Djerv : Headstone –new EP

Norwegian trio DJERV, comprising of Agnete Kjølsrud (ANIMAL ALPHA) on vocals, drummer Erlend Gjerde (STONEGARD/WARDRUNA) and guitarist Stian Kårstad (TRELLDOM), has released a three track EP which became available for digital download today, August 3rd, 2010. EP was mixed by Vangelis Labrakis and Stamos Koliousis - who perform as band's live guitarist – mastered by Espen Berg  and produced by the band. The cover artwork was done by Christian Sloan Hall,  who previously worked with DIMMU BORGIR, TESTAMENT, SLAYER and others. Two songs, ‘Headstone’ and ‘Ladder To The Moon’, can be streamed on DJERV's MySpace page – click. EP can be purchased on iTunes and on Amazon.

Authority Zero: Get It Right – new video

 

New video for catchy punk rock tune ‘Get It Right’ taken from AUTHORITY ZERO's new record ‘Stories Of Survival’, found its way onto YouTube. ‘Stories Of Survival’, released in June 2010 through Suburban Noize Records subsidiary Viking Funeral Records, did well on American music charts; it peaked at number 5 on Billboard's Top Heatseekers (new and developing artists chart) and at number 43 on Billboard's Independent Albums chart.

AUTHORITY ZERO formed in 1994 in Arizona, USA, released four studio albums to date and features Jason DeVore on vocals, Zach Vogel on guitar, Jim Wilcox on drums and Jeremy Wood on bass.

Have Nots: Poisoned Antidote – new video / Serf City USA – free album

 

HAVE NOTS have just released new video for ‘Poisoned Antidote’, track taken from their critically acclaimed album ‘Serf City USA’; released through Paper & Plastic Records earlier this year.  In a true punk rock fashion, ‘Serf City USA’ is being generously given to any and all free of charge at this location.

HAVE NOTS reportedly write open letters of indignation to the world, their subjects ranging from plights of the true have-nots in our society to those that concern the matters of the heart: “You know, love songs. It’s as much a part of life as hardship, and somehow, the two often go hand in hand.”

HAVE NOTS features: Jon Cauztik – vocals and guitar, Matt Pruitt – guitar and vocals, Jameson Hollis – bass and Steve Patton – drums.

Full Album Stream: The High Confessions: Turning Lead Into Gold With The High Confessions – new album

SONIC YOUTH's drummer Steve Shelley has formed a new band and called it THE HIGH CONFESSIONS. Formidable long-titled debut album ‘Turning Lead Into Gold With The High Confessions’ will hit stores on July 20th, 2010 (20. 7. 2010) via Relapse Records and is currently being streamed in its entirety at this location (Stereogum). Stereogum correctly describes the effort as “the 5-song/50-minute collection of a slow-release patchwork of dark clattering tones, drum rolls, drone, outbursts, noise-rock, shades of CURRENT 93 and weird industrial chatter.” Take a listen, then.

THE HIGH CONFESSIONS: Chlorine And Crystal – courtesy of Relapse Records

THE HIGH CONFESSIONS features: Steve Shelley (SONIC YOUTH), Chris Connelly (MINISTRY/REVOLTING COCKS/PIGFACE), Sanford Parker (MINSK/NACHTMYSTIUM/BURIED AT SEA) and Jeremy Lemos (WHITE/LIGHT).

Atreyu: Gallows – new video

 

ATREYU has just released new video for ‘Gallows’, taken from band's fifth studio album entitled ‘Congregation Of The Damned’. ‘Congregation Of The Damned’ was released via Hollywood/Roadrunner Records in 2009. ATREYU's vocalist Alex Varkatzas explained the record thusly: “It kind of feels like in a lot of ways that we, as members of a society, are just gathering around and collectively getting fucked over. When you look at what’s going on in our economy and how other people treat each other, it’s kind of like we’re all just lemmings. We’re lined up blankly staring blindly at nothing and just going along with the flow like a congregation of the damned.” Anyhow, the album debuted at number 18 on Billboard 200 (American albums chart), selling over 27,000 copies during the first week of its release.

Norma Jean: Meridional – new album

NORMA JEAN, American metalcore band from Georgia, USA is about to release its fifth album entitled ‘Meridional’ via Razor & Tie Records.  ‘Meridional’, (southern direction on the celestial globe - from Latin) produced by Jeremy Griffith, is set for July 13th, 2010 (13. 7. 2010) release. Album's art was created by Jason Oda. Video for the song ‘Deathbed Atheist’ was directed by Linus Johansson.

NORMA JEAN (real name of American actress Marilyn Monroe) started out under the name of “Luti-Kriss”. They released their debut Adam Dudkiewicz-produced album ‘Bless The Martyr And Kiss The Child’ in 2002: “An intimidating album of gargantuan proportions, audio chaos that follows no rhyme or reason and bludgeons the listener with repeated blasts of macabre hardcore/metal that are as confusing as they are cataclysmic,” commented Jason D. Taylor, AllMusic. 2005's ‘O God, The Aftermath’ was the second album to be released through Solid State Records. This album was to feature Grammy-nominated artwork designed by Ryan Clark (vocalist of DEMON HUNTER-fame). Third album, ‘Redeemer’,  produced by Ross Robinson, was released in 2006 and sold over 21,000 records in its first week of release. 2008's ‘The Anti Mother’ featured appearances by several guest musicians, Chino Moreno's (DEFTONES) among them. This album, once again produced by Ross Robinson, is considered being  their “most melodic and the heaviest”.

