Random whatevers.

Just some stuff i've been listening to. I'm not in a "write a review" mindset right now, but I'm bored.

I had a reader ask me about Burnt By The Sun. He asked if I could recommend any similar artists. That's a really hard question. I've listened to the album, Heart of Darkness, about 4-5 times since he asked the other day. I still haven't come up with an answer I'm satisfied with. Maybe because Heart of Darkness is so good, you don't need to listen to anything else! It's heavy, intense, complex. The vocals are passionate. There's new subtle textures I hear every time I listen to it. I hear metal. I hear hardcore. But despite the iTunes tag, I wouldn't consider it metalcore. It's great. I might even listen to it again today.

I listened to the new Every Time I Die this morning. New Junk Aesthetic. It's okay. Pretty typical ETID. It's fun. It's not exactly straightforward riff-wise but it's not hard to listen to either. It was my first go around so I haven't formed a solid opinion yet. But, I have a feeling ETID is more in their element in a live setting. Even on the album the vocalist has a commanding presence that would be awesome to see on stage. Ya never know, they might even come to Kingston!

I listened to the new Black Dahlia Murder album, Deflorate, last night/this morning. First time I heard it I was unimpressed. I must have been having a bad day or something because it's pretty kick ass. Love the vocals. I think I like them so much because it's the kind that I like to scream along to. Like Blood Tsunami and Skeletonwitch. Almost black metal vocals mixed with death growls. I was really into it driving around last night. Until I picked the kids up. I didn't turn it off. Just down. And I wasn't screaming at the top of my lungs.

What else? Samael! Above. That is a loud fuckin' record. I usually don't like keyboards in my black metal but they are well used here. Not dominating. It did seem a little long thoug. There wasn't enough difference between the songs to keep me intensely interested all the way through. And the remix at the end? I was having none of that.

Yesterday's feast also included a band called Culted. I can't remember the name of the album. Beneath something or other Thunder Deep. I think. I feel bad not remembering because it's pretty awesome. Slow, atmospheric, blackened doom. Most of the time I don't have the patience to let stuff like this get where it's going. (if it ever does) Decibel gave it a 9 and most of the band is Canadian so I toughed it out. Glad I did. It sounded bleak and depressing but at the same time, I was tapping my toe and nodding my head. How does that happen? Very nice range of guitar tones. The vocals were tolerable. If you don't like basement black metal vocals, you won't like these. They fit with the music so I didn't mind.

The last thing I've listened to today was Dying Fetus - Descend Into Depravity. Brutal tech-death awesomeness. I saw a video for one of the tracks of this and it really showcases the technicality. Especially bassist Sean Beasley. That dude is fucking amazing. Finger tapping AND sweep picking!! "Hello Jaw. Meet Floor". Amazign musicianship. Brutal brutal brutal vocals. Technical without sacrificing the songs, or being self-indulgent. It's weird. I like this, but I don't like Cynic, Obscura, The Faceless, etc and I do like Origin and Arsis. What is with me anyway? I don't make sense.

I downloaded a Metal Maniacs sampler. Most of it was shit. There MIGHT be 2 bands on it that I would care to hear more of. Surprisingly not Fetid Zombie or Bone Gnawer. Orthrus maybe? and possible Augury. The Century Media sampler should be better.

Ok. Time to read some abstracts of books recommended by Michael Tsarion.

3 Inches of Blood - Here Awaits Thy Doom

3 Inches of Blood - Here Awaits Thy Doom: This is a hard review to write. But write it I will. When you hear a 3IOB record you kind of know what you are going to get. Old-school riffage, fantastical/battle-themed lyrics, and some high-pitched singing courtesy of Cam "He Who Is Most Aptly Named" Pipes. So when I started listening to Here Awaits Thy Doom I couldn't help but feel that something was missing. That something was second vocalist,Jamie Hooper. The Screamer. Guitarist Justin Hagberg does lend some unclean vocals here and there but it's just not the same. The screaming was a integral part of what hooked me on 3IOB in the first place. (A friend at a record store put on Battlecry Under a Wintersun years ago and I dismissed it before I heard the screams. Then, last year, a different friend was raving about their shows so I gave them a second, more serious, chance. I had recently been expanding my musical horizons and was enjoying bands that I had previously (blindly) never cared for. i.e. Iron Maiden.( gimme a break. I was late to the party. Pantera's Far Beyond Driven turned me onto metal.) I ate Battlecry..., Advance & Vanquish and Fire Up The Blades right up. My favourite aspect was the screaming. I thought "How fucking awesome would it be if all the vocals were that visceral, strip-flesh-from-the-bone screaming?!" Instead, they are totally absent. Too bad the screams virtually destroyed his vocal chords and forced him to depart.

