Pound – Pound


Although hardly a recent phenomenon, duos are still quite the novelty in rock and metal. While often lazily lumped into that category, acts such as Satyricon, Anaal Nathrakh, and Alcest tend to utilise session musicians when it comes time to record or tour, while those who operate strictly within the parameters of two permanent members and nobody else are still pretty much a rarity in the field. However, thanks to the likes of doomsters Mantar, and Eagle Twin, the drone pair of Nadja, synthwave crew Zombi, and space-rockers Black Asteroids, there does seem to be an apparent rise in the number of genuine duos.Continue reading


Beneath The Silt – Sludge/Doom/post-Metal Roundup: feat Godthrymm, Mournful Congregation, Vile Creature


A début EP can be a very worthwhile investment for a new band, indeed. A chance to introduce the world to their sound and style, without having to commit to (or wait until you’ve written) a full albums worth of material; a chance to not just test the water, but begin to feel out what really works and what doesn’t within a band’s prospective oeuvre. And in the case of Godthrymm, boasting a cast of talented beasts a-plenty, they’ve more than made the most of the opportunity to plant their dark and melancholic flag. Continue reading


Goatsnake, Subrosa, Royal Thunder, Rosetta, etc Confirmed For Crucial Fest 5


crucial fest 5

Crucialfest 5 will be held June 18-20, 2015 in Salt Lake City, UT. The confirmed line will include:

Goatsnake
Dead Meadow
Royal Thunder
Rosetta
Mothership
Kowloon Walled City
Giant Squid
Captured! By Robots
Uzala
Norska
Black Pussy
Ides of Gemini
Demon Lung
Castle
Lesbian
Wild Throne
Ghetto Blaster
Eight Bells
Cold Blue Mountain
Throes

With Locals:
Eagle Twin
SubRosa
Cult Leader
Settle Down
Baby Gurl
Worst Friends
Agape
God’s Revolver
Eons
Dethrone the Soverign
Dark Seas
INVDRS
Cicadas
Disforia
Odium Totus
The Wasatch Fault
Turbo Chugg
The Ditch and the Delta
Oxcross
Filth Lords
Die Off
Top Dead Celebrity
Anthems
Stickfigures
D∅NE
Exes
Hard Men
Magda-Vega

Schedule
Thursday June 18th
Area 51 / 4pm / $10 / 18+ Stage
Baby Gurl
Eons
Throes
Cicadas
The Wasatch Fault
Filth Lords

Area 51 / 4pm / +$5 / 21+ Stage
INVDRS
Eight Bells
Ghetto Blaster
Cold Blue Mountain
Hard Men

Area 51 / 9pm / $10 / 21+
Royal Thunder
Wild Throne
Settle Down
Top Dead Celebrity
Friday June 19th
Area 51 / 4pm / $10 / 18+ Stage
Cult Leader
Rosetta
Ides of Gemini
Norska
Dethrone the Soverign
Disforia

Area 51 / 4pm / +$5 / 21+ Stage
The Ditch and the Delta
Castle
Demon Lung
Oxcross
Odium Totus

Urban Lounge / 9pm / $15 / 21+
Dead Meadow
Black Pussy
Dark Seas
D∅ne
Saturday June 20th
Area 51 / 2pm / $15 / 18+ Stage
SubRosa
Kowloon Walled City
Captured! By Robots
Giant Squid
Mothership
Worst Friends
Anthems
Stickfigures

Area 51 / 2pm / +$5 / 21+ Stage
God’s Revolver
Agape
Lesbian
Die Off
Exes
Danger Hailstorm
Magda-Vega

Urban Lounge / 9pm / $20 / 21+
Goatsnake
Eagle Twin
Uzala
Turbo Chugg
CrucialREST – Sunday June 21st
FREE / ALL AGES / FOOD
Kids & Dogs Welcome! No Alcohol Please
Bands and Venue TBA
*Schedule subject to change.
Accomodations

Crucialfest 5 on Facebook
Crucialfest 5 on Twitter


Mantar Releasing Death By Burning on May 19th


mantar

Northern German two piece monster Mantar is releasing their debut album Death By Burning on May 19, 2015 via Brutal Panda Records. The LP versions will include a full download of Death By Burning along with an exclusive 8 track live set from the band’s German St. Pauli Sessions. Footage from those sessions can be viewed below.

