maxdiamond

4 types of annoying concert-goers

noreply@blogger.com (maxdiamond) — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:42:00 +0000

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Undergrind V: Subterranean Sickness

noreply@blogger.com (maxdiamond) — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 09:56:00 +0000

This fucking city
Is run by pigs
They take the rights away
From all the kids

Understand
We're fighting a war we can't win
They hate us-we hate them
We can't win-no way

- lines from 'Police Story' by Black Flag

It is a legendary fact by now that the concert organizers in India are finding it extremely difficult to find locations for organizing Rock / metal concerts (Mumbai and Bangalore are the forerunners). Undergrind organizers found at last one good place to host the Undergrind V event on February 14th amidst the threats from certain fundamentalist shitheads threatening to wreak a havoc on Valentine's Day in Bangalore and rest of Karnataka.

And guess what, the pigs seemed to have problems with some metalheads hanging out in one place. They didn't manage to stop the show but nobody gives them rights to fuck with the youth doing their thing. They should be around doing their duty of preserving safety and peace in troubled times like these, instead they are hellbent on putting a full-stop or disrupting the peaceful event of a bunch of kids having fun and playing their kind of music. There was no noise outside the venue or towards the neighboring church but the nuns from the neighboring church ended up reducing the entire decibel level. Not necessary to say that these pigs succeeded in ruining the experience of last couple of sets at Undergrind V.

It is not the first time that a show has been disrupted by pigs, it has happened before several times. Last Freedom Jam show was stopped halfway when the thrash band Theorized was performing their original comp and the organizers were told to wrap it up before 9pm just because the ground adjacent to the Palace Grounds was hosting a Jagjit Singh ghazal concert for those elite page 3 fuckheads.

I like Jagjit Singh, nothing against his ghazals or lyrics (I have been an avid listener since my teens) but the police intervention to cancel the Freedom Jam show that was permitted way before to make way for another concert is a shocking one where they displayed their prejudice towards western music by their acts. One of the 2 stages was closed and the other one had to wrap up in a hurry with 10 minutes or something slot for each remaining band in the roster.

No media report was made on this nor did I find any blog post reporting this issue. So here it was.

Bad Taste (not quite):
The Undergrind V actually witnessed more audience than the previous ones, which is a good thing and also hosted platform for few newer bands who were seldom given any place to perform in mainstream gigs. Bangalore hosts a sizeable number of gigs throughout the year and you get to see the usual suspects, their usual set of mediocre numbers. Not bad but not too great.

Its been a long time since a real original act has emerged from Bangalore. Or at least a distinctively different band with their own sound. Lot of bands call it a day before they could 'get' their signature sound which I think is a dangerous trend considering the number of bands coming-and-going on monthly basis.

Frankly I am bored of usual mainstream gigs happening in Bangalore and I have distanced myself from these kind of events lately. Didn't bother to attend the Iron Maiden concert which I knew would be a terrible experience considering the lineup of bands opening for Maiden, the previous Maiden gig fuckup by DNA networks, Lauren Harris, current Maiden status in my book (y'know!) and the unbelievable ticket price. It certainly had all the ingredients of a good old rip off.

Wake up DNA Networks and the washed out corporate bands who travel to India just to make money. You are not doing us any favor by bringing 'has-beens' to our country. We may be a metal-starved country but that doesnt mean we'll lap it up whatever crap you bring in the name of promotion. Enough of Iron Maiden, Bon Jovi or Def Lappard. Time to see some Slayer and other extreme metal acts!

Sahg and Satyricon show last year? It was far out man! Thank you RSJ, Sahg and Satyrion. It is definitely a good lesson for other event management companies that bring in international acts. Opeth performed in Chennai where as Bangalore has the largest number of Opeth fans in India. Why in Chennai at a campus gig and not Bangalore? Who the fuck knows.

Symphonies of Sickness:
Well, I am past the bile now after all the above rants. Now let's get to business of post du jour, my Undergrind V review. I may not as much call it as a review but more of my impressions as an audience and as an insider of underground metal scene in Bangalore.

As I have mentioned earlier in this post, Undergrind V has had more number of audience than the previous avatars of Undergrind which was truly underground gig with the bands performing along with some close friends and fellow underground metalheads. There were people from different parts of the country as well as the die-hard Bangalore underground maniacs.

The gear was all set up well in advance and started an hour later than the set time. So far so good.

Bad Taste (Grindcore) with Charlie (vocals), Sajid (drums - Bad Taste, Perforated Limb), Tony (bass - Bad Taste, Perforated Limb, Anorectal Ulceration, Gastronomicus Erectus, Bloodsucking Freaks) and Srinivas (guitars), started the gig with their set of original compositions to set the things in motion, an experienced band starting the show instead of headlining the gig .

"...this way it will start the momentum for other new bands to pick up, warm up the audience and also give new acts a kind of confidence", as Charlie (vocals - Bad Taste, Bloodsucking Freaks, Gorified, Gastronomicus Erectus) put it.

Bad Taste as usual performed an effortless kick ass set along with little mosh activity as the crowd was moving in from the walls and warming up. Bad Taste is made up of members from different bands who had or were performing at Undergrind V, they started their first gig at a Sunday Jam at Chitra Kala Parishat. Funny incident though, I am compelled to mention it here that the first Bad Taste performance included no drummer but audio samples from horror cult classics at the beginning of each number. One of the samples had some moaning sounds which were later accused by less enlightened audience and organizers that it was porn and told them not to repeat that again in their next gig a month later which didn't happen because of torrential downpour which stopped the Sunday Jam right after one band had performed.

Anyways, Bad Taste the name derived from Peter Jackson's cult horror movie, they had formed with an intention of playing music which is a sort of tribute to hardcore punk acts like Black Flag, Bad Brains, Minor Threat and all. Over different gigs their sound has totally evolved into something else towards more macabre which still is better.

All in all, Bad Taste gave a bad ass performance that I don't think anybody else could have given a better opener for a bad ass gig that followed. And yes, they have an one second song based on a Tamil horror movie, the title itself is the lyric!

Then came Perforated Limb (Slam Death Metal) with Rajeev on vocals, Sajid on drums (who remained on the drum kit after he finished drumming for Bad Taste), so did Tony on bass double timing after Bad Taste set before and Sreenivas (not the same one as Bad Taste guitarist) on guitars.

These guys have become a force to reckon with, like juggernaut out of control. I have witnessed this band right from their second gig (I think) and every following gig they have displayed more tighter compositions and complementing effortless instrumental play that comes with enjoying what they do.

The Perforated Limb set brought the audience to their feet and what followed then was a crazy mosh-pit. I was standing at the front corner of the stage near the table that had album CDs and posters, more than a dozen moshers landed on me in a split second like two ton boulder, instantly breaking the table with me at the bottom of the dog-pile! It was that crazy.

Some Mumbai metal band guy had mentioned Rolling Stone magazine last year that Bangalore moshers are bad and they take it personally (seriously) if they get hurt moshing. Well, like, fuck you, you ain't seen shit.

I have to make a special mention that the compositions of Perforated Limb have become longer and more improvisational (but still tight). Especially the mosh-worthy slam parts are tastefully extended to drive the crowd ape-shit. The longer compositions as opposed to their earlier short, tight ones is a smart move on the band's part because their slam parts are worth every buck you'd pay to lay your hands on their album.

Perforated Limb is tighter than ever and their comps are getting better by the day. I have been pestering these guys to cut an album, this is high time they did a demo now. Definitely one of the bands to look out for, keep your radars on the lookout for some exciting material coming out of Bangalore underground metal scene in the future. Anything worth a mention will be mentioned it here. So does Perforated Limb which takes the cake and belts it too.

Anorectal Ulceration (Gore/Pornogrind) with Tony (bass, vocals), Cliff (guitars) and Christopher (drums) is one of the sickest bands from Bangalore. With a name like that and a specific genre dabbling in the bizarre and forbidden, what else can you expect?!
Anorectal Ulceration has been known to belt out 20 songs in 15 mins. Not a strange thing if one is into pornogrind genre, shorter songs are order of the day. But not this time.

I was waiting for the first song to end before it started but it carried on and it took me no time to realize that I was witnessing this band treading a more extended territory with songs of longer duration and oh, the mosh-worthy slow parts that brought the bloodthirsty moshers to their feet once again. With Anorectal Ulceration, you never can expect when the song is gonna end or just make a crazy tempo shift, odd time signatures, bowel churning vocals, sickest song titles and all.

If you don't know by now, Anorectal Ulceration is one of the most well-known regulars at the underground gigs and the band members have also been instrumental in organizing Undergrind along with other bands. Anywhere contemporary Bangalore underground extreme metal scene is mentioned, Gorified and Anorectal Ulceration are mentioned in the same breath.

Which brings me to Gorified (Grindcore) with Charlie (vocals), Ganesh (guitars) and Ali (drums) shared the same stage with original lineup without the bass guitarist (which was weird). This is almost 2 years since Ali the founding drummer has played with Gorified, the band performed with a little bit of rehearsal but still managed to give a great performance even in the absence of a bass guitarist. Talk about limitations increasing the creativity.

This was by far one of the best Gorified gigs with far better sound and need I say that these guys can easily belt out an effortless set.

There's a lot I can write about the band but nothing prepares you to witness this band live, one of the bands that is more known elsewhere than here. Their out-of-print demo Ruptured Within Seconds was released a long time ago on Sevared Records label and has been featured on several international underground extreme metal compilations, which is a no less feat considering a media attention (sensation) that other mainstream bands get when they are signed up by some international label. Whereas bands like Gorified and Gruesome Malady have already tread that ground, released albums on international labels, you don't get to hear not as much a whisper in the popular media.

Anyways, I had a long chat with the band after the gig which was also captured on video (if you could hear me, you are lucky, and you don't get to see me in that because it is Gonzo style video). Its a very insightful interview with the band where we got to talk about their music, the underground scene overall and a lot more things. Let me see, once it gets uploaded to the Youtubes on the internets (as George W Bush calls it), I'll post it here.

Gastronomicus Erectus (Goregrind) featuring Charlie (vocals), Cliff (guitars), Tony (bass) and Vikram Bhatt (drums) belted out some improvised goregrind material which, according to the band members, they had rehearsed an evening before and the rest all took place on stage. It certainly provided some interesting interplay and collaborations with the drums and guitars very much like Jazz. Gastronomicus Erectus sounds nowhere close to Jazz but more extreme time signature messing and abrupt breaks, also the abrupt song climaxes.

Even though I have mentioned Gastronomicus Erectus under Goregrind genre, it is more than that. It is a real weird band with all the band members from grindcore background (in general) and varied influences, makes it an interesting experience to witness them live.

Gastronomicus Erectus in fact started as a one-off-gig outfit and now with their second appearance on Undergrind V promises the interesting things ahead as Vikram Bhatt (of Gruesome Malady) is back after a long hiatus from the underground metal scene and this time in this new outfit.

Abandoned Agony (Brutal Death Metal) with Rajesh (vocals, bass), Hitesh (guitars), Kiran (guitars) and Shreyas (drums) took the stage and tore the place apart just like they did at Undergrind IV and NLS Strawberry Fields. These guys seem to have an uncanny talent to belt out a non-stop performance without ever having to catch a breath or any time for welcoming the audience (or that kind of niceties). They performed a set like a well oiled war machine, they came, they destroyed and they left. And they didn't leave anything to be desired except for the audience who were panting for more brutal assault.

Incidentally they had cut their self-released demo Infected Unborn around their gig at NLS Strawberry Field and created certain amount of buzz in the underground scene. The album is available from band members, beautifully designed and priced at only 50 bucks, "cheaper than a Zinger burger" as vocalist Rajesh said. One of the bands that can be seen at mainstream and at underground gigs as well, owing to the fact that Abandoned Agony started as a thrash act and pretty soon their sound developed into more extreme brutal death metal as it is now.

They surprised a lot of people with their brutal set with their new sound at previous Undergrind (IV), Abandoned Agony has a distinctive sound with catchy hooks and some tasty fast paced leads, bordering on Nile and Cryptopsy territory (of both I am a huge fan of). This is a real tight band which has evolved beyond compare in a very short span of time. One more band from the Bangalore underground circuit to add to your radar list. Hell, you can add almost every band from Undergrind to this radar lookout list. Check out some of their compositions which are from their demo at their MySpace page.

Pretty soon I'll post a review of their demo EP Infected Unborn and the interview of the band once I get hold of the band members for that. Nothing journalistic, just a fanboy review and interview.

Just around this time the nuns in the neighboring church were calling for the almighty in their prayers as the underground extreme metallers must have scared living hell out of them, then came the pressures from them and the Rotary club meeting that had started on the floor above, to reduce the decibel level of overall output.

This sadly was something that added to the frustration of Macabre Intent (Brutal Death Metal) where they tried their hardest to deliver a kick ass set amid the reduced volume, in the absence of human drummer (instead they had programmed drum parts) but still it just wasn't quite like the real thing. They did play a good set of brutal death metal but the low sound ruined it all for them, these bunch of relatively young kids started with Undergrind IV and apparently displayed more mature, understated performance. They definitely are getting better, it will be interesting to catch this band once again under better sound conditions. Till then...

Which brings me to the last 2 bands that performed before the gig ended. Where Macabre Intent was an understated performance, Necrophilia (Brutal Death Metal) and Crptic Stench (Death Metal) sure did belt out an over the top performance. It is natural considering this is their first gig (i think) and they have a long way to go and hone their skills, find their sound and all that jazz. Necrophilia displayed a penchant for Cannibal Corpse territory with their own composition, a good start for a new band. The vocalist also laid bare a whole vocal range, which is a plus. Necrophilia definitely has a lot of potential once they start moving away from catchy rhythms and start messing with time signatures.

Cryptic Stench on the other hand is also new band to my eyes and ears. Their set consisted of compositions from various genres, they also did a decent death metal cover of Iron Maiden's 'Fear of the Dark' which didn't go down too well with the underground audience. The vocalist has some crazy set of pipes, he sure can wail. The band has a lot of talent, no doubt but their potential can only be realized once they start searching for the sound.

All I can say is that its a promising start for Necrophilia and Cryptic Stench, worth all the effort they put in because it is not too easy starting an extreme metal band in Bangalore (or in India, for that matter).

After-taste:
Undergrind V was an awesome experience which lived up to the expectations and beyond, the participant bands have displayed more potential and promise with every underground gig and doesn't seem to slow down at any rate. Further one could expect now is a slew of album releases, EPs, Splits, Compilations and stuff like that. And definitely more bigger and badder underground gigs.

The word is out that the Undergrind label is in the works along with an idea for setting up a real platform for releasing underground material from Bangalore and other cities as well. The new undergrind site will be up in a couple of months, I'll be doing writeups for featured artist, interviews, album reviews and stuff.

I sure would like to see some comments from readers who were at Undergrind V (or wish they were).

At the end of the day, there were photo sessions, interviews, hanging out and what not. I'll post more later, there's an abundance of material waiting in terms of pics, videos and stuff.

Parting Shot:
Here are a couple of videos from the last and previous Undergrind gigs.

The Undergrind I collage:

Necrophilia at Undergrind V

one more video of Necrophilia at Undergrind V

Vikram Bhat of Gruesome Malady fame with his take on Grind!

Gutslit live at Undergrind IV 2008

Bad Taste at Undergrind IV (2008)

Shit Assault at Undergrind IV (2008)

Shit Assault (2) at Undergrind IV (2008)

Bad Taste (2) at Undergrind IV (2008)

More videos and images from Undergrind V coming up...

I have one major problem with metal gigs, once the gig is over, the life goes downhill for some time... and with Undergrind the aftermath is more severe downhill!

More to come... \m/

Rock Ethos II

noreply@blogger.com (maxdiamond) — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 17:52:00 +0000

Ok, there's not been enough information about this event in one place online. There have been hoardings everywhere since a few days but people are calling up to ask me the details of this event, I am in no way affiliated to the organizers or anything. I have collected all the available info, from various sources online, Facebook event pages, mailing lists and the compilation is as follows:

"Bangalore's Rock scene goes on a high again... "
Host: Buenos
Saturday, March 14 at 12:00pm
Sunday, March 15 at 10:00pm
Bangalore, Palace ground, Mekhri Circle entrance

info from their event page:
Bangalore has never rocked so before. Rock Ethos, the first ever Indian metal fest to feature original rock music of Bangalore has been unanimously hailed as 'one day indigenous India's Woodstock'. Descending on delirious rock fans in all its electrifying impact, it stirred up India’s rock scene into a blaze of frenzy that left the city asking for more.

