It Was The Best Of Times, It Was The Blurst Of Times. 2012's Best...

2012 was a year plagued with REALLY bad records, yet some truly stellar ones. New bands came to the party, while some older ones showed us all how it's done. It's almost poetic how good the Code Orange Kids debut LP is and hearing the proud J Bannon from Converge talking about how much he loves them. Meanwhile, Converge wrote a record that crushed nearly everyone else, including the young upstarts he's promoting and putting out on his own Deathwish label. A seminal band from my youth returned with a solid record, while others kept churning out others in long line of killer LP's.

No more bullshit. Here's my Best of 2012 list. Enjoy and support bands/labels. Without your money, they don't make records. Without those records, you will be forced to listen to radio rock and pop swill. And Pop Country. Think about it.

1. Deftones- Koi No- Yokan (Warner Bros.)
2. Converge- All We Love We Leave Behind (Epitaph/Deathwish)
3. Lamb Of God- Resolution (Epic)
4. Soundgarden- King Animal (Seven Four/Universal)
5. Pro-Pain- Straight To The Dome (Goomba Music)
6. OSI- Fire Make Thunder (Metal Blade)
7. Mark Lanegan- Blues Funeral (4AD)
8. Brad- United We Stand (Razor & Tie)
9. Witchcraft- Legend (Nuclear Blast)
10. Father John Misty- Fear Fun (Sub Pop)
11. Every Time I Die- Ex-Lives (Epitaph)
12. Crippled Black Phoenix- (Mankind) The Crafty Ape (Mascot)
13. Band Of Skulls- Sweet Sour (Vagrant)
14. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis- The Heist (self-released)
15. High On Fire- De Vermis Mysteriis (E1)
16. Nonpoint- Nonpoint (E1)
17. Shearwater- Animal Joy (Sub Pop)
18. Katatonia- Dead End Kings (Peaceville)
19. Code Orange Kids- Love Is Love // Return To Dust (Deathwish)
20. Gaza- No Absolutes In Human Suffering (Black Market Activities)
21. Demon Hunter- True Defiance (Solid State)
22. Split Cranium- s/t (Hydra Head)
23. Rush- Clockwork Angels (Anthem/Roadrunner)
24. I Am Heresy- I Am Heresy (Magic Bullet)
25. The Unwinding Hours- Afterlives (Chemikal Underground)

Honorable Mentions to the following:

Early Graves- Red Horse (No Sleep)
The Sword- Apocryphon (Razor & Tie)
METZ- METZ (Sub Pop)
Baroness- Yellow & Green (Relapse)
Gojira- L'enfant Sauvage (Roadrunner)
Melvins Lite- Freak Puke (Ipecac)
Meshuggah- Koloss (Nuclear Blast)

Best EP's:

Down- Down IV (Down Records)
Crosses- EP II (self-released)
The Melvins- The Bulls and The Bees EP (Scion AV)
Marriages- Kitsune (Sargent House)
Pelican- Ataraxia/Taraxis (Southern Lord)
The Company Band- Pros & Cons (Weathermaker Music)

Looking forward to these in 2013:

Tomahawk
Cult Of Luna
Clutch
Alice In Chains
Pearl Jam
Palms
Mark Lanegan
Steven Wilson
Satchel
Killswitch Engage

...and finally seeing Tom Petty live. C'mon, you fucker!

Neil Old

I finally saw Neil Young live the other night. Was my first show at the historic and legendary Hollywood Bowl and my first time seeing Uncle Neil. I was twice as excited, since it was Neil Young & Crazy Horse. Big riffs, no whiny shit and the possibility they might play "Fuckin' Up".

Here's how it went down...

It was a mixed crowd. Eight to eighty. Maybe ninety. Old dudes. I mean OLD. Fringed jackets, white t-shirts tucked into the bluest Homer Simpson-style denims you've ever seen. Grey and silver as far as the eye could see.

Los Lobos opened and they killed it. Crisp sound, a ridiculous percussionist and some killer jams.

Then we waited for at least an hour...

Neil and Fossil Horse took the stage at what I can only assume is their usual bedtime, yet proceed to lay into some killer riffage and a monsterous 20 minute opener. A few new tracks (including the epic "Walk Like A Giant") and a few solo songs ("Needle and the Damage Done") and a killer rendition of "Cinnamon Girl" definitely kept the audience enthused. They did play "Fuckin' Up" and it ruled, but it was bittersweet. Seeing Neil's guitarist keep giving the audience the finger during each chorus seemed more akin to an old guy telling teenagers to get off his property, rather than what the song actually means. You know, fucking shit up. Every day.

