Sacred Reich - 'Live at Wacken' CD/DVD Review (Metal Blade)

STREAM: Sacred Reich - "Surf Nicaragua" (From Live at Wacken)

It has been 15 years since Arizona political-thrasher Sacred Reich released their last disc but that changes on November 20th, when Metal Blade releases a DVD/CD of the band’s performance at Wacken in 2007. Live at Wacken was recorded on the band’s very brief 20th Anniversary tour with this show taking place at the Waken Open Air festival on August 4, 2007, in front of 60,000 metal fans.

Sacred Reich’s last studio disc, Heal, came out in 1996 and AllMusic called the disc the “finest Sacred Reich offering of the '90s, if not their entire career”. Unfortunately, like a lot of bands of that era – Sacred Reich seemed to get lost in the grunge-induced major label feeding frenzy (the band recorded Independent for Hollywood Records) and the post-grunge collapse. When asked about the band’s post-reunion set list and future plans, vocalist/bassist Phil Rind said in a interview with Lords of Metal “We will focus on the older songs. We don’t have any new material, so sorry, no new songs. Hopefully we won’t suck! (laughs)…We have all moved forward from the band days and Sacred Reich is not the priority it once was. I really don’t see a new record in the future.”

To Phil’s point, the set list from Live at Wacken comes primarily from the band’s first three discs – Ignorance (1987), "Surf Nicaragua" EP (1988) and The American Way (1990). The band sounds in great form at this show and sound like they are enjoying themselves. Phil gives a shout-out to thank the fans for their support and to Destruction, who were also on the bill at Wacken in 2007 and had played with Sacred Reich on their first trip to Europe. Highlights of the show are guitarist Wiley Arnett's shredding guitar work, the slow burning "Who's To Blame", "War Pigs" - where the audience sings the first verse and the blistering show finale "Surf Nicaragua".

Live At Wacken track listing:
01. The American Way (from The American Way)
02. Administrative Decisions (from Ignorance)
03. One Nation (from "Surf Nicaragua" EP)
04. Love… Hate (from The American Way)
05. Ignorance (from Ignorance)
06. Crimes Against Humanity (from The American Way)
07. Who's To Blame (from The American Way)
08. State Of Emergency (from The American Way)
09. War Pigs (Black Sabbath cover) (from "Surf Nicaragua" EP)
10. Independent (from Independent)
11. Death Squad (from Ignorance)
12. Surf Nicaragua (from "Surf Nicaragua" EP)





For anyone looking to catch up on Sacred Reich’s back catalogue, Metal Blade Europe issued Sacred Reich’s first two discs as a 3CD set entitled Surf Ignorance, which includes bonus tracks (including a cover of Judas Priest’s “Rapid Fire”, with Rob Halford on vocals). American Way was reissued on Displeased Records a few years back and this reissue also has bonus tracks.

While Sacred Reich is only playing sporadic live shows, the band played a short run of shows in Europe earlier this summer as part of a brief 25th Anniversary tour. The band also has a few US shows scheduled over the next few months.

Sacred Reich Tour Dates
11/30/12 -- HOUSE OF BLUES, HOLLYWOOD CA
12/03/12 -- BARGE TO HELL, MIAMI FL
O2/23/13 -- KEY CLUB, HOLLYWOOD CA

Links:
Sacred Reich

All Pigs Must Die Kick Off March Tour @ Knitting Factory, Brooklyn on March 9th

Massachusetts' riff-murderers All Pigs Must Die will embark on their latest cross-country killing spree with Narrows, the bands SXSW-bound for several massive live assaults on the legions swarming through Austin next week.

With the tour kicking off in Brooklyn this Friday they will crush their way south towards the SXSW festivities. All Pigs Must Die will perform next Thursday with CTTTOAFF, The Atlas Moth, Kill The Client, Mutilation Rites, more, on Friday they'll storm at the Southern Lord/The Power of the Riff showcase with Ringworm, Black Breath, Narrows, Enabler, Ken Mode and more, and on Saturday a free Death Comes Ripping day party with Ringworm, Kill The Client, Ancient VVisdom, Primitive Weapons, Mutilation Rites and others. Sunday will see APMD invading Dallas for Brofest, performing with Off!, Balaclava, Coliseum, Full of Hell and tons more before touring their way back home via a few stops throughout the Midwest.

