Metal Dad - Hardcore for Life

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Calling All Cars on the Vegas Strip

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I'm a Metal Fan

Hat Tip: Flaming Pablum

Now Playing: Infest - No Man's Slave - Rabid Pigs

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Now Playing: Assück - Anticapital/Blindspot+3 - Automate

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Norma Jean Hits the Studio

 
Our daughter loves Norma Jean

Official press release:

Norma Jean, now in the studio with producer Ross Robinson (Glassjaw, At The Drive In) and engineer Ryan Boesch, will deliver their fourth album The Anti Mother late this summer on Solid State Records (exact release date TBA). For a few of the album's songs, the band wrote in collaboration separately with Page Hamilton of Helmet and Chino Moreno of Deftones.

The Anti Mother marks the follow-up to the Atlanta-based post hardcore group's critically lauded 2006 Redeemer album, hailed by Revolver magazine as "a menacingly brutal slab of noisecore with just the right hint of melody, while Kerrang! declared it to be "a cauterizing kaleidoscope of earth-clawing turmoil and brutalized sonic adventure..." Fans will get to experience The Anti Mother live this summer when Norma Jean - Cory Brandan (vocals), Scottie Henry (guitars), Jake Schultz (bass), Chris Day (guitars) and Chris Raines (drums) - hit the road as one of the headlining main-stage acts on the Vans Warped Tour 2008.

"The Anti Mother is a character we created which represents anything that is deceptive, and yet possesses an outwardly beautiful nature," lead singer Cory Brandan says of the album title and theme. Musically, he points out "this record is the most melodic album we've ever created, but it's definitely the heaviest record Norma Jean has done as well--and furious at that."
The spirit of collaboration highlights The Anti Mother. "We were able to work with Page and Chino on two separate occasions, and as two of our biggest influences musically, it was definitely a moment having them here in the studio." Cory notes, "Page came to our practice space and for the first hour he was just showing us cool guitar chords, teaching us new things technically. The song we wrote with him is heavy as crap and full of energy--you'll notice his influence. For Chino, the writing was more impulsive. We were already in pre-production with Ross, but the song we wrote with Chino came out so diverse and anti-traditional. Chino ended up hanging out for a few days and we wrote two songs with him." Adds Cory: "Many bands have guest vocalists on their records, but we were inspired by the idea of collaborative songwriting with some of our favorite musicians. In a collaboration, no one is beyond reproach, and there is always something we can learn and someone to learn it from."

