Concert Reviews by thoRnswrath

2010-06-06T19:50:00.000-07:00

KORN III: live Ballroom Blitz Tour SLC 6/5/10
~ ThoRnswRath finally meets his rock'n'roll heroes ~

The sitched logo of my adidas-era Korn shirt, itself older than a lot of the kids at the show.

I've been a die hard fan of this band for over 15 years. This was my 17th Korn show, so you know how excited I was to be there. My brother and I showed up right at 7:30 when the doors had already opened (at 6:00) and I had missed my opportunity at the "pre-listening party." (You read that correctly: I decided to stay home another hour or so and drink more beers, instead of listening to more of Korn III. I've already heard too much as it is--practically half the album--so no leaks for me until July 13.)

We showed up and I texted dionn from KS and she texted back if I wanted a mg. I said yeah but my bro was with me tho'. She said she only had one but I had to meet her RIGHT NOW by the T-shirt stand, so we headed straight over there. Lucky 4 me too cuz dionn was there and she sez "all U have to do is get them to sign this poster 4 a girl who's holding our VIP seats" and I said "yeah I'll do it," just like that. I was wearing an oldskool, longsleeve black adidas-era shirt (stitched logo depicted above) that's kinda tattered around the edges. It was my 2nd Korn T-shirt, purchased at Lupo's bar in Providence, Rhode Island, back in '96, during my 2nd Korn show. It turns out, dionn got the extra meet'n'greet pass from blindanddirty, another KSer who I am most grateful for.

Here's what the meet'n'greet sticker looks like [one-third actual size], which I told my bro to apply to my forearm like a tat--and he slapped it right on the juncture of the inside of my elbow, where junkies shoot up. (I want to say right now I don't condone heroin use, only Korn use lol)

This sticker was on the upper, inner forearm of my
adidas Korn-T, making me look like "a junky 4 koRn"

After a few minutes of waiting nervously, we were whisked away, and I darted forward along with the flow and the next thing you know, we're led past the crowd and backstage where I see Ray Luzier posing for a pic with a female fan, a big smile on his face and obviously having a blast. I waved hello and he waved back as we were led out into the parking lot, and around one of the tour buses. On the other side of the bus we find that we're maybe 20th in line of about 35 fans or so. Someone from Korn's crew made the informal announcement that there was only "One Signature" and "No Pictures" allowed. I wasn't going to try and get a pic with my cellphone, and it turns out blindanddirty snapped a pic of me and Jonathan, and dionn got a pic of Munky and I shaking hands, so that worked out great.

The "Nightmare Revisited" soundtrack was the only official release at the time of the show featuring the new lineup with Ray Luzier on drums.

Jonathan was first to come down the line, so I told him "It's great to finally meet you after all these years, man" and we shook hands. I used my verbal ninja technique on him, telling him the poster was 4 a girl who was saving us seats, while the Nightmare Revisited liner notes (readily alongside there, under my thumb) lay folded open to the orange page next to Korn's bio, and I stuttered out "this is the first official release with Ray in the band, that I know of..." and his Sharpee pounced on it, he happily scribbled his autograph once again without a care, with that quirky, affable smile on his face. He seemed really happy to be there with us. At the next guy in line, he told us all about meeting African tribes while on tour and shit.

Next came Fieldy, he was all relaxed smiles and easily jotted down his sig twice for me, as well. When he signed my Nightmare Revisited linersheet, he was all "Whoa, you mean that's out already? Learn somethin' new every day," and he moved on to the next guy. I got a good view of his right arm, from the shoulder down clown in a zoot suit standin in some city alleyway, that was one of the sickest looking tats I've ever seen. Something about it just, pretty much says it all. I don't know, I'm down with the clown thing, tho'. I think it was Fieldy that I told "That's dionn from KS, U gotta represent, dionn!" when he was signing her stuff, and he said "KS, they're my friends," so we got our shout-out it in, there. (Yes, dionn tried to give Fieldy a SL, UT shirt, but he refused it, and I have to say, I think he was being as nice as he could about it, just in his own way. Now that he's "saved" and has a family, it makes sense to me he wouldn't want to wear that shirt, and he said it wasn't his style. Honestly, I was pretty spellstruck or starbound for the whole meet'n'greet, cuz I can't remember if it was Munky who I also mentioned KS to, or what. But one of em definitely said "KS, they're my friends" and I'm pretty sure it was Fieldy.)

When Ray came through, I thanked him for continuing Korn's legacy, and that he brought a perfect combo of picking up from where David left off, and going beyond with his own style, and he said something about how he really appreciated us and the fans and I was all "We appreciate you!" and I think he was pretty happy when I showed him the Nightmare Revisited sheet with both Jon and Fieldy's autographs already on it. I made sure to tell him this was the first official release with him in it as a band (I know, I kept harping on that, but I couldn't help myself). He signed his name with a '10 after it, if you notice.

Munky came out last after a few minutes where people speculated whether he was going to show. I made a comment like "Munky always showz" and then sure enough, there came Mr. James Shaffer himself, happily signing down the line of fans. When he got to me, I told him this was my 17th show and he pointed at my tattered old Korn shirt and made a funny remark like "Ya, I can tell by the looks of that shirt, man" with a big Munky grin, and we all laughed. It was awesome and I must thank dionn again for snapping this way cool pic of me and the Munk shaking hands.

THE SETLIST

4U
DEAD BODIES EVERYWHERE
NEED TO
COMING UNDONE/WE WILL ROCK U
HERE TO STAY
FALLING AWAY FROM ME
OILDALE
SOMEBODY, SOMEONE
DID MY TIME
THROW ME AWAY
HELMET IN THE BUSH
FREAK ON A LEASH
BLIND

~encoRe~

SHOOTS AND LADDERS
CLOWN
GOT THE LIFE

Jonathan stirring up the pits during NEED TO. My cellphone barely survived.

As for the show itself, the setlist was pretty much the same for this tour. Notably different this time around, was the fact that the crowd was so stoked for Korn, they started a circle pit in the center of the floor before Korn went on stage. I think that's significant, because the only show I've ever really seen that happen for, is Slayer. (I met this one security guard that night, out on the back deck overlooking the sunset. He was drinking a beer, and he told me "the only shows I refuse to work are Slayer and Korn", so we drank to that.) All the guys in Korn were in top form, I honestly don't know how they manage to pull it off night after night with such renewed fervor, like that. I watched Ray a lot, and can now say with confidence they chose the right drummer to stand in for David. At the beginning of blind, he set off with a quick but thunderous "double triplicate" drum-intro before hastening into the familiar cymbal-tapping-intro his predecessor made famous. I have to say, I was impressed with that drum fluorish and his entire performance. They even gave him a classic, extended drum solo and it was really powerful, and possessed of a unique style all his own. Way impressive. Jonathan just tore it up onstage, he's really feeling these songs again and the audience just lapped it up. All four of them were having a blast, along with the hopping mad audience. From the crazy assortment of different age groups and types of people there, I can assure you all that Korn is Here To Stay for another decade at least.

KORN III: REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE

Trillions of bugs swarmed the parking lot lights after the Korn show let out.
They reminded me of all the crazed fukkers drawn to Korn's light.

2009-09-18T10:02:00.000-07:00

ICONOCLAST CONTRA BLEED HATE

October 8, 2008 Salt Lake City

Burt's Tiki Lounge

Zodiac beckoning the spirits of impending madness that fuel this band, w/a black-bladed boot knife poised to slice his own throat

Lord Dying providing a breakneck assault from his axe of evil

Ricky The Gorepig strangling his bass in a blackened fury

Tony at his non-euclidian drumkit inciting frenzied chaos

The Zodiac's hate is all too real. This is not posturing, it is sonic assault--the true voice of the heathen

The bloodletting is real as well. You can see the boot knife hilt jutting out of his pocket. Zodiac used it to slice open his forehead and cheek at first. Then he sliced a wide open cut on the inside of his forearm a quarter inch deep. The blood began flowing freely and when he whipped his head back, droplets flung out and spattered me in the audience.

The music itself was a torrential outpouring of pure bestial hatred and rage, shifting from sporadic blastbeats punctuating an evermorphing guitar and bass attack that ranged from sinister oldschool blackmetal to an evil hybrid of death-thrash.

Thus ends another helter skelter performance of sonic annihilation from Iconoclast Contra, Salt Lake's own metal underground voice of the heathen.

Witchhaven from California never showed up. They missed out on the real deal over here. There were no punks at Burt's that night, nor were there any regulars. Just us metalheads got to enjoy a devastating performance from my friends Anthony, LD, Tony, and Ricky. Anthony and LD hail from the ashes of Ibex Throne and are also currently active in Gravecode Nebula; Tony plays guitar in The Obliterate Plague and was formerly in Taught By Birds and Anima Nera. Ricky is from the goregrind band Devoured Alive.

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Photos taken by Matilda from her 'Nex Cultus Photography' album on myspace.....

Used with permission. ....

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http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewPicture&friendID=5660946&albumId=1930909....

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2009-06-09T14:03:00.000-07:00

mono with the wordless music orchestra NYC May 8, 2009

2009-05-23T15:23:00.000-07:00

Reaching The Tattered Limits with DREDG and TORCHE

Torche's bassist lays down the cable slappage
While their drummer The Tasmanian Devil shreds the skins

Yarp - it was a hot show. The openers, a band called From Monument To Masses, were the sort of emo/indy band that I thought might lack, but they put on an interesting set full of weird rhythms [the bassplayer was annoying in his overtly slapdashery mannerisms (I hate that), but he put on a decent groove, although the soundboard guy was pretty bad - mainly he allowed too much bass, and some monitors were out for PC effects and whatnot]. Most of the show either the drummer was signalling the sound guy to UP this monitor or that one, and the vocalist did as well, so it got to be pretty distracting. However, somehow Monument To Masses delivered a pretty impressive set. Not something I'd go out of my way to purchase on CD, but I enjoyed hearing it live nonetheless.

Then the TORCHE roadies began assembling their stage gear. When they finally went on, well let me just say, at least one-fourth of the dredg kids left to either hang outside or up front by the vending machines, behind closed doors to mute the eardrum -destroying rock and roll that TORCHE delivered, and lemme tell ya somethin'. Ya, it was my first time seein' TORCHE - (I missed em last time around, when they toured with BORIS, no less) - but these 3 Floridians (I think they are) were like, if Tenacious D got the most insane fucking drummer ever - (and KG shed 85 pounds and worked out) - - that would be TORCHE [Guys in Torche: take note--that means I think you fucking rock Satan's bitchtits]. Their lead singer /guitarist looks like Jack Black's evil fucking twin. But its all about the drummer, with TORCHE. I'm serious: that motherfucker is probably the most wound-up, tightly coiled drummer I ever seen. He was a human tornado, reminescent of Bonzo due solely to how damned hard he hit the skins. Only, picture John Bonham on crack - (i.e, speed him up almost twice as fast) - -and you have the TORCHE drummer. A thing of unbelievable fury - like the Tasmanian Devil going apeshit. I really enjoyed the rock'n'roll fury that is TORCHE; whereas, at least one of my friends who went with, thought they were horrible. So did at least one-fourth of the young indy crowd who were there to see dredg (most of em probably for the first time) - they couldn't handle the testosterone-demon-fueled energy of TORCHE, leaving the up front area so their poor lil' indy ears wouldn't sustain so much damage, awwww. By all means I should have a sprained neck today (due to TORCHE), but I was rather relaxed during last night's show, so luckily I'm not feeling the whiplash this morning.

On comes dredg. One of the funniest things Gavin said was "We're still trying to get our "e" back from TORCHE -- they stole it from us." That got a good chuckle from a small portion of the crowd. Anyone there who was seeing dredg for the first time, was blown the mother fuck away. I was blown away, for the nth time. But you know how it is - (don't you?) - after you've seen a particular band over a half-dozen times, sometimes the parts of their set that have been most-repeated, start getting a tad old. I hate saying that, because these songs are as fresh as ever -in particular, if you haven't heard them nine times before. So yeah, there's a modicum of weariness with me when it comes to having to hear the same damn songs again and again - - but I brightened up immediately upon hearing the new shit. My favorite song of the night was this new one that I've dubbed "tattered limits" (the song title isn't out yet, or if so, I missed it), its a full-blown progressive grunge pop ballad of such heartbreaking vocal intensity, it literally hits you right out of the box with Gavin Hayes' most impassioned vocal delivery yet. [ed. note: I later learned this is the song "Ireland".] It really must be heard to be believed. When the new album drops (in June - its been pushed back yet again), hearing that song at maximum volume will be my main priority. A more impassioned vocal delivery I have seldom heard. Its melody is one-hundred-percent goosebump-inducing, and is exactly the reason this is one of my personal favorite bands that ever lived.

Dredg will be back in June, July, or August touring on the heels of this, their seminal "senior effort", or fourth album (by which all bands must be judged), what I honestly believe will be their "breakout album" - - watch for it. I've long believed that dredg will blow up as big as Pearl Jam, and I still believe it. Their rise to prominence among the greatest bands that ever existed is assured (and in the opinion of all their fans, already achieved). If you want to be taken on a musical journey that will carry your soul on winds of purified emotional catharsis, do not miss out on seeing this band live. Once you catch them without arms you'll never want to miss another show of theirs.

2009-04-24T18:31:00.000-07:00

A note For When I'm Old And Gray:

JD& the SFA @the Orpheum in LA

the setlist:

System
Last Legal Drug
4U
Hey Daddy
Forsaken
Dirty
Alone I Break
Slept So Long
Love on the Rocks
Hushabye
Kick the PA
Not Meant for Me
Hold On
Blue Monday
Careless
The Chauffer
Tearjerker
Redeemer
Got the Life
Trash
Falling Away from Me

the lyrics from Satan's Night Out:

System

You fell away,
What more can I say?
The feelings evolved,
I won't let it out,
I can't replace...
Your screaming face,
Feeling the sickness inside

Why won't you die?
Your blood in mine…
We'll be fine…
Then your body will be mine

So many words
Can't describe my face
This feeling's evolved
So soon to break out
I can't relate
to a happy state
feeling the blood run inside

Why won't you die?
Your blood in mine…
We'll be fine…
Then your body will be mine

Why is everything so fucking hard for me?
Keep me down to what you think I should be!
Must you tempt me and provoke the ministry?
Keep on trying I’ll not die so easily

I will not die…

Why is everything so fucking hard for me?

I will not die…

Why is everything so fucking hard for me?

I will not die…

Why won't you die?
Your blood is mine….
We'll be fine….
Then your body will be mine (x 2)

Forsaken

I'm over it
You see I'm falling in this vast abyss
Clouded by memories of the past
At last I see...

I hear it fading, I can't speak it
Or else you will dig my grave
You feel them finding, always whining
Take my hand now be alive

[Chorus]
You see I cannot be forsaken
Because I'm not the only one
We walk amongst you feeding, raping
Must we hide from everyone?

I'm over it
Why can't we be together embrace it?
Sleeping so long taking off the mask
At last I see

My fear is fading, I can't speak it
Or else you will dig my grave
You feel them finding, always whining
Take my hand now be alive

[Chorus x 2]

Everyone
Everyone

Redeemer

The hunger inside given to me, makes me what I am
Always it is calling me, for the blood of man
They say I cannot be this, I am jaded, hiding from the day.
I can't bare, I cannot tame the hunger in me!

Oh, I say I did it always searching, you can't fuck with fate.
So instead you'll taste my pain.
The hunger inside given to me, makes me feel alive.
Always out stalking prey, in the dark I hide.
Feeling, falling, hating, feel like I am fading, hating life.

They say I cannot be this, I am jaded, hiding from the day.
I can't bear, I cannot tame the hunger in me...
Oh, I say I did it always searching, you can't fuck with fate.
So instead you'll taste my pain.

You say your life I'm taking, always bothering me, I can't take this anymore, I'm failing, always smothering me

You look down on me, hey what you see, take this gift from me, you will soon feed from me.

Nothing seems exciting, always the same hiding

It's haunting me. It's haunting me. It's haunting me. It's haunting me.

It's haunting me...

Not Meant For Me

You think you're smart
You're not, it's plain to see
That you want me to follow
It's killing me let's see
You've got the gall
Come take it all

The jury is coming
Coming to tear me apart
All this bitching and moaning
Come on it's on!

I'm trapped in this world
Lonely and fading
Heartbroke and waiting
For you to come
We are stuck in this world
That's not meant for me
For me...

So what you got
One last shot
It seems to me
That you're not needed
Come on!
It's killing me let's see
You got the gall
Come take it all

The jury is coming
coming to tear me apart
All this bitching and moaning
Come on it's on!

I'm trapped in this world
Lonely and fading
Heartbroke and waiting
For you to come
We are stuck in this world
That's not meant for me
For me...

I'm trapped in this world
Lonely and fading
Heartbroke and waiting
For you to come
We are stuck in this world
That's not meant for me
For me...

I'm trapped in this world
Lonely and fading
Heartbroke and waiting
For you to come
We are stuck in this world
That's not meant for me...

For me...
For me...

Slept So Long

Walking
Waiting
Alone without a care
Hoping
And hating
Things that I can't bear

Did you think it's cool
To walk right up
To take my life
And fuck it up
Well did you?
Well did you?

I see hell in your eyes
Taken in by surprise (surprise)
Touching you makes me feel alive
Touching you makes me die inside

Walking, Waiting
Alone without a care
Hoping
And hating
Things that I can't bear

Did you think it's cool
To walk right up
To take my life
And fuck it up
Well did you?

I hate you!

I see hell in your eyes
Taken in by surprise
And touching you makes me feel alive
Touching you makes me die inside

I've slept so long without you
It's tearing me apart too
How'd it get this far
Playing games with this old heart
I've killed a million petty souls
But I couldn't kill you

I've slept so long without you

I see hell in your eyes
Taken in by surprise
Touching you makes me feel alive
Touching you makes me die inside

Careless

The breathing of the ancient ones are seldom felt.
I alone have torn their dreams apart.
The pain of this has surely made me what I am
Eventually they all will tear me apart!

