UNDYING INC - ARTIST OF THE WEEK INTERVIEW

Progressive Thrash/Experimental Metallers from India, Undying Inc, have earned the title of Artist of the Week on The Circle Pit! This is a dangerous musical unit literally oozing out talent, metal, and potential. Read up on the interview and be sure to enjoy the heavy music below \m/

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UI = Undying Inc (answered collectively)
AD = Arkadeep Deb

AD - Greetings from your new fans at The Circle Pit. How’s everything in camp UI?

UI - Hails and thanks for having us on The Circle Pit, we are honoured. We are good and busy, there is a lot going on at the moment, things are in constant evolution and mutation. You know the drill.

AD - How would you describe Undying Inc. for the uninitiated, rather your fans across the border who have just tuned into your music?

UI - Probably as simply as, the heaviest band you had never heard of, until now.

AD - The “I R O N C L A D EP” comes out later this month, if we are not mistaken; when and where can we get it from?

UI - Yes, our plan is to try and release it at NH7 Weekender this December, where we play with our buddies in Textures and Demonic Resurrection. IRONCLAD E.P will be an online platform release where fans can access and download it easily. There will be no physical copies of the EP at the moment.

AD - Give us a little background story to the themes you have explored on “I R O N C L A D”. What made you zero in on this title, what does it represent and in what ways does it vary from your last effort “Aggressive World Dynasty”?

UI - It represents the current state of mind we are in, ready to take on the world. The need to have an iron will and the strength of purpose needed to survive the pit-falls of our nation and society in today’s scenario, is the major theme. IRONCLAD is definitely a step forward from AWD in every sense, be it song writing, musicianship or production. It’s also a prelude to the shape of things to come in the next album.

AD - Undying Inc. was on a hiatus of sorts with only half the previous line-up surviving till your vocalist Shashank re-joined your ranks. What made you seek separate ways and what had been the primary ingredient behind the reunion? Would you say that this is the strongest the Undying Inc line-up could have gotten keeping in mind the musical dexterity “I R O N C L A D” demands?

UI - It’s just one of those unfortunate things that get in the way of every band you know, since there are different personalities, egos and opinions involved. What was important for us was to move past that and let go of all the old baggage and move forward stronger. One good thing that's come from this hiatus whatsoever is that we've reprioritized things. The band has been touring, playing gigs relentlessly for the past few years and it was finally good in a way to take the time out and just write new songs, hone new ideas. Yes, correctly put, this pretty much is the strongest line-up we have had until now and it shows in the new material.

AD - Walk us through the procedure you followed for composing “I R O N C L A D”. Were the vocal parts laid down after Shashank re-joined the band, or otherwise? What gear have you used for the EP?

UI - We have a very organic way of composing; it’s always through rehearsals with the entire band jamming together on song ideas. These ideas evolve from the initial riff or groove pattern or time signature structure into full songs as we keep building and layering, or adding to and subtracting from it, until it sounds just ‘right’ to our ears. Yes, vocal parts were laid down after Shashank re-joined, though lyrics and a basic template were already in place for him to work with.

We have used our endorsed gear, Ibanez Prestige 1527 M/GW - Limited Edition guitar, Ibanez Soundgear SR 506 bass, Bare Knuckle & Bartolini Pick Ups, Line 6 POD Amplification as well as Axe Fx II and some more additional gear from Keshav (Skyharbor). All vocals were done in-booth on SM series Mics. Though drums on the single are DFH Superior, drums on the EP are live with a customised Pearl Kit, Joey Jordinson custom snare, Paiste Cymbals and Demon Drive Pedals.

AD - “Aggressive World Dynasty” was mastered by Anupam Roy at Grey and Saurian studios, and “I R O N C L A D” is being handled by none other than Keshav Dhar from Skyharbor at Illusion Audio. What was the primary reason behind this shift? Keeping in mind the pros and cons of both producers, in hindsight would you consider re-mastering “Aggressive World Dynasty” with Keshav at the helm?

UI - Well, we have been asked that quite a lot since the release of the IRONCLAD single. “Aggressive World Dynasty” actually had both Anupam Roy and Keshav Dhar on it, as producer and engineer respectively, a fact we are quite proud of that it combined two of India's best studio talents. There is no primary reason for the shift as such, it's just that we wanted to push the template of our sound forward from the last album, have new dynamics added and work with someone who understood us. Keshav was both available and comfortable with that. We have not considered a re-master yet, but who knows, maybe in the future if we ever decide to re-release the album, it could become a possibility.

AD - “Aggressive World Dynasty” portrayed a Sci-Fi rendition of post-apocalyptic Earth where the machines are commanding the whip. How does “I R O N C L A D” deviate from this? Is there any relation between the concepts on either record?

UI - The new material is a lot more 'organic' in nature, for lack of a better word, some of it will still represents our obsession with war machines, but a lot of it also looks inwards at who we are today. At the more gruesome 'human' aspects like, hatred, anger, lethargy, oppression, torture, enslavement, strength and fighting the odds. Sci-Fi unfortunately has become such a 'trendy' thing now, every hipster band out there is suddenly inspired by the universe, so we are going back to the primitive. The roots of metal are dark and gritty you know.

