Archive for March, 2014

Metallica Rocking Behind The Scenes

God, I love Metallica. Have ever since the 1st time I saw them in 1986 in Austin, TX at the Frank Erwin Center. They don’t come around often enough. So here is a cool video I found of them rehearsing before going out to play Blackened.

Flamenco Legend Paco De Lucia Dead At 66

Though this isn’t technically heavy news in terms of music, we are sad to see the departure of such a legend as Paco de Lucia , the famed flamenco-style guitarist. The man was found dead earlier today at the age of 66, apparently from a heart attack . The story goes that he was at the beach in Cancun with his child and he began to feel unwell, perishing on his way to the local hospital. Thank you for everything you did for music, sir. May your legacy never be forgotten. -KG

Anathema to Support HIM On Upcoming US Tour

It wasn’t until last year’s co-headlining tour with Alcest that UK doom turned art rock band Anathema toured North America for the first time ever. It wasn’t a tour to miss for sure, and we urged everyone to see it; after all, if it took them this long to get here to begin with, who knows when they’ll be back? Turns out, they aren’t wasting much time hitting Stateside again, because they’ll be supporting HIM next month. Here are the dates, few as they may be: 3/07 – Los Angeles, CA @ House Of Blues 3/08 – Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues 3/09 – San Francisco, CA @ Fillmore 3/12 – Chicago, IL @ House of Blues 3/13 – Cleveland, OH @ House Of Blues 3/14 – New York, NY @ Irving Plaza 3/15 – Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre Of Living Arts 3/16 – New York, NY @ Irving Plaza 3/18 – Atlanta, GA @ Center Stage 3/19 – Orlando, FL @ House Of Blues 3/20 – Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution 3/24 – New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues 3/25 – Houston, TX @ House of Blues Nothing close to home here, but lets see if we can get some photos! – JR

Architects Streaming New Album, Lost Forever // Lost Together

Architects just can’t seem to shake the legacy of Hollow Crown , but they’re getting there. Their new album Lost Forever // Lost Together showed promise from the get-go, and I’m always ready to give the metalcore tech-dabblers the time of day. I haven’t been able to listen to the entire record yet, but based on what I’ve heard so far and from others is that this is exactly what we were hoping. We’ve got a review coming for next week, but don’t wait around; listen to Lost Forever // Lost Together below. The album hits stores March 11th through Epitaph Records. Pre-orders are available at this location. – JR

Nexilva Discover ‘The Misdirection Of God‘

The release of  Nexilva ‘s new album  Eschatologies now finally has a release date, so you can brace your butts. Come April 7th you can get your grubby mitts on fourteen tracks of crushing deathcore, the likes of which wrecked my ears when they dropped a video for the title track mid-way through last year. However, not content to leave us with just that, the group have unveiled a new track by the name of ‘ The Misdirection Of God ‘ to tide us over. It’s a doozy. The track lies at the front end of the record and, upon first listen, you can definitely see why — it has a real immediacy to it, opening with an off-kilter groove, laced with grinding blastbeats, before winding through the synth-laden paths that they’re so good at stitching together. This bodes well — add this to your watch list if you like your music unrelenting, grooving and above all primally heavy. – DL

Destrage – Are You Kidding Me? No.