Venturing into unexplored territory of showcasing exclusively original rock music, the event proved to be a smash hit as proved by the huge crowd that thronged Palace Grounds for the 10-hour Indian rock cornucopia.

Rock Ethos ’09 keeps the spirit of rock flying high with a two-day festival replete with double the number of rock bands. Stage effects, lighting and sound will reach for hitherto un-scaled heights, in keeping with the promise of creating a memorable impact each consecutive season. In no way subjacent to an international rock fest, Rock Ethos 09 ushers in an energetic mood, refreshing spirits jaded with negativism of recent times.

The band list:

Catalyst
Culminant
Schikados
Eccentric Pendulum
Whitenoiz
Stond
Illuminati
Today's Special
5 AM
Abandoned Agony
Shamans
Theorized
Slain
Divine Connection
Motherjane
Myndsnare
Bhayanak Maut
Galeej Gurus
Kryptos
Infernal Wrath

Entry to the venue is free but do carry an extra buck to pick up some cool band merchandise apart from lip smacking food and tons of games.

Update:
More details here along with links to every band's MySpace page. And also check out the official RockEthos site which is up at last.

tales from the vault

noreply@blogger.com (maxdiamond) — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 10:21:00 +0000

The following are some 'most-visited' and 'most-searched' posts from this blog, many have been lost into the archives over the years. I have finally managed to post them in one convenient place since I have not been able blog as much as I would like to these days...

Metal Faith
What I refuse to understand is a generation of air-heads, goateed bastards in shorts who behave like a black man trapped in a white man's body making shitty music and major labels, music channels and the radio feeding the entire generation on crap and creating another generation of numb nuts...
Read More>

Opeth - Damnation
There was a time when there were people who'd swear by Opeth and were alienated when Opeth became a kind of mainstream band couple of albums ago. Here's an Opeth album to impress the chicks...
Read More>

Heartwork - a taste of Carcass
Ever come across a band that doesn't fit in any particular genre or does fit in few of them?
The maniacs from Liverpool called Carcass is all that and more...
Read More>

Eargasmic Hymns: crazed highs and horrible lows
It is no secret by now that I love the Verve and every album they did especially from my Brit-rock loving days. This one is particularly about Urban Hymns album by the Verve, and the pains that went behind the making of this modern day classic. Damn good one, this is, guv'na!
Read More>

Dumb ass guide to headbanging
As the title suggests, that's what this is...
Read More>

Headbangalore I
Take a walk on Church Street and chances are you must have come across couple of blokes who are members of a Rock / metal band. Yes, not surprisingly there are nearly more than couple of hundred bands in Bangalore today...
Read More>

of Space Monkeys and Durdenisms
There's a lot of fight over the amount of violence in the movie Fight Club, most people obviously missed the point...
Read More>

Metal 101 according to Sam Dunn
An unreformed metalhead who ended up becoming an anthropologist because the universities didn't have Metal in their curriculum. But eventually made a movie about the Journey of a Metalhead. Here's a Metal 101 according to that dude we all have come to know as Sam Dunn...
Read More>

Atheist
Florida was known for brutal technical death metal bands and for most active atheist societies in the world. One band had both of these in common (I mean, something like that)...
Read More>

of Movies, Comics and Passion
He 'rented' his body for medical research so that he can fund his first movie that became the lowest budget movie ever to be released worldwide by a major studio. Then he resigned from the Directors' Guild of America so that he can share directorial credits with Frank Miller.
Still no idea? Robert Rodriguez, man!
Read More>

Grindhouse
Earlier they had started a joint project called as Grind House which is a throwback to the old school 70’s flicks that both of them had grown up on, two truncated films connected by a series of movie trailers that Rodriguez says will be for "movies that don't exist"...
Read More>

Sunday Jam rantz
That was then...
This is now... and it aint pretty Dorothy!
Read More>

The departed
Most of my heroes are dead. Here is a homage to those heroes...
Read More>

Hard Rock Hallelujah
Who knew that a bunch of hideously masked metal dudes from Finland who go by the moniker Lordi could capture the imagination of the generation that was hellbent on getting the measurement of Fergie's ass...
Read More>

Bootlegs Bloody Bootlegs
J.B.O., is a fun-metal band from Erlangen, Germany. Known for their cover versions of various modern rock and disco songs, each of their covers often has humorous modifications to the lyrics...
Read More>

Moksha attained
"Three people with guitars don't make it rock. Make money if you want to playing Backstreet Boys or "please-like-me'' music. But don't insist that it is rock. Rock is about pure music, it happens when you perform live and when you can see the crowd take what you give them.''...
Read More>

Iron Maid-in Bangalore
Bangalore has one of the craziest bunch of Iron Maiden fans. I am sure it is going to be an Once in a Lifetime experience for us fans and a great experience for the band to perform here...
Read More>

Lord of War title sequence
Lord of War starring Nicolas Cage features an incredible title sequence that of a journey of a bullet from the arms factory to the guerilla rebels in Africa. An interesting study in live and CG compositing and HDRI reflection...
Read More>

LOL Metal, anyone?
Ladies and germs, here comes lolmetal. Check it out for yourself wtf it is and you could be rolling on the floor laughing...
Read More>

Top 10 Gibson Guitar Solos: 70s and 80s
What makes a guitar solo great? While technical precision and speed are certainly important, a good solo should also be inventive and imaginative. The solo should support the song, and the best solos are ones that are so melodically strong that you can sing them while you wail away on your air guitar...
Read More>

Sepultura in Bangalore
Sepultura as I was introduced to many years ago was called as 'Slayer's cousins from Brazil', it was when they had colored their hair and had become a thrash metal band. Wait a minute, isn't Sepultura a thrash metal band?
Read More>

Carcass confirmed for Wacken
This is absolutely mindblowing news after so many years of Carcass-less world. Its time to look forward to Carcass re-union perhaps?
Read More>

Chuck Schuldiner remembered
It is really hard to believe that such a person is no more among us whereas an asshole like 50 Cent simply don't die even after a couple of dozen caps busted up his ass...
Read More>

Undergrind V: Brutal Sonic Assault

noreply@blogger.com (maxdiamond) — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 06:45:00 +0000

Undergrind is a brainchild of few extreme metalheads from Bangalore who in the absence of any corporate or organizational backup started this idea of gathering like-minded headbangers, hang out, play some good original music and have fun. That was it.

As with nature of things, the good ideas are mostly simple. This was one of them.

I definitely would like to mention that the people behind organizing these events are the band members themselves, who also pool in dough to make it a reality with no goal towards making a big profit or anything, if that these ones have actually left them with holes in their pockets.

It really is a commendable effort from the people who are trying their best to keep the underground scene alive.

First off, let me declare my Undergrind credentials. I am a veteran of 3 past Undergrind gigs since 2007 , now I am all geared for the 5th avatar Undergrind and it sure does give me the juicebumps.

It was March 18, 2007, I was invited by Charlie of Gorified to attend this underground deathfest called as Undergrind right after the day of very first Iron Maiden concert in Bangalore. It was held in a basement (literally underground) with band lineup of Anorectal Ulceration, Perforated Limb, Gorified, Gut Carnage and all. It was a major pain in the neck, I went home with bumps and bruises by getting caught up in the mosh-pit. It consisted of a small crowd of 30-40 hardcore extreme metalheads, it was simply badass.

Scenes from Undergrind II

Anorectal Ulceration

Gorified

Gut Carnage

Perforated Limb

Cut to the next one, a few months later, I got to attend the Undergrind III in the same basement with Asura, Anorectal Ulceration, Perforated Limb, Bloodsucking Freaks and Gorified (which was a send-off gig for original Gorified drummer Ali).

Scenes from Undergrind III

Asura

Anorectal Ulceration

Bad Taste

Perforated Limb

Last year the Undergrind IV had a change of location which interestingly was held beside one of the heritage churches in Frazer Town opposite Coles Park. The lineup included some new bands along with the usual suspects. Macabre Intent, Abandoned Agony, Shit Assault, Bad Taste, Gastronomicus Erectus featuring a guest appearance on drums with occasional growls, squeals and moans by Vikram Bhatt (or Dr. Bhatt-fuck as he likes to introduce himself) of Gruesome Malady, a veteran Gore/Porngrind stalwarts of Bangalore who kinda set a benchmark for a lot of others to follow not so long ago in this decade. I also had happened to attend Bad Taste gig a few days earlier at Sphaira [*sic] on MG Road where Vikram Bhatt just jumped in and gave one brutal performance with Bad Taste.

And of course there was a guest band from Mumbai called Gutslit who won over Undergrind audience with their sonic assault and hung out after the gig with few of us, pretty cool guys.

Scenes from Undergrind IV
Abandoned Agony

Anorectal Ulceration

Bloodsucking Freaks

Bad Taste

Gastronomicus Erectus
(feat Vikram Bhatt of Gruesome Malady on drums)

Gutslit

Macabre Intent

Perforated Limb

Shit Assault

Check out the following 'collage' of Undergrind IV
(edited by Rahul, the vocalist of Shit Assault)

An interview clip of Gutslit after Undergrind IV.

The Undergrind IV was bigger and badder than the previous incarnations, and also the bands themselves had gotten a lot tighter and better sounding with more original compositions. It has left Undergrind V with a tougher act to follow, which I am sure will be even more awesome and brutal than before.

Undergrind V
Now, ladies and germs, the time has come for the Undergrind V which for me is the greater high-point than the Iron Maiden concert which will be held the day after that which I frankly don't intend to attend. What I definitely intend to attend is Undergrind V, I was damn excited when Srinivas (spiritinblack) informed me a month or two ago about the gig to be arranged some time in February. I think it was at the Strawberry Fields, NLS when I hung out with the guys from all these different bands where we had gathered up for Abandoned Agony's set (which I must add, kicked some serious death metal ass).

Last month it was finalized that the date would be February 14th, 2009. So here it is...

The band roster for Undergrind V (2009)

Bad Taste (Grindcore)
Perforated Limb (Brutal Slam Death)
Anorectal Ulceration (Goregrind)
Gorified (Grindcore)
Macabre Intent (Brutal Death Metal)
Abandoned Agony (Brutal Death Metal)
Blood Sucking Freaks (Horror Grind)
Shit Assault (Goregrind)
Necrophilia (Brutal Death Metal)
Cryptic Stench (Death Metal)

The following are the details from the site they have set up on googlepages:

Undergrind 2009!

In your mind
Nothing but fear
You can't face life
Or believe death's near

A vision of life
On television screens
An existance created
From empty dreams

-From the song Scum by Napalm Death

Undergrind is a fest encouraging and keeping the underground music spirit alive. We believe that we can organize a community dedicated to preserving the old school underground spirit in our own little way. The spirit of community, sharing and self organizing is what will keep this annual show going. Anyone who listens to and supports metal bands who play the old school style and reject mainstream coverage are welcome!

This fest is not about making money from music or bands. All money raised from contributions of bands and audience entry fee will be used to fund the show itself. Any extra money will be donated to charities.

Bottomline, music created and played for music's sake.

Entry fee per head is Rs.100

Undergrind 2009 on Saturday Feb 14th at Rotary Club, Frazer Town.
Doors open at 2:30PM (Map of the location)

Moshing, trashing, headbanging allowed!
No alcohol, cigarettes, drugs and food allowed inside as per Rotary Club rules!

For more details catch Undergrind on Orkut or here

RSVP on Undergrind V Facebook Event

Send mail to undergrindfest@gmail.com for any info or questions.

PS: my next post will be about Undergrind V followed by one about the underground scene in Bangalore (most likely) and one in the making about Abandoned Agony's new EP. Stay tuned...

Parting shot:
If you are in or visiting Bangalore around Maiden concert on 15th, get your asses to Undergrind V for an brutal sonic fucking assault brought to you by Charlie and the Gore-factory.

Support and buy original music, say no to mediocre mainstream corporate whores and rip offs.

Stay brutal \m/

The Fuel Great Indian Rock Festival

noreply@blogger.com (maxdiamond) — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 06:24:00 +0000

When I first heard about it last month, I thought it was one of those college crowd jokes that keep popping up out of nowhere.

Bangalore is all set for a new brutal onslaught of Fuel Great Indian Rock Festival on November 7th 2008 featuring Satyricon, Sahg and the local acts like Extinct Reflections (Bangalore), Rainbow Bridge (Chennai), Slingshot (Calicut), organized by the folks at RSJ (formerly Rock Street Journal).

Note: Contrary to what the poster displays, Freak Kitchen is not performing in Bangalore.

This is the first time that international Black Metal bands are performing in India, well the tr00 kvlt black metallers tend to not recognize Satyricon as Black Metal anymore, I disagree.

That's beside the point because once someone starts using words like kvlt, tr00, krieg and all that in Black Metal context, the music goes out of the window and the lifestyle kicks in. Well, this could easily start off hot debate, I prefer make it another post.

The tickets are being made available since yesterday, I got mine, get yours in the following locations:
Levi's® Stores:
Brigade Road - 25584237;
100Ft Road, Indiranagar - 41481007;
Leela Galleria, Leela Palace - 41265487;
80Ft Road, Koramangala - 41243378;
Forum Mall - 22067627;
Garuda Mall - 56641035;
Sigma Mall - 66121137;
JP Nagar 3rd Phase - 41570268;
3rd Main, Malleshwaram - 41127298;
BEL Road - 41674080;
Kamaraj Road (Opp Commercial Street) - 42109507;
Kamanahalli Main Road, HRBR Layout - 65467293

Find more details here or here

More to come...

Diamond David Lee Roth

noreply@blogger.com (maxdiamond) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 13:24:00 +0000

Van Halen played a concert in Washington DC at the end of 1970s where they were opening for Ted Nugent, they handed Nuge's head back to him when they performed their opening set. Back then a very unknown band who had released their self titled debut which includes that Eddie Van Halen's immortal 'Eruption' solo (which spawned million neo-classical clones throughout the 80s) .

David Lee Roth (a.k.a Diamond David Lee Roth) is possibly the most charismatic frontman in Rock n Roll / metal history, a lesser known fact about him is this post du jour.

Diamond David Lee Roth (DLR for short, the acrobatic frontman of Van Halen, who also has a Roth Army and many other fan clubs, a published author and Radio DJ) is quite a brainiac, very literate and erstwhile known as 'the Mark Twain of metal' for his ready quotes for any occasion to blow away the listeners and boy, can he form a sentence!

I came across some of his wise quotes some years ago, since then there have been several places where his quotes are stored online. Well, here goes an almost definitive list of DLR quotes and decide for yourselves whether the guy lives up to the claims I made earlier. Some of his quotes have become so popular that one can easily mistake them for repeating a pop quote!

Inspiration doesn’t come from nowhere. You don’t lay in a dark black room and suddenly a burst of light and the hand of the lord comes out and says “here, have a song”

I'm a family-oriented guy. I've personally started four or five this year already.

Money can't buy you happiness, but it can buy you a yacht big enough to pull up right alongside it.

I used to jog, but the ice cubes kept falling out of my glass.

After all these years of bright lights, I still don't need glasses--I drink straight from the bottle.

The perfect woman has an IQ of 150, wants to make love until 4 in the morning, and then turns into a pizza.

I won't go down in history, but I will go down on your sister!

Hey, hey! Don't squirt water at me pal! I'm gonna fuck your girlfriend! [On stage - Us Festival 1983]

I used to have a drug problem, but now I make enough money so that it's not a problem anymore.

If you put a Van Halen album in your record collection it will melt all the rest of your records. [MTV interview quote ~1981]

I don't get all the women that I want--I get all the women that want me.

Young musicians are always coming up to me and asking 'how do you know when you've made it?' When you can spell 'subpoena' without thinking about it, that's when you know you've made it.

It's not who wants to sleep with you; it's who wants to sleep with you again.

Some people say that life is a cesspool of darkness and despair. Well, we in Van Halen are sailing through it on a yacht.

