Upcoming Shows: *UPDATED*

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First and foremost, I am pleased to announce that CATTLE FREAKING DECAPITATION is coming to my humble hometown to play at The Locker Room on January tenth. That's one way to start 2015 with a bang. The official line up inlcudes Carrion Kind, Fields Of Elysium, Yar, Impaled Offering and A Malicious Plague.

Meanwhile, in Albuqurque, Launchpad will be hosting this show on December 18th. Show some love to Omingnome, touring from Georgia. 

I've never heard of any of these bands, but the flyer looks cool, so here ya go. 

 Until Chaos are back in the scene, and their reunion show will feature Savage Wizdom! Plus the venue is called The Damn Bar and if that doesn't make you want to go, you're a lost cause. 

The day after Jesus' fake birthday, Music Is The Enemy will be playing with Beard and Futilitarian at Burt's Tiki Lounge in Albuquerque. I definitely want to score some of MITE's sweet new merch. Check it:

Sha-weet!

On the same day, Inanimate Existence will be playing at the brand spanking new venue, Blu Pheonix, with support from Impaled Offering, Omnicast, Diminished Existence, and...Lithopaedion? How the fuck do you pronounce that? Whatever, looks like a kickass show. 

Last but not least, here is a show for you Oakland metalheads. I haven't heard of Bog Oak, but they have a wicked logo and I definitely have love for Wayfarer and Infinite Waste. Since I'm a couple thousand miles away, I won't make it to this gig, but if you happen to be in the area, do yourself a favor and check it out.

If you know of any more concerts and events, you can contact me here. Until then, I'm out. 

Savage Wizdom: A New Beginning

Santa Fe based power-metal champions Savage Wizdom have finally released their highly anticapated album, A New Beginning. Before I even opened the CD case, the bitchin' cover art already had me enraptured with this album. The striking image of a snake devouring its own tail is an ancient emblem with profound symbolism, a perfect image to embody the album,  exemplefying the triumph over adversity and the cyclic nature of good vs evil.

The music opens up with The Sands Of Time, a somber instrumental, then abruptly descends into heavier territory with the title track. A New Beginning is  a favorite anthem amongst local  rockers, who often sing along and headbang in unison. Another well known track is Do Or Die, originally released as a demo, which has been rerecorded and is heavier than ever. This is a lightning-speed, hard-hitting, bombastic account of a man's confrontation with the grim reaper.  Although Savage Wizdom remains true to the archetype of power metal that fans came to know and love from their debut, their  newest album indicates more musical maturity with heavier themes. Fans of the beefy riffs and righteous shredding of No Time For Mercy will not be disappointed, yet the subject matter is no longer fantasy escapism. The lyrics delve into deeper and more human fights against evil.  More pensive than most of the other tracks (excepting the maudlin ballad Far Away), Shattered Lives is my favorite song on the album. This is a song inspired by, and dedicated to, the children who struggled to survive in a Nazi regime. The lyrics are poignant and melancholy, complimented by the sorrowful melody plummeting into furious shredding.  Even a track like The Barbarian, which invokes Manowar with its primitive rhythm and haughty riffs, shows an unpretentious authenticity and raw talent that a more polished piece might conceal.

And did I mention that Blayze freaking Bayley does guest vocals for Let It Go? Goddamn right he does. This latest offering proves that Savage Wizdom has evolved and improved from their memorable debut. Although No Time For Mercy is a great album, A New Beginning is far more refined and focused. Absolutely fantastic. Four stars out of five.

Upcoming Albums

Savage Wizdom's newest offering, aptly titled A New Beginning, is expected to be released in the first quarter of 2014. You can tell just by the cover art that this will be one epic album. Not only will it feature brand new songs, but also a re-recorded edition of Do Or Die. Oh, and did I mention that Blaze freakin' Bayley does guest vocals? The tracklisting is as follows:

01) Sands of Time...
02) A New Beginning......................... (5:11)
03) Let It Go (feat. Blaze Bayley).........(7:30)
04) The Barbarian.............................(6:26)
05) Trail of Sorrow...........................(10:40)
06) Do Or Die...................................(7:10)
07) Far Away...................................(6:50)
08) Chase The Dragon......................(4:44)
09) Shattered Lives...........................(6:46)
10) Point Of No Return...................... (5:50)

Meanwhile, female-fronted Garage-Pop band, The Red Light Cameras, are in the process of making a new album as well. There are also tons of new music videos in the works, which you can watch by clicking this link to the band's website.   

