haarp - 'Husks' CD Review (Housecore Records)

New Orleans sludge metal band haarp released their fourth disc, Husks, last month on Phil Anselmo’s Housecore Records. This new three -track/38 minutes disc is the follow-up to the band’s 2010 full-length debut, The Filth, which also came out on Housecore. Phil Anselmo has been a strong supporter – most recently taking the band on the road with Down and Phil joined the band on stage for a song at the show at Best Buy Theater in New York.

(Note: Video is from last year’s show but there really isn’t a lot of difference between the years)


haarp often mistakenly get lumped into the doom genre due to the band’s slow tempos but they have nothing in common with band’s like Sunn 0))). Phil Anselmo said: “To call haarp 'slow' would be somewhat fair, but to say that they're just 'another slow band' would be sacrilege…Their music is crushing, resolute, dramatic and conceptually insane.” haarp’ s music has more in common with hardcore (though this is the first ‘slow’ hardcore band that I’ve heard) as the band works up a ferocious wall of pummeling riffs over which vocalist Sean Emmons growls and grunts out lyrics about despair, hatred, self loathing, and aggression.

The three tracks on this release are all structurally similar – there are the expected crushing guitar riffs but this is complemented by (down-tuned) melodic guitar lines and almost free-form jazz drumming. The disc’s opener, “Deadman/Rabbit”, and closer, “Fox”, clock in well over 10+ minutes which allows the music to meld and change over the course of the tracks. The music is both melancholy and ferocious but there is “light” and melody within the band’s overall sound and the spirit of the album is perfectly reflected in the album’s cover art, which shows a light in the darkness. Shaun Emmons’ vocals complement the music and range between hardcore growls and death metal shrieks.



haarp’s new disc was produced by Phil Anselmo and he balances the band’s filthy anger and intensity with a clarity that brings out the individual components of the band’s uncompromising sound. Husks was recorded at the University of New Orleans Performing Arts Center, Fountainbleau Room 7011, and Nodferatu’s Lair by Phil Anselmo, engineered by Steve Berrigan and Nathan Weidenhaft and mastered at Visceral Sounds by Scott Hull.

Links:
haarp

Joe Keithley (D.O.A.) seeks the New Democratic Party (NDP) Nomination in the British Columbia riding of Coquitlam - Burke Mountain

DOWNLOAD: D.O.A. - "He's Got A Gun"

Inspired by Woody Guthrie, Canada's godfather of punk, Joe Keithley has always been out to change the world, through almost 35 years of D.O.A., he and the band have taken on all brands of oppressors. Now Joe is trying to do it from inside the system, he is seeking the New Democratic Party (NDP) nomination in the British Columbia riding of Coquitlam - Burke Mountain.

The NDP are a party committed to fairness and equality for all. At the age of 18, when Keithley left Burnaby North High, already a justice minded young student of politics, he joined the NDP. That only lasted a couple of years as his new band D.O.A. started to take off after the release of the "Disco Sucks" 7" EP in 1978.

Now he's back challenging for a seat in the BC Legislature and looking to help the people of Coquitlam , BC and Canada. If you want to help out on the campaign, contact Joe here: JoeNDP@gmail.com.

D.O.A. will out promoting their new album We Come In Peace this fall with a 20 date tour across Canada starting on October 20. This is not the end for D.O.A., but these will likely be the last dates for four to eight years and who knows, maybe forever.

Joe Keithley, Canada's godfather of punk has dug into his collection of rare vinyl and is making it available. Go to suddendeath.com and find items like early D.O.A. singles "The Prisoner/13" and "General Strike". We've got colored vinyl such as: The Modernetttes, D.O.A. and the Vancouver Complication double LP. There's tons more to see as well. LPs like an Out of Print "No Means No" 12" and the Young Canadians LP. Anything you don't see, feel free to ask at info@suddendeath.com.

