I’m going to put approximately as much work into this introduction as Throwdown put into not sounding like Pantera.

First up today we have “Wicked World,” the new video from Cold. Because Cold is apparently still a thing. And now only is this song painfully boring, but the video has no logic to it whatsoever. For example, it starts out with a teenage girl wearing a Cold hoodie. Which makes no sense, unless the video takes place ten years ago. If the video is supposed to take place in the present day, then it should really be a divorced single mother of two who works at the Circle K in a Cold hoodie.

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Skinlab… in 2009? Some fifteen years after the band emerged from the Bay Area thrash scene – mostly thanks to jocking from Machine Head’s Robb Flynn when both bands were Bay Area up-and-comers – Skinlab is back with The Scars Between Us… for better or worse. The band’s fourth full-length release and seventh overall (including an EP, a double-disc album containing alternate and live versions of songs, and a full-on live album), The Scars Between Us is Skinlab’s comeback album of sorts – and first for new label Stand And Deliver Records. The question is: can they resurrect a career after seemingly treading water, like Machine Head did a few years back after the one-two punch of nu-metal disasters The Burning Red and Supercharger before returning to the metal press’ pages of high praise?

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If you do, here’s their new video, for the track “In for the Kill.” Note the stunning subtlety of the metaphor the director chose for the video. It’s thought-provoking, esoteric nature may confuse some fans, but for those of us willing to give it some thought, it’s just genius. Pure genius.

-AR

[via The Deciblog]

This past October I tried to help get the word out about Texas’ By Any Means Necessary, who are one of my most favorite unsigned acts out there right now. Seriously – I listened to this group’s three-song EP more times last year some of the so-called “best” releases of ’08. I think this band fucking rocks.

Unfortunately, the band remains unsigned… but hopefully that will change soon. Vocalist Adam Wright just e-mailed me to say that the band is heading into the studio to record a new demo with Scott Sargeant, the former Skinlab guitarist who produced Lääz Rockit’s 2008 release, Left for Dead.

Personally, I’m just excited to see what these boys do next. While I wait, check out their MySpace page, and if you’re an industry person, maybe think about signing them, m’kay?

-AR