VISE MASSACRE: Debut LP Obtainable Via Band’s Online Store

May 15th, 2012

After many harrowing months of delays, disruptions, natural disasters and narrowly thwarted assassination attempts, the bastards in VISE MASSACRE are proud to finally be unleashing their self-financed debut LP through their new online store.

Having recently received the wax attack of their Expendable Humans full-length from the pressing plant, VISE MASSACRE redesigned their website with a gnarly new online store heavily supplied with tons of fresh new threads and urban battle gear in addition to both the vinyl and digital versions of the new album. Support D.I.Y. metal/hardcore and stock up RIGHT HERE.

With the LP now in-hand, VISE MASSACRE will comb the lands for live opportunities throughout the tri-state and beyond with more heavy tour action in the planning stages for later in the Summer. Several shows have been confirmed and more are being locked down now, including an Earsplit PR showcase at Lit Lounge in NYC on June 18th…

Expendable Humans is streaming in its beastly, nihilistic entirety via METAL UNDERGROUND.

VISE MASSACRE Confirmed Live Savagery:
5/26/2012 Tommy’s Tavern – Brooklyn, NY w/ Parakeets, Respect, All The Heathers Are Dying
6/18/2012 Lit Lounge – New York, NY @ Earsplit PR throwdown
7/07/2012 Elks Lodge – Glen Cove, NY
7/15/2012 Saint Vitus – Brooklyn, NY

“…some of the same hardcore-meets-metal fury that permeated projects like Knut, Old Man Gloom, and Black Cobra but with touches of black metal…” – BrooklynVegan

…a 14-track, 32-minute maelstrom of blasting, clattering drumming, enraged howling and riffs that tumble and impact against each other like rutting stags, if said animals had taken the precaution of festooning their antlers with broken glass and rusty switchblades before charging headlong into battle...high-energy, noisy hardcore played with full conviction. No fucking around. 4/5″ – OneMetal

“…riff upon riff of unforgiving hatred.” – Alternative Matter

“This 31-minute barrage grabs the listener by the throat and maintains its grip for the majority of its duration… For a DIY type album, the production here is excellent… 9/10″ – Metal Assault

“As debut albums go Vise Massacre have come up with something pretty special – a Hardcore album that really challenges other bands in this genre to move away from the old clichés. 4/5″ – Sea Of Tranquility

http://www.visemassacre.com
http://facebook.com/ViseMassacre
http://twitter.com/visemassacre
http://myspace.com/visemassacre
http://www.last.fm/music/Vise+Massacre
https://www.reverbnation.com/visemassacre

THE LOVE BELOW Confirm U.S. Tour Including A389 Label Showcase & Chaos In Tejas

May 15th, 2012

California’s nihilistic hardcore wreckers THE LOVE BELOW have just locked down a brutal trail of shows this May and June, including an A389 Records showcase in California as well as several performances at this year’s Chaos In Tejas gathering in Texas.

The mayhem begins this Saturday, May 19th, where THE LOVE BELOW will take part in the first-ever West Coast A389 label showcase in Pomona, California. Not only will the band perform alongside a crushing lineup of their A389 brethren including Integrity, Ringworm, Seven Sisters Of Sleep, Young And In The Way and more, but the band’s original drummer Chris Arias will rejoin the lineup for this special show for the first time in over a year.

Less than two weeks after the A389 showcase, THE LOVE BELOW kick off a twenty-five date trek across the United States including two raging shows at this year’s installment of the annual Chaos In Tejas throwdown alongside Sham 69, Saint Vitus, Absu, Ringworm, Dropdead, Nasum, Winter, The Mob, and dozens more in Austin, Texas.

Comprised of members of Carry The Casket, The Mistake, and Mother Speed, TLB haphazardly coalesce elements of ’90s icons Fall Silent, Endeavor and Left For Dead into a sound akin to more contemporary acts like Pulling Teeth, Trash Talk and Cursed, resulting in purely unhinged mayhem. Released by A389 Records in early April, THE LOVE BELOW’s debut LP Every Tongue Shall Caress belts out thirteen tracks in under twenty-four minutes. Stream the entire album via the band’s official Stereokiller profile page AT THIS LOCATION.

