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Showing posts from February, 2016

Projekt F - The Butterfly Effect (album review)

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Projekt F The Butterfly Effect (EP) Self-Release Release: 4 March 2016 Projekt F's The Butterfly Effect is heavy in all the right places. It has a gravitas in a genre that can seem glutted and self absorbed. The songs on Butterfly Effect are equal parts metal and industrial. Simon Sayz' guitar sound is full and rich while Jonh M. Miller's vocals are a perfect blend of lyrical and harsh.  "Tongue" is a song that perfectly shows the musicality of Projekt F. Juxtaposed with "Cut Your Wings" which is more of an industrial 90s Ministry type song. There is a forward bullet train first person shooter motion that "Cut Your Wings" envelops. The Butterfly Effect is seven tracks and twenty-five minutes long yet it is a well rounded album. It's perfect for driving as it encourages driving fast. It's a great back drop for gaming on XBoX. It's the album you want playing during your daytime rave.

Bands on Tour - Napalm Records edition

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ALESTORM w/ Sabaton + Bloodbound 18.02.16 CH - Lausanne / Metropole 19.02.16 CH - Zürich / Komplex 457 20.02.16 CH - Chur / Palazzo 22.02.16 FR - Marseille / Espace Julien 23.02.16 FR - Bordeaux / Rocher De Palmer 24.02.16 FR - Nantes / Stereolux 26.02.16 UK - Norwich / UEA 27.02.16 UK - Manchester / Academy 29.02.16 UK - Birmingham / O2 Academy 02.03.16 UK - Aberdeen / Music Hall 03.03.16 UK - Glasgow / Barrowlands 04.03.16 UK - Belfast / Limelight 1 06.03.16 IE - Dublin / Vicar Street 07.03.16 UK - Cardiff / Tramshed 08.03.16 UK - Bristol / Motion 10.03.16 UK - London / Forum MY SLEEPING KARMA & GREENLEAF & MAMMOTH MAMMOTH Up in Smoke Tour VOL VI 17.02.16 DE - Wiesbaden / Schlachthof 18.02.16 BE – Antwerp, Trix 19.02.16 UK – London, Garage 20.02.16 FR – Paris, Divan Du Monde 21.02.16 FR – Nantes, Le Ferrailleur 22.02.16 CH – Pratteln, Z 7 23.02.16 DE - Munich, Feierwerk 24.02.16 DE – Berlin, Lido 25.02.16 DE – Leipzig, UT Connewitz 26.02.16

Eohum - Ealdhaeder (album review)

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Eohum Ealdhaeder Mycelium Networks Release: 18 March 2016 Wow, just wow! I'm mightily enjoying Eohem's release of Ealdfaeder. It starts out in a heavy mysticism type Viking/Native American vibe. It sucks you in straight away. Guitarist Jeremy Perkins has made the DJ in my brain very happy indeed. They're listed as a black metal band, but for the love of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph I don't hear it. The music is phenomenal. It's got this cadence to it that is mesmerizing. Sure, Barrie Butler's vocals are the cookie monster screamo type. But, it works so damn well. Barrie Butler makes everything sound wicked and evil. Luca Belviso on drums is just... just... I have no words. It's tribal. Yet, heavy. He's got this rhythm that's gobsmacking. It has shades of Slayer's Lombardo but oh so much more. The most haunting and intriguing part of this mix is Annie Perreault on french horn and flute. I'm a band geek from the mythical time known as the 70s,

Megascavenger - As Dystopia Beckons (album review)

