Rolling Metal Thread 2012

My question was actually more of a bitter joke - if you're playing Brooklyn, which fucking everyone fucking does, I can't come to your show because of mass transit hassles.

Nate – done and done. Downloading now.

Blows my mind that anyone plays Dubuque. When I grew up there, no one came, except for maybe Rush and Billy Squier at the Five Flags Theater!

Dubuque happens for two reasons: 1) it's a perfect midpoint between Lincoln and Chicago (not to mention Minneapolis) and 2) There's one guy there fighting the good fight and making shit happen.

love those fight the good fight guys...

Is it worth my while bugging Josh at Conspiracy for the new album? I've only been reviewing stuff for a local but great music site for a little bit, so I don't want to be wasting anyone's time.

Are there any online radio stations you would recommend for interesting new metal? I think my tastes are pretty ILM-ish. I like nearly everything from the top 20 of last year's poll. Some bands I like include: Krallice, Alcest, Corrupted, Liturgy, Yob, Deathspell Omega, Blut Aus Nord, Caina, Nachtmystium, Meshuggah. Most of the online metal radio I find doesn't really seem to fit what I'm looking for (especially when I want to avoid NSBM:P).

I think I'm liking Kim Kelly, the new metal reviewer at Pitchfork, particularly after their review of the new Conan today. Anybody know if this is the same female Kim Kelly behind Catharsis PR?

and writes for terrorizer

ah-hah, thats where I've seen the name too, i couldn't remember which mag it was though

same kim kelly from freaks and geeks?

so are the rumors of watain visa problems/cancellation for the decibel tour true because if so ultra sadface

oh and speaking of tours, saw last weeks paganfest and man its getting pretty tired. huntress was TERRIBLE, basically the only thing worth seeing that hadnt been on previous bills was Arkona, who were actually pretty awesome. def didnt need to see alestorm again or turisas for the 50th time

I'm seeing Huntress next weekend, when they open for DragonForce.

so are the rumors of watain visa problems/cancellation for the decibel tour true because if so ultra sadface

i hadn't heard anything beyond this, from the Decibel blog:

Swedish black metal horde Watain have been forced to pull out of the first four shows of their previously announced Decibel Magazine Tour—scheduled to begin tomorrow (April 11) in Columbus, Ohio—due to delays in the visa process. They will join Behemoth, the Devil’s Blood and In Solitude as part of the tour on April 16 at Granada Theater in Lawrence, KS.

I know lots of people are enjoying Roadburn or whatever, but I'll settle for The Heritage Hunter Tour tomorrow night. Really seems like Mastodon is still pushing themselves away from the prog thing, the longest song they've been playing for the last couple of nights has been "Crack the Skye" at just under six minutes.

Really, really excited for the Heritage Hunter tour, it's pretty much a dream lineup for me.

But yeah, Roadburn is awesome so far. Best bands of Day 1: Year of the Goat, Christian Mistress, Horisont, Killing Joke, Agalloch, and Spiders.

Can't wait to hear a full report Adrien! I've been jealously following your Twitter feed so far. Have a blast. I'm wearing my Nachtmystium t-shirt in solidarity today.

This week's spam, worth checking out if for nothing other than the band photo in the middle of the page: http://www.decibelmagazine.com/featured/the-lazarus-pit-disharmonic-orchestras-expositionsprophylaxe/

Aw man, sounds awesome. I've been playing the Spiders EP and single nonstop this year, glad you saw 'em.

Nice to see Disharmonic Orchestra get some props! I still only have that album on cassette.

I saw Ghost and Opeth - left after the latter because I have seen Mastodon dozens of times and don't like the new album. Ghost were great, well worth the wait to see them. Nameless Dude was literally glowing in the dark, causing a couple fans next to me to remark "Wow, he's REALLY A ghost!" The NWOBHM BOC vibe really shined through live.

Opeth didn't bore me which was a rarity as they usually do. I still cannot imagine listening to an Opeth CD all the way through...

I also saw The Pretty Reckless the other night. Wow, what a great show. Taylor Momsen was rocking a Cannibal Corpse shirt. In fact, the picyure of her with the pigtails is exactly how she looked in Philly:

http://img802.imageshack.us/img802/315/taygetherlook56.jpg

(I don't know why the website says anything about Metallica, I guess they figure Metallica and Cannibal Corpse are somehow the same?!?!?)

I opined a lot more about the show in the Pretty Reckless thread for those who care.

Other April shows:

Scream (maybe; depends on finances)
Black Dahlia Murder with my Ohio friends Skeletonwitch.
Bad Brains (if I can get tickets, they sold out the Troc, WTF!!!)
Cattle Decapitation
Rammstein

I'd always liked French band Celeste, but holy crap are they ever good live. Not only is the music ultra-intense, but they play in a thick fog of smoke wearing red head lamps and using strobe lights non-stop. Incredible atmosphere.

I'd love to see Celeste live. I thought it was only me who liked them. It's what I imagine trepanation is like.

I love them too. I'm the only person I've ever seen in one of their shirts, I think.

