Brooklyn Vegan / Profound Lore Showcase at SXSW

We're playing the Brooklyn Vegan / Profound Lore showcase on Saturday, March 19th with some very good friends of ours. Thanks to Fred and Chris for inviting us to be a part of this.

Silk-Screened LP Jackets

Silk-screened jackets are done for the limited tour vinyl. Thanks to the Bureau of Print Research and Design for printing these, we think they look fantastic. You can pick one up from us directly at a show next month.

March Tour With Hull, SXSW

Tour dates for our March tour with Hull are available now. See below or go to the shows page. We'll have CD copies of 'Furnace' for sale at these shows, as well as a special tour-only vinyl pressing limited to 55 with a silk-screened jacket. These LPs will only be available from us directly at these shows and we will be sure to reserve a handful of copies for our friends and fans in New York.

Batillus / Hull 2011 Spring Tour

Fri 3/11 – Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie w/ Ominous Black
Sat 3/12 – Richmond, VA @ Strange Matter w/ U.S. Christmas, Balaclava
Sun 3/13 – Johnson City, TN @ Hideaway w/ U.S. Christmas
Mon 3/14 – Little Rock, AR @ Downtown Music w/ The Body
Fri 3/18 – SXSW - Austin, TX @ Triple Crown Tattoo w/ Pack of Wolves, Mutilation Rites
Sat 3/19 – SXSW - Austin, TX @ Lovejoy’s – Brooklyn Vegan / Profound Lore Showcase w/ Tombs, Dark Castle, The Body, Castevet, Deafheaven, Grayceon, Wolvehammer, Altaar *
Sat 3/19 – SXSW - Austin, TX @ Shiner Bar w/ Pack of Wolves
Mon 3/21 – New Orleans, LA @ Siberia w/ The Body, Mutilation Rites
Tue 3/22 – Nashville, TN @ Little Hamilton Collective w/ Mose Giganticus, Sacaea
Wed 3/23 – Chapel Hill, NC @ Reservoir Bar w/ Caltrop
Thu 3/24 – Baltimore, MD @ Sidebar w/ Caltrop, Billows
Fri 3/25 – Montclair, NJ @ The Meatlocker w/ Caltrop
Sat 3/26 – New York, NY @ The Studio at Webster Hall w/ Horseback, Caltrop

* No Hull

...And The World Is As Night To Them

Head over to MetalSucks.net right now and get your first taste of 'Furnace.'

Furnace

Our debut full-length album, 'Furnace' (that's the cover above), will officially be out on April 19th via Seventh Rule. The vinyl version will be out slightly earlier, in time for Record Store Day, which is on April 16th.

Before the official release date, however, you'll be able to snag a CD or a very special, very limited vinyl tour-pressing from us directly when we tour down to SXSW and back with our brothers in Hull. That pressing, featuring a cover custom silk-screened by hand (and different from the one above), will be limited to 55 (fifty five!), and will only be available from us directly-- not in stores, not online.

'Furnace' Tracklisting:

1) ...And The World Is As Night To Them
2) Deadweight
3) Uncreator
4) The Division
5) What Heart
6) Mautaam

Free Music

The MetalSucks comp that we told you about back in December is now available for download, over here. It's free and there are all sorts of other great bands on it such as Castevet, Naam, Made Out of Babies, and Black Anvil so, you know, download it.

Another Day, Another Comp

We're honored to announce that we've been included in a compilation of the best underground heavy music from New York, curated by the one and only MetalSucks.net. We're on the first of two volumes (cover above), which will be released on January 18th. The comp includes tracks from Made Out of Babies, Black Anvil, Tombs, Naam, Castevet, Hull, The Austerity Program, Goes Cube, Wetnurse, Krallice, Defeatist, and many more. There's more information over at MS.

Small Doses

We were recently asked to participate in a compilation project involving 100 grind / noise bands from around the world curated and released by Andy Koettel via his Mortville label. It seemed like a perfect opportunity to do something a little out of the ordinary, a one-of-a-kind miniature representation of one of our songs that would act as an introduction to an audience that might not otherwise ever know about us.

