CROWGRRL’S PERCH 06-20-10

Spotlight: KAMPFAR, SECOND SKIN, SKYFIRE!

CROWGRRL’S SPOTLIGHT - KAMPFAR!

*During these hot days of Summer, Scandinavia returns to its status as the Land of the Midnight Sun.  So this week we turn to Norway to touch base with Kampfar. Kampfar have proven themselves time and again to be one of the strongest forces in Pagan Folk Metal – and that’s evident once again as they spin Nordic tales of the Underworld in their latest release, Heimgang (Napalm Records). Check out samples on the band’s Myspace page.

Delivering these legends in their native Norwegian tongue and regal musicianship, Kampfar are: vocalist Dolk, guitarist Thomas, bassist Jon, and drummer II 13.

Although the band doesn’t do official videos for their soungs, you can still check out a video for the song Inferno from the new album, or catch some of their earlier works such as Norse (A Portrait of Norway)   or Gaman Av Drommer (Live)

The band will be appearing at some of this year’s Summer European Festivals, such as Wacken Open Air. The Crowgrrl caught up with the band shortly after the album's release...

SECOND SPOTLIGHT - SECOND SKIN!

*Have you noticed how shiny and new a reptile’s scales are after shedding the old? Well, that describes Second Skin’s music – shining and fresh! A prime example is their fourth full-length album, Illa Exuro In Silentium. (Palace of Worms Records).

Their dark, Gothic delights can be sampled at their Myspace page, or you can check out the Youtube videos for the songs Liberata Me and Still My Love. Although Illa Exuro In Silentium is the band’s fourth full length album, they’ve also contributed to 29 compilations on 11 different record labels worldwide, including tributes to David Bowie, The Cure, The Damned, and The Mission UK.

Second Skin is: frontman Arron, joined by Mark Cody. Their fresh vision of Darkwave/Industrial/Gothic music is an aural delight indeed. The album’s title translates to “She Burns In Silence”, and indeed this album is as fiery as the brightest of Samhain bonfires.  It immediately made its way into the Crowgrrl’s personal heavy rotation stack! I also recently caught up with Arron to delve deeper into their luxurious dark music.

THIRD SPOTLIGHT - SKYFIRE!

*Skyfire’s first release in five years, Esoteric, (Pivotal Recordings) was well worth the wait: it lights up the pitch black Northern skies like the Aurora Borealis itself! This is an apt description of the despair-ridden lyrics set against a musical backdrop of gorgeous melodies and irrefutable strength.

The infusion of new blood definitely strengthens the band’s musical growth. New members Joakim Karlsson (vocals) and Johan Reinholdz (guitars) are welcomed into the fold by Joakim Jonsson (drums), Martin Hanner (bass. keys, orchestral arrangements), and Andreas Edlund (guitar, keys, orchestral arrangements). With ample symphonic samples and choir samples added to the mix, the end result was mixed and mastered by Scar Symmetry’s Jonas

There is no video for the songs from Esoteric yet, but you can catch a live performance on Youtube of Skyfire performing the song Skyfire!

The Crowgrrl recently caught up via e-mail with new frontman Joakim Karlsson to dig deeper into the album and find out more about these Swedes.

Who does most of the songwriting for the band?      

Martin and Andreas write most of the music for the band, and for Esoteric, Martin wrote the most.

I wrote all the lyrics except for Let The Old World Burn, where Martin helped me out with a part of the first verse, and Within Reach. 

Do the lyrics come first? Does the music come first? What is the songwriting

process like for you?

I don´t know how it was previously but for this album the music definitely came first. I got samples from Andreas and Martin and later on whole songs which I wrote the lyrics to.

A lot of the lyrics on Esoteric involve themes of introspection, of descent into madness. Was this intended as the album’s theme? What´s the story behind this?

We had no theme for the album except for the lyrics to be dark. I write about different things from

my surroundings, the world and things I hear or read about. Things that catch my attention somehow. For this album it was murder, schizophrenia, betrayal, thoughts about the future and memories among other things. I tried not to be too personal but as things developed during the recording process things like that was included as well.

Darkness Descending is excellent! Almost epic! Any thoughts behind that?

Andreas wrote this one and personally I loved it from the beginning. Some things changed within the arrangement before it was all done and it ended up as a killer! One of the first songs I wrote lyrics to on the album.

The Legacy of the Defeated is ethereally gorgeous musically, but the lyrics are just the opposite. Any comments on this one?

From the day I recorded the vocals for this one I felt that it would be a great finisher for the album with all the endless solos. The other guys agreed as well.

Misery’s Supremacy sounds experimental musically, like with hints of jazz fusion perhaps?

Martin wrote this song but as far as I know he doesn´t listen to jazz fusion. I like the feeling in the song.

Within Reach has a timeless feel, like blending of traditional and new. Any stories behind this one?

It isn´t a Skyfire song and was written and recorded before the Timeless Departure  album. It was made by the band that later on became Skyfire. 

