MetalSucks

So the other day I was walking down 34th Street, and who did I see, Torah in hand, davening outside of a DMV Express but MetalSucks’ own esteemed Rebbe Anton Mofo’n Oyvey! Now obviously I didn’t want to disturb the man during his holy time, so I figured I’d catch up with him at the synagogue in the East Wing of the MetalSucks Mansion for our regular Shabbat dinner.

But then I realized that both Scion Rock Fest AND South by Southwest are coming up this week, and……could it be that Metal’s Most Brutal Rabbi will be hitting the road and rocking out with Vince & I for one or both of these adventures?!?

Come to think of it — Vince did tell me to buy a plane ticket to Columbus, Ohio for Scion and another ticket BACK from Austin, Texas 10 daze later without making mention of how we would be getting from one to the other. “We’ll figure it out”, he said, in typical Vinzian fashion.

Hmmm, I wonder…

Jews in Space? Nah — Heebz on the HIGHway!!

-KW

Now that we had made it through an acclimating day one with a big finish and an extremely metallic day two, it was truly time to ROCK. So many different kinds of music and events are represented during the always-craysee SXSW week in Austin, and on this third day we really began to take no prisoners.

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Baseball season officially got underway and New England Metal and Hardcore Fest is coming up next weekend. Surely all is peachy in the world then, yeah? Not so much.

• Dave Mustaine feuded with a mystery band, then kissed and made up before we even knew it.
• Protest the Hero released a new video and gave us a bunch of tickets for their tour to give away.
• We spoke with Daath’s Eyal Levi and TAD/Tadgarden’s Tad.
• Kip W. gave us two recaps (Day 1, Day 2) of our booze-fueled SXSW journey.
• Fear Factory got back together… except not.
• Ya’ll argued about which Mastodon album is the best and whether Jesse or Howard was/is the better KsE frontman.
• Ya’ll argued even more about IWRESTLEDABEARONCE and Oceano.
• We got an exclusive red carpet report from Metallica’s Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

See you next week. New England Metal and Hardcore Fest!!

After the antics of the first day of the festival, I felt more than ready to get into day two with a healthy dose of music from the beginning. Unfortunately, that was not to be so for me, as at the time I thought I would be continuing on after SXSW into further ridonkulousness, all the way to a family vacation during Spring Break in Mexico….and today was the day that my renewed passport was meant to be FedExed to the flophouse where Vince and I were crashing.

When I had returned to said flophouse the night prior and to my surprise found an open couch in the living room right by the front door (where I was told FedEx homeboy would appear bright and early), I figured it prolly made the most sense to sleep right there on the ground floor as opposed to the stank upstairs sweat lodge where I would be sure to miss any sounds of door knocking.

Sadly, no FedEx arrived in the morning as promised — I was actually awoken by a phone call from Vince around noon wondering where the hell I had ended up last night. After a couple more hours my passport finally arrived, at which point I had to wait at least another hour for a cab to take me down to the action.

HOLY SHIT.

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Here they are performing “Blackened” at the fest.

In other new Metallinews, Kirk Hammett is saying that Jason Newsted will “most likely” perform with the band at their Rock N’ Roll Hall of fame induction. Since Newsted is the member of Metallica who managed to remain the coolest the longest (save Cliff Burton, natch), I’d actually be curious to see that… even if Jason was on Rock Star Supernova.

-AR

I couldn’t find any footage of These Arms are Snakes performing live that accurately captured the spectacle I witnessed first-hand on Wednesday, but this video for “Horse Girl” has some shots of the band rocking out so it’ll have to do for now. While I can see many of our readers not being able to get into this band because of the higher punk to metal ratio, just trust me when I say that I was the same until I saw them live; and you will be too. TAAS still have some live dates in the Western U.S. on their current tour, so if you live out that way make absolutely sure you go see them.

-VN

Vince, Kip, and Anton OyVey are all down at SXSW, but don’t worry about lil’ old me; Higgins and I got shit covered. Here’s what happened in the world of metal this week:

• We all finally got to hear the new Mastodon album! Needless to say, intense debate ensued.
• We spoke to Wolves in the Throne Room drummer Aaron Weaver and Lazarus A.D. bassist/vocalist Jeff Paulick.
• No penis? No Dir En Grey!
• Is this new Teagan and Sara shirt metal as fuck, or total hipster bull pucky?
• The Megatallica rivalry continued as we watched Dave Mustaine kill on Jeopardy and Lars Ulrich eat it on Who Wants to be a Millionaire?
• Fieldy = Jesus
  
• Read Vince’s initial SXSW reports here and here!

Alright-y, then. Higgins and I are off to make like chimneys and blow smoke. See ya Monday!

-AR

After yesterday morning’s scare, thankfully Kip turned up. On the couch downstairs at the flophouse we’re crashing at. Phew!

It was another fine day in Texas; 80 degrees, sunny, lots of metal. First up was Full Metal Texas, at which I saw Black Math Horsemen, Kylesa, Skeletonwitch and Fact. The End Records / MetalSucks showcase followed, at which Junius, Hull, These are They, Goes Cube, Tub Ring and Early Man rocked the confines of a tightly packed room that looked like an old European castle. My quick summary after the jump.

