Who the hell else would have thought to cover some of these songs? ADRENALINE MOB would. This is their third release, if you count the 2011 self titled EP and the 2012 debut album Omerta. The cleverly named Coverta is fun, high-energy collection of non typical cover songs. For me there seems to be more passion on here in their performances than what was on their debut album.
They start this off with the only track I wasn’t familiar with, “High Wire” by BADLANDS. As a new song to my ears, it was pleasantly timeless sounding. Kicking it off with deep grooves and bass lines with some extraordinary fret work, it is the prefect way to open this album up. Singer RUSSELL ALLEN (SYMPHONY X ) is such a strong and versatile singer, you almost forget he is not that songs original singer on some of these tracks. He is the high point of this album. Holy cow, does he do justice to DIO’s “Stand Up and Shout”. It is scary how close he is to RONNIE JAMES DIO’s voice. Maybe that’s why three out of the eight tracks on here are from three of his former bands. If he doesn’t end up filling in for DIO DISCIPLES at some point in the future, something is wrong with the world. There’s one track on here that just caught me off guard, they didn’t go radically different but a few twist definitely made “Break on Through” by THE DOORS is my second favorite track on here. The addition of a little double bass drums just makes this song move and come alive. Also, a few killer fills never hurt anything either. Bassist JOHN MOYER‘s (DISTURBED) bass sounds nice and fat here. Allen’s ability to capture DAVID LEE ROTH‘s cadence is uncanny on “Romeo Delight” by VAN HALEN. Drummer MIKE PORTNOY and Moyer really shine on this bad boy.
I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone cover HEART before and I’m glad their version of “Barracuda” popped my HEART cover cherry. MIKE ORLANDO (SONIC STOMP) is so good on here I really can’t find the words to say how much I love his playing. I have listened to this track more than any other here. Seriously, after hearing “Kill the King” by RAINBOW, I would love to see or hear Russell do a DIO cover show one day. I am extremely happy with their LED ZEPPELIN choice, if I had to hear another version of “The Immigrant Song” or “Whole Lotta Love”, I would punch someone in the face. Thankfully I am surprised here with ‘The Lemon Song’. It is slowest and the longest song on here and it feels it. ORLANDO simply kills on the solos here and MIKE PORTNOY is very faithful to the original. I don’t think anyone is really allowed to change JOHN BONHAM parts, its an unspoken rule. The last track is a no-brainer for them, it is their anthem. They just smoke BLACK SABBATH’s “The Mob Rules”. It really feels like its their song.
With great song choices and superb production this could quickly move up into one of the best cover albums out there. If you’re not smiling by the end of this disc, something is wrong with you.
ADRENALINE MOB gets reinvigorated by some cover songs!
Randy Rhoads put down a legacy that is eternal in the history of metal.
RANDY RHOADS whose knack for melodic song writing and stunning neo-classical lead guitar style revolutionized metal in 1980s, died tragically thirty years ago today. Rhoads (December 6, 1956 – March 19, 1982) died in a plane crash while on tour with OZZY OSBOURNE, but he has left an indelible mark on generations of musicians to follow.
Rhoads who had been an early member of QUIET RIOT shot to fame when he auditioned for the guitar spot in OZZY OSBOURNE’s band THE BILZZARD OF OZZ. The combination of the soft spoken, but immensely talented Rhoads and Ozzy who felt he had to prove himself to the world after his dismissal from BLACK SABBATH was potent and changed the face of music. Rhoads is always remembered as a terrific lead guitarist and was often compared to the best players of his day like EDDIE VAN HALEN. However, equally important as Randy’s impact as a soloist was his legacy as a songwriter, his use of classical modes and his widespread use of major scales in rock and metal that had predominantly been full of brooding minor keys and old-style pentatonic blues riffs up until that point. He also helped innovate an popularize several styles and looks of guitars with his polka-dot Jackson Flying V’s. Although he is best remembered for songs like OZZY hits “Crazy Train”, “Mr. Crowley” “Suicide Solution”, “Over The Mountain” and “Flying High Again” most of his output, however brief is excellent and worthy of repeat listens.
Popular guitar players who have been influenced by Rhoads such as the late DIMEBAG DARRELL, ZAKK WYLDE, Phil Demmel of MACHINE HEAD and a host of metal lead players from the 80s and 90s used to and still do sing his praises. Although his music is among some of the most popular in the genre, you can still hear examples of his reach in many modern bands like ARCH ENEMY, REVOCATION, ANIMALS AS LEADERS, MASTODON, OPETH, BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME, JOB FOR A COWBOY, THE AGONIST, CHILDREN OF BODOM, WARBRINGER, ICEDEARTH, DECAPITATED, ALL SHALL PERISH and THE FACELESS among many, many others.
“What always appealed to me about rock music is the feeling of freedom, that I could finally be who I wanted to be and sing the music that I felt in my heart. Some black people that I met in the music industry felt that we could be stronger and better empowered if we all stayed within in the same box, but I had always relished the fact that I never belonged to any cliques, or any scenes…” ~SKIN, SKUNK ANANSIE (who wrote the forward of What Are You Doing Here?)
Racism. It has been like the eight-hundred pound gorilla in the room at many shows I have been to in my life. Sometimes it is really subtle and hidden in layers of behaviors of strangers, and other times it hits you in the face like a hammer. I have seen both fans, and even some performers deeply affected by overwhelming ignorance at a venue. I have seen the little looks and gestures fucktards have made about someone on stage, as well as other things; like security guards and how they handle situations differently with people. They all add up. Since music is a reflection of all of life: the good and all of the ugliness of it all, no one is really immune to it. I think a lot of people don’t even consider it real unless it affects them personally. Thankfully for the music world, and maybe the world in general for LAINA DAWES, her personal journey and an honest attempt to pry open the society’s once blind eye in her new book.
