Curran Reynolds

SEAS WILL RISE on Decibel

2012-03-01T15:34:00.000-05:00

Decibel Magazine has posted "Wash Out and Rust", a track off Seas Will Rise's forthcoming debut album, Disease Is Our Refrain.

Seas Will Rise features Landmine Marathon founder Eric Saylor on guitar. Decibel's Kevin Stewart-Panko describes the band's sound as "thunderously grimy, caustic and brutal hardcore."

Disease Is Our Refrain was recorded and mixed by current Landmine Marathon guitarist Ryan Butler (Misery Index, Phobia) and mastered by From Ashes Rise frontman Brad Boatright (Tragedy, OFF!). The album is out March 6 on Man In Decline Records and Anxiety Machine Records - a limited pressing of 500 LPs in assorted colors.

Seas Will Rise kicks off a short tour of the West tomorrow.

GRAF ORLOCK on MetalSucks

2012-02-28T14:25:00.000-05:00

MetalSucks has posted Graf Orlock's new track, "Couples Seeking Comfort/No Point" - the first new music to be revealed off the band's upcoming EP, Los Angeles.

Of Graf Orlock's Hollywood-obsessed hardcore, sometimes referred to as "cinema-grind", MetalSucks writes, "Not only is their music as mercilessly murderous as you'd want it to be, but their incorporation of elements from action films in brilliant."

MetalSucks has also unveiled the Los Angeles cover art, consisting of three separate covers, each a "shooting range target" depicting a scene from Michael Mann's Heat and riddled with actual bullet holes. As with previous Graf Orlock releases (including last year's Doombox, which earned the title of "Packaging of the Century" from Revolver Magazine), the Los Angeles artwork was created entirely by the band.

With Los Angeles set for an April 10 release on Vitriol Records, Graf Orlock prepares for yet another year of DIY world touring, including Japan in the spring and Europe in the summer.

March:
24 Yokohama, Japan
25 Shinjyuku, Japan
27 Nishiogikubo, Japan
28 Yokosuka, Japan
29 Kyoto, Japan
30 Nagoya, Japan
31 Osaka, Japan

June:
29 Berlin, Germany
30 Cry Me A River Fest, Versmold, Germany

July:
1 Hamburg, Germany
2 Njimegen, Netherlands
3 Lille, France
4 Caen, France
5 Paris, France
6 Koln, Germany
7 New Noise Fest, Karlsruhe, Germany
8 Liege, Belgium
9 Brighton, UK
10 Manchester, UK
11 Norwich, UK
12 London, UK
13 Merksplas, Belgium
14 Groningen, Netherlands
15 Trier, Germany
16 Darmstadt, Germany
17 Munich, Germany
18 Prague, Czech
19 Bratislava, Slovakia
20 Fluff Fest, Rokycany, Czech
21 Ziar nad Hronom, Slovakia
22 Budapest, Hungary
23 Novi Sad, Serbia
24 Skopje, Macedonia
25 Zagreb, Croatia
26 Ljubljana, Slovenia
27 Vienna, Austria
28 Dresden, Germany
29 Liepzig, Germany

New releases

2012-02-21T16:16:00.000-05:00

March 6 - Seas Will Rise - Disease Is Our Refrain - Man In Decline/Anxiety Machine Records
April 3 - Eye - Center of the Sun - Kemado Records
April 10 - Graf Orlock - Los Angeles - Vitriol Records
May 1 - Wild Hunt - Before the Plane of Angles - Kemado Records

Coming soon: new releases by Gaza, Stomach Earth, Sodomia, Call of the Wild, and more!

SEAS WILL RISE tour

2012-02-21T12:27:00.000-05:00

Seas Will Rise hits the road in March for a string of Western US dates in support of the debut full-length, Disease Is Our Refrain.

Mar 2 - Las Vegas, NV @ Yayo Taco (early)

Mar 2 - Las Vegas, NV @ Double Down Saloon (late)

Mar 3 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Raunch Records

Mar 4 - Idaho Falls, ID @ Wax House

Mar 5 - Portland, OR @ The Know

Mar 6 - Portland, OR @ The North Hole

Mar 9 - Los Angeles, CA @ BIP

Mar 16 - Phoenix, AZ @ Chasers

Seas Will Rise features Landmine Marathon founder Eric Saylor on guitar. The band plays heavy, brooding hardcore punk, inspired by the likes of Discharge and His Hero Is Gone.

