tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64045647140706366412011-12-05T16:21:52.934-05:00Music BlogStupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.comBlogger1741100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-20073577979755445332011-12-05T14:04:00.023-05:002011-12-05T16:21:52.945-05:00

2011 was a tough year for good music. It was out there and there were some gems, but overall, not a golden year. However, I found some keepers and a few future-classics.Cave In returned. Destroyed. Mastodon became ZZ Top on speed. Approved. Will Haven also returned. Decimated. Matt Good found a piano and went to town. Exciting, right? It was the year of stellar EP's. Crosses (Chino Moreno & Shaun

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-67849534863358906842011-10-11T19:34:00.017-04:002011-10-11T20:08:19.426-04:00

Is it just me, or are the vast majority of 2011 rock/metal releases lacking in the quality and "staying power" department? Sure, we have gems from Mastodon, Cave In, Trap Them, Blindside, City of Ships (to name a few), but I'm just not finding the passion I once had for a ton of other bands. Am I getting older? Yep. Am I old? Nope. Do I give a shit that there's a new Megadeth record out soon? Not

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-57660384550614753692010-11-29T11:12:00.009-05:002010-11-29T11:28:08.715-05:00

Time for the underrated gem of the week. The Jelly Jam is about as awesome a side project as one can get. Ty Tabor, Rod Morgenstein and John Myung. That's King's X, The Dixie Dregs and Dream Theater. I mean, c'mon. Two records of superb quality and some incredible jams. Wally Farkas' (Galactic Cowboys) label Molken Music, will be reissuing both albums digitally in early 2011, as well as some

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-62578158185290422252010-11-19T21:11:00.021-05:002010-11-19T22:00:53.745-05:00

No hype. No bullshit. Here's my 2010 Best Of list. You're welcome. 1. Fistful of Mercy- As I Call You Down (Hot/Vagrant)2. Deftones- Diamond Eyes (Reprise)3. 36 Crazyfists- Collisions & Castaways (Ferret)4. The Abominable Iron Sloth- The ID Will Overcome (Black Market Activities)5. Barren Earth- Curse of the Red River (Candlelight)6. Anathema- We're Here Because We're Here (K Scope)7. Oceansize-

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-91639896912035460302010-11-16T01:13:00.001-05:002010-11-16T01:14:11.555-05:00

Contents Under Pressure. The third Pro-Pain album kicks off right where the previous slab of awesome, The Truth Hurts, ended. According to my friend Bob, I'm the only human being left in the United States that listens to/buys Pro-Pain records, but I digress. I also disagree, but we are a rare breed for sure. I've spoken about my unapologetic love for Pro-Pain at length over the years on this blog

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-81427866308068093452010-11-12T02:26:00.016-05:002010-11-12T02:55:37.339-05:00

...making a living as a touring and recording musician and I happened to stumble upon Animals As Leaders, I would quit. End game. Sell my equipment to a pawn shop. Become a banker. I got their self-titled debut (which made my 2009 Best Of list, by the by) when it came out and have been jamming on it ever since. However, it was seeing them live last night (with the always awesome and criminally

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-74097482402673968982010-11-06T15:33:00.009-04:002010-11-06T15:45:30.209-04:00

I woke up this morning with Faith No More's 1995 gem, "What A Day" playing on repeat in my head. King For A Day is truly the fans' album from FNM. Every song is a unique genre and story unto itself. You want insanity? Check. Balladry? Check. Songs about hating your record label? Damn straight. KFAD also has one of the strongest closes to a record, with each song getting better and better towards

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-22682796785576790492010-11-04T17:21:00.010-04:002010-11-04T17:45:58.591-04:00

Ok, I'm not going to go on a tirade, yet again, about how John Bush is THE only singer that's right for Anthrax. Seems like he proved himself just fine for over a decade, without my help. I also dug what I heard of Dan Nelson and would love to hear their unreleased Chinese Democracy...I mean Worship Music. ...Which leads us to Joey Belladonna. Sorry, not a fan. Never was. Think of how fucking

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-41216874962802920832010-08-10T18:23:00.018-04:002010-08-10T18:47:24.623-04:00

Soundgarden. A "new" track hit the airwaves this week called "Black Rain" and it's one of those songs that makes you think about the level of heavy a band could actually get and/or attain to reach. I'd say that this is about the heaviest they ever got (along with "Cold Bitch", "Birth Ritual" and "Beyond The Wheel"). This massive "new" song was actually recorded in 1991 for the Badmotorfinger

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-12977340431285312942010-08-03T21:01:00.010-04:002010-08-03T21:33:06.135-04:00

They really are. You just don't know it yet. Like the sound of Polish Prog-ShuggahTool Core? It sounds like either the most awkward sexual fetish, or a genre of metal that is most awesome. Their debut album, Bar-Do Travel, is now available in the states, via our good friends over at Eagle Rock/Armoury Records.The album kicks off with "Kana", a slow-burn, grinding Meshuggah riff, balanced by

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-25639929429632633142010-04-10T01:42:00.009-04:002010-04-10T01:59:49.925-04:00

Clutch is fucking awesome. My wife (who hates basically every band I've ever shown her, minus a few songs here and there from Corrosion of Conformity and Keith Caputo) even digs on them. I go through phases with Clutch, where either I love them or I'm simply OBSESSED with them. Only a handful of bands (and I truly mean a handful) can go through a musical evolution as they have and not get any

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-77848162193267576362010-04-02T20:01:00.005-04:002010-04-02T20:13:56.778-04:00

I'm very happy you decided to hire Chris Fehn of Slipknot fame to replace the recently-departed Mike Martin as bassist on your upcoming album and subsequent tour. With Grady back in the fold (no disrespect to the awesome Jeff Jaworski from Red Tape) and now with the band in full gear, I'm very excited for what 2010 brings from the WH camp.Thanks for killing it (never softly) since 1995.You rule,

