Longtime readers of MetalSucks will know that I’m a big fan of Continuum’s 33 1/3 books series. Each one is by a different writer, and each one is devoted entirely to the study of a different classic album – and “study” has a pretty broad definition here, as the manner in which the books approach the album-in-question really depends on the author. Sure, Eric Weisbard’s entry on GN’R's Use Your Illusion albums was basically one long apology by an ironic hipster who couldn’t bring himself to admit that he actually enjoys those records. But the great John Darnielle’s book, on Sabbath’s Master of Reality, is one of the most creative pieces of music writing I’ve read in some time – the entire thing takes the form of journal entries written by a teenager who has been committed to a psychiatric center – and I loved D.X. Ferris’ take on Slayer’s Reign in Blood that not only did I interview him, but I basically bullied him into writing some pieces for MetalSucks (Most recently, he did an incredibly in-depth interview with the one and only Tom G. Warrior).

So far those three books have been the only ones in the series that deal with metal or sorta-kinda-metal (which isn’t to say the other books in the series aren’t worth reading, just to say, y’know, metal will always be my first and greatest love). Which is why I’ve been so excited to read Daphne Carr’s contribution, on Nine Inch Nails’ Pretty Hate Machine. The book was announced for-ever ago, and I kept seeing release dates on Amazon and Barnes & Noble’s web site, which would come and go without the thing ever actually getting released. It was like 33 1/3‘s version of Chinese Democracy.

Well, Mr. Ferris himself, writing for Cleveland Scene, now reports that the book is finally coming out! Just don’t ask when:

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I hearby dub MS Maniac Mark Moritz-Rabson “Official MetalSucks Correspondent, The Ocean Division.” I can sleep easy at night knowing that any time Robin Staps so much as moves his bowels I’ll have an email waiting in my inbox from Mark, so it’s about time we rewarded the fellow with an official title. Your business cards are in the mail, good sir!

Fortunately, Robin Staps has done a whole lot more than move his bowels lately. As you all well know — or SHOULD know — The Ocean have TWO new full-length records scheduled to come out this year. The first, Heliocentric, is set to drop April 9th (Germany), 12th (Europe) and 13th (North America). Mr. Moritz-Rabson has three tidbits of Ocean-related news for you all today:

1. A pre-production video for Heliocentric is out! (posted above)
2. Pre-orders via Metal Blade for Heliocentric are up!
3. Mark Moritz-Rabson posted his own guitar cover of “Dead on the Whole” (from Fluxion) on YouTube. Check it out.

If you haven’t already you should go listen to instrumental samples from the new album at The Ocean’s official website. Between those and the clips of new music in the pre-production video above, I’m convinced Heliocentric is going to be all sorts of epic. A certain metal blog is going to be debuting at least one full track from the album before its release; stay tuned for that!

-VN

Yes, it’s true! The new first Nevermore album in five years is finally on the way. Entitled The Obsidian Conspiracy, it will be released on Century on June 8 here in North America, and a week earlier in Europe. (Lucky fucking Europeans.) It was produced by Soilwork’s Peter Wichers, who also produced Nevermore front dude Warrel Dane’s righteous 2008 solo album, Praises to the War Machine.

Above is the cover art, which features a blonde Joey Jordison squaring-off against a demonic kid who really, really wants to lick a large phallic symbol. Bad-mutha-fuckin’-assed.

Meanwhile, I’ve been chewing on the meaning of the phrase “obsidian conspiracy.” If there are any geology geeks out there (which would be a completely different kind of “rock dork” than the ones who usually read this site – ah-cha-cha-cha!), they can feel free to correct me if I’m wrong, my I think that obsidian is basically a form of glass that you can’t actually see-through. So the conspiracy of the title would presumably be a tricky one.

Now mull that over while we wait for the band to release some new music.

-AR

I’m not some demented ingrate, so I understand the reluctance of many fans to call bullshit on Metallica. After all, for a metal listener in the ‘80s, there was no discussion of the best or the most influential band: Metallica and Metallica. What was the standard to which all metal bands were held? Metallica. Which metal band commanded the biggest stages before the hugest crowds? Metallica. Whose records had the best covers? Metallica. Whose members exuded mystique (no videos!) and uncommon friendliness (marathon autograph sessions following marathon shows)? Metallica. Baddest singer? Metallica. Awesomest riffs? Metallica. Most importantly, the best music? Metallica!