Links:
Joe Keithley

D.O.A. - "We Come In Peace" CD Review (Sudden Death)

STREAM: D.O.A. - "He's Got A Gun" (hosted on PunkNews.org)

According to Wikipedia: “D.O.A. is a hardcore punk band from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. They are often referred to as the "founders" of hardcore punk, along with Black Flag, Bad Brains, Teen Idles, and Middle Class.”

While I’ve “been in the room” for a few shows that D.O.A. played in Washington, DC in the 80’s, I don’t think I’ve ever focused on the band’s music. These shows always seemed to bring out the “boot boys” who were always looking to give someone a beat-down so my focus at these shows was on making sure that I wasn’t their next target. So…35 years and 14 albums into their career, We Come in Peace is my first real exposure to D.O.A.’s music. Not having any history with the band, it is interesting to have read the Wikipedia quote about being “founders of hardcore” prior to listening to this disc as the current lineup of D.O.A. sounds closer to the punk-rock/roots-reggae hybrid of Rancid than the aggressive hardcore of Black Flag and Bad Brains.

For anyone who needs a primer on D.O.A. (like I did), D.O.A. seems to have an ever-changing lineup centered on guitar/vocalist Joey ‘Shithead’ Keithley. For We Come In Peace, Keithley is joined by Dan Yaremko and J.J. Heath and this new disc was released on Keithley’s Sudden Death label at the end of July. The fourteen songs on this disc include an acoustic remake of “General Strike”, which was first released by the band in the early 80’s, a cover of The Beatles’ “Revolution” and a cover of Toxic Reasons’ “War Hero”.

Over the years, I’ve read a bit about D.O.A. taking the stage for a range of causes which have ranged from some of the early Rock against Reagan protests to, more recently, some of the Canadian “Occupy” protests and Keithley’s leftist beliefs and ‘take action’ outlook (Talk - Action = 0) dominates the lyrical themes on this disc. The disc opens with the melodic rocker “He’s Got a Gun” which has a big chorus and more hooks than an old-school Misfits tune. The catchy riffs almost hide the poignant lyrics of a nut with a “fever to use that gun” influenced by “a tea party” and “smear talk media”.

“Boneyard”, which is the disc’s second cut, is a hardcore number with some guitar work that sounds like it could have come off one of the early Dead Kennedys album. The band continues to mix things up with “Dirty Bastards”, which sounds like a Flogging Molly-style ragged but right chant-along number – complete with bagpipes. The band continues to dip back into the melodic hardcore sing-along numbers (“Do You Wanna”, Who the Hell Do You Think You Are”) but take a radically different direction with “Lost Souls”, which is a mellow LA-cowpunk/roots number where Joey sounds David Johansen fronting the Dream Syndicate.

Some of the other standout numbers include the roots-reggae of “War Hero” and the ska-punk of “We Occupy” which features Jello Biafra on guest vocals. While I’m not familiar with the electric version of “General Strike”, this new acoustic version is a nice way to wide down the disc.





Links:
Joe Keithley
Sudden Death

World War IX - "Bender Royale" CD EP Review (Hardcore)

STREAM: World War IX : Bender Royale

Brooklyn punks World War IX play sardonic, hardcore punk in the spirit of Damaged-era Black Flag. The band’s new 5-track EP, "Bender Royale", blasts by in 8 minutes and all of the songs are well under the two-minute mark. The band is led by self-proclaimed G.G. Allin obsessionist, comic book artist and guitarist - Justin Melkmann – and has been kicking around the scene since 2002.



Like all good hardcore bands, World War IX has been through a number of lineup changes over the last ten years and this disc features newcomers Filthy Phill on vocals, and Brian “Chinatown” Jackson on bass. All of the songs are shout-alongs and Phill delivers his vocals with a snarl. The band has an outlook on life somewhat like The Meatmen and seems to be equal opportunists in their dislike for everyone and everything around them. Songs rail against “Sore Winner[s]” (which has the classic line – “Even if you win, you are still an assh*le”) and “Keyboard Commando[s]” (for anyone who doesn’t know what this means – try reading the comments on Blabbermouth). The band starts to lighten up a bit with their homage to oi (“Oi Revult”) and end things with a tribute to drunken benders (“Bender Royale”).



