Greg Anderson is all about uniquenesss, whether it be drone/doom kingpins Sunn 0)))’s epic trudge or the ability of his record label, Southern Lord, to stay afloat in a dreadful industry climate. The former’s new album – the sprawling, pretty excellent Monoliths and Dimensions – brings the band’s sound into new territory, a seemingly unthinkable feat considering their MO of slow, simple, and heavy up until now. Though the album was a long time in the making, Anderson has hardly been dormant: he’s spread between Southern Lord projects, the Sunn 0))) releases between Black One and Monoliths, and Burial Chamber Trio (a project with Mayhem vocalist/ frequent Sunn 0))) collaborator Atilla Csihar), among other things. In an interview with Metal Sucks, Greg discussed the changes between his main band’s prior work to that on their latest album, workng with Sunn 0))) collaborators like Csihar and Earth’s Dylan Carlson, and running Southern Lord in a time when running a label is a risky venture, to say the least.

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I hate this.

-AR

[via Metal Injection]

Clutch fans have become somewhat accustomed to expecting the unexpected from the band. So, with Strange Cousins from the West, they must certainly be wondering what the surprise is gonna be this time. Well, oddly enough, what’s most shocking about Strange Cousins is the fact that Neil Fallon & Co. have decided to stay the course, continuing to deliver the same sort of clean and direct blues-rock bludgeoning they began to dabble in with 2005′s excellent Robot Hive/Exodus and 2007′s From Beale Street to Oblivion. As much as Robot Hive was a neck-snapping departure from Blast Tyrant, it’s been weird to watch the band stay on this stylistic path for three entire records; one almost could be forgiven for expecting that this new disc would find Clutch heading into some new direction.

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There’s a classic metal revival beef a’brewin’. In May we told you about Earache Records signees White Wizzard, and just last week we reported on Holy Grail, a recent Prosthetic signee made up of three former members of White Wizzard. Seems that the recent press attention received by Holy Grail has placed White Wizzard on the defensive, as the band found the need to issue a press release warning of “White Wizzard immitators.” Says the press release:

The lineup featured on WHITE WIZZARD’s September 8th debut mini-album, HIGH SPEED GTO is much different from that of the current lineup whom will be recording a full length album set for release in 2010. Recently, several ex-members from the previous lineup have begun making headlines in a newly signed band who’s former name shared an eerily similar theme with that of WHITE WIZZARD’s. WHITE WIZZARD bassist, Jon Leon has written a statement to clear up any confusion about the band’s lineup changes and to serve notice that there is only one WHITE WIZZARD:

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The above is a fourteen-minute plus infomercial for what is apparently the 10th Annual (HOLY SHIT) “Gathering of the Juggalos,” which is, of course, an event celebrating the artistry of Insane Clown Posse, who, as you may know, made the Best Metal Album of the 21st Century… So Far. When MetalSucks contributor Dale Croverdale sent it to me, I had to watch twice and visit the official website just to believe that it wasn’t some joke. How the fuck is this happeneing?

In case you don’t have time/inclination to watch all fourteen minutes (and I really think you should make time, assuming you have a fresh pair of underwear to change into when you’re done pissing yourself with laughter), here are some of the reasons the infomercial thinks you ought to attend:

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16 is a fucking brutal band on Relapse that doesn’t get nearly enough coverage here, largely due to the band’s apparent refusal to embark on a lengthy tour to promote its latest collection of furious violent outbursts Bridges To Burn, which our own Satan Rosenbloom reviewed back in January. I actually dig this album way more than my colleague, and it ranks among my favorite records released this year thus far. In order to express my love for this band, in the hopes that you’ll check 16 out and become a fan of its de-motivational music, here’s an update on the group’s current goings-on.

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Some of you may already be sick of all this Anthrax nonsense, but I am not. In fact, it is entirely possible that I am enjoying even more than I am enjoying the Fear Factory drama. Probably because I actually care about Anthrax.

So. Reader Aleksander Sobecki sent us a link to this inteview with Scott Ian from Metal Hammer. I’m going to do very little editing to the actual text because it’s all pretty fun to read. I will, however, include my analysis after each chunk of text.

And away we go…

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[From Xkcd.com via Misopogon]

I know we (well, I at least) give Slash a lot of shit around here – but it’s only because the dude was my hero growing up (I had his poster on my wall, was him for Halloween at least twice, etc.), and it’s always disappointing when one of your heroes, say, starts gigging with the alien “chick” (recent evidence suggests she may, in fact, be a dude) from Black Eyed Peas.

