In November, Devin Townsend will film a pair of shows in London for DVD release. That live stuff will be full bonerz to watch, but I hope that the set includes a ton of Oh Say Can You Scream-style Townsend hijinks/nerdery. Y’know, the type of caged Canadian heat depicted in Townsend’s new “dumb little tour vid” (above). It’s worth like fifty yuks though only a few minutes long and completely confined to one drive (Vancouver to L.A.?) on the tour with Children of Bodom, Septicflesh, and Obscura. Watch and you’ll be in the mood for a good bro-job.

-ADF

The sexy Children of Bodom tour with Devin Townsend Project, Septicflesh, and Obscura starts Thursday in West Hollywood (dates here). Double rainbows, brah.

Holy shit, this is the biggest release day of the summer so far. Tons of good stuff from Devin Townsend, The Black Dahlia Murder, Helms Alee, Sourvein, Jungle Rot , and more.

Also, some stuff that just sucks.

Click to read more…

Tomorrow brings the release of a number of highly anticipated new releases, four of which are now streaming online if you wanna check ‘em out before you purchase ‘em:

Click to read more…

When I heard about the Dream Theater-shaped hole in the life of drummer Mike Portnoy back in September, I wanted to pitch him on my long-gestating idea to form a killer Jellyfish cover band. I bet he’d be into it cuz of his Jellyfish super-fandom (he has cited 1993′s Spilt Milk as a top ten favorite album); and he’s a pro at pulling together all-star jams, like his awesomely fun tributes to The Who, The Beatles, and Led Zeppelin with guys like Paul Gilbert, Jason McMaster, and Dave LaRue; and lastly, The Ghosts At Number One (that’s my vote for our band name) could serve as a totally non-cynical tribute to another hardcore Jellyfish fan, the late Dimebag Darrell Abbott. And what better way to hip headbangers to irresistible non-metal jams? How could Mike say no to that? Can I call him Mike?

But, shit, while I was dicking around, gobbling drugs, and failing to corner, pressure, and/or threaten Portnoy about the Jellyfish idea, he teamed with qualified musicians he knows who actually, like, realize their ideas. Even if those ideas aren’t so great. Symphony X singer Russell Allen talks about Adrenaline Mob, one of Portnoy’s new bands:

Click to read more…

If you haven’t entered our super-awesome Obscura vape contest yet, well, there’s still time — but only just barely!!! We’ve gotten some ridiculously good entries, including an entire YouTube video that someone made in order to best demonstrate their own outer-space smoking device. The competition is fierce, but you can still throw your hat in the ring!!!

Get all the details on how to enter (and more about what you can win!) here. Entries are due one week from today — that’s June 17, numbskull — so make sure you don’t let the clock run out on you!

And DO NOT FORGET that Obscura are heading out on their awesome tour with Children of Bodom, Devin Townsend, and Septicflesh starting June 24. Get dates here.

-Axl, Vince, and Everyone at MetalSucks

Photo by Andrew Lipovsky

It will surprise no one to learn that our Top 25 Modern Metal Guitarists Readers’ Poll basically came down to a race between Devin Townsend and Between the Buried and Me’s Paul Waggoner, a.k.a. “The Two Omissions About Which MS Readers Seemed the Most Distraught.” But in the end it wasn’t even close — as of this writing, Heavy Devy has an impressive 86 votes, not nearly enough to overtake Waggoner’s 116 votes.

In any case, they’re both great guitarists — as are pretty much all the candidates you folks selected — and it was a painful choice to cut them both from the list, so we’re only too pleased to see you, our beloved MetalSucks Maniacs, give them some love.

Now, to celebrate his victory, here’s a video of Waggoner tracking his solo from “Selkies”:

-Axl, Vince, and Everyone at MetalSucks

[via Badass]

So the three-day weekend kinda threw our schedule out of whack; you may have noticed that we still haven’t finished announcing the line-up for our Magical Mystery Tour, and we didn’t get to finish our list of The Top 25 Modern Metal Guitarists, either. Both of those blessed events will go down next week, though, when we’re back for a full five days! So get stoked.

