Who doesn’t love origin stories? Most people, because they’re usually clunky and slow the story down? Oh. Well, in some cases — or, in few cases — they’re fascinating, shedding light on a character or story you love, if not possibly outshining it altogether. And while Astomatous may not outshine the band some of them would join — nimble-fingered proggy black metal titans/objects of Sammy O’Hagar’s unending and slobbering adoration Krallice — they’re certainly a fascinating look into the past, as well as standing confidently on their own merits. In fact, despite being recorded five years ago — practically ancient in Twitter time — The Beauty of Reason, their sole release thus far (and available via their Bandcamp page), holds up unbelievably well.

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Mick Barr is probably best known to MetalSucks readers as one of the sick sick sick guitar players for Krallice, but he’s also involved in a ton of other projects, including his own solo work, which often attracts a very, very classy crowd (apparently Bjork is a huge fan).

Now he has recorded Coiled Malescence, his first solo album released under his own name (as opposed to the monikers Octis or Ocrilim, which he has utilized in the past). And while the record won’t be out until next month, our friends at The Deciblog are streaming it right now. In case above album art somehow failed to tip you off, it is trippy, trippy stuff; anyone looking for some kind of Steve Vai pop-metal guitar gawd album is going to feel let down. But if you’re looking for a dude just making incredibly crazy shit on his guitar, well, you are going to fucking love this album. I know I do.

Check out Coiled Malescence here. It comes out September 13 on Safety Meeting Records (vinyl) and Savage Land (CD).

-AR

Before there were blogs there were these things called magazines, and the only metal magazine we still get excited about reading every month is Decibel. Here’s managing editor Andrew Bonazelli…

Two weeks ago, we not only revealed that this month’s dB flexi disc is Krallice covering Rorschach’s “Traditional,” but that the corresponding Hall of Fame would be the Jersey bruisers’ Protestant (order here). Krallice have been busy churning out covers both kick-ass and poignant lately, but today’s our day to tongue-bathe Rorschach for their influential 1993 ripper.

Resident dB workaholic Kevin Stewart-Panko wrangled Charles Maggio, Keith Huckins, Nick Forte, Thom Rusnak and Andrew Gormley for Q&As, and the guys were unsurprisingly down-to-earth, modest and hilarious. (“I’ve had people for years tell me about how Rorschach [were] responsible for metalcore, and I’m like, ‘Wow, people think I’m partly responsible for a genre, and that genre is only good part of the time.’” —Huckins.) Another thing about Keith, also of natural-born co-worker killers Deadguy: he joins a select group of artists with two HOF entries: Lee Dorrian, Bill Steer, Jimmy Bower, Nocturno Culto, Scott Ian, Danny Lilker and Sal Abruscato. I’d have to guess that out of all those guys, Bower or Lilker has the fastest potential track to three. But you tell us: what triple threat deserves it the most?

-AB

Decibel’s September 2011 issue also features Opeth, Toxic Holocaust, Sepultura, Cradle of Filth, All Shall Perish, Skeletonwitch, and that awesome Krallice flexi disc. That issue is available here, but why not get a full subscription to ensure you never miss an issue?

Earlier this year, Brendan Majewski, one half of Brooklyn’s Orphan, took his own life at the age of thirty-seven. That’s obviously terrible, and there’s never really anything more you can really say about something like that. It’s just horrible. End of story.

And so Krallice, one of the best black metal bands out there right now (and arguably just one of the best bands out there, period), have opted to pay homage to their fallen friend not with words, but, more appropriately, with music — specifically, with Majewski’s music. They’ve recorded a three-song EP of Orphan covers, Orphan of Sickness, which they are giving away for free. You can download it here.

Of course, I’m sure all parties involved would rather have Majewski than this tribute. But if it exposes any new fans to Krallice OR Orphan, well, that’s the closest thing to a silver lining this tragedy is ever going to get. So please check out the EP. It’s Krallice. It’s Orphan. It’s free. Do it.

