At the risk of sounding somewhat lazy, the debut long-player from doom machine Atriarch is one of the coolest albums I’ve heard this summer. It just wretches and moans, slithers and bleeds, and really, it’s not even a classic sounding metal album. It basically achieves metal-dom on sheer volume and sinister sonic intent alone.

The description given to describe “Forever the End” is deathrock, and that’s fitting, but there’s really a lot more to it. There’s drone, ambient, post-metal and funeral doom passages as well, and really, the four-track album is kind of a giant, thick stew of many, many different ingredients. You can’t really point to one thing and expect people unaware of the group to understand what they’re in for once you stop talking and they start listening. That’s another part of the band and this effort that excites me. I’ve had people ask me what Atriarch sound like, and I typically respond with, “I don’t know. Listen for yourself.” That probably sounds really jerky, but it’s true, and I’m not trying to be difficult. The band itself is made up of members of groups such as Graves at Sea, Trees (a personal favorite), and Final Conflict, and you certainly can pick out traits of those machines, but they’re only there in trace amounts. This is altogether different.

Lyrically, “Forever the End” reaches beyond the typical doom fare. It’s a more exploratory, self-aware album, one that doesn’t fall to the genre’s typically morbid underpinnings that you’d expect from most bands in this genre. Not that there isn’t darkness. Ah, screw it. Let’s allow frontman and lyricist Lenny Smith to tell it: “We are bombarded with ideals of a superficial shallow lifestyle, in which we are enslaved to maintain. Greed, corruption, fear, and hate is the true face of this self-serving way of life that we have come to call normal. Lose yourself inside the ritual and the veil will come crashing down around us all.” So, there. At least you know from where these guys are coming philosophically, and that should prepare you for this adventure.

Atriarch waste no time bringing you into this thing, as they kick off the album with “Plague,” a slow-moving, spacey type of song that finds Smith warbling painfully, mournfully and deeply over the thing. That leads into “Shadows,” a sci-fi-bent tune that has a melody line that reminds me a bit of Wolves in the Throne Room’s “A Looming Resonance” from “Malevolent Grain.” A rich, ever-present synth backbone is there (and actually makes its presence known over the course of the entire record, giving it a spaceship-arriving type of personality), and finally we begin to hear some of the metallic uprising as Smith goes for lurching, guttural growling toward the last half of the song. The 14-minute epic “Fracture” is the centerpiece of “Forever the End,” with its melodic, yet morose composition, tempo changes, occasional savagery, and Smith going from abrasive growl to tortured croon. It’s a fantastic song, one of the most adventurous, interesting, riveting pieces of doom to come down the hill in some time, and no matter what I’m doing when I hear it, I never realize the song is as long as it is. Finisher “Downfall” has a bit of a Neurosis edge to it, and it’s easily the record’s most volcanic piece, with chaos and noise spewing out of every corner, eventually allowing itself to bleed out mercifully. It’s a fitting cap to a record that toys with your emotions and tests your will. It wants you to think and examine your surroundings, not just be overcome with violent catharsis that compels you to punch a friend in the face at a show. It’s way deeper than that.

While we’re praising the band, we also should compliment Seventh Rule, who never seem to misfire when signing a new band. They brought us the mighty new Batillus record earlier in the year, and that remains a favorite to place highly on the 2011 Top 10 list, and they have other killer acts they’ve exposed such as Lord Mantis, Millions, and Indian. Seventh Rule doesn’t put out a ton of albums each year, but what they do you can be assured they hand-selected with the greatest of care. You know you’re getting a band in which the label truly believes. Atriarch simply is the latest conquest for Seventh Rule, and “Forever the End” is one of those albums that I imagine will stick with you years from now as society continues to spiral out of control, and those of us with the proper awareness will need a place to go and search for a way to cope.

For more on the band, go here: http://atriarch.bandcamp.com/

To buy “Forever the End,” go here: http://releases.seventhrule.com/album/forever-the-end

For the label’s site, go here: http://www.seventhrule.com/

Something I always enjoy is when I put on an album for the first time, and what I hear coming from the speakers is entirely not what I expected. That happened when I first tackled the solo debut from ICS Vortex, who I knew from Borknagar and Dimmu Borgir, and since I didn’t read the promo materials before listening, I was kind of shocked by what I heard.

