News Update: Destroy, Destroy, Destroy is calling all 'Battle Sluts;' Animosity featured in Slap Skateboard Magazine and more

Happy new beer -- er year! It's 2009 and there's only great things to come from the BMA family this year. Expect new releases from Destroy, Destroy, Destroy, Paria, the_Network and Gaza. We should have specific release dates for you to take note of in your daily planners soon. Supporting tours will also be announced as soon as we get the good word.

-BMA staff

Destroy, Destroy, Destroy unleashed "Battle Sluts" Jan. 6. Check out exclusive tracks from "Battle Sluts" on the BMA MySpace page as well as D3's MySpace page.

Slap Skateboard Magazine recently interviewed Animosity, picking vocalist Leo Miller's brain about burritos, San Francisco creepers and other similar pressing questions.

After "exploring" the UK in November, the_Network plans to expand its reach to Puerto Rico on March 6 and 7. The specific locations will be posted soon.

Calling all opinionated, elitist jerkoffs! Sick of reading album reviews that you disagree with so much you often find yourself trolling Web zines to pick random fights with other internet lurkers? Put that angst to work and send us your own reviews of our latest releases. It's easy. A paragraph or two in the body of an e-mail with a rating from one, being lower than pond scum, to 10, being absolutely the best album ever created in the history of extreme music is all that's needed. And don't forget to include your name and city of residence, so that we may give you credit for your literary genious. Shoot all extremely critical and/or brown-nosing reviews to sheena@blackmarketactivities.com.

BMA News Update: Cancer Bats to tour with In Flames in the UK; Animosity on 'The Price is Right;' Khann update and more

We're tryin' to keep stuff simple in a complex world.

So we'll keep this introduction simple and get to this week's news brief.

-BMA Staff


CANCER BATS will embark on a crusade with In Flames in the UK, here's the official press release:

Canada’s very own riff masters, Cancer Bats, are proud to announce that they will be trekking across the UK with the mighty In Flames in April. The band spent July and August in the US with Bullet for My Valentine and Bleeding Through and plans for more US tours are currently in the works. Check back to http://www.blogger.com/www.myspace.com/cancerbats often to get updates!

The video for "Lucifer’s Rocking Chair" from the band’s latest album, Hail Destroyer, is up now on http://www.blogger.com/myspace.com/metal..

CANCER BATS
Tour w/ In Flames
04/15 Norwich, UK Waterfront
04/16 Colchester, UK Arts
04/17 Brighton, UK Concorde 2
04/21 Newcastle, UK Academy 2
04/22 Dundee, UK Fat Sams
04/23 Belfast, UK Mandella Hall
04/24 Dublin, IE Academy
04/25 Cork, UK Pavillion
04/27 Exeter, UK Lemon Grove
04/28 Cardiff, UK University Solus
04/29 Cambridge, UK Junction
04/30 Sheffield, UK Corporation
05/01 Liverpool, UK Academy 2

“Full of youthful energy and great chops, their second full-length never sounds forced, and the first two tracks alone kick more ass than most bands’ entire discographies.” Revolver - 4/5 stars

“Hail Destroyer takes everything that made the first [disc] great and amplifies it.” - BW & BK

KKKKK – Kerrang!

“Currently the best punk rock band in the world…” – NME (UK)

“Hail Destroyer is the new background music for every rad party in the world. If it’s not, then I don't want to go to that party. Get this record…..be somebody, baby.” TheSaltyPirate.com


Animosity had its very own TV appearance on CBS' "The Price is Right." Watch the band cheer on Carlos Garcia of fellow California band Antagonist -- not to mention the ironic prize Garcia is offered to win (think band essentials).

Architect will kick off the release of its new album, "Ghost of the Saltwater Machines," with a free show on Nov. 25 at 7:30 pm at the Westcott Cinema in Syracuse, NY. The band will be shooting live footage for a video at this show, so come out ready to rage at full potential. Rouges and Merrimac are set to open the show. Check out the exclusively released songs from the release on the BMA and Architect MySpace pages -- you won't be disappointed.

