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Saturday, January 31, 2009

MINSK Begins Recording New Album

Chicago/Peoria, Illinois quartet MINSK has entered Volume Studios with the band's Sanford Parker producing to begin recording its third full-length album, "With Echoes In The Movement Of Stone", for a summer release via Relapse Records.

In other news, MINSK has announced a number of regional shows for late February, touring alongside SWEET COBRA. The band will also perform at the Roadburn festival in the Netherlands in April.

MINSK's second album, "The Ritual Fires of Abandonment", was released in February 2007. The CD's cover was designed by Orion Landau (ALABAMA THUNDERPUSSY, HIGH ON FIRE).

For more information, visit www.myspace.com/minsk

Ogre`s Latest to be Reissued

Plague of the Planet, the 37-minute single track epic from Portland, Maine`s Ogre, will be re-issued on CD this Spring on Shadow Kingdom Records. Plague of the Planet was initially released on Leaf Hound Records last year.

According to a source within the band`s organization, they hope to also release a vinyl version of Plague some time in the near future.

Dead Man to Tour the U.S.

Fast-rising Swedish psych-rock band Dead Man has announced 2009 U.S. tour dates in support of its critically acclaimed new album, Euphoria. The quartet, quickly becoming known for its colorful songwriting and dynamic live performances will make its U.S. live debut on February 5 at the Union Pool in Brooklyn, NY.

Dead Man Tour Dates - UPDATED JANUARY 31, 2009
================================

FEB 05 2009 - Brooklyn, NY - Union Pool.
FEB 06 2009 - Philadelphia PA - Johnny Brenda`s.
FEB 07 2009 - Baltimore, MD - Talking Head Club.
FEB 08 2009 - Richmond, VA - Nara Sushi.
FEB 09 2009 - Chapel Hill - Nightlight.
FEB 10 2009 - Atlanta, GA - The Earl.
FEB 11 2009 - Chatanooga, TN - JJ Bohemias.
FEB 12 2009 - Louisville, KY - Skull Alley.
FEB 13 2009 - Chicago, IL - Bottom Lounge.
FEB 14 2009 - Three Rivers, MI - Riveria Theatre.
FEB 15 2009 - Columbus, OH - Bourbon Street Cafe.
FEB 17 2009 - Rochester, NY - Bug Jar.
FEB 19 2009 - Boston, MA - The Middle East Club (Upstairs).
FEB 20 2009 - Bethlehem, PA - Funhouse.
FEB 21 2009 - New York, NY - The Cake Shop.



Dead Man, whose members possess a wealth of musical experience derived from time spent in various Swedish acts (including the hard rock band Norrsken, which also featured in its ranks current Witchcraft front man Magnus Pelander and Graveyard members Joakim Nilsson and Rikard Edlund), play magnetic, spirited rock with melancholic undertones and “a slight touch of darkness” (calling for comparisons to Jefferson Airplane, Blue Cheer, Dungen, and Dead Meadow). Each member of the quartet is a multi-instrumentalist, which allows the band to build unique, lush atmospheres replete with both acoustic tinge and electric crunch.


Recorded at the famous Svenska Grammofon Studion (The Hives) and released via MeteorCity, Euphoria is an album that bridges both the soulful and the psychedelic as dynamic yet incisive songwriting effortlessly fuses with shivering vocals and an expansive, emotive tenor. The record is thick with analog warmth and a laid back, confident overall feel, connecting the dots where the adventurous folk-rock of the late 60’s overlapped with metal’s prehistoric commingling with blues-rock and prog in the early 70’s.


The track listing for Euphoria is as follows:


1.) Today
2.) High or Low
3.) Footsteps
4.) I Must Be Blind
5.) From A Window
6.) Light Vast Corridors
7.) The Wheel
8.) Rest in Peace
9.) A Pinch of Salt
10.) Euphoria
11.) July


Joining the band on the major market U.S. tour will be blues rock act Radio Moscow. The hallucinatory Dead Man track “Rest in Peace” has been posted online and can be heard now at this location.


Dead Man features Kristoffer Sjödahl (electric, acoustic and slide guitar, mandolin, percussion and vocals), Marcus Allard (drums, percussion and vocals), Joakim Dimberg (bass, synthesizer, organ, guitar and vocals) and Johan Rydholm (acoustic guitar, percussion and vocals).
Old One (psychedelic doom) will be releasing their first album with Eldritch Enterprises on Friday, February 13, 2009. The track listing will be as follows:

1. Warning
2. Doomed
3. Born Too Late (#4)
4. Enoch
5. Witching Hour


www.oldonemusic.com

Radio Moscow Readies Second Album

Brain Cycles is Radio Moscow`s second album, a new psychedelic trip into the musical territory originally charted by artists such as Randy Holden, Groundhogs, Peter Green, and Flower Travellin` Band, just to to name a few.

Hailing from Ames, Iowa, an unlikely rock n`roll town if there was one, and formed in 2006 by guitar prodigy Parker Griggs (24 years old), Radio Moscow released their self-titled debut in 2007, with Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys handling the production. StonerRock.com called the album "an astonishingly good debut," Pop Matters hailed it as an "awesome record-fun and slutty and cool," and Modern Fix described their sound as "dirty-ass psych-powered blues rock ." After a full year on the road, Parker Griggs has been back in the studio to cut the long awaited follow-up.


On Brain Cycles, he once again plays all the instruments (guitar, drums, and percussion) and assumes vocal duties as well as production credits, while the bass guitar is in the hands of young Zach Anderson (19 years old). Conceived as an homage to the thrilling days of yesteryear, when vinyl was king and analog stereo ruled the world, Brain Cycles is best experienced at maximum volume while wearing headphones, if you want your brain to catch the waves! Radio Moscow will be back on the road all 2009.


Radio Moscow will be hitting the road with Dead Man this February. For a full list of dates, click here.


www.myspace.com/radiomoscow
www.alive-totalenergy.com/Radio_Moscow.html

Warlocks Return to the Studio

Tee Pee Records is pleased to announce that The Warlocks are currently in the studio putting the finishing touches on their as yet untitlted sixth studio album and second release for Tee Pee Records. The record is set for a late spring/early summer release.
Lead guitarist/vocalist and cheif songwriter Bobby Hecksher describes the album as "A collection of songs- a mish mash in the key of life... written in modern psychedelica."

Diagonal Album Available for Streaming

Captivating UK buzz band Diagonal has completed work on its highly anticipated debut album. The progressive jazz-rock group released the self-titled Diagonal in North America on January 27, 2009 via Rise Above Records. The album is streaming online in its entirety now via Last FM. Dig the band’s way-out sound now at this location.

A seven piece from Brighton on the UK’s south coast, all in their mid twenties, Diagonal is very much at the forefront of a new wave of bands inspired by and exploring the musical stylings of the underground progressive rock bands of the early seventies. Drawing influence from the true origins of the late Sixties/early Seventies jazz-rock, psych and progressive underground, the band has been called “incredible” and “progressive prog`s brightest hope.” Out of the gate, Diagonal dares to explore the cosmic terrain that most contemporary bands wouldn`t dare and with its impressive debut has created a record that could have sat quite comfortably alongside similar artists from the RCA Neon, Nepentha, Deram and Vertigo-Swirl stables.


Recorded at London’s Toe Rag Studios with Grammy-award winning producer Liam Watson (The White Stripes, Supergrass), Diagonal is an album that fuses the heady experimentation of Krautrock with the extended vamps and exploratory improvisation regularly associated with modal jazz. Diagonal’s complex, hypnotic cauldron of sound pools avant-garde space rock with an embattled revolutionary zeal as woozy psychedelia dances around jazz arrangements, which then become engulfed in 70’s hard rock riffing and Hendrix style blues fretwork. Ethereal dark tones and textures dance, while drum solos and organ flourishes negotiate a tapestry of moods.


The complete track listing for Diagonal is as follows:


1.) Semi Permeable Men-brain (10:54)
2.) Child of the Thunder Cloud (8:49)
3.) Deathwatch (7:18)
4.) Cannon Misfire (5:33)
5.) Pact (14:00)


Diagonal, who were once “run out of town for playing a three song, 90 minute gig” in a pub in Surrey, are now very much an in-demand band. Word has spread about the unit’s incendiary live show which manages to combine the righteous indignation of bands such as the MC5 and The Sex Pistols with the cosmic jams of Gentle Giant and Guru Guru and the experimental noise of groups such as Battles and Lightning Bolt. In the short time since its formation, Diagonal has shared the stage with a diverse array of acts including Acid Mother`s Temple, Witchcraft, and Circle.


Diagonal features David Wileman (electric and acoustic guitars, percussion, synth, vocals), Nicholas Whittaker (alto saxophone, clarinet, flute, recorder, synth, percussion, vocals), Alex Crispin (electric and acoustic pianos, organ, lead vocals, synths, percussion), Daniel Pomlett (electric bass, electric and acoustic guitars, percussion, vocals), Nicholas Richards (electric and acoustic guitars, ebow, synths, percussion, vocals), Ross Hossack (synths, tapes, filters, percussion, vocals) and Luke Foster: drums, synths, string arrangements, vocals).

Pack of Wolves New Album to be Released by Arclight Records

Austin, Texas – The well-respected independent record label, Arclight Records will release Pack of Wolves` second album, Betrayer, on vinyl this spring. Purchase of the LP will include a digital download of the album and will be distributed through Allegro/Nail Distribution.

The creative metalsmiths Pack of Wolves are veterans of the Texas D.I.Y. music scene. Prowling out of Austin`s legendary Red River District, the band has started to make their presence felt within the heavier national scene. Forged in fall of 2006 when Trey Ramirez stepped away as one of the creative sources for the progressive metal band At All Cost and teamed up with Adrian Carillio and Tyson Swindell, both formerly with Games and Theory. The Wolves` alliance grew quickly and in early 2007 they began to run with their self released LP, Wall Crusher. Surviving on an expansive regional following, successful national tours, and album/merchandise sales, Pack of Wolves have earned acclaim at home as well as throughout the Central and Eastern United States.


