Nuclear Blast USA - Blogspot

1 Year Ago...

2011-06-29T22:27:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe it's been 1 YEAR since my last blog post! Working at a record label can get extremely busy, and free time can only be described as...wait a minute, what's free time?!

Just wanted to take a minute today to express our thanks to everyone who purchased the new SYMPHONY X album, Iconoclast. It landed on 6 Billboard charts!

We couldn't have done it without your help. It's your support that keeps the bands and this label going strong!

If you still haven't picked it up, you MUST! This album has such an apocalyptic vibe, definitely one to go down in history \m/

- Mike Ruiz
Nuclear Blast USA

EXODUS - Puro Pinche Desmadre at The Key Club!

2010-06-13T18:46:00.000-07:00

Don't you just feel honored when you know you're about to become a part of a historic event?! This just happened for both EXODUS and Nuclear Blast USA this past Friday, June 11, 2010 at The Key Club in Hollywood, CA for the album release show for Exhibit B: The Human Condition.

Not only did the Satanic Hispanics of Los Angeles get to witness the new songs performed live...the band even made an exclusive 'Exodus Satanic Hispanic' shirt JUST for this LA show!

The entire concert was even streamed live on the internet for thrashers across the globe thanks to our friends at Stickam.com (special thanks to Josh, Andy, Ivan and Eric!). We heard there was nearly 40,000 people watching the stream, and about 7,000 people in the chatroom! You can watch the re-broadcast anytime at stickam.com/exodus

Check out the video below and if you were one of the COUNTLESS stage divers, hope you get to see yourself in there! Pictures of the show can be found at our Flickr page too!

Important note for Los Angeles people: If you were one of the few people who knew about the 'free' parking on Cynthia street and Doheny, I got some BAD NEWS for you! Looks like the city added permit parking to that block recently and while walking back to the car, we were welcomed with a $60 parking fine. FUCK YOU BEVERLY HILLS!

PS. For anyone who wants to know why I also hate Beverly Hills parking, read my previous blog post here. It seems I have the worst luck whenever EXODUS and I cross paths. I got another ticket the last time too! Oh the irony...

Let's see how the universe pays it forward to me this time around...
- Mike Ruiz (Nuclear Blast USA)

Soilwork Takes Over Chinatown!

2010-06-07T20:44:00.000-07:00

The Godfathers of Swedish modern metal, SOILWORK, recently held a public listening party for their new record The Panic Broadcast which took place on Friday, June 4, 2010 at The Mountain Bar in the Chinatown district of Los Angeles, CA.

The event was open to the public (21+). Photos from the event are available viewing here. Photos are also available on the bands MySpace and Facebook pages.

It was a fun event to be at where anyone who was there was able to hear the entire album way before release date! We hope everyone who went enjoyed their time and most of all, the music. We sure did! Best of all, Peter Wichers and Dirk Verbeuren were there to chat with all the fans who showed up.

The event lasted from 8:00pm till about 10:00pm. While we were leaving, my friend Hannah and I decided to play with some funny kid rides outside the bar. I'll only include one picture here since the rest get a little crazy, haha ;-P

The night was still early and everyone decided to hit up a bar called Saints and Sinners. By the way, thanks Hannah for giving me directions to the place in a British accent, that really helped, haha. I had never been to the place before, it was a small place, really dark inside, and the bartenders are fire breathers! Too bad I found out too late and I couldn't get a picture of them and the flames, they only did it one time too ;(

- Mike Ruiz (Nuclear Blast USA)

The Boys Are Back In Town!

2010-05-10T17:00:00.000-07:00

Today we had a special visit at the office from the tour bus that HYPOCRISY and SCAR SYMMETRY will be using for their upcoming North American tour!

As you can see, the tour is being sponsored by Marvel Studios & SEGA’s Iron Man 2 the video game, which is in stores now! How cool is that?!

The bus was at our office since we needed to load in their gear, stage props, merch, CD's and all kinds of cool stuff for all of you metalheads to enjoy across North America ;-)

Also on the tour are Hate (Poland), Blackguard (Canada) and Pirate Thrashers SWASHBUCKLE.

This is truly extreme music for extreme people. Are you prepared for A Taste of Extreme Divinity?

For upcoming tour dates, please visit Hypocrisy's MySpace Page.

Don't forget the FREE LIVE CONCERT STREAM on Monday, May 24th!

HammerFall - Bas Rutten's Elite MMA Gym!

2010-04-27T13:00:00.000-07:00

They are IMMORTAL and they will live on!