Disease Is Our Refrain was recorded and mixed by current Landmine Marathon guitarist Ryan Butler (Phobia, Misery Index) and mastered by From Ashes Rise frontman Brad Boatright (Tragedy, OFF!). The album hits stores March 6 via Man In Decline Records and Anxiety Machine Records - a limited pressing of 500 LPs, including three different colors of vinyl.

GunShyAssassin.com has posted an exclusive stream of Seas Will Rise's new track, "Eviction Notice", off Disease Is Our Refrain. Stream it here today.

GRAF ORLOCK reveals "Los Angeles" details

2012-02-07T15:22:00.001-05:00

Graf Orlock - the band that Vice Magazine has called “the future of music” - returns with the next chapter of its saga: Los Angeles.

Due out April 10 on Vitriol Records, Los Angeles is an EP, named (in the tradition of fellow LA punks, X) after the band’s beloved and maligned hometown. Los Angeles is an apt title indeed - not only does Graf Orlock operate at the center of an LA hardcore resurgence that includes Touche Amore and Ghostlimb but the band bases all its work on LA's biggest export, the movies of Hollywood. Since its inception almost ten years ago, Graf Orlock has strip-mined the movie industry to create its art - all lyrics, song titles, and imagery are inspired directly by Hollywood blockbusters, particularly those of the action genre.

The Los Angeles tracklisting is as follows:

1) Dead Man Talking

2) No Attachments

3) Couples Seeking Comfort/No Point

4) Quick on the Trigger

Los Angeles was recorded by Ronald Uruk at Backlot Studios in LA. It is the follow-up to last year’s acclaimed Doombox EP, which Decibel Magazine called, “a churning, eclectic barnburner evoking unrestrained masterpieces of yore such as Converge’s Petitioning the Empty Sky or even Deadguy’s Fixation on a Coworker.”

Doombox turned heads for its artwork as well as its music - the EP came packaged in an actual-size, card stock “boom box". Revolver Magazine awarded Doombox the title of “Packaging of the Century”. The artwork for Los Angeles ups the ante once more - Los Angeles sports three different collectible covers, each a “shooting range target” depicting a scene from Heat and riddled with actual bullet holes.

With Los Angeles set for an April 10 release, Graf Orlock prepares for yet another year of DIY world touring, including Japan in the spring and Europe in the summer. To date, the band has brought its noise to Australia, Indonesia, Japan, Canada, Puerto Rico, and all across the US and Europe.

SEAS WILL RISE on MetalSucks

2012-02-07T13:53:00.000-05:00

MetalSucks has posted “A Sleeper’s Cell”, the first track off Seas Will Rise’s debut full-length, Disease Is Our Refrain.

From Tempe, Arizona, Seas Will Rise feature guitarist Eric Saylor, a founding member of Landmine Marathon.

In the words of MetalSucks: “Seas Will Rise have a strong connection to Landmine Marathon — the band features founding Marathoner Eric Saylor, and their debut album, Disease Is Our Refrain, was recorded and mixed by current Landmine Marathon guitarist Ryan Butler. And if you’re sitting there wondering ‘Gee, does that mean that Seas Will Rise play brutal, filthy, hardcore-flavored death grind?’, then you will be happy to know that the answer is, ‘Yes. Yes they do. And they are AWESOME AT IT.’

Saylor has revealed that Cormac McCarthy’s novel, The Road, provided inspiration for the album.

Disease Is Our Refrain is out March 6 on Man In Decline Records and Anxiety Machine Records - a limited pressing of 500 LPs in assorted colors.

SAVIOURS March tour

2012-02-02T13:23:00.000-05:00

Saviours return to the road in March for a trek out to South By Southwest in Austin, TX. Supporting Saviours on most of the shows is Holy Grail.

This tour follows Saviours’ marathon world touring of Fall 2011, which saw the band play almost four straight months’ worth of shows in North America and Europe, supporting the newest album, Death’s Procession (out now on Kemado Records).

Of Death’s Procession, Revolver Magazine proclaimed, “Classic heavy metal thunder, dedicated swagger, and almost-crisp production make this record a triumph for the Oakland quartet." A review of the album in Decibel Magazine declared, “This is their South of Heaven.”

