#The Black Death Rager Tour

[m3t4ln3rd]

GWAR announce fall leg of The Black Death Rager Tour with Light The Torch, Nekrogoblikon, & Crobot

Scumdogs GWAR have announced a fall leg of The Black Death Rager Tour. Supporting them on the new dates will be Light The Torch, Nekrogoblikon, and Crobot. Frontman Blöthar the Berserker reports: “Long ago, GWAR broke the frame of what a rock concert can be. We’ve pushed the envelope of live performance for decades, but this time around, we wanted to do something different. This is the…

[thephotopitmagazine]

GWAR ANNOUNCES FALL LEG OF "THE BLACK DEATH RAGER WORLD TOUR" WITH SUPPORT FROM LIGHT THE TORCH, NEKROGOBLIKON, AND CROBOT

GWAR ANNOUNCES FALL LEG OF “THE BLACK DEATH RAGER WORLD TOUR” WITH SUPPORT FROM LIGHT THE TORCH, NEKROGOBLIKON, AND CROBOT

GWAR Announces Fall Leg Of “The Black Death Rager World Tour” Support to Come From Light the Torch, Nekrogoblikon and Crobot CD Version Of “The New Dark Ages” Out Today! Graphic Novel “GWAR In the Duoverse of Absurdity” Out Today on Z2 Comics! 2022 has been the year of GWAR, and there are no signs of that stopping anytime soon.  Today your Lords and Masters are pleased to announce the fall leg…

[nuclearblastuk]

MUNICIPAL WASTE | Band announce new EP + release official video for 'Wave Of Death'

BAND ANNOUNCE THE LAST RAGER EP + RELEASE OFFICIAL VIDEO FOR 'WAVE OF DEATH' PRE-ORDER AVAILABLE HERE: nuclearblast.com/municipalwaste-thelastrager

Partiers, you've been taught the 'Art' and now it is time for an advanced lesson. Virginia speed metal punks MUNICIPAL WASTE are proud to announce their latest offering The Last Rager, which will be released on October 11th via Nuclear Blast. Back with 4 ripping tracks that embrace all of the band's punk and street metal roots without clutching at the past. That honest formula has led the WASTE to innovate the festival scene with the opening track and party of the summer 'Wave Of Death'. Watch the music video that was edited by Mark Reâtegui from footage compiled from the band's roadie Scotty Tankcrimes from the last couple of tours, here: youtu.be/CalJjHGJVrU Pre-order The Last Rager on the format of your choice here: nuclearblast.com/municipalwaste-thelastrager Pre-order the EP digitally to receive 'Wave Of Death' instantly (via amazon and iTunes only) or pre-save it via Spotify, Apple Music & Deezer: nblast.de/MunicipalWastePreSave Listen to 'Wave Of Death' in the NB New Releases Playlists: nblast.de/SpotifyNewReleases | nblast.de/AppleMusicNewReleases The Last Rager was recorded by LandPhil Hall at Blaze Of Torment Studios in Richmond, VA with additional engineering completed by Josh Hall. The EP was mixed by Rob Caldwell while mastering was handled by Joel Grind. The artwork was created by Brian Crabaugh

The Last Rager will be available in the following formats: 1. CD Jewel 2. Cassette     2.1 Black (limited to 300) 3. Vinyl     3.1 Black Vinyl     3.2 Green Vinyl (limited to 300)     3.3 Yellow w/ Blue Splatter Vinyl (limited to 1,000)     3.4 Green/Black Swirl Vinyl (limited to 200)     3.5 Orange/Red Splatter Vinyl (limited to 500) 4. T-Shirt Bundle     4.1 Includes a CD + T-Shirt The Last Rager track list: 01. Wave Of Death 02. Car-Nivore (Street Meat) 03. Rum For Your Life 04. The Last Rager

Municipal Waste announced a killer tour earlier this week - a 16 date European and UK tour set for this winter, with support lined up from Toxic Holocaust, label mates Enforcer and Skeletal Remains. Tony Foresta commented: "Many Christmases ago, I went to buy a doll for my son. I reached for the last one they had, but so did another man. As I rained blows upon him, I realised there had to be another way. This tour will hopefully bring forth a new kind of winter cheer. Something for the rest of us." The shows are on sale now - dates read as follows:   28 Nov 2019 DE Nuremberg Z-Bau 29 Nov 2019 DE Chemnitz AJZ 30 Nov 2019 BE Antwerp Zappa 01 Dec 2019 NL Drachten Iduna 03 Dec 2019 UK Birmingham The Asylum 04 Dec 2019 UK Glasgow Slay 05 Dec 2019 UK Belfast Limelight 06 Dec 2019 UK Manchester Club Academy 07 Dec 2019 UK Leeds Brudenell Social Club 08 Dec 2019 UK London ULU 10 Dec 2019 DE Oberhausen Kulttempel 11 Dec 2019 IT Paderno, MI Slaughter Club 12 Dec 2019 DE Munich Backstage 13 Dec 2019 DE Cottbus Gladhouse 14 Dec 2019 CZ Prague Nova Chmelnice 15 Dec 2019 DE Berlin S036

More info: facebook.com/Municipalwaste instagram.com/municipalwaste twitter.com/municipalwaste

[infraredmag]

GWAR Unleash Spatterflick Music Video For “The Cutter” – Featuring Special Guest Lzzy Hale

GWAR Unleash Spatterflick Music Video For “The Cutter” – Featuring Special Guest Lzzy Hale

GWAR Unleash Spatterflick Music Video For “The Cutter” Featuring Special Guest Lzzy Hale “The Black Death Rager Tour” Rolls on, Stopping in Orlando, FL Tonight ‘The New Dark Ages’ Out Now on Pit Records The Intergalactic Warlords of GWAR are currently desecrating North America on their “Black Death Rager World Tour,” in support of their latest release ‘The New Dark Ages“. The…

[horrorpatch]

GWAR Drops New Music Video For "The Cutter" Featuring Lzzy Hale!