 

As In We, an instrumental Prog group, have just released another stellar album, called As Above So Below.  The title itself is indicative of the band's musical dichotomy. Their musical style is defined by ambient soundscapes plunging into dark depths of agitated guitars and aggressive percussion. You can listen to a sample and download the album here.

Concert Review: Metal At Warehouse 21

Unfortunately, Anomaly broke down and were unable to make it to this gig. Those of us who just had to see them got a second chance tonight at Hooligan's Nightclub in Albuqurque. Anyway, the incredibly talented Savage Wizdom took their place at the last minute, and drew in a huge audience of loyal fans. 

The night was started off by Exalt, who play a fusion of Hip-Hop and Metal. Their musical style is in the vein of Rage Against The Machince, Faith No More, and pretty much all the other Nu-Metal bands ever. They were decent, considering the fact that I don't care for Nu-Metal. If you're into that kind of thing, more power to you. Exalt is pretty great, just not my cup of tea. 

Colossal Swan Dive was more to my liking, with heavier riffs, aggressive drumming, harsh vocals, and a more crusty musical style in general. This was Metal to which I could headbang in all good conscience. There's not much more I could say here... They have no gimmicks or novelties. Colossal Swan Dive is just three dudes playing good ol' Metal. 

I don't even remember Gutwrench playing at all. They must have cancelled at the last minute as well. This is very unfortunate, since they are a throwback to old-school 80's Doom Death Metal. Then again, they are from a completely different country (Mexico), so maybe red tape prevented them from playing last night. That really sucks, I bet they could put on one hell of a show! 

Headlining in the place of Anomaly was Savage Wizdom, a local favorite. If you don't know by now, they are the best Power Metal band in New Mexico. So think catchy riffs, clean vocals, lyrics about dragons, and  a front row full of headbanging fans. Like all Savage Wizdom concerts, this one was glorious. 

The afterparty was pretty sick too. Or so I assume, since I don't really remember it.  This morning, I woke up next to a Chihuahua in Savage Wizdom's studio. Things went from good to better when I realized there was tons of booze left over. Hair of the dog!  

So it was a pretty good night, full of drunk metalheads and uncertain circumstances. The bands who performed were all talented, but I must admit that I am disappointed that Anomaly and Gutwrench didn't make it. I would love to see them both in concert in the near future. 

As it stands, I give the night a rating of four stars outta five. 

Savage Wizdom: A New Beginning

This post is dedicated to the recently deceased Jeff Hanneman. 

Savage Wizdom has some epic tricks up their sleeves for their upcoming album, tentatively titled A New Beginning. This gem will feature guest vocals of the legendary vocalist/songwriter/sex god Blaze Bayley! This alone would make A New Beginning  a turning point in Savage Wizdom's career, even though it's the only full length CD after the debut of No Time For Mercy. This album promises all-new material as well as remastered tracks.

Although they've been busy with production and events like Dungeonfest, Savage Wizdom performed live at their studio on Friday night. I would have spread the word prior to the event, had I known myself. As it stands, those of us who just wanted to hang out with the band for a member's birthday party, were pleasantly surprised by a huge crowd, live radio DJ's, video cameras, and most importantly, booze. Opening up for Savage Wizdom was their guitarist Steven Montoya's side project, Heavensake. Their first time playing on stage was filmed live, taped live, and broadcast internationally. Metal World Radio is to thank/blame. Here is a link to the video, which is impossible to embed for some fucking reason.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3U5PoDLLSE&feature=youtu.be


Not bad for their first gig. However, the spotlight shone even brighter on Power Metal veterans Savage Wizdom. Their magnum opus thus far is Shattered Lives, based on true stories of WWII Europe. Even those who escaped the horrors of the deathcamps were suffering from poverty and destitution. At that particular place and time, Jewish children would have to hide in squalid conditions, scavenge for food, and struggle to survive. Shattered Lives is an intense, virtuosic song inspired by, and dedicated to, those children.  The agitated guitars play a brutal melody, while the vocals are melancholy and haunting. No online content is available, so this song alone would be worth the purchase of A New Beginning.

