Category: black metal

Antlion- The Prescient album review 8/10

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Antlion

The Prescient

2015

Adam Pell (Vocals/Bass) –
Shane Williams (Guitar) –
Joe Kruger (Guitar) –
Arend Nijhuis (Drums)

  1. Incubation

This song begins with a psychedelic type of groove, and then the guitars go into distortion with a repeating rhythm, for a few bars, then the vocals kick in with lower growls, and a guitar riff where you can sense the metal just seeping its way into the song. The song has progressed from a jazzy groove, to a solid mid paced metal song that maintains a decent groove keeping you moving. Then the song hits the half way point and we get a little bridge of some jazz fusion sound with a guitar solo. The song picks right back up into the metal aspect, and gives us another round of heaviness before the song ends.

  1. Hubris

This song goes right into a drum roll out and into the first verse, the blast beats and the guitar riffs are great, I am really enjoying this song. It has so many personalities to it, and they all fit together well, they aren’t doing too much metal, too much jazz/experimental they walk the fine line of equality between the two styles. This song is 5:55 minutes of interesting metal and unique changes between all the other elements of the song. The way the song progresses from one style to the next is seamless, whether it is immediate or a few bars of one style to the next it works.

  1. Cycle Of Failure

This song begins with a cool jazzy feel to it, it has a groove you can tap your foot to and it lasts for just over sixty seconds. The metal persona begins right after with the growling vocals and distortion, yet still provides a groove. This is what I am enjoying about this album, no matter what personality the song is active they give you a solid beat that you can tap your foot to, move your head to. This is a fun song to listen to, and the lyrics fit the song very well. The guitar solo around the 3:39 minute mark is a very relaxing and cool solo. Songs like this are so unique in the way that you don’t dare skip, even if you don’t seem to like it, because you don’t know what will be happening next. I happen to really enjoy this song, and am eager to hear the next song.

  1. Hive

Love the vocals right out of the gate and the rhythm for the first fifteen seconds, and then the rhythm right after is mercilessly driving, the blast beats and the guitar riff. Just when you think you couldn’t be any more impressed, they spring a song like this on you. As I look at the total time of the song, I am curious as to how much talent and charisma they have filled this song with because it is already bursting at the seams with great infectious melodies and a beat that hooks you. The solo is great, they give you a skillful guitar solo that you can’t help but want to listen to again and again. The way the song fades out is absolutely perfect for the structure of the song.

  1. A Seer’s Elegy

Yes, yes, yes, the guitar riff that kicks things off is fucking great, I have honestly listened to the first 20 seconds of the song a few times because it is so badass. The rest of the song follows the same formula, cool guitar riffs, solid percussion, and the vocals are exactly what you would expect. This is a solid track, may be a fan favorite, still a bit early to make that denomination. Half way through the song they lighten things up with a smooth jazzy feel and a solid breakdown. This song is nothing less than magnificent. I really, thoroughly dig this song. \m/

  1. Spire

The song begins with a slower tempo and a perpetual riff wrapped around a solid beat. This song has some odd timing to make things interesting but only during certain sections. The band really locks in that groove, you can tap your foot to it, and you can still follow through the odd timing. This song is a great listen, it progresses exquisitely and is filled with great guitar riffs and impressive percussion skills.

  1. The Prescient (Part I)

This is song is a warm, progressive jazzy metal hybrid that leaves you feeling good about where you are in that exact moment. I love the guitar riffs, and rhythm. This song is great it has just the right changes being made and keeps the listener interested.

  1. The Prescient (Part II)

This song is just as good as Part 1 if not better, I really dig the way it begins and all of the changes we see throughout this song. The tempo changes, the metal progression, the jazz feel, the blast beats. I mean this song is awesome and the way it ends is really appropriate for the entire album.

I give this album an 8/10, it was a solid album, not for everyone, but nevertheless a great album. This is one of those bands that if for me I had never heard before. When listening to a band for the first time you really begin to filter what you heard into two categories; impressive, and not impressive. This album   is very impressive. I loved it, they have every change, every riff, and every beat calculated to the right degree and time. If you are looking for something new that you have not hear before, and want something that has a variety of different styles and can pull of some cool solos, has a great metal sound, some stellar progression, and a great jazzy feel. Then you should not waste any more time, just go and check these guys out now and pick up or download the album from their bandcamp site Here!

Check them out on FACEBOOK

And make sure to order the album at BANDCAMP \m/

released October 23, 2015

Produced by Antlion
Music & Lyrics by Antlion
Mixed & Mastered by Zack Ohren
Recorded by Arend Nijhuis
Album art by Chris Volion

-Badger \m/
http://www.badgersmetalbreakdown.com

Iron Maiden’s The Book Of Souls album Review

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Iron Maiden

The Book Of Souls 2015

Bruce Dickinson : Vocals, Piano

Dave Murray: Guitar

Adrian Smith: Guitar

Janick Gers : Guitar

Steve Harris : Bass, Keyboards

Nicko McBrain : Percussion

1: If Eternity Should Fail  (Dickinson)

A long introduction starts things off, but comes in with a solid groove after. A mid paced tempo keeps me locked in for the ride. The song has good verse, and decent choruses, but the magic really happens when a nice solo section around the 5 minute mark lets loose. This is not a bad song, but ends it with a very odd spoken dialogue that was really unnecessary, theatrical effect was all it was meant for I assume.

2: Speed of light ( Smith , Dickinson)

No long intro like before gets right down to it. This song has more of that classic Maiden feel to it, even though it is not a fast paced song. It has a cool solo section where the guys rotate a few bars each. This is a fun song to listen to. It has all the elements you want from an Iron maiden song, it has dizzying guitar work, and rock solid drumming. The verses are spot on, and the chorus is contagious. This song is not only a great song to listen to, it’s a fun song also, enjoyable really.

