SLAYER Announces Release Date for World Painted Blood

The official release day for "World Painted Blood" has been announced at SLAYER's redesigned website SLAYER.NET.

SLAYER will be releasing "World Painted Blood" on Tuesday, November 3rd in North American and on Monday, November 2 to the rest of the world.

There will be three different editions of the album: Limited edition CD with multiple CD covers, Deluxe edition CD/DVD, and a high-quality, 180-gram vinyl edition.

Official Track Listing:
1. World Painted Blood
2. Unit 731
3. Snuff
4. Beauty Through Order
5. Hate Worldwide
6. Public Display Of Dismemberment
7. Human Strain
8. Americon
9. Psychopathy Red
10. Playing With Dolls
11. Not Of This God

THE GATES OF SLUMBER Debut New Track "The Bringer of War"

A new track from THE GATES OF SLUMBER has been posted to Decibel Magazine's Deciblog. The track is called The Bringer of War, and it's from their forthcoming album Hymns of Blood and Thunder. The posting shows the album being available September 29th via Rise Above Records.

Hymns of Blood & Thunder track listing:

01. Chaos Calling

02. Death Dealer

03. Beneath the Eyes of Mars

04. The Doom of Aceldama

05. Age of Sorrow

06. The Bringer of War

07. Descent Into Madness

08. Iron Hammer

09. The Mist in the Mourning

10. Blood and Thunder

Karl Simon (Vocals/ Guitar), posted this thought about Hymns of Blood and Thunder:

For my part I started working on Hymns of Blood and Thunder, almost immediately after the Conqueror sessions. It's an odd part of my personality that I tend to hate what I've just created and always look back at previous works longingly... strange, maybe but that's just how I am. Well, Conqueror was no exception to this rule, part of me hated it until we were out on the road in support and then on the stage the songs started to make sense and take on lives of their own... that's how it's always been. Writing and recording are a fucking chore... but the chaos of the live setting makes the songs jump to life.

The odd thing here is that from the first moment I sat down to work on music for this record I knew that it was going to surpass everything on Conqueror; and in a sense it has. Even up through the challenging sessions, and they were a bitch, I knew that this material was in many ways stronger. Conqueror took some very interesting and for us, progressive turns. But for me it often seemed to get lost in a shuffle of not knowing who or what it was. The songs on Hymns know themselves and they know each other, if you follow. Chaos Calling's barking guitar is a cousin to Death Dealer's snarly chords, and in turn Death Dealer is a brother to Beneath the Eye of Mars... in the same sense that the songs on South of Heaven or Sad Wings of Destiny are related. Each of the songs goes through it's own movement. In place of "the epic song" or "the fast song" each of these takes it's turn being that: Chaos Calling is fast, but in the bridging mid-section you will be surprised by the feel change. Beneath the Eye of Mars is a grinding death march, until we invoke the deep influence of classic 70's metal in the songs pause before the final fall. Descent Into Madness invokes the crawling doom that we made on The Awakening and Suffer no Guilt... but it's got it's lush surprises as well, we've grown and being true to that we haven't forgotten all we learned. Ha, I guess you can tell that I'm excited, and I am. We took so many chances and got to do so many different things in the studio this time! Sanford was so much help and so much a part of the creative process; his production was inspired and spontaneous. There were so many times we just created an idea on the fly and walked away from it buzzing. But then there were also so many times that I was left clawing at my head with frustration... . But that's the process: you can't make a record like this without a few fits, it's just not possible... ego's have to be bashed in and invariably you have to take a shit ton of drugs.

I can tell you, I'm more in love with this right out of the box than with anything in the history of this band; I'm so into it that I've already started work on my stuff for the next record, heh... .

Well, anyway... again I can't shut up. Our grizzly snarling child: Hymns of Blood and Thunder, straight up the middle barking and bashing like a deranged Pit Bull who didn't get it's happy pill. Get ready to fail your saving throw v. shitting your pants.

--Karl

New Slayer Song Posted - "Hate Worldwide"

ShockHound posted a new track by SLAYER – Hate Worldwide. The track is the second to be released for public consumption from Slayer’s forthcoming album World Painted Blood.

The first track Psychopathy Red was leaked online last October, and Slayer.net reports it has been streamed more than a half-million times since. The song was composed by guitarist Kerry King, and will be available as a CD-single at Hot Topic stores beginning Tuesday July 28. Preview it NOW at ShockHound.


"It's a really cool track, and Tom's voice sounds incredible on it," said King (pictured far left). "The last line in the song's chorus is '..spread a little hate worldwide,' and that's what we've been doing for 25 years." Other song titles include Beauty Through Order, Unit 731, Playing With Dolls, Public Display of Dismemberment, and Americon.

