MetalSucks

We loved the last tour blog that Bison B.C.’s Dan And did for us so much, we’re only all-too-happy to present another! Below, please enjoy part 1; check back tomorrow for part 2!

Sep 11 ‘09 (Vancouver BC @ Commodore)

I always love kicking off a tour with a show in Vancouver. It’s great to have one last chance to get completely loser pissed with our friends before we hit the road for however long. This time we were fortunate enough to finally share the stage with local good ‘ol boys The Golers and old pals 3 Inches of Blood. The Golers have been around forever and everyone should fucking hear them. They’re basically Vancouver’s Venomous Concept: relentless, break-neck speed pummeling. Is grind-punk a genre?

Show was fucking fun as all hell. It was 3 Inches record release show for Here Waits Thy Doom (which may or may not feature all of us doing backups on the song “Preacher’s Daughter”) and the place was packed! The cap of the Commodore is somewhere between 950 and 1000 and apparently it was like 15 tickets away from being sold out. Jesse from local grinders Zuckuss pointed out how fucking crazy it is that three local bands brought that many metal heads out of the woodwork. The night was bitter sweet though because not only was our good friend Ian unable to be there because of surgery but that night would also be my last chance to ever set foot in local punk/metal institution the Cobalt. I can’t even describe how awesome that bar and the staff are. The thought that it’s getting shut down by the fucking slum lords that own the building so they can cash in on Olympic fever makes me wanna tear someone’s head off. I’m consoled by the fact that I know bar legend/honcho Wendy 13 will soon enough have a new venue I can crawl out of at 5am reeking of Jager bombs. COBALT FOREVER!
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If you’re an asshole like me, then you probably missed New York’s only chance to catch the way-too-minimal St. Vitus reunion tour last night (with baddass Bay Area bandits Saviours opening). But if you’re anything like me, you surely had somewhere much better to be.

Truth is, I never got into St. Vitus in too big a way, but after seeing legendary guitarist Wino absolutely destroy a Valentine’s Day show with his now-defunct excellent trio The Hidden Hand some years ago in the East Village (with up-n-comers Kylesa opening, who nobody had heard of at the time), I’m ready to join forces with and follow the man into battle no matter what the project.

Okay, so Wino’s actually not playing on this track and admittedly this tune is pretty silly, but it’s hard to argue that it’s not a goddamn stonyyyyy song………especially when the weird guitar solo comes in around the 2:10 mark, accompanied by some trippy jump cuts, brah!

And thus, I feel compelled to bestow upon this soon-to-be legendary YouTube video from 1992 all seven possible MS horns — this is clearly gonna change the face of YouTube.

(7 out of 7 horns — top honors for YouTube videos)

Please remember, not only does my post reflect the opinions of every writer here at MetalSucks but each and every one of you readers as well……so no need to disagree.

For the scant handful of remaining St. Vitus reunion dates (in Worcester tonight with The Misfits and Type O Negative (whoa), then Baltimore, LA, and San muthafuckin Fran) and/or to listen to some of their early seminal recordings, check em out on MySpace.

After the jump, a shitty-quality video of Wino’s first ever performance with the band in 1986 at the Palm Springs Community Center, some killer Hidden Hand stuff, and a couple interviews with the man himself.

WUT WUT!!

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I am wearing pants, and it is before 2pm. No, I haven’t traded in my blogger boxers for a corporate suit and tie… I just reallllly wanted a bacon, egg & cheese sandwich to help my hungover ass get going this morning. I trudged to the corner bodega (right past the chi-chi hipster coffee shop) in my sweet new Burst hoodie, where a dirty old Indian man proceeded to make me a sloppy, greasy bacon, egg & cheese after dropping the spatula on the floor in plain sight… and boy it is fucking good. Totally hits the spot. For a hangover when you have to work, there is nothing better. Period.

What’s this got to do with St. Vitus? Nothing. Nothing at all. A fan of the site pointed out that we never cover this seminal stoner rock band, and it’s true. The band has 5 reunion shows in the U.S. in the coming months — 3 on the East Coast in October and 2 in California in January — and we haven’t even mentioned them. For shame.

Here’s a live vid of St. Vitus — apparently it’s Wino’s first gig with the band. After the jump, details on the U.S. tour dates.

-VN

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I’ve had some family shit distracting me this week, but there’s really no excuse for the fact that I somehow completely missed the debut of a new song by uber-supergroup Shrinebuilder. Entitled “Pyramid of the Moon” and streaming right here, it is just seven-plus minutes of sheer excellence.

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I haven’t sung the praises of Salome in awhile, so here goes: this band crushes. Everyone I know who has seen them live has just been floored with them. Guitarist Rob Moore and drummer Aaron Deal (read my interview with Mr. Deal here) play as though they’re actively attempting to use soundwaves as a weapon, and vocalist Kat… well, she goes to some other place. Like, she temporarily becomes psychotic or something. (Actually, maybe she’s always psychotic. I’ve never actually met her, but her art is pretty dark. I once considered buying a piece because I think it’s so cool, but I was afraid if women saw it on my wall, I’d never get laid again. Of course, right now I’m having trouble finding the link to the page where you can buy her art, but just take my word for it. It’s bleak.)

