We’ve already known that Chimaira successfully funded their Indiegogo campaign. They’re now up to $45,261 with 10 days left, which is more than the $30,000 they were originally seeking. The band aren’t planning on doing anything extravagant with the extra funds, like hiring a hit man. Instead, they say they’ll use the money for production, more videos, and increased touring, to places they haven’t been before. And while you’ve already gotten to hear a song from Crown of Phantoms, the band have issued an update that features another minute or so of another song. Check it out at about 1:40 in the above video. Here’s what the band had to say:

“A huge thank you to all Chimaira fans for helping us surpass our goal in such a short amount of time. We’re truly humbled and will be delivering the greatest content possible to all of you. We’ve now added a few more perks that involve Performing On-Stage, Submitting Video Content For Our YouTube, and Signed Drum Heads / Sticks.

“The additional funds raised beyond our goal will be put toward allowing us to tour extensively during this album cycle as well as the creation of additional quality media content. Please continue to spread the word and thank you all so much!”

Crown of Phantoms will be out on July 30 on eOne.

What makes a good doom band?  Sludgy guitars so thick they are the aural equivalent of molasses?   Sabbath-like rhythm sections that do so much more than just ‘keep the time’?  A vocalist with massive pipes, whether it be the clean or growling variety?  Most likely what makes a truly great doom record is when all of the above come crashing together like a supernova (slowly) exploding in space.  Take for example the violent beauty of the debut album from Las Vegas’ Demon Lung.

Good doom metal takes on so many various forms.   If you were to take all the great doom bands throughout history, from Black Sabbath to Candlemass to Saint Vitus to Electric Wizard, there would be enough sonic differences to sometimes overshadow the similarities.  The great doom bands moving forward won’t be the ones simply copying what the forefathers have laid down before us.  They’ll be the ones learning from the masters and then forging their own distinct voice that will rise above all others.  Demon Lung have done exactly that.

The riffs on this album certainly worship at the Altar of Iommi but at the same time there is this melodicism that doom bands sometimes lack (whether purposely or not).  A track like opener “Binding of the Witch” really showcases the tempo changes and Iron Maiden-esque experimentation that most doom bands would dare not tread towards.  Vocalist Shanda Fredrick has so much power and soul to her voice that puts her amongst some of the very best in the genre and makes her easily one of the better female voices in metal today.   Her’s is a voice that was tailor-made for doom.  Add to the mix pristine production handled by the legendary Billy Anderson, killer occult artwork, and a truly dark lyrical theme and what you have here is a recipe for contender to the title “doom record of the year”.

Although their sound is probably more closely related to the aforementioned Candlemass and Saint Vitus, fans of the not only the heavier, sludgy doom varieties but the occult rock scene as well will have a lot to love here.  The Hundreth Name will hit the street June 4 via Candlelight Records.
Metal Homework:
Proto-metal seems to be a pretty hot ticket these days.  What with so many bands trying to revive the sound and style.  I’m a little surprised though that with such a revival some of the lost classics of late 60′s/early 70′s proto-metal have remained…well…lost.  Take for example the band Gun from the UK.  I highly recommend you check out their self-titled debut.  It’s not as heavy as Sabbath or Zeppelin…but this album came out a full year to two years before either of them released an album.

Cult Of Luna’s “Vicarious Redemption” was epic enough the way it was. But now the Swedish group’s 18 + minute track has received the remix treatment from none other than Justin Broadrick of Godflesh and Jesu.

Regarding his approach to the remix, Broadrick had the following to say:

“It was both a pleasure and a challenge to work on such a sprawling epic song. So much material to choose from and to attempt to refocus in my own context, and a challenge to make something new and concise which resonates like the original.”

Cult Of Luna’s Johannes Persson added the following about the remix:

“When I was 14 years old, my friend taught me how to play guitar. We spent hours listening to songs and then trying to play them. One of the records he had was the Streetcleaner LP that since has been continuously in my rotation for almost 20 years, so listening to Justin’s remix of ‘Vicarious Redemption’ kind of felt like going full circle. Justin has created something new with the elements of the song which, in my opinion, is the only way to justify a remix.”

You can stream and download Broadrick’s remix, as well as the original version of “Vicarious Redemption” (which originally appeared on Cult Of Luna’s latest release, Vertikal) below. (more…)

You’ve gotta give the Westboro Baptist Church at least this: they know when they’re outnumbered. The Jeff Hanneman public memorial went off without a hitch last night, as several thousand mourners packed the Hollywood Palladium. Speakers for the event included Hanneman’s bandmate Kerry King, Metal Blade president Brian Slagel,  and former Grim Reaper guitarist and current Marshall Amp director of marketing and artist relations Nick Bowcott, who officiated the event. Noticeably absent from the proceedings was the Westboro Baptist Church, who had announced plans to picket Hanneman’s funeral.

According to NME, when the doors opened, there were already hundreds of people in line around three corners of the block. Once inside, the mourners were given a program and a lanyard that read “Our Brother Jeff Hanneman, May He Rest In Peace (1964 – 2013).” The stage featured an American flag, a portrait of Hanneman, floral tributes and a selection of Hanneman’s guitars. Aside from King and Slagel, other speakers included Metallica’s Robert Trujillo, System of a Down’s Shavo Odadjian and American Recordings’ Dino Paredes. King, sipping from a glass of Jagermeister, told stories about getting drunk with Hanneman, who died earlier this month from cirrhosis. The send off was probably the first time there’s been mass moshing at a memorial service, and Jeff probably wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Slayer had urged fans to ignore the Westboro Batptist Church at the memorial if they were outside picketing. It looks like the church took the band’s advice as well, since they didn’t show up, despite repeated threats to. It’s not surprising that the fringe group would prove to be all bark and no bite. While they might think that just the press that they got for threatening to show up is good press, that’s not the case. Universally hated just for their beliefs, they didn’t even have the balls to follow through with their threat, making them even sadder than they already were.

Click through for fan-filmed footage of King, Trujillo, Odadjian, Slagel, Parades and Bowcott, courtesy of theprp. (more…)

While it’s only been on the air for about 4 1/2 years, VH1 Classic’s That Metal Show will kick off it’s 12th season next Saturday. Among the highlights of this season will be the show’s 100th episode. The show, which is hosted by Eddie Trunk, Don Jamieson and Jim Florentine will kick off with Jason Newsted, who will be the only guest that will have a whole episode devoted to just him. The 100th episode will feature Sebastian Bach and Pantera/Down/Kill Devil Hill bassist Rex Brown. The schedule and guests are as follows:

6/01 – Jason Newsted (former Metallica bassist/Newsted)

6/08 – Corey Taylor & Josh Rand (Stone Sour)

6/15* – Rex Brown (Pantera, Kill Devil Hill) and Sebastian Bach (*100^th Episode)

6/22 – Jake E. Lee (former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist / Badlands) and Rick Allen (Def Leppard)

6/29 – Queensrÿche (Scott Rockenfield & Todd La Torre) and Dave Mustaine (Megadeth)

7/06 – Rob Zombie & John 5 and Tom Keifer (Cinderella)

7/13 – Scott Gorham & Ricky Warwick (Thin Lizzy/Black Star Riders) and Neil Fallon (Clutch)

7/20 – Buck Dharma (Blue Öyster Cult) & Kix (Steve Whiteman & Brian Forsythe)
That Metal Show airs on VH1 Classic at 11pm