I’m not really sure how I didn’t know this, but apparently Revocation covered Faith No More’s “Surprise! You’re Dead!” for the deluxe digital iTunes edition of last year’s Chaos of Forms. And if you’re like me and you didn’t know this and you didn’t buy the deluxe digital blah blah of Chaos, you’re in luck, ’cause the cover is now available for streaming below.

It’s not really any different from the original song — one of FNM’s more straight-ahead metallica ditties — save for the fact that Dave Davidson’s vocal performance is that much raspier than Mike Patton’s was. Still, the tune is clearly a good fit for Revocation, so I’m not gonna gripe too much.

Here, see what you think…

-AR

[via Ultimate Guitar]

After posting our own year-end lists for 2011, we asked you, oh ye MetalSucks faithful, to tell us what you thought the best metal album of the year was. And the winner by a landslide was The Devin Townsend Project’s all-star spectacular, Deconstruction, which got more than twice as many votes as its nearest competitors, Revocation’s Chaos of Forms and Protest the Hero’s Scurrilous. (Kind of amazingly, Mastodon’s The Hunter got one vote. ONE. Sheesh.)

We’d like to congratulate MetalSucks readers for once again demonstrating excellent taste. Now we can all stop arguing about what sucked so bad about 2011, and start arguing about what’s going to suck so bad in 2012!

And don’t forget to read our latest interview with Mr. Townsend himself, which was just published an hour ago right here.

Guitar dorks: check out this JamPlay.com interview with MetalSucks-deemed #1 Modern Metal Guitarist Dave Davidson. There’s lotsa great stuff in here; Dave’s musical education, his influences from jazz (Pat Martino, Wayne Krantz) to metal (Marty Friedman, Jeff Waters) to contemporaries like Emil Werstler, the history of Revocation, the new record Chaos of Forms and more. There’s lots of sage advice for guitarists, and we even learn how Dave got his rockstar name (hint: he wasn’t born with it!).

As a reminder, we’re offering MetalSucks readers free one-week trials at JamPlay.com, where you can take online lessons with Davidson, Tosin Abasi, Emil Werstler and more. Click here to sign up.

-VN

Either the editors of Spin magazine don’t know what the word “cheeky” means or otherwise I don’t know what the word “cheeky” means, only I’m like 99.9% sure that I do know what it means. And Revocation’s new video, for the track “No Funeral,” is not “cheeky,” as it was described on Spin‘s website, where it debuted.

It is, however, quite good! It’s a performance video, but it’s really nicely shot; the angles are dynamic, and you can actually see the band doing their thing, which is always a treat given the fact that they’re top-notch players. But, yeah. Not very cheeky at all.

“No Funeral” appears on Revocation’s Chaos of Forms, which is out now on Relapse.

-AR

Children of Bodom have been making anthemic, hair-metal-influenced melodeath about getting drunk and hating and killing things for fifteen years already? My oh my, how time flies!

The band will celebrate their birthday next year with a North American headlining tour, on which support will come from Eluveitie, Revocation (or “Revocator,” as it says on CoB’s website), and Threat Signal. That’s a pretty sweet line-up, no?

And we’ve mentioned before, Vince and I have a very special place for this band in our hearts, since MetalSucks was conceived at a CoB/Amon Amarth show back in 2006. Also, because they rock. So definitely check ‘em out and them celebrate pissing off parents for a decade-and-a-half if you can.

Dates are after el jumperooski…

Click to read more…

Last year (and the year before) I got way too busy with this thing called life and missed out on a lot of quality music. I am here to rectify the error of my ways, month by month.

Sorry for the delay. Been extra busy writing books, covering film festivals for Bloody Disgusting, and watching zee American football. Also, my listening tally practically doubled with the introduction of Spotify in my home.

Here are the August 2011 releases that got under my skin, burrowed their way into my brain, made my ears bleed, or simply tickled my unmentionables:

Click to read more…

On August 20th, just two days after the release of their new record Chaos of Forms, Revocation came, they saw and they conquered NYC as part of a quick 3-show run of dates to celebrate the album’s release. Metal Injection was there at The Webster Hall Studio to film four songs from the band’s raging headline set, and the results, as usual, completely capture the moment.

