Friday, May 21, 2010

mix tapes...

maybe the cracked skull is a bit nostalgic, but what happened to the art of the mix tape? a good mix tape could get you by in a rough spot. a good mix tape made you listen to the songs in the order of the person that gave the tape to you. one side straight through then flip it and a person could convey whatever they were feeling or trying to get across via song and band selection/order. a good mix tape had a life expectancy, but when it died you remembered it. a good mix tape came with hand written fold outs with song listings and maybe even a drawing or sketch. a good mix tape would often make you think. and sometimes those thoughts were not pleasant. often a good mix tape had a theme, and that theme could range from the changing of the seasons to drunken thrash ragers. lately the kvlt among us are turning out small batches of enigmatic music back on cassettes, and independent labels are releasing records once again via cassette in limited quantities. so here's the deal: let the mix tape resurgence shine. dust off those tape player, scour the streets for blank cassettes, and start making mix tapes.

the cracked skull mix tape exchange is now official. if you're interested then leave a comment with your email or send an email to the cracked skull's email (thecrackedskull@gmail.com). once a healthy list of people are gathered then we'll pair off, and make a one off themed mix tape to exchange with whomever you're paired with. you'll have a month to complete the tape and get it to the other person. the theme will change monthly as well as the person you make it for. the first tape is for june. there is about a week in may left, so if you're interested then let the cracked skull know soon. here's the first theme: atlas holding the crushing weight of the world on his shoulders. so start thinking about that tape...

Monday, April 26, 2010

upcoming shows in may of interest...

*5-1-2010, the dojo (4640 E. 10th St., indpls), coffinworm (indy), velnias (colorado), batillus (nyc), and kata sarka (indy), 6:30 p.m., $6.

*5-4-2010, the dojo, black breath, sleeping in gethsemane, deceiver, and sick world, 7 p.m., $8.

*5-6-2010, the tip top tavern (1341 n. capitol ave., indpls), demiricous (indy), heavy lies the crown (indy), cattle decapitation (ca), and revocation, 8 p.m., $10.

*5-8-2010, the dojo, demiricous (indy), no regard (indy), deceiver, vital error, and picked clean, 7 p.m., $6.

*5-16-2010, the melody inn (3826 n. illinois st., indpls), apostle of solitude (indy), necropharmacon (indy), black pyramid (ma), and let the night roar (ga), 7 p.m., $6.

*5-26-2010, the melody inn, red shadows (indy), rat storm, capitalist casualties, verbal abuse, and fang, 7 p.m., $12.

*5-27-2010, locals only, demiricous, red shadows, and plaguesayer, 9 p.m., free 21+.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Lair of the Minotaur review... Evil Power

Chicago’s Lair of the Minotaur has never had their metal credentials challenged. They are a band that exudes love of all things metal on their previous releases. Their fourth release, Evil Power on The Grind House Records, is no different. Instantly, the blood soaked skull fragments and inherent lyrical violence are penned against Lair of the Minotaur’s sludgy brand of thrash.

Their previous release, War Metal Battle Master, crashed metal’s front line with sharpened battle axes. Evil Power smashes straight ahead with the band’s raw brand of no nonsense metal. This is a call to arms wielding mighty war hammers instead of blades. It’s unapologetic and as always testosterone fueled.

Evil Power is loaded with thick riffing. The record has an old school feel to it, with a nod to death metal and subtle hints of grind. Lair of the Minotaur’s thrashing sense of groove is immediately felt. The rhythm section, drummer Chris Wozniak and now with Demiricous’ bassist/vocalist Nate Olp on bass, churn out grimy heaps of low end rumble and thunder to match guitarist/vocalist Steve Rathbone’s guitar gnarl and guttural laments.

