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.

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/

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.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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!