Instead of posting “Dismantle the Dictator,” a great song to be sure but one you’ve heard a million times by now, how about “Across Forests and Fjords,” a galloping, romping deep cut from Existence is Futile that also happens to be instrumental. Not that I’ve got a problem with Dave Davidson’s vocals — I think he’s a great frontman (in addition to being a great guitarist, of course) — but sometimes it’s refreshing when a vocalist lays back and lets the instruments do ALL the talking. “Across Forests and Fjords” would be a great song with or without vocals regardless; check it out, and check out the other three live clips here.

-VN

My fellow Chimairicans: I’ve got good news and really good news. So let’s start with the good news.

EMG Pickups is apparently holding a contest wherein contestants upload videos of themselves covering a Metallica tune (on EMG-equipped instruments, natch) to YouTube for the chance to win a shitload of stuff. And I don’t really care about that, but I do care that one of the contestants is Rob Arnold, who does a version of “To Live is to Die” that absolutely rips. Seriously, Kirk Hammett hasn’t sounded this good since before he went through menopause. Check out Arnold’s cover below:

Pretty cool, no?

But here’s the better news — more dates for the second leg of Chimaira’s headlining tour in support of their awesome new album, The Age of Hell, have gotten out, and they include a stop at the Starland Ballroom in New Jersey for WSOU’s 25th Anniversary concert. WSOU is pretty much the best metal radio station on the East Coast and possibly the entire United States, so I’m thrilled that such a killer band is gonna help them celebrate their birthday. And since support on that tour is coming from Unearth, Skeletonwitch, and Molotov Solution, they’ll all be playing, too, which is in no way bad news. You can get more details on that show, including ticket info, from Metal Insider.

Here are all the dates for the first leg of the tour, which features Revocation, Impending Doom, and Rise to Remain; dates for the second leg of the tour are after the jump!

Click to read more…

In case Chimaira’s upcoming headlining tour with Revocation, Impending Doom, and Rise to Remain isn’t enough for you, The PRP is now reporting that the band will also headline a second leg of that trek almost immediately after the first leg concludes — and this time support will come from Unearth, Skeletonwitch and Molotov Solution. As much as I love Chimaira and Revocation, that’s actually a way, way stronger line-up; I’m not really a Molotov Solution fan, but Unearth and Skeletonwitch are both great, and greater than great in a live setting. So I feel pretty confident that these shows will just be absolutely annihilative.

You can get dates for the first leg of the tour (with Revocation, etc.) here; only two dates for the second leg are available right now, more will be announced soon. In the meantime, those dates are…

11/17 Poughkeepsie, NY – The Chance
11/25 Ft. Lauderdale, FL – Revolution Live

-AR

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Welcome to “Question of the Week,” a (not really at all) weekly debate amongst the MetalSucks staff regarding a recent hot button issue.

This week ‘s question was suggested to us by the reader known as “Cougar Party”:

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE RIFF OF 2011 THUS FAR?

The MS staff’s answers after the jump.

Click to read more…

If the three bands name-checked in our headline aren’t enough to pique your interest, that’s not all: The Phoenix Born of Fire, Volume 1 compilation — put together by weekly New England arts mag The Boston Phoenix — also features free downloadable tracks from Ramming Speed (appearing at The Metal Suckfest!), Motherboar, Razormaze, Acaro, and a number of other Boston-area metal bands. Stream or download the whole thing for free on Bandcamp. Who knows, you may even discover a new band.

-VN

Thanks: Zack Wells

Last week I wondered aloud how Trivium’s first-week showing for In Waves compared to the first weeks of their past albums, and my secret Soundscam correspondent came through once again. Here’s how their past three albums performed in their first weeks of release:

The Crusade (released October 8, 2006): 31,156
Shogun (released September 28, 2008): 23,577
In Waves: 20,635

A downward trajectory to be sure, but 20,000 is still quite an impressive number in this day and age. I wonder how Roadrunner Records views it?

Onto other matters: Chimaira, Attila and Revocation all had big debuts last week. Let’s take a look.

Click to read more…

Remember when we told you last week that Chimaira were gonna do a U.S. headlining tour in the fall with Impending Doom, Revocation, and Rise to Remain? Well, dates have been announced! And I don’t really know what else to say, other than that you should look at those dates after the jump, figure out which one is closest to you, and go. Because Chimaira + Revocation = massive amounts of fun. You should also read this interview I just did with Chimaira vocalist Mark Hunter. And if you haven’t bought Chimaira and Revocation’s respective new albums, The Age of Hell (out now on eOne) and Chaos of Forms (out now on Relapse), you should do that, too.