Okay, fine, that didn’t last forever; one day, Metallica was gone and replaced by four anybodys singing flat, non-committal butt-rock songs about scary nightmares and wuving your girlfwend. What a bummer. But it’s really no crime. Sure, it is the representation of a pathetic longing to be liked by every living being (not to be all Varg), but even so, a great Metallica record of any type would’ve overcome suspect motivations. Regardless, the repercussions of Metallica as jock jammers go beyond a few cruddy albums and some disappointed fans of thrash metal. Mostly, it’s just a shame that Hetfield and co. were no fucking good at hard rock.

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This was the day the real road trip began.

Scion Rock Fest was cool and all, but we were really all excited to get to road-trippin on the bus and away from all the craziness that enveloped the festival. First order of business was a quick stop in Indianapolis to pick up our friend and bus driver Jeremy and some supplies, and then it was off to Louisville. We got a bit too late of a start to visit the bourbon distilleries in Bardsville as we’d planned, so instead we stopped in Louisville proper and took a tour of the famous Louisville Slugger factory. For this baseball nerd it was a real treat to visit the place where most of the baseball bats used in Major League Baseball are manufactured. My inner (and outer) dork was really stoked.

Your motley crew posing in front of the giant bat outside the factory.

After the jump, Louisville Slugger shenanigans, Makers Mark, honky-tonkin’ in Nashville and more.

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“With Hell for a Mouth,” live in Raleigh, NC

Virginia doom crew Salome have been busting eardrums and making waves across the Eastern half of the US on their latest tour, with stops at NYU (with Shrinebuilder/Wolves in the Throne Room) and at the SXSW madhouse, where they decimated showcases from Profound Lore/20 Buck Spin and BrooklynVegan alongside Coffinworm, Yakuza, The Atlas Moth, Zoroaster, Landmine Marathon, and tons more. The next leg of the tour is taking them through the Dirty South, and they’ve brought their buddy “Grim” Kim Kelly along for the ride to sling merch and document the whole thing, Almost Famous-style. You can read the first day’s report here, the second day’s report here, and the third day’s report here… and now we come to the bittersweet end…

Well, holy shit, Raleigh. Tonight was absurd, in about a million and a half different ways. We got to Slim’s and loaded in, then settled in for a longer than anticipated wait. The opening band, Gringo, kept pushing the start time back from 10, to 10:30, to 11pm; they finally hopped onstage at about 11:15.  During the interim I sold a few record, took a walk about the block, and, alongside Kat , Rob and Aaron, made the acquaintance of  a fellow named John. John was very drunk, and very talkative. During the space of a few minutes, we learned that not only was John an Iraq war veteran, he’d been blown up three times, sustained skull fractures and brain damage, smoked weed “to keep from killing himself,” and, just that morning, had been acquitted of a handful of drug charges (misdemeanors/felonies) “because,” he said as he tapped on his Operation Iraqi Freedom Veteran baseball cap, “of this.” God bless America, I s’pose. He stuck around for a couple more hours, arguing with Kat and I about vegetarianism, extolling the merits of drunk driving, and talking weed with Aaron, then disappeared a few minutes before Gringo’s set. He was still drunk as a skunk, and with a 45 minute drive ahead of him, we could only hope that luck was once more on his side and he’d gotten home safe.

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Longtime MS devotee Discipleofthewatch and her boyfriend recently took a cruise up Mulholland Drive in the Southern California hills to look at an old military base and lookout point used in the 1950′s during the cold war. Since she was sporting her sweet MS attire that day — not one but two MS t-shirts AND a hoodie — she snapped a few photos and sent them in. For her troubles Discipleofthewatch gets a box packed with new music and various other goodies we have lying around the Mansion. “Show us your MetalSucks” and you’ll also get a sweet MS care package. MS Maniacs David M. and Ashley already did. What’s that? You don’t have a MetalSucks shirt or hoodie yet? Well then buy one pronto!