2010-04-04T21:54:00.000-07:00

Pictures sometimes speak louder than words, in this case, it's also video! On April 2, 2010, Norway's Sons of Northern Darkness IMMORTAL returned to The Avalon in Hollywood, CA.

If you'd like to check some photos out, visit the Nuclear Blast Flickr page and there's some more here. The venue this time around were very 'camera friendly' with the crowd so lots of people were able to record tons of clips and thanks to good ol' YouTube, we've collected some clips for you!

Check some out below:

After the show was over, everyone who had a VIP meet and greet ticket met with the band backstage to get some items autographed. There were fans who had some rare stuff to get signed and some cool shirts too!

These pictures are from a type of 'promo' sheet that IMMORTAL sent out to record labels before they released the album, Sons of Northern Darkness. As fate would have it, the band would ink a deal with Nuclear Blast Records afterwards.

I remember seeing this shirt on eBay a few years ago getting bid amounts up to $60 bucks! It's a real killer shirt. (I like band shirts with the 'red logo and white art' look. It gives it a mega old-school feel).

Here are some photos that were taken back in the early 90's. This fan has been saving these pictures all these years for a chance to have them signed by Abbath himself. He succeeded!

I'm sure some people are aware that The Avalon turned into a nightclub afterwards, with some bizarre music.
The night was still early (the show ended around 10:30pm I think) and Kim and I decided to stick around, crash The Avalon and unleash some dance floor desecration! haha. Besides, we received some free drink tickets earlier and we decided to put them to good use and get drunk off of plain orange and cranberry juice (served in paper cups! haha). We didn't care if we looked like fools, we were just being complete goofballs.

By the way, if you live in Southern California, and felt that earthquake...a friend of mine said 'I think our infiltration of the dance floor on Friday caused some sort of cosmic imbalance between the forces of metal and techno' haha, so sorry about that guys! It seems the phantom lord wasn't too happy with our dance moves ;-)

Thrash Attack!!! EXODUS + TESTAMENT invade the Hollywood Palladium!

2010-04-04T20:08:00.000-07:00

Don't have a clue how we all have survived such a crazy week. Let's start off with March 31 - the day that Thrash declared their moment in history with EXODUS, TESTAMENT and Megadeth under one roof at the Hollywood Palladium. By the way, did I mention that the show was SOLD OUT?!

My co-worker got word that people were selling tickets last minute for up to $300 on the streets, craigslist, etc. Crazy! This is why you shouldn't wait till the last minute people ;-)

The morning started off with a quick trip to the venue to drop off some posters for the band to sign. The quick little trip can be seen below. Some pictures from the rest of the night can be viewed here and here.

The day after, the Thrash continued with EXODUS as we headed to the video shoot for the tracks 'Downfall' and 'Hammer and Life' from the bands album, Exhibit B: The Human Condition. Some clips from that can be seen on the footage above too.

Later in the afternoon, I was asked if I could pick up something for one of the guys at a deli down the street. On our way back to the studio, Kim and I get stopped by the cops (lame!). Apparently, one of my brake lights weren't working so they gave me a citation (double lame!), wanted to search my car, and then let us go since they couldn't find anything. When they were done hassling us, I said "see ya" and Kim added "wouldn't wanna be ya!" haha, good one Kim!

Thanks again to the 8 lucky fan extras who showed up and banged their heads extra hard for so long throughout all the re-takes. Also to the 3 lucky fans who showed up for their exclusive photo shoot with the band members.

The shoot ended around 8:45pm and Loana dP Valencia (EXODUS' publicist) suggested we take some of the guys to a Mexican restaurant in East LA called El Tepeyac since we were really near. So off we went and let me just say...this place has some MAJOR SIZE Mexican food.

While we were there, one customer ordered a burrito the size of half my arm. I think it was one of those 'eat it all and it's free' kind of deals. Kim bought a veggie burrito, and they accidentally made two, so the restaurant just let us keep the extra one on the house and I ate it. I have to say, it kinda made my day since my last trip to get food costed me a police citation, and this trip rewarded me with a free meal. I guess it's just the universe's way of giving things back ;-)

By the way, on our way back to the studio from El Tepeyac, I was stalked AGAIN by two police cars for a few blocks. Looks like East LA is flooded with them, so also be on the lookout for that guys!

Anyway, stay tuned since we'll be posting another blog with behind the scenes pics and a short teaser clip for the videos!

- Mike Ruiz (NB USA)

Survival of The Bravest! Kreator + Kataklysm at House of Blues Hollywood!

2010-03-27T13:19:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I last checked in here, sorry guys! Things at the office have been sooooo busy that I haven't had much time to blog recently. That and there wasn't much to write about either (unless you'd like to read about the mountains of projects I need to tackle at work and prepping for tax time at home, haha).

