In this episode we discuss current events, what’s Nate been listening to, independent music from DEATH IS THE NAVIGATOR from Southampton in the UK and SOULSTORM out of Canada, and we’ll wrap the show some tidbits from the music-related podcast community in the Podcast Roundup!
RIP Keith Emerson
Also, former BLUE MURDER Keyboardist NIK GREEN died after his battle With cancer.
SONG INTERMISSION (Featured Independent1):
Artist: Death is the Navigator (Southampton, UK)
from the Album: Heliognosis
the Song is: Once More http://deathisthenavigator.com
SONG INTERMISSION (Featured Independent2):
Artist: Soulstorm
from the Album: Devil’s Music (Vol. 1) – A mostly covers album
the Song is: Primal (The 2015 version) http://www.soulstorm.ca
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If you’re in a band and you’d like to be considered to be played on the Disciples of the Watch podcast, please email us at music@dotwpod.com
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1. Tridroid Records.
http://tridroid.bandcamp.com/ http://tridroidrec.blogspot.com/
2. ‘Loud As Hell Heavy Metal Festival V’ http://www.loudashell.com
3. It’s back! Over 90 tracks, over 7 hours of Canadian metal! Plus available for FREE download! It’s the WACKEN: METAL BATTLE CANADA presents Volume 4 featuring music from 2016’s competing bands from across the country!
6. There is still time to get your submissions in for the Ellefson Music Porudction’s UNDERGROUND SAMPLER! 20 unsigned artists will be chosen to be on a sampler released internationally, and inside EVERY EMP Label Group release!
Submission is easy. Upload your track to Soundcloud or Reverbnation, and submit it via email to emplabelgroup@gmail.com with the subject EMP UNDERGROUND!
In The Studio with Redbeard has an episode discussing the 45-year Anniversary of Black Sabbath’s ‘Paranoid’ album. http://www.inthestudio.net/
Ritual Madness podcast with Twin Town Tyrant Records was great and informative on their mission. Great local music, too. http://www.ritualmadnesspodcast.com
Greg Fitzsimmons’ podcast with Henry Rollins – EXCELLENT episode regarding his travels.
INTRO:
For our intermission, we’re going to play for you some ‘A Red Nightmare’ from Brazil and immediately after that we’ve got some ‘Wilt’ from Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada.
Artist: A Red Nightmare
from the Album: A Red Nightmare
the Song is: Enemy https://arednightmare.bandcamp.com/releases https://www.facebook.com/ARedNightmare/
Artist: Wilt
from the Album: Moving Monoliths
the Song is: Moving Monoliths https://wiltmanitoba.bandcamp.com/album/moving-monoliths https://www.facebook.com/wiltmb
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If you’re in a band and you’d like to be considered to be played on the Disciples of the Watch podcast, please email us at music@dotwpod.com
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1. Seattle’s RHINE have teamed up with Invisible Oranges for the premiere of the new track and fourth single ‘Dreaming of Death’ off their upcoming album ‘An Outsider’ due out on February 5th, 2016.
Commented vocalist/guitarist Gabe Tachell about the song:
“One of our most progressive and somewhat psychedelic songs, it’s about a fucked up nightmare I had.”
‘An Outsider’ is the follow up to RHINE’s 2011 debut ‘Duality’, which was first a solo effort by band founder Gabriel Tachell (guitar and vocals) whom is now joined by Alex Smolin on guitar (ex-Metameric), James Porter on bass (Ideofone), and Carlos Delgado (Inferion, ex-Death Crowned King) to collaborate on this project.
Seattle’s Rhine are seamlessly connecting German thrash metal with Swedish death metal much like their namesake, the Rhine River. The founder of the group Gabriel Tachell named it such for its simplicity and as a metaphor for fluidity and change.
2. Manitou Springs, CO based AKHENATEN is a Middle Eastern black/ death metal project created in 2012 by the Houseman brothers as a side hobby to their full time band Helleborus. With all music arranged by Jerred and vocals done by his brother Wyatt, the duo are now are offering fans a FREE download of their track ‘Ninurta: The Fall Of Anzu’ from their recently released debut album ‘Incantations Through the Gates of Irkalla’ via Satanath Records (Russia), Murdher Records (Italy) along with Darzamadicus Records (Macedonia).