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-53017369070429715932010-04-01T20:39:00.006-04:002010-04-01T21:00:05.477-04:00

So my buddy of like a billion years, Eric Rizk sent me copy of his bands' debut EP. I've been in bands with Eric over the years, so I know the dude can play and write. However, I had no idea that he was still this pissed off and above all, this technically proficient. Flourishing is the band and A Momentary Sense of the Immediate World is the record. It's killer.I hear a bit of Napalm Death, a

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-53235039456947433642010-03-22T09:44:00.013-04:002010-03-22T10:14:25.034-04:00

Lyrics to "Target" by Snapcase. Not so much a battlecry against Target, rather more about self-determination and freedoms of oneself. I'm actually referring to Pearl Jam and their recent lovefest with the mega-corporation. Pearl Jam of 1996 would not be very pleased with the actions of Pearl Jam 2010 for what they've done to their good name. Let's break it down:- The band that once fought

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-21131999899564005582010-02-07T20:30:00.009-05:002010-02-07T20:50:28.507-05:00

I never got to see Alice In Chains. I had tickets to see them with Metallica in 1994 and Layne got ill and the tour was cancelled. After these cancellations, AIC played 4 more shows (3 opening up for KISS on their 1996 reunion tour) and the fourth was their haunting and epic Unplugged show. That was the end. I was lucky enough to see Jerry Cantrell twice on his Degradation Trip album cycle: Once

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-12994090508690277072009-11-30T22:23:00.013-05:002009-11-30T23:16:53.981-05:00

Best mustache ever? Maybe. Anyway, let us all rejoice and celebrate, as I declare the following records to be the Best of 2009, a seriously incredible year for artistic creativity:TOP 25:1. Mastodon-Crack The Skye (Warner Bros)2. Pearl Jam-Backspacer (Monkeywrench)3. Alice in Chains-Black Gives Way To Blue (EMI)4. Matthew Good-Vancouver (UMusic Canada)5. ISIS-Wavering Radiant (Ipecac)6.

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-90870264749923711182009-11-21T07:19:00.007-05:002009-11-21T07:38:58.070-05:00

Not being able to sleep absolutely sucks. I'm fucking exhausted, yet my mind is racing and unable to relax. Welcome to the weekend in style! So to pass the time until I can respectably go out for a morning walk to grab some coffee, I've been absorbing the new Matthew Good record, Vancouver. Now multiple listens in, I'm enjoying this WAY more than 2007's Hospital Music and just as much his first

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-56492594897832639752009-11-21T02:23:00.009-05:002009-11-21T02:41:09.287-05:00

If you don't like The Melvins or the Jesus Lizard, stop reading. If you do, you're about to have a new favorite band. Fight Amp (formerly Fight Amputation) takes everything you should love about crust punk and makes it both grittier and more streamlined, at the exact same time. Every song has structure, but always gives way to an organized chaos of feedback and orderly disorder. I dug their

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-52389599343873711622009-11-12T23:31:00.007-05:002009-11-12T23:53:58.162-05:00

It's all I can talk about. We might be looking at album of the year candidate...A career best with their new darkened opus, Night Is The New Day. Released last week around the world and this past Tuesday here in the States, this 48 minute haunting epic masterpiece is another in the fine line of jaw-dropping albums by the most underrated band on the planet. I said it in my update yesterday and I

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-3084406942300325532009-11-12T00:27:00.009-05:002009-11-12T00:52:02.140-05:00

Well, it's clearly been a long fucking time since I've updated this blog. So much has happened since my last update, I don't even know where to begin. So instead of going on and on about shit that only I care about, I want to talk about some new jams that making living extremely pleasurable these days:- Slayer-World Painted BloodIf you don't like Slayer, you have no business listening to,

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-82578542240844482432009-08-20T23:49:00.007-04:002009-08-21T00:17:14.036-04:00

I admit it. When I first heard the name Biffy Clyro, I figured they would most definitely suck. And not just suck. They would suck at heights that only a band named Biffy Clyro could. Last year, a buddy of mine at Roadrunner sent me a copy of Puzzle, their criminally underrated masterpiece. I did and still do stand corrected. Biffy Clyro is fucking brilliant. Every song is great. Every b-side is

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-82533505486516263882009-08-20T15:13:00.004-04:002009-08-20T15:23:06.803-04:00

Been a while, yet again. Life is tricky. It's great to be super busy but also great to have five minutes to come up for air. I have 30 seconds, so here's what has been pleasuring my earholes for the past few weeks:- Burnt By The Sun: Heart of Darkness (Relapse)- 16: Bridges To Burn (Relapse)- Dredg: The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion (Ohlone)- Cave In: Planets of Old (Hydra Head)- Jesu:

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-76715321876255331832009-07-27T20:31:00.003-04:002009-07-27T20:38:52.409-04:00

And they did, seriously fucking killed it. They have played one show this year and from the looks of clips that have surfaced, if you were there, the chances of you surviving were slim to none. Dan's voice is sicker than ever. How this guy can channel his inner-demons like this is astounding. And his mustache doesn't hurt things, that's for sure. That thing rules.Check out this clip of "The

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-2766639113691765642009-07-16T12:31:00.004-04:002009-07-16T12:37:31.242-04:00

Usually fan-filmed videos are horrid pieces of cinematography, showcasing the amount of liquor said videographer consumed earlier that evening (and sometimes during filming). This dude got it right. Kudos, sober Torche fan! Here's some close-up awesomeness of a brand new Torche song, in all it's instrumental glory: Go to Hydra Head dot com to pick up the recently released second pressing of