What´s your personal favorite song on the new album?

My personal favourite at the moment is Linger In Doubt. I felt strong for it from the first time I heard it.

Any video plans for any songs?

We have talked about that but nothing is settled. If a video is made I think it will be for Under A Pitch Black Sky.

Any stories behind the cover art?

The illustrator came up with the first sketches and Martin collaborated with him all the way. I didn´t write any lyrics around it but it can be connected with some parts here and there.

Tour plans?

We are going to England for a week in November and after that I don´t know yet. But we will play more next year, for sure.

What is your live show like, both visually and your set list?

We haven´t played together live yet so you will just have to wait and see. It was many years ago that Skyfire stood on a stage but for the first tour we will promote the new album and the setlist will contain most songs from Esoteric.

What kinds of merch are you bringing with you this time?

I´m not completely sure but there will be records available and some shirts.

What do you do on your down-time on the road? Do you bring movies or videogames? If so, which ones? 

We haven´t been on the road yet so I don´t know. I don´t think we will have a big fancy bus for the first tours so movies and videogames is probably hard to catch.

Any long-form DVD plans?

No, not yet.

How Hands-On are you with your Website and Myspace  pages?

The webpage isn´t up and running yet and the MySpace site is handled by the record company. 

Is Andreas Edlund any relation to Tiamat´s  Johan Edlund?

Not that I know of.

Is there anything that I didn’t ask that you want to tell our readers?

MUSIC

*Although Immolation are no strangers to the Extreme Metal scene – indeed, they’ve been forerunners setting the pace for Extreme Death Metal for two decades now! – their new Majesty & Decay is their first release for Nuclear Blast Records. And their musical fire burns bright – like a bonfire growing, flames licking high on the pitch black sky.

Hailing from Yonkers, NY, Immolation is: vocalist/bassist Ross Dolan, drummer Steve Shalaty, and guitarists Robert Vigna and Bill Taylor. Majesty & Decay continues the Immolation tradition of violently tackling tough social/political/religious issues, a raging inferno that destroys and cleanses everything in its path.

The haunting atmosphere of Intro forces us into the bleak landscape to come; there is no retreat.  The Purge is a chaotic holocaust leaving nothing but ashes in its wake. A Token Of Malice is a firestorm burning out of control. Empirical musicianship punctuates the Majesty & Decay title track.

Divine Code shows how twisted beliefs can rise to glory before falling into an abyss; the song has fantastic albeit tyrannical guitars and blast beats! The raw In Human Form unleashes pure primal hate and fury. There’s a grim beauty to the musicianship in A Glorious Epoch, which depicts masses being choked under the yoke of political dominance. Interlude is a stormy, ominous instrumental.

The dire A Thunderous Consequence is a desperate plea to bring soldiers home alive. The mournful The Rapture of Ghosts laments living only to die; cold lead guitar sounds like banshee wails. There’s also a fabulous solo with a hint of a Middle East flavor in the furious Power & Shame, where greedy political and/or religious leaders hold their people in a vice like grip, ignoring those people’s cries and pleas. Musically, The Comfort of Cowards is like a blind, zombie-like march as it lyrically decries people killing in the names of their gods, of blindly following beliefs to the point of war.

*Immolation will play their first small NYC club show in 7 years on Wednesday July 28 at the Studio at Webster Hall. This legendary band celebrates their 25th anniversary with their recently released 8th album Majesty and Decay, easily the high water mark of their incredible career.

Immolation recently announced their US headlining tour this Fall in support of their Nuclear Blast debut. Joining them will be the Polish death metal tank and label mates Vader,  along with Abigail Williams, Lecherous Nocturne, and Pathology.

“We are very excited to announce this upcoming tour here in the States,” commented the band. “It will be our first official tour for the Majesty and Decay album and we are really looking forward to playing our full live set debuting material off the new record as well as a lot of our older material off our previous 7 albums. Joining us on the tour will be our good friends of 22 years, VADER! Vader is a tremendous band that we have a lot of respect for not only for their longevity and immense contribution to the extreme music scene, but simply put, they are a great band and we are also huge fans! Also joining us will be Abigail Williams, Lecherous Nocturne, and Pathology,  so we hope it will be something that will appeal to all fans of extreme metal. We look forward to seeing you all in Sept/Oct."

