This Blog Goes to Eleven

Love Will Tear Us Apart (Joy Division)

2014-03-09T23:17:00.000-04:00

This one isn't my usual style- but I have to say I find the whole "Post-Punk" scene of the late 70s/Early 80s interesting- it bridges the gap between true Punk Rock and the more mainstream New Wave/Emo/Goth music that grew out of it. One could make the argument that Post-Punk was the "Grunge Rock" movement of the previous generation. It was a similar time when some of the older musical styles were playing out, and something unique happened in the transition between the older trend and the newer long-term trend.

Joy Division was one of the most iconic Post-Punk bands of the time. They started as "Warsaw" with a more punk oriented sound, and, after the tragic suicide of their lead singer, would later morph into the mainstream pop-oriented sounds under the name "New Order" "Love Will Tear Us Apart" was their most popular song. While it has some punk-ish moments, it features a strong bass hook (that's actually a lot of fun to play even if it is repetitive). Ian Curtis delivers a depressing set of lyrics about his rapidly dissolving marriage in a low register, that would later be things that would characterize some of the darker and more depressing of the New Wave bands. The similarities between Ian Curtis' story and Kurt Cobain's is clearly something to ponder.

Fluff (Bass Cover)

2014-02-24T20:23:00.000-05:00

I've always thought that the instrumental "Fluff" from Black Sabbath's 1973 album "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" would sound interesting as a bass solo. The track always fascinated me because it is such a different mood and style then what you'd expect from them, and because it carefully strings together a few very simple ideas into something that's greater than the sum of it's parts. With that in mind, check out this cover version, and see if you agree...

Planet Caravan (Black Sabbath Cover)

2013-08-31T10:12:00.001-04:00

I recently started trying to learn to play the Bass on my own after getting one as a christmas present... So, I decided to challenge myself a little and try producing a recording. I put this cover together in bits and pieces over the course of a few weeks, and gradually added, changed, and rerecorded vocals until I ended up with something I felt was presentable. It's my first multi-track recording project, first time recording any kind of vocals, and first time attempting to solo. The video is made up of snippets of video and photo from my own personal space, processed into something fitting the psychedelic mood of the track. Everything, except the vocals and drum loop are played on the bass. If your browser can't support the embeddedd video below, click here http://youtu.be/TEX8bTczM_8.

Queensryche (2013)

2013-07-05T12:08:00.001-04:00

Much has been said about this band's public split with long-time vocalist Geoff Tate, and subsequent hiring of Todd LaTorre. Much has also been said about the court proceedings that followed and the preliminary injunction that temporarily allows two versions of the band to exist. There are many sources on the Internet where you'll find more than you'll ever want to know about those topics. What I want to talk about is the new, self-titled album just released by the band with their new front man Todd LaTorre- is it another disappointment like the Dedicated to Chaos album, or is it the triumphant return of the Queensruche that brought us classic albums such as Operation: Mindcrime or Empire? Maybe it's actually something else entirely...

Queensryche, in their heyday, was considered one of the pioneers of Progressive Metal, and were often referred to as "the Thinking Man's Metal" for their unique combination of highly technical playing, thickly layered production, complex song ideas, and their tendency to lean toward the idea of a concept album. Queensryche was a big influence on many of the (at the time) up and coming Power Metal bands as well.

Power Metal is a predominantly European movement. These bands feature things like like dual harmonized guitars, high register vocals, and, most recognizably, the "heroic chorus." By that I mean that the chorus section of most songs is usually something very catchy and uplifting that has a "soaring" quality to it- the kind of thing that brings to mind that scene from The Lord of the Rings films where Gandalf the White leads an army of knights on horseback in a heroic charge down a steep hill, and they sweep aside the army of evil creatures just in time to save the day.... At least that's what I think of when I hear a good Power Metal chorus... I know, I sound like a total nerd, but you get the point of what I'm saying so don't judge!

So I digressed to a chat about Power Metal for a reason, I think you'll understand why later. Now, onto the track-by-track comments...

The album opens with an atmospheric instrumental called "X2" by drummer Scott Rockenfield. Scott shows off his skills as a film composer (his second job!) by creating an ominous soundscape that sets a tone of anticipation that leads right into the lead song- "Where Dreams Go To Die" - a mid-tempo number based on a demo submitted by guitarist Parker Lundgren. This song features. Variety of moods, a softer verse section featuring clean, chorus laden guitar sounds over a more jazzy drumbeat. The song switches gears into a more "metal" mode for the chorus, with a more grinding palm muted guitar sound, and open, melodic vocals. The lyrics speak about a fall from grace, and a defiant reaction to rise again from adversity, an idea that hits very close to the band's real-life struggles to break out of the rut they've been in for some time. My favorite lyric sums up the idea- "When we watch our idols fall, a revolution call" and pays tribute to the band's past by referring to the song "Revolution Calling." The track has a lot of the elements that made the band great 30 years ago, but somehow also feels fresh and new.

The next track "Spore" continues to take us through a variety of moods, but is darker in tone. The piece feels like a heavy, metallic waltz. Lyrically, the song explores that darker half of he theme set in the opening track with lines such as "crawling in your mind, damaging your sight, take me out of darkness and into the light" and evokes images of a prisoner of war longing to escape.

