CARCASS have announced that they will be returning to the United States this March for the Exhumed to Consume II tour. The follow up to last year’s highly successful reunion tour, Exhume to Consume, will feature SUICIDE SILENCE, SAMAEL, ARSIS and PSYCROPTIC plus a few special guests on select dates. Vocalist/bassist and all around optimistic person Jeff Walker commented:
“Well, I’m pleased to announce that CARCASS is gonna settle it’s unresolved scores in the U.S.! There was some slight whimpers of discontent that we didn’t hit some cities such as Chicago and Denver last time round – places that were always hot spots of enthusiasm for us. So we’re coming back in March to finish off our unsettled business! We seemed to have had a profound influence on your economy and gas prices have gotten cheaper haha! That’s doesn’t mean we’re not gonna come through and provide some value for your buck with some old (and new) school friends and comrades such as SUFFOCATION, SAMAEL, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, EXODUS, SUICIDE SILENCE, etc. – check out locally as for who is on the bill where! And hey, I couldn’t think of anywhere better to be on my 40th birthday than the Sunshine Theatre in Albuquerque, New Mexico! We promise this will be the last time we darken your shores (I said that with my fingers crossed behind my back)!”
03/13/09 The Trocadero – Philadelphia, PA
03/14/09 Peabody’s – Cleveland, OH (w/ ABIGAIL WILLIAMS)
03/15/09 The Pearl Room – Mokena, IL (w/ THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER)
03/16/09 Majestic Theater – Detroit, MI (w/ THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER)
03/17/09 Headliner’s – Louisville, KY
03/21/09 Ridglea Theater – Ft. Worth, TX (w/ SUFFOCATION)
03/22/09 Meridian – Houston, TX
03/24/09 Gothic Theatre – Denver, CO
03/25/09 Sunshine Theatre – Albuquerque, NM
03/26/09 The Grand Ballroom – San Francisco, CA (THE FACELESS, TOXIC HOLOCAUST)
03/27/09 The Marquee Theatre – Phoenix, AZ (w/ SUFFOCATION)
03/28/09 The Grove – Anaheim, CA (California Metal Fest w/ SUFFOCATION, EXODUS, etc.)
The third annual California Metalfest, presented by Nederlander Concerts and Headbang For The Highway, is confirmed for March 28th at The Grove of Anaheim. Confirmed talent thus far includes CARCASS, EXODUS, SUFFOCATION, THE FACELESS, WHITECHAPEL, SAMAEL, ARSIS, DECREPIT BIRTH, VEIL OF MAYA, PSYCROPTIC, and others to be announced in the coming weeks.
The golden age of Earache Records is simply legendary. Rarely has there ever been such a collection of pioneering bands of extreme music on one label at a special period of time. This DVD features many of the greatest bands ever such as MORBID ANGEL, CATHEDRAL, NAPALM DEATH, CARCASS, and ENTOMBED as well as some that never quite broke big such as GANDALF and DUB WAR. The most glaring and immediate characteristic of this compilation is the grainy visual quality of it all. The DVD looks as if it was taken off of an old VHS master tape. Some videos look worse than others. Immortalised finds redemption for this flaw in the fact that the material on the DVD is just too strong, diverse, and entertaining to deny. There are serious and dark videos such as “God Emptiness” from MORBID ANGEL and just some straight out annoying songs such as “Meat” by LINEA 77. Comedic highlights can be found in the blatant musical equipment endorsements in SLEEP’s “Dragonaut” or the pro wrestling highlights in IRON MONKEY’s “Supergorgonizer.” There are also bonus live songs from bands in which Earache has already released live DVDs of. Whether you’re a metal newbie, a seasoned veteran looking to relive the good old days or just somewhere in between, there’s truly plenty for everyone. (MVD Visual)
Seven albums in with no signs of slowing down or softening up, ARCH ENEMY continues to raise the bar for the world of metal with their latest, Rise of the Tyrant. Faster and more aggressive than the band has been in years, Rise of the Tyrant also brings forth a much more organic sound than on the somewhat mechanical, clinical delivery of the album’s predecessor, Doomsday Machine. Drummer Daniel Erlandsson keeps the double-bass coming, driving “Blood on Your Hands,” “The Last Enemy,” “In this Shallow Grave,” and the punishing title track home. Meanwhile, the Amott brothers’ twin guitar harmonies, solos, and trickery create a virtual textbook in metal guitar by successfully balancing feeling, technique, and heaviness with ease. The band does lay off the throttle here and there such as on the catchy hook-laden “I Will Live Again” and “Revolution Begins.” The band’s love for NWOBHM shines through, creating fist-pumping anthems for the throngs of fans they’ll be playing to on one of their forthcoming tours. All in all, perhaps the most complete, consistent and balanced album from these masters of metal, and sure to be a pick by many for metal album of the year. (Century Media Records)