As World Painted Blood is a SLAYER album, it deals with topics such as death and destruction, war, serial killers, and the Apocalypse. The album was recorded in Los Angeles over two time periods, during October 2008 and then between late January and March 2009. World Painted Blood was produced by Greg Fidelman, who's spent time in the studio with METALLICA and a bunch of other bands, and executive produced by long-time Slayer colleague, Rick Rubin, who suggested Fidelman for the project. He also mixed the live tracks on SLAYER'S Soundtrack to the Apocalypse.

It appears that SLAYER is hard at work on a site redesign, which they promise will be launched soon.

SLAYER talks about their upcoming album, World Painted Blood HERE

SLAYER talks about co-headlining this summer's Mayhem Festival tour HERE

SLAYER - bassist/vocalist Tom Araya, guitarists Kerry King and Jeff Hanneman, and drummer Dave Lombardo - is currently co-headlining the Mayhem Festival with Marilyn Manson, Killswitch Engage, and Bullet for My Valentine, among others.

Remaining dates are as follows:

July
29 Toyota Pavilion, Scranton, PA
31 Blossom Music Center, Cleveland, OH

August
1 Post Gazette Pavilion, Pittsburgh, PA
2 DTE Energy Music Theatre, Detroit, MI
4 Comcast Center, Boston, MA
6 Virginia Beach Amphitheatre, Virginia Beach, VA
7 Susquehanna Bank Center, Camden, NJ
8 Comcast Theatre, Hartford, CT
9 Nissan Pavilion, Washington, D.C.
11 Ford Amphitheatre, Tampa, FL
12 Cruzan Amphitheatre, West Palm Beach, FL
14 AT&T Center, San Antonio, TX
15 Superpages.com Center, Dallas, TX

Interview with Steve Hammond from Leeches of Lore

You ever hear something that really defies a label, you dig it, but it's so completely different, there is truly no way to classify it? Well if you haven't heard of Leeches of Lore before, we kindly introduce you to something completely different.

With a number of influences that clearly come through on the bands self-titled debut album, Steve Hammond, lead singer, guitarist and bass player took some time out of his busy schedule to speak with Neutronium Core about the debut album, what inspires the band and what is coming up.

The Core: Let's start from the beginning, who inspired you to pick up a guitar and start playing?

Steve Hammond: Well, I don't think it was any one person or band. I have two older brothers who I discovered a lot of classic rock through when I was a kid, but I think the big thing was when I started skateboarding at about 10 or 11.

This was the late 80's and thrash was huge, I had a subscription to Thrasher Magazine and they had a music section in the back. This got me into a lot of thrash and punk bands, as well as underground stuff like Sonic Youth and Melvins.

Then I would seek out tapes of the bands I thought sounded cool, although I'd have to either steal or buy them in secret because there was no way my fundamentalist Christian parents would let me have most of that stuff. In fact, they went through a tape burning phase.

I grew up on a farm in Kansas and would stash shoe boxes of tapes in various barns, grain bins, wood piles, etc. in an attempt to hide my growing collection from my folks. Inevitably, they would find them, and I'd have to watch them burn my precious collection in front of me. I think that just fueled it for me though.

I talked my folks into getting me a guitar and amp at 12, and immediately started recording albums that I wrote myself. I have a musical record of myself from that point on. I still have the first album I conceived and recorded, very badly performed thrash and punk. It just went downhill from there.

The Core: Given that you are a multi-instrumentalist, what was the first instrument you learned how to play?

Steve Hammond: Guitar. Anything else I play I wouldn't really say I have a good handle on. I picked up steel guitar when we needed one for the traditional Honky Tonk band I was in. I love playing steel guitar, but I wouldn't say I'm good at it. I am very talented at the Kazoo, though.

The Core: Where does the name Leeches of Lore come from? Any insight on its meaning?

Steve Hammond: It's really just some silly sci-fi shit I made up. I wrote the song "Leeches of Lore" first, and thought it would make a decent band name. Most band names are stupid, "Leeches of Lore" is no different.

The Core: Leeches of Lore really has a unique take on music, how would you describe the band to someone who hasn't heard you before?

Steve Hammond: That's a hard one. We always get comparisons from people who review us, and I would say most of that isn't too far off. Things like "The Ween of Metal", or "Country Western Thrash" or what have you, touch on a part of what we are.

We started this band with the idea of doing whatever we wanted. We listen to a lot of different stuff, so that comes out in what we do. But we aren't in this to be just a novelty, and we try to do something that's a little more timeless than just the current metal scene or whatever. If you look at two of the most popular bands ever, The Beatles and Led Zeppelin, these were bands that had all kinds of influences and were experimenting all the time.

Now I'm not going make the mistake of comparing us to these timeless bands, but I think our approach is similar. I feel like we could release anything and it would still be Leeches of Lore. So I guess the answer to the question is: "I don't know".


The Core: How did you get hooked up with Andy Lutz (drummer) and start playing together?