AD - The artwork for “I R O N C L A D” bears a striking resemblance to the Game of Thrones spiked-throne motif. Does this mean that “I R O N C L A D” mirrors the gruesome, brute reality of our times? Who’s responsible for such a magnificent design?

UI - Well, that is a co-incidence that some pointed out and something we really hadn't noticed until then as we hadn't really seen Game Of Thrones. But unlike the soap opera, where everything is a lot more drama-archaic, this is a very modern representation of a 'bullet-robot', though gruesome, brutal and all-destroying, but yet man-made out of a platoon's arsenal of machine guns, bullets, tanks and war weapons. Thank you, it was designed by our bassist Reuben, he does all our artwork as well as designs for a few other bands. You can check out more of his design and art at http://www.behance.net/visualamnesia

AD - What is next on Undying Inc.’s schedule post-“I R O N C L A D” release?

UI - We are currently on a tour in support of the release and will continue that for the next few coming months, adding more and more shows as and when they happen. We are also currently working on releasing two videos, an official video for IRONCLAD and a lyric video, which you surely should definitely watch out for. New material is also being written for our next album which is aimed at a mid-2014 release.

AD - Undying Inc. has travelled to Europe on two occasions including a stint at the revered John Dee at Inferno Metal Festival 2012 in Oslo. Is this the most memorable of your shows? If not then do share some of your war-stories with us.

UI - Both those stints were extremely memorable for us, Inferno for being such a huge experience. But especially playing Roros (northern Norway) with our brothers in post-hardcore act Torch. It's a UNESCO world heritage site, a beautiful little town. Refreshingly new experience. It was sub-zero temperatures, yet the energy of the kids was so amazing, for a non alcoholic under 18 venue, they were getting high just on black coffee and metal. Also the drive back to Trondheim at 2am, stopping to let these big Reindeer cross and freezing piss breaks / pit stops on the highway, unloading back line with frozen fingers, great memories. You can watch some of it here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ti0CMhLBYOc

AD - We hear that Undying Inc has a strong stand against being pigeonholed or being lumped into specific genres and sub-genres and that you stick to the label of being a Heavy Metal band. What is your prime reason behind this? What is your stance against all the genre-biasing and other such objectionable opinions that the community feels they are entitled to?

UI - Yes, we are very clear from the onset that we are quite simply a 'Metal' band and our only purpose is to create crushing heavy music. All these sub-genre labels are quite pointless, good music is defined by its purpose and the kick you get out of it, not what label it falls under. Genre pigeon holing is the work of hacks who need to define a band within a bracket to justify their critique. The regular metal head will love a band for their music, no one has ever said "Dude, I love Pantera because they are post-thrash-hardcore-jizz-groove-metal", you could just say "I Love Pantera" and that explains it.

AD - Give us a little update on the Indian Metal militia. What is the state of the present scenario? Is it progressing at a favourable rate or are there glaring nuances plaguing it?

UI - Though it looks like Metal is on an upsurge in India, it's only a placebo, there are more bands, fans and critics due to social media; as opposed to real necessary facilities like having enough live venues, proper band management, metal specific professional gigs or equal opportunities. We do not see it becoming a very profitable thing for bands, most organizers still do not want to pay a 'metal' band what they deserve, most fans do not want to pay to buy tickets to see an Indian metal band, most of the audience wants discounted or free merch. Nothing will change really. Metal will be always be the underground, always has been, always will be, that's what it was truly built for.

AD - At The Circle Pit we are always on the lookout for new music. What Metal or otherwise artists are you listening to at the moment? Are there any specific artists/music that you would like to share with us?

UI - We all listen to a LOT of Metal both new and old and some varied music in between as well. At this point our current playlists have artists like Paco Di Lucia, Joe Satriani, Jason Becker, Kiko Lourerio, Meshuggah , Ion Dissonance, Periphery, Textures, Tesseract, The Contortionist, Between The Buried And Me, Psycroptic, Spawn Of Possession, Beneath The Massacre, White Chapel, Born Of Osiris, Devin Townsend, Shining, Dillinger Escape Plan, Soilwork, At The Gates, Gorguts, Cypher 16, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Skyharbor, Korn, Limp Bizkit, J Sigsworth, Atari Teenage Riot, NIN...as well as going back to bands like Biohazard, Hatebreed, White Zombie, Madball, Pantera, Carcass, Napalm Death, Brutal Truth, Exodus, Anthrax, Whitesnake, Queensryche, Steve Stevens, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and a whole lot more...

AD - This is your space. Your international fans await your destructive stage presence and your recent ritual of spraying everyone with bottled water. Is there anything else you would like to convey to them?

UI - For the bands; Keep your day job, keep band affairs in-house, keep it DIY, don't depend on corporations and labels, take every opportunity as it comes but don't drown in debt to follow your dreams. Gig long and prosper!

