This is a follow up to Vince’s blog on drum triggers. I’m with him.

There’s definitely a misconception out there that to trigger is to cheat. I’ll get this out of the way early: triggers are like any other tool. You can use them correctly, or not. Water can be used to give life or drown a person. Triggers can be used in a musical way for a style that demands them or they can be used to cover up a shitty drummer’s inability to hit consistently or like a man (no offense to all you female drummers out there).

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3, one of the best not-really-a-metal-band to ever be signed to a metal label (Metal Blade) and tour with metal bands (Opeth, etc.), are going to make a video for the song “Rabid Animals” from their new album, Revisions. And that’s all well good, but here’s the really groovy part – they’re giving their fans a chance to be in the video. And you don’t have to spend any money, or win a contest, or anything like that.

Here’s a statement from the band:

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Our partners in brotal fucking destruction, Metal Injection, captured some super-sweet footage of Brutal Truth at their Brooklyn gig with Pig Destroyer and Repulsion this summer. And I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you about it! It’s Brutal Truth, fer fuck’s sake.

Here’s the band performing “Get a Therapist… Spare the World.” You can check out more of Metal Injection’s grindtastic footage here.

-AR

I’m totally into this Dutch band CiLiCe that one of our readers sent in earlier this week. These dudes are unbelievable… they’re the closest thing I’ve heard to former MetalSucks proverbial wet-dreams Sikth since… well, Sikth.

CiLiCe lose points, however, for not having their album available for download anywhere that I can find (I checked their MySpace, official website, iTunes U.S. and even iTunes Netherlands). You just lost ten bucks, dudes. What gives? I ain’t payin’ $20 for a CD to be shipped overseas. But you still rule.

Here’s their video for “God of Lies,” the first track from their recent [apparently un-downloadable] album Deranged Headtrip.

-VN

CiLiCe | MySpace Music Videos

No other black metal band better typifies the genre’s silliness than Immortal. While most of their True Norwegian ilk left their corpsepaint at home almost a decade ago, the band have stuck to their guns (and battle axes), not letting a silly thing like aging stop them from posing for promo photos and playing shows shirtless and done up like a Hungarian KISS knockoff. And while Darkthrone cornered the market on the angry-banshee/bad-production black metal market, Immortal laid claim to the running-around-the-forest-ominously brand. Though I understand the significance of black metal’s silly image (well, at least I like to think I do), I’ve always thought of it as a shame that Immortal have allowed themselves to be so governed by their absurd appearance when their music, for the most part, has been so fucking righteous. Though they’ve fumbled through some of black metal’s typical snags– vague anti-Semitism (the title of Pure Holocaust), riff salad with a side of murky production (Blizzard Beasts), and not to mention having the majority of their lyrical content be based on a mythical land called Blashyrkh– they’ve also contributed some of the most solid, riff-heavy material the genre has produced. And even despite a seven year absence between 2002′s Sons of Northern Darkness and now, the band are still top notch, schooling both their tired peers and frostbitten newbies with their massive, excellent new album All Shall Fall. Though one would be silly to deride you for thinking the band is ridiculous– the unintentionally homoerotic covers of Battles in the North and the aforementioned Blizzard Beasts were most likely made by dudes unaware of camp or kitsch– one would also be remiss not to point out that you’re missing some of the best stuff black metal has to offer.

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This guy’s actually not terrible. I mean, he’s not great, and his choice of songs to cover is extremely questionable, but the guy’s low growls are pretty good.

For all the shit we give people who post vocal covers on YouTube — and some them of them are downright awful jokes obviously posted in self-parody while some of them just plain blow — the majority of them are just kids honest-to-goodness trying to express themselves. And the coolest part is that [some] people actually offer legit criticism in the YouTube comments. Like in this video and another one by the same dude, people tend to agree that his low growls are good but his high growls need work. It’s neat to see some positive reinforcement on the Internet from time to time. I’ll bet this kid goes and practices his high growls and improves them greatly in the coming months… and who knows, some day he might front a great metal band. Even if he never goes any farther than covering August Burns Red and The Devil Wears Prada, it stands to reason that some percentage of kids doing these YouTube covers will go on to be members of popular metal bands. It’s scary, but true.

-VN

[Thanks: Patrick Greene]

Only history will tell us for sure, but I suspect that The Red Chord’s 2002 debut, Fused Together in Revolving Doors, will end up being regarded as one of the most influential metal records of its time. Its title is truly appropriate; it’s not a death album, it’s not a grind album, it’s not a hardcore album, it’s basically just a “play whatever the fuck we want album.” There are now hordes of bands aping it, and most of them are doing a shit job.

Meanwhile, three albums, seven years, and a whole bunch of line-up changes later, The Red Chord are just as uncompromising and self-assured in their vision. I have no idea what a teeth machine is – apparently it has something to do with zippers – but Fed Through the Teeth Machine certainly makes me feel as though that’s exactly what I’ve experienced.

