Rolling Metal Thread 2010

The new one by Apostle of Solitude sounds fantastic so far. If you like the Gates of Slumber, Candlemass, and Solitude Aeternus, you'll love this. I'd even go as far as to say they have a better sense of melody than Gates.

http://www.myspace.com/apostleofsolitude

Orphaned Land - The Never Ending Way of ORwarriOR (Century Media) Jan 25 Europe [Feb 9 US]

This seems to be quite an event. They're doing a good job promoting it on their site and Myspace at least. Anyone order a signed deluxe copy? Tempting, but it's $30.
http://www.orphaned-land.com/shop.php

Well, considering all their other CDs are $25 without being signed (at least on that link), can't say its too much more.

So excited for that album. Didn't someone on this thread say they've already heard it?

Speaking of Orphaned Land, couple great shows coming to the Bottom Lounge in Chicago this March - Orphaned Land, Indian, and A Storm of Light one night and Kreator, Voivod, Nachtmystium, Evile, and Lazarus AD two nights before.

March metal madness!

The Orphaned Land album turned out to be quite a big disappointment, at least for me. It goes through a lot of the same motions as Mabool, but is far too overbearing, and aside from "Sapari" and a couple other tracks, lacks the charm of that record.

Really disappointed that I was feeling sick and had to miss the Behemoth show in Seattle last night. Anyone on the list make it?

I've been listening to the new Rotting Christ album for a review. It's one of those bands that I'm not sure if I should take seriously or not. There's so many silly elements that creep into the mix that I am wont to dismiss it.

I've got a profile of Behemoth in the Cleveland Scene this week; here's the link if you're interested.

Currently listening to Wolvhammer, a quartet from Minnesota who do a noisy, shrieky black-death-punk-thrash thing that's a little bit Hellhammer, a little bit grindcore, and, somewhat more weirdly, a little bit Samhain. You can download both their self-released EPs at wolvhammer.blogspot.com, and they're working with Sanford Parker on a full-length, so that could be something worth hearing.

Whoops; that Behemoth link's no good. Here 'tis.

ok must investigate this wolvhammer thing, i live here and have never heard of them

That Wolvhammer description sounds good, dling the EPs right now.

whoa had a very creeped out phear that they were some sort of NS stuff there (the working class masthead and the logo echoing the h4mm3r sk1n5 insignia) but that can't be right can it?

listening to the stuff on the apostle of solitude myspace. was not into at first but am gradually being won over.

singer reminds me of the dude from only living witness, heh.

and wow, I really hate the cover(s) for their new record:

http://i945.photobucket.com/albums/ad295/astrocreep_ws6/PLore_Cover_LoRes.jpg
http://i945.photobucket.com/albums/ad295/astrocreep_ws6/ELS_Cover_LoRes.jpg

more power to ya for not phoning it in w/something like a barbarian cutting an orc in half or whatever... but yuck.

ok pretty sure that the wolvhammer dudes arent racists but jesus they need to change that image because its waaaaaayy too close to something that would be troubling to a whole lot of people (still freaks me out tbh)

ok, I had never heard of the h4mm3r sk1n5. just googled them and yikes. that wolvhammer logo has got to be a reference to the hs logo. right??

that is, logo coupled with the "working class" masthead that you mentioned

on a more positive note, anyone heard this "new" buzzov*en thing? i had no idea it existed until wandering over to the decibel site to check out subscription options and seeing the masthead at the top

No bullshit Satanism or sensationalism, just pure honest hatred for religion, capitalism, politics, sheep mentality and typical human behaviour. We wanted to write simple, memorable, and truly hate-filled metal anthems for ourselves and all the other blue collar, working poor, and generally unsatisfied people who are looking for something raw and classic as soundtrack
to rise up and fight the status quo around them in any way they see fit to do. Whether you decide to speak up or just completely turn your back on the world, this is for us and all the other people out there that know we've been lied too, and no matter what may have been promised, know that we're all still being lied too. There is no hope.

From another blog press release about Wolvhammer. Man, I don't know. There is some subtext in there that could go one of two ways, kinda hesitant to get on board with these guys just yet. Maybe I'm reading more into it than they intend.

anyone heard this "new" buzzov*en thing

Have it, but haven't played it yet.

I'm also reviewing the new Rotting Christ. I'm a fan of their Gothic blackened folk metal, but I could see how you could think that it's cheesy. Sometimes you just have to embrace it, though, especially when it's done this well.

The Rotting Christ album sounds awfully silly at times...I haven't decided whether I actually like it or not.

The new WOLD album, meanwhile, is nuts. Like Metal Machine Music if it was designed as an aural equivalent to William Burroughs' and Brion Gysin's Dreamachine. One thing I always like about WOLD albums is their lyrics, but this is an instrumental record, so there's no eloquent prairie poetry to fall back on. It's an intriguing listen, but also very trying, basically three heavily, heavily, heavily distorted & filtered loops over 35 minutes, the most abrasive stuff I have ever heard them do. The trancelike effect they're going for does kind of work, but wow, there aren't many people who would want to stomach this.

You like it. You know you do.

I mean, when's the last time you heard panpipes on a metal album?

I'd revisit it but I'm in the middle of a 12 minute WOLD track that sounds like a field recording of a fully operational sawmill.

