Feedback, Blood, and Distortion

"What makes us write good metal music is that we listen to non-metal music."

2012-02-14T19:11:00.002-05:00

The above quote was taken from an interview with prolific mastermind behind a few bands, the most notable of which of course being Opeth, Mikael Åkefeldt (pictured above). The interview was taken from Opeth's 20th anniversary DVD/CD set In Live Concert At The Royal Albert Hall. This quote really got me thinking about how good metal music is produced. How important is it to have diverse influences? Sure you listen to a lot of Slayer and that's obviously gonna influence your music but without the added influence of different styles of music you're just gonna end up with a band that sounds just like Slayer. That's great but so what? if I wanted to listen to a band that sounded like Slayer I would listen to Slayer.

The problem we have here is that in today's metal culture, you have the people that claim that if you're not listening to metal all the time then you're not a true metal head. There seems to be a mentality that if you listen to a little bit of pop music your love for metal is called into question. But it's when you are exposed to many types of music the music you produce tends to be more unique.

Talk to most bads, not just metal, and ask them what their influences are they normally give you the same answer. Black Sabbath, Led Zepplin, The Beatles, etc... It's naive of anyone to think that these are the only bands that are influencing a bands music. I'm sure the classic bands do influence these artists but I think it's more that bands don't want to admit that they're influenced by modern bands or modern styles of music. But that's why we have new styles of music, it's the natural evolution of things.

The problem I have with the current metal scene these days is that bands seem to have run out of creative influences. Bands are afraid of being labeled as non-metal if the branch out a tiny little bit. So they keep writing the same old thrash metal riff and keep playing the same blast-beat drum pattern without venturing outside the proven formula. Now, of course in the case of straight death metal bands, you're probably not gonna find pop elements in the music. Unless, of course you're in Sweden. But it's not really that that bothers me. Of course death metal is always gonna be death metal. But there is still room for growth. Listen to the original death metal of 90's and compare that to the latest Black Dahlia Murder album. There is a world of difference.

Do not get me wrong, I have no problem with a band staying true to their sound. But you also have to be sure that the music your band is producing doesn't get boring. Find more diverse influences. You might not consciously change the sound of the band but listening to more styles of music will eventually change the way you perceive the music you are writing and hopefully you will grow as an artist.

Pop Metal And It's Place In The Metal Community

2012-01-25T11:34:00.007-05:00

Everybody in the metal community loves to argue about pop metal. Do pop metal bands have a place? Should they even be called metal? The argument is usually made that the pop metal bands act as gateway bands. The kid that is listening to Avenged Sevenfold today will be listening to Cannibal Corpse tomorrow. This may very well be true. That's how I was when I was 13 and 14 listening to Korn, Slipknot, and Linkin Park. By the time I was 16 and 17 I was into Cannibal Corpse, Kataklysm, and Bloodbath. But does this happen in every case? Absolutely not. Most of the time, especially these days, the bands like like Five Finger Death Punch, Bullet For My Valentine, and Disturbed attract a UFC style fanbase of douche bags. But of course you have that risk with every movement. While the kids that were into nu metal when they were younger, like me grew up to like true metal. The adults that got into nu metal went a very different direction, Getting tribal tattoos and corn rows.

But there is a difference between good and bad pop metal. There are the bands that have serious talent like Avenged Sevenfold and Killswitch Engage that just happen to write catchy songs with an edge. And then you have Black Veil Brides and Five Finger Death Punch who are just so annoying you can't imagine this music doing anything good for anybody. But those bands will eventually die out and we'll be left with the talented ones that will do nostalgia tours 10 years from now.

But what about deathcore? Beyond the radio side of pop metal you have deathcore which is basically the Hot Topic side of pop metal. It attracts a very similar fanbase and has very similar effects as far as getting kids to listen to real metal. The good thing about deathcore is that it gives the bands the opportunity to evolve into a real death metal bands. The Black Dahlia Murder, Job For A Cowboy, Through The Eyes Of The Dead, these are all bands that have distanced themselves from the deathcore movement while managing to keep their original fans and through going on tour with real death metal bands, have turned their fans onto the world outside the brightly colored shirts, the hardcore dancing and the basketball shorts. This is where I see the merit of deathcore.

But then, of course you have the bands who have no merit whatsoever. Sadly these are the bands most associated with the movement. When talking about deathcore Bring Me The Horizon is the first band to come to mind. And that band is absolutely terrible. Luckily for us this movement seems to be on it's way out. I mean, when was the last time you heard a new BMTH song? Or saw someone wearing an Attack Attack! shirt? Unlike the pop metal bands, when the bad deathcore bands die out we aren't really left with "good" deathcore bands. We'll just be left with bands their were deathcore but have evolved their sound to traditional death metal. And isn't that we are really hoping for?

My Top 13 Albums Of 2009

2009-12-21T21:55:00.018-05:00

I'm not doing the decade-end list so many other people are doing because, quite frankly, that requires a lot of though. It was tough enough for me to compile of list of the best albums of this year, let alone the entire decade. There were a LOT of great albums that came out this year. Most of which I didn't even listen to. But, out of the ones I did make time to listen to, here's the 13 best.

#13 - Scar Symmetry - Dark Matter Dimensions
Even with the loss of their dynamic singer, Scar Symmetry dusted themselves off, got 2 great singers to replace him and did a great job at it. Dark Matter Dimensions is every bit as good, if not better than their previous albums. It's everything you expect from one of their albums. Great hooks, epic solos, and heavy growls. Kudos to them for making such a great album with new singers. We can all be so lucky.

#12 - X-Mas - Let The Dead Bury Their Dead
Ok, so what if this is technically a 5-song demo from a local band in my area? What, you think the list has to only be label debuts? Well you are wrong. Because, I listened to this album more than the new Killswitch album, and the new Mastodon album put together this year. The hooks are great and they do an amazing job of staying away from a predictable formula from song to song. Not to mention Justin Johnson's elastic scream that just makes your spine shiver. I have the pleasure of actually being able to call these guys friends. And, if we can organize it properly and find a club at a reasonable price, they will be playing at my 18th birthday party next month so, I'm excited for that. And, for these guys to get signed in the future. If they keep putting out killer music like this it's bound to happen.

#11 - Insidious Decrepancy - Extirpating Omniscient Certitude
Who says big words aren't metal? This one-man tech death juggernaut is back with his first album in 4 years. Not only is this probably one of the most brutal things that came out this year, it's among the most brutal things I have in my iPod. The riffs are amazing, the lyrics, if you read them, are genius, and, it's just so, so heavy. I don't think I need say any more.

#10 - Lamb Of God - Wrath
I must say I'm a little surprised to not see this album on more year-end lists. Is it because it came out so early in the year and you forgot that it came out in 09? Well, I didn't. Everything about this album just screams Lamb Of God. The riffs are as heavy as ever and Randy's vocals are just crushing. Just listen to 20 seconds of "Broken Hands" and tell me it doesn't deserve to be on this list. I think the fact that, they only released one single from the album and it debuted at #2 on the charts speaks for itself how amazing this album is. If you haven't listened to it, I don't know what you're waiting for.

#9 - Giant Squid - The Ichthyologist
I don't even know what to say about this album. It totally took me by surprise how good it was from the first song. And, even though it's not really heavy, more like trippy stoner "dungeon metal" it has just as much right to be on this list at the all might LoG does. I found out about this band through a conversation with one of the guys from Cormorant and he told me to check them out and I'm so glad I did. Every song seems to blend seamlessly into the next. And, I'm told that it's supposed to be a concept album and I'm not even gonna pretend to know what the story's about or, for that matter what the title means but, I love it.

#8 - Mudvayne - Mudvayne
I waited so much longer after everyone else to do my list just because, based off the two songs I'd already heard from this album, I had a feeling it was gonna chart. And, boy was I right. I listened to this album 3 times all the way through today and I'm convinced that this marks the return of The End Of All Things To Come-era Mudvayne. And I couldn't be happier for that. The songs no longer have that angsty formula that the last two albums seemed to have. And, the songs are HEAVY. With the exception of "Scream With Me" which is the radio song of the album. And, the albums closer "Dead Inside." This album absolutely slays compared to The New Game. And, I'm so glad to have the Mudvayne I know and love back.