World War IX Live Shows
Sept. 08 - The Trash Bar, Brooklyn, NY
Oct. 06 - Sinclair's Pub, West Babylon, NY
Oct. 20 - The Acheron, Brooklyn, NY

Links:
World War IX

Poison Idea - "The Fatal Erection Years (Pick Your Kings)" CD Review (Southern Lord)

Portland hardcore stalwarts Poison Idea are the beast that will never die. While guitarist “Pig Champion” died in 2006 and one-time drummer Steve "Thee Slayer Hippy" Hanford was arrested for a string of pharmacy robberies in 2008, the band continues to soldier on under the leadership of vocalist Jerry A. Poison Idea made their recorded debut in 1983 with “Pick Your King”, a 7” (which was issued with a two-sided cover showing Elvis on one side and Jesus on the other) that blasts through thirteen song of hardcore fury in sixteen minutes.

As part of Southern Lord’s reissue program, the second in a series of Poison Idea titles, The Fatal Erection Years (Pick Your Kings), comes out on August 14th. This new 45-track disc contains the “Pick Your King” EP, the band’s 1984 follow-up Record Collectors Are Pretentious Assholes 12”, “Laughing Boy” (from the "Drinking Is Great" compilation 7”), “Typical”, “Die on Your Knees” and “I Got a Right” from the impossible to find 1985 Cleanse the Bacteria compilation LP. The disc winds up with a 19-track live set that was recorded for a previously unreleased live album at The Met in Portland, OR circa 1983. The audio has been remastered and restored by Jack Control (World Burns to Death, Severed Head of State), and the poster/booklet contains liner notes from Poison Idea vocalist Jerry A, and tons of photos, flyers and more from the band’s early days.

The thirteen tracks on “Pick Your Kings” are predominately old-school hardcore numbers that are dominated by Jerry’s hoarse bellow and Pig Champion’s speed/thrash riffs. Beneath all of this – the drums pound away but there is no sign of a bass in the mix. The only track that breaks from the full-out hardcore assault is “I Hate Reggae”. The band seems to have more of a metal edge on the Record Collectors are Pretentious Assholes tracks. Pig Champion’s riffs are more ‘metallic’ and Jerry’s voice is more balanced and his vocals are more controlled. On these tracks, the bass is audible and an integral part of the band’s attack (check out “The Rich Get Richer”). Songs like “Time to Go” and “Thorn in My Side” show how the band’s songwriting abilities has grown by leaps and bounds. Taking things one step further, the four compilation tracks show the band moving into Black Flag territory.



The 19-track live show captures the sound of the punk sound of the early 80’s perfectly. The recording is reasonable and supposed to be from the soundboard but one has to remember that many soundboards at punk venues were held together by string and bubblegum. (I remember a Husker Du show that had to be stopped when the band blew out the board.) The band reminds me of Black Flag’s live show – and they do a similar deconstruction of “Louie Louie” along with scathingly funny “My Hard-On Withers in Your Face”. There isn’t a lot of dialogue between Jerry and the audience but Jerry introduced the punk-rock putdown “Slam Dance Jam” by saying “By the way, we are Adam Ant”.

While the video that follows is a different show than the bonus live show - it is a good representation of how Poison Idea sounded live in 1983.



Poison Idea is back on the East Coast (I think this is the band’s first NYC show in 10 years) to play the Power of the Riff Festival at Warsaw on September 1st. Fans of old-school hardcore (like Negative Approach, who is also playing the Power of the Riff East show) owe it to themselves to give this disc a listen.