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-49944224058123432682009-07-13T11:47:00.006-04:002009-07-13T11:59:24.577-04:00

Just a quick update on a few new items that are most impressive:- Young Widows 7" vinyl series (Temporary Residence)- Pelican- Ephemeral 12" EP (Southern Lord)- Coliseum- True Quiet/Last Wave 7" (Deathwish)- Champions of Sound 2x7"- Unreleased gems from Stove Bredsky, Zozobra, Pelican and Kayo Dot (Hydra Head)- Pearl Jam- Fan Club X-Mas 7" (Monkeywrench), yes just arrived in July...The Christmas

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-14341609823392171432009-07-08T01:09:00.007-04:002009-07-08T01:19:51.759-04:00

Cave In is back. You should know this. A new single hit the 'net shelves at iTunes today, called "Retina Sees Rewind", which is taken from the forthcoming 12" 4-song EP Planets of Old, coming July 28th on the ever-awesome Hydra Head Records. It will rule. You should also know this. A lot of people have their fandom split between the metalcore originators era (1995-1998) and the Failure-loving

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-56381329752937171322009-06-02T20:25:00.005-04:002009-06-02T20:35:08.549-04:00

The new PJ album will hit streets on 9/22 (possibly) and after their 3-minute appearance on Conan last night and their much-publicized deal with Target, there's a lot of info suddenly out there. The new song "Get Some" is pretty awesome. Ed didn't quite have a great night vocally but it was killer to see a song so bass/drum driven. It was almost Police-like, circa 1978. Like a long lost b-side.

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-46900785372212903552009-05-05T09:52:00.008-04:002009-05-05T10:10:50.044-04:00

Today is like opening a time capsule of hardcore. Both Earth Crisis and Zao have new records out and I'm heading to my local record shop to buy them. Feels like I'm 17 again, wearing my Snapcase hoodie, long shorts, listening to some Cast Iron Hike...Wait, not much has changed! Earth Crisis is putting out their first original full length since 2000's Slither (which I loved, goofball elitist

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-27332133508423881092009-04-15T23:55:00.002-04:002009-04-16T00:11:35.067-04:00

I know I've been gone for a minute...Life is busy and time is always short it seems. So I've been digging on the brand new Hatesphere album, "To The Nines"...Who cares that 4/5ths of the original lineup is gone, or that 4/5ths of the lineup from the last record is gone. This is brutally heavy and groovy metallic hardcore with low-hanging balls. This is for fans of Pantera, Lamb of God, Slayer,

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-13064055805975123442009-04-05T13:48:00.008-04:002009-04-05T14:10:33.675-04:00

I've been on a big Galactic Cowboys kick lately. If you're not familiar with these Texan/Missourian (?) dudes then spend some time digging into their amazing catalog, which spans a decade, releasing albums both on Geffen Records and Metal Blade. Six LP's and one awesome EP complete the GC catalog. Get all of it. It's either on clearance or out of print but easy to find for a few bucks a piece.

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-83793516531327196722009-03-23T17:58:00.003-04:002009-03-23T18:02:21.856-04:00

Holy shit. I'm speechless. Check this out. New pants will be needed. New Converge LP this year via Epitaph for CD and Deathwish for vinyl. CONVERGE New album out soon on Epitaph/Deathwish

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-71617672431674893932009-03-23T00:16:00.010-04:002009-03-23T01:01:40.205-04:00

It was August of 1991 and I just saw the "Alive" video on MTV and had my mind blown and life changed forever. A band actually PLAYING during a video. God bless you, Josh Taft. I love Pearl Jam. The band that could've been bigger than U2 but chose to not be douche bags and took the hard road all the way instead. They chose to make weirder and weirder (and better) records to aleinate their

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-29188459043808239072009-03-16T15:17:00.004-04:002009-03-16T15:25:09.865-04:00

I have not a fucking clue. Their recently-released slab of brutality, Wrath, is so good it's sickening. No metal band since Pantera has been able to groove, thrash and write legitimately fantastic songs and hooks like this. As mentioned in a few recent interviews, singer Randall Blythe has upped his game once more, adapting a very Testament-esque Chuck Billy vocal technique in a few spots, which

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-8770201656003570502009-03-01T13:29:00.004-05:002009-03-01T13:37:45.871-05:00

I'm sick. It sucks. Hence the lack of updates. Queens of the Stone Age rules and they say it best: SICK SICK SICK! I'll admit it probably not what Mr. Homme was thinking when he wrote this jam, but fuck it...I'm sick. TheraFlu, do your worst!QOTSA: "Sick Sick Sick" (Live at PinkPop 2008)

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-23051262406381024792009-02-24T21:40:00.004-05:002009-02-24T21:51:21.287-05:00

New shit out today from Lamb of God, God Forbid and the Gorilla Pimp himself, Project Pat. Buy it. Buy it. Buy it...Support American Metal and the best that Memphis has to offer. Seriously, Project Pat is fucking rad. Check out Mista Don't Play. That record is a classic.Here's the old...Go get the new. S&U out...Lamb of God- "11th Hour" God Forbid- "Go Your Own Way" Project Pat- "Chickenhead"

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-31543654919448893082009-02-20T13:07:00.005-05:002009-02-20T13:22:39.103-05:00

I discovered Oceansize a few years back and instantly knew I needed to own everything this band ever laid to tape. A lot of their stuff is very hard to find or only available digitally (old out of print EP's, singles), so I caved on a few things but gradually got their three full-lengths and, well basically everything. Even stumbled upon the rare "Music For Nurses" EP at Rhino Records in New

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-58988127813238600932009-02-14T14:23:00.010-05:002009-02-14T14:41:42.543-05:00

Mike Portnoy is an awesome drummer and up until last year, a killer tour organizer. The first annual Progressive Nation tour featured Dream Theater, Opeth, Between The Buried and Me and Three...I know, so good it barely made sense. So myself and a horde of fans around the country were eagerly awaiting this year's lineup. Could they add Meshuggah? The reunited Cynic (a band DT owes a a lot to)?

