The metal, oh how it’s building up in the corner of my room. This is one of those times of year when getting a handle on everything new that’s either in stores or on its way is growing burdensome. I am losing track. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing, really, because it keeps me busy and it puts fresh music in my ears. So off we go with a quick look at a few new records that explore different subgenres in the ever-growing metallic universe.

“Inside Room” is the debut from British doom band 40 Watt Sun, an effort spearheaded by former Warning leader Patrick Walker, who did some great things with his former band, not the least of which is 2006’s amazing “Watching From a Distance,” the last full album of their lifespan. Like Warning, this music is dark and somber, but a little less aggressive, and Walker’s emotional outpouring is what makes this excellent record shine.

Now, unlike most doom bands these days (and I’m certainly not complaining about this) whose vocals tend to be uglier and deathier than what the roots groups employed, Walker instead emotes cleanly, clearly and succinctly. 40 Watt Sun are more in the vein of other British doom bands such as Anathema, My Dying Bride, Candlemass and Katatonia, and they’d be an excellent opening act on the upcoming Opeth/Katatonia jaunt in the United States. That audience would eat this up. The five songs on “The Inside Room” are earnest and direct, and it sounds as if heartbreak, relationship struggles and misunderstandings fueled a lot of what inspired Walker and the rest of the band – drummer Christian Leitch (also ex-Warning, The River) and bassist William Spong – to create these epics. The music is doom-encrusted for sure, and the pace is mostly mid-tempo and downtrodden, but Walker’s voice just soars as if his heart is trying to disengage from his chest to tell his story to the rest of the world.

“Between Times” is the track mentioned as the focus cut in the bio information supplied by Metal Blade (who are releasing this in America … what a year for Metal Blade, by the way), and it’s a great song, but I get so lost in the two opening tracks “Restless” and “Open My Eyes” that everything that follows seems to pale in comparison. And those other songs are really damn good. This will make great listening for damp fall weekends when soaked leaves blanket the ground. I know it’ll still be in my rotation when those days arrive.

For more on the band, go here: http://www.40wattsun.com/

To buy “The Inside Room,” go here: http://www.indiemerchstore.com/b/40-watt-sun/

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

The debut EP from Flourishing “A Momentary Sense of the Immediate World” was one of those last year that ripped my eyelids open and forced me to take notice. It was a great mini-effort and an explosive first volley into the metal world from a band that seemed to be interested in doing things a little differently and with a more volatile attitude. That made the wait for their first full-length an anxious one, but now that platter has landed by way of “The Sum of All Fossils” (released by A Path Less Traveled). It seemed almost impossible, but they managed to come up with something more earthquakingly heavy and experimentally challenging, and chances are you won’t hear anything quite like it the rest of 2011.

Flourishing’s ranks are made up of vocalist/guitarist Garrett Bussanick, who is one of the guitarists for Wetnurse, a band you should go out of your way to hear now if you’re not familiar with them, bassist Erik Rizk, and drummer Brian Corcoran. When you tackle “Fossils” and are baffled that only three guys can make this much noise, chances are you’re not alone. There’s an industrial suffocation to what these guys do, and by that I don’t mean, like, Ministry or something. Their music sounds like it was constructed by cranes, heavy-load dump trucks, steaming cement trucks and crews of folks putting in hard labor underneath an unforgiving sun. It’s steel bridge heavy. You’ll need a hard hat and a tool belt. Of course, there’s also an off-kilter weirdness to what they do, and a lazy person (that’s me!) might chalk it up as math metal, but it’s really more than that. “A Thimble’s Worth” has a hardcore flare to it, and its tempo is dizzying; “The Prospects of Rejection” has a thick bassline and spiraling guitars that leave you reaching for a steady wall; “In Vivid Monochrome” is all smashing chaos and doom-and-zoom guitars; and “As If Bathed in Excellence” caps the record on a stunning, baffling note, almost warning you that if you’re reeling from what you heard here, you have no idea what’s coming next.

It may take some listens to fully absorb and digest “The Sum of All Fossils,” because there’s a lot to chew here. But each trip back is rewarding, painful in a good way, and enveloping in a manner so many metal records these fail to achieve. Great first full-length.

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

To buy “The Sum of All Fossils,” go here: http://tpltr.bigcartel.com/

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

We haven’t heard from Oakland, Calif., sludge maulers Brainoil since their 2003 self-titled debut (released by Life Is Abuse), but eight years later, here they come blazing back again with “Death of This Dry Season,” released by the always reliable 20 Buck Spin. Since then, its members haven’t exactly been dormant, as they played with other notables bands such as Laudanum, Scarecrow, Watch Them Die, Dead Language, and that’s just some of them. But over the past few years, Brainoil’s members got back together, started playing music again, and that path is what led us to this seven-track, 25-minute effort that their longtime fans probably wondered if they’d ever see or hear.

The trio that is Brainoil – guitarist/vocalist Nathan Smith, bassist/vocalist Greg Wilkinson, drummer Ira Harris—still pay homage to Eyehategod, Buzzov*en,  and Corrosion of Conformity with their muddy, sometimes groove-laden thrashing that is easy to get into and has enough groove to keep your fist pounding on the table. These guys waste no time getting started, as they hammer through the opening title cut and “Gravity Is a Relic,” with its steamrolling pace and throaty screaming. “Feet Cling to the Rotting Soil” is a faster cut and has a punk spinal column; “To Bury the Pages of Existence” also hits like lightning but also has a bluesy base; and “Crimson Shadows” is relentless and vicious, showing their willingness to draw blood. One drawback is some of the riffing, especially the opening parts of these songs, has a bit of samey-ness, which is probably more noticeable because the record is so short. Then again, that seems to be the punk rock spirit coming out of them, and it’s not tiring and distracting or anything. It’s just noticeable. Nonetheless, it’s a rousing, bruising comeback album, and it’s great to have this band back in the conversation, especially since the sludge subgenre has grown so steadily the last half-decade.

