Trivium in concert with Conniption and The Bloodline (1-21-16)

Post #324

Touring in support of their newest album, Silence in the Snow, Trivium made a stop in my neck of the woods in southeast Wisconsin and I got myself a ticket, in spite of it being on a week night. It has been far too long since I've managed to see Trivium live, plus this would be my first chance to see them as a headliner! They've put out 3 albums since I last saw them on Mayhem Fest in '09, so there would be plenty of new songs in their set, plus I also got a chance to see two other up and coming bands: Conniption and The Bloodline.

I had been following The Bloodline in recent months, since Mike Sylvester of Fist to the Sky joined their touring line-up, but Conniption were completely new to me. I had no idea what to expect. As soon as Conniption started playing I knew I was in for an awesome night of thrash and power metal. Conniption are from Milwaukee, WI, and they perform an intense brand of traditional metal or power metal- fast-tempo, power-riffs, numerous extended guitar solos, and a vocal style akin to Iron Maiden. One of the songs in their set was an instrumental, featuring multiple guitar solos- traded off between lead guitarist Bill House and vocalist/guitarist Michael Brigham. The two played competitively, razzing each other while the other was playing their lead... sort of the way that Sam Totman and Herman Li of DragonForce do. After their opening set, it was time for The Bloodline.

The Bloodline are a Chicago-based melodic metalcore band, and a perfect warm-up for the likes of Trivium. Their style fluctuates between melodic vocals, and hardcore screams in a well-balanced ratio. Vocalist Travis Neal had a commanding stage presence while singing either style. I was reminded of Five Finger Death Punch's Ivan Moody, and it wasn't just their coincidental image of shaved heads, this dude can really sing... and scream. At every point where the song called for it, bassist Mike Sylvester was right there providing the backing vocals, also with both the melodic or hardcore style. Their brutal heaviness and intensity got the crowd energized and moshing ensued...

Next up was the band the whole venue had been waiting for with eager anticipation. Trivium- a band who in my opinion are the best to come along in thrash metal since the genre's beginnings in the mid-1980's. Trivium- whose music I regard as highly as I do Metallica's or Megadeth's. Trivium- a band who almost single-handedly restored my faith in metal's future when I first heard their song 'Entrance of the Conflagration' nearly 10 years ago...

Trivium took the stage as the classical music of 'Sn0fall' played as their intro. The crowd gave them an enthusiastic welcome, the release of their anticipation almost palpable... The band launched immediately into the title track of their new album, 'Silence in the Snow'. Power chords, thundering drums, and headbanging ensued almost immediately. After that they quickly mixed things up, playing a song from nearly every one of their albums in quick succession. They gave the crowd some of their older and well known hardcore classics like 'Rain' and 'Like Light to the Flies' from their landmark Ascendancy album, while ensuring each song was packed with potent energy, and they gave a kick-ass performance!

Matt Heafy was a perfect front-man: Keeping the crowd engaged, and entertained. He mixed some goofing off stage antics in with the expected venting-of-rage that Trivium's lyrical style lends itself to. For the first few minutes of their performance he stuck his tongue out for the crowd in a variety of manners, playing to the smartphones that were snapping pics every couple seconds. He struck several poses while his hands kept jamming out riff after riff. But he would let the crowd get too complacent either, asking us to keep the emotions high and loud even between songs. We in the audience were more than happy to oblige. We gave our all to show our support with screams, headbanging, moshing, and fist-pumping as often as possible.

The band as a whole was in top form on this wintry night. Bassist Paolo Gregoletto provides the melodic backing vocals, and Corey Beaulieu the hardcore backing vocals, while Matt switched back and forth with expert vocal control. Not to be overlooked is their brand new drummer, Paul Wandtke. Hired on by the band right at the start of this tour, replacing previous drummer Mat Madiro on short notice, he nailed all the drum parts like a pro. Heafy gave him a special nod right before he launched into 'Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr', the band's trademark song, and one with the most intense drum-intro I've ever heard.

Trivium left the stage but it was mere seconds later that chants of "TRI-VI-UM! TRI-VI-UM! TRI-VI-UM!" started up... And we kept it going for several minutes until another taped intro began to play. The crowd erupted in cheers with recognition of the track 'Capsizing the Sea', the intro to their 2011 album, In Waves. Matt Heafy again thanked us for being a great crowd, but also instructed us to sing the two-word chorus "In Waves" as loud as we could, and when the song kicked in, we did! I know I was screaming myself hoarse as the mosh-pit grew to encompass at least half the square footage of the entire venue. A fitting conclusion to a killer set-list by one of my favorite bands.

Here are the songs performed on this night. You should find they make an excellent playlist! You cna find the songs of each band downloadable through their websites, also listed below.

