If you still have any doubts that being in a band is for losers, watch Why You Do This, the documentary by Car Bomb’s Michael Dafferner. It is a cold, hard bitch slap of reality. Including interviews with Richard Christy, Randy Blythe, Joe Duplantier, Ben Falgoust, and a bunch of other cool dudes, Why You Do This premiered last year at the Queens World Film Festival, and is now streaming online in full. Check it out:

If you enjoyed that, you can order a DVD right here.

-AR

[via Metal Insider]

Did you know that Car Bomb vocalist Michael Dafferner’s day job is working as a satellite engineer? No, no I did not. Well, did you know that he also directed a documentary, [why_you_do_this], about how difficult and shitty it is to be a touring metal musician? No, no I did not know that, either. Yeah, well, neither did I, but apparently both facts are true.

[why_you_do_this] (it’s a statement, not a question asked by an immigrant) is going to make its premiere next week at the Queens World Film Festival (as in a world film festival which takes place in Queens, not a film festival which takes place on a world full of royal women), and even though I didn’t know about it until like ten seconds ago, it look pretty interesting — Dafferner interviewed all kinds of cool people, like Richard Christy, Randy Blythe, Joe Duplantier, and Ben Falgoust, all about the very simple question posed by the title. Or, perhaps a little less succinctly, this move could be called Holy Shit There is No Money to be Made in Metal and Touring Fucking Sucks, Why the Fucking Fuck Do You Keep Subjecting Yourself to this Crap? Which is a question every aspiring metal musician should ask him or herself, since the chances of making a living at playing music are only slightly better than the chances that you’ll be struck by lightning while receiving a wristie from Marilyn Monroe.

ANYWAY, the movie premieres at the aforementioned film festival on Friday, March 4, at 7:00pm EST at The Renaissance Auditorium (81^st Street & 37^th Ave) in Jackson Heights, NY. You can get more details, as well as tickets, here; you can also watch the trailer here and a clip here (they’re not embeddable… I guess they’re trying to keep the film a secret). I don’t think I can make it ’cause I’ll be on an airplane just hours prior, but if anyone goes, please let me know how it is. Hopefully this thing will get a DVD release or something soon so the rest of us can check it out.

Also, the press release says that Car Bomb are working on new music. That’s what they told me in 2008, too, but maybe we’ll actually get a new album before I turn eighty.

-AR

They came, they saw, and they fucking destroyed. A Life Once Lost, Car Bomb, This or the Apocalypse and Last Chance to Reason made for an awesome night of metal on Wednesday at Club Europa; big “thank you”s are in order to all the bands for coming to NYC to make our CMJ showcase a huge success.

Fred Pessaro of BrooklynVegan was on hand to capture all the rocking on film. Fred totally nailed the intense feeling of what it was like to watch A Life Once Lost and Car Bomb absolutely destroy this Polish nightclub, and he got a few lulz-worthy pics of This or the Apocalypse’s choreographed ballet stage moves. Unfortunately he didn’t catch Last Chance to Reason, but those guys came all the way from Maine and put on a phenomenal show; they have a very bright future ahead of them with Prosthetic Records. A big “thank you” is in order for Fred as well!

Check his pics after the jump.

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We regret to inform you that unfortunately recent Roadrunner signees Baptized in Blood will not be able to make their scheduled appearance at tonight’s MetalSucks / Metal Injection / 1000 Knives CMJ showcase at Club Europa in Brooklyn. According to a representative from Roadrunner, the band was denied entry to the United States at the border despite the fact that this show is a promotional appearance and not for pay.

But the show will go on! Last Chance to Reason, This or the Apocalypse, Car Bomb and A Life Once Lost will just have to step up their game, as if there was ever any worry that they wouldn’t bring it 110% anyway. Comedian Big Jay Oakerson, who is hosting the event, will be doing a little extra stand-up between bands as well. See you all out there! The show starts at 7pm and is All Ages.

Photo by Jessica Harvey

We’ve been hearing rumors about this for awhile now, but MetalSucks can now exclusively confirm that experimental prog-metal sextet Last Chance to Reason have signed with Prosthetic Records. Expect their debut for the label next year.

We’re always stoked when an awesome unsigned band finds a good home. We first saw Last Chance to Reason this summer, and their brand of techy, spacey, brutal-yet-melodic metal reminded us of a young Between the Buried and Me; we knew right away that they were something special. The dudes from Metal Injection and 1000Knives agreed, and we were all thrilled when we were able to add them to our joint CMJ Music Marathon showcase.

So this band obviously has a bright, bright future ahead of them. If you’ve never checked them out before, you can hear some of their stuff on their MySpace page. And if you live in the New York area, definitely come check them out at the aforementioned MetalSucks/Metal Injection/1000Knives CMJ Music Marathon showcase this Wednesday, October 20 at Club Europa in Brooklyn. The bill also features Car Bomb, This or the Apocalypse, Baptized in Blood, and, in their first New York appearance in eighteen months, A Life Once Lost. It’s gonna be killer. Get tickets here.

