Metal
Way back in 1992 most metal fans were probably listening to the unholy thrash trinity (Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax). However, a scant few stumbled upon one of the greatest stoner epics since the heyday of Black Sabbath. Sleep's Holy Mountain not only signaled a return to more blues and funk based metal, it ushered in a horde of sludge and doom metal acts that are still thriving to this day.
One of the most exciting parts of last summer was some activity among one of Philly’s best who have decided to give it another go, None More Black. Opening for the Bouncing Souls at the Troc, the band surprised us all with a new song. Now, they’re working on a new record. Currently being recorded with Will Yip (who helmed last year’s amazing Blacklisted record), the album is tentatively titled Icons and the band is keeping a blog of activity.
» More None More Black, back to business
If you’ve been to the movies in the past few years, you’re aware of Fathom Events. Those movies like “Beer Wars” or UFC cards, “streamed” to a movie theater where willing patrons buy tickets and popcorn and sit and enjoy. Combining Fathom Events with thrash metal is almost the exact opposite of a no-brainer, yet Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax and Megadeth will be live, on movie screens across America this summer.
» More Metallica's "Big Four" tour to be shown live in movie theaters
Since the release of 2005’s Pink, Boris has been making it cool to like metal again, even though they aren’t so easily pinned down to the genre. In not nailing themselves to the upside-down cross, Boris are able to throw phych, punk, and sludgy shoegaze into one big trash bin only to have it all pushed through the compactor into a super sharp ice pick that drives straight through your ear drums to the other side. Really though, I’ve known people to come away from their concerts with near-bloody ears because of the sheer volume. Pack your earplugs because this Japanese trio is coming to Philly’s Starlight Ballroom on Wednesday, August 4th.
This being their first Philadelphia show in a couple years, anybody with the slightest bit of black leather sprit coursing through his or her veins will be in attendance. Boris has a new-ish album slated for release June 2 called Variations, which culls favorites like “Pink” from Pink and includes 5 new recordings and a Live in Japan DVD. Opening up for these Japanese legends is Chicago’s heaviest duo, Russian Circles.
Philadelphia is one of six lucky cities that will be able to see the revamped version of OzzFest after its two-year hiatus. Starting on August 14 on the West Coast and touching down at the Susquehanna Bank Center ten days later, this version of the ‘Fest is a little different than the one you remember.
» More Philly gets one of only six OzzFest shows
Two great bands, landmarks of their respective genres, teamed up to fill the Trocadero on Friday night. From the outside, a Thursday/Converge tour sounds crazy. From the inside, it was oh, so right.
As people continued to file in, the hardcore devotees lined the front of the room for Lewd Acts. Less annoying chuggy parts and Metallica t-shirts proved that they were more than just another one of “those” bands. The actual sound was unreasonably loud during Lewd Acts, proved by listening to their recorded material after the fact (and enjoying it way more), but that didn’t stop them from being a little bit underwhelming, even if Tyler Densley did climb into the balcony.
For those of the metal uninformed; Matt Pike was the mind behind stoner rock legends, Sleep (who are headlining ATP this year with Iggy and the Stooges!). After nearly a decade of crushing stoner riffs (and one reallllly long song about worshiping weed), Sleep parted ways to form new musical outfits.
How many times have you stood in front of a mirror blasting AC/DC or Metallica, recreating Tom Cruise’s “Old Time Rock and Roll” freak out from Risky Business? If the number is reaching the triple or quadruple digits, the U.S. Air Guitar Championship is exactly where you need to be.
One winner from the Philadelphia regional will head to New York City in July to compete in the National Finals. The winner of the nationals will head to Finland in August to represent the USA in the World Championships. How isn’t this a Judd Apatow movie yet?
» More Air Guitar Championship returns to Philly, cue the Rocky theme
This city must collectively be going crazy, there’s no other explanation for this weekend’s Dillinger Escape Plan show at the Church not being sold out yet.
» More Go see Dillinger Escape Plan
The subgenres of metal stretch out far and wide, but the Khyber is about to see some of the oddest “metal” imaginable. It’s not every day your “metal” records have extended jazz breaks (real jazz breaks, not jazz-inspired) straight into ridiculously brutal two-step parts.
French art-metal band Hypno5e will be headlining the “Metal as Art” tour on Tuesday night at the “Phyber” as Starring Janet Leigh’s MySpace page says. Starring Janet Leigh might be on the metal as art tour, but they’re more like “Dillinger Escape Plan as the only band we listen to,” even if they are pretty good at it.
