Review Round Up: 12/27/19

A Hard Pill To Swallow by Quasarborn (DIY) 1/24/20

It's always fun to learn about bands from other parts of the world that we don't always associate with heavy music. Quasarborn is from Serbia. It only makes sense that there's a heavy music scene over there.

It's ever so common for Metalcore bands to say that they're undefinable and that they straddle so many worlds, but this isn't metalcore. It's like that. This is somewhere between whatever sort of metal Ozzy Osbourne was and death metal.

The guitars give me a sort of Zakk Wylde vibe actually, but Zakk from Ozzy, not from Black Label Society. (Don't get me going.) They have that sort of progressive bent where the riffs change up frequently, but it's never overly taxing.

Their usage of dynamic changes from the vocals to the guitars make ear fatigue something you don't even have to think about.

All in all good songwriting, great playing, and some impassioned vocals make for a fun, if not revolutionary listen.

Rating B- Bandcamp Facebook

Taco Grande with Fumarole's Kurt Werder

We're bring the Fumarole back! That means all their superfluous U's are coming' with them.

Australia's finest rock-ish band.

Check them out on BANDCAMP.

But now, TACOS!

1. Everybody loves Taco Tuesday, but what's the best time to eat tacos for you and how many tacos do you put back in a standard sitting. 

 Gotta love that end of the work week taco binge, grab a couple beers which quickly turn into tequila slushies and bad decisions, ah I can taste the next day regret already!

There’s no counting when it comes to a taco binge. I usually measure it by phases, Phase 1 - Still hungry.

Phase 2- ‘the sweats’ this is where any reasonable human thinks about slowing down but not me.

Phase 3 - ‘the calm before the storm’ I usually start to feel better after the sweats and that means another order and finally

Phase 4 - ‘are my sides actually splitting?’ I used to think this was just a saying but I swear there’s been a few times I could feel this starting to happen.

Are You Ready To Rock with Elegant Devils

Elegant Devils (Lovingly stolen from their site)

Dear Ottawa, I'm sorry about your Senators. Not the current ones, but the original team that moved to St. Louis, became the Eagles, and promptly folded.

In the meantime, check out your home town rockers, Elegant Devils. You can learn all about them and sample their wares HERE.

1. Every major band worth its salt has released a live album. Tell me about your favorite A list band's live record and your favorite underground live album.

DREW: Big Wreck Bag of Tricks 2013. 

Anything with Ian Thornley gives me tingly feelings. Man that guy can SING. Underground album - a band called Inward Eye played a show in Ottawa opening for Finger 11 when I was a younger lad. 

They had a demo that I bought off them after their set. Didn’t have a name but I listened to it non-stop for MONTHS.

Pizza Pie Do or Die with Atomic Kavemen

Atomic Kavemen

Atomic Kavemen are riding high after the release of their latest EP, Everybody Loves A Dead Man. They're digging it so much, they talk about it during pizza time.

It must be good.

Find out on BANDCAMP.

1. Pizza is the world's most perfect food. This is not up for debate. Please define pizza as based on your geographical location.

San Francisco doesn't really have its own variation, but we do have decent representation from other locales. We have gourmet deep dish with cornmeal crust.

We have doughy American style. We have floppy new York style. We have crispy thin like you would get in Italy.

Classic Spins with Duncan Evans

Duncan Evans

Formerly of a guitarist of A Forest of Stars, Duncan Evans has slipped into the solo world.

Check out his tracks over on BANDCAMP.

But for now, let's check his classic spins.

1. My favorite kind of album is the concept album. The Wall is my absolute favorite. Beyond the amazing songs, it has spectacular nostalgia for me. What's your favorite one and why?

DE: I am all for concept albums and I agree that Pink Floyd have done them particularly well. Dark Side of the Moon strikes the right balance for me, where there is a genuine "concept" which ties all the songs together, but it doesn't try too hard to tell a narrative story. 

The Wall is of course a classic, but I also very highly rate The Final Cut which is perhaps even more cutting and clear with its anti-war message. 