‘As a token of our appreciation regarding the positive feedback surrounding this release, we are offering you all a free download of Ninurta: The Fall Of Anzu. Soon we will have shirts available with the accompanying illustrations by Dymond Starr. The artwork is a visual reflection the track as it depicts Ninurta slaying Anzu.’ comments vocalist Wyatt Houseman.
3. Hey – Any Canadian bands out there tuning in? Want to play in Cuba? Well, you have a chance to win a slot on the Brutal Brutal Battle Cuba tour! Submissions are now open for independent Canadian metal bands in Oshawa, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec, Fredericton and Moncton to submit to this year’s first ever competition. One group will win a performing slot on this year’s 2016 BRUTAL SUMMER FEST TOUR line up where they will be playing in front hundreds of Cuban metalheads each night.
“We have been working on this project for a while and we are really excited that it is finally happening! It’s a great opportunity for bands to experience touring outside of Canada and getting the chance to share the stage with international bands. Chase Wilson and I were part of the first Canadian metal band to tour Cuba in 2014. The cultural immersion as well as the musical experience really makes it a Brutal Fest!” comments BBC organizer Rich O’Neil.
4. Unbowed to release Dogma February 12th, 2016. With Dogma, the follow-up to Unbowed’s 2014 debut full-length, Collapse The World, certainly reflects the deeper meaning of the band’s monicker. The songs contained wiithin are eloquent, forceful, and wholly unyielding. The somber atmosphere of Black Metal is apparent whilst the band bludgeons into thick, suffocating Death Metal riffing. With your head already reeling, the band tears open the fabric of reality with soaring Orchestral and Symphonic elements that takes the listener from purgatory to paradise, all in the same fleeting moments. From acoustic guitars and grand pianos to choir ensembles and harps, this is a Metal release that pushes the boundaries of what an up-and-coming band can already be. On top of all this, the entire EP is self-produced. Written, recorded, mixed, and mastered entirely by the two founding members.
5. Toronto, ON Canadian metal band CAYM announce they will hitting the studio this February and March with Joe Duplantier of Gojira to produce their new yet to be titled album at his Silver Cord Studio in NYC. The new album will be the follow up to their 2013 release ‘From Red To Black’, which is available for FREE download at https://soundcloud.com/caym-metal/sets/from-red-to-black
In addition to hitting the studio, the band has launched a crowd funding / pre-order campaign for the new album offering various rewards to fans that includes a private CAYM show in drag, a BBQ, limited special edition hard copies, choice of a pop song cover, disposable cams with one of a kind pics capturing their studio recording, custom beer mugs, a workout with the band, used and signed gear from the recording along with many more perks all listed below and available at https://www.gofundme.com/caymalbum
6. Nefarious Realm Offers Up WORMWITCH Single ‘Coffin Birth’ As Sacrifice To The Altar Of Black Metal!
Black Metal newcomers WORMWITCH are offering their debut single for exclusive stream and download through Nefarious Realm.com for 2016. Their song ‘Coffin Birth’ will not be featured on their next EP, which has yet to receive a title. The new single offers a background to their transition from hardcore into Black Metal and touches on their Canadian influence from the infamous climate.
“Coffin Birth is the first song that Wormwitch has written under its name, and is the truest culmination of the band’s vision to date. The standalone covers themes of death and rebirth and the constant struggle of man versus nature; wherein nature exercises its timeless power to cast the blight of mankind into the endless void.” – Robin Harris (guitar/vocals)
The band has offered this song for free to everyone and will be announcing the release of their EP later this year.
7. Canada’s epic metal quartet and 2015 Wacken Metal Battle Champions VESPERIA announce they will be entering Blue Sound & Music Studios in Toronto, Canada this March to record their followup to 2015’s The Iron Tempests EP. Helming the project will be engineer/ producer Russ Mackay (Mastodon, Iron Maiden, Styx). The new album will feature an array of famous Canadian guest musicians and the art will be created by Juno award-winning artist Hugh Syme (Rush, Nevermore, Dream Theatre).
