With so much awesome music at our fingertips, we are truly living in a time of infinite possibilities for fans of underground metal. There’s so much coming at us - new releases, tour announcements, dream festival lineups getting dropped nonstop - that sometimes it can be a bit overwhelming.
For my first Gimme Metal column, I’ve decided to wade through all the static and hand pick 5 things I’m really looking forward to in the next few months.
The Return of 3 Inches Of Blood
After nine years away, these Vancouver, BC based loud and proud metal nerds are back and ready to scream in your face about all things Lord of the Rings. Their first shows back were by all accounts nothing short of incredible. Naturally, they had to play a weekend of shows at their own hometown venue – The Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver, BC – fittingly the same venue they played their “final shows” back in 2015.
Now that they are getting back to it with some select engagements throughout 2024, I am pumped to see them travel down the I-5 corridor and play a venue local to me, the Showbox in Seattle. Over the years, I have seen 3 Inches of Blood play a handful of times and I think it’s the perfect time for them to make their return. Aside from all the diehard 3 Inches of Blood fans who are already on board, the rise in popularity of traditional leaning heavy metal bands could definitely put some new eyes and ears on them.
The show is set for Friday June 7th, but it unsurprisingly sold out almost immediately. So, if you’re looking to make a trip to see it, you might have to resort to second party ticket listings. The lineup is stacked too – not only do we get the first 3 Inches of Blood show in Seattle in 9 friggin' years, we also get the thrash assault of the mighty Toxic Holocaust and local support from the galactic shred lords in Xoth (who put out my favorite metal album of 2024 EXOGALACTIC.)
My most anticipated album of the year
INFINITE MORTALITY by Replicant is hands down my most anticipated metal album of 2024. If you’re not familiar with this New Jersey-based three piece, make sure you change that pronto. These guys play what guitarist Pete Lloyd calls a mix between Gorguts and Merauder. Think skronky, weirdo guitar wizardry and left-brained death metal combined with the groove and in-your-face assault of 90’s metallic hardcore.
They are currently on their first European tour and when this album drops, I anticipate there will be much more demand for them to get out there and spread their filth on the road.
The album is being put out by purveyors of underground nastiness Transcending Obscurity and will be available to stream in its entirety on April 12th. For now, you can check out a couple of the singles from the album - “Nekrotunnel” and “Orgasm of Bereavement.” Hell yes.
Finally attending a Decibel Metal and Beer Festival
2024 marks the year I finally get my ass over to the famed Decibel Metal and Beer Festival. As a subscriber and reader of Decibel for many years now, I have dreamed of finally being able to squirrel away enough PTO from my job to fly over to the East Coast for one of these things and it’s finally happening!
This year’s festival is going down on April 12th and 13th at the Fillmore in Philadelphia, with a pre-show on the 11th headlined by Undeath.
When I saw the lineup for this year’s fest, I immediately knew this was the time I had to make the trek. It’s almost like the promoters took a look at my playlists and curated a lineup just for knuckle draggers like me. First off, I’ve never even seen Biohazard, so getting a full URBAN DISCIPLINE set from their original full lineup will be unreal. Then we’ve got death metal legends Deicide dosing us with a set comprised of DEICIDE, LEGION and ONCE UPON A CROSS? You gotta be kidding me. If that isn’t enough, there’s the riff-lord himself Kirk Windstein and Crowbar, Dying Fetus playing an “old school” set, the high energy hardcore fury of Philly locals Jesus Piece, the black metal onslaught of Lamp of Murmuur, the mind-bending awesomeness of Tomb Mold. Oh yea….and plenty of beer.
Seeing Gojira in a stadium
This past Tuesday, GOJIRA announced they will be embarking on a full U.S. tour as main support for Korn. While some old school Gojira fans might roll their eyes and say “I remember seeing them open for…. blah blah” I think this is the perfect setting for them. Gojira plays CRUSHING riffs paired with heartfelt, important messages and statements. As long as the sound is good in these arenas and stadiums, I have no doubt they will be winning over some Korn fans as they spread the gospel of Gojira.
Northwest Terror Fest 2024
And last but CERTAINLY not least, I have a special place in my black heart for the best damn music festival in the Pacific Northwest – Northwest Terror Fest! NWTF will be once again taking over a good chunk of Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood on May 9th through the 11th. With bands playing both upstairs in the main room of Neumos and downstairs in the smaller more intimate venue called Barboza – along with the addition of a metal swap meet/market across the street, it’s going to be a total blast.
The festival promoters do an incredible job of curating a festival that is inclusive of all metal subgenres. The sets I’m looking forward to the most this year are from Bay Area thrash legends Forbidden, black metal locals Undulation, post-punk / goth group Nox Novacula, the tag team assault of Sumerlands and Eternal Champion and the brutal assault of Denmark-death metallers Undergang.
-- Kevin Diers