All good things must come to an end, though musicians often don’t realize this and go on making music way, way longer than they should. But those people are not Lee Dorrian, and he doesn’t want to overstay his welcome. His fans are sad, I’m sure, but you have to respect that decision, especially since the genre he helped make great is blossoming.

Dorrian announced this would be the final for his band Cathedral as far as a live unit is concerned, and they would disband permanently next year when they release their 10^th, and last, full-length effort “The Last Spire.” Yes, I know, bands reunite all the time. People swear they’ll never tour again and squeeze their fans for a “last-time-ever sojourn,” always going back on their word later. Hello, Ozzy Osbourne and Kiss. But what more do Dorrian and his band have to prove? On top of that, Dorrian runs the ultra-awesome doom-minded label Rise Above, home to acts such as Ghost, Blood Ceremony, Moss and Electric Wizard. So not only did Dorrian help shape the sound of doom metal, he’s also helping the new faces of the genre find an audience.

But Cathedral, as noted, aren’t going out with a whimper. We still have their final album to anticipate, and we have their recently released two-disc “Anniversary” to mark their 20-year reign. The band assembled in London last Dec. 3 in their original form to perform their landmark debut record “Forest of Equilibrium” (released in 1991 in Europe; 1992 in America) in its entirety, then they returned to the stage in their current form to serve up 12 more songs from their other nine albums (we actually get to hear what sounds like it’ll be the intro piece of “The Last Spire”). Basically, Cathedral performed two full shows, and anyone who had been a fan from the band from their beginning, it had to be a dream come true. For newer fans, it was an excellent history lesson. This double disc serves both of those purposes as well and sounds raw and majestic, allowing flaws to be heard, between-song tunings to remain, and Dorrian’s banter to complete the picture.

The eight cuts (although the album actually is seven, with the first two songs presented as one) from “Forest” sound incredible, almost as if they were re-created during the band’s heyday. Lone remaining original members Dorrian and Garry Jennings were joined once again by the lineup that helped make this doom touchstone, as guitarist Adam Lehan, bassist Mark Griffiths and drummer Mike Smail got their proper swansong. “Commiserating the Celebration” is a rush and a full serving of ’70s-influenced guitar soloing, leading toward the edgy, somewhat sludgy “Ebony Tears”; the gritty “Serpent Eve,” where Dorrian sounds a little shaky; devastating “Soul Sacrifice”; and the draining, slowly bleeding closer “Reaching Happiness, Touching Pain.” Any newcomer to doom metal who is unfamiliar with “Forest of Equilibrium” should consider this document required listening. Having this one-time-only live version of this masterpiece obviously qualifies as a priceless gem.

The second disc is more of a Cathedral best-of performance, though it oddly focuses on their early, glory years and their late-career resurgence. The middle of the band’s run is ignored in the setlist, and it’s up to the listener to decide if that’s a mistake. Depends on your tastes or, as some Cathedral fans may say, your tolerance. We get one track from their 2010 double album “The Guessing Game” in second-set opener “Funeral of Dreams,” a song I like much better translated live, and we get two nuggets from 2006’s “The Garden of Unearthly Delights,” the Celtic Frost-esque “Upon Azrael’s Wings” and the incredibly stupid, lone blemish “Corpsecycle.” Both 1993’s “The Ethereal Mirror” and 1995’s “The Carnival Bizarre” get the bulk of the attention, and those songs sound spectacular, most notably “Enter the Worms,” weird and trippy “Night of the Seagulls” and the crushing finale “Hopkins (Witchfinder General)” that practically ignites the crowd. They also do up the organ-heavy, ghostly “Cosmic Funeral,” found on both of their 1994 EPs “Cosmic Requiem” and “Statik Majik.”

It’s going to be a strange metal world without Cathedral an active part of it, and their contribution to doom in general is immeasurable. Hell, Dorrian even gave a ton to grind when he fronted Napalm Death and also etched a completeky different doom path with Teeth of the Lions Rule the Divine. You can be sure Rise Above’s artists will continue Cathedral’s mission well into the future, and even if we don’t have new material from the band after next year, we’ll have their catalog to visit. And we’ll have “Anniversary” to remind us how effective and mesmerizing Cathedral was as a live band. That’s not so bad at all.

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

To buy “Anniversary,” go here: http://www.indiemerchstore.com/item/12793/

For more on Rise Above, go here: http://www.riseaboverecords.com/

For more on Metal Blade, go here: http://www.metalblade.com

It’s finally really cold around here, and I cannot he happier. It’s the perfect excuse for indulging in those high ABV, warmer-style beers I love so much. As if I needed an excuse, really, but it’s also when these brews are more readily available. I literally cannot wait to leave to buy some.

But now I’m in the mood for some BBQ as well, and possibly some further mind alteration due to the music I bring you today. Not that you need to be rocked out of your mind to enjoy this stuff, but these two Southern-minded, stoner-friendly bands kick some serious ass, as much as I hate to use that saying. Sounds like something some dork would affix to Kid Rock. So sorry about that. But it’s also true. If you want some honest riff-ravaged metal, you cannot go wrong investing your time in either of these bands’ records, both of which are in that charred meats, chill-out frame of mind.

Now, oddly enough, even though both ((Thorlock)) and Red Fang have a decidedly Southern rock edge, neither of them hail from that section of the United States. Funny, because both would sound perfect rocking out in the swamps alongside the likes of Black Tusk, Kylesa and Baroness, but you would be out of luck if you traveled to Georgia hoping to see such a sight. Instead, ((Thorlock)) hail from Missouri, while Red Fang call Portland, Ore., home, so it’s more that their sounds were influenced by their tastes. At least that what I would guess to be the case.

Let’s kick things off with ((Thorlock)), whose 2008 self-titled effort is just now resurfacing for your listening enjoyment. If you look at those goofballs at the top of the story, you’d wonder if they have nothing but hijinks in mind. They don’t. It’s not that their music isn’t super fun, because it totally is, but it’s not some kind of joke. They just know how to have a blast in their Sunn 0))) robes while taking bizarre adventures into outer space. Who can’t get on board with something like that?

