The Future of Heavy Metal

Just another prediction post from yours truly.

This is just an abbreviated history to lead into my main point, a great resource is the documentary Metal Evolution: The Definitive History of Heavy Metal & Hard Rock

I often ponder, to the point of obsession, about the evolution Heavy Metal has taken. From the Proto-Metal roots in the Psychedelic/Acid/Progressive rock scenes, with bands like Iron Butterfly, Cream, The Kinks and guitarists like Hendrix and Robin Trower, even Surf guitar god Dick Dale. Then came the Unholy Trinity, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, and Led Zepplin. These bands being, arguably, the first "Metal" bands, some other early Metallers being Blue Cheer, Uriah Heep, Nazareth, Rainbow, and the mighty Judas Priest.

Metal transformed through the following decade into the NWOBHM, which in turn brought forth Thrash Metal, Power Metal, Progressive Metal, Black Metal, and even influenced Hair Metal.

Now I'm going to narrow down a bit. Thrash and Speed Metal brought about Death Metal. Death Metal combined with Hardcore Punk, becoming Deathcore. The sound seemed to always become more extreme with each successive generation of bands in the Black and Death subgenres. I kept thinking, "How much more extreme can this sound go? Are we topped out?" Then I heard a band open for Static-X (RIP Wayne Static), that band was The Browning. Their name is ridiculous, but I realized that they were the future of Metal. They were pioneering what was coming next. They combined the sounds of Deathcore/Metalcore with Dubstep. It only made sense that the deep bass laden sounds of Dubstep would eventually merge with Metal. Synthesizers are going to make a big comeback in Extreme Metal. Another band, PAIN, a side project of Melodic-Death Metal band Hypocrisy frontman Peter Tägtgren, has been fusing Metal and Techno/Electronic for almost 2 decades. But the Electronic music scene became heavier and weirder in the form of Dubstep, and it actually sounds really cool with the heavy and weird sound that Deathcore/Metalcore has become. I am a big fan of both PAIN and now The Browning.

Like I said before, this is just another prediction, but I'm willing to bet I'm right.

YouTube playlist contains PAIN and The Browning. Check out both bands!

New Judas Priest and Overkill Album Reviews

I'm very behind on reviewing the new albums by two of my favorite bands.

First there is Judas Priest's "Redeemer of Souls." This is the first album since the departure of founding guitarist K.K. Downing, the followup to 2008's "Nostradamus" album, and their first album since their announced "retirement". I saw the farewell "Epitaph" tour in 2011, and now they are coming back on tour this year (much like how I saw Scorpions' farewell tour in 2011...and 2012. And let's not even discuss the amount of KISS farewell tours). When I first listened to the album I was not that impressed with it. It sounded like a generic Judas Priest album, and nothing stuck out to me. Since then I've learned I was completely insane on that first listen. My father said, "[The album] gets better the louder you listen to it," and I completely agree! There is so much intricate and technical guitar work by founding guitarist Glenn Tipton and K.K.'s replacement Richie Faulkner that is lost when the album is not allowed to blast through the speakers. Songs like "Halls of Valhalla" and "Cold Blooded" are great examples of this guitar work. Added to that is the amazing drumming of Scott Travis and the heavy doomy bass of founding member Ian Hill. Then of course we have the Metal God himself Rob Halford, arguably THE voice of Heavy Metal. Halford's voice on this album is something special and different. After 40 years of hitting almost impossible notes with his vocal performances, his voice has taken on a more raspy sound as compared to his 70's and 80's style. While he still makes the amazing heights on the songs, this raspiness adds so much more "Metal" to his performance in my opinion. One song in particular is "Halls of Valhalla," in which there is a point he goes from the deep growling vocals reminiscent of Black Metal and then soars to the top of his range. What is different about this is the growling vocals (at around 4:20 in the video below). While it is only for a very short period during the song it was something he had not really done before, and I have a theory as to why he tried it. After 2008's "Nostradamus" album Halford had expressed a desire in making a Black Metal album with former Emperor frontman Ihsahn. While he's made solo albums since then, he has never made a Black Metal attempt. So my guess is that perhaps in exploring that style he tried it on the song "Halls of Valhalla," which is of a lyrical theme common in Black, Folk, and Viking Metal (Maybe lyrics he had left over from that desire in making a Black Metal album? And yes, by the way, Black Metal is not all about Satan. I mean most is, but almost all Black Metal bands have Viking themed songs or albums as well). The next song that sticks out vocally to me is "March of the Damned." The reason it sticks out is that it is almost like someone dared Halford to hold his voice back, and for some reason it is so exciting to me. But I usually enjoy when bands, especially vocalists, try something different (I'm going to admit that I love Van Halen III with Gary Cherone on vocals. Judge away). It is awe inspiring that a band that helped form and create Heavy Metal, can create such technical and heavy album, that it rivals and in most cases surpasses the Heavy Metal music being released by new bands today. Just like remaking a movie, the original is always better. So next to Judas Priest's 2005 "Angel of Retribution," this new album is my favorite JP album. Any fan of Judas Priest, and any Metalhead for that matter, must own this album. Oh and definitely get the deluxe edition with the bonus tracks, very worth it.

