The Trials of May 5

Note: Feliz Cinco de Mayo, carnales! Although this is belated, in actuality, most Mexicans don’t really celebrate this. BUT that still doesn’t stop us from some drunken debauchery! You wanna feel traditionally Mexican and remain metal/punk? Play some Metalachi, Brujeria, Asesino, Mictlantecuhtli, Piñata Protest, Café Tacvba crack open unas heladas and call yourself a Mexican for a day! In the meantime, here are some albums to add to your drunken soundtrack!

Lucifer’s Dungeon Is Released at Last

The Russian black metal duo known as Lucifer’s Dungeon has released their studio debut album The Dark Army Raises through Grimm Distribution. The brainchild and front man Cain Black features an array of ambience and sounds of old school Norwegian black metal. More of the latter is featured with “Unconscious Faith,” “War,” “Burn Your Dogma” and “The Forest,” just to name a few. “The Dark Army Raises” presents the ambient black metal sound with vocals features some great guitar play from Black himself. If instrumentals are  your thing you are in luck friends, and you will love “The Last Day of Life,”  “III Lives of Dark Angel” and “The Secret” which sounded like something that came from an earlier Ghost Bath demo.

Lastly, Lucifer’s Dungeon dabbles in a style similar to that of Darkthrone’s Transilvanian Hunger with the Fre“The Answer” and “Beyond Good and Evil.” It was a pretty good debut and will definitely ride on the nostalgic black metal train. The Klown recommends this album for die hard black metal enthusiasts and for those who fancy themselves kvlt. Finally you can check this out on the label’s bandcamp.

5 out of 6 Lock Up Has Never Sounded So Good.

Freiheit Liberates their Newest Album

If you know your German, the word literally means freedom. In a twist befitting an M. Night Shyamalan movie, this blackened death metal quartet is from Russia and has released their long awaited studio debut Безумие. Ненависть. Смерть (Madness. Hatred. Death) via Grimm Distributions. The album begin with the short but pretty strong and singing intro “C.C.C.K” which then transitions to “Волк” (Wolf) and had the Klown thinking he was listening to some earlier Carach Angren. Not to be outdone by “Мясорубка” (Meat Grinder) which sounded like a spry Dimmu Borgir if they had death metal and folk influences incorporated as well as rapid double bass drumming courtesy of Pavel Melnikov. However, Freiheit really bring you some fast death metal with “Корпус Смерти” (The Corpse of Death) and “Монумент” (Monument) which features Alexandr Merzliy’s smooth but harsh growling vocals. If you’re the type that’s big on brutal death metal “Технократия” (Technocracy) and “Свобода” (Freedom) are the tracks you’re definitely going to enjoy. Lastly, this album finishes really strong with some really fast paced death metal “Горящая земля” (Burning Earth). If you don’t mind hearing Russian vocals but enjoying the fast paced instrumentals then the Klown highly recommends this. You can also check ’em out through the Grimm Distribution’s bandcamp.

6 out of 6, The New Sound of Freedom has Arrived

Full Of Hell Release Their Latest with Some Fanfare

The self proclaimed Martians known as Full Of Hell have made not one but two appearances in Ugh Metal. On that note, check out the articles in which they were featured after you done checking this out. Anyway they have returned with a fifth installment Trumpeting Ecstasy through Profound Lore Records. This album was a little different than what the Klown has heard in the past from this quartet. Full Of Hell first takes an ultraviolent approach with “Deluminate” and “Bound Sphinx” but they immediately revisit their brand of grindcore with “Branches of Yew” and “The Cosmic Vein.”

This album contains a handful of guest vocalists such as such Isis’s Aaron Turner, Andrew Nolan of Column of Heaven in “Ashen Mesh,” and  Canadian pop beauty Nicole Dollanganger in “Trumpeting Ecstasy” which became the Klown’s favorite track. “Trumpeting Ecstasy” has Dollanganger’s soothing and angelic voice beautifully mixed with Walker’s beastly growls, his mixing board and some autotune. Lastly, “At the Cauldron’s Bottom” feature Converge’s Nate Newton’s harsh vocals to make a really intense and doomy closer for the album. The best part of that song is the ending because of how the electronic ambient sounds from Walker is incorporated,  making it seem like a march to an epic battle leaving you satisfied after the album. You can check this latest album out through the label’s bandcamp.

