CWG Magazine

Slayer – World Painted Blood (Review Redux)

Jamie Lardner — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 22:27:51 +0000

A grizzly murder, my friends & fiends & warranted drugged out heretics of all sorts, was not my absolute birthright as though it would seem Tom Araya’s closing scream ending Beauty Through Disorder and his final embrace of the sane. Murder would however, become my right as an innocent victim around eleven years old when a sickly perverted scumbag of the Earth would repeatedly shove his eight inch uncircumcised member to the back of my small boyish throat. Clean, sharp, and polished. World Painted Blood is intense, ritualistic in all that Slayer slams on the proverbial table, and a great fucking album. “God Belongs To Me!” and “Murder Is My Birthright!” are but two lines in one song reaching towards the climax that never comes… for not only the track but Slayer’s latest hellish beast is all dynamically pressed to the extreme in its entirety.

From the opening rise of World Painted Blood, the album’s longest track & one of immense groove, all along the Thrash Metal spine of Hell to the brutal closing of Not Of This God and its dizzying genius drum fills & leads, World Painted Blood is a glorious representation of epic Thrash Metal. There are no finer representatives of what it is, and what is can be, than Slayer. An added assault of one of the band’s most esteemed albums to date.

For sixteen years, I’ve harbored a murderous rage and un-daunting vision of all that I’d do to the savage prodding fuck of my youth, had he ever been unfortunate enough to be found. Through the magic of online social networking, that day came quite recently…and now he is quietly & undoubtedly dead, although I’ll spare the diatribe of grueling details. World Painted Blood is admittedly not as angry or powerful as the deathly religious zeal of Reign In Blood or Divine Intervention, but the musicianship and quality of every note & word spoken is top notch, prime, and beyond anything they have ever done in such a solid capacity. This, their latest studio album, is a metal machine that spuriously bleeds hardcore and proves beyond the shadow of anyone’s doubt that they have lost nothing after a thousand years at the helm of this beast we call Heavy Metal. The subjects put forth haven’t changed much, and the lyrical intertwining with dictatorial leads & tight harmonics are all still heavily present, but there’s something more. Some maniacal thing literally dying and coming to life in every breath & note. A man brutally murdered by his victim through a thick pressed baseball bat to the spine…CRACK!…and then skull, ends his pathetic existence while giving the murderer a new life and breath of fresh air. Creation through Destruction as he screams “God Did Not Do This!” still hearing Beauty Through Disorder. A well deserved massacre…and then he bled out with a twitch & a wet defecation.

The album’s namesake lights the whole goddamn thing up with a roll of snares & screams…the groove compels like nothing else on World Painted Blood and with a vulgarity that’s to be expected, we’re to snarl with sin, critical mass, and black disease. On rolls Unit 731 and into Snuff, erupting fast and solo driven. We hear “ACTION!” quite a few times throughout the piece and if one isn’t letting that raging fist fly high on every even note and sloshing that head around like a satanic bobble-head extension, then you’ve missed something real and I’d recommend a few minutes in a slow roasting Hell…and what is Tom’s future? Murder and Killing as he bellows out repeatedly, of course.

I took the unwarranted time to explain to the man before that final death blow who I was and why I had done, and was doing this terrible thing. With the liberty of a sodomite priest, he gargled some generic “God Has Forgiven Me” bullshit line. I rested my size thirteen steel toe on his throat and swung that oak beast hard and fast around to the rear of his already fragmented dome. Skull pieces & blood spewing all about the goddamn place. Eyes popped out in a gooey jump and I crushed his windpipe with a solid lean on.

The tracks and solid sedition ride on…A Will To Power held back by nothing. Beauty Through Order…an ominously slower piece held together with an orchestrated slow progression, a blasting seared rail of a guitar solo emerging as a righteous ANGRY groove. Supremely heavy. “God Belongs To Me!“ Hate Worldwide & Public Dismemberment recant back to the adage of “Furiously Fucking Fast! And Fuck Em’ If They Can’t Handle The Shit!“ Not so much an actual adage, but pointed none the less…Complimented Slayer insanity at its best.