The evening came to a close with Neil and Co playing a super-long rendition (he loves those lengthy tunes, that one) of the Buffalo Springfield classic, "Mr. Soul"...A song he said he played on that very stage over 40 years prior. Pretty intense.

All in all a great, expensive night (after the obligatory raglan purchase, highway robbery parking and ticket prices that only Rolling Stones fans can afford). I truly appreciate that well into his sixties, Neil Young is playing and sounding as young as ever, as he always sounded somewhat grizzled. His music is still challenging, yet accessible and he's certainly not turning into some bear/Tom Waits-ish creature, as Dylan is.

Neil is and always will be Neil.

Not the most exciting show, but one to cross off the bucket list for sure. Tom Petty, you're next!

"Fuckin' Up" @ the Hollywood Bowl: 

Adam Yauch

Today we lost a very important human being. Adam Yauch was not only a rapper, an entertainer, a musician. He was a poet, a brilliant lyricist, a criminally underrated MC and to me, one of the first examples (perhaps the first) of a musician that actually spoke articulately, carried weight with his words and never pandered to anyone.

The Beastie Boys, a group who started off as a shitty little punk band, turned into mouthy rappers, turned into accomplished performers, turned into humanitarians...But NEVER lost sight of what they were at their core: A band. A fucking brilliant band who knew EXACTLY how to have fun. Check Your Head is probably the finest example of true hip hop/rock crossover material. They never made bad records, but this one is especially noice (natch). A Desert Island Disc for sure. MCA had the dopest rhymes, the best lines, the gruffest tones. He was their Tom Waits. Their Bob Dylan.

 I really don't know what else to say. I'm beyond heartbroken over his passing. I hope his family and friends will find peace, now that his struggle is over. "I got more rhymes that I got grey hairs. So that's a lot because I got my share". Best. Line. Ever. Rest In Peace, Adam Yauch. A Legend.


 

The Cat's In The Bag...

Ask any Mike Patton fanatic what the most consistently solid post-Faith No More project is and I'd assure you that over 90% of those folks will tell you it's Tomahawk.

That's because it is.

Three albums. All unfuckwithable. Well maybe Anonymous was "unique" in ways the first two weren't, but when a band writes songs like "101 North", "Point & Click", "Birdsong", etc...they can do pretty much whatever they want.

So, about six months ago, I had this crazy idea. I wanted to have the three Tomahawk records on vinyl. That first record was BUILT for turntables the world over. I have a working relationship with Ipecac Recordings, so I laid out a concept:

- Tomahawk box set for Record Store Day 2012
- All three albums on vinyl for the very first time
- House that shit in a box that leaves room for the fourth Tomahawk album, coming out in Summer/Fall 2012
- Keep it affordable, but limit it, so once they're gone, they're fucking gone

Patton and the lovely folks at Ipecac dug it. We made it. It's available Saturday.

To say I'm beyond proud of this project is quite the understatement. Faith No More is my favorite band and has been since 1989. I'm also a die hard Helmet fan, so getting to curate this project, involving musicians from bands that formed my musical palate and to this day, are STILL my favorite bands, is an actual dream come true.

Please go out and support your local indie record stores and buy a bunch of records on Saturday. Unload thy wallets.

Thank you to Mike, Shawn and Greg at Ipecac for having an open mind and taking my crazy idea and making it a reality. And to Mackie Osbourne (Buzzo's wife and Melvins album art guru), for making the box look proper.

"Birdsong" Live (2003). The fucking jam.

The Ocean Make Friends With Russia

The Ocean is a beast of a band. A collective, if you will. The brainchild of guitarist and primary songwriter Robin Staps, The Ocean have been creating their thunderous, complex, yet memorable epics for over a decade now, and soon they will be unleashing a 3-DVD set on all of us. The discs will contain a complete documentary on the history of the band (which I hope includes info on their revolving door of singers and cavalcade of guest vocalists early on in their career), TWO complete live shows and what has surprisingly captivated the shit out of me...Their tour video blogs.

i know, it sounds very exciting to hear a band talk about random nonsense along their endless tour routes, but this one is very, very different. The Ocean released two monoliths of albums in 2011 and decided to go out and tour these things proper style...By heading to Russia and even out to the vastness of Siberia. The shows look like they were all incredible, with the band in top form, now with a finally stable lineup. Lots of partying with fans, making new fans, playing venues with stages too small for coffeehouse acoustic performances, let alone The Ocean.

