Either by some sort of mistake or act of ballsiness, someone at 98.9 The Rock has leaked a track off of the hotly anticipated new Mastodon album Once More Round the Sun. The song is called ‘High Road,’ and after only one listen I’m already digging it more than the bulk of tracks off of The Hunter. Comments from the band about returning to a “vintage” Mastodon sound are ringing true here. Listen to it right now below before it inevitably gets yanked. There is autoplay, so be warned.
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There are many approaches to the darker sides of the human psyche. Some would rather focus on rage or hatred, spewing forth a torrent of caustic vitriol. Others sink deep into the far reaches of human sadness, exploring ponderous and overbearing depressions and melancholy. Rarely can a band do both, as each segment requires different vocabularies and outlooks on life. However, in those rare cases, anger and depression mix together, creating a potent and heady elixir that is truly disturbing on a deep level. Both acts featured on this EP have spawned numerous ventures into this field. Thou have recently released a brilliant full release titled Heathen, spanning depths of anger and misanthropy which are truly unique. The Body, often mistakenly labelled as dealing with fear, have a long and prolific history of exploring the myriad forms of depression and melancholy.
In the past year or two, British hardcore enigmas The Hell have captured our hearts and minds with their completely over-the-top spirit — an ignorant tough-guy hardcore outfit with a Colbert Report tongue in cheek spin. I mean, that’s always been my assumption; taking a look through their hilarious Facebook page and the fact that they have anywhere between four to twelve anonymous members should be enough to know that The Hell is all in good fun at the expense to good taste.
The latest in The Hell shenanigans comes in the form of an an announcement that the group had signed to Prosthetic Records. A video accompanying the press release depicts the band kidnapping label head E.J. Johantgen and holding him hostage in an effort to get a record deal. Check out the brief video below.
Evidently, vocalist Nate Johnson’s name has become a verb for when Nate Johnson leaves your band. Johnson has a bit of a wrap for bandhopping, with at least seven bands under his belt. His most recent band, Fit For An Autopsy, appear to be a bit upset in the new announcement wherein they coin the new phrase while introducing their new vocalist Greg Wilburn of The Devastated.
Do you like music without any interference from all of that lyrical nonsense? Animals as Leaders‘ latest headlining tour caters specifically to the instrumental crowd, bringing in tow Jeff Loomis & Keith Merrow‘s Conquering Dystopia and CHON. The trek sees the trio of shred-heavy acts hitting the road across the US in over a month’s worth of secondary markets, so chances are, you’re within a reasonable driving distance! Get dates below.
As a band of fellows with full-time jobs outside of the band, Agalloch rarely tours outside of small regional treks and festival appearances. However, it would appear as if Agalloch are planning something big for the release of their upcoming album The Serpent & The Sphere, as their recently announced “first leg” of their US tour is pretty extensive as it is, hitting stops they haven’t hit in years to my knowledge. Check out the dates below.
Ronnie James Dio. Roll that name off your tongue, for it holds the stuff of legends. Dio is undoubtedly one of the most important figures in the development of metal and heavy rock. From his time in Rainbow through his Black Sabbath years, Dio was one of the most prolific rock artists to have ever taken the stage. Countless artists grew up on his voice and peculiar antics. This writer managed to see him perform live with Tony Iommi, as part of their Heaven&Hell tour, and no eyes remained dry that night. When Dio passed away in 2010, the world of metal truly took a massive blow, losing a man that did not stop recording and performing even when he was battling cancer. Now, Rhino Records have gathered a tremendous number of artists to celebrate music from across this great man’s career. Names like Metallica, Russell Allen, Rob Halford, Corey Taylor and Tenacious D have all brought their considerable talents to the table in order to do justice with this giant among men. The end result? An electric ode to a great voice, a tour de force of a career spanning 40 years of heavy metal.
Perhaps it’s because it took so long for me to fully digest all of the insane beauty and perfect chaos that was The Seer, but it does not feel like it’s already been two years since Swans released their last album. Michael Gira’s experimental post-punk madhouse are about to unleash yet another monstrous record though, the almost certainly ironically-titled To Be Kind, so prepare your cranial cavity appropriately.
After four long years since the release of their last effort The Great Mass, Septicflesh are finally on the verge of releasing their ninth studio album, Titan. Recorded once again with a hand from The Prague Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir contributing to the score, these Greek symphonic death metallers are promising yet another addition to their discography of epic-sounding brutality.
If you’re one of the many that thought Meshuggah‘s upcoming anniversary tour was much too short, then, well… there’s not much I can do for you there. However, support act Between the Buried and Me are filling out their tour dates during the season to include headlining dates with Trioscapes. Get dates below.
