Damnation Festival 2016 Part I: University of Leeds, UK

Posted on November 21, 2016 by News Team

Darkher, by Rich Price Photography

An army of metal heads descending upon the University of Leeds Students Union on a freezing, overcast morning can only mean that it’s time again for the annual earthquake of Damnation Festival. Now in its eighth year at the same venue, and a third year of hosting acts on a total of four stages, this cult event is growing. Unfortunately, its expansion coincides with the revamp of the building it has called home for so long, making this one of the more hectic and claustrophobic episodes in the festival’s history. Continue reading →

Video: Abnormality Releases Cymatic Hallucinations From Mechanisms Of Omniscience

Posted on November 2, 2016 by Metal Mark

Abnormality unleashed Mechanisms of Omniscience to the masses earlier this year via Metal Blade Records(read our 8.5/10 review), and they’ve have been touring non-stop in support of the crushing new record. They just kicked off their tour in support of The Black Dahlia Murder and Napalm Death, and just to get you more excited for this current trek, we have a new video for your viewing pleasure. Continue reading →

Record Store Day Black Friday Releases Include Alice In Chains, Soundgarden, Anthrax, Iron Maiden, Faith No More

Posted on October 27, 2016 by News Team

Record Store Day continues to help lend support to small businesses and local music stores that keep the experience of artist discovery alive every April and November. The upcoming Record Store Day Black Friday event will see releases from across rock, metal, punk, indie and pop music this year. More details below: Continue reading →

The Black Dahlia Murder And Napalm Death Set To Tour Abnormality, Pig Destroyer, Misery Index, and Power Trip

Posted on August 29, 2016 by News Team

The Black Dahlia murder has added dates to their already extensive fall touring slate. After dates with Max & Iggor Cavalera Return To Roots, Allegaeon, Combichrist, All Hail The Yeti, and Oni for some performances across North America, the band will begin a co-headline tour with grindcore masters Napalm Death. Set to begin November 1st, this “Abysmal Predator” sees Abnormality, Pig Destroyer, Misery Index, and Power Trip as support on select performances. The Black Dahlia Murder will also headline a few shows this fall too.

The Black Dahlia Murder commented:

“It is our great pleasure to once again reunite with our long-time pals in Napalm Death; we really hit it off with them when we were just little tykes on our first-ever European tour so many years ago. To this day, Napalm remain a vital force in music and are some of my absolute heroes. It feels great to finally be able to announce this amazing line-up we’ve been brewing…Keeping a secret this good was killing me inside! All of the bands are absolutely killer and we couldn’t be more proud to be considered a part of this elite. We’ll see you this fall, bring your helmet!”

The Black Dahlia Murder 2015 meg burcina www.loyalphoto.com (5 of 23)

The Black Dahlia Murder, by Meg Loyal Photography

The Black Dahlia Murder tour dates with Max & Iggor Cavalera Return To Roots, Allegaeon, Combichrist, All Hail The Yeti, Oni

Sep 12: LVCS- Las Vegas, NV

Sep 13: Sunshine Theater- Albuquerque, NM

Sep 15: Exit / In – Nashville, TN

Sep 16: Diamond Concert Hall- Louisville, KY

Sep 17: Montage Music Hall – Rochester, NY

Sep 19: The Concourse – Knoxville, TN

Sep 20: Georgia Theater – Athens, GA

Sep 22: Diamond Ballroom – Oklahoma City, OK

Oct 8: Call The Office – London, ON – w/ First Fragment

Oct 9: Salle Multi – Ville de Quebec, QC – w/ First Fragment

Oct 10: Maverick’s Bar- Ottawa, ON #

Oct 11: Opera House – Toronto, ON #

Oct 12: Les Foufounes – Montreal, QC #

#=Max & Iggor Cavalera Return To Roots, The Black Dahlia Murder, Allegaeon, Oni only

The Black Dahlia Murder tour dates

Oct. 27: The Old Crow – Middletown, OH @ w/ Misery Index

Oct. 28: Apollo Theater – Belvidere, IL @ (no support)

