Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Akercocke Irish BBC TV Interview

Score one for heavy metal... \m/

Sunday, May 27, 2007

Sabbatical

Well everyone, it's been a great run, and I hope you've enjoyed the show these past few years... With tear-filled eyes I must now give you the sad news: indeed, Melting Point Radio will be taking a short break, to return en force in the Spring of 2008!

Jack will be in New Zealand spreading metal to the high and lowlands, while Alex heads to the steppes of Mongolia, and Toby will hold the fort back in Vermont.

With love and Heavy Metal
-Melting Point Radio

p.s. our last few shows were nothing special, but I'll still post the podcasts eventually, for now I leave you with this sexy little logo I just cooked up for the Metalheads Against Racism project, feel free to take a copy and pass it on, and if you wanna be real nice tell everyone to listen to our show! I'll make some more when I get a few spare minutes and will post them here as well. Yay.

Metalheads Against Racism

Aaand because the border looked stupid on that one, here's one with no grey border around it:

Friday, May 11, 2007

God Listens... to Slayer

Hehe...


Click thumbnail for full-size

Sunday, May 06, 2007

Metal Mapping: The First Metal Cartogram?

I give you... in the name of procrastination and, of course, metal... what I might wager to say is the first (ever?) metal cartogram. For your viewing pleasure...
Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us
Each country is distorted so that its relative area is proportional to the number of metal bands registered to it on Encylopedia Metallum. Created using Adrian Herzog's excellent mediocre Mapresso cartogram applet.

What is a cartogram?

Melting Point 4/12/07: Alex's Week Off

Alex's week off; don't worry you're still in good hands. Jack and Toby take the wheel for this weeks show. Good stuff.



Stream this episode at archive.org.

TimeArtistSongAlbum
9:02 PMNightrageSpiralA New Disease is Born
9:05 PMRaintimeMatrioskaFlies & Lies
9:10 PMDalraidaSzondi Ket Aprodja (2. Resz)Kikelet
9:17 PMDimmu BorgirThe Serpentine OfferingIn Sorte Diaboli
9:21 PMStar OneSet Your ControlsSpace Metal
9:26 PMThe FacelessThe Ghost of a StrangerAkeldama
9:30 PMSymphony XThe Edge of ForeverThe Damnation Game
9:39 PMLaethoraClothing of the DeadMarch of the Parasite
9:43 PMSonata ArcticaThe ViceUnia
9:48 PMConscienceWhen It's OverHalf Sick of Shadows
9:55 PMDream TheaterUnder a Glass MoonImages & Words



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Friday, May 04, 2007

Heavy Metal Baghdad

Hey everyone. We had a great show tonight, extra long @ 90mins which I'll post sometime soon hopefully (as well as last week's show. the week before that was crappy so I'm not gonna post it...).

Anyways, I found this amazing documentary on Youtube made by some indie journalists who went to Iraq to interview the country's only metal band, Acrassicauda.

See below for the full blurb.

It's a 5 part series, which you can find here.
Here's part one:

The group that made this is called VBS.tv, and they seem to be doing really cool alternative journalism stuff, all over the world: Sudan, Pakistan etc...! Check it out.

UPDATE! Here's an update from Roy Ahearn that was posted as a comment below, republished for your convenience:
Hey Guys, could not find your email, wanted to let you know that a new part about this band is up on VBS. In the final installment, the band has reunited in Damascus, Syria and play a reunion concert. We went to the show, hung out with them, and then recorded a demo with the band. Yes, a heavy metal demo in Syria! Something very rare. Through the band, we explore the Iraqi refugee crisis. The current crisis is the worst to happen in the Middle East since the creation of Israel. So far 2.4 million Iraqis have fled Iraq and 2 more million are displaced within Iraq. This is perhaps the worst refugee crisis in the world right now.