THE LOVE BELOW U.S. Tour And Fest Dates:
5/19/2012 The Glass House – Pomona, CA @ A389 showcase w/ Integrity, Ringworm, more [info]
5/31/2012 The Nile – Phoenix, AZ w/ Cold World, Backtrack, Dead End Path
6/01/2012 Dads Club – Las Cruces, NM
6/02/2012 Skrimbleshanx – Austin, TX @ Chaos in Tejas [info]
6/03/2012 Beerland – Austin, TX @ Chaos in Tejas [info]
6/04/2012 Dedicated Art Space – Little Rock, AR
6/05/2012 Crosstown Arts – Memphis, TN
6/06/2012 The Spot – Tupelo, MS
6/07/2012 TBA – Columbia, SC
6/08/2012 Empire – Richmond, VA
6/09/2012 Golden West – Baltimore, MD
6/10/2012 The Model Home – Philadelphia, PA
6/11/2012 Ray Cappo’s Cantina – New Brunswick, NJ
6/12/2012 Rock n’ Roll House – Middletown, CT
6/13/2012 Radio Bar – Somerville, MA
6/14/2012 The Acheron – Brooklyn, NY
6/15/2012 O’Reilly’s – Philadelphia, PA
6/16/2012 The West End – Ashtabula, OH
6/17/2012 The Albion – Chicago, IL
6/18/2012 Medusa – Minneapolis, MN
6/19/2012 The Fox Hole – St. Louis, MO
6/20/2012 Cafe Berlin – Columbia, MO
6/21/2012 The Newsroom – Kansas City, MO
6/22/2012 Blast-O-Mat – Denver, CO
6/23/2012 Dads Grand Theatre – Albuquerque, NM
6/24/2012 Wall Street – Phoenix, AZ

“…there really isn’t another band that sounds like them…This fucking album is amazing. 10/10″ – American Aftermath

“There is a nice sludgy layer beneath their sharp snotty sound. 5/5″ – Bring On Mixed Reviews

“…there is a sincere and palpable feeling of pure filth that permeates from every element of the band’s sound on this record, and it comes together to form one of the most entertaining and addictive listens from a hardcore record yet this year.” – Toxicbreed’s Funhouse

“…the Love Below’s approach to songwriting is unwavering, even if the vocals aren’t. Words spoken in a normal voice are followed by those pushed to near-distorted territory in a screeching howl quivering with emotion.” – Exclaim!

“Every song has a shaky and dirty feel like it could all fall apart at any minute. It isn’t a pretty sound and it isn’t close to coming off polished.” – Stereokiller

http://www.thelovebelow.bigcartel.com
http://www.thelovebelow.bandcamp.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Love-Below/124672930882545
http://thelovebelow.stereokiller.com
http://www.a389records.com
https://www.facebook.com/a389recordings

FURZE: New LP’s Release Commemorated With Full Album Stream

May 15th, 2012

Psych Minus Space Control — the deranged fifth full-length from curious Norwegian black metal peddler FURZE — is currently streaming in its entirety, in conjunction with its release this week via Fysisk Format. Open the gateways to all forty-three hypnotic, disturbing minutes encompassing the album right here:

The latest psychedelically-inclined blackened rock output from FURZE’s primary solo artist Woe J. Reaper and his close-knit team of henchmen have once again defied all expectations and delivered an expectedly odd, intriguing collection of unconventional blackened rock. Psych Minus Space Control is now ready for public consumption in multiple formats including digital download, CD and standard gatefold LP, and a special diehard vinyl version of the LP bearing a numbered logbook limited to 200 copies. Check out photos of the diehard version as well as an audio preview of the album AT THIS LOCATION.

