HOWLING, BLACK CAP MINER, ENTOMBED

Just a few new things in between reviews to help kick-start this Thursday.

HOWLING

Let’s see, where shall we start? How about some death metal? Yes, death metal is always a good place to start, especially death metal inspired by John Carpenter’s 1981 classic, The Thing. And that’s what Howling gave us last night when they released “Shape-Shifting Enemy” on Bandcamp.

Howling, for those who need to catch up, is the horror-themed project of vocalist Vanessa Nocera (Skeletal Spectre, Scaremaker, Wooden Stake), guitarist/bassist Tony Proffer (Beyond Hell), and drummer Elektrokutioner (Encoffination, Father Befouled, many others). This new single comes from the band’s next album, Tear the Screams from Your Throat, which is due out in October 2013. I have high hopes for that album, because the band’s debut, A Beast Conceived, was so fuckin’ good (I explained why I think so at this location).

“Shape-Shifting Enemy” provides even more reason to anticipate the new album with relish. If you’re expecting old-school gore/death, you’ll be surprised. The mainly slow-paced song contrasts Proffer’s melodic guitar leads (and a writhing solo) with Nocera’s carnivorous growls, book-ended by unexpected guitar instrumentals. And for variety’s sake, you’ll encounter a couple of thrashing romps along the way.

To download the new single for a buck, use the Bandcamp link below.

https://www.facebook.com/howlingdead
http://howlingdead.bandcamp.com/track/shape-shifting-enemy

 

BLACK CAP MINER

I’ve previously written about this thrash project of Byzantine vocalist/guitarist Chris Ojeda. He and a group of very talented friends have recorded covers of old-school thrash tracks for an album that will be released later this year. They’ve already premiered one single — a cover of “World In A World”, originally recorded by Bay Area thrashers Vio-lence, and yesterday we got another new song. But before I get to it, here’s one more reminder about the people who have contributed to the album:

JAMES MALONE (Arsis)
GREG BURGESS (Allegaeon)
TONY ROHRBOUGH (Byzantine)
JAY HANNON (Gizmachi)
KYLE THOMAS (Exhorder, Trouble)
CHRIS POLAND (Megadeth)
CHUCK BILLY (Testament)

The new song is a cover of Exhorder’s “Legion of Death”, and it features a sharing of the vocals by Ojeda and Exhorder/Alabama Thunderpussy/Trouble frontman Kyle Thomas. You can’t not headbang to this thing. Not headbanging is not possible. And the soloing rips. The vox, as you might expect, are fuckin’ evil, too. Get your fire-breathing speed metal engines started and head to riff city below.

By the way, although Black Cap Miner quickly fulfilled their indiegogo campaign, there are 6 days left in which you can use a contribution as a pre-order for the album and/or related goodies. Go HERE to do that.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Black-Cap-Miner/203548156374298

 

ENTOMBED

Sweden’s legendary Entombed are raising money through a Pledge Music campaign to finance Threeman, a reissue of three of their albums — To Ride Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth (1997), Same Difference (1998), 
and Uprising (2000) — remastered and delivered in special packaging, with additional unreleased demo’s, B-sides and bonus material.

With the reissue of To Ride Shoot Straight and Speak the Truth, there will be a second disc that includes demo tracks, cover songs, and live recordings (yet to be selected), and yesterday Entombed provided a list of what will be on there:

TO RIDE, SHOOT STRAIGHT AND SPEAK THE TRUTH (1994 DEMO)
LIKE THIS WITH THE DEVIL (1994 DEMO)
JUST AS SAD (1994 DEMO)
PUT ME OUT (1994 DEMO)
KICK OUT THE JAMS (COVER – MC5)
TEAR IT LOOSE (COVER – TWISTED SISTER)
21ST CENTURY SCHIZOID MAN (COVER – KING CRIMSON)
BURSTING OUT (COVER – VENOM)
SATAN (COVER – THE DWARVES)
UNDER THE SUN (COVER – BLACK SABBATH)
LOST (COVER – JERRY’S KIDS)
THE BALLAD OF HOLLIS BROWN (COVER – BOB DYLAN)
Plus two live tracks.

The band also started streaming that cover of “21st Century Schizoid Man”. The original of that song is one of your humble editor’s all-time favorite pieces of music. It’s been covered by lots of artists, to varying degrees of success. Entombed’s cover is one of the successful ones, quite faithful to the original but with guitar in place of sax and added beef in the riffs. The cover first appeared on Entombed’s 2002 compilation album Sons of Satan Praise the Lord, and this update about the Threeman project gives me an excuse to embed the track below.

If you’re interested in finding out more about this project and what it offers, go here:

http://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/entombed-reissues

Now, listen to 21st Century Schizoid Entombed:

[audio:https://www.nocleansinging.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/21st_Century_Schizoid_Man.mp3|titles=Entombed – 21st Century Schizoid Man]

Finally, if you know what’s good for you, watch this just-released Threeman reissue video message from a bleached cadaver (and Entombed’s Alex Hellid):