All Pigs Must Die - March Tour Dates:
3/09/2012 Knitting Factory - Brooklyn, NY w/ Narrows (Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 DOS)
3/10/2012 Great Scott - Allston, MA w/ Narrows
3/11/2012 DC9 - Washington, DC w/ Narrows
3/12/2012 Local 506 - Chapel Hill, NC w/ Narrows
3/13/2012 529 - Atlanta, GA w/ Narrows
3/15/2012 Club 1808 - Austin, TX @ SXSW w/ CTTTOAFF, The Atlas Moth, Kill The Client, Mutilation Rites, more
3/16/2012 Scoot Inn - Austin, TX @ SXSW TPOTR/Southern Lord showcase w/ Ringworm, Black Breath, Narrows, Enabler, more
3/17/2012 Longbranch Inn - Austin, TX @ FREE SXSW Death Comes Ripping day party w/ Ringworm, Kill The Client, Ancient VVisdom, Primitive Weapons, Mutilation Rites, more
3/18/2012 Club Dada - Dallas, TX @ Brofest w/ Off!, Balaclava, Coliseum, Full of Hell, tons more [info]
3/19/2012 Dickson Theatre - Fayette, AR w/ Narrows
3/20/2012 Fubar - St. Louis, MO w/ Narrows
3/21/2012 Subterranean - Chicago, IL w/ Narrows
3/22/2012 Now That's Class - Cleveland, OH w/ Masakari



A group committed to uncompromising sonic warfare, All Pigs Must Die explode on God Is War, the album's sound and lyrical content assaulting the listener in a fury of death-filled anthems. Their upbeat flurry is slowed only for the occasional snail-paced buildup of mammoth riff tension, the rush of obvious hatred for humanity relentlessly displayed through it all. Recorded and mixed by Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou's God City Studio (Black Breath, Nails, Black Cobra, Disfear) in December, the tone of God Is War is as foreboding as the music itself. All Pigs Must Die contains vocalist Kevin Baker (The Hope Conspiracy), drummer Ben Koller (Converge), guitarist Adam Wentworth (Bloodhorse) and bassist Matt Woods (Bloodhorse).

Links:
All Pigs Must Die

All Pigs Must Die - "God Is War" CD Review (Southern Lord)

Latest tracks by apmd

There is something to be said for the sheer b*lls to name your band “All Pigs Must Die” and these guys have the brutal hardcore chops to back up the name. About ten years ago, I tried to pull together a hardcore band and had people interested in playing with me but they backed away after I told them I was planning on naming the band “Satanic Death Piggy” and wanted to work a Bobby BeauSoleil song into the set.

Following in the same vein as some of the crusty, brutal thrash-metal that Southern Lord has been putting out as of late, the label is issuing All Pigs Must Die’s debut full-length, God Is War, on August 16th. This disc is the follow-up to the band’s self-titled 2010 EP (Deathwish). All Pigs Must Die features vocalist Kevin Baker (Hope Conspiracy), former Bloodhorse members Adam Wentworth (guitars, x-The Red Chord) and Matt Woods (bass), and Ben Kollar from Converge on drums. Given that this is a MA-based band that shares a member with Converge, it was probably a given that this disc was recorded with Kurt Ballou at his Godcity Studio.

This new eight-track disc (33 minutes) finds the band spitting enough hate and venom to sound like one of the bands from the early Florida metal scene (Obituary, Deicide) crossed with a Swedish death metal band. At the core though, God is War is primal d-beat style hardcore album. Vocalist Kevin Baker delivers his lyrics which touch on the realities of life in a harsh bark backed by Ben Kollar’s pounding blast beats coupled with buzz-saw guitar tones and crushing grooves from Wentworth and Woods. The band doesn’t stray too much from their core sound but most songs get up in the three – four minute range so the songs have a chance to build their own identities without racing by in a blur of brutality. The band even slows down (slightly) on the eight minute brooding closer “Sadistic Vindicator”.

