Motorhead.

The epitome of greasy, smarmy, innuendo-laced biker metal.

I LOVE MOTORHEAD.

It’s a wonderful mix of noise and groove, with an organic, raw sound.

It’s not crazy like thrash, or angry like punk.  And you can call it metal, but it’s not metal like you think. It’s not loud or assaulting- but it can be if you want it to. It’s offensive to some, amusing to others, but altogether awesome- there’s no doubt to that.

Firstly, one of the things that makes Motorhead what it is- That amazing Rickenbacker Bass sound. Have you ever seen or played a Rickenbacker? $3000 of beautiful noise. And Lemmy Utilizes his bass. How so? CHORDS ON A BASS- man, think about it. We’ve seen Mortorhead live, and to keep the sound full in live shows, Lemmy Plays Chords. Awesomeness, right there.

That Rickenbacker bass has a sound all its own- a tone that cannot be reproduced by another other artificial means. You may get close, but there’s nor organic warmth. Those basses are SUPPOSED to sound that way. There’s a rattle deep in there that matches Lemmy’s organic smoker-growl. Every smoking vocalist wishes they had a rattle like that. EVERY SINGLE ONE. Dammit, I want a smoker’s growl like Lemmy’s. And I don’t smoke. 

And the driving drums- the backbone of Motorhead, thrumming like a well-tuned Harley, ready to jump out of park and straight into third. There’s the guitar too- it’s always an accent piece. Amazing riffage- definitely- but only seems to really shine when there’s a guitar solor. and That is fine with me. I don’t like guitar-dominant bands. I mean- its inevitrable that the guitar is always gonna be layered over the bass, but I can’t stand when Guitarists have free reign over what is played over the rhythm section, unless its an appropriate solo. Motorhead executes the Perfectly-timed Solo with ease.

 

Everyone loves Mortorhead-

They just don’t know it yet.

Play a few songs while out with the boys- sing along to “Ace of Spades”-  and someone will go- “This is awesome, who is this?” And you go “Motorhead.”

 And in my crazy fantasy metal-head world:

You give them a Motorhead shirt and say “Welcome to the club.”

And a tear comes to their eye and they never look back.

No more Disturbed or Daughtry for them-

it’s all BLS and Motorhead and Molly Hatchet from there on in.

 

 

Airheads perfectly explained how I feel about Lemmy Kilmeister.

 

Chazz: Who’d win in a wrestling match, Lemmy or God?
Chris Moore: Lemmy.
[Rex imitates a game show buzzer]
Chris Moore: … God?
Rex: Wrong, dickhead, trick question. Lemmy *IS* God.

 

That stature, that personality, that voice, that skill- Lemmy is a Rock God among Mortal Men.

In my books- Lemmy Cannot Die.

With all the booze and carcinogens and illegal substances floating around in his bloodstream, I think he’s the equivalent of Keith Richards. Only Keith Richards looks like he wishes he was dead already, and Lemmy looks like he’s gonna last until we evolve into another species.

And that species will Worship Lemmy.

Even when he DOES die… people will still associate Lemmy with what A Metal GOD should look and act like.

 

In my head, I see Lemmy like this…

A huge backstage party where all the big-name producers and artists are gossiping and gabbing… skanky rock groupies dripping off their arms and booze as far as the eye can see.

And Lemmy walks in, in his white go-go cowboy boots and the black-and-white western shirt, those moles commanding respect instead of jeers. He’s sporting those huge black glasses he wore in that Probot “Shake Your Blood” Video.

And people will catch him in their peripheral- do the classic double/triple take… and the room quiets to a murmur as people’s jaws drop open… they have been Graced by His Presence.

The Almighty Lemmy has Arrived.

The guys from Avenged Sevenfold will be completely fucking star-struck… mouths opening and closing like fish… as they drink in that greasy mess of dirty Englishman.

And he grabs a bottle of Johnnie Walker, and puts down half the bottle- ULP!  Like that. He slowly pulls off the glasses and with a scrolling look across the near quiet room- as he surveys his worshippers and his kingdom for the night- he nods ever-so-slightly as a sign of approval…  and the room returns to normal…  Lemmy takes a seat on the white leather sofa and just PRESIDES.

