“Secret Loser” – This live 1986 version features an awesome stage performance form Jake E Lee and drummer Randy Castillo. Sure the title track of the album maybe the most immediately obvious, but the depth and intricacy of this album is exceptional for being a radio rock success and these two musicians are the biggest reason why it is so. This is the most hooky song on the album and this live 1986 rendition features one of the most obscenely hilarious drum solo in history. The fuckin 80s, ya’ll.

“Never” - It obviously isn’t just hair metal that kept Ozzy afloat, here. It’s really the nimble, melodic fretwork of Jake E Lee that drives the album. He’s the guy who practically spoon-fed Ozzy the soaring hooks on this album and remains to this day  –along with Reb Beach– as one of the most underrated guitarists of the 80s nigh all of mainstream rock and metal.

“Shot in the Dark”  – Anyone who doesn’t miss the 80s, even if just a little, is lying or genuinely doesn’t like fun and there are no two subgroups of our already doomed and miserable species you should avoid more than liars and malcontents.  What more is there to say besides this video completely owns and I wish Ozzie would have dropped Sharon for the chick he’s casting spells on in this video. More like The Ultimate Win!

I have been hitting the classic death metal back catalogs hard lately jamming everything from Nocturnus and Edge of Sanity to Cannibal Corpse‘s The Bleeding.  I’ve just found that my appreciation for modern death metal was waning and rather than soak myself in contemporary chart-toppers, I figured reminding myself about what made death metal so singular in the first place might be a better approach. I’m just hoping it doesn’t have the opposite effect. The otherworldly chaos of Demilich and Nocturnus are only deepening my disdain for the sterility of modern tech death. Yet, it’s those legendary acts who are  now stronger than ever which not only renew my faith in death metal but also in us a subculture and our system of according people musical accolades. Maybe there’s actually some objective legitimacy to it after all. Two of those bands, Napalm Death and Cannibal Corpse, are hitting the road with the equally longstanding Immolation for 2013′s edition of the Decibel Fest. Check out the dates after the jump and try not to poop yourself, if for no other reason than for the honor of your family name.

May 10 – Houston, TX – Fitzgerald’s
May 11 – Dallas, TX – Trees
May 12 – San Antonio, TX – Backstage Live
May 14 – Tucson, AZ – The Rock
May 15 – Ramona, CA – Ramona Mainstage
May 16 – Santa Ana, CA – The Observatory
May 17 – Oakland, CA – Oakland Metro
May 18 – Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom
May 19 – Seattle, WA – El Corazon
May 21 – Vancouver, BC – Commodore Ballroom
May 22 – Calgary, AB – MacEwan Ballroom
May 23 – Edmonton, AB – Starlight Room
May 24 – Regina, SK – Riddell Centre
May 25 – Winnipeg, MB – The Garrick
May 26 – St. Paul, MN – Mill City Nights
May 28 – Chicago, IL – Bottom Lounge
May 29 – Detroit, MI – Harpos
May 30 – Buffalo, NY – Town Ballroom
May 31 – Toronto, ON – The Phoenix
Jun. 01 – Montreal, QC – Club Soda
Jun. 02 – Boston, MA – Royale
Jun. 04 – New Haven, CT – Toad’s Place
Jun. 05 – Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall of Williamsburg
Jun. 06 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer
Jun. 07 – Cleveland, OH – Peabodys
Jun. 09 – St. Louis, MO – Pops
Jun. 11 – Atlanta, GA – Masquerade
Jun. 12 – Orlando, FL – Beacham

Last year’s debut from Jess and the Ancient ones was a striking but ultimately inconsistent effort. It seemed like the vocal prowess of Jess herself was always on a leash, that is, the songwriting and riffing just couldn’t keep up with her potential. If the “Astral Sabbat” is any indication, it sounds like the band will be turning away from the occult rock bubbles favorite party trick of recycling Blue Oyster Cult hooks. Instead the song sounds like a surf-rock infused James Bond number, as if Jess and the gang have been listening to acts like Supreme Beings of Leisure in addition to their usual ritual rock. The Astral Sabbath McD is due out on February 22nd on Svart Records and will hopefull step outside the boundaries of what just might be a dying occult trend.

