Artist

As anyone who's followed Ministry's career (or read Al Jourgensen's recent autobiography) can tell you, Uncle Al has threatened to scupper his groundbreaking industrial-metal project many times before, only to unexpectedly revive it again. But coming in the wake of longtime guitarist Mike Scaccia's tragic death last December, this particular "final album" is probably the real farewell. Constructed from tracks Jourgensen and Scaccia recorded together just days before the latter's demise, From Beer to Eternity's audio assaults, like "Punch in the Face" and "PermaWar," combine to make an appropriately head-crushing headstone for Scaccia and Ministry alike. DAN EPSTEIN

Check out "PermaWar" off From Beer To Eternity below.

If six Rise Against studio albums don't sate you, here's the rest of the story: 26 extras and specials that have populated tribute albums, soundtracks, iTunes exclusives, and Guitar Hero bundles. It's a surprisingly cohesive treasure trove, too, with worthwhile originals such as "Death Blossoms," "Voice of Dissent" and the acoustic "Everchanging," plus a slew of exceptional covers. You'd expect homages to Minor Threat, Face to Face, Black Flag, and Sick of It All, but the genuinely left-field choices are among the highlights, including the folk favorite (and Weeds theme song) "Little Boxes" and an all-star concert romp through Bruce Springsteen's "Ghost of Tom Joad." GARY GRAFF

Check out "Little Boxes" off Long Forgotten Songs: B-Sides & Covers 2000-2013 below:

Monster Magnet guitarist Ed Mundell may be a stoner, but he's no slacker. In addition to cutting his main band's new platter, he also recently recorded the self-titled debut from his side project The Ultra Electric Mega Galactic. That group—rounded out by Otep session player Collyn McCoy (on bass and sitar), and Sasquatch's Rick Ferrante (on drums and percussion)—cranks out long-form lysergic space-rock instrumentals. Think Jimi Hendrix, Clutch, and Hawkwind passing a bong around a desert campfire and jamming out a soundtrack to 1981 animated tits-and-aliens cult classic Heavy Metal. Toke up and tune in. WILL NAVIDSON

Check out " Hello to Oblivion" off The Ultra Electric Mega Galactic below:

Morbid Angel "Altars of Madness" (1989)

Jagged riffs, bludgeoning guitar tones, eerie keyboard patterns, tales of ancient Mesopotamian gods. Released in 1989, Morbid Angel's debut full-length Altars of Madness marks the end of Extreme Metal's formative decade and signals the beginning of its maturation as a sub-genre. No question that earlier releases from Napalm Death, Carcass, Death and others had stretched the limits of extreme music - faster tempos, sharper production, grislier artwork and lyrics - but Altars was all this and more. So much more.

Altars had all the things a great Extreme Metal album in 1989 was expected to have: brutal riffs, blistering double-bass, harrowing vocals. But the real power of Altars lay in something less tangible: its mystery. It's an album rife with things you love precisely because you can't explain or define them. "Immortal Rites," the album opener, begins with a riff unlike any we'd heard before: A grinding, repetitive guitar figure accompanied by a wispy backward-sounding loop. As a 15 year-old, I was asking "How did they do this?" "Did they play that riff backwards?" "Are these guys even human?!"

The mystery of Altars went beyond its riffs:

Ninnghizhidda - open my eyes
Ninnghizhidda - hear my cries
Plumed serpent of the deep
Plumed serpent of the gate
I command - come before me
I command - bring the key
Rise from the depths
See the fire in my wand

Ia iak sakkakh iak sakkakth
Ia shaxul

In today's entertainment culture, where "epic" means a $300 million Peter Jackson film, the lyrics to "Lord of All Fevers and Plague" seem like child's play. But to a teenager in '89 these lyrics were not only epic, but evocative of something ancient, hidden or even ritualistic. Screamed-forth by lead vocalist/bassist David Vincent, they seemed to be connecting us to something forbidden or forgotten, and perhaps Vincent was serving as our guide to a world not known: "Who or what is Ninnghizhidda?" "Was this an incantation, a spell, a command?"

By invoking the mysterious through sounds, lyrics and imagery, Altars of Madness helped build what has become one of Extreme Metal's most important foundations: adventurousness. Critics have often maligned Extreme Metal for its rigidity, for being too constrained by the limits of being extreme. But Altars was just the opposite: it was the very redefinition of what it meant to be extreme. And it's an album that would shape a decade of Extreme Metal to come.