 

I can never say hello to Lemmy if I ever saw him.

He’s just too metal.

Too immortal.

I’ll feel as if I have to avert my eyes.

 

It’s weird to think that there’s a human that can do that.

But Lemmy is more than human now. And Motorhead is more than Music.

If there was a Metal Church, Lemmy and Ozzy and Bruce would be prophets, and “Ace of Spades” would be its “Amazing Grace”. Everyone would know the words and people would tear up upon hearing it.

Black Label Society.

Hooray! Another blog entry on the Metal that I love!

So… in case you didn’t read the title.. or the caption in the pic… or the logo on the vest, or didn’t recognize Zakk Wylde… I’m gonna write about Black Label Society.  I feel that it’s pretty good that I write about it now, considering he’s one of the most Patriotic metal frontmen I know of. I mean- dude goes on fuckin’ tirades at live shows about how much Amercia rocks. Not only that, but we were listening to him all 4th of July Weekend and it was like MAGIC when his guitar rendition of “America the Beautiful” came on as the neighbors began lighting shit on fire.

So…. oh yes. How did I come to learn about Black Label Society? Well, I have to say I learned about BLS at Ozzfest 2000. Back when they played two stages simultaneously at the Shoreline- Old Local metalhead can remember when you had to RUN from one stage to the other to watch your favorite bands, or you had to choose who to see.  BLS was the first band on the Big Stage, at about 11am. the only reason we watched it was cause we were already tired from running around and needed a few minutes to rest our feet.

I must say, we were pretty impressed with it. It was good damn music. There was a sound to it that was distinctly chuggy metal, but it had a groove to it- like southern rock. It was a unique blend that was pleasant to hear- the kind of sounds that make you take a few swigs of your contraband flasks and enjoy yourself despite the crowd, and look at one another with big smiles knowing that you’re hearing something GOOD.

Needless to say, “Ozzy’s Guitarist” impressed us.

Dude isn’t just a guitarist. He can sing and write and do lots of crap other than just mindlessly strum to songs already written a decade ago. I mean, for god’s sake OZZY chose him to Step in for Randy Rhoads… at 19. Dude has mad skills- more than most people can wrap their mind around. Seriously… I love Zakk Wylde’s 10 minute guitar solos. I don’t want to drag through a solo of an artist that only plays the notes ’cause he memorized them. But I’ll watch Zakk without an issue. 

Why? Becuase it’s a master at work. Like watching an artist create figures from a blank piece of paper; or a mechanic diagnose an engine just by hearing its idle. There’s an untouched, raw knowledge there that just sets loose on you- all this sound, all this skill- all at once. And you can’t even begin to wrap your brain around it unless you have a knowledge of music. For the initiated it’s just a wall of sound. Talk to a musician or a Guitarist, and you might be able to get it.

There’s all sorts of shit going on there- which of six strings string to pick with a shard of plastic less than a 1/4 of an inch apart from one another, which of you four availiable fingers goes on which fret and presses on the right string just the right way and at what time, what key you’re playing in and what keys will harmonize, and how to make that playing look less like a music recital and more like a performance by an artist that gets paid the big bucks to noodle on an instrument all day.

And that’s how you get fuckin’ famous for “Chicken Pickin’, friends.

But it’s not just about the guitar though. That big, hairy burly man up there can play a piano too. A fucking piano! I can’t play a fucking piano, and biker bro takes a seat and makes the thing sing like it’s got a soul of its own. And I think some of his best music comes from when he plays the piano. I know this video is kinda cheesy, but just listen to it, okay?

And see- that’s a man that’s mastered his art form.

I do have to say that he can improve his vocals. I’m not a huge fan of his mildly falsetto singing, but he’s doing the best he can with what God has given him. His lyrics are decent- he makes singable music and he rhymes and doesn’t fuck with timing, and his Chouruses are the kind you can shout along with a whole arena full of people and not feel like an idiot. So that’s nice.

But his quiet stuff is stellar. I can’t peg down a single album, since all of his work is just awesome. But if you’re gonna shoot for an ace of an album, go with Blessed Hellride . That’s a great album that blends his quiet work and mellow gloomy self-speculation with his greasy, rowdy sonic groove. The Loud stuff is for slamming the Jack with your bros… and the quiet stuff is for dragging a smoke and the eventual nostalgic misery that comes after drinking too many shots of Jack.

