Metal Martyr Best Live Shows Of 2008

1. Carcass Reunion: This was like a dream come true. I didn’t think I would ever get to see Carcass play live after becoming a fan in 1993. Hopefully we will see more of this in the future in the U.S.
2. Hatebreed: One of the most energetic shows from a crowd I have seen down here. Beside being dry-humped by some over enthusiastic, sweaty dude behind me, I had a great time and it was a very memorable show.
3. Opeth: Sold out show, amazing show. I wish they had played some more acoustic stuff…or I wish I had stuck around for the second hour of their set to catch any acoustic stuff they may have played.
4. Firewind: Powerful live show. Guitars and vocals that just make the show. I wasn’t really a fan of this band before they went on stage but I was eager to see them live for some reason. When they took the stage I immediately though it was kind of cheesy…for about 20 seconds. After that it was total amazement.
5. The Sword: I think they sound just as good, if not better live. Guitar driven metal that is simplistic and catchy enough to keep everything interesting.
6. Early Man: A great, thrashy show.
7. Suffocation: Caught them on the Carcass reunion. The death metal and deathcore bands of today could learn a thing or two from these guys…like writing your song so you can play them live.
8. Machinehead: This is the second time I’ve seen Machinhead, but the first time in over 10 years. They still know how to rock the stage and were really cool during signings.
9. Slipknot: I’ve waited 8 years to see these guys live. A lot of people say they don’t put out the energy like they used to but I think they put on a better show than what they used to from the videos I’ve seen. Jumping around onstage is cool and everything…but I want to hear quality music too.
10. All That Remains: Twice this year I’ve seen ATR and neither time have I been disappointed. Phil knows how to work the stage and Oli’s nimble fingers make for some beautiful solos.

There is my top ten. Here are a few other mentions

Loudest Live Show

• Torche (opened for The Sword)

Strangest Live Act

• The Monotonix – Starts out kind of fun and wacky and then just goes overboard and stupid really quickly.

Pissed That I Missed Shows (Shows that came around and I wanted to see but missed for one reason or another)

• Kataklysm
• In Flames, Gojira

Image ©MetalMartyr.com 2008

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Gojira – The Way Of All Flesh (Prosthetic) Amazing. enough said. Get it!

Book Of Black Earth – Horoskopus (Prosthetic) If you like death metal and you like black metal or the blackened death metal than this is something worth picking up.

Early Man -Beware The Circling Fin (The End Records) Thrash throwback down a lot better than most of the bands doing it right now.

Unearth – The March (Metal Blade)

Haste The Day – The Dreamer (Solid State)

Sonic Syndicate – Love And Other Disasters (Nuclear Blast)

Dimmu Borgir – The Invaluable Darkness DVD (Nuclear Blast)

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EARLY MAN

The EP’s title track was inspired by Paul Watson and his organization, the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. Sea Shepherd activists endorse a deliberate policy of sinking or sabotaging vessels they believe have violated international whaling laws. Sea Shepherd members are known to call themselves ‘eco-pirates’. EARLY MAN frontman Mike Conte explains his fascination with Watson and Sea Shepherd:

“It was brought to my attention [that] Paul Watson was regularly engaged in campaigns, often in the deep sea, where he was taking direct action against illegal whaling/shark finning/seal clubbing, etc. What stood out to me was that he was sometimes going as far as ramming illegal whaling/fishing vessels, occasionally even sinking them.

“This isn’t some passive hippy fuck with a ’save the whales’ bumper sticker on his Volkswagen or some naïve college kid with a clipboard trying to sign people up for a pointless march or walkathon or some bullshit. This guy was like ‘I’m going to raise money to buy a boat and then go out into the ocean and try to stop this insanity WHILE it’s happening’. That is some ballsy shit! And something that no one else is doing. I immediately respected that and wanted to support it in any way I could.”

The EP’s title track, “Beware The Circling Fin,” was inspired by the act of ’shark finning’. Conte explains:

“I am particularly disturbed by shark finning. If you’ve never seen the process, it’s absolutely horrifying. Sharks are amazing, extremely unique creatures that command a certain amount of respect. Most people are scared of them because we are well aware of their awesome power. But when you see a deep sea fishing boat engaged in something called “longlining” or to put it more bluntly, reeling in hundreds of sharks, slicing their fins off on deck while they are completely conscious of the what is happening to them and then tossing their mutilated torsos back into the ocean where they sink to the bottom, you can easily lose all faith in humanity.

