Djent is djead. The once-interesting subgenre, like so many before it, has been ruined by too many bands that all sound the same, don’t have anything even vaguely original to contribute, and have valued a sound over basic songwriting skills. What everyone forgets about Periphery, Cloudkicker, etc. — y’know, the cool djent bands — is that they don’t just make lotsa djenty noises; they also write shit which is catchy and fun to listen to. Now I hear all these bands that have the same guitar tone as Meshuggah and none of that group’s brilliance.

So where does that leave poor Vildhjarta, the Swedish djenters who I actually really like, and whose Century debut, Måsstaden, is coming out next month?

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I saw Mastodon perform material from Crack the Skye three times during that album cycle, and the vocals were, frankly, cringe-inducing each and every time.  I understand that live performances won’t always be perfect, but I generally expect singers’ performances to be at least vaguely steady and in the same key as the rest of the song. So listening to Mastodon’s The Hunter, one of my major concerns was that there was no chance the band would be able to duplicate the vocal performances live.

But the band performed “Curl of the Burl” on The Late Show With David Letterman last night, and the vocals actually sounded pretty good! I mean, not like Dio-good or anything, but definitely not distractingly bad. I hope they sound this good when I see them in concert next month; this is a level of quality I could totally live with.

The Hunter is out now on Reprise/Warner Bros. You can get tour dates here.

-AR

[via Metal Underground]

Sean Dunne’s short documentary, American Juggalo (above), has become nothing short of a sensation. When readers first started sending us links to the doc, I thought it was great, but I also thought that it would be interest to a handful of music fans and pretty much no one else. I was dead wrong, though; suddenly movie blogs and the mainstream media starting giving Juggalo attention, comparing Dunne to some of the truly great legendary filmmakers like Frederick Wiseman and D.A. Pennebaker.

And Dunne deserves the acclaim. American Juggalo is insightful, even-handed, and even sympathetic to ICP fans. I know it’s good because it almost made me regret all the shit I’ve given Juggalos over the years… almost.

I reached out to Dunne via his website to see if he’d be game for an interview, and, happily, he was. Read our complete chat after the jump and find out the answer to the question: “Fucking American Juggalo, how does it work?”

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I love Coliseum. Their blend of bluesy rock, metal and hardcore hits me in that sweet spot that just gets me going. And everything I’ve seen and heard about them as people suggests that they’re great dudes who simply love making music, are OK with the sacrifices they’ve made to do so and are extremely grateful for any success they’re able to achieve. Metal needs more dudes like these guys.

So I’m quite excited to hear that Coliseum have a new EP coming out, Parasites, on November 15th via Temporary Residence. The band posted a new song from the EP called “Waiting (Too Late)” on Soundcloud a couple of weeks back, and now they’ve released a live video for the song too, shot at the Twin Infinities art show on July 1, 2011. Unlike most live videos, I love the way this one is shot — it just feels so real. There’s no lighting, stage production or editing chicanery taking place here, just incredibly well-shot footage of Coliseum rocking out, right up in their faces.

Catch Coliseum on tour with Boris in the Midwest and Sourtheast U.S. later this month (dates here).

-VN

Thanks: Sean Reynolds

Just yesterday we learned that Immolation will release a new, free EP called Providence for download next week via Scion A/V. But in case less-than-seven-days is too long for your impatient ass to wait for some new ‘lation — and I don’t blame you if it is — you’re in luck. ‘Cause our hebros over at Metal Injection are now giving away the title track.

And, no, it absolutely does not disappoint. It’s very much in line with last year’s Majesty and Decay (out now via Nuclear Blast), which is great, because Majesty and Decay impaled aardvark babies in a pretty major way.

So check that shit out right here. Providence will be released on October 11; Immolation are doing a North American headlining tour right now with support from Jungle Rot and Gigan. Get dates here. You can also win tickets by following Scion A/V on Twitter.

-AR

Metal Hammer – Uneven Structure – Awaken on MUZU.TV

In January I wrote a rave review of Uneven Structure upon hearing a preview of their forthcoming album.

Last night I watched the brand new video for “Awaken” at Metal Hammer and wondered to myself, “What did I think was so great about these guys?”

And then the chorus kicked in and I remembered — sort of. These guys are like the Soilwork of djent; plenty of brutality in the verses with soaring, epic, clean-sung choruses that are just this side of tasteful, somehow avoiding cheesiness. Their singer also happens to be a rather imposing looking bald dude, and he happens to be quite good too, which helps. Still… I’m just not quite as blown away as I was the first time I heard the aforementioned sampler, which I appreciated because it seemed to be more atmospheric than brutal. Perhaps my djent fatigue hadn’t set in yet. I really like the way this video is shot though; it looks dandy, especially the non-performance parts.

In any case, you’ve all surely got ears and brains of your own, so why listen to me when you can watch the new video / hear the new song and decide for yourself? Tell me what you think. Februus will be released on October 31st via Basick Records, and Uneven Structure will appear at the MS-sponsored Euroblast Festival later this month.