Check these out and buy all of their records. All of them are brilliant.

NOTE: Trying to understand the concepts of their releases makes me feel 12% smarter. Could just be me, I suppose.

Tour Blog Part 1:
Tour Blog Part 2:

Least Worst of 2011

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 Lopez get sexy, Glassjaw drops two slabs of awesome, while Coliseum unleases a min-album that destroys literally everything. The special little guy here is a dude that goes by jakeL. Check out his Bandcamp page, yo. Also shocked by how good Childish Gambino's debut is. Donald Glover might just be the best thing about the whole damn year. Save Community!!!

Here's the list. Go forth and get learned.

TOP 25:
1. Cave In- White Silence (Hydra Head)
2. Mastodon- The Hunter (Warner Bros)
3. Will Haven- Voir Dire (Bieler Bros)
4. Times of Grace- The Hymn of a Broken Man (Roadrunner)
5. Matthew Good- Lights of Endangered Species (UMusic)
6. Blindside- With Shivering Hearts We Wait (INO)
7. Dub Trio- IV (ROIR)
8. Junius- Reports From The Threshold of Death (Prosthetic)
9. Foo Fighters- Wasting Light (RCA)
10. Childish Gambino- Camp (Glassnote)
11. Trivium- In Waves (Roadrunner)
12. Rob Crow- He Thinks He's People (Temporary Residence)
13. Rival Schools- Pedals (Photo Finish)
14. Fences- Fences (Onto)
15. Trap Them- Darker Handcraft (Prosthetic)
16. Santah- White Noise Bed (No Sleep)
17. 40 Watt Sun- The Inside Room (Metal Blade)
18. Earth Crisis- Neutralize The Threat (Century Media)
19. Ghost Brigade- Until Fear No Longer Definies Us (Seasons of Mist)
20. dredg- Chuckes & Mr. Squeezy (Superball)
21. City of Ships- Minor World (Translation Loss)
22. Long Distance Calling- Long Distance Calling (Superball)
23. Chimaira- The Age of Hell (E1)
24. Machine Heads- Unto The Locust (Roadrunner)
25. Russian Circles- Empros (Sargent House)

...and the rest:
My Morning Jacket- Circuital (ATO)
Ryan Adams- Ashes & Fire (Pax-Am)
The Dears- Degeneration Street (Dangerbird)
Most Precious Blood- Do Not Resuscitate (Bullet Tooth)
Thomas Giles- Pulse (Metal Blade)
Devildriver- Beast (Roadrunner)
Rotten Sound- Cursed (Relapse)
Cavalera Conspiracy- Blunt Force Trauma (Roadrunner)
Amon Amarth- Surtur Rising (Metal Blade)
Thursday- No Devolucion (Epitaph)
Jesu- Ascencion (Caldo Verde)
In Flames- Sounds of a Playground Fading (Century Media)
Unearth- Darkness In Light (Metal Blade)
Sepultura- Kairos (Nuclear Blast)
Thrice- Major/Minor (Vagrant)
The Fling- When The Madhouses Appear (Dangerbird)
Karma To Burn- V (Napalm)
MonstrO- MonstrO (Vagrant)
Primus- Green Naughyde (Prawn Song)
Dream Theater- A Dramatic Turn of Events (Roadrunner)
East of the Wall- The Apologist (Temporary Residence)
Animals As Leaders- Weightless (Prosthetic)
Young Legionnaire- Crisis Works (Wichita)

EP's:
1. jakeL- Shelter EP (self-released)
2. Coliseum- Parasites (Temporary Residence)
Clouds- B Chuggas Are Logging (Hydra Head)
Glassjaw- Our Colour Green (self-released)
Glassjaw- Coloring Book EP (self-released)
Crosses- Crosses (self-released)


...and seeing Soundgarden absolutely demolish the Forum was a night I'll never forget.

2012, don't front. Bring it.

Gambino. Freaks and Geeks. Dope.

2011, No Thank You

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 a chance.