In the introduction to What Are You Doing Here?: A Black Woman’s Life And Liberation in Heavy Metal, Dawes opens her psyche and the music worlds’ a crack and lets us know where her journey began and what her original idea was for the book. Along the way apparently, it became a bit more of a memoir, but the personal stories form her and her many subjects she interview cement the issues in a way, that might not resonate for everyone (I.E. the people who most need to read this book). She takes us not just on a journey through music history, but sociology, psychology, and all of the rules, hurt and mores put upon us by segmenting subcultures and everyday people. It is also a story of her own journey of self-discovery, pain and eventual liberation through metal.
Dawes grew up in rural Ontario, Canada to her adoptive white parents. Although she was attracted to all kinds of music growing up, she identified closely with the sounds and the themes of early rock and metal. Sounds of BLACK SABBATH, DEEP PURPLE and KISS gave to JUDAS PRIEST, SLAYER and ever more extreme styles of music. Music was often Dawes only escape from a childhood filled with strife from her predominantly white school mates who shunned her. Perhaps even worse derision came from her black friends, who didn’t always understand why she loved that “white devil music”. Especially when they of all people needed to feel like it should be their music too.
SKIN of SKUNK ANANSIE wrote the forward, gave a first hand account about being treated as an outsider.
What Dawes learned as she got older that her tastes broadened, but the mindset of the people she encountered became even more narrow. She had to overcome the double whammy of sexism in the scene too. One that any woman has to had to face, (which this blog has covered a lot lately), which only complicated matters for her male counterparts. Not only that, sometimes the incidents she was involved in turned ugly and downright violent too. Lucky for her, as she went on her mission to uncover and understand these issues better, she found out she was less alone then she feared she was. So after years of making her name in music journalism as a writer, respected author, blogger and concert photographer, she set out to research this book. Before writing a word; she found an army of artists who knew exactly what she was talking about. In addition to SKIN, who talked in the forward about her own record company making no effort to understand how to market her band, to a who’s who of artists old and new such as JOYCE KENNEDY from MOTHER’S FINEST, SANDRA ST. VICTOR of the THE FAMILY STAND, NONA HENDRIX, YVONNE DUCKWORTH of JINGO DE LUNCH, solo artist and band leader TAMAR-KALI, ALEXIS BROWN of STRAIGHT LINE STITCH, DALLAS COYLE (ex-GOD FORBID), ASHLEY GREENWOOD of RISE FROM ASHES, URITH MYREE of DORMITORY EFFECT, DIAMOND ROWE of TETRACH, SAIDAH BABA TALIBAH of BLAXAM and MILLITIA VOX from SWEAR ON YOUR LIFE among many others. She also interviewed countless writers, and not just metal writers, but experts on cultural race theory (Dawes herself is also an expert in the field) and tons of metal heads and former scene people (from when “scene” wasn’t a dirty word). The level of the writing in the book is phenomenal and really gives you deep understanding of what an endemic problem this is in every walk of the life, not just in music. All of this shameful sadness surrounding this music that is supposed to be all about freedom of expression.
The freedom that is eventually found by Dawes and also her peers, hasn’t come without a heavy cost. Not just what she or others like her have been through, but also when others perpetuate stereotypes that hold everyone back. When she calls out some of the biggest names in the genre for their past indiscretions and doesn’t let them off the hook, she is sending out a rallying cry all over. She begs the question that a lot of metal fans seem to sweep under the rug; which is how can you support a band or a person who is blatantly racist? I have heard metal heads dismiss the issue with the words “he said sorry later” or, “that was in the 1990s”, “I just like the music” and not think it affects people if they can see it themselves. Pitiful.
This book needs to be mandatory reading for every new metal head, not just black women. Perhaps you can reach the most ignorant and hateful, but the audience that most needs to read this book in my opinion is white, male, metal fans. All of them. This book may have been written by Dawes to help her piece together her own plight, but I believe she wrote a book that can open up all manner of healthy dialogue. I leave you readers with a quote from one of my favorite writers on how to over come these issues:
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” ~Maya Angelou
Ms. Dawes has been through a lot, stands tall irregardless, and still loves and covers metal.
It’s debate time again at Metal Army. We figured you were all burned out by the election and enough time has passed by now, so we could bring you all a worthwhile topic: Women in metal. We are always interested in analyzing social paradigms (I know, a heady concept for metal heads). I’ve always felt there was a wide contrast between how many powerful and talented women there are in the metal community and how they are treated and portrayed by that same community. Since I am not a woman, I consulted three of Metal Army’s best writers (of any gender) in Melissa Campbell, Rachel Hacker and Lynn Jordan. They each have a unique perspective to share on the subject. We have also included some concert photos of our favorite women in metal, doing what they do, so read on…..
KRYSTA CAMERON, EX-IWRESTLEDABEARONCE
Melissa Campbell: Overcoming obstacles to love metal
Ever since I became a fan of metal, I knew that I some were going to look down on me for being a girl. There have been plenty of moments where I’ve been laughed at by male metal listeners or told by them that I can’t listen to “their” music. Thankfully I’ve found plenty of guys who don’t care what gender I am. Those more negative experiences with metal guys have not caused me to harbor any bad feelings towards guys either. I idolize men like RONNIE JAMES DIO as much as women like AMY LEE.
