Most bitchass frontmen would shuffle offstage awkwardly if their mic had somehow broken, but not JR Hayes. He carries on and screams at the top of his lungs over the loud guitar and drums. Balls of absolute steel.
Hopefully we’ll be hearing some new Pig Destroyer later this year. Who’s excited?!
- JR
Metalsucks tipped us off yesterday (via Metal Injection) that Pig Destroyer‘s new drummer is Misery Index‘s Adam Jarvis. I wasn’t even aware that Pig Destroyer was even needing a drummer, but they’ve certainly landed a suitable one. There’s not much in the land of grindcore that I’ll get super excited for, but the idea of a new Pig Destroyer record with Jarvis’ unrelenting drumming talents is certainly creating some anticipation.
Not much about Pig Destroyer’s upcoming album is known now, but it’ll probably be out by the first half of 2012. It’s gonna be pretty damn sweet.
- JR
As many of you will know, masters of all that is metal (or a stoner’s approximation of, at least) Metalsucks have been counting down a list of who they (the staff) consider to be the top 25 modern metal guitarists. Of those I know, I’ve agreed with the vast majority of inclusions, and by the time this goes to press, there should only be the number one slot left to be announced – on Monday I would presume, thanks to Labor Day this Monday just gone.
So with this weekend break in mind, we want you to don your deerstalkers and tell us, based on who has already been mentioned, who you think will be – or who you think deserves – the number one slot from Axl, Vince and co.
For your convenience, I’ve listed the entries so far below, but I’d highly recommend reading the series – they make some damn good points regarding their choices.
Sound off in the comments!
- CG
Gridlink01. Dar Al-Harb
02. Orphan
03. Deliverables
04. Scopedog
05. Red Eye
06. Cargo 200
07. Thorn Farmer
08. Embers, Blood And Treasure
09. I Accept Your Last Wish
10. Hearts
11. Flatworlder
12. The Last Red Shoulder
I’ve been told many times how grindcore is about saying as much as you possibly can in the shortest time possible. In that case, time is very precious in the world of Gridlink as Orphan brings their total discography running time to a mere 24 minutes. To put that more into perspective; Slayer‘s Reign In Blood clocks in at 29 minutes and even World Extermination by Insect Warfare, the more modern classic, hits 22 minutes. So it seems strange that the majority of the songs on Orphan waste their time with a count in, I mean it’s not the most obvious feature of modern grindcore so it does stick out a little bit.
Impiety01. Worshippers Of The Seventh Tyranny
Of all the bands in the world to announce that their next album would be one long 40 minute track, I never suspected Impiety. For those who are unaware of Impiety, they are a Singaporean band who play blackened thrash in the same sort of vein as Blasphemy, Morbosidad and Infernal War, sometimes falling in the realm of all those bestial NEKRO NUKLEAR KVLT TERROR bands but siding more with early Celtic Frost. It’s probably the best reference point, vocalist and sole original member Shyaithan invokes the gruff snarl of To Mega Therion era Tom G. Warrior and the whole song reeks of a very ambitious Hellhammer.
The idea of one continuous track is not a new one but it is one I feel that hasn’t been properly explored yet, take for example Pig Destroyer‘s Natasha. It’s an amazing exercise in stretching what is acceptable for a grind band and while it’s not uncommon for grind bands to flirt with doom, it felt new and exciting at the time. Worshippers Of The Seventh Tyranny takes on the idea in a new way, while there are lulls in the intensity of the record, it’s all relative and the record maintains a steady pace throughout. There is little of the throw away ‘funeral doom riffing’ that seems to plague other attempts at crafting longer songs, but what doom there is sounds more like a huge tribute to a sleazy Black Sabbath rather than the note-a-minute world of Ahab.
The Number of the Blog, Hook In Mouth, and Heavy Blog Is Heavy are having a threesome. Heavy Metal Ménage à Trois features a three-way of related articles in discussion of the same topic, with each post found on each of our respective websites. To get the whole experience, you need to visit the other sites.
You can read Desee’s post on The Number Of The Blog.
You can read Scott’s post on Hook in Mouth.