Tour dates include:

9/29     Baltimore, MD - Sonar

9/30     Farmingdale , NY - Crazy Donkey

10/1     Providence, RI - Club Hell

10/2     Manchester , NH - Rocko’s

10/3     Montreal, ON – Foufounes Electriques

10/4     Toronto, ON - MOD Club

10/5     Cleveland, OH - Peabody’s

10/6     Detroit, MI - Blondie’s

10/7     Milwaukee, WI - The Rave

10/8     St Paul , MN - Station4

10/10   Seattle, WA - El Corazon

10/11   Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw Theater

10/12   Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theater

10/13   San Francisco, CA - DNA Lounge

10/14   West Hollywood, CA – The Whiskey

10/15   Santa Ana ,CA - The Galaxy

10/16   Ramona , CA - Ramona Mainstage

10/17   Mesa, AZ - U.B.’s

10/18   Tucson, AZ - The Rock

10/20   Austin, TX - Emo’s

10/21   Houston, TX - The Warsaw

10/22   Tulsa, OK - Marquee

10/23   Louisville, KY - Uncle Pleasants

10/24   Raleigh, NC - Volume 11

10/25   Springfield, VA - Jaxx

10/26   Rochester, NY - Montage Music Hall

10/27   Indianapolis, IN - Emerson Theatre

10/28   Chicago, IL - Reggie’s Rock Club

Reduced service charge tickets will go on sale today through www.Enterthevault.com.

On sale at all major ticketing services after June 4, 2010.

Immolation, recently entered Millbrook Sound Studios in New York with longtime

producer Paul Orofino. Mixing duties were handled this time by Zack Ohren (Decrepit

Birth, Suffocation,  All Shall Perish). Cover art was created by Pär Olofsson (The

Faceless, Immortal, Abysmal Dawn).  Immolation recently wrapped the “Those Whom The Gods Detest Tour” as direct support to Nile.

*WATAIN: Lawless Darkness Unleashed! Band Devours Baltimore; Nabs Cover Of This Month's Edition of Decibel Magazine

The wait is now over: Lawless Darkness, the long-anticipated fourth full-length from Swedish black metal battalion Watain, is out now through Season Of Mist.  The ten-track, hour-plus long work of blasphemy was recorded at Necromorbus Studio (Deathspell Omega, Funeral Mist,  Ondskapt,  Nominon,  Unanimated  et al) in Alvik, Sweden and features strikingly detailed cover art by Zbigniew M. Bielak.

The band ushered in the release of Lawless Darkness with a soul-crushing headlining set the first night of the Maryland Deathfest on Memorial Day weekend. Commented frontman E. of the performance: "Back from the States now, still with blisters and bruises from the victorious storm unleashed at Maryland Deathfest. Hail to the legions of Watain supporters who came out to partake in our performance; you have truly grown both in number and dedication! We very much look forward to return for a full scale onslaught later this year. More about that later..."

Commented Canada's Hellbound.ca of the spectacle: "With lit candles, militant red flag-like things, and some corpse paint that I’m sure even Tom Savini would compliment, their visual aesthetic was certainly in tow...the crowd enhanced the horror movie like mood as it tossed a Bible around, tearing it to shreds, sending the ripped pages into the air like confetti at a kid’s birthday party...The music: appropriately blasphemous."

In conjunction with the release of Lawless Darkness, Watain appears on the cover of the July 2010 issue of Decibel Magazine which went on sale last week. The eight-page feature was conducted by J. Bennett and is clearly one of the most revealing pieces on the band to date.  Order a copy here.  http://store.decibelmagazine.com/collections/back-issues/products/july-2010-069

"Lawless Darkness shall be seen as a monument erected in honor of that collapse and a dedication to all those brave souls, who have willingly dared to venture the winding paths towards it." -- E. Danielsson, WATAIN

Let there be sacrifice.

*All Shall Perish’s third offering, Awaken The Dreamers (Nuclear Blast) once again blurs the lines between Death, Grind, and Metalcore, yet with complex, masterful melodies. Lyrically the album shines a glaring light on problems facing humanity as a whole.

Hailing from Oakland, CA, All Shall Perish is: frontman Hernan Hermida, rhythm guitarist Ben Orum, bassist Mike Tiner, lead guitarist Chris Storey, and drummer Matt Kuykendall.

I absolutely LOVE the guitars in When Life Meant More, an intense fight for financial survival. The tranquil melodic breaks in Black Gold Reign is like sunlight reflecting off slick black oil. For The Ones We Left Behind is a beautiful, solemn instrumental requiem.

Awaken The Dreamers is a call to those who hope for a better world to take action to make it so. Memories Of A Glass Sanctuary is surreal and dream-like. The ripping, blood-splattered Stabbing To Purge Dissimulation is a full scale attack. Gagged, Bound, Shelved, &Forgotten is callous and sadistic.

From So Far Away is filled with hate, rage, and decimation, with a guitar solo that is nothing short of being caught in a hail of bullets. The instrumental Until The End stands fierce, proud, unafraid. Misery’s Introduction is an ominous instrumental. The multi-textured Song For The Damned is a horror vignette trapped in a living Hell.

*Oakland CA's All Shall Perish will support the legendary Danzig on 4 shows of his upcoming mini-tour this June.

"Our jaws dropped when Danzig personally requested All Shall Perish   to join him on tour," stated the band. "It's a true honor to open for such a musical legend. We hope to get the crowd excited and pumped up for him!"


