Give them the Maryland seal of quality while the ink’s still wet, fellas, because that state can do no wrong as far as quality extreme music. From the Deathgrind virtuosos MISERY INDEX, to the indomitable DYING FETUS, and the fast growing Hardcore act COKE BUST, it’s safe to say that STRONG INTENTION will naturally follow suit and be awesome. the only thing I’d change about this release is the cover art, but that’s a rant I’ll save for someone more judgmental than I. SI have been around since the mid-nineties, but mysteriously haven’t gotten as big as their aforementioned contemporaries. Something went highly amiss, as their mixture of CHARLES BRONSON/SPAZZ style Powerviolence with the new-school Thrash sound that’d find a home on the latest TOXIC HOLOCAUST joint, alongside a hearty dose of Southern fried Sludge should have hooked this godless country by the nose.
This EP immediately opens up with its title track, a Sludgy number with Mike Williams of EYEHATEGOD infamy performing the bulk of the vocals. It dips in and out of a Thrashcore inflected MAGRUDERGRIND vibe, which is honestly something I didn’t think that Mike Williams would ever sign up for, being accustomed to muggy, heroin induced grooves that can only be properly born south of Virginia. Mike’s on top form as far as sounding angry and acrawl with various diseases, so this change of speed actually suits him, and I’d like to see him (and any other willing Southern Metal vocalists) try it more often.
“Messiah Whore” begins immediately with the musical equivalent of artillery rounds entering your home while you sleep. Here they also showcase a bit of Death Metal influence as well as their dirty brand of what I’ll dub Grindviolence, with punishing blasts and sporting a riff that sounds not unlike some I’ve heard on EXHUMED’s Anatomy Is The Destiny. The breakdown is highly reminiscent of some I’ve heard by MISERY INDEX, which is not odd, as bands in that area seem to swap sounds as bored teenagers sexually transmitted infections. A solid track overall, and probably one of the standouts.
“Holes In The Wall” boasts a more straightforward Crossover style; think of the vocalist of BANE if he jammed with the band members of PUNCH and MUNICIPAL WASTE. The riffs that kick in at the very end are probably the most melodic thing to happen on the album, as they point towards SI’s ability to lock into killer grooves. I was a bit sad to see this track end so abruptly, as it promised a bit more variation from a mental nailbombing, but instead leads to the next track.
Mike Williams appears also on “3rd Space Gorilla Generator”, which is a title that shall give me nightmares for years to come. Pure DADA. This one’s a bit more by the numbers Hardcore, with the vocals being more like Jay Randall of AGORAPHOBIC NOSEBLEED. Aside from a small Sludge section where Mike steps up to the mic to howl in pain, it’s pure circle-pit mayhem.
“Rat Factory” continues the vocal tradition of the last track, which gives me the impression that either the vocalist’s larynx morphed over the course of the EP, or someone else stepped in due to an unfortunate neck-related incident. Curious indeed. This track is the second shortest, but packes a helluva punch, with a breakdown at the end that could knock down buildings.
“Slaughter Intelligence” is quite similar to the last track, but ends much more abruptly at only 54 seconds as opposed to “Rat Factory”s even minute. It makes me almost go against my very instincts, which aren’t a fan of the slow, 3-4 minute down-tempo tracks that Hardcore influenced bands usually toss in, often at the end of their releases, but this band actually made me hunger for one. Yes, EPs are short, but this was almost demo length, and was the equivalent of being given a handy when you expected whole night in Paris. That was gross, and I sincerely apologize.
The Verdict: It becomes more of a teaser than an actual appetizer for an album, but overall it’s still a sweet treat from the balmy climes of Maryland.
Somehow, this trek stayed under our radar but this is one of the coolest packages of the fall in my mind. You have evil thrash underground icons TOXIC HOLOCAUST, heavy metal’s young heroes HOLY GRAIL and high-voltage hardcore punks KRUM BUMS all on one awesome package. Hopefully some of our readers have already caught this tour, but for those who haven’t, many of the major markets are still coming up! I’ll be at Europa in Brooklyn on August 19th to witness this blazing, powerful package in action!
HOLY GRAIL released their long-awaited full length earlier this year via Prosthetic to much acclaim. TOXIC HOLOCAUST recently released ‘Conjure and Command’ more recently and it has become an instant underground classic. Next up, KRUM BUMS will release ‘Cut the Noose’ on August 23rd via People Like You Records. Moreover, the KRUM BUMS album strongly represents the hardcore/street punk scene that seems to be in heavy resurgence right now.
This is sure to be an awesome bill! Get there!
