live

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GKE6iGegrHY . . . Director David Hall has made a film around last year’s Axis of Eden, by Today Is the Day. The band is currently on tour (dates below) providing a live soundtrack to the film. (The above video for “I.E.D.” comes from the film. I love how the mirror effect assaults the central […]

by Cosmo Lee First Cough, then Thou, then Samothrace – it’s a great time for American sludge/doom. Why this Lawrence, KS outfit named itself for a Greek island is unclear, as it sounds distinctly American. Big slabs of downtuned dirt abut melodies that recall Earth’s leanings towards Americana. In fact, this record might satisfy those […]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIIel82pK7M] While women are slowly infiltrating extreme metal lineups, they’re mostly vocalists, bassists, and keyboardists. The “skill positions” – guitars and drums – are still a boys’ club. Some exceptions: guitarists Laura Christine (Warface), Liz Buckingham (Electric Wizard), Laura Pleasants (Kylesa), and Christy Cather (Ludicra); Chiyo Nukaga (Graves at Sea/Nostra Cornu), Gabrielle Morin (Deeply Confused), […]

by Cosmo Lee Baton Rouge’s Thou were hands down the most hotly tipped band for me this year. I’m astonished by how many people in different quarters recommended them to me. Interestingly, no one told me why Thou were good. (In this increasingly democratic information age, distressingly few people articulate why they like or dislike […]

Not your mom This month, NYC’s Wetnurse bring their dairy-free brand of prog/hardcore/metal/weirdness to much of the US East Coast, with a few stops in the Midwest – dates are below. They’re supporting their new record Invisible City, out now on Seventh Rule. Along for much of the ride are Black Market Activities band Khann, […]

The Burning Darkness Celebrating its 10th birthday, Watain begins a North American tour in a week – dates are below. Opening for Watain = cannon fodder, but Book of Black Earth and Withered may be up to the task. To commemorate the decennial, Norma Evangelium Diaboli pressed up picture discs of Watain’s three studio albums […]

Laura Pleasants, Kylesa Kylesa is touring with fucking Pinback. I commented last year on another weird tour Kylesa did (Revolver‘s “Hottest Chicks in Metal” tour, with Lacuna Coil, Within Temptation, et al.), but this is just bizarre. In case you don’t know Pinback, they’re indie rock. They have a knack for interlocking vocals and guitars […]

Ignore the indie rock font Funeral doom merchants Trees are making an Ent-like US West Coast excursion – see dates below. Also on the bill for 9/12 in Portland are House of Low Culture, the doom/drone project of Aaron Turner from Isis, and Mamiffer (cinematic piano + psychedelic fuzz). The latter two play in Seattle […]

by Cosmo Lee If it’s possible, Jon Chang’s voice has become even more abrasive since he fronted the legendary Discordance Axis. It’s basically nails down a chalkboard. I cannot think of a better cure for low blood pressure. If Chang’s Hayaino Daisuki project (which I wrote about here) is power metal on speed, Gridlink is […]