GWAR Drops New Music Video For “The Cutter” Featuring Lzzy Hale!

Intergalactic scumdogs GWAR have released a new music video for the track, “The Cutter”, which also features Lzzy Hale of Halestorm. The track is taken off of their current album, The New Dark Ages via Pit Records. The band is currently out on tour destroying towns on their The Black Death Rager Tour. From The Press Release The Intergalactic Warlords of GWAR are currently desecrating North…

[jdrespling]

GWAR’S “Black Death Rager World Tour"

GWAR’S “Black Death Rager World Tour”

[rockyoushow]

GWAR To Kick Off Fall Leg Of “The Black Death Rager World Tour” September 10th

GWAR To Kick Off Fall Leg Of “The Black Death Rager World Tour” September 10th

GWAR To Kick Off Fall Leg Of “The Black Death Rager World Tour” September 10th Support to Come From Light the Torch, Nekrogoblikon and Crobot Latest Album “The New Dark Ages” Out Now On CD, Digital, Vinyl and Cassette Coming September 16th Graphic Novel “GWAR In the Duoverse of Absurdity” Out Now on Z2 Comics! Fresh off a run of destruction and devastation of Europe and after a brief respite at…

[dustedandsocial]

June, previously. The end of the month rundown of what was best in June: but in July. June: July. There’s plenty where June came from. Christ’s Kingdom is eternal. June (July)

Was on vacation at the end of last month and forgot to upload this June rundown. So here it is. I’m better than Pitchfork. I’ll fight everyone at Vice HQ. I unearth more underground music than The Wire and The Quietus combined. I’m the best. Down with all with music mags, sites for profit, music content subsidiaries of Old Spice, Monster Energy Beat Camp etc. Bring info exchange to the fans, build the community, Patreons for our celebrated writers, donations for our artists, down with the for-profit content factory. Long live the independent, community-oriented content factory. I’m #1.

Here, this:

Rock, hard rock, rock music, rock and roll, heavy hard rock

Full-Lengths Acolytes - Rupture LP (Alter) Al Doum & The Faryds - Spirit Rejoin LP (Black Sweat) Alameda 4 - Czarna Woda CD (Instant Classic) Big Blood - Operate Spaceship Earth Properly LP (Feeding Tube) Boyhood - Bad Mantras LP (Shuffling Feet) [nice follow-up to their underappreciated lp from a few years back, although a bit more traditionally pop] Brian Case - Plays Paradise Artificial LP (Hands In The Dark) Chaos Echœs - Mouvement LP (Nuclear War Now!) Danielle Dahl - Loosening Orion's Belt CS (Abstract Tits) Dreebs - Forest of a Crew LP (Ramp Local) The End - Svårmod Och Vemod Är Vardesinnen LP (RareNoise) [complete rager] Eugene Chadbourne, Steve Beresford, Alex Ward - Pleasures Of The Horror LP (Bisou) Flesh Narc - Pillow Talk CD (Heavy Baby) H E X - BLDG CS (Wetwear) Ivan The Tolerable - Le Monde Inversé 10" (Vinyl, Ack! Ack! Ack!) [far removed from prior Ben Wallers homages, Ivan brings something unexpected to every new release] Jukka Nousiainen - Ei enää kylmää eikä pimeää CD (Jukan Musiikki) [the only rock star on earth] Larry Wish & His Guys - The Mouth is the Most Promising CS (Bumpy) Maxine Funke - Home Fi CS (Brierfield Flood Press) [lo-fi folk, every song a winner] Palberta - Roach Going Down LP (Wharf Cat) Patois Counselors - Proper Release LP (Ever Never) Slushy Guts - The Blasted Stump CS (Cusp Recordings) [most underrated band in the UK] Society's Decline - No Angel On The Shoulder Of The World LP (Skrammel / Kibou) [favorite hardcore record in quite some time, pretty straightforward, thuggish. Brainbombs approved] Stefan Christensen - City Code LP (Knotwilg) Überkrøppling - Sådan Ka' Det Gång Gadagång (Mastermind) Uniform & The Body - Mental Wounds Not Healing LP (Sacred Bones) VA - Para Cuando En Mi Te Mueras  20 Unearthly Sissy And Sassy Hits CS (Comidillo Tapes) Yunclas - De lingua ad mortem CS (Grabaciones Autobombo)

Singles, EPs, Demos

Alienation - Bitter Reality 7" EP (Warthog Speak) [best hardcore band in north america] Chloe Alison Escott - Hard Femme in Argyle EP (Self-Released) Cremalleras - Mercado Negro 12" (Thrilling Living) Dead C - On The Outbreak Of Civil War 7" (I Dischi Del Barone) Dame Area - Immagina il passato- ricorda il futuro CS (U-Bac) DEAFKIDS - Espiral da Loucura (Self-Released) Full of Hell / Intensive Care - Split 7" EP (Anthems of the Undesirable) HEX [UK]- TOUR DEMO 2018 (Self-Released) Ivan The Tolerable - Ring Around The Country 8" EP (Endless Records) La Misma - Negociac¸o~es De Paz Continuam Como As Fabulas 7" (Toxic State) Lion's Cage - Lion's Cage 7" EP (Heavy Dose) Perverted Ceremony - Perverted Ceremony 12" (Nuclear War Now!) Pig Frenzy - Pig Frenzy CS (Smikkelbaard) Pineapple RnR - Pineapple Rik n Roll 7" EP (Lumpy) Puke Puddle - Detox CS (Epileptic Media) Pumice - Platelets 7" (Soft Abuse) Sect Pig - Crooked Backs CD (Nuclear War Now!) SSRi - SSRi CS (Sexy Romance) Stef Ketteringham - Marcos' Bomber Jacket 8" (Endless) Thackery Earwicket - Lost My Heart In Space CS (Un je-ne-sais-quoi) Urbanoia - Nådeløs Vold 12" (Byllepest Distro) [*Pictured] YOR - YOR THE FUTURE CS (U-Bac)