It's still a cool album. It's still got the battle theme, the riffage and the Pipes. And it's catchy as fuck. The songs get stuck in your head real good. Now whether that is due to catchiness or repetition is up for debate. "Preacher's daughter" is repetitive in "Rock and Roll All Nite" proportions. Maybe it's just the lack of screaming but I also feel HATD is a little less ferocious than previous efforts. I can hear a wider range of influences seeping through as well. Obviously KISS, the usual Maiden/Priest and I think I can hear some Black Sabbath, maybe some Skynyrd, Allman Brothers and Zeppelin too. It's hard to pinpoint for a young'un like me who wasn't raised on that stuff. (Country. UGH. Why Mom? Why???!) Like I said, pretty good album but I miss the screaming.

However, nothing is going to stop me from seeing them next month when they come to town. You'll see me rockin' out, front and center!!! Oh yeah, I'll be there to Rock In Hell.


Hey, whatever happened to Filter?

Clutch! Comin atchya live!!

I made the trip to Toronto last Wednesday to see the greatest band ever, live in concert. Oh yes. I'm talkin' about Clutch! They played at the Phoenix. I had never seen a show there. It's quite the place. I'm used to seeing shows in small clubs/bars. And I'm usually right up at the front so sound quality goes right out the window. So, I was really impressed with the sound at the Phoenix. I could listen to each component. I could distinguish each guitar from the other, the bass from them both. It was a nice change. Don't get me wrong, I love small clubs. But with a band like Clutch, it's not about screaming or headbanging or moshing or being as loud as (in)humanly possible. At a Clutch show, it's about the experience. A religious experience. And Neil Fallon is the preacher. The stage his pulpit. Guitarist Tim Sult and bassist Dan Maines, while being absolutely amazing, are pretty much glued to the floor. Drummer J.P. Gaster (who pulled double duty with Wino) is a spectacle unto himself. Watching him play is fun! Between his facial expressions, his bouncing around on the stool and his unique beats, he'd be worth the ticket price alone. Back to Neil. He's probably the best frontman I have ever seen. (Phil Anselmo may be the other) He has such a conviction. An energy that is hard to describe. He is one with the words. He can look you in the eye and you will believe whatever comes out of his mouth.

One of the best things about seeing Clutch live is you never really know what to expect. They change the setlist up every night. So if I had the extreme pleasure of catching more than one date on a tour, it would be a like a whole new experience. Even better than that are the jams. Oh the jams! The Clutch boys have such an incredible sense of each other. They are locked in. It's like they can read each others minds. They can slip into a jam and carry it out for 5, 10, 15 minutes and be so far away from where they started and WHAM! Right back into the song. Perfectly. And it's not just the bass and drums providing a beat for the guitar to do it's thing. At any given time, any instrument can be the centrepiece. It's amazing. One of these days, I'm half expecting Neil to just start rambling off lyrics improv style. They played for about an hour and 45 minutes including, I believe, a 4 song encore. You get every penny worth. None of that 45 minute set crap. I don't recall them playing anything pre-Clutch. I also don't remember anything from Jam Room or Pure Rock Fury. They might have. I'd have to check the setlist. They played a good chunk off the new record, Strange Cousins From the West. No "Spacegrass", no "Escape From the Prison Planet", no "Dragonfly" but you can't have everything. If I had anything bad to say about the show it would be the occasional echo effect on Neil's mic. I don't know if it was just the acoustics of the building or if it was a bad effect, but it didn't sound very good. They used some weird effect during "The Yeti" during the "...time is of the essence..." parts. It didn't fit at all. It wasn't even close to the album sound. Instead of it sounding like someone talking farther from the mic it sounded like someone talking underwater. I don't who's idea it was, but it was a bad idea. Relatively minor complaints, I guess.

So basically, what I'm trying to say is, Clutch were, are and always will be, the best live band you will ever see. (Best recorded band too. Just the best. Ever. Believe it.)