This ((Thorlock)) re-release is a joint effort courtesy of Handshake Inc. and Grindcore Karaoke, meaning you can just go download it and save your money for beer and hot dogs. You won’t be sorry for a second when you hear their scuzzy mix of Southern rock, sludge and doom metal, paying closest tribute to early Black Sabbath and The Melvins. The 10-track effort is spaced out perfectly like two album sides would be. They’re perfect halves. Each has a handful of fast, satisfying rockers, a couple of rowdy cover tracks that not only do justice to the originals but just may surpass them (Kiss’ “Deuce” and Neil Young’s “Rockin’ in the Free World”), and two cosmically shifting, corrosive epics (“Mississippi Wheelwash” and “Beyond Cosmic Dimensions”) that are caked in noise and drone. The vocals are harsh and barky, giving these songs more of an edge, and songs such as “Assneck,” “Man Will Lose,” “Extinct” and personal favorite “Triceratops” not only can get anyone pumped as hell at a house party but almost assuredly will get the cops called to your home.

This is a hulking, barbaric effort from a band that only has an EP to its name otherwise. I’m angry I haven’t heard this bastard until now, considering it’s three years old. But hey, better late than never, and for you cheapskates out there who only want to get their music from some dirty, filthy download site, at least your conscience will be clean when you grab this one. Or are you so out there, man, that you can’t feel remorse? If so, what’s the like? Oh, and check out the rest of what Grindcore Karaoke has to offer. All of it is free, and all of it will cave in your chest.

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

To grab their album, go here: http://www.grindcorekaraoke.com/album/thorlock

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

And here: http://handshakeinc.com/

Here goes one we’re just flat-out late in bringing to you, that being the sophomore effort “Murder the Mountains” from Red Fang. This band has been one that always had the chance to break out but for some reason hasn’t to this point. Maybe this effort, as well as that tour with Mastodon and Dillinger Escape Plan, is just what they needed. As it is, as the legend goes, this album is one that was recorded and in the can before Relapse was convinced to pick it up, and I bet they’re happy as shit that they did, because it’s a bruiser.

“Murder the Mountains” was produced and championed by guitarist Chris Funk of the Decemberists. Now, don’t go getting all bothered over that fact because one, Funk is a bad ass who can shred with the best of them, and two, have you ever truly heard the Decemberists’ music? Yeah, it may be folky indie rock, but it’s bloody. There’s murder everywhere. It might as well be metal. So he holed up with the band and helped them churn out this 10-cut burner that’s a little smoother and easy on the ears than their debut (released by Sargent House). Brian Giles and Aaron Beam still yowl and howl when the mood strikes them, but the singing is cleaner and more evened out on songs such as “Wires,” that has a Queens of the Stone Age vibe; the ultra-catchy “Number Thirteen”; and “The Undertow,” that’ll really take your imagination on a ride. But they still have smokers such as meaty “Malverde”; burly “Dirt Wizard”; sludgy, doomy “Into the Cage”; and punk-flavored closer “Human Herd” in case you need an overdose of violence to get you there.

“Murder the Mountains” is an impressive step ahead for Red Fang, and I would not mind if their creative marriage to Funk becomes a permanent one. He got the most of the band during their recording session, and Red Fang certainly sounded like they had something to prove on this disc. They just may be onto something. And as promised, the music will make you hungry for a feast. I’m now starving. I also am tired of being in the right frame of mind, so if you’ll excuse me, I have some cookies to go pick up.

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

To buy “Murder the Mountains,” go here: http://www.relapse.com/search_result.php?search_by=all&q=red+fang&x=0&y=0

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

There’s a line from Louis CK’s live show “Hilarious” where he laughs at overly positive people for thinking good things one day will happen. “Why would something nice ever happen?” he asks without a hint of his tongue in his cheek. I can get on board with that assessment.

I don’t know anyone who’s had an awesome year. It seems it’s just a furious countdown to Dec. 31, 2011, at 11:59 p.m. when we all can bid this calendar year good riddance. To steal another line from CK, this year, life’s been “shit wall to wall.” When that happens, it’s nice to have something to make you feel a little better, no matter what that is. I’m not making any judgments at this point. If it makes you happy, have at it. For me, as usual, I’ve sunk into music, and when days are grim and pointless, I like something that acts as a little kick in the face or a reminder that it’s OK to be pissed off at everything that’s gone wrong lately. This week, I’ve been indulging quite a bit in the two mini efforts unleashed by Obsessor, both of which you can have in digital form for free.

The band is a one-man act headed by Brandon Ferrell, who also plied his trade in bands such as Municipal Waste, Government Warning and Direct Control. He’s since gone on to become a record store owner, certainly not an easy role in this economy, and now is diving back into the world of punk-flavored thrash with his new band. As someone who remembers when thrash was in its infancy (meaning I’m old as hell), these two efforts and four tracks make me feel really nostalgic. Now, I know you’re probably wondering if I’ve missed this whole thrash revival business, and obviously I haven’t. I’ve even written about a few on the bands on this site and even liked some of the music. But rarely do those bands really capture that same magic and danger. But Ferrell manages to do just that with Obsessor, and it couldn’t make me any happier.

It’s typically not cool to throw the Metallica comparison around, but at one time, they were the world’s most exciting metal band. I remember hearing “Kill ’Em All” for the first time in its original pressing and not knowing what to make of it. But holy hell, was it awesome. Obsessor embodies some of that same spirit. The D-beat tag has been applied to Ferrell’s music, as well as homage to Celtic Frost, Bathory and Venom, and that’s all here too, but I keep coming back to the fact that I’ve not heard  music in some time that this perfectly connects me to how I was moved the first time I heard and indulged in thrash metal. It’s a welcome trip back into time by a musician who couldn’t be more modern.

