Good Gnus!

Hey, good afternoon! We’ll be returning to our regular schedule of album reviews and snarky remarks shortly. But first I wanted to pass along a couple of tidbits that have hit my in-box courtesy of Earsplit PR. Apparently there will be some new material emerging in the near future from two bands who both happened to be among the most impressive live acts I’ve seen in the past year: Inter Arma and Today is the Day. Also Inter Arma has a shit-ton of tour dates coming up over the next couple of months, including a stop in my nearest metropolis — and perhaps a city near you as well. You’ll find the full list below.

Inter Arma in Cleveland, 1 November 2013

 
Inter Arma are a fairly recent discovery for me. I knew practically nothing about them prior to seeing them appear with Black Tusk, Forged in Flame, and Arkona in Cleveland, Ohio, last November. But at that show — I don’t know if maybe it was a result of having already seen each of those other bands and already knowing what to expect, or what, but Inter Arma really just blew me away. I’d have to describe them as having the core of a Floydian progressive-psychedelic rock band, which is buried inside a thick black metal outer shell. Pretty mezmerizing. And they’ll be out on the road around the U.S., as well as making their very first appearance in various parts of Europe, over the next few months.

But if that wasn’t enough, it’s just been announced that the band have been involved in recording a brand-new EP which should be seeing the light of day soon (following up their highly acclaimed 2013 album Sky Burial). While only including a single track, The Cavern reportedly clocks in at a staggering forty minutes of material. Recording and mixing of the new release, which is said to include appearances from members of Windhand and U.S. Christmas, among others, is nearly complete. Stay tuned for further details — as well as an official release date — to be announced in the near future.

 

Inter Arma in Cleveland, 1 November 2013

 

Inter Arma US Tour Dates:

02 February 2014 The Blue Nile – Harrisonburg, VA (w/ No Tomorrow, Earthling)
03 February 2014 Double Happiness – Columbus, OH (w/ TBA)
04 February 2014 Gabe’s Oasis – Iowa City, IA *,**
05 February 2014 The Firebird – St Louis, MO *,**
06 February 2014 Vino’s Pizza Pub Brewery – Little Rock, AR *
07 February 2014 Red 7 – Austin, TX *,**
08 February 2014 Club Dada – Dallas, TX *,**
09 February 2014 Fitzgerald’s Upstairs – Houston, TX *,**
10 February 2014 The Parish @ House of Blues – New Orleans, LA *,**
11 February 2014 Rehab – Tallahassee, FL *,**
12 February 2014 Will’s Pub – Orlando, FL *,**
13 February 2014 The Orpheum – Tampa, FL *,**
14 February 2014 WorkPlay Theatre – Birmingham, AL *,**
15 February 2014 The Earl – Atlanta, GA *,**
17 February 2014 Cat’s Cradle – Carrboro, NC *,**
18 February 2014 The Rock and Roll Hotel – Washington, DC *,**
19 February 2014 Underground Arts – Philadelphia, PA *,**
20 February 2014 Bowery Ballroom – New York, NY *,**
21 February 2014 The Middle East (Downstairs) – Cambridge, MA *,**
22 February 2014 Saint Vitus Bar – Brooklyn, NY *,**
23 February 2014 Altar Bar – Pittsburgh, PA *,**
24 February 2014 Grog Shop – Cleveland Heights, OH *,**
25 February 2014 Blind Pig – Ann Arbor, MI *,**
26 February 2014 Bottom Lounge – Chicago, IL (w/ TBA)
27 February 2014 Triple Rock Social Club – Minneapolis, MN *,**
28 February 2014 The Waiting Room – Omaha, NE *,**
01 March 2014 Gothic Theatre – Englewood, CO *,**
02 March 2014 The Urban Lounge – Salt Lake City, UT (w/ TBA)
03 March 2014 Neurolux – Boise, ID (w/ TBA)

* – w/ Ken Mode, ** – w/ Russian Circles

 

Inter Arma European Tour Dates:

04 April 2014 Kavka – Antwerp, Belgium *
05 April 2014 Iduna – Drachten, Netherlands *
06 April 2014 Luftschlossfabrik – Flensburg, Germany *
09 April 2014 KB18 – Copenhagen, Denmark (w/ 16, Grime)
10 April 2014 Doom Over Leipzig – Leipzig, Germany *,**
11 April 2014 AJZ – Bielefeld, Germany *,**
12 April 2014 Roadburn Festival – Tilburg, Netherlands *,** (also featuring True Widow, 16, ASG, Locrian and Lord Dying)
13 April 2014 Scruffy Murphys – Birmingham, UK **
14 April 2014 Bannermans – Edinburgh, UK **
15 April 2014 Roadhouse – Manchester, UK **
16 April 2014 O2 Academy 2 Islington – London, UK **
18 April 2014 Doomed Gatherings @ Glazart – Paris, France **
19 April 2014 Lo-Fi – Milan, Italy **
20 April 2014 Arena – Vienna, Austria **
21 April 2014 Kapu – Linz, Austria **
22 April 2014 Hirscheneck – Basel, Switzerland **
23 April 2014 Usine – Genevia, Switzerland **
24 April 2014 Gebäude 9 – Cologne, Germany **
26 April 2014 Willemeen – Arnhem, Netherlands (w/ TBA)

* – w/ Indian, ** – w/ Windhand

 
http://www.facebook.com/INTERARMA
http://interarma.bigcartel.com

http://www.relapse.com
http://www.facebook.com/RelapseRecords
http://relapserecords.bandcamp.com

*******

Today is the Day in Pittsburgh, 10 March 2013

 
On the other hand, Today is the Day is a group I’ve been familar with for well over a decade. The brainchild of vocalist/guitarist Steve Austin, plus whomever he happens to be surrounding himself with at a particular moment, this project has continually evolved over the years, but whether the medium is harsh noise, violent grindcore outbursts, or lengthy ambient post-metal soundscapes, one constant has always been that Today is the Day communicates pure, raw emotion and pain. With yet another brand-new lineup, the band is currently in the process of assembling its tenth album.

Austin describes the upcoming fifteen-song release as “my finest work to this date. … the most complex and heavy metal/noise record we have ever made. … No bullshit Protools crap; just pure violent energy and real band songwriting in the middle of the woods in Maine. I was determined to push the limits in complexity, musicianship, and creativity as far as we could and I feel we have put together a record that narrates the horror and pain that we have been living through.”

Joining the band’s sole permanent member for this chapter of its history are drummer Jeff Lohrber (lead vocalist, guitarist, songwriter, and recording drummer of Enabler), and bassist Sean Conkling (engineer at Tempe, Arizona’s Burning Blade Studio, as well as a multi-instrumental contributor to numerous other bands). Additional information on this release — as well as the inevitable tour dates for 2014 and beyond — will be disseminated as these details become available.

In the meantime, please enjoy this video from Today is the Day‘s headlining appearance in Pittsburgh last March — a show that, coincidentally, also featured Black Tusk (whom I would see again later in the year with Inter Arma) as well as Ken Mode (who will be joined by Inter Arma on most of their upcoming American dates).

 

 
http://www.todayistheday.us
http://www.facebook.com/todayisthedayofficial
http://www.twitter.com/todayistheday66
http://todayistheday.bandcamp.com