For fans and metal heads; keep the spirit alive, defend the faith , support your metal and the hard working bands however you can, they need it. Fight the good fight! We hope to come play for you and see you all as soon as we get the opportunity.

Don't forget to check us out at the following... Facebook // Twitter // Soundcloud // ReverbNation

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Links: Facebook // Twitter // Soundcloud // ReverbNation

DEW-SCENTED WRITING NEW ALBUM / RECORDING NEXT YEAR!

Legendary German thrash band Dew-Scented have some great news to share...

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Dew-Scented are currently working on new material for a next studio album that we intend to start recording in the spring 2014. We are super stoked about the new material we have gathered so far and can’t wait to continue writing! We will also be announcing some first festival dates for 2014 in the coming weeks, so stay tuned…

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Ohhh yeeeeah! Peel your eyeballs because new Dew-Scented is coming \m/ Not bad considering their album "Insurgent" just came out this year. While you wait for this glorious occasion, kill the time with the metal provided. GO FORTH AND THRASH!!!

Links: Facebook // Official Website // Merch

GWAR CARTOONS (GWARTOONS)

"The Animated Tales of Gwar"... Yes, it's a real thing that just premiered on Funny or Die. The famed blood spraying metal band is now changing cartoons to gwartoons with the help of animators Myke Chillian and Tommy Meehan. Weird Al Yankovic even makes a cameo!

If this sounds like a good time to you, be sure to watch the first ever gwartoon down below! And stay tuned for more where that came from.

The Animated Tales of GWAR from GWAR

Links: Facebook // Twitter // iTunes 

FULL BAND PLAY THROUGH BUFFET

I believe we've had multiple play through buffets for just about every key metal instrument... so let's do one will full bands!

Links: Facebook // Official Website // Twitter // Merch

Links: Facebook // Twitter // Merch

These kids are only 15!

 

Links: Facebook // Youtube

Links: Facebook // Merch // iTunes 

Links: Facebook // Twitter // iTunes // Merch

Links: Facebook // iTunes

Links: Youtube // Merch

NICK VASALLO "BLACK SWAN EVENTS" THRASH METAL CONCERTO

This is something you can't miss!

Dr. Vasallo is any die hard metal / music fan’s dream come true. The man is a doctor of music and a critically acclaimed composer of classical music that is played worldwide. What more can you ask for? After a couple albums of his solo work, Nick helped form, and handles the vocals in, the band Oblivion. You can read our very positive review of Oblivion’s debut “Called to Rise” album here.

A bit back, Dr. Vasallo released the internet premiere a new opus (Thrash Metal concerto) for electric guitar, drumset, and orchestra. The electric guitar and drumset were be performed by Victor Dods and Luis Martinez of Oblivion. The orchestra consisted of various members of the SF Bay Area, and was filmed at The Crowden Music Center in Berkeley, CA. This is truly the first of its kind since this isn't a neoclassical type piece but a true integration of extreme metal and classical music virtuosity.

It's highly recommended you give it a good listen below! Also be sure to read Nick Vasallo's program notes to learn more.

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I seldom name a work before composing it but the discovery of Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s concept of the "black swan" inspired me to structure the entire work around this central idea. Based upon Taleb’s criteria, a “black swan event” is a surprise to the observer, has a major impact, and is rationalized in hindsight – as if it could have been expected (e.g., the relevant data [was] available but not accounted for).

One of my primary goals with Black Swan Events was to create an environment where two worlds collide and become one. I wanted to treat the appearance of Heavy Metal (“metal”) as a surprising event that has a major impact upon the structure of the work. By the end of Black Swan Events, the world of "metal" – represented by the electric guitar and drums –becomes so prevalent and enmeshed within the orchestra that its initial arrival, in hindsight, no longer seems surprising. The relationship between these two worlds – metal and western art music – transforms from instability to resolution and synthesis.

Composers strive to find their own distinct voices and most of these composers, consciously or unconsciously, want their voices to ‘speak’ through their music. The unifying principle in Black Swan Events takes this idea literally. Using experimental software to analyze the spectrum of my extreme metal scream, I developed chords that modeled the scream’s spectrum. I wanted a conceptual relationship to exist between my voice and all of the musical materials in Black Swan Events so that every note is, conceptually, a remnant of my scream. Essentially, I used a spectral-matching orchestrational tool to duplicate the spectrum of my scream and with this solution I built a chord. The primary motivic materials of the piece were built from the collection abstracted from the original spectral data. I also collaborated heavily with Victor Dods, the original guitarist for this work, and incorporated his musical input into the collection of motifs. These motifs play an essential unifying role in Black Swan Events.

While metal is the first and primary black swan event, the piece incorporates several others. I will demonstrate how polystylist and eclecticist philosophies interact in Black Swan Events to produce a highly pluralistic yet unified work, creating a music both alluding to and drawing upon the experience of other genres – born out of personal practice. References and allusions to Neurosis, George Crumb, J.S. Bach, Kanye West, Eddie Van Halen, Stravinksy, Ligeti, Beethoven, and spectralism abound in Black Swan Events. It is my intention to illustrate how my own style functions within the ongoing dialogue of these disparate sources of music.