I guess I expected ghoulishness and black metal bombast, but instead I got a really well-played, nicely thought-out record that sounds like it could have been made in the ’70s. “Storm Seeker” as the album title even conjures that idea of hellish power, but the record is more like a tribute to the prog rock of four decades past, with some slight dashes of what the man is best known for producing in the black metal world. If you can wrap your head around an amalgamation of Enslaved, Ulver and Yes without getting sick to your stomach, then you might find a lot of enjoyment on this 11-cut album.

ICS Vortex (real name Simen Hestnæs) fled Borknagar after their 2000 album “Quintessence” to concentrate on bass duties and clean vocals with Dimmu. He did come back for one song on Borknagar’s altogether awful 2010 record “Universal,” and he’ll be with the group for their next album in 2012, which I hope is a little better than what we’ve been getting from them as of late. He exited Dimmu after their 2007 “In Sorte Diaboli” record, and he eventually went to work on a new Lamented Souls (his long-running doom band) effort that’s due this year. I know. That’s quite the all-over-the-map summary. But at least if you’re new to the man’s work, you got a few starter notes to go with. Oh, and the man stands, like, 8 feet, 10 inches. As Kenny Bania would say, “He’s huge.”

“Storm Seeker” actually gets off on a cheesy note with intro track “The Blackmobile,” but it’s fairly harmless for what it is. That leads into “Odin’s Tree” and the start of him digging back into Viking mythology and Pagan sounds. The song is spacious, melodic and pretty damn catchy, serving as a nice segue into “Skoal!” that I imagine is not about mouth tobacco. It has a nice Wacken sentiment though, with mouth harps, organs, and Vortex’s impressive croon that might even cause dudes who only listen to classic, AOR-style rock to become fans. “Aces” has some power metal built into its structure; “Windward” is a surprisingly sentimental song, where mentions his “unconditional love” for his wife and children, kind of in a way I’d expect Neil Peart to express himself lyrically; the title cut tastes a bit like Opeth mixed with Jethro Tull; and closing instrumental “The Sub Mariner” sounds like it came from Mark Mothersbaugh’s catalog, with its cool, sci-fi wooshiness and digital frame. Totally unexpected, but that’s the theme with which we’re playing.

Not all’s perfect on “Storm Seeker,” however. “Dogsmacked,” besides being a terrible song title, isn’t that strong of a track. The lyrics are a bit wonky, and the music is kind of bland, white bread rock. “Oil in Wate” has a pushy tempo and is one of the louder songs on here, but that doesn’t mean a whole lot considering it’s not a very good cut. It’s not terrible, but it isn’t anything I really want to hear again.

A few negatives aside, “Storm Seeker” is a pretty competent and, at times, rewarding record. I happen to really like ’70s-era prog, and my collection is jammed with Enslaved and Opeth records, and this is right along those lines. In fact, when I finish up here, I’m going to sit on the beach, read and listen to this record again. Mostly because I’m a gigantic dork.  Even if you shy away from Borknagar or Dimmu, and I know there’s a large segment of metal fans who do, don’t let that dissuade you from trying this on for size. I know I had my prejudgments, and those were dashed in an instant. I’d like to hear more from this project in the future, and considering ICS Vortex has assembled a full band for touring, and I assume recording purposes, there’s a good chance this is only this man’s first strike as a solo artist.

For more on ICS Vortex, go here: http://www.facebook.com/icsvortexofficial

To buy “Storm Seeker,” go here: http://www.cmdistro.com/Search/ics_vortex

For more on the label, go here: http://www.centurymedia.com/

Let me tell a short story: Last night, as we were preparing to go to dinner, I had the new Einherjer album on, and as I am wont to do, I turned it off when my wife entered the room because I didn’t want to annoy her any more than necessary. But to my shock, she asked what it was and said that I should keep it on because she enjoyed it. Viking metal. She chose to listen to the album. Even after I left the room, she kept it playing until about a half hour later when she returned the player to me and said, “OK, I think that’s all I can take for now.”

My wife pays more attention to metal than she cares to admit. She’ll never be a fan, per se, but she absorbs it. Here’s proof: Today, she was published in the Pop Candy blog at USA Today by the fine and wonderful Whitney Matheson, who also is trying to learn more about metal. I am super psyched about this, not just because I love my wife, but because I HAVE BROKEN HER! Yeah! No longer will there be a time in our house when metal is not acceptable, and this is why. Seriously, I am really happy for her that she got published at such an awesome site, and I know she’s really keyed up about it as well.

