A Decade Without Dimebag

Hard to believe it's been a full 10 years since "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott was shot to death as he performed onstage with his band, Damageplan, at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, OH. The result is my almost-exact recollection of what occurred that day—a rarity for me. Probably the only other date and time this could be said for is September 11, 2001 in New York City.

A decade ago on this day, I was finalizing up ankle surgery plans, then met up with some High Times staffers to catch Doug Benson and Tommy Chong perform The Marijuana-Logues off Broadway. For that reason, I clearly recall this joke from the show:

"They call marijuana a crutch..." 
"...Yeah, but crutches help people."

The lot of us went and had dinner with Tommy afterwards and it blew my mind that he actually spoke in THAT lackadaisical voice; somehow surprised by how chill he was, considering he'd just gotten out of jail for selling glass pipes online.

I can't remember if it was there, or on my way home when I got a text message alerting me to a shooting at the Damageplan show. Truth be told, I can't even remember if it was my old editor at Revolver, or mutual friends. I was shocked as much as any fan could be, but didn't want to spread false rumors. Then I started thinking about the vulnerability of my friends and idols in bands (especially as Superjoint Ritual was starting to resurface).

Like so many others, I spent the night reaching out to my network of friends, kept others informed, and hoped against logic that the news was false; that somehow this brother in metal was still with us. Sadly, national news confirmed the worst.

There were three other people murdered by gunman Nathan Gale that night, including a fan who was trying to give Dimebag CPR. Let's not forget them, either.

Rest in Power. Forever.

Hunting Osama: The Soundtrack

While reading an Esquire feature on the SEAL team member who was part of the hunt of Osama bin Laden, a couple of interesting music-related tidbits were revealed.

1. Metallica are back-peddling wusses. Not particularly revelatory.
It is important to him to stress that no women or children were killed in that raid. He also insists that when it came to interrogation, repetitive questioning and leveraging fear was as aggressive as he'd go. "When we first started the war in Iraq, we were using Metallica music to soften people up before we interrogated them," the Shooter says. "Metallica got wind of this and they said, 'Hey, please don't use our music because we don't want to promote violence.' I thought, Dude, you have an album called Kill 'Em All.

2. "God" - or Demon Hunter, at least - was on the Shooter's side.
A band called Demon Hunter got in touch and said, 'We're all about promoting what you do.' They sent us CDs and patches. I wore my Demon Hunter patch on every mission. I wore it when I blasted bin Laden."

Read the whole thing HERE.

The Lame List

No, this isn't my attempt at a Best of 2012 music list (though I'm sure I'll take crap for some of my selections when the time comes). It is, however, my lament at not being able to get in to see Soundgarden's show at Irving Plaza last night.

While I do like their sound a lot, I was never a superfan of theirs. I am, though, a big fan of their guitarist, Kim Thayil. He's always struck me as one of those cool, low-key guitar demi-gods who was just into doing this own thing while Chris Cornell was busy trying to become an "artist" and break away from being labeled a metal frontman.

How chill is Kim? Below is a perfect example, via a vintage clip of him participating in Almost Live's "The Lame List" skit.


Better clips I couldn't embed are HERE, HERE and HERE. And if you need a plus one for either of Soundgarden's January shows, I'm your lady.


Bonus, here's Gruntruck's turn at The Lame List.

My Metal Midlife Crisis

This guy!

Tough as it is to admit, I'm pretty damn bored with metal these days. My first clue was when I compiled my Best Of 2011 album list and realized all the bands' logos were easily decipherable. Then I noticed that I only recognized about two thirds of the acts friends and colleagues were name-checking on Twitter, and worse still, I didn't give a shit enough to look up the remaining ones. This is my crisis of faith.