In the meantime, let’s review all the fun we managed to pack into this week’s abbreviated set:

• We debuted new music from four bands signed to Black Market Activities — Ed Gein, Engineer, Fit For An Autopsy, and Khann — as well as new music from Bloodlights.
• We spoke to some guy named Devin Townsend.
• Woods of Ypres’ Shane Madden continued his exclusive tour blog for us.
• We checked out the latest release from Autopsy.
• We celebrated the amazing amazingness that is the album art for Opeth’s Heritage.
• We were not surprised to learn that Emmure’s Frankie Palmeri is completely lacking in originality.
• We wondered if metal is a movement of the youth, inapplicable in its rebellion and ferocity to us olds.
• We made the case for the movie Jennifer’s Body as an underrated cinemetal masterpiece.
• We actually had something nice to say about Limp Bizkit (sort of).
• We introduced you to the future of appliancecore.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone. You will always be at the forefront of our thoughts, dreams, and prayers.

-AR

Devin Townsend has so much explaining to do. As a tireless songwriter and producer, he’s set to release two albums on June 21, Ghost and Deconstruction, to complete the Devin Townsend Project cycle that he started with 2009′s Ki and Addicted. That’s four full-length records, 43 songs, and 260 minutes of music unleashed over about two years. But for Townsend, discussion goes beyond song ideas and his exhaustive studio work required to bring them to life; he could talk all day and yet only touch on the subjects of touring, sales, and modern music industry calamity; and, shit, his back catalogue is too huge and varied to even approach in a Q&A of any reasonable length.

You see, being a modern musician and being Devin Townsend are not the same thing. Sure, he grinds out records and then tours like everybody. However, our latest MetalSucks interview with Townsend reveals an artist unbound by the limits of imagination, but pretty aware of averse reactions to his art; his self-expression is total and unapologetic — until fans and media misinterpret him or disapprove of his humor. He’s confident as a person, but shakeable as a virtuosic guitar player, a theater and puppet enthusiast, and a production wiz. He lets no truth about his world go unexpressed, beit via the hair-raising cacophony of Deconstruction (think Strapping Young Lad’s Alien: The Ride) or Ghost‘s murmuring calm. He puts himself out there all the way; now, let him explain why.

Click to read more…

Everyone whose parents raised them correctly loves Gojira, and so everyone whose parents raised them correctly has been eagerly anticipating the band’s seemingly-forever-in-gestation Sea Shepherd EP since, well, seemingly forever.

But now it looks like we might actually be getting close to its unveiling! Last week we got to hear a new song, “Of Blood and Salt,” which features guest appearances from Meshuggah’s Fredrik Thordendal and Devin Townsend’s Devin Townsend; now Gojira’s guitarist/vocalist/mastermind, Joe Duplantier, has given an interview with Metal Hammer in which he reveals that Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe (who previously appeared on the group’s “Adoration for None”), In Flames’ Anders Friden, and some dude named Max Cavalera are all going to appear on the release, too.

Click to read more…

If you’re American, you already know it’s Memorial Day weekend, and, in fact, you’re probably either already on your way to the beach/a BBQ/a terrible summer movie/whatever, and are reading this after it was published. If you’re not American, all you really need to know is that we’re breaking out right now, and won’t be here on Monday. Usual tomfoolery will resume on Tuesday, May 31.

In the meantime, here’s how we kept busy this week:

• We debuted new music from Job for a Cowboy, Tombs, Unearth, and Vaulting.
• We spoke to Neil Fallon from Clutch.
• We continued to unveil our list of The Top 25 Modern Metal Guitarists.
• We checked out the latest releases from Dark Castle and Embers.
• Sergeant D. examined comedy metal.
• Leyla Ford examined Lady GaGa’s metal-ness.
• Anso wondered if Slayer pinball is better than recent Slayer albums.
• We got really excited about the new Gojira song.
• We got less excited about the new Bury Your Dead song.
• We watched you folks debated about the new Trivium song.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I am going to put these tips for using the toilet to good use before I head out for the weekend. See ya Tuesday!

