That’s right, it’s the time of the year that every music blogger/journalist/writer across the world starts compiling their best of lists, taking a look at the releases from the past year that made the most impact on them and the music world in general.

So without further ado, we present to you the Electric Phase 12 Days of Christmas Best of 2012 list. We’re going to pick one album for each month of 2012, the album we feel was the best released that month. And we’re going to do it until Christmas.

Here’s Day One – January.

LAMB OF GOD – “RESOLUTION”

Virginia-based metal masters Lamb of God dropped their seventh full-length offering “Resolution” on Jan. 24, 2012, setting the bar for metal releases for the whole year. The album debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard Top-200 chart and No. 1 on Billboard’s Rock Chart. The album sold 52,000 copies during it’s first week of release, showing that at least 52,000 people in this world still have good taste.

Don’t let the acoustic intro from the band’s first single “Ghost Walking” fool you, this album packs as ferocious a punch as you’ve come to expect from Lamb of God. Unlike many bands that struggle to progress musically, and still maintain their heaviness, Lamb of God have managed to meld in some progressive and more melodic elements without losing their edge.

Currently the band is on tour with In Flames and Hellyeah.

Lamb of God – “Ghost Walking”

Vying for the top spot with other nominees – Devils of Loudon, Faces Pale, After the Fallout and Plague Ships – Unhailoed outdistanced the second place winner at the show by 170 votes. The winner of the award was decided by Internet voting.

The band, features Auburn High School graduates, Jess Hudson, James Sumner and Dylan Bennett, as well as vocalist Jeremy Luddington  and bassist Gabe Wright.

The band recently released a new single “March of the Gnomes” available here.

For more information on the band visit their Facebook page.

Previous Auburn Reporter coverage of the band is viewable here.

Barren Earth will be among the opening bands on the bill bringing their potent mix of metal mayhem and melody. Although Barren Earth have only been a band for a couple of years and released their first full length offering “Curse of the Red River” this past March, the band features several former and current members of established bands such as Kreator, Amorphis, Follow The Sun and Moonsorrow.

Electric Phase got a chance to chat with Barren Earth guitarist Sami Yli-Sirniö (who is also in German thrash pioneers Kreator) this past week as the band struggled across the Midwest, battling a vicious winter storm that forced the cancellation of shows in Tulsa and Austin.

EP: You guys are from Finland, so you’re no strangers to this type of weather, right?

Sami Yli-Sirniö: Absolutely not, but our driver seems to be. And the roads are closed, so what can you do. It’s actually raining right now, but it’s below freezing so there is plenty of ice on the road. We hit a bad patch yesterday, and after eight miles the driver had to stop. So I woke up thinking I would be in Austin already, but we were only eight miles further than the last place. What the hell, though, guess we’ll just be having a couple of beers in the bus until we can get to Dallas.

EP: Is this your first tour of the United States?

Sami Yli-Sirniö: In the other bands I’ve been in for the past 10 years or so, we usually tour here after each album. But with Barren Earth, this is the first tour at all that we’re doing. We just did some festival shows in Europe and some club shows in Helsinki. So this is the first tour we ever did.

EP: How has the tour been so far?

Sami Yli-Sirniö: Orlando was great and then Atlanta was pretty good, but now we’ve run into this snow weather. Some of the roads have been closed and the shitty part is that we’ve had to cancel (shows in Tulsa and Austin were cancelled). We aren’t able to get to the shows in time so we’re just going to drive straight through to Dallas. But what can you do? Thinks like that happen. It still sucks though. But I think we’re going to make it to Seattle.

EP:Tell me about the formation of Barren Earth?

Sami Yli-Sirniö: A couple of years ago we had our first jams. I’ve known the bass player (Oppu Laine) who was in Amorphis all the way back to the 90s. Helsinki is a small city so when people have the intersest in the same music as you, you’re bound to meet up at a bar or at a gig or something. Couple of years ago I saw Oppu in a bar and he asked if I wanted to jam. So I did and by the time I left we already had some song ideas. So we decided that we should do a demo, the usual shit that everybody does when you start. And then there was an offer for a recording deal, kind of an accident, but with potential.

Yli-Sirniö added that the jam session expanded into an EP, “Our Twilight” which was released in Nov. 18, 2009 which was followed up by their debut album “Curse of the Red River” in March of 2010

EP:Barren Earth is pretty melodic, yet still heavy band. Maybe more melodic than other bands members have been a part of. Was this intentional, as a way to get your more melodic side out?

Sami Yli-Sirniö: The very first idea was to make aggressive prog-rock. But then when we got all the guys all together it was obvious it was going to be metal. When we first started recording the demo, there was no plan on what it was going to sound like. It was just five different people writing songs. It just came out metal, we didn’t have a master plan behind it.

EP:You hear about Swedish death metal and black metal from Norway. Is there a certain style inherent in Finland?

Sami Yli-Sirniö: There is Helsinki and then there is the rest of Finland. There are plenty of bands there. If you think of Scandanavia you think of black and death metal in Sweden and Norway, but in Finland there is no particular style that comes to your mind and fits the profile when you think of the country. There is a lot of variety of music that is coming from over there.

Presented by KISW 99.9 FM’s Metal Shop and headlined by Finntroll and Ensiferum, the show gets underway at 7:30 p.m. and also features Rotten Sound, Barren Earth, Deathmocracy and Phlegethon. Tickets for the all-ages show are $22 at the door. VIP tickets are also available and cost $55.

By all rights Dick Dale should be in the hospital.
With the possibility of renal failure hanging over his head, the side effects of his most recent fight with cancer, most people would think the 73-year-old “King of Surf Guitar” would just call it a day.
Those people don’t know shit about Dale.
Tomorrow night Dale will be doing what he does, what he’s done for the last half-century.
Rocking the house at Hell’s Kitchen in Tacoma, playing a split-set acoustic/electric live show with his 18-year-old son Jimmy Dale.

“They want me to go into the hospital and I told them I’d go in when I come back. I’ve got twenty clubs to fill, I’ll see you when I come back.”
Best known for his song “Miserlou” which was released in 1962, Dale pioneered the use of such guitar mainstays as reverb, percussive and staccato picking and the use of non-Western scales in his playing.
According to Dale, the genesis of his style came from trying to recreate the sounds he heard while surfing. Dale drew on the influence of his uncle, a Lebanese oud player, creating a primal music that struck a chord with the surfer crowd in the 1950s and 60s, as well as praise from musicians such as Jimi Hendrix.
Dale has toured consistently since his first album “Surfers’ Choice” was released in 1962, drawing multi-generational crowds.
Dale explained that it’s his influences, from nature to tribal music, that drive the creative process that makes the appeal of his music so broad.
“The reason we get such a range, I get kids from five, six, ten years old, is because a lot of musicians just play to the themselves,” Dale said. “They don’t play the way the average person counts. They count different.”
“The indigenous people, the natives, the indians, they always counted on the one,” he said. “Like the Zulu tribes. BOOM, chickabuka, chickabucka, chickabucka, BOOM, chickabuka, chickabucka, chickabucka. Like that. I play like Gene Krupa’s drums. On the one. I’m playing to the average person, I’m not trying to show off. It’s primal.”
And it’s been Dale’s ability to feed off that primal energy that has allowed him to keep touring through all these years.
“I always get tired of hearing people say, “I hate playing this song, or I hate playing here.” You’ve heard that right? I never get tired of playing any song. Because I do it different every night. I never play it the same way. I can’t understand why some guys talk like that. They just don’t want to play to the people or enjoy the show. Me I never get tired of it ever it’s brand new every night.”
Always a road warrior, Dale has also become a warrior of a different kind.
In 1967 Dale fought rectal cancer and won.
In 2008, however, he was again diagnosed with the Big C, this time a malignant tumor in his intestinal tract that required three hours of surgery to remove.
After care included several months of chemotherapy and radiation treatment.
“What happened was the radiation, I had to go every day Monday through Friday, and I had to get chemotherapy,” he said. “It just tore the shit out of me. I didn’t have drugs or booze in body. So I just had to go along with the pain. Well what happened was that for two years the radiation ate my colon and made fissures. They couldn’t find and didn’t know what it was.”
With holes in his colon leaking poison into his body, Dale’s kidney’s took the brunt of the attack.
“So I could go into renal failure,” he said. “My left kidney is shrunk to the size of a peach and doesn’t hold the urine. They want to go up and redo something with my prostrate.”
According to Dale, this round of dates, featuring his son, are promoting Fender’s new Jimmy Dale Signature Kingman SCE and Dick Dale Signature Malibu SCE acoustic/electric guitars both designed by their namesakes
“We’ve created a whole new thing where guitar players can play without getting a charley horse, or bad back from playing those eight inch wide acoustic guitars,” Dale said. “We’re promoting these guitars, the Jimmy Dale and Dick Dale. They’re only three-inches wide and they’ve got Fishman pickups in them, and a tuner. It’s made out of one wood also, so we’re saving trees. Usually they’re made out of two woods. But we’re cutting them out of all mahogany. The acoustic is electric, you plug them into the amp. You plug it into a Fender acoustic amp and we can play any time of music. You can play anything on them.”
With just a handful of dates left on the tour, Dale said the reaction has been gratifying.
“We’ve been doing great, it’s been incredible,” he said. “Jimmy’s been on stage with me, matching me note for note going nuts. It’s a whole different thing. I’ve got one part where I’m playing and the other where Jimmy is playing with me. It’s like being in a living room. They’ve been giving us standing ovations all through the show.”
Dick Dale and Jimmy Dale will play Hell’s Kitchen at 9 p.m. tomorrow, supported by The Fucking Eagles and Rat City Brass. The Gritty City Sirens Burlesque troupe will also be on hand and there will be a raffle to win a Fender Malibu guitar.
Tickets are $20 for the 21+ show and available at Rocket Records, at the Hell’s Kitchen door or online at ticketweb.com.

