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Showing posts from December, 2013

Malakyte - Human Resonance

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There is no way this could be the band's first full length album. It's just too damn good. Ever have that problem? You are listening to a band and you can't manage to pick your jaw up off the floor? Well then you need to hear Malakyte 's "Human Resonance". It's a blistering head banging kill fest. This album is meant to be played on 11. It's meant to make your neighbours shudder in fear. It's meant to be listened to whilst driving very very fast. "Human Resonance" is just pounding and unrelenting. I can only imagine the carnage this album generates when Malakyte play it live. It's an open love letter to classic circle pits. The album starts with a beautiful song entitled '7.8'. It's gobsmackingly gorgeous. Then all hell breaks lose with  'Embodiment'. Laggy and Dalton Quade Wilson just nail it on guitars. They are shredding it. it's sweet mana to your ears. Tommy Muz reminds me of Bobby Ellsworth . This

Whitemare - Screamer

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Whitemare's "Screamer" is a fun romp through music that was released on Riot House Records back in November. It's  It's only twelve minutes long, but it's a corker. The opening track 'Elm Grave' puts you in a Janis Joplin type mood. It's very 60s until the vocals kick in and then you've got this grungy punk southern rock thing. It's head banging and toe tapping. 'Elm Grave' is raw and stripped down. "Screamer" is a fun little EP that just puts you in a good mood. Whitemare sports Matt Johnson on vocals, Al Kilcullen on guitar, Eugene Economou on drums, and Lewis Porter on bass. The music and lyrics are strait forward and in your face. Whitemare's "Screamer" is an EP you want to play at your next party. 'Scene-agers' has the added bonus of some Jerry Lee Lewis inspired piano playing. It's a nice touch. 'Deadbeat Street' is a classic pogo song. OMG this got me hopping about the

Iskald - Nedorm og Norg

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I've always been a sucker for Scandinavian music. For some absurd reason, they just tend to do more with the metal genre. Enter the great white cold Norway. Just the name sends shivers down my spine. There is much anticipation listening to anything coming from this country. The album "Nedom og Nord" is yet another offering that send shivers down one's spine. "Nedom og Nord" is the fourth album from Iskald . Iskald have yet another bold and sweeping album that encapsulates what it means to be Norwegian. To wit, "Nedom og Nord" is Iskald 's tribute to their home country. Norwegian and European fans of Iskald can pick up the disk on January 13th via Indie Recordings. The rest of the world gets it on the 17th of January. Simon Larsen and Aage Krekling created an enveloping album that assaults the senses. "Nedom og Nord" transports you to the Norwegian landscape. It's more about a visceral experience than just listening to a bu

Dismemberment - Embrace the Dark

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Dismemberment . I like the band because I like bands that play super frenetic doomy heavy metal. "Embrace the Dark" is the first full length release from this Ohio band. "Embrace the Dark" is set to be released on February 1, 2014 - in my opinion it makes the perfect Valentine's Day Gift!   Luke Shively, Jacob Shively, J.D. Henderly, and Taylor Emerine have tapped into the beating pulse of the genre. It's nothing new or groundbreaking, but "Embrace the Dark" is a solid album. It's hard to believe that these guys are unsigned! They have the chops and the sound that will take them far in the metal world. Listening to 'Archaic Wisdom' I'm struck by the technicallity of the musicians. They are tight AND accurate. Not a note is out of place. The guitars put Maiden 's guitar trio to shame. The overall tone of the guitars is highlighted here. Shively and Shively have mixed up a home brew in guitar playing that I predict will be th

Top 13 Albums of 2013

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Ahhhh 2013! As you come to a close, it's time to ruminate over what the best of the best was. Of course, it's no easy task. Hundreds of Albums. Thousands of Gigs. Uncountable Blood Sweat and Tears. But here it is. What you've all been waiting for. The Top 13 Albums of 2013 #13 Amon Amarth - Deceiver of the Gods Throbbing. Evil. Malevolent. Hypnotic.  #12  Suicidal Angels - Eternal Damnation The music nightmares are made of. Scary and heavy. The guitars... oh, the feels! The FEELS!!! #11  Shai Hulud - Reach Beyond the Sun Music made to pit to. Can heavy metal be smooth? Whilst still retaining an "I wanna fuck shit up" vibe? I think so.  #10  System Annihilated - Furor Riffage upon riffage. A metal head's delight! #9 Cara Neir - Portraits to a Better Dead World Music that rips into your soul and shreds it to pieces. #8 Beastwars - Blood Becomes Fire Beastwars gives you heavy and creepy and chilling. A moving album from start to finish. 

