Marquee at the Nokia Theatre in Times Square, January 22, 2010. Photo courtesy Ken Pierce of Piercing Metal.

Although I’m not entirely sure how old the dudes in Mutiny Within are, if you told me that they weren’t even born yet when Exodus released Bonded by Blood, I wouldn’t be surprised. But that’s cool, ’cause I also wouldn’t be surprised if you told me that they were cranking Arsis in high school, the way James Malone was almost certainly cranking Amott’s recordings with Carcass when he was in high school and early A.E. a little later, and Amott was almost certainly cranking vintage Exodus when he was in high school.

My point is this: this Tyrants of Evil tour has four generations of bands. It’s like a living, breathing codification of the history and ideals of this particular sect of the metal world. None of the two bands sound the same, exactly, but there’s a clear through-line to be drawn from the oldest to the youngest. There’s something incredibly cool about that.

Which must be why the Nokia in Times Square was packed with a wide spectrum of fans when the tour rolled into Times Square this past Friday night, and why those fans seemed to arrive early and stay late.

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Speaking of Exodus: Metal Underground reports that the band’s heavily anticipated follow-up to 2007′s The Atrocity Exhibition – Exhibit A will be released on April 23 on Nuclear Blast. The album is entitled Exhibit B: The Human Condition. Lookit Exodus, gettin’ all philosophical on our asses.

In all seriousness: Exodus, like their peers in Slayer, Megadeth, Testament, and, depending on who you ask, possibly Metallica, have been experiencing a renaissance with their last few albums, and I have no reason to believe that this record won’t be the rock. These guys have just been on top of their game lately. I’m really stoked to hear this one.

Here’s a not-great but not-awful quality rip of a new song, “Good Riddance,” which I’m assuming will appear on the new offering.

And as if I needed to remind you (for the second time today), Exodus are currently on the MetalSucks-sponsored Tyrants of Evil North American Tour 2010 with Arch Enemy, Arsis, and Mutiny Within. Get dates here.

-AR

The MetalSucks-sponsored Tyrants of Evil North American Tour 2010 featuring Arch Enemy, Exodus, Arsis and Mutiny Within kicked off last night in Maryland! And just in time for the tour launch, Arsis have released their new video, “Forced to Rock.” Maybe I’m reading into this too much, but it seems to me that the David Brodsky directed clip was at least partially inspired by Van Halen’s “Hot for Teacher” video – I mean, I know there’s no direct corollary between the two beyond a classroom setting, but I know for a fact that Arsis’ James Malone is a Van Halen fan. Plus, I’m still convinced that there’s a bigger hair metal influence on Malone than some death metal fans would like to admit.

But who knows? Maybe Malone just really, really likes My First Sex Teacher.

By the way, the role of “Miss Rock” is played by Kym Dylla, vocalist for Virginia’s Thismeansyou. I’m not familiar with that band, but if they’ve got Arsis’ seal of approval…

If anyone was at last night’s Tyrants of Evil show in Maryland, drop me line and let me know how it was. For everyone else: get tour dates here. It’s gonna be such a killer show.

-AR

Just in time for their stint on the MetalSucks sponsored Tyrants of Evil North American Tour 2010, Exodus have unveiled their new DVD/CD, Shovel Headed Tour Machine: Live At Wacken & Other Assorted Atrocities. I haven’t gotten to check out the video portion of this multidisc set yet, but the live album is killer, a terrific snapshot of a legendary band who are now firmly back at the top of their game.

Last Friday in Los Angeles, Metalocalpyse‘s Brendon Small hosted an advanced screening of the concert film and documentary that are included in the set, and then moderated an q&a with the band. If you couldn’t make it, you can – and should – check out video of the event below:

Shovel Headed Tour Machine: Live At Wacken & Other Assorted Atrocities is out now on Nuclear Blast – and it should whet your appetite for the MetalSucks sponsored Tyrants of Evil North American Tour 2010 with Arch Enemy, Exodus, Arsis and Mutiny Within. It starts next week! Get dates here.

-AR

Apparently I’ve listened to Mutiny Within’s Roadrunner Records self-titled debut a whole lot because I’m already at that point where I hear the opening notes of the next song in my head the moment the prior song ends. iTunes tells me I’ve listened to the record’s second track “Images” 16 times already… yikers! I’m like a heart-broken high schooler (minus the heartbreak, minus the high school, plus a few gray hairs and a little bit of agita) listening to that song over and over again in my bedroom (minus the bedroom, plus the dilapidated MetalSucks Mansion flophouse).

