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These are just record covers I thought were great. I like when a CD cover provokes thought and makes me want to interpret what message or messages the artist or band are trying to purvey.
#5 – Behemoth, Evangelion
Done by Polish artist Tomasz Danilowicz, who has worked on Behemoth’s previous albums. This is just bad ass.
Tomorrow will see the release of Kingdom of Sorrow‘s sophomore album, Behind the Blackest Tears, on Relapse. And because we know how much you all have enjoyed the artist site takeovers we’ve done in the past, we thought it would be fun to let the legendary Misters Jasta and Windstein run MetalSucks for the day – so that’s exactly what we’re doing!
So come back tomorrow to read Jamey and Kirk’s thoughts on, well, pretty much whatever the hell they please. It should be a blast. And don’t forget that Behind The Blackest Tears is currently streaming on Kingdom of Sorrow’s MySpace page!
-Axl, Vince, and Everyone at MetalSucks
Three songs through my first listen of The Blackest Tears, the new album from the Jamey Jasta / Kirk Windstein collaboration Kingdom of Sorrow, MySpace greeted me with an advertisement for Dove GoFresh moisturizer. Fucking metal! Dove sure knows their audience well.
With less than a week to go until the album release, Kingdom of Sorrow are streaming The Blackest Tears in its entirety on their MySpace page. So far I’d say it definitely delivers on Windstein’s promise of being “literally heavier than pre-op Johnny Popper bashing the living you-know-what out of Carnie Wilson in a tub of lard,” and I like it more than I did self-titled debut. In an emergency MS Mansion summit called the other day to discuss the abominable condition of the Monkey Playhouse, Gary Suarez remarked that he didn’t like this record as much as the debut because he thought it didn’t have as many good hooks. Taste is a funny thing, because I think this record’s actually got better hooks than the first. But that’s why we keep Señor Suarez around; we say tom-AY-to, he says tom-AH-to.
The Blackest Tears drops June 8th on Relapse Records. Stream it all for free right here.
-VN
So unless you managed to stay away from a computer this entire weekend – and good for you if you did – you’ve probably already seen the line-up for Ozzfest 2010, which was unveiled this past Friday evening. While our source was right that this year’s incarnation of the tour would be scaled back – it’s only hitting six cities over the course of about a week and half – a whole lot of the bands we’d heard would be playing the fest aren’t. In fact, if you can’t quite consider it a stellar line-up, that’s probably only because so many great bands were already swept up by other big package tours; maybe I’m being too nice because a large chunk of the second stage consists of bands I really like or at least respect, my feeling is that if this line-up doesn’t send anyone running for tickets, well, it’s not exactly something to be scoffed at, either. My own thoughts on all the bands and artists after the jump… plus dates, natch.
Like a lot of people, I first became familiar with Brian Posehn because of his time on David Cross and Bob Odenkirk’s brilliant HBO sketch comedy series, Mr. Show, for which he was also a writer. A few years after that show went off the air, my then-roommate and I went to see Posehn do some stand-up at a comedy club here in New York. I don’t think we were even there to see Posehn specifically – if memory serves, David Cross was the actual draw for us – but he was so funny that I actually laughed so hard I became winded and fell out of my chair. Since then, he’s been on a very, very short list of stand-ups that I never miss the chance to check out when they come through town. Mr. Show sketches about a fictional band called “Titannica” led me to believe that someone on the series’ writing staff was a metal fan, but I didn’t know that it was Posehn until later – and the revelation that he was just as obsessed with metal as I was only made him that much cooler.
Fart and Wiener Jokes, Posehn’s second album for Relapse, comes out today (and you can order a copy here). Like its predecessor, Live: In Nerd Rage, it features not only recordings of his brilliant stand-up, but also an original song he co-wrote with Anthrax’s Scott Ian (“More Metal Than You”) to poke fun at some of metal’s more regrettable foibles. It also has a metal cover of Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler,” and between the two music tracks, Posehn has managed to rope in guest appearances by such all-stars as Jamey Jasta, Mark Morton, Mark Oseguenda, John Tempesta, and Russ Parrish. Assuming you love great comedy and great metal, there’s no way you’re not gonna dig Fart and Wiener Jokes.