I think people want balance more than ever. You know, feed an Ethiopian, plant the rain forest, save the ozone layer--you gotta have that, "oh woe is me," as a form of self-dramatization; it's always fun. It shouldn't be replaced, but there should be a balance. Sooner or later, it's Miller time! Sooner or later, there is some hallelujah, watusi-tailgate, light-up-the-goddamn-sky-it's-finally-the-weekend! And I don't care whether you wear a cowboy hat or your hair is purple, I don't care if you have a wedding ring or a clit ring, sooner or later, there's Miller time! That doesn't mean simple belly laughs, and it doesn't mean high-brow. It just means, 'wanna go have a drink?'

DLR Band means Dave, Lowery, and Ray. I named it that because it sounds more like a band than David Lee Roth, which just sounds like a person. When you hear David Lee Roth - you think of a person. When you hear DLR Band - you think of a band. Just like when you hear Eddie Van Halen you think of a person, and when you hear Van Halen - you think of David Lee Roth!

Between my Huck Finn existence running barefoot through the great outdoors and having the best seat in the house for arguably the most important decade in the history of pop music, I had a formidable education.

I simply have to be creative all the time. I have to create new things. I never have writers block. You wanna figure out something to shoot? This is not an issue. You want some lyrics? This is not a problem. All of the ideas are constant. If nothing else, I am aware of what's going on around me. I always feel like I'm missing something unless I stay completely applied.

...Art is struggle. I love the struggle more than ever before. It's about dangerous waves of consequence. If there's no conflict I seem to create it, doc. Once something is stabilized, go bigger. We aren't innocents but we are abroad.

A banker will take a guitar and play three notes on it. A rock star will take a guitar and throw it across the room.

People come out of our concerts and feel invincible. They feel like a building could fall on them, nothing would happen. They feel like a car could hit them, nothing would happen. Frequently cars do hit them.

When I die, sprinkle my ashes over the 80's.

To me, it's not rocket surgery. It's very simple to put together. [About a possible Van Halen reunion]

"Hey, your girlfriend was partying with us backstage before the show, and she had a message for ya: 'mmfp mmf umf fmff mmm.'"

I support same-sex marriages as long as both chicks are hot!

Call me retro, I'm still hetero!

ProTools is not an instrument!

We call our selves the Fabulous Picasso brothers because Picasso represents fine art... and brothers..makes it sound like pizza delivery...

It's not whether you win or lose, it's how good you looked while doing it.

"Fame is like a flame. Some people burst onto the scene burning bright red, then in a coupl’a days the flame dies and there’s nothin but smoke. Some people burn yellow, slow and steady, they stick around for a long time and every once in a while you can warm your hands on ‘em. You get these real talented fuckers who just explode and burn white hot; these guys make it in the big time. Me? I wanna come at ya burnin bright blue.. cuz when that happens ya just go "Woh! I wanna wear that guy’s T-shirt!!""

"I feel like a shining example, but I'm not sure of what."

"Audience participation should extend from onstage to backstage to under the stage."

"I'd say in that whole 10 years that Van Halen were together, we got in a good 7 or 8 hours of rehearsal."

"Van Halen's not about the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow… its about the rainbow itself, baby !!"

"Its all just entertainment, baby! But its got to be from the guts and its gotta be real. If you can't do it in a white t-shirt and a pair of jeans under one light bulb, you shouldn’t fucking do it at all!!"

"There’s a place for everything..This go this way; this go that way; this go in your mouth!"

"Nothing last forever. . .but I am good for an entire night"

"I take care of my road crew ........ It's like this, When I've got food, they've got food. When I've got liquor, they've got liquor When I've got WOMEN, they've got....... LIQUOR!!!

"He who knows how - will always work for he who knows why."

"No California, that's not a microphone in my pants, I'm just happy to see ya!!!"

"We woke up together in the hotel room the next morning, and she says to me, 'Dave...what is it that you like about me so much?' The next thing I remember is when I looked down, deep down into her BIG RED EYES...and said, 'Honey, I just can't wait to FEEL YOUR LOOOOOOOOOVE TONIIIIIGHT!!"

"We wouldn't lie to ya, Cleveland! We just met ya! Lying's for later in the relationship..."

"All my flavors are g-g-g-guaranteed…..to satisfy….Sorry honey, I only got two flavors left: bubblegum and dick--an' it looks like we all outta bubbleguuuuuuuum!!"

"I'm gonna stand up for rock and roll tonite baby... actually, by the time we hit the stage I'll be lucky to stand up at all!!!"

"I always give three answers to my interviewers. The first one is: Okay, you're asking me this--but I'm gonna talk 'bout whatever the fuck I want. The second answer is: Before I answer that question let me say this, then I'll talk about whatever the fuck I want. And the third one is: Oh, I see what you're asking...but I'm gonna talk 'bout whatever the fuck I want. It's like 'open forum with Dave."

"The girls in Sweden are fantastic. Last night when I went to bed in my hotel room, there was a girl banging on my hotel room door. She screamed and begged me to open the door. I kept shoutin’ at her to keep it down. Finally I had to get up… and let her out."

"There's a spark. Its inside us. Some kind of crazy wild energy. Energy is what it's all about. When you celebrate something, you're making energy. When you have a thought, you're making energy. When you make love, you're making whole bunches of energy. And the saddest things in life are loss of energy. Somebody dies, something dies, …loss of energy. Something stops, your car grinds to a halt, and you gotta leave it there by the side of the Santa Monica Freeway, …loss of energy. And it takes different buttons to hit that spark in each person. Some people need a hockey game, some people need a political rally, and for the rest of us…there’s Van Halen!!!"

"When you get something like MTV, it's just like with regular television. You get it, and at first it's novel and brand new and then you watch every channel, every show. And then you become a little more selective, until ultimately..... You wind up with a radio."

"We’ve all got our vices. Self-destructive bad habits. The trick is to find the 4 or 5 you personally like the best, …and just do those all the time."

"I just want to be in show biz. I want to make music and sing and dance, tell jokes and stories; make ya smile; make ya cry; and then charge you $ 8.50"

"We loved those early days- the bars and the wet t-shirt gigs. For a while we were the Rock Corporation of LA and we did the very first wet t-shirt contests in Southern California- the ones that got me busted and actually made it to the court trials. It was a great scene. I'd be the MC, with the band behind me, and I'd interview the contestant. 'What do you do for a living?' 'Oh, I'm a doughnut waitress from Canoga Park.' Then I'd make a joke and she'd jump into the pool and get wet. Then I'd say 'What song would you like to hear?' 'Oh, I'd just love 'Free Ride'. So I'd have to say 'It seems this lady would love a free ride' and the audience would crack up. We'd play the song, she'd do her twitch and bump, and the rest of the girls would bounce in. At the end, the judges were too fucked up to make any decision so we'd have to run through all the contestants again. 500 people standing on top of each other, drunk and screaming. And there was the dance contests. Well, that's how you develop your habits and your attitudes as a band and you take them with you!"

"With a little budget and some creativity, you can sell a toothbrush to a camel. With a bigger budget and some more creativity, you can sell him 2 toothbrushes. With an even bigger budget and a LOT of creativity, you can not only sell him a dozen toothbrushes, but he will walk away wondering how he ever got along without them.... and then he'll jump on your mailing list!!"

"People asks me, "Dave, what's it mean when you say somebody's rock n roll or somebody's not rock n roll"? Allow me to illustrate: There’s a guy with black socks, black shoes, blue and white Bermuda shorts, a Hawaiian luau shirt, a Nikon and a Walk-Man around his neck, zinc oxide on his nose, a pair of sunglasses, a fishing hat with all the badges on it, and he's staring up at the tall buildings - that's rock n' roll." Now, the freedom to do that is very serious, but the picture sure is a crackup."

"Saving the world is Bono's job. We just wanna save 100 cities!"

"There's a little Van Halen in all of us, and we're just trying to bring it out. It's like something that makes you not care what people around you are thinking. It makes you invincible, like if a car hit you, nothing would happen to you. It should make you feel like the Charge of Light Brigade, even if you're just going to the bathroom. When you do that on a mass level, it becomes hysterical, not political. It expands to a large group of people not caring about conventions, just getting in the thrill of being themselves. That experience is about the audience, not us. All we do is provide the soundtrack. At a Van Halen show you’re walking into a self created fantasyland where everything happens four times as quick. Whatever somebody else can't do in his 9 to 5 job, I can do for them in Rock n' Roll."

"Women are my hobby... every man needs something to keep his hands busy, and I don't have a guitar like Eddie, or drums to bash like Alex, so I have to find some friends, baby."

"A lot of bands mature, which means they get square and self-important; d then they start delivering messages in music. Hey, you got a message, use Western Union."

"If a great surgeon can insure his eyes, and a great pianist can insure his his fingers, I figure, what the fuck I should be able to insure my dick."

"Van Halen kept things simple. All we we're doing was giving our daily lives melodies, beats and titles. What we sang about is what we lived. It's the glamour, the tinsel, the non-stop, late-night, endless party that is the crest of the biggest wave with spray in your face, It's the laugh in the face of death blown out of proportion, and heightened sense of reality. That’s the wonderful, wacky, crazy, world of rock n' roll."

"There are three rings to marriage: the engagement ring, the wedding ring and the suffering""

"I have tried many different forms of presentation in the past years. I was proud of some and less proud of others... But I did them all superbly!"

"I've got a surgically implanted disco beat. My show has to be 130 beats a minute or better. Let's hit it! Open up them pearly gates because I am the California earthquake!"

"I was with a girl not terribly long ago and she said "Mr. Roth, I think you’re the oldest person I've ever been with." I said "Honey I was just gonna say the same thing to you."

"Whoever said that money don't buy you pleasure didn't know where to go shopping, baby"

"I would just like to say that after all these years of heavy drinking, bright lights and late nights, I still don't need glasses. I drink right out of the bottle."

"Many critics have kids of their own. It scares the hell out of them to think that their kids could be anything remotely like David Lee Roth".

"You bet your ass this real whiskey… The only people who put iced tea in Jack Daniel’s bottles is The Clash, Baby!"

It's funny---here I am the son of a Jewish doctor, and the Van Halens are sons of a musician, a world traveler. They wound up married with children, and I'm by myself, never happy staying in any one place for too long."

"When Van Halen played the US Festival, we got over a million bucks for one night's work! But what am I going to do, sing a million dollars harder at the US Festival than at the Whisky? Honey, I sing like a million bucks every night."

"Look at all the people here tonight!"

"If you're a clever human being, if you are sassy, if you have the ability to be sexy and laugh at the same time, if you love a slam-dunk approach to music with a toast and a tear, if the bittersweet appeals to you, yet you'd rather look over your shoulder and see two hot fuck-me mambo babes scorching your retinas with alarming frequency, then my music was custom built for you."

"Love is overrated. I was in love once. Know what I found out? Love means having to say you're sorry every five minutes, and then playing with yourself at night while the person lying next to you is passed out."

"I already knew when I was seven years old, that I wanted to be on stage and entertain people. I sell laughs. The kind you’ll pay money for, cuz you’ll be giggling while you’re grabbin' your goodies. There, you just got one for free!"

"Of course I'm stoned! What do you think the fucking sunglasses are for, man?!"

"What are the characteristics of a good rock'n'roller? Rock'n'roll is in you. You either got it or you don't. You can't fake it. It has to be inside you just itching to get out. And when it does, POW! It's like a dam bursting. That's Van Halen."

"I approach my concerts as if I were having a blind date with a woman. I ask myself, `Would I still be here if I were blind?"

"My visions and fantasies are pretty standard. The only difference is I got to do it, while most people don’t. Beyond that, I'm a pretty standard guy. Give me a gal with a sense of humor, acidic wit, who’s read a few books and has a body like a Swedish speed skater, and I'm quite content."

"Van Hagar can keep trying to provide the rain but I’ll just go on and keep providing the parade."

"I wanna find me a gal who is a Princeton graduate, top of the class, comes from academic family, plays roller hockey full contact, 2,3 times a week, She'd be taller than me and stronger than me and wants to go kayaking on the weekend. She’d be Dry, critical, sarcastic, elitist, distant, ..fuck!.. hey, baby lets get married?"

"I used to make music with Edward Van Halen, Now I make music without listening to my bank account"

"Yeah, "Panama" is a pretty sexy song; I always thought that song should’ve been sung by a girl; now ya got Sammy Hagar. Any questions?"

"Old Van Halen, when I was in it-classic Van Halen-made you wanna drink, dance and screw, right? New Van Halen encourages you to drink milk, drive a Nissan and have a relationship".

"Love to me is when you can't think straight because another person is always on your mind, in a positive way. If you see something you like and think, "I wish my girlfriend were here to see this", that's love."

"Baby, don't stick that tongue out at me, unless you're gonna use it..

Whats that honey?, Ah, She says she's ready to use it!!"

"Sweetheart, I just wanna let you know that I respect you for your mind; your book learnin’, the confidence you exude, your poise, grace, intelligence and independence you demonstrate; now lose the dress and keep the shoes!"

"Oh, baby. Look at you; you’re just so cute. I’ll bet you shit sugar!"

"How many rockstars does it take to screw in a lightbulb? Just one. Just hold it in place and let the whole world revolve around you."

"In Laramie, Wyoming, they play classic Van Halen over the PA between innings. It fires the team up. It fires the fans up. Evidently it fires the coach up too, ‘cause he gets thrown out of more ball games than any other coach in America. Glad to have been of assistance!"

"Ya know, you can always tell when Gary Cherone is standing at your front door; He never really knows when to come in, and he can never seem to find the right key."

"I don’t wanna be the same guy tomorrow that I am today. Nobody really does - well, with the possible exception of Ozzy Osbourne!"

"In the 70’s things were simpler. You didn’t have AIDS; you didn’t have Moms Against Drunk Drivers with AIDS; you didn’t have Ethiopian Branch Davidians with AIDS; Life was just one long half-time party."

"Back in the day we’d play these backyard keg parties, and the cops would always bust ‘em up. We’d just go ‘man, we’re with the band. All we want is out.’ So they’d leave us alone. Then we’d add, ‘oh, and she’s with me. And so is she. Her too.’"

"Bill Gazzari, the old codger, he dug my sense of humor. For the first two years we played his club, he called me Van. Its a good thing I didn’t come from a band named Pink Floyd."

"Ya know how many angry militant feminist lesbians it take to screw in a light bulb?........ Two - one to change the bulb and one to suck my dick."
"I would get the classic Van Halen back together in a heartbeat. But I wouldn’t go back up there on the hill without a lawyer and a valium."

" I learned the importance of rationalizations when I was young. I’ve heard that rationalizations are more important than sex. When’s the last time you went three days without making an excuse? Me too."

"For a while on the first tour, we were opening up for Journey. Journey would have a few people backstage, but they were all married, it was very domestic. The Van Halen backstage party would be packed, so we’d regularly be threatened to be kicked off the tour. During sound check one day the singer’s got this scarf around his neck, and I said to him, ‘Why do you have scarf around your neck?’ He said ‘It was a rough night last night; strained myself a bit.’ Next day at sound check I showed up on stage with a scarf around my dick!"

"In some of the classic Van Halen tunes, the lyrics don’t exactly make sense. In the song ‘Everybody Wants Some’ for example, the original lyric was ‘I’ve seen a lot of people just looking for a moonbeam.’ That doesn’t sizzle and snap, crackle, pop for ya. So instead I sang "Sheepa latta peepah dabba lookafo a moobee," and it means so much more! Depending on what you had for breakfast you’re gonna come up with a different interpretation every time, baby!"

"Our rider said ‘Brown M&M’s anywhere in the backstage area may result in the forfeiture of the show with full compensation.’ Hey, Caruso forbade whistling backstage. Its a luck thing. I wanted to make it seem like a complete act of self-indulgent extravagance - which I’ve always found very attractive. Hey sign me up. Can she come too?"

"I found some brown M&M’s back stage one night in Pueblo, Colorado. I went into this full Shakespearean ‘What is this before me?’ You know, with the skull in one hand… and promptly trashed the dressing room. Just a little fun. Later, same night, the staging sank through the floor because the arena didn’t check the weight requirements. It came out in the press that I did $85,000 in damages because there were brown M&M’s backstage. Well, who am I to get in the way of a good rumor."

