White Wizzard: Vocalist Joesph Michael Leaves Band During UK Tour / War of Words Follows (Earache Records)

Stories of lineup troubles within Los Angeles 'traditional metal' band White Wizzard have become legendary but the latest - the departure of newcomer vocalist Joseph Michael - really seems to be over the top.

The following tweets have been coming out over the last 24 hours from the band's official Twitter account (@whitewizzard):

10/5 @ 10:09AM: Good times coming in Cardiff Wales tonight at Bogiez rock club!!!!!(BrooklynRocks Note: Calm before the storm)

10/5 @ 4:02PM:  Hey all our singer is drunk in a pub somewhere in Wales when he is supposed to be on stage.....if you see him tell him to get to the venue Bogiez ASAP!! We may have to roll with Jon Leon and various fans on vox.....YIKES!!

10/5 @ 7:11PM: So fans of the Wizzard in London here is the deal. Joseph Michael fucked off our gig in Cardiff and left us... http://fb.me/20PLIZ5TC (BrooklynRocks Note: Facebook link is dead)

10/5 @ 9:34PM: Just FYI to all the fans, If Joseph Michael sends you an email stating anything at all negative or suspicious do... http://fb.me/2VLucrBF2 (BrooklynRocks Note: It is now getting pretty weird - again, Facebook link is dead)

10/5 @ 11:08PM: Just a last FYI on the erroneous and false things Joseph Michael has began to post about Jon Leon. They are fully... http://fb.me/1O2C6QRTm (BrooklynRocks Note: Wha?? - again, Facebook link is dead)

10/5 @ 11:16PM: We are very honored to announce that we have secured amazing singer Giles Lavery to do the rest of the tour. We will have more links and info for you all tomorrow. Amazing singer. Very humbled and excited to get out there and see where it can go. Cheers and thanks again to the Cardiff fans for your support on a difficult but amazing evening!!! (BrooklynRocks Note: I'm shocked/skeptical that any touring band can replace their lead singer in under a day but...this is probably who will be singing at the Webster Hall show.  Lavery sings (sang?) with Australian power-metal band Dragonsclaw)

10/6 @ 6:18PM: Okay WW fans. We want to report that Joseph Michael our now former singer, last week while in Brighton after our first show, stole a bag belonging to a very sweet girl named Charlotte Croucher. Her face book page can be found here please mail her https://facebook.com/charlotte.croucher.5?fref=ts.  Her bag contains a wallet, passports and other very important documents. After finally coming clean after we caught him with it, he stated that he would return it to her in London. After fucking off our show in Cardiff last night when he refused to give us the bag to return to this girl in London. She rode up all the way from Brighton to get her bag and sat outside our gig for hours(which he fucked off again) She is now very distraught and on the way back to Brighton with no bag. We feel horrible. Please pressure Joseph Michael to do the right thing and return the girls bag. We hope some face book pressure will get it done. Feel free to write her directly and question the validity of this and try and help her. Hopefully some public pressure will do the trick. Hopefully it also shows you all the character of the kind of person he is. Thanks all. (BrooklynRocks Note: Ok - This one is striking me as the most far fetched...the day after your singer leaves, you post that he stole a handbag. The handbag owner had posted to Facebook a week prior that the bag was probably in a band's (your?) merch. van. What happened over the course of the week? Royal Mail is no worse than USPS...if that wasn't a viable option, I'm sure the police would be a better option than 'face book pressure'.)

Joseph Michael's response:

Here is the real story on White Wizzard

Jon has been stealing money from us . From indie gogo fund and out on tour and i called him out on it.

He then fired me last night on the night off...

Then announced that i was refusing to sing... It's all lies...

I was fired and he couldnt find someone to sing so he begged me 5 minutes before they went on...

Jon Leon is a Con man and has not honored one word he has said since i have joined this band... After i sang on White Wizzard - Devil's Cut he threatened to forbid Earache Records from releasing it with my vocals if i didn't sign a new contract giving no rights and a far worse deal..After the work was done...

If it wasn't for Will Wallner and Jake Dreyer Standing up to this criminal he would have left myself and filmmaker Don Adams stranded in the middle of nowhere...

Jon Leon has paid for nothing on this trip and has acted a child the whole time. Please Do not Let him rip you off if you Purchased From Indie Go Go... Goodnight



Links:
White Wizzard

White Wizzard Play The Studio at Webster Hall on Nov. 9 / 'The Devils Cut' CD Review (Earache Records)

Los Angeles “traditional” heavy metal band White Wizzard is back in town on November 9th for a headlining show at The Studio at Webster Hall. White Wizzard is playing alongside local boys Metalfier (x-Disillusion) and tickets are $15.

White Wizzard has been a tough act to keep up with as the band has had substantial line-up shifts with each release, with only constant in the lineup being bassist Jon Leon. Earlier this summer, White Wizzard released its third full-length, The Devil’s Cut (Earache Records), and this release is the best thing the band has done since their self-titled debut EP.

Early on, White Wizzard got tagged with the genre label “new wave of traditional heavy metal” when this label first surfaced a few years ago in reference to bands who utilize dual lead guitars in a style similar to Iron Maiden and/or early Judas Priest. While one can hear a bit of Maiden influences on The Devil’s Cut, White Wizzard’s sound is more akin to Dio’s work with Rainbow and Black Sabbath crossed with hook-heavy, swaggering Sunset Strip c*ck rock. Complementing the music, new vocalist Joseph Michael can hit the high notes but, on most of the disc, he sings in a register closer to that of Dio or Ray Gillen (Black Sabbath/Badlands).

