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Metal Riot’s 50 Best of 2017

Posted by Morgan Y Evans - Walking Bombs on Thursday, November 16, 2017 at 3:11 PM (PST)

2017 managed to be even more exhausting and painful than 2016, for the most part. I hate to sound so negative (despite writing for a metal blog), but it is the truth. Thankfully we had so much good music to help save us from extinction. While we lost many more great artists this year to the great beyond, this list alone is a reminder that a lot of kick ass bands are just hitting their stride. Rock n’ roll is in safe hands as long as acts like these take the time to remain so invested in their art. Yes, even Gwar (hahaha).

While in the past we have often had lengthy descriptions for each album that made our rather amorphic year end lists, this year (album of the year excluded), we listed the artist name and the album cover. It is less about being lazy than encouraging you to discover some of this music for yourself. Live in it a little or discover something new without preconceptions other than the recommendation (though let’s get real, if you are reading Metal Riot you prob stay attuned to the goings ons of many an obscure or well known band anyhow). But yeah, we wrote about it all year long, after all…let’s experience it together. Smack the tambourine together and slit our wrists and twist and shout and all that crap.

Suffice to say, it is awesome to see a wide variety of sub genres, related branches and different types of people represented. We hope you feel the same. You BETTER feel the same when it comes to the awesomeness of having several antifascist black metal bands on our list. And anybody who wants to complain about Limp Wrist beating out some more “metal” acts hasn’t heard how intense, timely and passionate Facades is.

From Life Of Agony‘s explosive comeback supporting Mina Caputo to Woe‘s scorching “No Blood Has Honor” (and the album that houses it) to the hits you in the gut critically acclaimed Zeal and Ardor record to Bell Witch‘s engulfing latest opus to Kreator breaking the sound barrier to Wage War even proving there is still some life in Metalcore, you’ll find quite a lot to digest here and revisit or look up if you already haven’t heard or purchased these babies.

Thanks to all our staff writers who participated. June, Tyrus, Andrew , Jessica and… myselves.

Anyway, there will be some random posts here and there before the end of 2017 on Metal Riot, but I am scaling back the next few weeks to deal with some very important family stuff, start the next stage of my transition mindfully, brace for the holidays and to both help assist with the next Globelamp album AND work on an EP I am doing as Walking Bombs in collaboration with the noise project Gridfailure. Thanks for everyone who gives a shit! I’m extra stoked on a lot of the records this year as well as the piece we got to run on the Warzone NYHC tribute.

Terviseks

Read the METAL RIOT BEST OF LIST 2017 BELOW.

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More On: Hard Rock, Exclusive, Life of Agony, Napalm Records

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Up From The Grave: DREADLORDS’ “Reapers” roasts the beating, dark heart of the USA

Posted by Morgan Y Evans - Walking Bombs on Wednesday, September 27, 2017 at 9:34 AM (PST)

“Dreadlords is a black metal band (occult blues, grim folk, Satanic gospel), just not conducted in the usual format.” – J. Gannon

I found an old journal last night from about fifteen years ago and tore out a page in which I’d scribbled that ,“Life is like passing through a fogging yolk and maybe breaking loose into a heaven, but no guarantee?” Dreadlords, an experimental group from Upper Black Eddy, Pennsylvania who feature members of industrial flirting ritual occult act T.O.M.B. , seem to be searching out their own meaning to creation and our human experience navigating the perils of darkness and light’s perpetual tug of war with the soul. I’ve mainly been listening to them, Nate Hall’s lonely latest and the ethereal darkness of Lisa Cuthbert’s HEX TAPES the last few days and finding a lot of comfort in both during some quite shitty personal struggles.

In the garish glare of American mainstream culture, one could quickly be forgiven for wanting to pare things down to something more gritty, personal and close to the Earth. Blues, metal, gospel and – to my generally ringing ears, anyway – even some No Wave bordering punk influences combine with growling oral traditions and lonely campfire ritual soul-bearing to create a unique sound on the group’s 2017 release REAPERS.

Honestly, I ate a pot brownie and listened to this thing just last night out in the middle of the woods with a creative cohort, such is the return investment on these songs. It is taking the sort of wallop of the much more linear stoner rock band Lo-Pan’s “Marathon Man” to smack me back to reality this morning from my brain’s wanderings out on the edges of a REAPERS night time dream which transcends realms and archetypes like the musical equivalent of King and Straub’s The Talisman. If anyone wants to bring some strong black coffee and some hugs and kisses to where I am de-fogging in bed, that would also be appreciated.

