Rolling Metal Thread 2009

I haven't been on here for a while, but I thought I'd chime in on a few things

RE: Adrian Bromley's record collection. Apparently the guy that bought it presented himself as a collector, got the whole thing for a great price (about $1 each) and then started selling it on eBay a few months later. I'm not commenting on it one way or another, but I do know a few very disappointed people that were close to him

RE: Banzai Records. Like Adrien said, we were really lucky to have Banzai in Canada. There was actually a second label doing the same thing up here at the time too, Fringe Records out of Toronto. They would license SST, Alternative Tentacles, Death Records, Metal Blade, Neat Records titles and release them here. I still have the first Corrosion of Conformity, Husker Du's New Day Rising and Flip Your Wig and Onslaught's The Force on Fringe. Fringe also had an imprint called Diabolical Force that put out the first few Sacrifice albums, the Razor albums after Attic dropped them and bands like Slaughter (Canada, you know, the one that Chuck Shuldiner was in but quit because he couldn't handle the cold weather up here).

Some of the legality of the Banzai releases have come into question over the years. I know that Jag Panzer sued them over the Banzai issue of "Ample Destruction" - I never owned that album but my friend Albert has three of them in his basement. I still have about 20 of the Banzai releases on vinyl, but I did sell off my doubles of the Metallica albums when my first son was born. I have a mint copy of "Ride The Lightning" at home that I bought recently for $15 - they go regularly at record shows for $75 now...

Wow that's disappointing to hear about Adrian's records. I can say that none of them cost me that much...

I picked up the YOB cd today in Glasgow.

There was actually a second label doing the same thing up here at the time too, Fringe Records out of Toronto. They would license SST, Alternative Tentacles, Death Records, Metal Blade, Neat Records titles and release them here.

I had no idea! Their distribution must have been really subpar, because all SST stuff was really hard to find out on the prairies in the 80s.

Weekend poll: What's your favorite way to experience live metal? Go vote and drive my traffic numbers up, please.

Looks like I'm with the majorit. Small, hot club thanks.

Really, really excited over the upcoming Absu tour. Last time they toured (can't believe that was twelve years ago - this almost counts as a reunion!) they were incredible. Any reports from the US tour last June?

Voted for DVD while practically drooling about coming Gojira show so I am a shallow hypocrite.

Listening to the three-track Coffinworm demo right now, some pretty great blackened doom. They've got a full-length due out on Profound Lore next year.

Speaking of demos, those three Saviours seven-inch singles they just put out are so killer. Really bodes well for the new full-length. They continue to improve greatly with each new release.

hey yall i haven't listened to any new (non-BM) metal in t minus 2 months, what happened in that time!?

Goatwhore blew my face off. Behemoth returned to form. Bloody Panda got even cooler. That Magrudergrind album is cool.

Don't forget Yob!

YOB!!!

i have the ahab and bloody panda albums to listen to.

nice, thats good to hear about behemoth, im gonna check that out right now actually

Yeah, that's YOB's best album to date, in my opinion. I have to give the Ahab a spin. Their last album was cool, but those darn beeped Napalm promos are never fun.

well the proper version is out now. will pick it up when i can

(ie the proper rip is also available now the albums out)

I yelled at Nathan (Napalm publicist) via email, and real copies of Ahab and Syrach showed up in the PO box this week.

now thats what i call tcb

playing the new Cynic for the first time in ages. "Nunc Stans" is amazing.

If you like Cynic, check out that new Augury. Awesome album. Love the use of melodic-but-not-wimpy vocals, it's something you don't usually hear in tech-death metal.

new stuff by the devil's blood coming out in september, apparently. anyone heard the album?

Heaven & Hell was so fantastic and inspirational. They're all in great form, Dio sounded fantastic (reaching for extra notes and nailing all of them). Vinnie's drum solo was a blast, Iommi's solo was moving, and the new material sounded great. Big shout out to the light and stage crew as the gargoyles and lights were top notch.

It was so great to see these guys be classy and excellent. It's always a bit embarrassing when Ozzy is in the house, flubbing notes. None of that with H&H.

I'm liking this Witchbreed album, Heretic Rapture. Good, principled dark metal, derived from gothic and progressive and black metal but mainly just heavy. Female singer, but more in the bluesy mode than the operatic. Not sure you'd guess from just listening that Moonspell's original bassist is involved, but it doesn't really matter.