Khann is currently in post-production for two music videos soon to be released. The band also is planning a plethora of upcoming tours, including possible West Coast, European and Canadian runs. A US tour for early 2009 is in the works and will be announced soon. Check out Khann's MySpace page for pleasurable listening.

Destroy Destroy Destroy is shooting a video for "The Wretched Forest" from the band's upcoming Jan. 6 release, "Battle Sluts." The album artwork and song "Born of Thunder" are posted on the band's Myspace.

The Black Market Activities indie merch store has some updated swag. You'll be making all your friends jealous with your purchase, no doubt!

BMA News Update: New videos from Cancer Bats, Dance Club Massacre; Animosity riff-roaring contest; and much more

You're probably sick of the news by now, with all the incessant ramblings of TV news anchors about the election. Seriously. There hasn't been so much talk of one man since OJ Simpson and the white Bronco "incident." At least there's some humor in all of this (note the CNN hologram, Anderson Cooper must have been trippin').

Anyway, and more importantly, there is some new and not-yet-repetitive ramblings we need to share with you folks.

- BMA Staff

Black Market Activities now has an official fan mailing list. By joining the list, BMA addicts -- and even those who wont admit to their addiction via the Bradley Effect -- can get first hand news, updates, tour dates, etc., sent directly to their inbox. To join the BMA fan mailing list, shoot an e-mail over to: michelle@blackmarketactivities.com, with "BMA fan mailing list" as the subject. There's no telling the other possible future benefits from being a member of this list, so git on it!

Romans, From a Second Story Window, Paria, and Animosity sounded off on Barack Obama becoming the 44th president of the United States on MTV2's "Headbanger's Blog." Check out the entries from the BMA family here.

CANCER BATS' video for "Lucifer’s Rocking Chair" is now premiering exclusively on MySpace Metal! Head over to MySpace Metal to check out the exclusive premier of CANCER BATS new video for the track "Lucifer’s Rocking Chair" off their latest release "Hail Destroyer."

Dance Club Massacre posted a video for the song "Shenanigans" from 11/11 release, "Circle of Death." The video is a culmination of live footage and studio clips. The video can be viewed here.

Animosity is hosting a "riff contest." Contestants interested in entering the contest must accurately sing three consecutive Animosity riffs. Prizes include free merchandise and concert tickets. Animosity vocalist Leo Miller: "It's a pretty ridiculous notion that animosity fans wouldn't be able to sing any three consecutive riffs, but it's way harder than it seems. Good luck to anyone who enters." More information about the contest can be found on the band's MySpace page, as well as on YouTube.

BMA News Update: Animosity rages with the Russkies; Cancer Bats make the top 10 on Rock Sound and more

It's almost November 4th, which means absolutely nothing to us at BMA -- other than we're edging toward to two exceptional releases (Dance Club Massacre, Architect).

We're not here to tell you to vote or die, but you best read or, uh, well you probably won't die -- still we're not responsible for any unfortunate "accidents."

Animosity recently played Russia, here's a few words from vocalist Leo Miller on that:
"...the experience has been overwhelmingly awesome. The shows have been totally out of control and we have been treated so well. We just finished up the "Hell on Earth" tour through Europe, which was a great time, but not really an Animosity style party. It feels great to be playing smaller clubs with real metal fans losing their minds. Assuming the reds don't sequester and disappear us at the border, we will be heading into the upcoming JFAC tour with full force and will probably work up some older songs for the set list from 'Empires.' Party 'till you're dead!"

Cancer Bats were voted #8 on the Rock Sound list for the "Albums of 2008." Congrats dudes!

Lords' release "Fuck all Y'all Motherfuckers" has a review in Metal Edge. Here's a tidbit from the review:
"Lords is a punk rock band at heart. Let’s start there. And though they don’t necessarily play punk songs—in fact, they play dirty heavy metal tunes full of sudden time and tempo changes—there’s a definite punk rock sensibility to their music....."