Links:
Poison Idea

No Bragging Rights - SoCal Hardcore band Plays The Morgan in Brooklyn in April with Lionheart and Naysayer

SoCal melodic hardcore band No Bragging Rights are playing a month long coast-to-coast tour which wraps up next month with a run down the East Coast (with a stop in Brooklyn on April 12th). This is a run-up to the band playing the New England Metal & Hardcore Festive in Worcester, MA on April 22nd.

No Bragging Rights released their last disc, Illuminator, about year ago on BLKHeart Group and the disc was recorded in San Marcos, CA with Daniel Castleman of Lambesis Studio . According to guitarist Christian Lee, the top three fan favorites from this most recent disc are: “Blind Faith”, “And They Threatened Us With Fire”, and “Empire: Disarray.”



No Bragging Rights are playing The Morgan in Bushwick on April 12th along with Naysayer, Lionheart and Meruader. The show is all ages and tickets are $12. The Morgan is located at 25 Bogart St, Brooklyn, NY 11206-3805.

Links:
No Bragging Rights

Sarabante - "Remnants" CD Review (Southern Lord)

One of the newer releases on Southern Lord is Remnants, the debut CD from Sarabante, a five piece aggressive thrash-core band from Athens, Greece. The band was brought to the attention of Southern Lord by Brad Boatright of From Ashes Rise and has a lot in common musically with bands like From Ashes Rise and Tragedy. Similar to these bands, Sarabante incorporates elements of d-beat crust and blackened gloom into their music.

There isn’t a lot of info about the band on the ‘net but, according to a blog entry posted by the band earlier this year, they took a long-term hiatus from the live stage and just started playing out again in advance of the release of this new eleven track/ 35 minute disc. Below is a live video from the band’s first live show in almost three years.



Sarabante pushes the thrash-core envelop with a cleaner sound than most of their contemporaries and songs that are long enough to grow and musically take root. The disc starts with dark keyboards and down-tuned guitars that sound like something from Candlelight Records' roster of bands before kicking into their pummeling metal attack. This isn’t all “speed blitzes” though as there is enough diversity in the band’s sound which keeps the music sounding fresh. One example is that the two guitarists slip in some melodic leads (which leads to a comparison to Neurosis) to complement their thrash attack and there is even an instrumental track on the disc.

This CD is limited to 1,000 machine numbered copies and is available through Southern Lord’s webstore for $10.

Sarabante is: Vagelis - Guitars/Vocals, Manos - Guitars, Aris - Vocals, Antonis - Bass, Markos - Drums

Links:
Sarabante

Pulling Teeth - Maryland Death Festival 2011 Photos

I lived in Baltimore during my formative years and punk/hardcore music always seemed to be a "step child" to the city's burgeoning metal scene. The Marble Bar closed in the mid-80's and most of the punk bands played D.I.Y. spaces or DC after that. It seemed like it wasn't until Chris X. opened Reptilian Records in the late 80's that punk bands started coming back through on a regular basis.

I'm pleasantly amazed at the scene that seems to have sprung up since I left town and Pulling Teeth and A389 Recordings seem to be major players. I hadn't heard Pulling Teeth prior to seeing them at MDF but I'm definitely going to have to check out their back catalogue.

From Pulling Teeth - Maryland Deathfest, Baltimore, MD 5-27-11

From Pulling Teeth - Maryland Deathfest, Baltimore, MD 5-27-11

From Pulling Teeth - Maryland Deathfest, Baltimore, MD 5-27-11

From Pulling Teeth - Maryland Deathfest, Baltimore, MD 5-27-11

From Pulling Teeth - Maryland Deathfest, Baltimore, MD 5-27-11

From Pulling Teeth - Maryland Deathfest, Baltimore, MD 5-27-11

From Pulling Teeth - Maryland Deathfest, Baltimore, MD 5-27-11

Links:
Pulling Teeth

Nails (Southern Lord) Plays A Short Run of East Coast Dates Prior to Appearance at Maryland Deathfest

Nails sits right on the line between hardcore and grind and the band released their debut thirteen-minute full-length album Unsilent Death at the beginning of 2010 on their own Streetcleaner Records, and were shortly thereafter picked up by Southern Lord. The Southern Lord press release for the disc compared Nails to a "cross between the good Amrep bands of the nineties (Helmet, Hammerhead, Today is The Day, Unsane) and Cro-Mags Age of Quarrel riffage played at breakneck speeds."

Nails has just confirmed a short run of East Coast appearances this Spring, as they will attack Boston, Brooklyn and Philly in a straight three-day rampage with support from Burning Love, All Pigs Must Die and New Lows. Nails are also one of the many acts on the roster for this May's annual installment of the Maryland Deathfest, scheduled to play on the first night of the festival alongside Pulling Teeth, Neurosis, Corrosion Of Conformity, Marduk, Kylesa, labelmates Masakari and Goatsnake plus tons more.

Nails East Coast Tour Dates:
3/31/11 -- Great Scott, Boston, MA w/ Burning Love, All Pigs Must Die, New Lows
4/01/11 -- Union Pool, Brooklyn, NY w/ Burning Love, All Pigs Must Die, New Lows
4/02/11 -- The Barbary, Philadelphia, PA w/ Burning Love, All Pigs Must Die, New Lows
5/27/11 -- Maryland Deathfest - Baltimore, MD

Links:
Nails

Instinct: Israeli Hardcore Band Posts Free EP // Announces Plans for European Tour

DOWNLOAD: Instinct - "No Sympathy"
DOWNLOAD: Instinct - "Straight Hate"

DOWNLOAD: Instinct - "Straight In Your Face" EP (Note: above tracks are from EP)

Some days, I get some wild stuff in the mail. Instinct is a hardcore band out of Israel who sounds like they have been shooting up on old school NYHC. Give a listen to the tracks above and try not to think of Biohazard.

Instinct have posted their new EP for free as they are looking to build some word-of-mouth buzz in advance of their heading out for a UK/Continental Europe tour in April.

NYHC hardcore fans should download the EP and give it a listen as it contains some solid, hard-hitting tracks.

Links:
Instinct

Nails - Unsilent Death CD Review (Southern Lord)

Tim Lambesis ruined the ability of music reviewers to use the phrase ‘totally brutal’ with his Austrian Death Machine project but I’m going to go for it anyway and call the new CD from Nails “totally brutal”. Over the last few decades, I’ve seen some crazy mosh pits but Nails’ new disc sounds like an immediate flashpoint that will start the violence flowing.

I was only loosely familiar with Nails prior to Unsilent Death [the band’s second disc] and had made some assumptions based on guitarist/vocalist Todd James’ time in Terror. There is really no comparison between the two bands as Nails’ music sits right on the line between hardcore and grid. The disc’s ten tracks blast through in fourteen minutes and most tracks clock in at about a minute.

The disc contains two ‘longer’ songs ("Unsilent Death" and "Depths") which are given the opportunity to develop musically but even the shorter songs have a chance to spew their fury. These shorter songs don’t feel like the typical grindcore microsong as producer Kurt Ballou brings out the band’s chugging riffs, noisy leads and blast beats so that they are all individually distinguishable. Even more noticeable is that the vocals are (somewhat) understandable and the listener can hear James’ lyrical themes about railing against authority and the struggle of the human condition.

Nails just came through with Venomous Concept and here is some live footage from their stop in Albany.



Unsilent Death was originally released earlier this year on CD (Six Feet Under) and limited edition vinyl (now sold out). Southern Lord recently reissued the new disc on both CD and 180 gram black vinyl.

Links:
Nails

Nails (Southern Lord) Kicks off US Tour // Show at Europa on Sept. 23rd

New Southern Lord signees Nails are kicking off a US tour this month which stops at Europa on Sept. 23rd. On the bill with Nails are Venomous Concept and Strong Intention. Tickets are $12 and the show is all ages.