But yes, Zimimay, Samantha Viola and J. Gannon made a not too modest dent on the underground’s psyche with the uncompromising black psych blues release Death Angel , which featured some potent declarations of intent via the likes of “Dreadlords Cometh” and “Thieves Of Faith”. REAPERS expands the scope the mysterious act’s rising Mojo, personalizing the experience even further with a deep dive into the soul’s longings and laments.

More BELOW.

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More On: xx No Genre xx, Exclusive, Dreadlords,

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Interview: Belgian band Diablo Blvd – Alex Agnew on new record “Zero Hour”

Posted by Morgan Y Evans - Walking Bombs on Tuesday, September 19, 2017 at 5:13 PM (PST)

‘Politicians, religious organizations and media were probably always corrupt, but it’s more difficult for them to hide it now. On the contrary: it would seem they’re not even trying to hide it anymore! They’re just counting on the apathy of the general public.’ – Alex Agnew

Diablo Blvd have from Belgium pair bold vocal melodies with various shades of rock that travel from light to dark while staying rooted to the core hard hitting sound. Their new record Zero Hour brings in some New Wave and New Romantic influences further while adding more heft to the group’s hard rock punch. Be sure to pre order HERE (it comes out very soon on 9/22 via Metalville).

Alex Agnew stops by today to discuss touring, influences, the state of the world, playing music for everyone and much more. Check it out BELOW.

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More On: Hard Rock, Exclusive, Diablo Blvd, Nuclear Blast

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Interview: guitar virtuoso Al Joseph talks inspiration and “All of Creation”

Posted by Morgan Y Evans - Walking Bombs on Thursday, September 14, 2017 at 3:54 PM (PST)

It is not often you hear someone as clearly at home with a guitar in their hands as true virtuoso Al Joseph. I don’t listen to mostly instrumental guitarists that often, though I do get down to some Marty Friedman and love Scale The Summit, but I was so blown away when I heard Al Joseph’s recent stratospheric All Of Creation record that I had to track the man down and ask him about writing it, his technique, inspirations, hope and dreams, etc.

What a cool person! I promise if you listen to this record you will be very inspired to create, experience and LIVE! Satriani, Pettruci, Townsend Project and Reid fans will be into this for sure, but really you don’t have to love technical leads to find a human element here to latch on to. We here at Metal Riot highly advise you make some time for Al’s amazing art.

Interview: 36 Crazyfists’ “Lanterns” is a shining affirmation of 23 loud years

Posted by Morgan Y Evans - Walking Bombs on Thursday, September 7, 2017 at 1:08 AM (PST)

“…It’s about moving forward and leaving what’s behind you exactly that, behind you.” – Brock Lindow

Everyone sort of recalls the cover art for 36 Crazyfists‘ A Snow Capped Romance the best, perhaps. It is kind of the record art you maybe subtly most associate with the band as far as branding, even though I listen to other albums by them more. But I feel like the NEW artwork for Lanterns sort of fits them as a band the most. The traveler faces the cold and the road ahead but is not overcome by it, a solid metaphor for an inspirational band that has pushed forward no matter what for over two decades as a leading light in grooving, depressive, melodic nu hardcore fusion and hard rock. There was a solid thumbs up from fans for the new track “Death Eater”, which premiered recently at Loudwire .

This group just really hits the sweet spot for me as far as cultivating their own sound and path/holding their own no matter what is the current biggest trend. I think they fuckin’ slay year after year.

It was great to catch up with vocalist Brock and learn more about the ebb and flow of sadness and motivation that fed one of the strongest releases yet from a band with plenty of good songs under their belts already.

Interview: Takhisis will lock you in a doomy London dungeon (for dragons)

Posted by Morgan Y Evans - Walking Bombs on Sunday, September 3, 2017 at 2:52 PM (PST)

‘Looking at a lot of history and myth, women have been treated as a “temptress” or “seductress” – forcing “pure” men to commit evil. Even in this day and age, a lot of people treat women as monsters.’ -PR

Running out the door to see Laetitia Sadier Source Ensemble play up the street so I am not writing the longest intro for this, but Pope Richard is a positive force in the underground metal scene and likes a lot of my snarkiest Twitter posts about politics that a lot of people think go too far, haha. Blackened Death is an incredible label more people should support and he is a major force behind it. Fucking A+ stuff that breaks stereotypes about metal as a haven for hate groups while still pushing very classic elements and the cutting edge? Look no further!

