So we’re now five axe slingers deep into out list of The Top 25 Modern Metal Guitarists. We predicted that the list would get a lot of you angry, and, no shock, it has. Funny thing is, reading the comments, as of yet not one of you has correctly predicted which guitar player is gonna be #1. So, just lettin’ you know… you may be even angrier in the coming weeks, or maybe you’ll be less angry, but so far, it seems like you guys just do not see it comin’.

While you chew on that, here’s some other fun things we did this week:

• We premiered new music from Hate Eternal, Arch Enemy, and Nader Sadek.
• We enjoyed a new episode of “Cooking Contaminated,” this one featuring King Fowley of Deceased.
• We checked out the latest releases from Benighted and Zubrowska.
• We wondered if Metallica and friends have gone too far in their quest for the Big Fortune.
• We checked out some *real* hardcore.
• We weighed Donald Trump’s claim that President Obama was the first drummer for Overkill.
• We wondered why talent can’t be passed down via genetics.
• We weighed, compared and contrasted multiple metal concerts showcasing female-fronted bands.
• We prayed for Kurt Cobain to rise from his grave and off Miley Cyrus.
• We wondered whether or not Dave Grohl is gonna be on the new Mastodon album.

And so, in conclusion… I am going to get a slice of pizza now.

See ya next week.

-AR

If you like songs about castles, monsters, and wizards, you are probably a metal fan. And I get it: what better way to escape from the brutal reality of being, well, who you are?? I can’t fault you for wanting to escape, but that’s never been me. I like the way metal sounds, but I can’t get with the ridiculous lyrics, costumes and all that. When it comes down to it I am a hardcore kid, and I will always like bands who keep it real (even if they end up being a little bit lulzy along the way). More specifically, I have a pretty serious self-destructive streak, so I’ve always been drawn to bands who are more about being fucked up, confused and angry than emo/p0litical [via college freshmen].

When a lot of these bands come up, the fanboys come out of the woodwork with third-hand stories about stuff they supposedly did and how tough and “crazy” they are. You won’t find any of that here– I’ll save the gossip for the little girls and Euro fanbois, but if you are interested you can consult the Bridge 9 “Hardcore rumors and myths” thread, Frank 151′s DMS issue, or my interview with Ezec and fap away. This is about their actual music, not addressing your feelings of inadequacy by making up exaggerated stories about guys in bands to turn them into the alpha male you always wished you could be.

In this post, I will share some of my favorite REAL HARDCORE bands- I’m leaving out the obvious stuff like Terror, Hatebreed, etc because we all know about that. I’m also not including any emo, political or artsy bands, so no Chokehold, Converge, Botch, and all that nonsense. And if you want to show everyone that “you really know what you’re talking about” and tell me that I should be into JFA, Violent Children, Impact Unit, and Deep Wound that’s cool too- feel free to leave a comment to that effect!

Click to read more…

Lambgoat is reporting that shitty faux-hardcore band Too Pure To Die have broken up. Oh well! For once I actually find myself agreeing with Lambgoat commenters. To wit, the first three responses to this announcement:

twadorno:
first post. excellent news.

youaresceneasfuck:
second post. excellent news.

Chomp_Chomp:
About fucking time. Not one sect of kids is bummed.

Fourth post. Excellent news!

-VN

THERE’S AN NSFW IMAGE AFTER THE JUMP. YOU’RE WARNED.

Too Pure to Die’s Confess has got to be the first contender for worst album of 2009.

Click to read more…

Winners to last week’s contest which asked for funny captions for the above photo have been announced! One grand prize winner gets the new CD Confidence and Consequence from Too Pure to Die , as well as a Too Pure to Die t-shirt and Trustkill Records t-shirt. Four runners up get their very own copy of the CD. And here are the winning captions:

WINNER:

DeathMetalDave: “You see this? This is my metal face. And when I put on my metal face, it’s time to fuck shit up….somebody toss me into the pit.”

RUNNERS UP:

LiquidMan666: “Billy Milano has really let himself go.”

LubbyBube: “Chad Gay and Vinnie Small.”

J Cantrell: “When World of Warcraft and reality collide.”

Matt: “I’m here to kick ass and chew bubblegum. And I’m all out of bubblegum.”

Congrats! Stay tuned for our next photo caption contest, coming soon to a metal blog near you.

-VN

MetalSucks has teamed up with Trustkill Records to give away some more awesome free stuff, this time from Too Pure To Die, whose record Confidence and Consequence was just reissued on Trustkill on Nov. 20. The prizes:

• One lucky grand prize winner gets the new CD, a TPTD t-shirt and a Trustkill t-shirt.
  
• Four runners up will receive just the CD.

All you have to do is come up with a funny caption for the below photo, and post it in the comments section! (make sure to fill in your email address.) Axl and I will select the winners and contact them for their name and address by email. Good luck!!