So, oh, hey, you might have heard about this, but Cynic closed our festival this past Saturday night. It was only the second show for the band’s new line-up, but they killed, and the new material from their forthcoming EP, Carbon-Based Anatomy, just KILLED. Then Paul Masvidal said some very nice things about our website from the stage, and then I fainted, and when I woke up, it was over and everyone had gone home.

ANYWAY, one of those new songs from Carbon-Based Anatomy, is now streaming at NPR, and it’s freakin’ great, and you need to go listen to it. It is accompanied by a very nice interview with Mr. Masvidal, too, so really just get your ass to NPR right now.

Carbon-Based Anatomy comes out November 15 via Season of Mist; if for some reason you’re still convinced that you need to own it, please read my review here.

-AR

Ghost live is truly a thing of beauty. And so we wept openly when the band had to cancel their U.S. tour with Enslaved and Alcest earlier this year due to visa issues, and then we sacrificed a small child and prayed to the Dark Lord that they return to these shores soon.

And now our prayers have been answered! The band will do a thirteen-date U.S. trek starting in January; support will come from Blood Ceremony and Ancient VVisdom. So, yeah, that should rule pretty freakin’ hard.

Dates are after the jump, courtesy of Metal Injection:

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Jesus doesn’t have time to end world hunger or stop war or just return and make his followers shut up about it already, but he does watch Polish reality shows, and he was not happy about Nergal, that Satan worshipping bastard, being a judge on that country’s version of the reality program The Voice (in which some celebrity judges look for the next great blah blah blah). And so, recently, Nergal was fired from that program.

But I guess not before he’d already filmed a few episodes, ’cause now Heavy Blog is Heavy has video of him rocking out to some lady covering Maiden, and giving her some advice, as well. Check it out below.

And here’s the translation of what Nergal was saying (also courtesy of HBiH), in case you don’t, y’know, speak Polish:

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While we were busy palling around with Municipal Waste, God Forbid, Today is the Day and the rest of the excellent bands that played Day 1 of the Metal Suckfest on Friday, we heard some great news from an act that would’ve felt at home on the prog-centric lineup of the Suckfest’s second day: Ben Sharp, aka Cloudkicker, will be releasing not one but TWO new records on November 22nd.

Cloudkicker is one of our favorite up-and-coming instrumentalists and is as prolific as anyone in metal; his last full album, Beacons, came out just one year ago. From Cloudkicker’s Tumblr:

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We’ve been telling you about Keith Merrow’s death metal side project Demisery for months now, and we’ve even given you a sample of what the album has in store. Today we give you the exclusive premiere of Hive of Mutation in full, evil riffs, searing solos, churning blast beats, bowel-rumbling death growls courtesy of Gord Olson, and all. You all should know by now that Merrow can work his way around a guitar, but that he’s able to execute a death metal record so well — with songs and riffs that actually stick in your brain, no less — shows just what a master of modern metal he is. Click “play” and let the grimness wash over you, then head over to Keith Merrow’s website to pre-order the record, which comes out on November 14th.

[UPDATE, 9:48am EST, 11/8]: Spin Studios has removed the above post from their Facebook page, which would seem to confirm that they goofed by posting it.

Original post:

After reporting this morning that Gojira were in NYC recording a new album and then speculating about what record label was funding the effort, the same anonymous Internet sleuth that tipped us off to the location of the recording sessions (Spin Studios in Queens) noticed a post on the Spin Studios Facebook page confirming that Gojira have landed with Roadrunner. Check the screen cap above, which also tells us that Josh Wilbur (of Lamb of God’s Wrath fame) is producing, and not Greg Fidelman or Rick Rubin.

So, there you have it: Roadrunner. Gojira. Josh Wilbur. Early 2012?

-VN

In 2006, Vince and I saw In Flames and Trivium absolutely destroy the Bowery Ballroom Webster Hall [Whoops! -AR] here in NYC (with some help from DevilDriver and Zao). The show was so good that Vince still has the poster hanging on his wall (I think — I haven’t been to the Neilstein Wing of the MetalSucks Mansion in awhile). It was the kind of show where you leave and you don’t know if that’s your sweat and blood you’re covered in or someone else’s but you don’t really care.

Now In Flames and Trivium have announced a co-headlining North American tour, so we can all re-live the magic. Of course, a lot has changed since that last time we saw the two bands share a stage, but I’m still optimistic about these gigs. Even if In Flames play a few tunes off of Sounds of My Interest Fading and No Sense of Purpose, it will just provide some sure-to-be-needed piss breaks. And support will come from Veil of Maya and Kyng to boot!