I. Allusions

II. Disorders of Sense and Motion

III. Nebulous

IV. Conquest and Reign

Directed by Brandon Hunt and Taylor Rankin.

Filmed at The Crowden Music Center in Berkeley, CA on August 17, 2013

Edited by Brandon Hunt (http://mediavandal.com).

Electric guitar cadenza was composed in collaboration with Victor Dods.

Produced and recorded by Nick Vasallo.

Mixed and mastered by Zack Ohren.

Performers:

Electric Guitar - Victor Dods

Drumset - Luis Martinez

Flute - Toni Chimienti

Oboe - Paul Perazzo*

Clarinet - Philip Halseth*, Beth Ratay

Bassoon - Robert Alfaro

Horn - Amberle Mitchell

Trumpet - Todd Minson

Bass Trombone - Israel Santiago*

Percussion - Taylor Rankin

Violin, Viola - Otis Harriel*, Nicholas Morales

Cello - Douglas Machiz*, Austin Graham

Bass - Aaron Shael

Conductor - David Waugh

*Not in video

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Links: Nick Vasallo Facebook // Twitter // Official Website
Oblivion Facebook // Twitter // Bandcamp

NEW MUSIC TUESDAY - OCTOBER 29TH

Another week. Another batch of three releases for you to blast! Also be sure to check the new music from Vildhjarta, Warbringer, Skeletonwitch, Sepultura, Russian Circles, Kataklysm, Sirens & Sailors, and DETHKLOK!

Protest the Hero’s extremely highly anticipated 4th studio album “Volition” has finally been released! This is damn near certain to be among the best albums of 2013. Not to mention the extreme success of the crowd funding campaign behind it. Get with it or get lost.

Links: Facebook // Twitter // iTunes // Merch

After much hype and promotion, Toxic Holocaust's "Chemistry of Consciousness" has finally hit store shelves. Prepare your earholes for the thrash headed their way after you click play. This is quality through in through. Released through Relapse Records. Stream the full album below!

Links: Facebook // Official Website // iTunes

It's official. ERRA has returned! Their new album "Augment" was released today via Tragic Hero Records and it's absolute madness. If you're looking for some well-conceived, forward thinking modern metalcore, look no further. This band is the cream of the crop. Grab the album and much more right here!

Links: Facebook // Twitter // Merch

FREE MUSIC MONDAY - HELLBEAR

Best band name ever. No competition. Game over.

Hailing from Richmond, VA, Hellbear provide a grizzly Speed Metal sound intent on shredding your face off. So if you intend on pressing play... better have another face. Along with the Speed Metal front, there's plenty of Thrash and what the band has coined as "speedgroove" included here.

Their debut, self-titled EP is available on 12'' hard copy here. Vinyl junkies indulge! But for those of us lacking a record player in our lives, the EP is available for a "name your price" download through Bandcamp. And yes, as usual, free counts as a price! Get yourself some Hellbear!

Links: Facebook // Bandcamp

EXHUMED / IRON REAGAN SPLIT!

Well... here's one I didn't see coming. The Death Metal legends in Exhumed will be teaming up with the quickly upcoming crossover project Iron Reagan (Municipal Waste, ex-Darkest Hour) for a split release. It will be launched as a 12" through Tankcrimes on January 7th, 2014. Seems appropriate as the bands will also be touring together very soon.

Here's the damage...
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01 – Exhumed – “Gravewalker”
02 – Exhumed – “Dead To The World”
03 – Exhumed – “Seeing Red” (Minor Threat cover)
04 – Exhumed – “Ready To Fight” (Negative Approach cover)

Side B:

01 – Iron Reagan – “Life Beater”
02 – Iron Reagan – “Gave Up On Giving A Fuck”
03 – Iron Reagan – “Mini Lights”
04 – Iron Reagan – “Holy Water Makes Me Wet”
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While you're waiting for the madness to come, listen to recent tracks from both bands down below \m/

Links: Exhumed Facebook // Twitter // iTunes // Merch
Iron Reagan Facebook // Bandcamp // iTunes

REVOCATION "FRACKED" MUSIC VIDEO

By far and away one of the best modern thrash bands, this Boston four-piece is a force to be reckoned with. Pouring out skill and personality, this band is only getting started on their path to world domination.

They released a damn impressive self-titled album this year. In support of this, Revocation have just launched a brand new music video for the track "Fracked" (Battlestar Galactica anyone?). It's a very well animated effort displaying the themes of the song in an intense and cohesive manner. Get fracked below! And as usual, we've included some more goods from the band. Enjoy the metal \m/

Links: Facebook // Merch // iTunes

REVOCATION - ARTIST OF THE WEEK INTERVIEW

Revocation is our Artist of the Week! By far and away one of the best modern thrash bands, this Boston four-piece is a force to be reckoned with. Pouring out skill and personality, this band is only getting started on their path to world domination \m/

We conducted an interview with the lead guitarist / vocalist David Davidson. Read up below and learn from the master.

