Within the Ruins’ new video, for the track “Versus” (which we actually premiered here at MetalSucks), was directed by David Brodsky. Which means a lot of thought and care went into its creation, and its a notch or ten above the usual garbage that passes for metal videos these days (Heavy Blog is Heavy, where I first saw the clip, notes that “Surprisingly for this day and age, it’s not a bland warehouse video.”).

It also means that this is the rare instance where I like the video better than I like the song.

I know our own Dave Mustein digs Within the Ruins and I respect his opinion, but… sorry, this band just ain’t for me. I can’t tell them apart from any number of their peers. In fact, I keep getting them confused with Wretched, which isn’t a terrific sign for either band.

ANYWAY, check out the clip and then side with either Mr. Mustein or myself in the comments section below. But really I’m right and you know it.

-AR

MetalSucks is oh-so-very happy to be teaming up with RED Distribution to bring you, our most beloved readers, the MetalSucks Fan Pack, which will be available exclusively at all FYE stores starting this Tuesday, April 12. Not only does this limited edition box full o’ metal come with a CD featuring twenty brootal tunes by twenty brootal bands (including Kvelertak, Trap Them, Believer, Napalm Death, TesseracT, Thomas Giles, Deicide and a bunch more) but it also comes with that HOLY SHIT THAT IS SO KILLER t-shirt you see above, which was designed by our friend Rodney Githens from Vertebrae 33 (you might also recognize his work from this sexy t-shirt and this Louvre-worthy poster that he did for us).

How much would you expect to pay for this incredible package? Twenty bucks? Fifteen bucks? Try $9.99. That’s right, gang — twenty songs from twenty bands and that guaranteed-to-get-you-laid t-shirt for under ten bucks.

But wait! There’s more! If you act now and head over to the official MetalSucks Fan Pack web page, you can get a coupon for 30%, which brings the price down to a mere seven dollars. Holy crap, that’s a metsieh if ever there was one.

So go here to get a complete track list of all the bands on the comp, and to use the nifty store-finder to locate the f.y.e. nearest to you. And, oh yeah, you can also enter to win this custom guitar:

So, yeah, that’s pretty fuckin’ bad-assed.

-Axl & Vince

Last Chance to Reason and Son of Aurelius are both terrific bands, and I’m quite pleased to let you know that they’re touring together. I’m a little less pleased to say that Wretched are on the bill, too. I mean, Wretched aren’t the worst band in the world or anything, but Vince has to keep reminding me who they are, despite the fact that I’ve written about them before, which is not a good sign for their memorability.

But I think they go on last every night, so even if, like me, you feel pretty indifferent towards them, you should still go to this tour and check out SoA and LCTR. ‘Cause those dudes are awesome, fo’ reals, and worst case scenario is you leave before Wretched plays… or at least before they finish — might as well give ‘em a shot while you’re there, because they could end up being one of those bands who are way awesomer live than on record. Especially since Adam Cody, formerly of the MetalSucks-approved acts Vanisher and Glass Casket, will be touring with band this go-round.

Here are tour dates, via the often-helpful Lambgoat:

Click to read more…

Well, the line-up for this year’s New England Metal & Hardcore Festival — one of the oldest and most revered extreme music fests in the U.S. — has been announced, and it’s… interesting. The fest returns to a three-day format after being only two days last year, but if I’m not mistaken, this is the first time that the initial day will be a Thursday, not a Friday. And as reader Brian Kessler pointed out to us via e-mail, there are two noteworthy aspects to the lineup:

• It seems like metal and hardcore have been further segregated on the bill — Thursday appears to be almost entirely dedicated to deathcore and crabcore bands, Friday seems to be entirely devoted to hardcore bands, and Saturday is dominated by metal bands. There are pros and cons to this approach — the pro being that if you’re only a fan of one particular style of extreme music, you can cherry pick which day you’re going to attend, and the con being that new fans are less likely to be exposed to bands with whom they were not already familiar.
• There seem to be fewer “big name” acts. Sure, Hatebreed and Biohazard are on there, but that’s still a far cry from years’ past. In fact, plenty of big name who have new albums scheduled to come out this year — like Amon Amarth, DevilDriver, Arch Enemy, In Flames, and Children of Bodom — aren’t playing the fest.

Please note that I’m not knocking the fest — in fact, I think Saturday, April 16 is full of killer bands — and I don’t think every fest needs to be headlined by a band of Megadeth’s stature. I just think this particular line-up is… interesting.