Oct. 29: Fubar – St. Louis, MO @ w/ Misery Index

Oct. 30 Rock Island Live – Wichita, KS @ w/ Abnormality

Napalm Death, by Hillarie Jason

The Black Dahlia Murder and Napalm Death “Abysmal Predator” co-headline tour dates

w/ Pig Destroyer (Nov 13-15), Misery Index (Nov 1-11), Power Trip (Nov 12-21), Abnormality (Nov 1-21)

Nov 1: Top Deck – Farmington, NM

Nov 2: Club Red – Phoenix, AZ

Nov 3: Observatory – Santa Ana, CA

Nov 4: The Regent – Los Angeles, CA

Nov 5: The Chapel – San Francisco, CA

Nov 7: Depot – Salt Lake City, UT

Nov 8: Summit Music Hall – Denver, CO

Nov 9: Riot Room – Kansas City, MO

Nov 10: Bottom Lounge – Chicago, IL

Nov 11: Agora Ballroom – Cleveland, OH

Nov 12: Underground Arts – Philadelphia, PA

Nov 13: Sound Stage – Baltimore, MD

Nov 14: Brighton Music Hall – Boston, MA

Nov 15: Les Poisson Rouge – New York, NY

Nov 16: Arizona Pete’s – Greensboro, NC

Nov 17: Masquerade – Atlanta, GA

Nov 19: Numbers – Houston, TX

Nov 20: Rock Box – San Antonio, TX

Nov 21: Gas Monkey – Dallas, TX

The Black Dahlia Murder tour dates

Nov 22: Hi Tone – Memphis, TN w/ Abnormality

Nov 23: Diamond Pub – Louisville, KY (no support)

The Black Dahlia Murder online

The Black Dahlia Murder on Facebook

The Black Dahlia Murder on Twittter

The Black Dahlia Murder on Instagram

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Workaholics – Ben Barnett and Bob Otis of DROPDEAD

Posted on March 24, 2016 by News Team

Dropdead, by Emma Parsons Photography

Long-running activist hardcore leaders DROPDEAD have been around long enough to know, their path is marathon and not sprint. When you make non-sellout music that demands critical thinking from fans, you are not going to get asked on late night TV, or find your music in movies and football stadium. But what drives this band, a staple of the Providence, RI music scene for two-plus decades is not the same motivation for everyone else. Ghost Cult’s Andrew Francis met up with Ben Barnett and Bob Otis in Austin Texas, a long way from home. The band was in town for the Housecore Horror And Music Festival, and despite playing an incredible set, true to form, they never felt “at home”.

Curious about the origin of the band, we started off by asking Ben and Bob what has a great influence on their style: the scene in New England or was it shaped by other bands and their teachings?

Bob Otis: “It was a combinations of things really, me Ben and Bryan started the band. Ben came from California and Bryan and my self grew up in Providence but we all listened to a lot of different stuff.”

“Ben brought a lot of his California influences when he joined the band that I had never heard and I did the same for him with a lot of the anarco – punk, Bryan was in to Japanese punk but we all bonded around the same like of similar forms of music and hardcore punk and the philosophy behind it.”

DROPDEAD is the epitome of n East Coast Hardcore band, but like most in the genre, one can’t deny a multitude of broader influences in the punk rock spectrum: Bob: For me it was more to the punk side, I was really in to anarco-punk and the philosophy and Ben was more to the hardcore side”

Ben Barnett: “I was more into Infest, Negative Approach”

Bob: “Where I was in to Crass and Conflict”.

Ben: “But still in to the politics of that stuff.”

The band has an unmistakable agenda, but bandmates don’t always have the same word view. We asked Ben and Bob if they shared a lot of the same political ideas

Ben: “Oh yeah definitely”

Bob: Whats great about these guys is that they believe exactly the same thing as me, and they allow me to get up on stage and expound upon the beliefs that we all have, together. It’s not just we are going to get together and write the music and you can just go do what ever as long as it doesn’t sound silly?

Both: “NO!”

Bob: “We believe the same thing ,we have the same core values.”

Ben: Yeah I don’t think we could go up there and say what we say and do what we do if we didn’t mean it.

Bob: “No one in the band is going to McDonalds that’s for sure.”

