The Official Metal Thread

[jyoung]

On the heels of the spineless, cash-grab reissues earlier this year from the infamous parasites at Metal Mind records, Displeased records has finally put out proper re-releases of Sadus' "Illusions" and "Swallowed in Black."

These releases come with liner notes from Steve DiGiorgio, complete, remastered version of the band's first three demos, and video clips of the tracks "Certain Death" and "Good Rid'nz."

Both albums can be purchased at The End Records (http://www.theomegaorder.com/s.nl?sc...ch=sadus%2 ) for $11.99 with free shipping for US customers, and until 9/26, you can receive an 11% discount by entering the "UPTOELEVEN" coupon at checkout.

Some other recommended rarities from TER's catalogue:

Master's "Unreleased 1985 Album" ($11.49)
http://www.theomegaorder.com/s.nl?it...&category=&whe

"Back in 1985 Paul Speckmann and Master signed to US label Combat and recorded a thunderous debut album that same year. Due to irreconcilable differences the contract got torn up, the album was never released and Paul went on with his new band Deathstrike. A few years later, after reuniting Master, the band signed to Nuclear Blast and recorded several albums in the 1990s. Now, almost 20 years later, the original 1985 album recordings are dug up from the vaults to be immortalized! This cult release comes with early '90s demo tracks as a bonus."

SORCIER DES GLACES - Moonrise In Total Darkness ($11.49)
http://www.theomegaorder.com/s.nl?sc...search=sorcier

From the small sampling that I've heard, this is one of two black metal albums—the other being Summoning’s Oath Bound—from the past year that has managed to match the efforts of the movement’s establishing acts; perhaps unsurprisingly, the music was composed only three years removed from the de facto death of black metal (circa 1996) but was released a few months ago because the man responsible for all of the music just recently found the long-lost master recordings and was finally able to get it out into the public.

[Pineapple]

MASTODON's BRENT HINDS Hospitalized With 'Severe Head Injury'

Even more surprising was learning that they performed at the VMAs.

That really sucks, I hope everything goes well for them, that band is phenomenally talented. And the second clip with the mom and dad is awesome, cheers to families that don't nessecarily like but came embrace metal for what it is.

That sucks, hope he's doing alright.

In other news, Tracer and I witnessed the awesomeness of seeing Kamelot live on Sunday 9/9 here in Houston. They were fucking spectacular, and even though the club was only 3/4 full they really played like they meant it - hell even the stage lighting was great (that was only enhanced due to the stage being atmosphered up with a fog machine) and opening violinist (!) performing "Solitaire", the instrumental opener off the new record helped make the overall show even better.

Roy Khan was into it, seemed genuinely surprised by the amount of noise that could be made in a small club. Youngblood was shredding like he can and the rhythm section was tight as hell. One of the highlights for me was the encore of "March of Mephisto" in which Alexander Krull (Atrocity vocalist and co-vocalist for Leaves Eyes, the openers) did the Shagrath vocal lines.

As much as Leaves Eyes were "meh" on stage except for Alexander Krull, who was so into it that I was kinda rooting for them anyway, they were fairly cool people, walking around and chatting with everyone after their set. The just need more memorable songs, the only one that stood out was the last song they played, "Energy" I think it was called.

Kamelot stole the show though, definitly in my top 5 concerts ever, and Roy Khan may now be only second to Bruce Dickinson in terms of best live frontmen that I've witnessed. Dude can fucking sing. It was the last stop of their North American tour, so I can't urge anyone to go check them out this time, but definitly make sure you see them on their next tour, whenever that is.

sounds like it would have been amazing. we need more shows like that down here.

[icarusfall]

You can stream the whole new Between the Buried and Me at their Myspace.

It sounds like their other stuff - but a little more focused on my short listen so far.

Edit: lol The key intro to Informal Gluttony sounds like it was lifted off Amorphis' Elegy record - that's a good thing, as that record kills.

[jyoung]

The long-awaited album from Ron Jarzombek (Watchtower, Spastic Ink) and Alex Webster (Cannibal Corpse) is finally out.

Blotted Science - The Machinations of Dementia

I'll check it out later tonight.

Click for full size

[jyoung]

More great metal deals:

From Earache's web-store (shipping free to US customers):

!T.O.O.H.! - Order and Punishment - $6.66

The Chasm - The Spell of Retribution - $6.66

Napalm Death - Scum - $6.66

Terrorizer - World Downfall - $12.00
This is one of the few places that still sells this thing at a reasonable price.