I also was a dungeon master as a kid and at several points in my life have actually OWNED every Dragonlance book save two or three harder to find joints like Murder In Tarsis (have it now) and Love & War (have it now as well, haha). Of course I was thrilled to see Pope Richard has a musical project called Takhisis! This was a metal band name that needed to exist. The record fucking slaaaaayyyys as well, doomy self-made perfection that rocks hard but is just rough enough around the edges to keep it feeling more hungry and coming for you.

Read our chat BELOW in the Abyss.

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More On: Doom Metal, Exclusive, Takhisis,

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Interview: Freddy Alva talks ‘Urban Styles: Graffiti In New York Hardcore”

Posted by Morgan Y Evans - Walking Bombs on Saturday, August 26, 2017 at 1:14 PM (PST)

Freddy Alva/ Photo by Jammi Sloane York

“I believe that the main running thread during graffiti’s infancy in the mid-1960s, and its subsequent expansion during the following decades, was the underlying element of this movement being a youth-driven one.” – Freddy Alva

New York City. New York Hardcore.

Everyone knows that both the place and musical style have had a legendary impact in shaping wider culture and tastes around the globe. New York is forever the hub of America, the place where the Statue of Liberty (our strongest symbol of hope and justice despite what assholes like Trump’s failed Muppet fascist buddy Stephen Miller would have you believe) looks benignly outward welcoming and holding her torch high.

Everyone knows Judge, Sick Of It All, Madball, Burn, Killing Time, Skarhead and countless other influential and aggressive acts who have rallied crowds, raised adrenaline levels and blown minds for years. When it comes to the huge impact of graffiti on the world, the parallels are most often shown between hip hop music and graf artists. Some cool documentaries exist as well. When it comes to the rise of NYHC and the impact and synergy between fans and players with the graffiti world, the story is still more clouded in the wider mass consciousness.

A fantastic new book aims to change that. Urban Styles: Graffiti In New York Hardcore (DiWulf Publishing) is a crucial and comprehensive guide featuring photos, interviews from key players and lots of informative info related in an at times informal but very real and insiders style manner. It is our immense pleasure today to share with our readers an interview with author Freddy Alva, a long time scene member and expert who has shaped this labor of love into a very special moment for fans of New York, the music, street art and the people.

Freddy was very active in the DIY culture of hardcore from the outset; he was a fixture at such venerated venues as CBGB during the heyday of their Sunday matinees. Along with friend and fellow NYHC stalwart Chaka Malik, Freddy covered the music scene through his fanzine New Breed and eventually released a well-known and highly revered compilation cassette that featured some of the most influential bands of the time, The New Breed Comp. A recent documentary sharing the same name has been released to critical acclaim.

More below.

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More On: Punk, Exclusive, Cro-Mags, Century Media

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Happy 20th Bday to Brutal Truth’s monumental “Sounds of the Animal Kingdom”

Posted by Morgan Y Evans - Walking Bombs on Tuesday, August 22, 2017 at 5:48 PM (PST)

A lot of people know Brutal Truth, perhaps the heaviest grind band that ever snarled and raged beneath a mushroom cloud of bong smoke, for their Sounds of the Animal Kingdom album the best. It simply comes down to the cover art being so fucking bad ass (though Need To Control has a killer front cover as well) and the fact that Relapse seemed to really give it a good push, arguably one of the records that helped kick start the post-early days ascendancy of the label along with some other classics like Neurosis’ Through Silver In Blood or DEP’s Calculating Infinity, for example. As extreme and interesting as those bands were, Brutal Truth are simply not palatable in basically any way for most people, even open minded ones. You have to be all about the grind, sludge and chaos with a smear of politics and loathing for the inanity of humanity.

For me, this was the first album that really made me ‘get’ grindcore and was a huge mental puzzle piece in moving me towards the most extreme stuff in my collection being Fear Factory and some Death or Sepultura to fully embracing Napalm Death, checking out Repulsion, yadda yadda. I still think Kevin Sharp has the most fearsome bellow and it does more for me than a lot of even lower gurgle death metal vocals like, say, Nile or Pathology (not to take anything away from them). Cannibal Corpse may have had the extreme record art and some fierce growls, but Kevin Sharp always sounded like he had just half eaten someone and was yelling at them DURING the cannibalistic act.

Animal Kingdom is a perfect storm capturing in desperation in our collective, obsessive and narcissistic society. It shoves reality in your face and laughs at the idea of civilization, laying bare our cruelty as the most destructive force in the food chain.