Setlist: CONNIPTION
-The Torrent
-Sonata #1 in b minor
-Kamikaze
-(Come On) King of the Road
-Let the Wolf Out

Setlist: THE BLOODLINE
-We Are One
-Divided
-Dead and Buried
-Midnight
-With Fire (Comes Absolution)
-Poisonous
-The Blackout

Setlist TRIVIUM
-Sn0fall (intro)
-Silence in the Snow
-Into the Mouth of Hell We March
-Strife
-Rain
-Tread the Floods
-Built to Fall
-Like Light to the Flies
-Insurrection
-Throes of Perdition
-Becoming the Dragon
-Down From the Sky
-Until the World Goes Cold
-Pull Harder on the Strings of Your Martyr
---encore---
-Capsizing the Sea (intro)
-IN WAVES

After the show I also took advantage of a meet - n - greet they offered for Trivium. Getting to hang with these guys after the show was a truly special honor. I headed to the balcony of the venue and waited a while until the band came out and made the rounds, taking a couple minutes to chat with each fan in the room, and sign their CD's or LP's too. They were very humble, very personable, and professional guys! I wish I had thought of some more meaningful stuff to talk with them about, but I was starstruck, and simply grateful for the opportunity to meet them and say a few words. You may recall that I missed a chance for a meet and greet when I attended Mayhem Fest, but this night made up for it.

Don't forget to follow each of these bands on facebook:
Trivium
Conniption
The Bloodline

My pics from the show...

The Metallica Mix Challenge

Post # 311 (The Metallica Mix Challenge!)

I thought of this challenge as a way for Metallica fans to exercise their fandom while awaiting the release of the next Metallica album. The challenge: what 13 tracks would you put in your Metallica mix (and can you keep it under 80 minutes-to fit it on an audio-CDR?) Try to make the track-list flow with a purpose and direction, and give your reasons for your picks. The hits? The covers? Deep tracks? Early tracks? Later tracks? From the radio-staples to the rarities, anything is game. I polled several of my friends and followers through this blog's facebook page to get some people to participate.

Here are the Metallica mixes that were created by some of the most die-hard Metallica fans I know. You will see that to each fan, different songs speak to them. Sure, there are several examples of truly essential songs that appear in most of these mixes, but as a long-time fan who appreciates every era of Metallica's career, it is interesting for me to see the songs that mean the most to others. Starting with my own Metallica Mix....

HappyHeadbanger's Metallica Mix: I wanted to compile some of Metallica's recent contributions to tribute albums that have not appeared on a Metallica record yet, plus their performance with Lang Lang from the recent Grammy Awards show, then round out the playlist with some deep tracks- favorites of mine that are never played on the radio, and rarely- if ever- performed by Metallica in concert.
1-The Ecstasy of Gold (Studio version, from the tribute to Ennio Morricone: We All Love Ennio Morricone)
2-Am I Evil? (Diamond Head cover)
3-The God That Failed
4-Fight Fire with Fire
5-The Unnamed Feeling
6-No Remorse
7-53rd and 3rd (Ramones cover, from the tribute to Ramones: We're a Happy Family)
8-Dyers Eve
9-Broken, Beat and Scarred
10-Phantom Lord (Live- taken from the 'Jump in the Fire/Creeping Death EP')
11-Rebel of Babylon
12-Ronnie Rising Medley (From 'Ronnie James Dio: This Is Your Life' a tribute to Ronnie James Dio)

Lance H's Metallica Mix: All are just my favorite Metallica songs:

Wiplash
Blackened
Harvester of Sorrow
One
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Call of Cthulu
Dyer's Eve
Orion
Battery
The Thing that Should not be
The Four Horsemen
Hit the Lights
The God that Failed

Matt A's Metallica Mix: Here is my list. This would be my Metallica concert setlist in order. 13 songs is tough. I want it crazy the whole way 
⚡⚡
Battery
Creeping Death
Don't Tread On Me
(Anesthsia) Pulling Teeth
The Four Horsemen
And Justice For All
Welcome Home Sanitarium
Fade To Black
Last Caress (cover)
One
The Day That Never Comes
Blackened
Whiplash

Denny J's Metallica Mix:

1. One
2. Creeping Death
3. Call of Kluto(spelling I'm sure is wrong lol)
4. Damage Inc.
5. Cyanide
6. Master of Puppets
7. Breadfan (cover)
8. Battery
9. Fade to Black
10. Four Horsemen

Norry M's Metallica Mix:

The Unforgiven (Black album)
One
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Seek & Destroy
Blackened
...And Justice for All
Battery
Enter Sandman
Master of Puppets
Orion
Creeping Death
Wherever I may Roam
Sad but True

JP S's Metallica Mix:

In no particular order:
All Nightmare Long
Sad But True
Hit The Lights
Devil's Dance
Creeping Death
Disposable Heroes
The Frayed Ends of Sanity
Bleeding Me
Wherever I May Roam
Battery
Sweet Amber
Ain't My Bitch
Ride The Lightning

Mauricio S's Metallica Mix:

1 Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
2 Damage Inc.
3 Orion
4 Battery
5 Fade to Black
6 Blackened
7 2X4
8 The Four Horsemen
9 Motorbreath
10 Fight Fire with Fire
11 Disposable Heroes
(1st 12th pick- later omitted: Bleeding Me)
12 My Friend of Misery
13 For Whom The Bell Tolls

