MetalSucks

Oh boy oh boy. We’re getting closer to the release of The Binary Code’s Suspension of Disbelief, which MetalSucks will sell in a digital-only format for a whopping five bucks starting December 15. Now we can share with you the cover art, which was designed by guitarist Jesse Zuretti (who also created this awesome MetalSucks t-shirt and hoodie), as well as the track listing. Check it out:

Tracklisting:

1. Suspension of Disbelief (Part I & II)
2. Mechanical Seas
3. Ghost Planet
4. Void
5. the Story
6. Human Condition
7. Awaiting Necropolis
8. Void II

And don’t forget that TBC are on tour all of January and February with Hypno5e and Revocation. Get dates after the jump!

Click to read more…

Today was Friday the 13th, but absolutely nothing bad happened to me. I mean, the night is young so shit could still go horribly awry I suppose, but all in all, I had a pretty good day – nay, I had a pretty good week. If only the same could be said for the world of metal. Here’s some disasters the plagued various musicians this week:

• Slash completed his decade-long indoctrination into the Metallica “Fuck Our Fans” Club.
• We’re not sure if Steven Tyler is still in Aerosmith or not, but we are sure that we don’t give a fuck either way.
• There was a lot of controversy over a really, really ugly painting.
• No can explain to me why I should care about Alter Bridge.
• Fear Faction ate s’more babies, released a new song.
• R.I.P. Jerry Fuchs.

And, oh yeah, some good news: MetalSucks is going to do a digital release of The Binary Code’s Suspension of Disbelief on December 15 for just five bucks! Get stoked.

Alright. I’m off to go hear Vince spin. Have a nice weekend everyone. Next week we have another extra, super-duper special surprise for you…

-AR

Our number one priority here at MetalSucks is to mercilessly rip into bands we think are terrible, even when they don’t necessarily deserve to be teased. But a very close second priority is to promote bands we think are awesome. And sometimes, those bands aren’t signed (yet).

Once such band is The Binary Code. If you’ve read this site for awhile, you know we have a lotta love for New Jersey’s premiere unsigned genre-benders. You also know that sometimes we get ambitious, and decide to, say, do an industry poll to see which albums have been the most popular this century, or have everyone who writes for the site review the new Metallica album on the same day, or actually get a review up when we say we will.

And thus, feeling ambitious about trying to promote an unsigned band we love, we had a crazy idea: let’s do a digital-only release on MetalSucks for Suspension of Disbelief, the new album from The Binary Code. And so, on December 15, we are going to do just that.

Now, let’s be clear: we’re not trying to be a record label, and we have no illusions of getting rich off this release – in fact, it’s entirely possible that this will be the first and last time we try something like this. But The Binary Code are a band we really love and believe in, and we’d heard some rough mixes of the album and really thought that the music was something special. And so we decided to try and help put new music out there in the world for once, instead of just being professional appreciators (or detractors, as is so often the case). We’re in that rare position where we can try to get TBC’s music to the public, and so we’re going to do just that.

So mark December 15 in your calendars. Suspension of Disbelief is a kick-ass album, and we’re thrilled to be involved. We hope you dig it as much as we do.

-Axl & Vince

We’re extremely proud to present to you what in our humble opinions is the coolest young band tour of early 2010; The Metal As Art Tour, featuring Hypno5e, Revocation and The Binary Code. While every band on the bill is different from one another, each brings a unique, artistic sensibility to their own brand of metal and all are some of the most forward-thinking metal musicians out there; hence “Metal As Art.”

We’ve raved about Revocation and we’ve raved about The Binary Code. We’ve yet to see Hypno5e, who are traveling all the way from France for this tour; but what we’ve heard of their new record (still in the works) is extremely promising.

The tour kicks off in New York City on January 6th, winds its way out to the West Coast and then comes all the way back East, ending in Trenton, NJ on February 6th, the day before the Superbowl. We’ll have plenty of updates leading up to the tour and along the way. Full list of dates, cities and venues after the jump.

Click to read more…

We’ve been raving about Sumeriancore upstarts Periphery for months now, and their first-ever U.S. headline tour (since signing with Sumerian, anyway) is finally upon us. The trek will be making just 9 stops, beginning this Sunday, November 8th in Richmond, VA. All dates also feature Mutiny Within and This or the Apocalypse — except a very special New York City show on Thursday, November 12th co-presented by MetalSucks, which will feature two of NYC’s very best metal bands: Empyreon and The Binary Code. Admission is only $8 and it’s an early show (starts at 7pm), so there’s no excuse not to drop by Santo’s Party House to get your metal on before going out on the town (or going home, for you oldies) on your Thursday night.