You're angry with the beating of
My careless, selfish heart.
You're chasing me cause I'm too close
Scared of what I can start.

I'm the one who's wrong, I know it's not my fault
I am here now I just did my part
It was all of you who made me what I am
It was all of you who cursed my heart

You're angry with the beating of
My careless, selfish heart.
You're chasing me cause I'm too close
Scared of what I can start.

You have forsaken me!
You mother fuckers!
You did this fucked up shit to me!
You fuckin' raped me!
And now... it's time... for me...
To be...
Set free...!
Wake up! Wake up!
Come to me
Wake up!
Be with me

-------end lyrics-------

Well it was Thorny's Night Out, I'll tell you what, I wanted to dress to the nines, but I put on my original Korn T-shirt on to best represent how I felt to actually be there to witness the legendary JD and the SFA perform not only a slew of Korn hits, but the 5 songs Jonathan wrote for Anne Rice's the Vampire Lestat and his band Satan's Night Out. If you haven't already figured out Jonathan Davis is the Vampire Lestat -- you've got some catching up to do.

We arrived downtown LA at the Orpheum theater early enough to be about 10th in line. After we were ushered inside, I plunked down my hard-earned cash for an Alone I Break T-shirt - an awesome shirt by the way -- and the $20 JDSFA DVD - - the original (before it was mass produced). We sidled up to the bar and bought some red wine for the evening's festivities. GODHEAD were about to open up, and I walked by Kalen Chase after getting our wines. I acknowledged him with a slight nod and lift of my wine glass as we exchanged knowing glances.

As we walked into the concert hall itself, we were struck by its lush velvet grandeur, accented by a deep heartblood crimson offset by polished woodwork and gothic carvings. On stage Jon's oaken red velvet throne took the center spotlight; the various instruments and amps arranged artfully about. There was an almost suit & tie atmosphere, very posh and appropriate for this occasion. Miles Mosely occupied stage right, JD sat the entire time in his throne, spazzing out like a five year old possessed of tourettes and trying to shake the demons from his dreadlocks as he grimaced, howled, and sang his heart out to everyone's stunned pleasure. And the songs, DAMN - these songs are fukking HARD.

System kicked off things in prime form, Jonathan practically lurching from his seated position on his wooden throne. There was a savage majesty in the air which the opening song captured perfectly with its intense lyrical vampire addiction theme. Before the last note faded away they launched into a rare bonus korn song from SYOTOS "Last Legal Drug", a worthy performance replete with topical, biting satire from a leering JD. But it was the third song that really reached deep into the collective mindset of the crowd and delivered an explosive anthem I'll never forget: 4U solo. Jon's impassioned vocal delivery to this small group of gathered fans skewered straight through every heart in the room, nailing us to our seats from the intensity of feeling he lent his voice.

"This shit right here is for you!
All your faces I can see
You all think it's about me
I'm about to break
This is my fate.
Am I still damned to a life
Of misery and hate?
You...you'll never know
What I'd do for you!
What you all
Put me through,
I do it for you.
I could have
Never lived
If it wasn't
FOR YOU..."

Dirty and Alone I Break coming one after the other was more than a nice surprise. It was a devastating one-two combo punch to the gut that left everyone gasping for breath when it was over. Just when you thought it couldn't get any more intense than the vocal delivery of 4U, Jon brings it up a notch for a harrowing and beautiful rendition of Alone I Break, something that cannot be described to be appreciated, it must simply be experienced. Little did I know at the time, when the last notes of that song faded away, that we weren't even halfway through the set, yet. This show started from the Top Ledge and just sailed up and away past the highest clouds to claim territory hitherto unimagined by a wholly unprepared audience. To say it carried us all away to another world is an understatement.

The show was chock -full of surprises, one of the best of which was the Jon/Shenkar jam before Careless. Jonathan told the audience to shut our eyes and he'd carry us all away to another place. The tune began with him starting a strident, Arabic wail for a few measures, to which Shenkar would add his ancient mideastern wail, of a higher pitch; they exchanged these haunting ululations for a few measures, and Jonathan's were enough to send chills up our spines. Then, while Shenkar played his haunting mideastern violin, Jon unleashed the most passionate mideastern style vocal portion I've ever heard this side of Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan: I was shocked at the impressiveness of his delivery. This truly was a live musical performance the likes of which peter gabriel could get lost in. It was an extended and unhinged duet of ululations that spread goosebumps over my arms, and the only word that comes to mind is epic. After several minutes of this glorious atmospheric intro, as the high-pitched violin notes decayed in the air and JD's vocal echoes faded in our ears, Jon reached over and grabbed a small viola for the next portion of this incredible intro, which obviously - wasn't over yet! Jon actually plucked out this cool melodic rhythm on a repeat loop, by hand, and allowed Shenkar to build yet another of his fantastic violin soloes. After this section, Jon grabbed the bow yet again for a third, final portion where he soloed an impressive atmospheric finale. "Blown Away" doesn't really come close to describing how I felt after it was over: that intro was one of the high points of the show, and it was only the beginning of the song. Shenkar jammed a bloodthirsty frenzy of insane ancient Vampire music. If Anne Rice had been there - -she'd have fainted straight away.

What a glorious performance, one for the ages. That night in LA was so off the hook, every last song reeled me right through the evening, like a helpless fish baited, hooked, and dragged to shore. There is a lot of weight behind the new song Jonathan had slid up his sleeve, 'Careless'. The song's refrain, which goes

"You're angry with the beating of
My careless, selfish heart.
You're chasing me cause I'm too close
Scared of what I can start"

equals the ease with which jon's original korn lyrics (from selftitled) make declarations involving his direct personal world. (Jon's solo stuff has every bit of immediacy the original korn songs had; the main difference being, the musical accompaniment has morphed into a post-Gabrielesque world-music tinged with a mideastern gothic vampire vibe.) If that isn't off the hook, I don't know what is.

Some of the lyrics in Careless (if abstracted from their intent for the Queen of the Damned) become startling if you apply their meaning towards Head's departure. [*Now please don't get me wrong - I think Head is a great person and this has nothing to do with being against him - its just a meditation on a certain perspective Jon's lyrics have here.] Its notable throughout many lines, even to his final plea to "Wake up!" and "Come to me" and "Be with me"... "Wake up!" . . . even if it wasn't intended, it remains a reference to a [korn] song [from iSsuEs] nonetheless, the very song which pleads "please just let it go, all our heads are flown, let's take the stage and remember what we play for." These are strong words because they accentuate that rending we are all too familiar with, that of one's mate's formerly-stated and bound beliefs suddenly coming undone, when they flip a bitch and drop you like a cold stone. "You have forsaken me", this at least parallels the feelings behind the most recent korn songs off Untitled, only here they're straight out of the cage starving and insane. The passion contained within the emotional subtext of Careless, when filtered and refined through the many layers of the band's history, lends it a degree of heaviness nearly impossible to convey without having "been there"; that is, been moved yourself beyond description by the ferocity with which Jon delivers his words straight from the heart. Not to mention that same intensity expressed continuously since the band's inception and original tour kicked off back in '94. Few singers from heavy rock bands can match Jonathan's sustained intensity of ballistic emotive expression, going on for over a decade and a half now. The subtext in the song Careless is all too clear, and somehow, channeling the podium upon which the ancient vampire Lestat perceives his world, Jonathan funnels and amplifies koRn's own subtextual elements into something I can only describe as "anthemic despair". The vampire music and koRn's own aggro style inform and complement each other quite effectively. One thirsts for honesty & integrity while the other thirsts for blood and redemption. What is blood if not honest and integral? And who is this Jonathan Davis, if not the Vampire Lestat himself? He is an absolute original musician and singer to watch out for during the next decade, that's who he is.

2009-04-14T14:25:00.000-07:00

mythTaken
skinny puppy live in SLC may29, 2007
review'd by thoRnswRath

hiT me in the sTreeTs

ShIfted through sealed-out salt lake city streets traPped
in my glassSteel bubble, rolling rubber wheels along aSphalt
until I parked on the 1 available metered spot on the street
just outside the Depot. It was nine twenty in the evening,
and skInny puPpy were finally beginning their set as I could
hear the industrial strength beats muffled through reinforced
concrete and bullet proof glass. I flashed my pass and
advanced to the woman who would stamp my hand.
Flying up the stairs like a wraith I rounded the corners
past lone wandering skinny nomads w/eager faces.

Alex the Berzerker of The Obliterate Plague showed up shortly thereafter, right as the final echoes
of ugLi dissolved away into the dissonance of the assembling crowd.
Jesus wants to be ugLi. Jesus wants to be ugLi.

After a few beers we bumped into Anthony of the infernal Ibex Throne

Our good friend Darin Gonzales, most notorious tattoo artist of these necro regions. [Even Bloody Gir appeared subliminally during the strobe lit shenanigans]

The following is largely a picTorial review of the evening,
with reMixed impressions.

The too dark stage slowly opened one bloody red eye,
revealing justin's militant drumming kit shadow cast
in trance inducing spiraling stage lights
playing a film up on the back drop,
an icebreaker for the far too frail
rash reflections convulsing to the spasmolytic
industrial introduction of the evening's
sinister symphonics to come.
infected with violent thought
the mass hypnosis began as
the crowd stared at the blood
on the wall of a canvas screen
propped up on stage right.

the lights morphed to blue
in a quick social deception.
the icebreaker finished its
diminished anguished crescendoes,
to bring it down into ugLi,
I was alone, mission complete,
this is the story, soaking too deep
I felt like a ghost man in a neuworld
drenched in the blue hues of that light.

no where better than to be caged
with skinny puppy in a glass house
of smothered hopes, just looking for something
just looking for something now.

the atmosfear floodlit blue once again
revealing distorted images captured
on a merry go round of demented
basement beatz struck out in a frenzy
by cevin 'jack flash pumpkinhead' Key

mark walk antagonizing deep down
rhythms sewing seeds of hate
keeping the fears in line w/neon sigils
woven a magikal geas on our faces

settling deeper into the undertow
justin's Kit aglow in seaweed greens
the stage right screen awash in
skinny puppy shadow play

the killing game continues with
nivek Ogre up against the blood
spattered wall, tormentor and Worlock

nivek a blue streak in a pulsing
slamdancing haven of soothing
ferocity dulling the anamorphic
pain the audience assimilates

morpheus laughing at his own shadow
naked in a flood of shared memories
drowning under 200 years of love
and addiction draining mourned faces

i am the undisputed god, oh yeah.

Master of it All dictating into the mic

Ogre preaching to his captive choiR

skinny puppy Unleashed at long last
so you want me to suck so you want
me to suck so you want me to suck

justin bennet beating the fuck out of his kit
under the drowning blue lights of a lost dream

dramatic tensions build towards a shattering climax
as an escaped Ogre from the mental asylum of
sanctified nightmares escapes and re-emerges
from the crumbling chysaLis of his addiction

skinny puppy live in salt lake city mythmaker 2007
reaching through to crucify a disconsolate crowd

wow, wow waw waaaaow . . .
mayonaise sunshine conducting a cacophony
mythmaker taking screams and making them into dreams

its time to meet the soul
the meaning of control
and in the stink of luck
my god feels false and sold
to exercise the things it cannot hold

why try overcoming this
the strangest things unwind
and undermine the undecided thing
unlife starts with death undeath
starts with life you and I live to die

"death feels like a butterfly,
can't escape the skyline,
real relationships must die
underneath the sky"

skinny puppy ended their set
with a brilliant rendition of HAZE.
nivek Ogre wore his infamous
cyberhelmet while on the screen
behind him orange blossoms
of nuclear fire imploded to the
burgeoning orchestration of
the unfolding song. sanctified
our great disguise. reach. through.
lives destined. in the womb.
crawling through. The music
built to a symphonic climax
which thundered in synchronized
blasts from the floodlights,
blinding a mesmerized audience
in the pulsating flow of ambiantz

caught in the flood of the haze
as skinny puppy finished their
set in a blinding flash of dissolving
light drowning the motley crew
of punks with fists raised in loving salute

2008-12-26T21:02:00.000-08:00

dredg + judgement day Saturday night Nov 22 2008 Salt Lake City - - the Final Performance of DREDG's Fall Tour with supporting acts The Sunbears from Fla and JUDGEMENT DAY from San Francisco.

The Sunbears were just two guys, one plays keyboard and the other on a drumkit. They had this cool primary-coloured display screen behind them showcasing elementary rainbow coloured graphics while they played the most lo-fi, yet richly textured and deeply resonant synthesizer rock. They were charming and kept my attention throughout their set, exuding a happy vibe of playfulness. I highly recommend The Sunbears if that sounds like your cup o' tea.

Next up were JUDGEMENT DAY - - the drummer from Sunbears told us they were going to tear us a new one, and boy was that the understatement of the night. I heard someone in the crowd say they were "metal", so I began preparing myself. Boy was I surprised to find out these guys are string-metal: A violin, a cello, and a Drumkit. No vocals. No overdubs. Just 3 dudes hellbent on jamming for Satan some string fuckin metal for the Apocalypse. Yes they reminded me (instantly) of Apocalyptica - - there's just no way around it. But someone said something I agree with: Apocalyptica by way of the Dirty Three.

The two string players are brothers, Anton and Lewis Patzner. Anton is the tall skinny one with the curly hair and bandana, wielding his violin like a crazed maestro and constantly honing the razor's edge of their music's higher end. He was Jimmy Page on crack and really had a commanding stage presence, taking the forefront and lead duties to mind-melting limits. Meanwhile his brother Lewis, the shorter and more boyish looking of the two, hunched over that bass cello of his at a stoop that never let up, not throughout the entire show. His head down and short haircut with its bangs covering his face, he kept up the pace with a bassline and rhythm so off the hook you couldn't take your eyes off him. The guy is a virtuoso and it was unbelievable to me that these two brothers, with just a violin and cello, could deliver such a maelstrom of unhinged metal fury- - backed up by Jon Bush's relentless drumming. JUDGEMENT DAY blew me away, plain and simple. I knew when they finished their set that I would be walking away with their T-shirt and album, there was just no way I was about to leave that show without a copy of their album in my hands. It was released in '04 - - recorded in their garage. I met their drummer at the T-shirt stand after the show - his name is Jon. As for the "String Bros", Anton went on tour with BRIGHT EYES with his violin since '04 apparantly, leaving little to no room for JUDGEMENT DAY themselves to play; while his brother Lewis received his cello performance degree from the The Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore.

First thing I asked Jon at the merch counter was "Hey man, did you guys ever play with the Devil Makes Three, by any chance?" and he looked at me frankly surprised and replied "matter of fact, we did play with them once. . ." I told him "I had a feeling. They're from California too of course and it just flashed on me you'd be amazing together."

Well make no mistake about it: JUDGEMENT DAY is back and they rock like a mutha! Here is their official website, check it out and be sure to click on their YouTube video to get a taste of their own personal brand of "Apocalypse".

http://www.stringmetal.com

Order their album DARK OPUS you won't be let down (unless "string metal" is just too heavy for you, haha).

Which brings us to the legendary dredg. I don't even know where to begin. If you've seen dredg as many times as I have, you already know they are the special band earmarked for greatness along the lines of Pink Floyd or Pearl Jam. You already know that if for some ungodly and senseless reason they never make it that big- -that's ok too, because their musical integrity is untouchable both composition-wise and performance -wise. You already know no amount of commercial success can dictate what to do with pure magic. Dredg is in a win-win situation because of this. Gavin Hayes will one day attain his place amidst the rock pantheon as one of the golden voices. Dino Campanella has solidly carved out his spot as belonging in the top tier of rock drummers, and I don't care who you come up with -- Dino belongs in the Top ten, easily. The stuff he does is indescribably complex yet straight-forward as well; I think he is the hardest -hitting drummer in alternative rock today, with a deceptive style which incorperates insane signatures amidst the basic beat. He is a wonder and a delight to behold live. If you've never seen dredg in concert and you are into rock music in the least bit -- you owe it to yourself to see these guys live before you die.

But how could I forget Drew on his bass? That kid's playing is straight up dope. Solid basslines with just the right amount of flex and specs. I can't really describe it, other than he more than holds his own, he's carved his place. And then there's Mark. Probably the most overlooked Dredg member, but clearly, when you stop and think about it, perhaps the most important. This guy calmly puts out the most beautifully evolved guitar riffs and effects you could imagine, really the core of dredg's unique sound. Without Mark you have no Dredg, period. Yes these four cats are indispensable, all four of them need each other as much as we need them. Dredg is a real band. Hallelujah.

They were in tip -top form that night. Part of that was because it was the final show of the tour. The Patzner Bros from Judgement Day joined Dredg for the last several songs, classic staple material from El Cielo mainly, and here is where the performance lifted itself up and beyond any Dredg performance I've seen yet - and this was my 7th or 8th show (I've already lost count). Lewis Patzner's deeply inspired bass cello filled in the bottom end of dredg's music very well, while Anton's insane lead-violin playing added the perfect texture and depth to sections of those old songs. By the end of their inspired performance I was 100% ready to have the Patzner Bros added as official members of dredg - - they were that good together. When the show was over, I remained stunned. My friend Andy caught one of Gavin's crumpled up poems he occasionally types up onstage with his typewriter he always sets up front and center. I've been dying for one of these crumpled up dredg poems since, forever. Andy was thoughtful enough to give it to me after the show, that was awesome of him. When I get a chance I am going to scan it onto my harddrive, and display it here as well as on dredg's myspace. All it said on the crumpled up sheet was the date and location (SLC) and the words "I couch surf" . . . so I am going to post it on their website and tell Gavin "our couch is open". Its been a long time coming but dredg have certainly cemented themselves into my favorite 21st century band.

They played a couple of songs from their upcoming album in March of 2009: it will be the coveted 4th album -- the senior effort by which all bands must be judged since the watermark standard in 1974, Led Zeppelin's IVth album. I've been using this 4th album watermark for decades now, and I can't even begin to tell you how stoked I am for this impending release. I can say without blinking an eye and with confidence that it will be Dredg's breakthrough album, in terms of musical and artistic integrity, if not in record sales or chart topping). The deeply rendered themes inherent to this band will have finally coalesced into that perfect offering, their seminal fourth album, only four months away. Something to live for.