Fresh off the Predatour with hardcore heavyweights Century (Prosthetic Records) and the D.C. metal outfit Time of Cholera, Pack of Wolves recorded Betrayer in the Fall of 2008 at the Diamond Factory in Austin, Texas. Betrayer will be released on vinyl through Austin’s famed label Arclight Records on March 10, 2009 and will be distributed worldwide through the labels partnership with Allegro/Nail Distribution. The albums release will coincide with the SXSW music festival in Austin, Texas, where The Wolves will play and kick off national tour dates to support the release.


Pack of Wolves
Trey Ramirez - guitar and vocals
Adrian Carrillo - drums
Alec Padron - bass
Tyson Swindell – guitar


Betrayer Track Listing
1. The Here And Now
2. Betrayer
3. Wall Crusher
4. Evaders
5. The Death Of My Old Self
6. Release Pt. II
7. Walking Dead
8. To Claw Out Eyes
9. Concession


www.myspace.com/packofwolvesband

Millions Reveals New Track from Seventh Rule Debut

Millions, the Chicago-based band led by Seventh Rule Recordings boss Scott Flaster, proudly reveals "Lest The Professor Catches On Fire," the first track off its forthcoming full-length debut, Gather Scatter.

Hear "Lest The Professor Catches On Fire" here.


As the founder of Seventh Rule Recordings, Flaster has helped define the left field of the metal scene since 2003, releasing music by Akimbo, Indian, Wetnurse, Plague Bringer, and more. The Chicago Reader recently hailed Seventh Rule for its "high quality, lovingly packaged, and brutally punishing underground metal."


The newest addition to the Seventh Rule roster, Flaster`s own band Millions storms forth with a sound possessing Black Flag`s angst as well as King Crimson`s grandeur.


Gather Scatter was recorded and mixed by Chris Owens (Akimbo, Young Widows) and mastered by Pete Lyman (The Mars Volta, Queens Of The Stone Age).


The album`s track listing is as follows:


1) Lest The Professor Catches Fire
2) View From A Sinking Ship
3) Saddle Up And Ride
4) Getting The Last Word
5) Pickpocket
6) Life Is Satisfactory
7) Mile High Cake
8) We Make Poor Decisions


Millions will be touring throughout 2009, including dates with Gods And Queens, Sweet Cobra, Light Yourself On Fire, and Lords.


Gather Scatter hits stores March 31 via Seventh Rule.

Cormorant News

Cormorant bassist/vocalist Arthur von Nagel checked in this weekend with a quick update from the studio. The band has decided to enlist Justin Weis at Trakworx Studios (who has worked with Hammers of Misfortune, Ludicra, Slough Feg, and hundreds of others) to master their upcoming full-length.

According to von Nagel, "The analog equipment, affordability and Slough Feg/Hammers of Misfortune/Ludicra/Sleepytime Gorilla Museum resume were pretty hard to resist! Plus, we like that he`s done hip-hop albums, because those have to sound perfect in terms of production. Our drummer`s big into rap, and his eyes bugged out at some of the artists that Justin has worked with. Anything Slough Feg-related is enough for me!"


Cormorant are currently finishing up the recording of their as-yet-untitled debut with Billy Anderson (Neurosis, Melvins, Sleep, Primordial) at Sharkbite Studios in Oakland, CA. The band is aiming for an early-to-mid Spring release, and are currently searching for a label.


Check Cormorant out on MySpace at www.myspace.com/cormorantmusic.

Lethe Studio Update

Psychedelic stoner rock duo Lethe have just released an update on Mnemosyne, their upcoming debut full-length for Reptile Records. Lethe is a two-man project that was started by Dylan Desmond and Joe Proffitt of Samothrace in 2004. They enlisted a score of friends and guest musicians to aid in the completion of Mnemosyne, including contributions from John Momberg (who has played with Unwed Sailor, Kelpie, Appleseed Cast, and Koufax), JC Cirese (The Old Black), Mat Grader (The Cosmopolitics), and Adam Kruckenberg on synth/noise. Samothrace drummer Joe Proffitt handles all the guitars and plays the didgeridoo on the song "Open Harvest," while Samothrace bassist and part-time Battlefields touring member Dylan Desmond holds it down on bass.

Desmond checked in from the band`s home base of Lawrence, KS:


"This album has been a long time coming, so I`m really excited to have it in my hands! It was recorded at Black Lodge studio and Mixtape Soundlabs in Lawrence, Kansas by Eric Graves from The Esoteric. By the time we finished up recording the last tracks, both Joe and I were really pleased with everything we`d done. For me, the most exciting thing about finishing the album up is that we can tour around with an actual release as opposed to a handmade demo."


"The album is going to be called Mnemosyne, which is a river that, in ancient Greek mythology, is believed to reverse the effect of the Lethe river (which itself causes amnesia). We like the idea of implying two opposing viewpoints between the title and the band name. Also they`re both totally unpronounceable, which is kinda frustrating I guess, but still a little funny!"


On their partnership with Reptile Records:


"Gavin at Reptile Records had been sending us emails inquiring about our demo for some time before it was finished; his label deals pretty much exclusively with instrumental rock bands, so we fit the bill. It`s been great working with him! Right from the get go we`ve been on the same page with Gavin on a lot of things; he recommended that we use Tom Denny for the layout, and we`d already discussed using him for merchandise so that was easy. Also, Tom`s done a great job, as we`d anticipated."


In regards to Lethe`s upcoming move to Seattle, WA and the band`s touring plans for 2009:


"It was a plan long in the works... My other band Samothrace is moving there too. Basically, we`re looking to be somewhere that jobs are easier to find that still caters to underground music the way Lawrence does. No extreme weather is nice, and a big music scene is really nice! Lawrence is small town, which makes the really loyal music scene there somewhat small as well. It also makes it difficult in the matter of finding other musicians when one of our regulars is off with another band or working or whatever. We`ve got a lot of friends in Seattle and the Northwest and it seemed like the best choice. As far as touring goes, there`s nothing confirmed yet, but we`ll most likely do a West Coast tour by summer. Also, we`ll do a number of shows around Lawrence/Kansas City after the album is released. "


Check out Lethe on Myspace at www.myspace.com/Lethecult.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

Exclusive Pantheist Gig 7/3/2009 Camden Unicorn, London, UK

PANTHEIST will be making their first ever headlining appearance in London
on March 7th, at the Camden Unicorn. This will be a FREE ENTRY show, and
will see the band performing a one-off extended 90-minute set comprising
their entire new album "Journey Through Lands Unknown", plus selected tracks
off both their previous albums.

Support comes from London expansive, leftfield Black Metal act CROM DUBH in
their first ever live appearance, making this an event not to be missed.

PANTHEIST + CROM DUBH
LONDON UNICORN, CAMDEN
Doors 20:00
FREE ENTRY
http://www.myspace.com/pantheistuk
http://www.myspace.com/cromdubhmetal

"Journey Through Lands Unknown" is out now on Firebox records, having
received overwhelmingly positive reactions from publications such as
Terrorizer and Metal Hammer. The album can be purchased from
the band via http://www.pantheist.co.uk.

BIGFOOT Recording Three New Songs

BIGFOOT, the new band featuring former members of ARTIMUS PYLEDRIVER, GONZALEZ and ASPHALT BLASTER, entered Blue Light Studios in Douglasville, Georgia on January 27 with producer Rachel Bolan (SKID ROW) and engineer Brian Collins to begin recording three new songs.

Jim Hall and Micheal Faulkner enlisted drummer Kevin Watford (ex-GONZALEZ) and second guitarist Evil Jim Wright (of ASPHALT BLASTER, SPECTREMEN, and THE EVILS) to help form the core of BIGFOOT. They then tapped Jett Bryant of the ROCK CITY DROPOUTS to be the voice.

For more information, visit www.myspace.com/bigfootrocksatlanta.



Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Assemble Head In Sunburst Sound To Release New LP, When Sweet Sleep Returned April 7th

Assemble Head In Sunburst Sound will return with their third LP and second for Tee Pee Records titled "When Sweet Sleep Returned" On April 7th.

San Francisco's Assemble Head in Sunburst Sound is a soundtrack for strange days and futures bright and bleak. But there is also a crooked thread that runs backward through every Assemble Head record the celestial trajectories of The Notorious Byrd Brothers and circa 70 Floyd; the dusty canyon stomps of Crazy Horse, slashing action pop of the savage young Who, Italian bastardizations of Lalo Schifrin cop movie scores, and the scuzz-bomb shrapnel of latter-day garage mongers like Mudhoney and Monoshock.

The bands third LP, When Sweet Sleep Returned, is propelled to some extent by that same glorious distillate. But it also finds the group speaking their own twisted tongue more assuredly than evermarrying hazy Saturday moods, interstellar sonics and wrecking-ball swing to song and harmony in poems for California, lovers, ghosts, the stars, and a world gone stark raving mad.

For When Sweet Sleep Returned, Assemble Head re-united with engineering mastermind Tim Green, who manned the controls for masterpieces from Howlin Rain, Comets on Fire, Six Organs of Admittance, and Earthless, as well as Assemble Heads 2007 release Ekranoplan.



Clive And Lyre (Free MP3)
The Slumbering Ones (Free MP3)

MySpace

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Across Tundras Posts New Music

Across Tundras just posted two new tracks at www.myspace.com/acrosstundras.

These are the first recordings with the "Nashville Sound," aka "The Dixie Earthmovers" providing a killer rhythm section! One of these tunes will end up on a split 7" with fellow sonic rockers US Christmas. The rest of the songs from these sessions will be self released on a CD called Herds of the Fathomless Valleys that should be out in March.


The band`s May Midwestern tour is being booked with good buddies Admiral Browning, dubbed "The Sarsaparilla Roadshow." Stay tuned for venues and dates coming soon!

CANDLEMASS: 'Death Magic Doom' Artwork Unveiled

Swedish doom legends CANDLEMASS will release their new album, "Death Magic Doom", on April 3 via Nuclear Blast Records.

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. If I Ever Die
02. Hammer Of Doom
03. The Bleeding Baroness
04. Demon Of The Deep
05. House Of 1000 Voices
06. Dead Angel
07. Clouds Of Dementia
08. My Funeral Dreams

Check out the cover artwork below.