I've always known it's quality over quantity, even though I had a CD collection into the thousands, but this year, it's become glaringly obvious that:

a) I don't care about CD's anymore, other than my very favorite bands
b) New bands, for the most part, are shit
c) Old bands, for the most part, are old shit

For example, I actually think the new Dream Theater is a great listen. Apparently, 35,000 other DT fans thought enough of them to check it out as well, as it clocked in at an impressive #8 on the Top 200 in its release week. I think it's better than their last two lackluster releases, but still, not one note on that record got me excited for repeat listens. Not a one. Same goes for the snoozefest that is the recent Explosions In The Sky and the new Unearth. All solid releases...all headed into the obscurity bin of my brain. Just notes, no memories.

...and some records are just bad. Steven Wilson, you're better than this, dude. Queensryche. So very, very, bad.

The releases that truly separated themselves (Mastodon, Cave In, Foo Fighters, to name a few) are something special. Fantastic albums that I will spin for years to come. I just wish there was more of that to go around.

Currently spinning:
Mastodon- The Hunter
Cave In- White Silence
Bayonet- s/t EP
Thrice- Major/Minor
Wilco- The Whole Love

Spinning about to get underway:
Ryan Adams- Ashes & Fire
Will Haven- Voir Dire
Dreamers of the Ghetto- Enemy/Lover
Junius- Reports From The Threshold of Death
Rob Crow- He Thinks He's People

I'll be posting WAY more often. Seems like the thing to do.

Buy more records.

In the mean time, jam on this...

Will Haven "Held To Answer":

Must Be Jelly...

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 unreleased bonus content. Oh, and a NEW record is also apparently in the can. Tis a good morning!

In the meantime, sample these tasty nuggets and support this band and incredible label HERE.

"Nature's Girl"



"Allison"

The Best Of 2010

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- Self-Preserved While The Bodies Float Up (Superball)
8. Knut- Wonder (Hydra Head)
9. Pro-Pain- Absolute Power (Regain)
10. Intronaut- Valley of Smoke (Century Media)
11. Karnivool- Sound Awake (Sony)
12. East of the Wall- Ressentment (Translation Loss)
13. Coliseum- House With A Curse (Temporary Residence)
14. The Dillinger Escape Plan- Option Paralysis (Party Smasher, Inc)
15. The Ocean- Heliocentric/Anthropomorphic (Metal Blade)
16. Freya- All Hail The End (Victory)
17. Cloudkicker- Beacons (self-released)
18. Brad- Best Friends? (Monkeywrench)
19. Helmet- Seeing Eye Dog (Work Song)
20. Priestess- Prior To The Fire (Tee Pee)
21. Satchel- Heartache & Honey (self-released)
22. Ty Tabor- Something's Coming (Molken Music)
23. Midlake- The Courage of Others (Bella Union)
24. The Sword- Warp Riders (Kemado)
25. Black Mountain- Wildreness Heart (Jagjaguar)

Additional Boss Releases:
Living Sacrifice- The Infinite Order (Solid State)
Barn Burner- Bangers (Metal Blade)
Stephen Brodsky- Here's To The Future (Hydra Head)
Six Gallery- Breakthroughs In Mordern Art (Superball)
Brant Bjork- Gods and Goddesses (Low Desert Punk)
Red Sparowes- The Fear is Excruciating, But Therein Lies the Answer (Sargent House)
Sevendust- Cold Day Memory (7Bros. Records)
Taylor Hawkins & The Coattail Riders- Red Light Fever (RCA)
Mike Patton- Mondo Cane (Ipecac)
Nonpoint- Miracle (954 Records)
At The Soundawn- Shifting (Lifeforce)
As I Lay Dying- The Powerless Rise (Metal Blade)
Howl- Full of Hell (Relapse)
Souvenir’s Young America- The Name of the Snake (Init)
The Unwinding Hours- The Unwinding Hours (Chemikal Underground)
Karma To Burn- Appalachian Incantation: Ltd 2CD (Napalm)
God Is An Astronaut- Age of the Fifth Sun (Revive)
Soulfly- Omen (Roadrunner)
Far- At Night We Live (Vagrant)
Rosetta- A Determinism of Morality (Translation Loss)
Kingdom of Sorrow- Behind The Blackest Tears (Relapse)
Proghama-C- Bar-Do Travel (Armoury)
Norma Jean- Meridional (Razor & Tie)
James LaBrie- Static Impulse (Inside Out)
Gristle- Cold Blue Sky (Metal Blade)
Dax Riggs- Say Goodnight To The World (Fat Possum)
Tangents- One Little Light Year (Angel Side)
Meligrove Band- Shimmering Lights (Last Gang)
Crippled Black Phoenix- I, Vigilante (Invada)
Constants- If Tomorrow The War (Science vs. Silence)
Year of No Light- Ausserwelt (Conspiracy)
envy- recitation (Temporary Residence LTD)
Isolbel Campbell & Mark Lanegan- Hawk (Vanguard)
Black Country Communion- Black Country Communion (J&R Adventures)
Jimmy Eat World- Invented (IGA)
Bison BC- Dark Ages (Metal Blade)
The Casting Out- The Casting Out (Eyeball)
Brent A. Petrie- Vary Us, Artist (self-released)