Are You Ready To Rock? with Waingro

Waingro

Who loves Vancouver? When I was in Mexico last week, I spent about 3 hours at dinner with a whole table of people from British Columbia. They were super nice.

While you're thinking about those folks and what they were thinking about my Ramen inspired "Send Noods" t-shirt...

Check out some Doom Stoney Grunge stuff from that great province....here's a BANDCAMP for ya!

1. Every major band worth its salt has released a live album. Tell me about your favorite A list band's live record and your favorite underground live album.

Generally, I really can't stand live albums, but there are a few that have snuck by and ended up in the ol Spotify rotation. 

KISS Alive! is probably the one I've gone back to the most consistently - we'll address the controversy of that whole situation in a couple of questions.  

Pizza Pie Do or Die with MVRVA

MNRVA

Who's up for some stoner sludge doom metal?

Well, check out South Carolina's own, MNRVA.

They're on the BANDCAMP and you can stream it to your heart's content.

While you're doing that, pop some tums and talk pizza.

1. Pizza is the world's most perfect food. This is not up for debate. 

Please define pizza as based on your geographical location. 

Pizza in South Carolina is different interpretations of pizza.

This is not a bad thing because you get to try everything and each one is a little different. I think the best pizza in Columbia is probably Labrasca’s Pizza.

Some of the coolest pizza as far as region is in Atlanta. They have a lot of rock n roll joint type places that serve good pie.

Hair Today Gone Tomorrow with The Bloody Hell

The Bloody Hell

Talking today to The Bloody Hell. If you're not following them on FACEBOOK, now would be the time.

You can also get your streaming on if you wanna....BANDCAMP.

But in the meantime, let's talk about the most extreme of the metals...

HARA KIRI METAL!

Wait...hair...hair metal.

1. In 1982, we all thought Quiet Riot was metal if you were 7 like I was. Who was your first Hair Metal band?

Classic Spins with Sir Oz of CRS/Cirrosis

CRS

Mexican Death Metallers, CRS, have just popped out their latest album via Concreto Records.

Previously known as Cirrosis, they're back with their sophomore release and only twenty years after the debut.

Go stream that stuff on SPOTIFY.

For now, let's talk about Sir Oz's listening habits.

My favorite kind of album is the concept album. The Wall is my absolute favorite. Beyond the amazing songs, it has spectacular nostalgia for me. 

What's your favorite one and why? 

The Crimson Idol from W.A.S.P. The story of a black sheep, a metalhead seen in the family as a bad guy or a loser.

The story of many people, not a fiction, is a deep and real story. Musically a master piece.

My very first album was Live Evil by Black Sabbath. Since then I've had a strong affinity for the live record, even if they're a bit fake. KISS set the bar with Alive!. 

Surely, it was fake, but it's got the best concert feel of any one. Tell me about your favorite live record?

Stream: "The Art of Breathing" by CRS

Mexican death metallers CRS prepare to release their second album, The Collector of Truths, this December.  The Sonora-based band, formerly known as Cirrosis, originated in 1991 and released their debut LP Reciclando Desesperación in 1999.  Now, twenty years after that first album and almost thirty years since the band's inception, CRS are back with a thirst for blood.

In the vein of Morbid Angel, Carcass, Fear Factory, and Cynic, CRS prides themselves on playing music that's both brutal and nuanced, with melodies that rise above the underlying chaos.  

Vocalist Sir Oz, guitarist/bassist Francisco “Chucky” Oroz, guitarist/bassist Joseph Lev, and drummer Tavo Ramirez were joined by two international guest musicians for this album: Kevin Talley (Dying Fetus, Suffocation, Chimaira) plays drums on “A Better Place to Hate,” “Tan Lejos de Dios (Nowhere.. But Here),” and “I’m the Universe," while Linus Klausenitzer of Obscura and Alkaloid lends his bass work to “The Art of Breathing. ”

The Collector of Truths will be available on December 6 2019 through Concreto Records.  

Who Are You with The Bloody Hell

Let's meet another band from The Fabled Canadas.

Here we've got Bloody Hell.

I'm don't ask this much, but you could send them 3 twonies and a looney to get a new metal horror punk stuff.