After the jump, check out the latest video update from Periphery.

Click to read more…

Any time a press release comes in from Prosthetic Records announcing a new band signing, the link is always worth clicking. Take Norway’s Mantric, who despite their home country are perhaps the farthest thing from black metal imaginable. I’m really, really digging what Mantric have posted on their MySpace page; this is metal that’s cerebral, proggy (but not shreddy), jazzy, challenging and still accessible. Some of you might be excited to know that the band features ex-members of Extol. Color me psyched for their Prosthetic debut which is being mixed by Tue Madsen and is due out in February.

Oh hey and look at that slammin’ new MySpace design (part of which you’re looking at on top of this post)? It was hand-drawn by the illustrious Jesse Zuretti of MetalSucks faves The Binary Code. In case any of you guys out there who are in bands are looking for a spiffed-up new MySpace design.

-VN

Back in July, our brostafas at Metal Injection announced what has to be one of the most awesome contests in the history of awesome contests: one lucky unsigned band, selected by MI readers, would get to have heavy metal auteur David Brodsky of My Good Eye direct their video, absolutely free of cost.

Well, all the unsigned bands that submitted demos to the contest have been whittled down to ten finalists, and now’s your time to help pick a winner. It’s easy – just go here, listen to the bands, and give a horns up to whichever ones you like. You can only vote for each band one, but you can vote for as many different bands as you like.

I’m not sure if it would be kosher for me to tell you who I think you should vote for. I will say that as I type this, I just happen to be wearing a The Binary Code t-shirt. Just putting that out there.

Go vote now.

-AR

Those in the NYC area, pay close attention: TONIGHT, there is a very, very special MetalSucks co-sponsored Tones of Death show going down at Fontana’s in Manhattan. Observe:

• Black Anvil CD release party (download “Margin For Terror” for free here)
• MetalSucks local faves The Binary Code are opening.
• Special guest DJ is Brian Fair from Shadows Fall
• There is a super-awesome, super-secret special guest band giving a surprise performance. We can’t tell you who this super-secret special guest is, but we promise you that you’ll be very, very sorry if you miss this opportunity.
• THE SHOW IS FREE!
• There will very likely be free alcohol of some kind.

See? The madness starts at 8pm, and the show is 21+. See you there!

Gwynbleidd are another one of New York City’s best kept metal secrets (see also: Wizardry, The Binary Code, Hung). Though the bandmembers all originally hail from Poland and Brooklyn is the base of their current operations, their sound most recalls that of a 3rd country, Sweden, particularly the epic peaks, valleys and landscapes conjured by Opeth.

Any time a local band gets a national shot I can’t help but feel a sense of pride, especially a band as good and deserving as these guys. Gwynbleidd will get their shot October 27th when BlackCurrant Music releases their full-length album Nostalgia. The band has posted a full track from Nostalgia on their MySpace page for your enjoyment, so go and give it a shot. You’ll surely be hearing more about this band in the near future.

-VN

Without a doubt, New Jersey tech/death/prog outfit The Binary Code is one of my favorite – if not my absolute favorite – unsigned metal bands. I’ve been lucky enough to hear some of the new shit they’ve been working on, and this band just keeps getting more and more epic, brutal, and accomplished as musicians. I’m hesitant to call them Sumeriancore only because it might turn some of you off, but that’s the easiest generic categorization I can think of.

(Side note: the band also has sweet merch, which you can peruse and order here. In the great tradition of band members doubling as graphic artists, all the visuals are designed by guitarist Jesse Zuretti. So he’s a better guitarist and a better artist than you. Chump.)

Here’s a video of the band’s drummer, Umar Fahim, playing a new, as of yet still-untitled track. As you can see, the dude absolutely slays behind the kit. I had to watch it twice – once just to watch Fahim kill it, and once to try and listen to the actual song, which is typically awesome.

I’m hearing rumblings of this band getting on some pretty sweet tours later this year. While we wait for official word, check out more of their awesomeness on MySpace. And hopefully someone will have the good sense to sign them sooner rather than later.