Now for Overkill's new album "White Devil Armory". Overkill has been one of my favorite bands since I discovered them in Junior High School, as I've posted before, so I'm going to be biased when it comes to their music. Even knowing I'd enjoy anything they released, I was still shocked at how great this album was. The intro track "XDm" spoke volumes from the start, it is a style that this straight forward band hasn't done before. While the playing on the album has the classic Overkill sound, there is just something more technical in the music that I can't explain. I think it is the drumming on the album. It feels like the band is performing at the same Thrash Metal speed that they've always had, but the drummer is trying to go faster than the rest of them. The song "Where There's Smoke..." is a great example of this. You may think I'm crazy, but I feel like the blast beats from the drum are quicker than on previous recordings. Drum theory aside, this album is truly amazing; any fan of Thrash and Speed Metal will be very pleased with this album. It has that classic sound of eastcoast Thrash that Overkill and Anthrax had of a high pitched singer, as opposed to westcoast Thrash bands Megadeth, Metallica, and Slayer's bass toned and growly vocalists. Another treat I got was a bonus track on the album. I was listening to the album while I was doing stuff in my apartment when suddenly I thought, "That sounds like Nazareth's 'Miss Misery'," and I was right. Normally I hate cover songs, but hearing one of my favorite Classic Metal songs turned into a Thrash Metal song was pretty awesome. The song features Mark Tornillo, who was in another 80's New Jersey Thrash band called T.T. Quick, and is currently the singer of the reformed Accept. Unfortunately I could not find a video for "Miss Misery" on YouTube, but trust me its good. I would recommend this album to any fan of Thrash.

Concerts 2014

Here's the shows for 2014 so far:

1. Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
2. Amon Amarth / Enslaved / Skeletonwitch
3. Dark Tranquility / Omnium Gatherum
4. Children of Bodom / TYR / Death Angel
5. Hottest Chicks In Hard Rock Tour: Lacuna Coil / Sick Puppies / Cilver / Eyes Set To Kill
6. Faster Pussycat
7. Slayer
8. Cage The Elephant / Foals
9. Powerman 5000 / Knee High Fox
10. KISS / Def Leppard
11. Mushroomhead
12. Jack Russell's Great White
13. Mötley Crüe / Alice Cooper
14. Boston / The Doobie Brothers

15. Deep Purple
16. Faster Pussycat
17. The Pretty Reckless
18. Combichrist / William Control / Davey Suicide

Lifetime total: 173

Concerts 2013

Better late on posting this than never I suppose. Here is the list of shows I saw in 2013:

1. The Who
2. Sabaton
3. Testament / Flotsam & Jetsam
4. Black Veil Brides / William Control
5. GWAR
6. Bon Jovi (in SLC)
7. Bon Jovi (in Las Vegas)
8. Alice Cooper / Marilyn Manson
9. Green Jellö
10. Dick Dale
11. Ted Nugent
12. Rush
13. Gigantour: Megadeth, Black Label Society, Hellyeah
14. Whitesnake
15. Danzig / Doyle
16. Havok
17. Andrew WK
18. Kamelot / Delain
19. Dokken / Firehouse
20. Helloween
21. Watain
22. Living Colour
23. Rob Zombie / Korn
24. Overkill / Kreator
25. Faster Pussycat
26. Mike Tramp

Lifetime total at the end of 2013: 155

Top Albums of 2012 (So Far)

I've been really impressed by some of the albums that have come out so far this year. So here's a quick list of my favorites so far. 