And now, the tour dates:

Click to read more…

Getting back into the flow of things this week we have a good number of new releases to listen to as we head out of the summer release season. New stuff from Yob, Chimaira, Revocation and Today Is The Day are probably the biggest releases this week, with some lesser-known gems in the herd as well.

Click to read more…

Chimaira have released a video for “Year of the Snake,” one of my favorite songs from their new album, The Age of Hell. It’s a performance video, but it was directed by Todd Bell, which means it’s, like, a trillion times better than the vast majority of all other performance videos. (The slo-mo mic swinging is especially bad-ass.) Perhaps even more importantly, though, it’s the fans’ first chance to hear an awesome new Chimaira track. I mean, that section right after the second chorus? TOTAL ELEPHANTS MARCHING MADNESS. That thirty-seven seconds of music alone should be enough to make your day.

Interesting side-note about the video: earlier this week, I interviewed vocalist Mark Hunter, and he told me the following about the shoot for the clip:

Click to read more…

Guys, I am plum out of nice things to say about Revocation’s Chaos of Forms. We’ve been telling you how great it is for some time now. It’s an amazing album and you’re gonna love it. End of story.

So now it’s streaming in full. Go listen. Seriously. Do it do it do it do it.

Chaos of Forms comes out a week from today, Tuesday, August 16, via Relapse.

-AR

There are several really, really good albums coming out one week from tomorrow, but I imagine that Revocation’s Chaos of Forms is at the top of a lot of MetalSucks readers’ shopping lists — and with good reason. Revocation rules. And, as all the new material you’ve already heard (including the song “Dissolution Ritual,” which we’re streaming here) has hopefully proven to you, Chaos of Forms rules.

But on the off-chance you’re still not convinced, here’s two more chances to see what all the fuss is about.

First, Jackson Guitars is streaming the title track.

Second, Metal Underground has posted some really good footage of the band performing the track “Conjuring the Cataclysm” during their recent MetalSucks-sponsored trek with Forbidden. Check it out after the jump!

Click to read more…

Man, I really, really hope that some day, some Korean animators see fit to make a short about MetalSucks. And that it is one-eighth as awesome as the above video.

ANYWAY, here’s how we kept ourselves entertained this week:

• We debuted new music by Revocation, White Arms of Athena, Goreaphobia, and Sixx A.M.
• We did not debut, but got really excited about, new music from Mastodon and Opeth.
• Unearth’s Ken Susi and Dethklok’s Brendon Small told us all about their live rigs. BONUS: Brendon Small also gave us the skinny on his new solo album!
• We spoke to All Shall Perish’s Fracesco Artusato and Kaoru and Die from Dir En Grey.
• We checked out the latest releases from All Pigs Must Die and Axel Rudi Pell.
• We were easily able to come up with twenty-five things we’d rather do than listen to the new Five Finger Death Punch song.
• We tried to figure out which label will snag Gojira.
• Gary Suarez urged metalheads to cut the shit and stop supporting Burzum.
• Sergeant D. wondered if breakdowns are the new guitar solos.
• Corey Mitchell discussed his ten favorite albums of the year thus far.

We’ve spent enough time talking about Revocation on this site for you to know that we think they’re the absolute bees knees and that their new album Chaos of Forms, comes out on August 16th. But since we know all of you are busy folks who don’t necessarily listen to everything we say, we figured we’d make it as easy as possible for you to see the light via a song premiere right here on this very page. All you have to do is click “play” below; if you like the new song “Dissolution Ritual” then hooray! — and if not, well, we’ll just have to agree to disagree.

[this streaming promotion has ended]

This has to be the best-yet edition of “Ask the Artist,” the new video series in which our partners in crime at Metal Injection ask musicians to answer one uniform question. This week, the question is “How easy is it to score girls while on the road?” And, confirming what Sergeant D. has been telling us all along, the answer seems to be, “Not very easy at all.” Check it out:

Don’t forget that you can watch more episodes of “Ask the Artist” at Metal Injection.

-AR