LYRIS HUNG of HUNG
MLNY PARSONZ of ROYAL THUNDER
Another problem I encountered in the past was not being allowed to go to metal shows. My father forbade it because he believed all those terrible stereotypes related to shows where males were in high attendance compared to females (i.e. rapes, getting hurt in pits, being kidnapped). Even though I promised to have my sister with me at all times, he was quite uncomfortable granting me permission. In his eyes, we as women were not capable of handling ourselves alongside “those types” of men.
KIMBERLY FREEMAN of ONE EYED DOLL
However, in 2010, my mother bought me and my sister tickets to go to Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival. My father was not too happy about it and claimed he was unaware we had been planning to attend. He started to trust us more when we returned alive and we are now able to go to shows with relatively low complaints from him.
JILL JANUS of HUNTRESS
All that being said, gender discrimination in the genre has gone down in recent years thanks to the rise of female fronted (or completely female) bands. A few decades ago women were mainly viewed as sexual objects in the metal community. To those whose main goal was to just be a groupie and have fun that was alright. Other females who wanted to be taken seriously as musicians often had trouble with it (i.e. LITA FORD). The best contribution I can make (since I don’t want to be a musician) is to continue going to/writing about gigs and representing the female community.
Rachel Hacker: The Made-up Stigma
I read Jezebel every damn day of my life. Maybe if i stopped reading it, I’d get a boyfriend.
Nah.
So. Women. Consistently considered the lesser sex throughout history. Always being chastised for what we can’t do compared to men. Men are the “invisible demographic,” making them the standard for comparison on woman. However, comparing both of them side by side on every issue is absurd. This is essentially the classic apples-to-oranges argument, but this time we’re comparing penises and vaginas.
FARIDA LEMOUCHI of THE DEVIL’S BLOOD
In the ever commercialized musical world of “Call Me Maybe”, there is an equally commercialized world of hard rock and heavy metal. Through seeing the 1996 stock photo of MARILYN MANSON in the local newspaper, or that GUNS N’ ROSES poster your dad secretly displays in the Man Cave, almost everyone has an image of what metal is “about.” The standard for what men wear and do as a rock artist was set in the 60s, while many women were still taking care of families to develop a true voice in metal and hard rock.
RAE AMITAY of MARES OF THRACE/THRAWSUNBLAT/WOODS OF YPRES
SUSAN WENDELKEN of DORMITORY EFFECT
It’s only been in the past few decades that women aren’t put down on account of not having a family by age 30. Women don’t feel pressured to rush through getting married anymore, and we have some pretty damn good years of vitality in our 20s or older. The hoards of young women, with non-sagging breasts and sharp minds, are ready to do something different than clean diapers. Why not make play some metal and look hot doing it?
CARLA HARVEY and HEIDI SHEPHERD of BUTCHER BABIES
Some women and men find the “hot chicks in metal” to be degrading and embarrassing. Who’s embarrassed? Not me. The sex industry is huge, which means there are obviously people buying the porn that women and men make. Separating our sex and our music isn’t going to change much, considering most of the world is desensitized, anyways. Individuals who believe women should “cover up” are also playing the “chivalry card.” This ideal is essentially is built upon that women are “delicate flowers who can’t do anything on their own.”
Bullshit.
Women in metal are still being treated as if they can’t make their own decisions. “Oh, you’re topless, you must not be intelligent enough to know what you’re doing, let me help you.” It was only 100 years ago that masturbation was a mental illness, or that women still had sex while partially or fully clothed. So why are we still trying to cover up women- figuratively and literally?
SOM PLUIJMERS, ex-CEREBRAL BORE
If you’ve got a good rack and wanna show it, go for it. And while some tiny corner of the internet blogs about your lack of modesty, you’re too busy driving to the bank to care. Unfortunately, most of the bands with the “hot chicks in metal” don’t have music I actually like, but there will never be a moment where I feel like telling another women to cover up. The fashion standard for women in hard rock and metal should be the woman’s choice, not someone else’s choice. Therefore, if men are “apples” and women are “oranges,” the way they handle metal shouldn’t even be compared beyond the thought that “it exists.” The last thing we need is someone else like Mitt Romney.
TRACY MYZERI GONZALEZ of EYES LIKE CYANIDE
AMANDA DANIELS of ENABLER
Lynn Jordan: Women in the Metal Scene
PAUL STANLEY of KISS was once asked his opinion about a female hard rock performer. His response? “You need balls to rock ‘n’ roll”. MARC STORACE of KROKUS was doing record reviews for a magazine, and when one for a female performer came up he said,”…she should be doing better things. Like giving me head.”
I read both of these quotes many years ago. As you can see, I haven’t forgotten them; they remain etched in my brain.
ARCH ENEMY, led by ANGELA GOSSOW
I have to admit that when I first started playing bass, my inspirations were mostly male. There were women I loved that were famous with the heavier music that I admired that were writing their own songs, putting out great records and putting on incredible shows. As talented and gutsy as these women were, many male music fans still had a hard time giving them props. How dare these women get onstage and think they have what it takes?
How dare they?
But despite that, to this day no female Metal artist or all-female band has garnered the gushing recognition or respect that their male contemporaries receive as a matter of course. Why not?
