CORPSE PAINT PIONEERS
[Thanks: Ashley K.]
Archive for November, 2010
HOW TO MAKE DEATH METAL VOCALS… THE RIGHT WAY!
Reader Sean Williams sent us the below video, and I implore anyone who is a DM vocalist or has ever considered becoming a DM vocalist to watch it. It’s barely over two-minutes long, and the tips it provides for how to preserve one’s voice without blowing out your mothertruckin’ vocal chords is really, really terrific. Check it out:
Metal Injection found their own viral video on a similar topic today; you can, and should, check that out here.
-AR
WHEN MADM MET SHINING
Vince and Gary have been raving about Oslo’s Shining all year, and as it turns out, Melissa Auf der Maur — one of the most metal not-quite-metal musicians out there right now — is a big fan, too. She apparently first came into contact with the band at the Dour Festival in Belgium this past summer, and was so won over by the industrial outfit that when she played in their hometown last week (November 22, to be precise), she invited vocalist/guitarist/saxophonist Jørgen Munkeby to join her on stage. I love it when the cool kids can all play in the same sandbox!
The entire blessed event is captured in the below video, which not only features lotsa sweet behind-the-scenes footage, but also footage from the actual performance. MAdM’s blog has some cool pics of the collaboration, too.
Melissa Auf der Maur’s most recent release, Out of Our Minds, has a duet with Glenn Danzig; maybe she rope in Munkeby for the next one…?
-AR
MOG IS THE FUTURE: UNLIMITED, ON-DEMAND, STREAMING METAL FOR ONLY $10/MONTH
Since the day we started this site I’ve been arguing that the sale and ownership of recorded music is on its way out and that all-encompassing streaming services “in the cloud” for a low monthly fee are the future of music listening. While the CD hasn’t become extinct as quickly as I’d thought it would, and though ownership of digital files is definitely here to stay for the time being, the real future is already here in the form of a few such streaming services that are available right now. The most talked about is Spotify, whose iTunes-like interface and vast catalogue has made it a huge hit in Europe, the only place it’s currently available. But there’s another service called MOG that’s available right now here in the U.S. that offers pretty much everything you’d want in a streaming service: a vast catalogue and a great interface for desktop and mobile listening, available for less than $10/month. And you can sign up for a free 15-day trial right now.
Most importantly, MOG’s got an incredible selection of metal; I just performed searches for a handful of metal bands on a variety of record labels (Century, Relapse, Earache, Willowtip, Prosthetic, Metal Blade) and found them all. You can either listen to single songs, full albums, or an artist-based “radio stations” that functions like Pandora by using sonic metrics and user analysis to suggests similar artists you may like. You can even adjust a slider between “Artist Only” on one end and “Similar Artists” on the other to vary how much new stuff you’d like to hear. You can also create custom playlists for yourself and others to enjoy.
The best part: this only costs $10/month!! Unlimited streaming metal on-demand for $10/month. What the fuck??? It’s kind of unbelievable.
CINEMETAL ROUND-UP: NEW VIDEOS BY EVERY MOTHERTRUCKIN’ ARTIST FROM PORTAL TO BRET MICHAELS
It was a long weekend, and seemingly eight thousand fucking bands all decided to put out music videos while we were away. Let’s check ‘em out and see if any of them are decent, shall we?
First up we have a video for “Larvae” by Portal. This band pushes so many envelopes they were all offered jobs at the post office, so I’m disappointed they couldn’t come up with a more innovative video. This clip is seriously boring as fuck, as I have no idea what’s going on. Which is how some people feel about Portal’s music, I guess. So, in that regard, this video is a success!
ANOTHER GREAT REASON TO GO TO SXSW: PHIL ANSELMO, METALSUCKS’ OWN COREY MITCHELL, AND MORE TO DISSECT TRUE CRIME FILMS
This obviously doesn’t really have anything to do with the below story, but it still seemed somehow appropriate. Also, it makes me giggle.
You’ve known for some time that MetalSucks’ own Corey Mitchell is collaborating with Phil Anselmo on the legendary front man’s autobiography; hopefully you’re already familiar with Corey’s work not just via MS, but through his excellent true crime books, such as Savage Son and Pure Murder. If you’re not, you can check ‘em all out here.