The disc starts with a two minute instrumental “Forging the Steel” which is powered by a galloping beat over which guitarists Jake Dreyer and Will Wallner play dark-tuned leads and this instrumental flows straight into the early Rainbow-ish “Strike the Iron”. While the disc starts with a guitar duel (which I’m sure drives a lot of the Priest/Maiden comparisons), the guitar leads throughout this disc are predominately “European metal” sounding so there really isn’t much of a comparison to any of the NWOBHM bands. Even the comparison of “Strike the Iron” to a Rainbow track only gets you part of the way. This song takes some unexpected twists and turns, including a brief interlude into Black Metal, which will keep the listener engaged and on their toes. With most of the songs on this disc clocking in over five minutes, White Wizzard has room to experiment and change styles both within and between songs.



“Kings of the Highway” and “Lightening in My Hands” are two of the songs on the disc that could easily become FM-radio staples. Both songs are melodic, hook-heavy arena rockers with killer alternating guitar leads and creative drumming that continually pushes these songs forward at a relentless pace. Never staying in one place for long, the 7+ minute track “Lightening in My Hands” starts slower paced and moody and sounds like an updated take on Dio-era Rainbow or Black Sabbath, even down to where the song picks up speed about the 5-minute mark. Picking the speed back up, this track is followed by the album’s title cut, “The Devil’s Cut”, which starts with a rumbling bass line from Jon Leon before kicking into the most aggressive song on the disc. “The Devil’s Cut” is the closest that White Wizzard comes to a thrash metal tune but the melodic chorus pulls this song back from going completely over the edge. The disc closes with the epic-length “The Sun Also Rises” which is a proggy/moody piece that is similar in spirit to “Lightening in My Hands”.



Links:
White Wizzard

The Browning: Deathronica Band Continues Touring Behind 'Burn This World' (Earache) with Show at The Studio at Webster Hall

Texas-based electronic metallers The Browning kicked off a US tour with Los Angeles industrial metallers Static-X last night in Sacramento, California.

The "Noise Revolution" tour also features Winds of Plague and Davey Suicide, and ends on September 16th, just two days before The Browning kick off a headlining US tour with support from Casino Madrid and Amyst.

This later tour is playing The Studio at Webster Hall on September 27th. Tickets are $12 and the Webster Hall site lists Meek as Murder and "Special Guests" as also being on the bill.

THE BROWNING w/ STATIC-X, WINDS OF PLAGUE, DAVEY SUICIDE
Sep. 07 - Sacramento, CA - Ace of Spades*
Sep. 08 - Chico, CA - Senator Theater
Sep. 09 - Medford, OR - The Wreckroom (The Browning only)
Sep. 10 - Idaho Falls, ID - Peppertree Lounge
Sep. 11 - Seattle, WA - Showbox Market
Sep. 12 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theater
Sep. 13 - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory
Sep. 14 - Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory
Sep. 16 - Salt Lake City, UT - Club Sound*
* No WINDS OF PLAGUE

THE BROWNING w/ CASINO MADRID, AMYST
Sep. 18 - Des Moines, IA - Vaudeville Mews
Sep. 19 - Lacrosse, WI - The Warehouse
Sep. 20 - Joliet, IL - Mojoes
Sep. 21 - Peoria, IL - The Brass Rail
Sep. 22 - Cleveland, OH - Peabody's
Sep. 23 - Buffalo, NY - Xtreme Wheels
Sep. 24 - Worcester, MA - Tammany Hall
Sep. 25 - Providence, RI - Firehouse 13
Sep. 26 - Poughkeepsie, NY - The Loft
Sep. 27 - New York, NY - Webster Hall
Sep. 28 - Trenton, NJ - Championships
Sep. 29 - Towson, MD - Recher Theatre
Oct. 01 - Spartanburg, SC - Ground Zero
Oct. 02 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade
Oct. 05 - Little Rock, AR - Downtown Music Hall
Oct. 06 - Fayetteville, AR - NWA Showcase
Oct. 07 - Kansas City, MO - Beaumont Club

The Browning drummer Noah "Shark" Robinson recently commented: "We are very eager to hit the road again soon! We have a lot of touring coming up and we couldn't be more excited about it all. In September we will be hitting the road with Winds of Plague and Static-X in the United States. Right after that we will be doing a headlining tour with support from Casino Madrid and Amyst. Then we head to Europe for the Never Say Die! tour with We Came As Romans, Stick To Your Guns, and more! We can't wait to perform in new places and make new friends out there. We're going to finish 2012 with a bang! Here we come; I hope you're ready for The Browning!"



Links:
The Browning

Natur Kicks Off Spring Mini-Tour with Windhand and Pilgrim on March 1st at Public Assembly

Local NWOBHM band(and recent Earache signee) Natur is kicking off a Spring mini-tour at Public Assembly on March 1st. The band is playing alongside Windhand (Richmond doom/stoner-metal), Pilgrim (Black Sabbath/St. Vitus influenced power trio) and Magic Circle (features members of Mind Eraser, The Rival Mob and The A-Team); tickets are $10 and the show starts at 8:30PM.

Formed in 2008, Natur channels the old school, high energy sound reminiscent of legendary artists Judas Priest, Mercyful Fate, and Motorhead with New York intensity. The band has already achieved cult status among Brooklyn's developing metal scene, joining prominent acts like Tombs, Krallice, and Black Anvil and catching the eye of popular publications Revolver Magazine and Vice. Steadily gigging locally and abroad, Natur has earned a reputation for putting on an explosive live show. Appearances at Maryland Deathfest IX and the Live Evil Festival have established them as a force to be reckoned with. The band has shared the stage with Ghost, Marduk, and Aura Noir, as well as Earache's own Cauldron and Hour of 13.



Links:
Natur

Savage Messiah (Earache) Release Forthcoming Album, "Plague of Conscience", as Free Download

DOWNLOAD: Savage Messiah - "Plague of Conscience" (free download of full length album)

Savage Messiah was formed in 2007 in London, England. The band consists of lead guitarist/singer Dave Silver, lead guitarist Joff Bailey, bassist Stefano Selvatico and drummer Mauricio Chamucero.