#7 - Cannibal Corpse - Evisceration Plague
Another album I'm shocked to not see on too many year-end lists. I mean, it's Cannibal Corpse! I think it's the same thing as with the Lamb Of God album; because it came out in February, everyone forgot it came out this year. But, it did. And I'm so glad it did. Even after more than 20 years Cannibal Corpse are still out there playing brutal death metal, and still doing it better than everybody else. The songs are great Corpse songs and classic tunes. This should truly go down in history as one of the great death metal albums. Long live Cannibal Corpse!!

#6 - Chimaira - The Infection
Chimaira released another great album this year. Not to mention another shift in the sound of Chimaira. Every Chimaira albums is exciting because their all different. In this one, they kinda slowed down the songs. And, no that doesn't mean they went softer and made a Nickleback album *shiver*. It means the tempo is slower and therefor more crushing. Some people complain that the songs aren't heavy enough. These people don't deserve the ears their listening to the album with. If you can't see yourself moshing "Frozen In Time" or "On Broken Glass" then, you obviously don't mosh often.

#5 - Cormorant - Metazoa
I can't even talk about how much I love this album. The album hangs together so nicely and, every time I listen to it I love it even more. I can't find a single fault with this album. The guitar work is absolutely serene. I get lost in this album from start to finish and I find it hard to listen to anything else for a few hours after because it's just so beautiful you have to reflect upon it. Every element of this band's music is blended so perfectly. Hopefully I'll have an interview with a member of this band posted soon, as soon as they get back to me with their answers to the questions.

#4 - Dethklok - Dethalbum II
Ya know, I tried to stay away from including Brendon Small's virtual ode to death metal, Dethklok and his second full length album because of the whole "Cartoon band" thing but, honestly, I just can't. The album is so damn great and fun to listen to I have to include it on the list. Everything from Hoglan's drumming to Small's effortless guitar work is so superior to the first Dethalbum. Not only are the song heavy as Hell, but their catchy. In the classic Dethklok manner. I can't wait to see what Dethalbum III eventually has for us.

#3 - Daath - The Concealers
I know, I'm surprised too. This album came out of nowhere and just decimated the competition. "Sharpen The Blades" along with "Wilting On The Vine" are sure to go down as not only death metal classics but, metal classics in general. This album is sure to stand the test of time and surely marks the start of a very long career for Daath and their new singer in Sean Z. This album really makes me want to see this band live. I can just imagine how epic these songs are live. But, for now, we have a great album.

#2 - Iwresltedabearonce - It's All Happening
This band is so polarizing in the metal community. It's unreal how many people hate this band. I don't really understand it because I love this band so much. The songs, though may seem chaotic flow so perfectly. And, even though the band seems hell-bent on not taking the band or the music too seriously that doesn't show through in Krysta's lyrics. Though the song names and approach may seem a bit cartoony at times, the lyrics, as far as I can tell, are dead serious. And, if they're trying to be funny it's going completely over my head. Great music anyway. Sure to go down as an innovative band.

#1 - Revocation - Existence Is Futile
We've reached the end of my little list. And, what a ride it's been. Ending in what was, without a DOUBT the best album of the year. I knew this was the most amazing album to come out in a long time since the first time I popped the CD in. The intricacy of the guitars, bass, and drums are perfect. And the vocals are so sharp and crisp while still being brutal. The songs are memorable and catchy as anything that's been put out and better. This album will go down in history as one of those albums that unified the metal community and will stand the test of time as being one of the greatest metal albums ever written. And, to close out the list, I give you the first video from our winner. Here's Revocation's "Dismantle The Dictator".

My Top Album Of The Week Via Last.FM: Nine Inch Nails' "The Fragile"

2009-12-06T15:34:00.002-05:00

So I know I'm late on writing... Anything. I don't have a good excuse. Oh well. Anyway, according to my Last.FM account, my top album of this week is Nine Inch Nails' 2-disk masterpiece The Fragile. Nine Inch Nails completely dominated the list this week, taking not only the #1 spot, but the top 4 spots. And, this one is not just the #1 album, but it has broken the record for most plays in a single week with an impressive 80 plays. Which is 40 more plays than the #2 album which was Nine Inch Nails' Year Zero.

How do I even begin to describe why this album is so great? There's no way I have enough time to sit here and go into all 23 songs like this album deserves. And yet, there's no real way to give a cursory over-view of this amazing album. I think it's the catchiness of songs like "We're In This Together" and "Where Is Everybody" that first draws you in. Then songs like "I'm Looking Forward To Joining You, Finally" that are so haunting and makes the album stick with you.

Or maybe it's the constant build that each song seems to go through. All you have to do is listen to the open track on the first disk to be instantly captured. It starts off with a very simply acoustic guitar riff and just keeps building and building until it's just an assault of hard alt-rock. Then you just have the pure heaviness of songs like "Starfuckers, Inc." and "No, You Don't" that sets this album apart from the other albums. This album is Nine Inch Nails in their most raw, and pure form. The fact that this album isn't more famous just baffles me.

I don't usually put videos in these blogs but I feel I must for this one. Here's them playing "No, You Don't" live.

Some Very Sad News To Report.

2009-11-20T21:10:00.003-05:00

Nathan Ells, who I have often regarded as being one of the best, most talented vocalists in metal today, is no longer in The Human Abstract. As said in a statement on the band's MySpace page;

It is time we update you on some very important news. First and foremost, The Human Abstract will no longer be working with Nathan Ells. We want to wish Nathan the very best in his future endeavors. With that being said, we are now looking for our new lead singer. To clue everyone in, our new singer must be into Chuck Norris, Van Damme and most importantly Steven Seagal movies. We will be holding public auditions, so if you have what it takes please reach us at THAvocalistsearch@gmail.com and we will respond to you with more information.

I literally just read this and figured I must write an article. Nathan Ells has one of the most impressive vocal ranges in this type of music. Also, the man was a genious song writer and an AMAZING performer. I know this because I've seen them live twice. And, I can't imagine a the band without him. Being a metal vocalist myself, I respect the things that Nathan does with his voice. I often try to sing his songs and wish I had that type of range. Just go buy a copy of Midheaven and see how awesome his voice is. That album really draws it out to it's finest. Whereas Nocturne focused more on the technical aspect of the band's music. Just watch them perform "A Violent Strike" and tell me the band can ever be the same without him.

My Tope Album of the Week Via Last.FM - Revocation's "Existence Is Futile"

2009-11-14T09:15:00.005-05:00

One of the perks of being back is that I can start doing this again. My top album this week, according my Last.FM account is Revocation's crushing sophomore release, Existence Is Futile. First of all, even though I haven't been posting, I still generated the list every week trying to motivate myself to write. And I would like to point out that last week's winner which was Scar Symmetry's newest album Dark Matter Dimensions holds the record for most plays of an album in any given one week period for me coming in with 61 one plays in just one week. Which is pretty huge so, eventually I will be writing a full review of that album.

I guess I kept my iPod on shuffle for most of the week because this week's winner only had 17 plays. Oh well. Lets talk about how amazing this album is. It totally takes their first release, Empire Of The Obscene, and rapes it... In the face! As great as an album that was, Existence Is Futile crushes it in every possible way. The intricate guitar work is what I think makes this album above all else that I've heard this year. Just listen to the opening instrumental track "Enter The Hall." When I bought this album at a local record store (physical CDs for the win!) on Holloween, me and my friend Malcolm played it through my computer as we prepared our costumes as Jay and Silent Bob to go hang out in front of a convenience store. We weren't really paying attention during the first few seconds of the album. Then the cymbal crash. After the cymbal crash of the first track, everything goes off. It's like an explosion of guitar solos. The both of us just stopped and stared at my computer for a second. That very second I decided that this was one of the best albums of 2009 by far. And THE best new band out there without question.