Dropdead, by Emma Parsons Photography

Aside from punk, few bands shaped the political landscape for bands in history like Napalm Death has. A definite influence on the band, we asked both at what point did they discover the seminal Brit grindcore band and if they seeped in.

Ben: “That first Napalm record in 87 definitely blew my mind at first, i never heard anything like it.”

Bob: “To be honest with you they weren’t one of my favorite bands but I can appreciate what they did and stood for, but at the time i was more in to anarco punk but i appreciate it. You can see where the comparison comes from with short song times and ferocity and lyrical content.”

Bob: “Well yea we can see that but we also got a lot of our sound from the Boston Hardcore bands, Siege and California bands like Infest.”

Ben: “We acquired our name from a Siege song the and store name are from a Siege song, we became very influenced by a band from Weymouth.”

If a band was to be considered top-tier and the biggest influence on the band you would all say its Siege?

Bob: “Musically for sure.”

Ben: “Lyrically its not terribly that far off either. If you don’t listen to them already, Siege comes highly recommended young readers!”

Dropdead, by Emma Parsons Photography

Ben is the owner of Armageddon Record Shop and its accompanying label. One of the defining businesses in the North East music scene at the moment, we asked if the distro through the label was created because it makes life easier for a DIY band.

Ben: “I had done a label since the late 80’s up until 98 and I decided it was just time to call it a day. we had a record to put out and we wanted a fresh start and we figured we would do our own thing. we had some not terrible but not fantastic experiences with some people. back in the day Earache hit us up, Century Media hit us up it wasn’t really what we wanted to do.”

Bob: “Part of it was it was all stuff Ben could do himself so why get some one else? I don’t think any one could do it any better than him. he has an invested interest as our guitarist and best friend so obviously he’s gonna put every thing he’s got in to the band so i don’t think a record label would have as much invested in us as someone who’s in the band.”

Ben: “There might be more press, maybe more hype but ..”

Bob: We’ve done pretty good for our selves, he’s done a great job!”

Ben: “We just chug along do our own thing if people buy the records we appreciate it and if not then.. oh well? we’ll play a show some one may be excited then that’s pretty cool too, they go slow but they go.”

We then asked if starting the label became a necessity of being in the band or as a fan of music who later ended up in a band:

Ben: “Originally it was cause I was excited about music, I put out my first record for a California band Apocalypse in like ..1989. Just cause they were friends. It was kinda like you can be a guy going to shows or you could do something, and Otis can attest to this, I’m not really a do nothing kinda guy. kinda a workaholic.”

Bob: “One of the busiest guys I know.”

INTERVIEW BY ANDREW FRANCIS

PHOTOS BY EMMA PARSONS PHOTOGRAPHY

Gadget – The Great Destroyer

Posted on March 14, 2016 by News Team

It might be ten years since Sweden’s Gadget vomited their brilliant last album The Funeral March (Relapse) all over our collective faces, but it’s safe to say that time has most definitely not mellowed them. Charging at you with all the subtlety of a lobotomised orangutan swinging a lead pipe, their third full length release The Great Destroyer (Relapse) lives entirely up to its name.

Not so much carefully combining elements of Hardcore, Grindcore, and Death Metal as mashing them together by stamping on them repeatedly until a fetid brown liquid begins oozing out from underneath, Gadget’s only intention is to get in, get out, and leave you feeling like you’ve gone twelve rounds with a runaway steamroller.

But it’s not just unrelenting speed they hit you with. Oh no, there are other types of lovely auditory pulverization to endure here as blastbeats and frantic, slashing riffs turn into mid-paced grooves and thundering breakdowns at the drop of a hat. And just when you think you’re getting a reprieve, in comes another whirlwind of attitude, led from the front by vocalist Emil Englund, his singing style a cross between a walrus having its throat ripped out and an exasperated geography teacher venting his rage at a class of disinterested teenagers. And if that isn’t enough for you, Napalm Death‘s Barney Greenway stops by to punch you in the face with a guest appearance on the thirty eight second ‘Violent Hours (For A Veiled Awakening)‘.