BMA News Update: Animosity and Architect to tour, Danza visits the great white north and more

Today's news blog begins with a friendly, in your face, reminder:
11/11 - Dance Club Massacre "Circle of Death" (pre-orders available now at the Black Market Activities Indie Merch store.)
11/25 - Architect "Ghost of the Saltwater Machines"

Just sayin' folks.
And onto the news:

The European conquest is coming to a close for Animosity, but those hella-sick dudes will be setting their sights on the U.S. with Job for a Cowboy (Metal Blade), Hate Eternal (Metal Blade) and All Shall Perish (Nuclear Blast) in toe. Check the dates below:

11/13 POMONA CA @ Glasshouse Music Hall
11/14 BAKERSFIELD CA @ The Dome
11/15 SACRAMENTO CA @ The Boardwalk
11/16 PORTLAND OR @ Hawthorne Theatre
11/17 SEATTLE WA @ El Corazon
11/18 BOISE ID @ The Venue
11/20 COLORADO SPRINGS CO @ The Black Sheep
11/21 LAWRENCE KS @ Bottleneck
11/22 IOWA CITY IA @ The Picador
11/23 ST. PAUL MN @ Station 4
11/25 DETROIT MI @ Magic Stick
11/26 PITTSBURGH PA @ Strummers
11/27 LONDON ON @ The Embassy Hotel
11/28 BURLINGTON VT @ Higher Ground
11/29 PORTLAND ME @ The Station
11/30 PROVIDENCE RI @ The Living Room
12/1 FARMINGDALE NY @ The Crazy Donkey
12/2 SAYERVILLE NJ @ Starland Ballroom
12/3 BALTIMORE MD @ Otto Bar
12/4 RICHMOND VA @ Canal Club (Downstairs)
12/5 WILMINGTON NC @ Soapbox Laundro-Lounge
12/6 ATLANTA GA @ The Masquerade
12/7 Knoxville, TN @ Valarium
12/9 LITTLE ROCK AR @ The Village
12/10 TULSA OK @ The Marquee
12/11 DALLAS TX @ The Door
12/12 MCALLEN TX @ Cine El Rey Theatre
12/13 AUSTIN TX @ Red 7
12/14 ODESSA TX @ Dos Amigos
12/15 FARMINGTON NM @ Gators
12/16 TUCSON AZ @ Rialto Theatre

Our big, flannel-loving brother to the North will be paid a visit from Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza following some brief North Eastern U.S. dates. Joining Danza on the "Ripped Across Canada" tour will be A Life Once Lost (Ferret) and Arsonists Get All the Girls (Century Media).

11/04 - Manchester, CT @ American Legion
11/05 - Albany, NY @ Valentines
11/06 - St. Catherine, ON @ L3
11/07 - Windsor, ON @ Chubby Pickle
11/08 - London, ON @ The Embassy
11/09 - Toronto, ON @ Reverb
11/10 – Kingston, ON @ Time To Laugh
11/11 – Ottawa, ON @ Bayou
11/13 – Montreal, QC @ Underworld
11/14 – Trois-Rivieres, QC @ Rock Cafe Le Stage
11/15 – Quebec City, QC @ L' Anti
11/16 - Burlington, VT @ Annex
11/17 - Maplewood, NJ @ Garden State Music Factory
11/18 - Reading, PA @ The Silo

BMA News Update: holy megaton of tours, Batman! Plus other news from the BMA family

So we've been absent. Shit happens.
But still, the BMA News Update you are about to read will pretty much make up for the month hiatus.
I mean, hell, we could have gone and pulled a "Chinese Democracy."
Now, to the news:

Dance Club Massacre has released the song "Hoosh Hoosh" from the upcoming Nov. 11 release, "Circle of Death." Check out the song on the DCM MySpace page.
The band has also canceled its October tour, due to scheduling conflicts.

