Video: "Traumatophøbia" by NØMADS

Through the magic of the intertubes, we look back in on New York's own NØMADS...except they're not in New York!

Through magic of the automobile, presumably, they're in Pittsburgh! Do they live there now?

Are they just giving us a miss? 

Well, while we get our staff private detective to check into this, you should check into the latest video off of one of their upcoming EPs. Sorry, but this was an album and now it's broken up into two EPs and I can't keep them straight.

Perhaps the vinyl versions will fix that for me!

Format Interview: Horse Head's Chris Gisrael

Horse Head

These interviews have been very interesting to me. 

If this is your first dance, we are asking several recording artists what they thing of music and formats in general.

There's been a lot of the same, in this case, Master of Puppets, but then there are those things that make you scratch your head. Today's interviewee, Chris Gisrael of Horse Head loves Yob and hates Live Albums.

Yob is great, but as someone who just loves the live record....this stuff doesn't compute for me...well, I'm not going to give you all of his answers...

See below!

Video: "Colors" by Lake Jons

There has certainly been too little strangeness in your day today.

So, in order to remedy that, let's take a look at the latest single by an avant garde trio from Finland, Lake Jons. We all love Finland right?

They're set to release their debut album this January through AntiFragile Music.

It's going to take you some time to process this track..but you'll be able to preorder it soon enough.

LP Review: "Sporysz" by Jarun

Sporysz

After walking out of Eyes Wide Shut, I turned to my date and said, you know there was a lot going on in that movie.

Later it was tossed back in my face because...

That's what people who didn't understand something say when they don't know what to say.

Now, had I said that today, it would have been, wow I'm still processing that movie. This is precisely what I said last night after a viewing of Your Name and my wife said she wholly understood.

It's a much better situation to be in, but the point is more about the processing of the things going on in an artistic venture.

In my mind, it's better to leave someone speechless after they take in your vision rather than their being able to speak about it at great lengths after one listening or viewing.

Video: "Devil" by BongCauldron

Do you ever get the feeling that there's a sort of a hidden message available to you? There may very well be a hidden message in BongCauldron's name.

For the of me I cannot find it, but you know what I can find? Their groove.

Check out this song below and they'll suck you in with chainsaw riffs and thunderpants drums.

If you need to headbang a little bit more afterwards, get the record HERE.

Format Interview: Moonlight Prophecy

Do you know what 2017 means to this band?

It's yet to exist for an entire year! Think about  that for just a second. Moonlight Prophecy is an outcropping of the Lawrence's Creation and into a band featuring vocals. 

As of right now, they're largely a studio only project as the band members live no only in different countries, but in some cases, different hemispheres.

Enjoy!

1. The first album I ever owned was?

Monster by R.E.M. on a cassette tape. I was about 11 years old when I got it. 

Just starting to get into rock music. I wasn't even familiar with very many bands that weren't on the radio much at the time. I only knew of Ozzy and Metallica basically. That was also before I even owned a CD player. 

Video: "Tyrant's Sceptre" by Typhon's Doom

From the newly released Emperor's Path LP, Tyfon's Doom has released a trippy video. See below.

Tommi Varsala, again, has played all of the instruments and even designed the cover art.

If you're looking for something that'll just get the blood pumping and make you feel all jingoistic about where your nation is headed, will this will only do the first thing...that second thing... well maybe if you're Finnish?

(I'm not.)

Tyfon's Doom is one of those modern day classic metal bands. This isn't a relic pulled out of a bin in your attic, but new oldies.

EP Review: "Victory is Mine" by Lucifer's Hammer

Victory is Mine

It's become apparent to me that I have been digging a rut for quite some time around here.

Normally, my reviews go in cycles and never really encircles one thing. My lack of specialization is source of great pride, but that's not been the case for awhile now.

This site has been working, insidiously I might add, to become another doom/stoner metal site.

That's not what we are all about.

