Next week!

Just wanted to let you all know that the show starts next week! The program director at WECB is currently working on getting our semester schedule done, I'll know when The Combine will be airing this semester on friday and will let you know a.s.a.p.

Until then, small update for you: the show now has a presence on twitter so you can follow us @CombineOnWECB for show updates, interview info, show info, etc. etc. Feel free to tweet me some feedback or requests over there and tell your friends who enjoy metal & hardcore to follow as well. Thanks!

Until the show starts next week, here's a great interview with Tosin Abasi (conducted by Jam Play, not me) of Animals as Leaders and Born of Osiris. He's a phenomenal musician and this interview is pretty cool, check it out!

Blog Updates & Upcoming Shows

Hey metal fans, things have been pretty quiet over here during my winter break but the show will be up n' running again soon, so look for updates to follow over the next few weeks. In the mean time I just wanted to let followers of the show & blog know that The Combine will be amped up this semester with more interviews and blog content than before. Keep your eyes peeled for interviews with Revocation (myspace.com/revocation), Cameron Argon of Disfiguring The Goddess (myspace.com/disfiguring) and now Burning The Masses (myspace.com/burningthemasses), and many more!

I'm definitely excited about the coming semester and all the new stuff I'm hoping to bring to the show and blog, I hope you are too. Stay tuned for updates, I'll keep you posted. In the mean time here's a list of metal shows in the area you might want to check out.

1/6 Razoraze 'Winter Plunderland' Tour Kickoff Rager @ Great Scott, Allston

1/17 The Acacia Strain, Disembodied @ Waterfront Tavern, Holyoke

1/23 Arch Enemy, Exodus, Arsis, Mutiny Within @ Worcester Palladium

1/29 Devildriver & Behemoth + @ Worcester Palladium

1/30 Epica, Threat Signal, Blackguard @ Worcester Palladium

2/5 Sebastian Bach @ Worcester Palladium

2/6 Five Finger Death Punch, Shadows Fall, God Forbid + @ Worcester Palladium

2/6 Winds of Plague & Despised Icon + @ Rocko's Manchester, NH

2/12 The Acacia Strain *DVD Release Party* @ Worcester Palladium

2/13 Four Year Strong, The Bled + @ Allston ICC

2/13 Vanna, A Loss For Words + @ Worcester Palladium

2/17 Skeletonwitch & Doomriders + @ Great Scott, Allston

2/17 American Me, Deez Nuts + @ Waterfront Tavern, Holyoke

3/3 Otep, Bury Your Dead, Through The Eyes Of The Dead + @ Worcester Palladium

3/4 ABACABB, Molotov Solution + @ Waterfront Tavern, Holyoke

3/5 Kreator, Voivod, Nachtmystium + @ Worcester Palladium

3/6 Hammerfall & Powerglove + @ Worcester Palladium

3/14 The Red Chord, My Children My Bride + @ Waterfront Tavern, Holyoke

3/21 Thy Will Be Done + @ Waterfront Tavern, Holyoke

3/21 The Black Dahlia Murder + @ Middle East, Cambridge

4/2 Overkill, Vader, God Dethroned, Warbringer + @ Worcester Palladium

4/3 Sonata Arctica, Mutiny Within + @ Worcester Palladium

4/4 Unearth, Veil of Maya, Carnifex, Stick To Your Guns + @ Worcester Palladium

4/9 Finntroll, Moonsorrow + @ Worcester Palladium

4/13 A Day To Remember & August Burns Red + @ House of Blues, Boston

Hopefully I'll see you in the pit at a few of these. On a note of personal recommendation, I would highly recommend seeing The Acacia Strain at their DVD release party on February 12. Tickets are only $10 and they always put on an amazing show, not to be missed in my opinion. Come catch me when I stage dive! Haha.

Week Ten Update!

Whoa! That semester really flew by! Today was the last installment of The Combine for a few weeks, but sit tight because I'm sure I'll be back next semester with more headbanging tunes for you. Thanks so much to anyone who has tuned in to listen, it really means a lot to me that people are tuning in and digging the music I've been playing. Today's show featured an all Holiday/Winter themed playlist of killer metal tunes to get everyone in the holiday spirit, the perfect set of songs to jam out to when you celebrate with Grandma and Grandpa and the rest of the family. See you next semester right? Keep it brutal until then!

-Chris

The Combine on WECB 12/19/2009

"Carol Of The Bells" August Burns Red, Single

"Frostbite" Parkway Drive, Horizons

"Black Santa" The Red Chord, Clients

"Christmas With The Devil" Spinal Tap, This Is Spinal Tap

"Wizards Of Winter" Trans-Siberian Orchestra, The Lost Christmas

"God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman" Various Artists, We Wish You A Metal Xmas

"Scarlet To Snow" Blackguard, Profugus Mortis

"No Presents For Christmas" King Diamond, The Dark Sides

"Thy Winter Kingdom" Behemoth, Demonica

"Oh Holy Night" Halford, Halford III - Winter Songs

"At The Heart Of Winter" Immortal, At The Heart Of Winter

"Silent Night" Various Artists, We Wish Your A Metal Xmas

"Timeless Winter" Into Eternity, The Scattering Of Ashes

"Black Xmas" Venom, Calm Before The Storm

"Winter's Wolves" The Sword, Age Of Winters

"Beyond The Permafrost" Skeletonwitch, Beyond The Permafrost

"Mr. Freeze" Slayer, Undisputed Attitude

"Cold" At The Gates, Slaughter Of The Soul

"Sathana Claus" Gehennah, No Fucking Christmas

"Run Rudolph Run" Various Artists, We Wish You A Metal Xmas

"Enlightened By The Cold" Shadows Fall, The War Within

"Into Cold Darkness" Vital Remains, Into Cold Darkness

"Frost Storm" Wastelander, Wardrive

"Iced Earth" Iced Earth, Iced Earth

Week Nine Update

Another awesome week of brutal metal jams here on The Combine. Hope you enjoyed this week's playlist. Be sure to come back next week, I think my friends in Razormaze might swing by the studio to drop some big news so you should definitely tune in. In other news I just learned that The Black Dahlia Murder, who I've played often on the show, will be in Cambridge at the Middle East Club for a stop on their new headlining tour on 3/21/10, tickets are on sale this Friday 12/18 for $13, I'm definitely going. Until Saturday, keep it brutal!

The Combine on WECB 12/12/09

"Det Iskalla Trollblodet" Finntroll, Nattfodd

"Heavens Fall" Gorgoroth, Antichrist

"Progenies Of THe Great Apocalypse" Dimmu Borgir, Death Cult Armageddon

"Sons Of Northern Darkness" Immortal, Sons Of Northern Darkness

"Cemetery And Sundown" Cradle Of Filth, Thornography

"At The Crack Of Doom" Warbringer, War Without End

"Enemy Of God" Kreator, Enemy Of God

"Battery" Metallica, Master Of Puppets

"Longing For Domination" Skeletonwitch, Breathing The Fire

"Revolution Is My Name" Pantera, Reinventing The Steel

"Brain Dead" The Plasmatics, Maggots: The Record

"A Tout Le Monde (Set Me Free)" Megadeth, United Abominations

"Be Quick Or Be Dead" Iron Maiden, Fear Of The Dark

"Dead Eternity" In Flames, The Jester Race

"Never Again" Killswitch Engage, Killswitch Engage

"The Faded Line" Lamb Of God, Ashes Of The Wake

"Reverie/Harlequin Forest" Opeth, Ghost Reveries

"Dead In The Brine" Enfold Darkness, Our Cursed Rapture

"Lay The Tarp" The Red Chord, Clients

"Our Requiem" Winds Of Plague, The Great Stone War

"Sleepless" Despised Icon, Day Of Mourning

"Skin Deep (Feat. Johnny Plague)" Sea Of Treachery, Single Demo

"Chelsea Smile" Bring Me The Horizon, Suicide Season

Week Eight Upd8

Week 8 was totally gr8. Lots of good metal, I discussed some awesome shows that I saw in the past week which featured bands like Winds of Plague, Oceano, Dying Fetus, The Faceless, Unfold Darkness and Beneath The Massacre. Be sure to tune in next week for more awesome metal tunes and news on upcoming shows and all that good stuff! 2-4 on Saturday as always, wecb.emerson.edu to stream live. Upcoming shows this week include...

12/8 Municipal Waste @ Palladium Upstairs

The Combine on WECB 12/5/2009

"The Last In Line" Dio, The Very Best Of Dio

"The Departure" Abigail Williams, In The Shadow Of A Thousand Suns

"Necropolis" The Black Dahlia Murder, Deflorate

"The Takeover" Born Of Osiris, The New Reign

"Rational Gaze" Meshuggah, Nothing [Remix]

"Society's Disposable Son" Beneath The Massacre, Mechanics Of Dysfunction

"Our Cursed Rapture" Enfold Darkness, Our Cursed Rapture

"Planetary Duality I: Hideous Revelation" The Faceless, Planetary Duality

"Planetary Duality II: A Prophecies Fruition" The Faceless, Planetary Duality

"Heavy Lies The Crown" Doomriders, Darkness Come Alive

"Dead Eyes See No Future" Arch Enemy, Anthems Of Rebellion

"Spiralling Into Depression" Into Eternity, Buried In Oblivion

"The Perfect Design" Dillinger Escape Plan, Miss Machine

"Slayer Of Light" Ensiferum, Iron

"District Of Misery" Oceano, Depths

"Chest And Horns" Winds Of Plague, The Great Stone War

"Five One Four" Despised Icon, Day Of Mourning

"Lashed To The Slave Stick" Nile, Annihilation Of The Wicked

"Hammer Down The Nails" Vital Remains, Icons Of Evil

"Experiment In Horticulture" Cannabis Corpse, Tube Of The Resinated

"This Mortal Coil" Carcass, Heartwork

"Cyanide Assassin" Cannibal Corpse, The Wretched Spawn

"A Body Farm" Cattle Decapitation, The Harvest Floor

"Vigil" Lamb Of God, As The Palaces Burn

Check out this awesome footage (courtesy of Rev Aaron at returntothepit.com) of The Faceless from the 11/27 New Hampshire show at Rocko's I went to, you can even see me a few times down front with my shaved head. Enjoy!

