Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Updated Tour Announcements

While a lot of other metal sites are taking the holiday season off, we here at NW MetalHead Productions are continuing to give you the goods! There have been a few more tours announced to bring us into the new year and we are more than excited to announce them. There is something for everyone here, folk metal, death metal, deathcore, power metal, thrash, and blackened death. A veritable cornucopia of metal for all! If any of these come through your town make sure to show your colors, throw up those horns, and kick some ass in the pit!!

Monday, December 19, 2011

\M/erry Christ\M/as!!!

Its that time of year again, when people decided to be jolly, give money to those in need, and beg for every new electronic gadget within a 30 mile radius. One does not have to be Christian to celebrate this Christmas season, and that goes for metalheads as well. We are generally a bunch of misfit pagans, athiests, and ruffians, but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy sitting on the lap of a red suited man with a beard! So here are a few videos to get you in the holiday mood, they are sure to make you shake your belly like a bowl full of rotten, molten jelly!

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Favorite Metal Albums of 2011

Once again this year we are jumping on the year end album list bandwagon, but remember we do something different; it is not a ranking of the best albums of the year, it is simply a list of some of my favorites in no particular order. There have been so many albums that came out this year, many to critical acclaim, many to slip past most listeners, and many more that we wish we never heard. All of those albums went into the thinking process of this writer and several very solid albums did not make the cut, even though I didn’t have a preset number of albums I wanted to list. I was just too lazy to create a list of 40 albums because, let’s be honest, people don’t read all the excerpts they just skip to the numbers. So here it is, my list of some of my favorite albums of the year. Feel free to comment either here, in the forum, or at the Facebook page so other may know which albums you agree with, which ones you don’t, and which ones I did not mention.

Friday, December 9, 2011

Onslaught and Ghost both announce US Tours

British thrash legends Onslaught have recently announced their first ever US tour! For a band that has been around since 1983 and has been a staple of the thrash metal scene since its inception, it is amazing that they have never come to the shores of the red white and blue. With the release of their newest album, Sounds of Violence, Onslaught have finally made the decision to reach a new audience. Released back in January, the album has gained massive amounts of critical praise as well as fan praise in the underground. And this writer is very excited that the very first stop on the tour is in Seattle, we are hoping to start the tour off right and show the band what American fans are made of!

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Carnal Forge Goes On A Break

Carnal Forge has recently decided to go on an indefinite hiatus, a term that basically means they are breaking up. The band members all seem to have other projects that they are working on and this is never a good sign for a band. Here’s a quote from the band’s Facebook page: “Since all the members have decided to drop off Carnal Forge due to different reasons to work on new projects, CF will take a pause and the band will be put on ice for an unspecified time. I don’t know if there will ever be another CF album or if we’ll ever play live again. I sure do hope so and will work for it, but only the future will tell. Thanks for all the support through good times and bad times since 1997. See you out there some day somewhere somehow or see you all in hell!” In this writer’s opinion Carnal Forge never got the recognition that they deserved, their brand of death/thrash was heavy as hell yet accessible. A broad spectrum of metalheads could easily dig this band and they should have. Hopefully we will hear more from this band at some time in the future.


Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Mid Week Metal Roundup

Mid-Week Metal Roundup

Floridian grindsters Maruta has decided to call it a day. The band had released two full lengths, including this year’s ultra-brutal Forward into Regression, on Willowtip Records and had seemed to be one of the bright future stars of grindcore. However, with losing all of the band’s original members, the remaining musicians decided to disband and move on to other ventures. Hopefully we see more from these guys in the coming years.

Vektor releases new album, Outer Isolation this week and it is a very solid follow-up to their highly acclaimed album Black Future. This progressive thrash band has been called the next Voivod based of their particular brand of thrash as well as their sci-fi inspired lyrics and even their logo has a similar look to it. However, the band is not some cheap rip-off of the legends, they are a young group that are forging their own place in the world of metal. This release will most likely be in a lot of people’s end of the year lists.


Canadian heavy metal heroes 3 Inches of Blood have announced that they are entering the studio to record their newest full length album, a follow-up to 2009’s Here Waits Thy Doom. This will be their 5th full length album and I can say that this writer is really looking forward to hearing some new material from these guys.

Here are a few other new releases:

Saturday, November 12, 2011

The Latest News and Notes in Metal

A lot has been happening in the world of metal recently. An ever revolving door of introducing new bands and discarding others, bands losing members and others reuniting, and too many new releases to count; our little sub-culture has seen it fair share of turbulence and joy over the past few weeks. One of the biggest pieces of news was released yesterday on 11/11/11 that Black Sabbath was reuniting with their original singer, Ozzy Osbourne. Not only are they reuniting but they announced they will do a world tour AND put out a brand new album! The detractors are always going to be there but the immensity of this announcement is huge. Some are going to say that Ozzy can’t sing anymore and that this is just a money grab, but I try not to think like that. I simply see this as one of the originators, one of the greatest bands ever to grace this floating blue marble coming back to cement their legacy and give us some great new music. Truly this is some great news for all metalheads.

In other and much sadder news, GWAR guitarist Cory Smoot AKA Flattus Maximus was found dead on Thrusday November 3rd. While on tour with Every Time I Die, Ghoul, and Warbeast, the band found Cory unresponsive in his bunk while heading up to the Canadian border. The entire metal community is still reeling from this news and we here at NW MetalHead Productions wish our sincerest condolences to Cory’s family, band members, friends, and all the fans who he has touch through the years. The band decided to soldier on and finish the tour, which could not have been an easy decision nor one anybody wanted to make. RIP Cory Smoot.