So, for at least a little while, the focus will shift away from this glorious music scene and refocus on others.

Doom shan't be abandoned, but it's got to be one of many voices heard around here instead of the main voice heard. So, with all that said, here's the latest doom metal....sorry, habits are hard to break...

LP Review: "Blades, Chains, Whips, & Fire" by Magick Touch

Blades, Chains, Whips, & Fire

About five years ago, this guy was standing inside of the Firebird for the first time.

Kill Devil Hills, featuring Rex Brown, was headlining the venue that night. It was actually a large night of firsts for me.

My first interview with a legitimate star, first show in the firebird, and the first time that friend stood me up.

But the point of all of this, isn't Brown, KDH, or whatever, but the fact that this band came out and went crazy town on me for about 45 minutes...they also sold me my first new vinyl record.

Crobot was funky and chunky, lean and mean, surf and turf, and most of all, they were sharp and tarp. I'm also given to understand they have a hot sauce that could be quite tasty.

What they showed me that  night is that we were all missing out on new rockers. If you huck a penny at any of our night club districts, you'll probably wing about fifteen national metal bands....but how many rockers?

LP Review: "The Undivided Wholeness of All Things" by Annihilation

The Undivided Wholeness of All Things

It's not been that long since I told you that I had to start making some changes to what music is reviewed around here.

So, let's talk about the subgenre "Brutal Death Metal."

There was an epic twitter meltdown I caused a few months ago because I said that brutal death metal and technical death metal are basically the same thing.

By basically, I mean 88 to 93% the same and by epic meltdown I mean a polite disagreement between myself and one other gent.

So, if we're being completely honest and putting all of our card on the table, I don't really like Brutal Death Metal. To my ears, it typically sounds like down tuned grindcore with a whole lot less to say, because who knows what in the world they're saying anyway.

Video: "Tophet" by Black Altar

There are bands in this world that hearing them is simply not enough. For all of their bluster, Kiss is not one of those bands. Seeing them adds nothing to the music itself.

BLACK ALTAR, in the tradition of Mayhem, is trying to be one of those bands. Tell me, does the video below tell the story as well or better than the music contained therein?

(Proper) Interview with Throne of Heresy

You may have caught this interview with Throne of Heresy talking about musical formats. If not, go back and check it out.

If you've already done that, and welcome back if you hadn't, please read below as the good gents in the band were willing to listen to me prattle and answer my questions.

There's some good information buried blow here.

Find it and you'll ace the quiz!

Glacially Musical: Thank you for taking some time for us today.

Throne of Heresy: No problem, thanks for having us. 

Video: "Play It Loud" by Broken Stems

What is hip hop happenin' out there? What we're talking today isn't hip hop, but damn is it happenin'!

Every now and again we  just all need to see something so crazy, so infuriating, and so panicky that we just have to see it through to the end.

Broken Stems have done that to me today. Because of that, I'm doing it to you today. Why GI Joe's are running guns and drugs makes no sense to me...but why Malibu Barbie is candying up her nose, that I get.

Just get on, ok?

EP Review: "Maere" by Eschatos

Maere

When hearing a news story, it's always nice to consume unbiased news. (Yes, it does exist. Just because one person cannot tell a story without their bias doesn't mean all of humanity lacks the ability.)

What's great about some news sources, they give you analysis and reaction from people on both sides of the issue, so the picture is clearer as to how it may affect you, your loved ones, and all that kind of stuff.

It seems to me that when a second, or third voice is heard, my initial perception is crushed and a bigger picture comes into focus.

It's important to hear more than a single voice in your life. Echo chambers will kill us all because no pizza places deliver to echo chambers. Also, Jets Pizza....that stuff is the best chain pizza out there.

LP Review: "Kingdoms Disdained" by Morbid Angel

Kingdoms Disdained

It wasn't that long ago that Morbid Angel was touring Covenant again.

Sadly, that show...I missed it.

