Soulfly: Bloodshed – new video & Savages – full album stream

Besides filming new videos and celebrating yet another successful SOULFLY release, the band's legendary frontman and guitarist Max Cavalera is reportedly currently busy writing and recording the music for ESPN's World Cup 2014 coverage (with producer John Gray and his son, Zyon Cavalera, slamming on the drums) as well. Good for him. ‘Bloodshed’, then, comes off SOULFLY's ninth studio album ‘Savages’, the first to feature Cavalera's son Zyon on drums, was released in September/October 2013 on Nuclear Blast Records. Visit Metal Hammer here and listen to the full record before ordering it from here (Nuclear Blast store), from iTunes or from Amazon. ‘Savages’, produced, engineered and mixed by renowned sound guru Terry Date and covered with art created by Paul Stottler, sold 4,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position number 84 on The Billboard Top 200:

“Recording ‘Savages’ was an amazing experience for me. I was so excited to work with Terry Date, whom I consider to be one of the best producers of all time. He has done some great records and we have been in contact for awhile since he mixed three SOULFLY albums in the past. My teammates were awesome. Marc [Rizzo, lead guitar] did some crazy guitar noises and we did a ‘Mars Part Two’ at the end of ‘El Comegente’ – it’s very LED ZEPPELIN influenced and Marc kicked some ass on it. I wrote ‘El Comegente’ with Tony Campos [bass]. It’s in Portuguese and Spanish and it’s about Vargas - a Venezuelan cannibal from the '80s. He is the Hannibal Lecter of the Andes. Crazy shit! I worked for the first time on a full album with my son, Zyon. Before recording the album I first worked closely at home with him in preproduction, and it was great to spend weeks on the songs with Zyon, shaping the sound of the record. Zyon did a great job and he hits really hard just like his uncle Iggor [Cavalera, THE CAVALERA CONSPIRACY]- it was amazing recording with my son. A whole record! A dream come true for a father whose life is dedicated to metal. ‘Savages’ is a celebration of all that,” [explained Max Cavalera]

“[‘Savages’ is] a fitting set of bookends for a collection of songs that Cavalera [Max] describes as being “about the human condition right now”, adding “we have the internet and we’re working on missions to Mars, but we are still decapitating each other and blowing up marathons.” ‘Savages’ is pure, hawkish malevolence through and through… ‘Savages’ is meant to be taken as both a warning and a rebel yell, and Cavalera and company connect on both levels, offering up an audio invoice for our past transgressions and a shot of adrenaline for the war ahead,” [wrote James Christopher Monger, AllMusic – more here]

SOULFLY was formed in 1997 by former SEPULTURA guitarist and frontman Max Cavalera. With Roy Mayorga on drums, Jackson Bandeira on second guitar and Marcello D. Rapp on bass, Cavalera recorded SOULFLY's self-titled album. Released by Roadrunner Records in 1998, the record was produced by Ross Robinson and had featured guest appearances by Chino Moreno (DEFTONES), Christian Olde Wolbers (FEAR FACTORY) and Eric Bobo (CYPRESS HILL). ‘Soulfly’, the album, debuted at number 79 on the Billboard Top 200 and was certified gold in 2005. SOULFLY's second album, ‘Primitive’, followed in 2000, reaching number 32 on the Billboard Top 200, despite much criticism voiced in opposition by Cavalera's fans. In 2002, the group released ‘3’, on which Bradley Torreano, AllMusic, commented: “This is the sound of a brilliant musician trying to find his place in a metal scene that he has jumped so far ahead of that he’s spinning his tires trying to get back with the pack.” A completely new lineup was recruited by Cavalera for the recording of the album ‘Prophecy’ which featured drummer Joe Nunez, guitarist Marc Rizzo formerly and two bassists David Ellefson (MEGADETH) and Bobby Burns. ‘Prophecy’ was released in 2004 and had peaked at number 82 on the Billboard Top 200. SOULFLY's next album entitled ‘Dark Ages’, issued in 2005, was described by AllMusic's Jason Birchmeier as being “damned close to perfection”. Sixth full-length, ‘Conquer’, which followed in 2008, debuted at number 66 on the U.S. albums chart, with 2010's ‘Omen’ nearly matching its predecessors success, landing position 73, while conquering the Greek Albums Chart at number 1:

“ ‘Omen’ is like thrash metal comfort food, showing us that sometimes what we really want is a heaping plate of good, old-fashioned, unbridled aggression. In a world where bands like MASTODON are pushing metal into increasingly esoteric directions, it takes an old pro like Cavalera, someone who’s made a career out of blending experimental grooves with meat-headed brutality, to make something that can be both simple and compelling,” [commented the Greek taste Gregory Heaney, AllMusic – more here]

Recorded in late 2011 in Tallcat Studios in Phoenix, Arizona and produced by Zeuss and Max Cavalera, 2012's ‘Enslaved’ was the first SOULFLY album to feature Tony Campos (ASESINO) on bass alongside drummer David Kinkade (ex-BROKNAGAR). ‘Enslaved’, featuring guest appearances by DEVILDRIVER's Dez Fafara and CATTLE DECAPITATION's Travis Ryan, broke onto U.S. charts at number 82, selling nearly 6,000 copies in its first week of U.S. sales, and  had entered the Canadian Albums Chart at number 83. SOULFLY's eight studio album, issued through Roadrunner Records, was described as “simple, punishing, and brutally effective” by Gregory Heaney, AllMusic (more here:)  