But Slash turns 44 (!!!) today, and it’s pretty much a miracle the guy is still alive. So I am going to take this moment to celebrate him by pretending that he’s still the way I’d like to remember him:

-AR

Anthrax may have stolen this week’s metal gossip thunder, but we’re always happy to re-hash old feuds for entertainment’s sake here at MetalSucks. The latest news had Dino Cazares taking a shot at drummer Raymond Herrera’s playing abilities, while Burton Bell has for the most part taken the high road and remained mum. Herrera and Christian Olde Wolbers both fired back this week, and here’s Wolbers’ latest:

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At some point in the middle of this decade, beards on metal dudes became fashionable. Not goatees, not chin-strips, not ‘staches (the latter will never be fashionable in the highly homophobic metal community), but big, bushy, manly beards. But not all was hunky-dory in beard-ville; cries of “hipster!” and “beardo!” resonated through the land, with purists claiming beards are not metal. So…

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Even without guitarist Juan Montoya, Torche still kick ridiculous amounts of ass. Here’s the brand new video for the song “Healer” from their year-end-list-dominating 2008 release Meanderthal; all 2 minutes and 7 seconds of this song are furious, desert rock reminders of why you should obtain this excellent record by any means necessary if you haven’t done so already. That Torche are still promoting and touring the record well over a year after its release is a testament to how fucking solid it is. Catch them on tour now through August 5th in Canada and the U.S.

-VN

This mash-up of Kreator and Alicia Keys (featuring Eve) is… well, it’s technically well done (by DJ Schmolli), insofar as it does sound like it could be a real song. Unfortunately, that would be a song I hate. Which is weird, because remove Ms. Keys and Ms. Eve from the equation, and, y’know, I dig Kreator. But, yeah. I can’t get behind the rapping. Sorry.

-AR

[via a tweet from Metal Blade]

Dethklok fans – here’s a fun lil’ press release we just received at the Mansion:

“Konami announced today that a video game based on the hit Adult Swim series Metalocalypse is currently in development for Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation®Network. Created by series co-creator Brendon Small and based on the top-rated Adult Swim animated series, the upcoming Metalocalypse: Dethgame will immerse players into the world of Dethklok, the world’s most brutal Norwegian heavy metal band.”

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That would be free. Duh.

“Behind the Sun,” which until now has been streaming only on the band’s MySpace page, is now avail for download at no cost whatsoever. Go here and scroll down the page to get the track. It is truly righteous.

“Behind the Sun” will appear on LC’s latest, The Chair in the Doorway, which drops September 15 on Megaforce.

-AR

For my money, Salomé are one of the best doom metal bands out there right now. The self-titled EP they released last year is the shit, and they absolutely blew me away at Scion earlier this year (the friends I was with were equally floored). They are a band of unusual evil and power, and must be experienced live if you get a chance.

The band’s MySpace page says that they’ll be embarking on a tour with two other kick-ass bands, Hull and Batillus, starting in Septmebr. Thing is, while the tour itinerary is apparently mapped out already, lots of the venues remain TBD, accompanied only by the note “please help!”

If you live in one of these still-unbooked cities or towns, I would plead with you to help out these excellent bands. If you’re a position to book them somewhere, great, but even if you’re just in a position to nag your local club/basement/whatever to give them a place to play, you should really do that, to.

The page doesn’t list a booking agent for the band or tour, but they can be reached at salomedoom AT hotmail DOT com. Do something to help ASAP. To miss these bands live would be to deprive yourself of a seriously excellent evening of metal.

-AR

Major props to Charles Hedrick for the tip!!!

So it turns out I completely misunderstood Revolver editor-in-cheif Tom Beaujour’s comments yesterday with regards to the conflict with Isis.

Tom was not responding to Aaron Turner’s complaints or the complaints of the blogosphere, but was, in fact, responding to questions posed to him directly by Metal Insider‘s Dan Rodriguez.

My apologies to all involved for the misunderstanding.