Experimental, Avant-Garde, who even knows

◉ ╋ ◑ Stefano Pilia & Massimo Pupillo - κένωσις (Kenosis) LP (Soave) Black Crumbs - Black Crumbs CS (Chthonic ) City Dragon - Owl Drugs CS (Andesground Label) Dan Olsson - Relaxing and Stress Relieving Music for Smartphone Users CS (Zeon Light) Embassador Dulgoon - Hydrorion Remnants LP (Nonlocal Research) Gate - Winter Songs LP (8mm) Gonçalo F Cardoso - Impressões De Uma Ilha (Unguja) LP (Edições CN) Helicopter Quartet - Last Death of the Phoenix (Self-Released) i_like_dog_face - Sleepless Illusions LP (Hot Releases) Lärmschutz - Fruits CS (Faux Amis) Laurie & Olly - Ample Profanity LP (Slip) Micromelancolié - Streaming CS (Never Anything) Monopoly Child Star Searchers - Make Mine, Macaw II LP (Discrepant) Noel Meek and Cameron Stallones - ADVENTURES IN OBJECT-HOOD! CS (Ikuisuus) Officina Errante - Recorder! Ricorda CS (Linear Obsessional) Ophüls - The Demons (Sentencia) [*Pictured] Stilluppsteypa - Beach Jolanda LP (Ultra Eczema) Sunk Heaven - Where All Sides Collapse LP (Hot Releases) URBI-FLAT - 8 Petites Pièces De Variété LP (Replica) VA - Studies On Regression Of Organic Substances And Sounds CDr (Sounds Against Humanity) Will Guthrie x TSAATAN - Will Guthrie x TSAATAN (Noise Bombing) Yngel - Indonesia CS (Insula / Abstract Tits)

Free Jazz, Fake Jazz, music with instruments and no vocals, etc

BACZKOWSKI ∕ PADMANABHA - Mastoid Process 7'' (Iron Lung) Charlie Morrow - Toot! Too LP (Recital) Didi Kern & Philipp Quehenberger - LINZ LP (Shameless Rocks) Evan Parker & Eddie Prévost - Tools of Imagination (Fundacja Sluchaj) Flamingo - LOUD CD (Relative Pitch) Grabek - Day One CD (Gusstaff) Konstrukt - Oryantal 12" (Holidays) Les Conférences Bunker - Malédiction / Bénédiction (Self-Released) [*Pictured] Madalyn Merkey - Happy Birthday Julie Moon! (Self-Released) Malaikat dan Zoo - Malaikat dan Zoo (Noise Bombing) Marc Sinan & Oguz Buyukberber - White (ECM) Michel Kristof and Vinnie Paternostro - A Place You Could Not See... (Muteant Sounds) Nathan Corder and Tom Weeks - Anaconda (Noise Pelican) Oiseaux-Tempête - طرب TARAB LP (Sub Rosa) R A I C - Symbiosis- Vol. 1 CS (Lurker Bias) Sam Weinberg, Teté Leguía, Weasel Walter - Weinberg / Leguía / Walter CD (Buh) Toad - Toad LP (La Nòvia) Verneri Pohjola & Mika Kallio - Animal Image LP (Edition Records) WIG - Music For Birds (CRAM)

Reissues, Archival

Agathocles - If This Is Gore, What's Meat Then LP [Rec. 1988-1990] (Nuclear War Now!) Anima - Anima [Orig. 1972] (Pilz) Anima - Der regt mich auf [Orig. 1982] (Ohr) Anima - Stürmischer Himmel [Orig. 1971] (Ohr) Basa Basa - Homowo LP [Orig. 1979] (Vintage Voudou / Bombay Connection) Blurt - Blurt / Singles CS [Rec. 1980-1984] (Post-Materialization Music) Carsickness - 1979-1982 (Get Hip) Crack Cloud - Crack Cloud LP [Rec. 2016-2017] (Meat Machine) Dimitris Kamarotos - Electromagnetic Landscapes (Unreleased Recordings 1983-2016) LP (Intersonik) Dive - Concrete Jungle 2xLP [Orig. 1993] (Mecanica) Frank Hurricane - Holy Archives Vol. 1 LP [Rec. 2010-2012] (No Fidelity Audio) Graham Lambkin - No Better No Worse (Vol 2) [Rec. 2001-2007] (Self-Released) Happy Rhodes - Ectotrophia 2xLP [Rec. 198x] (Numero Group) Heroin in Tahiti - Casilina Tapes 2010-2017 LP (Boring Machines) Jean-Marie MASSOU - La citerne de Coulanges LP [Rec. 1978] (Vert Pituite La belle) John Foxx - Metamatic 3xCD [Orig. 1980, Remastered] (Metamatic) Jonah Dan - Intergalactic Dub Rock LP [Orig. 1995] (Bokeh Versions) Joanne Forman - Cave Vaults of the Moon LP [Rec. 1987] (Séance Centre) Mercy - Mercy LP [Orig. 1984] (Nuclear War Now!) Mercy - Swedish Metal / Session 1981 LP (Nuclear War Now!) Morgen - Morgen LP [Orig. 1969] (Replica) Muziekkamer - II - Popmuziek LP [Orig. 1983] (Contort Youself) Pacewon - The Pacewon Affect [Rec. 1999] (Roc-a-Blok / Ruffhouse / Blingnot) Plastic EP & The Records - Best Of 7" EP [Rec. 1981-1982] (Xerox Music) Plastic EP & The Records - Well You Want To Make A Record 7" EP [Rec. 1981] (Xerox Music) Poulson Studio - Poulson Studio CS [Rec. 200x] (Albert's Basement) Pseudocode - Next One's Called LP [Rec. 1980-1982] (Sub Rosa) Sam McClellan - Music of the Five Elements LP [Orig. 1982] (Séance Centre) Shahara Ja - I'm An Arabian Knight (Egyptian Lover Remixes) (Left Ear) Sprung Aus Den Wolken - The Story of Electricity LP [Orig. 1986] (Vestibular) [*Pictured]   Sprung Aus Den Wolken - Sprung Aus Den Wolken EP [Orig. 1981] (Vestibular) VA - Crumbling Concrete and Rusted Iron? A Soviet Punk Cassette, 1985-1992 CS (No Label) VA - Polish Dark Wave 1982-1989 CS (No Label) VA - Satan In Love - Rare Finnish Synth-Pop & Disco 1979-1992 2xLP (Svart) VA - Studio 12 (Recordings 1980-1984) 5xLP+7" (Blowpipe / Vinyl-On-Demand) UTON - See You On The Other Side [Rec. 2012-2016] (Lactofermented Subconsciousness)

