Slaughter Survivors tour dates finally announced!

Featuring such artists as The Contortionist and Rings of Saturn (my personal number one vote out of the possible bands to open Summer Slaughter), the Slaughter Survivors tour is arguably better than Summer Slaughter this year. Even better, though, it seems the venues they've chose are small, backroom type venues, such as Champs in NJ (which I will hopefully be going to).

In short, this tour is gonna be sick!

Album Review: Weedeater - Jason... The Dragon

I've always wanted to get into stoner metal. It's just been one of those genres that has always appealed to me but I never could fully appreciate. I decided to take the plunge into the genre by listening to Weedeater's new album Jason... The Dragon in it's entirety in one sitting, and I must say I was impressed.

The first thing I found that I loved on this album was the bass. It's just so chunky and heavy, always playing bluesy riffs over the guitars. Personally, my favorite parts of this album come when the bass is playing by itself, such as in the beginning to "Hammerhandle" and the title track. Once the other instruments kick in it can be hard to spot the bass, but when I can I always appreciate it. The other instrument's don't do a bad job either. The drums merely keep the beat and never go over the top, and the guitars lead the stampede of songs in a rather grungy manner, making the songs feel amazingly sloppy.

I do have a bit of trouble with the vocals however. For the most part they seem a bit forced and not entirely genuine, which is an issue for me. Everything else does a stand up job for the most part, however.

When it comes to song structure, this is definitely an album one can sit back, roll a joint, and space out to. This is prime stoner material right here. Some songs don't feel like they a set structure of verse-chorus-verse, or anything of that like, and everything just kind of blends together. It's nice to kind of absorb most of the songs, but the downside is a lot of them sound almost exactly the same as other one's at first. It takes a few listens to appreciate each song as a whole.

All in all, this is a good album that anyone trying to get into stoner metal, like myself, can get a kick out of. The songs can be confused easily, however, and the vocals take a bit of getting used to, but if you can get past that then you have yourself a great intro stoner metal album.

7/10

Holy shitfuck, these new Abominable Putridity songs KILL!

Damn, turns out Abominable Putridity have been keeping themselves busy lately. Sadly it would appear that Big Chocolate (aka Disfiguring the Goddess, aka Cameron Argon, aka awesome dude) is not their vocalist anymore, but that's okay, because his replacement is none other than the legendary Matti Way (ex-Disgore & Pathology). His vocals may not be as beefy and low as Vladimir's or Big Chocolate's, but he still has a very unique tone and clear enunciation, and his voice works perfectly with the new music, as you'll see in just a moment. And plus, the guy's a fucking underground legend, so the fact that he's in one of my favorite slam bands of all time is reason enough to get plenty excited. Now, on to the music. As I said, Abominable Putridity has been one of my favorite slam bands for some time now, and now they've only gotten better. They've always had great slams and ball-crushingly heavy grooves, but now they have something else working for them: riffs. That's always been their one setback- all slams all the time, barely any riffing going on at all. I mean they made it work, and no one complained about it, but now they've put out not just one, but TWO new songs, and I was floored by how many legit riffs they have going now. Which of course only serves to make the slams sound that much more powerful, because they're not diluted by the rest of the song. But don't take my word for it, check it out for yourself. This first one's called "Lack of Oxygen".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fR1ajj4rgqw&feature=share

See what I mean? Tremolo picking, Euro blasts, beefy slams used in moderation to make the effect that much stronger, and then Matti Way's instantly recognizable gutturals. And that's not even the best one, this next one's even better. Check out "Remnants of the Tortured".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWKLN6boesU&feature=related

Oh God, so much awesome! So much win! Can't take it! According to this awesome site that I just found out about that you should totally check out called nocleansinging.com, the new album will be called The Anomalies of Artificial Origin, and if the rest of the album is as good as these two songs then this should be a shoe-in for the Best of the Year compilations, a compliment that so far has only been bestowed to Gorgasm's new album Orgy of Murder. Alright, that's enough fanboying for one article, you guys get the point by now. If you haven't already done it by now, be sure to add Abominable Putridity's last album In the End of Human Existence to your collection if you're looking for some top quality slam, available via Lacerated Enemy Records (don't worry, I've never heard of them either). Enjoy your Wednesday, folks.

-BK

Show Review: Protest the Hero, Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, Tesseract, and NoN-SToP! - May 4th in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Oh god, I love Protest the Hero. I love them so much, so very much, so when I found out they were touring I knew I had to go see them. I got my ticket in advance and everything, which is a bit of a rare thing for me to do. There was no way I was missing this show, even though I had class that conflicted with it. Well fuck class, I went to go see Protest the motherfucking Hero. However, I had to sit through many bands to experience their awesomeness. Was it worth it?

