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[ManOfTheHour]

It’s been 2 years…

 

 

[metalrover]

REVIEWS

Album Review: SLIPKNOT The End, So Far

7REVIEWER

What a time to be alive with Slipknot in their legacy era. Many scoffed when nine masked maniacs from Iowa charged into the Ozzfest circuit, but they've proven their critics wrong and become one of the most influential metal bands of the past 20 years. Some mainstream crossovers have overshadowed their ability to sneak extreme metal hallmarks into the mainstream on a nu metal Trojan Horse, but Slipknot is nothing if not persistent. Even after losing their founding drummer Joey Jordison and bassist Paul Gray (may they both rest in power), and later dishonorably discharging percussionist Chris Fehn, The Gray Chapter and We are Not Your Kind proved that the band's story is far from over. Indeed, perseverance remains heavily implied on Slipknot's seventh album The End, So Far.

 

The End, So Far was succinctly described by vocalist Corey Taylor described as a "heavier version of [Vol. 3] The Subliminal Verses." Harking back to that 2004 album cycle recalls a lot of experimentation—a band testing the limits of their sound. While some of The End, So Far plays it safe by Vol. 3standards, the album still concludes Slipknot's 24-year run on Roadrunner Records with a bang.

It's not a Slipknot album without a weird intro, this time through the plodding pianos, mid-tempo rock beat and bouncing bass lines of "Adderall." If not for Taylor's singing voice, the song's swirling electro-acoustic ambiance wouldn't sound out of place within the realms of goth or post-rock. It gives credence to The End, So Far's experimental quotient before "The Dying Song (Time to Sing)" returns to classic Iowan violence. While its overall vibe isn't particularly distinct compared to singles like "Negative One" and "Unsainted," a bass flourish from Alessandro Venturella here and an extended drum fill from Jay Weinberg there make it a worthy adrenaline shot after a song, slow beginning

 

 

The only shame about "The Dying Song" is that "The Chapeltown Rag" one-ups it in every way, other than their comparably enjoyable choruses. A creative narrative connects religious oppression to the demented mind of serial killer Peter Sutcliffe, driving the song from DJ Sid Wilson's frenetic breakcore intro ("Eyeless," anyone?), to a devastating final act of rapcore steez and sludgy slow-downs. Slipknot punctuates its crowd-pleasing quarter note hammering with blast-beats and tremolo riffs, and it really sounds like all nine members had a hand in making the song complete.

This carries over to the moody slow-burner "Yen," which functions nicely as The End, So Far's "Vermillion." Its sensual melodies and bombastic dynamic changes come augmented by sampler Craig Jones' choice additions of marimba and atmospheric distortion. Taylor follows the song's arrangement with a wide vocal range, intuitively exploding into the hard-nosed breakdown and fading into dizzying double-kick-driven ambiance.

 

Though it starts with Jim Root and Mick Thomson slathering off-kilter string bends and nervous tremolo on Weinberg's machine-gun blast beat, "Hivemind" quickly reverts to the trademark Slipknot "DOO. KAH. DOO. KAH." rhythm structure. While the track is plenty headbangeable, it's worth pointing out that every track from Vol 3, good or bad, feels very different from the others. It's not necessarily a bad thing that the song's mosh part obviously recalls "Sulfur" and "Unsainted," but a cut like "Medicine for the Dead" stands out more than a third "DOO. KAH." routine. "Medicine" breaks new ground with a bizarre waltz feel, opening doors to fresh guitar voicings for Taylor to sing over. At over six-minutes, the track sports ideas worth marinating in, as well as exploding outward with some of Taylor's more expressive melodies.

 

Amid the battering low-end attack and chaotic screams of "Warranty", Root and Thomson take the intense beat changes by the horns with an uncommon ability to play riffs both bestial and tasteful. This allows the quasi-operatic bridge section to feel as natural as it is unexpected, making up for a lesser attempt at "Heretic Anthem"-style crowd shout call-and-response. "Warranty" also offers more openings for percussionists Shawn Crahan and Michael Pfaff to up the ante with their auxiliary snares, kettle drums and kegs. This sentiment is shared with "H377," showing that Slipknot can bring the heaviness without sounding derivative. Beyond the bombshell drumming and repeatable riffs, the song actually contains one of the band's better on-melodic choruses—memorable and aggressive.

Luckily, some less brutal tracks like "Acidic" carry extra layers to separate them from Taylor's more accessible band Stone Sour. Slipknot elevates this crooning side with industrial horror soundscapes, to a tension-filled dirge of dissonant guitar strains, vocoded manipulations and some surprisingly pronounced bass lines and percussive ornamentations. It's actually impressive that Taylor can extract hooks from these unorthodox sonics, whereas "Heirloom" gets too close to a "hell yeah brother" butt rock vibe for comfort. Some of the barrel-chested riffs are fun, but overall, it doesn't find Slipknot putting their stamp on calmer waters.

The End, So Far isn't Slipknot longest album, but its concluding duology begs the question of why it needed to be almost an hour long. "De Sade" feels like the logical end of the album, complete with bittersweet modulations, cathartic mood-swings and passionately ascending melodicism. It even has the album's best guitar solo, so "Finale" hardly lives up to its name. It's like concluding All Hope Is Gone with the b-side "Till We Die"—not to mention that on-the-nose "we're still around" lyrical mantra. Like, yeah, it's no surprise that Slipknot "likes it here." It feels too self-aware for the more cryptic imagery that defines much of the album.

 

That said, The End, So Far is miles away from a throw away album to get out of the Roadrunner contract. It contains plenty of powerful moments, and successfully breaks new ground for Slipknot 27 years into their career. Now that they can pave their own path, here's to hoping they take more chances than ever before.

[metalrover]

MUSIC VIDEOS

CANNIBAL CORPSE's "Hammer Smashed Face" Set To AI-Generated Homer Simpsons Is Terrifying

Yes, it's called "Homer Smashed Face."

By Greg Kennelty

Published3 days ago

AI-generated music videos have been slowly creeping into the world of rock and metal, but this one might take first place for being the most unsettling. YouTuber Lars von Retriever has taken Cannibal Corpse's classic "Hammer Smashed Face" and set it to some pretty terrifying images of AI-generated Homer Simpsons. The result is named "Homer Smashed Face" and it's going to haunt your fucking dreams.

 

Anyway, have fun seeing all these faces while you're sleeping later. Homer Simpson is coming for you.

[Huat Zai]

 

[Huat Zai]

 

[metalrover]

REVIEWS

Album Review: INGESTED Ashes Lie Still

Review 0

8REVIEWER

By

Max Morin

Published

6 days ago

"New Ingested album" is always good news for death metal fans. It's hard to believe that these guys have been churning out disgustingly brutal albums for fifteen years now. They remain dedicated to making each album heavier than the last and Ashes Lie Still is no exception. But Ingested are finally learning that dynamics can make a song heavier than any amount of speed and downtuning.

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A lot has happened behind these scenes since Where Only Gods May Tread was released in 2020. The band is down to a three-piece, with Sean Hyndes taking over bass writing duties from former guitarist-turned-bassist Sam Yates. There was also the tragic death of Sean's father at the beginning of the pandemic, an event that cast a huge shadow over Ashes Lie Still. Melancholy riffs and heartfelt lyrics scattered across this record speak of someone dealing with their trauma through music. It's led Ingested to rise above the mindless brutality of most contemporary death metal and reach a level of songwriting we've never heard before. It's more mature, yet somehow even heavier because of it.

But Ashes Lie Still isn't all somber introspection. Ingested have been through hell and come out stronger, as the album's middle third is happy to demonstrate. "From Hollow Words," is a raging deathcore pit starter featuring the band's frequent tourmate, Sven de Caluwé of Aborted. It's an immediate album highlight, one that sharply contrasts against the first few tracks for its upbeat rhythm and groove.

There's also an appearance from metal Twitch ambassador Matt Heafy, known to boomers as the frontman of Trivium. Heafyhas been one of the most visible personalities in metal for a couple of years now and his contributions don't go unnoticed. He's lent some of his signature brand of classic metalcore bravado to "All I've Lost." It meshes perfectly with the usual crushing breakdowns and double bass assault.

 

That doesn't take away from Jason Evans, who continues to be a standout vocalist in an increasingly crowded field. He even sneaks in a pig squeal for the old-school fans on "Shadows in Time". Ingested have moved far beyond their early years ("Skinned and Fucked" still goes hard), but they still haven't lost that spirit of the late 2000s British slam scene. Jason Evans is a big part of that, a great frontman who can still shock us with his inhuman growls and screams.

 

Ashes Lie Still is probably the best thing Ingested have ever put their name to. It casts aside the ultra-triggered drums and prioritizes groove over technicality. Combined with genuine feeling behind the lyrics and a couple killer riffs, it's shaping up to be one of the best deathcore albums of 2022.

 

 

[metalrover]

UPCOMING RELEASES

DARKTHRONE Announces New Album Astral Fortress

A more vintage-sounding album from the duo.

Darkthrone released Eternal Hails in 2021 and they're already back with a brand new record! Darkthrone has announced Astral Fortress for October 28, which they're describing as both vintage-sounding with its use of mellotron and synthesizer, and "seething with hell" in terms of lyrics. It's also Darkthrone, so I'm not sure why anyone would expect anything other than innovation rooted in evil.

 

"As usual, Ted makes music by playing himself and riffs just come to me," said Darkthrone's Fenriz. "I think since 2016's Arctic Thunder, we have mostly been inspired by our own back catalogue. I can hear many of my riffs eventually sounding like a plethora of bands but this seldom seems to correlate with what others hear. As you’ll know by now I never talk about the lyrics or the inspiration behind them and I would never want any lyrics that I like of others to be explained to me but I will tell you this, it is darker than ever, it is seething with hell."

Astral Fortress was recorded at Chaka Khan Studios in Oslo with Ole Øvstedal and Silje Høgevold, where Darkthrone also recorded the Eternal Hails album. Pre-orders for the album will be available on September 8.

 

 

[metalrover]

REVIEWS

Album Review: HIGH COMMAND Eclipse Of The Dual Moons

Never let it be said that thrash metal is dead. In a genre dominated by four large bands and many handfuls of copycats for ages, there was real worry for a while that new and exciting material might not arrive to right the ship, bar the occasional stud record tweaking the rudders a little. Then, with very little fanfare, High Command came along and commandeered the vessel. Their 2019 full length debut Beyond the Wall of Desolation infused the familiar thrash rioting with fresh elements while still maintaining that urgent feel throughout, and it was all quite good indeed.

 

With Eclipse of the Dual Moons following that album in concept, we are once again dropped into the world of Secartha and once again up to our ears in Conan the Barbariansword and sorcery shenanigans. The musical influences are clear from the off; the title track crashes through the closest wall with enough unrelenting, Metallica-infused power to raise the collective pulse of anyone hearing it. The tempo is frantic, setting the scene of a world under constant threat before slamming the brakes on for chunky, low-end metal grooves that both thrill in the ingenuity of their deployment and will make you learn to love whiplash.

 

 

Those sort of neck-breaking drop-offs aren’t the only surprises scattered throughout. “Imposing Hammers of Cold Sorcery” draws on inspiration from a much less likely source, by channelling Old Western vibes a la Ennio Morricone. The clean notes swirl like dusty winds throughout an endlessly creative mashup of early black metal savagery and rip-roaring thrash energy that will have you equal parts tapping your foot appreciatively and bouncing off the nearest person in the pit. Meanwhile, the swaying strings and immaculately sparkling intro to “Chamber of Blood” will lull your sense of security into blissful sleep before putting a hole in your head once the old-school metal riffs and air-raid slides kick in.

But that’s not to say the traditional stuff isn’t done right, either. “Immortal Savagery” leans into that old-school sweet spot hard with big bass riff and even bigger drums and offsets them perfectly with the raspy vocal work, before the Slayer love comes to the fore in the thumping breakdown. There’s seemingly very little that High Command can’t put their hands to and make it work in a big way, old or new and it’s one of the big reasons that Eclipse of the Dual Moons is so consistently excellent.