-AR

Before there were blogs there were these things called magazines, and the only metal magazine we still get excited about reading every month is Decibel. Here’s managing editor Andrew Bonazelli…

Krallice may be polarizing in the metal community at large, but both Decibel (9 for Krallice, 9 for Dimensional Bleedthrough, 8 for Diotima) and MetalSucks (Colin Marston placing #15 on The Top 25 Modern Metal Guitarists list) fall squarely on the positive side of that spectrum. Hence, we’re keeping the upward spiral spinning with this month’s Flexi disc, as the NY-based black-proggers deliver their distinctive take on Rorschach’s “Traditional” (order here). The timing’s particularly gnarly because—surprise, surprise—Rorschach’s 1993 crossover sensation Protestant is September’s Decibel Hall of Fame honoree. This gem’s in vibrant gold and white—not clear, as it may appear in the image—and unlike the other Rorschach in popular culture, it hasn’t been sullied by the dipshittery of Zack Snyder. Give it a spin.

Krallice “Traditional (originally by Rorschach)” (dB009) by Decibel Magazine

-AB

Decibel’s September 2011 issue also features Opeth, Toxic Holocaust, Sepultura, All Shall Perish, and Skeletonwitch. That issue is available here, but why not get a full subscription to ensure you never one of these awesome flexi discs?

MetalSucks recently polled its staff to determine who are The Top 25 Modern Metal Guitarists, and after an incredible amount of arguing, name calling, and physical violence, we have finalized that list! The only requirements to be eligible for the list were that the musician in question had to a) play metal (duh), b) play guitar (double-duh), and c) have recorded something in the past five years. Today we continue our countdown with Colin Marston from Krallice and Behold… The Arctopus…

Colin Marston is one of the youngest guitarists on our list, and his primary creative outlets (Krallice, Dysrhythmia, Behold…the Arctopus) haven’t yet reached the legendary status of so many of the other bands graced by the other 24 inductees. But in terms of his stylistic breadth and the scope of his abilities, Marston is in a league of his own.

There isn’t a signature Colin Marston guitar sound or style. Instead, Marston expertly adapts his talents to fit the project in question. On one end of the spectrum is Byla, the ambient guitar duo that Marston shares with Kevin Hufnagel; the project is all about abstraction and texture. On the other end is Behold…the Arctopus, a band that thrives on over-the-top virtuosity, deployed in the wackiest of ways – and let’s not forget that Marston executes all of Behold…’s atonal tone rows on a 12-string Warr guitar, which means he’s essentially shredding on two instruments at once. Somewhere in between those two poles is Krallice, in which Marston’s guitar lines intertwine with Mick Barr’s, creating ever-shifting harmonic patterns that tickle the ears like few black metal bands do. No matter what the guitar idiom, Marston has mastered it. No wonder that Luc Lemay asked him to join Gorguts as bassist. By the looks of the live footage from Gorguts’ 2010 mini-tour, it would seem like Marston’s fitting in just fine.

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The release week of April 26th doesn’t bring any big-time heavy hitters, but what it lacks in muscle it makes up for in quality and volume: new releases by Krallice, Deafheaven, Explosions in the Sky, Graviton, Primordial, Vomitory and an Agoraphobic Nosebleed / Despise You split, among many others, hit the stores and e-waves today. Vic Vaughn on each and every one of ‘em after the break.

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The great people I know who listen to egghead American black metal bands like Krallice work in the kitchens and behind the bars of our great country’s hipster eateries. It’s logical, therefore, that I haven’t been reminded a million times by email of NPR’s stream of Krallice’s forthcoming record, Dio Time. I mean, the new jamz have been up since Sunday, since which time those dudes are in bed, nursing a Fat Tire hangover, memorizing Tosh.0 jokes to use on that hottie server in the ironic Stryper tee, and combing their complicated facial hair. I totally understand. One has to prioritize and there isn’t always time for “unrelenting but defiantly rhapsodic” blur metal noodling for yawners. Ah, life!

–ADF

Krallice’s new album (already?) Diotima is out Tuesday on (surprise!) Profound Lore. Order it here.

Another Krallice album, another Sammy O’Hagar review.