Leigh Kakaty is the vocalist for Michigan rock act Pop Evil. Formed in 2001, Pop Evil has gone on to sell over a half million singles, with multiple top-charting singles, all while obtaining road-dog status by exclusively living out on the road. Their most recent LP Onyx was released last month. Watch the video for their hit single, "Trenches" at the bottom of this post.

Football Time!

As fall is quickly upon us, I sit here on the tour bus both saddened and very anxious. Sad that another festival season is over as summer draws to a close, but anxious because it's time for football. Football has always been an important time on the Pop Evil tour bus with different band members rooting for the Lions, Packers and Steelers. Football games always result in trash talking, gambling and tailgating. There's nothing like tailgating at a rock show!

Lets start with a little college football. Since we are from Michigan, we bleed Maize and Blue. We are always pulling for our Wolverines. However, if I'm predicting the next national champion, I have to consider my options. Though I believe Alabama will "Roll Tide," I believe Clemson will win it all on a turnover followed by kicking a game-winning field goal.

When talking about the NFL I have to admit I'm a glutton for punishment. Before every season I believe that the Detroit Lions have a shot to go to the Super Bowl and then reality sets in after the first few weeks. I realize we need to bring "Barry" back! That only happens in the video game world though. This could be the year of the Hawks (Seahawks or Falcons) 49ers, the Patriots, maybe even the Broncos—but with that flashy bit of green in the Seahawks Jerseys, I can sense MONEY! Look for Seattle to return to the glory days of Steve Largent riding on the heels of quarterback Russell Wilson. They are my Super Bowl pick! They will have to do it in a New York Minute though as the Super Bowl should be a cold one this year at the Meadowlands!

Extreme Metallers!

Welcome to my brand-new weekly blog Extreme Metal Soapbox.  As many of you know, all of us at Banger Films are running a second IndieGoGo campaign to create the Extreme Metal episode of Metal Evolution.  And to bring awareness to the campaign the good folks at Revolver have given me the opportunity to present Extreme Metal's All-Time Top 5 Albums.  Here's how it works:

 Each week I will shamelessly pontificate about what I feel is one of Extreme Metal's best albums.  The album will be chosen on the basis of its impact, innovation, ongoing influence and, of course, how damn killer it is.  Then all of you will have the opportunity to tell me whether I'm on the mark or full of shit.  Really simple.

 But I don't want this to be a bloggy bitch-fest.  This is meant to be an informed and passionate discussion for metalheads who care about Extreme Metal and how its history is told.  I've met a lot of smart metallers in my travels who have great ideas – so speak up.  The Extreme Metal Soapbox is yours for the taking!

To kick things off, here's my first entry:

Celtic Frost "Morbid Tales" (1984)

Let's get started by laying down one important axiom: There would be no Extreme Metal without Venom.  Venom created a sound and aesthetic in the early 80s that was undeniably extreme: Cronos' distinctive bark and the band's quasi-Satanic-meets-Occultic imagery was thrilling for young metallers like myself who in 1981 thought Maiden's Killers was the epitome of heaviness.  And make no mistake, their music would influence legions of Extreme Metal bands to follow.  But despite their legacy, there was a simplicity to Venom's music that always left me  - and many other young 80s metalheads - wanting more.

 Enter Celtic Frost.  It was 1985, I was 11 years old, and I was flipping through vinyl in my local independent record shop, looking for something to up-the-ante from my freshly purchased Black Metal LP.  My eyes were immediately drawn to the cover of Morbid Tales: that unforgettable Escher-like tangle of symbols, swords and skulls.  I took it home and as soon as I heard the vocal-drone of "Human" followed by the crushing opening riff of "Into Crypts of Rays," I was hooked.  CF was still Venom-like in its primitiveness, and to our Pro-Tools-conditioned ears of today it sounds almost laughably crude.  But there was something more going on here than what Cronos/Mantas/Abaddon had to offer – bigger sounds, better musicianship, more complex imagery.  In all, it had a vibe.

Check out a vintage performance of "Into Crypts of Rays"

To be clear, Morbid Tales was not a masterpiece nor an instant success.  This was a band trying to find its footing on its debut album and when I spoke to Tom Warrior and Martin Ain about MT they emphasized that they were just kids from the 'burbs and villages of Switzerland searching for that elusive sound.  But despite its crudeness, Morbid Tales was exciting because it seemed to be giving Extreme Metal a new pathway, a broader horizon.  It was suggesting that metal could be both brutal and artistic; raw and majestic.  We didn't know it in 1985, but we now know that it gave extreme music a future.

