I hope it comes out on vinyl.

The first release from Neurosis since 2007’s Given to the Rising, this new live album was recorded that same year in Tilburg, Holland, at the annual Roadburn Festival, where Neurosis headlined to a die-hard audience. The album expertly captures as much of the band’s live experience as one possibly could on a physical recording, harnessing the monolithic flow and power of the band’s well-known sonically devastating live performances. The monstrous 78-minute record showcases this iconic band surging through hymns from their last few albums, including Given To The Rising, The Eye Of Every Storm, A Sun That Never Sets, and Through Silver In Blood.

more info:  Neurosis Live At Roadburn 2007 Details Announced | Roadburn.

When Yakuza vocalist/saxophonist Bruce Lamont talks about a great change and “something beyond ourselves” imminently about to occur, I don’t think he means apocalypse in the traditional sense, like he pictures some kind of catastrophic societal collapse nightmare scenario à la Cormac McCarthy‘s The Road, because, as he notes in our interview, it’s happened before. If you don’t think World War I was the end of the world, go back and read up.

Yakuza‘s fifth album (first for Profound Lore), Of Seismic Consequence, deals with these issues and has a sense of dread throughout, fully conscious of the impending but aware of the inevitability too. It’s a striking record for a number of reasons, its themes among them, but musically progressive as ever, Yakuza continue to be one of America‘s most unique and driven bands. Even a casual listen to Of Seismic Consequence from someone familiar with its predecessor, Transmutations (Prosthetic Records, 2007), will reveal a host of areas where the band has moved forward, Lamont‘s increased use of melodic singing being the most obvious.

But Yakuza has never just been about Lamont, however much his sundry guest appearances elsewhere, side-projects and solo work might make him the most recognizable figure in the band. Guitarist/vocalist Matt McClelland, bassist/vocalist Ivan Cruz and drummer/keyboardist James Staffel each play a central role in making Yakuza what they are in 2010. Sanford Parker‘s production work on Of Seismic Consequence didn’t hurt either.

After the jump, Lamont discusses his visions of the changes the world is about to undergo, how Yakuza came to work with Profound Lore, and just how great it is to scare the crap out of yuppies, which, no matter how you feel about the music, is something I think we can all agree on. Enjoy the Q&A.

Read the rest of the Yakuza Interview with Bruce Lamont: A Call to Observe Something Beyond Ourselves and a Call to Scare Yuppies | The Obelisk.

They had these really pissed-off geese that hissed at you every time you walked by.

We went to the Safari Park there in Beekse Bergen the first day.  This has to have been the most human setting for live captivity I have see for animals.  Wide open spaces.  Minimal man made structures.   The animals appeared at peace.   We got to the African Wild Dog area and they were fighting over a carcass of some sort.  It was awesome!

Day One

So the first day of the festival was too fucking awesome.  We started off with Ancestors which was a highlight for me.  I could not get a great place to stand to film but it was epic!  I was in awe.  It appeared that Ancestors were just a stoked to be there too. The set was vibrant and atmospheric. After that we went over to the Midi Theater to catch Shining (NO) [Jazz shining not razor blade Shining.]  They were EPIC!  So played together so well and so precise it was incredible.  I was able to get a video for the song “In The Kingdom Of Kitsch You Will Be A Monster.

Next was Eagle Twins.  One of the loudest shows I have ever been to.  They played in the Bat Cave which was aptly named.  The sound was awesome but the room was way too damn small.  I was bummed at that.  Gentry Densley plays through two regular guitar stacks and a bass amp.  He uses the volume pedals to adjust the sound he wants to come out in various combination.   It sounds incredible. I got a great video of “The Crow Hymn”.

We went over to the main stage and caught the tail end of Eye Hate God.  Boring.  I do not get what people see in them.  They were mediocre at best.  I was bored off my ass.  Next was Enslaved.  Great show.  I have seen them over 10 times so I am kinda biased when it comes to them.  They played a song they don’t play that often live, “Return to Yggdrasil” and that was the highlight of the night for me.

Day Two

Day two started off with Church of Misery on the main stage due too “The volcano”. Fucking Incredible! Awesome live band.  They blew me away.  One of the best live performance of a band.  Great sound, great video show on the screen.

