
March has entered the chat and finds me extremely busy, so I haven’t had a lot of time to update the main site. There have been a few rad posts on our Instagram with live images and video of bands like Overkill, Prong, Escuela Grind , Sickbay, Cranial Damage and more HERE.
I have even been too busy to dig enough into the new Crowbar recod, fml. But I have been checking out the new Mares Of Thrace promo and that is a revelation of brilliance. Another record that is fun as fuck is the Bigfoot inspired The Hierarchical Ecological Succession: Welcome to the Food Chain album from Troglodyte that just dropped!
Bigfoot and death metal! What the fuck is not to love! The kick drum is insanity. If that is Bigfoot playing drums no wonder he leaves footprints everywhere because shit sounds like you are being trampled on by a butt ton of stampeding Bigfeets!
Also, they have a song called “Found Guilty In A Wrongful Death Lawsuit For Shooting A Man Wearing A Bigfoot Costume”, which is hysterical. Get on board with the cryptozoological search for the perfect metal beast HERE!
TROGLODYTE is:
Chris Wilson
Mike Flores
Brandon Mitchell
Michael Langner
Jeff Sisson
Not Harm’s Way like Astroworld being completely negligent to the safety of fans and then Kim Kardashian tweeting about selling make-up before any condolences, but Harm’s Way like one of the heaviest and legit hardcore bands in recent memory having an anniversary/remix edition of a modern classic:
After being out of print for years, we present the deluxe 10 year anniversary edition of Harm’s Way – Isolation. Expanded over two LPs, packaged in a heavy weight tip-on gatefold LP jacket with UV spot varnish, printed inner sleeves and a gatefold insert. Disc One features a re-master of Isolation by Colin Jordan while Disc Two features select tracks remixed & reimagined by Justin Broadrick (Godflesh, Jesu, JK Flesh), Andrew Nolan (Intensive Care, The Endless Blockade), Dylan Walker (Full of Hell, Sore Dream) and Petbrick (Igor Cavalera and Wayne Adams).
Get on it! I am especially loving the pulsing, fierce and 75 percent more Godflesh on club acid sounding Justin Broadrick remix of “Breeding Grounds”.
LIMP BIZKIT have just released Still Sucks on Halloween after a long time between records. While the album title will seem like a glaring Primus bite to anyone from the earlier 90’s than Limp’s heyday and “Turn It Up, Bitch” knowingly winks and nods biting Cypress Hill vibes, while Wes has his worst outfit maybe ever with a vaguely offensive weird chin of a different skin tone, the group have still managed to release their best record in a long time.
The main strength here is they sound more self-aware than ever. It is very meme conscious/meta (and no, I am not a Zuck fan).
These dudes weren’t incapable of ever having fun or taking the piss, but the new record raises the bar on the in on it (“dad” aka Beastie Boys) vibes and finds them really playing to their warts and all strengths the most, even if he says b+tch an obnoxious amount of times and it is overkill.
The style is not as eternally fresh as Fred boasts, or it wouldn’t need so many gimmicks. But it still jams hard. The songwriting is mostly fun and every song is memorable…, from the melodic ballad “Don’t Change” to the show starter and standout giant weirdo guitar riffage track “Out Of Style” about doing your own thing regardless of popularity changes. The production is great and the riffs sound huge, while I personally always love record scratching and don’t care if haters hate it in hard rock. The funniest and most self-deprecating song “Love The Hate” shows the band really don’t care if you hate them anyway over a cool experimental groove. But the album also started out with a sample about doing better in the world, so…?
“Barnacle” aspires to STP/Nirvana grungy crunch and ought to be great energy if they play it live. Despite the obvious influences, it is a rockin’ tune ostensibly about clingers and party poopers that comes in refreshingly at under two minutes and pretty much works well.
By the time the well written and smooth “Goodbye” hits with bravely perilous Maroon 5/Sugar Ray vibes (a weird way to end their career if it is their actual goodbye), you’ll nonetheless have had a good time and begrudgingly admit they are talented if you hated them. They aren’t really chasing likes anyway.
Steve Austin of Today Is The Day has released all 13 of the pioneering outsider band’s major recorded statements onto streaming platforms via SuperNova Records. All the way back to How To Win Friends And Influence People!
SuperNova Records was most prevalent in the late 1990s and early 2000s, releasing a wide array of independent underground rock and metal artists. The label has been ramped up over recent months and now emerges in full-time capacity, uniting TODAY IS THE DAY’s vast catalog under the artist’s control.
I always prefer artist friendly Bandcamp, so here is that link.
TODAY IS THE DAY will release a new album through SuperNova in 2022 as well, with many other new projects already in the works, including records from new label signings GRIDFAILURE and WOORMS, among others.