March 11 - Soda Bar, San Diego CA w/ Holy Grail

March 12 - Plush, Tucson AZ w/ Holy Grail

March 14 - Dirty Dog, Austin TX - Tone Deaf Touring SXSW Showcase w/ Corrosion of Conformity, Black Cobra

March 16 - Korova, San Antonio TX w/ Corrosion of Conformity, Torche

March 17 - Pine Box, Midland TX w/ Holy Grail

March 18 - Launchpad, Albuquerque NM

March 20 - Rogue, Scottsdale AZ w/ Holy Grail

March 21 - Satellite, Los Angeles CA w/ Holy Grail

March 22 - Sweet Springs Saloon, Los Osos CA w/ Holy Grail

March 23 - Elbo Room, San Francisco CA w/ Holy Grail

"Dreams III" playlist

2012-01-30T12:35:00.001-05:00

Last night's jams:
Gravediggaz "Deathtrap"
The Dying Light "The Killing Plan"
The Year Is One "Ungodly Behavior"
Like Rats "Fire"
Devourment "Fed to the Pigs"
Godflesh "Xnoybis"
Acme "Blind"
Decapitated "Spheres of Madness"
Psi Com "Xiola"
Lansing-Dreiden "The Advancing Flags"
Telepathe "So Fine"
Hate Eternal "The Fire of Resurrection"
Buried Alive "Watching You Die"
Pat Benatar "No You Don't"
Breathe Carolina "Blackout"

"Dreams Were Made for Mortals III"

2012-01-27T14:30:00.001-05:00

This Sunday, the third installment of Karlynn Holland's series at St Vitus, with artwork by my friend Matt Kepler and others. I'm playing tunes at 11.

SEAS WILL RISE debut album

2012-01-24T16:14:00.000-05:00

Seas Will Rise, featuring Landmine Marathon founder Eric Saylor on guitar, has completed its debut full-length, Disease Is Our Refrain. The Tempe, Arizona band plays heavy, brooding hardcore punk, inspired by the likes of Discharge and His Hero Is Gone.

Disease Is Our Refrain was recorded and mixed by Landmine Marathon guitarist Ryan Butler at Arcane Digital Recording (Phobia, Misery Index), and mastered by From Ashes Rise frontman Brad Boatright at Audiosiege (Tragedy, OFF!). The album is the follow-up to the 2010 Cagematch EP.

The tracklist is as follows:

1) A Sleeper’s Cell

2) In Dust and Blood

3) Wash Out and Rust

4) This Teardown Town

5) To Scratch Out a Life

6) A Wish for the Earth

7) Waves and Waves

8) Eviction Notice

9) Disease Is Our Refrain

10) Razed

11) Population Zero

12) In Warmer Graves

Disease Is Our Refrain sees a March 6 release via Man In Decline Records and Anxiety Machine Records - a limited pressing of 500 LPs, including three different colors of vinyl. Look for Seas Will Rise, performing live throughout 2012.

PRECIOUS METAL pics

2012-01-24T15:41:00.000-05:00

Out now: BIRDS IN ROW

2012-01-18T18:32:00.002-05:00

Birds In Row's Collected - a complete collection of the French band's recordings - is out now on Vitriol Records. Here's what some writers have to say:

"Furious, tarnished melodies..."

-Decibel

"A record full of ferocity that throws itself at the listener's face in angry, melodic bursts."

-Exclaim

5/5. "Anthemic blasts of sound with guttural vocals and an uplifting, riveting sound that hits you deep."

-About

"Not unlike the approach of the great Converge - hardcore ferocity and metal robustness combining to create something completely unique."

-MSN Headbang

"Hardcore jams that are often anthemic and always sonically satisfying."

-NoiseCreep

"Birds In Row play at the dirtier end of the hardcore pool, with a sludgy, noisy sound that is full of hooks."

-Verbicide

"Abrasive French hardcore - dirty and grimy!"

-Stereokiller

"This band will fit in very well alongside Deathwish bands like Touche Amore, Rise and Fall, and New Lows."

-AmericanAftermath

PRECIOUS METAL pics

2012-01-17T11:21:00.000-05:00

GRAF ORLOCK completes "Los Angeles"

2012-01-11T13:44:00.000-05:00

Graf Orlock has completed work on its new EP, Los Angeles.