In case you were wondering about support acts, I have a few words for them too. Circumstances prevented me from seeing opener, Lionize. I'm not hearbroken that I didn't get to see them. But I would have liked to. They sounded kinda trippy from what little I heard online. And I was in a trippy mood. (wink wink) I did see/hear most of Wino's set though. By that point in the day I hadn't eaten in almost 12 hours. ( I just plum forgot. Too excited) So that signature Scott "Wino" Weinrich tone and it's subsequent low-frequency resonance was doing funny things to my stomach. I had to step away for a few minutes and then stand in a ridiculously long and slow moving line to get some $3 water. I was concentrating more on the line and the loudmouthed idiot in front of me than the band. What I did see though was pretty good. Performance wise it was kind of sub-standard. They didn't move that much. The music was great but it wasn't so much a "show" as a listening party. Plus, they had J.P. on the kit so that was like an extra bonus. I'm a big fan of all of Wino's work so I would like to see them again. On a full stomach.

Below is the shirt I bought. Sweet.

MetalMatt needs your help

I'm taking an anger management class and my assignment is to find a song that describes how I feel. I am really bad with remembering lyrics.
Can you help?

I feel:

angry all the time
like nobody listens to me
like every one is an idiot
like I HAVE to yell to be heard
want to throw things and hit things all the time
want to be alone
disconnected
depressed
nothing is interesting


Basically, I feel like doing anything that is not for myself directly is a hassle and I am always hassled. I am a walking ball of rage with no control.

Know any songs that sound like that?

Titan!!!

Toronto's Titan posted a live video of new song "Warmer Months". It slays.

I've been busy, alright!

I've been pretty busy this month so I haven't really posted. I have been listening to plenty of metal but I just haven't had the time to post much. If you follow me on Twitter, I posted little comments there more often. But, because I feel like I am neglecting you, I'll post some stuff right now, instead of reading a very, very, very interesting book. (Atlantis, Alien Visitation, and Genetic Manipulation by Michael Tsarion)

I don't really pay that much attention to lyrics. However, the other day I was staining the fence while listening to my iPod. Since I wasn't reading or surfing the web, I actually paid a little more attention. Here's what happened. Heaven & Hell, pretty cool stuff. Dio's lyrics really separate H&H from Black Sabbath. Behemoth (Evangelion), I still couldn't make out most of it. All I remember is "Hail Dionysus!" Good enough for me! Birds of Prey (The Hellpreacher), I've listened to this album at least a half dozen times, or more, and this was the first time I sort of got the concept. Not 100% but I got the whole prison thing and what not. I did have to pay some attention to the task at hand. Bloodhorse, I wasn't really paying attention. I was more thinking, when the hell am I gonna finish this staining!!

I recently listened to:

Shadows Fall - Retribution: Sounded pretty solid on first listen. Good rythym, good speed. Vocals sound pretty good too. There's the odd part that is kinda weak but overall good. At times, I thought it sounded like Trivium. In a good way. I will def be listening to this more. It deserves it.

The Black Dahlia Murder - Deflorate: Again, pretty good on first listen. A little bit techy for me but the non-"generic death grunt" vocals made up for it. I've never been a huge BDM fan, but I've always enjoyed them. This deserves more listens too.

Baroness - Blue Record: I've only listened to a few tracks but I like what I hear. I don't think it's a heavy as the Red Album. There is always so much to hear with Baroness. I'll have to spin it a few more times to see how it will rank for this year.

New Shrinebuilder song!!

A new Shrinebuilder song (Pyramid on the Moon) is streaming on their myspace.

http://www.myspace.com/shrinebuildergroup

For those of you who don't know, Shrinebuilder is the new supergroup featuring Wino, Scott Kelly (Neurosis), Al Cisternos (Sleep, OM), and Dale Crover (Melvins).

It's fucking incredible.

a few words on what I've been listening to

Battlefields - Thresholds of Imbalance: Pretty good. A little boring in parts (tinkly guitar passages) but nice to chill to. I haven't finished it yet but I will.

Burnt by the Sun - Heart of Darkness: haven't finished this either but it's turning my crank. Nice and heavy. Some great riffs too.

Not really impressed by Artillery, At War, or Axis Powers. Azarath and Backwoods Paycheck sound pretty good.