NAILS’ music is beyond brutality; filthy, vicious and raw. Imagine a cross between the good Amrep bands of the nineties (Helmet, Hammerhead, Today is The Day, Unsane) and Cro-Mags Age of Quarrel riffage played at breakneck speeds. Their epic battle cry Unsilent Death was recorded during the cold winter of 2009 at Kurt Ballou’s (Converge, Trap Them, Disfear, Black Breath) Godcity Recording Studio. The CD version of Unsilent Death was originally released in very limited quantities by Six Feet Under records. The LP version was self released by the band on the band’s own Streetcleaner label and quickly sold through the 1000 piece pressing. Southern Lord is extremely honored to pick up the torch of this album and let it burn brightly through many more countless battles!

With plans already in place to record a new release for Southern Lord in early 2011, the NAILS crew will spend the rest of this year on the road. As previously announced, the band will take part in the Southern Lord-sponsored The Power Of The Riff Festival in Los Angeles on August 8th alongside Goatsnake, Black Breath, From Ashes Rise, Repulsion, the Animosity-era lineup of Corrosion of Conformity and countless more. In early September they embark on a cross-country rampage that will last over a month, including five dates opening for Venomous Concept.



NAILS September/October 2010 Tour:
9/05/2010 Nile Front Room - Mesa, AZ
9/06/2010 10756 Limas - El Paso, TX
9/07/2010 Ten Eleven - San Antonio, TX
9/08/2010 Red 7 - Austin, TX
9/09/2010 The Nightmare - Dallas, TX
9/10/2010 Downtown Music - Little Rock, AR
9/11/2010 The Roxy - West Hollywood, CA w/ Trash Talk, Magrudergrind
9/12/2010 Firehouse - Birmingham, AL
9/13/2010 585 Wells - Atlanta, GA
9/14/2010 Talent Farm - Pembroke Pines, FL
9/15/2010 Transitions - Tampa, FL
9/16/2010 Warehouse 8B - Jacksonville, FL
9/17/2010 Legitmate Business - Greensboro, NC
9/18/2010 Daniels Pub - Cincinnati, OH
9/19/2010 Dojo - Indianapolis, IN
9/20/2010 Double Door - Chicago, IL w/ Venomous Concept
9/21/2010 Blondie’s - Detroit, MI w/ Venomous Concept
9/22/2010 Sonar - Baltimore, MD w/ Venomous Concept
9/23/2010 Europa - Brooklyn, NY w/ Venomous Concept, Strong Intention
9/24/2010 Katacombes - Montreal, QC w/ Venomous Concept
9/25/2010 Sneaky Dees - Toronto, ON w/ Venomous Concept
9/26/2010 242 Main - Burlington, VT
9/27/2010 Bogies - Albany, NY
9/28/2010 *TBA - Philadelphia, PA
9/29/2010 Lilly’s Pad - New Haven, CT
9/30/2010 The Church - Cleveland, OH
10/01/2010 Mickey Finn’s - Toledo, OH
10/02/2010 1108 Main - Cedar Falls, IA
10/03/2010 The Beat - Minneapolis, MN
10/04/2010 Scion Lab - Kansas City, MO
10/05/2010 Blast O Mat - Denver, CO
10/08/2010 Che Café - San Diego, CA
10/09/2010 Sub Mission - San Francisco, CA
10/10/2010 The CYC - Fresno, CA
10/30/2010 Troubadour - Hollywood, CA

Links:
Nails

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

Starring Janet Leigh: Live Footage & Interview from "Metal As Art" Tour, NYC 3-4-10

Metal Blade/Ironclad Recordings band Starring Janet Leigh was in town last week for a show at Fontana's, which was also the final night of the "Metal as Art" tour. The death/math-metal band has been touring behind their debut CD, Spectrum, which was released in 2009.