So when Roadrunner sent us the final cut of the band’s very-first-ever music video this morning — for the album’s opening track “Awake” — after I watched I just had to follow it up with the rest of the record (hello listen #17 for “Images”). There really haven’t been very many metal records with mainstream appeal that I’ve really gotten into over the past couple of years, but Mutiny Within was an easy early favorite of mine for 2010 the first time I heard it a few months back. These fine New Jersey gentlemen (and a Brit who hilariously announces “We’re from New Jersey” at their live shows) are one of the best new bands being catapulted into the scene today, America’s non-cheesy answer to so much Euro power metal gruyere.

About that video, it’s posted below. Listen to “Awake” and two other songs from the album at Mutiny Within’s MySpace page, and make sure you pick it up when it comes out on February 23rd. The band is virgin-tight live, led by the super-talented Chris Clancy’s soaring vocals, as you’ll find out when they open for the MetalSucks-sponsored Arch Enemy tour (with Exodus and Arsis).

-VN

[This exclusive has now ended.]

This winter is shaping up to a great incredible one for U.S. metal tours.The European Summer festivals ain’t got nothin’ on us… ok, well yeah they do, but this winter’s U.S. metal tour slate is still most excellent.

There’s the much ballyhooed Between the Buried and Me / Cynic / The Devin Townsend Project / Scale the Summit North American Orgasm Tour, about which Axl shared his man-juice excitement yesterday. On January 15th death metal Egyptologists Nile kick off their mammoth Those Whom the Gods Detest Tour with Immolation, Krisiun, Abigail Williams and Dreaming Dead. Only five days later Arch Enemy embark on the MetalSucks-sponsored Tyrants of Evil Tour with Exodus, Arsis and Mutiny Within. The Pagan/Folk metal tour du jour this Winter is headlined by Korpiklaani with Tyr, Swashbuckle and White Wizzard in tow (the latter of whom are certainly not pagan or folk). And tomorrow The Metal As Art Tour featuring Hypno5e, Revocation and The Binary Code kicks off in Brooklyn and traverses the country for 31 days. Yowza!

Full lists of dates and venues for all four tours are posted after the jump. There’ve been a few venue changes so make sure you double-check… then feel free to bitch about how none of these tours are coming to your city and proceed to blame us.

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Or, rather, be forced to rock.

For “Forced to Rock” is the name of the new song that Arsis posted on their MySpace page while we were chillin’ during the holidays. And it probably won’t have to force you to rock. It will most likely just induce rocking that is completely consensual.

Arsis mastermind James Malone says that he ” came to the conclusion that the death metal world needed an anthem,” and that the need for said anthem was the impetus for this song. And it’s certainly anthemic. In fact, I’d like to once again point out Malone’s self-professed love of hair metal, and posit that there’s a distinct hair metal influence on this song. I mean, there’s definitely a thrash/death element, too (duh), but c’mon. The death metal world needed an anthem, so he wrote “Forced to Rock,” not “Fuck Her with a Knife.” That says something. Or, at least, I think it says something.

ANYWAY, it’s a killer song, and it’ll be on Arsis’ new album, Shout at Starve for the Devil, which drops February 5 in Europe and February 9 in America on Nuclear Blast. By which point Arsis will already have started the MetalSucks-sponsored Tyrants of Evil North American Tour with Arch Enemy, Exodus, and Mutiny Within! HEY-O!!! Get tour dates here.

-AR

A couple weeks ago, I did an interview with Metal Injection for a retrospective on the highlights, trends, and cultural significance of the heavy music scene from an insider’s perspective concerning the last ten years. Near the end of the interview, I was asked if there were any sub-genres or trends that I didn’t like, or that seemed to get on my nerves. I thought about it for a minute, and generally annoying things like nu-metal or screamo or stale metalcore just seemed obvious and an easy target, when something dawned on me. I was generally annoyed by the whole ReThrash scene.

