At All Cost
Photo: Century Media

When Century Media — home to the likes of Celtic Frost, Napalm Death and Satyricon — signed Austin, Texas, metallers At All Cost back in March, some fans questioned the move. After all, At All Cost aren't typical of what the label has been churning out the last 20 years.

"We're one of the lightest bands on the label, and we've always been one of those bands that were too light for the heavy tours and too heavy for the light tours," frontman Trey Ramirez explained. "I can't even think of a single other Century Media band we should hit the road with, but maybe that's the direction [the label wants] to go — maybe they're branching out."

You see, At All Cost are ... well ... eclectic. The band's recently released LP, Circle of Demons, is teeming with solid melodies, thrash-tastic riffage and the occasional breakdown. But there are poppy, electronic elements to AAC's sound too — and at times, Ramirez employs a vocoder to alter his voice. Standard metal fare, these boys ain't. So, where does the singer see his band fitting in with the rest of metal's current class?

"We're definitely part of the same class, but we don't get called upon that much," he cracked. "We kind of all revel in the fact that we're standing outside the box. It's kind of cool. You either get 100 percent positive attention from people or 100 percent negative. And negative people are easily persuaded. Most naysayers that have come to see our shows have actually come up to us and told us, 'I was totally wrong about you guys.' We like being different.

"We're just eye-openers, man," he continued. "We think that certain genres are stagnant, and we want to change things. Change isn't always necessarily good, unless you do it right, and we're still fine-tuning our sound. But we want other bands to come out and say, 'I know there's supposed to be a breakdown here ...' or, 'I know the song's supposed to fit this formula, but let's try something different. Let's dare to be different.' I think that when you stick to the metalcore formula, you're just so limited in what you can do. When you do something different, you get cheers and you get jeers. But we're in it for ourselves. Honestly. We're not in this to get rich."

At All Cost are comprised of a bunch of college dropouts who work small jobs to make ends meet. The band signed with Century Media after its former label, Combat Records — also home to Horse the Band and Look What I Did — imploded last year. AAC are known for their live sets, but much to their chagrin, they've never been asked to participate in summer festivals like Ozzfest and Sounds of the Underground.

"We've just never had the attitude of spending money to make money," Ramirez explained. "We'll road-dog it as long as we can, until we're invited — as opposed to paying the $75,000 to get on [a major metal tour]. There's no return from doing that, but it's not like we're seeing major returns doing it this way. It never has been about that — we don't mind touring with bands that have a fanbase that don't necessarily like our band. We're in the business of persuading people.

"If you leave our show saying, 'Oh my God, those guys were great — I'm going to go buy that record,' great," he added. "If you leave our show saying, 'What the hell did I just listen to?,' and we some how opened your mind a little bit, that's also equally great. We're in it to win it. It's pure energy when we take that stage, and that's our most fun of the day — that's our time. So, we have to have a blast during that time to make it worthwhile, and I think that transfers over."

Still, that doesn't mean being in At All Cost is easy. In fact, the band is known for its unusually bad luck.

"We've been the victim of multiple thefts," the singer said. "We've had our trailer stolen twice, our van broken into once. Luckily — and I use the term loosely — the trailer was only full of equipment one time. The other time, it was broken into on the side of the road, and then someone stole it. We've lost a couple of babies, let's put it that way."

During the band's recent tour with One Dead Three Wounded, Ramirez got even worse news.

"The first week of that run, I lost my glasses," he said. "Then, when I went to the doctor for replacements, I found out I was legally blind and had glaucoma. Then I got two staph infections — all in the first week. Then I come home from that tour and my dog ate my glasses. Them's the breaks. Sh-- happens to a lot of bands, but sometimes it happens to the same band a lot."

AAC are currently on tour with Vanna and Assacre and will hit the road again this fall with Vanna and Oh, Sleeper.

The rest of the week's metal news:

The Number Twelve Looks Like You will head out next month with At the Throne of Judgment, See You Next Tuesday and I Hate Sally. The trek kicks off September 28 in Kingston, Pennsylvania, and dates are booked through October 20 in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. ... Who said Himsa don't have a sense of humor? The Seattle hardcore-metal band recently shot a video for the track "Unleash Carnage" with director Ryan Short (Zeke) that features the members dressed conservatively and playing tennis. "It's really ridiculous," bassist Derek Harn said. "We're having a tennis match and we end up getting in a fight. Rackets are breaking and tennis balls are flying everywhere." The clip will be featured on the band's new e-card and will also be a bonus feature on its upcoming album Summon in Thunder, which comes out September 18. ...

