We hope you guys are ready to have your skulls crushed, ’cause boy oh boy, do we have one skull motherfucking crusher for you today — “Avalanche,” a  brand new track off Black Cobra’s brand new album, Invernal. (We’re also stoked to be debuting the totally killer album artwork, above.) As the song’s title suggests, the music conjures nightmarish images of trying to outrun a massive force of nature which, of course, will inevitably catch up with you, overpower you, and destroy you. If that ain’t fuckin’ metal, nuthin’ is.

Check out “Avalanche” below — you’ll be glad you did. Invernal, which was produced and mixed by the great Kurt Ballou, comes out October 11 on Southern Lord. Stay tuned to Black Cobra’s official website for more info.

[this streaming promotion has ended]

Today really IS the day! After four long years, Today is the Day having an awesome new album, Pain is Warning, is out as of right now via Black Market Activities (read our own glowing review here). And we couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate than to debut one more song from the album. And so we proudly bring you “Death Curse,” a kick-ass metal anthem that could only have come from the twisted, brilliant mind of Steve Austin.

Stream the track below, then buy the album on iTunes for just eight bucks!!! It may be the best money you spend all week.

Today is the Day’s new album, Pain is a Warning, comes out on Tuesday, and all of the reasons you’re going to buy it are contained within our own Sammy O’Hagar’s review. Here’s a sample of that review:

“Pain is a Warning is filled with fucking cock rock. AC/DC riffs, fiery solos, twangy ZZ Top chorus riffs, and other pleasantly surprising flourishes pop up everywhere. That being said, implying that it’s a straight-up cock rock album — or a straight up any kind of album — is misleading. The band shifts gears from song to song, from the aforementioned cock rock… to breathy Sonic Youth quietness… to hardcore, complete with gang vocals. Even the more typical TITD fare… sounds bigger, more brash. Don’t get me wrong, this is clearly a Today is the Day album (Austin’s scream is pretty hard to mistake for anyone else, after all), but the revelations and asides feel fresh. It’s also the most listenable thing the band has released, and easily the most rocking.”

If that all sounds awesome, it’s because Pain is a Warning is, indeed, awesome. And you have one last chance to stream a new song before the album’s release: Brooklyn Vegan has debuted the track “This is You.” Check it out here, then celebrate the end of a too-long wait for a new TITD album in our comments section.

Pain is a Warning is out this coming Tuesday, August 16, on Black Market Activities.

-AR

Even in Today is the Day’s hard-to-classify catalog (Deeply disturbed psychogrind/doom with apocalyptic deathfolk influences? Intense grindy noisecore with suicidal outlaw country asides? Christ, who the fuck cares?), Pain is a Warning is somewhat of an anomaly. Granted, there are elements on it that have been touched on my the band before — big-ass riffs and quiet, contemplative moments — but… something’s missing. Early TITD albums (and Kiss the Pig, of course) were akin to starting up a conversation with the guy standing alone and twitching at the train station: he’ll be intense, at times hard to relate to, have some interesting things to say, and ultimately very much not for everyone. There’s been a tense wall of standoffishness to the band’s stuff, and that’s what made it great. If it was your thing, it was like someone was speaking to an intensely personal place. If it wasn’t your thing, it was incredibly unnerving. Even the folks in the middle would at least say it wasn’t a band they could listen to every day. That element is missing on Pain is a Warning.

Well, not completely, but it’s more manageable on their new album. And while the NEW THING=NO DEAL! kneejerk reaction awaits, Pain is a Warning, a curveball in a career full of them, is boldly different, and thus, fucking excellent. Whereas something like In the Eyes of God is taut and jittery like a rabid animal, Pain is a Warning is elephantine. We know what Steve Austin sounds like when he’s pissy, losing his religion, furious, murderous, bummed out, depressed, despondent, and fairly angry; what does he sound like when he just wants to bowl shit over? Pain is a Warning answers that question.