In other terrible news, Metallica released an album with Lou Reed called Lulu, and it’s better to just not talk about it……………

And now a few choice bands that have released solid efforts over the last couple of weeks.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Gorematory - Zombie Slaughterfest



Gorematory – Zombie Slaughterfest

Here’s a recipe for you budding chefs out there, it’s called BrÜtal Stew. Throw in one part old school sounding death metal, a hint of thrash, add a dash of zombie inspired lyrics, and bake in a sweaty studio for a month and out comes a fresh batch of BrÜtal Stew. Many bands use this recipe over and over and very few of them create something groundbreaking.  Newer bands today have been listening to Cannibal Corpse, Dismember, Dark Angel, and Kreator for most of their musical lives and have taken parts of all of them and molded it into something very familiar. Familiar isn’t always bad, some bands turn it into something fresh and innovative, some bands make it sound stale and outdated, and others just pay homage to the originators and simply play some good old fashioned death metal. A newer band that definitely falls into the latter category is Gorematory from New Jersey. Their debut full length was released this year and is a solid helping of old school sounding modern death metal.  When listening to the album, one could be forgiven for thinking it came from Florida in 1993. Leading off the album is “Medical Execution,” a straight-forward death metal song suitable to start off a record. A driving rhythm kicks off the song and keeps it moving throughout until a headbangable breakdown creeps forward about 1:15 in.The song then transitions into that same driving rhythm until an extended instrumental kicks in and almost finishes the song where growls of “Execution! Execution!” are screamed over the original rhythm. The song sets the tone for the rest of the album as it continues on in much of the same fashion. Tracks like “Sadistic Slaughter” and “Mass Dismemberment” are particular highlights for this author, they drive with the same speedy rhythm followed by slow breakdown parts that make you bash your head against the stage. They have those archetypical death metal riffs with the ferocity of thrash mixed in for just the right amount of variety to not make it flat. However one track, “Crushed and Splattered,” does not do this very well, it becomes too repetitive and loses the attention of the audience. It starts off with a great slow groove but the song quickly becomes just the name of the song sung over and over and over again. Even with that low point, the overall sound of the album is great. It is not something innovative but for those of us that want a solid death metal groove, this is definitely a solid album. I look forward to hearing more from this band as they continue to grow their sound. They are not quite to the level of blowing up but there is potential behind these guys for the future.



Saturday, November 5, 2011

Black Sun Aeon - Blacklight Deliverance


You know those days when nothing can make you go outside, those dreary rain-soaked days when it feels good to sit around and do nothing but contemplate one’s own mortality? Of course you do, we all have those days. And just in time for the upcoming winter, Finland’s Black Sun Aeon have come out with a brand new record to coat the cold souls of the damned. Blacklight Deliverance is the third full length put out by this melodic doom/death band and is one dense piece of writing. Black Sun Aeon is the brain child of Tuomas Saukkonen (Before the Dawn, The Final Harvest), a man who writes and records all the music, with the help of some live and studio musicians for select pieces, and rarely plays live. When the music is written and recorded all by the same man, you know his vision is going to come through in a clear fashion.  From the first track, “Brothers,” you get that sense of despair that Saukkonen really tries to get the listener to feel, from the death growls that seem to glide over the top of the thunderous riffs and moody atmosphere to the keyboards that paint the background. At the end of the track comes a soft acoustic passage with clean female vocals sung by Janica Lönn, a beautiful end to such a heavy track. “Solitude” is another standout track that starts off with Lönn’s vocals and features Mikko Heikkila singing clean vocals as well. This exceedingly melodic track shows the range of Saukkonen’s abilities as he sings his death metal growls underneath the clean singing of the other two vocalists all the while maintaining his signature heavy doom riffing and haunting keyboards.  The entire record screams with emotion that can darken even the brightest soul, evoking emotions of dread that can overtake one’s entire being. It’s music like this that brings you to metal because it is so encompassing that you find something new about it with every spin of the record. This is music to turn up loud while turning the lights off,and completely digesting the sound that bleeds from your speakers.

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Double Standards in Music Do Not Work

It has never been a hidden fact to the world that in the United States metal has been relegated to the back alley venues and footnotes of the annals of music. It is chastised when someone that has the smallest bit of relation to the music does something wrong and is never given credit for the good it does, both socially and musically. For every nutbag like Varg Vikernes (crazy Nazi/arsonist/murderer/douchebag) there are several groups like Riffs Not Riots who generally promote good vibes through harsh music. The strange thing is that when looking at mainstream music, the “artists” that are most popular tend to do some pretty awful stuff all the time and the masses seem to only care for a short period of time then welcome them back with open arms. Take for example Chris Brown, a generic R&B singer who beat his girlfriend to a bloody pulp but still is loved by thousands of people, mainly women!! In today’s society it is absolutely horrific that someone can display that type of behavior and not be vilified for life. But that double standard does not work for metal musicians. If a genuinely talented person who plays metal music does something that is against the social norms of the general populace, they are slandered. And this is mainly because metal music and its participants are labeled as degenerates, as lowlifes not worthy of praise.

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

New Defeatist Video

While this may sound like grindcore group Defeatist have released a new video to support their latest effort Tyranny of Decay it's actually just the latest video we have put up on the NW MetalHead Youtube page. Check out the death/grind beauty that is Defeatist as well as the rest of the mindblowing metal available to view \m/

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Nergal and Behemoth are back!

