Entries were closed as of Friday, and just a few minutes ago, I printed up the names and addresses, cut them out individually, crumpled them up and stuck them in the plastic cup as you can see above. Then I went around my office and had five winners chosen by my coworkers. Thanks again to everyone who entered (50 people on the dot), and congrats to the following:

Luca in Italy
Dan in California
Mikko in Finland
Erik in Colorado
Eric in Michigan

There you have it. I need to pick up some bigger envelopes and do it up with bubble-wrap and whatnot (can’t take any chances with vinyl, quality pressing though it is), and I should be able to get these out in the next day or two, so if you see your name above — there were a couple Californian Dans, but I don’t want to give out anyone’s last name, so I’ll drop an email — keep an eye out. They should be there shortly.

Thanks again to Play the Assassin Records (Facebook here, Bandcamp here) for donating the picture discs to the cause, and to Moth Eater and Black Thai for putting together a killer split. Congratulations again to the winners and hopefully we’ll be able to do more of this kind of thing in the future, so stay tuned.

Play the Assassin Records was kind enough a while back to give me five copies of the Lowering the Doom split between Long Island metallers Moth Eater and Boston‘s Black Thai. All you have to do to win one is enter with your name, email and address below. That’s it. You send that over, I email to let you know you’ve won and send you a killer, free, limited edition 10″ vinyl with demo tracks from two awesome bands, and everyone goes home happy. Pretty simple stuff. Enter here:

[NOTE: This contest is now closed. Thanks to all who entered.]

Contest runs until the end of this week. All are welcome to enter. Please note that I have neither interest in sharing your personal information with anyone, nor anyone to share it with if I did, nor the know-how to go about actually doing so. If you trust in nothing else, trust in my utter incompetence and suckdom-at-life. Either way, your privacy is your privacy. Special thanks to Play the Assassin (‘Like’ them on Thee Facebooks here) for the support. The original release info goes a little like this:

Finally, Boston and New York can agree on something.

Black Thai, from Massachusetts, released a split with New York’s doomly rockers Moth Eater on April 26, 2011, via Play the Assassin Records. Moth Eater, which features members of Dirty Rig (Escapi Music) and Scar Culture (Century Media), included two tracks from their devastatingly heavy Thunder God of Monster Island EP, and Black Thai, whose lineup boasts members of Roadsaw, Cortez and We’re all Gonna Die, answered back with two cuts from their Blood From on High EP, released late last year.

The split is limited to 250 copies and pressed onto a 10” picture disc vinyl with a free download card included. Six additional bonus tracks not on the record will appear in the download. Full songs are available for streaming and download now at playtheassassin.bandcamp.com. The vinyl can be ordered at playtheassassin.com.

Lowering the Doom vinyl track list:
1. Moth Eater, “Aftermath”
2. Moth Eater, “Our Time”
3. Black Thai, “Blood Dust”
4. Black Thai, “Satan’s Toolshed”
(digital only bonus tracks 5-10)
5. Moth Eater, “When Bruises Leave Scars”
6. Moth Eater, “Rocking is my Business”
7. Moth Eater, “Smashing Saturns”
8. Moth Eater, “Moths @ the Round Table”
9. Black Thai, “The Ladder”
10. Black Thai, “333”

As a fan of both these bands and both the releases from which these tracks were culled, I’m all the more excited to be posting the news about this vinyl split between Moth Eater and Black Thai. It’s a limited vinyl picture disc and it looks fantastic and is a great way for people to get introduced to either act, so if you haven’t checked it out yet, it’s definitely worth a look. I’m hoping to have a giveaway for a couple copies up shortly, but in the meantime, it’s available for listening and purchasing through Play the Assassin Records.

This came in on the PR wire:

Finally, Boston and New York can agree on something.

Black Thai, from Massachusetts, released a split with New York’s doomly rockers Moth Eater on April 26, 2011, via Play the Assassin Records. Moth Eater, which features members of Dirty Rig (Escapi Music) and Scar Culture (Century Media), included two tracks from their devastatingly heavy Thunder God of Monster Island EP, and Black Thai, whose lineup boasts members of Roadsaw, Cortez and We’re all Gonna Die, answered back with two cuts from their Blood From on High EP, released late last year.