Dates are after the jump.

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So, hey, remember how Danzig acted like a real douche at Fun Fun Fun Fest this past weekend ’cause he didn’t get a bowl of French onion soup?

Well, Slayer — who also played the festival — have never been above a little good ol’ fashioned shit talking in the press, and I guess they decided to have some fun at Glenn’s expense. ‘Cause they posted the below photo on their Facebook page, along with the caption “Great show tonight @FunFunFunFest got everything we needed.”

Bravo, Slayer. Bra-fuckin’-vo.

-AR

Additional reporting by Antonin Skullia, Esq.

[UPDATE, 11:47am EST]: An anoymous tipster tells us they’re at Spin Studios in Long Island city. Spin Studios’ Facebook page “Likes” Roadrunner Records. All signs point to Gojira signing with RR.

Original post:

The last bit of non-news we got from Gojira regarding the Sea Shepherd EP suggested the long-awaited collaboration was finally nearing release after some of the session files had been lost on a crashed hard drive. The band also let us know that they’d finished writing an entire new record… and based on today’s news, it seems like we might get that new album before we get Sea Shepherd. Not that I’m complaining — new Gojira is new Gojira, no matter the form — but the band whipped us into a frenzy regarding Sea Shepherd and it now seems possible that it may never come out. I guess we’ll see.

But anyway, new Gojira is coming! The band landed in New York on Thursday, November 3rd and got right to work in the studio. They’ve posted a few photos from this past weekend’s session on their Facebook page, including a shot of New York City that would place the recording studio somewhere near the Union Square vicinity (those are the Zeckendorf Towers on the right). Which begs the question:

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Yes, The Metal Suckfest is over, and yes, we survived! We had a great time. And while I can’t speak for Vince, I can say that I, personally, am still recovering. ‘Cause holy shit did we party hard, and holy shit am I ever exhausted.

We’ll have pics and reports and all that good stuff soon, but for now, let’s just concentrate on catching up with some news we missed. Like the fact that Napalm Death have a new album coming out next year. Wait wait wait, let me repeat that in a more fitting tone: HOLY SHIT YOU GUYS NAPALM DEATH HAVE A NEW ALBUM COMING OUT NEXT YEAR!!! If that doesn’t make you excited, I don’t wanna know you.

The album is called Utilitarian, and it comes out February 28 on Century. There’s no new music for us to hear yet, but there is the album art (by Frode Sylthe, above), and this statement by vocalist Barney Greenway:

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 A couple weeks back, your bros at MetalSucks ran an epic, multi-day feature entitled “Defending Danzig,” in which we looked at several of Danzig’s dubious distinctions and questionable judgment calls from over the years, then judged them. Our conclusion at the time? While he’s not beyond reproach, at least Danzig gets off his ass and does something, so don’t hate the player — hate the game.

But those were simpler times.

At this weekend’s Fun Fun Fun Fest in Texas, Danzig revealed himself as a jive turkey whose conduct was way the fuck beyond defensible.

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If you live anywhere near New York Fucking City and you have half a brain in that ugly domepiece you call a head, you probably went to Day One of the inaugural Metal Suckfest at the Gramercy Theater yesterday.  And what a time it was…..we drank, we smoked, we rocked, we rolled, we laughed, we cried, we made sweet sweet love under the moonlight and then you puked all over me (gross!)……but holy bajeezus it was totally worth it huh?

Well TODAY is going to be even better!!!!!  Why/how, you ask??  1) the staff of MetalBlows will be raffling off hummers (not the cars), 2) ten radical bands (including Cynic, The Red Chord, Obscura, Fight Amp, and SIX MORE) will fuck your face right off, 3) I promise to keep that creepy guy from Metal Injection away from you, 4) free lapdances, 5) there’s a rumor going around that Lake Bukkake will play a secret set in the downstairs bar, 6) Axl will tell you all sorts of wise things about things, and 7) YOU SUCK.

Come party with us tonight, and be prepared to get a little messy……they don’t call it Suckfest for nothing!

-KW

Normally we’d do a “Worst Week Ever” column here, where we run down the week’s top stories. But we can’t today, because literally, right this second, as this was published, the doors opened for this:

And the first band starts in thirty minutes.

So! For the last time: IF YOU LIVE IN THE TRI-STATE AREA, COME TO THE METAL SUCKFEST! Tickets are here, or, of course, you can just walk up to the box office. It’s going to be so awesome, there are truly no words. See ya there!

And everyone else… see ya Monday. Have fun missing the party of the year, Suckas!