With regards to the above photo, she has this to say: “[this] is what I have to say to Biff Tannen and Ziltoid, specifically.” Zing!

See more pics from her journey after the jump…

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Look, let’s face it. Your Slayer shirt has seen better days. Yes, everyone agrees that the pentagram is badass, but the thing is faded worse than a worn out dishrag. And honestly, it’s full of holes and even after washing it smells like sweat. Don’t become one of those creepy hoarder people, man. Buy a new shirt — one that will impress your pals and maybe even a woman or two! (OK, that last part was hyperbole.)

Leave it to another metal band to come up with the gem you see above. That’s right, it reads Tom Araya Is Our Elvis! The responsible parties are weirdo jazz metal artists Zu and the record label Public Guilt, who’s releasing both this shirt as well as a vinyl reissue of the band’s 2005 album The Way Of Animal Powers. Buy both here.

-GS

I don’t remember where I read this, but I seem to recall a story about ABBA – yes, ABBA – demoing each of their songs in every conceivable musical style, just to make sure that the inevitable Swede disco-pop version was, in fact, the track putting its best foot forward. In other words, somewhere out there, Björn Ulvaeus and company are sitting on tapes that feature a calypso version of “Dancing Queen,” a country version of “Mamma Mia,” a metal version of “S.O.S.” It would be kind of amazing if ABBA ever released those tapes, but I guess that might endanger the success of Mamma Mia 2: Holy Shit I Can’t Believe Meryl Streep Did This AGAIN.

Helloween don’t have a movie franchise based on hit Broadway show based on their music, though, so for their new greatest hits collection, Unarmed, they are, in fact, “re-imagining” all of their most famous shit. These might not be old demos (rather, they’re new re-workings), but I’m still pretty curious to see how their fan base reacts to, say, a dance version of “If I Could Fly.”

And I’m not making that shit up. Noisecreep is currently streaming a dance version of “If I Could Fly.”

Are Helloween fans open-minded people? Since it’s power metal, are they resigned to its natural cheesiness and not that bothered by the concept of a techno re-do? Or are they gonna get their panties in a twist the way, say, Deicide fans probably would if Glen Benton suddenly hired Telefon Tel Aviv to remix “Dead by Dawn?” I guess we’re about to find out.

And here’s the original “If I Could Fly,” in case ya don’t know it:

Unarmed comes out March 30 on The End.

-AR

So many things wrong with this. SO many. Is this worse than the time Drew Barrymore wore an Iron Maiden shirt? Way worse.

But I’m not gonna rant and rave because The Deciblog‘s Jeanne Fury has already done a mighty fine job of that. Sample:

Tagging band t-shirts with the “boyfriend” label is doubly offensive. The slightest notion that a girl can’t have her own Iron Maiden t-shirt is ridiculous. It’s 2010. Chicks listen to metal. Like, actually listen to metal. Not because their boyfriends or brothers are into it, but because they love metal. Seriously, how long is this ignorant and annoying misconception gonna go on? Looping back to the original argument, clothes—band t-shirts especially—have no gender. Unless this Maiden shirt comes equipped with a penis and testicles, it’s just a fucking t-shirt.

If my girlfriend steals my Iron Maiden shirt and wears it I’d classify that as a “boyfriend shirt.” Boyfriends do not come prepackaged at Urban Outfitters. Neither does metal cred. I dare the anorexic bitch at right to name ONE Iron Maiden song. Why if I ever see anyone wearing this shirt Ima… Enough… gotta stop ranting…

-VN

It must be an interesting time to be John Bush. Armored Saint have just released La Raza, their first album in a decade – and its rightfully being met with cheers of “It was worth the wait!” from critics and fans alike. Meanwhile, last year he re-joined Anthrax after more than four years away, and, it would seem, is now back with the band for good. Given that he was pretty much absent from the scene altogether during those years, this sudden abundance of new output can only be good news for the John Bush fans of the world – like us!

Last week I got to talk to to Bush about getting back together with Armored Saint after all this time, the writing process for La Raza, whether or not the band has any plans to tour, and what exactly is going on with Anthrax (the answer may surprise you – it looks like we may get to hear at least some of a Bushful of Worship Music after all, despite what some other members of the band have said in the press). Read the full transcript of our chat after the jump.