So- that’s what I have to say about that. Black Label Society is a masterful handling of metal sound blended with quiet musical skill. It’s an excellent example of what metal is and should be… and why it should be respected.

Rasputin’s…

The local record store. At least, it used to be. The real name of the place is Rasputin Music , but we always called it Rasputin’s. Independant of any corporations or record companies, they sold everything under the sun in the name of entertainment.

It was THE PLACE for picking up the newest music, or finding old and rare imports, videotapes and band shirts. I bought my First CD- The Misfits’ Legacy of Brutality- from a Rasputin’s. And you could find everything there. They were the forefront of the east bay music scene- up-and-coming musicians with Demos could even pay a small fee to have their demo cd’s listed among the ranks of big-name artists. They also allowed bands to perform and DJ’s to spin, and every night was a Genre night- Monday would be Punk night, Tuesday was Rap night… it was a great way to get introduced to new music.

Rasputin’s didn’t discriminate either. Unlike the local Hot Topic’s that would hire freaky-looking but freaky-nice people whew knew NOTHING about the products they sold, Rasputin’s hired strange looking people that KNEW about their products and loved sharing their knowledge. You could recognize the genre managers by their dress- the guy with the Burzum shirt manned the metal section, the girl with the pink hair and the lip ring knew all about Punk, the man with the dreads could educate you on reggae and the guy with the grill plate worshipped Mac Dre like a god. They wouldn’t talk shit or snub you, and everyone was treated the same- whether you were paying with Cash, trade-ins or pennies. They knew people needed their music and were happy to oblige.

And they weren’t elitist, either. I know a lot of people are when it comes to their music, but these guys were happy to talk you up, tell you of shows coming you might be interested in, reccommend new music. You could walk in and say ” You have the new Lamb of God?” and they’ll walk you to the metal section, all the while telling you about the best songs on the new album, bring up Burn the Priest, reccomend Chimaira to you to try, and then hand you the As the Palaces Burn.  They had listening stations that you could scan a CD barcode and listen to the entire album RIGHT THERE. Employees would review albums and post the reviews near albums- and they were reviews you respected becuase they weren’t from some uppity Critic- it was frrom FANS of the music to OTHER FANS.

Rudy and I used to drop $100 a visit buying new releases, or fleshing out our budding music collection. We’d dearch the racks for older out-of-print band shirts, buy up first-edition tapes (my Original “Hell-O” is my pride and joy!) and even scan for used DVD’s and videocassettes. The place was a haven for those short on cahs and needing a Movie fix- Cheaper than Blockbuster with a wide range of selection- from brand-new to ancient.

Now that I live out here in Podunk Land, my shopping choices are pretty limited. I can go to WalMart, Target or BestBuy. And those miserable selections carry a rock section SMALLER than the METAL section at Rasputin’s. It used to infuriate me that the stocked Danzig RIGHT NEXT to Dokken, if you could FIND a Danzig at a BestBuy. And Forget New Releases! I tried to find the new Testament, and their newest release was from 1994. They could get it for me in 2 weeks though. Shit, I could WALK to Streetlight in Santa Cruz, Buy it there FOR CHEAPER and get back home in two weeks. Why waste my time!? But even Stretlight is spotty sometimes- Why doesn’t ANYONE carry WASP anymore? I know Rasputin’s would. they’d have 13 copies, dammit! WHY MUST I SUFFER!?

So living out here has crippled the Music Collection. It’s hovering at about 1000 discs. And we’re no where near done. We may have slowed down, but we haven’t stopped. We’re still trying to transfer all the music to the iTunes and it’s taking FOREVER, adn we just don’t like owning MP3’s or ordering Online. It’s nicer to just walk in, spend a couple of hourse discovering yor own music at your own pace and manhandling the CD’s.

uhm. yeah. There.

i love you phil.

I don’t really love him. It’s this phrase Rudy says when I start on about the fucker and it makes me laugh and yet get really mad at the same time. See- that’s the magic of being a woman. Multiple emotions at the same fucking time. Not even I understand myself sometimes. Dig?

