Movie Music: Halloween - "The Shape Returns"

Any new take on a classic is usually met with a cacophony of derision. It’s true, most of them do fail to live up to expectations. I also find that many just can’t in no matter what, before they get made people clamor for something new, when that happens they wail for something familiar, or vice versa. In any case, I am trying not to get overly excited for this new Halloween, but I do like what I have seen so far. Now, I can add what I hear to the list, as this first unveiled track for the new film is pretty great.

Video Alert: Allegaeon - “Threshold of Perception”

I have been a fan of these guys for a few years. Their music is heavy, technical, catchy, and just kicks ass. I really recommend that you check them out. Below is the video for a tune off their latest album, Elements of the Infinite. It is fun to see them shed the seriousness and make a silly video. These guys know there way around their instruments, it also looks like they were beat after a tour and had some time to kill. Either way, it is a good tune.

Music Video: ILSA - "120 Days"

Never heard if Ilsa before and while this is not my preferred style, there is something certainly alluring about it. The video for the song “120 Days” is a mixture of old and new, the song originates from the bands origins in the late 1980's and is now getting reissued. From the press release: Aurally merging filthy, downtuned hardcore with mid-paced deathcrust, and visually meshing their deep-rooted fascination with the occult, violence and all forms of debauchery with brutal recent live footage in the new video, "120 Days" is far from a new song. The virulent hymn is culled from the band's sophomore LP, Tutti il Colori del Buio, which was followed by multiple other recordings since. The video was created not in homage to the album but in support of its impending reissue in early 2014 including ILSA's contribution to the long lost split with Hooded Menace as a bonus track.

Music: Indian - "Rhetoric of No"

Ready for a little punishment? Indian have set up shop at Relapse Records and are preparing to release their second album on the label, From All Purity. To help whet your appetite, they have released a tune from the release, “Rhetoric of No.” It is a pretty crushing slab of kicking, screaming delight. Snipped from the press release: Hoping to lurch you into a full-blown, noise-strewn, holiday sound orgy, today Chicago blackened doom deviants, INDIAN, offer up a taste of their soon-to-be detonated From All Purity full-length.Recorded at Electrical Audio and Soma Studios in Chicago with engineer/co-producer Sanford Parker (Minsk, Nachtmystium, Yob, Samothrace), From All Purity places the band's notorious audio belligerence in an entirely new dimension with six ear-spearing tracks of harsh, psychologically acerbic hymns of hatred, disease and despair. From All Purity is the true antithesis of easy listening.

Music Video: Saxon - "Frozen Rainbow" (acoustic)

Saxon is still out there doing what they do best. Recently they released an album of rearranged live acoustic takes on some of their classics. The little I've heard sounds pretty darn good. All these years later and they still sound awesome. If you don't believe me:

Music Video: Red Fang - "Blood Like Cream"

I do not know much about Red Fang, but their music rocks. On top of that, they clearly have a sense of humor. Not a terrible combination. They have released a video for their new single, “Blood Like Cream.” It is a fun take on a zombie apocalypse and features Portlandia's Fred Armisen. Check it out:

Music Video: Behemoth - "Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel"

Behemoth is a pretty awesome band, there really is no denying it (well maybe, but whatever). They are getting ready to release their new album, The Satanist, this coming February. To help whet your appetite, they have released a video for the album's first single: “Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel.” It is a solid tune and and the video is definitely the things of which weird, nightmarish dreams are made of. On a side note, it seems that Behemoth mastermind, Nergal, is doing well with this treatment for leukemia (diagnosed in 2010). A word of warning, this video is NSFW.

Music Teaser: Behemoth - "Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel"

I am always down for some Behemoth. We not see eye to eye on religion, but the music is damn good, and they are quite good live. The band has released the third teaser for their upcoming single, Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel from the forthcoming Satanist album.

Music Video: Rivers of Nihil - "A Fertile Altar" (lyric video)

Rivers of Nihil have released a lyric video for their latest single, “A Fertile Altar.” I do not know a lot about these guys, but this tune is pretty sick. From the press release: Bassist Adam Biggs elaborates on "A Fertile Altar": "Musically, this song is a bit of a nod to all of our old-school death metal influences. It's kind of a more straight-forward head banger with a bridge part perfect for fist pumping and all-round pit brutality. The lyrics were inspired by the disgusting cult actions of Warren Jeffs and his FLDS church in the early 2000's. Jeffs gained notoriety for controlling the lives of families involved with his sect and preying on their children. However, I always envisioned this song to be spoken from the point of view of a wolf. I really enjoy adding a layer of dualism within these songs." Check it out for yourself:

Music Video: Gwar - "Madness at the Core of Time"

Gwar is one of those bands you just have to love. Well, unless you are easily offended, you don't have to love them, but there is no way you can hate them. The shock group has a new album out, Battle Maximus and a new video. Their new video is for the tune “Madness at the Core of Time.” It is a concert based video and it takes me back to the one time I was able to see them live, what a fun, messy time. Look for yourself:

A Revisitation: Type O Negative

In my limited music exposure I have come across a few bands that released albums that were ahead of their time as well as bands that found me lagging behind. I have just experienced a brand new situation. Prior to this past week, I do not think I had encountered anything like this. I have been listening to a band I have been a fan of for years but have not listened to for awhile and I have discovered an entirely new respect for them. Perhaps I have finally caught up to where they were so many years ago. The band? Type O Negative.