Live Concert Review: Marriage at Lamar Dodd Art School

Local Progressive Sludge band Marriage have played in some form for nearly seven years. Led by frontman Josh Wootton, they have consistently featured Ted on bass and Brent Blalock on drums. Over the summer they added local guitar virtuoso Bryan Aiken of Lazer/Wulf and 'Powers to make them a four piece. Their sound has evolved much to becoming less acoustic and more riff based. Live, the songs are much more distorted and intense than on the bands previous three recordings. The show they put on in the Lamar Dodd Art School's main foyer on the UGA Campus was a short term farewell performance. "The band will take some time off," Josh said, "for around three months or so after this."

After a small but dedicated crowd of people had formed, Bryan began playing a dissonant chord rhythm on a twelve string acoustic as he followed Josh who was singing a soulful melody. They strolled up the stairs directly behind where the band was set up and continued to play through the halls of the Art School. Soon there after, Ted emerged with a big blue upright bass which he started to slap an accompanying rhythm on. Brent joined in with brushes on his snare. Ted began to wander as well, and both groups of musicians came and went from the main performance area a couple times. After about five minutes, they came together in the foyer to finish the song.

Their electric set began with an unrecognizable number, probably a new song or a old one that'd been rewritten. Despite the inaudibility of most vocals due to an underpowered PA, their performance was gripping and strong. The riffs seemed especially heavy and I especially enjoyed the song which included the lyrics "land, beast, food!!" screamed multiple times and followed by a slick descending riff. Bryan Aiken did his typical poses and other stage mannerisms as Ted fell to the floor multiple times from the heaviness of the music. Brent's facial expressions as he slammed groove's was like a possessed demon of otherworldly fascination. Josh's performance too was a highlight, as always. He screamed his soulful howl and yet delicately moved the audience with his passion.

The performance was particularly "artsy"- befitting of the venue. The band performed on a large mat of Flagpole Magazines which were taped together at the seams. Most notably were the three square plywood platforms which held clusters of seven receptacles for light bulbs to screw into. One was positioned in front, and the others lined the sides of their Flagpole mat. Between songs they gave bulbs to audience members who screwed them in to light up. By the last song all the bulbs shone in unison like small burning fires. As the set ended, Josh sang into the microphone that same haunting melody and lyric which he'd sang as they were roaming the halls an hour earlier. Then the members of the band took hammers and began smashing the light bulbs. In the final act of their set, Brent smashed a bulb affixed next to his cymbal with a  drum stick.

Marriage are great performers with good song writing skills- thats a hard combo to find. Unfortunately, they have not received the attention of other local acts such as Reptar or Venice Is Sinking. A somewhat erratic schedule of shows and unsolidified membership has until now prevented them from gaining notoriety, but I believe that in their current line-up they have the potential to create even more great music and to explore new sonic realms not before discovered.

Poetry: President of Tar

President of Tar

Damn this tar slick

Germany tomorrow

Apologize to those bastards as well.

Then Japan,

comfort with words there

Why not?

Covers up the burning inside my chest,

like milk over a hot wax candle.

Metal grille bulbs

on short black sticks beg up at

me. Greedy sows at feeding

time.

Before, I was

in the air above zero-point,

chopper blades beat air into mush,

blue on top and bottom… with some black.

A muffled whurr.

Birds

White

Why do I care?

Afterall, I’m not

aware. I sleep on greenbacks.

I’ll burn it off.

Forty foot flames from thirty seven platforms.

Creatures of the sky now will

die. Instead of those beneath waves.

Suck that money

from a million years past.

Harvest the Earth for all its

Worth.

Pipes

prick her like a thousand needles in a Japanese salon.

Make love through her crust.

Deliver me what I’m owed,

then Close the door on your way out.

I’ll rape those reptiles,

the ones that gave their bodies

so I can do 190

in my Corsa Red Ferrari.

Maintain a collection of

140 Nikes.

Have a house built around Kohler faucets.

I want my mile long

landing strip

for a VIP jet with crystal windows and a little golden statue

of myself on its nose.

I want my towers breathing smoke.

I want Horizon pumping juice.

Hello news camera.

“Let me start off by saying,

I’m sorry.”

I originally wrote this as a creative writing assignment. It went through various stages of revisions before I settled on this version. At the time, the BP oil spill was hot in the news, and public sentiment towards the company's president was very poor. Ultimately, previous to my writing of this piece, he resigned. I envisioned this less as a political poem, and more as a character study. Certainly the President of BP isn't this evil, but what if he was? That was the basis for this poem. 

Poetry: From A Journal

It was a Sunday wrecked by rain

and the howl of my neighbor’s miniature

poodle who thought he was a German shepherd.

I found a yellowed journal in the cellar.

A lost toy was dropped down forty years

ago to a grass patch in this cellar.

The blue hair mold rabbit pawed until it had

invaded Jeremiah’s cellar.

This place of grey stones encircled is Stonehenge –

they call it. Have your merry dances around

a “monument” used by sellers.

Green acacia tree’s blossoms fall down on the Shogun’s palace

in mornings of Fall. Frantic children run about

as they are freed from its cellar.

Dust trodden path baked brown

by the sun

carries carts and horse

through my master’s city.

A militant bursts in.

Finds what he needs in the cellar.

American Revolution of blue and red

smothered in smoke from guns.

I remember before, when we’d gather

to play games and drink ‘til dawn in my cellar.

This morning we run forty miles

to what were our father’s hunting grounds.

For lunch is turned milk from a hollowed bull’s horn

kept clean in the hut’s dug-out cellar.

Our clothes are stained in lead from

shooting Ruger pistols too early

this morning. Hope we didn’t wake any Semite’s

still hiding after War in the cellar.

Whatever. You picked your road

now pave it as I lock up in the rain.

Tax dollars by the million sent to reconstruct

our nest now a defunct cellar.

Avoid conquest laughed the dirty man

to my even filthier wife

preparing for sex

as I cowered helpless in a four foot by eight cellar.

Do the dance. Do it NOW!

We won’t leave until I see the twisty-Twist!

Cyclone squabbles all about my head. Nice to see you

teddy bear coiled in the cellar.

The chemo pushed follicles up

from her scalp and took the place of her

skins pigments. I closed my book

of thoughts kept sealed by vice in the cellar.

