As obsessed with Restless Streets as we are? Well we have some fantastic news for you Albany. Restless Streets has been set to headline an amazing line up on January 11th, 2012 at Valentines. Playing alongside them will be Our Longest Hours, Tradewinds, Decades and I Am The Anchor. This will be Restless Streets’ last show before they leave to record, more reason to be hyped as anticipation of this bands next release is huge . Show starts at 6:30, and doors are 16+, well priced for $8 in advance, $10 at the door. Tickets are available through all locals. Excellent last minute Christmas gift for sure!
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nj2Jvb5_CiM&w=560&h=315]
You can check out more on the bands listed above here-
Restless Streets: http://www.facebook.com/RESTLESSSTREETS
Decades: http://www.facebook.com/DecadesNY
I Am The Anchor: http://www.facebook.com/iamtheanchor518
Tradewinds: http://www.facebook.com/tradewindsmusic
Our Longest Hours: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002201032101
The European leg of GWAR’s “Return of the World Maggot” tour, scheduled to kick off in January 2012 has been cancelled after several promoters pulled the plug on shows, citing poor ticket sales.
GWAR spokesman Dave Brockie commented on the tour’s cancellation:
“Several of the promoters were alarmed by the low ticket sales, and they decided to start pulling the plug on shows. It got to the point where we had lost so many shows that we simply could not afford to do the tour.”
Brockie continued:
“We are super disappointed that this happened, and we apologize to all of our European fans for cancelling the tour. We did everything we could possibly do to save it, but it just didn’t work out. The tickets are fully refundable so make sure you get your money back!”
In other GWAR related news, Oderus and Balsac were recently “hired” by MTV’s Next Movie to review the new Steven Spielberg’s new epic, “War Horse”. Are your Mutant Overlords the next Siskel and Ebert???
“The one and only Austrian Death Machine spent some time in the studio recently, mostly to lift weights, but also to record a few new songs. The songs are based on the ultimate holiday movie, Jingle All the Way, which stars Ahhnold, of course! The songs are a regaling tale of the pursuit of a one “Turbo Man” doll, sung by Tim Lambesis and Ahhnold.
The digital version of Jingle All the Way will be available for download wherever downloads are sold and the limited 7″ vinyl single can be ordered now. This piece of vinyl will be the perfect stocking-stuffer for the most brutal of friends and family. Ahhnold only asks that the vinyl not be gifted to “puny wimps” or “girly men”.”(Metalblade)
Guitar solo on “I’m Not A Pervert” by Jason Suecof and Eyal Levi
Guitar solo on “It’s Turbo Time” and “Who Told You You Could Eat My Cookies?” by Mark MacDonald
Rhythm guitars redone by James “JP” Gericke
Drums redone by Jerad Buckwalter
Vocals by Tim Lambesis
Ahhnold by Josh Robert Thompson (It’s Turbo Time) and Chad Ackerman (I’m Not A Pervert)
Tracked and mixed at Lambesis Studios in San Diego, CA
Mastered by Alan Douches at West Westside Music
Now that all of that is done with, these songs can make you laugh your balls or side smile off at the same time as you slam yourself through a wall. This stuff kicks it hard and fast. “I’m Not A Pervert” is more than worthy of creating a circle of death anywhere. Ahhnold is all over the place and the music sounds like an imminent assault is gathering along the borders. “It’s Turbo Time” rips your facial skin off. Plain and simple. Love the old school speed metal drums on this, kind of reminded me of old Anthrax on an energy shot. “Who Told You You Could Eat My Cookies” is just brutal metal. Hints of Slipknot filled my ears and then sped up to rapid-fire attacks of riffs and solo’s that make most guitar players just smile and shake their head. Check this bad ass music out. NOW!
Southern California certainly gives us it’s fair share of metal legends. The Devastated are one of those said bands. If you have not seen the band live, the time is now folks. The band will be heading out on the road for the Fuck! All Your Friends tour this winter. There is no shortage of talent on this tremendous tour as the The Devastated will be joined by Dr. Acula, and Design The Skyline for nightly debauchery. Select dates will also bring In Dying Arms to the stage as well. One show of particular note will be the one taking place in Upstate, NY on March 9th. That night will be the closing night of the tour and the show will take place in Poughkeepsie at The Loft. It should be a sweaty affair as the bands and venue involved are at the top of their collective games.