 The sneak peek itself warrants five stars. The album is still in production, but stay tuned for updates!

New Albums Of 2013

Hey dear readers, I bet all four of you love "Blackened Thrash Hardcore Punk with a touch of Death." That is how Torture Victim describes themselves, and it pretty much hits the nail on the head. Their music boasts lightning fast riffs with a combination of clean and dirty vocals. I could only find the lyrics for two songs, which appear to be the usual Death Metal canon of genocide, mortality, gore, and legions of the undead. However, most of their songs feature vocals clean enough to discern, and the subject matter remains the same morbid stuff that nightmares are made of.

So basically, it's a nice flashback to old-school Crossover Thrash. If you enjoy Municipal Waste or Suicidal Tendencies, you'll get a kick out of Torture Victim. They are releasing a new LP, aptly titled Of Darkness And Power. The tracklisting is as follows:


1.Draugar
2.The Deciever
3.Weapon Zero
 4.Zombie
5.Suffer Agony
6.Human Debris
7.Embraced by Baphomet
8.Dormant Evil
 9.Black Portals Of Madness
10.Fatal Wonds

Check out some of the new songs, as well as some old tracks from their first LP, available on Reverbnation and Facebook. Or even better, come to the Release Show on May 11th at Launchpad. Admission is only $8, and the CD is only $10! Sweet deal.

In other news, local Heavy Metal rockers Savage Wizdom are also releasing a new CD in the near future. The production is still in the works, but from the sneak peek I got, I can tell you to set your expectations sky high. This is gonna be tight. Savage Wizdom is one of the few modern bands who play traditional Heavy Metal, the genre that started it all. If you bang your head to 80's NWOBHM such as Iron Maiden, Angel Dust, and Diamondhead, put Savage Wizdom on your list.

Speaking of NWOBHM legends, I hear they have a certain somebody on guest vocals... I'm sworn to secrecy for the time being, so I guess I'll just light this cigarrette aBLAZE and drink some BAILEY'S...

Haha, I'm such a bitch.

Recent Concerts: Reliving The Memories

Have I mentioned that it's a pain in the ass to type up reviews on a smart phone? It warrants repeating, regardless. This sucks. But on the bright side, I've been so swamped with awesome metal shows that my ears are still ringing. Anyway, here's what went down recently:

 

Much like Dante was unable to express the beauty of heaven in his Paradiso, despite the fact that he's a fuckin' famous poet, I can not articulate how sick this show was. Exhumed and Jungle Rot autographed my back-issue of Decibel magazine, and they put on one hell of a show too. Other than Fields Of Elysium, I have not seen any of these bands live before. The only way I can describe it is like getting hit by a Semi-truck and experiencing a spontaneous orgasm upon impact.

So basically, check the tour dates for Despise The World 2013 and book tickets in advance. It will hit your neck of the woods before you know it. Hey, if you're lucky, maybe you'll even get an after-party like we did in Albuqurque.

The very next day was the 9th Annual Music Night at the Museum of International Folk Art. It doesn't have a flyer, because I guess gallery artists find them too uncouth. Well, I did start a museum-mosh-pit for the 2nd year in a row, and that is VERY couth. I also drank tons of their fancy-pants sparkling cranberry juice and made some obscene crayon drawings. Did I mention the whole thing was to raise awareness of AIDS/HIV? It was a good night. 

I digress... There were only 2 bands that rocked hard enough for my memory to even retain their existence. They are Sun Plexus and On Believer. Sun Plexus is a female fronted alternative rock band. Basically, think Sublime meets The Pixies. And god-damn, can that guitarist make his instrument wail. Although I did love their music, we all know my heart lies elsewhere, in heavier territory...

On Believer is a Metalcore group comprised entirely of high-schoolers. It's not what you think. They are a lot better than some whiney Bullet For My Valentine cover band. In fact, I'm impressed that such young kids have so much talent. Don't get me wrong, there is definitely room for improvement. But if they sound this decent so early on in the game, I can't wait to see them realize their full potential in the near future.

 

The very next day was Dungeonfest, which I  was unable to attend. Chances are, if you're reading my blog, you didn't see it either, and that makes me feel better for some reason. 