Aarin O's Metallica Mix:

1. Unforgiven
2. One
3. Leper Messiah
4. Battery
5. Sad but True
6. Of Wolf and Man
7. Trapped Under Ice
8. Ride the Lightning
9. Seek and Destroy
10. Enter Sandman
11. Creeping Death
12. Harvester of Sorrow
13. Turn the Page ( Cover )

Ian A's Metallica Mix:

1- The Ecstasy of Gold (Live version)

2- The Mechanix (Live '82)

3- No Remorse

4- Fade to Black

5- The Thing That Should Not Be

6- Dyers Eve

7- My Friend of Misery

8- Ronnie

9- Where the Wild Things Are

10- So What? (cover)

11- Unnamed Feeling

12- The Day That Never Comes

13- Hate Train

Ryan B's Metallica Mix:
One
Enter Sandman
Fuel
Cyanide
The Unforgiven
The Unforgiven II
The Unforgiven III
King Nothing
Breadfan (cover)
Master of Puppets
Battery
The Day That Never Comes
The Memory Remains
Turn The Page (cover)

Some fun facts about these 10 Metallica Mixes:

Most picked songs: Battery (8), One (7), The Four Horsemen (4), Fade to Black (4), Blackened (4)

Most picks by album: Master of Puppets (23), Ride The Lightning (19), ...And Justice For All (19), Metallica (17)

Mixes featuring every Metallica studio album: Ian A's, JP S's

Mixes that remained under 80 minutes: Happy Headbanger's, Matt A's, Denny J's, Ian A's, Aarin O's

Master of Puppets was the only album to have every track picked for somebody's mix out of these first ten mixes.

Feel free to post your own Metallica Mix (13 songs or less) as a comment on this post, or on this blog's Facebook Page.

The Heavy Metal Box

Post #258
When it comes to compilation/mix collections I'm usually skeptical, and it takes a well planned and efficiently executed collection of music to truly gain my interest. One such collection that I believe successfully achieved its goal, if not exceeded it, is The Heavy Metal Box.

Covering the history of heavy metal music from its primordial age in the late 60's up until the twilight of metal's golden era at the dawn of the 1990's (before grunge and alternative rock threatened the fan-base of metal), this 4-disc box set is a thorough representation of the first 20-25 years of the heavy metal phenomenon. I was able to check this collection out at my local library, and I am so glad that I did. True there were many bands here I was very familiar with, like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Slayer, and Megadeth. However there were also many bands included that I never had a chance to listen to before, like Hawkwind, Angel Witch, Rose Tattoo, Tygers of Pan Tang, Venom, and Metal Church. My perspective on the evolution of heavy metal is all the better because I checked out this collection. You should at least take a listen to any of these songs you are unfamiliar with...

Disc 1 (1967-1980)

Iron Butterfly-In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida

Blue Cheer-Summertime Blues

Uriah Heep-Easy Livin'

Deep Purple-Highway Star
Alice Cooper-Billion Dollar Babies
Hawkwind-Lost Johnny
Montrose-Bad Motor Scooter
Rush-Working Man
Rainbow-Man on the Silver Mountain
Kiss-Detroit Rock City
Judas Priest-The Ripper
Ted Nugent-Cat Scratch Fever
UFO-Lights Out
Blue Oyster Cult-Godzilla
Girlschool-Demolition Boys
Angel Witch-White Witch
Iron Maiden-The Phantom of the Opera
Black Sabbath-Neon Knights

Disc 2 (1980-1983)
Motorhead-Ace of Spades
Diamond Head-Am I Evil?
Rose Tattoo-Nice Boys
Michael Schenker Group-Attack of the Mad Axeman
Saxon-Denim and Leather
Blitzkrieg-Blitzkrieg
Tygers of Pan Tang-Gangland
Venom-Witching Hour
Judas Priest-You've Got Another Thing Comin'
Iron Maiden-The Number of the Beast
Raven-Star War
Fastway-Say What You Will
Mercyful Fate-Black Funeral
W.A.S.P.-Animal (Fuck Like a Beast)
Y&T-Mean Streak
Dio-Holy Diver
Queensryche-Queen of the Reich
Metallica-Whiplash

Disc 3 (1984-1986)
Scorpions-Rock You Like a Hurricane
Quiet Riot-Metal Health
Dokken-Into the Fire
Accept-Balls to the Wall
Ratt-Round and Round
Twisted Sister-I Wanna Rock
Hanoi Rocks-The Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Spinal Tap-Big Bottom
Krokus-Midnite Maniac
Yngwie Malmsteen-I'll See the Light, Tonight
Loudness-Crazy Nights
Cinderella-Shake Me
Metal Church-Watch the Children Pray
Stryper-To Hell With The Devil
Helloween-A Little Time
Overkill-Wrecking Crew
Anthrax-Caught in a Mosh
Megadeth-Peace Sells

