“Well, I think I knew it was time to leave when Blackie (Lawless) said, ‘I’ve got an idea for the third album!’ And I said, ‘Cool!’ So he goes, ‘It’s me on the front like this, and it’s me on the back like this, and when you open it up, it’s me in the middle like this!’ (Laughs) It’s the truth though, and I remember exactly when he told me that, and I was like, ‘F### man, are there going to be any f###ing pictures of me in there?'”
— former W.A.S.P. guitarist Randy Piper in an interview with Glam-Metal.com.
I have to track down that W.A.S.P. greatest hits package that came out early/mid-90s. Good stuff …
This week’s most listened to CDs by yours truly were Funeral for a Friend’s “Hours” and Brand New Sin’s “Recipe for Disaster.”
To be truthful, I haven’t listened to that Brand New Sin album nearly enough to form a solid opinion, but what I’ve heard has sounded killer.
In other (personal) news, the new Obituary album was reported to hit shelves and I’ve been so busy I haven’t been able to pick it up yet (I can’t find it in any stores local to me). I have it by the weekend … it obviously would have been my pick of the week … of course, for some reason Roadrunner is now listing it as July 19 on its Web site, even though I’ve heard reports it’s out in stores … it’s a mystery!
As for that Funeral for a Friend disc: good stuff. “Hours” is the perfect juxtaposition to Avenged Sevenfold’s “City of Evil” … both bands made an effort to drop the screaming from their sound for the most part. Avenged Sevenfold lost the edge it had and put out a sub-par album. On the other hand, Funeral for a Friend kept its overall sound and just made the melody more intense and emotional. That’s how you do it.
If anyone out there is familiar with the two discs, shoot me an e-mail, I’d love to discuss this further.
Now, on with the show …
..:..Damaged plan..:.. Blabbermouth.net is exclusively reporting that Patrick Lachman, former singer for Damageplan, is working on a new heavy yet melodic band. The as-yet-unnamed band is rumored to involve notable San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles musicians. … The group have reportedly written and recorded nearly 20 songs and are preparing to shop for a major label record deal. So, I guess that squashes the Lachman joining Drowning Pool rumors (though those never really picked up steam anyway). Lachman doesn’t seem to be a big enough name to anchor a group on that alone, so I’m hoping the material is killer otherwise this will turn into “just another band.” Stay tuned …
..:..Nightrage announce new front man..:.. In one of the more disappointing news items (for me, at least) in a while, Nightrage has parted ways with killer vocalist Tomas Lindberg. In a statement issued by the band, Lindberg addressed the situation: “This is a band I joined some time ago to help my friend Marios (Iliopoulos, guitar) out. But over the course of time I’ve grown deeply fond of being a part of this extraordinary band. But as you might know I’m a busy soul and have no other option that to give up one of my projects, only because of lack of time. My only comfort is that Nightrage now can continue at full speed without me holding them back.” Jimmie Strimell has been named as a replacement (check here to see what he looks like). The band has already begun rehearsals and work on new material. Every time I really get into a band the lead singer seems to leave (see Killswitch Engage, Amorphis or Time in Malta for examples). Killswitch turned out all right, I haven’t heard the new Amorphis or Time in Malta singers … so I’ll wait to make my decision on this one …
..:..Kittie still going..:.. Kittie reportedly finished up a new demo in Canada. The band is planning on making the new material available via its Web site or its MySpace page in the next few days. I’ll be interested to see what direction it takes. In addition to that, Morgan Lander will do a guest shot on the upcoming Kataklysm album, due out early next year. The Lander sisters are also working on some clothing line, but does anyone really care about that? Make some music … some good music. Quick history lesson: the band lost guitarist Lisa Marx and bassist Jennifer Arroyo earlier this year and split with longtime label Artemis Records. The band parted ways Artemis in March “due to a proposed amendment to the recording budget for the pending fourth KITTIE album,” according to a post on the band’s Web site. The group have yet to announce replacements for Marx and Arroyo
..:..Live Slipknot on the way..:.. In addition to the continuous touring of the band’s last album, “Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses),” Slipknot are working on a yet-to-be titled live album due out in October. The band has officially released a handful of live tracks over the years, either as b-sides or on compilations (like the Tattoo the Earth disc). The group always struck me to be more visually stunning live, while staying close to studio versions of the songs. That’s why the “Disasterpieces” DVD was so good. I’ll wait to see how this turns out, but for the amount of time the band’s taking on putting it together, I have high hopes …
..:..Stone Temple Filter?..:.. Rumors are swirling that former Stone Temple Pilots members Rob and Dean DeLeo may have joined Filter’s Richard Patrick in a revamped Filter. Patrick has been going out of his way to compliment the brothers in the press lately. Add this to the fact the Patrick joined STP on stage in 2001 to do a version of “Hey Man Nice Shot” — Patrick has commented he’s rehearsing with a new band that he once shared a stage with (and are apparently well-known) … I guess we’ll have to wait and see. Before STP started to slow down, the band’s music was pretty hard-hitting. I wonder, if this was to happen, if this would be a one-off type of thing (for a tour and an album) or if this would become a long-term Filter line-up.
Obituary: “Frozen in Time” … a comeback from the death metal icons… (is it out?)
The Black Dahlia Murder: “Miasma” … hardcore with metal undertones…
Bury Your Dead: “Alive” … live material from this unimaginative hardcore act…
Byzantine: “… And They Shall Take Up Serpents” … solid metal outing…
Clutch: “Pitchfork & Lost Needles” … a collection of rarities from these stoner-rockers …
Obituary: “Frozen in Time” … some reports say this was moved back a week (?!) …
In Flames: “Used and Abused” (CD/DVD combo) … chock-full of content…
Another slow week …
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):
Obituary: “Frozen in Time”
Brand New Sin: “Recipe for Disaster”
W.A.S.P.: “First Blood…Last Cuts”
100 Demons: “100 Demons”
Still Remains: “Of Love and Lunacy”
The purpose behind trying to track down that “First Blood …” set from W.A.S.P. is that greatest hits usually rule, but the W.A.S.P. collection from 2000 (“Best of the Best”) doesn’t have “I Don’t Need No Doctor.” You need that track. Come on! Maybe it’d be better to track all the old stuff down instead …
Also, keep an eye out for a completed-but-not-yet-on-the-site feature on the history of Ozzfest: “The Inside Pulse on … Ozzfest!” Don’t forget, the tour kicks off on Friday …
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…
