Fresh off a headlining gig at SF Gay Pride Festival last weekend, Chico’s own Armed For Apocalypse have officially inked a deal with Ironclad / Metal Blade records. Their debut album, DEFEAT, which coincidentally happens to be the heaviest album in the history of mankind, drops September 15th. Check out the Press Release below:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE….

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Ironclad Recordings Signs ARMED FOR APOCALYPSE: Set To Release Debut Album ‘Defeat’ in the US & Canada!….

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Los Angeles, CA – July 1, 2009 – Ironclad Recordings, founded by Unearth vocalist Trevor Phipps, is pleased to announce the signing of Chico California’s ARMED FOR APOCALYPSE; a band featuring the talents of former members of Will Haven, The Abominable Iron Sloth, and Ghostride. Ironclad Recordings is set to release ARMED FOR APOCALYPSE’s debut full-length studio album Defeat in the US and Canada on September 15^th, 2009 with SOAR releasing this behemoth of an album in Europe.  Defeat was recorded during two different sessions in late 2008 at the Pus Cavern in Sacramento, CA and Heirloom Studios in Chico, CA, with Matt Pedri engineering. Mixing and mastering for Defeat was handled by Eric Stenman (Saves The Day, Will Haven, Senses Fail, Far, Forever The Sickest Kids, Dashboard Confessional, Thrice) with cover art being tackled by renowned artist Matt Loomis, who has done cover art for Abominable Iron Sloth and the Makai in addition to merch designs for Mastodon and The Red Chord…..

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Trevor Phipps of Ironclad Recordings comments; “these guys are just ridiculously heavy with one of the darkest and meanest sounds in metal today. Get ready to be crushed.”….

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“We couldn’t be more excited as a band to sign with Ironclad Recording.  They have been loyal and honest with us from the very beginning, which is all too rare in this business. They are the only label that told us to keep getting heavier! What more can you ask for as a metal band?!” comments ARMED FOR APOCALYPSE….

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Derek Kerswill, drummer of Unearth, who recently played dates with ARMED FOR APOCALYPSE after his band finished their US tour with Testament, had this to say about the band;“ARMED FOR APOCALYPSE gave me this dirty, unsettling feeling… that was so emotionally dark that my insides were crawling out of me. I guess they stirred some genuine emotion in me because I FELT IT.”….

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The musical talents of ARMED FOR APOCALYPSE, featuring former members of Will Haven, The Abominable Iron Sloth, and Ghostride, can best be described as a racket akin to the gates of hell opening; mixing the sludgy, down-tuned heavy riffs of Crowbar and Eyehategod with the white noise assault of Cursed, and the death metal groove of Entombed. Guitarist/vocalist Cayle Hunter explains; “we don’t want to be faster or tougher than anybody else. We just want to make heavy music that is UNDENIABLE when you hear it.” ….

ARMED FOR APOCALYPSE’s, or A4A, monstrous new album Defeat will be released September 15^th, 2009 followed by a full touring schedule so be sure to keep up with the band on MySpace and Twitter for dates and other announcements…..

To get a taste of what A4A’s album Defeat will sound like, check out the new song ‘We Fell from the Bottom,’ which is currently up on the band’s MySpace page HERE….

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Current tour dates:….

7/01       Seattle, WA        The Rendezvous/Jewelbox Theater w/ Heiress….

7/02       Portland, OR      Tony V’s Garage….

7/03       Eugene, OR        Epic Space w/ Necryptic Jean Grey….

7/25       Chico, CA             The Senator 10 for $10 Tour w/ Poison the Well, Terror, Bane, and more….

8/07       Chico, CA             La Salles….

8/22       Eugene, OR        Epic Space w/ The Funeral Pyre….

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And so ARMED FOR APOCALYPSE could stay in constant communication with their fans, the band started up a Twitter account so make sure to follow the guys at www.twitter.com/AforA….

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ARMED FOR APOCALYPSE is:….