After that the entire album is just a slew of thrash metal classics to kill your family to. The title track is one of the most interesting songs on the album because it makes you feel like it's two different songs. About half-way through the song everything stops and it just picks back up with a completely different and equally as amazing riff and vocal line, and drum progression. Just really interesting how they did this. Also, the song "The Brain Scramblers" is just a song that is meant to be played live. I can just see the audience screaming. "NEUROTOXINS SCRAMBLES BRAINS!!!" Just pure win.

I'm not gonna spend much time dissecting each song but, I would like to say this; if you don't buy a copy of this album, you are missing out on what is probably the best metal album of 2009. Hands down.

Highlights of the album are... THE ENTIRE THING. Seriously. Buy it. Now. Go.

Name Change

2009-11-12T17:24:00.000-05:00

I'm finally back from a long needed break from blogging. I wasn't planing on taking the break but, i just didn't have the time to post because I finally got a job. So, now that I've taken that break I think I've figured out how to manage my time so I can do this and my job and school and stuff. Anyway, with me being back, i decided that the blog could use a new name.

I was playing my iTunes on shuffle the other day and I found a song that I never noticed before. Called "Feedback, Blood, and Distortion" by Toxic Holocaust. And I thought to myself, those three words sum up metal perfectly! Everything that is metal is in those three words. So simple. So that's the new name of my blog. And, to celebrate, here's the song that inspired me.

My Top Album Of The Week Via Last.FM - Chimaira's "The Infection"

2009-10-10T11:13:00.000-04:00

It's Saturday and you know what that means, it's time for my second album of the week according to my Last.FM account. This week, Chimaira's latest offering The Infection came in at number one with 32 plays. Last weeks winner, Cormorant's Metazoa came in at number two this week with 21 plays.

So, I finally decided to get the new Chimaira album into my library and, needless to say, I absolutely love it. Some people complained that the riffs are "too slow." I say they're crushing. There's nothing slow moving about this album. It's not like a Down or Clutch album where it borders on blues. Trust me, this is the same brand of pure American metal that this amazing band always produces. I've seen this band twice now, and the second time I saw them, it was on the Music As A Weapon VI tour with Disturbed and I swear when they played "Destroy and Dominate" from this album, it was the most painful mosh pit I've ever been in. Also the biggest. It was absolutely insane. I would love to see this band when they're actually the headliner of a tour.

My only complaints about this album are that, the song "Impending Doom" is a little more boring to me than I would've though. And "The Heart Of It All" is a 14 minute instrumental track. I listened to the whole thing just waiting for the voice break but it never came. It NEVER CAME. But, everything else about this album is great. I especially like the guitar work on "Coming Alive." You'll get what I mean when you listen to it. And, it it just me or is Mark Hunter's voice deeper that it used to be? Interesting.

The highlights of this album are "The Venom Inside," "Coming Alive," "On Broken Glass" and "Destroy and Dominate."

In Terms Of "Special Edition" Packaging, Mudvayne Wins

2009-10-09T15:29:00.000-04:00

So, I read over at Metal Insider the other day that Mudvayne has a new album coming out. Uhmm... Didn't they just put out an album? They don't waste any time, huh. Anyway, the point is, the new Mudvayne self titled album with be printed on black light reactant ink. That's not even the coolest part, the special edition comes with it's own black light! So, that's pretty cool. As far as I'm concerned, this kinda brings them back to the old days of doing things based on being kinda cool or trippy to some people. Who knows? Maybe we'll even see a return-to-form in terms of music. Because, I still listen to their first two albums more than any of their other stuff. Another sign of promise it the fact that, in the video below that kinda demonstrates the packaging, the art has the The Beginning Of All Things To End logo on it. So, I think that's a good sign of what's to come.

Also, the band has a new sog streaming on their MySpace page. And, quite frankly, I like it a lot better than that album they put out a few months ago. It shows real promise of going back to a metal band as opposed to a heavy rock band like they were on The New Game. Not only that, the new song has BLAST BEATS!! That's a real step up for Mudvayne and maybe it will earn them some cred back in the metal community. Who knows. I'm definitely a big enough fan of them but, not the rest of the metal community agrees with me.

Make Funny Faces With A New Scar Symmetry Video

2009-10-09T13:37:00.000-04:00

So Scar Symmetry finally released the video for the first single off their new album Dark Matter Dimensions. Like the rest of the Scar Symmetry fans, I was anxious to see how the two new singers do with this band. And, quite frankly, I have no complaints. The song is pretty much a Scar Symmetry song. What can I say? It's what you would expect from a band that is commonly referred to as "Death Jovi."

The only annoying thing is, the new dude that does the growls keeps making these ridiculous faces when he sings. I don't know if he's being serious or just trying really hard to look metal but, it's pretty funny. Even if you don't like the song or this band you can at least get a few chuckles out of this guy. In any case, Dark Matter Dimensions comes out October 20th on Nuclear Blast. And, consider me excited.

Dethalbum II: The Official Blog Metal Review

2009-10-04T18:13:00.001-04:00

There's really something to be said about the fact that Brendon Small's virtual band Dethklok had one of the mos anticipated metal albums of the year with Dethalbum II. The first Dethalbum had the best debut of a death metal album of all time. Debuting at #21 on the Billboard charts. But, this new album beat it and debuted at #15! Good job, Brendon!

This album kicks off with the explosive new single (video below), "Bloodlines" which, we've all heard before. It's a pretty good. It really marked a new point in Dethklok because it's the first Dethklok song we've heard with a high-pitched scream which is pretty great. My favorite song (at the moment) is "The Gears". I love everything about this song. It's so catchy and great. I love the riffs and the melody in the verses.

Songs like "Burn The Earth" and "Laser Cannon Deth Sentance" are what take Dethklok out of being just a joke band into being a full-blown death metal band. And "Black Fire Upon Us" is an epic song along the same lines as "Go Into The Water" from the first album.

I'm gonna skip a few songs to talk about the song that everyone skipped to upon listening to the album. This is of course "Murmaider II: The Water God". This song is almost better than the first one. I mean, the guitar riff during the part where he sings "SWIM ON!" is just so epic, you can't help but like it. Plus, you can't not love the story-line. I would like to be the Water God some day.

I've decided to keep this short and not break it down song-by-song like I normally would with an album review because, hey, it's DETHKLOK. Go buy the album or die.

(5 out of 5 goat heads)

My Top Album Of The Week Via Last.FM

2009-10-03T22:47:00.000-04:00

So I'm gonna start doing this every week. I've been a member of Last.FM for a while now, and I have my account track my weekly top albums. And, this week, coming in a number one with 29 plays is Cormorant's brilliant full-length debut Metazoa.

About a week and a half ago, I was waiting for something to download and I noticed that MetalSucks was streaming the album. I had some time to kill so I figured, hey, why not? After listening to the first couple of songs I was instantly hooked. Everything about this band and this album is just purely amazing. This band combines elements of progressive, death metal, black metal, and even a little folk metal into one awesome album. All of the songs are about 7 minutes long. The longest song, being one of my favorites is "Hanging Gardens" clocking in at 11 minutes and 16 seconds. Their songs may be a little lengthy but they have to be. They're incredibly complex and they hang together so well. Not once during any of the epic masterpieces did I ever get bored and wonder when it would be over.

The only song I don't really like on this album is "Hole In The Sea." I just haven't been able to get past the singer's annoying vocals at the beginning. Other than that, every song is pure genius. The highlights of the album are "Salt Of The Earth," "Hanging Gardens," and "The Emigrant's Wife." I suggest you go out and buy this album. Or stream it via the link I posted above.

Fred Dursts Still Thinks Spray Painting Is Cool

2009-09-07T13:12:00.001-04:00

The above image was supposedly spray painted by Durst himself. Now, I got the picture off of the Onion and it didn't have an actual article attached to it so, I'm not sure how credible that is. But, I do not claim to be a news source nor do I really care. It's just funny to think of Fred Durst, in his early 40's, up on a ladder spray painting his band name on a bridge. As if anyone on their drive home from work is gonna see the art, get all nostalgic about the late 90's/early 00's and go home and look up the Bizkit on MySpace.