I considered this when Axl offered up the band’s latest for me to give my thoughts on; I briefly considered turning it down and going with, I don’t know, Emmure or some shit. But my gut told me that, even only three albums (in as many years) in, Krallice were due for a major upgrade, and I could still approach Diotima (their newest, out April 25) with a fresh perspective. Even as an atypical black metal band, they seemed to be evolving exponentially and fascinatingly. And, as almost always, I was absolutely right: Diotima is a major advancement, expounding on their already-ample potential. While not such a drastic leap as to be able to dismiss their first two records, their latest shows a sense of solidifying. The elements are still there, but there’s tinkering. While this album certainly won’t win them a lot of new fans — almost half the album is comprised of songs over ten minutes and their trademark tapestry of interlocking guitar parts is as complex as ever — it does display a confidence and swagger indicative of a band finding comfort in what they do. They sound content in being a high profile band instead of a third-string side project. However, they by no means sound complacent.

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Krallice’s completely fucking insane new album, Diotma, comes out via Profound Lore on April 26 (we should have a review well before then), and now the band has announced the first tour dates in support of that release. Alas, it’s only nine dates, but I’m sure that all of those dates will be killer — this band absolutely slays live.

And as a bonus, Withered will be on the same tour. Withered, too, just totally fuck shit up live. So you should definitely hit up one of these shows if you can.

Here are the dates, courtesy the good folks at Crustcake, in case that poster up there somehow confuses you:

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Before there were blogs there were these things called magazines, and the only metal magazine we still get excited about reading every month is Decibel. Here’s managing editor Andrew Bonazelli…

J. Bennett stopped by Decibel HQ last month; naturally, we took the opportunity to grab some adult beverages. It didn’t take long for me to punch up some Kylie in a jukebox that was doing just fine with Use Your Illusion and Ride the Lightning. Nor did it take some random backpatch hombre long—like maybe a second and a half—to cleanse the bar of Ms. Minogue’s exotic stylings with something off of Relentless. Little did this kid know that my drinking comrade was in town specifically to meet up with Bobby Liebling for our May cover story. Ah, the seren-dipshittery—a nice bit of low comedy before an interview that I assume blew even Bennett’s mind.

Said cover story is an instant favorite for multiple reasons, but I think number one is this brief aside from Sean “Pellet” Pelletier, longtime Liebling supporter/sufferer, describing the abode of the Pentagram mainman’s parents.

“There were Cocoa Krispies stuck to the ceiling because Bobby threw a bowl of cereal.”

That’s what I call living. I mean, you don’t need heroin and crack to do that shit, although I suppose it helps. On a moderately more serious note, while the cover’s in simple black and white, the issues detailed therein—loyalty, hedonism, spirituality—span a broad, colorful spectrum. Liebling has defied the odds in virtually every facet of his life—despite endless, infamous struggles with addiction, he’s concocted an absolutely essential proto-doom canon, and lived long enough to see a lethal cocktail of self-sabotage and bum luck transform into international adulation. Worthy subject matter—funny, heartbreaking and, again, sometimes mind-blowing.

And the rest of the issue is no slouch. We’ve covered the Napalm Death flexi already, but there are outlandish and informative features on Burzum, Gridlink, Kylesa, Krallice, Darkest Hour (specifically John Henry’s metal mutha), Obscura, the Scion Rock Fest and shitloads more. Hit it or quit it.

-AB

You can buy the May 2011 issue of Decibel here, or get a full subscription to ensure you never miss an issue, or of those awesome flexi discs!

I hope you’ve been following Metal Injection’s incredibly funny (and shamelessly insensitive) Black Metal History Month — there’s been a ton of great shit, all of which you can catch up with by going here.

The latest reasons to get stoked on this brilliant, brilliant idea comes in the form of two awesome lists:

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Okay, so, like, I didn’t even know there was a new Krallice album coming out. And I’d feel dumb, if I weren’t so happy. There’s a new Krallice album coming out!!! On April 26!!! It’s called Diotima, which is apparently a reference to a German poet I’m not smart enough to have ever heard of before!!! And “The Clearing,” the new song which has debuted on Stereogum, suggests that it’s not going to disappoint!!!