Corey is now combining his various passions into one awesome event at 2011′s South by Southwest festival: Corey will moderate the fest’s “Reel Murder: From Crime Scene to Big Screen” panel, which will discuss “how murder has become big business in Hollywood.” In addition to Corey and Mr. Anselmo, panelists will include John McNaughton, who directed one of the most infamous true crime films ever made, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, Ami Canaan Mann, daughter of filmmaker Michael Mann (Manhunter, Heat, Public Enemies) and director of the upcoming true crime film The Fields, and Hart D. Fisher, director of the serial killer thriller The Garbage Man.
The event will take place on March 15, and sounds like it’s gonna be a blast. You can get all the pertinent details here, and check out the official press release after the jump!
ONE YOU PROBABLY DIDN’T MISS IN 2010: IRON THRONES’ THE WRETCHED SUN
With all the blabbering on we did about the Scion No Label Needed Contest in the first half of this year there’s no way you missed hearing about Iron Thrones, a band so deserving of winning the contest that my faith in the intelligence of the average metalhead on the Internet is [somewhat, almost] restored. But it’s very possible that amidst all the Internet noise you never actually got to listen to the resulting album, the positively fantastic The Wretched Sun. Uncle Vince here to remind you about it just in time to compile your year-end “best of” lists.
Here’s the simplest way I can describe Iron Thrones; they channel the spirit of Opeth — with a distinct sense of musicality and bent for the progressive, often atmospheric — but they do so with a modern awareness that takes into account all the best metal that’s been made since Opeth first started making waves. There are really no misfires at all on The Wretched Sun; the songwriting concise, the playing top-notch, the arrangements just right, and the production crisp, clear but full of life. In short, everything is tasteful.
IT’S BASICALLY DECEMBER, MIGHT AS WELL START TALKING ABOUT ROCKSTAR MAYHEM FEST
I’m not surprised that the people who put together the annual Rockstar Mayhem Festival have already started planning said festival, as I’m sure that quite a bit of work goes into putting the entire operation together.
I am, however, quite surprised that the fest has already announced tour dates and started selling tickets — despite the fact that not a single band has been announced yet.
SYSTEM OF A DOWN’S “HIATUS” IS NOW OFFICIALLY OVER
Were System of a Down the first band to use either the phrase “hiatus” or “indefinite hiatus” instead of the phrase “breaking up?” It certainly seems like they were trend setters in that regard. Now let’s see if they can set a trend of reuniting in a half decade or less.
Yes, SOAD — confirming rumors that have been floating around for damn close to a year – have announced tour dates for 2011.
SATURDAY VIDS TO GOBBLE GOBBLE TO
Oh, hi there! Are you still paying attention to leel ol’ ME? If so, then let me graciously wish you a very Happy Spanksgiving and much love from the bottom of my cold gray heart :))))))
This year Weegro Wingerschmidt traversed to smelly New Jersey to eat some of the region’s finest turkey. I suppose you did too.
But turkey ain’t just a big bird we eat this time of year — it’s also an exotic land with its own unique style of coffee, splendiferous bazaars to satisfy your handicraft-purchasing itch, dervishes that whirl at lightning-quick speeds, the Jawas’ huts, and yes…..they have metal too!!
So get stuffed, rub some cran sauce on yourself, and check these turkeys out…
-KW
PARTY HARD THIS THANKSGIVING WITH ANDREW W.K.
If there’s one thing that’s certain this Thanksgiving other than your crazy Uncle drinking too much Scotch and doing a faceplant into the mashed potatoes, it’s that Andrew W.K. will be partying hard, with or without Gary Suarez. As for which Andrew W.K. will be doing the partying… well, your guess is as good as ours.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
-VN
DON’T FORGET TO BE THANKFUL FOR FEAR, EMPTINESS, DECIBEL!!!!
Wednesday, November 24th, 2010 at 5:28pm by Andrew Bonazelli
This weekly column from our brethren at Decibel — the only metal magazine still worth caring about — was supposed to run earlier today. But Axl fucked up and forgot to run it! A million apologies. Now here’s managing editor Andrew Bonazelli to school your ass.
You’re probably already on your way to spend six hours in your bedroom listening to Xasthur while your dad and uncle fart their way through the Lions and Cowboys games, so I’ll keep it brief. Top 40 time. Gobble gobble. No, I’m not reprinting the list, which has probably leaked already. Take it easy — or hard —on us. Just leave the wife-beater and half-sleeve at home.
