A couple of weeks ago, Mastodon released a teaser for their new album, The Hunter, which featured a full minute of a new song, “Black Tongue” — and it seems like the entire MetalSucks community more or less agreed that the song sounded AWESOME.

Well, guess what? Someone has stuck a radio rip of the song on the internet, which means you can listen to the full thing right now.

And guess what else? The full version doesn’t disappoint. Looks like The Hunter is gonna be yet ANOTHER amazing Mastodon release. How the hell do these guy do it?

-AR

MAJOR thanks to Stephen Parker for the tip!

We think we do a pretty dern good job of getting metal musicians to take us behind the scenes of their gear setups in our ongoing Rigged features, but we absolutely love it when artists take it upon themselves to do it on their own. Today’s do-it-yourself edition of Rigged comes from solo instrumentalist Keith Merrow, and I really can’t think of a modern metal musician this side of Misha Mansoor whose gear would be more interesting to aspiring Internet nerd-faces. Solo instrumentalists like Merrow are the ultimate gear geeks, and since most of them don’t play live the only thing limiting what they can fit into their “rig” is the size of the apartment or house they can afford. Here’s a video Keith put together in which he runs through his entire home recording setup; amps, processors, pedals, computers, software, interfaces, monitors, guitars… it’s all there.

Keith Merrow’s latest album Awaken the Stone King was released in January of this year and is still fucking my face off. Peep it here and listen to the song with a guest solo by ex-Nevermore shredder Jeff Loomis.

-VN

[via Got-Djent.com]

Earlier this year, Brendan Majewski, one half of Brooklyn’s Orphan, took his own life at the age of thirty-seven. That’s obviously terrible, and there’s never really anything more you can really say about something like that. It’s just horrible. End of story.

And so Krallice, one of the best black metal bands out there right now (and arguably just one of the best bands out there, period), have opted to pay homage to their fallen friend not with words, but, more appropriately, with music — specifically, with Majewski’s music. They’ve recorded a three-song EP of Orphan covers, Orphan of Sickness, which they are giving away for free. You can download it here.

Of course, I’m sure all parties involved would rather have Majewski than this tribute. But if it exposes any new fans to Krallice OR Orphan, well, that’s the closest thing to a silver lining this tragedy is ever going to get. So please check out the EP. It’s Krallice. It’s Orphan. It’s free. Do it.

-AR

Wardruna, which features two former members of Gorgoroth — specifically, Gaahl and Kvitrafn — have released a new video, for the track (I wouldn’t call it a song, exactly) “Løyndomsriss,” and if you’ve ever had a desire to watch three-and-a-half minutes of underexposed blue footage of dudes doing nothing particularly interesting, well then boy oh boy, is this clip ever about to make your day.

I know it’s art and I’m supposed to be open-minded about things like this, but SHEESH, y’know? When the fire showed up near the end, I was suddenly SO HAPPY. Not ’cause it was a cool use of fire, but just because I could actually kinda see what was going on without making my computer monitor ridiculously bright. I never thought I’d be so excited about an addition to a music video’s color palette.

-AR

L.A. Reid is the chairman and CEO of the Island Def Jam Music Group, which, of course, includes Island Records, the label to which Anthrax were signed for all of their classic Belladonna-era releases. He’s also a judge on X Factor, the upcoming addition to the long line of idiotic American Idol-style reality talent programs, and as of July 11, he’s also the CEO of the Epic Label Group. And, at least if you believe the New York Post, after starting that nifty new gig at Epic, he told execs at that label that “I don’t want no ugly people working here; I only want good-looking people.” That seems too comical to be true — it’s basically what the Colin Farrell character in the movie Horrible Bosses does, after all — but given how fucknuts the people who run the music industry are, it wouldn’t exactly be shocking if it turned out to be a legit story.