 
SOULFLY features: Max Cavalera - vocals and rhythm guitar, Marc Rizzo - lead guitar, Tony Campos - bass and Zyon Cavalera – drums

In This Moment: Whore – new video

It’s what Maria (Brink, singer) says: “I’m the girl you’ve been thinking about…” Heh. She is fierce though, this one, and bashful is not the word which comes next to one's mind. And she is back, along with her motley crew IN THIS MOMENT and Chris Motionless from MOTIONLESS IN WHITE who’s kindly provided himself to play the part of the bunny (of the man-bunny tribe) in the band's latest video ‘Whore’. The dancy tune comes off IN THIS MOMENT's highly danceable fourth album entitled ‘Blood’, issued through Century Media Records in August 2012. Haters, though loud, seem to be in minority in IN THIS MOMENT's case, since the album sold over 20,000 copies in its first week in the USA alone, had conquered the Billboard's Hard Rock Chart as well as debuted at position number 15 on the Billboard Top 200. ‘Blood’, produced by Kevin Churko at The Hideout Studio in Las Vegas and later reissued as a double CD with additional bonus tracks (remixes by Sluggo, Mr. Kane, Nikka Bling and Mitch Marlow), awaits you here (CM Distro Europe), here (CM Distro USA), or find ‘Blood’ on iTunes:

“The first album to be recorded sans founding members [guitarist] Blake Bunze and [drummer] Jeff Fabb; the record is steeped in the brooding, ornate, angst-filled, sonically meticulous craftsmanship that has made the group a festival favorite since its 2007 debut,” [observed James Christopher Monger, AllMusic – more here]

IN THIS MOMENT was born of a chance meeting between singer Maria Brink and guitarist Chris Howorth in 2005. The band quickly became MySpace phenomenon, and was discovered by Rob Nicholson (bassist for DANZIG etc) who became their manager and who secured them a deal with Century Media. IN THIS MOMENT's debut album, 2007's ‘Beautiful Tragedy’, described as “impressive for containing not a single wasted note or poorly rendered song idea” by Eduardo Rivadavia, AllMusic (more here), landed the band on the 2007 and 2008 editions of Ozzfest. Next, IN THIS MOMENT recorded their second album, 2008's ‘The Dream’, with producer Kevin Churko (known for working with the likes of Celine Dion and Shania Twain). The record debuted at number 70 on the American albums chart Billboard Top 200 and had sold over 8,000 copies during its first week in North America alone. AllMusic's Alex Henderson gave ‘The Dream’ an excellent review, describing the effort as “well-crafted and well-executed” (more here). In 2010, IN THIS MOMENT issued their third album titled ‘A Star-Crossed Wasteland’ which sold 10,500 copies in its first week in the United States alone, and which debuted at number 40 on the Billboard Top 200:

“On the band's debut CD they were a regulation semi-overwrought metalcore outfit with a female singer. But on 2008's ‘The Dream’, they allowed pop-oriented producer Kevin Churko to bring out their melodic side, and let vocalist Maria Brink demonstrate that she could really sing, not just scream more or less in tune. The fusion of metalcore and retro-minded arena pop-metal worked very well, and on ‘A Star-Crossed Wasteland’, they up their game again, recording some of their hardest, heaviest songs alongside some truly beautiful ballads, [summed things up Phil Freeman, AllMusic – more here]

 

IN THIS MOMENT features: Maria Brink – vocals, Chris Howorth - lead guitar, Travis Johnson – bass, Randy Weitzel – guitar and Tom Hane – drums 

Deicide: End Of The Wrath Of God – new video

Weather-wise, wrath of god is just beginning here – but such mundanities have no place under DEICIDE's new video ‘End Of The Wrath Of God’. We here have already determined that if you mistakenly think yourself cunning or shrewd, he thought of it first. Some have an issue with him, but others believe him to be as straightforward as it gets. DEICIDE and their memorable co-founder, vocalist and bassist Glen Benton are back and they don’t give a shit how the news reaches you because their reputation precedes them and anyway, what are the labels for? DEICIDE's eleventh album, ‘In The Minds Of Evil’, is out since November 25th/26th, 2013, through Century Media. Recorded at Audiohammer Studios in Sanford, Florida with Jason Suecof (with Ron Miller and Eyal Levy assisting), mastered by Alan Douches and its art created by Simon Cowell (I’m guessing not that Simon Cowell), the album sold 2,200 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The first DEICIDE album to feature guitarist Kevin Quirion which “features 11 high-quality slabs of muscular, vintage-sounding death metal with highlights arriving via the groove-laden title cut, the neck-snapping ‘Misery Of One’, and the brash, blasphemous, and nearly hummable ‘Kill The Light Of Christ”, according to James Christopher Monger, AllMusic (more here), should be humbly bought here (CM Disto Europe), here (CM Distro North America), via iTunes, Amazon etc. Btw, although Spotify isn’t available everywhere, ‘Misery Of One’ is available to those who have it in full there.