Swashbuckle - Back to the Noose: I really liked the track "Cruise Ship Terror" when I heard it on the Nuclear Blast/Sumerian sampler. So I was excited to hear the whole album. It's better sounding than their debut production wise. But, the pirate metal shtick gets old fast. The little spoken shit in between songs is pointless and boring. Like cut-scenes in video games. Back to the Noose is good and fun but all in all forgettable.

There has been a lot of talk recently about Dino Cazares. The whole Fear Factory fight, a new Divine Heresy album and what not. It got me thinking. Dino has done better than (later day) FF and Divine Heresy. Asesino!!



I still need to show up at a show with a mask like the drummer. So fuckin' awesome.

Phil Anselmo is the man

I recently came across a series of videos of Phil Anselmo speaking to a group at Loyola University. I've linked it here for you because you need to see it. Phil is my favourite performer ever. EVER. He speaks from the heart and chews a lot of gum. hahaha

Arrrrrrrgh!!

Swashbuckle - Crewed by the Damned: I'm new to this whole Pirate metal micro-subgenre. But I think I like it. I first heard of Swashbuckle from the track "Cruise Ship Terror" on the Nuclear Blast/Sumerian sampler. I love the track so I'd thought I check out more. When I went searching, Back to the Noose wasn't out yet. So I went back an album. CbtD sounds pretty cool, if not very polished. LOTS of "Yo ho!"s. It's very fun to listen to. I hope they don't mean to be taken seriously though.(I'm pretty sure they don't) That's fine by me! I like fun. I particularly like the thrashiness of it. And the gang shouts. (of Yo Ho! of course) There is a definite step up in terms of quality and production from Crewed by the Damned to "Cruise Ship Terror". Which means, Back to the Noose is gonna plank your ass!!

I don't know about the "eternal" part

Darkest Hour - The Eternal Return: Darkest Hour went back to their old producer (Brian McSomething) for this one. And yes, it harkens back to the good ole days of Darkest Hour. Rough and raw vocals and all that. But it doesn't fit. That's not really Darkest Hour anymore. Or maybe Devin Townsend turned DH into something they weren't? And now they've gone back? I dunno. But like I said, something doesn't fit. I think what it is, is that the vocals have gone back but the music still progressed. They still have that driving punky drum force and the guitar work is fantabulous. But uh, where'd Paul go? You know, the bassist? If I listen real hard I can hear him but it might as well not even be there for all it does. Not blaming Paul. He's good, I've seen him play. Solely blaming the mix. All in all, it's not a bad album but there's nothing really catchy enough about it to bring me back much. Besides, some of the solos sound very Dragonforce-ish. Yikes!

Chimaira ping-pong.

Chimaira - The Infection: This album had the shit hyped out of it. And deservedly so. Chimaira has released some great stuff. Just every other release. Let's start at the beginning. I can't remember the name of the first album (if I was at home, I'd just look on the shelf) but I liked it. I almost got a Chimaira tattoo ( I know someone who did). They reminded me of Slipknot. ( Another tattoo close call) Sometimes I get a craving for that album. Second one. Can't remember that name of that either. (might be on shelf at home) Bored by it. Here's how bored. I saw them as part of the original SOTU tour in Mississauga. During their set, a buddy of mine and I actually laid down on the concrete floor, and had a nap. No joke. No beers, no weed either. We were just that disinterested in seeing them perform we were able to nap on a concrete floor, with 100+ dB music playing. Third album, Resurrection. Aptly titled. Great album, nice comeback. The Infection, BORING. I guess that's being a bit harsh, but I think I've tried to listen to it 3 times and haven't made it all the way through yet. It just doesn't grab me. It feels contrived to me. Too many triggered drums. I feel it's too trendy. (I smell record label influence) Vocals and lyrics seem whiny and amateurish. At least I can bank on the next one being good! No doubt I'll try to listen to it again but it has some pretty stiff competition just in the "C" section of my iPod. (Clutch, Candlemass, Coalesce, Cobalt, Children....) Gonna have to do better if they want to stand out in the crowd.

More like Pray for Mercy!