The Devastated will be previewing new tunes from their Century Media Records debut, Devil’s Messenger. A formal announcement on the release of the new record is pending, but news on a drop date is rumored to be coming forth in the next couple of weeks. For now, you can check out the Facebook page of The Devastated where the band has posted two fresh tracks from the upcoming album. The intentionally dropped promotional tracks, Pseudo Smile Campaign, and Roof Top Panty Drop, are beautifully brutal representations of the raw power that the band possesses. Check out the tracks, and get your ass to a tour date!
“F*ck All Your Friends Tour”
2/1 – Barrington, IL @ The Penny Road Pub
2/2 – Peoria, IL @ The Brass Rail
2/3 – Des Moines, IA @ Vaudville Mews
2/7 – Ogden, UT @ Mojo’s Gallery
2/8 – Boise, ID @ The Venue
2/9 – Seattle, WA @ Studio 7
2/11 – Medford, OR @ Musichead
2/12 – Orangevale, CA @ The Boardwalk
2/13 – Simi Valley, CA @ Dream 118
2/15 – Las Vegas, NV @ Hypnotic Lounge
2/16 – Mesa, AZ @ The Underground
2/18 – Las Cruces, NM @ Event Center
2/19 – San Antonio, TX @ White Rabbit
2/20 – Fort Worth, TX @ Tomcats
2/21 – Houston, TX @ Vinyl Junkie
2/22 – Little Rock, AR @ Downtown Music
2/23 – Clarksville, TN @ The Coupe
2/25 – Atlanta, GA @ Swayzes
2/26 – Tampa, FL @ Transition Art Gallery
2/27 – Daytona Beach, FL @ Port Orange Elks
2/28 – Charleston, SC @ Jimbo’s Rock Lounge
2/29 – Spartanburg, SC @ Ground Zero
3/1 – Virginia Beach, VA @ Shakes
3/2 – Richmond, VA @ Kingdoms
3/3 – Viceland, NJ @ Hangar 84
3/4 – Lemoyne, PA @ The Champ
3/5 – Fullerton, PA @ Planet Trog
3/6 – Danbury, CT @ Tuxedo Junction
3/7 – Providence, RI @ PVD Social Club
3/8 – Long Island, NY @ Broadway Bar
3/9 – Poughkeepsie, NY @ The Loft
Upstate Metal is in the envious position of receiving hundreds of band submissions of some form, every week. I found that out this week when we happened upon the magnificently authentic German powerhouse, The Intersphere. To sum it up with great ease, the band’s sound seems to be a conglomeration of a sperm bank cocktail containing the DNA of Incubus, Muse, and the early progressive works of Megadeth. It is easy to pick out the influences within the music. However, you will be blown away by how the band weaves a web of grandeur and originality while emulating the icons that are stapled to their heart. This was evident on the track, Sleeping God, which is being streamed on the Noisecreep website. The song’s release is a precursor to the big news that is on the band’s horizon these days.
Sleeping God is a pre-release teaser of the The Intersphere’s brand spanking new release, Hold On Liberty. The album, which is the third release for the band, will hit the North American market on January 31st. Long Branch Records/SPV is the label lucky enough to be bringing this mesmerizing act to your auditory devices.
Note the press release:
“After playing over 350 live shows all over Europe including major festival appearances at Rock Am Ring and FM4 Frequency the critically acclaimed German alternative band THE INTERSPHERE returns.”
“On “Hold on, Liberty” the band has developed their style between boundless energy, rigorously complex songwriting and melodic esthetics. And almost irreverently, they succeed in giving their catchy melodies and rousing songs true depth and complexity. On top of all this, they capped their perfectionist tendencies by recording the entire album – in seven days – completely live in the studio. No corrections and no fixed edges – making this a subtly warm and engaging listen for realists as well as dreamers alike.”
We look forward to listening to the new record soon. A review will be posted in the near future. It is well worth listening to the tracks they have leaked out. You will see that the band is on the verge of something special. Check out the tracks, We Are, and Sleeping God.