I’m constantly surprised by how many bands in this, the 2013th Year of Our Lord, don’t seem to give one fuck that it isn’t the 80s anymore. And yet, when I think I’ve seen it all, De La Cruz prove that I’ve yet to see anything. The only thing that would constitute more blatant worship of Van Halen, Poison and Motley Crue is me belting out the actual hits in the shower.  To add to the absurdity, nobody in the band is named De La Cruz. Considering this is Frontiers Records band –the same people that brough us killer acts like Crazy Lixx and Crashdiet– this starts to be a little more understandable. It may my knee-jerk rejection of all the self-loathing indie trends and art rock snobbery infiltrating my favorite extreme metal genres but this song is actually pretty catchy and fun. Then again, I’ve never hid my soft spot for the 80s. Street Level will be out in late March on Frontiers Records.

And finally, Kvelertak hired a bunch of kids to lipsync and play air guitar to their newest single. The song is an insanely addictive blend of stoner grooves, hardcore/punk dynamics and some nice clean chorus hooks. The song is below. The video is over at Stereogum.

Stream the new song below and get the EP here.

As ya’ll have figured out by now, I’m finally squirming out from under a mountain of tedious, soul-crushing real life responsibilities to be able to post again. A lot of things have happened in the last two weeks, including the complete disgrace of Lance Armstrong who was really good at riding a bike. This is important, so there’s that. Who I’m going to pretend to be during spin class from now on –well, that I don’t know. However, I can drown my sorrows in beer and mosh when Goatwhore and Havok roll through town with crossover punk/thrash legends The Casualties. Their last record was an inseverable bridge between metal and punk so that’s my plan as it stands now. However, I hear weeping and shrieking “WHY LANCE, WHY” is frowned upon in mosh etiquette.

3/27 Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald’s
3/28 Corpus Christi, TX @ Zeros
3/29 San Antonio, TX @ Korova
3/30 Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
4/1 Albuquerque, NM -2H Launchpad
4/2 Tempe, AZ @ Rocky Point
4/3 Santa Ana, CA @ Observatory (also with DR. KNOW)
4/4 W. Hollywood, CA @ House Of Blues
4/6 Oakland, CA @ Oakland Metro
4/7 Reno, NV @ The Alley
4/8 Portland, OR @ Branx
4/9 Seattle, WA @ Studio Seven

[via Metal Underground]

The brahs in Soundgarden seem unphased by rumblings that they have reunited primarly for financial reasons and are pressing forward in the aftermath of King’s Animal with a new video directed by Dave “Growl” Grohl. You see that there is an increasingly popular play on his name, crafted to help people reflect on his overwhelming dependence on gruff yelling for his vocal delivery. Despite this degeneration in his taste for vocal aesthetic, the Foo Fighters frontman still has that quirky sense of humor of his. This video has Dave written all over it. Let’s just call it a play on Sons of Anarchy and we’ll let ya’ll make of it what you will. Also, the guy at the end is supposed to be trance DJ Deadmau5, I guess.

It’s pretty tough to follow up a great NWOTHM release without losing momentum in this, the 2013th Year of Our Lord. Despite the music being funner than all hell, these bands do nonetheless play to some small crowds. In one of my favorite concert memories, Cauldron once played to about 20 people, including myself. The immense creative energy that goes into making an album is fueled by the excitement of live audiences and the momentum of successful tours. Considering that these have sometimes been hard to come by –the revival is arguably kept afloat by glory metallers’ penchant for buying merch and vinyl–, it’s not surprising that these bands don’t release their best work come 2nd or 3rd full length. However, I’m happy to report that Enforcer‘s latest is a beast of timeless vocal hooks, twin leads and inexhaustible energy. Death by Fire is every bit worthy of its status as successor to the modern classic that was Diamonds.

Stream Death By Fire over at Terrorizer. Out today via Nuclear Blast.

Enforcer is also hitting the road with the righteous Grand Magus but that’s in Europe so I don’t care about that.