2008-11-10T07:56:00.000-08:00

And Then Satan Said "Let There Be Real Metal"

And he ushered in ICONOCLAST CONTRA, Salt Lake's own voice of the heathen; and he arranged it so that Alabama's own sinister sons in BLOODSTAINED DUSK were to perform as well as Detroit's Nocturnal Fear, which verily had a slow start and served to be made a mockery of by being told by the Zodiac to Shut The Fuck Up several times until they suddenly played a Sodom cover, by which on a dime they were Forgiven at least for the duration of that song if not for a short time thereafter; and finally, the dark one made it so that Finland's own notorious practitioners of the unholy art of wielding sonic terror HORNA were to headline, they whose credo is Destroy Human Life (for the fine practitioners in Horna are not NS but rather, hate us all equally).

Having set this show up strategically to not only take place the day after The Sword/Down/Metallica show played, but lo, and behold, on the very day of our US Election; yes, Satan himself did get a chuckle from the rafters as this show was set in the stone of eternity, to wreak audial terror in the hearts and minds of the initiated who so dared to dismiss the utterly pointless shenanigans of the election race details, and to abolish all thoughts thereof.

And so it was with great finesse and anticipation that we, Salt Lake's own disposable heroes, The Horde and its few stalwart stragglers dared to venture into Club Vegas on the night of November 4, 2008, to patently ignore the election results and instead devote ourselves fully to the practice of imbibing strong alcoholic spirits whilst being subjected to the unholiest of musical onslaughts.

Tony from Iconoclast Contra
helter skelter at his kit again

ICONOCLAST CONTRA started up the evening in a chaotic frenzy, and to these ears they never sounded better. Tony's murderous drumming can only be described as "helter skelter", frenetically accentuating the restless and unhinged nature of the band's playing. Ricky the Gorepig's goatee alone was more metal than Rob Trujillo himself, and that is indisputable fact. Despite encountering some problems with his bass and the soundguy's manipulations, Iconoclast Contra's intensity of effort prevailed, while LD wielded sporadic razor sharp soloes of a nature which would enwrap Kirk Hammet in an ever-tightening barbed wire trap, and Anthony the Zodiac leered into his microphone with such hatred that it disturbed even his closest friends and acquaintances, including me, to the point we all gave him a slightly wider berth. Iconoclast Contra last night sounded very tight indeed, and their style of music has evolved into a unique sounding hybrid that can only be described as successfully bonding elements of thrash, black, death, and even hardcore punk and speed in their attitude and original melding of these styles. Really they are outside the boundaries of normal metal categorization, which I think is where they are bound to excell and seperate themselves from the rest of the pack.

Ricky continued to cut his beefy arms into crisscroosed scars and at the end of their set, was standing in a puddle of his own blood. After they left the stage, some guy came out and mopped it all up. I didn't notice whether Anthony had cut himself yet -- I'm sure he did, but I was paying attention to the band as a whole half the time, and the other half I was talking with friends, making the rounds, and getting more beers. Later in the show after Horna finished, Anthony loomed out of the crowd up at me with a horrific gash in his forehead, and he looked really possessed out of his mind. I told Tony how great they sounded and was informed, as usual, how much the sound guy screwed everything up, and I had to reiterate to him that in all honesty, despite those problems, I thought they pulled off the best sounding set I'd heard yet. It was just the right degree of being frenetically out of control.

Next up was Detroit's NOCTURNAL FEAR, and they played a pretty generic set of standard deathmetal with shades of black, which is when Anthony kept yelling "Shut the fuck up" at them. Then suddenly, on a dime, they launch into this Sodom song that Iconoclast themselves had just played, and Anthony's negative disposition to the band did a 180 as he fled up to the stage to fist-pump them on. Then after that cover was over, the few who paid homage up front dispersed back to their tables and various corners to nurse their PBR pitchers and whiskey shots.

Bloodstained Dusk

Finally Alabama's BLOODSTAINED DUSK went on, and these guys were the real deal in terms of USBM. With corpsepaint and spiked armbands, to set the mood, the best part about them was their music. Truer to this metal, it abandoned thrash for a veritably blackened symphonic approach that I can only describe as desparingly beautiful. Soaring, atmospheric palettes of corruption boiled over and coalesced to create an ironically soothing wall of annihilation enhanced by ulutating vocals of demonic despair. I was entranced. Bloodstained Dusk were majestic, and my favorites of the night, which was antithetical to most of my companions in the Horde's tastes, who were unequivocally for HORNA.

Horna shatters the night with soulkilling black death

And it did not stop HORNA from taking the stage and proving why their popularity in blackmetal is nearly unmatched. These guys have been around for fifteen years, hailing from Finland around 1993. And despite the various inevitable lineup changes, they still deliver the true spirit of blackmetal today like few other bands can. I'd have to say I liked them a little better than Watain. Horna just took the stage and delivered straight up sonic devastation, as ordered. Our songs arrived blackened and full of hate. Our ears were pummeled mightily. Devilhorns did thrust from the crowd. Beers were spilled, glasses smashed. Cutters cut themselves and the staff held back behind the protection of their bar's countertop. Ricky the Gorepig later told me that after their set, while he was still rather heavily bleeding from his slashed arms, one of the members of Horna approached him backstage, and said "I want you to pleeze bleed on me" and he pulled out these white garbs and donned them to bring out the blood imprints. These were a real fun bunch of guys, and we partied like it was sixteen-ninety-seven. While the rest of the world was tuned in to Obama's obvious winning final stretch, we shunned politics entirely in favor of total anti-human metal. Long live Satan \m/

photography by Mathilda of NEX CULTUS PHOTOGRAPHY
http://myspace.com/nexcultusphotography

2008-09-03T09:52:00.000-07:00

BOB DYLAN AND HIS BAND
BLEW US ALL AWAY

@ Deer Valley Mountain Ski Resort, Park City UTAH Sunday, August 31, 2008.

Here's the setlist:

Rainy Day Women #12 & 35

When I Paint My Masterpiece

Stuck Inside A Mobile w/the Memphis Blues Again

It's NoT DaRk yeT

DON'T THINK TWICE, IT'S ALRIGHT

a MILLION miles

DESOLATION ROW

The Levee's Gunna Break

she belongs to me

Honest With Me

Simple Twist of FATE

HIGHWAY 61 Revisited

QUEEN JANE Approximately

THUNDER ON THE MOUNTAIN

LIKE A ROLLING STONE

Bob Dylan rocked our fucking socks off. DAMN that was a blazing blistering set to help a crowd withstand torrential rains, but no amount of bad weather could put a damper on Bob Dylan or his band's set this evening. They just seared their way through song after song -- 15 in all, I think -- yes most likely a foreshortened set due to the inclement weather, but it just made songs like The Levee's Gunna Break all the better.

The fact it all started with Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 was just perfect. My gf and I were well-prepared this time for an outdoor lawn show. We bought these low-slung back-pack chairs and these 2 overlarge wicked windproof, bright-colored umbrellas so when the downpours came (and boy did they ever come) we were sittin pretty and dry. We had a bottle of very nice Sonoma county wine we'd been saving since last year's vacation, which we poured into these metal goblets. We enjoyed sesame water crackers with goat cheese as well as some greek and chinese food. No sooner than Bob was singing 'Everybody Must Get Stoned' at the show's start in the rain did I began to dance, this was not the slow rollicking beat with brass instruments but more of a wicked fiery hellbilly ride.

Bob loves nothing more than changing up his familiar songs, and it was quite evident in the next song 'Stuck Inside A Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again', a much quicker and upbeat version which got me on my feet and dancing in no time flat. Bob's band really got into the swing of things. Before my mind could catch up with what was actually happening to us all, 'It's Not Dark Yet' began, and it was so pitch-perfect. It was a brisk and tense delivery of a heartfelt anthem and was really quite moving. Then the rain actually stopped, some clouds parted, and we actually spied a section of blue sky up there above the mountains. You gotta understand Deer Valley is a ski resort catering to the rich and, yes, famous. It is clear and beautiful up at that elevation. We were lucky the sun broke through because it would remain relatively sunny and dry for over the next hour and nine songs or so. Everyone began pouring their libations of wine and bringing out their fancy picnic meals and whatnot. Shasta and I broke out the gourmet dark chocolate w/bits of ginger in it and quaffed more red wine while Bob Dylan and his band began jamming out an intro to the next song, which struck a familiar chord yet was being played too fast to be immediately recognizable. I started dancing my ass off to this song and before I knew it realized I was twisting to Don't Think Twice, It's Alright!

It was then and there during this 5th song that a feeling of Awesomeness struck like a bolt of lightning from above, this was one of Bob's ON nights! Every song he played was uncut, and if anything, an extended version from the original. His band was ON it, jamming this unbelievable fusion of down home country ragtime, rock'n'roll, periodically injected with elements of swing, jazz, and mississippi delta blues. Gone was the 'folk' element Dylan cut his teeth on; these here versions were fully electrified and transformed beyond their familiar guises into something far more dynamic.

His Bobness pretty much stood in one spot sporting this nice Stetson hat and these black pants with a silver stripe down the sides of the legs, he was all got up good'n'proper like the man in black oughta be. I couldn't quite tell if he ever played a guitar or not - - most of the night I was letting go dancing having a grand ol' time -- but his voice shone through the dizzying arrangement of musical stylings in a crisp nasal tone that, although a bit raspier than it used to be, nonetheless managed to carry the songs through to their respective ends. The energy Bob and his band instilled in the crowd was palpable and electric, everyone was going nuts.

I personally proudly wore my original KoRn T-shirt and sported a Jester's Cap w/bells on -- picture me dancing a crazy Peanut's Dance sped up to about 78rpms in this outfit and you pretty much get the picture of shaun @ Bob Dylan, 2008. Believe me when I tell you that throughout most of these rockin' tunes, the level of intensity in the musicianship was such that it afforded plenty of opportunities to break out in wild, gyrating air guitar soloes and there was one point (during the song 'Honest With Me') where I gasped out loud 'Holy Shit this is fucking BAD ASS!' on account of how much heavy momentum the jamming had acquired. Let me put it this way: there were a few moments wherein my imagination inserted speed metal leads to the music - it was that sick!

Needless to say I kept exchanging astonished looks with the folks standing next to us. I had read somewhere that lately, Dylan's shows focus so much on his more recent material that some audience members get disappointed. Well at our show in Deer Valley this Sunday nothing could be further from the truth. After just having heard Rainy DAy Women, Stuck Inside a Mobile, Don't Think Twice, and Desolation Row, I was personally so satisfied with the 'hits' that I didn't care one whit any longer what Bob had in store for us; it was just that well delivered and each song provided ample opportunity for the various musicians to shine respectively on their instruments.

So when 'You Belong To Me' played it was just another amazing classic song in a setlist chockfull of them, as far as I was concerned. I don't know which recent album the song 'Honest With Me' is from, but I will say it was the most rocking song of the night, just a scorcher through and through. And then Dylan dropped the bomb I had no idea was to come, and that was 'Simple Twist Of Fate'. I don't know about you all, but personally whereas I think 'Tangled Up In Blue' to be Dylan's greatest song, my mind has never been able to accomodate for both of these songs at the same time; When Simple Twist Of Fate plays, I forget all about Tangled Up In Blue, and vice-versa. Its the weirdest thing. Even the memory of Tangled Up In Blue was utterly annihilated while Simple Twist Of Fate played, and all I could think was 'This is the greatest song Dylan ever wrote!' and I shouted as much when it was over: 'BEST SONG EVER!' I yelled with devil horns thrown.

Then the well-oiled machine that is Bob Dylan's band launched into Highway 61 Revisited, and it was around this time that I decided I was definitely being blown away, here. You Dylan fans reading this by now can probably perfectly well understand how fully amazed I was by this point in the show. Every song had a really cool and unique arrangement, but more importantly, they just jammed them all incredibly well.

The clouds had been gathering for awhile and the sun had been swallowed up by the mountains looming behind us when Queen Jane, Approximately began to play. Shasta and I sensed the rain barely begin again, so I started bustin up our picnic and packing it in. We grabbed our brightly colored umbrellas and popped them open just in time to catch the fatter rain drops beginning to fall. That's when Bob began on one tune I particularly enjoy from Modern Times - 'Thunder On The Mountain' - I don't know how he kept lobbing out these perfectly appropriate songs, but yeah the thunder that pealed down from the storm-laden night sky during this song could not have been more properly timed. And a hard rain began to fall, in earnest.

Of course I think everyone there was half-expecting Bob to actually sing this song ('A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall'). I personally was holding out with fingers crossed for 'Buckets Of Rain', one of my faves. But the final song of the evening that was delivered with almost apocalyptic fury was 'Like A Rolling Stone'. Do I even need to mention we weren't let down in the least? Howling 'without a HOME like a complete UNKNOWN like a ROLLING STOOOONE' up into the rain at night on a mountainside with hundreds of other people while Bob Dylan led us along was certainly a memory I will carry with me for awhile, yet. Just as soon as that song was done, Dylan tipped his hat and briskly exited stage left along with the rest of his band and the stage spotlights went on. Nobody in the audience hesitated, we just grabbed our shit and thence began the mass exodus in the pouring rain, every single one of us all smiles and chattering excitedly and making our way for the gates. The thunderstorm never once let up from that point on, it was about 9:45 pm or so, which meant Bob Dylan had played for two solid hours in the sun and the rain. I can't imagine being more surprised or satisfied at the stellar show Mr. Tambourine Man & band delivered to us that last day of summer in Deer Valley, Utah, 2008.

2008-06-19T12:57:00.000-07:00

EMBRACE THE
HATE

Sanguis Imperem

We arrive at the Black Castle about 3 hours after the show started - - so we missed Gravehill, Nuclear Desecration, and some other band I don't know which. Australia's Sanguis Imperem (pictured above) was playing when we arrived. You know how it is when you arrive fresh on the scene - - its hard to pay attention or fully appreciate the band that happens to be playing. For this reason its hard to recall just how good Sanguis Imperem were - - I'm going to go ahead and say I arrived too late in their set to properly review them; so it wasn't necessarily that they weren't up to snuff w/the remaining bands to follow, even though they didn't leave much of an impression with me.

Cemetery Urn

On the other hand, the next band up not only blew us the fuck away, but ended up, in the long run, to become the undisputed kings of sheer relentless brutality: Cemetery Urn from Australia sound exactly like what Richard Ramirez must've been hearing in his head when he ripped his victims apart, according to one of my very satisfied friends. Cemetery Urn are incredibly tight, deep, resonant, bass and guitars interlocked in an absolutely crushing embrace that never stops, and the singer channels the lowest and deepest profundo gargoyle roar I've ever heard - - totally inhuman. Here's what their album looks like:

If you're looking for the heaviest, sickest, and most relentlessly brutal band on earth, look no further than this bad boy right here. I didn't buy their CD right then cuz instead I made a wiser purchases of Ares Kingdom and Order From Chaos vinyl records, which I got signed by the various members of each band. I'm going to burn me a copy of "Urn Of Blood" from my die-hard pals who rushed to the merch booth for their copy until such time comes that I can buy my own.

The Black Castle crowd (w/Cemetery Urn)

Here's a shot of what the Black Castle looks like inside - we're all extremely grateful to Chris Hatewar for fixing the AC in this place - the last show I went to, the heat was oppresive, and the only relief from it was when the metal kids ran around in a ring: it actually generates a nice breeze you can feel if you stand just outside of it. The air conditioning being fixed was a godsend.

Alex of Ares Kingdom

Finally Ares Kingdom set up and began their awesome, exuberant set of serious and complex deathmetal. I was dying to hear what they sound like, and was extremely pleased with their neo-classicist finesse and yes, brutal execution. There is just no other adjective to better describe the spirit of intent which the best of deathmetal always strives for: sheer brutality. Ares Kingdom not only have that in spades, but in my personal assessment, exceed the rest of the pack by virtue of having written some extremely proficient melodies and interlocking rhythm/lead guitar work. Their bassist and lead singer Alex is a particularly impressive frontman.

Ares Kingdom - Alex and Chuck

But its Chuck Keller and Mike Miller (on the drums) hailing from the now legendary Order From Chaos that really flesh out Ares Kingdom into a major force in deathmetal to be reckoned with. I ended up walking away not only with their full length LP "Return To Dust", but also their T-shirt. Of all the T-shirts at this fest, it was the most "classical" by design. There's an old engraving from the Franco-Prussian war on the front with the Ares Kingdom legend above it in old classic script; on the back there's a black&white pic of the band in full action with some lyrics from "Firestorm Redemption" under it. Much classier than the other typical blackmetal shirts with their vomitous depravities depicted.

Alex and chuck again

I stood before Chuck Keller for the better duration of the second half of their set, just amazed at his technical proficiency and sheer guts virtuosity. He had a sick Bathory goat head sticker on his guitar that I tried to get a pic of, but never quite managed. I knew by the end of Ares Kingdom's set that they were probably going to end up being my favorite of the night. Turns out I was right.

Order From Chaos: proof positive this ain't just another Angelcorpse pic!

Now the fog machine started cranking out as the announcer said something about "and now folks, we've got something very special for y'all tonight, welcome Order From Chaos!" and people started getting palpably excited. Because of the fog, all the OFC pics came out lookin' blurry like this one, but if you look closely enough, you'll see that that is actually Pete Helmkamp on the left and obviously Chuck Keller on the right. Although their set was waaaaaay too short (only 2 songs, one of which was the crowd favorite, the awesome "Webs Of Perdition" off Stillbirth Machine, their first album), it was so fuckin' awesome as to appear generous by contrast to the fact that OFC hasn't played in over 15 years. A legendary appearance from one of the underground deathmetal scene's most legendary bands.

Pete Helmkamp fronting Order From Chaos -- believe me!

Here's a shot of Pete fronting OFC. That shirt he's wearing is a band from UK called SPEARHEAD, and from what my friend Tony told me - -they are even heavier than even Angelcorpse. That's saying something, since Angelcorpse headlined this most brutal of metalfests.