The Indiegogo campaign will give fans many special and unique perks for their contributions, including mead made by the band’s frontman Morgan Rider, Vesperia drinking horns, album pre-releases, the bands stage banners and much more! For all details and to contribute, please visit the following link: https://www.indiegogo.com/at/new-vesperia-album
The band comments:
“With the new year comes much and more from the Vesperia camp! We have been labouring away diligently behind the scenes to breath life into what will be our largest and most ambitious project to date! But to realize our ambitions, we are turning to you: our dear fans, family and friends for help in this new endeavour.
We decided that a crowdfunding campaign made the most sense to raise the necessary funds for our new album while allowing us the opportunity to give back to everyone who has helped build Vesperia to what it is today! We have crafted some truly unique gifts, perks and experiences to make this an incredibly special adventure for everyone. We cant wait to show you what we have in store!”
In additional news, VESPERIA will be supporting Finnish metal masters KALMAH’s 2016 cross Canada tour from April 4th – 24th.
8. Seattle, WA thrashers FALLEN ANGELS have teamed up with Revolver Magazine for the stream of their latest single ‘Into The Abyss’in support of their third studio release ‘World In Decay’ produced by Grammy award winning metal producer/engineer Michael Rosen (Forbidden, Testament, Death Angel, Flotsam and Jetsam, Tesla, Vicious Rumors).
9. Texas Metal Underground (TMU) Records have released their first ever free digital music sampler featuring one full mp3 song from their entire re-issued curated catalog releases.
TMU Records has provided the following mission statement:
Since 2008, TMU Records has been unearthing lost and unheard musical gems from the fertile underground Texas metal scene of the mid 1980’s through the early 1990’s.
To preserve and share this heavy musical legacy, the label focuses primarily on bands who burned bright, briefly, but disappeared without a trace before anyone could take much notice. Bands who managed to get a demo recorded but for reasons unknown never shared it beyond a close circle of friends and fans.
Whether on vinyl, CD, or cassette, all TMU Records releases are given lavish treatment with custom packaging, unseen photos, show flyers, interviews, informative booklets, rare bonus tracks and extras for the denim and leather die-hards.
For our final song, it’s Stuck in a Car, Stuck with a CD time! Bill from Metalsota – check them out at https://www.facebook.com/Metalsota for information on bands and local shows!
SONG #4
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FINAL SONG
Artist: American Headcharge
Album: The War of Art
Song: Never Get Caught
Episode 28 February 21, 2015
This episode we’ll discuss current events, see what Nate’s been listening to, independent music from Ataxia, we’ll discuss our opinions on the Megadeth future classic ‘Super Collider’ album, and we have a special guest Mike Ward from the band Mortificator in the studio today!
What’s Nate been listening to?
Artist: Motley Crüe
Album: To Fast For Love
Song: Starry Eyes
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SONG INTERMISSION (Featured Independent):
Artist: Ataxia
Album: Calignious
Song: Opprobrium
Notes:
Hailing from the frozen tundras of Canada, ATAXIA is an experimental, technical death metal band that combines sounds of the old school with that of the progressive new breed. Not unlike Montreal’s Beyond Creation, Vancouver’s Archspire, and Quebec’s Cryptopsy, Ataxia once again proves that Canadian death metal slams just as hard and furious as any!
The band’s debut full-length, Calignious, features guest vocals by Jason Netherton of Misery Index on the track ‘Opprobrium’. Additionally, the cover art was hand-crafted by Marco Hasmann (Beyond Creation, Devourment, Fleshgod Apocalypse).
For fans of: Suffocation, Hate Eternal, Deeds Of Flesh, Origin, Beyond Creation, Archspire.
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If you’re in a band and you’d like to be considered to be played on the Disciples of the Watch podcast, please email us at music@dotwpod.com
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6. Singapore Death Metal Band Assault have announced the track-listing from their upcoming “THE THIRD REICH”.
A rough mix of their new song “The Final Solution:”
7. ACID BUFFALO released their second single, “disorder.” Available for FREE at their CD Baby page http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/AcidBuffalo along with the band’s first single, ‘Sick Inside.’