Here's an explanation from Andy:

This is the one everyone’s been waiting for, the final nail in Mortville’s coffin! This was easily the most ambitious project I’ve taken on in my 13 years of doing the label and it took me 13 months to put it all together. “Small Doses” is a 100 band international grind/noisecore CD compilation with all bands averaging 30 seconds. 100 bands in 44 minutes packaged with a 40 page booklet (including 5 pages of essays) and a die-cut folder.

We contributed one blown-out, gnarled 30-second track to the effort. Check out a review of the comp here and visit Mortville for more information and to order a copy.

Tonight. Naam. Cough. Sea of Bones. Batillus. Charleston.

Last show for many months, as we'll be hibernating through the winter to write the followup to a record that isn't even out yet. Come out and help us help the Charleston get rid of all their whiskey. Sea of Bones are first, then us, then Naam, then Cough.

2010 Was Heavy

As a former "music journalist" (and I use the word journalist in the loosest sense possible: the blogging / internet sense), when December rolls around I'm accustomed to compiling a list of the preceding year's best records. Although I don't actively write about music any longer, I still feel the urge to make a list. So, here's a list of my favorite records of 2010, in alphabetical order, and a few records slated for 2011 that I'm especially enthused about.

Best Records of 2010, in Alphabetical Order:

Agalloch - Marrow of the Spirit

I've never seen Agalloch live, so that doesn't factor in at all, but I've always been a fan of their records and this is probably their best effort so far. It's trademark Agalloch, but there's also a little Steve Reich in there if you listen closely. I wonder if they realize that.

Castevet - Mounds of Ash

Super technical-but-in-the-good-way blackened metal. Ian is a ridiculous drummer and a solid dude to boot. Great live band.

Circle of Animals - Destroy the Light

Sanford Parker and Bruce from Yakuza team up with an army of proficient drummers for a solid record of industrial jams. Lots of good stuff going on here, not a dull moment. Best tracks are "Poison the Lamb" and "Destroy the Light."

Coffinworm - When All Became None

Fucking gnarled, misanthropic, soupy metal from the swamps of Indiana (if Indiana had swamps). This record rapes and pillages, don't put it on when loved ones are near.

Cough - Ritual Abuse

More Wizard than Wizard these days. Solid record from solid Richmond dudes. Super good tones and a great overall sound.

Electric Wizard - Black Masses

Not the heavy Wizard that we all know and love, but it's still Wizard. Mid-tempo psychedelic freak out, but in the satanic way. Also one of the most bizarrely-mixed records I've ever heard-- sometimes you can't hear the drums at all, though you know they're there somewhere.

Kylesa - Spiral Shadows

I dug 'Static Tensions' and I dig 'Spiral Shadows' almost as much. Something a little more rockin' and less bleak to listen to while cruising down the highway in the summertime. This band has really upped their game lately.

Nachtmystium - Addicts: Black Meddle Pt. 2

Jake Blood and his band of not-so-merry men strike again. Drug-addled, psychedelic, tripped-out, even dancey at times. It's no 'Assassins,' but it's a good record.

Salome - Terminal

No other band sounds like Salome. When you listen to this record, you'll think you're in the room with Kat, Rob, and Deal. There's no bass, but it doesn't matter. The point is not to be the heaviest, loudest thing ever recorded, but to be nimble, fleet-footed, and inventive in a way only a band with only two instrumentalists can achieve.

Thou - Summit

This record is insistent and passionate, just like the dudes who made it. Solid guys, solid band, solid record. Thanks for the excellent tacos and vegan jambalaya, dudes!

Torche - Songs for Singles

I will always have love for Torche, even though Steve snubbed me that one time I was supposed to interview him for Crustcake.

Twilight - Monument to Time End

This record has almost no sonic connection to the first Twilight record. It's polished and post-rock-laden. Black Metal Kvltists won't like this, but I fucking love it. So well-composed. Just the right blend of evil and epic.

