Artist

Al Jourgensen's band Ministry may be releasing their final studio album - The Last Sucker - on September 18th on 13th Planet/Megaforce Records, but that doesn't mean Jourgensen is saying good-bye to the inside of a recording studio.

Jourgensen plans to spend significantly more time in the studio doing what he loves best - collaborating. And collaboration is at the root of Cover Up, a soon-to-be-released album of some of Al's personal favorite songs being recorded by Ministry Co-Conspirators in his El Paso, TX compound, 13th Planet Studios. Ministry and Co-Conspirators' Cover Up is expected to hit streets

in April 2008.

In addition to core Ministry members guitarist Sin Quirin (Revolting Cocks) and bassist Paul Raven (Killing Joke/Prong/Mob Research) Jourgensen enlisted an impressive group of co-conspirators for Cover Up - Fear Factory front man Burton C. Bell (also Ascension of The Watchers) sings on the Rolling Stones' "Under My Thumb," Tony Campos (bass) and Wayne Static (vocals) from Static X are on the Beatles' "I Want You (She's So Heavy)," and Prong's Tommy Victor (vocals) and Mountain's Leslie West (guitar) do justice to Mountain's classic "Mississippi Queen." Cover Up will also include Ministry's cover of the Doors' "Roadhouse Blues" (which can also be found on The Last Sucker), as well as Ram Jam's "Black Betty," Deep Purple's "Space Truckin," Louis Armstrong's "Wonderful World" and "Radar Love" by Golden Earring. Additional featured artists, including Cheap Trick's Robin Zander (vocals) and Rick Nielson (guitar), and trax are in the works.

"It's a work in progress," states Jourgensen, "based on who's on tour and comin' through town. It keeps everything spontaneous. By now, everyone knows if they're droppin' by the studio, I'm gonna put them to work. I've got a few more surprises up my sleeve for this one.

"I'm just waiting on a few more return calls," says Jourgensen, "Seems like lately if you visit the 13th Planet compound, you'll end up on Cover Up or I'll end up signing you to my label - or both," sites Jourgensen in reference to 13th Planet Records recent signing of Victor's Prong and Bell's Ascension of The Watchers.

Home videos of underground metal bands weren't exactly commonplace in 1985, but that didn't stop Combat Records from issuing The Ultimate Revenge on VHS that year. The now legendary and out of print home video (click the cover to the right for a larger view) featured concert clips of Slayer, Venom and Exodus, who were touring the U.S. together on the Combat Tour Live.

The Slayer and Exodus performances on the video were filmed at the former disco haven Studio 54 in New York City on April 3, 1985, while the Venom clips came from other sources since guitarist Mantas was unable to appear at the April 3 concert, forcing Venom to use two fill-in guitarists in his absence and not wanting the live footage from that night to appear on the home video. Slayer and Venom (Cronos and Abaddon) were also featured on The Ultimate Revenge in backstage interview clips.

Below, check out the four Slayer songs that appeared on The Ultimate Revenge, as well as their chaotic backstage interview segment and an amusing Combat Records commercial that appeared at the end of the home video.

[playlist:mk-livekult-slayer]

Birthed in an abysmal New York City basement, black metal band Ash Pool issue forth smoldering, dark and noxious metal. World Turns On Its Hinge (Tour De Garde/Hospital Productions) is their latest batch of truly, and quite literally, underground black metal. Like unknown soldiers, their identities are unlisted, kept in the dark, letting their music reign in pure black mass.

Ash Pool waste no time before igniting the subterranean blaze. World Turns On Its Hinge's opening track, "Sin of Life," begins with crashing cymbals and brash guitar, a gated technique reminiscent of Ukrainian black metallers Hate Forest's work on Sorrow. "Mouth is cracked, stuffed with feces," hawks Ash Pool's singer from under the assault of metallic guitar and drums.

Track four, "Shade of Rape," continues the unforgiving assault with its incinerating wall of thrash. This visceral, hack-and-grind

approach is what makes Ash Pool's underground lo/fi style so utterly terrifying…and invigorating. By stripping the production down to its basest elements, Ash Pool create a sonic intimacy that is rarely, if ever, found on top-dollar, studio-polished metal albums.

Continuing this raw trend—and sounding like early Burzum in the process—"Under Zyklon Blue" begins with kick drum patter, fuzzy picked guitar and a deathly enticing melody. The song soon crashes into motion with what sounds like entombed monks chanting while the lead singer's dismal shouts crackle into the mix.