8/10: Miami, FL @ Churchills Pub
8/11: Orlando, FL @ The Backbooth
8/12: Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
8/13: Charlotte, NC @ Tremont Music Hall
8/14: Raleigh, NC @ Kings Barricade
8/16: Baltimore, MD @ Sonar
8/17: Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie
8/18: Allston, MA @ Great Scott
8/19: New York, NY @ Europa
8/20: Buffalo, NY @ Broadway Joe’s
8/21: Pittsburgh, PA @ Belvedere’s
8/22: Ashtabula, OH @ West End 2153
8/23: Cleveland, OH @ Now That’s Class
8/24: Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick
8/25: Chicago, IL @ Reggie’s Rock Club
8/26: Milwaukee, WI @ Cactus Club
8/27: Minneapolis, WI @ Triple Rock
8/28: Des Moines, IA @ Vaudville Mews
8/29: Omaha, NE @ The Sandbox
9/1: Boise, ID @ The Shredder
9/2: Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
9/3: Bremerton, WA @ The Charleston
9/4: Portland, OR @ Branx
9/6: Sacramento, CA @ The Fire Escape
9/7: Oakland, CA @ The Metro
9/8: Long Beach, CA @ Di Piazza’s
9/9: San Diego, CA @ The Shakedown
9/10: Los Angeles, CA @ The Blvd
Metal Army America caught up recently with Joel Grind of TOXIC HOLOCAUST to discuss their recently released album Conjure and Command (Relapse). Check out the interview below!
A blistering slab of thrash, death and black metal. With a hint of hardcore too!
MAA: The new album is really strong and is a step up from An Overdose of Death. Take us through the making of the album.
JG: Throughout 2010 we had some time…. I was basically touring on Overdose up until the end of the year. We toured really heavily in 2009 and some of 2008 and finally in 2010 I got a little bit of time at home to start writing the record and stuff. I had a bunch of ideas, a bunch of riffs that I just quickly recorded and stuff. I finally got a time to actually piece it together and put it down and so that was 2010 and I basically wrote it all at home. Did a few tours in 2010 went out with DANZIG and did some other stuff, but a lot of the time was spent focusing on the record. Finally got a chance to record it in late 2010, in December. We recorded it ourselves at our drummers’ studio. We all took part in producing it. We all knew pretty much what we wanted ahead of time and we got the takes that we were comfortable with. We weren’t really trying to over do it. We tried to keep it where it still sounded like a live band playing, so it’s not 100% perfect. Again, I’m not a big fan of fixing everything in pro tools, relying on triggers and stuff like that. It’s pretty much just a straight up metal record, like they used to make them!
Joel Grind shreds during a show in Boston in 2010.
MAA: A lot of copy cat bands have emerged since you hit the scene in 1999. Do you react to other bands ripping you off or can you change by staying the same?
JG: I mean, of course it’s flattering. It’s also a shame a lot of times when the media lumps us in with a lot of the stuff that’s kind of more generic and not as real. You know what I mean? When you get lumped into stuff like that it kind of, it just kind of hurts your band and a lot of people think your a part of that whole thing. When that’s not really the case because you were doing it before all that stuff came about so, we just do what we do basically. With the support of the magazines and the media and stuff that’s really cool, when they get it right. When they lump us in with that kind of shit it kind of hurts more than helps, but I think those band have sort of weighed themselves out now and we’re still here and we’re still going strong and we plan to keep going.
MAA: What is your preferred sub genere for a touring bill, black metal, neo-thrash, or death metal and why?
JG: I usually like touring with a lot of, more like leaning almost more towards the punk aspect of it, because, I find in that kind of musical scene there’s less attitude. Less you know, it’s more just about having a good time and playing the music and stuff. The energy is always there and kids are always ready to go. I always find that we do better with those kind of bands, and a lot of the metal bands that have kind of more like a punk outlook or punk fan base or lean more towards that. We always go better with live them for some reason. I think our music kind of fits that way a little bit more than like…. you know black metal is great and stuff, but it’s like for a live purpose it’s not always the greatest form of music if you know what I mean. (laughs) It’s sometimes it’s just too fast and too over the top, there’s no real point in which the fan can really, you know, go crazy. I love shows like that where they are just totally wild and everybody is having a good time.
Toxic Avengers!
MAA: Phil (Zeller) and Nick (Bellmore) have been in the band for a few years. Is this the permanent lineup of TOXIC HOLOCAUST?