This past Tuesday, March 23rd, German Thrashers KREATOR (who we can proudly say are now on the Nuclear Blast Records label, hell yeah!) and KATAKLYSM were in town celebrating KREATOR's 25th Anniversary Tour!

I got to the show right before KATAKLYSM was about to hit the stage. It was strange to see the second floor of the House of Blues closed off to the public. It seems the venue is able to expand the second level of the venue whenever they'd like.

From the first floor, it looked like there was big wooden box right above us. I took a glimpse at what it was later on and it was an addition of a larger bar (although there was nobody in there?).

On the plus side, it made the first floor feel very 'full' and KATAKLYSM, as always, knows how to bring it! I think this may be their last tour for the album, Prevail, so catch the band if they're heading your way. It looks like they won't be back until the new album is out! That and who knows, maybe Maurizio's EX DEO will be touring North America in the near future too ;)

As soon as KREATOR hit the stage, I don't think I've ever seen a crowd go THAT crazy at the House of Blues Hollywood before. While I was taking some pics from the photo area, during the first track alone, I lost count of how many crowd surfers we had to watch our backs for!

As mentioned, this is the bands 25th Anniversary Tour. The album Endless Pain was released in 1985, one year before I was even born! But KREATOR has been around way before that though, since 1982 I think! I can't believe all that time has gone by. These guys have truly earned their spot amongst the Thrash Metal hall of fame.

They played all the hits like Hordes of Chaos, Phobia, Enemy of God, Pleasure To Kill, Extreme Aggression, Violent Revolution and so many others I lost count!

It's time to raise the Flag of Hate!!

Mike Ruiz (NB USA)

Beware the Ides of March! The Final War is here!

2010-03-15T10:48:00.000-07:00

If you're into the Roman Empire, 300, Spartacus: Blood and Sand, Clash of The Titans, or anything that includes bloody battle scenes, then this brand new video from EX DEO is sure to quench your sadistic taste!

Properly debuting on March 15, better known as the 'Ides of March,' check out the video below for the track "The Final War (Battle of Actium)" from the band's debut album, Romulus, and let us know what you think!

Hey Guess What?!

2010-02-26T23:01:00.000-08:00

Have you any idea how excited I am about the upcoming CATHEDRAL album, The Guessing Game?!

Working for a record label has it perks, and one of the best is having the privilege to hear an album waaaay before release date. I've been playing this album non-stop! There is so much UK's CATHEDRAL have to offer with their latest album, and every time I listen to it, I always notice something new and exciting.

Have you also seen the stunning artwork?! My co-worker and I were just discussing how bad ass it would be to have a life-size poster of the full artwork (made by artist Dave Patchett).

As for the music itself...can you guess what it sounds like? Well, I'll let the mystery continue a bit longer. Rumor has it, the band will be posting samples of the new album on their MySpace page very soon...

- Mike Ruiz (NB USA)

Epica + Threat Signal + Blackguard take over the House of Blues in Hollywood!

2010-02-19T21:00:00.000-08:00

As February comes to a end, I have to say that it's been such a great month filled with such a diversity of concerts featuring many of Nuclear Blast's finest artists.

This past Thursday (February 18th), we were visited by Nuclear Blast's very own: Dutch metallers EPICA, Canada's THREAT SIGNAL and BLACKGUARD (that I might add are on the European branch of Nuclear Blast Records).

I'll start off by saying that the guys and girl (their drummer) in BLACKGUARD are one of the most energetic bands I've seen these days. From start to finish they like to run around on stage, synchronize head spin like there's no tomorrow (I'm amazed that they can even stand up straight after all that spinning, I'd be as dizzy as a man on his 5th shot of Tequila!).

You can also tell they have a great time interacting with the crowd during and in-between songs. The band even spent the rest of the night by their merch table signing autographs and chatting it up with anyone who came to visit them. Very cool to see!

Up next were THREAT SIGNAL, who I'm very glad to see again at a much larger venue this time around. The last time they were in Los Angeles (in early July of '09), it was at a small bar in Glendale, with no air conditioning...and to top it off, on a VERY hot summer night. We were dying in there!

Although THREAT SIGNAL are on the road in support of their second album, Vigilance, these guys have been around and touring long enough to know how to put on a great show. Because this is such a diverse tour between all three bands, it took the crowd a little getting used to at first, but they quickly warmed up and before you knew it, a pit broke out and they began to clap with the music and rock out!

Jon Howard was telling me later in the evening how EPICA fans walked up to the band after their performance (at their merch table) and told them that it was their first time seeing them and that they really liked their sound. Thus, a new fan is born!

