Dispatches from Powerviolence: Converge Reveal Two New Songs Live

So fuckin... I got a camera into the Converge show this past friday... and fuckin... I totally filmed Converge's entiiiiiire set... and fuckin... The entire show was fuckin sick and shit... but fuckin... The totally coolest part of the fuckin night was when Converge played to two new songs in the middle of their fuckin set!!!

More true than funny.

But seriously... Converge/Coliseum/Genghis Tron/Ceremony/Rise & Fall/Pulling Teeth... Fucking righteous. Hands down will probably be this year's best non-festival concert lineup. Anywho, I put up the videos of the two new tracks from Bannon and Co. below, hosted by our good buds over at Metal Injection. This week I will be editing up and rendering out Converge's entire punishingly wonderful set, along with three Coliseum songs, and tossing them to Metal Injection to post up to their site. So be checking there throughout the week for more. As of right now, you can go check out the live vids for "Plagues" and "No Heroes".

Oh, also Cap'n Bannon said live that "these songs don't have names, so fuckin' make 'em up and put 'em on the internet, do whatever you want" ... So I did... And I liked it.

Song #1 - "Squanto on Thundercrack - Part IV (El Requiem Virtuoso)"


Song #2 - "Them Assholes Don't Know Shit About Dick!"


Photo credit - Justina Villanueva

Dispatches from Powerviolence: Coalesce to Release New LP

In 2007, I remember getting wind of the mighty Coalesce getting off their lazy asses and reuniting and then being sooo hella pissed when I realized I would never be in the same city when they were, meaning that I would be missing any and all chances to see a band that I've never had luck catching... Obviously I was MEGA pissed. Pissed enough that I used the word "hella" up there... I honestly thought this was a cruel joke, dangling my potential last chance in front of me by having the Coalesce fellers swing by the NYC area the exact same weekend I was home in Chicago... Pig Destroyer likes to pull that same bullshit repeatedly.

BUT a juicy little detail just came down the pipe, and it's gotten me all sorts of excited in the swimsuit area again. I just got word that Coalesce has finished wrapping up their new album of all new material (their first new full-length in a fucking decade) and has the release date all set for a Relapse Records roll-out... (fuck yea, alliteration!) ... and not only that, but they also set up a European tour this summer to support the June record release. The album is titled Ox and will hit the places wherever people legally buy music these days on June 9th.

In the meantime, enjoy "You Can't Kill Us All" live from their 2007 Detroit reunion:

Review Your Face Off: Cannabis Corpse - "Tube of the Resinated"

So what happens when you really love death metal and also really love the potweed? Well, you could just sit around getting high in your parents’ basement, or you could start a sweet band. Cannabis Corpse decided to do the latter, and I can just imagine the session that inspired the name.

Seeing as CC includes members of Municipal Waste, they already had an idea of how to get off their ripped asses and start making music. I bet a lot of pizza and snacks were involved in the process. But no matter what got them moving, the result is pretty great. I’m not arguing for or against the use of the happy plant, but no matter how you look at it, death metal songs with titles like “Mummified in Bong Water” and “Addicted to Hash in a Tin” are going to put a smile on your face.

More important than the song titles, of course, is the music, and this shit is pretty rad. Each song on the album had me tapping my foot. The band also has a lot of talent, stoned or not, so the record doesn’t get boring or repetitive. And the overall humor of what’s going on adds a nice spice. You know, kind of the way syrup adds to that tical blunt you’ve been saving.

While this is far from the greatest metal album I have ever heard, it is an enjoyable listen. I would certainly recommend it. Plus, I bet if you brought this over to your Bonnaroo-loving, corduroy-wearing, scooter-riding friend’s place, he’d totally respect you more. Actually, probably not, fucking hippie.



Here's CC tearing it up live with "Sentenced to Burn One" from the album:

Dispatches from Powerviolence: 1912 Records Brings the Rock (Cheap!)