STEVIE FLOYD of DARK CASTLE/TAURUS
I believe that for men to acknowledge and respect the female presence as Metal musicians is to give power to women that they don’t want them to have. Heavy Metal is a testosterone-fueled monster with images of blood, war, cars, devil worship, drinking, fucking, death, etc. None of these things are considered feminine. Men do these things. Women were intended to hang in the sidelines to worship, clean up, pay the bill, swallow, look pretty and smile while providing various services (comfort, food, shelter or sex-related) to these battle-scarred warriors of musical carnage. Many men don’t like women to be sweat-streaked, angry and storming a stage. Many men don’t like it when women speak their mind. Others don’t like a cursing, spit-fire bitch not taking their shit. Some men get defensive when a woman does something they think is exclusively theirs. And they certainly don’t like it when a woman can do something as well as they do, and does not need their approval to proceed as they please. So the very genre that prides itself on speaking its mind, empowering its listeners and letting its aggression out really doesn’t want their women to be a part of its voice.
SIGRID SHEIE of HAMMERS OF MISFORTUNE
There is also that double-standard of image vs. talent. If a female musician is beautiful, even if she is gifted, she had to have used her looks to get ahead. If she isn’t that attractive, but is talented, she is dismissed because some dude doesn’t want to “pee in her butt”. It’s a bitter pill and a tough choice for female musicians to make. Do you tone down the sex for respect and get shorted in attention and sales, or do you ramp up the sex, get the attention, alienate some female fans and get less respect from the male ones? It’s a tough call. Male musicians do not have this dilemma. They either are good or they aren’t.
OTEP SHAMAYA of OTEP
As 2012 comes to a close, I do not see this changing much. Metal has popular bands with women in them, We have noted bands with women in them, such as ARCH ENEMY, IN THIS MOMENT, OTEP, LACUNA COIL, THE AGONIST, NASHVILLE PUSSY, FIREBALL MINISTRY, SISTER SIN, ALL THAT REMAINS, STRAIGHT LINE STITCH, a slew of female-fronted Goth and Symphonic Metal bands, and (on the lighter side), EVANESCENCE and HALESTORM. With all the females that can play Metal well, the mystery remains as to why it never coalesces into a one kick-ass band, and when they do…it’s a cover band playing songs originally made popular by men. We still can’t have our own voice from the stage, but we do get the annual “Hottest Chicks in Metal” pictorial. That’s another tough choice – to pose or not pose for band promotion (if you’re deemed “hot” enough to make the cut)? Is one reduced to something less than an equal once you’ve shown your ass?
G THÉRÈSE LANZ of MARES OF THRACE
MEG CASTELLANOS of TOTIMOSHI
JEANNE SAGAN of ALL THAT REMAINS
All that said, let us be the women behind the men, and we soar without barrier. OZZY would be dead, or at least strung-out, broke and on Skid Row, if it wasn’t for SHARON OSBORNE. Love her or hate her (I happen to think she’s awesome) without her, OZZY would have been a footnote in BLACK SABBATH‘s history and Ozzfest would never have happened. MELISSA CROSS has been the vocal coach for male Metal screamers in SLAYER, LAMB OF GOD, MACHINE HEAD, among many others. SUSAN SILVER was a manager who brought us SOUNDGARDEN and ALICE IN CHAINS. DEBBIE ABONO managed such extreme bands POSSESSED, EXODUS, VIO-LENCE, FORBIDDEN and OBITUARY. “METAL” MARIA FERRERO was mentioned in many a Thrash band ‘thank you’ list as a promotional force back in the day, which she continues now as the founder of ADRENALINE PR. MARSHA ZAZULA, is co-founder of Megaforce Records with her husband Jon, and they have signed METALLICA, ANTHRAX, TESTAMENT and more. Many bands have started out with their girlfriends or wives acting as managers, promoters and helping to book shows. Many Hair Metal bands have admitted that if it weren’t for the ladies that gave them a place to sleep, something to eat, encouragement and support, they would not have made it – literally and figuratively. Maybe the day will come when males of the Metal scene will truly appreciate the depth of strength women bring on AND off the stage. The more we succeed as a unified supportive front, the more Metal music succeeds overall, and the more powerful we all become.
Our intrepid metal scribe Sean “That Black Metal Dude” Genovese caught up with Bob Meadows of A LIFE ONCE LOST recently. Sean caught the band live a few weeks back in Allston, MA at Great Scott, where the band was on tour with REVOCATION and KEN MODE. ALOL is out on the road supporting their new album Ecstatic Trance, (Season of Mist)which you should all go get asap!
MA: When you guys first started out in 1999, where did you guys expect to be about ten years from that point?
BM: I guess I just expected to be more on a different train of life, y’know? You don’t really expect ever to start a band with a bunch of kids and then eventually it kind of unravels and unfolds into something 13 years later. It’s just kind of a surreal experience in a way. But man, it’s pretty awesome, I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world. Actually, a lot of other friends of mine are moving along, moving past, and kind of starting these new lives and here I am, still chasing down this thing, this dream that I call music. It’s pretty wild, man, I never really expected it all.
MA: Right. So what are some of you guys’ main influences, and what are some artists or bands might be surprised shaped your sound?
BM: You can hear the BLACK SABBATH and the MESHUGGAH influence for sure, but in (the) Ecstatic Trance record there’s definitely other influences we’re pulling from, anywhere from FELA KUTI, and TI PEYI A, and ORCHESTRA DE POLYRHYTHMO from North Africa, to the German Krautrock scene, bands like CAN, KRAFTWERK, AMAN DUUL, things like KING CRIMSON. Anything within that little hiatus that we took where we ended up exploring a lot of different things in music. It’s always been an interest of mine with music; the more obscure, the more different and weird it was, the better it was for me, that’s kinda what I got off on. Being able to pull from those influences, and finally being able to let it hang on my sleeve, it’s a pretty cool thing, it’s definitely very unique, and I definitely think we’ve developed a unique sound with the Ecstatic Trance record.