Following a long line of releases including four previous LPs on labels including Candlelight and Agonia, Psych Minus Space Control, defies even the eccentric practices of past FURZE albums, more rock/jam/broken-prog-oriented than ever, yet not without the usual oddities evenly mixing up the entire production. Recorded in three different studios, with sessions dating over ten years, the album contains material dating back to 1992. With over ninety percent of the LP lying in the vocal-free realms, FURZE transgress the borders of black metal and classic psychedelic rock, evoking a mystic sensation of terror and elevation, suggesting a musical archetype where the powers of Sun Ra, Hellhammer and Black Sabbath come into one.

“There is something unaccountably alluring about the brand of weirdo space doom fuzz swing freak rock Furze taps into here, so if you fire at any of these frequencies, come join me with my invisible umbrella beneath a pale purple sun. And if you don’t, well, have a pleasant day. I guarantee you Woe J. Reaper couldn’t give two measly rabbit shits whether or not you speak black metal weirdo. 8/10″ – Metal Review

“Ominous references to Sabbath surface as bells chime and guitars warble underneath the weight of foreboding riffs. .. With Psych Minus Space Control, Furze have broadened their already vast musical territory and allowed your mind to transcend its earthly bonds.” – Nocturnal Cult

“The roots are certainly in black metal but masked and torn to shreds amidst a swirling psychedelic vibe throughout the record.” – Popdose

“…placed together, the tracks form strength beyond strength and fit together flawlessly. Psych Minus Space Control is a cerebral rollercoaster ride into the depths of hell. You can never really tell what is around the next turn, what is coming next, and how it all will end.” – Axes To Grind

“…Furze is always pushing the boundaries of music with its weird musical explorations. 89/100″ – Infernal Masquerade

http://furze.no
http://www.fysiskformat.no

STRONG INTENTION: Maryland Powerviolence Terrorists To Unleash Razorblade Express EP Via PATAC Records

May 14th, 2012

Maryland bands never fall short on extremity. Since the mid-‘90s STRONG INTENTION have been punishing the underground with their own blend of New York-influenced hardcore breakdowns and blistering grindcore. Their unique sound has allowed them the longevity to play out and tour with such undisputed acts as Cripple Bastards, Disfear, Phobia, Extreme Noise Terror, Rotten Sound, D.R.I., Lock-Up and Misery Index, among others over their extensive career… and they’re just getting started.

STRONG INTENTION have an extensive back-catalog of releases behind them and their latest slab of audio discontent is hardly an exception. Entitled Razorblade Express, the six-track behemoth features a bass work by Cattle Decapitation’s Derek Engemann as well as a guest appearance by Eyehategod frontman Mike IX Williams on the title track and “3rd Space Gorilla Generator.” With the first press limited to just 500 copies, this isn’t one to sleep on. Give me vinyl or give me death!

Comments SI founding frontman Zac Ohler: “It’s been far too long since we put out a record, so having these six songs of ‘no hope/no future distort’ released by a killer label and having long time friend Mike IX join us in this act of terrorism seems to be the perfect fit. It’s time to rise and grind!”

Razorblade Express will be released via PATAC Records on June 1, 2012.

Razorblade Express Track Listing:
1. Razorblade Express (featuring Mike IX Williams)
2. Messiah Whore
3. Holes In The Wall
4. 3rd Space Gorilla Generator (featuring Mike IX Williams)
5. Rat Factory
6. Slaughter Intelligence

In conjunction with the release, STRONG INTENTION will drag their filth to the stage alongside fellow grind heathens, Phobia. The East Coast Filth Tour 2012 will commence June 3 in Detroit. Check tour dates below. The band will be joined by Misery Index/Pig Destroyer drummer Adam Jarvis for the short stretch of dates:

STRONG INTENTION – East Coast Filth Tour 2012
w/ Phobia
6/02/2012 Sonar – Baltimore, MD w/ Marduk, 1349 *
6/03/2012 Halfway House – Detroit, MI
6/04/2012 Now that’s class – Cleveland, OH
6/05/2012 Strange matter – Richmond, VA
6/06/2012 Millcreek – Philadelphia, PA
6/07/2012 El N Gee – New London, CT
6/08/2012 Sonar – Baltimore, MD
6/09/2012 Saint Vitus – Brooklyn, NY
6/10/2012 Radio – Somerville, MA
6/11/2012 Boagie’s – Albany, NY
6/23/2012 Café 611 – Frederick, MD w/ Agnostic Front, Sheer Terror *
* No Phobia

http://www.facebook.com/STRONGINTENTION
http://www.reverbnation.com/strongintention
http://strongintention.bigcartel.com
http://www.PATACRECORDS.com
http://www.facebook.com/patacrecords
https://twitter.com/patacrecords

CATTLE DECAPITATION: More In-Studio Video Footage Posted

May 14th, 2012

Today CATTLE DECAPITATION wants to start your week with a kick in the teeth. Check out new in-studio video footage from the Monolith of Inhumanity sessions — specifically adventures in vocal tracking and additional CATTLE-related fun — at THIS LOCATION.

Comments vocalist Travis Ryan: “”Kids always ask me how I do my vocals and here it is… the vocals studio report for our new album Monolith of Inhumanity. As you can see, polar bear pajama pants and a really stupid haircut really help me achieve those pitches needed to push the melodic high vocals over the top. You will also find there actually are no ‘pirate’ influences in the studio. Nor any ninjas, vampires, zombies or Chuck Norris paraphernalia in there either so sit down, shut up and smell the farts… there’s at least two of ‘em in there if you listen closely…”In related news, CATTLE DECAPITATION will sever souls on this Summer’s Shockwave Festival Tour 2012, announced earlier this month. The band will be joined by Fear Factory, Voivod, Misery Index, Revocation, Havok, Dirge Within, Last Chance To Reason, Vildhjarta, The Browning and Forged In Flame. Tickets are on sale NOW at THIS LOCATION.

In the meantime, the band is currently bringing their hostility to the stage on the Occupation Domination 2012 tour alongside Origin, Decrepit Birth, Aborted, Rings Of Saturn, Battlecross and more!

CATTLE DECAPITATION – Occupation Domination 2012
w/ Origin, Decrepit Birth, Aborted, Rings Of Saturn, Battlecross [remaining dates]

5/14/12 In The Venue – Salt Lake City, UT
5/15/12 The Summit Music Hall – Denver, CO
5/16/12 People’s Court – Des Moines, IA
5/17/12 Station 4 – St. Paul, MN
5/18/12 The Granada Theater – Lawrence, KS

CATTLE DECAPITATION – Shockwave Festival Tour 2012 Presented By Full Metal Jackie
w/ Fear Factory, Voivod, Misery Index, Revocation, Havok, Dirge Within, Last Chance To Reason, Vildhjarta, The Browning, Forged In Flame

7/06/2012 Studio Seven – Seattle, WA [TICKETS]
7/07/2012 Vogue Theatre – Vancouver, BC [TICKETS]
7/09/2012 The Republik – Calgary, AB [TICKETS] ***
7/11/2012 Pyramid Cabaret – Winnipeg, MB [TICKETS]
7/12/2012 Station 4 – St Paul, MN [TICKETS]
7/13/2012 The Rave – Milwaukee, WI [TICKETS]
7/14/2012 Kool House – Toronto, ON [TICKETS]
7/15/2012 The Armouries – Windsor, ON [TICKETS] ***
7/17/2012 Imperial Theater – Quebec City, QC [TICKETS]
7/18/2012 National – Montreal, QC [TICKETS]
7/20/2012 Northern Lights – Clifton, NY [TICKETS]
7/21/2012 Town Ballroom – Buffalo, NY [TICKETS]
7/22/2012 Reverb – Reading, PA [TICKETS]
7/25/2012 Palladium – Worcester, MA [TICKETS]
7/27/2012 Empire – West Springfield, VA [TICKETS]
7/29/2012 Tebala Shrine – Rockford, IL [TICKETS]
8/02/2012 Nakai Hall – Window Rock, AZ [TICKETS]
8/03/2012 The Marqee Theater – Tempe, AZ [TICKETS]
8/04/2012 House Of BluesHollywood, CA [TICKETS]
*** – New Date Added

Monolith Of Inhumanity was released on May 8, 2012 via Metal Blade Records. Produced by Dave Otero of Denver’s Flatline Audio, Monolith Of Inhumanity sees the band investigating inventive new techniques in songwriting without abandoning their signature formula of confrontational audio wreckage. Conceptually, the record revolves around a potent distaste for contemporary civilization and the damage wrought in the name of progress. In addition, Monolith Of Inhumanity features a host of guests including Mike Majewski of Devourment (guest vocals on “Projectile Ovulation”), Lenard Leal of Cephalic Carnage (backing vocals by on “A Living, Breathing Piece of Defecating Meat”), The Cephalic Carnage Community Men’s Choir, consisting of all current Cephalic members and alumni Jawsh Mullen and Zac Joe (gang choir vocals on “The Carbon Stampede”), and ambient and noise interludes by Los Angeles’ most extreme decimator of sound, John Wiese.

CATTLE DECAPITATION have merged into an intoxicating death metal group, doing what is necessary to slam faces into the wall, but doing so in a tender and passionate manner.” – About.com

“their most focused and intelligent album yet… another solid CATTLE DECAP release that proves again that they are not to be fucked with.” – Stereokiller

“…arguably the quartet’s strongest effort to date.” – Blistering

“…the band shred harder than ever but with lots of cool twists…” — Revolver

“…solid, vicious death/grind from Cattle Decapitation that actually has purpose.” – Sputnik Music

It’s useless to call Monolith of Inhumanity the band’s best album: long time fans will doubtless have ingrained personal biases favoring one of its predecessors for the time being, but get over that hump in familiarity and the diversity present here will stand the test of time as well as anything the Cali quartet have ever done. As icing on the cake, Otero gives the album a virtually flawless production: everything sounds fantastic, from Travis Ryan’s pliable vocals to the tight snap of the drums.” – Metal Injection

http://www.metalblade.com/cattledecapitation
http://twitter.com/cattledecap
http://www.facebook.com/cattledecapitation
http://www.youtube.com/officialcattledecap
http://www.myspace.com/cattledecapitation

WARFATHER: Ex-Morbid Angel Member Steve Tucker Forms New Death Metal Unit

May 14th, 2012

Greyhaze Records is proud to announce the formation and signing of brand new death metal act WARFATHER, a devastating new unit conceived by ex-Morbid Angel gladiator Steve Tucker!

In a statement on what metal fans are to expect from WARFATHER, Tucker stated: “This is my new band; it will be my main focus…. it is my kind of death metal.” Having been known for his vocal and bass skills in all of his previous acts, while still holding down vocal duties here, Tucker has moved on to guitar with this project. “I have always played the guitar and I think now is the time for me to make the move. I think doing solos and extra guitar parts will allow me to express myself in a whole new way!” Also on guitars is Armatura, formerly of Cincinnati-based death metal band Dominion. Recruited to the drum kit is Deimos, a death metal veteran currently playing in the band Temple and also having played with bands such as Severe Torture. The bass is dispatched by Nick McMaster (Krallice, Nader Sadek, Castevet). Additional guitar contributions will be tracked by friends of WARFATHER, which include many notable death metal stalwarts; full details will be announced shortly.

WARFATHER are currently in the final stages of tracking the yet-to-be-titled album, with mixing to take place immediately after. Tucker himself is producing the entire release, as he did for the 2011-released Nader Sadek album In the Flesh, which Tucker also performed on. The artwork is in the final stages as well, and will be unveiled shortly, along with the details on the album, which is being slated for release this Fall. Upon its’ release, WARFATHER will take their battle to the highways of the planet on tour in support of the album.