The band had done some great stuff in the past with Colin Richardson or Steve McAllister who had credits with Crisis and Corrosion Of Conformity, among others. Animal Kingdom found the group getting one of their most vivid and intense sounds yet with the help of Billy Anderson. This record was able to match some of the social commentary of an early track like “Anti-Homophobe” that was so promising with some of the crushing heaviness of Need To Control, refining all sides of the band’s strengths into a magnificent onslaught on “Jemenez Cricket” or “Postulate Then Liberate.” And there is hardly even much you can say about the Lilker and Hoak rhythm section insanity besides ,“Holy fuck!”

For guitarist Brent McCarthy, this was his swan song with the group, as high point of an exit as you are likely to find in metal (though BT made great albums after him in the years to come as well). I can remember staring at the graves and skyline montage on the back artwork and getting freaked out at the push of mortality and the oppressive stupidity of my fellow man, something all too prominent in the news again these days like almost never before. Sept. 23rd marks twenty years of this smashterpiece and everything else is STILL not loud or fast enough. Light one up and give the old girl a spin if you haven’t in awhile (or even if you have).

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More On: Grindcore, Exclusive, Brutal Truth, Relapse Records

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Blake Judd talks return, homelessness, opiods and ‘Resilient’

Posted by Morgan Y Evans - Walking Bombs on Thursday, August 10, 2017 at 8:20 PM (PST)

.The wrongs I committed to support my addiction…I paid for in mental scars that I can never wipe from my mind. All I can do is make sure, every day, that I never, ever make the decision to bring that awful garbage back into my life to ensure that I never have to see or experience anything like that ever again. And through being of service to people who are in the shoes I used to be in today, maybe I can use these awful experiences as a deterrent for others to stop before they go through the hell I experienced.

…I did not “kill” my girlfriend. I did not “use” with my girlfriend. And I certainly did EVERYTHING I could to save her when I found her….but it was just too late. – Blake Judd

We talk about mental health stuff briefly after a celebrity dies and the rest of the time try to ‘trigger’ one another with memes. No wonder some people choose to drop out of society any which way they can. Not that every conversation in life needs to be “are you ok?”, but generally it seems rites of separation are more commonplace than a gathering of those with allegiance to forging deeper opportunities in metal to make the extremity mean bonds, healing and conversation . At live shows I usually see unity for the most part amongst metal crowds. Though cynicism might mainly be in the world of online trolls, it is good to address stuff head on rather than in the self churning bowels of the comments sections of metal sites and Facebook at times.

I just saw Katie Von Schleicher live in a small venue and was taken out of my daily stress and into a reflective moment, moved by the soulful music. Life is such a fast house of mirrors sometimes and we shine in some and stumble through others, cutting ourselves and fragmenting in the eyes of those around us. Sometimes the process is completely painful and other times it leads us to seeing ourselves differently or more completely as shards are swept up.

Blake Judd is back with a very unexpected EP called Resilient. They have signed a new 2 album global deal with a new home that includes the Resilient EP as well. Full announcement in late August / early September, but the Resilient EP achieves Blake’s goal of creating an album experience in 3 songs. I have heard it and longtime fans will be thrilled with the variety. Early darker experimental black metal is paired with some of the deepest places you have heard different incarnations of the band go to yet, but as a logical extension of where things left off on the previous few releases.

More BELOW.

All photos courtesy of Nachtmystium.

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More On: Black Metal, Exclusive, Nachtmystium,

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Interview: Casting Ships – “From The State Of New York” and much more.

Posted by Morgan Y Evans - Walking Bombs on Monday, July 24, 2017 at 7:14 PM (PST)

Casting Ships are a Kingston, NY based nautical folk punk band who grew up on hardcore and cut their teeth on a deep love for the scene. The band is now a duo made up of Rob Samps on vocals and guitar and Nikki Mayone on cello. They are about to drop one of the gems of the Summer with new release From The State Of New York on Burning Capital Collective. The five song EP was recorded Nada Studios by the great John Naclerio (My Chemical Romance, I Am The Pilot) and will likely turn the head of anyone unfamiliar with the group who hears it as well as please older fans.

I caught up with Samps and had a lengthy chat about the record, the country and a LOT more. Casting Ships are about to open for famed ex-Faith No More and Bad Brains vocalist Chuck Mosley and will have cds available at the show. They have a lot of other stuff on their plate as well.

We don’t really pander to people with short attention spans like a lot of sites these days. If a conversation is interesting but long, chances are we will go way above other sites word counts here. If that offends you, don’t be the daft twit who writes tl;dr on our Fbook page. If it wasn’t for you, go back to twiddling your thumbs liking 800 random Instagram photos and speaking in emojis as you post your 800th Snapchat dog ears/nose selfie.

For those of you who can handle a nuanced hour long conversation, by all means come aboard BELOW.