For more on Brainoil, go here: http://www.brainoil.com/

To buy “Death of This Dry Season,” go here: http://www.20buckspin.com/site/releases/spin041-brainoil-death-of-this-dry-season-lp/

For more on the label, go here: http://www.20buckspin.com/site/

Before we begin this week, I want to extend my sincerest condolences and good thoughts toward the people of Norway after the horrific terror attacks of last Friday. It was an unspeakable, horrible tragedy sparked by what it seems is a very troubled, very hate-filled individual, and I hope all the readers here at Meat Mead Metal send thoughts, prayers, good feelings, or whatever to the Nordic people. We sure enjoy enough of their contributions to the metal world, and we hope everyone there, especially those directly impacted, can find healing and peace.

Be back shortly with a neat, tidy album review capsule edition of MMM.

This week I’ve been highlighting some of my favorite labels and their recent submissions to the metal world, and we wrap that with the one piece I’ve been itching to write for some time now and finally can bring it to you.

Gilead Media doesn’t put out a ton of records each year. They’re about as DIY as it gets, and like a Profound Lore or a Flenser Recordings, you know you’re getting something that label head Adam Bartlett truly believes in and doesn’t just see as a cash grab. He puts what he makes back into running Gilead Media, and their products always look fantastic, sound even better and usually are packaged with extra goodies such as pins, patches, etc. That’s another major reason I never think twice when buying from the label because I know I’m getting my money’s worth. I also basically trust what they put out, and from a mere description of the band on Gilead’s site, I’ll purchase something I think will be up my alley. I actually did that with one of the albums we’ll discuss today. Gilead Media also is who introduced me to Thou, one of my absolute favorite bands whose frontman Bryan Funck also has a hand in the two bands you’ll read about below (they are joint releases with his Howling Mine label).

I’m going to start with FALSE, a black metal band from Minneapolis that was discovered when opening a show for Thou, whose members were utterly blown away by what they heard. When I first read that statement, I knew I had to hear this band immediately, and I was instantly aggravated when I couldn’t find a thing about them online. Nothing at all. It was by design, it turns out, and there was an effort to build an aura of mystery behind this amazing new find that is about to rip the lid off black metal and extreme music in general. I know this will sound hyperbolic, but whatever: FALSE is the most exciting new band I’ve heard this year, and perhaps the most riveting I’ve heard in a few years. In fact, Thou is the last band by which I remember feeling this utterly blown away, and immediately upon hearing their untitled debut, they spread through me like a fever.

I still know very little about FALSE other than what I detailed above, as well as that they’re a female-fronted band, and that they’re utterly, violently relentless. For anyone out there who thinks black metal’s gotten too safe, too sanitized, you’ll find that FALSE agree with you and are doing something drastic about it. This two-track album, that runs about 25 minutes, is the freshest, most exciting explosion of chaos you’re bound to hear in 2011. The band, from the moment first track “The Key of Passive Suffering” starts, goes right for your throat, with claws and teeth exposed for the kill. Their singer warns of an era of “brother against brother, sister against sister” in the first section of this song, before moving on to a mesmerizing passage that sounds inspired by Iron Maiden’s “Seventh Son of a Seventh Son” era, especially with the thick fog of synth. The cut explodes again minutes later with an accusation of, “hell is what you reap, hell is what you sow,” and eventually rumbles to its cataclysmic conclusion. “Sleepmaker” is built on the same philosophy and ideas, rich with ripping riffs, rich keys, and even some piano trinkling later that teases a sense of calm amid a suffocating cloud of smoke.

I cannot say enough good things about this band. It would be impossible to highly recommend this record and band any more than I have right here, and if you have the money and want to hear something that may alter your life, by all means buy this thing. This band revives my hope in the future of black metal, and I cannot wait to hear what FALSE come up with next. This is the future, and those coming years will be awash in Armageddon and total, unstoppable chaos.

We move now to Barghest, a four-piece black metal band from Louisiana, who might remind you of the glory days of Darkthrone, Burzum and Mayhem. I mentioned earlier about a band whose record I bought before hearing even a note of music, and this would be that band. I got a download from Gilead Media not long afterward, and after hearing the music, I didn’t regret my purchase in the slightest. Now that I have the vinyl in my possession and have had time to spin it many times, I get more and more intoxicated by this thing with each listen. It should be noted, if you have the cassette version of this album, the songs have since been re-mastered and do have a bit of a different sound.

The record tears open with “Mourning” and its raw, primitive riffing, a death bell, and an eruption of beastly black metal that sounds lo-fi and grimy as hell, and that leads the way for “The Rite of Isolation,” a song that rides on tidal waves of melodic runs by guitarists Matthew Thudium and Jason Thorning, as drummer Terry Gulino keeps a frantic pace and frontman Dallas Smith howls away like he’ll have no future use for his voice beyond this recording. “Pain of Days” is both surging and vicious, with Smith’s vocals taking on more of a guttural death growl instead of a banshee-like shriek; “A Gray Vision” has a bit of an old-school punk feel to it, as some thrash also is thrown into the mix; while closer “Reduced to Ashes” is machine gun-like in its delivery, eventually paving the way for a section where the guitar work becomes almost hypnotic in its assault.

Certainly fans of the second wave of Nordic black metal could find themselves moved by Barghest, but even those who were into then tired of the current black metal crop could find salvation here like they will with FALSE. The band is unrepentant and devastating, sometimes blindingly fast, but always honest and passionate. This is a bad ass album, one that sounds way better on vinyl, and one that might make you consider that corpse paint all over again, if only for the spiritual connection.