Over here: Bandcamp

Find out why below!

1UP with Ghost:Hello

Lately, my Gamecube has been getting quite a workout. My daughter and I have been playing my Japanese Edition of Phantasy Star Online: Episode I & II Plus...but in English Mode...

When you're playing games, it's only natural to want to talk about them. 

Today we check back in with Ghost:Hello.

Did you get their VINYL record yet?

Glacially Musical: My first system was a pong clone, the yellow and black Odessey 300. What was your first Console? 

The very first Game system we had was a full sized Galaxia Arcade game. 

My dad got it from the bar down the road I believe. We would open up the lock box and flick the trigger where the coins fell to give ourselves unlimited credits and we’d stand in the dining room chair and play all day.

A Man Walks Into A Bar with Fumarole

Fumarole

For a new twist on an old non-favorite...we're having an Austrian band give us their take on the bar scene.

It's certainly not Czech or German proper, but Vienna has some delightful breweries so that ought to give us some nice stories.

Well...<checks notes>... they are actually Australian.

You can be their FACEBOOK friend....

1. Which is your favorite kind of bar and why? It can be any kind. Whiskey, Beer, Wine, Coffee, or Steel.

I love a good dive bar! Sticky floors, cheap drinks, band stickers littering the barely working toilet. 

You need to be able to smell the regret of last nights poor decisions for it to be a trve dive bar. All the most interesting people end up in dive bars so it can lead to some awesome stories, rarely true but who ever let that get in the way. 

All the best people are weird and unpredictable.

Asian Cuisine with Mountain Dust

Mountain Dust

We are talking again to Montreal's Mountain Dust. Can I start this off by saying that Mountain Dust is a really cool  name for a band?

Then when you consider that they're a stoner band which when coupled with a pre-internet rumour I heard about Montreal back in the way back about the city having decriminalized pot back in the late 90's...and hash dens sprouting up..

Well it just all makes sense to me, but if you're into that kind of rock and spinning those records on your platter..

Go to their STORE.

1. We are all brought up eating Chinese Food. What's your go to order from the Chinese Takeout place?

Video Column: Who Are You with Curtis Dewar

GOOD MORNING!

It's time for another column to get out there in the world. One of my greatest pleasures is getting new bands in front of people's faces. That's why Glacially Musical was started and that's what I'm still doing over seven years into the story.

As you well know, Dewar PR is one of the best PR firms in metal. Get with him if you're looking to start a new campaign.  Dewar PR

Click below for the interview.

Are You Ready To Rock with Triple Murder

The wild winds of Canada blew this interview down from the Great White North.

Precisely where the come from is a mystery to me! 

But you can check them out HERE.

1. Every major band worth its salt has released a live album. 

Tell me about your favorite A list band's live record and your favorite underground live album.

Iron Maiden: Live After Death

Pantera: Live At Dynamo Festival

2. Kiss, Metallica, Led Zeppelin, etc, all have released several live sets. Tell me about a band who's gotten you to purchase multiple live sets and why?

Pizza Pie Do or Die with Cult of Sorrow

Let's talk again to those Midwestern Rockers, Cult of Sorrow.

They've got this record out there in the world.

You can get it in any flavor you like, CD, digital, or Purple Splatter. If you're into that doom metal like you say you are...

BANDCAMP.

If not, just order some pizza.

1. Pizza is the world's most perfect food. This is not up for debate. 

Please define pizza as based on your geographical location.

Hi! This is Jerry Lovett from Cult Of Sorrow. Pizza is one of my favorite foods. 

I try to eat it at least once a week. I'm from Cincinnati Ohio, so there really isn't a defined style here although we have some great pizza places. 

Most of it is your typical thin/medium crust pizza, topped however you like, although the wood fired pizza craze has been coming up strong for the past few years.

Asian Cuisine with BornBroken

Today we are talking to BornBroken regarding their favorite Asian Foods.

They are from the ever so cosmopolitan city of Montreal. 

They've also got a new record out. You can preview on BANDCAMP.

For now, let's get down on the egg rolls.