1. The Cult - Choice Of Weapon. Hands down the best album I've heard so far this year! The rest of these albums are interchangeable, but The Cult is tops...for now.

2. Overkill - The Electric Age

3. Marilyn Manson - Born Villain. A definite step back in my opinion after the huge albums Eat Me, Drink Me and The High End Of Low. But still a very strong and sharp album from this Goth Metal Diva.

 4. Van Halen - A Different Kind Of Truth. I wasn't expecting much from this after I heard the single "Tattoo" (as previously posted), but I was extremely blown away by how strong this album actually was!

5. Goatwhore - Blood For The Master

6. Epica - Requiem For The Indifferent

7. Job For A Cowboy - Demonocracy

Random Music thought 05.06.12

We all know the "Big 4" of Thrash Metal:

• Megadeth 
• Metallica  
• Slayer 
• Anthrax

My votes for the "Underrated 4" of Thrash Metal:

• Annihilator 
• Overkill 
• Testament  
• Death Angel

Overkill

Holy Thrash Metal Batman! New Jersey Thrash Metal Gods, Overkill, finally returned to Utah (that was a lot of capitalized words)!

Diamond Plate are a Neo-Thrash Metal band from Chicago, and started out the show. No need to even look into their music, I only mention them because they are on the advertisement I've posted.

Suidakra

Up next were German band Suidakra. I had heard of the band, but was not familiar with their music. They started in the early 90's as a Folk Metal band, but as the new millennium came they changed their style to Folk influenced Melodic Death Metal that had become popular around that time. This time sandwiching a Folk Death Metal band between a Thrash band and a Metalcore band didn't seem to go over too well with the crowd. They seemed to not understand what they were watching on stage as Suidakra played. No one moshed, the applause between songs wasn't very enthusiastic, and band kept saying, "Are you awake out there?!" So when the band left the stage they said they'd be at the merch booth. I wander out there and only about 5 other people were there to meet the band. I talked to the band for a little bit. I told them how Utah wasn't really big on the Folk Metal scene, and apologized for the lackluster response (being the self appointed Metal Ambassador of Utah that I am). I was looking at their CD they had on the table, I said I'd buy it. The guitarist took out a different CD from under the table and said, "This is the European version with bonus tracks not in US, we brought just for this tour. Only $5 more?" I really did enjoy their set, and feeling bad for the reception they received I agreed to the European version. The guitarist then says,, "Another $10, and you can have a shirt too." A ten buck, shirt? Hellz yeah. I hand over my money and get my CD and shirt, then as I'm walking away I realize, "I've just been guilt tripped into buying merch from a Folk Metal band... WTF?" I laughed about it and I don't regret the purchase because the album really is great. And now I'm guaranteed the only 23 year old in Utah with a shirt from German Folk Death Metal band Suidakra. Suidakra - Dowth 2059

God Forbid

I had last seen God Forbid in 2009 on the Mayhem Fest Tour in Denver. When I had seen them in 2009 I wasn't impressed at all. So I was not expecting much from seeing them again. But I was pleasantly surprised. Quick side story: Thanks to my bouncer friend I again got my 21+ wristband before the doors to the venue opened and was able to get a great spot as everyone else was waiting to get their wristbands. When I get to my spot the singer of God Forbid walked near me and I gave me a Devil Horn salute out of respect, (because even though I didn't enjoy his music I still respected what he was about). He did it back and then went on his merry way. But God Forbid played quite a few songs from their newest album and I really enjoyed them. The old songs they played I still disliked, but the style they had adopted for the newest album was really impressive. God Forbid - My Rebirth