As to be expected with Lair of the Minotaur the elements of fantasy in the lyrics provide the imagery to meet the savagery of the music. Though not as urgent sounding as previous releases, Evil Power is backed by muscle and heft. This is a record bent on taking its dense sound and emotion to the listener. This is street level metal from and for the underground. It is not pretty or overly technical, but it is a record that will ravage all put before it. The deep grooves hoist riff after riff through the ground, cracking foundations as it pushes skyward, all the while blending varying sub genres of metal into one slab of destruction and rampage.

**Next chance to see Lair of the Minotaur is 4-16-2010 at The Melody Inn for their dual release show with Coffinworm. Red Shadows and Slam Dunk round out the evenings line-up.

Friday, April 2, 2010

upcoming shows of interest in indy in april...

*4-8-2010, the 1511, garrote (indy), torch runner (north carolina), and brainwreck (tennessee), $7, 8 p.m.

*4-10-2010, the dojo, apostle of solitude (indy), deadmen (indy), and bulletwolf (indy), $6, 8 p.m.

*4-11-2010, the melody inn, worldeater (indy), kata sarka (indy), and ludicra (california), $7, 8 p.m.

*4-16-2010, the melody inn, coffinworm (indy), lair of the minotaur (chicago/indy), red shadows (indy), and slam dunk (bloomington/indy), $6, 9 p.m.

*4-19-2010, radio radio, red sparowes (california), caspian, and fang island, $10 8 p.m.

*4-22-2010, the dojo, the dockers (indy), abstract artimus (new york), and daikajiu (alabama), 7 p.m.

*4-28-2010, the melody inn, kata sarka (indy), bulletwolf (indy), and music hates you (atlanta, ga.), $5, 9 p.m.

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

A Feast: When All Become None

Coffinworm is coming. Hell, they’re already here, but this April will bear witness to their debut release When All Became None on Profound Lore Records. This beast of a record promises the deliverance of dereliction and filth via six soundly hewed slabs of blackened doom-death.

The band, vocalist Dave Britts (Black Arrows of Filth & Impurity, World Eater), guitarist Tony McGuire (Black Arrows of Filth & Impurity), bassist Todd Manning (Black Arrows of Filth & Impurity), drummer Carl Byers (Deadmen, The Dream is Dead), and guitarist Garrett O’Sha (Deadmen), formed in 2007 and immediately started to work on the songs that would eventually become The Great Bringer of Night demo. The quintet quickly established themselves in Indianapolis’ heavy music scene for their intense live shows backed by a solid three song demo recorded at Basement Rage Studio with Bob Fouts. Before the demo was even mixed, Fouts passed it along to Chris Bruni of Profound Lore Records. This handoff of still raw demo recordings led to Coffinworm’s inevitable signing with the label.

Coffinworm, now signed to Profound Lore, set out to complete the writing of When All Became None before heading north to Chicago in late 2009 for their session work with Sanford Parker. Known as master in the studio, Parker’s reputation precedes him when concerning bands he has recorded and the overall production value that he brings to every recording. And by the sounds of the one released track from the record, “Start Saving for your Funeral,” neither Parker nor the band disappoint.

As the release date approaches, Coffinworm have their sights set on series of shows at the long-standing SXSW music fest. As one of the most anticipated releases of 2010, When All Became None has Coffinworm poised to unleash their brand of ferocity on the world. The Cracked Skull caught up with Garrett O’sha upon returning to Indy after the Coffinworm recording sessions with Sanford Parker, and picked his brain about the overall recording experience.


What were the overall feelings within the band leading up to recording with Sanford Parker for your debut on Profound Lore Records? Were you all fully prepared headed into the studio or were there a few loose ends, musically, that needed to be tied up?

We were all very excited to work with Sanford. If you are reading this right now, then you should already be familiar with his reputation. While all of us have been playing and recording music for many years, none of us had ever worked with someone of his caliber. I mean, shit, the motherfucker was in Buried at Sea. So yea, we were a little intimidated as well. We’re not professional entertainers. We’re just some hicks from Indiana, you know? We also have the utmost respect and reverence for Profound Lore. Chris has just released so many mind blowing albums by some incredible bands. This whole thing is just a dream come true for us.