-VN

This is Hell is one of the few new hardcore bands I’ve appreciated in some time. Their new full-length, Black Mass, comes out on Tuesday (October 11), but Lambgoat has posted a full album stream, which you can check out below. I know it’s good because I was playing it really loudly this morning, and then my dog ripped the head off of his new stuffed toy and ran in a circle for thirty minutes while growling, the decapitated toy carcass hanging from his mouth. In other words, This is Hell = YOU’RE MOSHING!

This Is Hell – Black Mass by lambgoat

-AR

Earlier this week, Bring Me the Horizon’s Oli Sykes was attacked by a pack of rabid Mormons. But compared to this story — which is so awful as to be almost unbelievable — that’s really just a blip on the radar of fucked-up-ness.

Because apparently a twenty year-old British McDonald’s employee named David Russell has been convicted and sentenced to life in prison for the kidnapping and attempted murder of American nineteen year-old Maricar Benedicto… after claiming to be the BMTH vocalist.

The Daily Mail reports that that Benedicto — who met Russell over Facebook — knew that he “was not who he initially claimed to be before she flew to Britain,” which makes sense, because they do not look even mildly similar:

But for whatever reason, Benedicto chose to trust this nutjob — who is apparently “borderline autistic” – anyway. And that’s when things got really, really terrible.

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Long-standing music website Pitchfork, heralded by many as “The MetalSucks of Indie Rock,” has been getting a healthy dose of heavy lately. This must be due to the return of writer Brandon Stosuy, a rad dude and devoted metal scholar we know from the NYC scene who helmed Stereogum’s metal division for quite some time. I’m not exactly sure of the timeline and current relationship between Stosuy and both blogs, but this much is certain: more metal is always a good thing, especially since Brandon covers an end of the metal spectrum we sometimes gloss over. This week’s Pitchfork premieres-du-jour: new tracks from Boris and Giant Squid.
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We got like a gajillion e-mails yesterday about The Mini Band, a sextet that consists of four eight year-olds and two ten year-olds who recently covered Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” and Guns N’ Roses’ “Sweet Child O’ Mine.” And when I say “a gajillion e-mails,” I am exaggerating only slightly. My own personal e-mail was flooded with “tips” from friends and family members who don’t even give a shit about metal.

It’s not surprising, though, ’cause these lil’ tykes are adorable, and actually sound really good, especially when you take their ages into consideration. And given how the actual Metallica and Axl Rose’s pseudo-GN’R sound these days, well…

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The passing of Apple visionary Steve Jobs is not nearly as maddening as the Casey Anthony verdict (let’s get cereal for a moment: it’s actually incredibly sad), but the responses of the metal community via Twitter are just as lulzy! So, in the spirit of our own Anso DF’s Casey Anthony verdict vs. the metal people Twitter roast I present to you…

… THE METAL PEOPLE REMEMBER STEVE JOBS:

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There seems to be a firestorm in the metal world regarding the state of the industry, Spotify, illegal downloading, and the philosophical struggle between capitalism and artistic integrity. Lines have been drawn in the sand and it’s getting fucking personal. I have remained rather silent on the sidelines but all of this action has inspired me to enter the fray.

But I’d like to approach this discussion from a different angle than the one that has been taken thus far – one which deals with some issues that are beyond music. Perhaps you could call it a political discussion, or a cultural discussion, or even a philosophical discussion. I want to talk about the idea of ownership, and what exactly that means in our modern, western paradigm, which is one rooted in competition-based capitalism.

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Fuck the Facts’ new album, Die Miserable, is one of those records that I’ve written about so much over the past couple months that I am now at the point where I don’t know how else to express my love for the music. So I’m going to politely suggest that, if you love grind, and you love yourself, you check out the full-album stream, which is now available right over here. I’d argue that there’s been a steady increase in quality in the band’s output over their past few releases, and this is the pinnacle of the increase.

So headbang here, then come celebrate the album’s joyous release in our comments section. Die Miserable actually fo’ reals comes out October 11 via Relapse.

-AR

It’s no secret that non-metal singer Ryan Adams is a metal fan. And I have a cousin who is so enamored of Adams that he has sent me multiple e-mails trying to persuade me to attempt to add Adams to the line-up for The Metal Suckfest, possibly to perform his kind-of-but-not-really metal album, Orion, in its entirety. Alas, I did some investigating, and we would not be able to afford the SWAT team it would take to protect Adams from the crowd.

ANYWAY, perhaps as part of this campaign to get Adams on the MSF bill, that very same cousin sent me the below mp3 of Adams recently discussing metal on NPR. It’s brief and worth a listen, not just to hear what Adams has to say about his own metal fandom, but for the reveal I have now spoiled in the headline. Which I guess isn’t really too shocking, ’cause, seriously, what’s more metal than A Walk to Remember?

MANDY MOORE LOVES VOIVOD

Apparently this isn’t the first time Moore’s love of the Canadian outfit has come up in conversation, so, uh, shame on me for not following her career more closely.