The good on this album is great. On highway songs like “Ride the Void”, “Silence the Scream” and “Sleep of Virtue” the bands commands that particular brand of driving melancholy which makes many Judas Priest songs so timeless. They end up being among Ride The Void‘s most memorable moments, ones you’ll find yourself humming throughout the day. You will find some screaming and the occasional breakdown, like on “Crosswinds” or “The Great Artifice”, but these are thrown in pretty seamlessly in terms of musicianship. Blake Mount and Tyler Meahl, toiling down in the trenches of the rhythm section, are a subtle presence but the tightness of this album should probably be credited to them. Alex Lee and Eli Santana, though not as solo indulgent as some of their contemporary heavy metal peers, are every bit as capable in their fills and harmonic sequences. Most notably, their thrash metal pedigree lends this album a tougher exoskeleton than the band’s debut. Their axework even redeems the otherwise underwhelming single “Dark Passanger”.

 The only real complaint is a slight dip in riffing and song writing. Vocalist James-Paul Luna is undoubtedly one of the most expressive, recognizable voices in just about any contemporary subgenre. His screams could use some tweaking to really fit with the music but this is a minor detail amidst such sound compositions. When let loose on the brooding closer “Rains of Sorrow”, he shines brilliantly. The problem is that  he sometimes has to pull hooks out of less than ideal chord changes. Only in this respect is Ride the Void the little brother of Crisis in Utopia.

It’s undeniable that Holy Grail‘s sophomore effort undoubtedly bears a thrashier, more contemporary edge but its still rooted in classic metal influences. Ride the Void gallops and thunders under the brilliant mid-ranges of James-Paul Luna (can I call him JP? I’ll call hm JP). Though the band only seems to be exploiting a fraction of his vocal talent in their songwriting, there is never a dull moment. If we’re serious about it, the point of traditional heavy metal is to be timeless, fluid and contemporary all at once. Like with any artistic revival, it’s not supposed to just spawn a new wave of carbon copies but to reinstall heavy metal in its rightful place as the flagship of hypercharged, fun-loving musicianship, the ethos of people that take pride in substance and don’t fear excess. In this, Ride the Void is a soaring success.

8/10

Available January 22nd via Prosthetic Records in North America.

Available now via Nuclear Blast in Europe.

The rethrash movement might be at a little bit of crisis. Those bands that put out some of the best work in this revival –acts like Exmortus, Vektor, Nylithia, Deathhammer, among others– sit in relative obscurity while major labels throw their weight behind more generic bands. This isn’t a complaint per se, just a coming to terms with the inevitable monitization of musical trends. Here we have another great thrash gem. India’s Mortar (which I think is the name of half a dozen other thrash bands) compbine the eccentric expressiveness of Overkill’s vocals and an impossible sense of tone and riff transition. It’s hard to stress the tone too much as this is so often lost on thrash metal bands of all eras. Their debut EP Ground Zero is due out February 13th on Incanned Productions and even features a cover of Judas Priest‘s Hell Bent for Leather. Press the jump button thing and take a listen.

Whereas in Europe they see the Third Reich as an awful, bloody and tragic historic lesson –yet one whose leaders can and should be ridiculed–, America, and the shrill minority of morons that dominate its public discourse, see Hitler as fodder for loud, scary grandstanding. Whenever we need to twist Obama’s Swiss cheese health reform; raise hysteria about his very modest attempts at gun regulation; chastise the murderous policies of George W Bush, or  discredit vegetarians, we use history’s most notorious butthurt art student. Bad or imperfect as all these may be, none of them are in the same universe as Hitler bad (who, in any case, actually deregulated firearms). In fact, the unique combination of ruthless militarism and racist, countermodern ideology pretty much guarantees that nothing well ever be as bad as Hitler ever again. We should envy this European habit of being able to laugh at him but, after grappling with the asininity of American public discourse, I just want Adolf to go away forever.

Seeing as my ignorant ass doesn’t speak German or read Polish, I have no idea what’s happening in the clip below but I’m sure it’s funnier than anything by Seth McFarlane and still glad it isn’t airing in any anglophone country where Americans could get hold of it and start voicing their opinions. I’m serious, folks. The legion of underworld-dwelling Sammy Hagar fans that populate the Blabbermouth comments section have already worked themselves into a frenzy and it’s the saddest thing since Sammy Hagar. Take it from me; though you may have the Reich to your opinion, don’t let a movie send you into a Fuhrer.