Disc 4 (1987-1991)
Whitesnake-Still of the Night
Great White-Rock Me
Faster Pussycat-Bathroom Wall
Lita Ford-Kiss Me Deadly
Manowar-Hail and Kill
Testament-Trial By Fire
King Diamond-Welcome Home
Slayer-South Of Heaven
Metallica-One
Living Colour-Cult of Personality
Skid Row-Youth Gone Wild
Pantera-Cowboys from Hell
Prong-Beg to Differ
Sepultura-Dead Embryonic Cells

You can see there is quite a bit of diversity in this collection. Although it is sequenced in chronological order, the diversity becomes most apparent towards the end (discs 3 and 4). You can literally hear the progression, solidification, and diversification of heavy metal from a single genre of music at its inception to a multi-headed monster at the dawn of the 90's. During the 80's metal branched in 2 distinct directions: mainstream radio-friendly 'glam' or 'hair' metal, and the more underground 'thrash' or 'speed' metal. The former focused on higher-pitched vocals, and catchy, lighter melodies; the latter focused on power, aggression, and heavier darker moods.

In the end it is all still METAL! If you are a new fan of heavy metal music, do yourself a favor and listen to this collection to see, hear, and understand where metal came from!

A Dream Theater Mix-Tape: A Blast from the Past...

Post #202
The year was 1997. At that time Dream Theater's newest album was Falling Into Infinity. I had only discovered Dream Theater a year and a half before, but I already considered myself a die-hard fan. I had collected all their albums on CD, and felt it was a good time to make my own 'Best of Dream Theater' mix-tape. (Yes 1997 was still in the era of mix-tapes; any music fan had tons of these.) I just couldn't wait for them to release a Greatest Hits album...

Nowadays we call them playlists on our handy, portable electronic music-playing devices that hold thousands of songs. Back in '97 though, what people did was record their favorite songs from their CD collection onto a blank cassette tape (or perhaps burn songs on to a CDR, but if you couldn't afford a newer model computer- or any computer- you were stuck with what your dual-cassette CD boom box could do.) Everybody's car had cassette players back then, at least if you were a college kid on a working-class campus. So a mix-tape was a handy, portable, personalized collection of you favorite songs.

For Dream Theater, who are famous for writing very long songs, often exceeding 10 minutes, I needed the 'top-of-the-line' from what blank cassettes had to offer: a 120 minute, TDK, Heavy-Bass Performance, CD BASS cassette. Note that this IS a longer playing time than you can get out of a CDR in music format (80 minutes).

So here is my first 'Best of Dream Theater' music mix, featuring songs from their first 4 full-length albums (When Dream And Day Unite, Images And Words, Awake, Falling Into Infinity), and their EP- A Change of Seasons:

(Side A)
-A Change of Seasons
-A Fortune in Lies
-Lie
-Surrounded
-You Not Me
-Space-Dye Vest
-Hollow Years

(Side B)
-Burning My Soul
-Pull Me Under
-6:00
-Metropolis-Part I
-Lifting Shadows Off a Dream
-New Millennium
-Caught in a Web
-Take Away My Pain
-Another Day

Remembering Jani Lane (1964-2011)

 Post #156

On August 11th, 2011, Jani Lane, former lead-singer/songwriter of Warrant, was found dead in his hotel room. Though he, and his band, had been labeled as 'Hair-Metal', and as such saw their popularity decline in the late 90's, Lane was truly a talented song-writer. I'll take a moment here to remember and honor him, and the music he gave us.

Warrant released their debut album, 'Drity Rotten Filthy Stinkin' Rich' in 1989, right in the middle of the 'Hair-Metal' era. The top-ten hit ballad 'Heaven' solidified their significance for this genre. As their career progressed, they expanded their sound, and actually migrated away from the stereotypical 'Hair-Metal' sound in the mid-90's. However the rise of alternative rock and grunge was too strong to afford as large a fan-base for Warrant as they enjoyed in the late-80's.

With the passing of Jani Lane, far too young at the age of 47, now is the perfect time to go back and discover some of the best music Lane ever wrote. Myself being a huge fan of the whole Hair-Metal scene, I kept up with Warrant through the years, at least until the band parted ways with Jani around 1999 or 2000. So let me be your guide into the somewhat obscure works of Warrant. I'll share with you today the tracks I compiled on a mix CD of my personal favorite Warrant tracks.

The Best Of Warrant (1989-1996)
1-Down Boys
2-The Hole In My Wall
3-Cherry Pie
4-Stronger Now
5-April 2031
6-Sure Feels Good to Me
7-A.Y.M.
8-Uncle Tom's Cabin
9-32 Pennies
10-Followed
11-Andy Warhol Was Right
12-Sometimes She Cries
13-Indian Giver
14-Chameleon
15-The Bitter Pill
16-Train, Train (Blackfoot cover)
17-Vertigo
18-Undertow
19-Inside Out
20-Heaven
21-In The End (There's Nothing)

Color-coded album reference: Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinkin' Rich ('89), Cherry Pie ('90), Dog Eat Dog ('92), Ultraphobic ('95), Belly to Belly ('96)
(Compiled by the HappyHeadbanger on 8-18-11)

Other good tunes that I had to exclude to fit this compilation on an 80 minute CDR: Machine Gun, Ultraphobic, and Family Picnic

Rest in peace, Jani Lane. I know I will miss you and the music you might have brought to us had you lived on. I hope many others out there will miss you as well. Click the image of Jani above to visit his official website.