Destrage Are You Kidding Me? No. 01. Destroy Create Transform Sublimate 02. Purania 03. My Green Neighbour 04. Hosts, Rifles & Coke 05. G.O.D. 06. Where the Things Have No Colour 07. Waterpark Bachelorette 08. Before, After and All Around 09. – (Obedience) 10. Are You Kidding Me? No. [03/04/14] [Metal Blade] It’s hard to describe the Italian insanity that is Destrage . While they have elements of Sikth , The Dillinger Escape Plan and alternative rock in their music, they have a very consistent sound somehow. They gained fame with their sophomore album  The King Is Fat’N’Old  in 2010 and now they’re faced with the critical moment in their career, can they follow it up with something equally good, if not better? Well, they’ve succeeded, Are You Kidding Me? No. is even crazier and catchier than their previous work. Am I kidding you? No. While The King is Fat’N’Old was a great album chock full of memorable songs, it was also a bit inconsistent in its tone. Some songs were very heavy, whereas others were drawn out ballads. While variety is always great in an album, tying the two ends together properly is also paramount. Destrage’s newest album (henceforth to be called AYKMN) has a sound that is spread out in a better way than their previous work. The songs flow much better, and as blast beats turn into acoustic sections the seamlessness of it all never ceases to amaze. AYKMN is easily their most progressive work. The guitar work is crazy, being reminiscent of Sikth, yet having its own flavor. There is so much groove in every song, and the technical riffs contrast very well with the groovy parts and big choruses. There are a bunch of other elements thrown in there as well, the occasional salsa section, 80s influences and even some electronica that is tastefully done. Vocalist Paolo Colavolpe deserves a lot of praise. He has high Sikth-esque screams, versatile clean vocals and even low growls. A lot of the songs have extremely memorable melodic sections that just beg to be sang along to, and his vocal delivery is what really sells them. The fact that he can also accompany breakdowns, Pantera -esque groovy riffs, straight-up Dillinger style insanity and everything else the band throws out there is a testament to how great he really is. While all of the riffing in the album is excellent and unforgettable, the vocals are just as important. Many bands often fall into the trap of emphasizing either the vocals or instruments, but Destrage offer a mix of the two that is just right. While the music is incredible, there is also an issue with the album. Just like its predecessor, AYKMN’s production is a bit… odd. While everything is audible and nothing is over-produced like many of their modern contemporaries, the album is very noisy. The overbearing snare sound from TKIFAO is still present, if not as extreme as it used to be. The guitars are also slightly too fuzzy like the previous album. While these issues aren’t a huge deal in a vacuum, they make listening to the album for extended lengths quite tiresome, and if the abrasiveness of the sound was curbed a bit, it would have sounded perfect. It’s definitely a minor issue and not a deal-breaker though. In the end, this album is great. It’s easily Destrage’s best work yet, full of simultaneously catchy and crazy tunes. Every song is extremely memorable and enjoyable to hum along to. The way Destrage blend the best elements from many genres to create accessible yet interesting songs is definitely something that needs to be heard to be believed. Are You Kidding Me? No. is a masterful mix of insanity and catchiness at their best. Destrage – Are You Kidding Me? No. gets… 4.5/5 – NT

Shredhammer-Beyond Your Reach

Self-Release/Independent 2014 Much tanks to Against PR for sending unsigned German thrashers Shredhammer my way. Formed in January of 2013, first under the name of Demolition Pulverizer before switching to their current (awesome) moniker with the arrival of lead vocalist Arnold Friedrich (Thrashtanica) in April of the same year, this Cologne-based five-piece draws their sound from the past all while giving it a nifty little modern twist. With fantastic nineties-style thrash leads from Jim Shred and Bob Hammer (Paragon Belial), heavy bass riffs from The Hellman (Ars Goetia, Drang, ex-Betrayer, ex-Deep Rise, ex-Vrieskou) and the insane drumming of Marlon Drescher (Malus, ex-Odium Immortalis, ex-Poisoned Gift, ex-Somnium Mortuum, ex-Mørkriket) the band cranks out old-school metal (Sacred Reich, Possessed, Exodus, Kreator, old Sepultura, mid-period C.O.C., Metallica and Slayer) with just enough groove (Pantera) to get your juices flowing! If there’s any downside to be found from this 4-track demo it’s the short-length. But seeing as this just the first stab from this German bunch that’s a minor gripe. Shredhammer are well worth your attention especially if old-school thrash/groove is the kind of thing that rings your bell!? https://www.facebook.com/Shredhammer