Soundgarden had good songs from start to finish. Well, they're still going at it after a decade-long hiatus, but they've still got decent tracks - just not as many as average ones.
But the one I listen to the most (and cover the most live) has to be Outshined, from their seminal 1991 album Badmotorfinger, so I figured I'd feature the video this week, directed by Matt Mahurin (which the band despised, assessing he had phoned it in while concentrating on the simultaneous editing of Metallica's The Unforgiven):
The ladies used to love singer Chris Cornell's long curly hair and often-bare chest, very heavy metal-like. Then again, Soundgarden were the Seattle grunge scene's heaviest act, in that they were the most obviously influenced by actual metal, whereas Alice In Chains were inspired by hair metal first and foremost, Pearl Jam by classic rock, and Nirvana by punk and The Pixies.
I've been listening to Soundgarden a lot lately. Not enough to forget about my encounter with them in 1994, and not enough to forget Cornell's solo output, but enough to remember I really liked them.
Showing posts with label Heavy Metal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Heavy Metal. Show all posts
Saturday, July 18, 2015
Saturday, March 21, 2015
Video Of The Week: Flyleaf
For most of their career, Flyleaf didn't like to be referred to as a ''Christian rock'' band, despite at the same time claiming that not only were they all Christian, but that their faith transpired in their music. Exactly the type of discourse that'll make me steer clear of what you have to say, be it in words or music.
It was hard, however, to ignore their hit song Fully Alive in 2007, because it was everywhere:
Just how Christian were they? When lead singer and lyricist Lacey Sturm (then known as Lacey Mosley) gave birth to her first child, she left the band to become a stay-at-home mom. That's one abortion clinic protest away from getting offered a part-time job at Fox News.
She was replaced after a decade (2002-2012) as the frontwoman by Kristen May, formerly of Vedera. The band has since been forced to finance their albums through crowdfunding because they were dropped by A&M Records.
It was hard, however, to ignore their hit song Fully Alive in 2007, because it was everywhere:
Just how Christian were they? When lead singer and lyricist Lacey Sturm (then known as Lacey Mosley) gave birth to her first child, she left the band to become a stay-at-home mom. That's one abortion clinic protest away from getting offered a part-time job at Fox News.
She was replaced after a decade (2002-2012) as the frontwoman by Kristen May, formerly of Vedera. The band has since been forced to finance their albums through crowdfunding because they were dropped by A&M Records.
Sunday, January 25, 2015
Video Of The (Past) Week: Body Count
Kudos to Ice-T and his metal band Body Count for at least trying to update Suicidal Tendencies' classic 1980s punk-thrash song Institutionalized for the 21st century on their 2014 album Manslaughter.
Sure, we're a long way past the terrific self-titled first album in 1992, with had such tracks as The Winner Loses, C-Note, KKK Bitch and the controversial Cop Killer (on the first pressing, replaced with Freedom Of Speech in subsequent releases after the first week), but the band is still trying to hold its own despite no longer having the backing power of Sire/Warner Brothers behind them, and they're mostly successful at it.
They talk about social issues, they make some noise, they're energetic, they play shows and festivals, they get out there and spread their message.
This video, directed by Frankie Nasso and featuring Ice-T's real-life wife (model Coco Austin), is a tad too 1980s-ish for my taste - representing the lyrics a little too literally - but it fits with Ice-T's current message-with-humor theme.
I'll give it a B for effort.
Sure, we're a long way past the terrific self-titled first album in 1992, with had such tracks as The Winner Loses, C-Note, KKK Bitch and the controversial Cop Killer (on the first pressing, replaced with Freedom Of Speech in subsequent releases after the first week), but the band is still trying to hold its own despite no longer having the backing power of Sire/Warner Brothers behind them, and they're mostly successful at it.
They talk about social issues, they make some noise, they're energetic, they play shows and festivals, they get out there and spread their message.
This video, directed by Frankie Nasso and featuring Ice-T's real-life wife (model Coco Austin), is a tad too 1980s-ish for my taste - representing the lyrics a little too literally - but it fits with Ice-T's current message-with-humor theme.
