The cartoon Metalocalypse debuted a couple years ago, and immediately became a hit with both metal and non-metal fans. Creator Brendon Small is also a musician who writes and performs all the music. Dethalbum, featuring extended versions of music from the show was a big hit, and the recently released The Dethalbum II is doing even better. Dethklok are currently on the road with Mastodon, Converge and High On Fire. I caught up with Small before the show in Charlotte, NC and talked about the new season of Metalocalypse, the latest CD, his background in standup comedy and many other topics.

Chad Bowar: How has the tour been going so far?
Brendon Small: It's been really great. The crowds are really big, they are totally energetic, and we are spoiled rotten by how excited the audience is.

When you first started touring, what was the reality of life on the road compared to your expectations going in?
I thought it would be more difficult than it was. It ended up being a little more nice and easy. It's not like we're starting out as a band. We have this weird anomaly situation where it's a TV show, so it has this awareness. And so when we put a tour together we can book places because there's a TV show component and people understand that will sell tickets. That means we aren't going to be traveling in the back of a dump truck. It means we get a tour bus, which is really nice. They are like luxury cruise liners. There's wi-fi, satellite TV, and the bunks are easy to sleep in. I prefer this to my regular life producing a TV show. It affords me the ability to escape from my responsibilities on the show.

Read the complete Dethklok Interview
Dethklok - The Dethalbum II Review
Dethklok Concert Photos

(photo courtesy Chad Bowar/About.com)

Swedish power metallers Hammerfall will be returning to North America for a 2010 tour in support of their latest CD No Sacrifice, No Victory. The 27-show trek is set to launch in West Springfield, Virginia on March 5th with the finale planned for April 8th in Houston, Texas. Powerglove will be opening for the first 18 dates on the tour; Echoes Of Eternity will open the remainder of the tour.

Hammerfall and Powerglove Tour Dates:
03/05/10 Jaxx - W. Springfield, VA
03/06/10 The Palladium - Worcester, MA
03/07/10 The Fillmore @ Irving Plaza - New York, NY
03/09/10 The Trocadero - Philadelphia, PA
03/10/10 Club Soda - Montreal, QC - CANADA
03/11/10 Imperial - Quebec City, QC - CANADA
03/12/10 The Opera House - Toronto, ON - CANADA
03/13/10 Peabody's - Cleveland, OH
03/15/10 Metro - Chicago, IL
03/16/10 The Rave - Milwaukee, WI
03/18/10 Station 4 - St. Paul, MN
03/19/10 The West End Cultural Center - Winnipeg, MB - CANADA
03/21/10 Starlite Room - Edmonton, AB - CANADA
03/22/10 Warehouse - Calgary, AB - CANADA
03/23/10 The Venue - Vancouver, BC - CANADA
03/24/10 El Corazon - Seattle, WA
03/26/10 Grand Ballroom @ Regency Center - San Francisco, CA
03/27/10 House of Blues - Hollywood, CA

Hammerfall and Echoes Of Eternity Tour Dates:
03/28/10 House of Blues - San Diego, CA
03/30/10 House of Blues - Las Vegas, NV
03/31/10 The Galaxy Theatre - Santa Ana, CA
04/01/10 U.B's Bar - Mesa, AZ
04/02/10 The Rock - Tucson, AZ
04/04/10 Bluebird Theatre - Denver, CO
04/06/10 Trees - Dallas, TX
04/07/09 Emo's - Austin, TX
04/08/09 Meridian - Houston, TX

Tour Dates For Other Heavy Metal Artists

There are albums that are easy to describe because every song is similar, or maybe has one song that's a little different than their norm. Not so with Katatonia. The Swedish band is always pushing the envelope. Twists and turns await around every musical corner, with constant changes in tempo, intensity and texture. Each song on their eighth studio CD Night Is The New Day transforms frequently, making for a compelling and interesting listen.

Night Is The New Day gets off to a rousing start with "Forsaker." Heavy guitars give way to an acoustic section before kicking back in. Mellow and progressive sections ensue, along with more intense parts. "The Longest Year" veers into electronica, with synths and poppy sections alternating with more traditional metal.

