It’s funny to me how modern pop music is basically just re-hashed early/mid ’90s dance music ala La Bouche, Bizarre Inc., Everything But the Girl, etc. Apparently this group LMFAO makes a living on these recycled beats, kinda like the Black Eyed Peas and Katy Perry do… um, ok, if you say so! It’s what the kids are listening to.

Decrepit Birth drummer Sam “Samus” Paulicelli decided to have a little fun at LMFAO’s expense and recorded a drum cover of “I’m Sexy and I Know It.” I love this drum cover — it’s fun — but I LOVE LOVE those pants Samus is wearing. I’d like to see him wear those at a Decrepit Birth show. So br00tal, so tr00!

Warning: there are some gratuitous shots of a dude flopping his dick n’ balls around behind boxer briefs… technically not NSFW, but gross nevertheless.

-VN

Thanks: Fuzzy Dunlop

Decapitated’s MetalSucks-sponsored Carnival is Forever Tour with Decrepit Birth, Fleshgod Apocalypse, and Rings of Saturn hasn’t made it to New York yet, but I’ve heard nothing but good things — not shocking, given the line-up. A reader recently e-mailed me to say that he’d nearly broken his neck in the pit, and I always take near-death experiences as the sign of a good show. So, yeah, you need to go to this.

But in case you were somehow not convinced, you should check Sick Drummer‘s below drum cam footage of Decapitated skinsman Krihm playing the song “Pest” from Decapitated’s recent comeback album/the tour’s namesake/one of the best albums of 2011, Carnival is Forever. ‘Cause rarely is the phrase “Sick Drummer” as appropriate as when applied to Krihm.

I mean that’s so good it’s just silly, right?

Here are remaining dates on the trek:

Click to read more…

As those of you who have attended the first four nights of the MetalSucks-sponsored “Carnival is Forever Tour” featuring Decapitated have probably already noticed, The Haarp Machine haven’t been in attendance. It’s yet another example of a band from abroad not being able to get their U.S. work visas in time. Getting visas must seem simple to those who haven’t been through the process, as you’d think these bands have plenty of time to prepare. But let us tell you, even with several months notice and paid experts helping out, these things get caught up in bureaucratic red tape all too often as there are several government offices the applications need to pass through. Our government does not make it easy, unfortunately. Most of all this sucks for The Haarp Machine, who probably already booked and paid for flights, gear rental, van rental, etc, and now have to forfeit a good portion of that money.

Anyway, fear not: the tour is trucking on as planned for Decapitated, who still have the most-excellent lineup of Decrepit Birth, Fleshgod Apocalypse and Rings of Saturn in tow. Remaining dates after the jump.

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HELL YES. As previously announced, MetalSucks is proud to present the 2011 Carnival is Forever North American tour, Decapitated’s first headlining tour since releasing their mind-blowingly good comeback album, Carnival is Forever, this summer. And while the chance to see the always-incredible Decapitated alone should be enough to get your ass to a show, just to make extra, extra sure that this tour absolutely crushes, the band is brining along fellow death metal luminaries Decrepit Birth, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Rings of Saturn, and The Haarp Machine for the ride.

And the tour starts TONIGHT in Rochester. This bill is unfuckwithable, and there is absolutely no way these shows aren’t gonna be SICK. Check out the complete itinerary after the jump and make sure you don’t miss your chance to go, ’cause you will seriously never forgive yourself if you do miss it.

Now here are those tour dates again:

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Here’s some news which ought to absolutely make your day: MetalSucks is proud to present the 2011 Carnival is Forever North American tour, Decapitated’s first headlining tour since releasing their mind-blowingly good comeback album, Carnival is Forever, last month. And while the chance to see the always-incredible Decapitated alone should be enough to get your ass to a show, just to make extra, extra sure that this tour absolutely crushes, the band is brining along fellow death metal luminaries Decrepit Birth, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Rings of Saturn, and The Haarp Machine for the ride.

Yep. This tour is unfuckwithable. There is absolutely no way these shows aren’t gonna be SICK.

The tour kicks off in September. Get a full list of dates after the jump!

Click to read more…

I pride myself on being open minded, so it is very important to me that I consider both sides of an issue before I decide what I think about something! For example, I have always thought that “melodic metal” was a very confusing idea. To me, melody and metal are like oil and water: no common ground. In fact, I have always thought of them as polar opposites — it was always my basic rule that if a song is melodic, then it is by definition not metal.

That said, I know that not everybody feels the same about this as I do, so I thought that I should look into this issue a little more. I don’t like to make snap judgments, so in the interest of intellectual honestly I intend to take a FAIR AND BALANCED LOOK at MELODY IN METAL! In this post, I will share a few examples of both successful and unsuccessful uses of melody and let YOU be the judge — WE REPORT, YOU DECIDE!