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Lookit, lookit! It’s an awesome commercial for the MetalSucks sponsored Tyrants of Evil North American Tour 2010 featuring Arch Enemy, Exodus, Arsis and Mutiny Within!!! Man, if only all commercials were this not-annoying (or however you’d say that). Most commercials are like “Do you need shit? Well here’s some shit that will help you with that shit you need!” and then there’s some lame jingle that makes you wanna kill a child in front of its parents. But not this commercial – no, this one is just selling you an AWESOME FUCKING METAL SHOW. And no lame jingle. Just so much awesome riffage in just sixty seconds. I cannot fucking wait for these shows.

Check out the commercial first, then get dates after the jump!

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Arsis have given us our first taste of their new album, Starve for the Devil, in the form of “Beyond Forlorn,” which is streaming here. And it. Is. AWESOME.

It’s an epic, melodic, death metal song that makes me wanna fuck and kill and then fuck what I’ve just killed, which I mean as a compliment. But it doesn’t sound quite like anything Arsis have ever done before. I actually kinda wonder if some fans are gonna bitch that it’s too straight-forward… but I guess some fans are gonna bitch pretty much no matter what.

Check it out and let us know what you think. Starve for the Devil comes out February 9 on Nuclear Blast. And don’t forget that Arsis are part of the MetalSucks sponsored Tyrants of Evil North American Tour 2010, alongside Exodus, Mutiny Within, and headliners Arch Enemy. Get dates after the jump.

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So far, this is in line to be the second most metal cover art of 2010 (here’s the first)…

Starve for the Devil drops February 9 on Nuclear Blast. Arsis will also be on the MetalSucks sponsored Tyrants of Evil North American Tour 2010, alongside Exodus, Mutiny Within, and headliners Arch Enemy. Get dates after the jump.

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Hey, lookit! We just debuted a new Arch Enemy video, “Beast of Man,” earlier this month, and the band already has another one. Sweeeeet.

So here’s “Dark Insanity.” The track comes off the band’s recent Century Media release The Root of All Evil, and the footage is taken from their killer DVD, Tyrants Of The Rising Sun – Live In Japan.

Also: a friendly reminder (as though you’d forgotten!) that Arch Enemy will headline the MetalSucks sponsored Tyrants of Evil North American Tour 2010 with Exodus, Arsis and Mutiny Within starting in January. Get dates here.

-AR

Pretty big week here at the MetalSucks Mansion. We laughed, we cried, we fired someone, we rocked out with our cocks out. Here’s a rundown of the highlights:

• We debuted a new song by The Devin Townsend Project, a new video by Skeletonwitch, a new song by Javelina, and the cover art for Sigh’s new album.
• Horse the Band’s Lord Gold blogged about Nawlins and cocaine, God Forbid’s Doc Coyle gave us an exclusive statement about that whole cup throwing incident, Dallas Coyle is giving away music for free, and Daath’s Eyal Levi talked about a run-in with the Polacks and drum triggers.
• We spoke to Dethklok’s Brendon Small, Converge’s Jacob Bannon, Gojira’s Joe Duplantier, and Liturgy’s Hunter Hunt-Hendrix.
• We checked out new releases from Baroness, The Red Chord, Skeletonwitch, Immortal, Vains of Jenna, Vampire Mooose, and Javelina. Also, some asshole really likes Oceano.
• We’re sponsoring the incredibly awesome Tyrants of Evil North American Tour 2010 with Arch Enemy, Exodus, Arsis, and Mutiny Within!

Alright. I’m going to see Where the Wild Things Are now. I’m fairly certain that it is going to make me weep like Gary Suarez. See ya Monday.

-AR

As many of you successfully guessed on Friday, the headliner to the MetalSucks-sponsored mystery tour is none other than Arch Enemy. They join the already super sweet bill of Exodus, Arsis and Mutiny Within for the Tyrants of Evil North American Tour.

Arch Enemy just released The Root of All Evil, a recording of some of their best songs from the pre-Angela Gossow era, with Gossow now handling vocals. We have seen AE lay to waste many a venue full of unsuspecting metal heads, and having an extra dose of their classics in the arsenal ain’t gonna save any lives. Add the aforementioned three generations of awesome metal bands, and you’ve got the kick-ass tour of the winter. You will not wanna miss this.

Get tour dates after the jump!