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-23272119057020007732009-02-06T19:43:00.010-05:002009-02-06T20:07:03.430-05:00

If Metallica is Led Zeppelin, then Pantera definitely is Black Sabbath. In fact, this weeks' fanciness comes courtesy of Pantera covering Black Sabbath. I really had my pick this week. I counld've gone with their ball-smashing rendition of "Hole In The Sky" or their Whiskey-soaked version of "Electric Funeral". I chose to stay as fancy as possible and honor "Planet Caravan", one of my favorite

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-74424746808200769992009-02-03T19:29:00.004-05:002009-02-03T19:40:05.939-05:00

Cave In is so awesome. I think their efforts from Creative Eclipses and on are their best (especially Jupiter and Perfect Pitch Black), but that's not to say that Beyond Hypothermia and the groundbreaking Until Your Heart Stops aren't killer records. There are some metal/hardcore gems in there. Yes, this predates the abomination that metalcore has become. I guess we have Cave In and Zao to

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-2718349538729351092009-01-31T14:17:00.011-05:002009-01-31T14:50:26.986-05:00

I truly believe that if you're from or spent time growing up in the Tri-State Area and were somewhat into the hardcore scene, you have a soft spot for Candiria. Forget the fact that they weren't a hardcore band...You just loved them. Their albums combined literally every genre of music, sometimes all in one song, yet always seamlessly. They had the ability to take one breakdown riff/note and

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-10928113937781171532009-01-27T00:11:00.024-05:002009-01-27T00:25:57.829-05:00

The great Sepultura releases their new opus "A-Lex" today, on this fine Testicular Tuesday. It translates to "No Law"or "Without Law" and is based on an interweaving of both the book and film "A Clockwork Orange". Haters keep on hating: Yes the Cavalera brothers are now both gone. However, they weren't original Sep members and Derrick Green is the fucking Predator. Game point. If you stopped

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-32985634685709030302009-01-26T11:24:00.011-05:002009-01-26T11:49:52.008-05:00

I remember being 11 or 12 years old and paying $20 to get me a VHS copy of "Funky Monks", the documentary behind Blood Sugar Sex Magik by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. It was awesome to see Chad Smith lay it down (with the greatest drum sound EVER), then switch it up and play somber tunes on the piano. He also left the mansion they recorded in every night to escape the man-grabbing that was going

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-12024231242821909942009-01-17T12:29:00.008-05:002009-01-17T12:47:41.784-05:00

When I was growing up, my Great Grandmother would always say people were "meshugganah", which I assumed meant crazy/insane/etc. I'm not sure if her pronunciation was right or the condensed one is, but either way, I love me some Meshuggah. I first heard of/saw them in 1998 in Jacksonville, FL, opening up for Sick of it All and Slayer at Club 5. I thought they were decent, but the sound was muddy

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-18416216474751278192009-01-15T18:02:00.006-05:002009-01-15T18:20:07.457-05:00

We're now nearly three years removed from the masterpiece that is the Great Cold Distance and I'm fucking dying for new music from Katatonia. Yes, Andy and Jonas are also in Bloodbath, who put out both an EP and full-length in 2008 (which were insanely good), but it's no Katatonia. All I'm saying is enjoy these clips and respect this band. They are THE prime example (with Cave In and possibly

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-83929765880512566632009-01-02T18:25:00.006-05:002009-01-02T18:39:01.651-05:00

This is top notch fancy this week. Les Claypool and the Fancy Band performing "D's Diner" at Bonnaroo 2006. I know...hippies. Look, Les somehow always manages to headline these petchulli-twirly-mudbath festivals for some reason. He mocks the entire neo-hippie lifestyle through pun and sarcasm in the recently-released (and S&U recommended) "Electric Apricot: Quest for Festeroo", yet these

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-34020987019065995302008-12-31T20:46:00.007-05:002008-12-31T20:59:23.403-05:00

So before I run into drunken douche bags everywhere, I wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year. Ah 2009, I hope thee are awesome. In keeping with my hatred of Bono (which I'll get into more soon, I promise you that), I will not show the clip of "New Year's Day", even though it's a killer song. I'm imagining what Bono might hate and play that. I figure he's too "intellectual" to like or

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-26734404459881342332008-12-30T12:44:00.009-05:002008-12-30T13:05:06.017-05:00

Ray Alder joined Fates Warning in 1988 at the age of 18. He still fronts the band some 20 years later. Some fans still call him the new guy. He replaced John Arch, who sang for FW between 1984-1988 and recorded the classic "Night on Brocken" with the band. However, Ray has recorded classic after classic as their frontman since 1988's "No Exit", up through their last two masterpieces, "

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-59436321008388640352008-12-23T11:18:00.012-05:002008-12-23T11:43:07.680-05:00

I am not what you'd call a KISS fan. In fact, I'm sort of caught in KISS limbo, if you will. There are three kinds of people that can be associated (or not) within KISSdom, and here's how it's layed out: The people that worship KISS, the people that don't get KISS and the people that get KISS, but hate them because they can't believe how much they actually suck(ed) as a band and how far they

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-43045674752827856312008-12-19T20:00:00.006-05:002008-12-19T20:31:24.969-05:00

Well, here it is. Right before the car drove off the cliff. It's almost like a beautiful funeral. Enjoy and have the fanciest weekend possible.Chris Cornell: "Billie Jean" (Live in Stockholm, 2007):

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-83795571902053419752008-12-18T00:58:00.007-05:002008-12-18T01:22:03.577-05:00

