Welcome to the premier edition of HT-Rewind! Issue 001!

The Greatest Hits from the first week of June:

Drones Of The Dour – Sunn O))), Wolf Eyes, Wolves In The Throneroom, Merzbow, Weedeater Shows

Sunn O))) announced a string of West Coast US shows with the incredibly talented Wolves In The Throneroom bringing furious black metal along and Southern Lord label mates Weedeater. Sunn O))) also announced that they will play the Super Sonic Fest in UK alongside Mogwai and Miasma, as well as the Dour Festival with previous tour mates Wolf Eyes plus Merzbow and Wilco.

Sunn O))) To Release Oracle On Vinyl

Sunn O))) also announced that they will be releasing Oracle on vinyl. Brainwashed got a hold of the cd and has reviewed it with samplage.

Digitized – Bob Marley’s Exodus Gets A Futuristic Release

Exodus turns 30 this year, and to celebrate Island will be reissuing the entire album on USB stick, Micro SD, deluxe cd, cd, and vinyl. The first 3 come with video footage of Bob Marley and the Wailers performing live in London in 1977. The vinyl will be reissued as an exact replica of its first release.

Dope New 50/50 Video From Wiley!

Eski Boy makes a smokin video for “50/50″ from his upcoming Playtime Is Over and HearingTest has the links to a crystal clear mov format. It positively sparkles, and comes rumbling out of the subwoofers! In addition to the vid, the sweet fellas over at Big Dada have sent us a link to where you can get your own Wiley player. It’s sweet too, I wish I could show you here, but WordPress does not allow embedding of players other than a few like yT. But trust me, go check it out, it has the video for “50/50″ plus audio for “Gangsters” and “Bow E3″. It’s a clever likkle device -
www.bigdada.com/wileyplayer/

December ATP – Portishead, Aphex Twin, Earth, Julian Cope And More

Yep, all those folks are on the lineup. What isn’t obvious from the beginning of this report is that the second part features an album review by Julian Cope for one of the most amazing dark ambient metal bands – Sacrificial Totem. The album that Cope reviewed is Hurqalya which can be found on Katabatik. All fans of ambient noise, ambient metal, and atmospheric sonic storytelling should definitely check this out. Katabatik releases albums and hosts concerts with bands who create unique sonic experimentations. Their catalogue ranges from experimental electronica to IDM to ambient, metal, ragtime, and glitch-core. Definitely a fine resource of music.

NME Offers Free White Stripes Record In Magazine This Week

A limited edition red vinyl picture disc of “Rag And Bone” from the White Stripes’ upcoming Icky Thump was included in this week’s issue of NME. More info and pictures in the report.

Download – Matt Shadetek Releases His BBC Mix

MO FIRE! MO BASS!! Bo! This mix is the shizzle! If you haven’t already, go get this mix NOW! Killer tunes, mostly original stuff and remixes from the likes of Matt Shadetek, Drop The Lime, Plastician etc. Originally mixed for BBC’s Mary Anne Hobbs show, this is the first time its been available for download, and it’s FREE! If you like what you hear, show your love and buy some vinyl and keep it spinning!

Glen E Friedman Releases Fugazi Photos

Another fantastic picture book from the super talented Friedman. This report has links to where you can find other books by Friedman on Burning Flags Press.

Blue Scholars Video For “Back Home” From Bayani

The song rules, the video rules. Go check it out. It’s about bringing our troops home to their families where they belong.

Dragons Exist And So Do Ninjas

Ninja Tunes found a rare master tape from 1970 of psychedelic surf rock by the Dragons. Dennis Dragon is known for his work composing soundtracks for 1970’s skate films, surf films, ski films, and more. This is such an epic story of the Dragon Brothers and how they were just too far ahead of the music business in the 70’s. If you read nothing else, read this. Okay, maybe just this, Shadetek, and Wiley.

Whew! What a week! And this is just the highlights! ENJOY!

This week’s news is brought to you by the letter D

Oh that’s it. If I don’t build, buy, or otherwise acquire a teleportation device soon I’ll go mad! It started with the Roadburn Festival, then the upcoming Dour Festival, and now this – the lineup for the All Tomorrow’s Parties curated by Portishead:

All Tomorrow’s Parties NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS Lineup

PORTISHEAD

APHEX TWIN »

JULIAN COPE

SPARKLEHORSE »

ONEIDA »

BLACK MOUNTAIN »

CRIPPLED BLACK PHOENIX

FUZZ AGAINST JUNK

SEASICK STEVE

TEAM BRICK

EARTH »

OK, you all know how I feel about Earth (drone metal pioneers, and DEMI-gods!), but Aphex Twin? He NEVER plays live shows! He is adamant about asking for so much money to play a live show that it ensures he never gets invited to play. I’ve heard that he is nothing but a jerk to work with, but that’s besides the point. This is a truly RARE opportunity to see an amazing pioneer of experimental glitch electronica!

The ATP/Nightmare Before Christmas experimental music event takes place December 7, 8 & 9 at Butlins Holiday Camp at Minehead in the UK. For those not familiar, (and those in the US) think of an oversized playground with a pub on the coast with an experimental music camp out. According to the news on the Portishead site, “Signing up to the mailing list instantly makes you eligible in a draw to win a pair of tickets for ATP”.

All Tomorrow’s Parties Festival website

Julian Cope Reviews Avant-Garde Albums Every Month

Julian Cope has a fascinating collection of music in his Album of the Month series. This month he reviewed Les Rallizes Denudés album Flightless Bird. You can stream the album while reading the review, “Facel Vega from the Heart of Darkness”.
In April, Cope reviewed a truly unique album, Hurqalya by Sacrificial Totem. It is a very limited edition album released by Katabatik in Oakland, CA (only 99 copies were issued, each with hand assembled packaging).