Stephen Pearcy, lead singer for 80s metal band Ratt will perform with 80s tribute band That 80s Show at 9:30 p.m. this Friday at Club Galaxy in the Muckleshoot Casino.
Pearcy will perform several of Ratt’s hits, including “Wanted Man,” “Round and Round”, “Slip of the Lip”, and more.
That 80s Show performs regularly at Club Galaxy on Friday nights, performing hits from the decade in character as Madonna, Slash, Billy Idol and Flock of Seagulls.
Admission to Club Galaxy is free.
For more information visit That 80s Show’s Web site here or the Muckleshoot Casino’s Web site here.

More information is available at www.hellskitchenonline.com.
For information on the band’s playing visit the following sites:
No Living Witness
Deathbed Confessions
Bloodhunger
Devils of Loudon
Martyr Machine

Chris Adler

Electric Phase: I gotta tell you this is the first time I’ve interviewed a musician before noon.

CA: (laughs) Well I’ve got a two-year-old baby daughter, you could have got me at 7 a.m. if you wanted to.

EP: Are you guys on break now?

CA: Yeah, we just got back from Mayhem. A week ago today (Aug. 15) was our last show. So I’m just at home playing Mr. Mom.

EP: So when do you guys go back on the road again?

CA: We’re here for a month and then we’re all of South America, headlining that. Then in November and December we’re doing New Zealand and Australia with Metallica.

EP: Awesome, you’ve got to be looking forward to that.

CA: Definitely, we spent the last entire year on the road with those guys, and I’m obviously very honored and flattered that they’d even ask us. Now we’ve become somewhat friendly with the guys and it’s really a good time.

EP: So how is it adjusting to getting a prolonged period of time off the road. Is that a hard adjustment for you?

CA: The month that we have off now is the longest time we’ve had in two years, since the beginning of the touring for the “Wrath” album. (released Feb. 23, 2009) So it’s been go, go, go. The adjustment has been a little rough coming home, because we all have families and it’s the opposite of being on the road where you hang and party every night and go to bed at 4 or 5 in the morning. Now I’m waking up at 4 or 5 every morning with my daughter. So, it’s kind of the opposite, but you get used to it pretty quick. You just have to curb some of those behaviors that make that 5 or 6 in the morning not feel so good.

EP: How was the Mayhem tour, typically you do the European festivals during the summer, why did you decide to do Mayhem this year?

CA: We had done OzzFest a couple of times and had a real good time with it. Mayhem came and offered us the spot on the main stage. Initially we were kind of hesitant because the bands that were surrounding us were not our style. I don’t have a problem with any of them but I’m not the biggest Korn fan. I’m not the biggest Five Finger Death Punch fan. I’m not the biggest Rob Zombie fan. And I wasn’t sure if our fans were going to appreciate us going on something like that. But they’ve got a really cool business model going with that. Tickets were only $25 and I figured for that, you’re going to see sixteen bands, something like that. And even if none of our fans showed up, you’re going to, probably for the first time, get in front of Korn or Rob Zombie’s audience. Those kids may have never seen a band as heavy as we are and we might be able to walk away stealing their audience, stealing the show for some of those kids who are just learning what heavy metal is all about. So that’s why we did it.

EP: So did you guys feel like your were successful at that? What was the reactions that you got after your shows?

CA: It was great. We kind of went on at twilight, so we didn’t have the big flames and pyro and dragons, or the big huge show. We just went out and did our songs. We just went out there, turned it up and did what we do. And I think that, in comparison with some of the other bands’ shows which were just full of that huge production stuff, I think we were a little bit more of an honest band. And I think that actually worked in our favor. It went really well for us.

EP: I saw you guys here in Auburn (Washington) and you were awesome. I think you were my favorite on the main stage. I’ll tell you what though, I’ve never seen more fire at a concert before in my life. And I was going to concerts in the 1980s.

CA: I know everything was on fire the entire time.

EP: It was unbelievable.

CA: And as a kid, I loved that. I’d be really impressed. But for me it comes down to the tunes. And that’s what we got.

EP: So what bands were you excited to be able to watch on the second stages? There were a lot of great acts out there?

CA: Definitely, and we’re friends with all of those guys we’ve been touring in the same circles for years and years. I’ve always been a fan of the band Chimaira. We’ve brought them on tour several times. More recently we’ve been bringing the band 3 Inches of Blood on tour with us. And catching up with the guys in Hatebreed is always good. There was one band over there called Winds of Plague that we’ve crossed bands with several times. I’ve become good friends with their drummer Art. It’s basically just like a big party, it’s great seeing all those bands.

EP: Although 3 Inches of Blood are actually from Vancouver, they play the clubs down here (Washington) all the time. It’s nice to see them starting to get a little bit of recognition.

CA: And they’re great dudes. Incredibly awesome senses of humor and really talented band as well. We always have fun with those guys.

EP: So tell me a little bit about South America, have you guys toured there before?

CA: No, this is our first time going. In a shocking turn of events all of the shows sold out more than two months in advance and we’re not playing small places. The average show size is 12,000 people. We’re excited to get down there and obviously, we should have gone sooner.

EP: Going back to Mayhem a little bit, how does an American festival crowd compare to maybe some of the shows you guys have done in Europe.

CA: Europe and America are actually pretty similar. But there are a lot of places around the world that you start to notice differences. Like, we just came back from doing a whole mess of shows in Asia where we played the Philippines and Singapore and actually did China, places where people don’t see a whole lot of rock and roll shows. And that’s where you get the people just going insane, because they don’t have it. Like New York City, there is a different show every night, so you kind of get spoiled and people show up lazy or whatever. But in these places kids live for it. In the Philippines we had 30,000 people show up because we were one of two concerts this year. And people were just going nuts, they couldn’t get enough of it. The place turns into a riot when you’re done with your 90 minute set. It’s a little more chaotic in places like that. I’m not complaining about places in Europe and the U.S., that’s obviously where we’ve done the best in the world, but kids there have seen a lot of shows so it’s not quite the same as going to some of the far off places. Our reaction is always good. Mayhem is a little weird, like OzzFest was as well, because it’s all seats. Bands like us we’ve kind of grown up in the more mosh pits and open area kinds of venues. I know our fans, being stuck in a seat is not our favorite thing. But I still think we pulled it off.

EP: You guys definitely did here. I was excited to see the Wall of Death. That was my big thing. I’d never seen it and everybody was all, ‘you’ve got to see the Wall of Death!’ That was awesome.

CA: They were doing some crazy stuff up on the lawn.

EP: You and Slayer are the only bands that I’ve actually seen with mosh pits on the lawn out here. So you guys are in good company.

CA: No doubt. We’ve spent about three years on the road with those guys, so maybe it’s rubbed off a little bit.

EP: So do you ever wake up and find yourself just kind of pinching yourself? I mean you’ve played India and the Philippines. That’s got to be kind of surreal.

CA: It is. Definitely is. I mean we never thought we’d play the bar down the street in Richmond, Virginia, never mind getting up to New York to play CBGB. We thought we were superheroes when we did that. Now that we’re really traveling the world and it’s really quite humbling to think our music has really gotten that far and that people care about what we do and want to see us. When we show up people are smiling. It’s really an amazing feeling. I try not to get too wrapped up in the actual success of the band or get too big of a head about it, or anything like that. But it’s very, very flattering to be able to travel the world and see the reaction when we show up in a place you can’t even pronounce.

EP: A lot of younger drummers put you up there with the greatest drummers in metal today, how comfortable are you with your spot in the pantheon of metal drummers?

CA: I’m comfortable with it. Not to say I don’t appreciate it, but it recently hit me over the past year. I’ve really started to notice it. I’ve noticed it before, but I didn’t really believe it. Maybe I didn’t want to accept that all these kids were being influenced by me. But I think over the past year it’s made itself just so unbelievably apparent, where it’s not just kids at the signings saying, ‘hey man you’re a good drummer.’ Now I’m getting teachers that are coming up to me asking me how to do something because all their students are asking them how to do it. It’s starting to sink in that this is real, that I’m really influencing people and my playing is changing metal a little bit. But I try not to think about it too much because I don’t want to jinx myself or put any undue pressure on myself. I just try to keep my work ethic together, keep practicing and step it up on the next record. That’s really all I can do.

EP: So who were the drummers that influenced you? Who made you want to play drums?

CA: The band that really set it off for me was Wrathchild America. At the time the drummer was Shannon Larkin. He’s gone on to do many different things. But that was the sound that I really wanted to get into and emulate on the drums. He was really able to take the drum kit and make it much more a part of the music. He wasn’t just the backbeat for the guitar player. He made the band, especially for the time, very progressive and pushed the boundaries of what drummers were doing at the time. So that was my big influence at the time.

EP: So do you remember what your first big concert was?

CA: First big concert? Growing up in the suburbs in Virginia, I’d gone to a lot of local metal shows with cover bands and stuff like that or small regional bands that would come through. But my first enormous show was at the Capitol Center in D.C. with Aerosmith. I’m trying to remember who opened, I think it might have been The Cult. And this was probably 1984, maybe on the “Done With Mirrors” tour. That was a good time. A lot of interesting smells that I came across at the time.

EP: We call it incense when we bring the kids to shows. So tell me a little bit about the box set (“Hourglass“)? Why did you guys decide to do such an elaborate release?