The Number Of The Blog’s Desee and Scott from Hook In Mouth came to me months ago with this idea of doing a column series called Heavy Metal Ménage à Trois, in which we all do a write-up on the same topic and throw them up at the same time to get some sort of multi-leveled experience going on. I loved the idea and was more than happy to be on board!
So here we are a few months later. I had school to attend to, Des had a kid (congrats Mr. and Mrs. Desee!) and Scott moved and presumably kept a bitch or two in line in prison. We’re all busy, sure, but the hardest part was coming up with a topic. With the end of the year winding down and the focus being on the best of what this year had to offer, it seemed obvious that we point our attentions forward and discuss our most anticipated album of 2011. Sadly, I don’t know Des well enough to peg what he’s most excited for next year; the dude refused to tell me! However, I’ve got $5 on Scott’s most anticipated record being the new Megadeth album. How could it not be? The name of his site was inspired by Megadeth! I don’t know, I haven’t read his; I’ll find out when you do!
I might just be the most predictable, though. In his post, Desee says my most anticipated album of 2011 will most likely be “pretentious piece of post-ambient-math-djent-core.” He left out the prog genre prefix, but that’s okay. It’s a given at this point, where I’m known around the metal blog circle as “The Sumeriancore Guy.” My enjoyment of the genre is a bit overstated, as my appreciation for it is wearing slightly thin. While I do obviously love me some post-prog-ambient-math-djent-core (oh sweet jesus, we’re getting new Protest the Hero, Between the Buried and Me, Last Chance To Reason, Tesseract, The Faceless, Born of Osiris, and The Human Abstract!!!), I’m also holding out for some new Opeth, Necrophagist, and maybe even something out of the Pig Destroyer camp? I know it’s a long shot, but a guy can dream.
Those are all well and good, but Des was right on the money as he predicted my most anticipated album was most likely going to be the new Devin Townsend Project records.
Like I said, I’m too goddamn predictable.
This Comp Kills Fascists, Vol. 2, the grindcore/powerviolence/hardcore compilation assembled by Pig Destroyer/Agoraphobic Nosebleed‘s Scott Hull is now streaming above and on the official website. The compilation features 19 bands and 74 tracks (that’s grindcore for you) and will be out next Tuesday, June 22nd on Relapse Records. I’d list the bands for you, but I haven’t heard of any of them so you’re going to have to scroll through the widget about to figure that out.
- JR
Clocking in at just under 14 minutes, the new album by Southern California hardcore band NAILS is nothing short of awesome. Every one of the album’s ten tracks will pummel into you unrelentingly, as good hardcore and grindcore should. The Six Feet Under Records website describes NAILS as sounding like “Entombed covering Napalm Death and Drop Dead“, which is damn near spot on. Interesting enough, the album was recorded at Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou’s Godcity recording studio, with Kurt producing. That should already tell you that this album will be good.
The album opens to immediate chaos and aural violence with the 32 second “Conform”. The term “powerviolence” becomes perfectly clear. Before you even realize that song’s over, you’re under hell-fire with more pummeling blasts, maniacal screams, and grinding and screeching guitars that continue throughout the next three tracks, nonstop. This album doesn’t seem to want to let up.
Amidst the pissed off chants of “Suffering Soul”, NAILS step back from the chaos just a bit and play some hardcore riffs with some slower groove. Nails continues the pace into the title track “Unsilent Death”.
NAILS knows how to make 14 minutes feel like a long time, and they make good use of their time. The songs blend together seamlessly at times, giving the illusion of lasting much longer. Speaking on the album’s structure, I’d believe it if this album was written as one piece of music broken up into tracks.
The album is still pummeling away in fury like a jackhammer. A short guitar solo is thrown out in “No Servant”. Now it’s back to business as usual with “Scapegoat”, which leads into the album’s longest song and closing track “Depths”. The guitars are the main voice here. Layered screeches, noise, and feedback take over a lot of the song, creating the sonic equivalent of disaster. A considerably slower and heavy as fuck riff with proper use of pinch harmonics lead the track to close with a mood if impending doom, ending the album in guitar feedback. What a perfect closer.
NAILS – Unsilent Death is a great grind album. Although short, it does exactly what it’s supposed to. If you’re a fan of Pig Destroyer, Agoraphobic Nosebleed, Napalm Death, and Brutal Truth, you need to check out NAILS right away. You can stream the tracks “Your God” and “Suffering Soul” here, as well as buying the album on preorder.