Gilead Media has plenty of other bands worth your while, from more metallic entries such as Northless, Krallice, and Fell Voices,  to groups that lean more toward punk and hardcore such as Arms Aloft, Get Rad and mewithoutyou. Check the Gilead label link below to find out more, and go spend some damn money.

For more on FALSE,  well, you’re kind of screwed. But you can see them live. Those dates will appear at the end.

For more on Barghest, go here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Barghest/114603505268187?sk=info

For more on the label, go here: http://www.gileadmedia.net/

To buy the new records from Barghest or FALSE, go here: http://www.gileadmedia.net/store/

To read an interview with Adam Bartlett, go here: http://www.cvltnation.com/a-conversation-with-gilead-media/

For more on Howling Mine, go here: http://noladiy.org/howlingmine.html

FALSE on tour:

8/1 – IOWA CITY, IA – APHQ
8/2 – ST. LOUIS, MO – THE HEAVY ANCHOR
8/3 – COLUMBIA, MO – HAIRHOLE COLLECTIVE
8/4 – DALLAS, TX – THE PHOENIX PROJECT
8/5 – SAN ANTONIO – THE A&A DRIVE-INN
8/6 – HOUSTON, TX – THE DEATHSTAR
8/7 – BATON ROUGE, LA – PERKINS PARLOUR W/ THOU
8/8 – NEW ORLEANS, LA – NOWE MIASTO W/ THOU
8/9 – BIRMINGHAM, AL – THE FIREHOUSE
8/10 – NASHVILLE, TN – THE LITTLE HAMILTON
8/11 – LOUISVILLE, KY – THE 3RD STREET DIVE
8/12 – BLOOMINGTON, IN – RUSSIAN RECORDING STUDIO
8/13 – CHICAGO, IL – THE VOID
8/14 – MILWAUKEE, WI – THE IRISH KNOT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When I get a record from Bindrune Recordings, almost without fail my first reaction is, “I wish I was listening to this in the woods.” Of course, their web site is emblazoned with the motto “Woodland Denizens … Unite,” so that feeling I get inside of me certainly is by design.

Over the past few years, the Michigan-based label has come at us with some incredibly interesting and equally dark bands such as Blood of the Black Owl, Nechochwen, Wodensthrone, Celestiial, and Forest of the Soul, and it probably takes some split appreciation of savage, primitive metal and some forest folk rock in order to embrace this brand of music. Or if you’re into the nature worshippers such as Darkthrone, very early Immortal, and sadly defunct Swedish act Bathory, or the North American bands that pay homage to the elements such as Wolves in the Throne Room and Agalloch, you might want to find out more about this label if you haven’t already.

Two new records are fresh in stores for you, and while they hold the Bindrune philosophy intact, each take things in a different direction and explore entirely separate terrains. Both are exciting albums and provide something of a change-up for metal audiences, and it’s nice that this style and attitude hasn’t become something that a hundred millions bands have jumped on and beaten into the ground. At least not yet.

Maine’s Falls of Rauros obviously latch onto Tolkien for their moniker, and they’re on their third full-length effort with “The Light That Dwells in Rotten Wood,” the follow-up to 2008’s “Hail Wind and Hewn Hawk.” Listening to this record, it’s easy to envision being around a crackling fire in the middle of the woods, with owls calling behind you, and even though it would take a good bit of cords draped through the trees to accomplish this, the band’s colorful, melodic black metal being dropped over you like a drape. It would be the ideal setting.

The six cuts on this new album are rustic and folk-friendly, but they also have a majesty and power to them to please even the most finicky of black metal fans. The quartet, who take on simple first names and no surnames, are a bit of a mystery, as they’re not Internet darlings and they don’t have their photos all over every metal web site going, but that only lends credence to their desire to blend into nature. Their music is labeled “North Appalachian Heathen Black Metal,” and that’s a pretty excellent way to describe what you’ll hear on songs such as “Banished,” which is atmospheric and airy, though smeared with fury when need it needs to be; “Awaiting the Fire or Flood That Awakes It,” which has acoustic strumming behind the prevailing thunderstorm; and “Silence,” a song that is anything but that after its misleadingly quiet guitar and piano intro, and is an excellent example of emotionally charged, wholly human black metal. It’s a fantastic album for a summer walk, a quiet boat ride, or a date with your backyard fire pit, and while it may not fill you with rage, it will help you get in touch with your animalistic spirit in other ways.

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

To buy “The Light That Dwells in Rotten Wood,” go here: http://bindrunerecordings.com/distro/newarrivals.html

Obsequiae may seem like a new band to most since their album “Suspended in the Brume of Eos” is their first official full-length, but this group is anything but a couple of rookies. The band actually has been around since 1998, when they were called Autumnal Winds, and they released a handful of demos and a compilation before they went on hiatus from 2005 to 2007. Now under their new moniker, guitarist/vocalist Blondel de Nesel and drummer/bassist/guitarist Neidhart von Reuental unleash their dark, Medieval-flavored castle metal with hands clearly grabbing pieces from late ’70s/early 80s’ power metal. It’s a pretty cool combination that I’ve found a nice setting for tackling the “Game of Thrones” books that I’m a decade and a half late in reading.