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DD = David Davidson
MT = Mason Trisolino


MT - What's it like playing in a speedo?

DD - It's very liberating, I feel so aero dynamic on stage.

MT - How can I grow a beard?

DD - Live in a van and drink PBR for a month straight, it'll grow soon enough.

MT - What is your approach to songwriting? Is it a group effort, is one of the members a primary songwriter?

DD - Generally, one person takes charge of the song, either myself or Dan, and we arrange most of it on our own. Once the basic structure feels like it's nearing completion it get's brought into the practice space and then we jam on it for awhile. As we rehearse it everyone gives their input from there and we make little tweaks and adjustments to it. Me and Dan haven't co-written a song yet but it's something that we've talked about and will hopefully do in the future.

MT - Tell me about Hot on the Heels, Will that ever be a thing again?

DD - HOTH was an 80's metal/rock project that featured myself and Phil as well as James from Random Acts of Violence on bass and Devon from Sexcrement on vocals. We put out a 3 song demo and played a handful of gigs. It was fun while it lasted but everyone's so busy that we never really did much more with it. We haven't jammed in forever and I think everyone forgets the songs so not sure if there will be a reunion anytime soon. It would be fun to do a show again as a one off if we have the time.

MT - What’s your approach to writing solos? Do you focus on improvisation or our your solos more theory based?

DD - I improvise over the solo sections and record my takes until I hear something that jumps out at me. I do have an understanding of theory since I studied a great deal of it in high school and college but when I write I try my best to not think about it and just try and make music. Sometimes I have to think about it though if the solo section changes keys or if it comes from a more exotic type of scale.

MT - What parts of the world bring out the best crowds to Revocation shows? If we’re talking US, what regions or states even?

DD - Japan had really awesome crowds and totally rabid fans so they're in my top 5 for sure. As far as the states go obviously Boston since we are from there so the shows are always really good for us. New York shows are always killer for us as well, there's just a great scene for metal there in general. Montreal and Toronto are great too. Hopefully in the future we can play South America, I hear the shows there are pretty nuts.

MT - Why was the Teratogenesis EP made as an individual EP rather than being included in the song-writing sessions new self-titled album?

DD - When Scion approached us they only wanted an EP's worth of material. Scion was funding the whole thing and they've released a bunch of EP's so far so we felt it would be a win win for us and our fans since we could release it for free.

MT - What kind of music do you listen to on the road and at home? All metal all the time? Or a mix of genres and styles?

DD - Currently I'm listening to some tracks off the new Gigan record and it sounds killer. I do listen to a great deal of metal but I also listen to a lot of jazz and classical as well. I think it's good to mix it up, sometimes you just need a break from blast beats.

MT - Many people think self-titling a record says something significant about the record or time period the band made it in. Does your newest records Self-titled status come from any intended meaning, or did you just run out of badass album titles?

DD - We chose to self title it because we all feel this is our strongest material to date and we also feel that as a unit we are functioning better than ever. 

MT - Are you guys beer drinkers? Or are you hard liquor guys?

DD - Both. I enjoy good beer and the occasional gin and tonic from time to time.

MT - What contemporary bands, that you think are similar in some way to Revocation, are killing it right now?

DD - I really dig Vektor a lot. I think they are bringing something fresh to the thrash metal genre and they seem to be gaining a good following.

MT - Any songs stick out as favorites for you on the new record?

DD - I dig them all for different reasons but top 3 would probably be Archfiend, Invidious and Fracked.

MT - What are your plans for the rest of 2013 and into 2014?

DD - We're doing back to back tours in Europe and then the US up until mid November. After that we'll probably just lay low and write some more music for the rest of 2013. Not sure what 2014 will hold yet, too early to tell.

MT - I just saw you perform on the Summer Slaughter Tour, what was that experience like?

DD - It was an amazing experience. Even though the days were long and we had to do night drives every other night we had a blast. It was like heavy metal summer camp, you're with your buddies all day drinking and grilling in the parking lot and then you get to play a killer show in front of hundreds of fans. We'd love to do it again, hopefully in a bus next time though.

MT - How difficult was it squeezing every essential song and everything you guys wanted to play into the tiny time slot you guys had?

DD - Very difficult, we have 4 full lengths and an EP out now so when you only have a 25 minute set you have to make some sacrifices.

MT - Anything you want to say to the fans?

DD - Thanks for the support! Come out to a show and say what's up!

Links: Facebook // Merch // iTunes 

SLAYER HOPING TO USE JEFF HANNEMAN SONGS ON THEIR NEXT ALBUM

The passing of Jeff Hanneman was an event felt hard around the entire metal community. It's never easy losing a legend... especially one who made such an impact on heavy music. But as we stated after the tragedy, his legacy will live on through his music.

