Mantic Ritual awakens. Stay AWAKE!!

Good ol' "Japan" Nick Perkel brought a bit of news to the forefront with this article. All I have to say is MANTIC RITUAL is BACK, baby!

Okay…okay, I need to take it down a notch. I'm just excited. So far, they are reforming to play this year's Thrasho De Mayo in Los Angeles. That's all, it seems. Sorry. So sorry.

Baby steps. Baby steps.

You see, Mantic Ritual should afford the possibility of this little get-together to become a full-fledged reunion. Why? Because back in 2009, they released the stellar thrash album Executioner, and then let that Perkel jerk see them live on three different occasions before slowly falling apart.

What I'm trying to say, other than being jealous of anyone fortunate enough to see them on tour, is that their first album was a solid and slamming stepping stone to something earth-shattering - and I wanna HEAR it.

So enough of this not-yet realized fabled modern thrash classic which dances around in my dreams like a treasure of shining brilliance I cannot embrace! Album #2 needs to happen, dammit!

Tantara bassist quits! Max, we hardly knew ye...

So one of my absolute favorite NWOTM bands has lost its bassist.

Max Ejaxx, bass master for the thrash titans TANTARA has decided to exit the band. Apparently, his heart lies in other types of art other than thumping the rhythm strings. Sez Max on the Tantara Facebook page:


"I want to thank everyone of you for supporting, listening, banging your head and drinking to Tantara. For all the smiles, fists and thrashing heads I've seen on our shows over the past two years.
It has been a great experience for me. Recording the debut album and being a part of it all was amazing. I'll never forget it.

The reason for this message is this.. I have come to the decision to leave the band. It's a tough one for me, but it's for the best. I want to focus on art and other stuff right now. Being a musician is just a hobby for me at the moment.

The guys in Tantara respects my decision and I am still up for playing on the coming shows until they find a new bassist.

Looking forward to seeing the future of the band from another perspective and I promise you... the next album is going to be insane. Herregud."


Usually, losing a band member can be a frightening prospect, especially if the loss alters the band's sound in any way. I mean, if the band sucks donkeys, then maybe a change is for the better. However, Tantara doesn't suck donkeys, or any other animal for that matter. So, considering Tantara has put together some modern classic thrash tunes, here's hoping that the change won't kill the chemistry within the band, thus putting a damper on the songwriting.

As hungry as these guys are, I believe a new bassist (a new LUCKY bassist) will be found and Tantara will be just as strong as ever, cranking out the promised "insane" album we are clamoring for.

So now, the question will be…who will become the new bassist for TAN-f'n-TARA?!

You?

Probably not, but I'm sure it will be someone great. Now scroll down and thrash.

Visiting my dad's vinyl and re-revisiting my own stash!

Recently I was able to visit my good ol' mom and dad in southwest Kansas and dig through my old man's vinyl collection. I've been wanting to do that for a long time because I knew I had a few gems I kept in there from years ago, and it's been high time to take 'em back!

Thanks, dad for keeping them safe!

As I dug through, I found countless examples of classic rock albums - all belonging to my dad. I combed through Hendrix, Deep Purple, Blue Oyster Cult, Johnny Winter, Nazareth, Judas Priest, Joplin, Beatles, Trapeze, and many more, including tons of blues and jazz.

I kept thinking how cool it was that many of these records my dad owns were bought new off the shelf, right when they came out. At the time, who knew that Hendrix would become the legend he is today or that Smoke on the Water would contain the riff that launched 1,000 guitarists?

Some of my dad's records are weathered and beat to hell from years of use and abuse, but man it felt good pulling those albums out and giving them some overdue attention.

Then I found my stash! You see, my vinyl-buying time was rather brief before I switched to cassette tapes and then CDs. I have only a few vinyl albums, and it was during a time when I was feeling my way through music to see what struck a chord in me.

I found Pink Floyd, ZZ Top, Zeppelin, AC/DC, Kingdom Come, and the Howard the Duck soundtrack.

Yes. The Howard the Duck soundtrack.

That pretty much summed up my vinyl buying experience, but I still picked up a couple more records a few years after I made the switch to CDs, and those were the ones I was after.

Here is one of 'em:

I already had the Garage Days Re-Revisted on CD, but when I saw this poor guy stuck in the freaking CUT-OUT BIN for a measly $2.99, I snatched it up and to this day never opened it. It still has the "Do not pay MORE!!!" sticker on it.

Now, I doubt that I would sell it for $5.98, damn what the stick on the cover says (including the $2.99 sticker).

I plan to get a nice turntable in the near future, and I am debating whether or not to rip the plastic off the cover and give this record a spin. The collector in me was kicking me in the balls as I wrote that last sentence.


Here is the second vinyl I was after:

I got the Whiplash EP at a used dealer YEARS ago for about $10.  This baby still looks brand-spankin' new, and I just love looking at it.

When I spotted these in the up-righted stack of records, I grabbed them up, added them to my sad little pile of vinyl and danced around a bit. My dad blankly looked at me and smiled. He loves music just as much as I do, so he understood my enthusiasm.

After I calmed down a bit, I put my pile to the side and continued to dig through my dad's records, pulling out stuff even he hasn't seen for years. We poured through quite a bit of his collection, dusting off memories and conversing about the magic of music.

Just...awesome.

We still have a bunch we haven't even went though yet. I can't wait to go back and continue where we left off.

Speculation about Diamond Plate's line-up change

Wow, so I was in for a surprise when I read that Diamond Plate replaced bassist/vocalist Jon Macak with Matt Ares. Last I knew, these guys were on their way to record a second album.

Well, they still ARE on their way to album number two, but apparently the chemistry between Jon and the rest of the band had deteriorated to the point of kicking the guy out!