Human Strain…personal favorite…is a groove mammoth. An acute sense of intimidation in its slow rough moniker. A horror riff & lead of epic proportions leaves open spaces for Araya to launch an odd deal of the macabre. The track comes on in a simplistic stream of whiskey flowing down the body of a skinned sinner… still alive and on fire. I stood over this dead creature and pissed all over him, a dark yellow steaming flow of Wild Irish Rose and Codeine. Fuck the scum…and he still has Hell to look forward to.

Psycopathy Red blasted in my head as it would following the all too honest, Americon. Real or imagined, the track come on as the fastest & most brutal jam on the album…one of World Painted Blood’s official HEAVY AS FUCK recipients, and all while my urine wetted his carcass. Speed Metal without a breath for intake, and then a solo dropping a frantic ten thousand feet only to rise beyond the bleeding Sun getting both louder and faster and more brutal. Two and a half minutes of FUCKING DEATH and the unforgiving toll of murder. Playing With Dolls follows the goddamn insanity with a howling & fitting “God Can’t Help You Now…You’re Going To Die In Front Of Me!” And this point in the madness of World Painted Blood, it seemed to me that I had no choice but to grab my quickly hardening cock and masturbate all over the man that only half a life ago had raped me of all that I could have ever been. “GOD CAN’T HELP YOU NOW! YOU’LL WISH YOU WERE IN HELL!” Not Of This God ends the album. Apocalyptic and brutal. Epic and without apology, HEAVY AS SLAYER HAS EVER BEEN and a rare dual HEAVY AS FUCK recipient!

Tom’s lyrical flow has never been better than this album, from his words that become animalistic growls to his syllabalistic expressions that will absolutely never be topped. Epic solos, amazing fills, and prime musicianship. Slayer has come thru with an album as hardcore & righteous beyond the limits of nearly anything past.

The ideology and feeling that Slayer has represented in a lifetime of music can be felt with every fiber in one’s being on this Metal work of brilliance. The standout tracks are few and far between, however nothing embodies excellence in today’s Thrash Metal empire more so than World Painted Blood. It is truly a phenomenal record from beginning to end. Although I’ve only been listening to Slayer for the past few years, I’ve heard it all. I’ve fucked and murdered and drank and pillaged to every second that they have ever recorded, and World Painted Blood is an absolute masterpiece, for Slayer, the Pit, and Metal as a whole. There are too many gaps to be filled, and for too long has Slayer been one of the few to fill them. To not give homage with the legitimate purchase of such a beast should be punishable by death. It is the same as the rape of a child. Once again, FOUR FUCKING GUNS!

Label: Sony – Rating: out of

The Toadies – Feeler

James Swigart — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 13:58:18 +0000

The Toadies leap, crouch, and flick their tongues wildly on their magnificent new album, Feeler. Vaden Todd Lewis sings and plays guitar and bass smoothly and jaggedly. Lewis’s vocals in particular are amazing, varied, and define on the edge. Mark Reznicek is a mellow, professional drummer like Starr, Moon, and Steady. Clark Vogeler plays restrained yet uncontrollably surging guitar. We were taken from beneath her and put on top of Kilimanjaro by the simple genius of the 9 incredibly mesmerizing tunes on this alt rock guitar gift.

Never been to a real waterfall. Aching to go. “Waterfall” defines modern rock perfection and every band needs to listen to it over and over to learn and to grow. Lewis’ varied, urgent, savage vocals are beyond rad and while singing he’s communicating commands, needs, predictions, promises, threats, and warnings like the best general of all time, George Washington. Lewis sings possibly the most badass line of them all when he sings, “I’m everyone who’s ever done you any wrong.” Almost like the deity Stipe at his best some of Lewis’ lyrics are difficult to understand. When guitar and drums are driving and Lewis is singing shorter notes we’re hearing her for the third time. The power created by properly executed simple guitar notes, lightning, winding guitar, and drums is tremendous.

We didn’t trust her and she proved us right every step. “Trust Game” has plenty of acoustic guitar and maracas and both are merely incredible. Great urgency and tension are created by the combination of acoustic guitar and vocals. Bass guitar beneath is nimble and understated like all great bass. When a hand held percussion instrument like the legend Daltrey used is used we’re brought inside. When, like Dylan, it becomes electric later this is how music was meant to be played. This urgency and brilliant acoustics remind us of the masters of all acoustic, Led Zeppelin. The mood is never too fast nor too slow on this fantastic rocker.