Bob Meadows of A LIFE ONCE LOST.
MA: Let me ask you something that I’m sure most people probably ask you; What are your attitudes on the “djent” craze, as many cite you guys as innovators of poly-rhythms in Metalcore and related genres. Have you any love for bands like PERIPHERY and AFTER THE BURIAL that are expanding on that formula?
BM: I don’t have any feelings towards it. I’m not really interested in that music. When I listen to music, I kinda wanna be floored. When I was younger, when I was 19, that kind of music would be more appealing to me. But since I’m older now, I find more satisfaction in something that’s more soothing, and it’s not really soothing. I hear it all the time, people referring to us as a band in that scene, and I agree to a certain extent, but there were bands before us that were doing it, and there are bands that are still doing it, and those bands deserve more of the credit. When we started doing it, we didn’t do it to fit into a “scene”, like these other bands, these younger kids are doing, but the youth of America is a very impressionable group of individuals, and they feel the need to be able to fit in somewhere. Maybe this new “djent” thing is the new Deathcore, the new Pop Punk or the new whatever. It is what it is, it’s popular, those dudes can play. Misha’s a cool dude; I don’t like his band, but I think he’s a cool dude. I can be friends with someone and not enjoy their band, and that’s the case here. THE AFTER THE BURIAL, BORN OF OSIRIS guys, I really don’t know them. Michael Keene, EVAN BREWER, those guys in THE FACELESS, awesome dudes, but I just can’t get down with the tunes, y’know? Doesn’t make me less of a man, but more of an individual, I guess.
MA: Yeah. I noticed you guys were selling a shirt that says “Drop Acid, Not Bombs”. Is this a hint at some of the creative process behind Ecstatic Trance, since there are a lot more psychedelic influences, as you may have mentioned before?
BM: You can look at it as that. One of the main things was to explore that world of music, like psychedelic rock, I definitely think we’ve succeeded with this, and it’s definitely a great introduction to unravel into something that’s gonna be bigger in the future with our sound. With hallucinogenics, there are only two of us that sorta dabble in that, haha. I think it was more like a goof shirt. We had this ROLLING STONES rip-off tee goin’, with some dude with fucked up teeth, and we were like “We should totally put an acid tab on his fuckin’ tongue, just throw in ‘Drop Acid, Not Bombs’, it could be funny”. So we ended up doing it, and I think the design turned out pretty good. And it’s funny, the people that actually come up and buy this shirt, they’re so weird, haha. We had t-shirts of a “World Bong”, something like that, and we were on tour with NORMA JEAN. We printed the shirts on yellow, red and green, kinda like a Rastafarian, Jamaican color scheme going on. Then you had these impressionable youth, the Christian kids buying the shirts because of the colors, not necessarily knowing what was going on with it. But if it’s funny, it’s funny, it’s fun to be in a band and do shit like that. But yeah it’s more of a goof, haha.
MA: Since you guys recently replaced half the band and have been experimenting with some new sounds on your last two sounds, some fans have expressed that they’re not entirely happy with the direction you’ve taken. Do you have anything to say to them?
BM: Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion. There are kids that don’t like my band now that probably really love PERIPHERY and AFTER THE BURIAL. That’s the beauty of being a person, you’re entitled to your own opinion, likes and dislikes, and shit, man, if you don’t like my band, you don’t like my band! That’s fine, just don’t base that on my character as a human being. I’m sure my conversations are ones of humour and also interest. If A Great Artist is the record you wanna hear, you can pop that on while you’re driving and punch the steering wheel. But if you’re coming to our shows, that’s what to expect: We’re gonna play what we just put out, what we believe in. An Ecstatic Trance is that record we believe in at the moment. When we go into the studio to do more things, that’s what you can expect. You’re either with us or not with us, it’s no sweat off my ass, y’know?
MA: Yeah. Going on with that previous question, do you believe you’ll ever make another album like A Great Artist or Hunter, or has the musical environment in the ALOL camp and the general Metal/Hardcore scene has changed to the point where you have to leave those concepts behind?
BM: We were never a band to repeat anything or fall into sequence, or an order when it comes to writing music and songs. We had a very large gap of aggression between A Great Artist and The Iron Gag. It’s a small gap, but there’s progression nonetheless. Once you step back and rewrite something like that it’s regressing in a way. For us to constantly evolve and grow as people, I think the only thing we can do is continue to move forward and develop on sounds that we created in records past. You may see me doing another band in the vein of the older stuff, but never in replication. I would say the likelihood is very slim at this time, haha. But you can never really rule out the elements of pure brutality and heaviness mixed in with the music.
MA: Alright, this is probably the most important question you’ll be asked within the next six months: Was math your favourite subject in high school, and if so, what type?
BM: I actually like math a lot. I like Algebra. I wasn’t a Geometry guy, but number solving, shit like that was always a big interest of mine, haha.
MA: Alright, well thank you very much for taking the time to do this interview, Mr. Meadows, and I hope you guys have much luck in your future endeavours: tours, albums, stuff like that, and I hope to see your band again, hopefully with a crowd that’s more energetic?