Angel Dust by Faith No More. Easy choice. I'd venture to say that I've heard this album over one thousand times in my life and it never gets stale. It's a flawless record that is sequenced perfectly. Flow is what makes an album an album and this album flows like the motherfucking Colorado River. Faith No More made six records, but it was the Patton era LP's (especially Angel Dust and on) that

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-4808008525753012082008-12-12T14:19:00.007-05:002008-12-12T14:37:55.311-05:00

Today's rap and hip hop sucks. I know I sound old by saying shit like this, but it's so ridiculously true, all you need to do is turn on MTV and see one of their new horrid ringtone ads promoting lifer artists such as Soulja Boy, Rich Boy, and Douche Bag Boy. Whatever. Rap used to be awesome and 1993 proved it. Cypress Hill is still around and still great. They were just honored at the 2008 VH1

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-58914619953006557002008-12-10T00:29:00.009-05:002008-12-10T00:53:52.716-05:00

Why is it that us Jews love the Christian Metal and Hardcore? Is it that they're screaming their gospel at us? Is it that Jesus IS really awesome? I tend to think that it's the pent up sexual frustration they hold inside. No pre-marital sex, no drugs, no sex, no temple, no sex...I get it. The question is, why aren't they angrier?Today we focus on Demon Hunter. I love this band. They balance

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-49561179515681563282008-12-08T00:07:00.011-05:002008-12-08T23:48:00.216-05:00

The year 2008 gave us some really great music. No, really. There were great records by great bands and a good number of newer bands that put out extremely good LP's. 36 Crazyfists killed it this year with a flawless album, while Zozobra and Cult of Luna had a serious go at it for the #1 spot. Buy these records. All of them. Now.There's a lot of great stuff in here. Check it out!TOP 20 of 2008:1.

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-40819431927357944742008-12-05T19:03:00.005-05:002008-12-05T19:12:38.488-05:00

Sometimes, progressive death metal bands do get fancy. Very fancy, actually. Opeth is to metal what Missy Elliot is to hip hop: Always doing something incredibly different and so far to the left of center, it becomes decidedly un-whatever genre it first set out to acomplish. The similarities fortunately end there (although Missy's "The Rain" is fucking stellar). Opeth continually put out

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-81844078666998675312008-12-02T19:34:00.007-05:002008-12-02T19:47:30.316-05:00

The Dillinger Escape Plan is awesome. They have been awesome since their inception and first EP some 11 years ago. I do prefer their more recent output as compared to their earlier releases with Dmitri on vocals, but it all rules. 2007's "Ire Works" is a brilliant masterpiece, as was it's predecessor "Miss Machine". As the band grows (a similar yet more spastic path than Candiria), they keep

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-33856031487071542182008-11-28T11:05:00.007-05:002008-11-28T11:23:03.406-05:00

On this fancy holiday weekend, I've been going over a lot of Dream Theater and Porcupine Tree in my head for some reason, but far fancier than both are PT's Steven Wilson's side project, Blackfield. I was one of the lucky few who braved the worst snow storm of 2007 with a good friend of mine, marching through this shit in the bowels of NYC (ok, the Bowery, but that's not far off) to witness a

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-63645038856648796682008-11-17T23:48:00.009-05:002008-11-18T00:07:22.878-05:00

If you are a fan of all things Cave In, then Adam McGrath's Clouds needs no introduction. They are a fucking brilliant Boston group that combines elements of Black Flag, The Melvins and gritty rock n' roll and makes many an ass shake. Two records in (plus a killer little EP with a Guided By Voices cover) and a pending 12" (in the form of a bonus LP with the vinyl release of Clouds album #2, "We

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-43790854136094636012008-11-17T14:17:00.007-05:002008-11-17T14:34:39.109-05:00

Yes, this is the title of a sweaty-ass live record by the 1999-2005 Rollins Band and yes, that record is awesome. One of the best live albums I've ever heard. Raw, unedited, b-sides, rare tracks, fan favorites...All played with perfect techinacal proficiency and skill.Today, I'm in awe of the drumming of Sim Cain and the bass playing of Melvin Gibbs, Rollins' thuderous duo for most of the 1990's

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-41730404422397329722008-11-14T13:14:00.007-05:002008-11-14T13:35:40.128-05:00

I have to admit that I sort of liked the first From Autumn To Ashes LP. Listening to it now is like getting fingernails plucked out one by one but at the time, it seemed good enough. Unfortunately for FATA, they decided to become big pussies and put out two horrible emo-tinged records with female vocal interludes (probably the best parts of these records), ending in their lead singer leaving/

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-87627849309893579552008-11-07T18:02:00.005-05:002008-11-07T18:10:56.310-05:00

Stop, Fancy Time! A real quick one today. Anyone that knows me is well aware that I bow to the altar of Faith No More daily. They pulled a Soundgarden (directly after Soundgarden), by putting out a bunch of classic LP's, then calling it quits on their own terms.This is about as fancy as it gets. Ever. Of all time. The fanciest. FNM "Evidence":

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-22449012322924411922008-11-07T17:33:00.005-05:002008-11-07T17:41:46.869-05:00

We have a new President of the United States. It's fucking amazing news. I mean, we could've had a pornographic hand puppet take office after Bush and it would've improved our foreign relations and economy, but a leader like Barack Obama is truly a gift. For once, the American people spoke and voted and here we are.I found it both uplifting and appropriate to play some Earth Crisis to erase W

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-900686781380225042008-11-06T20:59:00.006-05:002008-11-06T21:17:43.465-05:00

I've been listening to the new Totimoshi CD, Milagrosa, for a few months now and I've come to the detailed scientific conclusion that it is indeed awesome. I mean, super-fun-happy-time Japanese game show on speed awesome. It's just so crisp and fresh and completely off the map. They've always paved their own road and made their fans one at a time the old fashioned way...By killing it live and

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-90283786215467748882008-10-28T15:40:00.006-04:002008-10-28T16:00:18.130-04:00

I first discovered Snapcase in 1993, when my band tried to cover some tracks off their debut full-length, Lookinglasself. They got better and we broke up. Such is life. Anyway, Snapcase is one of the first hardcore bands accepted fully by the scene, that took pride in branching out and being simply progressive, not be limited by the seemingly endless limitations of the mid-1990's hardcore scene.