Devildriver - Pray for Villians: First of all, how fucking long IS this?! It seems to go on forever. With every song just sounding like the last. Granted, I was listening to the version with bonus tracks but still, it was long. It wore out its welcome long before that. I didn't finish. I flipped to something else before the bonus track was over. The bonus track actually sounded like a better recording than the rest of the album. I used to like Coal Chamber, I used to like Devildriver. But I don't know about this one. I think the pedigree is a double edged sword. On one side, I did find some enjoyable stuff on it. Some catchy riffs, that sort of thing. But was I looking for them, for something to cling to? Maybe. On the other side, I was expecting it to kick some serious ass. It didn't kick my ass, that's for sure. It was decent enough but Dez sounds like he's trying to hard. Like it's forced. It just doesn't seem genuine. Better than most of the shit out there but I doubt it will be making my Best of 2009 list.

Because I suck

I should have been in Toronto last night. I should have been getting my doom on to Zoroaster, The Gates of Slumber and (the almighty) SerpentCult. But I wasn't. I was at work. Overtime. Because I suck. Instead I listened to a couple shitty albums on my breaks.

What do you get when you mix two parts Fear Factory and two parts Threat Signal? LinkinShank? Spinepark? Chester Santos? Useless nu-metal garbage? Close. You get Arkaea. Christian and Ray of/formerly of (the battle rages on) Fear Factory and 2 dudes from Threat Signal got together and made possibly the worst album of the year. While, I'm assuming, trying to be serious about it. Well maybe not the worst. (Oceano) But certainly not any good. It sounds like Spineshank without the electronics, or Linkin Park with balls, with a little FF influence. Raymond Hererra should be ashamed to be associated with this.

Speaking of Fear Factory members who should be ashamed...Dino, Dino, Dino. What is wrong, man! Who in the fuck! is that singing on the new Divine Heresy? (Bringer of Plagues) Possibly the worst singer I have heard in a long time. That's the best you could do?! Totally ruined a decent album. It could have been a better album for sure. Overall, I found it to be a bit repetitive but pretty rippin'.But the vocals...Satan help me.

Up next for listening, the new Behemoth and Kowloon Walled City.

Bored

I am bored and my brain is kinda mushy so I am gonna talk about the last 2 albums I listened to. It'll be brief and not very thought out.

Goatwhore - Carving Out the Eyes of God: First of all, what an awesome album title. Goatwhore has always been one of those bands that I know I enjoy but can never remember very much about them. That may change with this one. I think it's great. I've been in a phase lately that I need things to hit hard and hit fast. Carving Out the Eyes of God delivers that. If you know anything, you can hear the NOLA sound in it, but it brings more than just that. I can hear thrashier, punkier elements in it. I makes me want to headbang and mosh at the same time. Breakdown-free mosh, that is. They are touring with Abysmal Dawn so they obviously fit in with the death metal crowd. I could see them playing with thrash bands or hardcore bands too. I think this album is gonna get some heavy rotation on the ole iPod.

Warbringer - Waking Into Nightmares: I have always loved Warbringer. I like the new school thrash movement and they are in the upper tier. (Unlike Wolf. I can't get past the first 4 songs of Ravenous) I can't really compare them to any of the old school thrash bands because I didn't really listen to any other than the Big Four. If I HAD to compare them to one of those four, I'd say Anthrax. Not as evil as Slayer, not a riff-y as Megadeth and not as long-winded (?) as Metallica. I can hear more punk/hardcore influence in it, similar to Anthrax. But it's not really a strong comparison. The vocals really stand out for me. I like vocals that sound as if they have to sung with conviction. Like you can't half-ass it. Maybe that's why Hetfield sucks now. No conviction. Just do yourself a favour and check it out.

I am going to listen to Executioner by Mantic Ritual next. It's awesome.

And I can't wait to get my mitts on the new Swashbuckle. I have "Cruise Ship Terror" burned in my brain.

what I've heard today

Sea of Bones - The Harvest: I'll definitely have to listen to it some more but it sounded pretty good on first go. Very atmospheric and broody. Sounds nice and evil.

Stinking Lizaveta - Sacrifice and Bliss: Again, just a first listen. I thought it was great. I'm getting pretty picky with my instrumental stuff but this makes the cut.

Suffocation - Blood Oath: I already reviewed this one.

I just started listening to Seance - Awakening of the Gods. Sounds pretty good so far. I just hope it doesn't get same-y as the album goes on.

Quickies

Mantic Ritual - Executioner: Awesome! Total speed thrash!! Welcome back 1983!! Whiplash inducing!! Don't even try to keep up!! Where's my jean jacket?