Romans are being featured in the September issue of Metal Edge Magazine, pick one up!

Louisville band Lords will make its BMA debut on Oct. 14 with "Fuck All Y'all Motherfuckers."

November is election time -- no other month would be more fitting for an Architect release. The band will unleash a few post-election lullabies via "Ghost of the Saltwater Machines" on Nov. 25 . A little from Architect vocalist Keith on the meaning of the album:

"War, famine, greed, depletion of natural resources, etc. As well as all the interpersonal trappings we have -- such as losing touch with our humanity and getting lost in a world of material possessions. Our species is just getting dumber and lazier, not to mention we follow archaic religions and irrelevant laws. We as people are sort of just saltwater machines and the ghost of our negative existence will surely be coming back to haunt us."

Architect has a rough version of the song "Death and Taxes" from the upcoming release posted on the band's MySpace. Fall tour dates will be announced shortly.


A plethora of bands from team BMA are touring, or scheduled to tour shortly, check it.

Lords is hittin' the road, behold:

10/4 - LOUISVILLE, KY @ Cahoots
10/11 - DALLAS, TX @ The Lounge
10/12 - AUSTIN, TX @ Red 7
10/13 - EL PASO, TX @ The Perclator
10/14 - TUSCON, AZ @ The Living Room
10/15 - PHOENIX, AZ @ Modified Arts

Khann will tour with Wetnurse beginning early October:
10/5 - WILMINGTON, NC @ Soapbox
10/6 - CHARLOTTE, NC @ The Milestone w/ Skeletonwitch,
10/7 - ATLANTA, GA @ The Drunken Unicorn
10/8 - ORLANDO, FL @ Black Box Collective
10/9 - MIAMI, FL @ Churchill's w/ Light Yourself on Fire
10/10 - TAMPA, FL @ Transitions Gallery w/ Light Yourself on Fire
10/11 - TALLAHASSEE, FL @ St Mike's w/ Light Yourself on Fire
10/14 - NASHVILLE, TN @ The Five Spot
10/16 - INDIANAPOLIS, IN @ The 1511
10/17 - CHICAGO, IL @ Beat Kitchen w/ Plague Bringer
10/18 - DAYTON, OH @ Dayton Dirt Collective
10/19 - PITTSBURGH, PA @ Smiling Moose w/ Complete Failure
10/21 - KINGSTON, NY @ The Basement
10/22 - BURLINGTON, VT @ Wasted City w/ Romans
10/23 - PORTLAND, ME @ Geno's
10/24 - WORCESTER, MA @ Forbes Street
10/26 - DOYLESTOWN, PA @ Moose Lodge w/ No People
11/2 - BROOKLYN, NY @ Europa w/ Harvey Milk

Animosity is currently on the "Hell on Earth" tour in Europe with The Red Chord, Walls of Jericho, Evergreen Terrace, Cataract and Stick To Your Guns until mid October. Following in November, Animosity will venture out on a U.S. tour with Job for a Cowboy, Hate Eternal, All Shall Perish and Anotations of an Autopsy, dates are as follows:

11/13 POMONA, CA @ Glasshouse Music Hall
11/14 BAKERSFIELD, CA @ The Dome
11/15 SACRAMENTO, CA @ The Boardwalk
11/16 PORTLAND, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre
11/17 SEATTLE, WA @ El Corazon
11/18 BOISE, ID @ The Venue
11/20 COLORADO SPRINGS, CO @ The Black Sheep
11/21 LAWRENCE, KS @ Bottleneck
11/22 IOWA CITY, IA @ The Picador
11/23 ST. PAUL, MN @ Station 4
11/25 DETROIT, MI @ Magic Stick
11/26 PITTSBURGH, PA @ Strummers
11/27 LONDON, ON @ The Embassy Hotel
11/28 BURLINGTON, VT @ Higher Ground
11/29 PORTLAND, ME @ The Station
11/30 PROVIDENCE, RI @ The Living Room
12/1 FARMINGDALE, NY @ The Crazy Donkey
12/2 SAYERVILLE, NJ @ Starland Ballroom
12/3 BALTIMORE, MD @ Otto Bar
12/4 RICHMOND, VA @ Canal Club (Downstairs)
12/5 WILMINGTON, NC @ Soapbox Laundro-Lounge
12/6 ATLANTA, GA @ The Masquerade
12/7 KNOXVILLE, TN @ Valarium
12/9 LITTLE ROCK, AR @ The Village
12/10 TULSA, OK @ The Marquee
12/11 DALLAS TX @ The Door
12/12 MCALLEN, TX @ Cine El Rey Theatre
12/13 AUSTIN, TX @ Red 7
12/14 ODESSA, TX @ Dos Amigos
12/15 FARMINGTON, NM @ Gators
12/16 TUCSON, AZ @ Rialto Theatre

Tony Danza Tapdance Extravaganza is currently on the "Agents of Chaos" tour. Here's the remaining dates:
9/24 - JOHNSON CITY, TN @ The Hideaway
9/25 - DANVILLE, VA @ Plan B
9/26 - CHARLESTON, SC @ The Oasis
9/27 - AUGUSTA, GA @ Sector 7G
9/28 - MONTGOMERY, AL @ Off the Wagon
9/29 - METAIRIE, LA @ The High Ground
9/30 - LITTLE ROCK, AR @ Vino's
10/1 - AMARILLO, TX @ The War Legion Underground
10/3 - SIOUX FALLS, SD @ Nutty's North
10/4 - FARGO, ND @ Red Raven
10/5 - BUFFALO, MN @ The Vault
10/7 - TINLEY PARK, IL @ Mojoe's
10/8 - FORT WAYNE, IN @ Sunset Hall
10/9 - ROCHESTER, NY @ The Penny Arcade
10/10 - UTICA, NY @ Skate-a-Rama
10/11 - POUGHKEEPSIE, NY @ The Platinum Lounge
10/12 - HOLYOKE, MA @ Water Front Tavern
10/13 - JOHNSON CITY, NY @ Magic City Music Hall
10/14 - LEMOYNE, PA @ Champion Ship
10/15 - WILKES-BARRE, PA @ Cafe Metropolis
10/17 - PHILADELPHIA, PA @ The Warehouse
10/18 - RICHMOND, VA @ Canal Club



Behold...the Arctopus will join Genghis Tron for a set of dates on the other side of the pond:
11/17 BRIGHTON @ Coalition
11/18 DUBLIN @ Whelans
11/19 BELFAST @ Limelight
11/20 BIRMINGHAM @Asylum (w/ the_Network)
11/21 THROWBRIDGE @ Snooker Club (w/ the_Network)
11/22 LONDON @ Underworld (w/ the_Network)
11/23 SHEFFIELD @ Corporation
11/24 BRISTOL @ Croft

The_Network will also be making its mark in the UK in November other than the stops with Genghis Tron and Behold...the Arctopus, confirmed dates below:

11/15 - LONDON @ Clothing Stop (3 p.m. start) w/ Throats
11/15 - ALDERSHOT @ The West End Centre
11/16 - YORK @ The Junction
11/17 - MANCHESTER @ Cafe Sake
11/18 - GLASGOW @ Captains Rest
11/19 - LEEDS @ Royal Park Cellars
11/20 - BIRMINGHAM @ Asylum w/ Genghis Tron, Behold...the Arctopus
11/20 - NOTTINGHAM @ Rock City (Late show)
11/21 - TROWBRIDGE @ Snooker Club w/ Genghis Tron, Behold...the Arctopus
11/22 - LONDON @ Underworld w/ Genghis Tron, Behold...the Arctopus
11/23 - LONDON @ Windmill Brixton
11/24 - BRIGHTON @ The Engine Room
11/25 - NEWPORT @ Le Pub


Stay tuned for more kids, this is just a warm up.


