NYE Fun Continues With Entombed AD

Entombed AD return with lots of energy… and VODKA!!
(Pictured is vocalist and our dear fun Papa, Lars Göran Petrov and current touring guitarist Guilherme Miranda)

We rose from the concert hibernation and in to the pit of Entombed AD! What better band than these brutal Swedes to kick start Ugh Metal’s concert season? The Jan.16 show at Brick By Brick was memorable for many reasons, and we’re not just talking about Entombed AD’s frontman Lars Göran Petrov. But before we venture to the core of this sarcophagus, Poison Headache was the antidote for the 2016 blues.

Jenny Oh: You know, it was my first time watching Poison Headache and I felt like I really missed out, man. I know I’m a terrible San Diegan!

Chuggo the Klown:  It was our first time, dummy. We didn’t see them the first time because we were still recovering from HeadFest, which happened to be the day before!

J: Oh… Yeah. Anyway, it was great to finally see them in action. It’s no secret why they’re gaining so much momentum.

C: The shocking part is that there’s no bass… sorry Murderface! Still it was great that I finally heard “Sin Eater” live!

J: They brought their A game and wouldn’t have been a Poison Headache show without “Rot With Me.”

C:  No, gracias. Already rotting of my own volition thank you very much!

Poison Headache owned that stage like headliners!
(Pictured is vocalist/guitarist/bassist Phil Sgrosso and backup vocalist/guitarist Andy Kukta)

J: You and your British shows and their fancy language. Well, you can’t escape the reaper, after all, it’s all part of “Death’s Design.” *wink, wink*

C: You done yet, Tony Robbins? I would like to continue to talk about this performance! Because it’s not every day you see a trio with nothing but a pair of guitars and a double bass drum, thundering their sounds through the night like they were the headliners!

J: I agree Mr. Tolkien! Their performance was boner inducing… enough to blast us off to the Turbid North!

C: Right you are my hobbit sibling! The moment they started, my eyes were alive!

J: Like their song, “Eyes Alive?”

C: Right… that was the name of the opener. Anyway, this Alaskan trio treated us to a night of groove and death metal.

J: The volatility of the “Pyramid Drones” and the mellow transition to the “Red Giant” was much like the unpredictability of the Alaskan weather. You can take the boys outta the North Pole and into Texas, but these dudes proved you can’t take the North Pole outta them!

Turbid North will surely melt a frozen wasteland and raise some hell!… and give us peppermints?
(L to R: Vocalist/guitarist Nick Forkel and bassist/backup vocalist Chris O’Toole)

C: Right…? I was thinking Stargate, the movie not the show because these song titles sound like sci-fi and might have been tackled in the Stargate show. I still dunno what Santa had do with this band, though?

J: He has everything to do with this band! He must have been the inspiration for “Destroyer of Worlds” after all it sounded like it came out of the soundtrack for the fiery inferno…hmmm… good pick.

C: I think you mean Satan for this one… at least that’s what staunch Christians tell me. I was talking about the fat pimp from Christmas time.

J: Oh…! That fat ass… you can count on him and Turbid North to “Bring Home the Motherlode.” But no Chuggo, there’s a North Pole, Alaska. I’m pretty sure that fat sack of toys and peppermint doesn’t live there…

C: True that… putting his workshop in Palin country would be…

J: Full of Hell!?

C: Yes… incidentally, isn’t that the co-headliner of that night?

J: Oh yeah… these guys opened a whole new pandora’s box and unleashed a crusty-grindcore monster.

Full of Hell Vocalist, Dylan Walker, summoning distorted demon growls from the crusty-grindcore monster.

C: Yeah… although, visually, we got a punk show atmosphere to go along with that monster. The frontman, Dylan Walker, was all over the place.

J: Yeah he was! Thanks to Walker, my eyes and neck got to do a bit of cardio. He was bursting with that raw energy and there was never a dull moment. Full of Hell’s equipment was definitely out of this world and so fascinating… very mesmerizing.

C: Ah, yes, the biggest fucking mouthpiece I’ve ever seen. Walker busted out the mouthpiece of his mixer and went apeshit for “Pile of Dead Horses” and “Kopf.” Although, I was a bit concerned with it because the sounds that mouthpiece emitted sounded like the failed ignition from a car. But it made an interesting show that was far better in sound and performance than Skrillex.

J: Skrillex? Um… really? I’m sure 2010 and the sheep will defer with you.

C: Sheep are meant to be slaughtered! Either way, I can understand why Nails collaborated with these guys, same intensity and almost the same sounds.

J:  For those that missed out on the Nails show last year, like yours truly, these guys reeled me back in to the crustcore loop.

C: You were never in the loop!

J: Shut up! Now let’s talk about Papa Lars.

(Papa) Lars Göran Petrov returns to San Diego with Entombed AD with more shenanigans!

C: Ah yes… now that our interns had the absolute pleasure to meet the man, 2017 was a great kick off! It was so nice to see Papa Lars and company. Most importantly, AD or not, they’re shows are opposite of “Midas In Reverse.”

J: Like always, Papa Lars is the life of the party and we can always count on him to give us a swig from his bottle of vodka in exchange for beer sips. Our reunion wasn’t complete without some crazy stories and classic Entombed songs.