What was Sanford Parker’s preferred method of recording Coffinworm: digital, analog, a mix?
Everything was recorded digitally and ensorcelled with Pro Tools magic.

How long is the album? How many tracks, and what’s the name of the record?
The title of the record is When All Became None, and it’s a full length album. There are six tracks (the shortest of which clocks in at just under six minutes), and while two of the songs appeared on the Great Bringer of Night demo, you will feel like you’re hearing them for the first time. Believe that.

I’m assuming the majority of the record was tracked. How did the tracking of the songs go, and were there any snags during the recording process? Was there any one song that gave you fits? Did you do any live recording as a whole band?
Well, the first day of tracking got delayed a little due to a mysterious issue with Todd’s bass. Luckily, Charlie from Lord Mantis came through and let us borrow one. Actually, he dropped off two basses, but we only used one. Thanks again Charlie and many hails to the mighty Lord Mantis! Once we got started we found these new songs were a bit of bitch to record, since they have some of the fastest and slowest riffs we’ve written. I found myself getting frustrated and asking, “Why the fuck did I write this part?” a few times. But by the end of the week I was glad we decided to take shit to that other damn level.

Did you do any studio experimentation or is the material you recorded basically what you already had written prior to entering the studio?
The arrangements were complete before we got to the studio. We were only up there for eight days, so there wasn’t really time for too much experimentation.

Are there any strange instruments on the album? Did you any different amps compared to your live rigs, and if you did, what was their overall effect? I’m assuming you liked it.
Well, there are some 808 bass hits on there, and we also made use of some plate reverb thing. The end result sounds like someone finally dropped the nukes on your ass. For the guitars we used our usual amps and a Marshall JMP. We did some overdubs with an octave fuzz pedal and some real nice vintage shit like a Leslie rotary speaker unit, Roland Space Echo, and a Fender Twin reverb amp. We ran the bass through an Ampeg V4, Piercing Moose pedal, and a Sunn cab (same as the one Todd usually plays) for some serious balls. I don’t know. I’m the least gear oriented dude in the band, and I don’t usually pay attention to this kind of stuff. Ask one of the other guys and they could probably talk to you all day about this kind of shit.

Since Coffinworm is straight out the Nappy Dugout, how did recording in Chicago influence the overall vibe, mood, and tone of the recording sessions? Were there any studio hijinks that ensued? Any bootleg, kvlt, or hidden tracks recorded late at night?
Well, there are pretty much no windows in the studio. It was cold as fuck up there, so maybe a little extra grimness crept into the mix. Our late night activities were pretty tame. Down time usually involved a bottle of whiskey or vodka and a case of beer. Sometimes we’d watch a movie, but I’d usually pass out halfway through. Wild shit, I know.

How is everyone in the band feeling about the end product from the sessions? Is everyone on the same page and pleased with the outcome?
I think we came home with a very heavy record. We are all very happy about it. Or maybe just less angry…

Your next chance to catch Coffinworm in Indy is March 15 at the Tip Top Tavern with The Gates of Slumber and Pentagram. Then they are off to SXSW March 18-20 for three shows and back to Indy for their album release show on April 16 with Lair of the Minotaur, Lord Mantis, and Slam Dunk at the Melody Inn.

www.myspace.com/coffinworm

coffinworm.blogspot.com

http://www.profoundlorerecords.com//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=858&Itemid=2

Thursday, February 25, 2010

upcoming shows of interest in indy in march...

*3/4/2010--the dojo (4640 e. 10th st. indy), junker (indy), vital error, and worn in red (virginia), $5, 7 p.m.

*3/5/2010--the dojo, red shadows (indy), maravich (indy), sorley trying days, and trophy wives (louisvile), $5, 7 p.m.

*3/6/2010-3/13/2020--various venues in bloomington in., the pit shop music marathon, schedule: http://pitstopmusicmarathon.com/pit_stop/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6&Itemid=6.