CA: I guess at this point the label was interested in doing some sort of a greatest hit thing. As a band we generally hate those things for two reasons. One, as a fan it sucks. When your favorite band that does that, it may not suck, but it’s like ‘why am I going to buy that, I already have all those songs.’ For the kind of fan who collects everything it just feels like a cash grab from the band or the label. So we didn’t want to do it for that reason. Second, we’re a metal band. We don’t have any fucking greatest hits. It’s just stupid to even think about. But we realized that we were right in the middle of the touring cycle. We’re kind of coming to the end of the tour and we’re going to bunker away for a year to write and record the next one. So there is going to be a time where there is really no Lamb of God out there. So we thought, what if we come up with something that was of value to both new fans we made off the Mayhem Fest, and to the older fans who could get something that was a little more unique than a greatest hits album. So we come up with these five different packages, the simplest one being just a couple of CDs that highlights some of the tunes that have done well for us in the live setting throughout our career. We thought that new fans that would be the one that the new fans would buy. So here is this new thing that has a little bit of everything, you can walk away with that and feel like you got something cool. Then you’ve got the super deluxe pack that comes with a guitar, a flag, the art book from artist Ken Adams – that has everything from our laminates, T-shirts, album covers, to the early sketches of everything – signed pictures, a USB in a cigarette pack with every single album. We really tried to find something that bands are doing and that was a unique piece to anyone who was a super collector, so that they could feel like they really had something special. On that one, it’s really made to order. When you order one it comes engraved in a coffin case that contains everything. We were just trying to come up with something that would bridge that gap between releases.

EP: After Australia and New Zealand, are you heading into the studio?

CA: That’s the plan. Actually we head into our little rehearsal den of sin and see what we can come up with. Mark (Morton) our guitar player has probably seven or eight tunes. And I know Willie (Adler) has three or four more. By the time we bang our heads around those, it will probably turn into five or six that are going to make the record and we’ll stick it out in there, sweat out a couple more and see if we can get an albums worth of stuff together. It’s going to be tough though, we’re not getting any younger and “Wrath” we really felt like was a special moment for the band. We kind of all walked away from the studio on the “Wrath” album feeling happy for the first time. We felt like we all nailed it and that we wouldn’t have done anything different. So we’ve kind of got this, it’s not really a mantra, but we all definitely agree that we don’t want to put out anything that we feel isn’t as good or better in some way than what we’ve previously done. So I think we’re going to step it up on this one I think. I don’t know, we’ll see what happens.

EP: Is Lamb of God a band you envision playing in for the rest of your life? How much longer do you think the band will go on?

CA: That’s funny, my wife asked me the same question when we got married in 2001. “New American Gospel” had just come out and we’d done a couple of tours, but it always felt like we were walking on egg shells, like ‘this can’t last.’ So she asked me the same question. I told, her ‘I love doing it, I hope it lasts for a while, but honestly maybe six months, who knows.’ And now it’s 10 years later and she’s still asking me the same question. I think there is going to be a point where we realize that we’re not able to keep up the pace and the momentum of what we’ve done in the past. And we don’t really want to tarnish the legacy of the band by putting out some watered down, ballad-filled crap album. So we’re going to be pretty honest with ourselves when it comes to that time. For the moment, I feel like “Wrath” is a really aggressive record at a time where people were expecting us to maybe lay back, let the money come in and do some commercial crap. We went the other way and I’d like to keep going that way. I feel like I’m even more capable after playing those songs and preparing for that album. I feel like I’m a better player and able to do more than I was 10 years ago. I’d love to keep it going. I think that if we see one of the guys slack off or not care we’re going to have to take inventory and see if we want to replace him or push on or something like that. But right now I think we’re still very much a team and I think we’re all dedicated to doing at least one more record together.

EP: Do you have any other side project stuff or anything else that you do besides Lamb of God?

CA: You were talking to me earlier about kids talking about me as a drummer. Right now I’m starting to write out every one of our songs in drum tab. So I’ll be able to get those drum teachers and stuff like that. So that’s taking up a lot of my extra time. Plus, as you know having a little kid, that is definitely a full-time job in itself. But if I can get the tab book done and keep practicing as much as I need to so I can keep up with these kids today, than I’m in pretty good shape. That’s pretty much all I have time for.

EP: So how is it touring with Metallica? Do you get to hang out?

CA: Oh yeah, they insist on it. They’re really great guys. They come into our dressing room every night, bring drinks or take us out to the bar or dinner. We have no choice. They’re really very friendly, really hospitable. Everyone of them. There is not a guy who is standoffish or weird or anything like that. They all hang out. Kirk (Hammett, lead guitarist of Metallica) has invited us – we’re doing this thing were we’re touring for two weeks, off for two weeks, touring for two weeks – he’s invited us to stay with him and go surfing (in Australia). We’ve really got to know them and it’s really been fun. I know I’ve seen their movies too and some of their albums aren’t necessarily my favorite, and it seems like this really dysfunctional thing. But they’ve fixed whatever it was. They’re really very positive guys who have their shit together and know what they want to do from here forward. It’s really inspiring to be around them, they’ve been doing it for so long. We were just talking about how long can you keep going. With an example like them, I guess we can keep doing it for a long time. They help keep us fresh when we’re around them.

Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland and bassist Robert DeLeo.

The Stone Temple Pilots proved that they are still alive and well and more than capable of putting on a kicka** live show this past Wednesday at the ShoWare Center in Kent.

The California-based band, which formed in 1986, broke up in 2003 and reformed in 2008, ripped through a 18-song set featuring several of the band’s hit singles, as well as selections of their latest self-titled studio album.

Initially the band was derided by critics when they released their first album “Core” in 1992 for sounding too much like Pearl Jam and other Seattle-based “Grunge” bands. Since then the band has been successful in distancing themselves from the criticism by releasing more nuanced albums in the 1990s and early 2000s which transcended the “Grunge” genre, a tradition that continues on the band’s latest offering.

In 2003 the band broke up when singer Scott Weiland left to join Velvet Revolver – featuring Guns N Roses alumni Slash, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum, as well as Wasted Youth guitarist Dave Kushner – which released two albums. During the band’s hiatus guitarist Dean DeLeo and bassist Robert DeLeo released an album with Filter singer Richard Patrick and drummer Ray Luzier under the moniker Army of Anyone. Drummer Eric Kretz filled his time running his studio and playing for Spiralarm

At the ShoWare the band roared through a crowd-pleasing version of Led Zeppelin’s “Dancing Days” as well as several STP classics “Interstate Love Song” off of 1994′s “Purple” and “Plush” from 1992′s “Core.

The band also heavily mined the material off  “Stone Temple Pilots” – their first studio album since 2001 – playing four songs, “Between The Lines”, “Hickory Dichotomy”, “Huckleberry Crumble” and “Cinnamon” from the new disc which was released in May of 2010.

The band closed with an encore of “Dead and Bloated” from “Core” and “Trippin’ on a Hole in a Paper Heart” from 1996′s “Tiny Music… Songs from the Vatican Gift Shop.”

The opening band for the show was TAB the Band from Duxbury, Mass., which featured Tony and Adrian Perry, sons of Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry, as well as Lou Jannetty and Ben Tileston.

Stone Temple Pilots Set List

Crackerman
Wicked Garden
Vasoline
Heaven & Hot Rods
Between the Lines
Hickory Dichotomy
Still Remains
Cinnamon
Big Empty
Dancing Days (Led Zeppelin cover)
Silvergun Superman
Plush
Interstate Love Song
Huckleberry Crumble
Down
Sex Type Thing

Encore:
Dead and Bloated
Trippin’ on a Hole in Paper Heart

Photo Courtesy of KatatoniaPhotos

Electric Phase: Are you guys going home now after this tour? I know you’re going to Australia later in November.

Photo Courtesy of Katatonia Photos

Anders Nyström: It’s no rest for the wicked here, we’re actually doing a one-week Scandinavian tour coming up. It is non-stop action here.

EP: So what are your impressions of the United States so far? Is this your first big tour over here?

AN: It’s the third tour we’ve been doing. The last tour was three years ago so it’s been awhile. But the impression is the same, it’s a crazy ride. No day is the same. It’s just interesting. Coming to a new city or coming to a new state, it’s like coming to a new country, basically every time. People are different, attitudes are different. The laws are different. It’s just an interesting ride and an adventure every day. But we’ve been having a blast, really. It’s been a real smooth and successful tour, I’ll probably look back on it as being one of my favorites.

EP: So what is the difference between crowds in Europe as opposed to the United States?

AN: I think the crowds in Europe are a little more like the music police. They’re more into  complaining about what you do wrong. Here, I’ve never experienced anything like that. People here seem to be really happy that you make the effort to come across the Atlantic and head over here and play for your fans. It’s very rewarding to see that we’re appreciated that much. When we hang out with people at the shows, they’re really into it, and they’re easy to talk to. People here are definitely not as reserved as people in Europe. That may have something to do with, in Europe everybody plays in their own band. It’s different as well, I really didn’t consider it country by country. It’s really city by city. Some of the cities here have a European feel as well and some of the European cities, the shows are really, really wild. So I’d have to say, when we went up to Canada, they were crazy about metal there. Totally crazy.

EP: They’ve got a great tradition of metal, plus they have really good beer so that helps.

AN: I can see that when were down in Arizona and coming from Texas. All those people were crazy about metal as well. So it’s different every where you go.

EP: You released the album “Night is the New Day” a while ago (Nov. 10, 2009 on Peaceville Records) how is that sitting with you now that you’ve kind of let it breath on the road?

AN: To me it feels like the album was released yesterday. It’s still so fresh, I’m still so proud of it. It sounds great. Obviously, we’re promoting the album right now so the most songs are off the new album. We’re still very caught up in the whole thing still. I think I still need another year to reflect on it, because right now I’m still caught up in the moment and enjoying it. I’m very proud of it.

“Forsaker” track one from “Night Is The New Day”

EP: So what’s the reaction to the people at the shows been? Do they like it, has it been all positive?

AN: It’s been, actually all positive, which hasn’t happened before. On past album we’ve always had a double sided thing to it. Some people just didn’t get into them. Which I appreciate them telling me, because I want an honest opinion, rather than asslicking things. So that’s cool, but on the new album, everybody has been working on it. It just proves that all the hardwork – it was three years in the making – it just paid off. I couldn’t be more happy with it.