Funny enough, as close as Obsessor is to Bay Area punk-emblazoned thrash and early Euro black metal, Ferrell is from Richmond, Va. But that’s a hotbed of metal in its own right, and he certainly has absorbed and understood the genres he tackles. On “Obsession,” he unleashes two tracks of furious metallic warfare that are riff-heavy, crushing, throaty and bruising. Both the title cut and “Underworld” dash by in a flash, and if you’re like me, you’ll find yourself continually hitting repeat to take it on again. “Sick Salvation,” his most recent release, is much of the same thing, though the music sounds a bit more refined. That’s not to suggest it’s polished, because it thankfully is not, it just sounds like Ferrell’s ideas are really coming together. On the title cut, he spits out, “Your clock is ticking … Your time is ticking away,” sounding like a vintage thrash-style warning that should have you running for cover. “The Demon” is the most reminiscent of punk and classic hardcore, as he shouts and mashes his way through the two-minute mangler, making you wonder what kind of violence he could dream up live.

So yeah, bad week, bad year, this stuff makes it all feel a little better. This is music that makes you forget the daily crap just because it’s so fun and heavy.  And as noted, it reminds me of when I was a high school hesher standing out in a crowd of jerks who were listening to bad Top 40 and would look at my back-patched jean jacket and scoff. I bet those people are still assholes.

For more on the band, go here: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Obsessor/102961169801674

To download “Obsession,” go here: http://downloads.tankcrimes.com/album/obsession

To download “Sick Salvation,” go here: http://downloads.tankcrimes.com/album/sick-salvation

To buy cassette versions, go here: http://www.tankcrimes.com/catalog/

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

It’s been an interesting year for Boris — for the band and their fans. If you were starved for new music from the band at the start of the calendar year, no doubt you are Thanksgiving-dinner stuffed about now.

Earlier this year, they hit their U.S. fans with two new records, the rock-powered “Heavy Rocks” (an album title they recycled from an earlier effort just to keep you confused) and experimental “Attention Please,” featuring vocals handled entirely by guitarist Wata. We praised both records on this site, and months later we stand by our assessment, even if we’re more in the minority with that opinion. The albums weren’t really praised as all-time-great efforts by many critics, and that seems based largely on how different the two records sounded from the bulk of the band’s catalog. Of course, Boris never were satisfied with sticking to one sound and always were all over the map, so the hand-wringing seemed a bit strange. But hey, to each his or her own.

Now comes a third new album, weirdly enough called “New Album,” that actually would be deemed an old album to their Japanese audience. That’s because two versions of this collection (via Daymare and Tearbridge) actually came out before “Heavy Rocks” and “Attention Please,” though we’re just now sinking our teeth into this thing domestically. Once you grab the record, you’ll also revel in the irony of the album title since “New Album” largely is comprised of different versions of songs that also appear on “Heavy” and “Attention.” You got all that? It’s a little odd, sure, but that’s Boris for you.

If you do like the material and direction on “Attention Please” and “Heavy Rocks,” chances are you’ll be cool with this album. It’s in the same vein and continues to take a gigantic step away from their noise drone and doom metal past. Yet, even when they’re lush and lovely, the songs are loud and probably will decimate your hearing live. It’s strange, however, taking on this record after their two 2011 domestic releases because “New Album” ends up feeling like a best-of remix effort with a couple of new songs. That’s not a complaint, mind you, just kind of how I perceived the record. Had I heard this one first (unemployment prevented me from indulging in the imports), maybe I would feel differently. All of that aside, I like this collection and find it really interesting and nicely trippy. It’s a great example of what I appreciate about Boris, in that they always keep me guessing and usually deliver.

Six of the songs you’ll know if you have “Attention” and “Heavy,” but you won’t recognize their new (OK, not  new, but you get what I mean) attire. “Hope” gets more chirpy and J-pop friendly, with Wata’s precious voice dressing the song perfectly; “Party Boy” is more synth heavy and has a bit of a disco touch; “Spoon” isn’t all that far removed and sounds just fine in this incarnation; “Jackson Head” is radically different, with more of a techno personality rather than a straight-up rock assault, and it’s the one track I definitely do not prefer over the one I knew beforehand; “Les Paul Custom ’86” is just huge, with big synth waves and programmed beats, and it’s a really interesting new perspective; and “Tu, La La” is loud and flattening, making Boris seem as dangerous as any song on the three albums they put out this year. As for material U.S. fans won’t know from the band’s two domestic discs this year, “Flare” and “Looprider” bookend the record and are kind of tied together with a melody line. Both are really catchy, with “Flare” having a pop-punk touch and “Looprider” coming across as more muscular. “Luna” is the longest cut on here, and it’s a mix of outer space dreaming and metallic, blast beat bombast.

How you feel about this collection likely will depend on how tolerant you are of Boris’ constant re-tooling and rejiggering. None of their albums sound alike, and they’re constantly in reinvention mode, though it seems like maybe they hit on something with 2008’s “Smile” because all three of their 2011 efforts at least can be discussed in the same paragraph with that album. I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve heard from the band this year, and I don’t mind being in the minority on that. I also don’t chalk it up to fandom considering I’ve outright rejected the last two Mastodon albums, and that band always reigned as one of my favorites. Boris is a fun band, a loud outfit, and a daring trio who refuse to be chained. I hope that never changes, though I do dream that next time around they’ll go down a different road instead of doing retreads of what they delivered this year. I’m not terribly worried about that.

For more on the band, go here: http://www.inoxia-rec.com/boris/

To buy “New Album,” go here: http://hellomerch.com/sh/index.php?page=shop.browse&category_id=157

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

It’s been a slow week here at Meat Mead Metal, what with it being December, the place new music goes to die. We’ll have a few more records to look at before 2011 is out, but for the most part, we’re working hard on year-end material that will take up a good bit of December.

Meat Mead Metal will offer its first top 40 metal records list ever, and we’ll start rolling that out for you Dec. 19. That day we’ll give you 40-31. The following day will be No. 30-21. Dec. 21 will be No. 20-16; Dec. 22 will be No. 15-11, and Dec. 23 will be 10-6. The following week, beginning Dec. 26 and going all week to Dec. 30, we will count down the top 5 records of the year. One entry each day. And let me point out, it will be my list of records I liked the most. I think it’s nearly impossible to ordain a best record critically. There are too many sub-genres and bands, and I refuse to tackle that. Always have. So I’ll give you the ones I enjoyed the most. By all means, if you have your own lists, send them our way.

