Month: April 2014

by Mat Weir

If you’re a metal head, then forgive the obviousness of the next sentence. Tank Crimes is KILLING IT in 2014! Between the brutal album releases and this year’s Brain Squeeze (seriously considered quitting my job to see it, then I remembered I like to drink), this year is a promising one for the Oakland-based label.

They kicked it off with a brutal split EP by two of 2014’s heaviest; San Jose’s death metal legends, Exhumed, and Richmond, Virginia’s sensual thrash band & this year’s Brain Squeeze veterans, Iron Reagan. Each band has four songs to destroy your skull with and they don’t waste a moment when it comes to bashing your sanity with metal.

Exhumed’s new tracks are dripping with shredding guitar solos and they joyfully slaughter a 52 second cover of Minor Threat’s “Seeing Red.” On the other side, Iron Reagan rips up their version of…

by Mat Weir

Goddamn, it’s been a busy year for The Black Angels. Last year they released their fourth full-length, departed on two (or was it three?) tours, made their usual appearance at the Austin Psyche Fest & South by Southwest. If they didn’t have enough to deal with, this last Saturday they opened their own record store in Austin AND released their fourth EP, Clear Lake Forest.

Whenever the Angels release something on Record Store Day, I always buy it just on principle. But I have to admit, I wasn’t too excited for this year’s release. In my review of Indigo Meadow, I explained that even though I enjoyed the album, it wasn’t my favorite as it seemingly abandoned their fuzzier, psych roots for a more poppy, psych-lite sound. Even after seeing the Forest cover–which sees a return to the pattern designs that grace all their albums…

by Mat Weir

If there is one band who has influenced Doom Metal the most in the 21st century, it would be Sleep. Birthed from the ashes of the San Jose sludge band, Asbestos Death, Sleep began as a four-piece, quickly moving to a power trio of Matt Pike on guitar, Al Cisneros on bass/vocals & Chris Hakius on drums. By building upon & dragging out early stoner rock riffs–ala Black Sabbath, Pentagram, the Melvins and more–Sleep revolutionized the doom metal scene in the Bay and beyond, spawning a huge cult following. Their mission was to turn metal into art and they succeeded with four, must-have records (three full-lengths & one EP) before disbanding in 1998 after only eight years together. Of their three releases the final, Dopesmoker, is THE unquestionably quintessential album for metal heads, music lovers & stoners alike. It was also the album that destroyed the…

Record Store Day is Saturday, April 19. Here are a few choice LP picks from one of our own.

by Mat Weir

Gil Scott-Heron – “Nothing New” 12-inch LP: Gil is one of my favorite artists and this RSD release comes with a screen-printed cover. Even if all of his albums aren’t great, Scott-Heron is a poet, soulman, godfather of hip hop and too influential not to have in your collection. Plus this album has his iconic “Pieces of a Man” track for the gold.

Joan Jett & the Blackhearts – “Glorious Results of a Misspent Youth” 12-inch LP: Jett’s fourth album and the Blackhearts’ third, this is the first time the album has been on vinyl since it’s release in 1984. This comes on PINK vinyl, hand numbered, and contains the Runaways classic track, “Cherry Bomb.” Be still my nerdy heart.

Joy Division – “An Ideal For Living”…

Record Store Day is Saturday, April 19. Here are a few choice 7″ picks from one of our own.

by Mat Weir

The Cure/Dinosaur Jr. – “Just Like Heaven” 7-inch: It’s catchy and oozing with sap, “Just Like Heaven” is one of those songs you can’t help but love. Plus it’s the Cure and Dinosaur Jr. on one record, sounds like an RSD win to me.

Nirvana – “Penny Royal Tea/I Hate Myself And Want to Die” 7-inch: Set to be released as the third single & B-side from In Utero, the plans were quickly scratched with Cobain’s suicide the same month. Twenty years later, Cobain and crew are inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame only to have the lost single released a week later. Eerily coincidental or perfectly planned marketing? Either way, both of these are monster tracks from the band and going home with…