Now Salome have signed a deal to release their next full-length – actually, I think it’s their first full-length – through Profound Lore. That makes them label mates with Agalloch, The Gates of Slumber, Cobalt, Alceste, and some other awesome bands. In other words: it seems like a good fit.

The band is still writing said full-length, but they have a split with Thou coming out sometime soon (more details as I get them!), and I strongly encourage you to check out their EP in the meantime – or, even better, go see them live. As we reported before, they’ll hit the road in September on a tour with the equally fantastic Hull and Batillus, and will even be playing the MetalSucks co-sponsored Planet Caravan fest in North Carolina alongside Clutch, Kylesa, Burst, Wino, and a whole bunch of other great groups. Really. Go see them. It is truly a fucking experience.

Complete tour dates after the jump. If you don’t know Salome, visit them on MySpace ASAP.

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It should come as no surprise that we’re all pretty excited about Shrinebuilder here. And how could we not? It’s a fucking indie metal supergroup featuring Scott “Wino” Weinrich (Saint Vitus, The Obssessed), Scott Kelly (Neurosis, Tribes of Neurot), Al Cisneros (Sleep, Om, Asbestosdeath), and Dale Crover (Melvins, Altamont, Nirvana). Without hearing a single note–since the band has yet to release a single song–it is pretty much understood that its forthcoming self-titled debut shall destroy us all. I firmly belief that these men are the long promised Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Hopefully the particularly nasty bits in the Book of Revelation will take place after I get a chance to see the band play live. As of now, three Shrinebuilder shows have been announced, two on November 14 at The Empty Bottle in Chicago (one early, one late) and a third on November 15 at Le Poisson Rouge in New York City.

-GS

[Gary Suarez watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. He usually manages the consistently off-topic No Yoko No. Say, why don't you follow him on Twitter?]

A couple of weeks back we reported on the sudden glut of U.S. metal festivals this year, the latest of which is the MetalSucks-sponsored Planet Caravan 2-day metal festival being held in Asheville, NC this September. Quick refresher: Clutch, Pentagram, Kylesa, Burst (first and last U.S. tour ever!), Wino and many others. Today we’re thrilled to announce that the already strong bill has gotten that much stronger with a slew of heavyweight bands added: Tombs, The Gates of Slumber, Zoroaster, Bison B.C., Sourvein, doom kings/queen Salome, and friends of MetalSucks Hull and Battilus, the latter 3 of which will be touring the U.S. together around that time. All of the newly added acts will perform on the also-newly added second stage, right next door to the Orange Peel mainstage at Mo Daddy’s.

If you live anywhere close to North Carolina, how can you even consider not going to this event? It’s going to be a fucking rager. Tickets are on sale here or at the Orange Peel box office.

-VN

“Highly anticipated” does not even begin to describe the hype surrounding Shrinebuilder’s debut album. The doom supergroup features Saint Vitus / Obsessed / Spirit Caravan / Hidden Hand guitar hero Scott “Wino” Weinrich, Neurosis / Tribes of Neurot leader Scott Kelly, former Sleep and current Om bassist Al Cisneros, and Melvins drummer Dale Crover… basically THE definitive who’s who of doomo all-stars. Roadburn.com is now reporting that the album is finally coming this autumn via Neurot Recordings, and they’ve posted the breathtaking artwork by A Storm of Light’s Josh Graham (a small portion of which I’ve posted above). They also report that the band will play several gigs in the U.S. later this year with European dates to possibly follow.

Speaking of A Storm of Light, they’ve got a crushing new track called “Midnight” streaming on their own website (take that, MySpace!). The track comes from the new double-disc record Forgive Us Our Trespasses, due in September via Neurot as well.

Thanks to MS Maniac Charlie F. for the tips.

-VN

Last week’s Funny Photo Caption Contest was a doozy ’cause we had a very special photo, and this week we’ve got another from the same top secret source! But first, the winners to last week’s contest, all of whom will receive a copy of The Agonist’s new CD Lullabies For the Dormant Mind and an autographed poster of the band:

balls: “The average Metalsucks “Top 21 Metal Albums of the 21st Century” panelist just moments before sending in his entry for the list.”

Mutt Weiler: “Fuck! I’m going to have to buy a better camera. Even at 10x digital zoom I can’t see my dick!”

raiseyerfists: “WARNING: Listening to music from Victory Records may cause harm to your health. Monthly exams are advised to make sure your testicles have not disintegrated.”

canea: “Searching for his dignity, a young emo comes up empty-handed.”

Fufkin: “I’m looking for the man in the mirror”

This week we’re giving away one very special vinyl copy of Wino’s Punctuated Equilibrium. It’s on 180-gram vinyl with a bonus 10″ featuring 4 vinyl-only exclusive tracks. Bam. Come up with a funny caption to the below photo and it’s yours.

