Thrashing to a stereo near you we have thrash metal bassist Mike Dreher of Condition Critical and Lich King. On this rad podcast, we discuss Lich King’s recent European tour, Condition Critical’s new album plans and a whole lot more – featuring a CC cover of Demolition Hammer’s “.44 Caliber Brain Surgery.”
Egyptologist death metal legends Nile played to a raging group of metalheads Thursday night at New York City’s Gramercy Theatre. The band has been touring in support of their latest record “What Should Not Be Unearthed” with local openers at each show, showing support for every local scene they encounter.
This particular day I was finishing work for a recent freelancing gig I had picked up. It was a different topic than I had been used to writing about, so I took a bit longer than I expected – which caused me to inadvertently sabotage plans I had initially made – giving myself, Eric and Andrew (the party of new plans I followed through with) some unwanted afternoon drama. That didn’t stop us from drinking, grabbing burgers at the Union Square Friday’s (where en-route I was shocked and saddened by the death of actor Alan Rickman) and more drinking before merrily walking down to 23rd street’s Gramercy Theatre. For some reason my accomplices were wearing balaclavas, but that’s another story altogether.
Known to start and end shows early, we expected to miss one of the Gramercy’s openers because a) they were local and b) Andrew was not a fan of Day of Doom, whom he had seen before. Unfortunately for us, it was the one time the Gramercy Theatre decided to start the show late. We sat down in the bleacher seats and watched from afar, choosing to conserve our energy (and sober up) for Nile.
Day of Doom
When Andrew expressed his opinions of Day of Doom, he was putting it lightly.
This band was so bad that for the first (and hopefully last) time in my life I actually fell asleep at a concert. Not only that but this was moments after a) Eric also fell asleep and b) their singer compared showcasing their new material to his preferred style of intercourse. Day of Doom’s music consisted of generic old-school death metal that made you want to throw on your headphones and listen to the actual bands they were trying to imitate.
I legitimately felt sorry for their drummer, who while having the Gob Bluth “I’ve made a huge mistake” look in his eyes was also the only one of the trio with any stage presence. He was also clearly the most talented member of the band. After two songs I woke up just in time for their closer and more whiny banter from the singer, encouraging the crowd to “bring their mothers and sisters” next time because apparently there weren’t enough girls at the show.
Rule number one for aspiring musicians: Fake it until you make it (aka act like you’re the greatest thing in the world no matter what. People will like you better). Also do not beg for sex – especially when the center of attention is YOU.
Khiazma
While they sounded better and were much more energetic than Day of Doom, we were so bored that we didn’t want to risk sitting through another bad local act. Instead we wound up watching them from TV sets in the downstairs lounge, where we gathered to check out the merch and sober up on Gramercy´s tap water. We were also disappointed when we discovered that a chiasma is an exchange of genetic material in chromosome strands during meiosis and not a piece of furniture you can buy from Ikea.
Seton Hall University´s WSOU (Pirate Radio) station had a booth in the lobby as they were one of the sponsors for the show. The station’s representatives were very much into themselves and didn’t do any actual promotion other than stand next to their booth which contained a roulette wheel of prizes you could potentially win by spinning the wheel and landing on said prize. None of us cared since we weren’t intrigued or approached by the reps who consisted of college kids that were happy to get free tickets to a show.
Although Nile had some pretty cool merch – including limited edition vinyls of their Relapse catalog, a flag and shirts; they only had small and extra large sizes of their best t-shirt designs available. Being a medium, I was a sad panda until moments later when Khiazma wrapped up their set. We stumbled up the stairs knowing we’d finally be getting our money’s worth.
Nile
It was both mine and Andrew’s first time seeing the Egypt obsessed Nile. Not only had the venue filled up dramatically by this point but the place exploded the minute the headliners took the stage. My partners in crime ventured into the pit (balaclavas and all) while I found a comfortable spot to bask in Nile’s glory (on a side note, guitarist Dallas-Toler Wade was wearing a Pit Bulls shirt. The Pit Bulls are a large fraternity of metalheads from Dallas, Texas which Insinnerator/Thy Antichrist bassist Benjamin Shanks, a friend of mine is a member of (and the person I’m willing to bet money on for giving Wade the shirt).