Click to read more…

What an awesomely massive week for Today is the Day fans. Just this past Monday, the new and improved TITD released the title track for their new album, Pain is a Warning, as a free download; now they’re streaming another new track, “The Devil’s Blood,” over at Revolver.

I’m a little wary of saying too much about Pain is a Warning, since our own Sammy O’Hagar is working on a review of the album, and I don’t wanna steal his thunder. The mere fact that it’s Today is the Day should make you wanna check out the song. And the added bonus of TITD now counting two members of Wetnurse among their ranks should really make you wanna check out the song. And now me telling you that song is some kinda goddamn awesome death n’ roll anthem (and I do mean ANTHEM) should make you really, really, REALLY wanna check out the song.

So check out the damn song already.

The Kurt Ballou-produced Pain is a Warning comes out August 16 on Black Market Activities.

-AR

Somehow, it’s fucking August already. So the bad news is, I forgot to send in my rent check on time again, and the good news is, we’re just a couple of weeks away from the release of Pain is a Warning, the awesome new album from Today is the Day.

And — HOO-RAY!!! — the increasingly-metal-friendly NPR is now giving away a free download of the title track. When I spoke to new TITD drummer Curran Reynolds (who also plays with the totally righteous Wetnurse, along with TITD bassist Ryan Jones) this past March, he told me that Pain is a Warning “is the most accessible Today is the Day record” and that mainman Steve Austin “is embracing rock more so than ever before” — and this song certainly demonstrates that. It manages to be a huge rock anthem — some of it reminds me of pre-pussification Queens of the Stone Age — without sacrificing any of the fucknutsness that has drawn so many of us to Mr. Austin’s work in the past. It’s friggin’ great.

Download the track here, then tell Josh Homme to toss Steve Austin’s salad in our comments section. Pain is a Warning – which, it’s worth mentioning, was produced by the legendary Kurt Ballou — comes out August 16 on Black Market Activities.

-AR

Kurt Ballou, you rat bastid! After telling us he was about to begin working on a new Old Man Gloom record and getting us into a tizzy, Ballou has gone and taken it all back a few days later, claiming it was a “belated little April Fools joke.” From Kurt’s Facebook via Metal Injection:

whoops. nevermind about Old Man Gloom. they forgot to write songs, so they’ve cancelled

And then a follow-up reply to stangry FP commenters:

hey, i want an new OMG too. i think i’m just going to write it and record it myself and see if i can pass it off as them. i have played drums, guitar, and sang on their records before, so it’s ok, right? it will be called “easter.”

Oh well. At least we can still pine for that Scissorfight reunion.

-VN

AT LAST!!! We first offered to play a part in the distribution of Meek is Murder’s Algorithms last summer, before we’d heard a single note of a single demo — such was our faith that this incredible band would make something truly memorable. And they haven’t disappointed. With the aide of the masterful Kurt Ballou as their producer/mixer, Meek is Murder have now delivered what Decoy Music recently called “a banger” that is “packed with energy and charisma.”

And now you can hear for yourself — ’cause Algorithms is out today! We’re streaming the entire thing below, so you know we’re not full of shit when we tell you that this album rules. And once you hear that we’re not full of shit, you can order the album here. The limited edition CDs are all sold out, but you can still get a high-quality digital download for just $5, or a download and t-shirt combo for just $15!

And now, with any further ado, we present to you Meek is Murder’s Algorithms. TURN THAT SHIT UP LOUD!

[sorry, this streaming promo is over. buy the album for just $5!]

Today is the Day, 2011: from left to right — Ryan Jones, Steven Austin, and Curran Reynolds. Photo by Karen Novak.

Curran Reynolds is not just a staple of, but a bona fide blessing to, the New York City metal scene. As both the drummer for Wetnurse and the mastermind behind Precious Metal, the city’s “best and longest running weekly event dedicated to heavy music,” the guy is a FORCE, and anyone who loves metal and lives in NYC should be grateful for him.