Hard-rock outfit WILSON are shitter aficionados. They've been rating toilets on the road for a while on their own blog, and now they're bringing their expertise to RevolverMag.com. The band is currently crossing the country with The Greenery and The Ongoing Concept, from whence they will be educating us on their various bathroom encounters. Here, singer Chad Nicefield drops blog No. 6.

Mark Hunter is the vocalist and founding member of Cleveland metal act Chimaira. For more than a decade, Chimaira has been imposing its gravity on the metal community by continually touring the globe and selling more than a million albums worldwide. Their brand of heavy music has evolved and transcended both itself and the trends while maintaining its persistent, bludgeoning force. The band released its new album, Crown of Phantoms, on July 30th. Watch the video for the new song "No Mercy" at the bottom of this post.

Coffee |ˈkôfē|

"Coffee is a language in itself."—Jackie Chan

I was never big on coffee. It always made me feel anxious, and I wasn't crazy about the taste unless there was a mountain of sugar covering it up. I always wanted to like it though. For years, I sat on the sidelines while my friends bonded over a steaming cup of "Quad Venti" something or another. The guys in my band love coffee and it would bum me out when I couldn't enjoy the daily trip to Sixbucks.

All of that changed.

If you follow me on any of the various social media platforms, you've probably seen me post about Bulletproof Coffee. While you're right to assume I am obsessed with the stuff by how much I rave about it, you might be wondering why I had the change of heart.

Back in May, I found Dave Asprey and Bulletproof Coffee through this Gnostic Media podcast. I was researching Celiac Disease (my girlfriend was misdiagnosed), and this interview had a ton of intriguing information regarding health and wellness. One wild concept was the benefit of coffee mixed with MCT oil (super potent coconut oil) and… grass-fed butter. Butter? Yes, you read that right. Butter.

Did you know that coffee can help with weight loss, is a good source of antioxidants, and is shown to improve brain function? Neither did I, until I visited www.bulletproofexec.com and researched this peculiar concoction. MCT oil helps with mental clarity and is a natural fat burner. So what's up with the butter? More importantly, why does it have to be grass-fed? It turns out that grass-fed butter is filled with high quality nutrients and tastes a thousand times better than regular old butter. It is super good for you and makes the coffee creamy and delicious.

There is a ton of science, data, and medical backing that coincide with Bulletproof Coffee. I highly suggest anyone interested in feeling awesome check out the Bulletproof site. Above and beyond the coffee, there is fantastic advice on dieting, sleeping, brain hacking, and even sex. It's all about upgrading the way you do things in your life while continually trying to improve. Hack yourself and perform at your best. I love this philosophy and it has worked wonders for me.

Side note - I've yet to try Bulletproof Coffee then immediately have sex. I might need to do that ASAP.

While I could spend hours talking about the science behind Bulletproof Coffee, the essence is that it tastes amazing, curbs the appetite, increases focus, and can aid in weight loss. They also say you won't feel any of the negative side effects that some, like me, experience from coffee. I am as skeptical as they come, so I had to try it for myself.

After the first month of using Bulletproof Coffee I was convinced. The coffee worked exactly as mentioned. Not only for me, but also for everyone else I know that tried it. I never once felt jittery, anxious, nauseated, or ran to the bathroom after having this coffee. I always feel turned on and ready to go and I only need one cup. It's official; Dave Asprey is the "Heisenberg" of coffee.

It's crazy how popular this is already becoming. Finding Kerrygold butter on tour in Portland was a challenge, and everyone knew what I was up to. One woman even made fun of me for being the real life version of Portlandia. But the trend didn't start with Dave and Bulletproof, he discovered this brew through Tibetan Buddhists who use Yak butter in their tea. It's a perfect way to deliver your body the healthy fats it so desperately craves.

I've made a cup of Bulletproof for over fifty people across the US now. I've yet to meet someone who didn't love it. They're also pleasantly shocked by how awesome the butter tastes. Everyone reported a noticeable difference in focus. It was incredible to see how enthusiastic they felt on it. They are charged up. I wish more people felt this good and were this alert. Nothing worse than going out in public and observing humanity re-enact a Romero Zombie film.