I personally think he did it. Only because, I mean, who else is gonna risk their life by writing the name of a nu-metal band on the side of a bridge? Don't they have gang signs to paint? Anyways.. Here's Durst and such performing "Take A Look Around" at Download 09.. And he introduces it as a new song. I'm sorry but, didn't this song come out in 2001?

New Atreyu Stuff... In Case You Still Care About Atreyu

2009-09-02T21:47:00.000-04:00

Yeah. Ok, Atreyu has a new album coming out which means one of metal's most controversial bands is back in the news. By "controversial" I don't mean cool controversial like Mayhem or Marilyn Manson, I mean, a lot of metal fans really, really hate this band. And, up until they released Lead Sails, I was on the pro-Atreyu side. Well, Atreyu has promised that this new album will get some of their metal "cred" back. And, Atreyu heads out on tour with Hollywood Undead soon.

Wait... Is this correct? How the HELL do you expect to earn back metal cred when you're going out on tour with one of the most HATED bands in the metal world. I mean seriously, almost every metal fan ON THE PLANET absolutely loathes Hollywood Undead. And, so do I. Not only are they going out with Hollywood Undead, or HU as the trendy kids say, Atreyu is the opening act! I don't think you heard me... ATREYU IS OPENING FOR HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD!!!! Look, Atreyu's next album, entitled Congregation Of The Damned will be the band's 5th studio album. This band is reaching their 10th year of being signed to a major label. Hollywood Undead had 1 album out. And hasn't been on the scene for even two years. Hollywood Undead, and their crappy version of rapcore isn't even qualified to kiss the ground Atreyu walks on. They have earned NOTHING. They have done NOTHING. Hollywood Undead is a worthless trend band that will fade away in less than a year. Mark my words.

That being said (in all caps), Atreyu has a new song... Sorta. A fan filmed them playing the song "Bleeding Is A Luxury" live at the Epicenter music festival '09. Now, Atreyu tends to throw out a lot of cliches when they play live. Saying things like "I wanna keep the energy high, and the rock fuckin rollin'." ... What the Hell does that mean? At any rate, I already like the song better than any of the songs off of Lead Sails. Listen for yourself. Congregation Of The Damned comes out October 27th.

Why Haven't You Heard Of Revocation?

2009-08-23T17:50:00.000-04:00

Seriously, I'm asking here. Revocation was recommended to me by Last.FM the other day and, I immediately downloaded the entire CD. And I can say I'm loving it! This stuff is brilliant. This is ultra-technical thrash/death metal. One of the best I've ever heard. In the album, Empire Of The Obscene, there's so many amazing riffs and drum parts and bass parts, it boggles the mind. And the solos! So many amazing solos. The kind of solos where, they're amazingly fast and technical yet, not at all show-offy. And the best part? This is only a three person band. How can such a powerful sound come from only three people? I can say without question that, this will be the next great metal band. I haven't been this excited to hear a band since the first time I heard of Lamb Of God all those years ago.

Anyway, this band has a new album coming out September 29th on Relapse Records entitled Existence Is Futile. Needless to say, I can't wait. This is going to be amazing, judging from the new songs they've posted on their MySpace page. Until the album comes out, enjoy some in-studio footage of the band.

Now Listen To Me!

2009-08-22T11:46:00.000-04:00

You may have noticed a nice little addition to the sidebar here, I've added a Brutal Jay radio station! Now, this radio station is based off my account on Last.FM which means that, it's not all gonna be brutal metal. So don't send me stuff going "WHAT IS THIS?! THIS ISN'T METAL!!1!111!!!one" Because I will call you an idiot and move on. Stay tuned cause some more new stuff is gonna be going on here in the near future.

I Was Eviscerated At The Cannibal Corpse Show

2009-08-18T15:46:00.001-04:00

Sorry I haven't posted anything in a while but, I've been pretty busy lately. But, hey, it's not like a lot of people actually read this anyway. Anyway, I had the pleasure of seeing Cannibal Corpse last week and feel the need to post the show review. I managed to see them at a semi-small club on a Mayhem off-date with fellow Mayhem Festers The Black Dahlia Murder, Behemoth, and God Forbid. This was the first concert I've gone to without a friend to go with. And, I was fine with that. I mean, I was seeing Cannibal Corpse! Besides, when the band starts playing, it doesn't really matter who you're with. Plus, I got some pretty awesome pictures that are now on my MySpace page.

Anyway, I got there and I swear, this was the longest line I've ever seen at GroundZero. The last time I was there I was seeing Kataklysm and there was maybe 100 other people there. This time the club was PACKED. And for good reason. The first thing I did when I got inside, as I do with every concert I go to, I raced to the merch stand and bought myself a t-shirt. I finally own a Cannibal Corpse shirt. Oh happy day.

After buying my shirt I promptly folded it, stuffed it in my pocket and tried to get to the stage while everyone was still dispersed around the club so I could establish a spot close to the stage. And, I did manage to get pretty close just in time for God Forbid to take the stage. I've gotten really in to God Forbid since the release of their latest album Earthsblood. God Forbid's set was only about 35 minutes long. That's about 5 songs. Luckily for me, 3 of them were from the new album. Which is good because I don't really know their older stuff too well. God Forbid had a great energy during their set. Concidering this year their guitarist, and brother to most of the members, left the band. And God Forbid introduced us to the new guitarist. Maybe he'll stay. I don't know.

So, after God Forbid's set, I wandered down to the 2nd stage (this club has 2 stages) where some local band was playing. I stayed for about a song and quickly got back to the main stage to because Behemoth was next. Sadly, most of the people that were watching God Forbid were still there. So I had to settle with being a little further from the stage than I would like. It didn't effect me much. It just ment my pictures of them weren't as good.

So, Behemoth opened in the typical epic fashion they do. Now, I don't really know any Behemoth songs. I'm just getting into them this year so I haven't quite learned any of their songs. But, that didn't stop me from having fun. They have a great show. What with the corpse paint and all. And, I didn't know that the band likes to spit blood into the audience. So, I'm just watching the show. The guitarist seems to be doing something so I'm like, something epic is about to happen. So he spits the blood into the audience so I thought, ok, that's cool... AND IT LANDS IN MY EYE! I just got blood in my EYE! How awesome is that? The guy from Behemoth spat blood in my eye. That was one of the highlights of the night.

After Behemoth's set, it was so hot in the club, I just had to go sit down. So, I quickly found an empty seat and sat down to relax for a bit. Ya know, get on MySpace with my phone and stuff.

I noticed the guys for The Black Dahlia Murder setting their stuff up. I sat there for a second thinking about sitting this one out. I mean, they're not a band I know very well and it was just so hot. In the end, I decided to watch their set. Mainly to take pictures. They weren't terrible. They definitely have enough energy live but, it seems like their songs kinda run together when they play live. Maybe it's just because I don't really know any of their songs well enough to sing along or really get into it. The good news is, I was practically right in front of the stage.

So, of course because I was so close to the stage, I wasn't moving. I knew if I gave up my position with Cannibal Corpse coming up, I'd never get it back.

It was finally time for me to see one of the greatest death metal bands to ever walk the earth. Cannibal Corpse. The band opened with the song "Evisceration Plague." It's not uncommon for them to open with their newest single. I was kinda hoping they would let us know what the next single would be but, oh well. The band pretty much played all the songs you would expect. As well as some of the more obscure songs not even I knew. I was kinda disappointed they didn't play "Rotted Body Landslide." George made countless remarks as to how hot it was. I was relieved that a band was finally acknowledging it. I was starting to think I was along in this. Before they played "Hammer Smashed Face" George said "I want someone to buy me a beer. If I don't have a beer in my hand by the end of this song, I'm killing everyone." Of course 5 people bought him beers. He said that that was supposed to be the last song but, I guess he lied because they closed the show with my favorite song by them. "Stripped Raped And Strangled."

After they played, I rushed outside because, I remembered the was this club was set up and I knew, if I got outside fast enough I would be able to meet Cannibal Corpse. And I did. Well, I got to meet Alex Webster and George Fisher. Which is good enough for me. Plus, I got to meet Karl Sanders from Nile. I'm not sure why he was there but, he was. So I told him the story of how, when they played Ozzfest, my sister was about to pass out from the heat and they let us sit in the signing booth and I stole one of Karl's Monster drinks. He thought it was funny.