Steve Hammond: Andy and I worked at a coffee shop together. He heard me listening to the Melvins one day, and told me he loved them. I asked him if he played drums, he said he used to, but it had been about eight years. We borrowed some drums, we "jammed" and that's about it. He really gets better all the time, even though he's kind of a dick.

The Core: Who do you see as your target audience?

Steve Hammond: I think everyone should like us, but it seems like the heavier, stoner, weird, whatever crowd likes us the most. If we are targeting someone, I don't think there should be any limits.


The Core: Where do you find inspiration from for creating songs? Any specific songs you would like to call out and give some background on?

Steve Hammond: I spent a lot of time in bands writing songs about getting fucked up, getting laid, the usual rock and roll topics. I also have written a substantial amount of country love songs. I find all of this very boring.

There is a huge untapped reservoir of subject matter, whether it be biology, physics, history, or the massive amount of projected fiction that goes along with these kind of subjects. The song "Macrochelys Temminckii" for example is about the alligator snapping turtle, one of the largest freshwater turtles in the world. "Why, Toe-Bot?" on the other hand is about a robot toe killing people.


The Core: Any plans on playing outside of New Mexico in the near future? You know we have Tiki Lounges in California that would welcome you too...

Steve Hammond: We've been together for about a year and a half and in that time have had two tours, mostly in the Midwest. We will be hitting the West Coast this fall, probably October, for an extensive tour. We can always use help, so if you are reading this and can hook us up with a show, please contact me flyingmidgetrecords@yahoo.com

The Core: Anything else?

There is recent live video of Leeches of Lore and even more recent audio, which can be found here

We are recording the second album this summer, and will probably shop it around for awhile.

You can download free tracks from our now out of print EP and a couple of my solo albums, and also buy albums of previous bands I've been in at www.flyingmidgetrecords.com

"Leeches of Lore" (the album) is available at All That is Heavy

Thank you very much for having me.


Thank you Steve, we really appreciate your time in responding. We are hoping to catch you live when you make it out to California.

We hope to have our review of the Leeches of Lore self-titled album up shortly!

Ola Lindgren Releases Three Songs From GREY HEAVENS Solo Project

Ola Lindgren, the vocalist/guitarist of Swedish death metal pioneers GRAVE, released three songs from his GREY HEAVENS solo project. The three songs are "Primitvs", "Abandoned Quest" and "Grey Heavens".

A project years in the making, GREY HEAVENS explores other sides of extreme music that Lindgren says would not fit into the GRAVE catalog. "This is a more dark and experimental side of my musicality and shows a different approach to metal than just the straight forward death metal that has been my main inspiration and which has resulted in the eight GRAVE albums in the past 21 years."

In a new posting about the new songs, Lindgren said, "Finally I got everything together and mixed:) The drums for this promo are programmed, everything else is played/screamed and recorded/mixed by me during the past months."

You can listen to the new songs here.

If you've never heard GRAVE'S debut album Into the Grave, we encourage you to check it out. Into the Grave perfectly exemplified the Swedish death metal sound of the early 90's by offering a thick production with the vintage Sunlight Studio guitar sound. That album was voiced by Jorgen Sandstrom, who was later replaced on vocals by guitarist Ola Lindgren. It is a death metal classic!

Interview with Dave Sherman from EARTHRIDE

Dave Sherman is essentially royalty in the Doom capital of the world, Maryland. He is the former bass player for Spirit Caravan where he also shared vocal duties with Wino. Sherman started EARTHRIDE as a side project but it quickly blossomed into a full time gig once Spirit Caravan split.

We took a few moments with Sherman to find out what he and the band have been up to, what’s going on with the new album and where we can catch EARTHRIDE live next.

The Core: What is EARTHRIDE up to these days?

Dave Sherman: We’ve been trying to write new material for our brand new record, titled Something Wicked. We’ve got seven songs down and we’d like to write three or four more. I think we have Chris Kozlowski to engineer it. (Editors note: Chris Kozlowski was the producer on the legendary EARTHRIDE album Taming of the Demons).


The Core: I see you have some dates in Ohio, Indiana and D.C., do you have any other dates planned?

Sherman: We’re playing Stoner Hands Of Doom and in Baltimore on June 5th at the Sidebar. We’re trying to lay low to focus on writing new songs.

The Core: It’s been a couple of years since Vampire Circus came out, do you have any plans for a new album? Care to provide any insight on what fans can expect?

Sherman: Something Wicked is like a mixture of Taming of the Demons and Vampire Circus, we might even add a couple of special guests.


The Core: How does your music affect you and the world around you?

Sherman: Music is my life’s blood.

The Core: Any plans to have Land-o-Smiles do anymore repressings of your classic albums?

Sherman: I don’t think so, but we might put it on iTunes.


The Core: What do you think of all these new metal bands emerging from Maryland, do they pay you proper respect?

