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JUNE 16, 2008 In this issue: featured artists, free tracks, new videos, behind the scenes, in stores now, coming soon |
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Crank up the BPMs and get ready for some blast beats, people, it’s time for more mayhem in the latest edition of The Orchard’s Metal Newsletter. Last month, Bay Area Thrash progenitors Testament released a new album, The Formation of Damnation, to a tidal wave of praise. In fact, the metal vets’ mugs even ended up on MTV proper. See? That’s called karma! And, of course, we can only hope the same fate will soon befall the forthcoming Melvins album, Nude With Boots, a total tour de force of everything that’s made their 24 year career such a punch in the teeth. Invent grunge? Check. Reinvigorate sludge? Check. Tough to argue, folks.
Oh, and how about the goodies? After you check out behind the scenes peeks into new records from Keep of Kalessin and Scar Symmetry, give the videos from gloom mongers Lacrimas Profunde, and symphonic blacksters Hollenthon a shot. And, of course, don’t miss the OMN Exclusives: we’ve got two – count em, TWO – in our Free Tracks section, with a taste of the new Anathema on “Fragile Dreams,” and a quick pummel from the Bay on Testament’s “More Than Meets The Eye.” Elsewhere, we’ll guide you through the sweltering summer release schedule, with records on the way from Candlemass and Dark Sanctuary, and the recently-released scorchers from Tiamat and Tyr.
And, just because sales like this bear repeating, Nuclear Blast is celebrating a Heavy 20th Birthday by slashing the prices on their top 25 titles. We’re talking 5.99 for some of the best stuff in the catalog – from Meshuggah’s brilliant obZen, to In Flames’ Sense of Purpose, to Dimmu Borgir’s In Sorte Diaboli. Head over to Amazon to snag some copies today.
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Testament The Formation of Damnation [Nuclear Blast]Release Date: April 29 |
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The proper follow-up to 1999’s deafening fan-fave The Gathering, The Formation of Damnation features the original Testament line-up of vocalist Chuck Billy, guitarists Eric Peterson and Alex Skolnick, and bassist Greg Christian, with the addition of friend and former member, Paul Bostaph. Picking up where Testament left off at the end of the last century, Billy and company offer up some of the vintage breakneck anthems that landed them in the company of Slayer, Megadeth, Metallica and Anthrax. Continuing to cement their legacy as one of the finest bands thrash has to offer, Damnation is a scorching siren of intensity and fury. |
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Melvins Nude With Boots [Ipecac Recordings]Release Date: July 08 |
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24 years in the biz affords a band the “luxury” to do whatever the hell they want. Usually that means “mature,” “experiment,” and warm to silly grown up versions of themselves. But The Melvins, with a near quarter century under their Grunge Godfathering belts, will never grow up, they’ll never mature, and they’ll probably make records just like this for another 24 years. Of course, we’d have it no other way. Nude With Boots boasts vintage King Buzzo bluster, with those stegosaurus guitars anchored by Dale Crover’s kit killin’ and the fellas from Big Business on rhythm. Long live The Melvins. |
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Testament | More Than Meets The Eye from The Formation of Damnation [Nuclear Blast] |
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Melvins | Nude With Boots from Nude With Boots [Ipecac Recordings] |
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Candlemass | Droid from From The 13th Sun [Peaceville Records] |
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Dark Sanctuary | Abre Los Ojos from Les Memoires Blessees [Peaceville Records] |
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Kataklysm | Taking The World By Storm from Prevail [Nuclear Blast] |
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Tiamat | Until the Hellhounds Sleep Again from Amanethes [Nuclear Blast] |
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Keep Of Kalessin | Ascendant from Kolossus [Nuclear Blast] |
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Fozzy | Wanderlust [ft. Zakk Wylde] from All That Remains Reloaded [Ash Records] |
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Lacrimas Profundere | A Pearl from Songs For The Last View [Napalm Records] |
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Hollenthon | Son Of Perdition from Opus Magnum [Napalm Records] |
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Keep Of Kalessin | The Making of Ascendant | |
Norwegian Black Metal quartet Keep of Kallesin are blowing minds with Kolossus, the follow-up to 2006’s impressive Armada. So luckily, Obsidian C. and company have allowed fans access to the recording studio to see how the album was pieced together. |