Part 1
Part 2

Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Dionysus Quotage

Sent to me by a friend who has recently fallen in love with the Dionysus song, "Anthem for the Children" (thanks to Melting Point):
So this is what the drummer to Dionysus said about their last album: When asked for comment on the album, drummer Ronny Milianowicz replied:

"This album is so good that you would throw away all other cds you got only to have this one. It will make you drink beer like crazy. It will make your neighbors[sic] your worst enemies. It will make you a true metal warrior."

If that isn't metal, i do not know what is.
My reply to him? "\m/"

'Nuff said.

New MUZAK: Make Requests!

Hey everyone,
Just thought I'd mix things up a bit and write a quick post updating some recent additions to the Melting Point Archives (new material and old).
This is the perfect chance for anyone to make requests! Any albums you've been dying to hear? Check out the list and drop us a note, or comment here! Or just call in during our show, Thursday 9-10pm: 802-443-6323
So without further ado... here are all the albums acquired since the beginning of April:

2007 Forthcoming Releases:
  • Candlemass - King of the Grey Islands (June 22)
  • Turisas - The Varangian Way (June 18)
  • KAMELOT - GHOST OPERA (June 4)
  • Iced Earth - Overture of the Wicked (June 4)
  • Samael - Solar Soul (June 1)
  • Akercocke - Antichrist (May 28)
  • Nocturnal Rites - The 8th Sin (May 28)
  • Sonata Arctica - Unia (May 25)
  • Xandria - Salomé: The Seventh Veil (May 25)
  • Altaria - Divine Invitation (May 25)
  • Planet X - Quantum (May 18)
  • Immolation - Shadows in the Light (May 8)
  • Månegarm - Vargstenen (May 4)
  • Bloodbound - Book of the Dead (May)
2007 Already Released (as of May 2, 2007)
  • The Dogma - A Good Day to Die (April 27)
  • Inveracity - Extermination of Millions (April 24)
  • Vainglory - Vainglory (April 20)
  • Sadist - Sadist (April 17)
  • Dimmu Borgir - In Sorte Diaboli (April 17)
  • Mayhem - Ordo Ad Chao (April 16)
  • Cerberus - Dispute the Truth (April 3rd)
  • Heed - Demo 2007 (April 1)
  • Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet (April)
  • Overlife - El Despertar (March 30)
  • Finntroll - Ur Jordens Djup (March 28)
  • Machine Head - The Blackening (March 27)
  • Sun Caged - Artemesia (March 23)
  • HolyHell - Apocalypse EP (March 23)
  • Soulbreach - My Dividing Line (March 16)
  • Prophesia - Eye of the Storm (March 3)
  • Canvas - Digital Pigeon (March, $15 at http://cdbaby.com/cd/canvas07)
  • Gwyllion - Awakening the Dream (March, €10 @ http://gwyllion.com)
  • Labyrinth - 6 Days to Nowhere (Feb 26)
  • Moonlight Comedy - Dorothy (Feb 23)
  • Spellblast - Horns of Silence (Feb)
  • Crystal Abyss - Word of the Darkest Ages
  • Manticora - The Black Circus Part 2: Disclosure
  • Supremacy - Vicious Circle
  • Winds of Torment - Delighting in Relentless Ignorance (???)
Older Releases:
  • 24-7 Spyz - This is 24-7 Spyz (1991)
  • Finntroll - Wâldrock Festival, Burgum, Holland 19-06-2004 (2004)
  • Empty Tremor - The Alien Inside (2004)
  • Ash - Boneyard (2005)
  • The Project Hate MCMXCIX - Armageddon March Eternal (Symphonies of Slit Wrists) (2005)
  • Conscience - Half Sick of Shadows (2005)
  • Satariel - Hydra (2005)
  • Thronar - For Death and Glory (2005)
  • Dominia - Divine Revelation (Oct 2006)
  • Martriden - Martriden EP (2006)

Tuesday, April 10, 2007

Melting Point Radio 4/5/07

Playlist for Melting Point: Thursday, Apr 5th, 2007

DJ: Yuletide

TimeArtistSongAlbum
10:16 PMArch EnemyEnemy WithinWages of Sin
10:17 PMDissectionThe SomberlainThe Somberlain
10:24 PMFreedom CallInnocent WorldDimensionsnew rotation
10:29 PMIn FlamesThe Inborn LifelessLunar Strain / Subterranean
10:33 PMKamelotSoul SocietyOne Cold Winter's Night
10:40 PMRaintimeRolling ChancesFlies & Liesnew rotation
10:43 PMArwenTimes GateAbsolute Power Metal - The Definitive Collection
10:48 PMFinntrollUr djupetUr Jordens Djupnew rotation
10:54 PMIn FlamesArtifacts of the Black RainThe Jester Race
10:56 PMThe FacelessLeicaAkeldama

Download or Stream this episode at The Internet Archive

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Melting Point Radio 3/22/05

Playlist for Melting Point: Thursday, Mar 22nd, 2007

DJ: Yuletide

TimeArtistSongAlbum
9:01 PMBucketheadPepper's GhostPepper's Ghostnew rotation
9:05 PMScott LavenderHallowed Be Thy NameThe Piano Tribute to Iron Maiden
9:16 PMFarmakonReconditeRobinnew rotation
9:20 PMSerenityReduced to NothingnessWords Untold and Dreams Unveilednew rotation
9:27 PMVintersorgSpirar Och GrorSolens rotternew rotation
9:30 PMKoyaanisqatsyWay of ThoughtsFrom the Yearning to Burst the Perpetual Circlerotation
9:38 PMOratorioBrothersRedemptionnew rotation
9:43 PMWaltariThe Incarnation PartyRelease Datenew rotation
9:59 PMAfter ForeverDiscordAfter Forevernew rotation


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Sunday, April 08, 2007

REVIEW: Raintime - Flies & Lies

To be printed in the forthcoming Spring 2007 issue of Mondegreen, the Middlebury College music magazine.

Review: Raintime – Flies & Lies
Reviewer: Alex Yule
Label: Lifeforce Records
Country of Origin: Italy
Release Date: May 28, 2007

Raintime are one of a new crop of bands playing a hybrid between two of my favorite metal sub-genres: Melodic Death and Power Metal. For the uninitiated, Melodic Death Metal takes elements from classic Death Metal, such as the hard and fast double-bass-blast-beat-heavy-drumming, “harsh” vocals (growls), and wall-of-sound rhythm guitars. It then adds thrashy, melodic lead lines (a la At The Gates), often times harmonized by twin lead guitars. Early In Flames recordings are a great example of the style. So to summarize, Melodic Death Metal: heavy double-bass drumming, thick crushing rhythm guitar, thrashy melodic lead guitar, and harsh growled vocals. Now, Power Metal is the “forgotten” metal genre, left behind by the resurgence of Metal in the popular arena (except for Dragonforce. Ugh). The most important aspects of this genre are clean vocals (with vibratooooo!), and a galloping eighth or sixteenth note double-bass drumbeat with half-note snares overtop. Power metal also often borrows the slow, plodding, straight rock beat of Arena Oriented Hard Rock (i.e. 80’s). In contrast, a blast or slam-beat would have snare hits with every bass drum hit, creating a frenetic, violent sound that fits well with the harsher Death and Black Metal. In general, power metal is happier, more upbeat, often quite epic, and melodic.


So Raintime have taken the thrashy leads, thick heavy rhythm, and harsh vocals of Melodic Death (even Black Metal), and combined with them the galloping melodic sensibility of Power Metal to create a (sort of) new hybridized sound. They use clean vocals, albeit sans vibrato—a much more classic heavy-metal vocal style that is refreshing (mostly). They use the vocals tastefully throughout the album, but get dangerously close to the Emocore cliché with the third track, Apeiron. If you don’t know what that means, consider yourself lucky and be thankful they basically put all the garbage in one track, leaving the rest of the album relatively unscathed. Another important element of the Raintime sound is the use of keyboards as a melodic device, usually seen only Power Metal. A good example of this is my favorite song on the album, “Rolling Chances”, where an edgy power-metal beat thunders below harsh rhythm guitars and scowling vocals, only to be accented by a delicate tinkling of melody by the keyboards. The contrast between the melodic keys and the harsh backing is pure hybrid heaven (hell?). Those who know my penchant for musical cross-fertilization should not be surprised.