Oh, and for anyone finding us for the first time because of Pop Candy, hello and welcome. Please look around and send me kind comments about the grammatical errors. And stop back later for my look at the new ICS Vortex album.

To find my wife’s piece about metal, go here: http://content.usatoday.com/communities/popcandy/post/2011/08/metal-monday-metal-selections-from-a-non-metal-fan/1

This week's special at the Jerk Store

Are you like me and basically want to disown any affection you ever had for Metallica? Can a band be more oblivious to what’s a good idea and what’s a bad one? Would you have preferred they cease recording new material after “…And Justice for All”? If so, get ready to punch yourself in the face, for that photo above is no joke or Photoshop bit.

Obviously the rumors had been out there that Metallica and giant prick asshole Lou Reed (who I may loathe more than Lars Ulrich, whose fat head I’d like to punch) were collaborating on a record, and Rolling Stone, the beacon of all that is wrong and hilariously misguided about music journalism called the pairing “a marriage made in heaven.” Right. If heaven actually was hell. Remember when Rolling Stone gave that last steaming pile of garbage U2 served up 5 effing stars? They’ll give this one 6.

So Metallica haven’t done anything wholly acceptable since 1989, and Lou Reed’s latest claim to fame is making people feel like garbage, treating attendees like worthless cretins at his “art exhibits” (yes, I have proof) and giving snarky interviews where he refuses to answer perfectly reasonable questions in Spin. Yeah, can’t wait for this one. If this thing goes live, it might be fun to see them all out-asshole each other. Well, except for Kirk and Robert. I’m fine with those guys. I wish they’d break off and do a real metal band and let James and Lars do some blues rock crap only meatheads will like. Come to think of it, that’s your basic audience for any new Metallica record.

I was speaking with my friend Sam about this, and he said, “Niko is turning in her coke-strewn grave.” I couldn’t have put it any better. This collaboration is like a bus falling on Cliff Burton all over again. What do you think THAT poor guy is doing in his grave? I mourn for him all over again.

If you really are a glutton for punishment, you can visit the coming-soon site for this crap right here: http://www.loureedmetallica.com/

I’d say a few words about Corey Taylor, his stupid book, his laughable book tour, that infuriatingly jackassical cover that I’m sure his minions think is proof of what a cool guy he is, and just about anything he’s ever done, but I don’t want to throw my laptop through my window.

It wasn’t exactly Wacken, but it was as close as I was going to get on a balmy Tuesday night in the United States. But instead of a giant field in Germany, the evening’s events took place in an old church converted into a music venue, and the crowd was decidedly smaller than what you could fit into an open air space.

Walking into Mr. Smalls in Millvale, a flood-prone old mill town outside of Pittsburgh, the smoke rising from the new grill sites easily made the juices flow, and it really did feel like an evening of sunburnt music was ahead. That’s a nice addition by Mr. Smalls, not only for the increased food selection but just for the ambiance. For a moment, I imagined this is what Wacken might smell like. Inside, grown men with drinking horns, people wielding large foam war hammers, and dudes who looked like they were here for a beheading anxiously awaited the arrival of Amon Amarth for an entire evening of music. No openers, no standing around waiting for the main event, just immediate gratification when the clock struck 8 and the lights dimmed.

Pittsburgh is a popular stop on any Amon Amarth tour, as the hulking Swedish Vikings bring their show here every time they get a chance, but this night they brought something a little bit special. This tour provided a whole evening with the band, as they opened by playing their latest album “Surtur Rising” in its entirety, and after what frontman Johan Hegg called “a short beer break,” they stormed the stage anew with a complete set of catalog favorites. No one could have walked away and complained he or she didn’t get his or her money’s worth. In fact, considering tickets were under $30, it was an insane value that was maybe a step short of a steal on the audience’s part.