Since we aren’t Wall Street CEO’s getting huge bonuses on the government’s money, most of us are pretty broke right now. But just because the economy sucks doesn’t mean we can’t continue to rock. Our buddies at 1912 Records have put together some pretty gnarly deals to help out all those who want to rage economically.

The best way to go would be the $65 “Triumvirate of RockNRoll” package. Ok, so at first you are thinking 65 bucks is still a little steep. Fear not, friends. You are getting a ton of shit from three bands. Count ‘em, three. Which bands? How about The American Black Lung, Long Live the Smoking Gun, and Blues. Plus, you get some label stuff. Now I have your attention, don’t I? Included are albums, shirts, sweatshirts, pint glasses, beer cozies, posters, buttons, etc. Now $65 is lookin’ pretty cheap, ain’t it?

Don’t be a fool. Check this out, ya knuckleheads.


Just look at all that gnarliness you'll be getting!


You can order and get a full list of everything included here:
1912records.com
or
1912records.bigcartel.com

Dispatches from Powerviolence: Fox from See You Next Tuesday Needs Your Help

Alright, it's been a while since we've seen you last, and I apologize from the deep, dark bottom of my cavernous soul. Life got wicked, shits needed to be taken care of... Except the damn apology!

Anywho, we're calling on you loyal Bellions to do some service for a good man... See You Next Tuesday singer Chris Fox requires some surgery, but like most of the ladies and gentlemen that make the music we so much enjoy, he's a little strapped for cash and is unable to afford the operation. Here's the word from the horse's mouth, so find it in your empty chests where a heart is supposed to rest to spare a little change if you can. The Belly has already fronted 20 bucks for the cause, now do your part. Take it away, Fox:

"Let me explain the story of what has been goin' on. The first day we arrived to Europe on this past tour, I noticed my right armpit was a little sore. I felt around and I noticed a hard lump about the size of a marble. Over time it kept getting more painful and larger. I saw a couple doctors while in Europe, and both of them wanted to cut whatever it is out on the spot, but, I couldn't do that because I was on tour and I would have been stranded in some foreign country.

"So, as soon as we landed I went to my family doctor here in Michigan. And he said the same thing, it needs to get cut out. Nobody seems to be sure what it is, the only thing they know it is not is a lymph node because it is too big. This thing is about the size of a golf ball now, so on the outside it looks about the size of an orange. It is very painful. It seems to be pinching off nerves or something because I get shooting pains across my chest and down my arm. Some days I can't even lift my arm up. And for some reason the back of my arm is always numb now. And it fucking sucks.

"Here is my problem. I tour with the band almost 80% of my time, therefore, I don't have a 'real job' to collect health insurance. So I'm pretty much fucked. I do have a job, I'm a tattoo artist, but it's pretty dead at the shop right now so I'm not making much. Not nearly enough to pay for this.

"So I'm on my hands and knees begging for help. I can't refuse this operation, it hurts so fucking bad that I can't stand it anymore. I've lived with this thing for almost two months now. I hate doing this shit because I feel so worthless, and I know times are tough everywhere for most everyone, but I have to ask for help from you guys. It is my last option at this point. I've set up a donation thing through Paypal, but of course the button isnt working. Please just go to Paypal.com and you can just send any amount to my email address, fabrfox@gmail.com from your account. If someone could donate a dollar or a quarter or anything I would be fucking stoked. It would be that much more than I have now. I would love you guys more than I do now and do whatever I can to make it up to you. If you can, please help me."

... How can you say no to a face like this:

GnarVideo of the Week: HeWhoCorrupts - "Master of Profits"

I'm seriously beginning to smell a theme running rampant through this column of ours... and one could assume that this theme in question is probably that of this that probably is of what we assume would and could only be "brutal fucking comedy". Sorry folks. It appears we love to rage just as much as we love to slip into a comfy pair of gigglepants (and spaghetti-writing for comedic effect, apparently). So we admit it, we like to snicker a bit and maybe let loose a healthy guffaw while relishing in the violence and aggression of the shitshow that is our tastes.