EP: It’s a more melodic album, you guys have been progressing from the more black/death metal days. Do you have any fans who complain about the more melodic approach, or does everyone seem to be into that?

AN: That was years and years ago when that happened. We had a really rough time when we left the death and black and doom metal thing and went over to this contempary thing we’re doing now. We had a hard time with that transition. But it feels like all those people that were complaining back then, they’ve also moved past it. We’ve been able to finally drag them over to our side. Every night I see black metal people at our concerts that are really into our sound now. That just proves we’re doing something right here, we’re sticking by our identity and not following anything else, it’s like take it or leave it. And people seem to be taking it.

EP: What kind of brought about the more melodic approach, what was the genesis, what spurred that?

AN: I think it was just something, that’s where our target is at. We’re comfortable making dark, atmospheric and melodic music. That’s what Katatonia is about. That’s what we want to do. People always ask me what my influences are and I’m like it’s not really different from when we were  black metal and doom metal. It’s not really different. This is what we’re striving for. We’re very open to progression and we’re open minded people. This is where we’re going.

EP: What bands made you want to become a musician?

AN: Well, that would be the whole heavy metal movement in the 80s. That’s directly responsible for me even picking up the guitar. Judas Priest. Accept. Basically those two bands were my favorite back then, they made me want to pick up the guitar. From that it went on, thrash metal got me into the death metal thing. Paradise Lost was actually the band that was responsible for Katatonia being born. So I owe it to those bands, I guess.

EP: So how about non-metal influences. Which kinds of non-metal stuff do you listen to?

AN: There are a lot of singer-songwriter stuff that were into. Jeff Buckley is a favorite of ours. All of the ballads from him. He’s not around any more, but he was tremondous talent. I’ve never heard any one sing like him. He’s been a big influence on me. There are just so many good tunes. Basically, we’re not the type of people that sit and listen to radio all day. But if I hear a good tune, I will definitely not be shy to say it’s a good tune. Everything is influencing you, regardless of what genre you’re listening to. There is a lot of good music out there in every field, whether pop, rock, classical, whatever. We’re just trying to find something good and take some elements of that and incorporate that right back into Katatonia.

EP: What’s the last band or song you heard that just kind of blew your mind, that was awe inspiring for you?

AN: Let’s see, Porcupine Tree is a good band to mention here. They’re awesome, just an awesome band. I love them. Wow there is a lot. On the heavier side, I was super blown away by watching Behemoth live. You know Behemoth from Poland? They were one of the most craziest live acts I’ve ever seen. Such precision, such a fierce show. Aggessive. Brutal. I was blown away after watching them, I have to tell you.

EP: So soon you’ll be going to Australia and New Zealand for the No Sleep ’Til tour (a six-date festival featuring Megadeth, NOFX, Dropkick Murphys, Descendents, GWAR, Atreyu, Alkaline Trio, Suicide Silence and 3 Inches of Blood, among others).

AN: It’s a very varied bill. There is a lot of different music on that bill, so we’ll have to see how that goes. I don’t know if we really share an audience with any of those bands, so we’ll have to see how it goes.

EP: Anybody you’re excited to check out on that tour?

AN: I’m a fan of Megadeth, I have been since I was a teenager. Obviously they’re like a classic act. Other than that I’m not really into any of the other names on the bill. It’s just not my cup of tea. I’m opened minded though, so if I hear something good I’ll check it out. But I think it will be good fun.

EP: Have you guys been to Australia yet?

AN: Never this will be our first time. So we’re really excited to just go there.

Katatonia’s new album “Night Is The New Day” as well as their back catalog are available through Peaceville Records’ Web site.

Beginning tonight, and continuing through the weekend, the Auburn Avenue Theater will resound with the soulful country and sweet heartbreak of legendary singer Patsy Cline, as channeled by performer Cayman Ilika (pictured above).
Presented by Purple Phoenix Productions, “Patsy Cline … Anytime!” will feature Ilika backed by a five-piece band, performing such Cline classics as “Crazy”, “I Fall To Pieces”, “Walking After Midnight”, “Back In Baby’s Arms”, “Heartaches”, “Sweet Dreams” and “She’s Got You”.
Although Cline died in 1963 when her small plane crashed in the Tennessee woods, the legacy of her music has lived on.
“I think she’s so revered because she sings for the common people’s soul,” David Duvall, bandleader and producer of the show said. “I think it either makes you feel good or hurts so good that you can wallow through your own pain through it.”
The show, a two-hour set with 15-minute intermission, will be conducted at 8 p.m. tonight and tomorrow and 2:30 p.m. Sunday.
General admission is $20, students/seniors are $15 and groups of eight or more are $10 each. Tickets are available through www.brownpapertickets.com or at the door or by calling 206-799-6914.

Powerhouse Lynyrd Skynyrd tribute and classic rock cover band Whiskey River poured into the Muckleshoot Casino’s Club Galaxy on Sept. 11, bringing along a heaping helping of Southern Rock and several of Skynyrd’s finest tunes.

The band played two sets, the first a Skynyrd tribute featuring a taste of the Southern Rock progenitors finest tunes, including “That Smell,” “I Know a Little” and “Gimme Back My Bullets.” After a brief break the band returned for a set of classic rock mainstays, including tunes by Free, Rick Derringer, Boston and Foghat.

For more information visit the band’s Web site here.

By the way Sevendust killed it. Enjoy.

KISW 99.9 FM Pain In The Grass 2010, Aug. 28 at the White River Amphitheatre, Auburn, Wash.

On the next two tracks, “Heavy Lies The Crown” and “Bring It Down”, the band continues to bludgeon listeners with blast beats, crisp palm-muted guitar riffs and Bunton’s angry voice, before surrendering to their inner redneck on the ballad (yes, I said ballad) “Take Me Home.”
Here, The Showdown offer a mid-tempoed sludgy slab of Southern metal, as catchy and radio friendly as any of the crap currently infesting the air waves, but with a touch of much needed Southern soul.

After kicking back into the angry voice and aggression for the next five songs – “Blood In The Gears”, “Dogma Enthroned”, “No Escape”, “The Crooked Path” and “Graveyard Of Empires – The Showdown again downshift into “Diggin’ My Own Grave”, again a cut that wouldn’t be out of place any rock-oriented station in the country.

Lyrically the album is not a concept album in the strictest terms – the songs do not follow a logical story line – however, the theme of the album remains consistent throughout, with the common thread being the battle of the individual (presumably Christian individuals) versus the faceless, evil perpetuated by society on the whole.

This is best evidenced on “The Crooked Path”, where Bunton declares his desire to break free from societal expectations and norms and live life on his terms, pointing an angry finger and warning those who conform that a reckoning is coming.
“You’re not a man, you’re just a pawn
You may be free, but not for long
You may be black, you may be white
Under the heel you have no rights.”

On the song “Bring It Down” Bunton’s further refines his view that American society is on the wrong path, and that the individual needs to rise and take back the country.
“Our anthem, our prayer, our call to men of will
Abide not one injustice, strike down what makes us ill
Become the change and catalyze, breathe revolution’s air
Become the key and take it back, this world was never theirs”

Although written from a Christian point-of-view, the theme of man versus system is universal, and references to Christianity are unobtrusive, allowing non-Christians to also relate and find meaning in the lyrics.

All in all, “Blood In The Gears” doesn’t break a lot of new ground in the metal genre, either lyrically or musically, but passion, able musicianship and intelligent lyrics carry the album and make it worth listening to.
The band is currently on the road in the South and the Midwest, with the following shows scheduled:
8/27 – Chattanooga, TN – The Warehouse
8/28 – Nashville, TN – Rocketown
8/29 – Hammond, LA – Fuze @ BCM
9/02 – Douglasville, GA – The 7 Venue
9/03 – Charleston, SC – Oasis
9/04 – Jacksonville, FL – Murray Hill Theatre
9/05 – Augusta, GA – Sector 7 G
9/06 – Lynchburg, VA – Crosspoint Venue
9/07 – Johnson City, TN – The Hideaway
9/08 – Newark, OH – Refuel
9/09 – Indianapolis, IN – The Hoosier Dome
9/11 – Corbin, KY – Corbin Tech Center
9/12 – Danville, IL – The Edge

To purchase the album visit the iTunes store.

For more information on the band visit www.myspace.com/theshowdown or www.facebook.com/TheShowdown. Video footage is available here.
www.youtube.com/TheShowdownMetal

Slipknot guitarist Jim Root on stage at the White River Amphitheatre, Oct. 10. Photo by Shawn Skager

On Sept. 28, 2010 Slipknot will release their latest DVD “(sic)ness,” featuring 18 songs from the band’s June 13 Download Festival performance in the United Kingdom. Additionally the DVD will feature bonus features, including a 45-minute short film “Audible Visions of (sic)ness” by M. Shawn “Clown” Crahan (No. 6), capturing moments from the band’s “All Hope Is Gone” tour, four music videos from the band’s platinum selling “All Hope Is Gone” album and a behind the scenes look at the making of the band’s “Snuff” video.

The live footage from the Download Festival will include the following set list:
1. 742617000027
2. (sic)
3. Eyeless
4. Wait and Bleed
5. Get This
6. Before I Forget
7. Sulfur
8. The Blister Exists
9. Dead Memories
10. Left Behind
11. Disasterpiece
12. Vermilion
13. Everything Ends
14. Psychosocial
15. Duality
16. People=Shit
17. Surfacing
18. Spit it Out

For complete details visit the Roadrunner Records Web site here.

Originally wanted to post a blog about why Rush is perhaps the best live band in the world. Then I realized that all the people that get it, were at the band’s Aug. 7 White River Amphitheatre show and all the people that don’t or won’t get it, weren’t. Besides those that don’t already recognize the overpowering live prowess of the Canadian power trio, usually seem to have some deep seated reason they don’t like the band, (mommy issues, daddy issues, self loathing, hatred of all thing’s Canadian, fear of high pitched vocals, Peart-envy, etc.) So I decided to just post my pics from the “Time Machine” tour’s stop in Auburn, without a review of how totally awesome the show was. Sorry if you missed it, but here’s the set list from the 3-hour show, which included two sets and the band’s multi-platinum 1981 release “Moving Pictures” played in it’s entirety.

