Posts Tagged ‘peaceville’
Wednesday, October 26th, 2011
Evermore Darkly EP (Nuclear Blast/Peaceville)
CRADLE OF FILTH is back with an EP to hold us over until the release of their next album. In the little over the year since Darkly, Darkly, Venus Aversa was released the band has toured a bunch and have been working on a long anticipated orchestral album. This album contains a few new tracks, some alternate takes and other goodies for fans. I like CoF, but have always found them to be a hit or miss proposition for my tastes. Not really true black metal, but a commercial approximation of what people think black metal sounds like. Still, I have enjoyed some of their work, especially their concept albums and would never deny them their singular ambition or rebellious spirit of being for making heavy music more popular.
Opening up with the intro track of “Transmission From Hell” comes the new song “Thank Your Lucky Scars”. It sounds like classic CRADLE OF FILTH in case you were wondering. Scary keyboards, blackened guitar riffs, blast beats and a Tom Araya-worthy scream to kick the track off. It verse has almost a punk rock sense of urgency to it that I rather like. Dani Filth sounds excellent here switching up his vocal style three or four times in a matter of minutes. The chorus has a great groove laid down by Paul Allender and James McIIroy on guitars and drummer Martin Marthus Škaroupka. Škaroupka’s drumming in particular is really heavy and cool. As usual there is a thin film of black metal touches on the song such as female operatic vocals and atmospheric keyboards. “Forgive me Father (For I have Sinned)”, “Lilith Immaculate (Extended Length)” and “The Persecution Song” are alternate versions from the last album with “Lilith…” being the best sounding. “Forgive Me Father (I’m In a Trance)” is as you would expect, a trance version of the earlier song. Ugh. Another take on “The Spawn of Love and War” comes next, but I can’t really discern much difference from the original. The real gem of the EP is the sample version of “Summer Dying Fast” from Midnight In The Labyrinth. This orchestral version of the classic song is a taste of their new album and frankly I’m impressed. Getting the full treatment with horns, percussion and strings really brings out the spooky, evilness of the song. I was really feeling it and listened to just that track several times alone. I’m really excited to hear the rest of the album now. For fans the really draw of this collection is the DVD with a live concert from last June’s Graspop Metal Meeting, a “rockumentary” and the promo video for “Lilith Immaculate”.
GRADE: B
By Keith (Keefy) Chachkes
Tags: atmospheric sounds, CoF, concept albums, cradle of filth, Darkly, drummer Martin Marthus Škaroupka, DVD extras, Evermore Darkly EP, evil, female operatic vocals, guitarist James McIIroy, guitarist Paul Allender, Keefy, keyboards, metal, Midnight In The Labyrinth, Nuclear Blast, orchestral album, out takes, peaceville, pop blackmetal, rare tracks, remixes, Tom Araya, Venus Aversa, vocalist Dani Filth, “Summer Dying Fast”
Posted in Album Reviews, Reviews | No Comments »
Thursday, July 21st, 2011
In today’s metal underground, DARKTHRONE is seemingly more popular than ever before. Sure, we all cling to the classics like ‘Transylvanian Hunger’ and ‘A Blaze in the Northern Sky’ but the evolution of the band has been one of the coolest things we’ve gotten to witness over the years. Sure, they’ve slightly changed their influences over the years and their sound has evolved from death metal (originally) to black metal (in the 90s) and now this hybrid of punk rock and black metal that they play now but, guess what, all of this music has been incredible. This is a band that’s staying true to themselves and playing the music they want to play and still finding success and acceptance with their fan base. DARKTHRONE is a band done right!
Additionally, we’ve got to see the development of FENRIZ into metal’s ‘founding father’ type figure. He continues to kick ass with his own band, while working in the industry to better other, younger bands who are looking for the break that he himself got back in the day when Peaceville signed DARKTHRONE. Not only that, but seemingly everyone in the industry respects what he has to say – whereas no one wants to listen to a band that Nikki Sixx is screaming about, everyone went to check out GHOST when Fenriz showed his support and they have went on to become one of the biggest sensations in the metal community this year.