Read that as skirts. Thought I was about to get introduced some whole new subculture thing.

I don't have the legs for them tbh.

That's the thing with third wave bm skirts. You've gotta have the pins for them. They leave you nowhere to hide.

The Heritage Hunter tour was great, I had a lot of fun. Ghost was phenomenal and they come off a lot heavier on stage, which really adds some power. Nameless Dude is such a great showman, its one thing to dress up in the demonic pop outfit, but he absolutely sells it. Opeth were fantastic, and the Heritage stuff sounded really great mixed in with the older stuff on the setlist. "Demon of the Fall" brought the house down. Mastodon was great, much better than the last time I saw them when the Crack the Skye cycle seemed to be wearing on 'em a little. They just tore through their set and everyone seemed really on.

How was the Decibel show fastnbulbous?

Decibel show in Philly is the same day as The Body at another venue... That doesn't make a damn bit of sense!

Wonder how many Deci-dudes will be at the Philly show...

It was so great! Even though it was sold out, it was totally comfortable in there, plenty of good spots. The first few songs of In Solitude's set sounded a bit murky, and I was having trouble getting into it. But I was hanging in the back waiting to get a ticket to a friend who arrived late. Once I got a good spot in the middle of the room it was much better, and I got to enjoy the twin guitar action. Then we moved up to three guitars with Devil's Blood! F (the singer) was truly spooky. In between songs she'd just stay inert like a statue with her eyes rolled back into her head. They played most of my favorites with the catchiest melodies, and near the end had two extended jams. It was pretty hypnotic, and I didn't get bored with the solos at all, as there's all sorts of twists and subtle references to the likes of Wishbone Ash and all sorts of obscure 70s European prog and folk I've probably never heard. Would live a peek at their record collections. I couldn't stay for Behemoth, as I had to get up at 6 for a race this morning, so it's just as well Watain couldn't make it.

now listening to the new Jeff Loomis - first track is fucking knuckles-down thrash tempo! and then he starts soloing...this dude's tone, fucking A. He slays. So stoked for this record. Probably going to see him live on Wednesday, fuck yes

Thantifaxath/Aesahaettr/Eggs of Gomorrh coming to my town next week, US ilxors, is this worth seeing?

I got into a flamewar with a friend of James Murphy on Murphy's Facebook page about the Violence Against Women Act. It turns out that Murphy leans Democrat but I find this atypical of most American metalheads. Why oh why are metalheads so conservative politically, relative to others in their age group and interests? I never understood this.

Can one of you guys who writes for Decibel kindly write an amazing story that addresses this phenomenon?

I feel like you could armchair analyze the phenomenon pretty easily. It might only bear a passing resemblance to the 'truth,' tho.

Huh. All the metalheads I knew growing up and know now are left-leaning. Or at least socially liberal and fiscally conservative. One calls himself a "liberaltarian".

There is not a shortage of libby metalheads, to be sure, but I (possibly because I am biased) have been shocked at the sizable number who are not.

Yeah, all the metal dudes I know are firmly on the left. Of course, I live in Los Angeles, so might have more to do with that.

Are those real bands, Siegbran, or did you just smash your fingers on the keyboard to make weird band names to make fun of us?

I love that bands are not just making logos that are unreadable but have extended it to the names themselves.

THOSE ARE REAL BANDS

There's likely a good number of metal dudes who model their politics after the Nuge:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=06XVt6zEr9E

Really? American metalheads are so right-wing that even the liberal ones are economic conservatives? The metal/hardcore guys I knew growing up were like left-anarchist. Except for the ones who were just apathetic stoners, I guess.

I guess maybe I'm thinking more of guys who were into Neurosis and Union of Uranus than guys who were into Fear Factory and Cannibal Corpse.

i wonder what guys who listen to black label society and pantera are into. Here in the UK id be surprised if they were right wing tbh.

You need some new whipping horse bands. Have you considered Five Finger Death Punch?

I think there are more right-wing metal fans than left-leaning boohoos like yours truly.

I would think most are apolitical? to me this makes sense since the majority of metal lyrics don't tackle political issues and stick to fantasy and escapism.

most metalheads I know lean left fwiw.

Siegbran I don't know those bands & was gonna say something snarky about the New Wave of North American Black Metal (which I'd generally advise you to ignore) but a quick check reveals Thantifaxath is on Dark Descent - that's a good label - they put out Goreaphobia, who're just reliably great, and Father Befouled, who were pretty enjoyable HHB-friendly BM, and Grave Ritual, who aren't breaking down any doors but have an ear for atmosphere & some chops too. Thantifaxath does however have only 1 release, a tape, to their name...I have mixed feelings about new bm bands making tapes.

Eggs of Gomorrh look like decent enough warlike bm

Another 15 new metal albums reviewed, rounded up, and ordered (including only a handful that stretch the definition -- two of which were reviewed by other people):

http://www.rhapsody.com/blog/2012/04/metal

I refuse to listen to any band with the word egg in their band name.. lol