"Van Halen toured with Black Sabbath once, and Ozzy disappeared. I sat up all night with Tony Iommi keeping watch. Next morning Ozzy comes down into the hotel lobby. Turns out the guy still had a hotel key from the last city of the tour. He went up to the room number on the key, kicked everyone out of the room and went to sleep. This is my life."

"I bumped into Ed and Valerie one day not long ago. I hadn’t spoken to Ed in years. So I trot on over and go "Hey Edward, man, how are you?" and Valerie answers "He’s fine." So the I congratulate them on having their son. I wanted desperately to ask who the father was, but there’s a time for levity."

"To Do is to be... Plato said that.... To Be is to do.. Aristotle said that... Shoo-be-do-be do...Sinatra, baby!"

"Classic Van Halen was a dynasty, a team; and we could reconvene tomorrow, and then this interview would be taking place backstage at your choice, of which night at Giant Stadium. Its just that simple."

"During the break at our shows we’d have these girls come out, bumpin’ & grindin’, hot, live, and steaming for your filthy little eyes. They’d be lined up and dancing in these little vacuum packed miniskirts, up on our ten foot high stage. Look skyward, Luke, and behold the force."

"I devised a plan to have a high power squirting device built, so that I could get a solid stream of Jack Daniels to shoot fifteen feet out into the crowd. Word got around that you could see people four meter away from the stage catching it in their mouths, bathing in it, yelling ‘Heal Me!’ Now, that's entertainment."

"There are two rules to living well. The first is, don't sweat the little shit. The second is, it's all little shit. In other words, We may be lost, but we're way ahead of schedule."

"Heidi Fleiss? Yeah, I knew Heidi. But I didn’t inhale…"

"Van Halen was a very positive, uplifting, and lively thing for millions. When you’re fortunate enough to dispense that kind of magic, I think its a sin not to use it; a shame to withhold it. We’re in the business of selling smiles; for a moment; for a couple of hours; for the length of a performance - people leave the boss behind, the unhappy home-life, whatever responsibility they got, and you go to a little island in the back of your imagination; a little island called Van Halen. And, that my friend, is of immense therapeutic value."

"I love Saturday Night Fever. I’ve bought that album - easily one-third of the 20 million copies sold. You know, one for the car, one for the house, one for your sister…."

"The National Enquirer is the only paper I use for more than rolling joints. That's entertainment, baby!"

"Wanna know why "Unplugged" is so popular? Its not to see the winners; you watch Clapton, Aerosmith - stellar, right? No, we watch it to see bands like Great White or Billy Squier crucify themselves. We watch to see a car crash. Did you see Poison on "Unplugged" - my God they sucked so bad! How bad? Well, let me take about two fuckin hours of your time and I’ll tell y’all about it."

"I’m basically a one trick pony. When I’m not a rock star anymore, I’m basically out of a job. I won’t become a disc jockey. That’s a refined art form in and of itself. You wont see me produce other bands. That’s not my calling. You wont see me act, alongside thespians who’ve studied acting as long as I’ve studied music. When I’m done singing in front of a rock band. I’m done;. Then just send me somewhere there’s salt water."

"The perfect woman has an IQ of 150, legs that wrap around you twice, wants to make love until 4 in the morning, then turns into a pizza!"

"I wanna be a pirate. I wanna live by pirate rules. Desperate men in search of desperate fortunes? You bet yer ass!"

"When we get to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, I'm going to look at Mike Anthony and say, "It was a great time, and YOU were there." I’ll look at Alex and say, "We were creative and fearless, and YOU were there." I’ll look at Edward and say, 'Hey man, we made a contribution, and YOU were there." Then I’ll glance at Sammy and say, "Uh.. YOU weren't there."

"Van Halen music , when I was in it, made you wanna drink, dance and screw.

New Van Halen encourages you to drink milk, drive a Nissan and have a relationship. Any questions?

When you're on the road for nine months and you always have these cute little chiquitas running around in their halter tops, it's kinda hard to worry about things like nuclear proliferation.

"My show is the best kind of entertainment, like porno. You can't spoil the ending because everyone already knows it."

"I decided to name my new band DLR because when you say David Lee Roth people think of an individual, but when you say DLR you think of a band. Its just like when you say Edward Van Halen, people think of an individual, but when you say Van Halen, you think of…David Lee Roth, baby!"

"We’d all heard stories of rock bands throwing TV’s out hotel windows. I like getting enough extension cords plugged together so that the TV stays on, all the way to the ground. I don’t know why, its just kind of abstract, but that’s what made it aesthetic."

Check out Van Halen’s Greatest Hits CD. Half of them songs have somebody else singing, so they had to included a commemorative guitar pick in the packaging. How embarrassing! What are they gonna include on the next record, an apology?

"I’m kinda like Darth Vader in the Star Wars sequel; you know you ain’t seen the last of me, and chances are I could be your father. Heh Heh"

"Sammy (Hagar) throws a party. I am a party."

"Sammy Hagar's the kinda guy who splits a bottle with a friend. I'm the kinda guy that splits a friend with a bottle."

Phew!
That was something. Was it good for you?

Notes:
David Lee Roth (often referred to as "Diamond Dave") (born October 10, 1954, Bloomington, Indiana) is an American rock vocalist, songwriter, actor, author, and former radio personality, best known as the lead singer for Van Halen. After leaving Van Halen, Roth started his own career as a solo artist with musicians such as Steve Vai (guitar). His early albums were well received, but starting in the early 1990s, subsequent releases fared successively worse as popular musical tastes changed and Roth's band underwent numerous personnel changes.

Roth re-united with Van Halen, and the group has recently concluded a lengthy North American Tour. During 2008, an album and further worldwide touring are proposed to follow... More about David Lee Roth

Parting Shot:

The news about Metallica's new album produced by knobster Rick Rubin which is about to be released in Septemeber is making rounds all over the internet and there are hardly any Metalli-nerds left to get excited about it. Couple of days ago the tracklist was leaked and I was surprised to find Unforgiven III. No, not another James Hetfield ballad?
Any takers? I am interested about what difference could Rick Rubin make to the sold out monster that is Metallica. Rick Rubin is such a guy who used to produce the songs for AC DC and RHCP on a same day!

Well, as for me I am off to UnderGrind over the weekend at Charlie and the Gore-factory. Gonna be a major pain in the neck, I reckon.

\m/

Cock Rock Top 10

noreply@blogger.com (maxdiamond) — Tue, 20 May 2008 14:26:00 +0000

Okay, for the uninitiated, Cock Rock was an alternative name for what was known as Hair Metal (erstwhile GLAM - Gay L. A. Music).

Mike Åkerfeldt the lead vocalist of Opeth was asked to list his top cock rock albums, so here's a list. Personally, I don't take this stuff that seriously because the Hair Metal was never considered serious or respectable genre of Metal anyways, but still this list is an interesting one whichever way you look at it. Well back to post du jour...

1. Whitesnake – Whitesnake
(1987 Geffen)

2. Whitesnake – Ready an’ Willing
(1980 Geffen)

3. Whitesnake – Live…in the Heart of the City
(1980 Geffen)

4. Whitesnake – Lovehunter
(1979 Geffen)

5. Whitesnake – Trouble
(1978 Geffen)

6. Badlands – Badlands
(1989 Atlantic)

7. Phenomena II – Dream Runner
(1987 Arista)

8. Blue Murder – Blue Murder
(1989 Geffen)

9. Winger – Winger
(1988 Atlantic)

10. Whitesnake – Slip of the Tongue
(1989 Geffen)

When asked why Whitesnake occupies 60 percent of his Top 10, Åkerfeldt said:

“David Coverdale is a superstar! Whitesnake’s self-titled is the only proper cock rock album ever. It’s a classic. I still put that on whenever we party. Everyone goes insane. Whitesnake is pure party rock with a little metal thrown in. Perfect! I mean if you put on Celtic Frost’s To Mega Therion at a party, it’s OK. But if you put on 1987 Whitesnake, people are going to have a great time. I grew up listening to Whitesnake, Scorpions, and bands like that. You know, Klaus Meine says “Come on, baby!” when he addresses the audience. He stole that from Coverdale.”

via Decibel.

Parting Shot:
I have been listening to the latest Opeth album Watershed for past 2 weeks, it is an interesting album. It is not like Damnation nor is it an extension of their previous Ghost Reveries. What struck me was the fact that Watershed is more like the part 2 of their amazing concept album My Arms, Your Hearse (this album lists below 2 in my Opeth chart). Watershed is more inaccessible, progressive album that they were itching to make. Line-up changes notwithstanding, it is almost like a whole new band since Ghost Reveries. The songs are melodic, brutal and sometimes both at the same time. Perhaps it is an interesting release from the Swedish metallers.

Apart from that I am listening to the latest Cynic promo which is just amazing. More about it later...

\m/

Arch Enemy will 'Rise Again'

noreply@blogger.com (maxdiamond) — Fri, 02 May 2008 15:14:00 +0000

Well, don't believe the naysayers at Blabbermouth discussion forums, Angela Gossow (screambox, Arch Enemy) can wail and scream like an Orc. And Arch Enemy is not your average band, they have the credentials of Mike Amott (ex-Carcass, ex-Spiritual Beggars) himself bracing the band, these Swedish melodic death metallers are capable of burning the living taste from your little sister's mouth with their sonic assault. Angela Gossow and the likes owe their presence to the unrelenting efforts of someone like Joan Jett (she Rocks and she still is hot after all those, last saw her on Henry Rollins Show episode) who has kept her head high in a male-dominated industry through all these years.

Here’s what Arch Enemy frontwoman Angela Gossow has to say to you in sign language if you don’t like her band’s new video for “I Will Live Again.”

The clip was shot in December with director Patric Ullaeus and if it looks like Angela’s burning with rage, it might have something to do with the burns she sustained when she bumped into the stage lights during filming.

This is what Angela Gossow said about this video in an interview:

Lyrically, the song “I Will Live Again” deals with surviving a destructive relationship and leaving the hurt, the chains and the negative past behind. In a nutshell, the message is, “Keep your head high, leave your fears behind – tomorrow is a new day!”

The video is only loosely based on the lyrical message. It is pretty much [director] Patric Ullaeus’ concept because, due to heavy touring (Black Tyranny and The Black Crusade tour), the band was not able to be involved in the story and editing process. But Patric is a talented video producer and he got an interesting little stalker plot going.

We shot the scenes in December 2007, leaving me with a few burns on my arms. I tore the ‘chains’ right out of the wall and crashed into the hot stage lights right in front of me. No pain, no gain, they say.

The song and the video are quite untypical for Arch Enemy and don’t necessarily represent the vicious side of this band. It’s entertaining. Make sure to see the Tyranny & Bloodshred tour [with Dark Traquillity, Divine Heresy and Firewind], where musical brutality will definitely, once again, prevail over the scenery!

via: mtv

Opeth Openeth Floodgates

noreply@blogger.com (maxdiamond) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 09:49:00 +0000

Opeth, ahhh, I havent talked much about them lately. I remember the days when I was one of the few people around here who used to listen to Opeth and now I see at least a dozen Opeth t-shirts a week on the kids who have graduated from Linkin Park, I kinda stopped listening to Opeth much. It is that 'diamond-in-the-pocket' theory of metalheads.

There are people who would call me a musical fascist, racist or something. Well...

One of the most elusive and challenging bands to categorize and even fully comprehend is Opeth, a Swedish former death metal outfit that has also experimented with goth and classical, but is now most deeply steeped in post-prog metal — which explains what they’ll be doing on the Progressive Nation tour this summer with Dream Theater. The tour, which also features 3 and Between the Buried and Me, launches May 2 in Los Angeles and runs through June 1 in Tampa, Florida.

Opeth’s new album Watershed actually comes out June 3, two days after the end of Progressive Nation (we told you those prog guys were cryptic). The group recorded the disc at Fascination Street studios in Orebro, Sweden between November 1 and early January.

The following are some of the video interview clips from the band on recording the new album, touring with Dream Theater, they discuss the creation of the new album, the destruction of a church organ and working with female vocalist Nathalie Lorichs and the contrasts on the album.

Opeth on writing Watershed

Opeth on breaking a church's organ

Opeth on working with Natalie Lorics

Opeth on touring with Dream Theater

Opeth on their goal for Watershed

Opeth on the contrasts of Watershed

source: mtv

some kick ass opening title sequences

noreply@blogger.com (maxdiamond) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 09:35:00 +0000

This was one of the posts that I had written long time ago, saved it as a draft in a hurry and promptly forgot about it. Here it is, a short list from the thread I started in Compositors Club forum. You can find a truckload of amazing title sequences I have posted at Compositors Club.

*click on the names to watch them

Catch me if you Can
Nice animation and transitions with colors reminiscent of Rhapsody in Blue, very entertaining.

Snatch
Guy Ritchie re-invented the smart-mouthing, attitude driven, funny gangster flicks for the late 90s and new millennium, so did this opening sequence featuring some tolerance-based frame cutouts (or whatever they are called), clever transitions and nice typography where you are introduced to all the characters and personalities. Clever indeed.

Identity *could not find it on YouTube or anywhere
Kyle Cooper designed title sequence for killer psycho thriller starring John Cusack is slow and disturbing, just like the movie. Its easy to find parallels with the Se7en sequence in few places of the Identity sequence.

Island of Dr. Moreau
Another sequence by Kyle Cooper with amazing editing of imagery.

Pulp Fiction
I can talk for hours on this movie but the title sequence is another story, it was a homage to the exploitation movies of the 70s and featured the old track Misrlou that came to be known as Pulp Ficition theme song later!

Casino
Complex movie, Scorcesse's Casino opens with Robert DeNiro getting popped in the first scene and the title sequence takes off from there Rober DeNiro falling into hell from heaven. Poignant and elegant. Saul Bass' return to title sequence designing since the halcyon days with Otto Preminger and Alfred Hitchcock movies, at his best.

Fight Club
David Fincher had to receive separate funding for the complex "Fear Center" title sequence. In the DVD commentary, Fincher remarks that the studio told him "if the movie's good" they would allow him to do the very expensive introduction.
Matthew Butler at Digital Domain designed and directed this brilliant piece of title sequence which starts at the Fear Center of the brain and travels across the labyrinth of the brain and comes through the nose of main character (strangely we never know the name of the main character) and stops at the gun pushed in his mouth. Absolute masterpiece with a blistering soundtrack of Dust Brothers.

Reservoir Dogs
Quentin Tarantino's first movie as a director for this gangster drama features a stylish title sequence that many Bollywood movies have copied and ripped over and over again. Not convinced? Watch it for yourself.

Raging Bull
This could possibly be the most simple and brilliant piece of opening title sequence ever. The title starts super slo-mo with Robert DeNiro in the boxing ring with occasional camera flashes reminds of him in the ring with audience around him. Just black and white and brilliant imagery for a movie based on the life of Jake LaMotta.

Seven

I can never stop mentioning this one! I haven't said enough already.
My first proper understanding of the serious movie titling started with Se7en opening title sequence by the now-legendary Kyle Cooper (who then was working with Imaginary Forces), for which he did not use any Computer Graphics but created by scratching with a pin the film surface of every single frame, then the title plate was added to the actual footage!

So the next time you see that grungy scratchy look on any reels, commercials or titles, you'll remember where it all started.

Later he went on to create opening sequences for many memorable opening sequences like Donnie Brasco, Spiderman 1 & 2, Hellboy, The Mask of Zorro, Identity, Darkness Falls, including ID designs for Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Silver Pictures and many more.

What makes Kyle Cooper unique is that his title sequence designs are like the narrative of the entire story, he has often been imitated by too many designers worldwide for so many movies. Did i mention that Kyle Cooper is some kind of God to me?

Panic Room
David Fincher once again uses 3d titles cleverly placed around, in front of buildings of Manhattan. For some it was a matchmoving marvel of a title sequence for me! Further the movie extensively uses a compositing technique called as Photogrammetry, in some ways this movie made it popular which was later used in Secret Window, Harry Potter, Peter Pan, Spiderman and other movies.

Dr. Strangelove: or How I Stopped Worrying and Loving the Bomb
Pablo Ferro designed this opening sequence for Stanley Kubrick's Dr.Strangelove, featuring phallic imagery of U2 bombers refueling in the air. Clever placement of text and creative use of typography.
* Also notice the typo there just below the title of the movie, it is "Base on the book" instead of "Based on the book". Kubrick pointed that out to Pablo after the movie was released but it was too late.