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-55066827237770538992008-10-25T18:42:00.011-04:002008-10-25T19:07:25.907-04:00

The riff. Kirk Windstein is a human riff. Actually, he's a beard with a man attached to it, but his riffs are pretty sweet, I must say. The thunderous heaviness (physically and musically) of Crowbar is so bombastic it could cause earthquakes. Kirk is one of those rare guitarists that is instantly recognizable, as quickly as a single note. His tone and groove are unmatched and the fact that

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-71346526330918089292008-10-23T01:17:00.009-04:002008-10-23T01:39:53.821-04:00

No competition. One wears a swan as an outfit. One lives in the desert and kicks out jams of epic proportions daily and effortlessly. This dude has the resume of all resumes: Kyuss, Fu Manchu, The Bros, The Operators and a little known project called Che. He recorded this 7-track gem with ...And The Circus Leaves Town-era Kyuss drummer Alfredo Hernandez, who also played the kit on the Queens of

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-77938829439568395132008-10-18T01:22:00.007-04:002008-10-18T01:44:22.739-04:00

We're getting real fancy this week. I mean Fine China fancy. In fact, if it gets fancier than this, I don't want any part it. Queens of the Stone Age have always been extra careful to not be careful and 2007's Era Vulgaris is not only no exception, it's the prime example. Queens' fifth record is an experimental affair, full of killer hooks, dirty-ass guitars and ZZ Top grooves. Add two special

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-4065560701843873172008-10-11T17:58:00.003-04:002008-10-11T18:04:32.760-04:00

Nothing wrong with getting old. I hope to live to be 120 with my beautiful wife. It just takes a little thing called common sense to decide that when you turn 35 or 40 (depending on how life has treated you), to hang up the clothes that make you look like a fucktard. Madonna heeds none of this advice. Instead, she's literally going backwards in her wardrobe, wearing shit that makes her look like

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-10125014495618595762008-10-10T23:41:00.008-04:002008-10-10T23:59:51.550-04:00

We'll be quick and most definitely fancy this week. Ken Andrews, you have officially become fancy. His 2007 solo debut (other than his previous 2 amazing ON releases) was incredible...A true joy to listen to. This record hits sweet spots from every phase of his storied career, hinting at Failure-like riffing, Year of the Rabbit songcraft, ON-like atmospherics and new soundscapes and grooves. For

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-43361781286802096982008-10-09T20:14:00.004-04:002008-10-09T20:16:32.039-04:00

Of all time. Ever, in the history of the Universe.Feast you eyes on this:I told you.

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-66182868635055195542008-10-09T19:47:00.009-04:002008-10-09T20:14:04.523-04:00

FAR is back! It's only been a decade. Not like I missed them or anything...Seriously, I'm fucking stoked as a motherfucker. Far is going by the moniker Hot Little Pony while they get together and play a few shows in Southern California later this month. They've also got a nifty little MySpace page for Hot Little Pony with a rump-thumping cover of, what else, Ginuwine's "Pony". It's actually

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-30851601073227893272008-10-07T23:05:00.008-04:002008-10-07T23:24:17.003-04:00

Holy balls, Amon Amarth can bring it live. They completely annihilated San Francisco this past Friday and it took me until now to recover. They were joined by The Absence, the hillarious comedy routine of Belphegor (oh wait, they're serious...Wow) and the folk metal dorkiness of Ensiferum (which was actually very cool). They could've had Slayer open for them nd it wouldn't have made a bit of

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-47271927921771113952008-09-26T01:56:00.009-04:002008-09-26T02:16:40.788-04:00

Time to get fancy! This weeks' feature is one of my favorite artists of all time, Matthew Good. Yes, I know he's Canadian but we wont hold that against him. The guy is amazing. I hear the sheep reference a lot (mostly from my wife) but dude is awesome and always has something incredibly relevant to say. He finally toured the US for the first time in nearly a decade, earlier this year. Bought my

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-16440492797252045592008-09-24T02:34:00.008-04:002008-09-24T02:55:07.318-04:00

If you consider yourself any kind of self-respecting musician, you bow to the altar of King's X. The are THE musicians band. I think 14 people that don't play an instrument faintly know who they might be, but all the others are die-hard fans. Power trio? Check. 3-Part harmonies? Check. Beatles/Sabbath worship? Check. Inventing Drop-D Tuning? Fucking check. That's right, these dudes invented it

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-16684321148716921542008-09-23T02:20:00.005-04:002008-09-23T02:37:00.646-04:00

Ligeia is not a great band. Not even a particularly good band. They did make a catchy and decent Every Time I Die rip-off album in the form of their sophomore LP, "Bad News" though. It's catchy as a motherfucker. The lyrics deal with chicks, booze, booze, no money, chicks, dude parts, whiskey and women all up on dude parts...and while not 19th Century English Literature, it's pretty damn

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-60603739114111166522008-09-13T13:53:00.005-04:002008-09-13T14:07:44.590-04:00

