Exclusive Interview - Brett Campbell (Pallbearer)

This past Thursday in Chicago, I made my way down to Subterranean on a solo mission to interview one Brett Campbell from the critically acclaimed Pallbearer.  The band was playing a sold out headlining show with Solstafir and Mortals as opening support.  It should go without saying that the concert itself was amazing in every sense of the word.  The interview also happened to turn out really well.  Despite the comedy of everything that was happening around us, we went deep into the essence of Pallbearer's sound and other fun topics.

Be sure to check out the interview after the break!

Mick's Top 15 Albums of 2014

Extreme sunburn is the new corpse paint.

Another year has come and gone, as they tend to do.  I’m sure that my fellow comrades here at Brutalitopia would agree that each year since our inception has gotten better and better, with 2014 certainly being no exception.  MDF was unquestionably the highlight of our year and one we won’t soon forget (read Durf’s remembrance of it here). But aside from making new friends at MDF, attending more concerts, and interviewing some of our favorite artists, 2014 brought a plethora of releases that were more than impressive, to say the least.

Check out my personal top 15 albums after the break and make sure to tell me how wrong I am in the comments!

Durf's Top 15 Albums of 2014

2014 was a banner year in metal for me, primarily because I made it to my first metal festival (Maryland Deathfest); the fact that said festival destroyed all of the expectations I had en route to being one of the premier music experiences of my life certainly helped that.  More than any of the albums on my list, MDF XII stands out as the top metal anything this year, as well as one of the all-around highlights of my year (though not quite topping the Durfette and I getting engaged, because that was pretty bitchin' too).  It's a nice feeling, because it feels like each year these lists get harder and harder, but the reason they're exponentially harder annually is because there's always so much new music to discover, which is fantastic.  I've been working on this list for the past month, and even in that time albums have been released that have either been added to it or warranted serious consideration.  It kills me every year, knowing that there's at least a decent chance that I completely missed the "best" album of the year, or the album that will eventually become my favorite for the year.  On the other hand, perusing year end and Best Of lists is how I find things I missed, so I take solace in the fact that maybe I heard something you didn't, and by reading this post you'll be introduced to something you'll come to love.  Or you'll wonder how in the hell I'm qualified to write for a metal blog in the first place (hint: I'm not).  Either way, I hope this list finds you in good health, with music in your ears, a cold beer in front of you, and friends all around.  2014 was an insanely great year for metal, so soak it all up, because 2015 promises to bring even more.

Tom's Top 15 Albums of 2014

2014 has been a pretty interesting year for Brutalitopia's lone Jersey boy, buying a house, having a baby in the coming months; life comes at you fast. Such is a love for heavy metal music in its many different flavors 2014 had plenty to offer from one of the most diverse styles of music the planet has to offer, but how did "X" band fair on this list? My list will feature plenty of the usual suspects as well as the "oh, I missed those" types of albums. So sit back and read about my ramblings about my musical listenings during the last calendar year. (I linked a ton of my album reviews in here as well so for further reading on some in here give 'em a click and check them out.)

Angela's Top 10 of 2014

So here we are. Its almost 2015, and I just smelled my first real Christmas tree. In the meantime, I shall write this list. Whilst doing so, my friend, who is one of the best manousch guitarists in the world, has had a band member staying over. I took him to Kroger and when we came back, he decided to boil some water. He took water from the Keurig (thinking it would make the water boil faster on the stove) and mixed it with faucet water, then placing the pot on the gas stove. Holy blah blah, and what Im trying to say is, shit got absolutely insane, and the house almost burned down. The bottom of the Keurig stuck to the bottom of the pot of water, which then was placed on the stove, which then lead to OMFG THE KITCHEN IS ON FIRE.

Seriously you guys, I couldn't have made up a more retarded situation. Therefore, my list was juuuuuuuuust a little shy of what everyone has provided. But hey! Anyone wanna see my cleavage? (this is to make up for my lack of posts this year).

Exclusive Interview: Wildness Perversion (Mortuary Drape)

Mortuary Drape are one of Italy's finest metal exports and a band that is about as obscure and revered as it gets from the Mediterranean. Their occult black metal has garnered them much fanfare in the past and their first album in 10 years; Spiritual Independence, seeks out to tell fans of old that they haven't changed one bit. This old school outfit operates by many ideals that have existed since tape-trading, like getting local fan support and even handling their own mail orders across the world. So what has this revival been like? I asked founding member and vocalist Wildness Perversion for his take.