“I think that if there was a record and if there would’ve been a record it should’ve come out a while ago. I think that so many years have gone by that it’s almost…it would have to be ‘Sgt. Pepper’, literally, or ‘Back in Black’! Or ‘Appetite…’! It would have to be that good to be able to re-ignite anything and that’s a phenomenon that doesn’t really happen..”
— ex-Love/Hate current Ratt singer Jizzy Pearl on Guns N’ Roses “Chinese Democracy.”
Who cares what Jizzy Pearl has to say, though? Really…
This week’s column was crafted while listening to Motley Crue’s “Red, White & Crue” and The Killers’ “Hot Fuss.”
There’s a bunch of news to get to this week, so I’ll keep this intro short.
I’ve found that, over the years, there have been many bands that have come to my attention, released a solid album and then sort of drifted into the either. Either I never know what happened to them, they broke up, or just faded away. A couple of weeks (months?) ago I dedicated my intro to some such bands, touching upon Kilgore, Pist.on and Caroline’s Spine.
Well, here’s another one for you (and boy do I have a bunch): Second Coming.
The band showed up on the national scene in 1998 with it’s Capitol Records debut “Second Coming,” a subtle rock-metal offering filled with emotionally-charged vocals and intense, yet mostly subdued music. The riffs were melodic and driving, the bass understated and the drumming solid throughout. The band took pages from hard rock, from metal, from the blues and even sprinkled in a little middle-eastern flair. And the result was pretty good.
The album yielded a couple of radio tracks, the thunderous “Soft” (about being “soft” at the most intimate of times) and the slower “Vintage Eyes.” Then, the group just sort of up and disappeared.
I year or so ago I looked the group up online and it was still performing … the other day I looked again and it appears the boys have been pretty busy. Not only is there an acoustic album available on the site, but the band has an all-new album, “13,” for sale now too. I’d recommend checking the discs out (I know I will), but I haven’t heard any of it yet … so instead, I point you to my album of the week, the band’s 1998 album, “Second Coming.” It’s not so amazing that it’ll blow you away on first listen (I called it subtle for a reason), but it really pulls you in and holds you attention throughout. It shouldn’t be that hard to track down, so give it a listen, and check the band out here.
..:..More Ozzfest rumors..:.. So the rumors for Ozzfest continue, and I, unlike some other sites, will still maintain that these are simply rumors until officially announced. Zakk Wylde’s Black Label Society and Rob Zombie are the latest added to the rapidly growing list. BLS is eyed for the main stage, while Zombie, Mudvayne and Killswitch Engage are being looked at for the second stage. These names are in addition to Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden and Anthrax’s “Among the Living” lineup – featuring vocalist Joey Belladonna, guitarist Dan Spitz and bassist Frank Bello. As I said last week, I’m hoping they’re going the whole “classics” on the Main Stage, “up-and-comers” on the second stage. And for God’s sake people, these are only rumors until otherwise noted. Stay tuned…
..:..Skid Row touring and recording..:.. Skid Row are planning a handful of shows in and around Texas, Florida, California, Iowa, Nevada and Pennsylvania (really no rhyme or reason there). But the bigger news is that the band has begun rehearsal in anticipation of the next album. The band has apparently tapped Michael Wagener to produce (he worked with the band on their first two albums).
..:..From the cool-ass tours department..:.. Machine Head are planning a “monster North American headlining tour” in May in support of “Through the Ashes of Empires”. The Haunted (yes!) are slated to open, along with Devildriver and It Dies Today. The tour will kick off as soon as Machine Head complete a Midwest stint on the Lamb of God tour. More information will be posted here as it becomes available.
..:..Unsane finally set for new release..:.. One of my older guilty pleasures is New York’s hardcore/metal band Unsane, a group that gained popularity in the mid-/late-90s with a video featuring skater kids wiping out trying a variety of tricks. I’ve been dying for a new album to come out (the band’s last effort was 1998’s “Occupational Hazard”). My wishes have finally been granted, “Blood Run” is scheduled for an April 26 release. Track-listings are available online… stay tuned as I most probably will attempt to review this album here.
