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With that shameless plug out of the way, let’s look at some of the things we did this week, shall we?

• Maybe we should rename the site “Sports Suck?” God Forbid’s Doc Coyle taught us about the NBA and Lazarus A.D.’s Jeff Paulick taught us about the NFL.
• We spoke to Matt Halpern from Periphery and Bandhappy and Nick Cohon from Cormorant.
• We were saddened to report that legendary Black Sabbath guitarist has been diagnosed with lymphoma.
• Jason Richardson was saddened to learn that he has been fired from Born of Osiris.
• We considered ten possible candidates to replace Howard Jones in Killswitch Engage.
• We wagered that the new Metallica album is not going to sound like The Black Album despite what the band says.
• We passed judgement on the new Van Halen single and video.
• We got excited that Refused and At the Drive In are reuniting.
• We learned that Virgin Steele are from Long Island.
• We started to look at some Albums That Will Fuck Your Face Off in 2012: new releases from Adimiron, Hypno5e, Ides of Gemini, Pallbearer, Sai Nam, and Samothrace.

Next week we’ll have even more Albums That Will Fuck Your Face Off, interviews, premieres, and, of course, plenty of snark. ‘Til then, brothers and sisters…

-AR

Photo by Johan Lindstrand, The Crown

A few months ago, The Crown announced the return of screamer Johan Lindstrand, making theirs the first of some awesomely exciting late 2011 reunions. Soon to follow were At The Drive-In (read here), He Is Legend (here), and Refused (here), all acts sharing few aesthetics but linked by total awesomeness, undefinability, daring, and unexhausted creative potential. So it’s cosmically just that these rad, singular bands have heeded the voices ordering them back from the light at the end of the tunnel. Bonerz for all!

Back in September, MetalSucks got up in the face of Crown guitarist/producer Marko Tervonen to talk about their new album plans and stuff, and he revealed that around six songs were written. And today a pair of those songs are mentioned by Lindstrand in his report on Thursday’s rehearsal, the band’s first since his return:

Click to read more…

We can understand if you, metal people, just switched off your computers and partied all day after hearing Monday’s news that R&B recording artists Monica and Brandy have teamed for their first song since 1998 #1 super-hit “The Boy Is Mine.” But here’s what you missed:

Two of the ’90s most super-loved/short-lived post-punk acts also have reunited! El Paso’s At The Drive-In and Sweden’s Refused. U love! U so happy!

Here’s how it unfolded: Click to read more…

[Update: Jim Ward tells Buzzgrinder a reunion isn't in the cards for him.]

Call it the latest in a long-line of inevitable reunions — At The Drive-In may be satiating my wish to get back together, reports ChartAttack.com:

Former At The Drive-In frontman and current Mars Volta singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala hinted that an ATDI reunion may be his next on his agenda in a recent interview with Drowned In Sound.

“We’ve been making amends with a lot of the members and giving some really good talks with them,” said Bixler-Zavala. “I wouldn’t mind it.”

Click to read more…

Amazing, no? Thanks to Red Blogojovich for sending this in.

-VN

At least that’s the philosophy presumably followed by Metal Bastard, who decided to post four tracks from At the Drive-In’s revolutionary Relationship of Command this afternoon (yeah, I said “revolutionary.” You got a problem? Let’s go.).

While I highly disagree with his categorization of the band (“emocore”???), I highly agree with this statement: “Not long after the release they split up and Cedric (vocals) and Omar (guitars) formed the masterful Mars Volta, while the other three created Sparta, the musical equivalent of narcolepsy. Avoid the latter at all costs.” Touche.

Enjoy “Cosmonaut” below, and click on over to Metal Bastard for 3 more.

At the Drive In – “Cosmonaut”

-VN

At the Drive In, Dillinger Escape Plan, Between the Buried and Me… Protest the Hero. If that doesn’t satisfy the art-metal snobs amongst you, then I highly recommend you get that stick out of your ass, pronto. Protest the Hero is a talented bunch, and if the first single “Bloodmeat” is any indication, their new album Fortress is going to be one hell of a beautifully crafty and brutal roller-coaster ride. Think also: new MetalSucks darlings Sikth.

Check out the video below for their first single “Bloodmeat,” (the best part: no cliche metal video bullshit), and listen to the band’s past work at their MySpace page.

Fortress drops January 29 on Vagrant Records.

-VN

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A recent post over at The Syndicate Blog about Paramore covering At the Drive In’s “One Armed Scissor” reminded us just how much ass the El Paso, TX band kicked before they called it quits and their members went onto such other projects as the Suck Volta (first album excluded — that one was awesome) and Spartsuck. Check out this video The Syndicate posted of ATDI performing “One Armed Scissor” on the Letterman show… holy fucking shit, so much energy. Wish I could go back in time and see this band live.

-VN

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