Happy Metal Fun Time (Chuck)

March is here, Spring is knocking on your backdoor and for Austin SXSW is about to get all up in you. Although many are critical of what the conference has become in recent years, I for one am still in love with it even in my 19th year of attendance. Exposure to bands I might not regularly get or seeing bands that otherwise would be on huge stages in tiny clubs, just makes me happy. Plus industry folk canoodling together, people I have known for years in town once a year for a visit, magical. Commercialization, sell out, too big for its britches, whatever your argument, SXSW is what you make out of it, and no matter what your level of involvement a good time can be had by all.

That being said this year’s crop of metal bands shows a list not as strong as years past, even the free shows or day parties seem a little lacking in the metal arts, but some more announcements are coming next week and I will be assembling a “master list” of metal, if you are interested, on my blog for that will post on Monday.  The playlist this month is the best of what has been announced so far, hope you enjoy and remember that Austin is nice, but don’t move here.

:Byzantine – A Curious Lot:
:Weedeater – Hot Doughnuts Now:
:Cancer Bats – Arsenic In The Year Of The Snake:
:Veil of Maya – Phoenix:
:Dillinger Escape Plan – Prancer:
:The Well – Trespass:
:Fallujah – Carved from Stone:
:Sick of it All – Road Less Traveled:
:KEN Mode – Your Heartwarming Story Makes Me Sick:
:Power Trip – Conditioned To Death:
:King Parrot – Bite Your Head Off:
:Norma Jean – If You Have it At Five: