I’m back … and I’ve brought a bunch of bile this week. Well, not too much, but there are some things I feel the need to get off my chest (like the latest from Korn, issues with Brides of Destruction and the previously-promised words regarding Roadrunner Records).
But first, I begin on a sad note:
John Peel, a longtime British Broadcasting Corp. disc jockey, has died, the BBC said Tuesday. He was 65.
Apparently Peel suffered a heart attack Monday while vacationing in Peru with his wife, Sheila. A doctor who worked to revive Peel told local radio that the DJ suffered a heart attack in a hotel in Cuzco. He was pronounced dead on the way to a clinic.
For more than 30 years, Peel’s work with the BBC exerted a notable influence on the music scene. The DJ was the first to play demo tapes by unknown bands and sometimes propelled said bands to fame. Bands that played/recorded on the radio with Peel (creating what came to be known as “Peel Sessions”) included Smashing Pumpkins, Napalm Death, Babes in Toyland, Jimi Hendrix, Prong and Carcass to name just a few. More information can be found here.
He will definitely be missed.
And now, on with the show.
..:..Guns, Crues and Brides..:.. So, apparently the Brides of Destruction will be taking a hiatus next year while the band’s bassist, Nikki Sixx, works with Motley Crue. In a posting over at the band’s Web site, Tracii Guns says he’ll continue work on the next Brides album and wait for Sixx to return (touring under other monikers in the meantime).
So, here’s my problem: I like Crue… used to be a huge fan and now sort of enjoy the band’s music. I like L.A. Guns (Guns’ former band). I like the early work a lot and haven’t heard recent material. I really enjoyed the “Hollywood Vampires” disc (one of the first CDs I ever owned) and still listen to it to this day.
But for some reason, I just don’t like Brides. I’ve given a couple of songs a chance, but I just don’t hear anything I like. And I know it’s not the punk-infused-metal thing the band has going on, because I like most punk too. Maybe it’s the lead vocals or something. Every time I think about the band and who’s involved I get excited to listen to the group, but then remember that I don’t actually like them. Such is life…
..:..Roadrunner can stick it up their… ..:.. Roadrunner Records used to be one of the premier labels for metal in the ’90s. Not only we were treated to early offerings from Sepultura and Fear Factory, but also material from pseudo-legends Death, Deicide and Obituary. Sure, there was always a curve-ball thrown out every couple of months, but if it was coming from Roadrunner then chances were it was good.
Then, all the mainstay bands either broke up or couldn’t wait to leave the label … a label that was now more interested in pushing Nickelback and anything that could come along and sound just like it. The label was so interested in pushing Theory of a Deadman (which sounds more like Nickelback than Nickelback at times) that it let the killer Dry Kill Logic slip right through the cracks.
Sure, there’s still Slipknot and Machine Head and Soulfly. And there’s some newer bands coming along — 3 Inches of Blood, 36 Crazyfists and Still Remains — but even then I have to pay exorbitant prices for these albums (when everything else on the shelf is a good $3 to $5 cheaper). Maybe this is just a phenomenon in my area, but I’m seeing it everywhere from Newbury Comics (a more local New England-type chain) to Best Buy (nationally-based). Even the discs that were coming out just to run out contracts (best-of collections from Fear Factory and Coal Chamber) were steeply priced when those are the type of things that should be cheaper (to get more people into a band). I guess my point is I was interested in checking out the 3 Inches of Blood disc last week, until I saw it was $16.99.
And don’t even get me started on digi-pacs…
..:..Alice in Chains reunion … in my head..:.. Jerry Cantrell has supposedly approached John Kosco, lead singer for Dropbox, to work on his next solo effort.
Cantrell already has two solid offerings under his belt, the awesome “Boggy Depot,” and 2002’s “Degradation Trip.”
Talk circulated last year about a possible Alice in Chains reunion, which would never be entirely possible what with Layne Staley’s current health (read: dead). The remaining members of the band hmmm’ed and haaa’ed over such a proposition, never entirely ruling it out and even went so far as to say they’d need to be careful looking for a front man.
Except…
What better front man that Cantrell himself? He sounds just like Staley. An AIC as a three-piece (with no new member to taint the offering) could be huge. Man, AIC was one of the best bands of the ’90s. The band has a nice catalogue to boot.
We can only hope…
..:..God that Korn cover sucks..:.. So I’ll admit, I was more than a little curious to get a listen to the new Korn covers offered up on the band’s recently released greatest hits collection. Who would have thought the band could sound so bad?