All Pigs Must Die (Full Set) from hate5six on Vimeo.

All Pigs Must Die’s God Is War is coming out in limited edition mail order version on both CD and vinyl (with Florian Bertmer art) through Southern Lord’s webstore. The mail order version of the CD is a 2xCD set which contains the band’s first EP as a bonus disc and the vinyl pressing is on 180 gram clear vinyl and is limited to 500 copies.

All Pigs Must Die have dropped out of the lineup for the Converge show at House of Vans and posted the following to the band's Facebook page: "Brooklyn, due to scheduling errors we will no longer be playing the House of Vans show that was originally announced for Thurs August 25th and is now changed to a day earlier on Weds August 24th. We promise to make it up in the near future. See you soon."

Links:
All Pigs Must Die
Southern Lord

Helstar Plays Saint Vitus Bar in Brooklyn on Upcoming 'Summer of Hate' Tour

Veteran power/thrash metal band Helstar officially reunited a few years back and released their seventh album, Glory of Chaos, earlier this year on AFM Records. This new disc is harder hitting than the band's first post-reunion album The King of Hell (2008) and MetalCrypt described the new disc as "Power, speed and aggression, that's what it's all about."

Helstar are playing a short run of East Coast tour dates next month as part of their Summer Of Hate U.S. tour.

HELSTAR Summer Of Hate U.S. Tour:
6/17/2011 The Rail Club - Fort Worth, TX w/ Solitude Aeturnus, Era De Guerra
6/18/2011 Dirty Dog Bar - Austin, TX w/ Ignitor, Dead Earth Politics, Headcrusher
6/22/2011 Manhattan Room - Philadelphia, PA w/ Wastelander, Season of Mourning, Midian, Machine Dog
6/23/2011 Sonar - Baltimore, MD
6/24/2011 Saint Vitus Bar - Brooklyn, NY
6/25/2011 The Blue Room - Secaucus, NJ w/ Armor Column, Bröhammer



Links:
Helstar

Baptists - Self-Titled 7" Review (Southern Lord)

STREAM: Baptists - "Good Parenting"
(RIAA Weenies - Link is posted on the band's Facebook page - Buzz off!!)

Vancouver four-piece hardcore band Baptists just released their self-titled debut 7” for Southern Lord. Baptists is a fairly new band, having formed in 2010, but is comprised of long-time veterans of the Vancouver hardcore scene. Members have had stints in bands that include Ladyhawk, Sports and A Textbook Tragedy. This new four-track (12 min.) single is raw, aggressive hardcore played in the style of bands like Converge and the Cro-Mags.

In a recent interview with Discorder Magazine, the band talked about putting out this record on Southern Lord:

Discorder: How did Baptists come to put out a record on Southern Lord?

Danny: We got a MySpace message from Southern Lord. We never used our MySpace.

John: I thought it was a hoax.

Danny: We kind of did until it [the record] was in our hands. Greg [Anderson] from Southern Lord messaged us and told us to email him and [said] they’d be into doing something. We had these four songs recorded that we just basically recorded before Nick went on tour for two months so we didn’t forget them. Ya, I don’t know, we sent him those songs and he said he’d put them on a record.

After dropping the needle onto the 7”, the first track, “Good Parenting”, sets the tone and kicks off with a wave of grinding distortion prior to vocalist Andrew Drury unleashing his shrieking bark. Across this single, the guitars grind and chug but keep things off-balance by sneaking in some winding, melodic leads. Nick aggressively pummels the drums and John locks onto the beat with his bass.

This is no-frills hardcore that will strike a familiar and positive chord with fans of the bands that came out of the 80’s/90’s East Coast hardcore scene. There is enough anger in these tracks to be a flashpoint for the mosh pit but there is enough substance in the band’s music to keep the tracks memorable.

Baptists' debut single is available on limited-edition splattered grey wax (ltd. to 300) for $5 through Southern Lord's webstore.