Actually, no it doesn't. We both missed a pretty sick line-up. Regicide is old-school grind metal, Carrion Kind is thrashy death metal, Savage Wizdom is traditional heavy metal in the vein of NWOBHM, and Blinddryve is like Nu-Metal. 

In my defense, who the hell wakes up on 4/20 before 2 PM? No-one I know, that's for sure. 

Now to reduce my thoughts to a simple numeric value for each respective event: 

Despise The World Tour obviously gets five stars:

 

 The 9th Annual Music Showcase gets 3:

 And I get a frowny face for being a slacker and not even getting off my ass to see Dungeonfest.

Even More Last-Minute Updates

 

Danzig is coming! How did this manage to slip my mind?! 

 Just in case you can't make it to Albuqurque for that show, fear not, Santa Fe has it' s own shindig going on the same day. This flyer is a hot mess, so allow me to translate for you:  It's taking place at the Locker Room sports bar, located at 2841 Cerrillos Road. The Metal bands include Blinddryve, Savage Wizdom, Carrion Kind, and Regicide. The other musicians performing are Midlife Crisis, Sublmnl Rnsns, Jovan Dante Griego, and Jah Branch. This event is sponsored by all the little logos along the borders. 

 

There have been changes to the line-up of this show. Monostereo opens things up with electro-indie instrumental. Then Distances will perform their signature style of heavy-hitting Instru-Metal. Next up is Feud Of Temptation, who I have yet to photo-shop onto the flyer.  (Smart-phone, remember?)  Headlining is the obscenely talented Michael Lee Ostrander, who shall shred your ears out. Other than that, same place, same time. 

See you there!

Pre-emptive Strike

My 21st birthday rapidly approacheth. As such, I have made an educated guess that I will be incapacitated for approximately a week thereafter. So this one post will have to last you a while, which is unfortunate because it obviously sucks.  I would post flyers for upcoming shows, but my computer is acting infuriatingly slow, so you will be content to read about whatever Metal-esque thing pops into my head.

For starters, the ridiculously talented Savage Wizdom are currently in the process of creating a new album. They were cool enough to give me a sneak peek of the new material, and I have to say, it totally rocks. It still has the traditional Power Metal vibe of their previous album, No Time For Mercy, but has been refined to be a little heavier. As soon as I aquire a functional camera, I can present you, dear reader, with video evidence of their musical prowess. The closest comparison I can make, musically speaking, is to Helloween: It's basically traditional Heavy Metal, but faster and somewhat Thrash-y. On the down side, all this time in the studio means less time on the stage. They are making themselves scarce for concerts, but rumors abound about a possible show at El Rey Theater in the near future. As soon as these rumors are confirmed or denied, I'll update it.


HN-88 have just released their new album as well, which is available for download. You have to pay for it this time, because their first album, This Is Not The End, was something they just handed out  to everyone for free. They were trying to spread the love of music or something. Damn dirty hippies.
Xmortis has a new bassist, Soul To Rest has broken up, and Grinkai is M.I.A. Therefore, I have nothing interesting to tell you. I have writers block like a beast. However, in my own defense, I know I'm not the only one. Let's just blame it on the paparazzi and call it a day.

Happy 4/20

Long story short, I'm dressed in drag trying to look like Toki Wartooth. Don't ask how things got to this level. Even as I type, innocent passerby are gawking at me in my altered state. I am little more to these people than an amusing anecdote that they will describe to their sober friends in the near future.






By the way, the teddy bear isn't in any way unusual. I always have Antar with me, as evidenced by the creepy/lame facebook profile I made for him.

Actually, there is a reason I'm doing this nonsense. Tonight is the Drag Ball at my stupid school (St. John's College), so I put minimal effort and dressed normally but with an eyeliner 'stache. But for those of us who have better things to do, there's this:

I'm all about the local scene, but sometimes that just becomes tunnel vision and I forget that every town has a local scene of it's own. So for once, I'm gonna shut up about Santa Fe and Albuqurque and talk about other New Mexico shows. This one is in Gallup. The fact that there's a band called "Orale!" makes me so happy that I can not possibly articulate my ecstasy. And when I saw the price of admission, I started laughing like Beavis and Butthead.