Probably The Funniest Video I've Seen In A Long Time

2009-08-04T17:30:00.000-04:00

So, I was cruising the aptly named stuffyouwillhate.com when I saw this video, for a song called "Summer Girls" by Stereos... It's apparently a cover of LFO.... Who?

Anyway, it seems another batch of scene kids are latching onto the scremo-crunk, auto-tune, brokenCYDE fad and well, making songs... Kinda. I don't know if you can call this a real song because I kinda hope these kids aren't being serious. But, I guess they are. It's only a matter of time before they go on tour with Hollywood Undead, I Set My Friends On Fire, and 3OH!3. All of which need to die. And soon. Here's the video from the album... I'm not even gonna bother trying to find out whatthe name of the album is. Enjoy the down-turn of western music below.

Everyone Knows That Juggalos are Rabid GWAR Fans

2009-07-23T20:25:00.000-04:00

Above is a 14-minute infomercial about the 10th annual "Gathering Of The Juggalos" that I discovered via MetalSucks. There are a few things about this video that I find hilarious. Like, the two people that are hosting the infomercial. Where do they find these people?! I could swear they were comedians if I didn't know they were being serious. The fact that, on top of being a rapper, wrestler, and "buisness man", Violent J is also apparently a cook. The fact that, on top of the whole Psychopathic Family, who also dress up as clowns as if it were a requirement to get signed to this lable, the festival also boasts Ice Cube and Coolio! Well, shit nigga. Where do I sign up?

But the two bands on the line-up that I found most interesting are Mushroomhead and GWAR... fucking GWAR!! Ok, I kinda get Mushroomhead. They wear face paint and a couple of songs have a bit of a rap ting to them. But GWAR? I honestly don't think the juggalos can handle that amount of originality. At least the crowd will get sprayed with blood and not Faygo. At least that "bouncy boxing" thing kinda sounds like fun.

Also, the most missunderstood people in history? I don't even think I need to say something smart about that statement.

Some Dethklok News

2009-07-22T16:19:00.000-04:00

So, you are looking at the official cover art for the upcoming Dethalbum II! Am I the only one who's excited for this? The new Dethalbum comes out September 8th on William Street records. And it will include "Murmaider II." ... Could be awesome. I haven't heard anything from Dethklok that I haven't liked.

Moving on the the show. I would just like to say that, Metalocalypse is my favorite show on TV right now. I think Brendon Small is a real genious and knows how to make a good show about metal. That being said, I'm am very pleased to announce that the next season of episodes will be a half hour long! No more of this stupid 15-minute run time shit. And the new season is slated to appear sometime in November.

On to my final bit of Dethklok news.... A GAME!!!!! Read this;

Konami announced today that a video game based on the hit Adult Swim series Metalocalypse is currently in development for Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and PlayStation®Network. Created by series co-creator Brendon Small and based on the top-rated Adult Swim animated series, the upcoming Metalocalypse: Dethgame will immerse players into the world of Dethklok, the world’s most brutal Norwegian heavy metal band.”

This is all sorts of awesome. According to MetalSucks.net you will be one of the klokateers and will have to protect the bad from rabid, mutant fans. This is gonna be a fun game, no doubt. But, it only available for download at the X-Box store, not for sale. I guess I have to buy an X-Box 360 now.

Are Itching for a new Scar Symmetry Album Like I Am?

2009-07-21T21:31:00.000-04:00

I've been a fan of Scar Symmetry for a while now. Holographic Universe was one of my favorite albums of 2009. And I was saddened when I heard that vocalist Christian Alvestam had left the band. And intrigued when they hired two vocalists to take the spot. Roberth Karlsson on “lead growl vocals” and “backing clean vocals” and Lars Palmqvist on “lead clean vocals” and “backing growl vocals.”

Well, according to Nuclear Blasts' European site states that a new Scar Symmetry album, entitled Dark Matter Dimensions and is slated for an October 2nd release date. I'm interested to see if these new guys can match the chops of Alvestam. To refresh your memory of Alvestam, here's the video for "Morphogenesis"

My Exclusive Interview With Metal Artist, Mark Riddick

2009-07-04T23:05:00.000-04:00

I did this interview with Mark Riddick a long time ago back when I ran the blog from my MySpace page and I feel like posting it again. Why? Because it's my website and I can. I really liked this interview and want to share it... again. Mark Riddick was an amazing to interview. He seemed perfectly fine with answering every question with thoughtful responses. For those of you that aren't familiar with Riddick, First and foremost he is a world renowned artist and has designed for some of metal's most prominent acts such as Kataklysm, Dying Fetus, Arsis, and Dethklok. While staying true to his roots in the underground metal scene by doing artwork for bands like Hirax, and Nunslaughter. Riddick's artwork has been featured in galleries all around the world in cities like LA, New York, and Tokyo. Riddick himself is the member of many bands, most notably of which are Unburied, and his solo project Fetid Zombie. If you remember, Unburied's "Slut Decapitator" was my 10th favorite album of the year. To learn more about Mark Riddick's art, you could check out his MySpace page, or, you could just read the interview below.

First of all, is this your first time being interviewed?

No, I've completed several interviews since I've been illustrating for the underground metal music community during the past 18 years. I've probably finished well over one hundred or so by now.

When did you start drawing?

My earliest recollection of drawing was around the age of six but I didn't take it seriously until 1991 when I started taking art courses in high school and got involved in the underground death and black metal music scenes.

Did you always know you wanted to be an artist?

Yes, absolutely! It's truly a passion of mine and I'm very grateful that I had plenty of support from my family, friends, and instructors to pursue this path.

Is there a specific moment you remember when you started listening to metal?

Oh yes, I was about ten years old when I began listening to hard rock bands like Cinderella, Motley Crüe, and Ratt. I quickly progressed into thrash metal courtesy of bands such as Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Kreator, Gwar, Vio-Lence, Forbidden, Cryptic Slaughter, Overkill, DRI, Demolition Hammer, etc. and around the age of thirteen or fourteen I graduated to death and black metal music.

As an artist, is there a style of art, digital or otherwise, that you feel is over used?

I think any creative individual is entitled to express him or herself freely and with any medium of choice. Some cliché's may be overused in heavy metal art but it is an artist's responsibility to be original in his or her own work. It's important for an artist to set him or herself apart by discovering a style that is uniquely theirs—this comes with much practice, self discipline, and experience. I am personally inspired by the old underground photocopied metal fanzines from the early 90s which featured cut-and- paste layouts alongside gruesome black and white illustrations and elaborate border artwork. This was a predominant style during the early 90s in underground metal culture and I've carried these attributes into my own artwork; for instance—my reluctance to use color in my work.

Where do you come up with the ideas for your art?

The concepts in my artwork vary depending on whether or not I have complete creative freedom on an illustration or if my client has something specific in mind. Most of my own concepts are derived from my distaste for organized religion; particularly Christianity, which dominates our Western mindset. Other themes are based around my own fears and concepts that are generally shocking. I think one of the many purposes of art is to entice a reaction from its viewer and sometimes subject matter can accomplish this.

Now that you have a kid, do you think that your views toward your art or your music will change at all?

No, I absolutely enjoy being a father and it has not yet shaped my worldview other than by enlightening me to the power of our human ability to create. My son is, in essence, my masterpiece—the most precious work of art I'll ever create. The only thing that has significantly changed is the time I'm able to spend on my art and music as my familial responsibilities are always first.

What first gave you the idea to do your solo project?

In 1991 my twin brother and I performed in a death metal project together called Excrescent. We published two fairly successful demo tapes and spread them throughout the underground metal scene. Since then I published several CDs, cassettes, and LPs in other genres of music ranging from experimental dark ambient to traditional medieval music. Since metal music has always been such an immense part of my life I decided to go back to my roots and initiated Fetid Zombie, a solo project, in 2007. Meanwhile I was, and still am, involved with my brother-in-law's death metal band, Unburied. Fetid Zombie acts as an outlet for unleashing all that I have held back over the past decade.

Will you ever take Fetid Zombie on the road?

