“You never really quite get over it. Being onstage again is becoming fun again, I’m enjoying it, but there’s still a big hole in my heart and there always will be. … You don’t want to forget your friends, but then again you don’t want to live that day over and over again.”
— Great White front man Jack Russell regarding The Station nightclub fire in 2003.
This week’s most listened to CDs by yours truly were Nightrage’s “Decent into Chaos” and Armor for Sleep’s “What to do When You’re Dead.”
The Nightrage disc is phenomenal … I’ll have a review up on the site in the near future. As for the Armor for Sleep disc, it starts off strong but sort of peters out toward the middle. Still, a solid follow-up to the band’s debut which was pretty pedestrian.
I’m also getting a lot of mileage out of Corrosion of Conformity’s latest offering and a hardcore sampler disc I picked up a couple of weeks ago (prior to the New England Hardcore Metal festival in April) — the disc features bands from the tour … many of which I’ll have to check out further. Speaking of that sampler, I highly recommend everyone check out the metalcore band The Esoteric. I’m going to try and pick the band’s new album, “With the Sureness of Sleepwalking,” which features the kick-ass track “Ram-Faced Boy,” later this week.
One “rule” I like to follow, is to not draw attention to something you’d like readers not to question. Case in point, I was absent last week, when a lot of notable metal news was transpiring. I hate doing something like that without notice so I apologize. Trust me, there was good reason.
However, I did get a chance to crank out some CD reviews (more on those later in the column). In other “column” news, the album of the week will return next week. I’ve been inundated with CDs lately and am playing catch-up (a friend dropped off a handful, while I picked up some stuff I’d been meaning to buy for a while). There’s even more stuff out this week I’m looking forward to, so I’ll have to really focus on finding one album to recommend.
But enough about me …
..:..My American Head Charge brief..:.. Shortly after my last column posted, I got word that American Head Charge guitarist Bryan Ottoson was found dead in his bus bunk prior to a concert in North Charleston, SC. The band was on tour with Mudvayne in support of its latest album, “The Feeding.” It’s always sad when a band looses a member, especially when said member is so important to the band — during a recent interview with KNAC.com, AHC keyboardist Justin Fowler pointed out that Ottoson had written half of the new album. Out of a sense of honor to his memory, the band chose to soldier on and rejoin the tour and I, for one, am happy they’ve decided to do so. Once the tour is over the band can plan its next move, but I really think that, with a little time, someone else can fill the big void left and the band can push forward. At least, that’s what I hope. The interview Fowler had done, just prior to the band’s first performance since the tragedy, can be found here… it’s definitely worth a read.
..:..Mustaine narrows down Gigantour..:.. Megadeth mainman and mastermind of this summer’s Gigantour, Dave Mustaine, recently posted an update on the tour at the forums section of the Megadeth’s official Web site. He’s expressed interest in Dry Kill Logic, Overkill, Life of Agony, Children of Bodom, Diecast and Otep along with many others. The West Coast dates of the tour will not feature The Dillinger Escape Plan and Mustaine is interested in pulling Overkill or Anthrax on to the main stage, but points out “I don’t want to offend Anthrax by offering them that slot unless they really want to take it, and I don’t know if Overkill are available yet.” The tour, which will run from mid-July through mid-September will also include Megadeth, Dream Theater, Fear Factory and Nevermore.
..:..Speaking of Megadeth..:.. The band’s 17 track career-retrospective (read: yet another greatest hits package), “Back to the Start,” is set for release on June 28. The disc will be released as limited-edition CD/DVD set. The DVD portion of the set will include a new video for the song “Kill the King,” seven previously unreleased live performances drawn from the band’s 1999 “Risk” tour along with a preview of a forthcoming DVD called “Arsenal of Megadeth.” The “Arsenal” DVD, due out this fall, will be a double-disc career retrospective featuring videos, concert footage, interviews, and home movies Mustaine shot on the road.
..:..Wylde arrested last week (older news)..:.. Zakk Wylde lost he cool prior to a Black Label Society concert last week. According to a piece in “The Idaho Statesman,” “(Local) police were summoned to the concert club around 3 p.m. after getting a call about a possible fight. When they arrived, they found that considerable damage had been done inside The Big Easy. Witnesses said the damage was done by guitarist Zakk Wylde using a baseball bat.” Wylde and another man were detained for about a half hour but no charges were filed. Ahh … the life and times of a rock n’ roll superstar.
