Saturday, March 27, 2010

LISTEN TO THIS FUCKING BAND: Antietam 1862



The extreme music scene in RVA (or Richmond, VA if we're being formal) is so good, it's not really fair to the rest of us slogging away in the armpit of the East Coast. Yeah, we've got Javelina, Total Fucking Destruction, Rumpelstiltskin Grinder, Woe, Infernal Stronghld, Deathbeds, Bubonic Bear, and 1/4 of Brutal Truth, but the Richmond scene is just retardedly potent. Everyone knows about Municipal Waste and Lamb of God (even, ugh, GWAR) but let's talk about Cannabis Corpse, Battlemaster, Bastard Sapling, Occultist, Inter Arma, Ravn, and my new favorites, Antietam 1862, all supported and augmented by the mighty Forcefield Records and annual Heart of Winter fest. Speaking of A1862 - I just caught them at a show space in Baltimore last night, and they fucking KILLED. Imagine a seriously nasty mashup of Domination-era Morbid Angel, older Goatwhore, Dissection-styled melodies and cold, heartless mid-90's black metal; sound good? Sounds fucking GREAT if you ask me. As their warmongering moniker might imply, these four horsemen of the apocalypse deal exclusively in American lore, history, and fallacy when it comes to lyrics and themes; add in a killer Burzum cover for good measure, and it's safe to say that these burly black metallers are on to something viciously cool.




These sons of Southern darkness are SERIOUSLY worth checking out, so go LISTEN TO THIS FUCKING BAND.
http://www.myspace.com/antietamrva

Monday, March 15, 2010

Grim Kim vs. The Dirty South

So check it out. I'm heading down to Austin, TX for a slice of SXSW madness 3/17-3/19, then heading out on tour with SALOME until the 24th.



SALOME MARCH TOUR DATES

03/11 @ NYU, New York NY (w/ Shrinebuilder, Wolves in the Throne Room)
03/14 @ Little Hamilton Collective, Nashville (w/ Hull, Tombs, Evil Bebos etc.)
03/15 @ Vino’s, Little Rock, AR (w/ Iron Tongue, Zucura)
03/17 @ Emo’s, Austin, TX (SXSW, Brooklyn Vegan Day Party at Emo's)
03/19 @ Headhunters, Austin, TX (SXSW - Profound Lore/20 Buck Spin Showcase)
03/20 @ Michelle’s House, Baton Rouge, LA (w/ Thou, Black Market Ministry, 54R)
03/21 @ Magic City Wholesale, Birmingham, AL (w/ Dark Castle)
03/22 @ PS Warehouse, Atlanta, GA (w/ Dark Castle, Sons of Tonatiuh)
03/23 @ Slim’s, Raleigh, NC - Slim's

03/24 - scurrying back North as fast as my scrawny Yankee legs can carry me!

I'll be planted behind the merch booth slingin' shirts (they've got three brand-new designs, get 'em while they're hot!), lugging gear, and covering the whole shebang for a coupla publications. Come hang out and buy me whiskey shots.

Friday, March 12, 2010

Top Ten Albums of the Week - 3/6/10

Originally posted here: http://www.metal-army.com/?p=1419#more-1419

Here's some rekkids I can't stop spinning.


1. The Wounded Kings – The Shadow Over Atlantis (I Hate Records)

Incredible traditional doom from the British Isles. A delicious melange of vintage riffs and modern know-how, The Shadow Over Atlantis builds upon the foundations laid down by Cathedral, Candlemass, and the like, yet is sprinkled with sly tempo changes and wreathed in the kind of atmosphere Reverend Bizarre could only dream of. Essential.

http://www.myspace.com/thewoundedkings2

2. Burzum – Belus (Byelobog Productions)

Varg Vikernes’ return has yielded one of the most controversial releases of the year – and it’s only March. Whatever you might think of Vikernes, it’s impossible to deny the depressive brilliance of Belus, which recalls his classic black metal albums Filosofem and Hvis Lyset Tar Oss yet shows a marked increase of maturity as well. Addictive.

