The Metal Lounge

SUICIDAL TENDENCIES release track: ALL THE WAY

tekhammer — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 21:05:57 +0000

So with Suicidal Tendencies‘/Cyco Miko‘s forthcoming album, they’ve released a video — well, an audio track via their YouTube channel — of the song All the Way. The album, as mentioned is called The Mad Mad Muir’s Musical Tour, and is being released under Cyco Miko, not as ST.

This track is actually a bit of a change in direction, not that they haven’t done that several times before, but this is quite a different sound. But they manage to pull off a different sound while still sounding familiar. This track has more of a metal sound than I’d expect from a Cyco Miko track, which has typically been Muir’s punkier outlet. There’s none of the palm-muted galloping style riffage that I’d expect out of ST either — it’s really quite a different sound. But some of the weirder squealing, wavy guitar sounds remind me of Infectious Grooves.

Click here to view the embedded video.

SUICIDAL TENDENCIES cancel Australian tour

tekhammer — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 08:57:35 +0000

Suicidal Tendencies have had to cancel their tour of Australia in November 2011. According to the article, “unforeseen events including illness, family commitments and scheduling conflicts have influenced this decision.” The illness I can understand, but the scheduling conflicts sounds a bit weird. Unless it’s stuff that was rescheduled out from under them, because promoters seem to do that sometimes if they don’t think they’re going to pull enough money. They will be touring Europe in January 2012, however.

So it’s really shit, but we’ve got Cyco Miko’s new album to look forward to, which is due next month, titled The Mad Mad Muir Musical Tour. And then after that, we’re expecting a new ST album in 2012.

Interview with Jari Mäenpää (WINTERSUN)

tekhammer — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 02:43:18 +0000

Here’s an interview with Jari on tour in Austria. This was recorded at the Metalfest festival on May 29. The funniest bit is when the forthcoming album Time is compared to Duke Nukem Forever.

Click here to view the embedded video.

BLIND GUARDIAN doing 2 gigs in Australia Sep-Oct 2011

tekhammer — Thu, 26 May 2011 05:21:03 +0000

Blind Guardian have just announced that they are going to play two shows in Australia later this year.

Fri. 30 September 2011 – Factory Theatre, Marickville (Sydney)
Sun. 02 October 2011 – Blasphemy, Melbourne

Witchfinder General is going. I expect to be poor around that time.

ALESTORM release video for SHIPWRECKED

tekhammer — Fri, 20 May 2011 21:03:41 +0000

Alestorm have released a video for the track Shipwrecked from their upcoming album, Back Through Time.

They played this at the gig in Auckland last week, which I must say was the best live show I’ve been to in a long damn time. Back Through Time has a June 3rd release date in Europe and late June for the US.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Preorder the deluxe box set (limited to 1000 copies), or the box set with bobble head (limited to 500 copies)

Shuffling categories

tekhammer — Wed, 11 May 2011 21:40:45 +0000

I’ve recently gotten to grips with WordPress’ categories and tags. I’ve been using categories instead of tags, and the list is now growing to a ridiculous size.

So over the next few days I’m going to go through and recategorise everything into the following simpler categories:

Articles
Festivals
Interviews
Tours
Videos

And I will add a few others such as:

Thrash Thursday
Wednesday WTF?!?!

and such like.

And all the metal genres I’ll turn into tags. That’ll cut down the list of categories in the sidebar, and I’ll add a tag cloud so you can pick a genre. Hmm. Maybe I should add another category for default bloggage. And album release news. Looks like I’ll be adding to them as I think of them.

SUICIDAL ANGELS – Final Dawn official video released

tekhammer — Tue, 10 May 2011 23:28:59 +0000

Greek thrash band Suicidal Angels have released a video from their recently released third album, Dead Again. The track is Final Dawn.

Click here to view the embedded video.

CHROME DIVISION unleash Bulldogs Unleashed video

tekhammer — Mon, 09 May 2011 19:49:45 +0000

Chrome Division, the Norwegian rock band featuring Shagrath of Dimmu Borgir, have released a video from their latest album 3rd Round Knockout. Now while this is their third album (hence the clever name), I’ve never really given them a chance before. Partly because I’m not a fan of Dimmu Borgir, and a big part of the marketing of this band is riding on his coat-tails.

But Greg, my purveyor of fine metal, mentioned them recently after this album’s release. And of course, he has such fine taste that I gave them a shot. I must say, Chrome Division are pretty damned good. Imagine if you will, some Norwegian fellows who have been trapped for decades in the snow and ice, only ever having heard the sound of screeching vocals and buzzing guitars from iced up, crusted over amps. And then picture them going to LA and hearing Mötley Crüe for the first time in their lives. Naturally, their world is turned upside down. And from thenforth, they proclaim a new union of metal goodness from opposite poles of the earth.

Chrome Division is the love child of that union. Blackened Hair Metal. Awwww yeeaaahhh…

Click here to view the embedded video.

BEASTWARS’ debut album is fucking good

tekhammer — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 22:49:52 +0000

Sorry, I’ve been a slack arse about posting in the last few weeks — I’m busy trying to start a game company among other things.

However, the one thing that’s got me off my fat bum is the debut Beastwars album. I’ve just had a listen to it digitally and I’m going to review it properly once I get my physical copy.

Beastwars is a band from my hometown of Wellington, NZ. They play a kind of sludgy stoner doom.

They’ve got an album release tour coming up over May around NZ:

May 7 – Bodega, Wellington (with Razorwyre \m/)
May 15 – Hunter Lounge, Wellington (with Kyuss)
May 20 – Wunderbar, Quakechurch
May 21 – Chicks Hotel, Port Chalmers Dunedin
May 27 – Biddy Mulligan’s, Hamiltron
May 28 – Thirsty Dog, Orkland

Get pre-sale tickets at undertheradar.co.nz. The May 7 gig was only $10, but I imagine the one with Kyuss might be more.

I’m sad I can’t be at the May 15 gig because Alestorm will be playing in Auckland that day. But I’ll be at the one on the 7th.

So full review forthcoming, and hopefully I can swing it before the tour starts.

Long live the beast.

SCOTT COLUMBUS (ex-MANOWAR drummer) has passed away, age 54

tekhammer — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 20:23:19 +0000

On Monday April 4th 2011, Scott Columbus, former drummer of Manowar passed away aged 54.

Scott Columbus has been with Manowar a long time, starting in 1983 after the departure of Donnie Hamzik, and then taking a break between 1992 and 1995 to look after his sick child. In mid 2008, Columbus left Manowar amicably after disagreements in the direction the band was taking, and was promptly replaced with Hamzik.

Columbus was said to be so hard on his drums that he had to have a custom set made of stainless steel — dubbed the Drums of Doom.

A great warrior is gone. The world will mourn his passing.

Hail and kill.