Tourdates for Danzig, All Shall Perish:

June 24 - Boise, Id - Knitting Factory

June 25 - Reno, Nv - Knitting Factory

June 26 - Los Angeles, CA - Nokia Theatre

June 27 - San Francisco, Ca - Regency Ballroom


All Shall Perish will also be appearing on this year’s Summer Slaughter Tour alongside Decapitated, The Faceless, and Decrepit Birth among others. For a complete list of bands and dates visit www.myspace.com/summerslaughtertour.

"Awaken The Dreamers," the third full-length album from Oakland, California-based extreme metallers All Shall Perish, sold just under 5,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to enter The Billboard 200 chart at position No. 126. The follow-up to "The Price of Existence" was recorded once again at Castle Ultimate Studios in Oakland with producer Zack OhrenB> (Light This City, Decrepit Birth).

*Mongrel names new singer and drummer! In less than two months since the departure of the former singer and drummer, Mongrel has announced the newest addition to their ranks.
Rounding out the Mongrel lineup with founder/guitarist Adam Savage, and bassist Rev, are singer Scott Campbell (Graveyard BBQ), and drummer Dave Kazukiewicz (Polluted Remains).

States Savage, "Scott and Dave both did a great job at their "trial by fire" show Saturday, and we're really excited to have them on board. It's great to have a positive and enthusiastic feel in the band again, and I can't wait to see where this new lineup takes us."

Mongrel has been called "the hardest working band in Boston", by Metal Edge Magazine, opened for the Misfits, Korn, GWAR, Otep, Prong, FEAR, etc and has been receiving airplay from their Fall 2009 release, the 5 song Revenge EP on the Music Choice and Sirius/XM networks. Mongrel has also had songs included on compilations included with the recent Nikki Sixx bio "An Education in Rebellion" and an upcoming Alice In Chains biography from the same publisher.


Mongrel with their new lineup can be seen live coming up at:

June 24th - The Chop Shop, Seabrook NH (18+)
June 26th - The Backstage Bar, Tewksbury MA (all ages, Children's
Tumor Foundation benefit)
July  2nd -  Middle East Upstairs, Cambridge MA (18+)
July 16th - "Warehouse Warzone" festival, Tupper Lake, NY

for a full list of upcoming shows check out www.MongrelBand.com

*German-American Gothic Rockers Bionic Angel blend Black Metal and Electronica into a dangerously electrifying mix indeed. The band has long been a force to be reckoned with in the Live arena, where they’ve appeared alongside such illuminaries as Soulfly,  HIM, Lacrimus Profundere,  Apocalyptica, and others, with a signature explosive live show that sometimes mixes in elements of Horror. The band has finally been captured on CD with their debut release, Digital Violence (Schwarzdorn Records)

Sounding more like a cast of characters than a line-up of musicians, Bionic Angel are: The Angry Princess (Performance and Body Art), The Juggernaut (Vocals and Guitar), The Torn Prince (Drums & Sampling), The Torso (Guitar), The Hammer (Keys, Synth, and Vocals), and The First Born Son (Bass).

Chapter 1: Biomechanical Warfare begins with the excellent, danceable Living A Lie.By the end of the addictive End Of Days, I was already singing along with the refrain, “We are the Fallen Angels!” Du Mein Gott is intensely scathing. Stars & Dust burns brightly against the velvety darkness (with a nice guitar solo). The incinerating Burn Down The Witches is spiteful and merciless.

I love the crunching fretwork and ethereal keys in Du (Nur Du). The dark, melodically morose Another Day is a bit reminiscent of The Cure. Live To Die is full-throttle hopelessness. Sulphur and brimstone burns brightly in the ominous Transit to Hell. The scary Pink is the exact opposite of warm & fluffy.

Chapter 2: Hybrid Technology descends into a deeper darkness with a venomous edge, starting with the scathing Bitch Like You. Killing Myself Today is razor-sharp and deadly. The maniacal Clone Your Soul rocks out, with a mystic touch. Revolution X is unstoppable danger.

*Ask most Americans for an opinion on the BP oil spill disaster in the gulf and they'll be glad to give you a piece of their mind. That is exactly what And Hell Followed With guitarist, Kyle McIlmurray gave when he was asked about it:

"Despite being a complete horror show, we think the BP oil spill can have some good along with all of the bad. Obviously the bad side is the pollution, the murder of the environment, wildlife and human lives, the killing of local businesses and every major fuck up BP has made before or since this all went down. In trying to think of the bright side, though, this whole mess has exposed a major corporation that's had America by the balls. By weeding out the corporations and showing people the truth about them, you're destroying American corruption day by day."

www.BigMusicGeek.com broadcasted a Live Interview with the notoriously outspoken And Hell Followed With guitarist Kyle McIlmurray on Wednesday, June 16th. The group's stunning, Josh Wichman-produced Earache Records debut Proprioception will be released in North America on June 29th.

Catch And Hell Followed With on a US tour that sees the band spread their brand of Murder City mayhem on select solo dates in Texas before joining Knights Of The Abyss, Burning The Masses and Those Who Lie Beneath on the 28 Days Latour. The band's string of dates will culminate in a number of hometown CD release shows to celebrate the debut of their forthcoming release, PROPRIOCEPTION.