This was probably the day that everyone was really starting to get a little freaked out about the getting home.  There was a underlying current of “Hmmm, it is awesome to be here but I wonder if I’m going to get home any time soon…”.  But the show goes on.  Thorr’s Hammer was alright, but kinda boring.  I like my shows to be…showy…so to speak.  I think the setting should have been more somber. The lighting was too bright.  My opinion.

Comus was beautiful.   I love the Midi Theater!  It is an awesome venue for bands like this.  Comus had such a rich vibrant sound.  Incredible.

Trinacria have to be the best show I have ever seen.  It was mindblowing. I think they have taken what a lot of the post rock bands (Neurosis, A Storm of Light, etc) and taken it that next step.  I could have just gone home after that.  Awesome!

Day Three

I was starting to get worn the fuck out by day three.  We were at the Jungalos so walking all that way was starting to get to be a pain in the ass.   But the final day was awesome.  Astra was like taking a trip back in time!  It was prog lover’s dream.

Brant Bjork was pretty sweet.  I dig all his stuff.  But by the time we were getting towards the end of the day I was pretty worn out.  I just chilled out until the Armageddon Concerto with in Enslaved and Shining.  It was a nice end to a nice weekend. I got a little Video of Cato playing drums.  He is awesome.

Afterburner

So we went to afterburner but we were really burned out and i think I caught like a little bit of one band but by that time we just chilled out and talked with the people around us.

The week after Roadburn was spent touring Tilburg.  We were able to get a hotel in the Tilburg so basically we spent out time walking around.  It is a beautiful city.  All in all it was fun times all around.  Thank to all the cats who helped put Roadburn.  Cheers!

Epicus Doomicus Metallicus, the classic 1986 album from legendary Swedish doomers Candlemass, will be re-released on fat 180-gram blood-red vinyl in numbered gatefold sleeve on June 28 via Peaceville Records. The gatefold sleeve features the original artwork (red text and skull not white as on the CD) on a matt-laminated sleeve with logo and text on front in spot varnish. It will also include new sleeve notes written by the band.

Continue @ Candlemass’s Epicus Doomicus Metallicus To Be Re-Released On 180-Gram Vinyl |.

I never listened to Landmine Marathon before I am not a big death metal fan but this was some good stuff. I liked it because it had a nice NYHC edge to it too. One of the guitar players had a cool Cro-Mags Shirt! Grace was all NYHCing it up on a earlier song and kicked some dude in the balls.  Classic.

Zoroaster is the just fucking AWESOME!  They rule.  The first song is off their new album which is due out in July.

Naam are a doom making machine.  This is the first track off their self-titled album which is too awesome to even put into words.

Liturgy call there type of metal “Transcendental Black Metal” .  I love these guys.  Just raw and pure.

Mondo Drag are a great progressive rock band.  Dynamic and smooth.

Enjoy

Greetings and a happy new year! Looks like a very promising one for Dordeduh by the way: first live appearance, first EP later to be followed by a debut album, and both to be released by a very respected German label at that, maybe even a European tour to promote all of this. 2010 doesn’t look so bad…could we speak of an abundance of optimism?

Hupogrammos: Happy new year to you as well, and may it be a revealing one for us all. Well, optimism takes its shape from the way you create your path. In Dordeduh‘s case, lots of work still remains to be done to achieve the things you speak of. Our first live date should be known to the interested public by now, the EP will be ready by March, then we’ll announce the debut album’s release, to be followed by the supporting live dates.

2009 has been an extremely agitating year for you, one of severe disappointment. Following Negura Bunget’s split we see two camps having formed, each being eager to see what the other has to offer, not only structurally, but also conceptually. Do you think that what didn’t kill you made you stronger? What does the future hold for Dordeduh, from the prism of NB’s formation to its split, both ? Or perhaps we should see everything from a completely different point of view, unrelated to the past?

