I’ve always been fascinated by power trios. It surely has something to do with my love of all things raw and stripped down, since it doesn’t get any more stripped down than tres hombres against the world, brandishing only electric instruments and bad attitudes. The power trio is the bare minimum of musicians needed to produce a full and complete sound within a rock or metal format (although I’m sure there are plenty of duos who would beg to differ… eh, fuck ‘em); it’s all about maximizing the minimal, and I’ve often found that power trios are inherently heavier and more powerful-sounding than these bands that feel the need to have three guitarists, two vocalists, four drummers, a percussionist, a keyboardist, a DJ, an acrobat, a lion tamer, etc… just listen to Motorhead, Venom, High on Fire or Hellhammer and you’ll catch my drift.
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Archive for death metal
THKD’S NUCLEAR NEW YEAR’S EVIL GIVEAWAY!
Posted in black metal, contests, death metal, doom, giveaways, grindcore, hard rock, hardcore, heavy metal, Metal, Music, rock, sludge, stoner rock, thrash, traditional metal with tags 2011, 2012, black metal, contests, death metal, doom, giveaways, grindcore, hard rock, heavy metal, Metal, rock, thrash on 01/01/2012 by THKD
Thanks to you, the loyal readers, 2011 was the best year ever for That’s How Kids Die. I can’t believe the great response the blog has gotten over the course of the last year, and I’m honored that so many of you are willing to take time out of your days and nights to read my incoherent ramblings on all things heavy metal.
So, in the spirit of giving something back to you, the readers, and to kick off another year of THKD with a bang, I am proud to announce our first ever giveaway!
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THKD’s Top 10 Metal Albums of 2011
Posted in black metal, death metal, doom, drone, grindcore, hard rock, hardcore, heavy metal, industrial, Metal, Music, reissues, Reviews, rock, Satan, sludge, stoner rock, thrash, traditional metal, USBM with tags Metal, Nuclear Blast, black metal, death metal, Black Market Activities, Metal Blade, thrash, doom, Vader, Today is the Day, Burzum, Music, Maruta, Willowtip, SunnO))), heavy metal, Profound Lore, Century Media, Disma, 20 Buck Spin, Southern Lord, drone, The Ash Eaters, Fiends at Feast, Pentagram, Antediluvian, Deafheaven, Relapse, Hell, Exhumed, Passive Aggressive, Byelobog, Azarath, Uncanny, Opeth, Blut Aus Nord, Roadrunner, Witching Hour, The Lurking Corpses, Wolvhammer, Mournful Congregation, Deathwish, Debemur Morti, Conqueror, Katatonia, Best Metal Albums of 2011, Nuclear War Now!, Dark Descent on 12/23/2011 by THKD
WARNING: The following year end rant contains numerous piss poor attempts at humor and a healthy dose of cynicism. Reader discretion and a grain of salt are advised. THKD cannot be held responsible for anyone suffering from a severe case of butt-hurt as a result of exposure to this rant. Thank you for your support.
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Antediluvian – Through the Cervix of Hawwah (Profound Lore, 2011)
Posted in black metal, death metal, heavy metal, Metal, Music, Reviews with tags Adam, Antediluvian, bible, black metal, Canada, death metal, Eve, Genesis, God, Metal, Profound Lore, Reviews, Through the Cervix of Hawwah on 12/11/2011 by THKD
The word “hawwah” is the Hebrew name for Eve, from the biblical Adam and Eve of the book of Genesis. Roughly translated, it means “living one.” It might seem strange to see such a reference occurring in the context of a death metal album title, but after only a few listens to Antediluvian’s Through the Cervix of Hawwah, it became abundantly clear to me why they would choose to invoke the mythical first woman. Read more »
Mournful Congregation – The Book of Kings (20 Buck Spin, 2011)
Posted in death metal, doom, heavy metal, Metal, Music, Reviews with tags 20 Buck Spin, Adelaide, Australia, death metal, doom, funeral doom, Metal, Mournful Congregation, Reviews, The Book of Kings, The Unspoken Hymns on 12/04/2011 by THKD
As a metal journalist and critic, I occasionally run into albums that are so fucking good that they’re confounding. No amount of hyperbole will suffice with which to convey the brilliance of their myriad layers and intricacies. Such is the case with The Book of Kings, the fourth full length from Australian funeral doom practitioners Mournful Congregation. In listening to it, I feel as if my meager skills as a wordsmith are completely incapable of describing such a masterful recording, and yet I’m still compelled to spill the digital ink in service of this great work.
