Live photos of Embers/Neon Piss by Jan Zeleny
Venue photos via Embers

Embers is currently in Berlin. We just finished our set at the Kopi, Summon the Crows have just taken the stage. Below are relevant tour diary entries from the Lesser of Two tour in 1999 regarding shows in Prague and Leipzig which Kelly discussed in the band interview/discussion.

Oct. 13, 1999
I slept in the kitchen and was awakened by people making coffee. I got the transformer, but didn’t have time for a cup of coffee.
We were awed by Zoro squat in Leipzig. It was a huge multi-level complex with adjcent buildings. There was a big kitchen, dining facilities, practice studios, an office, storage space, a bar/show space, and living quarters.
When we arrived they had prepared for us a large meal with homemade sauerkraut, some kind of potato dumpling, and so on.

12 Alluidos played some chaotic noisey hardcore with a lot of energy. They were very good. We found out later that they are touring by using the Euro-Rail. It seems like a very inexpensive and eco-freindly way to tour Europe. The only downside is that they had to borrow almost all their equipment except for guitars and cymbols which they could take with them on the train.

This type of tour would be difficult for us but I highly recomend it to other bands who want to tour Europe.
We played and everything sounded good since the squat had some nice cabinets for us to use and a good drumset. Unfortunately I fell off the stage leaving my ass sore for a couple days. Another thing I noticed was how the Germans seem to smoke a lot and smoke everywhere. The venue was dense with smoke making it difficult to sing because of the caustic vapors. I usually am not one to obsess over second-hand smoke, but the smoke was so thick that it was distinctly oppressive.

We met up with Lenin formerly of the band Los Crudos. We stayed up late with him and the guys from 12 Alluidos. We decided to leave that night so that we would have a good margin of driving time to Wroclaw (pronounced: Vrotswov). Unfortunately we forgot one of our power transformers and had to turn back around only to find that the squat had been abandoned and the door to the show space locked
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A conversation between Steve, Kelly, Timm and Jerry…

Steve: So, tell me about your first time in Prague.

Kelly: First time in Prague was with Lesser of Two, and we played Ladronka, a fortified old castle in the center of Prague. A very incredible place. It was actually on the tourist maps, and that’s my first memory of Prague; playing this famous old castle/squat.

S: And the next time you were in Prague was on Embers tour. What do you remember from that trip?

K: That was when our vehicle blew up in the tunnel, and the engine caught on fire at the beginning of our tour, and our tour was almost completely ruined at that point because we had to replace some significant part of the engine, and they were going to get the part in time and we were going to be playing a show every day in a different city. So through punk rock connections we hooked up with Pete Rose and took his van at the last minute for the next took weeks .

S: What was the show like?

K: WE played with a band Isaiah, a really heavy band, at 007. I remember it was a decent show. It wasn’t really packed, but there some people there, and that’s where I first met Kanar the promoter who also promoted our show a couple of days ago, who I also stayed with when I went back to Prague to visit on my own time after our last tour.
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Texas stand the fuck up NOW! The WILD//TRIBE and FORWARD tour starts tomorrow. Crusties recogonize awesomeness – both of these bands kick ass and they will both be rocking shit at CHAOS IN TEJAS. Peep how WILD//TRIBE wrecks shit below…this band is pure fire!

After Embers’ show in Bologna we went to Ilirska Bistrica to play at MKZN which is the most famous and oldest underground music venue in Slovenija. The last time I had been at MKZN was when Kelly (Embers’ bassist) and I were playing in Lesser of Two. MKZN was known for having the best sound in all of Europe’s underground venues as well as for recording many live shows. Lesser of Two was recorded back then, and the recording was released in the partial discography, “Transmutation”. The Lesser of Two set at MKZN is available at http://lesseroftwo.bandcamp.com/album/lesser-of-two-live-in-slovenija-99 for those who are interested.

Back then I was keeping a tour diary much like I am now. This is what I had to say at that time in 1999:

“Nov 13
We got stopped at both sides of the Italian/Slovenijan border. Oddly enough it was the Italians who brough out the drug dogs. I guess they want to keep people from taking away thier drugs. We decided to rename our tour “Waiting for the drug dog.”

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Greek death metal maniacs Dead Congregation and UK-based black/death assault Grave Miasma will be embarking on a 4 date west coast tour of North America this July (presented by Contagion Releasing and Nuclear War Now! Productions) with Seattle-based doom metal band Anhedonist as an opening supporter on all of the tour dates post-Martyrdoom Festival in Brooklyn, NY. Dead Congregation & Grave Miasma will start off the tour at Martyrdoom as an only exclusive east coast date, then proceed to make their way over to the west to Seattle as the starting point of the tour, then heading southbound to San Fransisco, Oakland, and back up north to Portland. Although a brief tour with only a selected amount of dates, this is certainly one that is not to be missed if you live in any of the following areas or even a few hours nearby. As a spectator of witnessing both Grave Miasma and Anhedonist on the live front, both bands are just as menacing and intense on stage as they are on record, both sharing the same stage together is bound to be a deadly combination of sorts which I am highly anticipating once more. This will also be Dead Congregation’s first west coast appearance on U.S. soil.

