RecaPitulation: Russian Circles, Baroness, Nick Cave, Arch Enemy, These Arms Are Snakes

New album = new tour. That’s the tried-and-true formula, and Russian Circles are sticking to it as they get fired up for their October 20 release, Geneva (Suicide Squeeze). The band will spin its way across the U.S. starting October 28 in Covington - that’s in Kentucky, duh - and ending November 12 in San Diego. Young Widows will be tagging along for most of the dates, and Red Sparowes will join the fun for six of the last seven. …

Same goes for Baroness - to build chatter about their October 13 album on Relapse, Blue Record (which we already wrote about here and here), they’ll trek themselves silly from November 18 in D.C. through December 11 in Atlanta. What’s really ginning up our envy, though, are their plans for next year: Baroness will be scooting across Australia for five days - from February 20 through March 1 as part of the Soundwave Festival. Their tour companions? Oh, just Faith No More, Meshuggah and Jane’s Addiction, that’s all. By the way, what’s it going to take to get Faith to perform here at home? …

It’s a shame Russian Circles, Baroness and Pelican didn’t huddle before piecing together their tour skeds, ’cause that’d be a killer bill. The latter band - which we’ve been all over - will set forth with its own trek on October 18 in Minneapolis and bring it to a close December 11 in Chicago, the place Pelican call home. Black Cobra, Sweet Cobra and other bands - ones that actually don’t have “Cobra” in their name - will be lending support. Don’t miss the track-by-track rundown of What We All Come to Need (October 27, Southern Lord) that frontman Laurent Lebec gave us a few weeks ago. …

The tour news just doesn’t quit: Maynard James Keenan will be preaching his twisted Puscifer sermons once again when his cabaret-obsessed troupe brings its outlandish concepts to a city near you. But not if you’re on the East Coast - suckas. From October 29 in Vegas through December 3-4 in Phoenix, Keenan’s over-the-top revelry will be sweeping through North America. “Although authorities suggest you be prepared for any and all possibilities, we simply suggest you arrive happy and hungry,” he said in a statement. …

On a lighter note, sorta, YACHT have been tapped by Yeah Yeah Yeahs to do the opening honors for six of their upcoming concerts. The one we have our eye on: September 17 at the Greek Theatre … with the Breeders in tow. Ay caramba, what a show that’ll be. Don’t miss YACHT’s funky “Psychic City” video here …

Yes, you really are looking at a Sub Pop sneaker. Let’s make this crystal-clear: Sub Pop are making sneakers now - and selling them for $90 a pair. What in the world has this world come to? Go here for more. …

“The Death of Bunny Munro,” the Nick Cave novel we’ve been covering incessantly, just came out. To commemorate the occasion, the tall, thin man from Down Under chalked up another video update - this of him reading Chapter 16. …

We’re still licking up Suckers for all their Don Van Vliet-sounding glory, and now comes news that they’ll be giving people the chance to see them live - with White Rabbits, no less. The two bands will play eight gigs together during the second half of October; the Rabbits will also be hopping along with Local Natives and Glass Ghost in early November. Let’s hope they’re planning to take a copy of “The Death of Bunny Munro” along with them - hardy har har. …

After a couple of clunkers, These Arms Are Snakes officially redeemed themselves late last year with Tail Swallower and Dove (Suicide Squeeze), an album so focused that it compensated for the lack thereof on 2006’s Easter in particular. So we were tickled to learn that not only will they be playing a show at Hollywood’s Knitting Factory on October 10, they’ll also be hitting up the Smell in downtown L.A. two days later. We’ve already seen them at the Troubadour and the Echoplex, so … decisions, decisions …

Remember that Riot Fest West hootenanny we were getting psyched for a couple of weeks ago? Sadly, it won’t be happening until next year (ticket refunds are available) - and even more sadly, the postponement is being made due to the founder’s failing health. Keep Riot Mike in your thoughts and prayers. …