In any case, Scott Ian apparently believes it, and I guess he wanted to show his support for Reid’s completely sound and logical decision. So he tweeted a series encouraging messages regarding Reid’s alleged declaration, in which he called Reid a “TALENTLESS piece of shit” before adding:

Click to read more…

Mastodon’s Troy Sanders is selling his suburban Atlanta home. The 3 bdr, 2 bath, 2-story new construction (2005) looks modest compared to the mansion that Joey Belladonna was reportedly selling two years back, but I think it would still represent a major upgrade for the majority of metal musicians (and one can only assume Sanders is selling it because Mastodon’s success has allowed him something biggerer and betterer). Here’s the Craigslist listing via real estate agent Justin Seeby:

Spacious Home in Convenient East Lake Location!

This Home Features a Large, Open Kitchen with Tons of Counterspace & Cabinets, Upgraded Black Appliances, Recessed Lighting, and Room for a Large Island. The Enclosed Back Porch Boasts Plank Wood Flooring and Large Windows. Enjoy the Open Deck Overlooking a Fenced In Yard- Perfect for Kids, Pets, and Entertaining! 1 Car Garage is Great for Parking & Storage. Gleaming Hardwood Floors, Crown Molding, and Spacious Bedrooms Complete This Home to Make it the Perfect Place to Call Home!

*Seller is Lead Singer of Rock Group MASTADON!*

Call Today to Schedule a Personal Showing!

MetalSucks called Mr. Seeby to ask if the cat shown in Photo 4 of the listing was included. No dice; Sanders loves his pussy.

-VN

Thanks: Hetal Bhatt

Just this past Tuesday I was casually enjoying an unofficial holiday you may have heard of that one of my obsessive friends lovingly calls “Fair to Midland Day.” In celebration of the group’s fourth release, Arrows and Anchors, the guys (and, like, one girl) all set out to purchase the album and listen to it tirelessly.

I made sure I eventually got one too (so I didn’t look like a bad person or anything…), and I was dern glad I did, because despite having already heard about 2/3rds of it in live and demo form, the album still rules. It may not be outright metal, but it is awesomely oddball alt rock.

But why take my word for it? Especially when we have such an accurate and thoughtful portrayal of the record right here, courtesy of Alternative Press:

Click to read more…

Ready for a few more unsigned gems? Here are the best of the bunch in this week’s mailbag:

Click to read more…

Unlike those spoiled Europeans, America does not currently have an abundance of awesome annual metal festivals; there’s Maryland Deathfest, New England Metal and Hardcore Fest, and I guess Scion Rock Fest, although that one changes locations every year so I dunno if it counts, even if they’ve done a great job putting together a killer line-up three years running now.

My point being, there’s a reason Maryland Deathfest is so revered by metal fans in this country. And next year being the tenth edition of the fest, you would expects its organizers to put together something pretty special to celebrate.

And they have — they’ve snagged what looks to be Godflesh’s first performance on North American soil in a decade.

Click to read more…

If memory serves, the Spawn movie which came out in 1997 was pretty terrible, but we did get one great thing out of it: the soundtrack. It was pretty much like the Judgment Night soundtrack, only instead of combining metal bands with rap acts, it teamed up metal bands with electronica acts. And every song on it was innovative and amazing.

No, I’m totally kidding. The soundtrack sucked almost as bad as the movie.

Click to read more…

I was listening to an interview with Sarah Vowell last weekend, in which she proclaimed that, as a writing exercise, she did not allow herself to use any F-bombs in her new book, Unfamiliar Fishes. I decided to do her one better this week — I did not swear at all. Unless you count “crap,” “drek,” or “sucks” as swear words, which I do not.

So that was fun.

ANYWAY, here’s some stuff we did this week:

• We debuted new music from All Shall Perish and Thou.
• We debuted new videos from Valient Thorr and Meek is Murder.
• Unearth’s Buz McGrath, Hatebreed’s Wayne Lozinak, and In Flames’ Peter Iwers told us about their live rigs.
• We spoke to Aaron Turner from Isis and Helms Alee.
• We checked out new releases from The Bronx Casket Co. and Bedlam of Cacophony.
• Even though Dime would never approve, we made fun of some poor kid.
• We continued to sing Spotify’s praises.
• We voted on our favorite album from The Devin Townsend Project.
• We were sexually aroused by the prospect of Disturbed breaking-up.
• We wondered whether or not the return of Megadeth’s Gigantour is a good thing or not.