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CVLT Nation is transmitting directly from European soil this month via the Embers…they will be sending us an exclusive look at their European tour, starting today with Day One! Stay tuned for more, and start your journey below…

Today Embers flies to Italy to begin our European tour. We are currently in the last throes of packing and re-packing as well as preparing for any problems with flight security and customs. These days you are only allowed to bring one checked bag without paying an extra fee. These baggage fees are a hidden cost that help the airlines to keep their ticket prices seeming competitive.

I remember my first European tour with Lesser of Two in 1999. Back then a flight to Europe was a luxurious event. We had enough checked baggage to bring my guitar amp, guitar, and a decent amount of merchandise. On the flight we were given all the drinks we wanted and movies.

This time I am packing light. I put all my personal things that the TSA will allow on the flight on my carry on and I am checking my guitar. My guitar case is stuffed with pedals, cables, and other personal items the TSA may not let on the flight. I have to leave my amp behind unfortunately, and we will be playing on amplifiers different from what we are accustomed to.

Read full diary after the jump…
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Unholy hell, CVLT Nation is stoked to announce that OCCULTIST’s tape is out now via Primitive Ways Records. You can order this chrushing release HERE, and read what CVLT Nation feels about this release below. I want to go on record and say that if you only buy one tape this year, this should be it! For those on the east coast, peep the OCCULTIST tour, starting today with Ghoul!

STOP what the fuck you are doing right now and listen to OCCULTIST, because this band KILLS!!! Four songs in 6D that will turn into a horde of crust zombies in your ears. These Richmond, VA, blackened crusty warriors have conjured up a tape that will make our end of the year Top 6 without a fucking doubt. OCCULTIST are able to write songs that have 6 gnarly attributes all happening at the same time. This record will have you saying, damn, that is a sick riff, unholy shit what insane vocals, what the hell awesome breakdown, damn, you hear those drums?? These are all of the thoughts that will race through your head, all while listening to one song! Don’t take my word for it, just blast their song “Suppressed Populations” and when their caustic grooves start breaking your bones, you will be believer – the guitar tones match the misery and rage heard in the vocals. When I hear “Gamma Tomb,” I get this feeling like my skin is made out of iron, and I could knock out riot police in one punch. Damn I’m so fucking amped by their sound, it’s extremely hard to sit still to write this review. OCCULTIST’s songs will punish you all while making you want more and more. Every second of this tape is cooked in a huge black pot of dis beat, and seasoned to perfection with the bloody leaves of real metal. OCCULTIST will not waste anytime punching you in the gut with their knuckles of pungent melody, but what makes every song black gold is the thought you will hear in every song. This band stands for issues that will one day become our weapons against our downpressors. OCCULTIST is the kind of band that I want to see win, meaning CVLT Nation will do everything in our power so that the world is forced to know the strength of this band. OCCULTIST has just given us a glimpse of what they have in store for us, and I’m so excited to hear more from them in the future.

Tour poster and dates after the jump!
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Shit, Profane Existence bands are killing it right now on the touring tip! Check the resume: War Torn, In Defence, Deviated Instinct, Dressden, Kontrasekt, Cognitive Dissonance, Tragedy, War//Plague, and APPALACHIAN TERROR UNIT are all on the road. Now peep the rad tour posters after the jump!

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Two depressive black metal projects, originating from both Sweden (Hypothermia) and Georgia (Psychonaut 4) are in search for promoters and booking agents throughout southern/eastern/northern Europe who are willing to organize a fall tour for October through early November this year.

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On the triple real, it’s fucking hard to describe how gnarly the Bay Area’s Negative Standards are. From the very first time I heard them, I was like, these humans must drink we-are-out-to-destroy-all juice for breakfast! The killer news is that they have just released a full-length on Vendetta Records entitled VI-XI, and it’s all that and a bag of crusty chips. Negative Standards are champions when it comes to creating tunes that are thick and extra heavy with power. When I listen to this band, I feel like Popeye after he eats his spinach – my muscles are growing as the baselines move through my bloodstream. Negative Standards’ vocalist has a style that is all of his own, and that’s another reason why they must be recognized as one of the sickest bands in America. The tunes that this band comes up with are fucking unreal, but it’s the hidden black magic under the riffs that is the caustic glue. I can’t forget that these humans are wizards at beating the song down until it becomes a breakdown that you never want to end. Negative Standards will poke you in the eyes with swords of emotion dipped in mayhem. This album is straight classic, and it’s my job to let the world know about this band! Check this out – the band have just started a 2012 U.S./Quebec Tour, peep the tour dates after the jump. Also, stay tuned for a Negative Standards Sonic Cathedrals dropping any day now. VI-XI is streaming below, press play, and crush kill destroy stress!!!

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