This brings me to the second edition of DARKTHRONE’s Live Evil festival, which is scheduled to take place at the Underworld in London on October 23rd. Last year’s incarnation was an overwhelming success and, as I noted above, was really one of the catalysts into turning GHOST into a household name. It also greatly increased the awareness around bands like HOODED MENACE, GRAVE DESECRATOR and NATUR (who just inked a deal with Earache Records off of the momentum they gained). I’m actually hoping to make it to this year’s edition, which will feature bands that FENRIZ has been giving support to on his ‘Band of the Week’ blog this year such as Sweden’s INSOLITUDE and ANTICHRIST, Norway’s BLACK MAGIC and AURA NOIR (who happened to be signed to DARKTHRONE’s label Tyrant Syndicate), Italy’s BUNKER 66 and UK bands like ELIXIR and RAVENS CREED amongst several others.
To me, the biggest question is which of these bands has the potential to turn this show into their breakout moment, much like GHOST last year, and take the spotlight in 2012′s metal scene.
Much like the love and adoration that guys like TRENT REZNOR and DAVE GROHL receive for constantly making good decision along with being generally cool and innovative in this business, I want to give a big thank you to FENRIZ for constantly giving back to our scene. He is truly one of the most impressive men in metal!
If you also want to attend LIVE EVIL 2011, check out the flyer below for more info!
Tags: A Blaze in the Northern Sky, Antichrist, aura noir, Black Magic, black metal, Bunker 66, Darkthrone, Dave Grohl, Earache Records, Elixir, fenriz, ghost, Grave Desecrator, Hooded Menace, Insolitude, Live Evil, Natur, nocturno culto, peaceville, profound lore, Ravens Creed, Transylvanian Hunger, Trent Reznor, Tyrant Syndicate
Posted in The Bunker, Tours and Festivals | No Comments »
Friday, January 14th, 2011
1. Agalloch – Marrow of the Spirit (Profound Lore): The choice popular amongst fans, critics, pundits and the general hiperati. In other words, you’re a dipshit if you don’t love this record. Chief ‘loch, John Haughm has delivered a haunting album of Black Metal informed Post-Rock, the scope of which stretches from Emperor to Godspeed You Black Emperor!. This year’s hands-down classic.
2. Letlive – Fake History (Tragic Hero): So-Cal’s letlive take the post-hardcore ball from the likes of Thursday and Glassjaw and run with it. They already signed to Epitaph, who will re-release this album in 2011. Simply, letlive dodge all the usual cliches on their way to household-name success. Mark my words!
3. Dillinger Escape Plan: – Option Paralysis (Season of Mist): Benjiman Weinman gets the Thurston Moore Lifetime Achievement Award for looking at chaos as a valid part of pop songwriting. Possibly their finest, angriest and most career-defining moment. I still hear stuff in this one that eluded me the first 25 listens or so.
4. Watain- Lawless Darkness (Season of Mist): With the power of their onstage stench and mighty death-riffs, these Swedes ascend to Black Metal’s highest peaks. Whether they take the throne from the commercially aspirant Dimmu or the crash n’ burnt Gorgoroth remains to be seen. At the rate they’re going…
5. Tryptkon – Esparistera Daimones and Shatter EP (Century Media): Tom Fischer picks up where Celtic Frost’s brilliant and final death-grunt, Monotheist left off. Then exceeds it. I’ve included the Shatter EP as it feels like a natural part of the proceedings.
6. Ghost – Opus Eponymous (Rise Above/Metal Blade) Jimmy Page bought Aleister Crowley’s house. The Stones came with Goat’s Head Soup. Now Ghost take on three decades of hard rock and metal, offer it up to Satan and come up with a record already set to be the first metal “name-drop” for 2011.
7. Bad Religion –The Dissent 0f Man (Epitaph): The SoCal punks continue to craft paeans for the intelligensia with three chords and amazing three part vocal harmonies.
8. Cradle of Filth – Darkly, Darkly Venus Aversa (Nuclear Blast): Oh, darker my love! Dani’s dark mob strips things down to basics and have made their most lethal concept record since Cruelty and the Beast.
9. Dimmu Borgir – Abrahadabra (Nuclear Blast): The equivalent of any Michael Bay movie with a dark metal soundtrack. It’s big, cinematic and has little to do with conveying anything like plot or storytelling (like Transformers). Dimmu have survived and surpassed recent lineup changes only to make an album that comes closest to a bit of semi-Black Metal for the mainstream.
10. Fear Factory – Mechanize (Candlelight): Dino and Burton kiss, make up and make a classic Fear Factory album. Easily the one that should have been slotted right between Demanufacture and Obsolete.