Eyal Levi from Dååth, Levi/Werstler, and Audiohammer Studios has obviously been in this business for some time now, and he’s learned a thing or two about a thing or two. This week, he imparts ten lessons about the music biz — and life in general — to you, our beloved readers, once a day, two installments at a time. You can read lessons one and two here, and lessons three and four here, lessons five and six here, and lessons seven and eight here; check out the final two lessons below!

#9: IF YOU’RE NOT GOING TO SETTLE IT YOURSELF, LET IT GO

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxKiK-SeBhE&feature=related

I am wholeheartedly against turning the other cheek. That’s my disclaimer before I get into this. I’m a big proponent of the Nicky from Casino way of life. Two eyes for an eye all the way. There’s a wild card, though. And it’s a wild card we all know and love. It’s called the internet. Gone are the days when you could just settle a beef between just the two parties involved.

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Okay, so I’m not a punk, and never claimed to be. My punk cred is spotty at best (though I do have sweet Amebix neck tattoos!), and my knowledge is far from encyclopedic. However, I do love the fuck out of crust punk, d-beat, fastcore, powerviolence, 80’s hardcore, and grindcore, so you’re going to have to deal with me writing about it within the context of this series, because a) there are tons and tons of badass female musicians within those scenes, and b) duh, this shit rules! Of course, lumping all those disparate genres together is a little lazy on my part, but you’ve gotta admit that punk and grind go together like peanut butter and chocolate (or whips and chains).

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Do you like wonky, off-kilter and challenging instrumental metal? Do you have a penchant for the doom and the sludge? Do you enjoy Intronaut, Dysrhythmia, Coalesce and East of the Wall (shit, let’s even through The Austerity Program in there for good measure)? Lady and gents, have I got something for you: Morkobot.

The three Italians that comprise Morkobot utilize two bassists and one drummer to create their steaming brew of sludge-infused progressive noise metal. The minute I started listening to the full stream of their new album Morbo, out now via Supernatural Cat Records, I knew I’d found a gem.

Less reading, more listening: get to it.

-VN

Vildhjarta have released a music video for the song ”Benblåst,” and as cool as it is sober, I can’t wait to watch it again when I’m stoned. Although it’s kinda freaky, so that may just scare the shit outta me and cause me to go all Helen Hunt on a window. I tell ya what: one of you try it first, then let me know how it goes… okay?

“Benblåst” will appear on Måsstaden, which comes out November 29 via Century Media.

-AR

[The seven-inch record is a cornerstone for hardcore music. Unlike metal that has diminished vinyl while perversely fetishizing it, hardcore continues to depend on the format as an essential platform for disseminating music. Characteristically shorter song lengths make it possible for a band in this scene to make a statement over the course of multiple tracks and provide it in a way that is affordable. The purpose of this column is to identify and offer short critiques of some new and recent releases in the 7" format.]

If you attended this year’s CMJ and didn’t catch at least one of Trash Talk‘s five sets, it’s your own damn fault. The brisk material on Awake (True Panther Sounds) surpasses last year’s Eyes & Nines as well as earlier singles. The title track is an absolute banger, like Circle Jerks on PCP–furious, yet still so catchy. Their photo adorning the Arts section of the New York Times, Trash Talk are perhaps the right band at the right time, and dizzying cuts like “Blind Evolution” prove they deserve what acclaim they seem so poised to get.

Santa Barbara, CA’s Minus may have only just released their debut 7″ Hard Feelings (Triple-B), but there’s nothing in the content that suggests that. What we get are five downtuned tracks of bummed out metallic hardcore. The vocals are intelligible, revealing lyrics stuffed with doubt, depression, and self-hate. “Weight” just devastates with a severe negative outlook and heavy riffage. Minus aren’t about overcoming the odds; they way they see it, we’ve already lost.

Matt Henderson must have been storing these riffs for a decade. How else could the former Madball guitarist sonically recreate that group’s 90s salad days with his latest project? A veritable hardcore supergroup, S.O.S. windmills all imitators on I Owe You Nothing (Reaper). Throughout, Terror frontman Scott Vogel lives out his Hardcore Fantasy League dreams as Freddy Cricien’s surrogate, no more apparent than on the title track, a pitch-perfect sequel to “Look My Way.” The sound of reinvigoration on wax…

-GS

On October 6th, the Frak the Gods tour — featuring Periphery, Textures and The Contortionist, with Stray From the Path taking the place of The Human Abstract — rolled through New York City for a very appreciative sold-out crowd at the Gramercy Theater. MetalSucks faves The Binary Code opened the show, and MS photographer Mariel “Tormentia” Pietrykoski was there to capture all the action. Take a look at her photos after the jump.

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