I'll give it a B for effort.
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
Video Of The Week: Moloken
Hard music. Swedish band. Cars and roads. Nature. Mustaches.
Dead body. Dragging. Digging.
Moloken have scored huge with this song and video for The Titan Above Us, the first track off their 2011 album Rural, a 7-track opus where the shortest track lasts 3:25 and the longest one clocks in at 16:23.
Originally a side project for The Pookie Syndrome's Kristoffer Bäckström, the first line-up started playing together in 2007 and released an EP entitled We All Face The Dark Alone in 2008; the 2009 full-length Our Astral Circle was released to critical acclaim and featured no less than three untitled songs.
Their current line-up has Kristoffer on guitars and vocals, his brother Nicklas Bäckström on bass and vocals, Patrik Ylmefors (of Overlord Industries) on guitars and drummer Jakob Burstedt (formerly of Lithany, which Kristoffer was also in).
Dead body. Dragging. Digging.
Moloken have scored huge with this song and video for The Titan Above Us, the first track off their 2011 album Rural, a 7-track opus where the shortest track lasts 3:25 and the longest one clocks in at 16:23.
Originally a side project for The Pookie Syndrome's Kristoffer Bäckström, the first line-up started playing together in 2007 and released an EP entitled We All Face The Dark Alone in 2008; the 2009 full-length Our Astral Circle was released to critical acclaim and featured no less than three untitled songs.
Their current line-up has Kristoffer on guitars and vocals, his brother Nicklas Bäckström on bass and vocals, Patrik Ylmefors (of Overlord Industries) on guitars and drummer Jakob Burstedt (formerly of Lithany, which Kristoffer was also in).
Monday, March 24, 2014
R.I.P. Dave Brockie, a.k.a. Oderus Urungus (Of Gwar)
I wasn't the biggest fan of Gwar (I prefered their half-cousin band Green Jellÿ as a kid), but I did love the spectacle that accompanied them whether they were playing a show, doing interviews, or appearing on Jerry Springer...
And, to be honest, as far as heavy metal slapstick goes, Scumdogs Of The Universe (1990) and This Toilet Earth (1994) are pretty much classics, and are still listenable today - provided you know what you're getting into (which is the story of alien characters here to kill off the human race and spread sex and violence).
Their long-time lead vocalist (and one-time bassist and/or guitarist) Dave Brockie, a.k.a. Oderus Urungus was found dead in his apartment yesterday. Though he wasn't the first member to die while an active member (guitarist Cory Smoot, who had portrayed the now-retired character Flattus Maximus since 2002, was found dead by his fellow band members in the band's tour bus in 2011). But Brockie was the lone original member left, the voice of the band - both in song and in the public eye.
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Monday, February 10, 2014
Video Of The Week: Infectious Grooves
Long considered a Suicidal Tendencies spin-off band because they shared a frontman (Mike Muir), a bass player (Robert Trujillo, now in Metallica rather than ST) and guitarist Dean Pleasants (from 1997 onwards), as well as a range of influences that dive deep into funk, punk rock and metal, Infectious Grooves also had among its ranks art-alternative-rock Jane's Addiction drummer Stephen Perkins and guitarist Adam Siegel.
And while ST's crowd appreciated their metal-meets-skate-punk style with funk undertones, Infectious Grooves puts its funk in front and everything else is complementary (though one could argue that in the mid-1990s, both bands did influence one another and almost became interchangeable and/or symbiotic, to the point where they released dual-band compilation albums) in a way that was original to them. Heavier than the Red Hot Chili Peppers and not as ''out there'' in terms of free-range experimentation as Faith No More (whose guitarist Jim Martin now replaces Siegel in IG...), the Groovers are in a special category of the funk-punk spectrum that is all their own.
Truth be told, I was more a fan of Infectious Grooves than Suicidal Tendencies, though I feel ST got the better lyrics and IG went so far in being humourous that they used (pretty dumb) skits too often between songs, messing with the pacing of their records, and were a tad too conceptual, based around a fake family of psychotic clowns not unlike the Juggalos, just less ridiculous.