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Before I saw their video on Bouche de Bavard this morning, I’d never heard of M.A.N., “the group formed out of the ashes of Sweden’s TRANSPORT LEAGUE (featuring former MNEMIC frontman Tony Jelencovich).” And when I first started to watch this video, for the track “Logocide,” I was all, “Oh, hey, great! Another shitty band I can make fun of!” Because a) here is a song that is apparently either about the murder of logos or wood, b) everyone in the band dresses like a total tool and even though you should never judge a book by its cover sometimes it’s fun to do just that anyway, c) the wallpaper behind the band would strongly suggest that they filmed this video at my grand ma’s house on Staten Island, and d) the clear plastic gloves the guitar player is wearing would suggest that while he was at my grand ma’s house, he helped her dye her hair.

But I’m actually really digging the song, which alternately sounds like one the world’s better Meshuggah rip-offs and,well, Mnemic (or any number of Swedish melodeath bands). So, maybe not startlingly original, but still pretty cool!

“Logocide” comes off of M.A.N.’s latest, Massive Audio Nerve, which comes out in Germany at the end of this month. Or something. Anyway, the other shit on the band’s MySpace page doesn’t sound as cool as this song, so maybe this is one of those situations where you’re best off just getting the single.

-AR

I guess some metal dudes are annoyed by neo-thrash metal bands like Warbringer, Mantic Ritual, and Municipal Waste. No scene is fun for everyone, so whatever, to each his own and all that. But even if Whorebanger, Spandex Ritual, and Munificent Waste make music of no appeal to your fun-hating ear, frankly, I still insist that you acknowledge their value to metal as a genre. First, each makes music that sounds like five guys making music, which feels great when you’re overwhelmed by metal that sounds like the universe collapsing onto itself (SYL, Emperor), a jet landing in your eye socket (Hate Eternal, Minus’ Jesus Christ Bobby), or mankind’s overthrow by fridge-raiding Nazi robots from the future (Fear Factory). Of course, I love that enormity in metal, especially when it’s the expression of an awareness of Earth’s microscopic significance in the universe. But sometimes it’s more fun to just rock out with a bunch of heshers. That’s good thrash metal. It sounds great at the beach.

And a second and unexpected side effect of neo-thrash’s artistic and commercial successes is their impact on other metal bands. This is all conjecture and surmise, but Municipal Waste’s records are big winners, and now we got a goddamn fucking D.R.I. reunion tour to enjoy. And isn’t it reasonable to conclude that Warbringer’s success would provide a shot of confidence and vigor to elder thrash bands, like fucking awesome Overkill? If you’ve heard their excellent 238th record, Ironbound, you know it’s all energetic and snappy metal (normal for them), but also that it’s their most unabashedly thrashy record in forever. And few deserve wallet-love as much as Overkill, who, contrary to their name, exemplify the unpretentious hesher approach. (See The Years Of Decay‘s “I Hate” which features gang vocals that sound like six dirtballs hollering out the back of a van, not a million-strong army of angry mutant outcasts, like say “Hook In Mouth” by Megadeth.) Big sales or not, Overkill did their part and made a metal record to be reckoned with. For this, we can thank the best neo-thrash bands and fans. For the best parts of neo-thrash, we can thank Overkill.

-ADF

Last month when Madball frontman Freddy let slip some of the bands playing this year’s Black N Blue Bowl, it was clear that the highly anticipated New York hardcore event was going to be awesome. BNB Productions subsequently confirmed that Cro-Mags, Madball, Skarhead, Wisdom in Chains, and Trapped Under Ice would all play the May 15th event at Webster Hall (formerly The Ritz, a legendary New York City venue), but as per the flyer above a few more solid acts have been added, including H2O (who blew me away at their show a couple months ago) and Cruel Hand. But perhaps the biggest surprise was that long-dormant hardcore act Yuppicide will reunite at the BNB Bowl for their first show in twelve years. Vocalist Jesse Jones, who years ago dismissed the idea of a reunion, has “eaten his words.”