Electronic

Afrodeutsche - Break Before Make CS (Skam) Asger & William Kudahl - Tilnærmelser II 7" (Resonans) Asger Kudahl - Sketches for Revolution LP (Resonans) Bary Center - Betrayal CS (Always Human Tapes) Bead - Deploy Tomorrow's Rations (Self-Released) Belp - Hippopotamus LP (Jahmoni Music) Benedikt Frey - New Now 12" (Live At Robert Johnson) Bill Westerby - KL02 CS (Kavalanic Languages) Boothroyd - Pure Country LP (Fnord Communications) CAPELO - Baby Boom LP (Le Syndicat Des Scorpions) Cosmic Force - Transmitting Illicit Logic 12" (Something Happening, Somewhere) Cleveland - Tusk 12" (ESP Institute) Dravier - Height CS (Jungle Gym) Fluxion - Ripple Effect 2xLP (Vibrant Music) Foodman - Pokopoko CS (Plastic Bags) Graham Dunning - Way Too Much Time 12" (Adaadat) Grøn - Ingen Skår I Frosne Haver CS (Infinite Waves) Haircuts For Men - Possessions LP (Self-Released) HMOT - Inside the Black Box EP (Self-Released) HMOT - Permanent Imbalance 12" (oqko) Jako Maron - The electro Maloya experiments of Jako Maron (Nyege Nyege) Jigga - lillllill LP (Bedouin) Krypton 81 - Concorde (Blind Allies) [*Pictured]   Laksa - Delicates 12" (Ilian Tape) L/F/D/M - X-Enter-O 12" (Midnight Shift) Lee Noble - Q EP (Longform Editions) Lokier - Last One 12" (Squirrels On Film) LQ & Headland - Fat Neck 7" (ZamZam) Magic From Space - Ioeoular CS (Plastic Response) Oscar Mulero - Electric Shades 2xLP (Token) ótimoKaráter - Da Clínica CS (Meia-Vida) Théo Spécial - Ivory 12" (Bordello A Parigi) VA - The Black Wig Throw Off 12" (Contort Yourself) VA - Nein To Five (Nein Records) VA - Patina Echoes 2xLP (Timedance) Violent Quand On Aime - Violent Quand On Aime LP (Knekelhuis) Zuli - Trigger Finger 12" (Haunter)

Hip-Hop Rap

(Liv).e & 10.4 ROG - ​hoopdreams​ EP 03 Greedo - God Level 70th Street Carlos - Loosies (Download C/0) A.G. - The Taste Of AMBrosia ALLBLACK - Outcalls Bandgang Lonnie Bands - Loosies (Download C/0) Bisk - Hardcorepimpfunk Cash Click Boog - Indictment Music Cdot Honcho - Head Honcho EP Chief Keef - Ottopsy EP Chris Crack - Let's Just Be Friends Chris Crack - This Will All Make Sense Later EP Co Cash - Foolhardy DSR Splurge - Hollywood Dopeboy EP  E L U C I D x Haj of Dumhi - No Edge Ups In Uganda Eludem - Films for the Mind IAMSU - 06 Solara Larry June - Sock It to Me, Pt. 2 Lil Blood - Ndugu Lil Yase - Winners Circle MIKE - Renaissance Man Rico Nasty - Nasty Shootergang JoJo - Free Jojo Ski Mask the Slump God - Get Dough Presents EP The Skull Eclipses - The Skull Eclipses Snypa, Rx Peso, Scarfo Da Plug & Drugrixh Hect - Wraith Talk Rx Drug Rixh SOB X RBE & Big Money - Tutuland EP Spitta - Let Me Eat 3 Starlito & MobSquad Nard - Open Cases EP Westside Gunn - Supreme Blientele ZachBlackDiamonds - FreezaMode: All This Ice [Awful-affiliated. Taken down off SNDCLD/BNDCMP, DL HERE] [*Pictured]

(Also made six mixes in June, which cover much of the ground presented in this post: check them out HERE)

[randgugotur-6]

Gwar with Special Guests

"The Black Death Rager Tour 2022"

[m3t4ln3rd]

GWAR announce North American tour with Crowbar, Nekrogoblikon, and The Native Howl

[unkindnessofone]

Poppy

This is Skye’s story for the Sentimental Value series. I hope you like it. Dedicating it to @heykarsyn who is always supportive and reads my stuff. 