“Surtur Rising” was a grower for me. I unabashedly love Amon Amarth, and the fact they’re kind of like death metal’s AC/DC is something that endeared the band to me. But the new record’s a little different and doesn’t have that immediacy of their other discs, but hearing them play the songs live gave me an even greater appreciation for the album (and it already had grown on me by the time this show took place). The passion with which the band plays the songs is undeniable, and the tracks certainly have resonated with their audience as the folks packed (and it you barely could move in there) spent the evening shouting back the words (and not just the choruses) and screaming out the name of the next song before the band could launch into it. That made for a really cool scene seeing a large group of people so passionately immerse themselves in the band. As for me, I’m a stander and a listener, so I absorbed the whole thing and heard guitar sections I never realized, noticed quirks in the drum playing I never picked up on, and really got the knack for the infectious nature of these songs. My favorite cut on “Surtur Rising” is “Live Without Regrets,” and hearing them perform the beast live was damn near cathartic. Ever since the show Tuesday, I’ve spent even more time with “Surtur Rising” and really feel like I gained, as a listener, from hearing the band interpret these songs live. I hear it through ears blessed with increased knowledge.

After the break, they exploded with title track from “Twilight of the Thunder God,” with the crowd exploding into the chorus of, “Thor, Odin’s son, protector of mankind, ride to meet your fate, your destiny awaits!” like their lives depended on it. From there, it was a mix of old and new, launching directly into “The Last With Pagan Blood” from “The Avenger” and “For the Stabwounds in Our Back” from “Versus the World.” They visited “Guardians of Asgaard,” “Runes to My Memory,” “Free Will Sacrifice,” “Death in Fire” and “Victorious March” among many others. They took another quick break and re-emerged with a three-song encore of “Cry of the Black Birds,” “Valhall Awaits Me,” and, of course, “The Pursuit of Vikings.” All in all, we got 25 songs over the entire evening, and everyone left exhausted but satisfied.

You can see some photos above, taken by my shitty Blackberry camera. I did have a photo pass for the show, but some idiot realized 10 minutes into his drive that he left his camera at home. This is what happens when you rush around all day. So they’re not the best, but whatever. At least you can kind of get an idea of what you’ll experience live. The show definitely was worth the drive and the evening packed into a room of sweaty  people, most of whom were males taller than I am. And I’m just a tick under 6 feet tall. It’s a really great show, performed by a powerful band, led by a jolly, charismatic frontman, and it’s a blast. I’ll never pass by a chance to see Amon Amarth live, but I almost fail to see how they’ll top this evening. But I’d like to see them try.

For more on the band, go here: http://www.amonamarth.com/

To buy “Surtur Rising,” go here: http://www.indiemerchstore.com/item/11748/

For more on the label, go here: http://www.metalblade.com/english/content.php

For more Amon Amarth tour dates, go here: http://www.amonamarth.com/live/upcoming-dates/

I find it both funny and fitting that the day after the world’s doom metal pioneers Black Sabbath were heavily rumored to be reuniting in their original form to record a new record that we have for discussion the latest album from who arguably are today’s finest representatives of the genre.

But while Sabbath’s reunion is bound to be underwhelming and disappointing – let’s face it, how can it not be? – the latest effort from the mighty YOB is anything but that. Ever since the Oregon-based band reunited and delivered the earth-battering 2009 effort “The Great Cessation” (my personal favorite album of that year and from the band in general), they’ve been on fire. Their live shows have leveled audiences, they seem to have achieved a spiritual elevation, and their creative output have them on a path to be remembered as one of this era’s best metal bands, period. Regardless of genre.

“Atma” is YOB’s latest, their sixth overall effort and second for Profound Lore. Their gargantuan, relentlessly heavy doom also pays some homage to death metal, drone and post-metal, and unlike most of the other bands that comprise their genre, their lyrical content is not flooded with blood, guts, cemeteries, ghouls, and skulls. Instead, the band’s visionary Mike Scheidt chooses to look inward and explore his mind and soul. As it is, the term atma is one used by Hindus and Buddhists, among others, meaning the summation of and highest sense of self. Very basically, each period of your life, you’re a completely different person, even though you lived as the same physical being. As you grow, your experiences change you, and you’re certainly not the same you were four years ago, for example. I’d argue I’m nowhere near the same person as I was in February. But all of those periods of your life make up your overall being, how you came to be who you are, your ultimate self. It’s an incredibly heady, inspiring concept that certainly could leave you talking to others or yourself all night about what it all means. YOB explore that and more on “Atma,” and chances are you could put 10 listeners in a room with the record and 24 hours, and each would come away feeling and absorbing differently. That’s the mark of something special, a piece of work that’ll change in your heart as you grow. It’s timeless.

