Mucho gracias!

i haven't been in the metal thread for a while, but picked up OMII last week. i like it, but you've completely hit on why it bugs me... it feels like watching a spanish-only soap opera. wtf is going on???

and sask, i just saw that judas priest blurb... please tell me you confirmed that was a joke?

Heh. It's real. It's very, very real.

Full story here.

This Priest album sounds like a disaster ready to happen...but we all kinda scoffed and laughed at the idea of "Operation: Mindcrime II," didn't we? (Then again, as a friend of mine pointed out, Queensryche actually had a proven track record with this sort of grand concept thing, whereas Priest...I dunno. May just have to wait and see.)

Re: Boris. So far, this thing is kicking my ass. To be truthful, I was expecting it to be some droning, non-structured, experimental noise record along Sunn O))) lines, which isn't really my bag at all. Thankfully, it certainly is not. There's definitely some noisy, doomy, experimental stuff going on there, but there are actual SONGS, and riffs and a real energy to it, instead of being just an intellectual/music theory exercise (or a test of one's patience!). Its definitely easy to get into if you like psych rock, stoner rock, garage, "classic" punk rock and metal, etc. without ever really pandering to any of those styles or audiences. I can handle a degree of experimentation, but to me, there has to be some context to it. (This said, I'm not sure whether I'd like Boris' earlier work, based on what I've read on Allmusic, but Pink is pretty great.)

I will guarandamntee () that you will like their Heavy Rocks album. If I can free some HD space I'll upload it.

And they ruled in concert last night. Blog review to follow soon~!

[edit] And I must say that All Music knows shit-all about Boris. Last I checked, they had listed less albums in the discography than I own!

The new Korpiklaani is so good. Like Finntroll, they're one of those Finnish folk metal bands who combine humpaa music (a local variation of polka with klezmer, accordion, and mouth harp) with thrash/power metal, and as insane as the combination may sound, this stuff is loads of fun. It's next to impossible to get past the opening track "Happy Little Boozer", a wacky little pub sing-along that's like a Finnish version of the Dropkick Murphys:

hxxps://s9.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1OFCZG8K1ODS822QCZEV9AK38J

How is the new Venom "Metal Black"????????

So I went and saw High On Fire last night and all I can say is GODDAMN that was a great show. Loud, sweaty, beer-soaked fun. Unfortunately I was right next to Matt Pike's stack and now I'm hearing nothing but high-pitched tones. Dude would turn his amp up a little after every song and by the end of the show it was just a deafening mush. So awesome. I was sad to see that Joe Preston's already out of the band but the new bass player held it down fine. Don't miss these guys when they play near you.

I haven't heard it yet...but the majority of the reactions I've seen on the web have been negative.

Sounds pretty damn cool.

BTW, Boris/Grails live review now up on my blog!

Sask (or anyone), have you run across an album called Kezia by Protest the Hero? I've got to get my hands on this! It's post-hardcore/emo technical thrash - clean vocals with harmonies in spots, some growling, a whole lot of time changes, etc. I've heard two songs and they kick ass. If anyone has this, please post it up. Thanks!

BTW, I heard them on XM's re-constituted Liquid Metal channel. I'm freaking stoked they brought LM back. I heard a song from Protest the Hero, Metal Thrashing Mad, and Grand Conjuration back-to-back-to-back. Love it.

I've been holding off downloading Kezia because I'm actually awaiting the arrival of the CD in the mail for a PopMatters feature piece, but I'm so excited about this band, I just might cave and grab it. The band had a video for a song called "These Colours Don't Run" a year or so ago, which I found rather grating, but hearing clips of the new album (it came out last year in Canada), I was blown away.

You know what, screw the waiting, I'm going to get this from oink right now. I'll try to post it before Saturday.

You da man! I heard Heretics & Killers on XM - awesome rhythmic beginning trading off with acoustic guitar overlayed with clean vocals and a bit of growling. I was blown away. It was like listening to a thrashier Avenged Sevenfold crossed with Dillinger Escape Plan or something. The song Nautical is available for download on their website.

