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The Metal Thread

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K

Kaladin

Member
Southern Lord finally put the vinyl and CD up for pre-order for Power Trip's Manifest Decimation. I'm so happy that Southern Lord included a media mail option. Their shipping prices were crazy. I was able to score the CD and LP for $27.54 total. That's a decent deal considering the CD is probably $10 at a show and LP is probably $15.

http://www.southernlord.com/index2.php
 
K

Kaladin

Member
Buy small shirts if there is one you like that isn't in a size you wear and convert it into a back patch for a work shirt or jacket.
 
G

Giant Robot

Member
bytesized said:
I need to listen to more Exodus
Click to expand...

Yes you do. This song ain't about no goldfish, it aint about no tuna fish, and it aint about no trout.

Saw Boris on their "From The Past, The Present, and Through The Future" tour in SF.
All their popular ones ranging from Amplifier Worship up to Smile + a fucking awesome new song that I have no idea what it's called, but its similar to Farewell, Blackout, Heavy Rocks, etc.
Highlight was definitely "Hama" off Amplifier Worship, that new song, and closing with Farewell.
 
A

Aske

Member
aNUPheV.jpg
Click to expand...

Now I've finally had some time to digest it, I have to share some thoughts on Tetragrammaton.

At first listen I was somewhat let down. The band's songwriting on this CD is an obvious extension of the style they developed on Triumvirate, but aside from the opening track, it sounds much less fresh. Thankfully, I found the songs grew on me enough to stand up on their own merits. Once I stopped comparing it to the previous CD, Tetragrammaton improved immensely.

The album really does beg for the Triumvirate comparison, however. There's another industrial-influenced German language track in the vein of the last album's Kindertodeslied, but it's less good; and the lengthy opening track, Gods Amongst Insects, is the new album's equivalent to Triumvirate's Deus ex Machina. This time the subject matter is Transformers rather than Stargate, but it's a similarly enjoyable death metal take on a sci-fi franchise played totally straight. What's less enjoyable is the ubiquitous use of Orion Pax (young Optimus Prime)'s spoken word vocals on subsequent tracks. They're perfect on Gods Amongst Insects, but they're unnecessary on Human Wave Attack (an otherwise excellent song...about the first Gulf War) and Aslimu!!! (the Jihad-themed closing track). They make more sense when they show up on Supreme Avante-Garde Death Metal.

Not only do the Prime vocals take the listener out of the music and homogenize tracks which would otherwise feel completely distinct; but the band also included a Dethklok/GWAR-esque song in the form of Supreme Avante-Garde Death Metal which mythicizes The Deathcult as goofily as any metal band has ever mythicized themselves. It's obviously satirical, but aspects of it are intentionally painful, and the song feels incongruous on an album amongst tracks about topics like the Rwandan genocide. The Dethklok thing is fun, and the music is strong, but it does break the mood.

The Monolith Deathcult has always had a sense of humour in their interviews and PR. I enjoy their satirical send-ups of the extreme metal scene; and their sarcastic, cynical approach to their image is refreshing for a band in this genre. However, they always took their music very seriously, thoughtfully exploring historical and political topics few other bands touched without a trace of irony. This is no longer the case on Tetragrammaton. I could have lived with SADM alone, but combined with the overuse of Prime vocals elsewhere, I feel the band's tongue is in its cheek to the detriment of much of its music.

Fortunately, there's still plenty of classic TMD on the album. Qasr Al-Nihaya, Gods Amongst Insects and Drugs, Thugs, Machetes are spectacular. They're great examples of the band flexing its songwriting muscles and pushing the envelope in exactly the way I expected in the follow-up to Triumvirate; and while I'm not hugely enamoured of Todesnacht von Stammheim or SADM, I can't say there's a bad track on the album.

Tetragrammaton certainly isn't the breath of fresh air Triumvirate was, but despite my criticisms, it's still a solid side-step with a lot to offer. It's nowhere near as mind-blowing as its predecessor, but it still includes a good deal of variety and interest amongst its seven tracks; and TMD's post-Triumvirate music is still more unusual, multi-faceted and rich than most other bands in the death metal genre.

The album has many highlights, but here are my aforementioned favourites: Qasr Al-Nihaya, Drugs, Thugs, Machetes, Gods Amongst Insects.
 
V

vatstep

This poster pulses with an appeal so broad the typical restraints of our societies fall by the wayside.
Gorguts is doing a short NA tour in September:

9/5 Springfield, VA
9/6 Raleigh, NC
9/7 Wilmington, DE
9/8 Worcester, MA
 
O

OmegaDragon

Member
Aske said:
Now I've finally had some time to digest it, I have to share some thoughts on Tetragrammaton.