A few weeks ago I got to talk to Posehn about putting comedy albums out on a metal label, what it’s like to be friends with some of his boyhood heroes, the state of metal today, his take on the Anthrax vocalist situation, and more. He even turned the tables at the end and asked me a question! Read the complete transcript of our chat after the jump.
“This new Kingdom of Sorrow stuff is literally heavier than pre-op Johnny Popper bashing the living you-know-what out of Carnie Wilson in a tub of lard.” – Kirk Windstein
With a quote like that, how can you possibly ignore Kingdom of Sorrow, the collaboration between Windstein and Jamey Jasta?
Like Axl, I wasn’t especially blown away by Kingdom of Sorrow’s 2008 self-titled debut record. It sounded like the sum of its parts, but every time I tried listening to it I just zoned out… and by the time the record ended I hadn’t retained anything. There was nothing wrong with it other than that it wasn’t especially memorable in the songs department.
But Kingdom of Sorrow have posted the new song “God’s Law in the Devil’s Land” on their MySpace page today — the first taste of their new album Behind the Blackest Tears (June 8th, Relapse) — and I’m happy to report that it’s most certainly memorable. It’s got big, bluesy riffs of Southern sludge and it’s got Windstein and Jasta’s croons in equal measures… which you’d expect… but most importantly it’s got hooks the size of uh, pre-op Johnny Popper bashing the living you-know-what out of Carnie Wilson in a tub of lard. I hope the rest of the record is full of songs just like this one.
-VN
I was really, really excited to hear Kingdom of Sorrow’s self-titled debut in 2008; unfortunately, the finished product didn’t do all that much for me. But I know Gary Suarez loved it, and I’m still curious to hear their sophomore effort, Behind the Blackest Tears, because, well, it’s Kirk Windstein and Jamey Jasta – they deserve the benefit of the doubt.
And if nothing else, the cover art is certainly capital-”M”-Metal. The color scheme is similar to the cover art for the band’s first album, and the skull certainly seems to be sporting the same mask as the knight on that earlier cover – so I guess whatever task he set out on, he completely failed to achieve. Ah well.
Behind the Blackest Tears will be released on June 8 via Relapse.
-AR
Even more new shit! Jeez Louise!
We’ve spoken at great length about our love for Brian Posehn, who has to be one of the five funniest stand-up comedians working today. He’s also a colossal metalhead, which is just kind of a bonus, ’cause not only does he make you laugh, but he makes you feel like maybe there’s some world where he isn’t famous or you’re cooler, and the two of you are pals, sitting around rockin’ out to Anthrax albums. Sigh.
ANYWAY, Posehn’s new album, Fart and Wiener Jokes, seems like it should come out on 4/20, but it’s actually coming out on 4/27 on Relapse. As with his last album, there will be some metal songs with comedic lyrics (and guest appearances by Scott Ian, Jamey Jasta, Mark Morton, John Tempesta, and Russ Parrish), but there will also be a lot of his brilliant stand-up stuff on there. And now two clips have been released. As though there were any doubt, they’re great, and bode really well for the album as a whole.
First up, one about the wonders of iTunes…
After the jump, check out one about farting in a car. Fwomp!
Brian Posehn is easily one of the funniest stand-up comedians alive. I have never missed a chance to go see him live, and he has – quite literally – made me fall out of my chair from laughing so hard. Add to that the fact that the dude loves metal, and, well, he’s just so damn sexy I can’t handle it.
Posehn is the only comedian I’m aware of currently signed to Relapse Records. He’s that fucking metal. And he’s going to release another album through that label, entitled Fart and Wiener Jokes, on April 27. That too-small image above is the cover art, which is absolutely fucking EPIC.
Needless to say, I am insanely excited about this album, which, in addition to some sure-to-be uproarious comedy, is going to feature two songs – “More Metal Than You” (!!!) and a cover of Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler” (!!!!!!!!!!!!!) – which will feature guest spots by Posehn’s buddy Scott Ian, Jamey Jasta, Mark Morton, John Tempesta, Russ Parrish, and, according to a press release, “more.”
So clearly, this is gonna own all our asses in April. You can pre-order the album in a variety of nifty packages here.
