Tag Archive: Kurt Ballou

From The Archive: Cave In – Until Your Heart Stops

Filed Under: Albums You Should Hear, Bands That Made Me Heavy, From the Archive

Nov.04, 2010

The discovery of a new band is always exciting. Will it be something you’ve heard countless times? An experience that leaves a bad taste in your mouth? Or is it a treat from which you cannot stop consuming? I wanted to take a trip back in time to reminisce about bands/albums that not only introduced me to heavy music, but kept me coming back for more…

From The Archive: Cave In – Until Your Heart Stops

Cave Ins - Until Your Heart Stops

Cave In, along with Converge, Integrity, Neurosis and a few other choice bands, set the bar high amongst other hardcore/metal bands I was listening to at that time in my life and in the scene itself. Cave In combined elements of hardcore, space/progessive rock (which became more prominent later on in their career) and alternative metal. Some even lump them in the metalcore genre. They formed in 1995, in Methuen, Massachusetts, and while going through several member changes, they finally solidified their lineup in 1998 with the release of their debut studio-album Until Your Heart Stops.

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Tags: Cave In, Converge, From The Archive, Hydra Head Records, Integrity, Isis, Jacob Bannon, Kurt Ballou, Neurosis, Until Your Heart Stops

For Whom The Bell Tolls: Eden Maine

Filed Under: For Whom The Bell Tolls

Aug.13, 2010

Ernest Hemingway: way more metal than Metallica.

So. Bands break up. It sucks, but that’s the way of things. For most of them, the reason is pure and simple; on some level, they suck. Whether it’s only a little, or harder than a $20 hooker, it doesn’t matter; the world doesn’t lose a whole bunch. The members go on with their lives, and probably go on to make a greater impact in other areas of society. Like mowing my lawn.

Then there are bands that are forced into submission for other reasons: money, conflict – both personal and artistic – or sometimes the fanbase only comes after they’re long gone.

This is a chronicle of those bands. Most you will not have heard of, for the very reason that they’re not even around to promote themselves any more. But trust me, they are bands that you really really should have heard of.

So, without any further ado: ding-fucking-dong, it’s Eden Maine.

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Tags: Eden Maine, Kurt Ballou, The Treachery Pact, To You The First Star

Kvelertak – Kvelertak

Filed Under: Reviews

Aug.11, 2010

Kvelertak

Kvelertak

01. Ulvetid
02. Mjød
03. Fossegrim
04. Blodtørst
05. Offernatt
06. Sjøhyenar (Havets Herrer)
07. Sultans Of Satan
08. Nekroskop
09. Liktorn
10. Ordsmedar Av Rang
11. Utrydd dei Svake

[Indie Recordings | 06/21/10]

Being sung in their native language, I can’t understand a damn word that Norway’s Kvelertak are screaming on this, their self-titled debut record – but I don’t give a rat’s netherquarters. Tone for the review: this album is GOOD.

They were described recently by a friend as “Baroness if they were raised on black metal” (interestingly, note the stylistic similarities in album artwork between the two), and shit in the snow, he’s not far off – Vocalist Erlend Hjelvik has that kind of caustic screech usually synonymous with the darkest of metal genres. It sounds GOOD!

Personally, I’d liken them more to Every Time I Die. This may seem like a strange jump, but the music itself is actually more balls-out rock & roll than anything – there are riffs galore, and they are GOOD!

Wow, this is going well isn’t it?

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Tags: Kurt Ballou, Kvelertak