THE BEST OF 2011

A lot of good stuff came out last year.  There were some amazing records and some really good metal songs that pulverized our faces !  And here are my picks for the top 5.

 

+BEST ALBUMS+

1.  Self-titled – TIMES OF GRACE

2.  The Life and Death 0f Plea – A PLEA FOR PURGING

3.  Celestial Completion –  BECOMING THE ARCHETYPE

4.  Kingdoms – LIFE IN YOUR WAY

5.  Children of Fire – OH, SLEEPER

 

+BEST SONGS+

1.  ”Tithemi” – SLEEPING GIANT (Kingdom Days In An Evil Age)

2.  ”Willing” – TIMES OF GRACE (Self-titled)

3.  ”Music City” - A PLEA FOR PURGING (The Life And Death)

4.  ”Internal Canon” – AUGUST BURNS RED (Leveler)

5.  ”Ascension” – LIFE IN YOUR WAY (Kingdoms)

+BEST VIDEOS+

1.  ”Lifewar” – DEMON HUNTER

2.  ”Magnetic Sky” – BECOMING THE ARCHETYPE

3.  ”Heart of a Child” – A PLEA FOR PURGING

4.  ”Eyes Wide Open” – SLEEPING GIANT

5.  ”Seraphim” – FOR TODAY

+BEST ALBUM COVERS+

1.  Celestial Completion – BECOMING THE ARCHETYPE

2.  The Architects of Guilt - THE FAMINE

3.  Leveler – AUGUST BURNS RED

4.  Dissimulation – HOPE FOR THE DYING

5.  Self-titled – TIMES OF GRACE

HXC+NEWS…[05.01]

Don’t miss SCREAM THE PRAYER this summer!!!

Where else can you see War Of Ages, Norma Jean, Sleeping Giant, The Chariot, Close Your Eyes, Texas In July, I The Breather, The Great Commission, As Hell Retreats and Sovereign Strength all together.  Check back soon for all the dates!!

IMPENDING DOOM has left Facedown Records and signed with eOne.  More

AS HELL RETREATS has signed to ANGR.

BECOMING THE ARCHETYPE and DAY OF VENGEANCE on tour right now!! Dates

UNDEROATH and TIMES OF GRACE on tour this summer!! Dates

EMBRACING GOODBYE and HOPE FOR THE DYING have new albums out!!!  Go buy them all!!!

UPCOMING RELEASES:

SLEEPING GIANT – Kingdom Days In An Evil Age (July 12th)

THE GREAT COMMISSION – Heavy Worship (July 12th)

UNDEROATH…On Tour

UNDEROATH and TIMES OF GRACE are heading out on the Illuminatour this summer.

Tour Dates:

Jul 05 – Lincoln Theatre Raleigh, NC
Jul 06 – Crocodile Rock Allentown, PA
Jul 07 – Crazy Donkey Bar and Grill Farmingdale, NY
Jul 08 – Starland Ballroom Sayreville, NJ
Jul 10 – Webster Theater Hartford, CT
Jul 11 – State Theatre Portland, ME
Jul 12 – Northern Lights Clifton Park, NY
Jul 13 – Sonar Baltimore, MD
Jul 15 – Expo Five Louisville, KY
Jul 16 – Pops Sauget, IL Presale
Jul 18 – Riverfront Pavilion Little Rock, AR
Jul 20 – Castle Theater Bloomington, IL
Jul 21 – Headliners Toledo, OH
Jul 22 – Westcott Theater Syracuse, NY
Jul 24 – Higher Ground South Burlington, VT
Jul 26 – The Intersection Grand Rapids, MI
Jul 27 – Eagles Club/The Rave/Eagles Ballroom Milwaukee, WI
Jul 28 – Wheelhouse Cedar Falls, IA
Jul 29 – Granada Lawrence, KS
Jul 30 – Sokol Auditorium Omaha, NE
Aug 01 – The Black Sheep Colorado Springs, CO
Aug 03 – Backstage Live San Antonio, TX
Aug 04 – Rock The Desert Midland, TX
Aug 05 – The Warehouse Whitehouse, TX
Aug 07 – House of Blues New Orleans New Orleans, LA
Aug 09 – Rocketown Nashville, TN
Aug 10 – The Orange Peel Asheville, NC
Aug 11 – The National Richmond, VA
Aug 12 – Newport Music Hall Columbus, OH

HXC+NEWS (02/06/11)

BECOMING THE ARCHETYPE have posted a video of them playing a new song from their upcoming album.  Watch

TIMES OF GRACE are excited to announce that they have solidified the touring lineup for their forthcoming debut tour this February.  More

ONWARD TO OLYMPAS have posted another new song from their upcoming album The War Within You. Listen

THE FAMINE have posted another new song from their upcoming album The Architects Of Guilt.  Listen

HAIL THE BLESSED HOUR have released a new album called Anastasis.  Listen

Not much to report this week…

TIMES OF GRACE…Tour Line-up

TIMES OF GRACE are excited to announce that they have solidified the touring lineup for their forthcoming debut tour this February. The core of the band is Jesse Leach on vocals and Adam Dutkiewicz on guitars/vocals, and they will be supported by guitarist Joel Stroetzel, bassist Daniel Struble and drummer Dan Gluszak. Stroetzel is a familiar name to Times of Grace fans, as he is also guitarist for Killswitch Engage, alongside Adam D., and is an original member who played with Leach while he was singing in KsE. Stroetzel’s involvement in Times of Grace was a happy accident, as he assisted his former and current bandmates when they recorded acoustic performances for iTunes and SiriusXM’s Liquid Metal late last year. Times of Grace were on the hunt for a live guitarist and Stroetzel just clicked, so he decided to once again pitch in for his friends and act as their touring guitarist. Struble is the former singer of Five Pointe O, a long ago labelmate of KsE, while Gluszak is the former drummer of Envy on the Coast. “I am honored to work with such quality people and solid musicians and I can already see the synergy developing and it is very exciting. I truly feel blessed,” Leach said about the touring lineup. Times of Grace will embark on their first tour on February 1st in Baltimore and wrap on February 27th in Boston.  Dates