It had been four months, but it felt like years. Calum felt like he had been watching awful movies, drinking in backstage bathrooms, and making up jokes with Skye for much longer than he had been. He remembered thinking it was stupid that management as assigning Ashton his own personal assistant after he one particularly vulgar freak out because he was overwhelmed with balancing his personal life and tour. Now, he never wanted them to reassign Skye. She was as vital to the tour as sound.   After four months of getting to know one another, he was caught off guard by the sight of Skye whipping by him with a look in her eyes that suggested she wasn't above murder. He had reached out to wave her down out of her angry trance, but she walked right by with her dark hair falling out of her fishtail braid behind her. Calum watched as she put her phone to her ear and threw open the door of her hotel room, having tricked the lock to keep from jamming. He decided she was just busy or under pressure from work and didn't question it. He had never seen her angry with anyone or in a foul mood before. Calum was sure that it was nothing. 

He was caught completely off guard when he was backstage, drinking vodka on the rocks and getting stoked, and she was nowhere to be seen. When he asked Ashton where she was, he shrugged and said that she had stuff to do back at the hotel. Calum only really felt concerned when Skye wasn't there when he emerged from stage a sweaty mess. Usually, she was standing there with towels for all of them and telling them they did amazing even if it hadn't been a very good show. He excused himself from the poured drinks to text her if everything was cool, but he suspected she was lying when she quickly replied with just 'ya'.  Calum took it upon himself to go back to the hotel without everyone else. Adrenaline was still pushing its way through his body from the show, but he didn't want to go and party without his partner in crime. He ignored a phone call from his girlfriend as she called right before he stood in front of Skye's hotel room door. He banged on it louder than he meant to, hearing her on the other side talking to someone.  "Okay, I'll call you back." She was on the phone, but coming closer to him so he held back from knocking. Calum hooked his thumbs into the pocket of his skin tight black pants and leaned, listening in. Her stress was evident. "Mom, it's fine. Its fine. I'll call you tomorrow." Skye was leaning against the door now, shoulder bare from the black tank top and flannel pajama pants combo she had chosen. If she was going to be having a bad day, she was going to be comfortable. After a full minute and fifteen seconds, Skye swung the door open and exposed her exhausted face to Calum. She had washed off all her makeup as well as the active charcoal mask that she had treated herself to. Calum had been smiling, excited to see her, but it slid off his face like Vaseline when he saw his preoccupied and tired she was.  "Hey." He played it cool for a second. "Are you okay?" It was obvious that something weird was going on. "I haven't seen you all day." He exaggerated which wasn't typical for the bass player.  "Yeah, it's silly." Always underplaying her own emotions, Skye waved her hand in front of her. "I overreacted." Cheeks filled with air, she decomposed like an untied party balloon. "I probably owe Ashton an apology." "He didn't seem upset." Calum shrugged in response. He knew Ashton well and he would have mentioned if he was anything, but happy. Ashton has always been forthcoming with his feelings.  "That's good." Almost robotically, she responded though it was a relief that the person she worked for wasn't pissed off. "Are you going out?"  "Yeah, but what's going on?" He was usually the one complaining to her, droning on about what Hannah expected of him or how fed up he was with touring on a bad day.  Her chest fell inward as she released a massive sigh. When at work, Skye made a pointed effort not to whine. She felt like she always failed at being professional with Calum. Ashton had even accused her of flirting which had been a particularly embarrassing afternoon drive. She couldn't help it, they just jived instantly.   "When I applied for this position, I had one stipulation and it was that I have next weekend off. They said no problem. I even checked with Ashton last week to make sure and he said it was fine." She brushed at her wispy bangs with her fingers like a comb.  "Then I'm emailed my itinerary for the next few weeks and I'm still with you guys...working!" She leaned against the door and faked a smile at him. "It's been sorted out now, but it was annoying at the time." She had been ready chew someone out, but instead she remained as calm as she could to sort out the situation.  Calum tool his brain through important days coming up. It was only November and Skye wasn't American. She celebrated Thanksgiving and she did that with him in at the Chateau Marmont, eating turkey breast on rye bread. He knew Black Friday was coming up, but that would have stunned him if it was what she was referring to. Where would she put a huge flat screen? She lived out of a suitcase and in conference rooms.  "It's not your birthday, right?" He felt stupid asking because he wished he already knew.  "No." She shook her head. "That's December 1st." She mentioned when he raised his brows, almost asking her for a little more info.  Calum nodded, hoping he could commit that to memory. He decided to wait until they weren't looking right at each other to pull out his phone and input the date in his calender.  "Is there something fun going on?" He leaned right against the opposite door frame she was resting on, trying to guess. He didn't like having to work for it and wished she would just tell him. He was genuinely interested.  "No. Just a family tradition." She sighed with exasperation. "It's Remembrance Day. Well, Veterans Day." There were certain American terms she had adjusted her Canadian brain to still.  "Oh, cool." Calum nodded. They had the same sort of celebration in Australia, but his family didn't make a giant deal out of it. They acknowledged it, but then carried on.  "Do you want to come in? Sorry, we are talking in a hallway." She laughed at the way he knocked his foot against hers since they were so close in the small space to one another. Skye backed away from her door and held it open, letting him into her hotel room. She didn't have any lights on and flicked on a lamp once she curled up in the armchair by her closed window. It illuminated her skin under a soft pink glow and highlighted the poppy on her jacket hung over the back of the furniture. Calum realized she had been wearing it any time they were outside and he never noticed.  "So, back to Canada? It's going to be chilly." He slid into her bed that had her open laptop on it and her body print behind it on the burgundy comforter.  "Victoria is okay. It's not as brutal or dry as other parts of Canada." She hummed, resting both hands on top of her knee and then pressing her chin over them. Honestly, Skye was in need of some home time. Travelling with a band was fun, but even the partying and down time felt like work since there was little to no home base. She was eager to lay in her childhood bed and dunk grilled cheese in her mom's creamy tomato soup. "You'll get by without me for five days?" Calum knew instantly that he would miss her right away, but he was happy that she was getting the chance to go home and see family. She talked about her two sisters a lot. They clearly were her favourite people. He couldn't help, but feel a tad jealous. He would love to go home and just hang out with his family. Sometimes, Calum longed to be a hermit and a homebody. "Somehow." He merely joked instead. When he was hanging out with her, things were relaxed and he found his cheeks tired after from smiling for a long time without a break. His face wasn't used to the joy. "So what do you guys do? Is there, like, a service?" He couldn't imagine them throwing a Remembrance Day rager. That seemed a little disrespectful.  "We go to the one in Stanley Park." It was a little bit of a hike for the estrogen strong family, but always worth it. "Then we visit Jasmine's grave as a family. Grandparents and all." She knew her parents sent more frequently and she had visited herself a few times when she felt overwhelmed and desperate, especially during exam time. "Then we go and have brunch at this Mexican place that we like and just spend time together, there's usually lots of stories about her and stuff. It's really nice." It was bittersweet, but Calum could tell by watching her talk about it that she loved it. It would have been really challenging for her to miss it for any reason, but especially because of work.  "I'm really sorry..." He felt like an idiot. She talked about her sisters, Jasmine and Cher often and he had seen her lock screen on her phone that was all three of them, but she didn't realize that Jasmine wasn't actually alive. "You said your sister was in the army, but I just assumed..."   "It's okay." For Skye, it had been four years. She had some time to find tranquillity with the sadness of losing her older sister. She had been seventeen. Cher had been fourteen and she still felt like Cher missed out on more than she did. "It makes me feel close to her, our little tradition. So I had a mini temper tantrums when it seemed like I couldn't go." Calum treaded carefully. He didn't know what he was allowed to ask and what would be considered rude. It felt like nothing was off the table between them, but they hadn't talked about something as heavy as the death of a sibling. Calum was kind of amazed that she wasn't a a sobbing mess in front of him right now because he imagined going insane if something happened to his big sister.  "Can I ask...how she..."  Her chest heaved out under her shirt before deflating inward again, a sigh filling the room before she sucked it back in.  "We'll never really know." Skye laid her head on one shoulder, absentmindedly playing with the soft flannel over her knee. "They said there was an ambush, she was guarding a civilian area, escorting children to school, and they just weren't prepared..." It would never feel like a good enough reason to have lost Jasmine and even though she didn't know any of the other lives lost personally, it all was felt like a waste. She was very anti-war, but kept it to herself. Calum didn't nod. He couldn't understand what she was saying. He had been through aches and he had experienced death of loved ones, but she had him trumped with this truth. He stayed quiet and still on the bed, staring at the toes of his black shoes and feeling like an idiot.  "You know, I thought I was in for the night, but I think I might join you tonight. A distraction is nice after talking about this." Skye tried to move the situation on. People always became so u sure and awkward around her when Jasmine's passing came up. "Are you sure?" "Oh yeah." She stood up and went to her black suitcase in the corner. As comfortable as she was, she didn't think she would be let in anywhere in her pajamas. "I don't want to get trashed, but watching Michael hit on that girl from the music video is always entertaining." She was pretty sure the model's name was Grace and Calum and her liked to always bet whether or not she would go home with him or tell him off. It was his Skye had made an easy two fifty last Friday. "I'll be right back." She had jeans in her hand as she walked by him to the washroom.  Calum sat quietly, noticing the background of her laptop was the same as her lock screen on her phone. He stared at the dark haired girls, all laughing in fall colors and posed in front of mountainous background. His chest had sunken in since he talked to Skye. Usually, they made one another laugh and were a smooth break from chaos for each other. He just wished he could do something. He wished he could make things better, but he couldn't.