In late 2010 the band was signed to Earache Records and set about writing and demoing a new record and also appeared at the 2010 Earache Christmas Party. After months of pre-production work the band hit the studio in the summer of 2011 to record once more with Scott Atkins taking a break from recording to play at Devilstone Open Air in Lithuania and a short run of UK dates with US metallers Skeletonwitch.

The band wrapped up production of its new album titled "Plague of Conscience" in late September 2011 after 6 weeks of intense recording and immedeately embarked on a 15 date nationwide UK tour with label mates Evile.

The new album is due out in January but Earache is making a digital copy available now as a free download. Check out the video message below from Savage Messiah frontman David Silver.



Links:
Savage Messiah

Natur Release New Single "Spider Baby" As Free Download / Show at Union Pool on August 26th.

DOWNLOAD: Natur - "Spider Baby" (hosted on VillageVoice.com)

Brooklyn traditional metal outfit Natur announced signing a worldwide deal with Earache Records last month and now the Village Voice has done a nice writeup on the band. The Voice has posted a fairly detailed interview with singer Ryan "Weibs" Wiebust and drummer Tooth along with a link (above) where you can download the band's debut single "Spider Baby" (The Year Is One Records) for free.

Here is a snippet from the full interview:

Village Voice: What is "Spider Baby" about?

Weibust, guitarist/vocalist: "Spider Baby" is 100% inspired by the 1968 black-comedy horror film my friend Erin McCord let me borrow—thanks, Erin! There are some strange themes in the film that I felt would be a great premise for a song. It's perverted, grotesque and sinister with a pretty amazing back-story. Originally the movie was called Cannibal Orgy; can't go wrong with a title like that, if you ask me. The three orphans in the movie all suffer from a disease called the "Merrye Syndrome." Once they reach the age of 18 they begin to slowly regress into cannibals as they get older/younger. So the lyrics are pretty much based around this idea, but also giving them the personification of a spider, which one of the daughters already has throughout the film.

Natur's next local show is August 26th at Union Pool w/ Aggressor and Mutant Supremacy -- cover is $8.

Links:
Natur

Natur - Brooklyn NWOBHM Band Signs with Earache / Upcoming Shows at St. Vitus and Union Pool

Earache Records announced the signing of Brooklyn's heavy metal warriors, Natur, to a worldwide recording deal. The band issued the following statement: "So here we are, on bellies full of free Thai food and drink, somewhere in Long Island City. We've just signed our souls over to legendary metal maniac label Earache. We are very excited to take our OLD METAL to a new level and look forward to working with these guys. HAILS!!!"

Commenting on his choice of Natur as "band of the week" (http://bandoftheweek.net) in May 2010, Darkthrone's own Fenriz says it best: "...awesome band playing old metal with old sound. What's not to like?"

Formed in 2008, Natur channels the old school, high energy sound reminiscent of legendary artists Judas Priest, Mercyful Fate, and Motorhead with New York intensity. The band has already achieved cult status among Brooklyn's developing metal scene, joining prominent acts like Tombs, Krallice, and Black Anvil and catching the eye of popular publications Revolver Magazine and Vice. Steadily gigging locally and abroad, Natur has earned a reputation for putting on an explosive live show. Appearances at Maryland Deathfest IX and the Live Evil Festival have established them as a force to be reckoned with. The band has shared the stage with Ghost, Marduk, and Aura Noir, as well as Earache's own Cauldron and Hour of 13.



Natur have a few upcoming area shows:
- July 31st: Saint Vitus, Brooklyn, NY (w/ Barn Burner and Ramming Speed)
- August 6th: The House of Vans, Brooklyn, NY
- August 26th: Union Pool, Brooklyn, NY (w/ Aggressor and Mutant Supremacy)

Links:
Natur

Cerebral Bore - "Maniacal Miscreation" Interview with Guitarist Paul McGuire (Earache)

Scottish death metal band Cerebral Bore kicked off their third US tour last week with a show at Tobacco Road (aka Port 41). The band just signed to Earache Records and their Earache debut, Maniacal Miscreation, came out last week in the US.

I had the opportunity to catch up with guitarist/tour manager Paul McGuire prior to the show and we talked about the band's signing to Earache, the new disc and the upcoming tour.



Here are Cerebral Bore's upcoming US tour dates:

June 7th - Amarillo, Texas, USA
June 9th - Tucson, Arizona, USA
June 10th - Las vegas,Nevada, USA (Las vegas Death Fest)
June 12th - Los Angeles, California, USA
June 16th - Cancun, Mexico
June 17th - Merida, Mexico
June 18th - Co Del Carmen, Mexico
June 19th - Campeche, Mexico

Links:
Cerebral Bore

Woods of Ypres - "Woods IV: The Green Album" CD Review (Earache Records)

At the end of last year, Earache Records announced the signing of Canadian black metal act Woods of Ypres. The band has been around since 2002 and Earache will reissue the band’s fourth full-length, Woods IV: The Green Album, which was originally independently released in 2009, on March 22nd.

The Green Album clocks in just shy of eighty minutes and the organic sound, clean vocals and delicate instrumental interludes hide a pronounced sense of self-loathing and loss found within the lyrics. The band frequently garners comparisons to Type O Negative which is likely due to singer David Gold’s clean baritone vocals but there only seems to be a touch of Type O's style of goth-metal in the Woods of Ypres' music. The majority of the songs are slow burning, brooding doom (a la Candlemass) but the music doesn't fall into this bass-heavy genre. Rather, clear production brings out Gold's upfront vocals along with prominent guitars which range from metallic chugging and thrash riffs to delicate acoustical work. Adding to the mix, some tracks have soft interludes that use piano, violin, oboe and other 'non-traditional' instruments.