Next up is the "power ballad" of the album, "In This Light" written by Scott Rockenfield and bassist Eddie Jackson. This song is best heard at high volume on quality headphones. The production is a tremendous wall of sound featuring a sweeping orchestral backing part penned by Rockenfield. The song continues the running theme of bouncing back from adversity with lines such as "I've been searching for answers all my life, to rise above the jaded world that seemed to haunt me". This is a good song for people who seem to believe that singer Todd LaTorre is simply imitating Geoff Tate. Here, he sounds completely different than Tate, and clearly makes his own mark. This is a very radio friendly track as well, I would not be surprised to hear it get significant airplay.

Next up is "Redemption," the most uptempo track so far, and the first track the band released on the Internet as an album teaser. With an epic chorus that says "search and you'll find the answers, to be the change that you want to see" it clearly has taps into the Power Metal play book. Much has already been said about his track already so I won't beat the topic to death, it's a very solid song, that's clearly connected to Queensryche's classic catalog, but also feels like something new at the same time.

"Vindication" is next, another fast paced number featuring a driving rhythm section. Eddie's bass sound cuts through the mix with an edgy rattle that brings to mind the weighty, massive sound he had on the "Empire" record. The verses, stylistically have an almost classical Spanish flair to them, and the chorus section is about as "heroic" as it gets... Yes, horsemen, check, white wizard, check, army of evil swept aside, check. Just listen, you'll see what I mean. If this track doesn't get your blood pumping, you need help (or you need to listen to the second to last track...) The lyrics are the most obvious commentary on the band's struggles with their former lead singer- "sometimes a man's word is all that he's got and sometimes just only a name"- ouch, tough words, mostly written by drummer Scott Rockenfield.

Here the album switches gears and goes into another atmospheric, cinematic style instrumental, called "Midnight Lullaby" that is punctuated by snippets of Todd's vocals from other parts of the album, and the sound of a baby crying. The soundscape serves as relief from the fury of the previous track, and sets the cene for the next song...

..."A World Without" which is a brooding dirge. It is similar in composition to "In This Light" with sweeping orchestra, and a wall of sound, but much darker, slower and plodding. The song Los features a few backing vocal snippets from long time friend of the band, Pamela Moore, best known for playing the part of Sister Mary on the "Operation: Mindcrime" album. The meaning of the baby's cries in the previous track become apparent, the song is about a man grieving over a wife who died during childbirth. "My baby's staring back at me, and now a broken family, your name now etched in stone, no place to call my home"

"Don't Look Back" is another uptempo number written mostly by Guitarist Mike Wilton. It has a vibe, and drive similar another Wilton song, "The Needle Lies" from the Operation: Mindcrime album. Again this is a very personal song, containing what appears to be more commentary about the recent falling out with Geoff Tate- "don't look back, I won't be standing here... I'm lost but not afraid"- and also Helps carry forward the theme of overcoming adversity. It's a great track, and would be the standout, if it wasn't for the track that follows it...

"Fallout" is the real gem on this album. It is a very intense uptempo song written by Eddie Jackson, and Scott Rockenfield. The rhythm section completely dominates here- Eddie and Scott thunder relentlessly through the song, taking no prisoners, and generally performing like men possessed. Wilton and Lundgren support the charge with their dual guitar attacks and inspired solos. Everyone is playing at their peak on this track. The theme of rebirth, and revival runs through this song as well- "rising, rising from the ashes, a better life tomorrow finds, from a world beneath your blackest eyes".

"Fallout," is in my opinion, the strongest track on the album. It's certainly the most exciting and pulse pounding track of the bunch. If you know the animated film "Heavy Metal" from the 80s- this track would fit right in in place of either Sabbath's "Mob Rules" or Sammy Hagar's "Heavy Metal"- I know, suggesting to ever replace a Dio-era Sabbath song with anything is blasphemy, but the song has that kind of drive and focus. The only thing I can complain about is that the song is short, and I really want it to keep going for another 15-20 second to let the outro idea develop and raise the intensity one more notch. On the other hand, the short form certainly leaves you wanting more. This is an excellent choice for a first single.

The closing song is "Open Road" - an effort to end the album with a broad sweeping, epic track in the tradition of "Anybody Listening?" or "Eyes of a Stranger". "Open Road" takes the "wall of sound" appraoch again, with another Scott Rockenfield orchestral backing. It is certainly a good song, but I think it suffers from the inescapable comparison to "Anybody Listening?" which is probably the best example of an "epic" ending song anyone can think of. Despite this comparison, it still does a pretty good job of rounding out the album, and closing out the running theme- "moving on to another day, searching for a better way, seek and you will find the cure, a blessing in disguise, right before your eyes". It basically end the album on a question mark, with the "Open Road" ahead - reflecting the idea that the album as a whole is representative of the corner the band is turning in their career- a fresh start in a new direction.

I also have to remark on the Power Metal angle- while I am not suggesting that this is really a Power Metal album, it certainly features more elements from that sub-genre than any other Queensryche album. I think this is actually a smart move, even if it wasn't a conscious choice. It brings in a recognizably "new" element to the music that is still very compatible with the first four or five classic Queensryche albums. It should also be noted that the band is also planning on making a strong European tour- where Power Metal is msot popular, so I think that while the almbum is doing well so far in the US, they are positioning themselves to have a big success in Europe as well. All around, a smart move from both a creative, and a business perspective. I think that this album could very well be the resurgence that most Queensryche fans have hungered for for the past ten or fifteen years.

