Artist: The Heavy

Although it's probably safe to say that sludge metal quartet Torche has been heading in a progressively more pop-inflected direction throughout the past few years, that's not to say that they have sacrificed ambition as a result. On "Reverse Inverted," the second track to drop from the band's upcoming LP, the band proves this by combining frontman Steve Brooks' catchy vocal approach with riffs that experiment with unconventional time signatures. One of the track's strongest moments comes with the closing riff, which sees the band lock into a relentlessly engaging groove, then introduce a particularly euphoric guitar melody that carries [...]

If Lord Mantis' Pervertor doesn't have the most vile album cover you've seen this year, it should definitely make it into your top-10 come December. The Chicago band's talents go far beyond picking gruesome cover art, though-which was created by Justin Bartlett, I should add. Lord Mantis has the band's latest LP is an incredible combination of the thick, bassy heaviness of sludge metal combined with the sinister and dark chord progressions found in black metal. It's no surprise considering who is involved with this project: Pelican producer Sanford Parker and musicians from one of America's [...]

While Torche's recent output has had a laser-like focus on delivering the maximum bang per minute as they've condensed big riffs and bigger choruses into tightly wound songs, that doesn't mean they have lost the ability to be metal in the more traditional sense of the word. Take, "Reverse Inverted," for instance. Here, on the second track made available from the soon-to-be released Harmoniacraft, the Southern quartet offers a massive heap of grunge-like sludge, giving new guitarist, Andrew Elstner ample opportunity to show his chops. And, boy does he deliver, first, with an opening riff like the [...]

• Torche - Reverse Inverted

All of you Rock 'N' Roll lifers out there, take notice. This is how one ages gracefully. Cleveland's This Moment in Black History first made their name in these parts with a caustic, hectic, and often times uncomfortable brand of Clevo punk. Lead vocalist, Chris Kulcsar screeched more than he sang and that noise box of his was often pitched way high and way loud, obscuring the tight musicianship of bassist Lawrence Daniel Caswell, drummer Bim Thomas and guitarist Buddy Akita. 20102s Public Square would be the first sign that This Moment in Black [...]

Maybe National Suicide Day wasn't a power trio in the traditional sense, but there was a time, let's say 2008-2009, that this band of Jason Conrad Schafer (vocals/guitars), Lawrence Daniel Caswell (vocals/bass) and Sean Djuricic (drums) were laying down some of the thickest, nastiest and sickest riffs in the city of Cleveland. They were either a very (very) heavy soul band, or the rare doom metal band interested in more than stoned tempos and sludge. And until recently, their lost album, Peacefield, was destined to be the greatest Cleveland rock albums of the 00s that no one had ever heard. [...]

Get up offa that thang.

Stream: High On Fire- De Vermis Mysteriis The new High On Fire album won't officially be out until next week, but you can experience the heavy, crushing guitars and Matt Pike's relentless vocals right now through the NPR Music stream linked above. Enjoy responsibly. More volume, more results. Wake the neighbors. Win friends. Influence people. All that. If you remember the post for " Fertile Green " earlier this year, you know Converge's Kurt Ballou produced this record. On numerous albums, I've praised this guy's ability to record [...]

Just One - Must be the feeling (Delta Heavy Remix) March 12, 2012 Headliner: Feed Me Openers: Just One (local) AC Slater (New YorK) Showbox at the Market! Seattle, WA

Today we got bass filled remix of the mellowed out flow from A$AP Rocky. His Live.Love.A$AP mixtape was real sick, but now we get some the bassheads can get down with. It's a remix from Minnesota based Vaski, the guy who brought us the crunchy remixes to DaRude - Sandstorm and Usher - Climax (Prod. by Diplo) . For this one, he maintains the original mellow vibe, but then let's the bass crash. Turn up the bass for this one, enjoy! A$AP Rocky - Peso (Vaski Remix) | Direct Download

Filter Magazine's Culture Collide SXSW showcase at Bar 96 on Saturday 3/17 was exactly that. The bill featured bands from all over the globe including Australia (WIM), the UK (The Heavy) and the good 'ol US of A (Wild Feathers, Maps & Atlases, The Drowning Men). Here's an overview of how the bands I saw made out: Wild Feathers Wild Feathers [...]