I have been listening to Pain Is A Warning throughout the day today and I marveled at how the TITD discography all works so seamlessly together regardless of what twists and turns the band took over the years (and what supporting characters were playing alongside Steve). The mellow “This Is You” is getting me through this sweltering Summer evening and putting me in a contemplative mode.
Hails to Steve. More consistent album to album than fucking Black Sabbath! (Speaking of which, the best ever cover of “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” is still a secret closer track on Temple Of The Morning Star, fear not). Much respect for showing that year after year through blood, sweat and tears you can live a life for the underground.
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While brains reel from the moronic false equivalency that rappers are “bullied by the Gay community” (according to T.I.), let me just ask if I imagined “No Vaseline” being critically acclaimed for years despite how problematic it always was? Or Army Of The Pharaohs being basically unlistenable to me due to how many times the songs say F++got. If you want to use a genre that is inherently supposed to be anti-bigotry to spew insecure, weak projected cis het toxic masculinity, see a fucking therapist. It’s 2021, enough bullshit.
Underdark finally have released their Our Bodies Burned Bright On Re-Entry opus, which felt at times like it would never arrive! Five sturdy tunes from the anti-fascist black metal collective full of atmosphere, dark grace and hope for a better world! What’s not to love? The distortion will knock you backwards and the compositions are very well arranged with never a drop of feeling sacrificed. And they aren’t narcissistic draconian conservative edgelord bootlickers misdirected into thinking they are rebels! Always a plus in black metal! And that cover art is stunning.
By the time you get through the numerous explosive, heart rending moments to the climactic dirge of “Skeleton Queen” your jaw will be on the floor.
For Vinyl/CS/ Digital Downloads, Please visit:
Surviving Sounds (UK): survivingsounds.bandcamp.com
Through Love Records (Euro): shop.throughloverec.com
Tridroid Records US/CAN): tridroid.bandcamp.com
Kris Esfandiari has some of the most inventive vocal patterns in modern music, soothing, terrifying, jazzy and commanding from one measure to the next.
Also out today of course is the essential new King Woman album Celestial Blues, which I couldn’t possibly gush about more. It is truly a divine day for groundbreaking and imaginative, soul-stirring heavy releases. You can read my review of Celestial Blues right here, five out of five stars. Fucking Hell, I’d give it more if our site module was designed that way, lol. Kris and company deserve all the props in the world for how real they go into places many fear to tread, genuine shadow work shit. The way out is through. Fucking unreal levels of awesome. “Golgotha” and “Morning Star” ALONE as a two song 7″ would already be two of the most memorable songs of any year, compelling vocal layering paired with sophisticated musical choices creating massive results.
These two records are two of my absolutely most stoked for releases for 2021 and I am thrilled they have arrived to make life more bearable, especially after a week where we had so much loss in the metal and rock world. Forward, march.
Add to My RadarTo celebrate the 10 year anniversary of the vital underground label, NEFARIOUS INDUSTRIES has released a massive 74 song label sampler celebrating everything they have put out! Acts like Blight House, A Fucking Elephant, Maid Myriad, Cinema Cinema, Hiraki, Gridfailure, Nequient, Globelamp, BedtimeMagic, Lavisher, Trillionaire, Those Darn Gnomes, Megalophobe, El Drugstore, East Of The Wall, my project Walking Bombs, Ghost Simpson, Psychosomatic, Dying Whale, Bangladeafy and many more are present and accounted for!
Originally founded as an outlet for El Drugstore and A Fucking Elephant, two of the most obnoxious bands to come out of the great state of New Jersey in recent memory, Nefarious Industries has grown into a label that showcases the most adventurous and least commercially viable artists it can manage to locate.
Add to My RadarHelloween‘s S/T new album is, frankly, smashing some pumpkins! That is to say it is kicking ass! The album is the first released with the “Pumpkins United” line-up, which marked the return of original member Kai Hansen on guitars and vocals and Michael Kiske on vocals in 2016, in addition to the five-member line-up active since 2005.
Says the veteran heavy metal institution: “Our new album, Helloween has now reached top positions worldwide, more than ten Top 10 entries with an incredible number #1 in Germany and Spain, as well as more #1 positions at the physical charts in Sweden, Finland as well as the rock charts in the United Kingdom! THANK YOU, PUMPKINHEADS AROUND THE WORLD!”
The Germany and Spain news gave me power metal chills of joy and reverence. How rad to see metal still loved and welcome in the wider world. Are they having the “Best Time” of their journey? Hard to say, but certainly an awesome win for the band! All Hail the Pumpkin King, etc.