As for the music, “Atma” is like the summation of all of YOB’s parts. It’s certainly not “The Great Cessation 2,” and it really bears no strong resemblance to any of the band’s earlier records. But taking it as a whole, you can hear little pieces of their history, tricks they picked up over the years that became a great part of the overall YOB machine and helped make this record what it is. Another thing that’s different is Scheidt barely registers a growl on this thing, as he mainly reaches for that high-nasal, early Ozzy Osbourne style of delivery. Sometimes he’s as grounded as he’s ever been, such as his whispery, gravelly clean vocals near the end of closer “Adrift in the Ocean,” a song that kicks off with Katatonia-like gothic doom beauty, gets muddied up, and then turns into a fiery, expressive piece of guitar poetry.

“Before We Dreamed of Two” gets off to a bit of a trippy start, and eventually it finds its way into deep, suffocating pockets of drone and noise. It’s my favorite track on the record and the one that sounds the blackest, almost like Sunn 0))) could have been a slight influence. The title cut is calculated and plodding, with sequences that are just total demolition, with Scheidt’s most savage vocal work on the record, and during the song’s middle point, a narration gives you a clear, concise description of the atma concept. “Prepare the Ground” is as close as we get to grasping death and destruction (though in no way is it explicitly just about that), as Scheidt directs the preparation of “the burial mound,” but at times the lyrics get a little clunky. “Upon the Sight of the Other Shore” is the only piece on here I’m having trouble embracing. Musically, it’s just fine, as Scheidt, bassist Aaron Reiseberg, and drummer Travis Foster (as well as guest Scott Kelly of Nuerosis) are in perfect alignment, but something about the vocal delivery rubs me wrong. They sound a little strained and don’t feel terribly natural to me, which is an odd thing for a band that normally is so organically creative. But those are small bumps in the road, really, is doesn’t detract from the overall quality of this album.

I’m sure this will be argued, but to me, YOB are doom’s best hope for being this era’s band that transcends generations. I easily could see their records being passed down 10, 20, 30 years into the future as our time’s finest example of what makes this style of music so great. YOB are a sign of hope in a gigantic sea of mediocre metal, a declaration that maybe you can do things differently, say things other artists aren’t and refuse to put a lid on your sound while maintaining every ounce of your credibility and power. “Atma” is yet another document proving all of these theories true. Personally, I like “The Great Cessation” more, but that’s neither here nor there. They’ve grown from that record and aren’t the same band or individuals they were at that time. “Atma” is what YOB are now, in this moment, and it will pave the way for what they do next. It’s a part of their overall DNA, and it’s pretty damn good at that.

One final note: The amazing cover art was painted by Stevie Floyd of Dark Castle. Those two bands just wrapped a North American tour together, and they’ll be hitting Europe in September. Those dates are below.

For more on the band, go here: http://www.myspace.com/yobdoom

To buy “Atma,” go here: http://www.profoundlorerecords.com//index.php?option=com_ezcatalog&task=detail&id=773&Itemid=99999999

For more on the label, go here: http://www.profoundlorerecords.com/

YOB/Dark Castle Euro tour dates:

09/16, Tilburg, NL (Incubate Festival)
09/17, Bielefeld, DE @ AJZ
09/18, Copenhagen, DK @ Loppen
09/19, Stockholm, SE @ Kagelbanan
09/20, Oslo, NO @ Betong
09/21, Gothenburg, SE @ Sticky Fingers
09/22, Arhus, DK @ Musikcafeen
09/23, Hamburg, DE @ Hafenklang
09/24, Berlin, DE @ Lovelite
09/25, Prague, CZ @ Klub 007
09/26, Stuttgart, DE @ Club Schocken
09/27, Vienna, AT @ Arena
09/28, Munich, DE @ Feierwerk
09/29, Milan, IT @ Lo-Fi
10/01, Dornbirn, AT @ Transmitter Festival
10/02, Lausanne, CH @Le Romandie
10/04, Barcelona, ES @ Be Cool
10/05, Madrid, ES @ Ritmo & Compas
10/06, Porto, PT @ Hard Club
10/07, San Sebastian, ES @ Mogambo
10/09, Paris, FR @ Les Combustibles
10/10, London, UK @ Purple Turtle
10/11, Leeds, UK @ The Well
10/12, Edinburgh, SCO @ Bannermans
10/13, Manchester, UK @ Star & Garter
10/14, Bristol, UK @ The Croft
10/15, Hasselt, BE @ Muziekodroom

Now and again, a record pops in out of nowhere and blows you away. That’s become less and less common because of how damn much music is out there to consume, and as a music critic who gets bombarded with new albums (many of which I never even get to hear), finding one of those breakthrough efforts is harder to accomplish. So you tend to remember those gems.