Last, but not least, was the band everyone was eagerly waiting for! I have to admit, this is the third time EPICA have performed in Los Angeles and the first time I have seen them live. I can honestly say their performance has definitely landed in my list of 'best concert experiences' yet.

Their sound can only be described in one word: massive. It spans the perfect mixture of extreme death metal to haunting melodies, dark symphonic passages, orchestra and atmospheric vocals. The music can appeal to every metal fan for sure! I saw some people in Belphegor, Marduk, Arch Enemy and other extreme metal band shirts rocking out to EPICA so it's awesome to see it starting to branch out.

Their front-woman, Simone Simons can charm anyone with her out of this world beauty and with a voice that can compel anyone and everything in it's presence. Not only does she have an incredible voice, but the woman knows how to rock out just as intensely as as her band mates! As soon as that music starts, there's no stopping that fiery red hair of hers.

Every track they're playing on this tour has something different to offer and is sure to please all the old fans and new fans! My favorites were 'Resign To Surrender,' 'Tides of Time,' and 'Consign To Oblivion.' They even played the 'Imperial March' :-D

Also, if you're going to one of the upcoming shows, stick around by their merch table afterwards. You might get lucky and the band members might show up to meet their fans and sign some things for you ;-)

They did this at the Los Angeles show so they might do it at other shows too. Later in the night, we found a copy of the setlist on the floor. It turns out someone had made a paper airplane out of it! What the F***amily?! Oh well, their loss is our gain. We took a picture of it the next morning and here it is in case you're wondering what the setlist was.

Check them out, you'll be glad you did!
- Mike Ruiz (NB USA)

Testament at the Revolver Golden God Awards Press Conference at The Rainbow

2010-02-17T21:00:00.000-08:00

Our very own Chuck Billy (of TESTAMENT) alongside Rob Halford (JUDAS PRIEST), Lemmy Kilmister (MOTÖRHEAD), Dave Mustaine (MEGADETH), Zakk Wylde (BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, OZZY OSBOURNE), Vinnie Paul (HELLYEAH, PANTERA), Kat Von D (L.A. Ink) and NFL Dallas Cowboys Marc Columbo, Cory Proctor and Leonard Davis were on hand on

Wednesday, February 17, 2010 at a press conference held at the Rainbow Bar & Grill on the world famous Sunset Strip in Los Angeles to announce the nominees of nine different categories — plus the recipients of this year's prestigious Golden God Award and the Revolver Golden Gods Lifetime Achievement Award — for the second annual Revolver Golden Gods Awards.

Video footage of the press conference can be viewed in two parts below (courtesy of Full Metal Jackie).

This year's Revolver Golden Gods Awards presented by Epiphone will take place Thursday, April 8, 2010 at Club Nokia in downtown Los Angeles. The show will later be televised on VH1 Classic Saturday, May 22 (air time to be announced).

This year, hosting duties for the Golden Gods will be shared between musician, activist and entrepreneur Andrew W.K. and professional wrestler, actor, author and metal fan Chris Jericho.

MESHUGGAH MADNESS

2010-02-17T19:26:00.000-08:00

For those who don't play an instrument but are willing to sell your immortal souls for the skills & stamina to learn a MESHUGGAH tune, here's another option for you!

And for those who missed out on THIS little gem, remember: HEADBANGERS ARE BORN, NOT MADE!

\m/ \m/

Suffocation - House of Blues Hollywood

2010-02-13T21:00:00.000-08:00

On February 12th, we headed up north to catch the return of one of Death Metal's finest, SUFFOCATION!

Parking in Hollywood is always pricey, so if you're looking for a good deal, we suggest you park on the corner of Santa Monica Blvd. and Kings Rd. for $4.00 and walk up to the venue (just make sure to check what time the parking structure closes, some nights they're open till 2:30am, some night they close up earlier), and the last thing you want is getting your car locked in until the next morning! It's happened to two of us before ;-(

On the plus side, on the walk up to the venue, we sometimes run into some wacky things. On this night, we stumbled upon this wacky car and I had to take a picture of wacky Kim next to it!

