STONER SLUDGE DOOM AT THE BENDIGO
This Saturday August 24 at the Bendigo Hotel in Collingwood, catch a huge cavalcade of sludge/doom/stoner brutality featuring Broozer, Yanomamo, The Superguns, Arrowhead, Motherslug, Two Headed Dog and Seedy Jeezus. It kicks off at 5pm.
MORGUE READIES SOLO DEBUT
Morgue from Melbourne black metallers Agave Maize is preparing to unleash Mortal, the debut release from his solo project Mordavia, a one-man band in which Morgue plays all instruments. Drums, guitars, bass, keys and vocals. No session guys or programming. Two tracks will be played on PBSFM‘s Burning Bitumen on Friday August 23r at midnight with Kene, and the album is out on Friday September 13. It’ll be released in a limited deluxe box (only 50 copies), and once they’re gone only the digipak version will be available.
KING PARROT RELEASES VIDEO OF CHERRY-POPPING
After all the babbling about Bonox and having a Good Day, it seems the Australian underground metal community has gone mad about King Parrot. Since the release of the video for Shit on the Liver and their debut album Bite Your Head Off, the band have gone from strength to strength with successive national tours alongside Thy Art is Murder, Cattle Decapitation and Psycroptic and their self-funded tour of South East Asia with a performance at the legendary Obscene Extreme Festival in Jakarta. Now King Parrot are back with a follow-up video for the first track from Bite Your Head Off, simply titled Bozo. The video showcases the band in their natural environment, at one of their much revered, energetic and raucous live shows. Developed in conjunction with their video partners in crime at Black Box Films, the footage was shot in May at the famous Cherry Rock Festival in AC/DC Lane in Melbourne. Go check it out. And you can see them live on Sunday August 18 at the Metal & Hardcore Fest in Mordialloc, and on Saturday August 31 at BANG at Royal Melbourne Hotel.
NEW DREAM THEATER NEXT MONTH
Dream Theater‘s self-titled 12th album is released on Tuesday September 24 via Roadrunner Records. I’ve had a listen to it and, without giving too much away, it’s a monster. Guitarist John Petrucci described it to me thusly: “I think that the music on this album comes across as having a more gusty rock thing. When we were doing some of the solo sections we wanted to capture the vibe of playing live and improvising and playing with that kind of real fire that happens when you’re playing together as a band. That’s how we wrote it and that’s how we think it’s coming across.” And the band’s Live At Luna Park concert movie will be screened in cinemas worldwide beginning in October, so I’ll keep you posted about Melbourne screenings when they’re announced.
ENSLAVED. GRAARR.
Norway’s kings of epic metal, the mighty Enslaved, are hitting Melbourne on Friday November 1 at the Hi-Fi Bar as part of their Australian Spring Rite Tour 2013 with special guests Rise of Avernus.
GIG ALERT: BTBAM & THE CONTORTIONIST
Tickets are on sale now for Between The Buried And Me playing Future Sequence in its entirety. The Contortionist – who are amazing – will also be appearing on all shows. In Melbourne they’ll be at the Corner Hotel in Richmond on Wednesday November 19.
GIG ALERT: LAMB OF GOD & MESHUGGAH
Don’t forget the Lamb of God/Meshuggah Australian tour, which is rolling into Festival Hall on Sunday September 22. This has got to be one of the biggest metal shows of the year and a fine way to show your support for LoG frontman Randy Blythe who is a free man after that whole Czech Republic unpleasantness a while back.
KYUSS LIVES! AS VISTA CHINO
When Kyuss Lives! Were forced to change their name by a federal court judge in August of last year, there was only one option for a replacement – Vista Chino. Vista Chino is the name of the main arterial road leading to and through the band’s home of Palm Springs, California, where Kyuss originated over 25 years ago. Drummer and producer Brant Bjork suggested it to long-time cohort, vocalist John Garcia, who immediately understood that the moniker represented the ultimate personification of their roots. Peace, their debut album under the Vista Chino name taps into the same desert sound that made Kyuss legends, but it also shows that there’s no laurel-resting going on there. Bass is divided between Nick Oliveri and Mike Dean, and guitars are handled by Belgian-born guitarist Bruno Fevery. “We understood that people around the world had come to really love and respect Kyuss and the music,” Bjork says. “So we wanted to bring that music back to the people. But as musicians we want to evolve and challenge ourselves, and I feel we did both. We had a great run as Kyuss Lives!, now we’re ready to launch this new album as Vista Chino – we’re pretty stoked, man.” The album is out on Friday August 30 via 3Wise Records.
ANTHRAX NAME NEW GUITARIST
This one isn’t particularly surprising, but Anthrax have just named Jon Donais of Shadows Fall as their new lead guitarist. Donais has been filling in since Rob Caggiano‘s departure and he was with them for their Soundwave appearances earlier this year.
SOUNDWAVE ANNOUNCEMENT THIS WEEK
Speaking of Soundwave, the first lineup announcement for the 2014 tour is happening this Friday. Jason Newsted has already let the cat out of the bag that his band Newsted will be playing. Wonder if anyone else will spill the beans before Friday.