-BMA Staff

Artist Entry: Animosity vocalist Leo Miller checks in from Europe

"These aren't hash brownies mon...."

Guuutentaaaaag!  Animosity is back in the land of bread, cheese and
mysterious condiment spreads AKA Europe.  So far we have played one
show without our bass player and eaten a shit load the aforementioned
foodstuffs.  After just one show, this tour is looking to be quite
awesome.  Somehow we are on the exact same bus that we traveled in Las
year with Converge which is pretty weird and nostalgic.  I'll check
back in once some crazy shit happens that is noteworthy.
Party on

Leo


Artwork credit: John Lause's trippy cover art for the Animosity/Drumcorps vinyl release, "Altered Beast," available at the Man Alive! Web site.

Artist Entry: Animosity vocalist Leo Miller gabs about 'Altered Beast'

Just getting home from the final stages of production of the Altered Beast EP. For those of you who have not yet heard, Animosity in collaboration with Berlin's finest, Drumcorps is releasing the coolest record ever made!  I said it, and once you see it you will understand why.  I honestly think that the hand screen-printed edition of this record is perhaps the most ambitious 10" vinyl release to date.  My friend Nick and I have spent literally countless hours getting these things together, printing all of the record jackets and it is finally done.  In the morning I will be shipping out al of the pre-orders.  If you happen to be one of these people, or plan on picking up a copy of the record, although it is not the "proper" speed, I highly recommend listening to it on the 33 rpm speed on your record player.  It really
makes for some seriously heavy and twisted music.  All that being said, I want to say that I feel great!  Creating things and accomplishing them is fun and rewarding.  Yay!  Thats all for now, have fun and listen to music.  I just got back form Brazil and I might write some stories on here later when it is not 4 in the am.

BMA News Update: Current album release dates, FASSW breaks the top 300 and 'How to survive Dudefest as a dudette'

From a Second Story Window is being featured on the JSI Top 21 list, issue #325 for the release “Conversations.”

The video for Animosity’s “Toothgrinder” is now available on Music Choice on Demand

Jess Blumensheid wrote an article for Venus Scene called “How to survive Dudefest as a Dudette.” Joining the story are some photos – can you guess which of these ladies are on the BMA staff? Check it out here: http://venuszine.com/articles/music/features/3752/How_to_survive_Dude_Fest_as_a_dudette_

Cancer Bats vocalist Liam Cormier is featured on the Deciblog, brought to you by those cool cats at Decibel Magazine. Peep Liam on the Deciblog here:
http://www.thedeciblog.com/index.php/2008/07/25/the-rockin-pneumonia/

Whats happening in the world of BMA release dates?

Romans - "All Those Wrists" OUT NOW
FASSW - "Conversations" OUT NOW
Sweet Cobra - "Forever" OUT NOW
Cancer Bats - "Hail Destroyer" OUT NOW

Upcoming releases:
Lords - "Fuck All Y'all Motherfuckers" 10/14
Dance Club Massacre - "Circle of Death" - TBA
Architect - "Ghost of the Saltwater Machines" - TBA

Tony Danza, Animosity interviews on Metal Injection from New England Metalfest

Tony Danza





Animosity

Artist Entry: Dance Club Massacre vocalist Nick Seger and the second installment of random blasts

El Randomo Blasto: Numero dos

Buenos Dias Black Market Activities Blog fans! Seger here once again to give you RANDOM FUCKING BLAST! Pardon my foul mouth but I'm trying to make a point.

It has recently been drawn to my attention how much the metal kids and other types of girl pants goombas love swear words. Swear words sell. And not JUST swear words. Like my fellow BMA co-worker from Animosity, Leo, put it best - It's all about the big block letters boys and girls.

