Category Archives: Shows

Municipal Waste / Toxic Holocaust – Toxic Waste Split – PREORDER NOW!!!

Posted by valleyofsteel on

Hello there, readers! I wanted to bring this to your attention as soon as I learned about it: pre-orders are now available for the Toxic Waste Split 12″ (Municipal Waste / Toxic Holocaust)! CLICK HERE!

**UPDATE 19 June 2012** Since the first pressing of this split sold out so quickly, Tankcrimes has just announced a second pressing! PLUS you can now download both sides of the release FOR FREE! Check out this newer post for all the relevant details!

This record is coming out on 12 June 2012 via Tankcrimes Records, and I’m predicting it’s gonna go fast. If you’re a thrash fan who’s been keeping up with the explosion of retro/revival bands over the past several years, then you already know that these are two of the biggest names in that movement. If you aren’t already familiar with these bands, I’ll give you a brief introduction to them later in this post (including a list of dates for each band’s upcoming world tours!), but first I want to talk about this incredible package — which I’m sure is going to be a HUGE hit with vinyl collectors all over the world…

Tracklisting:

  1. Trapped in the Sites (Municipal Waste)
  2. Mourning Sex (Municipal Waste)
  3. We Bring ‘Em Hell (Toxic Holocaust)
  4. Alter-ed States (Toxic Holocaust)

Two of the songs (one from each band) can be streamed if you head over to Decibel Magazine‘s website.

 
For the past several months, Scotty at Tankcrimes has often talked about working with various manufacturers and testing a number of different formulations to come up with just the perfect glow-in-the-dark vinyl to use for this release. That kind of dedication should give you an idea of just how important this collectors’ item is going to be…

The extremely limited “Die Hard” edition of the release is available in either the picture-disc (which, as you can see above, features the album’s cover art) or the special glow-in-the-dark vinyl. Either of those will also include a beer koozie and a poster of that cover art, too. Oh, and by the way, I don’t know if you noticed, but the “Toxic Waste” logo inside the glowing globe in the center of the artwork is made of the “T” from “Toxic Holocaust” and the “W” from “Municipal Waste” — sorry, it doesn’t take much to amuse me…

Anyway, for those fans who might not also be into collectible vinyl (or, more likely, for those who want to save the picture-disc or glow-in-the-dark edition in mint condition, but still want to listen to the record) it’s also available in regular boring black or blue vinyl. With any of these editions, you will be sent a link to download a digital copy on the release date, as well.

**UPDATE – 23 MAY** I told you that glow-in-the-dark vinyl was going to be a hot seller and that it would sell out… but I never predicted that they’d all be gone by the afternoon of the first pre-sale day! But, that’s what happened — as of yesterday, there are no more glowing Toxic Waste records left. If you missed out, sorry, it sucks to be you. Next time you need to listen to me when I tell you to jump on something quickly! I just wish I had some extra cash lying around this week, or else I might have grabbed up a dozen copies!

But anyway, all is not lost because that picture-disc edition is still available (although that one surely won’t be around too much longer, either!), as well as the black or blue versions. **

Once again, the link to pre-order the split is here.

 
Continue reading →

Upcoming Shows: The Gates of Slumber Kicking Off U.S. Tour

Posted by valleyofsteel on

I haven’t really seen a lot of press about this, but fortunately I just happened to stumble upon a post by The Gates of Slumber on Facebook which referred to new tour dates… as it turns out, the Indianan colossi of epic doom metal are heading out across the country, beginning tonight (21 May) in Cleveland and tomorrow night (22 May) in Pittsburgh!

It’s been about a year now since the band released their latest album The Wretch (their fifth, not including a whole slew of EPs, splits, and demos), and the critical praise just keeps on pouring in. I’ve been a huge fan of these COTD-ers since 2008’s Conqueror, but haven’t yet had the chance to see them in a live setting. They’ve got such an enormously crushing sound on record, though, I can only imagine it would be a pretty monumental experience. Full dates listed below.

Continue reading →

Upcoming Shows: What To Do In Pittsburgh This Weekend (19 May 2012)

Posted by valleyofsteel on

Hello.  It’s time once again to talk about “What To Do In Pittsburgh” this weekend.  There are a couple cool goings-on in the world of heavy music, coming up this Saturday (19 May) that I’d like to bring to your attention — one in Pittsburgh, and one that’s a few hours away (but both involve local area musicians).  And just to remind you once again, if you work for a local promotion company, a venue, or a band, I can only write about the shows that I know about!  So get in touch with me if you’ve got something you want to share.

Continue reading →

Upcoming Shows: Dresden 2012 U.S. Tour Kicks Off This Week

Posted by valleyofsteel on

Click to enlarge

Crust Warriors Dresden Announce May/June Tour Dates

…and they include Pittsburgh! Even better, although the show is on a Sunday, it’s the night before Memorial Day, so you don’t even have to worry about going to work in the morning.

 
Here is the official press release, and the list of dates will follow below.

