Tonight - LORD DYING in Minneapolis

I have no idea how this show escaped my notice until now, but the concert calendar has been updated with tonight's show by Lord Dying at The Nether Bar in Minneapolis. These guys are a cool sludge/doom band from Portland, and their debut album Summon The Faithless recently came out on Relapse. This is one of a handful of headlining shows for Lord Dying on their way home after wrapping up a September tour supporting Valient Thorr and Ramming Speed. Also on the bill tonight are Vulgaari and House Of Atreus. This is an 18+ show and is only $10 at the door, and it gets underway at 8:30.

Check out the official Lord Dying video for "Dreams Of Mercy".

Summer HOLY GRAIL Headlining Tour Hits Minneapolis on July 13

Not resting much after completion of their recent tour with Anthrax, Exodus, High On Fire, and Municipal Waste, thrashers Holy Grail will embark on their first North American headlining tour with support from new Nuclear Blast signee Anti-Mortem. The ambitious five and a half week tour starts June 19 in San Diego and circles nearly the entire U.S. and Canada before winding down in Hollywood on July 26. There's a stop in Minneapolis at The Nether Bar on Saturday, July 13; tickets go on sale Friday, May 10 at 10:00 am.

Holy Grail is out promoting their newly released second album Ride The Void (reviewed here, 6/10); the video for the title track can be viewed above.

Anti-Mortem

Anti-Mortem hails from Oklahoma, and released their self-titled debut album independently in 2010 (it's still available for download through CD Baby). A video for a re-worked version of "Stagnant Water" that will appear on the new album has been released which you can watch below. The band also released a video for the non-album track "Truck Stop Special" in 2011. No release date for Anti-Mortem's Nuclear Blast debut has been announced, but expect it to arrive this year. Head on over the band's webpage where you can download a demo version of "Stagnant Water".

Holy Grail with Anti-Mortem:

June 19 - San Diego, CA, Soda Bar

June 20 - Mesa, AZ, The Underground

June 21 - El Paso, TX, TBA

June 22 - Lubbock, TX, Jakes Sports Cafe

June 23 - San Antonio, TX, The Korova

June 24 - Austin, TX, Holy Mountain

June 25 - Houston, TX, Fitzgerald's Basement

June 26 - Dallas, TX, Double Wide

June 28 - New Orleans, LA, Siberia

June 29 - Atlanta, GA, The Earl

July 1 - Baltimore, MD, Metro Gallery

July 2 - New York, NY, Knitting Factory

July 3 - Wormleysburg, PA, Jaxx

July 5 - Stanhope, NJ, Stanhope House

July 6 - Hartford, CT, Arch Street Tavern

July 7 - Boston, MA, Great Scott

July 8 - Burlington, VT, Nectars

July 9 - Montreal, QC, Divan Orange

July 10 - Toronto, ON, Hard Luck Bar

July 11 - Cleveland, OH, Now That's Class

July 12 - Chicago, IL, Reggie's Rock Club

July 13 - Minneapolis, MN, The Nether Bar

July 15 - Winnipeg, MB, Zoo Cabaret

July 16 - Regina, SK, The Exchange

July 18 - Edmonton, AB, Wunderbar

July 19 - Calgary, AB, Dickens

July 21 - Vancouver, BC, The Astoria

July 22 - Seattle, WA, Highline

July 23 - Portland, OR, Backspace

July 25 - San Francisco, CA, Thee Parkside

July 26 - West Hollywood, CA, Whisky-A-Go-Go

Tonight - SUICIDAL TENDENCIES and DRI in Minneapolis

Long-running crossover thrash legends Suicidal Tendencies return for a show at Mill City Nights in Minneapolis atop a strong bill with support from DRI and Waking The Dead, essentially a new version of No Mercy from former Suicidal guitarist Mike Clark. Tickets for this 18+ show are $25 at the door, and the show starts at 8:30. Before the show, local hardcore band In Defence will be playing a free show (with your Suicidal ticket) downstairs in The Nether Bar. Doors for The Nether Bar open at 7:00.

Suicidal Tendencies playing The Bottleneck in Lawrence, Kansas on November 9, 1998. Click on the pictures to see more photos from this show (11).

Suicidal Tendencies just released a great new album, 13, which I reviewed here (8/10). Also check out the From The Vault feature will some live photos from 1998.

Watch the video for "You Can't Bring Me Down" from 1990's Lights...Camera...Revolution.

Tonight - AMBASSADOR GUN in Minneapolis, HINDER in Duluth

Fans of extreme metal and hardcore will want to get down to The Nether Bar at Mill City Nights in Minneapolis to catch local Prosthetic Records recording artist Ambassador Gun (their latest album Golden Eagle is reviewed here, 7/10) as they roll through home on their current tour. Joining them will be Nerves, Much Worse, and Call Of The Void. Things get under way at 9:00, and this 18+ show is only $5 at the door.

Watch Ambassador Gun's video for "Wounded Knee" that has them playing while riding in a van and screaming into a CB radio.

If you're up north and didn't get to see Hinder (the review of their Welcome To The Freakshow album is here, 1/10) last night in Minneapolis, they'll be playing tonight with Acidic and Clyde Iron Works in Duluth. It's a 21+ show, showtime is 8:00, and tickets at the door are $27.

Album Review - AMBASSADOR GUN

Ambassador Gun – Golden Eagle

Prosthetic, October 2012

7/10

If there were any doubts that Minneapolis’s own grindcore merchants Ambassador Gun would tame their sound since signing with a larger label, they’re immediately put to rest as opening track “Wounded Knee” erupts with a wall of feedback and technical riffs buried under a crushing level of distortion. Golden Eagle is relentless for the entire 30 minutes, with a slower, sludge-like portion near the end of “Slowbled” being the nearest thing to a breather. Luke and Tim scream their vocals with equal venom, heavy with distortion like everything else here. The most interesting aspect of the album is the brilliant work of drummer Patrick. “Sunshine Acid” is a great example of how the drumwork is precise, yet teeters on the edge of control with all the fills and blastbeats. Golden Eagle also contains new versions of three songs from Ambassador Gun’s prior releases: “Crack Ikon”, “Chris Brown”, and “Circle The Lord Of Flies”. There’s nothing musical or nice here, so don’t expect anything less than a brutal pummeling from Golden Eagle. Grindcore fans will delight with what Ambassador Gun has to offer, but most will find this to be too much. Golden Eagle will establish Ambassador Gun as leaders in the current crop of grindcore bands, however, I find myself enjoying the band more at their live shows.

Click photo to see more pictures of Ambassador Gun live on April 24, 2010 at the Triple Rock Social Club in Minneapolis (13).

Ambassador Gun performs Thursday, March 28 at The Nether Bar at Mill City Nights in Minneapolis with support from Nerves, Much Worse, and Call Of The Void. The band next plays at Neisen's in Savage on Saturday, June 8 with support from Outside, The Murder, Climactic, Ghosthook, and Mastiff.