Sherman: Yeah, everybody’s big time friends in Maryland. We all get along. We borrowed Admiral Browning’s bass player to play at Templars of Doom when our bass player Rob Hampshire wasn’t able to go due to a previous commitment.


The Core: Any last words?

Sherman: Take care of yourself and everybody else.



Thanks Sherman! We really look forward to the new album!

Just a reminder to help these bands out by attending gigs, buying their records and merchandise...spread the word!

You can pick up EARTHRIDE T-shirt from Real Deal Merchandise here

All That Is Heavy also has a couple CDs and a picture disc in stock that you can buy here

Video: Black Pyramid - And The Gods Made War/Visions of Gehenna

Watch it here:

RHINO Interview with Javier Gálvez

Something incredibly heavy and ominous is happening in Spain. Something thunderous that’s ready to trample you to death. Something that wants to blow your ears out and show you that Spain has risen and is ready to conquer the world again. That something is called RHINO, a Stoner/Doom/Thrash band and they have released a mind-numbingly fantastic record on Arctic Music Group/7th Gate records, and they are ready for conquest.

Neutronium Core took some time with Javier “Javi” Gálvez, RHINO's lead singer/guitar player, to talk to us about the band’s latest album Dead Throne Monarch. We found out what got him playing in the first place and he even drops some knowledge on the next album.

The Core: How did RHINO come together?

Javi Gálvez: Our drummer Julen Gil and I had been trying to play together for a while. It finally happened in December of 2004, when we played our first rehearsal. It took so long because both of us were involved in other bands at the time. We released our demo Name the Horn Bearer in 2006 after playing our asses off in the live circuit of our area. Our bassist, Sergio Robles, came in right after we finished recording our first album Breed The Chosen One in 2007. Since then, we have played with a ton of bands, including Moho, Gorefest, Taint, One Man Army and the Undead Quartet, Warchetype, Hate and Entombed, to name a few. We ended up signing with Arctic Music Group and released our second LP Dead Throne Monarch.


The Core: What makes RHINO different than other bands coming out of Spain?

Javi: Well, I think that we are different from the rest because nobody does what we do, simple as that. We mix rock with death metal, grunge, thrash (at least that’s what people say ha ha!)…We like to play heavy and crushing music but it still has a melody with great vocal lines. Today, everybody is screaming, making noise, riff after riff or playing doom drone, making as much noise as possible. So we came in, started playing brutal rock with choruses and hooks…that really has people going “what the fuck!?!”


The Core: What is the scene like over in Spain? Is it different than other countries in Europe that you have played in?

Javi: On one side you have the underground doom scene I was talking about before; on the other, the same old rancid and boring heavy metal, with ridiculous bands, which usually sing in Spanish, and most of them are copycats of other international acts. Of course, there are plenty of underground Death Metal and Grindcore acts. I think it’s pretty much the same with other countries in Europe, on the surface you have a lot of crap but beneath all of that, there are some really great bands.


The Core: How do you get your chunky, in your face, want to rip your throat out tone?

Javi: We have no unique tricks or special effects or whatever the crap many of the other bands use. We tune in A and play with attitude, which is one of the most important ingredients that you have to have in your band if you don’t want to suck! We like to make it simple, direct, slow, sometimes not so slow, brutal and kill everybody with our music!


The Core: You have some pretty varied influences; we want to know who made you want to pick up a guitar and rock?

Javi: Since I was a little kid I was always playing rock and metal, thanks to my older brother, who also played guitar and bought records like AC/DC’s Let There Be Rock, KISS’ Rock and Roll Over, the first Van Halen and the first Black Sabbath records. When I got a little older, I discovered Thrash and went crazy with the Death Metal wave that came in the late 80s from Florida. Some of my all time favorite bands are Malevolent Creation, Death, Cannibal Corpse and Bolt Thrower.

Beyond that, the rest of the band and I listen to so many types of music to and don’t just stay in the extreme metal side of things; We like to listen to Glenn Hughes, Tom Petty, John Mellencamp, Glenn Danzig, Hall and Oates, Soundgarden. We don’t close doors to great music.


The Core: Will we ever get a chance to see RHINO in the states? Any plans to play outside of Spain at this point?

Javi: We would love to play in the States man! To be on an American label like Arctic Music Group is a total triumph for us, so playing there would be amazing. We’re just waiting for offers to play anywhere.

The Core: Will Dead Throne Monarch be available on vinyl?

Javi: We would like to see it released on double vinyl, because the fucker is 70 minutes long! But it seems like nobody cares or wants to put their money in that. Again, we’re waiting for offers, we have been approached by some labels but haven’t had the success we need to make it happen yet.


The Core: Anything else?

Javi: So far, our last record is having great reviews everywhere so we hope to make some new fans, both in the States and Europe, and get the band to the next level. Our third LP is almost written so we’re looking forward to recording it in late 2009/early 2010. It will terrorize the masses with crushing and apocalyptic funeral hymns!