I deeply respect the passion held by folks like Grim Kim and Fred Pessaro for the darker, more dissonant facets of black and death metal, but I've rarely enjoyed the genres. Too much treble, those interchangeable shrill vocals, the typical shock-for-shock's-sake imagery. Not my steez at all, but it feels like they're metal's most vibrant sects these days. Never liked Lamb of God either (no hooks at all), Ghost sounds like Blue Oyster Cult and don't even get me started on the whole embarrassing pirate/symphonic/folk metal circle jerk scene and their fucking Utilikilts. The last really great new metal record I thoroughly enjoyed was Mournful Congregation's The Book of Kings. (More 2011 metal records I liked listed here.)

Don't get me wrong, I'm not chilling at home with a buttery chardonnay and the Adele record. But truth be told, the music events I'm most excited for so far in 2012 are Monster Magnet's show on Friday (Dopes to Infinity in its entirety, y'all), the new Cursive record—and catching the Afghan Whigs reunion wherever I can.

The last time something like this happened, I was in college and totally over Pantera when I started listening to tons of hardcore and punk rock. Then At the Gates' Slaughter of the Soul blew my mind and pulled me back into the scene. Maybe that's what I need right now: that one unfamiliar act or at least one ridiculously good album to excite me again. Any suggestions?

The Metal Suckfest Hits NYC This Weekend

My bros at MetalSucks.net are throwing their inaugural full-scale music festival, The Metal Suckfest.

Set to go down this weekend at New York City's Gramercy Theatre, the two-night affair will feature headliners Municipal Waste and Cynic, plus heavyweights like God Forbid, Today is the Day, Obscura, The Red Chord, Black Tusk, Fight Amp and a ton of others.

And unlike most music festivals, this one won't leave you without weed money. Get tickets now, or pick them up at the door. I expect to see y'all there for the cred alone. #mosh

For more on the Metal Suckfest, check out their site.

Some Things I Take Seriously... Like Opeth

On Monday, I had no plans to see Opeth and Katatonia over their two-night stint at Webster Hall. But the latter's publicist made me an offer I couldn't refuse... so there I was, interviewing Katatonia for HighTimes.com backstage during the headliner's set when one of my most beloved songs, "Face of Melinda," began.

In my head, I kept thinking, 'It's OK, you've seen them do it live before.' But in reality, it wasn't. So I thank Brian Rocha for trying to hook me up with the second show so I could hear it. Below is our text message exchange. And thanks to Opeth and Katatonia for both putting on such compelling performances. Someone needs to make a best-of reel of Mikael Akerfeldt's hilarious between-song banter.

Metal Fuckin' Swim

The fine folks at Adult Swim and Scion A/V have done it again! Not only have they compiled 16 rare or unreleased tracks from some of the best underground metal bands around, they're giving the compilation away FOR FREE!! Head over to AdultSwim.com to get your copy.

As if you needed even MORE incentive, check out Adult Swim's video for Skeletonwitch's "Bringers of Death," which features some very familiar looking zombies.



Thanks to Jason DeMarco for the hook-up!

Mastodon Lager

Are you a metal fan? How about a beer enthusiast? Well, here's proof that Mastodon Lager exists (outside of Brent's imagination, that is). The private-stock German brew may actually find its way to the States.

Get ready to drink up, Atlanta!

 

*Photo lifted from Darren Sanders' Facebook page.

Shut Up And Listen To... Municipal Waste

In honor of Twitter's Music Monday, I present to you the grown and sexy Municipal Waste. Buy their new album, Massive Aggressive, immediately!

And after you do that, check out this brand-new video for the first single, "Wrong Answer."

Megadeth: Still Around

It's crazy that Megadeth has been around so long, yet their raw 1985 debut, Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!, can still be considered au courant amidst all the neo-thrashers out there (Black Tide and Hatchet, I'm looking at you!).

Crazier still is the fact that Dave Mustaine & co. (it's easier to say "& co." when you haven't paid attention to the lineup since the dawn of the millennium) are still putting out new music—and it's not half bad.

