Sludge Metal professionals, Totomoshi, 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

Totomoshi’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 Totomoshi 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

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

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

If you’re a fan of Neurosis, you may already know that the Bay Area’s sludge lords are going to have a new album out next month on May 22nd. Given To Rising, is being touted as the band’s best work yet, partly due to Steve Albini being on board again for the recording. Well, nothing is exactly new, except the descriptions from a press release that i received, descriptions of the sounds embodied and animated on the new album – descriptions that made me drool with anticipation! So, naturally, i couldn’t wait to share them with you…

Once again recording with revered engineer and longtime friend Steve Albini (as the band has for five previous albums,The Eye of Every Storm in 2004, A Sun That Never Sets in 2001, Sovereign in 2000 and Times of Grace in 1999), Given To The Rising bears the band’s signature crushing heft and cathartic force. However, it also finds Neurosis delving into increasingly psychedelic effects and twisted, inventive song structures. Much of the dramatic lull of recent works is forgone in favor of full-on attack. While it’s reflective of the band’s signature aggressive pummeling, Given To The Rising is not just an exercise in Wagnerian thunder. Neurosis instead takes an exploration into psychoactive prog-rock and eviscerating symphonic thud that moves well beyond anything that might fit snugly within a particular genre. It’s as though the band has taken cues from such psych-noise predecessors as Hawkwind, Faust, Skullflower and Chrome, merged those elements with the sickening frequency assault of Throbbing Gristle and then submerged them within Neurosis’ saturated sonic strata.

“We stand encircled by wing and fire” growls vocalist/guitarist Scott Kelly, opening the album and its title track, the band’s heels already dug deep in the dirt, blasting forth in all directions at once. It’s as though we join the battle already in progress, and by all means we have — Neurosis has fought hard to maintain its sovereignty not just in the music business, but as a boundlessly creative entity consisting of Kelly, guitarist/vocalist Steve Von Till, bassist/vocalist Dave Edwardson, drummer Jason Roeder, keyboardist Noah Landis and visuals manipulator Josh Graham. The band brought keyboards to heavy punk. It brought experimental noise to metal. It merged antique droning folk with Black Flag’s desperation. All the while, forging onward toward new means to explore the infinite realms of catharsis and self-transformation, while myriad bands simply follow in its wake. Consistent with this new, darker and evermore powerful sound is Graham’s stunning album artwork depicting antique Eastern European statues and symbols interwoven to create a landscape of strength and survival.

The guitars grunt and groan like sinister beasts on “Fear and Sickness”, propelled by Roeder’s clever rhythmic shifts delivered by thunderous, rollicking tom beats that lunge into half-time thumping kick drum and snare blasts. “To The Wind” opens with a deceptively delicate, albeit forlorn melody unlike anything we’ve come to expect of the band, which is abruptly choked off at the 2-minute mark by one of the most brutally sudden shifts of mood and tempo. A slight, barely audible growl hints at the change to come, but when a wall of chiming bent-notes and drop-tuned sludge guitars, paired with a stomping beat erupt over the melody, it’s truly monolithic in impact. Edwardson slings heavy low-end distortion over the top with howling bent notes adding powerful harmonic overtones. But, perhaps the highlight of the song comes during a brief respite, when Kelly lets out an astounding 29-second-long throat-curdling scream at the song’s climax. Von Till’s rasping whisper sounds downright haunting over the rhythmic churn and Landis’ syrupy tones on “Hidden Faces” prove ample evidence to the band’s latest evolutionary step. “Through eyes of the wheel I will see you coming,” Von Till howls, the band erupting in consensus.

i fully admit, dropping the names Hawkwind and Faust in relation to Neurosis will get me to pull my wallet out….

Given To Rising Tracklist

01. Given to the Rising

02. Fear and Sickness

03. To the Wind

04. At the End of the Road

05. Shadow

06. Hidden Faces

07. Water is Not Enough (MP3)

08. Distill (Watching the Swarm)

09. Nine

10. Origin

For those who have been following along, that mp3 is the same on that i linked to in my first post about this album. So if you dl’ed it then, no need to grab it again…

You can look forward to a “promotional video featuring brand new live footage and in-depth interviews conducted during Neurosis’ breakneck 6-day recording session with engineer Steve Albini.”
I will post info on that as soon as it is available.