-AR

The Inaugural Metal Suckfest is almost here!!!! Twenty bands will DESTROY The Gramercy Theatre on November 4 and 5, PLUS there’s an awesome, five-band pre-party at the venue the night before, making this THE can’t-miss hang of the year.

Tickets are on sale now right here, and you can hit up the fest’s official website for more info on the shows, including the complete line-up. In the meantime, we’re counting down to this weekend of chaos and debauchery by speaking to one member from each band on the bill. We continue today with bassist David Grossman of Rosetta, whose recently released a new split with Junius via Translation Loss.

Read our chat after the jump. And don’t forget to check back in the coming days and weeks for interviews with more of the musicians participating in this awesome event!!!

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Sacramento, CA hardcore band Trash Talk have a new EP entitled Awake due out next week (pre-order here), and what I’ve heard from it so far is fucking excellent, and a worthy successor to last year’s Eyes & Nines. Even cooler than the tracks, perhaps, are the well-done music videos for two of the cuts, “Awake” and “Burn Alive.” The latter of these just premiered this week, and is above for your viewing pleasure.

Or, perhaps, displeasure. The short clip opens with the aftermath of police brutality against what appears to be a group of passionate, but presumably peaceful, protesters. What follows is a violent vengeful response that hits a bit close to home, given the way the New York Police Department has been treating the Occupy Wall Street protesters over the past couple weeks. I’m actually heading down there today to march in solidarity with those occupying Zuccotti Park. I’ll be the guy in the MetalSucks t-shirt.

-GS

Iron Maiden are starting to rival KISS in the merch department, aren’t they? Oh. well. I still prefer Eddie’s grinning face smacked on everything rather than Gene Simmons’ obnoxious one.

A new book entitled On Board Flight 666, which  chronicles life behind the scenes on Ed Force One, will be released before the year is up. Photographer John McMurtrie accompanied the band on their Somewhere Back in Time tour in 2008, as well as the Round the World in 66 Days leg of the Final Frontier tour from earlier this year. The book features a foreword by Captain Bruce Dickinson himself, and contains hundreds of pictures and insights into what went into these tours. Pretty cool gift for those die-hard fans since it is currently the only official book about the band.

On Board Flight 666 is available comes out on October 22 in the UK; now word yet on a U.S. release date.

-LF

As those of you who have attended the first four nights of the MetalSucks-sponsored “Carnival is Forever Tour” featuring Decapitated have probably already noticed, The Haarp Machine haven’t been in attendance. It’s yet another example of a band from abroad not being able to get their U.S. work visas in time. Getting visas must seem simple to those who haven’t been through the process, as you’d think these bands have plenty of time to prepare. But let us tell you, even with several months notice and paid experts helping out, these things get caught up in bureaucratic red tape all too often as there are several government offices the applications need to pass through. Our government does not make it easy, unfortunately. Most of all this sucks for The Haarp Machine, who probably already booked and paid for flights, gear rental, van rental, etc, and now have to forfeit a good portion of that money.

Anyway, fear not: the tour is trucking on as planned for Decapitated, who still have the most-excellent lineup of Decrepit Birth, Fleshgod Apocalypse and Rings of Saturn in tow. Remaining dates after the jump.

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October is upon us, and with it, the lot of us are bombarded with kitschy, brass-hinged, cardboard jack-o’-lanterns and rubber bats spewing over-dyed corn syrup via time-release mechanisms settled in their plastic innards. It’s a time of haunted hayrides, zombie-infested corn mazes, and other equally tepid Halloween-esque activities likely only to scare those under the age of six.

Now, imagine if you will, a world so ghastly, so horrifically twisted and hellish, even the most sadistic of creatures would break down in violent sobs at the very notion. A town so riddled with death and dire desperation that the streets overflow with tribes of gargantuan maggots and the most thriving business is that of the local coffin shop. Halloween isn’t just an overly-saccharin-ized holiday in this realm, and maybe this is why the anthems derived from this environment continue to bombard us with vigorous, horror-fueled thrash.  That’s right; drenched in the bloodied sewage from the bowels of Creepsylvania, Ghoul has come back with Transmission Zero, and they’ve kept their riffs (and blades) sharp.

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“Spit it Out” is not the Slipknot song you’d most expect to lend itself to an acoustic rendition — and yet, it is the ‘Knot number that vocalist Corey Taylor recently chose to perform during a tour in support of his new book, Seven Deadly Sins.

And you know what? It actually works pretty well! I find the original tune to be too rappy/nu-metally for my tastes — Iowa was actually the album that convinced me Slipknot were worthy (although there’s at least one regrettable rap-metal song on there, too)  – but re-imagined as a kind of folky lil’ ditty, I actually find it to be quite catchy. Check out the video below, via Artisan News Service:

Not too shabby, eh?

Meanwhile, Taylor has announced that he’ll be embarking on a solo tour starting next month, which will include acoustic and spoken word performances, plus a Q&A session. That could be fun. Dates are after the jump, courtesy Metal Insider:

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