“Suspended,” which follows their well-received 2009 demo, sounds like what it might if early Iron Maiden and Emperor (minus the orchestral stuff) were sucked into some sort of wormhole and found themselves mashed together in the studio. Much of the guitar work is glorious and riveting, making it easy to envision a horse-back adventure toward the nearest tournament, and the vocals are savage and screeching, keeping the black metal aesthetic very much in the picture. One slight drawback to me is there are a few too many acoustic interludes in the 12-track count, and they sometimes feel like they’re there to bloat the running time. But really, that’s a minor quibble for me, because when they’re letting the axes fly, it’s pretty damn exciting. Opener “Altars of Moss” has solid lead lines and intricate melodies that sound like they were born for air guitar; the title track had a mid-section that just crushes you with manic thrashing and could be the one moment in a live setting where you might get your knee ligaments torn shredded; “Arrows” blows right up from the start, and it’s the most aggressive thing on this whole collection, leading headlong into “The Starlit Shore.” It’s a kick-ass record that’s more up-tempo and in your face than most Bindrune albums, but it’s nice to have them on the roster. I think you need that screaming hellion that interrupts your mental tranquility so you don’t get too soft. Obsequiae provide that like a spiked metal ball to your exposed rib cage.

For more on the band, go here: http://bindrunerecordings.com/pages/obsequiae_body.html

To buy “Suspended in the Brume of Eos,” go here: http://bindrunerecordings.com/distro/newarrivals.html

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

Go watch this video, which is the lead cut “The Violation” from the upcoming Fleshgod Apocalypse album “Agony.” These guys do brutal, techy death metal that’s jackhammering, and they have a symphonic touch to boot. Yes, the video is a little wacky, admittedly, but the song rips. Very much looking forward to hearing this album (their first for Nuclear Blast), as I am a fan of their debut “Oracles” and EP “Mafua” (both out on Willowtip).

We’ll be back Tuesday from our mini-holiday with more fun shit.

To buy “Mafia” or “Oracle,” go here: http://www.willowtip.com/store/categories/cds/default.aspx

To pre-order “Agony,” go here: http://store.nuclearblastusa.com/Search/flesh_god_apocalypse

I’ve been meaning to say more about my hometown for a while, and today feels like a good day for that, especially since I have some new material to discuss.

Now, Pittsburgh probably isn’t thought of as a hotbed of music to people around the world, and that assertion would mostly be correct. We did give everyone Girl Talk and Wiz Khalifa, and soon you’ll know more about Mac Miller, so, there’s that. Also, people probably know Donnie Iris. Trust me, you can barely take a step in this town without someone name-dropping him. If you live here and rely solely on the local papers to educate you about music, here is what you would think: The Clarks (who are so painfully mediocre, I refuse to type their name in bold) modernized downhome bar rock, Bruce Springsteen is a shameless copy of Joe Grushecky, and not vice versa, and heavy metal died and only lives again with each Black Sabbath reunion. It’s amazing. Also, you’d be under the impression Elvis Costello died on the cross, rose three days later, and brought salvation to all mankind.

Metal barely gets a mention. A couple years ago, now-defunct Demise of Eros put out a nationally released record, and no one save for The Daily News (where I write) did anything about it. Zao gets talked about now and again, after they toiled for years and years. You’d have to scour heavily to find anything on modern acts Hero Destroyed and Complete Failure, who both have releases out on Relapse, and Circle of Dead Children (Willowtip). Sometimes they’ll mention Zombi to maintain their indie cred, whatever that is. So when I started this site, I decided along with what I write about every day, I was going to make sure the Pittsburgh contingent of metal and hardcore bands got representation, because the “music writers” here sure haven’t helped cultivate the scene. So let’s go, because we got some shit to get into.

First up are hardcore heroes Slices, who if you ever scoured the upcoming events sections and concert listings in this town, you’d see their name everywhere. It seemed each time I went to see what Mr. Roboto Project (recently revived!) had coming up at their DIY space, Slices were on the bill. They were everywhere, leveling audiences with their brand of furious noise and, later, grown-up hardcore. By that I mean they weren’t trying to reach out to the Hot Topic-pants wearing kids who have been raised on a very antiseptic, safe version of the genre, but rather grasped the working class, those who went to a job every day and needed a place to go let out the steam. They didn’t focus on that aspect of life, of course, but they were there if you wanted to forget about that aspect of your day and didn’t want to be insulted by undercooked rock. If you’re in that grouping, Slices probably are your band. That’s not to suggest the guys don’t have fun, because they do, but they never sound juvenile. They always sound like they mean it, even when their tongues are in their cheeks.

The band just put out a new 7-inch with Kemado Records (The Sword, True Widow, Saviours), a buffer piece between their first album “Cruising” and still-to-come sophomore effort “Still Cruising,” and the results are pretty damn satisfying. If you can imagine a mix of Fucked Up, Black Flag, a little noise rock and some downright classic rock n roll riffage, then you’ll know what you’re getting on these two cuts. The band, made up of members of other local acts such as Warzone Womyn and Brain Handle, set things ablaze on “Modern Bride” with a wail of feedback before catching onto a riff that’s bruising and punk-flavored. The vocals are mean, the song rages, and it feels like what matinee shows were made to showcase. Flip side “Chump Change” is a punchy affair, with a chorus featuring Greg Mantooth howling, “You will, and I won’t, you say, I don’t,” that’s spat so convincingly, most would decline an argument over the matter. The two-track effort probably gives a good idea of where they’re going on album two and it’s a far cry from their noise past. It’s an excellent piece of Steel City tonnage that will make you cry from the bruising.

For more on the band, go here: http://www.kemado.com/?tag=slices

To buy the 7-inch, go here: http://www.kemado.com/shop/slices-modern-bride-bw-chump-change/

For updates on “Still Cruising,” go here: http://lifeironlungdeath.blogspot.com/

Killer of Sheep is a new band on the scene, but its ranks are made up of grizzled scene veterans. Oyo Ellis and Greg Mairs originally played together in Battered Citizen in the 1980s, and now that they’re older and wiser, they have channeled their energy a bit more but have not lost even an ounce of their intensity. Their music sounds like classic hardcore, both violent and super-speedy, and they’re one of those bands that easily could be at home on a hardcore or metal bill somewhere in town. The fellows have been pretty active the past year, playing Helter Shelter and the Smiling Moose, among other venues, and they’re a band to keep an eye on going forward since their story really has just begun. They pressed 500 copies of a debut 7-inch called “Out of Time,” but I’ll be damned if I can find a link online where you can buy it. Guess you’ll have to hit Eide’s or Paul’s locally.

