mixtapes

Pictured: Andy Whitfield of Spartacusby Cosmo Lee Hating on bands seems to be a sport for some, so let’s turn it into actual sport. A writer on anus.com recently posted a list of bands he hated. Why do people waste breath on bands they hate? (And why are bands things to hate? Politicians, injustice, bad […]

Not my absby Cosmo Lee Want those abs? To have them, that is (not to hold them)? Then try The Spartacus Workout. Spartacus is a Roman gladiator TV series that premiered on Starz last Friday. The Spartacus Workout is inspired by the workout routine of the series’ male lead, Andy Whitfield (pictured above). The workout […]

by Cosmo Lee Here are my favorite (mostly) metal songs of 2009. Well, as many as I could fit into an hour, anyway. I heard a truckload of new music this year. It was tough to pare it down for lists. Even assuming that 99% of art is bad, the total amount is so huge […]

Andrew Childers runs Grind and Punishment, the best grindcore blog around. I asked him to comment on what’s going on in grindcore today, and to compile a corresponding mixtape. Appropriately, Nasum’s Mieszko Talarczyk would have turned 35 today. May he grind in peace. — C.L. – – – Short of isolationist basement black metal, I’d […]

In the past two years, no label has pushed metal’s envelope more than Profound Lore. Proprietor Chris Bruni has diverse yet impeccable taste, resulting in a steady stream of critically acclaimed releases. (See this interview with him here.) Notables in 2009 include Saros (review, interview), Cobalt (review), Amesoeurs (review, review), YOB (review), and Crucifist (review). […]

Fenriz is back with another mixtape for Vice. This one is called Trapped Under Vice, Vol. II. (For Vol. I, see here). Despite the very metal cover, the contents are very not-metal. Fenriz says, “Welcome to a time travel to the rock of 1968-1978, all across the globe from Iceland to Australia.” For his full […]

Design by Sergeant D Click to enlarge If John Waters blogged about metal, the result would be Metal Inquisition. The site is mean as hell, yet culturally astute. It trawls society’s backwaters and exposes insecurities for public ridicule. Blogger Sergeant D is especially adept at this. The man has some of the strangest tastes I’ve […]

20 Buck Spin is a label you should know. With releases spanning metal’s spectrum, proprietor Dave Adelson (interviewed here) chooses quality over quantity. This year we’ve especially liked the Stormcrow/Laudanum split (reviewed here) and the Liturgy full-length (reviewed here). But, really, we like everything on 20 Buck Spin. Here is a sampler of the label’s […]