According to Mike "McBeardo" McPadden's Heavy Metal Movies, Stanley Kubrick's 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey"profoundly influenced" a yet-to-be-named Black Sabbath. Fifty pages later on in the book, and the reader learns about the night in 1969 in Birmingham, England when Ozzy Osbourne, Geezer Butler, Tony Iommi and Bill Ward were getting ready to take the stage as blues rock band Earth and noticed a cinema across the street that was screening a Boris Karloff movie ominously titled Black Sabbath. And the rest as they say, was history. And in a lot of ways, the connection between Black Sabbath the film and Black Sabbath the band captures this Heavy Metal Movies' sensibility entirely. Heavy metal and movies have always gone together like a shot of whiskey and a beer chaser. Long-standing doom titans Electric Wizard and their cinematic preferences and the inspiration that those films deliver onto them is the stuff of legend. Former Pantera vocalist and current head of Housecore Records Phil Anselmo hosts a three day long soiree in New Orleans each fall that celebrates horror movies and heavy music exclusively. Over the course of 560 pages, Heavy Metal Movies enters the pit to join in the celebration … Read more
The UK is a miserable place at times, more often than not in fact, and artists such as Benjamin Shaw … Read more
I still remember when I first listened to the Atlas Moth debut album, A Glorified Piece of Blue Sky. Instantly … Read more
Death Grips have been making a strong and confrontational statement in music since their inception. Zach Hill (Former drummer extraordinaire … Read more
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I’m instantly drawn to bands that have intriguing or long names. Without even listening to the first note of the band, I know it’s going to be pushing the boundaries of normalcy in music. Which is why it should be no surprise that TWIABP, in certain spots through this album, remind me of the band ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead. Climatic builds and spacy, shoegaze guitars helping you to escape this current world we live in. TWIABP fits that unconventional mold and are difficult to pinpoint to one exact genre so don’t think they are a carbon copy of anyone. This 11-track full-length released through Epitaph Records is the band’s 5th release and their 4th with the label. This album comes out swinging with the … Read more
Good things come to those who wait. It's a cliché, yes, but for Clad in Darkness that old adage rings wholly true. Having formed at least fifteen years ago, the band have taken their sweet, sweet time in releasing their debut record. A couple of EPs have seen the light but for this Chicago based band, a full length was … Read more
It may be an antiquated notion, but there are just some names that you can trust. Names that were built by years of fostering goodwill and established by years of putting out the very best. If it's groovy rock and roll that you seek then Hozac Records is one of those names. It's one of those things where even if … Read more
Big Action Records doesn’t pump out a ton of releases and, when they do, they run the geographical gamut. The label is based in St. Paul, MN but releases come from across the country. Still, within that, there’s a well defined style that tends to dominate: pop-tinged, melodic garage rock. The debut from Minnesota’s Rabbit Holes fits well within those … Read more
Bands are seemingly judged differently on their sophomore outings: where does it change, does it meet expectation, does it show growth, and the like. Well, writing about a band the second (or third) time is kind of the same thing. With Blood::Muscles::Bones, Street Eaters haven’t changed up their sound drastically or reworked their well-oiled machine. They’ve just written another bundle … Read more
Showing up a few years after the group’s 2009 debut Aloha, Diarrhea Planet’s 2011 three-track EP Yama-Uba is a more consistent release, with a sound that’s similar to that of 1990s pop-punk group The Queers. Infusing singalong vocal harmonies, intricate guitar work, and soaring solo lines into familiar, old-time rock song formulas, opening tracks “Hot Spit” and “Mutt-Feast” show that … Read more
Formed in 2009, Nashville, Tennessee’s Diarrhea Planet initially were known for their goofy name more than anything else, but with the 2014 reissue of their first EP Aloha, it becomes possible to see why their reputation has only grown over the past few years. A full on assault of wicked, snarling guitar licks, punchy rhythms and amusingly vulgar lyrics, this … Read more
When a band or label is as difficult to track down as Olekranon or Inam Records, then you know you're in for an experience. The chap behind Olekranon - Ryan Huber - is also the chap behind the label but getting a hold of them via the magic of the internet has proved to be a fruitless endeavour. There's a … Read more
It has been quite a time since one could easily quantify Ulver and what they do as a unit. Garm has made no secret that he remains generally uninterested in what Ulver began as and remains focussed on following whatever muse may take him. So for the early years when there was an emphasis on Black Metal to the middle … Read more
Taking their name from the universe of Dune, this intriguing band releases its latest record, Litanies. Post metal might be the easiest way of describing Gholas but that would be unfair to their much deeper and more complex nature.The beginning of the album comes in and hits you straight in the face with “…And the Lives Come Flooding,” as the … Read more
With their first full-length album in 14 years (save for an EP of sorts in 2005 and a 7" in 2012), it's almost one's gut instinct to remark that Eyehategod haven't missed a beat in all that time and sound as lethal now as they did on 2000's Confederacy of Ruined Lives. However, to gloss over those nearly 15 years … Read more
Deep Fantasy is pissed off, but it could still use a good angry howl every so often.The record, the third from Vancouver’s White Lung, is their first on Domino Records and was recorded as a trio (though they still tour as a quartet). The band has seen its fair share of comparisons to Pretty Girls Make Graves and this release … Read more
Milwaukee's Northless have long been trudging within their brand a somewhat sprawling sludge. The band have consistently input further measures of post rock textures into their sound to create something a little bit more different from the norm. While still remaining mostly true to sludge on the whole the band seem to create something a little bit more tuneful and … Read more
Andrew Jackson Jihad make a return on their new label home, Side One Dummy, after a long tenure on Asian Man Records. Usually when a band makes a jump after a long run, many find a cause for concern. I assure you, there's nothing to worry about. The lyrics are as offbeat as ever and the compositions are still whimsical … Read more
If you find yourself loving classical or orchestral pieces, but would just enjoy something with a little more electronic funky vibe this is what you’re looking for. I imagine such wide varieties for this music and it can fit with many of my moods. None of these songs have lyrics but the music speaks for itself. I find myself lost … Read more
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