US Christmas - Run Thick in the Night

Probably my favorite record of the year. I love the expansive Americana and the swirling psychedelia. At times the record takes you on an acid trip, and at other times it paints a picture of the vast, desolate American west as the howling wind kicks dust into your eyes and the sun sets over a distant mountain range.

Withered - Dualitas

Three quarters of the Withered that recorded 'Folie Circulaire' are no longer in the band, but you'd hardly know it listening to this. It sounds exactly like Withered, and that's a good thing.

Zoroaster - Matador

Zoroaster aren't really a doom band anymore, but that's ok. This record is a huge step in the right direction as compared to 'Voice of Saturn.' There are a lot of good elements here and I can't help but wonder if Sanford deserves a nice chunk of the credit.

And speaking of Sanford, looking over my list I realize that he's had a hand in seven of the 15 records listed. That's nearly half. It's certainly no accident that we chose him to record 'Furnace.'

Two Non-New Albums That Defined the Year for Me:

Low - Trust
16 Horsepower - Secret South

I have to credit one Mr. Josh Graham for introducing me to both of these records. They're both dark, generally down-tempo, and heavy, but not in the metal sense. There's just a weight to the songs, to the lyrics. Some serious codeine music.

Most anticipated for 2011:

Indian - TBA
Krallice - TBA
Riff Cannon - TBA
A Storm of Light - TBA
Ulver - Critical Geography

Thanks to all the musicians, engineers, label people, and music fans who made these records possible. If I don't see you at the Charleston this Saturday, December 11th for our show with Cough, Naam, and Sea of Bones, I'll see you sometime in 2011.

-gs

Batillus / Hallowed Butchery Split Reviewed on Metal Underground

"Both sides of this split have some pretty impressive takes on the genre, and serious streaks of individuality that make the songs worth hearing for fans or people who aren’t normally doom fanatics. [...] The three Batillus songs all keep up the band’s trademark of huge, drawn out riffs that destroy everything in their path." Read the entire review here. Thanks to xFiruath and Doug Gibson.

One More for 2010

Let us destroy what's left of your holiday cheer on Saturday, December 11th at the Charleston in Brooklyn along with Cough, Naam, and Sea of Bones. We've been looking forward to this one for a while; quality lineup + recent tours + new albums = great show with lots of people. It's the last show we have planned until March, so if you've been among the missing lately, come on out and reaffirm your pagan values in the electrifying smelliness of Brooklyn's grottiest basement.

Raw Ramen

Here we are, day three of our five day tour with Author & Punisher and Theologian. I'm typing from AJ's house in Weymouth, MA as Peterson showers, Willi thumbs through a deck of "Bachelorette Party Dare" cards, and Fade and Joey (our lovely merch girl) snooze the morning away. Last night we played at a place in Somerville called Starlab-- a sort of punk-house-slash-recording-studio-slash-showspace. The tiny room was packed for most of the night, and Author & Punisher, after experiencing some difficulties with his equipment the night previous, played a solid set to finish the show off.

Author & Punisher... if you're unfamiliar, this is the solo project of a UCSD graduate and mechanical engineer at the National Center for Microscopy and Imaging Research Tristan Shone. He builds custom MIDI controllers that are part machine, part sculpture, and part musical instrument. The music is industrial, doomy, and droney, but watching him perform is really the draw. It's like he's in the command chair of some futuristic android killing machine as he manipulates his bizarre contraptions to create and warp sounds.

At the Wallingford, CT show two nights ago, there was a guy standing next to me during Theologian's set eating ramen noodles raw from the package. And then last night, there was a girl sitting casually on a sofa brushing her teeth (sans toothpaste) while holding a conversation with her friend. Let's see what sort of oddball human behavior Albany can muster up tonight...

-gs

Batillus Joins the Seventh Rule Family

Seventh Rule Recordings will be releasing our debut full-length LP, to be called 'Furnace,' in the spring of next year. We have been talking with the label for some time, getting acquainted, and it's clear that Seventh Rule and Batillus are on the same page artistically and ethically and we are extraordinarily grateful for the opportunity to work with such a like-minded label. Seventh Rule has released the music of bands such as Indian, Coffinworm, Buried at Sea, and Plague Bringer, among others, and we're honored to join their ranks. 'Furnace' will be released by Seventh Rule in North America and the UK in CD, vinyl, and digital formats, and by Vendetta Records in continental Europe on vinyl only. Vendetta, which recently released a split 12" LP featuring Batillus and Hallowed Butchery, has been a strong supporter of the band for a year now.