http://www.burzum.org/

3. Nux Vomica – Asleep in the Ashes (Aborted Society)

One of the best albums you’ve never heard. Portland’s finest transplants have created something truly special here, and I can’t endorse them enough. Epic melodic death metal meets crust punk meets aching doom, grinding black metal, and shimmering post-rock touches. Truly unique and beautifully cathartic.

http://www.myspace.com/nuxvomica2


4. Revenge – Triumph. Genocide. Antichrist. (Osmose Productions)

Borne from the ashes of Conquerer and heavily inspired by Blasphemy and Beherit, Revenge dole out bestial, take-no-prisoners show-no-mercy war metal on this, their debut. If you don’t know these guys, you don’t know shit. With their heavy distortion and blinding, barely-sane tempos, unhinged shrieks and cavernous production, Revenge could be called “black/grind” if they didn’t hate you so fucking much. Death to false metal.

http://www.myspace.com/revengeattackbloodrevenge

5. Neun Welten – Destrunken (Prophecy Productions)

Newest album from one my my favorite neofolk bands, Germany’s Neun Welten. An unspeakably beautiful collection of instrumental classically-inspired, semi-acoustic European dark folk songs for fans of Agalloch, Tenhi, and cold winter nights.

http://www.myspace.com/neunwelten

6. Palace of Worms – The Forgotten (Flenser Recordings)

I’ve been losing my shit over this record ever since it first landed in my mailbox. Haunting, howling, self-loathing black metal with lurching tempos and depressive tendencies, all overlain with the familiar chainsaw buzz, now perverted and infused with shreds of mangled post-rock. SO FUCKING GOOD.

http://www.myspace.com/tattooedinworms

7. Seidr – Blood in the Soil demo (Lundr Records)

Death/doom brilliance from A. Lundr of USBM visionaries Panopticon. Haunting, melodic, almost shamanistic – this is definitely a band to watch.

http://www.myspace.com/seidrdoom

8. Amebix – Arise! (Alternative Tentacles)

The soundtrack to my latest neck tattoos. This is the album that launched a thousand crust punk, black metal, and d-beat bands, and still stands a head and shoulders above them all. Amebix are not gods, but masters of their craft, and the best is yet to come. ARISE! GET OFF YOUR KNEES!

http://www.myspace.com/amebixuk

9. Negura Bunget – Maistret (Prophecy Productions)

The latest offering from these Romanian maestros of the riff. Maistret is a beautifully complex, multi-textured release steeped in archaic atmospheres and ritualism and populated by gorgeously crafted black metal odes to their Transilvanian homeland.

http://www.myspace.com/negurabunget

10. Hot Graves – various demo recordings (Satanik Recordings)

Gainseville, Flo-Rida’s nastiest. An unholy concoction of Hellhammer riffs, ravishing grimness, creeping death, Satanic sneer, crusty d-beats, punk-as-fuck attitude, and no-fi production, Hot Graves are ridin’ dirty and aiming low. You ain’t ready for this.

http://www.myspace.com/hotgraves

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

MUTILATION RITES Post New Demo Tracks



NYC black metallers Mutilation Rites have finally finished recording a few new tracks for their highly-anticipated (at least 'round these parts) first demo, and have posted 'em on Myspace for your listening pleasure. Head on over to their site and soak in three songs' worth of suffocating, heavily distorted riffs baptized in vintage Scandinavian fire and ice, inescapably dark shards of melody, and demonically rasped vocals from New York's most promising new underground black metal band. Ya heard.



As I've said before, I caught MR live at Richmond's Heart of Winter Fest in January, and goddamn did they slay. " They brought total aural devastation, nasty with primeval riffs and impassioned vocals. They were ugly, fast, and distorted, just as a New York black metal band SHOULD be (are you listening, Liturgy?)"

And I think it goes without saying that you need to go LISTEN TO THIS FUCKING BAND.