One of the founding fathers of death metal and easily one of the most influential and, of course, controversial bands ever, DEICIDE, was formed in 1987 in Florida by bassist Glen Benton and guitarist Brian Hoffman who brought his brother Eric (also guitarist) and drummer Steve Asheim along for the ride. Known as “Amon” in the beginning, the band released a couple of demos, became “Carnage” for a while and it was during the “Carnage” phase the band's frontrunner Benton reportedly stormed into Roadrunner Records office to demand a contract (“Sign us, you fucking asshole!” he allegedly said.) And the deal was duly signed. In 1989, the band became officially DEICIDE and as such they released their debut self-titled album in 1990. The Scott Burns-produced recording has since became the second bestselling death metal album of all time:

“Benton's vocals are actually one of the main features, as his guttural growl is touched up by production tricks to sound absolutely hideous and tortured as he spews his Satanic nonsense. At the time it seemed quite evil, and the press surrounding him suggested that he was willingly possessed by demons that sang through him. On top of that, he also claimed that since he was the antithesis of Jesus Christ, that he would kill himself at the age of 32 to mimic Christ's death. Heady stuff for a death metal band, but even though the gimmick may have banished them from the cover of Hit Parader, it didn’t take away from the effectiveness of the album,” [commented the album, the group and the state of affairs AllMusic's Bradley Torreano – more here:]

 

Revered by DEICIDE's fans, ‘Legion’ was issued in 1992 and ‘Once Upon A Cross’ followed in 1995:

Together with producer Scott Burns and their label, controversy-plagued DEICIDE continued to stand their (blasphemous) ground;  1997's ‘Serpents Of The Light’ (“Not music for the faint of heart,” noted Gred Prato, AllMusic) was followed by live album ‘When Satan Lives’ a year later, and by ‘Insineratehymn’ in 2000, DEICIDE's fifth long-player:

“The songs on this release each have unique qualities, and even some near-melodicism. That’s not to say that bassist/vocalist and bandleader Glen Benton decided to actually sing. His patented growls and groans remain unchanged, but within the slower, more focused riffs and arrangements, his godless messages has the room needed for maximum clarity and impact,” [commented Vincent Jeffries, AllMusic – more here:]

2001's live album, ‘In Torment, In Hell’, was the band's last issued through Roadrunner Records:

Following the release of DEICIDE's seventh studio album, ‘Scars Of The Crucifix’, in 2004 through Earache Records, Hoffman brothers (guitarists Brian and Eric), left the band after 17-year-long service in the name of the archfiend. The guitar positions were respectively filled by Jack Owen, Dave Suzuki and Ralph Santolla, yet DEICIDE's trademark extreme metal sound remained intact despite the lineup changes. ‘The Stench Of Redemption’ was released in 2006 (“The band's most consistent and satisfying release in over a decade,” thought Eduardo Rivadavia, AllMusic), followed by 2008's ‘Till Death Do Us Part’. In 2009 DEICIDE signed a worldwide record deal with Century Media and their tenth album which followed, had left Eduardo Rivadavia, AllMusic wondering if bandleader Glen Benton actually become a prisoner of this Satan-worshiping caricature of his own creation. He reasoned:

“While most of DEICIDE's original death metal co-legionaries gave themselves enough wiggle room to mature, evolve artistically, or simply grow the f**k up, Benton and his dead-eye-staring bandmates accepted the pressure of continually outdoing themselves in search of the next, most brutal sound and controversial lyric, only limiting their musical horizons in the process.” [More here]

DEICIDE did what they do best for the tenth time in February 2011. The album was called ‘To Hell With God’: 

DEICIDE features: Glen Benton – vocals and bass, Jack Owen – guitar, Steve Asheim – drums and Kevin Quirion – guitar

Voivod: Kluskap O' Kom – new video

And, as snow graces Jerusalem, another fine VOIVOD video graces this blog. ‘Kluskap O' Kom’ was created by filmmaker and graphic designer Syl Disjonk and follows ‘Target Earth’ video, created by an Italian filmmaker and multimedia artist Nicola Piovesan. Both tunes come off VOIVOD's latest album ‘Target Earth’, issued in January 2013 on Century Media Records, which brought back the original bass player Blacky (Jean Yves Thériault) and is their first album to feature guitarist Chewy (Dan Mongrain) who stepped in to fill late Denis D’Amour's (Piggy) shoes (and who “cut his teeth playing guitar to the late Denis D’Amour's riffs and has matched his style to a tee”). The album was recorded at producer Pierre Rémillard's Wild Studios in Quebec, and mixed by Sanford Parker at Hypercube Recording Studio. ‘Target Earth’, available as a CD, gatefold double vinyl and as a limited edition deluxe box set here (CM Distro Europe) and here (CM Distro USA), and do not forget the iTunes and Amazon options, has been just placed 15th among Rolling Stone's 20 Best Metal Albums of 2013. The album's art was once again created by drummer Away (Michel Langevin) and is said to features color schemes from each one of the band's' previous albums:

“Writing and recording a new album that would live up to VOIVOD's reputation for innovation would seem to be a daunting task; but if it was, you’d never know it from hearing ‘Target Earth’. This is extreme, gnarly, experimental VOIVOD at their level best; the music is difficult, dramatic, and intense. … Older fans can breathe a sigh of relief: ‘Target Earth’ is not only better than we had any right to expect, it’s relentlessly creative, inspired, and manic,” [wrote Thom Jurek, AllMusic – more here:]