Here's Seventh Rule's official press release:

Seventh Rule proudly welcomes Brooklyn doom quartet Batillus to its stormy roster.

With songs that move from bristling blast beats to subterranean crawls, Batillus (buh-TILL-us) cohere the extremes of heavy music into a surge of massive riffing, rolling over and descending on the listener with the force and intensity of a sudden storm.

The New Yorker describes Batillus as "a sludgy four-piece that slows monstrous Black Sabbath riffs to a crawl to produce highly textured compositions of droning doom-metal," and Revolver calls their music "beyond-atmospheric blackened doom."

Seventh Rule will release 'Furnace,' the first full length by Batillus, in the coming spring months, with full U.S. touring by the band to follow. 'Furnace' was recorded by Sanford Parker (Yob, Unearthly Trance, Nachtmystium, Pelican) at Semaphore Studios in Chicago.

Batillus / Hallowed Butchery Split Reviewed on Crustcake

"Strong riffs cycle through groove and sludge, producing doom worthy of headbanging and being stuck in your head. [...] These songs have strong blues and psychedelic foundations, which reflect back upon the group's time spent as an instrumental three-piece. [...] Greg Peterson's tone is excellent but his phrasing is top notch too. These riffs are big, but the best part is Batillus' collective control over them." Read the entire review here. Thanks, Sean.

Batillus / Hallowed Butchery Split Reviewed on Foxy Digitalis

The doom sound is instantly recognizable, complete with rasping vocals—an ultra-heavy onslaught. That’s the known and well-explored ground. But from here, Batillus moves towards irresistible, heavy riffing psych. [...] This is a brilliant doom metal split—the Batillus side rules, because the American four-piece works so effectively and freshly within the known framework. [9/10]" Read the entire review here. Thanks Jan-Arne.

Batillus / Hallowed Butchery Split Reviewed on Deaf Sparrow

"There is a nuance quality to the Batillus of today. This was unseen and unheard in their beginning. “The Children of the Night Make Their Music” has guitars that either vibrate or coil. Then, they actually get a little cozy. Its simplicity and almost nostalgic feel are a welcomed treat. Other bands, just figure being heavy as fuck makes the bulk of their job complete. [4/5]" Read the entire review here. Thanks Hansel.

Bleak November Tour

ANNIHILVS POWER ELECTRONIX is pleased to present B L E A K N O V E M B E R EAST COAST MICRO-TOUR 2010 in association with

A&P RECORDINGS, CUPCAKE GOTH, DANVERS STATE RECORDINGS, DIGITAL FERRET, EXISTENCE ESTABLISHMENT, FORCE OF NATURE PRODUCTIONS, ISOTANK, REDSCROLL RECORDS, UNSOUND NYC

FRI NOV 19 REDSCROLL RECORDS http://www.redscrollrecords.com/ WALLINGFORD, CT performances by AUTHOR & PUNISHER http://www.myspace.com/authorandpunisher BATILLUS http://www.myspace.com/batillus THEOLOGIAN http://www.myspace.com/gashtheologian COWARDS http://www.myspace.com/cowards999 WORK/DEATH http://www.corleonerecords.com/banddetail.asp?bandid=35 MASTER OF PUSSY http://www.myspace.com/masterofpussyprovidence

SAT NOV 20 STARLAB presented by EXISTENCE ESTABLISHMENT/FORCE OF NATURE PRODUCTIONS/DANVERS STATE RECORDINGS http://www.existest.org/ SOMERVILLE, MA performances by AUTHOR & PUNISHER http://www.myspace.com/authorandpunisher BATILLUS http://www.myspace.com/batillus THE VOMIT ARSONIST+THEOLOGIAN http://www.myspace.com/thevomitarsonisthttp://www.myspace.com/gashtheologian HUNTED CREATURES http://www.myspace.com/huntedcreatures MASTER OF PUSSY http://www.myspace.com/masterofpussyprovidence BEREFT http://www.myspace.com/bereft73