Chuck Keller rippin it up w/Order From Chaos
*that dude's hand gesture says it all*

By this point in the show I had tossed back a few beers and was feelin' pretty damned good, I gotta say. There's a back area behind the stage everyone goes out to in order to smoke. Back in that room the partying and smoking was in constant furor. As the evening progressed I would find myself heading back there to smoke one and hang out with metalheads from all over. Met this one guy named Jeremy from a band called Lightning Swords Of Death. He was a really cool guy and said they'd be passing through Salt Lake in a month or so, playin "The Broken Record". We told him yeah we knew that place - - having played in it many times, and that it was a dirty old dive, nothing to get excited about. He responded by saying "then I guess we'll have to destroy that place!" I couldn't agree w/him more. He was this big guy with long ass hair, tattooed arms, with horned rimmed glasses and a beard. Just a way cool dude.

Gospel Of The Horns

Next up: Australia's contingency steps back up on stage w/their headliner, Gospel Of The Horns. I really like how all their pics came out red-tinged; it really adds to the Satanic Effect they work hard to cultivate. The singer there is this really cool bloke named Cozzy - you can barely make out the goathead tat on his stomach -- and he sang in this high-pitched screech that really conveyed an allegiance to Lucifer and all the minions of hell. Fucking killer band and yes these guys were straight up blackmetal, really the first of the night now that I think about it. That's one thing the lineup could've improved by: more true blackmetal and less "brutal deathmetal". In that respect, Gospel Of The Horns owned the night. If ou're more of a BM than a DM person, these guys were the highlight.

thought he was dead

Halfway through Gospel Of The Horns' set, this one metalhead got up on stage (its about, I don't know, 3 feet high maybe) and after a brief moment showing off, was about to make a stage dive (incredibly stupid as there were insufficient peeps in that immediate vicinity to catch him, really) but it went all wrong when one of the roadies made his way across the stage (the band kept playin without missing a beat) and shoved this guy - - just as he was making his leap -- right off the stage. The consequences were that he fell directly on his face to the concrete below, everyone sidestepping of course. Swear to god I thought the guy died instantly from the impact the front of his skull made on the concrete. I watched as a crew of guys dragged him across to the front of the venue. Then I turned my camera on and quickly followed. I had to find out if he was dead. They all backed away from him as he lay stone cold still on the pavement, and I impulsively snapped this pic, wondering if I was taking a picture of a corpse. I did it so quickly and nervously that I missed the guys face - - but somehow the pic ended up looking pretty cool, what with the stains on his shirt and on the concrete - - this could make a nice deathmetal album cover, by implication. Moments later the guy opened his eyes, and his friends helped him up. He stumbled away back in to the crowd with a big grin plastered on his face. Although knocked out cold for a few moments, the guy was obviously unphased. Meanwhile Gospel Of The Horns continued their rollicking, satanic set.

my friends tony, ricky, alex (w/his hair covering his face), and heidi
(the baldie w/the jean jacket is some stranger)

After Gospel Of The Horns finished, I headed over to my friends Anthony and Ricky. I had a smoke rolled up tucked behind my ear, and I asked em if they were ready for it. They both waved me off saying they just left the smoking area, and were pretty buzzed already thank you. So I looked over and saw Sean "Psyko", lead vokills for Nokturne - - truly LA's most notorious and sickest USBM band of all. He's one of the most reknowned USBM frontmen in that area, and I've partied w/him a few times before when he and his crew arrived in SLC for some metal devastation. As soon as I mentioned burning one he put his arm around me and said "HELL YEAH LET'S DO THIS" so we headed to the back and sparked that puppy right up. There was a circle of die hards already slamming back plastic waterbottles full of whiskey and talking all at once, smoking cigarrettes and generally having a raucous time of it. I asked one tough Mexican looking guy if he wanted to trade -- he saw the handrolled cigarrette and passed me his plastic waterbottle of whiskey (there were still about 4 shots in the thing) and said "drink the rest of it man I'm wasted", to which I gladly obliged. I tossed back the remaining whiskey like it was koolaid and someone else passed me a beer, and the party back there went into full swing. Meanwhile, we could hear them announcing the next band, "Holocaust Wolves Of The Apocalypse~!", so after chugging a cold one down, I headed back out to the front.

Holocaust Wolves Of The Apocalypse

These guys were comprised of members from Sanguis Imperem and Cemetery Urn. They experienced some technical difficulties at first, but soon had it up and swingin'. They were good, but nothing extremely special - - more black than death, but paling in comparison to Cemetery Urn. I will say they were definitely way more true and brutal to the genre than, say, for instance, Wolves Of The Throneroom. I am not about to disparage that band, because I've heard good things about em, but I will say this: the crowd there would all sneer at Wolves Of The Throneroom for being "gay emo fucks" in comparison to the "real sickness" of all the bands lined up that evening. Me, personally -?-- I'm way more open to musical diversity than most of these metalfucks, so I'm of the mind that I may actually like Wolves Of The Throneroom. Not so, my metalhorde pals. They will ridicule that band as "fake metal hippies", lol.

Angelcorpse

Finally, the headlining moment had arrived. Angelcorpse set up and began their relentless set almost immediately - - man, by that time most of us were brutalized sonically to the point of feeling like we had all had our asses beaten into the dirt. I admit Angelcorpse was a devastating onslaught of technical proficiency - - and maybe I had pretty much "had enuff" by that point -- because although yes they were fuckin awesome, I'm not as into their particular type of sound as I was Ares Kingdom and Order From Chaos, for instance. And I think I even liked Gospel Of The Horns more, for their purity of satanic expression. But it was killer just to be there and experience Angelcorpse live in my face.

After their set, I wandered over to the Gravehill merch booth and approached Rhett Davis, their drummer. As some of you may know - he was formerly in Morgion, one of the most awesome doom bands to come out of the US. I had to tell him we missed Gravehill because we showed up too late, and also, to say "Hi" to him from my friend Gareth, who knows Rhett. He was happy to hear from Gareth and also to find out I knew who Morgion was, so he tossed me a couple of Gravehill demos, one for me and one for Gareth. I haven't listened to it yet, so I still don't know what they sound like, but am looking forward to finding out.

I purchased the following albums on vinyl:

Ares Kingdom Return To Dust their first full length LP, 2006
*signed by Alex, Doug, Chuck, and Mike*

Order From Chaos Stillbirth Machine Reissue
*signed by Pete, Chuck, and Mike* ;D

The T-shirt I bought has this image on the front,
and a pic of the band live in action on the back.
It's rather wicked.

Me on the drive back home

Cow

2007-12-12T17:13:00.000-08:00

TOOL Abduct Salt Lake Audience For 90 Minutes

ISIS began playing promptly @8, opening w/that familiar instrumental song from Panopticon, the one w/crashing chords & soaring screams at the end. They played 4 songs for a total of 30 minutes. The last song had a killer rockin' outtro. The lead singer thanked everyone at 8:30 & they walked off the stage. A short but sweet set from everybody's favorite post-hardcore band.

Thus began a very curious intermission wherein stage technicians efficiently assembled TOOL's stage & set. The curious part was when, after removing ISIS's equipment offstage, they first laid down this pristine, glossy white floor w/a backdrop of the same material that stretched from one edge of the stage to the other in a 5 foot tall strip. The results looked like a miniature hockey rink of perfect white, and for a moment we wondered: Were we going to be treated to "TOOL ON ICE" - ?

After Danny's drumset & the amps & the rest of the equipment was finally set up, the results were a very sparse looking stage w/a long white backdrop strip behind it with a perfectly unblemished white floor (the techs who set it up wore special clean rubber shoes so as not to mar that flawless surface).

The setup gave the stage a very clinical appearance. Throughout the show this effect was complemented by Adam's guitar tech, a woman in a white hospital lab coat. Apparantly we were going to have our minds operated on after being abducted by TOOL. Yet nobody panicked or made a rush for the EXITS as the infamous quartet strolled casually onstage. Instead, they were received w/a bonafide full house standing ovation of thundering applause, whistles, and cheers.

Maynard wore blue jeans w/an oval silver belt buckle, and no shirt. He sported the old school mohauk. He said something cryptic to the effect of "So you're all still here-?" insinuating an impending calamity, and they tore into the familiar pummeling of Stinkfist, as we knew they would. This came as a relief, since we all understood if they opened with anything else, they would have been cleverly disguised imposters.

The 2nd song picked up the momentum with a redemptive version of The Pot. I would wager doubters understood, like losers never would, how much collective booty this tune actually kicked. Unsurprisingly, nearly half the freakin' place lit up for this one. Well not your trusty reviewer, who chose not to partake in substances leading to sensory distortion or enhancement. I preferred experiencing TOOL perfectly sober.

Then they launched into 46 & 2, and by this time, their warm-up was through and the sound began to level off to a more satisfactory focus. It turns out the white backdrop strip behind the band comprised of about six seamless panels was a carefully modulated video screen (duh). During the first song only one panel lit up w/trippy imagery, the one directly behind Maynard.

During The Pot, the psychedelic visuals stretched out to cover two panels. Little by little, as each subsequent song began, more panels were integrated with sharp, hi-contrast imagery that soon enough resolved itself into the familiar videos for the songs. The entire floor lit up to mirror the backdrop strip, and we felt lucky to have seats close to the stage and eleven rows up into our section which afforded us a view of the cinematic stage and floor.

Jambi sounded awesome and it was a pleasure to listen to Adam's Joe Walsh -inspired guitar solo midway through. TOOL have a way of making any song they perform sound fresh & dynamic, regardless of how overplayed the song may be. This was certainly the case w/the opener Stinkfist as well as w/Schism and even Sober and Opiate; no matter how many times they've been heard, these tunes always sound killer live.

After Schism, the high point of the show began in earnest. Starting with Rosetta Stoned (featuring the most outrageous & trippiest visuals of the evening) and continuing on with a nicely evolved sounding Opiate, a strident & crushing Sober, & on into the set's peak w/the superb title track Lateralus.

You should have seen the visuals during Rosetta Stoned: there was repeated motifs of hallucinogenic meltdowns, and halfway through all the screens merged to showcase planet earth seen from about the moon's orbit, and then it pulled back eventually to show Saturn, which really lent a majestic feel to the song itself. At the end of the song there was this creepy ass alien Grey -like face, only really disturbing looking and not your typical stylized Grey. It looked more real - reminescent of Aleister Crowley's depiction of a higher Enochian being.

The moment the song Lateralus began, we were all reminded exactly why the album LATERALUS is the crown jewel in TOOL's canon. Justin Chancellor was thrashin' like a heavy metal madman, near us on stage left, his long curly hair whipping about all over the place, while Jonesy remained rooted to his spot like he always does, over on stage right, doin' what he does best, strangling the sickest array of sound effects out of his axe. Danny Carey never fails to impress behind his magickal drum kit, although to be honest I thought he wasn't quite up to par with his usual kinetic clarity.

Maynard also wasn't 100% up to snuff, perhaps the years of belting out these tunes have begun taking their toll, but whether that's from worn out vocal chords or enthusiasm is the real question. I rather tend to think it's the latter. Herein may be glimpsed the one possible weak link in the chain of camaraderie, for I got the feeling Maynard's heart may not be into it anymore.

After Lateralus, Keenan walked off stage while the other three guys actually sat down on stage front center, obviously exhausted, and drank their bottled waters while soaking in the thunderous applause. This was a first for me; usually they all retire backstage for a few minutes before returning for the final encore.

It didn't occur to me right then, but looking back on it, I can almost see Adam, Justin, and Danny just soaking in the fan-worship as if they may not be getting to for much longer. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Eventually Maynard came back out and they launched right into Vicarious. As w/The Pot earlier on, this live rendition was so kickass & heavy, it managed to transcend the perception it's "just another derivative single" and proved itself worthy as a bonafide TOOL epic, similarities to older songs notwithstanding.

Finally they ended the show w/Aenema, half drowned out by the crowd shouting along w/middle fingers raised. The song was great but ended kind of muddy instead of with its usual dynamic & resounding punctuation mark.

As for in-between song chatter and the like, the first incident (during the 2nd song The Pot), I spotted down front on the floor (all seated) people began passing the fold-up chairs hand over head. Maybe a half dozen chairs floated to the front by song's end, and Maynard paused to tell them to quit with that shit and that if anyone got hurt because of him singing, he would leave. "They're just rock songs, people," and that settled them down real quick. Then they launched into 46 & 2.

After Lateralus, Maynard made "Mooing" and "Baaahing" sounds. When the band finished their encore, Keenan walked off stage-left flashing the peace sign w/his right hand; he was so outta there. Meanwhile, the rest of the guys remained onstage without him to salute the crowd cheering them on. Danny walked over and gave Jonesy a hug, and Justin joined in for a group hugs, while the crowd showered them with screaming love.

2007-11-01T18:25:00.000-07:00

~Sweet SIC Sixxteen~

As the date of Korn's Salt Lake City show approached, I considered why I hadn't gotten my ticket yet. Oh yeah, cuz I seen em fifteen fukkin times already. I did my time. Let me in.

Yesterday was a beautiful bright full moon against a slate blue sky. As plain a statement of ripe possibilities as the period at the end of a sentence. A sentence that says, anything goes tonight.

I called my friend Andy and asked him if he was doing anything, or if he was bored. He was on his way home to just sit around and play his new guitar. I said "I don't have a ticket, but I'm bustin' in on that Korn show tonight. You wanna come along?"

After explaining to him the plan, which was, we show up at the venue and see if the cards are aligned for us to get into the place; if it wasn't meant to happen, we'd go drown our faces in a beer up the street. A win - win situation you see.

Thursday night, October 25th, the "Bitch We Have A Problem" Tour mutated into "Halloween Havoc with KORN", and there was an extra-special guest supporting band on this single show only. When Andy and I strolled up to the E-center, up the steps to the Will Call entrance, we were asked by two middle aged hippies -- I swear they were Jan and Rainey from Into The Wild -- if we wanted tickets. Lucky for us they let em go for twenty bucks each, cuz they were GA/Floor tix, exactly what we wanted; and the only available tix at the Box Office were more expensive seats in the back of the arena. We gave em our twenty bucks and presto!, we had our golden tickets in our hands. I looked up at the fat full moon and thanked it.

So we're standing out there, realizing we had succeeded -- when I say "Dude, let's head back to the car and get rid of our accoutrements." It was 8:00, the first band had already played by then, and we knew KORN weren't hitting the stage until 10:00. Back at the car I got rid of my watch, necklace, wallet, cellphone, and key-ring. I removed the car key alone and Andy had a zippered pocket to keep it safe. All I had in my front pocket was my ID, a twenty dollar bill, and the ticket. We were good to go.

But then, I says to Andy, "Dude, we gotta think before heading in. It's kinda early still. The night is young, maybe we should head over to that Ruby Tuesday's for a nice cold brew, relax and then head into the venue in a more timely fashion." So we did just that.

It turned out the timing could not have been more perfect. After enjoying the enormous steins of cold draught beers (and the requisite slices of garlic bread that constitute the minimum food required in Utah to be served alcohol), we wiped the foam off our lips and walked back to the E-center. When we were ushered in to the GA floor area, it turns out the 2nd opening band, whose name I can't remember -- they were so generic -- had just finished, and Sixx Am was about to hit the stage.

I spied the bass drum head w/the SIXX AM logo - this wicked smiley face reminescent of Johnny the Homicidal Maniac -- and it hit me. The 2-XX's ~! This was NIKKI SIXX's band ! Fuck yeah !

So right before SIXX AM hit the stage, this announcer comes on, and tells the crowd that we are one lucky group, cuz SIXX AM is about to perform for the first time ever, and quite possibly - - THE LAST TIME. [I looked SIXX AM up on Wikipedia, and according to them, "The band made their live debut at Crash Mansion on July 16, 2007." So I'm not exactly certain which claim to believe - perhaps the announcer last night meant the first real available-to-the-general-public show outside LA, I don't know really]

Then Nikki Sixx comes out with the rest of his bandmates, and they begin playing this hybrid of modern rock/metal with true shadings of roots going back to the old hairmetal Crue days. I guess you could call it "post-hair", but unlike post-rock, it truly merited throwing devil horns, which the crowd responded to with mass enthusiasm, moshpits starting up almost immediately to the metal riffage and eloquent vocals provided by James Michael.

SIXX AM is the official band and album for THE HEROIN DIARIES. I would really have loved to buy their CD and stand in line with the rest of the fans, after they played, so I could meet Nikki and have him sign it, that would have truly been worth it. Turns out I'm hurtin for money so I was determined not to spend the $15 I had left. I am going to hunt down and get this CD eventually, though -- SIXX AM really did put on an excellent show, and the crowd loved it.

Then finally the time came when Korn's road crew started setting up their stage, first came down the gigantic Untitled banner featuring the amazing cover art by Richard A. Kirk. Then someone wheeled H.R. Giger's stunning Nubian Queen sculptured mic-stand "Majesty's Voice" onto front stage center, covered over with a black cloth. After everything is set, one of the crew heads over and yanks that covering off with a magician's flourish, revealing the Nubian Queen in all her hardcore chrome erotic glory. That familiar sensation begins in the pit of your stomach, knowing the time has come for the hardest rocking band in the world to take the stage.

And I'll be good god damned if KoRn didn't hit that stage with more ferocity than either of the two previous shows I caught earlier in this tour. This is not some "Salt Lake" bias; I'm not even from here (although I do confess to loving it here), but I gotta say with perfect honesty the Salt Lake show devastated the Reno show - -by contrast I'm almost ashamed to admit the Reno show practically SucKed before the polished tightness and heavy hitting of every single song in Salt Lake. And yes, it was definitely a better performance all around than the Portland Maine show (w/the singular exception of not getting "Ever Be", a damn shame and a painful loss to the setlist). I think the reasons for this are pretty much twofold:

~They are obviously building up steam as they progress further into this tour; &

~Playing after Nikki fucking Sixx is enuff to get anyone stoked out of their gourds !

So yeah, despite KoRn belting out the same damn setlist night after night - - there can be no complaints, because essentially, the further into this tour they go, THE BETTER IT GETS, period.

Huge props to Shane Gibson for stepping up to the plate and keeping the songs going; apparantly he couldn't get Ever Be quite right (just a guess), but he sure as hell hit those chords hard as fukk for every other song on the setlist.

If anything, the fact they could keep on going - -stronger & better than ever, actually -- despite having to replace Clint Lowery (Sevendust) just a few shows ago, goes a long way towards showing me that the 3 guys left in Korn (Fieldy, Munky, and Jon) obviously don't really need Brian or David, thank your asses very much.

I'll be the first to admit that I am dying to have those 2 cats back in the band for an original lineup reunion, and honestly I do believe in my heart that will happen, in fact I know it. Any true korn fan will probably tell you the same thing, and its not just wishful thinking. But in the meantime, I swear to god KoRn is doing just fine without them.

The highlights of this show were:

~Starting Over: It was impossible not to go crazy in the pits for this. Whoever out there is trying to make any claims that the new stuff ain't up to snuff has obviously either gone completely deaf or is stone cold retarded. (Of course these yahoos never even bothered going to a recent Korn show, so it goes without saying they do not know of what they speak) Starting Over = 100% undiluted Klassic KOrn, period. It holds up to anything they ever released in their canon, and it serves perfectly to represent the clean slate they now stand upon. Here's to another 12 years of KOrn dominating the hard rock scene as the true uncrowned Kings. In fact I'm willing to bet they will actually ceremoniously receive this Crown in the years to come; give it another decade and it will be a well known fact that nobody rocks as hard as these guys do, and they will easily have surpassed Led Zeppelin and any other band you care to mention in carrying that Torch for Hardest Rocking Band That Ever Existed, period.

~fake: Never dreamed I'd see the days when I'd get to hear this song performed with Joey fukkin' Jordison, of all people! Reason I say that: I used to cite this very song as ammo against SlipKnot, back when all the lil maggots were tryin so hard to prove themselves against Korn's legacy. Ah the sweet tang of irony never tasted so good . . . or felt so right.

~Dead Bodies Everywhere: The familiar 'music box' tones were actually translated through Fieldy's bass this time, and I could tell most of the audience didn't recognize it. I turned to the kids next to me with a wicked grin and said "Dead Bodies Everywhere! Fuck yes!" and they kinda looked at me curiosly. Then a few moments later when the song began in earnest most everyone caught up with it and total mayhem ensued.

~faget: It just never gets old. How Jon can possibly provide the same level of bodybangin' intensity & vocals to this song, I'll never know. All I can do is stand back and be amazed.

~Kiss: Zac provided an extensive piano intro to this one (this seemed longer than I remember on the previous shows, if they did that at all), and when Jon started singing it all I could think was, "A fukking Korn Ballad!" and I gotta add that it is the hardest hitting ballad I've ever heard. A deceptive song because it isn't all "soft", in fact it provides some really hard hitting moments and overall is what I consider one of the most classic new Korn songs in their catalogue.

~blind: It's blind. It's the closer. Whaddaya expect, sheesh

Aw fuckit, they practically knocked every song out the park, but those were particularly memorable standouts that evening.

Sure all the metalheads can cite dozens of heavier, harder bands but I got one thing to say to y'all. Headbanging is fine and dandy, but Korn go way beyond that. What defines what they do musically cannot be sufficiently captured by mere "headbanging". Korn = bodybanging, full stop.

I said this way back in March of 1999 -- almost nine years ago, when I saw my 5th KoRn show in Lewiston, Maine - - I said "Long Live Korn my favorite musicians. Their banner will unfurl over our cracked skies for a LONG time to come. HAIL KORN--WE LOVE YOU!" -- and I'm sayin' it again, here in 2007: LONG LIVE KORN!!!

2007-05-11T11:31:00.000-07:00

Secret Chiefs 3 + Sleepytime Gorilla Museum

Nils Frykdahl in red light in the background
The angel of white light is Carla Kihlstedt, violinist

The Secret Chiefs 3 took over an hour to get their instruments set up properly, as a result the show kicked off way later than intended. But that was ok, cuz for one, The Secret Chiefs 3 were very interesting. Hard to describe, since the only reference points are probably other bands few have heard of much less listened to. That said, they came across like a heavier Dirty 3 w/roots extending back to stranger, more eclectic sources. For instance, my favorite portion of their exuberant set was when they launched into this mad jam of the Halloween movie theme, it was so kickass cuz they were pushin it as hard and mean as they could, eliciting various shouts of encouragement from the crowd, and of course, devil horns from "those in the know".

Their music varied, however, from grating, grinding, ear-splitting screechy dissonance to gypsy-like passages and general rollicking mayhem. Long, drawn out instrumental jams w/distortion and such weirdness I can not describe it to you, actually. You had to have been there. You would either hate them with every fiber in your being, or you'd think they were totally cool.

Then Sleepytime finally got their set put up - and it was 12:30 in the damn morning before they finally began. Nils introduced the first coupla songs as being from their new album, due out in May. They were simply amazing. Starting out w/cautious, classical interplay between band members, which eventually morphed into some super heavy ass crypto funk sleepytime fusion, as only they know how to do.

I'm sorry for the vague descriptions, or the meaningless precision, whichever the case may be, it's just both bands feature such eclectic artistry that you will simply have to take my word for it: These are live bands you do not want to miss, unless you are way more comfortable at a piano concerto, a polite chamber orchestra, a hip hop show, a folksy gathering of acoustic guitarists, or any god damn mainstream show on the fucking planet. If that is the case, stay away, this is not for you.

If, on the other hand, you like hearing bizarre amalgamations of rude sonic dysfunction which occasionally meshes into glorious nuances of lyrical beauty, and sporadically erupts into violent ear pain sure to lacerate your brain with vivid impressions of super charged melodic assaults best left for forgotten nightmares, then you rush do not walk to your nearest Secret Chiefs 3/Sleepytime Gorilla Museum show.

I can't tell you the names of the Sleepytime songs they played, just that they hammered it balls to the wall, pedal to the metal, w/their bizarre assortment of spooky fairy tales for adults, all introduced w/the sideshow flourish of our most eminent host, Nils Frykdahl, whom I believe to secretly be the bastard offspring which resulted when Tom Waits had an affair with the Devil's wife, or he is Pan reincarnated and having the time of his life on earth running this carnival freakshow of the most intense jammadelic heavy fuckin meltdown of antique music styles coupled with some thrashy modern sensibilities, but you will NOT hear one single damned reference to your typical "metal", "alternative", "indy" or any other tired old commercial crap choking the airwaves like so much tepid sonic pollution.

Sleepytime's music sounds more as if classically trained musicians who grew up listening to King Crimson but also liked to thrash out and decided they would produce this music on bizarre instruments of their own devising, violins, cellos, bass harmonicas, viking rowboats, piano slide logs, cymbaline trees and the lord of light only knows what all else.

They played until nearly 2 in the am, but it was worth it. The small crowd up front took turns crowd surfin in the 12' x 12' area, it was kinda funny. Mad energy, good times.

2007-05-11T06:47:00.000-07:00

IncendianT, DECAPITATED, KRISIUN & Six Feet Under, ewww

My friend's Cliff (drums), Waleed (guitar), Matt (bass), and Alex "Desecrator" Gomez (guitar + vocals) local brand of extreme metal sure to singe the eyebrows off every face who dares to step too close, IncendianT are getting better, louder, and tighter sounding with each show they play. Tonight will certainly be no exception as they luckily got hired on this bill at the last minute, due to Cattle Decapitation having dropped off.

Tonight, Friday September 29, 2006, Salt Lake City Utah, at the Ritz by Sugarhouse, is sure to be indisputably the sickest and best metal show put on all year long. And the best part? The Ritz doubles as a bowling alley. OH yeh baby, we're goan take the metalheads bowling, with pitchers of cold beers and increasingly reckless debauchery after every band.

Also playing: SIX FEET UNDER and one other band I can't remember the name, "Abysmal Something".

Poland's own DecapitateD, infamous purveyors of lightning-fast uberbrutalic technical deathmetal are here in Salt Lake City to flash their steel and take heads. This is the single most eagerly anticipated deathmetal band for me to see live. I am completely psyched for this. I intend to bring my 10" vinyl of their sick short album THE NEGATION to have signed.

South American deathmetal at its finest: Brazil's KrisiuN is guaranteed to proceed with an unholiest of thrashing twi-edged guitar attack, with razorloop wires of strung taut leads guaranteed to sever heads from moshing bodies and set depraved souls free of their mortal coils, musically speaking that is.

Killer Show Disrupted by Headliners:

But DECAPITATED put on one helluva mean, short set on Friday night, @The Ritz !

I was right up there headbangin' my mohawk w/the longhairs, Poland's DECAPITATED fit the bill as we nearly banged our heads clean off.

I got these pics of MARTIN, their bass player, check out the TOOL Lateralus T-shirt he was wearin' :

Martin was so sick on that bass, these pictures are actually perfectly focused. They were that fast.

Man, what a RIP them SIX FEET UNDER Tour Managers were. Fuckin' A-holes cut INCENDIANT off the bill at the *last minute* My buddies were onstage, right after the first (real shitty) band finished, gettin ready, Cliff's drumkit was all set up, and they get CUT *mimes slash across neck* And get this - the next band uses Cliff's drumkit. We were pretty pissed - esp Alex (guitar/vocal for Incendiant) who started screaming at the tour manager, whilst I casually strolled out through the 'artist' exit & stood right by, looking pissed & mean w/my one whited-out eye, mohawk, & HANK III/Goatwhore camo patch jacket & MorteM -T. The picture of renegade evil, lol. A few of us were shouting "INCENDIANT!" like we meant business. Unfortunately (we felt at the time), the riot never happened.

Out back in the parking lot, all the usual guilty parties in black were knocking back Scotch Whiskey, PBRs, Jaeger, you name it. I was shooting back shots of whiskey from I don't know how many different bottles. The Jaeger kept me focused.

Then Brazil's own infamous Krisiun went on - - they were pretty much the highlight of the show, matching Decapitated w/their own darker, more classic deathmetal riffs, between those 2 bands, the entire evening was a blazing success (despite the fiasco engendered by the greedy Six Feet Under crew).

Turns out: Six Feet Under wanted as big a cut of the pie as they could manage, as well as hoggin as much stage time as they could. And they suck, man. I mean, I wandered in there halfway thru their set, ya know -?- to check it out. Chris Barnes has dropped a few rungs down that ladder of underground fame he earned while fronting CC, I'm afraid. His grunts were not much more than demented gorilla spasms, and every once in a while, this horrendous "SCREEEEEEEEE, SCREEEEEEEEE" noize that sounded like a wounded fax-signal, although you couldn't tell how (or if) he did it - not terribly impressive - and back out front of the venue, we were all making fun of him for it. Miming that he was strangling himself from a noose made out of his own 3-ft long dreads, mincing that "SCREEEEEEE" sound, and we'd all chime in w/ludicrous "RuggaRuggaRugga" parodies. All joking aside the man is a legend on the scene so it just made it more wrong that he is scraping low w/Six Feet Under, who that night put on one of the worst dm shows I've seen. I know we all have off nights but c'mon.

2007-05-10T12:56:00.000-07:00

faun fables Sept 23, 2006, SLC

Well, the faun fables show @the Urban Lounge was tremendous (as expected), only this time, we got the real deal totally stripped down: ff are back in their original form: a 2 piece consisting of just dawn & nils.

amazing what just 2 acoustic guitars + 2 powerful vocals are capable of. Nils also reached for a gretch (or was it a gibson?) for a couple tunes, but mostly it was vocals + acoustic guitars, w/dawn's lovely beseeching & at times harmonically harrowing voice striking notes that reached back in time to ring clear & true bells of childhood memories, often lilting, sometimes savage, always graceful and hot enough to get blood boiling.

Nils looking like Little Red Riding Hood & The Big Bad Wolf all rolled up into one, wore a distinctive man-dress and crooned out his resonant vocals w/a deep profundo command & theatricality.

When these 2 get going, the sparks start flying through the aether. Two songbirds elucidating fables for our pleasure from the depths of a dream realm. Marrying faded photographs from the past with bright tomorrows, electrifying the present and soothing sorrows.

They kept us riveted for an hour and forty five minutes, until 1:30 am, and I, for one, never yawned once.

2007-05-10T10:40:00.000-07:00

Pearl Jam, Las Vegas July 6, 2006

first the setlist:

~They kicked it off with seventeen songs straight~
{I've bolded the songs that I was amazed or pleased to hear}

Inside Job
Corduroy
World Wide Suicide
Grievance
Given To Fly
Marker In The Sand
Faithfull
Even Flow
Gone
Daughter
Green Disease
Rats
Garden
Parachutes
State Of Love And Trust
Life Wasted
Do The Evolution

1st encore

Little Sister
Small Town
Betterman/Save It For Later
Black (w/a "Come Back" tag on the end!)
Alive (*a sight to behold*)

2nd encore

Go
Comatose
Fortunate Son
Porch (!;)

Pearl Jam Shows Las Vegas How Its Done

Yes they opened up w/Inside Job, which pleased me very much, and they also played parachutes, state of love and trust, world wide suicide, go, evenflow, and at one point, eddie said something about pulling one out of the vaults, and that his voice might be shaky on it, but it would be "all heart": that's when they launched into given to fly! dude song after song was lobbed up, and knocked out the park. it was sick.

I was counting each & every song on my fingers. The first set was comprised of 17 songs. Then they came back w/an encore of 4 or 5 more (kicked off w/an Elvis cover, of course). And then 4 more after that (including a rousing & pertinent CCR cover of "Fortunate Son"). It was like, 26 songs in all. The band was relentless. Our seats were very close to stage left (just to the left of it). We had a really good view of STone Gossard, then Eddie, and matt Cameron on his kit, w/Mike McCready over on stage right. He strutted all across the stage in his bleached white rooster -do hair cut, I was like "take it down a notch, bitch". That's why stone gossard was hella cooler. He just remained calm and down to earth, w/short brown hair and worn jeans and a nice earth-toned t-shirt. You could learn somethin from stone, mike. settle down a bit. I think Matt cameron makes a stellar, solid drummer. Eddie just delivered the goods, song after song. Half way through I was amazed I'd never caught these guys before now - - fucking staple of american rock -- (awesome fucking killer rock might I add) - - and I could only shake my head that I was able- - and yes, lucky enough -- to catch em now in 2006 hot off the searing impetus from their smokin' self-titled -- before they possibly lose some steam in the upcoming years.

Yeah even Eddie joked about it - - and honestly, it didn't really seem like much of a joke - - about becoming a regular Vegas attraction. *wince* . . . I think in his refining maturity, he probably only cares about "getting the music out to the people, whoever the fuck makes it into the shows" . . . I honestly wouldn't be surprised to see PJ added to the roster of regular Vegas acts . . . hell, BLUE MAN GROUP does it and from what I hear, they put on an amazing performance.
*deadpan stare*

It was impossible for me to remember all those songs, in order, after the show. I was left straight up dazed & confused from it. During the show, I was cruisin along to each and every one - they sang porch which was awesome . . . and "faithfull" from YIELD, and Do The Evolution . . . along w/Given to Fly ... I was amazed & blissfull taking those tunes in.

One of the biggest delights was RATS. Hell yes. RATS. Of course they sang daughter. . . and we also got a strong dose of evenflow (of course). I remember towards the end - (one of the last 2 songs) . . . the pretty awesome spectacle of every motherfucker in the house pumping their fists in unison to ALIVE. (yeh that was the last song of the first encore set. before that was an Elvis cover) ALIVE was a moment to just lean back on your heels and straight -up marvel at. Did I mention they sang Go -? yeah well they did. Jeff Ament gone wicked off the hook, yo.

Man these guys have earned their fair spot up on top as the Number One, that's Numero Uno for you mexican rockers, and in case you're wondering, YES they played black, and also corduroy (towards the beginning), and also GARDEN. . . it was just a sharp, focused blur of hits sailing past these amazed ears, one after the other. You expect me to keep track of this shit, while my mind is reeling -? This is what you get. They hardly played anything from No Code- if they did I can't recall which. Smile? MOsquito? I don't know. I was too freaking retroflabulated w/all the awesomeness pouring out of these guys to really keep track or care.

There was no "immortality" or "tremor christ". . . but there was, maybe four tunes from the new one.

I'm still stunned here .. . nearly one week later. . . and mentally recovering from the impact . . . from the shock of finally getting to witness my long time rockin' heroes. In the wake of so many other awesome shows I've seen, my mind is still reeling. But the echoes of that pearl jam show are still ringing loud & clear in my head.

2007-05-10T10:34:00.000-07:00

SUPERSUCKERS Rock Salt Lake Yet Again

Well the 'Suckers put on their usual "Best Rock'n'Roll Show In The World" again last night, and they stayed true to their rep.

I'm about partied -out, what w/after the murder Junkies & HANK III a few days ago, and THUNDERFIST w/the Supersuckers last night. I'm glad Erik got me on the guest list . . . it seems I couldn't stay away from a Supersuckers show if I wanted to.

Towards the end of the show, I walk up to Chris (their devoted PR, email -fanclub /T-shirt stand manager) and asked him if he had any patches. He didn't. I was like, dude you gotta get Supersucker patches.

Then I spotted a T-shirt that he had half-covered, I could see it was black, w/a Sherrif's star that said "100 PROOF EVIL" in it. I thought that was badass. . . but when I asked him about it, he said "There's hardly any left; here, try this one instead".

But I wouldn't back down. (I suppose he may have been saving it for. . .I don't know, a more "established" Supersucker fan? One w/tits? Who knows. All I know is I wasn't about to leave w/out it. ) I could tell it was an "oldschool" 'Suckers shirt, and I've seen the band so many times, hung out w/em, I mean, sheeeyit, I'm the damned "ultimate" supersucker fan in Salt Lake, if you ask me! Eddie's always singin' "heavy heart" & dedicating it to me; I've bought all their stuff on vinyl practically.