We have a few news items for you today, two things that I’m very excited about and perhaps you will too. One’s something on one of my most anticipated albums of 2012, the details of which finally are coming to light, and the other an exclusive live performance you’ll only be able to witness in one place.

I really loved Earth’s “Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light I,” and a fun fact, I was listening to that album on Rehoboth Beach in August when an earthquake struck. What a weird coincidence. Or was it? But the “I” at the end of the record title clearly indicated there was another volume to come, and that second helping lands Feb. 14 with “Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light II.” Not sure how they dreamt up that title.

Part II was recorded in the same session as the first volume, and the music is said to be even more improvisational and energetic. According to a release from Earth’s publicists: “The line-up again consists of Adrienne Davies on drums and percussion (on this release there is more percussion of all sorts), Lori Goldston (Nirvana, David Byrne, Black Cat Orchestra, Laura Veirs) returns on cello, and Karl Blau (K Records, Laura Veirs, Microphones) plays bass. This also marks the first time the band on the record has toured outside of the U.S. West Coast in preparation for the album. As with the first part, it again has truly amazing artwork by Stacey Rozich.”

You can see the album art above the entry, and the track listing below. I’m excited.

1. Sigil of Brass

2. His Teeth Did Brightly Shine

3. Multiplicity of Doors

4. The Cora scene Dog

5. The Rakehell

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

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

We discussed the future of Gilead Media not too long ago, and it seems that the response to their plight was overwhelming. That’s the first bit of good news, but the second is damn-near celebratory with the announcement of the first-ever Gilead Media Music Festival. The event is set for April 28-29 in Oshkosh, Wi., and the venue will be announced once it’s nailed down for certain. The lineup is completely ridiculous, and we’ll supply that below, but it’s just been revealed that Thou will play their “Tyrant” album in its entirety. If that isn’t reason enough to venture out for this event, then I can’t figure what might entice you. I know I’m trying to figure out if I can make the trip (some home stuff could prevent it, but it’s still months away), because I can’t miss hearing the majesty and tragedy of “Tyrant” live.

Besides Thou, other bands confirmed are:

• Ash Borer
• Fell Voices
• Get Rad
• North less
• False
• Mutilation Rites
• Arms Aloft
• Baby Boy
• Protestant
• Sleepwalker

Also scheduled for exhibitions are Reuben Sawyer of Rainbath Visual and Bryan Proteau of Natvres Mores. Things are in the early stages, so check back for more at the links below. We’ll also try to keep you updated as we learn more. Certainly if you like what Gilead Media does, this is the perfect place for you to see a ton of their bands at once.

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

For the event’s Facebook page, go here: http://www.facebook.com/events/145804345523149/

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

Anyone who reads this site with any regularity knows I like the doom metal. I’ll take it in all of its various forms. I like it when it’s deathy and loud, and I like it when it’s full of drone, and I like it when it sounds like it was recorded 30 years ago in someone’s basement. If it’s doom, I’ll give it a shot.

That’s what ultimately led me to seek out The Wounded Kings several years ago. Initially I read about the UK band somewhere on the Internet and eventually tracked down some of their stuff. I got into “The Shadow Over Atlantis,” their 2010 sophomore effort, and the first time I wrote about the band was because of their split last year with Cough called “An Introduction to the Black Arts.” They made me think of sitting in heavily carpeted basements in a cloud of smoke, and that always made me happy. But there was something about them that seemed to prevent the Wounded Kings from grasping greatness, and I just couldn’t put my ginger on what that was.

With their new album “In the Chapel of the Black Hand,” I know what it was that held them back. They didn’t have that dynamic, special singer who made the band stand out from the rest of the pack. I liked George Birch’s throwback-style pipes just fine, and I never saw him as a detriment, but he also didn’t help the band transcend. But with the introduction of new vocalist Sharie Neyland, they finally seem to have that person commanding the band out front that makes them special. This record should be their arrival and has to be the one that inflates the band’s profile. If it doesn’t, then damn it, people just aren’t paying close enough attention.

“In the Chapel” is a 41-minute collection of smoking, gloomy, witchy doom metal, and that’s not just because of Neyland’s haunting vocals. The whole thing sounds like a major conjuring, especially on opener “The Cult of Souls,” where Neyland calls upon Dionysus and warns, “Dark moon rises, the ritual has begun.” You almost can imagine the band huddled around a camp fire in the middle of the woods with nothing but dark spiritual connection as their agenda. Musically, there are séance-style organs, a slowly unfurling haze, and spacey slide guitar work to keep your eyes glazed. “Gates of Oblivion” is deliberately pulverizing and seductive, with some epic lead guitar lines and tortured imagery, especially when Neyland observes, “The skies are weeping blood.” “Return of the Sorcerer” is both gritty and gothy in texture, with some spiraling guitar lines and bluesy, traditional doom soloing. The epic closing title track simmers and shakes, taking on a bloody storytelling mode lyrically, as the whole band unleashes its entire bag of ghostly tricks. Steve Mills and Alex Kearney are stars throughout the album in their own right, but they really go for the throat on the closer, leaving you both satisfied and hungry for more. Considering the amazing clip at which the band has worked ever since their first record in 2008, it shouldn’t be long until they return.

To buy “In the Chapel of the Black Hand,” go here: http://thewoundedkings.bigcartel.com/product/in-the-chapel-of-the-black-hand

Speaking of the Wounded Kings’ debut, Eyes Like Snow/Northern Silence is re-releasing “Embrace of the Narrow House,” the band’s first slab of goodness. It’s only being released in limited quantities, so get on this soon, and it will contain a remastered album, new cover art and a rehearsal version of “Melanthos.” This, of course, gives you a visit with the band’s original form with Birch as vocalist, and really, he’s an excellent, dark singer whose work I really enjoy. He has more of a vintage sound to his voice and understated charisma, and I certainly understand why there was so much hand wringing when he left the band. I just like Neyland’s presence a lot more. Mills, the only other full-time member at the time, handled a bulk of the instrumentation. This certainly is something that’s a must-have for any enthusiast of classic doom metal and certainly for Wounded Kings diehards. You won’t be able to get your hands on this thing until early next year, but we’ll add a link below so you know where to go get this piece of doom history.