JG: Absolutely! It’s kind of a band that I was waiting for all of these years. TOXIC being a solo project, it really wasn’t the intended purpose of the band. It just kind of it morphed that way because it was really hard for me to find people as dedicated. A lot of people think I’m like a dictator or something like that (laughing), but that’s not really that way I am. It’s just I have a clear vision of what I want to do with the band and it’s hard to find other people that are that dedicated. I like touring a lot. I like making records on a regular basis. I like continuing and I don’t let the stuff like, getting fucked up and all that shit get in the way. There’s a time for all that stuff but, when it gets in the way of the band, which is a lot of the case I’ve had with past musicians, you try to do something. Everything comes first before the band kind of thing and that’s never a good thing. So yeah, it’s (Phil and Nick) been perfect. I definitely think we have a certain kind of chemistry that was missing and wanted for a long time for me. There was always that thing like it was cool, but there was just like this little element just missing and I think we finally got it.
MAA: What is your strongest instrument and which is your favorite musical tool/gear for songwriting?
JG: I would probably say guitar. I’m not, to be honest I’m not really that great at any instrument, you know (laughs). I know how to play the stuff, but I’m not really like a virtuoso at anything. I kind of just picked up guitar so I could write songs. It wasn’t really because I was so into guitar or anything it was just kind of a tool for me to write stuff I was hearing in my head. I never really take myself too seriously with that kind of stuff. It’s just that rehearsing and practicing with the band is one thing, but then sitting at home and like practicing scales is something I’ve never done. I always say guitar probably just because I played it live and stuff for so long. I’m pretty equally as bad on all the instruments.(laughing)
MAA: What is your dream lineup of bands for a theoretical show TH could open?
JG: I would probably say, there was a tour that happened back, it might not have even been a tour. I think it was just like a one off show in Toronto or something like that, but I saw the flier and I was like, “Man if TOXIC could play that show, it would be fucking great”, but it was uh, let’s see it was VENOM, SLAYER AND RAZOR. So I mean if we could play that show, that would be pretty freaking amazing! That was definitely one and than there was, there’s always been these weird little fliers that I’ve seen that are just like, unbelievable! There’s one, it was in L.A., and it was THE MISFITS and DISCHARGE. That’s another one that would be amazing, but stuff like that, it’s just cool to see (laughs).
MAA: What are your lyrical inspirations outside of music?
JG: Pretty much I try to not to do the typical stuff. I try to find stuff that inspires me that isn’t necessarily the standard shit. There’s been a lot of cool books that I have read and you know when your on tour as much as we are there’s a lot of time to read and stuff like that. So I try to read just some various stuff. I like a lot of stuff about war, and, also just weird occult stuff that, you know just interesting old stuff. There was this book on necromancy that I was really I into. It’s called Tales of the Black Arts, and it’s all this stuff going on telling about like all this old necromancy. Ceremonies and stuff that they had back in the day. It’s just interesting, I don’t know, it’s just stuff like that I try to pull from, stuff that isn’t necessarily the same old shit.
MAA: Thanks for your time Joel!
JG: Cool! Thanks man, cheers!
(Special Thanks to Joel Grind, Relapse Records and Return To The Pit for the photos)
Although Portland’s Toxic Holocaust are no newcomers amongst the heavy and thrash minded-having earned from the ground up critical acclaim and a rabid fanbase-the band’s latest, Conjure and Command, just might be their strongest effort to date.
Pre-dating the retro trend by a good couple years-vocalist/guitarist Joel Grind kicking out circle pit riffs and black/thrash attacks fresh back in ’99, suckas-Toxic Holocaust, like Virginia’s Municipal Waste have been the victims of their own success, unintentionally spawning numerous stylistic heist-mongers in their wake.
Conjure and Command leaves them all in the dust, however, possessing some of the band’s strongest arrangements and tightest performances; a far cry from the stripped down, Bathory-worshiping mania of the Critical Mass and Radiation Sickness demos, that’s for sure. Still, the core of Toxic Holocaust remains true: a quick, vicious and energetic listen of punk/crust-infused riffs-a la Discharge, The Exploited and English Dogs-melded with East Coast thrash-isms (Overkill, Anthrax Nuclear Assault) and old school metal feeling.
Sure, each song sounds relatively interchangeable from the next-generally consisting of riff/riff/breakdown/riff/end-yet the formula is so exhilarating, you’ll find yourself really caring less that Toxic Holocaust are a one trick pony, because that trick is just so goddamn good.
Damn…now that is some album cover! It’s got goats, dead babies, inverted cross and a zombie Jesus mid fellatio dentata!
Then again, what would you expect from a one-man band whose sole previous full length effort was titled Satanic Bitchpenetration?
