The UK’s EVILE get close… really, really close to losing any identity at all on Enter the Grave, a release so thoroughly full of METALLICA worship that it pompously brags about the fact that it was produced by Flemming Rasmussen (who manned the knobs for Ride the Lightning and Master of Puppets). All of the [...]

Jordan likes FRODUS, a lot. I ended up liking THE OUT_CIRCUIT (bassist Nathan Burke’s new project) quite a bit and FRODUS always seemed to be an interesting footnote at the time. 2009 rolls around and FRODUS is doing a SXSW gig, along with reissuing some of their records. I’m not sure what’s crazier, that the official first show is in Austin, that the warmup show is in D.C. the day after I leave, or that a quazi-reformed band reissuing much of its discography on vinyl in a super deluxe format doesn’t feel, at all, like cashing in, when super-deluxe packages and reformations are en vogue. Oh, and the announcement is made that And We Washed Our Weapons In the Sea is getting a reissue on Lovitt. Whatever. What’s more important than all of that verbal meandering is that a band that got it right a decade ago or so is more or less up in the air and somehow, the reunion remains fresh and authentic. I sent Shelby (vocalist/guitarist/mastermind) a couple questions in advance of the SXSW performance, and this is the result, one of the interviews I’m most proud of. Shelby’s answers are gorgeously detailed where they need to be and straight forward where they ought to be. Enjoy.

On April 7th, iTunes users must part ways with the 99 cent price-tag. In a move considered controversial by some, and “A PR nightmare” by others, iTunes is ditching their under a buck modus operandi for a three prong pricing system: $1.29 for popular or classic downloads, .99 cents for mildly popular melodies, and a .69 cent promotional price on upcoming artists. As you might imagine, not everyone is stoked. The LA Times spoke with NINE INCH NAILS and NO DOUBT manager Jim Guerinot, who questions “squeezing” dough out of people “still willing to pay” for downloaded music. You can check out the LA Times article here.

Brooklyn, New York’s GOES CUBE are insanely metal/post-hardcore band. “Loud” is an understatement. I listened to their debut full-length Another Day Has Passed in mp3 form, and the quaking from my subwoofer had my row of sports Bobbleheads in a full-on headbang. It’s hard to pin down a genre tag on this three-piece, but the group is clearly influenced by classic bands like QUICKSAND, REFUSED and HELMET (and maybe some HANDSOME too), as well contemporaries TORCHE and local rockers THE GIRAFFES. Another Day Has Passed will be released on May 12, on The End Records.

From the inbox: Hertfordshire, UK hardcore punk rock heroes GALLOWS have inked a worldwide deal with Warner Bros. Records. Their second full-length album and first for Sire in the USA entitled Grey Britain, will be released on May 5, 2009. The 13 thematically-linked song strong album was recorded at London’s RAK studios with producer Garth ‘GGGarth’ Richardson (Rise Against, Rage Against The Machine, etc) and is even more bloody, brutal and pissed-off with the current Home Counties conditions than their critically revered 2006 debut ORCHESTRA OF WOLVES. That may be difficult to believe… until you hear this album and witness the band’s absolutely peerless pure adrenaline-fuelled live sonic/physical attack. GALLOWS may well be the last truly unpredictable and dangerous live working band on the planet (emphasis added). GALLOWS formed in 2005 and immediately set the UK on fire with their politically-charged lyrical perspective and full-on, non-stop commitment to getting the message across by any means necessary. In 2007, the band won the Kerrang! Magazine Award for Best British Newcomer. The single from their debut album “In The Belly Of The Shark,” appears on Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock game. – It should be noted that the press release fails to address the danger and unpredictability of dead working bands on the planet.

Seventh Rule progressive hardcore artists MILLIONS have their latest release, Gather Scatter streaming on MySpace. I described the band as a grittier version of FRODUS in a recent review.

From the inbox: The seventh full-length ANTI-FLAG release, The People or the Gun hits June 9, 2009. The first Anti-Flag release on SideOneDummy starts off fast and furious as Chris #2 takes aim at those who use the Bible to control the masses. If the album’s second track, “The Economy is Suffering, Let It Die,” isn’t nearly as reckless, it’s just as impassioned, as Justin Sane weighs in on the government bailouts of 2008, asking “Where are all the bailouts for the homeless and the poor?” It’s just the sort of question bands like Anti-Flag were born to ask. And there are plenty of those moments on “The People or the Gun.” After fulfilling their two-record contract with a major, RCA Records, the band built a studio in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, their hometown, to cut their first release for SideOneDummy. By having their own studio and not having to work on any schedule but their own, they feel they’re able to create statements and music that is relevant and timely – on their own terms. As much as Pittsburgh has defined them, though, they’ve always done their best to take their message to the world at large. The band has plans to tour Russia, Estonia, Latvia, the U.K and South America. They will also be a one of the headliners of this summer’s Vans Warped Tour. Drummer Pat Thetic says “It’s become a main priority to put the emphasis of our band and every show we play on community, whether it be canned food drives for local food banks, raising money to build wells in Africa, which we did on our U.S. tour, or clothing drives for the homeless on our Canadian tour.” In addition to raising funds for those who need it most, they’ve created the non-profit organizations Military Free Zone (combating a provision in the No Child Left Behind act that invades students’ privacy for Military Recruitment purposes) and Underground Action Alliance (a networking site for social justice). As Chris #2 says, “This is an extension of what our vision of punk rock is, was, and will always be.” A portion of the proceeds from the new album’s pre-sale on the SideOneDummy website will be donated to Amnesty International. Track Listing: 1. Sodom, Gomorrah, Washington D.C. (Sheep in Shepherds Clothing) 2. The Economy is Suffering, Let It Die 3. The Gre(A)t Depression 4. We Are The One 5. You Are Fired (Take This Job) 6. This Is The First Night 7. No War Without Warriors (How Do You Sleep?) 8. When All The Lights Go Out 9. On Independence Day 10. The Old Guard 11. Teenage Kennedy Lobotomy – You can stream “Sheep in Shepherds Clothing” here.

From the inbox: GOD FORBID has officially stated that longtime guitarist Dallas Coyle has left the band and Kris Norris (ex-DARKEST HOUR) will join the group for the LAMB OF GOD tour, which kicks off Thursday. Doc Coyle further comments: “There have been a barrage of rumors and questions on whether or not Dallas has left GOD FORBID. It’s true that Dallas has left the band. It’s taken us a few days to confirm this definitely, and figure out what we were going to do considering the fact that we are starting a very important tour with Lamb of God this week. “I don’t want to go into the hairy details, but all I can say is that there was a mutual disagreement between Dallas and I, and the disagreement became angry on both sides, and he decided to sit out the tour the day we were supposed to leave. We later learned he did not want to tour anymore at all. Everyone in the band, including myself was upset and shocked. For me, it’s a lot tougher because he’s my brother and I have a very close bond with him. We’ve done everything together our whole lives, so it’s difficult to deal with emotionally but I understand he has bigger responsibilities at home to care for. I wish he would’ve handled it in a different way, but I am not angry at him for leaving if he is unhappy with our situation. I really hope he finds success and happiness in his future pursuits. “In the meantime, we’ve recruited ex-Darkest Hour shredder, Kris Norris, to fill in for the tour. We are currently doing a few warm up shows as a 4 piece to meet the LOG tour in Phoenix, AZ on April 2nd. Kris will be there for the start of the LOG tour though. I’ve been friends with Kris for years, and have an immense amount of respect for his playing. I look forward to playing with him, and I’m sure he will knock it out the park! Byron and I will pick up the slack with the vocals as much as we can. Thanks for everyone’s continued support, and we’ll see you on the road!” GOD FORBID triumphantly returned with the new full-length effort Earthsblood, which has been met with rave reviews by critics and fans alike. The dynamic new offering scored the band their highest chart debut yet and came in at #110 on the Billboard Top 200. The group kicks off a massive North American trek this week alongside such genre titans as Lamb of God, As I Lay Dying, Children of Bodom and Municipal Waste as part of the No Fear Energy sponsored Wrath North American tour. The trek covers 35 markets through the U.S. and Canada, ending in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina May 15th. Be sure to visit myspace.com/godforbid to view the tour’s complete routing and off-dates.