We had a show across the street from Animosity in Cleveland, OH. A bunch of kids standing in front of OUR venue ran over and bought a SHIT load of First Blood hoodies. I’m standing there minding my own business and here come seven or eight dudes and one chickity frolicking back to our home base dressed in bright red sweatshirts with swear words on them. In no way do I have a problem with this at all -- No problem with the band, no problem with kids having a blast buying merch from one band they really like and then running back to our show -- I'm just making an observation here. All of the fests, all of the tours, all of the shows I see gold foil shirts and big block lettering with swear words. Well in the words of Rocko the Wallabee: "That tears it!" If my friends Reel Big Fish don't mind selling out, then neither do I! We are going to get gold foil shirts! And big block lettered hoodies with the colors neon green and uh red or something. And they are going to say, "Dance Club motherfucking cock sucking bitch a$$ tittie slapping Massacre." And maybe we will add the word "broseph" on the back just for good measure. These are just some ideas.

Mitch, guitarist of my band, wrote a blog recently about his favorite TV show "Lost." I didn't read it. But I bet you did! So, I have a few things to say about MY TV shows. What is the deal with Regal turning out the lights on "Monday Night Raw?" And why is Triple H still feuding with Orton? And why are we seeing yet again the sequels to HBK vs. Jericho, JBL vs. Cena, Taker vs. Edge. If WWE thinks we are stupid and don't have a long term memory, then why the hell are they selling old school DVDs like the history of the AWA, Dusty Rhodes's entire carreer, etc. Think about it jackasses. I swear to God I can write better then those morons. If I were Vinny Mac, Santino Marella would get the biggest push ever. The man is a genius. Kendrick would turn heel on London. Bring Colt Cabana up from development already! Fire Shannon Moore! Give Elijah Burke a title, and a lot of promo time. For God sakes this is just basic knowledge, am I right?
Also, I have to say BOO-FUCKING YAH Tim Duncan! Just watched game six last night Spurs vs. Hornets. I love Timmy Duncan and I want to see the Spurs kill them damn Wasps. Boston is going all the way. Next year look out for Drew Gooden (Osama Beard Gooden) and the Bulls bitches. Our time has come, again.

Back to my love for wrestling. I've heard a lot of talk about Emmure lately. Being on the road venue after venue the promoters and the bands and kids always say Emmure was just here and they packed the place. This brings me to their "Total Nonstop Action Wrestling" deal. First off, kudos Emmure. That is the coolest thing I have ever heard of. Olympic Gold Medalist Kurt Angle found them and praised them. He is on their new album cover. TNA promotes the guys. Furthermore, Kurt Angle was on TNA last week wearing their shirt. So I have an idea. We shall feud with Emmure! We’ll send Samoa Joe a package of our shit. He won't like it I am sure, but imagine if the Samoan Submission Machine wears our shit? Dance Club Massacre "Circle of Death" featuring Samoa Joe on the front cover tearing shit up. Boo yah, we get TNA promotion. Then finally in a few months in a steel cage it will be a war games elimination style match. Kurt Angle and Emmure vs. Samoa Joe and Dance Club Massacre. Then my dreams can come true by breaking into the music business and the wrestling business at the same time. So Emmure if you read this... We are coming for you big daddy! Come hell or high water! Without a shadow of a doubt! Make no mistake about it! Blood will be shed! Bones will be shattered! Let the mind games begin! And that’s the bottom line, because Dance Club Massacre said so! Because it's just a matter of time we meet you guys in the six sided steel cage, and we're gonna crrrrrrush ya! Whatcha gonna do, when our new gold foil shirts, our haunting keys, and our shredding guitar licks run wild on you!? If ya smelllllllllllllllllllllll what DCM... is cooking.

Fuck high gas prices ;)

Artist Entry: Animosity vocalist Leo Miller gets down with friends of the wicked clowns

Cleveland Ohio -- the shit is fucked up.

Our show got moved to some small town right outside of the city because the original venue closed its doors about a week earlier -- probably something to do with underage drinking. Coincidentally, the corner opposite the club that we are playing was hosting a show that was also moved last minute and our buddies Psyopus were playing along with Dance Club Massacre.
Two shows with the same audience on the same block in the same small town. Needless to say, the crowd was spread pretty thin at both shows. The sick joke of it all is that people from the Psyopus show kept coming over to our show to buy merch from First Blood but weren't even there for the set.

