w/ Mothfight!, The Minotaurs, Sour Notes Doors 8PM

Wednesday Oct 15th - The Lost Boys - Alamo Downtown

$8.50 Pre-24 Kiefer. Pre-celebreality Corey Haim. Bloody Mary cocktail specials. Vampires. 'nuff said.

"You're a vampire Michael. My own brother, a damn blood sucking vampire. You wait till mom finds out buddy"

Thursday Oct 16th - High on Fire - Monarch Event Center

w/ Opeth, Baroness all ages $24 Doors 7PM

Friday Oct 17th - Sunburned Hand of the Man - Emos

w/ Franklin's Mint, Opposite Day 8PM

Friday Oct 17th - Devin the Dude - Emos

w/ Coughee Brothaz 9PM

Saturday Oct 18th - Saturday Morning CARTOON PARTY! - Alamo Downtown

$10 for 2 and half hours of sugar soaked old school nostalgia seat squirming fun. Don't forget PJs!

Whoa. I had no idea Sugar Bear was such a bad ass.  Watch how nonchalant he plays that dame.  Then he straight fucks up a tank, a robot, and jazz. Damn Sugar Bear, you one stone cold banjo plucking cereal mascot! Trix Rabbit better watch his self.

Sunday Oct 19th - Deer Tick - Emos

w/ the Black, Chris Paddock, Mandarin Dynasty 8PM

October 13, 2008 was a night of metal at The Pageant, featuring the Swedish Death Metal band Opeth. 

Two nights ago, I stood in line outside in the freezing cold for what felt like hours. Two nights ago was my second Opeth concert of the year. At a much better, much more intimate venue. October 4th was terrible in terms of the weather. We had a trademark Seattle windstorm that forced 10,000 people to go without power and even knocked some trees on a few people's cars. Luckily, it didn't not stop the death metal.

Going into the show, there were supposed to be two bands opening with 30 minute sets followed by an hour long set by Opeth. As everyone was shuffling into the Showbox, and stepping on my feet, a really shaggy dude came out on stage from radio station 99.9 (you know, 666 upside down), the station for ROCK, to let us know that High on Fire would be playing and then, you know, Opeth.

High on Fire played an incredibly long set. Jeff and I made the mistake of standing in the back, where tons of people shuffled in front of us, trying to get to the other side of the stage. It made it incredibly distracting to pay attention to the band. I'm sad to say that High on Fire isn't an exceptionally great band. The lead singer doesn't growl correctly (there is a correct and incorrect way to growl), and his voice was nearly dead from misuse and overuse. The music was good though, the singing just... wasn't really there. If he needs growling lessons, I can help though I will go ahead and say that Jeff is the expert. During the show, we moved up slightly, getting ready for the Opeth that was to come. I don't think I'll come back to High on Fire.

During the intermission between High on Fire and Opeth, we managed to move up to almost the very front. Where we were squished between lots of very sweaty, tall people who have amazingly long hair and no deodorant. When Opeth came out, and I could see Akerfeldt, I kind of went insane. As did everyone around me. Instead of doing much talking, they just started playing. And the moshing ensued. Incredibly obnoxious amounts of moshing. I've got to get on my soapbox and say that if someone isn't trying to mosh, you probably shouldn't try to pull them into it. I get that this is a death metal band, but I got over pushing people for fun in elementary school. Moshing makes it really hard to listen to the band. I really wanted to hear Opeth and see Akerfeldt and Legolas, respectively.

They played a song from Damnation, one of my favorites off of that album: "Hope Leaves." And my absolute favorite Opeth song - off of their new album - called the Lotus Eater. He didn't introduce the song before he started to play it, instead he started humming the beginning of it. And everyone went batshit insane. They even played the creepy instrumental part at the end. I was glad they played the Lotus Eater because they played Heir Apparent (also from the new album - Watershed) at the Progressive Nation tour. Both 8:50 songs.

Near the end of the show, Jeff and I were standing so that the mosh pit was in front of us, rather than behind. But the view was still wonderful. And much less sweatier. It was a lot more pleasant of a show once we weren't so far in the front, immobile and sweat drenched.

The show sadly had to end and ended with ten minutes and fifty-four seconds of heaven with the Drapery Falls off of Blackwater Park. Even with tired feet and aching knees, it was beautiful. It was a wonderful song to end on. And it was wonderful to have someone singing it in my ear, perfectly, the entire time.