No, it's too difficult for me to make time for rehearsing, finding session members, and booking shows. There are other things I'd rather focus my time on than playing live.

If so, what band would you like to tour with?

If I did have an opportunity to tour, and I was able to make time for such a thing, I would probably like to tour with my band mates in Unburied, alongside my comrades in Absu, Butcher ABC, and Nunslaughter.

You've worked with, and designed for a lot of bands. Is there a band that you want to work with but haven't gotten the chance?

This is a tough question; most of the bands I've worked with have been wonderful. I honestly can't think of a band I'm particularly interested in working with, I'll have to wait and see what comes my way.

In your opinion, what was the best album of 2008?

This is an incredibly difficult question to answer as there are several amazing titles I've picked up this year. I'll do my best to narrow it down to five:
ARSIS "We are the Nightmare" (USA)
CROM "Vengeance" (Germany)
IMPIETY "18 Atomic Years" (Singapore)
SATHANAS "Crowned Infernal" (USA)
SPEIRLING "The Piper" (England)

Is there an Unburied tour to be expected sometime in the future?

Probably not; I'm just too busy being a dad and trying to keep up with my freelance illustration.

Last question; When you were first starting out as an artist, did you ever dream that your art would become so popular in the metal community?

That is a great question! Ever since I was six years old and saw Iron Maiden's first album, with Derek Griggs art on the cover, in the record store shelves I knew that this is what I wanted to do. I remember while growing up I used to peruse through metal magazines and carefully study the ads with all of the T-Shirt designs on them and thinking how cool they were. Never in a million years did I think my own designs would be seen in ads like these in metal magazines worldwide. I somehow managed to stay passionate about my artwork and it has truly been rewarding! Thanks for the wonderful interview, Jay!

A New Daath Video

2009-07-04T14:51:00.000-04:00

Now, I haven't heard Daath's new album The Concealers yet but, I hear it's an awesome record and if this song is any indication, I haven't been lied to. Daath recently released the video for "Day Of Endless Light" and, it's pretty cool. I mean, it's pretty much a green screen with the band performing in front of animated artwork but, still. I love Daath, I love the new singer, and this is a great, heavy song. Not much to say other than, watch it!

New Video From The Human Abstract

2009-07-02T13:31:00.000-04:00

Now, it's no secret that I have a man crush on The Human Abstract. The same way MetalSucks.net has a crush on Gojira, Hit Parader magazine has a crush on Slipknot and Kerrang! magazine has a crush on bands that suck. To the point that, when I was hanging out with them, and interviewing their guitarist, I had to stop myself from asking them "oh my God, why are you so awesome?" like a little star struck school girl meeting whats-his-face from Twilight.

So, anyway, The Human Abstract finally released their second video from the album Midheaven for the song "Counting Down The Days." And what a video it is. It kinda reminds me of the old Tool videos where they used stop-motion animation and didn't show the band. Except this shows the band. This is, in my opinion, their best video to date. It has a great storyline through-out the video. One I don't feel like explaining at the moment. The only annoying this about this video is, they completely butchered the intro to the song. I hate it when they do that.

IWRESTLEDABEARONCE - "It's All Happening" The Official Blog Metal Review

2009-06-30T16:01:00.000-04:00

Well it's about time for my first album review. And what better album to start this off than IWRESTLEDABEARONCE's Century Media debut, It's All Happening? There is no other band in metal today that is as polarizing as IWABO. Their music, and esspecially this album sets them apart from pretty much every other band out there. Since I heard of them I've been trying to come up with a name for their genre. And, with a little help from iTunes, ADD metal is born.

Now, the album opens with the single "You Ain't No Family" which, we've all heard before and you know my thoughts on this song. The most surprising, and possibly addicting song on the album is track number two, "White Water In The Morning." I just love Krysta's voice during that time break in the beginning where she just sounds like such an innocent little girl It totally takes me by surprise.

Somehow, even though it's the shortest song on the album "Danger in the Manger" seems to be the most famous song off the album if you look at the band's MySpace page. Granted it has the coolest opening riff on the album but, I don't really see what the big deal is over this song. Other than it's fun as shit to play on Audio Surf. "I'm Cold and There Are Wolves Chasing Me" has the coolest name on the album. Krysta also does the little girl voice on this song for a short period of time. This song is more classic IWABO. Just random as Hell.

This song features the re-recording of their famous single "Tastes Like Kevin Bacon" which, other than having real drums and a cool time break before the clean vocals part, this isn't really different than the original. But, that time break adds a lot to the song. You wouldn't think it but it makes this song all the cooler. "The Cat's Pajamas" is probably the slowest song on the album. Not much to say about it.

This band really takes having irregular time signatures to heart in songs like "Pazuzu For The Win" and "Eli Cash vs The Godless Savages." Really playing on the whole "ADD" factor of their music. And, the album even features a techno based track in "Black-Eyed Bush" which is two and a half minutes of pure trippy.

All in all, this is a great debut album from a great band. I suggest you go out and get it now. I leave you with a video I personally shot of the band playing "You Ain't No Family." Enjoy.

(4 out of 5 goat heads)

I Kissed A Dragon

2009-06-18T14:33:00.000-04:00

It would appear as though a man by the name of Andy Xiong has recorded a great instrumental piece and stuck Katy Perry's "I Kissed A Girl" over top of it. Now, I've never been a big fan of power metal... and I hate Katy Perry but, this is pretty cool. Mainly because it sounds like this guy can really shred on guitar.

A Few Quick Thoughts on Download 09

2009-06-15T15:30:00.001-04:00

I saw a few quick thoughts because I only caught a few people's sets, thanks to the power of the internet and the fact that Download was streaming the main stage live on their website. But, thanks to the five our time-difference, the majority or the stream was when I was still asleep. Anyway, I managed to catch Korn, Slipknot, and of course, the big Faith No More reunion. I would've been watching Manson but, Download didn't feel like broadcasting him.

Anyway, we'll start with the main event, Faith No More. It was amazing to be able to watch Faith No More play their first show in almost 15 years. Even if it was just over the internet. It was so epic when Mike Patton (pictured above) came out on stage looking like a straight pimp with the rest of the band and played "Reunited". And of course they went on playing all their best songs. I was just glad they played "We Care A Lot" even if they did wait till the very-very end of the show to bust that one out. One thought I had during the show was, the song "Be Aggressive" sounds so much better live than it does on the album. It was a great show. Patton on the boys are better than ever.

Next up on my list to talk about is Korn's set. They went on right before Faith No More. Korn played a great set. I know that Korn isn't exactly the most popular band in the metal community but, fuck you, I liked them. Have ever since I was a kid. In fact, they were my first concert. I was glad to see Korn playing a show after Jon's whole "Solo" thing. Even if it was only 3/5ths of the band. They played most of their best songs. I was kinda suprised they didn't play any songs off the Untitled album. Again, I liked that album. I don't care what you say. Korn always puts on a great show. I was suprised to see them play "Another Brick In The Wall." I know they don't play that song often and they do it so well. On a side note, of all the bands I saw, there were the most girls flashing during Korn's set. I guess chicks dig the kilt... I think that's how you spell it.

Finally, I'll talk about Slipknot's set. As i understand it, this was Slipknot's first time headlining the Download Festival. Even though they play there almost every album cycle. They put on an amazing show as always. Slipknot never dissapoints when it comes to live shows. They're natural born performers. They played pretty much the same set list they played when I saw them. Except, they played "Sulfur" instead of "Purity". Plus, they actually had Pyro! I ound it annoying that whoever was working the cameras didn't have any of them focused on the audience during the "Jumpthefuckup" part of the show. That's what we wanna see. That part of the show is just to see 40k people jump in unison. Not to see Corey Taylor jump. he does that the whole show. Oh well. I had fun watching it. I wish I could've been there but, this is almost half as good. Which is good enough for me.

So, Have You Seen The New Killswitch Video?