Alright, we’re out. Have a nice weekend, gang!

-AR

Banner Designed by Cysquatch

Welcome to “Question of the Week,” a (not really at all) weekly debate amongst the MetalSucks staff regarding a recent hot button issue.

We haven’t done one one of these all summer, but we came up with a fun one for this week:

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME AND PLAY ANY METAL BAND/MUSICIAN SOME OF THEIR MUSIC AND/OR SHOW THEM PHOTOS/VIDEOS OF THEMSELVES FROM THEIR FUTURE (OUR PRESENT), WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY?

The MS staff’s answers after the jump.

Click to read more…

In this video from his Tumblr, some kid takes his old Lamb Of God shirt, puts it in the poorly-made firepit that his dad built last summer, and sets fire to it (after some very creepy heavy breathing at :23). “Fuck you Randy Blythe, fuck Lamb Of God,” he says, adding “Whoa, that was pretty epic!”

I am not sure why he’s so angry at LoG, but I’d be pretty mad at the world too if I looked like this

-Sergeant D.

Sergeant D. does not tolerate poorly-made firepits at Stuff You Will Hate.

As part of our coverage of this year’s Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival – currently winding its way through North America — we’re bringing you a series of “Rigged” columns in which several of the tour’s musicians take you on piece-by-piece guides of their current live rig setups. Check out the rigs of Machine Head’s Phil Demmel, Unearth’s Buz McGrath and Hatebreed’s Wayne Lozinak. Here’s In Flames bassist Peter Iwers:

Peter Iwers here from In Flames checking in from the road on the Rockstar Mayhem tour. Let me tell you a little bit about the gear I’m using this time around.

Click to read more…

Welcome to the latest edition of “Freeloader,” in which we review albums that you don’t have to feel like a douche for downloading for free. Today Satan Rosenbloom checks out Bedlam of Cacophony’s Neuroleptic.

Metal is essentially a modernist musical style. Since its very beginnings, metal has expanded what we think of as music by deconstructing – or outright doing away with – the schema we use to evaluate it. Metal bands constantly rub up against the limits of volume, speed, melody (or lack thereof) and other variables that all music engages in some way or another.

Even within a genre known for its pursuit of extremity, Neuroleptic, the debut album by Orange County’s Bedlam of Cacophony, stands out by hyper-extending pretty much every convention there is. Speeds alternate between grindcore fast and doom slow without notice. Riffs change quicker than your ears can process them, when they occur at all (much of the guitar playing is of the tap-heavy Psyopus variety). Sizzling distortion abuts clean fusion guitar tones. You’d be hard pressed to find two adjacent measures in the same time signature. Drummer Nate Cotton sounds like his kit is constantly exploding; three guest vocalists, including Cattle Decapitation/Murder Construct’s Travis Ryan, saddle the album with an intense case of multiple personality disorder. Hooks? Grooves? Tonal centers? All done away with. Neuroleptic blows by like four colliding tornados and dares you to keep up.

Click to read more…

“Think extended touring in China is impossible? Think again.”

So goes the motto of Honolulu, HI thrash act Corrupt Absolute, a band who have made a career of touring where no other metal bands will: China. Given, Corrupt Absolute’s total isolation and unique geographic location make China just a little more appealing and feasible than it would be for most bands, but still… fucking China! Can you imagine trying to promote a metal show in a country whose government shut down 1.3 million websites last year alone?

The folks at MetalAsFuck.net spoke with Corrupt Absolute’s Jack Doom about touring in China — how to set up shows there, what to do and what not to do, what to eat and what not to eat, and of course a few stories about what it’s like — and it’s a fascinating read. On playing China’s big cities vs. out-of-the-way locales:

Who do you think is going to mosh more enthusiastically? The jaded Shanghai hesher who sees international acts on a weekly basis, or the factory worker in an industrial town that hasn’t seen a foreign metal band pass through in two years? Tell ‘em Jack.