The last element worth mentioning here is Raintime’s extraordinary songwriting ability. In fact, the songwriting is good enough to lead me to overlook the presence of that one glaring cliché of a song (Apeiron). Much like another of my favorite bands, Children of Bodom, the original pioneers of the Black/Death/Power hybrid, every note they play seems to be exactly in its place. Every riff is catchy. Every lead line pulls you along with it. Overall, the sound is quite mature for a band with only two releases under their belt. While not exactly pioneers, Raintime have created a unique sound that they execute with confidence and dexterity. I, for one, can’t wait to hear what they come up with next… Oh, and they cover “Beat It”. Yes, by Michael Jackson. And it’s awesome.



Best songs: Rolling Chances, Tears of Sorrow, Beat It, Matrioska
Worst: Apeiron
Production: 5
Musicianship: 5
Lyrics (vocals): 4
Originality: 4
Overall: A-

Saturday, April 07, 2007

Melting Point Radio: 3/15/07

Playlist for Melting Point: Thursday, Mar 15th, 2007

DJ: Yuletide

TimeArtistSongAlbum
9:00 PMTwilight GuardiansNever AloneSintrade
9:04 PMLaethoraClothing of the DeadMarch of the Parasitenew
9:08 PMSerenityForeverWords Untold & Dreams Unlivednew
9:15 PMAlex YuleAngel DJ's Don't Go KillChildren of Bodom vs. Lil' Wayne
9:19 PM7 for 47eitgeistTime
9:24 PMThe FacelessPestilenceAkeldamanew
9:27 PMDionysusAnthem (for the Children)Sign of Truth
9:33 PMOmnium GatherumUndertakerStuck Here on Snakes Waynew
9:38 PMIron MaidenRun to the HillsThe Number of the Beast
9:51 PMRhapsodyHoly ThunderforceDawn of Victory
9:55 PMKoyaanisqatsyWay of ThoughtsFrom the Yearning to Burst the Perpetual Circle

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Melting Point Radio: 3/8/07

LOTS OF FRESH 2007 Metal GOODness....

Playlist for Melting Point: Thursday, Mar 8th, 2007

DJ: Yuletide

TimeArtistSongAlbum
9:06 PMBloodbathEatenNightmares Made Flesh
9:10 PMEnsiferumOne More Magic PotionVictory Songs
9:15 PMOmnium GatherumIn Sane WorldStuck Here on Snakes Way
9:21 PMDaathCosmic ForgeThe Hinderers
9:25 PM7 for 4Rock 'N' RolexTime
9:29 PMAge of NemesisMeeting with the UnbelievableTerra Incognita
9:37 PMMechanical PoetThe AfterguideCreepy Tales for Freaky Children
9:42 PMDethklokHappy Birthday

9:44 PMProfugus MortisThe Beauty of this FormSo It Begins
9:46 PMHelloweenA Tale That Wasn't RightKeeper of the Seven Keys - The Legacy World Tour 2005/2006 - Live in Sao Paulo
9:53 PMCydonianFreedom of SpeechEstranged
9:53 PMTwilightningSwinelordSwinelords
9:57 PMDark TranquillityTo No OneFiction
10:04 PMDark TranquillityTo No OneFiction
10:04 PMTwilightningSwinelordSwinelords