Here is the band's statement:

“Over the past few months we have been writing and demoing songs for the next album. During that time, we felt that the chemistry between Jon and the rest of the band wasn’t as strong as it needed to be. We decided to move on, and find someone that shared the same passion to create the music that we’ve always wanted to make. We wish Jon all the best, and we want to thank him for being a part of this band. We are extremely excited to announce and welcome Matt Ares into the band as vocalist and bassist. Matt has really been a breath of fresh air for us, and in the first two weeks of jamming with him we were able to create an entirely new batch of songs and finish demoing the second album. Matt’s voice and playing add new dimensions to our sound, and we can’t wait for everyone to hear the band now. Thanks for always supporting, and keep your ears open for a new Diamond Plate record in 2013.”

This hit me like a ton of bricks, but after the dust settled in my head, I began speculating. That usually leads to trouble.

Well, I HAVE to speculate since (as of this writing) I have yet to read an official statement from Jon himself as to what the hell happened between him and the other fellas. Maybe it's none of my business, but as a big fan of Diamond Plate who invests time into the band's music, I can't help but wonder.

I love the Generation Why? album but I know that there was a huge backlash from those who believe that Diamond Plate strayed from the sound found on their demo. Many detested the vocals. Personally, the vocals did not bother me in the least. Others didn't like that every song was full-on traditional thrash metal. Again, this did not bother me because the dynamics between the "slow" songs and the thrash numbers worked well within the album as a whole.

I'm bringing this up because I wonder if the backlash had something to do with Jon's dismissal. Were they listening to the detractors and decided a change would be for the better? Did management have a hand in this? Did the band want to go further into what Generation Why? had begun or did they want to abandon that and go pure thrash metal? Which camp did Jon fall into and was this the reason for the breakdown in band chemistry?

Speculation. My thoughts could all be bullsh*t and maybe he was let go because he's a Raiders fan or something. I don't know.

However, I am a fan of Jon Macak and if he chooses to continue in another band, I will check it out.

Also, I am a huge fan of Konrad Kupiec and Mario Cianci (he was in Thrash or Die for God's sake!!), so I will absolutely check out the new Diamond Plate album. I am curious as to which direction they will venture toward musically.

And yes, James Nicademus is killer, too (drummers don't get enough love around here!). James, you kick ass! \m/

In the end, I do wish the best for everyone involved, including new bassist/vocalist Matt Ares. I hope the future bodes well for 'em, 'cause I'm ready for some new metal!


UPDATE ---

It looks like Jon Macak had released a statement publicly. Here's what he had to say:


To all who are not yet aware, I am no longer with Diamond Plate. It has been an extremely difficult pill to swallow but it is the truth. I would like to take a minute to thank all of the wonderful people who have played a part in the good times and successes that we enjoyed while I was a member of the band: our manager  Frank Mastalerz for providing a calm voice and leading us through the difficult decisions; everyone at Earache Records for giving a bunch of kids a chance to live their dream when others would not; and all of the talented bands that we were fortunate enough to have toured and shared the stage with over the years for helping us learn how to be true professionals. All of the people mentioned above have my utmost respect and gratitude for the support that they have shown for me as well as the band during my time as a member.

In regard to my former band mates, I will attempt to jump the gun on some of the questions that I am expecting to get. I assume that many fans will want to know how or why the situation came to this resolution and my response to anyone wondering is that what happened is between Konrad, Jim, Mario, and I. My hope is that everyone will understand and respect that fact by trying to avoid any incendiary questions. What I will say is that due to how things transpired I am not currently on the best of terms with the guys but cannot overlook the reality of the situation. We grew up together, we shared countless adventures and amazing experiences together, worked our asses off to get where we got, and are who we are today because of the time we spent together. I am not happy about the end result but it would be ridiculous to release this statement without acknowledging what we accomplished.

Above all else, I would like to thank the fans that have given me the chance to perform onstage. Playing for you guys is what I am most thankful for and passionate about and I owe every good thing in my life to you for letting me do so all these years. Many of you know that my life has hit some difficult times in the past few years but the incredible and unending support that I have received from you was literally what helped give me the strength to get out of bed on a daily basis and face the obstacles that have been thrown my way. I have grown to be friends with many of you, especially in the Chicago scene, and I love and cherish each and every one of you. Going onstage to entertain you and bullshitting with you at the merch table is what I am on this planet to do and I will continue to pursue music as my career to do so. I will find a band that values the positives in my personality and performance and I will be onstage again. My desire to carry on despite what has transpired in my life is one-hundred percent thanks to all of you.

-Jon



So there you have it. Sounds like it wasn't amicable, but at least Jon seems determined to continue with music one way or another. I wish him luck!

The NWOTM Blog: Year Two!

So The New Wave of Thrash Metal Blog has reached its second year, and thanks to all of you, we keep growing and growing.

I believe the popularity of this blog stems from the lack of "thrash only" venues available online (or on the newsstands). Of course there are a few good ones, such as the Global Thrash Assault, among others, but for us thrash fans (along with thrash cousins punk/crossover and death metal), we take what we can get.

Usually, if you want to read about thrash metal, most of the well-known metal magazines, both on and offline, usually offer up a shred of thrash input to make room for the 100s of other sub genres within the metal community.

The NWOTM Blog tips the aforementioned formula on its head: I offer up a shred of other metal sub genres to make room for THRASH. I'm not dogging on the other sub genres (in fact, I like most of 'em), but what is a thrash-head to do when the pickings are so damn slim?

Well, I try to fill that open void just a little bit with the NWOTM Blog. Personally, I not only want to know more about the thrash bands I love, I also want to FIND MORE bands! As I have mentioned many times before, the grassroots is where it's at: local, hardworking, bad-ass thrash bands that have a couple unknown demos circulating on the Net.

I mean, you all already know about Evile, Municipal Waste, and Wabrbringer. Let the thrash world also hear about Sewercide! Condition Critical! Cuttin' Loose! Warsenal! Insanity Alert! The list goes on and on.

I find these bands (or they find me) that I think are amazing and want to share them with you all, putting them on par with the signed bands that I love so much.

