FEATURING MEMBERS OF GWAR, DARKEST HOUR, REVOCATION, INTRONAUT, ABYSMAL DAWN, BRUTAL TRUTH, THE ATLAS MOTH, AND IKILLYA

Every year year, MetalSucks asks musicians from across the vast spectrum of the metalsphere (or, in a few cases, the almost-metalsphere) what their favorite albums of the year have been. Death metallers, thrash metallers, black metallers, stoners, grinders, and djenters alike have graciously contributed lists to MS, and we’ll be running them in groups of nine to ten musicians at a time two to three times a day for the whole week.

After the jump, check out the next group… we hope you enjoy seeing what some of metal’s heaviest hitters were into this year as much as we have!

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I’m going to put about as much effort into this introduction as Axl puts into his own Cinemetal Round-ups.

First up on today’s Vince Version of Cinemetal Round-Up are death metal bludgeoners Bloodsoaked, esteemed alumni of our very own Unsigned and Unholy column. The video for “No God,” from the brand new Jamie King-produced album The Death of Hope (streamable in its entirety here), is a campy death metal clip in all the right ways: blood, gore, shred, and a slightly ambiguous storyline that has something to do with someone getting murdered. This video is further proof that a fun, professional-looking video can be shot on a small budget, and the song kicks fanny too:

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First it was my turn to take a vacation and now it’s Axl’s; I haven’t spoken with him since he left for the lake house last Saturday and that’s a good thing, not because I don’t love the dude but because it means he’s having fun instead of stressing about work. Hopefully as I write this he’s stoned out of his gourd and enjoying something tasty from the grill. But guess what? I’m gonna be away again this coming Monday and Tuesday conducting super-top-secret business in L.A., meaning it’ll just be Axl and the rest of our fine contributors for the early part of next week. But don’t worry; come Wednesday things will be back to normal with our usual Axl + Vince full frontal attack.

Meanwhile, here’s what Axl missed this week:

• We premiered new music by ’90s hardcore legends Earth Crisis and new Metal Blade signees Battlecross, and we premiered a new video from Last Chance to Reason
• We spoke with In Flames’ Bjorn Gelotte and IKILLYA’s Jason Lekberg.
• Landphil pondered the best wrestling “shoots” of all time.
• We looked at new releases by After Oblivion, Doctor Midnight and the Mercy Cult and Michael Monroe while Corey Mitchell gave us the rundown of his bleeders and blowers for June.
• We checked out Mastodon’s “different” new album artwork.
• Sergeant D wondered whether or not melody has a place in metal.
• Periphery lost guitarist Alex Bois while Pig Destroyer gained drummer Adam Jarvis.
• The metal world chimed in on the Casey Anthony verdict; we chimed in on the metal world.

Adios.

-VN

(Photo by Tracy Ketcher)

You’re probably already familiar with IKILLYA; “Godsize” appeared on Volume 2 of our free NYC Sucks compilation and we premiered “… And Hell Followed With Him” right here on MS (now streamable via Bandcamp). What you probably didn’t know is that Jason Lekberg, the band’s founder and creative driving force, is something of a professional heavy metal mogul: at his former job with Epic Records he handled digital marketing for Lamb of God, Mudvayne, Hellyeah and others, and he’s now responsible for a whole host of heavy artists at Eleven Seven Music / Tenth Street Entertainment.

In the interest of full disclosure, Jason and I are bros; we’ve known each other since the very earliest days of MetalSucks and pound beers at New York City’s shittiest shithole bars on a regular basis (truth be told, not regularly enough). So rather than ask the same old generic band interview questions whose answers I already know about IKILLYA’s new album Recon — which, thankfully, I don’t have to exaggerate in the slightest when I tell Jason how fucking good I think it is — I decided to toss him some toughies about how his day job in the music industry does or doesn’t cause a conflict of interest with his goals for his band, what he thinks about the current dismal state of the music biz, and why so many members have passed through IKILLYA’s ranks. Our email chat, after the jump.

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The New York City metal scene has been waiting for IKILLYA’s debut album quite literally for years; after a smattering of hometown shows featuring an ever-shifting lineup, this urban groove metal quartet has finally settled on a slammin’ lineup that works. And the results are well worth the wait.

You got a taste of Recon with “Godsize,” featured on Volume 2 of our completely free compilation NYC Sucks in February, and now’s your chance to hear another track from the record (which comes out tomorrow and is available for pre-order / purchase here for only $5). Hopefully “… And Hell Followed With Him,” streaming below, will give you an idea of what we mean by “urban groove metal;” IKILLYA have the booty-shakin grooves in spades ala Pantera or Lamb of God, but their brand is much grittier, outwardly aggressive and from the streets. See what we mean below and let us know what you think. One more track called “E.H.R.” is also up at IKILLYA’s Bandcamp.

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Album cover after the break:
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Friendly reminder: our own Vince Neilstein will be DJing “Heavy Metal Happy Hour” this Friday the 13th at The Arrow Bar in Manhattan (Ave A and 5th St., downstairs). All drinks are 2-for-the-price-of-1 from 6pm-9pm, and Vince will be spinning the best of 2009′s metal offerings. At least for the first two hours, after which he’ll surely break down and start playing Ratt and Skid Row. Come on down and get your drink on, and since your inhibitions will be lowered feel free to tell Vince how much his taste in metal sucks.

Afterwards, there are THREE killer metal shows taking place in NYC. There’s the Krallice/Liturgy joint at Union Pool. Hung are headlining a bill that also includes Ikillya and Devil to Pay at Ace of Clubs. Hecate and The Austerity Program are performing with Rise of Because, Theologian, Chaos Majik and Statiqbloom at S.I.R. studios as part of the two-day Apex Fest III. Yowza! So many choices. But Heavy Metal Happy Hour with Vince is the obvious choice for your early evening activity!