After starting out as vocalist/bassist for death/thrash act Ceremony, Steve Tucker moved on to handle bass and vocals on Morbid Angel’s infamous Formulas Fatal to the Flesh, Gateways to Annihilation and Heretic LPs. In 2009 Tucker was recruited to take part in the Nader Sadek album In the Flesh for release through then brand new label Greyhaze Records, and licensed to Season of Mist Records. The project also featured Flo Mounier (Cryptopsy), Rune Eriksen (Mayhem, Ava Inferi) and more. During this time Tucker struck up a great relationship with Greyhaze Records, and together they decided to bring the reality of WARFATHER to fruition.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Steven-Tucker/153640528038846
http://www.greyhazerecords.com
http://www.facebook.com/greyhazerecords

PHOBIA Brutalize Your Weekend With A Decibel Magazine Track Premiere

May 11th, 2012

Longstanding grindcore powerhouse PHOBIA today brutalize the masses with another brand new track from their forthcoming LP, Remnants Of Filth, pending public release via Willowtip Records on June 5th. Unleash total hell with the relentless third track from Remnants Of Filth, the unarguably pissed “Submission Hold,” right now via DECIBEL MAGAZINE.

The band also recently disbursed the album’s second track, “Contradiction,” which is slaughtering the lands via Youtube HERE.

PHOBIA will be spreading their hostility throughout North America later this year and will appear on this year’s edition of the Scion Rock Fest, set to take place at the Ritz Theatre in Tampa, Florida alongside the likes of Down, Sleep, Merzbow, Church of Misery, All Pigs Must Die, Ides Of Gemini and more!

In conjunction with the release of Remnants Of Filth, PHOBIA will join forces with power violence insurgents Strong Intention for the The East Coast Filth Tour 2012 set to commence June 3 in Detroit and decimate 9 cities. Check tour dates below.

PHOBIA Live:
5/19/2012 Church Hill’s Pub – Miami, FL
5/31/2012 Red 7 – Austin, Texas @ Chaos In Tejas Fest

PHOBIA – East Coast Filth Tour 2012
w/ Strong Intention
6/03/2012 Halfway House – Detroit, MI
6/04/2012 Now that’s class – Cleveland, OH
6/05/2012 Strange matter – Richmond, VA
6/06/2012 Millcreek – Philadelphia, PA
6/07/2012 El N Gee – New London, CT
6/08/2012 Sonar – Baltimore, MD
6/09/2012 Saint Vitus – Brooklyn, NY
6/10/2012 Radio – Somerville, MA
6/11/2012 Boagie’s – Albany, NY

With 22 notorious years of charged auditory mayhem under their belts, Orange County, California’s grindcore unit PHOBIA will assault humankind with their fifth full-length, Remnants of Filth. Easily one of the most enraged releases in the band’s iconic discography — citing classic releases for the genre via labels like Slap-A-Ham, Relapse, Deep Six, Deathvomit in addition to previous releases with current label home Willowtip Records — Remnants Of Filth surges with eighteen socio-political grind hymns in about as many minutes, produced and mixed by Scott Hull (Pig Destroyer, Agoraphobic Nosebleed) at Visceral Sound Studios in Bethesda, Maryland and engineered by Mike Harrison at Winter Skies Productions in San Antonio, Texas.

https://www.facebook.com/phobiagrindcore
http://www.myspace.com/phobiagrindcore
http://willowtip.com

DORO: That Metal Show Episode Airs Tomorrow

May 11th, 2012

Episode 7 of That Metal Show’s tenth season will air tomorrow and features none other than the Queen of Metal herself, DORO PESCH.

Tune in to VH1 Classic on Saturday night, May 12th, at 8 p.m. PACIFIC / 11 p.m. EASTERN to watch DORO, Billy Duffy, and Ian Astbury of The Cult visit with That Metal Show hosts Eddie Trunk, Don Jamieson, and Jim Florentine.