If you have any news you’d like to share about your band to be considered to be shared on the Disciples of the Watch podcast, please email us at news@dotwpod.com
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Super Collider – Megadeth’s last release, is put under the microscope.
If you have any comments or such you can email Nate at nate@dotwpod.com or myself at gene@dotwpod.com or visit us at http://www.dotwpod.com. We’ll have show notes on our website with links and such. Also hit us up on Facebook by searching Disciples of the Watch or follow us on Twitter @dotwpod.
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FINAL SONG
Artist: Defiance
Album: Void Terra Firma
Song: Checkmate
Void Terra Firma was the second album by thrash metal band Defiance, released in 1990. It was the first album to feature vocalist Steev Esquivel, and it features their cover of Iron Maiden’s “Killers”.
Gene’s homework: Pantera songs with backing tracks?
Yes, Metal Magic had them, Projects in the Jungle had them, I am the Night had them, Power Metal had them, Cowboys from Hell had them (Psycho Holiday doesn’t though, Message in Blood has no backing guitar but dual-guitar leadwork), Vulgar Display of Power has them on Mouth for War, at the end of A New Level’s lead, Fucking Hostile, This Love, By Demons be Driven has some, Hallow does as well. (6 of 11)
Far Beyond Driven has them in tracks 1,6, and a bunch songs have no lead section. Great Southern Trendkill has them, Reinventing the Steel has at least 3 (Death Rattle, It Makes Them Disappear does in the very beginning of the lead but it’s VERY short, and I’ll Cast a Shadow does) as well as some songs with no leads.
Quick News Bites:
5. Found out why American Head Charge will not be performing at first Ave: “…we love First Ave. it’s just that we are doing a full headliner set Turf Club on Sat. 12/27 for our Holiday Hangover show. Hope to see y’all there!”
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Nate and Gene homework: Listened to and we discuss St. Anger/Metallica
Gene’s notes:
(Remember to deduct 1 point on all ratings. It’s the ‘Metallica’ factor…
Frantic – not the worst Metallica song. Not even close to the best. Every time he sings “Frantic-tic-tic-toc” tries to sound ‘frantic’ – I chuckle. No lead… 2.5 stars out of 5.
St. Anger – Nice thrashy part in there. Then it dies when the first verse comes in. That horrible snare sounds very much distracts me on this one. Keys work, but feels very un-Metallica to me as they’re SO present in the chorus. Song is way too long for what it is – almost like they thought that they needed to write something outside of the “radio length” that they’d done with the previous 2 albums. No lead… 2.5 stars out of 5
Some Kind of Monster – Sort of a passive lead going on here. Long intro on this one almost made me fast forward to the next song. 8.5 minute song? Not looking forward to this one. Lyrically stunted – not up to 80’s Metallica standards at all when James killed at turning a phrase. Ugh – chorus fell flat, no payoff for this lame-ass song so far and I’m not even half of the way through it. Dear god – why hasn’t someone fixed that snare by now?! These guys are millionaires – they can afford a new snare if it can’t be replaced. Finally – the bridge! Oh, weak. End of the song starting to get interesting – oh wait, more lyrics and another chorus to destroy it even more. What’s this? A TERRIBLE ENDING!! UGH! No lead!! Some kind of horrible song. 0 stars out of 5
Dirty Window – That god-damned snare is killing yet another song. So far, this one is better than Some Kind of Monster, but still lame-ass. Zero interest in this one lyrically. Lame laughing portion dropped more points. Whiny ‘Iiiiiiii’ ‘Iiiiiii’ singing part – lose even more point. No lead. Fail. 1 out of 5
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Thank god – Spotify played a commercial. I needed a break from that snare and these horrible lyrics. Oh dammit – another long song on a horrible album so far. Not looking forward to this one. Worst homework project ever…
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Invisible Kid – This intro shows the most promise, but that god-damned snare ruins it again. This song sounds better than the last two though so far. Oh great, the lyrics are right there with the snare – they ruin the song. Dear god – he’s still singing. Stop and get to a lead!! Nope – no lead, only more lyrics. Ugh. Trying to make it through – WHAT! I’m only half of the way through this 8.5-minute song!! Singing is getting worse! Inconceivable! No lead. 1 out of 5
My World – Another promising intro, but I’ve been fooled before. Oh – there’s the chorus. I vomit. Lyrically lame-ass AGAIN! I could easily fix this song with better lyrics and an unbroken snare. No lead, but a bass ‘featured’ riff. The lyrics at the end just cost them another .25 point. 2 out of 5.