Sacrificial Totem – Hurqalya:

How Cope came across the album is a total mystery, but it seems he was quite moved by the sonic journey it involved him in. One of the more tame statements from his review:

For Sacrificial Totem’s cataclysmic raging across our speaker systems are enormous weather-sized sonic tempests that exhibit more life force than even the most ardent proto-metal or No Wave freerock, and their calamitous sound is a key to clearing away all the slack, all the kack and all the psychic plaque that the extraneous and unnecessary moves of the Modern world build up around our senses, divorcing us from the sheer ecstasy of the exterior by numbing us up with sweet sticky melodies and rhymes of unrealistic hope

I’ve been an on again off again fan of Cope’s since I was 19, but this review makes him my journalistic mentor. I love the way some can weave a review of black metal. If you don’t recognize his name right off the bat, you may have heard him uttering chants of doom on the Sunn O))) White Album….

Sacrificial Totem artist page on Katabatik.org

The second track on this mix is from the Hurqalya album:

Yay! Southern Lord mates BORIS – the tiny Japanese trio with a great big GONG and a great big metal sound, will also be touring Europe this summer! Some stops will find them joining the ISIS/OXBOW concerts previously announced, one stop will find them sharing the stage with Pelican, and the others seem to be independent gigs. Southern Lord + Hydra Head = Serious Audio Doom!!

BORIS Tour Dates

06-17 Ljubljana, Slovenia – Cvetlicarna Mediapark w/ ISIS + OXBOW
06-18 Vienna, Austria – Szene
06-19 Wroclaw, Poland – Firelej w/ ISIS + OXBOW
06-20 Warsaw, Poland – Progresja w/ ISIS + OXBOW
06-22 Prague, Czech Republic – Palace Akropolis w/ ISIS + OXBOW
06-23 Dortmund, Germany – FZW
06-24 Tilburg, Netherlands – 013 Popcentrum
06-25 Brighton, England – Engine Rooms
06-26 Manchester, England – Sacred Trinity Church
06-27 Glasgow, Scotland – Nice’n'Sleazy
06-28 Newcastle, England – The Cluny
06-29 Sheffield, England – Corporation
06-30 Nottingham, England – TBA
07-01 Bristol, England – The Cooler
07-02 London, England – KOKO w/ ISIS + OXBOW
07-03 Kortrijk, Belgium – De Kreun
07-04 Stuttgart, Germany – Club Schocken w/ Pelican
07-05 Hamburg, Germany – Molotow Club
07-06 Roskilde, Denmark – Roskilde Festival

LINKS

BORIS page on Southern Lord as always, you can listen to Southern Lord artists on their band pages and sometimes even grab the mp3.
BORIS HEAVY ROCKS Homepage
You can download “Farewell” off their album Pink at Southern Lord

Technorati Tags: Boris, metal, doom, sludge metal, ISIS, Pelican, music, show, tour, guitar

Sunn O))) has announced more tour dates on their artist page at Southern Lord Records! I guess the Pacific Rim and Roadburn festival were good to them, because after they play the Sonar Festival in Barcelona, they will be playing one show in the UK and then heading home to the US for some west coast shows with label mates and mentors, Earth.

Dang I wish I could have been at that Roadburn, but I would be happy to catch their performance in Belgium with Wolf Eyes. One of my very favorite Sunn O))) performances ever was with Wolf Eyes at the Lobot in Oakland. Both bands have been a huge musical influence on me. My bandmate in T113 grew up in Ann Arbor and was friends with Nate of Wolf Eyes, thus sharing some of the same musical influences and ideas. My mate first introduced me to Wolf Eyes’ brilliant chaotic noise and I was hooked. I think an ideal show for our band T113 would be with Sunn O))), Wolf Eyes and Merzbow in Japan (where they truly appreciate noise as an artform). This festival in Belgium comes awfully close! Who wants to fly T113 out to the Dour Festival to perform as well?

Also on this upcoming tour, Sunn O))) will playing shows with Wolves in the Throneroom, whom I have also mentioned as a fantastic metal band. If you get the chance, definitely catch them live. They are TIGHT, and play furiously passionate metal. T113 has played shows with them, and Wolves has honored us on a few occasions by playing on our soundsystem, including at the Autonomous Mutant Festival. In fact one of my fave live performances as T113 was with Wolves in the Throneroom at Overload in Oakland. My mic wasn’t working, but my mate and I played a killer set that included a doom metal cover of Ledbelly’s “In The Pines”. The guys of Wolves in the Throneroom are such down to earth and sweet people in addition to playing stellar, dark music. Not theatrical, like Sunn O))) but intense nonetheless.

Tour

Jun 16, 2007 Sonar Festival Barcelona
Jun 18, 2007 Meltdown Festival London, UK w/Chrome Hoof
Jul 2, 2007 Casbah San Diego, CA Earth, Weedeater & Wolves in the Throne Room
Jul 3, 2007 El Ray Los Angeles, LA Earth, Weedeater & Wolves in the Throne Room
Jul 4, 2007 Independant San Francisco, CA Earth, Weedeater & Wolves in the Throne Room
Jul 6, 2007 Mt Tabor Portland, OR Earth, Weedeater & Wolves in the Throne Room
Jul 7, 2007 El Corazon Seattle, WA Earth, Weedeater & Wolves in the Throne Room
Jul 14, 2007 SuperSonic Festival Birmingham UK Om, Mogwai, Miasma, etc
Jul 15, 2007 Dour Festival Belgium Wilco, Merzbow, Wolf Eyes

Sunn O))) has also announced that they will be releasing a 12″ vinyl record called Oracle in the US this summer. The 2 singles that would comprise the 2 sides of the record are:
1. “Belülrol Pusztít” – 16:01
2. “Orakulum” – 18:37

The jackhammer on the A side is provided by Joe Preston (Thrones).
It will be accompanied by a bonus disc:

“Helio)))sophist” – 48:17

You should be able to acquire your copy at any of the US shows. Southern Lord has not yet announced whether they will carry it in the online store, so expect a super limited edition.