And to end on an even better note: they're coming back in April.

Official Site

MySpace Page

Wikipedia Page

Discogs Page

Grunnenrocks Page

Melvins probably don't need no special introduction - they were around for what seems like an eternity, got praise from the likes of Kurt Cobain, Mike Patton and John Zorn and released an astonishing amount of albums, singles and collectibles. Despite the success of Nevermind, they never achieved any mainstream success and remain a cult band, albeit the one that's still releasing records, recording new music and touring on a constant basis.

Core of the band is singer/guitarist Buzz Osbourne and drummer Dale Crover and everchanging line-up of other members, which currently includes Coady Willis and Jared Warren (both of whom are also in Big Business).

Associated Bands - Altamont, Big Business, Fantomas, Thrones, Karp, Murder City Devils, Nirvana, Plainfield, Sawed Off, C Average, Witchypoo, High On Fire, Earth, Venomous Concept, Clown Alley, Mudhoney, Cows, Teenage Larvae, Tomahawk, Fecal Matter

Fun Facts:

- They were named after a grocery store clerk at a Thriftway store in Montesano, WA, where Osbourne also worked as a store clerk (Wikipedia)

- Some of their collectibles throughout years included two-headed dolls, skateboard, Zippo lighter and specially canned Melvins meat (Wikipedia)

- Japanese band Boris is named after one of their songs (Wikipedia)

- Buzz Osbourne is not related in any way to Ozzy Osbourne, although Melvins count Black Sabbath among  influences

Discography:

Six Songs (1986)

Gluey Porch Treatments (1987)

Ozma (1989)

King Buzzo (1991)

Eggnog (1991)

Bullhead (1991)

Dale Crover (1992)

Joe Preston (1992)

Lysol (1992)

Houdini (1993)

Prick (1994)

Stoner Witch (1994)

Stag (1996)

Honky (1997)

Singles 1-12 (1997)

The Maggot (1999)

The Bootlicker (1999)

The Trilogy Vinyl (2000)

The Crybaby (2000)

Electroretard (2001)

Hostile Ambient Takeover (2002)

26 Songs (2003)

Melvinmania: The Best Of The Atlantic Years 1993-1996 (2004)

Neither Here Nor There (2004)

Mangled Demos From 1983 (2005)

A Senile Animal (2006)

The Making Love Demos (2007)

Smash The State EP (2007)

Nude With Boots (2008)

Tribute Album:

We Reach: The Music Of Melvins (Fractured Transmitter Recording Company, 2005)

Covers:

"Adolescent Wet Dream" (original by Pussy Galore)

"The Ballad Of Dwight Fry" (original by Alice Cooper)

"Buick Mackane" (original by T. Rex)

"Candy-O" (original by Cars)

"God Of Thunder" (original by Kiss)

Honey Bucket

Eu tô ouvindo um bocado de High on Fire esses dias e acho que você devia também.

1983 New Order Power, Corruption, & Lies

Sadly, 1983, an incredible year for births, was not a great year for music. This album was a hands down choice, which is more of a reflection of its competition than the role it's played in my life. I've still listened to it a ton, but there was never a time where this was the only album I listened to or anything like that. In 1983, smack in the middle of their incredible 1979-86 run, XTC released the thoroughly ordinary Mummer, which impacted this pick, as well as the fact that I'm not into any of the other highly acclaimed releases from this year.

Rate Your Music 1983

1984 Prince Purple Rain

With apologies to Double Nickels on the Dime, this was an easy decision. "Computer Blue" is the only song on Purple Rain that I don't absolutely love (I dislike it). I always say things like "I wish I were alive during . . . .", and since I was alive when Prince and Michael Jackson ruled the world, I have to merely wish I had developed a consciousness in time to appreciate how awesome 1984 was.

Rate Your Music 1984

1985 Celtic Frost To Mega Therion

1985, as far as my tastes go, was pretty similar to 1983. I almost picked Rain Dogs, but I gave the edge to this album because I like Celtic Frost better than Tom Waits overall. (Celtic Frost also has the greatest band name of all time.) I've been on a metal kick lately, but I've liked Celtic Frost for years, so this pick isn't colored by what I happen to be listening to right at this moment.