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Depending on who you believe, Axl Rose has been directly or indirectly responsible for four riots during the course of his career, and two of them were in Canada – one in Montreal and one in Vancouver.

So the news that Rose may announce Canadian tour dates (or at least a date) this Monday is somewhat unsettling.

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Photo by Ben Shapiro

With its intertwining, trebly guitar lines, smeary blurs of percussion and peculiar chanted interludes, the debut full-length Renihilation by Brooklyn’s Liturgy was one of this year’s more intriguing black metal releases. In sound, it split the difference between the buzzing rawness of early Ulver and Krallice’s recent experiments (Krallice’s Colin Marston produced the album). And while one could easily be satisfied by the overwhelming, majestic crackle of the “Pure Transcendetal Black Metal” on Renihilation, just as important to the effect is the transcendentalist philosophy of Liturgy’s leader, Hunter Hunt-Hendrix. As you’ll see by Hunt-Hendrix’s answers, graciously composed while the band was on the road, Liturgy is a band consumed by ideas as profound as its music.

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I’m suspicious of the concept of an Exhorder reunion album, although Alice in Chains just proved that, yes, a reunited band can record again and live up to expectations. So maybe I should be less cynical. I mean, I’m not going to be less cynical, I’m just admitting that one time outta ten, my cynicism is wrong. Sometimes.

One thing I’m not so cynical about: the reunited Exhorder’s ability to kick major ass live. Blabbermouth tells us that the band has just scheduled their first comeback gig, to take place November 14 at Southport Hall in Jefferson, Louisiana. It’ll be the band’s first show in eight years.

I’ve never been to Louisiana, but believe you me when I say I am now considering taking a vacation to Jefferson. I’m also hoping more dates will soon follow so I can take a vacation someplace warm where girls walk around in next to nothing instead, but, hey, whatever it takes to see Exhorder…

Here’s Exhorder doing “Slaughter in the Vatican” in Germany in ’92.

-AR

Axl is the sole inhabitant of the Mansion today, but I wrote up a few posts for him ahead of time so he doesn’t have to rely on content from the Monkeys, who, to be honest, have been turning in a shoddy performance lately.

Today I am en route to a wedding in Rochester, NY. Gag. Not the wedding… the wedding will be a swell, fancy affair. The city… yuck. Weather.com tells me lows are going to be at or near freezing with snow showers, while TheFuckingWeather.com tells me simply “It’s Fucking Cold.” Thanks. FUCK.

But it’s perfect weather for Swallow the Sun music, which always hits that dark, gloomy spot for me when the weather turns south (north?). I’m listening to the new track “These Woods Breathe Evil” from their forthcoming record New Moon (out November 10th in the U.S.). Or, I was listening to it yesterday when I wrote this… but I may be listening to it now… and if I hadn’t mentioned the whole Rochester thing you would’ve just assumed I was actually listening to it now. When is “now” anyway? Is it when I’m writing the post, when I hit “publish” (by which time the song might actually be over) or when you read these words? Or neither? Does it matter? Does anything matter? Woah. Meta.

Stop intellectualizing and go enjoy the new Swallow the Sun track, you sillies.

-VN

I really liked Fight Amp’s last album, Hungry for Nothing. But I’m a shitty fan, ’cause I didn’t even realize that the band has a new album, Manners and Praise, coming out on Translation Loss on October 26.

But I’m aware now! The band is streaming a new song, “Bad Listener,” on their MySpace page. And, hey, guess what? It’s pretty rockin’. Definitely worth checkin’ out, especially if grungy, punky noise rawk is your thing.

And just because, here’s the band’s video for “Late Bloomer,” off of Hungry for Nothing. Awesome, awesome song.

We’re all about supporting local / unsigned bands here at MetalSucks. In our ongoing effort to support your local scenes, we’re sponsoring The 2009 Blue Skies Tour headlined by the Canadian band Endast. For a portion of the tour Faceless Hulk will join as direct support. The 36-date tour kicked off last week and runs through mid-November, traversing the entire Canadian landscape. Make sure you check out Endast’s MySpace page to listen to their music and for a full list of tour dates.

All three winners to last week’s funny photo caption contest win a CD copy of The Fall of Troy’s In The Unlikely Event. Last week’s comments were actually quite funny for a change… it was hard to choose just three. The winning entries:

• kayn83: “evidently this black metal fan is not tr00 with the white frosting in all”
• Paul Quinn: “Cool. I always wanted a birthday cake with the Legion of Doom on it. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH WHAT A RUSH!”
• skoal: “they don’t make power ranger cakes in Norway”

This week we’re giving away one 10-pack of assorted CDs from Prosthetic Records. Prosthetic has one of the most solid artist rosters in all of metal, so no matter what you get there are bound to be at least a few that you like (I promise it won’t be 10 copies of All That Remains). Come up with a funny caption to the below photo, and 10 CDs shall be yours.