Originally written for my Creative Writing class in the Summer of 2010, this was a Ghazal style poem at first, but it has since been modified for flow.

Interview: NY Transcendental Black Metalist's Liturgy

After a show at Farm 255, I sat down with drummer Greg Fox and guitarist Hunter Hunt-Hendrix of the Transcendental Black Metal band Liturgy.

Brad: Hi guys, good to meet you. You put on a very interesting show tonight.

Hunter: Thanks man. It’s good to meet you.

Brad: So I noticed a lot of your merchandise has the term “Transcendental Black Metal” printed on it. Can you explain to me what this is as opposed to “regular” Black Metal.

Greg: For me Black Metal was always a really negative term. When I was a kid I used to love the sound of it and the intensity, but I didn’t want to play music that was so dark.

Hunter: Yeah it’s a very mystical type of music. In a way all music is transcendental, but for us, Black Metal is just a way of becoming closer to nature and achieving a sort of mystical ecstasy.

Brad: In your set you played two songs, I believe the third and last, which were very different from the rest. They seemed a lot slower and focused more on riffing than blast beats.

Hunter: Yeah those are new ones we played. Our new stuff is longer and more repetitive. We're trying to hypnotize listener's with the riff.

Brad: So your new record is going to be a lot different from the older ones?

Hunter: Yes. We can’t keep doing the same formula on each album. I mean, the super intense stuff works well for a while, but we need to move on.

Brad: And you have a new album in the works now?

Hunter: Yeah, we've got songs we are working on for a new album.

Brad: So do you guys enjoy touring and writing music full time?

Hunter: Oh yeah, totally. Playing and the creative process are two separate things though, but we enjoy them both.

Live Show Review: Liturgy with Geisterkatzen at Farm 255

On Sunday November 14th New York Black Metal band Liturgy performed with Athens locals Geisterkatzen at Farm 255 in Athens, GA. The night was filled with noise and brutal beauty.

Geisterkatzen were first to perform. Consisting of guitar, drums, synth, saxophone, keyboards, and voice, the group’s name literally means “ghost cat” in German. Each member wore an identical white cat mask during the set. Combined with the ghostly sound of theremin and droning bass feedback, the cute masks were somehow made menacing. Their set consisted of two songs, each building from a simple keyboard drone, adding instruments, and crescendoing to a raucous jam. At the peak of volume drummer William Kennedy tortured his kit with mad thwaps in no predictable fashion. He was like a windmill flailing about the thing and coming up from his seat in agitation multiple times. He could hardly contain himself, while the rest of the band stood their stoically staring from beneath the cat masks. Low saxophone, squirrelly theremin, blaring keyboards, a synthesized guitar sounding like a space organ, and a steady bass line created a huge, but audible crust. For thirty minutes they deconstructed music to it’s most primitive form: sheer noise. They are one of my favorite local Athens bands.

After wheeling in their drumset, bass amp, and two guitar amps, Liturgy began their set. From the get go they wasted no time in spraying high frequency notes. I had expected blast beats and double picked riffs, but they were different. Drummer Greg Fox’s drumming technique was impeccable. He easily moved between different styles of blast and grind within songs. Watching his left hand on the snare, I saw that his arm and palm barely moved. With the mere flick of his middle and ring fingers he could send the drumstick down to the drum head at speeds which made it nearly invisible. He was cool and relaxed though their entire set and seemed to exert little energy in creating such extreme sounds.

Although it took me a second to adjust to the breakneck tempos, by the second song I began to understand what their self incurred moniker of “Transcendental Black Metal” meant. Within the buzzing terror of their sound existed beautiful chords and harmonic dissonance. Despite blast beats, harsh tone, and screeched vocals, the sounds beneath the surface were delicate and touching. They were blissful, happy, and hopeful. Somehow, Liturgy infused beauty into the chaotic noise of Black Metal. Frontman Hunter Hunt-Hendrix’s unchanging, serene facial impression only furthered the effect.

Their third song began with technical failures from bassist Tyler Dusenbury’s amp. Apparently a speaker had been blown (a recurring problem for him I later came to find). Thankfully, a member of Geisterkatzen came to the rescue with a spare cabinet. The song began with a distorted bass line which turned over several times before being joined by drums. The rhythm remained slow and subdued - a stark contrast to the previous songs-and guitars eventually joined to double the riff. For the first time in their set the twin guitars rung together on unison chords of a riff and created a stereoscopic effect within the room. Greg’s drumming in this song impressed me again with groovy combos and speedy yet simplistic tom-tom fills.

Another song, their last, matched this hypnotic groove and likewise was completely instrumental. The two songs were favorites of mine, but their speedier ones were equally entrancing in their own ways. Hunter’s complex and unusual fingerings of the guitar tended to spider their way down the high strings of the neck as he strummed at a lighting pace. After their set, the band had introduced a crowd of strangers to Transcendental Black Metal and, hopefully, garnered some new fans.

Interview: Joe Preston of Thrones

At a recent show at The Caledonia Lounge in Athens, GA, I sat down with Joe Preston, performing that night as the solo act, Thrones, for a brief interview touching on musical theory and the future of Thrones. Preston is best known for his early work with Earth, the Melvins, and more recently with Sunn O))), High On Fire, and Harvey Milk.

Brad Olsen: Hi Joe, it’s good to meet you. You’re performing tonight as your solo act, Thrones. Does being a one-man-band have many benefits?

Joe Preston: Yeah. In a way it lets me express myself without limits.

Brad Olsen: You play bass as well as sing live. Do you write your own lyrics?

Joe Preston: My “lyrics” are all stream of consciousness. I just say whatever feels natural. Of course, after performing night after night, a lot of the same stuff tends to get repeated.

Brad Olsen: Who were some of your earliest influences?

Joe Preston: Oh I was into all the usual stuff. Kiss, Alice Cooper. But I wouldn’t say it shows in my playing too much. Too many bands try hard to imitate the stuff they like. I don’t wanna be like anybody else. I don’t categorize myself into any genre because my influences are so broad.

Brad Olsen: How often do you write? Any new music in the works?