For more on the band, go here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Killer-of-Sheep/100408743380584

To check out some cuts from Killer of Sheep, go here: http://www.reverbnation.com/KILLEROFSHEEP

One of the weirder, tougher-to-digest bands raising a raucous lately is Brown Angel, who put out their long-awaited self-titled debut full-length last year on Thunderhaus Ltd. They just opened a show here for Zao, and I remember when seeing that lineup that they might be a little out of place. Brown Angel’s music is more abrasive, challenging, noise-encrusted, and potentially off-putting if you don’t have an open mind. Their self-titled album is way more streamlined than their super-out-there earlier recordings, but it still isn’t an easy listen to untrained ears. The songs are fully damaged examples of noise metal with barked and spat vocals that sound more like accusations and warnings than a spun yarn. I’m not even sure how on the dot this comparison will be, but if you happen to count Sunn 0))), Khanate, Swans, Jesus Lizard and any numbers of Crucial Blast bands as your favorites, you need to check these guys out right away. If you develop tinnitus when it’s all over, that’s a common side effect. You need not worry. Prepare for a bizarre, destructive journey.

For more on the band, go here: http://www.facebook.com/Br0wnAngel?sk=info

To buy their self-titled debut, go here: http://www.crucialblastshop.net/search.php?page=0&numOfResults=0

To check out their bandcamp, go here: http://brownangel.bandcamp.com/

To check out clips of their more recent material, go here: http://soundcloud.com/brown-angel

These are just a few of the local bands that have been rolling around my head lately. I’ll be sure to bring you more soon so that the rest of the world can understand Pittsburgh isn’t just the home of shitty bar rock and local legends who have long since passed their expiration date.

I live not terribly far from an atomic plant, and after that 9/11 dealie, we kept hearing about how that could be a target of some sort of attack by the badies. Fear mongering. It’s my favorite.

But still, it’s not like I didn’t at least think about that from time to time, and weirdly (or not so), that always took me back to my teenage years when I was in the midst of the classic 1980s thrash era, which overlapped with the nuclear paranoia of the late Cold War years. We were taught a lot of scary, creepy stuff in school about what a nuclear explosion and fallout might be like, and considering I lived in the land of the steel mills, Pittsburgh always was mentioned as some sort of a target if the Russians ever decided to let loose and blow us away. Naturally that made bands such as Voivod, Megadeth and, quite obviously, Nuclear Assault resonate with me. By the time I got into most of those bands, the nuke threats were less of a reality, but having those fears imbedded inside of me made these bands’ style of paranoia and terror all the more ominous.

Now I pretty much know better. I go back and listen to those bands with great excitement, and their messages actually ring nostalgic with me and don’t keep me awake at night. Also, other bands that sort of hold onto that aesthetic always are of interest to me, and Toxic Holocaust is no exception. Formerly just a one-man project led by Joel Grind, the band has grown to a full roster, and they constitute one of the truest throwback acts going today. And no, not all of their songs are about nuclear holocaust, but that material certainly has been there over TH’s four full-length efforts and countless split and mini efforts. There also is homage paid to all-out war, horror, zombies, and all kinds of fun things like that. I find their music a fun time, an escape, something I don’t have to think too much about because Grind and his pals just sound like they want to plug in and obliterate your sense. I love that.

Their latest album “Conjure and Command” (the first where the whole band plays and Grind doesn’t just handle everything himself) is the follow-up to 2008’s “An Overdose of Death …” and it’s the band’s second overall for Relapse. If you’ve been a fan of the Toxic Holocaust all along, you won’t be too surprised by what you hear on this record, because they pretty much stick to their style. It’s vintage punk-flavored thrash, really, with Grind’s growly vocal assault, and there are tasty solos and crunchy thrashing everywhere. The record is slightly, and only slightly, more mainstreamed than their previous work and the production is crisper, but that’s probably only noticeable to someone who has knowledge of their back catalog. Anyone new to the band who also digs on Warbringer, Evile, Bonded By Blood or Municipal Waste probably will find this band is right up their alley and might even find they’re better than the ever-expanding group of throwback thrashers running around with back patch-emblazoned jean jackets, bullet belts, and white high tops.

Grind, joined by properly monikered bassist Phil “Philthy Gnaast” Zeller (who may or may not be paying homage to former Motorhead drummer Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor ) and drummer Nick “Nikki Rage” Bellmore, blast open this bastard with “Judgment Awaits You,” a short, nasty barrage of power, where Grind howls about “nuclear fire,” bringing back that theme of total annihilation. From there it’s on to zombie tale “Agony of the Damned,” where Grind warns, “The dead will come back to life”; burn-the-witch crusher “Bitch”; “I Am Disease,” a meatier, more calculated song that isn’t too hard to decipher just from the song name; “Red Winter,” which is full of violence and animal instinct, as Grind promises, “We are the fucking dogs that turn on our masters”;  the lightning-fast “Revelations,” a violent end-times masher that clearly blazes down the speed metal path; and closer “Sound the Charge,” that’s more of a rise-up anthem that so many bands pumped out in the 1980s. Yeah, that idea can seem kind of cheeseball in this era, but it fits this genre and is a roots-style jam that should get fists pumping in unison live.

