Valdur Play Oakland Black/Death Fest in March + Live Footage from July '10 Show @ Union Pool

Mammoth Lakes, California blackened death horde Valdur, who released their Raven God Amongst Us full-length upon unsuspecting masses this past summer are already working on new tunes. The band will bring their infernal rumblings to the live arena for a very special show at the Oakland Black/Death Fest at the Metro Operahouse on Saturday March 12th. Valdur will be joined by headliners Dispirit, Necrite and Mutilation Rites among others.

Commented drummer Sxuperion on the live shows and upcoming new tunes: “We always look forward to the live event, as we very much appreciate and respect the energy and effort that is required to provide VALDUR’s music immediately! Otherwise, VALDUR has basically kept our determination focused upon the writing of many new songs that will see themselves appear on a new full-length release. We are buried in ten to 20 feet of snow in town which is very conducive to writing and creating. The new songs are faster and more intense than anything that VALDUR has released thus far. This new full-length will be finished and out when we say so.”

“Valdur are the best black metal band in the United States that you’ve probably never heard of.” — About.com



Links:
Valdur

BrooklynRocks Top 10 List for 2010

There were a lot of great releases this year so it was tough to pick only ten albums. After spending more time than I would have thought narrowing down the list, below is my 2010 Top-10 list (in no particular order):

01) The Art of Shooting – Traveling Show

02) Tim Kasher – The Game of Monogamy

03) Automatic Children – New Is Beautiful

04) Earth - A Bureaucratic Desire for Extra Capsular Extractions

05) The Canon Logic – FM Arcade

06) King Crimson – Islands (40th Anniversary Edition)

07) School of Seven Bells – Disconnect From Desire

08) Lissie – Catching A Tiger

09) J. Roddy Walston and the Business – Self-Titled

10) Early Graves – Goner

Happy New Year Everyone!

Early Graves: "Goner" Interview + Live Performance from Union Pool, Brooklyn 7-17-10

I had the opportunity to spend some time with Early Grave prior to their show at Union Pool last month but got delayed editing and posting this video due to a recent move. The morning after I finished this video, I read about singer Makh Daniels' passing in a van accident in Oregeon. I only met Makh Daniels once but his death really threw me. Out of respect for Makh and the other members of Early Graves, I decided to 'sit' on this video for a while.



Please consider making a PayPal donation to help Makh's family. The email account for donations is ripMakhDaniels@gmail.com.

There will also be a memorial show for Makh on August 29th at the Rickshaw Stop (155 Fell Street) in San Francisco. The band will be selling memorial shirts for Makh with all proceeds going to his family to get them through this tough time.

Links:
Early Graves
Early Graves - Goner CD Review

Early Graves - Goner CD Review // Show at Union Pool on July 17th

San Francisco's Early Graves just released Goner (Ironclad Recordings / Metal Blade) as the follow-up to their 2008 debut We: The Guillotine. The band comes across like a runaway freight train as they thunder through ten tracks in twenty-six minutes with a sound that combines noise rock (Halo of Flies), hardcore (Poison Idea, Black Flag) and crust (Discharge). As such, it goes without saying that these guys are angry and pissed off. Tim Green's analog production adds to the grime and squalor of the disc, bringing both the dissonant guitar work and Makh Daniels’ hoarse growl to the front of the mix.

Lyrically, this is a rather dark album. Here is a quote from Makh Daniels on the new disc: "The last couple years have been kinda rough and for most of us, you hit times in your life when shit is basically spiraling out of control and you try to reign it in but it just doesn't ever seem to work so you drink it away. Basically you dig yourself further in the hole because you don't know any other way. A lot of the lyrics, while not being a concept record, have a lot of the same themes of loneliness and depression and substance abuse running through each song. I think us as a band getting together and writing these songs and writing these lyrics got out a lot of bad dark shit that has been under the surface for all of us. Like an exorcism of sorts. I hope maybe this record will connect with some people who are goin' through the same kinda shit."



Early Graves is touring throughout July with The Funeral Pyre and the tour stops at Union Pool on July 17th.

Here is the full set of tour dates:
July 1 – Dallas, TX @ Renos Chop Shop
July 2 – San Antonio, TX @ Zombies!!!
July 3 – Austin, TX @ Red 7
July 5 – Memphis, TN @ TBA
July 6 – Nashville, TN @ The Black Church
July 7 – Louisville, KY @ Skull Alley
July 8 – Columbus, OH @ 15th House (369 e. 15th ave)
July 9 – Columbus, OH @ the Cara Bar
July 10 – Gloversville, NY @ Limbos
July 11 – Jamaica Plain, MA @ The Midway Cafe
July 12 – Boston, MA @ Church Of Boston. 69 Killmarnock St.
July 13 – Dover, New Hampshire @ Dover Brickhouse
July 14 – Haverhill, MA @ Anchors Up
July 15 – Asbury Park, NJ @ Asbury Lanes
July 16 – Philadelphia, PA @ TBA
July 17 – Brooklyn, NY @The Union Pool
July 18 – Pittsburgh, PA @Belvedere’s
July 19 -Toledo, OH @ The Black Cherry
July 20 – Milwaukee WI @ the borg ward
July 21 – St Louis, MO @ Fubar
July 22 – Kansas City, MO @ Aftershock
July 23 – Lincoln, NE @The Manor
July 24 – Denver, CO @ Blastomat
July 25 – Cheyenne, WY @ Ernie November
July 26 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Outer Rim
July 27 – Garden City, ID @ Brawl Studios
July 28 – Spokane, WA @ Mootsy’s
July 29 – Seattle, Wa @ The Morgue
July 30 – Portland, OR @ Plan B
July 31 – Bellingham, WA @ JINX artspace
August 1 – Salem, OR @ TBA
August 2 – Reno, NV @ Ryans Saloon
August 3 – San Francisco, CA @ Submission Gallery

Links:
Early Graves