Metal Riot

Swans have always seemed really tribal in some way to me, even when they have been more about casting out spirits or deep isolation. Not exactly always the most “social” music, in my opinion. It’s a quality of fearless expression you can find today in Swans themselves, of course, but also younger acts like Tearist , Palms or Ides Of Gemini who also kind of straddle this lonely line between beauty, stark poetry or powerful melody/humanity versus (or rather in conjunction with) discomfort, shamanistic ritual and the fearless self discovery of not caring if people are ready to be initiated where you need to travel on your own path to full blossoming.

Photographer Miss Magpi  documented elder statesman M. Gira’s act for us at their recent Union Transfer stop, a stunning venue to witness this act who still remain, in their way, more extreme than most “heavy” bands. Sometimes it’s all about the vibe, baby.

Magpi describes the show as:

“.collosal. & .meticulous.” 

Photos BELOW.

My doom boys Geezer opened for High On Fire, the most fiery band in hard rock/metal who will stone you like Sisyphus just got punished for chronic lies told. I got to the show at the venerable Poughkeepsie, NY venue, which has housed legendary performances from the likes of The Rollins Band to Trapt to Incubus to Blindside to Fear Factory (to name just a few of countless shows), a bit late. Geezer’s set was missed alas but they rule and I’ve heard crushed through the large stage P.A., while New Orlean’s Mountain Of Wizard caused a boogie heavy rock thrill to enrapture the crowd. High On Fire eventually shook the hall with sonic fury, a gravel throated  Matt Pike not wearing a shirt even though the freezing fucking cold winter chill still was creeping in through the opening doors. Cometh down Hessian, in-fucking-deed. Droppin the frost hammer like street rhyme knowledge for these punks in need of a riff education.

Photos by missmagpi.

Click HERE for more photos.

Cult Of Luna by Fabian Ericson

Psycho California, the west coast’s first annual metal festival and a must see for fans of doom, heavy psych and sludge, has announced the headliners for this year’s event: Cult of Luna (May 15), Sleep (May 16) and Pentagram, who will perform First Daze Here in its entirety (May 17).The festival frankly smokes Coachella and Bonnaroo in the same breath, and I am not really a hater of those fests (hey, they got AC/DC and Slayer this year, haha). But yeah… Cave In, Dead Meadow, SubRosa, Conan?!!! Wooooh!!!!! Kylesa, Mothership, Bloodmon…the list goes on and on for radness. Between this and rumors that Between The Buried and Me have started work on their new album, I can’t contain my excitement for the state of metal in the States!

“2015 is going to be a slow year for Cult of Luna. However as much as we are musicians we are also fans,” said Cult of Luna’s Johannes Persson. “Evaluating if the offer to play Psycho California was worth dusting off our instruments was not hard after looking on the line-up. Being on the same bill as Pentagram, Sleep and a festival packed with the best bands around is a privilege in itself and we’ll try to live up to that honor.”

The lineup for Psycho California is: Sleep, Pentagram, Cult of Lune, Kylesa, OM, Earth, Russian Circles, Bedemon, Conan, Wrench, Eyehategod, Indian, Earthless, Pallbearer, Stoned Jesus, Old Man Gloom, Cave In, Acid Witch, Truckfighters, Tombs, Bang, Electric Citizen, Coffinworm, SubRosa, Eagle Twin, Mammatus, True Widow, Anciients, Bellwitch, Dead Meadow, Lord Dying, Death By Stereo, Radio Moscow, Ancient Altar, Samsara Blues Experiment, Atriarch, Elder, Mothership, The Well, Deathkings, Wo Fat, Rozamov, Destroyer of Light, Highlands, Bloodmoon, Slow Season, Goatsnake, Crypt Trip, Wrench, Lords of Beacon House, Tumbleweed Dealer, Sinister Haze, Blackout, Red Wizard, Banquet and Loom.

Click HERE for more (and to see the rad poster art!).

System! Like RATM, it’s been aggravating that System Of A Down have been less active during such times of unrest (not that commenting on the state of world affairs rests on the shoulders of these bands interminably). But if you have that many fans and the ear of people, please keep using it. Shavo worked w/ my homies Bad Brains and Serj’s solo albums keep getting better (“Cornucopia” has some of his best lyrics in any song, so dope), but there’s nothing like the full System barrage. It’s profoundly great still that this was the number one band the week of 9/11 (how #metalgate of me).

Anyway, the boys hit the stage at KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas over the weekend and there is great pro video you can catch. The curses were edited out by some asshole, but otherwise it is pure SOAD hypomania. Check out the full set BELOW (and let’s hope they come to their senses and make another fuckin’ album already). From a very relevant “Deer Dance” (best of the set, IMO) to a thrashing version of “B.Y.O.B.” to classic “Toxicity”, this stuff is still relevant and they nailed it at this show.

Click HERE to watch!

Listening to NPR discuss Massachusetts racial history today and the Jason Sokol book All Eyes Are Upon Us: Race and Politics From Boston To Brooklyn as I pull up the photos photographer Matt Slater graciously assembled for this live piece. Looking at Chimaira, Shadows Fall and God Forbid in metal splendor, I can’t help but feel like the better examples of geeks, thrashers and artists are ahead of the pack at times when it comes to acceptance. Shadows Fall’s greatest album, The Art Of Balance, has a title alone that is  good metaphor for the way to walk and interface with people in life. Hey, we all lose our heads sometimes ( remember when powerhouse drummer Jason Bittner yelled at Halestorm for the Grammy Win, hahah?)… But most of the time I think it is awesome we can have an underground that supports a diverse spectrum of people. When I’m at a show inclusiveness is second nature, though of course there are always some knuckleheads who just came to fuck shit up.

That said, I think overall the mark of metal core and NWoAHM is way more positive than negative. We’re going into a new Congressional period with people who don’t want to listen and want to obstruct. Scott Walker and other hobgoblins don’t care about workers, in my mind. Ted Cruz and Rand Paul or Rubio are as uneven, creepy and selective in memory as I am a fan of Kyuss. Bridgegate was appalling, NJ.  But in the underground we have a voice to help people and communities shook by Fegusson’s exposed wound! To cheer on when New York State chooses to improve definition of consent on college campuses! To just get out there and fucking rock and have a good time with OTHER PEOPLE! Look, it aint that all cops are bad or all black people are criminals. It’s about empathy for the suffering of other human beings.

Anyway, looking at these photos Slater gave us, I can’t help but feel pride and energized by what these bands gave us all. From energy to words to vision. Fuck off, haters. You aren’t constructive.

Click HERE for the shots.

Europe’s premier indoor extreme metal festival, Neurotic Deathfest, has announced new names for the 2015 installment, set to take place at 013 venue in Tilburg, Netherlands on April 17-19, 2015. Eleven new acts are confirmed, including Hate Eternal, Devourment and Nader Sadek. The organization earlier confirmed heavyweight acts such as Bloodbath and Immolation. Tickets are available through neuroticdeathfest.com.