Jungle Rot - What Horrors Await: Death metal. No bones. Punky beats, buzzsaw guitars. Rasped bellow vocals. There's good chugging goin' on but you can shove your breakdowns up your ass!

Wino - Punctuated Equilibrium: It's Wino. Nuff said.

Suffocation - Blood Oath

I don't have a lot of experience with Suffocation. I have heard Effigy of the Forgotten a couple times. Everything in between is unknown to me. About 1 song into hearing Effigy for the first time, I knew I was missing out. So I was pretty excited when I heard they were releasing a new disc this year. Blood Oath might just have one of the best album covers ever. It reminds me of the days before the Internet when you would buy an album just based on the cover. (That's what I did with my first Slayer cassette) I mean, that's some seriously awesome imagery.
Equally awesome are the tunes assaulting my eardrums (Thank Satan, I don't think I could stand listening to the Barbie movie my daughter is watching right beside me). I got a taste of Blood Oath on the Nuclear Blast/Sumerian sampler in last month's Decibel Magazine. The track was "Cataclysmic Purification". From what I have heard so far, it was a fair representation of the album. Old school death metal. No jazzy breaks, no fucking gay-ass breakdowns, no dual vocals. Just pounding, in your face, death metal. The way it's supposed to be. Ugly, brutal, uncompromising. Don't get me wrong, dudes have chops. The difference is, it's more from the gut. It's not "hey, look! We can do "this"!" just for the sake of doing it. I hear a lot of bands that are really good until they go into some totally off-beat interlude crap for no apparent reason. Just bring the heavy. What's really standing out for me how even though the drums and the overall feel of the music is full speed ahead, my head is banging slowly. Also, the vocals are incredible. Right up there with George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher. (Ha. My daughter stole my headphones and was dancing around to "Marital Decimation" Gotta start 'em young.)

I'll have to listen to Blood Oath more but it's absolutely one of the best death metal releases of 2009.

Holidays

I've been on holidays so I haven't been keeping up with the blog. I will tell you this:

The new Clutch rules.
The new Candlemass is awesome.
I still love LOG's Wrath.
I haven't listened to Blood Oath by Suffocation yet but I am sure it kicks ass.
As much as I don't want to admit it, the songs I've heard from Swashbuckle and Blackguard kinda rule.

Lords/Titan/Barnburner/Kill Martyr @ Bar None, Kingston, ON June 18, 2009

I'm gonna start by saying this was one of the best front-to-back shows I've been to in a while. There was no band on the bill that disappointed me. Even though I wasn't really familiar with most of the bands, I really got into it. Usually, if I don't know the band, I just stand there. But all the bands pulled me in. They didn't just come to play, they came to perform.

I'd seen locals, Kill Martyr, on plenty of bills, but I'd never actually made it out to see them. Well, I regret that! Finally a Kingston product, that plays shows (I'm looking at you, Excarnation) that doesn't sound like a million other myspace bands! It's hard to really describe their sound. Vocals are hardcore, that part's easy. But the the rest is like metal/jam/noisecore? Regardless of what they sound like, they believe in their stuff. The vocalist was all over the stage, the guitarists were headbanging right along, and the drummer was relentless. The bass player was kind of static, but I'll let it slide. I (used to) play bass and when I performed, I didn't move around much either. And, it wasn't a huge stage so there wasn't alot of room anyway once you have the backline up. I was really impressed by Kill Martyr and I would have bought a shirt, but I didn't budget for it and I know I can get one later. Because I will be seeing them again. Guaranteed.

Montreal's Barnburner are hard to really categorize too. Nice and fast. Great presence. They were a good compliment to Lords. They have a real Southern kinda swagger to them. When I thought about who they reminded me of, I kept thinking of Iron Giant and Bionic. But alot more "in your face". The vocalist sort of reminded me of Electric Wizard. Just his tone or the way he trailed off sometimes, I dunno. Great band. Lots of fun.