Damn Javi, tell it like it is man! Thanks for rocking our world, we really appreciate your time and look forward to the new album!

Let’s see what we can do to get a label to make Javi (and our) dream of the double vinyl release of Dead Throne Monarch happen. Start yelling at whoever will listen, posting in forums, and dropping emails to your favorite record labels!

You can pick up Dead Throne Monarch here

And don’t forget to check out RHINO at their MySpace page here

New (Old) Tracks from SNAIL Out Now!!!

Our new favorite Stoner Rock band SNAIL has posted some new (old) tracks on their MySpace Page. Why are we calling these new (old) tracks you might ask? Well for most of you they will be new tracks that you have never heard before, but for those lucky few who have the original S/T release that came out in 1993 on Big Deal Records will recognize that the tracks posted include Confessions, Full-Acid, Intuition and O.D. off that very album. This means that a good majority of the debut is now posted online

Also, we heard that SNAIL will be on tour on the left-coast this summer with LEGENDARY Psych/Stoner band NEBULA. Once we get the dates we will let you know. Also, we will keep you posted on when the new SNAIL album hits the streets.

Swing by and check out SNAIL if you haven't. They are well worth the listen. There is still a good chance that they still have free stickers available. Make sure to drop them a note asking. Spread the word and help out this fantastic band!

In case you missed the two previous links, you can find the SNAIL page here

"Precious Metal" — Decibel's Hall of Fame Anthology

Neutronium Core are big fans of Decibel magazine, and the monthly Hall of Fame section is must-read material. On July 15th, Da Capo Press will release the Decibel Hall of Fame anthology titled Precious Metal: Decibel Presents the Stories Behind 25 Extreme Metal Masterpieces.

Twenty four Hall of Fame pieces that have been published in Decibel over the past five years have been selected, but these are not reprinted as published. According to Decibel, they have "expanded the shit out of them."

Edited by Albert Mudrian—Editor-in-Chief of Decibel magazine—Precious Metal will "take you inside the recording studios where the most intense heavy metal albums of all time were created, providing background on the savage guitar sounds and bloodcurdling screams that have defined a musical genre."

Mudrian has also put together a special BONUS Hall of Fame that will only be available in the book. Hint: it’s not Neurosis.

Highlights Include:

• Ozzy Osbourne’s devastating departure from Black Sabbath—and their reinvention with Heaven and Hell, which captured a new generation of metal fans.
• The quick rise and fall of Diamond Head, whose proto-thrash classic Lightning to the Nations (a one-week recording demo) catapulted them into the pantheon.
• Sleep’s 52-minute one-track release, Jerusalem, and the 1.316-second song “You Suffer” that earned Napalm Death a world record.
• A double arrest for Emperor—the guitarist for arson, the drummer for murder—that threatened the completion of In the Nightside Eclipse.
• The grotesque, taboo-shattering lyrics of Cannibal Corpse—and the shocking Tomb of the Mutilated cover art that decimated the limits of zombie pornography.

Delving deep into the bands’ diverse influences—ranging from the usual suspects like Led Zeppelin to Wagnerian opera (Kyuss) and reggae (Napalm Death)—Precious Metal celebrates the legacy of their landmark albums and amplifies the risks taken along the way. Albert Mudrian is the Editor-in-Chief of Decibel magazine and the author of the cult classic Choosing Death: The Improbable History of Death Metal and Grindcore. He lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Precious Metal: Decibel Presents the Stories Behind 25 Extreme Metal Masterpieces
August 1, 2009
$18.95
Paperback Original
368 Pages
Music
ISBN: 978-0-306-81806-6
Pre-order Here

The Most Hardcore Metal Musicians, in Their Own Words…

“I guess I was never a real Satanist—it was just a pose.”
—Nicke Andersson Entombed, Left Hand Path

“It felt so good to play live—it felt like you were killing somebody.”
—Joesh Homme Kyuss, Welcome to Sky Valley

“The blood, the guts and the gore—that’s what it’s all about.”
—Bob Rusay Cannibal Corpse, Tomb of the Mutilated

“Everything’s an experiment, you know? That’s the beauty of art.”
—David Vincent Morbid Angel, Altars of Madness

“Eyehategod was started as a way to piss people off. All the heavy music around here was fast, thrashy stuff, so Eyehategod slowed it down as much as possible…And it worked, man. People fuckin’ hated ’em.”
—Brian Patton Eyehategod, Take as Needed for Pain

“[There were songs about] making dog food out of humans…I just thought it was turning things upside down.”
—Michael Amott Carcass, Necroticism

“We rehearsed in the dark, so we could play the songs without looking, which is fucking stupid.”
—Mikael Akerfeldt Opeth, Orchid

“Every stereo I’ve seen has a volume knob, but for some reason, people seem to demand that their records be obscenely loud.”
—Kurt Ballou Converge, Jane Doe

“You can be as pretentious as you want if you’re growling lyrics…You could be the death metal Poet Laureate if you wanted to.”
—Nick Holmes Paradise Lost, Gothic

“When I eventually got sobered up, which was three years later, I listened to Heaven and Hell, and, to this day, I cannot remember doing some of the songs. I can’t remember what studio it was. I can’t remember playing it at all. I have no memory.”
—Bill Ward Black Sabbath, Heaven and Hell

New Moss Album Available Now

Extreme Doom (not Drone Doom) band MOSS, from Southampton in the U.K., third full-length album Tombs of the Blind Drugged is now available from Rise Above Records. MOSS claims that they "return to a more primitive, vintage sound" with Tombs.