3: The Great Unknown ( Smith, Harris)

This song starts out with a slower feel, similar to how fear of the dark starts out with that melodic guitar intro and softly sung lyrics. The rest of the band comes in, and the song really begins to take shape. It has a mid-paced feel to it, and thankfully Bruce can still hit those highs. The song is a very fundamental song in that it is not breaking barriers until the solo section begins.

4: The Red and The Black ( Harris)

The song starts out with a nice bass intro for a few bars, and the song begins full steam.  It has that iron Maiden “gallop” rhythm that you notice in songs like the trooper, however this song is a much slower tempo than the classics. The rhythm is absolutely solid, and Bruce nails the verses down. It has that “whoa” type of chorus that allows all concert goers to get in on the fun when they play live shows. In my honest opinion, I could easily see this song being a fan favorite at live shows.

5: When The River Runs Deep ( Smith, Harris)

It begins with a nice guitar riff, and has a more upbeat tempo to it. The intro for this song would be more appreciated in a live setting, the verses, and the chorus are undeniably catchy, with a good build to this song. The song has moments where it seems to slow down, slightly, but it picks right back up every time, especially going into the guitar solo which is on point. Not a bad song by any means.

6: The Book of Souls ( Gers, Harris)

This song starts out with an acoustic guitar playing a light melody, then the rest of the band joins in. It has a slower, and a symphonic sound to it. The verses follow the tempo and energy, however the song doesn’t grab my attention until the pre chorus. With this song I had to replay it a few times to get the full effect. ¾ of the way when the tempo picks up it got a bit more interesting. This song does not disappoint, the guitar solos are great. This song requires you to make it past the halfway mark to get so much more out of the song. I recommend if you are tempted to skip this song, do yourself the favor and wait. If you make it through the track completely and don’t like it, then at least you gave it a chance.

7: Death or Glory ( Smith, Dickinson)

The way it starts out, with the short intro that rolls right into the rhythm. I am enjoying this song very much on first play. This song has a more upbeat feel to it, very catchy, this so far is my favorite track off the album. The verses, are rock solid, and the chorus is fun and catchy. Nothing over the top about this song, they used a winning formula for the writing of this song. The solo section is great, I love it, and this song is a hit in my opinion.

8: Shadows of the Valley ( Gers, Harris)

This song starts out with a light pattern on a closed high hat, and some finger working on the guitars.   Bruce joins in with vocals progressing along with Nicko’s drums. The first verse is almost as catchy as some choruses, it is simple to follow along to. The chorus is infectious, you can’t help but sing along to the song. If this song doesn’t have you tapping your foot, or tapping on something, playing air drums or air guitar you have missed the boat. The guitar soloing is great, something I have always enjoyed about Iron Maiden is the guitar solos. They are very powerful solos, without going over the top. They are never too flashy, but are not lacklustre either. This is a great song, a very worthwhile listen.

9: Tears of a Clown ( Smith, Harris)

This song, has a great feel to it, strong lyrics, solid verses, catchy pre chorus, and a chorus that will leave you singing along within its first play. It does seem like they have slowed down a bit in their years, but they don’t lose anything by slowing down. In fact I would say it gave them a chance to focus on making this album a stellar addition to the Iron Maiden catalog. I needed to play this song more than once just to get the big picture of what the song had to offer. It’s a solid addition to the album.

10: The Man of Sorrows ( Murray, Harris)

Great intro with the guitar, very melodic and peaceful. It maintains the melodic feel for two minutes, when it picks right up in tempo and intensity. The song almost changes its whole dimension by that time, and both the first half and the second half of the song are great, in their own way very enjoyable. I find myself wanting the melodic first half to be longer, and also the same for the energetic anthem like second half.

11: Empire of the Clouds ( Dickinson)

This song, is a long melodic ballad, written about the 1930 R101 airship crash resulting in mass loss of life aboard the airship. This song we hear Bruce not only singing but playing the piano as well. This is a great song, a powerful song written very well. It almost connects the listener to the day the R101 crashed. The first half of the song is a slower melodic tune, with mostly Bruce and the piano, with guitars accompanying pleasantly without over shadowing anything. By the second half, the song picks up in tempo, with quite a few bars of guitar soloing, and we can hear synthesizers. It seems to give you that chaotic “danger, danger” feel. Maybe it was written to replicate that sense of panic the crew members must have felt. This is an absolutely great song to sit and listen to.

I really enjoy this album, it has all of the classic characteristics of an Iron Maiden album, and seems to have focused much more on the music quality. If Iron Maiden called it a day and hung up their “Irons”   they did so with a great album. I suggest to give this album a few plays, before forming any opinion. The first thing you will notice is the band has slowed down a bit, none of the songs are as energetic as say The Trooper, or Aces high. They don’t sacrifice anything for the fact that they have slowed down, because all of the songs still have the great guitar riffs, and solos. The band seems to have spent more time focusing on the music and wanting to deliver an album that does not have any tracks that you would choose to skip. The hardest part with listening to this album is finding the time to just listen to the songs in order non-stop without interruption to fully enjoy The Book of Souls in its entirety.  Its a great album, and worth the purchase.