To buy “Embrace of the Narrow House,” go here: http://shop.northern-silence.de/

For more on the label, go here: http://www.northern-silence.de/eye-index.htm

That’s a lot of material from the Wounded Kings to absorb, but we recommend you try both on for size. Obviously from what you just read, you’re definitely going to get on the crest of what should be a tidal wave of acceptance from the doom community with their excellent new record, but spending time with “Embrace of the Narrow House” will give you a greater sense of history of the band as well as a deeper appreciation of just how far they’ve come since.

For more on the band, go here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Wounded-Kings/225788354128336

For more on the label, go here: http://www.ihate.se/

Most people know Gregor Mackintosh as the lead guitarist for doom metal stalwarts Paradise Lost. Yet the gloom and sorrow conveyed by that band could not match what Mackintosh endured in 2009 when he watched his father John Robert Mackintosh die of cancer.

That life-altering experience led Mackintosh to take what initially were feelings and emotions he wrote down as part of the grieving process and slowly turn that into the classic-style death metal heard on his new band Vallenfyre’s first full-length album “A Fragile King.” It might sound silly to say that a death metal record focuses on death, but there aren’t many that approach it in quite this way. It’s a very human, vulnerable album when Mackintosh is reflecting on his loss and his father’s struggle. There are other subjects addressed on the album, too, but Mackintosh’s tribute to his dad takes center stage.

Mackintosh took time to talk with Meat Mead Metal about “A Fragile King,” his supergroup lineup that also features fellow Paradise Lost member Adrian Erlandsson on drums, Hamish Hamilton Glencross of My Dying Bride on guitar, Mully on guitar and Scott on bass, and what future, if any at all, this new band sees for itself. Oh, and stick around for some details on the next Paradise Lost platter.

Meat Mead Metal: It seems “A Fragile King” is getting a lot of very favorable reactions. We spoke very highly of it on our site, and we certainly weren’t alone in our praise. Are you happy with the reaction it’s gotten?

Gregor Mackintosh: Well I’d have to say yes, because I never expected anything at all. This was something that wasn’t even meant to be a record, let alone a band. We had no plan whatsoever. We’re just going with the flow and having fun with it and seeing what happens. Every good review is a bonus, and I’ve only seen a handful of reviews that have been a little bit derogatory, and the rest have been positive.

MMM: Now that the record’s been done for a while and you can kind of step back from it and look at it more critically, how do you feel about how the music turned out?

GM: I think it’s good. I would have liked to keep (the band) anonymous a little while longer, because when we released the EP (“Desecration”) first, we didn’t announce who was in the band or anything. But it was Century Media’s decision (to reveal the members). I mean, they paid for it to be recorded, so they wanted to announce who was in it. But apart from that, everything has been good. It’s nice because a couple of the guys from Century Media grew up in the scene where I came from and kind of knew what I was going for, from the production, to the artwork, to the vibe of it. So luckily I didn’t really have to explain myself.

MMM: Did you want to keep the lineup a mystery just because of how people perceive the “supergroup” concept? Expectations can be high and sometimes people can be overly skeptical.

GM: Yeah, that was it exactly. It was really our bass player Scoot’s idea, because he comes from the crust punk scene, and he said that having guys from bands like My Dying Bride and Paradise Lost may not be such a good thing initially. Wouldn’t it be better to reach people with no bias either way? I think that was a better way to approach it, and it was interesting at first because you’d read reviews online of the EP, and these people have no history to go on at all and no baggage – I mean that in the best sense of the word – and it kind of took the pressure off. It felt fresh to do it that way, and there were only a couple of guys in their reviews who said, like, “Hang on. This doesn’t sound like a bunch of teenagers doing this.” (laughs) I guess you can’t fool everyone.

MMM: Well, I guess that’s good they didn’t think it was a bunch of teenagers. That might have been a tough one to handle.

GM:  Well, yeah. I’ve seen a lot of bands bandy about the term “old-school death metal,” but to me it really is just a term. They’re missing the whole vibe that I can’t really put into words. We were there, we did it, and we were involved in that early scene. It’s a vibe we can achieve but we can’t really explain. So yeah, I guess the fact that we’re old-timers (laughs), for lack of a better word, that probably helped.

MMM: Now you’re doing both guitar and vocals with Vallenfyre, as opposed to just playing guitar in Paradise Lost. Is this something you always wanted to do? Did you have that itch to front a band?

GM: Absolutely not. It’s something that never occurred to me in a million years, and it’s not something I imagined I would end up doing. I’m not really a mouthy guy, and I’m not really interested in being the center of attention, which usually is what vocalists are like. It kind of happened by accident, and I sort of became a reluctant vocalist. But I’m enjoying it, and it’s a new challenge. This album was borne out of my dad dying, and if that taught me one thing, it’s stop pontificating. Stop thinking about doing things and start actually doing them. What’s the worst that can happen, you know?

MMM: Well, let’s get into the album a little. “A Fragile King” … I don’t know if I should day it’s about your late father or it’s inspired by your father, so you tell me. Tell me what made you decide to make this record and how your father inspired you.

GM: It’s more for my father than about. The whole record is dedicated to him, but lyrically, only about 60 percent of the lyrics are about what I was going through, what I felt and what I thought when he was ill and the aftermath. It’s general observations and emotions and stuff like that. Some of it, some people have asked me if it feels weird putting it out there, but I think it’s better than keeping it inside. Also, why is it not OK to talk about this when it’s OK to talk about millions of other subjects that are as near to the bone? I just felt it was an important thing for me to do. It was a life-changing experience, and it made me want to do something.

MMM: Were the songs written after he passed away? Or was he aware you were working on what would become Vallenfyre and “A Fragile King”?

GM: No, because it really didn’t turn into a musical thing until a month or two after he’d gone. I started writing things down, feelings and stuff, when he was in the final stage, and that was a part of grief counseling really, but it wasn’t a thing where I thought, “Right, these are going to turn into songs.” That came slowly in the months following, and those thoughts turned into lyrics and then it turned into songs.