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Born (to grind) too Soon: the Maruta interviews
Posted in death metal, grindcore, hardcore, heavy metal, Interviews, Metal, Music, Punk with tags death metal, Florida, Forward into Regression, grindcore, In Narcosis, Interviews, Maruta, Metal, Music, power violence, USA, Willowtip on 11/30/2011 by THKD
I first encountered Floridian grindcore lords Maruta back in 2008 while they were touring behind their debut album In Narcosis. I distinctly remember vocalist Mitchell Luna almost inadvertently whipping the beer out of my hand with his microphone chord, such was the manic energy he and the rest of the band were releasing on stage. I was totally blown away, and Maruta had clearly stolen the show. I briefly spoke with Luna afterwards, long enough to buy a copy of In Narcosis and requisite t-shirt + shill a bit for the website I was writing for at the time (Sonic Frontiers.net, don’t bother looking for it, it’s not there anymore) in the hopes of securing an interview. The interview happened a few months later and In Narcosis wound up taking the #7 slot on my best metal albums of 2008 list. Read more »
Mortician’s (death) metal machine music.
Posted in death metal, grindcore, heavy metal, Horror, industrial, Metal, Music with tags avant garde, death metal, features, film, grindcore, horror, industrial, Metal, Mortician, Music, New York, noise, NYDM, Poltergeist, Roger Beaujard, Scanners, The Return of the Living Dead, USA, Will Rahmer on 11/27/2011 by THKD
In recent weeks I’ve made several attempts to contact New York death metal duo Mortician for an interview. Those attempts were not responded to. The band hasn’t released an album since 2004′s Re-Animated Dead Flesh and only plays a handful of live shows a year, so one can only assume that this relative lack of activity has something to do with it. I can’t say I blame them. But, I’ve wanted to write about Mortician for a long time, and even without an upcoming national tour or new album on the way, there is still much about the band’s totally unique and oft-misunderstood take on death metal that’s worthy of discussion.
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Acid Witch – Stoned (Hells Headbangers, 2011)
Posted in death metal, doom, Metal, Music, Reviews with tags Acid Witch, Alice Cooper, An American Werewolf in London, death metal, doom, Goblin, halloween, heavy metal, Hell's Headbangers, horror, Metal, Michigan, Music, Reviews, Stoned, The MC5, The Return of the Living Dead, The Stooges, USA on 11/25/2011 by THKD
Acid Witch is a band that appeals to me on so many levels that it’s virtually impossible not to like them. On sophomore album Stoned, the Michigan monster squad’s use of horror soundtrack synths, down-tuned doom riffage, battery acid gargling vocals and Halloween decorations gone hallucinogenic artwork is irresistible, as if someone combined all of my obsessions to create one killer recording. It’s also the perfect antidote to a metal scene that’s become a little too serious for my liking of late. I mean, how many po’ faced transcendental post-black fruit-bot-core bands do we really need?
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The Lurking Corpses @ Bombay Bicycle Club, 10/21/2011
Posted in Music with tags death metal, Fort Wayne, halloween, horror punk, Indiana, Metal, punk, Reviews, show reviews, shows, The Lurking Corpses, thrash, USA on 10/23/2011 by THKD
I’ve often remarked that when the Halloween season rolls around, all I want to listen to is Misfits and Type O Negative. It seems I’ve been a bit remiss with that statement, because there is another very special band that needs to be added to that list. The band is Fort Wayne, Indiana’s The Lurking Corpses, who proved themselves worthy and then some of being mentioned in the same breath as those (un)hallowed bands with their all-too-brief but highly enjoyable set late Friday night (Saturday morning?) at the Bombay Bicycle Club in Clive, Iowa.
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Loss – Despond (Profound Lore, 2011)
Posted in death metal, doom, Metal, Music, Reviews with tags death metal, Despond, doom, Loss, Metal, Music, Nashville, Profound Lore, Reviews, Tennessee, USA on 10/19/2011 by THKD
In my mid-twenties, I would occasionally fall into deep bouts of depression. There were days in college where I felt so miserable that I wouldn’t even get out of bed. It felt like an immense buildup of pressure inside my skull, like someone had tied cinderblocks to my legs and dropped me into the ocean. Although I never once contemplated suicide during those days when the dark waters of despair lapped at my feet, I did often think about what it would be like to just curl up and die, and whether or not anyone would give a shit if I did.
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