System Of A Down (Full Review)

Post #147 [Poll winner: Which is not a topping on System of a Down's pizza?]
For those who voted in the reader's poll regarding System of a Down's choice of pizza-toppings, you need only listen to the song 'Chic N' Stu' to discover they like... 'pepperoni, and green peppers, mushrooms, olives, chives!' That means the correct answer for the poll question was actually 'sausage'! Hope you had fun with that poll last month. Now for more about System of a Down...

System Of A Down came onto the heavy metal scene in 1998 with their self-titled debut album and quickly revolutionized the scene with their genre-defying sound and style. With all the members being of Armenian descent, their lyrics are charged with strong political themes that reflect their unique perspective on a number of issues. Their outspoken, thought-provoking, and emotional social commentary would quickly become a trademark of theirs, and continued to grow with each release.

On their first album, SOAD quickly exhibited an array of songs that showcased their unique style and techniques. Serj Tankian's vocals are very extreme & hard-core in places, with prominent screams and guttural growls that approach the likes of death-metal vocal styles. They would migrate away form this vocal style in the coming years.

In 2001 System of a Down released their 2nd album, Toxicity. This album proved to be a true break-through effort for System. Several songs that featured prominent melodic passages became huge hits. Don't be fooled though, these songs still contained extreme elements as well. System of a Down were becoming more adept at fusing the popular and melodic elements of hard rock with the hard-edged and more extreme elements of metal, all the while managing to sound exactly like neither of those genres!

With their surge in popularity following the Toxicity album, their fan-base became strongly devoted to following their every move, and stalking the web for any hint of new music from them. Rumors of unreleased tracks from the Toxicity recording sessions sparked obsessive fans to pirate and share any such tracks if they got leaked.

Then in 2002, to put an end to the illegal downloading, while at the same time pleasing many fans, the band gave in and released the tracks as their 3rd full-length album, Steal This Album! The title was a bit of a joke as well, reflecting the fact that many fans had, in fact, stolen the tracks already. However, this final product was more polished and refined than the versions that had been leaked. Several of the songs that were released as singles also became big hits.

In 2005, System of a Down gave us what has to be regarded as their masterpiece (at least to this point of their career), a double-album, released in two parts: Mezmerize was released in the spring, and Hypnotize in the fall of the same year. The packaging of these 2 albums was even designed to compliment each other, as Mezmerize contained a flap that could be inserted into the side flap of Hypnotize, making a double-CD folding case. The art work on the discs and inserts was also complimentary.

Stylistically, these last two albums by System of a Down show even more of the band's talent as musicians. Some tracks, like B.Y.O.B. exhibit the extreme side of their potential, with plenty of screams and brutally heavy riffs. Other tracks, like Lonely Day, are so soft and melodic that you may wonder if they are performed by the same band. And of course you have many numbers like Question! which switch it up between soft melodies and harsh screaming so suddenly you might think they are trying to do too much, but remarkably, SOAD make these elements work.

It is this uncanny ability to effortlessly fuse some of the most extreme styles of metal with the most catchy and pretty elements of pop-rock that make System of a Down practically incomparable in the metal scene. It has been 6 long years since they last recorded an album together. I think if they do decide to return to the studio at some point and make some fresh tunes again, we would be just as impressed as before. I still believe they are a band with unlimited potential.

For my recommended tracks from System of a Down, I'll give you the track-list for my personal mix CD; 'How Do You Own Disorder? -The Best of System Of A Down'
-Suite Pee
-Prison Song
-Soldier Side-Intro
-B.Y.O.B
-I-E-A-I-A-I-O
-Aerials
-Tentative
-Deer Dance
-Cigaro
-Sugar
-Chop Suey!
-Chic N' Stu
-Hypnotize
-Suggestions
-Question!
-Radio/Video
-Roulette
-Attack
-Holy Mountains
-Toxicity
-Innervision
-Sad Statue
-Lonely Day
-Soldier Side

(compiled on 4-21-06 by the Happy Headbanger)
Color-coded album reference:
System Of A Down, Toxicity, Steal This Album!, Mezmerize, Hypnotize

http://www.onlinecourtreportingschools.org/alcoholvmarijuana

HappyHeadbanger online radio premiers!

Post #28
Hey there readers, tired of browsing through my endless babble of heavy metal in dull, boring silence? Well, now those days are over! To hear free, online radio, with a play-list modeled after my own suggestions, simply click the link at the bottom of this blog and click "play this station". You may need to create a free account with Pandora.com in order to hear the music, but at least now you can all bang your heads while you read.

I plan to continue to add all my suggested artists, albums, and songs to the play-list over the next few weeks. Keep listening as HappyHeadbanger Radio evolves! Enjoy!

