All Photos by Christina Locke

For three days, hundreds of punks from all over came together in Oakland, CA, for Subversion Fest, taking place over December 7th, 8th, ad 9th. 38 bands played, among these bands were Hoax, White Wards, Hellshock, Lost Tribe, Bloodkrow Butcher, and Arctic Flower.

Subversion Fest was the first of its kind in the Bay area, and I hope that it was just the first of many installments. Below are photos from the second night only. Unfortunately, it was the only night I had my camera.

Full gallery after the jump…
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CVLT Nation is excited to announce that we have 3 pairs of tickets to give away for the January 4th, 2013 Neurosis show at the Henry Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles! The giveaway entries start now and end on Friday at noon PT. To enter, email contest@cvltnation.com with “neurosis” in the subject, and we will pick 3 random winners! Good luck and we’ll see you at the show!

All We Love We Leave Behind European Tour
Rockefeller, Oslo, NO.
12.12.06 Photos & Words by Metaloath

So, it’s an interesting bill tonight. Four bands, one evening. Metal acts and hardcore stuff side-by-side.

I came to see the first and the last (in a non-poetic meaning of the phrase): The Secret (IT) has put out the album Agnus Dei on Southern Lord Records. Reviews suggest that the Italians have conjured a real cesspool of dark forces and imagery as fuel for their material. The album is fast, and brutal enough to make it to most shortlists of 2012 metal albums, yet some reviewers have accused them of using too little of that Entombed-core sound that band like Nails and Bad Breath are leaning heavily on. For my part, I would argue that The Secret has found their ground outside that BOSS HM-2 pedal-driven sound, and succeeds by a long shot in creating their own territory for musical mayhem: relentless in their infernal grind and atmosphere.

So, four bands, you say? Yes, and that means that The Secret hit the stage 20:15 sharp – with the consequence that only 30-40 people had made it there in time. Always interesting to see how both the venue and bands handle this situation.

Well, first off, the sound was actually good, no half-ass sound engineering, luckily respecting the band enough to give them a decent starting point for the gig. And the band calmly took stage to unleash the opening track from Agnus Dei. From there on, they kept the momentum up, despite what must be one of the most demanding audiences on the planet: sober Norwegians in early December.

The Secret plunged through their set, where the down-tempo atmospheric stuff in the latter part of the set was really, really good. The set spanned the two latest albums, proving both the continuity and progression of the song writing.

I’m very excited to see where these guys are going in the year to come. They’ve got a lethal album out, an upcoming European tour in 2013 with Deafheaven, and live show credibility to peel back the skin of your skull anytime.

Full review after the jump!
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There are just too many awesome bands playing at the Fonda Theatre in LA on Dec 20th to name in the title of this post – High on Fire, Sunn O))), Corrosion of Conformity, Black Breath, Dead in the Dirt, Loincloth and Voiv ov Voices will all be shredding the stage! We have been given 3 pairs of tickets to this showcase for our lucky readers…to enter, just email contest@cvltnation.com with “TPOTR” in the subject heading, and we’ll choose 3 random winners by noon PT on Thursday!

**Congrats to:***
Andrew Ariza
Curtis Bettencourt
Carlos Paras

I have no problem pissing off racists, because I think they are bottomfeeders and the scum of the earth. This is why CVLT Nation’s sickest tumblr this moment is FUCK YEAH ANARCHO PUNK – it’s full of left wing art, articles, video and much more. I could lose myself in this page for hours. FUCK YEAH ANARCHO PUNK also has a sense of humor I can relate to. With all of the fucked up shit that is going on around the world, it’s cool to see that some people have the right state of mind and don’t feel that it’s necessary to fall in line with the fascists. So after the jump, see how FUCK YEAH ANARCHO PUNK slaps the taste out of the mouths of all nazis and fascist corporate bastards!