I’m as guilty as anyone when it comes to overdosing on metal that’s overtly dark and serious, but sometimes it’s cool to have something that both kills and lets you have a good time. This is swimming pool thrash, where you can put this thing in, do a ton of cannonballs into the water, have a hundred beers, get sunstroke, vomit, and do it all again the next day. It reminds me of what lit my world on fire when I was getting into harder metal in my early teens, so I certainly have that emotional connection to this stuff. Toxic Holocaust should make you bang your head and make you smile, and if they don’t, you either don’t like the music, don’t get it, or are too damn straight-laced for your own good. I feel sorry for you, if that’s the case, but I’m going to keep indulging in good times for the sake of my own release, and so should you.

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

To buy “Conjure and Command,” go here: http://shop.relapse.com/store/product.aspx?ProductID=43896

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

Considering the smoke and blazes that are choking parts of the Western United States, perhaps it’s an ill-advised time for a new piece of music from Denver’s Clinging to the Trees of a Forest Fire, but surely they could not have predicted this sad turn of events.

Related tragedy aside, this band deserves a higher profile, and perhaps their new EP “Visceral” will help them get there. I’m actually shocked their last full-length, 2010’s “Songs of Ill Hope and Desperation,” which was their first for Prosthetic, didn’t get them more notoriety. It was a steamrolling, suffocating album that ran 13 tracks in just under 34 minutes, mixing crushing grindcore with downtrodden doom metal. It sounded and felt evil, which is kind of a turn from a lot of grind lately where it feels more fun and exciting. This was more depressing and bleak, like you wanted to lie down in a dark room and contemplate life when it was over. It was a really eye-opening record and seemed to indicate this band was one to watch as time went along. And with this new six-track EP effort, that hope remains for this band.

Having Clinging on their roster is one of Prosthetic’s shrewder decisions the past few years and is one of many lately that have made the label’s roster even more muscle-bound. They’ve long been the home to bands that have achieved mainstream success such as Lamb of God (who went on to Epic) and All That Remains, but they also have bands that haven’t quite broken through to that same level but still have represented themselves quite well, including Neuraxis, the Acacia Strain, Skeletonwitch, Animals as Leaders, Gojira, Landmine Marathon, Book of Black Earth, and one of my favorite bands Withered. They also have signed some serious underground bruisers recently such as 1349, Trap Them, Black September, and Dragged Into Sunlight, rounding out what’s become a pretty impressive collection of troops.

This all takes us back to Clinging to the Trees of a Forest Fire and the six new cuts on “Visceral,” being released on 10-inch vinyl and download only. Like their last full-length, there is a healthy mix of doom and vicious grindcore, and there’s also one hell of an explosion of anger in these tracks. Instead of feeling like life is shit when it’s done, like I did when listening to their last album, you instead have a desire to incinerate everything that’s making existence such a burden. So it’s a bit of a different reaction. This collection sounds like a band that’s growing more and more aware of their agenda and is increasing in confidence, and that should only be good for the CTTTOAFF going forward and a plus for their fans who buy their albums. It took me one listen to realize just how hungry this band is, and while it may be premature to say this, I can’t wait to hear their next full-length record and what it’s going to sound like.

The EP opens ominously with a noisy intro cut that leads into “Lower Than Life, Higher Than the Sky,” a title you certainly can read into and wonder about their thinking. The first part of the song is muddy and calculating, but then it just blows up and goes into a full maul. “Garbage” also is full throttle and thrashing, with a flurry of blasts that offer zero mercy; while “Special Education” and “Biracial” are both over before you get a chance to blink, each attacking your senses and dragging you underwater for a struggle for your existence. Closer “Asthmatic” is the longest cut on here by far, running 5:29, and it is imbedded with feedback, damaged, downturned doom, off-kilter drubbing and lightning-fast outbursts. All in all, it’s a fantastic EP and one that, as mentioned, should help this trio grab much-needed, much-deserved elevated respect and admiration from their peers and record-buyers. Just try not to do any damage to city hall, the post office, or whatever else may ail you. Just listen and vent vicariously.

The band also is in the midst of an American tour, so perhaps you can go out and get your chest flattened live. The tour dates will follow after the band, merch, label links below.

For more on the band, go here: http://clingingtothetreesofaforestfire.blogspot.com/

To buy “Visceral,” go here: http://clingingtothetreesofaforestfire.bigcartel.com/

Also here: http://store.prostheticrecords.com/index.php/bands/clinging-to-the-trees-of-a-forest-fire/clinging-to-the-trees-of-a-forest-fire-visceral-10-vinyl.html

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

To see the band on tour, go to one of these places:

July 14: Denver,CO @ Blastomat
July 15: Cheyenne, WY@ Ernie November W/Reproacher
July 17: Boise, ID @ House of the Rising Sun W/Reproacher
July 18: Richland, WA @ Ray’s Golden Lion W/Reproacher
July 19: Seattle, WA @ The Black Lodge W/Transient, Reproacher, Scourge Schematic, Numb
July 20: Portland, OR @ The Alleyway W/Burials, Basement Animal, Transient
July 21: Redding, CA @ Tremont Cafe w/ Transient
July 22: Oakland, CA @Hazmat W/ Transient, The Burial tide, Man Among Wolves, Feast, Boar Hunter
July 23: Los Angeles, CA @ 3861 Dwiggins St. W/Transient
July 24: Los Angeles, CA @ The BLVD W/Transient
July 25: Flagstaff, AZ @ Big House W/Transient
July 26: Elpaso, TX @ house show. Communion of thieves are helping. ask them.
July 27: Austin, TX @ Red 7 W/Boars, Transient
July 28: San Antonio, TX @ The Korova W/Transient
July 29: New Orleans, LA @ Siberia W/Transient
July 30: Atlanta, GA @ TBA W/ Dead in the Dirt, Transient
July 31: Nashville, TN @ 1318 little hamilton W/Transient
Aug. 1: Greensboro, NC @ Legit Biz W/Transient
Aug. 2: Richmond, VA @ Strange Matter W/Transient
Aug. 3: Columbus,OH @ Carabar
Aug. 4: Chicago, IL @Albion House
Aug. 5: St Louis, MO @ Fubar

We have, how you say, a backlog here at Meat Mead Metal. It happens more often than you think.