According the Moss' MySpace page, Metal Blade will be issuing the album in the U.S. They also stated that a 10" gatefold version of the release will be out in the next couple of weeks.

Here is the track listing:

1. Skeletal Keys (12.28)
2. Tombs Of The Blind Drugged (10.51)
3. Eternal Return (11.17)
4. Maimed And Slaughtered (5.53) * Bonus Track

You can buy Tombs of the Blind Drugged here

Full U.S. Clutch tour announced by Baroness

While Clutch provided some insight earlier this week on it's upcoming U.S. tour in support of the new album Strange Cousins from the West. Today, Baroness broke the news of the entire tour.

Here are the dates and locations:

07/09/09 Cincinnati, OH United States Bogarts
w/ Clutch, Lionize

07/10/09 Detroit, MI United States The Fillmore Detroit
w/ Clutch, Lionize

07/11/09 Chicago, IL United States Kuma's 4th Anniversary Block Party
FREE show w/ Clutch, Lionize as part of Kuma's 4th Anniversary. At 2900 West Belmont Ave in Chicago.

07/12/09 Sauget, IL United States Pops
w/ Clutch, Lionize

07/14/09 Dallas, TX United States House of Blues
w/ Clutch, Lionize

07/15/09 Houston, TX United States House of Blues
w/ Clutch, Lionize

07/17/09 Albuquerque, NM United States Sunshine Theater
w/ Clutch, Lionize

07/18/09 Tempe, AZ United States Marquee Theater
w/ Clutch, Lionize

07/19/09 Las Vegas, NV United States House of Blues Las Vegas
w/ Clutch, Lionize

07/20/09 San Diego, CA United States Cane's
w/ Clutch, Lionize

07/21/09 Los Angeles, CA United States House Of Blues L.A.
w/ Clutch, Lionize

07/22/09 San Francisco, CA United States The Regency Center
w/ Clutch, Lionize

07/23/09 Seattle, WA United States King Cat Theater
w/ Clutch, Lionize

07/25/09 Spokane, WA United States Knitting Factory
w/ Clutch, Lionize

07/26/09 Missoula, MT United States Wilma Theater
w/ Clutch, Lionize

07/27/09 Boise, ID United States Knitting Factory
w/ Clutch, Lionize

07/28/09 Portland, OR United States Crystal Ballroom
w/ Clutch, Lionize

07/29/09 Vancouver, BC Canada Commodore Ballroom
w/ Clutch, Lionize

07/31/09 Calgary, AB Canada The Flames Center
w/ Clutch, Lionize

08/01/09 Edmonton, AB Canada Edmonton Events Center
w/ Clutch, Lionize

08/02/09 Saskatoon, SK Canada Odeon Event Center
w/ Clutch, Lionize

08/03/09 Winnipeg, MB Canada Garrick Center
w/ Clutch, Lionize

08/05/09 Minneapolis, MN United States First Ave
w/ Clutch, Lionize

08/06/09 Milwaukee, WI United States Eagles Ballroom
w/ Clutch, Lionize

08/07/09 Cleveland, OH United States House of Blues
w/ Clutch, Lionize

08/08/09 Baltimore, MD United States Sonar
w/ Clutch, Lionize

New SUFFOCATION Song Available for Streaming

Legendary New York death metallers SUFFOCATION added "Cataclysmic Purification", a new track form their forthcoming album Blood Oath to their MySpace page for streaming. The new album is being released by Nuclear Blast Records on July 3, 2009 in Europe and July 14, 2009 in North America. This will mark SUFFOCATION’s 20th anniversary as a band.

Blood Oath will be available in three exclusive formats in North American. In addition to the standard retail version, there will be a mail-order edition available exclusively through the Nuclear Blast USA web store, and a digital version through iTunes (more info on the digital release here).