11. Enslaved -Axioma Ethica Odini (Nuclear Blast)
12. Shining – Blackjazz (Indie/The End)
13. Black Breath – Heavy Breathing (Southern Lord)
14. William Control-Noir (Victory)
15. Demiurg – Slakthus Gamleby (Cyclone Empire)
16. Underoath – Disambiguation (Solid State)
17. Deftones – Diamond Eyes (Warners)
18. Danzig – Deth Red Sabaoth (The End)
19. Overkill-Ironbound (E1)
20. Integrity-The Blackest Curse (Deathwish)
And a record I spent a ton of time working on that came out earlier this year….
Mutiny Within – Mutiny Within (Roadrunner): Dream Theater played by Killswitch Engage with a singer that stomps all over James LaBrie in the passion department. Why this New Jersey sextet (with a couple members by way of the UK) hasn’t connected yet is beyond me. Of course, the record is just a few months old. Popular opinion’s still out on this one.
And of course…..
Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (Def Jam): If you don’t like this, then you’re one of “douchebags” he sings about.
Tags: abrahadabra, Agalloch, Axioma Ethica Odini, Bad Religion, Best of 2010, Black Breath, Blackjazz, candlelight records, Century Media, cradle of filth, Cyclone Empire, Danzig, darkly darkly venus aversa, deathwish, Def Jam, Deftones, Demiurg, Deth Red Sabaoth, diamond eyes, dillinger escape plan, Dimmu Borgir, Disambiguation, E1, ENSLAVED, eparistera daimones, epitaph, Fake History, FEAR FACTORY, ghost, Heavy Breathing, Indie Recordings, integrity, ironbound, James LaBrie, Kanye West, Killswitch Engage, Lawless Darkness, Letlive, Marrow of the Spirit, mechanize, METAL BLADE, mutiny within, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Noir, Nuclear Blast, option paralysis, Opus Eponymous, Overkill, peaceville, profound lore, rise above, roadrunner records, season of mist, shatter, Shining, Slakthus Gamleby, Solid State, Southern Lord, the blackest curse, The Dissent of Man, The End Records, Tragic Hero, Triptykon, underoath, victory, warner bros, watain, William Control
Posted in Album Reviews, Industry Blogs, Reviews, The Bunker, Thirsty and Credible - Mike Gitter | 1 Comment »
Thursday, January 13th, 2011
2011 looks like it will be one of the most exciting years for heavy music in recent memory. No, we’re not expecting albums from the likes of Slayer or Metallica like we were back in ’09 ,but we do have an incredible lineup of records on the way! Here are my Top 20 Most Anticipated for 2011:
20. Cave In – ‘White Silence’ (Hydra Head)
19. Amon – ‘Liar in the Wait’ (Season of Mist): What can I say, it will certainly be interesting to see just what the Hoffman bros have been up to since they left Deicide. Plus, I have to believe that this release will trigger some kind of public feud between Amon and Deicide, which I’m always a fan of…
18. Autopsy – ‘Macabre Eternal’ (Peaceville)
17. Gallhammer – TBA (Peaceville) – One of the bands that ushered in the new breed of blackened crust punk. These girls are one of the best exports in Japanese history… and, yeah, I’m looking right at you Playstation…
16. Loss – ‘Despond’ (Profound Lore)
15. Backstabber Incorporated – ‘MIA’ (Deathwish) – For those who don’t know who this is, fuck off… This is the band that ultimately led to Trap Them. Now, Brian and Ryan are no longer in the fold, but the band was always fun so I’m excited to see what they’re bringing now!
14. Pig Destroyer – TBA (Relapse)
13. Gorgoroth – TBA (Regain) – One of the best Norwegian black metal bands of all time. Sure, they’ve been overshadowed by a metric shit ton of controversy over the last few years and kicked everyone out of the band at times, but they still manage to pull it together and make sick, visceral records. Going to be awesome!
12. TesseracT – ‘One’ (Century Media)
11. Owen Hart – ‘Earth Control’ (Vitriol) – This band has started to get some heat on them but they’re still relatively unknown. However, 2011 is going to change that. Clever, harsh and hailing from the great metal state of Washington, Owen Hart are going to bash your fucking brains in this year!