-Badger \m/
http://www.badgersmetalbreakdown.com

The return of massachusetts metal legends SEVENDAY CURSE @sevendaycurse

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Let’s go back to the south shore of  Massachusetts 1996, where hardcore and metal fans like myself witnessed the birth of a new breed of metal through bands like  123024_logo

They put out a demo recorded in Hanover Mass at Ultrasound Productions. The Color Blood a killer 5 song E.P. with tracks like Blind Loyalty, and of course the title track The Color Blood. The sound was something that no one had sounded like before, and really no one could pull off again. It was a brutally heavy, yet melodic form of metal with a hardcore feel. Hence the birth of metal core, none of that “ Senses fail is Metal-core B.S. I’m talking the real deal metal hybrid. When you listen to  metal bands from the Massachusetts area without a doubt, Sevenday Curse was the catalyst that created a  scene. Were they the only one’s you may ask? Around that time there were other bands coming out with a different sound,Barrit, Fault, Ookla the mok, however Sevenday Curse really forged a different sound. The heavy vocals, the double bass the melodic bridges, the solos and the heavy badass breakdowns.

999942_585989418160024_1101055039_nThese guys set the bar, and planted the seed, from that point on, almost every band from the New England Region were using the Metal template that Sevenday Curse created.

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What made a band from Massachusetts create a style merging two music elements to form a brutally heavy combination? One could argue that the north-east throughout history have been known to do things differently, live by their own set of rules, and revolutionize. We have had a “don’t tell us how to be” attitude. The style of music that has come from the New England area, the brutality of the metal, the catchiness of the metal and hardcore; it’s known worldwide. Bands like Killswitch Engage, Unearth, The Red Chord,  Shadows Fall, Converge, Revocation to name a few. Having grown up in the New England area , the metal scene has had its changes, but has never diminished in its merciless brutality of sound.

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Sevenday Curse put out the album “After The Storm” on Tortuga Records. Nine songs with a tenth hidden track titled “ The Color Blood” that absolutely crushed when it came out. “ Lament of the Fallen” is a great track to use as an example, take that song and then compare so many Metal bands to this song you will now see the roots of New England Metal.

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Now you can call me old-fashioned, but as I got older I gave up on the sub-genre and stick to “ metal” when I talk about something that’s high energy, distorted guitars, if it’s not hardcore, or punk its metal. After the Storm came out and changed the way we expected out of metal. The big metal bands like Cannibal Corpse, Obituary, Sepultura, they have their place in metal. Sevenday Curse put out After The Storm and created a more diverse, melodic, yet absolutely brutal form of metal. The album starts with an intro, sound clips/ samples and intros were a staple of this form of music. I can take you to several epic albums that had these elements. The way this album starts out is like crowded room, radio fuzz growing louder until all sound stops and you hear John Doe ( Kevin Spacey’s character from Seven) say “ I’m Setting the example”   setting you right up for a fast paced   “Dirge for the living”. 20150730_093238  The songs build up the energy and then you see the melodic elements of Sevenday curse with songs like “ Of Every Season” the sound of waves, and acoustic guitars. “ November” with a tranquil ambiance of acoustic guitars, to set up the final track “ Revelations” (one of my favorites). I have actually bought this album twice, because my original CD ended up getting a spot that would skip in the middle of Revelations that was not acceptable.   Sevenday Curse had a sound and style, a truly heavy and melodic modus operandi that made waves. They played shows, crushed the eardrums of many.

Then they were gone……. Just like that they disbanded before they had a chance to conquer the world, Sevenday curse quietly stepped out of the spotlight. 2000 was the year we lost the mind-blowing boundary breaking band known as Sevenday Curse. They played a one time show in 2002 for a benefit, but stepped back quietly in to the shadows.

That is until the year of our lord Two thousand fourteen when Sevenday Curse rose up from the ruins and got back into what they had started to do, make killer metal and have some fun.

They got back together, they made a Facebook page Sevenday Curse    and in February of 2014 they even started working on new material. They have all gone through the changes life provides all of us. Growing up, focusing on family and careers, but a fire had still been burning inside. A fire that was never extinguished, just burning awaiting the day to burn bright once again. Saturday May 17th the metal gods from the heavens above graced us with Sevenday Curse playing live for their first time in over a decade. Playing material from the days of After the Storm, and picking back up where they left off. Playing killer brutal metal, with surgically precise delivery. Imagining a band room where the instruments have been put down, and collected dust, the members walk in, brush the dust off. turn on their amps/ cabs. look at each other, nod and start right into ” Dirge for the living”.    Flash forward to October of 2014 and the band goes in the direction many bands are going to. Crowd funding to get their material released trying to balance their everyday lives, work, families. They want to put out music, so they created a campaign to get an E.P. recorded. Support local metal please click here

They are a band that is going back to their roots. A whole lot has changed since they were on the scene. Back in 1999 the Iphone wasn’t an option, no one had iTunes. Digital music was not as large as it is today in the sense that there were mp3’s. I had an mp3 player, it was a Diamond Rio and could only hold about 8 tracks. That was mind-blowing as I was one of the few people in my age group that had one. Sevenday Curse had only a few options that were easily available. Cassette, CD, those were the options, with cassette phasing out. There were not as many music festivals for metal or hardcore as there is today. There was no Facebook, no Myspace, no Youtube either. You could not create an event for all of your online friends to be invited to. It was photo copy a bunch of flyers, hang them up at the Bull moose records, Newbury comics, tower records, clubs, basically anywhere you thought a metal head would walk by and see that you had a show. To come back into a scene where so much has changed, and try to get back into things. It has it’s challenges, but the fans have shown their support. There have already been youtube videos of shows that they played, the most recent from this past week. Then just the other day  ( July 25th 2015) they put After The Storm up on Bandcamp.com/SevendayCurse  

With all of the change on the metal scene, also came changes in their own lives. They got older started families, married, doing the 9-5 with their full-time jobs, military commitments. As many know being in a band is not easy, its hard work. Being in a band is very much like having a minimum wage job, and being married to it at the same time. They are booking as many shows as they can, and what i have seen they have booked some great shows so far. It’s now 2015 and they are playing shows getting back into it more and more. The most recent show they played was with Jungle Rot, and On Your Deathbed in Rhode Island. A great show for sure considering Jungle Rot just put out a new album Order Shall prevail, and On Your Deathbed have been playing some killer shows also with some big names in metal. It was a great line up of bands for a summer show. They are booking more shows, and while they are not playing a show every night. They are trying to book shows that will have a great line up and a great crowd. They will even be playing a show to kick off  Revocation‘s fall tour on September 3rd in RI. That is a show I will not be missing.