You tell me: is there a place for melody in metal????

Click to read more…

In the first installment of “OLD BANDS U MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT“, I shared a bunch of old bands that I like. Instead of coming up with a new description, I will just reuse the old one:

When I am not trolling simple-minded, entry-level elitists, I enjoy the soothing, dulcet tones of some classic thrash or death metal. I am definitely not any kind of metal encyclopedia or authority on the subject, but I have realized that (sadly) I’m old enough to have heard a few bands that many younger metal fans have not, just because I have been exposed to a lot of bands over the years — sort of like an ancient desert tortoise who is not a historian, but has seen history unfold before his eyes simply because he is old as fuck. Because I enjoy giving back to my community, I will share some of my favorite older bands in case any of you might like them. If you want to hate on me, that’s OK, too, so feel free to tell me I’m a poser, that everybody already knows about these bands, that I got some trivial detail wrong, or whatever else you think makes you “sound like u rly know what ur talking about.”

With that out of the way, here’s volume 2!

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For some reason, internet metal nerds love to talk about drummers, even if they themselves do not play drums. Whether it’s “Who has the fastest double bass/blastbeats?”, “Should I use one bass drum or two?” or “What does Pete Sandoval’s drum throne smell like?”, there are few things more tiresome than the topic of metal drumming. What that in mind, in this post I will put the discussion of this topic to rest forever by conclusively saying all that there is to say about metal drumming. After this post has been published, anyone who still debates these points is as foolish, ignorant and stubborn as people who believe the Earth is flat or that God exists. So if you have anything to say, say it now, because this is it — this is your chance to become part of the moment in which we closed the door on dorky, redundant debates about metal drumming.

This is THE FINAL WORD on metal drumming!!!!

Click to read more…

There’s really almost nothing to say about a tour headlined by Suffocation and featuring The Faceless, Through the Eyes of the Dead, Decrepit Birth, and Fleshgod Apocalypse, other than, “Where can I buy a ticket?” Kind of amazingly, I still haven’t seen TTEOTD live yet, and I’m not even sure that Fleshgod Apocalypse, who are Eye-talian, have ever played North America before; but I can vouch that the other three bands all crush testicles live, and based on how much I enjoy their recordings, I’d like to believe that the other two bands will as well.

This is pretty much a perfect line-up. No dates have been announced yet, but you should fall to your knees and pray that the tour is coming to your town.

More as we get it.

-AR

Mazel tov to Katherine Hsueh, who correctly identified last week’s logo as belonging to Aborted Jesus Milkshake. (How do you like your aborted Jesus milkshake? I like mine with just a little bit of peanut butter mixed in.) Katherine wins her choice of whatever the fuck we have lying around the Mansion right now. Check your e-mail for a list of choices, Katherine!

This week we’re back to giving away a really real prize — specifically, five (!) copies of Decrepit Birth‘s kick-ass new album, Polarity, courtesy the nice people at Nuclear Blast. In his review, my colleague Sammy O’Hagar said that Decrepit Birth are “like no other band I’ve heard before,” which is high praise indeed. You can order the album here, or, of course, you can just try your luck with this contest.

All you gots to do to win is identify the name of the band whose logo appears below, then shoot me an e-mail at axl AT metalsucks DOT net with your answer, your name, and your address. ALL ENTRIES WITHOUT AN ADDRESS WILL BE DISQUALIFIED. From everyone who gets it right, we’ll randomly select five winners and announce their names next week.

This week’s logo was suggested by longtime reader David Foust, and is pretty hard I think. But the prize is really sweet, so I felt like y’all had to earn it. Sorry!

-AR

Holy shit, is it seriously August already? It’s gonna start getting cold soon. Motherfucker. Here’s what we did this week when we should have been enjoying the sunshine and fresh air:

• We’re streaming Dementia/Dyslexia, the Metal Blade debut of Fleshwrought,  a new project from Animosity/Animals as Leaders’ Navene Koperweis and Job for a Cowboy’s Jonny Davy.
• We debuted an EPK for Iron Thrones’ The Wretched Sun.
• We also debuted “Fear, Emptiness, Decibel,” a new column from the editors of our favorite metal rag.
• We had a little beard on beard action with Andy Williams from Every Time I Die and Liam Wilson from The Dillinger Escape Plan. We also spoke to Avenged Sevenfold’s Johnny Christ, The Dillinger Escape Plan’s Jeff Tuttle and Pathology’s Dave Astor.
• We checked out the latest releases from Chimaira and Decrepit Birth.
• We schooled Korn’s Jonathan Davis on the BP Oil Spill.
• We questioned the sincerity of Max Cavalera’s claim that his collaboration with Fred Durst is all Ross Robinson’s fault.
• We questioned Glenn Danzig’s sanity. Again.
• We got pissy that Eddie’s not on the cover of the new Maiden album.
• We got boners watching 72 minutes of pro-shot Gojira footage.
• We did not get boners looking at Emmure noodz.
• We found the best bass player in the history of forever-ever-ever.