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Colin Marston of Behold… The Arctopus, Krallice, Gorguts and Dysrhythmia is one of those incredibly talented dudes who does it all and makes my jealousy bones fill with tension. Aside from being an incredibly accomplished guitarist and bassist and a member of FOUR (!) sweet bands that are all active, he runs his own studio in Queens, NY where he and his Newsted have recorded, produced and mixed countless metal albums. Whatever assclown is on the cover of your favorite guitar magazine this month, he probably isn’t half as talented and versatile as Marston.

The Deciblog has premiered a video of Marston taking Scion A/V on a tour through his studio, and since we delight in this kind of nerdery and know you will too we figure it’s highly worthy of a re-post. Colin talks about his guitars (look at that Warr!), his amp setup, how his studio is set up and his thoughts on the digital vs. analog recording debate. I recommend full-screening this video for maximum dorkery.

-VN

So at some point in 2008, Mick Barr, of Krallice/Orthrelm/Crom-Tech fame, teamed up with Brooks Headley, the ex-Born Against drummer is now a world-class pastry chef — and thus Oldest was born. The project has never performed live, but they’ve finally released an album unto the world. The six-song, thirty minute release combines the band’s “first well-produced recording with the second under-produced recording.” Well, at least they’re being honest!

In all seriousness, Oldest is pretty frickin’ awesome. It combines all the craziness we’ve come to expect from Barr with an off-the-rails punkier feel befitting the former drummer for Born Against. (Alas, they didn’t figure out a way to work Headley’s pastry skills into the mix. Oh well. Maybe next time.)

The band is doing a very, very limited run of these CDs — only a hundred made. You can get details on how to purchase one here, and they’re only twelve bucks (thirteen if you’re a stoopid Canadian or fourteen if you’re a dumm Europeein). So, obviously, don’t dilly-dally; go buy one now.

-AR

Welcome to the latest edition of “Freeloader” in which we review albums that you don’t have to feel like a douche for downloading for free. Today Satan Rosenbloom checks out the latest from Deafheaven.

Black metal is a music of destruction, but not as an end in itself. Just as devastating fires are necessary to maintain the evolution of a forest, the outsized musical gestures and inflammatory rhetoric of black metal are aimed at razing the world so that we may begin anew. Strange, then, that it’s only been in the last five years or so that we’ve seen black metal sprouting so many new branches. It’s a sad irony that a music so opposed to orthodoxy should be so concerned with notions of purity.

San Francisco’s Deafheaven are one of a growing legion of young American black metal bands (also including Krallice, Velnias and Liturgy) whose music captures that duality perfectly. There’s plenty of violence in the outpouring of blastbeats and guitars on their self-titled demo (briefly introduced by Vince here), but the violence feels transformative, baptismal, even comforting. Deafheaven’s arcing guitar harmonies lead to conventionally beautiful places; they even fly directly into the sun for the major key flashes of “Daedalus.” It says a lot that the acoustic instrumental “Bedrooms” feels totally at home among the beautiful carnage that surrounds it. It’s just as emotionally complete as the louder tracks.

While Deafheaven’s music shares surface characteristics with the classic black metal sound, this demo is so distanced from Mayhem and Immortal as to be another kind of music entirely. It engulfs rather than tramples, shimmers where so much black metal rattles. These descriptions alone do not make Deafheaven good or bad. But they do amount to an important shift in aesthetic values, one that makes black metal more listenable without taming its spiritual thrust. It’s a shift that has clear predecessors in Weakling, Wolves In the Throne Room and Agalloch. Do Deafheaven offer a take on this strain of black metal that the others don’t? Not really, though they do streamline the sound a bit. Do they offer that same feeling of cleansing that I get when I listen to the aforementioned? Oh, yeah.

(3.5 Horns Up)

-SR

Download Deafheaven’s demo over yonder.