Hat Tip: Lambgoat

Now Playing: Sunn 0))) - White 1 - My Wall

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Metal Masters Tour

METAL LEGENDS JUDAS PRIEST, HEAVEN & HELL, MOTORHEAD, AND TESTAMENT UNITE FOR ‘METAL MASTERS TOUR’
WORLD PREMIERE OF JUDAS PRIEST ‘NOSTRADAMUS’ COVER ART AND FREE MP3 DOWNLOAD OF TITLE TRACK AT LIVENATION.COM
After weeks of speculation, Live Nation has put together a killer package that is bound to go down as the heavy metal event of 2008 - Judas Priest, Heaven and Hell, Motorhead and Testament will be touring together for the first time.
Dubbed ‘The Metal Masters Tour,’ the fifteen-date U.S. trek kicks off August 6th at the Susquehanna Bank Center in Camden, New Jersey.  Tickets go on sale to the public beginning this weekend at www.livenation.com.  Judas Priest will be supporting their epic concept album, ‘Nostradamus,’ arriving June 17th via Epic Records, which tells the tale of the renowned 16th century prophet.  A few tracks from ‘Nostradamus’ will make their in-concert debut on ‘The Metal Masters Tour,’ but the majority of Priest’s set list will include some of metal’s all-time classics, as well as fan favorites that span the quintet’s entire career. Without a doubt, this will be one of Priest’s most powerful sets ever.
As a ‘sneak peak treat’ to fans starved for a musical taster, the first cut off the new album will make its world premiere debut as exclusive free MP3 download starting today exclusively at www.livenation.com/judaspriest.
Heaven & Hell will be supporting the release of ‘The Rules Of Hell,’ a five-CD boxed set available July 22nd from Rhino Records, which features re-mastered versions of all four Dio-era Black Sabbath albums (‘Heaven and Hell,’ ‘Mob Rules,’ ‘Live Evil’ and ‘Dehumanizer’) in a deluxe package with new liner notes.
Perennial road rats Motorhead will be offering a blistering barnstormer of a set spanning more than three decades of molar-rattling biker metal.  A new studio album - the 20th of their storied career - is currently being recorded at their old pal Dave Grohl’s studio with an August release date targeted.  Frontman Lemmy, named by the U.K.’s Guardian newspaper as “the nation’s greatest living Englishman,” blairs out, "Here it comes everybody, the test of your Metalness in 2008 and the years to come!  Come one come all and be abused!"
Rounding out the line-up will be legendary thrash metal titans Testament, whose new album, ‘The Formation of Damnation,’ (April 29th) displays Testament as the quintessential modern heavy metal band, whose experience and accumulated skill allows them to attack with reserves of anger, energy and finesse that make them more powerful than ever.  Lead singer Chuck Billy says, “Uniting these bands is the heavy metal event of generations.  We are so proud to be a part of it.”
Although all four bands may represent different subgenres of heavy metal, all four have one thing in common – they have stuck to their stylistic guns through thick and thin, and have remained true to the metal form.  And soon, band and fan will be united as one on ‘The Metal Masters Tour.’
“As ever, we look forward to screaming out loud with our metal maniac fans when we hit the road,” enthuses Priest singer, Rob Halford.  “Thank you once again for your devotion and support.  The Priest is back!”
This tour will be limited to fifteen very special engagements, and Citi cardmembers will have pre-sale access to tickets through Citi's Private Pass® Program, available to all Citi cardmembers at www.privatepass.citi.com.
Metal maniacs seeking the ultimate concert experience can access unique VIP ticket and fan experience packages that offer premium seats, meet & greets,  pre-concert parties and more brought to you by the band's official websites,
www.judaspriest.com and www.heavenandhelllive.com.
VIP packages for the first events will be on sale by 10 a.m eastern time on Friday, April 25th.  Also, not all VIP packages are the same, so be sure to pick the right one that suits you best.
See the official web sites for continually updated tour information and on-sale dates.
The dates are as follows:

Wed 06-Aug-08 Susquehanna Bank Center, Camden, NJ
Thu 07-Aug-08 Nissan Pavilion, Bristow, VA
Sat 09-Aug-08 PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel, NJ
Sun 10-Aug-08 Nikon at Jones Beach, Wantagh, NY
Wed 13-Aug-08 Molson Amphitheatre, Toronto,ON
Sat 16-Aug-08 Post Gazette Pavilion, Pittsburgh, PA
Mon 18-Aug-08 DTE Energy Music Theatre, Detroit, MI
Tue 19-Aug-08 First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre, Chicago, IL
Fri 22-Aug-08 Superpages.com Amphitheatre, Dallas, TX
Sat 23-Aug-08 Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Houston, TX
Sun 24-Aug-08 Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, San Antonio, TX
Wed 27-Aug-08 Journal Pavilion, Albuquerque, NM
Thu 28-Aug-08 Cricket Wireless Pavilion, Phoenix, AZ
Sat 30-Aug-08 Glen Helen Pavilion, San Bernardino, CA
Sun 31-Aug-08 Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA

Hat Tip chipsterpr

Now Playing: Bathory - Twilight of the Gods - Twilight of the Gods

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Heaven Shall Burn

Check out my review of Iconoclast (Part 1: The Final Resistance) over at Metal Underground.

Now Playing: Napalm Death - Nazi punks fuck off - N.p.f.o. (live)

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What Gives, No Chicago?