"Head Crusher," the lead single from their 13th studio album, Endgame, is short and sweet thrash mongering, chock-full of Mustaine's signature guitar style and raspy vocals. More wrestling entrance theme than symphonic masterpiece, it's still stripped down enough for even purist Megadeth fans to appreciate. Check it out for yourself here.

Shut Up And Listen To... Hull

Since it's Music Monday on Twitter, might I recommend some local Brooklyn boys? Here are the mighty fucking Hull. Their amazing End Records debut, Sole Lord, won't be out until May 26th, but you can check them out at NYC's Lit tonight for FREE!

That's right, cheapskates, get crackin'. And buy me a drink when you see me there.

Anvil! The Story of Anvil

Last night I went to a screening of the VH1 Classic-sponsored documentary, Anvil! The Story of Anvil. Based on the '80s-era Canadian metal band Anvil, who never quite made it financially—nor did they ever manage to secure any sort of legendary status amongst the metal masses—their hard-luck story was captured by long-time fan Sacha Gervasi (now a successful Hollywood screenwriter), who was first introduced to the group's core members of drummer Robb Reiner and singer/guitarist Steve "Lips" Kudlow [from left to right, above] as a 15-year-old fanboy.

It seemed that there were two kinds of people in attendance last night: those who'd merely heard of the band and vaguely remembered seeing ads for their records in Rip magazine (like me), or the full-blown frizzy-haired old-timers who could actually distinguish the nuances between Anvil's 13-album canon. Yet somehow, after watching the relatively short film (by comparison to, say, Some Kind of Monster) we all became fans of Anvil's story—a tale of dedication, perseverance and blind hope. And let's not forget their boundless love of heavy metal music.

Part Spinal Tap and part buddy comedy on par with anything the Waiting for Guffman ensemble could ever put together (seriously, Robb Reiner has that comedic blank expression down pat), Anvil! The Story of Anvil is both hilarious and hopelessly endearing.

As for Anvil's music? Well, at a time when "neo-thrash" is an actual term, it's hard to understand how bands like Black Tide can reside on a major label (or at least they were the last time I checked) and Anvil be fully shut out of even an indie deal. My suggestion: someone needs to put out a greatest hits retrospective—and, to paraphrase comedian/That Metal Show host Don Jamieson—some of the more famous folks in the documentary should put their money where their mouth is and take Anvil out on tour.

That said, check out a trailer for the film as well as my own crappy video of Anvil performing their seminal hit, "Metal on Metal," at the post-screening show. And go see Anvil! The Story of Anvil immediately.

And yes, Lips is playing slide guitar with a dildo in the clip.

SxSW Countdown

It's 27 degrees in NYC, there's been a dire lack of good shows (though this week's Witch/Earthless/Children and Bloody Panda/Wetnurse extravaganzas might placate me) and I miss actual, good Southern food. Time to head to Texas.

And while this year's SxSW headliners (Metallica, PJ Harvey, Devo) are more nostalgic than cutting edge, there is one party I am most definitely looking forward to: HIGH TIMES' 2009 Doobie Awards show.

OK, technically, you do have to pay to get in—even with a badge—but, what you do get is two stages filled with some amazing bands, FREE beer, and some other fun stuff you know HT wouldn't do without. And, there may just be a surprise or two... the kind of epic, reunion surprise you can definitely brag about and get stoner rock cred for experiencing. Trust.


(CLICK ON THE FLYER FOR LARGER VIEW)

I'll be twittering and blogging for 420.com (HT's "everything but the weed" lifestyle site). Follow me!

New Slayer!!

Just in time for Halloween, here's a streaming version of Slayer's "Psychopathy Red." Opinions? Holler.

Which Is Gayer? Resolves It All

Republicans or Democrats?

Coke or Pepsi?

Boxers or Briefs?