Los Angeles is the follow-up to last year’s acclaimed Doombox EP, which Decibel Magazine called, “a churning, eclectic barnburner evoking unrestrained masterpieces of yore such as Converge’s Petitioning the Empty Sky or even Deadguy’s Fixation on a Coworker.”

Doombox turned heads for its artwork as well as its music - the EP came packaged in an actual-size, card stock “boom box". Previous Graf Orlock releases have boasted equally outrageous art -- a gatefold LP with a pop-up “chestburster”, inspired by the movie, Alien, for example. The artwork for Los Angeles ups the ante once more: Graf Orlock guitarist Jason Schmidt reports that Los Angeles will sport three different collectible covers, each a “shooting range target” depicting a scene from Heat and riddled with actual bullet holes.

Los Angeles was recorded by Ronald Uruk at Backlot Studios in Graf Orlock’s hometown of LA. The EP will see a Spring 2012 release on the band’s own label, Vitriol Records (also home to releases by Ghostlimb, Birds In Row, and more).

PRECIOUS METAL pics

2012-01-10T12:43:00.000-05:00

PRECIOUS METAL tonight

2012-01-09T10:50:00.002-05:00

Precious Metal kicks off 2012 tonight at Lit with Tiger Flowers, Enabler (Fall Out Boy, Today Is The Day, Trap Them, Shai Hulud), and Brickeater!

Happy holidays

2011-12-21T19:41:00.004-05:00

So much good noise in store for 2012. On my roster: new releases by Birds In Row, Graf Orlock, Enabler (Fall Out Boy, ex-Trap Them, Misery Signals), Early Man, Sodomia, Eye (ex-Teeth of the Hydra), Wild Hunt, Gaza, Stomach Earth, and more.

The Precious Metal series trucks onward as well, Mondays at Lit. Booked for the new year: Enabler, Lazyblood (from Iceland), Tiger Flowers, Mutant Supremacy, Clinging to the Trees of a Forest Fire, and more.

Another year-end list of mine, here on BrooklynVegan.

Happy holidays, all! Safe travels.

FLOURISHING on NPR

2011-12-19T18:44:00.001-05:00

Congrats to Flourishing for being named one of NPR Music's Favorite New Artists of 2011. Flourishing is the one and only metal band on this diverse list of eleven artists.

"Flourishing embraces an era of undefinable music while acknowledging a rich history of extreme sound. Songs can swing from industrial grind to abstract death metal in a moment's notice, but never lose sight of their pummeling yet melodic heft. There is a lot to unpack at any one moment, but Flourishing is on the cusp of collapsing and reshaping metal simultaneously."

-Lars Gotrich, NPR

BIRDS IN ROW on AltPress

2011-12-16T12:29:00.004-05:00

Alternative Press has posted a new live video clip of French band Birds In Row, shot December 9 at a show in Rennes, France.

Birds In Row’s anthemic, impassioned sound earns comparisons to Modern Life Is War, Touche Amore, and Ghostlimb.

Having recently signed to Deathwish Inc, Birds In Row are now preparing to record their debut for the label. In the meantime, Vitriol Records, the LA-based label founded by Justin Smith of Graf Orlock and Ghostlimb, is releasing Collected, a compilation of the band’s earlier recordings. Out January 17 on Vitriol, Collected can be pre-ordered now.

Birds In Row’s first US tour is being booked for spring 2012 with Deathwish Inc labelmates Loma Prieta.

Birds In Row on BrooklynVegan

Birds In Row on PunkNews

Birds In Row on NoiseCreep

PRECIOUS METAL pics

2011-12-13T17:55:00.000-05:00

PRECIOUS METAL year-end

2011-12-11T15:25:00.002-05:00

Monday, December 12 is the final Precious Metal party of the year. Coming up in January: live sets by Enabler (ex-Fall Out Boy, Trap Them, Misery Signals), Lazyblood (from Iceland), Tiger Flowers, Mutant Supremacy, and more!

BIRDS IN ROW is next

2011-12-07T19:52:00.005-05:00

My next new release: Collected, Vitriol Records' collection of Birds In Row's recorded material to date. Out January 17.

As Birds In Row set to work on their debut album for Deathwish Inc, Collected serves as a complete introduction to this explosive band. From Laval, France, Birds In Row's cathartic hardcore pushes forward like a freight train and saves souls with its melodies. For fans of Ghostlimb, Modern Life Is War, Young Widows.

Vitriol's packaging for this LP is superb as ever.