-AR

I’m disrupting our usual posting schedule because some things are just too damn important to wait until tomorrow. And, clearly, this is one of those things.

It seems like forever now that we’ve been hearing about a new Gojira EP, the proceeds of which would benefit anti-whaling organization Sea Shepherd. And we knew that the EP would feature “guests from the international metal community.” Now one of those songs, “Of Blood and Salt,” featuring two of those guests — some dudes named Devin Townsend and Fredrik Thordendal (What a letdown, Gojira. Whassa matter? Dio and Hendrix weren’t available?) — is scheduled to be released with a sampler that will accompany next week’s issue of Metal Hammer. This being 2011, though, the song is already on YouTube. You can listen below.

Do I even have to tell you it’s awesome? It’s classic Gojira — I mean, I think at least 95% of the song consists of a massive elephants marching riff. Add a little Devy and Thordendal (I assume that’s him playing the guitar solo, although I could be wrong) and, well… get ready to have a six and a half minute orgasm.

Hopefully the EP will have an official release date soon. Meanwhile, keep in mind that Gojira’s Joe Duplantier appears on the song “Sumeria” on The Devin Townsend Project’s new album, Deconstruction, which comes out on June 21 via InsideOut.

-AR

Thanks to everyone who e-mailed us about this.

Devin Townsend is giving away two new songs for free download — the first from his new album Ghost, the second from his other new album, Deconstruction — here. All you have to do it tell your Facebook buddies how much you like Devin, which they probably already know but hey fine okay whatevs.

I’m not even sure which songs he’s giving away, ’cause it don’t say on the page and I already have the albums (Who wants to fucking touch me?!?) so re-downloading these songs seems silly. But it doesn’t matter. Whichever two songs it is, it’s totally worth it, and you need to go download them right now.

Both of Heavy Devy’s new albums will be out June 21 via InsideOut.

-AR

In an apparent effort to weed out his most King of Comedy-fucknuts fan (Hey, it’s actually not me!), Devin Townsend is selling his old spatula on eBay.

As of this writing, bidding on this most prized of kitchen utensils is up to a hundred bucks. That’s a hundred bucks for a used, burned spatula. About ninety-five dollars more than anyone would ever pay for a new spatula. Just because Devin Townsend, like, touched it.

Click to read more…

So, yeah, 4/20 might have been last week, but better late than never — we have an awesome weed-themed contest for you!

Above you see a photo of an awesome, ONE OF A KIND, Silver Surfer-produced, Obscura vaporizer, with a retail value of $600. And we’re just gonna give it away to one lucky winner! Plus, oh yeah, some copies of Obscura’s orgasm-inducingly good new album, Omnivium (out now on Relapse — order one here!), and some sweet Obscura merch, too.

Here’s how you win:

• Anytime between now and June 17 — one week before Obscura kick off their most excellent summer tour with Children of Bodom, Devin Townsend, and Septicflesh — send an e-mail to MetalSucks with “OBSCURA VAPE CONTEST” in the subject line.
• In the e-mail, include a design for a weed smoking device that would be ideal for use in outer space (in keeping with the theme of Obscura’s album art for both Omnivium and Cosmogenesis). How you present that design is entirely up to you — you can just describe it (but be colorful… this is MetalSucks, not your high school science fair), or send in a drawing, a diagram, pictures of a sculpture, or, if you really wanna go for the gold, a photo of an actual working unit.
• OBSCURA THEMSELVES (!!!) WILL JUDGE THE WINNERS, which we’ll announce just before they kick off the aforementioned most excellent tour.
• One grand-prize winner will get the vape (including a soft carrier and all necessary accessories — e.g. a glass blower, tube, etc.), a copy of Omnivium, and an Obscura t-shirt.
• Two runners-up will get a copy of Omnivium and an Obscura t-shirt.
• Unlike so many of our contests, this one is actually open to fans from around the world! In part because the vape actually has European voltage/wiring, which means non-Europeans will have to purchase a converter

And that’s it! We’re really stoked on this contest — remember, this is a one of a kind vaporizer that you cannot get anywhere else – so get crackin’! The more creative your entry, the better your chances of winning. Good luck!