VOIVOD's career started 30 years ago in Jonquière, Quebec, Canada:

“From their beginning in the early '80s, their main goal was to be different from anyone else, and thus they incorporated odd musical tempos and futuristic story lines into their songs, often dealing with technology taking over the world. With their unique style of performing and writing, VOIVOD opened the way for other Canadian thrash and metal bands,” [immortalized the band John Book, AllMusic – more here]

Starting out as a thrash metal band, VOIVOD released (“as subtle as being hit by a sledgehammer”, courtesy Greg Prato, AllMusic – more here) ‘War And Pain’ album in 1984 and ‘Rrröööaaarrr’ in 1986. VOIVOD had taken their first progressive rock steps on their 1987's ‘Killing Technology’ and 1988's ‘Dimension Hatröss’, only to perfect their style on their major-label debut, 1989's album ‘Nothingface’, rated near perfect by AllMusic and “highly recommended to just about any aficionado of twisted, original heavy metal or prog rock,” by its reviewer Greg Prato (more here). ‘Nothingface’ was also VOIVOD's first album to enter the Billboard Top 200 charts, peaking at number 114. Produced by Terry Brown of RUSH fame, ‘Angel Rat’, issued in 1991, was the last album recorded with bassist Jean-Yves Thériault (Blacky) until his recent return. Before bassist and vocalist Eric Forrest entered the fold, VOIVOD recorded their seventh album, 1993's ‘The Outer Limits’. With Forrest, the band recorded 1995's ‘Negatron’, 1997's ‘Phobos’ and a compilation album called ‘Kronik’ in 1998. Ex-METALLICA bassist Jason Newsted did his part on VOIVOD's self-titled 2003's album which saw the return of vocalist Denis Bélanger (Snake) and which was the last album the band completed before guitarist Denis D’Amour's (Piggy) death in 2005. He died of colon cancer during the recording of VOIVOD's 2006's album ‘Katorz’, age 45:

“VOIVOD has always been among the most intelligent bands in any genre of music; they have evolved into an entity that gives up nothing when it comes to pure rock mania, yet offer something more as well: thoughtful songs that provocatively and critically examine the world we live in,” [complimented Thom Jurek, AllMusic – more here]

In 2009, VOIVOD released their last album recorded with Jason Newsted. ‘Infini’ included guitar contributions recorded by Denis D’Amour prior to his 2005 passing:

“Back in the '80s when most metal guitarists were busy shredding away and/or trying to “out thrash” the next guy, Piggy's jazz-oid guitar playing was a breath of fresh air amongst all the standard shredding/noodling going on at the time. And it was an instantly recognizable, signature style he pursued until the very end,” [commented Greg Prato, AllMusic – more here]

VOIVOD features: Denis Bélanger (Snake) – vocals, Daniel Mongrain (Chewy) – guitar, Jean-Yves Thériault (Blacky) – bass and Michel Langevin (Away) – drums 

Watain: Outlaw – new video

With whom better to (finally) welcome the winter than with WATAIN? I must say their ‘Outlaw’ made me nauseated, bitter, confused and, since I am (on occasion) of their own ilk, it also made me feel empowered – of course in a Diabolical way. Just as they and Johan Bååth intended. Therefore maybe I am even deserving of one of those 70 VHS tapes containing the ‘Outlaw’ video which are currently being distributed in various ways… Then again, it made me feel real good when I read that WATAIN have conquered their home country, Sweden, charts with their latest uncompromising album ‘The Wild Hunt’ back in August 2013, because I too really like it. ‘The Wild Hunt’ has also debuted at position number 158 on the Billboard Top 200, selling around 2,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release. WATAIN's eleven “windows into a world rarely seen by men” were produced by Tore Stjerna at his Necromorbus studio in Alvik, Sweden, their accompanying art created by Zbigniew M. Bielak and opened by Century Media Records. Described as “the most important album of WATAIN's career” by Metal Hammer UK, as “exciting, vital music that grabs you by the soul” by Kerrang UK, the album contains some firsts as well, such as clean vocals by Erik Danielsson (otherwise known as E. and apparently also known as the editor of the Hellish Massacre zine and the artist behind Cold Seed Creations) on the song ‘They Rode On’. He kindly explained:

“I piss on those so-called artists who adapt themselves in order to reach bigger audiences. The main reason why we achieved all that we did is that we never betrayed our initial vision, not because we ever pretended to write more “accessible” music. That specific song is just us being brutally personal and honest. It shows another important facet of the WATAIN world.”

Since “the stars have fallen into position and the angles are becoming visible, prepare yourselves for a burning dawn, and a wild, wild hunt”, order the album from here (CM Distro Europe), here (CM Distro North America), here (WATAIN store) or whichever god-forsaken place you usually order your music from - immediately!