Well I'll tell you something right now, waiting in line for this show was arguably the most fun I've had waiting in line. I meet up with my friend Joe at about 6:30, and there's half an hour to kill, and I turn around and see a kid, probably no older than fifteen, puking his guts out on the sidewalk. Even better, his throw-up was neon red... nasty shit. So, for the next half hour myself and the others around me watched as people walked by, and every time they stepped in the vomit we would cheer uncontrollably. It was extremely fun. So fun, in fact, that once the line started moving I heard cries of "aww now we have to go to the show." We actually ran into the kid later and found out why he was throwing up. Apparently six percs and two blunts of hydro don't mix very well. Who knew?

The first band I had to sit through was a local band from Jersey called NoN-StoP! If the way they spelled their names and their ridiculous outfits (school uniforms) were a warning of anything, it was of their overly generic music. NoN-SToP! play a thrash that sounds a bit like crossover thrash. Hear them for yourselves here. Listening to them now I like them a lot more than I did when I saw them live. They just didn't have much stage presence and everyone was so psyched for Protest that no one really gave them much attention. They weren't super awful or anything (except for the horrendous backup vocals), and I would much rather of had them not play and have Protest play a longer set, but what can you do? They do get kudos for having a hot singer though.

Next up was Tesseract, who recently have been getting a lot of press do the success of their album One. What they were doing under Maylene and the Sons of Disaster I'll never know, but they put on a decent show. As I was telling my friend, Tesseract is one of those bands that relies so heavily on precise tonality and sound that their live shows will never be as great as their albums. Such was the case this night, as they were good, but their sound was a bit too muddy to stand up to their albums. During their set the dancers decided to show up though, they went absolutely nuts for those polyrhythm breakdowns. I decided not to take anyone's shit and was knocking em down left and right, but just when I felt I had made a dent in the number of dancers, Maylene and the Sons of the Disaster took the stage.

And the dancers went absolutely nuts. Holy shit, I've never seen so much hardcore dancing for a band that isn't even considered "core." These guys are straight southern metal, but whenever those drums slowed down arms and legs started to fly. I tried my best to knock as many of the dancers off-balance as I could, but what is one man against fifteen or twenty? I did get compliments on my work though, showing that people do want to rebel against these assholes, but oftentimes feel they are too outnumbered to do anything. Well that's what this website is for people. Anyways, Maylene put on an alright show, but I was too focused on taking out dancers to really appreciate it. My friend said it was ok, and I never really liked Maylene, so I'm assuming I didn't miss much.

Next up, after a brutally long sound check, was Protest the Hero, and man what a show did they put on. They started with "C'est La Vie" and played numerous songs off their new album including "Dunsel" and "Sex Tapes." I was up in the front headbanging and singing the words, so I didn't go in the pit much, but from what I saw it was a nice mix of dancers and those trying to take them out, so I was proud other people were doing my work for me. When I did go in the pit it was a blast though, and it was irresistible during songs like "Sequoia Throne" and "Bloodmeat."The band also played many songs off of their Kezia including "No Stars Over Bethlehem" and my personal favorite "Turn Soonest to the Sea." That song was the highlight of the show with everybody singing along to it, I'm glad to have experienced it. Overall Protest the Hero absolutely killed it and were full of energy, and it was totally worth sitting through the three other bands to see them. If you have a chance, check them out live immediately!

New Revocation song :D

Alright guys, I don't have much time so this is going to have to be quick, but this is still very important, so here's what you need to know: there's a new Revocation song, it's called "Cradle Robber", it's awesome, and you can listen to it on the band's Facebook page. The rest of the album, Chaos of Forms, will come out on August 16th via Relapse Records, and if we know anything about Revocation it'll probably kick at least ten different kinds of ass. Alright, sadly that's all for now, but keep coming back for more, and stay brutal. Happy Monday everyone.

-BK

Breaking news: Disgorge are back, baby!

Ok, I know it's midnight on a Friday, and you're all probably in bed or drunk by now, but this can't wait until the morning. After a five year hiatus, the San Diego underground brutal death metal outfit Disgorge have finally announced that they are reforming with a new lineup (their bassist Ben Marlin passed away in 2008), which includes Erik Lindmark (Deeds of Flesh) and the one and only Derek Boyer (Suffocation/Decrepit  Birth). And as if that weren't enough, the band also announced that they have begun working on a brand new album too. The fifth album will be called And the Weak Shall Perish, and it will be their third for Unique Leader Records. In his statement, founding drummer Ricky Meyers said "When Disgorge was formed in 1992 we set out to make the most brutal music we could, and nothing will ever change that no matter who is playing the instruments. This album will be no different. It will be some of the sickest and fastest work ever laid down by Disgorge". Sounds solid to me. Meyers went on to assure that Disgorge would again be touring once the album comes out, and that they will be playing songs that they've never played live before. You'd be a fool not to get excited about this one, folks. Alright, you may resume your regularly scheduled Friday night, and here's the music video for the title track from Disgorge's 2002 album Consume the Forsaken to remind you of what the metal community just got back.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-aRi6KyZJM