So. Wetnurse’s follow-up to Invisible City was my pick for Album That Will Fuck Your Face Off in 2011 (and if you’ve never heard Wetnurse before, please please please go listen to the on the second volume of our free NYC Sucks comp), but before that yet-to-be-recorded record ever sees the light of day, Ryenolds and his Wetnurse band mate, bassist Ryan Jones, will appear on another insanely exciting new release: Today is the Day’s Pain is a Warning. This will be Steve Austin’s ninth release for the constantly-pushing-the-envelope outfit, but it will be the first time Reynolds and Jones have recorded with the band — and you can hear the excitement in Reynolds’ voice. He is a huge fan living the dream — he really did get to go and join one of his favorite bands.

As I’m writing this, TITD is about ten days away from completing the album. Immediately thereafter they’re off to do a five-week tour of Europe (get dates here); in typically fuck-nuts TITD fashion, the very first show of that tour will take place at Litla Hraun prison, the only Maximum Security correctional facility in Iceland, which currently holds violent offenders, burglars, and drug traffickers, and Lucifer knows who the hell else. And yet, despite the busy schedule of completing the album/preparing for the tour/praying there isn’t a prison riot, Curran was cool enough to take some time out of his day and answer a few of my questions.

After the jump, read what he had to say about the new Today is a Day album, how he came to join the band, working with Austin and producer Kurt Ballou, and more.

Click to read more…

Alright! We’re less than two weeks away from the release of Meek is Murder’s Algorithms. And the band is out on tour now! City’s Best recently encouraged readers to “Catch this upstart new combat unit so you can brag about it when they are taking the metal world by storm a year from now.” That’s obviously high praise, but it’s not B.S. — the band absolutely impales aardvark babies live.

There are tour dates after the jump. Of course, what you could also do instead is just download Meek is Murder’s new FREE app for your iPhone, iPod touch, and/or iPad. It was designed by MiM guitarist/vocalist Mike Keller, whose Clark Kentian persona as a maker of apps disguises his Supermanly prowess as a creator of what Brooklyn Vegan calls “off-kilter hardcore-influenced math-terpieces.” It comes with all the usual goodies (tour schedule with links to buy tickets and the ability to add your show to your calendar and maps, exclusive photos, videos, etc.), but it also comes with a new free song from Algorithms.

Yep. You could be listening to new Meek is Murder music right now!

Download the app here.

Don’t forget that MetalSucks is releasing the  Algorithms on March 22. It was produced and mixed by the legenary Kurt Ballou! We’re already accepting pre-orders here; you can get a digital download, a t-shirt package, or one of the few remaining super-limited-edition CDs that the band personally made, put their actual fingerprints on, and sprayed with drummer Frank Godla’s cologne. No, we are not making this up.

And here are those tour dates again:

Click to read more…

We haven’t bugged you about Meek is Murder’s new album, the Kurt Ballou-produced Algorithms, in awhile, but now’s a good time — ’cause Brooklyn Vegan is streaming a brand new track, “(null),” right now. And it’s AWESOME — furious and raw and larger than life… basically, it epitomizes everything Vince and I love about Meek is Murder. So go listen to it right fucking now. They’ve also posted some pretty killer (and totally hilarious) behind-the-scenes studio footage, which originally debuted on The Deciblog and Noisecreep.

And, oh yeah, don’t forget that you can download a demo of MiM’s song “Sundowners” as part of Volume 1 of NYC Sucks! And it’s FREE!!! The finished version is even kick-assier, but this will at least give you some sense of the awesome roller coaster ride that is Algorithms.

MetalSucks is proud to be releasing this bad boy on March 22. And we’re now accepting pre-orders here! You can get a high quality digital download for five bucks, a download and a t-shirt (in one of two stylish, uh, styles) for fifteen bucks, or a special, super-limited edition (only fifty pressed!), hand-made, autographed CD for just ten bucks. Check that shit out and see what tickles your fancy.