These are the debates that have kept proletariats busy infighting while The Man snuck off and fucked up our financial institutions (only to walk away with a million-dollar bonus). Luckily, I've discovered a Web site that seems to handle all of these trivial arguments for us, so we can all quickly get past our differences and go back to watching Dancing With The Stars.

Behold: Which Is Gayer? This little pink engine that could quickly evaluates two opposing items, and based on some kind of Google-fueled algorithm, let's you know, well... which is gayer. That said, let's put this little baby to use:

Death Angel or Dark Angel?

Hmm... well, that was kind of a gimme... let's see how this works with...

Dragonforce or Liberace?

Well, duh! We might need one more tricky warm-up before I bust out the important questions.

How about... Metallica's Load vs. their Death Magnetic?


OK, enough foreplay: Christianity vs. Judaism?

I guess I did suspect that...

Now, the big question: The Left Wing or the Right?


Cool. Now that that's all settled, how about we work on this damn economy? Will Work For Food.

Metallica's Death Magnetic: A Somewhat Unbiased Review

"Only remember Metallica as they once were..."
—Angel Juarbe


"Listen without prejudice."
—George Michael




There's no doubt about it, along with any new Metallica recording, there will always be the baggage they bring. Like so many '70s and '80s babies, I too fondly remember the glory of Metallica's first three records and their vital importance in turning me into the giant metal nerd I became. But it's a double-edged sword. Sure, they fucked up their own legacy with a streak of crap records (not to mention the vile hypocrisy of suing Napster after spending years publicly crediting their early success to tape trading—which, of course, was the Napster of its time), but its also become an albatross around their neck—albeit a multi-platinum, million-dollar making one.

As a music scribe, I'd like to think I can get past all that and listen to their latest, Death Magnetic, with an open mind (if not extremely lowered expectations), so having put that disclaimer down, here is my song-by-song gut-reaction review of their latest 10-track opus. If you care to play along at home, the boys have also posted more than half of it here.

That Was Just Your Life: Good hook/riff, and it sounds catchy with a vocal inflection that's reminiscent of Justice's "Blackened" days. The drums still sound like crap; at this point in my life, I've come to believe that Lars Ulrich is the Rob Leifeld of drummers. There's also something about James Hetfield's voice that's a little off. Is it the mix? Is it the singing? "I open up just in time to say goodbye" is probably not the best bridge for an opening track.

The End Of The Line: OK, here we go, this song actually evokes the Metallica I grew up listening to. James voice sounds gritty, and there aren't a million intro parts before he kicks in. Still, it's crazy to me that the definition of "heavy" has evolved so much that this track, which could even be a Master outtake (yes, I typed that) has more in common these days with the likes of Disturbed than it does with the elite four thrash acts they were clearly the kings of back in the day. Wait, a slow "singing" part just came in at 6:10, scratch that Master of Puppets comparison, we're back to The Black Album.

Broken, Beat & Scarred: This song is by far my favorite on Death Magnetic. Heavy, with a killer guitar riff that builds up like a tidal wave. Overall, this bitch is a driving force of guitars, half-murky drums and aggressive vocals. Classic Metallica... almost. "We die hard," barks Jaymz. Yeah, no shit. The guitar solo is pretty damn awesome, bass is still absent and pushed totally into the background, but this is definitely the most aggro track.

The Day That Never Comes: This one should've been called "The Hook That Never Comes." I can't believe this is their lead single and video. And chances are, if you're still reading this, then you've probably heard the song already. Next.

All Nightmare Long: Of all the songs, this is the one that's been stuck in my head the most. A pretty good rawk song, with an almost "Enter Sandman"-like intro before it gets heavy—or as heavy as Metallica gets these days—and uses more riffs than needed. Great chorus, "'Cause we'll hunt you down without mercy..." Too bad Hetfield's voice doesn't have the bite to sell it anymore.

