About.com Heavy Metal

Anvil Tour Dates

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:03:35 +0000

Anvil is set to launch "The Anvil Experience." The tour kicks off on January 7, 2010 in Cleveland, Ohio and will culminate in Vancouver on February 13. Audience members will be treated to a screening of Anvil! The Story of Anvil, before the group takes the stage. They'll be playing classic Anvil songs along with selections from their latest CD This Is Thirteen.

Anvil Tour Dates:
1/7/10 House of Blues, Cleveland, OH
1/8/10 Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto, ONT CANADA
1/9/10 Crofoot Ballroom, Pontiac, MI
1/10/10 House of Blues, Chicago, IL
1/12/10 Town Ballroom, Buffalo, NY
1/14/10 Sonar, Baltimore, MD
1/15/10 Irving Plaza, New York, NY
1/16/10 House of Blues, Boston, MA
1/17/10 Theatre of Living Arts, Philadelphia, PA
1/19/10 The Fillmore, Charlotte, NC
1/20/10 Variety Playhouse, Atlanta, GA
1/21/10 House of Blues, Lake Buena Vista, FL
1/23/10 House of Blues, New Orleans, LA
1/24/10 House of Blues, Houston, TX
1/25/10 Emo's, Austin, TX
1/26/10 House of Blues, Dallas, TX
1/29/10 The Pageant, St. Louis, MO
1/30/10 The Beaumont, Kansas City, MO
1/31/10 Gothic Theatre, Denver, CO
2/2/10 Marquee Theatre, Tempe, AZ
2/3/10 House of Blues, San Diego, CA
2/4/10 House of Blues, Anaheim, CA
2/5/10 House of Blues, Los Angeles, CA
2/6/10 The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA
2/8/10 Knitting Factory, Boise, ID
2/9/10 Knitting Factory, Spokane, WA
2/11/10 Wonder Ballroom, Portland, OR
2/12/10 Studio Seven, Seattle, WA
2/13/10 Venue Vancouver, Vancouver, BC CANADA

Tour Dates For Other Heavy Metal Artists

Anvil Tour Dates originally appeared on About.com Heavy Metal on Saturday, November 7th, 2009 at 00:03:35.

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Geist - Galeere Review

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:24:23 +0000

German black metal has never been a hotbed for originality, but the sextet known as Geist are seeking to serve as the exception to this unfortunate rule. The band's third LP Galeere is an enjoyable listen, and attempts to boldly take the genre somewhere it's never gone before...underwater.

Containing a scant five tracks, one could easily dismiss Galeere as an EP, until the songs' true epic intentions are laid bare. For most of these songs hover around the nine minute mark, with the album's closing track, "Unter toten Kapit�nen", clocking in at a full fifteen. The fact that Geist takes their time with songwriting works in the band's favor, for sure, as each composition possesses plenty of breathing room and space to grow.

Read the complete Geist - Galeere Review

(CD cover courtesy Prophecy Productions)

Geist - Galeere Review originally appeared on About.com Heavy Metal on Friday, November 6th, 2009 at 00:24:23.

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Slayer Interview

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:54:06 +0000

Slayer's place in metal history is secure. They are one of the most influential bands in the history of the genre, with some great albums and legions of memorable live shows. More than a quarter century later, the band remains at the top of their game. Their 10th studio album is World Painted Blood, which was produced by Greg Fidelman (Slipknot, Metallica). The band is very happy with how their latest CD turned out, as drummer Dave Lombardo relates. We also talked about the possibility of visiting his native Cuba, his kids' musical aptitude, and many other topics.

Chad Bowar: Slayer has a trademark sound, but each album also has things that differentiate it from previous CDs, and World Painted Blood is no exception. Is that something you focus on, or does it come naturally during the songwriting process?
Dave Lombardo: That's something that comes naturally as the songs develop. The sound (on World Painted Blood) had a lot to do with the producer and the engineer. The producer was there at the beginning of rehearsals. He showed up to listen to the band in its rawest form, which is just two half stacks, a drum set with no mikes on it and Tom with a small P.A. With that he was able to capture the band's true sound without any microphones or playing live or being masked by another engineer trying to tune the band. We were really happy with the process.

What was your selection process for choosing Greg Fidelman to produce?
He was a recommendation from Rick Rubin. If he recommends him, we're sure he's good. We're definitely happy with his choice, and we've knighted him the fifth member.

Read the complete Slayer Interview
Slayer - World Painted Blood Review

(photo courtesy Columbia Records)

Slayer Interview originally appeared on About.com Heavy Metal on Thursday, November 5th, 2009 at 00:54:06.

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Essential Grindcore Albums

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:46:44 +0000

Grindcore is a genre characterized by albums with dozens of songs with a general running time of two minutes, countless splits with other artists and consistently revolving band lineups. So it's often difficult to know where to get started if you are new to the genre. We've done a bit of the legwork for you and picked out 10 albums that are grindcore cornerstones.

Essential Grindcore Albums

(photo courtesy Century Media Records)

Essential Grindcore Albums originally appeared on About.com Heavy Metal on Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 at 00:46:44.

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Epica - Design Your Universe Review

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:45:46 +0000

Epica's symphonic style has always been front and center, and with Design Your Universe they've stepped it up a notch. The arrangements on songs like "Resigned To Surrender" are complex and intricate, with layers of symphonic sound. And Epica doesn't forget the guitars, which are in ample supply.