You know, it just dawned on me, after seeing the cover art, that Best Buy has this album on sale. I saw it last week but had noclue what it was, and didn't make the connection until now. I'm going that way right now anyway, so I'm picking up a copy (I hope).

It's a very, very strong album, one that could win over a lot of metalcore skeptics. It's like a more accessible Between the Buried and Me. There's one song near the end with a girl singing that bowled me over, but I forget which one it was.

Yeah, I freaking love this CD. Between the Buried and Me is a perfect reference. That's a band I have a hard time getting into because of the vocals. This one doesn't have that problem at all. It's an exhausting album, similar to Avenged Sevenfold because it's non-stop emotion that can get overwhelming at times. But damn, this album is awesome. I put on Heretics & Killers in the car, and after the initial shock, even my wife was kinda following along with it.

Here's Protest the Hero:

hxxp://download.yousendit.com/7B88D6BB56E46955

Plus, it's not as sloppy as the Avenged Sevenfold album, which, fun as it is, is quite the bloated mess. The metal fans here have to download this.

True, although youknow I love that album. This one is definitely better, though. I'll admit that!

So I've been listening to the new Scar Symmetry album a lot as of late, and after a couple months of slowly getting into it, it finally hit me that this is one great CD. I was a big fan of their first album, which did the Soilwork melodic death thing, but was much better than Soilwork's album from last year. The new CD, though, tops it by a considerable margin, heavier, more aggressive, but at the same time, with even stronger melodies than before. It's all about the singer, who has the most versatile metal voice that I know of today, taking on any style (death, black, hardcore, power metal), and nailing each one, it's just remarkable. I counted five different voices the guy uses.

Anyway, the album's highlight is "The Kaleidoscopic God", an insane seven-minute piece that does the all-over-the-map thing that BTBAM, A7X, and Protest the Hero do, but with the precision of a veteran Gothenburg band. A brief summation of what goes on in this song:

0:00 - 0:20 Classic Gothenburg riff (think Dark Tranquillity)
0:21 - 0:40 Full-on black metal riffs and screams
0:41 - 0:50 Brutal death metal, cookie monster vox
1:24 - 1:42 Proggy Dredg chorus, with melodic singing, including falsetto
2:35 - 3:13 Power metal solo break
3:13 - 3:34 Death breakdown
3:35 - 4:13 Symphonic metal interlude w/orchestra
4:14 - 4:41 Straight-ahead Soilwork knock-off
4:42 - 5:03 Shocking late 80s Voivod groove breakdown!
5:04 - 5:44 Helloween style staccato power metal break
5:45 - 6:04 Back to symphonic metal
6:05 - end Reprise of the chorus

Thrilling stuff! Listen for yourself:

"The Kaleidoscopic God"

Damn, this sounds like it's right up my alley. Downloading now.

Many a thanks!

Yep, me likey.

Oh shit, that is an awesome track. I'll have to check out more from these guys, thanks for the hook-up.

And now I'm listening to that Protest The Hero album, shit is good. Why did I overlook most metal for so long?

The rest of the new Scar Symmetry album is not quite as crazy as the track I posted, but is still very good, alternating neatly between melody and aggression. As I've said in the past, they have a knack for vocal melodies that few Swedish death bands can match. Here's the video for the new track "The Illusionist", which gives you a pretty good idea of what I mean:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5c05zyztpA...scar%20symmetry

High on Fire and The Sword are both playing Intonation. The Sword is really great live as well.

Sweet, I'll check that out later. I think that alternating is what I really liked the most about the track, and what I loved so much about Opeth's album. It keeps things interesting and from getting too overwhelming for someone who isn't as well versed in metal. It's also one of the things that attracted me to some of the early emo stuff, the alternating between loud and soft dynamics. I'm a big fan of tracks that shift direction like that, may also explain why I like that Avenged Sevenfold disc too.

You and I are on the same page.

