Update from the Road

The best thing about SXSW is being in once place for several days in a row. No long drives, no gas station coffee, no fast food. And we've had no double-headers, which makes loading in and out much easier.

Sincere thanks to everyone who has come out to a show, bought a record, bought a t-shirt, booked a show for us, played with us, put us up for the night, etc. Click through for some photos from the last few weeks and if you live in Baton Rouge, Lafayette, Tallahassee, Chapel Hill, or Richmond, we'll see you soon.

Dave / Whitehorse

Jeff / Kowloon Walled City

Sharkbite

Scott Evans / Kowloon Walled City / Sharkbite

Jeff / Kowloon Walled City / T-shirt Model

'Concrete Sustain' Vinyl

Did you manage to make it through all eleven minutes and 39 seconds of yesterday's video? Did it give you humorrhoids, too?

Cvlt Nation has a different take, saying that 'Concrete Sustain' is "the sound of modern doom, and each track here holds dear to its heart the essence and core of the doom genre, yet Batillus twist it and turn it onto something new and different and a marvel to experience."

Pick up the imported Vendetta pressing vinyl (limited colored vinyl pictured above, we also have standard black-- these records look fantastic!) from us when you see us at a show and you'll get a code to download MP3s of the album courtesy of Seventh Rule.

"Not That Bad, Not That Good"

Enjoy!

Mr. Pelham

Stumbled on this little morsel from our second show ever, before Fade was in the band:

It's That Time of Year Again...

In truth, I didn't listen to that much heavy music in 2011. I guess I'm "getting older," or whatever. There were a few rather excellent records released this past year which found themselves in heavy rotation for me, but I found myself listening to a variety of other and older things during the year.

Records released in 2011 that I enjoyed, in alphabetical order:

Indian - Guiltless Violence, misanthropy, hatred. Oppressive guitars, banshee vocals, disorienting drums. This is the best heavy record of 2011, but it can be a bit exhausting to listen straight through in one sitting. It's just that fucking relentless.

Junius - Reports from the Threshold of Death Another expertly sculpted masterpiece from a band I've been a fan of since their first EP was released in 2004. Dark, haunting, and epic, Junius craft songs that recall the birth of stars and the formation of planets.

Low - C'mon This is hands down my top record of 2011. Nearly every song is brilliant, and the few that aren't are still quite excellent. Dark, mellow, infectious.

A Storm of Light - As the Valley of Death Becomes Us, Our Silver Memories Fade... My only complaint with this record is the sound of the drums. Too rubbery, synthetic. But the drumming itself, as well as the other performances and the songwriting, are top-notch. Heavy and dark, without really being 'metal.' Think Pink Floyd through a Neurosis filter.

Yob - Atma Some have complained that this is just "more of the same." But with Yob, that's precisely what I want.

2011, though, was the year of Levon Helm for me. I listened to his 2007 album 'Dirt Farmer' more than any other record, except perhaps the Low record mentioned above. As a drummer myself, I identify strongly with him as I get older and seek new ways to express myself musically. His voice is raspy, like corn husk, and his drumming is simultaneously understated and expressive.

There are several records which I missed, but feel obligated to check out at some point:

Atriarch - Forever the End Blut Aus Nord - 777Sect(s) / Desanctification Earth - Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light Hull - Beyond the Lightless Sky Leviathan - True Traitor, True Whore US Christmas - The Valley Path Wold - Freemasonry Wolves in the Throne Room - Celestial Lineage

When the list of records you didn't get around to hearing eclipses the list of records you did hear, you know you're getting old. Or maybe jaded. Or maybe just lazy... Looks like I have some homework to do!

-gs

Indian Tour Wrapup

[from L to R: Sean, Will, Ron, Geoff, Fade, Willi, Greg, Dylan, Billy]

We returned this past Monday morning just after dawn from trudging around the east coast with Indian for four days. And during those four days we had the privilege of driving through Connecticut not once, not twice, but fully four times. Decidedly not our idea of a good time, although I will say that Connecticut traffic did cooperate somewhat better than usual.

Indian are off to Canada now to finish their tour (that is, if they can get across the border) and we're back to our mundane 'regular' lives. A few words about Indian... Their music and their performance: pure hatred, violence, and misanthropy. It's quite something to watch them play; I'm fairly certain (though this is merely my opinion and in no way has been corroborated by anyone actually in that band) that their primary goal is to make people feel uncomfortable. And I love it.

-gs

'Furnace' is Officially Out Today

'Furnace' is officially out today via Seventh Rule, and we'd just like to take a moment to thank anyone who has ever been to a show, bought a t-shirt, booked us, written about us, listened to us, told a friend about us, let us crash at their place, bought us a beer, played a show with us, or otherwise helped us out. We're not gonna name names, because we'd inevitably forget someone and that would be a total dick move, but you know who you are. Thank you.