Following a long bout with leukemia, frontman and guitarist Nergal is back on stage with Polish blackened death metal legends Behemoth. The band is about to play 6 dates in Poland and have released a new video for the song "Lucifer" off their latest album Evangelion. A haunting epic that is decidedly evil, the video shows exactly who Behemoth are and demonstrate that no disease can bring down these titans. We are all happy that Nergal is getting better and ready to kick the asses of heathens all over the world. Check out the video below.

Behemoth "Lucifer" (OFFICIAL VIDEO | Uncensored) from Metal Blade Records on Vimeo.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Russian Metal Bands Playlist

Recently, the most hits that we here at NW MetalHead Productions have been getting from outside the United States has been from the other side of the world, Russia. While not a country on the forefront of the metal world, there are many diamonds in the proverbial rough. Being such a large country, the landscapes of the region can vastly differ from each other, bringing forth many different types of metal. Whether they are from the bustling big cities like Moscow or from the dreary depths of Siberia, metal is coming from all parts and is in all forms. Here are a select few that span the genres, from folk to doom to prog to black, it’s all here.
Arkona
Hieronymus Bosch
Abstract Spirit
The Sullen Route
Mactep aka Master
Alkonost

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Metal Festivals in the US

As the summer of 2011 comes to an end, we realize all of the fun we’ve had going to shows, buying new records, hanging out with friends and listening to tunes, and simply enjoying the sun. That is life in the United States in the summer. Life in Europe seems to be a little different because they don’t just get the chance to see a few big acts come through every once in a while, they get the chance to see festival after festival after festival. One of the biggest things I admire about Europe is they truly embrace metal and give fans the chance to see as many bands as possible in huge settings that are usually saved for pop acts. Hellfest, Wacken, Sonisphere, Reading, Download, MetalCamp, Damnation; these are just a few of the many festivals that people on that side of the blue marble get a chance to witness every year. In addition to the amazing experiences of seeing so many different bands, huge underground acts that reunite or rarely perform live generally save these festivals as their few chances to play. That is why I probably will never get the chance to see Bloodbath live, as they have only performed a handful of times and it always at European festivals. There is only one good festival in the US and that is Maryland Death Fest, but as a result of the huge distance across the United States, many people cannot afford to make the trip over there. And the rest of us are forced to deal with touring festivals, which are generally filled with talentless trend hoppers and just one or two decent bands (see 2011 Summer Slaughter). Those of us stuck up here in the Pacific Northwest might not ever get a chance to see one of the huge, underground metal festivals, and that is a complete shame. One day, we here at NW MetalHead Productions would love to put on a metal festival here in the great Northwest, one with huge touring acts and not just a couple local acts. However, I would love to put local acts in with the bigger acts in order to give them more exposure and show that our roots come from the local front. And there would need to be a variety of bands so that the audience doesn’t get bored. Whenever there is a show and 4 bands in a row sound exactly the same, the concert can get very tedious.  So here is one lineup we would love to have at our Northwest Metal Festival (official name tbd):
Gravenloch
Fueled By Fire
Carnal Forge
Ceremonial Castings
Melechesh
Municipal Waste
Grave
Nevermore
Hail of Bullets
Bloodbath

Saturday, September 3, 2011

NW MetalHead Productions Facebook Page

Don't forget, all my Facebook users out there, to Like our Facebook page. Its a great way to find out when we have new posts on the main site as well as get a chance to meet and interact with other fans out there. And once we get more people subscribed that way, more promotions and maybe even some give-aways or contests will begin. However, before any of that happens we need you all to connect with us. So go to the Facebook page, Like it, suggest it to friends, and take part in the fun!

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/NW-MetalHead-Productions/175109482547455

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Exhumed - All Guts No Glory Review

Exhumed – All Guts, No Glory
I remember my days back in college when I didn’t know any better and tried downloading anything and everything under the sun. Anytime I even so much as heard a band’s name I typed in it the file sharing program that everyone on campus used and found as much music as I could ever imagine. I found a great deal of average one hit wonder bands, I found more than a few horrid bands, and I luckily discovered several bands I still love to this day. And on one magical day I came upon a band more intense and brutal than anything I had ever heard, one that truly sounded like a serial killer indiscriminately murdering entire neighborhoods of people. “Limb From Limb” by California based brutal beasts Exhumed was that intense song for this young listener. And ever since then I have been a big fan of their take on death metal and grind. After 8 years of waiting the world is finally bestowed a fresh batch of gory riffs and hellacious blast beats. Matt Harvey’s vokills (I hate using this term but there really is no other way to describe his voice) are as disgusting and throat rippingly brutal as ever. This album certainly does not disappoint.
Track number 7 entitled “I Rot Within” is one of the standout songs on the album. From the moment the song starts it is as vicious as anything I have ever heard. Harvey’s scream about 10 seconds into the track set forth a pace that many bands cannot even dream of keeping. When the dual vocals kick in, a certain sense of sickness is plagued upon the listener, one that mere mortals could never stand to listen to for more than a few moments. Soon after a blistering guitar solo entrances the audience into a state of bliss that is soon destroyed by more screams. All in all it is one brutal track that set the plane for the rest of the album. The first track the eponymous track and it is all instrumental, but not in a calm, showy fashion. It shows brutality from the get go. Track 2 “As Hammer to Anvil” keeps that feeling going and pushes it a little further. The lyrics showcase Exhumed’s love of gore and inhumaneness.  “I smash your brittle bones to powder/Screams crescendo ever louder/Your shattered torso now gone to bits/A puzzle of pieces that no longer fits.” The entire album continues in the same fashion with such hits as “Your Funeral My Feast,” “Necrotized,” and “So Let it be Rotten… So Let it be Done,” each song more intense and ferocious than the last. From beginning to end the band barely lets the listener breathe for more than a brief moment before inundating them with more blood soaked carnage. Put this one on whenever you really want to piss off your neighbors.




Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Recent August Metal Releases

There have been a ton of great releases put out in the last couple weeks and we here at NW MetalHead Productions want you all to bear witness to all the glory the metal underground has to offer. Everything from sludge to death to black that has come out and destroyed the aural senses of the darkest souls that inhabit their parent’s basements is represented here. And this is just a small taste of what has been birthed from the shadowy depths of our little scene.

First up is Signo Rojo, a sludge band out of Sweden that just released Promo Album 2011. This band emits murky filth that can make the listener need a cold shower to wash away the grime. The strained, gravelly vocals pitted against the slow moving, paint a beautifully harsh scene that can’t help but pull the listener in. come forth and enjoy the heavy.



Next we got the newest release from Polish legends Vader. They are never a band that strays too far from the proven path yet they never get boring. Welcome to the Morbid Reich is the latest in a long line of death/thrash albums that this European group has been unleashing upon the masses since 1983. The album doesn’t stand out too much form previous releases such as Litany or Necropolis, but that is not a bad thing because those albums are absolutely incredible. This is another album to add to the ever expanding collection.



Another band from across the sea is Italian tech-death beasts Fleshgod Apocalypse who released their second full length Agony which has been lauded by just about every single critic in the underground world. There are countless tech-death bands these days that are fast and technical just for the sake of extremity but FA do something a little different, they actually write songs!! They are able to combine the fantastically brutal roars of death metal with beautiful clean singing and even majestic piano playing. This, along with guitar wizardry that doesn’t bore the listener with endless meandering, makes FA a huge up and comer in the death metal scene.



And to close out this little round-up of August releases is a very underground black metal band from Australia, Erebus Enthroned. Their first full length album Night’s Black Angel was released with little to no fanfare but has caught the ear of many in the underground. Their brand of black metal isn’t raw but also isn’t as polished as many newcomers to the scene are but tread that line between and create a filthy batch of music that Dimmu Borgir wishes they could concoct these days. It is a solid start to their career and this writer sees limitless potential.


Tuesday, August 9, 2011

New Wolves in the Throne Room

Cascadian black metalists Wolves in the Throne Room have released a new song via NPR for the world to hear. The new album entitled Celestial Lineage is set to be released September 13 via Southern Lord Records. WITTR is a band that has a decidedly Northwestern sound and feel. When one listens to WITTR they feel as though they have been lying in the rain drenched woods on the Olympic Penninsula while various forms of wild life stalks around their campsite. This track in particular is a little different from what most poeple think about when WITTR is mentioned but it still carries the same weight as their rawer tracks. Hear the track "Woodland Cathedral" and make you own feelings knowon the forum! http://www.npr.org/blogs/allsongs/2011/08/09/139148014/wolves-in-the-throne-room-a-room-filling-processional

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Internet Good, But People Better For Metal

In this day and age, the internet is the main source for finding new music. With the click of a mouse button and a stroke of a key, just about any band that has ever existed is at our fingertips. MySpace was one of the first sites for bands to create profiles and it was a vital cog towards getting their music out to a broader audience. YouTube was and still is a great site for reaching the masses. Bands can put their music videos or live performances on it and fans can upload their favorite songs for all to enjoy as well. We here at NWMetalHead Productions have our own channel where we have put up a few choice songs as well, check us out at http://www.youtube.com/user/NWMetalHead. Without teh interwebz I would not have found bands like Celeste (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQrU6-nhUy4), Dred (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HvO-jzjhTvQ), or Mass Extinction (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GezYvMREgo).  While the internet has definitely been a beneficial tool for people, including this writer, one definitely misses the personal interaction of discussing metal bands with friends as well as complete strangers. At shows people are always willing to talk about bands they have seen, local bands no one has ever heard of, or their own bands. Something I have definitely noticed over the years is that metalheads are always excited about telling others about new bands. It is a sense of pride that we all have when we are able to show other metal maniacs the bands we love. In addition, simply attending show will sometimes show you new bands that you were never aware of before. I discovered 2 bands the last couple times Amon Amarth came through. Ensiferum and Holy Grail are two amazing bands that I had never listened to before but am now in love with based off their live performances. So even though the internet is an amazing tool to find and discuss music (this site being an excellent example \m/) be sure to not simply be one of those internet elitists that rag on anyone who doesn’t know about some Norwegian black metal band that only released one demo in 1989 but is “the greatest band evar!” Go to shows, create a community, and share the metal we all love!

Sunday, July 31, 2011

We're Back!!!

We haven’t been posting much recently but don’t worry, NW MetalHead Productions is still alive and kickin ass! We have some great new material in the works and we are excited to get it to all you metalheads out there. So in the meantime here are some of the best of recent releases.

Tech-death heroes Gorod recently put forth their newest EP with re-recorded songs, a cover, and a brilliant new epic that spans over 15 minutes and is an amazing journey set forth to amazing composition. Here is the re-recorded version of “Earth Pus” from 2005’s masterpiece Neurotripsticks.



One of the most anticipated returns finally came around this year, Poland’s Decapitated released Carnival is Forever. Many journalists are hailing this as one of the most crushing releases of the year, other are a little disappointed because it in their minds does not live up to their previous releases. However, even though it is not a copy of the brilliant Winds of Creation, this new album is definitely not a lemon. Decapitated is still a beastly death metal release that will eviscerate the uninitiated.



Another highly anticipated reunion this year was Exhumed, one of brutal death/grindcore’s early heroes. They aren’t particularly technical nor are they interested in poignant lyrics, they are simply here to play bloody, guttural death metal for the masses. Here is one of the standout tracks.



This is a very small sample of some of the best that underground metal had to offer in the past few weeks. Be sure to check back in because we will definitely be bringing more music and news to you all in the weeks to come. And be sure to create a user name on our forum so that we can continue to grow our metal community \m/

Friday, July 1, 2011

Local Northwest Metal Bands Playlist

In an effort to gear more of our writings to the Northwest, we have decided to make this playlist a decidedly homegrown affair. We are solely featuring bands from Washington State, some of the finest bands to rear their ugly heads to the world. And in these selections we have decided to show them in the finest light, the live setting, where they continually destroy audiences both large and small. That is the best thing about local bands, they open up for the bigger touring shows and play for hundreds of people as well as 25 people in a small bar on a Tuesday night. They are not doing it for large amounts of money; these guys are playing for the love of metal in its purest form. These might not all be the best videos in terms of audio, but you can see the passion these bands put forth is just as real and intense as the larger acts of the world. So go out, listen to their recorded output, and support local metal!!!!



Gravenloch – The Dirge of Sunrise


Drakul – Valley of the Dead Oaks


Nekro Morphosis – Filtering the Flock


Future Disorder – River of Corpses


Deathmocracy – Abort


Project Black Book – In a Negative Light


Phalgeron – Feeding the Phlegethon


Shaded Enmity – Like Prayers on Deaf Ears

Thursday, June 30, 2011

NW MetalHead Forum

Don't forget, all my fellow heavy metal loving friends, to create a profile for the forum and start discussing metal!!!! Its free to sign up and you won't get any spam, so sign up and join the fun! You can start your own topics as well as discussing the ones already up. Get into the pit you crazy heshers!!!!! \m/

Sunday, June 26, 2011

A View From The Pit

Origin, Hate Eternal, Vital Remains, and Abysmal Dawn concert review

Several months had been leading up to this moment, many hours being glued to live YouTube clips tried to prepare me for the onslaught that was about to occur. Rarely on a tour are every single band playing a can’t miss act, but the ones at this show in particular was that rare occasion. Co-headliners of tech-death beasts Origin and inferno fueled death metal heroes Hate Eternal brought out old school death metallers Vital Remains and new generation tech-death masters Abysmal Dawn to leave a wake of destruction in their path. And all that build off was paid off on this eventful night.
First up was California’s own Abysmal Dawn, playing to a slowly growing crowd that was eagerly anticipating the night’s events. Playing songs off their breakthrough album 2008’s Programmed to Consume as well as their latest effort Leveling the Plane of Existence, each song seemed heavier than the last. One of the first things that I noticed was how incredibly heavy the drums sounded. I don’t know if it was just the sound guy was a drummer and wanted that to be prevalent, but their sound was so encompassing that half the crowd was entranced and the other half was swirling in a pit of destruction. It was the perfect start to the evening.
Next was Vital Remains, a band that has been around since 1988 and plays death metal like they are still stuck in that decade. Coming out onstage to dark lights and ominous music, everyone knew they were about to witness something completely amazing. The band had an incredible stage presence and knew exactly how to work the crowd into a ravenous frenzy. They played such blasphemous hits as “Hammer Down The Nails,” “Unleashed Hell,” and of course “Dechristianize”, their set was tight with the band simply playing song after song after song. The crowd was so worked up that people were crowd surfing, stage diving, and circle pitting non-stop. It was one of the most energetic sets that I had seen in a long time…but it was only the beginning!
First up for the two rotating headliners was the mighty Hate Eternal! Even though they are only a three piece their sound, stage presence, and energy was so strong that they seemed like six members on stage. Erik Rutan is a beast on stage, his vocals and guitar playing are unmatched which from the beginning set a precedent of brutality that grew more intense as the set went on. They played tracks off I, Monarch, Fury and Flames, and their newest effort Phoenix Amongst the Ashes, which is an absolute brute of an album. So ravenous was their playing that the crowd continued to surf and stage dive throughout the whole set. The band was obviously worked up as well as seen when a member of the crowd threw a bottle on stage Rutan threw his guitar down, stormed over to the guy and threw him down. The crowd erupted when Rutan screamed louder than ever before showing who the boss was. After that the crowd blew up even more and the band upped the ante playing wise as well. This was definitely one of the most powerful sets I have ever witnessed.
Having the unenviable task of following up that brutal set was Origin, the other headliner of the night. The crowd was visibly worn out from Hate Eternal’s set, with just a few people moshing during the first couple songs. The band was not going to let that happen, they were not going to let the crowd stand still. After a couple songs, the energy of the crowd began picking up and that fueled the band as well. Playing what seemed like the entire Antithesis album as well as songs off their newest record Entity and Echoes of Decimation, their set was incredible tight. Fret board gymnastics were being displayed in such a way that it was difficult to mosh around because of the frenetic playing. However the band’s new lead singer was moving from side to side throughout the whole set keeping the energy up both on and off stage. This was shown by the encore when he invited the entire crowd onstage to form a pit with the band themselves! However it got too brutal and cut the sound off and forced the end of the set. It was definitely not easy to headline over all those acts but each band seemed to up the energy from the previous band culminating in one incredible night. This one definitely will go down as one of the most entertaining shows I have ever been to!