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It was a fuckin’ busy week, no? Either shit was crazy this week or I’ve really got to get outside of the MS Mansion more often. Here’s what went down:

• We announced a Winter U.S. tour featuring four bands TBA, and we revealed them day by day via anonymous interviews. So far we’ve revealed Mutiny Within, Arsis and Exodus (click the band name for the interview). Who will the headliner be? Read the interview here and try to guess.
• Eyal got burnt out on the music he loves and explained the financial realities of being a metal musician.
• We spoke with 3 Inches of Blood’s Shane Clark and White Wizzard’s Erik Kluiber.
• Horse the Band’s Lord Gold blogged about being bored on tour.
• We argued about drum triggering in metal.
• We streamed the asshole-ripping new record by The Destro and a webisode from Steel Panther.
• We said goodbye to Evile bassist Mike Alexander. R.I.P.

Ax and I are going to see 3 Inches of Blood in Brooklyn tonight, so hopefully that’ll provide just the head-clearing I need. See you guys Monday.

-VN

On Tuesday we told you that we’re sponsoring an AWESOME tour this winter with a four band bill, and while we can’t tell you all the bands on the bill just yet, we can tease that info out for you. So every day for the rest of this week, we’ll be posting an interview with a member of each band on the bill, featuring questions designed to help you guess who they are without spoiling the surprise. Then, this Monday, October 12, we’ll reveal the complete line-up for the tour!

The first bands announced were Mutiny Within and Arsis. Yesterday, many of you correctly guessed that the third band is none other than the legendary Exodus! The band just announced a January 15 release date for their sure-to-be killer new DVD/CD set, Shovel Headed Tour Machine (Live At Wacken And Other Assorted Atrocities), and with a little luck, 2010 will also bring us the release of The Atrocity Exhibition – Exhibit B. These guys are true pioneers, a band that pretty much every metal band since has owed some debt to, and they absolutely SLAY live.

After the jump, check out the interview with a member of the headlining band. See if you can guess who it is just based on his or her answers!!!

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There’s been a lot of talk lately about how Megadeth have made their best album in years, Slayer have made their best album in years, some people (but not me!) think that Metallica made their best album in years, and so on and so forth. But where’s the love for Exodus? They might not play venues as big as their aforementioned peers, but they started their own comeback in 2004 with Tempo of the Damned, and things only got better on their subsequent releases Shovel Headed Kill Machine and The Atrocity Exhibition – Exhibit A. Even if I personally didn’t agree with the decision to re-record Bonded by Blood with Rob Dukes, the band has been putting out “their best album in years” for five years now. And I caught them with Dukes last year, and they slayed. These guys are at the top of their game right now.

So I’m excited for their new DVD, Shovel Headed Tour Machine (Live At Wacken And Other Assorted Atrocities). It’s a three disc collection that will include a DVD of their live set from last year’s Wacken fest, a CD of that same show, and then another DVD with a documentary covering the aforementioned, all-important last half-decade. Plus I’m sure there’s a ton of bonus features.

Alas, the DVD doesn’t come out ’til January 15, but here’s a trailer to tide you over. Looks pretty rad to me.

-AR

Dan Nelson is already a legend, and not necessarily in a good way. Like Gary Cherone or Blaze Bailey, he’s going to go down in history as a dude who was hired to be the new singer for a well-known band, only to get the boot fairly quickly; unlike Cherone of Bailey, the work he did with this particular well-known band will either never see the light of day, or slip out only as a bootleg. A fairly limited number of ‘Thrax fans ever got to see him perform live with the band, so really there’s only a small part of the population that has any sense of what his contributions may have been, positive or negative.

But Nelson is from Strong Island, and ain’t gonna let no Scott Ian or Charlie Bananas get him down. According to Metal Underground, Nelson has started a new project with drummer Paul Bostaph.

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In honor of Alaskan metalcore band 36 Crazyfists’ new DVD, Under a Northern Sky (in stores October 27), a list of 35 other famous, metal, heavy, and/or crazy fists:

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When people talk about neo-thrash bands like Warbringer, their words usually carry a subtle hint of disdain. I concede that it’s hard not to mention what they are (neo-Bay Area Thrash) before saying how good they are (very). But to brand Warbringer (or Municipal Waste) fetishizers of a bygone era implies something vaguely untrustable, beyond a mere affection for the Thrash idiom. And it’s true, there’s little about Warbringer that suggests an original vision. All the same, their debut full-length War Without End and now the Gary Holt-produced Waking Into Nightmares are too awesome to be the creation of some tribute band; it’s simply not possible that Warbringer is comprised of five masters of mimicry. Rather, it’s clear they feel that Bay Area-native bands did shit right. And now they do.

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