Blood Oath regular North American track listing:

1. Blood Oath
2. Dismal Dream
3. Pray For Forgiveness
4. Images Of Purgatory
5. Cataclysmic Purification
6. Mental Hemorrhage
7. Come Hell Or High Priest
8. Undeserving
9. Provoking The Disturbed
10. Marital Decimation
11. Pray For Forgiveness (Instrumental version)
12. Dismal Dream (Rough mix un-mastered)

Limited Edition Blood Red Mail-Order Version:
(Available exclusively through the Nuclear Blast USA web store)

1. Blood Oath
2. Dismal Dream
3. Pray For Forgiveness
4. Images Of Purgatory
5. Cataclysmic Purification
6. Mental Hemorrhage
7. Come Hell Or High Priest
8. Undeserving
9. Provoking The Disturbed
10. Marital Decimation
11. Blood Oath (Instrumental version)
12. Cataclysmic Purification (Rough mix un-mastered)

Also includes: Red jewel case, limited-edition shirt, trading cards (featuring all five members), poster autographed by the band, exclusive red SUFFOCATION bag to house all of these items listed above.

SUFFOCATION will be hitting the road as part of the Summer Slaughter ’09 tour.

Rising Stars: SNAIL – Stoner/Psych/Doom from Seattle

Today we are introducing a brand new section to Neutronium Core called “Rising Stars.” We will be using Rising Stars to bring your attention to bands that you most likely haven’t heard of, but really need to check out as we feel these bands have what it takes.

Many bands often come to an end far too soon, well before they really get the chance to truly make it. One prime example would be Kyuss, a band that had all of the goods to make it big in the music industry. Sadly Kyuss broke up back in 1995 for several different reasons and never really enjoyed the success that they deserved when they were still a cohesive unit. Today, it seems like everyone who enjoys Stoner/Desert Rock points to Kyuss as the high-water mark when it came to defining the genre. Take a look at any forum dedicated to Stoner/Desert rock and you will find many calls for the group to get back together and for good reason, they rocked it! Big time.

Rarely do bands that flew under the radar give us a second chance to enjoy them, case in point – SNAIL. SNAIL formed back in the early 90s and put out a self-titled album and an EP called All Channels Are Open. They were a powerful three-piece unit consisting of singer/guitarist Mark Johnson, drummer Marty Dodson and bassist Matt Lynch. When they had completed writing material for their sophomore release, the band succumbed to a lack of success and the rock ‘n roll lifestyle and sadly called it quits.


At the beginning of last year a remarkable thing happened, Johnson, Dodson and Lynch decided to give it a second shot and get that second album recorded and out into circulation. This time around the trio added a long time friend, Eric Clausen (guitar), as a fourth member to round out the band’s sound. SNAIL went back into the studio and recorded the long-lost album, that they have titled Blood, on their own dime and began shopping it around. As luck would have it, they landed with the legendary Stoner/Doom label MeteorCity who will be distributing the album within the next two months or so.

We conducted an interview with founding member and Mark Johnson, the lead singer/guitarist to pick his brain about what happened, what they are up to and find out more about SNAIL in general.

The Core: You just signed with MeteorCity, how did you get on their radar?

Mark Johnson: We sent them a demo. We recorded the latest album Blood on our own in summer/fall of 2008 with the goal of finally recording tunes we had written before we broke up. We had initially thought that we would self-release the album for free but as interest grew we realized that, if we wanted to get wider distribution for the album, we would need a record label's help. We sent out a bunch of demos and were contacted by Dan from MeteorCity who was interested in releasing the album. Of course we were very excited because StonerRock.com is the Stoner/Doom center of the universe. Plus Dan really seems to care about the artists. So after some short negotiations we signed with them.

The Core: Snail has an amazingly heavy, fuzzy but groovy sound, what bands do you cite as your main influences and what is your inspiration?

Mark Johnson: I would say our main influences for the blood album are Black Sabbath, the Melvins, Pink Floyd, My Bloody Valentine and to a lesser extent Iggy Pop and the Velvet Underground. For the psychedelic elements we draw from early Pink Floyd and early Psychic TV. We are inspired by great rock n roll bands - we're all total rock fans and we love to sample from the rich history of rock for ideas. Personally I'm inspired by compassion and you'll find a compassionate subtext in many of our tunes.

The Core: When can we get our grubby paws on Blood?

Mark Johnson: The release date has not been set yet but the album is currently being duplicated so I would guess within a month or two. We'll announce it on our MySpace page and I'm sure Dan will send out notification so sign up for the StonerRock.com newsletter.

The Core: How do you get your amazing tone?

Mark Johnson: We used a variety of tube amps on Blood but generally speaking we get tone by turning the amp all the way up. With one of the amps it really sounded like a fuzz box but I assure you that there is only one fuzz track on the entire album; on the tune "committed." We used Laney and Orange amps as well as a secret tube amp that gets that shredded sound. :)


The Core: Any plans for a tour to support Blood?

Mark Johnson: So far we are trying for a west coast tour of the U.S. with either Nebula or Fu Manchu, who are our close friends. No dates yet, but probably in the fall.

The Core: You originally formed in 1992, but as you put it, succumbed to the "sex, drugs and Rock 'n Roll", how is your sound different today than it was back then?