Music Mix Mania! (pt. 2) Metallic Catastrophe

Post #24
Sometimes I find that I've collected a vast amount of excellent, shredding metal music in a relatively short period of time that I have difficulty thoroughly enjoying each title. Sometimes it's moments like these that drive me to burn another good mix CD, allowing a balanced sampling of newly acquired music. This was the case when I compiled "Metallic Catastrophe!"- A really rippin' mix of some excellent (mostly) new heavy metal tunes.


Here's an annotated list of the songs I chose for this mix:


1-Bruce Dickinson-"Abduction" This is from Bruce's most recent solo album, "Tyranny of Souls". I have this song on a sampler CD I got in Classic Rock magazine. I've yet to collect the whole album, but if "Abduction" is any indication of the rest of the CD, then I'm missing out on some good metal!

2-Black Tide-"Shockwave" I've said plenty about Black Tide already on this blog, the reason I've included this song on this mix CD should be obvious... this song kicks ass!!!

3-Trivium-"Anthem (We Are The Fire)" I'm still listening to The Crusade 3-4 times a week. I had to put a song from this album on this mix. "Anthem" is true to it's name; an anthem for heavy metal. You feel an urge to scream along, "We are the Fire!" when you're hearing this song!

4-Avenged Sevenfold-"Chapter Four" This is one of the older songs on this mostly brand-new song collection. From Waking the Fallen, this is probably my favorite song.

5-Megadeth-"Gears of War" From their newest album. I could have easily chosen "Washington Is Next!" or "Sleepwalker", but I think I chose "Gears of War" because I had a lyric from this song in my head while I was making this mix. The lyric... "Smart bombs, precision guided armaments. A more sophisticated way to end up dead!"

6-Serj Tankian-"Sky Is Over" I got Serj's Elect The Dead CD as a gift this past Christmas. This song jumped out at me after my first listen. I still think it's one of the best songs on this solo project from the System of a Down front-man.

7-Iced Earth-"The Clouding" I mentioned this song in my Iced Earth post. I include it on this mix for the same reasons; it's a great epic song that transforms from melodic to thrashy about halfway through. I placed it in the middle of this mix because of its length (if not, I fear I'd run out of room on the CD!)

8-Trivium-"Becoming the Dragon" Another Trivium song. I'm still very into this CD! I couldn't help but to put another selection from "The Crusade" on this mix. I chose this particular song for the intentional play-on-words I utilized with the following song...

9-DragonForce-"Through the Fire and Flames" Wow! How can I describe DragonForce? I'll have to figure it out before I complete my upcoming post on them. I chose this song to put on this mix because it's not only their best know song (with their performing & promoting it on their Ozzfest appearance, as well as its appearance in the game Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock), it is also a great example of Herman Li & Sam Totman's unfathomable lead soloing skills. You'll find about 2 minutes worth of non-stop guitar soloing in this song!

10-Lordi-"The Kids Who Wanna Play With The Dead" It's almost unfair to any song I would have follow a DragonForce song. However, since I elected not to have DragonForce as the closing song, someone had to follow. I really dig Lordi. Their horrific visions depicted in their lyrics are very entertaining. Again, you have to keep a horror-movie frame of mind while listening to Lordi. "Kids" is also a great rocking-metallic song.

11-Dokken-"Drown" Of all the songs on this mix, this one is the curve-ball. "Dokken?" you may ask? But trust me, this one is worth a listen. It comes from one of the better of their many come-back efforts throughout the late 90's- "Erase the Slate". This also features the great Reb Beach on lead guitar, replacing George Lynch. Reb brought his intense ripping lead guitar style into the Dokken sound quite smoothly. And Don's songwriting wasn't so bad either. "Drown" features a dark and haunting riff that really stuck in my head...

12-Dream Theater-"Constant Motion" Dream Theater are such a great band. They're quite heavy but also are top-notch musicians, and it's apparent in their ambitious music. The only downside is probably that they almost put out albums faster that I can keep up with. I put a selection from their newest album, "Systematic Chaos" on this mix so that I can get some more exposure to their music. I can't wait to write a full post about them. It might take me awhile though...

13-Demons & Wizards-"Crimson King" A Stephen King inspired song (from The Dark Tower series!). This band is a side project from members of Iced Earth & Blind Guardian. This heavy and fast song comes from an album highly influenced by King's Dark Tower series. If you're a Dark Tower reader & enjoy this song, check out the album "Touched by the Crimson King"

14-Lordi-"They Only Come Out at Night" Another Lordi song. Again, it's filled with great haunting imagery backed by heavy rock guitar riffage!

15-Iron Maiden-"The Longest Day" I had to have at least one song from Maiden's "A Matter Of Life And Death" album, and this was my favorite at the time. Listening to this song always makes me feel like I'm watching the opening sequence of the film, "Saving Private Ryan"- where they're storming the beaches under heavy fire. I also like having Bruce Dickinson singing on the last song here; it book-ends this collection well.

Green Day!

Post #19
Happy St. Patrick's Day! For this special occasion I'll review Green Day.