BM: Ah, see, that shit never really matters to me. I think that it slowly morphed from people going crazy like it was with A Great Artist and with Hunter. With Iron Gag you saw people just more there to experience the show, experience what we’re doing, and that’s actually kinda cool. It takes the Metal that we’re writing and evolves it so that you can sit back and enjoy it whether you’re a fuckin’ stoner, you’re drunk, you’re a cokehead, you’re fuckin’ trippin’ on acid, or you’re straight-edge. You can step back and watch the show, enjoy the show for what it is, and that’s the place where Doug and I are trying to take the group now, make it a live experience, not just an experience for the record.
MA: Hmm, that’s actually a pretty good way to look at it. Well, once again, thank you very much, and I wish you luck.
Throwback. It’s a word not often enough associated with modern hard rock music for my taste. Most bands struggle to properly represent an amalgam of their influences and pour out anything original, let alone inspired sounding. There is just a lack of great, unrepentant, kick-ass rock `n roll bands these days and that makes me sad. Sometimes a band comes along that not only does the history of the style justice, but also has something new to give us too, we the masses that are hungry to rock. That is why the new EP by THE BLACKFIRES has me so pumped up. It definitely answers the question of “what is the future of rock music” with a resounding hail of riffs and cymbal crashes that scream yes!
Recorded live at The Cutting Room in New York City, it is not quite a live show recording in the traditional sense. All the same, true live albums are hard to pull off these days, but the band definitely sounds lively and tight. From the opening snarl of the guitar licks in “Rocker Child” you hear the blend and balance of ZEPPELIN, SABBATH, GUNS, LIZZY, DEEP PURPLE and more along with a modern, rough hewn charm. Aggressive and slick, the track is a great intro to the band for the indoctrinated and would make a terrific set-list starter too based on how vital is sounds. Singer Cheggi channels his inner Plant, Freddy throughout the song and he’s not afraid to back up that front man bravado with his range and delivery. “Gambit” continues the charge with some killer guitar chops on display and more out of this world singing. The song goes through several tempo shifts and dramatic swells that will recall the best of a bygone era in music. Not only is axe-slinging tight, but bassist Ryan Egan holds is down all the time with his colorful playing and thick tone. “Livewire Babies” is a song that will take you by surprise and could be a potential single-type track, in spite of its impressive running time. There is a definitely a lot of AC/DC influence happening there, but I also hear remnants of early SOUNDGARDEN with Cheggi displaying his confidence in his ability. This song also has the best lead guitar work on the album and great lyrics. The key change in the final coda of the song is pure rock royalty in my book. “Just A Thrill” is the dark horse of the album. In addition to its grit and heaviness as a song, it benefits from a killer beat supplied by the bands’ drummer and secret weapon, Ilan Harel. It is such a raw and passion filled song that you almost get sideswiped by the earthy breakdown and eventual rave up to the finale. “Primal Love” closes out the affair. A sprawling, power-ballad with a lot of soul, I think this is a good track to end things with. Fans will have tear in their eye and their lighters out when this one comes on.
THE BLACKFIRES are definitely gunning for the big time with this release and putting a lot of bands in their scene on notice. For more information check out their website here.
THE BLACKFIRES: Bringing the SOUL back to Rock ‘N Roll.
Welcome to the newest feature here at Metal Army America, one we’re really excited about! Two of our esteemed writers will tackle a controversial subject in metal and debate each side of an argument. Each topic will be examined like an experiment, analyzed philosophically and pontificated on like …..like a pontiff! (Editor’s note: bad pun intended, sorry.) Well, maybe if that pontiff was Papa Emeritus of GHOST! A thoughtful debate between Metal Army America writers on topics concern metal music, its culture and the fans is what we are aiming for. These debates won’t always be as simple as pro versus con since issues like these are rarely cut and dry. Our hope is you will read these blogs and join in the conversation (respectfully, always) with us here in the comments below or on our Facebook page.
And…. here….. we….. go!
RELIGION AND METAL:
Keith (Keefy) Chachkes: I have always been fascinated with the role religion plays in music, specifically metal. BLACK SABBATH was really the first band I learned of as a child who exploited people’s fears of religion in their music. This was pretty potent to the listener when their use of the tri-tone (“The Devil’s note”) was heard in their first recorded notes ever, gave birth to metal. They had songs about Witchcraft and Satanism, while constantly warning against the false righteousness of the other side. Original black metal bands like VENOM and CELTIC FROST were outwardly evil sounding and promoted The Devil as the enemy of normal society, and the prowess of the occult over anything else. This has influenced everything that has happened in heavy music in the last thirty years.
American bands like EXODUS, SLAYER and POSSESED were the next generation bands to reference it heavily, often pitting Christianity against metal as a whole. Most of the old-school death metal bands, when they weren’t fixated on gore, were quite blasphemous (hats off to you DEATH & GLEN BENTON!). Being anti-religion of any kind is enough to get you censored and threatened with jail in most societies, just ask NERGAL of Behemoth or the guys from WATAIN. From church burning Norwegian bands in the 1990′s to modern Neo-folk/Pagan Metal, your favorite Norse/Viking metal bands, modern black and death metal bands and even the recent “occult rock” bands all use religion to attract fans, draw endless topics for songs and define themselves.
“Jesus, you say? I don’t believe we’ve met.”
With all the energy spent on hating Jude-Christian values, there is a flip side rarely talked about by fans. If religions didn’t exist, what would they be angry at? I’m sure there would still be plenty of shitty things in the world to sing about if there were no religion. Personally, I can enjoy the music of bands like THE CHARIOT, FOR TODAY, and MY CHILDREN MY BRIDE who use their music as a platform to promote their beliefs, even if I find the on stage preaching distasteful. They certainly have a right to do it, as does NILE to talk about ancient Sumerian beliefs, as does CHTHONIC does to discuss their historic religious culture in a modern political context. It’s all good to me and makes a more interesting world of heavy music to listen to and write about.