It's hard not to make connections between the song's menacing namesake—Zyklon B was the poison used by the Nazis to kill over one million people in the gas chambers during the Holocaust—and the origins of Ash Pool's own moniker. After all it was outside those chambers, beyond the crematoriums, where the fields turned grey as death camp soldiers dumped the remains into pools of water that turned black with human ash.

Thus Ash Pool mimics its own title through its sound and in the process creates true, brutal lo/fi black metal captured on World Turns On Its Hinge. – Ian Caskey

Ulver vocalist Kristoffer Rygg (aka Garm, Trickster G) and programmer/keyboardist Tore Ylwizaker will be attending, as well as DJ-ing, the CD release party for their upcoming album Shadows of the Sun (out October 2nd on The End Records) Thursday September 20th, 2007 at Europa Night Club in Brooklyn, New York.

MetalKult is proud to sponser this event.

Both members of Ulver will be DJ-ing throughout the night, as well live band support for the show will come from experimental rock act The Austerity Program and stoner rock/metal duo Lapdog of Satan (featuring members of Priestbird).

Here are some specifics:

EUROPA NIGHT CLUB
98-104 Meserole Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11222
$6 / 18+ to attend / Doors @ 7pm / Lots of giveaways!
http://www.europaclub.com/

For more info check out,
ULVER Website: http://www.jester-records.com/ulver/ulver.html
ULVER @ MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/ulver1
THE AUSTERITY PROGRAM @ MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/theausterityprogram
PRIESTBIRD @ MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/priestbird

Swedish rock band Witchcraft has completed work on its new album, entitled The Alchemist. The follow-up to 2005's Firewood LP will see an October 23, 2007 U.S. release via Candlelight USA.

Witchcraft—Magnus Pelander - vocals, electric guitar, John Hoyles - electric and acoustic guitars, Ola Henriksson - bass and Fredrik Jansson - drums and percussion—who formed in 2000 in tribute to Pentagram, create heavy, blues-based rock augmented with touches of psychedelica and late '60's pop flourishes.

The Alchemist was recorded at Stockholm's UpandRunning studios with Producer Tom Hakava using only vintage amplification. An advance listen to what Witchcraft's new album holds in store is available now as the record's smashing lead track "Walk Between the Lines" has been posted online at this location:

www.myspace.com/witchcraftswe.

Written in a hotel room in Seattle during the fall of 2006 and evoking the spirit of the many early seventies British bands which have colored the Witchcraft sound; "Walk Between The Lines", according to guitarist John Hoyles, came together simply because he "wanted to write a short up-tempo song in the old classic rock vein".

He adds, "I think it has an early Wishbone Ash, Stray or Incredible Hog vibe to it. Or that's what I wanted it to sound like." Described by frontman Magnus Pelander as being "essentially about not losing yourself and reminding yourself what you enjoy in life", "Walk Between the Lines" was the first track the band recorded as part of the album's sessions and its basic tracks were nailed on the second take.

The final track listing for "The Alchemist" is as follows:
1.) Walk Between the Lines
2.) If Crimson Was Your Colour
3.) Leva
4.) Hey Doctor
5.) Samaritan Burden
6.) Remembered
7.) The Alchemist (parts 1, 2 & 3)

Witchcraft will tour the U.S. in support of The Alchemist this fall, with details expected to be announced in the immediate future.

When Norwegian black metal legends Emperor came to America for a brief tour this past June, guitarists Ihsahn and Samoth took time out of their schedule to stop by MetalKult's New York City headquarters for an in-depth lesson on how to play some of their band's most memorable passages.

Among the songs they demonstrated were "I Am the Black Wizards," "Curse You All Men!" "Thus Spake the Nightspirit," "Inno a Satana" and others. Check out the full video lesson (with tablature included) below.

While you're at it, check out MetalKult's Q&A with Ihsahn, as well as our coverage of Emperor's live show at BB Kings.

[playlist:mk-lessons-emperor]

The power drone crew Sunn O))) have announced the following live performances will be held in the Northwest this coming November:

11/01 Manium//Olympia, WA. w/ Earth, Wolves In The Throneroom, Grey
11/02 Neumos' //Seattle, WA w/ Jesu and Eluvium
11/03 The Hawthorne //Theater Portland, OR

Joining Sunn 0))) onstage for these performances will be Attila Csihar (ex-Mayhem) on vocals, and Justin Broaderick (ex-Godflesh, Jesu) on guitar and ambience. The shows will come at the end of recording sessions for the forthcoming 2008 full-length release. No further details have been issued at this time.