“‘Beware the Circling Fin’ is about a shark finning boat that is rammed and begins to sink in waters heavily infested by sharks. The crew finds themselves in the precarious position of being surrounded by thousands of the same beasts that they were just moments ago murdering by the hundreds. As they rapidly sink into the ocean the crew is eaten alive. Payback is a bitch, isn’t it?”

Beware The Circling Fin is available now for pre-order from THE OMEGA ORDER.

Listen to the EP’s first cut, “Sinking The Blade,” on EARLY MAN’s MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/earlyman

1. Sinking the Blade
2. Coiled Like a Snake
3. Beware the Circling Fin
4. Suck Me Dry

EARLY MAN Bio:
When it comes the music of EARLY MAN, the formula is simple: riffs that detonate on impact, a rhythm section on fire and vocals that soar to Mt. Olympus. It’s all about the delivery!
Since releasing a jolting self-titled EP and their debut full-length, ‘Closing In’, in 2005, the Brooklyn-based group has made a name for itself in the music scene, winning music critics and fans over with their straight-to-the-jugular rock attitude that champions the sounds of everything from Black Sabbath and NWOBHM to early Metallica and even punk rock.
Now the band returns finally with a brand new EP and a second full-length on the horizon, both to be released by their new home label, THE END RECORDS. The new material kicks more ass than ever– faster, thrashier, and more to the point. EARLY MAN want metalheads everywhere to know that they aren’t f*cking around.

Links:
http://earlymanarmy.com
http://www.myspace.com/earlyman

Image Source: The End Records

Post from: Metal Martyr

Beware The Circling Fin, the band’s first release for THE END RECORDS, was mixed with the help of legendary producer Jack Endino (Nirvana, Mudhoney, Dwarves, High On Fire). It is set to be released on October 14th.
The band is currently on the road– if you would like to cover an upcoming show in your area (preview, review, ticket giveaway, interview, etc.) or just check out the band in all their foursome glory, please get in touch ASAP.

EARLY MAN on tour:
08/06/08 Wed @ Rudyard’s Beer Bar – Houston, Texas
08/07/08 Thu @ House of Rock – Corpus Christi, Texas
08/08/08 Fri @ Club Dada – Dallas, Texas
08/09/08 Sat @ Red 7 – Austin, Texas
08/11/08 Mon @ Launchpad – Albuquerque, New Mexico
08/13/08 Wed @ The Clubhouse – Tempe, Arizona
08/14/08 Thu @ Karma – Victorville, California
08/15/08 Fri @ Troubadour – West Hollywood, California

BIO:
When it comes the music of EARLY MAN, the formula is simple: riffs that detonate on impact, a rhythm section on fire and vocals that soar to Mt. Olympus. It’s all about the delivery!

Since releasing a jolting self-titled EP and their debut full-length, ‘Closing In’, in 2005, the Brooklyn-based group has made a name for itself in the music scene, winning music critics and fans over with their straight-to-the-jugular rock attitude that champions the sounds of everything from Black Sabbath and NWOBHM to early Metallica and even punk rock.

Now the band returns finally with a brand new EP and a second full-length on the horizon, both to be released by their new home label, THE END RECORDS. The new material kicks more ass than ever– faster, thrashier, and more to the point. EARLY MAN want metalheads everywhere to know that they aren’t fucking around.

It wasn’t always exciting times for EARLY MAN, however…
When guitarist/vocalist Mike Conte first moved to New York City from Columbus, Ohio in 1998, he was broke. These Early days were spent scrounging up recording equipment and, with the help of a drum machine, demoing music that would eventually become the first emanations of EARLY MAN. In 2003, after several stalled attempts to get the band off the ground, Conte hooked up with Columbus, Ohio-native and friend, drummer Adam Bennati.

The pairing was exactly what Conte needed to take the band to the next level. Soon the duo was playing the NYC club circuit and making a name for themselves. EARLY MAN released their three-song EP on independent NYC-based label Monitor Records in the spring of 2005 before Matador Records snatched them up to release their debut album, ‘Closing In’, later that year.
‘Closing In’ was a hulking monster of an album: heavy and tight, with a towering array of rocking numbers that the duo of EARLY MAN shaped with their passion and drive to live it to the fullest. The album’s first single, “Death is the Answer”, revealed the band’s Black Sabbath influences while also serving up a unique speed metal intensity. It was the perfect song to showcase EARLY MAN’s sound and style and it eventually found its way to MTV’s Headbangers Ball for several weeks of rotation.