Joe Preston: I used to ferociously, but not so much anymore. I just released “Wage War” [a 7” on Conspiracy records] this year and I’ve got a split with Sedan, a band from Washington [state] coming soon.

Brad Olsen: It’s all written and recorded?

Joe Preston: I’m done with the recording and sequencing. I just need to mix it and then it’ll be released.

CD Review: Colossus - ...And The Rift of The Pan-Dimensional Under-gods

The Raleigh, North Carolina band Colossus’ debut album was released this year on the German label Killer Metal Records. Having been together for around five years, the music has had plenty of time to develop and mature to its current incarnation on … And The Rift of The Pandimensional Under-Gods. Spanning eleven songs, the album is an exciting throwback to the riffs of early Iron Maiden and post-British Steel Judas Priest. They are fast and have a highly nostalgic quality thanks to guitarists Nick Nixon and Bill Fischer’s faithful yet inventive dueling riffs. Truly, the guitar work here is the utmost standout. The solos shred, yet carry constant melody. The riffs are ever-dispersed by rhythm changes and interjected with bits of lead harmony. Song such as “Limit Break,” “Hoc’Tel,” and “Bubba Zanetti” feature some of the albums finest riffs and solos. Vocalist Sean Buchannan’s vocals are also a highlight. His high tenor vocals are akin to those of Wolfmother and Coheed & Cambria (but his are more 80’s arena than 70’s glam). The album’s lyrics are mostly drawn from pop-culture sources, sometimes in a comical way. “Limit Break” is a term from Final Fantasy 7, “The Message” is based on The Day The Earth Stood Still, and the album’s 10 minute epic, “Willow,” is based on a 1988 Ron Howard film of the same name. Great production, ingenuitive riffing, catchy melodies, and good dynamic variety keeps Colossus first album from loosening its grip on listeners, whilst also saving it from being a mediocre rehash of NWOBHM. Instead, it is a genuine tribute, and re-envisioning, of that great era in metal music. 

There are downsides to Collosus’ distinctly throwback sound. At its core, the sound has already been done to death, and in order to survive as artists they must become more progressive on future releases. As an Iron Maiden fan myself, it’s great to relive these awesome tones, because they are in a way timeless. But rarely have bands with a sound so ingrained in a single artist (or group of artists) survived past their second album (see Wolfmother, Jet, and The Darkness).

All in all, Colossus’ first album is a complex throwback record with strong ties to early Iron Maiden. Although these strong ties make for an exciting listen, they throw a shadow of doubt over whether the band can pull influence from other artists and create work which is more diverse in scope, and more conducive to their longevity as a band. 

Tracklist:

1.      Limit Break

2.      The Message

3.      Salamandrastron

4.      One Was Man

5.      Willow

6.      Ghost Fucker

7.      Bubba Zanetti

8.      Legends of The Future

Devilneck and work In progress

The Devilneck Metal Fest was yesterday and Friday and I was there for almost every band. In fact, I only missed one: the first, Utah. So I'm really tired right now and don't even know where to begin with writing an article about all the crazy stuff I witnessed. But I've got lots of material to work with including interviews with Marriage, Wizard Smoke, Shark Heart, Stone Mountain Freeway, Colossus, and Rwake, as well as CD's from Colossus, Armazilla, and Utah to review. I'm also going to write an article which reviews the whole event, although not in any great detail. Just a summation of the fest's highlight moments. 

Articles to expect:
Rwake Interview - script (The Silver Tongue)
Colossus Interview - summary (The Silver Tongue)
Marriage Concert Review + some interview (WUOG blog)
CD Review: Colossus - ...And The Rift of The Pandimensional Under-Gods (WUOG rotation)
CD Review: Colossus - Drunk on Blood EP (WUOG rotation)
CD Review: Utah - ...uhhh, I can't read it. (WUOG blog)
CD Review: Armazilla - Texas Weed (WUOG blog)
Devilneck Metal Fest Review (The Silver Tongue)

Not Devilneck:
Super Cluster - Live In The Lobby concert review (WUOG blog)

Poetry - Coffins Across From Grady

Coffins Across From Grady

A boom-saw clatter sent

large limb clusters to

asphalt hidden by the hill.

                At 10:05

                people left

                the emptied halls of Ta…

    Fate.

Across from Grady –

littered between

stones, groomed stalks

of grass tickle

sneakers

and enshrine stone slabs –

They’ve gathered

to sift words soft in the air.

The school’s false monument

with its smooth tops,

graveled edges, and perfect little

squares built in the ground

around like coffins

with their ghouls

on top.

Alive and not –

                Wake Up!

But they’d just sit there

dead on the coffins.

As the hollowed

husk’s of

sarcophagus.

Like walnuts rolling

in a football helmet.

And I was one

of them.

Waiting for a hand

to send me around again

and come out that hole

where the ear

should be.

They

stopped to look

at some pile

of grey

smeared on the

ground. And they would

drop their

eyes and slight their

heads

only to

keep walking.

By Brad Olsen

Sptember 29, 2010

Hindsight

As I look back somewhat, I realize that I should not play sets which are an hour and ten minutes long. As a new artist, and regardless of my large catalog of music, I should understand that an audience of unknowing people do not want to hear me play for any extreme length of time. They do not know my songs and are probably apprehensive as it is about staying in a hot lounge atmosphere for a one-man band. With this in mind, from now on I will bee keeping my sets to a maximum of 45 minutes with between 4 and 6 songs each set. If I start garnering a following I will begin to play more, but the bottom line is that I want venue owners and audiences to WANT to hear me again. Why would they want to hear me again if I play all my material in one night? What is there to come back for? Unless they REALLY enjoyed watching me play for an hour and a half alone on a stage (and believe me, I know I am incredibly sexy) I would be playing to an audience who was leaving as soon as they walked in the door.

End transmission...