The MetalSucks/Metal Injection/1000Knives CMJ Music Marathon showcase is gonna be one of the most-fun shows of the year. (Which is why you’ve already bought a ticket, right?) All the cool kids already know that it’s A Life Once Lost’s first NYC show in eighteen months (!), and you’d have to be moron not to be excited to see those fellas once again slay The City That Never Sleeps.

But you’d have to be just as much of a moron not to be stoked to check out the four other great bands on the bill — namely, Car Bomb, This or The Apocalypse, Baptized in Blood, and Last Chance to Reason. If you’re not familiar with these bands yet, well… for shame. Get educated after the jump.

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The 2010 incarnation of the CMJ Music Marathon is almost upon us! A solid week of booze, partying and music in the streets and clubs of New York City makes us all just a little bit crazy every year, but there’s just so much fun shit happening all week that impossible not to heed its beck and call. Fortunately for you and for us, there’s plenty of metal at this year’s festival including some killer shows that aren’t even officially sanctioned by CMJ. Here’s a list of MetalSucks-approved events happening next week:

• Mon, Oct. 18: The Syndicate Conflict of Interest Party feat. Nada Surf, Reggie Watts, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. and more. Drink specials. 7pm at Club Rebel. RSVP only.
• Mon, Oct. 18: Cattle Decapitation, Son of Aurelius, Devourment, Knights of the Abyss and Burning the Masses at Santo’s Party House. 7pm, $13 advance, 18+. This is not a CMJ-sanctioned event.
• Tues, Oct. 19: Nevermore, Warbringer, Blackguard and Hatesphere at The Gramercy Theater. 6pm Doors, $32.25, tickets available here. This is not a CMJ-sanctioned event.
• Wed, Oct 20: The MetalSucks / Metal Injection / 1000 Knives Official CMJ 2010 Showcase! Featuring A Life Once Lost, Car Bomb, This or the Apocalypse, Baptized in Blood and Last Chance to Reason at Club Europa, Brooklyn. 7pm, All Ages, and tickets are only $10 (buy them here).
• Thur, Oct 21: Metal Insider’s Mosh Potatoes book release party! Release party for the forthcoming metal cookbook Mosh Potatoes and listening party for the new The Damned Things album Ironoclast, with drink specials and yummy treats of recipes from the book. Idle Hands Bar, 5-8pm. Private event (if you think you should be invited, you should know who to contact).
• Thur, Oct 21: Skateboard Marketing / Nova Entertainment CMJ Showcase featuring SuperMetal Records / Megaforce artists Misery. 5:30-7:30pm, Bowery Poetry Club. Budweiser and Jaeger drink specials. First hour is RSVP only, second hour is open to the public and CMJ badges.
• Thur, Oct 21: Doomsday Mourning, Hivesmasher, The Judas Syndrome, Fin’amor at the Charleston in Brooklyn. 7:30pm doors, show starts at 8:30pm, 21+. This is not a CMJ-sanctioned event.
• Thur, Oct 21 – Sunday, Oct 24: The Grill ‘Em All burger truck guys will be here all the way from L.A. without their truck, making special guest chef appearances at area restaurants!! Get details here.
• Fri, Oct 22: Smell the Glove Party / Holy Grail Crisis in Utopia CD Release Party at St. Jerome’s (155 Rivington). No cover, 21+, 9pm.
• Fri, Oct 22: Tee Pee Records / Metal Insider Showcase: Naam, Priestess, Quest for Fire, The Atomic Bitchwax, Mirror Queen, Hopewell, and Weird Owl. 6pm, Union Pool, Brooklyn, $10/adv and $12/dos. Tickets available here.
• Sat, Oct 23: MetalSucks and 1000 Knives present: Powerglove, Wetnurse, The Binary Code, Pack of Wolves, Meek is Murder and Batillus. Free drinks courtesy of Sailor Jerry Rum from 4-5pm, and $3 drinks after that ’til they run out! 4pm, $10, 21+.
• Sat, Oct 23: Helmet, Intronaut and Fight Amp at the Gramercy Theater. 7pm, 16+, $29 (tickets available here). This is not a CMJ-sanctioned event.
• Sat, Oct 23: Brooklyn Vegan / Black Bubblegum CMJ Showcase featuring The Body, Cough, Inter Arma, Royal Thunder + more TBA. Union Pool, Brooklyn, 7pm, $5, 21+.

Whew… it’s going to be a punishing week! See you out there.

You know we’re teaming up with our bestest buds at Metal Injection and 1000Knives to put on a showcase at this year’s CMJ Music Marathon, right? It’s on Wednesday, October 20th at Club Europa in Brooklyn, and it’s gonna be one of the best shows of the year. WE SHIT YOU NOT. Which is why we’re not surprised that you’ve already bought a ticket. And if you didn’t, well, please allow us to give you five awesome reasons why you should:

1) IT’S A LIFE ONCE LOST’S FIRST NYC SHOW IN A YEAR AND A HALF. A Life Once Lost put on an absolutely KILLER show; we’ve seen them play festivals, we’ve seen them play basements, we’ve seen them play clubs and we’ve seen them play theaters, and they have never, ever done anything less than rip our faces off, eat those faces, shit out those faces, and then affix that shit on our skulls where our faces used to go. It’s been way, way too long since they played our neck of the woods, and the venue is so scared for its own well-being that they’re enlisting some Expendables-type soldiers of fortune to work security. Seriously.