* * * * * *  ** * **  **  **

They hadn't had a chance to decorate at all. The kitchen was mostly unpacked, but the living room still had boxes in either corner. They didn't come out to Vancouver enough for them to properly turn the luxury Westbrook Village condo into a home yet, but they were looking forward to turning it into their number one getaway when they needed a break from the road or wanted a romantic vacation,  but still some home balance. Both Skye and Calum really wanted Daphne to have roots in Canada as half her family lived there and it had been where she was born. Calum himself loved the mountain air and remembered taking her out for the first time in her stroller, breathing in the clean wind and feeling a moment of bliss. It was just him, his partner, and his tiny newborn under a dreary British Columbia sky.

While Skye was managing her emotions in the washroom, curling her hair for more volume, Calum focused on getting himself and Daphne ready. He just wanted to give Skye space, let her take time if she needed it. This was his only his second Remembrance Day with her family, having missed last year's due to his own family commitment, but he knew how important it was to his girlfriend. He buttoned the wrists of his white shirt in front of the mirror, watching Daphne in the corner of his room as she played with the black tulle peeking out from under the skirt of her black dress. It was a gift from Simone. She had been visiting one of her counters in New York and saw the little outfit on a mannequin and thought of Daphne. Being the baby of her band family, she was spoiled rotten. She was the last little one.

“Daffy...” Calum warned as he shimmied into his black chinos, pulling them over his tight grey boxer-briefs. He knew putting her in her knitted cardigan already was a mistake. She was trying to pull the poppy that Skye had pinned to it at the beginning of the month off. She was three, but Calum knew she would try to put it in her mouth either staining the red felt or poking herself in the lip. “Don't do that.” She was looking back at him, eyes as round as the large mug of coffee he had already downed that morning, but still her little fingers lingered on a petal.

