Here are the tour dates repeated below in case you can’t read the tiny font in the poster above.
Amon Amarth Fall 2019 North American Tour Dates:
09/26 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox SODO
09/27 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
09/28 – Vancouver, BC @ PNE Forum
09/30 – Edmonton, AB @ Edmonton Convention Centre
10/01 – Calgary, AB @ Grey Eagle
10/03 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex
10/04 – Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium
10/06 – Minneapolis, MN @ Skyway Theater
10/07 – Chicago, IL @ The Riviera Theater
10/09 – Toronto, ON @ Rebel
10/10 – Montreal, QC @ M Telus
10/12 – New York, NY @ Hammerstein Ballroom
10/13 – Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore
10/15 – Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore
10/16 – Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle
10/18 – New Orleans, LA @ The Fillmore
10/19 – Houston, TX @ House of Blues
10/20 – San Antonio, TX @ The Aztec Theatre
10/22 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren
10/23 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
10/25 – San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield
10/26 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Palladium
If there was ever a band that had a very satisfying combination of death and thrash in their sound, it is Goatwhore. Goatwhore masterfully combines the brutality of death, with the fun, drunken brawling sound that is thrash. They’re definitely a fun band to just head-bang and drink to.
Yet their sound isn’t as simple as it seems. They do enjoy switching up time signatures, or playing a riff 7 times instead of 8 randomly.
I know I’ve posted a lot of Behemoth videos from the Satanist album before. But that’s just because that album is so good. I won’t profess to know the exact meaning of this video. But I think I recognize some of the symbolism. Prometheus shackled to the cliff while birds circle overhead, ready to eat out his organs to punish him for gifting mankind fire. One-eyed Odin, the wanderer, with a raven. Both are figures who are similar to Satan in a way, they brought knowledge to humanity and suffered for it. Is that what Behemoth was going for in this video? I don’t know, those are just my guesses.
I love this song because it’s a great embodiment of what the band Nile does well, create an expansive, over-the-top soundscape with an impossible to remember title that fuses cinematic, Ancient Egyptian-esque instrumentals with the mind drilling riffs of modern death metal. It’s beautiful. If I were summoning Cthulhu, I’d want to do it to this.
This is the 10th and last track from the album Annihilation of the Wicked.
LYRICS
I Hath Dreamed Black and Grim, Desolate Visions
Of the Pre-Human Serpent Folk and Communed with Long-dead Reptiles.
Silently Watching Through the Ages in Cold, Curious Apathy.
The Unending Sorrows and Suffering of an Abysmal Humankind.
I Dare Not Again Surrender to the Deep Sleep Which Ever Beckons Me.
Lest I in Dread.
Shudder at the Nameless Things.
That May at this Very Moment.
Be Crawling and Lurking.
At the Slimy Edges of My Conciousness.
Slithering Forth from the Bowels of Their Infernal Pits.
Worshipping Their Ancient Stone Idols and Carving Their Own Detestable Likenesses On Subterranean Obelisks of Blood-soaked Granite.
I Await the Day When the Claws of Doom Shall Rise.
To Drag Down in Their Reeking Talons the Weary and Hopeless Remnants of a Jaded, Decayed, War-despairing Mankind.
Of a Day When the Earth Shall Open Wide and the Black, Bottomless, Yawning Abyss Engulfs the Arrogant Civilizations of Man.
Chthonic Retribution Shall Ascend.
Amidst Universal Pandemonium and Those Who Slither and Crawl Shall Rise Again Once More to Inherit the Earth.
This is a side project of Kataklysm’s Maurizio Iacono.”Ex deo” is Latin for “from/out of God”. So, if you enjoy Kataklysm, you will probably love rocking out to this Roman Metal project as well.
Above is a (relatively) new Amon Amarth video released January 25th, 2016. ‘First Kill’ is from Amon Amarth’s new album, Jomsviking, available March 25th. Album Pre-order + North American Pre-sale Tickets available now at http://www.amonamarth.com.
