MetalSucks

So the first Exhorder reunion show went off, apparently without a hitch, this past weekend in Jefferson, Louisiana. We weren’t there, unfortunately, but hopefully there will be a full tour soon – the band is working on new material, after all, and I assume they plan to promote it.

After the jump are a couple of photos, from some named “firebaugh” at NolaUnderground.com. There are also a bunch more at Blabbermouth. Kind of amazingly, I can’t find any footage on YouTube – if anyone comes across any, please let us know!

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While the members of Anthrax continue to try and convince the world that John Bush is definitely returning to the fold, Mr. Bush continues to pursue a new studio album with Armored Saint – and now video footage of them in the studio has emerged.

What that means is that there will be a new Armored Saint album – and presumably a tour – in 2010. Even though I think it’s looking better and better than Bush will indeed return to Anthrax, he continues to decline to make a firm commitment, and this video serves as a reminder that he has other priorities, too. Because while he’s not actually in this video, I’d be very surprised if he turned around and just left the band high n’ dry – that’s the kind of thing the members of Anthrax do to him, not the kind of thing he does to other dudes.

-AR

I always forget that current Megadeth bassist James Lomenzo used to be in White Lion. I guess I can accept that he was in Black Label Society (and David Lee Roth), since Zakk Wylde usta use an awful lotta hairspray, but Megadeth? Doesn’t that seem kinda like if Metallica hired the dude from Dangerous Toys or something?

Anyways, I mention it because the “Oh Don Piano!” moment of the day is Lomenzo saying he’d be open to a White Lion reunion. I’m sure the five White Lion fans left the world are all very excited. But I don’t think anyone should get their hopes up. And I can’t be the only one who’d rather hear Lomenzo play tracks from Endgame or pretend to be Dave Ellefson, can I?

-AR

Adema are the latest nu-metal to reunite in hopes of cashing in on barely decade-old nostalgia. They’ll play their first show in over five years at the Whiskey in LA on January 14, which, hey, uninteresting fact, happens to be the anniversary of my bar mitzvah.

Anyways, if you don’t remember this band, well, consider yourself lucky. The most notable thing about them is that their singer, Marky Chavez, is the half-brother of Korn’s Jonathan Davis (or something like that). They were definitely a last-generation nu-metal band – they got big in 2001ish, right around the time the American New Wave was starting its ascent to popularity – but I guess someone needs to be the first support act for the inevitable Korn/Limp Bizkit summer shed tour, right?

Anyways, here’s one of their videos. Don’t even bother watching it – I just thought this post looked too bare with no graphic or non-written content of any kind.

-AR

It’s been a while since we’ve reported on the current Fear Factory drama because, well, it got boring re-hashing the same old shit over and over again just to get you guys all hot and bothered in the comments (whoops, did I just say that?). To summarize, in case you didn’t read this site missed out over the summer: Dino re-friends Burton Bell and the two start working on new music under the “Fear Factory” name, while Christian and Raymond — currently working on their Arkaea project — rightly object because Fear Factory is supposedly a four-way partnership. Lawsuits and public shit-talking ensue.

Last I checked a resolution between the two warring Fear Factions hadn’t been reached. So either the four men have settled, or Dino and Burton — let’s just call them the baby-eating Fear Faction — just don’t give a fuck. The baby-eating Fear Faction, along with latter-day FF cohorts Byron Stroud [Strapping Young Lad] and Gene Hoglan [Strapping Young Lad, Dethklok, every fucking band ever] — just announced that they have a new album called Mechanized coming out on February 9th via Candlelight Records (!?!).

The new song “Powershifter” has been making the Internet rounds all weekend; stream it below. Unsurprisingly, it sounds a lot like Fear Factory. I imagine some of you will love it and some of you will hate it; place me firmly in the “meh” camp. I loves me some Demanufcature and Obsolete, but 10 years later there are tons of metal bands out there that are way better, more interesting, and more worthy of my listening time.