And I think I’ve posted this before, but it never gets old so fuck it:
Kingdom of Sorrow, the sludgecore supergrouping of Hatebreed’s Jamey Jasta with Crowbar’s Kirk Windstein, has just announced via press release that they have re-upped with Relapse Records, with a new album to be released some time this Spring. And while admittedly I’m having a little bit of harmless fun with the band’s unintended double entrendre (referenced above), in actuality I’m seriously fucking excited about this. We don’t have a name for the record yet, or any other details, but I loved their debut enough to call it my favorite album of 2008. One thing’s for sure: the guys have some nice things to say about Relapse!
Windstein commented on the resigning and new album; “Jamey and I are really excited to be working with Relapse on another Kingdom Of Sorrow album. They were a big part of the success of our first album and have been a great company to work with. Our new material kicks ass, we can’t wait to unleash it! It’s a real beast!”
Jasta continues; “It was a no brainer to re-sign with Relapse for another Kingdom Of Sorrow album. They are a great company who really gets it and we’re extremely excited to have them 110% behind us.”
Two Jamey Jasta headlines in one day! Oh boy!
We’ve known for some time that Mr. Jasta was helping Sebastian Bach write material for his next solo album, the follow-up to the borderline-unlistenable Angel Down. Which actually strikes me as kind of a good idea – Bach hasn’t really brought the heavy since Skid Row’s underrated Subhuman Race album way the fuck back in 1995. We even got an ever-so-brief taste of that music back in May.
But now Blabbermouth has posted video of Bach and his new solo band, all of whom are apparently willing to pay for their own gas and rehearse for free, performing a new song in its entirety. It’s called “Live the Life” and, well, it’s pretty bad. And not heavy in the slightest.
But it’s good to see that Baz can still headbang like it’s 1989.
If I were Baz I’d put out some of those songs he wrote with Jasta ASAP. This shit is fucking embarassing.
-AR
Our friend D.X. Ferris recently interviewed Hatebreed’s Jamey Jasta for the Riverfront Times. Ferris is a great writer and an all-around good dude, so it’s definitely worth checking out… but here’s the part that really caught my attention:
What’s the latest with your books?
I had a major setback with the lyric book, which the lawyers are dealing with. Let’s hope these bad deals I’ve done in the past don’t come back to haunt me any more. It’s not something I can really talk about in the press. When you sign a bad [record] deal, it affects everything: the use of your lyrics, and the use of your music in commercials and TV shows and movies and soundtracks.
<sarcasm>A bad record deal? When did Hatebreed ever sign a bad record deal? Haven’t they always been on top-quality labels that have reputations for treating their artists fairly? What could Jamey possibly be talking about? Hmm… the mind boggles…</sarcasm>
On a semi-related note, please allow me to take the opportunity to once again plug D.X. Ferris’ awesome entry on Reign in Blood into the 33 1/3 book series. There were a lot of great metal-related books in 2009, but I think this one was my very favorite. With the holidays right around the corner, I can’t think of a better stocking stuffer. Order a copy here.
-AR
As a fan of Kingdom Of Sorrow, Jamey Jasta’s collaboration with the incredibly Kirk Windstein, I follow the Connecticut-based hardcore vocalist on Twitter. I’m not a huge fan of his main project Hatebreed, largely because so many of their songs, while angry and uplifting, sound so damn similar. As a result, I’ve been reluctant to pick up their recent self-titled album. I mean, if I want to be motivated by metal, I’ll pop in ANDREW W.K.’s I GET WET!!!!!!
Hatebreed have a new song, “Merciless Tide,” available for free download right here. It comes off their new, self-titled album, which will be released on E1 on September 29.
And… hey! Lookit that. I actually like it. It reminds me why I always end up enjoying Hatebreed, even if they’re never gonna make another Satisfaction is the Death of Desire. And it’s definitely better than that other song the band released. There’s multiple guitar solos, both of which I enjoy, the breakdown is fun, Jamey sounds pretty cranky.
And besides. I’ve already heard the best hardcore album of 2009. It’s called Axe to Fall.
-AR
I do really enjoy Hatebreed when I’m in the right mood, and they’re a lot of fun live. But the thought of a new Hatebreed album doesn’t really get my blood pumping the way it used to. Perseverance was a turning point, the moment the band officially went from being hardcore to metalcore; since then, they’ve really just made Perseverance Part 2, Perseverance Part 3, etc.