SUFFOCATION's recent tour w/ Devildriver came to a finale at the House of Blues in Hollywood, CA. The band are continuing to tour in support of their latest album, Blood Oath. Always impressive and constantly innovative, it's no wonder so many bands 'grab' their sound from these guys ;-)

Check out some photos from the event below:

Enjoy!
- Mike Ruiz (NB USA)

WORLD MUSIC

2010-02-11T10:47:00.001-08:00

This rendition of Deep Purple's "Smoke On The Water" is a MUST-SEE. It speaks VOLUMES to how music defies borders and brings people, cultures, and nations together. I'm sure Ritchie Blackmore, Ian Gillan, Roger Glover, Jon Lord, and Ian Paice would be proud! \m/ \m/

Smoke on the water

Saint Joss | MySpace Music Videos

~Loana @ NB USA

In The Name of All That Is Metal

2010-02-10T20:00:00.000-08:00

What happens when you combine the talents of three extreme bands on the last night of a tour? TOTAL CHAOS!

On Tuesday, Feb. 9th, Nuclear Blast artists EXODUS and ARSIS took the stage alongside headliners ARCH ENEMY on the final date of the 'Tyrants of Evil' North American Tour at the House of Blues in Hollywood, CA.

This marked ARSIS' first North American tour in support of their latest album, Starve For The Devil, so it was great to hear new songs played live like "Forced To Rock."

Watching the band go through a couple of line up changes and it's ups and downs throughout the previous years wasn't easy. It's good to see that Jim has found what I hope to be the strongest line up for ARSIS.

Up next is a band that needs no introduction! Known for its die hard fans, and I mean EXTREME die hards...EXODUS fans are known for causing some major damage in the pit (broken bones, bloody noses, twisted ankles, fractured this, torn that, you get the point). As seen in the picture to the right, this guy from El Salvador wasn't so lucky...

It's a good thing no one from the Hollywood show ended up like this. I think it's because LA metalheads don't go to shows to die :-)

To be fair, I hear the more south bands go, the more ravenous the fans get! Everyone at the Hollywood show was there to have a good time. As they say, Good Friendly Violent Fun.

Even Nuclear Blast publicist Loana dP Valencia and New Media Marketing assistant Kimberly Galdamez joined in on the madness and crowd surfed in the name of Thrash! Thanks to Amanda G. Hernandez for the pics of the two.

EXODUS are touring in support of their latest 2DVD+CD release, Shovel Headed Tour Machine: Live at Wacken and Other Assorted Atrocities. You can pick it up on tour or at the Nuclear Blast USA web shop.

Speaking of tours, EXODUS will tour once again alongside Megadeth and Testament this March! If you don't have your tickets yet, you can buy them online here.

EXODUS is a band not to miss!

After the show was over, we met up with the guys to congratulate them on a tour well done and to say our goodbye's.

Since it was the last night of the tour, every band on the tour were saying their farewells to each other and were on their way to board their flights back home.

We managed to snap these shots with them before they left.

We survived the EXODUS / ARSIS show,
- Team NB USA

NEW SCHOOL / OLD SCHOOL

2010-02-10T18:30:00.000-08:00

I DON'T KNOW WHAT I DID TO DESERVE LAST NIGHT.

Not only was this one of the tours I could not WAIT to experience, but it had SEVERAL highlights:

1) Getting to meet the new generation of headbangers in Tiffany, the 11-year-old young thrasher who was raising her fist, shouting, and singing along all night AND her hella cool mom Elda (also a headbanger!), who brought her out to the ARCH ENEMY/EXODUS/ARSIS on a school night. Who wouldn't want to have a daughter like Tiffany and a mom like Elda?! They're lucky to be in the same family!!!

2) Getting to stage dive during EXODUS' set while the band played "Piranha" from Bonded By Blood. When I experience EXODUS' maniacal energy live, there's just NO WAY I can stop my own adenaline levels from shooting sky high. Singer Rob Dukes pulled me up on stage after I was crowd surfing and said, "The only way you're getting off this stage is if you stage dive!" Who am I to refuse the equivalent of a triple-dog dare?! (Not that I needed it, mind you. *wink*)

3) Discovering the talents of photographer Amanda G. Hernández, whose gorgeous photos of ARSIS, EXODUS, ARCH ENEMY and the House of Blues Hollywood audience left me in awe. We have something very special in store for her talents, so keep your ear to the ground for details!

I got home at 4 a.m. and fell asleep with the B-I-G-G-E-S-T smile on my face in the same clothes I wore to the show. *lonnnnnnng siiiiiiiiiigh*

I LOOOOOVE MY JOB AND I LOOOOOOVE MY LIFE!!!

THRASH 'TIL DEATH!!!

~Loana @ NB USA

Nile + Immolation Take Over The Sunset Strip!

2010-02-04T14:59:00.000-08:00

February definitely seems to be the month for tons of great shows! The first would have to be the recent NILE and IMMOLATION show on February 2nd at the House of Blues in Hollywood, CA.

IMMOLATION are the direct support band touring for their brand new album, Majesty and Decay, which also happens to be their debut album with Nuclear Blast Records.

