IN WHICH WE SHUTTERED UP THE MANSION FOR THE REST OF 2011
video via Metal Insider
Today is the last day of regular posting on MetalSucks for the remainder of the year. We’ll still have some posts now and then — our annual Heavy Metal Hanukkah contest starts next week, we might have a series of cool new guest blogs from an old friend for you, and, of course, if there’s any major breaking news, we’ll cover it — but most of your regularly scheduled programming is going on hiatus while we enjoy the holidays.
But until we’re back, have fun reviewing our top stories from this week, won’t you?
- We debuted a new video from Novembers Doom, new music by Nylithia, and, thanks to our pals at Decibel, new music from Autopsy.
- Lazarus AD’s Jeff Paulick nominated Marion Barber for president and Jonah Livingston from Ramming Speed told us about his live drum set-up.
- We spoke to Devin Townsend and Repulsion.
- We checked out the latest release from Kevin Hufnagel and some free shit from Australia.
- We listened to more previously unreleased material from Metallica’s Death Magnetic sessions.
- We got excited about the line-up for this year’s New England Metal and Hardcore Festival.
- We got even more excited to learn that Puddle of Mudd’s Wes Scantlin is a criminal.
- We accepted an apology from the world’s most pretentious metal band.
- The future ex-Mrs. Vince Neilstein serenaded us with a piano cover of Mastodon’s “Oblivion.”
- Dummy Nosenothing continued to know nothing. How come we don’t fire this idiot?
Thanks for another sucky year, gang. See ya in 2012!
-AR
Originally, I had planned on livetweeting this year’s New England Metal and Hardcore Festival for the purposes of turning my pithy comments into some sort of proper show report. Looking back on some of those 140-characters-or-less entries, I realized that there was really no need to do so. Instead, below you’ll find a selection of my most poignant tweets from the two day weekender. Enjoy!
If you’re a fan of metallic hardcore and you’ve yet to catch a 
Thanks mainly to their inclusion on a number of live hardcore shows I’ve been excited about, 
Last year, my esteemed colleagues Vince Neilstein and Van Arseface covered the 
If you’re hitting up this year’s 
My final interview at last month’s New England Metal and Hardcore Festival in Worcester, MA was with As I Lay Dying guitarist Nick Hipa. I’d met Nick earlier in the day at an industry hang at which he told me he was a huge fan of the site. We instantly hit it off, so by the time our scheduled interview rolled around there were no awkward moments. When I approached him while he was warming up in the back lounge of the band’s spiffy tour bus we got right to it. Nick spoke about the band’s past appearances at Metalfest, touring with Lamb of God, partying with Children of Bodom, the advantages of having a nice tour bus, the band’s recently released DVD, and their plans for a new album in early 2010.
Those that are fans of my infamous “Beard on Beard” interview series know that yours truly is a huge fan of a manly set of chin-whiskers. So when I found myself in the parking lot outside the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival casually chatting with the Metal Injection dudes and some dude with a ridiculously lush, full, styled piece of facial hair, I had to know more about him. Turns out this international man of mystery was vocalist J. Costa of Rhode Island metal warriors Thy Will Be Done. Mr. Costa graciously agreed to conduct an impromptu interview in which we spoke about beard grooming tactics, guys’ and girls’ differing opinions on the beard, the role of the beard as natural air conditioner, and eventually, oh, some band for which Mr. Costa happens to sing.
Shortly after their new-asshole-rippingly good set at the 2nd stage of day two at the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival last month, I caught up with Unholy, the latest in the continuing stream of unbelievable bands to release records that have “Prosthetic Records” stamped onto them. Seeing them perform live just an hour or two prior was actually my introduction to the band aside from a brief pre-show MySpace listen, but it proved to be all the introduction I needed. Guitarist/band-mastermind Jonathan Dennison (right) and vocalist Billy Price (center) spoke about how their deal with Prosthetic came about, what it’s like to be a new band that doesn’t necessarily fit into a specific trendy “scene,” their musical influences, life on the road, and the misery of unavoidable day jobs. Our quick chat, after I say “jump.”
At this point in the annals of MetalSucks history, an official interview with God Forbid is weird. Interviewing Doc Coyle “on the record” is kind of like interviewing your mom about her performance as your mother; like, are you truly getting the full skinny? But God Forbid are like family to us, and Doc was his usual self; honest, level-headed and frank. At New England Metal and Hardcore Festival last month, Doc told us what led to Dallas’ split from the band, how things with his replacement Kris Norris (of Darkest Hour) are going, the band’s current and future touring plans, critical response to Earthsblood, and breaking into the European market. Our chat, after the jump.
Josh Elmore and Troy Oftedal of Cattle Decapitation were my first interview of the weekend at New England Metal and Hardcore Fest in Worcester, MA last month. The interview was serious but easy-going, as if I were just catching up with two old friends I hadn’t seen in a while — despite the fact that I’d never met either of them before. When the guys in Cattle Decap aren’t busy 
A great time was had by all at this year’s New England Metal and Hardcore Festival. The bands killed, the people were quality, the Metal Insider panels were insightful, the beer was alcoholic, the pot potent, and the hippies at The Dead festival down the block were downright hilarious and provided for some good laughs. I had smashing fun live-Twittering the event (
It’s the biggest weekend of the year for metal fans in the Northeast, as the annual 