Titan. Who I came to see. Man, were they good. I'd seen them play with Fuck The Facts a few months ago for the first time and they blew me away. I knew of them before that because a good friend of mine was in a band with one of their guitarists. But, on their first EP, they were more hardcore oriented, and I'm not a huge hardcore fan so I never really paid them that much attention. Well, they've got my attention now! Their new EP, Colossus, is amazing. And much to my utter delight, they played most of it. The only song I didn't know was "Proceed". I believe that's an old one. Anyway, they played "Next Winter" from Colossus. Probably their heaviest song and one of my favourites. I was really into their set. My neck is pretty sore today. I probably looked like a damn fool, headbanging, little bit of air guitar, pounding on my leg and stuff. I don't care. That's what happens when the music speaks to you. All inhibitions are gone. (a couple beer help too) That light switch goes on and nothing exists but you and the music. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, it's a beautiful thing. No power outages this time. Good thing, I wouldn't have wanted to miss anything! (For more posts about Titan, check the archives for a previous show review and a review of Colossus)

I knew I had heard Louisville, Kentucky's Lords album, Fuck All Y'all Motherfuckers before, but I couldn't remember what they sounded like. I knew I didn't not like them. But I still had no clue as to what to expect. I guess when you don't expect anything, you can't be let down. Right? I wasn't let down at all. I was treated to a set of PBR-fueled intensity. Edgy, southern-fried punk. I think what impressed me most was the speed and nimble fingeredness of the bass player. They reminded me a lot of the band Speedealer. That's a pretty hefty compliment. My shit ass memory is rearing its ugly head again and is sapping me of further details. But I will tell you, if you have the chance to see them, fucking do it. Y'all.

Random bits

Other albums I tried to listen to last night but just wasn't in the mood for: Giant Squid - The Icthyologist, Hooded Menace - Fulfill the Curse, and one by Eluvitie.

I listened to Oceano a few weeks ago. Yup, they suck.

I listened to Iwrestledabearonce a little while ago too. They didn't suck as much as everyone says they do. At least not the EP. Maybe the new album is really really bad. I hate the one dude's hair, and the singer chick looks like Jeanne Garofalo.

I still haven't finished transcribing my interview with Kylesa.

I haven't listened to "50,000 Unstoppable Watts" or "Abraham Lincoln" by Clutch in a few days. I do believe I have developed a tick.

Inevitable End - The Severed Inception

I didn't really like this one either. Not near as bad is Impending Doom though. I just really didn't like the vocals. A couple times I remember hearing punk toned guitar riffing over the deathcore vocals and drumming. WTF? I could still envision kids with bad haircuts doing that bop-sway "dance" they do. You know what I mean. I made it through the whole album but I really tuned out after a while.

Impending Doom - The Serpent Servant

I don't know why I downloaded this. The album title? Maybe I thought it was evil? Nah, I'm pretty sure they are Christian, and I'm pretty sure I knew that going in. Whatever the reason, I'm glad I didn't pay for it. At least with money. If they are Christian-core, I couldn't tell. I couldn't make out any words!! I usually don't mind that but you're not going to win over the heathens with mindless growling. There's plenty of J.C. hating bands out there who can do that. Vocals and lyrics aside, this album has more breakdowns than Bury Your Dead. You know, the band that has an album called The Beauty and the Breakdown? I don't know how the guitar player(s) could ever masturbate properly. They've got no rhythm! I never really want to hear The Serpent Servant again.

Toxic Holocaust w/ Dirty Lickens May 29 @ AKA Autonomous Social Centre, Kingston, ON

KPP does it again!! There have been so many incredible acts passing through Kingston lately. Who needs Toronto?! This time the festivities were hosted at the awesome AKA Autonomous Social Centre. I love this venue! I'm pretty sure my living room is bigger but that's what makes it so cool. I don't think my wife would want me hosting metal shows at our house, but at least I know it can be done. Tubby Custard and P!cked On were supposed to open but apparently they both broke up. So Dirty Lickens opened instead. I don't think I've seen a stranger combo of opener to headliner. Ever.

Dirty Lickens ( I keep wanting to say Smelly Lichens for some reason) was really not anything like you'd expect to see opening for Toxic Holocaust. I asked Marc before they went on what they were like. He told me they were punk kids playing folk music. A pretty fair description. Accompanying the bass, drums and guitar was an acoustic guitar, a banjo and I believe a ukulele. They played some pretty upbeat punk-tinged bluegrassy stuff. I hesitate to call it punkabilly though. Maybe it is. I dunno. Either way, it's unique flavour was kinda refreshing. Nice to hear some kids doing something different instead of every Tom, Dick and Harry breaking down with deathcore slam. It certainly was good beer drinkin' music. And I still can't get their take on " Big Rock Candy Mountain" out of my head.