Shoot Me Again – So far, this song isn’t as horrible as the last 4 or so. Oh wait – “shoot me again – I ain’t dead yet” ruins it. Ok, this song is one of the better ones on the album, but that damned “bridge” section or whatever you’d call it (“shoot me again – I ain’t dead yet”) needs to go. A lead may have helped it out, too. 2.75 out of 5
Sweet Amber – Ahh, there we go. Back to the suck. Has some interesting ideas in it, but the lyrics just lose it for me, and that damn snare debacle. Oh – the ending is getting interesting. No, wait – another chorus to kill it. Ugh. Rookies… No lead again. 1.75 out of 5.
The Unnamed Feeling – What?! Another weak-sounding song? Must still be listening to St. Anger. Will it ever end? No, it doesn’t. Lyrically lame again, bad singing on this one AGAIN! Well color me shocked. No lead. 1 out of 5
Purify – Ok, I’m digging this intro again, but waiting to be disappointed. Yep – there it is. There are a couple of good riffs that could be used in a better song. Maybe I’ll steal them and write something better than this dreck. No lead. 1.75 out of 5
All Within my Hands – I can’t believe how much Lars is in love with snare sound on this. Yuck. Featured in it’s own little section to start off this song. Sounds a little more experimental to start, but then falls short again once the lyrics start. Oh great, and it’s 8.75 minutes. Will Metallica finish strong here? I’m doubting it. So far, at almost 1/2 of the way through, I’m losing hope. There’s a few riffs here and there that are cool, but too few and far between. The bad parts overpower any little nuggets of good. “Kill Kill Kill Killl Kill Kill Killl Kiiillll!” LAAAAMEEE! This just became the 2nd worst song on the album. .5 out of 5
OVERALL:
Hetfield trying hard to sound “angry” and “Metal” at times. Almost seems like he’s trying too hard. Some singing was so bad I almost felt bad for James.
HORRIBLE snare sound. Guitar sounds are a bit weak.
Lyrically it’s stunted. Not up to Metallica’s standards from ‘…And Justice For All’ and previous releases.
Overall, I can understand Metallica wanting to venture into other avenues of music, like Pop Metal and Nu Metal. Lots of bands experiment with the “current flavor” of the times. (Kiss with Disco, etc.)
According to setlist.fm, here are the breakdowns of how many times these songs have been played live:
Frantic has been played 180 times, the most from this album
St. Anger has been played 172 times, the 2nd most from this album.
Dirty Window has been played 31 times live.
The Unnamed Feeling has been played 17 times live.
Some Kind of Monster has been played 3 times live.
All Within my Hands has been played 2 times live.
Sweet Amber has been played 1 time live.
Invisible Kid, Shoot Me Again, My World and Purify have been played 0 times live.
Total live plays from this album: 406 with 11 songs. St. Anger was released in 2003
To give you an idea on how bad these songs are, this album had tour support and everything. Here’s the breakdown from Death Magnetic released in 2008 – 5 years later:
1. “That Was Just Your Life” played 170 times
2. “The End of the Line” played 149 times
3. “Broken, Beat & Scarred” played 156 times
4. “The Day That Never Comes” played 155 times
5. “All Nightmare Long” played 102 times
6. “Cyanide” played 175 times
7. “The Unforgiven III” played 7 times
8. “The Judas Kiss” played 30 times
9. “Suicide & Redemption” (Instrumental) played 2 times
10. “My Apocalypse” played 37 times
Total live plays from this album: 983 with 10 songs. 577 more plays overall.
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FINAL SONG
Artist: Pantera
Album: The Great Southern Trendkill
Song: 13 Steps to Nowhere
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