The split is limited to 250 copies and pressed onto a 10” picture disc vinyl with a free download card included. Six additional bonus tracks not on the record will appear in the download. Full songs are available for streaming and download now at playtheassassin.bandcamp.com. The vinyl can be ordered at playtheassassin.com.

Lowering the Doom vinyl track list:
1.Moth Eater, “Aftermath”
2. Moth Eater, “Our Time”
3. Black Thai, “Blood Dust”
4. Black Thai, “Satan’s Toolshed”
(digital only bonus tracks 5-10)
5. Moth Eater, “When Bruises Leave Scars”
6. Moth Eater, “Rocking is my Business”
7. Moth Eater, “Smashing Saturns”
8. Moth Eater, “Moths @ the Round Table”
9. Black Thai, “The Ladder”
10. Black Thai, “333”

Play the Assassin is giving away a bonus CD with every order at playtheassassin.com/store.html.

Go figure.

I was thinking of catching Richmond Southern specialists The Might Could at Acheron in Brooklyn on Saturday, where they’re playing with two bands I’ve never heard of and thus care very little about. Tooling around the internets today and what do I see but that the very next night, they’re sharing the stage in Allston, Massachusetts, with Black Thai, Gozu and Riff Cannon — which, if you need me to spell it out, is a fucking awesome lineup.

Because I’m jealous, here’s the flier. Dig its informative minimalism:

Experience and association were bound to play into my assessment of Black Thai’s Blood From on High EP (Megavox Recordings). The first time I heard their two-song demo was earlier this year, and I sat with my laptop headphones on in a hotel lounge in London, some BBC awfulness on the television, silently bobbing my head to the grooves of “The Ladder” and “Satan’s Toolshed,” both of which also show up on this five-song effort. So yeah, if my opinions are colored by that – and they might be – please take them and this review with an appropriately-sized grain of salt. For what it’s worth, I probably would have enjoyed that demo if I’d heard it on the moon, and likewise for Blood From on High, the significant underlying groove of which is palpably riff-based without being stoner or doom cliché. Black Thai are heavy rock more than they’re anything else, with shades of Soundgarden showing up in the vocals of Jim Healey (We’re all Gonna Die) and some more commercially-minded leanings in a song like “Sinking Ships” than one might expect.

The 29-minute release – an EP for its sampler qualities – makes an opening salvo of its preceding demo cuts, “The Ladder” and “Satan’s Toolshed” working as well together here as they did in their demo forms; though the recordings feel new and the guitar work of Healey and Scott O’Dowd (Cortez) more expansive, the solo work six minutes into the latter track serving as an appropriate example. Likewise, Cory Cocomazzi’s bass and the drums of Kyle Rasmussen (filling in for Jeremy Hemond of Roadsaw and also Cortez) come across fuller, and though I still might divide Blood From on High into two sections – the two demo tracks and three non-demo tracks – I have a hard time telling if that’s because of my prior familiarity with them or any actual changes in sound, style or approach on the part of the band. Third cut “Saturation Point” is less definitively riff-based than “Satan’s Toolshed,” which takes a Kyuss-style guitar progression to a place altogether darker, but Healey’s vocals in the chorus make it a highlight, and there’s still plenty of six-string groove to dig into. It’s just a sad song, rather than an aggressive one, and it sets up Black Thai as more than just a head-down, power-through riff-rock unit. If the purpose of Blood From on High is to give a quick sampling of what Black Thai can do, “Saturation Point” serves as a solid example of the subtle diversity in their attack.

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It was a Sunday night in Brooklyn and Crowbar was at the recently-busted Santos Party House, so I thought I’d skip out on the Boardwalk Empire season finale (DVR’ed it) and check out the live set from Allston heavy rockers Black Thai at Hank’s Saloon. Between all these factors and the fact that it was cold as fuck out, I didn’t anticipate much of a crowd at Hank’s for Black Thai or Thinning the Herd, who opened — all the better to go. Fewer people means fewer assholes. Woody from Mighty High was there, and a few others, but Hank’s is a small room anyway, so it worked out.

This was the second or third time I’ve seen Thinning the Herd, and of all the bands kicking around New York right now, I just get the feeling these guys are on the right track. Especially in the work of guitarist/vocalist Gavin Spielman, they’ve got tremendous potential, and if they got hooked up with the right recording engineer, who understands their kind of music — riffing and aggressive, but still aware of melody — they could come out with something really killer. They weren’t as tight at Hank’s as when I saw them last at The Trash Bar, but a little looser worked great for the Sunday night and the laid back atmosphere of the show.

