Posted by Nick DeSimone on September 16, 2016
Amplified is a weekly column focusing on new and emerging artists. Got a band that fits the bill? Email [email protected]. GRIND OR DIE. I love grindcore, for the sheer belligerence and incomprehensibility above almost anything else about it. Grind makes me, even as a total pinko teddy bear pacifist, want to immediately start slamming beers and […]
Posted by Chip McCabe on February 12, 2016
If you took the title of their newest release at face value, and you probably should, then Calgary-based grind quintet WAKE would have you believe that we are in some serious trouble here. As we continually destroy this one and only world we inhabit on so many levels the tomorrows that we are sowing truly […]
Posted by Chip McCabe on June 26, 2015
Genre bending should not be something that surprises any metal fan these days. It’s almost the norm, or at least something closely approximating some kind of weird game, in certain circles to see how many sub-genres of metal can be twisted and contorted into an easily digestible amalgamation. So when a band comes along and […]
Posted by Chip McCabe on May 1, 2015
You often hear the term ‘controlled chaos’ bandied about in metal circles. But what does it really mean? What exactly is the sound of a world collapsing in upon itself, of a chaotic whirlwind bundled into a tightly knit contained area? What best represents the sonic expression of everything you hold dear tap-dancing on the […]
Posted by Chip McCabe on February 27, 2015
Under the Earth’s crust exists a swirling vortex of white hot magma which constantly heaves and churns and occasionally wreaks the most combustible and vitriolic natural havoc known to man. Under that is a dual layer of solid, blistering metal. What heaves and agitates beneath our feet on a daily basis is a visual and […]
Posted by Chip McCabe on September 19, 2014
While previewing this album at my day job, a co-worker asked, “Is that music or static coming out of your speakers?” Short answer: Yes. To say that North Carolina’s grind-infused, crusty three-piece, Torch Runner, are abrasive, especially to the untrained ear, is a vast and monumental understatement. After their new label, Southern Lord, reissued their […]
Posted by Chip McCabe on January 17, 2014
Every now and then a band comes lumbering out of a scene and immediately places themselves right at the forefront. In this case the scene in question is Nashville. “Music City” has long been known as a Mecca of country, folk, bluegrass and the blues, amongst other genres. But Nashville has also seen it’s fair […]
Posted by Chip McCabe on August 26, 2013
The best grindcore is always the most pissed off. It’s the type of music you listen to for the aggression, the rush of endorphins in the most primal sense. It’s also the type of music you blast to annoy your neighbors, alienate yourself and really give anyone in earshot a reason to think you’re at […]
Posted by Chip McCabe on May 3, 2013
Various groups have been predicting the world’s demise and the demise of humanity for a long time. It’s almost like clockwork. However one day, possibly very soon, the doomsday theorists will become legit prophets. Whether man destroys themselves through various modes of war and armament or Mother Earth decides to fight back and deliver some […]
Posted by Chip McCabe on April 19, 2013
Metal history is littered with stellar debuts. It’s also chock full of albums that were able to take multiple genres and merge them into a sort of rainbow coalition of extremity. But for a band to hit home runs on both fronts is a rare and unique feat for sure. Colorado’s Call Of The Void […]