Boy, he’ll wish he was dead. “Dead Boy” is a driver with vocals down below like Motorhead, X, or the gods the Ramones might have made back in the day. Lewis’ voice sounds like a harder Roger Taylor and we have always preferred Roger to Freddie. Guitar is fuzzy, psychedelic, chugging, wailing and just terrifying and that’s how guitar is supposed to sound. The longer guitar solo isn’t too low and rhythm guitar below and drums on top make this a perfect sandwich. Bass guitar is prevalent and this song is better than any of the songs on Nirvana’s Bleach and it would have fit perfectly on their best, In Utero.

We hated that city while we were there. ”City of Hate” has jagged guitar with some chiming that Marr himself would be glad to call his own. Some of Lewis’ vocals are filtered and others are down low and bass is everywhere and that’s the way. A longer guitar note changes a few times and we’re hearing an angel. Short, serrated, perfect guitar notes that go nowhere are like Gill’s and man didn’t he fall off the cliff. While it’s guitar, bass, and cymbals we’re hearing Hector command the Trojans and they all believed. Spoken backing vocals are ruthless and vicious and we’re in love. We’re hearing maracas again and this song is an understated, ferocious masterpiece.

She tried to be mine but trying and achieving are two different things. The shorter, separated guitar notes at a higher pitch on “Mine” are gorgeous and in small amounts and there are also shaded backing vocals which are nectar. Everywhere bass guitar creates the pot in which the oil boils and from which it shoots. The vibe is less anxious, more knowing, and more mature Pixies and Frank Black. We’re lulled slowly into a groove and then it gets more mellow and this song is perfect.

She sure did suck and gosh it wasn’t magic. “Suck Magic” has simple, single note guitar to the west that grabs and the harder guitar chords are to the east and we’re caught in the tornado and don’t want to escape. There’s so much empty space around the guitar that we see her at her best and all we want to do is to spend time with her. The chorus hits hard without much force because the rest is so understated. When Lewis screams we’re reminded of Mogg and we’re led up an incline to fuzzy and ferocious guitars which are complete Nirvana and Kurt Cobain was a complete genius.

In our dream last night, all the females who are pretty were at our place. “ATF Theme” has hard guitar and guitar that winds on top which is in a higher pitch with longer notes and is just incredible. The guitar sound is less sloppy Melvins and harder Frank Black and we want to ride this wave like we want to pass the volleyball to the setter who’s going to set us for a spike that will win the match. There are maybe two vocal tracks way way down south and drums are of course only perfect. An unique and incredible guitar song.

Joey did something very bad to us in the third grade and of course we shunned him from then on. “Joey Let’s Go” has a guitar note that hits from the left for eons. Lewis’ vocals are lighter Frank Black and guitar’s around the words and then it’s slower, less frenetic Pixies and that’s chill. Lewis’ bass lumbers and guitar hikes up it and we’re thinking about Gang of Four’s amazing guitar album Entertainment! The ending gets more intense and Lewis is wailing like Plant and guitar’s killing with short way rad notes and man that’s a rock song.

We’ve been in the pink and man that’s the only place to be if you’re like us. “Pink” features Reznicek’s hitting on beat maybe the rim of a drum or a block and that’s righteous. Then simple guitar chords like Angus Young’s hit and Lewis’ vocals are flowing like Henley’s and Don can really sing. A longer guitar solo of flowing notes like Kozeljnik or Year of No Light is arresting. Lewis tells us not to worry a few times and okay we won’t. Unfortunately this is the last tune and we want more and that means this band loves us.

Feeler is the complete gift and it was excellently produced by Rob Schnapf. Guitar gives Feeler its edge, is transcendent, cuts like Biletnikoff, and drives like Foyt. We’ve heard great albums by the Pixies, Frank Black, and Gang of Four. Feeler is at least the equal of any of these and at times better. The Toadies are touring through mid October. If you can get to one of their shows you’d be wise to make the effort.

Buy This Album On:

Like the Toadies? Check out: Burden Brothers, Tripping Daisy, Local H

Label: Kirtland Records – Rating: out of

Interview With Papa Roach’s Jacoby Shaddix

Jason Coldiron (Rock/Metal Editor) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:40:30 +0000

Photos By: Ed Hannigan

Papa Roach have released their latest album, Time For Annihilation…On the Record and On the Road via new label Eleven Seven Music today. The band’s album is a unique hybrid listening experience, which showcases new material produced by David Bendeth (Paramore, Breaking Benjamin, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus) as well as live renditions of past hits.