Anyway, here’s the full bill:

Click to read more…

Well, the line-up for this year’s New England Metal & Hardcore Festival — one of the oldest and most revered extreme music fests in the U.S. — has been announced, and it’s… interesting. The fest returns to a three-day format after being only two days last year, but if I’m not mistaken, this is the first time that the initial day will be a Thursday, not a Friday. And as reader Brian Kessler pointed out to us via e-mail, there are two noteworthy aspects to the lineup:

• It seems like metal and hardcore have been further segregated on the bill — Thursday appears to be almost entirely dedicated to deathcore and crabcore bands, Friday seems to be entirely devoted to hardcore bands, and Saturday is dominated by metal bands. There are pros and cons to this approach — the pro being that if you’re only a fan of one particular style of extreme music, you can cherry pick which day you’re going to attend, and the con being that new fans are less likely to be exposed to bands with whom they were not already familiar.
• There seem to be fewer “big name” acts. Sure, Hatebreed and Biohazard are on there, but that’s still a far cry from years’ past. In fact, plenty of big name who have new albums scheduled to come out this year — like Amon Amarth, DevilDriver, Arch Enemy, In Flames, and Children of Bodom — aren’t playing the fest.

Please note that I’m not knocking the fest — in fact, I think Saturday, April 16 is full of killer bands — and I don’t think every fest needs to be headlined by a band of Megadeth’s stature. I just think this particular line-up is… interesting.

Anyway, here’s the full bill:

Click to read more…

I had an awesome dream last night, in which I woke up (Waking up in a dream! Trippy!!!) to find the new Pig Destroyer album in my inbox. So when I woke up for real, of course, I knew it had only been a dream, but, perhaps hopeful that I had developed psychic abilities, I ran to my computer and checked my e-mail. There was no Pig Destroyer album waiting for me, but there was a new video from Bullet for My Valentine, “Bittersweet Memories.” Which is just as good as a new Pig Destroyer album… NOT!!! (Oh yeah. I went all early-90s on your ass.)

ANYWAY, let’s actually watch this thing and see how bad it is.

[tries to watch video]

Alright. I made it about forty seconds in. Anyone make it longer? Is there any reason I need to watch the rest of this? I guess I shouldn’t be so judgmental. I mean, every generation needs their Winger, right? This Winger just wears Slayer shirts to try and pretend they’re not Winger. No biggie.

(Yes, BMFV fans. I just compared the band to Winger. That would make you the Stewart Stevenson of any given social situation amongst other metalheads. Congratulations.)

Click to read more…

BOO-YA! We have a real treat for you today, kiddies: a brand-spankin’-new track from Havok‘s forthcoming Candlelight Records release, Time is Up. We give re-thrash bands a lot of shit here on MetalSucks, but Havok are no ordinary re-thrash band — sure, their music is distinctly old-school style thrash, but their songwriting skills and musicianship are a notch above the competition. And they put on a killer live show, too! Vocalist/guitarist Dave Sanchez assures us that Time is Up is “SO THICK IT’S GONNA GIVE YOU DIAREHHA,” and if “Fatal Intervention” is any indication, he ain’t lyin’! Like all of Havok’s music, it is, simply put, smokin’. Check it out below!

Time is Up will feature album art by Halsey Caust, who also did the cover for Havok’s last album, Burn, as well as multiple records for Toxic Holocaust. We’ll give you more details on the album’s release as we get ‘em. In the meantime, the band is still on tour with Wretched and Armed for Apocalypse through November 16; get dates after the jump!

[this streaming promotion has ended]

Click to read more…

Saying your metal band’s got “The Bloodiest Music Video Ever” is kind of like saying your metal band’s new album is the most br00tal, pummeling, and best work to date; it’s certainly possible but we hear that shit all the time, and mostly it ends up being a load of crap. So if your label sends out a press release declaring you’ve got the absolute bloodiest video of all time and you even go so far as to register bloodiestmusicvideoever.com to debut the video, you better be able to back that shit up!

Fortunately for Victory Records’ Wretched (recent recipients of a MetalSucks 2.5-out-of-5 horns rating for their album The Exodus of Autonomy) their new video for the track “A Preservation of Immortality” is indeed really fuckin’ bloody — as well as twisted, morbid, dark and all that jazz. Whether it’s actually the bloodiest video ever made we can’t say, but we’d certainly think this video gives it a run for its money (plus: boobs!).

So, is Wretched’s new video the bloodiest ever? Head on over to bloodiestmusicvideoever.com to watch it, then tell us what you think in the comments. And be sure to include links to your own nominees for bloodiest music video ever.

-VN

Say what you will about Victory Records – and chances are you have, even if you’re in a band that was once on Victory – but it’s hard to find a label with a better sense of marketing and a better understanding of its audience. Its lasting success can of course be attributed to its decision to move away from the buzz cuts ‘n’ bros hardcore on which the label was initially focused and releasing albums of mutated ‘core (post-hardcore, metalcore and later deathcore) and fringe genres that the hardcore kids could grasp on to (third wave ska, indie rock, emo, etc.). A label that can run an ad on MTV2 for Hawthorne Heights, Aiden, and Silverstein one minute and another for BTBAM, Darkest Hour, and Emmure the next is one dedicated to survival, even in an increasingly splintered music climate.

Click to read more…