If you enjoy music which leaves you with a sore head, ringing ears, a big grin, and a string of drool hanging from the corner of your mouth, then The Great Destroyer is the album for you. Got Attention Deficit Disorder? No problem. The lengthiest track on here is the five and a half minute closer ‘I Don’t Need You – Dead and Gone’, while the others rattle in around the sixty second mark.

The production is dense and claustrophobic, but also clear enough to hear the individual skill from each musician. Guitarist Rikard Olsson may sound like his arm is about to come off at the shoulder and hit someone in the face but there’s control and definition amongst the blur of speed, and rhythm section William Blackmon (Drums) and Fredrik Nygren (Bass) make playing this fast seem almost effortless.

Listening to ‘The Great Destroyer’ is like having the Drill Instructor from Full Metal Jacket spitting abuse into your face for half an hour. It’s like having to watch a repeated loop of that part in American History X where Edward Norton tells that kid to bite the kerb and stamps on his head. It’s like trying to catch a cement mixer between your teeth, and it’s like watching an enraged gorilla hurl itself against the safety glass after beating its keeper to death with the bones of its former keeper.

Enjoy.

8.0/10

GARY ALCOCK

[amazon asin=B01B696UPC&template=iframe image1]

Ghost Cult Album Of The Year 2015 Countdown: 10 – 2

Posted on December 11, 2015 by Steve Tovey

Part five of the Ghost Cult Album of the Year countdown for 2015.

One staff team. Over 550 albums covered by Ghost Cult over the last twelve months. One epic race to be crowned Album of the Year.

Read on to dive deep into the Ghost Cult Top 10…

10. My Dying Bride – ‘Feel The Misery’ (Peaceville)

“When the history of doom metal is written, English miserabilists My Dying Bride will have their own chapter; preferably written in gothic script by a quill. After twenty-five years in the game, their long march towards the sinister continues and Feel the Misery has to rank among their best works.”

Review by James Conway here

My-Dying-Bride-Feel-The-Misery

9. Cattle Decapitation – ‘The Anthropocene Exctinction’ (Metal Blade)

“The grind influences which the band are largely known for are present here, but combine with a number of other reference points and styles in a way that transforms them quite beyond the ordinary. The base-line style throughout is a crunchy, Grind-touched Death Metal that’s as comfortable with punishing grooves and sinister melodies as it is with blasting, but they expand their palette further with quasi-“industrial” effects, atmospheric passages and creepily-effective clean vocal sections.”

Review by Richie HR here

cattle

8. Paradise Lost – ‘The Plague Within’ (Century Media)

“Not a descent into the darkest bowels of harrowing Death-Doom, then, but expecting it to be would be rather silly. What The Plague Within offers is a sincere, heartfelt amalgam of older influences and current songwriting from a band who have always had the courage to follow their own muse where it leads them, even if it seems to lead them back.”

Review by Richie HR here

paradiselostplaguecd

7. Faith No More – ‘Sol Invictus’ (Reclamation/Ipecac)

Ghost Cult Album of the Month – May “The band picks up basically where they left off with 1997’s Album of The Year. After all; resurrection may be for those who got it wrong the first time, but the same cannot be said of Faith No More whose return is a welcome and worthy one. Let’s hope it lasts as long as it can.”

Review by Keith Chachkes here

faith-no-more-sol-invictus-album-cover-low-res

6. Iron Maiden – ‘The Book Of Souls’ (Parlophone/Sanctuary/BMG)

“For a band with such a celebrated history, it is a joy and delight to confirm that The Book Of Souls stands resolute as one of the best things the band has produced. Ever. An album that works on a number of levels – the strength of the songwriting, the collective and individual musicianship, the range and power of the entire album are all deeply impressive. The Book of Souls is the collective endeavour of a band still resolutely in love with music and still gracious and humble enough to want to share that with its audience. Happy and glorious, from epic start to bombastic end.”

Review by Mat Davies here

ironmaiden

5. Clutch – Psychic Warfare (Weathermaker)

Ghost Cult Album of the Month – October “Thank goodness for Clutch. Clutch aren’t like most bands. Wait: Clutch are not like any other band. Now into their 20-something year of making smart, intelligent rock music, Psychic Warfare sees Neil Fallon and co in the rudest possible health, invigorating and invigorated, creatively refreshed and simply staggering and swaggering. Clutch are a band of sublime brilliance and Psychic Warfare might just be the album you’ve waited all year for. Long may they reign supreme.”