Links:
Baptists

Arson Anthem - "Insecurity Notoriety" CD Review (Housecore Records)

Arson Anthem is an crossover thrash band that was formed in New Orleans in 2006 by vocalist Mike IX Williams (Eyehategod), guitarist Phil Anselmo (Pantera, Down and Superjoint Ritual), drummer Hank Williams III (Assjack, Superjoint Ritual) and bassist Collin Yeo (Ponykiller). The band’s self-titled debut EP came out in 2008 and their full-length Insecurity Notoriety came out toward the end of last year on Phil Anselmo’s Housecore Records.

For anyone who remembers CBGB’s Sunday hardcore matinees and the lineup of bands that were on Combat Records in the 80’s, that is exactly what you have with Arson Anthem. Insecurity Notoriety carries only minimal traces of its members’ other bands; instead you have seventeen tracks of raw, hardcore thrash blasting by like a speeding freight train. The majority of tracks clock-in under one minute with the only exception being the album closer “Teach the Gun (To Love The Bullet)”, which runs over three minutes.

Insecurity Notoriety was obviously recorded live in a one-take studio session as there seems to have been little-to-no attempt at production. On top of the raw lo-fi sound, you can hear the band talking and laughing between songs. Williams sings with a guttural bark which is accompanied by gang backing vocals on some tracks and the lyrics touch on typical hardcore themes of injustice and alienation. Phil Anselmo plays by-the-books screeching hardcore riffs while Collin Yeo lays down a twisting bass line beneath Anselmo’s chords. Hank III more than fills the space that remains by staying in lock-step with Yeo and delivering some pounding blast beats. Throughout the disc, the band seems on the edge of chaos and collapse but they never spin totally out of control.

Some of the stronger tracks are “Isolation Militia”, “Insecurity Notoriety” and “Polite Society Blacklist”.



Arson Anthem is playing the Housecore Records Showcase at SXSW on March 16th along with Ponykiller, Haarp and Warbeast.

"Illegal Downloading is Killing Music…but so is Arson Anthem"

Links:
Arson Anthem

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

Suicidal Tendencies: Interview with Guitarist Mike Clark // Show at Terminal 5 on Nov. 14th

Last week, I had the opportunity to talk with Suicidal Tendencies / No Mercy guitarist Mike Clark.

This is a busy time for the band as they just released their first new disc in ten years, No Mercy Fool! / The Suicidal Family and are kicking off a coast-to-coast tour that starts next month. I talked with Mike about the new disc, which consists of re-recordings of Join the Army and No Mercy (Muir and Clark's thrash metal project) tunes along with the hard to find track "Come Alive" (from the 2008 Year of the Cycos tour CD). Mike shared that the band's long awaited new studio album is finally finished and due out in January of next year. Suicidal Tendencies will be previewing tracks from this forthcoming album on the current tour.

DOWNLOAD: Interview with Suicidal Tendencies guitarist Mike Clark (MP3)

The local area is at Terminal 5 and Suicidal Tendencies are playing with the Cro-Mags and Underdog. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 (DOS) and the show is all ages.

Suicidal Tendencies Tour Dates:
Fri/Oct-15 -- Reno, NV, Knitting Factory
Sat/Oct-16 -- Portland, OR, Roseland
Sun/Oct-17 -- Seattle, WA, Showbox
Wed/Oct-20 -- San Francisco, CA, Fillmore
Fri/Oct-22 -- Las Vegas, NV, House of Blues
Sat/Oct-23 -- Phoenix, AZ, Fear Farm
Tue/Oct-26 -- Colorado Springs, CO, Black Sheep
Fri/Oct-29 -- Detroit, MI, Harpos
Sat/Oct-30 -- Milwaukee, WI, Eagles
Sun/Oct-31 -- Cleveland, OH, Peabodys
Tue/Nov-02 -- St. Louis, MO, Pops
Thu/Nov-04 -- Houston, TX, Meridien
Sat/Nov-06 -- Dallas, TX, Palladium Showroom
Sun/Nov-07 -- Austin, TX , Fun Fun Fun Fest
Tue/Nov-09 -- Tampa, FL, State Theatre
Wed/Nov-10 -- Orlando, FL, Firestone
Fri/Nov-12 -- Washington, DC, 9:30 Club
Sat/Nov-13 -- Worcester, MA, Palladium
Sun/Nov- 14 -- NYC, Terminal 5
Wed/Nov-17 -- Chicago, IL, Metro
Thu/Nov-18 -- Minneapolis, MN, Cabooze
Sat/Nov-20 -- Denver, CO, Summit
Sun/Nov-21 -- Albuquerque, NM, Sunshine Theatre