Birds In Row - "A Kid Called Dreamer"

BLOODY PANDA on Modern Drummer

2011-12-06T17:21:00.001-05:00

Some words from Lev Weinstein, drummer of Bloody Panda and Krallice, today on MD.

Out now: CZAR

2011-12-06T16:47:00.000-05:00

Czar's debut full-length, Vertical Mass Grave, is out today! Here's what some have been saying:

Chicago Reader - "A dense mass of sludgy riffs and breakneck rhythmic changes that has a lot of people saying the words 'Mastodon' and 'Helmet' in close proximity to each other."

Exclaim - "Somewhere between Queens of the Stone Age and Pantera, you'll find Czar... Interesting, off-beat, metronomic and just catchy enough to be exceptional."

SLUG - "Accessible, heavy and most importantly catchy."

MetalSucks - "Combining lots of disparate elements into one powerful, anthemic package... their style of metal knows no boundaries."

MetalSucks (Best of 2011) - "The manner in which this group blends atmospheric guitar work with pummeling heavy riff pocket grooves and tribal tom acrobatics is fucking devastating."

NoiseCreep - "An exciting power trio that fans of Mastodon, Killing Joke and even the Jesus Lizard should check out immediately."

GunShyAssassin - "Chances are by now you have heard of Czar, the Chicago trio that defies characterization... At the end of the day, I’d have to call ‘em progressive metal. No matter what umbrella they fall under, Czar fucking rips."

PRECIOUS METAL pics

2011-12-06T13:28:00.000-05:00

Decibel best of 2011

2011-12-02T16:11:00.001-05:00

Exclaim best of 2011

2011-12-01T19:12:00.003-05:00

Exclaim Magazine's year-end metal list is in and my bands own almost a quarter of it.

#5 - Today Is The Day
#9 - Imbroglio
#11 - Graf Orlock
#16 - Flourishing

BIRDS IN ROW on NoiseCreep

2011-12-01T18:36:00.000-05:00

Birds In Row frontman Bart names five albums that changed his life, HERE.

MetalSucks best of 2011

2011-12-01T18:26:00.002-05:00

Ten of the bands I represented this year have found their way onto MetalSucks writers' year-end lists, posted today. Congrats to Czar, Earth Control (nee Owen Hart), Ed Gein, Landmine Marathon, Meek Is Murder, Moab, Saviours, Tiger Flowers, Today Is The Day, and True Widow.

CR best of 2011

2011-12-01T13:30:00.003-05:00

My year-end list on MetalSucks. RIP Maruta!

NPR best of 2011

2011-11-30T14:59:00.002-05:00

Proud to see Today Is The Day and Flourishing on this list.

CZAR on GSA

2011-11-30T14:44:00.002-05:00

With the release of Czar’s debut full-length, Vertical Mass Grave, set for December 6, GunShyAssassin has posted “Diapers”, a track from the album, HERE.

GunShyAssassin founder Chris Harris reports: “So, chances are by now you have heard of Czar, the Chicago trio that defies characterization, as their music contains elements of various metal styles. But at the end of the day, I’d have to call ‘em progressive metal. No matter what umbrella they fall under, Czar fucking rips.”

A recent review on NoiseCreep states, “Czar is an exciting power trio that fans of Mastodon, Killing Joke and even the Jesus Lizard should check out immediately.” Outburn Magazine has named Czar, simply, “thinking man’s metal”.

Czar features members of Acumen Nation and DJ? Acucrack, stalwarts of Chicago’s industrial and electronic scenes. Czar frontman Jason Novak is also founder of Cracknation, the label releasing Vertical Mass Grave on December 6. In addition to putting out music, Cracknation has functioned as a production house, creating instrumental tracks for TV shows (True Blood, MTV Music Awards), original scores for videogames, and remixes for the likes of KMFDM, Frontline Assembly, and Prong.

Vertical Mass Grave was recorded by Matt Talbott, guitarist/vocalist of Hum, at Great Western Record Recorders (Emery, Open Hand, Adai).

PRECIOUS METAL pics

2011-11-29T11:23:00.000-05:00

WETNURSE album #3

2011-11-27T18:44:00.001-05:00

Our third album is in the works. Instruments are all tracked and vocals are now in progress. The producer is our own bassist Ryan Jones (who also plays in Today Is The Day with me) and the studio is our practice space in Brooklyn.

