MetalSucks

That’s the question that reader Nathan Werp asked us this morning via e-mail. And, no, Nathan, I do not remember this band. And based on the video of them that you sent us, I think that’s probably a good thing. Because that’s a terrible name for a band, and I think this is a terrible song. It’s just a rehashed grunge riff with irritatingly nasal vocals. Sorry, bro.

But apparently one of their members went on to be in Rwake. So if this band helped give us Rwake, then all is forgiven.

If anyone wants to defend this group… go nuts. I made it about halfway through the video and gave up.

-AR

Rwake is a band we don’t write about as much as we should because, honestly, they don’t generate as much news as we’d like. They only tour occasionally and haven’t released an album since 2007’s nut-bustingly awesome Voices of Omens. I’m hoping they’ll get a new album out in 2010, but haven’t really heard anything. The band announced that they were “writing some more tunes” on their MySpace page, but that was back in March already.

At least we know that vocalist CT has been keeping busy: according to Invisible Oranges, he’s co-directing the documentary Slow Southern Steel, about, uh, well, it should seem obvious. The film is apparently still a work-in-progress, but since that never stops Hollywood from releasing a trailer, why should it stop CT and co-director David Lipke?

You can get more info on Slow Southern Steel here. It seems to have a tentative release date of May 2010.

-AR

So. Yesterday was a fucking whirlwind.

Salt Lick BBQ lunch, punctuated by the special rice krispie treat some guy had sold us the night prior. Kip and I were giggling like high school kids stoned for the first time as we were eating THE MOST FUCKING AMAZING BARBECUE FUCKING EVER. From there it was right back into it with a triumvirate of Peelander-Z, Rwake and proggy atmospheric rockers Maserati. Pound down a few Lone Stars, Coffee, Red Bull, keep going. We hit a quality standup comedy showcase next (Eugene Mirman, others) to break things up before indulging in delicious street tacos, then onwards to the Pelican / Dredg show at Emo’s. Once again, Dredg killed it (better sound this time), and once again I’m not much impressed by Pelican. Cut to 6am passing some bottles of cheap red wine around a hotel room with Dredg as I realized I had to leave for the airport… breakfast at Salt Lick offshoot in the airport, plane, pass out, New York.

Thank you to everyone we hung out with all weekend for making this our best SXSW yet. Fucking epic.

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That I’m sitting here in the MetalSucks Mansion this snowy Monday morning has gotta be some kinda heavy metal miracle; as I type this, Anton OyVey, Rob Pasbani from Metal Injection, our friends from BITPOM.com, and a lot of other fine friends are still stranded in Atlanta due to the weather.

And honestly, there are worse towns in which to be stranded. To my shock, not only is the booze in Atlanta shockingly cheap, not only is the purp somehow completely fucking magical, but the city is about as chill as you could hope for. I kinda miss it already.

But enough wistful reminiscing. After the jump, get my thoughts on some of the best bands of Saturday’s totally excellent Scion Rock Fest!

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If you’re jonesin’ for a fix of sludgy, dark, raw, gritty mothafuckin METAL, you ought to give the new Deadbird track “Death of Self” a listen. Deadbird, featuring one ex-member and one current member of Rwake (if I’m reading the press release correctly), deliver a stony riff-fest of southern-tinged, heavy as fuck sludge, something of a deep-fried, Down-influenced version of Rwake. And this new track is a sprawling, 9-minute epic that expands the boundaries of what you might traditionally think of as sludge by incorporating elements such as, *gasp*, an acoustic guitar. In short, it fucking rules.

The new album Twilight Ritual, from whence this new track comes, hits stores June 24th via At A Loss Recordings.

Deadbird – “Death of Self”

-VN

[Deadbird on MySpace]

I have no idea if this is true or not, but someone recently told me that Steve Austin (the legendary musician, NOT the pro-wrestler and NOT the Six Million Dollar Man) made current Today is the Day drummer Derek Roddy wear a bullet proof vest during his audition for the band so that Austin could shoot him as he played in order to test his skill under pressure. That seems incredibly extreme and totally fucking fuck nuts if it’s true, especially since Roddy’s skills have already been tested in Hate Eternal, but, uh, hey, it’s still a pretty cool story.

ANYWAY, Austin taking his band out on the road is always cause for excitement, but the fact that’s he taking a rotating support line-up of some of our favorite bands out there right now with him – including Rwake, Lair of the Minotaur, Fuck the Facts, and our friends in the most excellent At All fucking Cost – just makes this tour that much more worthy of your time and money.

After the jump, get a complete list of tour dates, along with a list of which bands will playing which shows.

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