Yes, you read that correctly. For those who don’t know, I hate Sunn O))). I abhor them. I loathe them. The pointless, pretentious, and artistically void droning just infuriates me. They are just beyond awful in every conceivable way. Thus, when I found \\\Maytag, I fell in love with them instantly. You see, the members of \\\Maytag hate Sunn O))). They hate them so much that they went out of their way to make a parody band based on them. They compared Sunn O)))’s sound to broken refrigerators, so they took that idea and made their own brand of “drone metal” using refrigerators and various other kitchen appliances. It started as a joke, but they somehow got over 65 minutes of material for an album with 23 tracks, grimly entitled The Saga of the Frostbitten Lands of Frigidaire, and enough material for two extra EPs (with one long epic track each). I have to say, the result is fucking hysterical! Just listening to the droning fridges, with the tiny subtleties thrown in, makes me giggle like an idiot watching Dane Cook (only idiots like Dane Cook).

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http://freemetalalbums.wordpress.com/

For those few of you who don’t know what this website is, it’s a collection of thousands of free metal albums, EPs, and demos. It’s truly an excellent website and a service to the metal community. Here, I’m going to recommend a few artists and albums, but I want you to search them on there. After searching what I list, randomly browse the site for other albums. I’ve found lots of great stuff on there that I otherwise wouldn’t have noticed. This is the way to truly get the word around for bands with absolutely no financial backing. Here they are:

Vortech – Posthumanism
Against Nature – Discography
Demilich – Nespithe (if you don’t have this by now, you should be
ashamed of yourself)
Carcariass – Killing Process
Cloudkicker – Discography
Clad in Darkness – Amidst Her Shadows
Cephalectomy – An Epitaph to Tranquility
Esoteric – most of their discography
Fist in Fetus – their EP
Grey Skies Fallen – discography
Heathen – discography
Iron Thrones – Visions of Light (MS user groverXIII brought this band
to my attention–thanks!)
\\\Maytag – discography
Moroghor – …and Space as Chaos
The Pax Cecilia – Blessed are the Bonds
Synestesia – two EPs are on their website

Those are just a few bands on that site that are great. I’m certain that all of these bands give their albums away for free, and I’m almost positive that links are all on freemetalalbums. If not, Google is your friend.

-Ziltoid

Hexlust is a band that I have been familiar with for a little bit. They recorded a rehearsal demo in 2008, and I happen to get my hands on a good quality mp3 version of it. All of those songs are on their myspace for streaming, and even though I think that they shitty myspace player severely detracts from the overall sound of the songs, I still think that they show hope for this new thrash movement. Instead of overproducing and making their music sound clean, they retain the old-school thrash production sound which really gives them an edge. Sure, it might just be because of budget, but Hexlust also have substance behind the sound. All of the songs that they wrote (I think one or two are covers if I recall correctly) are very energetic and retain the spirit of the old thrash bands of the 80s, yet are also written rather well, with some odd structures and solos here and there. They may wear their influences on their sleeves (there’s one point where the high-pitched shriek sounds just like Slayer’s Angel of Death), but while doing so, they also throw in some originality, and in this thrash scene, that is rarely done. They are currently working on new songs at the moment, and frankly, I think that they deserve some recognition. Also, according to people I’ve spoken to, they play a killer live show. They’re in Texas, so if you find out that they’re playing, I’d suggest going to see them. Here is Hexlust’s myspace: http://www.myspace.com/hexlust I got an mp3 copy of their rehearsal demo from one of the members of the band. Maybe if you message them and ask nicely, they’ll send you a link. No guarantees on my part, but it’s worth a shot.

-Ziltoid

The middle of this video (3:20) is quite funny. Devin just rants about crappy “wank bullshit.” Needless to say, this man continues to be one of the best people ever.

On an unrelated note, I finally got Ki and it’s awesome. I expected nothing less…

-Ziltoid

What could be more grim than recording your black metal album in a cave?