The production quality of this video is excellent. I also appreciate that the vikings in this video are dressed in a way that is closer to the way historians believe the vikings dressed, rather than what is typically depicted in the media. For instance, much of the way the characters on the History Channel’s ‘Vikings’ dress is more like leather outfits from the biker bar.
I’m guessing the album itself is about the Jomsvikings, a semi-legendary order of Viking mercenaries, or brigands, in the 10th and 11th century. They were staunchly Pagan and dedicated to the worship of deities such as Odin and Thor. They reputedly would fight for any lord able to pay their substantial fees and occasionally fought alongside Christian rulers. Although they were Pagan, the institutions of the Jomsvikings in some ways anticipated those of the Christian Knightly Orders of the later Middle Ages.
In terms of song writing, Amon Amarth doesn’t disappoint. Catchy. Fun. Bad ass.
Don’t miss their 2016 tour as they pillage a town near you.
I stopped watching TV on the regular about ten years ago. Yet one of my major disappointments (in the occasions that I do watch the boob tube) is that there was no longer a music channel, just MTV (the reality TV channel) and VH1 (the reality TV channel that sometimes had music). So you can’t imagine my excitement when Sam Dunn – the director of several heavy metal documentaries – announced that there is going to be a whole freakin’ channel dedicated to metal. This means more metal documentaries, more metal videos, and the exploration of the millions of sub-genres of metal (including the ones that you never knew existed – or the ones that don’t exist yet). Like how about Pirate Jazz Metal? Does that exist? Maybe I can just create it out of thin air. And what about the prospect of metal commercials? Commercials for things like soap that ooze goat’s blood on you in the shower? (Okay, maybe that idea needs to be work-shopped a bit)
So anyways…something definitely to look forward to. Thank you very much Sam Dunn!
Nile’s newest album “What Should Not be Unearthed” opens up like a blast of fire melting the face off a demon. They’re back heavier and faster than ever. This is quite a feat considering that Technical Death Metal has been on the way out recently. And many Death Metal bands have gone towards a more progressive or groove driven direction; which is understandable, because it’s often hard to be even heavier than what already exists, especially after Death Metal has been a genre for 20+ years.
But Nile delivers a fist full of death metal that punches you in the face with its heavy riffs, dynamic tempos, and liquid hot solos. Some of the riffs are familiar, but there are definitely some clever new licks thrown in. And of course, this album brings together what Nile fans love – fast, death metal riffs mixed with middle eastern instrumentals and scales.
KARL SANDERS DISCUSSES HIS INTENTIONS AND OPINION OF NEWEST ALBUM
In an interview with Metal Wani, Karl Sanders (Nile’s Vocalist and Guitarist) said he wanted to take a different direction than their last album, “At The Gates of Sethu.” Sethu was a very clean and technical album, written for studio perfection. But as Karl says, this newest album was all about the fans, and giving them what they want. It was also more about feeling than technicality. “Is it heavy, does it emotionally move me?”
Many interviews and reviews have already dealt with the technicalities of the music. In short, I will say in this album there are more mid-range growls than the low growls of the past (I can actually understand the lyrics!). The guitars and bass are also turned up a bit higher in volume than previous albums. As George Kollias (the drummer) is quoted as saying, “I can’t hear my fucking drums!” (Metal Wani). In terms of skill level, the song “What Should Not Be Unearthed” was apparently one of the hardest songs George Kollias has played in his life.
But what I’d like to delve into is the meaning behind the music – the vibe – the soul of the album so to speak. Topically, this is about things that shouldn’t be unearthed (yeah I know, the title says that, duh!)
The following was said about the artwork: The story behind the title goes deeply beneath everything we have already known, and we may not be ready to face. With the art I excavated the theories of an elder ancient civilization which could give the origin to ancient Egypt. That’s why you can find a new ingredient in the band imagery, pointing at some higher obscure intelligence, eroding and covered with time. (Nuclear Blast)
So there is definitely this theme of an eerie, and an ancient spirit being accidentally unleashed like some horror movie mummy.
But what no interview has discussed is the modern middle eastern implications as well.