KYLESA: New Song, Album Artwork Posted Online

A new KYLESA song, "Said And Done", is available for streaming on the band's MySpace page. The track comes off the Savannah group's forthcoming album, "Static Tensions", whch is scheduled for release on March 17 via Prosthetic Records.

"'Said and Done' was the first song we wrote for 'Static Tensions' and has a little bit of everything that can be heard on the album. We think it is a good introduction," explains guitarist/vocalist Laura Pleasants.

The "Static Tensions" artwork was created by BARONESS' John Dyer Baizley and can be seen below. Guitarist/vocalist Phillip Cope produced the CD, which was recorded at the Jam Room in Columbia, South Carolina. He stated about the group's mindset during the making of the new album, "It was definitely a lot more thought out. We have the hindsight of some of the mistakes we've made in the past, so we were able to avoid making them again on this record. I think we came away from the experience with our best stuff yet."

Added guitarist/vocalist Laura Pleasants: "All of our records sound pretty different, but with the same core vibe or sound, and I think the new record has our core KYLESA sound, but branches out even more to incorporate more of our rock and psychedelic influences."

"Static Tensions" track listing:

01. Scapegoat
02. Insomnia For Months
03. Said and Done
04. Unknown Awareness
05. Running Red
06. Nature's Predators
07. Almost Lost
08. Only One
09. Perception
10. To Walk Alone

Metal Maniacs checked in with Cope while he was in the studio tracking KYLESA's new album for an interview in the February issue. Excerpts follow.

Metal Maniacs: This is the second KYLESA record you've produced thus far. Can you give us some tech-y details about it?

Phillip Cope: It's on Prosthetic and recorded at the Jam Room. I'm credited as the producer but [drummer] Carl [McGinely] and three engineers from the studio helped as well. I just oversaw the whole thing. The Jam Room has got an A and a B studio. We recorded in both at the same time. It was a real massive ordeal. Scott Hull is mastering it right now.

Metal Maniacs: What was it like recording two drummers? It looks like you tracked them at the same time.

Phillip Cope: That's pretty much it. We didn't worry about bleed. It was important for those guys to be able to see and hear each other really well. We didn't use a click track at all. We originally started to record live with all of us, but they decided they could play tighter without us, that we were actually messing them up [laughs]. So they just went for it and played through the whole album together.

Metal Maniacs: How long did it take record the album?

Phillip Cope: We were off and on for a while. I would say we spent about 20 days tracking. We really took our time with this one. Prosthetic has been really cool about it, not forcing us into crunch times with dates. We pretty much had it done, got on tour, had some time to reflect and came back to the studio. I think that helped a lot. Before we'd always get it done, send it off and wish we'd changed something later. This time we tightened up guitar solos or vocal parts that we'd let be sloppier in the past. It's definitely the tightest KYLESA record we've ever done. We're not technical tight, but you know, tight for us.

Metal Maniacs: And how did vocals go?

Phillip Cope: Laura [Pleasants] and I gave each other more space on this one. Before we'd try to sing on top of each other and off of each other. There are songs where both of us sing, but for some it's just Laura and some it's just me, which is the first time we've done that on a record.

Metal Maniacs: You've produced several bands including BARONESS and WITHERED. Do things differ when you produce your own band?

Phillip Cope: I'm a lot busier when working with a band I'm in [laughs]. It's more stressful, but I got a lot of help. I listened to a lot of people's opinions along the way.

The February 2009 issue of Metal Maniacs goes on sale January 27.

For more information, visit www.metalmaniacs.com.

MASTODON: New Song 'Divinations' Available For Streaming

Atlanta-based hard rock behemoths MASTODON premiered a brand new song, "Divinations", from their highly anticipated, long-awaited new studio album, "Crack The Skye", on this week's (January 26/27) installment of BBC Radio 1's "Rock Show". The program, which is hosted by Daniel P. Carter, is now available for streaming at this location (go to 21:30 mark to hear the track).

Fans now have the opportunity to buy the "Divinations" bundle which is comprised of a two-track CD-single ("Divinations", along with an instrumental, non-album version of the track) and an exclusive album art T-shirt unavailable anywhere else. The single will also be available digitally as well from iTunes and all other participating digital retailers. This direct-to-consumer bundle is only available through www.mastodonrocks.com. Supplies will be extremely limited, so don't delay.

"Crack the Skye" track listing:

01. Oblivion
02. Divinations
03. Quintessence
04. The Czar
I. Usurper
II. Escape
III. Martyr
IV. Spiral
05. Ghost of Karelia
06. Crack The Skye
07. The Last Baron

Monday, January 26, 2009

Album Of The Week- Wino-"Punctuated Equilibrium" (2009)

The Album Of The Week is "Punctuated Equilibrium" by the one and only Wino.



Review:

After thirty-odd years in the music business and five bands (including numerous versions of The Obsessed) Scott “Wino” Weinrich has finally issued a solo album entitled Punctuated Equilibrium, and I for one could not be more pleased. As an ardent Wino fan, the past several years have been frustrating for me. After losing him to the clutches of crystal meth in the mid-nineties, Wino returned to recording in 1999 with his new band Spirit Caravan, the band burned bright, but quick, disbanding in 2002 after two albums and an EP. Wino’s collaboration with longtime friend and fellow doom legend Victor Griffin in Place of Skulls was promising, but even briefer, resulting in only one album, 2004’s With Vision. Unfortunately for me, Wino’s most fruitful musical endeavor of the past decade would be The Hidden Hand, the band he formed with bassist/singer/songwriter Bruce Falkinburg and a rotating cast of drummers. I found The Hidden Hand’s spacey jams a bit dull and lacking in the riff department, and the band’s politically themed lyrics quickly grew tiresome. Although The Hidden Hand was well received by most, I was personally relieved when in 2007, after three albums and an EP, they finally called it quits.

Three seconds into Punctuated Equilibrium’s opening track “Release Me,” it was clear to me that the Wino I was missing had returned: The track with its muscular stomping riffs and bluesy groove rocks with more authority than anything The Hidden Hand ever did. The furiously paced title track rocks even harder with a hardcore intensity that recalls early work of The Obsessed. While the first two tracks will fit like a nice pair of gloves for long time Wino fans, the album has several tracks that veer off into uncharted territory: “Smilin’ Road,” with its laid back southern rock vibe sounds almost cheerful, “Wild Blue Yonder” is a meandering Hendrix-like jam, that finds Wino working over his wah pedal like it owes him money and the brief, ethereal instrumental "Water Crane" provides some musical evidence of Wino’s long professed love for Mahavishnu Orchestra.

Of course, this being a Wino album, there is doom to be had: “Eyes of the Flesh” is an ominous dirge with a haunting, mournful vocal and “Silver Lining” is an equally heavy track, but more aggressive and tuneful, both musically and vocally. The instrumental “Gods, Fraud, Neo-cons and Demagogues” is another creeping slab of doom, overlaid with various sound-bites from President George W. Bush and other politically themed sound bites. This track brings back unpleasant memories of The Hidden Hand for me, and in light of the overwhelming democratic victory in the fall elections, it just seems like old news at this point.

Wino’s rhythm section on Punctuated Equilibrium, consisting of drummer Jean Pal Gaster (Clutch) and Bassist Jon Blank (Rezin) does an excellent job of supporting him through the various styles present on the album. The two musicians inject a sense of vitality and swing into Wino’s music that has been missing since the breakup of Spirit Caravan. I can only hope that if Wino continues to go the solo route in the future, he invites these two along for the trip.

As for the performance of the man himself, if the hard living of Wino’s youth gave his voice it’s gruff, smoky character, the clean living of middle age seems not to have diminished it. Wino’s voice is as strong and soulful as ever. Instrumentally, Wino seems more invigorated than he has in years, his playing powerful, adventurous and ebullient. In addition, this being a solo album, Wino is not shy about taking the spotlight and stretching out for some extended bouts of fiery lead guitar.

If I have Wino’s fan base pegged correctly, I could say that this album sucks out loud and they would still buy it. Hell, I bought everything The Hidden Hand ever did and I did not even like them that much. Such is the reputation for quality Wino has earned during his long and storied career. Fortunately, Punctuated Equilibrium does not suck out loud or even quietly in a corner. Wino’s solo debut is a thoroughly enjoyable album that presents both comfortingly familiar sounds and surprising new dimensions from an artist I am sure many of us view as an old friend. (Jeremy Morse, MetalReview.com)

Track Listing:

01. Release Me 6:30 (Free MP3)
02. Punctuated Equilibrium 2:50
03. The Woman In The Orange Pants 3:33
04. Smilin Road 5:10
05. Eyes of The Flesh 4:14
06. Wild Blue Yonder 6:26
07. Secret Realm Devotion 4:52
08. Water Crane 2:02
09. Gods, Frauds, Neo-Cons and Demagogues 3:12
10. Silver Lining 4:24

MySpace
Southern Lord



Sunday, January 25, 2009

New Band To Burn One To-Bulletwolf

The "New Band To Burn One To" today is Bulletwolf. Bulletwolf combines a mixture of classic Heavy Metal as well as groove-oriented Doom Metal. The band cites influences such as Sleep, Kyuss, Orange Goblin, Black Sabbath (of course),Cathedral, and Beer. Go see (listen) for yourself.



The band has released two albums thus far, the EP "Demolanolin" (read reviews) and the currently released "Double Shots of Rock and Roll" (read review)

MySpace

Here are a few places that you can purchase their new CD:

Abyss Records
CDN Records

Ironweed Posts New Videos

Albany, New York`s Ironweed have posted the following clips from their recent show at Rev Hall in Troy, NY. Also on the bill were Year Long Disaster and The Sword.

”Vertigo”


”A World Away”


”Death of Me”


”This Faithless Will”


”A Penny For Your Prayers”


In addition, the band has uploaded their video of “This Faithless Will” from their debut, Indian Ladder (Small Stone Records). The clip can be seen here.