Links

Sunn O)))

Wolf Eyes

Wolves in the Throneroom

Merzbow

Related posts on HT:

Sunn O))) and Wolf Eyes Play Sonar Fest
Growing Wolf Eyes On Thrones Touring Europe
Boris and Sunn O))) tour Pacific Rim 2007
Sunn O))) Adds Roadburn Festival To Tour
No Fun Noise Fest Tortures NYC 4th Year In A Row

Technorati Tags: metal, music, news, noise, Merzbow, Sunn O, Wolves, Wolf Eyes, doom, drone, guitar, tour, vinyl, album, UK, SF

Ozzy is making a move to stay at the top of the list of headlines this week! Within the last 24 hours, fellow MOGgers have posted news of Ozzy’s superb interview with the Telegraph and the official upload of the first single from his upcoming release, Black Rain, and here i am posting the latest Oz buzz :
Ozzy’s hometown of Birmingham is about to install its own Walk Of Fame, similar to the star-lined Walk in Hollywood. And who will they honour with the very first star on this stretch of glitter and gold?
Yep – Ozzy Osbourne will be inducted on the new Birmingham Walk Of Fame! Located on Broad Street, the star will be planted on July 6th, the same day that Ozzy plays his homecoming show at the National Indoor Arena.

More info, including how honoured the Lord Mayor of Birmingham is to be able to offer the first star to Ozzy, can be found at NME.

Technorati Tags: black metal, news, music, interview, Ozzy, album

Australia is one of 7 continents that will host the 7 Live Earth Concerts on 07/07/2007 that will last for 24 hours total. Today, Live Earth announced the beginnings of a lineup for Sydney, Australia, which is actually where the entire concert series kicks off :

Live Earth Lineup For Aussie Stadium

Crowded House – reunited and going on a world tour!
Wolfmother
John Butler Trio
Toni Collette and the Finish
Ghostwriters (former Midnight Oil drummer Rob Hirst)
Eskimo Joe
Paul Kelly
Sneaky Sound System
Blue King Brown
Jack Johnson

On a side note, Missy Higgins‘ “On a Clear Night” debuted at No. 1 this week on the Australian Recording Industry album chart.

Billboard has info on the concert’s broadcast on cable tv, radio, and webcast.

And, the official Live Earth MSN website should have plenty of info as well, including how to get tickets.

The 7 concerts conclude at Giants Stadium in New Jersey. i wonder if it is physically possible to see the entire concert from start to finish, or even attend all 7 in the 24 hour period? well, with the unlimited powers of the world wide web to bend time and space, we will be able to tune in to the entire 24 hours of entertainment without leaving our favorite chair….

Southbank Centre and Jarvis Cocker announced the official lineup for Jarvis’ Meltdown Festival taking place June 16-24 at Southbank Centre in London.  Jarvis hand selected these bands and multi-media performers for the event.

The lineup:

Motorhead
Devo
Sunn O)))
Iggy & the Stooges
Gonzales
Melanie Safka
Roky Erickson
Forced Entertainment
Jerry Dammers’ Spatial AKA Orchestra
John Barry & The London Philharmonic Orchestra
Cornershop
Jesus & Mary Chain
Jarvis Cocker plus The Valerie Project
Lost Ladies of Folk
KPM Allstars

There will also be very interesting multi-media entertainment :

Jarvis in conversation with Don Letts
Forest of No Return – Hal Willner presents the Vintage Disney Songbook featuring Jarvis Cocker and very special guests
You’re Gonna Miss Me – A screening of Keven McAlester’s documentary on Roky Erickson

From Southbank Centre:

Experience the unexpected, unusual and eclectic this June in Jarvis Cocker’s Meltdown festival, where the UK pop icon curates his own eight-day festival across the venues and spaces of Southbank Centre. Armed with a sharp wit, an acid tongue and a talent for capturing the moment with razor sharp lyrics, Jarvis Cocker is one of today’s best-loved rock stars. The festival opens with sets from Motorhead and Melanie and ends with a show from Jarvis himself, taking in performances from The Jesus and Mary Chain, Iggy & The Stooges and many more along the way.

If it is Jarvis himself that you are interested in, you’ll be stoked to know that he will be taking a little tour after this festival is complete. He will also be on the South Bank Show on June 10th. He will be discussing his role in Pulp, what is was like dealing with the fame, and his experiences as an “outsider” in music. The show will have video footage from his concert, and Paris where he lives and writes songs currently.
For more information on the Jarvis episode, go to iTV.

Tour Dates

06-23 London, England – Southbank Centre (Meltdown Festival)
07-13 Madrid, Spain – Summercase Festival
07-14 Barcelona, Spain – Summercase Festival
07-15 Suffolk, England – Latitude Festival
08-18 Chelmsford, England – V Festival
08-19 Stafford, England – V Festival

Sludge Metal professionals, Totimoshi, hail from the tuff streets of Oakland, CA, have recently released their 3rd studio album, Ladron, and have spent the last few years touring with Helmet, Melvins, Mastadon, and Fu Manchu. Today they added more dates to their 2007 US tour, so you should have ample opportunity to see their legendary live performance, even if you are in Minne, Minne!