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Megascavenger As Dystopia Beckons Selfmadegod Records Release: 01 March 2016 Megascavenger's As Dystopia Beckons lives up to its name. The songs sound like some futuristic dystopian society ruled by machines. It's dark and heavy. As Dystopia Beckons has an industrial feel to it. This blends with speed metal and black metal and creates an overwhelming foreboding album. The guitars are quite blistering and frenetic. The cacophony of composition adds to the unease you feel listening to the album. Rogga Johansson goes a long way to paint with music. He's created an album that evokes unease and fear. The tracks on As Dystopia Beckons are sludgetastically heavy. The drumming beats you into submission while the guitars unrelentingly scream at you. Megascavenger is the right blend of industrial futuristic composition with heavy death metal structure. It sometimes comes across as overly technical and unnecessary in measure. Then tracks like 'The Harrowing of Hell' come

Bands on Tour

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ABIGAIL WILLIAMS w/ Fleshgod Apocalypse, Carach Angren: 2/12/2016 Gramercy Theatre - New York, NY 2/13/2016 The Palladium - Worcester, MA 2/14/2016 Mod Club - Toronto, ON 2/15/2016 Reggie's - Chicago, IL 2/16/2016 Riot Room - Kansas City, MO 2/17/2016 Marquis Theatre - Denver, CO 2/19/2016 Studio Seven - Seattle, WA 2/20/2016 Third Street Pub - Bend, OR 2/21/2016 DNA Lounge - San Francisco, CA 2/22/2016 Whiskey - West Hollywood, CA 2/23/2016 Brick by Brick - San Diego, CA 2/24/2016 Joe's Grotto - Phoenix, AZ 2/25/2016 Mesa Music Hall - El Paso, TX 2/26/2016 Rail Club - Ft. Worth, TX 2/27/2016 Dirty Dog - Austin, TX End Tour: 2/28/16 Rock Island Live - Wichita, KS 2/29/16 The Black Sheep - Colorado Spring, CO 3/02/16 The Sickhouse - Idaho Falls, ID ACT OF DEFIANCE: 2/12/2016 7th Street Entry - Minneapolis, MN 2/13/2016 Brauer House - Lombard, IL 2/14/2016 The Headquarters - Indianapolis, IN 2/16/2016 Southgate House - Newport, KY 2/20/2016 Axes &

Metallica: The Night Before the Night Before

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So, Super Bowl 50 is in the books with a snooze fest halftime from some band named Coldplay. Awesome dance moves from some woman named Beyonce and her dance squad. And a song I thought was about Voldemort and Harry Potter but is a 'real' song by a band named Bruno Mars. I only mention it because Jason Long from Ohio, a longtime Metallica fan club member, started a petition to get Metallica to play the half time show. The petition garnered 63,925 signatures, but alas, it was not to be. Some one on the Super Bowl half time committee lobbied for their favourite band, Coldplay, and that's who was chosen. Metallica, being the ever good sports they are, opted to rent out ATT Park in downtown San Francisco. As another nod to the greatness of Metallica, they opened up their "sound check" to Metclub member winners (ooops, sorry 5th Member winners) to come in and watch. To be fair, it wasn't an actual sound check as all musicians have had to slog thru. They had a true

Armstrong Metal Fest

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Promo Video -  https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=O9zHeA2pKWs          Already unveiling the first twelve bands for their 2016 line up, Armstrong Metalfest  is proud to reveal its next batch of bands for the fest  taking place on July 15th and 16th in Armstrong, BC at the Hassen Arena. This year's fest plans  to showcase a high caliber of Western Canadian and international bands, which will include  this year's Best Metal winner from the Whammy Awards taking place in Vancouver on Feb 12th whom will be invited to perform at the fest. Event details  here . Bands confirmed this week for AMF are the following: DropDeadFred (Kelowna, BC) - https://dropdeadfredcanada. bandcamp.com Noire (Winnipeg, MB) - https://deathboundrecords. bandcamp.com/album/dark- reverence Nomad (Enderby, BC) - https://www.facebook.com/ nomadmetalband Revenger (Vancouver, BC) - https://revengermusic. bandcamp.com Tyrants Demise (Winnipeg, MB) - https://tyrantsdemise. bandcamp.com/ Vehe