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Wednesday has done and drawn to a close, and an awesome day it was. Highlights included Young Widows, The Bronx, Fighting With Wire, Jucifer, El Mariachi Bronx (The Bronx as a full mariachi band), Valient Thorr, Pack of Wolves, These Arms Are Snakes, and finally meeting MS contributor Corey Mitchell in person. There’s so much to be seen today, Kip has gone missing, and I’m hungry, so I’ll make this quick:

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Myself, Corey and Kip have spent hours laboring over this document, my friends, so that all of you MetalSucks Maniacs can go forth and be fruitful at this year’s South by Southwest festival. This is what we believe to be the comprehensive guide to everything metal-worthy happening at SXSW this year.

Download the Official MetalSucks Guide to SXSW 2009 here, then print it, send it to your friends, put it on your iPhone, wipe your ass with it, whatever… and have fun!! And of course, come say hi to us at the official showcase for The End Records, of which MetalSucks is a proud sponsor.

See you in Austin.

-VN

So I was thinking back to the CMJ Music Marathon here in NYC last fall, and how Bison B.C. seemed to be the “buzz” metal band on everyone’s tongue. If you were there to see them you witnessed something awesome, and if you weren’t there you heard about it from everyone else and felt like a dipshit because you missed it. At the Scion Rock Fest last month in Atlanta the buzz bands were Krallice and Salome, depending on who you asked (there were, after all, four stages running simultaneously). So who’s it gonna be at this year’s SXSW? My bets are on any one of the awesome bands on The End Records / MetalSucks showcase, but your guesses are as good as any.

Here’s a live video of Bison B.C. performing in their native Vancouver. What are the shows you absolutely must see at this year’s hoedown in Austin?

-VN

As Vince mentioned a few times last week, he and I will indeed be dropping our respective bombz on Austin this week for SXSW 2009. We expect the festival will undoubtedly bring plenty of metal, mayhem, n MEAT a la BBQ (anyone interested in a debaucherous road trip to The Salt Lick?? You drive!)

Sadly, I could not find any songs in my itunes under the tags “barbeque” or “ribs”, but these two lil ditties should suffice:

–if you lived under a poop-stained rock last year, then you may have missed Protest the Hero’s epic album Fortress; here’s the first track:

PROTEST THE HERO — “Bloodmeat”, from Fortress (2008)

–if you’ve frequented a single strip club since 1993, there’s a pretty decent chance you saw a girl shake her teh-tahs to this old(ish) school alternarock gem:

MEAT PUPPETS — “Backwater”, from Backwater (1993) and Too High To Die (1994)

For those who will be swilling in the madness first-hand, please join us for the MetalSucks/The End Records rokkker on Thursday night, feel free to try your luck on line the next night to see the fartiest old farts of them all, and for god’s sake, above all, drink some free beer n eat that frickin meat!

-KW

From Austin360.com:

Austin Powell of the Austin Chronicle says he’s received confirmation from the Metallica camp that the metal superstars will indeed be playing Stubb’s on Friday March 20 at 10 p.m. as part of the “Guitar Hero: Metallica” showcase…

Roland Swenson of SXSW was not too happy with Thursday’s “Off the Record” scoop, however. “He didn’t get it from us,” Swenson said. “We were told not to confirm anything and we’re sticking by that.”

So, let’s say this is true. Is it even worth attempting to get in? Seeing Metallica in a 2,100 capacity venue would be a priceless experience, but is it worth potentially having to wait on line for hours? Yours truly and Kip will be blessed with press credentials, but I still find it hard to believe that 10,000 indie rock-loving pretend Metallica fans who also have badges/wristbands won’t be trying to get in, too. Worth a shot, I guess?

-VN

MetalSucks is proud to present, along with our friends at The End Records, an actual Official South by Southwest 2009 Showcase! Kip and I will be rockin’ with our cocks out in Austin, TX non-stop from Wednesday through Saturday while Axl and a particularly clever MS Mansion Monkey named “Higgins” hold down the fort here in NY. You’re likely to catch us at many of the awesome metal-flavored SXSW events going down this year (including but not limited to Full Metal Texas), but you will absolutely catch us at the kick-ass MetalSucks / The End Records showcase at The Ale House Pub on the eve of Thursday, March 19th. The killer lineup includes Junius, Hull, These are They, Goes Cube, Tub Ring and Early Man — holy fuckin’ shit!!

Set times and location after the jump. See you there.

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[Better late than never. This is the 6th and final installment of new MetalSucks contributor Corey Mitchell's reporting from South by Southwest 2008 in Austin, TX. Be on the lookout for more show reviews in the future from Corey. - Ed.]

BLACK TIDE/AT ALL COST/IN THIS MOMENT/JASTA @ RED 7 PATIO – Saturday, March 15, 2008 – 2:20 P.M. – 6:00 P.M.