At first listen I was somewhat let down. The band's songwriting on this CD is an obvious extension of the style they developed on Triumvirate, but aside from the opening track, it sounds much less fresh. Thankfully, I found the songs grew on me enough to stand up on their own merits. Once I stopped comparing it to the previous CD, Tetragrammaton improved immensely.

The album really does beg for the Triumvirate comparison, however. There's another industrial-influenced German language track in the vein of the last album's Kindertodeslied, but it's less good; and the lengthy opening track, Gods Amongst Insects, is the new album's equivalent to Triumvirate's Deus ex Machina. This time the subject matter is Transformers rather than Stargate, but it's a similarly enjoyable death metal take on a sci-fi franchise played totally straight. What's less enjoyable is the ubiquitous use of Orion Pax (young Optimus Prime)'s spoken word vocals on subsequent tracks. They're perfect on Gods Amongst Insects, but they're unnecessary on Human Wave Attack (an otherwise excellent song...about Iraqui suicide bombers) and Aslimu!!! (the Jihad-themed closing track). They make more sense when they show up on Supreme Avante-Garde Death Metal.

Not only do the Prime vocals take the listener out of the music and homogenize tracks which would otherwise feel completely distinct; but the band also included a Dethklok/GWAR-esque song in the form of Supreme Avante-Garde Death Metal which mythicizes The Deathcult as goofily as any metal band has ever mythicized themselves. It's obviously satirical, but aspects of it are intentionally painful, and the song feels incongruous on an album amongst tracks about topics like the Rwandan genocide. The Dethklok thing is fun, and the music is strong, but it does break the mood.

The Monolith Deathcult has always had a sense of humour in their interviews and PR. I enjoy their satirical send-ups of the extreme metal scene; and their sarcastic, cynical approach to their image is refreshing for a band in this genre. However, they always took their music very seriously, thoughtfully exploring historical and political topics few other bands touched without a trace of irony. This is no longer the case on Tetragrammaton. I could have lived with SADM alone, but combined with the overuse of Prime vocals elsewhere, I feel the band's tongue is in its cheek to the detriment of much of its music.

Fortunately, there's still plenty of classic TMD on the album. Qasr Al-Nihaya, Gods Amongst Insects and Drugs, Thugs, Machetes are spectacular. They're great examples of the band flexing its songwriting muscles and pushing the envelope in exactly the way I expected in the follow-up to Triumvirate; and while I'm not hugely enamoured of Todesnacht von Stammheim or SADM, I can't say there's a bad track on the album.

Tetragrammaton certainly isn't the breath of fresh air Triumvirate was, but despite my criticisms, it's still a solid side-step with a lot to offer. It's nowhere near as mind-blowing as its predecessor, but it still includes a good deal of variety and interest amongst its seven tracks; and TMD's post-Triumvirate music is still more unusual, multi-faceted and rich than most other bands in the death metal genre.

The album has many highlights, but here are my aforementioned favourites: Qasr Al-Nihaya, Drugs, Thugs, Machetes, Gods Amongst Insects.
Click to expand...

Nice writeup Aske, I was wondering what you thought of it. I had a similar experience, at first I was rather let down. Now I really enjoying it. It doesn't top Triumvirate, but that would've been quite a feat (I love that album, Wrath of the Baath, Kindertodeslied, Masters of the Bryansk Forest and Demigod are amazing).

Overall its a very good album. My favourites are God Among Insects and Human Wave Attack so far, I favour the first half of the album. I don't think the Prime vocals are overused in HWA (or anywhere). I do agree that SADM is a weird track and doesn't really fit thematically. How they vocalise the words death metal at the end in a heavy/power metal style is fun though :p

Btw Human Wave Attack is about the Iranian human wave attacks during Iran-Iraq war.
 
A

Aske

Member
OmegaDragon said:
Nice writeup Aske, I was wondering what you thought of it. I had a similar experience, at first I was rather let down. Now I really enjoying it. It doesn't top Triumvirate, but that would've been quite a feat (I love that album, Wrath of the Baath, Kindertodeslied, Masters of the Bryansk Forest and Demigod are amazing).

Overall its a very good album. My favourites are God Among Insects and Human Wave Attack so far, I favour the first half of the album. I don't think the Prime vocals are overused in HWA (or anywhere). I do agree that SADM is a weird track and doesn't really fit thematically. How they vocalise the words death metal at the end in a heavy/power metal style is fun though :p

Btw Human Wave Attack is about the Iranian human wave attacks during Iran-Iraq war.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the correction, I'll edit. I knew HWA was about the Iran/Iraq war, but I got stuck on the 'human detonators' lyric.