I could complain about how short the album is- at 35 minutes, it is very short by today's standards. However, I find myself agreeing with Mike WIlton's interview comments on the subject- the album really has no filler songs- every song is strong and makes a statement. While it leaves me wanting more at the end, I can easily hit the back button on my iPod and give it another spin. My relatively long ride to and from work means that I can listen to the whole thing twice on the way home if I hit a little traffic, which makes me not mind the traffic so much, as long as I can hit the gas when "Fallout" comes on at least!

Black Sabbath - 13 (2013)

2013-06-26T00:37:00.001-04:00

On 11/11/11, the four original members of Black Sabbath announced to the world that they were reuniting, and would be producing a new Album and tour together for the first time in decades. Now, after significant drummer drama, a battle with Cancer, and a relapse of drug abuse, the album is finally here as promised- or not quite as promised depending on your point of view. Whatever your opinion on the rocky road between the 11/11/11 announcement and the album's release, you have to admit that any new material from the aging progenitors of heavy metal while they are still healthy enough to produce and perform new music is welcome.

It is actually a minor miracle that the album "13" was created at all. Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Ozzy Osbourne, and Bill Ward were involved in a recent legal action over ownership of the Black Sabbath name, a situation that could easily have turned into a drawn out grudge-match of epic proportions. Instead of getting ugly, everyone kept things professional and quietly settled their differences in a remarkably mature and business-like fashion.

Shortly after announcing the reunion, Tony Iommi was diagnosed with cancer, a threat that could have easily ended any possibility of a reunion. Iommi, somehow hang tough and continued to write, record, and then tour between chemotherapy treatments- a near-miracle in itself. When the treatments began, so did the messy public contract dispute with drummer Bill Ward. Ward eventually left the project, only to be replaced by Brad Wilk from Rage Against the Machine. Brad, however, was not the band's first choice. They, so I've heard, wanted to record with Tommy Clufetos, who currently serves as their touring drummer, revealing possible disputes between he band, their management, and their producer.

Despite it all, 13 is here.

The overall sound of the album is very "doomy" - similar to the Heaven and Hell album. Iommi's playing has the same heaviness, and very angular, crunchy types of sounds. Ozzy has a processed sound similar to what you'd hear on his solo albums, but with the effects a little less dominant. He plays is smart and stays mostly in his lower register, which adds to the overall brooding gloom of the album. Brad Wilk's drumming is on the minimalist side- he generally sounds good, and hold the whole production together y maintaining the groove, but mostly stays out of he way to let the three veteran members take the spotlight.

As for Geezer Butler's bass sound... You would expect a strong bass presence on a doom-metal album, but Geezer is really off the charts. The bass parts generally dominate the sound, and are very strong in the mix, but extraordinarily clear. If you are a fan of the bass, this is a must have album. It has the best bass sound of any Sabbath album, possibly on any metal album to date, and Geezer is probably playing better than he ever has. At times it feels like Iommi's guitar is the rhythm section, and the bass is the lead instrument. On a good system you can hear every detail. The bass sound on the Heaven and Hell album is muddy by comparison. Geezer is he real star on 13.

If you take the gloomy vibe from the Heaven an Hell album, and add some of the bluesy groove from the early Sabbath records, and you'll have a good idea of what 13 sounds like.

The album is full of subtle, and not so subtle nods to the classic Sabbath catalog. The lead track, "The End of the Beginning", starts out with a plodding dirge clearly inspired by the title track from their very first album, then later breaks into a more groove-oriented riff clearly inspired by "Hole in the Sky." The track "Loner" has parts that seem vaguely similar to "Air Dance" from the Never Say Die album. "Zeitgeist" is a not-so-subtle tribute to "Planet Caravan" with a spacey, atmospheric groove, ending with a jazz inspired solo. "Damaged Soul" is very much a Blues track that comes off as a modernized take on the mood of the second half of their first album. Finally "Dear Father" ends with the same rainstorm and church bell loop that opened the first album.

The three bonus tracks are a little more upbeat and modern sounding than the rest, but are still very good tracks. "Methademic" in particular, could be the most interesting track on the album.

All said, 13 is worth listening to. Iommi's guitar is less dominant, and his solos are not quite as compelling as other efforts, but honestly, he still sounds grey, and clearly has not lost his knack for writing memorable riffs. Frankly, when you consider that he recorded this while battling a disease that normally stops people dead in their tracks permanently, his work on the album is astounding, and I think that Sabbath fans everywhere should consider themselves lucky that he can still throw down like the legend he is. There are overall stronger Sabbath albums, but 13 is a worthy and very welcome addition to their catalog.

Rest in Peace Jon Lord...

2012-07-16T15:57:00.000-04:00

Jon Lord, of Deep Purple fame, passed away today of a pulmonary embolism at age 71. He pioneered the keyboards as a "lead" instrument - often trading solos with guitar great Ritchie Blackmore.

New Rush Album...

2012-04-18T21:35:00.001-04:00

New Rush is coming on 6/12... do I really need to elaborate?

Hear a sample here (courtesy of Rolling Stone).

Tony Iommi diagnosed with Cancer.

2012-01-09T22:29:00.000-05:00

This week, the man known as the Godfather of Heavy Metal was diagnosed at the age of 63 with lymphoma. Luckily, the cancer was detected early enough that he has a fighting chance, but it will still be a difficult road to recovery.

The news comes while Tony and the original members of Black Sabbath are in the midst of recording their reunion album. Mr. Iommi is focused on determining the best treatment plan for his condition, while work on the upcoming album continues.