Morbid Angel was the first death metal band to really enter my purview. They were real death metal, not like Slayer.

Slayer was always touted as death metal by those out of the know. That was the introduction to my being a fan of extreme metal.

It's been 23 years since I bought it, but I can tell you the name of the store, where I got the money, and the location of where the store used to be.

It's a Qdoba now. Which is neither metal nor extreme. It's also safe to say that they have not purloined any metal fans into fans of their wanna be Mission Burritos. Though for a time, my death metal fandom waned, it has waxed again....

Video: "Death of October" by Autumns Eyes

There are times when we're running behind. Not all of us have the ability to be on time like the Tokyo Rail system...did you see that NPR story about how they left 20 seconds early?

They left 20 seconds early and that's national news. That's all you need to know about their reliability.

So, we may be late bringing this track to you, but it should be known that it is still Autumn and October might already be dead, but like King Diamond says, everyday for me is Halloween.

Check out Autumns Eyes below!

LP Review: "Monumental Microcosm" by Greytomb

Monumental Microcosm

In a country where it's not taught, but known that a song is no more than four minutes long, how does one quantify something that's far longer?

Over the history of popular music, it seems there have always been people trying to make music shorter.

Well, short music can be fun and all that, but it doesn't compare to properly done (naturally) music.

Long time readers may recall Dear Insanity by Eye of Solitude.

Short songs, they have to come in hot and often times like my man, Anakin Skywalker said, they're coming in too hot. (Please note: the aforementioned line is literally the worst moment in the entire Star Wars Cinematic Universe, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith was bad ass and metal as hell.)

Video: "As The World Turns Black" by Odium

As of this writing...I've been harassed by Longhorn Steakhouse and my hands are very cold indeed.

In times like this, it's nice to hear something horribly negative music. Something angry, depressed, or just flat out mean.

Do you know why?

What's the answer to this equation: -3 X -10?

It's a positive number. So there you go. Check out Odium, of Germany, if you need a pick me up right now. It's hard rocking video that'll give your day the jumpstart mine needs. Think, maybe you don't even need it...and then your day will double down in awesome.

The Mons Talk Tapes...Well...not precisely.

Let's continue on with how bands out there are consuming their music and what they really like to listen to when nobody's looking.

Up next we have The Mons. They're a hardcore punk band from Chicago, IL who're hot on the heels of their latest release, Trust No One, released via Triple Eye Industries.

Check it out here and look at that splatter vinyl that's still available!

1. The first album I ever owned was?

The first album I ever owned was Alice Cooper’s Greatest Hits.  My mom signed the family up for the Columbia Record and Tape Club.  

Even though I was only 7 years old, I got to pick a title each month along with my two older brothers.  I didn’t really know much about music other than songs on the radio, so my brothers would sort of “pick” for me.  

I got Rush A Farewell to Kings, Aerosmith Rocks, and Black Sabbath We Sold Our Soul for Rock and Roll when most kids were still worried about getting a baseball mitt.  It kind of warped me.  

Video: "Speed of Dark" by Hawkmoon

Hawkmoon just dropped their album, The Saturn Return, yesterday.

The'yre a band from Brisbane, Australia. I'm not a big fan of Aussie Rules Football, The Hyundai A-League, or AC/DC...

But I can be convinced to eat Outback Steakhouse sometimes....so without further stupidity on my part, watch the video below...it's mellow, but still metal.

You tell me. You can get it on Bandcamp.

Concert Review: Mayhem (f/Black Anvil & Immolation) at The Ready Room 11/10/17

This concert started about thirty years ago in Oslo, Norway.

In those days, Black Metal wasn't a common term. In fact, it hadn't yet reached the mainstream vocabulary on these shores.

At that time, this guy here, was just getting his feet wet with Metallica and that would lead to Morbid Angel and Deicide... 

As said before, folks have been calling me Satanic since the age of eight and based on the pentagrams on my clothing...looking back I see why they said that.