Black Thai killed. They barely fit on the stage, the four of them, but even in tight quarters, they rocked hard and heavy, drummer Jeremy Hemond (Roadsaw, Cortez) reaching high to nail his cymbals time and again, and guitarist Scotty Fuse (also Cortez) and guitarist/vocalist Jim Healy (ex-We’re all Gonna Die) emitting riffs and solos with charisma and energy while bassist Cory Cocomazzi filled out the low end and added a moodier feel to the material. They’d played the release show for their Blood from on High EP (review coming soon) the night before in their native Massachusetts, and some of that energy clearly carried over to Brooklyn. It was a welcome addition to the evening.

It wasn’t the highest profile show happening in New York Sunday night — for that matter, neither was Crowbar — but both Black Thai and Thinning the Herd delivered big, making it well worth the drive from Jersey on my end. It was great to see Black Thai for the first time live after listening to the two tracks from their demo (with which they opened the set) and to get to know Thinning the Herd better as a live act. The night wrapped at about midnight and I headed back through Manhattan and the Holland Tunnel feeling better than I’ve felt coming back from Brooklyn in a long time.

If you’re in Massachusetts this weekend, the place to be is Saturday Black Thai‘s CD release show with Black Pyramid, Riff Cannon and Livver. With it, the band kick off a week-long tour in support of their new EP, the soon-to-be-reviewed Blood From on High, and prove that the Massachusetts riff scene is as strong as ever.

I’d go myself, but that’s a long way away, and I’m hoping to see Black Thai the next night in Brooklyn with Thinning the Herd. Wherever you find yourself in relation to Black Thai, they’re definitely worth checking out. Here are the updated dates for their tour:

12/04 Great Scott – Allston, MA CD Release show w/Black Pyramid, Riff Cannon, Livver
12/05 Hank’s – Brooklyn, NY w/Thinning the Herd
12/06 The M Room – Philadelphia, PA w/Backwoods Payback, Boss 302
12/07 TBA
12/08 Mojo 13 – Wilmington, DE w/Hoodless, Agent Mofo, Lydia Can’t Breathe
12/09 Velvet Lounge – Washington DC w/Borracho, El Grande
12/10 DIVEbar – Raleigh, NC w/Righteous Fool (Mike and Reed from C.O.C. – Free show)
12/11 37th and Zen – Norfolk, VA w/The Crimson Electric, Fire Faithful

Well, that’s how you do it. You play some shows, you write some songs, then you make a record and you hit the road to get behind it. Kudos to Allston, Massachusetts rockers Black Thai, who feature in their ranks guitarist Scotty Fuse and drummer Jeremy Hemond from Cortez (the latter also of Roadsaw) and vocalist Jim Healey of We’re all Gonna Die, for getting their debut EP together and promptly booking a week’s worth of killer shows, including a free one with Righteous Fool (Mike Dean and Reed Mullin of C.O.C.). If you can help them with the TBA dates listed, hit them up at the email address below.

From the band:

Black Thai is heading out on the road to celebrate the release of our debut EP Blood from on High. We’re kicking it off with a CD release show followed by a week’s run down the East Coast.

12/04 Great Scott – Allston, MA CD Release show w/Black Pyramid, Riff Cannon, Livver
12/06 The M Room – Philadelphia, PA w/Backwoods Payback
12/07 TBA
12/08 TBA
12/09 Velvet Lounge – Washington DC w/Borracho, El Grande
12/10 DIVEbar – Raleigh, NC w/Righteous Fool
12/11 37th and Zen – Norfolk, VA

If anyone can help us out with 12/07 or 12/08, email us at blackthai (at) ymail.com.

Universally-bearded Allston, Massachusetts outfit Black Thai have posted their first self-released demo for free download through their website. The demo, available as 320kbps MP3s (a band after my own heart – down with digital compression), holds about a 7” worth of material, just two songs, but nonetheless gives a readable impression of the band’s mission at least as it was in their beginnings, before replacing drummer Kyle Rasmussen with Roadsaw’s Jeremy Hemond, who also happens to play in Cortez with Black Thai founding guitarist Scotty Fuse.