And after the jump, check out more pics of the vaporizer in question, plus get tour dates for that Children of Bodom/Devin Townsend/Obscura/Septicflesh tour!

Click to read more…

Last month Heavy Devy unveiled the album art for Ghost, the soft, purdy, tongue-bath-from-a-tall-Canandian album in The Devin Townsend Project’s four-record cycle; now he’s unveiled the cover art for Deconstruction, its heavier-than-a-really-heavy-thing counterpart. It’s some real nutty shit, but that’s totally appropriate for the album, which is also completely fucking bonkers. Check it out below…

Both Ghost and Deconstruction come out June 20 on InsideOut Music. I don’t know why it’s taken us so long to gloat, but, yes, we’ve heard them, and, yes, you are going to need a mammoth box of tissues to clean up all the splooge.

-AR

It’s been almost a month since Devin Townsend spilled the beans that he was doing a summer tour with Children of Bodom — and now that tour has finally and officially been announced. That’s already a super-sexy package, but Obscura and Septicflesh are on the bill, too, which makes these shows downright unmissable.

And there’s really not much else to say, is there? It’s almost impossible for me to believe that any metal fan doesn’t love at least 75% of this bill.

Here are dates…

Click to read more…

Someday I hope to be invited to trade shows in Germany to rant about blogging and/or metal, but until then I’ll have to live vicariously through Devin Townsend who seems to have achieved go-to status when it comes to International Metal Man of Mystery. During a recent performance at Musikmesse in Frankfurt, Germany, a trade show described as “the world’s most international fair for musical instruments, sheet music, music production and marketing… for over 25 years,” [I thought that distinction belonged to NAMM, but ok] Devin decided to play 5 minutes of the title track of Deconstruction, the 4th album in the 4-part Devin Townsend Project album suite that’s being released simultaneously with the 3rd part, Ghost, on June 24th.

Thanks to some hot-shot amateur videographer, we too can enjoy  5 minutes of brand new Devin. Not a bad way to start your week:

I especially enjoy Devin’s explanation prior to the track… seems like Deconstruction‘s lyrical content will embody some of the silly Devin of old. Not a bad way to start your week.

-VN

Thanks: Dean Thomson

‘Cause that’s when not one but TWO new Devin Townsend albums, Deconstruction and Ghost, get released… at least in Europe. No word on release dates elsewhere, although hopefully his label, InsideOut Music, will recognize that having different international release dates in 2011 is completely fucktarded.

SO. FUCKING. EXCITED.

-AR

From Devin’s Twitter feed, via MS readers Jonathan Delarosa and Sean Williams. Puuuuurdy.

Carry on.

-VN

I’m gonna keep this short because HOLY SHIT IT’S NEW DEVIN TOWNSEND MUSIC, so you really don’t care what I have to say (fuck, I don’t care what I have to say about this). At NAMM earlier this year, Heavy Devy performed some new music, including the song “Feather.” Now the actual studio recording of the song (or last a version of it — this one is labeled “edit,” but it’s almost nine minutes long, so, uh, I guess the song is really long?) has appeared on a Century Media compilation that, according to the YouTube description included with the below video, was “handed out at the recent DTP shows in Europe.” But all that really matters is WE ALL GET TO LISTEN TO A BEAUTIFUL NEW DEVIN TOWNSEND STUDIO TRACK. See? Aren’t ya glad ya got outta bed this morning?

“Feather” will appear on The Devin Townsend Project’s Ghost, which should be out this summer on InsideOut.

-AR

Thanks: Drew Webb