“By adding in touches of doom, prog, and symphonic metal, WATAIN is able to push the boundaries of black metal while still keeping things on the extreme end of the spectrum, providing them with a kind of accessibility that doesn't require them to sacrifice any of the more terrifying aspects of their sound in the process,” [contributed Gregory Heaney, AllMusic – more here:]

Formed in 1998 in Uppsala, Sweden when “there weren’t really any bands anymore that seemed to take things that seriously”, WATAIN set upon correcting the distressing state of affairs immediately with a demo called ‘Go Fuck Your Jewish God’. Next came the uncompromising 7” release entitled ‘The Essence Of Black Purity’ in 1999, followed by ‘Rabid Death's Curse’, their first studio album. Described as “inconspicuous, hamstrung by a muddy, less-than-ideal production and a slew of familiar Scandinavian black metal ingredients” by Eduardo Rivadavia, AllMusic (more here), WATAIN's full-length debut was reissued in 2008 by Season Of Mist:

The infernal trio put forth their second longplayer in 2003 through Drakkar Productions; with ‘Casus Luciferi’ WATAIN “crystallized the sound that would elevate the band - in tandem with reliably devastating concert rituals - to the top of the global black metal bone pile” according to aforementioned critic. He further explained:

“To put it another way, cleanly produced onslaughts such as ‘Black Salvation’, ‘Opus Dei (The Morbid Angel)’ and ‘The Golden Horns Of Darash’ ruthlessly decapitate their victims with the swift efficiency of a guillotine, rather than requiring a few swipes of a rusty scythe; the tools of the trade may be different, cleaner, and more immediate, just like the songs themselves, but the end result is still deadly,” [more here:]

I have no intention to dwell on yet another black metal band's idiotic behavior such as WATAIN's in 2006, but in 2007 WATAIN reportedly successfully challenged Norway's black metal supremacy with their third album, ‘Sworn To The Dark’. Issued through Season Of Mist, the album was praised by metal press and appraised as “enjoyable” by Eduardo Rivadavia, AllMusic (more here):

Depicting a pitch-black whirlpool painstakingly created by Zbigniew M. Bielak on its cover, WATAIN's fourth full-length, 2010's ‘Lawless Darkness’, somehow failed to excite each and every metal music critic; yet it impressed AllMusic's reviewer enough to describe it as a “ significant achievement for the advancement of black metal's cause” (more here):

WATAIN features: Erik Danielsson – vocals and bass, Håkan Jonsson – drums and Pelle Forsberg – guitar and Set Teitan (Davide Totaro) – live guitar and Alvaro Lillo – live bass

 

Intronaut: Harmonomicon – new video

INTRONAUT (long time no see, btw) say “it’s the unknown that leads us back home”… Maybe. ‘Harmonomicon’ comes from the Los Angeles finest fourth full-length effort, ‘Habitual Levitations (Instilling Words With Tones)’, released in March 2013 on Century Media Records which Revolver described as one that “lifts listeners off their feet and keep them floating, with only occasional handholds for stability” , Exclaim! as “[INTRONAUT's] wordiest” and “their chilliest release to date” and of which MetalSuck's Kip Wingerschmidt (who fights for truth, justice, and steaming hot pork dumplings) wrote:

“INTRONAUT do something at once sharply unique and fiercely sincere – yes, the music is obviously of a technical and progressive nature, but on this album all the songs seem more purposeful and earnest than ever. Certain building moments that rise and fall from monumental crescendos to perfectly stripped down delicate tension will surely please various types of listeners.  On one hand any musician would benefit from examining the band's sound, but in another regard, these are great tunes to make out to.” [And that, according to Kip Wingerschmidt, is a winning combination – more here]

‘Habitual Levitations’ was recorded with producers Derek Donley and John Haddad  and mixed by Josh Newell, while the album's art was created by David D'Andrea. The album awaits your order here (CM Distro Europe) and here (CM Distro USA) and, you know the drill, on iTunes, Amazon ettc.

INTRONAUT was first conceived in 2004 in Los Angeles, USA as a loose side project envisioned between vocalist and guitarist Sacha Dunable and former EXHUMED drummer Danny Walker. The pair then engaged fellow ex-EXHUMED guitarist and vocalist Leon del Muerte and bassist Joe Lester to help them record their debut EP entitled ‘Null’. Released in early 2006 by Goodfellow Records, the recording was quickly followed by a proper full-length, ‘Void’, described as “positively head-spinning in [its] technicality” by Eduardo Rivadavia, AllMusic (more here). In 2007, Leon del Muerte left the band to focus on his MURDER CONSTRUCT project and was replaced by Dave Timnick. The following year, INTRONAUT signed with Century Media Records and released their second full-length, ‘Prehistorcisms’, to positive reviews with Mr. Rivadavia defining it as “the most adventurous and forward-looking - not to mention accessible” (more here):

In 2010, INTRONAUT delighted with ‘Valley Of Smoke’, their third full-length album:

“Allow some clarification: what actually transpired here is that the band chose to interpret some of Tinsel Town's most apocalyptic geological characteristics (its earthquakes, wildfires, smog, etc.) into their highly abstract lyrics, then wed them to yet another set of typically intricate technical metal creations. … It’s still pretty stunning to learn that the dual harmonies sung by Sacha Dunable and Dave Timnick  arose from their recently professed love of… ALICE IN CHAINS? Who knew? And yet it works, just as most anything seems to work within INTRONAUT's quasi-infinite musical universe. How else to explain ‘Valley Of Smoke’ ability to redeem a city accustomed to being eulogized by the likes of RATT and MOTLEY CRUE? What small miracle will INTRONAUT pull off next,” [he asked – more here]