Recorded in 2013 and titled Death By Burning, the album was originally released to immense critical acclaim in Europe in 2014 by Svart Records, and is a raw, self-produced, and 100% DIY display of power. Managing to sound even heavier than most five-piece bands, in spite of the fact that no bass guitar was used on the record, Death by Burning channels early Melvins, Motorhead, and Darkthrone, to deliver a deliciously evil blend of blackened punk. A music video for the song “March of the Crows” can be viewed below.

The half-German/half-Turkish duo, consisting of vocalist/guitarist Hanno Klaenhardt and drummer Erinc Sakarya, are currently on their first US tour with American black metallers Mutilation Rites.

Mantar Tour Dates:

Mar 15: The Sandbox – El Paso, TX (with Mutilation Rites)
Mar 16: The Korova – San Antonio, TX (with Mutilation Rites)
Mar 18: Club Metropolis – Austin, TX (SXSW Heavy Metal Pool Party)
Mar 19: Dirty Dog Bar – Austin, TX (Metal Injection Showcase) (with Veil Of Maya, Cancer Bats, KEN Mode, Full of Hell & more)
Mar 21: Yellow Jacket Social Club – Austin, TX (Rock Of Ages Tattooing Party)( with Goatsnake, Eagle Twin, Coliseum and more)
Mar 23: Gasa Gasa – New Orleans, LA (with Mutilation Rites)
Mar 24: Pug’s Live – Tallahassee, FL (with Mutilation Rites)
Mar 25: Local 662 – St. Petersburg, FL (with Mutilation Rites)
Mar 26: Churchill’s Pub – Miami, FL (with Mutilation Rites)
Mar 27: Hourglass Brewery – Orlando, FL (with Mutilation Rites)
May 21: Maryland Deathfest – Baltimore, MD

Mantar on Facebook
Mantar on Bandcamp
Brutal Panda Records on Facebook


Sleep, Pentagram and Cult Of Luna Added As Headliners On Psycho California


psycho california final

Psycho California is now set for May 15, 16 and 17, 2015 at The Observatory in Santa Ana, CA with Sleep, Pentagram and Cult Of Luna as headliners.

The rest of the previously announced acts include:

Kylesa
Earth
OM
Russian Circles
Orange Goblin
Bedemon
Conan
Eyehategod
Indian
Earthless
Pallbearer
Crowbar
Stoned Jesus
Old Man Gloom
Cave In
Acid Witch
Truckfighters
Tombs
Bang
Electric Citizen
Coffinworm
SubRosa
Eagle Twin
Mammatus
True Widow
Anciients
Bellwitch
Lord Dying
Death By Stereo
Radio Moscow
Ancient Altar
Samsara Blues Experiment
Elder
Mothership
The Well
Deathkings
Wo Fat
Rozamov
Destroyer of Light
Highlands
Bloodmoon
Slow Season
Crypt Trip
Lords of Beacon House
Tumbleweed Dealer
Sinister Haze
Blackout
Red Wizard
Banquet
Loom

Psycho California on Facebook


Roadburn 2015 Announces Wovenhand, Russian Circles, 2nd Enslaved Set


Roadburn full line up Nov 12

Roadburn Festival have announced Wovenhand, Russian Circles, Wardruna and a second Enslaved performance amongst the latest additions to the 2015 edition.

Wovenhand will be headlining the 013 stage, and Russian Circles in the main hall on Thursday, April 9th, 2015. Guitarist Ivar Bjornson of Enslaved and Einar Selvil of Wardruna has been previously announced to curate the event on Friday, April 10th at the 013 venue.

