Bombshell is Tripwire contributor Zeena Koda’s monthly metal column. In this, her first installment, Z sits down with Troy Sanders of Mastodon, Grace Perry of Landmine Marathon and the men of Torche.

Metal wouldn’t exist without three core things — intoxicants, babes and the BOOM. In this edition of Bombshell we have the trifecta for you; a legit babe who slays the mic with intelligence and beauty, as well as two seminal intoxicant heavy bands that have carved out a mark for a generation of new metalheads to adore (see: they bring the motherfuckin’ BOOM). In preparation for the onslaught of summer tours, check out what some of my current faves are getting into and get your pink ass out to the pavement to see them in full glory. I promise, with all the female advice you’ll get from this column, you’re one step closer to getting laid.
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Brooklyn is experiencing quite the revival when it comes to heavy music. Or maybe it’s just that people outside of NYC are taking notice again. Hardcore and metal have always thrived in The Rotten Apple in the face of trends, with bands like Batillus and So Hideous My Love receiving a lot of attention of late. On all the up and comers, Tombs are definitely one of the biggest Brooklyn success stories. Since their inception in 2007, their EP on singer/guitarist Mike Hill’s Black Box Recording has sold out a couple of pressings and last year’s split 12” with German metal merchants Planks continues to sell briskly, especially on the heels of their tour with Isis and Pelican.
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Metal fans have always gotten a bad rap from the populace at large. An easy target for pretentious new-school douchebags smugly snickering their way through Heavy Metal Parking Lot, the genre maintains the same quotient of sub-literate bozos as any other, but with a refreshing lack of pretension (for the most part). The corpse-paint set are pretty silly, but talk to the average adult metal fan who’s favorite artist isn’t Pantera or isn’t Cradle Of Filth and you’ll find them to be an educated, well-mannered lot. It’s the new-school of contemporary metal vocals that may well be the main stumbling block for the average punter. The at best barked/at worst unintelligible vocals that typify the genre tend to obfuscate any intelligent commentary you’d find therein.
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[Photo by Erik Moholdt]

ISIS has finally set the date for the release of Wavering Radiant, their fifth studio album and fourth with Ipecac Recordings.
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