IWrestledABearOnce Switches Styles To Black Metal
Iwrestledabearonce has announced a change in musical direction. The group’s foray into black metal is exemplified by their newly designed logo and band photo, which can be viewed below.
“We were sick of getting lumped in with ‘scene’ and ‘whatever-core’ bands, so we decided to embrace our roots and just go straight black metal on the new album,” says guitarist Steven Bradley. “I'd say 90% of the new record is straight-up black metal, so we had to change our image to match...Because of course that's just as important, if not more so, than the music.”
The first song from Iwrestledabearonce’s forthcoming Century Media Records CD will premiere at www.MetalSucks.net on Thursday, May 19. This will mark the band’s first release since 2010’s "It’s All Happening" three disc deluxe reissue CD.
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64 Comments on "IWrestledABearOnce Switches To Black Metal"
5. writes:
Well, assuming this isn't a joke which it probably is. In any case what I'm getting at is still valid - JFAC, Trivium, The Black Dahlia Murder, etc. - how many of of these guys started out as trendy core bands then try and switch to metal like no-one notices how fake they are.
7. writes:
This is the very reason i hate most modern "metal" ! sh** like this makes me long for a new Priest or Saxon record. Screw these pathetic no talent posers! sh** like this leaves me questioning why i like metal in the first place! This sh** is almost too pathetic for a response! Posers!
14. writes:
Post 10: My thoughts exactly, ha.
I've known of this band's name but never bothered checking out their material. The fact that they just decided to "go Black Metal" is very strange, yet I believe this is likely a band that doesn't take themselves seriously at all.
It's good not to take yourself seriously all the time, but this is ...unexpected. Which is probably what these guys were aiming for.
The new photo obviously shows they're not a real Black Metal band. They just took the general perception of what the Black Metal "look" is and mashed it together like Halloween in June. Guess that's all I can say.

16. writes:
Is it a bad thing their trying to improve their immature idiocy? Yes they're fake, yes they're retards. But when u see a child do stupid things over and over, you can't give them sh** when they snap out of it and decide to grow up. That's all i see here.
NP: Nightwalkers - Flametal


18. writes:
"so we had to change our image to match...Because of course that's just as important, if not more so, than the music.”
That comment summarises it all for me. As far as I am concerned, the music is what it is all about! - i couldnt give a sh!t what you look like or what image your portraying. NOt like you see them when youput in their CD.

22. writes:
Late to this genre changing party. Someone hand me a goat to sacrifice........
Yea this sh!t is really weird. Major genre change. I can't lie. I like this band. I have their album. I liked them cause of their energy, and they were funny, and also really weird. It helped to understand their music. Their guitarist can really play and play well.
I'll give this a listen. It'll be interesting knowing it's them. She might have to change up her vocals though.......if she has that ability.
.......She sings flat....it's annoying.



30. writes:
2 days ago, i wouldda joined in with my fellow MU brethren on this smighting of the abomination that is this band and their retarded "change of musical direction". but yesterday, i checked them out. i listened to 3 FULL songs entirely, and tho random, and at times annoying, they sound full of energy, funny, and of course, like Zman pointed out, the guitarist can play.
their mathcore-influenced parts in their songs are fvcking awesome. but mathcore, and such, are acquired tastes, which i've come to rlly like. i would love to see this band live cuz i know it'll be crazy.
as for this "publicity stunt", i'm sure it's just a joke gone too far OR just a black metal-themed album, which is just them joking around anyways kinda like arnold schwarzennegger-themed band austrian death machine.
ppl talking sh** about this band and saying stupid crap like post #28's "Mainstream bands should not breed with underground music", but i've NEVER turned on the radio or tuned into MTV and heard IWABO, or heard them being listened to by a scene kid or hipster.
31. writes:
Kev, due to their obviously ridiculous antics...music videos ...etc. this is why I laughed and assumed it was a joke (and still believe it is). I'm not going to go all elitist and say they shouldn't dare do BM...IMO this looks like a stunt to get a rise out of BM purists. I also laugh at anyone who will now check out IWABO for the sole fact that they're now supposedly BM but never would before.
32. writes:
Black Metal... music for losers.
I don't get it.
"satan satan, six six six,
the man with the horns gonna eat your d***,
Gonna rip out your eyes,
take a dumb down your spine,
gonna wear your mom's knickers,
shave your sister's kitten" etc etc
Blah f***ing blah.
No thanks. Next!
33. writes:
I had only heard their name and had never heard their music, so I decided to check them out as well - out of sheer curiosity. I was actually surprised to hear that they are pretty heavy, and that female vocalist can really growl. The problem is, I didn't know what to make of them. Their song titles are strange, like "Alaska Flounder" (or something like that) and their image looks straight out of Hot Topic. How is that going to translate into black metal?
34. writes:
Spot on asessment Wolf,apart from some of the bigs f the genre;Immortal,early Dimmu,Emperor,black metal is something i dont listen to. Hate the spoon to folded up news paper drum sound and tortured voxs. Hate these sub genre changing bands who cant decide who or what they wanna be .I guess its a joke and i should lighten up .I take metal pretty seriously though. Not butthurt,only confused by this stuff,time for this dinosauer to step aside for progress im afraid.