White Witch Canyon Tour Dates

White Witch Canyon will be playing the following shows in March:

3/06/09: Garnerville, NV - Silver Strike
3/07/09: Tahoe, NV - Whiskey Dicks
3/08/09: Modesto, CA - Fat Cat, with House of Broken Promises
3/10/09: Oakland, CA - Stork Club, with Supergiant, Zaticoy
3/11/09: San Francisco, CA - Thee Parkside, with Supergiant
3/13/09: Indio, CA - Red Barn, with House of Broken Promises, Supergiant
3/14/09: Los Angeles, CA - Relax Bar, with Ride the Sun, Supergiant
3/17/09: Albuquerque, NM - The Agency, with Supergiant
3/20/09: Austin, TX - Texas Rock Fest (6th St)
3/21/09: Austin, TX - Texas Rock Fest (6th St)
3/26/09: Boise, ID - Terrapin Station
3/27/09: Coure d`Alene, ID - The Grail
3/28/09: Spokane, WA - Creatin’ Hop
3/30/09: Portland, OR - Ash Street Saloon


White Witch Canyon recently released their full-length debut. Get it here!

MySpace

Friday, January 23, 2009

ELLIOTT'S KEEP Confirmed For DALLAS DOOM DAZE Festival

Dallas, Texas, metal doom trio ELLIOTT'S KEEP is among the confirmed bands for the Dallas Doom Daze festival, set to take place May 8-10 at Across the Street Bar in Dallas.

The festival billing is shaping up as follows:

A JURY OF ROBOTS
BLOOD OV...
DAY OF REVELATION
DREADFUL HOURS
ELLIOTT'S KEEP
FOUR DAYS TO BURN
GARGANTUAN
GIGANTO
IDEA KILLER
KIN OF ETTINS
LAS CRUCES
MOUNTAIN RUINED
ORTHODOX FUZZ
PROJECT ARMAGEDDON
SAMOTHRACE
SELF INFLICTED
SILVERTONGUEDEVIL
SLO' POKE
SOUTHERN HOSTILITY
THAT WHICH PASSES
THE BLACK RIVER CROW
VASTE BURAI
VORVADOSS
WO FAT

ELLIOTT'S KEEP released its debut album, "In Medias Res", in November through Brainticket Records.

For more information, visit www.myspace.com/dallasdoomdaze.

FU MANCHU: New Studio Album, 20th-Anniversary DVD Planned

Guitarist/vocalist Scott Hill of the Southern California fuzz-rock quartet FU MANCHU has issued the following update:

"First off, we are playing a show at the Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa, California on Saturday, February 21.

"We are writing the new record now. We have about 10 new songs. We hope to write another five or six before we hit the studio in April/May. The new record should be out September/October 2009 through Century Media Records. So far it's turning out very fuzzy and heavy!!! A few faster, tweaked songs will be in there as well. We will also be doing a few cover songs if we have the extra time in the studio. We will release a two-song seven-inch [single] on our own at the Dojo Records sometime before or after the full-length comes out. The seven-inch will be a limited pressing of 900, like the last one we released with the VOID cover song.

"2010 will be FU MANCHU's 20th year of being a band. We have some very limited reissues planned and selected shows where we will be playing certain records straight through. A DVD is also planned wih stuff from waaaaay back up until now. Live shows and videos. We are hoping to put all the videos that weve done on there as well. Some never before seen."

FU MANCHU's latest album, "We Must Obey", was released in February 2007 via Century Media/Liquor and Poker. The CD was recorded at Hollywood's Grandmaster Recorders studio (TOOL, NINE INCH NAILS, BLACK CROWES). Finishing touches were added by Gene Grimaldi at Oasis Mastering (VELVET REVOLVER, PENNYWISE, REV. HORTON HEAT).

In addition to the songs "Hung Out To Dry" and "Between The Lines" — both also available on the limited-edition "Hung Out To Dry" EP — the album includes a cover of THE CARS classic "Moving In Stereo".

FU MANCHU's video for the song "Hung out to Dry" can be viewed below. The clip was filmed in Los Angeles with director Lucas Heyne (MASTER P, TSAR, SWITCHFOOT).

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Witch and Earthless Winter Tour Dates

Witch and Tee Pee Records labelmates Earthless will team up for a set of tour dates starting in late February.

2/20 Toronto, CA The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern
2/21 Montreal, CA Les Saints
2/22 Providence, RI AS220
2/23 Boston, MA TT The Bears
2/24 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda's
2/25 Brooklyn, NY Music Hall Of Williamsburg
2/26 Washington, DC DC9
2/27 Asbury Park, NJ Asbury Lanes
2/28 Baltimore, MD Ottobar


Witch is touring behind their March 2008 release Paralyzed. The record found Witch evolving beyond the standard Sabbathian riff structure that defined much of their first record. With Paralyzed, Witch step into new realms melding punk rock tempos with acid guitar freak-outs while maintaining sludgy head nodding grooves. Rather than revisiting the sounds of the 60's/70's, Witch reinvented them.

Earthless recently released Live At Roadburn, a double CD/LP masterpiece recorded live at the 2008 Roadburn Festival.

"Earthless's 'Live At Roadburn' is the perfect middle ground between Randy Holden's 'Population II' and Mahavishnu Orchestra's 'Between Nothingness And Eternity' - an instrumental hard rock odyssey recommended to any brain in
need of frying." - Phil Freeman, METAL EDGE

MASTODON: New Track To Premiere On BBC RADIO 1's 'Rock Show'

Atlanta-based hard rock behemoths MASTODON will reveal a brand new song, "Divinations", from their highly anticipated, long-awaited new studio album, "Crack The Skye", on next week's (January 26/27) installment of BBC Radio 1's "Rock Show". The program, which is hosted by Daniel P. Carter, airs Monday nights/Tuesday mornings between 12:00 midnight and 2:00 a.m. local U.K. time (7:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m. EST). American fans can tune in to the radio debut via the Internet at this location. The following day — Tuesday, January 27 — fans will have the opportunity to buy the "Divinations" bundle which will be comprised of a two-track CD-single ("Divinations", along with an instrumental, non-album version of the track) and an exclusive album art T-shirt unavailable anywhere else. The single will also be available digitally as well from iTunes and all other participating digital retailers. This direct-to-consumer bundle is only available through www.mastodonrocks.com. Supplies will be extremely limited, so don't delay.

Hardcore MASTODON fans who paid close attention were recently rewarded by the band who gave away a quantity of free "Crack The Skye" album T-shirts to their most loyal supporters by strategically placing special redemption codes at various hard rock online destinations, including BLABBERMOUTH.NET and the band's own MySpace page. These shirts are now gone but keep a close eye on the band's web site for future fan-related exclusive offers, merchandise, contests and content.

Possum of Altitude conducted an interview with MASTODON at this year's NAMM (National Association Of Music Merchants), which was held January 15-18 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. Watch the five-minute chat below.

A teaser clip of the new MASTODON track "Oblivion" is available for streaming on the band's official web site. The song will appear on "Crack The Skye", which is tentatively due late March.

John Doran of The Quietus has posted a track-by-track review of "Crack The Skye". Read it at this location.

Patrizia Mazzuoccolo of the "Tinitus" radio show, which airs every Wednesday on Norway's NRK P3, spoke to MASTODON drummer Brann Dailor in late November prior the band's concert in Oslo as part of the "Unholy Alliance: Chapter III" tour with SLAYER, TRIVIUM and AMON AMARTH.

Exclusive excerpts from the interview were originally aired on the November 26, 2008 edition of "Tinitus". The show is now available on podcast at this location.

"Crack the Skye" was recorded at Southern Tracks Studios in Atlanta and was produced and mixed by Brendan O'Brien, who has previously worked with VELVET REVOLVER, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, PEARL JAM, AC/DC and STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, among others.

Exclusive- Mastodon Interview at NAMM

SPIRITUS MORTIS Announces New Singer

Long-running Finnish doomsters SPIRITUS MORTIS have announced the addition of singer Sami Hynninen (a.k.a. Albert Witchfinder; REVEREND BIZARRE, THE PURITAN) to the group's ranks.

SPIRITUS MORTIS is hard at work on its third album, tentatively due before the summer via Firebox Records. A seven-inch single will precede the full-length CD, also via Firebox.

A new song, "The Rotting Trophy", is available for streaming on the band's MySpace page.

Upcoming SPIRITUS MORTIS shows:

Feb. 21 - Tuurin NS - Tuuri, Etelä-Pohjanmaa, Finland
Apr. 18 - Firebox Metal Fest @ Rytmikorjaamo - Seinäjoki, Finland
May 15 - Klubi - Turku, Finland
May 16 - Dooomstock 09 @ Lepakkomies - Helsinki, Finland

SPIRITUS MORTIS is the oldest doom metal band from Finland. The band was formed in 1987 as RIGOR MORTIS, featuring founding members Teemu Maijala (bass, vocals), Jussi Maijala (guitars) and VP Rapo (drums).

The group's self-titled debut album was released in 2004 through Rage Of Achilles. A follow-up effort, "Fallen", came out in 2006 via Black Lotus Records.

For more information, visit www.spiritusmortis.com.

ISIS: New Album Title, Release Date Announced

ISIS, the innovative Los Angeles-by-way-of-Boston-based band, has set a May 5 release date for its much-anticipated new album, "Wavering Radiant" (Ipecac Recordings). The CD, produced by Joe Baressi (TOOL, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE), will receive a limited-edition vinyl release on April 21. TOOL's Adam Jones contributed guitar to two songs from the LP.

Video footage from the recording sessions for the new CD can be viewed below.



Tuesday, January 20, 2009

16: Entire New Album Available For Streaming

Legendary sludge misanthropes 16 are streaming their new album, "Bridges To Burn", in its entirety at BridgesToBurn.com. The CD is scheduled for release on January 20 (January 26 internationally) through Relapse Records.

16, which has reformed with the original "Dropout" lineup of Cris Jerue (vocals), Tony Baumeister (bass), Bobby Ferry (guitar), and Jason Corley (drums), has announced a number of West Coast tour dates, including a "Bridges To Burn" record-release show on January 24 in Los Angeles.

Since forming in the early '90s, 16 has released a number of full-length albums and split releases. 16 has also toured the globe, sharing stages with SLAYER, NEUROSIS, GRIEF, MELVINS, UNSANE, MASTODON, HIS HERO IS GONE, BOTCH, and many more.