Of course I will write about the more popular bands - I freakin' love those bands as well. However, I remember what it was like playing in a local band and trying to spread the word about my music, and how it felt when someone took notice.

After I posted the announcement of the NWOTM Blog's 2nd anniversary on the Facebook page, I received a comment from Pat Smith, the bassist for the Texas metal band Avenues of Approach, a band I recently posted on the blog. Pat thanked me for spreading the good word of metal, and then wrote:

"On behalf of AoA, I want to personally thank you! We are being listened to in parts of the world I would have never imagined possible, and that is all because of the NWTMB, and your dedication. While I don't see a "World Tour" any time soon, it's still really cool to say we're being listened to in 5 different countries! And the NWTMB is completely responsible for that."

Personally, for me, his statement is awesome. Awesome! Not in an ego-stroking way. It's just validation to me that the Blog is doing what its meant to do: Get the word OUT!

So thank YOU to all the thrash fans and bands out there who check out this blog (and its accompanying Facebook page). You fans display a love and hunger for thrash, complete with a NEED to search out and discover new bands who can crank out your favorite sub genre of metal. It's a passion that should never be extinguished.

\m/

I went to see Accept and Kreator and all I got was a kick-ass metal show!

The Teutonic Terror Attack concert with ACCEPT and KREATOR. Man, I was so close to not going to this concert.

The answer as to "WHY?!?" is rather stupid, considering I have never seen either Accept or Kreator live in concert, and living in Kansas, I figure there might not be too many other opportunities to see these bands…especially at the same show.

So, the reason I almost decided to forgo a night of pure metal insanity stems from the fact that I hate going to concerts alone.

Boo-hoo.

But dammit, this IS the Teutonic Terror Attack concert, so I had to man up and not allow the fact that all my former concert-going sidekicks either moved away or no longer go to concerts deter ME from having a good time. Man, getting old might suck, but I ain't gonna let it TOTALLY suck, you know?

The place had a healthy crowd, and by the time Accept hit the stage, the audience was ready to freakin' ROCK. Accept did not disappoint, crushing us with Hung, Drawn and Quartered, Stalingrad, Bucket Full of Hate, and Up to the Limit, among many others.

These guys were have FUN, and I love watching a band enjoy themselves on stage. Accept kicked my ass hard, and I was rocking out even though I knew I had to save some energy for Kreator (I told you getting old sucks).

So then it happens.

Accept finishes and then at least a quarter of the audience clears out of the club and goes the f*ck home. Argh! Now I know that some of the old-school Accept listeners come from a different world than the underground extreme thrash scene, but come ON. I just hated to see the crowd thin out like that before Kreator, a legendary metal band in their own right, hits the stage.

Mille and company probably took a peek at the crowd while Accept was on and thought, "Ah, zis is goot!" Then they hit the stage and said, "Was fällt dir denn eigentlich ein? Vat happen to all ze peoplez?" (I write a German accent just as well as I speak actual German).

However, the thinned audience didn't thin the skin of the Kreator crew. Also, I must boast, that the thinning crowd didn't bother me once Kreator started considering I was right up front, nearly 20 feet from Mr. Petrozza!

A photo I took with my really, really crappy phone.

When they hit the stage, they went all-out. Pure, blistering, sweaty, loud as hell METAL! Ninety percent of the show you get a nice silhouette of the band members as Kreator seem to really like the combination of fog and backlights. Mille displays pure bad-assery when he does his "metal dramatic" scream-betweens - "The Kreator has RETURRRRRNED!"

Freakin' awesome. Period.

They hammered the audience with an arsenal of old and new favorites including Phantom Antichrist, Phobia, Hordes of Chaos, People of the Lie, Violent Revolution, and Pleasure to Kill.

By the end of the show, I was freakin' HYPED that I can finally check Kreator (and Accept!) off my "need-to-see" list. I was also hyped that I didn't wuss out and actually went to the show. I'd be kicking myself now if I didn't.

Visiting that music world...taking that music trip

There are countless bands I like and enjoy their music. End of story.

However, there are a few bands out there, that when they put out a new release, I will live, eat, and BREATHE that new album. My enjoyment of the album goes beyond the music, although that is where it definitely starts. No, when these particular bands put out a new album, the act of buying and listening to it becomes a completely different experience than simply jamming out to some killer metal (although I am not opposed to that by any means!).

A few examples from my high school years include Sepultura - Arise, Metallica - ...And Justice For All, Megadeth - Rust in Peace, Danzig - both Self Titled and Lucifuge, D.R.I. - 4 of a Kind, Suicidal Tendencies - How Will I Laugh Tomorrow..., and Slayer - South of Heaven among many others.

Each of these albums were essentially little worlds for me to enter into and visit for a while. Each had a very specific feeling to them, and to absorb the full atmosphere of an album, everything about it had to be eaten visually as well as audibly.

For those who still buy CDs (and vinyl!), you know how it is after purchasing a new album which you have been lusting over ever since the record company issued out the release date. You get it home and go into your designated music area where you can be alone, just you and your new album. Off comes the plastic wrap, and on through the gauntlet of removing the security tape that lines the top and bottom of the secured jewel case. All the while you can almost TASTE the music.

Once you finally open the case and pop out the CD (which always feels like it's going to break in half the first time you pry it out), the music trip can begin. The CD goes into the stereo and out comes the CD booklet - an essential flavor of the music-buying banquet.

As the music plays in the background, the album cover become eye candy to be thoroughly studied over and over again, and eventually becoming one with the sounds pounding out of the stereo. The lyric sheet is poured over to memorize phrases as if they had been specifically written for the listener. At times we as fans would even find a way to relate certain lyrics to what is going on in our lives, helping us gain strength, cope, or enjoy what was happening at that exact moment in life as we listen to something that means so much to us.

I love that a particular album can set out to tell us fans a story with a combination of music and printed art and words. It causes a connection that is welcoming and eventually nostalgic, but always powerful.