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Two things you can’t take away from metal: it is truly a brotherhood, and a DIY community. And so, inspired by Nergal’s recent battle against leukemia and his call for awareness of the need of bone marrow donors, our friend Rich Hall at 1000 Knives suggested to both us and our pals at Metal Injection that we hold a bone marrow drive at our upcoming CMJ showcase in October. We were in the process of finalizing details when we learned that some our fellow headbangers were doing the same in Stamford, CT and Los Angeles.

This is obviously a great cause that goes beyond just Nergal; it would be terrific if one of these drives found him a donor, but, really, he’s just the inspiration here, and it’s the chance to save a life, period. Get all the details on all three drives after the jump. And if you’re organizing another one in your area, please let us know and we’ll add it to this list.

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Holy shit… is it really almost time for CMJ again? The ever shorter days, dimming sunlight and declining temperatures tell me that it is… but it’s still kinda hard to believe summer has just about passed us by. Thankfully not all is bad in the forecast; there’s a killer slate of fall metal tours on the horizon, and, as this post’s headline would suggest, our very own CMJ Music Marathon showcase!

MetalSucks, Metal Injection and 1000Knives have teamed up for what is sure to be the marquee metal show at this year’s CMJ Music Marathon in New York City. To be held on Wednesday, October 20th at Club Europa in Brooklyn, the showcase will feature a mix of metal veterans and up-and-coming metal talent. Headlining the bill will be A Life Once Lost in what will be their first NYC appearance in a year and a half. Relapse Records experimental metallers Car Bomb will also bring their brutal brand of metal to the bill, along with metalcore up-and-comers This Or the Apocalypse (Good Fight), new Roadrunner Records thrash signees Baptized in Blood, and progressive hotshots Last Chance to Reason.

There’s no question about it: this is the metal event to be at this CMJ (which spans from October 19th through the 23rd). Tickets are $10, doors are at 7pm, and the show is All Ages.

I’ve been dying to see Gojira do a full headlining set for a long time now, but said desire increased a hundred fold after I watched them pretty much blow In Flames off the stage back in December. Seriously: anyone who says the French are weaklings has never seen this band live. Because they will crush you. Crush your balls.

So. Looks like I’ll get my chance to see Gojira play for at least an hour this spring, when they’re doing a headlining trek with The Chariot and Car Bomb as support. I’m honestly not that familiar with The Chariot’s music, but I do know that Norma Jean started their descent into being the world’s most boring band after Josh Scogin left the fold; and Car Bomb are the tits. And even if you don’t like either of those bands, well, have I mention that FUCKING GOJIRA WILL CRUSH YOUR FUCKING BALLS?!?

Tour dates after the jumperooni.

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Here’s the thing about Ray Mazzola, vocalist for New York’s own Full Blown Chaos: the guy has a natural born gift for storytelling. I learned this back in February, when I was lucky enough to be invited to dinner with the members of Soilent Green, music video auteur extraordinaire David Brodsky, and Allie Woest, Brodsky’s partner/producer/sometimes editor/general right hand. Full Blown Chaos were on a temporary hiatus from touring at the time (a hiatus which, their fans will be pleased to know, is now over), and so Ray joined us, and within seconds of sitting at the table, he was trading war stories from the road with Soilent Green/Crowbar drummer Tommy Buckley. And, as nice a guy as Buckley is and as many good stories as he had to tell, he just couldn’t keep up with Ray; I won’t repeat any of Ray’s stories second hand ’cause I could never do them justice, so I’ll just say that I can never again hear Napalm Death’s “The Code is Red” without bursting into hysterical laughter.

So after dinner I interviewed Soilent Green guitarist Brian Patton (and some of the dudes from Car Bomb, who also showed up at some point), and then Ray was cool enough to sit down and let me pick his brain for a little while – and to share one of his special stories with our readers. To say that the story is a doozy would be to put it mildly. Little wonder this dude is such a charismatic front man.

Above, watch the David Brodsky-directed video for Full Blown Chaos’ “Halos for Heroes,” from their album Heavy Lies the Crown; after the jump, read the full transcript of my conversation with Ray.

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New York’s own Car Bomb are one of those bands that completely defy simple labeling; their music combines elements of math, tech, grind, death, hardcore, punk, prog, sludge, jazz, and probably a million other subgenres. Clearly, these guys have no interest in conforming to current trends or aping what’s come before them; they’re here to knock down doors and bust open some heads.

Car Bomb are currently in the middle of writing their follow-up to last year’s Relapse debut, Centralia, which they hope to be able to release later this year. I recently had the chance to sit down with bassist Jon Modell and drummer Elliot Hoffman mere hours after they finished one such writing session to get a quick update on how it’s going. Read the full transcript after the jump. Click to read more…