This is coming into fruition in yet another sense as Slayer is hoping to use two songs written by Jeff on their long awaited eleventh studio album. This is great to hear honestly. I'm really looking forward to hearing more of Jeff's musical ideas before it's all said and done. A sentiment I'm sure that is shared by Slayer fans worldwide.

Tom Araya had the following to say (while speaking with Loudwire).
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We have two songs. I haven’t had the privilege of going through his audio files at the moment, but that’s something I plan to do. Once we get some business squared away, that’s something I plan to do; to go through his music and see what he has. I know that he had several ideas together that he had presented to us in the course of the past year. Before he passed away, there was one complete song that he had managed to send to everybody that I listened to and that I thought was really, really good and communicated that to him. There’s stuff that I thought would be great to listen to just to see what’s there and how we can possibly use what he had done. That’s something I have every intention of doing.

One song was a song we didn’t finish for ‘World Painted Blood.’ That song is actually complete. Me and Jeff were working on melody and lyric ideas for that song. We weren’t really happy with what we were doing or what was becoming of that song, so it didn’t make it on the album.

It was just something we were working on and we couldn’t find anything we were happy with that would work well lyrically and melody-wise, so that’s one reason why that one didn’t make it on the album, but that song is complete, it’s done, it’s ready to go.

I don’t want to use the term ‘typical’ [laughs] but it’s Jeff, it’s obvious who put the song together. It’s Jeff music. He created a certain way and he put music together a certain way; it’s signature Jeff. It’s new, it doesn’t sound like anything else that we’ve done, in my opinion. Jeff usually just wrote songs and a lot of his stuff had certain signature things he would do to songs. That stuff is in there, but I would consider it new.
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Stay tuned for more news on the forthcoming Slayer record. In the meantime, throw your horns up and jam the Jeff Hanneman tracks below!

Links: Facebook // Twitter // iTunes

THROWBACK THURSDAY - NEVERMORE

I don't know how many times I have come across old school metalheads who hate grunge.  It's just a common phenomena that I've grown to accept. It's understandable too. As soon as bands like Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains became popular, record labels everywhere were trying to cash in on this sound. It did in fact have an effect on heavy metal at that time, as some labels were trying to pursue thrashers to step in the direction of flannel wearing sensitive rockers. Some groups gave into the pressure while others laughed at these suggestions and continued to thrash their fingers off.

Needless to say, by the early 90's glam metal was on its death bed, much of the thrash metal community was divided, and extreme metal was pushed way into the underground. Sanctuary, a thrash band from Seattle, was one of the divided. While some group members considered "grunging" up their thrash sound, vocalist Warrel Dane and bassist Jim Sheppard opposed this change and decided to leave the band. After recruiting Jeff Loomis for guitar duties, Nevermore was born. So, in away, the grunge movement unintentionally and indirectly gave us one of the greatest thrash bands of the 1990s.

Nevermore truly had a unique sound.  Overall, the sound seemed to arouse feelings of darkness, dread, anger, and even anxiety.  This was especially prevalent on albums such as "Dead Heart in a Dead World" and "Dreaming Neon Black" (two crucial albums for any metal heads collection). Musically they were very much a thrash metal band, but they adopted elements of progressive metal such as technical riffing and non-standard song structures, as well as power metal, particularly in the operatic vocals of Dane.  Elements of groove metal came into play after Loomis adopted the use of seven-string guitars. Oh and their ballads, damn their ballads were disturbingly beautiful! I think I mentioned something a while back about how Shadows Fall writes some of the best contemporary metal ballads, and while I still hold onto that claim, I must say that Nevermore did them just as good if not better. Something about the slowed down neo-classical stylings of Jeff Loomis meshed perfectly with the emotionally distraught lyrics of Warrel Dane in these songs.

On the topic of lyrics, their songs were always serious, and oftentimes seemingly pessimistic.  The entire "Dreaming Neon Black" album was about a man's descent into madness after losing a loved one.  Critiques of religion were recurring as well as scathing commentaries about our political system, and unlike some thrash metal vocalists (names don't need to be named), these lyrics never came off as sounding cheesy. In other words, Nevermore was not the type of band that one could just write off as being generic thrash.

Although Nevermore is currently on hiatus, it's worth your time to go back and listen to their older releases.  "Dead Heart in a Dead World" is usually on my periodic rotation list of music. Listen to either this album or "Dreaming Neon Black" (or any of their albums honestly) on an overcast day for a true aesthetic experience. And just like the old saying goes, "the cynic's favorite band isn't Cynic, it's Nevermore".

 
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MACHINE HEAD SIGNS WITH NUCLEAR BLAST

It appears as if the legendary Machine Head is no longer a part of Roadrunner Records. They've moved on to find a new home with the European juggernaut Nuclear Blast. However, they aren't simply with Nuclear Blast Records. They're included in the brand new wing of the metal mountain known as Nuclear Blast Entertainment ran by former Roadrunner A&R associate Monte Conner.