She raised herself off her butt and rushed over to him, picking up a hardcover, The Lorax, along the way and then plopping back down beside him. He knew he still had to do something with her hair, a thick always fuzzy mess unless tamed viciously by combs and water. He was proud of how gentle he could be though. Daphne always reached up with both hands when anyone besides her parents, even Cagney, tried to pull it into a little ponytail or bun. Calum finished getting himself dressed for the Stanley Park service, spraying himself with a spritz of Mont Blanc cologne and then leaving his peacoat with it's lapel poppy on the unmade bed that he had devoured Skye in the night before.

“Daph, hey.” He interrupted her pretending to read to herself by patting at his knee. Calum perched on the edge of the bed and waited with both his hands out for her to run over to him. She brought her book and sat down beside him.

“Make my hair big like Mommy's?” With an excited grin, almost giggling through her baby teeth, Daphne asked. Calum just hummed and nodded in agreement while taking a thin brown elastic from Skye's nightstand and taking her pink Tangle Teezer as well. It was the brush that Daphne reacted to best.

Daphne popped open her book on a random page and began to tell her Dad the story, just from the little she remembered and not the actual words on the page. Calum carefully brushed through her mass of hair, deciding to pull it all into a thick and high ponytail that started almost at the top of her small head.

“Daddy, what's this?” She poked twice at the poppy on her sweater, throwing her head back to ask and making it very hard for him to work on her hair.

“It's a poppy. We're going to a Remembrance Day ceremony.” Daphne had gone to two before this, but he imagined she would only start to understand now. She was just over a month for her first one and spent the entire time sleeping and stirring in Skye's arms. As far as he knew, she was held by her grandmother the time before and spent the brunch being passed around like a doll, licking crayons, eating some eggs and bacon, and falling asleep in a high chair before dessert.

“What's that?” She inquired while flipping through her book again.

“Well, there's lots of people who serve their countries.” Calum decided to take Ashton's route when he talked to Daphne. He never talked 'down' to  her and he didn't use children's terms. He always spoke to  her as if she was an adult - trying to engage her mind and encourage her to ask questions about what she didn't understand. He knew some people preferred to baby their children and use terms that were easier, but Calum admired Ashton as a parent and often looked to him for guidance. “They fight and die to protect us. So this is how we honor them.” He knew that they had board books of In Flander's Field and wondered if he would be able to find one before Skye was ready. It had been something he bought for Daphne last year when he missed coming into Canada to be with Skye's family on a day that was very significant to them.

“Okay.” Daphne mumbled back. Calum knew she didn't really understand what he was saying.

“Your aunt Jasmine.” As he hooked the hair elastic around her hair for a last time, Calum started to make it more personal for his little girl. “She's your mom's older sister – she was in the army.”

“Who's that?” Daphne knew that the time she had to sit and behave was over and scooted back on the bed, sticking out her little leotard covered legs. She knew she had a lot of aunts in her life. Aunt Mali, Aunt Cagney, Aunt Simmie, Auntie G, and Auntie Cher, but the woman her Dad mentioned was new to her. Calum slid off the bed and walked over to his girlfriend's night stand again. She had a few Polaroids stacked on it, looking for a certain one to give to her mom at brunch today. He found it in the pile and then climbed onto the bed to show Daphne, sitting right beside her with a folded knee.

“This is your Aunt Jasmine.”

“She has big eyes like me!” Daphne squealed in delight, her finger tracing the girl's cat eye glasses in the photo.

Skye had remarked privately to Calum that she saw a lot of her older sister in their Daphne. She was quiet, happy-go-lucky, and very considerate. They also did share bright brown eyes and thick brows, but Skye knew that was from both her Dad's side and her's. It had crossed both their minds to put Jasmine on their baby name list, but they had named the baby in their second pregnancy and went it hadn't been successful, Skye decided she never wanted to find out the sex or name a child again until they were born. It had been too hard and, somehow, made it hurt even worse than the loss before. She often told herself that her unborn children found their way to Jasmine in some spiritual sense and it gave her an inkling of peace in an otherwise dreary time.

“Yeah. So that's why we come to Vancouver every year today and we go to a ceremony and have brunch with grandma and grandpa.” He explained, looking over the picture himself and seeing so much of Skye. It was strange because Calum liked to keep his emotions deep inside of him, but he really did wish he had had the chance to meet Jasmine Pierre – even just once briefly.

Once Skye was ready, Calum put on his coat, gave his hair a once over, and sat at the door with his girls. He put on his shoes while Skye patiently helped Daphne slide on her little black ankle boots. They sometimes joked that shoes were the hardest thing in Daphne's life currently. Her little fingers struggled to grip them and always slipped when she was trying to stuff her petite feet inside.

Calum stood next to his father-in-law, holding Daphne in his arms, while Skye stood between her little sister and mom. While they were solemn, Calum always enjoyed the services. He felt they were important and he gave them his full attention even when the bag pipe part played. Internally, he was very proud of his three year old for behaving herself. She played with her wet lips and threw her arms around his neck multiple times, but Daphne didn't make so much as a peep during the whole service. She didn't whisper or complain about being bored. She just entertained herself with her mouth, looking at the huge evergreen trees around her, and wiggling in her father's firm grip.

“Is it time for lunch?” In the backseat of Skye's sister's car, sitting next to her mom in her car seat, Daphne asked excitedly. She had had toast and peanut butter for breakfast, but that was almost three hours ago and Daphne was born with a healthy appetite.

“Not yet.” While Cher drove, Calum answered from the pass anger seat – interrupting his conversation with Skye's little sister about what she was going to take now that she was going back to school for a second time. He had grown up as a little brother and thoroughly enjoyed getting to play the role of older sibling to Cher.