Rate Your Music 1985

1986 The Smiths The Queen Is Dead

Picking this over Skylarking was an extremely difficult decision. Skylarking doesn't have a momentum-derailing song like "Never Had No One Ever," and it's much more coherent overall, but The Queen Is Dead is basically a greatest hits album. Case closed.

Rate Your Music 1986

1987 Prince Sign O' the Times

Congrats to Prince for becoming our first multiple award winner! He didn't have much competition for this one.

Rate Your Music 1987

1988 Sonic Youth Daydream Nation

A predictable choice, to be sure, but who am I to argue?

Rate Your Music 1988

1989 The Cure Disintegration

A very easy choice. The best thing I can say about this album from a personal standpoint is that when I'm driving long distances I prefer to listen to long albums. I take Disintegration with me every single time I make a roadtrip. I just love the fact that Robert Smith went all out to make the biggest, best album he possibly could and completely succeeded.

Rate Your Music 1989

1990 Fugazi Repeater

One thing I discovered while writing this post was that there are barely any albums from 1990 that I really like. I mean, just look at what finished first in Rate Your Music's list. Holy crap. 1990 definitely had some high quality hip-hop albums, but none I've fallen in love with. That said, I'm glad Fugazi has a spot on this list. Repeater isn't my favorite album of theirs, but it is the first one I bought, so it definitely has personal significance. Plus, "Blueprint" is one of the sickest songs ever.

Rate Your Music 1990

1991 Pearl Jam Ten

I can't remember the last time I listened to this album all the way through. I never, ever have the urge to. But I would be lying to myself if I put any other album here. That's how much I loved Ten when I was in fourth grade. I still feel a strange surge of energy when I see the album cover, and when I'm on my deathbed, I'll probably want this album to be playing in the background.

Rate Your Music 1991

1992 Pavement Slanted and Enchanted

In the never-ending Slanted and Enchanted vs. Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain debate, I side emphatically with the former. Yes, Crooked Rain's songs are more ready-made for Guitar Hero, but I just think S&E is way more unique. "Summer Babe" might be my favorite album opener ever, and "Zurich Is Stained" might be my favorite Pavement song ever.

Rate Your Music 1992

1993 The Smashing Pumpkins Siamese Dream

(Before we begin, I want to apologize to the sublime Clouds Taste Metallic, one of the handful of albums that truly defined a period of my life. Why couldn't you have been released three years earlier? Holy shit I'm an idiot. That came out in '95.) Siamese Dream has become a musical artifiact from rock's final moments as a true cultural force, thank God, and that's why most people like it even though they probably hate everything else Billy Corgan has ever done. Well I like Siamese Dream so much because it was made just for me. I don't care if it turned the Pumpkins one of the biggest bands in the world at the time. Billy had my future music tastes in mind the entire time he was making it, so all I can do is say thank you, Billy. No one ever did it better. Except for you in years to come.

Rate Your Music 1993

1994 Weezer Weezer

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know that nowadays when Weezer is standing in front of a brightly colored background with only themselves and their name in the picture it's cause to run screaming in the opposite direction. The fact of the matter is that this album hasn't aged one single day, and it never will. You take your car to work. I'll take my board.

Rate Your Music 1994

1995 The Smashing Pumpkins Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness

My favorite Pumpkins album simply because it has the most songs. It's also probably my favorite album ever simply because it has the most Pumpkins songs. Sure, there's some filler, but there's also "1979." And I should mention that, even though I don't like it much anymore, I've never loved a song more than first time I heard "Bullet With Butterfly Wings."

Rate Your Music 1995

1996 Weezer Pinkerton

Pinkerton is probably responsible for more bad than good. Just think of all the horrendous emo bands who were inspired to release their filth to the world after spending their formative years crying to this album. It also caused Rivers Cuomo to lose his mind, and he still hasn't recovered. Was it worth it? Uh, yes, by miles and miles.

Rate Your Music 1996

1997 Daft Punk Homework

I've slowly come to accept the fact that I'll never hear any other dance music that I like as much as Daft Punk. I spent years searching, and no one could top them. All hail Daft Punk.

Rate Your Music 1997

1998 The Smashing Pumpkins Adore

Another Pumpkins album, another slam dunk choice, even though Adore completely put an axe to their world-beating popularity. Just goes to show you how stupid people are, especially ones that buy music.