"Martyr Of The Free Word" supplies all of the elements of a standout song: strong riffs, catchy hooks, plenty of atmosphere and excellent vocals. Simone Simons' haunting soprano is contrasted by the death metal growls of Mark Jansen, providing an excellent balance. Most of the songs on the CD follow this general framework of dynamic and bombastic music, with primarily female vocals accented periodically by harsh male vocals.

Read the complete Epica - Design Your Universe Review

(CD cover courtesy Nuclear Blast Records)

Epica - Design Your Universe Review originally appeared on About.com Heavy Metal on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009 at 08:45:46.

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Vincent Locke Interview

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:09:20 +0000

One of the most important figures in the history of death metal likely wouldn't be recognized if he strolled into a concert. In fact, people would probably think he was a parent watching out for his kids. Vincent Locke is a soft-spoken dad who lives in the Michigan suburbs and spends most of his days working in his art studio.

Locke recently finished his most ambitious project yet for Cannibal Corpse; a full-length Evisceration Plague graphic novel that was distributed at stops on the Rockstar Energy Mayhem tour and during Cannibal's European tour. The book features a comic strip based on each song. If you don't have one yet, you might want to start scouring eBay as copies are already scarce. However, Locke hints that a similar collaboration with the world's biggest death metal band is a possibility.

Justin M. Norton: Which Cannibal Corpse cover is your favorite and why?
Vincent Locke: My favorite is the one that didn't make it on the cover of Kill. That was technically the best piece, and I think I captured my original idea, what I saw in my head. It's a really creepy image without being gory. It kind of upsets people, even though it isn't gory. I was influenced by Ivan Albright (magic realist painter who worked in the 20th century). He did the paintings for The Portrait Of Dorian Gray. In the movie there's a final painting, this horrific picture that showed how evil Dorian had been. I wanted to do that in this painting. Read the complete Vincent Locke Interview

(artwork courtesy Metal Blade Records)

Vincent Locke Interview originally appeared on About.com Heavy Metal on Monday, November 2nd, 2009 at 12:09:20.

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October 2009 Best Heavy Metal CDs

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 10:34:08 +0000

2009 is winding down, and October was another strong month for quality metal releases. This was probably the toughest month this year to pick the number one CD. It was a close call, but black metal veterans Immortal take the top slot. Check out the rest of this month's top 5 metal CDs, then post your picks in the comments section below.

October 2009 Best Heavy Metal CDs

Previous Monthly Best Metal CDs Lists:

(CD cover courtesy Nuclear Blast Records)

October 2009 Best Heavy Metal CDs originally appeared on About.com Heavy Metal on Saturday, October 31st, 2009 at 10:34:08.

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The Red Chord - Fed Through The Teeth Machine Review

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 10:05:52 +0000

After the ambitious direction of 2007's Prey For Eyes, The Red Chord takes a more streamlined approach with Fed Through The Teeth Machine. Gone are the multiple guest musicians, keyboard-heavy instrumental and extended intros/outros. Instead, there is an emphasis on brutal grind/death, shorter song lengths, and a tighter cohesion between the band members.

The Red Chord cranks out twelve tracks that blur the line between grind, deathcore, and death metal. The album oozes intensity, as every second seems more frantic than the next. Short two to three minute bursts of aggression are commonplace, as "Face Area Solution" and "Tales Of Martyrs And Disappearing Acts" leave an impression equivalent to a 2X4 to the side of the head. This single-minded outlook benefits the band, as they stay focused on creating a sonic melee.

Read the complete The Red Chord - Fed Through The Teeth Machine Review

(CD cover courtesy Metal Blade Records)

The Red Chord - Fed Through The Teeth Machine Review originally appeared on About.com Heavy Metal on Friday, October 30th, 2009 at 10:05:52.

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In Flames Interview

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:24:49 +0000

In Flames has been touring the world for the past couple of years in support of their 2008 CD A Sense Of Purpose. It's finally winding down, and their last North American show this year was in Charlotte, North Carolina. I had the opportunity to interview guitarist Bjorn Gelotte before the show, and we discussed the highlights of the tour, the status of fellow guitarist Jesper Stromblad, his transition from drummer to guitarist of In Flames, being one of the originators of the Gothenburg sound, and many other subjects.

Chad Bowar: You're wrapping up the North American leg of this tour tonight. How has this run been for you?
Bjorn Gelotte: It's been really good. Everybody that knows how tours are going is very happy. Walk-ups have been strong, and a lot of shows have been sold out at a time when people don't have a lot of money. I guess that says something. It's been a really successful tour. This time around we had an opportunity to meet a lot of people at the shows, with meet and greets and fan club meetings. It's been awesome. It makes the day pass much quicker, and you get to meet the people and get their input. It's a very important part of what we do.

Read the complete In Flames Interview
In Flames Concert Photos

(photo courtesy E1 Music)

In Flames Interview originally appeared on About.com Heavy Metal on Thursday, October 29th, 2009 at 00:24:49.

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Scary and Evil Looking Black Metal Bands Photo Gallery

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:47:17 +0000

Just in time for Halloween, here's a photo gallery to shock your non black metal listening friends. They look scary and evil with their corpsepaint, but except for a few freaks, most black metal guys are normal and down to earth offstage.

View the Corpse Paint Clad Black Metal Bands Photo Gallery

(photo courtesy Candlelight Records)

Scary and Evil Looking Black Metal Bands Photo Gallery originally appeared on About.com Heavy Metal on Wednesday, October 28th, 2009 at 00:47:17.

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