I am thrilled to see this album take shape. It has been a long road.

Our second album, 2008's Invisible City, is available HERE.

CZAR on NoiseCreep

2011-11-23T11:37:00.016-05:00

Chicago trio Czar has teamed up with NoiseCreep to reveal a new track, “Brunt” - another slice of Czar’s upcoming debut full-length, Vertical Mass Grave. Stream "Brunt" HERE.

NoiseCreep’s Carlos Ramirez writes, “Featuring musicians from Chicago's legendary industrial and electronic scenes, Czar is an exciting power trio that fans of Mastodon, Killing Joke and even the Jesus Lizard should check out immediately.”

Vertical Mass Grave was recorded by Matt Talbott, guitarist/vocalist of Hum, at Great Western Record Recorders (Emery, Open Hand, Adai). The album boasts an awesome array of influences - from post-industrial to progressive metal to alternative rock - woven seamlessly into a sound Outburn Magazine has hailed as “thinking man’s metal”.

Vertical Mass Grave will see a December 6 release on Cracknation, the label founded in 2002 by Czar’s Jason Novak. In addition to releasing music by Czar, Acumen Nation, and DJ? Acucrack, Cracknation has functioned as a production house, creating instrumental tracks for TV shows (True Blood, MTV Music Awards), original scores for videogames, and remixes for the likes of KMFDM, Frontline Assembly, and Prong.

PRECIOUS METAL pics

2011-11-22T14:30:00.001-05:00

Evidence of last night's installment of Precious Metal...

TODAY IS THE DAY live

2011-11-19T13:35:00.001-05:00

Live at Metal Suckfest, Gramercy Theatre, NYC. Nov 4, 2011.

SAVIOURS tour

2011-11-16T15:29:00.011-05:00

Rooted in hardcore punk but preferring to cruise in outer space, Oakland CA's Saviours bring a ton of swing and swagger to their charging, NWOBHM-inspired sound. Fourth album, Death's Procession, was released in September on Kemado, along with the amazing "Crete'n" video, a tribute to biker flicks of the 70s. These road dogs have toured the world with the likes of Mastodon, High On Fire, and St Vitus and now prepare to tear across the US with Ramming Speed.

SAVIOURS w/ Ramming Speed:

Nov 30 - Brooklyn, NY @ Saint Vitus
Dec 1 - Philadelphia, PA @ The North Star
Dec 2 - Pittsburgh, PA @ 31st St Pub
Dec 3 - Columbus, OH @ Ace of Cups
Dec 4 - Chicago, IL @ Double Door
Dec 5 - Lincoln, NE @ Bourbon Theatre
Dec 6 - Denver, CO @ 3 Kings Tavern
Dec 7 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Burt’s Tiki Lounge
Dec 9 - San Francisco, CA @ Elbo Room

CZAR on MetalSucks

2011-11-16T14:36:00.006-05:00

MetalSucks has posted “Family Crest”, the lead-off track from Czar’s debut full-length, Vertical Mass Grave:

http://www.metalsucks.net/2011/11/16/exclusive-track-premiere-czars-family-crest/

MetalSucks’ review states, “Combining lots of disparate elements into one powerful, anthemic package, Czar are one of those bands who could build a bridge between those who consider themselves tr00 and those who just wanna rock; their style of metal knows no boundaries.”

Czar features members of Acumen Nation and DJ? Acucrack, stalwarts of Chicago’s industrial and electronic scenes. Czar’s sound expands upon those roots to incorporate influences ranging from Helmet and Mastodon to Failure and Jesu. Outburn Magazine has hailed Czar as “thinking man’s metal” and the Chicago Reader has described its music as “a rich diversity of guitar sounds and textures, riveted in place by inventive percussion”.

Vertical Mass Grave was recorded by Matt Talbott, guitarist/vocalist of Hum, at Great Western Record Recorders (Emery, Open Hand, Adai). The album is set for a December 6 release on Cracknation, the label founded in 2002 by Czar’s Jason Novak. In addition to releasing music by Czar, Acumen Nation, and DJ? Acucrack, Cracknation has functioned as a production house, creating instrumental tracks for TV shows (True Blood, MTV Music Awards), original scores for videogames, and remixes for the likes of KMFDM, Frontline Assembly, and Prong.