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If by some miracle your money is burning a hole in your pocket, and you don’t want to line up outside of Target with the rest of the douchebag drones, check out the CVLT Store for 30% off most clothing from 12 AM PST Friday to 11:59 PM PST Monday! Use the code BLKWKND for 30% off at checkout. Almost all of the clothing in the CVLT Store is going for 30% off, even sale items, plus all US orders over $75 and International orders over $100 ship free, so stock up on clothes and vinyl for the winter months ahead. Support your local small businesses this weekend, don’t give your hard-earned cash to the box stores!

Tomorrow night at The Troubador in LA, you will have the pleasure of witnessing It’s Casual do their thing for their record release show, supported by Fatso Jetson, Generators, Chuck Dukowski Sextet and Buffalo Eye! To celebrate what will no doubt be an epic show, Eddie Solis from It’s Casual interviewed his fellow musicians in two special editions of our Artist to Artist Interview series. First up, the infamous Chuck Dukowski talks about his past and present love for music…stay tuned for It’s Casual Vs. Fatso Jetson coming up next!

How long have you been playing bass and why did you choose it?

I was over at a friend’s house and picked up his bass back in 11th grade and started playing it. I loved it. I went over to jam on it every chance I could, and a month later I ordered one from the Montgomery Ward catalog. I played drums before that, but didn’t have a set. I’d tried guitar but found it less satisfying. Bass resolved my desire for a rhythmic focus and allowed me melodic harmonic expression as well.

How different is it playing in a band with family members as opposed to non-family members? Explain the dynamics.

Being in a band with family members allows me to do music with the people I love, instead of taking me away from the people I love to play music.

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Property has played a huge role in US history. From property ownership being the requirement for participation in the governmental system, to modern-day billionaires taking out 1% interest rate mortgages, those making and lobbying the law have made sure that property stays mostly in the hands of their cohorts. There are so many people in this country, and especially in our generations, who can’t and may not ever afford to buy a home. Increasing numbers of Americans are finding themselves homeless, kicked out of properties that sit vacant for years after. Activist and author Hannah Dobbz released her book Nine Tenths of the Law on November 1st, 2012, in an effort to help people understand the history of property laws and the people’s struggles to find shelter in the land of the “free.” Driving through LA and seeing foreclosed home after foreclosed home, I can’t help but think that there has never been a more important time to teach people about the importance of finding a way out of the current system, one that has no problem evicting a family at their time of need, while the very banks evicting them accept government subsidy. Dobbz is currently on tour for her book, doing talks at book shops and cafes for its launch, so make sure to check those dates after the jump, as well as an in-depth description of Nine Tenths of the Law. You can pick up the book directly from Dobbz on her tour, or you can get it at your local independent book store or from the publisher, AK Press, HERE.

Heavy Music is Power. This is a “Heavy Hour” brought to you by two fine examples of American Heaviness.

Laudanum is a crushing band that features the talents of Nathan Misterek from Graves at Sea on Vocals, Sal from Asunder on Bass, and combined with the punishing power duo of Becky on Drums and Judd on Guitar. They’ve been punishing ear drums for the better part of a decade now and this was one of my favorite performances of theirs.

Loss footage after the jump!
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Drug War Capitalism
by Dawn Paley
via Solidarity

IN BOTH THE United States and Canada there have been sustained grassroots efforts to spotlight the unjust mass incarceration and criminalization of poor people, and especially poor people of color, for drug-related arrests. But there has been too little analysis about the reasons behind and mechanisms of this war, and its economic impact on Mexico and beyond.

Even before a withdrawal from Iraq or Afghanistan has been achieved, the United States has become involved in a series of intensifying conflicts taking place from Mexico’s north border through Peru. Governments and mainstream media label it a “war on drugs.” It is important to examine how the expanding “war on drugs” connects to the expansion of transnational corporate control over markets, labor and natural resources.

In Honduras, four Indigenous people were shot and killed in May, when Honduran forces opened fire from a U.S. State Department helicopter, all under the supervision of uniformed U.S. agents. In Mexico — under the guidance of the United States, Canada, Israel and Colombia — the police and army are being transformed.