update

Saturday, March 6, 2010 No Comments

Hey so… so far 2010 has been relatively uneventful. Blame snowpocalypse… I do. Haha… sigh. Ok, so metal is not revving our engines right now… I know it’s just a drought. I, in fact, have plans to see Unearth in Richmond in two weekends, and Mastodon in April. The Mayhem lineup is looking, um, interesting – Lamb of God will be a fucking blast. Ozzfest may be coming back… we shall see. What I know is that I still support the scene and am waiting for the next thing about which to be truly excited. And when that happens, I will report it here first. In the meantime… Anima is alright. They kinda sound like Whitechapel. But… I prefer Whitechapel. Oh, and tonight I dedicate to Vehemence and God Was Created… and it looks like Howard Jones may have knocked up a pornstar. Whoa.

“hold tight, I just might, fast women are slowing me down…”

Monday, January 25, 2010 No Comments

I think I’m in love.

I can’t say I’ve enjoyed an album more in 2010 than Bangers, the Metal Blade debut from Montreal’s Barn Burner.  Since it’s only the end of January, that statement may sound like a backhanded compliment – make no mistake: Barn Burner is the shit.

I foresee these dudes quickly rising to the very tippy top of the “stoner rock” genre, putting a couple notches in their belts in other musical categories as they climb.  I find them to be way more palatable than The Sword and Fu Manchu, while still nestling in that kind of sound.  Bangers has some of the best rock tracks I’ve heard in years, ripe with biting lyrics, badass grooves and familiar riffage.  They don’t disappoint in touching on the typical topics of smoking drugs (“Holy Smokes,” “Beer Today, Bong Tomorrow”) and there’s that damn Wizard (thanks Sabbath) to whom so many of these groups feel the need to pay homage, but I adore the foray into redneck territory with “Fast Women.”

The musicianship is strong, the writing is solid, the melodies and lyrics are catchy – I can picture people across America driving in their cars, busting guts singing along with “Brohemoth.”  Vocalist/guitarist Kevin Keegan, with nods in the direction of Page Hamilton–style vocals in dismissively spitting out what he really thinks, is already a pro; Marc Doucette and Nick Ball would have no problem engaging the QOTSA guys in a session and Taylor Freund’s timing makes me so comfy I want to sit in his lap.

These dudes can fuckin’ rock it out. I am desperate to see Barn Burner play live.  So far no planned tours have been announced, but the boys will be doing a set at SXSW on March 18th at East End Tattoo, so if you’re in the Austin area, and can, GO.  For the rest of us, this will have to suffice for now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sv33mDo7kIA

It could be appropriate to see them hit the road with an Eyehategod or maybe Crowbar in my metal circles, and granted, they’ve warmed up Priestess crowds already… but I can most certainly envision Barn Burner opening for Mastodon by the end of the year.  Who do I have to call to make that happen?

Check them out here and plan to pick up a copy of Bangers on February 16:

http://www.myspace.com/theinfamousbarnburner

Conducting From The Grave – When Legends Become Dust [Review]

Monday, January 18, 2010 1 Comment

So I’ve been in the metal slump over the past month or 2. Not reviewing, not doing a lot actually. But I’m excited about this next band, Conducting From The Grave. I needed to hear a band like this. It’s been too damn long since I’ve heard something truly amazing, and Conducting From The Grave as done so.

Hit the jump for more!

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Andyman’s Top 9 Metal Albums of 2009

Saturday, January 2, 2010 No Comments

As I began putting together my Top Ten, coming up with an ordered list initially looked unrealistic; I was just going to regurgitate “in no particular order”. Honestly, I thought I’d have a hard time picking ten in the first place. Well…the editor in me meticulously sifted and re-ordered, the Virgo in me created a playlist with the 4 contested albums and listened to it on random taking detailed notes, and the brilliant writer in me came up with a catchy way to write the headline that would disguise my indecisiveness as a catchy play on words (er…play on numbers). So, without further adieu… (more…)

My top 10

Thursday, December 31, 2009 No Comments

If I don’t do this now I’ll hate doing it hung over and tired in the morning, so here you bastards go, in no particular order:

• Skeletonwitch: Breathing the Fire
• The Black Dahlia Murder: Deflorate
• Job for a Cowboy: Ruination
• Austrian Death Machine: Double Brutal
• Slayer: World Painted Blood
• August Burns Red: Constellations
• Lamb of God: Wrath
• Dethklok: Dethalbum II
• Darkest Hour: The Eternal Return
• Revocation: Existence is Futile

Most of these were awesome, though to be honest 2009 wasn’t the best year for metal in my opinion so it wasn’t exactly hard to shine. Job for a Cowboy seems to have matured to the point of a reputable death band with Ruination, The Black Dahlia Murder stepped it up even harder (which was hard to imagine) with Deflorate, and Skeletonwitch…they just continue to amaze me with their excellence. With these exceptions, better luck next year folks. Stay classy metalheads.

The Top 10 Albums that made me fuzzy inside.

Thursday, December 31, 2009 No Comments

What a hell of a year! So many great albums, so many horrid albums. But I’m going to keep this short and sweet. So here we go, Butters top 10 metal albums of 2009. YES!