Kirk Williams - vocals/guitar….

Cayle Hunter - guitar/vocals….

Corey Vaspra - bass/vocals….

Nick Harris - drums

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That’s right, there’s no denying. The Great Cessation by the almighty Yob is UNDOUBTEDLY the most pissed release of 2009. And by “pissed,” I mean serious childhood issues coming brutally to light through the heaviest of heavy imaginable. And these guys are from fucking Eugene??!! Frank Black and Yob reside in the same college town…go figure.

Two new Saosin tracks popped up on the net today as a result of their pre-order deal for their newest effort,  In Search for Solid Ground.  In all honestly, I think this slight glance into what’s going to be released shows a decent amount of progression from their self-titled record.  “On My Own” is a perfect example of why people were bummed about their last full length; everything is very formulaic and safe. Their technical abilities are completely overshadowed by simplistic melodies and Cove’s sometimes questionable pronunciation of certain words.

The second cut, “Is This Real”, is where a shimmer of hope lies. Sure, the vocals are poppy as hell (I promised myself I would stop bringing past singers into this), but the song structures are reflecting some of their better work a la “Sleepers”, “Collapse” and the whole Translating the Name EP. Cove’s vocals are mixed fairly low, but his lyrics are advancing past sticking to unnecessary repetition.

Hey, maybe some good will come of this record. I’m rooting for them and am eager to see what comes from the remaining tracks.

Songs are after the jump.
(more…)

Ben Harper and Relentless7
White Lies for Dark Times
Virgin

Ben Harper’s musical career has been filled with much praise and prestige. Whether it be his certified gold solo album Fight for Your Mind or his groundbreaking Live From Mars with the Innocent Criminals, Harper has enjoyed the luxury of much-deserved critical acclaim. His new album, White Lies For Dark Times, with Texas-based backing band Relentless7 should be received with similar enthusiasm to prior efforts. “Number with No Name” kicks the album off with a danceable bluesy swagger led by crafty guitar work and Harper’s soulful singing. “Up To You Now” is a personal favorite due to the combination of steady, mid-tempo rock ‘n’ roll with Harper’s tender vocals and intelligent lyrics regarding war and struggle. Ironically enough, White Lies For Dark Times is a predominantly upbeat album but with somber subject matters.
Zachary Ahern

Booker T
Potato Hole
Anti-

Like a sporadic sprinkle throughout his iconic career as bandleader of the MGs, Hammond B3 organ-master Booker T. Jones always seems to drop the occasional solo effort for us to flavor as well. His latest, Potato Hole, is refreshingly strong, finding a harmonious balance between a new sound and likable tunes. Jones employs the talents of the Drive-By Truckers as his backing band, allowing his trademark B3 to act as a voice over varying guitar-based rhythms. But despite Booker T.’s “lead” role in the arrangements, he’s still as laidback as can be, leaving space for everyone on his solo record. The aptly titled western-funk of “Get Behind the Mule,” the pseudo-Average White Band groove of “Potato Hole” and a generation-receding cover of Oukast’s “Hey Ya” is where this bandleader modesty gets most tasty.
Dustin Bennett

Quieting Syrup
Songs About A Sick Boy
Lovitt

If an individual is so damn sad, then why not just down a handful of pills with a bottle of cheap whiskey on top? Or better yet, follow the true kings of sadness and stab yourself in the gut a bunch of times. Stephen Howard, the main man of Quieting Syrup has mastered the craft of crybaby emo gloom with solo debut Songs About A Sick Boy. “Passwords to a Fort Full of Pills” begins the first chapter of boring and somber tunes that Howard presents the listener with. Suggesting that Quiet Syrup’s music is down-tempo is obvious and to say it’s a downer is blatant; the brutal truth is that there’s actually an audience for this garbage somewhere in backwards America where dudes wear makeup and eyeliner and have really bad swoop haircuts.
Zachary Ahern