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Punk + Black Metal = Kvelertak

In the 1980’s, punks and metal heads had a pure hatred toward each other. It was unadulterated animosity that was seen every time shows were put together that had bands of both genres. Fights would break out, shows would end prematurely, people would get hurt; it was simply something that was bound to happen at those shows. These days fans of either genre are generally fans of both genres or at least several bands from either genre. And once bands like Agnostic Front, Madball, and Suicidal Tendencies started melding both sounds into one incredible sound the trend started to take off. These days we still see the intermingling of genres in other forms besides crossover/thrash bands, although that is still prevalent. One of the newer bands to start creating punk and black metal mixtures is Norway’s Kvelertak. Their self-titled album has been creating a huge stir within the underground for about a year now and more people are taking a good long look at their black metal/punk take on music.

And they are doing something different from the majority of bands out there in that they are not singing in English but rather their native Norwegian. For this writer, it makes it more fun to have a few beers and try to sing along with the songs. Black metal is pretty much always a very serious subgenre, one where the artists take their playing and lyrical content to such an extreme that they will do such ridiculous things as burn down churches. With a band like Kvelertak, this level of seriousness is not as prevalent. They seem to be regular dudes who simply love heavy and extreme music. A new band of party metal has come to the forefront of the underground and this is definitely a band that more people need to get into. Listen to more of these guys and rock your fuckin asses off!!!!!




(Fun fact, cover art is done by none other than Baroness’ John Baizley)

Thursday, June 16, 2011

New Toxic Holocaust

Toxic Holocaust, one of the NW’s most highly acclaimed underground acts, is about to drop their brand new album Conjure and Command. Hailing from Portland, Or., Joel Grind is the main man behind this blackened thrash outfit that has been spreading their grimey, dirty riffs to heshers for over a decade. With this new album the band looks to new heights and tries to infect more metalheads than ever before. Two new songs have been released prior to the album dropping and they give us a solid idea of what to expect. The riffs are just as harsh, creating an atmosphere of dread that typifies this band. The vocals are just as caustic as ever however the production tends to clean up the sound a little bit allowing the listener to hear every throat shredding howl. In addition, the band decided to change their logo from the classic thrash look to a more black metal look. Either way the band is continuing their legacy of shredtastic black metal and we expect Conjure and Command to destroy all in their path. Check out their two released songs to get an idea of what to expect.


“Bitch”

http://www.decibelmagazine.com/featured/streaming-toxic-holocaust-bitch/

“Nowhere to Run”





Tuesday, June 7, 2011

More Metal Bands That Changed Their Sound

As a result of Morbid Angel’s first new album in 8 years, Illud Divinum Insanus, we have the newest addition to Metal Bands That Change Their Sound. This record is a little different from the other bands that we have discussed as they don’t just change their sound from one subgenre to another, they completely destroyed their classic death metal sound and transformed into terrible industrial nu-metal garbage. I, as well as many other metalheads, was stoked to hear the first material with David Vincent in 16 years as he was one of the originators of death metal vokills, he has been an icon of underground metal for over 20 years. Even though his vocal chords are still covered in molten steel, the production level is too clean for a band this dirty. In addition to that the drums are not the brutal assault that we are used to hearing and a great deal of the guitar riffs are very generic. Overall, this is going to be one of those albums like St. Anger and The Unspoken King that legendary bands would love to forget as the band’s fans consistently discredit and critics will generally pan (with the exception of mainstream critics who will herald the album as an excellent progression). So take a listen for yourself, listen to the classics then listen to the new stuff to make your own decision.

“Immortal Rites” from Altars of Madness



“Radikult” from Illud Divinum Insanus

Monday, June 6, 2011

Summer Time Party Metal Playlist

It’s that time of the year: backyard barbecues, bonfires at the beach, camping out in the woods, generally just a great time to interact with friends and enjoy life. And one thing that every good time needs is a soundtrack to keep the party going. The majority of people would not think of metal as the background music to a party but rather hip hop or 80’s pop hits. However those people could not be more wrong! Metal that is upbeat, maybe has a few sing-a-long parts, or simply gives the listener a joyous vibe all while bashing them over the head can be the perfect mix for a party.  So here we are going to list a few great songs to keep the party moving and guarantee that everyone is going to have a great time!
Holy Grail – Fight To Kill
Anthrax – Got The Time
Black Breath – Fallen
Municipal Waste – Born To Party
3 Inches of Blood – Wykydtron
Valient Thorr – Doubled Crossed
Turisas – Rasputin
Sonata Arctica – Flag In The Ground
Dream Evil – Book Of Heavy Metal
(This last one is a bit of a stretch for metal but it came on a metal compilation)
The Illuminati – Going Down

Saturday, June 4, 2011

NW MetalHead YouTube Channel

We're making sure you all don't forget about our YouTube channel. Here is our latest submission. Some great doom/sludge metal from lesser known band Eyes of Fire. Check it out as well as the rest of our channel!