For the people who aren’t familiar with the band, I bought their album while I was in high school, I bought the album again because I had played it so much and had it for so many years it became old and worn I needed a new CD. Now to think for all of you who can’t find the album in physical copy you can buy it on bandcamp, iTunes, Amazon mp3, Spotify  There are so many ways you can get in on Sevenday Curses great music, by just a click of a button.

Sevenday Curse on Facebook

Sevenday Curse on Bandcamp

Sevenday Curse on Spotify

Sevenday Curse on iTunes

Sevenday Curse on Amazon, Amazon MP3

Sevenday Curse on Go Fund Me

I have recently gotten a chance to hang out and interview the guys from the band so stick around when I post that up, they have some great stuff they are working on.

-Badger \m/
http://www.badgersmetalbreakdown.com

New Black Dahlia murder streaming @bdmmetal

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Streaming now is “Vlad, Son of the Dragon” on metal blade’s site.

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check it out here http://www.metalblade.com/tbdm/
Holy crap who is as excited as I am. This is a killer track streaming now, i cannot wait for the album to be released September 18th. And check it out they have a pre order option with bundles for the album and shirts and all sorts of other cool stuff.

You definitely need to check this out,  NOW

-Badger \m/

http://www.badgersmetalbreakdown.com

WRVTH new album review @wrvthofficial

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The release of WRVTH today is one that will have a monumental impact for the rest of 2015. These guys bring so much to the table with this album its not even close to anything, or  anyone else has offered to us so far. To get right down to it, I have been listening to this album on repeat for at least the past 4 hours or so.  Without any further to do, here it is.

1) Harrowing winds, the first track on the album. It starts out with a very mellow, melodic trance like guitar melody, and light ride cymbal rhythms. Then boom right into distortion, and a great beat. Vocals kick in and its just a banshee of  a wail. It keeps you on the edge of your seat, setting you up for some quick blast beats and fast riffs.  This is only 2:32 into the song and already I am smiling and moving to the pace. This is like a metal kid in a record store type of excitement right here, The riffs are perfect, not over the top technical, but the intensity of the technicality is right there. They progress, in a way that much like a an explosion under water. The force over comes the water and pushes outward, then the water pushes back shrinking the gas expulsion, to which forces back out. The song takes you a step back into a comfort zone like no other, then tries to seduce you with a funk like feel. Showcasing the talent of the bass and drums, Right into a solo, that is not trying to take give you an epileptic episode, its just trying to persistently tickle your senses. This is a great track to start an album out with. If you had to listen to one track to make up your mind, these guys nailed it. With the short attention span of the world. We collectively need to be blown away or the album will collect dust. Not the case for this one, I see this being in top ten lists for the remainder of 2015.

2) Malaise rolls right into it with a gloomy trance like guitar riff and a drum beat that’s subtle, yet you know will branch out into something heavy momentarily. Aaaaand it sets that theory up perfectly. Holy hell Batman this is bad ass on a professional level. Blast beat into a riff like something you heard off of BTBAM’s Silent Circus album. Brings you right back down, so far these guys really want to bring you up slowly, and then launch you like a roller-coaster meeting the apex of the highest point in the track and letting you go for the ride. The slow melodic section hits you, giving you that moment of bliss, and then bam! Back into the heavy blender effect of just head banging and hearing the guitars and drums swirling around you in sync. The thought behind this track, what inspired this song? However they came about writing this song, they were definitely thinking about cause and effect.

3) Looming Sigils is a track that is an ominous rolling beat then picks up its pace 3/4 the way through. Accenting the bass and drums with finesse.

4) Ongoing Dissension starts with a drum fill into  heavy vocals and guitar riffs. Picking up that double time feel in seconds, then changing direction again. Blast beat and high guitar tones fast picking, intricate riffs, the song is progressing at a rate that once you get acclimated to the sound it changes. Yet the basic rhythm is the same, until about 2:05 when it takes on a different stop motion feel for almost 15 seconds and into a refreshing riff. This track has so much to offer!

5) Endless Haze starts out eerie sounding, makes me think of the album cover art. Like you are walking up to the house and when you get to the door, elements just start coming out at you. Unwavering just like all instruments and vocals. It’s hard to put into words how to describe this song. It could have a different effect on everybody. This track is a menacing psychological thriller of musical direction. Haunting vocals and guitars slow down to a lull.

6) Lured by Knaves is just right out of the gate intense blast beats, yet melodic rhythmic guitar riffs. Vocals are just piercing you. Slow it down now entering an unknown realm full of mystery.  Boom boom boom right into a a heavy dose of haymaker mosh pit flailing fists. This song has so much going on it could be considered a schizophrenic prodigious beautiful mind in perpetual motion. The way this song progresses, and then into some saxophone filled jazz. This a work of art right here. Metal, Jazz, Funk, saxophone, and double bass into a heavy chorus. WTF is there nothing off limits here? WRVTH is willing to take the world by storm. A metal/jazz infused storm,  and I would buy tickets to that ride without any second thoughts.