Enslaved will be doing a second show at Roadburn 2015 on Saturday, April 11th. Already announcing the Enslaved/Wardruna collaborative effort Skuggsja, the sound of Norway’s Norse History, Enslaved will also perform a show dubbed House of Northern Gods, consisting of a set list specially put together for Houses of the Holistic, featuring songs from the band’s entire catalogue, accompanying visuals created by Romanian artist Costin Chioreanu.

Wardruna will be doing a special performance dubbed House of the Spinning Seer on Friday, April 10th as part of Houses of the Holistic.

Argus, Bell Witch, Darkher, Eagle Twin, Helms Alee, Sun Worship, Terminal Cheesecake, Tombstones, Brimstone and Uzala have also been confirmed for the 20th edition of Roadburn Festival.

Curated by Ivar Bjørnson (Enslaved) and Wardruna‘s Einar “Kvitrafn” Selvik, Roadburn Festival 2015 (including Fields of the Nephilim, Anathema, Skuggsjá, Enslaved, Wardruna, Claudio Simonetti’s Goblin performing Dawn of The Dead and Susperia in its entirety, Zombi, Sólstafir, White Hills, Bongipper, Floor, Eyehategod and The Heads as Artist In Residence among others) will run from Thursday, April 9 to Sunday, April 12 at the 013 venue in Tilburg, The Netherlands.

 

Bjornson commented:

“The Friday show during Roadburn 2015 will indeed be a special one. We have named the concert ‘House of Northern Gods’ and it will consist of a walk-through of an imaginary, magical house. It is a mental construction that could represent the mythological Valhalla with its inhabitants – or in Jung’s school of psychology: the archetypical roles of the human psyche. This will be the foundation for the set-list and the framework around the concert; there’s a stem of thematic songs from ‘Allfadr Odinn’ (the Paternal archetype) on ‘Hordanes Land’ in 1993 up to ‘Materal’ (the Maternal archetype) from 2012’s ‘RIITIIR’ where various characters/ roles in the ‘House of Northern Gods’ are represented and materialized into music. These are the songs that will make up the Friday show at Roadburn 2015!

“As if it wasn’t a big enough honour to play one show at Roadburn 2015, we get to play a second show Saturday! We are already hard at work with planning to turn these into the most spectacular two Enslaved shows possible, as we know that this double-Roadburn-whammy is not likely to happen again (we’ve heard of lightening striking twice, but thrice?). This second show will be one of the first European shows where we present our new album, that will be released something like a month prior to Roadburn 2015. We don’t like to brag; but be prepared for something monumental! We will also make use of the fact that Tilburg will be loaded to the brim with friends and colleagues at this point, so don’t be surprised if the show culminates in Enslaved having good friends on stage to make sure we go out with a blast! He who lives will see…

Selvik added:

“We are very excited as well as honored to be back to perform at Roadburn 2015 and so we plan to use this occasion to give the audience a concert out of the ordinary. It will be a Wardruna concert in an all-new form. With almost twice the amount of musicians that we normally have on stage our sonic threads of old and new shall be majestically spun and our soundscape carefully woven on the loom of the spinning seer.

Roadburn Festival on Facebook
Roadburn Festival on Twitter

Enslaved RoadburnWovenhand RoadburnRussian Circles Roadburn

 


Hellfest 2013 Report


hellfest logo 2Turning in another formidable line up which featured some very safe bets, attendance-wise, on the main stages but a fantastic representation of extreme music with a clutch of acclaimed Doom, Stoner, Death and Black Metal acts on the Temple, Altar and Valley stages France’s premier metal event Hellfest showed once again the blueprint many U.K. festivals would do well to follow. When it comes to carefully staggering stage times with two adjacent main stages and the two tents containing three other stages, the only excuse for missing any of the action is purely because of the exhaustion of rushing between catching so many scintillating sounds. The headline acts may have been fairly average yet at least the appearance of Danish rockers Volbeat in a coveted headliner role was a bold move even though the band is clearly unready to occupy such a position.Continue reading