Reminder/plug for something that can’t be fucked with: the January issue marks the premiere of our limited-edition monthly flexi series. Brutal Truth detonate two never-before-released tracks (lyrics appropriated from Sharp’s Grinding It Out column — just kidding). As with all future editions of the series, once these things are sold out, they’ll never be repressed. Not to mention, sweet Christ, that cover.
If that’s not enough to keep you occupied over the long weekend, you can make some “loved one”’s Friday much, much blacker with our exclusive Hall of Fame edition of Onward to Golgotha. To celebrate Incantation’s sick Chicago/NYC/Cleveland run, we’ve hooked up with Relapse to press 1,000 copies of the classic. The 180-gram special edition comes with an exclusive woven patch and album cover sticker. Boom, your shopping’s done. Little sis is pumped.
Have a stellar Thanksgiving, commenteriat. See you at Love and Other Drugs, or at least in the Parking Lot for Real Drugs.
-AB
You can order the January issue of Decibel here, but the only way to ensure that you never miss the mag’s sexcellent new monthly flexi disc series to get a full subscription. You’ll be thankful you did!!!
IN WHICH WE HEADBANGED TO A BRASS BAND
We’re shuttering the Mansion gates early today for tomorrow’s Thanksgiving holiday, ’cause let’s face it: you’ve all gone home already and have long since put up your “I am out of the office. If it’s urgent, call my cell phone” auto-responders. Please, people: no one cares about you. Get over it!
Here’s what happened in this abbreviated week while might or might not have been checking your Blackberries:
- Two bears reviewed Daath’s new record and called us faggots.
- Haste the Day decided to hang it up, as did Chimaira’s Jim LaMarca.
- Two Greeks showed us the only proper way to react to a brass band busking on the street.
- All of J.S. Bach’s organ works are available for free download; know your metal forefathers, son!
- Revocation’s Dave Davidson kept us up to date with the latest shenanigans to befall The Legacy Tour with Darkest Hour, Veil of Maya and Periphery, while Daath’s Eyal Levi thinks the picture looks bleak for today’s unsigned metal bands hoping to make it big.
- Are there single songs you like by bands you otherwise abhor?
- Crowbar released a new jam!
- Bob Cock spoke with Slough Feg’s Mike Scalzi.
- We Contaminated our Cooking by making baked mac and cheese and collard greens with Woe’s Chris Griggs.
We’ll be stuffing our faces full of food and booze tomorrow and recovering all day Friday. See ya Monday!
-VN
QUESTION OF THE WEEK: SPECIAL THANKSGIVING EDITION
Wednesday, November 24th, 2010 at 2:00pm by MetalSucks
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Welcome to “Question of the Week,” a (sometimes) weekly debate amongst the MetalSucks staff regarding a recent hot button issue.
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, which means we’re taking off early today and won’t be back ’til Monday. We’re sorry to leave non-American readers high n’ dry, but PLUS ONE FOR FREEDOM, MOTHERFUCKERS.
ANYWAY, in honor of the holiday, we decided to do a special Turkey Day-themed QOTW designed to make you feel all warm and cuddly inside:
WHAT (IN METAL) ARE YOU THANKFUL FOR?
The MS staff’s answers after the jump.
JUMPING DARKNESS PARADE WITH DAATH’S EYAL LEVI: YOU MUST LIKE THE WAY THE INSIDE OF YOUR ASS SMELLS
Wednesday, November 24th, 2010 at 1:30pm by Eyal Levi
Newsflash: You’re not going to get signed and become a rock star. Fucking get over that dream. I know I’ve talked about this before, and here I am talking about it again. You see, DAATH just went out on tour again, and once again, we’re getting demos and pressure to hand them over to our A&R guys and hook people up with their dreams. Once again, we’re seeing decent people of all talent levels that are just plain misguided. Maybe they don’t want to accept what’s going on right now? Maybe they just are not aware.
Either way, while the people running the show are trying to get out of a huge bind and keep their lights on, there’s still many people trying to get into the game with starry eyes and puckered assholes. The saddest part is they have no idea the game may not exist in this form for very much longer. This is a PSA to all bands who think that anybody in the music industry that’s isn’t on the highest of levels can do anything for your career: Kill that idea. It’s doing you more harm than good.