Links:
Suicidal Tendencies

The Accused Release 'Curse of Martha Splatterhead' on Ltd. Edition Blood and Gore Splattered Vinyl

You have to hand it to Southern Lord for continuing to give people a reason to buy vinyl. Toward the end of last year, Southern Lord released a limited edition 180 gram vinyl version of The Accüsed's The Curse of Martha Splatterhead. The vinyl is limited to 1,500 copies - 500 copies on 'blood and gore splattered' vinyl and 1,000 copies on red vinyl. The vinyl version also contains two bonus tracks: a cover of the UK Subs classic "Living Dead" and a reworking of the old Accüsed favorite “Wrong Side of the Grave" (from Return of Martha Splatterhead).

Curse of Martha Splatterhead is the band's first new release since 2003's Oh, Martha! and features a new lineup under the leadership of founding member/guitarist Tommy Niemeyer. On this new disc, The Accüsed stay true to the sound of their past discs and blast through fourteen cuts of aggressive crossover thrash in under 30 minutes.

Niemeyer's buzzsaw guitar propels most of the songs and new vocalist Brad Mowen does an admirable job of filling behind Blaine Cook. Mowen comes at these songs with range of vocals styles that run the gamut from hardcore shout-alongs to grind-metal growls to brutal thrash metal shrieks. The new rhythm section of Dorando Hodous on bass and Mike Peterson on drums pound away like a jackhammer but they are able to follow Niemeyer through a number of twist, turns and breakdowns (sometimes within the same song). Lyrically, the band continues to follow the splatter-punk/horror movie themes of their previous releases and the song lyrics aren't for the faint of heart. Check out the sewing machine sound effects on the Ed Gein inspired track "Hemline". There is even some B-movie horror film sound bites between some of the tracks which add to the overall horror-punk ambiance of the disc.

This is a solid release from a band that has stayed true to form over the years. All we need now is an East Coast tour.



Links:
The Accüsed

Short Sharp Shock (SSS) Release Free Christmas Song (Earache Records)

DOWNLOAD: Short Sharp Shock - "Merry ChristmaSSS"

UK thrash band Short Sharp Shock have released a new Christmas song, "Merry ChristmaSSS", as a free download.

Earache Records did an interview with SSS frontman Foxy where he talks about the new song and what Christmas means to him. Here are some of the highlights:

Q: Why have you done a free Christmas song?

Foxy: "We are following in the footsteps of some of the greatest Christmas songs ever written from yesteryear - Slade, Wizzard, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Shakin Stevens, FEAR and Band Aid - that have all placed themselves firmly in our hearts and on cheap Christmas compilation CDs at this time of year. Now here's our meagre festive rattler that will be played for years to come at family discos and shake the false teeth from all our nans' heads."

Q: Did you enjoy Christmas as a kid?

Foxy: "What's not to like about Christmas when you are a kid? A time when there was actual snow at Christmas. Being the first in the yard and lining up snowballs to lob at your mates and teachers. Skidding in one strip on the ice until the caretaker dumps grit on it. Making cards, crackers (out of a toilet roll), cotton wool snowmen and calendars. Mucking around as a king in the nativity play and changing the words to the carols, "While shepherds wash their socks night...". Bringing toys in on the last day of term was always a doss. A big countdown to a day you thought wouldn't ever come, so you get to your pit early, try to sleep, then wake up with a stocking on the end of your bed full with all sorts of stuff, mosh into all your presents and play out the front of your house, get cold, then back for your dinner and watch Star Wars. Then play with everything properly on boxing day. Bingo.

The full text of the interview is posted on SSS's MySpace blog.

Links:
Earache Records
Short Sharp Shock

Gama Bomb: Download Tales from the Grave in Space for Free (Earache Records)

After my recent "Marcy Playground fiasco", I love seeing bands who 'get' leveraging the internet to get their music out to the masses.

Irish thrashers, Gama Bomb have released their new album, Tales from the Grave in Space, as a free download that is 100% approved by Earache. Click on the album cover (above) to go directly to the download site. Earache notes - "No catches, no DRM. Just pure, adrenaline pumping thrash with wit to spare that will be yours forever."

"Produced by Scott Atkins (Behemoth, Cradle of Filth) and featuring artwork by Jeff Jordan (The Mars Volta), Tales From the Grave in Space is an album steeped in traditional thrash that also signifies the future of music to come. We encourage everyone, fans and non-fans to download the album and enjoy this historic gift of free metal presented by Earache Records, Rapidshare and Gama Bomb."

Links:
Gama Bomb
Earache Records

Evile - Interview with Ol Drake and Mike Alexander, Earache Records, NYC 8-20-09 (Thrash)

I had the opportunity to talk with with Ol Drake (guitar) and Mike Alexander (bass) when they were in town last month to promote Evile's forthcoming disc Infected Nation.



The new disc (along with a limited edition colored vinyl edition) comes out on September 21st on Earache Records. The band just released the first video from this release which is for the title track "Infected Nation".



Evile is touring around Europe for the rest of the year with Amon Amarth and US tour dates will hopefully follow sometime early next year.

Here are the current tour dates;

Sept. 25, 2009, 8:00PM, INFECTED NATIONS Release Show - o2 Bar Academy, London
Sept. 29, 2009, 7:00PM, Headline Show + DRONE - Bastard Club, Osnabrück
Sept. 30, 2009, 7:00PM, Headline Show + DRONE - Ballroom, Hamburg
Oct. 02, 2009, 8:00PM, w/ AMON AMARTH + ENTOMBED - Tavastia, Helsinki
Oct. 03, 2009, 8:00PM, w/ AMON AMARTH + ENTOMBED - Rytmikorjaamo, Seinajoki
Oct. 04, 2009, 8:00PM, w/ AMON AMARTH + ENTOMBED - Teatria, Oulu
Oct. 06, 2009, 8:00PM, w/ AMON AMARTH + ENTOMBED - Gamla Tingshuset, Ostersund
Oct. 07, 2009, 8:00PM, w/ AMON AMARTH + ENTOMBED - Kulturhuset, Orebro
Oct. 08, 2009, 8:00PM, w/ AMON AMARTH + ENTOMBED - Union Scene, Drammen
Oct. 09, 2009, 8:00PM, w/ AMON AMARTH + ENTOMBED - Byscenen, Haugesund
Oct. 10, 2009, 8:00PM, w/ AMON AMARTH + ENTOMBED - USF Verftet, Bergen
Oct. 11, 2009, 8:00PM, w/ AMON AMARTH + ENTOMBED - John Dee, Oslo
Oct. 13, 2009, 8:00PM, w/ AMON AMARTH + ENTOMBED - Trädgårn, Goteburg
Oct. 14, 2009, 8:00PM, w/ AMON AMARTH + ENTOMBED - Train, Arhus
Oct. 15, 2009, 8:00PM, w/ AMON AMARTH + ENTOMBED - Vega, Copenhagen

Links:
Evile's MySpace Profile
Earache Records

Bonded By Blood: Live Video from Show at Maric Lanes Bowling Alley In Astoria, NY 3-28-09

California thrash metalers Bonded By Blood made their first trip to the East Coast last month as part of the Masters of Disaster tour. The local tour stop was a free show at Maric Lanes in Astoria, Queens. To echo a comment from Bonded By Blood frontman Jose "Aladdin" Barrale, I never thought I'd be thrashing out on top of a bowling alley but it was a great show. I'd love to see more DIY-style thrash/metal shows put on in the NYC area.

Here is some live footage of Bonded By Blood playing "Mind Pollution" and "The Evil Within".