Paz Lenchantin has played with everyone but your mom - she’s logged hours with Queens of the Stone Age, A Perfect Circle, Zwan and even the Silver Jews. Now the Argentinean bassist has a new endeavor: the Entrance Band, who squirted out their self-titled debut earlier this week on Thurston Moore’s Ecstatic Peace imprint. Discover what they’re all about on their monthlong tour, which will begin Thursday in Pontiac, Michigan, and end October 3 in New York. …

There are few metal bands we’d rather be in the front row to see than Arch Enemy, so we’re jumping out of our socks at news that the band is warming up its tour shoes again in support of October 6’s The Root of All Evil (Century Media). Only overseas gigs have been finalized thus far, but there is some news on the album front: The collection - which consists of re-recordings of old Arch Enemy songs - will also come in limited-edition form with three bonus live songs, different artwork, a longer booklet and a patch. To boot, the vinyl version comes with the CD. More on them soon, fo’ sho’. …

If you read our profile on I’m Better Than Everyone Records, you probably won’t be surprised to hear that the label will be putting out the upcoming documentary “Slow Southern Steel.” That’s because the man behind IBTER and the film are one in the same: Karim Khan. He executive produced the movie - which features Eyehategod, Kylesa, Weedeater and more - with Rwake frontman CT handling the lens. The 80-minute film will be unveiled at the Little Rock Film Festival in May, with the DVD coming sometime in ‘11. Here’s a taste:

With a name like Nachtmystium, you know you’re in for some metal. With a fetish for prog, the Chicagoans aren’t the heaviest thing out there, but they know how to stage some pretty thunderous epics. Find out for yourself when they barnstorm North America again - this time with Marduk, Mantic Ritual, Merrimack and Black Anvil - from November 20 at Worcester, Massachusetts’ legendary Palladium through December 16 at New York’s Blender Theater at Gramercy. …

Planning to be in Japan on October 26, by chance? What a coincidence, because we have some related news to report. Pony Up and Best Before have broken bread and come up with a scheme to put out the second album by Johnny Foreigner, Grace and the Bigger Picture, on that day. In other international news, the dudes will be swinging through Japan with a fall tour before the end of the year - and even more notably, opening for Dinosaur Jr. in Paris. …

We have zero intention of going to the SmokeOut Festival, which always has bad news written all over it, but we will hand it to Cypress Hill for throwing together arguably its best lineup to date. Deftones and Slipknot, plus Sublime and Goodie Mob reunions? Not too shabby. Relatedly, Pennywise - who just saw off 19-year-member Jim Lindberg - will be joined by Zoli Teglas, frontman for Orange County hardcore act Ignire, for their set in San Bernardino on October 24. Look at that: We wrote a full item about the SmokeOut Festival without using a single pot pun. …

See this?

While the aging years don’t always treat doom-metal legends kindly, we do - because Matt Pike’s output via High on Fire, especially his most recent stuff, has been his tightest yet. So we’ll pardon him the pot belly and assume that this photo taken during his band’s recent recording sessions is ample proof that we’ll be “fit” to be tied with new HOF material come early next year. The record doesn’t have a name yet but will be made available via E1. …

Won’t Chris Cornell just fucking re-form Soundgarden already? Left to his own devices, he does stupid shit like this:

“Starting in October and running through the holidays, the entire Virgin America fleet will feature Chris Cornell music on all flights. His latest LP, Scream, has been added to the airline’s music library and select songs will be a part of a collection of music that plays as passengers are boarding. Beginning in November, passengers will also have the opportunity to experience various Chris Cornell music videos and albums throughout their flight.”

Jackass. …

Let’s pause a moment to weep - or laugh - over a few select track titles featured on Atreyu’s new album: “Stop! Before It’s Too Late and We’ve Destroyed It All,” “Bleeding Is a Luxury,” “Storm to Pass,” “You Were King Now You’re Unconscious.” We’d write more about them, but it’s hard to type when there’s barf all over the keyboard. …

And finally, Jimmy Fallon will never be cool, no matter how hard he tries. Not even Shadows Fall can save him.