The first time Chimaira drank Bulletproof before a show it turned us into maniacs. It was one of the most intense performances of our career. Focused rage. Perfect for heavy metal! I also had enough energy for the show without having to eat beforehand. I've had a difficult time balancing the timing of meals leading up to a show for years, so this works perfect for me.

Our drummer, Austin, said he felt like he leveled his health up on a video game after his first cup. He's also been following other aspects of the Bulletproof Diet and feels he is now in the best shape of his life. Sean, our keyboardist and coffee connoisseur, loved BPC and compared it to a high end Ethiopian cup. After adopting BP diet principles with me on this tour, Sean said, "This is the most alive I've felt." Remarkable, if you ask me.

Jeremy, our bassist, said his joints felt at ease and his mobility improved. Emil and others report the effect of coffee as a "clean high" and all wanted a second cup. The funniest transformation was our guitarist Matt whom I found jumping invisible rope at lightning fast speeds.

What about the weight loss claims? Absolutely. Before the tour, I dropped 10 without lifting a finger. Austin and I continued to lean out big time on this tour, and my family and friends back home continue to lose. By replacing your breakfast with this coffee and butter, you stay in fat burning mode.  It's all I've had for breakfast for three months. I legitimately smile when I drink it. You know me. I don't smile.

When I was assisting the edit on our DVD, I drank Bulletproof. I'd push over 15 hours a day with little sleep. I felt like I had a cognitive boost the entire time and never felt drained. My creative juices never ceased to flow. I think it's safe to say the full band will be loaded up on BPC when we write the new album.

I'm healthier, intensely focused, and fully energized while creatively on fire… from a cup of coffee. I had to speak to the guys at the company.

Bulletproof sponsors UFC Fighters, Olympic Medalists, London Real, and a bunch of other cool cats. You may have seen Dave on the Joe Rogan show. As it turns out, I am the first dude in a band to hit them up. This led me to becoming an Ambassador for them. Stoked! They also hooked me up with a rewards program so if you want to buy anything from the folks at Bulletproof, and I highly recommend you do, please use this link. It will help me keep my pantry stocked with Bulletproof products. This too will make me smile.

If sending a starving artist a bunch of free coffee wasn't sweet enough, my rep at BPC, Josh, set me up with a video conference via Skype so that I'm able to chat with BPC founder, Dave Asprey. I want to discuss how we can "Bulletproof" life on the road. I think I might present one of the biggest challenges to Mr. Asprey yet. Traveling on a bouncing land submarine with 11 other men across the world is not only insane… it's taxing!

I hope that you look into Bulletproof, and if you do that it makes you feel better. The last thing I want to do is sound like a salesman, I want you to feel as good as I, and a ton of other people, do. Even if you just want a badass cup of coffee and don't care about health, try it. Check out the site, read the feedback, watch some podcasts and decide for yourself. You won't be disappointed.

If anyone would like to try a cup with me on tour, bring your own stick of unsalted Kerrygold and we'll tear it up. Hit me up on Twitter!

- Mark

Official Bulletproof Coffee Recipe –

Start with 4-500 ml of black coffee brewed with mold-free Upgraded Coffee beans. (Why)

• Add 2 Tbsp (or more, up to 80 grams, about 2/3 of a standard stick of butter) of Kerrygold or other UNSALTED grass-fed butter

• Add 30 grams of Upgraded MCT Oil for max energy, weight loss and brain function (this is 6 times stronger than coconut oil, your next best choice)

• Blend with a pre-heated hand blender, Magic Bullet, or (best) counter top blender until there is a creamy head of foam. (It doesn't work well if you mix it with a spoon)

"It's really fast and easy to prepare. Realize salted coffee is a crime. Do not do this with salted butter. Bleah."—Dave Asprey

To order your Bulletproof Coffee and other Upgraded Self products click here

Important links –

www.bulletproofexec.com

http://www.upgradedself.com/?a_aid=51d34353a20f5

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/coffee-and-health/AN01354

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16702259

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medium-chain_triglyceride

http://www.bulletproofexec.com/coffee-5-reasons-you-can-perform-better-10-ways-to-live-longer/

http://kerrygoldusa.com/

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/crown-of-phantoms/id663467785

Hard-rock outfit WILSON are shitter aficionados. They've been rating toilets on the road for a while on their own blog, and now they're bringing their expertise to RevolverMag.com. The band is currently crossing the country with The Greenery and American Fangs, from whence they will be educating us on their various bathroom encounters. Here, singer Chad Nicefield drops blog No. 5.