Green Day are a neo-punk band that jumped onto the scene in the mid-90's and fell under the over-used blanket category of "alternative". Their songs are short fast & fun and often poke fun at a variety of social & political issues. Each Green Day album was pretty much a repeat of the previous with minimal variety... until 2004's(?) American Idiot!

American Idiot was a concept album and a true masterpiece among modern hard-rock music. The first time I listened to it I recall thinking, "This is the best Green Day song ever.... no THIS is the best Green Day song ever!" over and over again as one song followed the next. I'm also pretty fond of the anti-Bush political commentary that's sprinkled throughout the lyrics.

Listening to Green Day on St. Patrick's day is a mild tradition for me. During my college days I used to wait until March 17th to go out and collect the next Green Day album. So if you feel like "going Green" on the one day of the year when everyone is Irish, give Green Day a listen.

My recommendations for Green Day are from my personal Green Day mix CD, "St. Patty's Day Parade" (Yes, all of the following songs will fit on one 80 min CD-R):

• -At the Library
• -Jesus of Suburbia
• -Basket Case
• -Are We The Waiting
• -St. Jimmy
• -Panic Song
• -Wake Me Up When September Ends
• -Brain Stew
• -Warning:
• -American Idiot
• -Sassafras Roots
• -Minority
• -Boulevard of Broken Dreams
• -Nice Guys Finish Last
• -Give Me Novocaine
• -The Grouch
• -Welcome to Paradise
• -Macy's Day Parade
• -Uptight
• -Pulling Teeth
• -Jaded
• -Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)
• -In The End
• -Whatsername

Color coded Album reference: 1,039 Smoothed Out Slappy Hours, Dookie, Insomniac, Nimrod, Warning, American Idiot

MIA:Kerr Plunk, Shenanigans

Led Zeppelin

Post #12 (Poll Winner: Favorite 70's Band)
"Lords of Rock, Led Zeppelin! Grace us with your Mighty Love!"

You may recall the above quote from Jack Black's "Pitch to Led Zeppelin" begging for permission to use "The Immigrant Song" in the movie School of Rock. (You can find it in the extras on the DVD!) This statement really puts Zeppelin in an appropriate perspective: they are Legend, they are Icons, they have no equal, they are One of a Kind. I know I claim that KISS is my all time favorite, but few bands command the level of respect that Led Zeppelin do.

A great many musical artists have paid this respect through recording their own interpretations of their music. Some examples include: Encomium: A Tribute to Led Zeppelin, Kashmir: The Symphonic Led Zeppelin, Great White-Great Zeppelin, Dread Zeppelin (Led Zeppelin inna reggae style!), and Stairways to Heaven to name a few.

Their music practically defined the 70's. You cannot converse about the influences of modern hard rock music without mentioning them. Without them, without their music, the world would be a different place. Can you imagine if you had never heard of the song Stairway to Heaven?

With a Led Zeppelin reunion currently in the works, the legend they already have can only grow. I'll probably miss out on a chance to see them live because of how limited this opportunity may be and how astronomical the cost of their shows are sure to be, but I'll be 1st in line to buy a new album from them should they pursue this reunion that far.

I have had the opportunity to see a world-renown Zeppelin tribute band: Zoso (check out their website: http://www.zosoontour.net/). The show they did was incredible. They look like Led Zeppelin, they sound like Led Zeppelin, they even played Stairway! I'm glad to have seen their tribute show, and would see them again if I get another chance.

For now I'll leave you with a list of some of my personal favorites from Zeppelin. These songs are mostly from their 1st 4 albums, which I regard as their "Golden Era". They are also the same as my own "Best of Led Zeppelin" mix CD!
-Black Dog
-Good Times, Bad Times
-Rock & Roll
-Immigrant Song
-Babe, I'm Gonna Leave You
-Heartbreaker
-Going to California
-Misty Mountain Hop
-That's the Way
-Whole Lotta Love
-Kashmir
-When the Levee Breaks
-D'yer Mak'er
-Gallows Pole
-Stairway to Heaven

Some websites of interest:
http://www.dreadzeppelin.com/
http://www.ledzeppelin.com/

Music Mix Mania!

Post #11
The age of the i-Pod & other portable digital music players is upon us & in full swing. With the ability to carry hundreds (or even thousands!) of songs in a tiny device you can slip into your pocket, its easier than ever to quickly give a listen to a great song of you choice at a moments notice. One sad fact of this high-tech convenience is that the art of recording a music mix onto a tape or CD has nearly become a lost art already! Okay, cassette tapes have been ancient for years already, but I'm still jazzed that I can make music mixes on a computer with a CD burner! Is there anyone out there who agrees with me? Isn't there still a great feeling to assemble 60-80 minutes of great music in the perfect sequence and making a permanent recording of it? If you agree, then this post is dedicated to you. This post will be a look at one random mix tape form my personal archives-a blast from the past so to say.