Still, they rocked. Here, they can be seen and heard doing what they do best, Punk It Up:
After a long hiatus, Muir and Pleasants revived the band in 2008 with hired hands instead of the rest of the original members, though most came back in the fold in 2013, except for Siegel, replaced by Martin.
And while ST's crowd appreciated their metal-meets-skate-punk style with funk undertones, Infectious Grooves puts its funk in front and everything else is complementary (though one could argue that in the mid-1990s, both bands did influence one another and almost became interchangeable and/or symbiotic, to the point where they released dual-band compilation albums) in a way that was original to them. Heavier than the Red Hot Chili Peppers and not as ''out there'' in terms of free-range experimentation as Faith No More (whose guitarist Jim Martin now replaces Siegel in IG...), the Groovers are in a special category of the funk-punk spectrum that is all their own.
Truth be told, I was more a fan of Infectious Grooves than Suicidal Tendencies, though I feel ST got the better lyrics and IG went so far in being humourous that they used (pretty dumb) skits too often between songs, messing with the pacing of their records, and were a tad too conceptual, based around a fake family of psychotic clowns not unlike the Juggalos, just less ridiculous.
Still, they rocked. Here, they can be seen and heard doing what they do best, Punk It Up:
After a long hiatus, Muir and Pleasants revived the band in 2008 with hired hands instead of the rest of the original members, though most came back in the fold in 2013, except for Siegel, replaced by Martin.
Saturday, December 28, 2013
Video Of The Week: Danzig
I spent the week in Ohio (Cleveland, Akron, Canton, Green, Springfield) visiting my mom for Christmas, and had a decent time. But because I'm a night owl and insomniac - and there's little to do over there at night if you don't have a valid driver's license - I resorted to watch a lot of late-night TV, mostly on Adult Swim, which means I got a healthy dose of Family Guy and American Dad.
I'm also a huge fan of The Cleveland Show, and the ad promoting it was from the episode where Rallo's band sings Danzig's Mother, which means I heard it at least 200 times. And considering my brother and I were there to see our mom, it actually represents my Holidays better than any Christmas song would, which explains this:
Danzig is fronted and was founded by Glenn Danzig, who also founded then-punk band The Misfits and horror-metal band Samhaim. Though not an artist I listen to every day (apart from maybe his duet/collaboration with Melissa Auf Der Maur), I'd say he's a pretty big deal and would probably make my top-25 list of influential metal musicians, which makes me feel bad every time I laugh at him getting his pretentious ass kicked by Danny Marianino backstage on YouTube.
I'm also a huge fan of The Cleveland Show, and the ad promoting it was from the episode where Rallo's band sings Danzig's Mother, which means I heard it at least 200 times. And considering my brother and I were there to see our mom, it actually represents my Holidays better than any Christmas song would, which explains this:
Danzig is fronted and was founded by Glenn Danzig, who also founded then-punk band The Misfits and horror-metal band Samhaim. Though not an artist I listen to every day (apart from maybe his duet/collaboration with Melissa Auf Der Maur), I'd say he's a pretty big deal and would probably make my top-25 list of influential metal musicians, which makes me feel bad every time I laugh at him getting his pretentious ass kicked by Danny Marianino backstage on YouTube.
Thursday, December 19, 2013
A Very Megadeth Christmas
Despite becoming ultra-conservative (and a joke), Dave Mustaine has other things going for him these days, including poking fun at himself and his band:
Kudos to Jenny Lewis (The Postal Service, Rilo Kiley) for a quick cameo (and kidnapping a kid).
Kudos to Jenny Lewis (The Postal Service, Rilo Kiley) for a quick cameo (and kidnapping a kid).
Friday, November 8, 2013
Album Review: Near Grey's The Herschel Central Peak
It isn't ''easy listening'' per se, as it clearly demands some attention span to grasp the subtleties of their 10-minute songs, but Near Grey's The Herschel Central Peak won't blow your brain apart either. Unless you listen with your headphones on too loudly.