Live Review - Sunspots at WUOG Live In The Lobby

Artist: Sun Spots
Venue: WUOG Lobby
Date: September 7, 2010

Setlist:
1. Relative Patterns
2. Bones
3. Rest Yr Brain
4. Collectin' Specimens
5. Chambers of The Sea


Sun Spots went on at a little after eight, subsequent to the WUOG Informational session held upstairs in the Tate center. Their first song, “Relative Patterns,” was loud and energetic, immediately filing the small WUOG Lobby with resonant volume. Unfortunately, technical problems early on prevented lead singer and guitarist Will Weber’s voice from being heard until the next song. Their second song, “Bones,” wasn’t too different from their first. The drums cracked and cymbals shattered while bassist Will Cantrells homemade speaker cabinet woofed over them. Weber’s simple guitar lines moved up and down the fretboard in quick but groovy patterns and provided a base for his high, almost screamed, falsetto vocals to dance on top. Meanwhile, Ryan Houchen’s bursting, at times over the top, drum fills evoked intensity reminiscent of Keith Moon and complemented the energetic vocals of Weber. At one point during their third song, “Rest Yr Brain,” which featured a nasally, distorted keyboard in place of guitar, Cantrell struggled to keep up with the drummers stampede-pace and casually leaned over to tell him “Slow it down.”  He got the message and the rest of the song moved at a more leisurely pace.

None the less, it was an energetic performance from a band whose sound is both loud and likable.  I look forward to hearing more from them in the future.

Sun Spots play with The Caste on September 25^th at New Earth Music Hall. 

 

CD Review: The Sword - Warp Riders

Artist: The Sword
Album: Warp Riders
Year: 2010
Stars: 4/5

Musically, the album has many positive factors. Most notably is the improved production. Thankfully, The Sword decided to work with a producer this time who does a much better job at mixing the vocals and drums than on previous releases. In addition, the bands musicianship seems to have improved. Drummer Trivett Wingo is much less focused on constant cymbal thrashing and more on creating groovy rhythms. The twin guitars are also utilized highly effectively. Songs like “Tres Brujas,” “Night City,” and “The Chronomancer I: Hubris” display best the bands new hard rock oriented sound. That’s not to say they’ve lost their edge, however. The albums two instrumentals, “Acheron/Unearthing The Orb,” and “Astrea’s Dream” are as heavy as anything they’ve done previously and the latter even showcases a bit of influence from Metallica.

However, there is some bad in this album. Unfortunately, It has not lived up to the full potential I had hoped it would due in most part to a lack of originality. Some reviewers have said that the first and second halves don’t match up very well. I have to disagree with this, I believe that they DO match up well, but that neither has any tracks with the staying power of those on their first album. In the case of The Swords third album, experimentation has backfired slightly and caused the group to loose its focus on writing heavy music. Sure, hard rock can be heavy, but this album with such a great concept and so much potential just falls far from what it could have been. Most notably on songs such as “Tres Brujas,” “Night City,” and “(The Night the Sky Cried) Tears of Fire” which seem like mindless rehashes of one another.

In summation, Warp Riders has its stand out moments and a great sci-fi concept behind it, but the songs are not original or ground-breaking enough to have any long lasting effect on listeners.

 
Tracklist:
1. Acheron/Unearthing The Orb
2. Tres Brujas
3. Arrows in the Dark
4. The Chronomancer I: Hubris
5. Lawless Lands
6. Astraea's Dream
7. The Warp Riders
8. Night City
9. The Chronomancer II: Nemesis
10. (The Night The Sky Cried) Tears of Fire

Track Picks:
1. The Chronomancer II: Nemesis
2. Lawless Lands
3. The Warp Riders

For more info on teh Sci-Fi narrative behind the album, check out www.swordofdoom.com/

Top 10 HEAVIEST Albums - Pt. 3

I'll try to make this brief, because lets be honest, what can I say that hasn't already been said about this band and these two albums?


2. Black Sabbath - Master of Reality - This album for me was a personal awakening for me as a musician and music lover. The tones, the innovations in guitar playing, everything combined perfectly on this album to create a timeless classic.

Chill Factor: Into The Void



1. Black Sabbath - Paranoid - Yes, I concede. Paranoid is better than Master of Reality. I say this because Paranoid not only provides more music, but also more memorable tunes. Not only that, some tracks like Iron Man, War Pigs, and Paranoid have suffered severe radio overplay through the years and have still managed to stand the test of time and be engaging to this day.

Chill Factor: The bridge of War Pigs is especially chilling and is one of Iommi's all time classic riffs.

Top 10 HEAVIEST Albums - Pt. 2

Disclaimer: As with most of the stuff I post here, these entries are basically unrevised, so be prepared for numerous typos and the generally discordant nature of my writing.


5. Sad Wings of Destiny - Judas Priest - The second album from metal gods JP, released in 1976 is considered by many to be the bands magnum opus. It is certaintly the bands most concept driven and singular in focus, with the unfortunate exception of Nostradamus, bleh. Halford's voice never sounded so good, the guitars are supremely raw, and the mix is incredible for its time. Shorter songs like "Tyrant," "Genocide," and the ever classic "The Ripper," give the album the bulk of it's rockingness, but it's the epics which to me truly stand out. "Victim of Changes" and "Dreamer Deceiver" showcase Hal;fords almighty male soprano vocal range and introduced the world to some of its first heavy metal riffage. Taken straight out of the book of Sabbath, the riffs are simple and heavy, yet devoid of Sabbath's bluesier tendencies. What makes this album better than the more popular Stained Class, British Steel, Screaming For Vengeance, and Painkiller? It's the staying power of the songs. Unfortunately, Priest tended to begin repeating themselves somewhat on later releases, and just generally wrote songs which were less memorable than on Sad Wings. This album is full of memorable riffs, lyrics, vocals, and because of this, it is a classic album which will not soon be forgotten.

Tracklist:*
1. Prelude
2. Tyrant
3. Genocide
4. Epitaph
5. Island of Dominaton
6. Victim Of Changes
7. The Ripper
8. Dreamer Deceiver
9. Deceiver

Chill Factor: This album is full of memorable, chill inducing moments. Most of tehm, however, come thanks to Rob Halford's ungodly vocal performance. Th extent of his range is better exhibited on this album than on any other. listening to "Island of Domination," one can hear him bellowing low raspy notes like Gene Simmons, where as on sings like "The Ripper," his voice is unleashed in a hellish Siren's scream. He hits notes most women couldn't. it gives me chills just writing about it. Truly, he is the greatest vocalist metal has ever seen. To me, teh best example of this, and winner fo the CF award, is "Dreamer Deceiver-Deceiver." The gradual buildup leading to the most explosive high notes Halford has ever sung cement this as one of my all-time favorite Priest songs. His ability to hit these notes, along with his ability to sustain them, is what most amazes me. This album is full of that like no other album since, and as his vocal ability is the most impressive feature of the band, this album which exhibits it at its best must be their heaviest.