BIRDS IN ROW "Collected"

2011-11-16T11:55:00.031-05:00

Vitriol Records - the LA label founded by Justin Smith of Graf Orlock, Ghostlimb, and Dangers - presents Collected, a compilation of all the recordings to date of French hardcore band, Birds In Row. As Birds In Row prepare to record their debut full-length for Deathwish Inc, Collected serves as a complete introduction to this explosive band.

Birds In Row make hardcore punk with an utterly anthemic vibe. Vocals seethe with realness while a burly rhythm section pounds out a bulletproof, mid-tempo foundation worthy of Young Widows or Sweet Cobra. Much like Ghostlimb, Birds In Row convey lifetimes’ worth of emotion without ever sounding weak. The heart is laid bare but the spine is intact.

Collected consists of the entire Rise of the Phoenix 7” and Cottbus EP (originally released on Vitriol in 2009 and 2010, respectively, but now out of print), plus the first song the band ever recorded, “Phoenix”, which has not seen the light of day until now. Collected will be pressed on vinyl only and will feature an elaborate die-cut cover, consistent with Vitriol Records’ high standard of art and packaging - see Graf Orlock’s Doombox (an actual-size fold-out cardstock "boombox" which housed the Doombox EP on vinyl and cd) for one example of this.

All music on Collected was recorded by Amaury Sauvé at La Senelle Studio in Birds In Row’s hometown of Laval, France, and mastered by Sylvain Biguet.

Like most of the Vitriol roster, Birds In Row is a band that Smith discovered the old-fashioned way - playing shows with them, out on one of his bands’ many tours. In their two years of existence, Birds In Row have toured all across Europe and played with the likes of Defeater, La Dispute, Punch, Loma Prieta, and City of Ships. The band's first US tour is in the works for spring 2012 with Loma Prieta, including dates with all three of Smith’s bands - Graf Orlock, Ghostlimb, and Dangers.

Collected is out January 17 on Vitriol Records.

THE SWORD tour

2011-11-15T21:20:00.006-05:00

The next leg of The Sword's ongoing tour is underway! One of the foundations of the metal revival of the past decade, Austin TX's warp riding sons have released three flawless slabs of vintage heaviness on Kemado Records, toured the world with Metallica, and locked into a whole new legion of fans through Guitar Hero, paving the way for other bands to follow. During a short break from the road this month, The Sword was handpicked to open for Guns N' Roses in Dallas!

THE SWORD w/ Kyuss Lives!, Black Cobra:

Nov 15 - El Paso, TX - Tricky Falls (no Kyuss Lives!, Black Cobra)
Nov 16 - Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress (no Kyuss Lives!, Black Cobra)
Nov 17 - San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
Nov 18 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern
Nov 19 - San Fransisco, CA @ The Regency Ballroom
Nov 21 - Portland, OR @ Roseland Theatre
Nov 22 - Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo
Nov 23 - Vancouver, BC, Canada @ Commodore Ballroom

Nov 24 - Kamloops, BC, Canada @ Pogue Mahone (no Kyuss Lives!)

Nov 25 - Fernie, BC, Canada @ The Northern (no Kyuss Lives!)
Nov 26 - Calgary, Canada @ Flames Central
Nov 27 - Edmonton, Canada @ Edmonton Event Center
Nov 29 - Winnipeg, Canada @ The Garrick Centre
Nov 30 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
Dec 1 - Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall Ballroom
Dec 2 - Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre
Dec 3 - Pontiac, MI @ The Crofoot

Dec 4 - Columbus, OH @ The Outland (no Kyuss Lives!)
Dec 5 - Greensburg, PA @ The Palace Theatre
Dec 6 - Buffalo, NY @ The Town Ballroom
Dec 7 - Baltimore, MD @ Ram's Head Live
Dec 8 - New Haven, CT @ Toad's Place
Dec 9 - Huntington, NY @ Paramount
Dec 10 - Montclair, NJ @ Wellmont Theatre

Dec 12 - Nashville, TN @ 12th & Porter (no Kyuss Lives!, Black Cobra)

Dec 13 - Memphis, TN @ Hi-Tone Cafe (no Kyuss Lives!, Black Cobra)

BLOODY PANDA remix

2011-11-15T18:35:00.014-05:00

Bloody Panda releases its long-awaited, underground-star-studded “remix” album, Summon: Invocation, today in its entirety via free download:

http://bloodypanda.com/SummonInvocationWebsite/Index.html

Summon: Invocation features reworkings of songs from Bloody Panda’s second full-length, Summon, as conceived by such musicians as Matmos, Jarboe, Mick Barr, Sanford Parker, and members of Portal, Nadja, and Burning Witch.