Best EP's:
Three Way Split w/Rosetta, East of the Wall & Year of No Light (Translation Loss)
Katatonia- The Longest Year (Peaceville)
Trap Them- Filth Rations (Southern Lord)
Mouth of the Architect- The Violence Beneath (Translation Loss)
Brain Banger- Munsoned (Hawthorne Street)
Cloudkicker- ]]]]][[[[[ (self-released)

Record I'm Not Supposed To Like But I Do Award:
Sean Hayes- Run Wolves Run (self-released)

Label of the Year: Metal Blade

Song of the Year (tie):
Fistful of Mercy- Things Go 'Round
Deftones- Diamond Eyes

Best Shows (in order):
Faith No More @ Williamsburg Waterfront (Night 2)
Faith No More @ Williamsburg Waterfront (Night 1)
Fistful of Mercy @ Easy Street, West Seattle
Soundgarden @ Showbox at the Market
Alice In Chains @ The Paramount Theater
Matthew Good & His Band @ The Triple Door (both nights)
Biffy Clyro @ Showbox at The Market
Fistful of Mercy @ Showbox at the Market
ISIS/Tombs/Jakob @ Neumos
Sean Hayes @ Tractor Tavern
Katatonia/Swallow The Sun/Book of Black Earth @ El Corazon
Helmet/Bison BC @ Showbox at the Market
36 Crazyfists @ El Corazon
Swallow The Sun @ El Corazon
Satchel @ The Crocodile Café
Totimoshi/Melvins @ The Crocodile Café
Brad/Satchel/Pigeonhed/Malfunkshun/Mother Love Bone/Hank Choir @ Showbox at the Market
Dredg/codeseven/Animals as Leaders @ El Corazon

There you have it.

Bring it, 2011.

25 Bucks and a Bottle of Wine...

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 (at least I think I have) and I will continue to do so. Everyone needs a band that delivers exactly what you expect every single time out. Some have Motorhead. Some have Slayer. Others have Hatebreed. I have Pro-Pain. This isn't a knock at them in any way. There is definite variance from record to record. Some (Round 6) are pure punk/hardcore adrenaline, while others are more epic Euro-metal (Age of Tyranny). The common ground is always the tight riffage/songwriting and harsh vocals of Gary Meskill. Dude is slightly irritated.

I arrived a bit late to the Pro-Pain party (probably around 1997 or so), but quickly caught up and have supported them with every single release since, which has been quite a lot. They average a record about once every 14-18 months, which absolutely rules.

Their newest album, Absolute Power, is honestly one of their best. At the very least, it's their best since 2004's Fistful of Hate. Sonically, it's some of the best shit they've ever done. Aggressive as fuck, driving, rhythmic, groove-laden (something they seemed to have perfected immediately, thanks to their love and obvious influence of East Coast rap) and most of all, smart. A Pro-Pain song never overstays its welcome. Their album Act of God, only gave us two riffs per song (three on the title track, I believe), yet unless you sat there and analyzed each song (as I have dorkishly done), you'd never know. It's the old Ramones trick, perfected.

They almost never tour the states, even though they're from New York and live in Florida. Their bread is buttered in Europe. I'm hoping for a return to our shores in 2011, as I've never seen them live...One of the last remaining bands I absolutely love that I've yet to see (looking at you, Tom "$150 tickets" Petty).

Pick up the new Pro-Pain and support my Motorhead. Hey, at the very least, they probably have way less VD than Lemmy...and that's something to be proud of!

"Unrestrained" (new jam, live 2010)


"In For The Kill" (video, from the "Act of God" LP)

If I Was...

...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 underrated Dredg and the 10-year sleeping pill in the making, codeseven) that turned my appreciation for a Meshuggah-esque worshipping instrumental record, into worship.

If you're even remotely keeping up on the metal scene today, you know that Tosin Abasi is THE MAN right now. He makes Joe Satriani look like he plays with the proficiency and talent of CC Deville. It's sickening to watch him play, eyes closed and off in some other world...Only long enough to fit right back in the pocket of a poly-rhythmic bridge or segue into another mindfuck of a riff. And his band (who fill out this POWER trio) is perfect. No mistakes, no wrong notes, no nothing. Pure talent. In fact, I'm fairly certain the drummer is a legitimate machine.

It's not often an opening band can win over a crowd, let alone a 17-year old girl/effeminate boy crowd, but they certainly did, be it by scaring them shitless or blowing their fucking minds...Who's to say? Who cares.

Prepare thyself:

"Cafo"

What A (Satur)Day

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 the finale, ending in the higlight of "Just A Man".

This clip below is from a 1995 MTV performance...You know, when they actually welcomed bands and dare I say, good bands, to come perform. Furthermore, they performed an album cut, not any of the records' singles. Gotta love that.

My favorite thing about this clip is that Dean is wearing a DUH t-shirt (the band FNM plucked him from) and Roddy is wearing a Cement t-shirt (the band previous singer Chuck Mosely went on to form). Oh right, and the fact that the band sounds fucking incredible.

Enjoy!

"What A Day" (live, MTV studios 1995):

The Threat Was Real...At One Point

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 incredible Persistence of Time would've been with John Bush on vocals for the entire record...EPIC.

My whole point of writing this today was that I've been spinning Volume 8...The Threat Is Real! non-stop lately and enjoying the living shit out of it. Every song on this record is the tits. One of the strongest openers ever, in "Crush", best single/video for "Inside Out", numerous solos from Dimebag and top-notch production. The bonus tracks are killer as well, most of them coming from the Japan-only "Inside Out EP".

Sadly, this record is now out of print (for the third time). Makes it sound that much better.

Whatever this band decides to do going forward, their 4 records with John Bush stand the test of time and helped keep metal alive through the very difficult 1990's. Much respect.

"Inside Out"


"Crush" (live, 2000)

The Reason Why This Blog Exists:

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 sessions and was left off the record for reasons I just can't wrap my tiny brain around. This shit is ridiculous.

Rumor has it that Chris Cornell layed down some overdubbed vocals on the track recently. If true, you can't tell at all, which is a testament to the rebirth of his scream...and not the album Scream, which neary cost him all of his fans (and rightly so).

I was lucky enough to see the reunion show in Seattle back in April and nearly shit myself at how amazing they were and how HEAVY they could still be. Another best-of retrospective hits stores on September 28th (w/Black Rain included), but I'm still holding out for the giant box o' goodies Kim Thayil has been hinting at for over 13 years.

This is a level of awesome that is truly hard to comprehend.
Beyond The Wheel" (Showbox, Seattle 4/16/10):

Proghma-C is Your New Favorite Band

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 vocalist Piotr Gibner's Maynard-esque croon to near At The Gates gutteral screams. Countless bands abuse this technique and fail, but Proghma-C found that delicate balance where verses, choruses, segues and interludes flow seamlessly.

If the album has any faults, it would be the single mistake of covering Bjork's "Army of Me". Not because it's not good...Helmet covered this track years ago for a Music For Our Mother Ocean comp and it fucking killed. Hey, without Helmet, most of these bands wouldn't exist, so their cover of a cover of a cover gets a free pass. Solid logic, I know.

As far as new bands go, there's not a whole lot out there that's getting me excited this year. Proghma-C kicked me square in the dick. This record takes all the elements of what makes prog and atmospheric metal so amazing, and leaves out the bullshit wanking and overplaying. Buy this shit.

"Spitted Out":

Strange Vinyl From The West

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 backlash. None. If anything, they've earned themselves MORE fans.

Right now, I'm jamming on the 2LP 180g, six panel, megafuckingawesome Strange Cousins From The West vinyl that I picked up on my birthday, complete with new sequencing and two bonus tracks ("Metroliner Special" and an extended version of "50,000 Unstoppable Watts". It sounds epic. Mostly because it is.

My favorite song off Strange Cousins, "Abraham Lincoln". Live in England. Awesome.

Dear William Haven...

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,
JE

"Carpe Diem"

A Momentary Sense of Awesome

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 bit of Rotten Sound, a hint of Disembodied and early Cave In and a hint of Depeche Mode. Yep. It's unique and powerful and pulls you in with repeated listens. Vocalist/guiratist Garrett Bussanick (a good dude as well) is unbelievably powerful as the frontman and his guitar work is phenomenal, as is Rizk on bass. Drummer Brian Corcoran is a machine. Like 8 arms on that motherfucker. "Watching Sparrows" is the jam. Trust me.

This EP is a beast. Buy it here and support these guys. Seriously. Don't be a dick.

The Target...There's No Escape!

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 Ticketmaster for charging too many fees is now charging more for base tickets than nearly every other band in their space (Dave Matthews Band, Foo Fighters, and even most tickets for Tom Petty, an artist notorious for price-gouging).

- The band that despised corporate promotional concepts and campaigns to sell their art is now locked into a deal with Target. This deal has forsaken all retail besides Target (with the exception of the indie stores and iTunes), featured the band in a Target commercial and most recently, had them headline a 3 song set for Target executives, along with other rock pioneers such as Nick Jonas, Lady Antibellum and Norah Jones.

- The best live band in the world has only toured briefly and in shorter and shorter spurts since 2006, leading the fans to realize that the band knows their fans will travel farther and farther to see them, making more money and playing less dates. So much for that carbon footprint campaign the band was behind in 2006-07...

- Backspacer is not exactly their best album. It just isn't. The songs are good but not great and Pearl Jam has never made an album of just good songs. It feels rushed, half-done and lyrically empty. Still better than 99.9% of what's currently being released, but not up to par.

- Licensing and sync deals abound for PJ music and even Ed solo material. "Rise" is currently being used as the campaign music for the new season of Discovery Channel's Deadliest Catch. If Ed loves the show, then cool. If not, this is just sad.

The bottom line is that groups like the Black Eyed Peas and artits like Snoop Dogg are Pop Stars and business models for pop culture. They sell themselves as a product and like it or not, the music is secondary. It's not a knock at them as musicians...It's simply a statement of image and product over art. Bands like Pearl Jam, Radiohead, Nine Inch Nails and more are huge rock bands that don't need to go that route...The music does all the talking and the paychecks come regardless. Just ask...well, Radiohead and NIN.

I guess that's my main point here: WHY USE YOUR ART TO DEEPEN YOUR WALLETS WHEN IT'S ALREADY OVERFLOWING?

"Green Disease" Live at The Showbox (2002):

Alice in Seattle

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 on his self-funded tour to get the record released and one opening for Nickelback...I left directly after Jerry hit his last note.

So, when I saw that I would be moving to Seattle the first of the year and AIC was playing at The Paramount, I had to go. I LOVE Black Gives Way To Blue. It's a stunning and incredibly dark and moving album. In typical Alice fashion, there isn't one filler track...The band has never written a filler song, ever. I'm also in awe of "new" vocalist William DuVall. I dig his band Comes With The Fall, my favorite track on the new record is one he takes lead vocals on and co-wrote ("Last of My Kind") and his voice and stage presence are a glove-like fit for Alice. He never tries to be Layne and for that, I was able to be open-minded enough to finally go see them...In their hometown, no less.

Holy hell they were amazing! It was a truly incredible setlist and performance. Jerry really commands the stage, but his ego is never in control...William is the frontman. He's also a great guitarist (rhythm and lead), something Alice only tampered with live in the past. Set highlights included opener "All Secrets Known" (fucking stellar way to open the show!), "Last of My Kind", "Them Bones", "Dam That River", "Rain When I Die" and one of my favorite AIC cuts, "Sickman".

The moment of the night was after a ripping version of "Man In The Box", Jerry told the crowd to scream so loud that Layne would hear us. Gave me chills.

Amazing show and night out with my lady. Thanks to Alice In Chains for maintaining their dignity and being able to come back as strong as any band I've ever seen.

"All Secrets Known" (2/4/10 Seattle):

"Last of My Kind" (2/4/10 Seattle):