2009-06-11T18:12:00.001-04:00

If not, me and all the other mean kids will beat you up after school. Anyway, the new Killswitch video kinda looks like an old Killswitch video. This new video is directed by Lex Halaby who also directed the videos for "Rose Of Sharyn" and "My Curse." This may be why the video seems familiar. Now, Halaby seems to have a thing for slow motion/stop motion buy, hey, it works for him. I happen to like the video. But, I can see a lot of the metal community getting their panties in a bunch over the fact that it has the old "secret" love story premus. But, hey, if you don't like love stories you probably shouldn't be listening to Killswitch. Seeing as how, ya know, a lot of their songs deal with love.

The song is, well, a Killswitch song. It has crushing riffs, great vocals, and a catchy chorus. There's really nothing more to say. Well.... The new self-titled album comes out on June 23rd on Roadrunner. Here's the video for "Starting Over."

And My Hate For Brett Micheals Continues

2009-06-08T11:17:00.000-04:00

But this is funny as Hell. I'm sure not a single one of you was watching the Tony awards... Neither was I. I don't like musicals. Anyway, Brett Micheals took time out from his busy schedule of sleeping with prostitutes to perform with his old band Poison at the awards show. And, now you see what happens when a washed up glam rocker with an over-inflated ego is basking in his own self image.

For your enjoyment, here's the only interesting thing that happened at the Tony's. It's great for that morning laugh that we all need.

A Video Game As Brutal As I?

2009-06-05T17:15:00.000-04:00

Well, not just yet. Apparently the production of the game Brutal Legend has been posponed due to a lawsuit between Activision and Double Fine Productions. Variety explains more;

Activision has filed a lawsuit against videogame developer Double Fine Prods. that may prevent Electronic Arts from releasing “Brutal Legend” in October.

The videogame publisher claims that Double Fine missed a key deadline for “Brutal Legend” last year during its development and then set up the game with rival EA when it needed $7 million more and an additional nine months to finish it.

But Activision said in a lawsuit filed in the Santa Monica Courthouse, that it had never relinquished the rights to the game, in which it had already invested $15 million to develop. It also wasn’t paid back any money Double Fine was given to produce the game.

Company will suffer “irreparable harm” and lose not only sales from the game but also revenue from downloadable content, in-game advertising, merchandise and other opportunities if the release isn’t stopped, Activision said in the filing.

Now, this sucks on so many levels. I wasn't even aware this game existed until today when the suit surfaced. I mean, a metal themed game that's not Guitar Hero or Rock Band that stars Jack Black, Rob Halford, Lita Ford, Lemmy, and Ozzy? Hell yeah. Hopefully this lawsuit doesn't take all that long. This game seems like it'd be pretty damn fun.

IWRESTLEDABEARONCE Ain't No Family

2009-06-03T16:16:00.000-04:00

Don't ya just love the smell of a brand new IWRESTLEDABEARONCE video? I know I do. And, the genre-fucking group has just released a new video for "You Ain't No Family." And, needless to say, I like it. Even if it is the most serious thing this band has ever done. They are getting a lot of shit for this video all over the internets. People calling it "gay hipster metal" and whatnot. I do not agree with this. I think they're an amazing band. And amazing people. As you may recall I got to hang out with them at one of their shows recently. They're just fun people and they project that into, well, everything they do.

The song is pretty classic IWABO. Nothing much to say other than it's a good song. It sounds like them without, ya know, repeating themselves. I think a lot of fans were scared that it would sound exactly like "Tastes Like Kevin Bacon" but it doesn't. The album It's All Happening just came out yesterday just came out yesterday. I haven't heard it yet but I hear it's amazing. Just like the rest of their stuff.

I Wrestled A Bear at The Human Abstract Show

2009-05-19T16:54:00.000-04:00

Holy Hell, I don't even know where to start with this show. Prepare for what will probably be one of the longest posts ever to be on this site.

My friends Taylor, Kasey, and I all drove for 2 hours up to Charlotte to see To Speak Of Wolves, Vanna, IWRESTLEDABEARONCE, and Oh, Sleeper all open for one of my favorite bands of all time, The Human Abstract. Now, upon entering the first thing we notice is that Steven from IWRESTLEDABEARONCE is just kinda standing there by The Human Abstract's merch table. When I pointed out the fact that he is in IWRESTLEDABEARONCE Mr. Steven just gave me a big ol hug. I tried to take a picture with him but I was laughing and it turned out stupid. Oh well. I was asking about The Human Abstract's merch and Steven was like "All the good merch is over here." and directed me towards the IWABO merch table. Where I bought a shirt and a their self-titled CD, which I later got signed by all the members of the band. Taylor got his jacket signed by the members of IWABO and Nathan Ells (from The Human Abstract).

To make it easier on the reader, I shall condense To Speak Of Wolves' and Vanna's sets into one paragraph. They each had very short sets. Maybe 4 songs. Still pretty fun. Apparently the keyboardist of To Speak Of Wolves, who I was talking to before the show, is the guy who designed my Chimaira shirt, which I happened to be wearing on that night. Small world. Their set was pretty cool. I didn't really know much by them because I didn't think to check them out before hand. I think the whole 2 singer dynamic is always fun. Kinda like Vanna. Except, Vanna has the whole, lead singer does screams and guitarist does the clean-sung chorus... Dynamic. I got a video of them performing the song "Safe To Say" and put it on YouTube. The only anoying part about their sets is the annoying "hXc Dancing" kids.

Nothing really interesting happened in between Vanna's set and IWRESTLEDABONCE's set so...

Up next is the fabled IWRESTLEDABEARONCE. Everybody was talking about this band. And rightfully so. If you haven't seen this band live yet, you have to. I wanna see them again when they release their album and eventually go on a headlining tour. They played all the songs I wanted to hear from them, plus some new ones. All I can really say about this band is that they are just as awesome and funny and fun to watch as everybody says they are. Plus, the hXc kids were kept to a minimum, which is always good. Plus, I got a video of them playing "You Ain't No Family" which is also on YouTube.

After IWABO's set we snuck backstage in hopes to get a picture with the band. We hung out for a little while until security kicked us out. Tear. But, luckily I was still able to get a picture with Krista from IWABO, so I was happy.

After the fun of that, we walked to the stage because is was about time for Oh, Sleeper to start playing. Now, I don't know much about this band except the fact that they're a christian band and once did a tour with The Showdown. They were better than I expected. Well, heavier than I expected. Some really classic metal concidering I just sat through 2 bands that at times sound kinda emo and, ya know, IWABO. Another band that didn't have a lot of hXc dancing. Just some good ole fashioned metal energy. Good band worth checking out.

After their set, the only interesting thing that happened was catching Nathan Ells, the singer from The Human Abstract, for a second to remind him about the interview. He was kinda busy so he was like, rushing thru.

So, we quickly went to the stage because it was practically time for the main attraction, The Human Abstract, to finally take the stage. The band opened with "Self Portraits of The Instincts" off their first album. A song which, I didn't even think they were gonna play live. The band played a lot more songs off the first album than I thought they were gonna. The only songs they played off of the new album, Midheaven, were "A Violent Strike" and "Breathing Life Into Machines." Now, don't get me wrong, those are two songs I love. I think they decided not to play a lot of songs from the new album because those songs are softer and maybe they thought that because it was a heavy show, they had to play their heavy songs. Ah well. Amazing show nonetheless. All the rest of the bands that were on the tour got up on stage and rocked out during the ends of "Nocturne" and "Vela, Together We Await The Storm."

After that show, I was pretty wiped out but, wasn't about to forget about the interview. So, I waited and Nathan came out with Krista from IWABO on his arm talking about the best girlfriend ever. Maybe they're dating? I don't know. Let's start the rumor, shall we? Anyway, he said he'd be right back and was quikly ambushed by fans and dissapeared. So we hung out for a while. I got my Human Abstract poster signed by a few members. We went outside to wait for my sister who informed us that it would be about an hour or so. I was completely ok with this. This meant that I got to spend more time hanging out with the bands. Taylor and Kasey were less enthused. Oh well. We were waiting outside, talking to the dudes from To Speak Of Wolves, and Vanna. Really cool guys. Then, Nathan came out with a highly intoxicated Krista. I hung out with them for a while. Just laughing at the random things that came out of Krista's mouth. Talking about things like the Barnical Dino Christ. Fun stuff. Then, Krista and Nathan went back inside and I was waiting for my interview and the nice dude from Oh, Sleeper saw this and set it up with the guitarist, Dean. But, I believe I told you this story. So, we did the interview, in a nutshell, waited for my sister and went home. It was so amazing hanging out with all the bands.