-AR

After making two of the most influential records in the history of hardcore (1999′s The Opposite of December and 2002′s Tear From the Red), Poison the Well made a dramatic shift in style for 2003′s You Come Before You. The band have been expanding on this sound ever since, pushing their boundaries outward with 2007′s Version and this year’s lush and evocative The Tropic Rot. One of the navigators of this expansion is original member Ryan Primack, whose guitar methods inspired a generation of hardcore kids with feelings, only to challenge them as the decade went on. His blooming stylistic shifts have illustrated the band’s staying power, and perhaps served as an influence to those looking to move past metalcore. On the eve of Poison the Well’s tour in support of their new album (and on break from his last night of work before said tour), Ryan discussed his unique set of influences, advice for bands starting out, and the legacy of The Opposite of December in the wake of its tenth anniversary.

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I imagine that when the members of, say, Daath get together for rehearsal, no one expects to be paid for said rehearsal. They’re all dudes who are friends – some of them even grew up together, if I’m not mistaken – and it’s not like they’re making squillions of dollars playing metal. Rehearsal, then, has to be viewed as an investment – get better as a band, put on a good show for the crowd, and, knock on wood, your band will get bigger and the money will come.

I also imagine it’s different being in someone’s solo band. If your boss is Ozzy Osbourne or Axl Rose or Dave Mustaine or Trent Reznor, there’s going to be a lot of money involved, and your creative input is going to be somewhat limited (I imagine). I know for a fact that the members of nu-GN’R are paid an annual retainer, just in case they’re needed; I assume members of certain other solo bands are given a similar (if perhaps less lucrative) deal. And actors definitely get paid to rehearse; granted, the rehearsal rate is less than the performance rate, but the unions insist that if you want an actor there for rehearsals, he or she must be compensated.

Now. Sebastian Bach’s record sales obviously are not what they used to be. But the guy still opens for arena bands, routinely plays large festivals, and, by his own admission, gets paid very large sums of money to appear on crappy reality shows. Doing something like, say, paying for his band’s member’s gas so they can get to rehearsal seems reasonable, especially when you’re talking about dudes like Metal Mike Chlasciak, who, even if he’s not exactly Zakk Wylde, has played with dudes like Halford, and is definitely a “known entity.”

Well, Baz disagrees. He’s looking for a new guitarist and a new bassist, and, more specifically, he’s looking for someone to do it for bubcus. Check out this statement from the Old Dude Gone Wild:

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Last night’s “listening party” in NYC for Alice in Chains’ new record Black Gives Way to Blue was one of the most bizarre such events I’ve ever attended. In the metal world, “listening party” usually means the label or PR firm invites us out to a divey bar where we all drink heavily and chat while the new record plays on repeat. Sometimes the band plays a few songs… sometimes there’s an open bar or drink tickets (aka a makeshift piece of paper that entitles the bearer to a free drink). But all in all, they’re pretty laid back affairs.

Not this one. The event was at a theater in the brand new New York Times building in Times Square. Attendees had to check in with someone at the door, then hand in any and all mobile phones / ipods / computers that could possibly be used as recording devices. Serious! Everyone gathered in a cavernous, wood-paneled lobby area where there were no fewer than 10 waiters in fancy black shirts walking around with platters of hour d’oeuvres — mini kobe beef burgers, samosas, and some other mysterious but delicious cooked treat — and as much wine or beer as our little hearts desired. A certain “Metal Insider” who shall remain nameless took full advantage of the free wine, and I’d imagine was in quite the right frame of mind for the album listening. Also striking: the makeup of the audience was at least 75% stripey-shirt dudes. Us normal shorts-and-t-shirt dudes felt kind of awkward in comparison — this was a listening party for ALICE IN FUCKING CHAINS???

At 7:30 we were all let into a big movie-style theater with speakers set up on the stage and a small screen across the middle that would later display images presumably from the album artwork. Jerry Cantrell and Sean Kinney came out for a quick speech, the lights dimmed, and the music began… LOUD.

Interestingly, I was the only person I could see that was taking notes with pen and paper, the good old-fashioned way. Rather than give you guys some faux mumbo-jumbo about what the album sounds like and what it represents in the evolution blah blah blah FUCK, I’d like to give you my notes. Having only heard the album once I don’t feel like I’m in a position to make any grand judgments, but what I wrote down was in the moment and what I was thinking at the time. My hope is that these notes give you some idea of what you’re in for. But I will say this… the new Alice in Chains record is heavy, deep, and it’s fucking GOOD.

My notes, track by track (sorta), minimally edited for clarity, after the jump.

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