-batillus

2010 Was Heavy

As a former "music journalist" (and I use the word journalist in the loosest sense possible: the blogging / internet sense), when December rolls around I'm accustomed to compiling a list of the preceding year's best records. Although I don't actively write about music any longer, I still feel the urge to make a list. So, here's a list of my favorite records of 2010, in alphabetical order, and a few records slated for 2011 that I'm especially enthused about.

Best Records of 2010, in Alphabetical Order:

Agalloch - Marrow of the Spirit

I've never seen Agalloch live, so that doesn't factor in at all, but I've always been a fan of their records and this is probably their best effort so far. It's trademark Agalloch, but there's also a little Steve Reich in there if you listen closely. I wonder if they realize that.

Castevet - Mounds of Ash

Super technical-but-in-the-good-way blackened metal. Ian is a ridiculous drummer and a solid dude to boot. Great live band.

Circle of Animals - Destroy the Light

Sanford Parker and Bruce from Yakuza team up with an army of proficient drummers for a solid record of industrial jams. Lots of good stuff going on here, not a dull moment. Best tracks are "Poison the Lamb" and "Destroy the Light."

Coffinworm - When All Became None

Fucking gnarled, misanthropic, soupy metal from the swamps of Indiana (if Indiana had swamps). This record rapes and pillages, don't put it on when loved ones are near.

Cough - Ritual Abuse

More Wizard than Wizard these days. Solid record from solid Richmond dudes. Super good tones and a great overall sound.

Electric Wizard - Black Masses

Not the heavy Wizard that we all know and love, but it's still Wizard. Mid-tempo psychedelic freak out, but in the satanic way. Also one of the most bizarrely-mixed records I've ever heard-- sometimes you can't hear the drums at all, though you know they're there somewhere.

Kylesa - Spiral Shadows

I dug 'Static Tensions' and I dig 'Spiral Shadows' almost as much. Something a little more rockin' and less bleak to listen to while cruising down the highway in the summertime. This band has really upped their game lately.

Nachtmystium - Addicts: Black Meddle Pt. 2

Jake Blood and his band of not-so-merry men strike again. Drug-addled, psychedelic, tripped-out, even dancey at times. It's no 'Assassins,' but it's a good record.

Salome - Terminal

No other band sounds like Salome. When you listen to this record, you'll think you're in the room with Kat, Rob, and Deal. There's no bass, but it doesn't matter. The point is not to be the heaviest, loudest thing ever recorded, but to be nimble, fleet-footed, and inventive in a way only a band with only two instrumentalists can achieve.

Thou - Summit

This record is insistent and passionate, just like the dudes who made it. Solid guys, solid band, solid record. Thanks for the excellent tacos and vegan jambalaya, dudes!

Torche - Songs for Singles

I will always have love for Torche, even though Steve snubbed me that one time I was supposed to interview him for Crustcake.

Twilight - Monument to Time End

This record has almost no sonic connection to the first Twilight record. It's polished and post-rock-laden. Black Metal Kvltists won't like this, but I fucking love it. So well-composed. Just the right blend of evil and epic.

US Christmas - Run Thick in the Night

Probably my favorite record of the year. I love the expansive Americana and the swirling psychedelia. At times the record takes you on an acid trip, and at other times it paints a picture of the vast, desolate American west as the howling wind kicks dust into your eyes and the sun sets over a distant mountain range.

Withered - Dualitas

Three quarters of the Withered that recorded 'Folie Circulaire' are no longer in the band, but you'd hardly know it listening to this. It sounds exactly like Withered, and that's a good thing.

Zoroaster - Matador

Zoroaster aren't really a doom band anymore, but that's ok. This record is a huge step in the right direction as compared to 'Voice of Saturn.' There are a lot of good elements here and I can't help but wonder if Sanford deserves a nice chunk of the credit.

And speaking of Sanford, looking over my list I realize that he's had a hand in seven of the 15 records listed. That's nearly half. It's certainly no accident that we chose him to record 'Furnace.'

Two Non-New Albums That Defined the Year for Me:

Low - Trust
16 Horsepower - Secret South

I have to credit one Mr. Josh Graham for introducing me to both of these records. They're both dark, generally down-tempo, and heavy, but not in the metal sense. There's just a weight to the songs, to the lyrics. Some serious codeine music.

Most anticipated for 2011:

Indian - TBA
Krallice - TBA
Riff Cannon - TBA
A Storm of Light - TBA
Ulver - Critical Geography

Thanks to all the musicians, engineers, label people, and music fans who made these records possible. If I don't see you at the Charleston this Saturday, December 11th for our show with Cough, Naam, and Sea of Bones, I'll see you sometime in 2011.