37. writes:
I really hope this is a joke. IWrestledABearOnce sucks billions of hairy footlong c***s in Justin Beiber's house. Seriously, these guys can't just go from being one genre that's not very well respected in metal to being a genre that's very well respected in metal. I can only imagine the meeting they had to have had for this
"Hey guys, so I just got word that we can't play Wacken, Mayhem Fest, Download, or Bloodstock. The only thing that will actually take us in is Warped tour because we're part of a genre that scene kids listen to"
"Hey I got a brilliant idea! Let's go back to our roots and play black metal!"
"Black Metal? What the hell is that?"
"Yeah we didn't take any influence from that"
"It's some subgenre of metal i looked up while i was getting f***ed up the a$$ by Oli Sykes and the ghost of Michael Jackson."
"But won't people call us posers?"
"Yeah but who gives a sh** aside from the people outside of this band? Now go get some Kiss makeup and some spikes, that way we can f*** up the whole black metal genre and soon have scene kids wearing heavy metal attire."
"The plan to rape metal up the a$$ with a two foot machete is now complete! YAY POSERS!"

38. writes:
For those who didn't know:
http://www.metalsucks.net/2011/05/19/exclusive-track-premiere-iwrestledabearonce-are-ruining-it-for-everybody-show-us-their-karate-nipples/
It was, indeed, a "clever" marketing technique. Gave that new song a 1 minute listen (couldn't go further), sounds like Despised Icon mixed with Attack, Attack:
Gay.
39. writes:
like what n0thinghead said, its an acquired taste. if u dont like it, then u dont like to laugh at awkward comedy (which is their gig). The guitarist is AWESOME, and the band is tight.
But saying sh** like, "IWrestledABearOnce sucks billions of hairy footlong c***s in Justin Beiber's house." is completely retarded, and u should get ur head looked at if that's the type of sh** u think up when something different crosses ur path...
NP: Vanity Of Vanities - Marduk (i cant imagine them sounding black metal like these guys... we'll see!)
40. writes:
Just to let everyone know this bullsh#t was originally reported by metalsucks and its a joke its not real. Remember that burzum clothing line article awhile back. Bands like this pose a threat to real metal and they should all be stopped. And metalsucks is just horrible. metalkunderground and blabbermouth at least take metal seriously.
41. writes:
ChrisKringle: Don't you EVER bring up Bmouth on this website again. Especiallty with a straight face. I will bang you right the fvck out!!! Now STFU and GTFO!
Yes we all know its a joke, but they're gonna use this joke to drop a few BM songs on their next album. I for one don't care for this band but at least they're not as bad as A7X.
42. writes:
well, don't know or care about these gapers, but I kicked a bear in the nose one time....fvckin snuffler got off easy! if I'd had my .40 I'd have shot him up
Gotta say though, the boot to the snout startled the crap outta that dude, and he took off like a snorting scalded cat! I was fvckin seriously p!ssed at that fvckin snuffler right at the moment, but it was funny later...hell, still makes me smile :)
43. writes:
I believe this to be a 'fake' news release.
I'm betting one of three things will happen.
a. They annouce that this was fake later on (probably in a random tongue in cheek way)
b. They let this just die and pretend it never happend, or
c. They make a black album, but do it in a way that parodies the genre.
I've seen them live a few times, and the younger crowd really digs them, they are high energy and are all talented on their respective instruments.
The thing that impresses me the most is their work ethic. They live like gypsies on the road and have toured all over U.S. and Canada, Europe and Japan.
full disclosure: I've known the drummer since 2004 - before he joined them. Great guy and hilarious sense of humor.
46. writes:
I actually have to applaud this band for being able to bait all of the over active metal fans here, and across the globe. Knowing how overprotective metal fans are of their genre wars, they used a sense of humor to their advantage. Thus making a fool out of the majority in this case. Kudos! If the Donald Trump's out there need physical proof, just visit the latest news blurb from MetalSucks, as seen in todays news.
49. writes:
To hell with IWWABO! I wanna hear about HRs experiance with that bear he kicked in the snout! Black bear right HR? Got plenty of em in New Hamp ,in fact fish@game gives out bumper stickers"Something Bruin in New Hamp"a warning about feedin our bears! Black bears are kinda timid,unless ya come across a 350 pound momma with cubs! Look out then! Bears good eatin too btw! Good story HR! Forgot what the topic was. NP:Time to Go/ Dropkick Murphys.