As we previously posted, Every Time I Die had a run in with Club Infinity security at their annual Christmas show in Buffalo, New York. The video was posted and opinions were formed, and in a recent email to Upstate Metal the band had to say this about the incident:
“Apparently there’s an Internet. And on it, there seems to be a video floating around from our Christmas show in Buffalo last Friday. Is it of us playing a brand new song for the first time? No. It’s of a bunch of people pushing and pulling other people. It’s hardly a fight. It was a misunderstanding manifested in an aggressive fashion. The club had a strict “no people on stage” policy which we were not made aware of…we have a strict “we love when people get on stage” policy that security was not made aware of. While outside earlier that evening, a certain security guard even told me how awesome the last “Five Finger Death Punch” show was because people rushed the stage. There has always been a rule in Every Time I Die and that is “do what Five Finger Death Punch does. No more, no less”. Therefore, I fully expected that with fair warning (which I can be seen giving) kids would be allowed to join us in typical ETID/FFDP fashion. Security was not having it. With the safety of our fans being top priority, we tried to ameliorate the situation. It was hot and confusing and irrational and immediate as most fights are and in retrospect we have discovered that it was all due to a lack of communication. We respect the venue, the promoter and the securities obligation to keep the band safe. Had they been informed of our complete disregard for our own lives, however, perhaps they wouldn’t have seen the stage raiders as a threat, but they did, and interests clashed. To the venue, we are sorry for the unfortunate miscommunication between us and your staff. To the people that travelled, we are sorry about our set being cut short and the fact that most of you didn’t get to receive a Shitty Secret Santa gift…to our friends, how much fucking fun was that?”
From the stand point of watching the video, it’s pretty simply put that the video makes the entire mishap seem a bit worse than what it was. It wasn’t a matter of “security brutality”, and it was clearly a miscommunication. Did the staff overreact? Quite possibly. To be human is to err. Of course with the ever rising costs of overhead to keep a venue up and running, I suppose a touch of panic was understandable. However, if a venue is going to book hardcore or metal bands, they shouldn’t bitch about the crowd getting so into it. After all, it IS Every Time I Die.
For more information on Every Time I Die-
Facebook: www.facebook.com/everytimeidie
In surprise to fans of the McLovins, the trio of music prodigies from Hartford, CT, the band announced a lineup change. Jeff Howard, guitarist known as AxLovin will be leaving the band following their December 30th show at Pearl Street in Northampton, MA. Jeff was one of the founding members of the group, which became an online sensation when they posted a basement cover of Phish’s ‘You Enjoy Myself’, played so well that the band quickly grew an online following and soon began playing shows as their tour allowed. Recent years have seen the trio perform at StrangeCreek, Gathering of the Vibes, numerous shows at Nectars in Burlington (where Phish got their start) and venues across New England and New York State.
On a personal note, it is sad to see Jeff leave the band he founded. When I first saw the video, I was in the midst of planning the book release party for PhanArt at Revolution Hall in Troy. With Phish cover band The Flow, from Long Island, slated to play the show, I inquired about having The McLovins open for them. Greg Bell handled everything and they opened up the show, with Jeff, Jason and Jake giving an all instrumental performance for the 200+ in attendance. With Jake unable to sing due to a passing cold, the three members stuck to their instruments and played their first set outside of Connecticut. Playing Oye Como Va, Caravan, Birdland, Cissy Strut, Cliff of Dover, originals Purple Trees and Guillotine Machine and a set ending You Enjoy Myself, the audience was enthralled and the possibilities for this trio became endless. Having seen the band grow from Internet sensation to bona fide jamband has been quite a ride.
NYS Music wishes Jeff the best in the future and looks forward to seeing The McLovins new lineup performing across New York in the coming year.
Statement from The McLovins, 12/17/11
The McLovins Announce Changes for 2012
Citing the need to focus more on school and other interests, Jeff Howard, the beloved guitarist for The McLovins, will be leaving the band following their December 30th Pearl Street performance. We are sad to see our close friend and bandmate, Jeffrey, leave. He is a truly remarkable guitarist and has been an integral part of an extraordinary journey that the McLovins embarked on three years ago. We will always share incredible memories of that journey, and we want to sincerely thank Jeffrey and wish him all the best in the future.
As The McLovins move forward, we are also excited about our new lineup for the band. Beginning December 31, the McLovins will evolve into a four member group. Seasoned guitarists Justin Berger, originally from Philadelphia, and Atticus Kelley, from New Britain, Connecticut, will join the band, bringing with them significant performance experience. Justin, who has played with bands in the Philadelphia area, is currently at the Hartt School of Music and will also be sharing singing with us on stage. Atticus, a multi-instrumentalist, is a studying at the Hartt School as well and will also add singing depth to the group.