The entire Metal community is pulling for him, and I'm sure we all wish him a speedy recovery, and quick return to doing what he does best.

Best wishes from This Blog Goes to Eleven!

They're back! - Original Black Sabbath Lineup Reunites!

2011-11-11T19:48:00.001-05:00

November 11th, 2011 - the day that goes to eleven, will go down in metal history. The forefathers of the entire genre- all four original members of Black Sabbath- Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, Bill Ward, and Ozzy Osbourne, announced today that they will be recording an album together, expected to be release some time late next year. The reformed legendary band also announced that they expect to perform at the 2012 Download Festival. No other details were announced.

The announcement was made at a press conference in Los Angeles at the Whiskey A Go-Go club where the band performed their first LA gig 41 years ago. A full write up is available on the Black Sabbath web site.

Eleven Songs for 11/11/11

2011-11-10T06:03:00.001-05:00

VH1 classic has declared November 11, 2011 (11/11/11) to be National Metal Day. The date was chosen, of course, for the same reasons I chose the name of this blog- that famous scene from the move "This is Spinal Tap" involving a Marshall Amp Head that has dials that go to eleven so the band would always be able to go "one louder" whenever they wanted. It is only natural that I should take the time and put together an extra-heavy playlist to commemorate this "Day that goes to Eleven." What is my criteria? To be honest, I don't really have any criteria, it's just songs that I consider to be very heavy, worthy of mentioning on National Metal Day presented in no particular order.

1) Initium/Samhain - Samhain, 1984
After the breakup of horror-punk legends, the Misfits, and before forming the more straightforward metal band Danzig, Glenn Danzig formed the band Samhain, and specialized in a heavier, darker brand of horror-punk than the Misfits. Initium/Samhain is the opening track from their 1984 debut album. The Initium part is a creepy piece of spoken word that leads into the "Samhain" section- where Glenn Danzig poses the question "Do You Want A Sacrifice?" The song isn't really heavy metal, but it has a very heavy attitude, especially in the spoken words section, that gives it a spot on this list.

2) Black No. 1(Little Miss Scare-All) - Type O Negative, 1993
Type O Negative has become synonymous with Gothic Metal. Frontman Peter Steele's impossibly low and deep voice, combined with ponderous, sludgy riffs that combine doom metal styled riffs with depressing, sexually charged, and romantic (in a creepy way) subject matter- with an odd dose of humor thrown in for good measure. The band also had a penchant for writing epic-length songs that cycle through a wide variety of moods. Black No. 1 is probably one of the most iconic examples of their style. The song culminates in the refrain "Loving you is like loving the dead" - an attitude that earns it a nod here.

3) Follow the Tears - Heaven and Hell, 2009
Heaven and Hell was formed as a one-off reunion of the 1980-1981, Ronnie James Dio fronted lineup of Black Sabbath for a one off tour supporting the "Black Sabbath: The Dio Years" box set- but the project took on a life of it's own resulting in more tours and an album titled "The Devil You Know". The 2009 release was packed full of songs that can only be described as unrepentantly heavy. Of all the heavy, bone crunching, tracks on this record, Follow the Tears stands out as a leader (by a small margin!).

4) Ground Zero Brooklyn - Carnivore, 1987
Before there was a Type O Negative, Peter Steele was the frontman/bass player for the crossover thrash band Carnivore. While there were certainly "heavier" bands out there in the mid 80s, none had the sheer attitude and audacity of Carnivore. Ground Zero Brooklyn dates back to the days of the cold war, and very graphically talks about what would happen if the bombs started dropping. The climax of the song is a musical break, where Steele shouts out a plea to Jesus to return him to the womb because it would've been better if he were left unborn... The song captures the politically incorrect, bluntly brutal, pessimistic tone that was the band's hallmark, and in it, one can easily see the seeds that would later develop into the gloomy, gothic style of Type O Negative.

5) Black Sunshine - White Zombie, 1992
White Zombie burst on the scene in the early 90s, and Black Sunshine was one of the songs that helped catapult them to stardom- no small feat for a somewhat unusual metal band in the post-nirvana world- when the entire music industry suddenly decided that grunge was the be-all-end-all. I suppose their "alternative" leanings helped them gain traction when the industry suddenly lost interest in most metal. Black Sunshine is a fantasy about driving fast and reckless in a muscle car, and features a very memorable, driving bass line. This song is probably responsible for many speeding tickets and incidents of aggressive driving - if you hear it in the car, you'll feel compelled to drive fast and hard...

6) Walk - Pantera, 1992
Pantera pioneered a few new ideas in metal- they integrated the idea of infusing metal with interesting rhythmic grooves- without sacrificing heaviness. Driven by Dimebag Darrell's crunchy guitar riffing, Pantera survived during the height of the grunge movement- which was the death knell for a large part of the heavy metal genre. Pantera did it by being very good at what they do, and adding something original and different into their music.

7) 4th of July - Soundgarden, 1994
Soundgarden was one of the leading forces behind the Seattle grunge movement- but they always had a strong vein of heavy metal and doom metal influence. 4th of July, is a somber and depressing tune, but is about as heavy an example of doom/sludge metal as you can find. Detuned guitars, plodding patient riffs that crush the soul slowly, and lyrics that evoke frontman Chris Cornell's vision of the apocalypse characterize the song. Technically, it's not metal, but it's still about as heavy as it gets. I've spoken about this song in more depth here.

