ALBUMS OF THE YEAR: STAFF PICKS – Matt Cook’s Top 25 Albums of 2023



With our sights set on the end of one year and the start of another, we are sharing End of Year lists from staff, bands, and some friends in the business. Ghost Cult scribe (and part of our new, expanded reviews editorial team) Matt Cook has great taste in metal, has the most luxurious beard on staff, and is a great dude. Check out his top picks for his Top Albums of 2023!Continue reading


Roadburn 2024 Adds HEALTH, Kavus Torabi, Ragana Royal Thunder Birds In Row, Body Void, Darsombra, Sunrot, Thantifaxath, and More


 

Roadburn has added thirty new bands to the bill for 2024, including several special commissioned performances which are the hallmark of this festival. In addition, to HEALTH performing on the main stage for the first time, Kavus Torabi, Ragana Royal Thunder Birds In Row, Body Void, Darsombra, Sunrot, Thantifaxath, are among the new artists for the fest. You can see or extensive coverage of Roadburn 2023 here. See the full new list below and buy tickets at the link below.

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Ghost Cult’s Album of the Year Countdown 2023: Part 1 (75-41)


 

2013 saw Ghost Cult crown Surgical Steel (Carcass) as our inaugural Album of the Year in a democratic aggregated vote process, untouched by editorial hands (other than the sliding of the abacus balls from one side to the other – or rather the logging of votes and the use of a rather rudimentary spreadsheet), a format we continue to utilise as the years pass, and the seasons grey. Our dedicated team of writers, editors, photographers make their submissions on demand following a month of much wringing-of-hands and profanities being aimed into the editorial mailbox.Continue reading


PODCAST: Episode 251: The Steve and Keefy Power Hour, April 2023 Edition


Time for another edition of The Steve and Keefy Power Hour! Senior Editor Steve Tovey joins Chief Editor Keefy, recapping March 2023 Rock and Metal Releases and previewing April’s essential new heavy music! Two white guys and music nerds pontificate on the music you love. Also, will we have new music soon from Ghost, Slipknot, Foo Fighters, and Iron Maiden? Shoutout to our amazing team of reviewers worldwide. Also, also, RIP Mat Davies as always. Hosted by Ojaay!

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Charity Compilation “Riffs for Reproductive Justice” Surpasses $10K USD in the First 48 Hours


A charity compilation aimed at donating 100% of proceeds to the National Network of Abortion Funds (NNAH: https://www.abortionfunds.org) and the Yellowhammer Fund (https://www.yellowhammerfund.org) has been a big success in just the first 48 hours. Riffs for Reproductive Justice is 33-track set includes artists from Hether Fortune, Closet Witch, Vile Creature, Sunrot, Dawn Ray’d and Racetraitor, Twin Temple, Svalbard, and special tracks include Cliterati’s cover of L7’s ‘Fast and Frightening,’ Fucked and Bound’s cover of Sonic Youth’s ‘Kool Thang’ and Thou’s cover of the Leadbelly classic, ‘In the Pines’, which they teased on social media earlier in the week. Organized by Activist and metal journalist Kim Kelly (ex-Noisey, Rolling Stone) who recently launched the Black Flags Over Brooklyn anti-facist music festival in Brooklyn, sees many of these acts who participated in the fest. Donation receipts will be posted in a Dropbox folder which will be shared with the bands and with anyone who requests access. Kudos to a great job fighting for this crucial cause and the fight is just beginning. Continue reading


Morne, Cloud Rat, Chepang, Heavy Temple, Booked For Black Flags Over Brooklyn


Black Flags Over Brooklyn 2019 will be New York’s first-ever anti-fascist extreme metal festival! They have announced their full lineup for their show taking place Friday, January 25th and Saturday, January 26th at Brooklyn Bazaar. The Friday night show will be followed by an all-day Saturday event that will include an all-day vendor market of band merch, label distros, radical publishers, activist organizations, local artisans, and more. Fifteen bands from all over the world will play including Dawn Ray’d, Cloud Rat, Racetraitor, Ragana, Vile Creature, Closet Witch, Morne, Chepang, Whitephosphorous, Sunrot, Trophy Hunt, Heavy Temple, Axebreaker, and Niuta are all set to play. The fest also launched a Kickstarter for merch and rewards,and tickets are on sale now.Continue reading


Fulgora Add Guitarist Sparky Voyles For Upcoming Shows


fulgora

Grindcore supergroup Fulgora (Pig Destroyer, Misery Index, Agoraphobic Nosebleed) has added guitarist Sparky Voyles (Dying Fetus, Misery Index) for their upcoming string of live dates. They will be pushing their full length recording Stratagem, released last month via Housecore Records.

May 21: The Acheron – Brooklyn, NY (w/ Blooded Head, Sunrot, Scowl)
May 23: The Edison Lot (Maryland Deathfest) – Baltimore, MD
Sep 12: Full Terror Assault – Cave-In-Rock, IL

Fulgora on Facebook
Fulgora on Housecore Records

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Die Choking Book Upcoming Tour Dates With Artificial Brain


die choking artifical brain tour

Philadelphia thrash grinders Die Choking have booked a string of Northeastern US dates, aside from a number of other upcoming live dates which are posted below.

Mar 26: Main Manor – New Castle, DE (w/ Artificial Brain, Traitor, Wojtek, Vicious Embrace)
Mar 27: Ottobar – Baltimore, MD (w/ Artificial Brain, Mother Brain, Kreig, Occult 45 – all ages)
Mar 28: The Shop – Pittsburgh, PA (w/ Artificial Brain, Dendritic Arbor, Meth Quarry – all ages)
Mar 29: The Meatlocker – Monclair, NJ (all ages w/ Artificial Brain, Organ Dealer, Sunrot)
Apr 25: Ortleibs – Philadelphia, PA (w/ Starkweather, Darkside NYC, Edgewise, Dysphoria)
May 01: Bremen Cafe – Milwaukee, WI (w/ No Brainer)
May 02: No Tomorrow Fest – Appleton, WI (w/ MDC, Hemdale, Solstice, Sick/Tired, Tenement, Cloud Rat, Deathwish, more)
May 03: Spunk Manor – Indianapolis, IN (w/ Cloud Rat, Sick/Tired)
May 14: Lucky 13 – Brooklyn, NY (w/ Fantasy Panther, Scowl)
May 15: TBA – New England
May 16: TBA – New England

Die Choking will enter Studio 4 in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania with Will Yip (Lauryn Hill, Circa Survive, Blacklisted, Cop Problem) April 1st to lay down thirteen tracks for their debut LP. With an unyielding and uncompromising style of thrash-gone-grind speedfreak hardcore, Die Choking’s already frighteningly unhinged attack will be witnessed with even greater magnitude on the as-yet-unnamed LP, with even faster BPM-rates and more complicated arrangements employed in the design work of the songs.

Watch band drummer Josh Cohen playing in the studio below.

Watch their music video for “Tonsil” below.

Die Choking on Facebook
Die Choking on Bandcamp
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The Compound Records Official Site
Earsplit Distro Official Site
The Compound Records on Bandcamp