On February 10, 2008, when Oakland’s High On Fire came thundering into New York to play Brooklyn’s Club Europa in support of their latest album, Death Is This Communion, MetalKult braved the cold weather and packed crowds to document this event. When all was said and done, and we finally looked at the footage we shot…we were sure glad we did. High On Fire’s guitarist Matt Pike, drummer Des Kensel and bassist Jeff Matz did not disappoint.
Below, check out the power trio as they deliver bone-crushing performances of “Blessed Black Wings,” “Nemesis” and “Turk.” (more…)
Swedish experimental rockers Cult of Luna have entered Tonteknik Studios in their home town of Umea, Sweden, to record their fifth full length album.
The band have eight songs ready to commit to tape, having spent the preceding weeks fine tuning the material that will look to build further on the success of Somewhere Along the Highway.
Although the band are yet confirm the title, the album will see the band attempt to adapt their sound, welcoming a harsher and more primal element to their already complex approach.
Guitarist/vocalist Johannes Persson offers his cryptic commentary: “As we close the doors of the Tonteknik studio and travel into unchartered musical ground, only one thing is sure; what will come out will have been born from pain and violence.”
Cult of Luna’s new album is scheduled for a June release.
The band have already confirmed the following shows this year:
19.03 Oslo (NO), Sub Scene, Inferno Metal Festival
20.03 Oslo (NO), John Dee, Inferno Metal Festival
19.04 Tilburg (NL), 013 Popcentre, Roadburn Festival
22.06 Brittany (FR), Hellfest
Seminal grindcore masters Carcass have posted a trailer from The Pathologist’s Report DVD documentary series, which forms the extra bonus material on the forthcoming reissue of the Necroticism - Descanting the Insalubrious album.
The documentary interviews, filmed in London and Liverpool at the end of 2007, feature the main members of Carcass - Ken Owen, Bill Steer, Jeff Walker and Michael Amott - discussing in-depth the story behind the band’s development from gore-soaked grind beginnings to the more refined melodic moments of their later output. The two and half hours of interviews that comprise The Pathologist’s Report have been edited into 30 minute mini-documentaries that will be added as bonus material to each of the band’s five studio albums. The first release in the series will be Necroticism - Descanting the Insalubrious, set for release on April 14 in Europe and May 27 in the US. The release will come housed in a deluxe digi-pak and the first 5000 copies will come with free band member death scene cards.
Before they were creating proto-black metal in Celtic Frost, guitarist/vocalist Tom Gabriel Fischer and bassist Martin Eric Ain were members of seminal blackened thrash outfit Hellhammer. If you’re a fan of Celtic Frost, Hellhammer, or extreme metal in general, you should definitely check out Hellhammer’s new demo reissue, Demon Entrails (Century Media), which sheds new light on a band that influenced generations of aggressive music.
Active from 1982–1984, Switzerland’s Hellhammer released three seminal demos, Satanic Rites, Death Fiend, Triumph of Death, one full-length, Apocalyptic Raids, one seven inch, Buried and Forgotten, as well making appearances on various compilations such as the Metal Massacre series. These early recordings, either by design or by sheer coincidence, sounded far more satanic, hardcore and metal-charged than most of the heavy metal at the time.
In fact, at the time, most mainstream music fans considered Hellhammer’s sound to be formless noise. But this didn’t stop the group from attracting a rabid cult following throughout the world—a following that would only grow after the group’s demise. Even today, the impact of this “formless noise” can be heard in the black, death and thrash metal scenes, as well as in the hardcore and punk worlds. (more…)
You wanted them, you got em! Here’s two more live Immortal videos!
When Norwegian black metallers Immortal—guitarist Abbath, drummer Horgh, and Aura Noir’s Apollyon on bass—hit New York on their 7 Dates of Blashyrkh tour, on July 13, 2007, MetalKult had the opportunity to film their killer set.
Below, take a look at Abbath and crew burning through “One By One” and “Sons of Northern Darkness” (more…)
When MetalKult trekked out to Brooklyn on June 16, 2007, to catch Pig Destroyer’s record release show, we knew we were in for a night of sonic bludgeoning from the Virginia grind band. But, what we didn’t know was that we would also be thoroughly won over by opening act Genghis Tron’s bombast of finger tapping goodness, power electronic madness, drum machine terror and heinous vocal onslaught.
By the time the Philly three-piece—featuring Mookie Singerman (vox/keys), Michael Sochynsky (keys/drum programming) and Hamilton Jordan (guitar)—concluded its raucous set, we knew we wanted to do something with these young, noisy shredders.
It just so happened that Genghis Tron were in the process of writing for their forthcoming third release, Board Up the House (Relapse Records). So when the time came for the band to enter Massachusetts’ GodCity Studio to record with Kurt Ballou, we realized our opportunity had arrived. And luckily for us, the GT dudes went along with it and agreed to grab a MetalKult camera and document the process.
Below, in our exclusive six-part video feature, check out this unparalleled behind-the-scenes action from a hardworking, progressively minded band exploring the boundaries of heavy music. (more…)
I’m not a huge stoner or doom fan, but Electric Wizard’s latest record, Witchcult Today (Rise Above)—with its eight tracks of monolithic, narcotic doom and trippy melodic sense that grooves in a Charlie Manson/Spahn Ranch kinda way—put its hook in me and won’t let go. If I smoked weed, I would definitely turn on Witchcult Today, turn out the lights, burn one…and then start sharpening my knives and see where the night took me. Luckily I don’t smoke weed.
Electric Wizard was formed in Dorset, England, back in 1993, by guitarist Jus Oborn, (more…)
One lucky winner will receive an ESP AX 50 silver guitar, a guitar case by Coffin Case, and custom made corpse prop by FX wizard Drew Pierce of Cutthroat Studios! All details, photos, rules, and contest entry form are available at the Metal Blade website on the Contest page HERE.
Also check out The Black Dahlia Murder’s video blog at Zune.
Kingdom of Sorrow, featuring Jamey Jasta (Hatebreed) and Kirk Windstein (Down, Crowbar), are streaming their full-length album now exclusively via MySpace.com/KingdomOfSorrow.
Kingdom of Sorrow will release their debut album next Tuesday, February 19th in North America (February 25th internationally) with pre-orders being accepted now at this location. To launch the record, Jasta has scheduled a number of in-store appearances and signings at various record stores along the East Coast for next week. A listing of stores and times can be found below.
During the week of release, Jasta will also be stopping by the Sirius and XM Radio Satellite offices, in addition to WSOU (NJ), WZMR (NY), and more, for live on-air interviews. A listing of stations and times can also be found below.
Kingdom of Sorrow will make their live debut later this month as they begin a string of dates in support of their new release. These dates will kick-off in Worcester, MA and extend for a week across the Northeastern US. Support includes Turmoil, Dead to Fall, Thy Will Be Done, and more on select dates.
A listing of confirmed Kingdom of Sorrow tour dates follows with more details being announced soon.
Kingdom of Sorrow Appearances / Tour Dates: (more…)