8) Song for the Dead - Queens of the Stone Age, 2002
The more modern alternative music typified by the Queens of the Stone Age can reach impressive levels of heavy as well. Featuring down-tuned guitars, and crunchy riffing, combined with the raspy vocals of Mark Lanegan (formely from the Screaming Trees), and you have something really heavy sounding, that clearly isn't metal, but is clearly inspired and informed by it.

9) Symptom of the Universe - Black Sabbath, 1975
Black Sabbath invented heavy- they were the band that started it all - heavy dark scary riffs, lyrics straight out of a horror movie- they did metal before it even had a name. Most metal guitarists are directly, or indirectly influenced by Tony Iommi's work with Sabbath in the 70s - he invented, or at least popularized many of the techniques and playing styles considered to be the vocabulary of heavy metal guitar. 1975's Symptom of the Universe is a great example of this- it's main riff became the pattern for many metal bands in the 80s. Just listen, you'll understand.

10) Sad But True - Metallica, 1993
Many people view Metallica's 1993 "Black Album" as a turning point- where they gave up their thrash metal supremacy in favor of more mainstream appeal. There is probably some truth behind that statement- gone were the lightning fast, ever shifting riff patterns of their previous albums, replaced with more easily digestible, stripped down riffs. But then there's "Sad but True" - slow, pounding, and sludgy, it sledgehammers along in a very un-radio-friendly way.

11) Synagoga Satanae - Celtic Frost, 2006
Celtic Frost was known as a pioneering force for early forms of black metal and death metal in the 80s. They continued to evolve and became a huge influence on the European metal scene, infusing their crushing heavy sound with ideas taken from the art of H.R. Giger, Early religious painting, and poetry into a genre bending form of art metal described as "Avant Garde" for lack of a better definition. Their career, however, rapidly dried up after an ill-advised attempt to reinvent themselves as a glam-metal band, and they eventually broke up. But not for good. In 2006, they reunited, and released the album Monotheist- which brought back the ultra-heavy, artistic extreme metal of their past with a vengeance. The album seethes with naked aggression and anger, and in an album packed with as much heavy music as any album could hope for, Synagoga Satanae stands out above the rest. The title is in hebrew, and literally translates to "A Gathering of Adversaries". Clearly, this song goes all the way to eleven.

Original Sabbath Lineup Rumors?

2011-11-04T23:55:00.000-04:00

Rumors have been circulating for some time that something is afoot in the Black Sabbath camp. A few months ago, a reporter claimed that Tony Iommi hinted that they original Sabbath lineup was planning a reunion. Iommi later denied saying anything of the sort in any interviews, but did not directly refute the rumor itself.

Now with the day that goes to eleven looming before us- November 11, 2011 - or 11/11/11 - you would have to wonder - if Iommi, Butler, Ward, and Osbourne are ever going to do something together again, THIS would be a great time for it- on a day when the whole metal community will be celebrating all things louder than mere "10".

More rumors that the original four members, the original architects of early heavy metal themselves, have been working together again have been popping up. The most interesting evidence is on the band's official website... see it for yourself here. Something interesting is obviously going on, and we will probably know what it is on the 11th.

VH1 Classic Albums - Nirvana Nevermind (1991)

2011-10-04T10:59:00.000-04:00

In 1991, a little unknown band from Seattle stormed on the music scene with an album that set the tone for industry. This album took an aggressive, punk attitude, tempered it a raw sound borrowed from heavy metal, and combined it all with catchy, pop-friendly hooks. This unlikely combination melded influences like Black Flag, with a sonic palette reminiscent of early Black Sabbath, and simple, but very effective rhythmic hooks and melodies that would fit right in on an early Beatles record. Somehow, the talents of Kurt Cobain, Krist Novoselic, and Dave Grohl, under the guidance of producer Butch Vig brought all these divergent ideas together into something new that captured the imagination and the zeitgeist of an entire generation.

That album was Nevermind.

Last night I happened to catch the "Nirvana - Classic Albums: Nevermind" documentary on VH1 Classics. The show was packed full of interesting tidbits and trivia about the making of the album, and provided an incredible insight into the making of this monster. Producer Butch Vig's segments were very insightful- he summed up the intent of the album perfectly when he spoke about how the guitar sounds were intentionally over-the-top heavy, because the songs were so deeply rooted in pop hooks that it needed that heavy sound as a balance so it would maintain a sense of credibility.

Butch made an even greater contribution when he replayed several of the tracks in the studio, and isolated individual tracks to point out various qualities and techniques used to put it all together. It highlights how the album demonstrates mastery of the simple. He shows how simple ideas- the right simple ideas, can be strung together and combined in simple ways- again, become greater than the sum of their parts. He even goes so far as to isolate a guitar track, and point out that you could hear how cheap the guitar was. At the same time, when all the components are put together, it sounds amazing.

Chickenfoot III - Big Foot

2011-09-22T23:48:00.000-04:00

It seems that the "Supergroup" concept is "in" these days. Luckily, there have been some really great Supergroups in the past few years (see Them Crooked Vultures for an example).

Start with veteran rocker Sammy Hagar, add in Michael Anthony on bass an backing vocals, and the funk-rock infused drumming of Chad Smith, and you have... well a band in need of a guitarist- maybe Joe Satriani will want in? Yes? Awesome... and so Chickenfoot was born- with a modernized take on the more classic straight-up heavy rock music these four guys made their names with through the late 70s, the 80s, and the 90s.