MMM: So it sounds like a really organic process.

GM: Absolutely. It’s just like the vocal thing you asked me about. I only became the vocalist because I couldn’t think of any of my friends whose vocals would fit with the music. As the lyrics progressed, I couldn’t imagine anyone else voicing those words. I just thought why not give it a go?

MMM: Was it cathartic for you to do the vocals? As you said, you wrote the words and you experienced this loss, so was it helpful for you to convey these emotions?

GM: I can say that while I was doing the demos for the music, yes. But when I was in the studio, I’d say it had turned into a straight tribute, and it was about having fun with friends, really. We just wanted to enjoy our time doing the recordings, and we all go back a long way. We’d never done anything together before, so it was fun just to do that.

MMM: Tell me a little bit about your father. What was your relationship like?

GM: He was cool. He was a really easy-going guy, a really affable guy. He was always kind of laughing about stuff and never took things too seriously. That’s how I aspire to be. It’s a great way to behave in life. People plan for the future too much, I think, and it’s a really daunting prospect. I think you should be happy for today and just roll with that. My dad was very much like that, and it’s a trait that hopefully I have in some aspects but I know I don’t have in others.

MMM: I thought I had read something about how he was into extreme metal or something along those lines?

GM: Well, that’s not quite accurate. But when I started Paradise Lost, he took a great interest in what I was doing, and he took it upon himself to actively pursue what I was doing. He drove us to our first few gigs, he drove us to our first demo recording, and he followed all of the things we did to the point where he started listening to other bands who we might be touring with. He said, “I really like the John Peel sessions on the radio by Bolt Thrower,” and that was purely because we were gigging with them at the time. It wasn’t the music he was into, but he followed the music that surrounded what we did.

MMM: You don’t always hear that kind of story from parents who have kids in bands.

GM: Yeah. He was an engineer by trade, and he was interested in how things work. So he became interested in how we did what we do.

MMM: What is the meaning of the title “A Fragile King” to you? Why did you choose that?

GM: It doesn’t have to do so much with the illness. It’s basically an observation where you look up to someone your whole life, and you kind of feel they’re invulnerable and nothing can ever happen to them. Then you’re faced with this stark reality where you see the person stripped bare, basically, and it becomes pretty raw. You build someone up so much that when you see the person get knocked down, it’s kind of shocking.

MMM: You’ve talked about the Vallenfyre lineup a bit and how you all came up in the same scene and knew one another. But how did these five people actually come together as Vallenfyre?

GM: Well, when I was writing a lot of the music, I’d travel a lot to my hometown to see family and friends, because it was still shortly after my dad died. So when I’d come home, I’d always end up at the pub with Hamish of My Dying Bride and having a few drinks. I’d mentioned to him I was working on this record and I was getting a little bogged down in it. It started to feel like I was wallowing. So we discussed the idea of turning it into a band and having fun with it. So he was the first person I asked to join, and we just started thinking about other people. Scoot I shared a house with about 20-something years ago, and I’d see him a lot when I went to my hometown, so it seemed obvious to ask him. The other guys just fell into place because they were friends of ours.

MMM: It sounds like the band came together much in the same way as the music.

GM: Yeah. I had a friend of mine working A&R at Century Media and I was talking to him about something else, Paradise Lost actually, and I mentioned I was doing this thing with some friends of mine. He asked to hear a demo, and I sent him a five-track demo, and he said, “You really ought to release an album of this.” I asked if anyone would want to hear it, so he played it for a couple of guys at Century and they told us we should do it.

MMM: Are you looking at this as a permanent band going forward? Is this a one-off? What are the plans?

GM: I’m looking at it as if we’re having fun doing it, we’ll continue. I have no expectations, none of us do, and like I said, it’s about having fun and stripping things back to the way they were when we were starting bands 20 years ago. If someone asks us to do a gig, and we can afford to do it, and all we get out of it is beer and a laugh, then we’ll do it. We have no plans to record anything else, but we’ll see how we feel a couple of years down the line.

MMM: So no touring plans at the moment?

GM: We’re getting offered stuff at the moment, and we’ll see where it goes. Oh, I mean, if someone offers us a tour and it looks like it might be fun, why not? We’ve gotten a few offers at the moment for tours in places like Finland and Greece and some festival appearances, but if I have one goal at the moment for Vallenfyre … I would really like to tour the States with this. In the process of doing interviews for this, I’ve noticed you guys missed out on a lot of the early European death metal, and there seems to be a hunger for it and a genuine understanding of it. I feel like Vallenfyre could help bridge that gap to 20-some years ago, but it’s going to take people going out, getting the record and pestering promoters.

MMM: Quickly to Paradise Lost, you guys have a new album in the works. Anything you can share?

GM: I’m actually talking to you from a studio in a converted chapel in the middle of nowhere recording the new album. We’ve only been here a few days so far. Adrian is about a third of the way through his drums, and I’m sitting around bored. There’s not even a pub here! There used to be a pub but it’s closed for refurbishments, so we’re kind of banging our heads against the walls. And we’re here until mid-December.

MMM: So if the new Paradise Lost is a little angrier, I guess we’ll know why?

GM: (laughs) No, it’s not angrier. It’s actually more melodic than the last one, but a little more guitar-oriented. There are no keyboards on it, and it’s more inspired by classic metal and classic doom metal. There’s a lot of lead work on it, a lot of harmonics, some acoustic stuff, more riffs. Doing Vallenfyre, I sort of realized where that line ends and Paradise Lost begins. It made me feel more positive and confident with what I’m doing with Paradise Lost. Had I not done Vallenfyre, some things might have leaked into Paradise Lost, and that wouldn’t have been fair to Paradise Lost or true to them.

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

To buy “A Fragile King,” go here: http://www.cmdistro.com/Artist/Vallenfyre/95067

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

So the Grammy Awards are still around. I know. I’m shocked, too. I hear they had big blowout concert tonight for the nomination show. That’s like having a football game at the NFL Draft. But what are you going to do? I’m not going to watch these shenanigans anyway.