As far as instrumentals go, this is closer to the atmospheric leanings of Godspeed You! Black Emperor (albeit a tad heavier and sludgier, but in the same vein of explorations of sonic landscapes that go from calm to heavy swiftly yet subtly) than British shoegazers that so many were fond of a decade ago.
Guitarist/synth expert Kevin Bartczak has been experimenting with post-rock and heavier music for a decade now through numerous projects (Raw Madonna and USA Out Of Vietnam to name a couple of collective efforts, but also quite an extensive solo library as well as more conventional releases like the terrific Natalie Portland), and he seems to have found something with this particular band that he didn't have earlier: boundaries that lead to substance.
It's not art for art's sake, it's not a vanity project, it's music. Really good music.
The first piece, Sauropod, numbs your mind with the repetition of just one dark chord, then takes you away with a lighter side in the middle, enabling your senses to take flight, as if reflecting safely from above the wreckage of a war-torn village, spirit-like. Or something.
Then comes Northfield, which sounds like the aftermath of the previous scene. Slow-paced, filled with sadness and melancholy, with a touch of anger and resignation - just enough to prop you back up. The drumming in this one is particularly good, both at first in the subdued part, and in the end as well, when the emotions rise.
Cannulated starts exactly where Northfield ends, mid-crescendo, before cooling off quickly and revealing the album's best melodies... only to increase in intensity with more convincing drum work. For this song in particular, however, I would have liked the drums to display a lower frequency/pitch and perhaps be a tad louder in the mix starting from the half-way mark, as they are clearly driving the song, but having them so far behind in the mix creates a bit of a sense of dead air floating in the middle of all the instruments.
Regina closes off the album, and begins by sounding like an old black-and-white photo feels: desolate, sad, decrepit, like all of its descendants are long dead. It's also the one song that is best described by the band's self-inflicted ''metal'' categorization, seeing as from the middle of the song onwards, it sounds pretty darn satanic. It's also pretty energetic and invigorating, like the last song of a set, be it pre-encore or during it.
All in all, it's a pretty satisfying record that I'd rate a solid 7.5/10.
The only negative thing I found - particularly in the third track - was a less-than-optimal production, whose overall grade is fine (7/10) but in that particular song, closer to 6/10.
You can purchase it here, for a mere $5.
As far as instrumentals go, this is closer to the atmospheric leanings of Godspeed You! Black Emperor (albeit a tad heavier and sludgier, but in the same vein of explorations of sonic landscapes that go from calm to heavy swiftly yet subtly) than British shoegazers that so many were fond of a decade ago.
Guitarist/synth expert Kevin Bartczak has been experimenting with post-rock and heavier music for a decade now through numerous projects (Raw Madonna and USA Out Of Vietnam to name a couple of collective efforts, but also quite an extensive solo library as well as more conventional releases like the terrific Natalie Portland), and he seems to have found something with this particular band that he didn't have earlier: boundaries that lead to substance.
It's not art for art's sake, it's not a vanity project, it's music. Really good music.
The first piece, Sauropod, numbs your mind with the repetition of just one dark chord, then takes you away with a lighter side in the middle, enabling your senses to take flight, as if reflecting safely from above the wreckage of a war-torn village, spirit-like. Or something.
Then comes Northfield, which sounds like the aftermath of the previous scene. Slow-paced, filled with sadness and melancholy, with a touch of anger and resignation - just enough to prop you back up. The drumming in this one is particularly good, both at first in the subdued part, and in the end as well, when the emotions rise.
Cannulated starts exactly where Northfield ends, mid-crescendo, before cooling off quickly and revealing the album's best melodies... only to increase in intensity with more convincing drum work. For this song in particular, however, I would have liked the drums to display a lower frequency/pitch and perhaps be a tad louder in the mix starting from the half-way mark, as they are clearly driving the song, but having them so far behind in the mix creates a bit of a sense of dead air floating in the middle of all the instruments.
Regina closes off the album, and begins by sounding like an old black-and-white photo feels: desolate, sad, decrepit, like all of its descendants are long dead. It's also the one song that is best described by the band's self-inflicted ''metal'' categorization, seeing as from the middle of the song onwards, it sounds pretty darn satanic. It's also pretty energetic and invigorating, like the last song of a set, be it pre-encore or during it.