Beck is good. I truly believe that. I love his most popular stuff and his most obscure, but every now and again, dude gets lost and makes some serious mistakes. I know the always-sparkly folks at Pitchfork and the oh-so trustworthy critics at Rolling Stone give anything he touches higher than high ratings, but I can't help but feel more than disappointed by Modern Guilt. Lead single "Gamma Ray"

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-71780600777668338542008-09-07T01:35:00.008-04:002008-09-07T01:52:41.993-04:00

I love this song so much. Peter Gabriel is a genius and I mean that in the literal musician sense, where they teeter on the fine line between pure incomprehensible intelligence and definite insanity. "I Don't Remember" is one of those gems from his early solo work that was never a huge hit, even though it has one of his greatest hooks and perfectly direct lyrics. The monkey-like screams at the

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-19663832410328486872008-09-06T02:53:00.004-04:002008-09-06T03:10:50.208-04:00

Mark Lanegan is the Tupac of my music collection. I have no idea how the guy manages to record as many records as he does and still manage to eat breakfast. Unfortunately for Mark, he's probably a lot closer to death than Tupac is. Just recently he's completed three amazing tracks for the Import-only Creature With The Atom Brains' "I Am The Golden Gate Bridge", a cover of "The Man In The Long

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-29908606697598932932008-09-02T01:10:00.006-04:002008-09-02T01:21:44.725-04:00

Not that much to say about this week's TT entry, other than how many villages they've pillaged, men without beards they've killed, and how fucking awesome they are. Amon Amarth are serious about their Viking heritage and they have the galloping death thrash to play the perfect soundtrack to the imagery of the lyrics. I mean, you can basically smell these dudes through the music.They unleash a

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-30418533542501141472008-08-31T00:19:00.007-04:002008-08-31T00:31:49.575-04:00

They are THE American Rock N' Roll band of the past 15 years. Don't let Corrosion of Conformity hear this, because I feel the same about them. Unfortunately for COC, Clutch continues to put out records every 18 months or so and thoroughly kicks my ass every time. It can be hardcore, bluesy, funky, harmonica-y...You get the point.They're recently started their own label, Weathermaker Music and

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-32110136145134938892008-08-29T22:11:00.004-04:002008-08-29T22:24:06.553-04:00

The Yin to Testicular Tuesday's Yang. That sounded dirty. This will be a nice little feature to ease you into the weekend. We'll kick things off with some Ryan Adams. Iknow, the guy comes across as a first-rate douche bag, but there's no denying his talent and his ability to write a song a day, usually with amazing results. This is my congrats to him for finally twisting Lost Highway into

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-65491659006697616872008-08-29T14:53:00.007-04:002008-08-29T15:09:32.391-04:00

On a real Lemonheads kick lately. So what if Evan Dando smoked copious amounts of crack for nearly a decade? Who cares if he boned Winnona Ryder while doing so? I mean, who hasn't, right? Their self-titled "comeback" record on Vagrant last year was a testament to how awesome they were and still are. It was as if they did Car Button Cloth in 1996 and immediately went back into the studio to write

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-12156769862483183132008-08-28T11:36:00.005-04:002008-08-28T11:41:53.178-04:00

I couldn't resist. Looks at this guy. Just look at him. My wife thinks James Hetfield looks just like Harry from Harry and the Hendersons, but even that lovable 80's sitcom/b-rate movie sensation (sorry, Alf rules your ass buddy) wouldn't be caught dead shopping at Armani. What have you done to Rob Trujillo?!It's bad enough that James says "baby" after every single line, now he's wearing golfing

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-12981848886284817102008-08-26T23:52:00.005-04:002008-08-27T00:07:00.062-04:00

So while every other blog on the face of this ill-fated planet is debating whether the two new officially leaked Metallica tracks are any good (they are kinda, sorta, maybe, who cares?), I got inspired by the fine fellows at MetalSucks.net to listen to some Chimaira and get me out of the current funk I'm in (thanks Chris Cornell, you sack fondler). There's a tangent I'll go off on

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-83358429575745597422008-08-17T13:20:00.008-04:002008-08-17T13:37:36.528-04:00

What's it with Dave Grohl and drumming? Whatever band he's in, regardless of the instrument he chooses to play, the drummer is the secret weapon. I always felt that his powerful drumming and beautiful harmonies was the glue in later-era Nirvana. His amazing chops on QOTSA's "Songs For The Deaf" made that record. Tight production mixed with his precise skill propelled that record and in the eyes

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-62100339359319153442008-08-14T18:42:00.006-04:002008-08-14T18:58:33.804-04:00

As I've stated here many times in the past, I'm a huge Soundgarden fan. I love everything they ever did and respected them greatly for bowing out before they turned into something else. It saddens me to see Chris Cornell turn into such a puppet for Verizon, Timbaland, his wife...Whatever it is, it's fucking mindblowingly sad. What's left of his fanbase (all twelve of you, listen up) has blinders

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-13448964498287997482008-08-13T00:29:00.006-04:002008-08-13T00:43:28.319-04:00

Anyone that knows me knows that I have a borderline-obsessive love for all things from Alaska, including beardrock, moose and 36 Crazyfists. The latter is one of the only bands that I can think of that I never tire of, ever (consisting only of bands that started post 1990's...and not including the band as they were before moving to Portland and signing with Roadrunner). Four amazing records.