Volbeat - Outlaw Gentlemen and Shady Ladies

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Volbeat have settled into a nice formula for the release of "Outlaw Gentlemen and Shady Ladies". You have the guest vocalist that notches up the heavy. You have the soothing non-offensive guitar tones that lulls you into a peaceful place. You have strong vocals. You have great stories in the lyrics.   Mike Poulsen reveals " Half of the album tracks will take you into the world of outlaw gunslinger stories sometime in the 1800s. Some of the characters are true legends, while others are fiction. The listener will hear inspiration from classic spaghetti western movies which gives you a clue to the album title and cover artwork. " There is not a hair out of place on "Outlaw Gentlemen and Shady Ladies". Five albums in (not counting "Live From Beyond Hell / Above Heaven") and Volbeat are coasting. They have a solid fan base and are able to tour the world as headliners. Gone from "Outlaw Gentlemen and Shady Ladies" is the new and differen

Musing on Music - Centerlink

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Centerlink grabbed me with the opening riffs of "Distant Voices". It has that schmarmy groove of early Hollywood hair metal. But the good hair metal. The guitars are steady and the bass is heavy. Parky , lead singer, has shades of James Hetfield but with a Vince Neil sneer. It's a deeper heavier vocal than Neil, but definitely channels the wickedness.  "Distant Voices" reminds me of Motley Crue when Motley Crue were good and heavy. This three piece hails from Boston and have been together since 2006. Rounding out Centerlink are Jon Carota on bass Billy K .  I predict more damn groovilicious music from Centerlink ! https://www.facebook.com/Centerlinked

Savage Messiah - The Fateful Dark

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Just when I thought I had my 2013 top album list completed, Savage Messiah go and muss up my calculations! Lucky for me the album won't be released until 2014: You can pick it up from Earache Records on March 10th in Europe and in the USA March 18 via Century Media / Earache . Still,  I am quite put out by Savage Messiah and "The Fateful Dark". How dare they go and make a gobsmacking amazing follow up to "Plague of Conscience". The album has everything a metal head yearns for this Christmas. Dave Silver and Joff Bailey are tight as fuck on guitars. Andrea Gorio is pounding the shite out of the drums. Every song is hard hitting and heavy as fuck. Savage Messiah have perfected the art of the heavy metal album. There is just no way to listen to "The Fateful Dark" and not bang your head. https://www.facebook.com/SavageMessiahMetal

Warbringer - IV Empires Collapse

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Warbringer is back with another album and yet another way to totally blow your frakking musical mind. "IV: Empires Collapse" is an amazing amalgam of tunage. There are shades of Iron Maiden and  shades of Slayer . But this is all Warbringer . Every song flows from one to the other with in an unceasing  cascade of metal. There are amazing layers and subtleties to John Laux and Jeff Potts guitar work. It's almost as if they are inside a Jaeger and are sharing one mind. It's flawless execution!  John Kevill helms the vocal duties with the perfect metal voice. If you've not bought a Warbringer album you've done yourself a great disservice. Repent and go forth to purchase "IV: Empires Collapse". The Evil DJ in your brain will thank you.  Warbringer Music Warbringer Facebook Track List: 1. Horizon 2. The Turning Of The Gears 3. One Dimension 4. Hunter-Seeker 5. Black Sun, Black Moon 6. Scars Remain 7. Dying Light 8. Iron City 9. L

Xibalba - Soledad

A blaring cacophony of noise awaits all who enter the world of Xibalba . "Soledad" is taken from their 2012 album Hasta La Muerte on Southern Lord . The video is culled from a brutal tour schedule and to wit, you can feel the pull of the live stage just listening and looking at the track. "Soledad" is heavy. The tone of the guitars is punishing. "Soledad" is a track to get the circle pit happening. It's just a damn good track! But have no fear. If you missed that epic tour, you can catch them back on the road in 2014. XIBALBA Tour Dates: 2/15/2014  East Side Joe's - Las Vegas, NV 2/16/2014  Salt Haus - Salt Lake City, UT 2/17/2014  Helms Deep - Denver, CO 2/18/2014  Jackpot Saloon - Lawrence, KS 2/19/2014  A220 East - Cedar Falls, IA XIBALBA w/ Comeback Kid, Backtrack, Downpresser, To The Wind: 2/20/2014  Beat Kitchen - Chicago, IL 2/21/2014  The Pyramid Scheme - Grand Rapids, MI 2/22/2014  Pike Room - Pontiac, MI 2/23/