One of those that leveled me last year was the first full-length from Minneapolis black metal/hardcore/crust sludgers Wolvhammer called “Black Marketeers of World War III,” released by Init Records. Not only did the album name stick out as both foreboding and darkly sarcastic, but the band name stood out as well. That’s not easy to do when part of your moniker has something to do with wolves, because there have been so many of those over the years.  But Wolvhammer? That sounds like something my dog would want when he’s in hot pursuit of the cat. In an interview with Decibel last year, the band described the awesomeness of wolves and their adoration for Hellhammer as what’s behind their name. Nothing pretentious or ridiculous. Just an honest, awesome, pure heavy metal name. Same with the band.

The band is getting ready to release their sophomore effort and first for Profound Lore on Oct. 25. The new platter is called “The Obsidian Plains,” and if you’re wondering how that smoldering bastard is going to sound, you can get a sample by visiting the link below. The label released “Writhe,” the first track from the record, and if you were into “Black Marketeers,” you’ll probably be pretty psyched when you hear this thing. This record sounds like it’s going to be a beast, and we still have two months to wait before it drops. Patience is a virtue. It also is not something I practice well.

To hear “Writhe,” go here: http://www.profoundlorerecords.com/mp3/WOLVHAMMER_Writhe.mp3

If this is the first you’re reading about Wolvhammer, or if you just want a taste of their earlier work, you can grab their first two EPs “Rich With Bloodfuel” and “Dawn of the 4^th” for free from the band. That link’s below for your downloading pleasure. We’ll certainly have more about “The Obsidian Plains” in the future, especially once we get our hands (even if those hands are digital) on the thing. So, please do stop back.

To download the EPs, go here: http://www.wolvhammer.blogspot.com/

For more on the band, go here: http://www.facebook.com/Wolvhammer?sk=info

For more on the label, go here: http://www.profoundlorerecords.com/

One of the records I’m most exciting hearing about this year is the new one from Canadian grinders Fuck the Facts. I feel like I’ve been hearing about “Die Miserable” for 14 years now, but I assume that’s the anticipation and isn’t grounded in fact. The assertion we base things on fact here at Meat Mead Metal would be one of folly.

But this afternoon comes news that the band’s ninth full-length finally will hit the shelves Oct. 11 via Relapse Records, who put out their last two efforts “Stigmata High Five” and “Disgorge Mexico” (that eventually got movie treatment by way of filmmaker David Hall). It’s not as if the band has been silent since putting out “Disgorge Mexico” in 2008, as they’ve toured relentlessly and even put out a handful of smaller efforts, including “The Wreaking” and “Unnamed” EPs, a “St. Jean Baptiste 2010” live piece, as well as a nine-track “Live at Whitby” document.  Along the way, they also celebrated their 10^th anniversary and that, too, sparked another tour from these road warriors.

There’s no preorder info yet from the label, but likely that’ll be coming pretty shortly, as they already have the Brutal Truth stuff up, and that’s not out until Sept. 27. You can keep checking the Relapse shop link below if you’re an obsessive freak. Also below are, yes, more tour dates from these sleep-deprived, well-traveled, hard-working  maulers. Catch them if you can (or, basically, if you’re in the Maritimes).

Track list for “Die Miserable” is:

1. Drift

2. Cold Hearted

3. Lifeless

4. Census Blank

5. Alone

6. Die Miserable

7. A Coward’s Existence

8. 95

Here are the band’s current tour dates:

Aug. 15 – New York, NY @ Public Assembly++
Aug. 18 – Rimouski, QC @ Cactus Show Bar+
Aug. 19 – Moncton, NB @ Manhattan+
Aug. 20 – Halifax, NS @ Gus’ Pub+
Aug. 21 – Charlottetown, PEI @ Baba’s Lounge+
Aug. 22 – Fredericton, NB @ Capital Complex+
Aug. 23 – Edmundston, NB @ GPS Bar+
Aug. 24 – North Bay, ON @ Granite Club
Aug. 25 – Sudbury, ON @ Jubilee Hall
Aug. 26 – Toronto, ON @ Hardluck Bar
Aug. 27 – Port Burwell, ON @ Southern Ontario Metal Fest