Rate Your Music 1998

1999 The Dismemberment Plan Emergency & I

Toughest decision of all. I basically had to sleep on whether to pick this one or Apple Venus Vol. 1, my favorite XTC album. Messrs. Partridge and Moulding, I'm sorry. Apple Venus is an album I love, but it has nothing to do with my life, whereas Emergency & I would have to go in the Ross time capsule. My decision shouldn't have been impacted by the fact that my favorite concert I've ever been to was a Plan show before they broke up in 2003, but I couldn't separate the album from that extremely, extremely fun night.

Rate Your Music 1999

2000 The Avalanches Since I Left You

It took one of my all time favorite albums, an album that forever altered my musical tastes, to save me from embarrassing myself and picking Machina, a universally reviled album, as my favorite album from 2000. Good God, I could write a 33 1/3 book about this album, so I'll stop here before I get carried away.

Rate Your Music 2000

2001 Daft Punk Discovery

Why, speaking of albums I've listened a billion times and somehow still haven't gotten sick of, it's Discovery! I don't even care that many of the best parts of this album were straight jacked. I don't even care that Daft Punk may never again release another album that isn't a total cashgrab. It's called permanent immunity. Ask Antwaan Randle El and Hines Ward about it if you don't understand.

Rate Your Music 2001

2002 Clipse Lord Willin'

I'll freely admit that Lord Willin' isn't a great album in the traditional sense. But an album full of babies crying on airplanes would be incredible so long as you threw "Grindin'", "When the Last Time", and "Cot Damn" in there somewhere. This album introduced the world to the Brothers Thornton, so it falls somewhere between the Mona Lisa and man's first cave drawings in terms of historically significant works of art.

Rate Your Music 2002

2003 Prefuse 73 One Word Extinguisher

I have to say, I've listened to this album so many times that I'm pretty much sick of it now, but that's not necessarily a bad thing when determining all-time favorites. Plus, look at that RYM list. 2003 wasn't exactly an exemplary year for music.

Rate Your Music 2003

2004 Ghostface The Pretty Toney Album

So many wonderful memories. Not only is this one of my favorite albums ever, but it plays so coherently to me that it's also one of my favorite books. And what's more, the first track isn't merely just the greatest rap skit ever. It's the greatest thing ever.

Rate Your Music 2004

2005 Clipse We Got It 4 Cheap Vol. 2

This is the last album that I became uncontrollably obsessed with, the soundtrack of countless walks around campus during the second semester of my junior year of college. As soon as I heard about it, I expected greatness. Somehow, it completely destroyed my loftiest expectations. (I realized that every sentence is now neck deep in hyperbole, but I am writing about my favorite albums ever, after all.) Hell Hath No Fury was pretty awesome, but this was too much for it to live up to.

Rate Your Music 2005

2006 Grizzly Bear Yellow House

Not the strongest selection on this list, but I do have an affinity for this album because I feel like Grizzly Bear are one of "my" bands. I'm not the type who finds out about the hot new bands before everyone else; I'm perfectly happy to be a year behind everyone else. But I did latch onto the largely ignored Horn of Plenty early enough that I eagerly anticipated Yellow House months before its release, expecting a fuller realization of songs like "Deep Sea Diver." I'm still smarting over the fact that I missed the show Grizzly Bear played in Pittsburgh ON MY BIRTHDAY because I only found out about it a day beforehand and it had already sold out. But I'll be seeing them open for Radiohead in Cleveland in two weeks. Cheyeah.

Rate Your Music 2006

2007 High On Fire Death Is This Communion

I'm still figuring out my favorite album of 2007, but this is on top of the list right now. This is one of those rare albums where every track is awesome on its own merit, while everything still flows together in a natural order, so I think its position is pretty safe for now. Plus, just look at that cover. Another Pittsburgh show I hate myself for missing.

Rate Your Music 2007

Megadeth, you stand in a line, they sign your stuff and say hi. Then
a photo and its over, less than 5 mins of interaction.

In Flames had the meeting in the same room afterwards and "WOW"! The
band comes out intoducing themselves to each individual shaking your
hand. At this time Biffen takes photos of you with the band (with
some pretty funny stuff happening, but thats not for me to tell. From
then on it was hang out and chat / shoot the sh*t with the guys. I
personaly really wanted to talk to Bjorn so we talked for most of the
meet. I asked a few questions about the making of their music and
probably told him how cool they are for doing this about 10 times. I
have personalized guitar picks which I gave to Bjorn, Peter and
Jesper. When I gave mine to Bjorn he says "cool, lets trade". So I
got I pick from him and Peter who was there at the same time. All in
all these guys couldn't make you feel any more comfortable.