7) Forlorn is that a flute? Wind instrument? It is peaceful, cue the drums. slow but steady, picking up the beat pattern slightly but using swells with the guitars to encourage you to reach for it. The drum fills are getting a little bit more involved and it sounds great. Just perfectly balanced fills into a subtle prog rock feel. This song could appeal to so many. The bright guitar riffs flash into a heavy blackened metal sound that makes me think of Emperor meets animals As Leaders. This song is awesome, and it just keeps getting better.  Got a jazzy feel going on right now with the beat picking up to  a nice blast beat and guitar riffing bridge into a heavy head moving rhythm. Slowing down with the drums just letting you down gently until they keep you at this level with light drum fills.

8) Larkspur Breaks right into distorted guitars heavy drums lead up to a melodic guitar riff and the banshee like vocals.  Continuing the journey with blast beats into a short, but ruthlessly heavy riff.  This song builds, and builds. I challenge you to at this point in the album tell me what your favorite track is so far. Because the songs are abundantly unique and full of soul.

9) Amber Glow starts out slow, with emphasis on the ride cymbal pattern and the funk feel to the drums, and drawn out guitar tones. Jazz saxophone playing to their hearts content. Really soulfully dazzling melody blossoming into a peaceful tune. At 3:18 the song is not very long, but man they could really keep this going if they wanted to. This song captivates, serenades, and exhilarates the senses. Spine tingling impressively great tune, just showing off the skills of this band. Not only as a metal band, but very talented musicians with their goal to create very thought out music.

10) Into Bloom maintains the same guitar sound but has the vocals and drums keeping the pace up there. Slowing down for only a moment, into an orchestral black metal feel. ” Left in the gravel we walk through!”  The set up here is great, the blast beats and the guitars are really doing it for me here. Oh wait new direction with a great drum beat and a guitar riff to match. Into that blackened blast beat sound that I  encountered and  thoroughly enjoyed. The way the song flows is mesmerizing. This is like taking a blender, putting King Crimson, Emperor, Scale The summit, Abigail Williams, and a few other notable acts and getting only the finest of symphonically sonic smoothies. The song takes on another direction that has a hardcore in your face approach. back into the melodic progression that has been prevalent throughout the entire album so far. This track is amazing.

11) Cease to Exist.

I want you to go out and get this album, and with the way this album has been so far. I really think something should be left a mystery for you to unravel on your own. All I will say is this. The song appropriately wraps up the album. The way it starts out, the changes. It sums things up, and puts the album in perspective. This album is worth the buy.  This is one of those albums you can listen to while working out, sitting and thinking, trying to relax, trying to get amped up before a fight. This is like the Swiss army knife of metal albums. So the last song I will not tell you how it goes and what changes happen when. That’s up to you, to go out and listen on your own. Get blown away by the talent, get captivated by the astronomic musicianship and life breathed into this album.

WRVTH is going to be one of the best albums of 2015 mark my words. This should be in every metal fans collection. This should be played for everyone, as the diversity reaches beyond just metal. The jazz, the funk, the melodic progression is out of this world. And I for one cannot wait to see what these guys have up their sleeves for the future.

Get your copy now at https://www.indiemerchstore.com/b/wrvth/

check them out on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/WrathofVesuvius

and twitter https://twitter.com/wrvthofficial

-Badger \m/

http://www.badgersmetalbreakdown.com

Skinless, Into Eternity, Lamb of God news and more @revocation @lambofgod @skinlessband @orpheusmetal

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Lots of interesting things happening lately. Might not be metal news but Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl fell off a stage, broke his leg and then finished up the show. You have to give anyone credit for being a badass if they play with a freshly broken leg.

now moving forward, Skinless put a track up on the facebook page for their new album Only the ruthless Remain. The title of the track is ” The Beast Smells Blood” i am currently listening to this track right now, and  it sounds great. This has Skinless brand metal written all over it. I am really digging this song. so for your enjoyment i have the Audio for it right here, but with visuals including merch and ordering information for the album.

John Coffey would fit more in the post hardcore, punk, indie sound however regardless of sound, a video surfaced of the vocalist catching a beer. This is just pretty bad ass all in itself. Shit if Stevie Wonder were to catch a beer like this i would have it on my metal blog too.

In other news Hivesmasher will be calling it a day with their last show on June 26th. They will be playing a ” the party is over” show and if you are interested check this out

hivesmasher

Revocation drummer or ex drummer?  havent heard anything official as of yet. But Phil has changed his profile on instagram, and has also left out any mention of Revocation in his bio. while it used to read that he was the drummer it now has no omention of that. We know he was unable to play the drums for some time when he broke his arm, and had Alex Rudinger fill in while the band was on tour. As well as Jon Rice filling in when he could also. So while ther has not been any official statement, it may be safe to say there is something going on, and we may hear more about it soon.

For fans of Into Eternity it looks as though they just signed to Kolony Records recently. They just finished up the recording for a 2015 album release Sirens, and they have announced that they signed with Italian record label Kolony records. The band is planning on actively touring and getting ready for the release of the new album.

Kolony records seems like they have been making some good business decisions, as they had signed Orpheus Omega back in April. Their upcoming album PARTUM VITA MORTEM’, out on July 24 sounds pretty badass so far. here is a single off the new album for you to check out

Metal Alliance tour news;

So it does not seem like Deicide kick Entombed A.D. off the tour like all the spreading rumors had stated. So based on several FB posts by Deicide it paints a different picture all together.  It seems as though the organizers are the ones to blame, and while Deicide could have just said  ” Pound Sand” and went home, they dont want to dissapoint any fans. However Deicide had these statements posted so you can decide for your self

“These are the final dates to this tour, we could have just said fuck this whole mess, and been done with it! We don’t do business like that and believe there is honor in finishing it not for ourselves but for the fans who deserve to see the band and who expect us to show up! This will be our last U.S. TOUR FOR A LONG LONG LONG TIME, come on out and support these great bands”

“What happen with this tour is this…the agents put together a package that the local promoters had no faith in and couldn’t afford and we’re all asking to cancel their dates, so to keep it going and finish it out entombed were told to go home not by us. But by the agents that set up this tour so the local promoters could still do the shows, we are all in this mess together and I can assure you we will never get involved in anything like this ever again.”