Totimoshi US Tour w/ RTX

(featuring Jennifer Herrema ex-Royal Trux)

May 1 2007 Larimer Lounge w/ RTX Denver, Colorado
May 2 2007 Duffy’s Tavern w/ RTX Lincoln, Nebraska
May 3 2007 Record Bar w/ RTX Kansas City, Missouri
May 4 2007 Jackpot Saloon w/ RTX Lawrence, Kansas
May 5 2007 7th St. Entry w/ RTX Minneapolis, Minnesota
May 7 2007 Empty Bottle w/ RTX Chicago, Illinois
May 8 2007 Uncle Pleasant’s w/ RTX Louisville, Kentucky
May 9 2007 Mac’s w/ RTX Lansing, Michigan
May 10 2007 Small’s w/ RTX Detroit, Michigan
May 11 2007 Ravari Room w/ RTX Columbus, Ohio
May 12 2007 St. Pub w/ RTX Pitsburgh, Pennsylvania
May 13 2007 123 Pleasant St. W/RTX Morgantown, West Virginia
May 14 2007 The Sugar Tank Lancaster, Pennsylvania
May 15 2007 Theatre w/ RTX, Heavy Hands, The Jewish New York, New York
May 16 2007 AS220 w/ RTX (all ages!) Providence, Rhode Island
May 18 2007 O’Brien’s Pub w/ RTX Allston, Massachusetts
May 19 2007 Luna Lounge w/RTX & Cheeseburger Brooklyn, New York
May 20 2007 Otto Bar w/ RTX Baltimore, Maryland
May 22 2007 Wonderland W/RTX Richmond, Virginia
May 23 2007 Local 506 w/ RTX Chapel Hill, North Carolina
May 24 2007 Village Tavern w/RTX Mt Pleasant, South Carolina
May 25 2007 40 Watt w/ RTX Athens, Georgia
May 26 2007 Jack Rabbit’s w/ RTX Jacksonville, Florida
May 27 2007 The Social w/RTX Orlando, Florida
May 29 2007 The Earl w/RTX, Dropsonic Atlanta, Florida
May 31 2007 w/RTX Houston, Texas
Jun 1 2007 Emo’s w/ RTX Austin, Texas
Jun 2 2007 Zumiez Couch Tour Seattle, Washington
Jun 3 2007 Zumiez Couch Tour Portland, Oregon

Ladron

Totimoshi’s 3rd album, Ladron was produced by Page Hamilton (who also produces Helmet albums), and brings sludge metal, 70’s Sabbath style metal, and doom metal, all in one simple package. It is already available to the public, so if you like what you hear, go get it today. Oakland incubates no-frills die hard metal bands, and Totimoshi is no exception.

Tracklist
1. Ladron
2. In Virgo
3. The Dance Of Snakes
4. God Of Earth
5. Viva Zapata
6. A Weighted Line
7. To The Fire
8. The Hide
9. These Meanings
10. The Drunken Sun Forever Watching
11. The Shame

Listen!
Track 01: Ladrón
Track 05: Viva Zapata

Their PR people describe this album :

Just off a West Coast tour w/ rock legends HELMET, Oakland, CA’s sludge-grunge-alt-hell-rock trio TOTIMOSHI are back w/ the follow-up to 2003’s “Monoli” and 2005’s re-issue of Mysterioso? to bring we mortals one of the heaviest and doom-ridden masterpieces the world of heavy rock has seen in way too long (no wonder bands like Helmet, Mastodon, Fu-Manchu, Kylesa, High on Fire, and the Melvins have tapped the band to tour and perform alongside on more than one occasion).

Bringing to mind some of history’s heaviest hitters (see Blue Cheer, Tool, Nirvana, Oxbow, Helmet), “Ladron’s” sludge-heavy guitar riffs, hugely-powerful bass-lines, and pummeling drums take their listener on a pseudo-psychedelic journey through space and time, and leave them wallowing in the depths of hell.

Add to that, this review from Stylus Mag:

“Run bongwater-soaked ’70s hard rock through Melvins and Sleep, sprinkle touches of blues and pop on top, and you have Totimoshi. This Oakland, CA trio does the stoner Sabbath thing as well as any band, but stands out with tones ranging from acoustic to twangy to fuzztones at 11. The group has a fearsome live reputation, and the nicely natural production (by Helmet’s Page Hamilton) hints at that.” – STYLUSMAGAZINE.COM

Links

http://www.totimoshi.com/
http://www.myspace.com/totimoshi

.
.
.

if you would like even more info about Totimoshi (like more quotes, and band bio stuff) you can find it here.

Read More About Metal Music : more posts about metal

Wow! it is a good time to be down under! this show not only features the notorious drone duo known as Sunn O))), but also includes a brand new collaboration with Tasmanian native – STRIBORG!

this is what is posted on Southern Lord’s news page :

SUNN 0))) PRESENTS: PENTEMPLE

GREG ANDERSON (of Sunn 0))), Goatsnake, Burial Chamber Trio)
STEPHEN O’MALLEY (of Sunn 0))), KTL, Khanate, Gravetemple)
OREN AMBARCHI (of Touch records, Gravetemple, Burial Chamber Trio)
ATTILA CSIHAR (of Mayhem, Tormentor, Aborym, Gravetemple, Burial Chamber Trio)
SIN NANNA (aka STRIBORG)

Tuesday 8th May 2007
The Toff in Town

As you will know, US doom-drone behemoth SUNN 0))) will be performing a HUGE must-see show together with Japanese monsters BORIS at the Hi-fi Bar on Wednesday 9th May. However we are pleased to announce a Melbourne-only intimate ‘improv’ show that will include collaborations with members of black metal legends Mayhem and Striborg! This show will be completely different to the Hi-fi show and strictly limited to capacity at Melbourne’s newest venue The Toff in Town on Tuesday 8th May

This ritual will feature the first public appearance of Tasmania’s Sin Nanna aka STRIBORG, making a special & rare live collaboration with Attila Csihar, (legendary vocalist of Mayhem), Aussie avant-maverick Oren Ambarchi, and Greg Anderson & Stephen O’Malley of Sunn 0))). Blackened low-end psychedelics not for the faint hearted – a one-time event not to be missed!!!

Unearthly ritual with strictly limited capacity. You can pre-purchase tickets to avoid disappointment from The Toff in Town, Metropolis Bookstore, Polyester Records and the Corner Box Office – phone: 9427 9198 or on-line: www.cornerhotel.com. Tickets on sale Thursday 26th April. Pre-sale tickets: + bf / on the door if available.

The Toff in Town
Level 2, Curtin House
252 Swanston Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
Phone: 03 9639 8770

Read More about Sunn O))) : Sunn O))) news

concert review of ISIS, Jesu, and Zozobra at Bimbo’s 365 Club in San Francisco, CA on April 6th, 2007
by Molli Fire

…

San Francisco

San Francisco is rocked by earthquakes regularly – tremors that rattle the china, or knock a picture off the wall are often shrugged off and forgotten 20 minutes later. This might explain why residents were indifferent to a bump in seismic activity last Friday when ISIS, Jesu, and Zozobra installed a wall of guitar amps that made the ground tremble. Neighbors can blame these 3 bands for the Seismic Sludge Metal rumbling from amps turned up to 5.5 (Richter). Their booking agent was wise to secure Bimbo’s 365 Club for the epic event – one of the few venues large enough, comfortable enough, and loud enough to showcase three heavyweight bands. With Jesu and ISIS, their music history alone would crush the floorboards of a lesser club. Add Zozobra to the stage, and the show would have moved to the basement. Bimbo’s delivered a solid, high quality show in style.

Zozobra

I am super impressed by Zozobra. They could easily be headlining their own tour, but they were an ideal choice for initiating this occasion. They displayed a horde of talent and powerful command of superbly written songs. the night started with frontman and founder Caleb Scofield, appearing solo. He greeted the room with a lovely melody that he plucked from the strings of a red guitar. When he sang, it was dark, yet gentle, almost a serenade. A few moments into this ballad, the rest of the band came out and he switched the guitar for a bass. The other two guitarists flanked Scofield on stage. Both are lean, with just enough hair to cover their faces. The entire time they played, they were grinning and rocking their heads wildly. They looked very similar, almost like twins, which provided me with a stereoscopic view of iconic guitar thrashing. The three men commanded the front of the stage, headbanging powerfully and enthusiastically, occasionally synchronized by a unified strum across 17 tense strings. I felt hypnotized by the timeless guitar stances “the twins” mirrored as they sustained a restless sonic assault. Zozobra created layer after layer of harmonic tremors that rippled through the wooden dance floor, which caused the crowd to sway like skyscrapers on heaving foundations. The guitarist on Scofield’s left deftly worked a nice range of pedal effects – psychedelic tremeloes hung in the air long after the string had been silenced, a repeat/reverse combo twisted melodies into meandering snakes that doubled back over their own tracks. The guitars seamlessly complimented the rolling explosions and fierce pummelings of the drums. The ricochet of drumming resembled an avalanche with perfect rhythm, almost belying the human element at its source. Zozobra rocked so hard as an opening band, that i thought maybe they had just stolen the show!

Zozobra tuned their guitars between songs, then shredded hard enough to wrench the strings into new keys again. In fact, all three bands refined the listening experience by adjusting the tuning of their guitars many times during each set. Most did this without delay, taking turns with tuning or playing something simple as interlude music. Unfortunately, this did not hold true for the wait in between bands. It seemed to take way longer than necessary for Jesu and ISIS to appear on stage. Don’t get me wrong, i do understand the dynamics of breaking down and setting up, especially for the soundguy who has to reset all the levels on the mixer for every microphone pointed at every drum, amp, and singer. It still took a long time beyond that. (And why does every venue since the dawn of time play the most unrelated, inappropriate intermission music over the house speakers?)

Jesu

Jesu was next, led by Justin Broadrick (formerly of Napalm Death and Godflesh). Broadrick had worked out a great set for this tour : he used his laptop to integrate an occasional piano melody, or extra guitar effects, or – for one song – rapid fire kick drum action (a la Mayhem). Not at the expense of the live drummer, however, who was wicked!! He accented the machine gun rhythm with impeccably timed staccato hits on the cymbals and snare. From what i have previously read, he is Danny Walker of Intronaut, filling in for Jesu’s regular drummer, Ted Parsons. Walker plays drums in exactly my favorite style – the cymbals are used to accent and release the energy raised, rather than a constant trigger of sustained sound. I am pretty sure that he had the spring on the snare drum loose so that it did not create the typical noise, but was more like the tight marching drum once used in battle. This, sometimes combined with a rapid fire beat on the low tom at the beginning of each measure, created a feeling of heading into a tribal war. On top of everything, the guy had mad skills and his timing was flawless during the entire set. This more than compensated for the brief technical difficulties experienced by other sections of the band. Dave Cochrane, the stoic bass player, has done many collaborations with Broadrick and is covering for Jesu’s Diarmuid Dalton during this tour. Unfortunately, he encountered a series of problems with the bass amp when it began cutting out of the soundsystem. He fell off a song or two, but the interaction actually seemed to loosen him up a bit. He played more confidently and seemed to have more fun once everything was working properly. All three musicians displayed class and a good rapport, as well as technical skill. Despite this, however, i couldn’t help feel like Jesu was really just Broadrick, and the others were simply jamming along with him. Which was pretty much the case, but i didn’t want to actually feel it.