With the release of this record, the band continue their long term commitment to WhyHunger, raising funds and awareness for the 49 million Americans and more than 1 billion people worldwide who are hungry. The band included a hidden track on the record, a first in philanthropy, to encourage fans to text to donate as they do live in concert. In addition, the band will be visiting the Los Angeles Mission food bank as volunteers to celebrate their album release and continued partnership with WhyHunger. On their upcoming tour dates, the band will be auctioning off VIP experiences with all proceeds going to WhyHunger.

The band recently announced plans to join forces with Skillet and destroy crowds across the US with their Monsters of Annihilation tour beginning October 1st in Myrtle Beach, SC at The House of Blues. Trapt and My Darkest Days round out the bill. For a complete list of tour dates, please see below.

Check out our past coverage of Papa Roach @ Club Nokia, November 2009

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Papa Roach only:
September 10 Nashville, TN Buzzfest – On Sale Now
September 11 Indianapolis, IN WRZX XFest – On Sale Now
September 12 Dayton, OH WXEG – On Sale Now
September 14 Canton, OH Bearcreek Music Center – On Sale Now
September 15 Stroudsburg, PA Sherman Theater – On Sale Now
September 23 Chicago, IL Club Congress – On Sale Now
September 25 Fontana, CA Epicenter – On Sale Now
September 28 Minneapolis, MN The Epic – On Sale Now
September 29 Southbend, IN Club Fever – On Sale 9/3

Papa Roach and Skillet on tour:
October 1 Myrtle Beach, SC House of Blues – On Sale Now
October 5 Baltimore, MD Rams Head Live – On Sale Now
October 6 Wallingford, CT The Dome – On Sale Now
October 8 Clifton Park, NY Northern Lights – On Sale Now
October 10 Worcester, MA Palladium – On Sale Now
October 12 Rochester, NY The Main Street Armory – On Sale Now
October 13 Toledo, OH John F. Savage Hall – On Sale Now
October 14 Moline, IL iWireless Center – On Sale 9/3
October 16 Waterloo, IA McElroy Auditorium – On Sale 9/4
October 17 Kansas City, MO The Midland – On Sale 9/3
October 19 St. Louis, MO Pageant – On Sale Now
October 20 Oklahoma City, OK Diamond Ballroom – On Sale Now

Terror and Suffokate blow up Sactown

Jason Coldiron (Rock/Metal Editor) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 10:51:50 +0000

Photos By: JT Cleveland

8-20-10: The Boardwalk in Orangevale, CA – I arrived on site at my favorite local concert venue for an amazing night of metal. On the bill were Terror, Suffokate and others.

I was stoked to be interviewing Scott Vogel from Terror, while also hoping I might catch up with Ricky Hoover of Suffokate, who I had met a few months before (find that interview here). I would end up getting my interviews with Scott and Ricky.

Both of them were great. Look for those interviews in our video section or click here.

As for the show itself…

A couple of local bands got the show going. The first of them was called, Beyond all Ends. Find them here. They rocked the place and got me feeling good. I liked their set so much that I went out back and found them and got an interview afterward. I had a nice talk with vocalist Chris and a nice mind-altering experience with drummer Nate and some of the other guys. This is a helluva local band that I recommend people check out.

The first main event of the night would soon follow: Suffokate.

Their set was amazing. The last time I saw them I watched most of the set from halfway back in the crowd. Not this time! This time I saw the set from the very front. Close enough to see everything, get squeezed into the madness of the crowd, get doused with Hoover saliva and take in the amazing set.

A little more about Ricky Hoover: Dude is one of the nicest guys ever off the stage. When I talked to him he was far beyond cool. On the stage… he is fucking insane. There is something about him. He is like a robot from the terminator or something. I think it’s because he is so lanky and covered in ink (head to toe), combined with the way he moves in perfect motion with the music. His every movement seems like an exercise in badassism. He lead the band through an amazing set.

Along the way, Hoover announced that guitarist Tesoro Protomartir was about to leave the band to go back to school. This led him to a sarcastic, “school is for losers, fuck school!” remark that got the crowd riled up, if they weren’t already from the previous half an hour of shredding.