6 out of 6, Will leave you in ecstasy

Nagaarum Continues to Bear Fruits of Experiments

The one man experimental black metal project known as Nagaarum has released his 14^th studio album titled Homo Maleficus via Grimm Distributions. The Hungarian man known as T.G. Nagaarum starts off his new album with “A Befalazott” (The Walled) which can be described as very experimental and ambient doom metal with some black metal vocals. Despite that description, the song is more instrumentals which is not a bad thing before you misconstrue the Klown’s words.  “Az Elvhu” (The Principle) and “A Vassal Nevelt” (Raised with an Iron) pick up the pace and are rather intense considering that they’re somewhat slow paced and ambient. “Mens Dominium” and “Dolgunk Végeztével” (When We’re Done) offers experimental black metal with some electronic sounds and synths making the songs borderline Industrial. “Kolontár” was definitely the most befitting way to end the album. Why? Aside from the song being deliberately slow, it seemed rather appropriate to top off this album’s irregular direction and almost present a bit of normality to this piece. The Klown definitely recommends this album for those who are in true ambient and experimental black metal. Drop by their bandcamp as well.

5 out of 6, Damn Good

God Dethroned Latest is FIRE

The band most synonymous with the Dutch metal scene, God Dethroned has produced a new album after seven long years titled The World Ablaze through Metal Blade Records. The legendary quartet quickly start strong with “Annihilation Crusade” which is made stronger with that sweet guitar solo. In a twist of patriotism combined with cynicism “The World Ablaze” serves as a great and borderline sludgy song especially because of the heavy melody it and the meaningful lyrical content that front man/ guitarist Henri Sattler offers. “On the Wrong Side of the Wire” and “Close to Victory” features the melodic death metal that the band was known for. “Escape the Ice (The White Army)” features a bit of brutal death metal to the mix and also features another sweet guitar solo from Mike Ferguson.

“Breathing to Blood” was only awesome but had the Klown thinking that it was a lost Amon Amarth track, regardless of how is sounded for a brief moment it was just awesome in general with the intensity and speed that it carried. Looking for a song to head straight into battle? God Dethroned gots you covered with “Messina Ridge.” “The 11^th Hour” was basically the perfect closer for this album because it was melodic and somewhat slow paced and leaves you clamoring for more. This album not only did well to commemorate the fallen soldiers and it’s more than in time for Memorial Day but it was a great comeback. The Klown definitely recommends this album especially if you are die hard God Dethroned fan. Don’t forget to get your copy now! 

6 out of 6, FIRE

Ugh Metal Return to their ‘Roots’ with Max and Igor

A new era has risen in the “Return To Roots” tour! (L to R: Bassist Tony Campos, drummer Igor Cavalera (consumed by the light), vocalist/guitarist/metal god Max Cavalera, lead guitarist Marc Rizzo)

Over 21 years ago, the Klown was just a wee clown trying to understand the world. Outdoor play was a thing, Saturday morning cartoons were still around, Goosebumps and Animorphs were the go to literature masterpieces of the day, MTV still had music but most importantly, Sepultura still had the Cavaleras. When MTV was a trendy musical catalyst and was shown in Telemundo, the Klown had visual and musical exposure to some great classics in our beloved genre such as “Roots Bloody Roots” and Roots was being heavily promoted as one of the best albums of the year at the time.

On March 4, Ugh Metal took a trip up to Santa Ana, CA to the Observatory to not only see the Brazilian metal gods but to experience old school Sepultura in some form. Before the Klown begins, he would like to issue a mea culpa to the upstarts from LA known as Art Of Shock. Unfortunately for Ugh Metal, the weekend traffic on the 5 North was unpredictable and bad making us miss out on this group. The Klown was actually looking forward to hearing Art Of Shock dish out “The Reaper” or “Freaking Out”. Hopefully, next time the Klown will be fortunate enough to catch these gents in action. Who knows maybe they’ll pop in San Diego one of these days?