Lucky enough for the Los Angeles fans, the band performed the brand new track "The Purge" and they even had the new album, Majesty and Decay, available for purchasing at the bands merch table!

If you're going to one of the upcoming shows, head over to their table to pick it up!

Once it was time for NILE to hit the stage...actually, sometimes pictures speak louder than words, so the picture to the left should tell you exactly how the crowd felt!

NILE are back and better than ever! They're currently touring in support of their latest album, Those Whom The Gods Detest.

Throughout the night you can hear people yelling different tracks they wanted to hear live. Then Dallas said something like, "We'll be stuck here all night long if we play all those tracks!" or "You'll have to wait till the end of the night to hear that one!"

Then I think he gave the finger to someone who wanted to hear "Free Bird," haha.

NILE were on target throughout the whole night. Check out the video clip below of the band performing the track "Kafir!"

After NILE finished their set, I saw Karl Sanders walking towards the fans and signing as many autographs and taking as many pictures with fans as he could. Very cool to see him do that for the fans.

Later that night we met with all the guys and spoke with them for a bit. I got my 'nerd' on and talked tech with NILE's webmaster Michelle and Ross of IMMOLATION :-P

All in all, the night turned out great. The performances were awesome, the fans went nuts (in a good way!) and we can't wait to see them come back again soon.

After looking at the time, we realized it was getting late so we decided to take off and on the way home we decided to surf the radio stations when Kimberly suddenly found...

Signing out!
~ NB USA

Agnostic Front - NYHC Meets The OC

2010-01-31T15:48:00.000-08:00

It's not so often legendary hardcore band AGNOSTIC FRONT make it over to the west coast, so every chance a fan gets to see them, they take it! So what did this mean for us? ROAD TRIP!

January 30th marked the final show of AGNOSTIC FRONT's recent Victim in Pain 25th Anniversary Tour (at The Galaxy Theater in Santa Ana, CA) where the band played the album live in its entirety. As the band writes "THIS WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN!" so we were glad to be there!

The night got off to a bumpy start where we think some crew stirred up some type of situation inside the venue, but cops were called up quickly and things went back to normal.

What happened to the unity?! :-O

As we were waiting for AGNOSTIC FRONT to go on, we kept ourselves busy watching Death By Stereo and eating some snacks Kim had brought with her: chocolate covered raisins and Silk chocolate soy milk (since Kim was the 'straight-edge' for the night).

Yeah! Don't be hatin' just cuz you ain't got no milk! Besides, who says you need to have a beer to have a good time? haha

These raisins tasted more like M&M's, try them out. They're called raisinets.

Anyhow, back to the night! AGNOSTIC FRONT had no moment to spare and took the stage at 11:30pm and opened up with the track "Victim In Pain" and all hell broke loose!

The word 'vicious' is what I can only describe the pit to be. Even though there were 'No Moshing' signs posted everywhere, everyone chose to defy and act their rage! I saw at least 4 or 5 people being escorted out by security within the first 10 minutes of the set. It was insane!

Long outliving their now-legendary contemporaries like Minor Threat, SSD, Dead Kennedys and Black Flag, AGNOSTIC FRONT could easily live off their laurels, but their fight isn't over!

Even at this point in their career, they still have the energy of a 20 year old and there's no sign of them slowing down!

When speaking with them later that night, they mentioned that they're already working on the next album!

Check out the video above of the band performing the track "For My Family" from the album, Warriors, released on Nuclear Blast Records.

One proud fan:

As the band states:
"We support UNITY! We despise ignorance and hatred within our scene. The only people we should be at war with is those who oppress us, not with each other. Unite! Fight the system! Not ourselves! Believe! Hardcore!"

Mike, Kim, Gerardo ~ NB USA

Wacky Phone Messages + Fan Mail

2010-01-28T16:42:00.000-08:00

If there's something weird and it don't look good. Who you gonna call? NUCLEAR BLAST!

In case you're wondering why the stranger calling is asking for Century Media, we share the same building with that record label too so sometimes they call us by mistake.

We also get some weird ass fan mail once in a while too:

Happy Little Boozers...Taking It To The Streets!

2010-01-27T23:58:00.000-08:00

Whenever rain hits Los Angeles, freeway traffic is inevitable. So last night (January 26th) we decided to take it to the streets and carpool it to the Ultra Violet Social Club!

Why you ask? Well, we had some special visitors in town! Finland's wacky KORPIKLAANI and pirate metallers SWASHBUCKLE!

To avoid freeway traffic, we drove right thru the heart of Downtown Los Angeles where it still felt like the holiday season. Lots of bright lights at every turn!