If you read this site regularly you know I’m fascinated with temporary team-ups, like Dave Lombardo playing drums for Metallica or Doc Coyle playing guitar for Lamb of God. I just love these little glimpses into some alternate reality where great bands traded great musicians.

So here’s a good one: according to Metal Underground, Children of Bodom’s Alexi Laiho will be playing guitar with Hypocrisy on their upcoming North American tour.

Says Hypocrisy mastermind Peter Tagtgren:

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It’s horror movie season, and with the sixth installation of the ridiculously successful Saw franchise opening next Friday, Lionsgate and our pals over at Metal Insider want to hook you up! The same day the movie opens, Metal Insider is having their first Annual CMJ Listening Party. There will be plenty of Saw VI goodies on hand, as well as an exclusive listening party for Slayer’s World Painted Blood, a screening of their creepy DVD extra Playing With Dolls and a showing of the Gallows DVD Grey Britain. This is an RSVP-only event, which means it’s closed to the public.

However, Metal Insider has got your ticket in to this exclusive event! All you have to do to enter is e-mail saw6 [at] metal insider [dot] net with your name and why you deserve to go! If you place or link the above trailer on your social networking site (MySpace, Twitter, Facebook, etc) and send us a screen cap, you’ll be entered twice! If you win and can make it to our party, you and a friend will be added to the guest list and win a prize pack with a bunch of goodies including a Saw VI t-shirt, a copy of Anvil: The Story of Anvil book, a Metal Insider MusicSkin and more! Even if you can’t make it out, you’ll still be eligible to win a box set of Saw 1-5.

They’ll pick a winner on Wednesday morning. Only open to ages 18+, sorry kiddies! Entering automatically subscribes you to the Metal Insider and Lionsgate Films e-mail lists.

More details on our party can be found at Metal Insider.

The fellas in Cobalt are angry at Garden of Exile records. How angry? Very, very, very angry. Here’s a posting from their MySpace page:

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MetalSucks is incredibly proud to present the debut of “Universe in a Ball,” a new track from The Devin Townsend Project’s forthcoming album, Addicted. There’s nothing we can really tell you about the song that would be more eloquent or insightful than an explanation from the man himself, so here’s Devin’s thoughts on the track:

“Hey, so what does ‘Universe In A Ball’ mean? Short answer… I have no idea, it’s phonetics that just kept appearing so I went with it.

Long answer: okay, lets choose from a number of things. 1) The end of Men In Black where the alien picks up a marble that contains all our known reality HOTCHA! 2) The reproductive qualities in a testicle, a whole Universe is in your balls… BAM! 3) The nature of infinity is like the surface of an expanding balloon, where the surface is a circular dimensional reality that expands infinitely. ZAP 4) The hierarchy of man vs. nature from a more ‘native’ perspective, which essentially means everything is equal, not a pyramid, as is the classic ‘religious’ view with man on top, and the environment below. Everything is just what it is, right now. Eternally. Any questions are moot, women are beautiful, and I want a donut. BLAZANG!”

Devin and CM Distro are also offering some pretty incredible pre-order packages: one comes with an autographed CD, a poster, and a shirt, and one comes with an autographed CD, a poster, a zip-up hoodie, and – get this – a one of a kind O card HAND-DRAWN BY DEVIN HIMSELF. How incredible is that? You can, and should, order those here.

And now, without further adieu, we present “Universe in a Ball”… we hope you love it as much as we do!

Addicted comes out November 17 on InsideOut Music.

[this promotion has ended]

The MetalSucks sponsored Night Eternal Above America Tour featuring Moonspell, Divine Heresy and Secrets of the Moon launched yesterday in Tampa, FL and will be winding its way through the US until November 6th in San Antonio. We’re bummed that Book of Black Earth had to drop off the tour but there’s still a solid lineup in place. Who knows, you may even be able to see Dino eat a baby!

Full list of tour dates and venues after the jump. Please note that the October 31st show in San Marcos, CA has been moved to the Ramona Mainstage in Ramona, CA, despite what the above poster says.

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…but apparently she’s going to be the new keyboardist in Winds of Plague, at least for their upcoming tour. A press release tells us that she used to be in Kittie and Day of Contempt, if that means anything to anyone.

Here’s what I’d like to know: do you think they ever even for a second considered getting a dude keyboard player? I’m not at all opposed to chicks in metal bands, but it’s not like Kristen Randall did backing vocals or whatever – literally any capable keyboard player should, theoretically, be able to fill Randall’s shoes. If a woman happens to be the best musician for the job, swell. But if you’re just swapping out one pretty face for another…

Get WOP tour dates here.

-AR