Mark Johnson: I'd say that the Blood album is pretty faithful to our sound back then because most of the tunes were written back then. The exceptions are "Mental Models" and "Via/Penny Dreadful" which were written in 2008 and reflect our move to an even heavier sound. Currently we're working on finishing up our next album and I can tell you it’s much heavier than Blood. Our goal has always been to try to get heavier with every album. So our current stuff is partially influenced by post-Sabbath Ozzy and Dio as well as Sleep from the Dopesmoker era.

The Core: Any chance Blood will be available on vinyl?

Mark Johnson: Yes. MeteorCity suggested that at the outset and also expressed interest in re-releasing our first album on vinyl as well. Stay tuned.

The Core: Anything else?

Mark Johnson: Yes. Please support marijuana decriminalization and legalization. Our prisons in the U.S. are full of innocent pot smokers and dealers who are unjustly imprisoned and educated in violence and crime. They are being forced into a world of violence, murder and survival that transforms many of them into hardcore criminals.

Thank you Mark! We truly wish you and SNAIL nothing but the best. We will see you when you swing through the Bay Area!

If you are into any kind of Stoner/Doom rock, SNAIL is going to rock your world. Please take the time to listen to SNAIL on their MySpace page, which you can find here

We will keep you up-to-date on when the album will be released. SNAIL has said that the first album and the EP will also be reissued, so make sure to keep an eye out for that. Once we find out if they are touring with Fu Manchu or Nebula (WE HOPE BOTH!!!), we will post the tour dates. We will also provide a full review when Blood hits the streets.

Remember to support Indie music with your dollars. We need bands like SNAIL to stick it out for the long haul this time!

The County Medical Examiners Interview

Dr. Morton Fairbanks of The County Medical Examiners took some time before hitting the stage with General Surgery last night to talk with Neutronium Core. He was joined by good friend Dr. Carlsson, guitarist from General Surgery (both pictured right).

In their own words, The County Medical Examiners formed in 2001 as a Carcass tribute band. Their goal is to respectfully continue the same early sound Carcass created in the mid-to-late ‘80s.

The Core: What have you been listening to lately?

Dr. Morton Fairbanks: I’ve been listening to the latest Lymphatic Phlegm and the new General Surgery a lot, as well as the new Agoraphobic Nosebleed.

The Core: In your clinical opinion, how is Grindcore looking these days?

Dr. Morton Fairbanks: I think the scene is only getting better. There are so many new, younger fans; more people than ever are listening to extreme metal right now.

The Core: How did it feel on stage?

Dr. Morton Fairbanks: Jamming with General Surgery was a high point. Joining one of my favorite bands to play one of my favorite songs—it doesn’t get any better. It’s given me a taste for the performance side of music, and made me consider playing some shows.

The Core: Is there any chance that a new TCME record is coming?

Dr. Morton Fairbanks: Yes, fresh material is being worked on now...

The Core: YES!

Dr. Morton Fairbanks joined the band in a brutal rendition of Slithering Maceration Of Ulcerous Facial Tissue, a goregrind classic from General Surgery's album Necrology.

Show Report: General Surgery, Ghoul, Decrepit Birth, and a special surprise

Last night, Swedish death metal legends and goregrind surgeons General Surgery laid waste at the Blue Lagoon in Santa Cruz, CA. with fellow grind thrashers Decrepit Birth and Ghoul.

The gore doctors were on hand in blood-drenched labcoats to support their new album Corpus In Extremis: Analysing Necrocriticism. The house was full and the band were brutal.

General Surgery Playlist:

• If These Walls Could Talk / Fulguration
• Necronomics / Decededent Scarification Aesthetics / Restrained Remains
• Final Excarnation / Necrocriticism
• Exotoxic Septicity / Adnexal Mass / Virulent Corpus Dispersement
• Ichor / Idle Teratoma Core
• Plexus Necrosis
• Mortsafe Rupture / Deadhouse/ Slithering Maceration Of Ulcerous Facial Tissue
• Ambulance Chaser / Mattots in Your Coffin

General Surgery played the first dozen songs off their new album in order, and they sounded simply amazing. This is one band that must be seen live to be fully appreciated.

The big surprise of the evening was the guest appearance by none other than Dr. Morton Fairbanks of The County Medical Examiners!

Upon hitting the stage, Dr. Eriksson handed his bass to Dr. Fairbanks, and then dove into the crowd. Later, he commented on how great it was to watch the band play his favorite song—Slithering Maceration Of Ulcerous Facial Tissue.

Technical Death Metallers Decrepit Birth got the crowd worked up just prior to General Surgery taking the stage. Ghoul, who describe their sound as "A chainsaw grinding its way through your stupid head", closed the show with their unique form of Death/Thrash/Punk replete with full-headed and bloody head coverings. Ghoul played Splatterthrash, Bury the Hatchet, and were joined on stage by a giant killer robot for the song Rise! Killbot! Rise!.