Throughout our personal history there’s always been a natural continuity with our past; we’re not going to make a secret out of the fact that the split from Negura Bunget has not only been the most difficult moment in our musician-related lives (and I mean Sol Faur and I), but in fact, the greatest disappointment in our personal lives. It just shouldn’t have ended this way. It’s what hurts us the most, the way it was handled. Of course these events speak volumes about how much we have to learn about ourselves from our own personal experiences, and I’m also speaking about the modesty needed to approach such teachings with, so that they can be integrated in the best way. But these events surround our personal lives. Yes there is a lot to be learned but I’d rather the listeners saw Dordeduh as a new and definite entity, capable of seeing the future and learn from the past without being neither of their captive.

read the rest of the interview at BrooklynVegan.

For the most part, Prodigal Songs stays well within the realm of revivalist ‘70s-style guitar-led rock. Guitarist/vocalist Miguel Moral is a former member of Bilbao crushers Rhino, though if anyone comes into Positiva expecting that same kind of metal destruction, they’re going to be in for a big surprise. The vibes are immediately, well, positive, with opening cuts “Brother Eagle” and “Undying Shore” losing none of their rock edge for the good times they incite. When the band delves into Grand Funkery, they earn a comparison to Blood of the Sun or Firebird, but the double guitars of Moral and guitarist/vocalist Julio Ruiz set them apart from their American and British sonic compatriots. Still, there’s a good amount of rock and roll shuffling going on through “Waiting in Vain,” “Catch the Fire,” and “Groupiedom,” and that’s got to come from somewhere.

Read the rest at The Obelisk.

Enslaved is another band that came out of the second wave of black metal that has gone beyond the standard black metal riffs and add something more to their music.  If you listen to a their older albums, there has been an evolution to a more progressive song structure and sound and lyrical content.  Where the songs on their earlier albums were straight forward telling of the Norse mythology, the later albums are a more inner search and understanding of it’s meaning of the mythology.

2001′s Monumension in my opinion is one of Enslaved’s finest albums to date.  I feel that this one was the first of there albums that is straight ahead prog metal.  The mellotron is one of the highpoints to this album.  The sound on this album could have easily come from a Led Zeppelin/King Crimson era band.  The first song, Convoys to Nothingness starts with a rockin’ and ends with a 4 minute meditation in time and space.  I have had to pleasure of hearing track 2, The Voices, live and I would have to say it is one of my favorite songs of all time.  Three major highlights of this album are Hollow Inside and the bonus track Sigmundskvadet.  Hollow inside is just a spaced out truely unique song that takes you on a trip across the cosmos.  Hollow Inside along with Sigmundskvadet feature vocals by Norwegian punk rock pioneer Trygve Mathisesen.  Sigmundskvadet is an actually old Norse chant that Trygve learned word for word from a Norse tribe that live on an island off the cost of Norway.   What a way to start of a decade of metal for Enslaved.

Vertebrae is a perfect way to close out a decade worth of music.  The production alone is incredible!  Cato Bekkevold’s drumming is superb.  It adds so much dimension to each track.  Vertebrae has a great balance between Herbrand Larsen’s clean vocals and Grutle Kjellson’s growl.  Herbrand has a Eric Woolfson (Alan Parsons Project) feel to it.  Vertebrae also takes the listener on a journey.  But this journey is more of an adventure.  From the start the listener travels on fast pasted romp through the elements. My favorite song on the album is New Dawn.  Cato’s ride on that is spastic and unique.

What a way to begin a decade and end it.  Thank you Enslaved!

Two members of the Witchcraft performing at Roadburn this year.  Roadburn sez…

We are very pleased to announce that Witchcraft vocalist Magnus Pelander will be part of the Roadburn festival lineup on Thursday, 15 April 2010.

Magnus will perform some very personal songs on acoustic guitar that will be recorded sometime next year for a full-length record. According to Magnus, “the record will include a lot of different instrumentation but the whole idea is that the songs can be perfomed solo as well as with 4 or even more people.”

Also look for Witchcraft members John Hoyles and Ola Henriksson at  Roadburn 2010, as they are teaming up with Örebro legend and rocker Martin Heppich to play in his band Troubled Horse. The band sports a distinctive, sinister, 60’s sounding garage rock vibe, combined with a taste of 70’s psych-doom, creating music that evokes The Kinks, Pentagram and Roky Erickson.

via Witchcraft’s Magnus Pelander to perform acoustic set at Roadburn 2010. |.