Alright, so I fully expect brickbats being thrown at me for this, but I just picked up Buckcherry's first album in four years, 15. You know...the "I LOVE THE COCAINE!" band that made a small splash at the turn of the millennium. Its nothing spectacular or unexpected from them, but its a solid, fun little cock-rock album, full of the Motley Crue/GNR by way of Black Crowes-esque straightahead sleazy hard rock this band was known for. The single, "Crazy Bitch," is ridiculously offensive and profane, but kick ass and catchy as all get out, and most of the record is along similar lines musically (though most of the other lyrics are somewhat less stoopid on the other songs) save for a few power ballads.

Again, nothing earth shattering here, but I'm always happy to hear good old fashioned sleaze rock every once in a while, and Buckcherry does it pretty much better than anyone now.

If there's any interest, I can up a few tracks a little later on.

I wouldn't mind hearing that song...Hickman was raving about it as well, a while back.

I got the massive new Therion DVD/CD set the other day, and is it ever huge. Four DVDs, two CDs, with what has to be about ten hours of footage. It's amazing, there's a full Mexico City concert from 2004 (on DVD and CD), a full set from Wacken in 2001, tons of live footage shot from their recent world tour (including Chicago), home movie documentaries, videos, a detailed, highly fascinating look at the recording of Lemuria/Sirius B, and a disc packed with performances from every year between 1989 and 2001. This is the kind of exhaustive archive collection that fans of any band dream of.

http://s57.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1E7HQJ2...3M0VTTATDM7LDO2

Buckcherry - "Crazy Bitch"

Thanks, Diesel!

Have I got a good one for you guys, a track from the new Dagoba album. They're from France, and do the Fear Factory/SYL/Pantera thing as well as anyone. This song is killer, executing the formula perfectly. And the pair of breakdowns are massive, with a weird synth screech adding a supercool creepy vibe.

"Die Tomorrow (...What if You Should?)"

Cool!

Damn, I've been abroad and this album looks good. Anyone able to re-up by any chance?

Tonight, if I get the chance.

Ready to celebrate?

http://www.nationaldayofslayer.org/

Protest the Hero:

hxxp://download.yousendit.com/272E8C3361F26575

Maybe I'll need to get ahold of Reign In Blood before then, I've never heard it. I know I've heard a song or two, but never the whole thing.

=) That's a great holiday. I'm there.

Should start a Slayer megathread that day.


Someone post Reign in Blood for Alky, ASAP!

Or maybe I'll do it after the weekend.

I've gotten so much new stuff over the last few weeks, that I thought I'd better start sharing some of the best tunes I've heard recently.

Ihsahn - "The Pain is Still Mine"
From the solo debut by the former Emperor singer/guitarist. The album goes in a strange 70s prog rock direction (while still retaining touches of black metal), which sounded a bit odd at first, but which has since grown on me. It's a bit sterile, as Ihsahn plays all instruments save for drums, but the songs are all top-notch, especially a duet he does with Garm from Ulver. This song is the best of the bunch, a ten-minute proggy epic that bears a great resemblance to King Diamond, in more ways than just the vocals.

Beyond Fear - "Scream Machine"
Beyond Fear - "Coming At You"
These are from the new side project by Ripper Owens, an extremely goofy album of Priest/Dio 80s metal fun recorded with a bunch of his friends. It's all unapolagetically retro, very stupid, and as far from cutting edge as you can get, but I just cannot stop playing it. "Coming At You" has that unmistakable, cornball mid-80s American metal feel to it, which I can't resist. And Ripper can still belt out the notes. SCREEEEEAM MACHIIIIINE!

More tunes to follow tonight...

that site made my day

For those who missed it, here's a track I posted in the Now Playing thread from the new Melvins Live Houdini album. An awesome 7+ minute long version of "Night Goat"

has unearthly trance been posted yet? i guess i'll up it now.
the album's got an extraordinary backstory. well it starts with Poseidon raping the maiden Medusa in the Temple of Athena. Athena turns Medusa into snakes and something else about frozen gazes and stone.