Bimbo’s 365 Club

Bimbo’s 365 Club is huge inside – much bigger than Slim’s, Cafe Du Nord, or Bottom of the Hill – and on this night, it was packed with metal fans. Aahhh, but the nice thing about Bimbo’s is that it maintains a comfortable environment, even when a show, like this one, is sold out. According to the club’s website, “packed” is somewhere between 6-700 people! Many decades ago, someone planned its building and interior with the definition of “ample” as their blueprint. The stage had room enough for 3 bands’ drum kits, stacks of guitar amps/cabs, 3 synthesizers on stands, and still ample room to rock. The main room is vast, with tall ceilings and plenty of ventilation. It looked like everyone in the audience had a good view of the stage, and interaction with the bands felt close and intimate. The decor is luxe and elegant, in the style of a 1940’s dinner club, and the waitresses are a bit punk rock with their black fishnets and crowd maneuvering skills. Bimbo’s 365 Club is one of the most enjoyable places in SF to see a show, especially a loud metal show. The 6-700 people in attendance comprised a good mix of metal fans – i noticed veterans as well as new faces in the crowd. Some crews that i haven’t seen at a show in SF since the 3 Days of Darkness hosted Khanate, Thrones, and Graves At Sea, in 2004. Some of the younger faces in the crowd were likely due to Bimbo’s admittance of 18-21 year olds.

ISIS

Finally, after another long wait between bands, ISIS appeared. They immediately annihilated the intermission atmosphere, proving absolutely that it had been worth the 30 minute wait and the lifetime of anticipation spent by those who came to be initiated into live, loud sludge metal, exacted by masters of the craft. ISIS thrashed even harder than i have come to expect from sludge metal bands enjoying their 10th year of performing together. The 4 guitarists rejected the hypnotizing effect of synchronized movements that Zozobra had wielded, in favor of thrashing individually, each to a different aspect of the music. Sometimes bending completely over the guitar they gripped, then snapping backwards to stare at the ceiling, never relenting on the strings they were punishing. This added a striking visual dissonance that superbly matched the music’s innate discord. Sounds forged in minor keys and draped in distortion only to be fragmented by the battling pulses of the drums, the cymbals, and the synths that delayed and decayed at doomed intervals. This frenzy made it impossible to capture a clear photo of the whole band at once. You can see in my photos that some moved so quickly as to leave a trail of places they had been! B.C. Meyer (i believe) switched between atmospheric synthesizers and grinding guitar, headbanging and thrashing equally on both instruments. ISIS played a fair amount older material, from Celestial, Red Sea, and Mosquito Control, which made me VERY happy. I stopped listening to ISIS when they released Panopticon in 2004 because i prefer their earlier sound – uncompromisingly heavy atmospheric sludge metal. To my ears, Panopticon sounded too smoothed out, polished; in other words, too commercial, and devoid of the grit i felt was at the soul of earlier work. However, on stage in 2007, the occasional “weak” song merely provided enough contrast for the band to show off just how heavy their usual sound is. And heavy is something that ISIS owned at this show. They hit some songs so hard that it weighed down your own head, until you were facing your own soul, and then lifted it high with distorted upsweeps, until you gazed above the room, to where the melodies were scattering into the depths of space. At times, the pummeling beats could elevate your strong arm into the air, and cinch your hand into devil’s horns. An enthusiastic display of solidarity grew within the crowd, gaining strength with each attack on silence. I actually heard some fans singing along. Well, not really singing, more like growling. It was the first time i noticed anyone growling along to songs at a metal show. Whenever ISIS would delve into the quieter, more melodic parts, the crowd would cheer, or scream the band’s name, as if some just couldn’t handle the sudden release from crushing bar chords.

My Afterparty

The show inspired me greatly – this was the kind of show that justifies going out, and raises the excitement about what the future holds for music. The minute that i got home, i ripped the plastic off my new Celestial double vinyl to see what colours i got (the album has been repressed at least twice recently, each batch offering a different blend of marbled inks). Next, i lifted my shining black guitar from its furry grey coffin and played everything i had heard that night. That is my definition of a great show.

LINKS

ZOZOBRA
Zozobra music on murdochspace
interview with Caleb

JESU
Jesu website
Jesu in Wiki

ISIS
ISIS website
ISIS music on murdochspace

HYDRA HEAD RECORDS
Hydra Head news
website and store

VENUE
Bimbo’s 365 Club San Francisco, CA

…

finally!

at long last, i am finally catching up with all of my work – my regular job, my freelancing, my reviews…
i apologize immensely for the long delay with exciting posts this week.  i wrote a rather fantastic one, from my heart – i even wrote a little blues song – detailing what was goin on here, and somehow wordpress just lost it on its way to the front page.  i will try to recap here, but the song is lost for good.

