I’m going to rule that it’s officially cool for Behemoth to be psyched about posing with a Chihuahua. Granted, it was from the photo shoot for our August cover story, but still. The magazine and shot make a cameo in a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Behemoth’s video for “Prometherion,” and you can see a (very) short teaser for the clip here. When I interviewed Nergal the day after the photo shoot, he was comfortable embracing his inner glam star.

You picked up the new New York Dolls earlier. Are you a closet glam fan?
If I had more hair and a good voice, I’d be doing glam. A lot of that stuff…it’s just relaxing, I love it. I think we have something in common – we have this rock ‘n’ roll vibe. We don’t really look like any other black or death metal band. I think subconsciously I took from glam. I saw Motley Crue like three years ago – best show of my life! I’m serious. Or Rammstein. I’m always thinking, what can we do to make the show look more like that? Entertaining, with pyro and shit. Don’t get me wrong, this is brutal, uncompromising music but I’m talking about a big production with fire, blood, shit like that. That’s all a part of this thing.

So are the theatrical elements of Behemoth imporant to you?
This feeling I had last yesterday, we did this photo shoot for your magazine. I was still suffering jetlag, I was so tired, I looked at myself in the mirror and I looked so miserable. Then I put the shit on, and it’s like transforming into some comic character. There’s a magic behind it. You put the costume on and you look at yourself differently, you can unleash different powers. You can channel different energies. You wouldn’t act the same dressed like that. I can’t imagine Behemoth being a regular band with sports shoes and jeans, that’s not my thing. It’s good for some other bands to look like that, but not us. I’m a huge Kiss fan, W.A.S.P. – good music plus a good show is the perfect combination.

French black metal atonal mind-fuckers Blut Aus Nord have posted the first MP3 from their forthcoming album Odinist on their MySpace page. “The Sound of the Universe” isn’t anything you haven’t heard before (if you’ve heard Blut Aus Nord), but black metal ain’t really a singles format. Anyway, the record features the same line-up from 2006’s MoRT: guitarist Vindsval, drummer W.D. Feld and bassist GhÖst. Odinist is intended as a tribute to Bathory’s deceased founder Quothorn; a new EP called “Lighteater”  (purportedly in the style of 2005’s excellent The Work Which Transforms God) and another record from Vindval’s project The Eye are in the works for 2007/08. Nice! Dudes really oughta take the time to update their website, though…

In a weird way, Winterhearts Guild, a video game based on characters from Sonata Arctica songs, owes its lifesblood to Journey. Do you remember the Journey video game? These days, it’s a shoo-in for any list that compiles the worst video games of all time, but the original concept was fascinating. The developers envisioned a hybrid of Frogger/Centipede with a human character navigating a vertically-scrolling maze of obstacles. Back in 1982-3, an early prototype featured a digital camera installed in the arcade cabinet, designed to take pictures of the gamers and superimpose their heads on top of the game character’s torso. Remember, this was decades before Sony tried to market the Eye Toy for the PS2. But the developers scrapped this plan after collecting a little market data that suggested that gamers were having too much fun dropping trou and taking pictures of their naughty bits.

Enter Journey’s legal and management team. Steve Perry and Neil Schon’s heads were superimposed where the dicks and asses used to be. A new “storyline” was grafted on to the game, which now featured all five members of the band fleeing from greedy promoters, crazed groupies and other concert obstacles to collect musical instruments. In essence: you were helping one of the most heavily-endorsed and corporate interest-corrupted bands of all time hold on to their money. Sucker! The home console version (Journey Escape), which was developed simultaneously for the Atari 2600, sucked just as bad — just check out this classic TV promo with a voice-over by Casey Kasem. Don’t stop believin’!

On repeated listenings, Magrudergrind’s Rehashed is even better than I thought it was when I originally reviewed it and will end up high atop my year-end list. I’ve yet to see them play anything from it because they went to Europe for almost a month, but they kept a tour diary on http://magrudergrindineurope.blogspot.com. We present one entry here and recommend that you read the rest. And listen to Rehashed ’cause it rules.