Yes, now I am older and sadly have less time to connect with newer albums the way I did back in high school, but I still find those gems in the new wave of thrash that mesmerizes me just as much as the classic bands from 20-plus years ago.

Bands such as Tantara, Bio-Cancer, Municipal Waste, 4ARM, Dr. Living Dead, Violentor, Insinnerator, Essence, and many more grab me by the neck and drag me into that special place where it's just me, the sounds, and the freakin' CD booklet. For me, one of their albums becomes a world that I can visit for one hell of an involved music trip.

To quote my buddy at Gogmagogical: "because music is...tremendous!"

Taking bands for granted (or how the NWOTM deepened my love for the old-school)

There is always something interesting brewing over at the Gogmagogical Blog. Even when the Gogmeister is posting about a band that I don't particularly care for, I can always relate to something in his witty and insightful write-ups.

A few weeks ago, he posted a review on the new Overkill album The Electric Age (an album which I love). Within his first few sentences, he offered me a plateful of food for thought.

He said,

"I have always taken Overkill for granted. For someone who is less than a devotee, it's pretty easy to do. They were always there, for about as long as I've been buying music, their ubiquitous green logo and bat-winged skull seemingly always available in multiple variations in the "O" section of any record store I visited."


Yes, this also describes me to a T.

However, I could list off many, many bands in place of Overkill that I took for granted - never knowing how much they actually kick large amounts of ass. Sure, I'm catching up on a lot of lost classics now, but it sucks to think about how many years went by without experiencing what some of these bands had to offer when they were first hitting the streets.

Argh!

If the NWOTM has done anything for me, it has enhanced my appreciation for old-school thrash metal…and this is coming from a guy who lived his teen years in the 80s.

My love for many of the new school bands made me want to invest more time in those who influenced them. In turn, my research and collecting of old-school goodies was a fantastic trip down memory lane, obtaining many CDs I used to have on tape or that I listened to many times over at my friends' houses as a kid.

Also, I got to hear some thrash classics for the first time and purposely sought out bad-ass album covers I remember staring at in the local record store (Hello, Kreator's Out of the Dark!).

I firmly believe that the NWOTM is also giving its young fans the urge to check out the old-school, so hopefully this thought will pacify the angry thrash purists just a little bit.

But back to the statements made by Gogmagogical. What bands did you take (or are taking) for granted? Is there a band you have read about or a killer album cover you saw that piqued your interest, but never checked them out (thus having no clue whether or not they are completely freakin' bad-ass)?

It's unavoidable, I guess. There are simply way too many bands to keep track and we all only have so many hours in the day. However, if there is a band that has been sticking out enough for you to notice them, for God's sake check them out! It will suck to "discover" them 20 years later and say, "Damn, I missed out!"

The NWOTM Blog - a short hiatus

The NWOTM Blog will go on a short hiatus until Saturday, April 21st. Once I take care a few things and get my batteries recharged, I will be back in the blogging saddle again, offering up info on the most killer signed and unsigned thrash bands from around the world.

Meanwhile, I will periodically check the NWOTM Blog Facebook and Twitter pages and will possibly post a few tidbits of new information there, so keep your eyes peeled.

A big THANK YOU to all who check back with this blog from time to time. As a huge thrash fan, I love finding and sharing new bands with you. My hope is that you discover some new killer bands here and decide to keep coming back to see what's new!

If you're new to the NWOTM Blog, please comb through the old articles and find some stuff you like. Hit the bands up on Facebook or email them and tell them how freakin' bad-ass they are! All the bands, from the upstarts to the old-schoolers need to know that the fans are behind them, and we want more, more, MORE!!! I LOVE thrash metal, and I want show our favorite bands, both signed and unsigned, that all of us have a frenzied dedication to their music!

This blog has been and always will be a big HORNS UP to our favorite genre of music. As I continue to support thrash metal, I thank you all for your support in this blog.

Be back here on Saturday, April 21st, 2012 for more thrash madness! See you then!

Hey, Striking Death! Get your demo recorded!

Thanks goes to Luuk Hoogland for tipping me off on a few new bands. One of them, called STRIKING DEATH, popped out video that is about as lo-fi as you can get and still get killer sounding guitars!

These young dudes from Belgium hooked me with the vid to their song Team Shitfaced. The recording is a rehearsal track and it's raw as hell, but the song is a lot of fun (as is the video). Seriously, watching this vid makes me want to assemble a few of my buddies, grab some guitars, and slam out some old-school thrash - all in the name of having a kick-ass fun time.

If you're thumbing your nose at Striking Death for being low-brow "pizza thrash" (a term I don't find the least bit insulting), give a quick listen to the promising demo of their song Save a Skater, Drain a Pool (awesome title!). So far the recording is comprised of guitars and drums only, but it sounds absolutely slamming! I can't wait to hear the full version. In fact, I can't wait to hear the full demo!

So get to work, Striking Death! Get your tunes recorded!

Check out the vids below and if you are one to keep your eye on a blossoming young thrash group, hit them up on Facebook.

Thrash is thrash

The dude from Axis of Metal and Osiris Webzine (by the name of Fritz, I believe?) posted the following statement over at the Thrash Unlimited forums regarding the new wave of thrash.

"But as far as this whole new wave, and everyone saying they hate the worshiping bands; I hate to burst your bubble; thrash is thrash. It will always share that common sound we all love.

Personally, i like it that way. I like that the scene is prolific and bands make the beloved sound. It shares the same sound characteristics but the songs have unique riffs, different vocal styles etc. It's NOT all the same by any means. Some bands rip off completely the classic bands, where as others are influenced, you cant fault bands for sounding like the genre they play.

I cannot stand it when people hate on thrash bands because they play THRASH."



Well said. Take THAT, Lenny Troo Frasher!

New Tantara song!

Oh, yeah! Thashmasters TANTARA have released the song Trapped in Bodies, which will be included on their upcoming full-length album.