Week Seven Update

OhhhhAhhhhh! That's my air raid siren scream in case you didn't quite get that. I hope you enjoyed this most epic power metal installment of the show, played some great stuff as you can see below. You can never go wrong with some Manowar I always say. No Combine next week as everyone will be off-campus for Thanksgiving for a few days but we'll be back in 2 weeks with another brutal playlist and some cool concert recaps. Shows this week include...

11/27 The Faceless, Dying Fetus, Beneath The Massacre, Enfold Darkness, The Summoned & more @ Rocko's (NH)

12/3 California Love Tour ft. Winds of Plague, Stick To Your Guns, Sleeping Giant, Oceano, Circle of Contempt @ Palladium Upstairs

12/4 Ensiferum, Blackguard, Ex Deo, Swashbuckle, Underlying Truth @ Palladium Upstairs

The Combine on WECB 11/21/2009

"Stand Up And Shout" Dio, The Very Best Of Dio

"Majesty" Gamma Ray, Majestic

"Head Up High" Firewind, The Premonition

"Die For Metal" Manowar, Gods Of War

"Lionheart" Blind Guardian, A Twist In The Myth

"Before The Duel" Dark Moor, Beyond The Sea

"We Go Down" Primal Fear, Black Sun

"Tierras De Leyenda" Tierra Santa, Tierras De Leyenda

"Kingdom Of The Damned" Dream Evil, Dragon Slayer

"Rule The World" Kamelot, Ghost Opera

"Leaving All Behind" Cellador, Enter Deception

"Dorian" Demons & WIzards, Touched By The Crimson King

"Wake Up Dreaming Black" Edguy, Tinnitus Sanctus

"In The Arms Of Perdition" Despised Icon, The Ills Of Modern Man

"Origins And Endings" Winds Of Plague, Decimate The Weak

"Girl Of Glass" Suicide Silence, The Cleansing

"Rise Of The Poisoned Youth" Terror, The Damned, The Shamed

"Nowhere To Turn" Death Before Dishonor, Count Me In

"Sons Of Belial" The Faceless, Planetary Duality

"Legion OF Parasites" Dismantle The Cyborg, Dismantle The Cyborg

"The Stench Of Misery" Beneath The Massacre, Mechanics Of Dysfunction

"Cherry Red" Earthless, Rhythms From A Cosmic Sky

"Shortest Straw" Metallica, …And Justice For All

"Jake Leg" Baroness, Blue Record

"This Is Who We Are" As I Lay Dying, An Ocean Between Us

Week Six (Six Six) Update

Whoa! Six weeks and six shows in already, time is flyin' by. This week featured some metal classics and some old school stuff as well as some awesome contemporary metal tunes so I hope you enjoyed all that The Combine had to offer this past Saturday. With each successive blog entry from here on out I'm going to post some gigs in the Boston area for the upcoming week so you can check here to see what metal shows are happening each week. Coming up this week are..

11/20 Marduk, Nachtmystium, Mantic Ritual, Black Angel, Merrimack @ Palladium

11/21 Baroness, Earthless, U.S. Christmas @ Middle East Club downstairs

The Combine on WECB 11/14/2009

"Dismantle The Dictator" Revocation, Existence Is Futile

"Now, Diabolical" Satyricon, Now, Diabolical

"Welcome To Hell" Venom, Kissing The Beast

"Blasphemer" Sodom, In The Sign Of Evil

"Temples Of Sin" Nocturnal, Arrival Of The Carnivore

"The Ritual" Witchery, Don't Fear The Reaper

"Blinding Black Rage" Skeletonwitch, Breathing The Fire

"Nuke The Cross" Toxic Holocaust, An Overdose Of Death

"Mind Eraser" Municipal Waste, Hazardous Mutation

"A Horse Called Golgotha" Baroness, Blue Record

"Trampled Under Hoof" Mastodon, Remission

"Denounced, Disgraced" The Black Dahlia Murder, Deflorate

"The Ancient Covenant" The Faceless, Planetary Duality

"The Takeover" Born of Osiris, The New Reign

"The Eyes Of The Ranger" Sea of Treachery, At Daggers Drawn

"Crawl Back" Veil of Maya, The Common Man's Collapse

"Storming The Gates Of Hell" Impending Doom, The Serpent Servant

"Peace Sells" Megadeth, Peace Sells…But Who's Buying?

"Creeping Death" Metallica, Ride The Lightning

"Ace of Spades" Motorhead, Ace of Spades

"5 Minutes Alone" Pantera, Far Beyond Driven

"Inferno (Unleash The Fire)" Symphony X, The Odyssey

"Honor Thy Father" Dream Theater, Train Of Thought

"Modern Meat" Animals As Leaders, Animals As Leaders