All in all, it's a pretty satisfying record that I'd rate a solid 7.5/10.
The only negative thing I found - particularly in the third track - was a less-than-optimal production, whose overall grade is fine (7/10) but in that particular song, closer to 6/10.
You can purchase it here, for a mere $5.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Video Of The Week: Rob Zombie
At first, I wasn't sure how to take this song. I still don't.
Rob Zombie isn't the most cover-oriented singer, and his attempt at industrializing The Ramones was uneven, to say the least. But I thought he could do well with Grand Funk Railroad's We're An American Band, which he kind of does.
Except it doesn't really sound like Rob Zombie - apart from the gravelly vocals. It's heavy rock, far from the industrial/electronics-heavy material he excels at, and it kind of falls a bit flat, a bit like a Kid Rock cover...
The video doesn't help, either, a compilation of a live performance and behind-the-scenes tour footage with a ton of boobage, it looks like the beginning of one of his horror movies where a family of Southern-state in-breds will take advantage of the anonymity of a weekend-long music festival shock-full of drunken teenagers to go on a rape-and-killing spree.
I'll give it a few more listens, but it could be my least favourite Zombie track so far, though it does capture some of the energy of his live shows. Or maybe I really have grown cynical with age.
Rob Zombie isn't the most cover-oriented singer, and his attempt at industrializing The Ramones was uneven, to say the least. But I thought he could do well with Grand Funk Railroad's We're An American Band, which he kind of does.
Except it doesn't really sound like Rob Zombie - apart from the gravelly vocals. It's heavy rock, far from the industrial/electronics-heavy material he excels at, and it kind of falls a bit flat, a bit like a Kid Rock cover...
The video doesn't help, either, a compilation of a live performance and behind-the-scenes tour footage with a ton of boobage, it looks like the beginning of one of his horror movies where a family of Southern-state in-breds will take advantage of the anonymity of a weekend-long music festival shock-full of drunken teenagers to go on a rape-and-killing spree.
I'll give it a few more listens, but it could be my least favourite Zombie track so far, though it does capture some of the energy of his live shows. Or maybe I really have grown cynical with age.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Self-Inflicted Arrest
Celebrity dumb-asses are fun to laugh at, and those who call the cops on themselves are right at the top of the pile - and the bottom of the food chain. Ask Boy George.
But the one that stands out the most so far this year is that of former Obituary guitarist Allen West, who called the cops to report of two burglars busting in his house, asked the police to search the premises to find other possible people planked in his home, and when they found a meth lab he'd constructed in his bedroom, told them the burglars were the ones cooking in his house...
This is his mugshot, and the one picture you'll see of him for a very long time:
I mean, shit, at least use Breaking Bad as a guideline...
But the one that stands out the most so far this year is that of former Obituary guitarist Allen West, who called the cops to report of two burglars busting in his house, asked the police to search the premises to find other possible people planked in his home, and when they found a meth lab he'd constructed in his bedroom, told them the burglars were the ones cooking in his house...
This is his mugshot, and the one picture you'll see of him for a very long time:
I mean, shit, at least use Breaking Bad as a guideline...
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
No Metal In London Museum
I'm all for mixing the arts, but it seems London's Victoria & Albert Museum aren't - they cancelled a recent collaboration between heavy metal music (more specifically ''grindcore'') group Napalm Death and resident ceramic (!) artist Keith Harrison due to... fear they might ''damage the historic fabric of the building''!
This was due to take place in the Europe Galleries which are currently being refurbished and a further safety inspection has revealed concerns that the high level of decibels generated by the concert would damage the historic fabric of the building.Yeah, sure, the safety of shattering a centuries-old building, not of people moshing...
The V&A is committed to an exciting programme of exhibitions and events but the safety of our visitors and building remains our priority at all times.