DareDevil

Contrary to the movie, the title sequence is a treat. Taking points off the 3d city and arranging them like Braille script before revealing the text and all that. Take a look if you haven't already. This movie serves the actual aim of this thread, "Forget the film, Watch the titles"

Mission:Impossible

One more from the saddle of Imaginary Forces of Kyle Cooper days, still gives me the 'juice-bumps' every time I watch this.

Parting Shot:
Something for the road...

Movies With No Title
While many films omit any opening credits at all, such as The Godfather, Star Wars, and The Lord of the Rings, a couple of notable films have gone so far as to not even include a title at the start of the film. Films that do this usually come in two categories.

Insignia Films
Instead of showing the film's actual title written out, a symbol is shown at the start to imply the title in some way. The film's full title is usually then seen written out during the end credits.

Some examples are:
Ghostbusters II - instead of an actual title, the Ghostbusters cartoon logo appears where the title should be, holding up two fingers.
Batman Forever - the word Forever simply appears over the Batman logo.
Summer of Sam - "Summer of Sam" never appears at the beginning, but instead the words "Son of Sam" appears written with blocks.
Kill Bill: Vol. 2 - only the words "Vol. 2" appears at the beginning.
Shrek 2 - only the number "2" appears, in "Shrek style".
X-Men 2 - only "X2" appears.
Batman Begins - just after the company logos, a swarm of bats engulfs the screen and the new Batman logo can be seen faintly floating towards us.

Films Sans Titles
The movie never shows any title at all, creating the feeling that the entire film has been a cold opening.

Some examples of this:
Fantasia -- also the very first film to not have opening credits, originally premiered without even a title, except for a card appearing over the intermission. However, recent rereleased and video versions remove the intermission and place the title card at the start of the film.
Apocalypse Now - i love the smell of napalm in the morning...
The Mummy Returns - mommy...
Gangs of New York
The Passion of the Christ
Apocalypto
Van Helsing
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events - you get the entire title sequence in the end.
Miami Vice - frozen title cards, ring any bells?

The Filthy 50

noreply@blogger.com (maxdiamond) — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 09:30:00 +0000

Straight from the vault, here's a list of 50 forgotten late ‘60s/early ’70s thud-rock masterpieces.

Basically, it goes like this: Chuck Berry—British Invasion—Garage Rock—Cream—Hendrix—Led Zeppelin—Black Sabbath—the last Hate Eternal album. OK, it’s not quite that neat. Nothing ever is. Which brings us to this completely biased and unscientific list of late ’60s and early ’70s heavy stuff that time (mostly) forgot. Proto-metal albums that had one supreme goal: to blow your little mind. To make this list, an album had to fit one or more of the following criteria:

• Thud: Does it make you want to fight or fuck?
• Crud: Is it unsavory in some way?
• Mud: Is it a bummer that stabs the hippie dream in the face?
• And, finally, Sticky Sticky Bud: Is it drug-induced and do you know where we can get some?

Apologies to hipster faves Toad, Bang, Sir Lord Baltimore, May Blitz, Black Widow and a zillion others that we forgot. The list-making process got a little, um, fuzzy, and we’re just glad we remembered how to count to 50. If you can remember to look for some of these the next time you hit the used bins, then you probably need a new dealer. —Scott Seward

01 Groundhogs,Thank Christ for the Bomb
Groundhogs are a religion and Tony McPhee is the pope. Every solo and riff is the end of the world as you know it.
Liberty | 1970

02 Grand Funk Railroad,On Time
Underrated despite their ubiquity, this is the Funk at their earliest, fiercest and most doom-laden, and it makes most overhyped greaseballs sound flabby by comparison.
Capitol | 1969

03 Toe Fat,Two
Kick-ass, unattractive and totally bad for you. In other words, thud-rock at its most essential. The most elemental riffs known to man. Grab the debut while you’re at it.
Rare Earth | 1971

04 Road,Road
COMPLETELY drug-drenched killer hard rock from ex-Experience member Noel Redding on this—like Toe Fat’s Rare Earth label—Motown subsidiary. Somewhere, Smokey Robinson wept. Natural Resources | 1972

05 Bloodrock,U.S.A.
All Bloodrock albums are worth owning, but only one has the song “Don’t Eat the Children,” where spirits invade your skull like Satan’s festered hand. You know?
Capitol | 1971

06 Epitaph,Outside the Law
In the states, these German hard-rockers shared a label with kraut space-cases Neu! and the ever-popular Lucifer’s Friend, but their own brand of fancy fretwork shouldn’t be overshadowed. Dudes could shred.
Billingsgate | 1974

07 Dust,Dust
Superior power-trio blast featuring future Ramone Marc Bell (“Marky Ramone”) and the incomparable stoner doom anthem “From a Dry Camel.” Marc made two great Dust albums and the excellent Estus album on Columbia before going all CBGB’s on our ass.
Kama Sutra | 1971

08 High Tide,Sea Shanties
So ludicrously loud and violent that you gotta wonder what the hell punk rock was supposed to be saving us from. Oh yeah, ELP. Whatever. Most punks couldn’t hold a candle to the nihilistic fury of High Tide.
Liberty | 1969

09 The Litter,Emerge
Their first two albums are garage-punk classics, but on their third, the Litter had become a fierce fuzzy beast and a harbinger of hard rock to come.
Probe | 1969

10 The Head Shop,The Head Shop
Speaking of harbingers, the Head Shop’s lone psych semi-classic is likewise a breath of foul air filled with woozy—and supremely heavy—bad acid moments that would reflect the coming waves of dirt metal that the ’70s had to offer.
Epic | 1969

11 Cactus,Cactus
Vanilla Fudge’s rhythm section plus the godlike blues rock guitar of Jim McCarty makes Cactus’ debut the bone-crunching and highly influential album that it is. Heed the advice on the back cover: “This album should be played at ‘high’ level.”
Atco | 1970

12 Edgar Broughton Band,Wasa Wasa
The mud-caked bastard offspring of Captain Beefheart and U.K. acts like the Deviants, Edgar Broughton Band pisses all over your flowers and then proceeds to pass out. Now THIS is grunge. 12 Harvest | 1969

13 Randy Holden,Population II
This album is fucked. Randy Holden is a god. The electric guitar has never been abused so thoroughly since.
Hobbit | 1969

14 Atomic Rooster,Death Walks Behind You
The title track kicks so many kinds of ass that it’s kinda hard to even focus on the rest of the album. And the rest of the album is fucking great.
Elektra | 1971

15 Armageddon,Armageddon
Just in case you were wondering what tech-death sounded like in 1975, former Yardbird Keith Relf and Captain Beyond drummer Bobby Caldwell would like to show you. One of the GREAT major label releases of the 1970s.
A&M | 1975

16 Leigh Stephens,Red Weather
Randy Holden wasn’t the only former member of Blue Cheer to feel the need to get something off his chest in 1969. Red Weather is a singular, drugged and supremely bummed-out epic by this stoner rock pioneer. Amazing and haunting.
Philips | 1969

17 Crow,Crow Music
Not a great album, but Crow deserve a nod for their straight-up biker rock, the seriously doomed proto-metal of “White Eyes” and for providing Black Sabbath with their first single (“Evil Woman”).
Amaret | 1969

18 Smoke Rise,The Survival of St. Joan
While they might not have been the greatest hard rock band in the world, they are, as far as anyone knows, the only band high enough to think that a double album stoner boogie opera about Joan of Arc was a good idea. And that’s got to count for something.
Paramount | 1971

19 The Open Mind,The Open Mind
Brit power-psych with a huge bottom end and deathless, doomed proto-metal vibe that can’t be beat. You can FINALLY get this as an official release with decent sound and no longer have to shell out a thousand clams for the original.
Philips | 1969

20 Gun,Gunsight
Gun was guitar hero Adrian Gurvitz’s first chance to show his stuff via hard rock gems and jams that are as wild and wooly as his huge red afro. The dude is genius.
Epic | 1969

21 The Damnation of Adam Blessing,Second Damnation
One of the greatest US rock bands that hardly anyone has heard, TDOAB lay down a serious hurting on their second full-length.
United Artists | 1970

22 Peter Green,The End
of the Game Ex-Fleetwood Mac guitar god goes down a very steep cliff and just keeps falling and falling and falling…
Reprise | 1970

23 Valhalla,Valhalla
TDOAB labelmates (UA’s hard rock roster was unfuckingbeatable) Valhalla effortlessly blend prog, psych and jaw-dropping heavy stuff on their lone, nearly-forgotten LP.
United Artists | 1969

24 The Hook,Will Grab You
Exemplary post-Hendrix power-trio blast.
Uni | 1968

25 Thunder and Roses,King of the Black Sunrise
Exemplary post-Hendrix power-trio blast. Vol.2.
United Artists | 1969

26 Puzzle,Puzzle
Exemplary post-Hendrix power-trio blast. Vol.3.
ABC | 1969

27 Eden's Children,Eden’s Children
Exemplary post-Hendrix power-trio blast. Vol. 4.
ABC | 1968

28 The Grodeck Whipperjenny,The Grodeck Whipperjenny
James Brown put this funky beast out because he didn’t think you had enough fuzz in your life. Now you do.
People | 1970

29 Bubble Puppy,A Gathering of Promises
Yeah, it’s a psych milestone, but it’s also one of the great progressive hard rock albums of the ’60s. When Bubble Puppy changed their name to Demian, they repeated the trick with their lone album on ABC-Dunhill. International
Artists | 1969

30 West, Bruce & Lang,Whatever Turns You On
Jack Bruce knows power-trios, and the one he put together with Mountain man Leslie West was a beefy, greezy beast.
Windfall/Columbia | 1973

31 MC5,Starship
Keeping away from the better-known names on this list for the most part to give the neglected their due, but this live Five set from ’68 is a wind tunnel of viciousness and needs to be studied by the Department of Homeland Security in the hopes that they can stave off any future attacks of sonic terrorism.
Alive/Total Energy | 1998

32 Wishbone Ash,Wishbone Ash
Before they floated off into the UK rural prog jam band ether, Wishbone Ash delivered seriously smoking and locked-in boogie rock fire. Their first three albums are essential.
Decca | 1970

33 Jade Warrior,Released
Dude, flutes and horns? What is this shit? Oh, wait, that guitar solo just sliced my face off. My bad.
Vertigo | 1972

34 Mad River,Mad River
If the song titles “High All the Time” and “Amphetamine Gazelle” don’t give you an idea of where Mad River were at, then the furious and tense bad trip Quicksilver-esque head-nodding devil music on their debut most certainly will.
Capitol | 1968

35 Fear Itself,Fear Itself
Awesome and powerful Zeppelin-esque blooze grunge with singer and guitarist Ellen McIlwaine playing the part of Robert Plant. A sadly short-lived group that still impresses.
Dot | 1969

36 Mott the Hoople, Brain Capers
Everyone ON EARTH should own the first four Mott albums, but JUST IN CASE someone has never heard “Death May Be Your Santa Claus” or “Darkness, Darkness,” well, there’s still time to make something of your wretched life.
Atlantic | 1971

37 Captain Beyond,Captain Beyond
Bobby Caldwell is god and this is hands down the greatest southern space rock boogie metal album ever made.
Capricorn | 1972

38 Banchee,Banchee
Pristine, hypnotic and driving hard rock that mesmerizes with ease. They don’t make bands like this anymore.
Atlantic | 1969

39 Sam Gopal,Escalator
Lemmy invented metal. And then he invented god and the devil and then he ate them.
Stable | 1969

40 Terry Brooks & Strange,To Earth With Love
DIY astral guitar superhero melds Hawkwind and his own demented charm until sparks fly. Recorded in 1979, but it was always 1971 in his world.
Star People | 1980

41 Humble Pie,Rock On
Steve Marriott is a legend, so let’s take this time to give a shout-out to Suck, JPT Scare Band, Nitzinger, Budgie, the Frost and Pentagram!
A&M | 1971

42 Ursa Major,Ursa Major
The mighty Dick Wagner of the Frost would make this amp-burning screamer before heading off with best bud Steve Hunter to add crucial fierceness to Alice Cooper and Lou Reed albums.
RCA | 1972

43 The Bob Seger System,Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Man
So fuckin’ cool. Heavy, rockin’, in your face and HUNGRY. Bob has long been considered a garage rock legend, but you gotta hear this shit to believe it.
Capitol | 1969

44 Ten Years After,Stonedhenge
Again, legends, but not an album you hear every day. Stoner minimalism and an x-ray of the blues creates late-night lysergic bliss.
Deram | 1968

45 Savoy Brown,Looking In
This. Is. How. You. Do. It.
Parrot | 1970

46 Pink Fairies,Kings of Oblivion
The rock is out. The cock is out. Larry Wallis shows no mercy. It’s like listening to the birth of a planet. You need this like you need air and water.
Polydor | 1973

47 Glass Harp,Glass Harp
Epic arrangements, Phil Keaggy’s guitar heroics and seriously brainy jammage.
Decca | 1970

48 Bitter Blood Street Theatre,Vol. 2
Alice Cooper supposedly stole this group’s theatre of the absurd shtick. Recorded at the dawn of the ’70s, Vol. 2 has crazed spoken word interludes, raggedy horror-filled rockers like “The Monkey Wolf” and “Gutter Children” and a unique drug-soaked energy unlike most albums of the day.
Vetco | 1978

49 Frantic,Conception
Crude and rude and heavy on bar band-friendly covers, Conception is a degenerate soundtrack. It’s really LOUD, has no socially redeemable qualities and it will make you pine for the days when Quaaludes grew on trees.
Lizard | 1971

50 Three Man Army,AThird of a Lifetime
Post-Gun, Adrian Gurvitz just cranks up the heat and the speed to deliver Mach 3 jams that reverberate for eons.
Kama Sutra | 1971

Keep Rocking....

\m/

Cam Pipes' Top 5 Hangover Cures

noreply@blogger.com (maxdiamond) — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 17:24:00 +0000

By Cam Pipes, 3 Inches of Blood

not my own writing or list, but somebody had already written it better so here it goes...

In no particular order…

1. Two Airborne tablets or two Emergen-C packets dissolved in a Vitamin water: This mixture is chalk full of B vitamins and electrolytes which help when you’re dehydrated from all the alcohol.

2. Two extra strength Tylenol and a big bottle of Gatorade: Headaches are common for me when I’m hungover and Tylenol always does the trick. The Gatorade replenishes lost fluids.

3. Orange juice and a greasy breakfast: If you can keep food down, a greasy breakfast will start you on the road to recovery cuz there’s likely no food in your system. Afterwards, wash it down with some O.J. It tastes refreshing when a hangover is in full force and will neutralize the fat from that food you just ate.

4. Water and more sleep: Sometimes you feel too shitty to do anything and the day is pretty much a write off. Just get some basic fluids and go back to dreamland.

5. Cup of good coffee and a marijuana cigarette: One of my favorite cures. The caffeine from the coffee will thin your blood thus minimizing the headache a bit and the joint will take away the nausea you may be feeling and get you hungry for a greasy meal (see #3 above).

via Decibel

Lemmy gets Crunchy, almost

noreply@blogger.com (maxdiamond) — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 17:19:00 +0000

Motörhead’s Lemmy Kilmeister pitches Walkers potato chips, er, crisps. Try our delicious new Marmite, sausage and tomato ketchup flavours!

via Decibel

Question:
If there's a fight between Lemmy and God, who'll win?
Its a trick question, an old one. Any answers?

Chuck Schuldiner Remembered

noreply@blogger.com (maxdiamond) — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 11:16:00 +0000

Charles Michael "Chuck" Schuldiner (RIP)
(May 13, 1967, Long Island, New York – December 13, 2001)

Time is a thing we must accept.
The unexpected I sometimes fear.
Just when I feel there's no excuse for what happens, things fall into place.
I know there is no way to avoid the pain that we must go through,
to find the other half that is true.
Destiny is what we all seek.
Destiny was waiting for you and me.

I believe behind confusion, awaits the truth for us.
Past the obstacles we face.
I value our life and trust.
Years of questioning why things happen the way they do in life.
Wishing that I could turn back time, so we could join our souls.

