SLAYER - "World Painted Blood"

SSSSSSSSLLLLLLLAAAAAAYYYYYYEEEEEEEERRRRRRR

The release of a new Slayer is one of those moments when grown up men turn into a bunch of complaining kids. One guy says it is not fast enough, another one finds it a disgrace to the band that delivered “Reign in Blood”, someone else finds the guitar sound to be too thin, and there is always the dude who digs up the names of bands that “play thrash metal that is way more adequate of the times” whatever this might mean…

BARONESS – “Blue Record”

Two years after “Red Record”, the band become PFC Levski fans

The cover looks familiar? Yes. This is because Baroness’ frontman and guitarist is John Baizley, creator some quite characteristic artwork for bands like Darkest Hour and Pig Destroyer, for example. Artsy, huh?

New A-MORAL and CROWFISH coming next year

I have the impression that bands from Varna play Sofia shows less often than before so I use this chance to catch up to events by asking the man/scene of Bulgaria’s seaside capital Joro (Crowfish/A-Moral) what I can think of. And he answers!

CUT OFF – “Demo 2009”

Band releases demo for free download, saves stores from long lines

I wasn’t truly enthusiastic to write a review of a demo recording in the beginning, but Cut Off convinced me by saying that the release of the actual album is put off far enough in the future so this article wouldn’t seem stupid. And the demo itself is put for free download by the band themselves so – help yourself.

RIVERBOAT GAMBLERS - “Underneath the Owl”

A somewhat old but still awesome album by the Texas punk rockers

Yes, this album isn’t really that new. But on the other hand the Bulgarian internet is not overflowing with reviews or any kind of articles about Riverboat Gamblers, so why not? No one reads this blog anyway, he-he…

NINE ELEVEN: We could be killed if we play in the USA

Sadly we did this interview over e-mail so I didn’t have the opportunity to at least ask in a direct conversation about the few statements in it that I don’t really agree with (which would have been fair). Now it would be lame to put sarcastic remarks in brackets after every other word. But here is what Richard from Nine Eleven wrote me, probably from his job’s computer during work hours:

SYBREED – “The Pulse of Awakening”

European industrial metal with all its faults

The big Larry King gives a piece of advice in his book that we should try to be honest and not pretend to be more knowing than we are. So I will admit that what led me to this album wasn’t my total knowledge of the metal scene, but rather its cool artwork combined with absolute boredom.

KNUCKLEDUST: Our scene is very underground. And we like it that way!

Hate City Fest 2009 is probably the best hardcore show to take place in Bulgaria in quite a while. A packed club, cool bands, awesome atmosphere… Obviously things can work out great with the right kind of organization and the right bands. The cherry on top of course were England’s Knuckledust who wiped the floor with the audience last. Before that their frontman Pierre finds time to talk with me as well.

EVERGREEN TERRACE – “Almost Home”

Metalcore hardly could sound fresher than that

It takes some extra skill to stand out in any way from the millions of metalcore bands nowadays. But a band in that style with enough balls to cover un-orthodox bands like The Offspring and Operation Ivy stands out at least with that.

FYELD – “Not Blond Enough to Survyve the Holocaust”

A good result of the long time spent searching for a way out of the desert

To be a survivor of the nu-metal wave long after its quiet death isn’t the best starting position for a band. Back in 2003 when the first Fyeld album came out we still cared what Korn and Limp Bizkit do, nowadays – we hardly do.