It seems like there is something seriously wrong when a number of touring metal bands are skipping over NYC.

Dance Club Massacre are playing Jennie's (a southern soul food restaurant???) in Asbury Park with The Agonist (Century Media) on Thursday, March 19th. According to Dance Club Massacre's MySpace profile, the show starts at 5PM. Given the early show time (which is somewhat surprising for a weekday show) and the traffic on the Parkway at that hour, this will probably end up being a "locals only" show.

The Agonist are coming back through the area for a show in Brooklyn at Club Europa on April 14th with Woe of Tyrants (Metal Blade) and Salt the Wound (Rotten Records).

Dance Club Massacre are touring behind their second CD, Circle of Death, which was released toward the end of last year. With this release, Dance Club Massacre establish themselves firmly in the symphonic black metal territory. Gone are the grindcore flailings of the band's previous release and this has been replaced with melodic riffs and horror-movie keyboards and synthesizers. Points of comparison are bands like SOTHIS and Abigal Williamms.

The band doesn't break any new ground with this release but they do appear to have an offbeat sense of humor (which is somewhat unusual in this genre). Some of the songs titles from the new CD include "Brewtality", "Deuces Shoeless vs the Double Dribbles" and "Risk Is My Business... and Business Is Risky?. The capstone for the band's beer, horror movie, party humor is an almost 30 minute death metal version of "99 Bottles of Beer on the Wall" (which is the "hidden track" that closes the CD).

With Circle of Death, Dance Club Massacre have made a major step forward with their sound. The band's next CD will be something to watch for.

Here is the official video for "Shenanigans" (from Circle of Death)


Links:
Dance Club Massacre's MySpace Profile