Review by Mat Davies here

clutch

4. Napalm Death – ‘Apex Predator – Easy Meat’ (Century Media)

Ghost Cult Album of the Month – February “That the band still emits a burning intensity, railing against injustice and The Establishment, is reassuring and adds the crucial element of gravity to what is, in essence, a joyous and energising sound. Angry machine gun rattle, powerful skewing punk, flexibility in pace, a hefty boot, veering grind… I bloody love the nose-breaking, careering chaos of it all”

Review by Paul Quinn here

napalm

3. Enslaved – ‘In Times’ (Nuclear Blast)

Ghost Cult Album of the Month – March “In Times is a record of staggering, jaw-dropping brilliance. In Times distils the essence of Enslaved in brilliant, grandiose fashion but, like all great albums, suggests new, as yet uncharted opportunities. To use sporting parlance, suggesting that the band are at the top of their game is to truly misunderstand what’s going on here. Enslaved are not just at the top of their game; they are in the process of trying to change the game being played.”

Review by Mat Davies here

enslaved

2. Lamb of God – ‘VII: Sturm und Drang’ (Nuclear Blast)

Ghost Cult Album of the Month – August “About halfway through Sturm Und Drang, vocalist Randy Blythe screams: “How the FUCK did you think this would end?!” It’s both a question and a statement of defiance, summing up five years that have been nothing less than challenging for this band. That they have returned and delivered an album this ferocious, this energised, this brilliant, is utterly remarkable and testimony to a sense of collective tenacity and drive that can only be admired. All Heavy Metal records should sound this good.”

Review by Mat Davies here

lamb of god

PART 1: ALBUMS 50-41

PART 2: ALBUMS 40-31

PART 3: ALBUMS 30-21

PART 4: ALBUMS 20-11

Bloodstock Festival: Day Two- Catton Hall, UK

Posted on August 28, 2015 by Steve Tovey

With the Sophie Lancaster Stage headliners finishing late into the night, as well as other forms of entertainment in the arena or the Serpent’s Lair VIP Area (or for the less brave of course, beers at the tent), you’d be forgiven for thinking the atmosphere would be a little subdued on the Saturday, especially considering the scorching heat the day before. Far from it however, as Saturday greets all with even hotter weather (thankfully there are plenty of water stations and surprisingly small queues) and another day of some of the best and most exciting bands the metal world has to offer.

A relaxed and lazy morning means the days viewing kicks off in the Sophie tent with British death metallers Ageless Oblivion, whose dark atmospherics try to detract from the sunshine outside. Pulling in a strong crowd, they prove why they are one of the most exciting bands on the UK extreme metal scene, complete with unpredictability structures and relentless viciousness with hypnotic majesty.

The small size of the festival arena proves a blessing as Ageless Oblivion wrap up their set just as prog/tech metallers Xerath take to the main stage within seconds. With a large, attentive crowd Xerath prove that they are more than worthy of the upgrade from their last time here on the second stage, as their progressive tendencies hit the mark alongside a tonne of fat grooves, perfectly catering for all. The stage size does not seem to daunt them as they give a confident and crushing display.

Korpiklaani, photo credit Sabrina Ramdoyal

Normally benefiting from people wanting to shelter from near monsoon conditions, its truly heart-warming to see masses of people supporting those bands that have come from far climes, especially when they are as good as the first of two Indonesian bands on the bill today, Jasad. As they take the stage they are greeted with a near packed tent and a euphoric response which clearly humbles them as the band can hardly contain their smiles throughout. Combined with brilliant death metal and frontman Mohammed Rohman’s sense of humour and this proves one of the most fun and triumphant sets of the weekend.

Napalm Death, photo credit Sabrina Ramdoyal

Very few bands are as consistently brilliant both live and on record as Napalm Death so its unsurprising that they are consistently great form today, and the huge response they get from the crowd makes this a no surprises but incredible set.