Dave Williams: Since being handed this assignment, I’ve been struggling somewhat with my potential approach. For those who know me only superficially, my position should seem obvious. My feelings on religion (Christianity in general) are quite public, and I play in a band that exists solely to question/attack the theistic masses.
Was this a good thing or a bad thing?
That said, there is the part of me that very strongly believes that music’s true purpose (particularly in the case of metal, hardcore, punk, and any other ‘rebel’ music) is the unbridled expression of our passions, regardless of what those might be. As members of these subcultures, we have always been beacons for free speech, and to draw lines as to who should be allowed to say what seems rather hypocritical…
However, then there is my true stance on this matter: Metal (and again, hardcore/punk/etc) was born as a reactionary position against the purveying herd mentality of the Western hemisphere (and has obviously expanded its scope quite significantly since), and part of that mentality, undeniably, is the pox upon our species that is Christianity. For eons, the befuddled masses have commandeered and swept countless cultures and histories under the proverbial rug, and the co-opting of rebel music as a form of ‘praise’ is simply another example of the slow, steady trampling of the world’s beauty beneath the lumbering feet of a billion filthy, bleating sheep.
(I should mention that my feelings on the presence of other ‘religions’ within the genre are not quite as strong. Granted, this is inevitably somewhat personal as Christianity simply hits closer to home, but as I attribute nearly all of the modern world’s ills to the spread of the Christian disease, any counterpoint is at least slightly welcome)
To melodramatically drive my point home, I leave you with this: To me, metal is the Cerberus-guarded gates that separate true humanity from celestial, dead-eyed lunatics. Metal is the fucking nails that bind their fictional savior to the planks that adorn a billion fools’ walls the world over. Simply put, metal is a pure expression of freedom (in an entirely non-patriotic, non-nationalist sense), and spiritual surrender is its fundamental opposition. Follow Metal Army contributor Dave Williams at: his website and on Twitter.
Female fronted hard rock band ROYAL THUNDER break out of the Atlanta metal scene with their full length album debut CVI (Roman numeral 106). They formed in 2007 and released a seven song EP in late 2009. The four piece group has a bluesy, psychedelic feel to them that garner them comparisons to LED ZEPPELIN and BLACK SABBATH. Many of CVI’s tracks are haunting and possess the doom that both of those legendary bands had earlier in their careers. This correlation suggests that ROYAL THUNDER have a long career ahead of them.
I was instantly drawn in by the opening track “Parsonz Curse”. The title is clever and humorous because the singer/bassist’s name is Mlny Parsonz. In a sense, Parsonz places a curse on the listener of not being able to resist falling in love with her voice. This is the song that reminded me the most of early SABBATH’s sound of doom and ended being my favorite of the album. Some other tracks that stuck out to me are “Blue”, “Sleeping Witch”, and “South of Somewhere”. The two things I loved about “Blue” were the background vocals and the jam-like feeling to it. It reminded me of some Zeppelin tunes because of the way Parsonz sings throughout the track and the way she phrases her words. “Sleeping Witch” is the only song on the album that also appeared on the 2009 EP. The song sounds similar to THE MOODY BLUES’ “Nights in White Satin” and has that slightly eerie feel to it. At around the 1:50 mark though, it crashes into becoming a heavier tune. Finally, “South of Somewhere” captured my attention because it started with the sound of wind chimes; an interesting way for a hard rock band to begin a song. The guitars in the sound are similar to the ones heard on the last MASTODON album The Hunter. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that both bands come from the same area/scene.
Overall, I really enjoyed the album. The songs are of various lengths and although many exceed the five minute mark, none feel too long. No two songs are the same but that doesn’t mean they don’t all belong on the album. They flow together quite nicely and the listener never feels bored. I believe we can expect great things from ROYAL THUNDER in the future.
Late last year I had the opportunity to speak to VINNY APPICE about a new band he was working on called KILL DEVIL HILL. He’s played on so many things; I figured well it’s just another project he’s working on. I’m fairly confident that I’m not the only one to think this as well, a legendary drummer that has played with BLACK SABBATH, DIO, WORLD WAR III, JOHN LENNON, RICK DERRINGER, etc. this is just another project right? Vinny was quick to put me in my place and point out that KILL DEVIL HILL was a band, his band. At that time, I hadn’t heard a single note by the band, but Vinny spoke with a lot of conviction about what I would hear months later. He discussed how the band accidentally came about, and naturally progressed from him and guitarist Mark Zavon jamming. So I was immediately intrigued, wanted to hear what the band was about.
During this conversation I admitted to Vinny that my all-time favorite BLACK SABBATH album is easily the often overlooked Dehumanizer. Why? That’s easy, I’m a drummer, and the crushing drum sound that drives that album is unbelievable. I’ve often wondered why other bands, and SABBATH themselves, have not mixed and recorded another album in a similar fashion. Much to my chagrin, TONY IOMMI mentions in his book how, unless you’re a drummer, you don’t really like the sound of that album. Guess he got me on that one! He mentions that the drums are too bright for his taste. Quite a shame, because that precise sound would have put HEAVEN & HELL’s The Devil You Know over the top.