In hell!

Bleh. Fortress Crookedjaw, you've bitten off more than you can chew this time.

was sippin whiskey and listening to magma when I decided that I wanted something a little slower and lower. so, I threw on some neglected thou splits that I had lying around.

thou / leech cassette - leech side didn't impress. black metal demo city, whatever. thou side rules. two sludgy epics bookended by two effective mood-setters.

mohoram atta / thou lp - had never heard of mohoram atta before but they seem pretty killer. crusty his hero is gone-style metalcore (the good, 90s kind) with a bit of a black metal influence. awesome. thou side kicks off with an up-tempo track about two party system apathy. ("don't vote") kind of a bummer during these dark days of health care reform but the song is great. double bass and even some riffs that bring remission-era mastodon to mind. nice to see them stretch a bit. two sludgy songs follow (the second kinda drags) and their side finishes with a minor threat cover. ("screaming at the wall") apparently thou are also feminists. i'm into this.

I wrote about Wolvhammer on my MSN blog today... http://bit.ly/7aPXhg

I emailed a link to the band's publicist (who's a friend; she used to intern at/write for Metal Maniacs); I told her if the band wants to respond, I'll put that up too. Gotta wait and see.

Dawn of the 4th, The Black Marketeers of World War III...

Maybe they and the hammerskins just really liked "The Wall."

Anyone refusing to buy Cobalt albums because the main guy is in the military? Who have, let's face it, killed a lot more people than Rob Darken or Nokturnal Mortum or even Varg?

(I am guessing the Wolvhammer dudes - who are pretty good on that 2nd ep at least - are probably just edging on fascist imagery because it looks "cool" or whatever.)

Thanks for putting that up there Phil, I'll be curious to see how it unfolds.

I think the dude from Cobalt is a completely different case. He comes from a sense of "duty" (however misguided and weird that may be to me) and not from a place of hatred. Big difference, imho. I see what you are inferring, but if that were the case I'd have to ignore quite a few of my relatives who've fought in various wars, I'm not going to do that. But I'd have no problem ignoring a racist uncle that spouted hateful shit.

Hopefully that makes sense, I'm still a little tired this morning.

I haven't bought any Cobalt albums because Cobalt's music doesn't really do it for me, not because of some anti-military stance - my younger brother is an Army recruiter.

That Thou / Leech cassette just got upgraded to vinyl I believe. Thou have a new tape split with a band called Faeries who I know nothing about. They are one of about four bands out there right now who I buy basically everything by on sight.

What label is the new Wold on Adrian?

He comes from a sense of "duty"

maybe so. but I did read an interview in decibel where the guy was going on about how man's natural place is the battlefield and he's never felt more in touch with himself and I thought, "well, that's kinda fucked up."

That Thou / Leech cassette just got upgraded to vinyl I believe.

yeah, I actually just saw that yesterday. gilead media are a u.s. distro that's stocking it and I just ordered it because I'm a sucker. not sure if it was because of my tape deck or what, but the sound was pretty poor on the cassette, so an upgrade in that dept would be cool.

have to say, I love the thou aesthetic. all those line drawings look badass.

Today's mailbag: new Skullflower 2CD on Neurot (not metal, but probably fun at high volume) and three reissues by 16-17, the greatest noise-jazz-doom trio you never heard.

probably fun at high volume

can confirm this

Maybe they and the hammerskins just really liked "The Wall."

it could be an age difference thing (i have no idea how young these dudes are), but i can guarantee you anybody involved the music scene in MN in the late 80's/early 90's is going to recognize that image immediately. First Avenue was a racist skin vs. anti-racist skin bloodbath most nights back then anytime something heavy came through.

frankly i am hoping to be wrong, but even if i am they are going to want to 86 that logo because i wont be the last dude to have an immediate reaction to it.

ahh, see, i didn't know the context there. i thought the hammerskins were a southern thing, so maybe they were unaware, but i guess not.

three reissues by 16-17, the greatest noise-jazz-doom trio you never heard.

are these the "16-17/hardkore & buffbunker," "when all else fails" and "gyatso" reissues, or are there yet more to come? great fucking band.

are these the "16-17/hardkore & buffbunker," "when all else fails" and "gyatso" reissues

Yep. Ordered 'em from the label a week and a half ago or so, was wondering why it was taking so long and then I get 'em today and the envelope is stamped France. Whoops, my mistake.

Anyway, just got an email from Wolvhammer's publicist who says the band is 100% not racist, that she's contacted them for a response (which I will post on the blog as soon as I get it) and that she'll be issuing a press release herself. She also jabbed me on Twitter. I told her at the very least they need to get a new logo.

Interesting stuff, Phil.

Oh and DJ, WOLD is still on Profound Lore.

glad those dudes aren't racists

I'm glad you approached it this way Phil, I hope no one gives you too much shit for it.

ok thats great, sorry to stir the kettle, and yeah, you dealt with this about as well as anyone could.

is there a place like Boomkat for metal, where I can buy a bunch of new metal records in FLAC?

i doubt the band has a problem with a popular music writer trying to find out more about them

(xposts)

Wolvhammer: officially not racist.

listening to the second demo in celebration

Listening to the demos now that I can without feeling guilty, pretty good. Excited to hear what they bring on the full-length.