*This is the original tracklisting from the LP release. This is how the band intended the album to be heard, but the record label screwed up and reversed Side A and B of the LP on subsequent releases.



4. Dopesmoker - Sleep - Enough with albums that are over thirty years old, right? Well, although California stoner trio Sleep's Dopesmoker was released just seven years ago in 2003, its style adn approach to riffing is straight out of early 1970's Sabbath. Typical Sab worshipers as they are, Sleep used the advance check received from their record label to purchase stack of green amps and green stacks of another kind. As a result, the band delved deeper into their collective conscious and created the greatest single song epic ever created. Consisting of one 63 minute song, Dopesmoker is a plodding journey through a world where Sabbath is God and the bong is christ. although I personally do not smoke, this album spoke to me when I heard it. it took time, however. At first, I did not understand. All I heard was huge fuzzed out bass, repetitive drums, and monotonous vocals. After a few subsequent listens, though, I gained a respect for it and have since come to love everything about it. The guitar tone is chief amongst all here. A combination of distorted bass and guitar both running full stacks of vintage Orange amplification. The fuzzy power has yet to be surpassed in my book as far as sheer beauty in volume is concerned. Slower than anything that Sabbath ever did, but still true to their original intention of painting a world where the bong and guitar are objects to be worshiped, Sleep with their masterpiece of Dopesmoker have effectively written and closed the book on stoner-doom heaviness.

Tracklisting (as if one were necessary):
1. Dopesmoker
2. Sonic Titan (live)

Chill Factor: Surprisingly, although this album is number six on the list, it is much less rich with CF's than previous entries. However, its cohesiveness and indomitable flow more than make up for this. I mean, for God's sake, It's one song! How can it not flow? That aside, there are two moments that tend to induce a bit of a chill. The first is about ten minutes in when teh first vocal line is sung. Out of a mass of slowly evolved riffing, Al's voice erupts with the unforgettable words; "Drop out of life with bong in hand. Follow the smoke to-uh the riff-filled land." Second, is the bridge which presents an extreme contrast to the rest of the song with its clean picked guitar and faded out rhythm section. After about thirty minutes of mind numbing riff cycles, it is a welcome break and reassures the listener that they are listening to something magical. I suppose a third CF could be when the song is over after 63 minutes. Because by this point you are so engulfed in the song that you are willing to go wherever it takes you next, and before you know it, it has left your speakers. The journey is over and you are left paralyzed on the floor trying to comprehend what just happened to your ear drums. How can you ever listen to music the same way again? How can you ever write music the same way again? Should you just give up on writing new material since the best has obviously already been written? Sweet Leaf on steroids, Dopesmoker is the heaviest thing a so-called stoner-doom band has ever created.



3.  The Bees Made Honey In The Lion's Skull - Earth - I only bought this album by Earth about three months ago, but It has changed my life. It is beautiful in every sense of the word. The layers of mellow guitars, slow drums, and droning bass paint an image of life and the Earth in a listeners mind. Everytime I listen to this song, it makes me feel good. It mekes me feel like everything is going to be okay, as if nothing in the world could hurt me, and even if it did, it wouldn't be that big of a deal. Topped off by the best album art I have ever seen, created by master Arik Roper, this album has effectively changed my view of the world, of nature, of people, and of music. I cannot say enough about how beautiful the lyric-less images this album paints are. Relying on instruments alone to create this masterpiece only furthers my respect for band mastermind Dylan Carlson. It is similar to Dopesmoker in that one cannot again listen to music the same after hearing it, but The Bees Made Honey is superior due to being less indebted to the previous works of Black Sabbath and more to the sheer inspiration of being alive and appreciating life and the Earth. This is not stoner or doom. It is something new, and different. Something that will enver happen again and could never be imitated. Unlike Sabbath who's influence will always be felt, Earth will forever be trapped in the underground, but this album will not disappear. It will remain serving as a testament to the beauty that still does exist within this world. This album is not heavy because of distorted guitars, screamed vocals, or being rooted int eh heavy metal principles defined by Sabbath. No, it is a new kind of heavy. the kind of heavy that can only be experienced by delving deep within the realms of mind and allowing yourself to become one with the rest of the world. It's heavy because its something unheard of and powerful. The kind of powerful that simply crushes anything else to seem mediocre in comparison. Its not heavy metal, its heavy MUSIC.

Trackilst:
1. Omens and Portents I: The Driver
2. Rise to Glory
3. Miami Morning Coming Down II (Shine)
4. Engine of Ruin
5. Omens and Portents II: Carrion Crow
6.  Hung from the Moon
7. The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull

Chill Factor: As with Dopesmoker, on this album there really isn't any one CF. Instead, the albums greatness is in its flow and infinite cohesiveness. By playing the album on a loop, it almost sounds like a single beautiful song, which is not a bad thing in this case. Each song is different, but is perfectly interluded by the previous. Dylan Carlsons Hendrix-like effects on "Engine of Ruin" are definitely a highlight, however.


More to come...

Top 10 HEAVIEST Albums - Pt. 1

This is my list of top 10 HEAVIEST albums of all time. This list is of course just based on my own opinion, and being that my music collection is still growing it cannot be completely accurate. In order to be recognized on the list, the albums must feature at least one of two qualities:

1st: Every song must be as good as the last. No "fillers" here.
2nd: The "chill factor" - This is when a song or series of songs is so heavy that it gives you chills at some point while listening to it.

10. Black Sabbath - Sabbath Bloody Sabbath - To their credit, pretty much the first five Sabbath albums could have been used to fill this list, but that would be to discredit the hordes of competent metal bands to be influenced by them and create incredible music of their own. The fifth, and at the time most progressive album yet by the band, features all time classics such as the title track, "A National Acrobat," and "Sabbra Cadabra." Yes, Vol. 4 has just as many, and more awesome tracks, but it also has much more filler making it overall a weaker full album effort.

Chill factor: "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath," the albums title track and opening song takes the cake here. Its two main riffs are some of the heaviest Tony Iommi ever produced.
 