So that was my token flyer for a show that takes more than an hour driving time. Enough of that nonsense. Albuqurque's own Malarky's bar will be hosting a Metal show with... Uh, those guys in the picture, I guess. And it's not just on 4/20, but on the recovery day as well. NO COVER?! Being a cheap ass, I love this concert already. Too bad I'm 20 years young.

 Launchpad fucking rules. This is the only venue that I've ever seen host an all-ages battle of the bands. There's also a bar adjacent to the concert room. There's grime and glitter all over the damn place. And they've proved their worth for all-ages shows yet again with this magnificent freaking line up. Laughing Dog is old school Death Metal, who have become notorious in the local music scene thanks to their amazing performance at Bloody Ear Fest '09. Echoes Of Fallen are genuine, unrefined metal who blew me away at The Gathering Of The Sick a few years back. Torture Victim has hit the stage with the likes of Toxic Holocaust, Eulogies Of The Forgotten, and even punk bands such as Domestic Violence. I don't recognize any of those other bands, but I would sell my soul just to see the bands that I know. They rock that hard.

I already told you mongrels about this show. Eve Of An End were the worthy winners of a recent Battle Of The Bands, so you might want to check them out. Futilitarian is atmospheric, heavy fucking metal. They used to have vocals, but they rule so much that their transition to Instru-Metal was virtually seamless. Savage Wizdom is like NWOBHM: Traditional metal saturated with power chords and Halford vocals. Bodies Of Evidence are pretty damn killer too.

You may notice that I started this post around 4:20, and it is now 6:14. On a normal day, this would have taken me like 45 minutes. Happy 4/20 everyone.  :)

Upcoming Shows

I'm still recovering from the aftershock of the most recent concerts, and already bracing myself for the next. If I'm not back within a week, avenge my death.

Meanwhile, Futilitarian is looking at a busy week. 3 shows in 8 days is pretty intense. First they'll be hitting Hooligans Nightclub in Albuqurque, along with 5 other Metal bands. Distances is fucking amazing, and like the Instru-Metal style of Futilitarian, they are trippy and ambient. Night Of Revenge is some kick ass Metalcore. Think what Bullet For My Valentine would sound like if they were more badass.  Manias is crazy ass Death Metal from hell. Just talking about them makes me want to scream "WAKE THE FUCK UP." I don't know anything about the other 2 bands, and I guess I never will, because I'm a year too young to go to stupid bars. Oh yeah, by the way, this show is for 21+.  It's $5 at the door, show starts at 7 PM, and it's all happening this Saturday. By the way, this whole shindig is to celebrate Futilitarian guitarist Aaron's 23rd birthday. Hell yeah!

Next up, for all you college kids out there, you know how hard it is to study without any background noise. Join Futilitarian at the University Of New Mexico (UNM) campus on the 18th for a full hour of Heavy Metal. This is a free event for all ages, and it's happening at noon outside the Student Union Building. There's not a flyer, per se, but here's a combination of words and pics that say the basics in a nutshell.

Last thing on the to-do list will take place on that most sacrosanct of Holy Days, 4/20. Futilitarian will share the stage with Attackhead from California, plus New Mexico's own  Eve of an End, Savage Wizdom, and Bodies of Evidence. This show is at Hooligans Nightclub, so again it's for the 21+ crowd. I can't find the cover price anywwhere, but I assume it won't be much over the usual $5. I can't find the time the doors open either, but being a Metal show, they tend to be around 7 PM. So yeah, blaze one for the nation and then get your stoner ass to a Metal show. The Gods must be smiling on us, because they granted us a 4/20 that falls on a Friday. Divine providence rules!

Spill some blood in the mosh pit as due sacrifice. May these libations please my lords. Amen.

Well, that's enough about Futilitarian. For those of us who can't/shouldn't drink, there's an all-ages show on the 14th at Amped performance space. My homies from Destroy To Recreate are celebrating their 2 year anniversary, along with 5 other amazing Metal bands. Amped is kind of like Albuqurque's version of Warehouse 21, so don't bring stupid stuff like alcohol or drugs to the venue. The show starts at 6 PM, and

it's $5 at the door.  Smash some skulls and bang your head. Metal health will drive you mad.