CALL TO DESTRUCTION – OPENING ALBUM TRACK
The video for “Call to Destruction” very deliberately shows video footage of terrorist groups (like The Islamic State) destroying ancient relics. The lyrics very obviously point to this.
Call to destruction of the symbols of paganism
Grand monuments of idolatry
We must tear down these blasphemous edifices of heathenism
We must annihilate all that is pre Islamic
We must complete what the ‘Amr ibn al-‘As could not
We must tear down these relics of infidelity
Great and mighty works of blasphemy
Mountains of ancient heresy
Sacrilege encased in stone
From thousands of years before the Prophet…
So there is no mistaking that this is a theme (at least for that song).
Nile doesn’t just discuss the ancient Middle East, they also discuss the modern Middle East as well sometimes. For instance, in the “Those Whom The Gods” detest album, there was the song Kafir, which is the word for “heretic” or “unbeliever” in Islam.
So now it’s time for my conjecture (JUST MY OPINION, NOTHING OFFICIAL): I think the Islamic State’s destruction of ancient relics is relevant to many of the themes of other songs in the album. That may have been unintentional or intentional on their part (I don’t know). I just saw a theme: a theme in terms of unearthing or destroying relics of ancient history that should remain untouched. And the actions of IS/ISIS fit into that theme. “Rape of the Black Earth” discusses destroying entire blocs of history, objects that have not been disturbed for millennia, and temples of the Gods defiled. “Age of Famine” also references unheard of atrocities, noble women becoming slave and whores, and children being dashed against walls, and people turning against each other…hmm that sounds familiar to what’s in the news.
Now am I saying this is what this album is all about? No I am not. Karl himself said this wasn’t a concept album.
Or maybe the whole album was really just Karl describing his hatred of unearthing the precious Earth metals that create cell phones (see interview).(Or maybe that’s a joke…)
The last song is “To Walk Forth from the Flames Unscathed.” So perhaps this is somewhat of a hopeful ending to an album with several songs about the destruction and violation of ancient history.
Evil to Cast out Evil is a killer track. Check that out to get a further taste of the delicious mayhem that is Nile’s newest album.
The name “Smoldering in Forgotten” was inspired by a Goatwhore song, “Upon This Deathbed of Cold Fire.” Smoldering in Forgotten is another great metal band to come out of the Middle East.
Their style was originally black metal, but now they’ve grown to encompass a large variety of styles: including death, thrash and even incorporating aspects of Arabic traditional music. Their dynamic, live performances have delighted audiences across the gulf.
The drummer Mohammed Ishaq says that it can be difficult to arrange a show in Bahrain and elsewhere in the region, because venues distrust metal bands and their often rambunctious fans. Yet metal in Bahrain has apparently come a long way since the band first formed in 2005.
Ishaq says, “Back then, the only way to see live metal was to watch the occasional covers band play at a hotel’s battle of the bands night, but since then, the number of metal bands in Bahrain has grown, as has the size of their creative ambition and their audiences.” (The National Arts and Lifestyle).I have no doubt that Smouldering in Forgotten’s dynamic live performances have helped the Bahrain metal scene grow over the years.
Unfortunately I couldn’t find much of their stuff on YouTube, but I believe the song I posted above is a good eerie and melodic introduction to their work.
“I believe in Satan Who rend both heavens and earth And in the Antichrist His dearly misbegotten The anguish ov our future A Bastard spawned from lie Born ov a harlot nun Reign high in luxury Aloft the kings ov man”
– Messe Noire Lyrics
Behemoth’s grim new video is a tribute to the Swiss surrealist H. R. Giger.
Giger is most famous for his role in the award winning visuals of the film Alien. He was named to the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 2013. Giger is well known for his depiction of human bodies and machines in a cold, interconnected (and often sexual) relationship. His works primarily feature nightmarish, demonic and alienesque landscapes.
The music video above is inspired by Giger’s surreal style, with its focus on large demonic doors, as well as Sharon’s attachment to an occult and demonic machine that drains her blood. The story depicted is the fall of an archangel and his triumphant rise as Lucifer.