Because there is a log jam of records I need to address, I’m going to knock out some of them today so that I can relieve the pressure on my psyche. I barely sleep at night as a result. I figured since I’m pumping out my takes on three records today, I’d make them as diverse as humanly possible. There could be some crossover – obviously I got into all three – but if you’re more inclined to prefer one style over the other, maybe these won’t all be for you. Maybe you’ll hate them all. I can’t decide these things. Let’s get to this so we can get Monday the eff over with.

Baring Teeth put out their debut full-length “Atrophy” on Willowtip, and it’s a dizzying, technically-smashing, deliriously fun record that should find fans among math metal, prog and death audiences with very little problem. The Dallas-based band began at Soviet a few years ago and, after they changed their moniker, punched out a demo that led to their joining Willowtip. And considering the bands that make up Willowtip’s roster, there probably isn’t a better home for this band.

Comparisons can be drawn to Meshuggah, Atheist, Dillinger Escape Plan and Between the Buried and Me, and the eight-cut album is both exploratory and vicious. The trio of Andrew Hawkins (guitar/vocals), Scott Addison (bass/vocals) and Jason Roe (drums) certainly get as techy as can be, so that should please people who like to nerd out over prowess, but they don’t fall victim to their talents and have a knack for writing memorable songs you won’t mind experiencing live. “End” is my personal favorite cut as it’s shifty and quaking and contains some of the meatiest thrashing on the entire record. “Distilled in Fire” had some crazy, loopy guitar lines that can make your brain feel kind of funny. Actually, while on some very strong painkillers a couple weeks ago for an injured ankle, this song freaked me out huge. That was pretty awesome. “Scarred Fingertips” is doomy and bubbly most of the way, and finally toward the end, a guttural growl assault fires up, while “Anti-Holy” is like death metal designed to soundtrack a bizarre cartoon chase scene. It’s a really promising debut that hopefully will catch on and keep these guys working both on the road and toward another record.

For more on Baring Teeth, go here: http://www.baringteethmetal.com/

To buy “Atrophy,” go here: http://www.willowtip.com/store/details/baring-teeth-atrophy-cd-tshirt-preorder-package.aspx

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

I’ve always thought it takes a lot of patience, a sense of humor, and some tolerance to get along with French experimental black metal band Peste Noire, and their latest album really is no different. It’s sort of like a black metal show set up stage in the middle of a carnival, and all of the assorted players decided to throw their two cents into the performance. Never has this been a band for everyone, but those who get this whole thing, chances are their admiration for Peste Noire (bubonic plague in English) borders of psychosis. They also have been a rather influential band during their time together, and their roster has been fairly revolving door-style ever since the band came to be (Neige of Alcest/Amesoeurs/Forgotten Woods), yet they’ve kept going, terrifying people along the way.

It also would help if you speak French and whatever other languages they throw into this thing, and bandleader La Sale Famine de Valfunde (or DJ Famine, if that’s easier for you to say) certainly is at his most verbose on “L’Ordure è l’État Pur.” This album, that runs five lengthy tracks, is bizarre, noisy, abrasive, insane, ambitious, experimental, clown-like, all sorts of different things. In a write-up I did elsewhere about this record, I compared this album to gypsy-like indie bands such as Man Man, Gogol Bordello or DeVotchKa trying to take their philosophies and apply them to evil and blackness of metal. The song titles are equally as taxing if you don’t speak the French (and I don’t), but you can feel the madness that pours from this band, as they employ various musical elements such folk dashes, mournful strings, Medieval-style beer hall sing-alongs, explosive thrashing, and human-made farm noises. That’s not a misprint. It’s such a difficult record and band to describe, and no matter how long I write about them, I never feel like I hit the nail on the head. Basically, put aside your judgments, forget what black metal is “supposed” to sound like, and get lost in their bizarre world.

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

To read their insanely detailed and messy Wikipedia page, go here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peste_Noire

To buy “L’Ordure è l’État Pur,” go here: http://mesnieamerique.com/

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

The dissolution of ISIS, one of the most important, influential post-metal bands of all time, was a huge surprise and a big blow. But it also felt kind of natural that the band came to its end, as they seemed to have sort of finished the journey. Plus, it was obvious that the band members would go onto other things. Aaron Turner, singer/guitarist, popped up first on the second Mammifer album “Mare Decendrii” alongside mate Faith Coloccia, and it organically and spiritually expands on what the group achieved on their debut “Hirror Enniffer.” Now, bassist Jeff Caxide has reported back with his new project Crone and first record “Endless Midnight,” an incredibly riveting, stimulating instrumental album that’s perfect for a nighttime setting.

The five-track, 50-minute effort also has appearances by his former band members Bryant Clifford Meyer and Aaron Harris, and Turner and Coloccia contributed photo and artwork, so it almost seems like it was a family experience after all. The music is dream-like and gorgeous, and I’ve found myself listening to this record a lot at night after all the lights have gone out, my wife and animals have gone to sleep, and I’m awake with my thoughts. It lets my mind wander and expand, and it’s great music to absorb when trying to slip into consciousness each night. It, of course, it not exactly metal. It’s more ambient than anything, but people who like bands such as Nadja probably will be into this. I know I’ll keep going back for more, especially at night when I’m buried under covers thinking about aliens and ghosts.