"Well, would you look at that?! What a pleasant way to welcome an anus to the road. First day of tour and already my bunghole is getting the shaft! (Well, the proverbial shaft). NO FUCKING T.P. Thanks, Cleveland! This one may deserve special honors in the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Shame. Besides the obvious lack of proper derriere equipment, what you can't see is the molding around the base of the toilet being literally nonexistent. As a went to place my buns on this gargoyle, the fucking toilet started to slide and tip over. I had to brace myself against the wall to keep from falling over like one of those scared-stiff goats you see on the Youtubes. Upon placing my freshly cleaned paws against the wall, I noticed a wetness that wasn't coming from my poo-berated, clammy palms... It was a fucking loogey. NICE! They don't call 'em the Cleveland Browns for nothing. One out of 10 dingleberries over here for Cleveland."

"I like politics and starting trouble. I also yell at a stick," Phil Labonte says of himself on his Facebook page. As the often controversial frontman of All That Remains, Labonte lives up to his own description. His band is about to his the road in Europe to kick off months of nonstop touring both abroad and in the U.S. in support of its sixth album, 2012′s A War You Cannot Win.

Here, he answers fan questions as part of his "Bad Advice" series. To submit your own questions, email PhilsBadAdvice@gmail.com. As Labonte says, "no question is too stupid or out there, so fire away! And remember, follow all advice at your own risk…"

What's up Phil? Got a girl question. I've been dating this girl for four years now. Inevitably the relationship has gotten more and more intense. She still gets jealous and seems to be insecure when I talk to other girls. I just moved to her hometown and thought that would calm her insecurities. I don't know if I'm not showing her enough affection or if it's wrong to talk to girls that I've had a thing with in the past. Is she nuts or should I not be talking to other girls at all?
-Ted Bonus

She's crazy. Set her on fire and run away.

Phil, I'm in need of some serious help. I have a very annoying neighbor who keeps calling the cops on me and some friends for playing our instruments to loud. The last time she called them she interrupted us jamming on "Just Moments in Time." How do we deal with the situation?
-Tyler Cole

Is there a public sidewalk around? I'd look into a permit then. Practice on the sidewalk in front of her place. It's not gonna make anything smoother, but it will be funny.

Last month, I went to see y'all at a Shreveport venue, The Riverside Warehouse. When y'all began to play, a group of 10 or so guys started moshing. Everyone that was around us was extremely annoyed by this. We were more concerned with being assaulted or injured than being able to enjoy the show. At one point, a member of the second band joined in and I thought I saw you scolding him. The moshing took away a lot from the show for me and everyone I was with. So my question is, what is your opinion of moshing and would there ever be point where you would stop a show because of it?
-Susan Lachney

If people start actually fighting, I'll stop 'em. But if it's just mosh-pitting, we kinda encourage that. The crazier the crowd the better.

If you had the choice, would you choose the blue pill (blissful ignorance) or the red pill (painful truth of reality)?
-Lennon Talbot

Too late. Red seemed like a good idea at the time.

Hi Phil, glad to see you're doing the advice column again. I live in a shitty low income apartment complex, and my upstairs neighbors are a fucking nightmare. They have four adults and five kids in a three-bedroom unit, and they are loud as shit from about 6 A.M. to 11:30 P.M. every day. They just keep making excuses and nothing changes. Yesterday, they dumped a shitload of water through their back deck onto my wife while she was having a cigarette and a glass of wine, ruining both, and the bitch just says, "Oh sorry, that was me." I want to shoot them all, but don't want to get in trouble. What should I do?
-Nick Rasmussen

A doused smoke 'n' spoiled glass of wine doesn't really call for a felony. I'd start with, bitch more. Squeaky wheel brings home the bacon, or something like that.

Dear Phil, I feel the need to make my own fireworks in my friend's garage. I know absolutely nothing about making fireworks. Also, my friend isn't really my friend, he's more like a guy who doesn't lock his garage. Is my plan a good idea?
-Mike

If you have a friend who can film it and post the video on the Internet in the highly likely event that you die, then it's the greatest idea I've ever heard in my life.