As someone who feels like Sadness Will Prevail will still be ahead of the curve 100 years from now (only “PASAQALIA” by Liturgy sounds remotely akin to some of it, in my frame of reference), I am super stoked to help spread the word on some huge TODAY IS THE DAY news. Founder Steve Austin has control over and reissued his Entire Fucking Back Catalog!!! through SuperNova Records. New Material Plus Albums From GRIDFAILURE And WOORMS is also confirmed! Steve will reissue each classic TITD title across all digital platforms and in physical formats, including Bandcamp where the entire catalog is now currently playing. Time for some “Bee’s Wax and Star Wars”, baby.
Steve wrote: Oh Man! I’m so happy that this day has finally come. I’ve had to be quiet to save the surprise. Over the last months, I’ve been working on starting SuperNova and getting all of the original Analog Masters together for Today Is The Day. It took a while, but now the entire catalog is presented in it’s most natural, and awesome sounding state. I re-mastered: Supernova, Willpower, Self-Titled, Sadness Will Prevail, Kiss The Pig, Live Till You Die, and Axis of Eden. All of the originals were run through 1970’s Neve’s and state of the art Apogee Symphony MkII SE Mastering Convertors. I’m truly happy with the sound of every single record. I can’t wait for you to hear these definitive versions of the TITD rock! You guys inspire me and I’m hoping that our new label will not only deliver the power rock TITD jams to you, but also New Jams, by Amazing Bands like Woorms and Gridfailure. I wanna pay respects to my heroes, Tom Hazelmyer and Jello Biafra, AMRep, Touch N GO, Earache, and Sub Pop with this new label. New Music!!!! Anyways, I thank everyone on here for being true TITD and I look forward to all the fun we are gonna have!!!!
Add to My RadarIrish metal band FOR RUIN is proud to release a 10-track CD titled SET IN STONE. The CD will be available from today as a special limited edition from the band’s Bandcamp.
Set In Stone features two brand new and previously unreleased tracks, unique to the Set In Stone physical CD release along with the 8 songs that were previously released digitally as the ELAPSE and RELAPSE EPs during the past year. The new songs plus old bangers (including the punishing “Only The Dead”) showcase this band’s expert control over the carnage inducing power of melodic yet extreme metal guitars, churning rhythms and take no prisoners vocals. RIYL At The Gates, Cradle of Filth, etc.
The 10 songs have been mastered by Marko Tervonen (The Crown) at Studio-MT, in Sweden. Artwork for the CD comes from Ken Coleman (Morbid Angel, The Cranberries etc).
1 – Wrack & Ruin
2 – Set In Stone
3 – Elapse
4 – Fuel To The Fire
5 – The Worm Turned
6 – The Measure Of A Man
7 – Devout
8 – Only The Dead
9 – In Vain
10 – Bastion
Band Discography
Set In Stone CD (2021)
Relapse EP (2021)
Elapse EP (2020)
Ater Angelus CD (Full length, 2013)
Mortal EP, (2013)
Last Light (CD, 2009)
Enlightened EP, (2013)
December (CD, 2007)
Demos – Split (2004), Shade (2005) & Obsidian (2006)
Portland’s WITCH VOMIT return to fill the hungry, gaping death metal hole in our hearts. As metal fans we know it can never truly be filled and that we will always crave more, but this band comes pretty damn close to satiating our death needs! Abhorrent Rapture is out digitally via 20 Buck Spin! Some of the band’s best work yet, dirty and punishing death metal with an obligatory for the genre spooky intro.
Pre Order physical copies HERE from 20 Buck Spin.
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Noise architect Gridfailure, the experimental ongoing catharsis of David Brenner, has teamed up with world-renowned trumpet player Mac Gollehon for an entire album, Dismemberment Cabaret. Stream it at MetalSucks HERE in advance of its official Nefarious Industries release tomorrow, May 21. Open your mind and let these masters of avant-garde brain melting noise jazz alter it forever. RIYL Miles Davis, Nadja, Boredoms, John Zorn, Painkiller.
Add to My RadarWhen I purchased the digital version of the Awenden/Feminazgul split (out today) via Tridroid I got extra good temperance karma because there was only one copy of the limited first edition tape version of the release left but I left it for some other lucky metalhead.
I hit play on “Sam Slater Lighting Candles” earlier and fell into the lush and drifting opening sounds like Alice down the rabbit hole. A lot of us have been really crossing our fingers this inspired split (from two of the current most actually relevant bands in black metal) was really happening. Stop pinching yourselves, comrades. Or pinch harder? Either way… it is here and lives entirely up to the low key, best kept secret buzz that preceded the arrival of this release. Meredith Yayanos theremin power is never a bad thing!
So yeah, dig into this and get the foul taste of Belphegor using homophobic slurs out of your mind and into the dustbin where hate speech belongs. A better world is indeed possible.