I missed High on Fire and only caught half of Job for a Cowboy's set
(singer sounds like the Cookie Monster). Children of Bodom are good
and really got the crowd going. In Flames put on anamzing set totally
met or exceeded all expectations. Megadeth played a steller set going
over the years playing everything from "Trust" and "A Toute Le Monde"
to "Washington is Next" and "Holy Wars". Just amazing.

Cutom Picks,

High on Fire: Not sure

Job for a Cowboy: Not sure

Children of Bodom: I beleive so

In Flames: Custom Dunlop

Megadeth: Custom Dunlop

Best position: anywhere up close :)

Note: Take a min or 2 and check the ground after show. I found a pick
about 5 mins after the show ended and most people had left.

Rock Hard, Rock Loud & Rock On!

JR

No primeiro vídeo o Anders fala que o disco tem a mesma fórmula que ele vêm seguindo nos últimos álbuns. O que não é muito animador, sendo que o grande barato do In Flames pra mim eram os novos elementos que eles acrescentam no metal a cada disco.

Tá, no Come Clarity não tinha assim muuuuita coisa nova, mas mesmo assim era um disco legal pra cacete.

Não vou dar minha opinião ainda sobre o disco novo, prefiro ouvir melhor primeiro.

Nos outros vídeos eles falam do processo de gravação, que antes era feito cada um no seu canto e agora voltaram a fazer todo mundo no mesmo estúdio. Anders fala que ninguém da banda tinha ouvido os vocais do Come Clarity gravados antes da mixagem final.

Depois, falam que é bacana fazer parte da Gigantour, que tem o Megadeth como headliner e bandas como Job for a Cowboy e High on Fire, e que tocar com o Megadeth é legal porque todos cresceram ouvindo Megadeth e tudo mais...

Depois falam aquelas coisas básicas quanto a rótulos e gêneros, que não se importam com o rótulo que dão pra eles, se são melodic death metal ou não, e que são uma banda de metal e é isso aí.

os vídeos estão no Headbanger's Blog, que é da MTV2 gringa, e por algum motivo não consegui colocar direto dentro no post, mas é só clicar nos links que abre...

PARTE 1

PARTE 2

PARTE 3

Ah, much better. You know, it's not the notes they're playing, it's the notes they're NOT playing! And I especially like the notes they didn't play that sound anything like jazz.

Nothing like a big, angry, shirtless guy to wash away the memories of boring sax solos, "witty" piano jokes, drumming using paint brushes, and old English professors with their white wine spritzers. Good times.

Dave Mustaine's Gigantour lands in New York City tonight. I gave it some thought. I was interested in seeing Megadeth. And I actually like In Flames (video below) and High On Fire. But I was not impressed with the other acts. After seeing High On Fire, I couldn't picture myself standing through Children of Bodom (Children of Boredom seems more accurate) and Job For a Cowboy (just too extreme metal for my taste) in order to get to In Flames and Megadeth.

I realize Mustaine is trying to turn people on to music he considers worthy, but do these mini-fest tours work when they are at smaller venues. Afterall, I could go f*ck off and get something to eat during COB or the Cowboys — if I was at a fairgrounds or an arena.

Gigantour is a concert mega-tour festival organized by none other than Megadeth's very own Dave Mustaine. It was founded in 2005 and has continued on since with some major bands from many different genres of metal and some high praise, and guess what? I went!

The Lineup:

Megadeth

In Flames

Children of Bodom

Job for a Cowboy

High on Fire

*Bolded ones are the ones I say “Hellyeah, Hellyeah, Hellyeah (THREE TIMES) NUKKA!” when I think aboot (I’m goin' Canadian) them.

Are you ready? Just click the jump for more.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008 - Dallas, TX - Nokia Theatre at Grand Prairie

Now the only bands that I really cared about on that list are Megadeth and Children of Bodom. In Flames is a good band, I just don’t listen to them much. But even with that said, they are a great live band and perfect for a supporting act considering how bad some can be. I’d rather have had CoD as the band right before Megadeth, just because I would have liked them to have more time, but eh, that doesn’t really matter in the end.