Crust punk crew Dresden will be hitting the road later this month, burning their way through their native Midwest and out towards the coast. The band’s M.O. is a powerful mixture of D-beat hardcore and powerful punk imbued with a vicious intensity that comes from their depth of experience playing in bands like Wartorn, Despite, In Defence, False, and Remission. Along the way, Dresden will be joining forces with Profane Existence cohorts and legends in their own right Deviated Instinct, Antisect, Wartorn, Appalachian Terror Unit, and Tragedy. Don’t miss out on these gigs – blood will be shed, cities will be leveled, justice will be served.

 
Continue reading →

Help Sangre Make Their Way Across the Country this Summer!

Posted by valleyofsteel on

Good afternoon!  It’s been a little while since we checked in with our friends in Sangre… most recently when this review of their latest album was published back in February. Well, they’ve been keeping themselves busy — it seems like they’re constantly playing shows all over the southern California area.

But recently they’ve been gearing up to make their way across the rest of the country, with extensive touring all over the west coast, east coast, and everywhere in between! There are still a few dates that haven’t been nailed down yet, and I’d love to see these guys make their way to the western PA area, just as I’m sure you’ll be glad to have them in whatever city you live in.

Of course, there’s a lot of cost associated with that much traveling, and without the backing of a major label, the band will end up bearing that entire cost themselves. On top of that, it turns out the van they have been using is pretty old and beat-up, and quite frankly it might not make it that far! So they are looking at the option of renting something newer and more road-worthy. And that’s where you come in…

Continue reading →

Upcoming Shows: What To Do In Pittsburgh This Weekend (12 May 2012)

Posted by valleyofsteel on

Hi there.  It’s been a few weeks since I’ve done one of these “What To Do In Pittsburgh” features, but there are a couple interesting events coming up this Saturday (12 May) that I’d like to bring to your attention.  For the record, if you work for a local promotion company, a venue, or a band, I can only write about the shows that I know about!  So get in touch with me if you’ve got something you want to share.

Continue reading →

Get ’em While They’re Hot: Download a Brand New Bonded By Blood Song for Free!

Posted by valleyofsteel on

image

Good morning.  Do you like free music?  Do you like thrash metal?  Of course you do, I was only kidding.

Bonded By Blood, who are associated with the contemporary “re-thrash” revivalist movement (and not, as the name implies, an Exodus tribute band), are putting out a new album, The Aftermath, on the 3rd of July (2nd July in Europe) through Earache Records.  In anticipation of that forthcoming release — their third full-length and fourth overall — they’re offering up a brand new track from that album for you to download for FREE!

Also I’ve got some pre-order info as well as tour dates to share with you, so keep on scrolling…

Continue reading →

Cover Me: Shining Does Katatonia, Meatshank Does Metallica (With a Little Help from Overkill Drummer and Friends)

Posted by valleyofsteel on

We all love a good cover, right? Of course, nobody can quite agree on the definition of a “good” cover — but most often, these are usually the ones that honor the spirit of the original while taking them in a new direction, or those that are totally unexpected choices for the band doing the covering. Anyway, I’ve got two brand new ones for you in this post, and you can be the judge!

 
—————————-
 

 
First, Swedish atmospheric/depressive blackened death metal band Shining has released the first song from its upcoming covers EP Lots of Girls Gonna Get Hurt. Scheduled to come out 16 May 2012 from Spinefarm Records, this will feature versions of songs by Katatonia, Kent, Imperiet, and Poets of the Fall. Apparently, the renditions here are different enough from the typical Shining material, that frontman Niklas Kvarforth issued a statement (the quote here is taken from a paraphrasing of that statement, which was published in a press release by the band’s management), saying that this EP

…is definitely not a change of direction for the band. It was recorded at the same time as the band’s as yet untitled eighth album, and represents some of the artists and music that Shining’s members like and listen to. The fact that some Shining followers will be ill at ease with the material is, according to the band, irrelevant.

Continue reading →

Upcoming Shows: Sabaton Swedish Empire Tour

Posted by valleyofsteel on

image

Sabaton Swedish Empire Tour

Hey readers! If you’re looking for something to keep you busy on a boring Monday evening, head on down to Altar Bar in the Strip, because I’ve just learned that Swedish power metal giants Sabaton are swinging through town tonight as part of their Swedish Empire Tour through North America! I would’ve posted this earlier but I just found the above poster this morning, which local thrashers Sick Twisted Debauchery had linked to on their Facebook page last night. (People need to tell me about these things sooner so I have time to pass the word along to you!)

Anyway, details for this particular show are reprinted at the bottom of this post, after a list of all the confirmed dates remaining on the tour…
 
Continue reading →

Upcoming Shows: Akron Deathfest 2012

Posted by valleyofsteel on

(Click for full-size image)


 

Akron Deathfest 2012

Saturday, 28 April 2012

Annabell’s Lounge in Akron

 

$6 cover charge ($10 if under 21)

Doors open at noon

784 West Market Street, Akron OH

 
See the Facebook event page for complete details.
 
The schedule of bands — which includes a couple from Pittsburgh, as well as all across Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Illinois — is listed below.
Click on a band name to visit their Facebook page.
 
Continue reading →