The Dillinger Escape Plan - One Of Us Is The Killer

The Dillinger Escape Plan’s fifth album “One Of Us Is The Killer” is a frustrating one. On the one hand, there are a number of the spastic, intense jams that listeners of the band have known to come and love, but on the other the band makes some very questionable moves that scar their otherwise strong track record. 

Exclusive Interview: Steven Wilson

This past Friday, Mick and I had the extreme pleasure of sitting down and talking with the one and only Steven Wilson.  It was the longest interview we've ever done, clocking in at nearly thirty minutes (!) and encompassing a wide range of subjects, including his solo work, his responses to the public's responses to his albums, and his feelings on the term "prog."  Needless to say, it was a huge honor to get to speak with a living legend, and you definitely don't want to miss our interview below.

The Vinyl Spin Debut

Howdy all,

For those who weren't aware, not only was this past Saturday 4/20 but it was also Record Store Day, a celebration of independent record stores where numerous unique vinyls and cds are released.  Wanting to get more into the spirit of things, Durf and I decided to try and launch a potential video series for Brutalitopia entitled "The Vinyl Spin."  

Check out what it's all about after the break (Spoiler Alert: it's about vinyls).

And a Happy Earth Day to YOU!

Greetings everyone!  As you may or may not know (I certainly had to be reminded), today is Earth Day, which means it's time to celebrate this great planet on which we live by trying our very, very best not to fuck it up beyond all recognition!  Obviously we should probably try and recycle more than once a year, but hey, nobody's perfect, so if you can at least give it a go today, we here at Brutalitopia shall raise a glass in your honor.

We Do It Live Fridays: Clutch - Earth Rocker

We'll Do It Live Fridays returns!

Ghost - Infestissumam

It's not every day that you come across a band that can be classified as "the complete package."  You'd be even more hard pressed to find a band that's rightfully deserved the following that Sweden's Ghost has accumulated since their 2010 debut Opus Eponymous.  The live performances...the music...the mythos...Ghost's identity is dependent on them all.  They're a band that the metal community not only deserved, but also one that it needed.  To say that the release of their sophomore effort, Infestissumam, is highly anticipated would be a gross understatement.  Even with the bar set so high, Ghost proves with their latest release that not only are they able to meet expectations, but they can also go above and beyond.

Altar of Plagues - Teethed Glory and Injury

As a fan of black metal, I find myself using plenty of different adjectives to describe the sounds of the genre.  A few of my favorites: “filthy,” “godless,” “muddy,” “dense,” “soul-crushing,” “bleak,” “hopeless,” and “devastating.”  You can make fun combos like “devastatingly godly” or “soul-crushingly heavy” that really speak to the music.  But grammar lesson aside, the reason I bring up black metal descriptors is that on Teethed Glory and Injury, the third full-length from Ireland’s Altar of Plagues, the band seems to be trying to encapsulate all of them.

Killswitch Engage - Disarm The Descent

Whether you know them from their landmark albums Alive Or Just Breathing and The End Of Heartache or are more familiar with the short shorts and cape wearing on-stage antics of their lead guitarist Adam D, it only seemed fitting that the first review gracing our "Sounds Known" section would be from the extremely well known Killswitch Engage.  With Howard Jones gone and their original singer Jesse Leach back at the helm, these metalcore veterans return with their sixth full-length album, Disarm The Descent.  This latest offering brings a very welcome breath of fresh air to the band's discography and quite arguably some of the best tunes they've dished out since the aforementioned landmark albums.

Some News About Some Changes

Now that we’re back and ready to get posting again, we here at Brutalitopia want to fill you in on some of the changes that we’ve made.  Obviously we’re still going to be writing about metal and don’t be alarmed, We'll Do It Live Fridays aren’t going anywhere.  We’re going to try and incorporate a bit more in the way of video and audio, but we’ll wait until some of that content is prepared and ready to post before telling you about it.  We're adapting the site to be more in line with who we are and what we believe about the music we love, and so like a yeti facing dehabitation due to global warming, we're making some changes to ensure the survival of our mythical species.  The most striking of these changes is to our music reviews.

Welcome Back

Hello friends!

We unfortunately don't have a return date for the league's best point guard either, but we hope the news we do have finds you well, enjoying the music and funtivities that make life worth living.  Over the past few months, you may have noticed a conspicuous lack of activity from Brutalitopia, as the three of us embarked on a multitude of adventures and endeavors ranging from incredibly fulfilling to exceedingly monotonous.  You know, like stuff.  However, over the past few weeks, discussions were had, ideas were floated, and finally a decision was made: like the Phoenix, Brutalitopia is rising from the desert of Arizona to oppress anyone who can't produce a driver's license.  Just kidding, we don't care about things like that.  But we are back, and cliched as it may sound, we believe we're stronger and better than ever.

We'll have a lot more information to share about the site in the coming days, including new features on the site, some different things we're going to try out, and (at some point) when new content will begin filtering in. Stay tuned to this page, our brand new owned by us domain, our Twitter (@Brutalitopia), and our newly created Facebook page (www.facebook.com/Brutalitopia) for the latest updates, and we look forward to bringing you fun, enjoyable content centered on the metal we all love so much.

Talk to you guys again real soon.

- Jack, Mick, and Durf