Black Metal now...is a term in the American vernacular. Though, not unlike the vast majority who throw up the devil horns, most people really don't know what it is. 

Video: "Psalm 133" by Enzo and The Glory Ensemble

Do you ever think that Satan is getting too much play around here? Is it possible that we are not giving enough time to the other side?

Well, in the interest of fair and balanced coverage, check out the first single from Enzo and The Glory Ensemble, Psalm 133.

This is taken from the concept album/rock opera, In The Name of the Son. This track has a guest appearance by Kobi Farhi and there's a lot of other friends involved to...names like Marty Friedman are also involved.

So check it out and see if it moves your twinkie.

Split Review: "Decay Into Inferior Conditions" by Master and Dehuman

Decay Into Inferior Conditions

When you've got a good friend, you can trust them to be around and have your back.

It's always wonderful to think back to all of those times we had as children, teens, and twentysomethings when our best friend was right there making sure we did precisely what, well, we probably shouldn't have done.

There are a great many stories about what a good friend of mine and I did in Northern Illinois especially...like that time we bootlegged beer.

At least by the way I understand the letter of the law in Smokey & The Bandit. So, let's head forward into a split by two similar bands.

Around these parts we are always looking into every make and manner of split releases.

Today, we're looking at our first split live LP.

Video: "Temples Temple" by King Zog

All the way from Australia comes King Zog.

They're still in the empire, so let's say they're following in their countrymen's (Black Sabbath) footsteps. This is the doom metal like you read about. Luckily, you can now hear it and see the gents themselves via the magic of YouTube.

Man, remember when YouTube wasn't a thing? Well, take a look at the facial  hair and feel the rusty razor rage of those guitars.

They're releasing their debut on vinyl just in time for the holidays. Check it out.

Stream: "Scumlords" by Lou Kelly

Recently, I received an email from a man out in California who wanted me to c heck out his music.

It fight right in with some of the stranger music we've been bandying about lately, James Chance and Tomas Doncker specifically.

There's a lot that can be done with bigger bands...especially if you're angry.

Kelly's music is available on Bandcamp, of course. So do check it out and pick up a clarinet why don't you?

Video: "Until We Hit The Water" by Edge of Haze

If you're having a day when you think to yourself...I'm not going to supersize this McDonalds Value Meal, but your stomach demands you Americanize it...

You can put your head down or scream loudly into the sky that this will continue UNTIL WE HIT THE WATER.

That's when you'll be past the Edge of Haze.

EP Review: "Kathmandu" by Goya

Kathmandu

Precisely what do you have to say?

In my day job, that's the biggest part of what we do. We have to listen to what is said, or more precisely we have to hear what it is not said.

There are several different methods of communication. Non-verbal communication is quite a big one.

Think about yourself... imagine you've been dropped off in a Western nation, we're presuming most readers of this blog are westerners, but it's one where they don't speak your mother tongue.

What would you do? Could you order the cold frosty beer you've been hankering for? Would the locals look upon you while having absolutely no idea what you're saying?

Stream: "Most Ghost" by Birds

I want to share something with you. There are often times birds in my basement. The hypothesis is that they are finding their way in via the chimney. Sadly, that chimney is not connected to a usable fireplace in my chateau.

It gets sad when the birds turn into ghosts. So, here we have connected the title of the song to the name of the band to an experience in my life.

Enjoy this garage rock writing trifecta below. BIRDS want to talk to you before we all shed our corporeal bodies and become amorphous apparitions.

Formats of Fun: Throne of Heresy

Throne of Heresy has just released their newest album, Decameron, via The Sign Records. It's a concept album about the Black Plague.

Sadly, it's not reviewed on these pages, but there's a coming interview about the record and it's on my Amazon Wishlist.

They were good enough to answer a few questions about how they good enough to answer our questionnaire about how they listen to music.

Check it out below!

