrieks that brought the dark lyrics to life. Later, Sabbath would also feature another metal master on vocals, the diminutive gremlin Ronnie James Dio. Geezer Butler and Bill Ward on bass and drums respectively powered Black Sabbath into the depths of the protometal caverns. Today, bands from all genres of metal list Black Sabbath as an influence, from the icy reaches of Norwegian black metal to the stoner metal of the American southwest.
Mandatory Metal: War Pigs, NIB, Sweet Leaf, Black Sabbath, Wheels Of Confusion, Paranoid

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Welcome To Hell

I've never done this before. Bear with me.

These words have been uttered before. By first-time neurosurgeons, skydiving instructors, airline pilots, and the members of Attack Attack! when describing their musicianship.

Luckily, my situation isn't nearly as life threatening.

I'm here to explore heavy metal and to report on my discoveries. Being into metal for a few years, I still find myself passing through gateway bands and out of the mainstream. My simple goal is to cover new and exciting metal artists as I find them. With that mission statement in mind, a short list of some of my favorite metal bands....from up-and-comers to the all-time legends...

Iron Maiden
Baroness
Skeletonwitch
In Flames
Between The Buried And Me
God Dethroned
Hung
Possessed
Primordial

Not as grand of an introduction as Churchill's speech before Aces High, but I hope it set the tone for an exciting trip through all places dark and evil.

Welcome to Hell!

\m/