Also, I am in the process of securing an interview with the band. If you have any questions that you would like to ask, please comment or mail them to me. I would be happy to ask anything insightful, inventive, and/or intelligent. I am going to steer clear of regular industry questions. Thanks!

more links :

www.neurosis.com

www.myspace.com/officialneurosis

www.neurotrecordings.com

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

…

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. ISIS, Jesu, and Zozobra arrived with a wall of guitar amps that made the ground tremble. residents can blame seismic sludge metal rumbling from amps turned up to 5.5 (Richter). the booking agent was wise to book 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 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, the drummer drilling rhythms from the rear, 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 occassional 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 stacatto 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. this time 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, as well as 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. so, 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 occassional “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

…

Weedeater is about to release a new album, God Luck and Good Speed on Southern Lord Records. The label revealed a few juicy details about the production :

The album was recorded in Jan. and Feb. of this year in Chicago at Electrical Audio with Steve Albini at the controls. The result is massive, mammoth and crushing! To compliment the audio, artist Arik Roper (Sleep, High on Fire etc..) will be handling graphic art duties. Please have a shot of whiskey in honor of this glorious moment.

so far, there is not an exact release date, but it will be out this summer.

http://www.myspace.com/weedeater
http://www.weedeatertheband.com/

MAY

04/20/07 Volume 11 Tavern Raleigh NC
05/18/07 Joli Rouge Asheville NC w/Skeletonwitch
05/19/07 Top Cats Cincinnati OH w/Skeletonwitch
05/20/07 Mad Planet Milwaukee WI w/Skeletonwitch
05/21/07 High Noon Saloon Madison WI w/Skeletonwitch
05/22/07 Turf Club St. Paul MN w/Skeletonwitch
05/23/07 Hairy Mary’s Des Moines IA w/Skeletonwitch
05/24/07 Replay Lounge Lawrence KS w/Skeletonwitch
05/25/07 Downtown Music Little Rock AR w/Skeletonwitch
05/26/07 Wreck Room Ft. Worth TX w/Rwake, Skeletonwitch, Black Cobra
05/27/07 Emo’s Emissions From The Monolith Fest Austin TX w/Skeletonwitch, etc.
05/28/07 Rock Bottom Tattoo Bar San Antonio TX w/ Skeletonwitch
05/29/07 TBA Lafayette/New Orleans LA w/Skeletonwitch
05/30/07 Lenny’s Bar Atlanta GA w/Skeletonwitch

i cannot embed videos on wordpress, so if you want to watch a weedeater show, click over to the murdochspace video :
Weedeater Vid

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.

thanks for reading,

iVi

From GWAR to GOATWHORE – Sounds of the Underground announced a lineup today :

Gwar
Chimaira
Every Time I Die
Necro
Job for a Cowboy
Darkest Hour
Amon Amarth
Acacia Strain
Heavy Heavy Low Low
Number 12 Looks Like You
Devil Wears Prada
This Is Hell
2 Cents
Goatwhore

Chimaira frontman Mark Hunter made the statement, “This year, we are going to up the production level and bring something special to our fans. Then we will get wasted every night with Every Time I Die and Gwar. See you this summer.”
it seems that it would be difficult to compete with OZZFEST 2007 by charging money for this lineup. (OZZFEST has NILE!!) hopefully the person in charge of booking the tour was careful to ensure that the 2 concerts do not overlap at any point so that fans can attend both. metal fans can purchase tickets in the usual manner (no hunting for secret promotional codes hidden in online marketing mazes to obtain a ticket to this tour, just cold hard ca$h) starting April 25 with presales and May 11 for general sales.

Sounds of the Underground 2007

7/6 – Dallas, TX Palladium Ballroom
7/7 – Corpus Christi, TX Concrete Street Amphitheatre
7/8 – Houston, TX Verizon Wireless Theater
7/10 – Orlando, FL UCF Arena
7/11 – North Myrtle Beach, SC House of Blues
7/13 – Worcester, MA The Palladium
7/14 – Sayreville, NJ Starland Ballroom Outside
7/15 – Philadelphia, PA Electric Factory
7/16 – Winston-Salem, NC Millennium Center
7/18 – Toronto, ON Kool Haus
7/19 – Detroit, MI State Theatre
7/20 – Milwaukee, WI The Rave Eagles Club
7/21 – Cleveland, OH Time Warner Cable Amphitheater At Tower City
7/22 – Columbus, OH Lifestyle Communities Pavilion
7/23 – Chicago, IL Congress Theater
7/24 – Maplewood, MN Myth
7/27 – Calgary, AB MacEwan Conference and Event Centre
7/28 – Edmonton, AB Shaw Conference Centre
7/30 – Portland, OR Expo Hall
8/1 – Salt Lake City, UT SaltAir Pavilion
8/3 – San Jose, CA Events Center at San Jose State University
8/4 – Irvine, CA Irvine Meadows Side Stage
8/5 – Mesa, AZ Mesa Amphitheatre
8/6 – Las Vegas, NV House of Blues
8/8 – Denver, CO Fillmore Auditorium

this info is from a press statement, reported by MTV News via VH1.com

speaking of OZZFEST 2007 -

Taiwan’s “first” extreme metal band, ChthoniC has been added to the list of Earth’s most dedicated metal musicians who will perform with the FREE OZZFEST 2007 tour. Chthonic joins Ozzy, Nile, Lordi, Lamb of God, Behemoth, Hatebreed, and many more!!

from ChthoniC’s website :

EAST MEETS WEST ON OZZFEST AS TAIWANESE BAND CHTHONIC JOINS THE TOUR’S LINEUP

April 10th, 2007

Ozzfest will get a taste of the Far East as the Taiwanese black metal band Chthonic joins the traveling heavy metal festival’s lineup this summer.

“It’s our pleasure to play Ozzfest as the first Asian extreme metal band,” said Chthonic frontman Freddy. “We believe that we are going to lead a wave of Asian extreme metal to the world!”

Added guitarist Jesse: “I have dreamt of standing on this stage!”

Chthonic’s presence on the tour is significant also because Ozzfest marks Chthonic’s first full US tour. Chthonic’s past American performances have been limited to special appearances at metal festivals, where the group first began making a name for themselves stateside a few years back.

“It took us 10 years to be on the stage of Ozzfest and it’s one of the biggest opportunities of our career,” said bassist Doris. “Based on the experience of our numerous tours in Asia, we have faith that metalheads in the U.S. are going to be blown away by this Typhoon of Oriental Extreme Metal.”

In its 12th year, Ozzfest has made the bold move to become “FreeFest,” an event entirely free for fans. Tens of thousands of fans are expected to attend.

Called “the Black Sabbath of Asia” by the Taipei Times for its impact on heavy music, Chthonic has furthered its Western reputation with the release of its latest – and fourth in all – release, “Seediq Bale.” Using the weepy sounds of the “er-hu,” a traditional Eastern two-string violin that dates back to the Tang Dynasty of the 618-907, Chthonic adds a unique element to its symphonic style of black metal.

Chthonic has stirred up controversy in the past with its strong Taiwanese pro-independence stance, which has been the focus of much of the band’s past material. In keeping with its culturally-inspired concepts, “Seediq Bale” reaches further back into Taiwanese history to the legend of the Seediq and its struggle with Japan over land and religion.

Hailing from a country with a little-known metal scene, Chthonic has gained national attention in its native land where it was awarded “Best Rock Group” at the 14th Annual Golden Melody Awards, the Eastern Asian equivalent of a Grammy. The award was presented to the band by none other than the country’s President Chen Shui-bian. “Music is more powerful, more moving than politicians,” the President said before Chthonic joined him on stage.

The group capped off that momentous year by playing the annual New Year’s Eve live, nationally broadcasted concert in front of President’s Hall and with the release of the band’s Mandarin theme for the 21st Century Fox Taiwan release of “Freddy vs. Jason.”

Chthonic’s previous albums, “Where the Ancestors’ Souls Gathered,” “9th Empyrean,” and “Relentless Recurrence,” have been recorded in both Mandarin and English.

Ozzfest dates are as follow:

07/12/07 Thu. White River Amphitheatre, Seattle, WA

07/14/07 Sat. The Gorge, George, WA

07/17/07 Tue. Sleep Train Amphitheatre, Sacramento, CA

07/19/07 Thu. Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA

07/21/07 Sat. Hyundai Pavilion, Devore, CA

07/24/07 Tue. Cricket Pavilion, Phoenix, AZ

07/26/07 Thu. Journal Pavilion, Albuquerque, NM

07/28/07 Sat. Coors Amphitheatre, Denver, CO

07/30/07 Mon. Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, Kansas City, MO

08/02/07 Thu. Smirnoff Music Center, Dallas, TX

08/04/07 Sat. Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, San Antonio, TX