Catch a sneak-peek of Saturday’s episode here. Check out behind-the-scenes photos (“Recent Images”) at Twitter.com/#!/thatmetalshow.

DORO is busy working on the follow-up to last September’s 25 Years In Rock mammoth 2 DVD/CD set, which has immortalized her 2,500th live concert. Her Raise Your Fist In The Air EP will be released later this year.

Keep up with all things DORO at:

http://www.DORO.de
http://www.facebook.com/DOROOFFICIAL
http://www.Twitter.com/DOROOFFICIAL
http://www.YouTube.com/DOROOFFICIAL
http://www.myspace.com/DOROBAND
http://www.nuclearblastusa.com
http://www.nuclearblast.de

HULL To Crush More Souls In Brooklyn This Saturday!!!

May 11th, 2012

Brooklyn sludge rock sorcerers HULL are set to sever souls tomorrow evening at the Naam Record Release show. Set to take place at the Glasslands Gallery in Brooklyn, the show includes a special unannounced guest and serves as a precursor to a run of Summer tour dates to be announced in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for the takeover.

HULL 2012
5/12/2012 Naam Record Release Show @ Glasslands Gallery – Brooklyn, NY w/ Black Rainbows
6/16/2012 Sidebar Tavern – Baltimore, MD w/ Triac, Drugs Of Faith, D.O.C., Musket Hawk, Other Gods
7/16/2012 Kung Fu Necktie – Philadelphia, PA w/ A Life Once Lost

HULL continues to tour in support of their monolithic Beyond The Lightless Sky full-length released via The End Records last fall. Called “…a concept album for the ages, ” by Metal Army America Beyond The Lightless Sky features guest appearances by vocalist Jarboe, keys/ambiance by Fade Kainer (Batillus/Jarboe/Inswarm ) and continues to reap critical acclaim internationally for its delicate balance of staggering heaviness and poetic grace. Exclaim hailed the band saying: “HULL have made something immense and nimble, ponderous and powerful,” while CMJ noted of the triple guitar sound in particular, “they’re downright elegant at times, a fantastic contrast to the otherwise intense soundscape.” The Obelisk called the band “crushingly heavy in a cerebral sense,” adding that “HULL have come into their own and not only join the ranks of forward-thinking American metallers, but position themselves at the front of the pack with a few moments of unabashed, unashamed modern metal,” and The Village Voice (NYC) commended the band’s seamless versatility: “[Beyond The Lightless Sky] veers between motorcycle-revving D-beat, bog-trawling doom, sinister black metal, Neurosis drum-offs and hypnotic passages that gnash like a venom-dripping cousin to the final Isis album.” Pop Matters agreed calling Beyond The Lightless Sky: “a determined and significant release, and one thoroughly deserving of a lot more visibility in the realms of heaving, epic metal.”

“The balance is still there between traditional ebbing post rock builds and hues and epic mountainous crescendos, but when HULL put their foot on the pedal its much more gravel than sludge.” — Teeth Of The Divine/Roadburn.com Album Of The Day

“They do have the sludge/post-metal spine, and that’s important, but their willingness to bloom beyond is what should keep HULL special and relevant well into the future.” — Metal Maniacs

“There is a fantastic amount of riffs you’re going to want to repeatedly hear on this record. Couple that with some guitar solos that come out of nowhere and fit like gloves with the album’s songwriting and its layered vocal approach, and you’ve got a hell of a ride.” — Slug

“…one damn fine record.” — Doommantia

“…the best stoner/psych/doom releases of 2011.” — Holy Grail From Hell

“HULL twisted heads off at South by Southwest sampling the band’s moody, doomy, sometimes boisterous post-rock debut, 2009’s Sole Lord, best defined by its three titles: ‘Endless Obsidian Abyss,’ ‘Wrath of the Sands,’ and ‘Born From Flesh and Stone.’ Everything’s doubly so for the Brooklyn fivepiece the second time around – longer (11-minute opener ‘Earth From Water’), heavier (the title track), subtler (‘Just a Trace of Early Dawn’) – coming together on 10-minute centerpiece ‘Fire Vein,’ sandblasted desert folk.” – The Austin Chronicle