This Irish Examiner article adds these tidbits of information:
Artist Keith Harrison, who became interested in the band after hearing them on the John Peel show on BBC Radio 1 as a teenager, created three ceramic sound systems based on the tiles used on the tower blocks of the Bustleholm Mill estate in West Bromwich, where he grew up.Hmmm... it's ok to have a clay drum set explode, but not a rock band (albeit a very loud one...) throwing sound waves at ceramic tiles? Sounds like additional outsider pressure, or at the very least a museum curator who ended up listening to Napalm Death's music...
Harrison is resident ceramic artist at the gallery. Future events he has planned include the detonation of a clay replica of Keith Moon’s drum kit.
Friday, March 1, 2013
Video Of The Week: Suicidal Tendencies
Many people judge Suicidal Tendencies on the basis of their name, which used to scare parents and entice teenagers; others see them classified as ''crossover thrash'' (a term used to define when hardcore punk meets speed metal with thrash) and decide to move on.
Big mistake.
Throughout their career - which started in 1981 - they've evolved and experimented a lot, and it just accelerated when Robert Trujillo (now of Metallica) joined the band in the late 80s, incorporating funk in the mix - which would lead to brother band/side project Infectious Grooves running a parallel career for nearly a decade.
Their most acclaimed effort may have been Lights... Camera... Revolution!, but I feel 1992's The Art Of Rebellion (released on Sony's own Epic Records, a label that also distributed Michael Jackson, Pearl Jam, Ozzy Osbourne, Rage Against The Machine and Alice Cooper - all artists with clear visions) went even further, incorporating psychedelia, ballads and spoken word poetry in the mix. It even had thrash metal songs with the rhythm played on... acoustic guitar.
That's where this video comes in: it's two songs merged into one, with I Wasn't Meant To Feel This feeling a tad like a Syd Barrett piece, and Asleep At The Wheel as the pièce de résistance, catchy, smart, but with an undertone of subdued anger that warrants a second listen. And a third. Then gets incrusted in your brain.
Big mistake.
Throughout their career - which started in 1981 - they've evolved and experimented a lot, and it just accelerated when Robert Trujillo (now of Metallica) joined the band in the late 80s, incorporating funk in the mix - which would lead to brother band/side project Infectious Grooves running a parallel career for nearly a decade.
Their most acclaimed effort may have been Lights... Camera... Revolution!, but I feel 1992's The Art Of Rebellion (released on Sony's own Epic Records, a label that also distributed Michael Jackson, Pearl Jam, Ozzy Osbourne, Rage Against The Machine and Alice Cooper - all artists with clear visions) went even further, incorporating psychedelia, ballads and spoken word poetry in the mix. It even had thrash metal songs with the rhythm played on... acoustic guitar.
That's where this video comes in: it's two songs merged into one, with I Wasn't Meant To Feel This feeling a tad like a Syd Barrett piece, and Asleep At The Wheel as the pièce de résistance, catchy, smart, but with an undertone of subdued anger that warrants a second listen. And a third. Then gets incrusted in your brain.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Bring The Noise
Anthrax told us about a year ago that they were working on recording some cover songs for their next release...
Well, the time is nearly upon us, and you can have a first taste at their reworking of the classic AC/DC song T.N.T. here. Yes, that's two AC/DC references in the same month.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Video Of The (Past) Week: Megadeth
Sure, Dave Mustaine used to be such a bad alcoholic that he was kicked out of Metallica. But Megadeth did things that were so much better than Metallica: Countdown To Extinction, in my opinion, tops the Black Album.
And sure, Mustaine supported Mitt Romney in the recent election. I don't know what to say about that, I never thought Mustaine was that much of a redneck, and definitely not stupid like Ted Nugent. Live and learn, I guess.
In any event, many of Mustaine's songs were politically-charged, usually standing up for the proverbial ''little guy'', usually critical or war, government overreach (oh, wait...), most of the time as a riff-machine worthy of Jack White.
In any event, even if you are a fan of small government, there was no excuse whatsoever to vote for Romney, the two-faced pathological liar who would sell his mother (to China, probably) for office. Being a partisan of one political party does not excuse voting for whatever face they choose to run; voting blindly is dangerous, and can alter one country's history irrevocably (see: Canada 2011, Germany 1933, Rome 50 B.C.).
