Jason RocheThe bar has closed. You are standing outside with friends. You have failed at attempts to hook up for the evening. But just as you have given up hope for the night, you encounter a hot metal chick or dude that has just left the metal show at the venue next door. Drunken conversation has started, but, alas, you know nothing about the band they have just seen. Fail! Use the following websites to brush up on your metal knowledge so that next time you'll have something to say other than just, “How drunk are you?”
This site is the TMZ of the heavy metal world, combining both breaking news and gossip-mongering. If someone in the metal community does or says something stupid, this site will be on top of it…and won't let it go. The site's never-ending chronicle of every outrageous thing Dave Mustaine says is a great example.
Metal Injection specializes in original video content featuring all of the bands making waves in metal today. If you've ever wanted to hear every modern band talk about their own albums, their favorite albums, or just other cool shit that they like, this is your destination. They also have some of the funnier metal-oriented humor content out there, such as their celebration of “Black Metal History Month.”
Though it does not start as much trash-talking as it used to, the comments section here is still one of the most spirited homes of “debate” (quotation marks ours) in the online metal community. If you've ever wanted to read every press release issued by a metal band within the last decade along with transcripts of every radio interview they did during the same time period, this site is your starting point. Just don't expect any actual useful commentary.
Have you ever wondered who comprised the lineup of Dutch death-metallers Prostitute Disfigurement's 2001 debut album, Embalmed Madness? NO? Well, you can find out that information here anyways. Whether it was released on a more well-known metal label like Metal Blade, or released on a clear vinyl pressing of fifty copies, this site provides minutiae about every metal release out there.
Have you ever wondered what Illinois death-metallers Waco Jesus were saying on “Mass Pussy Obliteration,” the lead-off track from their 2000 debut album, The Destruction of Commercial Scum? NO? Well, you can find out what they were saying anyway here. (It's actually pretty grisly.) Here, you can also get help in deciphering the lyrics of bands that have actual talent.
This is one of our favorite sites for local Los Angeles metal coverage. There is more of an emphasis on Eastside and stoner metal, but we're okay with that as we have been turned on to quite a few bands because of that emphasis. The site went without updates for about six months, but recently kicked back up again at the beginning of the year. If you are looking for more under-the-radar sorts of shows and bands in the area, City of Devils is absolutely essential.
Motorhead
Another local favorite, this site's original content has decreased over the years, but they still update their concert calendar. If you're into more of the underground thrash and death metal scenes of L.A., this site is a great companion to the concert calendar on the aforementioned City of Devils. Between these two sites, you will know about every metal band that is playing locally on any given night.
This site lives up to its name by covering all things with very abrasive vocals. Due to its focus, it is very proficient at discovering bands in the death, black and doom metal genres that may slip under the radar of the bigger websites. It has also picked up steam over the last year in terms of music premieres for said bands that are still building their buzz. This is a great site to get in on the ground floor with the heavy buzz bands of tomorrow.
Despite what some metal elitists may hope for, deathcore and metalcore are still things. Lambgoat straddles the lines between metal, hardcore, and punk in their focus. It is definitely worth paying attention to if you want to know what a lot of the newer metal kids are into, though their comments sections are often just as horrifying as the Blabbermouth ones. If your hardcore band has members die in a vehicular accident, don't bother looking here for comfort.
Bandcamp has become one of our favorite resources for sampling and purchasing new music. The interface is incredibly simple on both the user and supplier ends. That simplicity, however, has (much like the rest of the Internet), created a glut of crap to wade through to get to the gems. Once each day, Metal Bandcamp picks a band and attempts to steer you through the muck.
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