Call it the Sarah Palin Effect: so much is already stacked against In This Moment (a metalcore band two to three years after metalcore flickered out with an incredibly attractive frontwoman equipped with a ridiculously provocative sense of fashion) that the bar is set almost comedicaly low. But much like struggling to answer simple follow-up questions during one of your first televised national interviews, any slight hint of competency already exceeds expectations, and by many, will be perceived a victory. I wouldn’t call The Dream, the band’s latest album, a victory by any means, but considering the flaccidity of the genre in which it exists, they manage to ascend from “Why do bands like this still make music?” to “Not that bad, really,” with relative ease. Though by no means a classic, it wobbles between lame metalcore and admirable pop-rock somewhat effortlessly to maybe work their way onto the guilty pleasure heap – no small achievement when considering the ocean of sneers and venom already directed their way before playing a note.

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It’s a really slow fucking news day and I’m bored off my ass, but I found this footage of Made Out of Babies doing the song “Invisible Ink,” off their latest album, The Ruiner, and it kept me entertained for a few minutes, so I thought I’d share it.

The Ruiner is easily one of the best albums of the year, and this is probably my favorite track on the record – it gets stuck in my head at least once a week. It’s epic, it’s catchy, it’s heartbreak, and, oh yeah, Julie Christmas is a babe. So check it out, hopefully it’ll help you pass the remaining hours ’til the work day is done a little faster.

-AR

There must be something in the water; another awesome supergroup has been born. Says a press release delivered by carrier pigeon to the MetalSucks Mansion:

United Nations is a power-violence band that features members of Thursday, Glassjaw, Made Out of Babies, Converge, and other special guests:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Nations_(band)

Full album. Streaming. MySpace. Now. Listen.

-VN

If I told you there were a new supergroup on the block that includes John LaMacchia (Candiria), Jeff Caxide (Isis), Greg Puciato (The Dillinger Escape Plan) and Julie Christmas (Made Out of Babies / Battle of Mice), you’d think the result would be some kind of furious explosion of heavy, right?

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I’ve taken on the thankless assignment of the noise rock beat for Metalsucks and I couldn’t be happier to share my undying love for this savage and atonal subgenre with all you closeted Disturbed fans. From vile legends like Big Black and Helmet to beady-eyed upstarts Pissed Jeans and The Austerity Program, I’m your man; shabbily attired, inconveniently hirsute and altogether uncouth. (I briefly considered taking on a Hebraic pseudonym, as is customary here, but opted against it despite my own Word Jumble of a heritage. For the record, it would have been Moishe Milquetoast.)

Let this first installment of Scraping Genius Off The Wheel (get the reference, win a freaking door prize) serve to remind you all that while the inglorious glory days of Amphetamine Reptile and Touch & Go lie behind us, we socially awkward and hideously acned admirers of this type of music still have plenty to get excited and inappropriately erect over.

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Our “Metal Face” contest was such a hit we figured we’d take it to the next level. In celebration of the release of Made Out of Babies’ excellent new album The Ruiner (read Axl’s review) and its’ kinda hilarious cover artwork (pictured), we’re giving away five Made Out Babies prize packages:

(1) MADE OUT OF BABIES – THE RUINER CD + T-shirt (in your size)
(4) MADE OUT OF BABIES – THE RUINER CD

To win, take a photo of yourself striking your best neanderthal pose, and either post a link in the comments (to your MySpace, Facebook, etc) or send it in to news [at] metalsucks.net. This is intentionally vague — make it funny! (shirts off are encouraged — but no nudity please). Five winners will be chosen next week.

There’s some interesting releases coming out today, and I’ve been meaning to write about a few of them; unfortunately, life got in the way. So without further adieu, I just wanna toss in my two cents…

THE GOOD: MADE OUT OF BABIES, THE RUINER

I’ve had this album for at least a month, and I’ve spent that entire time trying to write a review that would do it justice. But I just can’t find the words; there’s nothing I can write that’s as elegant as what Made Out of Babies have accomplished with this disc.

So let’s simply say this: I love this fucking album. And if you like good music, you owe it to yourself to check it out.

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Because we don’t always agree on shit here at the MetalSucks Mansion, and because I didn’t get my say in Vince’s column, I’m gonna throw in my two cents about some albums that weren’t on Vince’s “Best of ’08 So Far” list that I would have included:

• Genghis Tron – Board Up the House. Except for Nachtmystium’s new album, this is still the best thing I’ve heard so far this year. Read my review here.
• Made Out of Babies – Ruiner. Holy shit does this album rule. My review is coming up real soon, but everyone should either pre-order a copy or just be prepared to buy one when it drops on June 24.
• Jarboe/Justin K. Broadrick – J2. Like a less industrial Jesu. Gorgeous, aching, awesome. Read my review here.
• Hate Eternal - Fury & Flames. Erik Rutan makes discordance into an art… again. Easily his best work since the Morbid Angel days. Read my review here.
• Origin – Antithesis. The ten minute epic mindfuck of a title track alone means you need to either own this album or beat yourself in the face with a hammer. Read my review here.
• Meshuggah – Obzen. And on the 8th day, God created Meshuggah. And He saw that it was good. Read Kip’s review here.
• Virgin Black – Requiem: Fortissmo. Read My review here.

Believe it or not, I still haaven’t heard this fucking Harvey Milk album everyone is going on about. I think I’ll go do that now.

-AR