Read the complete Katatonia - Night Is The New Day Review

(CD cover courtesy Peaceville Records)

Rammstein has been back in the news lately, particularly for their decision to shoot an explicit video to accompany the first single off the new album Liebe Ist Für Alle Da (love is for everyone). The album has been banned from public display in German stores because of the artwork and lyrical content. About.com spoke with guitarist Paul Landers about whether the video was a publicity stunt or an artistic statement; the difference between European and American audiences and if Rammstein can ever live up to the mainstream success of the hit single "Du Hast."

Justin M. Norton: How do you feel about the reception of the new album? It's been a few years since you've come out with new material.
Paul Landers: The feedback has been great. It's our sixth record and something we can be really proud of.

What was the band's mindset when you wrote this album? Was it written in the studio or was the material finished?
The writing process began after a one-year break. The plans were to go on a small tour and then go to the studio or to bring out a best-of record and tour on that. None of those ideas panned out. We ended up deciding to make a record without any touring in advance. It took a while for things to gel, but it wasn't long before things got intense. It was a long, arduous process, but also really pleasant.

It was interesting the way the band jammed on ideas. Instead of taking huge amps and monster drums, we took small amps and an electric drum kit. It allowed us to work on ideas and whole new range of sound that otherwise wouldn't have been possible recording at our normal volume.

Read the complete Rammstein Interview

(photo courtesy Vagrant Records)

There are a ton of combinations that seem awkward when put together: peanut butter and tuna fish; chocolate and scrambled eggs; Kid Rock and Pamela Anderson. So when it was announced that Mastodon would tour alongside Dethklok, there were a few eyebrows raised in the metal community. It is a strange pairing to say the least, but at Philadelphia's Electric Factory on November 1, 2009 the nonbelievers were cast aside, as the two bands put on a hell of a show. Backed by the sludge/doom griminess of High On Fire and the hardcore antics of Converge, the eccentric lineup delivered a great show on a chilly Sunday evening.

Read the complete Dethklok, Mastodon, Converge and High On Fire Concert Review

(photo courtesy Chad Bowar/About.com)

Between The Buried And Me will be launching a tour in January, 2010 in support of their latest CD The Great Misdirect. Joining BTBAM on the tour will be Cynic, Devin Townsend Project and Scale The Summit.

BTBAM, Devin Townsend Project, Cynic, Scale The Summit Tour Dates:
January 08th Nashville, TN - Rocketown
January 09th Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade
January 10th New Orleans, LA - The Masquerade
January 11th Houston, TX - The Meridian
January 12th Dallas, TX - The Prophet Bar
January 13th San Antonio, TX - The White Rabbit
January 15th Tempe, AZ - The Clubhouse
January 16th San Diego, CA - House Of Blues
January 17th Hollywood, CA - Sunset Strip
January 18th San Francisco, CA - Slim's
January 20th Denver, CO - Cervantes
January 22nd Louisville, KY - Headliners Music Hall
January 23rd Detroit, MI - Magic Stick
January 24th Chicago, IL - House Of Blues
January 25th Cleveland, OH - Peabody's Downunder
January 26th Toronto, ON - Opera House
January 27th Montreal, QC - Club Soda
January 28th Boston, MA - House Of Blues
January 29th Clifton Park, NY - Northern Lights
January 30th New York, NY - The Fillmore
January 31st Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero
February 01st Baltimore, MD - Sonar
February 03rd St. Peterburg, FL - State Theatre
February 06th Charlotte, NC - The Fillmore

Tour Dates For Other Heavy Metal Artists

(photo courtesy Victory Records)

Daniel Ekeroth's book Swedish Death Metal was an exhaustive chronology of a sound and a movement that spawned influential bands like Entombed and At The Gates. Prophecy Productions has now released an accompanying CD box set that is as essential as the book to understanding the Swedish scene. While many CD complications are nothing more than cash grabs by record companies this is the opposite.

Swedish Death Metal is a work of metal archaeology, painstakingly assembled by people who obviously live for this music. Packed with rare demos and outtakes of cult bands and bands that would later form big-name bands, Swedish Death Metal is an essential purchase for anyone interested in extreme metal.