INTRONAUT features: Sacha Dunable – guitar and vocals, Joe Lester – bass, Dave Timnick - guitar, vocals and percussion, and Danny Walker – drums 

High On Fire: Slave The Hive – new video & free single

HIGH ON FIRE strike again; ‘Slave The Hive’ is the band's new single they are giving away free of charge in cooperation with Scion A/V here (or here), complete with a complimenting new video. The high-energy track is HIGH ON FIRE's first new music since their 2012 release ‘De Vermis Mysteriis’. You will remember that the unstoppable American mavericks released a double-disc live album called ‘Spitting Fire Live’ in June/July 2013 through eOne and Century Media; ‘Spitting Fire Live’ was recorded live in two New York City venues; The Music Hall Of Williamsburg and The Bowery Ballroom, and was later mixed by Greg Wilkinson at Earhammer Studios in Oakland, California with additional engineering by CONVERGE's Kurt Ballou. ‘Spitting Fire Live Vol. 1 & Vol. 2’ still awaits your order here (eOne store) and here (CM Distro), as well as on iTunes, Amazon etc. And remember:

“It was the late, great novelist and caffeine enthusiast Honoré de Balzac (1799-1850) who said: “Power is not revealed by striking hard or often, but by striking true.” And yet HIGH ON FIRE have managed to do all three:”

HIGH ON FIRE was founded by guitarist and vocalist Matt Pike, bass player George Rice, and drummer Des Kensel in 1999 in Oakland, California. The group released their momentous debut, ‘The Art Of Self Defense’, in 2000 through Man's Ruin Records, with their second collaboration with producer Billy Anderson, 2002's ‘Surrounded By Thieves', coming next on Relapse Records (listen to ‘Eyes And Teeth’ off it here – BandCamp). The founding member Rice was replaced by former MELVINS' Joe Preston before the recording of HIGH ON FIRE's next effort took place, 2005's ‘Blessed Black Wings’ (listen to ‘Devilution’ off it here). Described as “a primal, yet thoroughly modern-sounding heavy metal album” by Eduardo Rivadavia, AllMusic, the album was produced by Steve Albini, while Jack Endino-produced 2007's ‘Death Is This Communion’, the first album to feature HIGH ON FIRE's current bassist Jeff Matz, was depicted as “the band's finest and most focused moment yet” by Thom Jurek, AllMusic (listen to ‘Fury Whip’ here). Switching to Koch Records (now eOne Music), the band took their time recording their fifth album, 2010's ‘Snakes For The Divine’, but it was worth the wait, according to Eduardo Rivadavia, AllMusic:

“Indeed, the toothsome trio is on such a roll here, that not even those oft-times second-rate album cuts tucked away towards the end are anything but awe-inspiring, with both the biblically inclined double-kick-drum onslaught of ‘Fire, Flood And Plague’ and the inexorably marching, impossibly evil ‘How Dark We Pray’ practically bursting at the seams with endlessly unpredictable riff sequences and merciless metallic muscle. In short: ‘Snakes For The Divine’ is another physically punishing tour de force from a band whose fans will settle for nothing less, and have rarely been let down - certainly not this time around,” [there is more here, and it is a worthy reading]

HIGH ON FIRE's gloriously unhinged metal saga, ‘De Vermis Mysteriis’, was released in April 2012 on eOne/Century Media. Produced by CONVERGE guitarist Kurt Ballou at God City Studios in Salem, Massachusetts, the album's title (translates as ‘The Mysteries Of The Worm’) is reportedly a nod to a fictional textbook of magic of the same name, conceived by author Robert Bloch:

“It’s a concept record, a little bit,” [offered Matt Pike, the band's founder and once a self-proclaimed juvenile delinquent] “I got this idea about Jesus Christ and the Immaculate Conception: What if Jesus had a twin who died at birth to give Jesus his life? And then what if the twin became a time traveler right then? He lives his life only going forward until he finds this scroll from an ancient Chinese alchemist who derived a serum out of the black lotus - which is actually in Robert E. Howard's “Conan” stories - and then he starts traveling back in time. He can see the past through his ancestors' eyes, but his enemies can kill him if they kill the ancestor that he’s seeing through at the time. Basically, he keeps waking up in other people's bodies at bad times. It’s kinda like that old TV show “Quantum Leap”. Kurt actually pointed that out to me after I told him the idea. But whatever - time travel is a killer concept”

HIGH ON FIRE features: Matt Pike – guitar and vocals, Des Kensel – drums and Jeff Matz – bass

 

Betzefer: The Devil Went Down To The Holy Land & Sledgehammer – new videos

Thank you, BETZEFER, for keeping up with my life achievements, first sonically and now visually as well and no, I am not one of those girls dancing in the background. I would also like to thank Nir Gutraiman, Yonathan Bereskin and Ricardo Werdesheim of Zaz Animation for their hard work. ‘The Devil Went Down To The Holy Land’, BETZEFER's third full-length, was recorded with Danish producer Tue Madsen at his Antfarm Studio and is available in Europe since end of October 2013 on SPV/Steamhammer. ‘The Devil Went Down To The Holy Land’ is available as CD (the first pressing comes with a DVD containing videos for ‘The Devil Went Down To The Holy Land’ and ‘Sledgehammer’ plus additional features) and as LP; the LP version contains an exclusive bonus track, a cover version of THE BEATLES' ‘Helter Skelter’. So visit your usual (Israeli and hopefully elsewhere) music store, or order yourself a copy of ‘The Devil Went Down To The Holy Land’ from Amazon.