After 12 years of silence we’ve decided to take a trip down memory lane and play some shows. We’re planning on a few East Coast locations, and a short trip to Europe (tentatively in October). Pete couldn’t join us on drums due to family commitments, so Gringo Star from The Muggs and Caught in a Trap is ferociously learning the set for the next show.

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If you’re listening to a band that the metal press all write about even though they’re not really metal… and you feel like you’re getting one of those surprisingly gentle and relaxing lice checks they used to come around and give perodically when you were in grade school… and you just wanna curl into a ball and dream dreams of floating on clouds amongst the stars with some hot chick with large boobs… well, then you must be listening to Alcest.

The band has released “Écailles de Lune (Part 1)” for free download. It’s the first part (duh) of the title track from their forthcoming album, which Prophecy will release next week in Europe. Really, if you need a break from all the screaming and killing and madness (as well do from time to time), check this out. It’s gorgeous.

Alcest, “Écailles de Lune (Part 1)” – from Écailles De Lune

-AR

[via Crustcake]

The Monkeys were going apeshit this morning around dawn making it impossible for anyone near their Wing to sleep (he always complains, but there ARE perks to that dungeonous basement room we assigned Anso). Seems a press release had come in around 7:15am announcing that Textures had replaced Eric Kalsbeek, who departed two months ago, with Daniel de Jongh of Dutch experimental metallers Cilice.

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I think. I can’t be sure. It’s just this vibe I got from watching their new video, for the song “Lonely.” But I could be way off-base here. I dunno. Maybe.

Click the screencap to watch the video, if you must.

-AR

Getting the latest album by a legendary band that you hold in very high regard is always kind of nerve-wracking, ’cause, y’know, what if it sucks? And getting last year’s Evisceration Plague was no different. Especially coming after Kill, which was one of the strongest releases of the band’s career, and probably my favorite album from the Corpsegrinder era up to that point.

But then that so-awesome-you-put-head-through-the-wall-like-Rutger Hauer-in-Blade Runner-riff from “Priests of Sodom” kicked in, and I knew everything was gonna be alright. And, in fact, Evisceration Plague ended up being better than Kill. It’s nice when things work out.

“Priests of Sodom” has a video now, which debuted on Bloody Disgusting. It’s pretty typical Cannibal Corpse stuff, but I don’t think anyone expects this band to release a video like the one for “November Rain” anytime soon.

And don’t forget, Cannibal Corpse kick-off the MetalSucks co-presented “Evisceration Plague” headlining trek on 4/20. 1349, Skeletonwitch, and Lecherous Nocturne are also on the bill, so you know it’s gonna be pure fucking madness. Get dates here.

-AR

I can’t understand what the hell Veil of Maya vocalist Brandon Butler is saying in the band’s new song, “Mowgli” – it sounds like he’s saying something closing a gate to a casket – so I’m not sure what the track’s thematic connection is to the hero of The Jungle Book. But I am sure that this is Sumeriancore at its finest: brutal, technical, distilled chaos. Check it out here.

The track comes off of VOM’s latest, [id], which comes out April 6 on (doy-hickey) Sumerian, in a variety of appealing cover colors (above). To entice you further, the band has also released a delightful album promo, which you can check out after the jump.

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If Rage Against the Machine were the bridge between rap, metal and the mainstream, then Faith No More were their unwitting forefathers, planting the mental seeds in a generation of alternative rockers who grew up on heavy music that, yes, you COULD make a palatable pop song from rhymed spoken words and metal riffs.

But where Rage Against the Machine made every rhyme and riff a part of their rap-metal identity, Faith No More stumbled upon it by accident, and only made it one small part of their diverse sound. Oh, Mike Patton meant to rap and wasn’t doing it in jest; there’s no doubt about that. But Patton never really intended (we can only assume) to make rap-metal a part of the band’s identity. Faith No More experimented with everything under the sun; rapping, singing, metal riffs, catchy pop hooks, scatting, crooning, lounge songs… all there. That a million shitty bands who followed chose to latch on to the fact that Patton rapped over rock music instead of the fact that he was/is an insanely talented, multi-faceted vocalist, or that the band executed everything with startling perfection… well, totally not their fault.

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