Category Archives: New Releases

Get a Sneak Peek at Krampus’ Debut Full-Length!

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Survival of the Fittest, the debut full-length album by Italian folk metal octet Krampus will be here in just two more days!

As you might recall, back in June I shared the announcement of the album title, artwork, and tracklisting. This came on the heels of a pair of reviews of the band’s prior works: the Shadows of Our Times EP from March 2011 and the Kronos’ Heritage EP from August 2011.

Well, since then, there’s been a flurry of activity in anticipation of the new album’s official release (via Noise Art Records) on the 24th of August…

First of all, the band launched a brand new website. Check it out for all the latest news and information in the world of the Krampus.

 
Then, they put out a video trailer for the Survival album:

 

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Music Makes Miserable Monday Mornings More Manageable

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Good morning, Readers!

I hope you are doing well today. Personally, I’m really not sure yet, really not quite conscious enough to even have a general positive or negative impression of today, so far.

But regular visitors here might be familiar with my often-stated opinion — an opinion that I understand is a bit controversial and unconventional (although I think many people secretly agree with me, but I just happen to be the only one brave enough to come right out and say it) — that Mondays completely suck.

But fortunately, there’s also a correllary to that particular theory, which is that Mondays suck just a little bit less when there’s good music, so I’ve found a few songs I’d like to share with you on this Monday morning, to try and ease the pain somewhat!

 
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What To Do In Pittsburgh Tonight (17 August 2012)

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Cobra Cabana Records Presents:

Lady Beast Official Record Release!

with Zeitgeist, Molasses Barge, Murderess

 

at Gooski’s Bar

3117 Brereton Street, Pittsburgh (Polish Hill)

 

Friday 17 August 2012 | 9:00 pm

 
This will be an amazing show — the Lady Beast debut full-length is finally here! Check out the Facebook event page here for more details…

Now Available: Laster – Wijsgeer & Narreman (FREE Download!)

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Laster – Wijsgeer & Narreman (cassette release 01 June 2012, CD release 01 August 2012; both via Dunkelheit Produktionen)

 
Good afternoon, readers! Are you having a good day so far? I hope so. I know it’s still Monday, but at least it’s almost over, right?

Anyway, I’ve got an excellent serving of black metal I’d like to share with you all. Laster (“libel” or “defamation” in English) is a two-piece band from the Netherlands. Each of the members is also involved in other musical projects, but they both use initials as pseudonyms (and both are credited with “vocals and all instruments”) so it isn’t much use trying to discuss that.

In fact, outside of their city (Utrecht) and country of origin, pretty much everything else about this band is mysterious. They don’t even have a Facebook or Myspace page (as far as I have been able to discover). In a way it’s a shame, because I do like to find as much information as possible so I can be more knowledgeable about what I’m writing about.

At the same time, isn’t part of the allure of black metal its arcane nature, that sense of mysteriousness? Perhaps sometimes the ease with which the internet has put nearly limitless information at our fingertips can actually detract a bit from the magic? Turn the extraordinary and unique into something familiar and commonplace?

In any case, that’s the extent of the details I am able to share. Even the EP title and each of the three song titles have aluded my translation (via Google) abilities. I’ve been able to pick out a few words, but not enough to decipher anything meaningful. For example, the record is called Wijsgeer & Narreman; apparently the first word means “philosopher” or “sage” but the second part has no results however hard I try searching. Perhaps one of my helpful Dutch friends will want to offer some assistance?

 
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Coming Soon: New Daylight Dies Album – Details Revealed

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Ladies and gentlemen, here’s another bit of news I am very pleased to pass along to you. This was actually announced a couple weeks ago, but I didn’t really get a chance to write about it until now.

Daylight Dies is an excellent, excellent melodic-death/doom band, which I was first introduced to with their appearance on a couple Relapse Records samplers (Contaminated 5.0 and VI included the songs “I Wait” and “The Line that Divides,” respectively, both taken from the band’s debut full-length, 2002’s No Reply) — the same way I discovered Neurosis (“The Tide” and “A Sun that Never Sets,” respectively, appeared on those same collections) and literally dozens of other artists that I fell in love with in the early part of this millennium.

Anyway, fast-forwarding through the next decade, Daylight Dies went on to sign with Candlelight Records and put out two more albums, and now we find that Candlelight is set to release a third (the band’s fourth overall, for those keeping score at home)…

 
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Toxic Waste Split – 3rd Pressing Now Available!

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Good morning, readers, and a very happy Monday to you!

Or at least, a non-terrible one, if at all possible.

Remember the Toxic Waste split? Where Tankcrimes put together a couple songs by Municipal Waste and a couple by Toxic Holocaust, put them on each side of some uniquely colored vinyl, then slapped some ridiculously cool artwork on the front?