++ w/ From Ashes Rise
+ w/ Misery Index

For more on the band go here: http://www.facebook.com/FuckTheFacts

To visit the band’s shop, go here: http://fuckthefacts.bigcartel.com/

For more on the label, go here: http://relapse.com/

For the label’s web shop, go here: http://relapse.com/store/new_releases.aspx?Subset=2

The Cleansing (photo by Pia Ry)

There’s something about death metal band The Cleansing that seems a little swampy. No, they don’t use mouth harps or banjos or sing about alligators. Instead they sound like they would have been right at home alongside the Floridian death metal uprising of the early ’90s alongside Death, Obituary, Malevolent Creation and even Atheist.

But the band’s a relatively new one, and they hail from Denmark rather than the Sunshine State, but their model is very rooted in the classic sounds of two decades ago, and where those death pioneers went after their initial births. There is a bit of a Euro death feel as well (I can sense some Vader and Behemoth in spots), but those times are not quite as prevalent. They’re releasing their second effort “Feeding the Inevitable” on Deepsend (we talked about that label’s reissue efforts last week), and for those who like their metal honest, straightforward, a little ugly, and sometimes brainy, giving this band a listen might do those listeners some good. This isn’t that slicked-up death metal we’ve come to know the last half-decade or so, but it also isn’t terribly lo-fi or grimy, like it came from someone’s basement. It’s a pretty damn good sounding record, pulverizing, lurching, and a meat-and-potatoes brand of death. That meat’s raw, by the way. Be careful consuming undercooked flesh.

“Feeding the Inevitable” is the follow-up to the band’s debut record “Poisoned Legacy,” that dropped in 2009, and one noticeable difference is that guttural voice you hear on these tracks. That’s the voice of singer Toke Eld (formerly of Usipian) who takes the place of Martin Rosendahl, who also handled bass duties and now is out of the group. Now, this is where it gets weird. Eld was a member of The Cleansing from its formation, but he wasn’t able to record vocals for the debut, so Rosendahl did them. That wasn’t a problem this time, and his deep, throaty  growl is all over this thing. He isn’t the most dynamic or unique frontman in the world, but he does just fine for what this band does. I don’t think anyone will listen to The Cleansing for only one aspect of their music anyway, as it all blends together and works as well-oiled parts to a larger machine, so Eld does the trick just fine.

The guitar work is pretty interesting, and you can hear some prog in their progressions, which is where the Atheist and even Cynic comparisons enter the picture. “Third Eye Staring,” “Hour of Decadence,” and “Law of Reciprocity” all have headier, trickier guitar parts and loopy solos courtesy of ax men Jeppe Hasseriis and Andreas Lynge (both formerly of Usipian, like Eld). These are the types of songs that’ll have the musicians in their audience all excited because of the inventiveness and atmosphere Hasseriis and Lynge’s playing injects into the songs. Even a track like “Processed for Contamination,” which is pretty mid-tempo and a real change of pace for an otherwise devastating, speedy record, really benefits from everyone thinking outside the box and trying on new, more airy and cleaner tones. It still has a heaviness to it, and it also is the eeriest cut on this whole record. Personally, it’s my favorite track on here and one that shows their open mindedness.

But if you’re more interested in simply being blistered, this record has that, too. “The Promethean Promise,” “Your Flesh, Your Curse,” and the smashing closer “Crossroads,” which sounds like modern industry being crushed under the weight of imminent Armageddon, should satisfy your craving for barbarianism and classic, old school death metal. But even though these cuts show their more primitive side, there’s still a great deal of thought put into these tracks, so you can tell they’re not swinging away without thinking about their target’s weak spots.

I’m not sure “Feeding the Inevitable” is going to be a touchstone death metal release for 2011, but no one’s saying it has to be. It’s a solid slab of true death that’ll get your fists pounding on the table, but it’ll never make you feel like a meathead in the process. Don’t underestimate that. As much death metal as I hear doing what I do, more often than not I feel dumber when a record’s over. This one always left a good taste in my mouth – raw meat! – and kept me coming back for more. For me, that’s all I really ask as a listener. Give me a reason to return, and The Cleansing have done just that.