1. We are all brought up eating Chinese Food. 

What's your go to order from the Chinese Takeout place?

BB: I donʼt really order Chinese takeout I mostly go to Chinatown and basically try a new
place or some that I really enjoyed before.

Hair Today Gone Tomorrow with Celestial Ruin

Celestial Ruin

There's nothing better than Canada. There I said it.

Canada is the best country in the world and they won't let me in. Well, it's not really their fault. I mean, I haven't tried to get in permanently.

I also haven't been invited and that's the real problem as I see it. So, let's talk to some Canadians right now.

Celestial Ruin was good enough to be silly with  me.

1. In 1982, we all thought Quiet Riot was metal if you were 7 like I was. Who was your first Hair Metal band?

I was only three years old, LOL. To be 100% honest, I was introduced to hair metal 8 years ago when I met my husband (our bass player), Mike "Dikk" Dagenais. 

My first exposure to hair metal was Motley Crue. They opened up a whole new world for music for me! I was lucky enough to see them in Las Vegas at their residency at the Hard Rock.

Crue has played a huge influence on Mike.

2. Who's in your Hair Metal A-List and why?

Classic Spins with Murder Van

Murder Van

In Atlanta, GA, there's a thrash band getting ready to drop their first album. You should be friends with them on FACEBOOK, but for now...

Let's talk about records.

1. My favorite kind of album is the concept album. The Wall is my absolute favorite. Beyond the amazing songs, it has spectacular nostalgia for me. 

What's your favorite one and why?

Skraw- "King Diamond is THE master of the concept album. It would be hard for me to name just one as my favorite. 

King is amazing, excellent musicianship, and the stories are great. Abigail, Them, and Conspiracy are definitely on the top of the list."

ENSIFERUM To Kick Off North American Headlining Tour With Kalmah, Abigail Williams, And Aenimus This Week

ENSIFERUM will kick off their Path To Victory North American headlining tour this week. The band's latest run begins November 14th in Richmond, Virginia and makes its way through nearly two-dozen cities, concluding December 8th in Brooklyn, New York. Support will be provided by Kalmah, Abigail Williams, and Aenimus. See all confirmed dates below.

Standing among the greats of folk-inspired melodic death metal, ENSIFERUM continues to tour in support of their latest album, Two Paths. 

A record that further builds upon the thrilling metallic hybrid honed across six full-lengths, Two Paths is the quintet's most epic and far-reaching collection of songs to date as well as their most organic. 

Pizza Pie Do or Die with Dead Register

Dead Register is on tour!

Make sure you check out their BANDCAMP.

Hello cruel and unusual world! This is Avril (low-low bass, synth, keys textures, visuals, vocals) of Dead Register. Thanks for having me on your pizza themed blog.

  

1. Pizza is the world's most perfect food. This is not up for debate. Please define pizza as based on your geographical location.

I’ll start this out on a positive note. Pizza is defined by my kitchen these days. I make a mean non-traditional pie with spelt flour crust, crushed tomatoes and herb sauce, topped off with Spotted Trotter Mexican Chorizo, fresh cremini mushrooms, fresh mozz, extra sharp aged white cheddar, finished with fine slivers of marinated onions and red peppers. 

If I’m feeling feisty, I’ll do up a breakfast pizza with pesto, soft scrambled eggs, and piles of cheddar. Maybe toss in chunks of bacon or smoked salmon.

As far as the rest of my geographical locale is concerned… eek. I love the hell out of food, and the lack of amazing pizza here in Atlanta proper makes me sad. 

Tour Dates: Caustic Casanova

Washington DC rockers Caustic Casanova are excited to announce "God How I Envy This Tour," a run of dates in November that will take them from Brooklyn to Texas.  

The tour started on November 2nd at legendary Williamsburg venue Saint Vitus with Magnetic Eye's Day of Doom showcase, the band will travel through Virginia, the Carolinas, Florida, and Lousiana on their way to three final stops in the Lone Star State.

All dates will be in support of their recently released album God How I Envy The Deaf.