Genghis Tron are set to enter God City Studios next week to begin recording their Relapse debut and follow-up to their acclaimed Dead Mountain Mouth album. Genghis Tron will be working with producer Kurt Ballou on this still-untitled album that is expected to see an early 2008 release date.

Before packing up their gear, Genghis Tron checked in with: "Time does NOT fly when you're parked in front of a computer for 8 months making an epic, synth-driven, psychedelic dirge about the end of all time. That's why we're elated to get the fuck out of West Philly and finally record the album that has nearly driven us insane on more than thirty-five occasions...each. It's going to be a beautiful thing once it's done and we can't wait for everyone to share in our paralyzing fear of the future!"

Check out the recently posted Genghis Tron demo track, "Colony Collapse", from this upcoming full-length exclusively via

the band's MySpace: myspace.com/GenghisTron.

Additionally, Genghis Tron will join The Dillinger Escape Plan for a North American tour in October. This will be the first DEP tour in support of their brand new album Ire Works and will also include guests A Life Once Lost and Behold the Arcopus. A listing of tour dates and cities can be found below with more to be announced soon.

Genghis Tron Tour Dates:

***All Dates from October 4 thru October 28 w/ The Dillinger Escape Plan, A Life Once Lost, Behold the Arcopus***

October 4 Cleveland, OH Peabody's
October 5 Pittsburgh, PA Rex Theater
October 6 Chicago, IL Subterranean
October 7 St. Paul, MN Station 4
October 8 Papillion, NE The Rock
October 9 Denver, CO Marquis Theater
October 11 Los Angeles, CA Key Club
October 14 Santa Ana, CA Galaxy Theatre
October 17 Houston, TX Java Jazz
October 19 St. Petersburg, FL State Theatre
October 20 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Culture Room
October 21 Orlando, FL Back Booth
October 22 Atlanta, GA Masquerade
October 23 Baltimore, MD Otto Bar
October 25 Cambridge, MA The Middle East
October 28 New York, NY Blender Theatre @ Gramercy

It's hard not to love Chicago's Shellac. They are consistently—if not defiantly—rigid in their sonic scope (the group's predilection for analog gear and custom electronics is legendary), and still manage to produce some of the best, and weirdest, sounds out there. And 15 years into their career, they show no signs of letting up. Excellent Italian Greyhound (Touch And Go), Shellac's long-awaited follow-up to 2000's stellar 1000 Hurts, is a relentlessly intense, catchy and controlled batch of mathematical noise rock.

The players in this self-proclaimed "minimalist rock trio"—guitarist/vocalist Steve Albini

and bassist/vocalist Bob Weston and drummer/vocalist Todd Trainer—are unbelievably tight and efficient on Excellent Italian Greyhound. And thanks to the idiosyncratic/old school recording methods of Albini and Weston (the pair's day job is running Electrical Audio studios in Chigaco) Excellent Italian Greyhound sounds loud, live and rich as hell.

Albini is such the absolute master of the jagged angular riff that in the math rock world he has no equal. His guitar tone sounds warmer than ever on this outing, and it perfectly complements Weston's throbbing bass lines. But it's Trainer's machine-like drums that are the real force behind these songs. They sit way up in the mix and are steady as clockwork, while somehow still managing to give the impression of space. The arrangements on Excellent Italian Greyhound are simple enough, but—in true Shellac form—manage to feel intense and disorienting. – Jimmy Hubbard

With the upcoming release of their debut album Enter The Grave (Earache) on August 25, England's Evile have revealed what it was like to work with the legendary Flemming Rasmussen. Evile guitarist Ol Drake has given an insight into their time in the studio and explains the impact that the famed Metallica producer had on them and also the effect that the band had on him:

"We made an old school thrasher feel young again, which to me shows us we're on the right track. If we can add to a thrasher's collection, we're happy. That's what we want to do, give people some extra thrash action. We're not trying to be the Next Big anything, we just want to thrash."

Check out the following video clip of Evile:

Working with such an influential figure within the thrash genre was understandably daunting for the fresh, fast-rising Yorkshire thrashers, but the guitarist admits that it turned out to be a comfortable working environment in the studio, Ol states:

"It was excellent working with Flemming. I admit his involvement with Metallica was slightly daunting but once we were in there he made us feel so at home and relaxed that it didn't matter anymore. He's just a really cool, easy to get along with guy. We couldn't be anymore pleased with how the album's turned out. Flemming's involvement has made it the best it can be. I think an important factor which added to the album's overall sound was the use of no samples on the album. We've always been against this modern, processed, mechanical sound, we wanted it to sound 'live'. Kick drums have balls, and you want to hear and feel ...those......balls. Flemming is the Man!!"