It has to be pointed out the diversity that, appropriately, the Sophie Lancaster Stage presents over the weekend, brings some of the weekend’s greatest moments. Right near the top has to be the second Indonesian band of the day, Burgerkill as once again a packed out tent and the chaos that ensues proves truly heartening. The massive grins that adorn each member tells the story as the moshpits almost takes over the entire front of the tent. As Oaf’s Dom Lawson makes a guest appearance the importance of today for the band is abundantly clear, and they took it by storm.

Opeth, photo credit Fiaz Farrelly

Opeth are no strangers to the Ronnie Jamies Dio (main) stage, having headlined twice, once in the place of Heaven & Hell who cancelled due to the sad passing of the man for whom the stage is now named. They could play in a nightclub car park and still exude the same amount of beauty and brutality as they do co-headlining a festival. Love their progressive direction or loathe it, Opeth never fail to impress as ten thousand mesmerised fan sway to ‘The Devils Orchard’, then moments later headbang to ‘Deliverance’, showing symmetry with the bands diverse back catalogue.

Within Temptation, photo credit Fiaz Farrelly

To quote the mighty Taylor Swift – “haters gonna hate” – and those die-hard Bloodstockers who scoffed or spewed ignorant and hateful babble when Within Temptation were announced certainly did. They can be spotted a mile off, standing with their arms folded waiting for the Dutch symphonic metallers to suck harder than Lars’ drumming. But they don’t – so ha! Each song is performed with heart and soul, with the set culled mainly from the more recent Hydra (BMG/Universal) and The Unforgiving (Roadrunner) albums, and the unity the crowd feel with the band is a testament to their longevity. Sharon den Adel, who seemingly has danced in the blue flame of eternal life, rallies the crowd so that even when technical difficulties plague their penultimate song, the baying masses hang on her every note. Within Temptation bring a touch of flair and class to Derbyshine; utterly sublime.

Within Temptation, photo credit Fiaz Farrelly

CHRIS TIPPELL & SARAH WORSLEY

Fuck The Facts – Desire Will Rot

Posted on August 26, 2015 by News Team

There’s something in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada’s water (or maybe it’s the Molson) that just lends itself to riff writing. Need proof? Fuck the Facts have just released their tenth studio album, Desire Will Rot (Noise Salvation). And that’s without counting all their previous EPs, compilations and like 4 billion splits. Eighteen years later and bastardized grindcore still lives.

And not only live, but slay as well. Age has not dulled the musical blade of Fuck the Facts as they spend the better part of 30 minutes hitting you with an endless volley of liver punches. Rippers like ‘Prey,’ ‘Everywhere Yet Nowhere’ and skull splitting ‘Solitude’ will beat you to the point of handing over any monetary possessions. It’s like a sonic cocktail containing an ounce of Trap Them, one part Napalm Death, and a dash of Ion Dissonance. Garnish said highball with some of the most ferocious vocals in the business courtesy of Mel Mongeon.

And while they can jackhammer beats with best of them, this Canadian brand of grindcore also allows for moments of breadth not unlike the mighty Pig Destroyer. ‘La Mort I’ and its immediate follow-up ‘La Mort II’ contain some rather neat lead guitar work that at times almost flirts with sounding progressive.

And much to my pleasant surprise the album ends with a series of slower jams starting with ‘False Hope’ which is all fury and flames in its initial two minutes only to give way to Eyehategod like waves of sludge. ‘Circle’ and ‘Nothing Changes’ continue to lengthen the running times and widen the sonic soundscape. Album closer ‘Nothing Changes’ is a particular highlight as it’s more in line with Serpentine Path or Converge at their slowest moments.

By the sounds of it, bastardized grindcore has a long life ahead of it. Now if you’ll excuse me I’m off to try some of that Molson.

9.0/10

HANSEL LOPEZ

Audio: Shane Embry of Napalm Death Appears On The Jasta Show Podcast

Posted on August 16, 2015 by News Team

Shane Embry of grindcore legends Napalm Death appears as the latest guest of Jamey Jasta’s The Jasta Show Podcast. You can hear the episode at this link or below: