Vol. 3, Issue #10 June 6th - June 19th, 2008

Blast & Dirge
By: Tim Wolfenbarger

The evil monks at NONZINE have resurrected me from my shallow grave to preach to the uninnitiated and spread the word to the faithful about the killer new extreme music that’s eating away my zombie brain. My good friend Ryk Weston has taken his metal crusade back to California and past the mantle to yours truley and there’s a bit to cover so let’s go!

First off I’d like to mention the new album by the band EARTH “The bees made honey in the lion’s skull”. EARTH is the longtime project of Dylan Carlson (one of Kurt Cobain’s heroin buddies). EARTH as always very slow and this to me is not as groove oriented as some of their other records and I must say that this is so unusual there’s nothing for me to really compare it to. Strangely it has an American gospel music vibe that somehow works and then you have guest collaborator/ guitarist Bill Frisell (NAKED CITY) adding a little jazz and general geniusosity and overall pervasive slowness. I’ve always been a fan of EARTH and their heroin doom and this is really just beyond. Trippy. Unique. www.southernlord.com

I may as well get all the slow stuff out of the way and tell you ‘bout the new one from the band WITCH “Paralyzed”. All right! I really dig this band. WITCH of course features J. Mascis on drums (who used to play drums in early thrashers DEEP WOUND. DEEP WOUND influenced NAPALM DEATH and sounded a bit like early DIE KREUZEN), Dave Sweetapple on bass, Kyle thomas on vox and guitar as well as guitars by Asa Irons and Antoine Guerlain.

This new one is maybe a little punkier along with the psychedelic metal. Everyone I know who’ve heard this band has dug em’. Guitar heaven, man. Grab the bong you stoners! (Tee Pee records)

So, on to the shear bludgeonment of the new record by DISFEAR “Live the storm”. This is their first since 2003 and the excellent “Misanthropic Generation” and they have Uffe Cederlund (ENTOMBED) on guitar this time and of course Tomas Lindberg (AT THE GATES, SKITSYSTEM) on vocals. What does it sound like? DISFEAR! What’d you expect? DISCHARGE influenced metallic hardcore. This bands pretty high profile and have been around since 1992 so I won’t go on. They can afford to go five years ‘tween records and still do what they do and kill and this is on RELAPSE so it’s everywhere.

BLOODHAG have a new one on the mighty ALTERNATIVE TENTACLES titled “Hellbent for letters”. Every one of BLOODHAG’s songs are about a different sci-fi author and I’ve been following ‘em since day one and recently got to catch em’ at the conservatory and they were great playing their death/grind/thrash and giving exposition on each author between songs. They throw out paperbacks during their set (I caught ‘The green hills of home” by Robert Heinlein but gave it to some kid). New Album includes songs James Blish, Orson Scott Card, Fredrick Pohl, Greg Bear and more. Dig it.

The band that’s probably destroying me the most right now is definitely INSECT WARFARE and their newest “World Extermination”. Best grind I’ve heard in a long damn time. Just relentless blast and evil grind riffs. There’s a buzz about this band but their not signin yet just puttin out the fastest and most aggressive shit! I love the old NAPALM riffage. Hope they don’t split up like most killer underground bands. (625 Thrash)

Couple more before i go. Heard about a killer new band ACID WITCH. WITCHFINDER GENERAL meets GOBLIN meets DEEP PURPLE meets death metal vocals so take it as that or go check em out on myspace. I think theyve just started out but I really like what I hear so far.

This summer Relapse if doin a power-violence comp called “This comp kills fascists” featurin MAGRUDERGRIND, KILL THE CLIENT, INSECT WARFARE, and new tracks from BRUTAL TRUTH (!) and AGENTS OF SATAN. This looks really cool and new BRUTAL TRUTH (freak out now)!

Well, thats it! Hope to catch ya at JUDAS PRIEST, MOTORHEAD, HEAVEN AND HELL, and TESTAMENT August22nd at the Superpages.com Amphitheatre in Dallas. Til then....THRASH!

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