The band took to the road with new addition, guitarist Pete Macy, who Conte says “added a whole new dimension to what we were doing.”  Since, EARLY MAN has toured extensively for the past three years with such acts as Mastodon, Turbonegro, The Sword, Priestess, Venom and 3 Inches Of Blood.
EARLY MAN is:
Mike Conte (singer, guitar, bass)
Adam Bennati (drums)
Pete Macy (guitar)

Links:
www.myspace.com/earlyman
www.earlymanarmy.com
www.fuel.tv

Post from: Metal Martyr

Post from: Metal Martyr

The End Records

Anyway, the first band up was H.O.W., a local band that I think is friends with the venue (Volume 11) because after their set the guitar player was workin the bar. So how were they? B-O-R-I-N-G! I was yawning into the second song and I couldn’t wait for their set to be over with. It got me thinking “Damn, I need to start a band.” Their sound was a choppy rock sound that wasn’t very unique or interesting. If you read this, sorry guys, the crowd wasn’t dead because they were tired. That became obvious when the next band played.

Let’s talk about the Monotonix. The Monotonix are from Israel and they have a shitload of energy…and 80 feet of instrument cordage.  They set up their equipment on the floor. A basic drum set with a bass drum, a snare a crash, high hat and a floor tom. The guitar player has a Fender jag or Jazz-master (shit, I don’t know), and a half stack. The singer…a mic. They start out by setting the drum sticks on fire with some paper towels wrapped around them, soaked in lighter fluid. There is also some paper towel (soaked in lighter fluid)on the crash and high hat. They light the drum sticks and use them to light the others and start jamming away. It sounds like some garage noise but it’s full of energy. It started out mildly entertaining but grew old really quick. The singer jumping around, showing his post-40 ass, dumping a trash can full of empty bottles and cans over his drummer heads and leaving the can over the drummer. Then it slowly moves towards the front of the venue. Little by little they keep dragging the drum set towards the front of the venue while still playing with the crowd around them until they are outside and you hear nothing more than feedback and a mess on the floor. Grabbing people beers and dumping them on themselves. They pissed of security for some reason too. I thought they were going to get shut down. Like I said, Mildly entertaining at first and then overboard, but the rest of the crowd loved it and one guy even said “That’s the best live band I’ve ever seen.” Of course he was wearing a sleeveless Motley Crue shirt and an Axl Rose bandana with a studded belt.

Moving on the the band I went to see. Early Man took the stage not long after the Monotonix and set up their stuff fast. It was loud, fast and thrashy. Early Man has a cool thrash sound to them and the singer sound like a cross between Getty Lee and Ozzy. The guitars were crunchy, the bass was loud yet controled and the drums sounded good. My ears didn’t stop ringing until….well their still not right. I wish I had more to say about them, but I’m tired and basically they stole the show. If you get a chance to check out Early Man I highly suggest.

The Valiant Thorr was up next and I left two songs in. They didn’t have my interest but it seemed a lot of people were there to see them.

All Images ©MetalMartyr.com

Post from: Metal Martyr

EARLY MAN recently dropped by Fuel TV’s The Daily Habit, where they performed a couple songs which are set to air tonight! The band played a new jam called “Sinking The Blade,” which is on the upcoming EP, and the old fave “Death Is The Answer.” The Daily Habit is a half-hour daily show highlighting today’s most-popular action sports celebrities, musicians, comedy, and cutting-edge new products. It’s hosted by Pat Parnell, NBC television commentator for the Olympic Games and the Dew Action Sports Tour. The Daily Habit airs each night at 9:00pm ET/PT and is re-telecast the next day at 12:00am ET, 8:30am ET, and 3:00pm ET.