So after their successful first album, Chickenfoot returned to the studio for more, and created their second album, titled "III" - the single "Big Foot" shows that these four superstars are still at the top of their game, and are having a blast making the kind of hard hitting, honest, straight-up hard rock that's just fun to listen to.

Foo Fighters + Westboro Baptist Church = Large Scale Mocking

2011-09-18T13:33:00.001-04:00

Those crazies at the Westboro Baptist Church staged a protest at the Foo Fighters' show in Kansas City. Which, naturally means they were bound to end up getting mocked ruthlessly. I think that the video, originally posted on the Foo Fighters youtube channel and facebook feed, speaks for itself...

Hi, My name is Led Zeppelin II

2011-09-17T08:44:00.001-04:00

A lot of people like to debate what does, and does not qualify as "Metal." Well, I'll tell you what's Metal...

According to St. Louis Today, 64 year old Missouri man, George F. Blackburn, recently divorced and looking for a new start, legally changed his name to "Led Zeppelin II" - That's Metal.

The man formerly known as George F. Blackburn is, (obviously) a long time Led Zeppelin fan claims that the name change was a way to re-invent himself. This guy redefines the phrase "Getting the Led Out" - and we wish him a "Whole Lotta Love" as he embarks on his new life.

Revolution Calling - Queensrÿche (1988)

2011-09-09T19:14:00.000-04:00

"Who do you trust when everyone's a crook?" is the question Queensrÿche posed in 1988 with the track "Revolution Calling" from their 1988 prog-metal masterpiece "Operation: Mindcrime." The song is the first full song on the album, and serves to set the scene for the rest of the story- and it is a very bleak scene, that is almost prophetic when viewed from our vantage in the year 2011- 23 years after it was written. I'm sure everyone has been exposed to all the volatile political news over the past few years, and, no matter which side you support, or even if you refuse to support any side- we can all agree that something is terribly wrong (although we could debate forever what actually is wrong and how to fix it!)

"Revolution Calling" describes a world mired in corruption, and political upheaval. The government is portrayed as corrupt and ineffective at best, and outright hostile to the public at worst. This idea, though penned 23 years ago, should have a familiar ring to it. The song goes one step further, and implies that things are bad enough that some people feel that an open revolt is long overdue- the story unfolds as various characters take advantage of, and/or allow themselves to be manipulated by this sentiment. Rather than talk about it, watch the video, and read the lyrics (below the jump), and see how much it reminds you of current events.

Foo Fighters win "Best Rock Video" at the VMAs

2011-08-29T15:22:00.000-04:00

"Never lose faith in real rock and roll music, you know what I mean, never lose faith in that. You might have to look a little harder, but it's always gonna be there." -Dave Grohl, 2011 VMA Awards.

Foo Fighters' video for "Walk" won top honors for "Best Rock Video" at MTV's 2011 Video Music Awards. "Shake me Down" by Cage the Elephant, "Pumped up Kicks" by Foster the People, "The Cave" by Mumford and Sons, and "Howlin' for You" by the Black Keys were the other nominees in the category.

The quote from Dave Grohl's acceptance speech is a glimmer of hope in the otherwise bleak landscape of modern popular music. The Video Music Awards, being part of the MTV empire, represent what MTV is telling the masses they should be listening to, what they should consider to be cool if they want to be the good little consumers MTV wants them to be. In a way, it's a victory that these self-made arbiters of cool are even willing to consider the Foo Fighters. On the other hand- what does that mean when a band that prides itself on musical integrity is recognized by an organization many consider to be an enemy of musical integrity. Look around at the other nominees- even in the Best Hard Rock Video category- most are polite alt-rock at best. The other categories are clearly dominated by rap/hip-hop and nauseatingly derivative pop garbage.

Dave's statement is meant for the rest of us- a call of sorts- have faith that despite the overabundance of junk-pop out there, real rock music is still alive. As much as the parade of clowns dancing around to sampled music pisses me off, he's right- as long as we continue to believe in rock music, people like Dave will go out and make it for us. Thanks Dave!

Get More: 2011 VMA, Music

Irene may do to the Eastern US what The Scorpions did to the 80s!

2011-08-25T19:02:00.000-04:00

American Soldier vs Food.... (Queensrÿche)

2011-08-22T21:16:00.000-04:00

So I was channel surfing when I stumbled onto a repeat of the Travel Channel's "Man Vs. Food Nation" where host Adam Richman helps coach challengers through outrageously large, outrageously spicy, or sometime both, eating challenges. I've watched the show but not on a regular basis- usually just catching whatever reruns are on, so I stopped to watch since it was an episode I hadn't seen yet.

It got really interesting when I noticed that the guy attempting to pack away a massive 6-pound muffaletta sandwich was proudly wearing a Queensrÿche T-shirt from their "American Soldier" tour. Something seemed familiar, but I couldn't place it until I googled the episode guide- this was none other than A.J. Fratto, former crew chief for the Blue Angels Navy Flight Demonstration Squandron, lead singer of the metal band Below the Stitch in Pensacola, Florida. Back in 2007, AJ was approached by Queensrÿche's Geoff Tate to lend his voice to the "American Soldier" album. On the following tour, AJ went along to play the part of *The* American Soldier, opening the set, and taking the stage with the band.As a result, AJ retired from his 15 year military career to pursue his lifelong dream of singing professionally, and hasn't looked back since.