“We had nothing to do with entombed being kicked off tour blame metal alliance, there fucking mess!”

“METAL ALLIANCE IS WHO YOU SHOULD BE ANGRY WITH, THIS FUCKING TOUR IS THERE BIG FUCKING MESS, NOT DEICIDE WE ARE ONLY GUILTY OF AGREEING TO DO THE TOUR!”

So Deicide dont seem too happy about this whole mess either.

Lamb of God news! It seems like every week there is something to mention about this band.  So it has been reported that Lamb of God will have guess vocals from none other than Chin Morneo (Deftones) and Greg Puciato (Dillinger Escape Plan). That just makes this album seem that more promising, with these guys offering their vocals to some tracks. Greg will be on the track ” Torches” and Chino will be on ” Embers”.  I for one think that this album will be killer. You already have so much that has fueled the writing for this record, and then to add two frontman from great bands. This album just seems to be getting better and better as the release date gets closer.

Full Terror Assault open air festival will take place 9/10/15-9/12/15 at Cave-In Rock Illinois. There are three days, and three stages with 75 bands listed.

OBITUARY •  NAPALM DEATH

TERRORIZER • EYEHATEGOD • GRUESOME •  MISERY INDEX • VALIENT THORR • IRON REAGAN • REVOCATION • WARBEAST • BROKEN HOPE • KILL THE CLIENT • FULGORA • MURDER CONSTRUCT • NASHVILLE PUSSY • CANNABIS CORPSE • NOISEM • STARKILL • WACO JESUS • PUTRID PILE • INFERIA(FIN) • IMPALER • WRETCHEDPAIN(CAN) • ROTTENNESS(MEX) • CARDIAC ARREST • DISINTER • SOG(SPECIAL OPS GROUP) • WRATH • PROTEST • HEADCRUSHER • FROSTHELM

DEAD SHORE • IN DEFENCE • SEXUAL ATROCITIES • DEATHBED CONFESSION • LEGION OF DEATH • SCALAFAREA • SACRIFICIAL SLAUGHTER • SIKFUK • THELL BARRIO(MEX) • DROGHEDA • BLACK FAST • CARNIVORA • FINAL DRIVE • FRAMEWORK • SEIZE THE EMPIRE • MICAWBER • TYRANNY ENTHRONED • CONDITION CRITICAL • SPLITWIG • CREATED TO KILL • COATHANGER ABORTION • HELMSPLITTER • IMAGES OF VIOLENCE • INFALLING • 6 PRONG PAW • DEAD IN 5 • APPARITION • XAEMORA • DEATH GRIP • TESTIMONY • MASTICATOR • HELLBENT • SUPERCHIEF • THE DR. ORPHYUS PROJECT • ABSTRUKTOR • GET IGNORANT • SKINNED • ALTERED EXISTENCE • MOISTENED DISCIPLES • LUST OF DECAY • TON • ASPHYXIATOR • KILL IT AGAIN • VOLTUMNA(IT)

For more information check out the website for ticket info, directions, rules/regulations, and band running order here;

http://fullterrorassault.com/  

Tell you one thing. Misery Index, and Fulgora playing means Adam Jarvis will be busy those days.

Obituary releases new video for ” Violence”

–
Badger \m/

http://www.badgersmetalbreakdown.com

#TBT Metal Edition Fault, @JungleRot @sevendust Bloodlet,Ebony Tears,

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Welcome to this weeks edition Of the Badgers Metal Breakdown Throwback Thursday playlist. Many of us metal fans got into metal by hearing a song or seeing an album at a local record store. Some of us had that one friend who introduced us to bands, or you simply heard something playing and it sounded so good you had to hear it again. For some of us those songs mean something to you some way some how. Maybe it’s a song or an album you haven’t listen to in years, but as soon as you listen to the song it brings you right back to a specific time in your metal fan history. This is my playlist with videos, or at least audio clips of songs from bands that bring me back. Some of the songs are from local bands that I would go to shows, and others are from some of the first metal cd’s I bought. With that said lets jump into the pit of memory lane.

First up is a song by Sepultura, I bought the album when I was in the 6th grade. This was one of the first metal cd’s I bought. Shortly after I jumped head first into metal and have never looked back since. By this time I had already been playing the drums since 1993 and this album was the first metal album I would learn the drums to. The 1996 gateway metal album for many is none other than Roots. This album is well known for the song “ Roots Bloody Roots” which to many is that signature song everyone knows. I will be honest this is the first metal song I learned on the drums. Igor had a simple but heavy sound to make the song a classic. I remember sitting at my drum set and just playing this song over and over and over. Then playing the drums to Attitude this song was just so badass to play at the time. The rest of the album had some killer tracks like Cutthroat, Ratamahatta, and Born Stubborn to name a few. So here is a video for Attitude

Now Fault is a band that got started around my hometown of Atkinson, NH.

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These guys were that band that because they were local you tried to go to any and every show you could. They had a killer sound, Tim was merciless on the drums, the samples at the beginning of the songs were perfect. This was one of those homegrown bands that just killed it. Now trying to find videos for their songs is next to impossible. I’m just glad I have always kept every CD I have ever owned, and also their album “ Sensory Deprivation” is also on Spotify, so if you have/Subscribe to Spotify take a listen to their whole album. I really would have liked to find something for the song Children of the Corn, or Purgatory. But the only video I found is for just the audio for the song Cyanide. Which is still a badass song that can hold its own. I just feel as though Purgatory shows off the talent of Tim on drums more, and of course being a drummer I do lean more towards the drums. At any rate here is Cyanide of the 1998 album Sensory Deprivation. Enjoy and if you like this, some of the members ended up starting a band called the_network. A great album worth listening to is Bishop Kent Manning.

