Life has remained nice and busy in Venomous Maximus land (aka Houston). The band signed with Napalm Records last month, as rave reviews for their debut full-length ‘Beg Upon The Light’ continued to roll in, and is currently putting together plans for a summer tour. A June 18 stop in Little Rock is already confirmed as is a date at Reggie’s in Chicago June 22 with Valient Thorr, Gypsyhawk, and Ramming Speed. In between, the band will play Days Of The Doomed Fest II at the Blue...

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SXSW is but a distant Los Alamos-like memory at this point, its half-life nowhere near expired, but enough decay having occurred that the feet feel normal and the mind can begin to wander to other musical experiences, both future and past. May is going to be an unbelievably full month of rock in greater Houston, with no less than the Dwarves, the Queers, Suicidal Tendencies, Sick Of It All, Cannibal Corpse, Napalm Death, Kvelertak, Cancer Bats, Black Tusk, Torche, King’s X, Clutch, and The...

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Texas occult metal band Venomous Maximus will release its new album Beg Upon the Light Oct. 30 via Occulture Records. The band recorded at Origin Sound in Houston, with a head space described as "somewhere between an Alejandro Jodorowsky film and a New Orleans voodoo den." Beg Upon the Light's striking cover art was designed by artist Dann Miller and builds on the band's ever-evolving themes, including, among other things, magic, alchemy, extra-sensory perception and astrology, subjects "on the ...

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I love my barrio…I really do. If you haven’t been to the East End of Downtown Houston…you need to check it out. I live off of Clinton and Gregg. It’s a stone’s throw from 5th Ward and Minute Maid Park. It’s a very historic part of town and the last bastion of development near downtown. A great mix of old and new. You’ve got old warehouses and businesses from yesteryear, lots of industrial and manufacturing companies, and brand new residential developme...

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Houston's Venomous Maximus just last week finished recording their full-length debut, 'Beg Upon The Light.' Vocalist/guitarist Gregg Higgins was kind enough to take a few minutes and talk to Jibbies, from the GonzoGeek-hosted, 'The Jibbies & Loond Show,' about both the new record and the band's upcoming eastern US tour. Jibbies: You’re about to finish tracking on the new record, your full-length debut. How has the recording process differed this time from the first couple of tr...

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Poster by Shelby Hohl. Fitzgerald’s made the most of Saint Vitus' ‘Lillie F-65’ tour stop in Houston, opening up both floors of the venue to make it a night of non-stop metal. From Beyond kicked things off on the main stage upstairs, and put in a set belying their newness on the scene. A less shreddie The Shrine might be an apt comparison, more straight classic rock than stoner. And what a place to have your EP release party!   Sanctus Bellum played downstairs ear...

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Final details and routing for the previously-announced Southern Lord Summer package tour are confirmed. The tour is set to bring some of the label’s newest and most promising acts as well as some heavy veterans on a near month-long trek across the face of America. The tour is a true DIY undertaking that was booked by Southern Lord owner Greg Anderson himself. Core acts include Ontario-based hardcore/rock outfit BURNING LOVE (featuring ex-Cursed vocalist), Swedish crust lords&nbs...

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The rock music is a constant. But this week it’s taken a distinctly Texas twist courtesy of new releases from Houston power pop rockers Ashbury Keys and Austin heavy garage trailblazers American Sharks. We’ll start at the lighter end of the pool. Ashbury Keys (David Keys, vox-gtr; Darwin Keys, drums-vox; and Bill Walter, bass-vox) turn in the kind of hook-laden, guitar driven, upbeat music that should already have seen them huge everywhere. Their new 5-song EP, ‘Wake Up,&rsqu...

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#LinkFrogging...shameless!

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Houston’s Venomous Maximus performs heavy rock from an earlier time. ‘The Living Dead,’ from the band’s 2010 debut 7”, hearkens back to a pre-Pepper COC. Everything is recorded louder than everything else and Gregg Higgins sing-speak-chant vocal style seeths with barely contained aggression. The song’s bridge dives into the even earlier tones of first-wave heavy psychedelia. A-side ‘Give Up The Witch,’ meanwhile, takes these elements and adds ...

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