I had the chance to catch up with Matt Z. ( Guitar), Matt N. (Vocals) and Justin (Bass) before the show to talk a bit about Spectrum, the current tour and what's next for the band.



Starring Janet Leigh's set was great; the band plays death metal that is punctuated with some serious jazz breaks that is comparable to Mr. Bungle or a harder, more out-of-control version of Candiria. The music shifts from brutal chugging riffs to intricately played jazz notes and polyrhythmic drumming in the blink of an eye but all of it sounds very purposeful and focused.

Links:
Starring Janet Leigh

Your Demise: Live Video and Interview from Santos Party House, NYC 2-24-10

UK hardcore band Your Demise made their NYC debut on Wednesday night, headlining a show at Santos House Party. The band played an aggressive 30+ minute set as singer Ed McRae bounded from one side of the room to the other with the energy of a Tasmanian Devil.

I had the chance to talk with guitarist Daniel "Ozzy Porkchop" Osborne prior to the show and the video below finishes up with the final song from the band's set.



Here are the upcoming tour dates for Your Demise:

Mar. 1, 2010 8:00PM, Club Octane, Charleroi, Pennsylvania
Mar. 2, 2010 8:00PM, The Lighthouse, Frankfort, Illinois
Mar. 9, 2010 8:00PM, Newcastle, UK @ Uni w/ A Day To Remember + Architects
Mar. 10, 2010 8:00PM, Glasgow, UK @ ABC w/ A Day To Remember SOLD OUT
Mar. 11, 2010 8:00PM, Manchester, UK @ Academy w/ A Day To Remember + Architects
Mar. 12, 2010 8:00PM, London, UK @ HMV Forum w/ A Day To Remember + Architects
Mar. 13, 2010 8:00PM, Bristol, UK @ Anson Rooms w/ A Day To Remember + Architects
Mar. 14, 2010 8:00PM, Birmingham, UK @ Academy 1 w/ A Day To Remember + Architects
Mar. 15, 2010 8:00PM, Portsmouth, UK @ Pyramid Centre w/ A Day To Remember + Architects
Mar. 17, 2010 8:00PM, House Of Rock, Corpus Christi, Texas
Mar. 18, 2010 8:00PM, Emo’s- Day Show, Austin, Texas
Mar. 18, 2010 8:00PM, White Rabbit- Night Show, San Antonio, Texas
Mar. 19, 2010 8:00PM, The Village, Little Rock, Arkansas
Mar. 21, 2010 8:00PM, Gallery 13,Columbus, Georgia
Mar. 22, 2010 8:00PM, The Warehouse, East Ridge, Tennessee

Links:
Your Demise

Oceano: "Depths" CD Release Interview, NYC 3-11-09 (Earache Records)

Chicago deathcore band Oceano was in town last week to promote their forthcoming debut CD, Depths. The new CD is coming out April 7th on Earache Records and the first pressing will contain two bonus tracks and a free DVD.

I had the chance to catch up with the band to talk about the new CD, line-up changes, fighting at the band's show, illegal music downloading (a potential cause of fighting at the shows) and more.



Oceano has a couple of tours lined up and plans to be coming through the East Coast in April. Here are Oceano's current East Coast tour dates:

April 3, 2009, 6:00PM, JACKSONVILLE USO W/ ENDWELL & THE MILES BETWEEN, JACKSONVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA
April 4, 2009, 6:00PM, PLAN B W/ ENDWELL & THE MILES BETWEEN, DANVILLE, VIRGINIA
April 5, 2009, 1:00PM, MOJO 13 W/ ENDWELL & THE MILES BETWEEN, WILMINGTON, DELAWARE
April 6, 2009, 6:00PM, THE REFUGE W/ ENDWELL & THE MILES BETWEEN, FREDERICKSBURG, VIRGINIA
April 7, 2009, 6:00PM, MT. AIRY FIRE CLUB W/ ENDWELL & THE MILES BETWEEN, MT. AIRY, MARYLAND
April 8, 2009, 6:00PM, CLUB OCTANE W/ ENDWELL & THE MILES BETWEEN, CHARLEROI, PENNSYLVANIA