Cyanide: Starts off really heavy with Kirk Hammett's signature guitar sound, and shockingly, you can hear bass on it. (Ironically, in my eyes, their newest member, bassist Robert Trujillo is undoubtedly the coolest guy in the band these days and the only one I would love to see play live.) Overall, this one chugs along, but doesn't kill it. At about 4:56, I swear the solo work turns into "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida," but not in a bad way.

The Unforgiven III: Hold up, there was a "The Unforgiven II"? Guess that's what I get for protesting everything after The Black Album. Ignorance is bliss, as they say. This iteration starts off with some strings and piano, very somber for a token ballad but quickly goes downhill. Hetfield's vocals are fucking painful to listen to. Rick Rubin, did you convince him to sing that way? (I'm sorry, Rick. I didn't mean it. You've done more good for my ears than I could ever thank you for properly. Please let me interview you—or even clean your house—one day.) I am tempted to skip ahead to the next track (which I did).

The Judas Kiss: From the opening chords, this has the classic Metallica sound we all fell in love with at one point in our lives, but that love fades fast. I absolutely hate the ill-fitting chorus, and at eight minutes plus, this is also one of the longest songs on here, so it takes its time delving into mediocrity. Oh shit, a hot solo breakdown at the 4:28 mark that continues for over a minute. When it ends, James reminds us, "Judas lives, recite this vow/I've become your new god now." Meh, maybe 20 years ago.

Suicide & Redemption: This is a pretty decent instrumental that doesn't sound all too contrived, but also doesn't showcase a lot of Kirk's signature "wah-wah" sound; in fact I could only identify this as Metallica about six minutes in (it comes in at 9:57). Very meat and potatoes and chunky, but nothing that blows my mind nor makes me want to learn to play guitar just so I can rock out to it properly. I bet that gay-ass ballet troupe would use this in one of their recitals (sorry folks, but ballet is just NOT—nor will it ever be—metal).

My Apocalypse: What starts off kind of average quickly turns into a driving, speedy track where Hetfield delivers one of his better rapid-fire performances. And the drums don't sound like shit... good to close on that note, at least. This song really should've been further up in the sequence. But at least it leaves a pleasant, blood-metallic taste in your mouth.

Closing thoughts: What started out as a fun listen slowly turned into a monotonous exercise, considering more than half of Death Magnetic's songs are longer than seven minutes. At the end of the day, it doesn't restore my faith in the Metal Militia, but it will not go down in history as a St. Anger-type misfire.

At The Gates: Live In NYC - Review

I don't even know why I bothered showering and changing into a dress. Everyone pretty much assumed At The Gates’ first U.S. show this millennium would be a packed, sweaty affair. But neither those folks (like me) who'd experienced their magic before—nor the younger acolytes who know them primarily for their watershed record, Slaughter Of The Soul—expected such a tight first-night performance. Then again, it's not like the five original members have been idle since disbanding in 1996. End result: This was no reunion show, this was a motherfucking powerhouse.

Starting predictably—albeit appropriately—with "Slaughter Of The Soul," lead singer Tomas Lindberg had the crowd at "Go!," and the sold-out audience was soon singing along with the title track's every word. This was followed by a blistering, heavy-handed helping of Soul-shattering songs like "Cold," "Under A Serpent Sun," "Suicide Nation," and anchored by cult faves "Raped By The Light Of Christ," "All Life Ends" and "The Beautiful Wound," that sounded as good—if not better—than they did the first time around.

The thrash metal frenzy only intensified the stifling heat inside the venue and pretty soon it was hard to maintain any kind of composure. By the time ATG launched into the encore, "Blinded By Fear," the crowd was more spent than the legends onstage.

I couldn't even listen to music on the way home. No point. My ears and the rest of my drenched body felt like they were in a post-coital state: sweaty, satisfied and ultimately ready to do it again in a few more hours.

Thanks to Municipal Waste's Tony Foresta for hooking me up at the 11th hour and for the stellar set.

PS: My pic made Brooklyn Vegan. Thanks for the head's up, McNicholas!