Category: Blackened Metal

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 track ” Receipt” Streaming!!!\m/!!! @bdmmetal @revolvermag

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Today we get a chance to listen to a new track from Abysmal, the album due out September 18th from  The Black Dahlia Murder.  As if Vlad son of the dragon was not badass enough, they present us with the track ” Receipt”

The song starts out with an orchestral feel to it with stringed instruments, going into the classic TBDM blackened metal feel. The song doesn’t have any fluff to it, just straight up unfiltered badassery! Abysmal is sure to be a great album if the only two songs we have been able to hear so far are just brutally heavy and fast paced masterpieces.

TO listen to ” Receipt” click HERE \m/ \m/

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

Cattle Decapitation The Making of The Anthropocene Extinction @cattledecap @metalblade

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Cattle Decapitation and Dave Otero talk about the making of the new album due out August 7th.

This is great getting to see the behind the scenes making of the upcoming brutal album by Cattle Decapitation. I personally can’t wait for the album to drop.

Check the video out here;

Make sure if you haven’t (there is no good reason if you haven’t) pre-ordered the new album get on that by going to

www.metalblade.com/cattledecapitation    check out the pre order bundles.

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

WRVTH premiere video for ” Malaise” CHECK IT OUT !!! @wrvthofficial

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Check out the video for ” Malaise”  gets its premiere over at decibelmagazine.com WRVTH blew the world away with their self titled album that came out about a month ago. I have to say I picked up my copy because this album is great, it has all the elements of brutal metal, deathcore, and progressive metal as well as jazz.. I love this album, I am adamant that this is one of the best releases of 2015  CHECK THIS VIDEO OUT

http://decibelmagazine.com/blog/2015/7/10/video-premiere-wrvth-play-it-as-malaise

-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

WRVTH release self titled album WRVTH @wrvthofficial @uniqueleaderrec

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This album is badass, taking a progressive technical metal genre to its limits. With the opening track ” Harrowing Winds” I think I have just discovered some killer new listening material.  This album does not dissapoint, I have made it through the first six tracks so far and I am loving what I am hearing. Metal like this, releases like this, gets me excited. When you get some serious talent involved in making a record you end up with albums like this. Up until a few months ago i hadn’t even heard of this band. But I stumbled upon them, and told myself after hearing a track that i would  make time to listen to the entire album once it was available. Man am I glad I did, this is outstandingly fantastic.  They take a progressive sound, with a melodic, doom style and mix it with the brutality of technical death metal. This album is defintely one of the best releases of 2015.  You really ought to do yourself a favor and take a listen to this album, because it is worth it.  I myself am jumping onto the WRVTH train and going for an epic metal ride.

check out their label http://uniqueleader.com/   for more information

You will want to order this album for sure, anf luckily for you i have that link right here;

http://www.indiemerch.com/uniqueleader/band/wrvth

Stop what you are doing and get in on this! now!

-Badger \m/

http://www.badgersmetalbreakdown.com

Alterius Voyager E.P.

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Alterius -Voyager E.P.

First thing everyone notices about buying music is what the album looks like. Voyager has a clean planetary photo for the cover art.
Hit play

The first track is “ A citadels Demise“ It starts with a great drum intro, nothing over the top in length but just enough that you know you are in for some good metal. The guitars come in, and you get an upbeat metal sound with chugging riffs, then the vocals break through the sound. They aren’t trying to ease their way into anything here. This is the musical equivalent to an intense cage fight. Once you hit play there is no going back you are going for a ride. For just shy of 5 minutes Alterius keeps you rolling with their punches. Subtlety is not what these guys are going for, more along the lines of blunt force trauma. Right around the 2:30 mark you experience the rush and whirlwind of the guitars. This is not your average guitar sound either, by the end of the guitar solos you get that old school guitar squeal sound many familiar with metal will recognize instantly. Great track to start an album with.
2)  “Cast into purgatory“ boom right into drums and guitars with a quick attack before the first verse. Right after the first verse you get that long drawn guitar and ride cymbal beat that everyone getting ready to go into a pit has heard before. This is the precursor for that destroy everything pit feeling. This song has all the elements of Massachusetts metal, that has made the north-east characteristically famous for. Then on to the slow punchy verse and drums right into a light piano and drum groove setting you up for an up tempo verse. Shortly after a double bass drum assault and guitar riff introducing you to the guitars creativity for solo riffing once again. This time a slow melodic solo that eases into a progressing beat and harmonizing guitars. If your head isn’t moving at this point you don’t have the volume to the required level. The song ends on a very subtle guitar, piano, drum send off. So smooth its like the guy in the Olympic curling team sending that kettle across the ice. No frills, no effects, just a final note that carries off.

3) “Catalyst Machine“  starts with a quick little drum set up for a nice slow groove offset by a blasting groove. Bass drum and ride cymbal ringing out with each strike. A nice double bass, and guitar chugging groove. Perfect for absolute destruction inside a pit. If you are listening to this song you will have your head moving, imagining you are getting ready to jump right in to a pit. Pure adrenaline flowing numbing any current, or future pain you may incur, or inflict. Some quick guitar solos this track is mostly that slower style groove you can move to. This is one of those songs you bob your head, follow the groove and want to be on the mic singing along too. A nice slow double bass beat followed by quick fast  16th note double bass beats I am tapping my feet while listening to it. Finishes off with just a nice chugging riff  to end out the song.

4) “Sanctuary” has a great quick guitar set up for some blast beat style drumming into a nice guitar solo giving you a sense of what the song  has to offer. Some great guitar playing early on right away. Into a cymbal set up for the first verse, with a great groove of guitars, and drums following with the vocals. Then into a slow punchy verse with some low tuned guitars and nice drum fills to set up each chugging riff. At the 1:49 it picks up to a fast paced drum beat and guitar build up to the vocals “You no longer see, what life has given me, SANCTUARY SANCTUARY!“ Love this if you don’t find yourself wanting to sing that line with Joe you need to pack it up and go home. Bam guitar solo with some nice drums in the background. I cant tell you who is soloing when but the guitars that make up this band are skilled. Double bass roll out to the last verse keeping the intensity level there with the rhythm guitar and lead guitar you can follow. Killer track that can pump you up.

5) “Voyager“ the title track to this album starts out great, like a song you can go into battle listening to. Quick guitar riff into a nice solid double bass and guitar chugging riff you can groove to. You know this song has something up its sleeve. And boom a nice guitar effect to set up the first verse. This song  should have your undivided attention. When the verse kicks in its one of those solid riffs you can just follow right along to. Once they go into a slower groove its just setting you up for some heaviness. Progressing into another great guitar effect almost fading right into a technical beat you just have to enjoy. If you don’t then you just don’t get it. These guys aren’t trying to undersell their talents. These guys are bringing it 100%. An equal blend of technical and brutal you may find yourself getting ready to just break out and start throwing some hay-makers.

All in all this album is a great addition to any metal head and hardcore fans collection. The album sounds like something that has come out of a great recording studio and mixed and mastered by someone who has been in the metal scene for decades. For a debut 5 song EP these guys already seem to know what they are doing, and what they want to accomplish. They aren’t looking to blend in with all the other metal acts you hear day in and day out. They are establishing their own sound. If you are a fan of metal, Alterius should be on your playlist. For fans of bands like Sevenday Curse, Diecast, older Shadows Fall, and At the Gates and a lot of others. Alterius gives you a great blend of elements making them the next  hardcore metal band you discover and became a favorite.

you can check out their E.P. out on their  bandcamp page;

https://alterius.bandcamp.com/   

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