Read up on the official press release below, listen to some awesome music, and stay tuned for much more in the Machine Head camp!
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After over a year of dialogues with various record labels, Machine Head have decided on a new home with the newly launched arm of Nuclear Blast Records, Nuclear Blast Entertainment, headed by the band’s longtime friend and former Roadrunner A&R guru Monte Conner. Excitement runs high in both camps.

Says Conner, “I feel incredibly fortunate to say I have signed Machine Head – for the third time! They wrote one of the greatest metal albums of all-time as their debut and then turned around and beat it 13 years later. Machine Head have produced some of the best material of their storied career over the course of their last three records, and like a fine wine, they just keep getting better with age. The songwriting in this band is beyond evolved compared to the majority of their peers, and as a lyricist, Robb Flynn is second to none. On the live front, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more commanding and dominating band.”

Continues Conner, “Ever since the launch of Nuclear Blast Entertainment, one of my main goals has been to reunite with Machine Head. I am grateful to Machine Head for continuing to put their trust in me as well as my new partners at Nuclear Blast, who share my passion for and commitment to the band.”

This pairing puts one of the top metal bands in the world with one of the top metal labels in the world and puts both on track for an epic, mutually beneficial and strong future together. Guitarist/vocalist Robb Flynn adds: “Monte Conner has believed in Machine Head for 20 years, his belief has never wavered, and we are extremely proud to work alongside him once again. When I visited the Nuclear Blast compounds in both Germany and Los Angeles last year, the vibe and spirit that Markus Staiger, Gerardo Martinez and their respective teams created took me back to the spirit of the old Roadrunner Records days, back when bands like Obituary and Sepultura were changing the world with their music. Everyone believes, everyone wants it for the right reasons, it’s about creating and respecting a culture, about pioneering new ways for people to discover great music.”

Nuclear Blast founder/owner and long time Machine Head supporter Markus Staiger states: “There’s no doubt that Machine Head is one of the most influential modern day bands. Just listen to their debut album which still sounds like it’s been recorded just a few months ago – sound wise as well as in terms of songwriting! Or check out their recent metal masterpiece The Blackening which shows the band is still peaking and is more vital than ever. I’ve been a huge Machine Head fan from day one and I’ve always followed them through all the different stages of their career. So it is a real honor for me to finally be working with them, having them join the Nuclear family and kicking some major ass worldwide for and with Machine Head! Let freedom ring with a Nuclear Blast!”

Machine Head will enter the studio in late October to begin recording its eighth album for an early 2014 release, followed by a massive worldwide tour cycle.

Machine Head‘s most recent studio release, 2011′s Unto The Locust, entered The Billboard 200 chart at position No. 22 – putting them in the Top 25 for the first time in the band’s history. The album was the follow-up to the 2007 Grammy nominated metal milestone The Blackening, widely hailed as one of the finest metal albums of the last decade, which led the band to an extensive three-year tour, sharing the stage with such heavy hitters as Slipknot and Metallica.
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SEPULTURA "THE AGE OF THE ATHEIST" SINGLE

The Brazilian thrash legends have officially returned! Sepultura is a name shrouded in metal myth and legend. Though much has changed since their emergence in 1984 they are still going strong today, writing heavy music and playing all over the world. Example, they'll be playing with Unearth, Kataklysm, Dark Sermon, and many more in the US very soon.

They're dropping a new album this year and the first aural evidence has arrived. This will be "The Age of the Atheist" as the new single proclaims. This song actually sounds quite different from their previous work. There definitely seems to be a groove over thrash approach here with other elements included in the mix.

"The Age of the Atheist" is the band's first single off their upcoming, thirteenth studio album “The Mediator Between Head And Hands Must Be The Heart“. Produced by Ross Robinson (responsible for releases by Korn and Slipknot), the record will be released on October 29th through Nuclear Blast. Prepare your ear holes!

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UNDYING INC RELEASES NEW SINGLE “I R O N C L A D”

Progressive Thrash/Experimental Metallers from New Delhi, Undying Inc have released a new single off their upcoming EP, “I R O N C L A D”. The four piece outfit recently re-united with its long-time vocalist Shashank Bhatnagar, who had left the band last year due to undisclosed reasons. In the wake of this unholy reunion, the band has launched a nation-wide campaign in support of the upcoming EP, starting with the RSJ Live Nights at Blue Frog, Delhi, with Mumbai-based Zygnema, where they unveiled another single in addition to “I R O N C L A D”.

Undying Inc. already have two full lengths in their kitty including the critically acclaimed “Aggressive World Dynasty”. While the previous album saw them enter Grey and Saurian Studios to handover mixing and production duties, this time around the band has opted to team up with none other than Keshav Dhar of Skyharbor. This interesting development has fans split on what would be the outcome, come November, when the band drop the EP. While the new single shows some marked difference in the production quality, lacking some of the raw aggression that was portrayed on “Aggressive World Dynasty”, the band has retained its unforgiving, brutal riffing and complex song structuring habits.