Spirit of the Radio;
Time Stand Still;
Presto;
Stick It Out;
Workin’ Them Angels;
Leave That Thing Alone;
Faithless;
BU2B;
Freewill;
Marathon; and
Subdivisions

Intermission

Tom Sawyer;
Red Barchetta;
YYZ;
Limelight;
The Camera Eye;
Witch Hunt;
Vital Signs;
Caravan;
Drum Solo;
Closer To The Heart;
2112 Part I: Overture;
2112 Part II: The Temples Of Syrinx; and
Far Cry

Encore
La Villa Strangiato; and
Working Man

Seems kind of like a money grab to me.

Maybe I’m still a little bitter about not being able to score a ticket to the Showbox show.

Maybe it’s because I want to hear some new stuff recorded in this century.

On the plus side, it’s coming out on vinyl. So that’s cool.

And it’s got a ton of pre-Superunkown stuff.

Like this.

Or this.

I could go on. Actually I think I will. How about this.

Cheers.

Murderdolls – Murderdolls Confirmed For Halloween Hootenanny Tour with Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper.

No Northwest dates announced yet, but Cooper and Zombie both played Kennewick in May on the Gruesome Twosome Tour. So here’s hoping for a Western Washington date.

Here’s the new video from the Murderdolls “My Dark Place Alone”

Doom Fest, featuring Witchburn, The Brothers of the Sonic Cloth, Crowned by Fire, Doomsower, Into the Storm, H.C. Mind, Roareth and F**K Knuckles (UK) kicks off at 11 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 1 at Seattle’s Magnuson Park (7400 Sand Point Way N.E.). The festival is scheduled to run until 7 p.m. that evening, and I can’t stress this enough, it’s free!

On the bill are Seattle-based Witchburn, who are on the verge of releasing their Jack Endino-produced full-length debut “This Is How We Slay Our Demons” in August. The band features all-female AC/DC cover band Hell’s Belles lead singer Jamie Nova, in addition to Mischa Kianne on guitar, Jacy Pecjham on guitar, Jessica Bos on bass and Dana Sims on drums. The sound is whiskey soaked, Sabbath-inspired, Southern metal. Check out a stream of the new album at their MySpace site.

Also on the bill is The Brothers of the Sonic Cloth, Seattle-legend Tad Doyle’s newest venture. Check out some samples of their work here at their site.

Here’s some links of the other bands on the bill, so you can familiarize yourself a little about what you’re in for. Nothing worse than not knowing any of the songs by the opening bands and headbanging out of synch.

Crowned by Fire.

H.C. Minds

Into the Storm

F**k Knuckles

Doomsower

Roareth

And if all this metal isn’t enough to keep you occupied for eight hours, the festival will also feature bellydancing by J9 Fierce and a freakshow by Noel Austin Pure Cirkus (warning some of the vids on the Pure Cirkus site are not safe for viewing at work).

For more information about the festival visit this site right here!

Sometimes good bands get lost in the shuffle.

This is the case with Squeeze, a UK band often filed away in the one-hit wonder from the 1980s file. This is a tragedy, because of two reasons.

First, the band actually charted six singles in the Billboard U.S. Mainstream Rock top 40 in the 1980s: “Tempted” (No. 8, 1981); “Black Coffee in Bed” (No. 26, 1982); “Annie Get Your Gun” (No. 40, 1982); “Hits of the Year” (No. 39, 1985); “Hourglass (No. 22, 1987); and “853-5937″ (No. 37, 1988). Additionally the band charted four more singles after Billboard instituted the U.S. Modern Rock charts in 1988: “If It’s Love” (No. 7, 1989); “Satisfied” (No. 3, 1991), “Crying In My Sleep” (No. 14, 1991; and “Everything In The World: (No. 9, 1993).

In my book that constitutes a career, rather than a 15 minute shot in the spotlight.

Secondly, the band just brings it live.  Although they haven’t recorded a album of new material since 1998, the catalog from their 13 studio albums provides more than enough quality material to make their Aug. 3 show at the Showbox Market a must see.

If you don’t believe me, check out this clip of the band performing “Tempted” from a show in New Jersey from 2007.

Or this performance of “Black Coffee In Bed” from a July 25 show in Denver, Colo.

Besides, it’s Tuesday night. What the hell else are you doing? There is nothing good on TV, trust me.

Squeeze plays the Showbox Market at 7 p.m., Aug. 3 with Ship as the opening act. The show is 21 and over and tickets are $35 in advance, $40 day of show.

For more information visit the Showbox at the Market Web site.

Set List courtesy of www.setlist.fm.
• The Wicker Man
• Ghost Of The Navigator
• Wrathchild
• El Dorado
• Paschendale
• The Reincarnation Of Benjamin Breeg
• These Colours Don’t Run
• Blood Brothers
• Wildest Dreams
• No More Lies
• Brave New World
• Fear Of The Dark
• Iron Maiden
Encore:
• The Number of the Beast
• Hallowed Be Thy Name
• Running Free

Iron Maiden “The Final Frontier” tour 2010, White River Amphitheatre.

Oh yeah Five Finger Death Punch also played, but you didn’t really miss anything unless lame covers of Bad Company songs are your thing. Really nice guys though, especially their bass player. Can’t say the same about their tour management or publicist though. Hatebreed should have been main stage opener.

Exhibit A, how not to play it.

Exhibit B, the original.

The COC III lineup, from left, Woody Weatherman, Mike Dean and Reed Mulllins.

Okay, those of you who equate Corrosion of Conformity with their sludged-out, southern-tinged, Pepper Keenan-influenced metal output of the past two-decades may be a little disappointed here, but the “Animosity”-era lineup of the band will be playing a show Aug. 12 at Neumo’s in Seattle as part of a 10-date mini-tour.

The tour will feature original C.O.C. members, guitarist Woody Weatherman, bassist/vocalist Mike Dean and drummer Reed Mullin, playing songs off the band’s two cross0ver punk/thrash albums “Animosity” and “Technocracy.” In addition the band is also promising to throw some new songs in the set.

C.O.C. formed in North Carolina in 1982 with Weatherman, Dean and Mullin releasing two albums, “Eye for an Eye” and “Animosity” and the “Technocracy” EP, before adding Pepper Keenan on guitar in 1987. In 1989 the band released the EP “Six Songs with Mike Singing.”

In 1991 the band released “Blind” with new singer Karl Agell, completing their migration to a more main stream thrash metal style. After Agell’s departure in 1993, Keenan assumed vocal duties for the band who released the albums “Deliverance” (1994), “Wiseblood” (1996), “America’s Volume Dealer” (2000) and “In the Arms of God” (2005). Currently the band is in the process of writing a new album for the four-piece version of C.O.C. and will begin recording when Keenan completes his current duties with metal supergroup Down.

“We’re doing this three-piece thing [and] planning a [full-length] record, doing the whole deal. I think later on we’re gonna venture back in and do the four-piece thing again with Pepper — that’s what everybody wants to do — but for now, for this year, we’re doing this three-piece deal,” Weatherman told Maximum Threshold Radio.

The “three-piece deal,” dubbed C.O.C. III, will release a new song on the Southern Lord Records 7-inch single “Your Tomorrow, Parts 1 & 2″ to coincide with the tour. The single will be released on 180 gram vinyl.

“Man, the new stuff we’re writing is pretty crazy. I’m not gonna say that it floats all the way back to the super-, super-old-school stuff, but it’s definitely heading in that direction,” Wetherman told Maximum Threshold.

“…we’re not going for the highly produced stuff this go-around,” he continued. “It’s pretty raw stuff — it’s a little along the faster side of what we do. But, I mean, it’s always C.O.C. — we don’t ever leave what we do — but we’re definitely living it up going back a little more old school on this deal. It’s fun. It’s fun to have Reed  back. ‘Cause, hell, he’s been gone for 10 years. He took a pretty good break, but he’s back on it now, man, and he’s just as sick as ever.”

The band will play Neumo’s in Seattle at 7 p.m. on Aug. 12 with Righteous Fool (featuring Mullins and Dean as well as guitarist Jason Browning, who plays for HR of Bad Brains’ solo band), GOATSNAKE, Black Breath and Eagle Twin. The show is 21+ and tickets are $20 plus service fees and are available at www.etix.com.

Corrosion of Conformity, “Hungry Child” from “Technocracy”

Righteous Fool cover “Green Manalishi” by Fleetwood Mac

GOATSNAKE, “Innocent”

Black Breath “Razor to Oblivion” live.

Eagle Twin “Crow Hymn” live.

Mastodon and Borat, from left Brann Dailor, Bill Kelliher, Borat, Troy Sanders and Brent Hinds.

Alice in Chains

Apparently Velvet Hammer Music and Management company has registered the Web site www.blackdiamondskye.com.
A trip to the site reveals a counter counting down to noon April 29, and a place to register for an e-mail update.
When you register and confirm, the Web site lists an address – 9014 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood, Calif. 90069 – home to Velvet Hammer, who manage Alice in Chains and Deftones.
Also, floating about is a YouTube video.

The video contains snippets of mashed up audio from all three bands, allegedly played backward.

Here’s the clip with the audio reversed, courtesy of LPfreak64.

Another clue is the name blackdiamondskye, a reference to each of the bands latest albums – Alice in Chains “Black Gives Way to Blue,” Deftones “Diamond Eyes” and Mastodon “Crack the Skye.”

Stay tuned and until noon tomorrow, here’s some Alice in Chains, Deftones and Mastodon to get you through the day!