I can definitely see much of Sharon Ehman’s own artistic bent in the video as well. Sharon Ehman of Toxic Vision is without a doubt a fucking genius and the top designer of metal and occult inspired style in today’s world.
Zev Deans said the following about this video: “The story of Lucifer’s fall, followed by his defiant rebirth, reminds me of Nergal’s own personal struggles of recent years. Like Lucifer, Behemoth has recovered from hardship, and they are stronger than ever. With Messe Noire, I was lucky enough to work with some of the most talented people in the genre. I owe the success of this project to the intense SACRIFICE that Sharon and the rest of team gave to this work.“
THE ART OF H.R. GIGER IN MOTION
RELEVANT LINKS
(Sharon Ehman of Toxic Vision, as “Abysmal Queen”)
While I usually post some pagan/folk/black metal type stuff on this blog, sometimes it’s good to switch things up. And by that, I mean sometimes you just need an injection of simple, good ole brutal fucking death metal into your life, and what better than Tampa’s finest? As a death metal singer, Glen Benton can growl like a demon gargling with the pieces of glass he broke from a church window, and yet even with such intense growls, his words are still discernible – at least to my ear. The instrumentals are also powerful, but work tightly together like clockwork, and know just when to change things up to keep things interesting.
If you would like to watch a high contrast, black and white video of Deicide screaming sacrilegious lyrics while people dance with snakes and convulse on the floor, then this video is for you. If you need to find a video to show your local church minister, then this video is not for you – unless you go to the Church of Satan. Then that would probably be okay.
Major props to this guy. His throat sounds like it’s gonna need a bucket of Vaseline and lemon juice after such an ambitious vocal exercise. He even adds his own campy lyrics to represent each genre of metal. This video makes me realize there are too many “cores” in terms of types of metal. I’d also like to hear his take on Heavy, Power, and Doom Metal.
Hellfest is a massive show that was held on the weekend of the Summer Solstice in Clisson France, which featured a legion of the most dark and brutal bands to scourge the Earth. See the set list yourself. Every time I read about one of these major concerts in Europe, I have to punch myself in the face for not being born in Europe. In America we’re lucky to get a show that has even three of these bands in the same venue. But enough of my complaining, in the video above you can see the entire set of Behemoth. As someone who has seen Behemoth twice before, I can tell you that the energy of their albums is only magnified a hundred fold by their stage presence.
Much to my pleasure, the songs on the set list come from two of their best albums: the new album “The Satanist,” and the album that is known for the iconic Behemoth sound “Demigod.”
My Behemoth poster fell off the wall as I was listening to this – Behemoth is too heavy for my walls.
Anyone jumping out of their skin in excitement for when Behemoth’s The Satanist comes out on February 4th? Currently my skeleton is running around my apartment headbanging to this song. The Satanist is available for pre-order on Amazon, which means you can have the album shipped to your house the day it is released, listen to it first and gloat about it as all your friends stab themselves with envy.
With that aside, let me proceed to shamelessly gush about this song as if it were my teenage crush. In a previous post I discussed another song from this album: Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel. In that song, as well as the one above, I notice that Behemoth has adopted a more Black Metalish sound for this album. The guitar has somewhat of that chaotic all over the place Black Metal sound. I also love the tone they chose for the bass, it is haunting and melodic. It knows when to step into the spotlight when the rest of the music calms down, and hold things together with a bittersweet melody.
Really enjoying the two songs I’ve heard from The Satanist. Can’t wait to get my talons on the actual album.
Did Amon Amarth just make a movie or a music video? Amon Amarth’s highly awaited “Father of the Wolf” video was just released on January 17th 2014 (yesterday!) Fans who wondered why the video took so long to release now only have to look at the theater quality production behind the video to see why. The song itself is part of Amon Amarth’s newest album “Deceiver of the Gods,” so of course the theme is going to be heavily centered around Loki.
Personally, I actually feel like the introduction to the video was a bit too long. I think it would have been better of they incorporated the cinematics mostly with the music, with perhaps a 1 or 2 minute introduction. I think too much talk in the beginning kind of takes away from the music – or maybe I’m just being an extra splintery stick in the mud.
But with that aside, enjoy the video. It will leave you with a strange desire to play Skyrim and take over the world.
Also, Amon Amarth is headlining at a series of kick ass shows in the U.S. Don’t miss em!
AMON AMARTH + ENSLAVED + SKELETONWITCH
Friday, January 17 – Las Vegas, NV @ House Of Blues
Saturday, January 18 – Phoenix, AZ @ Club Red
Monday, January 20 – San Antonio, TX @ Backstage Live
Tuesday, January 21 – Dallas, TX @ House Of Blues
Wednesday, January 22 – Houston, TX @ House Of Blues
Friday, January 24 – Atlanta, GA @ Center Stage
Saturday, January 25 – Tampa, FL @ The Ritz
Sunday, January 26 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution
Monday, January 27 – Orlando, FL @ House Of Blues (*no Skeletonwitch)
Wednesday, January 29 – Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore
Thursday, January 30 – Norfolk, VA @ The NorVA
Friday, January 31 – Silver Springs, MD @ The Fillmore
Saturday, February 1 – Boston, MA @ House Of Blues
Monday, February 3 – Philadelphia, PA @ TLA
Tuesday, February 4 – New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
Wednesday, February 5 – Huntington, NY @ Paramount
Thursday, February 6 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Small’s
Friday, February 7 – Chicago, IL @ House Of Blues
Saturday, February 8 – Minneapolis, MN @ Mill City Nights
Sunday, February 9 – Lawrence, KS @ Granada Theatre
Tuesday, February 11 – Denver, CO @ Summit Theatre
Wednesday, February 12 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Murray Theater
Friday, February 14 – San Francisco, CA @ The Regency
Saturday, February 15 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern
Sunday, February 16 – San Diego, CA @ House Of Blues (* No Enslaved)
Yesterday, the Polish Death Metal band Behemoth released a new video for their song “Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel.” This song will appear on their next album “The Satanist,” which will be coming out in 2014. The album is currently available for pre-order. Nergal (the vocalist) said he was inspired in the making of this album by his battle with cancer (Metal Injection). There are few things more brutal than telling cancer “nope” and kicking its neoplasmic ass straight to hell.
Now let’s talk about the song above. First I would like to complement the bassist. Listen to the bass at 3:41 for example, I love that part! The bass wasn’t just like “Raaar brutal metalz jun jun jun jun,” it was the velvet wall between the trumpets, drums and guitar, a texture that gave the song definition, emotion and dynamics. In terms of the rest of the song, it of course is very reminiscent of Behemoth’s usual sound. But they did a great job, as usual, in amping up the brutality on this one. Makes me excited to listen to the rest of the album when it comes out.
The video itself is a masterpiece to be sure. I can’t give you a clear cut answer for what the video represents itself, but I have my own interpretation. In this video a girl goes through a journey and a transformation. She walks through a field and finds herself with a trio of “satanist priests?”
The most visually jarring part of the video is where the music picks up in intensity. After the girl drinks the ritual (wine?) she goes through a painful transformation. She starts vomiting blood, thorns pierce her body, her eyes become red with blood and she loses her hair.
As I mentioned earlier, Nergal states that he was inspired by his battle with cancer. What happens to a person when they battle cancer? They lose their hair, spend a lot of time vomiting – possibly vomiting blood – and of course go through mind wrenching pain. I think this girl’s transformation represents Nergal’s interpersonal battle with cancer. At the end of the painful transformation, the girl is something new – something unearthly. She is an angel or a demon, blowing Gabriel’s trumpet. She is more powerful than she was before, having overcome her barbaric rite.
Yet I see a meaning here that goes beyond a battle with cancer. Behold, there are religious images splashed throughout the video: a rosary, a crucifix, a Jewish menorah, a man sacrificing a lamb, etc. Remember, the album that this song is from is called “The Satanist.” Perhaps the girl’s battle represents The Satanist’s battle against all religions and ideologies. It is a battle against systems that attempt to control the mind and the soul. At the end, the new Satanist initiate is more powerful having overcome the religious restraints on her mind and does something that Christ speaks against – she blows her own horn. She is an entity onto herself, a primeval wolf in the forest, her own personal God. She proclaims herself as such as false religions crumble around her.