Tracklist:
1. Sabbath Bloody Sabbath

2. A National Acrobat
3. Fluff
4. Sabbra Cadabra
5. Killing Yourself To Live
6. Who Are You? (ugh... yes, this is the sole filler)
7. Looking For Today
8. Spiral Architect
 

9. Judas Priest - Stained Class - Better than the Sab's fifth album, you ask? Yes. This is why; as proliferate early followers of Sabbath, tehy took the heavy riffage of Iommi and induced a mettalic sound into it which would come to be staple with bands such as Metallica, Iron Maiden, and many others. Well, this is the album where they defined that sound. This is the album that "standardized" heavy metal and effectively defined its future as a genre. No, the songs aren't as memorable as some of the bands later offerings, but the album as a whole carries its momentum from each one to another which creates an incredibly exciting listening experience. Indeed, maybe this is why the opening song is titled "Exciter."

Tracklist:
1. Exciter
2. White Heat, Red Hot
3. Better By You, Better Than Me
4. Stained Class
5. Invader
6. Saints In Hell
7. Savage
8. Beyond The Realms of Death
9. Heroe's End

Chill Factor: Well... there really isn't one. I guess I'd have to say the whole album. Halford hits some seriously high notes here, but they are not as upfront and glorified as on Sad Wings of Destiny.



8. High On Fire - Snakes For The Divine - Although they may never receive the credit they are due, High On Fire is by far THE heaviest band to his the metal scene int eh past ten years. In making this statement, however, it brings into the question of what makes a band "Heavy." In my terms, a "heavy" band knows their influences and respects the classics, but not only do they respect the classics, but they somehow incorporate bits of their style into their own to create something which is truly unique, and original, while still showing evidence of being influenced by those who came before. High On Fire does this with flying colors, and nowhere is it more evident than on their latest album, Snakes For The Divine. Here, Sabbath and Maiden are the most obvious influences, but who better? Probably, the two greatest bands in history come together in the form of one band. Why is this better than Sabbaths fifth, and Priest's metallic revolution? Because it is more consistent through out. Unlike the a fore mentioned, Snakes For The Divine has no filler and doesn't give in to influences outside heavy metal to create its heavy sound. It is firmly rooted in the sounds that metal was founded upon, but takes those sounds to new places which are somehow unexpected and refreshing. Not to mention, the mix on this album is heavier than on any other in the list.

Tracklist:*
1. Snakes For The Divine
2. Frost Hammer
3. Bastard Samurai
4. Ghost Neck
5. The Path
6. Fire, Flood & Plague
7. How Dark We Pray
8. Holy Flames of The Fire Spitter

Chill Factor: Right out of the gate, the titIe track features one of the heaviest riffs Matt Pike has written. Coming in right around six minutes in, the chugging progression is reminiscent of the bridge riff from "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath," but doesn't quite stick around long enough to induce quite as intense a reaction. The real prize goes to "Bastard Samurai." It is the heaviest song High On Fire have ever written and features the most apocalyptic riff Matt Pike has ever played. The build up form the restrained verses into the repetition of this riff overlapped by Matt's howling scream induces chills every time I hear it. "How Dark We Pray" also induces shills with its long strings of laid back death metal riffing, if such a thing existed.

*I should probably also give this album an award for Heaviest Track Titles.

 

 

7. Iron Maiden - The Number of The Beast -The bands first album with Bruce Dickinson - yes, "THE Bruce Dickinson." SNL satire aside, it is considered by many fans and critics to be the bands best overall effort. From first song "Invaders" to what would become the proto-typical album ending epic, "Hallowed Be Thy Name," this album is absolutely spine crushing. For the first in this list, every song is a classic in its own right. Decently catchy chorus lines blend seamlessly with over the top guitars and a characteristic galloping drum section to define the unique Iron Maiden sound that so many wish they had come up with.  If Priest's Stained Class defined the sound, The Number of The Beast defined the style. Metal would not be the same after this album dropped, but Maiden weren't finished yet redefining the genre...

Tracklist:
1. Invaders
2. Children of The Damned
3. The Prisoner
4. 22 Acacia Avenue
5. The Number of The Beast
6. Run To The Hills
7. Gangland
8. Hallowed Be Thy Name

Chill Factor: There's at least two chill factors on this album. The first is "Children of The Damned." Almost a take on the Sab's "Children of The Grave," and later, "Children of The Sea." This song features an incredible chorus line by Bruce and a classic 80's metal riff beneath which adds to the epic atmosphere. This song, rather than opener, "Invader's," sets the tone for the album: epic, glorious, take no prisoners. The second CF award goes to the all time classic album closer "Hallowed Be Thy Name." A famous magazine has placed this song at the top of their Best Metal Songs of All Time list, and for good reason. The epic sound hinted are earlier in songs such as "Children of The Damned," is brought forth in full glory. The band pulls itself in more directions than on any song previous and succeeds in dropping jaws with their heavy metal prowess. Despite its somewhat experimental and self-indulgent nature, the song is held together by an extremely heavy and classic riff which ties the song into the album and keeps the listener from being turned off.



6. Iron Maiden - Powerslave - Like the previous entry, this album by Iron Maiden features no filler. It is balls to the wall from track one til the end. However, this album see's the band pulling tehmselves apart to find new sounds even  more so. In fact, the previous' epic album closer, "Hallowed Be Thy Name" would probably be more at home amongst these tracks. Vocally, Bruce doesn't really go in any new directions, but Adrianne and Dave's guitar work by this album had improved massively since The Number of The Beast and effectively established them as the torch holders for dueling guitar work.

Tracklist:
1. Aces High
2. Two Minutes To Midnight
3. Losfer Words (Big 'Orra)
4. Flash of The Blade
5. The Duellists
6. Back In The Village
7. Powerslave
8. Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner

Chill Factor: As a fellow guitar player, I am happy to present this honor to the dual guitar work of Adrian Smith and Dave Murray for their incredible leads on Flash of The Blade and The Duellists, but more specifically on Flash of The Blade. After maybe two verses of Bruce singing, the band goes off on a tangent and leaves any formal structure behind. Instead, the twin guitars are unleashed in a primal fury as dueling serpents trying to tear each other apart. Eventually, drums and bass leave them and three guitar harmonize gracefully, yet with an underlying sense of trying to destroy one another before Bruce's voice returns to sing  a chorus line. To date, this is the most incredible and original "breakdown" I have ever heard.