-gs

Raw Ramen

Here we are, day three of our five day tour with Author & Punisher and Theologian. I'm typing from AJ's house in Weymouth, MA as Peterson showers, Willi thumbs through a deck of "Bachelorette Party Dare" cards, and Fade and Joey (our lovely merch girl) snooze the morning away. Last night we played at a place in Somerville called Starlab-- a sort of punk-house-slash-recording-studio-slash-showspace. The tiny room was packed for most of the night, and Author & Punisher, after experiencing some difficulties with his equipment the night previous, played a solid set to finish the show off.

Author & Punisher... if you're unfamiliar, this is the solo project of a UCSD graduate and mechanical engineer at the National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research Tristan Shone. He builds custom MIDI controllers that are part machine, part sculpture, and part musical instrument. The music is industrial, doomy, and droney, but watching him perform is really the draw. It's like he's in the command chair of some futuristic android killing machine as he manipulates his bizarre contraptions to create and warp sounds.

At the Wallingford, CT show two nights ago, there was a guy standing next to me during Theologian's set eating ramen noodles raw from the package. And then last night, there was a girl sitting casually on a sofa brushing her teeth (sans toothpaste) while holding a conversation with her friend. Let's see what sort of oddball human behavior Albany can muster up tonight...

-gs

That's a Wrap...

Well, we're back. What a trip. We couldn't have asked for better tourmates than we found in the Kowloon Walled City dudes. The tour has been well-documented, here, here, here, here, here, and here, among other places. The photo above was taken by AJ Peters of Riff Cannon outside his house in Weymouth, MA with Scott Evans' Yashika Mat-124. From left to right: Willi 'Wilhelm von Stabenau' Stabenau, Greg 'Peterson' Peterson, Jason Pace, Ian 'Short Pants' Miller, Jeff 'Sausage Man' Fagundes, Fade 'Soul-Fege' Kainer, Geoff 'Vogelboyg' Summers, Scott 'Fun Scott' Evans.

Here's a video of a new song from the first show of the tour:

The Mini Tour

When I know I have to get up in three hours, I find it difficult to sleep at all, no matter how tired I am. I'm so worried about sleeping through my alarm and getting on the road late (and potentially missing the next show) that I just wind up lying there in a half-sleep waiting for the fast-approaching moment where I'll have to drag my ass out of bed, slam a gallon of coffee, and get on the highway. That's what happened to us last night: we returned to our local housing site after a show at some townie dive called JR's Bar in south south Philly around 2am, then woke up at 5am in order to get on the road by 6am to make our load-in time in Indianapolis tonight.

In spite of the fact that JR's isn't set up to host live music-- much less loud live music-- and the fact that during our last song the Ampeg SVT head belonging to Chris from Riff Cannon through which Willi was playing toppled off the speaker cabinet and onto the floor, the show was decent. We played well, and Riff Cannon played spectacularly. I'm bummed we barely got to hang out with those guys, though. Since they never made it to New York for Thursday's show due to van troubles and since we had to get to sleep immediately following last night's show due to our aforementioned 6am van call time, we hardly had a chance to hang with them. It's soul-crushing just imagining all the fun we would have, should have, could have had.

On the bright side, we have the best hosts a band can possibly ask for when we go to Philadelphia. Jeff and Nadine go far above and beyond all others to make us comfortable and happy. Where to begin? They had a parking space saved for us upon our arrival yesterday afternoon. They had lunch ready and waiting for us as well: grilled burgers and hot dogs of both vegetarian and dead animal soul varieties. They have a fully-stocked bar which they were all to willing to share with us. They had a room for each of us when we returned after the show (they practically live in a mansion-- four story early 19th century townhouse) and each of our rooms came with a bed and a fresh towel. When we woke up this morning, they had bagels with cream cheese and fresh coffee ready (including to-go cups). And, to top it all off, they sent us off with a bag full of sandwiches (spicy chicken, grilled chipotle tofu, and, my personal favorite, brie and apple with walnuts) and bottled water. It's people like Jeff and Nadine that make getting paid thirty six bucks to play places like JR's Bar for twenty people (approximately two of which appreciated what we were doing) tolerable.

As I write, we're on the Pennsylvania Turnpike en route to Indianapolis for what's practically a matinee (6pm doors, 7pm show) at some new 'DIY' venue called The Dojo with Coffinworm and Velnias. Hopefully it will be worth the 5am wake up call. I think it will.

And then tomorrow, we're off to Chicago to start recording. We're chomping at the bit to get started and I have no doubt that we'll end up with the (insert cliche superlative here) album of 2010. I'll post another update or two as the record begins to emerge, unless something interesting happens, in which case I'll probably post more. Does anyone know how we get a burger named for us at Kuma's Corner?

- geoff / batillus