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-79575670111766086632008-08-08T13:46:00.007-04:002008-08-08T14:03:42.546-04:00

So, um...I just got my copy of the sparkling new Zozobra album "Bird of Prey" and, um, I'm blown away. I mean, I expected it to be crushing, expansive, heavy and all that stuff, but I just wasn't prepaired for what Mr. Caleb Scofield (Cave In/Old Man Gloom) and Aaron Turner (Isis) had in store for my ears (and eyes...simply stunning packaging and embossing...Aaron Tuner has done it again). You

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-72587281544368191582008-08-05T00:26:00.007-04:002008-08-05T00:37:22.961-04:00

I spent a nice portion of my day today listening to Converge. You should too. They are punk as fuck. Everyone seems to hate on their 2004 release, "You Fail Me", but the truth is that record really HAD to be made. After a career-defining "Jane Doe", they had nowhere else to go but way off the map and shake everything up right quick. This record redefined the band as a creative force and a band

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-25751332469551613202008-08-02T20:42:00.006-04:002008-08-02T21:01:11.894-04:00

The new Cult of Luna is a skullcrusher. An amazing journey of an album, based on the writings in a journal of a mental patient from the 1930's. They actually recorded the new disc, Eternal Kingdom in the abandoned hospital where he once resided and ultimately passed on. I've talked about the merits of this band endlessly but they have really blown me away with this one. Salvation was unarguably

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-88121686381390005032008-07-31T19:27:00.005-04:002008-07-31T19:31:59.965-04:00

They really are. I mean, this explains it better than anything I've seen in recent memory. When you combine stupid kids and Black Metal, the results are humorous. Now don't get me wrong, I love In Flames (shirt the Douche #5 on right is wearing in photo above) but I'm pretty sure I speak for everyone in the In Flames camp when I say that they would sacrifice this turd to the overlords if they

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-91266925864720891452008-07-23T21:23:00.008-04:002008-07-23T21:35:11.439-04:00

Leave it to Chris Cornell (or as some Italian ex-fans are calling him, Crisis Cornell) to be so delusional as to call the first single/joint/ringtone off his new as-yet-to-be released album "Long Gone". Shit, that says it all and more. Long gone are his lyrics, music, dignity, pride, album sales and fans. He has some fans left, but they're just as delusional as Cornell. Come to find out that

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-66742221529699663592008-07-18T17:56:00.004-04:002008-07-21T15:12:21.585-04:00

This guy used to be Chris Cornell. I think. What a douche bag. His new "songs" suck...Wait, that might be the understatement of the year. I will let this photo do the talking. I'm fucking done with this.

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-31419043816853246162008-07-15T20:52:00.007-04:002008-07-15T21:43:19.348-04:00

If Birmingham, AL is metal, then Disturbed really are the heaviest band on earth or whatever bullshit they say they are. Truth is, Birmingham gave us Haste in the late 90's (not to be confused with the horrid Haste The Day on Solid State Records). They were a six-dude band with two vocalists, a high screamer/singer and a gutteral growler. The music was upbeat, dark, dirty, pop, rock, hardcore,

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-42907970335656111392008-07-11T00:47:00.011-04:002008-07-11T01:22:25.100-04:00

When people discuss the vast history and back catalog of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, there always seems to be two distinct camps: Those who "know" Freakey Styley and those who don't. It's as simple as that. There's no denying that the Peppers have gone on to make FAR superior albums since said 1985 sophomore LP, but the point is that this band is clearly divided by their college radio days and

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-25225474170843162562008-07-08T13:10:00.004-04:002008-07-08T13:20:10.205-04:00

I don't think there's a better example than a swift kick in the nuts than Virginia's Lamb of God. These motherfuckers are intense. The music is precise to the point of perfection, yet that never gets in the way of the groove or emotion of the song. It's not robotic and soul-less like Joe Satriani or Steve Vai. Plus, politics and metal have a nice way of meeting at the crossroads in this band.

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-37922632940708654372008-07-02T01:00:00.005-04:002008-07-02T01:15:10.220-04:00

Really, what can't Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament do? They are reuniting Green River for two nights at Sub Pop Fest in Seattle in less that two weeks, rock balls out of nutsacks with Pearl Jam and at one point, were poised to be the next big thing with Mother Love Bone. Led by the next Freddie Mercury, Andrew Wood, MLB rose up and quickly separated themselves from everything else going on the the

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-24448913459378778402008-06-24T03:41:00.005-04:002008-06-24T03:57:30.306-04:00

You have to respect bands that make brilliant records and then break up while still on top. No one likes to be Warrant, not even Warrant. Especially not Warrant. Bands like Faith No More, Mr. Bungle, Soundgarden, Screaming Trees and many others decided that this is probably as good as it gets and called it quits. One such band is Dead To Fall. They used to suck. Basic meathead hardcore with

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-40531485134310498312008-06-18T02:33:00.005-04:002008-06-18T02:45:18.352-04:00

Pearl Jam is on tour. They are playing shit that they never EVER play, or have ever played period. WMA, All Night, Education, Evacuation, Love Reign Over Me, Can't Keep, Light Years, Who You Are, Sometimes...And I can go on like this. They destroyed Bonnaroo and played an hour longer longer than they were supposed to play, making Douchye West bitch and moan that he didn't get to put his Epcot

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-83904833672674648782008-06-09T14:38:00.006-04:002008-06-09T14:57:43.861-04:00

"Go Tell Somebody" was the working title of the brand new King's X record before it was changed to XV. These three Texans meant that shit. XV is not only their best record in 10 years, it might be their crossover record. Don't get me wrong, KX has been promised the brass ring so many times it's not even remotely funny anymore. From the hopeful MTV support of "It's Love" to the Headbangers Ball

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6404564714070636641.post-34387043307515302872008-06-05T10:39:00.004-04:002008-06-05T10:52:19.719-04:00

I'm on vacation so forgive the two-day lateness. I've been trying to show my brother some ball-rattling tunes but still think it's too soon to introduce him to Mastodon. Perhaps the heaviest prog-type band to ever exist (Opeth, we'll get to your awesomeness soon enough), they are the only band that people who love Yes and Sonic Youth both listen to. For some reason, the Pitchfork crowd loves

Stupid and Unkindhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17509721458988703668noreply@blogger.com0