After Suffokate, I went outside for a while to cool down and have some smoke (thanks again to Nate from Beyond all Ends).

I came back inside the venue in time to get to the front of the stage once again to see Scott Vogel and Terror.

This was my first time seeing Terror and wasn’t sure what to expect. What I got was amazing.

It turns out that a Terror show is a full audience event. Vogel commands the crowd to do his bidding, which mostly consists of singing along with the songs and to “keep moving.”

Vogel presents a strong contrast to Hoover. Where Hoover is intimidating and angry on stage, Vogel seems really friendly and inviting, like the nice neighbor next door… who is about to melt your skull!

45 minutes, a couple of guest vocalists, some amazing pit activity and a bunch of amazing songs later, Terror’s set wrapped up. I felt kinda weird. Mainly due to Vogel, I felt like I had just made a bunch of friends at a party for the cool kids. I couldn’t believe how many people in the audience knew the words to all the songs. There was a feeling of togetherness among the gathered hardcore fans. I liked it and will check these guys out the next time they make it to my town.

Yes, there were other bands on the bill, but for my money- Terror and Suffokate was more than enough for anyone to chew on. And so, I will leave it at that.

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Slayer- Day 1: A personal introduction to Slayer

Jason Coldiron (Rock/Metal Editor) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 21:11:33 +0000

Today begins CWG’s, “7 Days of Slayer” event.

As the band wraps up the American Carnage tour with Megadeth and Testament, CWG is taking this opportunity to pay tribute to one of the biggest bands of all time.

Along the way we’ll be reviewing a few of the classic Slayer albums, sharing my interview with Dave Lombardo, and bringing you anecdotes from other musicians and journalists about their Slayer experiences.

The first of these anecdotes comes from me. This is my story of how I came to know and love Slayer. I hope you enjoy and, if you are a Slayer fan, can relate.

“I was an outcast in High School and Junior High. I hated the jocks. I hated that they all got along. I hated that they all had friends. I hated that they had money. I hated that they never gave people like me a chance. I hated the preppies even more, and they were in abundance at my school. Shit, they were everywhere. They came from families with money and they acted like it. I knew girls that got cars for their 16^th birthdays, were on the cheerleading team and so on. They never noticed me except to make fun of me and I hated them. I hated them all. I was surrounded by kids I couldn’t stand.

Complicating the problem was the fact that another nearby High School was still being built. Within a couple of years all these rich kids would have their own school to dominate and could leave us poor kids alone. That didn’t do me any good. I was surrounded by a world I hated and people I wished plague on.

This was a point in my life as a young teenager where I was missing something. Ok, I was missing a lot of things, but one of those things was music I could love.

I started doing things in my own style and my own way that was different from all the people I knew at school. To this end, I needed music that I could call my own. I needed something that the jocks, preppies and everyone else would find so abrasive that they wouldn’t listen to it. Something that would piss people off and make them think even less of me (which is what I wanted). Something I could play out loud and it would make people mad. Something that was the opposite of everyone and everything around me.

I was getting into Guns N Roses quite a bit, but that wasn’t quite abrasive enough. GNR was great, but they were actually too likable (hard to imagine now). They had videos on MTV, ballads, and fans that crossed genres. All that stuff made GNR a great band, but it wasn’t what I was looking for.

In a biology class I sat next to my friend Justin. He was almost as much of a degenerate at the time as I was. We sat in that class together working on projects and acting like we gave a shit for a semester. One day he had on his headphones and was listening to something very very loud. I asked him what it was. He passed me his headphones and what I heard changed my life. I still remember this very vividly, like it just happened this morning (even though this was 20 years ago). The song was Slayer’s, “South of Heaven.” I heard the opening guitar part come on like the sound of pending doom. When the song got going and the chorus hit I freaked out. I had never heard anything like this before, but I was in love instantly.

A few days later I went to the record store and bought Slayer’s current release (at the time), “Seasons in the Abyss.” When I got it home and played it on my new CD player (the first I’d ever owned) my life changed.

This was it. This was the sound I had been looking for: aggressive, angry, dark, violent and, most importantly- none of my other classmates would be able to stand it! I would be able to piss off the world by being a fan of this band. And so, I became a Slayer fan.”

Fast forward 20 years and Slayer is one of the biggest metal bands of all time. One of the “big 4” in fact. One of the biggest and greatest fucking bands that ever lived.