Thursday, June 14, 2007
in oslo norway!!

right now we are in oslo norway at a squat accross the street from the bar where the show is. the bar itself is tiny and reminds me a lot of the Blue Nile Bar in DC that used to have shows. the drive up here from Denmark was absolutely beautiful. the sky here looks like the sky on the Simpson’s logo, if you know what i mean. bright baby blue with white ass clouds. for some reason we cannot find one postcard in this entire continent. also, the water has bubbles everywhere and it’s pissing all of us off.

pintxos’ temper is surely but slowly deteriorating. the frequency of his “whatdafucks” and “you modafuckas” is definitely increasing. we get lost every day as well. even when we have solid directions we get lost. oh well. that’s part of the experience i guess?? we are trying to get better at it though.

the squat i’m in right now also has a skatepark in the basement. fucking sweet. this is the second showspace to have a skatepark in a row. the promoter showed it to me and asked if he could take some pics. we started skating and then an angry Norwegian lady came up and said something to him. oops, it was girls night to skate. even though i was bummed out that i couldn’t skate, it was fucking awesome to see so many girls skating. it was like an Elissa steamer video part, but multiplied times ten. i’ll go back at 11 when that ends. we’re also crashing here tonight so there’s a good chance i just won’t go to bed. pictures will definitely be posted in a few days. we have been great about TAKING pics, but are slacking on the uploading. but yeah, we’ll get better.

ivan has been buying a shitload of records and has definitely already dropped a few hundred euros. damn, this dude doesn’t fuck around.

oh, one last thing about pinxtos- today i walked into the bathroom half awake and started taking a dump. midway though a butt naked ass pinxtos walks out of the shower that i thought was empty and in all of his glory and remarks, “AAHHHH MODAFUCKA!” it was a humbling moment for both of us. he was not circumcised.

WHAT. THE. FUCK?

From a show for fashion designer Alexandre Herchcovitch’s Spring ‘08 collection. This is not a joke.

By Mario Rubalcaba, Earthless

1. Las Quatros Milpas: “The Four Trees” Mexican food establishment will leave you wishing you had four stomachs. Probably the simplest  menu around, but everything they make is pure taste euphoria. I never thought a bowl of rice & beans could taste so damn heavenly! Combine that with chorizo, tortillas (made from scratch), cilantro, diced onion, and a wicked hot sauce…you will be left stuffed & chuffed. Last time I was there, I saw a homeless guy sneak in right after a snobby rich couple left a lot of food on their table, amd he quickly scooped it all up and made a burrito. Smart place to hang around… [1800 Logan Avenue]

2. El Indio Mexican Restaurant: Yeah, it is somewhat touristy but the Mini Chimi combo plate is an upper-cut to the gullet in the best possible way. They have great salsa as well, and a wide selection to choose from. You will not be disapointed. [3695 India Street]

3. Armando’s Mexican Food: Hidden away in V-town (Vista) is this nugget of a lunch spot, with quite possibly thee best California burrito known to man ( they include Guac!!). Me and my V-town chums definetely are left with food coma after eating here… [2295 Palm Avenue]

4. La Especial Norte: Classic old town eatin’ that serves up the most righteous Albondiga soup (meatball soup) & fresh homemade tortillas. Also only about a minute away from the ocean and right next to Lou’s Records. [664 North Highway 101, Encinitas, CA]

5. El Cuervo Taco Shop: Hands down, the best breakfast burrito around and super cheap music-dude prices make this place an essential hang-out. [110 W Washington St.]

Scott “Wino” Weinrich, guitarist and vocalist for The Obsessed, Saint Vitus, Place of Skulls and The Hidden Hand has announced that The Hidden Hand, the band he’s fronted since 2002, has broken up. Weinrich wrote:

Without going into detail to embarrass anyone, this is a message to inform everyone The Hidden Hand no longer exists. I [Wino] cannot any longer tolerate being promised stuff that never happens or be accused of dishonesty. I think in my long and fruitful career I have always tried to be fair and honest, even going out of my way creatively and financially to make it happen including compromise. I have put an enormous burden on my family and myself to try and fulfill my dreams which have not been to enrich myself financially, but to enrich others as well as myself spiritually and emotionally. The music industry these days turns on the most mediocre crap, be it pop or cheesy black metal, which is really just sickening or laughable. So be it. I will still be wholeheartedly dedicated to the Shrinebuilder project with Chris and Al of Om and Scott from Neurosis. This will be a long way off but I KNOW these dudes are FOR REAL. SO all I will say now is thanks for believing. I’m sure some will assume I am some ego guy who’s impossible to work with, nothing is farther from the truth. I just expect the same amount of fairness and respect I give. A tall call these days unfortunately. WINO AUGUST 21 2007

Read the extended version of J. Bennett’s Q&A with Wino (published in our September issue) here.

We already reported on Coffins‘ recent activity, including their first confirmed US show. That’s not until May of ‘08, but in the meantime they’ve put up “Decapitated Crawl,” a track from their forthcoming split with The Arm and Sword of a Bastard God, on their Myspace page. Crushing, of course. The cover art’s pretty cool too.

Heavy Metal in Baghdad, the web series about Iraq’s sole metal band Acrassicauda, is now a feature film set to premiere at the 2007 Toronto International Film Festival. The trailer can be seen at the film’s official site.