SUN NOV 21

THE MARKETPLACE GALLERY http://www.themarketplacegallery.com ALBANY, NY performances by AUTHOR & PUNISHER http://www.myspace.com/authorandpunisher BATILLUS http://www.myspace.com/batillus THEOLOGIAN http://www.myspace.com/gashtheologian ACIPENSER http://www.myspace.com/acipenser315

FRI NOV 26 THE ROTUNDA http://www.therotunda.org/ presented by DIGITAL FERRET/ISOTANK http://www.myspace.com/digital_ferret PHILADELPHIA, PA performances by AUTHOR & PUNISHER http://www.myspace.com/authorandpunisher BATILLUS http://www.myspace.com/batillus THEOLOGIAN http://www.myspace.com/gashtheologian ALL THE EVIL (WITH SEXUAL ASSAULT RIFLE) http://www.myspace.com/alltheevilhttp://www.myspace.com/sqsq

SAT NOV 27 THE ACHERON http://theacheronbk.blogspot.com presented by CUPCAKEGOTH/ANNIHILVS POWER ELECTRONIX http://www.cupcakegoth.com/http://www.annihilvs.org/ BROOKLYN, NY performances by CONTROLLED BLEEDING http://www.myspace.com/controlledbleeding AUTHOR & PUNISHER http://www.myspace.com/authorandpunisher BATILLUS http://www.myspace.com/batillus THEOLOGIAN+THE VOMIT ARSONIST http://www.myspace.com/gashtheologianhttp://www.myspace.com/thevomitarsonist ALL THE EVIL http://www.myspace.com/alltheevil

Read more:

http://www.myspace.com/batillus/blog#ixzz13cUWmQb8

That's a Wrap...

Well, we're back. What a trip. We couldn't have asked for better tourmates than we found in the Kowloon Walled City dudes. The tour has been well-documented, here, here, here, here, here, and here, among other places. The photo above was taken by AJ Peters of Riff Cannon outside his house in Weymouth, MA with Scott Evans' Yashika Mat-124. From left to right: Willi 'Wilhelm von Stabenau' Stabenau, Greg 'Peterson' Peterson, Jason Pace, Ian 'Short Pants' Miller, Jeff 'Sausage Man' Fagundes, Fade 'Soul-Fege' Kainer, Geoff 'Vogelboyg' Summers, Scott 'Fun Scott' Evans.

Here's a video of a new song from the first show of the tour:

Hear Us Play Some Songs on the Radio

Kowloon Walled City and Batillus Live on Diane's Kamikaze Fun Machine October 5th (Noon-3)- airing begins around 12:30pm.

Back-to-back bludgeoning on the Fun Machine! Diane welcomes San Francisco's KOWLOON WALLED CITY, along with local outfit, BATILLUS for a double live session! The final show of their  tour is Saturday October 2nd at the Acheron in Brooklyn, go support them before, and listen in later! KOWLOON WALLED CITY is a tight combo full of sludge, anger and toxicity; downtuned and aggressive. BATILLUS are fans of heavy textures, and doom monsters in their own right. This show will transform your relationship to "heavy" music forever- be prepared to worship!!

dianekamikaze

Diane's Kamikaze Fun Machine - making ears bleed since 1983

Music To Slaughter Livestock To- 5,000 Factory Farmers Can't All Be Wrong!

Tuesdays Noon-3pm  WFMU-FM 91.1(NYC/East Central NJ), 90.1 FM (Hudson Valley, lower Catskills, Western NJ)

Worldwide streaming and archived online: http://www.wfmu.org

Diane's Playlists: http://www.wfmu.org/playlists/DK Diane's WFMU Homepage: http://www.wfmu.org/~diane/ Diane's Blog Posts: http://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/diane-kamikazes-posts/ Diane's MySpace Page: http://www.myspace.com/dianekamikaze