10. Disma – TBA (Profound Lore)
9. Primate – ‘Pull Back A Stump’ (Scion A/V) – What really needs to be said other than this is Kevin Sharp (Brutal Truth) and Bill Kelliher (Mastodon). It sounds like a mash-up of their two bands and I’m beyond excited to hear the full outcome of their work together.
8. Altar of Plagues – ‘Mammal’ (Profound Lore)
7. Wolvhammer – TBA (Profound Lore) – One of my favorite new bands from last year is back with a vengeance. Seriously, go back and listen to ‘Black Marketeers of World War III’ and tell me that your mind isn’t blown. The band is incredible and hopefully going to be on display for a much bigger audience thanks to their association with Profound Lore.
6. Crowbar – ‘Sever the Wicked Hand’ (E1)
5. Dragged Into Sunlight – ‘Hatred For Mankind’ (Prosthetic) – This record would’ve been higher if it wasn’t a re-release. Not to say that you shouldn’t check it out, but I got this record a while back when it was originally released in the UK. Now the band has teamed up with Prosthetic and this nasty Eyehategod-meets-Godflesh masterpiece will finally be available in the states. It’s truly a sick and disturbing look at just how dark metal can be! Please bring them over here to tour NOW!
4. Krallice – TBA (Profound Lore) – Krallice has quietly become a household name in the world of extreme metal. They took over the hipsters and then the underground and I think most people would agree that they are one of the best American purveyors of Black Metal these days. ‘Dimensional Bleedthrough’ was a huge breakthrough for them and got them a lot of attention, this will be the record that pushes them over the top!
3. Nachtmystium – TBA (Century Media) – Everyone knows why Nachtmystium made the list. Simply put, everything the band has touched over the last 5+ years has been stunning and brilliant. This will be no different. Although, hipsters may want to take notice that master mind Blake Judd says this record will be a raw, old school black metal record. Not for the faint of heart!
2. KEN mode – ‘Venerable’ (Profound Lore) – KEN mode (short for Kill Everyone Now mode, thanks Henry Rollins) is one of the coolest bands in the scene right now. Borrowing the best moments from noise rock and incorporating them within a massive avalanche of hardcore animosity, KEN mode has made a brilliant new offering. Plus, ‘Venerable’ was produced by Kurt Ballou (of Converge) and added Mares of Thrace ass-kicker Therese Lanz to the fold…. This will be a breakout record!
1. TRAP THEM – ‘Darker Handcraft’ (Prosthetic) – Easy choice for me. This is simply the best band working in modern metal these days. Effortlessly combining black metal, hardcore, Wolverine Blues-esque death metal and grind into one of the darkest (yet accessible) sounds of the 2000s. Trap Them has taken the throne as the new kings of the underground. I’ve been lucky enough to hear ‘Darker Handcraft’ and it’s easily the best thing the band has ever done. It’s vicious, blazing and all the while it maintains a sense of groove and catchiness. This is the album to beat in 2011!
Tags: Altar of Plagues, Amon, Autopsy, Backstabbers Incorporated, Bill Kelliher, Brutal Truth, cave in, Century Media, Crowbar, Darker Handcraft, deathwish, Despond, Disma, Dragged Into Sunlight, E1, Earth Control, Gallhammer, Gorgoroth, Hatred For Mankind, Hydra Head, KEN Mode, Kevin Sharp, Krallice, Liar in the Wait, Loss, Macabre Eternal, Mammal, Mares of Thrace, Mastodon, MIA, nachtmystium, One, Owen Hart, peaceville, pig destroyer, Primate, profound lore, Prosthetic, Pull Back A Stump, regain records, Relapse, scion, Scion A/V, season of mist, Sever the Wicked Hand, Tesseract, Trap Them, Venerable, Vitriol, White Silence, Wolvhammer
Posted in Album Reviews, I Spy Metal, Reviews, The Bunker, Top 10 Lists | 1 Comment »
Tuesday, August 17th, 2010
THE FINNISH METAL TOUR RETURNS TO NORTH AMERICA!
The Finnish Metal Tour Returns To North America In Early 2011;
Exclusive VIP Pre-Sale Available Now Through www.enterthevault.com
Following a successful first run in 2010, The Finnish Metal Tour will once again unleash itself on North America in early 2011. Dubbed “The Finnish Metal Tour 2”, and presented by title sponsor Decibel Magazine, the tour will feature co-headliners Finntroll (Century Media) and Ensiferum (Spinefarm). Additional support will come from Barren Earth (Peaceville), and Rotten Sound (Relapse). The tour will start on January 31st 2011 in Orlando FL, and conclude on March 4th in Raleigh NC.
