Bandcamper of the Day: The Human Tragedy

And once again today, Kentucky proves to be the hotbed of USBM.  Today’s artist – The Human Tragedy.  Playing a symphonic, blackened death metal, The Human Tragedy lean more to the Dimmu Borgir side of the genre than the Darkthrone side, but it’s still an intriguing listen.  In an unexpected move, if you email the band your receipt for the download they will send you the orchestral mix.  Interesting approach, your thoughts?

Price:  $7 for digital download

@BRAINxTRUST

The Week In Heavy Metal Piracy: 1/17 – 1/23/15

Here’s what metal albums people are stealing this week:

Bandcamper of the Day: Old Thunder

Black Metal in the United States has always been a hit or miss proposition.  Interestingly, the newest hotbed of the genre is in Kentucky, of all places!  Old Thunder is a one man band that, “Explores themes of suffering, loss, and redemption, inspired by life and literature alike.”  Sounds trve to me!

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New Release Tuesday 1/20/15: Angra, Armageddon, Bullet, Satan’s Host

The upswing continues this week with another big set of releases.  Click through to see the list.

Bandcamper of the Day: Spectral Tombs

Portland, Oregon’s Spectral Tombs play a doom-filled black metal that still holds true to black metal’s roots.  Slow and plodding, the screeching vocals and, surprisingly, shiny sounding guitar all work together to bring the band’s vision together.  At nearly 19 minutes long, Veins and Poisoned Streams will demolish the listener.  You have been warned.

@BRAINxTRUST

Heavy Metal Piracy Top 10 Of The Week 1/9 – 1/16/15

Here are the top 10 albums being downloaded illegally this week.

Downfall of Gaia to US and European Tours

Downfall of Gaia today announced both US and European tours.  See below for dates.

Ask Earache: Did Earache Really Try To Sign Darkest Hour?

From 2005 through March of 2013, Digby Pearson of Earache Records ran an “Ask Earache” blog in which fans could ask Dig anything Earache related.  Since Dig no longer keeps the blog active, I’ve decided to highlight some of the more interesting questions here.

This week’s question:  Did Earache really try to sign Darkest Hour?  The version events I heard was that they were friends with a US label staffer who tried to get them on Earache, but said staffer left to go to A-F records and so Darkest Hour went to Victory.  Interestly, Darkest Hour gave A-F their first two EPs to reissue in 1999 because of their friendship with the guy who worked there who was ex-Earache.

Bandcamper of the Day: Qualeaceans

Today, a little something different.  Qualeaceans album is a single, 78 minute track.  I’ll let the band take the description from here, “A concentrate of two seemingly diametric fundamentals, autonomy and metal, Qualeaceans’ deliberating of Metal In Opposition serves as a platform as enigmatic as uncompromising…”  Uncompromising indeed!

@BRAINxTRUST

Bandcamper of the Day: Zombie Holocaust

Not quite thrash, not quite traditional metal, but definitely all heavy, Oakland’s Zombie Holocaust bring the fun.  How many other band’s do you know that have songs about bicycling (Pedal to the Metal)?  Now that’s metal.  Hail!

@BRAINxTRUST