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Fed Through The Teeth Machine digests just fine

Friday, December 4, 2009 No Comments

Why I’ve been sleeping on the new Red Chord album is beyond me. Fed Through The Teeth Machine is, simply put – great. The subject matter seems to be a bit random as the album plays on. From “Hymns And Crippled Anthems – “Just be forever faithful to the family that you love.” …interesting. (This is assuming I’m hearing any of the lyrics correctly, and quite honestly even if I’m not, Guy has upped the ante on his masterful vocal prowess regardless.) The musical writing, the performance, the overall intensity is all pure, good, old-fashioned Red Chord brilliance.

The sweet, dying sigh of the guitar line in “Ingest The Ash” is refreshing, while I don’t understand the use of Vari-Fi in the middle (aren’t we done with that plug-in yet?) I adore the screaming that tears out of it. “Embarrassment Legacy” is really smooth (the beginning tones somehow remind me of “11th Hour-”ish Lamb Of God.) That track is topped off by a very precisely played blast section towards the end, mostly due to the punishing assault of drums – this may be Brad Fickeisen’s best recorded-performance to date.

I like that their tracks average a little over 2 minutes, that they’re in and out, point made, no need to rehash… other than the repeated lyrical lines which have their individual impact on your soul… some of them angst-fueling.

“While I was counting hours, you were counting fists.”

“My life’s work, forgotten.”

The longest musical journey on the album is the final track, “Sleepless Nights In The Compound.” Feel free to get lost in it and let it drag you around. Once you finish, you could just kick it back to the second track “Hour of Rats” and unleash.

The new effort from The Red Chord, out on Metal Blade Records now, will sit strongly in their own album repertoire and is better than their oft-coupled tourmates’ “Deflorate.” If I had my way, I’d say next time Black Dahlia Murder and The Red Chord go out together, The Red Chord headlines.

Say Yes To Flavor – The Dreams Manifest And The Sleeper Awakes [Review]

Tuesday, November 24, 2009 No Comments

Holy shit. That’s all I have to say is YES, about Say Yes to Flavor. I wasn’t impressed by the name, which lead me to be hesitant in the actual review. But I’m glad I did now. Shockingly this whole album was written and produced by Jonathan Carpenter. I know you’ve seen this all before with Brenden Whithurst from Off with Her Head! But with Say Yes To Flavor (SYF) there’s something a little more. Jonathan is amazing, that’s all you really need to know. Amazing guitar leads, and riffs. It’s technical, thrashy, nasty (good nasty). Same for drumming, unbelievable.

I was going to do my normal track by tack review. But it will take my 3 years to do that, due to the fact that every track on this album is amazing. From track 1 to 15, you’re going to receive a massive load of metal in your face. I take that back track 1 to 14, you’re going to get metal, track 15 is of someone getting shot. There are a few soft spots that I don’t care too much for, but it’s something that doesn’t take away from the actual album. It’s 97% brutal, 3% wussy, that’s a pretty decent ratio.

I’d say go out and buy this album. I’m not too sure if he does touring, but at least buy the album. It will be something awesome to listen to for months to come.

Track Listing:

1. The Tape
2. Losing Grip
3. Process The Generation
4. Introduction Please
5. Subtle Movements Towards Extremes
6. False Adverse
7. Fray
8. Reduced To Double
9. Asleeping
10. Pulse
11. Rolling Is Falling Sideways
12. But You Already Knew That
13. Drinking At A Funeral
14. Piece Of Mind
15. The Realization

Myspace: Say Yes to Flavor

Buy The Dreams Manifest And The Sleeper Awakes

Trap Them, Toxic Holocaust, Skeletonwitch, Black Dahlia Murder at the Basement, Concert Review 10/25/09

Wednesday, November 18, 2009 1 Comment

The Basement. Trap Them, Toxic Holocaust, Skeleton Witch, and The Black Dahlia Murder. I’d be stating the obvious if I told you our evening was awesome, so let’s get into the nitty gritty. (more…)

He Is Never Coming Back – Gaza

Tuesday, October 20, 2009 No Comments

Can I say I was tickled pink when I heard Gaza was coming out with a new album? I get all kinds of worked up over brutal, sludgy doom metal and I can’t think of a band that does it better right now than Gaza. Perhaps you guys remember me playing “Slutmaker” off of 2006’s I Don’t Care Where I Go When I Die on Liquid Metal, – now Gaza is back with a 14-track hook and groove tour de force called He Is Never Coming Back, out on Metal Blade Records/Black Market Activities on November 10, 2009.

Gaza is one of those bands I find so satisfying to listen to because as much traveling as the music does inside the songs, it always comes back to that deep, dark note of despair (“The Kicking Legs”) they’ve been dancing around for a minute and a half and when it hits, it’s like a flood of relief, a long-awaited homecoming of sorts. Sweeping, soaring guitar lines that fill up your ears a la Will Haven’s el Diablo, the grindier side coming out in sections of songs like “Carnivore,” Gaza does not force themselves into a genre, nay even a steady tempo throughout a piece.

“Windowless House” and “Canine Disposal Unit” showcase the band’s faster-paced brutality, but I still prefer the drug-induced swaying of the title track, a perfect example of what Gaza brings to the metal table. Continuing to crush the spirits of all Christians everywhere (or at least in their hometown of Salt Lake City, Utah) He Is Never Coming Back is a formidable expression of anger, dismissal of beliefs, and display of utter abandonment, a smack in the face to those who have committed themselves to long and widely-held ideals.

Gaza has outdone themselves with this one, a well-rounded album that will blast through my speakers for the rest of the year. Just don’t wait to put it on your Christmas list – that would be blasphemy.