For more on the band, go here: http://thecleansing.net/

To buy “Feeding the Inevitable,” go here: http://www.deepsend.com/?page=1

For more on the label, go here: http://www.deepsend.com/?page=5&id=1799

Nihilist. And their hair.

Southern Lord’s been doing a lot of crusty, hardcore-related releases lately, and true to the label’s form, they’ve been pretty damn worthy additions. Heard those Greek bashers Sarabante yet? You should, because like the other bands in their underground release series, they’re damn good. They also have the new one coming up from Balaclava called “Crimes of Faith,” a follow-up to their excellent “Shame” effort that came out on Forcefield, and the debut full-length by supergroup All Pigs Must Die.

But the label hasn’t abandoned metal by any means, and now we’re looking at a couple of exciting new releases, one of which will give listeners a proper history lesson (and listen), while the other will scare the living hell out of you. This is one of the many reasons we write about Southern Lord so often, because their stuff rarely steers you wrong, they add depth to your understanding and experiences in metal and, quite frankly, we just really like the label. Always have.

First up, and the one I’m personally most excited about, is “Carnal Leftovers,” a complete collection of Nihilist recordings that many people probably have only heard about but not actually had a chance to experience for themselves. The band eventually paved the way for the formation of legendary death metal band Entombed, and Nihilist’s bass player Johnny Hedlund went on to form one of the most important Viking metal bands of all time in Unleashed. So this is pretty vital stuff to have at your disposal, and there are only 2,000 copies of this thing being made, so you want to leap on this as quickly as you can.

The collection includes all of Nihilist’s demos – 1988’s “Premature Autopsy” and 1989’s “Only Shreds Remain” and “Drowned” – as well as a bonus 7-inch of the first Entombed demo. That’s a pretty damn thorough document, and if you’re a fan of these Stockholm-based bands, this will seriously fill out your record pile. The package comes as an attractive double gatefold album, with a mounted 7-inch pocket, and the liner notes contain words from members of bands such as Autopsy, Asphyx, Arch Enemy, At the Gates and Dismember. The package will run you $20 plus shipping (and having ordered from them in the past, they do an incredible job ensuring the thing will reach you safe and sound), and the label expects they won’t have copies of this for very long.

For more on the band, go here: http://www.threeman.net/

To buy “Carnal Leftovers,” go here: http://www.southernlord.com/store.php

We tried to find a non-middle-finger photo of Craft. We failed.

If the state of the world’s economy (especially the one here in the States) isn’t enough to put a chill in your blood, there’s always black metal cult Craft to get the job done. They made a huge impact with their last album, 2005’s “Fuck the Universe,” and their latest record “Void” just saw the light of day on Carnal Records. If you live in the U.S., you can only get the thing on import, unless you can wait until Sept.27 when Southern Lord gives the record a proper North American release. As terrifying as some of the music SL’s put out in the past, this is a true contender for their most devastating, horrific band.

The Swedish band started out as Nocta in the mid-1990s, but eventually they morphed into Craft and released their first demo “Total Eclipse” in 1999. But an eclipse apparently wasn’t going far enough into the darkness, as they dubbed their first full-length “Total Soul Rape,” and followed that up two years later with “Terror Propaganda.” “Fuck the Universe,” also released domestically by Southern Lord, really what seemed to make Craft’s mark on the metal world, and after a six-year layoff, they’ll conjure their magic once again. The band’s sound is filthy and violent, and as fear-inducing as their music can be, you’d be hard pressed to deny it also isn’t impossibly catchy in spots. I say that especially regarding the limited clips I’ve heard of the new material. The record is not available for pre-order as of yet, although when it is, we’ll be sure to let you know. Or you can frequent the link we gave you for the Nihilist release, and eventually it’ll be there in the store in all of its hellish glory.

Track listing for “Void” is:

1. Intro (John’s Nightmare)

2. Serpent Soul

3. Come Resonance Of Doom

4. The Ground Surrenders

5. Succumb To Sin

6. Leaving The Corporal Shade

7. Want To Commit Murder

8. Bring On The Clouds

9. Void

For more on the band (and to hear cuts from “Void”), go here: http://www.facebook.com/craftblackmetal

For more on the label, go here: http://www.southernlord.com/