We’ll be hanging out at the Summer Slaughter show this Sunday here in NYC; if you spot us, please bring us presents. We like presents. Thanks.

-AR

Just in time for us to hit up Summer Slaughter on Sunday, Noisecreep has debuted the video for “Resonance,” from Decrepit Birth’s new Nuclear Blast release, Polarity (read Sammy O’Hagar’s glowing review here). And it’s a pretty sweet video. I think the editing could use a little more energy, but I like how it’s show. Also, the song crushes.

Like I just implied, Decrepit Birth are currently on the MetalSucks co-sponsored Summer Slaughter tour, along with Decapitated, The Red Chord, The Faceless, All Shall Perish, Veil of Maya, Cephalic Carnage, Animals as Leaders, Vital Remains, and Carnifex. Get dates and details here.

-AR

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Sometimes bands sound better on paper than they do in execution. The allure of “a combination of X with Y + brutal death metal = THE GREATEST BAND YOU WILL EVER HEAR!” is pretty impossible to dismiss at first, but once the reality sinks in — that, yes, the band combines these elements, but for no particular reason — they become easy to ignore. Decrepit Birth appear to be this kind of band, what with combining melodic death metal, brutal tech-death, and prog in equal parts. But even though their last album, Diminishing Between Worlds, occasionally tilted into the territory of riff salad, the combination felt more organic than novelty. The impressive thing was that while there was no shortage of palatable, melodic riffs, they were also alarmingly heavy.

The band’s latest, Polarity, is where all that gels. Moving beyond the “OMG!” factor of being a successful hybrid of several genres, Polarity is the sound of a band coming into its own. Decrepit Birth are way better in reality than they are on paper, which is really saying something.

Click to read more…

We don’t like Carnifex — in fact, we think they’re the only blemish on the otherwise pristine Summer Slaughter line-up — but we know at lot of you do really like Carnifex. Because you e-mail us about them. Constantly.

So here’s the band’s new video, for “Sorrowspell,” which sounds like the name of a pagan metal band but whatever. I think it’s a pretty standard performance clip, but, again, I’m really only posting it to remind you about Summer Slaughter, which is currently underway, also includes Decapitated, The Faceless, All Shall Perish, The Red Chord, Veil of Maya, Cephalic Carnage, Decrepit Birth, Animals as Leaders, and Vital Remains, and is, oh yeah, partially sponsored by us. Get dates here.

-AR

Yes, YES, YES!!! Talk about an awesome way to kick off the weekend. Cephalic Carnage have given the world its first taste of their new album, Misled by Certainty, in the form of “Abraxas of Filth,” which you can stream here. It’s awesome. From its opening notes I knew it was awesome, but then it just got more and more awesome, and then it exploded in a mushroom cloud of awesomeness. Well, awesomeness and weed smoke. I mean, you don’t listen to Cephalic Carnage sober, do you? I don’t think they’d want you to do that.

Holy shit. Listening to the song for a third time now, and it just keeps getting better and better. Go check it out already.

Misled by Certainty is out August 31 on Relapse, and is now avail for pre-order. And don’t forget that the band will be on the MetalSucks co-sponsored Summer Slaughter tour, along with Decapitated, The Faceless, All Shall Perish, The Red Chord, Veil of Maya, Decrepit Birth, Animals as Leaders, Vital Remains, and Carnifex. The trek kicks off next week! Dates here.

-AR

It was just Monday that I was saying how stoked I am to hear Decrepit Birth’s new album, Polarity, and now the band are streaming a track from that forthcoming release, “(A Departure Of The Sun) Ignite The Tesla Coil.”

And it’s sssssssiiiicccckkk. Technical and proggy and just as shove-a-fist-up-your-enemy’s-ass-and-rip-out-his-intestines brutal as you’d expect from, well, any band that would call itself “Decrepit Birth.” And none of what I’ve just written is news to DB fans, but, y’know. Now there’s more of it! And it seems a lot “er,” too. As in, “proggier,” “heavier,” “betterer,” etc. So check that shit out and let us know what you think.

Polarity comes out July 27 on Nuclear Blast. Cutting and pasting from myself on Monday: Decrepit Birth will be part of the MetalSucks co-sponsored Summer Slaughter tour, along with Decapitated, The Red Chord, The Faceless, All Shall Perish, Veil of Maya, Cephalic Carnage, Animals as Leaders, Vital Remains, and Carnifex. Get dates and details here.

-AR

The Deciblog unveiled the cover art for the new Decrepit Birth album, Polarity, this past Friday evening, and, y’know… it’s Dan Seagrave. He has a very distinct style, which you either dig or do not dig. Personally, I think it’s pretty cool, and it makes me that much more excited to hear the record.