Tour dates include:

June 25th - Southgate, Michigan @ The Modern Exchange (w/MOLOTOV SOLUTION, DR. ACULA and MONSTERS)
June 26th - Howell, Michigan @ The Howell Rec Center
June 27th - Jackson, Michigan @ Club 789

And Hell Followed With are releasing their Josh Wichman-produced Earache debut, Proprioception (featuring art by Godmachine) in North America on June 29th. Pre-order it along with some killer shirts and special merch bundles at http://earache.com/uswebstore/index.php/cPath/667_668_715

Listen to a brand new track, "This Night Is the Coroner's" at http://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=V8_pY6NrTTI

And Hell Followed With brings their blend of murder city mayhem anywhere and everywhere -- even your living room! View some footage of a recent house show they played here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_jns2eeA1M

Follow AND HELL FOLLOWED WITH on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ahfw

Keep up with the latest AND HELL FOLLOWED WITH videos at http://youtube.com/andhellfollowedwith

*Kampfar have proven themselves time and again to be one of the strongest forces in Pagan Folk Metal – and that’s evident once again as they spin Nordic tales of the Underworld in their latest release, Heimgang (Napalm Records).

Delivering these legends in their native Norwegian tongue and regal musicianship, Kampfar are: vocalist Dolk, guitarist Thomas, bassist Jon, and drummer II 13.

Ghostly apparitions usher in the album with the Intro. The fiery Inferno is a scorching dose of Hel’s fire. I love the riffs in the dangerous yet darkly majestic Dodens Vee.

Although Skogens Dyp Rocks Out, it has a distinct Medieval folk flavor and heralds an End – either of a time or a life. Antvort is a fierce Viking battle rally. Vansinn is a show of force with strength and determination.

Mareham feels like minstrels of old spinning legends and tales in great halls. The urgent Feigdarvarsel races like thundering horse hooves into battle. The percussion and riffs are stellar throughout the complex Vettekult, which features a funerary break. The beautiful, melodic ballad Vandring feels “lost”, either literally or metaphorically.

*Norwegian symphonic black metal band Dimmu Borgir proudly announce their collaboration with Norwegian composer and Berklee College of Music summa cum laude alumnus Gaute Storaas   in
addition to the 51 members of KORK (the Norwegian Radio Orchestra) and the 38-member Schola Cantorum Choir
  for their as-yet-untitled new album.

To date, over 101 musicians have lent their talents to the making of the
new release.

Composer Gaute Storaas shares some insight on what it's like to work with Dimmu Borgir:

"There have been several attempts of dressing up rock bands in suits, bow ties, and symphonic splendor - to various degrees of success. Working with Dimmu Borgir is quite different. Their music is epic, thematic and symphonic already from the creation; they are clearly having an orchestral approach to composing. My role in this is sometimes just to transcribe their themes, sometimes to take their ideas, tear them apart and build them back up in ways that are true to the band's intentions. The music must also be both interesting and playable for the musicians, and hopefully, meet the quality standards of the orchestral world."

Dimmu Borgir's ninth studio album will be released in Germany on October 8th, in the rest of Europe on October 11th, and in North America on October 12th.

Follow the progress of the new Dimmu Borgir album online at
and
www.myspace.com/DIMMUBORGIR.

*All girl metal act Kittie debuted a brand new music video for "Die My Darling" at the Thrash and Burn Tour Myspace . This is the third video installment from their most recent record, "In The Black" which was released late last year.

"We are very excited about the video for 'Die My Darling' because we have never done a video quite like this before.  Making die my darling was a great experience!" says drummer and co-founder Mercedes Lander.

Kittie recently released behind the scenes footage from this shoot, which can be viewed here. The band will be supporting this year’s mighty THRASH AND BURN TOUR. Bands and tour dates can be found here.

The band is currently finishing their highly successful run with ICP, Coolio and Kottonmouth Kings. The remaining dates and video blog updates can be found here.

Sisters Mercedes and Morgan Lander founded Kittie in 1996. They were just 15 and 17 years of age when their first C.D., “Spit”, was released on NG/Artemis records. “Spit” was quickly Certified Gold and to date, they have sold well over 1,250,000 units worldwide with 4 Albums and 2 EP’s under their belts.

*”Zombie Surf Camp was established in the year 2005 A.D. after a chemical waste spill occurred off the beaches of San Onofre Nuclear Power Plant. A few unsuspecting surfers were out enjoying some of the best waves of the year. Unbeknownst to them, it wasn’t just water they were surfing in that day.

“No one had suspected a thing as the spill was colorless and odorless. Within days the surfers realized they were changing. First they lost their tans, then the pigment in their eyes, and shortly thereafter….they lost their heart beats and were left to walk the Earth as THE SURFING DEAD!