View my interview with Dean Herrera from The Human Abstract HERE. And, below check out a video I took from the show of The Human Abstract performing "Nocturne."

My Exclusive Video Interview With Dean Herrera of The Human Abstract

2009-05-16T20:06:00.000-04:00

Not only is this the first interview I'm posting on this site. It's my first ever video interview. This is exciting. I'm glad all four of my readers get to join in this moment with me.

After their show in Charlotte, NC, I got to meet up with the lead guitarist of The Human Abstract, Dean Herrera. Now, the original interview was supposed to be with vocalist Nathan Ells but, he appeared to be busy. The singer for Oh, Sleeper noticed me waiting on Nathan and started alerting people and asking where he was an all that. After about 10 minutes he walks up to me and says "Is it ok if Dean does the interview instead? We can't seem to find Nathan." I was like Hell yeah. Even though I was slightly less prepared for this interview than I would have been with Nathan. But, I think it turned out fine. Some of my questions may seem a tad random. Like, how I go from talking about touring to talking about the album to talking about writing processes etc. But, Dean seemed cool with it. I warned him before hand how unprofessional I am.

Now, I would like to say you may have noticed that this is not a YouTube video. This is due to a copywrite claim by the stupid WMG... What exactly is WMG, anyway? Oh well, good thing this blog has it's own video player.

I would like to thank Dean for agreeing to the interview on literally no notice. And, of course the guy from Oh, Sleeper for setting this up for me. All background noise is provided to us by the nice people in IWRESTLEDABEARONCE. I will be writing a show review within the next week. I spent all last week editing this video. Enjoy.

Chimaira Will "Destroy and Dominate" You With This New Video

2009-05-06T17:27:00.000-04:00

Now, it's now secret that Chimaira is one of my favorite bands. I've seen them live twice and they were amazing both times. Now, I haven't picked up the new Chimaira album just yet but, I hear it's amazing. A little slower but, still heavy as shit. And, if this new video is any indication of the album, I wasn't lied to.

I got in the pit when Chimaira played this song at the Music As A Weapon IV tour (with Disturbed), and, I tell you, that was the most violent mosh pits I've ever had the pleasure of being in. So brutal. Which is suprising because I've seen the likes of Dethklok and Kataklysm live before.

Anyway, this is easily the best video the band has made. It's dark as well as trippy. As I understand it, the video concept is based off of Danny Boyle’s sci-fi opus Sunshine. Now, I've never heard of this movie but, I'm deffinately gonna look it up. Everyone knows Chimaira has good taste in... Everything.

On a side note, it's nice to know that Chris Spicuzza is a Mac user much like myself. He knows Macs are more metal than PCs.

Coheed and Cambria to Tour With... Black Sabbath?

2009-05-04T16:46:00.000-04:00

And you thought it was weird when Coheed toured with Slipknot. Anyway, technically it's Heaven And Hell they're touring with but, we all know it's just Black Sabbath, Dio version. I figured it would have been Coheed that's banging on Iommi's door begging for a spot on the tour. But, nope, The boys in Heaven And Hell were the ones who saught out Coheed. I guess Dio is as big a Coheed fan as I am.

But, it's not like Coheed didn't jump at the chance. Apparently Dio Sabbath was Claudio Sanchez's very first concert (poster above). Personally, I'd LOVE to go to this show. But, sadly, there's no showings near me. Well, lets see if it's near you. Check out the dates below, after the newest video from Heaven And Hell, "Bible Black."

AUGUST
7 Vancouver, BC Thunderbird Arena On Sale 5/9
10 San Jose, CA Event Center Arena On Sale 5/8
11 Los Angeles, CA Greek Theater On Sale 5/9
12 Phoenix, AZ Dodge Theater On Sale 5/11
14 Albuquerque, NM Journal Pavilion On Sale 5/9
15 Denver, CO Red Rocks On Sale 5/9
18 Cincinnati, OH PNC Pavilion On Sale 5/8
19 Chicago, IL Charter One Pavilion On Sale 5/15
21 Detroit, MI Meadow Brook Pavilion On Sale 5/8
22 Cleveland, OH Nautica Pavilion On Sale 5/8
23 Baltimore, MD Merriweather Post Pavilion On Sale 6/5
25 New York, NY WaMu Theater @ MSG On Sale 5/8
27 Wallingford, CT Chevrolet Theatre On Sale 5/9
28 Boston, MA Bank Of America Pavilion On Sale 5/8

Local News: X-Mas

2009-05-02T19:08:00.001-04:00

Ok, welcome to my first "Local News" segment. Every week, I will report on a local/unsigned band that caught my attention. To get the ball rolling, I've decided to do this on a band in my area that I've been a fan of for a while, X-Mas. X-Mas is an experimental hardcore metal band that takes influence from the Nu-Metal movement of the late 90's/early 00's. I've had the pleasure seeing this band twise. Once opening for the Death By Decibels tour with Kataklysm, and the other time was is a little shitty club behind a tattoo parlor. Both times were amazing. Personally, I had more fun the second time, mainly because I knew a good bit of the songs they played that time. The first time I saw them I was so blown away that I bought their 5-song demo right on the spot for $3. The demo is entitled Poetry Of A Dead Society. Seems fitting.

It's no secret that I like to do Photoshop work. I've done a few designs for this band. Mainly a couple of flyers and, I've done some un-official artwork for their demo. I did that mainly because it bugs the Hell out of me if I have music on my iPod with no artwork.

I've listen to their demo a lot and, I must say, my favorite song off of it is "Forget The Stitches." You can also hear this song on the band's MySpace page. Something about that song just caught my attention. Maybe it's the catchy guitar riff at the beginning. Or maybe the working combination of clean vocals and growls. But, it's just a great song.

There's a chance that I might be seeing this band for the third time May 25th when they play Club Distortion. The only problem is they fall somewhere amongst 14 other bands and, I don't know how good they are. I might be sitting through a couple hours of crap to see a good band play for 30 minutes. Oh well.

Check out X-Mas on MySpace.

Ever Wonder What Atreyu's Been Up To?

2009-04-30T13:27:00.000-04:00

First of all, I would like to say, woo. First article on the new website!

Anyway, I've been recently wondering where Atreyu have been lately. Ever since they released the irritating video for "Fallen Down" they've kinda vanished. Well, they've apparently entered the studio with producer Bob Marlette.

Now, Atreyu were part of the original Southern California hardcore movement. And, have made some pretty good albums in the beginning of their career. I often throw on one of their pre-Lead Sails albums when I want some catchy pop-metal. Plus, they kick Underoath's ass. (In case you're a moron, the comparison is because both bands have the screaming front-man and a guy that does clean chorus vocals on drums.) And I, much like the few people that bought Lead Sails, was very dissapointed by the band's major-label debut. It's essential the example of why heavy bands shouldn't go on major labels. So, I'm excited to say that the new album should be better. Regarding the album, singer and cheif russian guy, Alex Varkatzas says “We started as a heavy hardcore band, and I think we’ve gotten away from that in recent years. The last record, for example, showcased us as a rock band with heavy parts. With this record, we want to return to our roots while also continuing to move forward. It’s about finding the right balance between the two.” Which basically means "We sold out. Sorry. We'll try and do better this time."

Now, It shouldn't be very hard to do better. In my oppinion, Lead Sails was Atreyu's version of St. Anger. And, hopefully the new album will be Atreyu's Death Magnetic. And, ya know, NOT an annoying, auto-tuned mess of generic, over-produced radio rock.

Welcome To The Blog Metal!

2009-04-25T17:34:00.000-04:00

Hello my lovlies! I am Brutal Jay. Welcome to the my new metal news site to be updated whenever the Hell I feel like it. I shall have interviews, news, and all the other things you expect. I was running this off of my MySpace account but, I decided that looked stupid when I would approach people for interviews. Stick around and stay metal.