Exactly. Luckily for Germany’s Ruins, Chambers of Perversion is actually pretty damn killer, singing the praises of old Sodom while simultaneously appealing to modern day, headband-wearin’ retro-thrashers alike with their over-the-top, malevolently memorable black thrash attack.
There’s something relentlessly catchy about Ruins’ composition style; a surprisingly tuneful silver lining rearing its head on such songs as “Slaves of the Undead,” primarily within the band’s loose ‘n lethal lead playing and simplistic melody lines. As a result, Chambers of Perversion is a cut above your average blasphemy game, although there is still room for improvement overall.
This is due to the fact that, again, Ruins is practicing a style which demands supreme intensity and/or originality in order to stand out in the long run. Although Chambers of Perversion is much more enjoyable than your average Bestial Warlust clone or sub-Destruction drivel, the bottom line is that, after a few spins, it becomes truly unlikely that you’re going to remember much, if any, of this record after its done spinning.
Hopefully Satanic Bitchpenetrator Pt. II: Electric Boogaloo will change all that.
Ok, ok, I know a lot of you guys love MUNICIPAL WASTE and I really have no problem with them. However, of all of these throwback thrash bands, I prefer TOXIC HOLOCAUST. That being said, MUNICIPAL WASTE has a new video for “Wolves of Chernobyl”… It’s nothing special to me but I want you to tell me why I’m wrong and this is awesome!
Since signing with Prosthetic Records, WITHERED have become one of the best selling, most well known black metal bands in the States. Blending in death metal and doom, the sludgy southerners have churned out excellent black metal since 2008’s ‘Folie Circulaire’ and have toured relentlessly throughout the US – including being announced as part of DANZIG’s upcoming ‘Blackest of the Black Tour’ alongside POSSESSED, MARDUK and TOXIC HOLOCAUST.
Now WITHERED has their sites set on releasing a new album – ‘Dualitas’ on October 26th via Prosthetic. ‘Dualitas’ is a bit of a departure from ‘Folie Circulaire’, but that is meant in the best possible way. The band has found their sound more so with this record. The production quality is better, the song structures are much better and the use of growls and more bottom-end vocals are far improved. Basically, WITHERED has come into their own with ‘Dualitas’ and will definitely establish themselves as one of the most talked about bands in the US scene with this release.
“Seek The Shrouded” is currently the song from ‘Dualitas’ that gets the most play on my iTunes. The track sees WITHERED in a chaotic state, sweeping through a death metal frenzy into a churning black metal storm, before descending even further into a sludgy almost doom-metal instrumental section. ‘Dualitas’ as a whole leaves WITHERED sounding like a much greater beast than they were perceived as previously.
WITHERED brought their A-game and will have a lot to show for it when they release this album. Decibel Magazine has even scored it a 9-out-of-10 and I feel like metal heads around the world will agree. ‘Dualitas’ is violent, dissonant look at a band that is just coming into their prime. Get ready.
Skate thrashers RAMMING SPEED are gearing up to release a 12″ split with Texas brethren ANS and have also announced plans to tour the US. The trek includes stops with MUNICIPAL WASTE, TOXIC HOLOCAUST, BLACK TUSK, ANS, INDIAN and BUZZOVEN!
Break out your denim vests, fold the bill of your hat up and check it out!!!
It is with heavy hearts that we report on the recent announcement that RELAPSE RECORDS’ European office and warehouse building burnt to the ground on the morning of Wednesday, September 2nd in the Netherlands. While no one was injured, the entire office (and other complexes in the area) were completely destroyed.
The METAL ARMY AMERICA family would like to extend our condolences to RELAPSE, their employees, artists and more! We are sure they will rebound from this and continue to deliver some of the most punishing records of 2011 and beyond!
DANZIG will headline the 2010 edition of the “Blackest Of The Black” tour in October.
The complete billing for the trek is as follows:
DANZIG
POSSESSED
MARDUK
TOXIC HOLOCAUST
WITHERED
The dates are as follows:
Oct. 23 – Pala, CA – [to be announced] (DANZIG warm-up show) *
Oct. 25 – Albuquerque, NM – Sunshine Theatre
Oct. 27 – Little Rock, AK – The Village
Oct. 29 – San Antonio, TX – San Antonio Live
Oct. 30 – Houston, TX – Warehouse
Oct. 31 – Dallas, TX – Palladium
Nov. 01 – [to be announced]
* This show is not part of the “Blackest Of The Black” tour.
More shows will be announced on Tuesday, September 7.
Glenn Danzig recently spent time editing the music video he directed for DANZIG’s new single, “On A Wicked Night”, which was shot on location in early June at the infamous BatCave in the Hollywood Hills.