[quote name='velocity' date='Apr 29 2006, 12:40 AM' post='76584']
[quote name='Freddie Freelance' post='76011' date='Apr 28 2006, 10:18 AM']
Ready to celebrate?

http://www.nationaldayofslayer.org/

[quote]National Day of Slayer

6.6.06 isn't a date that comes around very often (once per century, to be exact), and while plenty of stupid horror movies and terrible albums will be released for the hype value of the day that bears "the number of the beast", we here at NDoS decided that this would be a perfect day for Hessians across the country to come together and engage in something upon which we can all agree - listening to Slayer! Also, do you really want those evangelical Neo-Cons to have all the fun with their "National Day of Prayer"?



Who is Slayer

Slayer is a band from California. Their music has come to epitomize Satanic speed metal music in the latter half of the 20th Century. Their 1986 album, "Reign in Blood" is one of the single most influential metal albums of all time, typified by the modern classic "Angel of Death".

Official Statement on Participation

• Listen to Slayer at full blast in your car.
• Listen to Slayer at full blast in your home.
• Listen to Slayer at full blast at your place of employment.
• Listen to Slayer at full blast in any public place you prefer.

DO NOT use headphones! The objective of this day is for everyone within earshot to understand that it is the National Day of Slayer. National holidays in America aren't just about celebrating; they're about forcing it upon non-participants.

Taking that participation to a problematic level

• Stage a "Slay-out." Don't go to work. Listen to Slayer.
• Have a huge block party that clogs up a street in your neighborhood. Blast Slayer albums all evening. Get police cruisers and helicopters on the scene. Finish with a full-scale riot.
• Spray paint Slayer logos on churches, synagogues, or cemeteries.
• Play Slayer covers with your own band (since 99% of your riffs are stolen from Slayer anyway).
• Kill the neighbor's dog and blame it on Slayer.

Where to purchase Slayer albums

If you don't already have at least one Slayer album in your collection, purchase from amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/search/ref=br_ss_...Go.x=11&Go.y=10

Save time and money -- buy "Reign in Blood." Just be sure to order it in time for June 6th!
Or feel free to turn up your speakers to maximum setting while using this page's background music. [/quote]
[/quote]
=) That's a great holiday. I'm there.


I will be at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago June 13th to see them....I have seen them 3 times at 2 Ozzfests but the last time was in Nov 2004 at the Aragon with Dave Lombardo. Be prepared people, they are unreal live

unearthly trance- the trident
hxxp://download.yousendit.com/2700C9B6005A8010

Thanks for the Unearthly Trance! I'll grab it shortly.

Here are some more new tunes:

Arsis - "Roses on White Lace"
An underrated Alice Cooper gem (from the overlooked Raise Your Fist and Yell) given the melodic death treatment, and it's a perfect fit. From last year's A Diamond For Disease EP, which I heard for the first time today.
RIYL: Arch Enemy

Voivod - "The X-Stream"
Solid advance track from the upcoming Voivod album, one with a lot more groove than heard on the last album from 2003. Piggy recorded the guitar parts in the months before his death late last year.
RIYL: Uh, Voivod

Unexpect - "In the Wake of Separation"
Wacky, wacky art metal by a bunch of eclectic Montreal musicians. Black metal, technical hardcore, folk, classical, jazz, and multiple male/female vocals colliding all at once. I find it fascinating. This song is from their upcoming album, due in June, apparently.
RIYL: Frank Zappa, anything involving Mike Patton

Yyrkoon - "Signs"
Lovecraftian death/thrash metal from France. like their new album quite a bit, but this bonus track from the album is by far the best song, the only one that employs clean vocals. To great effect, if you ask me.
RIYL: Behemoth, Morbid Angel

Scissorfight - "Victory Over Horseshit"
Their new album Jaggernaut is killer, as is this song, a cool bit of Southern groove, drenched in some good ol' sludge. Uber-catchy.
RIYL: Clutch, Drunk Horse, QOTSA

Fucking hell. I'm dying to see them in Leeds tonight, but fucking Lost apparently starts tonight! Dilemma!

Just a quick thanks for this. Got it today and it's good. Kinda sucks for it to be hard by me around the same time as the Tool album (see blog for initial thoughts on that one), but good stuff nonetheless!