The Chariot’s last video, for “David De La Hoz” (watch it and read Vince’s discussion with vocalist Josh Scogin about its creation here)  was so awesome that whatever clip the band released next, it was bound to be disappointing. So I’m willing to cut them some slack on their new video, “Evan Perks.” It’s basically just home movie-quality footage of the band playing in Australia; none of it is even shot from inside the pit to really convey the energy of the performance, the way, for example, Landmine Marathon’s “Shadows Fed to Tyrants” video does.

But even from such a distanced, third-person vantage point, these shows looks pretty crazy. If there’s one thing I know about Australians, it’s that those fuckers know how to party.

“Evan Perks” comes off the album Long Live, which is out now on Goodfight.

-AR

How come Miss Piggy can’t count to 70? ‘Cause every time she gets to 69, she gets a frog in her throat.

ANYWAY, here’s how we amused ourselves this week:

• We debuted new videos from DevilDriver and Intronaut.
• We also debuted new music from Battilus and VYGR.
• We started a cool new series of tour blogs from Eluveitie and learned fifteen new things about Crowbar’s Kirk Windstein.
• We spoke to Josh Scogin from The Chariot and Mark LeVine, author of Heavy Metal Islam.
• We checked out the latest releases from Regicide, Dragged Into Sunlight, Macabre, and Abraham.
• We helped Burzum launch a new clothing line.
• We learned a sexy new stage move from Dr. Acula.
• We continued to feel embarrassed for Slash.
• We pleaded with record labels to start using Bandcamp and stop using MySpace.
• We mourned the loss of Guitar Hero.

Speaking of 69ing: Monday is Valentine’s Day. I’m just reminding you in case you’re a burnout and you forgot to get something for your woman. Don’t say I never did nuthin’ for ya.

-AR

(Photo by Chetan Patel for MetalSucks. More pics from their 2009 NYC show with Gojira here)

Good interviews are made by good interview subjects, not my own boring ass… and so it was with Josh Scogin, the verbose and opinionated frontman of The Chariot, whose recent album Long Live is still fucking my face off. The following is definitely one of the most engaging interviews I’ve done in some time.

Scogin had a lot to say about the reaction Long Live has received, particularly the fact that fans and music critics alike seem to dig it; mostly he’s just psyched that so many people like it and humbled by the fact that people whose job it is to listen to music all day hear something special in it. Scogin was happy to chime in on why he thinks that’s the case, four albums into the band’s career: the entire process of recording Long Live was filled with spontaneity, rare in this day and age of military-like pre-production and recording to click-tracks. This was especially true when it came to the mind-blowingly cool video for “David De La Hoz,” the idea for which was completely organic and spontaneous — but more on that from Scogin in the interview.

My chat with Scogin after the jump.

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Last night Axl and I (along with Good Fight Entertainment via the Internet drones at YouSendIt) shared the following email exchange upon both being sent The Chariot’s new Long Player Long Live:

Good Fight via YouSendIt: “This link is good for 1 download of The Chariot – Long Live. the link will be active for 48 hours. please download asap. thanks!”

Vince [to Axl]: “Holy shit. This RIPS.”

Axl: “I DLed it but still need to listen.”

Axl [20 minutes later]: “Wow. I think this dude must have been single handedly responsible for how awesome those old Norma Jean albums were. Either that, or he and the band had a SERIOUS divergence in artistic intent.

Obviously it’s a little of both; it’s clear now what Josh Scogin’s influence was in Norma Jean, as both bands’ post-2003 output has been a testament to that. I rather enjoyed what I heard of Norma Jean’s recent release Meridional, but Long Live is a completely different ballgame; these two bands are so different in 2010 that they barely even justify being discussed together anymore.

So let’s not mention the N[J] word for a minute and just focus on the C word. While The Chariot’s prior endeavors have all been really heavy and have all been really good, Long Live takes things to the next level.

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I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Norma Jean started to go downhill after Josh Scogin left. Maybe that’s just a coincidence, an incidental observation about a circumstantial event, but listening to The Chariot’s new song, “Evolve,” I’m inclined to believe there’s a connection.

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I’ve been dying to see Gojira do a full headlining set for a long time now, but said desire increased a hundred fold after I watched them pretty much blow In Flames off the stage back in December. Seriously: anyone who says the French are weaklings has never seen this band live. Because they will crush you. Crush your balls.

So. Looks like I’ll get my chance to see Gojira play for at least an hour this spring, when they’re doing a headlining trek with The Chariot and Car Bomb as support. I’m honestly not that familiar with The Chariot’s music, but I do know that Norma Jean started their descent into being the world’s most boring band after Josh Scogin left the fold; and Car Bomb are the tits. And even if you don’t like either of those bands, well, have I mention that FUCKING GOJIRA WILL CRUSH YOUR FUCKING BALLS?!?

Tour dates after the jumperooni.

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