For more information, visit the band's MySpace page.

Second Gear Grind To Open Up For Iron Maiden?

Well, with a little help from the readers of Heavy Planet that could become a reality. The band has a shot at opening up for metal gods Iron Maiden on Feb. 20 at Mount Smart Stadium in Auckland, New Zealand and Feb. 21 at AMI Stadium in Christchurch, New Zealand. They are currently in third place and need your help. Here is what you need to do:

1. Visit www.therock.net.nz (the website can overload due to volume of visitors but please persevere!!)

2. Get rock enrolled (down the right hand side of the page) – you can vote once off each email address you register with.

3. Open up “Iron Maiden Competition” link from www.therock.net.nz mainpage.

4. Vote for SECOND GEAR GRIND

5. Tell your friends!!!

You have until 5pm Friday Jan. 30 to vote.

MySpace

Monday, January 19, 2009

THE GATES OF SLUMBER, LAIR OF THE MINOTAUR Confirmed For TEMPLARS OF DOOM Festival

THE GATES OF SLUMBER, LAIR OF THE MINOTAUR, HOUNDS OF HASSELVANDER (featuring Joe Hasselvander of PENTAGRAM/RAVEN) and EARTHEN GRAVE (featuring Ron Holzner of TROUBLE/DEBRIS INC.) are among the confirmed bands for the Templars of Doom festival, set to take place May 7-9 at the Melody Inn in Indianapolis, Indiana.



The festival billing is shaping up as follows:

APOSTLE OF SOLITUDE
BULLETWOLF
EARTHEN GRAVE
EARTHRIDE
THE GATES OF SLUMBER
HOUNDS OF HASSELVANDER
LAIR OF THE MINOTAUR
NECROPHARMACON
PALE DIVINE
REVELATION
TUNGASKA

For more information, visit www.myspace.com/templarsofdoom.

BIBLE OF THE DEVIL: New Shows Announced

Veteran Chicago rock n' roll metallers BIBLE OF THE DEVIL have scheduled the following U.S. dates:

Jan. 25 - The Frequency - Madison, Wisconsin
Jan. 30 - The Picador - Iowa City, Iowa
Jan. 31 - Double Door - Chicago, Illinois
Feb. 19 – Liar's Club - Chicago, Illinois
Mar. 07 - Cobra Lounge - Chicago, Illinois

The band will embark on a European tour in early March.

According to a press release, BIBLE OF THE DEVIL's latest album, "Freedom Metal" (Cruz Del Sur Music) "marches beyond the epic concept" of BIBLE OF THE DEVIL's previous release toward an effort "simply overflowing with cranium-bludgeoning classics-in-the-making." Collaborating again with acclaimed Chicago engineer and producer Sanford Parker (MINSK, NACHTMYSTIUM, LAIR OF THE MINOTAUR) for the recording of "Freedom Metal", BIBLE OF THE DEVIL's fans can expect shit-hot and throttling production values for the new material that are the standard at Parker's Semaphore Studio in Chicago.

Having completed the "Freedom Metal" sessions in May 2008, BIBLE OF THE DEVIL has spent the two years since their last full-length release honing the new material live and even discarding songs that the band felt would not make the cut, a luxury that they had seldom been afforded before in the band's history. Vocalist and guitarist Mark Hoffmann said, "This is a true heavy guitar-lover's album. One for people who would rather actually plug a real Les Paul into a Marshall and just lay waste than those who would merely simulate shredding on their Playstation 3. Although, they too are invited to the party." And before the jingoist, big-dumb American implications of including "Freedom" in the title come flying at the band whose cryptic moniker continues to attract endlessly redundant inquiries about Satanism, Hoffmann had to say, "We ain't talking about the perverse concept of 'Freedom' in Dubya's sense. We're talking about 'Freedom' in the purest, Hobbesian sense, 'a free man is he that is not hindered to do what he hath the will to do'. And metal."

BIBLE OF THE DEVIL performing live – December 2008:

YOB Announces Reunion Gig

Doom metal giants YOB will celebrate their reunion with a special concert on February 28 at The Ash Street Saloon in Portland, Oregon with support from THE IOMMI STUBBS and BROTHERS OF THE SONIC CLOTH (featuring the legend himself Tad Doyle). One can only expect something of the most epic nature, since pretty much a YOB gig is an event in itself. The band is also trudging away on the material for their anticipated new album, which is shaping up to be the most monumental and crushing YOB material to date.

As of now, the band plan on entering the studio late March with the mighty Sanford Parker at the helm with the goal to get this monolithic piece of doom out this summer via Profound Lore Records.

As for the new material, mastermind Mike Scheidt had this to say about it: "The newest material is such a trip, I don't know how exactly to describe it. We have one song that is maybe the most brutal thing I have written ala 'Grasping Air/Exorcism Of The Host'. But more brutal, and painful. We have another new tune that is very melodic in a weird way, almost poppy, but driving almost like some of the material from that 'other band'. With strangeness that is hard to convey. The final 'epic' song (that is 16 minutes so far and definitely NOT done) is like a mix of the song 'Catharsis' and 'The Unreal Never Lived...' big clean guitar intro, big slow melodic riffs, patient big builds that explode... it's going to be huge. It's also going to be an immense challenge to keep this album in the 60-minute mark. Five songs total. Lots of clean singing. Still lots of screams and death roars too."

Album Of The Week-Serpentcult-"Weight Of Light" (2009)

The Album Of The Week is "Weight Of Light" by Serpentcult.



Reviews:

"SERPENTCULT are a doom metal band hailing from Gent, Belgium and although “Weight Of Light” is their first full length album after their first EP “Trident Nor Fire”, these guys seem to be experienced or inspired, or both... About the experience aspect, I should mention that three out of four members happened to be members of another doom metal band of the past Thee Plague Of Gentlemen. Regarding the forth, it is considered to be the surprise of this band! It's the female vocalist Michelle Nocon! Oh yes... Females can perform as well as men in a doom metal project! I must admit I was uneasy about it at first, but all my fears were stilled after the first listen! Maybe you'll think they have lightened the music in order to fit with the female vox, but NO! Every rhythm, every melody, every note can't be anything else than doomish... Beginning from the bass lines, which are the definition of doom technique, slow and powerful they are the foothold of the entire composition! Every riff and verse is based on these amazing bass lines! The dominant sound of “Weight Of Light” is the harsh and aggressive combination of guitars and bass. And here comes the voice of Michelle, which gives the songs proper musical sound. Her voice isn't something unreal... It's just a melodic voice fitting very nice to the style of the band, and additionally tends to make it really fresh and inspired, although SERPENTCULT in general seems to follow faithfully the path that Black Sabbath, Cathedral, Electric Wizard and Celtic Frost have engraved during the decades...
“Weight Of Light” is a must-have for every die-hard fan of doom metal scene, and that's only because it's fresh and the band is promising a better or different future..." (Maria Giannakaki, Metal Invader)

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

"They might have one of the most ridiculously stereotypical heavy metal band names this side of Skeletonwitch, but the music on SerpentCult’s debut full-length, Weight of Light, is anything but ordinary. Rising from the ashes of the tragic downfall of Thee Plague of Gentlemen, SerpentCult delivers a fresh take on doom metal, thanks to the addition of singer Michelle Nocon. Nocon’s soaring, operatic vocals provide a striking contrast to SerpentCult’s crushing, down-tuned guitar work.

But Nocon is not the only thing saving SerpentCult from doom metal mediocrity. Unlike many of their counterparts, SerpentCult refuses to stay mired in the sludge for too long. They’re still a doom metal band first and foremost, but they’re not afraid to pick up the pace and crank out some thrash-worthy riffs.

They come storming out of the gate with the album opening “New World Order,” which sounds like it could’ve come right off of Celtic Frost’s Monotheist (Not surprisingly, Frost is one of the band’s stated influences). Things don’t even get genuinely doomy until the second track, “Screams From the Deep.” SerpentCult keeps the doom flowing for a few more tracks, but picks up the pace again on “Red Dawn.” The closer, “SerpentCult,” is a mish-mash of all that has come before, with half-time riffs giving way to double-bass drumming, all held together by Nocon’s medieval wails. With Weight of Light, SerpentCult has created an album that should please die-hard doom metal fans while transcending many of the genre’s pitfalls." (Mike R. Meyer, StonerRock.com)

Track Listing:

01. New world Order
02. Screams From The Deep
03. Weight of Light
04. Awaken The Kraken
05. Arkanum Red Dawn
06. Templar SerpentCult

MySpace



Saturday, January 17, 2009

Vintage Rock T-Shirts By WornFree.com

This website has some pretty cool vintage t-shirts as worn by 70's rockers such as Iggy Pop, John Lennon, Frank Zappa, and many more! All shirts are licensed and custom made from the softest, prewashed and shrunk cotton for a lasting fit. Worn Free faithfully reproduces vintage rock t-shirts as tracked down by them from archive images and worn by the artists. Many current celebrities can be seen around in t-shirts made by WornFree.com. They also offer free shipping on all of their t-shirts. Check them out!

WornFree.com

Thursday, January 15, 2009

New Band To Burn One To-Mongoloid Village

Check out this very cool band from Portland, Oregon. They are garnering some pretty good reviews for their self-titled debut EP out now.



Reviews:

"Portland's Mongoloid Village gets that only-frosty-on-the-outside-and-prolly-a-little-high vibe down perfectly on its excellent debut EP. While there's all manner of riff grooviness thundering down throughout these five tracks like a particularly unforgiving winter (check the rhythmic crosswinds of "Shittown, U.S.A.," which careens between primo biker metal, loaded psych jams and proggified Toolisms), there's just as much spectral stargazing as there is aggro metal. Mongoloid Village doesn't quite reach Torche levels of life affirmation, but I get the sense that the band isn't nearly all as mean-spirited as its lyrics would suggest. Especially at the end of "Crib Death #3," during which a person as trashed as I wish I was right now could surely apprehend god." (Read more...)