Alice in Chains “Your Decision” from Jimmy Kimmel Live

Deftones “Diamond Eyes”

Mastodon “Oblivion”

This Friday tickets for a July 9 Tool show at General Motors Place in Vancouver, B.C. go on sale, according to toolband.com and Ticketmaster.

The band’s Web site announced the date, along with a July 7 show in Edmonton, yesterday evening.

The Web site also notes that more cities will be added, with some going on sale on May 8.

Tool’s last concert was Aug. 22, 2009 at the Epicenter Festival in Pomona, Calif. The band’s last show in the Puget Sound was Dec. 4, 2007 at the Everett Events Center.

The band is currently working on material for a new album.

Until then, here’s a little taste to keep you going until more dates are announced.

I didn’t think it would be appropriate for this day, the 28th anniversary of the death of former-Ozzy Osbourne lead guitarist Randy Rhoads, to go by without a little mention.

With all the hoopla currently surrounding the release of a new Jimi Hendrix album, “The Valleys of Neptune,” it’s easy to forget the impact that other guitarists have had on rock music. Hendrix may have revolutionized the way electric guitar was played in the late 1960s, but Rhoads took the Voodoo Chile’s influence even further, adding another ingredient to the prevalent blues-based hard rock formula – classical virtuosity. Simply put, without Hendrix hard rock would have been a very different thing, without much of the flavor that his colorful showmanship and blues-on-steroids music have added to subsequent generations of rockers. Without Rhoads, heavy metal would have also been very different, without much of the classically influenced flair he brought. I know there were others before him who brought their classical leanings, guitarists such as Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple, Uli Jon Roth of the Scorpions and Steve Howe of Yes, but Rhoads just seemed to hit on the right combination of technical playing with hook-laden radio friendly riffs.

In the early 1980s I was already firmly ensconced in the world of hard rock, with bands such as Bad Company, Thin Lizzy, Foreigner, Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin all earning a lot of spin time on my Emerson turntable. In sixth grade, however my world was rocked when I attended a school dance and the DJ played “Crazy Train” by Ozzy Osbourne. I was obviously familiar with Ozzy’s work with Black Sabbath, who at the time were considered the pinnacle of hard rock – or acid rock as it was sometimes labeled. But there was just something about Ozzy’s new band and the opening riff of that first single that combined with searing fast lead fills, and a hammer-on laden solo, peeled my eyebrows back. It wasn’t long before I set out to the local record store to pick up “Blizzard of Oz” the first Ozzy album.

At the time there were several bands (most notably in England where the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, including bands such as Iron Maiden, Saxon and Diamond Head were taking off) playing under the moniker of heavy metal. I had not heard any of them, so for me it was all about Ozzy. That first album set the template for me, and a large part of that was due to Rhoads’ playing on such songs as “I Don’t Know,” “Suicide Solution” and “Mr. Crowley.”

It wouldn’t be long before I would immerse myself fully into the English heavy metal bands, as well as the newest generation of American metal bands, such as Quiet Riot, Dokken, Ratt and Motley Crue, but “Blizzard of Ozz” lived on my turntable with no competition for weeks.

After “Blizzard” Ozzy and Rhoads again conspired to bring another groundbreaking album “Diary of a Madman.” That album took the original formula used on “Blizzard” and improved on it, with better songwriting evident on such classics as the title track, “You Can’t Kill Rock and Roll” and “Flying High Again.”

Sadly, by the time I was fully able to sink my teeth into “Diary” Rhoads was already gone.

On March 19, 1982 while on tour the Ozzy contingent stopped in Leesburg, Florida. Rhoads, along with tour seamstress and hairdresser Rachel Youngblood, and tour bus driver and pilot Andrew Aycock, climbed into a Beechcraft Bonanza F-35 light plane for a joy ride that turned tragic when the plane clipped the tour bus while buzzing it and spun out of control into a tree and then a house where it burst into flames. All three people in the plane were killed instantly.

I don’t remember where I was when I first heard about Rhoads dying. All I remember is being sad that their would be no more music coming from those nimble fingers when I heard about it. Except for a live album and some sub-par Quiet Riot albums that he played on before Ozzy, there is no cache of Rhoads material out there. Now, 28 years later, just like in the case of Hendrix I often wonder what kind of music Rhoads would be making nowadays. By most accounts, he was taking lessons with classical guitar teachers while on tour and plotting a future career as an acoustic classical guitarist. I like to think that had he made this move, he would eventually made his way back to metal.

For me, going back and listening to those first two Ozzy albums are like travelling in a time machine. I remember emotions, circumstances and people that were around me when I first heard them. I also remember going nuts trying to figure out just how the hell he was able to make that Gibson Les Paul run through a Marshall amp sound so much different than the 100s of other guitarists out there running the same rigs. I listen to those albums now and I’m amazed at how fresh they still sound, despite being nearly three decades old.

Rhoads influence can be heard all over the metal world however, on work from guitarists such as Slipknot’s Mick Thomsen, Dokken’s George Lynch, Children of Bodom’s Alexi Laiho and former Ozzy guitarist and Black Label Society leader Zakk Wylde. So although it was an all too brief moment, I’m glad that Rhoads was around long enough to make music that impacted my life and colored my taste in music forever. Tonight I raise my glass to toast Randy and so should you. Cheers.

Adam "Nergal" Durski on stage with Behemoth during the Mayhem Festival at the White River Amphitheatre. Photo by Shawn Skager

Think America is the only country with metal-hating religious whackos? Think again.
Adam “Nergal” Darski, lead singer of the Polish extreme metal band Behemoth (who played the White River Amphitheatre with the Mayhem Festival this past Summer), was charged by a Polish court on March 8 of defaming the Roman Catholic Chuch by ripping up a bible and calling the Christian sect “the most murderous cult on the planet” according to Polish news source gazetaprawna.pl.
The incident (see video below) happened during a concert in the Polish berg of Gdynia in September 2007. According to gazetaprawna.pl, Darski ripped the bible then threw the pieces into the crowd, who began to burn the fragments.

watch?v=Nrvv0HRKgqg

Darski, who plead not guilty to the charge, could face up to 2 years in a Polish prison for the offense. (I’m not sure if a Polish prison is as bad as a Turkish prison, but I’m pretty sure nobody wants to see the inside of one.)
Intially, Darski was sued by Ryszard Nowak of the All-Polish Committee for Defense Against Sects in 2008 for “promoting Satanism.” However, because Polish law states that at least two formal complaints must be lodged before a formal complaint is filed. Since then other complaints have been filed, according to gazetaprawna.pl. It is against the law in Poland to offend someone’s religious feelings.
During the initial trial, Darski told chartattack.com that “There are some organizations and institutions that think they have a right to judge what’s wrong and right. They tried to do something, they made attempts but they failed because they can’t really do much.
“They tried to bring me to court for tearing up the Bible on stage,” he continued. “They tried to stop the show, they sent out letters saying Behemoth is this and that, that we’re public enemy number one or that we’re dangerous. But it hardly has any effect, really. They actually do a lot of like, PR for us — it’s good promotion. But we really don’t need this kind of recognition. I don’t give a fuck. I want to be known for the music that I make.”
Nergal claimed during the first trial that what he does on stage is part of his artistic license.
In 2009 Behemoth bassist Tomasz “Orion” Wroblewski told Decibel magazine that the incident was a regular part of the Behemouth stage show.
“We’d been doing that for two years on tour before it happened in Poland,” he said. “So, we had discussed it many times before. A Behemoth show is a Behemoth show, and Behemoth fans are coming to a Behemoth show. Behemoth fans know what Behemoth is about, know what the lyrics are about, and know at least a little of the philosophy behind the band. So, it’s kind of surprising that there are people coming to the shows and feeling offended with what we do onstage. If such a person comes to a show, he comes with the purpose of being offended, I guess, and it shouldn’t be like that. We’re not offending any particular person. We’re just offending the religion that we’ve been raised in.”
So this reminds me of an old joke.
How many Pollacks does it take to bring a religious defamation lawsuit against a black metal band?
Two.

It’s video of metal guitarist Devin Townsend stripping down and playing an all-acoustic set at SoulFood in Redmond, Wash., on Feb. 27.

Townsend played songs from the Devin Townsend Project, including selections from “Ki” and “Addicted”, the first two albums in a four-album concept arc.

Video is courtesy of deadlyjrmint253.

For more songs visit http://www.youtube.com/user/deadlyjrmint253

Ron Walvatne, Tony McDougald, Jeff Welch and Sean VanDommelen rock a soldout house at the Liberty Theater in Puyallup. Photo by Shawn Skager