Shortly after I had posted one of my previous posts on Atheist and another one on the departed souls of Rock / Metal, I received a couple of mails from few people who have been close to Chuck Schuldiner, Death (band) and Atheist. They fondly recounted their experiences with Chuck in general and what kind of mild mannered person he was and all that. It is really hard to believe that such a person is no more among us whereas an asshole like 50 Cent simply don't die even after a couple of dozen caps busted up his ass and to be reminded of the records he's making, I just wonder is there any kind of sanity left in this depraved culture of ours (?). That's irony of life and justice in this world.

Its been 6 years since the untimely demise of metal's most beloved musician and erstwhile known as the father of death metal Chuck Schuldiner, here's an article compiled from various sources:

Over the course of more than a decade and seven increasingly accomplished albums, Chuck Schuldiner, the architect behind the ubiquitous Death, became a bona fide heavy metal icon. Now widely recognized as the father of death metal (if a single candidate must be chosen, his resumé is about as good as it gets), Schuldiner's singular drive and ruthless creative vision guaranteed that Death retain a pole position at the forefront of the style's development. Indeed, while the savagely raw aggression contained in Death's first three albums proved crucial to spearheading the first generation of death, and subsequently grindcore bands, the astounding musicianship and increasingly sophisticated songwriting found on their later-day efforts may have influenced even more groups exploring the limits of extreme metal's progressive outposts. By all accounts a force to be reckoned with on-stage, Death also logged more frequent-flier miles than perhaps any other band of their extreme metal ilk, undertaking numerous far-reaching tours despite suffering from continuous and acrimonious turnover within their ranks.

Throughout this long journey and drastic evolutionary curve, Chuck Schuldiner was the only constant, the effective mastermind behind Death's continually groundbreaking career, and his near-canonization at the time of his untimely passing only confirmed his unequaled stature at the top of rock's most uncompromising style.

The Story of Death...
The story of Death begins in Florida, around 1983, when vocalist/guitarist Chuck Schuldiner formed a band named Mantas with guitarist Rick Rozz and drummer Kam Lee. Although they'd yet to finish High School, the eager teens quickly set about trying to replicate the most excessive heavy metal sounds imaginable, which they often heard on tapes obtained via the bustling underground tape-trading circuit existent at the time. Many of these hailed from the U.K., where bands like Iron Maiden, Angel Witch, and Venom were riding high on the New Wave of British Heavy Metal; others arrived from the West Coast, where young bands like Metallica, Slayer, and Exodus were redefining the genre by injecting it with unprecedented doses of speed and energy, thus giving birth to thrash metal.

All of these developments converged to spark the young Floridian's excitement, and the newly rechristened Death spent the next few years refining their chops through endless, arduous rehearsals and sporadic live performances. Their hard work and perseverance finally paid off when a three-song demo tape called Mutilation began drawing rave reviews in the metal underground, soon convincing Bay Area-based thrash specialists Combat Records to sign the group.

Scream Bloody Gore
Leaving his band mates behind (they would form a band called Massacre in his absence), Schuldiner relocated to San Francisco and teamed up with drummer Chris Reifert (later of Autopsy infamy) to record Death's now legendary Scream Bloody Gore LP. Released in 1987, the album is considered death metal's first archetypal document. Possessed's proto-death classic Seven Churches may have predated it by almost two years, but the fact of the matter is that both were concurrent works from a demo perspective, and while Seven Churches represented something of a unplanned transition between thrash and death metal, Scream Bloody Gore clearly defined the new offshoot's true essence for the first time. Boiled down to the most basic terms, this transition simply entailed propelling thrash metal's sheer speed and ferocious execution into further inaccessibility with the addition of gore-obsessed lyrics delivered via often indecipherably growled vocals.

Needless to say, this unprecedented level of sonic hatred went down a storm with thousands upon thousands of angry teenagers across the world.

Leprosy
Having set his metallic dreams (or nightmares, as it were) into motion, Schuldiner returned to Florida, where he reunited with his old chum Rick Rozz and drafted bassist Terry Butler and drummer Bill Andrews to integrate Death's first touring lineup. Between ever-increasing touring commitments, they were soon ensconced in Tampa's soon-to-be famed Morrisound Studios with soon-to-be premier death metal producer Scott Burns (a lot of "firsts" in this story) and working on 1988's Leprosy follow-up, which reprised much of the debut's successful tricks, but was somewhat marred by Rozz's subpar technical skills.

He was soon unceremoniously ejected for his shortcomings (the first victim of a Spinal Tap-like game of musical chairs) and replaced by the far more gifted James Murphy, who would barely last a year himself before embarking on a journeyman existence that would take him to Obituary, Testament, and beyond, but nevertheless contributed stellar fretwork to 1990's transitional Spiritual Healing.

Spiritual Healing
This album found Death beginning to relinquish some of the unrelenting velocity, mindless ferocity, and often trite blood-and-gore lyrics which characterized death metal's infancy (grindcore's fast-rising legions, led by Napalm Death and Carcass, would take it from here) and diving headlong into its understandably experimental pubescent phase. In practice, this meant introducing slower rhythms, complex dynamic tempo changes, insidious melodies, and more enlightened, if no less dark and cynical subject matter that commented on society's ills and injustices.
Human
All of these exciting developments would come to greater fruition on 1991's pivotal Human LP, but given the various organizational problems and unsatisfactory performances that had plagued the Spiritual Healing tour, it's a wonder Death survived long enough to record it. In his obsessive quest for perfection and constant evolution, Schuldiner had once again pushed his bandmembers as far as their musical abilities could take them, mandating that an entirely new group of players be cast to enact the next chapter in his grand scheme.

Sure enough, the sessions for Human convened a supra-technical ensemble for the ages, namely guitarist Paul Masvidal and drummer Sean Reinert of unsigned death/fusion sensations Cynic, and fretless bass wonder Steve DiGiorgio, who was borrowed from Sadus for recording purposes only. This release, along with the even more commercially successful Arise by Brazilians Sepultura, helped ensure that 1991 should go down as the absolute apex of death metal's world domination. At least in its original form, as hordes of gifted new upstarts such as the aforementioned Cynic and the death/jazz experimentalists Atheist, to name but a few, were even then undertaking to rewrite the rule book and challenge elder statesmen like Death for genre supremacy.

Individual Thought Patterns
Not to be outdone, Schuldiner simply upped the ante, repeatedly reinventing his band time and time again, even as he refused to compromise its brutal core values one iota. As proof, both 1993's Individual Thought Patterns and 1995's Symbolic introduced staggering advancements into the group's sound. The first exploded with the brilliant fretwork of ex-King Diamond guitarist Andy LaRocque, whose six-string duels with Schuldiner rank among the most exciting of Death's long career; while the second benefited from the dense harmonies contributed by the less flashy, but equally effective Bobby Koelble, resulting in Death's most consistently melodic album ever.

And perhaps best of all for extreme metal fans, former Dark Angel behemoth Gene Hoglan lent his inimitable percussive talents to both LPs, forging an unlikely pairing with Chuck that remains the stuff of death metal dreams to this day. Not surprisingly, this trio of albums continue to vie for fans and critics' hearts as Death's greatest achievements -- how ironic then that Schuldiner himself was beginning to grow tired of his life's work.

But come 1996, Death's chief architect was hungry for a creative outlet with which to express his more mainstream heavy metal songwriting, and citing his own voice as too limited for what he had in mind, Schuldiner shocked the heavy metal community by disbanding Death and announcing his plans for an entirely new band, to be named Control Denied.

The Sound of Perseverance
But the new project took longer than expected to get off the ground, so Schuldiner decided to backtrack and record one final album under the Death franchise, resulting in 1998's quite stellar The Sound of Perseverance. As was to be expected, he was once again backed up by an entirely new band, this time consisting of relative unknowns like guitarist Shannon Hamm, bassist Scott Clendenin, and drummer Richard Christy.

Control Denied - Fragile art of existence
Following this release, Schuldiner finally felt ready to move forward with the Control Denied concept in earnest, and the new quintet (featuring many of Chuck's old accomplices and a full-time lead vocalist in Tim Aymar) unleashed their The Fragile Art of Existence debut in the fall of 1999. Everything seemed to be going according to plan, but then tragic fate intervened.

Into the void...
Schuldiner was diagnosed with a malignant brain-stem tumor and immediately underwent emergency surgery in early 2000 to remove it. All musical plans were brought to a standstill as Chuck fought for his life amid ever-mounting medical bills (like most professional musicians, he had no health insurance), only a small portion of which were alleviated by the heavy metal community's outpouring of support by way of numerous benefit concerts. Over the ensuing two years, the true state of his health was often mired in mystery, and even though he was occasionally rumored to be on the path to recovery, all hopes were ultimately and cruelly dashed on December 13, 2001, when Chuck finally succumbed to cancer at the age of 33.

Like any headstrong leader, Schuldiner's tyrannical monopoly over Death's brilliant career is forever guaranteed to evoke adverse opinions about his character, ranging from the resentful accusations of disgruntled former employees, to the words of loving praise of willing collaborators. It hardly matters, since whichever reputation people eventually choose to believe in, Schuldiner's recorded legacy will forever remain inextricably linked, synonymous even, with the death metal genre.

...

Parting notes:
And so it goes, the legacy of Chuck Schuldiner continues to live on as the huge body of technical death metal gems he left behind transcends time, geography and genre, in particular.

I live to see a day when records by Death, Nile, Necrophagist and many others are placed in the same section as Mozart, Wagner, Bach and Ludwig Van (Beethoven).
Why not?
Any music to be appreciated doesn't have to old (ancient).

Long live Chuck.

Sepultura in Bangalore

noreply@blogger.com (maxdiamond) — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 13:13:00 +0000

This is another unbelievable news this year after the Maiden concert, Sepultura is set to perform in Bangalore on 3rd November 2007 after their concerts at New Delhi, Shillong to support their Dante XXI record.

Around the corner when Iron Maiden was announced to perform in Bangalore, it was rumored that Sepultura would be hitting concert stage in Bangalore on 1st of April 2007 (many, including me thought it was some Fool's day joke). They didn't eventually perform then since Opium Events certainly had some problems with the dates and stuff.

Anyways, back to now, Sepultura has had and lost a major fan base in Bangalore especially. There's a major divide of audience in terms which Sepultura they have been introduced to, in Bangalore or anywhere else in the world.

Sepultura as I was introduced to many years ago was called as 'Slayer's cousins from Brazil', it was when they had colored their hair and had become a thrash metal band. Wait a minute, isn't Sepultura a thrash metal band?

That's what I am talking about, the Sepultura that I happened to backtrack to their 'roots' and found out within a few weeks then...

Sepultura started as a straight death metal band that many purists consider their early catalog as classics in the 'technical' sense of the word.

Their first EP was Bestial Devastation, a split with Overdose's album on the flip side.

Raw motion music in the postapocalyptic style of Slayer and Possessed using the syncretism of atmospheric riff patternings in a style reminiscent of Massacra, this seminal material from Sepultura establish the distinctive sound which was to dominate the South American scene for two generations, building empires of structure from the simple differences and thunder of textural dynamic disparity in the directional information coded through whipping power chord music. At explosive speeds this music recombines at the command of gutteral, primitive vocals and bludgeon-simple percussion which maintains a fury of emphasis forward while checking structure as necessary and maintaining a simple, sensual presence. Belligerent in conception songs are simple in execution following the Slayer style of staggered introduction of theme through opposite halves layered across strings and percussion in a delivery that proceeds each major thematic change with introductory motion, then breaks into a component of theme and its fragmentary complements before reconstructing a primary idea from the tone-centric progression as phrases develop to articulation. Dynamic varies despite constant tremelo strumming of notes and chords at paces synchronized with approach to the internal harmonies Doppleresquely arranged at prime rhythms throughout each piece; progression in dynamics is sculpted wholly from the type of motion (texture + velocity toward/away from root note) crafted in ripping waves of guitar sound and apocalyptic collisions of vocal and stringblast noise.

Satanic and morbid occultist imagery pervade the lyrics and composition of this release, which in the style which bands from Havohej to Beherit and Darkthrone employ, subjugates the ridiculous to serve the abstracted lifestyle determinations the visions of mythos and living mysticism evoke. Muscular in its recombinant structure in both sum of phrases and the construction of phrases as minimalist motion of structure around central tones, these dark hymns inspired generations of metalheads and after some delayed propagation following their respective releases in 1984-85 are recognized as foundational to the embryonic death metal genre.

courtesy: anus.com

Morbid Visions (1986), their debut LP was a brutal, technical death metal and big winner of a debut for a band from Belo Horizonte, fronted by Max Cavalera (rhythm guitars, vocals), accompanied by Igor Cavalera (drums), Paulo Pinto (bass), Jairo Guedes (lead guitar).
The album was a moderate success but the song "Troops of Doom" created a major buzz to gather some attention towards the band.

The sophomore effort Schizophrenia was critical success which along with the debut is considered as some of the early milestones in establishing death metal genre.

Review: In an ambitious offering of a technically-upgraded look at their groundbreaking sound, Sepultura take a step into the past and merge elements of the more technique-oriented speed metal bands such as Kreator, Destruction or Slayer into the trademark death metal sound of these Brazilians. Theme development occurs with more relevance to song expansion, and skidding muffled strum riffs transfer motion like fleet-limbed martial artists, making clear and simple songs into complex but more cohesive sounds.

Lead guitarist Andreas Kisser adds melodic structure to leads and a proficient sense of hook to each song in a replacement for anthemic chanting and corresponding change in phrase. Guitar textures have improved in some ways and regressed in others, with more emphasis on percussive sounds and less on the roar of unfettered tremolo ripping as found on the first two EPs. The rhythm section is steadier and undergoes more sleight of emphasis tempo changes and gentle backhand foreshadowing within a rage of percussion. Vocals are a hard-edged shout dressed in the distorted voice of death metal, enacting change within the aesthetic of each portion of song by rupturing its surface in different ways. With a playful sense of the possibilities of continuity in rhythmic phrase, this band gestures at a range of tempos from the linear development of pace.

courtesy: anus.com

After Morbid Visions, Jairo Guedes left the band for another thrash metal venture and Sao Paulo based guitarist Andreas Kisser replaced him. Their second full-length album was Schizophrenia, which was a critical success that led them to being contracted to Roadrunner Records. The US and the worldwide audience could get a dose of Sepultura and further cemented their status as a band to reckon with.

Then came Beneath the Remains (1989) marked a change in direction for the band where they started moving towards the thrash ground, equally brutal and catchy as hell, it was once more a success for the band, in spite of lack of mainstream success. Beneath the Remains, still today is considered as one of the best Thrash metal albums of the late 80s.

Combining the bolt-ahead and blast tendency of technical death metal with the stylings of speed metal bands who hammered their riffs home to a concluding micro-phrase, Sepultura have rendered from chaos a masterpiece of controlled energy defining its outlets before unleashing the pulse of destructive energy which converts them humanity's self-destructive inner anger into a directive of vivid existence. This album takes class from Slayer on song structures, with most choruses and every other verse having an introductory changeover of instrumental significance to transfer the abundant energy of its vibrant resiliency back into the churning main riff rhythm and structural silhouette (a technique borrowed from thrash: to use the riff to define the song, taken to abstract levels by death metal bands who invented the riff-concept behind the riff and used it in the style of classical music to fuse songs from scrapyards of fragmentary structure). It is neck-breaking excitement that also stirs the soul with its excitement to live.

Sepultura combine textures as part of the fundamental philosophy of the band, pairing the note-hopping melodic ascent of a heavy metal phrase with a cluster of fast thrashed chords charged by a dissonant note harmonic loop providing both context and concrete coherence to the otherwise panoramic expansion of riffs from one or two power chord microstructures which define a direction and its essential return in a recursive yet open structure. In a meta-mimicry of the textural shifts within riffs, songs as a whole reveal their layers in the differing structures which define their parts and the similarities between them through the detail-oriented world of embedded melody, where the winging electric strum of the rhythm guitar aligns the current pattern into the overall composition by means of the metaphor in related archetypal granularity. Each part defines the whole, which in turn defines the relevance of each part: a metaphor for existence in a chaotic but ordered world.

courtesy: anus.com

Arise (1991) once again was critically acclaimed underground success for a band that started to gain more respect from the metal audience worldwide.