While waiting for Overkill, a dude came up to me and just randomly asked what my favorite Punk band was. I said I hated Punk music, to which he replied, "How can you like Thrash Metal and not enjoy Punk? Thrash Metal evolved from Punk, you can hear it in a lot of Overkill's music.Overkill - Old School I think its stupid that people don't know their music's roots." I then asked him, "Do you like the Blues?" He informed me that he did not enjoy Blues music. I then asked him, "How can you like Heavy Metal (or Rock & Roll at all) and not enjoy the Blues, because all of today's popular music can be traced back to the Blues." He told me that was a different situation altogether. I (as kindly as I could muster) told him he was ridiculous and hypocritical and with that our conversation ended as he flipped me off and walked away. Making friends is hard... While yes it is true that Thrash Metal took the speed and attitude from Punk music, the style of music was derived from NWOBHM bands like Venom and Motorhead, and has evolved so much that very rarely can I see a resemblance to Punk. Just my personal opinion.

Overkill

The year is 2007. One of my best friend's father has scored us 5 tickets in his company's private box to see Gigantour with Megadeth, Overkill, Lamb Of God, Opeth and tons of other bands. So myself, my friend, his brother and brother's girlfriend, and another friend of ours all are stoked to go. My two friends and myself were huge Megadeth fans, and were so excited to see them live. I was just as excited to see Overkill on that tour as well. Then High School drama intervened, I had started hanging out with a girl whom my friend had a crush on. The bickering over this girl went on and on until one day he says to me, "You can't go to Megadeth anymore." I was floored, I could not believe that I was being benched from the game. Who did he think he was? He wouldn't even know Megadeth without me! Oh wait, that's right, he's the one with the tickets. So having no funds and no desire to see the concert alone, I moped around for weeks not speaking to my friend (but I got the girl, so there is that). The day before the concert there is a knock on my front door, I open it to find my friend there. He hands me an envelope with my Gigantour ticket inside. We apologize to each other, and it is agreed that my two friends will come pick me up and off we will go to see the concert. I told him we had to leave by a certain time so I could see Overkill (whom neither of my friends were fans of). But they agreed. So the next day I am waiting for my ride to come, they don't show up the designated time. Neither is answering their cellular device. I had no vehicle that night to drive myself. An hour goes by with no word, but finally they show up. I didn't ask why they were late or why they didn't answer their phones, because I still needed to get to the concert. There would be time to do that later. We arrive finally and I book it inside, leaving them behind. I ask someone, "Has Overkill played yet?" They respond, "Yeah, they're just got off the stage." My heart broke. My friend had struck me back in the way he knew would hurt me the most, my music.Overkill - Soulitude I was so distraught over it, I wandered around the "E" Center not wanting to watch some terrible new band. Then I see Bobby "Blitz" of Overkill sitting at a table. They're doing autographs! And still having the envelope my friend gave me my ticket in, I met the entire band and got their autographs. At least I had met one of my favorite bands, they had promised to come back. It only took 5 years for them to...

Overkill

Fast forward to the present year. Overkill have taken the stage, unleashing an onslaught of their best songs. I could not stop smiling. I was finally seeing one of my favorite bands. After the sixth song Bobby Blitz, the singer, says "Goodnight!" WTF?! That's it?! But then the lights come back on and he laughs, "Wouldn't that suck if we just left after six songs? Don't worry, we won't do that to you like we had to on Gigantour!" So it turned out that Overkill (and probably the other second stage bands of Gigantour) were only given time for them to do six songs. It really made me feel better about missing them in 2007.Overkill - Damned Granted I would pay to see them play just one song, but finally the mystery of what I had missed was revealed and now I was getting to see them play for an hour and a half. The band were even better live than I had expected, D.D. (next to Steve Harris) is the best bass player around. Very rarely to you hear a bass player with their own distinct sound and style . Bobby sings exactly as he does on the albums, hitting notes even higher than he does on the albums. I wished they would have played for another hour and a half. But alas it was time for them to leave, but they promised to be back and said it wouldn't take 5 years this time. I really hope so.  Overkill - Forked Tongue Kiss

Overkill

Sepultura / Death Angel

The night is April 14th, the place is "In The Venue," and the bands are Sepultura and Death Angel. What a great show! I went with my good friends Kari and Darrell. Darrell is one of the few people as into music as I am, and one of an extreme few that can actually tell me about bands I've never heard of. I love going to concerts with them!