Pinning down the essence of VIII Days Clean is a bit of a conundrum.
For the past four-years the Tacoma-based hard rock band – including vocalist/guitarist Ron Walvatne, bassist Tony McDougald, drummer Jeff Welch and guitarist Sean VanDommelen albums and building a rabid following that skews heavy towards those in active drug and alcohol recovery. With all four members of the band in recovery from heroin, methamphetamine or alcohol, they are a natural fit for other addicts and alcoholics in recovery.
But the guys in VIII Days Clean are not interested in saving souls, being preachers or personal guides to the path of enlightenment. They have no interest in being role models. They’re happy to share their stories through their lyrics, but at the core the band is just four guys that found their way back to rock and roll after a lifetime of addiction and abuse. And now they just want to rock. And if you’re interested in coming along for the ride, then that’s just fine with them
“Just because we’re clean, you don’t have to be clean to enjoy us,” McDougald said. “There are all different kind of factions that come out. If we just focus on one part it becomes boring. Recovery is not boring.”
“We’re not a recovery band,” Welch added. “We’re just a band that is in recovery.”
That’s not to say that the band has nothing to say on the subject of drug abuse.
With decades of collective drug use among them, as well as the experiences that surround that lifestyle, it’s no surprise that those themes color the bands lyrics.
On their third album, “Angels of Nothing” the sense of despair and helplessness that often goes hand in hand with drug addiction plays heavily into the lyrics, producing a brooding, angry album, with hearty helping of introspection. Although the perils of addiction are prevalent, Walvatne, the bands lyricist, says he is wary of being pegged a one-trick pony or a goody two-shoes.
“That’s why we titled the new album ’Angels of Nothing,’” Walvatne said. “A lot of people come to the conclusion that we’re a church band. We wanted to let people know that yes, we’re clean and sober, but we’re not saints. We swear. We f**k. Premarital sex, all that stuff. We do all that like everybody else. The third song on the album is about suicide and drug addiction. It’s not talking about solutions, it’s about I’m going to go to Las Vegas and kill myself, drink myself to death. There is no recovery in that song.”
Although the song lyrics are dark and often angry, the band’s live shows are anything but. Live, VIII Days Clean are a celebration, for both fans and the band.
For the band, it’s the joy of still being able to perform in a music genre that is saturated with drugs and alcohol.
“I was reluctant to get involved in any kind of music,” said VanDommelen, who found his bottom while living on the streets battling a heroin habit.
“All of us have had serious bottoms,” Walvatne said. “I didn’t think I was going to be able to stay involved in the music industry. I lost all my gear to drug abuse and was completely out of the scene since 1997.”
Walvatne said it wasn’t until the band’s first show in 2006 at the Turning Point in Tacoma, a clean and sober venue, that he realized he could have a second shot at this.
Although the band often books shows at clean and sober venues, Walvatne said it’s often because of necessity rather than choice.
“We always wanted to play other places,” Walvatne said. “But it works like this, bars don’t get excited to book us when they find out we’re in recovery, because they assume our crowd is too. But it’s about half and half.”
Because of concerns about a lack of alcohol sales, usually a big part of the profit for clubs that serve alcohol, the band initially had trouble booking shows at bars and clubs.
“So we typically have to put on our own shows at clean and sober places,” Walvatne said. “But most of the bars that have booked us have asked us to come back.”
Currently the band is enjoying a high level of success.
They were recently voted as one of the “Best Local Band” finalists in King 5 TV’s Best of Washington contest. They also supported Spike and the Impalers, a popular local cover band, at the Experience Music Project Sky Chapel and played before a sold out crowd at rock-mecca Whiskey-A-Go-Go in Hollywood. VIII Days Clean also found themselves reeling of a string of victories in KISW’s 9 o’clock Cockfight – which features call in voters weighing on their favorite song – that resulted in their song “Open Up” being retired to the Cockfight Hall of Fame.
“All of our fans did that for us,” McDougal said. “They called in from as far away as Alaska and Portland.”
And although the band’s secret weapon may be word of mouth via the recovery grapevine, the bread and butter is always the music.
“If you’re up there playing lame ass music, people would not come back to see shows, Welch said.
“We’re not really here to be famous or be the next big things or be America’s sweethearts,” McDougald said. “The places fill up because people want to hear our music.”
Now the band is intent on one thing, according to Walvatne.
“We’re in it for world domination,” he laughed. “We want to break into new markets. We want to make sure that every single fan has a CD and shirt.”
And if, along the way, a couple of people find a message in the music, then good for them, Walvatne said.
“I guess the one message that we want to spread, is that anyone can achieve their dreams and have fun without drugs and alcohol,” he said. “They don’t have to get f**ked up to do it.”
VIII Days Clean will play The Senior Center in Ocean Shores at 7 p.m. March 12. Tickets are $10. The band will also be playing OxFest 2010 in Portland, Ore. on March 16 at the Hawthorne Theater. Tickets are $8.

“Angels of Nothing” is available at cdbaby.com and iTunes

For more information on the band visit their Web site.

Lead singer Ron Walvatne, drummer Jeff Welch and guitarist Sean VanDommelen perform at the release party for their third CD "Angels of Nothing" at the Liberty Theater in Puyallup. Photo by Shawn Skager

Arch Enemy

This Saturday the “Tyrants of Evil” tour will hit the Showbox at the Marketplace in Seattle, featuring headliner Arch Enemy along with support from thrash legends Exodus as well as Arsis and Mutiny Within.
The tour marks the first North American appearances for Swedish metal titans Arch Enemy in two years. The band, including Angela Gossow on vocals, Michael Amott and Christopher Amott on lead guitars, Sharlee D’Angelo on bass and Daniel Erlandsson on drums, are currently supporting their new album “The Root of All Evil.” The album features 13-tracks, all culled and re-recorded from the band’s first three albums, “Black Earth” (1996), “Stigmata” (1998) and “Burning Bridges” (1999). Originally, the albums were recorded with the bands first lineup, including former vocalist Johan Liiva, drummer Peter Wildoer and bassist Martin Bengtsson. “The Root of All Evil” features the band’s current female vocalist, Gossow, on such classics as “Beast of Man,” “The Immortal” and “Bridge of Destiny.”
Guitarist Michael Amott, who formerly played with grindcore pioneers Carcass in the 80s and 90s as well as Swedish death metal band Carnage, before forming Arch Enemy in 1996, took some time to talk with Electric Phase about the new album, the tour, playing with Exodus and the future of the music business.

Michael Amott

Electric Phase: Why did you decide to go back and record some of your old songs for “The Root of All Evil” album?
Michael Amott: “I think it was the fans that asked for it. We thought about it for few years and just didn’t get around to it. It really came from the fans.”

EP: How did you decide which songs to re-record?
Amott: “There were three albums that we had songs to choose from, it was kind of difficult to pick. We rehearsed all the songs off those three records, and we wanted to choose the songs that felt right, that felt like Arch Enemy 2010.”

EP: How much leeway did you give yourselves in reinterperting the songs? Did you come in and try to play them just like the originals?
Amott: “No. We’ve played most of these songs live throughout the years. These arrangements were versions closer to what we’ve been doing live, more than the original albums. The songs kind of mutate and morph; they change a little bit as you perform them live over the years. These versions are closer to that than the ones on the original album. They’re still fairly close. It’s not like you’re taking them into a jazz rock area. It’s still Arch Enemy.”

EP: How many of the songs are you playing live?
Amott: “It just depends on where we’re playing and what we’re doing that night.”

EP: So you guys don’t play the same setlist every night?
Amott: “We try to mix it up a little bit.”

EP: What has the reaction been like to the new songs?
Amott: “The old songs?”

EP: Well, the new/old songs?
Amott: “It’s been pretty good. I think they’re excited to be hearing those songs again live and on the re-recording.”

EP: You’re about halfway through the tour now. How’s the tour been?
Amott:“It’s been great, very successful. We’re having a great time with great bands.”

EP: Have you ever toured with Exodus before?
Amott:“Never, but we’ve been longtime fans. It’s great being out here with them.”

EP: Exodus is known for having a pretty good live show. How’s it been having them open for you?
Amott: “It’s great. That’s really what you want is a strong supporting band. One that’s going to try and kick your ass.”

EP: You wrap up the tour in February. What’s next for the band?
Amott: “We finish up then go back home to Europe. We’ve got dates in Europe for the rest of the year, I think, here and there. Festival shows and headlining shows. In between that we’re writing new music for a studio album and we’re hoping to get in the studio by the end of 2010 and get the album out in 2011.”

EP: Is there a difference between fans at your shows in the States as opposed to Europe?
Amott: “Not really, it’s kind of similar everywhere, really. We get a great reaction everywhere we go. I think there are small variations, but it’s not like a massive difference. I know everybody likes to hear that their country is the best, but we get a great reaction everywhere.”

EP: You just got back from NAMM (the International Music Products Association show) in LA?
Amott: “I was there for a few days and then flew out to the East Coast to start the shows with Arch Enemy.”

EP: I heard you got to play with Uli Jon Roth (influential former-Scorpion guitarist and Euro-metal founding father). How was that?
Amott: “It was pretty cool. It’s not something that happens every day, I guess. It was fun. We played a Scorpions’ song, “Dark Lady” from “In Trance.”

EP: Who were your influences growing up?
Amott: “Initially I got into punk and hardcore at first, like most of my friends. Before that it was bands like Thin Lizzy. Then I got into more heavy stuff like punk and hardcore. Then metal got heavier and faster and mutated into thrash and speed metal, and I got really into that. All of my influences were the pioneers of that movement, like Slayer, Metallica and Megadeth and those early bands. They were really influential.”

EP: A lot of people credit Carcass as being the first grindcore band. How do you react when people say that? Do you consider yourself the father of a movement?
Amott: “It’s very flattering to think that one has been a part of something that’s been influential. That’s great it’s flattering, but I don’t know how I react, you just do it. I just feel like the same person. I understand what its like to be a fan, basically. One doesn’t really consider one’s self to be a forefather. I leave that to other people to appreciate my work and to value that.”

EP: What are you listening to nowadays?
Amott: “I still like a lot of old stuff, I like to go back to the old stuff. I like finding out about the old stuff that I missed out on when I was a kid or going back and reconnecting with the some of the things that I listened to when I was growing up.”

EP: You guys are from Sweden and ThePirateBay.org (one of the largest Internet torrent sites, an international free market for file sharers looking to download music, movies, software and more) is from there. How do you feel about file sharing?
Amott: “There is no point in really getting mad about it. It’s just the reality of the music business right now. You just have to deal with it. I don’t really have much of an opinion about it, really. The whole music industry is pretty f**ked and dying.”

EP: What do you see as the future of the industry?
Amott: “I don’t know. With Arch Enemy, we’re in a good position. We don’t really rely too much on the system. We’re self managed. We own our own recordings. We don’t have an A&R guy or a manager. We don’t have anyone telling us what to do. We’re like our own little cottage industry. We do our own merchandise and everything. We have partners around the world that help us out that we work with. But all the decisions come from within the band. I guess you’ll see more of that as everything crumbles around us.”

EP: What’s that like? It’s got to be kind of weird watching all those music industry types running around scared?
Amott: “I’m just happy that I’m old enough that I’ve was a part of recording at fantastic studios and actually selling records. It was a great time. But I’m ready for the next chapter.”