Classic-metal vets Queensrÿche will release an album of cover tunes on November 13. Take Cover will feature a diverse range of songs by U2 ("Bullet the Blue Sky"), the Police ("Synchronicity II"), Pink Floyd ("Welcome to the Machine"), Peter Gabriel ("Red Rain"), Black Sabbath ("Neon Knights") and more. "During soundchecks, [guitarists] [Mike] Stone and Michael [Wilton] like to play 'name that riff,' and sometimes the whole band joins in," singer Geoff Tate said in a statement. "That's really the way this album came together too. We got together and started playing songs to each other, and then we picked our favorites." Queensrÿche will head out on tour with Heaven and Hell and Alice Cooper, starting Wednesday in Binghamton, New York. The tour runs through October 6 and will mark Heaven and Hell's last North American run before the bandmembers separate to fulfill other obligations. ...

Eclectic Ontario, Canada, band Protest the Hero will release their second album, Fortress, on November 13. The 10-song disc was produced by Julius "Juice" Butty (Alexisonfire, Sleeper Set Sail) and recorded at Silo Studios in Hamilton, Ontario. "This album is nothing to be intellectualized," singer Rody Walker said in a release. "I feel it's a very natural progression for us — a natural progression into further obscurity. I am of the belief [that] a lot of the people who work for us were hoping for a stab at a more commercially viable album. However we wrote what we wanted without linear boundaries and created something less commercial than ever. Some fans of the band will hate it. And some people who hate the band will love it. All others can rot." Protest the Hero will open for Shadows Fall and All That Remains for a handful of shows from September 11 in Portland, Maine, through September 16 in West Springfield, Virginia. After that, they'll be on the road with ATR, the Acacia Strain and Too Pure to Die through an October 10 show in Raleigh, North Carolina. The latter band just signed to Trustkill and will release its sophomore record in summer 2008. The album will mark the debut of new singer Paul Zurlo (ex-Beyond All Reason). Too Pure to Die's debut, Confidence and Consequence, came out in November. ...

The not-so-tastefully titled Pull the Trigger tour will feature Suicide Silence, Despised Icon, Winds of Plague and See You Next Tuesday and launch September 2 in San Antonio. Dates run through September 26 in Worcester, Massachusetts. ... Speaking of Despised Icon, the Montreal deathcore group recently shot a video for "Furtive Monologue" from its second album, Ills of Modern Man, which came out in May. Singer Alex Erian described it as "our darkest video yet. ... We're confident it'll f---ing slay." ... Georgian hardcore-metal band Norma Jean will launch a U.S. tour with Saosin and Alexisonfire on September 28 in Seattle. Dates run through November 7 in New York. ...

God Forbid will reissue their first two releases as a single disc on November 6. The CD will contain the band's 1998 EP, Out of Misery, and its 1999 album, Reject the Sickness. "I think Reject the Sickness is a classic in the metalcore genre that never really had its due," guitarist Doc Coyle said in a statement. "And Out of Misery really gives true God Forbid fans a raw look at the foundation where the band was birthed. For all those who've been bitching about the rarity of these albums, please enjoy." ... Progressive Woodstock, New York, metal band 3 will open for the Scorpions for a month of North American dates, starting September 9 in Edmonton, Alberta, and running through September 29 in Boston. ... Technical metal/hardcore/reggae legends Bad Brains have announced four West Coast shows in September to support their recently released album, Build a Nation: September 22 (San Diego); September 24 (San Francisco); September 25 (Anaheim, California); and September 26 (Los Angeles).

• At All Cost
• Himsa
• God Forbid

It Dies Today
Photo: Jeremy Saffer

It Dies Today frontman Nick Brooks didn't mean to write a concept album — but his band's forthcoming album, Sirens, ended up being just that. The LP's title, he said, was inspired by the trio of Greek mythological creatures that were often portrayed as having the heads of women and the bodies of birds.

"The Sirens would call mariners to their death by singing songs," Brooks explained. "[The record is] all about temptation and how it affected everybody in our lives — between substance abuse, infidelity and stuff like that. And that's pretty much what every song on the record is about."