And, finally, keep in mind that the band is gonna be on tour all next month. You really, really need to see these dudes live — that’s how they made me fall in love with them. Here are dates:

Click to read more…

Earlier this month, we told you that we’d be doing the digital release for Meek is Murder’s new, Kurt Ballou-produced album, Algorithms, upon its release on March 22; last week, we finally got to hear an unmastered version of the entire album, and even in this unfinished form, it absolutely wrecked us. What an epic, punishing piece of work… we feel so lucky to be associated with this release.

And now we’re glad to finally be able to share some of it with you, in the form of the below teaser video. It features just a small taste of the semi-title track, “Algorythms,” but we feel confident that it will be enough to get your blood pumping…

Good shit, right? Want some more? Well then don’t forget that you can get a demo version of the MiM tune “Sundowners,” which will appear in its final form on Algorithms, just by downloading 100% free comp, NYC Sucks, Volume 1, which spotlights some of the best bands the New York area has to offer.

Algorithms will be out March 22… more info coming…

In 2009, MetalSucks did a digital-only release for The Binary Code’s Suspension of Disbelief. We did this because the band was unsigned, the album was awesome, and we thought it would be fun to actually help some great music find its way out into the world for once, instead of just bemoaning the state of metal from our armchairs.

And it was fun! We had a blast, and have wanted to do it again ever since. But it’s hard to find good bands period, let alone good bands that meet our particular set of criteria.

But one such band is Meek is Murder, the brainchild of guitarist/vocalist Mike Keller (ex-The Red Chord), who we’ve been raving about for some time now. So when Mike and his fellow Meek Men Frank Godla (drums, also of Empyreon fame) and Sam Brodsky (bass) told us they were entering the studio this month to record a new album with producer Kurt Ballou — yep, that Kurt Ballou — and that the record did not yet have a home, well, we jumped at the chance to partner with them to help get their message to the masses.

The result will be Algorithms, which we’ll be releasing on March 22. You can check out the awesome cover art by Mr. Keller himself above, and there will be a demo of one of the new songs appearing on the album, “Sundowners,” on our upcoming NYC Sucks comp.

We’ll give you lots more details about Algorithms in the coming weeks, but for now, we just wanted to put it on your radar and let you know to get excited about it — ’cause we sure as hell are!

-Axl & Vince

Earlier this week I had a dream that I was working with Atreyu. I don’t know in what capacity I could possibly find myself “working with” Atreyu, since I’m not a manager, nor a publicist, nor a label rep, and they’re about as likely to end up doing a guest column here as I am to give the new In This Moment album a perfect 5-horn review, but, hey, the subconscious works in mysterious ways. Why did I have Atreyu on the brain? Was my mind trying to tell me “The glass is half-full?” Do I have  a hankering to re-watch The Neverending Story? Did I just ingest too many different substances that night? I’ll have to bring it up in therapy next week.

Here’s other shit that happened this week, some of which, believe it or not, is even more terrifying than the thought of working with Atreyu:

• Freddy Madball is counting down his favorite hard and heavy non-hardcore bands of all time, TesseracT’s Acle walked us through the history of djent, The Austerity Program’s Justin Foley spoke to Converge’s Kurt Ballou about Taco Riffs, The Red Chord’s Greg Weeks made some suggestions for losing NFL teams, Intronaut’s Sacha Dunable contemplated the ways in which technology has changed touring, Daath’s Eyal Levi wondered, “Is this it?”, and a wide array of metal stars previewed the just-begun NHL season.
• We spoke to Kirk Windstein from Crowbar/Down/Kingdom of Sorrow, Sean Z. from Daath, Daddy X and Dirtball from Kottonmouth Kings, and Yoshiki Hayashi from X Japan.
• We checked out the latest releases from Abysse and Deafheaven.
• We contemplated trancecore.
• As the headline says, we heard the worst thing ever.
• We reviewed the history of terrible Limp Bizkit cover songs.
• We had fun with misheard song lyrics.
• We bemoaned the signing of another re-thrash band.
• We applauded Slayer fans’ desire to help the physically disabled.
• We had yet another laugh at Winds of Plague’s expense.