The band is so thankful for the love and support from the McLovins families, fans and friends who have helped to bring us to this point in just three short but amazing years. We look forward to continuing our journey, seeking venues beyond our New England base and great opportunities in 2012.
You can hear it in this video, the crowd chanting “asshole.” Every Time I Die had invited fans on stage for their encore, security at Club Infinity wasn’t having it. Watch below and tell us what you think!
THE SAFETY FIRE recently issued a press release updating the media about their plans to release a new record. I am being told that this collection of new tracks is going to be of great pleasure to long time fans, and mind blowing to the uninitiated. After sampling the album’s first single, Huge Hammers, I am convinced that we are going to be hearing a record full of highly innovative madness. Check out the press release below: “With their expansive atmospheres and soaring melodies, THE SAFETY FIRE has pushed the boundaries of technical progressive metal in the ever-growing British progressive music scene since their inception in 2006, and now the band is finally ready to release their first full-length album, Grind The Ocean! As the epic sequel to their critically acclaimed EP Sections, Grind The Ocean will be released on February 27th in Europe and February 28th in North America, so be prepared for THE SAFETY FIRE’s new progressive metal masterpiece coming soon!” “THE SAFETY FIRE guitarist Derya “Dez” Nagle produced and mixed Grind The Ocean as part of his “BlackBear Productions” operation, through which he also produced bands such as RISE TO REMAIN (Century Media), THE HAARP MACHINE (Sumerian), and PALEHORSE (Eyesofsound). The track-listing for the album is below:
Grind The Ocean track-listing
1. Huge Hammers
2. Floods Of Colour
3. DMP (FDP)
4. Anomalous Materials
5. Animal King
6. Circassian Beauties
7. Sections 8. Seagraves
9. Grind The Ocean
For anxious fans that can’t wait for Grind The Ocean’s release, the album’s first single, “Huge Hammers”, is now available for purchase on iTunes. THE SAFETY FIRE will also be premiering their music video for “Huge Hammers” in the coming days, so stay tuned for even more new material from the band coming soon!” Stay tuned in the near future for an album review and possible interview with the band.
It is no surprise that Red Fang was selected to open the American leg of Mastodon’s tour. The two bands are very similar in style and equally diverse from both a vocal and musical standpoint. For many metal fans, this is actually something of a dream pairing. With a recent press release, the band announced some other good news. “”The US tour we just did with those guys was one of the best ever, so we are thrilled to be continuing this magical journey with Mastodon in Europe!” Now the Europeans will get to witness the front line assault of the Mastodon-Red Fang pairing that ripped this country to shreds.
If you are not familiar with the sound of Red Fang, descriptions are long and plentiful. The sound of the band owes some pilgrimage to the altar that the whole sludge metal movement has crafted. It is easy to see the modern era influences such as Kyuss, the Melvins, and Mastodon within the band’s sonic wallop. Of course, Black Sabbath seems to loom large over the legacy here as well. In any case, the band crafts well thought out bursts of progressive glory. On their latest record, Murder The Mountains, the band has raised the bar of musical excellence within their camp. Everything on this record is of a quality that is nothing short of spectacular. Like Mastodon, the choices made in choosing the correct production team, have aided in the overall upswing of the material written. Chris Funk and Vance Powell have been involved with the production of many great albums by artists such as the White Stripes, Kings Of Leon, The Decemberists, and the Raconteurs. They work their magic here with unlimited promise. Tracks like the mega evil Throw Up, and the incessantly catchy Waves, are on a whole different level of studio shine without visionary compromise.
Although the band will not be going on tour again for awhile in the states, I highly recommend that you check out Murder The Mountains in the meantime. We will have more on Red Fang in the near future as we are hoping to bring you a dual feature with members of the band and Mastodon.
For more information on RED FANG:
facebook: http://www.facebook.com/redfangband
an amazing line up on January 11th, 2012 at Valentines. Playing alongside them will be Our Longest Hours, Tradewinds, Decades and I Am The Anchor. This will be Restless Streets’ last show 
before they leave to record, more reason to be hyped as anticipation of this bands next release is huge . Show starts at 6:30, and doors are 16+, well priced for $8 in advance, $10 at the door. Tickets are available through all locals. Excellent last minute Christmas gift for sure!