Now generally at concerts, the opening bands are just boring and sound the same, however In Flames and CoB were great and with a little different sound. In regards to the other two, who I hadn’t heard of before, and I STILL haven’t heard of, I really don’t care about.

I got there at 7:15 and CoB was already halfway into their set. WTF. Yeah, the ticket said it started at 5:30, but that always just means doors open at the time and then you have to wait around for an hour to an hour and a half before music starts. They do this to get people to drink more beer, which costs 8 dollars for 24 oz. Needless to say, I don’t even think about it. BEER.

So I was thinking “Yeah, 5:30 for the door opening, warm up bands start at 6:30-7:00, I should have plenty of time to get there and see part of the first band and the other bands from then on. I got there at the end of “Hate Me!” by CoB, which is one of my favorite songs by them. Damn! Kind of pissed me off that I missed most of it. But eh, whatever. They will probably be back through Dallas soon enough with a full set. I just hope they play at a decent venue.

The crowd was surprising yet at the same time the usual. Of course there was the one guy (that I saw at least) that had drunk 5 of the 8 dollar beers. You know this because they walk around with each new beer inside of their empty cup. Not only do you know they wasted 45 dollars (same as the ticket price) on beer, but they are also a douche.

Then you have the 50-60 year old drunk guy that hits on the teenage girls. They always use the line, “I have a daughter that is (age), too!” Damn smooth.

Then you got your Emo (Dave Mustaine says it like “Emu” because of his voice) kids running around in their tight pants. I’m like, “what the hell! metal fans kill other people, not themselves! GTFO.” The surprising thing was that the Emo kids were leading the mosh in the circle pit. It looked like a bunch of chickens fighting in achicken coop! I can’t imagine what a pit at a real Emo show would look like. Circle jerks while cutting? *rimshot*

Oh yeah, I saw one of the stupidest shirts I had ever seen. “Bleeding the Fifth” was written on the back of someone’s shirt. I looked up the origins of it and it’s the first CD of a new band called Divine Heresy. I haven’t heard the music yet but that is the stupidest name I have ever seen. It makes no damn sense.

And… the alot of the crowd was just sitting around. WTF at that.

Music wise, all the bands were great. During Megadeth’s set there were a few technical issues, but it didn’t bother me or anyone else. The mic was kind of drowned out all night though, but that might just be because I was on the left of the stage and didn’t get to hear them well. I don’t care anyway about tech problems or any of that bullshit. I’m there because I like the band and the sound isn’t going to piss me off if the bass is too loud or the mic isn’t loud enough.

Highlights of the evenings were seeing Alexi from CoB shred his guitar live again. Got to see James Lomenzo in Megadeth again -- he has played with a lot of Zakk Wylde’s projects through the years and is a great guy. I’m glad he is doing well, he looked like he was happy as hell and his playing was great too.

And of course, Dave Mustaine. I’m a big thrash metal fan if you haven't discovered this already and he has been with it since all the way to Metallica’s first album and a half. I might joke a lot about his voice or what not, but I love his work on everything he’s done. Great stuff… but he still is a mix between Anne Nicole Smith, a kid with Down Syndrome and Spicoli (from Fast Times at Ridgemont High).

If you want to know anything else about the concert, just watch:

It basically covers everything. Here's some setlists from the show I attended.

Children of Bodom’s Setlist

01. Six Pounder
02. Living Dead Beat
03. In Your Face
04. Hate Me!
05. Hellhounds on My Trail
06. Angels Don't Kill
07. Blooddrunk
08. Downfall

Megadeth’s Setlist
01. Sleepwalker
02. Wake Up Dead
03. Take No Prisoners
04. Skin O’ My Teeth
05. Washington Is Next
06. Gears of War
07. Kick the Chair
08. In My Darkest Hour
09. Hangar 18
10. Ashes in Your Mouth
11. Burnt Ice
12. Trust
13. Tornado of Souls
14. Symphony of Destruction
15. Peace Sells

Not bad.

The show was awesome and I really recommend you guys check out Gigantour next time it tours in your area. The official site has tour dates and other information you might want to know.

In Flames will be co-headlining the tour as it kicks off its North American leg on April 12^th at the Fillmore in Denver, Colorado. The tour runs all the way through till May 22^nd, ending at the Mesa Amphitheater in Phoenix, Arizona. Tickets are currently on sale at the official Gigantour website as well as Ticketmaster.

Check Out:

Dave Mustaine gets personal with a fan...