The track sounds amazing, full of sharp riffs, epic solos, and straight-ahead head banging thrash.

So mark this as the beginning of a huge metal onslaught Tantara will unleash soon after the new year. If the rest of the new album is as good as Trapped in Bodies, Tantara will have a jump start on the best thrash album of 2012.

Check out the song below!

The NWOTM Blog: Year One!

Last November I got the idea to start a blog featuring new wave of thrash bands and their influences.

Now, a year later, The NWOTM Blog is going strong, highlighting bands both signed and unsigned from all over the world. The NWOTM Blog Facebook page has gained a stunning amount of followers, and I am thankful to all the bands and fans who frequently visit that page.

When I began The NWOTM Blog, the original intent was always to feature the local band from down the block. Your friend's band. The local thrash band that kicks the hell out of that 7th tier signed metal group they opened for last weekend. Of course I would write about some of the big boys from the old and new school, but the grassroots is where it's at. There are so many hidden gems floating around the dark corners of the internet that it would almost be a disservice of this blog to not bring them to the forefront.

The hidden gems appeal to me so much because I remember what it's like to be in a band, trying to get your name and music out to the potential fans. Getting a band's name in articles, reviews and on posters is a big deal and although some don't want to admit they need it, such promotion gives a little validation to all the blood and sweat a band pours into their art. When others take notice, it's freaking cool.

Of course, beyond the "cool" factor of having your band included in an article or review is the solid promotion. It adds a few more Facebook "likes" and maybe a couple more albums sold. Ah, the swelling of the fan base. That's where I like to help.

First and foremost, I am a fan of thrash metal (obviously). So naturally, I want to see killer thrash bands thrive.

A year ago I would do a lot of digging for new bands, with successful discoveries almost every time I searched the net. The amount of incredible thrash bands out there writing new music is astounding. I can't keep up!

When I came across bands such as Sword of Judgement, Unhoped, Shredhead, 4ARM, Ecopolis, Hellbrain, and many others, I was blown away with the discovery, eager to share them with you all.

Now since The NWOTM Blog has taken flight, I don't have to do too much digging anymore because I get flooded with requests from bands all over the world for a demo feature or review. I'm not complaining - I freaking' LOVE it! My only problem is the time to write about all this great music I am hearing. Although writing about ALL these awesome bands is near impossible, I do the best I can.

The ROCKS! and the Weekend Breakdown posts (as well as this whole blog) are essentially love letters to my favorite genre of metal as well as a Thank You to those flying its flag.

Now I can't end this post without mentioning a few words about the one and only Lenny Troo Frasher.

Lenny was born of the ridiculous and self-contradicting insults that are spewed all over the web regarding the NWOTM. The "thrash elitist" (hahaha) who believes that new = sucks. Frankly, the attitude of "I love thrash so much that I hate thrash" confounds me. Although the absurdity of such an attitude is maddening, absurdity leads to good comedy.

Enter Lenny Troo Frasher.

His elitist take on new thrash makes him the butt of the joke, even through his own scathing insults hurled toward the genre - a genre of music he claims to love as long as it's not put out after 1990.

The addition of the Lenny Troo Frasher comic to the blog had the site hits go through the roof every time a new one is posted. I'm happy you all enjoy the running gag as much as I like writing it.

Now as far as what I really like about The NWOTM Blog (other than getting free music) is the correspondence with the bands and their fans. I love talking thrash! One guy named Christopher G. commented to me, "Dude, this is the only blog I even care about."

That meant a lot to me, offered me a ton of validation for the love I put into promoting my favorite genre of metal, and helps me keep going.

So thank you all for sticking around to watch this blog grow. My hope is that The NWOTM Blog will be around for at least another year.

Stay metal!

\m/


- r. lawrence blake

Art of Chaos ROCKS!

Usually I'm not in favor of a band posting "raw" cuts of their music. Usually when I click on a song labeled "raw", "unmixed", or "rough demo", it will sound like it was recorded with a 1980s boombox that was placed on a shelf right next to the drummer's crash cymbal.

In the end, even the best demo songs will sound like crap and most newcomers will likely never pay a visit to the band's website ever again. It's a no win/no win situation, see?

BUT! HOWEVER! NEVERTHELESS! ETC.!

Once in a blue moon, posting a rough cut can be beneficial provided that the instruments can all be represented fairly giving the song's dynamics a slim chance of shining through.*

Yes, there are exceptions out there, such as Fatal Demise, who have hit the ball out of the park with some killer tunes on less than stellar recordings.

Such is the case with Sacramento, California's ART OF CHAOS. Truth be told, when I came across this band's Reverbnation page and saw the words "Raw Cut" labeled on their available tunes, I almost passed them by.

Thankfully, intuition gave my jaded brain a tiny kick in the nuts and I clicked play. Art of Chaos's streaming songs hit me with a hardcore-leaning thrash assault that turned my twisted smirk of doubt into a big fat teeth-grinding grin.

They pummel the listener with a monster blend of old-school thrash with a handful of heavy crossover and NY style hardcore.

The guitars pulled me in with a combo of tight thrash riffing and sliding power chord stomp, all brought to light with the drums that hit the balance of speed and groove perfectly. Vocalist Paul Laughlin commands the vocals with the salt and grit that brings to mind the brutality of Tom Araya and Billy Milano.

To not move around, stomp, and headbang while listening to Art of Chaos would viewed as either a Herculean task of epic proportions or that the listener might be dead.

I'm glad I didn't end up passing these guys up.

Have a listen to their Raw Cuts below and then hit them on Facebook here.

* Quality control cannot be determined by the ones who wrote the songs, especially for novice songwriters. Band members can never tell if their basement demo recordings sound like crap because A. They know what the song originally sounds like, and B. To them, the song is always going to sound freakin' awesome.

Thrashline: Evile's video, 4ARM tour and more!