I was catching up on my Deciblog today when I came across the below video for “And Clash and Clash of Hoof and Heel,” by Sailors with Wax Wings. The outfit is apparently a side-project for Pyramids’ R. Loren, so I now have to admit that although our friend Corey Mitchell is a Pyramids fan, I really don’t know much about the band and can’t comment on them. But I can say that between the quality of the below song and the list of guests who apparently appear on the Sailors with Wax Wings album (including but not limited to Katatonia’s Jonas Renkse, Swans’ Ted Parsons, My Dying Bride’s Aaron Stainthorpe, and Colin “Best Haircut EVER” Marston from Krallice, Dysrhythmia, Gorguts, Behold… The Arctopus, and a million other bands), I plan to check this record out ASAP.

As for the video itself, well… it’s pretty bizarre. I kept expecting there be some kind of “twist” or whatever, but, nope. Just pure, unadulterated strangeness. Still, I was never able to take my eyes off of it… I find it oddly compelling. Hypnotic, even. And, like I said, I dig the music.

Check this out, then weigh in with your thoughts in the comments section below.

-AR

Footage from last night’s show courtesy unARTigNYC

Before Portal took the stage at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn last night, some variation of the same phrase was on pretty much everyone’s lips: The singer had better be wearing a clock on his head. I heard at least one person threaten to riot if the performane was clock-less, and another drunken dude simply shout “THE CLOCK!” as we waited for the performance to begin. I mean, everyone has obviously seen the live videos, and as if Portal’s totally original, completely bizarre brand of metal didn’t distinguish them enough from the rest of the pack, well, the whole clock-mask thing certainly helped push them that extra mile.

Shame on us for making any comments that might have been interpreted as having a laugh at the band’s expense. Portal put us in our place.

For the singer – he goes by the moniker “The Curator” – was not wearing a clock on his head. Instead, he was basically dressed in an all-black Pope costume, while his bandmates – guitarists Horror ILLogiuM and Aphotic Mote, bassist Omenous Fugue, and drummer Ignis Fatuus – wore their traditional executioner’s masks and, in one case, a noose. (Oddly enough, Bloody Panda did not wear their executioner’s masks. I heard a rumor that Portal’s masks couldn’t get a work visa, so Blood Panda donated theirs instead. No idea if there’s any truth to that.*) But  this in no way way diminished the impact of the band’s performance, which was totally unique, unsettling, and challenging.

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So Vince and I checked out Gorguts, Portal, and Krallice (and, yes, some of Bloody freakin’ Panda) last night… needless to say, it was an all-around excellent experience. I’m gonna try and get a review of Portal’s performance up later today, because I think they specifically deserve some attention, so unique is their stage show. But I’d be remiss if I didn’t show Gorguts and Krallice some love, too, ’cause those bands kill.

The good news/bad news of the evening was that Gorguts mainman Luc Lemay announced from the stage that while he and the rest of the group’s current line-up (which includes Dysrhythmia’s Kevin Hufnagel on guitar, Krallice/Behold… the Arctopus’ Colin Marston on bass, and Origin’s John Longstreth on drums) are working on a new album (as expected), they won’t hit the studio until “late fall” or “Christmas,” which means this release obviously won’t see the light of day ’til 2011.

But they did perform a new song, which, for now, is simply called “Number Three;” and they’ve been performing it this entire tour, I guess, ’cause our buddies over at Metal Injection have some righteous footage of the band playing it in Boston earlier this week. Check it out:

Gorguts, Krallice, and Portal all play Philly tonight and Maryland Deathfest this weekend. You absolutely should not miss them.

-AR

Tonight Vince and I are hitting up one of those nifty pre-MDF shows, this one with Gorguts (YES!), Krallice (YES!!), Portal (YES!!!), and Bloody Panda (whatever). And as stoked as I am to see Gorguts and Krallice, for me, personally, the expected highlight is Portal. Listening to Swarth for the first time is still one of the biggest “What the fuck is this?” moments of my life. And the readers who have e-mailed us about the previous stops on this mini-tour have all raved. And, to my surprise and delight, tonight’s show is already sold out.

The trek hits Philly tomorrow, and then MDF, of course, is this weekend. Here’s some footage of Portal playing Outre‘s “Black Houses” last night night in Allston, MA.

-AR