Last year (and the year before) I got way too busy with this thing called life and missed out on a lot of quality music. I am here to rectify the error of my ways, month by month.

Sorry for the delay. Been extra busy writing books, covering film festivals for Bloody Disgusting, and watching zee American football (Go Steelers!). Also, my listening tally (165 releases for September alone!!) practically quadrupled with the introduction of Spotify into my home.

I won’t have another Bleeders’ list until December as I am fast approaching a deadline on my next true crime book, Teach Me To Kill. I will, however, be contributing my Top 15 picks of the year before I resume the Bleeders’ lists.

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So reads the description on the “About” page of Heavy Artillery Records’ official website:

“Focused on traditional sub-genres of heavy metal, Heavy Artillery is a new label dedicated to bringing out the best from this new generation of old-school headbangers. Like the 90’s never happened!”

That should set the tone for this post quite nicely.

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Lots of other stuff happened in the metal world while a WWF-style drama unfolded on MetalSucks last Friday, yes? So let’s get right down to it and take a listen to new music from Animals as Leaders, Exmortus and Electro Quarterstaff.

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The first time anyone ever used the term “re-thrash” on MetalSucks was in an article I wrote on July 2nd, 2008. I’m not claiming to have invented the term, because I’m pretty sure I didn’t. But the funny thing about that article is that it’s about Exmortus, a band who, by today’s much more developed definition of “re-thrash” would actually transcend that pejorative term. Exmortus are one of the young crop of thrash bands that actually infuse their obvious thrash influences with a healthy heaping of something of their own to create metal that’s actually unique.

I know I’m always talking about Revocation as the golden example of a band with thrash roots that’s taken things to a whole new level, but there ya have it… Revocation are just so fucking phenomenal at it. Exmortus are cut from the same cloth: death metal-infused thrash with enough technicality to impress but never overwhelm. Look no further than the two new demos they’ve posted on their label’s page; they’re thrashy, deathy, subtly technical and catchy as all hell. Expect finished versions of these songs to appear on Exmortus’ sophomore release Beyond the Fall of Time, out later this year via Heavy Artillery Records.

-VN

This is getting silly.

Here are the new new details for tomorrow’s night’s Bonded by Blood/Exmortus/Witchaven show:

Maric Lanes
1945 49TH St
Long Island City, NY 11105

-AR

Some good news for thrash fans:

1. Warbringer have posted “Severed Reality,” the first single from their new album Waking Into Nightmares, on their MySpace page. The song sounds more or less like Warbringer – which is a good thing. ‘Cause you don’t throw on a Warbringer album when you’re in the mood for Jesu, y’know? Anyways, the band apparently just filmed a video for the track with perennial MetalSucks fave David Brodsky, and Nightmares was produced by Gary Holt (yes, that Gary Holt), so expect more Warbringery goodness in the near future. Waking Into Nightmares drops May 19 on Century – but you can see the band live as they wrap up their MetalSucks sponsored trek with Soilwork, Darkane and Swallow the Sun, or their upcoming tour with Exodus. Get dates here.
2. Bonded by Blood and their Masters of Disasters tourmates, Exmortus and Witchhaven, will be playing a FREE gig at The Water Grill in Brooklyn next Saturday, March 28. It’s thrash! It’s free! You live in America in 2009 and listen to metal so you’re probably poor! What’s not to love about a free thrash show? Details after the jump.

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Two readers sent us emails about Exmortus this week so I figured it was probably time to pay attention, and I’m so glad I did. This foursome from Whittier, CA — which is not near San Francisco, mind you — recently signed with Heavy Artillery Records, and will be releasing their new album In Hatred’s Flames on July 29th.

What’s different about Exmortus is that they’re clearly influenced by thrash to a large degree but don’t go out of their way to beat this fact into your brain; yeah, they’re very young and they sport ebay-bought band t-shirts, but they aren’t afraid to stray from the vintage thrash metal canon. There are elements of death, prog, and neo-classical metal mixed in with a healthy dose of Metallica and Megadeth riffage. In short, this is actually a fresh brew of neo-thrash for a change, one that is VERY welcome to these thrash-revival-saturated ears. And the dudes can fucking PLAY, too. Come to think of it, this band reminds me of God Forbid in certain ways. It’s just METAL.

Have a listen on their MySpace page and you’ll be sold too.

-VN