..:..Korn loses a head..:.. MTV.com is reporting that Korn guitarist Brian “Head” Welch has left the band and “rededicated his life to Christianity, according to the group’s management.” “Korn has parted ways with guitarist Brian ‘Head’ Welch, who has chosen Jesus Christ as his savior, and will be dedicating his musical pursuits to that end,” a statement from the band reads. “Korn respects Brian’s wishes, and hopes he finds the happiness he’s searching for.” Head was a founding member of the group, so it’ll be interesting to see what impact, if any, this has on the band. The funny part of this story is this though: On Feb. 8, he (Head) had apparently written a “letter of resignation” to the band’s management. In the note, Welch detailed a long list of reasons for leaving the band, including increased moral objections to Korn’s music and videos. In particular, he was upset by how he was portrayed in the clip for their cover of Cameo’s “Word Up”, off their recently released “Greatest Hits, Vol. 1” album. In the video, Welch’s face was superimposed on a dog patrolling a strip club. I think maybe it was just that the song was THAT bad. Apparently Welch will address the congregation at the Valley Bible Fellowship in Bakersfield, California. Then he’ll leave for Israel at the end of the month. Korn’s next album (that no one will care about) is due out in September.
Here’s a little mix I put together featuring the song’s I’ve been listening to a lot lately (or songs I wish I’d be listening to more). Check one, some or all of them out … who knows, you might discover something you like or remember something you used to …
The Killers: “Jenny Was a Friend of Mine” (off “Hot Fuss”)
Strata: “Never There” (off “Strata”)
Ra: “Only” (off “From One”)
Second Coming: “Unknown Rider” (off “Second Coming”)
Pantera: “Cemetery Gates” (off “Live 101 Proof”)
Metallica: “…And justice for All” (off “…And Justice for All”)
Obituary: “Threatening Skies” (off “Back From the Dead”)
Fear Factory: “Crisis” (off “Soul of a New Machine”)
Machine Head: “Bulldozer” (off “Supercharger”)
Sevendust: “Terminator” (off “Sevendust”)
There were some other stories I wanted to get to this week, but they seemed large enough that I could just point you in the general direction (they were a little more than briefs).
A fan of Ozzy Osbourne is apparently filing a suit because he and other fans were “blindsided by a blizzard of deceitful acts by Sony Entertainment and Epic Records.” The man is demanding compensation for himself and anyone else who bought “remastered” versions of the Osbourne classics because the original drummer and bassist on the albums were replaced.
“The CDs, released in 2002, were marketed as crisp updates of the originals, with no mention that the sounds of bassist Bob Daisley and drummer Lee Kerslake were cut out and replaced by Robert Trujillo and Mike Bordin.
Loyal fans of Osbourne ridiculed the move, which came after Daisley and Kerslake filed lawsuits in a dispute over unpaid royalties from the original albums.
Fans claim there’s ‘a noticeable difference’ in the changed rhythm sections on the original and remastered albums, while Wester says the change ‘forever alter[ed] and stain[ed] the legacy’ of the originals, as the new version ‘bears little relation to the original.’
This is the same area where fans sued Creed and Limp Bizkit for putting on shows that were not worth the price of admission. I’m pretty sure those cases were thrown out, so I don’t imagine there is much to go on here. Please! You bought something and decided you didn’t like it. Get over it. This is just another example of our overly litigious society (I say that a lot lately). Check out the full story over at the Chicago Sun-Times Web-site.
There’s an interesting review with the drummer from Adema over at the Earache Web-site. He talks about the friction with the band’s former front man, along with the recording of the new album and finding a new lead singer. Pretty interesting read.
And finally, the “Alice In Chains” non-reunion took place last weekend. A bunch of audio and photos from the event can be found via this link. I’ve already said more than enough about this … but for what it’s worth, I heard the show was fantastic and that Tool’s Maynard James Keenan was the best fit with the band. I’m hoping better versions of the audio come out (like, maybe a CD or something)… I’d buy this in a heartbeat (plus, it’d be for a good cause).
Also, I just reviewed the latest Motley Crue greatest hits collection (“Red, White & Crue”). I won’t go into too much detail here, but I just wanted to make mention of something I didn’t really address with the review. Sure, there are a bunch of Crue collections out now, but each one has a little something special that the others don’t. “Decade of Decadence” has a couple of songs that showed up on soundtracks (“Teaser” and “Rock N’ Roll Junkie”), while the “Greatest Hits” disc featured some better mixes and a solid version of “Glitter” off “Generation Swine.” I guess my point is that “Red, White & Crue” is the best set, but there’s no reason to not pick up the others if you’re a huge fan. Keep an eye out for the review right here at Inside Pulse.
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…