..:..Brief briefs..:.. Obituary’s new album, due out July 12, will be self-titled; Fear Factory has set “Transgression” as the title of its next studio album, possibly due Aug. 23 via Trillion Records (an imprint of Liquid 8 Records); New York band Gizmachi has officially been added to Ozzfest’s second stage line-up; Chimaira has tapped Colin Richardson to mix its self-titled album, set for release Aug. 2 via Roadrunner Records — 13 songs have been recorded, with only 10 expected to make the final track listing; a new Taproot album, titled “Blue-Sky Research,” will see the light of day Aug. 16; Arch Enemy is wrapping up work on its new full-length album, “Doomsday Machine,” which is set for a July 26 release in North America; Bleeding Through has entered the studio to begin work on “The Truth,” the follow-up to the band’s breakthrough album, “This is Love, This is Murderous.”
Hater: “The 2nd” … the long awaited follow-up to the classic underground Soundgarden side project, which debuted in 1994. This album, originally recorded in 1995, is essentially a psychedelic rock album, but the band features Ben Shepherd and Matt Cameron of Soundgarden along with guest performances by members of Ministry, Monster Magnet and more.
Fall Out Boy: “From Under the Cork Tree” …more of a rock album, but still…
Gizmachi: “The Imbuing” …a crazy blend of melody and heavy metal, this band was just added to the Ozzfest tour. The album was produced by Shawn Crahan of Slipknot fame…
Limp Bizkit: “The Unquestionable Truth (Part 1)!” …Fred Durst and his boys return with an album getting comparisons to Rage Against the Machine. Plus, guitarist Wes Borland is back…
Nine Inch Nails: “With Teeth” …I want to like this album, but I haven’t heard anything that impressed me yet. Sounds like the same ol’ same ol’ from Trent Reznor…
Still Remains: “Of Love and Lunacy” …one of my most anticipated albums of the year, this band combines metal and bits of hardcore to fantastic result. I can’t get enough of the album’s first single, “White Walls,” so I know this disc will be huge…
Here’s a little mix I put together featuring the songs of Slipknot. I wanted to spotlight a band to try and turn readers on to music they might not be aware of. Check one, some or all of them out … who knows, you might discover something you like or remember something you used to …
“The Blister Exists” (off “Vol. 3 (The Subliminal Verses)” )
“Purity” (off original pressings of“Slipknot”)
“Do Nothing/Bitchslap” (off “Mate, Kill, Feed, Repeat” )
“Disasterpiece” (off “Iowa” )
“Vermillion Part 2” (off “Vol. 3 (The Subliminal Verses)” )
“The Heretic Anthem” (off “Iowa” )
“Carve” (unreleased track featuring the band’s current and former lead singer)
“Get This” (off “Slipknot” )
* “Snap” (unreleased track)
“Duality” (off ” Vol. 3 (The Subliminal Verses)” )
* I know this song showed up on the Freddy Vs. Jason soundtrack, but it was a different mix from the version that had been floating around for a couple of years. That version was far superior…
Trust me … that doesn’t even scratch the surface …
Inside Pulse has had a bunch of solid metal reviews lately. In case you missed them, make sure you check out:
I loved the new Mudvayne disc, “Lost and Found” … this one will definitely show up on my best-of list at the end of the year.
Michaelangelo McCullar tackled the new Dirty Americans disc … I used to listen to this band when they were known as The Workhorse Movement and signed to Roadrunner (I know some members are different). Sound like the band took its sound in a different direction.
Gloomchen thinks Soilwork has finally come into its own with “Stabbing the Drama.” I don’t know too much about the band, but I love the little I’ve heard off this new disc.
I also got a chance to offer up opinions on the new Corrossion of Conformity disc, “In the Arms of God,” and Bury Your Dead’s “Cover Your Tracks.” A review of the new Children of Bodom EP “Trashed, Lost & Strungout” will show up shortly too.
Check out the rest of the columns Inside Pulse’s Music Zone has to offer … and all the great writers on the site in general.
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…