Follow-up: In May 2011, NORMA JEAN released second video for ‘Bastardizer’, track taken from back in 2010 released album ‘Meridional’ (Razor & Tie Records). The video was directed by Brooks Jones and shot at band's rehearsal space: “We had a lot of fun shooting this video.  It’s really just us in our practice space, where we have written most of our records.  No special effects, just us jamming.  It’s one of our favorite songs from the new record, so it was a perfect choice for the next video,” explained singer and guitarist Cory Brandan.

‘Meridional’ debuted at number 45 on the American albums chart Billboard 200. It sold just under 10,000 copies in its first week of U.S. sales. “The result is a sound that’s bigger than your typical metal/emo hybrid, with the band never losing sight of the fact that its bread and butter is in huge, heavy songs,” commented  Gregory Heaney (AllMusic Guide). “Because of this, there’s an intensity that courses through the songs that provides a sense of momentum even during the album's more melodic moments, creating a driving sound that makes room for its more euphonic moments without ever fully succumbing to them, with NORMA JEAN doing their best to make sure that they’re keeping the pedal to the metal for as long a possible before taking their foot off the gas.” Read the rest of this review here.

NORMA JEAN features: Scottie Henry – guitar, Chris Day – guitar, Cory Brandan – vocals, Jake Schultz - bass and Chris Raines – drums.

 

 

Full Album Stream: Hell Within: God Grant Me Vengeance – new album

Upcoming album by American hardcore/metalcore masters HELL WITHIN is available for streaming in its entirety at this location (The Gauntlet). The album - to be released on July 13th, 2010 (13. 7. 2010) via Thorp Records - was produced by Peter Rutcho (BURY YOUR DEAD/UNEARTH/REVOCATION). Album's artwork was designed by band's vocalist J.J. Long.

HELL WITHIN, known for their ability to combine the hardest elements of European death metal, American hardcore and old-school thrash, formed in 1998 in Massachusetts, USA.  After releasing two albums under the name of TWYCH, band changed its name to the one they use at the present. Lifeforce Records' American branch offered HELL WITHIN a deal for their debut album, ‘Asylum Of The Human Predator’, consequently released in 2005. After several line-up changes, HELL WITHIN  released second full-length, ‘Shadows Of Vanity’, produced by John Ellis and mixed by Mark Lewis and Jason Suecoff (TRIVIUM/GOD FORBID/BURY YOUR DEAD). Released in 2007, the album received mixed reviews; AllMusic's Greg Prato nevertheless endorsed it thusly: “HELL WITHIN can certainly hold their own against the competition.”

HELL WITHIN features: J.J. Long – vocals, Tony Zimmerman- guitar, Isaias Martinez – guitar, Derek Jay – drums and Derek Garabedian – bass.

Netherbird: Monument Black Colossal – seminew album

Sweden's NETHERBIRD are offering their second album, ‘Monument Black Colossal’, for free listening at this location (MySpace). The album was released on May 15th, 2010 through Scarecrow Music Group. They are also giving away their 2008's ‘The Ghost Collector’ and 2009's EP ‘Covered In Darkness’ here (band’s website) – free of charge. Beautiful ‘Monumental Black Colossal’ artwork was created by Kristian Wåhlin aka Necrolord.

NETHERBIRD formed in 2004 in Stockholm, Sweden. Firm believers in free internet sharing as they appear to be, NETHERBIRD released their first single ‘Boulevard Black’ as a free single, as well as their next releases, EPs ‘Blood Orchid’ and ‘Lighthouse Eternal’ (2007). In 2007 the band signed with Pulverised Records in order to release its first studio album, ‘The Ghost Collector’ (2008). This group of generous musicians recorded EP ‘Covered In Darkness’ in 2009.

NETHERBIRD is: Nephente – vocals, Bizmark – guitar and keyboards, Nord – guitar, Tobias Gustafsson – bass and Adrian Erlandsson – drums.

Samsara: Instinct Over Influence – new album

I know nothing about SAMSARA, hardcore band from Melbourne, Australia, except that I like what I hear. You can agree or disagree with me if you click here (MySpace) and listen to tracks ‘Steel Trap’, ‘Wayfarer’ and recently uploaded ‘Skin And Bone’ and ‘Tiny Souls’ taken off SAMSARA's new album entitled ‘Instinct Over Influence’. This is SAMSARA's second album and is set for release on June 9th, 2010 (9. 6. 2010) via Trial And Error Records. It was recorded with Kurt Ballou in Australia and than mixed at producer's GodCity studio in USA. The album was mastered by Alan Douches.

Formed in 2005, SAMSARA established themselves as one of Australia's heaviest and best hardcore bands in recent times. They toured their country numerous times, as well as landing support slots with the likes of TERROR, MADBALL and HEATBREED. ‘The Emptiness’, band's debut, was released in 2007. In 2009 frontman Luke Bainbridge and drummer Tim Shearman left to be replaced with newcomers vocalist Nick Vine and drummer Mat Woodhouse.

Zoroaster: Odyssey – new video

      

Stereogum has premiered ZOROASTER's new video, ‘Odyssey’, taken from their upcoming album ‘Matador’. ‘Matador is due out on July 13th, 2010 (13. 7. 2010), via E1 Music. Listen to ZOROASTER's new song ‘Black Hole’ below, courtesy of Brooklyn Vegan.

ZOROASTER: Black Hole – courtesy of BVBBG