“Now the beaches around the spill site are inhabited by a new group of locals. Ones who crave flesh just as much as they crave waves and having a good time. Stomping the tourists and devouring everybody in sight….Surf Zombies are go and nothing can stop the mayhem”.

That’s the backstory surrounding this California-based band whose music and vocal style are very reminiscent of early Glenn Danzig- era Misfits. Zombie Surf Camp are: Moon Zoggy (vocals, synth, theremin), Redd Tyde (guitar & mumbling), Resin A. Gain (bass, piano, vocals), Gene Poole (drums, Voodoo, smells), and Crustov Cabeza (zombie guitar wankery). The band self-released their eponymous debut album, a romp of pure irreverent fun!

I love the melodies and riffs from the guitar and keys in the taunting What’s Eating You? Flipper imposes dolphin-like sound FX over a very Punk/Beach sound. A zombie lets loose a pure rant of everything that “pisses him off” in the Munster-esque Sewage (too fun!). Surf Zombies Are Go! is inescapably catchy.

The twangy guitar steals the show in Corpse In A Barrel. The creepy Now I Am A Zombie warns of the dangers of nuclear waste seeping out of the ground. Kelpie invokes dangerous water spirits. Pure Rockabilly celebrates the rare Midnight Sun.

The flashy Surf Zombies On Parade is a celebration of Living Dead pride. Culture of Life is envy bordering on rage. Ravenous zombies are searching for brains in Remains. Wet And Wreckless is a warning about a seductive demoness.

The critically acclaimed Metal masterpiece had been next to impossible to find in the U.S. previously, but now “Fellatrix Discordia Pantokrator” IS AVAILABLE IN THE U.S. EXCLUSIVELY in the Gothic Occult Emporium! (www.gothic-occult-emporium.com)

The import of “Fellatrix Discordia Pantokrator” was the # 1 cd in the Best Of 2006, the video for the song Calypso was the # 1 Best Video for 2006, and the raw and real Fellatrix Discordia Pantokrator: Live At Barroselas Live grabbed the # 2 Long Form DVD slot in The Crowgrrl’s Perch and also received glowing reviews in such publications as Terrorizer, The Metal Observer, Rockezine, Metal Review, Metal Coven, Ultimatemetal, Feindesland, and Gothic Beauty Magazine. Now Metal fans across the U.S. can enjoy this relentless Metal assault as well.

The band also deliver a killer live show, appearing at such festivals as Steel Warriors Rebellion and Barroselas Metalfest, and sharing the stage with the likes of Bolt Thrower, Rotting Christ, Ancient Rites, Hate Eternal, and others.

Check out their Myspace page at www.myspace.com/fninfernalium.

* Lucan Wolf has taken a brief break from his distinct Vampire Rawk sound – which can be heard on his cd’s Night World, Vampire Nights, and Nocturnal. – and has embraced a more Country-Rock style on his new cd Outlaw. Check out some songs from it on his Myspace page.

SCREENS (Large & Small):

*The excitement builds for the upcoming Marvel Thor movie!

Chris Hemsworth, who recently appeared in last year’s Star Trek movie as George Kirk, dons the Thunder God mantle. He will be joined by Anthony Hopkins as Odin, Tom Hiddleston as Loki, Jaimie Alexander as Sif, and Natalie Portman as Jane Foster.

As part of the Marvel Origins series, this brings Stan Lee and Jack Kirby’s original vision to the silver screen! Exiled from Asgard by his father, the spirit of Thor is exiled to coexist within the mortal, Doctor Donald Blake. Although Blake has no recollection of this, Thor’s brother Loki, the god of Mischief and Mayhem, tries to annihilate Thor’s spirit by targeting Blake and not caring what collateral damage gets in the way. (Talk about your sibling rivalry!)

However, when Blake finds and weilds the enchanted warhammer, Mjolner, Thor himself is unleashed!

Eric Allan Kramer, who played Thor in the classic TV movie, The Incredible Hulk Returns, is also making an appearance in this film, which is cool!

This adrenaline rush is set to hit theaters on May 6, 2011. The Crowgrrl can’t wait!!! 

*The Crowgrrl was channel-surfing one rainy afternoon and found an unexpected delight on TMC – a movie I had not previously heard about but immediately became a fan of! The Dead One is very much like a Latino version of The Crow! And like The Crow, this was based on a graphic novel, El Muerto.

Diego de la Muerte (Wilmer Valderrama) thinks he’s in for a night of fun with a Day of the Dead celebration in Los Angeles. But when he dresses in his zombie costume for the event, he inadvertently draws an Aztec symbol on himself. Little does he know the horror he’s unleashed upon himself and his loved ones!

His car crashes en route to the festivities, he’s killed in a crash. However, the Aztec Death God Mictlantecuhtli intervenes, and has other plans for Diego. Now an entity called El Muerto, this Living Dead Man is a unwilling servant of the god, and is being forced to rip out still-beating human hearts for the god’s sacrifices.