"Be not misled by the oddball band name, because the debut (I think?) five-song EP from Portland, OR's Mongoloid Village cranks out 23 minutes of some of the best sludgy, rocked out metal (or whatever the hell you'd like to call it) I've heard in quite some time now. From the uniqueness of the vocals to the unexpectedly memorable songwriting: Complete with atypically delivered "stoner rock" riffs (I'll always hate the term, but it kinda works); slow, pounding rhythms with roving basslines; and spacey layers of noisily droning textures with various melodic sensibilities that I'm sure many would tag "post-rock" - though in reality it's all far, far stronger and more interesting than all of that obnoxiously trendy bullshit. Plus, it's all bundled up in a great recording with just the right amount of gritty texture and a perfectly warm, cohesive mix. To be honest with you I didn't really expect to have this reaction, but I'm already eagerly looking forward to hearing more from these cats, so I hope the wait's not too long." (Aversionline.com)

MySpace

Cleveland Metallers ABDULLAH Say Farewell

John Benson of The Plain Dealer reports that long-running Cleveland metallers are somewhere between calling it quits and taking a long hiatus in order to allow Jeff Shirilla to concentrate on new project THIS IS ANTARCTICA. ABDULLAH — Shirilla, Alan Seibert (guitar), Aaron Dallison (guitar), Ed Stephens (bass) and Kevin Latchaw (drums) — has planned a farewell show this weekend.

"Yeah, I didn't want to make too much hubbub about it," Shirilla said. "We're all kind of involved in different projects now, so we thought it would be a good idea to put ABDULLAH on hold for a while. We had a good run and it just seems like we've been in a little bit of a rut, so why not have one last bash. I'm ready to move forward with a new band."

Read the entire report from The Plain Dealer.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

CABLE Signs With THE END RECORDS

Veteran Hartford, Connecticut rockers CABLE have inked a deal with The End Records. The band is set to enter Studio G in Brooklyn, New York in March to begin recording a new full-length album with Joel Hamilton (UNSANE, TOM WAITS, BOOK OF KNOTS). The as-yet-untitled record is creeping over the 40-minute mark — a milestone for CABLE — and the artwork will be hand-drawn by Aaron Horkey (PELICAN, MOGWAI). "This is the most intensive album we have ever done," says drummer Vic Szalaj. "We have been writing it for almost a year, which is the most work and dedication we have ever put forth for a record and, it may sound cliché, but personally we all feel it is the strongest CABLE material to date. We are confident that Joel will help us rise above our previous work and make this THE FUCKING CABLE ALBUM!"

Why CABLE is not a household name — at least in households familiar with UNSANE and QUICKSAND — is a mystery that may never be solved. The veteran noisy rockers worked the scene for a dozen years, releasing records on labels such as Hydra Head, Translation Loss, Doghouse and touring alongside bands like ISIS and 5IVE, before calling it quits in 2006.

"So many bands were blowing up playing music that was similar to ours but we always seemed to stay in the same rut. It was mostly our own fault, really, but we also felt that it was at least partly because we never compromised our vision to suit a new ‘hot sound' or played what was big at the time," explains Vic Szalaj. "We came to refine that 'CABLE sound,' as many called it, but it never seemed to get us anywhere and I guess we felt jaded, abused and tired of the same old shit and we just stopped playing."

A band as tenacious and as CABLE doesn't just disappear in a flash, though. "After over a year off, we were getting anxious to play again," says Szalaj. "We have such cool, enthusiastic family, friends and fans that gave us the energy we needed to get going again, so in early 2008 we began writing new material."

Family and friends may have been one catalyst in the renuion, but the band certainly has their own personal motives as well. "We just NEED to do this band to keep ourselves straight, sort of like a junkie needs his shit to stay straight," explains Szalaj. "Same idea, different drug."

With founding guitarist Bernie Romanowski, who had left the band in 2004, again at their side, Szalaj — along with vocalist/bassist Randy Larsen, guitarist Chris Fischkelta, and vocalist Pete Farris — hit the road in 2008 for two brief "Three Nights Of Noise" runs. "We had an absolute blast. Seeing so many old faces in every city and along with so many new young ones — some even who were probably in kindergarten when we released our first demo — was a phenomenal experience. 'This is why we did this in the first place,' we thought. Everything was coming full circle."

CABLE is:

Vic Szalaj - drums
Randy Larsen - bass, vocals
Chris Fischkelta - guitar
Bernie Romanowski - guitar
Pete Farris - vocals

For more information, visit www.myspace.com/cablerock.

Monday, January 12, 2009

Album Of The Week-Night Horse-"The Dark Won't Hide You" (2008)

The Album Of The Week is "The Dark Won't Hide You" by Night Horse.



Review:

You got to admire it: it is not easy to make a CD that so obviously refers to music from forty years ago and avoid it from sounding old-fashioned. That is just what Night Horse have done on their debut ‘The Dark Won’t Hide You’. Clearly very retro, inspired by white blues made by people and bands like John Mayall, (Peter Green’s) Fleetwood Mac and early hardrock such as Taste and Sir Lord Baltimore, but also with a sound that reminds of grunge.

If you are a fan of such Music, Tee Pee Records is the record company for you. The label has many psych/rock acts like Earthless, Graveyard, Titan and Witch signed and now they have added Night Horse to the roster. And as they say: good things come fast. The band was started in January 2008 and already in October their First album has been released. Alright, it is a short one, only six tracks in 33 minutes, but in that short period we get a lot of Real Rock ‘n’ Roll. Blues based hardrock is not ultra cool and hip Music, so you won’t be able to fill large concert halls, unless you have a long beard and your band is called ZZ Top. Not completely fair, this comparison, as Night Horse is not as stale and campy as the well-known trio from Texas. Their sound is much fuller and bigger. For an important part this can be explained by the fact that Night Horse is a quintet, with as its main attraction the guitar duels fought out each track by the tandem of Justin Maranga and Greg Buensuceso. The Allman Brothers are never far away – to drop another name.

The gentlemen of Night Horse will never win the originality price and the price per minute ratio could be better as well, but what makes this album interesting is its great sound. Without any doubt Night Horse should thank the engineer they hired, Mathias Schneeberger, who used to do his magic for illustrious and particularly different bands like Sunn O))) and Burning Witch. It is because of this good production that ‘The Dark Won’t Hide You’ is not the umpteenth, quickly forgotten bluesrock release of the year. (Jan Simon, Lords Of Metal)

Track Listing:

01. Don't Need Your Lovin'
02. The Dark Won't Hide You
03. Wicked Love
04. Shone on Me
05. Worried Life Blues
06. For You (Greg's Lament)

Bio

MySpace



New Ossein Double Album Now Available for Free Download

New Jersey experimental/ambient/black metallers Ossein recently released their third full-length, a double album entitled Führer. A free download of the record is available on Ossein`s MySpace page, alongside free downloads of their other releases (2008`s Declination and Osaka).

According to mainman Nile Bowie, "Führer is a record about the God in man, oppressed by men playing God. Our brains react differently when exposed to various sound frequencies, which alter our mood, opinions, and consciousness. While some tracks on this recording are accessible and song based, many are heavily instrumental and may require patience for some listeners. Our goal is to inspire a variety of emotions and ideas, periods of self-reflection, and ultimately altered states in our listeners.


“While some tracks are abrasive and dark, others offer more soothing soundscapes. While tracks like `Maize In Afternoon Light` paint a picture of divinity after death, others like `Once Metropolis` expose an uneasy view of future civilization and isolation in physical planes. Some show a more human approach, stripped down to acoustic instruments and voice, telling stories of failed leadership, philosophy, and the search for divinity. As a recording, we draw influence from artists ranging from Johnny Cash and Joanna Newsom, to Merzbow and Coil."


Conceptually, Führer is philosophical, ambitious and complex; musically it is eclectic, diverse, and haunting. The album explores the fragility and savagery of man and the lasting effects of mankind upon our ailing world, while allowing itself to shine a faint beacon of hope upon the future. Those who appreciate the unknown and the atmospheric, who see the beauty in dissonance and menace in ambience, will drink this album in. Fans of Agalloch, Orgy, Ulver, Radiohead, Saul Williams, and Wolves in the Throne Room will all find something to love about Ossein.

Trailer for Grand Massive Album Now Online

The trailer for Grand Massive`s new album is now online and can be viewed at this location.

Grand Massive is

Jochen (Germany: Daredevil Records/ex-Duster69)
Tony (Sweden: Cavus)
Toby (Germany: Commander/Bullfuck)
Holger (Germany: Red Tape Parade/Anything but Yours)
Jürgen (Germany: ex-Bullettrain)


www.myspace.com/thegrandmassive

Saturday, January 10, 2009

MASTODON, NEUROSIS, HIGH ON FIRE Confirmed For SCION ROCK FEST

MASTODON, NEUROSIS, HIGH ON FIRE and CRYPTOPSY are among the confirmed bands for the Scion Rock Fest, set to take place Saturday, February 28 at The Masquerade in Atlanta, Georgia.

The festival billing is shaping up as follows:

MASTODON
NEUROSIS
HIGH ON FIRE
BORIS
1349
CRYPTOPSY
TORCHE
NACHTMYSTIUM
WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM
BARONESS
HARVEY MILK
KYLESA
ZOROASTER
WITHERED
KRALLICE
TOXIC HOLOCAUST
SKELETONWITCH
RWAKE
A STORM OF LIGHT
WARBRINGER
SALOME
SUIDAKRA
TYR
ALESTORM

For more information, go to this location.

CANDLEMASS: New Album Title, Track Listing Revealed

Swedish doom legends CANDLEMASS have set "Death Magic Doom" as the title of their new album, due on March 27 via Nuclear Blast Records.

The track listing is as follows:

01. If I Ever Die
02. Hammer Of Doom
03. The Bleeding Baroness
04. Demon Of The Deep
05. House Of 1000 Voices
06. Dead Angel
07. Clouds Of Dementia
08. My Funeral Dreams

Four audio snippets from the CD — "Hammer Of Doom", "If I Ever Die", "Demon Of The Deep" and "Funeral Dreams" — have been posted on the MySpace page of the European branch of Nuclear Blast Records. They will be available online until January 10.