Lyrically, The Green Album focuses on the breakup of a relationship and the disc starts with "Shards of Love", where Gold is narrating both sides of a dialogue with his former girlfriend as she is packing to go as he is "pouring my heart to you trying to get you to stay". From here, Gold seems to resign himself to his fate and delivers the self-recriminating "Everything I Touch Turns To Gold (Then To Coal)" where Gold's vocals are complemented by additional harsh vocals. The gloom and doom lyrical themes lead into a wicked sense of 'tongue-in-cheek' irony as the disc progresses into "By The Time You Read This (I Will Already Be Dead" (with the lyrics "By the time you read / I will already be gone / Do not reply to this") and "Wet Leather", which Gold says "should obviously not be taken seriously, but instead as a song about a negative frame of mind that comes and goes ― when everything seems hopeless, pointless, "life is just pain and piss, everything is a scam," akin to something off of Sentenced's Cold White Light album." (quote from an Exclaim.ca interview with David Gold).

While Gold takes the listener into his downward spiral for the better part of the disc, the disc ends on a note of closure and rebuilding with the songs "To Long Life In The 'Limbo Union'" and the somewhat smarmy "Move On! (The Woman Will Always Leave the Man)".

One of the strongest cuts on the disc is the stellar "I Was Buried In Mount Pleasant Cemetery".



Woods of Ypres are playing a 10-date CD release tour next month that stops at The Bowery Electric on Wed., March 16th.

Links:
Woods of Ypres

Wormrot Releases "Erased Existence" from Forthcoming Disc "Dirge" // "Abuse" CD Review (Earache Records)

Singapore's grindcore band Wormrot have released another new track, "Erased Existence", from their forthcoming album, Dirge.



The band is kicking off their Dirge Across America tour next month in San Diego and the band will be touring cross-country through March and April. Tour dates are below and presumably a NYC date will be slotted sometime in early April.

Dirge Across America Tour Dates
Mar 03 - San Diego, CA - The Ruby Room
Mar 04 - Los Angeles, CA - The Blvd.
Mar 05 - Pomona, CA - The Glass House (Scion Rock Fest)
Mar 06 - Oakland, Ca - Hazmat Warehouse
Mar 07 - Sacramento, CA - On The Y
Mar 08 - Reno, NV - Ground Zero (House Show)
Mar 10 - Portland, OR - Red Room
Mar 11 - Seattle, WA - The Morgue
Mar 12 - Boise, ID - The Shredder
Mar 13 - Salt Lake City, UT - Raunch Records
Mar 14 - Cheyenne, WY - Ernie November (In-store)
Mar 15 - Denver, CO - Blast-O-Mat
Mar 17 - Austin, TX - Lipps Lounge
Mar 18 - Austin, TX - Lovejoys

w/TOMBS
Mar 22 - New Orleans, LA - Siberia
Mar 23 - Panama City, FL - C-Level
Mar 24 - Tampa, FL - Ransitions Art Gallery
Mar 25 - Miami, FL - Churchill's Pub
Mar 26 - Orlando, FL - Will's Pub
Mar 27 - Atlanta, GA - Archive Gallery
Mar 28 - Charlotte, NC - The Milestone
Mar 29 - Richmond, VA - Gallery 5
Mar 30 - Washington, DC - The Red Door
Mar 31 - Philadelphia, PA - Kung Fu Necktie
Apr 01 - Worcester, MA - Club Oasis
Apr 02 - Brockton, MA - O'Brien's Pub
-----------------------
Apr 05 - Peeksill, NY - Popeye's
Apr 07 - Cleveland, OH - Now That's Class
Apr 08 - Lansing, MI - Mac's Bar
Apr 09 - Chicago, IL - Memories
Apr 10 - Milwaukee, WI - Mad planet
Apr 12 - Columbia, MO - Sideshow
Apr 13 - Oklahoma City, OK - The Conservatory

The three members of Wormrot are Rasyid (guitar), Fitri (drums) and Arif (vocals) and the band’s debut CD Abuse came out last summer on Earache Records. Arif mixed and mastered the disc and (surprisingly, given the genre) gave the band a clean and balanced sound. The original 23-track disc has now been supplemented with a 34-track bonus disc entitled Extra Abuse which contains the band’s 2007 demo tracks, an Insect Warefare cover, the band’s two EPs from 2008 (“Dead” and the Wormrot tracks from a split with Diseptic along with a handful of previously unreleased tracks from 2009.

I’ve never been a huge grindcore fan as most artists in the genre seem to be going for aggressive power over song structure. I’m over-generalizing with this next comment but after listening to a ‘run of the mill’ grindcore disc with 15-20 one minute songs, I generally feel pummeled by the intensity but none of the songs ever seem to stick with me. What I mean by this is that when replaying the disc, I have no reason to drop on any individual tracks. Singapore-based grindcore trio Wormrot add some extra elements to the standard grindcore formula which makes this disc (and a number of songs within) stand out from the pack.

Where Wormrot breaks from the grindcore pack is that the band has more of a song-orientation that focuses on the guitar and vocal work. Rasyid breaks from the d-beat sound to play some thrash, groove and (almost) alt-rock riffs on various tracks. Arif’s vocals range from shout-along slogans to the cookie-monster growls and black metal screams and both he and Rasyid mix up their styles which keeps the disc sounding fresh and the tracks distinctive. Fitri predominately pounds the drums with a high-velocity blast beat but he too mixes things up with some offbeat fills and polyrhythmic beats. Fitri plays so hard that the band had to stop their show last year at Bowery Electric to fix the drum kit.



While the band has a political bent (the disc opens with the spoken word snippet "Here's your Patriot Act! Here's your fucking abuse of power!" from student, Mostafa Tabatabainejad, after being repeatedly tasered in the UCLA library ), they also have a wicked sense of humor. This humor comes out on tracks like the melodic “Fuck…I’m Drunk”, the groove-oriented “Overgrown Asshole” and a complete deconstruction of the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s “Rich” (where the band lops three minutes off the original song).