-VN

Lambgoat is reporting that West Virginia prog metallers Byzantine will be reforming for a series of 3 “farewell” shows in March 2010. The reunion comes more than two years after the sudden split that followed the release of their highly excellent album Oblivion Beckons, which earned #3 honors on my Top 10 list for 2008. Oblivion Beckons was a near-perfect record, a progressive American metal masterpiece; because the band broke up four days after the album was released they never had a chance to tour it and the record never got its due. Until now… sort of.

Vocalist/rhythm Guitar Chris “OJ” Ojeda had this to say about their upcoming reunion: “2 and 1/2 years ago we put a sudden and abrupt halt to our musical careers under the name Byzantine. It was a really anti-climactic way to go out. We know a lot of fans and friends alike felt cheated that we didn’t play any shows supporting our last album, ‘Oblivion Beckons.’ Now, we all feel like it’s time to give a little something back, all guns blazing. Unfortunately, we are unable to tour since we live scattered across 3 states, have children and full-time jobs, but we want to give our local fans something to remember us by.”

While this doesn’t seem like a full-fledged reunion, at least the band will be getting together to play a series of shows for their fans, all 3 in March of next year in their home state of West Virginia. Dates are listed after the jump, although tickets aren’t yet on sale. Here’s to hoping these shows lead to new Byzantine music, because I’ve a feeling they’ve got a lot left in the tank.

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Every now and then, something happens to make me feel like there really is some justice in the world.

So while it looks Limp Bizkit are going right back to being the mega-stars they never deserved to be in the first place, at least Creed – possibly one of the most worthless musical acts, like, ever – aren’t doing so hot.

From a recent news report on the band’s recent concert in Birmingham, Alabama:

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Just last week Vince called for John Bush and Anthrax to stop pussyfooting around and just announce that Bush is 100% back in the band already; now it seems clear that that announcement hasn’t come because absolutely no one in the Anthrax camp has any fucking clue what the fucking fuck is going on with their band.

Let’s look at some quotes from just the past three days, shall we?

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Anthrax’s courting of John Bush is just going to drag on and on, isn’t it? It’s like Anthrax are reconnecting with an estranged ex-girlfriend on whom they’ve cheated, getting together to talk — or maybe to make out a little bit — time after time to rebuild trust. Won’t they just fuck and get it over with already? They know the sex was much better with their ex.

To be fair, John Bush was definitely wronged, whatwith how the band handled the whole Joey Crapadonna reunion. I can understand if Bush needs to go one step at a time.

But Scott Ian posted a video on Twitter of the band performing the classic “Only” at this past weekend’s Loud Park festival in Japan, and it’s great. The video was presumably shot by a roadie or tech, as it’s from the side/back of the stage.The band sounds good and it looks like they’re having fun. Won’t they just get together and fuck, full on penis-in-vagina already? It seems inevitable. They already have 5 dates on the books for Australia’s Soundwave festival in February/March. For how long will this courtship continue?

-VN

According to a press release just picked up on the newswire by the MS Mansion Monkeys, Polish death metallers Decapitated — who were decimated by a car wreck in 2007 that killed one member and left another in a coma — are on their way back. Wacek “Vogg” Kieltyka, guitarist & founding member, has issued the following statement:

“It’s time to come back!  After a two-year break, DECAPITATED is coming back with new members.  The official new line-up for DECAPITATED will be announced at the end of December.

“As you all know, the decision to continue the band was really, really hard for me, but everything I do now is to keep DECAPITATED alive. [Vocalist] Covan’s situation has not improved much and he is still in bed and unable to function on his own.  He still fights to recover as we speak and we are all still 100% behind him and hope for the best.  It has been the hardest thing for me to move on without [brother & drummer] Vitek by my side, but he would have wanted me to continue with the band.”