Mark, the singer for Death Angel

Death Angel

I am more of a Death Angel fan than I am a Sepultura fan, by a large amount. I was pretty bummed that Death Angel were going to be openers and play a shorter set than when I saw them last year headlining. They are a very underrated Thrash Metal band (in my opinion), and I really wish they were more widely known. So when the lights go down for the show to start I leave K&D and head towards the stage (they were there for Sepultura). I had in my pocket a silver sharpie and the booklet from my favorite Death Angel album, Relentless Retribution. I made my way over to the side of the stage where all their equipment and the stairs are. And there I waited, looking like a creep since I was also right by the women's bathroom... but I was only creeping on the band. As they come off the stage I'm the first one there with my CD liner notes and my silver sharpie ready to go... wait, I'm the only person getting an autograph. Damn, give these guys a good reception Utah! I want them to come back! But the band (excluding the bassist) graciously signed my liner notes, which I have framed with Warrant's setlist on my wall like a nerd. I was on cloud 9! Death Angel - Claws In So Deep

Displayed proudly on my wall

Sepultura, one of Brazil's most successful acts (way to go Death Metal!), were never a band I had previously been really in to. I had heard their greatest hits and new of some of their more popular releases, but nothing had really clicked with me. That all changed with this show. There is something I read in Classic Rock Magazine once that applies to what I (and all of us have) experienced. A writer was reviewing a re-release of The Who's "Tommy" album. He said that when he was young he had hated the album (how, I don't know) but when he had been forced to listen to it again decades later for work he was amazed at how much he loved it. He came to the conclusion that certain bands or songs need to be found at the correct time in a person's life, and I completely agree. So that's what happened with Sepultura and myself. I had listened to some stuff when I was still just starting on my Extreme Metal path and I didn't enjoy it (I also didn't enjoy Slayer or King Diamond when I first heard them, but I've learned better!). But now, at this moment in my life, I see this giant African-Brazilian man (gotta keep it P.C.) screaming at me on stage and it instantly clicks! I love those moments, they are the entire reason I like seeing opening acts. You never know what obscure band is going to catch your attention. Sepultura - Mask

Sepultura

Sepultura

Iced Earth! Finally!

Thrash Metal band opening for a Power Metal band, followed by a Prog Metal band? Sound weird? Well it happened!

The day was February 24th, I landed at SLC International airport in the early evening. I had just gotten back from a cruise heading down to Mexico. I barely had time to put my bags in my apartment when it was time to head to a concert I'd been looking forward to for a long time: Iced Earth and Symphony X.

The show started out with the Neo-Thrash Metal band Warbringer. Warbringer - Living In A Whirlwind It was weird seeing these guys on the bottom peg of a tour again. Just last year they had been headlining their own tour, although I didn't see them because it was on the same night as another concert that I felt had priority. They are highly regarded as one of the bands at the forefront of the New Wave Of Thrash Metal that has come about in recent years. They really get the crowd moving, and are an impressive live act.

