Heavy metal, and its various extreme offshoots, can be a serious game.  Searing bouts of rage-filled abrasiveness, disenchantment with society, bleak subject matter, and of course unrelenting aggression are some of the defining attributes that we associate with the backbone of extreme music. And really, we wouldn’t have it any other way, which makes the […]

The announcement of the Ghoul Tour was a very exciting moment for the american fans of Dir en Grey. With the Japan-based band’s last US Tour canceled due to the hospitalization of their vocalist Kyo, it had been been a decent number of years since the last US show. Famous for their on-stage self-mutilation, shocking performances, and otherkin-identifying fanbase. Dir en Grey would also be supported by Dagoba, a metal band from France, who had released their fifth full-length album, Post Mortem Nihil Est earlier in the month. It was clear that this event simply could not be missed. On the day of, I set off to attend the show with high expectations.

EPs are usually a fun time to quickly jam through some new material. If the EP sucks, it’ll be over in no time. However, in the case of Ghoul’s Intermediate Level Hardcore, it’s one of the best ways to kill about eight minutes and not ever worry about getting them back. Ghoul has always been […]