However, one of the sacrifices Mictlantecuhtli demands is none other than Diego’s soulmate, Maria (Angie Cepeda)! Now El Muerto desperately needs to find a way to break Mictlantecuhtli’s proverbial chains, and rescue the woman he loves. Like The Crow, this story outlines the strength of Love, and how it can transcend worlds and dimensions.

Besides being filled with Native American lore and showing a glimpse inside the Latino community of East Los Angeles, the film is gripping, and is filled with action and emotion. (And one of my favorite villain actors, Billy Drago, appears as an elderly Native American shaman.)  The Crowgrrl also loved El Muerto’s outfit – zombie-like corpse paint, clad in black with 3 bones along the sleeve cuffs and along the outside seams of his pants. Nice!

Bonus Features include: Exclusive Collectible Mini Comic Book, Wash & Wear Tattoos, Interviews with the Cast, Commentary featuring Brian Cox and Javier Hernandez, Featurette, Slide Show of the First Comic Book, DVD ROM including "The Chosen One" Wallpaper, Original Illustrations, Drawing the Dead Manual; Gag Reel, Spanish Language Track.

*Facets takes on the world cup to motivate film lovers! While millions of fans follow the progress of their favorite teams in the World Cup,  Facets Multimedia is offering movie fans a chance to support their favorite films by playing the World Cup of Cinema on Facets’ Facebook page.

The World Cup of Cinema pits films from the countries playing in the World Cup against one another and fans vote to determine the winner. Metropolis ( Germany ) meets Mad Max ( Australia ) while the Godfather ( USA ) meets Hard Days Night ( England ) and more.

Movie fans voting in the World Cup of Cinema are eligible to win a Facets Patron Membership worth $250. A Patrons Circle membership gives unlimited rentals from Facets Award-winning library of over 45,000 world cinema DVDs. The winner will be chosen in a random drawing. The contest is open until the close of the FIFA World Cup in South Africa on July 11. Facets is a nonprofit film organization, based in Chicago , active in film exhibition, distribution, education and preservation.

“We are  convinced world cinema-lovers are as passionate about movies as soccer fans are about their sport,” said Milos Stehlik, Director of Facets, “We are counting on millions of America ’s movie lovers to spread the word and make this the biggest global movie contest in history.”

* New releases in theaters that look interesting: Prince of Persia, The Karate Kid, The A-Team, Shrek Forever After,  Get Him To The Greek, Killers,  Iron Man 2, Splice, Jonah Hex, The Killer Inside Me, Knight & Day, Grown Ups, Valhalla Rising, George A. Romero’s Survival of the Dead.

(Here’s the trailer for Valhalla Rising!)

*Warner Bros. Pictures has announced that the Academy Award–winning writer Dustin Lance Black will both write and direct the movie adaptation of Matt Kindt’s groundbreaking graphic novel, 3 Story: The Secret History of the Giant Man. (Dark Horse Comics)

3 Story is a modern fable that explores the life of a giant man, Craig Pressgang, whose strange medical condition causes continuous growth. Told by the three women who knew him best, 3 Story follows Craig’s amazing journey from birth to his eventual three-story height.

Dark Horse’s Mike Richardson will produce the film, with Keith Goldberg as executive producer. Dark Horse Entertainment is currently developing R.I.P.D. at Universal, with Ryan Reynolds attached to star. Dark Horse is also developing The Umbrella Academy, The Secret, and Criminal Macabre at Universal,  and Damn Nation at Paramount.

“Both Lance and Matt are very special talents,” said Richardson. “We couldn’t be happier about bringing them together on this unique project.”

Follow Dark Horse on Twitter!

* New on DVD – The Wolfman (Benicio Del Toro), Shutter Island, A-Team The Complete Series, National Geographic Is It Real?: Vampires, Oceans, Book of Eli, The Horseman, In The Land of the Midnight Sun, MacGyver the TV Movies,  Bluebeard, Reich, Secret Societies & Spirituality: Templars &  Freemasons, TNA Lockdown 2010,

Bleach Box Set 5, Samurai Deeper Kyo Lifebox, X: The Complete Series, Bleach Vol. 29, Clannad The Complete Collection, Family Guy Vol. 8, Shinjuku Incident, Dimmu Borgir Behind the Player, George Lynch Behind the Player, Porcupine Tree: Anesthetize, Udo: Mastercuter Alive, Rolling Stones: Stones in Exile, Bloodlock, Goatsucker, La Sangre Illuminada, Metal Man, Shock-O-Rama Horror Collection, Slaughter Island,  Thirst, Wolf Moon.