Tour Dates

Nov. 8 - Richmond, VA @Wonderland
Nov. 9 - Greensboro, NC @Flat Iron
Nov. 10 - Wilmington, NC @Gravity Records
Nov. 11 - Raleigh, NC @Slims
Nov. 12 - Charleston, SC @The Royal American
Nov. 14 - St. Augustine, FL @Shanghai Nobby's
Nov. 15 - Gainesville, FL @Loosey's
Nov. 16 - St. Petersburg, FL  @The Bends
Nov. 17 - Pompano Beach, FL @Lozer Lounge
Nov. 18 - Orlando, FL @Wills Pub
Nov. 20 - New Orleans, LA @Carnaval Lounge
Nov. 21 - San Antonio, TX @Hi-Tones
Nov. 22 - Denton, TX @Backyard on Bell Block Party III
Nov. 23 - Fort Worth, TX @Lola's Trailer Park Bar

Vinyloscopy with Clouds Taste Satanic

Clouds Taste Satanic

The latest instrumental doom LP from Clouds Taste Satanic, Second Sight, has been released unto the masses.

Have you been to BANDCAMP yet?

I need to get my copy still....

As they're a band that's always releasing the goods on vinyl, it only makes sense to find out what they think about vinyl in general.

Steve was good enough to give us some time.

1. Listening to Black Sabbath's eponymous debut the night I got it blew me away. What's the album that sounds the best on vinyl compared to digital sources?

(Steve Scavuzzo, Guitar from Clouds Taste Satanic)

Electric Wizard’s “Dopethrone” (or any Electric Wizard record for that matter). 

It has an old school vibe buried in distortion that just begs for a warmer feel. Vinyl does that record justice.

Are You Ready To Rock?! with Sleeping In Traffic

In September, Sleeping In Traffic, a progressive rock four piece from Edmonton, Alberta released their latest EP.

You could easily check it out on BANDCAMP while you're reading this.

But don't stop there!

They've dropped three releases in the past few months.

As they're Canadian and prog rock, whom do you think they're going to talk about when it comes to live records?

I'm guessing it's Triumph.

Let's find out.

1. Every major band worth its salt has released a live album. Tell me about your favorite A list band's live record and your favorite underground live album.  

Vinyl Review: "En Las Montanas de Excesos" by Several People

En Las Montanas de Excesos

OK, I didn't put the names of the artists involved in this album in the title because there is no group name and they are listed individually.

Chris Cogburn

Ingebright Haker Flaten

Bob Hoffnar

Henry Kaiser

Look, I just wasn't sure if the whole thing would fit and not look all wonky when it came to be.

Cogburn is the drummer and apparently the leader and conceptualizer of this extremely strange record.

Haker Flaten plays the electric bass. Hoffnar plays pedal steel guitar, and Kaiser rounds out the quartet playing electric guitar.

In reality, I'm not certain if that information is going to be helpful or not to your enjoyment of this album.

Pizza Pie Do or Die with Monica Strut

Monica Strut

In the land down under lives Monica Strut. She's both in a band and helps bands how to do their own Public Relations.

Being as she's from a whole world away, it's going to be interesting to find out what pizza is like in Australia.

Let's dig in!

1. Pizza is the world's most perfect food. This is not up for debate. Please define pizza as based on your geographical location.

Australia is really European-influenced so our pizza is incredibly good. 

My hometown of Melbourne has deep Italian roots so I dare say we have the best pizza in the country.

2. It's going to get controversial now. Pineapple on Pizza. Why or why not? 

I LOVE pineapple on Pizza. I'm vegan now so the pineapple for me adds that depth of flavor that you might get from meat - even though I'm totally aware it taste's nothing like salami!

Vinyl Review: ST 37 "Self-Titled"

This week has been interesting because we've gone from the fewest number of people that can be performing together...that's two by the way all the way up to now six people.

There are SIX people in this band.

Then, there are even four extra people on here.

I'll fully cop to being a curmudgeon, but I don't know another 2 people that I'm willing to give my time to in order to make a musical project, much less another 9.

Seriously.

There are TEN PEOPLE ON THIS RECORD.

