Heavy Metal!!

[Tired Eyes]

Some good package tours have been announced for 2014 so far, with the Decibel tour featuring Carcass and Gorguts, and tours of Between the Buried and Me/Deafheaven/Intronaut and Russian Circles/KEN Mode/Inter Arma.

Agreed.  There's also Amon Amarth/Enslaved/Skeletonwitch.  I hope to see a show on that tour.

[MrWhippy]

Agreed.  There's also Amon Amarth/Enslaved/Skeletonwitch.  I hope to see a show on that tour.

Yep, that's another good one, Bill, though I was pretty unimpressed with Enslaved when I saw them.  I'd like to see Amon Amarth, though.

In other news, this is awesome.  Someone needs to do the same thing for Tool:

Every Dillinger Escape Plan Song Played At Once

[wolof7]

Can anyone recommend Mercyful Fate? They keep coming up as the first suggested band whenever I purchase other metal stuff. Never heard them.

[MrWhippy]

Can anyone recommend Mercyful Fate? They keep coming up as the first suggested band whenever I purchase other metal stuff. Never heard them.

The only thing I really know about Mercyful Fate is that it was the band that King Diamond was in.  I'm not a big fan of King Diamond's solo stuff, so I haven't been too inspired to check out Mercyful Fate.

There is a current Swedish metal band I like a good deal called In Solitude that is often compared to Mercyful Fate, for what that is worth.  In Solitude put out a very good album last year called Sister.

[Fully]

I don't know if there are other Deafheaven fans on here, but they put out what it is in my opinion one of the best albums of the year with Sunbather. 

Here's a link to a black metal makeout mix put together by Deafheaven's vocalist.  If anyone gives it a try, please report back.

http://www.revolvermag.com/news/playlist-deafheaven-vocalist-george-clarkes-black-metal-make-out-mix.html

Now that I'm obsessed with Sunbather, I'll have to listen to this too. I can't imagine black metal make out music, but I could never imagine that I'd get so excited about this album either.

[MrWhippy]

I don't know if there are other Deafheaven fans on here, but they put out what it is in my opinion one of the best albums of the year with Sunbather. 

Here's a link to a black metal makeout mix put together by Deafheaven's vocalist.  If anyone gives it a try, please report back.

http://www.revolvermag.com/news/playlist-deafheaven-vocalist-george-clarkes-black-metal-make-out-mix.html

Now that I'm obsessed with Sunbather, I'll have to listen to this too. I can't imagine black metal make out music, but I could never imagine that I'd get so excited about this album either.

Definitely report back if you give it a try, Fully.  No way that black metal will ever inspire a make out session around my house.

Also, did you see that Deafheaven is playing in Nashville in Feb?

[Fully]

I don't know if there are other Deafheaven fans on here, but they put out what it is in my opinion one of the best albums of the year with Sunbather. 

Here's a link to a black metal makeout mix put together by Deafheaven's vocalist.  If anyone gives it a try, please report back.

http://www.revolvermag.com/news/playlist-deafheaven-vocalist-george-clarkes-black-metal-make-out-mix.html

Now that I'm obsessed with Sunbather, I'll have to listen to this too. I can't imagine black metal make out music, but I could never imagine that I'd get so excited about this album either.

Definitely report back if you give it a try, Fully.  No way that black metal will ever inspire a make out session around my house.

Also, did you see that Deafheaven is playing in Nashville in Feb?

I did. I'm thinking I'll go.

[MrWhippy]

RIP to Biquette, the metal-loving goat. 



http://www.aux.tv/2014/01/infamous-grindcore-loving-goat-died/

[Fully]

This makes me sad.

[alienlanes]

Can anyone recommend Mercyful Fate? They keep coming up as the first suggested band whenever I purchase other metal stuff. Never heard them.

Melissa is one of the greatest metal albums of all time. It is their debut album, it came out in 1983, and it is just as incredible today as it was upon its release.

