The Revolver Golden Gods Awards will air on VH1 later this month (or something… I know we got a press release but I was too lazy to read it), and it will be interesting to see that, because I was there, but I didn’t actually see very much of the show. I saw the schmuck from Asking Alexandria drop his mic two seconds into “Youth Gone Wild,” and I saw some of Avenged Sevenfold’s performances with Duff McKagan and Vinnie Paul, and I saw enough of Chris Jericho performing “For Whom the Bell Tolls” to consider throwing myself over the balcony and ending the awards in spectacular fashion (sometimes, sacrifices must be made for the greater good). But by and large I was too busy snorting coke in the bathroom with a girl who fucking swore to me that it wasn’t a herpes sore that lying bitch! to be bothered.

So one thing I had absolutely no idea even transpired was the below montage paying tribute to the five guys who died in the past year that are relevant to the readers of Revolver, which is to say, not Phil Vane or Frankie Sparcello.

But I shouldn’t be a jerk about it, it’s really a very touching video.

-AR

[via Metal Underground]

Revocation have promised a new album in 2011, a follow-up to the most excellent Existence is Futile which itself only gets better and better with time. In interviews the band has said that the album is already written, and now that the Legacy Tour is over I’d think they get down to business recording it pretty soon. When The Legacy Tour hit NYC drummer Phil Dubois-Coyne told me the new album was ambitious in scope, an expansion of their sound that would even feature a full horn section. That’s Dave Davidson’s Extreme fetish rearing its beautiful head in full force, and I can’t wait to hear it. Definitely a big one to look forward to in 2011.

We won’t have to wait to hear new Revocation music, though (sorta); the band have a cover of Exhorder’s “Death in Vain” posted on their Facebook page right now. Apparently it was a bonus track on the Japanese version of Existence, although this is my first time hearing it. Covers provide a glance into a band’s arsenal of influences, but in this case I don’t think anyone should be surprised to discover that Exhorder’s thrashy grooves had a big impact on Revocation.

Check out “Death in Vain” on Revocation’s Facebook.

-VN

I am a huge Pantera fan — in fact, they are probably my favorite metal band of all time. Ever since I saw them in back in 1991 or so (with Prong and Trouble, what a fucking show), they’ve been at the top of the heap when it comes to the NEW GENERATION OF POWER GROOVE. Clearly I wasn’t the only one who was heavily influenced by Pantera, as evidenced by this other band from New Orleans, called Exhorder, who totally ripped off Pantera’s style. I don’t remember them being popular back then, but I downloaded one of their albums off of Napster the other day and gave it a shot. But even though they aren’t very original, they’re pretty sweet and if you wish there were some new Pantera songs maybe getting some of the old Exhorder albums will be almost as good?? Especially if you like Cowboys From Hell, the album that Exhorder ripped off the most.

Click to read more…

There was an ebb in excitement levels surrounding Forbidden’s recent return to active status when the Bay Area thrashers unveiled mega-unimpressive cover art for Omega Wave (here), their first record since 1997′s Green. To echo at least one Blabbermouth wiseacre, I’ll ask who smoked up the packaging budget? Cuz despite guitarist Craig Locicero’s endorsement, the art looks cheap and needlessly reminiscent of Forbidden Evil, their debut (here). Imagery is not as huge a deal in the post-interslice age, but this “Where’s the rest of it?”-style art threw at least one fan into a panic (me), causing him or her (me) to wonder if the album’s sound quality would match its unflattering cover. Would Forbidden, once a post-Vio-lence Robb Flynn project and farm system for Testament and Slayer, fail to reclaim its near-fame thanks to penny-pinching and a cover concept that borrows heavily from those sparkly decals you get from gumball machines at the roller rink? Fuck!

I feel foolish now that the band’s Myspace is streaming “Forsaken At The Gates,” the first public taste of Omega Wave. The jam is incredible and its production sounds like a million bucks (even on Myspace). Along with Exhorder and Coroner, Forbidden always had the most deceptively clever (and presciently busy) guitar riffs in thrash metal, and the semi-tangible skill of putting them in order to achieve dynamic, impactful songs — the slapping of the face alternating with the zapping of the nuts, as it were; “Forsaken” is all that! (By the way, is anybody else reminded instantly of “Infinite” at every mention of the word “evil”?) And in retrospect, I should’ve known not to worry cuz the guys in Forbidden all still have good hair (above). That’s the starting point for all good metal.