Links:
Wormrot

Rival Sons - Self-Titled CD EP Review (Earache Records)

DOWNLOAD: Rival Sons - "Get What's Coming" (Click-through and enter email address)

From a 2009 Huffington Post interview with Rival Sons

Huffington Post: You guys classify your music as pure rock and roll. What does rock and roll mean to you?

Scott Holiday (guitar): If the question is what is a 'technical definition' of rock & roll ? I'd say its the melting of blues, soul, and country, first off. And it's gotta have a little boogie, or make you wanna dance or pump your fist ... and most importantly, it's gotta be DANGEROUS. It's obviously tough to really encompass this whole concept of rock & roll ... but this is my quick answer.

California blue-rock quartet, and recent signees to Earache Records, Rival Sons have just released a new 6-song digital EP via iTunes. This new self-titled EP serves as a stop-gap for the band’s first full-length for Earache, Pressure & Time, which drops in May.

While Earache has some traditional metal bands on the label (Cauldron, White Wizzard), Rival Sons is the closest that I’ve heard the label come to classic rock. Rival Sons play blues-rock in the style of Free and early Led Zeppelin with a bit of 70’s soul thrown on top. “We really connect on old blues, like Muddy Waters, Leadbelly and Howlin’ Wolf,” said guitarist Scott Holiday. “Then you add in Stax and Motown, that kinda soul feel. We’re also into 60s British bands like the Small Faces, The Who and early Zeppelin.” (Quote from ClassicRockMagazine.com)

The majority of the new disc features high-energy, bombastic blues-rock which is meant to be played live and loud. In addition to the bass-and-drums explosive swagger, Scott Holiday’s blues licks and solos will make an air guitarist cry with joy and Jay Buchanan’s vocal style falls right between that of Robert Plant and Paul Rodgers. Breaking up the disc and giving the listener a brief interlude where they can catch their breath, the new EP contains one ballad (sort of Rival Sons’ “Going to California”) “Sacred Tongue”. After returning back to the high-octane blues, the disc ramps down with the slower tempo soulful “Soul”.

Rival Sons - "Torture"


While I can’t visualize Rival Sons on tour with some of the thrash and deathcore bands on the Earache label, it is not far stretch to imagine them playing alongside bands like Rolling Stones and The Who.

Links:
Rival Sons

Wormrot Releases New Track "Manipulation" from Forthcoming Disc "Dirge" (Earache Records)

Singapore's grindcore band Wormrot have released a brand new track from their forthcoming album, Dirge. The track below, entitled "Manipulation," is a minute-long burst of ferocity, terror and outright aggression. It hits all of the marks that have endeared Wormrot to the worldwide metal underground. The video also includes a first look at the album's cover art, created by Andrei Bouzikov (Municipal Waste, Skeletonwitch, Cannabis Corpse)



"Manipulation," along with the rest of Dirge was completed less than 10 days ago. Drums were completed on January 4th, guitars, vocals, mixing and mastering were completed in various days ending on January 10th. In many ways, "Manipulation" is as raw as Wormrot gets -- a hell of a way to raise the already high expectations for Dirge.

Wormrot will be coming back to the US for a full Coast-to-Coast tour starting in March. The West Coast dates have been announced (see Wormrot's MySpace page) and the tour kicks off at The Ruby Room in San Diego on March 3rd. Other announced dates include the Scion Rock Festival, which takes place in Pomona, CA on March 5th at the Fox Theater and The Glass House. Dates for the other parts of the country will follow shortly and will include a stop at SXSW.

Links:
Wormrot

Wormrot Continues N. American Tour // Show at The Acheron in Brooklyn on Oct. 3rd

After making their N. American debut earlier this month at a show at Bowery Electric, Singapore grindcore band Wormrot are playing a short run of tour dates across the Mid-Atlantic over the next week.

The band has been blogging about their first N. American tour for Invisible Oranges and a snippet from their tour diary is below.

"Things have been a bit rough lately. The drive from Denver to Albuquerque, New Mexico was around 8 – 9 hours. Upon reaching there, we had some burritos for a late lunch. It was a nice change of appetite coz we’ve been having pizzas almost everyday. Don’t get me wrong, pizzas are good, but everyday you kind of feel quite sick of it. Hehe… Anyway, the gig wasn’t as massive as the one in Denver. Turnout wasn’t as big as the place, but it was OK, I guess. The good thing is, some of the band members from Noisear came down for the gig. Was great to meet them. One of them played in a side band called The Laughing Dog. Man, they really kill!! Brutal band!!! It was an honor to meet some of the boys from Noisear and share the stage with The Laughing Dog. And guess what we had for dinner… Pizzas.

The next morning, we left the place at around 8:30am. Had our usual snappy Starbucks coffee with breakfast from Arby’s and head off to Oklahoma City for a gig at The Conservatory. Another long ass drive! What was supposed to be a 10 hours drive became 12 hours due to some complications on the highway in Amarillo, Texas. For the 1st time in our lives, we experienced real flood!!! The flood was so bad that some cars were covered in water. That totally sucks big time, man! We were damn lucky not to get stuck in the flood coz all the Wormrot boys can’t swim, for goodness sake!! Traffic was slow coz they had to block some parts of the road. And so we arrived late while the 1st band was playing. No bullshit, just load in and fucking play! Another small turnout for us considering the size of the place. LOL… But it was a fun gig. Sound system was good and the crowd was crazy, too. There was no place for us to sleep that night. so Mike h ad to drive to a hotel so that we can all have our beauty sleep. Oh yeah, the promoter did get us some food though. Pizzas."