08/06/07 Mon. Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, St. Louis, MO

08/08/07 Wed. Germain Amphitheatre, Columbus, OH

08/10/07 Fri. First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre, Tinley Park, IL

08/12/07 Sun. East Troy, WI

08/14/07 Tue. Verizon Wireless Music Theatre, Indianapolis, IN

08/16/07 Thu. PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel, NJ

08/18/07 Sat. New England Dodge Music Theatre, Hartford, CT

08/20/07 Mon. Tweeter Center, Boston, MA

08/22/07 Wed. Tweeter Center, Philadelphia, PA

08/24/07 Fri. Post Gazette Pavilion, Pittsburgh, PA

08/26/07 Sun. DTE Energy Music Theatre, Detroit, MI

08/28/07 Tue. Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Charlotte, NC

08/30/07 Thu. Sound Advice Amphitheatre, West Palm Beach, FL

http://www.chthonic.org
http://www.myspace.com/chthonictw

Lordi the extreme black metal outfit from Finland who has signed on to play the FREE OZZFEST this summer, has announced further plans to tour the US and Canada, plus a few dates this week in Japan.

if you happen to be in Japan this week :

09.04.2007 Tokyo, Japan – Shibuya O-East
11.04.2007 Tokyo, Japan – Shibuya O-East
12.04.2007 Osaka, Japan – IMP Hall
13.04.2007 Nagoya, Japan – Shimun-kaikin Chu-Hall

if you attend the Bamboozle festival, you will have the opportunity to catch an early sneak preview of Lordi’s horrific theatrical antics :

05.05.2007 East Rutherford, New Jersey – The Bamboozle -festival
06.05.2007 East Rutherford, New Jersey – The Bamboozle -festival

those lucky enough to spend their springtime in Finland will get one last chance to see their beloved Lordi before the band is tainted by american culture :

11.05.2007 Helsinki – Jäähalli

NORTH AMERICA – BEGINNING WITH OZZFEST 2007

JULY
12.07.2007 The OzzFest 2007 – White River Amphitheatre, Seattle, WA

14.07.2007 Gorge, George, WA
17.07.2007 Sleep Train Amphitheatre, Sacramento, CA
19.07.2007 Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA
21.07.2007 Hyundai Pavilion, Devore, CA
24.07.2007 Cricket Pavilion, Phoenix, AZ
26.07.2007 Journal Pavilion, Albuquerque, NM
28.07.2007 Coors Amphitheatre, Denver, CO
30.07.2007 Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Kansas City, MO

AUGUST
02.08.2007 Smirnoff Music Center, Dallas, TX
04.08.2007 Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, San Antonio, TX
06.08.2007 UMB Bank Pavilion, St. Louis, MO
08.08.2007 Germain Amphitheatre, Columbus, OH
10.08.2007 First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre, Tinley Park, IL
12.08.2007 Alpine Valley Music Theatre, East Troy, WI
14.08.2007 Verizon Wireless Music Theatre, Indianapolis, IN

16.08.2007 PNC Bank Arts Center, Holmdel, NJ
18.08.2007 New England Dodge Music Theatre, Hartford, CT
20.08.2007 Tweeter Center, Boston, MA
22.08.2007 Tweeter Center, Philadelphia, PA
24.08.2007 Post Gazette Pavilion, Pittsburgh, PA
26.08.2007 DTE Energy Music Theatre, Detroit, MI
28.08.2007 Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Charlotte, NC
30.08.2007 Sound Advice Amphitheatre, West Palm Beach, FL

listen to Lordi :
http://www.myspace.com/lordi

read about Lordi :
Reuters.com

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.

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

Mono will be touring with Grails and World’s End Girlfriend this spring. Mono is from Japan and plays shoegazing drone metal that is very atmospheric.

Grails are a 4 man band from Portland, Oregon and are about to release their new album on Temporary Residence. The label describes their sound as “Grails have patiently developed into a rather radical study in tension and meditation, inhabiting a netherworld where virtually all earthly and otherwordly sounds are equally explored to reflect the disparate influences of its four members.”

The band page for Grails on Temporary Residence is http://www.temporaryresidence.com/bands/grails.php

Grails’ webpage has news of their new album, Burning Off Impurities :
“The new Grails cd, Burning Off Impurities, drops April 24 on Temporary Residence. But the vinyl has been delayed a bit, comes out May 22. The vinyl version will be a double LP, with an etching on the 4th side. Will put up some photos when it’s back from the plant…..it’s gonna be beautiful.”