So regardless, we present yet another exercise in the delicious comedy/brutality cocktail we do so much enjoy. This week's installment comes from the Homeland ("Chicago" for the uninitiated) by way of the sinister, evil, nudity and piccolo snare-friendly, money-hungry corporation parading themselves as a chaotic hardcore group called HeWhoCorrupts. As audience members, we get to take a front row seat to quite possibly the most amazing 9-5 cubicle world ever recorded on video... If only my workday could be so entertaining... I don't want to give anything away, for it needs to be seen to be believed, but I shall leave you with the drabbest (yet most poignant) summary of what your about to watch... from one of the corporations own PR agents: "Under pressure from CEO Tommy Camaro, the boys from Hewhocorrupts take to the office and discover an ingenious way of making money." Enjoy... Cuz I've got two words for you, and they aren't Happy Birthday.

Review Your Face Off: Rumpelstiltskin Grinder - "Living for Death, Destroying the Rest"

The name of this band sucks. I mean, it seriously sucks. It's probably one of the lamest names I have ever heard. It would be one thing if you could tell the name was a joke, like Cannabis Corpse for example, but I don't think that's the case for these guys. I think they just have a shitty name.

Fortunately, even though the band name may be completely stupid, the music is pretty good. There aren't a lot of bands coming out with straight-up thrash albums anymore, but RSG thinks that shouldn't be the case. Because of this, they drop Living for Death, Destroying the Rest on us, and I thank them for it.

While this isn't the greatest record I have ever heard, it kept me thoroughly interested from beginning to end. It's got the sweet speed of thrash, but also manages to keep some melody. And of course the riffage is gnarlier than being in middle school and seeing your best friend's older sister having a naked pillow fight with her hot buddies. Those were the days...

I would say this album could actually bring some interest back to a genre of metal that is usually only looked upon for nostalgia. While your mind will always immediately flash to the Big Four when thrash is mentioned, I think RSG manages to update the style with a bit more technicality and ingenuity than a Megadeth album. Check it out!

Here's some ridiculous video I found by someone who thought it would be a good idea to put RSG's "Darkness Never Ending" over Braveheart clips. Whatever.

Old Timers: Immortal - "Pure Holocaust"

Black metal is fucking awesome. Sure, it might need to be absorbed with a good sense of humor, seeing as it is so over-the-top, but then again, a lot of shit is over-the-top and still amazing. We all know the whole deal with what constitutes black metal: worshiping Satan, church burnings, face paint, goofy black outfits with spikes all over them, skulls on stakes and goat/pig sacrifices at shows, etc, but did you know one of the bands to help get all that started was Immortal? I bet you didn't. To be completely honest, I bet a lot of you don't even know who the fuck Immortal is. This is your wake-up call.

Before bands like Dimmu Borgir brought black metal to a more general audience, there were a ton of other bands lurking around Scandinavian countries laying the groundwork for this music. Bands like the Darkthrone, Emperor, and the murder-loving Mayhem were among the first to create the sound we would consider black metal today. And I know a bunch of you are going to be like, "Hey man, actually bands like Celtic Frost were first-wave, blah blah blah," but I'm talking about the solidified sound, not glorified thrash metal. Got it? Good. Let's move on.

Well, Immortal was one of those bands involved in the second-wave sound; the one we think of today. And they were killer. With Pure Holocaust, they also managed to create a genre-defining album. And let's get something straight: Although many black metal bands did infuse themes of National Socialism into records for shock value, much like the Sex Pistols, this album mostly contains themes about landscapes in Norway and the demise of the human race; it's not a Skrewdriver album. So don't get on my case about Neo-Nazi propaganda.