I didn't really know that much about Toxic Holocaust other than that they kick ass. I knew some dudes from Rammer were playing with them now. And I had seen a picture of mainman Joel Grind in a magazine once. Said picture gave no sense of scale. He was much bigger than I thought. No giant, but for some reason I pictured him being more my size (5'7", 175) No matter his size, his stage presence was huge! You can really tell this guy lives and breathes his music. Speed and thrash metal course through his veins. I only knew the songs from the latest album (2008's An Overdose of Death) but I could have known none of the tunes they ripped out and still have rocked out as much as I did. I am glad they played "Feedback, Blood and Distortion" though. That one is stuck in my head too. They had the place throwin' horns and bangin' heads like it was the last metal show on earth. I got more armpit-to-the-face from Dan in the Sodom Shirt than I'd care to, but I didn't care. I was too busy enjoying the show! It's been a while since I've been to such a pure headbangin' show. I'll bang my head to just about anything, but this made me want to grow my hair out even more than I already do. Everyone was having a great time. I'm really glad I didn't get stopped by the cops on the way home. I had so much beer spilled on me, I coulda failed a sobriety test. There was a girl there taking a video of the show. I asked her if I could get a copy. I told her she could contact me through this site and wrote it down for her but she was really drunk so who knows. If I do get it, I'll post it on here so you can see for yourself what a great show it was.

I gotta say, the atmosphere at AKA that night was great. I felt very comfortable talking to people. I usually don't. Met some new people, found out who some people actually were, cross-invasion of personal spaces, and generally stayed out later than I probably should have. If I lived in Kingston, I might hang out there more. But since I don't, I'll just have to wait til the next concert.

Stay metal, my friends.

Big Business - Mind the Drift

Big Business - Mind the Drift: Some businesses you can trust to deliver quality. Most often these are small businesses. They know their customer and what they want. Bigger businesses only see the bottom line. Well, the bottom line with Big Business is all about awesome. On Mind the Drift, they deliver high quality awesome. I can't get enough of this album. Every time I hear it I envision a story as told by an old sea dog in some run down tavern. Embellished beyond all reason so as to make it sound like the most epic tale a sailor has ever heard. Maybe it has something to do with the power of the bass. Guitar not fish. Jared Warren's bass is much more prominent in the mix and evokes a sense of the immense power of waves rolling across the seas to crash on shorelines and boat hulls. Even the guitar sounds of new member Toshi Kasai sound like echoes off a cliff. All of which puncuated by the rumble and crash of the Coady Willis' drums. I love how the vocals convey a sense of authority without restorting to outright screams. Very dynamic too. This whole album is laden with hooks. Not in a commercial sense though. It's just the way they write songs. It just might be their best album yet. If you were ever in doubt as to whether or not you wanted what Big Business was offering, Mind the Drift is the dealmaker.

Dreaming Dead

I wanted to tell you something about Dreaming Dead, but I can't really. I've listened to the album on my last couple breaks at work but I can't remember anything about it. Even the name of the album! [ed. Within One] It has served fine as background music while I read a book though. It's not insultng my ears to listen to it. That means it's not half-bad. I dunno. Maybe 3rd or 4th listen will bring some sort of, well, something. It's just not drawing me in.

Up next, Warbringer - Waking Into Nightmares!!!!!!!!!!

After taking a glance at their myspace, I'm gonna have to give this one a second chance. The singer is a chick! Maybe when I am done listening to the new Pestilence.

I feel stupid

A) I didn't hear about the 2 show Sleep reunion until now. I couldn't have flown to the UK anyway, but, it's fucking Sleep!!! Sleep changed my life!!!
B) Chris Hakius quit OM? What fucking rock have I been living under?!!! I used to email Chris alot when he was in The Sabians but lost contact when that (incredible) band split.

Goddammit!!!

I accidentally put my iPod through the washing machine yesterday. FUCK!

I'm gonna try and send it back and see if Apple will replace/repair it. I've only had it since Christmas. I really don't want to have to buy a new one. It would be like renting this one for $30/mo. I didn the same thing to a much cheaper mp3 player about a year ago. When will I learn not to leave it in my sweater!!

In the meantime, I am using my phone and a micro-SD card. Not the same. Plus, it will throw off my iTunes playcount.

Shit!!

Another new Clutch song!!

Streaming on Ultimate Guitar!!!!