-ADF

Forbidden’s Omega Wave is slated for an October 22 release on Nuclear Blast.

What’s up everyone! In celebration of the new KINGDOM OF SORROW album coming out today, MetalSucks have been nice enough to let me takeover their site! I figured I’d better make the reading interesting and at least cause some discussion, so here goes, this is probably the longest run on sentence you’ll ever read, haha, enjoy!

Since we’re well into 2010. I figured I’d start my blog with my top ten “most listened to” metal and hardcore albums of the last decade, and the top ten albums I hope to enjoy this decade!!! It’s not a top ten “best of” the decade or anything like that, it’s just what I’ve listened to the most while on the road, at home, in the gym, in the office or in my car. Keep in mind that the criteria for these albums to make this list was that they were released between 2000 and 2010, that is all.

The top 10 records I’m “most hopeful & excited for” are more like a wish list. It will be cool to see some of that stuff happen!

Click to read more…

Not much to say. Exhorder have reunited, and we finally have some moving images to prove it. Enjoy.

-AR

[via Blabbermouth]

So the first Exhorder reunion show went off, apparently without a hitch, this past weekend in Jefferson, Louisiana. We weren’t there, unfortunately, but hopefully there will be a full tour soon – the band is working on new material, after all, and I assume they plan to promote it.

After the jump are a couple of photos, from some named “firebaugh” at NolaUnderground.com. There are also a bunch more at Blabbermouth. Kind of amazingly, I can’t find any footage on YouTube – if anyone comes across any, please let us know!

Click to read more…

I’m suspicious of the concept of an Exhorder reunion album, although Alice in Chains just proved that, yes, a reunited band can record again and live up to expectations. So maybe I should be less cynical. I mean, I’m not going to be less cynical, I’m just admitting that one time outta ten, my cynicism is wrong. Sometimes.

One thing I’m not so cynical about: the reunited Exhorder’s ability to kick major ass live. Blabbermouth tells us that the band has just scheduled their first comeback gig, to take place November 14 at Southport Hall in Jefferson, Louisiana. It’ll be the band’s first show in eight years.

I’ve never been to Louisiana, but believe you me when I say I am now considering taking a vacation to Jefferson. I’m also hoping more dates will soon follow so I can take a vacation someplace warm where girls walk around in next to nothing instead, but, hey, whatever it takes to see Exhorder…

Here’s Exhorder doing “Slaughter in the Vatican” in Germany in ’92.

-AR

I was pretty excited that Exhorder’s albums are getting reissued, since I thought it meant a lot of kids who have never heard of Exhorder might now check ‘em out.

And yet, somehow, the news that Exhorder have reunited and are working on new material bums me out. I can’t even really figure out why; part of me thinks it’s that “new material” part. Almost every reunited band puts out a new album at some point, because, well, it’s a good way to make money; but these albums, even if they’re any good, can never, and do never, live up to band’s output from their heyday. At the Gates, at least, admitted as much in Decibel (though they didn’t rule out the possibility of recording under a different name, which, truth be told, is just as shitty an idea as recording under their original name, because anyone with an IQ bigger than his shoe size will still know that it’s At the Gates). So while I’m stoked to be able to catch Exhorder at a not particularly large concert venue in the NYC area sometime real soon, I really wish they would please just not make any new music.

Then again, a couple of new songs might provide the perfect bathroom break during the show.

Anyway, below enjoy a photo of Phil Anselmo in an Exhorder shirt. The photo of a member of Pantera in Exhorder merch should help convince 15 year olds that Exhorder really are important to the history of metal, in case actually listening to the band’s music and realizing that they pre-date Pantera somehow fails to convey this fact.

-AR

People don’t talk about Exhorder enough – hell, we don’t don’t talk about Exhorder enough. But they’re hugely influential on the current metal scene – some people have even accused Pantera of ripping them off (which I think is pretty extreme – but Pantera definitely did owe Exhorder a huge debt).

So hopefully all the Hot Topic kids who don’t know this band will get to know them when their two albums, The Law and Slaughter in the Vatican, get re-issued on July 8 (May 19 in Europe… why do the Europeans get so much cool shit before the rest of us?). Seriously, folks: you really should own these albums, ’cause they kick some pretty major ass. If there was any justice in the world, everyone would be clamoring for some sort of Exhorder reunion the same way everyone gets all dizzy about At the Gates getting back together. Exhorder are that fucking good.

-AR