Sepultura was a relatively unknown quantity until the 1989 release of the groundbreaking "Beneath the Remains," which brought almost instant worldwide recognition to the Brazilian quartet. The band favors a heavy sound much like that of Slayer and is often referred to as a successor to the rulers of American industrial rock. However, Sepultura mixes a tribal rhythms and intriguing guitar work with a solid metal core, and it is this that differentiates them from their colleagues who apply different paint to the same entity and declare themselves "open-minded." The energy of previous albums is still here, on a more populist effort that brings into its core the worldwide appeal of simple motion rhythm alongside pounding speed metal/death metal hybrid riffs.

courtesy: anus.com

Around the time they released Chaos AD (1993), the band has made a major departure towards more catchy and groovy tunes as opposed to technical, brutal onslaught of earlier material that had made Sepultura a household name then, there was an outcry from the hardcore fans who screamed 'sell-out'. This album started an unholy obsession with both Sepultura and Michael Whelan’s art.

Sepultura's reluctance to let go of the Death/Thrash genre tag is very much evident on this album, quite frankly it is very difficult to categorize this album. The tribal influences that started with Arise take a whole new dimension on this record, where those influences and instruments were used in intros but on this record it is the music du jour!

For instance, Kaiowas is an entirely tribal song, just instrumental number, very ritualistic native bongos and acoustic guitars, strange atmospheric track. That song was a tribute to the Kaiowas tribe, an Amazonian tribe that lived in the rainforest until the Brazilian government arrived and took their lands. They were pretty much put into internment camps and to protest many of them committed suicide. From 1985 to 1999, over 300 of the tribe killed themselves.

The first three songs of the album, Refuse/Resist, Territory, Slave New World were the most famous ones off this record and also mark a change in lyrical theme from morbid to political issues as these songs were a direct outcry against the continuing wars in the Middle East, the videos shot for these respective numbers do depict that in a realistic protest against capitalist oppressors of the Western nations. This was a last great album from Sepultura, innovative and enjoyable record by any standards.

Musical directions and record label pressures aside, Chaos AD is one of the finest world music albums of all time. Yes, world music! Unlike those dope-headed pseudo cultural fusion dicks. :)
Sepultura had successfully fused Brazilian rhythms, percussions in the metal mold and the result was brilliant. Sepultura was introduced to lots of new ears and incidentally this album was a landmark in their commercial success, albeit the only last one and never repeated.

But this very album marked a kind of disinterest from long time fans who went back to older Sepultura material and stayed away from forthcoming albums from then. I pretty much belong to that category, only I listened to all the subsequent albums after this but went back to older material.

Worth a mention here is the Metallica's Black Album received a similar treatment from long time fans even though Metallica enjoyed mainstream success and millions of fan following but hardcore fans of their earlier material steered clear of the subsequent albums.

In both the cases, it is to be noted that the music was not bad or anything but once a band helps create a genre, gathers major following and then they abandon that in pursuit of something new. Time and again it is proven that cult following generally feels alienated by band's attempts and lose the strong following in the bargain of getting a lot more times of new fans. Slayer has always been accused of resting on their laurels after their first four albums, trust me its not easy to be consistent when you are Gods! They have a greater responsibility of not betraying their fans' expectations and their musical integrity.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't. That's the case of Slayer.

In my observation, AC DC fans, Motorhead fans, Slayer fans are a different breed altogether, not many people could digest Motorhead music for instance, they'd find it very monotonous, same with Slayer or AC DC. But one scratch above the surface reveals a whole new dimension that only a long listener could appreciate. If you haven't, then do it now.

Sepultura has changed a lot since their early days. They started out as death metal (Bestial Devastation, Morbid Visions, Schizophrenia), moved to thrash (Beneath The Remains, Arise), then post-thrash groove (Chaos AD) to alternative/nu-metal (Roots) then a hardcore sound they are at now.

Max Cavalera left the band in December 1996, when the band clashed with his wife and band manager Gloria. He went on to form the tribal nu-metal band Soulfly. Derrick Green, originally from Chicago, IL, replaced Max.

Sepultura released several albums after that featuring Derrick Green on vocals, that lot of old fans greeted with no interest at all, also the albums didn't have much commercial success. Derrick Green is a good vocalist, not tribal, primitive vocals of Max Cavalera though but he has a different range and tries hard. That's good in a way.

The band name comes from a Portuguese translation of Motorhead's song ``Dancing On Your Grave`` which is ``Dan?ndo Na Sua Sepultura``. Sepultura means ``grave`` in Portuguese (and in other Latin-based languages).

Igor Cavalera, the original drummer left the band recently since he got married and had kids, wouldn't wanna tour outside Brazil. Igor had been responsible for some of the technical drumming that had marked earlier Sepultura catalog and is a testament of technical finesse and brutally fast percussions added with clean production values that made it a trademark of the band's sound. I sure gonna miss the Cavalera brothers and without them Sepultura is not exactly the same entity that it was.

As you can notice, I haven't written anything about the latter day Sepultura albums as I've chosen to ignore the lot.

Now Sepultura is going to face long-starved metal hungry Bangalore crowd, with no original founding members remaining in the band. Come November 3rd, the stage will be set for another set of onslaught that we have all been waiting for. This is the support tour for their last album Dante XXI

Would it mark another new beginning for Bangalore live scene? Well...

Sepultura datasheet:

Genre(s)
Death/Thrash Metal (early), Groove/Hardcore (later)

Lyrical theme(s)
Satan & Evil (early), Political & Social Issues

Origin
Brazil (Belo Horizonte, MG)

Current line-up
Derrick Leon Green - Vocals, guitars (1997-) (ex-Outface)
Andreas Rudolf Kisser - Guitars (1987-) (Sexoturica, ex-Godswalllop, Asesino, Quarteto De Pinga)
Paulo Xisto Pinto Jr. - Bass (1984-)
Jean Turrer Dolabella - Drums (2006-) (ex-Udora)

Former/past member(s)
Max Cavalera - Vocals, guitars (1984-1996) (Nailbomb, Soulfly, The Cavalera Conspiracy)
Igor Cavalera - Drums (1984-2006) (The Cavalera Conspiracy)
Jairo ``Tormentor`` Guedz - Guitars (1985-1986) (Eminence (Bra), Overdose (Bra), The Mist (Bra))
Wagner ``Antichrist`` Lamounier - Vocals (1984-1985) (Sarcófago, Cirrhosis (Bra))

Session:
Roy Mayorga - Live Drums (2006) (Soulfly, Stone Sour)

Guest members:
Dr. Israel - vocals on 'Nation'
Jonathan Davis - Vocals on 'Roots' (Korn, ex-Sexart, ex-Orgy (guest))
Jo? Gordo - Vocals on 'Against' & bonus track ``Nation`` (Ratos de Por?, ex-Korzus (guest))
Francis Howard - vocals on 'Beneath the Remains' (ex-Cannibal Corpse (guest), ex-Incubus, Opprobrium)
Jamey Jasta - vocals on 'Nation' (Hatebreed, ex-Napalm Death (guest))
Scott Latour - vocals on 'Beneath the Remains' (ex-Incubus)
Mike Patton - vocals on 'Roots' (ex-Faith No More, Fant?, ex-The Dillinger Escape Plan (guest), Tomahawk (US), ex-Mr. Bungle)
Kelly Shaefer - vocals on 'Beneath the Remains' (Atheist, Neurotica)
John Tardy - vocals on 'Beneath the Remains' (ex-Napalm Death (guest), Obituary, ex-Cancer (guest))
Jasonic (Jason Newsted) - bass on 'Against' & tour (ex-Metallica, Voivod, ex-Echobrain, ex-Ozzy Osbourne, ex-Flotsam and Jetsam, ex-Paradox, ex-Diamond, ex-IR8, ex-Sexoturica, ex-Maxwell Ranchouse Bands, Papa Wheelie, ex-Avoid, ex-Spastik Children, ex-Godswalllop)
Roy Mayorga - drums during the European tour with In Flames in 2006

Additional notes
The first lineup, complete with nicknames:
Max ''Possessed'' Cavalera - Guitars
Wagner ''Antichrist'' Lamourier - Vocals
Paulo ''Destructor'' Pinto Jr. - Bass
Igor ''Skullcrusher'' Cavalera - Drums

Discography
Bestial Devastation/Século XX (Split, 1985)
Morbid Visions (Full-length, 1986)
Schizophrenia (Full-length, 1987)
Beneath the Remains ( Full-length, 1989)
Arise (Single, 1991)
Desperate Cry (Single, 1991)
Under Siege (Regnum Irae) (Single, 1991)
Arise (Full-length, 1991)
Dead Embryonic Cells (Single, 1991)
Third World Posse (EP, 1992)
Under Siege (Live at Barcelona) (Video/VHS, 1992)
Refuse/Resist (EP, 1993)
Refuse/Resist (Single, 1993)
Chaos A.D. (Full-length, 1993)
Territory (Single, 1993)
Sepultura / Prong (Split, 1994)
Slave New World (Single, 1994)
Third World Chaos (Video/VHS, 1995)
We Are What We Are (Video/VHS, 1996)
Natural Born Blasters (EP, 1996)
Roots Bloody Roots (Single, 1996)
Roots (Full-length, 1996)
Ratamahatta (Single, 1996)
The Roots Of Sepultura (Best of/Compilation, 1996)
Attitude (Single, 1996)
B-Sides (Best of/Compilation, 1997)
Procreation of the Wicked (EP, 1997)
Blood-Rooted (Best of/Compilation, 1997)
Against (Full-length, 1998)
Choke (Single, 1998)
Against (Single, 1999)
Tribus (Single, 1999)
Nation (Full-length, 2001)
Under a Pale Grey Sky (Live album, 2002)
Chaos DVD (DVD, 2002)
Revolusongs (EP, 2002)
Roorback (Full-length, 2003)
Live In São Paulo (DVD, 2005)
Live in São Paulo (Live album, 2005)
Dante XXI (Full-length, 2006)
The Best Of (Best of/Compilation, 2006)

Parting Shot:
Sepultura did much to open the eyes of the music world to the potential for heavy metal to evolve. By infusing the rhythms of their native Brazil with the power of metal, the band created a truly revolutionary sound. Still Sepultura's early material remains underrated and under-appreciated by the casual listeners, but then metal is not a casual music. It is better that way. Period.

\m/

Carcass - Confirmed For Wacken 2008

noreply@blogger.com (maxdiamond) — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 14:51:00 +0000

Woohooo! This is absolutely mindblowing news after so many years of Carcass-less world. Its time to look forward to Carcass re-union perhaps?

Carcass are the latest band to be confirmed for Wacken Open Air 2008, this is how the band commented:

"Well, they said it would never happen. In fact I said it would never happen. Then I noticed no one pays attention to what I say anyway and I sounded like an idiot...

Summer 2008 will be the twentieth anniversary since the release of Carcass' first studio album. It will be fourteen years since we last played live. We've decided to exhume the old corpse next Summer at Wacken. The timing is purely coincidental - it's been a long journey to get to this point where myself, Bill Steer and Mike Amott have enough common desire again to make it possible. We're finally conceding to the demand that seems to be at an all time high and doesn't appear to be going away any time soon.

Any past reasons we may have had for not wanting to do it, or thinking it was impossible, have simply dissipated in the face of overwhelming interest in us performing THOSE riffs for a generation of believers who never had the opportunity back in the day. We could say we're doing it for 'the kids' - but fuck that ! We're doing it 'cos it will be fun again to play the classic Carcass tunes !! Of course it would seem inappropriate for us to contemplate to do this without Ken Owen, but I assure you he'll be there, and we'll push some sticks in his hands and make him play, plus we'll have a killer drummer to sit in and play HIS parts.

Myself Jeff Walker on bass and vocals, "the semi-legendary" Bill Steer and Mike Amott on lead guitar and Daniel Erlandsson, filling in for Ken on drums, look forwards to mutilating your hearing.

And if we don't do it ? Who else will overshadow the Led Zeppelin reunion ?

Ha !
Prepare to rot and roll."

Wake up and smell the Carcass, Wacken!

Parting shot:
Another great re-union happened few days ago, The Verve re-united and are back in business since the breakup after the eargasmic Urban Hymns album. Great times ahead.

And the I happened to read Kirk Hammet's interview on Blabbermouth, he was all raving about new Metallica material. I also had the opportunity to hear and watch their latest material on YouTube few days ago. Sounds like crap. Avoid.

Meanwhile get a load of Carcass at the following video from their seminal Heartwork album.

Following is the Carcass bio via Wacken site, and also A Taste of Carcass from yours truly bad ass:

Carcass's first album, Reek of Putrefaction, bore similarities to Steer's work with Napalm Death, but despite its primitive production (something the band was very displeased with) it became a favourite of Radio 1 legend John Peel. Due to his interest they were asked to participate in their first 'Peel Sessions' in 1989 where they debuted new material for the second album.

During this time between Reek of Putrefaction and the second album, drummer Ken Owen progressed from a single to double bass drum kit, allowing double bass beats to enter into the song writing process. This is stated by Walker to be one of the reasons why guitarist Bill Steer took Carcass more seriously and left Napalm Death.

Symphonies of Sickness, the second album, along with much improved production (courtesy of Colin Richardson), featured longer songs with more slow passages and guitar solos. The second half of the tour in support of 'Symphonies' saw the addition of second lead guitarist Michael Amott, whose previous work included 'Carnage'. Amott was to become a permanent member, playing on the second 'Peel Session' and contributing material towards their third album.

Necroticism - Descanting the Insalubrious showed even more intricate composition, this time with a full-fledged transition into death metal, and further improved production with a slight bias towards Walker's vocals compared to Steer's. Despite the addition of Amott to the ranks, Steer still handled all rhythm guitar duties, despite the album credits, with Amott only contributing leads. Carcass again supported the album with heavy touring, and were part of the Earache 'Gods of Grind' tour with Cathedral, Entombed and Confessor in both Europe and the US.

The Tools of the Trade EP was released in 1992 to coincide with the 'Gods of Grind' tour. It featured a Necroticism track ("Incarnated Solvent Abuse"), a new track 'Tools of the Trade', a re-recording of 'Rotten to the Gore' from the first album and a re-recording of 'Hepatic Tissue Fermentation' from the 'Pathological' compliation. Although it is hinted that the 3 bonus cuts were recordered at the same time as 'Necroticism', they show a dryer production/mix to the aforementioned album.

Toward the later part of the tour in support of Necroticism in early 1993, they debuted songs ready for their fourth album which they had demoed around the same time. The 'Heartwork demo' featured Walkers vocals exclusively, although during the tour Steer did sing "Welcome" during the first verse of "Buried Dreams". This tour would be the only time Amott played Heartwork songs live.

Heartwork, released later in the year in 1993 was considered a radical change by many fans, eliminated Steer's deeper vocals and the clinically gory lyrics. Again, Steer handled all rhythm guitar duties to help gain consistency between the many layered guitars that built Carcass' best production to date. Song structures, whilst still containing musically complex parts, were simpler, in some cases using the Verse / chorus / verse formula.

After the release of Heartwork, Carcass received a worldwide deal with Columbia Records, who hoped for a commercial success, even suggesting that Jeff Walker learn how to sing. Fan reaction was split between the charge that Carcass were no longer playing death metal at all and appreciation of the technical accomplishment the album shows. In fact, today some credit Carcass with being a very early founding influence for not just one, but two genres of metal - grindcore (or, more specifically, goregrind), and the modern melodic death metal sound. Michael Amott left the band right after Heartwork was recorded and was for a while replaced by Mike Hickey who was later replaced by Carlo Regadas.

During the summer of 1994 Walker remixed the track 'Inside Out' for a Die Krupps remix album, although the version stayed fairly true to the original with the exception of Owens drum samples from Heartwork replacing the Die Krupps original, and additional mixing from Walker and Colin Richardson at Parr Street studios (where Heartwork was recorded).

Carcass now set about writing songs for their major label debut. During the December 1994 UK tour Carcass showcased two songs from their current writing sessions - "Edge of Darkness" and "Firmhand", both showing a more straight forward song writing approach than on previous efforts. Around this time, 'Edge of Darkness' was recorded for the BBC Radio 1 Rock Show sessions - a session which could be found on later compilation albums.