So what makes this album so great? Well, let me tell you! It's got everything one could possibly love about black metal. It has the progressions and speed, along with the ghoulish vocals. The imagery is dark and bleak, and we all love dark and bleak. Plus, just look at the cover! It has to be good! I remember trying to dress like Immortal in grade school, but my mom wasn't having it. Part of that last statement was a lie, but which part? That I tried to dress like Immortal, or that my mom wouldn't let me? You may never know.

But seriously, listen to this album. If you have never heard real black metal, this is a good place to start. It gives you everything you want. It's sexy in a demonic kind of way. It's also just plain terrific.

Heavy Rotation: Fellas of the Belly (Feb. 6)

What up, fools? That's all I got. To the Rotation!

The Hellion:
01. GZA/Genius - "Liquid Swords"
02. All Shall Perish - "The Price of Existence"
03. Nas - "Illmatic"
04. Tim Hecker - "Harmony in Ultraviolet"
05. The Assistant - "In the Year of the Dawg"
06. The Clash - "London Calling"
07. Flowers from the Man Who Shot Your Cousin - "Hapless"
08. Mogwai - "Mr. Beast"
09. Beastie Boys - "Paul's Boutique"
10. Unleashed - "Hammer Battalion"

Spleen Latifa (FAIL.)
01. Graf Orlock - "Destination Time: Tomorrow"
02. I Farm - "So My Kids Won't Have To"
03. Choking Victim - "Squatta's Paradise"
04. This Bike Is a Pipe Bomb - "Three Way Tie for a Fifth"
05. Combatwoundedveteran - "I Know A Girl Who Develops Crime Scene Photos"
06. Pink Razors - "Waiting to Wash Up"
07. Ghostlimb - "Ghostlimb"
08. Slayer - "Undisputed Attitude"
09. Sebadoh - "Harmacy"
10. Assfactor 4 - "Sports LP"

Heavy Rotation: Fellas of the Belly (Jan. 30)

Alrighty fuckrazors, we gave you a week off of the Rotation that is Heavy so you could really let that best of '08 post sink in as deep as possible... or we just forgot to do it... either way, eat it.

Regardless, some things have changed in the world since our last communiqué in this column... Obama-mania (Obamania? Obamapalooza?) swept over us for about 2.36 seconds, then we were back to being over it. Even more over it than we were before he even took the oath. Don't get us wrong, we voted for the man, but we're entirely back to being "meh" and over it... And that's why we've obviously decided to move our focus to 2012! Who really gives a shit about the next four years anyway? It's just gonna be politics as usual... So anyway, we here at the Belly fully endorse and put our wholehearted trust in the elusive Kroll currently tossing his hat in the ring for our prestigious 45th president. So please join us in our fight and support the right man for the job... visit his splendiferous site here: Vote Kroll!

And on to what you're really here for...

Spleen Latifa (curled up with some old faves this week):
01. Curlupanddie - "Unfortunately We're Not Robots"
02. Jawbreaker - "Dear You"
03. Minor Threat - "Complete Discography"
04. Pig Destroyer - "Prowler in the Yard"
05. Botch - "An Anthology of Dead Ends"
06. Jon Cougar Concentration Camp - "Jon Cougar Concentration Camp"
07. The Queers - "Love Songs for the Retarded"
08. Deadguy - "Fixation on a Coworker"
09. Jerry's Kids - "Is This My World"
10. Dillinger Escape Plan - "Under The Running Board - Reissue & Bonus"

The Hellion:
01. This Day Forward- "The Transient Effects of Light on Water"
02. Carpathian Forest- "Defending the Throne of Evil"
03. 1349- "Hellfire"
04. Terminally, Your Aborted Ghost- "Inanimately Soundless"
05. Two Dead Sluts, One Good Fuck- "The Pinkest Demo"
06. Iron Cross- "Crucified for Our Sins"
07. Yaphet Kotto- "Syncopated Synthetic Laments for Love"
08. Xiu Xiu- "Fabulous Muscles"
09. Screeching Weasel- "Boogadaboogadaboogada"
10. Elliott- "If They Do"