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More On: Punk, Exclusive, Casting Ships,

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Deep Cuts: CROWBAR

Posted by Morgan Y Evans - Walking Bombs on Sunday, July 23, 2017 at 5:59 PM (PST)

Few bands reward die hard fans over and over again as well as the metallic sludge cavalcade that is Kirk Windstein’s long adventuring CROWBAR. One of the most potent to this very day veteran bands and one of the first more extreme groups I remember being really blown away by many years ago on Headbanger’s, CROWBAR have delivered album after album and monster riff after monster riff.

The band has some of the most revered heavy gems and arrangements in metal to true metal fans and yet also speak in the eternal secret language of the real underground, purveyors of shadow hits that are the “lifesblood for the downtrodden”, so to speak. Like Candlemass, The Obsessed, Orange Goblin or other bands who are not as big as Sabbath but row in equally heady and heavy waters, CROWBAR are hugely inspirational for those who furrow the brow and trudge through this world while carrying a lot of it on their back.

Today we usher CROWBAR into our DEEP CUTS vault, revealing our choices for three songs from the band that we think are lesser appreciated and yet truly bad ass numbers.

More BELOW.

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More On: Doom Metal, Exclusive, Crowbar, Candlelight Records

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Interview: Ben Murray of Wilderness Dream talks getting brutal on ‘Paralysis Rise’

Posted by longhairedpoet on Tuesday, July 18, 2017 at 10:57 AM (PST)

Photo by Jake Cunningham

Wilderness Dream released their most recent effort, Paralysis Rise on July 14 (you can grab a digital copy of it over at Bandcamp for $7). Leading up to the release of the album, I had the opportunity to sit down with Wilderness Dream guitarist and vocalist Ben Murray, who is also the label head of Creator-Destructor Records.

Ben is a cool guy who has been involved in the scene in various bands and through his work with Creator-Destructor Records for over ten years, and with Paralysis Rise and Wilderness Dream, he shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, him and his fellow Wilderness Dream thrashers are dropping the melody for speed and brutality on their latest studio effort.

Check out what Ben had to say about the album, Creator-Destructor and what’s next for Wilderness Dream here.

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More On: Thrash, Exclusive, Wilderness Dream, Creator-Destructor Records

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Stream HAUNTED HORSES “Come” Right Now.

Posted by Morgan Y Evans - Walking Bombs on Sunday, July 16, 2017 at 7:58 AM (PST)

We are very excited today to get to reveal to you a full stream of West Coast post-punk duo HAUNTED HORSES new EP “Come”. It’s fantastic, driving and persistently ominous in a seductive way. The record is out imminently on Cercle Social (Pre-order HERE).

Recorded by Myke Pelly at Crybaby Studios (Seattle, WA)
Mixed by Myke Pelly and Blake Bickel
Mastered by Blake Bickel at Dynamic Sound Service
Artwork by Myke Pelly

Guitar/Vox: Colin Dawson
Drums: Myke Pelly

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More On: Punk, Exclusive, Haunted Horses,

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Five must hear 2017 releases that don’t overstay their welcome

Posted by Morgan Y Evans - Walking Bombs on Thursday, July 13, 2017 at 11:38 AM (PST)

Poison Blood

Some albums are simply better as a less is more statement. It doesn’t mean the music is bad, rather that the record goes for maximum impact. Hardcore is usually pretty traditionally on point about this but metal is not always adept at reeling back on the grandiose enough to actually trim enough fat to make some records all killer. I doubt half as many people would have hated Load by Metallica for example if it wasn’t so B-load-ted at over an hour of music. “Bleeding Me” is a kick ass song and over eight minutes long by itself. Does anyone even really remember how “Poor Twisted Me” goes other than that it had a so so blues intro? “Wasting My Hate” is not exactly up there with the band’s classics either. Only die hards can sing along to that or “The House That Jack Built” despite a few cool riff progressions in each, but everyone knows the damn words and every note of “Sad But True”, get me?

Below are a handful (list kept intentionally short on purpose in lieu of the topic at hand) of 2017 albums that are short, sweet and leave you wanting more.

See more BELOW.

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More On: Black Metal, Exclusive, Krieg, Candlelight Records

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Formative Years: 5 album picks/part 6. Bryce Lucien of SEEKER

Posted by Morgan Y Evans - Walking Bombs on Friday, July 7, 2017 at 1:34 AM (PST)

SEEKER has been perhaps the coolest band on Victory for awhile now, completely uncompromising and out to craft their own approach. Bryce stops by today to take part in our latest edition of Formative Years!

Read BELOW for five records that molded his approach to chaos!