last week, i was uprooted from my regular routine, and delivered right into the chaotic middle of another reality.  i don’t know if i aspire to spend more time in the other dimension, but i got a great glimpse into the world of book publishing when i was asked to contribute to a new project.  new to me, however, the book is due to be in stores this fall!  so i will be scrambling to meet sudden deadlines these next few weeks.  i will do my best to ensure that the news and reviews on this site do not lag too much.  i have spent way too much of my time editing this ISIS concert review, so in the future, i intend to concentrate on the writing aspect, and enlist help with editing.

this new project will likely influence the direction of posts here, so you might see more dancehall, more dub, reggae, jungle, soundsystem info here.  i will be concentrating on background and history, so this will be quite a diversion from news.  and a welcome balance if i do say so.

still to come, but from now on no suggested timelines to kill myself over :

• a concert review from the SF performance by Sonic Boom (Spectrum, Spacemen3, E.A.R.) – with 1-2 minute movies!  the concert was great!  i can’t wait to share the movies!
• i am attempting to get my own URL for this blog.  i think i can continue to keep this one active, while just adding it to the new site, but i haven’t figured that out yet.  we’ll see.  i mainly just want more control over css and the ability to use fun flash stuff.  i feel like this site lacks having access to the music itself.

well, without further ado…. i present, the ISIS, JESU, ZOZOBRA multimedia review……  (see the next post)

thanks for your patience, and for continued interest in this site!

~iVi~

in a blatant effort to captivate your subconcious attention….

i thoroughly enjoyed the ISIS/Jesu/Zozobra concert in sf this past friday. i have some decent photos and a review that i am almost finished editing. i will be posting all of it here within the next 24 hours.

i wish i could have it up already, but i’ve been swamped with projects lately. all of these posts lately have been work related for me, hence the mainstream acts getting so much attention. i will soon have more time to publish “under the radar” metal music. so stay tuned, i’m just kindling this blog fire at the moment.

more upcoming features for HT :

more original writing – reviews, background & history of music categories and bands
a google calendar keeping track of everything posted – album releases, tours, festivals, etc.
more dancehall related posts, more jungle and soundclash too
HT is going to get it’s own website!  i am going to move this blog over to my own url and server soon.  i hope to keep this address as well, not sure how that works yet.

thanks for reading, feel free to leave comments here about any of this.  any feedback i get now might find its way into the design of the new site…

iVi

from Southern Lord’s news :

Southern Lord Recording artists: EARTH will be performing at a special FREE in-store performance!

where: Easy Street Records Seattle (Queen Anne Store)
when: April 21st // 7PM
why: In comemmoration of their new album release: “Hibernaculum”

Go check it out and dont forget to pick up the new CD/DVD/LP!

this is quite a treat! i usually have to pay $20 to see these pioneers of the Drone sound. if you are in the Seattle area, don’t miss this opportunity. even if you are not sure that you like this style of music, the only way to tell is to hear it LIVE and LOUD!

this latest creation, Hibernaculum, has a real traditional country twang. it’s a very unique sound, cultivated in a real roots manner. not what most people think of when someone labels it metal.

subscribe to all posts on ht about metal : metal feed
subscribe to all posts on ht about new releases : new release feed
subscribe to all posts on ht about concerts/shows : performance feed

three epic bands touring Europe together! each play their own unique style of metallic atmospheres. Growing plays delicate, evolving soundscapes with repeating guitar delays and minimal melodies. Thrones plays heaving metal that physically touches your skin. Wolf Eyes tortures their instruments maniacally for your enjoyment. if you haven’t heard of each of these bands, read on for your ears’ delight.

……………………………..
GROWING

Growing could be called shoegaze metal, with their minimal creations that slowly layer and weave and evolve more layers that build on one another until the room is filled with sound. they are about to release a new album, VISION SWIM on Megablade April 24th. They will be selling the album on their European tour this spring. Trouble Man Unlimited writes about its design :

GROWING will have their new record entitled VISION SWIM with them in limited tour pressing form. The pressing is limited to 100 with 6-color screened and hand assembled/glued covers by Andrew and Sara of Wacky Prints. These covers are REALLY REALLY nice looking, and were very expensive to make. One per customer at the shows please. TMU may have a few for mailorder as well.

you can read a good bio of the band on Kranky’s page. Brainwashed.com also has fantastic and thorough reviews of 2 of their previous albums, with audio samples on their site :

Color Wheel
The Soul of the Rainbow and the Harmony of Light

Brainwashed also has a great movie of Growing playing from their video series The Eye

here is a sample from Color Wheel ….”Friendly Confines“
and from The Soul of the Rainbow… “Epochal Reminiscence“

………………………………………..
THRONES

Thrones comes from a prestigious experimental metal background. According to the Southern Lord label :

Joe fuckin Preston!!!! Need we say more??! The man has the burliest resume in the history of heavy:

•EARTH,

•Melvins 1991-1992 Played bass on: Lysol , Nightgoat 7″. Not to mention a solo Ep that was released along with Buzzo and Dale’s. Also featured on the DVD “Salad Of A Thousand Delights.”

•The Whip 2001-2002 Played guitar in this band with former members of Karp.

•Thrones 1996-Present Thrones is the “solo project” of Joe Preston. Thrones features all instruments. Including bass, drums, vocals and synth performed by Joe Preston.

•SunnO))) 2002-2004 played on on both SunnO))) albums “White 1” and “White 2 . Played a multitude of instruments on these albums including bass, vocals and drum machine programming.