To be continued...

Musical Philosophy, pt. 1

There's so many styles of music. Thousands, almost as many as there are religions. That's basically what my music is to me right now. Its my passion, my love, its a lot like a religion. If I drive somewhere, there is always music on. And not just some crap from the radio. I've got my ipod plugged in and I can jam to any of the thousands of songs lucky enough to make it onto a playlist. I appreciate each song on my pod for a different reason. They all absorb into my psyche and some of them even make it into my own songs.

Yeh, thats right. I rip off the music I listen to all the time. Rarely am I conscious of it at first, but as I go along, adding parts, modifying riffs, layering melodies, I almost always begin to realize that I have stolen ideas or borrowed sounds. But never without my own twist! To swipe a riff without making it your own would be blasphemy, but to re-envision, fusing genres and creating your own is to be great.

Recently, I ripped off Led Zeppelin's "When The Levee Breaks" and fused it with a bit from Gojira's "Ocean Planet." I had no idea at the time, but after playing ti over a few times I realized what I had done; bluegrass meets death metal. Not necessarily the first song I've done like this, but this one is certainly the most refined example to date.

While working on my Creative Writing Manifesto tonight, I noticed a passage in my textbook about "the zone." Right, like when an athlete say "I'm in the zone"  after getting a touchdown, or a basket, or whatever the hell since I really don't care about sports. Its the same for a writer and for a music head such as myself. Yesterday around noon I began working on this unique instrumental bluegrass-death metal song, and before I knew it, 14 hours had passed. It was 2 a.m. and the days event had completely passed me by. Yes I had eaten dinner, and yes I had even found time for a work out, but all these activities were done in a zombie-like state. I was there, but I wasn't really there. In my head I was writing riffs, rearranging older ones, and silently listening to the whole song on a loop.

Unlike other lesser artists, however, I'm not just going to publish the "its not done yet, but I just had to get it out of my head so here it is tell me what you think"-version. I won't apologize for this; I look down on people who call themselves musicians and don't put all their effort into everything that they do musically. They'd rather give 50% of their effort now and wait for when they're in a band or when people are around to watch to give it there all. When I write a song I dedicate myself to it. It becomes a part of me and often times I can't play or listen to anything else until every aspect of it is complete. I wont publish a song in any version until it is a version that I have spent a lot of time perfecting to a finished form. By doing this, I can make good songs that are original and make me proud. After all, shouldn't being proud of my work be all that matters? Making music that has heart and a piece of me in it is what I live for.

Like the many great artists before me, I won't stop despite being beat down. I'll always look for ways to improve myself and make my music better. The more I like my music the more others will. That is my philosophy; or at least one part of it.Musical

CD Review - Gojira

Artist: Gojira
Album: From Mars To Sirius
Year: 2006

I picked this CD up the other day at FYE. I had my first introduction to the French band Gojira at last years Metallica show in Atlanta, GA, where they were an opener before Lamb of God. Most of their songs were to me quite boring and hard to grasp in a live setting, but a few stood out and hinted that they might be a great band to get into. So when I went to the store and saw this disc with its awesome album artwork (created by guitarist / vocalist Joe Duplantier) featuring a cosmic whale drifting away from two mysterious planets, I knew I couldn't put it off buying it any longer.

First off, I always feel its good to classify a band into a genre (or several genres) to have some perspective. I would say that Gojira are influenced by typical mainstream metal acts as other reviews have suggested (Messhugah and Tool), but their sound also shows influence by more underground or less accessible acts such as prog-rockers Mastodon and Polish black metal bands like Behemoth. They fall somewhere between prog, post, and death/black metal. They feature all of the atmospherics of post metal, the non-traditional structures of prog, and the brutal pounding of death which gives them a very unique fusion sound which is original and refreshing.

This third album from the band is full of all these qualities as well as others. Opener "Ocean Planet" is probably my favorite song with its seamless transitions from brutal metal riffings to airy chord passages. Joe Duplantier is the obvious leader of the band and most likely contributes most of the songs riffs and structures. His voice is piercing and soulful, yet has a huge amount of energy to progress the songs and keep vocal passages from becoming stagnant. On this album there are screams, growls, yells, and even clean vocals. His ability to tackle all of these styles is very impressive. Then there's the riffs. They are heavy, technical, and original. Again, think black metal meets prog. The super heavy evil riffage is constantly being interlaced with beautiful strummed, arpeggiated, or picked passages building into a dense amalgam of sonic cloud swirling around the listeners head ("Ocean Planet," "Unicorn," "World To Come," "From Mars - To Sirius"). In addition to singing and playing, Joe also takes on the task of mixing the album. Although letting a member of the recorded band handle mixing can sometimes backfire, in this case it works. The drums have plenty of punch, the vocals sit right where they need to be, and the guitars have lots of dynamics and clarity.

There's plenty to be said of how good the album is, but I have my complaints. Mainly, the drummer is not on par with the songwriting skill of Joe Duplantier. I am just assuming that Joe writes most of these songs, but the drummer relenquishes to playing double bass or blast beats over many of his more complex riffs. The cymbal work is great, sure, but the kick drum is one of the most important factors in any type of rock music. Especially so in a band with very complex riffing that needs some kind of of bass drum pump to keep it moving. Rather than complimenting the riffs with rhythmically challenging foot work,  the drummer here would prefer to fall back on rhythms that have been done a thousand times before. He uses his kick drum as a fourth instrument playing something totally different from the others and keeps the songs from being as original as they could. Dont get me wrong, the drums aren't all bad, and this guy obviously has some technical skill (See the opener and "World To Come" as evidence), but he still holds a band that could be great from their ultimate potential.

Final Verdict:
4/5 Stars
An album full of sonic variety, progressive structures, brutal riffing, excellent musicianship from Joe Duplantier, and an original approach. However, the band is plagued by sub par drumming which is a constant drag to the songs power and originality.