Today begins an adventure. CWG Magazine is proud to present, “7 Days of Slayer.” This is our tribute to one of the bands that shaped the metal world forever.

For me personally, this is much more. This is a tribute to a band that changed my life. Enjoy the reviews, stories, anecdotes and music to come.

Jason Coldiron (Rock/Metal editor, CWG Magazine)

Brownes Duvahl debuts in Sacramento

Jason Coldiron (Rock/Metal Editor) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 20:16:03 +0000

After sitting through a couple of tolerable local bands I’d never heard of, it was time for the main attraction: Brownes Duvahl.

The band hit the stage, led by lead singer Luke Rietzke, who quickly introduced the band, which is Isaiah Abdul- Rahman (drums), Jason Gould (bass), Taylor Ramsey (backing vocals), Kevin Droese (bass/guitar) and Forrest Heise (keys).

The set began with a cover of Billy Joel’s, “Still rock and roll to me.” This was a fitting opener that got the crowd into things and made the venue feel alive. Being an old-school Billy Joel fan, this song made my day as well.

From there, Rietzke led the band through their three new songs, which were being released on their new EP tonight.

“Can’t always Change” showcased Rietzke’s classic blues style of guitar playing, which was perfect for the venue. As he played a solo on his guitar I was reminded of the great Jack White. Ripping through solos and verses, I felt like I was watching and listening to a young White. Rietzke showed off his musicianship in a big way.

“Free of Charge” was an energy packed, distortion-filled guitar jam. It’s a song with simple lyrics, with diversity provided through tempo and voice control. This was another great moment in the night.

“Loving My Mind” is Rietzke’s signature song of sorts. It’s a playful, happy, upbeat song. Rietzke plays it with a smile that the audience can feel easily. It is a fitting song for a venue like this one, leaving the crowd happy as the night comes to an end.

Along the way, a cover of “Across the Universe” fit well into the set and got the audience singing along.

When the set was over, Rietzke thanked the audience for coming. The crowd seemed happy with the set. I was thrilled. This was my first time seeing a Browne’s Duvahl show… the first of many to come.

Find more on Brownes Duvahl here.

7 Days of Slayer!!!

cwgmagazine — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 01:54:05 +0000

Check back for updates.

Wednesday, September 1st -

Day 1: An introduction to Slayer by CWG Rock/Metal editor Jason Coldiron here.

Thursday, September 2nd -

Day 2 brings CWG metal God Jamie Lardner’s review of World Painted Blood here.
Friday, September 3rd -
Saturday, September 4th -
Sunday, September 5th -
Monday, September 6th -
Tuesday, September 7th – Jason Coldiron’s video interview with Slayer!

WATAIN: Swedish Black Metal Squadron To Wage War On North America

Trusted CWG Source — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 01:21:47 +0000

Swedish black metal overlordsWATAIN, who unleashed their Lawless Darkness full-length earlier this summer, will shower their blasphemy upon North American soil later this fall. Presented by Decibel Magazine and sponsored in part by Fangoria, Metal Injection and Killer Tours, the unholy trek will commence on November 6 at Mr. Smalls in Pittsburgh and bludgeon its way through over two dozen cities before coming to close on December 4 at the Opera House in Toronto. Support will come from Goatwhore and Black Anvil.

Lawless Darkness was released via Season Of Mist on June 7. Recorded at Necromorbus Studio (Deathspell Omega, Funeral Mist, Ondskapt et al) in Alvik, Sweden with cover art by Zbigniew M. Bielak, the record continues to reap critical accolades from press nationwide and abroad. In addition to scoring cover spots in some of metal’s most esteemed publications including Decibel, Terrorizer, and Subterranea (Metal Hammer’s extreme metal supplement), “Reaping Death,” the latest single off Lawless Darkness, was certified gold in Sweden for sales in excess of 10,000 copies.

There Is No Escape; They Are Coming.