“The band describe their sound as a collision of thrash, doom, classic rock and formal orchestral works’, this New York five piece have put together a very special collection on this album and it is something that grows on you with each listen as you find something new hidden away in the carefully constructed noise. With more experimental metal currently being lauded by the press, there is a definitely a chance for a band like HULL to break through, and on this form, they are highly deserving of that chance.” – Alternative Matter

http://www.listn.to/HULL
http://www.facebook.com/hull666
http://www.hullorhighwater.com
http://www.sonicbids.com/hull
http://www.myspace.com/hull

SWALLOW THE SUN: Finnish Death/Doom Collective Return To North America This Fall

May 10th, 2012

Today Finnish death/doom collective SWALLOW THE SUN are pleased to announce a North American tour this fall supporting German metal legends Kreator and Accept! The North American Teutonic Terror Attack will commence on September 5, 2012 in Washington D.C. and ravage its way through 23 cities throughout the U.S. and Canada. Additional support will come from Canadian death metallers Blackguard. Exclusive internet pre-sale tickets are available online at EnterTheVault.com through May 26th. General tickets go on sale May 27, 2012 through all regular ticketing outlets.

On their fifth stateside tour, SWALLOW THE SUN will bring the fruits of their latest offering, Emerald Forest and the Blackbird, set for North American release through Spinefarm Records U.S. later this year. Noted by Global Domination for its juggling of “disparate elements such as beautiful melody, lumbering, doomy riffs, black/death-growling, and a mood of gothy melancholy in such a way that no one aspect ever comes to overshadow the others,” the 10-track recording entered the official chart in Finland at position No. 2 upon its European release. Emerald Forest and the Blackbird was recorded during September and October 2011 by Mikko Karmila (Nightwish, Amorphis, Children Of Bodom) at Drumforest Studios in Viitasaari and Sonic Pump 2 in Helsinki by Hannu Honkonen at Noisework Studios, also in Helsinki. The effort was mixed by Hiili Hiilesmaa (Him, Apocalyptica, Amorphis, Moonspell) and mastered by Mika Jussila (Nightwish, Amorphis, Sentenced) at Finnvox Studios. Check out the video for “Cathedral Walls” featuring a guest vocal appearance by Nightwish singer Anette Olzon here:

SWALLOW THE SUN – Teutonic Terror Attack 2012:
w/ Kreator, Accept, Blackguard
09/05/12 Howard Theater – Washington, D.C.
09/06/12 The Trocadero – Philadelphia, PA
09/07/12 Best Buy Theater – New York, NY
09/08/12 The Palladium – Worcester, MA
09/10/12 Metropolis – Montreal, QC
09/11/12 Imperial de Quebec – Quebec City, QC
09/12/12 Phoenix Concert Theatre – Toronto, ON
09/14/12 Newport Music Hall – Columbus, OH
09/15/12 Mojoe’s – Joliet, IL
09/16/12 The Beaumont Club – Kansas City, MO
09/18/12 Gothic Theater – Englewood, CO
09/19/12 The Complex – Salt Lake City, UT
09/21/12 Rickshaw Theater – Vancouver, B.C.
09/22/12 Showbox at the Market – Seattle, WA
09/23/12 Roseland Theater – Portland, OR
09/25/12 The Grand Ballroom – San Francisco, CA
09/26/12 The Avalon – Hollywood, CA
09/27/12 The Grove – Anaheim, CA
09/28/12 Marquee Theatre – Tempe, AZ
09/30/12 Emo’s East – Austin, TX
10/01/12 Trees – Dallas, TX
10/02/12 House Of Blues – New Orleans, LA
10/04/12 Tremont Music Hall – Charlotte, NC

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