Gore not core!
-BK

New Ingested album/song

Well fellas and lady-fellas, it's the weekend once again, and I have some rather exciting news to start your weekend off right. Remember way back when we did Slam Spotlight, and I showed you guys that British band Ingested? Well, for those of you that don't remember, they're fucking awesome sauce, and for those of you that do remember, you'll be pleased to know that they have a new album due out on June 6th, called The Surreption. The band says that the main concept of the album is the end of humanity, and the sense of loneliness that would come with being the last one to die, which is pretty effin' metal. And as if that weren't cool enough, they've even seen fit to release a new track from said album, called "Castigation and Rebirth". Check it out below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XubMSz1dSwk

There are a few gang chants and obnoxious breakdowns, but for the most part this song is still pretty badass, and I'm definitely still excited to see what the rest of this new album's going to be like. Leave Ingested some well-deserved love on their Facebook, and have a safe weekend errbody.

-BK

Oh shit, I forgot it's Cinco de Mayo

Here's a picture of a cool looking bottle of tequila.

I didn't know what else to say, sorry. Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone.

-BK

Evile (finally) announce details on new album

Alright kiddies, after months of waiting, the British modern thrash champions Evile have finally released the skinny on their newest full length. The album will be called The Five Serpents' Teeth, and is set to drop on August 29th via Earache Records. Guitarists Matt and Ol Drake both seem very excited about the new album, saying "The past two years of hard work, and the work put in in the studio, have really paid off.  The few people who've heard the album so far have praised it highly, making me, and us, very proud.  The album has such a unique production sound which surprised me; Russ' (Russel, producer) skills have really shined on this record.  It has an old classic sound, while staying huge and menacing". Sounds good enough for me, but if it's not for you Matt also recorded a video where he explains the new album and its concepts, which can be seen over yonder. If The Five Serpents' Teeth is anything like Evile's last two albums, then you'll definitely want to pick this one up, because this band really is at the forefront of the modern thrash movement. Expect lots of windmill-induced headaches and whiplash at the end of August, my friends. Stay tuned and stay brutal.


-BK

So I guess Within the Ruins are playing Summer Slaughter too

Well, shit. I was really hoping for something better than this, but at least now we finally know the full lineup for this year's Summer Slaughter. Earlier today, Metal Injection announced that the Sumeriancore posterboys Within the Ruins somehow won the poll for the opening slot of the Summer Slaughter Tour, alongside The Black Dahlia Murder, Whitechapel, Six Feet Under, Dying Fetus, Fleshgod Apocalypse and more. Don't get me wrong, Within the Ruins are talented and all, but they get old fast, and you know as well as I do that they ain't shit compared to all the other not-boring bands that I just mentioned. It just goes to show ya, metal these days is pretty much just a popularity contest, but at least there are plenty of other badass bands on the bill to counter the breakdowns. Check out the tour dates here, and be prepared to deal with a lot of douchebags for short periods of time at the shows, because I can already tell that's what's going to happen, just like last year. And the year before that... and the year before that. Oh well, I'm sure you can handle yourself. Take care everyone.

-BK

Album Review: Short Bus Pile Up - Repulsive Display of Human Upholstery

For the love of all that is brutal this album is good. I had heard from a friend or two that is was one of the best releases of last year, and after listening through it multiple times I wouldn't say they were incorrect, because this is in fact a fantastic album. Hailing from Fredericksburg, VA, Short Bus Pile Up play a mix of brutal death metal and slam, and they blend the genres with shocking fluidity. One moment it'll sound like I'm listening to some new Cannibal Corpse, then the next minute I feel like I'm listening to Abominable Putridity. This isn't a bad thing, however, because as previously mentioned, the blending of the styles is very smooth and nothing ever feels tacked on.

Then there are the instruments, all of which do a great job for the most part. As is to be expected, the bass is nearly inaudible, but I'm pretty much used to that being the case with most heavy music. I would have really liked more of an emphasis on the bass, because if used correctly it can make a slam band sound much heavier than it would be without, but what can ya do? The guitars play brilliantly placed chromatic riffs that sound unbelievably heavy at points and never let up. The drums however are the prized jewel of the band. Some drum parts are ridiculously fast and intricate, like the blast beats in "Urethral Myaisis," while some parts are slow, yet brutal enough to keep the slams nice and heavy.

And the slams, oh the slams. I haven't heard a band that uses slams so intelligently since Abominable Putridity. It never feels like the songs revolve around them, but there are plenty to go around to keep you headbanging. It is easy to lose track of which song you're listening to however, which is my other problem with the album. A lot of the tracks sound eerily similar to each other on the surface, and unless one is listening very closely it's easy to get lost.

The two qualms I have with this album shouldn't be an invitation to ignore it however. Repulsive Display of Human Upholstery is an extremely solid release from an up-and-coming band that you need to keep an eye out for. Definitely one of the top releases of 2010.

8/10