Read the complete Various Artists - Swedish Death Metal Review

(CD cover courtesy Prophecy Productions)

South Carolina death metal veterans Nile return with their sixth studio CD Those Whom The Gods Detest. It's packed with complex music and Karl Sanders' trademark Egyptian themed lyrics. The CD was produced by Neil Kernon (Cannibal Corpse, Macabre), with drums recorded by Erik Rutan (Hate Eternal). Guitarist Dallas Toler-Wade gives us the lowdown on Those Whom The Gods Detest, their upcoming tour plans, his early days in music and more.

Chad Bowar: How has the band's sound progressed/evolved from Ithyphallic to Those Whom The Gods Detest?
Dallas Toler-Wade: We are always working on new ideas, and we practice quite a bit.

Was your songwriting/recording process any different than usual?
For the songwriting process nothing was really different. We recorded in different places this time. We did the drums at Erik Rutan's studio called Mana Recording. We did the rest at Karl's house. That was cool to be at home for a lot of the recording.

How do you guys divide up the guitar and vocal parts?
It all depends on what guitar part or vocal line works best with Karl, or if I do it. Karl will say, "I think you should do this part," or I will say "I think this is a good one for you," or whatever. Then we will ask Neil Kernon what he thinks. It's good teamwork to get the best from everyone. It has always been a really fun process.

Read the complete Nile Interview
Nile - Those Whom The Gods Detest Review

(photo courtesy Nuclear Blast Records)

Anvil is set to launch "The Anvil Experience." The tour kicks off on January 7, 2010 in Cleveland, Ohio and will culminate in Vancouver on February 13. Audience members will be treated to a screening of Anvil! The Story of Anvil, before the group takes the stage. They'll be playing classic Anvil songs along with selections from their latest CD This Is Thirteen.

Anvil Tour Dates:
1/7/10 House of Blues, Cleveland, OH
1/8/10 Phoenix Concert Theatre, Toronto, ONT CANADA
1/9/10 Crofoot Ballroom, Pontiac, MI
1/10/10 House of Blues, Chicago, IL
1/12/10 Town Ballroom, Buffalo, NY
1/14/10 Sonar, Baltimore, MD
1/15/10 Irving Plaza, New York, NY
1/16/10 House of Blues, Boston, MA
1/17/10 Theatre of Living Arts, Philadelphia, PA
1/19/10 The Fillmore, Charlotte, NC
1/20/10 Variety Playhouse, Atlanta, GA
1/21/10 House of Blues, Lake Buena Vista, FL
1/23/10 House of Blues, New Orleans, LA
1/24/10 House of Blues, Houston, TX
1/25/10 Emo's, Austin, TX
1/26/10 House of Blues, Dallas, TX
1/29/10 The Pageant, St. Louis, MO
1/30/10 The Beaumont, Kansas City, MO
1/31/10 Gothic Theatre, Denver, CO
2/2/10 Marquee Theatre, Tempe, AZ
2/3/10 House of Blues, San Diego, CA
2/4/10 House of Blues, Anaheim, CA
2/5/10 House of Blues, Los Angeles, CA
2/6/10 The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA
2/8/10 Knitting Factory, Boise, ID
2/9/10 Knitting Factory, Spokane, WA
2/11/10 Wonder Ballroom, Portland, OR
2/12/10 Studio Seven, Seattle, WA
2/13/10 Venue Vancouver, Vancouver, BC CANADA

Tour Dates For Other Heavy Metal Artists

German black metal has never been a hotbed for originality, but the sextet known as Geist are seeking to serve as the exception to this unfortunate rule. The band's third LP Galeere is an enjoyable listen, and attempts to boldly take the genre somewhere it's never gone before...underwater.

Containing a scant five tracks, one could easily dismiss Galeere as an EP, until the songs' true epic intentions are laid bare. For most of these songs hover around the nine minute mark, with the album's closing track, "Unter toten Kapitänen", clocking in at a full fifteen. The fact that Geist takes their time with songwriting works in the band's favor, for sure, as each composition possesses plenty of breathing room and space to grow.

Read the complete Geist - Galeere Review

(CD cover courtesy Prophecy Productions)