But each year we get the hilarious metal award nominees, now known as the hard rock/metal category because the people responsible for picking the bands probably think that metal’s a dying genre, and this year’s is no less hysterical than every other year. Now, sadly, we didn’t get a perverse nomination for Metallica, Motorhead, Ministry or some Black Sabbath song just because the band slithered out and did a version of a 40-year-old tune live. That’ll be next year. Instead, we got two bands that really belong elsewhere because they do not fit the parameters at all, but hey, the fossils who pick these bands have heard of them. Then we get three these folks either have heard of or know because the groups are on the grandkids’ Christmas lists. Here we go. So excited, right?

• “On the Backs of Angels,” Dream Theater
• “White Limo,” Foo Fighters
• “Curl of the Burl,” Mastodon
• “Public Enemy No. 1,” Megadeth
• “Blood in My Eyes,” Sum 41

I know. Sum 41’s still a band?! Maybe they aren’t. Who knows? These are the Grammy Awards, after all. I guess they saw the word “blood” and thought it was so, so dangerously metal. Foo Fighters should just get lumped in with all the mainstream categories because, no disrespect, they’re basically an edgy pop band. But they’ll probably take home this year’s “metal” award, and Dave Grohl likely will feel stupid about it since he’s actually a metalhead. Actually, Foo Fighters are nominated in every category containing the word “rock,” including the Finest Field Recording of a Moon Rock slot. Someone’s going to feel dumb tomorrow. If the new FF album was blank, it still would get nominated. If I had to make the call, I don’t know what I’d do. Mastodon, I guess? Who cares?

I know there are millions of great metal records and songs that should get the nod for nomination. But the people behind this farce don’t even know they exist. Nor will they ever. So do as I do and miss the show and just laugh at the results the next day.

Also, want to thank everyone who stopped by for the Cormorant review. It was one of most-read first-day stories in our history. That thing just blew up. Good. Go buy the album.

When I was in college and was working a menial restaurant job to have some spending money, a friend of mine and I would discuss heavy metal. Now, he was devoutly religious and refused to listen to “the devil’s music” anymore, but he knew enough to have some opinions. One of them was that Bruce Dickinson was too smart to be in heavy metal. He cited “Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” the Iron Maiden epic classic, as proof.

Now, never mind that bassist Steve Harris actually wrote that song as well as the bulk of Maiden’s material, but he’s right about Dickinson’s intelligence. But how does that make him too big for metal, exactly? I always found that comment rather dismissive and insulting, because I was working my way through college, doing quite well, and soundtracking my marathon study sessions with tons and tons of metal. Did that make me some kind of rube? It also suggests that by playing in a metal band that you’re somehow too dumb to do anything else. That is patently ridiculous.

But let’s pretend for a moment that Dickinson (or, you know, Harris) is too smart for metal. Then what does that make Arthur Von Nagel, bassist, vocalist and primary lyricist for Cormorant? Is he too intelligent for music itself? Or is this just a stupid assertion that has no place in a music review other than to point out other people’s lack of understanding of the metal genre? Von Nagel and his band made a gigantic impression on the metal world with their incredible 2009 full-length debut “Metazoa.” It was a prog-metal landmark, an album so strong and accomplished that it’s amazing that labels weren’t ponying up tons of money just for the honor of releasing the thing. And maybe that happened, but Cormorant have maintained a DIY ethos while going way over the top with their music. Now comes their sophomore release “Dwellings,” one of the most emotional, thought-provoking, well-informed records in any genre this year. It’s an effort that should destroy once and for all people’s assertion that metal is only for unwashed mouth-breathers who are barely equipped to function in society. This record could be a thesis statement about humankind, the struggle for a place in the world, our eventual demise and the antagonistic forces that often impede our journeys.

“Dwellings” is an album that’ll force you to learn. You can’t just sit idly by while Von Nagel and his bandmates – guitarist/clean vocalist Matt Solis, drummer/clean vocalist Brennan Kunkel, and guitarist/mandolin player Nick Cohon – tell historical tales of the Aborigines, a failed Cosmonaut space mission, and Lope de Aguirre and the El Dorado myth and not at least go to Google to find out more. I certainly did that because Von Nagel’s lyrics are descriptive enough that you can find key words that can guide your search. I spent an entire afternoon doing that very thing, and while I knew some of the details of these events, such as the Russian space tragedy, I was able to fill in a lot of the holes in my head. I don’t remember the last time a record made me do that, and I’m thankful for the experience. Plus, the passion and emotion with which the band delivers these songs and the history-rich material is nothing short of moving. It’s all of these reasons, along with the music being an incredible concoction of prog, folk, power, black and death metal (with a little hardcore thrown in for good measure), that this album is being so heavily embraced. NPR just named it the best metal record of 2011. Isn’t it amazing it took a December record to finally crown a chart-topper?

The music and vocals on “Dwellings” are more aggressive, heavier and angrier than what’s on “Metazoa.” A lot of that can be pinned on the lyrical content of these songs focusing on atrocities and misdeeds that shook families, settlements and nations, leaving people’s lives forever altered. Von Nagel certainly seems to try to get into his characters’ shoes and walk their paths in order to properly convey his messages. He never fails to capture the heart and mind, the rest of the band steps right up and backs him with astonishing, soul-swelling, pure heavy metal magic that should touch fans of every genre and sub-genre of extreme music. “The First Man” opens the record with a power metal-style assault that’s made gravelly by Von Nagel’s growly, grisly vocals that are far improved from his work on “Metazoa.” And I have no qualms with his singing on that record. “Funambulist” is about wire-walker Philippe Petit who walked between the World Trade Center towers in 1974, and the song is as impressive for its attention to event detail as it is to making sure the ever-changing pockets of music fit the scene being described. Crushing and sinister “Junta,” that has a rousing hardcore section that could cause a furious circle pit, addresses the 2009 sexual assault wave toward women in Guinea during pro-Democracy rise-up rallies. “A Howling Dust” is raspy and thorny, but it also washes itself out in a storm of shoegaze, while its words tell of a man who wishes to forget his role in ethnic cleansing in a California ghost town Hornitos. It’s the darkest, most upsetting song on here. “Unearthly Dreamings,” the story of Vladimir Komarov, the first space casualty, is rumbling and furious as it should be, and it washes away with what sounds like a lost space transmission from a mission that was foolhardy from the start.