Now here is were I got a little let down: Warbringer leaves the stage, the roadies drop their backdrop and behind it is Iced Earth's backdrop. The way the ticket was printed and the impression of everyone I talked to, was that Iced Earth were to be the headliner. Iced Earth had not been to Utah for 8 years, the amount of time I've know of them and have loved their music. Now they were an opener and that meant they were going to play a shorter set than the headliners, what a bummer. Iced Earth, along with Kamelot, and Jag Panzer, are the leaders of the American Power Metal scene. American Power Metal sounds a lot different from the traditional European Power Metal such as Blind Guardian or Helloween, but the similarities are there too (Iced Earth - Birth Of The Wicked, Kamelot - The Haunting, Blind Guardian - Imaginations From The Other Side, Helloween - Back Against The Wall). But to my sorrow I realized as the band took the stage that the singer was not Matt Barlow, the voice that made me love Iced Earth in the first place. I've since learned the singer's name is Stu Block, but he sounded identical to Matt Barlow and could even hit higher notes than Matt could. The performance blew me away! A very acceptable replacement for Mr. Barlow. It was my first Power Metal show, and I really hope not my last.One thing I did notice about Power Metal concerts is that there are a lot of nerds there... maybe its because the entire genre was started on medieval themes and J.R.R. Tolkien's books.

Iced Earth

Seeing Symphony X after Iced Earth was not exciting for me, like going to church on Christmas when you're a kid: I've opened my presents, got exactly what I wanted and asked for, now I had to leave it and go to boring old church. Don't get me wrong, I really do enjoy Symphony X and own a few of their albums. But I enjoy them like I enjoy the band Dragonforce, one or two songs at a time; unlike other Prog Metal bands like Dream Theater, Fates Warning, and Porcupine Tree, all of whom I can listen to all day long. There is something about them that makes me exhausted when I listen to them too much, a feeling I also get listening to Yngwie J. Malmsteen for a long time. One of their best songs, in my opinion is Symphony X - Out Of The Ashes. Had they been on before Iced Earth I probably would have enjoyed them a lot more live, and surprisingly Symphony X's set was a half hour shorter than Iced Earth's. This was the first time Symphony X had ever played in Utah, and the giant crowd that turned out was a great representation of our Metal scene (for once). I definitely would see them again if they come back, it was just that they were after my beloved Iced Earth that made me a little miffed at them.

Symphony X

Random After Thought: My Favorite Power Metal Bands

1. Helloween
2. Blind Guardian
3. Edguy
4. Iced Earth (Matt Barlow albums)
5. Kamelot (Roy Khan albums)
6. Tobias Sammet's Avantasia 
7. Demons & Wizards

Testament

"Oh yes, there will be blood..." the chilling line from the SAW movies ran through my mind as I stood in line outside The Depot on February 15th. I was waiting to see Thrash Metal gods/demons (whichever you prefer) Testament destroy the stage of the small venue.

Let me complain about some people real quick, these people are purist Hardcore Metal fans. The two drunk idiots behind me in line were, I believe, barely above the limit of being called Homo Sapiens. Yes they had the ability to speak, but LITERALLY every other word was F*@#. Yes they had the ability of bipedal movement, one of them even took this skill to his advantage by walking to the construction site next to the line of people and urinating for all to see. Then the thing that really makes me loath these basic creatures, and unfortunately they speak for every Hardcore Metal fan I've met, is when someone walked by in a Black Sabbath t-shirt and they started dissing THE FOUNDERS OF THE ENTIRE GENRE YOU LIVE FOR. They went on to complain about Judas Priest and the gay guy that sings for them, complained about how Anthrax isn't really Thrash Metal, and the worst offense of all, said Iron Maiden was overrated. I was about to commit double homicide on the streets of The City of Salt. I never understood genre purists (phrase I made up), they find one little niche and never ever leave it. Now being a Metalhead I can completely understand doing this with the entire Heavy Metal genre, but these other purists who stick to a sub genre of Metal (Thrash for example) and then decide that all other Metal before or since is shit? WTF?! People like them are what make Metal chat rooms a waste of time. I honestly have on my iPod an L.A. Guns and Venom playlist! Yes I add Hair/Glam Metal with early Black/Death Metal, and ya know what? I'm not ashamed of that.

Bitching aside, I could not believe I was going to be seeing Chuck Billy sing. Up there with Dave Mustaine of Megadeth and Bobby "Blitz" Ellsworth of Overkill, Chuck Billy has one of those Thrash Metal voices that can growl and bellow to the depths of the Earth, or can be melodic and convey real sincere emotion. I was crazy stoked to see them play!