“Where do we go now?” Daphne leaned her tummy into her knees, her seat belt keeping her from bending all the way, and held up her palms at her mother who mirrored the expression back to the toddler.

“We're going to Jasmine.” It sounded better somehow than saying a cemetery, so Skye always put it as if she was getting to visit her sister in her new home.

Daphne felt jazzed by the news. She was going to get to meet her other aunt. Her mind was colourful with Disney thoughts and she imagined the aunt she didn't know was just as much of a princess as the ones she had met. She was all, but convinced that Simone was Cinderella and Cher was Princess Jasmine, but she imagined since she had an Aunt Jasmine now that she would actually be the real Princess Jasmine. Daphne stopped thinking about her hungry tummy and instead danced to the radio that played electronic dance music Cher liked so much and prepared herself for meeting this new lady.

Daphne held her grandmother's cold hand as they stomped over wet brown, orange, and yellow leaves. She stared upward at everything that was larger than her – her dad's legs, her Aunt Cher's thigh high boots, her mom's purse, the trees, the wooden benches, and a few grey tombstones. She watched her mom lay a bouquet of multicolored gerberas at the small square stone in the ground. They did this every year, but Skye always cried silently. It was why she didn't bother wearing much eye make up or anything more than a tinted moisturizer on her face. Her father held onto Cher's arm while he put down a dozen red gerberas. Calum tried to remain in the moment, but he always remarked internally that when they visited Jasmine's grave site was the only time Cher didn't ramble or swear.

“Is that Jasmine?” Daphne tugged on her crying grandmother's hand and leaned her head all the way back to ask. She didn't remember ever going there before even though she had been. Her grandma sucked in her chest, tightening it, and nodding down at her only grandchild. Yes, this was her oldest daughter in a way now.

Calum watched Daphne closely, taking his attention away from the woman he loved too much for just a second. Daphne was generally well behaved, but he worried she might make a rude remark or ask questions that would upset Skye's family. He stayed on high alert in a moment so emotional. Her grandma leaned close to pick Daphne up, but Daphne let go of her hand and kept walking through the thick leaves on the ground. She moved right by her grandpa and mom and stood as close to the grave as she could without stepping onto it. She couldn't read the letters, but she sat down on her knees, staining her leotards with dew, and kissed in between the years that represented Jasmine Pierre's life.  

“I love you.” She whispered before yanking off her pinned poppy and leaving it with the flowers her mom and grandpa had set down. Daphne walked backwards just three steps and took her grandpa's hand. “Don't cry, Gram-pah! She's a princess.” She told him with  a whisper through her giggly grin and then stood still, staring at the grave with them as if it was actually her aunt.

[bryanevansduff]

After 65 Years Of Hardcore Shredding, The Most Metal Thing Left To Do Is Face My Death With Dignity

Ever since I came out thrashing the day I was born, I have raised 65 years of hell on earth through raging, head banging, and dedicating my life to the sacred sounds of sick, twisted death metal music. But now that I see pathetic mortal existence drawing to a close, it seems the only metal thing left for me to do is to face the end of my life with my dignity intact. I have accomplished literally every other metal act in my life other than accepting my inevitable passing. I’ve spent six decades shredding guitar, slapping bass, growing my hair out, cutting it, then growing it out again. The only metal thing left for me to do is fully process my emotions so that I can gracefully accept my mortality through careful planning and preparation.

First things first, I plan to surround myself with a strong group of support – that includes my friends, my family, and my thrash brothers in blood and steel. There’s no way for me to cope with all my worries by myself, but I am sure after fellowshipping with the Angels of Carnage I will focus on the things that I can control. I’ll be a lot less worried about finding a home for my dark belongings and twisted collections once I’ve made my last will and testament with Dark Marcus, who in addition to slamming the bass for the Lambs of Death is an actual estate lawyer. And I know the Blood Ragers will want my funeral to be a massive black spectacle of the macabre, but I’ll want to make sure I make responsible arrangements so that my unused retirement savings can cover everything and my family won’t have to shoulder the costs of my ceremony or my customized black metal coffin a coyote skeleton painted on the outside. I’m sure in time I’ll accept the harsh true that I’m going to have to watch the Bass Hog’s set at MurderFest from Valhalla, as I cross from this realm into the next, but I am sure I will still be a little sad I’ll have to miss my grandson’s graduation from Brandeis.

I understand that to face my inevitable death head on, I’m going to need to admit my physical limitations. I’ve already accepted that moshing is a lot harder with my reading glasses, and I can only imagine how much more difficult it will be to crowd surf from a $3,000 four-wheel mobility scooter I got off of Medicaid benefits. I know I’ll lose some of my independence, but hopefully I can find the right hospice caregiver to share the duties of our ceremonial pre-show ritual, like coating our guitars in cows’ blood at the dark altar we’ve built on the outside of our tour bus. That reminds me, I’ll need to make sure that our bus, which we’ve modeled after the raft of Kharon (the ferryman of Hades who carried souls of the newly deceased across the rivers Styx) is wheelchair complaint.

No one knows that life has to end more than I do. Most of the songs I’ve written over the years have dealt with the cruel finality of death. It’s funny, I spent so much of my life raging at the injustice that undermines all of life, i.e. its inevitable demise, e.g. that once you are born you begin to die, that I wonder if I ever spent any of it just living. Anyway, remind me to make sure my credit cards are paid off before I go so none of my dependents get saddled with my debts.

In the end, I hope to pass as most people do: in peace, surrounded by my loved ones, and with Death’s steely cold hands mangling my corpse as he slowly chokes the life from my feeble human neck. After all, my death will be nothing more than the final act in a long life of sacrifices to the Eternal Dark Lord. Remember me as I slip gloriously into the oncoming unknown! Also: please remind my daughter Dark Marcus has my power of attorney.