“Dwellings” is musically and emotionally stunning, a once-in-a-lifetime piece of work that should be this band’s crowning jewel. But it’s only album two, so I don’t want to assume they can’t go to even greater heights next time. You’ll devour this record like you do a good book that changes the way you see your life. You’ll learn things perhaps you didn’t want to know, but you’ll wonder how these events weren’t revealed to you on a greater level before. But don’t fret about that. Now you know, and you have Cormorant’s amazing new album to lead the way. You’ll think, you’ll hurt, you’ll rage, but most of all you’ll grow. Cormorant sure have as artists, and who knows how far they can go in the future? We’re sure to be here to find out.

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

For their Bandcamp site, go here: http://cormorant.bandcamp.com/

To buy “Dwellings,” go here: http://cormorantmusic.blogspot.com/2011/09/cormorant-dwellings-limited-edition-pre.html

I had planned for this to be a busy week here at Meat Mead Metal. Then my dog accidentally poked my eye with his snout – hard – and gave me an abrasion of the cornea. Not sure how many of you have suffered through this injury, but if not, imagine the worst pain you’ve ever experience and multiply that by 1,000. It sucks. You can’t sleep, you can’t relax, you can’t get away from the pain.

So we’re going to do a quick entry today about a couple of essential re-releases and then go back to our Vicodin and eye salve. Fun times. Apologies if this is a bit disjointed. But we’ll get back to normal by the end of the week as long as my eye recovers at the pace that is expected, and one of those pieces will be our first-ever MMM interview, a conversation I’m quite excited to bring to you about one of this year’s finest death metal albums. Look for that by the end of the week. I hope …

So we’re talking re-releases today, something of which I’m a big fan. I know some people hate them because it’s like, why do you have to keep paying for the same record? One of these may make you feel that way since it’s been given new treatment before. But if the album is good, as both of these are, then what’s wrong with having a sparkling new version? I, for one, didn’t mind a bit re-collecting all of the Carcass albums because the new packages looked amazing and have cool extra stuff tacked onto them. Same when Iron Maiden reissued all of their CDs several years back. If I like the music enough, I want the best-sounding, slickest-looking version possible.

First up, we get a new version of the Sunn 0))) classic “ØØ Void,” the band’s 2000 sophomore effort that was released in the States by Hydra Head, by Rise Above in Europe, then by Daymare eight years later in Japan. The long-out-of-print tracks feature the core members Stephen O’Malley and Greg Anderson, but they’re also joined by Stuart Dalquist (Burning Witch, Goatsnake) on bass and contributors Petra Hayden (who also played with Queens of the Stone Age and The Decemberists) on violin and vocals and Pete Stahl (who played with Goatsnake, QOTSA, Scream and Wool) on vocals. So it was a sign of things to come as far as their collaborative spirit is concerned but maintained that primitive, smoldering doom drone for which they became so highly regarded. This truly was a landmark effort for the band and for those who followed in the group’s footsteps.

The four cuts are slithering and impossibly heavy, which is obvious, right? They slowly move like a hulk across the land, from the spacey ambiance and enveloping darkness of “Richard”; the oddly melodic, mind-altering “NN 0)))” a song that has even more effect when you’re on painkillers; “Rabbits’ Revenge,” the powerful reinterpretation of The Melvins’ cut “Hung Bunny,” a song that clearly stood as a major influence on O’Malley and Anderson; and the chunkier, more aggressive closer “Ra at Dusk” that finds the band striking harder than they usually do but also dissolving into a nice noise wash that carries you away into space.

Sunn 0))) also have a second effort planned via O’Malley’s Ideologic Organ of their collaboration alongside Nurse With Wound. It’s coming out on double-gatefold vinyl, and a link for more information is below. Buy one, or even better, buy both of these albums. If you’re serious about doom, drone and darkness, you need to have them in your collection. Try them with Vicodin!

For more on the band, go here: http://www.ideologic.org/

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

To buy the Nurse With Wound effort, go here: http://editionsmego.com/ideologic-organ/

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

The second piece up for discussion is the latest reissue treatment for the Coalesce classic “Give Them Rope,” the band’s explosive 1998 debut that dumped metal, hardcore, math metal, and all of their crossover sub-genres on their ears. The Kansas City-based metalcore pioneers absolutely steamrolled people with this platter, a record they weren’t entirely happy with upon its release and have worked since then to get into acceptable form. This reissued version is that goal accomplished, and it’s a combo of remastered, repackaged copy of the original release, complete with extensive liner notes, and a second disc that contains the 2004alternative mix and master “Give Them Rope She Said.” You got all that? Basically, you’re getting two different versions of the album.

“Give Them Rope” (originally out on Edison Records) always has been my favorite Coalesce album, flaws aside that apparently didn’t bother me as much as they did the band. But I understand where they’re coming from, and if you’ve worked as hard on something as they did this record and endured as much frustration as they did getting this thing out there (and even holding the band together), you’d want it to be as perfect as possible. Sean Ingram sounds in total command on this album, barking and shouting his way through these 11 tracks (or, um, 22 if you want to add up both versions) in a way only he can (and he’s just as ferocious and affecting today), and the rest of the band backs him up with furious thunder and hardcore-laced metallic punishment so many bands have tried to duplicate but never came close to equaling.

This new version of the original sounds fantastic, especially on headphones where you get a healthy dose of what is closer to their original vision, and the 2004 add-on still sounds interesting, even if the differences aren’t always entirely evident. This is an important record that, like the Sunn 0))) album, inspired a legion of followers. And yeah, metalcore has a horrible, damaged connotation now, but this is how the music was supposed to sound before it morphed into a commercially driven mess.

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

To buy “Give Them Rope,” go here: http://www.relapse.com/give-them-rope-reissue-2cd.html

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