http://www.youtube.com/user/NWMetalHead

Metal Revisited: Metal Church

Speed metal, thrash metal, power metal, heavy metal; these are all terms that could be used to describe Northwest legends Metal Church. The band formed in 1980 and lasted on and off through 2009, and consistently creating epic metal anthems throughout their long and arduous career.  The band was the brainchild of Kurdt Vanderhoof in 1980 during an inspired time when metal was really coming on as a force all on its own. Traditional metal and punk were forming to create thrash and Kurdt created a band that ambitiously fused both sounds to form something amazing. Their career started off with two remarkable albums, 1984’s Metal Church and 1986’s The Dark which heralded such classics as “Beyond the Black,” “Hitman,” “The Dark,” and “Watch The Children Pray.” Those two albums skyrocketed the band to underground fame which led to tours with Metallica, Judas Priest, and Overkill as well heavy rotation for their videos on MTV. As the band’s career continue to move forward, so did the number of people passing through their ranks.  Metal Church has seen enough lineup changes that could fill almost 5 completely separate bands which is something that most other bands would crumble in the midst of. Singers Ronnie Munroe and David Wayne belted out venomous lyrics while Kurdt, Craig Wells, and John Marshall all shredded through the memorable melodies that made the band who they were during all of their incarnations.  The power of the music as well as the dedication of its founder was the driving force to continue the band through those tumultuous times. Throughout the nineties and the 2000’s Metal Church continued to release quality outputs but never reached the stardom that seemed inevitable to the band in the eighties.  Their influence today is immeasurable within the likes of the retro thrash bands and the new wave of traditional metal bands that are popping up everywhere. Their sound can be linked to the original thrash bands as well as the newest group recently busting out in the scene. So at this time we need to pay homage to one of the greatest metal bands ever to grace our world. Metal Church never quite reached the heights that they should have ascended to, but those who know the band understand that this is a band that could have been one of the all-time greats.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Maryland DeathFest Playlist

This weekend marks the 9th incarnation of the United States’ biggest metal festival, Maryland Deathfest. A far cry from the megafests that occur every year in Europe, it is however hands down the biggest event in underground metal on this side of the pond. In past years it has attracted bands such as Autopsy, Gorguts, Bolt Thrower, Mayhem, Nuclear Assault, Vomitory, Dismember, Immolation, Repulsion, and Necrophagist among countless others. This year’s has many other top tier underground bands as well as up and comers that many people do not know too much about. Here is a small sampling of what the lucky ones who are going to be in Maryland this year are about to witness.

Neurosis – Through Silver in Blood
Coroner – Son of Lilith
Voivod – Killing Technology
Skinless – The Optimist
Dead Congregation – Source of Fire
Hail of Bullets – Operation Z
Impaled Nazerene – Armageddon Death Squad
Gravehill – By Scourge and Wrath
Hooded Menace – Laboratory of Nightmares
Ghost – Ritual

Saturday, May 21, 2011

NW MetalHead Productions Facebook Page

Be sure to "Like" the new NW MetalHead Productions Facebook page as it will be the place to show updates of new posts and new informations. It is also a great place for interaction with us as well as other fans. Stay tuned for more info!


http://www.facebook.com/pages/NW-MetalHead-Productions/175109482547455

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Metal Bands That Change Their Sound

Based on the recent news that spastic metalcore bandwagoners I Wrestled A Bear Once have decided to change genres and apparently become a black metal band, it made me think about other bands that have changed their sound throughout their careers. Some bands do this very well and have a very solid career while others plunge themselves into a hole they never return from. We all know that underground metal listeners are not a forgiving bunch and when a band changes their sound cries of sell-out or bandwagon jumper are screamed from thousands of computers worldwide. Here a just a few bands that have changed their sound from the beginning of their career to their most recent outputs. Please post more bands that I have missed as I am positive that there are many many more out there.

Therion
Death Metal
Power Metal

Metallica
Thrash
Modern Rock

Darkthrone
Black/death
Punk

Sodom
Black
Thrash

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Big Four Announce East Coast Show

The Big 4 of thrash metal has now announced another US live date. On September 14, 2011 at Yankee Stadium Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax will play their second live show on US soil. This comes as a followup to their successful California date on April 23rd. That was the first time that all of the bands had played together on their home turf of the United States which followed a series of successful stints playing festivals over in Europe. While most people were hoping for a full US tour, we only get a couple shows that leave out a majority of fans which cannot make those trips. There is always a glimmer of hope in the hearts of diehards that they will at least play a few more shows that allows more people to witness such an event, but I believe that this is it, no more shows after this. And I hope that I am wrong about that. If you are able to get out to the show definitely go to see these metal legends and pay homage to what they've helped create.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Today's Greatest Metal Album of All Time \m/

Made Me Do It by Swedish melodeath powerhouse The Haunted. 
The second full length from the band that arose from the demise of legendary Swedish death metal band At The Gates, Made Me Do It was the first of the group’s to include vocalist Marco Oro. Oro was the replacement for the original singer Peter Dolving, who in 2003 again joined the band and continues to lead the band. The album starts off with a short instrumental number that gives the listener a feeling of doom and dread that lets us know what we are about to experience. The main riff is a sinister piece of writing that, combined with the double bass pounding in the background, forebodes a truly immeasurable experience to come. The next track, “Bury Your Dead,” is a crowd favorite every time they play live. It is an incredibly fast and brutal piece of melodic death metal that is quite possibly the definitive song to mosh to. Complete with a mid-tempo part in the middle that lures the listener in before picking back up with the brutality, limbs are never stopping when this song is played live. The guitar solo might not be the most intricate or technical piece ever, but it fits perfectly in with the song showing that complete songwriting does have its place in metal.  Much of the album continues in the same fashion as “Bury Your Dead,” fast, intense, and unrelenting. One track that stands out as being a little different is the ultra melodic “Hollow Ground,” one that does have the trademark growl of Oro and amazing guitar work of Patrik Jensen and Anders Bjorler, but also includes some clean singing in the chorus. It is a track that gives the album a brief respite from the beating the listener’s eardrums incur throughout.  However tracks like “Leech” and “Human Debris” continue the onslaught that bash the listener over the head until submission is taken.  This album was one of the leaders of the melodic death metal sound that continued with Arch Enemy, Amon Amarth, Hypocrisy, and many more which has inspired countless bands in today’s scene.  To bring back memories of your youth (for those of us not in our teenage years) do yourself a favor and go back to this beast of an album and relive mosh pits that helped spur your interest in metal in the first place.



