Inter Arma ticket give away

Inter Arma at DC9

This Friday, March 24th, one of Richmond’s best metal bands, Inter Arma, returns to the stage at DC9! We’re big fans of Inter Arma here at DCHM so we’re giving you readers a chance to win a free pair of tickets to the show. To enter this contest leave a comment on this post telling me what the best show you’ve seen in a small venue was. “Small venue” is loosely defined here but let’s leave festivals, arenas and massive pavilions out of it at least. At 5pm EST this Wednesday, March 22nd, a winner will be chosen at random (using Random.org) from all valid entries to win the pair of tickets. Be sure to use a valid email you check regularly so I can contact you if you win. Don’t worry, I won’t add you to any spam lists or sell your info or anything sleazy like that. If I haven’t heard back from the winner in 24 hours another winner will be chosen at random. Please note that this is an early show so if you can’t make it please don’t enter as I’d like to give the tickets to someone that can actually attend the show! If you can’t wait to see if you win or the contest is already over when you read this, then you can get tickets from Ticket Fly for $12 here.

This show might be starting early but don’t think Inter Arma won’t be putting on a hell of a live show. Their intense live performances have become their trademark and earned them the right to tour with Carcass last fall. Now they’re back in DC headlining DC9 just off U Street. Sometimes their songs are intense and brutal while others are trippy and epic but they are all super moody. The opening act on this bill, Holy Mountain Top Removers, is an instrumental band that reminds me of a modern version of artists like the Ventures and Link Wray. Now go check out these videos below and tell me what your favorite concert in a small venue was!

Inter Arma – The Summer Drones

Holy Mountain Top Removers – The Ones Disappearing You

Inter Arma ticket give away

Inter Arma at DC9

Inter Arma is one of the best bands to come out of that awesome Richmond metal scene. On Tuesday, July 5th they’re kicking off their new tour with a show at DC9 and we’re giving away a pair of tickets to the show to one of you lucky DCHM readers! To enter leave a comment on this post telling me what your favorite metal album of the summer is (so far). It can be a brand new release or an old favorite you’ve been playing more for whatever reason. At 5pm EST this Friday, June 17th, 2016, the contest will close and I’ll pick a winner at random (using Random.org) from all valid entries to win the tickets. Be sure to use a valid email you check regularly so I can contact you if you win. Don’t worry, I won’t add you to any spam lists or sell your info or anything sleazy like that. If I haven’t heard back from the winner in 24 hours another winner will be chosen at random. If you can’t wait to see if you win or the contest is already over when you read this, then you can get tickets from Ticket Fly for $12 here.

Inter Arma is hard to place into a genre, I generally tell people they sound kind of like if Neurosis was super pissed off. They always put on an intense live show but this should be a special one. Inter Arma’s new album, Paradise Gallows, is being released by Relapse Records on July 8th and since this is the first date on their tour supporting the album, we’ll be among the first to hear some of these new tunes, and in a live setting no less! Support on this tour is provided by Withered, a black/death band from Atlanta, Georgia. They’ve also got a new album, Grief Relic, that was just released on Season Of Mist. Now check out these videos of the bands below (including a sick new Inter Arma track!) and let me know what your favorite metal album of the summer is!

Inter Arma – Transfiguration

Withered – Feeble Gasp

Inter Arma ticket give away

Inter Arma at DC9

One of Richmond’s sickest bands, Inter Arma, is playing DC9 on Monday, April 13th and we’re so psyched about this show that we’re going to give away a free pair of tickets to it to one of you lucky readers! To enter: just leave a comment on this post telling me what your favorite band from Virginia, Maryland or DC is (it can even be your own band you self promoters). At 5pm this Friday, April 10th, a winner will be chosen at random (using Random.org) from all valid entries to win the tickets. Be sure to enter using a valid email you check regularly so I can contact you if you win. Don’t worry, I won’t add you to any spam lists or sell your info or anything sleazy like that, I hate spam too. If I haven’t heard back from the winner within 24 hours another winner will be chosen at random. If the contest is already over when you read this, or you just can’t wait to see if you win, you can buy them from Ticket Fly for $10 here.

Inter Arma, who are currently signed to Relapse Records, is a hard band to pin a subgenre on. The best thing I have been able to come up with to describe them is to say they sound like a really pissed off Neurosis. Their live shows are always intense so don’t skip this one. Also on the tour with Inter Arma is Yautja, a Tennessee based sludge/grind band that is named after the species of alien in the Predator movies. The local support on this bill comes from the excellent Drugs Of Faith. The band has developed a sound known as grind n roll that is just as angry, but quite a bit more catchy, than your standard grind band. This is a pretty awesome bill and you’re not going to want to miss any of these bands so get there early! Now give a listen to these tracks by the bands below as you leave your comment telling me your favorite area band from VA, MD or DC!