I'm interested you felt similarly about the album. I wonder what kind of reception it's getting amongst other TMD fans. It's a tough album to treat fairly because it's so trapped in the shadow of Triumvirate. The one stylistically specific song on that album with no obvious equivalent on Tetragrammaton is Den Ensomme Nordens Dronning, and I hope the band writes another track in that style in the future.
 
F

FelixOrion

Poet Centuriate
If you are in the LA area:

Hydra Head Records LA HQ Blowout-Yard Sale-Goodbye Party

The time has come for Hydra Head to shut down our LA HQ. It's been a long time coming, but that doesn't make the process any less of a heart breaker. In order to ease our pain a bit, we're opening our doors to the public for the first and last time on Saturday May 25th so we celebrate our disintegration with a Hydra Head Super-Power-Yard-Sale™. James O'Mara and Aaron Turner will be on hand to help serve you, and if you're nice, give you treats (sadly Sugar Bear aka Andrew Cox will be spending his last official paycheck in Mexico and won't be able to join us). We'll have tables set up with goodies in the office for your perusal, and snacks and refreshments available at random intervals. There will be some give away surprises to random customers and a free test pressing for the first five arrivals.

Some of what we'll have on had that day will include (but is not limited to) the following: $1 CDs, $5 t-shirts, office furniture (anyone need a desk? - we'll be giving away some of our office stuff as well), discounted copies of recent vinyl titles, Hydra Head Super-Rarities™ (original pressings of Cave In "Beyond Hypothermia" LP, Converge/Agoraphobic Nosebleed LP, Discordance Axis "Inalienable Dreamless" LP, Cave In "Jupiter" LP, Botch "We Are the Romans" 2xLP, Neurosis "Sovereign" LP, Pelican "The Fire in Our Throats..." 2xLP, etc), AND some other related treasures (ISIS test pressings and box sets, screen printed tour posters, random black metal t-shirts, and whatever other gems we can dig up). Our aim is to get rid of as much as is possible in our office, so if you see something you like hanging on a wall or sitting on a desk make us an offer and see what happens!

Here are the specifics:

Hydra Head Power-Blow-Out-Yard-Sale-Extravaganza™
Saturday, May 25th, Noon - 7 pm
4222 Santa Monica Blvd #104
Los Angeles, CA 90029

Thanks to everyone who made our Los Angeles dreams come true. We'll miss you! Come on by to say bye, and take some treasures home - from our horde to yours!

xoxo,
Team Hydra
(Aaron, James, Andrew)
Click to expand...

I wish I could go ;~;
 
V

vatstep

This poster pulses with an appeal so broad the typical restraints of our societies fall by the wayside.
SOME-MIST said:
I would kill to see the new material live - especially if Colin Marston and Kevin Hufnagel had any hand in helping write it.
Click to expand...
I saw them play some of the new stuff 2-3 years ago and it sounded pretty good. I'm sure it's come a long way since then, too — I got the impression that some of the songs didn't yet have vocals, for example.

trab pu kcip said:
deafheavens sunbather seems nice so far :eek:
Click to expand...
I've listened to it a few times, and again right now, and it's really, really good.
 
M

Morrigan Stark

Arrogant Smirk
So at Trudeau airport at the moment, should arrive in Baltimore in mid to late afternoon (Toronto layover, derp). MDF here we come. Forecast says it might go as high as 40 celsius with humidity... Hope I won't die of a heat stroke. :p
Giant Robot said:
since we're on the topic of Exodus...
Baloff or Souza?
Click to expand...
Baloff by far. Souza's voice is nasally mediocre.
 
B

blahness

Member
Morrigan Targaryen said:
So at Trudeau airport at the moment, should arrive in Baltimore in mid to late afternoon (Toronto layover, derp). MDF here we come. Forecast says it might go as high as 40 celsius with humidity... Hope I won't die of a heat stroke. :p

Baloff by far. Souza's voice is nasally mediocre.
Click to expand...

By all accounts the weather this year should be marvelous compared to the past few as far as heat and humidity. Supposed to have a little bit of rain tonight and the only thing I worry about is going to be the wind tomorrow. I am stuck at work until this evening and I know I will start going crazy knowing that it is starting before I get off of work.
 
K

Kaladin

Member
August 6th......

Revocation - Revocation
970310_10151451084901194_964581847_n.jpg
Click to expand...

1. The Hive
2. Scattering the Flock
3. Arch Fiend
4. Numbing Agents
5. Fracked
6. The Gift You Gave
7. Invidious
8. Spastic
9. Entombed By Wealth
10. A Visitation

Can't wait to hear it.
 
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