EARLY MAN’s forthcoming EP, and first release for THE END RECORDS, is currently being mixed with the help of legendary producer Jack Endino (Nirvana, Mudhoney, Dwarves, High On Fire). The as yet untitled EP will be released this fall, details to follow shortly

EARLY MAN on tour:
07/18/08 Fri @ Triple Rock – Minneapolis, Minnesota
07/19/08 Sat @ Reggie’s Live – Chicago, Illinois
07/20/08 Sun @ The Bluebird – St. Louis, Missouri
07/22/08 Tue @ Magic Stick – Detroit, Michigan
07/23/08 Wed @ Grog Shop – Cleveland, Ohio
07/24/08 Thu @ Diesel – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
07/25/08 Fri @ Bowery Ballroom – New York, New York
07/26/08 Sat @ Mojo 13 – Wilmington, Delaware
07/27/08 Sun @ The Black Cat – Washington, Washington DC
07/29/08 Tue @ Volume 11 – Raleigh, North Carolina
07/30/08 Wed @ Soapbox Laundro-Lounge – Wilmington, North Carolina
07/31/08 Thu @ Milestone Barcade – Charlotte, North Carolina
08/01/08 Fri @ Landshark Cafe – Jacksonville, Florida
08/02/08 Sat @ The Backbooth – Orlando, Florida
08/03/08 Sun @ Common Grounds – Gainesville, Florida
08/04/08 Mon @ The Earl – Atlanta, Georgia
08/05/08 Tue @ One Eyed Jack’s – New Orleans, Louisiana
08/06/08 Wed @ Rudyard’s Beer Bar – Houston, Texas
08/07/08 Thu @ House of Rock – Corpus Christi, Texas
08/08/08 Fri @ Club Dada – Dallas, Texas
08/09/08 Sat @ Red 7 – Austin, Texas
08/11/08 Mon @ Launchpad – Albuquerque, New Mexico
08/13/08 Wed @ The Clubhouse – Tempe, Arizona
08/14/08 Thu @ Karma – Victorville, California
08/15/08 Fri @ Troubadour – West Hollywood, California

BIO:
When it comes the music of EARLY MAN, the formula is simple: riffs that detonate on impact, a rhythm section on fire and vocals that soar to Mt. Olympus. It’s all about the delivery!

Since 2005’s jolting self-titled EP, the Brooklyn-based three-piece have made a name for themselves in the music scene, winning music critics and fans over with their straight-to-the-jugular rock attitude that champions the sounds of Black Sabbath, thrash, NWOBHM and punk rock. It was a surging creative sound much-needed in the then-stagnant music scene.

But it wasn’t always exciting times for EARLY MAN…
When EARLY MAN’s singer/guitarist Mike Conte first moved to New York City from Columbus, Ohio in 1988, he was broke. While the plan was to focus on making music, it was a struggle. Eventually he would gather enough recording equipment to write and record songs that would eventually become the first emanations by EARLY MAN. The stuff was recorded using a drum machine, but these were still formative days. In 2003, after several stalled attempts to get the band off the ground, Conte hooked up with Columbus, Ohio-native and friend, drummer Adam Bennati.

The pairing of the two was exactly what Conte needed to take the band to the next level.  Soon the band was playing the NYC club circuit and making a name for themselves. EARLY MAN would release their three-song EP on small, independent NYC-based label Monitor Records in the spring of 2005 before Matador Records snatched them up to release their debut album, ‘Closing In’, later that year.

‘Closing In’ was a hulking monster of an album:  heavy and tight, with a towering array of rocking numbers that the duo of EARLY MAN shaped with their passion and drive to live it to the fullest. The album’s first single, “Death is the Answer”, revealed the band’s Black Sabbath influences while also serving up a unique speed metal intensity. It was the perfect song to showcase EARLY MAN’s sound and style, and it eventually found its way to MTV’s HEADBANGER’S BALL for several weeks of rotation.

The band took to the road with new addition/guitarist Pete Macy, who Conte says “added a whole new dimension to what we were doing.”
Currently the band are gearing up for a five-week tour across North America–nothing new to these road warriors. The band has toured extensively for the past three years with such acts as Mastodon, Turbonegro, The Sword, Priestess, Venom and 3 Inches Of Blood.

For now, we wait for EARLY MAN to deliver the rock, and when it comes, no doubt it will be HEAVY.
EARLY MAN is:
Mike Conte (singer, guitar, bass)
Adam Bennati (drums)
Pete Macy (guitar)

Links:
www.myspace.com/earlyman
www.earlymanarmy.com
www.fuel.tv

Post from: Metal Martyr