C: Too bad the original line up isn’t together but it’s awesome to hear “Stranger Aeons” and “Living Dead” live.

J: Though the majority of the set list blasted us to the past, Lars and the rest of Entombed A.D. injected these classics with booze, sweat, mucus and exuberance!

C: Also a bit of freshness with their current touring guitarist, Guilherme Miranda. That guy ruled and kept up. And was the token Brazilian amongst the Swedes.

Lars Göran Petrov of Entombed AD shows us his party face while guitarist Guilherme Miranda meditates.

J: This show felt like a belated New Year’s celebration filled with plenty of VODKA and fun… hmmm… this was a big family reunion done right.

C: Yeah… the one you would like to attend to and stay for. Not the ones you dread because you know it’s going to be in some place in bum fuck nowhere. Hoping to see these legendary Swedes again in our humble abode!

J: Till next time, Papa Lars! Cheers!

The Trials of November 25

A note from the Klown: My fellow Americans, Happy National Fatfuck Day aka Thanksgiving. For the shopaholics, happy Black Friday! Without you the Klown wouldn’t enjoy the most brutal moshpits he has ever seen. The Klown still wishes to see it happen in real time with metal blasting through the speakers through those crowded aisles but he’ll digress. On that note, that same Friday was also record store day. With that said on to business!

Oni’s Debut Is Indestructible

Oni is the hottest commodity to grace the metal scene since Megadeth released their own beer. The sextet from the Cayman Island (not to be confused with the Icelandic trio) capitalizes their ever growing popularity with their debut album Ironshore. Although the band claims to be Prog metal, after the Klown finally surfaced from the Ironshore one thing was clear, if the Klown listened to this type of “Prog” mosh pits would be commonplace in these generally mellow shows. Nevertheless, don’t get the Klown wrong he still liked what he heard and now understands why the steam they gained became white hot! The tracks “The Science” and “Spawn and Feed” give a dose of that Prog sound Oni claims to be. However, Meshuggah-like influences could be heard from these guys through the tracks “The Only Cure” and “Kanvas.” The rest of the album is a mix of different influences that the band shows off such as “Chasing Ecstasy,” which gave the Klown a glimpse if Nekrogoblikon did metalcore while other tracks contain more groove metal.

5 out of 6, A debut strong as iron!

Oni prove why they are indestructible with “Ironside”

 

Martyrdöd have completed their ‘List’ before the year’s end

The Swedish crustcore band is back with their seventh studio titled List and this album was anything but crusty. List was borderline grind blended with some early Norwegian Black Metal sounds. Tracks such as “Wipeout” and “Harmageddon” definitely had the signature punk sounds that originated from the crust subgenre, others such as “List” nearly made the Klown think  he was listening to the opening track to a lost track of Bathory or Rotting Christ. “Handlost Fallen Angel” and “Intervention” definitely had the reminiscent sounds of Darkthrone making this album feel more like an unholy time capsule.

4 out of 6, The ‘List’ is complete.

You’ll be rushing to sign up in Martyrdöd’s “List”

 

Witchery Spawns Its Sixth And Sinful Album

The Swedish quintet of blackened thrash/speed metal is back and has delivered a service befitting to that of anyone donning the stereotype of the metal head. In His Infernal Majesty’s Service is Witchery’s sixth installment so wicked, even the staunch would line up to join the service. Hell, our own pug from hell especially loved the opening track, “Lavey-athan.” (Poor bastard thought it was about him… don’t correct him if you see him.) The Klown’s personal favorite is “Netherworld Emperor,” but “Nosferatu” and “Burning of Salem” tracks can become fan favorites because it resembles a thrashy version of Watain or a new coming of Bathory. “In Warm Blood” and “Escape from Dunwich Valley” fashions itself as a serious version of Ghoul. This was fucking awesome and well done!

6 out of 6 Enlist Us Now!

Witchery binds us to “In His Infernal Majesty’s Service “

 

GWAR Conquer With ‘Black Friday’

C’mon… does the Klown really need to introduce the Scumdogs from Planet Home? But if he must, GWAR has graced us again with a four track EP vinyl titled Black Friday. This album will bring joy to all the loyal scumdogs, and for the sentimental bunch, a bloody tear to their eye. The reason for that bloody tear is that this is technically Eddie “Oderus Urungus” Brockie’s final album. Although, originally filmed and covered on The AV Club’s Youtube channel years ago, this album is still a treat. Side A comprises of Brockie’s famous vocals and his cover on Billy Ocean’s hit, “Get Out of My Dreams” and The Who’s “Baba O’Riley.” On Side B, current front man Michael “Blothar” Bishop takes over and perform a revamped version of Pet Shop Boys’ “West End Girls,” which they rename “West End Ghouls.” Much like Side A, Gwar transition in to their version of The Jim Carroll Band’s “People Who Died.” This album was awesome and a real treat and not just because it was Brockie’s final recording but because it was showcases GWAR’s ability to reinvent themselves and the songs they slaughter.

6 out of 6, Thank You and Godspeed Oderus!

GWAR bring the real meaning of “Black Friday” with Side A showcasing the late and  great Oderus Urungus, and Side B shining the light on the new leader Blothar.