*3/14/2010--the dojo, the dockers(indy), transgression (indy), and bluck, $5, 5 p.m.

*3/14/2010--the bishop (123 south walnut st. bloomington, in 47404), young widows (lousiville), phantom family halo (louisville), thank god, learner dancer, and dreamers of the ghetto. $7, 8 p.m.

*3/14/2010--213 south clark st. bloomington, in., sleepbringer (indy), cloud burial (illinois), rat storm, and kata sarka (indy), $5, 6 p.m.

*3/15/2010--tip top tavern (1341 n. capitol ave. indy), the gates of slumber (indy), coffinworm (indy), and pentagram, $15, 7 p.m.

*3/18/2010--locals only, bulletwolf (indy) and maravich (indy), free with valid 21+ id, 9 p.m.

*3/22/2010--the dojo, deceiver (indy), wide eyed (kokomo, in), and title fight (pennsylvania), $7, 7 p.m.

*3/23/2010--the dojo, kata sarka (indy), howl (rhode island), and javelina (philly), $6, 7 p.m.

*3/25/2010--tip top tavern, apostle of solitude (indy), heavy lies the crown (indy), gigan (florida), and bison b.c., $6, 7 p.m.

Sunday, February 21, 2010

show review: bulletwolf, struck by lightning, and coffinworm...

This past Saturday night (2-20-2010) The Melody Inn was privy to a straight up eardrum bashing courtesy of Bulletwolf (Indy), Struck By Lightning (Columbus, Ohio), and Coffinworm (Indy). There was a certain swagger in the air of The Melody Inn that relayed the forthcoming release of the week's tension via cranked amplifiers, howls, crashing drums, and maybe a few too many drinks. The night's action was quickly started by the beer infused and whiskey shot set of raucous good time metal parlayed by Bulletwolf. Their set was filled with ample solos, deep grooves, and an immediate connection to the packed crowd. Heads moved up and down, as many sung along with vocalist and bassist, Worm. The band only let up to wish their guitarist a happy birthday and to continue their raw rocking metal gospel. Bulletwolf seemingly wanted you to lick the floor of The Melody Inn and feel good while doing it. Their set provided the bluster and foul-mouthed opening for the entire night. Next up was Struck By Lightning. This band of Ohioans are no joke. They stack the their amps and cabinets high, strap on their instruments, and proceed to take their form of metal tinged hardcore to the faces of the audience. A looped piece of ambient music opened the set just before the feedback from the amps signaled the beginning of SBL's high octane music. Struck By Lightning are a band that simply never let up. Their sound is huge, bold, and energetic. This energy was immediately transferred from the onstage writhing of the band to the crowd as fists where thrown in the air and shoulders loosened. Their riffs were piled on top of riffs singeing the audience's collective head of hair as heads nodded enthusiastically with each successive pummeling. Between songs the ambient piece played while the band tuned and readied for their next onslaught. After Struck By Lightning's final notes rang out, the crowd clapped and shouted for more setting the stage for Indy's Coffinworm. Coffinworm are a band preparing for their debut release on Profound Lore Records, and on this night they gave their best performance in Indy to date. They took the stage bathed in green light, feedback churning, as a compilation of various gore films played on The Melody Inn's video screen. The crowd was at capacity close to the stage preparing themselves for the ritualistic purging that Coffinworm's brand of blackened doom unleashes. From beginning to end Coffiworm did not disappoint and coalesced into a menacing beast of thunder. Tempos changed from slowly creeping to furious and everything in between as the room's mood grew happily sinister with each song. Vocalist, Dave Britts, took the center of the stage leading the audience as his congregation for the night, while Coffinworm collectively plumbed the dark depths of the human psyche. The total effect was crushing, solemn, and very well received. As Coffinworm played the audience was willing to follow them down every twist and turn, even as their music hit harder and delved deeper into the gloom wrapping up a solid night of heavy music.

www.myspace.com/struckbyfuckinglightning
www.myspace.com/coffinworm
www.myspace.com/bulletwolf