ST. VITUS, MELVINS, NEUROSIS, SLEEP Join Forces In SHRINEBUILDER

SHRINEBUILDER, the project that features in its ranks Wino (ST. VITUS, THE HIDDEN HAND), Scott Kelly (NEUROSIS), Al Cisneros (OM, SLEEP), and Dale Crover (MELVINS), will be in the studio with Toshi Kasai (MELVINS, BIG BUSINESS) from January 9 through January 11, according to a press release sent exclusively to MetalSucks by the band's publicist. SHRINEBUILDER's debut full-length is set for a summer 2009 release on Neurot Recordings.

Scott Kelly has announced that he will report live from the studio via his official blog beginning no later than Saturday, January 10. Look for guest blogs by other members of SHRINEBUILDER as well as possible in-studio photos from the band.

For more information, visit www.myspace.com/shrinebuildergroup.

TROUBLE Bassist Selling FENDER PRECISION Axe

Bassist Chuck Robinson of legendary Chicago doomsters TROUBLE is selling one of his Fender Precision Bass guitars for $800 (see photo below). According to Robinson, the axe was used in the studio only and is "100% A+ condition." He added, "I have two of these; I use one on the road and the other to record. Must sell."

Go to this location for more details on the bass.

Contact Robinson via his official MySpace page for more information.

TROUBLE has released a live recording from Los Angeles via the band's web site. "Live In L.A.", recorded on the group's last West Coast tour, has been mixed and mastered and is available at NewTrouble.com.

As previously reported, TROUBLE is in the process of writing songs for a new album for a tentative summer 2009 release. Tours will follow both in Europe and the U.S.

Regarding the new music's direction, TROUBLE guitarist Rick Wartell told Rock N Roll Experience, "I know people have said this a million times and I know you've heard this a million times, but it's pretty fucking heavy, let's put it that way! The music end of it that Bruce [Franklin, guitar] and I are writing is getting heavier and heavier...it's getting heavier and then we want [new singer] Kory [Clarke; WARRIOR SOUL] to incorporate his style to what we are doing, that's basically all that we really want out of this."

Speaking to Viewmag, guitarist Bruce Franklin stated about Clarke's inaugural tour of duty with TROUBLE, "We had sent him some MP3s and he had the chance to listen to some stuff but it is not the same until you are playing with the band. We only had a couple of rehearsals before the tour started and the first few shows were a little rough. By the fourth show it was getting pretty good and from there on it just got better. We couldn't expect him to learn twenty songs at once, so we picked the most popular songs. We were hoping to do more early songs but Kory was latching on to the early Nineties stuff because it has the most hooks and is the catchiest material. It's probably easier for him to remember those. We did a setlist that was heavier in that era and finally managed to get one or two old ones in by the end of the tour."

WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM To Release New EP, Full-Length Album

In February, Southern Lord will release the vinyl-only version of the new WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM EP entitled "Malevolent Grain", featuring two brand new tracks from the Pacific Northwest organic black metallers. Conspiracy Records will offer a limited-edition picture disc of the 12" for Europe, while Southern Lord will release a black 180-gram version worldwide. Additionally, the band will press a limited CD version for tour purposes only. The EP features the band's newly designed logo (see below) crafted by renowned artist Christophe Szpajdel, designer of black metal band logos for KULT OV AZAZEL, EMPEROR, MOONSPELL and other international acts.

The third WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM full-length, "Black Cascade" will follow on March 31 via Southern Lord. Both the EP and the full-length were recorded to 2-inch tape by Randall Dunn and Mell Dettmer in Seattle this winter. The new recordings are the first to feature the band's new guitar player Will Lindsay (MIDDIAN) who had previously served as the band's touring bass player, in addition to longtime members, brothers Nathan and Aaron Weaver.

The band will tour Europe beginning in late January.

For more information, visit www.myspace.com/wolvesinthethroneroom.

LANDMINE MARATHON, AGENDA OF SWINE Confirmed For LOS ANGELES MURDERFEST

LANDMINE MARATHON and AGENDA OF SWINE have been confirmed for the fifth annual Los Angeles Murderfest, set to take place on May 9-10 at the Knitting Factory in Hollywood, California.

The festival billing is shaping up as follows:

16
AGENDA OF SWINE
COFFINS
GENERAL SURGERY
GHOUL
INSANITY
LACK OF INTEREST
LANDMINE MARATHON
STORMCROW

For more information, visit www.losangelesmurderfest.com.

Next Orange Goblin Delayed

From Orange Goblin:

Orange Goblin regret that plans to record a new album in May have been postponed due to unforeseen circumstances. Complications beyond the bands control have meant that we have fallen behind schedule with the writing process and a decision was made to put the recording back to ensure that we deliver the best album possible. Sanford Parker will still be in the producers chair when we do hit the studio. We apologize to the fans but can assure them that it will be worth the wait! We will keep people updated with the progress and when we plan to re-schedule the release for. With this in mind there are no plans for any touring being made at the moment either.



OxG - AD2009

Witch and Earthless Announce February Tour

Witch and Tee Pee Records labelmates Earthless will team up for a set of tour dates starting in late February.

2/20: Toronto, CA - The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern
2/21: Montreal, CA - Les Saints
2/22: Providence, RI - AS220
2/23: Boston, MA TT - The Bears
2/24: Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenda`s
2/25: Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall Of Williamsburg
2/26: Washington, DC - DC9
2/27: Asbury Park, NJ - Asbury Lanes
2/28: Baltimore, MD - Ottobar

Witch is touring behind their March 2008 release, Paralyzed. The record found Witch evolving beyond the standard Sabbathian riff structure that defined much of their first record. With Paralyzed, Witch steps into new realms melding punk rock tempos with acid guitar freak-outs while maintaining sludgy head nodding grooves. Rather than revisiting the sounds of the 60`s/70`s, Witch reinvented them.

Earthless recently released Live At Roadburn, a double CD/LP masterpiece recorded live at the 2008 Roadburn Festival.

"Earthless` Live At Roadburn is the perfect middle ground between Randy Holden`s Population II and Mahavishnu Orchestra`s Between Nothingness And Eternity - an instrumental hard rock odyssey recommended to any brain in need of frying."
- Phil Freeman, Metal Edge

(Damn) This Desert Air: BASSIST SEARCH + NEWS

Greetings from the house of (Damn) This Desert Air!
Help us ring in the New Year with some new blood.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

(Damn) This Desert Air is looking for a new bass player

We rehearse/write in Wayne, NJ.
Must have the bare necessities = own gear, vehicle.
Looking for a warm tone and fluid riffs.Creativity graciously welcomed.
Suit you? Know a Bassist looking?

Please send any inquiries to our myspace page: myspace.com/damnthisdesertairor via email to damnthisdesertair@gmail.com

Thanks for your attention, please spread the word.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

NEWS:
-- We're deep into recording a second batch of songs for our 2nd EP, and are quite pleased at the results in progress.
-- Come visit our page to hear our cover of "Sergeant Politeness" on the FAILURE TRIBUTE album, released late November.
-- EP1, good read/badass blogger: http://www.explodinginsound.com/2008/09/damn-this-ep-is-good.html
-- Our debut band tee is on the near horizon. Design completed by the hands of doom, Brian Mercer of MercerRock.com

Stay tuned for more (D)TDA in the '09.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

http://www.damnthisdesertair.com

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Free Album Download- Chowder EP

Check out this awesome EP from Baltimore, MD band Chowder.

"Chowder is nothing if not an amalgam of styles and influences. Since 1992, guitarist Josh Hart and drummer Chad Rush have been writing Chowder’s music, bringing together their early exposure to doom metal, post rock, and hardcore. Although originally a bass player for the Maryland doom metal bands Revelation and Unorthodox, Hart took to the guitar for writing his own original material. Once original bassist Joe Ruthvin left Chowder for MD doom stalwarts Earthride, Chowder remained in limbo until finding bassist Doug Williams. Doug came to Chowder from the band Next Step Up, a band that would feature at different times all three current members of Chowder. It seemed in the cards that these three skilled musicians would ultimately gel their skills into one band: Chowder. Born in hardcore, bred on metal, and nourished by prog, Chowder’s all-instrumental music allows Josh’s precision arrangements and heavy guitar playing, Chad’s technical yet propulsive drumming, and Doug’s deep bass anchoring to rattle walls and turn heads. Fans of The Obsessed, Unorthodox, Rush, Godflesh, Bad Brains, and Fugazi take notice."



Read some reviews of the EP here.

Download here.

MySpace

KYLESA’S STATIC TENSIONS, SET FOR MAR. 17 RELEASE ON PROSTHETIC; TOUR DATES WITH THE HAUNTED THIS SPRING

Kylesa’s eagerly anticipated new album, Static Tensions, is set for a Mar. 17 via Prosthetic Records and will be quickly followed by the Apr. 2 launch of a nationwide tour alongside The Haunted at Pomona, Calif.’s Glass House.

Guitarist/vocalist Phillip Cope produced Static Tensions, which was recorded at the Jam Room in Columbia , S.C. Discussing the mindset behind the new album, “It was definitely a lot more thought out. We have the hindsight of some of the mistakes we’ve made in the past, so we were able to avoid making them again on this record. I think we came away from the experience with our best stuff yet.”

“All of our records sound pretty different, but with the same core vibe or sound, and I think the new record has our core Kylesa sound, but branches out even more to incorporate more of our rock and psychedelic influences,” adds guitarist/vocalist Laura Pleasants.

With artwork done by Baroness’ John Dyer Baizley, Static Tensions will also see a simultaneous vinyl release on 20 Buck Spin.