Fuse gives a more riffingly metallic bent here than he does with Cortez, but it’s a change you really have to listen to hear. That is, if the six-stringer found himself having to pull double-duty at a show the two bands were playing together, he wouldn’t have to feel awkward because one band was so out of place sonically with the other. Still, with different heads involved in each band — vocalist/guitarist Jim Healey (We’re all Gonna Die) being a central departing factor, but bassist Cory Cocomazzi also having a style all his own — they’re never going to sound exactly the same. Nonetheless, Black Thai play grooving riff-centered stoner metal exclusively (anyone who gets the Emperor reference feel free to pat themselves on the back) and both “The Ladder” and “Satan’s Toolshed” get down to business with some righteous heaviosity, owing some of their crunch to the Massachusetts scene of the ‘90s – let’s namecheck Only Living Witness for good measure – but keeping things in stoner line by nodding at Kyuss’ “Asteroid” from Welcome to Sky Valley with the opening of “Satan’s Toolshed.”

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Allston, MA, rockers Black Thai, who came on the radar a little bit ago, have finished recording three new songs at the fabled New Alliance Audio studio. I emailed guitarist Scott Fuse (also of Cortez) and asked him to give the lowdown on the process and how it all came out. Here’s what he had to say:

Monday, November 30th

We all met at New Alliance Audio in Cambridge, MA at 10AM. After loading all of the gear into the freight elevator we moved it into the studio and began setting up. Once the drums were set up engineer extraordinaire Ethan Dussault (Caspian, Tides, We’re all Gonna Die) began mic-ing the drum kit to get sounds. Once we got the drums sounding sufficiently thunderous we spent some time working on guitar and bass sounds.

We decided to record the song “Saturation Point” first. We did three takes and listened to the playback. The first take had a much better feel and that’s the one we went with. We worked on “Sinking Ships” next which ended up being a bit of a tough one to capture due to a few drum issues, including a broken snare. We ended up getting a great take after all of the effort, so it worked out in the end. The last song to be recorded was “333″ and this went fairly smoothly, with only a few takes necessary.

Tuesday, December 1st

Jim (vocals, guitar) and I (guitar) came in on Tuesday to record some more guitars. We added some extra rhythm guitars to “Sinking Ships” and “333.” Guitar solos were also recorded. On “Sinking Ships” I used a really cool sounding Bass Synthesizer pedal which gave the solo an awesome effect.

Wednesday, December 23rd

Jim and I returned to New Alliance to lay down the vocals. We decided to have Jim add a guitar solo to “Sinking Ships” which came out awesome, especially following the angular-sounding lead that I did with the Bass Synth. His solo sounds like a swarm of angry wasps. So good. The vocal recording went smoothly, Jim banged out “Saturation Point” and “333″ saving “Sinking Ships” for last as it is a screamer and we knew he would probably have no voice left by the time it was done.

We still need to do final mixes in the near future. These three songs in conjunction with “The Ladder” and “Satan’s Toolshed” which we recorded earlier this year will probably end up on an EP release down the road.

-Scott

Sometimes these things just fall into your lap. My first encounter with Allston, MA‘s Black Thai came via the news that they’re recording a new three-song demo at the famed New Alliance East Studios. After seeing they were from Allston, I figured a safe bet was that at least one member of Cortez current or former was involved with Black Thai, and wouldn’t you know, guitarist Scotty Fuse is right in there along with We’re all Gonna Die vocalist/guitarist Jim Healy.

The four-piece is rounded out by bassist Cory Cocomazzi and drummer Kyle Rasmussen, and they play riff-led Southern rock/metal that’s more or less unpretentious stoner with a heavier edge. Judging by the two tracks on their MySpace (presented in fancypants widget form below), Black Thai are starting at a pretty good point when it comes to developing their sound. “Satan’s Toolshed,” at a hefty 7:42, doesn’t get boring or lose its edge, which is an accomplishment for a new band even if one made up of experienced players.

If River City Revival-era Alabama Thunderpussy had been from Massachusetts, they might sound something like Black Thai. Healy‘s vocals could probably come down a notch in their next mixing session (I’m a fan of low-mixed vocals in general and will allow this affects my judgment of such things), but if “Satan’s Toolshed” and “The Ladder” are anything to go by, these dudes are well worth keeping on the radar for when that next demo shows up.

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