Now for a band that blew me away when I picked up a victory records sampler while I was much younger. Back before EMO was thought of, we had hardcore, metal, and the crossover bands that fit both. Like Bloodlet, and Integrity did and both were on that victory records sampler. The song on the sampler was that introduction to Bloodlet and I ended up going to a Newbury Comics and picking up the album Entheogen. The album came out in 1996 and I instantly got hooked on the 9th track “ (95”. This was and still is one of the songs I love playing the drums to. The vocals are different than most other bands, the bass has a heavy presence at times. Drums are great, and fun to play along to. This will always be one of my favorite songs to listen to. It just has a groove to it that I can’t sit still when I listen to the song. So enough chat because I just need to get the video/Audio clip up so you can listen for yourself. For some of you, you may have been a fan, if not I can tell you this particular song takes me back big time. This song thoroughly makes my day when I listen.

Now to bring it back a few more years is the album that I discovered my absolute favorite live song. Yes it is a live album, and although I really do not care for live albums, this one solidified its impact on me with the song “Fear of the Dark” For some of you I do not need to name names. You know what band I am talking about, and you may even know the album it came from but if not then let me educate you. The year was 1998, Iron Maiden put out A Real Live Dead One. Live songs while they were touring in 1992 and 1993. Now Iron Maiden will and forever be one of my favorite bands ever. They may not be death metal, grind, metalcore blackmetal what have you. They are simply put. METAL! \M/ Now this particular song was recorded live in Finland in 1992. This song to me is so powerful, when you listen to it, you can almost imagine you were there. when the song starts and Bruce starts singing, the crowd is too, and you can hear them perfectly. It demonstrates the dedication the fans have for something they believe in, and love. They sing the melody, and even when Bruce says “ You” at the 1:39 mark in the beginning you know everyone in that crowd sang “ Fear of the Dark”. This song is a great display of musicianship, and just how favored Iron Maiden is.

So while I could write pages worth of information about the band or album or even the song I will leave it up to the video to explain.

My next video is for a song off of Sevendust’s debut album. The whole album was great, but the song “ Black” is probably the song that got everyone’s attention. Iremember hearing it on a local radio station that would play heavy stuff in the evenings. Needless to say I also picked this album up from a Newbury Comics, as that was the record store that had metal and hardcore bands and everything in between. It is still my favorite store to go to due to their selection. They were so ahead of their time that I don’t think an official was ever made. Nowadays youtube has everything you could ever want from a kid putting a glow stick in the microwave, a goat screaming, and an autotune version of Antoine Dodson on the news. But there is no official video for Black. So while this weeks TBT playlist does not have a lot of “ official” videos. There are some great tunes, worth listening to. Here is a clip for Black.

Napalm Death is my next selection, now to be fair, I had heard them many times. They actually to me had a grind sound to them, that wasn’t widely used among metal bands. While everyone else was doing the “Death” metal style these guys were doing their own thing. These guys have been around for a long time and are still doing it. They recently put out “Apex Predator” so they haven’t slowed down one bit. We can talk about Greed killing, More than meets the eye and many other songs. But the video I have for is from 1997 The album was Inside the Torn Apart and the track is ‘ Breed to Breathe” I heard this song off an Earache Records sampler “ Earplugged 2” I picked this album up that year at a Strawberries one town over. And would listen to this album and from there I discovered more Earache Records bands. Napalm Death just had a different sound then the other bands. It wasn’t totally different, but it was like adding a different spice to a sound that made them unique. They still aim to deliver metal, and I don’t see them slowing down either. Here is the video for Breed to Breathe;

Up next is a great album from the band Today is the Day.

Today_Is_the_Day_-_In_the_Eyes_of_God

So for all those Mastodon fans out there stick around because Brann Dailor, and Bill Kelliher actually played in Today is the Day before Mastodon was even formed. You had those two guys teamed up with Steve Austin ( who also did vocals on “Terror and Hubris in the House of Frank Pollard”, production, mixing, engineering, analog editing, digital editing, and mastering of the album New American Gospel” by Lamb of God in 2000) and made In The Eyes Of God a rollercoaster of an album. They are listed on Wikipedia as noisecore now this is where I get hung up on sub-genre’s. Look if its metal, call it metal, I understand black metal, death metal, grind etc. But once you start calling something post hardcore bible thumping sludge pop noisecore. Im going to just say “ its metal” . So without any great quality video of this song, I have audio for the song “ Going to Hell”

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My Own Victim may not ring a bell to some of you but I heard these guys off a century media sampler compilation. I ended up buying their 1997 album “ No Voice, No Rights, No Freedom” while they may be more hardcore than metal, they fit in to the category because hardcore was a sound between punk and metal. I could go on about the similarities the history but who gives a damn. I am just playing a song that brings me back to my younger days. That good old rebellious hardcore sound. These guys are a Kentucky band who got started in 1995 with all the great influences of hardcore, and what they did was put out a great hardcore sound for that album. I really enjoyed this album. Nothing too fancy over the top or trying to make everyone else happy. So instead of just a video or audio clip. Since I can’t find the song I am looking for, then what I have is the audio for the entire No Voice album. So either skim through. Listen to the whole thing or do what you want, but just know this album has some killer hardcore tracks on it.

I remember scouring the internet back in the days of aol, and windows 95 trying to find metal any way I could. You would come across bands that never get big, and then bands that changed lineups or names. For example there used to be a website mp3.com it may still be active but I guarantee its not the way it used to be, and I actually downloaded Burn The Priest’s first album. Who knew they would Later become Lamb of God. So while I would use that site I discovered so many bands. And one of those bands was Ebony Tears. They had a similar black metal sound like At The Gates that piqued my metal interest. I came across the song Harvester of Pain, and I just really liked the way it was written. Very simple, yet has fast attacks, but mostly besides the drums which I am normally locked onto, but the guitars. I really like the guitar sound on this song. They have a fuzzy distortion similar to a buzz saw which some bands can pull of. This guitar sound is why I like Trap Them’s guitars because they have that guitar distortion sound. The band is now split up and the members went on to form Dog Faced Gods which sounds nothing like Ebony Tears. Sometimes the direction is totally different. At any rate I could only find a lyric video so here is the lyric video for Harvester of Pain, enjoy;

Ebony Tears - Tortura Insomniae

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My last video, is for an entire album worth of audio, I can’t find this album anywhere, and I loved it. I was in highschool, and heard the Slaughter of the Weak album my freshman year, I saw them play a show freshman year, and when their next album came out I knew I was goin to go out and buy it. So sure enough the album Dead and Buried came out in 2001 and I picked it up at none other than my favorite Newbury Comics. And I played the shit out of this album. So why am I doing audio for the whole album? Because I can’t find audio or video of the one song I really wanted to do which is Circle of Death/ Jungle Rot. So if you want to go straight to that song just skip to the 31:57 minute mark. But I do recommend just playing the whole album because the intro to the album is a great sample. These guys play a style of metal that is not the popular lets do everything faster and do pig squeal vocals and blast beats, and everything that everybody else is doing. These guys have that slow groove style death metal similar to Sodom, Monstrosity and Grave. They did however just put out a track for their new album which sounds pretty good. They have always stuck to their signature sound which is what I like. They have never changed for anything. Just still pumping away heavy badass metal. check out their new track “Fight where you stand” from Decibel Magazine.

http://decibelmagazine.com/blog/2015/6/10/man-up-and-fight-where-you-stand-with-jungle-rot   So with all that said here is the entire Dead And Buried album for you to listen to;

ENJOY

That wraps up this weeks Throwback Thursday metal edition, This wont be a weekly thing but every few weeks or so its fun to listen to metal that takes you to a different time.

-Badger \m/

http://www.badgersmetalbreakdown.com

The Black Dahlia Murder’s new album is titled Abysmal!

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The band announced today the name of the album as well as a release date of September 18th worldwide release.  It has been suggested that pre-orders and a new track may be available around June 24th so stick around for that. I will be sure to set my calander for that because TBDM is a band i can never get enough of, its like a guilty pleasure, i will always buy their album becuase they are a killer band, with great songs, and they are a bunch of goofy bastards that love metal as well. So yep i’m in i will be getting in on that action. This summer has been great for new music announcements and releases and pre orders and streaming albums and songs, and videos. Travor had this to say about the  music;

“I get a lot of inspiration from our continuing success as a band. There is a tremendous pressure to deliver for our fans. I want to wow them every time we come back and for our new material to keep them excited about us. I have had a long, intimate love affair with death metal and I enjoy sharing my continued excitement for it through this outlet. I am still obsessed with the macabre and the darker side of life, and I revel in creating dark lyrical content that makes the listener react in some way. I enjoy straddling the line between fantastic elements and real life horror, as there is constant atrocity all around us in the human experience. You don’t have to look far to find something that is happening in the modern world that can fill ones sails with disgust.”

Now after reading this makes me get excited becuase they do seem to raise the bar with every album.

-Badger \m/

http://www.badgersmetalbreakdown.com

Nile album announcement @nilecatacombs

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Nile Announce a new album!

The Egyption based Death metal band Nile are set to release their 8th album titled; What Should Not Be Unearthed on August 28th via Nuclear Blast Records. The album is produced by Nile and mixed by Neil Kernon

They have Michal Loranc to thank for the artwork which is pretty badass you can see that right here;

Karl Sanders had this to say “These songs will be a blast to play live, and we are stoked at the opportunity to bring these songs to metal fans everywhere. See you on tour!”

SO for any Nile fans out there August 28th will be a great day, as we see an album that the band is saying will be as brutal as “ Annihilation of the Wicked” with that said I can’t wait to hear it when it comes out.

So to get you pumped up for a new album lets check out some videos from their past albums with the Greek drumming demigod George Kollias playing percussion;

And a personal favorite ;

-Badger \m/

http://www.badgersmetalbreakdown.com

Benefit Show May24th

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Sunday May 24th at Milly’s Tavern ( located at 500 commercial st in Manchester , NH 03101) there will be a benefit show for Joel Bourne. He was involved in an accident that caused massive injuries including brain bleeds, damage to his central nervous system, shattered femur, broken foot, broken arm hand injured wrist as well as muscle damage and lossed 100% feeling and movement of his right arm. He has had a few surgeries so far to replace bone structure with metal rods. He currently is in a nursing home to begin the rehabilitation process. Joel has a four year old daughter, as well as a pregnant girlfriend Crystal. Due to his injuries he will not be able to work and support his family, leaving Crystal with the herculean task for handling all the finances. The benefit kicks off at 5:00 pm and a $10.00 cover charge ( 100% of all proceeds go directly to; www.gofundme.com/Joel-bourne )

Some great bands will be there, including Alterius playing songs from their “Voyager” EP out on bandcamp. The list of bands and times they are playing are;

My White Sky 10:10-11:00
Secrecy 09:30-10:00
Alterius 08:50-09:20
On Her Deathbead 08 :10-08:40
Hand Of Azrael 07:30-08:00
Pande Monee Em 06:50-07:20
Sentenced To Solitude 06:10-06:40
When Faith Dies 05:30-06:00

This is an all ages show, lets help out Joel and Crystal out.