Tag Archive: Metal Blade Records

Astra Channels Classic Prog With ‘Quake Meat’

Filed Under: Audio, New music, Upcoming releases

Feb.08, 2012

I’ve never heard of San Diego-based psychedelic prog band Astra before, but when I heard their new song ‘Quake Meat‘ from their upcoming album The Black Chord, I was blown away. Astra is a throwback to classic progressive rock bands of the 70′s, like Yes and King Crimson. Almost everything about the band is a nod to the genre’s innovators, including the dated production to the vocals. I can’t be completely sure that Astra are not some sort of time travelers sharing their stoned creations or aliens that are just now catching up to the 70′s, but either way Astra are fucking GOOD. Check out ‘Quake Meat‘ below.

Astra’s sophomore album The Black Chord is due out March 27th on the always awesome Metal Blade Records and Rise Above.

- JR

Tags: Astra, King Crimson, Metal Blade Records, Quake Meat, rise above records, The Black Chord, Yes

Cannibal Corpse Release Their ‘Demented Aggression‘, Announce New Album Torture

Filed Under: Audio, New music, Upcoming releases

Jan.17, 2012

Cannibal Corpse have finally given us a peek into the new album Torture, set to be released March 13th through Metal Blade, with a new track ‘Demented Aggression‘ and well… it’s Cannibal Corpse isn’t it? The biggest selling death metal band in the US and the second biggest in the world. Their name is synonymous with death metal, owning a back catalog that stretches all the way back to 1990 through eleven full length albums and I’m sure by now every metalhead is at least familiar with their name, if not the sound.

Cannibal Corpse do pure unadulterated death metal with no gimmicks and it hasn’t really changed much in the last 20 years. Steering clear of the blastbeat fetish that most other bands seem to have, they simply keep up the tempo through proficient and cutting riffs and the rapid quickfire growl of George Fisher, all backed up by a naturally killer production from Erik Rutan (Hate Eternal). There’s a smattering of technicality about it that they previously capatalised on in recent full lengths Evisceration Plague and Kill but nothing too overpowering and ‘Demented Aggression‘ is simply another chapter in the book of Cannibal Corpse that will keep long time fans happy but won’t convert any non-believers.

And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

After the jump, check out the track list for Torment.

- DL

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Tags: Cannibal Corpse, Demented Aggression, Evisceration Plague, George Fisher, Kill, Metal Blade Records, Metal Hammer

Between The Buried And Me Begin Work On Parallax 2; Rumored to Co-Headline Summer Slaughter 2012 with Cannibal Corpse?

Filed Under: General News, Tours and Rumors of Tours, Upcoming releases, WILD SPECULATION!

Jan.16, 2012

I can hardly contain my excitement and anticipation. This weekend, Between the Buried and Me posted the above picture on their Facebook with the caption “It has started.” The band have started work on Parallax 2, the full-length follow up to the concept that began on last year’s EP Parallax: The Hypersleep Dialogues. This might just be my record of the year, if it’s as great as the EP, which I’m sure it will be.

There’s not much to tell now, but we’ll keep you posted on the details when they become available this year. Expect a late spring/early summer release on Metal Blade records.

And now for the juiciest of news. Late last year, The Summer Slaughter Tour Facebook page announced that 2012 was going to be the biggest lineup yet, with the cryptic status message on New Years Eve being “Hammer Smashed Mordecai.” Could this mean that Cannibal Corpse and Between the Buried and Me (both signed to Metal Blade, an annual sponsor of the tour) are co-headlining Summer Slaughter 2012? Both bands have new albums coming out this year, so I couldn’t imagine what else this teaser could mean. ‘Hammer Smashed Face’ and ‘Mordecai’ were both bands’ respective break-out singles. We’ll be sure to fill you in as soon as the lineup is announced. This is so exciting. If it’s true, this will really be the tour’s biggest year yet and you’d have to be an idiot to miss it.