Some of the material, Brooks said, was inspired by his own struggles.

"My drinking was a problem," he said. "At one point, I lost my voice really bad because of it. I basically f---ed over my band because of all the crap I was into. I had just started drinking [at age 22] and it became quite a problem."

Brooks, who had been straightedge for the majority of his adult life, began drinking during 2005's Ozzfest. "I was drinking big time, because it's like, what am I supposed to do for 12 hours a day? After we play, I'm gonna get drunk and go watch [Iron] Maiden." At one point, during the recording of Sirens (due Tuesday), Brooks said he made "a huge ass" of himself during a party at producer GGGarth's house.

"There were all these actors there and the founder of [a large movie studio] there, and I got drunk, and I said a lot of very offensive things to certain people — a certain actor, the [studio boss] — and tried to fight his assistant," the singer said. But "it was a good night," he joked.

While Brooks says he's gotten his drinking under control, he did booze it up during the filming of the video for the first single from Sirens, "Sacred Heart [Sacre Coeur]." The clip was helmed by director Christoffer Salzgeber (Mudvayne, Soulfly) in downtown Los Angeles in the Poodle Parlor, a vintage warehouse that's served as the backdrop for several recent metal videos. The video, inspired by true events, involved loads of "hot girls," Brooks said. Oh, and alcohol.

"It's a very interesting video," he said. "[It's] a celebration of getting over a sh--ty relationship by parting with a bunch of hot girls. And we all went out and partied afterwards."

The Buffalo, New York, band began working on Sirens in December and wrote material for the effort over the course of six months. The album was originally intended for release last month, but the band's label, Trustkill, bumped it to next week so it could beef up promotion. And now "we're just honestly really excited to get it out because we're really stoked on it and couldn't be happier with what we've done.

"We wanted to write thrashier songs because there are only so many breakdowns you can just put in a song that don't need to be there," Brooks continued. "I think it's getting kind of redundant. As far as the more metal songs on the record go, we wanted to make them a lot thrashier and use a lot of melody too. There's something for everybody on this record. There are solos, thrash parts — I'm really happy with the way it came out. I think it's a different kind of heavy than our last record. I do think it's our smartest record and, with the amount of time and effort we put into it, if you aren't getting better with every record, you probably shouldn't be in a band."

Brooks said he's thrilled to be releasing an album like Sirens during what he feels is an "exciting time for metal."

"I am excited to be in a metal band now because, you look at Lamb of God and Avenged Sevenfold, and I mean, [Avenged are] on 'TRL' shredding solos," he said. "We kind of just do our own thing and hope for the best. We don't have any unrealistic goals of selling millions of records. It's just like, we love what we're doing, and if kids like what we're doing, that's fine."

It Dies Today will be on the road with Silverstein, Aiden, He Is Legend and Prom Queen through November 25 in Albany, New York. The tour rolls through Milwaukee Friday night (October 13).

The rest of the week's metal news:

While there's been no official confirmation from the band, erstwhile hardcore legends Earth Crisis have reunited — at least for one gig. The straightedge act has been added to the bill for the second annual Maryland Metal and Hardcore Festival in Baltimore on January 27. The event will also feature Sworn Enemy, Full Blown Chaos and Subzero, among others. Earth Crisis got back together in 2001 for Hellfest. ... It seems as though Life of Agony's hiatus is nearing its end. The band has booked three live gigs — LOA's first of 2006. On November 24, they'll play the Chance in Poughkeepsie, New York, and two days later, will take the stage inside the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey. The band will also play December 3 at the Crocodile Rock Cafe in Allentown, Pennsylvania. ... Cradle of Filth will launch a two-month U.S. tour in January to support their new album Thornography, which drops Tuesday. Exact dates will be announced soon. Finnish goth-metal band the 69 Eyes, who recently released the best-of collection Framed in Blood: The Very Blessed of the 69 Eyes, will open all shows. ... Cattle Decapitation have enlisted ex-Dying Fetus drummer Kevin Talley to pound the kit during the band's upcoming North American trek. Talley will be quite busy on the tour, pulling double duty with Cattle and openers Daath. Lair of the Minotaur and Goatwhore are also on the bill. The tour kicks off November 16 in El Paso, Texas, with dates booked through December 10 in Ogden City, Utah. ...