BrooklynVegan.com’s BBG aptly describes Summon: Invocation as a “reimagining of Bloody Panda's downtuned doom-riff destruction and the icy-demonic screams of Yoshiko Ohara”; in the weeks leading up to the release, the blog posted a series of exclusive interviews with the album's remixers, concluding today with this chat with G. Stuart Dahlquist and Edgy 59 of Burning Witch:

http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2011/11/an_interview_wi_52.html

With Summon: Invocation out now, Bloody Panda continues work on its third full-length album. The band now includes the rhythm section of Krallice - bassist Nick McMaster and drummer Lev Weinstein - along with vocalists Yoshiko Ohara and Gerry Mak, guitarist Josh Rothenberger, and keyboardist Blake McDowell.

2012 preview

2011-11-15T14:55:00.007-05:00

Coming soon:

Jan 17 - Birds In Row - Collected - Vitriol

Collection of all the recordings of explosive French hardcore band, Birds In Row! First US tour is confirmed for spring 2012 with Loma Prieta (Deathwish Inc).

tba - Enabler - debut album - Creator-Destructor

Members and ex-members of Fall Out Boy, The Damned Things, Today Is The Day, Trap Them, Misery Signals, Shai Hulud, and more!

tba - Gaza - third album - BMA

Salt Lake City’s finest blasphemers return! Produced by Converge’s Kurt Ballou. Their last album topped many a year-end list in 2009 and won them a place on AP’s “100 Bands You Need To Know” list.

tba - Stomach Earth - debut album - BMA

Solo project of The Red Chord guitarist Mike McKenzie! Brutal, creeping death-doom that recalls the early works of Godflesh and Cathedral.

tba - Sodomia - debut album - T(r)ape

LA black metal featuring Saviours drummer Scott Batiste and artist/promoter Martin de Pedro!

+ so much more!!!

2011 recap

2011-11-13T18:22:00.001-05:00

Time for the year-end lists - here's a recap of the fine releases I've represented in 2011:

Jan 18 - Graf Orlock - Doombox EP - Vitriol
Jan 18 - Owen Hart - Earth Control - Vitriol
Jan 18 - Imbroglio - Sleep Deprivation - The Path Less Traveled
Jan 25 - Xasthur - Portal of Sorrow - Kemado
Jan 25 - Danava/Earthless/Lecherous Gaze - split - Kemado
Jan 25 - Electric Voyage - Flight of No Return 7" - Kemado
Feb 22 - Spiders - High Society 7" - Kemado
Mar 15 - Zond - Zond - Kemado
Mar 22 - Meek Is Murder - Algorithms - MetalSucks
Mar 29 - True Widow - As High as the Highest Heavens... - Kemado
Apr 4 - Ghostlimb - Infrastructure - Vitriol
Jun 7 - Engineer - Crooked Voices - BMA
Jun 7 - Khann - Erode - BMA
Jun 21 - Ed Gein - Bad Luck EP - BMA
Jun 21 - Fit For an Autopsy - The Process of Human Extermination - BMA
Jun 28 - Futur Skullz - Futur Skullz - Kemado
Jun 28 - Slices - Modern Bride 7" - Kemado
Aug 2 - Flourishing - The Sum of All Fossils - The Path Less Traveled
Aug 16 - Today Is the Day - Pain Is a Warning - BMA
Aug 16 - Moab - Ab Ovo - Kemado
Sep 6 - Saviours - Death's Procession - Kemado
Sep 20 - Tiger Flowers - Last Horse EP - The Path Less Traveled
Sep 27 - Landmine Marathon - Gallows - Prosthetic
Oct 4 - Danava - Hemisphere of Shadows - Kemado
Oct 4 - True Widow - I.N.O. EP - Kemado
Nov 15 - Bloody Panda - Summon: Invocation - self-released
Dec 6 - Czar - Vertical Mass Grave - Cracknation

PRECIOUS METAL on Facebook

2011-11-13T18:00:00.000-05:00

Check out PRECIOUS METAL's new Facebook page, HERE!

CR & friends in Paper Magazine

2011-11-13T17:29:00.001-05:00