ST 37 is basically the Wu Tang Clan of whatever the hell kind of music this is that they're playing. Speaking of the music....let's move in to that area shall we.

A brief internet search has them listed as being a psych rock band.

Hair Today Gone Tomorrow with Curtis Dewar of Dewar PR

 It's time for a brand new column!

Once there was a time when hairspray, spandex, and songs about wholly inappropriate things ruled the world. Call it glam metal, hair metal, our Sunset Strip Rock. The name really isn't all that critical if you ask me.

What is critical is how it totally embodied the 1980's. Cocaine, money, and cheap sexy time. 

We are nearly 40 years out from when it hit the market after Quiet Riot's Metal Health broke causing all of these bands to crush it.

So, let's reach out and find what the current bands these days think of those times. For many of them, these bands are like Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath were to me in the 90's, amazing bands of yesteryear that don't precisely exist anymore.

We're starting this one off with publicist extraordinaire, Curtis Dewar of Dewar PR. If you're a band looking to get folks, like myself, talking and writing about you. Hit him up HERE.

But now, tease your hair and slip back into those leopard print tight pants.

Vinyl Review: "Monumenty Selhani" by Gattaca

Monumenty Selhani

One of the cool things about doing what I do is being able to hear music from all around the world that might have ordinarily escaped my notice.

Today I have the opportunity to spin the newest release from Gattaca of the Czech Republic.

Monumenty Selhani is composed and sung entirely in Czech.

This isn't my first time listening to a record in another language, but it's usually pretty cool.

We've all heard the tale that music is the universal language right?

All I know for certain is that the album is five emotionally charged and political songs.

So, what do I come away with?

Unlike Left To Starve, Rope and Guillotine's last release, this album isn't anxious and worried. It's purely angry.

Eastern Cuisine with Surface of the Sun's Devon Eggers

Are you looking for a great place to drop five bucks? Well, you're an American, so you probably don't have five bucks, but what about if you could drop three dollars and seventy five cents and get something that's listed for five bucks?!

My friend, here's a deal for you. The province of British Columbia has birthed, Surface of the Sun, who's in turn foisted upon this blue marble, Panacea.

Go to Bandcamp for the Panacea you need.

But for now, grab your chopsticks as we're heading east with them...wait. West. We're heading west to get get Eastern food.

1. We are all brought up eating Chinese Food. What's your go-to order from the Chinese Takeout place?

One of my favorite things in this world is food! And more specifically the Asian flavours. I love a good spicy ginger beef dish.

Vinyl Review: "Ex Voto" by Djunah

Ex Voto

I'm going to pierce the veil just a little bit right now for you. At the time of this writing, it's 10:22am on November 3rd. My daughter is sick, and I'm sitting upstairs drinking a pot of delicious Earl Grey Tea.

Also, I'm wearing my awesome AC/DC sleep pants because it's still morning time.

No idea why I did that, but moving on. Today I'm considering the debut release from Chicago's Noise/Experimental/Post-Punk Duo Djunah.

As we're now into week two of Glacially Musical's first ever Vinyl Fortnight, let's point out that so far, everything that's made it to these pages has been rather unique.

Evil Triplet, Left To Starve, The Transgressors, Ghost:Hello, and Rachid Taha have all been difficult to describe for me.

But that's the kind of music that really gets my blood flowing. Yes, anything that can be done has been done before. Of course it's perfectly acceptable to be heavily influenced by other bands.

Pizza Pie Do or Die with Casket Robbery's Alex Simpson

From out of the southern Wisconsin region of Ed Gein country, comes Casket Robbery.

They're live shows are becoming something of legend, make sure you get a chance to see them when you can.

Get in on what they're doing at Bandcamp and you'll most likely be glad that you did.

For now though, we're going to sit down over pizza pie.

1. Pizza is the world's most perfect food. This is not up for debate. 

Please define pizza as based on your geographical location.

Pizza in Sodak is pretty basic lots of crust and cheese.

2. It's going to get controversial now. Pineapple on Pizza. Why or why not?

 I Absolutely love pineapple on my pizza. Marco's in Sioux Falls has got it down with the Hawaiian style.