- JR

Tags: Between The Buried and Me, Cannibal Corpse, Metal Blade Records, Parallax 2, Parallax: The Hypersleep Dialogues, The Summer Slaughter Tour

As I Lay Dying – Decas

Filed Under: Reviews

Nov.07, 2011

As I Lay Dying

Decas

01. Paralyzed
02. From Shapeless to Breakable
03. Moving Forward
04. War Ensemble (Slayer cover)
05. Hellion (Judas Priest Cover)
06. Electric Eye (Judas Priest Cover)
07. Coffee Mug (Descendents cover)
08. Beneath the Encasing of Ashes (Re-Recorded Medley)
09. The Blinding of False Light (Innerpartysystem Remix)
10. Wrath Upon Ourselves (Benjamin Weinman Remix)
11. Confined (Kelly “Carnage” Cairns Remix)
12. Elegy (Big Chocolate Remix)

[11\08\11]
[Metal Blade]

As I’ve stated numerous times, metalcore is a stagnant genre. It’s so full of bands with rip-off styles of music that so easily hark to their influences that you’d rather listen to the original. One of these “original” bands is As I Lay Dying, who are undoubtedly one of the originators of the modern metalcore style. Ever since their first album Beneath the Encasing of Ashes, they’ve been proving their dominance in the genre. Now As I Lay Dying has been a band for 10 years, and to celebrate, they’ve rewarded us with Decas, an album with three originals, four covers, a medley from their first album, and four remixes from the likes of Ben Weinman to Big Chocolate. The ultimate question is, is it a good reward to the fans for all their dedication and love?

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Tags: As I Lay Dying, Ben Weinman, Beneath the Encasing of Ashes, big chocolate, Decas, Descendents, Innerpartysystem, Judas Priest, Metal Blade Records, Slayer, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Tim Lambesis

3 – The Ghost You Gave To Me

Filed Under: Reviews

Oct.11, 2011

3 The Ghost You Gave To Me

01. Sirenum Scopuli
02. React
03. Sparrow
04. High Times
05. Numbers
06. On With The Sun
07. The Ghost You Gave To Me
08. Pretty
09. Afterglow
10. It’s Alive
11. Only Child
12. The Barrier

[10/11/11]
[Metal Blade]

This is a band that I was just recently exposed to. Like most metal fans I’m constantly seeking out new musical endeavors and possibilities, and I was more than pleased when I first heard the title track from 3’s The Ghost You Gave To Me a few weeks ago over at Metalsucks, and whilst I was excited to hear this record, it’s not exactly what I was hoping for.

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Tags: 3, Dream Theater, James Labrie, Joey Eppard, Metal Blade Records, The Beatles, The Ghost You Gave To Me

Once More With Streaming: 3 Show The Ghost You Gave To Me

Filed Under: Upcoming releases

Oct.11, 2011

I thought there was way more than this, but apparently we’ve only got one album stream of note for you today: 3‘s The Ghost You Gave To Me, on the bastion of metal that is AOLol. It’s out today on Metal Blade, if it takes your particular fancy.

Fairly topically, I’ve just been reading Juular’s review, which will be posted this afternoon. Apparently it’s none too shabby, but I’ll let him tell you later. Wind, sails, and all that.

- CG

Tags: 3, AOL, Metal Blade Records, The Ghost You Gave To Me

Unearth – Darkness In The Light

Filed Under: Reviews

Jun.23, 2011

Unearth

Darkness In The Light

01. Watch It Burn
02. Ruination of the Lost
03. Shadows in the Light
04. Eyes of Black
05. Last Wish
06. Arise The War Cry
07. Equinox
08. Coming of the Dark
09. The Fallen
10. Overcome
11. Disillusion

[Metal Blade Records]
[7/5/2011]

I can honestly say that the first time I heard Unearth, it was a life changing experience for me. I can still remember driving home after picking up The Oncoming Storm on a whim, having not heard a single lick of the band’s music, and just going (in Chris Farley voice) “SWEET MOTHER OF MERCY! WHAT IN THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE!?” Okay, so maybe it wasn’t quite like that, but suffice it to say it was absolutely jaw dropping for me. It was so huge, sounded so good, and the songs made me want to walk through walls.