•High On Fire 2004-Present Joined High On Fire for their Summer 2004 tour. Also played bass on the latest recording Blessed Black Wings. Now a permanent member

Many of the tracks from “A Day Late, A Dollar Short” are taken from hard to find (ie. 7″s, cassettes, compilations, and collaborations with other bands) previous Thrones releases. The album also features some very rare and previously unreleased tracks. Beautiful packaging designed by Stephen O’ Malley, with humorous anecdotes/liner notes by the man himself. This is the first official Thrones release in five years.

again, Brainwashed has the goods – here is their review of A Day Late, A Dollar Short by John Kealy and a sample :

Day Late, Dollar Short is a fantastic collection of eccentric and inimitable songs. Thrones can sometimes teeter towards novelty but the warped humour pulls it back from the edge. I’ve always liked Preston’s work with the other bands mentioned above but this is the first time I’ve heard the man doing his own thing and it well and truly floored me. Simply put, this is a blinder of an album.

Senex
Oracle

…………………………………..

WOLF EYES

Wolf Eyes play extreme metallic noise core. they thrash and flail and smash and pounce on stage. they are very nice people off stage. here is what Jon Whitney wrote about them on Brainwashed

Wolf Eyes and Hanson Records have claimed to be a “celebration of middle fingers,” however, we have found them to be some of the most sincere musicians today. Both in conversation, with Howard Stelzer of Intransitive and Jon Whitney, and in their musical output, which is true to the do-it-yourself aesthetic in nearly every interpretation of the term. Thanks to Nate Young and Aaron Dilloway for performing in the unfortunate absence of third member, John Olson. The band, captured at Twisted Village due to a last minute club fuckup, probably ended up making more from kind specator donations and merch sales, while those in attendance happily avoided bar prices. 21 Minutes, Quicktime Streaming Video

you can also read a great bio about Wolf Eyes on The Windish Agency

Brainwashed is absolutely the most dedicated and well stocked website for authentic, quality, avant garde and extreme music. you should definitely check out how much cool FREE stuff they are sharing with anyone who wants to visit. one more thing about how cool Brainwashed is – they posted on their site an informed message urging students to ignore the RIAA !!

…………………………………………………………

EUROPEAN TOUR – Growing and Thrones

somewhere it was alluded to that Wolf Eyes would be joining this tour for some dates, but i cannot find evidence of when that would be. so, for all practical purposes, this tour is only Growing and Thrones. you got the extra Wolf Eyes info as a bonus.

04/04/07 NL Haarlem @ Patronaat
05/04/07 BE Brussels @ Recyclart
06/04/07 DE Bremen @ Friessenstrasse
07/04/07 DK Aarhus @ Voxhall
08/04/07 SE Gothenburg @ Nefertiti Jazz Club
09/04/07 NO Oslo @ Blä
10/04/07 SE Malmö @ Aktivitetshuset
11/04/07 DK Copenhagen @ Loppen
12/04/07 DE Berlin @ festsaal Kreuzberg
13/04/07 DE Leipzig @ UT Connewitz
14/04/07 AT Vienna @ Fluc
15/04/07 IT Milan @ Circolo Magnolia
17/04/07 CH Geneva @ Le Kab
18/04/07 FR Marseille @ L’Embobineuse
19/04/07 FR Paris @ Instants Chavires
20/04/07 DE Saarlouis @ Juz
21/04/07 NL Tilburg @ Roadburn Festival

subscribe to all posts on ht about metal : metal feed
subscribe to all posts on ht about noise : noise feed
subscribe to all posts on ht about tour : tour feed

Celebrating their 26th year together, the band formerly known as Dragonslayer, has finally been getting some of the recognition they deserve. They have managed to sustain a career of uncompromising controversial thrash metal in a fickle music market. In 2006, Slayer fans and SPIN readers named them “Best Live Band” in SPIN’s Readers Poll, the same year they released Christ Illusion with the single “Eyes of the Insane”. In 2007, Slayer received the Grammy Award for “Best Metal Performance.” for that single. It was their second nomination for that category, the first was in 2002, but their music finally won the title in 2007.

Christ Illusion debuted at #5 on Billboard’s album chart, selling 62,000 copies in the first week. Apparently listeners made out the lyrics by its second week of distribution because it fell immediately to #44.

The entire album has an overtly hard-hitting anti-government and anti-religion perspective, partially inspired by a magazine feature on US soldiers in Iraq that was published in the March 2006 issue of Texas Monthly. The article was called “Casualty Of War” and “told the story about a highly-decorated U.S. soldier in Iraq who, a mere four days away from going home, had a mental breakdown that left him “seeing faces, soldiers’ faces.” He took his own life.” That description comes from the dogmatic blog entry about the music video for “Eyes of the Insane”.

The song describes this soldier’s last experiences :

Eyes of the insane

A soldier’s heart
Reflecting back at me
I keep seeing mutilated faces
Even in my dreams
Distorted images
Flashing rapidly
Psychotically abusing me
Devouring my brain

The eyes of the insane
On a demented campaign

Tortured spirits
Will not let me rest
These thoughts of mutilated faces
Completely possessed
Fragmented images
Flashing rapidly
Psychotically abusing me
Worming through my head

Shell shock battle fatigue
Overwhelming anxiety
Flashbacks panic attacks
Death raising it’s ugly face at me

More about the Grammy award winning “Eyes Of The Insane” including a listen, on Wikipedia.
Slayer visited troops in Iraq in 2007 -
blender.com

Lyrics from “Consfearacy”, also on the album, Christ Illusion

I need to redefine
All the things I hate today
Politics that fail
From a president derailed
I hate the shit economy
It might as well be sodomy
I know that in the end
I’m expected to pretend

But I can’t relate
To your verbal idiocy
No one’s in control
When the government’s the enemy

http://www.myspace.com/slayer

http://www.last.fm/music/Slayer

http://www.slayerized.com/

http://www.slayer.net/