Killwhitneydead, Carnifex, The Demonstration, and Dance Club Massacre. The following dates have been announced:

6/27 Virginia Beach, VA @ Club Relevant
6/28 Fredericksburg, VA @ KC's Music Alley
6/29 Allentown, PA @ The Crocodile Rock
6/30 Pompton Lakes, NJ @ Mainstage
7/1 Manchester, NH @ Rocko's
7/3 Johnstown, NY @ Rerdmens 518
7/4 Boston, MA @ ICC
7/5 Bucksport, ME @ The Kave
7/7 Muncy, PA @ The Ritz Theatre
7/8 Rochester, NY @ The American Legion
7/9 Cleveland, OH @ Peabody's
7/10 Toledo, OH @ Frankie's
7/11 South Bend, IN @ RPMP
7/15 Covington, KY @ The Mad Hatter
7/16 Fort Wayne, IN @ Sunset Hall
7/17 Louisville, KY @ Uncle Pleasants

Hat Tip: Lambgoat

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A May Tour for The Ocean and Lair of the Minotaur

The Ocean and Lair of the Minotaur will hit the road together in late-May for a three-week tour. Here's the itinerary:

dates w/ Kylesa, Withered
5/24 Boston, MA @ Church of Boston
5/25 Wallingford, CT @ Cherry Street Station
5/26 New York, NY @ Knitting Factory
5/27 Cleveland, OH @ Peabody's
5/28 Chicago, IL @ Reggie's Rock Club
5/29 Covington, KY @ Mad Hatter
5/30 Charlotte, NC @ Tremont Music Hall
5/31 Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade

dates w/ Kylesa
6/1 Orlando, FL @ Back Booth
6/2 Tampa, FL @ Brass Mug
6/3 Tallahassee, FL @ The Beta Bar
6/4 Metarie, LA @ The High Ground
6/6 Austin, TX @ Red 7 w/ The Destro
6/7 Denton, TX @ Rubber Gloves w/ The Destro
6/8 San Antonio, TX @ Rock Bottom w/ The Destro
6/10 El Paso, TX @ Chic's
6/11 Farmington, NM @ Gator's

dates w/ Intronaut
6/12 Tempe, AZ @ Clubhouse
6/13 Fresno, CA @ Audie's Olympic
6/14 San Francisco, CA @ Annie's Social Club
6/15 San Marcos, CA @ Jumping Turtle
6/16 San Luis Obispo, CA @ Downtown Brew
6/17 Los Angeles, CA @ Knitting Factory

I saw Lair of the Minotaur last year with Cattle Decapitation, Daath, and Goatwhore and they were really good.

Hat Tip: Lambgoat

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Chicago Powerfest Dates and Line-up

The annual Chicago Powerfest will take place at May 1st, 2nd, and 3rd at the Pearl Room in Mokena, IL. Two-day passes are $50 while three-day passes are $70. Here's the line-up:

Thursday, May 1st
Ensiferum
Turisas
Tyr
Eluveitie

Friday, May 2nd
Iced Earth
A Life Once Lost
Epicurean
Ion Vein
Arise and Ruin

Saturday, May 3rd
Testament
Darkane
Suidakra
The Autumn Offering
Twelfth Gate
Chaoswave

Hat Tip Lambgoat

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10 Years and Running for the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival

This year will mark the tenth anniversary of the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival, the largest metal festival in the United States.

This year's show, presented by ESP, Randall, EMG, and exclusive magazine presenter Metal Maniacs Magazine, will take place the weekend of April 25-27 at the Palladium in Worcester, MA, its home since its inception. Sumerian Records will sponsor the "Summer Slaughter Tour" second stage.

The New England Metal and Hardcore Festival will present Gigantour featuring Megadeth, In Flames, Children of Bodom, Job For A Cowboy and High on Fire on Friday night. Saturday will be headlined by Dimmu Borgir, Shadows Fall, and Behemoth. Ministry, Meshuggah, and Nevermore will close out the festival on Sunday night.