Instead, Ugh Metal kicked off this night with the Pomonan quintet known as Sangre. These guys were a treat and kept the present momentum going. Truth be told, the Klown didn’t know what to expect, but the Klown enjoys surprises for the most part. Once yours truly made his way inside, he was greeted by Henry Sanchez’s vocals combined with Mike Reyes and Anthony Ibarra’s wailing guitars and solo. Sanchez also had the charisma and presence to keep a hyped crowd going. Sangre treated us to “Forever I” and more songs from their last studio album The Great Tribulation and performed the anthem for every metalhead and punker, “Me Vale Madre.”The group also promoted their latest EP Atonement by performing “Self Destructive Destiny.”

The people wanted SANGRE!

After Sangre, the Klown had the pleasure to see the flavor the fast rising grindcore from Mars second time, Full Of Hell. We were kicked off with “Halogen Bulb” by the self proclaimed Martians, which by the end of that performance had frontman Dylan Walker so pumped up that he ended up revealing that the band was really from Massachusetts… go figure. Unlike the last time, Walker didn’t use his mixer and his fancy mouthpiece as much. But when Walker used the mouthpiece and mixer it was brief and for the performance of “Vessel Desserted.” Unlike the last time, Full Of Hell was more fast paced than usual and more aggressive especially when they unleashed “Amber Mote.” Before their time was up, drummer Dave Bland treated us to a drum solo after “Thrum in the Deep.”

Before the Klown continues with Immolation, he would like to state that although he loved their time on the stage, it would be a disservice to take away their true limelight which happened on the following day at the Brick. Nevertheless, they kicked major ass and the Klown knew that the following day was going to be a major treat! The quartet from Yonkers kicked off their set with “The Distorting Light” from their latest album, Atonement. They would later take us back to 2010 with “Majesty and Decay” and hit fast forward to a year later with their 2011 EP Providence for “What They Bring.” Although they didn’t finish with the following song, frontman and bassist Ross Dolan took us back to the beginning by performing “Immolation.”

Ross Dolan of Immolation testing out his new and brutal jingle for Herbal Essence.

As Immolation departed, the stage was set for those who never had the chance to experience Sepultura with the Cavaleras. Although the collective didn’t have their original line up, bassist Tony Campos and lead guitarist Marc Rizzo, filled in as the missing piece of this tour. If you thought the Klown was excited, it couldn’t match up to the Observatory as a whole especially the second “Roots Bloody Roots” began! The Klown’s inner child lit up and took a trip down memory lane to the moment he was first exposed to this masterpiece as he sat in front of the tube during the 90’s.

The pit looked like a swarm of killer bees after the hive was kicked, and the rest of the venue sang along with Max Cavalera. Max proved why he’s the Brazilian metal god and showcased his multi-instrumentalist skills by playing a berimbau, a traditional Brazilian percussion instrument that looks like a bow, for the beginning of “Attitude.” The Klown was really stoked to finally hear his other favorite song from the Roots album, “Ratamahatta.” Aside from it being an awesome song with some tribal and Afro-Brazilian influences, the song also serves as a metal version of Muzzy for some quick Portuguese.

Igor Cavalera, Tony Campos and Max Cavalera having a little jam sesh of their own

Although “Jasco” wasn’t performed, “Itsari” was which featured a drumming solo and instrumental/intro prior to “Ambush” from Igor Cavalera. Max would share bits of Sepultura’s history and gave a fun fact about Roots by revealing to fans the Xavantes Tribe from Brazil was actually brought to the studio to record that session back when iconic album was still being recorded. The night got better when members from Full of Hell and Immolation and Faith No More drummer Mike Bordin joined the Cavaleras on stage for a drumming session.

As the show was coming to a close, Max would then invite Dylan Walker and Ross Dolan on stage for a vocal demo and to perform two songs thereafter. The first was in honor of a legend that is gone but never forgotten, Motorhead’s “Ace of Spades” in which Walker and Dylan served as backup vocalists. The last was in honor of pioneers that are still alive and kicking, Venom’s “Black Metal,” a song in which Max would share vocal duties with Walker’s guttural vocals and Dolan’s harsh growls.