(Warning! Spoilers after the break!)

A.J.'s Man Vs. Food mission was to pack away a whopping 6 pound Muffaletta sandwich, along with a side of red beans and rice and some Andouille sausage in less than an hour at the Calypso Beach Cafe in Panama City Beach, Florida. This challenge stood undefeated when A.J. sat down to take a crack at it.

Ultimately, food won- after a strong start, time ran out with about half the sandwich left. Despite that, A.J.'s attempt still made the record books- as the closest anyone has ever come to finishing the meal.

AJ performing "Sliver" with Queensrÿche:

AJ performing "Never Walk Alone" with his own band, Below the Stitch:

Happy Birthday to the Late Great Joe Strummer

2011-08-21T13:50:00.000-04:00

Today marks the birthday of Punk Rock icon Joe Strummer from The Clash. Joe passed away in 2002, but his legacy lives on. His work with The Clash remains, to this day, a huge influence on the punk scene, and the whole cascade of newer genres that grew out of the Punk Rock movement since.

Shortly after his death, Strummer's family and friends formed a charity foundation, Stummerville, dedicated to supporting young, up and coming musicians- a fitting legacy for someone who started as a street musician who had nothing, that somehow managed to leave an indelible mark on the music scene.

Josh Homme on the Travel Channel this week- August 8th.

2011-08-07T12:46:00.000-04:00

As I promised in an earlier post - "Queens of the Stone Age" and "Them Crooked Vultures" frontman Josh Homme recently filmed a guest appearance for the Travel Channel's hit show "Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations." The show, which typically features out-of-the ordinary travel destinations, and the food associated with them, will feature a great deal of original music written by Homme specifically for the episode.

The episode will focus on Josh's home territory- the deserts of Southern California. Josh will travel the area with host/chef/author Anthony Bourdain, and show him around the area, and have a few adventures along the way. Bourdain's blog hints that the show will be more adventurous than usual, with a near barroom brawl, scenes lampooning/honoring films such as "Animal House" and plenty of quirky, sarcastic humor- a must see for Bourdain fans, and a chance to get a rare peek inside Josh Homme's personal life and music.

Guitar Hero Lives Again?

2011-07-29T20:39:00.000-04:00

In a recent interview with Forbes Magazine, Activision chief Bobby Kotick dropped a not-so-subtle hint that a reboot is in the works for the defunct Guitar Hero franchise.

After a triumphant run as the most popular video game franchise in history, Guitar Hero sales dried up after saturating the market with what many people considered to be too many games in one year, and Activision killed the entire product line. The Forbes article indicates that there may be hopes for all of us that think it's fun to play the high-tech equivalent of air guitar.

In Bobby Kotick's own words- "And so it was the double whammy of DJ Hero was unsuccessful, and then Guitar Hero became unsuccessful because it didn’t have any nourishment and care. So we made what I think was exactly the right decision last year. We said you know what, we need to regain our audience interest, and we really need to deliver inspired innovation. So we’re going to take the products out of the market, and we’re not going to tell anybody what we’re doing for awhile, but we’re going to stop selling Guitar Hero altogether. And then we’re going to go back to the studios and we’re going to use new studios and reinvent Guitar Hero. And so that’s what we’re doing with it now."

5 Songs for Casey Anthony

2011-07-08T19:37:00.002-04:00

Everyone in the U.S. has heard about the Casey Anthony trial. Most people are very unhappy with the verdict. Whatever you believe really happened, you have to admit that the drama and outright lies surround the case are astounding. It is far weirder than an episode of CSI.

What disturbs you the most about it? Is it the fact that a young child was killed? Is it the fact that the mother was out partying like she was auditioning to be on "Jersey Shore" while her daughter lay dead? Was it the web of lies and fabrications about a non-existent nanny, and a fictional job at Universal Studios? Was it the wild abuse accusations aimed at the grandparents? Or was it the fact that there are more than a few songs out there that seem like they should be Casey Anthony's personal theme music?

1) Metallica - ...And Justice For All

The general buzz on the internet is that the "Not Guilty" verdict is just too hard to swallow- maybe the justice system really is as corrupt and hopeless as Metallica claimed it is when they wrote /Justice is lost/Justice is raped/Justice is gone/ back in 1988.

2) Agnostic Front - Blind Justice

Hardcore Punk bands were always great at expressing raw, undiluted anger. This song from Agnostic Front's 1984 album "Victim in Pain" aims that anger at the idea of institutionalized injustice with the refrain /There's no justice/It's just us/Blind justice/Screwed all of us!/

3) Papa Roach - Getting Away With Murder

The title of Papa Roach's 2004 single makes it's point in no uncertain terms. The video contains references to Casey Anthony's home state of Florida- although the video is referring to the controversial voter registration purges there that plagued the 2000 and 2004 presidential elections.

4) Black Sabbath - The Hand That Rocks the Cradle

Black Sabbath operated under the radar through most of the later 80s and 90s when their popularity, and that of metal in general, was in decline. In 1994 they recorded their album "Cross Purposes" with singer Tony Martin as frontman - a somewhat underrated album that produced several very good songs- such as this one. "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle" talks about the horrifying idea of a mother murdering her own child- and about the idea that this is a crime where no punishment could be terrible enough- /No grave could be deep enough/Down to hell if we were able/The veil of life was pushed aside/By the hand that rocks the cradle/

5) Rollins Band - Liar

Henry Rollins became well known as the lead singer of Black Flag- one of the pioneering bands of the Hardcore Punk movement. His solo career took the fury and anger of his Black Flag days to a new level with this single from his 1994 album "Weight." Henry does not mince words- he makes it very clear that he has little respect for people who cannot be truthful...