Temporary Residence has an mp3 from this upcoming album. You can listen to it or dl it – http://www.temporaryresidence.com/mp3s/grails_dead_vine_blues.mp3

Temporary Residence also releases Mono material and has this mp3 for your listening pleasure :
http://www.temporaryresidence.com/mp3s/mono_theflames.mp3

The band page for Mono on Temporary Residence is http://www.temporaryresidence.com/bands/mono.php

more places to listen :

http://www.myspace.com/worldsendgirlfriend
http://www.myspace.com/grailsongs
http://www.myspace.com/monojapanfansite

The tour, according to Mono’s website :

Apr 12 Cambridge, MA Middle East Downstairs w/ World’s End Girlfriend, The Drift

Apr 13 Montreal, PQ La Sala Rossa w/ World’s End Girlfriend, The Drift

Apr 14 Buffalo, NY Soundlab w/ World’s End Girlfriend, The Drift

Apr 15 Pittsburgh, PA Carnegie Mellon University w/ World’s End Girlfriend, The Drift

Apr 16 Cleveland, OH Grog Shop w/ World’s End Girlfriend, The Drift

Apr 17 Columbus, OH Little Brothers w/ World’s End Girlfriend, The Drift

Apr 18 Louisville KY Headliners Music Hall w/ World’s End Girlfriend, The Drift

Apr 19 Dekalb, IL The House Cafe w/ World’s End Girlfriend, The Drift

Apr 20 Chicago, IL The Empty Bottle w/ World’s End Girlfriend, The Drift

Apr 21 Minneapolis, MN Triple Rock Club w/ World’s End Girlfriend, The Drift

Apr 24 Bellingham, WA The Nightlight Lounge w/ World’s End Girlfriend, The Drift

Apr 25 Seattle, WA Neumo’s w/ World’s End Girlfriend, The Drift

Apr 26 Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge w/ World’s End Girlfriend, The Drift

Apr 27 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall w/ World’s End Girlfriend, The Drift

Apr 28 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour w/ World’s End Girlfriend, The Drift

Apr 29 San Diego, CA Casbah w/ World’s End Girlfriend, The Drift

Apr 30 Tucson, AZ Plush w/ World’s End Girlfriend, The Drift

May 2 Denton, TX Hailey’s w/ World’s End Girlfriend, The Drift

May 3 Austin, TX Emo’s Jr. w/ World’s End Girlfriend, Grails

May 4 Houston, TX Mink w/ World’s End Girlfriend, Grails

May 5 Baton Rouge, LA Spanish Moon w/ World’s End Girlfriend, Grails

May 7 Orlando, FL The Social w/ World’s End Girlfriend, Grails

May 8 Jacksonville, FL TSI w/ World’s End Girlfriend, Grails

May 9 Birmingham, AL Bottletree w/ World’s End Girlfriend, Grails

May 10 Atlanta, GA The Earl w/ World’s End Girlfriend, Grails

May 11 Mt. Pleasant, SC The Village Tavern w/ World’s End Girlfriend, Grails

May 12 Chapel Hill, NC Local 506 w/ World’s End Girlfriend, Grails

May 13 Charlottesville, VA Satellite Ballroom w/ World’s End Girlfriend, Grails

May 14 Baltimore, MD Ottobar w/ World’s End Girlfriend, Grails

May 15 Washington, DC Rock and Roll Hotel w/ World’s End Girlfriend, Grails

May 16 Philadelphia, PA First Unitarian Church w/ World’s End Girlfriend, Grails

May 17 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom w/ World’s End Girlfriend, Grails

Southern Lord announced the release of Earth’s newest album, Hibernaculum on heavyweight vinyl :

The vinyl version of Earths’ latest offering: “Hibernaculum” is upon us! Beautifully designed heavy cardboard, “tip-on” style (ie: like an old 70s jacket) jacket with thick printed innersleeve. Slightly different artwork then the CD.

Initial pressing:
(3,000 )180 Gram Black,
(1,000 )180 gram clear.

We are offering both colors for sale.

1. Ouroboros Is Broken
2. Coda Maestoso In F (Flat) Minor
3. Miami Morning Coming Down
4. A Plague of Angels

Please click over to the Southern Lord Store to purchase.