Their second album Don't Break the Oath is also very good, but Melissa will always be my favourite MF album

Anyway, you can test-drive Melissa on youtube before you buy it. Here's a link to the whole album. I am going to go listen to it right now

Mercyful Fate - Melissa (Full Album) 1983 (25th Anniversary Reissue)

[alienlanes]

Whippy took me to my first real metal show last night at Hopscotch Fest. I liked it more than I thought I would. I would definitely go again, although I have to say that Whippy helped with all his knowledge of what we watched. We saw Inter Arma, Evoken, and Sleep. I enjoyed the first two enough that I would go to another show. Sleep, however, blew me away!! It was just fucking awesome! Granted I've listened to them some before and thanks to Ruckus, I've been interested in Om-Al Cisneros' band. It was interesting to see how different what he does with Sleep although there is a little overlap. He does stuff with a bass that I've not seen before.

I know this is an ultra-late reply but WOW! What a show to go to for your first metal show! Glad to hear you loved it

[Fully]

Whippy took me to my first real metal show last night at Hopscotch Fest. I liked it more than I thought I would. I would definitely go again, although I have to say that Whippy helped with all his knowledge of what we watched. We saw Inter Arma, Evoken, and Sleep. I enjoyed the first two enough that I would go to another show. Sleep, however, blew me away!! It was just fucking awesome! Granted I've listened to them some before and thanks to Ruckus, I've been interested in Om-Al Cisneros' band. It was interesting to see how different what he does with Sleep although there is a little overlap. He does stuff with a bass that I've not seen before.

I know this is an ultra-late reply but WOW! What a show to go to for your first metal show! Glad to hear you loved it

Whippy and Ruckus even have me exploring metal bands, Sean. So far, I like Deafheaven, love Russian Circles and Electric Wizard. I don't care for Carcass, and the jury is still out on Agalloch. I mostly don't enjoy the vocals. I already loved Sleep way before I saw them last fall.

[wolof7]

Whippy took me to my first real metal show last night at Hopscotch Fest. I liked it more than I thought I would. I would definitely go again, although I have to say that Whippy helped with all his knowledge of what we watched. We saw Inter Arma, Evoken, and Sleep. I enjoyed the first two enough that I would go to another show. Sleep, however, blew me away!! It was just fucking awesome! Granted I've listened to them some before and thanks to Ruckus, I've been interested in Om-Al Cisneros' band. It was interesting to see how different what he does with Sleep although there is a little overlap. He does stuff with a bass that I've not seen before.

I know this is an ultra-late reply but WOW! What a show to go to for your first metal show! Glad to hear you loved it

Whippy and Ruckus even have me exploring metal bands, Sean. So far, I like Deafheaven, love Russian Circles and Electric Wizard. I don't care for Carcass, and the jury is still out on Agalloch. I mostly don't enjoy the vocals. I already loved Sleep way before I saw them last fall.

Fully, I suggest Windhand, Pallbearer, Red Fang, Mastodon, Ghost B.C., The Sword and Pelican if you havent explored them yet. It seems our metal tastes overlap. Windhand - Soma was my favorite metal release last year.

[Fully]

Thanks for the suggestions. I've been surprised by how much I am enjoying this music. It has a complexity that rivals symphonic music in many ways. It also isn't as much of a one trick pony as I had always assumed it was. Way too stereotypical I was in what I thought metal was. I'm just beginning to skin the surface of what seems to be a multiple different styles of this genre of.music.

[alienlanes]

This was posted in late December over at my metal webzine, www.hellbound.ca, but I thought I'd reprint it here. This is my top 10 metal albums of 2013:

1. PENTAGRAM CHILE – The Malefice (Cyclone Empire/Metal Blade)
2. GORGUTS – Colored Sands (Season Of Mist)
3. SATAN – Life Sentence (Listenable)
4. VOIVOD – Target Earth (Century Media)
5. MOTORHEAD – Aftershock (UDR)
6. CLUTCH – Earth Rocker (Weathermaker Music)
7. VHOL – Vhol (Profound Lore)
8. FATES WARNING – Darkness In A Different Light (Inside Out)
9. EXHUMED – Necrocracy (Relapse)
10. BLACK SABBATH – 13 (Vertigo/Universal)