My time in said comfortable spot would not last long as my cronies grabbed my five-foot three, 165-pound frame and crowdsurfed it for the first time in almost a decade. This would repeat itself seven more times throughout Nile’s set to the point where various members of the front row were referring to me as “Rangers Guy” thanks to the hockey jersey I was wearing (they lost 3-1 that night to the bloody Islanders). During this time, we met up with Jane (who was the earlier plan I had botched) and Kevin, who was so drunk it took me a good minute to recognize him.
Nile absolutely slayed and the crowd responded with their hyper-violent moshy roar of approval. Their set consisted of a little bit from each of their eight albums, including “Sarcophagus,” “Serpent Headed Mask” and “Ithyphallic” – satisfying everyone in attendance. Their latest material went over so well with the crowd (a rarity) that they added a third new track to the set on the spot which was also well received. They closed with “Black Seeds of Vengeance,” the title track from their second album (2000) and sent a bunch of headbanging New Yorkers home happy (also a rarity).
As for the five of us, we grabbed some grub at a nearby diner, headed over to the famed Coyote Ugly Saloon and had a few more spirits before taking a ride home on the subway.
Venom offshoot Venom Inc. and death metal pioneers Necrophagia played New York City’s Webster Hall Jan. 9 as part of their first US circuit.
For the uninitiated, Venom Inc. is a new band that features ex-Venom members Mantas on guitar, Abaddon on drums and Demolition Man on vocals – making this band an unofficial reunion of Venom’s 1988 to 1992 lineup.
I was really excited for this as I had not been to a show since King Diamond and Necrophagia and Venom were bands I’ve wanted to see since high school. I was also confirmed for an interview with Necrophagia vocalist Killjoy. Although I took the bus to the city with my friend Jay to NYC, we split up as Jay didn’t want to be at the venue too early. I took the Subway to Union Square while Jay went to The Blue Ruin in Hell’s Kitchen. I got to the venue on East 11th street, ran into some friends and awaited the show.
Extinction A.D.
First up was Long Island’s Extinction A. D. The band played slightly melodic “tough guy” hardcore. This was not a style I was ever into, so their set bored me.Most of the crowd was bored as well as this band didn’t fit the bill.
Metalfier
After Exinction A. D. I interviewed Killjoy. Metalfier got on stage shortly after. The band was a traditional metal throwback and they were bad. Like the last band, everyone was bored and couldn’t wait for them to finish.
Necrophagia
After the bland local openers it was time for Necrophagia, which was also when Jay showed up. Their set was mostly focused on recent material, as no songs before 1998 were played. Necrophagia performed several fan favorites such as “Embalmed Yet I Breathe” and “Blood Freak” – all while vocalist Killjoy practiced his horror theatrics. They ended their set with their most well known song “Cannibal Holocaust” (based on the horror classic of the same name).
Venom Inc
After Necrophagia’s killer performance, we got ready for Venom Inc. Audiences were curious due to the fact that while this version of Venom does not include classic vocalist Cronos, they do have two of the original three members.
The band started their set with “Prime Evil,” the title track from the 1988 Venom album. This was the only song they played from the era they were a throwback to. From that point on, their setlist mostly consisted of songs from the first two Venom albums, “Welcome to Hell” and “Black Metal.” This included many classics such as “Black Metal,” “1,000 Days in Sodom,” “Countess Bathory,” “Don’t Burn the Witch” and “Schizo.” They also played some of the non-album singles from that era such as “Warhead” and “Bloodlust.”
Venom Inc. had good energy and looked like they were having a lot of fun. With the exception of the two openers, the show was a lot better then expected. After the show Jay and I went to the Blue Ruin, met some cool, hot chicks and took the bus home disappointed that we had to return to reality.
By William Kennedy
Legendary space oddity David Bowie died Sunday in Manhattan, NY after an 18 month battle with cancer.
Bowie was a global icon that contributed to music and fashion so much over the course of his 50-year career that his look, sound and theatrics became synonymous with pop culture. During his career, Bowie constantly redesigned his image and sound through the creation of several characters, most notably “Ziggy Stardust,” “Aladdin Sane” and “The Thin White Duke.” Bowie’s life was one of wild experimentation whether it was drugs, booze, musical genres or sexuality and was also unapologetically original (something that embodies the essence of the human spirit while still being such an alien concept to most).
“Space Oddity” was one of his earliest hits and was a fitting phrase to describe him as cosmic grace and originality made him seem like a visitor from another world. Bowie’s influence is something difficult to quantify as he inspired countless artists over his five decade career including Madonna, Lady Gaga, Marilyn Manson, Steven Wilson, The Killers and Radiohead (just to name a few).
Born David Jones in Brixton, London, England on January 8th 1947, the singer changed his name in the 60’s to avoid confusion with Davy Jones of The Monkees. In his lifetime, Bowie released 26 studio albums that ranged from pop, rock and alternative to new wave with electronic, funk and soul flairs.
Bowie had numerous collaborations with other artists throughout his career, working with The Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger for the single “Dancing in the Street,” Queen’s Freddie Mercury for “Under Pressure,” John Lennon for “Fame” and Trent Reznor for a remix of “I’m afraid of Americans.” Bowie performed at the 1985 “Live Aid” concert to raise funds for an ongoing Ethiopian famine. In 1987, he performed in a divided Berlin where his track “Heroes” became an anthem for the tensions during the cold war. A lyrical selection from heroes is as follows:
“I can remember (I remember)
Standing, by the wall (by the wall)
And the guns, shot above our heads (over our heads)
And we kissed, as though nothing could fall (nothing could fall)
And the shame, was on the other side
Oh we can beat them, forever and ever
Then we could be heroes, just for one day”
When asked about the performance Bowie claimed, “It was one of the most emotional performances I’ve ever done. I was in tears.”
Shortly after, Bowie met Somali fashion supermodel Iman. They wed in 1992 and had their only child, Alexandria Zahra Jones in 2000. Both Bowie and Iman had children from previous marriages.
Bowie also pursued an acting career, appearing in such films as “The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976),” “Labyrinth (1986)” and “Basquiat (1996).” His music has appeared in countless movies and television shows to this day, some of which he had written for (such as a 2015 episode of “Mad Men,” in which he also performed).
Bowie was diagnosed with cancer of the liver in 2014. He released his final studio album “Blackstar” in 2016 on his 69th birthday. Two days later, the man known as “Ziggy Stardust” went to his cosmic paradise for the last time. Bowie is survived by his second wife, Iman Mohamed Abdulmajid, and children Duncan, and Alexandria Jones.
For the first episode of 2016, Chris and Jon sound off on thrashers Municipal Waste’s Donald Trump themed T-shirt, UFC 197, Kevin Smith directing an upcoming episode of “The Flash,” the New York Lottery Powerball and much more – all while watching WWE Unforgiven 2001.
Anthony: It’s crazy how fast it sold out. I remember when I first got into doom and how no one was into it. How that times changed.
Chris: Doom pretty much became the flavor of the month once Black Sabbath started up again. I remember barely any doom bands around and then all of a sudden you can’t find a show around here without one.
Anthony: Maryland Deathfest gets loaded with doom now.
Chris: The D is unofficially for doom at this point. My 5th is also at Webster hall. My number five goes to At the Gates on April 12.
Anthony: With Vallenfye Pallbearer and Converge right?
Chris: Yes they were. I got to see them on their reunion tour in 2008, when we thought it was one and done. Then they came back and put out a new album that I thought was decent, but impossible to live up to Slaughter of the Soul. In my opinion they should have just toured but maybe they were pressured into it and maybe they were jonesing for a new record anyway. This show was unbelievable knowing what At The Gates can do. I rank it at 5 because I’m not crazy about any of the openers minus Pallbearer.
Anthony: I caught At The Gates at Maryland Deathfest 2014. It was pretty killer. How did Pallbeaer do? I never caught them live.
Chris: They did very well. One of the best shows I’ve been to this year.
4: Nuclear Assault (9/12/2015) Gramercy Theater, NYC
Anthony: I guess my number 4 would be Nuclear Assault at Gramercy theater.
Chris: Mine as well. If in fact this is Nuclear Assault’s last outing, it was a great send-off in their hometown
Anthony: I think after that one off show on Maryland Deathfest they are done.
Chris: Just the overall atmosphere was great. A bunch of hometown heroes and their friends. You couldn’t ask for a better ending.
Anthony: That was my second time seeing them. Both times they killed it. John Connelly’s voice sounds just as good it did in the 80’s. Having Whiplash open was a good choice too.
Chris: John always sounds awesome. I caught them at their semi-secret reunion in 2010 as well. Whiplash surprised me. I was not sure if they would be that good but they definitely still had their chops. It seems like they got better with age, and they were already good. Murphy’s law was a lot of fun too. Their energy was great and they were funny as hell.
Chris: They made if feel like a ceremony because they brought their whole crew with them onstage. It felt like a big house party.
3: Napalm Death,Voivod,Exhumed,Iron Regan and Ringworm (2/8/2015) The Chance Theater, Poughkeepsie, NY and Ghost (9/27/2015) Terminal 5, NYC
Anthony: I guess since this was 4 for both of us. I’ll go with my 3rd choice, 3 would be Napalm Death, Voivod, Exhumed, Iron Regan and Ringworm at the chance theater.
Chris: That sounds ridiculous. I forgot about that tour
Anthony: It was a crazy show both the line up itself and what happened that day. I got to interview Barney (Greenway) in person. Hes a great guy and I was starstruck. He gets extra points for bashing the Chance’s disgusting bathrooms. The best performances were them Exhumed and Iron Reagan. Voivod’s set could have been better and of course a shout out to the local opener Blast Furnace. Those dudes are always awesome.
Chris: The above three are always great. Haven’t seen them in awhile but looking forward to Napalm Death and The Melvins as well as Vektor and Voivod.
Anthony: Voivod were amazing at Maryland Deathfest 2011 and had a much better set. I plan on going to the Napalm Death/Melvins show as well.
Chris: My 3 would be Ghost at Terminal 5 . It was my first time seeing them and was blown away by their presence.
Chris: They’re unbelievable. The house was packed and it was the same week the Pope was in town so there was a very ominous vibe in the air.
Anthony: I wonder if that was scheduled on purpose.
Chris: Could be. Also the opener Purson was pretty good too. Their singer/guitarist was a breath of fresh air. She’s got a lot of charisma.
Anthony: Never heard of them. Last time I saw Ghost the opener was King Dude who was cool but didn’t fit the bill at all.
Chris: I heard mixed reactions about King Dude on that show, but their music is pretty decent. Purson is similar to Coven in that female-fronted psychadelic rock (which a lot of people mistake for doom).
Anthony: Coven-esque bands are pretty common nowadays.
Chris: Unfortunately, a lot of people are jumping on that but this one stood out.
2: Maryland Deathfest XIII (5/21/2015-5/24/2015) Baltimore, MD
Anthony: My 2nd place choice would be the Almighty Maryland Deathfest.
Chris: That would have been my first but I feel like because I didn’t go to it that puts in second for me as well. I have yet to go but i’m clamoring for one.
Anthony: It’s an experience. This was my third time going. This was the only year where I went all four days. I normally skip Thursday.
Chris: It sounds like the raddest party. I feel like the 10,000 Tons of Metal cruise is becoming the semi-mainstream version of this. Which band was your favorite at this year’s Maryland Deathfest?
Anthony: I’d say Agoraphobic Nosebleed had the best performance. Craziest pit ive ever seen. Demilich was a close second though.
Chris: Wasn’t that one of their (Agoraphobic Nosebleed) first shows or something?
Anthony: First official show. Also the Mobb Deep bonus show that was packaged with it was cool to0 though we left when it looked like fights were starting.
Chris: I could see that happening due to a mixed crowd.
Anthony: Yeah more metalheads were watching them than rap fans.
Chris: Groovy. I think our number one is the same band, possibly a different show each,
Chris: Yep.
1: King Diamond and Exodus (11/20 and 11/21/2015) Playstation Theater, NYC
Chris: Me too, which night?
Anthony: The 21st, I also caught King Diamond at Mayhem Fest but this show throws it out of the water. Mainly because of King playing all of Abigail and not having to sit through Hellyeah and Devil Wears Prada. Slayer and Jungle Rot ruled though.
Chris: I saw the man himself on the 20th, night two for me.
Mayhem Fest shot themselves in the foot with that lineup.
Anthony: I can’t believe how much he (King Diamond) recovered.
Chris: Me too. I had tickets for King Diamond and Kreator in 2008 – just before he had the back surgery and then the triple bypass so when this was announced I was so psyched because that tour got cancelled for the above reasons. I would up having my friend go down to the venue the day the first night tickets went on sale and he got tickets for the second night about an hour before they were officially announced so it was a sweet score.
Chris: Exodus was great as usual, I liked how their merchandise played off of NWA’s imagery. It was nice seeing them with Zetro. How do you think they got screwed?
Anthony: Maybe it was just my show, but when I saw them they didn’t even play for half an hour and had no pit. They were much better when I caught them at the Chance with Testament last year.
Chris: I felt that their set could have been longer but “Impaler” was awesome to hear. I still can’t believe they played that. They had a decent set for me and their pit was ok. It could have been bigger but the crowds were mostly older fans. There were a few dads and their grown children in attendance.
Anthony: I was so glad King Diamond played “Melissa” and “Come to the Sabbath” back to back, especially since those songs were connected. The fact that they were right before the Abigail part of the set made it seem like a short film before the main one.
Chris: I agree. He also played “Curse of the Pharoahs” for me which was awesome. I just remember that this was the first show in a very long time where I was smiling and legitimately happy the entire time.
Anthony: This might very well be the best live performance Iv’e ever seen.
Chris: It did a lot for me personally. It definitely has earned a spot in the top five of all time.
Anthony: Same here.
Chris: The King is King, what more can I say?
We’re opening the can of worms with Kyle Hertz of Temple of Dagon! Hertz talks working in the gaming industry, being a local promoter and much more in our last podcast of 2015.
One of Rock’s mightiest Gods has returned home.
Motörhead’s brash frontman Ian Fraser “Lemmy” Kilmister died unexpectedly Monday, just two days after being diagnosed with a very aggressive cancer.
“We cannot begin to express our shock and sadness, there aren’t words,” surviving band members (Phil Campbell and Mikkey Dee) said in their official Facebook post that confirmed the news.
Born on Christmas Day 1945, the legendary growler began his music career playing in local bands like “The Rockin’ Vicars” and doing odd jobs as a roadie for Jimi Hendrix, a gig Lemmy spoke fondly of in many interviews.
Soon after, Lemmy would join Hawkwind, a psychadelic rock outfit that dabbled in space, time and frequent drug use. Lemmy would record four albums (“Doremi Fasol Latido,” “Space Ritual,” “Hall of the Mountain Grill” and “Warrior on the Edge of Time”) with Hawkwind until being fired upon being arrested for drug possession crossing the Canadian boarder.
The firing would turn out to be a blessing in disguise for Lemmy.
Taking the name from a Hawkwind song, our hero would forge a legacy in 1975 with Motörhead. While the band was originally called “Bastard,” no major marketing or promotion would touch a band with that name at the time. The original name would take a back seat until 1993 when Motörhead would release “Bastards,” their 11th studio album.
22 Studio albums later, Motörhead would become a household name, leaving a trail of lineup changes, debauchery and bleeding eardrums in their wake. They would rise to superstardom with 1980’s “Ace of Spades” and ride off into the sunset with 2015’s “Bad Magic.”
During his long music career, Lemmy would lend his voice and talents to a number of artists, most famously writing the Ozzy Osbourne hit “Mama I’m Coming Home” off of 1991’s “No More Tears.” Later he would lend his voice to game developer Double Fine’s heavy metal video game “Brutal Legend” as “The Killmaster,” a sorcerer who aids you in your quest. He would also exclusively use Marshall amplifiers and Rickenbacker basses to not only compliment his playing but to generate his pick-heavy, aggressive sound.
Lemmy was infamously known (and often criticized by the media) for collecting World War II Nazi memorabilia. In his 2004 autobiography “White Line Fever” (and a plethora of interviews) he said, “I’ve had three black girlfriends, so I’m the worst racist you ever saw.”
Brash, bold and always on, Lemmy was beloved by all. Whether you were a fan of his or not, you respected him and supported his ultimate quest for the riff. The 2010 documentary “Lemmy” gives us an intimate look as his life on and off the road.
A great number of Lemmy’s peers in the industry as well as saddened fans gave their condolences via social media.
Living by the mantra “born to lose, live to win,” Lemmy was the embodiment of rebellion and he carried it with him for his entire life, sticking to his guns until the end. His dedicated fanbase hanging on his every word, adorning their bodies with tattoos of Motörhead artwork, lyrics, and of the man himself. The man built a reputation on being as bad-ass as his music and his legacy will live on.
Chris and Jon review the best and worst of 2015. Nothing is sacred, no punches are pulled and no mercy is given. The boys also shoot on the latest Deadpool trailer.
We sit down with Progressive Mathsterminds Valence just in time for the holidays. During this episode, we discuss Valence’s style, influences winning the 2014 Independant Music Award for their song “The Reckoning” (which is featured) and a whole lot more.
Check them out at www.Valence.band.
The Bonesaw 