1. The first album I ever owned was?

Video: "Communion" by Vvon Dogma

If you think the world has been too normal lately, then we have something for you!

Introducing Vvon Dogma and his amazingly crazy 9 string bass...and it's not like the 12 string basses employed by Cheap Trick...this is a legitimate nine different strings.

That guitar player...he's got too many strings too. Then there's a keyboard bass player. So, if you've been thinking to yourself, I'm still rocking this 90's Lo Bass Machine, but where's all the metal that'll make this body drop...

Here you go!

EP Review: "Cara Data Vermibus" by Come Back From The Dead

Caro Data Vermibus

Mmm...that Reese's Peanut Butter Cup was so good.

Shoot, your friend here is old enough to remember when there was no such thing as Reese's Peanut Butter Cups...or perhaps the onslaught of commercials just makes me think that.

But, there's no question that those you got chocolate in my peanut butter and you got peanut butter in my chocolate commercials are imprinted on my mind.

I can also remember a world where we ate our Easter bunnies while dipping them in peanut butter, because they hadn't extended the Reese's plan into bunnies yet.

Their idea was that there are two great tastes and why should you choose what you had? (It was the 80's after all and it was more more more.) This lesson that I'm trying to teach my daughter...well, it's a source of great hypocrisy for me....

Video: "anticipating my lateness" by Imp of Perverse

There's been a fairly steady stream of invitations for me to head to Austin, TX. There's something about that city that makes everything there turn weird.

Speaking of weird, check out the latest video from Imp of Perverse.

LP Review: "The Heresiarch" by Nupraptor

The Heresiarch

Well, this is frustrating.

There was a movie that I saw years ago in the 80's, back when everything was plastic and ridiculous.

It was about a gent who was the prototypical 98lb weakling that we all read about in comic books.

He entered into a pact with, naturally, the Devil. Oh wait, googling has finally surfaced the name of this terrible flick, Hunk.

Among other amazing things it featured a wannabe Dom Deluise and a wanna be Elvira.

Well, the point is, the young is transformed from his normal self into an alpha male. The devil's emissary explains to him piece by piece where his outer shell came from.

Video: "Chamber" by Painted Black

Right now, the heater is broken and no matter how much green tea is imbibed, it's impossible to warm up the bones.

When it's that case, all we can so is listen to some music that really gets us worked up or music that gets us so far down that cold fingers aren't much of a bother anymore....

Check out Painted Black for some of the latter.

5 Mins With Klogr

Italy's Klogr is out there and getting it all done.

Their most recent ablum, Keystone, dropped on 10/02/17.

Glacially Musical: Let's take a few minutes so our readers can get to know you.

Klogr: Sure!

GM: Let's say it's about 1:30pm on a Saturday, after you open the fridge, there's nothing in it, what do you do?

KL: We live in Italy…there’s always some spaghetti in da house!

GM: Where do you find your inspiration?

Video: "THASSOPHOBIA" by NØMADS

My personal favorite duo of hobos is back at it again with their latest single, THASSOPHOBIA.

NØMADS has been releasing a single each month all year leading up to the release of their sophomore album, but that album has undergone a Spiderman/Venom transmogrification and now it's going to be a pair of EPs instead of one LP.

That gives us plenty to look forward to. In the meantime, enjoy the latest single below and see what there is to see, in Pittsburgh apparently.

After hearing single after single...I need more information as to when these releases are gonna drop.

Then I'll inform you!

EP Review: "Archaic Malevolence" by Infected Dead

Archaic Malevolence

How's your day going?

Is there any chance there's been some news of developments that your friends are in big, big trouble?

What about someone who worked for you going to prison over the way he conducted himself?

There are times in this world when it feels like everything is against us. How many times did Jay Fatbuds scream that very thing in the View Askew movies?

Now, here's some good news!

Whens things come crashing down on you, there's always somewhere you can turn. Music will be your only friend until the end....even if you go to federal prison.