Track Picks:
Ocean Planet
Where Dragons Dwell
In The Widerness


Track List:
1. Ocean Planet
2. Backbone
3. From The Sky
4. Unicorn
5. Where Dragons Dwell
6. The Heaviest Matter In The Universe
7. Flying Whales
8. In The Wilderness
9. World To Come
10. From Mars
11. To Sirius
12. Global Warming

First Gig Reflections

I played my first paying gig at Bouchez Bar & Grill in Warner Robins, GA last night. I got there around eight or so and with the excellent help of my roadie, Kevin Tuttle, I was set up and ready to go by 9:30. Unfortunately, it was another 30 minutes before I started my set which was plagued by several  foul ups.

First off, just let me say that I am absolutely my biggest critic. I'll be the first to criticize other peoples work, but I'm no hypocrite. I judge myself just as harshly and to teh same standard. The main problem was with my backing tracks. For some reason, despite having decent monitors to mix them through and spending hours upon hours fine tuning, certain critical elements were lost in the live mix. Most noticeably was the absence of bass guitar. NONE of the songs had any audible sign of having a bass guitar. This especially affected "The Judge" and "Zombie Hunter" which feature bass only sections. Another unfortunate symptom was the reduced volume, and in some instances, complete absence, of intro tracks and samples. My opening music for "The Drone Machine" had very low volume, while the rest of the song was fine. The intermission track, "Voices," was missing its synth track and all of the overlapped voice parts. All that remained was the incredibly loud guitar feedback. Finally, and most tragically, "The New Gods of The Galaxy," one of my favorite songs, was missing the voice over by Optimus prime during the bridge refrain and interlude to the final verse. Typically, Optimus' voice would come in and say "My name is Optimus Prime. We are autonomous robotic organisms from the planet cybertron," and then  "Autobots, roll out!."  Every time I play this song, I get goose bumps during that part, and it was a major disappointment for them to be cut out.

As far as drums went, the cymbals and snare were very pronounced and made it quite easy for me to stay in time. But the kick drum was utterly lost and for some reason the toms were the louder than everything else. Anyways, the most likely culprit for all these problems was a compressor or gate being placed somewhere in the signal chain. If I would have thought of it earlier in the set maybe I would have said something and got it fixed. I see this as a learning experience and next time I will take a more hands on approach to the soundcheck.

On the bright side, I nailed several songs and got a good amount of applause after each song. I enjoyed debuting my new song "Eight Headed Fire-Dragon," as well as getting to play my new guitar on stage for the first time. I met some new people and all around had a great night. I'd like to thank everyone who came out to support me.



www.youtube.com/watch

Setlist:
1. The Drone Machine
2. Earthless
3. Carrier
4. House of Clouds
5. Eight Headed Fire-Dragon / Thunderkiss '65 (White Zombie cover, intro only)
6. Red Suns Rays
7. Voices (Intermission)
8. The Judge
9. Zombie Hunter
10. Into The Void (Black Sabbath cover)
11. The New Gods of The Galaxy
12. Titan Rising

Overall play time: 1hr 10mins

1st Entry: Top Five Guitarists

First entry, YAY! Going to be posting random stuffs on here. Writings, CD reviews, concert reviews, poetry, ideas, updates on my music, top 10 lists. Pretty much anything I feel like.

This time its "My Top Five Guitarists of All Time"

1. Jimi Hendrix - yes its cliche, but when that man played guitar, something magical happened. Time stood till and rainbows erupted from the asses of dragons. He's amazing. He's a god. He played notes most could only dream of, but as my dad said, It was the notes he DIDN'T play that set him apart. His subtlety and emotion through the instrument are what set him apart from anyone then or since. What's there to say? Just listen to Machine Gun RIGHT NOW and all your questions and doubts will be answered.
2. Tony Iommi - the riff master. The lord of all that is heavy and creator of THE Heavy Metal style and sound. WAY before Korn and Meshuggah, he detuned all the way to C#. Even further than many bands today. He pioneered the tritone, a staple in metal, the chug, and his solos were damn amazing. Although not as flashy and grandiose as other contemporary 70's shredders, his originality and contribution to the metal genre solidify him as one of the best. After all, great guitar playing isn't all leads and acoustic melody. Its about rhythm. Rock hard, melt your face, blow your mind rhythm.
3. Jimmy Page - I will concede, although I am not a huge fan of his or Led Zeppelin's work, the man did amazing things with an acoustic guitar. His infusion of bluegrass, Americana, blues, and Jazz into rock 'n' roll is totally incredible, even though its not so original. Whether I like it or not, his influence has been cited by thousands of artists from many different genres, and this is a true testament to his versatility as an artist.
4. Matt Pike (High On Fire) - I am a bonafied High On Fire freak. I worship this band and idolize Matt Pike for his creativity and originality. For God's sake, the man's life is a freaking ode to Black Sabbath. As if pioneering THE Stoner metal sound with Sleep in the 90's wasn't enough, he went on to form one of the most crushing three-pieces ever. His evolution as an artist is fascinating. He's gone from playing low and slow, fuzzed out doom riffs in Sleep, to peeling faces with high energy Motorhead meets Sabbath riffage in High On Fire.  He has created a unique style of riffing that involves trilled power chords, wide vibrato, and accidental notes all tied together by ferocious double picking in C standard. Yeah, this dude tunes a half step lower than Iommi. He is the most bad ass of modern guitar players. His guitar has nine strings and he doesn't give a damn if he's different or weird. He's fucking Matt Pike and he'll eat your baby for breakfast.
5. Brent Hinds / Bill Kelliher (Mastodon) - I include these as a pair because their style so perfectly compliments each other and their sound would not be complete on their own. Brent had his beginnings as a bluegrass playin' banjo picker. This loose, droning sound has leaked over into his electric guitar playing and creates a truly unique and original sound. Their use of southern and blues inspired lead lines with terrifying rhythm surges creates a sound that is as much reminiscent of Metallica as it is Marshall Tucker. In contrast to Matt Pike, these guys throw back more to the progressive, artsy stylings of 70's rockers Jimmy Page and Rush. The speed with which they play is incredible, especially live, and their unison whilst playing incredibly complex articulated chord / scales is of the utmost impressiveness. No other guitar players or guitar player, besides the ones previously mentioned, have impressed me as much as these guys do. Rock on Mastodon!