The “Word Up” cover is unimaginative, terribly produced and the song’s accompanying video is one of the worst (videos) to come down the pike in a while. I heard the first moments of “Another Brick” before I just turned the radio off and went home.
What happened?
Korn had a couple of really strong albums. The band experimented with it’s sound and paid the price, but I still found something to like about each of the more recent albums. The band even did a more-than-adequate cover of Metallica’s “One,” a hidden track off the band’s last studio album “Take a Look in the Mirror.”
There’s no words for this new material. Maybe it’s finally time to file Korn under bands past their prime.
If you care, Korn front man Jonathan Davis will be presenting a special “South Park” Halloween episode this Thursday (Oct. 28) on Comedy Central at 9:30 p.m.
..:..Metal on the auction block..:.. Metallica, Ozzy Osbourne, KISS and Van Halen are just a few of the bands offering up items for auction on Nov. 6 at the Hard Rock Cafe in midtown Manhattan. Online bidding for what’s billed as the first metal auction will also occur at www.julienentertainment.com. According to the Associated Press, more than 100 lots are up for sale, including the original album cover artwork from Metallica’s “Master of Puppets,” expected to bring up to $7,000; the 1989 MTV Music Award given to Guns N’ Roses for the “Sweet Child O’ Mine” video ($3,000-$5,000); and an electric bass played by late Metallica bassist Cliff Burton ($7,000-$9,000). But there will also be items available at a lesser price, including a two-piece stage costume worn by KISS’s Paul Stanley in 1980 ($300) and an Ozzy Osbourne platinum sales award for his “Blizzard of Ozz” album ($500 to $700).
..:..Speaking of L.A. Guns..:.. “Hollywood Raw,” a collection of early L.A. Guns material recorded prior to the band’s 1988 debut album came out yesterday on Deadline Music. The album features 19 tracks including four off the band’s original 1985 EP (“Don’t Love Me,” “When Dreams Don’t Follow Through,” “It’s Not True” and “Something Heavy”). To check out some of the songs as MP3s or to order online, check this out.
..:..The Wall of Blood..:.. Tour dates have been announced for the next North American Slayer outing. Some of the concerts will feature the now-famous “wall of blood” effect, used earlier this year when the band performed its classic 1986 album “Reign in Blood” up in Augusta, Me. During the final 45 seconds of “Raining Blood” blood poured over the band. Alas, not all venues would allow the blood effect, but I’m spared as the two shows near me appear fine.
..:..Pumpkins kicked up a notch..:.. Riding high on the heels of the superb Guns N’ Roses hardcore tribute album “Bring You to Your Knees,” released earlier this year, Law of Inertia records is finalizing plans for the Smashing Pumpkins tribute expected early next year. The outing is expected to feature covers by A Static Lullaby, Hopesfall, Poison the Well, My Chemical Romance and Underoath. Even if it’s only half as good as the GnR tribute, it’ll still be worth buying. Stay tuned…
..:..Counting indie Crows..:.. A tribute to the Counting Crows is currently being put together by Victory Records. The album, “Dead And Dreaming: An Indie Tribute To Counting Crows,” is set for release Nov. 16 and will feature Between the Buried and Me (covering “Colorblind”), Hidden in Plain View (“Mr. Jones”) and Number On Fan (“Holiday in Spain”) and more. Click here for a complete track listing.
Here’s some CDs I want, recently picked up or already have that I haven’t listened to nearly enough (you should check them out too):
L.A. Guns: “Hollywood Vampires”
Warrant: “Cherry Pie”
Faster Pussycat: “Whipped”
Poison: “Flesh and Blood”
Love/Hate: “Blackout in the Red Room”
Yes, that is the Red Sox’s own Johnny Damon on stage with Godsmack frontman Sully Erna celebrating after a recent Sox win (Game 1 of the World Series I do believe). My heart may belong to the Sox, but my soul lies with the Patriots.
As of this writing I’m off to pick up Gwar’s latest. I’ve recently been listening to Leaves Eyes, featuring former Theater of Tragedy front woman Liv Kristine. “Lovelorn” is a weird album to get into in that the vocals are decidedly non-metal while the music itself is … and every so often death metal vocals (from another singer I’m assuming) show up. Still, I’d rank it higher than some other female-fronted bands out there (but I’m not naming names).
And that’s that. As always, drop me a line. Until next time, I’ll be here at Inside Pulse making sure no metal news falls through the cracks.
Take it easy…