We did it! We got more than 1,000 views in one day! EDIT: At the end of the day it was around 2,500. This is a blog where the daily average is 150 views.
So thanks everyone for your help! Couldn’t have done it without you!
Let’s celebrate with Amon Amarth’s “1,000 Years of oppression” as a reminder of what we’re overcoming.
May the torch of our ancestors burn bright, may we hold this torch with courage and might.
Long live the Ancient Ways! Long live the eternal!
On WordPress it gives you the ability to see which countries your readers are from. A majority of my readers usually come from America. Yet today the majority of my readers came from Egypt, then there were also folks popping in from Israel, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE. I even got some followers with names I can neither read nor pronounce. So hello and welcome to my blog! Here’s my favorite song by the American Death Metal band Nile, they write music about Ancient Egypt. Also below, I included some bands from the Middle East that are pretty awesome.
MYRATH – TALES OF THE SANDS ALBUM
These guys are one of the first bands to be signed on a record label from Tunisia. Here’s an entire album. They are a Progressive Metal band with Middle Eastern Folk metal elements.
ORPHANED LAND – ALL IS ONE
I think everyone’s already heard of these guys, they are a popular metal band from Israel. I’ve also posted this song before, but it’s good enough to post twice. I mean come on, there are sword wielding belly dancers! Orphaned Land is cool because they are doing what the politicians are not, bringing peace between Muslims and Jews.
TAKATAK – BREAK DOWN
Oh dear, what a stereotypical name for a death metal song with hardcore elements. Well, despite the stupid name, I still thought this song was somewhat interesting. These guys are a death metal band from Pakistan. I bet they listen to a lot of Lamb of God. The beginning of the song was the typical hardcore stuff, but the end was more interesting to me. It rambled on into a direction of creative shredding.
Keep reading the posts and enjoying the blog! Feel free to recommend any metal if you want.
Hungry for horror? Looking for some brutal, metal tunes to crank as you bash open zombie brains? Look no further. We got what you need.
Ramesses – Baptism of the Walking Dead
Genre: Death/Doom Metal.
Review: Erie, haunting and infused with droning horror. I give this song 7 zombie brains out of 10.
Nile – Eat of the Dead
Genre: Brutal Technical Death Metal
Review: How can you not love this deliciously brutal song? It punches you in the face with riffs that are both powerful and technically written. The vocals are guttural and grotesque – like the excruciating cries of a man being mummified alive. I give this song 8 rotting corpses out of 10.
Vader – God is Dead
Genre: Death Metal/ Thrash
Review: You say this isn’t a zombie song? I thought Jesus was a zombie. Doesn’t he come back from the dead? Also, I love Vader and wanted an excuse to post one of their songs. Their vocals are so diabolically dark and evil – the vocalist sounds like he gargles glass and bat’s blood for breakfast. This song definitely gets 8 upside down crosses out of 10.
Kataklysm – The Night They Returned
Genre: Death Metal/Melodic Death
Review: Gotta love those Kataklysm drums. Their drummer is a beast. This song is a good balance of brutality and ominous dread. It gets 7 decayed tomb stones out of 10 from me.
Cannibal Corpse – Hammer Smashed Face
Genre: Classic Death Metal
Review: Any self respecting metal head who is not familiar with this song should get their face smashed in by a hammer. This is a classic Death Metal hit. I give this 9 skulls out of 10. Yes, I’m biased for classics.
Review: Holy shit I love me some priest! This is probably my favorite zombie song hands down. Chock full of punching riffs, great melodies and dynamic-chilling Halford Vocals. If I were stuck in a zombie apocalypse, I would love nothing better than to kill the living dead with priest blasting out of my speakers. Than I would ride away with Halford on his motorcycle and we’d have a fun platonic time (since he plays for the other team so to speak). This song gets 10 blood soaked axes out of 10 baby!