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Scar Symmetry | Album Preview - PART 1 | |
Nothing better than boozing with Scar Symmetry. So, raise your glass and get psyched for this little album teaser, where the boys throw a couple back and chat about the “crazy stuff” on their “best effort so far.” |
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Kataklysm Prevail [Nuclear Blast] |
Eleventh album from Canadian death metal elder statesman. Features guest appearances from Pat O'Bien [Cannibal Corpse], Dave Linsk [Overkill], and Jason Suekoff. Recently toured with Dimmu Borgir, Shadows Fall, Behemoth. Allmusic called their last album In The Arms Of Devastation a contender for "Best Metal Album of 2006." | ||
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Fozzy All That Remains Reloaded [Ash Records] |
Expanded reissue of third album from nu-metal band fronted by WWE wrestling superstar Chris Jericho. Features appearances from Zakk Wylde [Ozzy Osbourne], Bone Crusher, Marty Friedman [ex-Megadeth], Mark Tremonti [Creed]. Sold 100K+ copies when it was originally released in 2005. | ||
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Bloodbath The Wacken Carnage [Peaceville Records] |
Live album from all-star Swedish death metal group featuring members of Opeth, Katatonia, Edge Of Sanity. Recorded in 2005 at Germany's infamous Wacken Open Air metal festival. "[An] astounding convergence of individual talents." [Allmusic] | ||
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Darkthrone Frostland Tapes [Peaceville Records] |
Three-disc box set of unreleased early demos, live recordings, and other rarities from the "true pioneers of the extreme underground scene" [Metal Hammer]. Includes the original version of the Goatlord rehearsal tape. New album Dark Thrones And Black Flags is due out in August. | ||
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Fall of Serenity The Crossfire [Lifeforce Records] |
Sixth full-length from German melodic death / thrash metal outfit. Features vocals by Sabina Classen [Holy Moses, Temple Of The Absurd]. RIYL: At The Gates | ||
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Tiamat Amanethes [Nuclear Blast] |
Ninth album [and first in four years] from influential Swedish goth metallers. Their catalog scanned 55K in the US as of June 2008. RIYL: Lacuna Coil, At The Gates |
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Tyr Land [Napalm Records] |
Fourth full-length from Faroe Islands-based Viking metal act, and favorite on this year’s Paganfest tour with Eluveitie, Turisas and Moonsorrow. |
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Hollenthon Opus Magnum [Napalm Records] |
After a seven year wait, Austrian black metallurgists return with the follow up to "With Vilest of Worms to Dwell." Once again Martin Schirenc delivers on "Opus Magnum," an album that does more than justice to its title. |
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Keep Of Kalessin Kolossus [Nuclear Blast] |
Composer/guitarist Obsidian C. is well-known for his years of live guitar work with Satyricon. But he himself shines on the fourth full-length from his Norwegian black metal quartet. The band was nominated for a Best Metal Spellemanprisen in 2008. |
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Candlemass From The 13th Sun [Peaceville Records]Release Date: June 23 |
Reissue of Black Sabbath-inspired 1999 album from Swedish doom metal legends. Includes three bonus tracks. | ||
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Lacrimas Profundere Songs For The Last View [Napalm Records]Release Date: June 27 |
What else would you expect from a band whose name means “Deep Tears” in Latin? Indeed, the eighth full length from Oliver Shmid and company is another slab of gripping German gothic metal. |
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Scar Symmetry Holographic Universe [Nuclear Blast]Release Date: July 08 |
Third full length album from Swedish melodic deathsters. Previous release, Pitch Black Progress, scanned over 10k. Toured North America with The Haunted, Dark Tranquillity, Into Eternity, Katatonia and more. |
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Dark Sanctuary Les Memoires Blessees [Peaceville Records]Release Date: July 21 |
Fourth album from French ethereal wave / gothic metal combo. Originally issued in 2005. "A great album [that proves] once again that Dark Sanctuary is one of the masters in the genre." [Metal Storm] RIYL: Dead Can Dance |
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Anathema Hindsight [K-Scope]Release Date: August 25 |
New semi-acoustic album from the UK band. Featuring old and new favorites set to new arrangements utilizing acoustic, electric, and orchestral instruments. Album also features cello player Dave Wesling of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. | ||
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