Anyhow, he finally gave in and dug one up (presumably the last one). Here's what it looks like:

*is that sick or what*

Man I love my supersuckers T. Check out the visible thread across the collar & sleeves. Tight yo :D

2007-05-10T10:26:00.002-07:00

MOGWAI : ROCK ACTION INDEED

Here is a pretty poor picture I snapped of last night's official mogwai POSTER, which I fell in love with and purchased for $15 after the last of the resounding set's echoes had diminished into the air and the receptors of our baincells.

Well I can surreptitiously add mogwai to the top of the heap of post-rock acts (now that I've finally seen em live & in my face). Damn. Shasta was right on. Totally visceral, and eventually, achieving a sort of transcendence by attempting to induce latent epiliptic seizures in the audience, at show's end.

I like to think of mogwai now as mono meets the melvins. All kinds a rock action, for realz.

I did not know any of the songs by title. Only that they simultaneously (and by turns) lulled, startled, soothed, and scared the bejeezuz out of the audience, who mostly stood hypnotized by mogwai's incessant onslaught of amped up lullabies.

The poster I bought (pictured above) is a limited edition, fine print which deserves to be framed.

After last night's riveting mogwai set, I'm afraid Pelican and Mono will have to bring every last bit of strength & reserve to the table, if they're going to stand a chance at competing.

2007-05-10T10:26:00.001-07:00

DINOSAUR JR April 16, 2006 @the Depot, SLC

Good ol' J. Mascis, bringin the squealz 4 realz

Lou Barlowe, keepin it down & low

Murph rulin' his percussive turf

Dinosaur Jr rocked Salt Lake last night! J Mascis was all over that fretboard! Lou Barlowe was a Beast on the BAss! I can't remember the drummer's name but he pounded the skins all night long!

Their opening band "PRIESTESS" started out like just another run-o-the-mill "70's stoner rock" band, but by their set's close, had redeemed themselves super-heavily as a force to be reckoned with. That drummer was insane ! By set's end, I was impressed. Take a little White Stripes from the singer, and mix in a heavy dose of Motorhead w/some powerhouse riffin, and you got "Priestess", a pretty good opener I'll have to admit.

But Dinosaur brought on the old-school set, just as promised. A perfect way to end Easter.

I'm all set for Mascis's new stoner-doom project WITCH \m/

2007-05-09T14:13:00.000-07:00

Murder Junkiesw/HANK III

Turns out the Murder Junkies were G G Allin's infamous punk band. I did not know that. Well they're touring with good ol' HANK III, and they stopped in Salt Lake City - capitol of psychobilly hellraisin' & regular stop for every roots rockin' act in the USA since god knows when. You can be sure that when the REVEREND HORTON HEAT or my personal favorites THE SUPERSUCKERS from Seattle stop through this town - - every tattooed 50's greaser hellbilly freak comes out of the woodwork. And if you've been to any of these kinda shows here - be it Dave Alvin from THE BLASTERS or any one of over a dozen such dusty acts, you'd know just as well as I that Salt Lake City has got to be all these band's favorite stop.

G G Allin died 10 years ago, and it appears his self-destructive deathpunk band The Murder Junkies is on a celebrational, memorial tour right this very summer w/Hank III bringin home the whoop-ass while puttin the dick back in dixie. For any self-respecting fan of this kind of music - - and even the good old fashioned hard country spawned by Hank's grandpappy & many others (heroes cited: George Jones, David Allen Coe, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, the regular guilty parties) -- this is a show you simply cannot miss; always a guaranteed boot -scuffin good time w/plenty of rowdy drunks & hoe-down jammin'.

The Murder Junkies opened the evening with their crass, loud, and sneering, vulgar music. It was a hoot to stand back and watch the few rabble rousers shovin each other around in the pit. Shasta & I stood up close to the action and just watched. I enjoyed this band on the same level I enjoyed PIGMY LOVE CIRCUS (Tool's drummer Danny Carey's side-project) - a similar -themed band of pure balls-out aggression & testosterone -fueled macho posturing. Now that I think of it, Pigmy Love Circus would be a great combo w/the Murder Junkies.

HANK III

Hank's bassist was this cadaverous hellbilly punk that would have looked perfectly at home playin for Salt Lake's own THE PAGAN DEAD. He was a hoot. The whole time you could read his lips as he shouted unheard through the crankin music "Fuck you muthafuckas!" whilst slappin the hell out of his beaten ol' standup. The crowd responded by hurling plastic beer mugs & drinks up onto the stage, which only fueled his mock rage & kept things hoppin.

Here's Hank. Lemme tell ya - if you like old time hard country music, you should do yourself a favor and check him out. Lots of country -lovin' folk attend his shows, and leave right after the country set. Lucky for us, last night he really focused on that set, and musta played at least a solid hour of it. That was really all I was in the mood for - I've seen his punkmetal sets a few times, and well, I had to be here at work early this morning, and besides: I just can't get enuff of the new album "Straight To Hell", and was just dyin' to check that shit out live.

They played a rousin' rendition of everyone's favorite psychobilly anthem, Cash's "Cocaine Blues", I swear every one of these acts covers that song usually (I'll bet you a shot of whiskey THE SUPERSUCKERS will cover it the day after tomorrow, when they cruise through the Depot). The crowd went nuts during that song, and hell, most others in his set.

At one point during one of the faster country songs, the pit opened up for a real "country mosh", I had to point it out to Shasta cuz I just thought it was funnier'n hell.

Hank sang one of his granddaddy's songs, and also one of his Pa's. Some old classic Bocephus where the refrain says something like "You can kiss our ass", just another defiant country anthem that everyone in the damned place was lifting their beer mugs to while jostling one another in the crowd.

All in all, they cranked out one killer country tune after another, never lettin' down the pace (except for his slow ballad "Country Heroes", another shining moment of the evening as was to be expected).

We hung in there for the 2nd portion of his set, the "Hellbilly" part. It was short & sweet - I don't think they played more'n about 4 tunes on that one (maybe 5). By that time though, it was nearing midnight, and that was it. As much as I personally love the heavy ass punkmetal stuff, I figured it was time to go.

Before heading out though, I went over to the T-shirt stand, hoping there would be some Hank III patches. (I'm on this big patch kick right now) And lo & behold: not only did they have a small, oval "III" patch (perfect), but I couldn't believe my eyes at this one MASSIVE back-patch, at least 9 inches tall, featuring the Hank III logo amidst two wicked skulls, and a beautiful backdrop of ingrained spleef -images, we're talking the ultimate jacket-patch you ever laid eyes on ! It's safe to say I'm pretty much past my "T-shirt" phase, and am settling comfortably into my patch phase. ;b

So that was it - - I know that after the "Hellbilly" portion of his set, Hank came back for the third and final part: the straight-up punkmetal set, wherein anything /everything can happen, and all hell breaks loose. Maybe next time - - if only he'd come through on a Friday or Saturday night!

2007-05-09T13:51:00.000-07:00

HALLOWEEN 2005 IN SALT LAKE CITY w/THE PAGAN DEAD, MINDLOCK, & the OBLITERATE PLAGUE

Gold's Tittie Bar [*w/out titties*]

*I can't find the actual flyer AZELCRAZ made up for it. . . ah well, it will surely be a hot time in the old town tonight. I will reprise my role as BLACKMETAL CROW WARRIOR, wherein my face is made up with THE CROW makeup, only I've added KNOCKOUT CONTACT LENSES so my pupils are CROSSED-X's, my hair is done up in SILVER and GREEN METALLIC GLUE GEL, and I'm wearing COMBAT BRACERS and an AUSSIE OIL COAT, which lends me a certain element of FORBIDDING TOUGHNESS. I was dressed up like that on Saturday, patrolling Salt Lake City and DEFENDING IT FROM GOOD. As it turned out, no one was committing ANY GOOD DEEDS AT ALL, so I had NOTHING TO DO really but bike up and down the cold windy streets, scaring the occasional LOST MORMON.

My lips, of course, are dipped in the SCARLET ESSENCE OF BLOOD, and under my OIL COAT you could see the loathsome evil logo of IBEX THRONE, like a good blackmetal crow warrior should. Man its gunna be AWEsome tonight . . .

\m/ All Hallow's Eve \m/

Oh man, what a night. ThoRny descended into Salt Lake in his Blackmetal Crow outfit, on Saturday w/my poisonthorn sword I was a "Blackmetal Warrior" in Crow makeup, with a bloody smile and X's for pupils, but last night I lost the sword & became a mere "Evildoer": defending the city from good.

We get to Gold's Bar, and there were no titties! What a fuckin dive that place was. Then to make it worse, this dirty dishwater skank wouldn't get us a drink, I was trying to order the High Queen something appropriate, a Sex On The Beach or Vodka Tonic, and this dumb ass behind the counter didn't know how to make either. I'm all "Do you have vodka. Do you have tonic" and she's all "We're out of vodka" even as I'm looking directly at a sealed bottle of it behind her, and when I point that out, she gives me this dumb blonde shrug. Meanwhile she gives me a bottle of Bud, and I watch as this other guy is getting these Redbull & Vodka drinks, well right then & there I wrote this dumb bitch off, she's no use to me I can tell that much, so I wait until the one other (male) bartender looks at me, and I say "A pitcher of Bud and a Redbull & Vodka please" and he makes em up as quick & easy as can be. I give the dumb skank a cold stare

(remember, I look just about as evil as can be, with my bloodsmeared mouth, dogcollar and wicked Crow facepaint w/Crossed-out pupils), and then THE OBLITERATE PLAGUE finally get their instruments more or less ready for their unholy barrage of crushing sickness.

A couple of PA problems caused for some bumps at the beginning, but before too long, 3 or 4 songs into their set, THE OBLITERATE PLAGUE began to deliver the excruciating blastbeats and torturous wailing guitar solos from the bowels of Hell, and Alex Berserker is howling into the mic like a bull zombie on methedrine. I'm up front just warming up to the sickened death vibes, and the High Queen is sitting in the back not sure if this is her scene or not.

The Fun Hadn't Even Begun Yet

By the time The Obliterate Plague finished their set, the cold sterile vibe of this trashy tittyless dive had been thoroughly vanquished, and replaced with a more comfortable, easygoing vibe as more people began to show and the drinks began to flow.

Soon enough, Casey and Pat were settin up their PA and bass/guitar, while Jodi got her drum kit readied. Pat looked so necropunky in his black mohawk & psychobilly gear, I had made my way through the crowd having slapped skin with all my Horde friends, Sam and Jeff and Andy (drummer for Terra Noir), Lord Dying and Azelcraz (LD & Anthony of Ibex Throne), I was wearing my Ibex T with fake blood spattered all over it, a somewhat amusing irony, and there was Mike and his girlfriend Sarah dressed as a cavewoman, then I meandered over to the High Queen and said "Look, I know your friend didn't show, but The Pagan Dead haven't even gone on yet so we gotta give em a chance, then we can split and try to catch the last Trax", so she somewhat grudgingly came along, and we found a seat @ a decent table, and then came along Ricky the Gore Pig, he's one of my favorite metal buds and he's only 18, but his somewhat intimidating size (Ricky's a big boy) and long hair add a couple years to his otherwise babyfaced appearance (he gets into the bars all the time; sometimes gets kicked out, more often than not doesn't) and it turns out my man Ricky saved the day by keeping good company with the High Queen.

Now that she had her work friend replaced with the gracious presence of the Gore Pig, she immediately began having a good time and I kept bringing on the Redbull & Vodkas. We didn't really rip it up too overly much, but kept a nice buzz going when finally The Pagan Dead assembled in the tiny space by the front of the bar, and they began slowly stirring up a blackened cauldron of psycho-riffage, gradually building towards the inevitable climax wherein the groove got seriously kickin' and then all hell broke loose, a few of us up front began psychomoshin beers sloshin and blood was flingin off my smile and we were all just fist pumpin, drink slammin, shovin and dancin and havin' the best fuckin Halloween, titties be damned.

ParTyin w/the PAGAN DEAD

It's probably a GOOD thing there were no titties at the tittie bar, cuz I don't know if I want to see the kinda titties they be sportin there, shiiiiiiiiiiiiit. Might as well go to a fuckin museum and observe the egyptian mummies for all the good the skank ho's they've got around that place would do, Christ. I heard there was one old sag- bag who almost got it into her head to put on a show, but luckily some sensitive soul talked her out of it, bless his heart.

The last time we were at a club such as that, it was Burt's Tiki Lounge (Oct 1st, 2004), a date that has gone down in US Blackmetal History as a most successful outing of pure necro chaos as a bonafide riot broke out, that was when Pat got a beer bottle smashed upside his head from some punk in Endless Struggle (slc punk band), and then everyone went apeshit, by the time half the police force in Salt Lake showed up, Casey the 6-string strangler was being chased by these keystone cops who couldn't keep up, and the whole scene was outta control, Burt's was trashed with chairs busted everywhere, blood smeared all over the walls and floor, people slippin in it, bottles smashed over skulls, and soon enuff everyone making a run for it out into the night before getting rounded up by the paddywagons that started showing up.

I mention this historic moment of last year's because, well, as you can imagine not only did it set a sort of precedent, but I swear this Gold's bar was worse than Burt's and I remember feeling like I wanted personally to level that place to the ground from the lack of service and titties at the beginning. High Queen was w/me on that, we were ready for some ultraviolence but then I found out from Alex Berserker, that the owners of the place were their friends, so we had to just forget about the retarded vibes & get on w/havin some Halloween fun, which we all proceeded to do with total unadulterated debauchery.

THE MIDNIGHT HOUR

Well finally the clock tolled midnight and The Pagan Dead launched into their last song, I was discussing with the Queen our prospects for a ride out of there, the Trax having just shut down, when Sarah grabs me and says "C'mon! It's the last song" and literally shoves me into the front center pit, well that was all it took for me to start thrashin, there were maybe 5 or 6 of us up there, and suddenly all the Halloween pent up pseudo-violence blossomed out as it turned uglier and this one scary lookin bloodspattered bald devil monk dude was shovin harder, he was tryin to hold up his drink in one hand, and I guessed I shoved him back too hard cuz his drink went flyin, and he lost it right then and started swinging real punches out, they were bouncing off my bracers and my Aussie oilcoat added a slight degree of protection so I just fuckin braced it and leaned into him fists swingin, the rest of the guys started pickin up the pit violence, and next thing you know everyone's tryin to cause some damage, only Mike & I and our friends worked together to fuck up the other dudes we didn't know, but it was all in real fun, just a tad over the edge if you know what I mean, and finally after picking ourselves & each other up off the floor a few times, The Pagan Dead's set came crashing to a close and we were left standing there up front bludgeoned and blinking under the overhead lights.

Another fantastic and successful evening of crushing necro extreme music fury. Definitely one of the funnest halloween bashes I've been to in a blue moon. You cain't go wrong with THE PAGAN DEAD thrashin it for you on Halloween, lemme tell ya.

2007-05-09T13:48:00.000-07:00

OPETH October 17, 2005, SLC

Well OPETH graced our local tiny stage @ the lofi cafe in downtown salt lake and lemme tell ya, their presence is palpably electric, this was my 2nd time experiencing them live, and I'm very glad I had the opportunity to see them a couple years back, because I was able to discern the difference between their two performances.

first off, Mikael announced right off the bat that they had just performed a stellar show in Los Angeles the night before, and were forced to take certain pain relieving pills that very morning in order to . . . ahem, "recuperate" enough to make it to salt lake, so he ended that with the disclaimer "be ready for a half decent rock show", and all I can tell ya is, that when OPETH deliver a "half decent show", it is more powerful than 90% of your average band's Best Concentrated Effort.

The problems: Mikael's exquisite gilmouresque lead guitar playing was somewhat muffled under the piled up layers of crushing death rhythm guitar. YOu could hear it -- it just wasn't brought out to the forefront enough. The sound mixer was a fuckin idiot.

Martin Lopez' absence - - THis, of course, was a very sad & disappointing thing. Namely becasue Martin Lopez is one of my favorite drummers of all time, not to mention highly respected in the business. The man is a stellar showcase of amazing percussive abilities, certainly one of the cream of the crop in today's music business. And I DO mean "music business"; he is NOT merely to be relegated to the limited "deathmetal" category. He would make an accomplished jazz or anything else for that matter, percussionist. Just listen to their beautiful, 100%- metal/scream-free album DAMNATION to understand what a perfect drummer he is.

The guy they had replaced kept up with the band, however. And that is an accomplishment in itself. He may not have had the necessary sharp flourish of Lopez, but he kept the spine of the beast going, and I gotta hand it to him. A funny sidenote: when introducing the members of the band, Mikael said something like "And to show you that we're not very smart, we decided to replace Martin Lopez only with another drummer with the same name: ladies and gentleman, this is Martin on the drums", and everyone laughed.

Of course, MIkael's legendary "Balrog"-deathvocals were in tip top shape, making up for the lack of lead guitar tone. At a few points during the show, Mikael hilariously tried to give the audience "death vocal lessons", by letting out 4 or 5 different "death growls" and grunts and ululations, and the crowd would fire back their attempt at copying them, which made for some genuinely humorous moments. That man can sing. And he can scream. And he can growl like nobody's business. Personally, I think he's the best in the industry - - many would disagree, citing more "serious" deathvocalists, but c'mon, gimme a break - - most of those guys sound like constipated gorillas grunting over a ditch - - and more to the point, are nearly always 100% unintelligable. Not that anyone can catch everything Mikael growls out of the depths of his tremendous lungpower; but still, you can actually discern much of what he is roaring out, and not only that, but he actually hits the proper notes, lending an integral melodicism to the deathyells which truly underpins their music with a visceral force not found in any band I can think of (and I can think of a lot of similar deathvocal-themed bands).

This band is truly an epic, classic rock/death/metal band in every sense of the word. If there is such a thing as the perfect vehicle to serve as the beginner's "introduction" to deathmetal, OPETH would be just the thing. Their music alternates between absolutely beautiful acoustic classical guitar passages, lyrical vocals drenched in mournful, funereal passages, which sometimes turn on a dime into a stunning display over overpowering metal and blastbeats accompanied by a truly frightening vocal delivery from Mikael, and often as not merging back into a languid, eerie as moonlight and just as lucid segue into the darker corners of music's dreams.