*When the Chiller Channel aired Grizzly Park, (ScatterScream Productions) The Crowgrrl didn’t have too high of an expectation. Sounds like a cut ‘n dry formulaic B movie. But, hey, I absolutely love bears (especially Kodiaks and Grizzlies – majestic creatures!), and the actor playing the group’s mentor who tries to rehabilitate these misfits, offering the kids practical and even spiritual advice – Ranger Bob (Glenn Morshower)  – was in The Crow: Stairway to Heaven episode where a woman in a witness protection program assumed Shelly Webster’s identity. (Morshower played the crooked FBI agent intent on killing the witness). Hey, I AM The Crowgrrl after all. Standing joke around the Nest is that I can identify anyone who sneezed near a Crow set. Bit of an exaggeration, but still…..)  Plus the tag line is totally fun: “Eight troubled young people. Six days community service. It's gonna be a bear.”

And for the most part, it did indeed fit that cookie cutter mold, heavy on the blood and gore FX, but the very end <SPOILER ALERT!> held an unexpected surprise indeed. Granted, when watching it a second time around, you can see the clues that make that ending pretty apparent when you know what you’re looking for.

The story starts with A. An escaped murderer/rapist. And B. A new program where juvenile delinquents are assigned with cleaning the park under ranger supervision. The murderer first kills the driver of the police van charged with transporting the teens to the park, and he assumes the driver’s identity, picking up the kids himself and accompanying them to the park. And what a motley crew these kids are indeed – from a spoiled rich kid who is serving time for attempted murder to a teenage prostitute to a Latina gang member to a teen prostitute to a White Power stoner……you get the picture. The geek hacker was the only likeable one of the bunch! These misfits were played by: Randy Wayne, Zulay Henao, Emily Foxler, Shedrack Anderson III, July Skon, Kavan Reece, Jelynn Rodriguez, and Trevor Peterson.

OK, with that set-up, you think the escaped murderer would play a major part in the mayhem. But outside of the aforementioned driver and a few park rangers, he didn’t get much chance to indulge in the fantasies he was planning. He was the very real bear’s (Brody the Bear – and what a beautiful bruin he is!)  first snack. Yet the teens predictably still get picked off one by one. (The teens’ encounter with a very friendly skunk was also amusing).

So, this one is an amusing little gem with some surprises interspersed, best if watched at least twice. At least catch it when it appears again – which I’m sure it will – on Chiller.

* The Movie Mogul Fund recently launched  - an exciting initiative sponsored by Panavision, Technicolor and many other industry greats to fund one feature film and one short film every 3 months. The public gets to decide which of the films will be made by backing their favorite and have the chance to get involved as "Movie Moguls" with Producer credits on the finished film!

Robber Baron Productions is pleased to announce that PRæY, a new horror project by writer/director Frazer Lee and renowned author Max Kinnings is one of the 8 feature films selected.

This is a fun way to get involved in the movie industry! The Crowgrrl highly recommends you check this out, get involved, and show support for PRæY!

*Upcoming movies that look like they may be good: Hotel Transylvania, Magneto, Pirates of the Caribbean 4, Dracula Year Zero, THOR, Star Trek 12, Medieval, The Guardians, The Illuminati: Out Of Chaos Comes Order, Untitled Les Grossman Project,  I Spit On Your Grave, Fright Night, Sherlock Holms 2, Journey to the Center of the Earth 2, The Apparition, Final Destination 5, Red Riding Hood, The Rite, Ice Age: Continental Drift, Tales from Earthsea, Monsters, The Mechanic.

*A Made-For-TV cult classic that aired on CBS in the early ‘80’s (and occasionally makes a rare appearance from time to time on cable channels) has finally been released on DVD! On September 28, VCI Entertainment is resurrecting Dark Night of the Scarecrow, completely remastered in high definition, and a new 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound mix. A deleted scene never before seen on TV will also be included.

Relying more on suspense than gore, the movie is about a mentally handicapped man, Charles Elliott “Bubba” Ritter (Larry Drake),  is accused of attacking a young girl, his friend Marylee Williams, (Tonya Crowe) although in reality he was trying to save her from a vicious dog attack. Townsfolk had frowned on the friendship anyway, so the vindictive postman Otis Hazelrigg (Charles Durning) elaborates on the theory and organizes a lynch mob.  The mob mentality has already acted as judge and jury, and is relentlessly pursuing Bubba. Bubba dresses as a scarecrow and hides in a cornfield, but the vigilantes find and kill him anyway. (Then put a pitchfork in the murdered man’s hand, saying they acted in self-defense when he tried to attack them).

The truth eventually comes to light, however, and members of the posse are being picked off one by one – by a scarecrow!

Truly a suspenseful film with a myriad of plot twists, this film is indeed a classic. It’s about time we are able to add it to our dvd libraries!

*Iron Man 2: The Video Game hits store shelves, and is sure to provide hours of adrenaline-jolting fun! Loosely based on the movie and going far beyond into greater adventures, the game features a new storyline by Matt Fraction!

Of course you can don the title character’s armor, or for the first time ever you can suit up instead as War Machine>. You can also customize your suits and weaponry in Tony Stark’s base of operations. Besides classic villains from the Marvel Universe, this game also pits you against a new enemy made just for this game, the giant scourge known as the Crimson Dynamo!