Artist

For ten days this past summer, MetalKult editor Jimmy Hubbard hit the road with progressive thrash metallers Mastodon to document the band's summer 2007 European tour in support of its latest record, Blood Mountain.

Hubbard's journey with Mastodon began in Lisbon, Portugal, on June 28, 2007, and ended on July 8 at London's Wembley Stadium. During these dates, across Norway, Sweden, Belgium, Greece, Denmark and Finland, the Atlantan four-piece played before audiences ranging from 2,000 to 70,000 people.

This eight-part series documents Mastodon's powerful live performances opening for legendary acts like Metallica, Slayer, and Meshuggah, and also captures the revelry that ensued when this unaffected band—Troy Sanders (bass/vocals), Bill Kelliher (guitar), Brent Hinds (guitar) and Brann Dailor (drums)—bro-ed down with its friends and tour mates in the ancient cities of Europe.

The eighth and final installment of MetalKult's weekly series takes place on July 8th, 2007, when Mastodon played Wembley Stadium in London, England. Once again Mastodon opened for Metallica and were joined by Machine Head and H.I.M. playing for roughly 70,000 people. This final show in a long string of European dates marked thirteen straight months of touring in support of Blood Mountain.

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In January 1988, the members of Death convened in Orlando, Florida, to rehearse six of the songs that would eventually wind up on the band's second and highly influential album, Leprosy—and MetalKult is proud to offer the rarely heard audio captured during that rehearsal.

The Death lineup at the time included guitarist/vocalist Chuck Schuldiner, guitarist Rick Rozz, bassist Terry Butler and drummer Bill Andrews.

Right-click the song names to download each mp3.

Photograph courtesy of Frank White.

On November 8, 2007, when Norwegian progressive black metal group Enslaved came through New York City to play BB Kings Blues Club in support of their 2006 full-length, Ruun, MetalKult invited guitarist Ivar Bjørnson and bassist/vocalist Grutle Kjellson to stop by our Manhattan headquarters for a little Q&A action.

The two founding members accepted and in the resulting interview, Bjørnson and Kjellson discuss their roots in Norway's notorious Nineties black metal scene, their reverence of Seventies prog and modern noise rock, and why they have abandoned the "viking metal" moniker. Oh and the two also shed some light on their recent "sheep downloading" incident.

Check out the clips below:

++NOTE: Due to a malfunction in Bjørnson's mic, some of his comments are distorted. We apologize for the less-than-pristine quality, but felt his comments were too insightful to omit.++

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Photo by Asle Birkeland.

Heavy experimental band Neurosis have announced they will be playing two NYC shows, January 24 & 25 at the Brooklyn Masonic Temple with special guests. These shows are in support of their 2007 release, Given to the Rising.

www.brooklynmasonictemple.com

All Ages / 8 pm doors/9 pm show
January 24- U.S Christmas, special guest (tba), Neurosis
January 25- A Storm of Light, special guest (tba), Neurosis

Agnostic Front is about to embark on their recently announced direct support slot to Hatebreed on Stillborn Records annual Stillborn Fest 2007. The 10-day tour will kick off on December 20 at Jaxx in Springfield, VA and will also include God Forbid, Necro, At All Cost and Stillborn's newest signing, Thy Will Be Done. These bands will play the main stage on all tour dates. Additional bands will play the main stage on select dates and will be announced shortly. Some Stillborn Fest shows will also feature a second stage.

Agnostic Front lead singer Roger Miret commented: "This is a huge tour for us and we can't wait to get out there with our good friends in Hatebreed. As everybody knows by now, no matter what size show we play we always put out hearts into it and give 110%. We will always love playing the smaller shows, that's where our roots are; screaming in peoples faces when they are three inches away from us. Now, there's a lot more space between us and a lot more faces so I intend on screaming much louder! Prepare for hardcore fury!"