Upcoming Tour Dates:
Sep 29 - Richmond, Virginia - The Triple
Sep 30 - Silver Spring, Maryland - Corpse Fortress
Oct 01 - Wilmington, Delaware - Mojo 13
Oct 02 - Bethlehem, Pennsylvania - The Hardbean Cafe
Oct 03 - Brooklyn, New York - Archeron
Oct 04 - Hartford, Connecticut - The Whitney House
Oct 05 - Philadelphia, PA - JR's Bar

The Brooklyn show is all ages and includes local bands Mutant Supremacy, Defeatist, Psychic Limb, and Curandera. The Acheron is located at 57 Waterbury Street in Bushwick.



Links:
Wormrot

Annihilator: Earache Records Releases "Total Annihilation" Compilation as Free 14-Track Download

Canadian metal band Annihilator is the lifework of guitarist Jeff Waters. Founded in 1984, the band took the metal scene by storm with their debut 1989 release “Alice In Hell”, upped the ante with 1990’s “Never, Neverland” and finished off their 3-record deal (Roadrunner Records) with “Set The World On Fire”. While most late-80’s era metal bands disappeared, Annihilator went on to forge 9 more studio cds, dvds and live releases, all consistently selling well and remaining true to the heavy metal cause.

Tours with everyone from Judas Priest to Pantera to Trivium plus dozens of headlining tours, festivals around the world have been going on since 1989 for this band; no rest for the wicked. In 2003, Dave Padden joined the band as vocalist and eventually took on the role of guitar player as well, a la Hetfield. Dave has sang on the last 4 studio releases and has now etched his name in stone as a top front man in the biz.

Earache Records is releasing six classic albums from Annihilator's back-catalogue as part of the "Total Annihilation" campaign, and to celebrate, the label is offering a free download-only compilation album featuring fourteen killer tracks.

Here is the download link for the Total Annihilation compilation.

Total Annihilation features the following tracks:

01. The Trend
02. Ambush
03. Battered
04. Carnival Diablos
05. Back To The Palace
06. Nothing Left
07. Ultra-Motion
08. Ritual
09. King Of The Kill
10. Second To None
11. Ultraparanoia
12. Refresh The Demon
13. Tricks And Traps
14. Never Forget

The first three releases from the "Total Annihilation" reissue campaign, CARNIVAL DIABLOS, CRITERIA FOR A BLACK WIDOW and WAKING THE FURY, are available now in Europe, along with Annihilator's new, self-titled album. Get them now at Earache's European web store.

Annihilator have just added two dates in Greece to their upcoming European headlining tour and here are the current tour dates:

Oct. 05 - Paris, FRA - Divian Du Monde
Oct. 06 - Antwerp, BEL - Trix
Oct. 07 - Ludwigsburg, GER - Rockfabrik
Oct. 08 - Luxembourg, LUX - Den Atelier
Oct. 10 - Uden, NETH - Pul
Oct. 11 - Frankfurt, GER - Batchkapp
Oct. 12 - Cologne, GER - Stollwerk
Oct. 14 - Berlin, GER - C-Club
Oct. 15 - Hamburg, GER - Knust
Oct. 16 - Copenhagen, DEN - The Rock
Oct. 18 - Oslo, NOR - John Dee
Oct. 19 - Gothenburg, SWE - Sticky Fingers
Oct. 20 - Stockholm, SWE - Klubben
Oct. 22 - Helsinki, FIN - Tavastia
Oct. 23 - Tallinn, EST - Tapper Club
Oct. 24 - Vilnius, LIT - New York
Oct. 26 - Warsaw, POL - Progresja
Oct. 27 - Krakow, POL - Loch Ness
Oct. 28 - Prague, CZR - Retro Music Hall
Oct. 30 - Wörgl, AUT - Komma
Nov. 01 - Pratteln, SWI - Z7
Nov. 02 - Nuremberg, GER - Hirsch
Nov. 03 - Milan, ITA - Live Club
Nov. 05 - Barcelona, SPA – Mephisto
Nov. 06 - Madrid, SPA – Sala Live
Nov. 07 - Bilbao, SPA - Kafe Antzoki
Nov. 10 - Portsmouth, UK - Wedgewood Rooms
Nov. 11 - Manchester, UK - Club Academy
Nov. 13 - Newcastle, UK - Legends
Nov. 14 - Glasgow, UK - Garage
Nov. 15 - Sheffield, UK - Corporation
Nov. 17 - Nottingham, UK - Rescue Rooms
Nov. 18 - Bristol, UK - Academy 2
Nov. 19 - Birmingham, UK - Academy 2
Nov. 20 - London, UK - Islington Academy
Nov. 24 - Thessaloniki, Greece - Principal Club Theatre
Nov. 25 - Athens, Greece - Gagarin 205 Club

Links:
Annihilator

Evile Guitarist Ol Drake Posts Instructional Guitar Video for "Time No More" // Evile Plays NYC on Oct. 10th

UK thrash metal band Evile are eagerly anticipating their next major North American tour which starts next week in Tulsa, OK. To pass the time (and to make sure that fans air guitar correctly at all of the shows), guitarist, Ol Drake has made an instructional video that teaches viewers how to play the Infected Nations track, "Time No More." Ol teaches the song riff-by-riff at varying speeds to give fans a truly in-depth experience with learning the material.



Evile vocalist and guitarist Matt Drake recently commented on the band's impending North American tour:

"For the second time this year, Evile are proud to be able to say we're coming across the pond to play some more shows throughout America and Canada. Last time we were there for two months, this time we're staying for three, playing at loads of places we never went to last time, but also revisiting many places we played at with the mighty Overkill and Kreator earlier in the year. We just can't get enough of it!

This time we're joining up with Overkill, Forbidden, Early Man, Gama Bomb and Bonded By Blood for many different tours, also some headline shows of our own, so if you saw us play last time, make sure you come and see us again and bring everyone you know for some metal madness!"