• EVILE's new video for their single Cult is streaming over at Vevo. Cult, coming off their upcoming Five Sepent's Teeth album is a killer Metallica-tinged headbanger of a tune. This song was a great choice for a vid. Check it out below!





• Australia's mighty 4ARM will be touring down under with two legendary bands: Mortal Sin and freaking Destruction! I knew they had big news to announce, but I was hoping it was a U.S. tour because I'm selfish that way. Still, this is killer news. Click here for details.



• Los Angeles, CA thrashers SCYTHE now have their EP titled The Seventh Day available to buy online at CD Baby. I plugged Scythe here a while back. See if you dig 'em and then buy the EP. It's only $2.99!



• HELLsingborg's SIX IN LINE is looking for someone who can draw, and I'm assuming more than just a stick figure. On their Facebook wall, they posted the following:

"If there's anyone out there that's good at drawing, send us an e-mail with the artwork to sheeop@hotmail.com


"The title of the upcoming release is U Shud Hev Invtd Me.


"It's also a song about this WoW dude called Dave who crashes a party with an axe. So send us whatever comes into your mind when you hear party+axe and... Send it!"

After that, they said, "Get laid!"

He's writing to artists who specialize in drawing WoW characters. Why mock them with that last statement?



• Texas metalmen LEGION are looking for a lead guitarist. Posted on their Facebook wall is the following:

"We will be holding tryouts for anyone who thinks they have what it takes. You must be willing to travel, have pro gear and a great stage presence. Give Drew a call or leave us a comment if you're interested!"

Now check THIS out as an incentive sling the axe for Legion: They will be playing with freaking EXHORDER on November 25th and 26th…and those will be the new guitarist's FIRST gigs with the band. Nice!



• The Portuguese metal powerhouse NUKLEAR INFEKTION have photos up of their first gig from their Sept. 10th gig with Auschwitz and La Tasca. Go here to check out their vid for the song We're On Command! This is their first freaking gig and all these people KNOW the song?! Man, I love the internet!



• STONE DÖZER's album Long Live the King is now available on iTunes. I wrote about this bad-ass band here. Check 'em out to see if the tunes are your type of moshing material.



• The new ANTHRAX album is out! 'Nuff said!

Thrashline: Bits of thrash metal news

Thrashline will be a semi-regular post in which I will run my virtual mouth about news items from around the thrash community. For obvious reasons I cannot post every new item that pops up (I'm not Blabbermouth, ya know), but I'll collect some bits that interest me and let you all know about them.

Let's get it going!


• SSS has two new official members: Stu Taylor on guitar and Dave Archer on drums. I'm always a bit wary when members switch up in a band, especially the guitarist since he or she is usually the main riff machine that makes up the band's sound. However, I will still check out any future releases by SSS and any other band I am a fan of such as Bonded By Blood or Hatchet who went through member changes.


• Over at the Anthrax website, they posted some dates for their upcoming tour with freaking Testament and Death Angel! Yeah - holy crap! This will be a killer show. Some of you guys here in the U.S. are left off so far, but let's hope that more dates are added soon. The ones they have so far are as follows:

10/14	Grand Rapids, MI	Orbit Room
10/15	Chicago, IL	Congress Theatre
10/16	inneapolis, MN	First Avenue
10/18	Wichita, KS	The Cotillion
10/19	Denver, CO	Summit Music Hall
10/22	Los Angeles, CA	Nokia LA Live
10/23	San Francisco, CA	Warfield Theatre
10/24	San Diego, CA	House of Blues
10/26	Albuquerque, NM	Sunshine Theatre
10/28	Dallas, TX	South Side Music Hall
10/29	Austin, TX	Emo's East
10/30	Houston, TX	Warehouse Live

• Finnish thrash masters UNHOPED have unleashed their new web site. Their old one was seriously lacking in...well, much of anything. Keep your eyes on this site for news on how you can get your hands on their upcoming CD titled Die Harder. I've heard it and it absolutely crushes.


• Santiago, Chile's NUCLEAR have made their album Jehovirus available for streaming in its entirety over at their Bandcamp page. Fans of metal in the vein of Slayer really need to check this out. Jehovirus is ruthless thrash at its best.


• Brazilian thrashers WOSLOM have released a new video for their song Mortal Effect, taken from the Time to Rise album. Catchy riffage in this one. In the video, WOSLOM takes on the evils of consumerism. Now go buy the WOSLOM album and t-shirt! ;)

Check it out!





• Montreal's resident thrash drunkards ALCOHOLATOR have just released a new song titled The Chamber. You like to combine your thrash with drinkin'? Dumb question. Check it out below!

NWOTM: 30 years from now

J.M. over at the Lunar Hypnosis blog has a review up for Havok's Time Is Up album. He mentions that some of the songs on the album could have been written 25 years ago, during the early days of thrash.

This reminded me of something I posted a while back about how thrash is backward compatible.

I then read a line in J.M.'s post that made me smile.

"What I'm trying to say is that thrash then and now is timeless and music like this has been a blast for the first thirty years of my life and assuming I don't drink myself stupid one day I'll hopefully be jammin' to this stuff for another thirty years to come."

I agree with J.M.!

I believe that 30 years from now, there will be teens who grew up listening to their dad's (or mom's!) Havok, Warbringer, and Municipal Waste albums. Some of these kids will start bands, churning out more slabs of traditional, undiluted thrash metal. Record deals will be made, and people will pay attention - another New Wave of Thrash? Yes!

Since thrash will never go away despite what is happening in the music climate, there will always be a new New Wave of Thrash Metal, and I love that. New bands will come out of the woodwork to either keep the classic thrash sound going or to add their own spin to the genre. These future metal giants will be part of the new NWOTM, and those bands which influenced them such as Toxic Holocaust and Evile will be considered old-school.

Can you just hear the future Lenny Troo Frashers? "I hate this modern crap! These bands are just ripping off the old-school masters such as Havok and Bonded By Blood!"

Come back to this post in 25 years, read that last line, and smile.

