So Axl and I are shuttering up the gates to the MS Mansion when we get wind that there’s a new Lamb of God video for “Set to Fail” available. Fucking BAD ASS!!!

Before this event of over-arching importance occurred, here’s what we would’ve said was important this week:

• We spoke with Salome’s Aaron Deal and Chimaira’s Mark Hunter.
• No Ozzfest this year. We don’t buy the excuse that it’s because Ozzman’s working on a new album, but at least the Osbournes will be making asses of themselves on national TV again… oh wait.
• We watched Mastodon in the recording studio while we falsely assumed a new track of theirs appeared in a videogame trailer. No matter; Crack the Skye is coming March 24th and there’s a super-special limited edition package available for pre-order.
• Limp Bizkit announced their inevitable reunion. With Wes Borland. No surprise.
• We joined Twitter. Webernets, watch out!
• We looked at new releases by Scale the Summit, Obscura and the new DVD by Dir En Grey. The world previewed the new God Forbid record… and overwhelmingly liked it, by golly! In the Coyle Commune annex of the MS Mansion, Dallas slyly grinned while tapping his fingers slowly together and saying, “Exxxxxxcellent.”
• We pontificated the seemingly complete irrelevance of the Grammies and then immediately forgot about them.

Enjoy cuddling up with your shnookums (metal!) on Valentine’s Day tomorrow and celebrating a day called “Presidents Day” — even though no U.S. presidents were actually born on said day — by not going to work on Monday. Seeya Tuesday.

-VN

More often than not we’re making of fun of black metal on MetalSucks, but that’s because black metal this good don’t come ’round these parts too often. Ya see, when a press release came across my e-desk announcing that Swedish black metallers Rimfrost had signed with Season of Mist Records I just had to click through the link to listen, if only because pretty much everything Season of Mist has released in the past year has been top fucking notch (see: Cynic + all of these bands). Since that fateful click-through decision I’ve literally been listening to the 5 songs Rimfrost have on their MySpace page on repeat all week.

Without getting too involved in micro-genre labeling or band comparisons, Rimfrost’s sound can be described thusly: they’d make fine touring partners with Enslaved, Keep of Kalessin and Nachtmystium. Do with that information what you will; ridiculous photo and sub-zero butt-hole-licking band name aside, Rimfrost are really fucking good.

-VN

[Rimfrost on MySpace]

When Mike Portnoy announced that there would be a 2009 edition of last year’s bonerrific Progressive Nation Tour — which featured Opeth, Between the Buried and Me and Three in support of Dream Theater (read our show review) — one would naturally assume the lineup would be pretty fuckin’ killer just like its predecessor, no? While our heads swirled with the possibilities of what might be in the cards (Protest the Hero? Muse? Porcupine Tree? Gojira??), today our expectations hit the floor with a mighty thud. Zappa Plays Zappa. Pain of Salvation. Beardfish. Um… who?

Click to read more…

In the past year, Salome – who allegedly hail from a magical land called Fort Awesome, Virginia – have quickly become one of our favorite doom metal acts on the planet. Slow like molasses and heavy like a tumor, Salome’s music is a big middle finger to convention and cliché.

The band is playing a show this Sunday, February 15 at Public Assembly in Brooklyn, alongside Ocean, Batillus, and Riff Cannon (get details here – the show is sponsored by Pitchfuck but don’t let that deter you from attending). In anticipation of the event, I recently e-mailed some questions over to drummer Aaron Deal. After the jump, get Aaron’s thoughts on Sunday’s gig, the upcoming Scion Rock Fest, the influence of The Wu Tang Clan on Salome’s music, and more.

Click to read more…

This is pretty straightforward, and clearly someone on Decibel’s staff needs a few extra album reviews assigned to them to pass the extra time or something, but, hey, it made me giggle.

For more, head over to The Deciblog.

-AR

If 2008 was the year of Gojira, then 2009 will most certainly be the year every new band looking for some traction starts saying they sound like Gojira. Especially bands from France. Take recent Metal Blade-signees END. (all capitals, followed by a period. not to be confused with The End, the Tool soundalikes from Canada, or The End Records, based right here in New York). A press release announcing the signing informs us that “Much like fellow homeland heroes Gojira, END. pull off a signature sound that can immediately be picked up by the metal critics.”  Sheesh, I guess they have my number!

Click to read more…

Yesterday Vince speculated that there may be new Mastodon music in the trailer for the forthcoming video game Splatterhouse. Then we got an e-mail last night from composer Howard Drossin, who explained all:

“The music featured is not by Mastodon. It’s mine. I’m the composer on the game. I really appreciate that you thought it might be Mastodon. They are a big inspiration and I respect them enormously. I post the trailer on my blog as well if you’re interested.”

Howard also contributed music to the recent Afro Samurai video game, and from what I can tell from our brief e-mail exchange, he’s a very chill, humble dude. Be sure to check out his website. And thanks for setting us straight, Howard!

After the jump, more Mastodonews.

Click to read more…

I’m not as offended by the idea of remaking/rebooting/rewhatevering Friday the 13th as I am by some of the other recent horror remakes; even though I grew up on the Friday films and love them to death (no pun intended), they were always crap, so what’s the worst that could happen with a remake?

So here’s Alice Cooper’s video for “He’s Back (The Man Behind the Mask),” which comes from the soundtrack for my personal favorite entry in the Friday series, Friday the 13th Part VI: Jason Lives. I wonder what Jason Voorhees would make of it…?

-AR