Austin, Texas, metallers At All Cost have made it through the writing phase for their forthcoming studio offering, which is slated for release in 2007. No additional information on the LP has been revealed, but in the meantime, fans can catch the Cost in its home state on October 14 (Houston), October 20 (Austin), October 21 and 22 (San Angelo) and October 23 (Corpus Christi). ... Seemless will replace Soil on In Flames' upcoming North American jaunt, also with Lacuna Coil, starting December 5 in Norfolk, Virginia. The run ends December 19 in Kansas City, Missouri. ... Diecast will hit the road with Sepultura, Sworn Enemy and Suicide Silence starting November 16 in Phoenix. Dates run through December 22 in Pomona, California. ... Swedish death-metal act Impious are nearly finished recording their forthcoming album, Holy Murder Masquerade. The effort will include "The Confession," "Bound to Bleed (For a Sacred Need)," "Death on Floor 44" and "Three of One." No release date has been set yet for the disc. ... Stoner metallers Fu Manchu will release Hung Out to Dry, a four-song EP, November 28. The effort will boast two tracks from the band's forthcoming 10th LP, as well as a cover of Van Halen's "D.O.A." Only 3,000 copies of the EP will be pressed. The band will take the stage for the first time in 10 months on November 16 in Costa Mesa, California, and plan to debut several fresh tunes during the gig. ...

And now for some news that begs the question "What the hell took so long?" Metalheads will soon get the chance to enhance their cellular phones with Manowar ringtones. The band is asking fans to submit a list of their 10 favorite Manowar tracks to frontrow@manowar.com, and the results will determine which ringtones will be offered, although there's no word yet on when they will be available for download. Manowar's new EP, The Sons of Odin, will be released October 24. The disc will feature the title track from the band's upcoming full-length, Gods of War, "The Sons of Odin," an orchestral version of the new song "Odin" and live performances of "The Ascension" and "King of Kings," recorded at Earthshaker Fest 2005. A bonus DVD will include 5.1 mixes of the songs plus a 30-minute Manowar fan-convention documentary and rehearsal footage. ... Ex-Snot and Soulfly guitarist Mikey Doling has founded GridIron Records, a new label with former Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Kyle Turley. "[Once] I was in New Orleans on the bus drinking beers and Kyle comes on the bus and says, 'Who's the guy from Snot?' " Doling said. "I raised my hand like a schoolboy, thinking he was gonna kick my ass for something, but he freaked because he was a huge Snot fan. From there on we've been really good friends." Also partnering in the label are former Snot manager Nic Adler and Max Harris. The first two offerings from the label will be the debut by Doling's new band Invitro and an album by psychedelic-rock group the Hairbrain Scheme. Both discs will come out in early 2007 and can be previewed at MySpace.com/GridIronRecords. The label is also in negotiations with Asesino, ex-Fear Factory guitarist Dino Cazares' new band, and Los Angeles thrash band Instinct of Aggression. ...

The Showdown, who will release Temptation Come My Way on February 20, have welcomed drummer A.J. Barrette into the fold. The death-metal squad will hit the road later this month with Pillar and Day of Fire. The trek kicks off October 26 in Minneapolis, with dates booked through December 17 in Wichita, Kansas. ... Swedish doom-rockers Witchcraft — not to be mistaken with Swedish thrash band Witchery — will support psychedelic-metal band Danava starting October 23 in Seattle. Dates run through November 16. Witchcraft's most recent album Firewood came out last year. This fall the band will re-release its 2004 self-titled offering. ... Australian band I Killed the Prom Queen's debut, Music for the Recently Deceased, will come out in North America on November 14, and U.S. audiences can see them open for It Dies Today, Aiden and Silverstein starting November 17 in Norfolk, Virginia. Dates run through November 25 in Albany, New York. The band may not have used a bullet for their valentine, but its style of melodic metalcore should strike a chord with anyone who considers Atreyu saviors of teen angst. ... Eighties metalheads and S&M aficionados might remember Bitch, the Betsy Bitch-fronted Los Angeles band that performed gritty songs like "Be My Slave," "Live for the Whip" and "Leatherbound" before fading into obscurity. Well, following a lengthy hiatus, Betsy returned Thursday with a whip-smarting set at the Roxy in West Hollywood, California. MTV News hasn't heard anything about a new album, but reissues can't be far off.

• It Dies Today
• Earth Crisis
• Cradle of Filth
• The 69 Eyes
• At All Cost