Totem Skin - Weltschmerz (album review)

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Totem Skin Weltschmerz Halo of Flies Releases: 4 March 2016 To say I really dig this album by Totem Skin is an understatement. Weltschmerz is heavy in the best ways possible. Christoffer Oster is a beasts on guitar. Their sound is so dense. It's augmented by the heavy pounding of Sebastian Engstrom on drums and the yes, I can hear Johan Wiberg's bass and am loving how it rides in the mix of Lewis Johns. It's been a while since I can say that I can actually HEAR bass playing on an album and am very happy that Totem Skin highlights the playing of Johan Wiberg on Weltschmerz.  Every song is worth a listen, there is no filler here. Give Welschmerz a spin on their Bandcamp page and seriously drop the 7Euro on a digital copy of the album. Totem Skin's Weltschmerz on Bandcamp

TODAY IS THE DAY - (tour dates and video)

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Today is the Day released a new video from their upcoming tenth album called Animal Mother. The track is called "Animal Mother" and you can watch it here. You can catch them on the road in March and April with Weedeater, Author & Punisher, and Lord Dying. TODAY IS THE DAY w/ Weedeater, Author & Punisher, Lord Dying: 3/14/2016 Earl - Atlanta, GA 3/15/2016 Siberia - New Orleans, LA 3/16/2016 Fitzgeralds - Houston, TX  * no Lord Dying 3/17/2016 Korova - San Antonio, TX 3/18/2016 SXSW - Austin, TX 3/21/2016 Sister - Albuquerque, NM 3/22/2016 Club Red - Mesa, AZ 3/24/2016 Brick By Brick - San Diego, CA 3/25/2016 Viper Room - Los Angeles, CA 3/26/2016 Oakland Opera House - Oakland, CA 3/27/2016 Ash St Saloon - Portland, OR 3/28/2016 Rickshaw Theater - Vancouver, BC 3/29/2016 Highline - Seattle, WA 3/31/2016 3 Kings Tavern - Denver, CO 4/01/2016 Granada Theater - Lawrence, KS 4/02/2016 Gabes - Iowa City, IA 4/03/2016 Hi Tone - Memphis, TN

AHP - Against Human Plague (album review)

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AHP    Against Human Plague Via Nocturna Release: 21 February  Sometimes I like to review music that I don't normally listen to. I think it expands my horizons as a music aficionado and a reviewer. AHP is one such experience. The album is a mind fuck of darkness and weirdness and things that go bump in the night. The ten tracks on Against Human Plague are intense. The feeling it leaves is of having a heart attack while drowning with strobe lights going off above you. The opening and title track "Against Human Plague" is like a punch in the gut. It's beyond visceral. "Down Here" is the stuff of nightmares. It's ambiently scary and at any moment you think something is going to jump out and get you. "Unleashed the Storms" sounds like a raging storm upon the rocks. It evokes darkness, black clouds, crashing waves, and death.  "Homines In Igne Morti" sounds like it could be on the soundtrack from a classic black and white horror movie. No

Manipulate - Becoming Madness (album review)

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Manipulate Becoming Madness Flatspot Records February 12, 2016 Manipulate is a New York thrash punk band that is all attitude. Their new album Becoming Madness drops February 12 on Flatspot Records. This is an album you should buy. Why? It's headbanging goodness. Circle pit worthy. Full of angry fist pumping action. The single "Beaten Path" is one that will be played on repeat. It's invigorating. It's like a breath of fresh air on your sound system. The guitars are fierce, the drumming hard hitting, the vocals totally in your face. "Slip Away" has an angry swagger that is hard to let go of. The composition makes you move and head bang. At 1:15 there is a rhythm section breakdown that is sublime. "Manipulate" is a track that instantly starts a circle pit in your room. Even if it's a circle pit of one (as my dogs and cat are looking at me like I've lost my ever loving mind.) It's hard to write and headbang at the same time. Exc