Truly one of my favorite bands in existance today, I would not blink an eye nor hesitate to state that OPETH grace the same stage as any of the past greats you'd care to mention, be they BLACK SABBATH, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, or any other I've ever had the pleasure of worshipping. OPETH are truly THE seminal rock/metal outfit of the 21st century -- such aching beauty interlaced in between their crushing testaments, its no wonder I'm left breathless after a performance of theirs, regardless of the fact they may not have been in tip top shape.

As for a setlist. . . . . . I'm workin on it ! ! I was too involved soaking in their performance to bother with writing down the setlist. . . .and now my memory is too fuzzy for the details, I do know they closed with DEMON OF THE FALL, and everyone lost it and went nuts, I stayed out of the pits because I think its just silly, OPETH is far more of an intellectual / emotional band for me to go hoppin crazy like one more clueless fuckin asshole jock, they really are a headtrip for me, so I stood by the moshpit walls and shoved ass holes back in there, the dumbfucks.

The first song was . . . . . *straining to remember*. . . damnit, I can't remember. . . but here are some of the songs they played, in no particular order:

Ghost Of Perdition
The Baying Of The Hounds
Beneath The Mire
When (*one of the highlights, from 'My Arms, Your Hearse')
The Grand Conjuration
In My Time Of Need* --- *Amazing Singalong*, MIkael asked all of us up front, before beginning the song, that he wanted EVERYONE to sing along, and by god did we. For a couple of stanzas, Mikael just stood back & held out the mic to us, with a big smile plastered across his face. Another highlight of the evening.

The Leper Affinity - - *Awesome version* - - from Blackwater Park, one of my top opeths

The Moor - - -*HELL YES*, I almost forgot - - -they kicked this one out beautifully, from Still LIfe (of course) - - - *the other highlight of the evening*

all in all - - you just can't ever go wrong with a live set from opeth, no matter how hungover they are. If you're any kind of fan of progressive music - - - you absolutely MUST see these guys perform live. Even if you're not into the "crushing metal" aspect, I beseech thee to dismiss this triviality: for the members of Opeth are truly talented musicians, who know what they do. While the rest of the world either turns their backs or pays attention, the members of opeth are busily constructing one of the most impressive ouvres in heavy progressive music today. Their catalogue, as of this latest installment Ghost Reveries, catapults them directly onto center stage as living legends in our midst. Catch them while you can.

2007-05-09T13:46:00.001-07:00

COHEED & CAMBRIA w/dredg + blood bros

October, 2005, SLC

**** out of ****

~NIN venue was half empty.
~NIN was good, but somewhat lack~lustre (by contrast).
~Coheed & Cambria was SOLD OUT
~Coheed & Cambria was the funnest damn show I've been too in several many wicked moons, we were hoppin like mexican jumpin beans on a hot tamale plate, I was dancin with strangers moshin it up with all the geek kids the energy was out of this world Claudio stood up in front of everyone with his frizzed out Pharoah's Hairdo struttin like a Godling among spastic munchkins, at one point during "3 Evils" (my favorite!) I couldn't take it anymore so I launched myself off the shoulders of midgets & they carried me along the top of the crowd surfing it up while Claudio sang "...On the wrong way out, on the causeway to neverwhere. . . .ON the wrong way OUT, on the cause way to Never Way-He-Hair!", and by the time the entire crowd was chanting "PULL THE TRIGGER AND THE NIGHTMARE STOPS PULL THE TRIGGER AND THE NIGHTMARE STOPS PULL THE TRIGGER AND THE NIGHTMARE STOPS" I was crowdsurfed to the front and the world spun around me as the earth rotated on its axis and my feet dropped to the concrete floor in front of the stage & I raced as fast as my little feets would carry me back around to the side and plunged through the crowd in a hysterical fit of sheer hopping madness, the energy was sprayed in sweatin droplets flinging everywhere, and get this:

(I am not kidding here)

At the "NIN" show, my sensitive nostrils picked up mainly the scents of pot smoke, cigarettes, sweat, and cheap perfume. But at the Coheed show show (this is the god's honest truth) I smelled the musky underlying scent of hot teen pussy, it was rich in the air as every chick there squealed their little triumphs and the entire scene was lubricated for a mass pleasure riot. *Take that, Trent*, in any case I hadn't been to a show as energetic and straight-up orgasmic as the C&C show in quite awhile, so I'll tell you what, judge not until thine ears & eyes have heard & seen for them pretty-little-selves Coheed & Cambria live, cuz they are

-Rush
-Pink Floyd
-Led Zeppelin

all combined into one superamalgamated & hyperaccelerated starburst nova-shot explosion of sexually charged teen bravado, and also, the lyrics are good

also . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . fuckin' DREDG, daaaaaaaaamn, that was the best show yet, my 7th, they kicked it open with Ode To The Sun and they were ON I tell ya, Dino slappin them heavy sticks with his signature hi-liftin style, stick way UP, *SLAP*, stick way UP, *POW!*, stick way UP, *BLAP*, the rhythm churned respect was earned the world did turn in its orbit spinnin underneath our feet & we generated our own richter-scaled miniquake as dredg channeled their own eloquent storm for us under the cooling heat of a late fall evening by the salt lake with the breeze blowin in from east and our ears ringing true to the audial feast, and then towards the end of dredg's set I was up by the rail to the drummer's left and I swear by my right hand he saw me airdrumming like a freak & suddenly at the end of "The Canyon Behind Her" Dino *fliPPed* his sTick up directly at me & it sailed over my head & I instantly reacted with instinct & nearly did a back flip & dove for the floor in the general direction it went and there it was on the floor I saw someone's shadow looming over for it but I was quicker than Rikki Tikki Tavi & thoRny was ON IT, grabbed the stick by the middle as the other guy grabbed it by the very end, I tWistEd it out of his grip laffed in his face & held it up in triumph. Later I went out back and buried it in the sand like a good little doggie. That way I was able to be hands-free for the moshpits & the Coheed Euphoria soon to come.

By the way: The Blood Brothers are fuckin WHACK

I did mightily enjoy the blood bros set they've got twin lead singers not that they're related by blood one looked like chris robinson's stunted little bro' and the other one was blond with messy hair and Jagger moves that looked a little queer and while he sang out in a sharpshooter's crack with a vocal just like a spastic attack his skinny-assed runt brother with the short black hair would double over & SHRIEK like a raptor into the mic soundin like a howler monkey getting stabbed with hot darning needles they traded vocal licks in a woven tapestry of screams not a word was understood but the feeling registered in the crowd & the band kicked it PSYCHO fukkers like a home made tornado of disparate styles a mississippi delta danger blues infused with a high voltage jazz abuse on a hellbent time signature that twisted like a pack of tasmanian devils on the loose and just when you thought "THIS IS WHACK" and it couldn't get any more fucked, the music accelerated and lifted into a riot of tangled noize flowin into various styles all the while the singers losin' it this wasn't music this was an all out hyperaccelerated invasion of decency, a storm-the-normals psYcho-fusion of shrapnel induced cacophanic musical illusion shattering our perceptions and scattering them far and wide across the lost plateau of what was formerly known as "normal music" & now that we were exposed to the BLOOD BROS VIRUS there was no turning back their music's like CRACK once you get a hit you're addicted it don't matter if you LIKE it or not that shit is IN you now & you've got no choice but to go with the flow so I did and they proceeded to rape my ears and shriek into my soul and the echoes are still fading there we were violated and we liked it.

2007-05-09T13:45:00.001-07:00

NIN October, 2005, SLC

*** out of ****

I was stoned man. It was like. . . . chock fulla NIN songs. One after the other. They just kept em coming! I particularly enjoyed HEAD LIKE A HOLE (one of my alltime faves - man I can't wait for KORN to deliver their kover of it!), and that one which showed the video of all the baccili and swarming bacteria, and wildlife footage, where the song built and built . . . I don't even know the name of it! And "Terrible Lie" was fuckin awesome (I always think that song is "Tell The Lie!"

They hardly played AnYthing off The Fragile (which was kinda disappointing). . . but plenty off PHM and TDS, and even WISH from Broken (that was fuckin stellar) and one other song from that album. . . . I particularly enjoyed "Right Where It Belongs" and HURT (I think these exemplify where NIN hits me hardest: when they're at their most . . . reflective).

Every Day Is Exactly The Same sounded good. . . they closed with Starfuckers Inc (can't remember offhand if they did an encore after that...) And The Hand That Feeds sounded really tight, and loud . . . a good typical NIN footstomper "Will You BITE The Hand That FEEDS YOU, Will You Get Down On Your KNEES!" .. . Overall, a completely solid NIN performance, but I feel obligated to point out that on the scale established by 2000 FRAGILITY 2.0 TOUR --- If you give that one a 10 (which I most thoroughly do), I would ease back the dynamic rating of With_Teeth down to a more reasonable, easygoing 7 by comparison. The Fragile concert was simply a Tsunami of Sound & Vision that exceeded the most epic standards . . .it was virtually Flawless . . . a Totemic Avatar of subliminal fury merged with gargantuan, crumbling beauty . . . unlike any show I've ever seen actually . . . the 2 tours are as different as if they were provided by *2 entirely seperate bands*, really it's like day and night or something. . . .but I nonetheless enjoyed the hell out of the more "garage"-rock sounding simplicity & straightforwardness of this With Teeth tour.

2007-05-09T13:40:00.000-07:00

MASTODON

PELICAN

Well, The Red Sparowes + PELICAN certainly delivered, last night was the perfect recipe for post rock chillin, and those 2 bands who were originally intended to headline the evening, ended up deferring that slot to MASTODON, who came in late at the last minute, because of Ozzfest having cancelled. That turned out to be a brilliant move, cuz MASTODON ain't got nuthin on either the Sparowes or Pelican.

Essentially, since Ozzfest was cancelled less than a week ago (and was to happen last night), they added Mastodon to the Pelican lineup. I was concerned about the ambience of the Red Sparowes + Pelican combo being disrupted by Mastodon's sound, but such worries were misplaced once it became evident that the 2 stateside post-rock acts were allowing Mastodon to headline, which really did organize the evenings sonic atmospherics into a much more manageable program.

We stayed to hear out Mastodon's first song, despite not wanting to disrupt the absolutely impeccable note which Pelican and the Sparowes left off with. Sure enough, it only took 1 song from Mastodon to start muddying up the otherwise lucid waters stirred up by the former two bands. We left as the 1st Mastodon song came to a clumsy, crashing, vocal-grating close, and our minds were still marveling over the impressions left by the other 2 bands.

I managed to score the last PELICAN poster, a beautiful work of art reminescent of old school posters worthy of framing.

2007-05-09T13:38:00.001-07:00

dredg, July 26, 2005

Well dredg was a lot of fun, as usual. They were in top shape, despite Gavin's claim to the contrary (insofar as his vocals went). He said, at the beginning, that he wasn't up to par, and that he'd "redeem himself" the next time they came through town (which will be in October). However, if you ask anyone who heard the show last night, I'm sure they'd report that Gavin was in full swing, delivering a moving and powerful vocal performance, as he always does.

Dino broke a stick at one point, and later on in the set, when Gavin tried a hand at some percussion, he too broke a stick from the force of his savage drumming. It was that early song of theirs that gets all crunchy in the middle, where Gavin nearly destroys that dulcimer-like instrument. I have the worst time remembering the proper titles of dredg songs, I swear. But their music never fails to carry me away, as it always does for the whole crowd.

There was no moshing at dredg, this time. Oftentimes, there is, of course because dredg's music is powerful and intense. But though the intensity was not lessened in the least, if anything they amped it up some this time, nonetheless the crowd was way too internally tuned to the flow and ebb of their beautiful music to ruin it by thrashing about. Totally chill scene, and I got to hang out with the guys once again afterwards, had em sign my CD and exchanged pleasantries. I even told Mark & Gavin (their guitarist & vocalist, respectively) that they were my favorite new band of the 21st century - - and that the old honor went to PINK FLOYD, back in the 20th century. I think they were dutifully impressed by that.

2007-05-09T13:31:00.000-07:00

An Impromptu RUSH review, by thoRny

*June 30, 2004, USAna Amphitheater, SLC, UT*

Well RUSH did it: they rocked our collective world for 3 Hours and Twenty Minutes, as Geddy promised. Man what a killer show. I've seen em over a dozen times, but it's like the freshness never fades. They kicked off the show with an extensive "Oldschool Rush Medley", beginning with segments from each of their albums, starting off with Finding My Way from their debut, and seamlessly riffing through Anthem, Bastille Day, parts of A Farewell To Kings (including a kickass foray into Cygnus X-1), and weaving and winding all over their early terrain with wild rocking abandon, for like a good twenty minutes it seemed. Eventually this kickass medley segued into the beginning of The Spirit Of Radio, and finally Geddy began singing for the first time, delivering us avid pack of raving RUSH fans the first official entire full-length song of the set. Talk about an amazing, inspired beginning to what ended up becoming one of the best RUSH shows I ever saw.

For the next 3 hours RUSH rocked us so hard that nobody sat down during the first half of the show, NOBODY. An hour and a half we stood up, fist-pumping, gyrating, dancing about, and singing along at the top of our lungs most of the time. I wish I had written down the setlist but instead I was having a raving good time jamming along on air guitar with Alex, pounding the invisible skins before me with Neil, and singing along with everyone else as Geddy led us through RUSH's inspired lyrics - incidentally the most thoughtful lyrics, IMO, in rock'n'roll (thanks Neil). Halfway through their show, when they launched into Between The Wheels from Grace Under Pressure, I thought to myself "This is my high point of the show, right here", but then directly after that they played Mystic Rhythms from Power Windows, which blew me away even more, and then not long after that, they ripped out an explosive rendition of 2112, keeping the intro and Temples of Syrinx parts fully intact, and bridging the interludes after that to a rousing closer, which sequed into the entire jamathon we RUSH die-hards know as La Villa Strangiata, man halfway through that one I was all "This is the best part of the show!". But then they played Red Sector A and The Trees, both of which feature lyrics chillingly effective in the shadow of September Eleventh.

In short: There were so many "HIgh Points" and pivotal moments scattered throughout the show, that before too long it became evident (especially all throughout the second set) that THE ENTIRE CONCERT WAS A FREAKING HIGH POINT!!!

Geddy picked up an acoustic guitar and joined Alex for a thoughtful duet rendition of Resist, from T4E, and it really was a beautifully moving song, showcasing RUSH's ample songwriting, ballad skills. Then they immediately launched into that Yardbirds cover, with Neil jumping in on the kit (can't remember the name of the song). It was awesome. The RUSHness just kept goin' and goin'......there were some audience members (notably girlfriends of real RUSH fans) who were tiring out towards the end, and sitting down. You could just tell they were thinking "My Lord When Will This Ever End", and I had to laugh and shake my head at the poor weaklings who couldn't take THE ROCK UNT ROLLLLLLL! LOL

Of course Neil launched into one of his standard, awe-inducing, superhuman, quantum-rhythmic, plain GODLY drum soloes which lasted a good ten minutes or more, peaking into a hilarious "chopsticks" segue interpolating classic imagery onscreen of jazz-age drummers & flapper girls dancing hysterically. You had to have been there, leave it said the Neilster proved yet again that there is simply no one on the planet that can hold a candle to his superhuman percussive skills. Fucking mindblowing.

They finished their Godly Set with Limelight, and said Good Night. One of the coolest things Geddy said was something along the lines of "Hope to see you next time around", which confirmed the secret hopes of every true RUSH fan there: these old rockers ain't done with us yet.

2007-05-09T13:18:00.000-07:00

*Feb 7, 2005* Lo-Fi Cafe, SLC

BEHEMOTH were really on it. They were tighter than last year's show touring with SIX FEET UNDER and SKINLESS. Except for they played a longer set last year. So the only thing I could complain about was the brevity of last night's set; however, it was an assured attack from these old hands at dealing sonic death and darkness. Nergal has his moves down pat, he's a natural showman. Their drummer stayed at the borderline of being so fast his rolls were a crisp blur. They ended their 4 song set with the title-track from their latest album, DEMIGOD.

SUFFOCATION really outdid themselves. I've been listening to their reunion album SOULS TO DENY on vinyl, and I actually like it despite the fact it doesn't quite add up to the unique vibe they used to deal out in the old days. However, I really think it an accomplished piece of technical death dealing. And let me tell you: their live performances of these new songs was nothing short of lethal. Super chugged amped up death chords wrapped in shiny twisted barbed wire lead guitar soloes, all accompanied by Frank Mullen's deep bass vocal grunting, it was a visceral set. They played more oldschool stuff than new, actually, and they succeeded in opening up the most vicious pits of the night, by a long shot. I stayed along the inner wall, and shoved fuckers back in.

It was one helluva successful night of fury, darkness, and mayhem.

2007-05-09T13:14:00.000-07:00

Colonel Claypool's Bucket O' Bernie Brains

*live!* 10/21/04: The Velvet Room, Salt Lake City

The crowd was packed with sloshing beers and the stage was all set up and one lone individual (that may have been Ray Charles' long lost sibling) sat behind a Frankenstein keyboard, and with a flourish of his nimble digits produced a series of hollowed out trills that began spiralling & blossoming from the amps in building steppes of further intricasy until a satisfying apotheosis of resonance reached a deep plateau reverberating the columns and walls. Glasses of beer on various tables began slightly vibrating, expanding ripples like right outta Jurassic Park, and that's when I knew we were in for a Tyrannosaurus Rex of a funked-out rock show.