Polarity comes out July 27 on Nuclear Blast. And don’t forget that Decrepit Birth will be part of the MetalSucks co-sponsored Summer Slaughter tour – a.k.a. “The only can’t-miss summer festival this year” – along with Decapitated, The Red Chord, The Faceless, All Shall Perish, Veil of Maya, Cephalic Carnage, Animals as Leaders, Vital Remains, and Carnifex. Get dates and details here.

-AR

[UPDATE: Some dates have been changes since the above poster was released. Updated cities and venues after the jump.]

A lot of you thought that the “big surprise” we hinted at last week was the announcement of Summer Slaughter 2010 dates. By now it’s obvious that that wasn’t the big surprise, but lucky for you we’ve got Summer Slaughter dates today anyway!

In case you somehow missed the news, the MetalSucks co-sponsored Summer Slaughter tour is without a doubt THE metal package tour to be at this summer with a lineup that’s sexier than Sammy O’Hagar and Kip W. having an orgy with the MS Mansion Monkeys. Decapitated, The Faceless, All Shall Perish, The Red Chord, Veil of Maya, Cephalic Carnage, Decrepit Birth, Animals as Leaders, Vital Remains… and, uh, Carnifex… will be taking the U.S. by storm this July and August. We’re beyond stoked for this lineup, and you should be too.

Dates are after the jump.

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Summer Slaughter is without a doubt the best metal tour hitting the U.S. pavement this Summer. The 100% confirmed, official lineup, which MetalSucks exclusively can reveal to you now, is…

DECAPITATED
THE FACELESS
ALL SHALL PERISH
THE RED CHORD
VEIL OF MAYA
CEPHALIC CARNAGE
DECREPIT BIRTH
CARNIFEX
ANIMALS AS LEADERS
VITAL REMAINS

I mean… wow. That lineup is unbelievably sexy and unfuckwithable. There isn’t a single band I could skip seeing other than Carnifex, and we gather many of you will feel the exact same way. There’s no doubt about it: Summer Slaughter is by far the best metal tour of Summer 2010. Rockstar Mayhem is lame, Ozzsharonfest is surely gonna be lame, and “The Cool Tour” is uh, not cool at all save a couple of bands. Comments tour founder and booking agent Ash Avildsen on how Summer Slaughter fits in (or doesn’t) with this Summer’s other metal tours: “I don’t think those tours really compete for many of the same fans as Summer Slaughter. This is focused on underground extreme metal rather than mainstream metal. All of our shows also have air conditioning.” Hooray for air conditioning!

The lineup is a shade younger than in years past, but young bands like The Faceless, Veil of Maya and Animals as Leaders are ones that are more likely to appeal to an older crowd than, say, Born of Osiris would. Avildsen knows exactly what he’s doing: “It’s a much younger line up this year, rather than a lot of older bands in the headlining positions. Tickets will be much cheaper for this same reason, coming in at under $20 in advance almost everywhere with the exception of LA and NYC. Most will be $18.” And it’s cheap, too… extra bonus.

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It might only be the beginning of 2010, but artist and Monstrosity vocalist Mike Hrubovcak is already stoked to know that the metal-minded artwork he’s done for the likes of Decrepit Birth, Braindrill, Rumpelstiltskin Grinder, Aurora Borealis, and Azure Emote (another criminally underrated, Hrubovcak-fronted band) will be featured in an upcoming Hollywood production with plenty of star power to go around.

Dream House, a Universal/Morgan Creek film helmed by Jim Sheridan and starring Daniel Craig, Rachel Weisz, and Naomi Watts, will hit theaters in 2011 and has a plot that’s fitting enough for Hrubovcak’s artwork: a family (Weisz and Craig) move into a new home to find out about a brutal slaying there earlier in its history, while the neighbor (Watts) is the only person able to lend any hint that the husband who allegedly killed his wife and children there may not be dead. Not only is it great exposure for Hrubovcak — who works as a graphic designer for an “adult novelty” company by day, as an artist using oil, airbrush, and photo manipulation for some of metal’s most brutal bands (with cover art to match) by night, and still finds time to participate in Monstrosity, Vile, and a host of other projects — but it’s great for metal. Where else can metalheads hope to see artwork from gruesome metal bands at the movies?

Hrubovcak’s VisualDarkness website has a ton of samples of his past works in his portfolio to check out, but for the uninitiated, the man’s done artwork for bands like Chainsaw Dissection, Fecal God, and XXX Maniak – so you should pretty much know what to expect.

Hrubovcak took some time to talk with MetalSucks about an upcoming showcasing of some of his works, how he deals with having so much on his plate, and zombies. Oh, come on, you knew that was coming.

Click to read more…