Doro Pesch Launches New Wine and Champagne

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I think we can all agree that  DORO PESCH is just amazing. She has powerful chops. She puts on a damn good show. She makes amazing metal albums. Now, she is making wine! Coming soon to a liquor store near you (hopefully)  two very delectable treats:  DORO  Hero Cava Brut Reserva Champagne and Herzblut [Lifeblood] Vino Tinto Red Wine. "It was my wish for my 30-year stage anniversary - which I will be celebrating on  May 2nd and 3rd, 2014  in my hometown of Düsseldorf [Germany] - to present unique drinks to the fans that represent my own taste and quality standard," comments  DORO .  "We went to a great old wine region in Spain to pick the right product for me and I discovered a very fine red wine there." http://www.DORO.de http://www.facebook.com/ DOROOFFICIAL http://www.Twitter.com/ DOROOFFICIAL http://www.YouTube.com/ DOROOFFICIAL http://www.myspace.com/ DOROBAND http://metal-and-wine.com

Metallica Antarctica Setlist and Photos

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A huge THANK-YOU to Metallica !!!! Once again they outdid themselves and proved they are the best band on the planet. December 8, 2013 marked the first time they've played on the continent of Antarctica. A special dome was built to contain any sound waves - don't want ice shattering and breaking. The audience of South American and Central American contest winners, ship's crew, and research scientists listened to the show wearing ear phones. But under a dome with Metallica ... now THAT'S priceless. And epic! The set list from this totally unprecedented show: 1. 'Creeping Death' 2. 'For Whom The Bell Tolls' 3. 'Sad But True' 4. 'Welcome Home (Sanitarium)' 5. 'Master' 6. 'One' 7. 'Blackened' 8. 'Nothing Else Matters' 9. 'Enter Sandman' 10. 'Seek and Destroy' And holy cow! Metallica provided pictures of this once in a lifetime event. And that beau

Top 10 Videos of 2013

Time for the best of the best from 2013!!! Here are your Top 10 Videos from 2013!!! 10.   Diamond Plate - Dance With Reality From the album Pulse :  Buy Pulse on iTunes 9. Mothership - City Nights From the album Mothership :  Buy Mothership on Ripple Music / Big Cartel 8. Amon Amarth - Deceiver of the Gods From the album   Deceiver of the Gods :  Buy Deceiver of the Gods on iTunes 7. Skeletonwitch - I Am of Death From the album Serpents Unleashed :  Buy Serpents Unleashed on iTunes 6. System Annihilated - What We Created From the album Furor :  Buy Furor on iTunes 5. Beastwars - Dune From the Album Blood Becomes Fire :  Buy Blood Becomes Fire from Beastwars Bandcamp 4. Blodig Alvor - Start En Revolusjon From the album Morkets Frembrudd :  Buy Morkets Frembrudd on iTunes The Top Three Videos of 2013 3. As They Burn - Frozen Vision From the album Will Love Life :  Buy Will Love Life on iTunes 2. Finntroll - Haxbrygd From the album: Blodsvep : 

Metallica Achievement - Play All Seven Continents in 2013 - DONE!

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December 7, 2013 2013 is another stunning year for that little band from San Francisco. Metallica released it's first ever full length movie in theaters. Yes, there was Some Kind of Monster , the documentary from 2004. But, that was a Berlinger / Sinofsky film. Through the Never , directed by Nimrod Antal and starring Dane DeHaan , is Metallica 's first film, i.e., the band paid for it. That's right... out of their own considerable pockets. Why not! And to carry on the tradition of Why nots, Metallica will be the first band to play all seven continents. You heard me. That's got to get them into the Guinness Book of World Records or something.  So after a tour hitting South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Australia, China, Brazil, Malaysia, Indonesia, Denmark, and the USA (read that right.... 6 continents in one year); they are poised to blow the minds of about 19 people in Antarctica. Continent Number Seven!!!!!!  The lucky 19 winners were chosen by Coca Cola in a c