Dylan Walker, Ross Dolan and Max Cavalera invoking the spirit of “Black Metal”

After the covers were performed, Max expressed his love for music and gratitude to fans by referring to them as his tribe whether you support Sepultura or Soulfly. Cavalera shared an anecdote about Igor and himself and reminisced about the times they were starting out and jammed out in their childhood home in the favelas of Belo Horizonte. Cavalera said that it was a time in which he would say were some of his best moments despite of everything they went through and where the idea of Sepultura would eventually come from. The night would conclude with Campos and Rizzo returning to the stage alongside the brothers and performed a fast paced mash up of Sepultura’s classics starting with “Roots Bloody Roots” as the catalyst.

ROOTS BLOODY ROOTS

 

The Hatchet Job: March 8-13

March 8

Oh Noes! At The Gates Loses Founding Member

By lose I mean he quit! As in founding guitarist Anders Björler has decided to part ways with the band after 27 years! The band released a statement regarding Björler’s departure and said that “that special spark was no longer with him last year.” The founding guitarist also released a statement himself stating there was no ill will and said that his decision to leave “has to do 100% to do with the music side of things.” At The Gates will continue to work on their follow up album to their 2014 record At War With Reality and hope to record in 2018. What a bummer but do what you gotta do!

Ander Björler will venture off to new things, bummer though.

March 9

Full of Hell Know How To ‘Deluminate’

These dudes have been very busy lately whether it’s touring with legends or releasing singles. The death grinders have released their audio for “Deluminate” which will be in their upcoming album Trumpeting Ecstasy via Profound Lore Records on Cinco de Mayo! If you’re not familiar with Full of Hell yet, well now’s your chance and luckily for you, there’s still plenty of time for you to prepare for your drunken solo mosh when their new record lands!

March 10

Me And That Man Delivers Another Bluesy Anthem

I may be smitten with Adam “Nergal” Darski’s latest music project Me And That Man but who wouldn’t be? With the release of the debut album Songs of Love and Death looming on the horizon (March 24 via Cooking Vinyl), they’ve have released yet another melancholic but infectious video for “Cross My Heart And Hope To Die.” Darski is on a mission in the desert and after you hear this tune, so will you.

We Will ‘Remain Violent’

Warbringer is back again with another music video that is sure to incite some violence!… But in a pit that is. These dudes deliver a brutally powerful track that will surely ignite the pit in their upcoming tour (they will be stopping by at the Brick By Brick on the 26^th ). You like what you hear? Stay tuned for their March 31 album Woe To The Vanquished which will be released through Napalm Records.

We Have A ‘1,000,000’ Feels

Norma Jean strikes a chord in their latest music video for “1,000,000 Watts.” The story compliments this anguished song and will also have you at the edge of your seat, their days of angsty rage have seceded and a new era of more real woe has risen. Check out the rest of the album Polar Similar out now and if you’re feeling iffy, check out the Klown’s verdict on it.

March 12

Y&T Rhythm Guitarist Dies

Joey Alves, who was the original rhythm guitarist, has passed at the age of 63. Frontman Dave Meniketti stated in the band’s Facebook that Alves succumbed to ulcerative colitis and other health complications.”He was a fun guy who always played with attitude and conviction, and was responsible for writing some memorable riffs for Y&T over the years.” said Meniketti in the statement “His friendship and presence will be missed.”  Meniketti is now the sole original member of Y&T, rest in paradise bud.

Joey Alves is now in the giant concert in the sky.

March 13

Anal Trump Strikes Again!

Travis Ryan (Cattle Decapitation) and Rob Crow (Pinback) have joined forces again to release a new EP titled If You Thought Six Million Jews Was A Lot Of People, You Should’ve Seen My Inauguration. This EP with the ridiculously short title continues to celebrate our commander in chief and proceeds go to the ACLU just like Donny would like it! P.S there are only 28 copies left as of now, so get on it!

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!