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

"Spit in their evil eyes"

Matt Pike and his merry bad of mischief makers return to ravage our speakers with album number four, Death is This Communion. Aside from a slightly cleaner production and a sludgier, more epic tone this isn't a huge departure from previous long player, Blessed Black Wings. That's not to say this is a regression for the band, more a refinement of their down 'n' dirty metal sound and, in my mind, their most cohesive and satisfying album to date.

Key to the band's success is Matt Pike's winning way with the almighty riff. Questionable though his oral hygiene may be, there's no denying he knows his way around a fretboard and he lays down a solid foundation of shit-kicking riffs for the album's entire 50+ minute duration. From straight-ahead neck-wreckers like "Rumours of War" and "Fury Whip", to atmospheric mini-epics such as the title track and "Cyclopian Scape" the riffs come thick and fast. High on Fire have always been at their most effective when combining lunk-headed proto-metal with moments of fleet-fingered virtuosity, and a majority of the tracks herein showcase the band at the height of their none-too- inconsiderable powers.

A cracking follow-up to Blessed... and perhaps the crowning achievement in the band's decorated catalogue, Death is This Communion is a no-nonsense, non pretentious slice of gooey-metal-goodness that no upstanding gentleman or woman should miss. Essential listening for the crusty-warmonger in us all.

8/10

Stuart Bullen

MAN ON FIRE
Plunging metal depths can mean unexpected shopping

Matt Pike – guitarist, vocalist and founder of Bay Area metal heavyweights High on Fire – is attempting to navigate his vehicle toward a guitar shop in order to pick up some freshly repaired gear. “All of ’em blew up all at once,” he says of his tour-damaged amplifiers. “We have to do this between every tour; all the guitars and amps take a pretty severe beating when we go out on the road.”

Anyone familiar with Pike’s history shouldn’t be surprised. Since lumbering onto the metal scene in the early 1990s with Sleep (a band that evolved from Pike’s earlier involvement in the crust-metal band Asbestosdeath), Pike has been one of metal’s foremost practitioners of regressive progression, using his tools to craft a modern take on rock’s most punishing tendencies. Whether the sludgy psychedelic gloom of Sleep, the riff-laden death metal of Kalas or the doomy, Motörhead-meets-Melvins sound of High on Fire, Pike’s music has consistently pushed the boundaries of the genre – and his gear.

“I’m kind of a guitar nerd, I guess,” he laughs. “The gear I use is all pretty much quality – Laney amps, Soldano amps – but the stuff I don’t need, I’ll sell.”

Unwilling to venture down the more angst-ridden path many metal bands were trotting in the ’90s, Pike’s work in Sleep – roughly 1991 to the band’s demise in 1997 – became known for long, turgid, deeply psychedelic numbers that were crushingly heavy, including the 63-minute song, “Dopesmoker,” that got them dropped by their label. It was not metal for the masses, but it did define its own genre – stoner metal.

In comparison, it’s fair to call High on Fire more accessible than Sleep. But over the course of four albums – including their most recent release, Death Is This Communion – HOF has remained steadfastly devoted to redefining the more aggressive end of stoner metal, and the band’s approach has gotten simultaneously tighter and sludgier. Pike’s guitar work plumbs further into the deep well of drop-D heaviness without losing sight of the chugging riffs and fluid solos that have enamored him to up-and-coming players who prefer forcefulness over flashiness. And, in a move that’s surprising even by the standards of High on Fire, the choice of producers for Communion was none other than legendary Seattle grunge producer Jack Endino.

“I thought he was going to do something a little different,” says Pike of why he chose to work with Endino. “I didn’t know how he was gonna take to doing a metal band over doing a grungy stoner band, but I feel like it was a good match.”

2007 also saw the release of archival recordings of Pike’s earlier Asbestosdeath work.

“It was something that never came out on CD. Those were all done at Kinko’s,” laughs Pike about the Asbestosdeath 7-inches that now make up Dejection, Unclean. And while Pike may have been able to find the time to get those recordings together, there simply wasn’t enough time for him to continue as vocalist for Kalas.

“I just bit off more than I could chew,” Pike says. “I really enjoyed doing that project, but I just couldn’t match up the touring schedule … and the choice had to be High on Fire.”

First appeared in the Jan. 31, 2008 issue of Orlando Weekly.