Now they’ve announced a Septmeber 29 release date for their new, self-titled album, and front dude Jamey Jasta is promising that this album will mark another evolution for the band:
Sebastian Bach sent out this tweet a little earlier today:
working on full demo cd to send to @john5guitarist 2 c where we’re @, then write more tunes till we r ready to enter studio 4 new CD! #fb21 minutes ago from txt
Alright, so Baz’s new record will have John 5 playing songs written by Jamey Jasta? Is it possible Sebastian is working on the single fucking weirdest metal record ever made?
-AR
Back in January we told you that Jamey Jasta has been helping Sebastian Bach, of all people, write some new music. Well, now Bach has posted the below video of himself in the studio with Phantoms’ Charlie Bellmore, who I guess will play on the record.
In any case, it certainly sounds like Baz singing over Hatebreed.
P.S. Jesus Christ, Baz, take a shower, go to the gym and comb your fucking hair.
-AR
[via Blabbermouth]
Someday I’d like to try and work out some sort of mathematical formula to determine which bands actually do have the most brutal pits. You might think there’d be some correlation between pit violence and aural weight, but that doesn’t explain why, say, Napalm Death pits are, though nothing to scoff at, a fly on the ass of a Slayer pit. Fascinating.
Two bands that generally do have big, scary fucking pits: Hatebreed and Chimaira. And now Lambgoat reports that they’ll spend the late summer touring together. I know I sometimes give Jamey Jasta and company shit on this site, but, really, Hatebreed are best enjoyed in a live setting, where they pretty much manage to destroy each and every time they take the stage. And my feelings on Chimaira are, by now, I think pretty well documented.
Does the tour rider include provisions for multiple on-site ambulances? I sure hope so. Get tour dates after the jump.
If you’re not familiar with Continuum’s 33 1/3 book series, you should be. Each entry is written by a different music critic and/or journalist, and each one is devoted to the study of a single, seminal album. There’s a wide range of types of music covered by the series – everything from the Beastie Boys to The Velvet Underground – but metal hass, up ’til now, been criminally unrepresented. There are entries for albums by Guns N’ Roses and Nine Inch Nails, but those aren’t metal bands in the strictest sense and, obviously, both groups have been wholly accepted by the mainstream; there was a book covering Sabbath’s Master of Reality recently, but, weird though it may be, at this point Sabbath are pretty much as accepted and unrebellious a metal band as we’re likely to get.
So D.X. Ferris’ recently release tome on Slayer’s Reign in Blood is the series’ first honest to God (or honest to Satan?) book covering a metal album. And it’s an AWESOME read – fascinating, intelligent, informative and insightful, you’re likely to blow through it record time, and then feel depressed as you realize you’ve reached the last page. Ferris not only takes a critical look at the album, making astute observations and pointing out little musical nooks and crannies you might have never noticed even after your gazillionth spin of the classic record, but he also managed to interview everyone and anyone who was involved with the album – from the band members themselves to producer Rick Rubin to engineer Andy Wallace to cover artist Larry Carroll and a few hundred other people I’m forgetting about – as well as loads and loads of musicians and artists who are fans of the album (Henry Rollins, Tori Amos, Gary Holt, and Paul Romano among them).
After I wrote this blog about Slayer and their continuing relevance in the metal world back in June, Ferris actually e-mailed me basically just to say “thanks” for the shout-out to his book. I asked him if I could shoot him some interview questions, and luckily for us, he agreed. After the jump, read what Ferris had to say about the process of putting the book together, things he learned about both Slayer and Reign in Blood while working on the book, and the state of Slayer today.
I knew that day would come. There I was having the time of my life; tanning poolside at the MS Mansion, enjoying my dream of writing reviews for decent and better metal albums, then I was suddenly woken from my dream with a sunburn and a steaming pile of Straight Line Stitch in my lap. I sighed deeply because I knew this wasn’t going to go down easy, but I had to see it through. This is my job after all and I may not be a professional but I am honest. Sort of the opposite of the twit that wrote SLS’s MySpace bio:
“Armed with an unstoppable work ethic and a musical vocabulary that stretches from face-ripping metal to soulful, stratospheric rock … STRAIGHT LINE STITCH are poised to grab heavy music by the horns with… When Skies Wash Ashore. Though just 11 tracks in length, the album packs more dynamics and diversity than many bands’ entire catalogs.”
I think I just rolled my eyes hard enough to give me whiplash.
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