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Melting Point Radio: 3/1/07

Playlist for Melting Point: Thursday, Mar 1st, 2007

DJ: Yuletide

TimeArtistSongAlbum
9:04 PMDragonlandSupernovaAstronomynew
9:07 PMOmnium GatherumSpiritualStuck Here on Snakes Waynew rotation
9:12 PMProfugus MortisUpon the Raging StormSo It Beginsnew rotation
9:15 PMTwilightningPimps, Witches, Thieves & BitchesSwinelordsnew rotation
9:19 PMFinntrollEn Maktig HarUr Jordens Djupnew rotation
9:23 PMDark TranquillityTerminus (Where Death is Most Alive)Fictionnew rotation
9:27 PMTwisted Into FormCodaThen Comes Affliction to Awaken the Dreamernew rotation
9:34 PMMors Principium EstLost Beyond RetrievalLiberation = Terminationnew rotation
9:43 PMDreamlandReverse DenyEye for an Eyenew
9:43 PMTherionPath to ArkadyGothic Kabbalahnew rotation
9:46 PMMechanical PoetThe AfterguideCreepy Tales for Freaky Childrennew rotation
9:48 PMMechanical PoetZhizn', Smert', i Vechniy GorodCreepy Tales for Freaky Childrennew rotation
9:53 PMMyrkgravDe To SpellemennTrollskau Skroent Og Koelabrennignew
9:55 PMPink Cream 69Children of the DawnIn10sitynew
10:00 PMDodheimsgardVendetta AssassinSupervillian Outcastnew

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Melting Point Radio: 2/22/07

FINALLY, putting up the old shows... Here's Feb 22, 2007. Playlist

Playlist for Melting Point: Thursday, Feb 22nd, 2007

DJ: Yuletide

TimeArtistSongAlbum
9:10 PMKiuasBlack Winged GoddessReformationnew rotation
9:10 PMMiserationThronesYour Demons - Your Angelsnew rotation
9:15 PMTherionThulGothic Kabbalahnew rotation
9:21 PMThee Maldoror KollectiveMan With The Meat MachinePilot (Man With Meat Machine)new rotation
9:26 PMSikthBland Street BloomDeath of a Dead Daynew
9:30 PMEssence of SorrowThe Essence of SorrowReflections of the Obscurenew
9:43 PMSymbyosisCrusades Part VIOn the wings of Phoenix
9:43 PMDemiurgCity of IbBreath of the Demiurgnew
9:46 PMEmpyriosInsomniaAnd The Rest Is Silencenew
9:54 PMEventideInto IllusionDiaries from the Gallowsnew
9:56 PMYear of Desolation539Year of Desolationnew
10:00 PMAyreonBack 2 MeCome Back To Merotation

Playlist archive: Melting Point @ WRMC

NEW! Melting Point Podcast Direct iTunes Link! (or search iTMS for "melting point radio")

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Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Heavy Metal on NPR and SPRING 2007!

Our first blog post not podcast related?
TODO NOTE: Make a new blog using wordpress, with podcasts as sidebar posts.

So yeah. Apparently NPR's cross-cultural investigations even venture into the netherworlds of Heavy Metal!

Check out some interesting articles linked below:

On another note, the Spring Semester is underway at last! Our new time is Thursdays 9-10pm.

I'm quite behind in posting podcasts, but hopefully I'll have everything up to date by this week's show. Keep your eyes peeled!

Monday, January 29, 2007

Melting Point Radio 1/25/07

This week: some indie/unsigned acts, some fresh 2007 material, and another visit from our special guest Metal-Levon, all the way from Philly! (Check out his awesome art)

Playlist for Melting Point: Thursday, Jan 25th, 2007

DJ: Yuletide

TimeArtistSongAlbum
10:34 PMNostradameusThe UntouchablesPathwaynew
10:38 PMBattleloreThe Cloak and the DaggerEvernightnew
10:42 PMDaathCosmic ForgeThe Hinderersnew
10:48 PMHelloweenThe King for a Thousand YearsKeeper of the Seven Keys - The Legacy World Tour 2005/2006 - Live in Sao Paulonew
11:00 PMChimairaSixResurrectionnew
11:09 PMSilent ForceWalk the EarthWalk the Earthnew
11:15 PMDragonlandAntimatterAstronomy
11:19 PMKoyaanisqatsyGolden DawnFrom the Yearning to Burst the Perpetual Circle
11:37 PMDethklok MetalocalypseCrush My Battle Opponent's BallsMetalocalypse
11:40 PMZonariaAttendin AnnihilationRendered in Vain
11:45 PMDelian LeagueThe QuestioningDemo #1
11:47 PMBlinded ColonyOnce Bitten, Twice ShyBedtime Prayersnew
11:50 PMDark EmpireNorthern SkyDistant Tides
11:56 PMPersuaderTwisted EyesWhen Eden Burns
12:02 AMBattleheartWenches and MeadTerror on the High Seas
12:07 AMGamma RayMy TempleMajestic