Still, Symphony Of Destruction is an amazing fucking song, at the perfect level of heaviness, good enough to get your head bobbing even if you dislike loud music. But at a level where it's still acceptable to call it ''music''.
And sure, Mustaine supported Mitt Romney in the recent election. I don't know what to say about that, I never thought Mustaine was that much of a redneck, and definitely not stupid like Ted Nugent. Live and learn, I guess.
In any event, many of Mustaine's songs were politically-charged, usually standing up for the proverbial ''little guy'', usually critical or war, government overreach (oh, wait...), most of the time as a riff-machine worthy of Jack White.
In any event, even if you are a fan of small government, there was no excuse whatsoever to vote for Romney, the two-faced pathological liar who would sell his mother (to China, probably) for office. Being a partisan of one political party does not excuse voting for whatever face they choose to run; voting blindly is dangerous, and can alter one country's history irrevocably (see: Canada 2011, Germany 1933, Rome 50 B.C.).
Still, Symphony Of Destruction is an amazing fucking song, at the perfect level of heaviness, good enough to get your head bobbing even if you dislike loud music. But at a level where it's still acceptable to call it ''music''.
Friday, October 26, 2012
Video Of The Week: KMFDM
KMFDM started out in Germany, in 1984, mostly as a performance arts project because the term ''industrial music'' didn't exist yet; as a matter of fact, to this day, they still consider their sound as "The Ultra-Heavy Beat".
Extensive touring, meeting other bands and a bunch of label executives eventually led them to settle in Chicago with other like-minded musicians such as Ministry, Pig, Front 242, My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult and Revolting Cocks. Musicians from all of these bands would often collaborate amongst themselves, much to the dismay of their respective labels, who had to legally authorize such ''transfers'' and ''guest appearances''...
I, for one, was introduced to the band via the TV show Beavis & Butt-head in the summer of 1994, which I mostly spent in Florida (we didn't get MTV in Montréal at the time), via this video, from the Angst album, A Drug Against War. I was immediately blown away by the animation, 60s-comics, art deco, japanimation all rolled into one, with guns and scantily-clad women.
I was also surprised that nthe band would reference their name constantly, even more so than rappers, throughout the song. When I came back to Montréal, I made it my mission to own all their CDs - full-lengths and singles. Eventually, when I landed my dream job at the used record-andbook shop L'Échange, I managed to complete the collection, learning these were staples of the band - all of their releases featured the same artwork as that video, and all of the songs named them constantly. Over time it became a bit of a drag - and deterrent - but in this song, I still feel like it works.
Extensive touring, meeting other bands and a bunch of label executives eventually led them to settle in Chicago with other like-minded musicians such as Ministry, Pig, Front 242, My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult and Revolting Cocks. Musicians from all of these bands would often collaborate amongst themselves, much to the dismay of their respective labels, who had to legally authorize such ''transfers'' and ''guest appearances''...
I, for one, was introduced to the band via the TV show Beavis & Butt-head in the summer of 1994, which I mostly spent in Florida (we didn't get MTV in Montréal at the time), via this video, from the Angst album, A Drug Against War. I was immediately blown away by the animation, 60s-comics, art deco, japanimation all rolled into one, with guns and scantily-clad women.
I was also surprised that nthe band would reference their name constantly, even more so than rappers, throughout the song. When I came back to Montréal, I made it my mission to own all their CDs - full-lengths and singles. Eventually, when I landed my dream job at the used record-andbook shop L'Échange, I managed to complete the collection, learning these were staples of the band - all of their releases featured the same artwork as that video, and all of the songs named them constantly. Over time it became a bit of a drag - and deterrent - but in this song, I still feel like it works.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Video Of The Week: Corrosion Of Conformity
On this election day in Québec, one on which we must decide between the current, corrupt status quo, the status quo of the mid-90s, a new right-wing party made up of old candidates from other parties or smaller, more regional fringe parties, I opted to follow the theme our leader Jean Charest has been hammering about in the media (''it's us against the street, violence, and chaos; we are the Party of Law and Order'') and go for one of the best metaphors in hard rock: Corrosion Of Conformity's Vote With A Bullet.