Flag-bearers for Indian Metal in two occasions including a stint at the prestigious Inferno Metal Festival last year, it remains to be seen what becomes of Undying Inc. and their liaison with India’s biggest Progressive Metal exports’ axe-wielder. Till then you can stream the “I R O N C L A D” track on their Soundcloud page.

-Aurko

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TESTAMENT'S "DARK ROOTS OF THRASH" CD/DVD COMING SOON!

After all these years, the thrash gods are still kicking asses and making moves as they are preparing to spread their domination even further... Very soon Testament will be releasing "Dark Roots Of Thrash" which is a DVD/2CD release documenting, Bay Area veterans, Testament’s sold-out headlining performance at the Paramount in Huntington, NY this past February. This cinematic release will be yours to own on Oct. 11 in Europe and Oct. 15 in North America via Nuclear Blast Records.

From Nuclear Blast's official website: "A total of 19 live tracks, the video clip for ‘Native Blood’ and additional Backstage Footage make 'Dark Roots Of Thrash' an incomparable experience for every true Thrash fan. Countless cams onstage, in the center of the moshpit and moving high above the audience on trusses, you will become part of the show while watching."
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DVD/Blu-ray:

01. Intro
02. Rise Up
03. More Than Meets The Eye
04. Burnt Offerings
05. Native Blood
06. True American Hate
07. Dark Roots Of Earth
08. Into The Pit
09. Practice What You Preach
10. Riding The Snake
11. Eyes Of Wrath
12. Trial By Fire
13. The Haunting
14. The New Order
15. Do Not Resuscitate
16. Three Days In Darkness
17. The Formation Of Damnation
18. Over The Wall
19. Disciples Of The Watch
20. Credits

Bonus:
21. Backstage Footage
22. Native Blood (Video Clip)
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-\m/eyer

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GWAR FOR THE SUPER BOWL!

Here's a worthy cause. Are you tired of the absolute bullshit, cringe-worthy halftime performances at the Super Bowl every single year? For what's supposed to be a manly sport, they sure have a way with picking the most un-manly musical artists to perform. I still have nightmares from The Black Eyed Peas attempting to entertain in 2011. Madonna and Beyonce didn't exactly pick up the slack...

This is where metal comes in... There's a petition for none other than GWAR to play the Super Bowl. Sign that call for greatness right here. Will it happen? Doubt it. But if it did, consider my jaw to be one with the ground. A GWAR halftime show would be the BEST halftime show in sports history period.

Best part? The field would be soaked with blood for the second half. SIGN HERE!

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DEATH ANGEL "THE DREAM CALLS FOR BLOOD" SINGLE STREAM / TOUR ANNOUNCEMENT

It's time to THRASH \m/

Death Angel is making a strong come back with their seventh studio album "The Dream Calls For Blood". In support of this, there are a couple awesome things going on. First off, the band just released the album's title track for streaming on their Official Website. It's sounding good n' thrashy. I wouldn't expect anything less from these legends. (Be sure to turn off the sound in the upper right hand corner before streaming).

The other big piece of is news is this... Death Angel just announced a MASSIVE tour to bolster the album. They'll be heading all across North America with support from 3 Inches of Blood, Battlecross, Revocation, and Diamond Plate. Holy hell! This is not one you want to miss, especially if you consider yourself a thrasher.

The new album is due to hit stores October 15th. Be on the lookout!

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THROWBACK THURSDAY - ANTHRAX

When discussing 80's metal it's nearly impossible not to mention something about the Big 4 of thrash metal.  The sub-genre itself is worth considering since the influence of these bands can still be heard in today's metal.  Though, as far as the Big 4 goes I've always felt that Anthrax deserved more recognition and respect for their contributions to metal. They are my personal favorite and here are some reasons why:

1. They unintentionally coined the term thrash metal with their song "Metal Thrashing Mad".

2. Scott Ian (do I really need to explain?).

3. Compared to their contemporaries, they have one of the most energetic and entertaining live           performances.

4. As far as thrash bands are concerned, Joey Belladonna is an incredibly talented singer.  In his heyday he could adjust his vocal styleings to match the band's music perfectly, and in some cases channel his inner Bruce Dickinson (recommended listen: "Armed and Dangerous").

5. Only Anthrax can successfully pull off a song with Chuck D of Public Enemy.

6. Lyrically, they are very diverse.  Their themes can range from the overly silly "Caught in a Mosh" and "I'm the Man" to the very dark "Persistence of Time" album.

7. They know how to voice their political opinions without sounding like assholes.

8. They have the ability to make cover songs sound like Anthrax originals (recommended listens: "Antisocial", "Got the Time").

9. In spite of early, and several, line-up changes they have remained fairly "drama free" (Scott Ian and Dan Lilker were in S.O.D. together shortly after Lilker was kicked out of Anthrax).

10.  Their earlier music inspired Jonathan Donais, who is now their lead guitarist.

Opinions are going to vary but we can all agree on one thing, Anthrax is one badass band.

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