New EP from Even the Slept

2011-07-06T14:25:00.001-04:00

Local Philadephia Prog Rock band Even the Slept released their new EP "Sinks the Ocean" in digital format this week. The band has a classic Prog Rock sound with a few new twists, and are more than worth the effort to check out their music.

Even The Slept's new EP combines the complexity and virtuosity of classic progressive rock with a jazz/blues rhythmic sensibility that sets them apart. The song "One Against Too Many" is a perfect example - combining guitar sounds that brings to mind Steve Howe's sound on Yes's classic "Relayer" with a jazz/funk inspired beat topped off with bluesy vocals.

Find out more about the band, and their upcoming appearances, on their facebook page. If your travels take your through the Philadelphia area, do yourself a favor and check them out. They will be celebrating their album release this Friday- find out the details here.

4th of July - Soundgarden (1994)

2011-07-02T09:32:00.000-04:00

Grunge is a very hard to define sub-genre- simply because it encompassed a wide range of styles. Nirvana had a clear punk/hardcore influence, Pearl Jam a strong classic rock influence- almost complete opposites. Soundgarden, one of the other major names in the Grunge scene, had a sound that was strongly influenced by heavy metal - particularly the doom/sludge sub-genres and a healthy dose of psychedelic rock. So, just considering three of the biggest Grunge bands, we have three wildly varying styles of music under one banner.

The key to Grunge, I think, is found in the attitude and the lyrical content rather than in the sound and style of the music itself. Grunge, I think, distinguishes itself by having the point of view of disillusioned youth. Topics such as depression, broken families, frustration with authority, and youthful angst are the hallmark and the unifying factor. Soundgarden clearly demonstrates this idea with the song "4th of July" from their 1994 album "Superunknown."
The song is supposedly a description of an LSD trip, keeping in theme with Soundgarden's preference for sullen, depressing subject matter. The lyrics can also be interpreted as a depiction of the end of the world- or even both at the same time. The lyrics mention references to lights in the sky in indefinite terms- implying that the person seeing them is confused about what he is seeing- these lights could be a drug induced hallucination or explosions in the sky. My feeling is that the lyrics are intentionally obscure- and are meant to describe a vision of the world ending- either as a prophecy of sorts, or a cautionary tale.

Perhaps the message here is a statement about the self destructive nature of drug use by likening an LSD trip to the end of the world. Maybe singer/songwriter Chris Cornell was just presenting images that reflected whatever bad mood he was in when he wrote the song. Either way, the song is open to interpretation. /'Cause I heard it in the wind/And I saw it in the sky/And I thought it was the end/And I thought it was the 4th of July/.

In my article on Peal Jam's first album, I remarked how wide a variety of musical styles were covered by the label "grunge" in the early to mid 90s. You had Nirvana who were closer to punk rock, Pearl Jam, who were much closer to classic hard rock, and Soundgarden- who are more of a heavy metal band. 4th of July, in particular could easily be labeled as a doom or sludge metal song.

The song's style and sound are very reminiscent of early Black Sabbath. The guitars are tuned down a whole step to C tuning to achieve the very heavy, dark sound clearly heard throughout the song. The main riff is fairly simple and is played at a slow, plodding pace that gives the song the feeling and mood of a funeral march. This very closely matches the style adopted, and to some extent, invented by Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi twenty five years earlier. Iommi typically tuned his guitar down to various D, C#, and Eb tunings- initially to reduce tension on the strings to compensate for an injury to his fret hand, but later just because the sound was dark and gritty. Early Black Sabbath songs typically dealt with similar topics- drug use, end of the world, mortality, depression, etc... and many songs adopted a similar slow, plodding tempo. A good example of this is the beginning of Black Sabbath's song "Under the Sun" from the "Volume 4" album in 1972.

So what does a band that is stylistically close to early heavy metal have in common with Nirvana and Pearl Jam? Part of the answer is a matter of circumstance- Soundgarden, like the other major grunge bands, were born in the Seattle underground scene in the late 80s, so have similar roots. More importantly- the depression and disillusionment themes in their songs have a much more prominent role than they did for early Sabbath- who, while containing similar ideas, focused more on scary, ominous themes. 4th of July probably better represents what differentiates Soundgarden from the other grunge bands than what makes them similar, but it is there. The tone is depressing, born of the attitude of the disaffected youth of the 90s. The focus in the song is on the feelings of non-importance- the end is coming and the song speaks of it in almost a detached manner- resigned to fate you have no power to stop. This is at the heart of grunge- that feeling of powerlessness experienced by many young people as they come of age that often manifests itself as indifference- why care if you can't change anything? This attitude is clearly stated in what many consider to be the national anthem of the grunge movement- Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" with the line /Oh well/Whatever/Nevermind/.

Soundgarden's 4th of July shows this sentiment with a few lines from the second verse- /And everywhere no one cares/The fire is spreading/And no one wants to speak about it/ - indifference, desperate situations out of anyone's control, with resignation and avoidance. That is the attitude that defines what grunge is (or was).