By the time I was able to speak to REX BROWN, I had already had the album for a few days. During my conversation with him, I was caught off guard by something he said. He mentioned that the album was recorded with Pro-Tools. Now this really doesn’t seem like a big deal, because let’s face it, the majority of the albums that have been released during the last say 15 years have been recorded on Pro-Tools. What’s odd is that the album does not have your typical Pro-Tools recorded linear feel. The album has a lot of range and dynamic, something very atypical with a lot of the carbon copied hard rock and metal that is released nowadays. The album feels like it could have been recorded in the 70s, 80s, or 90s, before Pro-Tools really took off, when things were recorded on tape. The album has aspects of influences from all of those decades as well, but it doesn’t feel dated, it has a real modern feel to it as well. It gives you the best of both worlds. Rex mentioned that they mixed the album three times before it sounded right to the band. Although it doesn’t have that same Dehumanizer sound, it is very similar in the way that the drums and bass are presented on the album. Vinny’s parts especially sound as if he’s in the room with you, every hit of the toms sound crisp and clear, and not buried in the mix like they usually are. Which makes me think, why aren’t more albums mixed like this?
The way the band performs on the album reminds me a lot of LED ZEPPELIN and THE WHO. Now don’t get all bent out of shape, and let me explain. Both of those legendary bands had extraordinary rhythm sections, that drove their music. They also had a guitarist who instead of going out of his way to stand out every second he could, he atypically became the glue that held everything together. This is something that Mark Zavon does to perfection on this album by weaving between the solid foundation Vinny and Rex are laying down, and picking his spots to stand out and make the entire composition better. The melody on the album is incredible as well, Dewey Bragg does a great job of not only putting some solid lyrics together, but he uses his voice in a fashion that does not sound like any of today’s homogenized singers. Sure you can hear influences in his voice, but it doesn’t sound like every other singer out there. The album kicks off with four very solid tracks, “War Machine” starts things off driving forward. This takes us to “Hangman” which is classic Vinny, that slow punishing groove he is known for and more or less helped pioneer. “Voodoo Doll” is one of my favorite tracks to come out this year, the opening tremolo effect, into the mini solo before Dewey jumps into the first verse, and subsequent infectious chorus is to me the strongest track on the album. The fourth track “Gates Of Hell” is another slow dirge, which rivals classic SABBATH tracks like “Children of The Sea” and “Sign Of The Southern Cross”. Other stand out tracks include the “Time + Time Again” which was premiered late last year, “Up In Flames” which is about Dewey losing everything he owned in a fire, and the album closer “Revenge”, which has a real ZEPPELIN feel throughout.
Vinny’s DNA is all over this album, he is perhaps one of the most underrated drummers of all time. If this album sounds anything like SABBATH or DIO, it’s because of his playing. Although Rex was the last member to join the band, you can hear his signature playing as well. He is often overlooked in when his former band PANTERA is discussed. This album makes you appreciate what he actually did their landmark albums. Listen to what he does on this album, and go back to those old PANTERA albums, and realize how he actually influenced a generation of players. Dewey and Mark are just as important on the album, and not overshadowed by either of these two legends. Dewey delivers a very solid vocal performance, with a lot of great memorable melodies, and Mark is the perfect linchpin that ties everything together, and makes it all work.
The entire album is very solid throughout, and in my opinion, easily among the best hard rock albums to come out this year.
I am fairly certain that about 70% of my reviews this year have been from super-groups. Some of them were in face super and some were okay. Some were not. Tossing their hat in the ring like The Avengers is BEREFT who’s members certainly live up to the superlatives part, at least on paper. Sacha Dunable (INTRONAUT/GRAVITON), Derek Donley (NATION SUNDAY LAW/GRAVITON), Charles Elliott (ABYSMAL DAWN) and Derek Rydquist (ex-THE FACELESS) have come together to make a unique concept record to say the least. This impactful, experimental Los Angeles-based doom project is all about two different ancient death rituals. It turns out the music is as heavy as the subject matter.
With sounds rising from the hum of guitars and amps to the roaring first droning notes of “Corpse Flower”, this album is going to be a different listening experience to be sure. Feedback flows in like a police siren while harsh, slow riffs mete out their punishment. Donley’s powerful drumming call to mind the funerary rites of a lost world and he is more subtle and sneak than you average skins masher today. The opening dirge gives way to second track “The Mentality of the Inanimate”. There are some otherworldly deep growls from Elliott who handles most of the lead vocals on the album with strong contributions from the rest of the band. The BLACK SABBATH influence is apparent, but there are some other little twists and turns in the music as well. “Withered Efflorescence” continues the theme of grave matters and dire music to match. There isn’t much variation from song to song, but I think that was the purpose of the album actually. Patience is the key for this band. On this cut there are some cool gang vocals with different styled voices (Dunable and Rydquist?) that really add to the track. Rydquist is solid as the bassist as well. There are some interesting guitar motifs that come in and out of the track too. These part extend these six and seven minutes songs into epic feeling songs. “The Coldest Orchestra” has some psychedelic sounds in the opening before returning to the harshness and sludge of the other tracks. This track has a bit of a Buzz Osbourne of THE MELVINS quality to it that I rather enjoyed. “A Cruel Mirage” is full of weirdness and just gnarly low vocals. “Ethereal Dispersal” is the most interesting track on the album in that it breaks up the monotony a bit with some interesting acoustic guitars. It still has a heft to it and some cool backing drone/delay guitars as well. Then it shifts NEUROSIS style into more dynamic crushing riffs and slow waves of beats. The closing cut, 0“…And You are But a Thought” is pretty trippy too. If you are not into doom, sludge and more out-of-the-box type albums, this is likely not music you will run too. On the other hand, I think loyal fans of the sub-genre will find a lot of cool sounds and songs to latch on to.