Upcoming Evile Tour Date:

w/Early Man and Bonded By Blood
Sept. 30 - Marquee - Tulsa OK
Oct. 01 - Walter's - Houston TX
Oct. 02 - White Rabbit - San Antonio TX
Oct. 03 - Emo's - Austin TX
Oct. 04 - Ridglea Theater - Ft Worth TX
Oct. 05 - The Muse- Nashville TN
Oct. 06 - Budda's Place - Newport News VA
Oct. 07 - Sonar - Baltimore MD
Oct. 08 - Championship Bar and Grill - Trenton NJ
Oct. 09 - Rocko's Rock Club - Manchester NH
Oct. 10 - Europa - Brooklyn NY
Oct. 12 - Sneaky Dee's - Toronto ON
Oct. 13 - Broadway Joe's - Buffalo NY
Oct. 16 - Mad Planet - Milwaukee, WI
Oct. 17 - Reggie's Rock Club - Chicago il
Oct. 18 - The Riot Room - Kansas City MO
Oct. 19 - Larimer Lounge - Denver CO
Oct. 20 - Club Vegas - Salt lake City UT
Oct. 22 - Dante's - Portland OR
Oct. 23 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon (w/Gama Bomb)

w/Overkill, Forbidden, Gama Bomb and Bonded By Blood
Oct. 24 - Vancouver, BC - Red Room*
Oct. 27 - Regina SK - Exchange*
Oct. 28 - Winnipeg, Manitoba - Royal Albert Arms*
Oct. 29 - Thunder Bay, ON - Crocks*
Oct. 30 - St. Cloud, MN - The Rox Tavern*** (w/Abigail Williams)
Oct. 31 - Indianapolis, IN - The Dojo*
Nov. 01 - London, ON - Music Hall*
Nov. 02 - Buffalo, NY - Broadway Joe's*
Nov. 03 - Trenton, NJ - Championship Bar and Grill*
Nov. 04 - Springfield, VA - Jaxx ***
Nov. 05 - Rochester, NY - Montage Music Hall**
Nov. 06 - Farmingdale, NY - Crazy Donkey**
Nov. 07 - Providence, RI - Club Hell**
Nov. 08 - Baltimore, MD - Sonar**
Nov. 09 - Virginia Beach, VA - Gil's**
Nov. 10 - Charlotte, NC - Amos'**
Nov. 11 - Raleigh, NC - Volume 11**
Nov. 12 - Jacksonville, NC - Hooligans**
Nov. 13 - Orlando, FL - Club Firestone**
Nov. 14 - Ft Lauderdale, FL - Culture Room**
Nov. 15 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade**
Nov. 16 - Cleveland, OH - Peabody's**
Nov. 17 - Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall**
Nov. 18 - Pittsburgh, PA - Diesel Nightclub**
Nov. 19 - Manchester, NH - Rocko's**
Nov. 20 - Sayreville, NJ - Starland Ballroom**
Nov. 21 - Ottawa, ON - Mavericks***
Nov. 22 - Montreal, QC - Foufounes Electriques***
Nov. 23 - Toronto, ON - MOD Club***
Nov. 24 - Detroit, MI - Blondies***
Nov. 25 - Nashville, TN - The Muse***
Nov. 26 - Louisville, KY - Phoenix Hill Tavern***
Nov. 27 - Chicago, IL - Reggie's***
Nov. 28 - Milwaukee, WI - The Rave***
Nov. 29 - St Paul, MN - Station 4***
Dec. 01 - San Antonio, TX - Scout Bar***
Dec. 02 - Austin, TX - Emo's***
Dec. 03 - Houston, TX - Scout Bar***
Dec. 04 - Ft Worth, TX - Trees***
Dec. 05 - Amarillo, TX - The War Legion Underground*
Dec. 06 - Tucson, AZ - The Rock***
Dec. 07 - Mesa, AZ - U.B.'s***
Dec. 08 - West Hollyood , CA - Whiskey a Go Go***
Dec. 09 - Ramona, CA - Ramona Mainstage***
Dec. 10 - Sparks, NV - New Oasis***
Dec. 11 - San Francisco, CA - DNA Lounge***
Dec. 12 - Anaheim, CA - Chain Reaction*
Dec. 13 - las Vegas, NV - Cheyenne Saloon*

*w/GAMA BOMB and BONDED BY BLOOD
**Killfest II w/OVERKILL, FORBIDDEN, GAMA BOMB and BONDED BY BLOOD
***w/FORBIDDEN, GAMA BOMB and BONDED BY BLOOD

Evile's 2009 album, Infected Nations, is due to be re-released on October 12th as a limited edition redux version. This special version of the album includes a bonus disc with fifteen extra tracks, including the band's popular cover of Pantera's "Cemetery Gates", as well as eight songs recorded live in the studio with new bassist Joel Graham and six songs recorded live at Hammerfest in 2009. Earache Records is currently taking pre-orders through their web store.

Links:
Evile

Bonded By Blood: "Exiled to Earth" Press Interview with Vocalist Jose Barrales, Earache Records, NYC July '10

Earlier this month, I had a opportunity to catch up with Jose Barrales, vocalist for the Pomona, CA thrash band Bonded by Blood. The band's second album for Earache Records, Exiled to Earth, is due out August 10th. This time around, the band recorded with producer Ralph Patlan (Megadeth, UFO and White Wizzard) and the end results are a heavier and tighter sound.

I talked with Jose about the new release (and the limited edition signed comic strip that comes with the disc if you order through Townsend Records), the evolution of the band since the "Four Pints of Blood" demo and their upcoming tours with Exodus, Overkill, Evile and Early Man.