I met my good friends Darrell and Kari at the show, we sat along the wall of the venue catching up and talking about upcoming shows and such things. When the opening band Truce finished their set and Testament finally come out and started, my friend Darrell was instantly gone into the crowd to get a better view and to thrash around the pit a bit. I stayed over to the side with Kari and all our jackets and items and was amazed at the range this guy still had after 25 years of singing and surviving a battle with cancer! Over his career he has indeed gone from a clear, high pitched singing style to a more grunting and growling style as the band evolved. But he can still hit some of those notes from the early albums. Two or three songs into the set, Darrell comes back and asks if I want to go closer to the stage while he watches the stuff. I wander into the crowd, it is between songs at this point, and make my way to the stage. As the band starts the next song a mosh pit opens up right around me! Of course I'd end up in a mosh pit, just my luck. I decided, "what the hell?" and began to shove and be shoved in this pit (only the second I'd ever been involved in, the first, and I thought last, was during a Cannibal Corpse show in Denver. At that time my mentality was, "If I only do one mosh in my life I'd say Cannibal Corpse would be the one to do it to."). Anyways, I'm moshing. This bald headed dude is coming towards me when he gets elbowed in the face and blood splashes onto my arm. Not a large amount of blood mind you, but blood nonetheless. "No big deal, it didn't get in a cut on my arm or anything," I says to myself, "I'll wash it off after this song is over." But the more I look at this bald man who continued to mosh dripping blood from his nasal passages, the more I wanted... nay NEEDED to wash it off of me! I said screw this song, and quickly got to the restroom to wash the blood off in the hottest water they had.

The show left my ears ringing (that doesn't happen often anymore), and longing for more Testament! I know I usually say this about bands or shows I'm reviewing but if you do indeed get a chance to see Testament, DO NOT MISS IT! And thanks to Darrell and Kari for rocking out with me!

Concerts 2012

Another year has begun, which means another season of concert going! 26 concerts in 2011, a personal record. I highly doubt I can beat that this year. But I am going to try my damnedest!

Concerts In 2012:

1. Queensrÿche
2. Ghost / Blood Ceremony / Ancient VVisdom 
3. Children Of Bodom / Eluveitie / Threat Signal
4. Testament
5. Iced Earth / Symphony X
6. Goatwhore / Hate Eternal 
7. The Black Dahlia Murder / Skeletonwitch / Nile
8. Sepultura / Death Angel
9. Decibel Magazine Tour: Behemoth / Watain / The Devil's Blood / In Solitude
10. Overkill / God Forbid / Suidakra 
11. Scorpions / Geoff Tate
12. Def Leppard / Poison / Lita Ford
13. Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
14. Iron Maiden
15. Abigail Williams / Dead Vessel
16. Journey / Pat Benetar / Loverboy
17. Demon Hunter
18. Mumford & Sons
19. Korpiklanni / Moonsorrow / TYR
20. Night Ranger
21. Static-X / Winds Of Plague / The Browning
22. Kreator / Accept
23. Nightwish / Kamelot
24. Rob Zombie / Marilyn Manson
25. Buckethead
26. Morbid Angel / Dark Funeral
27. Epica / Alestorm 
28. DRI
29. Trans-Siberian Orchestra
30. Dethklok
31. Alice Cooper
32. The Faceless
33. Megadeth

Lifetime Concert Total: 129

Random Music Thought 01.03.12

Anthrax

"Worship Music," the newest album by Thrash Metallers Anthrax, is hands down one of the most surprising albums I got in 2011. Out of the three recording singers they've had (Neil Turbin, Joey Belladonna, and John Bush), I mostly enjoy them with John Bush John Bush Vocals "Crush". His voice has always seemed to fit the bands playing a lot more than Joey's Old Joey Belladonna Vocals "Indian". I was not expecting much with the return of Mr. Belladonna (to the bittersweet dismay of us John Bush fans) on the newest album. But I was astoundingly pleased by the masterpiece that Anthrax made with "Worship Music!" New Joey Belladonna Vocals "Crawl" I will even go as far as saying it is the BEST Anthrax album so far, even better than any John Bush era album I enjoy so much.