It strikes me as odd that Vogg isn’t revealing the identities of the new members, seeing as everyone seems to know that Kerim “Krimh” Lechner — whose impressive solo work I posted earlier this week — is the new drummer. Even the band’s Wikipedia page (not that Wikipedia is always the bastion of truth… but still) claims that Krimh was announced as an official member on July 31st of this year, and you all immediately called it in the comments of the above-linked Krimh post. Perhaps Krimh has been dismissed? I guess we’ll have to wait until December to find out. In the meantime, check out the above video of Krimh’s latest song “Go In Circles.”

Vogg then goes on to reveal the band’s upcoming touring plans:

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I’m suspicious of the concept of an Exhorder reunion album, although Alice in Chains just proved that, yes, a reunited band can record again and live up to expectations. So maybe I should be less cynical. I mean, I’m not going to be less cynical, I’m just admitting that one time outta ten, my cynicism is wrong. Sometimes.

One thing I’m not so cynical about: the reunited Exhorder’s ability to kick major ass live. Blabbermouth tells us that the band has just scheduled their first comeback gig, to take place November 14 at Southport Hall in Jefferson, Louisiana. It’ll be the band’s first show in eight years.

I’ve never been to Louisiana, but believe you me when I say I am now considering taking a vacation to Jefferson. I’m also hoping more dates will soon follow so I can take a vacation someplace warm where girls walk around in next to nothing instead, but, hey, whatever it takes to see Exhorder…

Here’s Exhorder doing “Slaughter in the Vatican” in Germany in ‘92.

-AR

Yesterday, Scott Ian tweeted a response to Kerry King’s accusation that Anthrax have “been in pieces for quite some time.” The tweet pointed towards a recent, possible one-off reunion show with John Bush; I eagerly hoped it was a sign that Bush is coming back to the band for good.

Well, we still don’t know if he is or not. But we do know that he’s gonna do another gig with the ‘Thrax, this time at the Loud Park festival in Japan this October. (Interestingly enough, Slayer and Megadeth are also on the bill.)

I take that as a good sign that Bush is, indeed, negotiating (or something) to re-join Anthrax. But obviously we need to wait for some kind of official confirmation from the group.

Fingers crossed…

-AR

Please allow me to get all Jonathan Schwartz-y for a moment.

Do people who were only just learning to go poopy in the potty in the early 90s even get Beavis & Butt-Head? I don’t mean that the humor is too sophisticated for some kids (although that could be the case) – I mean, I think it could be entirely possible that they just write it off as stupid low-brow humor that dudes like Vince and myself only enjoy for the sake of nostalgia. And there might be a little bit of truth in that.

But not much.

Besides the excellent commentary on the media and society that Beavis & Butt-Head provided, I think that the show resonated for this reason: every great male friendship (first person to say “bro-mance” gets a kick in the nards), and possibly even some female friendships, has a Beavis & Butt-Head dynamic to it. Vince and I discussed it once, and I think we agreed fairly quickly that he was the Beavis. And I am very comfortable being a Butt-Head.

So. Mike Judge, the brilliant man who created Beavis & Butt-Head, King of the Hill, Office Space and Idiocracy has a new (live-action) movie coming out this week, called Extract. (I’ve heard some people really dig it and some people really dislike it. I want to like it but it has Gene Simmons in it, so that’s one strike against it.) And he created this video of Beavis & Butt-Head introducing some clips.

A cheap promotional ploy? Sure. But as soon as Butt-Head said “Bateman is pissed off ’cause his wife has been doing it with the pool cleaner” and Beavis agreed, “Uh-huh,” it was 1993 for me all over again.

Right after John Bush played what might or might not be a one-off reunion show with Anthrax, I wrote, “I’d love to post some footage of Bush performing a Bush-era song, but can’t seem to find any.” Well, the metal gods heard my prayers, and SMN News posted the below footage of the band doing “Safe Home.” And the quality of the footage is actually perfect – it’s not just some shit a fan captured on his or her cell phone! Band sounds good, too.