After this extended intro on the synthesizer (brought to the packed & chattering crowd by the Maestro Bernie Worrell), I thought to myself "Rick Wakeman, sit yer ass down", and Buckethead strode out on stage with his signature Kentucky Fried Chicken Bucket on his head and long black hair, he moved like a marionette and immediately began stencilling out sporadic, intricate digital bleeps from the strings of his electric guitar with a series of impossibly quick and mechanized riffs, at which point BRAIN took the seat behind his drumset cockpit and released bursts of syncopation on his tomtoms with effortless gestures of his wrists, and the Man of the Hour w/the Psychedelic Power took stage right and kicked off the night with an impossibly dextrous attack on his phat coiled strings and now, the Colonel and his Bucket O' Bernie Brains launched in Full Force from their stacks, peaking their crescendo so the crowd felt it in all the way in the back.

I had been anticipating PRAXIMUS, and that's just what we got--or maybe better yet, PRIMAX FUNKADELIC so it's a good thing we smoked because the carnival atmosphere funhouse of FUNK reached such heights of dizzying spunk there were no holds barred as the pits flat out erupted and all sense of complacency was suddenly disrupted.

I mean let's get real for a second here, we were a soul-slapped choir, witness to the power fusion melodynamics of Les Claypool, Buckethead, Brain, and the legendary Bernie Worrell, anyone with a quarter-brain shoulda known well the night would rival a party thrown by old Saint Nick in Hell.

Les had even stated in the paper that day that the set would be a freakshow directed by Tobe Hooper w/a soundtrack by Danny Elfman on a bad acid trip(!). Well it was more like a pulp hybrid musical as envisioned by George Lucas and Stanley Kubrick, as Buckethead riffed on Star Wars and Darth Vader themes elicited from his ceaseless noodling along with excerpts from 2001: A Space Odyssey and Willy Wonka, and at one point, Claypool came back out onstage in a monkey mask and played a slapstick parody of the Naked Ape on an upright homemade whammy-stick bass, bending that funk right in our face, slappin' out notes with the bow of a fiddle, sowin' wild oats in a psychedelic riddle with his goggles and safari hat Les taught us all a lesson that we will not forget, that the Colonel's newest outfit is the tightest fitted yet.

With Bernie on the synth-ivories worrying them so well laying down some wicked grooves to weave us in a spell while the Brain behind the battery syncopated rather well in fact he fired off percussive frills with such inventive fills the moshing started up again from the drum solo alone, and Claypool started rhythms that became so damn insane the crowd around me right up front became a hurricane of swirling spinning bodies in a spastic tribal dance with plastic beer mugs held on high and spilling on my pants and before I even knew it my brain was in a trance so there was really nothing to it but to just get out and prance amidst the mob, like a pack of jumping beans the FunK was so outrageous it shook the very beams and teleported everyone beyond their wildest dreams in a delirium quite contagious.

Let it never be said or led into your head that C2B3 is a novelty cuz they're the real deal instead & if you're thinking of going to this show but change your mind you deserve some serious whoopin' on that lazy ass behind, so best take my advice on this most serious matter: beg buy borrow or steal so you too can be a witness to this crew & their Mad Hatter.

2007-05-09T13:08:00.000-07:00

OCTOBER 1ST, 2004: BURT'S TIKI LOUNGE DESTROYED IN ALL OUT RIOT

Obliterate Plague, Beyond This Flesh, IBEX THRONE

Well, the suppurating DarkneSS & black power of evil was in full effect Friday October 1st @ Burt's Tiki Lounge - (1 of the Top 20 "dive bars" in America!) - my friends in THE OBLITERATE PLAGUE set the stage for chAos with an unrelenting set of pure focused mayhem, everyone got loosened up & drunk & ready to roar, then BEYOND THIS FLESH played and by that time the mosh up front was in full effect, beer bottles & all, and finally the night's pitch black headliners in IBEX THRONE took the stage and that's when the real chaos erupted: they began about 5 minutes before last call, so the bartender was all pissy and there was these punks from ENDLESS STRUGGLE in the bar who didn't like the looks of Lord Dying, one of Ibex's guitarists, nor his skinhead appearance or questionable tattoos, so suddenly the bartender is suckerpunching LD in the back of the neck, this kid from Endless Struggle smacks my friend Pat from the PAGAN DEAD upside the head with a beer bottle, and the riot was on! Everything went from fun drunken moshing to going-for-the-throat rage and chaos, as more people added to the clusterfuck and next thing you know, fights were breakin out left and right, a few of us got wise and headed out the door, and moments later the knot of rioters spilled out onto the sidewalk, I unlocked my bike just in the nick of time to avoid it getting flattened undert the wackoes, and suddenly 2 cops are there chasin' Casey also from PAGAN DEAD, who looks kinda like Danzig and he was sprintin ahead of these 2 rookies who didn't even know how to run right, they came straight at me and Casey ditches to the left leaving one cop skidding off and the other one takin a hard ass spill to the concrete -- his cellphone goes clattering away -- and then my friend Tony is facing off this other cop, right in his face threatening to split it wide open!, that cop was like a deer in the headlights -- Tony is one hard motherfucker -- and right then the cop who took the spill got up and started callin for backup, so more of us began headin outta there, I kinda swooped wide on my bike and stayed on the periphery just to make sure all my friends were accounted for and not getting their skulls cracked open. Meanwhile Ibex & Obliterate are haulin their amps & gear outta there, I pass by the front and look inside and there is broken glass, bottles, busted chairs, and blood all over the floor and walls -- the place was wrecked -- so I took off on my bicycle and headed over to Ibex's recording studio & met up with the guys in the band, helped em unload their gear, and we kept on drinkin and partying in their soundproofed studio until 4 in the mornin, at which point I caught a ride out to Midvale, where the rest of the blackmetal freaks and rockers were hangin, along with Pagan Pat who received homemade stitches from our own Vanessa, he was swearin to god that he was going to personally hunt down every last member of ENDLESS STRUGGLE and kill them the next day. Well Burt's had advertised kickin' off "October Madness" with Obliterate Plague + Ibex Throne, and a night of real black metal is precisely what they got, total destruction and anarchy, it was a freakin riot. Needless to say, that show has already gone down in history here as their greatest show yet, cross one more bar off the list where they can play, man there aren't that many bars left in this city! \m/

2007-05-09T13:06:00.001-07:00

EARLY AUGUST, 2004

Thylacine, Lord Beherit, OBLITERATE PLAGUE

Saw the destined-for-the-hall-of-fame Underground Death Metal show @ Burt's Tiki Lounge featuring Thylacine (locals I never heard of) + LORD BEHERIT (my friends LD, Azelcraz, Rocker, & Russell, most of em from Ibex Throne), and Headliners THE OBLITERATE PLAGUE, homegrown Cthulhuian Black Death Metal of Dessicating Infernal Blasphemic Hategrind. My friend Tony (of Anima Nera & Taught By Birds) played the scorching brimstone lead guitar, while Berzerker helmed the front mic + guitar, bringing down the house into a sadistic fury of wailing, screeching bedlam and drunken anarchy. Man was it ever the best -- we all got so freaKing drunk, I had to call in the next day. I'm telling you this show will live on in the Memory of Underground shows for Time Immemorial. Obliterate Plague did a razorsharp, pummeling cover of TORMENTED by the one & only SLAYER, and that nearly brought down the house right there. Fucking Sweet Evil Bliss.

2007-01-23T07:22:00.000-08:00

KORN LIVE MARCH 9, 1997, LEWISTON MAINE
review'd by shaun lawton, aka thoRngrub

KoRn's assault on us a coupla months ago hammerblasting thunkfuNk jitteRs SCREAMout lashing bitlip bursting poison foulsprayed blinding venom shrieKrending Catharsis Cacophany smashing your face to a brutal pulp with searing haTred generated in 1 Instant by David's sTep and Fieldy's siGnal UNcoiled on us like a VIPERSTRIKE between the eyes narrowed under bunched muscles Jaws locked-open neck-cordons tauT whiplashing kicks and violent fisthooks senselsess screaming buried in a slamming tidal wave of quick-shifTing current Walls of Sound, puncTuated w/Head & Munky's trade-off marks the Indelible Wind-Up jacK-in-the-boX-gone-HAYwire SQUeeKS!! and ominous slithering-into-dark-recesses of DOOMFUZZ static only to suddenly say to you YOU'RE FUCKED IN EVERY WAY was TESTIFIED by the UNANIMOUS bodyslamming in a Darkness That Seemed Real, you wanna know what's REAL? When I went to this, my 5th koRn show, the black curtains parted revealing stark strobelit hung bodies from the ceiling oh gawd KORN HAD HUNG THEMSELVES--!!!agrghkjh!! OH No stupidfukkers-had-enuff (wait it's just sex-dolls hung from nooses) then TWISt ReeT! and they lashed out sputtering bass thumping mass crowdhysterics Mosh-Hell erupts suddenly a LOST REALITY no way to fight my inner self esteem how low can i go-- after BLIND I worked my way over to the right side near the front stage and climbed up a few steps in the bleachers, to take a break and get an excellent view of the band and was able to closely watch each of the guys in their respective roles.

First there's FIELDY--w/his low-slung bass over wide cut jeans bustin' even lower, a twin-belled cap completed the effect of some kind of giant elf who can KICK YOUR ASS WITH HIS BASS. Then there was DAVID--not so much seen as FELT, a Cheshire-blur eXpertly one Beat ahead of the REst, then you guessed it JONATHAN-IN-YOUR-FACE ScarecRow dementia lookin like a RagDoll gettin shook up in a Wolf's Jaws or a gliTTerZombie hooked into a LiveWire or a Spaz-attacked Dreadnought locked-up FREAK lightning-bolted to a MAD Voltage, Psycho-Babble-Daddy goin' HAYWIRE ON THE MAINSTREAM; all the while grinnin' shadows loomin watching over Standing Guard MUNKY in his one-piece-jammies & brian HEAD sQUELCHin Fed-back spiKes they're tradin' off licks with their Pitchforks shiftin the music to a sKary STOP/ lashing w/PEG-dreads-head-bangin in UNISON three-fingered Anthem Chords ripped out in sonic stitchwork: these parodies of nursery rhymes were given a PROPER WORKOUT, as were we fukkers in the tumultuous piTs. Long Live Korn my favorite musicians. Their banner will unfurl over our cracked skies for a LONG time to come. HAIL KORN--WE LOVE YOU! ~Thorn Grub

2006-07-14T06:40:00.000-07:00

SleepyTime Guerilla Warfare Double Decker Birthday Bash

The donkey headed adversary of humanity threw a rollicking party. It was more like little red riding wolf run amok inside the garden, everyone invited, we took the bait hook and sinker, and drove all the way from Salt Lake City to San Francisco's sister town of Oak village, where Sleepytime Gorilla Museum heralded the headlining of two evenings at the Metro Opera house, Friday and Saturday July 7th and 8th, 2006. Let me tell you people it was sick. All the random and unusual guilty parties showed up.

On Friday the Stolen Babies opened first. Bass player six and a half feet tall, gaunt and skeletal with skin painted white, a blood streak running from his right temple, wearing a rather soiled wedding dress. Keyboardist tackled a 55 gallon drum barrel intermittently between plastic ivory soloes. Frontwoman a petite broken windup china doll w/harlequin face painted rose bud lips, bristling w/toxic energy as she attacked the mic while their guitarist wore an executioner's hood. I was amazed they were that good. A postpunk industrial garage goth attack. For a dollar you best believe I bought their patch.

In between the sets there was the one man band act of Bryan Kenny Fresno, acid casualty with a seventeen string guitar. He sang soulfully about chicks with dicks and a triumphant dog that he rescued from the streets from a cruel and thoughtless owner. The dog was actually there, and was trotted out on stage where the cute thang balanced atop a beach ball to the urgings and applause of the crowd. Perhaps Bryan Kenny Fresno's most moving ballad was his homage to Yngwie fucking Malmsteen, that's who. \m/ (Those who dared not throw the devil sign walked away from that show marked, I'm afraid) After his schtick, my overt enthusiasm drew his fleecing-crew straight through the crowd at me like filings to a magnet. The duck taped bucket was proffered; I was cornered. I obliged w/some spare paper currency.

Finally the Sleepytime Gorillas began assembling their stage. Nils wore a stylish red riding hood. His black leather bracers looked standard -issue anachronist. All of them had their teeth blacked out. They all wore the same uniform: a hand tailored pant suit w/suspenders and a big old flower on the chest.

I can't even begin to put into words what this band managed to deliver over the next two hours. Leave it said it was unlike any other musical group I'd ever seen. My personal description of what they sound like is best summed up by imagining what it would be like if Tom Waits and Bjork had an illegitimate spawnling who grew up to form a band heavily influenced by King Crimson. This only manages to scrape the tip of the iceberg, however. With an odd assortment of home-made instruments (such as the "Slide-piano log", the "Percussion Guitar", the "Electric Pancreas", along with autoharps, glockenspiels, toy pianos, and viking rowboats), the audience was in for a unique amalgamation of organically influenced musicianship unlike any conventional band's efforts ever witnessed.

Their bjorkian influence can be perceived in some of the strident vocals emitting from Carla Kihlstedt's impressive throat. When not lending her lovely pipes to a song, she is busy playing the violin or any other assorted bizarre instruments. During one song she played a "bass harmonica", this unwieldy contraption I had never seen before. I fondly recall one moment during Friday's performance, wherein the lights deemed to select her for a solo. She obliged by consistently fiddling a B -note, whilst Nils explained with a sideshow host's flourish that "the b -note is known to be the most healing of notes", and after a minute or so of that soothing manipulation, Carla announced brightly she was going to move on to a C ! The excitement was palpable. After a few "classically" inspired maneuvers of her bow, she winked & tricked us all by turning on a dime and DEconstrukcting the classical progression of her playing into a bizarre, fractally -cascading solo which ground into an inhumanly evertightening full stop, eliciting cheers from the crowd and leaving her breathless for a moment, while she recovered from the effort.

Sleepytime Gorilla Museum is certainly not for your ordinary music fan. But for those who enjoy a more extreme, or creative approach, it is a force to be reckoned with, and should be slated for viewing sometime in your future. They keep their thing entirely underground for now, eschewing commercialist tendencies in favor of a radical new approach which their website explains as being "Rock against Rock". Hailing from a bizarre family tree of related musical experiments such as the reknowned IDIOT FLESH (nonconformist musical freakshow from the Bay area for a decade prior to SGM, which Nils was a part of) and inkboat, to name a couple. Another branching of the Sleepytime Gorilla tree is Nils' side project faun fables, of which he is a supportive guitarist for Dawn "the faun" McCarthy. Faun fables is a wonderfully diverse and anachronistic endeavor whose name conjures precisely what they're all about: pastoral performance-based music with shades of a bygone era, instilled with Brechtian overtones and experimental techniques in presentation.

Sleepytime Gorilla Museum's music is definitely uncategorizable, as it ranges everywhere from lilting flutes to hellbent thrashadelic prog tendencies, all resting on a framework of conceptual artistry resonant with archaic yet still relevant philosophies reflected in the lyrics. Their front and center man Nils Frykdahl comes across like a daemonic Pan-possessed younger sibling of Tom Waits, with a powerful vocal style given to an odd assortment of range and textures. Halfway during their 2nd set on Saturday, Dawn the faun and this other lady carried a tray of cup cakes w/burning candles in them up onto stage right, during a particularly intense portion of Sleepytime's show. When the song finally crashed to a close, she led the crowd on a "Happy Birthday" singalong for Nils, upon which he accepted a proffered cupcake and announced he had just turned 40, and it was "time for a cup cake break". I'll tell you what, I managed to snag the last of them cupcakes, and it was so yummy; the frosting was still warm.

So did this motley crew of musicians manage to warm my heart. I even saw John Shirley in the crowd, just as he said he would be, and got to meet his son Julian there. There was a real sense of community that made us feel perfectly at home, despite the fact we had driven nearly a thousand miles from Salt Lake City for this event. Easily one of the most worthwhile long distance drives to a concert I've ever undertaken. Dawn told me faun fables should be performing a gig in Salt Lake around September, and that she was actually considering moving here! I did my best to encourage this idea by letting her know I'd recently come to see Salt Lake as a true "city of the future", since its expansive evolution from the advent of the Olympics four years ago.

SGM's Saturday set was very different from the previous night's effort. This made it extra worthwhile for us to have caught both shows. I would expect nothing less from such an eclectic assortment of musicians. Long live the Sleepy Gorilla people. Don't hesitate to spread the word.

2006-07-12T06:41:00.000-07:00

Syd, R.I.P.

In the last six days I have seen the following bands: sonic youth, pearl jam, sleepytime gorilla museum, the stolen babies, & ozric tentacles, among a few others. It all continued to gel (as it has been doing all along) last night when I rolled downtown just after ten at night on my bike through the stormy evening summer ambience. The pupils of my eyes resembled plus signs (one usually tilted into an X) that lent me a certain mollusk related look (thanks to the knockout contacts) and when I tried bargaining w/the cute ticket girl at the box office (because I had shown up late after the 2 opening bands) she finally reached over and handed me this one ticket (saying I could have it). I thanked her profusely and ventured into the venue feeling higher than a kite from her delta nine dreamy sweetness breathed in from the rippling summer airwaves.

Partially motivated by the recent news of Syd Barrett's demise, it was all I could do to keep the refrain from Shine On You Crazy Diamond out of my head. I arrived too late to catch Particle's homage cover of Set The Controls For The Heart Of The Sun. But when Ozric finally took the stage, their prototypical hippie jam healed all disparaties and disjointed thoughts with a soothing amalgamation of precisely processed keyboard tweakings from Zia, their lovely long brown haired star child of flowers. It turned out to be a starry struck evening of gyrating spot lights and pulsating rhythms that balanced out the feeling of loss left from the void previously occupied in this sector of the universe by one George "Syd" Barrett, the real Pink. As the Ozric Tentacles served up their psychedelic jam of homage to his particles now beaming from this universe to meet the speed of light itself on a journey freed from the grave chains of our second law of thermodynamics, folks caught up in this sonic exuberance danced and sweated away their cares in a communal frenzy of shared abandon. The Ozric Tentacles certainly set the controls for the heart of sun and carried us there by the time they were done. There was even a feeling we may have passed Syd's spirit by while we were all on the fly. It was a fitting celebration for his passing.