 

BETZEFER, Hebrew for '”school”, was formed in 1998 by a bunch of enthusiastic high school kids allegedly for a one-off high school gig - hence the name. The enthusiastic bunch, made up of vocalist Avital Tamir, guitarist Matan Cohen, bassist Menashe Hazan and drummer Roey Berman, self-released their intriguingly titled debut EP, ‘Some Tits, But No Bush’, in 2001, followed by another self-released and self-produced  EP, recorded with new bassist Evil Haim, ‘New Hate’, two years later. BETZEFER's self-produced debut album, ‘Down Low’, was released independently in Israel in 2005 and internationally by Roadrunner Records in 2006. The band had toured Europe extensively in order to promote the album, sharing the stage with FEAR FACTORY, SEPULTURA, LAMB OF GOD and notable others. BETZEFER's second LP, produced by Warren Riker and mastered by Alan Douches, was issued in 2011 through AFM Records; ‘Freedom To The Slave Makers’ was described as BETZEFER's most aspiring effort to date, featuring dark and rich guitar sounds, massive yet highly groovy rhythm section and impressively colorful vocals:  

BETZEFER features: Avital Tamir – vocals, Matan Cohen – guitar, Roey Berman – drums and Rotem Inbar – bass 

 

ASG: Scrappy Trip – new video & Blood Drive – full album stream

I guess life is like ‘Scrappy Trip’s opening line (“I didn’t write the rules you know, I merely redefined”) once one gets a grip on it. ‘Scrappy Trip’, videoed by Jason Shi and Wynne Harrington, comes off ASG's May 2013 Relapse Records' release ‘Blood Drive’ which Revolver Magazine included in the top twenty albums of 2013 and which has been named among Google Play's best albums of the year that is about exhale. ASG's ‘Blood Drive’ was recorded with renowned producer Matt Hyde at the Sunset Lodge in Hollywood, California and its captivating art created by Rock Art Lab Malleus. Kindly shop here (Relapse store) or visit either iTunes store/Google Play/Amazon or ASG BandCamp here if you dare to delve into AGS summer music during the off season:

“A commendable summer album that strikes a fine balance between rock fury and accessibility,” [wrote Sputnik reviewer Greg Fisher] “What exactly constitutes an ideal summer album? ASG is a North Carolina outfit that tries to answer this question with its fourth full length ‘Blood Drive’. A delightful cover art already evokes a laid-back summer atmosphere. The quartet follows suit delivering an appropriately sun-drenched brand of stoner rock. They’ve done a grand job of integrating soothing melodies with heavy rock arrangements that place groove-laden guitar riffs at the forefront. … The foursome's uncanny knack for merging melody, groove and energy is clearly in full swing. Thus, ‘Blood Drive’ makes for a perfectly enjoyable summer album that achieves a fine balance between rock fury and accessibility. While the presentation can get overly homogenous at times, the record never ceases to be a legitimately fun listen. ASG are on the cusp of striking gold in the growing realm of pop-soaked heavy rock.” [More here:]

ASG, apparently short for either “amplification of self gratification”, “all systems gone” or “anarchist school for girls”, was formed in 2001 in Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina; initially a three-piece instrumental project comprised of guitarist Jason Shi, bassist Andy Ellis and drummer Scott Key. As time passed, ASG relate, and no vocalist was found, Shi was eventually forced to step up to the microphone. Through Volcom Entertainment, the band issued their debut album, ‘The Amplification Of Self Gratification’, in 2003. In 2005, ASG recorded their sophomore album, ‘Feeling Good Is Good Enough’, with (“proper”) producers, Matt Hyde and Phil Caivano. According to reports, ‘Feeling Good Is Good Enough’ “summoned all the band's potential and spawned a thunderous hard rock creation that equaled what the band had been working towards for the past three years”. With added second guitarist, Jonah Citty, ASG recreated the album's sounds live, touring with the likes of MOTORHEAD, THE SWORD, TORCHE and FU MANCHU. In 2007, the band returned with their next album, ‘Win Us Over’, “a vivid, psychedelic, and panoramic thrust that is just as much for the ears as it is for the aura”:

“While the ingredients of stoner rock, psychedelic metal, and angst-ridden punk rock are apparent, ASG doesn’t fit under any particular category. Be you a fan of plain ol’ rock and roll and don sleeveless flannels while sucking down 22 ouncers and gettin’ rowdy - or enjoy waxin’ deep on the bong, ‘Win Us Over’ lives up to it’s namesake,” [reassured the press release]

“ASG mix the best qualities of KYUSS and QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE: the former's bluesy heft and the latter's pop focus. On ‘Win Us Over’, they hone this combination almost to perfection. While not purely metal - the band isn’t afraid to rock - the riffs are stronger and catchier than the vast majority of stoner metal. That’s because ASG write songs, not genre exercises,” [commented Cosmo Lee, AllMusic – more here]