As you can see above, Code Red and the Villebillies are going to be at The Louisville Gardens on March 1st as part of the Beechwood Jam Fest (is this at all related to the 99.7 DJX stuff?). Velvet Saints, Zillion, and Ugly will also be performing.

The last time I went to a concert at the Louisville Gardens was the for the No Limit Tour in the late 90s (what?). Fights broke out everywhere and Mystical wouldn't go on stage. I didn't stick around until the end.

I almost was set to go to The Gardens for the Modest Mouse/Band of Horses show, but it was moved to Coyote's.

The only other show that I know of coming to The Gardens is Gigantour 2008 (w/ Megadeth, In Flames, High On Fire) on April 19th.

Am I the only one who digs on The Gardens? I'd love to hear from a fan...

I'm back. I quit writing because I felt it was getting in the way of getting my dissertation finished and getting a job. Well, I have the job. My dissertation isn't quite done, but batting .500 on this front doesn't seem so bad. Said job doesn't begin until August, at which point I'll be shuffling off to the Dallas area to teach at the University of North Texas. Notable alums include Michael Bolton, Norah Jones, and Bowling for Soup. You can't win 'em all.

Anyway, I'll be trading one dirtbag haunt, the Casbah, for another: Rubber Gloves. Some touring musicians may know Rubber Gloves. It's a cool, small room that gets a lot of the same bands that Casbah does. High on Fire will be there later this month. I love me some High on Fire--though I think Sleep was even better.

Review on Pitchfork. Soon Last year at Roadburn.

Alan Parsons at the Fillmore New York on Wed. April 2nd. Tickets on sale tomorrow at 10:00 am $33.50.

Eddie Money at BB Kings on Thursday Jan. 31. Tickets on sale now. $35 ($40 day of show)

Martha Reeves & The Vandellas at BB Kings on Mon. May 12. Tickets on sale next Thursday at 10:00 am. $26 ($30 day of show)

Jon Anderson and The School of Rock at BB's on Wed. March 5. Tickets on sale now. $35 ($40 day of show)

En Vogue at BB's on Friday Mar. 28th. Tickets on sale now $32.50 ($35 day of show).

Other Items:

Beatles legend Sir Paul McCartney is recovering after undergoing a secret heart operation. The 65-year-old underwent a coronary angioplasty - a procedure to open up arteries, allowing a greater flow of blood to and from the heart - late last year. But the star has made a good recovery - he appeared onstage with singer Kylie Minogue for a televised concert on New Year's Eve. A spokesman for McCartney confirmed the surgery adding, "It was a routine medical operation."

Dave Mustaine has announced the lineup for this year's Gigantour. In addition to Megadeth, the road trip will feature In Flames, Children of Bodom, Job For a Cowboy and High on Fire. Dates are expected to be announced soon.

Kid Rock and Aerosmith will headline the Harley Owners Group's 25th anniversary concert, it was announced yesterday. The concert is set for August 28th at Milwaukee's Miller Park and will cap an all-day 25th anniversary celebration. The bad news? Only Harley Owners Group (H.O.G.) members will have the chance to purchase tickets for the show.

P.O.D. have announced the title and release date for their new album. Called When Angels and Serpents Dance, it will hit stores April 8th. And according to MTV, it will feature a guest appearance by Suicidal Tendencies singer Mike Muir.

Aaron Lewis and members of Tesla, Stryper and Boston will reportedly play this year's benefit concert for survivors of the February, 2003 nightclub fire in Providence, Rhode Island. MTV reports that they've all signed on for the February 25th concert at Providence's Dunkin Donut Center, which will be hosted by Dee Snider of Twisted Sister. One hundred people were killed in the fire, sparked by pyrotechnics during a Great White concert, and many of those who survived don't qualify for Social Security benefits. Good thing for the families of this most tragic event which I'll never forget.

How cool is this one? Unsigned instrumentalists will compete against one another for a chance to perform on stage with Foo Fighters at the 50th annual Grammy Awards, as part of the My Grammy Moment contest. String, woodwind and brass players are invited to submit up to 60 seconds of performance on their particular instrument to the tune of the Foos' hit "The Pretender" before Jan. 20. Forty-five quarter finalists will be determined by Grammy-ordained judges, after which voting will be open to the public to choose three semi-finalists.  hose select three will perform in an orchestra with Foo Fighters and, from there, a winner will be determined to play with the band during the Feb. 10 broadcast.