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As ’90s nu-metal nostalgia reaches its peak (I FUCKING CALLED IT!), the parade of cash-grab nu-metal reunions continues. Joining the ranks of Limp Bizkit, E-Town Concrete, Crazytown, Snot, Cold, Slaves on Dope, and other terrible ear-raping bands I’m surely forgetting, TuneLab.com is reporting that Adema are reuniting and releasing a new DVD. Adema was never really known for much other from a) sucking, b) lead singer Marky Chavez being the half-brother of Korn’s Jonathan Davis. A guy I know once referred to Adema as “Pop-Korn” in casual conversation, and that’s pretty much the most hilarious / accurate thing that could ever be uttered about the band. Not to imply that Korn are genre-bending revolutionaries or anything… but, ya know.

Here’s Adema’s music video for “The Way You Like It” in case you need to be reminded of just how awful they were. I’d completely forgotten about this song… for the better.

At least American Head Charge just called it quits.

-VN

The theme for this morning seems to be “terrible quality fan-captured live footage.”

Next up we have John Bush’s (apparently triumphant, if reports are to be believed) return to Anthrax this past weekend at Sonisphere in England. I’d love to post some footage of Bush performing a Bush-era song, but can’t seem to find any, so here he is doing “Caught in a Mosh.”

I continue to hope, dream, and pray that Bush returns to Anthrax full-time.

-AR

You would have to be on dope to like Slaves on Dope. I mean, the band has a song called “No More Faith,” for fuck’s sake. NO MORE FUCKING FAITH. Jim Martin should bend them over and grow pumpkins out of their ass for that shit.

Anyways, this band is reuniting. I never knew they broke-up, to be honest; I just thought they were sucked into the same black hole of once-popular shit bands that a lot their peers did (see: Primer whatever the fuck they were called, E-Town Concrete, etc.). But in case you’re not familiar with their particular brand of awfulness, here they are, looking like Crazy Town and sounding like diarrhea.

-AR

So my buddy San Carlos, who comes a long line of depression-era rum-runners and later micro-brewers, was recently in port at Kingston, Jamaica where he got into a rather heated discussion with a polish backpacker over a game of billiards at a shady pub called The Prickhouse (actually Brickhouse, but vandals had recently improved its title). While the original discussion was an argument over the general superiority of Afghan bubble hash versus B.C. hydroponic cannabis, the tensions were soon eased when the Polack began to tell a naughty yarn regarding himself, a Swedish accomplice and a rather sizable number of seasoned Amsterdam prostitutes. While much of that story was lost in translation (San Carlos only communicates through Creole Sign language), the Swede had reported to the Polish gentleman who had passed it on later to San Carlos that one particular prostitute with Pete Steele-esque vampire fang implants had relations in Canada, specifically a sister who had heard from bar tender who had in turn heard from East-side Vancouver street dweller that Sammy Duet (Goatwhore, ex-Acid Bath) had been paraphrased as having said to an interested fan: “If you like Acid Bath, you should try to get to Louisiana next year, but you didn’t hear that from me.”

And you didn’t hear it here first.

Above, check out the video for “Toubabo Koomi,” which is a phrase so filthy, San Carlos refuses to translate it for me. I’m absolutely going crazy for even the possibility of one of the greatest New Orleans scene bands ever reuniting, or maybe I’m just a big bucket of crazy anyway.

-DBR

One of the problems with reunions is that there’s always the possibility that a band has lost that old special magic. This potential issue is, naturally, amplified when said reunited group decides to record material.

So I’m over the moon that the new Skunk Anasie song, “Tear the Place Up,” sounds pretty much like vintage Skunk – which is to say, it rocks. You can check out the video below; the song will appear on a greatest hits package sometime later this year.

-AR

Anyone remember that scene in Spaceballs where Rick Moranis tells Bill Pullman “I am your father’s brother’s nephew’s cousin’s former roommate?”

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