So with a dash of parody and a healthy dose of sincerity, the NWOTM will perpetuate itself, and assuming I don't drink myself stupid one day (on too much grape soda and Diet Mountain Dew) I'll hopefully be writing about this stuff for another thirty years to come.

My journey to Insinnerator (music that grows on you)

What does Insinnerator's music have in common with Faith No More's Angel Dust, Ministry's The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste, and Vio-Lence's Eternal Nightmare?

I did not like it when I first heard it.

Did. Not. Like it.

Before I get into why, let me offer another similarity between Insinnerator and the aforementioned bands: I now love 'em all. More on that later.

When I went back to my thrash roots last year, I had a lot of catching up to do. I poured over web pages dedicated to thrash metal, including band Facebook pages and forums such as Thrash Unlimited. Many band names seemed to reappear on blogs, reviews, and comments - the higher profile ones being Warbringer, Municipal Waste, Toxic Holocaust, Lich King, Violator, etc.

When I dug deeper, hundreds of other band names floated around, in and out of the social media pages, and sometimes found their way into my iTunes. Most, however, were passed by. There's just not enough time!

One such name that continued to pop up was Insinnerator.

Like a ton of other bands I would like to check out (but do not have the time to sort through and absorb the music), Insinnerator simply fell through the cracks.

But they didn't disappear. As a testament to their loyal fans, I kept reading posts about these Texas thrashers. People seemed to freaking love them and had no problem using bandwidth to express that sentiment.

So, I did what any quasi-responsible blogger would do when faced with such evidence of pure bad-assery…I found a song online and clicked "play".

Now, let me take a quick break here and go back to those "aforementioned bands" and what initially turned me away from their music. It provides a bit of context, and let's face it - everyone has a few bands in their collection that they didn't like at first spin.

Faith No More-Angel Dust

Like many people, I was still riding The Real Thing wave when Angel Dust came out. I was a teen who liked the song Epic, but absolutely loved the album surrounding that radio classic opus.

Angel Dust came out of left field with a sound that was a 180-degree turn from the somewhat easy listening The Real Thing. At first listen, all the songs seemed to blend into one another. There was an underlying itch of chaos that served as a backlash to the previous album's popularity, and listening to it made me uncomfortable and a bit confused.

After repeated listenings, I eventually embraced the sadness, the filth, and the beauty that makes up Angel Dust. It reigns as one of my top 10 favorite non-thrash albums.

Ministry-The Mind is a Terrible Thing to Taste

My friend purchased this based off a friend's recommendation. We put it on and couldn't make heads or tails of this "industrial" music. Granted, it was really our first time hearing such stuff, so our disdain for the album came from a lack of understanding. After all, it was heavy as hell, had killer riffs, and sick-ass vocals. What's not to love? Well, the music was produced in a way that was foreign to me. So I hated it…until...

I saw concert footage from the In Case You Didn't Feel Like Showing Up video. The experience was raw, scary, and completely kick-ass. It was everything I enjoyed in my metal, so my level of understanding caught up, and Ministry became a favorite of mine.

Vio-Lence-Eternal Nightmare

I mentioned my journey with these guys before, so I won't go into much detail here. What I can say is that my problems with Vio-Lence sort of mirror the obstacles I had when first listening to Insinnerator.

So, back to my story. I found a song online and clicked "play". I could not get past the vocals. At the time, I couldn't get what the band were trying to do, and the way vocalist Ben worked the microphone was not my cup of tea.

I'd like to give a 20/20 visual of what I was thinking, but what happened was I simply stopped the song and Insinnerator was stuck onto the back burner of bands that didn't click with me. Since I generally do not write about what I do not enjoy, there was no reason to revisit them, right?

HA HA. Right.

Fast-forward a few months later. I get an email from Tom of Lich King (I'm such a name dropper) who asked if I've checked out Insinnerator, and that they are a great example of new thrash.

My mouth twisted as if I've just been asked to watch a marathon showing of Schumacher's Batman movies.

I told him that I heard some rough demos and had been waiting for some good recordings. Since they had a new album out, I then told Tom that I would give Insinnerator a listen that weekend.

That weekend I found a couple songs on YouTube, loaded them up and clicked "play".

After I listened, I wrote Tom an honest email. Here are some excerpts:

My God, I'm sorry, Tom, but Insinnerator really, really, really, really needs to find a vocalist. Their music is freaking good, but as a package, it is tough to get past the vocal delivery.

...HOWEVER! I have not seen them live and have read that they are a different beast in person. I still can't imagine the vocals working, even in a live setting.

One thing I dig about these guys (I follow them around the web here 'n' there) is that they seem to freaking LOVE playing music. They have a lot of heart and they pour it into what they do, but I wonder if that love has blinded them a bit.

I asked Tom if I was being a dick about it. He graciously said no, but gave a good defense in Insinnerator's favor, which simmered in my head for a few days. During those few days, I couldn't get Insinnerator out of my head. I would stream their available songs, catching bits and pieces that grabbed me, making my appreciation for not only the music, but also the vocals, to grow tenfold.

By the fourth day, I HAD to have Insinnerator's Stalagmite of Ice album. I couldn't just buy the download. No, I wanted the physical CD. In four freaking days, I went from cold to hot for this band and I couldn't wait to have their CD in my possession.

That speaks volumes about their music. Insinnerator truly does kick ass, vocals and all. It just took me a few listens and some understanding of their music to grasp it. Most good music takes a few spins to "get it" anyway.

The CD is in my car as I type this, making my trip to work more enjoyable. The album is copied in my iTunes at work, making the day go a bit faster.

Thanks, Tom for mentioning Insinnerator and getting me on track to becoming a big, fat fan. Also, a special thanks must go to Lister Fiend over at the Skull Fracturing Metal Blog, who has never been shy about his admiration for Insinnerator's music. We don't see eye-to-eye on everything (Testament RULES, Lister!), but I value his opinion a lot.