Sunday, April 24, 2011

Swedish Death Metal Playlist

By this day and age, every respectable metalhead knows about the legendary Swedish death metal scene. They have influenced just about every single death metal band that has come out in the past 10 years. Many of these bands started around the same time as the amazing bands from Florida that basically created death metal (Death, Morbid Angel, Cannibal Corpse, etc.). Even though we all know these bands, sometimes its good to go back and listen to these originators in order to pay our respects to the legends. So here you go, some of the greatest death metal bands that we will ever be witness to.

Dismember – Override of the Overture
Entombed – Left Hand Path
Grave – You’ll Never See
Unleashed – Shadows in the Deep
At The Gates – Kingdom Gone
Carnage – Dark Recollection
Vomitory – Pure Death
Desultory – Visions
God Macabre – In Grief
Therion – Future Consciousness

Friday, April 22, 2011

Nevermore Loses Two Integral Members

In another blow to the metal world, Seattle's own progressive thrash behemoths Nevermore lost guitarist Jeff Loomis and drummer Van Williams. Both were founding members of the seminal metal band that put out one of the best albums of 2010. Many are speculating that this separation came about because of the success of Jeff Loomis' solo album as well as singer Warrel Dane's solo album. In addition, the pre Nevermore band Sanctuary reunited for a few live dates (one this writer got to witness and was blown away by) and could become a full time band again. This appears to be the end of Nevermore, even though that has not been told to us by the remaining members of the band. Here is a statement made by Loomis and Williams:

"In a mutual decision Jeff Loomis and Van Williams have decided to leave Nevermore. The time has come to pursue our own paths from the group. Due to internal struggles and ongoing issues within the band, we feel it is our time to move on. We would like to thank all of our fans around the world for their years of love, support and enthusiasm. This was not an easy decision but a very necessary one at this point, may we all meet again someday, somewhere in time."

Information from http://www.metalunderground.com/

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

K.K. Downing Retires from Judas Priest

Some sad and quite perplexing news has come down from British heavy metal legends Judas Priest, that founding guitarist K.K. Downing has retired from the band, just before their last tour is to begin. Having previously announced that they are going to retire from music, Judas Priest stated that they are going to go out in style with a massive world tour to give their fans one last chance to witness the majesty that is JP. While they will still sell out every stop along the way, I believe that everyone will feel a little emtpiness inside as the whole band is not together on stage for their last hurrah. We still wish the best for Downing as I am sure that this was not an easy decision to make. Here is the  band's press release:

"It is with regret that Judas Priest announce that K.K. Downing has formally retired from the band and will therefore not be joining them on their forthcoming Epitath Tour.
"The band respect his decision and naturally all wish him well.
"Having thought long and hard about how to proceed, Rob, Glenn, Ian and Scott uninimously agreed that they should go ahead with the tour and not let the fans down around the world.
"Fate also stepped in and delivered the perfect replacement - 31 year old British guitarist Richie Faulkner - he has blended into the band perfectly and is a great talent who is going to set the stage on fire!
"The Epitath tour will include songs from every Judas Priest album and also tracks they have never performed on stage, plus all the old favourites!
"With a new album due to be released next year, the Metal Gods are preparing to tour the planet once more - Heavy metal at it's best with lasers, lights, bikes and hellfire! It's a show not to be missed!"

Info from http://www.metalunderground.com/

Friday, April 15, 2011

Newest Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal

The phrase “history repeats itself” is often thrown around these days and always seemed like an easy answer to what has been happening in recent times. The fact is, many times the phrase is completely true! In the metal community it was recently seen with the retro thrash scene. Bands such as SSS, Havok, Evile, Lazarus AD, and Municipal Waste brought forth sounds that reminded us of the amazing bands that began the thrash world back in the 1980’s. Some people, such as this writer, loved this new batch of bands that revitalized a slowing down sub-genre while others saw it as a group of young kids trying to pretend to be part of the past that they weren’t around for. Either way, it has been an exciting time giving a new generation a chance to enjoy a brilliant genre.

Now it seems as though there is another group of young bands bring that “retro” theme to their music. This New New Wave of Traditional Heavy Metal is bringing back the days of Saxon, Accept, and others that brought in the original sound. From the originators such as Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and Warlock, this new group of bands are taking their ideals of heavy music, soaring leads, massive melodies, and hard partying and bringing it into new ages. So here are a few of the biggest bands that are on the front lines of the wave. Make your own decisions on what you think of it.

Holy Grail – My Last Attack



Cauldron – Chained Up In Chains



White Wizzard – Over The Top



Enforcer – Midnight Vice