I’m pretty sure that was also the first time I heard proper breakdowns, which I absolutely loved at the time. I’ve been a fan ever since. Unearth have been the soundtrack to a million workouts, one-man mosh pits, and great drunken times for me, and The Oncoming Storm is still a top five ‘desert island disc’ for me, without question. Hell, the guitar playing and guitar tone on the album are a huge part of why I decided to switch to 7-string guitars.

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Tags: Arise The War Cry, Darkness In The Light, Metal Blade Records, Ruination of The Lost, Unearth

Sit Thyself Down And BEGIN THE RITUAL!!!

Filed Under: Audio, Upcoming releases

Jun.15, 2011

STREAM IT! STREAM IT HERE FOR ALL THAT IS (UN)HOLY!

This album is fucking good, and you’ll be doing yourself a service if you do; trust. You’ll need either Windows Media Player or Flip4Mac for Quicktime if you’re super cool like me and like to lick Steve Jobs’ sweaty cornhole on a daily basis. Kind of a dick move, but it’s totally worth it.

If you like what you hear, then it’s, like, totally out on June 21st through Metal Blade! Scandalous.

- CG

Tags: Metal Blade Records, Ritual, The Black Dahlia Murder

Fleshwrought – Dementia/Dyslexia

Filed Under: Reviews

Jul.27, 2010

Fleshwrought

Dementia/Dyslexia

01. Mental Illness
02. Inner Thoughts
03. Programming the Herds
04. Weeping Hallucinations
05. Conceptual Flesh
06. State of Desolation
07. Dyslexic Interlude
08. Self-Destructive Loathing
09. Relevant Intoxication
10. Final Nausea

[Metal Blade | 08/03/10]

Tech death is a bit of an iffy genre for me, as it tends to be filled with soulless wank under the guise of stellar musicianship. I let my opinion on the subject known in my Brain Drill review a few months ago, so I wont delve too much into that diatribe. Thankfully however, there are bands out there that know how to be technical and still produce something that’s both listenable and enjoyable, and new Metal Blade signing Fleshwrought are one of those bands.

Formerly known as Fleshrot, Fleshwrought consists of multi-istrumentalist Navene Kopperweis (ex-Animosity, Animals As Leaders) and vocalist Jonny Davey (Job For A Cowboy). Between the two and their musical escapades, a lot of hype and high expectations for their debut record, Dementia/Dyslexia, were built to an uncomfortably high level that lesser men would not have been able to live up to. However, every detail and note of the album’s 32 minutes were carefully crafted and re-examined before they were even signed, and this attention to detail returns on the investment.

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Tags: Animals As Leaders, Animosity, Brain Drill, Fleshwrought, Job For A Cowboy, Metal Blade Records, Periphery, The Faceless

Deathcore Double-Feature: New Music From Whitechapel and A Plea For Purging

Filed Under: Audio, New music, Upcoming releases

May.20, 2010

OH SHIT, SPLIT SCREEN HAX:

First up, there’s a new Whitechapel song called “Breeding Violence” streaming over at Noisecreep FOR TODAY ONLY. Tonight, they pull it, so get to hearing it while you can. It sounds just like Whitechapel, so you should know what to expect when you go romping around over there. The song is off of their upcoming album, A New Era Of Corruption, which is due out June 8th on Metal Blade Records.

- JR

Second on the agenda is A Plea For Purging and their new song “The Eternal Female,” which is off of their upcoming album The Marriage Of Heaven And Hell, out July 6th on Facedown Records. You can hear that over on their Facebook page. This is the better of the two songs, in my opinion, but I suppose that’s like saying I’d much rather stub my toe than get kicked in the balls.

Tags: A Plea For Purging, deathcore, Facedown Records, Metal Blade Records, Whitechapel