WATAIN: Lawless Darkness North American Tour 2010
w/ Goatwhore, Black Anvil
11/06/2010 Mr. Smalls – Pittsburgh, PA
11/07/2010 Reggie’s – Chicago, IL
11/08/2010 Station 4 – St. Paul, MN
11/10/2010 Marquis Theatre – Denver, CO
11/11/2010 Club Vegas – Salt Lake City, UT
11/12/2010 Branx (Loveland) – Portland, OR
11/13/2010 Studio Seven – Seattle, WA
11/16/2010 Boardwalk – Orangevale, CA
11/17/2010 DNA Lounge – San Francisco, CA
11/18/2010 The Ruby Room – San Diego, CA
11/19/2010 The Whiskey – Hollywood, CA
11/20/2010 Clubhouse – Tempe, AZ
11/21/2010 Club 101 – El Paso, TX
11/22/2010 The Loft – Dallas, TX
11/23/2010 Emo’s – Austin, TX
11/24/2010 Numbers – Houston, TX
11/27/2010 Back Booth – Orlando, FL
11/29/2010 Masquerade – Atlanta, GA
11/30/2010 Sonar – Baltimore, MD
12/01/2010 Peabody’s – Cleveland, OH
12/02/2010 Santo’s New York, NY [No Goatwhore]
12/03/2010 Le Fou Founes – Montreal, QC [No Goatwhore]
12/04/2010 Opera House – Toronto, ON [No Goatwhore]
………………………………………………………..

“Darkthrone were once ‘for all the evil in man,’ but Watain turn good men evil.” – Decibel

“…Lawless Darkness delivers all the pure kvlt evilness you could possibly want.” – Outburn

“Once again, Watain – combustible, ravenous and unrelenting – achieve a magical balance where all-consuming darkness (chaos) and brightly burning melody (refinement) wed to achieve the sublime (enlightenment).” — Terrorizer

“…it is without question that Lawless Darkness will go down as a watershed release for Watain, an act that has made a career of continually challenging itself without alienating a rabidly devoted fan base. That is no small feat. Recommend with extreme aggression.” – Metal Army America

“It’s not an easy task to follow the hype Watain have had to live up to, but with Lawless Darkness they have surely succeeded. It’s only halfway through 2010, but this album will definitely make some marks on the more maniacal, mischievous year-end lists.” – MetalSucks
………………………………………………………..

http://www.myspace.com/watainofficial

http://www.templeofwatain.com

http://www.season-of-mist.com

Nights At The Round Table- A Carina Round Review

Ms. Lacuna — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 01:09:42 +0000

It has always been a pleasure and a blessing to be able to sit at the Round Table. Experiencing mind blowing music, gathering around like minded people, and freely coming to terms with “music in the raw.” Music so violently intense and passionate. Music with a trenchant edge, that by which we will ourselves to get cut, and I get cut deeply every single time. I have always seen Carina Round as that double edged blade. You know its sharp, so you can’t be surprised when it does cut you; but even knowing that, she never fails to surprise.

There is never a dull edge or moment with this woman. Her music is a breath of fresh air in a time where music is absurdly identical. “Back Seat?” Are you kidding me? Into My Blood?” Get outta here! Carina is as raw, fierce and enticing as she is British. And she’s everything your mothers and fathers warned you about. I have said time and time again, how the TuniVerse has blessed us. This one, she’s going to be our poppet for a long time, and I’m so grateful for that serendipitous happening all those years ago.

Having seen Carina live, I realize that she is one of the 21st century’s most underrated artists and her stage presence, demeanor and interaction with her fans is nothing short of fantastic. Her song choices were spectacularly picked out as well. She played mostly new songs (from maybe a forthcoming album?), and threw in the ever classic “Into My Blood” and “Let It Fall,” and did a wicked version of Prince’s “I Would Die 4 You.” On a couple of occasions I found myself tearing up. Yep. Yep thats right. Partly from finally getting to see her live and partly from the feelings that were being stirred inside of me. It was all because of the energy, I know it was.

Its the music. Its the music that does this. I’ve been to many shows, and many concerts too. I have never felt as connected to Carina as a fan, as I did at the show. I’ve never been to the Hotel Cafe. But, it seems it brings out noting but the best in artist and fan alike. The venue is rather small, but that feature makes for a more intimate setting. I was surprised that she was able to rock out on the stage, which was also quite compact. But, as small as the stage had looked, Carina had her drummer, trumpet/keyboard player, upright bassist, Samuel Stewart, Django Stewart and Claire Acey (from Nightmare & The Cat, who, I must add, are quite fantastic in their own right), and a rack of guitars all on the stage. Needless to say, she rocked the house and I really wanted her to do and encore, but there were other artists slated to play.