If not, I’ll give you a quick refresher on all the press coverage we’ve done so far: here was the story from May, about the initial pressing, which goes into a bit of detail about both bands, and the artwork, and also described the brilliant glow-in-the-dark vinyl (which was already sold out forever ago). Here was the story from June, right around the same time the first pressing was released, saying that the first thousand had already disappeared, but that a second set were available (and also that the four songs could be downloaded FOR FREE).

Well, the second thosand records also got snapped up pretty quickly — at this time there are still a few of the “Highlighter Yellow” and the green-yellow-blue “Striped” available, but less than a dozen of those are left! The “Toxic Spill” variety from the second batch is completely gone.

But don’t despair, because the those nice people that run Tankcrimes Records have announced that a third run has been produced, and they now have another thousand copies in stock — this time you can get Toxic Waste in the colors you see pictured above: 400 copies in “Slime” green, 350 in “Xtra Wild Party Blue,” and then 250 in “PP Spill” (clear vinyl with a big piss-yellow spot in the middle — yeah, they went there).

Once more, you can pick up one of these records (including the quickly-dwindling supply of second-editions) here.

And if you still haven’t heard it, you can listen to the split (and download the songs free) here:

 
———————————————–
Municipal Waste: website, Facebook, Myspace, Reverbnation
Toxic Holocaust: Facebook, Myspace, Reverbnation, Bandcamp
Tankcrimes: website, Facebook, Myspace, Bandcamp

Currently Touring: The Catalyst

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Here’s another announcement about a current U.S. tour, which somehow slipped past me until after it actually got underway. If you live in Indiana, Illinois, Nebraska, New Mexico, Colorado, Oklahoma, or Texas, then I am very, very sorry.

Just like Windhand, whose summer tour I wrote about yesterday, The Catalyst also come from Richmond, Virginia, and also are with Forcefield Records. These folks are really starting to make waves with their grunge/noise-rock/hardcore sound (Decibel Magazine mentions the “multi-directional weirdness of their AmRep-meets-Melvins-meets-thrash-meets-Lollapalooza-when-it-was-cool sonic soup”).

Their new album Voyager is set to be released on 04 September, in a 12″ vinyl format with full-color gatefold. However, you can get your hands on it earlier: during their tour, the band will have an advance limited run of the LP on clear and orange haze vinyl (limited to 200 pieces) available.

If, however, The Catalyst aren’t coming to your city (or if you live in one of the places they’ve already played), you can also pre-order a copy from Forcefield (here), limited to 100 copies in an orange and yellow swirl with black and red splatter. The pre-orders will ship on 13 August, so you’ll have it very soon — and around three weeks before the official release date!

 
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What To Do In Pittsburgh This Weekend (3-4 August 2012)

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Hey yinz guys, good afternoon! As I write this, Thursday is approaching an end, which means the end of the work week is not too far off, meaning it’s almost time for the weekend to start! Probably the best news I’ve heard all day.

Do you have your weekend plans all figured out yet? If not, then please allow me to offer a few suggestions — I’ve got the details about some shows taking place around town on Friday and Saturday, and trust me, you aren’t going to want to miss these!

(Unfortunately, a few of these do overlap, so you’ll definitely be missing something, no matter what you end up doing… #firstworldproblems)

 

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Just Released: MAKE – Trephine

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MAKE – Trephine (Devouter Records, 30 July 2012)

 
Well hello there, readers! I know it’s been a long-ass time since I’ve posted anything, and for that I apologize. Things have just gotten super-busy at work and at home, and so there’s barely been any time for writing … I definitely hope to get some more posts published in the very near future, because I do have a ton of stuff to share with you! To start with, here’s my review of an amazing album that just came out on vinyl…

Originally self-released digitally and on CD in March of this year, Trephine by Chapel Hill’s MAKE is now available via Devouter Records as of this Monday (30 July).

As you’re surely aware, a trephine is a special type of saw used to cut a hole in the skull, allowing a brain surgeon access to operate.

Similarly, the album Trephine will enter your head, forcing its way deep into the recesses of your mind, but there’ll be no anesthæsia here; you’ll be fully aware the whole time, to witness the journey down to the darkest depths of your psyche.

 
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Coming Soon: The Faceless Reveal Details for New Album

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Well. The last time we talked about those darlings of progressive death from California, The Faceless, it was way back in January when they had announced — and then dropped out of — a co-headlining tour with Dying Fetus. Around that time, and ever since then, there have been whispers about the band working on a new album. Now, thanks to Hold Tight! PR, I’m happy to announce that some details (including the official release date and a video trailer) have emerged…

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