[MrWhippy]

This was posted in late December over at my metal webzine, www.hellbound.ca, but I thought I'd reprint it here. This is my top 10 metal albums of 2013:

1. PENTAGRAM CHILE – The Malefice (Cyclone Empire/Metal Blade)
2. GORGUTS – Colored Sands (Season Of Mist)
3. SATAN – Life Sentence (Listenable)
4. VOIVOD – Target Earth (Century Media)
5. MOTORHEAD – Aftershock (UDR)
6. CLUTCH – Earth Rocker (Weathermaker Music)
7. VHOL – Vhol (Profound Lore)
8. FATES WARNING – Darkness In A Different Light (Inside Out)
9. EXHUMED – Necrocracy (Relapse)
10. BLACK SABBATH – 13 (Vertigo/Universal)

Cool, thanks for the reminder, I hadn't see your best of 2013 list.  I thought your 2012 one was seriously spot on.

I've been meaning to check out Vhol and the new Exhumed album for a while now.  Also interested in Pentagram (the Chile one) after hearing you talk about it in Mexico. Glad to see Motorhead put out a quality release.

Ruckus, it's not the first time I've said this to you, but you need to check out the Gorguts album.

[MrWhippy]

Amazing triple-bill tour announced today with Mastodon supported by Gojira (from France) and Kvelertak (from Norway).  Seriously, all of these three bands are insane live.  Incredibly pumped for this one.

Mastodon/Gojira/Kvelertak

04/29 Portland, OR Roseland Theater
05/01 Oakland, CA Fox Theater
05/02 Los Angeles, CA Nokia Theater
05/03 Las Vegas, NV House of Blues
05/07 Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
05/08 Chicago, IL The Riviera Theater
05/09 Pittsburgh, PA Stage AE
05/12 Buffalo, NY The Town Ballroom
05/13 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
05/15 New York, NY Terminal 5
05/16 Boston, MA The Palladium
05/17 Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory
05/18 Columbus, OH Rock On The Range

[getinthevan]

Curiously, the Mastodon/Gojira tour announcement said that it kicked off it Seattle but didn't have a date listed.  I'm holding out hope that that means they'll come through Denver since Gojira hasn't managed to make it here in the past 4+ years...

[MrWhippy]

Curiously, the Mastodon/Gojira tour announcement said that it kicked off it Seattle but didn't have a date listed.  I'm holding out hope that that means they'll come through Denver since Gojira hasn't managed to make it here in the past 4+ years...

More dates just added to the tour, including 5/5 in Denver, so hopefully you are in luck, getinthevan.  Really hope you get to see the tour and particularly Gojira.  They are incredible live.

[MrWhippy]

This was posted in late December over at my metal webzine, www.hellbound.ca, but I thought I'd reprint it here. This is my top 10 metal albums of 2013:

1. PENTAGRAM CHILE – The Malefice (Cyclone Empire/Metal Blade)
2. GORGUTS – Colored Sands (Season Of Mist)
3. SATAN – Life Sentence (Listenable)
4. VOIVOD – Target Earth (Century Media)
5. MOTORHEAD – Aftershock (UDR)
6. CLUTCH – Earth Rocker (Weathermaker Music)
7. VHOL – Vhol (Profound Lore)
8. FATES WARNING – Darkness In A Different Light (Inside Out)
9. EXHUMED – Necrocracy (Relapse)
10. BLACK SABBATH – 13 (Vertigo/Universal)

Thanks so much Sean for posting your top 10.  So far I've checked out the Voivod and Exhumed records based on your recommendation and really loved both of them. 

I don't know how I've missed Voivod all these years.  I had heard their name for a long time but never really checked them out, the new record is fantastic.

I had never been that impressed with Exhumed before, but the new record is great.  They make such good use of having two vocalists with pretty different vocal styles. 

I'll definitely be checking out the remaining couple records on your list that I haven't heard yet.