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-Ziltoid

Many of you here know that I hate just about all of your crappy music. But I obviously have my roots. Here, I wish to go into great detail about my intense infatuation with the greatest guitarist ever. Some of you started with Iron Maiden, Metallica, or Black Sabbath. I started with the best metal band ever—Iced Earth. Iced Earth formed as Purgatory in the late 80s, and in the early 90s, changed their name and released their self-titled debut. As a lonely 12 year old with no hope in this cruel world, Jon Schaffer and his amazing band were my glimmer of light. Their debut album is at the very least an intense experience of both the mind and soul, and as a young, self-conscious lad, this album spoke to me in an infinite amount of ways. The masterful and creative guitarwork by Schaffer here set the foundation for all creative and progressive music that would ever be made. Each riff is impeccably and meticulously written, yet never overstays it’s welcome, soon transitioning into yet another riff of equal beauty.

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Friendly reminder: as the winner of our best contest ever, MetalSucks reader Ziltoid will be running the site tomorrow, Friday, August 28. All stories will be written by him, and even the site’s slogan for the day was chosen by him.

Our regularly scheduled programming will resume on Monday, August 31.

-Axl, Vince, and Everyone at MetalSucks

Congrats to __ and ___ for winning last week’s funny photo caption contest. Both winners get a copy of Heart of Darkness, the ass-rippingly good new album by Burnt by the Sun, for coming up with the following captions to the photo at right:

Let’s continue our Gathering of the Juggalos 2009 photo series with this week’s contest! This week we’re giving one lucky winner a signed copy of progressive rock masters Bigelf’s Cheat the Gallows, as well as a tour t-shirt (choice of sizes M-XL). Bigelf are currently finishing up opening for Dream Theater on the Progressive Nation Tour in the U.S., and they’ll be on the European Prog Nation tour (w/ Opeth on the bill!) starting at the end of September. Just come up with a snicker-inducing caption to the below photo (from Brooklyn Ski Club), and you win.

Metal Insider posted this video of Mutiny Within vocalist Chris Clancy singing opera (La Boheme, if I’m not mistaken). And all I can say is: holy shit, this dude is talented. Even if you don’t like opera, there’s no getting around how good this guy is. Check it out:

Mutiny Within’s debut album will come out Roadrunner sometime in 2010. In the meantime, they’re about to start a tour with Soulfly. They’re a lot of fun live, and no one should be surprised if they end up being “the next big thing,” so check them out now and you can say you knew ‘em when. Get dates here.

-AR

So what was your entre into the world where denim, leather n’ demonology reign supreme? Where you adore the goat and sway to the symphony of deee-struction? Every man (or woman) has a tale to tell. Here’s mine. You’re gonna hear a lot of names you might be unfamiliar with, especially if you’re a member of Attack Attack! (Or just plain anyone under 23!) You’re gonna be thinking, “Damn, this fucker is old!” Yeah, well just remember that I’ve seen seen stuff that would make you shit Perrier with jealousy. I’m definitely old enough to have seen Minor Threat, Cliff Burton-era Metallica… the list goes on… before most of you were a tadpole in yer pappy’s population paste.

Let’s start at Discharge. I could go back and trace the whole history of early 80’s hardcore for you, but neither of us have the time or attention span. Let’s just say, the minute I heard these Stroke-on-Trent monsters of the nuclear reactor riff on the monstrous Hear Nothing, See Nothing, Say Nothing album, I nearly pissed my pants. It was the gateway to something far heavier than I had ever heard on a scratchy 7” from the new record store that had opened in Boston called Newbury Comics.

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So Vince and I were talking the other day about this question that both of us have wondered about from time to time, and since then I haven’t stopped thinking about it. So here it is: DO ANY OF YOU GIVE A FUCK ABOUT LYRICS IN METAL?

Is it just the sound of the voice and how it works with the sound of the music, or is it also what the vocalist is saying that matters to you? I’m going to take a guess and say that fans of hardcore and straight edge bands really do care about the lyrics because the bands are representing the ideals and beliefs of their respective communities. But what about in death metal, black metal, or any other genre of metal? When you listen to Necrophagist or Cannibal Corpse or Suicide Silence, can you comprehend what they’re singing about, and do you even care? Is it what they’re singing about, or is it more what it sounds like with the music, or both?

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Noisecreep kindly invited me to be a guest on their weekly podcast last week, so I trekked into Manhattan on my bike in the 90° heat to take part at the AOL Music headquarters. The panel consisted of Noisecreep Editor-In-Chief Seth Werkheiser, writers Chris Harris, Amy Sciarretto and Jon Weiderhorn, Mikw and Oliver from UK thrashers Evile, and myself. That’s me on the far right in the white (metal!) shirt, sporting a douchie mustache. So now you can tackle me at shows just like you do Rob from Metal Injection.