FINNTROLL have returned with their highly anticipated new slab of folk-rooted metal hymns entitled Nifelvind that is now available everywhere. It was recorded at Sonic Pump Studios (Apocalyptica, Amorphis, Ensiferum) in Helsinki, Finland and mastered by Mika Jussila (Children Of Bodom, Sonata Arctica, HIM) at Finnvox Studios. The album cover artwork was done again by the band’s own guitarist Skrymer and visually captures the true FINNTROLL spirit perfectly. The band toured throughout North America this past April with Moonsorrow and Swallow the Sun. Head over now to www.myspace.com/officialfinntroll in order to stream new tracks and view their tour itinerary.
Finnish folk metallers ENSIFERUM released their 4th album From Afar on September 8, 2009 via Spinefarm Records. The CD was produced by Tero Kinnunen (Nightwish, Amorphis) and Janne Joutsenniemi, who produced the band’s previous offering, Victory Songs and mixed by Hiili Hiilesmaa (HIM, Sentenced, Amorphis). Ensiferum completed their first headline tour of the USA this past November with Blackguard and Swashbuckle. Visit the band’s MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/officialensiferum to check out tracks, and view the latest tour dates and news as it becomes available.
Ensiferum bassist Sami Hinkka had this to say about the upcoming tour: “Greetings from the north our brothers and sisters of the new continent! The time has come to unite forces with our fellow countrymen and raid your cities with unforeseen power. The amount of alcohol consumption on this tour is going to be horrifying, so don’t forget to bring your drinking horn! Grab your swords and hold them high with pride and join the ultimate metal event of 2011. Folk on!”
Tickets for the tour will be available starting August 17th, 2010 via an exclusive internet presale on www.enterthevault.com. VIP tickets will also be available and include a pre-show meet & greet with Finntroll and Ensiferum. All shows will then go on sale through normal ticketing systems on September 7th, 2010.
The dates are as follows:
1/31 Orlando, FL The Club at Firestone
2/1 Atlanta, GA The Masquerade
2/2 Louisville, KY Headliner’s Music Hall
2/3 Tulsa, OK Marquee
2/4 Austin, TX Emo’s Alternative Lounging
2/5 Dallas, TX Ridglea Theater
2/6 Amarillo, TX The War Legion Underground
2/7 Tempe, AZ Clubhouse
2/8 Los Angeles, CA Key Club
2/9 Ramona, CA Ramona Mainstage
2/10 San Francisco, CA DNA Lounge
2/11 Portland, OR Hawthorne Theatre
2/12 Seattle, WA El Corazon
2/14 Calgary, AB The Republik
2/15 Edmonton, AB Starlite Room
2/16 Regina, SK The Exchange
2/18 Minneapolis, MN Station 4
2/19 Chicago, IL Reggie Rock Club
2/20 Detroit, MI Blondie’s
2/21 Cleveland, OH Peabody’s
2/22 Toronto, ON Opera House
2/23 Quebec City, QC Imperial de Quebec
2/24 Montreal, QC Metropolis
2/25 Rochester, NY Montage Music Hall
2/26 New York City, NY The Gramercy Theatre
2/27 Worcester, MA The Palladium
3/1 Philadelphia, PA The Trocadero
3/2 West Springfield, VA Jaxx
3/3 Charlotte, NC The Casbah
3/4 Raleigh, NC Volume 11
www.decibelmagazine.com
www.centurymedia.com
www.myspace.com/spinefarmrecordsus
www.relapse.com
www.peaceville.com
Tags: Amorphis, apocalyptica, barren earth, blackguard, Century Media, children of bodom, decibel magazine, ensiferum, finnish metal, finnish metal tour, finntroll, finnvoz studios, hiili hiilesmaa, him, janne joutsenniemi, mika jussila, moonsorrow, Nifelvind, nightwish, peaceville, Relapse Records, rotten sound, sentenced, skrymer, sonata arctica, sonic pump studios, spinefarm, Swashbuckle, tero kinnunen, victory songs
Posted in The Bunker, Tours and Festivals | No Comments »
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