Static Tensions track listing:

01. Scapegoat
02. Insomnia For Months
03. Said and Done
04. Unknown Awareness
05. Running Red
06. Nature’s Predators
07. Almost Lost
08. Only One
09. Perception
10. To Walk Alone

Tour dates:

Dates below w/Amebix:



Jan. 29 New York , NY The Bowery Ballroom
30 Providence , RI AS220
31 Philadelphia , PA Starlite Theater

Japanese tour dates:

Feb. 06 Nagoya Huck Finn
07 Tokyo Earthdom
08 Tokyo TBA
11 Gifu 51
13 Fukuoka Graf
14 Yamaguchi Club Squad
15 Osaka Club Drop

Dates below w/The Haunted, Nachtmystium & Intronaut:

April 02 Pomona , CA The Glass House
03 Los Angeles , CA Key Club
04 San Francisco , CA Slim’s
05 Portland , OR Hawthorne Theater
06 Seattle , WA Neumo’s
07 Vancouver , BC Commodore Ballroom
08 Edmonton , AB The Starlite Room
09 Calgary , AB The Warehouse
11 Winnipeg , MB Royal Albert
12 St. Paul , MN Station 4
13 Mokena , IL The Pearl Room
14 Detroit , MI The Majestic Theatre
15 Toronto , ON Opera House
16 Montreal , QC Club Soda
17 Worcester , MA The Palladium
19 New York , NY B.B. King’s
21 Millvale, PA Mr. Smalls
22 W. Springfield , VA Jaxx
23 Raleigh , NC Volume 11 Tavern
24 Atlanta , GA The Masquerade

The Bakerton Group (Clutch) Announce Album, February Tour

Weathermaker Music, the label owned by touring juggernauts Clutch, has inked a multi-year, multiple release North American deal with Sony/BMG owned RED Distribution. First on deck, slated for a February 17th release through the formidable alliance, is the new BAKERTON GROUP release entitled "El Rojo!"

Produced by Clutch and J. Robbins at Magpie Cage Studios in Baltimore, MD, "El Rojo" will be the first full tilt release from THE BAKERTON GROUP, the psychedelic instrumental jazz-laden alter ego of Clutch (all 4 original Clutch members make up The Bakerton Group). In addition, Per Wiberg from Opeth was brought in to handle all piano, synth and keyboard duties on all 10 of "El Rojo's" tracks.

In other Clutch related news, some of the incredible footage from the band's first ever live DVD/CD, "Full Fathom Five," will be featured on Comcast Cable's On Demand "Concert TV" channel starting December 15th, along with classic rock icons Led Zeppelin, Judas Priest, Black Crowes, Deep Purple, Santana, U2 & Motorhead.

“Clutch have so many fans here at RED, and we couldn’t be happier they chose us to be their distribution partner... Helping the band build their new label will make 2009 an even better year at RED.” - RED Senior Vice President of Product Development Alan Becker.

"We're so amped about our deal with RED. I'm convinced their team is as hungry as we are to take The Bakerton Group, Clutch and Weathermaker Music to the next level." - Weathermaker Label Manager Jon Nardachone.



Listen to snippets of two tracks from El Rojo now!

"Bien Classico"
http://goto.thesyn.com/mp3s/clutch/bienclassico(snippet).mp3


"Peruvian Airspace"

http://goto.thesyn.com/mp3s/clutch/peruvianairspace(snippet).mp3

El Rojo Tracklisting:

01. Time Horizon
02. Chancellor
03. Peruvian Airspace
04. Bien Classico
05. Life on Lars
06. M(f)HS
07. The Gigantowakhia
08. Work 'em
09. Last Orbit
10. Bill Proger's Galaxy

The Bakerton Group will hit the road in support of El Rojo. Joining the group on the road will be Red Fang. Then as a special treat, Clutch will perform a full set and headline each night of the tour. This is your chance to see both The Bakerton Group and Clutch music performed live together!

TOUR DATES:

2.11.09 - V Club, HUNTINGTON, WV
2.12.09 - Headliners, LOUISVILLE, KY
2.13.09 - The Village, LITTLE ROCK, AR
2.14.09 - Remington's, SPRINGFIELD, MO
2.15.09 - The Canopy Club, URBANA, IL
2.17.09 - The Majestic Theater, MADISON, WI
2.18.09 - The Double Door, DETROIT, MI**
2.19.09 - The Vogue, INDIANAPOLIS, IN
2.20.09 - The Terminal, TRAVERSE CITY, MI
2.21.09 - The Shelter, CHICAGO, IL **
2.22.09 - The Machine Shop, FLINT, MI
2.24.09 - Montage Music Hall, ROCHESTER, NY
2.25.09 - Higher Ground, BURLINGTON, VT
2.26.09 - The Asylum, PORTLAND, ME
2.27.09 - The Chance, POUGHKEEPSIE, NY
2.28.09 - The Crazy Donkey, LONG ISLAND, NY
3.01.09 - The Chameleon Club, LANCASTER, PA

**The Bakerton Group headlining show

MySpace

Monday, January 5, 2009

DOWN, HANK WILLIAMS III, EVIL ARMY, WEEDEATER: Tour Dates Revealed

As BLABBERMOUTH.NET first reported on November 12, 2008, DOWN will team up with hellbilly rocker Hank Williams III (ASSJACK, SUPERJOINT RITUAL, ARSON ANTHEM) for a U.S. tour in February/March. Also scheduled to appear on the bill are EVIL ARMY and WEEDEATER.

The following dates have been announced so far:

Feb. 15 - Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom
Feb. 17 - Calgary, AB - MacEwan Hall
Feb. 18 - Edmonton, AB - Edmonton Event Centre
Feb. 20 - Winnipeg, MB - Burton Cummings
Feb. 21 - Fargo, ND - The Venue
Feb. 22 - Minneapolis, MN - First Ave.
Feb. 24 - Traverse City, MI - Streeter's
Feb. 25 - Flint, MI - Machine Shop
Feb. 26 - Flint, MI - Machine Shop
Feb. 28 - Cleveland, OH - House of Blues
Mar. 01 - Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero
Mar. 02 - Sayreville, NJ - Starland
Mar. 04 - Asheville, NC - Orange Peel
Mar. 05 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade
Mar. 06 - Nashville, TN - The Cannery
Mar. 08 - New Orleans, LA - Southport Music Hall
Mar. 09 - Houston, TX - House of Blues
Mar. 11 - San Antonio, TX - The Scout Bar
Mar. 12 - Dallas, TX - Palladium
Mar. 13 - Oklahoma City, OK - Diamond Ballroom
Mar. 15 - Denver, CO - Gothic Theater
Mar. 17 - Phoenix, AZ - Marquee Theater
Mar. 18 - Las Vegas, NV - House of Blues
Mar. 19 - Los Angeles, CA - Wiltern Theater
Mar. 20 - San Francisco, CA - Grand Ballroom

DOWN bassist Rex Brown has told Billboard.com that there's "a lot of material left over" from 2007's "Over the Under" album, which was recently released in a deluxe edition through Best Buy. The outtakes will be considered for the fourth DOWN album, but Brown added that the quintet is also "writing constantly on the road. We still have all these ideas, and we play a lot of new stuff at sound check, just to feel it out. Hopefully we can get back in the studio in the fall and work on something." Also in the works is a documentary of DOWN's 2006 reunion after a nearly four-year hiatus, including both live and behind-the-scenes footage. "It's kind of about us learning how to walk together again," Brown said. "It just chronicles the life on the road of us starting to play again. We're right in the middle of it now."

Hank Williams III's sixth album, "Damn Right Rebel Proud", was released on October 21, 2008 via Sidewalk Records. According to a press release, the CD is "filled with a self-described 'Jekyll and Hyde' mix of disturbingly dark stuff and 'good ol' country.'"

"Damn Right Rebel Proud" follows the fierce and edgy "Straight to Hell" (2006), which broke all the rules of country music while still managing to honor its traditions. "That was a big one for me, man," III says of "Straight to Hell". "Rock kids that don't listen to country understood it. That record really had an impact."

HEAVEN AND HELL: New Album Tentatively Due In March/April

According to legendary heavy metal guitarist Tony Iommi, the upcoming album from HEAVEN AND HELL — the band featuring BLACK SABBATH members Iommi, Ronnie James Dio (vocals), Geezer Butler (bass) and Vinny Appice (drums) — is tentatively scheduled for release in March/April via Rhino. The group's first LP since SABBATH's "Dehumanizer" (1992) is being recorded at Rockfield studios in Wales, U.K. (where "Dehumanizer" was also tracked). "It's all going very well, I'm pleased to say," Iommi said in a January 5, 2009 online posting.

Ronnie James Dio, who co-wrote the self-produced album with Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler during sessions in Los Angeles and England, told Revolver magazine that the CD "sounds great. It's a real cross-section of everything we've done, from 'Heaven and Hell' through 'Mob Rules' and 'Dehumanizer'. I think there's a lot of 'Dehumanizer' in it, but a lot of other things, too, a real good blend of what this band has represented."

HEAVEN AND HELL has scheduled the following European tour dates:

May 30 - Moscow, RUS @ B1 Maximum
May 31 - Moscow, RUS @ B1 Maximum
Jun. 02 - Helsinki, FIN @ Icehall
June 3-6 - Sölvesborg, SWE - Sweden Rock
Jun. 04 - Oslo, NOR @ Spektrum
Jun. 08 - Gießen, GER @ Hessenhallen
Jun. 09 - Berlin, GER @ Zitadelle
Jun. 10 - Bamberg, GER @ Jako-Arena
Jun. 13 - Burgum, NETH - Waldrock
Jun. 14 - Karlsruhe, GER @ Europahalle
Jun. 16 - Bonn, GER @ Museumsmeile
Jun. 17 - Zürich, SWI @ Volkshaus
Jun. 19-21 - Clisson, FRA - Hellfest

More shows will be announced soon.

More than two years ago, Dio, Iommi, Butler and Appice reunited to record a trio of new songs for Rhino's "Black Sabbath: The Dio Years" before launching a highly anticipated and greatly acclaimed world tour under their new moniker HEAVEN AND HELL. Revitalized by the reunion, the lineup is back in the studio now recording the first-ever full-length studio album from HEAVEN AND HELL. To whet the fans' appetites for the new album, HEAVEN AND HELL returned to the road this past summer for a short stint on the Metal Masters Tour, a month-long North American trek with JUDAS PRIEST, MOTÖRHEAD, and TESTAMENT.

Regarding the band's decision to continue to operate as HEAVEN AND HELL rather than BLACK SABBATH, Iommi told Billboard.com earlier this year, "It really is BLACK SABBATH, whatever we do. We just choose to go out as HEAVEN AND HELL so everyone knows what they're getting [and] so people won't expect to hear 'Iron Man' and all those songs. We've done them for so many years, it's nice to do just all the stuff with did with Ronnie again."
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