As I mentioned before, all of us have a few bands we now enjoy that we couldn't stand the first time we heard them. Sometimes it's hard to keep that in mind when faced with a band that is doing something different from what you or I consider "the norm".

Now that I'm finally done with this giant post, I'm gonna go thrash to some Warbringer! Well, after all, I was listening to Insinnerator all day at work! I need a break from them for about an hour.

Musical tastes and my favorite record stores

The last time I went to my two favorite record stores, I left feeling a little bit depressed. After a few hours of shifting through countless CDs, many of them used at a low price, I ended my day taking home only one.

Years ago, that would be unthinkable. Long ago I could walk into a record store and have a wanted piece of music on plastic in my sweaty hand within five minutes. Usually I would have to pick between four or five CDs that I would want, sadly putting most back on the shelves due to budgetary restraints (light wallet).

Now, it's a miracle for me to find anything. Have you ever looked in a refrigerator full of food and not find anything to eat? That's me in a record store.

One reason is that I already have a TON of CDs, so when it comes to the well known thrash and metal bands, I already own it or was never too interested. "Never too interested" means that although I might like a band, I am okay not owning all of their albums. If I see one on a store shelf, I could leave it and not feel incomplete.

However, one of the main reasons that I leave record stores empty handed and a little depressed is that the stores cannot support where my listening habits have ventured.

Will the record store here in middle America carry Mentally Defiled, Hyades, Injury, National Suicide, Evildead, or Evil Army? This may seem like an ancient argument - about how record stores won't carry underground metal, but back in the 90's, I could find the sickest and craziest death metal available on the shelf next to…I dunno, Tom Petty. Sure, I couldn't find the hard stuff at the neighborhood Walmart, but the actual record stores, both local and national, had plenty (along with Tom Petty).

Also, back in the day, I had some built-in bias against demos. Back then, I was never a demo collector, and rarely gave unsigned bands the time of day, so it didn't matter if you could find it on the shelf or not. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Now that I know better, I have discovered some of my favorite music is being cranked out by fans who pour their blood and sweat into a three or four song self-released EP.

Also, now that I am writing for this blog and spending time with all sorts of new thrash bands from all over the world, a big chunk of my music listening time is dedicated to bands who self-release or are tied with "very" independent labels. When I go to the record store here, will I find Bio-Cancer, Lich King, Which Witch, Hellbrain, or Impalers? Of course not (especially the self-released demos), and I don't fault the record stores one bit for that. However, those bands are where my musical tastes play, so it's no wonder I leave two of my favorite record stores with one lonely CD in my hand.

I don't want to seem like I'm knocking record stores. They have to make money to stay open (and they definitely get my online business), but with less thrash and traditional metal taking up shelf room, and killer demos available online, it's my own musical preferences that have stifled my in-store buying experience.

I still wish the brick and mortar stores luck in finding a foothold within the online world. I will visit them when I make the trip out of town in hopes of finding a couple treasures. Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on your own view, I probably have already found it online.

By the way - the one CD I bought that day was R.D.P.'s Anarkophobia, found at Love Garden Sounds in Lawrence, KS. If I collected vinyl instead of CDs, Love Garden would be an absolute paradise for me.

Ow, my freakin' ears!

This will be a non-preachy endorsement for wearing earplugs during metal concerts.

Here's my endorsement: I freaking HATE wearing earplugs during metal concerts.

When I go see a concert, I want to feel the intensity of the music. I want the double kick drum to blow me over. I want the guitars to rake across my brain, causing uncontrollable headbanging fury. I want to THRASH!

All of these are hard to achieve through the muffled tranquility of earplugs.

Earplugs. Blah. Pfft!

I played in various metal bands throughout high school and into my late 20s and I never wore earplugs. I went to concert after concert and never wore earplugs.

I remember going to see Sepultura during their Chaos AD tour (with openers Clutch and Fear Factory), and as everyone gathered on the standing-room hall floor, I heard someone yell this:

"You're wearing earplugs?! What are you, a f*cking p*ssy?!"

I turned around to see a guy yelling at a complete stranger about him wearing ear protection. I guess that wearing earplugs was not "metal" enough for this schmuck. My lack of wanting to wear earplugs stemmed from them hampering the live music, not if it was acceptable within the circles of metal.

So that idiot's statement bothered me and stuck with me. You know what else bothers me and has stuck with me?

A consistent and permanent ringing in my ears.

Yep, through years of abuse, they are damaged. And it sucks.

The breaking point came when I was the vocalist for the band Truth Cell. We practiced in a 10 x 10 foot room at full concert volume. Stupid? Yeah, but at the time, we felt that we didn't buy all this equipment to strum at acoustic volume. We wanted to ROCK!

However, I would leave each practice (and live show) with a hard ringing in my ears that would usually go away the next day (or two). Or so I thought.

Now since I have always slept with the stereo or TV on, I never noticed during the dead silence of the night what kind of accumulated damage I was doing to my ears.

One night while trying to sleep in my apartment, sans the white noise of my Japanese devices, I noticed a sound as if the neighbor's tea kettle was being left on the stove top.

My eyes opened wide and I cupped my hands over my ears to kill any outside noise. I muttered, "Oh, crap," as the ringing remained. I knew I was screwed.

The dumb thing is, I knew the risks of not wearing earplugs. But no matter now. Shoulda, woulda, coulda…I messed up my ears for good.

It doesn't get better. Even now as I type this, with all the room noise and outside traffic blaring, if I pay attention, I hear the ringing. Also, when I go to sleep, I HAVE to turn on a fan or the TV to help drown out the ringing a bit. My ears have become the home of an annoying noise shadow that will follow me around for the rest of my life.

Yes, I should have used ear protection. Yes, I now wear them to every concert I attend as protection against further damage.

Oh, I still freaking HATE earplugs, but believe me when I say that I hate the constant ringing in my ears worse.

It can happen to you. Wear earplugs.

/endorsement