For a list of the other bands scheduled go here.

Hat Tip Lambgoat

Technorati Tags: Hardcore Music,Metal,Metal Maniacs,Music News,Tours

Slayer Wins 2nd Grammy

Slayer took home the award for Best Metal Performance for their song "Final Six" at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards Sunday night in Los Angeles. The song off their latest album, Christ Illusion beat out tunes from Shadow's Fall, Machine Head, King Diamond and As I Lay Dying. Some of the metal award finalists actually walked the red carpet normally reserved for more mainstream celebrities.

Tom Araya took his place at the podium and thanked long-time producer Rick Rubin and the academy.

"It's...most of all (I'd like to thank) Rick Rubin, who has been with us, been there for us, for the past twenty-three years, twenty-four years, so thank you. My wife, my two kids, Sandra, Errol and Tommy. They're here with me. Of course our manager who has been with us for a good twenty years now. Well, thank you very much. Thank the academy. Thank you."

Araya also talked backstage that perhaps with two Grammys they could be considered unearthed from the underground.

"This is awesome. I guess we're part of the industry now, above ground. None of those tunnel diggings anymore. No, this is our second win actually. It's kind of exciting. We've been fortunate to have been around this long with no radio play. We've gotten support from satellite radio recently, MTV gave us minimal support, but it's all on word of mouth and people liking what we do and passing it on to their friends. We owe a lot of our success to our fans. The industry is great, but the fans are the ones that take the time to look you up to see what you're doing, wait for the record to come out and buy it so..."

Slayer won for "Eyes Of The Insane" last year (2007), and have two other nominations to their credit.

Hat Tip Metal Underground

Technorati Tags: Grammy Awards, Music News, Thrash Metal, Slayer

Music Review: Maniacal - Sworn Enemy

Sworn Enemy came out of the influential and fertile ground of late '90s New York hardcore. From the their beginnings as Mindset, they displayed a facility for blending the best of old school hardcore punk with new style breakdowns and an in-your-face attitude. They caught the attention of Hatebreed's Jamey Jasta and signed with his Stillborn Records label and released Negative Outlook, followed by Integrity Defines Strength. After signing with Elektra they released the heavily thrash influenced As Real As It Gets. Moving over to Abacus Records, a metal and hardcore imprint of Century Media, they released The Beginning Of The End. This year finds them poised to release Maniacal in the U.S on February 12, 2008.

Maniacal has a thrash metal flavor which reminds me of Testament and Exodus. They do a credible job of incorporating metal influences with their aggressive, hardcore roots to come up with a really intense, heavy sound.

The CD starts out strong with "Ignorance" and the tension and intensity don't let up until some nice, melodic guitar work closes out  "Said and Done".

The production by Tim Lambesis (As I Lay Dying), Joey Z (Life of Agony), and Dan Castleman is top-notch. The drums are prominent in the mix without being distracting, the guitars were recorded with some nice separation which make for an enjoyable listen. I detected a black metal influence in the vocals, both in delivery and the way they were recorded.

I especially liked the tracks "Weather The Storm" and "Talk Is Cheap" for the expressive vocals, solid drumming, and crisp guitars but there's not a weak track on this release.

Maniacal  contains influences which I enjoy. There's a nod to New York hardcore as well as good, old thrash like Exodus, Testament, and early Megadeth.

I think this CD would appeal to open-minded hardcore fans as well as fans of straight-up thrash.