Bonded by Blood are on the road from August through the end of the year and local shows are August 28th at Gramercy Theater with Exodus and October 10th at Europa with Early Man and Evile. The show at the Gramercy Theater also has Malevolent Creation and Holy Grail on the bill and tickets are $20. Details about the show at Europa aren't posted yet.

Here are the tour dates for the run of shows with Exodus, Malevolent Creation and Holy Grail:

08/16/10 Hawthorne Theater - Portland, OR
08/17/10 Rickshaw Theater - Vancouver, BC - CANADA
08/18/10 Studio Seven - Seattle, WA
08/20/10 The Complex - Salt Lake City, UT
08/21/10 Bluebird Theater - Denver, CO
08/23/10 Reggie's Rock Club - Chicago, IL
08/24/10 The Mod Club - Toronto, ON - CANADA
08/25/10 Foufounes Electriques - Montreal, QC - CANADA
08/27/10 The Palladium - Worcester, MA
08/28/10 The Gramercy Theater - New York, NY
08/29/10 Polaris - Philadelphia, PA
08/31/10 Jaxx - W. Springfield, VA
09/01/10 Peabody's - Cleveland, OH
09/02/10 Phoenix Hill Tavern - Louisville, KY
09/03/10 The Masquerade - Atlanta, GA
09/04/10 The Social - Orlando, FL
09/05/10 Culture Room - Ft. Lauderdale, FL
09/07/10 The Door - Dallas, TX
09/08/10 Emo's - Austin, TX
09/12/10 The Avalon - Santa Clara, CA

Links:
Bonded By Blood

Oceano Head Into the Studio with Zuess to Record Second CD "Contagion" // Summer Tour with As Blood Runs Black

Chicago deathcore band Oceano are heading out on a July/August tour with As Blood Runs Black as part of the Over The Limit Tour. The tour will act as a prelude to the release of the band's forthcoming sophomore album, Contagion and the band will be debuting new material as part of their set.

Joining co-headliners Oceano and As Blood Runs Black on the bill will be Arsonists Get All The Girls, The Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza, Thick As Blood, Burning the Masses, Circle of Contempt, and Blindwitness, with Son of Aurelius and This Or The Apocalypse on select dates

Oceano have also begun recording their sophomore disc, Contagion, with producer Zuess (Municipal Waster, The Acacia Strain, Hatebreed, Shadows Fall) which will mark the recording debut of the band's two new guitarists.

Oceano frontman, Adam Warren chimes in from the studio with a brief update:

"As of last night we finished up drum tracking! Danny's a little monster and flew through everything in a 2 1/2 days. Now we're onto guitars today. We're excited to begin and work with Zeuss as we are looking forward to getting his input on what we have come up with. We are all confident he's going to help further creation of Contagion to be even more infectious to all of your ears. LET IT SPREAD!"

To kick off the start of Contagion's recording process, Oceano have posted the premiere episode of OCEANO TV on their brand new official YouTube page. Styled similarly to a 90's-style multi-camera sitcom, this episode stars drummer, Daniel Terchin. Here, he gives fans a tour of his drum kit, pwns n00bs on Call of Duty and sneaks a peek at his tracking sessions.



Links:
Oceano

Order of Ennead - Video Interview with Guitarist Kevin Quirion // New Shows w/ Hate Eternal and Cannabis Corpse

Florida extreme metallers, Order of Ennead will be joining Hate Eternal and Cannabis Corpse for a limited run of the east coast this summer. Joining Order of Ennead on lead guitar at all dates will be the talented Shannon Hamm (Death, Control Denied).

Here are the dates:
6/12 Tampa, FL Brass Mug -- (no Hate Eternal, Cannabis Corpse)
** Note: Show features both John Li and Shannon on guitar
8/24 Atlanta, GA -- The Masquerade
8/25 Spartanburg, SC -- Ground Zero
8/26 Raleigh, NC Volume -- 11 Tavern
8/27 W. Springfield, VA -- Jaxx
8/28 Philadelphia, PA -- Polaris, Hostile City Death Fest (no Cannabis Corpse)

Order of Ennead is touring behind their second CD, An Examination of Being, which came out in April on Earache Records. The new disc was recorded at Audio Hammer Studios in Sanford, Florida with producer Mark Lewis (Trivium, Chimaira, All That Remains).

I had the opportunity to catch up with vocalist/guitarist Kevin Quirion when he was in town earlier in this spring to talk about the new album and this upcoming tour.



Links:
Order of Ennead

Order of Ennead - Interview with Guitarist John Li (Earache Records)

Florida black metal band Order of Ennead released their sophomore disc, An Examination of Being, today on Earache Records. This new nine-track disc has been getting great reviews and one of the noted highlights is guitarist John Li's melodic shredding.

Last month, I had the chance to catch with John when he and Kevin (Quirion) were visiting Earache Records. We talked about the new disc, John's former guitar teacher (Ralph Santolla), John's side project Mandragora, tour plans and more.



Order of Ennead are playing a few one-off dates this summer and are planning a full US tour late in the year.

Upcoming Tour Dates:

June 12, 2010 -- TBA, Gainesville, Florida
June 13, 2010 -- The Brass Mug,Tampa, Florida
August 28, 2010 -- Hostile City Fest @ Polaris, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Links:
Order of Ennead

Earache Records Presents 'Smell the Glove' Tomorrow Night at St. Jerome's (155 Rivington)

Earache Records and Brooklyn Ski Club present "Smell The Glove" tomorrow night - the second installment of NYC's only hair metal, hard rock, and glam punk party. The party is at St. Jerome's (155 Rivington) and starts at 9PM. Admission is free - 21+ to drink.

The evening starts at 9PM with free PBR and a listening party for the new disc from Ratt, Infestation (which hits stores tomorrow). There will also be giveaways, go-go girls, DJs (with Cauldron and White Wizzard on the playlist) and more.



Links:
Smell the Glove @ Twitter