- JR
01. BARONESS – “Isak”
02. GENGHIS TRON – “I Wont Come Back Alive”
03. TOMBS – “Gossamer”
04. COALESCE – “Wild Ox Moan”
05. THE END – “The Never Ever Aftermath”
06. BURIED INSIDE – “V”
07. ZOMBI – “Orion”
08. BURNT BY THE SUN – “Inner Station”
09. THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN – “Dead As History”
10. DON CABALLERO – “Lord Krepelka”
11. MASTODON – “Mother Puncher”
12. KINGDOM OF SORROW – “Free The Fallen”
13. PIG DESTROYER – “Loathsome”
14. GRAVES OF VALOR – “Bridles Of Incitatus”
15. NECROPHAGIST – “Seven”
16. OBSCURA – “Incarnated”
17. TOXIC HOLOCAUST – “Wild Dogs”
18. HIGH ON FIRE – “Turk”
19. ALABAMA THUNDERPUSSY – “Void Of Harmony”
20. PENTAGRAM – “Forever My Queen”
21. AMORPHIS – “Better Unborn”
22. BRUTAL TRUTH – “Evolution Through Revolution”
23. ORIGIN – “The Aftermath”
So much win on one album, it’s unbelievable. Relapse released the newest “Contamination“ label sampler exclusively as an iTunes digital album. “Contamination 2009“ includes all 23 tracks above for just $5.99, including an exclusive advance download of the new Coalesce track “Wild Ox Moan“ from their upcoming album “Ox”.
Baroness, Dillinger, Genghis Tron, Pig Destroyer, Necrophagist, High on Fire, Mastodon… *head spins*
Relapse has one of the best rosters of any metal label out there. Check this out.
- JR
I can honestly say I’m not that big of a grindcore fan, unless you count Genghis Tron, although you probably shouldn’t. I do however like some Pig Destroyer, but I wouldn’t call myself a fan of them. It was just out of sure curiosity that I decided to check out Agoraphobic Nosebleed‘s new effort, (and in my opinion, their opus) Agorapocalypse. My first thought upon finishing the record the first time went something like, “HOLY SHIT WHAT IS THIS I DON’T EVEN”. The title of the album hits the nail on the head. This is the sonic equivalent of an apocalypse through the eyes of ANb mastermind Scott Hull. It’s nothing short of chaos fucking you in the ear. Lyrically, the album is all about drugs, fucked up sex, and violence. But this is a grindcore album. You knew what you were getting into.
There are a number of different things that sets this album apart from other ANb albums. The biggest one to me is that the songs are actually cohesive pieces. Every song but one lasts longer than a minute. If you’re pissed over this, then get the fuck out. I’d rather have a 13 track album with complete songs than a 50 track album with songs lasting a whole 5 seconds. The other thing that certainly stands out is the utilization of three different vocalists: Katherine Katz, Jay Randall, and Richard Johnson, each bringing in a different and discernible flavor and style to the table. Vocals are all harsh, you wont catch any clean singing here. At the most, you’ll get some talking, but it’s all snarls, blood curdling screams, and grunts.
The production on Agorapocalypse is perfect. It’s so tight, you could bounce a quarter off of it. You can pick out every little detail. You can clearly hear the bass laying a crunchy foundation, which is something you don’t hear all that often in a grindcore record. The guitar goes all over the place here. You get thrash tremolo picking, crushing riffs, grooves, general noise and feedback, and the occasional melodic guitar line, which are few and far between. I’m impressed by how great these drums sound. Hull used Drumkit From Hell software, which I’ve experimented with before. I have no idea how he makes it sound so good. You can tell Hull put everything into this album. He didn’t rush through this; He took his time and wrote, programmed, performed, and mastered this perfectly. His hard work definitely pays off. This album is a masterpiece.
Thanks to MetalSucks, I’ll be getting the longbox edition here soon. It’ll definitely be a prized possession. Listen to my personal favorite track Question of Integrity below. It features one of the most badass drum solos ever. Impressive, even if it was programmed.
-JR
4.5/5
