Hydra Head Records Benefit?

The label that is going out of business for selling high-priced vinyls is trying to save itself with... high-priced vinyls? Clearly no one is taking my suggestion to heart.

Underoath to Split, Release Retrospective Comp

Today, Underoath have announced their intent to break up, going out with one final release titled Anthology 1999-2013. Details on this release and my thoughts after the break.

Possible Koi No Yokan Artwork?

In searching for new information about the new Deftones album Koi No Yokan, I discovered three possible images that could be the artwork for the upcoming album. All of which are presented in articles like artwork, but aren't explicitly described as such. It should be noted that any or all of these may be fan art, and likely won't become the official artwork, but it's still fun to speculate and wonder.

How to Save Hydra Head Records

I think I have a great idea on how to save Hydra Head Records. This posting started as an email to MetalSucks in hopes that they might publish it, but then I put myself in their shoes and thought, "Why they hell should we publish this?" So, I thought I'd finish the e-mail that I had started here so at least someone might see this.

All We Love We Leave Behind Artwork

Today, my quest of collecting information about Converge's All We Love We Leave Behind continues with a low-res pic of the album's cover, and details about the album's multiple release formats.

All We Love We Leave Behind Promo

I have been religiously checking various websites in an attempt to discover information about Converge's upcoming album All We Love We Leave Behind before the major media outlets get to it. Why? Because words cannot even describe how excited I am for this album, and because I'm always amused how I can find leaked information before everyone else. Cheap thrills I suppose. For example, I recently discovered the album art, track listing and 30 second samples of The Chariot's One Wing weeks before everyone else.

Today I noticed that Deathwish updated their page for Converge with a promo/press release thing about the new album. Check it out after the jump.

Go Buy the New Birds in Row Album

The title says it all. This will undoubtedly weasel its way onto numerous year-end lists. Also, how does the new Birds in Row album fit into the history of punk?

Cloudkicker Outtakes, Demos, B-Sides

Check out some free buried treasure from everyone's latest music crush Ben Sharp aka Cloudkicker. There are currently 41 new/old tracks with the possibility of more being added later.

Predictions: Converge's 'All We Love We Leave Behind'

If you've been following along, I like to make predictions about upcoming albums based on very little evidence. Sometimes I'm spot on, other times I'm way off. But I have fun doing it either way! Here's what I think about Converge's All We Love We Leave Behind today -- which still hasn't yet been officially announced by their label.

Deafheaven Split with Bosse-de-Nage

Hm, I've never heard of Bosse-de-Nage, but new Deafheaven is music to my ears.

Seeking Books on Modern(ish) Punk & Metal

Books about the origins of punk and metal have been published to death. If I see another book about Black Flag or Metallica I'm going to puke.

I was wondering if any of my readers knew of any books about punk/hardcore/metal scenes after the 1990s?

Here are the ones I currently own:

• Burning Fight: The Nineties Hardcore Revolution in Ethics, Politics, Spirit, and Sound by Brian Peterson (2010)
• New Wave of American Heavy Metal by Garry Sharpe-Young (2005)
• Precious Metal: Decibel Presents the Stories Behind 25 Extreme Metal Masterpieces by Albert Mudrian (2009)
• The Book of Metal: The Most Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Metal Music Ever Created by Chris Ingham (2002)
• HRVST: Death by Hendrik Thiele and Sebastian Thauer (2010)
• The Anti-Matter Anthology: A 1990s Post-Punk & Hardcore Reader by Norman Brannon and Aaron Burgess (2007)

There has to be more books about there about modern/contemporary bands than just these! Tell me what I'm missing in the replies.

New Cloudkicker album: 'Fade'

Delicious free (if you want) new music from everyone's favorite new mysterious prog-guru, Ben Sharp aka Cloudkicker.

[Update 2 - Audio Samples] The Chariot's 'One Wing' is going to be siiiiiick

I just realized that half of my posts were about new albums I'm excited about. Well, here's my newest crush: One Wing. Cover art, track listing, studio recording and me over-analyzing minor details lie within. [2 Updates] -- Totally forgot to mention WHO released the album, and I also found some 30-second samples of every song.

No Better Time For a Botch Reunion?

As much as I'd love to see hardcore legends Botch reunite, I'm afraid their window for reuniting may be closing. What do you think?

Beyond Excited for the New Birds in Row Album

So this blog has been really lame for the last five months. It originally started as a way to practice writing about music under a penname so I could get better and hopefully make a career out of it. It started to lose its magic when I was too busy with my actual journalism classes, and I was also expecting a lot more comments on my posts by now. So this kind of took the back burner for a while. Actually, I've written maybe a dozen or so new posts since January, but they're just rotting away in my drafts box half-written.

But today I feel full of energy and I'm just dying to write about the new Birds in Row album out later this year through Deathwish!!

2011: The Year of The Wave

My most popular posting, with a whopping 35 views since January 2011, was a blog about this new generation of hardcore bands self-dubbed "The Wave". Since it seems to be a popular topic, I thought I'd write a follow up.

I Have a Secret Crush on a Website Called Bandcamp

There are dozens of digital music distribution sites these days. New ones seem to pop up all the time, and old ones seem to disappear just as frequently over legal issues. In this blog I will sing my praises for one of the newest, and in my humble opinion, the best digital music distribution website on the internet. (Note: I wrote wayyyyy more than I originally intended for this blog, but I guess that just shows how large my crush is! I just kept thinking of nice things to say...)

On Recent Epitaph Signings and Why the New Every Time I Die Album Will Rule

I'm noticing a trend with some of Epitaph Records' relatively recently signed bands and their new material. If I'm correct, Every Time I Die's Ex-Lives will be quite the face-melter.