We have a special surprise for you next week. I can’t promise you’re going to like it, but I can promise you’re going to have a strong reaction to it. See ya then.

-AR

Kurt Ballou is the guitarist for Converge and runs/is Godcity Recording Studio. In both of these capacities he has been a big part of making some of my favorite music ever. Screw the commonly used term “arguably” – Converge’s last record is their best/hardest record yet. And Kurt’s recording style presents live-sounding documents of aggressive bands that includes a ferocious midrange bite (see Young Widows, Disappearer, or Ghengis Tron, for example). It’s a compelling antidote to the heavily-edited/eq’d ProTools default deployed by most heavy music. He’s also an unabashed music fan who’s given some thought to what he likes.

Click to read more…

Black Market Activities will release Mercy, the third full-length from Chicago’s Sweet Cobra, on September 28; since we’re debuting a track here on MetalSucks, it should go without saying that we think it’s pretty frickin’ cool. “Brux,” the opening track, has to be one of the catchiest songs we’ve heard all year; it sounds like Mastodon, if Mastodon were more interested in making sure they got stuck in your head and less interested in, like, orcs n’ shit. If the slip-slide riff and boppin’ drums don’t make you wanna get up and grab a hula-hoop, than you must have no pulse. This song is so infectious you’re gonna need to drill into your brain just to get it out.

Check out “Brux” below, and then pre-order Mercy here. It was produced by Sanford Parker (Pelican, Nachtmystium) and mixed by Kurt Ballou (Do you seriously not know who Kurt Ballou is?!?!), as if you needed any further incentive to buy a copy.

[this promotion has ended]

When it comes to metal and hardcore, 2009 has been an exceptional year for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The legendary Cave In officially reunited, played some shows, and released the four-song Planets of Old 12″. Converge dropped the highly-anticipated Axe To Fall, considered by some to be as good as or even better than their benchmark album Jane Doe. Hell, that band’s bassist Nate Newton even managed to secure substantial attention and overwhelming praise for Darkness Come Alive, the latest from his Doomriders side-project. In this somewhat incestuous collection of talented New England musicians exists yet another amazing group called Disappearer, who have given us possibly the best album of the year.

Click to read more…

There I was, minding my business on the Internet when all of a sudden, the Deathwish Inc. Twitter account tweets about a new Blacklisted album. And not just new, but NOW AVAILABLE.

Click to read more…

Now that Animosity is done, I guess vocalist Leo Miller is occupying his time by working as a correspondent for Metal Injection – in which I case I can only say, “Hey, Leo, welcome to the family!” Any friend of MI’s is a friend of ours. Except for Sid. He doesn’t like Cynic so screw that dude.

ANYWAY, here’s Leo interviewing Converge. The best part actually comes later in the video, when Jacob Bannon high-jacks the interview and… well… just watch.

-AR

With Converge’s critically acclaimed Axe To Fall still commanding the attention of the metallic hardcore faithful, this week’s release of a new album from Belgium’s Rise And Fall could naturally be overlooked. However, that would be to the detriment of those currently enjoying that higher-profile record. An intelligent, intense burst of recorded vehemence, Our Circle Is Vicious–which you can and should buy now–was (like so many Deathwish Inc. albums) produced by Converge’s Kurt Ballou and stands as a considerable improvement on 2005′s Into Oblivion. Listen to “Built On Graves” and “In Circles” at the band’s MySpace page.

The band play a few U.S. shows this week before heading back to Europe for a month-long tour with Iron Age, whose recent album The Sleeping Eye we streamed back in August and is on Vince’s “Best Of 2009″ shortlist. That tour culminates in Rise And Fall’s hometown of Gent, with a final show that also features Goatwhore, Skeletonwitch and Toxic Holocaust. The band will wrap up 2009 with a December tour through Australia, only to kick of the new year with a few gigs with labelmates The Hope Conspiracy. All dates are below.

Click to read more…