Here is the trailer from the bonus DVD that comes with Depths:


Links:
Oceano's MySpace Profile

Oceano: "Depths" CD Release Interview, NYC 3-11-09 (Earache Records)

Chicago deathcore band Oceano was in town last week to promote their forthcoming debut CD, Depths. The new CD is coming out April 7th on Earache Records and the first pressing will contain two bonus tracks and a free DVD.

I had the chance to catch up with the band to talk about the new CD, line-up changes, fighting at the band's show, illegal music downloading (a potential cause of fighting at the shows) and more.



Oceano has a couple of tours lined up and plans to be coming through the East Coast in April. Here are Oceano's current East Coast tour dates:

April 3, 2009, 6:00PM, JACKSONVILLE USO W/ ENDWELL & THE MILES BETWEEN, JACKSONVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA
April 4, 2009, 6:00PM, PLAN B W/ ENDWELL & THE MILES BETWEEN, DANVILLE, VIRGINIA
April 5, 2009, 1:00PM, MOJO 13 W/ ENDWELL & THE MILES BETWEEN, WILMINGTON, DELAWARE
April 6, 2009, 6:00PM, THE REFUGE W/ ENDWELL & THE MILES BETWEEN, FREDERICKSBURG, VIRGINIA
April 7, 2009, 6:00PM, MT. AIRY FIRE CLUB W/ ENDWELL & THE MILES BETWEEN, MT. AIRY, MARYLAND
April 8, 2009, 6:00PM, CLUB OCTANE W/ ENDWELL & THE MILES BETWEEN, CHARLEROI, PENNSYLVANIA

Here is the trailer from the bonus DVD that comes with Depths:


Links:
Oceano's MySpace Profile

John Joseph: Book Release Party Interview, NYC, 6/19/08 (Cro-Mags, F.V.K., Bloodclot)

Last Thursday, John Joseph, vocalist for many of the great NYHC bands (Cro-Mags, F.V.K., Bad Brains, Bloodclot, etc.), had a book release party for his new book at The Delancey. John's new book is an autobiography entitled "The Evolution of a Cro-Magnon" and is available from www.punkhouse.org.

I had a chance to catch up with John at the beginning of the night and talked with him about the new book, his new band Bloodclot, his views on the current musical and cultural scene and his plans for the future.



John also did a book reading this night (second video to follow) and played a full Cro-Mags set.

Links:
PunkHouse.Org
John Joseph's MySpace Profile
Bloodclot's MySpace Profile

Sick of It All to open for Hatebreed at Roseland Ballroom on Dec. 28th

NYHC legends Sick of It All are celebrating their 20th anniversary and seem to be playing a lot of shows in the area as of late. The band is still a top-notch live act as evidenced at recent shows at BB King's and CBGB. The band's next show in the area is at Roseland Ballroom on Dec 28th in support of Hatebreed.

Tour dates for the mini-East Coast tour with Hatebreed are:
Dec. 26 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
Dec. 27 - Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
Dec. 28 - New York, NY @ Roseland Ballroom
Dec. 29 - Buffalo, NY @ TBA
Dec. 30 - New Haven, CT @ Toad's Place

Sick of It All had a great "return to form" CD entitled Death to Tyrants released earlier this year on Abacus. There will be a tribute to Sick of It All released next year on Abacus entitled "Our Impact Will Be Felt". This CD features bands such as RISE AGAINST, BLEEDING THROUGH, BOUNCING SOULS, SEPULTURA, and HATEBREED covering their favorite SICK OF IT ALL tracks. The release date for this CD is February 3, 2007.