Ohhh, they’re back with a vengeance! Most of the guys have never really gone away. Vocalist Kevin Sharp is in Venomous Concept, Dan Lilker still plays with thrash band Nuclear Assault, and Rich Hoak drums with TFD. Brutal Truth was often on my peripherals when I was a teenager, so it’s great to see them again after all these years. This interview is one of the shortest here on the site, but isn’t it appropriate that a grindcore player holds that title? Hear about how they reformed, his love for the Minutemen, and the importance of the veteran band to modern audiences.

A fun interview with 22 year vet, Tommy Victor. The leader in crossover industrial thrash metal is back with a vengeance in Prong’s second incarnation, and is showing no signs of slowing. He’s still involved with Danzig and there’s no telling what he and Al Jourgensen are gonna cook up. You can hear him on the new Ministry live album Adios… Puta Madres, and there is a remix album of Prong’s 2007 album Power of the Damager called Power of the Damn Mixxxer, available soon!

Red Fang - “Red Fang” released March 31, 2009 by Sargent House Bloodthirsty young groove rockers explode from the Portland, Oregon underground with their debut album.  It’s slopping over with almost more riff-heavy crunch than you can handle, but they ably balance inventive harmonies with the unbridled revelry. They mean Big Business. They proudly wield The Sword (and other weapons, too … check out the hilarious video for “Prehistoric Dog”). They’re here to Clutch your underwear, give you all Melvins, and Torche the town. Whatever, that’s enough…just listen to it. From the initial blasting three-part combination of tracks to the downtempo dirge of 4 and [...read more]

Yep, that’s it up there. I love doing this so much, but there are costs involved.  Basically, this is a solo project that only recently started to grow outside of me, involving others in creating this metal portal. You’ve heard the spiel: it’s for time, energy, resources, travel, server costs, blah blah blah. So that’s not a spam thing, the money goes directly towards MIND OVER METAL … donate if you like. Hails!

Gay Witch Abortion – “Maverick” Released March 3, 2009 on Learning Curve.  Sounding a lot like Big Business demo tapes, the Minneapolis guitar-and-bass duo’s debut is alternately monolithic, melodic, and misguided. They’re at their best when channeling Lightning Bolt, unfurling instrumental onslaughts with ‘no regard for human life or the blood spilled’ (heh, Slayer was on Pandora when I wrote this). Vocals need work. Some sound really flat and mixed way in front (2, 6) but 10 has a decent Page Hamilton (Helmet) vibe. Their ‘ooh’ and aah’ vocals of “Curses” work well, as does the mellow delivery w/ [...read more]

Kylesa – “Static Tensions” released March 9, 2009 by Prosthetic Savannah’s psychedelic sludge quintet has recruited a new rhythm section for their fourth album, their strongest and most cohesive to date. 2006’s Time Will Fuse Its Worth started unique and memorable, but this changed as the album progressed, with underused members and too many instrumentals weighing it down. Static Tensions takes giant steps forward, with virtually no filler.  After an aggressive one-two punch, they unleash the album’s first great track, and show you they know how to use two drummers. From there, they lull you into a beautiful hypnotic [...read more]

Wolves In The Throne Room – “Black Cascade” released March 24, 2009 by Southern Lord The third album from Olympia, WA natives is aptly titled. These moonless atmospheres were recorded in the Cascade Mountains by Randall Dunn (Earth, SUNN O))), Boris) on 25-year-old equipment that must have been found on the sidewalk during a downpour (hell, we actually hear rain on 1 & 3). Like their last two albums, this features four long tracks (in this case, 10-14 min). They tend towards atmospheric din, but offer occasional respite to recover from the cacophony on every track. It can blow [...read more]

  Hammer Horde – “Under The Mighty Oath” released March 24, 2009 by Storm Surge We can finally look somewhere besides Scandanavia for epic Viking battle metal … and would you believe it’s Akron, Ohio? Standing in a snowy forest, clad in pelts, and well bearded, these guys certainly look like true believers, and sound like they’re heading in the right direction, with impressively interwoven vocal styles (rasps, wails, bellows, war cries), keyboards, and folk melodies (check the ocarina on 6 & 7). The tracks are fairly long (7 out of 10 run over six minutes). Sometimes they feel [...read more]

Overcast - “Reborn To Kill Again” released August 19, 2008 by Metal Blade A crucial root in the original metalcore movement of the early 90s, you may as well call the band ‘Overlooked,’ since three of its members graduated to more successful bands like Killswitch Engage, Seemless, and Shadows Fall.  We’re in ‘re-record land’ here, which always raises two questions: will the ferocity of the original music be retained and what effect will a modern production have?  The result isn’t as stunning as it was with neglected peers like Starkweather or Shai Hulud on their latest output, but is useful [...read more]

Absu – “Absu” [Candlelight] released March 10, 2009 by Candlelight The Dallas, Texas ‘mythological occult metal’ reemerges after an eight year hiatus to release their sixth album. Helmed by drummer/vocalist Proscriptor McGovern, a completely new lineup was recruited for this recording. Most sonically similar to black metal–with its grandiosity, rasped vocals, and fast tremolo picking–we also get elements of thrash, and dips into folk rhythms. Unlike the last three albums which focused on Celtic lore, this latest effort delves further into Sumerian history and magic. Several guest musicians, including Blasphemer (Mayhem, Ava Inferi), Nornagest (Enthroned), Mindwalker (The Firstborn), and [...read more]