Inter Arma – ‘sblood

Yautja – Denihilist

Drugs Of Faith – Insanity

24 hour ticket give away

There a couple of shows coming up at DC9 in the next week and for you fans that check in to DCHM regularly we’re doing a very short give away for tickets to both shows! On Sunday, March 29th you can catch Miami’s Torche, always a high energy live show, at the venue and on Thursday, April 2nd, Brooklyn’s Liturgy will be there. To enter just tell me which show you’d like to win a pair of tickets to (you can enter for both if you’d like as well, tho different winners will be chosen for each show). But hurry, the winners will be chosen TOMORROW, Saturday March 28th, at 5pm EST, so don’t sleep on this!

The winners will be chosen at random (using Random.org) from all valid entries to win a pair of tickets to either Torche on 3/29 or Liturgy on 4/2. Be sure to enter using a valid email you check regularly so I can contact you if you win, and be sure to check it this weekend, especially if you’re entering for Torche because the show is on the next day. Don’t worry, I won’t add you to any spam lists or sell your info or anything sleazy like that, I hate spam too. If I don’t hear back from the winners new ones will be chosen. I’m keeping this one short today but be sure to check out these sick Torche and Liturgy songs below and tell me which shows you’d like to see!

Torche – Loose Men

Liturgy – Father Vorizen

Torche – Healer

Liturgy – Generation

Metal Show Of The Week: Downfall Of Gaia

Who? Downfall Of Gaia
When? Monday, January 26th
Where? DC9 (map)
How much? $10 at the door or online from Ticket Fly

It’s been a little while since I made a Metal Show Of The Week post but this upcoming show is just so damn good I had to! Downfall Of Gaia is a German black metal band that is signed to Metal Blade and they’re touring the US to support their 2014 full length release Aeon Unveils the Thrones of Decay. The band played DC once before, back in 2011 at an Ethiopian restaurant just a few doors down from DC9 actually. I was there and that show was incredible despite the very DIY sound system so I can’t wait to see them in a proper venue this time. The band has matured since 2011 and their new material is both atmospheric and aggressive, simply put this is some excellent European black metal and we’re getting a rare chance to see these guys play live. The best part? It’s just $10 to get in the door! When was the last time you saw a band from Europe playing a legit venue around here for $10?

There’s some great locals on this bill too. The doom band Foehammer will be playing, you may remember seeing them as the first band to play at my holiday party last month at the Pinch. They’re loud, slow and heavy as hell! Opening the show will be local band black metal Myopic who are always worth getting there early to see. And if you’re in Baltimore the tour will be at the Metro Gallery the night before, Sunday, January 25th, with the bands Set And Setting, Sannhet and Barbelith. Still not convinced? Then check out a few songs by Downfall Of Gaia below and then get your ass out for the rare chance to see these guys live, it’s not like you’re stuck on some expensive cruise right?!?!

Downfall Of Gaia – Of Stillness And Solitude:

Downfall Of Gaia – Carved Into Shadows:

Metal Show Of The Week: Pelican

Who? Pelican
When? Saturday, November 2nd
Where? DC9 (map)
How much? $15 cash at the door or on Ticket Fly

I won’t lie, there’s a ton of great shows coming up in the next week (and beyond) on the DCHM upcoming concert calendar. Dying Fetus/Exhumed, Watain/In Solitude, Orange Goblin, Finntroll… but this week’s pick for metal show of the week goes to a gig that’s a bit more obscure. Chicago’s Pelican is headlining a show at DC9 (right by the 9:30 Club, Velvet Lounge, etc…) this Saturday, November 2nd, and if you don’t know who they are you should check come them out. They’re an instrumental band and they’re not particularly brutal by any means. In fact they’re often labeled as post rock, though they did play at Maryland Deathfest back in May. They’re not overly soft like some instrumental bands though, they’ve got some big riffs in there and they really jam out live. They just put out a new album, Forever Becoming, this month and I’m pretty excited to hear them play some material off of it, particularly the song Deny The Absolute.

Pelican isn’t the only band worth seeing on this bill though. Coliseum is from Kentucky’s punk scene though they’re not your typical punk band. Their songs are actually really well put together with riffs that are very catchy. When I saw Coliseum play a Deathfest after show back in May they were super energetic on stage and they should be a perfect warm up set before Pelican. Coliseum will also be selling tour posters for that look like this so bring a few extra bucks to snag one (or some other merch). There’s also a local punk band called Highway Cross opening the show. I’ll be honest, I’d never heard of them before but they remind me of Fugazi some. You can check them out here and be sure to listen to the tracks I’ve posted by Pelican and Coliseum below as well. I hope to see some of you at the show, it should be a lot of fun!