By late 1994 17 songs were ready and the band set about using their $200,000 advance to record the album, again with Colin Richardson, at Rockfield studios in Monmouth, South Wales in early 1995. During the 6 week recording schedule the record label began to withdraw support, stating that They (Carcass) were not ready to record and needed to write more songs. This advise was ignored, as was the suggestion to have Terry Date (Pantera, Prong etc) 'remix' the album, and the band continued. At the time, Jeff Walker stated in an interview with the UK's Metal Hammer Magazine that the album was taking more of a classic rock approach, with drums, bass and twin guitars a la Thin Lizzy in comparison to earlier 'multi-layered guitar' productions. This has since been put down to Bill Steers unwillingness to perform the time consuming guitar layering (as once again Steer handled all rhythm guitar) through losing interest in the metal genre.

Due to continuing record company problems with Columbia/Sony causing the album to be delayed from late Summer 1995 to June 1996, in which time Carcass moved back to the Earache Record label and broke up before even releasing Swansong. The move back to Earache was dubbed by Walker as "the second great rock and roll swindle" (Kerrang - June 96) as they had effectively been paid twice for the same album.

Swansong, which featured 12 of the 17 tracks put to tape during the recording sessions, drew some criticism from fans for its melodic riffs which in some ways bordered on late 1980s thrash. This last official album also incorporated more melodic elements (Tomorrow Belongs to Nobody, R$ck the Vote) and some doom metal elements (Don't Believe a Word) which almost completed the Carcass circle of being one of the most inventive metal bands.

The album only featured 12 of the 17 songs recorded in the Swansong sessions (or 13 if you had the original brain shaped edition with the bonus disc). Kerrang reported in June 1995 that prior to Swansongs release, Carcass would be releasing an EP featuring 2 tracks from what would be Swansong and 3 songs from the sessions that would not make the final LP. However, this Ep was never released, most likely due to the lack of record company support for newly recorded material.

Walker has since stated in interviews that all 17 songs should have been included in a double album, and that some songs omitted from Swansong were actually stronger than some of Swansongs actual content.

During the Swansong recording sessions, Carcass were asked to remix a Bjork track - 'Isobel'. This wasn't a remix as such but more of a re-recording with only Bjork's vocals remaining. All rhythm guitars were handled by Steer, and the track saw light of day in March 1996 on Bjork's 'Hyberballad' single.

Carcass also remixed (i.e. re-recorded but kept the vocals of) Killing Jokes 'Democracy', although this time Carlo performed all guitar duties as it is thought Steer had quit the band by early 1996. The Carcass 'Rooster' Mix was made available on the Killing Joke 'Democracy', and if it were not for the vocals, would not be out of place on Swansong.

Around the time of Swansong's release, Carcass informed the press that Carcass were to call it a day without even a farewell tour, but most fans had guessed this may be the case via the album title.

The album sold well, staying near the top of the 'Indie Rock Chart' in the UK for several months above bands such as Placebo (before Placebo exploded in late '96) despite having no touring support from the band. It is rumoured that the band were offered several lucrative tours in 1995, such as supporting Iron Maiden on their "X-Factour 95" (Simon Cowell not involved) which had the album been released as expected in '95 could have improved the bands sales and longevity.

A posthumous compilation, Wake up and Smell the... Carcass was released in October 1996 to collect together Carcass' rarer material. This included the 5 Swansong session songs that did not make the final Swansong album, 4 tracks from the 1994 Radio 1 Rock Show session, the 2 Heartwork EP tracks, the Non album tracks from 'Tools of the Trade' EP, and finally tracks from the Pathological and Grindcrusher compilations respectively. Although the CD received mixed reviews, to the Carcass fan it contained true gems such as "Edge of Darkness" and "Blood Spattered Banner".

An accompanying video was released a few weeks after the 'Wake Up' CD with little knowledge from the band or their management (Point Blank Management). The video, later released on DVD, featured 5 of the bands promo videos, a show from the Grindcrusher '89 tour (as a 3 piece) and a show from the 92 Gods of Grind tour. Sound on the two live shows is poor, particularly the latter which Walker has described as 'unmixed'.

Ken, Jeff and Carlo continued with the Blackstar project accompanied with former Cathedral bassist Mark Griffiths, using the second Swansong advance (from Earache) to fund the recording. Blackstar (Later Blackstar Rising) went defunct after Ken suffered from a severe brain haemorrhage. Michael Amott went on to found hard rocking combo Spiritual Beggars and Arch Enemy, a successful Swedish death metal band. In the biggest musical departure, Bill Steer reappeared in Firebird, a Claptonesque guitar-rock trio.

In June 2006, in an interview with Walker, he discussed the possibility of reforming Carcass, but it is unlikely that Owen will participate as he cannot replicate his former drumming proficiency due to his health problems.

In September 2007 it has been confirmed by Michael Amott that he had been rehearsing with Bill Steer, Jeff Walker and Daniel Erlandsson (replacing Ken Owen, who is incapable of playing a full set with Carcass due to health reasons) in secret to rehearse old Carcass songs for a possible reunion tour. The original plans were to play at several festivals during the summer, but they couldn't meet the deadlines.

On 5th October 2007, Carcass were confirmed to play at German heavy metal festival Wacken Open Air 2008.

Top 10 Gibson Guitar Solos: '70s And '80s

noreply@blogger.com (maxdiamond) — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 14:12:00 +0000

I came across this list on Ultimate-Guitar.com and I was kind of surprised at the list that they just managed to list the numbers with the solos from Gibson Les Paul guitars and obviously you wont find any Fender Strat wielding guitar heroes like Jimi Hendrix, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Dave Gilmour, Don Felder, Joe Walsh, Brian May, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Ritchie Blackmore, Mark Knopfler, BB King, Billy Gibbons, Robby Krieger, Frank Zappa, Carlos Santana, Jerry Garcia, George Harrison, Eddie Van Halen and many many more (perhaps I should make my own list someday). This is just the classic Rock territory, metal genre is another story altogether. More about that later, some other time.
Obviously it is a padded list just to endorse the Gibson merch, but well, worth a check out...
But I wonder where is Kirk Hammet or Joe Satriani of the 80s? or the dudes from Maiden, Slayer, all those shitload of NWOBHM guitar solos? Oh hell, its a crazy millions of songs and millions of solos and stuff like that, I'll go crazy trying to remember them all. Get on with today's post, shall we?

The definition of metal changes every decade as musicians continually push the genre to new extremes, writes Chris Gill of Gibson.com. But several elements have remained consistent throughout the years: distorted guitar, heavy riffs, and lightning-fast solos. Some of the greatest guitar solos ever recorded can be found on metal classics from the '70s and '80s, and many of those solos were recorded using Gibson guitars.

What makes a guitar solo great? While technical precision and speed are certainly important, a good solo should also be inventive and imaginative. The solo should support the song, and the best solos are ones that are so melodically strong that you can sing them while you wail away on your air guitar.

“Whole Lotta Love”
# Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin II [Atlantic, 1969]
# Jimmy Page
Although it was released in 1969, “Whole Lotta Love” formed the foundation for hundreds of great heavy metal tunes that followed in the ’70s, ’80s, and beyond. Page’s solo at the climax of the “orgasm” section exploded with primal fury, accentuated by double stomping power chords that defined “heavy” and “metal” with a one-two punch. The entirety of Led Zeppelin’s second album is full of awe-inspiring solos, but with “Whole Lotta Love,” Page made his point loud and clear that the guitar hero for the modern age of rock had arrived.

“War Pigs”
# Black Sabbath, Paranoid [Warner Bros., 1971]
# Tony Iommi
Tony Iommi’s epic solo begins with a majestic symphonic line that would make Tchaikovsky proud before bursting into an impressive display of descending triplets and bluesy howls. Ozzy Osbourne’s lyrics may have painted a brutal depiction of war mongers, but Iommi’s solo made listeners feel like they were in the middle of battle, surviving an onslaught of machine-gun bullets, screaming rockets, and bomb blasts. One of Black Sabbath’s finest moments.

“Rock Bottom”
# UFO, Phenomenon [Chrysalis, 1974]
# Michael Schenker
This tour de force showcase of Schenker’s formidable guitar talents was the metalhead equivalent of “Freebird,” and it became the centerpiece of UFO’s live performances (captured brilliantly on Strangers in the Night). Schenker’s extended solo displays virtuoso skills that left an indelible mark on numerous Euro-centric players like Yngwie Malmsteen and Eddie Van Halen.

“Stranglehold”
# Ted Nugent, Ted Nugent [Epic, 1975]
# Ted Nugent
Another extended guitar solo, Ted Nugent’s “Stranglehold” summoned up a barnyard full of squawks, squeals, and howls along with hypnotic melodies that make this song a sort of heavy metal “Bolero.” Nugent’s use of a Gibson Byrdland—a guitar normally associated with jazz—was certainly unorthodox, but thanks to his uncanny ability to tame feedback he used it to great advantage.

“(Don’t Fear) the Reaper”
# Blue Öyster Cult, Agents of Fortune [Columbia, 1976]
# Donald “Buck Dharma” Roeser
Buck Dharma’s exotic solo on Blue Öyster Cult’s breakthrough hit takes the song to a dark underworld full of tension and wonder while retaining the tune’s somber, minor-key mood. Dharma’s Middle Eastern, raga-esque lines were unlike anything heard in hard rock before, but they fit perfectly.

“You Shook Me All Night Long”
# AC/DC, Back in Black [Atlantic, 1980]
# Angus Young
Angus Young has always insisted that his main influence was the blues, and here he shows his roots in smashing form. But instead of fiddling about in the pentatonic box, Young delivers a rich, melodic solo that you can sing along with. An AC/DC classic.

“Flying High Again”
# Ozzy Osbourne, Diary of a Madman [Epic, 1981]
# Randy Rhoads
Any of the solos that Randy Rhoads played during his brief time with Ozzy Osbourne could easily make the list, but “Flying High Again” fits just about everything that Rhoads was about as a player into a tidy package. You can hear Rhoads’s classical influences in the melody and his Van Halen inspiration in the tapped flourishes, but, in the end, this solo is all about Rhoads’s impeccable taste and immaculate phrasing, which few players since have matched.

“Stand Up and Shout”
# Dio, Holy Diver [Warner Bros., 1983]
# Vivian Campbell
The year 1983 should go down in history as the period when the new age of shred officially began, and Vivian Campbell deserves recognition for helping to kick-start this trend. No one knew who Campbell was when he joined Dio, but after they heard this blistering, thousand-notes-a-second solo they had to find out more.

“Thunder and Lightning”
# Thin Lizzy, Thunder and Lightning [Warner Bros., 1983]
# John Sykes
John Sykes is another shredder who completely turned the guitar world upside down with his stunning speed and tasteful technique. Like the song’s title, Sykes’ playing was loud and flashy yet mysteriously mesmerizing. Sykes later enjoyed even greater success and fame by helping craft Whitesnake’s breakthrough album, but from a guitar player’s perspective this remains one of his finest moments.

“Welcome to the Jungle”
# Guns N’ Roses, Appetite for Destruction [Geffen, 1987]
# Slash
By 1987, every guitarist was shredding like mad and studying exotic scales at GIT. Slash ripped across the grain with his boozy and bluesy playing on “Welcome to the Jungle,” which evoked Joe Perry’s raunchiest moments with Aerosmith. Sure, other players may have had more polished technique, but few of them could match Slash’s sweet emotion.

Five Overlooked Metal Solos You Should Know:

# “Sails of Charon” Scorpions (1978)
Uli Jon Roth’s epic Euro shred masterpiece.

# “Hammerhead” Pat Travers (1979)
The prototype for ’80s speed metal.

# “End of the World” Gary Moore (1982)
The two-minute intro is the NWOBHM answer to Van Halen’s “Eruption.”

# “Far Beyond the Sun” Yngwie Malmsteen (1984)
Still awe-inspiring — many have imitated Malmsteen, but he’s still unequaled.

# “Mr. Scary” Dokken (1987)
George Lynch’s off-kilter instrumental fireworks make ’80s hair metal seem okay after all.

Thanks for the info to Gibson.com.

Footnote:
Alright, I am convinced that I should make a list of my own like, All Time Great Guitar Intros, Solos (these will not be restricted to a single genre, that is).

Ace of Motörhead

noreply@blogger.com (maxdiamond) — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 07:19:00 +0000

Motörhead: great for dinner parties, battle of the bands entries, set filler, whatever. Always a classy choice, never goes out of style.

And if you’re true metal warriors like Sodom, “Ace of Spades” is an absolute must; the group’s cover has been the centerpiece/obvious crowd pleaser for a few years now. Turns out, Sodom does a pretty good Motörhead.

And they do an even better Motörhead when Abbath from Immortal joins in on vocals, as in the clip from this year’s Inferno Festival.
Check this out...

Via Decibel

Million Post-It notes make a stop motion commercial

noreply@blogger.com (maxdiamond) — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 15:49:00 +0000

1 million Post-it's,
96 314 digital photographs using
2.5 terabytes of storage,
4.9 kilometers of 35mm film,
3 weeks of editing, and
83 hours in Flame to produce this
60 second commercial.

via Techeblog

This is a commercial for MTN (Mobile Telecomunication Network)
one of the biggest networks in Africa, Middle-East, it has about +20m subscribers MTN Group.

Just Amazing. Check this out.

Packaging Design from the past

noreply@blogger.com (maxdiamond) — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 17:31:00 +0000

A great collection of packaging design (boxes, cans & labels, etc...) from our past is now on display at flickr.

via ComputerLove

Be Kind, Rewind

noreply@blogger.com (maxdiamond) — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 17:25:00 +0000

Check out the new Michel Gondry (dir: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) flick featuring Jack Black, Mos Def (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy), Danny Glover and Mia Farrow. Looks really awesome!

Cant wait to catch this one.

Michael Gondry is one of my favorite directors who did some really insanely amazing music videos for Chemical Brothers, Bjork, Kylie Minogue (Kylie... yuck!), White Stripes and all. His movie credits include Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Human Nature, The Science of Sleep and now this.

Pimp My Ride the Black Metal way

noreply@blogger.com (maxdiamond) — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 10:41:00 +0000

Emil and Jonas of Swedish black metallers Admonish might not be all that tr00, but thanks to Lil’ Jon and their new forest-troll-repelling-ride, at least they’re finally getting laid. Maybe.

via decibel

LOLMetal, anyone?

noreply@blogger.com (maxdiamond) — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 09:54:00 +0000

Ladies and germs, here comes lolmetal... Check it out for yourself wtf it is and you could be rolling on the floor laughing.

In fact, this is where it all started at the ruthless reviews site.

Disclaimer: I am a great fan of Immortal, Darkthrone and other NSBM bands, so the images below are just parody of the photographs which are supposed to be viewed in a lighter taste and they have nothing in particular to do with the music they create which of course is great. If you think Death or Black Metal is just noise with dudes painted in corpse paint and leather apparels, then remove your head from Fergie's ass and look around. (Dude, seriously, I didn't know I was good at writing disclaimers till I wrote this one!)

Here are some images from lolmetal stuff for a sampler or something like that.

Behemoth

Immortal
Cradle of Filth
Gorgoroth
and Gaahl from GorgorothCeltic Frost
Necrophobic
Slipknot (I don't care to know his name either)
Immortal, again...

Also be sure to check out some reader submissions at lolmetal

That said, I'd like to point out to the fact that Immortal's album Sons of Northern Darkness is one of the greatest black metal albums of all time. Could surely be added to any list of greatest albums of all time and stuff like that. No less. Thank you.

Adrenaline O.D and Darkthrone

noreply@blogger.com (maxdiamond) — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 07:42:00 +0000

There are lots of reasons to dig Darkthrone. For one, Fenriz is a pretty funny guy. For another, he loves Adrenalin O.D.

Watch until the end.

Adrenalin OD (or "AOD" in the three initialed craze of their heyday) formed in 1981. The fact that they are all still living, and able to figure out how to operate a computer is a testament to the folly of the straight edge movement. The group disbanded in 1990, but have reunited several times (most recently in August of 2005 to play a benefit for CBGBs).

courtesy: decibel