I'm seeing Heaven and Hell tomorrow night, can't wait. They were fantastic opening for Judas Priest last year.

Adrien -- have you listened to the new Echoes of Eternity yet?

Haven't yet, but I should give it a listen today. Thanks for reminding me!

If anyone's interested, I have a review of Saturday's HAMMERS OF MISFORTUNE/LUDICRA show in Hamilton ON Canada posted at http://www.hellbound.ca/2009/08/hammers-of-misfortune-casbah-hamilton-on-august-8-2009/

I thought all the bands were really good and was super impressed by the new Toronto band SLAUGHTER STRIKE that opened the night. 2 dudes from RAMMER with some of THE ENDLESS BLOCKADE doing old school death metal ala early Entombed and Autopsy. Awesome!

As for asking about ABSU, I saw them in Toronto a few months back and really enjoyed them. They played a good cross-section off all their albums and were fun.

New Iron Age album on Tee Pee is a total blast. Assumed these guys were a tough guy HC sort of thing for ages, possibly based on the ppl who put them on in my neck of the woods; this has got tons of thrash, crossover, early 80s metal, sludge and doom in its DNA, wholly recommended

xpost - Nice to see Ludicra get some props. Best black metal band in the US and nobody ever talks about them.

New Iron Age album on Tee Pee is a total blast.

No kidding...wow, what a surprise. Definitely more metal than hardcore, which I can't help but love. That opening track is unreal.

So the new Baroness is solid. They continue to veer away from metal and into a weird grey area between metal and indie rock. But aside from dummies like me, who's this record going to appeal to? Can this cross over with more success than the (amazing) last Torche album? It'll have many metal purists thinking 'false', while it's still too heavy for the indie kids.

Terrific article on Pig Destroyer and the Maryland Deathfest, from the Washington Post Sunday magazine a week or so back.

Did you review the Baroness somewhere Adrien? I'd like to read it. Count me in on one of the "dummies" that it will probably appeal to!

Haven't reviewed it yet, just listened for the first time last night. But yeah, if you liked the more accessible parts of The Red Album, you'll love the blue one.

I'll be sure to pick it up. Thanks for the heads up.

Anyone else heard the new Gates of Slumber track on the Deciblog? The new record just might wind up being better than Conqueror if this song is any indication.

http://decibelmagazine.com/Content.aspx?ncid=323526

I'm listening to it now! The really long one (http://www.metal-archives.com/release.php?id=242424 ) is arguably the only 'doom' number on it - they couldn't be any more clear that they want to do straight up early 80s metal, albeit with the advantages of modern production. lol oh man there's a folky interlude type song with female vocals!

sorry, clarification: 'it' = the new record

Listening to the new Baroness now. I don't hear any huge leaps forward from Red Album; they've just decided they're really good at what they do and are gonna stick with it for a while. But it is really, really good. Between this and Crack the Skye, it's a really good year for heavy Southern prog.

OK, ignore my previous post. What you really need to know about the new Baroness album is that "A Horse Called Golgotha" is 2009's ultimate, smash-all-your-furniture, burn-the-house-down, run-naked-through-the-streets guitar jam. Fucking killer. When they bust this one out live (and they will), grown men will weep openly.

Thanks for linking to that Washington Post article, it really made my day. I love that image of the kid coming up to the writer and saying 'What are you, a narc?' Classic!

Anyone heard this new Cave In 4 song ep yet?

Or how about the new Necrophobic? I learned about both from Decibel today...

I gave up on Cave In after Jupiter. Not saying that album drove me away; I'm saying it was their last good one.

It is their last good one. I like some songs on the subsequent releases, but they haven't made a solid record since. Was hoping that so much time off has given them time to reflect on what once made them great.

gave the new cave in a listen for old time's sake. first song is more convincingly heavy than the forced stuff on the last album. it's aiight. the rest didn't do much for me at all.

but I'm totally psyched for the new gates of slumber! really loved the last one.

new baroness sounds cool too. expanding on the red album formula is fine by me.

Nate, are you pals with Westering? i see they signed with my fave label God Is Myth.

shoegaze bm fans here would dig them. or maybe they already dig them.

http://www.myspace.com/westeringus