The Masters of Disaster tour (which features Bonded By Blood, Witchaven and Exmortus) wraps up next week with a few more West Coast dates:
4/24 San Jose CA- West Valley College
4/25 San Francisco CA-Thee Parkside
5/01 Hollywood CA-The Knitting Factory "Thrasho De Mayo IV" w/Exumer
5/02 Reno, NV- The Underground

Bonded By Blood's debut CD, Feed the Beast, is is available from Earache Records' Webstore in a limited edition 2CD pressing that contains two bonus tracks.

Links:
Bonded By Blood's MySpace profile

Municipal Waste Shops at Generation Records Prior to Irving Plaza Show

Metal Injection just posted a video interview with Municipal Waste prior to the band's show with At The Gates in July. Metal Injection's Grim Kim talks with the band as they shop for records in Generation Records in the Village.



Municipal Waste is doing a mini-tour next month with The Casualties but the tour isn't coming any closer than Philadelphia.

Here are the current tour date:
Oct 8 2008 7:00PM, The Ottobar, Baltimore, Maryland
Oct 9 2008 7:00PM, J C Dobbs, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Oct 10 2008 7:00PM, Club Paradise, Buffalo, New York
Oct 12 2008 8:00PM, Riot Fest,Chicago, Illinois
Nov 1 2008 6:00PM, The Fest!, Gainsville, Florida

For anyone who missed the Irving Plaza shows, here is what looks to be a cell phone video of the "Wall of Death" from the July 10th show.



Links:
Municipal Waste's MySpace Profile

Municipal Waste: The Art of Partying CD Review

NME says that thrash "is a style of music that makes you want to pour lager over your head and jump off speaker stacks" and that the genre was founded by a "bunch of young metal dudes in the Bay Area of San Francisco [who] thought 'Gee, this music is ace, but it'd sound better if it was played faster and by drunk people'". There is a nice writeup on Municipal Waste and SSS (Short Sharp Shock - Earache labelmates of Municipal Waste) in the article.

NME has it right in that Muicipal Waste takes their music back to the pre-Satanic era of thrash metal. The music is fast and aggressive, comparable musically and lyrically to early Suicidal Tendencies, DRI, Gang Green and Kill 'em All era Metallica. Municpal Waste's lyrics center around beer (naturally), high school food fights, and radioactive warfare. The CD artwork, by San Francisco based artist Andrei Bouzikov, matches well with the band's lyrical themes and shows radioactive zombies at a keg party.

This CD continues where the band's previous release, Hazardous Mutations, left off. The band really doesn't slow down through the 15 tracks on this disc. As expected, the music is tight, the guitar work shreds and drumming constantly pushes the music forward. Stand out tracks include "Headbanger Face Rip", "A.D.D. (Attention Deficit Destroyer)" and "Born to Party" (which has the chorus "Municipal Waste is going to f*ck you up"). All of these tunes are perfect shout-alongs for the mosh pit. The band also shows their great sense of humor with the voice-overs on Beer Pressure and the 'hidden' bonus track. The bonus track sounds like a cover of an 80's pop song (but I haven't been able to track down the details on the track).

This CD has been released in Europe and is available on iTunes but the US release date has pushed back to July 31st. What is interesting is that the UK version (available through Play.com) has two bonus tracks:
Thrashing's My Business....and Business Is Good (Bonus Track)
I Just Wanna Rock (Bonus Track).

The band is finishing a short tour with Agnostic Front with a show in Detroit tonight and then they are off to a month-long run through Europe in August.

There is a new video for Unleash the Bastards (gore version) posted to the Earache site (link) along with photos from the photo shoot for Headbanger Face Rip (link).

Links:
Municipal Waste's MySpace page
Municipal Waste's Main Website

Metal Church Playing BB King's, NYC on Jan. 28th

Now in their 25th year, Metal Church return to town for a show at BB King's on January 28, 2007. Also on the bill are Joey Belladonna (from Anthrax), Overkill and Meliah Rage. Tickets are only $25.00.

This show is a bargain given the acts playing.

Metal Church's latest release A Light In the Dark was released this past June by SPV and is the band's second release with vocalist Ronny Munroe. This release also features a re-recording of Watch the Children Pray (originally released on 1986's The Dark) as a tribute to then recently deceased original vocalist David Wayne.