Tour Dates are as follows:

Dec. 20 - Springfield, VA @ Jaxx
Dec. 21 - Norfolk VA @ The Norva
Dec. 22 - Poughkeepsie, NY @ The Chance
Dec. 23 - New Haven, CT @ Toad's Place
Dec. 26 - New York, NY @ The Fillmore
Dec. 27 - Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
Dec. 28 - Worcester MA @ Palladium
Dec. 29 - Albany, NY @ Northern Lights
Dec. 30 - Rochester, NY @ Water Street

On November 14, 2007, San Francisco bass/drum drone kings Om played Brooklyn's Club Europa in support of their latest release, Pilgrimage (Southern Lord).

Before Om's thunderous set, we caught up with singer/bassist Al Cisneros and drummer Chris Haikus to discuss why the ex-Sleep rhythm section decided to reform as a duo, what gear challenges that presented, and Shrinebuilder, the band in which the Cisneros and Haikus are joined by Neurosis' Scott Kelly and Wino (ex-Hidden Hand, Obsessed).

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On November 14, 2007, San Francisco bass/drum drone kings Om played Brooklyn's Club Europa in support of their latest release, Pilgrimage (Southern Lord).

MetalKult's cameras were on hand to capture the thunderous set delivered by the ex-Sleep rhythm section of singer/bassist Al Cisneros and drummer Chris Haikus.

Check out the following live performance of "At Giza" from Om's 2006 release, Conference of the Birds.

While you're at it, go HERE for our video interview with the band.

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Photo by Hayden Burton Miller.

It was the summer of 1988, and Slayer were in the midst of their World Sacrifice Tour in support of their latest release, South of Heaven. On the 31st of August, the tour came to New York City's Felt Forum, the small theater adjacent to Madison Square Garden—and mayhem ensued.

Toward the end of the main set, during "Ghosts of War," the overly enthusiastic crowd began tearing up seat cushions and hurling them in all directions, many of them reaching the stage. As the danger level escalated, the band made a quick retreat to the backstage area. The seat cushions continued flying throughout the arena, and after a few minutes frontman Tom Araya came out and gave the crowd a piece of his mind.

"You guys came here to have a good time, and you're blowin' it, big time! Why don't you give us a break? We can probably never play here again."

Immediately following Araya's rant, the band launched into the final song of the night, "Angel of Death," while continuing to dodge the dangerous projectiles.

This following bootleg video shows all of Araya's tongue lashing as well as "Angel of Death." And Slayer never did play the Felt Forum again.

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On August 21, 2007, when South Carolina's Nile played an Ozzfest one-off date at BB King's, in support of their new album Ithyphallic (Nuclear Blast), we invited guitarist/vocalists Karl Sanders and Dallas Toler-Wade to stop by MetalKult's Manhattan headquarters for an in-depth Q&A and riff lesson.

The two technical death metal shredders accepted, and, axes in hand, stopped by our New York offices to demonstrate the key elements of their style, and show how to play Nile classics like "Barra Edinazzu," "Howling of the Jinn," "Black Seeds of Vengeance" and more!

Check out the clips below:

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When MetalKult heard avant-garde noise/metal act Oxbow was tapped as an opening act on several dates of Isis' 10th Anniversary tour, we had an idea: send Oxbow singer/fighter/author Eugene Robinson a handheld camera and get him to document the events.

After a few disclaimers (namely, "I might just get drunk, fall down, break the camera...and then sell the broken camera to a crack dealer.") Robinson generously agreed and the deal was sealed.

The footage was edited into a two-part Oxbow Tour Diary, which documents Eugene and his band—Niko Wenner (guitar), Dan Adams (bass) and Greg Davis (drums)—as they support Isis on November 1ndash;4 in New York City, Philadelphia and Cambridge, MA.

MetalKult would like to give many thanks to Eugene, and we encourage you to check out Oxbow's latest record, The Narcotic Story, out now on Hydra Head Records.

Check it out below:

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Photos by Jimmy Hubbard