 

 

A special mention for epic closer “Spires of Secartha” here because it’s a simply colossal track. A roiling sea of thrash violence punctuated by towering doom moments and slow, melodic checkpoints that plays with boundaries like a perfect mad scientist. It’s got bits of everything and does it all phenomenally; it’ll stick in your eardrums for months.

 

Veering from blast beat driven ferocity to chugging, rhythmic grinds with earned confidence, Eclipse of the Dual Moons is a stone cold classic. High Command haven’t so much chiseled their name as they have blasted through the monument to thrash metal greats completely, then ridden off into the sunset on the other side. You’ll be spotting this one in future “Top X Thrash Albums” lists for the next forever. If you can drag yourself away from the album long enough to read them, that is.

 

Source : metalinjection.net

[Huat Zai]

 

 

 

[metalrover]

Watch These Kids Crush SLIPKNOT's "The Heretic Anthem"

The O' Keefe Music Foundation is back at it.

The O'Keefe Music Foundation is back with a pretty killer cover of Slipknot's "The Heretic Anthem." Special shout out to vocalist Zoë Franziska for doing an excellent job with this one (and the Korn shirt), though all the kids certainly crushed it!

 

Remember when 8 year old Zoë knocked out her first OMF cover, 'Freak on the Leash' by Korn ???? Well, nearly 4 million views later, Zoë is back and SLAYING 'Heretic Anthem' by Slipknot!" said the O'Keefe Music Foundation of the cover. "But WARNING: Zoë is so intense that your screen might catch on fire ???? You might have nightmares if you look into her eyes ???? And you might begin to think that Corey Taylor needs a vocal coach. A vocal coach named Zoë Franziska!!!!

"In fact, the entire band is delivering such a ferocious performance that it almost looks like they are trying to show Slipknot how to do their job!!!

"No guitar solo, no prob. Cuz 12 yr old Xander Markewich from Alaska wrote one!! Then with Connor Meintel and Calli Dressenplaying tight as can be, 17 yr old Evan Harriswas able to lay down some heavy yet melodic drumming. And because a song like this can never be too heavy, Parker, Philip, Isabella and Brady recorded 2 beer kegs, the OMF Garbage Can of Doom and the OMF Wheelbarrow of Wonder. Finally, the song needed a bit of sparkle so Brianna Montanterecorded the chimes ….with a CHAINSAW!!!

"Due to limited funds, OMF was unable to book a professional recording studio. So back to the garage we went! So here it is, proof that you can record a crushing song in your garage.

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"As always, a huge thanks to the students for all their hard work and to their parents for making this trip possible! And finally, we are very grateful to all our donors whose generosity made this recording and video completely FREE for the kids ???? To music lovers everywhere, please consider donating to OMF so kids from around the country can PLAY. REAL. MUSIC."

Source : metalinjection.net

[The_King]

On 12/24/2022 at 3:20 PM, metalrover said:

Watch These Kids Crush SLIPKNOT's "The Heretic Anthem"

The O' Keefe Music Foundation is back at it.

The O'Keefe Music Foundation is back with a pretty killer cover of Slipknot's "The Heretic Anthem." Special shout out to vocalist Zoë Franziska for doing an excellent job with this one (and the Korn shirt), though all the kids certainly crushed it!

 

Remember when 8 year old Zoë knocked out her first OMF cover, 'Freak on the Leash' by Korn ???? Well, nearly 4 million views later, Zoë is back and SLAYING 'Heretic Anthem' by Slipknot!" said the O'Keefe Music Foundation of the cover. "But WARNING: Zoë is so intense that your screen might catch on fire ???? You might have nightmares if you look into her eyes ???? And you might begin to think that Corey Taylor needs a vocal coach. A vocal coach named Zoë Franziska!!!!

"In fact, the entire band is delivering such a ferocious performance that it almost looks like they are trying to show Slipknot how to do their job!!!

"No guitar solo, no prob. Cuz 12 yr old Xander Markewich from Alaska wrote one!! Then with Connor Meintel and Calli Dressenplaying tight as can be, 17 yr old Evan Harriswas able to lay down some heavy yet melodic drumming. And because a song like this can never be too heavy, Parker, Philip, Isabella and Brady recorded 2 beer kegs, the OMF Garbage Can of Doom and the OMF Wheelbarrow of Wonder. Finally, the song needed a bit of sparkle so Brianna Montanterecorded the chimes ….with a CHAINSAW!!!

"Due to limited funds, OMF was unable to book a professional recording studio. So back to the garage we went! So here it is, proof that you can record a crushing song in your garage.

ADVERTISEMENT. SCROLL TO CONTINUE READING.

"As always, a huge thanks to the students for all their hard work and to their parents for making this trip possible! And finally, we are very grateful to all our donors whose generosity made this recording and video completely FREE for the kids ???? To music lovers everywhere, please consider donating to OMF so kids from around the country can PLAY. REAL. MUSIC."

Source : metalinjection.net

this news make me remind of this kids

 

 

[metalrover]

3 hours ago, The_King said:

this news make me remind of this kids

 

 

 

Now grown up becum chiobu liao.

[Huat Zai]

 

[ManOfTheHour]

4 hours ago, Huat Zai said:

 

Nice birthday gift for him

[ManOfTheHour]

RIP legend

 

 

[Huat Zai]

7 hours ago, ManOfTheHour said:

RIP legend

 

 

RIP

[Huat Zai]

 

[ManOfTheHour]

42 minutes ago, Huat Zai said:

 

ERW really something wrong. Worse than Amber Heard

[Huat Zai]

 

[The_King]

 

[Huat Zai]

 

[Huat Zai]

 

[Huat Zai]

 

[Huat Zai]

 

[metalrover]

The Decibel Magazine Tour 2023 Issue of Decibel is Now Available

March 17, 2023  Decibel Magazine

 

North America’s longest-running metal tour has returned! Our tenth iteration of national devastation is back in black… and bloody, bloody red. Before they trek out across the U.S. under the Decibel banner, Swedish black metal headliners Dark Funeral,compassionate death metal masters Cattle Decapitation and newcomers 200 Stab Wounds and Blackbraid have laid claim to the May 2023 cover to divulge their secrets on what’s in store. If that wasn’t already enough for you, each issue comes packed with an exclusive track from tech death wizards Origin, courtesy of the Decibel Flexi Series. Don’t wait until this issue is gone; pick up your copy today!

Presented by Metal Blade Records, and sponsored by Pull the Plug Patches, Century Media, IndieMerchStore, Upstate Records, Sauce Leopard and Savage Lands, tickets for the 2023 Decibel Magazine Tour are on sale now, and can be found below.

The Decibel Magazine Tour 2023 dates:

5/11/2023 The Observatory – Santa Ana, CA

5/12/2023 Nile Theater – Mesa, AZ

5/13/2023 El Rey – Albuquerque, NM

5/15/2023 Granada Theater – Dallas, TX

5/16/2023 Empire Control Room – Austin, TX

5/17/2023 The Warehouse – Houston, TX

5/19/2023 The Orpheum – Tampa, FL

5/20/2023 Variety Playhouse – Atlanta, GA

5/21/2023 The Underground – Charlotte, NC

5/23/2023 Baltimore Soundstage – Baltimore, MD

5/24/2023 Irving Plaza – New York, NY

5/26/2023 Club Soda – Montreal, QC

5/27/2023 Phoenix Concert Theatre – Toronto, ON

5/28/2023 Crofoot Ballroom – Pontiac, MI

5/30/2023 The Metro – Chicago, IL

5/31/2023 First Avenue – Minneapolis, MN

6/02/2023 The Summit – Denver, CO

6/03/2023 The Complex – Salt Lake City, UT

6/05/2023 El Corazon – Seattle, WA

6/06/2023 The Vogue Theater – Vancouver, BC

6/07/2023 The Hawthorne Theatre -Portland, OR

6/09/2023 The Regency Ballroom – San Francisco, CA

6/10/2023 Regent Theater – Los Angeles, CA

Hails to our partners!

Metal Blade Records

Century Media Records

Pull the Plug Patches

Upstate Records

Sauce Leopard

IndieMerchstore

Savage Lands

Source : https://www.decibelmagazine.com/2023/03/17/the-decibel-magazine-tour-2023-issue-of-decibel-is-now-available/