Skipping Kansas: Carcass (AGAIN)

Stupid. Sometimes I hate living in Kansas City.

Carcass' "Exhumed To Consume II" dates

Carcass
Suicide Silence
Samael
Arsis
Psycroptic

Mar. 13 - The Trocadero – Philadelphia, PA
Mar. 14 - Peabody’s – Cleveland, OH (w/ ABIGAIL WILLIAMS)
Mar. 15 - The Pearl Room – Mokena, IL (w/ THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER)
Mar. 16 - Majestic Theater – Detroit, MI (w/ THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER)
Mar. 17 - Headliner's - Louisville, KY
Mar. 21 - Ridglea Theater – Ft. Worth, TX (w/ SUFFOCATION)
Mar. 22 - Meridian – Houston, TX
Mar. 24 - Gothic Theatre – Denver, CO
Mar. 25 - Sunshine Theatre - Albuquerque, NM
Mar. 26 - The Grand Ballroom - San Francisco, CA (THE FACELESS, TOXIC HOLOCAUST)
Mar. 27 - The Marquee Theatre - Phoenix, AZ (w/ SUFFOCATION)
Mar. 28 - The Grove - Anaheim, CA (California Metal Fest)

Rockstar Mayhem 2009 FULL DETAILS

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=113229

Main Stage:

SLAYER
MARILYN MANSON
BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE

Hot Topic Stage:

WHITECHAPEL
THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER
JOB FOR A COWBOY
BEHEMOTH
CANNIBAL CORPSE

Jägermeister Stage:

GOD FORBID
ALL THAT REMAINS
TRIVIUM

Those last two stages are obviously backwards.

July 21st - Kansas City, MO (probably at Sandstone)

SSSSSSLLLLLLLAAAAAYYYYYYYEEEEERRRRR!!!!!!!

Review: Cattle Decapitation - The Harvest Floor (2009)

Metal Blade Records
January 20th, 2009
Cattle Decapitation - The Harvest Floor

Want a pretty tasty slab of pseudo-progressive grindcore from a band who's been around long enough to know what they're doing? Look no further than Cattle Decapitation's blistering release “The Harvest Floor”. It's not their best album, but close to it. Better than the album before it, “The Harvest Floor” will have you banging your head one minute and then trying to figure out how the band members keep the insane technicality in check while maintaining the ridiculous speed. And there are a few surprises that we haven't heard from Cattle before.

The first thing I thought of upon hearing this album was about how much more progressive this album is compared to their other releases. No longer just straight-forwad goregrind/death metal, Cattle uses several time-signature changes and interesting use of their instruments to create a mind-numblingly complex tornado of musical ability. This is most apparent on the song “The Ripe Beneath The Rind” with it's killswitched guitars sounding off behind Travis Ryan's inhuman vocals or the almost prog-quality solo included about halfway through the song, although you can find it in just about every song. Think of this album's incarnation of Cattle Decapitation as metal's version of The Dillinger Escape Plan but can also hold it's own against death metal stalwarts as well.

It should be stated and re-stated that this band has some serious musicians in it. First and foremost, Travis Ryan's performance all but solidifies his place in extreme metal as one of the best current vocalists out there. He about hits the lower and upper boundaries of his vocal range in almost every song and comes off as a deranged madman throughout it all. Absolutely splended. The drummer, David McGraw, makes use of the hyperblast on several songs (see the beginning of The Gardeners Of Eden) and pulls it off quite well. Not up to par with John Lengstreth, but close. The bass player and guitar player are fantastic as well, but they pretty much have always been solid.

There's really only one flaw to this album: If you're not paying too much attention, it's really easy to miss the transition to another song and still think you're on the previous. It's not that the songs themselves aren't memorable, but some of them segue into eachother without a huge change in style. However, the lyrics themselves are above Cattle Decapitation's standards and are a delight to read through. “Into The Public Baths” might be the sickest song ever written.

This album will satisfy long-term fans of the band and is a great starting point for new fans. Things are looking very bright for the future of these misanthropes.

Highlights: A Body Farm, The Ripe Beneath The Rind, Tooth Enamel And Concrete, Into The Public Bath

9.0/10

Upcoming Concerts: Bonded By Blood

Coming to the stupid 21+ Riot Room on April 8th:

Masters Of Disaster Tour

Bonded By Blood
ExMortus
Witchaven

Thrash 'til death, but somewhere that isn't 21+, please.

Updates about some possible tours

Back in November I made this post about tours from Mayhem and Suffocation. Well, I have some updated news for both of the tours!

First off, it seems that the Mayhem tour with Marduk IS happening, and Cattle Decapitation and Cephalic Carnage are opening. This might just be the best tour of 2009 by far. So far, all four bands are confirmed to play the Maryland Deathfest (GO) and there's a rumored date of Seattle in June. I'll keep an eye out for more dates.

As for Suffocation, it looks like they aren't taking Napalm Death out on the road, but instead have opted for a tour with opening bands Whitechapel, Decrepit Birth and Veil Of Maya. A downgrade, but I think it should still be worth it. Only a handful of dates confirmed so far (including California Metalfest with CARCASS!!!) but I'll still keep an eye on it.

Now go out and buy the new Kreator and Cattle Decapitation CD's.

Upcoming Concerts: Lamb Of God

A pretty decent tour is coming through Kansas City.

Lamb Of God
As I Lay Dying
Children Of Bodom
God Forbid
Municipal Waste

Lamb Of God was here for Ozzfest 2007, Bodom was here back in October (and was phenomenal) and God Forbid was supposed to be here with Iced Earth, but dropped. Aside from AILD, this tour should be pretty good.

MUNICIPAL WASTE!

Review: Kreator - Hordes Of Chaos (2009)

SPV Records
January 19th, 2009
Kreator - Hordes Of Chaos

Kreator return in early 2009 with one of the best thrash metal albums in recent memory. This reviewer can't think of an album in the last 15 years by the Big 4 of US thrash (Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax) that even comes close to the thrash assault offered up by Kreator. Even in Germany, the only album that comes close to matching Hordes Of Chaos in old-school thrash intensity mixed with modern musicianship and writing is maybe Sodom's latest self-titled release, but Kreator just blows it out of the water and is sitting comfortably on the thrash throne.

There are some moments in this album where you might begin to dismiss as not being thrash (beginning of Amok Run), but Kreator fixes it right away with speedy riffs and headbanging breaks that make it feel like the '80's thrash movement all over again. These remedied faults are the low point of the album but they don't so much detract from the album as they just serve as the “good” part before the “awesome” part. Even when the guitars aren't blisteringly fast, the mid-tempo songs (Radical Resistance, To The Afterborn) are really fist-pumpingly great. A note about “To The Afterborn” though: Milli really should not try to sing. When he screams, he sounds like the world is ripping in half, but that really does not do a good job of transferring to his singing vocals. It really doesn't take away from the overall strength of the album, however.

Every song has a bit in it that was practically written to include the crowd in it. This album would transfer over to the live setting extremely well. There are breaks in the thrashing for lots of headbanging breaks and vocals that were made to shout along to (just about every song on the album, in fact). I can imagine screaming along with “Amok Run” or “Hordes Of Chaos” live. “EVERYTHING AGAINST EVERYTHING!” Kreator really should play this whole album live.

When the speed let's up in those rare moments, Hordes Of Chaos makes sure to make you bang your head and never gives you a moments rest. The solos are here, the aggression is here, the vocals are top notch, and everything about this album makes it work. I'm no expert on thrash, but as far as the big US thrash bands and the Teutonic thrash bands, this album is leagues ahead of what any of them have done in the past 15 years, Kreator included. An undeniable high point, if not peak, of their career. Do whatever it takes to get this album, and then cherish it for many, many years to come.

Highlights: Hordes Of Chaos (A Necrologue For The Elite), Amok Run, Absolute Misanthropy, Demon Prince

9.5/10

NOT METAL: Missy Higgins and Mates Of State

Australia piano singer-songwriter Missy Higgins, who opened for Ben Folds back in October, will be returning to the Beaumont Club on March 18th. No word yet for when Mr. Folds will be returning.

The first band I saw at Wakarusa 2008 was Mates of State, and they had a very good indie-pop sound to kick off the day for me. They'll be arriving at the Beaumont Club on April 13th with opening act Black Kids.

Scion Rock Fest

This might be the best non-underground metal festival in the US.

It's sponsored by Scion.
It's called a "rock fest".
It's in Atlanta.

It can't be that good, can it?

Mastodon
Neurosis
High on Fire
Boris
1349
Cryptopsy
Torche
Nachtmystium
Wolves in the Throne Room
Baroness
Harvey Milk
Kylesa
Zoroaster
Withered
Krallice
Toxic Holocaust
Skeletonwitch
Rwake
A Storm of Light
Warbringer
Salome
Suidakra
Tyr
Alestorm

Wow.

http://www.scion.com/rock/

edit:

And it's free.

General Surgery/Ghoul Tour

I sure hope this gets fleshed out.

Death Metal stalwarts General Surgery and crossover deaththrash band Ghoul have announced a handful of dates near the west coast.

May 9 2009 Knitting Factory Hollywood, California
May 10 2009 The PHiX Phoenix, Arizona
May 11 2009 The Blue Lagoon Santa Cruz, California
May 12 2009 Your House Oakland, California

NOT METAL: First Waka '09 bands announced

Recently moved Kansas festival Wakarusa announced its' first bands:

Yonder Mountain String Band (2 big sets!), STS9 (2 big sets!), Galactic (late night set), Buckethead (late night set), Sly & Robbie, Railroad Earth (2 sets), Cross Canadian Ragweed, Digable Planets, Porter, Batiste & Stoltz (2 sets), Steve Kimock & Crazy Engine, Perpetual Groove (2 sets), Split Lip Rayfield (2 sets), Lucero, The Egg, 20/20 Soundsystem, Jimmy Herring Band, Cornmeal (2 sets), EOTO, Boombox, Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit, Secret Chiefs 3, Joe Purdy, Dirtfoot (2 sets), Pretty Lights, Big Smith (2 sets), Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, Ott, Heavyweight Dub Champion, DJ Rekha, Underground Orchestra, Moonalice, My Dear Disco, Blue Mountain, Truckstop Honeymoon, Elephant Revival, Burnin' Smyrnans, Euforquestra, Hana Pestle ... and many more to be announced!

Wakarusa 2009 will take place in Ozark, Arkansas at Mulberry Mountain

Queensrÿche returning to KC

After the 98.9 Halloween show back in October with Tesla, progressive metallers Queensrÿche will return to the Voodoo Lounge at Harrah's Casino in Kansas City on April 29th.