For more on Crone, go here: http://waylonrecordings.blogspot.com/

To buy “Endless Midnight,” go here: http://translationloss.com/store/

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

As much as I like sitting around listening to furious, depressive, philosophically-twinged, hidden context-encrusted, sometimes suicidal metal – it’s the highlight of any weekend, really – there are times when I want to hear something that just makes me forget the heavy shit going on around me.

This is why I balance out the above with some Bolt Thrower, Helloween, Iron Maiden, hell, Mercyful Fate. You don’t really have to immerse yourself in any darkness, and in Helloween’s case, their music’s so goofy you pretty much have to ignore everything else but the music. It’s like good-times music for me, and it’s an essential part of my collection. While they don’t sound even a little bit like the bands I mentioned, I put Helms Alee in that same category. Their last record “Night Terror” was an expansive, heady, sometime post-rock-style platter that, while it didn’t break any new ground musically, was something you could just put on and enjoy for the sake of the music. Sometimes I’ll put it on at night when trying to go to sleep, and not because it bores me, but because I can just relax and go with the band’s flow. I appreciate having that option with a band (the new Crone also is serving that purpose).

Now comes the band’s second record “Weatherhead” (out on Hydra Head), and from some of the other reviews I’ve read, I appear to be one of the few writers who have thoroughly enjoyed this record. It’s certainly a bit of a departure from “Night Terror” and there is quite a bit of trying on new threads as this record goes on, but I’ve dug every listen. Maybe all the jumping around is too much for some people, and there is a lot of that, but it’s not like their experimentation results in trainwrecks. For me, it’s basically part of what holds my interest through this 14-track album, because you can’t really guess accurately where they’re going next until you go there with them, and that’s kind of cool. That’s also what makes this a fun listen, something you don’t have to sit around and analyze and dissect, but rather a record you can put on and enjoy for the sake of the music it contains. That’s still OK to do, right?

For those new to the band, here’s some quick background: Ben Verellen (Harkonen, These Arms Are Snakes), bassist Dana James and drummer Hozoji Margullis comprise Seattle-based Helms Alee, and each member shares vocal duties. Verellen handled the bulk of the duty on “Night Terror,” and he has a large role here (with a bit more singing to go along with his harsh shouting), but the ladies get a bigger say, making “Weatherhead” a more diverse listen. For the most part, the band plays sludgy metal with a pop awareness, sort of like labelmates Torche, but they do a lot more than that, conjuring other bands such as The Pixies, Veruca Salt, Baroness, Neurosis, the Breeders and The Foo Fighters. This is so clichéd, but there really is something for everyone on both Helms Alee albums, and for those who can digest all parts, then it’s even better for you.

“Weatherhead” begins inauspiciously enough with the brief instrumental cut “*” that leads into the screaming missile “Elbow Grease.” It’s enough to make you think you’re tearing into a total fireball of an album, but then things change. “8/16” admittedly sounds like 10 different songs and 10 different genres stitched together, with each member of the band playing an equal role, but there’s something about it that works despite its apparent lack of focus. “Music Box” actually is kind of pretty and meanders a bit, but it’s one of the strongest representations from the female contingent of Helms Alee. The rest takes you globetrotting, from the slight AC/DC guitar bite to “Pretty as Pie” to the early Pink Floyd-meets-modern-metal of “Mad Mouth” to ’90s college rock flavors of “Pig Pile” to the gnarly, gutter punk-style title cut closer. In fact, that song makes me want to see people fight. Yes, as many a reviewer has pointed out, this band tries to do a lot of stuff here, but I think it works. The songs are good, they demand repeat listens, and they open up more each time I go back to “Weatherhead.” That’s all you can ask from any record, really.

I will say I think I prefer “Night Terror” to “Weatherhead,” but it’s not by a wide margin. And as time goes on and I toggle back and forth between both records, that opinion very well could change. This is one of those records where you shouldn’t put too much credence in any one review, this one included, because “Weatherhead” is bound to strike each listener differently. And the fact there are so many varying opinions at least tells you there’s something exciting going on here and that it’s not a mundane listen where you won’t remember much or feel a thing as it plays out before you. No matter how you ultimately feel about “Weatherhead,” you do have to give Helms Alee credit for making something conversation-worthy, and for me, they’ve given me another record I can take on for the pure enjoyment of music and not for any philosophical noodling. Plus, it’s great beer-drinking music. I can’t believe it took me thins long to say that.

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

To buy “Weatherhead” (and check out their awesome new T-shirt elsewhere on the site), go here: http://www.bluecollardistro.com/hydrahead/product_info.php?products_id=3996&cPath=4_135&store=

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

To check out Helms Alee on tour with Torche and Big Business, go to one of these places:

July 8: Baton Rouge, LA @ Spanish Moon
July 9: Birmingham, AL @ Bottletree Cafe
July 11: Tampa, FL @ The Orpheum
July 12: Miami, FL @ Churchill’s
July 13: Orlando, FL @ The Social
July 14: Atlanta, GA @ EARL
July 15: Greensboro, NC @ Greene Street Club
July 16: Washington, DC @ Rock and Roll Hotel
July 17: Baltimore, MD @ The Ottobar
July 19: Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church
July 20: Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
July 21: Cambridge, MA @ Middle East Downstairs
July 22: Buffalo, NY @ Mohawk Place
July 23: Cleveland Heights, OH @ Grog Shop
July 24: Newport, KY @ The Historic Southgate House
July 25: Grand Rapids, MI @ The Pyramid Scheme
July 26: Detriot, MI @ Magic Stick
July 27: Indianapolis, IN @ The Hoosier Dome
July 28: Chicago, IL @ The Bottom Lounge
July 29: Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock Social Club
July 30: Omaha, NE @ The Waiting Room
July 31: Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater
Aug. 2: Salt Lake City, UT @ Club Vegas
Aug. 3: Boise, ID @ Neurolux
Aug. 4: Seattle, WA @ Neumo’s