Thanks to David Schultz for keeping us posted on the action at SXSW in Austin. Saturday, March 17 There are several constants about the last day of SXSW . As it always falls on Saturday, the streets, especially Sixth Street, become mobbed with people that descend upon the downtown area because it's the most exciting thing in town on a warm weekend night. [The Roots at Mohawk - by @phillyinquirer ] Not only are [...]

The Heavy became notorious a few years ago when they astounded the audience at the David Letterman show with an incredible rendition of their hit single "How You Like Me Now". According to the PR emails I recieved, it was one of the few times in which Letterman asked a band to play again after their initial performance. It was primarily this reason why I was able to drag myself to the Stage on Sixth for their 1 am performance on Saturday at SXSW. I was sober, my legs and back hurt and extremely tired [...]

@KRBronson on Saturday's final fling at SXSW: [...]

Hidden Shoal Recordings is excited to announce the release of new single 'Manatoc Enters The City / The Long Fall' by musical experimentalist and long-time Robert Pollard collaborator Todd Tobias , taken from his forthcoming debut solo album Medicine Show . 'Manatoc Enters The City / The Long Fall' is a multi-part mini-epic that offers a tantalising taste of Medicine Show 's shadowy steampunk dystopia. The track kicks in like a panic attack, a dizzying flurry of organ and toms alternating with lurching guitar. The chaos soon calms, but builds in intensity again as a [...]

• Hidden Shoal - Todd Tobias - 'Manatoc Enters the City / The Long Fall'

The Florida metal band Torche do a lot of things well, but one thing they do especially well is distilling the power of metal into concise two-to-three minute jams. Take "Kicking," the first single from their forthcoming album, Harmoniacraft , for example. It's got power. It's got flair. It's got a clean chorus. It's a real bruiser and it's over and done with before you know it. MP3: Torche - Kicking Mark down April 24th. That's the date the date Sacramento punk/rap crew Death Grips release their first album for Epic [...]

• Death Grips - Lost Boys
• Torche - Kicking

This 10-minute monster is a track from the new Pharaoh Overlord album, Lunar Jetman . It's out now via Sige . "Rodente" comes on slow with a simple beat and dark bassline, but it eventually swells into an acid trip of guitar leads of all shapes, sizes, and colors. From high-pitched to heavy as hell, it's all here.

Teasing toward its 6th full-length album, De Vermis Mysteriis , which is dropping on April 3, High On Fire has released a new track titled "Fertile Green." The album will be released through eOne. Though I don't want to assume greatness for an album before I even hear it, I can say I'm going to enjoy this upcoming High On Fire album a lot more than 20102s Snakes For the Divine if the whole thing sounds like this. Snakes was a slight departure in the brand of heaviness High On Fire usually brings [...]

Stream: Napalm Death- Utilitarian The godfathers of grind have their new album, Utilitarian , streaming via the link above right now. It's out this week on Century Media .

MP3 Pallbearer is one of doom metal's newest faces, and was recently turned onto them by NPR Music . You can actually stream the band's debut studio album, Sorrow and Extinction , right here . Though I continually catch flak for enjoying metal-from both fans and haters of the genre-it's a drug I just can't quit. Sorry, y'all. I'm passionate about the stuff, so you can imagine how distraught I was to find that my favorite albums of 2011 list was almost devoid of anything from the world of doom metal. [...]

• MP3 » PALLBEARER_An_Offering_Of_Grief.mp3

Alright, so we've arleady hear Flux Pavillion & Nero's take on the anthem 'Must Be the Feeling' from Nero, as well as the extra crunchy Delta Heavy remix. Both we're very sick, but if you like that heavy filthy bass, this track can't get any grimier. Kill the Noise is on some crazy bass music fused with a metal vibe, unlike anything I've ever heard. It's so heavy and epic, my body gets a little confused on how to handle it. Turn up the bass, find some MASSIVE speakers, enjoy! This remix comes out with the Flux Pavillion one on [...]