Downtown LA has many places to visit. If you're ever in the area, drive around and check it out, just try not to end up in Skid Row! These pictures were taken right by the Nokia Theater and Chinatown.

Entering the venue, you could immediately feel the folky atmosphere from the crowd. Everyone was there to have a great time and it showed!

As you can imagine, we saw some interesting things that night. We stumbled upon Xena warrior princess, Captain Jack Sparrow, guys wearing kilts and war paint, inflatable tropical trees, a shark and a stage diving parrot!

Of course, that could only be a sign that our very own SWASHBUCKLE were up next. They're currently touring in support of their latest album, Back To The Noose. Very thrashy stuff!

At one point, I think I heard admiral nobeard say "...it's all about the hook, not the hammer!" Hah!

They really got the crowd going. Brutal pits, crowd surfers and an all out 'every pirate for himself' riot.

Later that night, the band everyone was anxiously waiting for, KORPIKLAANI, finally took the stage and everyone rushed it to the front. The band is currently touring in support of their latest album, Karkelo.

They played all the crowd favorites like Vodka, Happy Little Boozer, Wooden Pints and many more.

If you were able to catch them during this tour, hope you had a blast! There are only a few dates left in the northern west, so make it out if you can. The last of the dates can be found here.

Mike + Kimberly ~ NB USA

Three Killer Events Going Down Tonight for SUFFOCATION

2010-01-19T11:58:00.000-08:00

As the title reads, there are three awesome events happening tonight!

Nuclear Blast USA and New York based extreme metal legends SUFFOCATION recently stopped by the Fuel TV studio (on January 7, 2010) to have the band perform two songs for The Daily Habit Show.

... and now fans can turn on their TV to watch the band tear through the tracks "Blood Oath" and "Cataclysmic Purification" TONIGHT, January 19th!

The Daily Habit is FUEL TV’s first original daily series, telecast weeknights at 9:00 pm ET (6:00 pm PT) while re-airing later in the evening at 12:00 am ET (9:00 pm PT), and the following weekday at 2:30pm ET (11:30am PT) and 5:30pm ET (2:30 pm PT).

For those of you who don't have access to FuelTV, there is another awesome event happening tonight! SUFFOCATION will be streaming their concert tonight LIVE on the web for FREE for fans worldwide! For more info, please click here.

Thirdly, catch SUFFOCATION on tour right now with DEVILDRIVER, GOATWHORE and THY WILL BE DONE supporting their latest record Blood Oath!

Make sure to get your tickets and release your rage in the pit!

These are not to miss!

Mike Ruiz ~ NB USA

Exodus' DVD Premiere in Los Angeles

2010-01-11T18:28:00.000-08:00

It has only been a little bit over a week since I became part of the Nuclear Blast USA staff and I have already had some experiences others would die for. Attending this premiere was something I highly anticipated all week, not like someone as part of the staff but as a fan. It wasn't just the fact that I would get to view Exodus' Shovel Headed Tour Machine Live at Wacken and Other Assorted Atrocities alongside the legendary bay area-thrash band themselves, but that I would also be surrounded by a group of people that are just as crazy about them as I am. I made sure to arrive on time that night. I pulled into the Steven Allen Theater parking lot at 7:30pm, and wasn't surprised that there were only about four parking spots left. Hungry metalheads who were waiting for the premiere enjoyed burgers from the "Grill 'Em All" food truck that came out to support.

As everyone began to make their way into the theater for the big show, I prepared my camera and headed upstairs to the VIP room where Exodus and other exclusive indiviuals were. Upon entering the room, I stepped back and just observed the atmosphere. Never before had I been so close to Exodus without a stage and barricade seperating us. I watched them have conversations with those around them excitedly. Then I noticed a noticeably bright zoot suit walking amongst the crowd. Rob Dukes had decided to dress up for the occasion, while the other band members settled with their street clothes.

I proceeded to walk amongst everyone and snapped pictures of people conversing, having a drink, and enjoying themselves.

Soon enough we all had to make our way downstairs to our seats to enjoy what we had all gathered for that Friday night, the Exodus DVD premiere. Shortly after everyone became seated the room darkened and the screen lit up with footage of Exodus playing Wacken took over. What a powerful way to begin the show! Thousands of Exodus maniacs filled the screen with their fists raised high. The documentary DVD took us all through the bands intimate journey on tour, as a band, and their lives off-stage. Together we all shared laughs with Exodus' "Non-Metal Moments" and outrageous behavior. There was a balance of Exodus history of the band and current line-up that kept us all interested and by the end made us feel like we knew them all on a personal level. My friends and I couldn't stop pointing out how Gary Holt still has as much passion for thrash metal as he did in the 80's. If only all musicians could keep that fire burning like he does.