51. writes:
Ya R, it was a blackie snuffler, not very big---maybe 200 lbs tops...don't think I would try that trick with a big griz :)
Nah, I had packed in a load of gear the day before bringing in the archery elk hunter...country to rough to be able to use horses. Stashed the gear (no food!) wrapped up tight in a tarp...came back with hunter and the rest of our sh!t the next day. Well, the snuffler had gotten into ithe stash and left the whole deal strewn all over the place. It had rained that afternoon, so my sleeping bag wasn't exactly dry, he evidently liked the stove and chewed it up pretty good...I was fvckin p!ssed to say the least
After dinner that evening I put hunter was in the tent, but I slept out in all my clothes under my soggy sleeping bag, with my torso under the pitched tarp taht was our cooking/gear area. Funniest part about the whole story is the hunter asked me why I was keeping my boots on? I told him when that damn snuffler came back I was gonna kick him in the goddamned nose! He was like, yeah right! I kept my knives open and ready in case the snuffler wanted to get serious when he came back
Around 3-4 in the morning, that damn varmit did come into camp and I was ready for him! he cautiously came in and eventually started sniffing the bottom of my sleeping bag (bears gravitate to strong smells, like feet). I had my right leg out from under the bag, and when I felt his nose pushing on my left boot through the sleeping bag, I kicked as hard as I could with the right, catching him right on the side of his snout! Man, that poor dude jumped right out of his skin! He took off sneezing and snorting, and zigzagged right out of there as fast as he could...my hunter woke up and whispers all panicky 'what the hell was that?!' I told him I just kicked that damn snuffler in the nose! He was like "no really, what WAS that??' I said I told you, Now go back to sleep, he ain't comin back!
That morning when he crawled out of the tent, he asks again what happened? I tell him again, and he shakes his head 'yeah right...you guides always have some crazy story!' I said Sure we do, and most of em are true! and we don't give a flying fox what the hell you city slicks do or don't believe...now let's go kill a bull!
Another time I came over a small rise and surprised a big sow with two cubs at way too close of range and that big mama bristled up and started huffing and popping her jaws and eventually rushed me as I was backing out of there with the .40 drawn on her...it was a fortunately a bluff charge, she stopped short about 20 feet away, glared at me, and went back to rally her cubs away. I was sure glad I didn't have to shoot her over my mistake in unwittingly startling her like that
Bears are very cool animals...at least when they ain't makin a mess of your camp anyway! :)
53. writes:
"Well I mean come ON, you didn’t really think they were turning into a black metal band, did you?
No no no. This was just IWABO and MetalSucks being the merry pranksters we are! Ruining it for Everybody features no actual black metal. Sorry, Emperor fans."
Now everyone please STFU.

57. writes:
Nah ES, never been to the inlet...isn't it up at the north end of your Island? or maybe just across on the mainland, I can't remember....I do know that VI grows some MONSTER blacks with all that good feed. Salmon and Steelhead runs, berries, sedges and prime grasses, shrooms, roots and tubers...the works! can't wait to get up to the Super Natural again sometime soon man, fvckin love it up there!
Ha N'head! nope, no pic-a-nick for that poor Yogi :)
NP---Hades---Bathory \m/ Black METAL!! \m/
59. writes:
Nah brother, was referring to the monstrous SIZE of some of them VI blacks, 5-600 lb bears rival most big interior griz by weight (the giant coastal brownies of the far north are quite a different beast altogether), but yes, their psychology is remarkably different...though a few black bears DO kill people on an annual basis
I'm thinking the inlet must be on the mainland side if its griz country, as the island itself has never had a viable population of grizzlies, though a few (mostly dispersing young boars looking for a territory to make their own) have been documented having made the swim across
Anyway, wonderful wild country up there, that is for certain! Maybe someday I'll get the chance to come visit ya up there...we'll go find us some snufflers to kick! :)

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1. DreamHeater writes:
...what... the f***?
I'm not saying this is a bad thing, but... what?