And a real jewel of a deal from Amazon:

Speckmann Project - S/T - $1.40

This album has been out of print and hard to come by for ages, but strangely, a bunch of copies just showed up on Amazon all at once. For those who aren't familiar with the name, this is the lone solo album from the mastermind behind seminal death metal bands like Master, Deathstrike, and Abomination, to name a select few of his projects. The songs on this album are actually a re-recording of the self-titled "Master" debut (also long out of print and difficult to track down), but with a few different tracks and altered order of songs.

[jyoung]

Another new release that snuck up on me this week:

Portal "Outre" - Second album from the bizarre and unconventional Australians. 'Outre' sees a new face of dementia rear its ugly deformed head towards a scene in which Portal already feels alienated from. Unearthly atmosphere takes full precedence, through swarming vortex-like guitar layers coming to the forefront more than ever, and accented by The Curator's haunting death speech...an uneasy and unforgettable listening experience that goes beyond the preconceptions of what so-called death metal encompasses.

Sample track available here.

Judging on that one track (and the success of their previous album, 2003's "Seepia"), I'd say this is the most interesting thing to come from death metal since Crimson Massacre's "The Luster of Pandemonium" back in 2005.

For the first time in a while (as far as newer metal is concerned), I'm excited to hear the whole thing. Hopefully it doesn't disappoint like Mithras' "...Shadows..." did.

[station82o]

It's a shame that their newest record is such a step back into dull rock-dom.

Its definitley not as jawdropping as The Black Halo, but I felt quite a few tracks on the new album lived up to the standards they set previously - maybe a touch overproduced (vocal effects on Khan are not neccessary at all, seems like Sascha Paeth likes to do that though).

[jyoung]

Kamelot - The Human Stain / Satan's Industrial Doom remix

[jyoung]

Whoop Whoop!

More dates added to the impending Suffocation / Immolation tour:

"UNMERCIFUL REIGN "Tour 2007 US/Canada

Date City Venue/Information

10/25/2007 Quebec City Imperial de Quebec SUFFOCATION IMMOLATION SKINLESS
10/26/2007 MONTREAL,QUEBEC CLUB SODA SUFFOCATION IMMOLATION SKINLESS
10/27/2007 Toronto, ONT THE OPERA HOUSE
10/28/2007 Cleveland,Ohio Peabody's
10/29/2007 CHICAGO, IL METRO/SMART BAR
10/30/2007 Hudson,WI Dibbos
11/2/2007 Seattle ,WA STUDIO SEVEN
11/3/2007 Portland,OR ROSELAND GRILL
11/4/2007 San Francisco,CA SLIM'S
11/5/2007 West Hollywood, CA HOUSE OF BLUES
11/6/2007 San Diego, CA HOUSE OF BLUES
11/7/2007 Santa Ana, CA Galaxy Theatre
11/8/2007 Tuscon,AZ THE ROCK
11/9/2007 Albuquerque , NM LAUNCH PAD
11/10/2007 FT Worth,TX RIDGLEA THEATRE
11/11/2007 Houston,TX MERIDIAN
11/12/2007 Memphis ,TN New Daisy Theatre
11/13/2007 Atlanta The Masquerade
11/14/2007 West Springfield, VA JAXX
11/15/2007 Philadelphia,PA THE TROCADERO
11/16/2007 clifton park Northern lights
11/17/2007 Bedford,NH MARKS PLACE
11/18/2007 New York City BB KINGS BLUES CLUB

I'll be at the bolded date for sure.

Thank god that there are only three touring bands (the shitastic Skinless being the third). Most death/black metal tours these days have at least four if not five, which just creates a bad situation for both the bands, who have to play short sets, and the audience, who has to put up with frequent set changes.

I expect at least an hour and a half set from each of the two headlining bands. This will be my first time seeing Immolation, so I am excited for that (I started following metal in about 1999, and I cannot ever recall them touring the Southern US, Florida aside).

I saw Suffocation about a year ago last summer and they are still in prime form. Their only flaw is the "necessity" of keeping a decent ratio of newer material in their set list.

[Punky Skunk]

Awesome. I should get around to hearing the Immolation EP I missed.