Tickets for the “Tyrants of Evil” tour are still available at http://www.showboxonline.com/market/eventdetail.php?id=25007″

Metal heavyweights Arch Enemy will headline the “Tyrants of Evil” show Feb. 6 at the Showbox At The Market in Seattle, bringing thrash titans Exodus as well as Arsis and Mutiny Within, along for the ride.
The Swedish melodic death metal band – featuring lead singer Angela Gossow, lead guitarists Michael Amott and Christopher Amott, bassist Sharlee D’Angelo and drummer Dainel Erlandsson – is currently touring North America in support of their newest release “The Root of All Evil,” which was released in October on Century Media Records.
The album contains a selection of re-recorded tracks from the bands first three albums, “Black Earth” (1996), “Stigmata” (1998) and “Burning Bridges” (1999) all of which were orginally recorded with the band’s first lead singer Johan Liiva.
The album was recorded at different locations in Sweden and produced by Arch Enemy with Erlandsson and Rickard Bengtsson handling the engineering and Andy Sneap mixing and mastering the album.
According to Michael Amott the decision to re-record the songs was made in order to update the earlier compositions and present them with the new line-up, especially extreme-vocalist Gossow.
“I’m loving hearing these songs with a fresh new sound and performance, everyone in the band did a killer job on it,” Amott said. “The production and mix is crushing and heavy as hell – it really makes these old songs shine – it sounds like a brand new thing.
The band will be touring through February, and will return to Sweden after to start work on a new album.
“We’ve spent the last week rehearsing for the upcoming ‘Tyrants Of Evil’ North American tour, and the band is sounding nice and tight,” Amott said. .  “These will be our first U.S./Canada shows in almost two years and I’m thinking it’ll be a while before we come back – as we’re slowly getting into ‘writing new album mode’.  So if you are in the neighborhood, come on down!”
For more information on Arch Enemy and the “Tyrants of Evil” tour visit…
<A HREF=”www.archenemy.net”>www.archenemy.net</A>.
Tickets for the show are available <A HREF=”www.ticketmaster.com/event/0F004349BBE3480E?brand=showboxmarket>here.</A>

Track Listing
ARCH ENEMY – The Root Of All Evil (52:28)
1. The Root Of All Evil (Intro) (1:06)
2. Beast Of Man (3:45)
3. The Immortal (3:47)
4. Diva Satanica (3:48)
5. Demonic Science (5:24)
6. Bury Me An Angel (4:25)
7. Dead Inside (4:24)
8. Dark Insanity (3:25)
9. Pilgrim (4:50)
10. Demoniality (Instrumental) (1:40)
11. Transmigration Macabre (3:33)
12. Silverwing (4:22)
13. Bridge Of Destiny (7:53)
Note: The limited edition CD mediabook format will feature alternate cover colouring, an expanded booklet, 3 bonus live tracks and an exclusive “Pure Fucking Metal” patch!

Line-Up:
Angela Gossow – Vocals
Michael Amott – Lead Guitars
Christopher Amott – Lead Guitars
Sharlee D’Angelo – Bass
Daniel Erlandsson – Drums

Discography:
Black Earth CD/LP (1996)
Stigmata CD/LP (1998)
Burning Bridges CD/LP (1999)
Wages Of Sin CD/LP (2002)
Anthems Of Rebellion CD/LP (2003)
Dead Eyes See No Future MCD (2004)
Doomsday Machine CD/LP (2005)
Live Apocalypse 2DVD (2006)
Rise Of The Tyrant CD/LP (2007)
Tyrants Of The Rising Sun – Live In Japan DVD/2CD/2LP (2008)
The Root Of All Evil CD/LP (2009)

This week British D.J. John Morter and his Facebook campaign to push Rage Against the Machine’s 17-year-old single “Killing In the Name” into the United Kingdom’s No. 1 Christmas single slot claimed victory, outselling runner-up Joe McElderry’s single, “The Climb,” a cover of a Hannah Montana (Miley Cyrus) single. “Killing In the Name,” which was released in 1992, outsold McElderry – this year’s winner of “The X-Factor,” a show similiar to “American Idol” and produced by “Idol’s” Simon Cowell – roughly 500,000 to 450,000.

Rage Against the Machine’s victory breaks a four-year streak of “X-Factor” winners capturing the top single spot on Christmas.

Rage Against the Machine announced that proceeds from the single will be donated to the Shelter homelessness charity in the United Kingdom and added that they will play a free show sometime in 2010 in the UK to celebrate.

For more information visit the BBC here.

Here’s an interview with the band and an uncensored performance of “Killing In the Name Of” from the BBC. WARNING: Contains profanity.

Rage Against the Machine

Here’s  a link to McElderry’s single “The Climb.”

Five Finger Death Punch lead singer Ivan Moody exhorts the crowd during the band's opening set Nov. 2 at the Showbox SODO in Seattle

Here’s some pics from the Five Finger Death Punch, Shadows Fall, Otep and 2Cents show this past Monday, Nov. 2, at the Showbox SODO.

Normally, I’m a big fan of the SODO, with it’s ample bars, big floor and usually decent sound.

Shadows Fall lead singer Brian Fair is bathed in light at the band's opening gig for Five Finger Death Punch this past Monday at the Showbox SODO. The show was the last of Shadows Fall's current U.S. tour. The band, who is supporting their new album "Redemption" will tour Europe and Australia in the upcoming months.

This show however sounded a bit muddy for my taste, except for headliner 5FDP, who had a little crisper mix. The muddy sound really hindered my enjoyment of thrash metal giants Shadows Fall. One of the main draws of the Massachusetts band is the virtuosity of their lead guitarist, Jon Donais. Donais’ fretboard histrionics found themselves lost in the mix, as did OTEP’s sound.

OTEP lead singer Otep Shamaya performs the band's newest single, "Smash the Control Machine." No one was injured by the baseball bat.

A rowdy crowd and pure energy from the bands saved the day, making the show enjoyable, despite the sound.

The show marks just another stop in 5FDP’s 2009 headlining tour in support of their new album “War is the Answer” which sold 44,000 copies in it’s first week and debuted at No.7 on the Billboard charts. The album is 5FP’s second since the band formed in 2005 in LA.

After their debut album dropped in July of 2007, the band joined the KORN Family Values Tour, following up with supporting stints for KORN, Disturbed and Lamb of God. The band also toured on the inaugural Rockstar Mayhem Festival in 2008.

The band’s first album, “Way of the Fist” charted in the Billboard 200 and spawned two singles, “The Bleeding” and “Never Enough.”

“NEVER ENOUGH”

The new album’s first single is “Hard to See” which you can see here.

More information about Five Finger Death Punch is available at their Web site www.5fdp.com

Shadows Fall are touring in support of their new album “Retribution” and have released the single “Still I Rise.”

STILL I RISE

More information about Shadows Fall is available here.

OTEP, fronted by poet, artist and activist Otep Shamayan recently released “Smash The Control Machine” and a single of the same name.

“SMASH THE CONTROL MACHINE”

More information on OTEP is available here.

More information on 2Cents is available here.

Tickets for the all-ages show are $20 and available here.

Slipknot guitarist Jim Root on stage at the White River Amphitheatre, Oct. 10. Photo by Shawn Skager

More than a month ago 16,000 rabid Slipknot fans were denied their fix when the multi-platinum selling metal band was forced to cancel their scheduled appearance at KISW’s Pain in the Grass show.

After an unspecified illness suffered by drummer Joey Jordison forced the band to cancel their headlining slot, the band promised to return for a makeup show in the near future.

On Saturday, the nine members of Slipknot, including Jordison behind the kit, made good on their promise, headlining a three-band show at the White River Amphitheatre.

After whizbang opening slots by the Sabbath-influenced Seattle band Witchburn and Vancouver B.C. based headbangers 3 Inches of Blood, the Slipknot took the stage, ripping through a 12-song set with a two-song encore.

Slipknot drummer Joey Jordison. Photo by Shawn Skager

Setlist – courtesy of Setlist coutesy of www.opiumofthepeople.com, who also have some great video up of the show.

Sic

Eyeless

Wait and Bleed

Get This

Sulfur

Before I Forget

Disasterpiece

Dead Memories

The Blister Exists

Psychosocial

Duality

People=Shit

Encore

Surfacing

Spit It Out

Slipknot lead singer Corey Taylor.

Witchburn will be playing locally on Oct. 25 at Hell’s Kitchen in Tacoma. More information can be found at http://www.myspace.com/witchburn or http://www.myspace.com/hellskitchenvenue

Witchburn bassist Jessica Bos. Photo by Shawn Skager

3 Inches of Blood recently released a new album “Here Waits Thy Doom” and are touring the U.S. and Canada, including two shows on Dec. 11 at El Corazon in Seattle. More information on them is available at http://www.3inchesofblood.com/ or http://www.myspace.com/3iob

3 Inches of Blood guitarist Justin Hagberg. Photo by Shawn Skager

http://www.pearljam.com/video/making-backspacer

And if that’s not enough to supress the PJ jones, here’s a YouTube video YouTube video of the band perfoming one of their new songs, “Supersonic” at the O2 Arena in London. Here’s a link to the set list courtesy of Pearl Jam’s fanclub site tenclub.net
Pearl Jam will headline two Key Arena shows on Sept. 22 and 23.

Tickets can be refunded at the point of purchase. For more information visit www.livenation.com

Here is a video of the fall.

At 8 p.m. Aug. 8, Unhailoed will be playing a free 21-and-over show at Chihuahuas at 4202 N Auburn Way.
The band will also be playing Aug. 15 at Seafarer’s in Tacoma and Aug. 16 at El Corazon with H.M.P, Sword of Judgment, Rattlehead and Devastator.
For more information hit up Unhailoed at their Web page at www.myspace.com/unhailoed