The promoter of our show realized his mistake and offered everyone from our tour free entrance to his other show across town to make up for the scheduling blunder. This other show happened to be a performance by Ill Bill, Paul Wall and Tech N9ne. I was excited because I have always had some curious interest in the Juggalo world and I knew that Tech N9ne was down with the clown. Furthermore, it had to be more fun that the shot gig we just played.

I got "searched" at the door before entering and the security dude failed to find the huge knife clipped in my pocket. This was somewhat discomforting because I have heard stories about how crazy these wicked clown events can get. I walked in to find pretty much exactly what I expected, which turned out to be even less exciting in the end.

The place was completely packed. The majority of the crowd was fat sweaty white guys with Lebron James jerseys many of whom were fully face painted and sporting some sort of Juggalo, hatchet-man tattoo or necklace. There were lots of guys with braids, weird contact lenses and a ton of super scandalous fat chicks. By the time I arrived, most of the crowd was really sweaty and the face paint had smeared into some wet gray mess. Straight up, Paul Wall and Ill Bill sucked -- just simply garbage -- but Ill Bill was wearing a Cannibal Corpse "Tomb Of The Mutilated" shirt, which was killer.

I was surprised to see Tech N9ne play after Paul Wall because that dude has all kinds of huge MTV hits and Tech N9ne has almost no media support, but I guess it was the power of the hatchet.

Feeling out of place, I left the show pretty quickly, but I realized something. Our show sucked, meanwhile these guys wearing clown paint are riding around in a shiny nightliner, filling every club they play with people who are all wearing their shirts and hockey jersey's that can cost up to $200.

What the fuck is going on? What talent do these fucking clowns have? That being said, what I realized is that I need to start wearing some God damn clown paint and start living "crazy."

With the way these past few shows have been, you might be seeing Animosity make that change sooner than later. Until then, I guess we'll keep it brutal.

Artist Entry: Animosity vocalist Leo Miller reflects on Metalfest

He got game.

Leo Miller here, writing from the Canadian border at Niagra Falls.

We just finished up the very deep cleaning of our van before we cross the border -- those immigration people will find anything and we don't want the next blog entry to look like what happened to Brain Drill, if you know what I mean.

If you don't know what I mean, just Google search "I had to life my nutsack..."

Having just finished up our second/third (we played twice last year) New England Metal and Hardcore Festival performance, I thought I would give you all a look into what the festival is all about from our point of view.

This is pretty much the only established heavy music festival we have in these United States, so it definitely makes for an eventful weekend.

To be honest, I can't really say the whole shindig is about the music. Most of the bands are given literally 15 minutes of fame with no sound check whatsoever. Honestly, you gotta just get on stage and rip it as hard as you can and if you aren't having fun, then this is the time to pretend -- if anyone caught our set, that was some grade A pretending.

All musical performances aside, the fest seems to be more of a big publicity stunt and a fun one at that than a concert. Like I said, there is not much done in the way of making the bands sound good or different from each other but rather just to showcase which bands are kicking in 2008.

It's the one time of the year where nearly every touring band in our community is together and in a lot of ways functions as a big family reunion. There is a lot of photo shoots, interviews, handshaking and dude kissing, but by the end of the night, everyone removes their Bluetooth earpieces and things turn into a pretty awesome party with a bunch of friends that you never get
to see.

I actually missed about every band that I wanted to see this year, but I was able to go to the most punk rock show of my life at a near by warehouse to see Disfear and Toxic Holocaust, which was a blast.

For many people involved, Metalfest can mean a lot of stress and a big hangover, but when all is said and done, this event is a 10 year staple in our community that everyone looks forward to each year.

Props to Scott and everyone involved for keeping this thing going.