-AR

… is the metal show going down at Trash Bar in Brooklyn. The two absolute best young NYC-area metal bands — progressive death metal masters The Binary Code and neo-classical death shredders Hung, both of whom you’ve read about on these here Interwebs pages many times — will be performing, which in itself is worthy of the super-low ticket price of $7. If that’s not enough, you also get to see the latest Roadrunner Records’ signees Mutiny Within in a small venue before they blow the fuck up; last we saw these dudes they completely tore shit up live. AND, if you get there at 8pm there’s an hour-long open bar of PBR and well drinks. Yours truly and Axl will both be there too if you wanna come down and get silly with us. Hey, beer’s cheap in Williamsburg, all the more reason to come to this show so you don’t have to buy us expensive drinks in the swanky confines of Manhattan!

The show starts at 8pm SHARP with Jesus Knevil opening and Turrigenous closing the bill. The Binary Code are on at 8:45pm, and trust me… you do NOT want to miss these modern-day virtuosos.

See you there.

-VN

New Jersey progressive death metallers The Binary Code have released a new song, “Suspension of Disbelief,” and I could not be more in awe (as if I wasn’t already). The new song, which comes from the band’s debut full-length to be released later this year, is the band’s most progressive, intricate, brutal and genre-challenging work to date. If the following bands mean anything to you, you owe it yourself to check out the new song: Gojira, Between the Buried and Me, Textures, Decapitated.

Once you’re through having your mind blown by the new song, you’ll need to see this band live; the young gents who comprise The Binary Code are some of the most next-level players I’ve seen anywhere, and will absolutely rip your fucking face off as your jaw drops to the floor in disbelief. The band has some upcoming dates around the Northeast with Tiger Flowers, culminating in a May 15th show at Brooklyn’s Trash Bar with recent Roadrunner-signees Mutiny Within and MetalSucks-faves Hung. Full dates are on their MySpace page. Get ready!

-VN

That’s binary code for “The Binary Code fucking rules.” No, really, it is. Because they do. Have you heard their latest track “The Story” yet? Check it below — for now, at least, it’s a MetalSucks exclusive, until you pass it on to all of your friends because you love it so much. Think a heavier, tech-deathier BTBAM with the same melodic / atmospheric sensibilities of that band but a bit less wankery for compliance with the ADD generation. What’s more, the vocals on this [self-recorded/produced] track are just demo vocals recorded by their uber-talented guitarist, the fleet-fingered Jesse Zuretti.

The Binary Code – “The Story”

The Binary Code also happen to bring one of the sickest live shows you’ll see from a band at this level EVAR… But of course, they won’t be at this level for very long. Lucky for you, NYC residents can catch them live at Lit Lounge’s weekly Precious Metal series TONIGHT at 9:30, opening for Copremesis. The band’s new vocalist will also make his NYC live debut. From Vince Neilstein’s mouth to your ears, I promise, you WILL NOT be disappointed. Highly worth the $6. I’ll even buy you a beer.

Check out some older Binary Code material on their MySpace page as well. They’ll surely be playing some tonight.

-VN

Seeing The Binary Code in the catacombs of New York’s Lit Lounge a couple of months back was nothing short of astonishing; rarely, if ever, have I seen a relatively unknown band be so fucking good. What’s more, they brought their A-game to a tiny club on a Monday night for the opening spot to play in front of about 15 people; all the odds were stacked against them.

The Binary Code have a unique blend of death and progressive metal that only gets better with each new song they record (they’re currently in the studio). This band has a very bright future.

But they need a singer! The man who lent his vocals to the tracks on their MySpace page has since departed the band. They are ready to take the next step and get their show on the road, but they need your help; we know you’re out there in the MetalSucks readership. Contact the band through their MySpace.

-VN

Last night I was lucky enough to catch New Jersey progressive death metal band The Binary Code at New York’s Lit Lounge in front of a crowd of about 15 people. And by lucky I mean that a band this good can’t possibly stay this underground for long, because fucking lord, this an immensely talented and passionate group of dudes. And to give them the benefit of the doubt, they were first on a four-band, Monday night bill, a tough spot for any band — but they played like headliners, captivating everyone in attendance.

What impresses me most about The Binary Code, aside from their absolutely stellar musicianship, is the band’s ability to write punishingly brutal and highly technical songs that are easy enough to “get” on first listen, having never heard them before last night. Good songwriting in the burgeoning technical death metal genre? Imagine that; here it is.

What’s more, last night’s show was played as a three-piece, as the band just lost their vocalist. Any available death metal vocalists out there in the New Jersey / New York area? Give them a jingle, but be prepared for the real deal; these guys practice every night.

Give The Binary Code a listen on their MySpace page now, or check them out on their Eastern U.S. tour this summer. You’ll be able to say “I knew them when…”

-VN