Not feeling any older despite tossing back a few too many rum ‘n Cokes the night before, I ventured out one last time for my final metal fix of the 2008 SXSW Music Conference. Once again, I was headed toward another free show over at Red 7. The sun was scorching hot, not a cloud in the sky, and I was semi-interested in seeing teenage sensations…

BLACK TIDE
Okay, I’m sure you know all the hype. Every band member under the age of twenty, ridiculously good looking, led by frontman 14-year-old Gabriel, and signed to Interscope Records. It all sounds a little too Light of Doom-ish for my taste. In fact, it’s enough to make you wanna puke. But, again, I approached their set with an open mind, and again, I was pleasantly surprised.

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[The SXSW madness may be over, but we've still got reviews for you from writer Corey Mitchell. His writing makes me feel like I'm swigging back Tecate in the hot Texas sun... almost. - Ed.]

ENSLAVED / 1349 @ KENNY DORHAM’S BACKYARD – Friday, March 14, 2008 – 6:30 p.m. – 8:45 p.m.

Talk about a bizarre line-up – current electro-pop sensations The Raveonettes opening up for the gods of Norwegian Viking metal, Enslaved, and Norwegian black metallers 1349. The setting was almost as unusual, but also what makes SXSW so unique – it literally was in someone’s backyard. Throw up a stage, a barricade, cook up some BBQ, and offer up free beer and you have yourselves one hell of a party in the unforgiving 90-degree Texas heat.

Kenny Dorham’s backyard is located over on the east side of Austin – you know; the part of town they don’t include in their Chamber of Commerce pamphlets. After not quite sure how to find the “venue,” I spent some time driving around the eastside, which has truly gotten worse in the eleven years since I last lived in Austin. The area where the concert was to take place, however, seems to be a part of a mini-revitalization based around the music scene. Let’s hope this show added to the improvements in the area.

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After a nice long, hot shower and a little grub it was time to head back downtown. The nightcap for my full Day One of metal would be…

VVEREVVOLF GREHV/COLISEUM/GENGHIS TRON/MUNICIPAL WASTE/HIGH ON FIRE @ EMO’S ANNEX, Thursday, March 14, 9:00 P.M. – 2:00 A.M.

Yes, I’m sure you see the name Emo’s up there. Don’t fret. Emo’s in Austin is a longstanding hardcore/punk/metal institution that has existed long before the incredibly pussified musical genre that co-opted its name emerged. In fact, the venue is so revered that it did not limit itself to only two stages this year – it had its usual indoor stage, a smaller lounge stage, and a third stage across the street on the corner of the infamous Sixth Street in a giant tent called Emo’s Annex.

I showed up around 8:45 p.m., paid $13 to get in (…to hell with SXSW badges!), missed opening act Mala Suerte, and grabbed a makeshift seat close to the temporary stage. While listening to some guy hit on a chick by saying he “smoked out” with Enslaved, I was curious to see one man setting up gear on stage. That man was…

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HELMET @ RED 7 – 4:30 P.M., Thursday, March 13

One of my all-time favorite top 10 records is Helmet’s Meantime. I have not seen Helmet since back in their heyday when they tore through San Antonio, Texas in support of their not quite as impressive but still excellent follow-up Betty back in 1994. They played the old Showcase along with Therapy? and San Antonio industrialists Evil Mothers.

I cannot say I am a huge fan of Helmet’s work in later years, especially Page Hamilton’s higher pitched vocal stylings. The scratchy baritone he displayed on Meantime is easily one of my favorite vocal styles in all of metal. As a result, a part of me was hesitant, yet excited to see Helmet again for the first time in fourteen years.

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Metal has always been the unwanted red-headed stepchild at the annual SXSW Music Conference in Austin, Texas. Back when I was the metal/hardcore DJ at the University of Texas’s student radio station KVRX (‘88-’90), metal at SXSW was usually relegated to one showcase at the Backroom, way far away from the hub of activity in downtown Austin.To counter that mentality, my best friend and co-DJ, Ray “Raydog” Seggern used to create our own showcases to spotlight heavier bands not cut from the dying days of glam.

Our biggest success was in 1990 when we threw our own anti-SXSW showcase in a run-down, but still active, Riverside Drive dollar movie theater, seats and all. The show featured Austin bands Zero Tolerance and Dread (featuring future Skrew/16Volt/Daniel Ash bassist Mike Peoples), Arlington thrashers Arcane, and Houstonians Dead Horse. The major coupe from the gig was getting a rep from Metal Blade to come to the show and eventually sign Dead Horse.

Fast forward 18 years to SXSW 2008 – Metal is everywhere!

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Photos from yesterday’s Motorhead show at Stubb’s and Relapse Records showcase at Emo’s Annex featuring High on Fire, Municipal Waste, Genghis Tron, Coliseum and Vverevvolf Grehv. And Jamey Jasta hangin’ out at the show. Click on the thumbnail to see a full-size picture. Also, a short video clip of Genghis Tron after the jump!

Motorhead:

Vverevvolf Grehv:

Click through for photos of Genghis Tron, Coliseum, Matt Pike and Jamey Jasta + video of Genghis Tron!

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