I tell you what, Carina is just as good live as she is on her albums. More so live, because you can really see her energy and personal stage “Isms.” The interaction is what I fed off of, and it was definite that she fed off of it too.

Now, the question that I always ask is: “Why don’t more people know about her?” This insanely, quirky Mistress of Music is a Star Ruby, among all the same cut diamonds here in L.A. My friends, I swear, one listen, one look, and your not throwing this fish back into the water. Yeah. She deserves to be put up on the mantle. Some people had Nick Drake, others had Ani DiFranco, K.D Lang or Bjork. I’m able to say that I have Carina Round. I’m so grateful that I’m a part of something so great and special. Carina definitely has a cult following.

It really is bittersweet to be a part of an environment and a community that shares the same love and belief for someone that we know only through music. Being able to see and hear her transformations and musical evolvement has always been a pleasurable and painful experience. Pleasurable because I’m absolutely in love with music and painful because I’ve discovered myself through her music, at a time when it wasn’t warranted. But I wouldn’t ever have it any other way.

If I could be reborn as a musical note, I’d want to be born as the chords she plays. All in all, I had a swell time, with great company and I got to see a bitchin’ performance. So, if your just discovering Carina, or your well versed in her talents, I know that you’ll only grow to love her more and more. Everyone that is a fan of Carina is waiting for you to join them at the Round Table. So come on! Come sup on the meat and potatoes and swill the ambrosial assurance of Carina’s vocal droppings. There’s plenty of chairs. It’ll definitely be time well spent. And, as always, get out there and keep discovering new music! Jaa ne!

October Tide- A Thin Shell

Greg Majewski — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 00:58:44 +0000

It seemed as though Jonas Renske and Fredrik Norrman had abided by the old show business adage “always leave them wanting more” when they originally disbanded October Tide in 1999 after releasing two of the most underrated death/doom albums in the sub-genre’s history. Not too shabby considering the band was just a side project of their full-time act, Swedish doom heroes turned dark rockers Katatonia. While that particular powerhouse has gathered accolades from just about every metal publication in existence for its recent output, October Tide’s humble discography sat in the background, spread by word of mouth from one doom head to another. Their brilliant debut, Rain Without End, finally got its due with CD and vinyl reissues courtesy of Candlelight Records and Northern Silence Productions, respectively, while Grey Dawn got its own time in the moonlight when Peaceville remastered it in 2007. Maybe the increasing attention got to Norrman’s head, or maybe he just had some unrecorded songs lying around. Either way, the guitarist decided to reform October Tide last year, without the input of Renske.

What’s striking about A Thin Shell is how much this act sounds like a full band now that it’s, well… a full band. Norrman drafted a roster of young Swedes to replace his absent bandmate, and has thus turned a project once compelling for its novelty of two well-known metal dudes jamming out material reminiscent of their main outlet’s early days into yet another entry into the gloomy, melodic European doom canon. Gone is the irrepressibly dank, cloudy production, the mercilessly depressing composition and overall oppressive atmosphere; in those elements’ places are tighter arrangements reminiscent of new growler Tobias Netzell’s other band, In Mourning, all enveloped in a crisp, punchy mix.

If all of the latter is your thing, dig right in. There are some truly punishing riffs coursing through this record’s coal black veins, and the ultra-modern engineering guarantees maximum impact for the likes of “Deplorable Request” and “Blackness Devours,” two instantly gratifying excursions into the void. The latter is probably the record’s finest track, driven by a lead that alternates between lumbering juggernaut and haunting siren, all held together by a mid-section reminiscent of Opeth’s first three albums. “The Dividing Line” is standard Swede-death, all palm muting and minor key guitarmonies, but it’s the main riff’s steady stomp that will keep you coming back. Opener “The Custodian of Science” exercises classic goth doom dynamics a la Brave Murder Day, its pensive instrumental breaks pierced by a lonely echoed lead, while closer “Scorned” bootgazes its way through a Dance of December Souls-esque dirge, dramatic chord progressions, leaden foot drumming and all. The appropriately bluesy solo and downtrodden outro only proves that, ten years after their initial run and with only one original member left, October Tide can still get down with the sadness.

Label: Candelight Records – Rating: out of

For fans of: Swallow the Sun, Daylight Dies, Draconian