While C.O.C.'s first two albums were mostly thrash metal hybrids, 1991's Blind was more melodic, heavy, and groovy, pioneering a sound Pantera would later perfect. Perhaps no stranger to this was the fact that it was the only record with Karl Agell on lead vocals, letting Pepper Keenan concentrate on his guitar abilities. Ironically, the song I chose is Keenan's lone lead singing track...
By their next record, Deliverance, C.O.C. really became Keenan's band, as he was its chief songwriter, guitarist, and lead vocalist.
While C.O.C.'s first two albums were mostly thrash metal hybrids, 1991's Blind was more melodic, heavy, and groovy, pioneering a sound Pantera would later perfect. Perhaps no stranger to this was the fact that it was the only record with Karl Agell on lead vocals, letting Pepper Keenan concentrate on his guitar abilities. Ironically, the song I chose is Keenan's lone lead singing track...
By their next record, Deliverance, C.O.C. really became Keenan's band, as he was its chief songwriter, guitarist, and lead vocalist.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Video Of The (Last) Week: Tool
I've been listening to a lot of Tool lately. I'm not sure why, but their brand of slow doom rock made its way through the shuffle feature of my Ipod more often than not, and I didn't intend on skipping any songs.
It's the second time I feature them in this segment, but this time with perhaps my favourite song from them, Stinkfist, the first song off their amazing Aenema album, their second full-length, dedicated to the memory of comedian Bill Hicks (it was actually that album that got my 17-year old self to research Hicks to find out more about him).
This weekend's been pretty hectic (Dead Can Dance show, dinner party with friends, meeting with a friend who kind of just got out of jail, looking for work, watching House Season 8), but I still found the time to listen to this song a good half-dozen times.
It's the second time I feature them in this segment, but this time with perhaps my favourite song from them, Stinkfist, the first song off their amazing Aenema album, their second full-length, dedicated to the memory of comedian Bill Hicks (it was actually that album that got my 17-year old self to research Hicks to find out more about him).
This weekend's been pretty hectic (Dead Can Dance show, dinner party with friends, meeting with a friend who kind of just got out of jail, looking for work, watching House Season 8), but I still found the time to listen to this song a good half-dozen times.
Friday, February 17, 2012
Video Of The Week: Kittie
Kittie is a metal band that formed in 1996 in London, Ontario (Canada) by sisters Morgan Lander (singer) and Mercedes Lander and two friends - while they were still in high school. They were surprisingly heavy for kids - let alone ''girls'' (to some macho metalheads) - and just got heavier with time.
To this day, the sisters (who play guitar and drums, respectively) are the only constant band members, the bass and lead guitar slots being pretty much a revolving door. Guitarist Tara McLeod has been on board for three of the band's 6 records, with Suicide City's Jennifer Arroyo on board for one before her. Bassist Trish Doan is back after a 5-year hiatus due to a serious battle with anorexia, during which time Ivana 'Ivy' Vujic held her place. The band was even a trio for a while, in 2001 and 2002.
This song is from their 2009 release In The Black, which came out the day after my birthday. It's fairly typical and generic (which you kind of expect from a semi-independent band) and doesn't showcase mad skills, but it shows you these chicks can rock hard and well, their versatility, and ability to construct well-written pieces.
To this day, the sisters (who play guitar and drums, respectively) are the only constant band members, the bass and lead guitar slots being pretty much a revolving door. Guitarist Tara McLeod has been on board for three of the band's 6 records, with Suicide City's Jennifer Arroyo on board for one before her. Bassist Trish Doan is back after a 5-year hiatus due to a serious battle with anorexia, during which time Ivana 'Ivy' Vujic held her place. The band was even a trio for a while, in 2001 and 2002.
This song is from their 2009 release In The Black, which came out the day after my birthday. It's fairly typical and generic (which you kind of expect from a semi-independent band) and doesn't showcase mad skills, but it shows you these chicks can rock hard and well, their versatility, and ability to construct well-written pieces.
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