THE SLAYER BEARD: ONE MONTH LATER (PLUS A GRIPE ABOUT RATKING)
Remember MS reader “Whiskey,” he who shaved his epic beard to win that Slayer Vinyl Conflict box set? If you somehow missed that story, well, now’s your chance to check it out. It involves Slayer, beards, and shaving beards in the name of Slayer; what else do you need to know?
One month later, here’s an update from the man himself:
Well, I just now realized that it’s already been a month since the shave… I’ve been reveling in my Slayer boxset, which I was surprised to receive less than a week after the shave and while my face was still on fire…What can I say? That box set sure does make me more productive around the house. I mean, you do dishes during “God Hates Us All” and tell me you didn’t accomplish the task in record time.
Since there was no necessity to shave anymore, I really just didn’t feel like it, and am starting on EPIC BEARD #2, THE BEARD THAT DESTROYS BEARD #1… sorry. I feel I have more dignity this way.
SEEING DEVOURMENT BRINGS PITT RIFFMENT 2 LIFE
Have you ever wanted something so badly that your whole body aches, even down to your taint??? That’s how much I’ve wanted to see Devourment, but I guess they all have “real jobs,” so they don’t tour much, and I would rather smash my penis into paste with a filthy cinder block than attend one of the festivals they played at, so I never got a chance to see them until now. Thanks to the good people at leading beard-metal label RELAPSE RECORDS, I finally got to check out Devourment after over a decade of fandom — and let me tell you, it was worth the wait!
DOOMBOX: GRAF ORLOCK’S SHORT, SWEET NEW EP
I dare you not to like Doombox, the new Graf Orlock EP. Seriously. I dare you. I will give you $40* if you can genuinely convince me it’s not great. And I will be a man $40 richer, because it’s ridiculous. It pulls out all the stops: viciously serrated metalcore brashness, epic samples, gritty production, and most of all, a pretty solid balance of fun and brutality, something a lot of (blank)core bands either over- or under-do. Doombox is brief but incredibly effective. So go ahead, try not to like it. This $40 could be yours.
DEVILDRIVER HAS CANCER (BATS)
Give credit to DevilDriver — they do not just constantly tour with bands that sound exactly like they do. Remember when they were supposed to tour with Venom? What about that trek they did with Napalm Death? Who’s fucking idea was that? I’m not complaining; I’m just sayin’.
DevilDriver’s latest did-not-that-see-that-coming tourmates are the Cancer Bats, whose music is similar to DevilDriver’s in that it features guitars, bass, drums, and vocals. But I really do dig the fact that DevilDriver keep doing this, ’cause a) who wants to watch multiple bands that sound exactly the same in one night?, and b) it means that all parties involved will, presumably, be exposed to audiences that might otherwise never check them out. Good deal, and smart thinkin’.
DevilDriver’s Roadrunner labelmates Baptized in Blood will also be on the trek, but that’s not as surprising. Still, this should be a fun tour all around.
Get dates after the jump, courtesy SMN. DevilDriver’s latest, the Mark Lewis-produced Beast, comes out February 21 on Roadrunner.
THE $LUDGE IS BACK! THE TOP 10 DRUNKEST (LIVING) ROCKSTARS OF ALL TIME
So I get this email with the above headline as the subject from Metal Sludge’s Stevie Rachelle yesterday and I’m thinking to myself, “Woah, a Top Ten list from Metal Sludge? What, it has to have been like 8 or 9 years since they’ve done one of these! Say it’s so!” Then I click the link (duh), and lo and behold: “We have not done one of these TOP 10 lists in oh, about 8-9 years. So it’s way past due. Metal Sludge’s official Top 10 Drunkest (Living) Rock Stars of All Time!” Alright! Party time! The Sludge is back!
And it’s just like the good ol’ days on Metal Sludge, rife with barbed insults, no punches pulled. Obviously most of the choices are pretty predictable — Vince “Skating Falling with the Stars” Neil is a drunkard, whodathunkit? and Perennial Sad Sack Steven Adler makes a nice showing for himself – but I don’t wanna ruin the rankings for you. Naturally W.A.S.P.’s Chris Holmes’ famous poolside interview, above, makes the cut too. Mandatory watching for those who haven’t seen it.
Hey kids: the tone and wit of Metal Sludge were a huge inspiration for this here metal blog, so do yer homework!
-VN
