Sound Obsession

Pallbearer, Metro Gallery, Baltimore MD - 10/30/14 Tombs, Metro Gallery, Baltimore MD - 10/30/14 Slowdive, 9:30 Club, Washington DC - 10/22/14 Gorgon City, U Street Music Hall, Washington DC - 10/10/14 Earth, Rock & Roll Hotel, DC - 10/21/14 Earth, Rock & Roll Hotel, Washington DC - 10/21/14 Black Keys, Verizon Center, Washington DC - 9/25/14 Jack White, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia MD - 9/14/14 Skeletonwitch, Empire, Springfield VA - 9/12/14 Beck, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia MD - 7/24/14 Queens of The Stone Age, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia MD - 7/17/14 Queens of The Stone Age, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia MD - 7/17/14 Queens of The Stone Age, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia MD - 7/17/14 Deafheaven, Rock & Roll Hotel, Washington DC - 6/10/14 Deafheaven, Rock & Roll Hotel, Washington DC - 6/10/14 Deafheaven, Rock & Roll Hotel, Washington DC - 6/1...

Skeletonwitch, Enslaved, Amon Amarth Date:  January 31, 2014 Venue:  The Fillmore, Silver Spring, MD I've learned a few things during my relatively brief time as a metal enthusiast/amateur anthropologist gone native - the opener and support bands are almost always just as awesome as the headliner, and every band worth their salt makes a sincere 200% effort to melt your face.  Absolutely no room for mopey wallflower behold-my-art bullshit.  These bands take pride in perfecting their chops and treating their fans to the most bang for their buck.  As expected, for an affordable $25, such was the case last Friday at The Fillmore in Silver Spring, Maryland, with an awesome package tour featuring Skeletonwitch, Enslaved, and Amon Amarth.         Skeletonwitch - Scott Hedrick, Evan Linger, and Chance Garnette (left to right) Athens, Ohio, blackened-thrash five piece,  animal welfare advocates , and all around good guys (han...

I've said it before and I'll say it again - 2013 was an epic year in music and the finest in recent memory.  Those who know me best won't be surprised by my top pick, but the rest of my list might be unexpected.  In 2013, after years of bashful flirtation, I dove headlong into "metal" without pause or irony.  There was an abundance of excellent metal albums this year - many recorded and produced by an always rock-solid Kurt Ballou (of hardcore punk heroes Converge, and proprietor of GodCity Studio in Salem, Massachusetts).  Otherwise, 2013 continued a trend of "retro" with contemporary artists continuing to referencing the sounds of the 70's, 80's and 90's - even some former heroes from those decades made solid comebacks.  These are my favorite albums of the year.*  Enjoy. . . .                1.  Queens of the Stone Age: ...Like Clockwork (9/10) "Risk nothing, get nothing" claimed   Queens of t...

Heads up!  Skeletonwitch & Russian Circles full-album streams. Skeletonwitch & Russian Circles, two awesome metal bands from opposite ends of the sonic spectrum, with new albums dropping next week - streaming in-full now on Pitchfork Advance.  Skeletonwitch:  Serpents Unleashed - blackened thrash from Athens, Ohio, with scene titans Kurt Ballou and John Baizley together again on production and album artwork, respectively.  Not for the faint of heart.  Just in time for Halloween - this one's a killer.  Listen now   Russian Circles:  Memorial - epic post-metal (soundtrack-y instrumentals) from Chicago with crisp, spacious production by Brandon Curtis (frontman of the underrated prog/space-rock band Secret Machines).  Loving that classy album art too. Listen now