We discussed a whole lot of topics ranging from the then-latest in metal news (Dani Filth being chucked with a bottle, news of a new Austrian Death Machine album, etc), the latest records to come out (Burnt by the Sun, Emmure, Otep) and Jon did an interview with Evile. Laughs were had and many bands were shat upon (mostly by me, with nervous laughs from everyone else). Watch it below. Thanks again to Noisecreep for the invite; I hope to do it again soon.

-VN

We do our best to bring you new music from new bands you may actually like, but sometimes it’s difficult to fit it in given all the crap that comes across our plates daily, such as Emmure selling branded boxing gloves and Atreyu performing a shitty new song. So, here we go. Two links, no descriptions; let us know what you think.

• Struck by Lightning
• Into the Presence

Prediction: not nearly as many of you will care/comment as you did about either of the two above-mentioned articles. Prove me wrong.

-VN

Somebody call Frankie and Annette!

I don’t really go to the beach much these days (’cause the sun is so not metal, dude), but if I did, I’d definitely want this. Why? Because a) I’m a dork and b) hopefully it would scare some people.

No word yet on whether or not Cannibal Corpse are going to issue Tomb of the Mutilated-themed swim trunks. But while we’re waiting, here’s some photos of girls in Winds of Plague panties. ‘Cause, y’know, why not?

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An e-mail I received from long time reader Seveword earlier today:

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Tom Araya needs no introduction. Seriously. We’re not introducing him. If you don’t know who he is, you have no business reading this website. Axl recently found out that our intern had never listened to Slayer, and you know what he did? First he got all the MetalSucks Mansion Monkeys to throw feces at the intern, and then he locked the intern in a room and made him listen to Slayer’s entire discography for days and days on end.

We will tell you this: Araya is a very chill, jovial dude; Slayer have a new album, World Painted Blood, coming out in October; and we successfully managed to make it through this interview at Mayhem Fest without peeing ourselves or dropping to our knees and shouting “WE’RE NOT WORTHY! WE’RE NOT WORTHY!” Although it was a struggle.

Our full chat with Araya after the jump.

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Here it is:

Based on your comments, it looks like most of you were unimpressed with the first song the band has released from the album, ““In the Ashes They Shall Reap.” Hopefully you’ll enjoy the rest of the record more.

Hatebreed comes out comes out September 29 on E1.

-AR

Cosmo Lee of Invisible Oranges has written up a thought-provoking editorial (inspired by Metal As Fuck) that takes a look at the differences between metal culture in the U.S. and in Europe. We’ve touched on this topic before here, but never really delved into it.

Take a look at Sammy O’Hagar’s recent review of Skyfire, Satan Rosenbloom’s interview with Kellhaul drummer Will Scharf (in which Scharf laments, “I don’t know if it’s a cultural difference or there’s less Clear Channel over there so people actually have to seek out shit for themselves, but it seems like Europe embraces weird bands like us more than the States.”) or my writeup of unsigned band Dynahead (from Brazil, but the point stands); there is a tangible difference between metal culture in U.S. and the rest of the world. When Axl and I went to Download Festival in 2006 is was readily apparent; any local metalhead we talked to was likely to be a big fan of both Korn and Opeth and think nothing of it.

Here’s a sample from Cosmo Lee’s breakdown of the differences:

Epicness/tolerance for cheese

Bands like Sonata Arctica and Hammerfall don’t come from the States. Being a secondhand culture, US metal is too self-conscious to engage in the unabashed frilly shirt-ery that pegs bands as “European, probably on Nuclear Blast.” American bands like Pharaoh and Symphony X that have a European sound are usually more serious. This doesn’t just apply to happy power metal. Even a “death metal” band like Arch Enemy has blatant “billowing hair/wind machine on 11″ moments that are patently European. Americans are too busy grinding on one note and cursing their lack of health care.

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Well, not really of course. For the time being, Demi Lovato is still more metal than these virgins. Still, this video is fun:

Thanks to reader Gordon Koch for the tip!

-AR