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Thrash Kings Testament to Hit the Road

Testament will hit the road this spring in support of their upcoming album. The following shows have been confirmed thus far (with more to come):

3/30 San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
4/05 Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom
4/06 New York, NY @ B.B. King Blues Club
4/10 Santa Ana, CA @ The Coach House
4/11 Las Vegas, NV @ The Canyon Club
4/12 Hollywood, CA @ The Key Club
5/03 Mokena, IL @ The Pearl Room/Chicago Powerfest
5/30 Cluj-Napoca, Romania @ Maximum Rockfest
5/31 Belgrade, Serbia @ Legacy Festival
6/05 Solvesborg, Sweden @ Sweden Rock Festival
6/06 Tampere, Finland @ Sauna Open Air Fest
6/07 Athens, Greece @ Gagarin 205
6/08 Thessaloniki, Greece @ Hydrogios
6/20 Clisson, France @ Hellfest
6/21 Istanbul, Turkey @ Festival Valley
6/22 Prague, Czech Republic @ Retro Music Hall
6/23 Ostrava, Czech Republic @ TBA
6/27 Grandola, Portugal @ Festival Metal GDL
6/28 Bologna, Italy @ Gods of Metal

Hat Tip Lambgoat

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Biohazard's Original Members Reunite to Celebrate Twenty Years

The original lineup of the highly influential New York-based group Biohazard, whose intense fusion of the aggression of hardcore, punk and thrash metal with the socio-critical commentary and authenticity of hip-hop earned the band extensive international acclaim will reunite for a series of performances in the summer of 2008 to commemorate the band's 20th anniversary. Bassist/vocalist Evan Seinfeld, guitarist/vocalist Billy Graziadei, drummer Danny Schuler and guitarist Bobby Hambel have not performed together publicly since 1995, when Hambel left the group at the end of the touring cycle for Biohazard's third album and major-label debut, State Of The World Address.

Like its predecessor, the landmark Urban Discipline (1992), State Of The World Address sold more than 1 million copies worldwide and capped the band's evolution from a Brooklyn local favorite into an international success. In recent years, Schuler kept busy by playing drums for the band Bloodclot and occasionally mixing music for other artists, frequently in collaboration with Graziadei. In addition to his success with his new band Suicide City (currently working on the second release), Graziadei also stays active producing and recording bands in his studio; Underground Sound Studios. Seinfeld, meanwhile, remained in the public eye via high-profile appearances on HBO (five seasons on the critically acclaimed prison drama Oz) and VH1 (SuperGroup), as well as a column in Stuff magazine. Additionally, he shot photos for such publications as Playboy, Penthouse and FHM and voiced characters in the video games Manhunt, The Warriors and the forthcoming Grand Theft Auto IV, and as CEO of Teravision, he currently manages the career of his wife, leading adult film star Tera Patrick, whom he has directed and performed with under the name Spyder Jonez. He also recently launched a new band, The Spyderz.

Seinfeld admits that none of these extracurricular activities would have been possible without the success of Biohazard, and looks forward to returning to his roots. "Biohazard was the single most important chapter in our lives," he says. "Our music brought us together and helped us rise up out of the streets of Brooklyn. Our journey has been an amazing one, and for me, it's all about my brothers Billy, Bobby and Danny, and of course the fans, whose undying support has never given up on the hopes of a reunion of the original band. I'm proud to announce that the four of us have decided to bring our special brand of hardcore tribal ceremony better known as a Biohazard live show to select venues across the globe. Here comes the pain, and see you in the pit, motherfuckers!" Adds Hambel, "We owe it to ourselves and to everyone who wants to see the original band reunite. We've lost a lot of great friends and musicians over the years, but we're still here — and it's time to set the record straight!"

In early January, the original Biohazard members met and rehearsed together for the first time in a dozen years. "To be in the same room with old friends again fuckin' rocked," says Graziadei. "We created something unique back in the day and I'm psyched we can all hang together and recapture that vibe. It's like time stood still and we're all 19 again!" "I'm extremely happy that we're all friends again," Schuler adds. "Life is too short, and all the fights, rumors and beefs don't matter anymore. What matters is the four of us being friends and getting up on stage again together. I can't wait to do this."

Get more band news and info on: Biohazard, Suicide City

Hat Tip Metal Underground and Lambgoat

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