TIMES OF GRACE – The Hymn of a Broken Man

  7 / 7

One of the first release of 2011 and it may prove to be the best of the year… or the last decade.  This is the perfect combination of beauty of melody and the brutality of metal.  Former KsE singer, Jesse Leech and KsE guitarist/producer, Adam D have join forces to explore the highs and lows of the human condition.  With a positive message, this album will stand out from the crowd, offering something that the metal scene rarely sees… hope.  Songs like “Willing” and “Where the Spirit Leads” border on pure worship, fitting in the pit and in the pulpit.  The title track screams, “…God save your soul… Torn inside… This is the hymn of a broken man…” while the music matches lyrics passion for passion.  A journey of faith and hope that is sure to encourage all who listen.

HXC+NEWS (01/16/11)

 

LIVING SACRIFICE have release a video for “Overkill Exposure” here.  The band is also working on the In Finite Order dvd which will be released later this year.

THE FAMINE have released another new song called “VII The Fraudulent” here.  The band’s new album, The Architects Of Guilt comes out February 15th.

NORMA JEAN and IMPENDING DOOM are heading out this year on the EXPLOSIONS II Tour.  Dates

BECOMING THE ARCHETYPE new album Celestial Completion hits stores on March 29th.

MYCHILDREN MYBRIDE have release a video for their song, “King of the Hopeless” here.

TIMES OF GRACE new album, The Hymn Of A Broken Man is streaming in it’s entirety here.  The record comes out this Tuesday, January 18th.  The band is also hitting the road with WAR OF AGES and STRAIGHT LINE STITCH.  Dates

TIMES OF GRACE…On Tour

TIMES OF GRACE is heading out on the road with WAR OF AGES and STRAIGHT LINE STITCH in support of their new release, The Hymn Of A Broken Man out January 18th.

Feb 1 – Baltimore, MD @ The Quarter
Feb 2 – Atlanta, GA @ the Masquerade (downstairs)
Feb 4 – Dallas, TX @ The Door
Feb 5 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s
Feb 7 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Nile
Feb 8 – Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour
Feb 9 – San Francisco, CA@ Bottom of the Hill
Feb 11 – Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
Feb 12 – Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Ballroom
Feb 14 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex – Grand Room
Feb 15 – Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater
Feb 17 – Minneapolis, MN @ Station 4
Feb 18 – Chicago, IL @ The Bottom Lounge
Feb 19 – Detroit, MI @ Eagle Theater
Feb 20 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
Feb 21 – Toronto, ON @ Mod Club
Feb 22 – New York, NY @ Gramercy Theater
Feb 24 – West Chester, PA @ The Note
Feb 25 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Smalls
Feb 26 – Poughkeepsie, NY @ The Chance
Feb 27 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club

HXC+NEWS (01/09/11)

 

BECOMING THE ARCHETYPE has a new album this year intitled Celestial Completion. The band is also in the process of booking a tour to promote the new release due out in March.

THE FAMINE new album The Architects of Guilt will be out on February 15th.  They have posted a new song “Ad Mortem” here.

SLEEPING GIANT is in the process of recording a new album.  Expect an early summer release.  Frontman Tommy Green has also released a book called Religo-cide which you can get on Amazon.

IMPENDING DOOM is writing new tunes.

GIDEON has just signed to Facedown Records.  Their new album Costs will be out March 1st.

ACE AUGUSTINE is set to release their new album, The Absolute on January 18th.

Old school hardcore heavy weights OVERCOME are back together and releasing a new album called The Great Campaign of Sabotage on February 1st.

HASTE THE DAY has announced the dates for their farewell tour.

TIMES OF GRACE have announced a tour in support of their album, Hymns of a Broken Man out on January 18th.

GNASHING OF TEETH have a new record out on Sancrosanct Records called Walking the Appian Way.

Also coming in 2011 from Facedown:  New albums from Onward To Olympas, As Hell Retreats, Hope For The Dying, Hands, A Hope For Home, My Epic, Take It Back! and more!

TIMES OF GRACE…debut album out Jan 2011

Times Of Grace is a new collaboration between two old friends and colleagues – Adam Dutkiewicz andJesse Leach. Dutkiewicz and Leach are original members of Killswitch Engage, with Leach serving as the band’s vocalist for KsE’s now-classic Roadrunner debut, Alive or Just Breathing, which left its mark on the resurgent, modern American metal scene in 2002. Leach left the band shortly after, but his friendship with Dutkiewicz remained a constant.

Known by friends and fans as Adam D., the beloved guitarist is also one of the most-sought after producers in heavy music, having worked with everyone from Underoath to Unearth. He wrote the music for The Hymn of a Broken Man in his head while recuperating from back surgery, which forced him to sit out aKsE tour. He recruited Leach to sing the songs and a partnership from the past was renewed. The result is a hypercharge yet artfully aggressive album that will entice fans both new and old.