Chip Bits: Norrin Radd – Anomaly

Posted on April 22, 2010 by Nathan Meunier

Throw down some change, because I’m about to pick that shit up! Many, including myself, have attempted to marry chiptunes with the aesthetics of heavy metal, but I’ve yet to hear anyone fully master those untamably unholy sounds quite like Norrin Radd. No, not the Silver Surfer. The other guy. The product of four years of hard labor in the depths of some presumably warped trans-dimensional intergalactic hell, Anomaly is a dark and brooding concept album of chiptune metal that slams down the hammer of Thor like nobody’s business.

I’ve been to hundreds of metal shows over the years – witnessing everything from the blackest, darkest, most twistedly evil shit to some of the goofiest spoof grind bands ever – and Norrin Radd manages to nail every style in the broad spectrum of heavy metal in classic NES style almost effortlessly on this album. Blast beats, ultra heavy breakdowns, epic wailing solos, demonic growling vocals run through the DPCM channel, crazy technical tempo and rhythm shifts: it’s all there…and it’s brilliant. Excuse me while I form a circle pit and kick stuff around my office. Experience this amazing work of metal epicness by downloading it here.

Feature: A Different Kind of Rock Revolution

Posted on March 10, 2010 by Nathan Meunier

“Rock and roll may never die, but it’s certainly a wildly different animal than it once was decades ago. With the music industry in a tailspin and the traditional record label model being increasingly thrown out the window, bands are forced to adapt with the changing times if they want to survive. To stay afloat and reach new fans, artists are tapping into the electric current of the gaming world and finding success in the process. No strangers to videogames, Boston-based metal heads Bang Camaro are one example of rockers making a go of it in the digital age.”

Check out the full article here at IGN and here at MSN’s Game On.

Foecrusher on Bytejacker!

Posted on January 7, 2010 by Nathan Meunier

I have long been a fan of the extremely well-crafted weekly Bytejacker web show and its focus on highlighting some of the most ass kicking indie games around. Indeed, judging from Free Indie Rapid Fire, my man Anthony Carboni (above) and I have very similiar tastes in freeware. The show also features a steady supply of rocking chiptune goodness that provides a great backdrop, which brings me to why I’m so pumped this morning. Aside from offering a killer rundown of great games from the past year, Bytejacker episode 70 also features “Charge into Battle,” a Foecrusher track from my recent forays into the realm of Game Boy metal. Frankly, it’s an honor. Hop on over to Bytejacker and check out the latest show (and the other excellent episodes available), and if you’re keen on scoping out more of my Game Boy metal tracks, hit the link above to find Foecrusher tunes on 8bitcollective. Also, that is one adorable pooch.

Foecrusher – Game Boy metal

Posted on December 31, 2009 by Nathan Meunier

File this one under: just for fun. Blip Fest 09 (at least what I was able to experience of it) was a total blast. I haven’t written, recorded, or performed music for years, but it was fun to get out and go hands-on with one of the most fascinating music scenes around. I’ve made Game Boy music before, many years ago, but never released any of it. After re-acquiring some (reasonably well) functioning Game Boy hardware and a copy of LSDJ, I’ve set out to create some new face melting chiptunes in the genre of heavy metal. I’ll be posting my tunes for live streamage as I finish them over at 8bitcollective. The project is called Foecrusher and my first track “Sword of Awesome” is available to decimate your ear drums. Enjoy.