The fun didn't end after the DVD viewing was over. There was an Exodus Q&A session right after, which turned out to be more interactive than just a couple fan questions and generic responses. We learned that Tom Hunting is out-of-date with technology, Rob's voice is so loud he doesn't need the assistance of a voice monitor, and Gary Holt professed his love for Satan as well as his hate for Domino's for their abortion pizzas. After all the good laughs Raffle Ticket winners were called. Third place winner won a copy of the DVD signed by the band, Second place winner won a pair of tickets to the upcoming show in Hollywood on February 9, 2010, and First place winner took home a sleek ESP guitar that Lee Altus jokingly wanted to keep for himself.

We were all fortunate to enjoy Exodus' company after all was done. They walked around the theater talking to fans, signing posters, answering more fan questions, and being the humble band they are.

Exodus is living proof that thrash metal never died, and isn't going to take a rest anytime soon.

For as long as Exodus takes the stage Thrash Metal Maniacs will contiune to bang their heads relentlessly and dance the toxic waltz!

To read other reviews visit Full Metal Rock and Invisible Oranges

Kimberly Galdamez - NB USA

Oh Mama Mia! Mama Mia!

2010-01-07T22:40:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone!

Just thought I'd check in real quick with a hilarious video I found on YouTube. Anyone who listens to Queen, anyone who's watched Wayne's World or is a fan of classic rock has heard this song at least once in their lifetime.

Well now you get to experience it, Muppet-style! :-P

What do you guys think? Should we attempt something like this for a Nuclear Blast band? An IMMORTAL panda bear video? A NILE mummy invasion? Or perhaps a SWASHBUCKLE pirate ship takeover at sea? hehe

That reminds me, make sure you check them out if they're playing a town near you!

Asta la vista!

Mike Ruiz ~ NB USA

...A Taste of HELL

2010-01-06T13:27:00.000-08:00

Today we had a special visit at the Nuclear Blast USA (and Century Media) office from the Grill Em All Food Truck! These guys travel around and feed the ravenously hungry metalheads in town.

Of course, what better location to visit than the home of Nuclear Blast's Los Angeles office! Above is a picture of 3 staffers from the NB USA team ;-)

Grill Em All's menu is BAD ASS too! They have stuff like:

'molly hatchet'

seared fennel smoked sausage gravy, apple wood smoked bacon, maple drizzle

'waste 'em all'
marinated green chilies, pepper jack, beer soaked onions

'behemoth'
grilled cheese buns, smoked cheddar, apple wood smoked bacon, beer soaked onions

'carcass'
veggie pattie, guacamole, pico de gallo, frizzled onions

...and other specials.

They were even blasting IMMORTAL's newest album, All Shall Fall, which was a killer suprise. For those who haven't heard, IMMORTAL will be coming back to town real soon so get your tickets here!

Grill 'Em All is led into the burger battle by the team of Chef Ryan Harkins and Matthew Chernus. If you visit the lunch truck from hell around town, tell them Nuclear Blast sent ya :-P

Until next time!

Mike Ruiz ~ NB USA

The Holidays with EXODUS

2010-01-05T18:50:00.000-08:00

2010 will definitely have its highlights that I have yet to experience (can you say American Carnage tour?!), but the holidays came early for me when EXODUS started their live, in-studio streams in December '09. I'm not a fan of soap operas (in English OR Spanish) and I don't arrange my life around t.v. shows, but those in-studio shenanigans of one of my favorite thrash metal bands of all time were something I COULD NOT MISS. I laughed SO hard & learned SO MUCH about these guys... it just made me dig them all the more. The bonus footage on their new DVD (out on January 12th - L.A. fans should come to the DVD premiere on Friday, January 8th @ The Steve Allen Theater; the guys will be there!) is no less riveting. So my wish for 2010 is this: Can we get bonus video footage of these guys with EVERY future EXODUS album? THAT would definitely be something to look forward to, besides the new EXODUS album (Exhibit B: The Human Condition), of course. Remember: THRASH FOR LIFE & THRASH 'TIL DEATH!!! \m/ \m/ ~Loana @ NB USA

Let's celebrate 2010!

2010-01-01T12:37:00.000-08:00

...and make this one hell of a year!

Hi everyone!

We just launched this official blogspot page where the Nuclear Blast USA staff will keep everyone in the loop on the latest happenings, behind the scenes and the many adventures that our life in music takes us (and other random stuff too).

So get to know us!
Follow us, spread the word and join the ride ;-)