ASG features: Jason Shi - guitar and vocals, Andy Ellis – bass, Scott Key – drums and Jonah Citty – guitar

GWAR: Madness At The Core Of Time – new video

 

 

Anything GWAR do is an official (music or otherwise) video. ‘Madness At The Core Of Time’ comes off your Lords and Masters' latest largely conceptual album ‘Battle Maximus’, which was not released in vain in September 2013 by Metal Blade Records, selling approximately 3,500 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position number 109 on The Billboard Top 200. ‘Battle Maximus’ is both a tribute to Flattus Maximus (guitarist Cory Smoot) as well as the next chapter in the story of GWAR (Oderus Urungus, Balsac the Jaws of Death, Jizmak Da Gusha and Beefcake the Mighty have mourned and have honoured their longtime guitar player Flattus Maximus; ultimately, the “time to fucking devastate in the name of Flattus and the supreme entity that is GWAR” arrived). And that meant the blowing The Horn of Hate. Which is:

“an ancient Slave Pit contraption that summons all the Scumdogs in the Universe in the unlikely event that one of them is killed in battle, disintegrated, or becomes a Mormon. As the cosmic tones echoed throughout the universe (which unfortunately sounds like a giant duck-fart), the Maximus tribe answered the call by traveling to Earth to wage the mighty Battle Maximus, a musical trial-by-combat for the right to follow in the footsteps of Flattus. When the dust had settled, but one Scumdog remained standing… the zit-encrusted and undeniably shred-tastic Pustulus Maximus.”

The ‘Battle Maximus’ features twelve brand new tracks that tell the story of GWAR's latest struggle against what may be their greatest enemy yet: the insidious “Mr. Perfect” (“who has travelled through time itself to steal the power of GWAR – the power of immortality, and use this power to mutate the human race into his twisted vision of what the “perfect” human should be”). Because:

“If anyone is gonna destroy the human race, it’s gonna be us… so get ready for the most epic struggle yet. ‘Battle Maximus’ is destined to further solidify GWAR's place as the masters of Earth and Man, and no time-travelling demonic despot is going to change that, even if we have to kick his ass in every venue from the most puke-smeared club to the most illustrious festival stages worldwide,” [said Oderus].

‘Battle Maximus’ was recorded at the band's own Slave Pit Studios, and was mixed by award-winning producer Glen Robinson and mastered by “the matchless” Howie Weinberg. And, “seriously if you haven’t gotten it yet, what the fuck are you waiting for? Oderus needs drug money”, get ‘Battle Maximus’ here (Metal Blade store) or on iTunes or Amazon.

 

AllMusic's Steve Huey claims GWAR were formed at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, USA as an experiment in marketing strategy by several musicians, art students, and dancers in 1984, but I’m sure GWAR would claim otherwise. What cannot be disputed is that they are “all-powerful interplanetary warriors, descended from aliens stranded in Antarctica and initially created from the lowest filth in the universe, who came to Earth to sexually enslave and/or slaughter the human race” (more here). Since the group's many members perform dressed in bizarre costumes on a bizarre stage (corpses spewing washable bodily fluids on the audience etc), some authority figures “didn’t take kindly” to GWAR (obscenity charges, shut down concerts, GWAR suing and settling out of court) over the years. GWAR first introduced themselves in 1988 with debut album ‘Hell-O’, followed by their first record released on Metal Blade, 1990's ‘Scumdogs Of The Universe’ – their best selling album to date. ‘America Must Be Destroyed’ followed 1992 and their first album to be censored, ‘This Toilet Earth’, came next in 1994. ‘Ragnarök’ continued to tell the GWAR story in 1995, succeeded by ‘Carnival Of Chaos’ in 1997. GWAR proved once again that no subject is too crude for them with their second censored album, 1999's ‘We Kill Everything’, and ‘Violence Has Arrived’ arrived in 2001. The group switched labels from Metal Blade to DRT Entertainment prior to the release of ‘War Party’ in 2004 which turned to be their best selling album in recent years. GWAR journeyed to Hell and beyond in 2006 on ‘Beyond Hell’ and returned to Metal Blade in 2009 with ‘Lust In Space’. The last album to feature the character of Flattus Maximus (the band's characters never change, only the musicians playing them) was issued in 2010 called ‘Bloody Pit Of Horror’:

“What has set GWAR apart from most of the “masked metal competition” is that they have always had a sense of humor in what they’ve done, while some of the similar-looking bands that followed in their path take things a bit too seriously. You’ve got to give GWAR some credit – they’re still at it (decades after first appearing on the scene), as evidenced by the arrival of their 12th studio album overall, 2010's ‘Bloody Pit Of Horror’. As with past GWAR releases, you know exactly what to expect before your “listening experience” begins: METALLICA-like buzz-saw riffing, grizzly/gory lyrics, etc. And wouldn’t you know it? ‘Bloody Pit Of Horror’ sounds just like their previous albums!” [exclaimed Greg Prato, AllMusic – more here]

GWAR features: Oderus Urungus (Dave Brockie) – vocals, Balsac the Jaws of Death (Mike Derks) – guitar and backing vocals, Jizmak Da Gusha (Brad Roberts) – drums, Beefcake the Mighty (Jamison Land) – bass and backing vocals and Pustulus Maximus (Brent Purgason) - lead guitar