At the beginning of the year I wrote a piece highlighting the sudden abundance of awesome metal festivals in the U.S.. Though our friends across the pond still retain an advantage in metal festivals in both number and size, 2009 saw a whole host of upstarts in the U.S.: Scion Rock Fest, L.A. Murderfest (in its 5th year), California MetalFest, Texas Metal Up Your Ass, Dudefest and of course long-established destinations such as Maryland Deathfest, New England Metal and Hardcore Festival and Dirtfest. SXSW and CMJ both made surprisingly strong showings for metal this year, too.

The party keeps on rolling into the fall with another brand new festival, Planet Caravan, to take place September 18th and 19th at the Orange Peel in Asheville, North Carolina. The lineup is headlined by Clutch and Pentagram, with Orange Goblin, Kylesa, Burst (!), Yob, Wino, Astra, and Revolution Mother rounding out the bill. I haven’t heard of Taddy Porter, Orchid, or Pick Up the Snake, but even if all 3 bands are terrible (highly unlikely) that’s still a fucking killer lineup!

MetalSucks is co-sponsoring the event so we’ll have more news as it’s available. Check out the press release and festival details after the jump.

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As one of the founding members of arguably one of the most important metal bands, Scott Kelly helped navigate Neurosis from a crust punk genesis to the lords of abstract doom they’ve become. Despite going on to semi-normal adult lives not built around touring, they’ve still managed to put out some of the most challenging and, ultimately, best music of the decade. Kelly himself splits his non-Neurosis time among Tribes of Neurot (the band’s ambient side project), an acoustic solo career, the post-apocalyptic folk of Blood & Time, and, most recently, stoner metal wet dream Shrinebuilder, featuring Melvins drummer Dale Crover, Sleep/Om bassist Al Cisneros, and doom icon Wino. In an interview Scott was kind enough to grant MetalSucks – conducted during his trip to the airport on his way to some European Neurosis shows, stopping once to get through airport security and ending when the plane was ready to take off – he discussed his collaboration with the gentlemen in Shrinebuilder, his history with Neurosis and long-time collaborator Steve von Till, and punk’s limiting ethos vs. metal’s acceptance.

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Legendary dronesters Sunn o))) and record label Southern Lord share not just a penchant for original, outside-the-box thinking but a man by the name of Greg Anderson, who splits his time between playing guitar for the former and running all operations of the latter. In the interest of full disclosure I’m not really much of a fan of either the band or the label for no other reason than it’s just not my thing, but I have the utmost respect for the legacy of Sunn o))) and the business acumen, foresight and individuality of Southern Lord and all the bands thereon. I was recently given an opportunity to email a few questions to Mr. Anderson himself, and the man was so kind as to respond with his thoughts on the roles the band and label play in the metal community, his thoughts on the metal community at large, and what’s in store for both Sunn o))) and Southern Lord in 2009. Our chat transcript, after the jump.

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I posit a theory: Scott “Wino” Weinrich = doom metal’s Dylan. Even if you can’t stand what he does, you recognize how important the dude is to the development of heavy metal, and must bow to his continued mastery of all things Sabbath-inspired. In a career that’s spanned over three decades, Wino’s fronted a ridiculous number of great bands, including St. Vitus, The Obsessed, Spirit Caravan and The Hidden Hand – one band for every two drug habits he’s kicked. No matter how great his bandmates, it’s Wino himself that draws us to each new project. He’s the denim and leather-clad patron saint of trad doom, its spiritual center and most trusted voice. But somehow, before Punctuated Equilibrium, we’ve never had an album that Wino owned in both name and spirit.

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Shrinebuilder, the project that features in equal measure Wino (St, Vitus, Hidden Hand), Scott Kelly (Neurosis), Al Cisneros (Om, Sleep), and Dale Crover (Melvins), will be in the studio with Toshi Kasai (Melvins, Big Business) from January 9th through January 11th, according to a press release sent exclusively to MetalSucks by the band’s publicist. Shrinebuilder’s debut full-length is set for a summer 2009 release on Neurot Recordings.

Scott Kelly has announced that he will report live from the studio via http://www.weburnthroughthenight.blogspot.com beginning no later than Saturday, January 10th.  Look for guest blogs by other members of Shrinebuilder as well as possible in-studio photos from the band.

-VN

…until the very very very fine Crustcake broke the official news that after weeks of rumors, yes, Mastodon are playing support at the “soon-to-be legendary” shows:

“Seeing the elusive Neurosis in a fucking Masonic temple is already promising to be one of the best shows of the new year, but seeing Neurosis AND Mastodon in a fucking Masonic temple?”

Yes. Neurosis. Mastodon. Brooklyn Masonic Temple. And, oh yeah, fucking WINO will be there, too. Awesome. Simply awesome.

Just look at that poster art. I hope I can buy one of those frickin’ things for my wall.

-AR