“I prefer to play the small places the big bands won’t go. We’ll go to small places in China where they’ve never seen a white guy and we’ll get three of four hundred people at a show. We’ll go way out in the sticks. The next shows I’m working on are way out in the western side by Burma, as far out as we can go.”

Sounds a lot like touring America, eh? Read the rest at MetalAsFuck.net.

-VN

I am old and married to a kindergarten teacher, therefore, I can only go to concerts during the sweltering months of summer.

This is my summer vacation (Part II).

WHO: ECOCIDE, KEN mode, DEAFHEAVEN
WHERE: The Ten Eleven – San Antonio, Texas
WHEN: June 10, 2011

After the previous night’s cockrocktravaganza (AKA Mötley Crüe), I needed something to get me grounded again. Nothing like a solo trip to a seedy bar in the seedier side of San Antonio to check out two seedy-ass noisy bands which have graced my Bleeders’ Digest lists this year. I dug both KEN mode’s Venerable and Deafheaven’s Roads to Judah, but the definitive nod must be given to the former for sheer testicle obliteration. As a result, I was stoked to catch Deafheaven first, followed by KEN mode. Weird line-up as the former tends to fall into the USBM category while the latter can best be pitted in the Quicksand and Poison The Well’s sandboxes.

Click to read more…

In case my myriad rants on Spotify and Bob Lefsetz’ all-in-one criticism rebuttal still don’t have you convinced that Spotify is worth the $10 monthly fee to stream EVERY PIECE OF MUSIC EVER RECORDED FROM ANYWHERE AT ANY TIME, how about a first-hand account from metal luminary and Dillinger Escape Plan frontman Greg Puciato? Puciato hasn’t been shy about expressing his feelings on the music biz in the past, so I don’t see why he’d pull any punches now. Here’s Greg on his own Facebook page, according to a comment by MS reader “blah:”

Geniunely excited and blown away by Spotify. Good to see a huge positive step for the music industry. This is gonna be a critical piece of the big picture of shifting out of the “old” industry to the “new”. Makes so much sense for casual listening….my IPOD suddenly feels like a giant book of CDs.

This is for real sick. Who gives a shit about royalties….that stuff’ll figure itself out in time. More important to just get the new infrastructure in place first so that the royalty situation can then be dealt with. In my opinion, this in a few years time turns CDs and Vinyls into complete collectors items that should both be numbered and limted. There will still be people that download so they can have the music in case there is no 3G….but Spotify actually has an “offline” mode too so you can temporarily save the music you’re streaming in case you’ll be away from 3G/4G/Wifi…which in a few years time you’ll NEVER be away from anyway.

Click to read more…

If there’s anything we love here at MetalSucks (in addition to weed, of course) it’s saying “I told you so.” So it’s with pure joy that our latest opportunity to gloat comes in the form of Dallas, TX prog metal outfit White Arms of Athena, who we first featured in June of 2009 (and have featured many times since): congrats to the fine dudes in White Arms of Athena for their new deal with Prosthetic Records!

The band’s first release on Prosthetic will be a re-issue of Astrodama, which the band self-released last year. MS readers who were around when we premiered one of the album’s tracks will have to wait a little longer to hear new material, but we’re guessing that for the majority of the world this will be metalheads’ first exposure to the band. Expect to hear a lot more about these guys in the coming months, first with the re-release of Astrodrama on August 16th and then in the form of the endless round of touring that is sure to follow.

Take a listen to a couple of Astrodrama’s tracks here, then let us know what you think of the proggy, spaced-out goodness below in the comments. You can pre-order Astrodrama here for only ten10 bones.

-VN

We’re just a couple of weeks away from the release of the new Trivium, In Waves. And so two new songs, “Built to Fall” and “Black” (the latter of which the band has already been playing live), have now been released to radio, which is just an old-fashioned way of saying they’re on YouTube. You can check ‘em out below. I neither love nor hate both tracks; I’m starting to think that Trivium albums are gonna be like the original Star Trek film franchise, where the even–numbered releases are the best ones.

But have a listen and decide for yourself. Here’s “Built to Fall”…

…and “Black” is after the jump.

Click to read more…