Here I go, pull out the old cassette travel-case I once kept in my car during my college days, blow the dust off, crack it open and... BAM! Instant nostalgia! A whole dozen mix tapes to choose from. For me, this is like opening a time capsule. I was never one to make a mix of the same 18 songs you would hear any given day on the rock radio station, either. So these tapes are chocked full of some obscure gems out of left field.

My choice of mixes to cover today: “You Name It!” The following mix tape is probably one of the most eclectic mixes I’ve ever assembled. Thrash, Alternative, Classic Rock, Acid-Rock, Grunge, Prog-Rock, Dance, 80’s Pop-Rock, Reggae, Latin Blues, and even (don’t shoot me, I’ll explain myself) Country: this mix pretty much has it all. A couple underlying themes to this mix; 1-there are a lot of KISS songs, but they’re mostly covers from various KISS-tribute CDs. The lone KISS song, “Then She Kissed Me”, is actually a cover itself. 2-Many of the songs are a-typical versions; either live, unplugged, or a remix. This tape is kicked off with a Dance-remix/cover of Kiss’ classic disco-era hit, “I Was Made for Lovin’ You”. I heard someone in my dorm listening to it one day and it inspired me to make the following mix-tape. I asked to borrow the CD, then returned it after I’d made the tape.

However, my favorite part of this listening experience has to be when the soft, smooth, bluesy melody of “Forever Night Shade Mary” by Latin Playboys comes to a close, only to be instantly succeeded by Sepultura’s “Murder” , which assaults your eardrums like a barrage of serrated sledgehammers. What an awesome feeling!

Here’s an annotated breakdown of this music mix…

“You Name It!”
Mix Tape (circa ’96-’97) review: 110min TDK CDpower Cassette
Side A
-I Was Made for Lovin’ You (Dance Mix) I never listen to dance music, unless I happen to be at a club or something, which for me is once in a blue moon. It’s only because it’s a Kiss cover that I put it on this tape.
-Space-Dye Vest (Dream Theater) This is one of the best songs Dream Theater ever recorded. I love the seamless blend of piano and slow, heavy guitar riffs this song showcases.
-Suicide Note Pts I & II (Pantera) A 2-part song by Pantera, that in itself represents the 2 extremes of their own unique sound in metal.
-Tomorrow (J Walsh) An obscure mellow tune by Joe Walsh about procrastination, I included it here to avoid stringing too many metal songs together, however I was in college, so maybe I identified with the lyrics too.
-Bleeding Me (Metallica) One of my personal favorites from Metallica’s Load album.
-Deuce (Hellmenn) A fast, punky cover of the Kiss classic.
-The Heart of the Matter (D. Henley) Just felt like a bit of 80’s pop…
-Turbo Lover (Judas Priest) The heavy metal titan’s least ‘metal’ hit (lots of synth on this song, thank the 80’s for that), but I still like it.
-Then She Kissed Me (Kiss) Kiss covering the classic 50’s hit.
-Last Exit (Pearl Jam) Needed a ‘grunge’-era song somewhere, I thought this number was a bit underrated from the Vitalogy album.
Side B
-Peace in Mississippi (Hendrix) An excellent instrumental from one of the most legendary guitarists of all time. Never heard of it? Do yourself a favor & listen to it NOW.
-Life in the Fast Lane (Eagles) This is a live version from the “Hell Freezes Over” album. Can’t beat the vibe of this band that had just reunited.
-Polly (Nirvana-unplugged) This unplugged version really rocks!
-Rip It Out (Haphazard) Another Kiss cover, this one comes from “Dressed to Kill: An Independent Tribute to Kiss”
-Silent Scream (Slayer) When Slayer tackle issues in their music, they’re brutal about it. This one’s no different. Be warned, it deals with abortion.
-Long Day (Matchbox 20) Back when MB20 actually rocked!
-Forever Night Shade Mary (Latin Playboys) This song comes from the Desperado Soundtrack. Robert Rodriguez’ selection of songs & how he works them into this film is simply fantastic. I bought the soundtrack because of how well it enhanced the film.
-Murder (Sepultura) This is probably the heaviest song on this mix. From the “Arise” album, it thrashes as fast as any song from the mid-80’s
-Down In a Hole (Alice In Chains-unplugged) Another live, acoustic grunge song. Again, there’s something special about live performances, and the acoustic arrangement on this song makes it all the better.
-Stir it Up (Cool Runnings Soundtrack) Diana King covers the Bob Marley classic.
-Love Gun (Flipp) This is a very different arrangement of a Kiss classic. Slowed down to about half the tempo of the original and played on acoustic guitar, its practically a different song.
-More Human Than Human (White Zombie-Remix) Taken from “Supersexy Swingin’ Sounds: The Astro-Creep Remixes.” As far as remixes go, I find this one really cool.
-Train to Nowhere (Great White) From Great White’s live album, “Stage”, this bluesy rock song has a great groove.
-Strong Enough (Sheryl Crow) Straight forward Sheryl Crow. Another acoustic number.
-Hard Luck Woman (Garth Brooks) One last Kiss cover to close this music mix. Although Garth is to Country what Kiss is to Rock N’ Roll, he does a great job covering this song.