We have a decent amount of new stuff this week, including quality releases from Skeletonwitch, Black Cobra, Hull, Fuck The Facts and more. This writer’s opinion on all of it after the jump.

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I meant to remind you guys yesterday but I’m a dick so I forgot — Arch Enemy’s North American Khaos Tour, which we here at MetalSucks are very proudly co-presenting, is now underway! I’ve been trying to find fan-filmed footage from last night’s kickoff show in Baltimore to no avail, but I hear the concert was great… which is really no shock. Especially given that the three support bands — DevilDriver, Skeletonwitch, and Chthonic — are all as much fun as Arch Enemy! You can get dates here. If anyone is gonna be at the NYC show tonight, come find us. I’ll be the really, really not-sober guy in the back screaming for them to play “Savage Messiah” over and over again.

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

• We debuted new music from Black Cobra.
• We also debuted an outtake from the movie Hesher and a clip from Fantomas’ new live DVD.
• We spoke to Charlie Benante from Anthrax and Avi Kulawy from Magrudergrind.
• We checked out the latest releases from Brutal Truth, Wolves in the Throne Room,and Bloodsoaked.
• We debated the merits of new songs from Mastodon, Opeth, and Megadeth.
• We launched The Third Annual “Run MetalSucks for a Day” contest.
• Vince listed “The Top Fifteen Reasons Metallica are the Yankees of Metal,” and then The Austerity Program’s Justin Foley offered a retort.
• We fucked Bret Michaels in the motherfucking eye.
• We voted for Sergeant D.’s acoustic cover of The Acacia Strain.
• We almost had to kill a puppy.

And, oh hey, did we mention that tickets for The Metal Suckfest are on sale now? We did? Okay, swell!

Have a good weekend, y’all. See ya Monday.

-AR

We hope you guys are ready to have your skulls crushed, ’cause boy oh boy, do we have one skull motherfucking crusher for you today — “Avalanche,” a  brand new track off Black Cobra’s brand new album, Invernal. (We’re also stoked to be debuting the totally killer album artwork, above.) As the song’s title suggests, the music conjures nightmarish images of trying to outrun a massive force of nature which, of course, will inevitably catch up with you, overpower you, and destroy you. If that ain’t fuckin’ metal, nuthin’ is.

Check out “Avalanche” below — you’ll be glad you did. Invernal, which was produced and mixed by the great Kurt Ballou, comes out October 11 on Southern Lord. Stay tuned to Black Cobra’s official website for more info.

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In this post-Crack The Skye world, a band like American Heritage is like sweet relief to lovers of angular, raging, uber-macho post-metal: Throughout their forthcoming sophomore album Sedentary, the Chicago quartet show little trepidation as would-be inheritors to Mastodon’s now-vacant throne. And one could say Ameri-Heri makes good economic and practical sense, too, as Sedentary employs a full whack of guest bassists (including members of Murder Construct, Black Cobra, Exhumed, Nachtmystium, and Buried At Sea) and provides a venue for Mastodon axeman Bill Kelliher to do a fucking guitar solo for once.

Sedentary is out March 1 on Translation Loss (pre-order here) but because we at MetalSucks believe in awesomeness, we present to you this exclusive advanced listen to its opening jam “City of God” (below). It’s a first taste of what MS scribe Satan Rosenbloom calls his favorite album of the year so far. He won’t be the only one.

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–ADF

Before I read about it on Reign in Blonde today, it had somehow escaped my attention that Jucifer are touring this June. And this information is key; even if the band’s latest album, Throned in Blood, is my least favorite of their releases thus far, I’m still dying to check this band out live – I’ve blown all of my previous chances to do so.

Plus, it’s so very rare that Gary Suarez and I get to attend one of the same shows, since only occasionally do we actually agree on anything (e.g., Black Cobra are boring as fuck live.). But Jucifer will bring us together to hold hands and live with two hearts beating as one! They’re like Wyld Stallions that way.

Get a complete Jucifer tour itinerary here.

-AR

High on Fire took their U.S. tour with Priestess, Bison B.C. and Black Cobra in tow to Philadelphia’s First Unitarian Church this past Tuesday. MS photographer Diana Lee Zadlo was on hand to capture the action with her usual flare. Her photos, after the jump.

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MetalSucks photographic wiz girl Diana Lee Zadlo bore witness to Black Cobra and Pelican’s performances at The First Unitarian Church in Philadelphia, PA on December 1st. Once again she’s been kind enough to let us premier her awesome photos. Check ‘em out after the jump… that is, if you’re not too riled up about that Village Voice piece like Kip and Justin are.

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Legendary dronesters Sunn o))) and record label Southern Lord share not just a penchant for original, outside-the-box thinking but a man by the name of Greg Anderson, who splits his time between playing guitar for the former and running all operations of the latter. In the interest of full disclosure I’m not really much of a fan of either the band or the label for no other reason than it’s just not my thing, but I have the utmost respect for the legacy of Sunn o))) and the business acumen, foresight and individuality of Southern Lord and all the bands thereon. I was recently given an opportunity to email a few questions to Mr. Anderson himself, and the man was so kind as to respond with his thoughts on the roles the band and label play in the metal community, his thoughts on the metal community at large, and what’s in store for both Sunn o))) and Southern Lord in 2009. Our chat transcript, after the jump.

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