Playlists are here: Melting Point @ WRMC

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Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Melting Point Radio 1/18/07: Global Warming Edition

GLOBAL WARMING EDITION!

Playlist for Melting Point: Thursday, Jan 18th, 2007

DJ: Yuletide

TimeArtistSongAlbum
10:36 PMGraveBurnAs Rapture Comes
10:41 PMSeventh KeyThe Raging FireThe Raging Fire
10:46 PMPagan's MindDimensions of FireCelestial Entrance
10:58 PMPain of SalvationImago (Homines Partus)Be
10:59 PMDimmu BorgirProgenies of the Great ApocalypseDeath Cult Armageddon
11:04 PMSymphony XInferno (Unleash the Fire)The Odyssey
11:29 PMAngraAcid RainRebirth
11:29 PMTherionThree TreasuresGothic Kabbalah
11:29 PMAyreonBack 2 MeCome Back to Me
11:30 PMDecapitatedSpheres of MadnessNihility
11:30 PMStratovariusParadiseVisions
11:37 PMNortherThe Final CountdownDreams of Endless War
11:38 PMMystic ProphecyInto the FireSavage Souls
11:53 PMRhapsodyThe Mighty Ride of the FirelordDawn of Victory
11:53 PMKataklysmMy World BurnsBleeding Earthnessness
11:53 PMArkBurn the SunBurn the Sun

Podcast: http://feeds.feedburner.com/meltingpointradio
Playlist to follow shortly. (link below)

NEW! Melting Point Podcast Direct iTunes Link!
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Melting Point @ WRMC (playlists)

Monday, January 15, 2007

Melting Point Radio 1/11/07: WINTER EDITION

Playlist for Melting Point: Thursday, Jan 11th, 2007

DJ: Yuletide

TimeArtistSongAlbum
10:51 PMLuca TurilliLord of the Winter SnowKing of the Nordic Twilight
10:51 PMFall of the LeafeWithin the Everfrozen WinternightEvanescent, Everfading
10:51 PMAmorphisBlack Winter DayTales from the Thousand Lakes
10:51 PMBlind GuardianUnder the IceA Night At the Opera
10:51 PMCatameniaIced OverWinternight Tragedies
10:55 PMSymphony XA Winter's Dream Part 1 (Prelude)The Damnation Game
10:59 PMSymphony XA Winter's Dream Part 2 (The Ascension)The Damnation Game
11:18 PMImmortalAt The Heart of WInterAt The Heart of Winter
11:18 PMBlind GuardianNoldor (Dead Winter Reigns)Nightfall in Middle Earth
11:20 PMSwallow the SunDescending WintersGhosts of Loss
11:28 PMWinterlongWinterlongValley of the Lost
11:32 PMCrimson GloryLady of WinterTranscendence
11:50 PMInto EternityTimeless WinterThe Scattering of Ashes
11:50 PMStratovariusWinterFourth Dimension
12:07 AMHecate EnthronedThe Spell of the Winter ForestThe Slaughter of Innocence, A Requiem for the Mighty
12:07 AMDarkthroneThe Pagan WinterPreparing for War
12:07 AMLuca TurilliThrone of IceKing of the Nordic Twilight
12:07 AMRandom songWhateverAwesomeness

Podcast: http://feeds.feedburner.com/meltingpointradio
NEW!Melting Point Podcast Direct iTunes Link! (or search iTMS for "melting point radio")
Files Hosted at the Internet Archive
Melting Point @ WRMC (playlist archive)