Anyway. Been meaning to write about this for a very long time, but hadn’t thought of the right format. I was originally going to create an “interview”, clipping actual responses from various interviews over the years into questions that I’d actually ask him. But that could get me into trouble. So a basic tribute post is probably the besy way to go.

If you’ve read enough of my stuff here, you might find it kind of weird that I’m writing about Pantera’s front man. Some of you might not. You new kids would go “Well, Pantera IS metal, so why would that be weird?” But there’s something about Pantera and me that you new kids need to know.

I don’t LIKE Pantera.  And shit, if you think THAT’S blasphemy, listen to this- It’s because I don’t like Dimebag Darrel’s guitar style. Yeah. I just can’t stand it. It’s too all-over-the-place. Far too dissonant and sometimes just too rucky-mucky for me to dig. I abhor his squealing-pig high notes. But I respect him, a whole hell of a lot. He did a good job making music- it just wasn’t for ME.

 BUT- There are a few choice Pantera songs that I like- “Drag the Waters” and “Goddamn Electric” top my list- but that’s mostly because they showcase Phil’s dynamic vocal range and his songwriting abilities. I mean- the dude can SING. He’s got that rattling smoker’s growl that adds a sense of warm, human chaos. Dude can hit the low notes, piece of cake- and then reach for the skies with a respectable male falsetto. Sure, some of his early stuff wasn’t exactly choice, but any musician can tell you there’s a breaking-in period when you join an already-active ensemble.

And you can’t blame Dimebag’s death on Phil. I know some people can, and will- but I think that’s dumb and a terrible thing to do to a man whose already got some issues. Dimebag was murdered by a jerk who couldn’t deal with the real world. It’s a damn shame the idiot had to take someone with him.

So- one of the main reasons I am writing is because I’ve been listening to a lot of Down- specifically the “II-Bustle in Your Hedgerow” album. That album always makes me think of summer- and it’s sure starting to feel like summer over here. So I put it on- and as always, am floored by the mastery of lyric and voice Phil commands. When I first heard it over 5 years ago, I went “NO FUCKIN’ WAY” when Rudy told me that was Phil. I didn’t know the guy had so much- whatever it is, anger, angst, emotion- in him.

“Stone the Crow” and “Stained Glass Cross” are some of my favorites, but I adore so much of Down’s Work that it’s hard to pick favorites. I’m also a big fan of the instrumentals, and even the quiet songs, like “Jail” and “Learn from This Mistake”. The latter song helped me actually wade through “The Red Incident”- a messy time in my life that should have never happened, and am still not comfortable talking about.

So- in listening to the lyrics and analyzing their meanings, it made me hurt a bit for the poor junkie bastard. Phil has been pretty fucked-up and fucked-over from the get-go and he hasn’t been completely respected for his skills.

I mean- I think I spoke my stance on drugs a while back. So When I think of Phil and his heroin problems, I think “What he hell happened to that guy where he felt he needed such a maddening drug to make things bearable?” And since I feel I have had a less-than-stellar past and the hardest I’ve hit was pot and booze to dull my aches, I imagine Mr. Anselmo must have some mad fucking demons to quell. And I respect that he’s taking the time to do that- though maybe it should have happened years ago.

But you can’t NOT say Phil’s an asshole. My theory is that ALL front men are assholes, and it should be expected that they’re going to be. A front man that’s not an asshole means there’s something wrong in the band dynamic and it won’t last long. Every front man’s an asshole, every guitarist is an egoist, ever bassist has a screw loose- and every drummer needs to be restrained by his kit ’cause they’re just apeshit. So Phil’s a dick. That’s a given. Just don’t force it down my throat.  I know, I don’t really care. thanks.

And let’s not diss Superjoint Ritual either. That thing’s a mad mess of sound and fury. It took a bit longer for me to get into it. I didn’t particularly like the sound, but it grows on you. “Waiting for the Turning Point” is a great song and I like the vocal dynamics and blending of voice and instrument. I’d much prefer Down over SJR ’cause it means a lot more to me personally. But I’d still pick that over Pantera.

So, I think that’s all I have to say about that. I think. Maybe some day I’ll add more.

 

6 things.

From The Pilver Here are the rules: 1) Link back to the person who tagged you. 2) Post the rules on your blog. 3) Write six things about yourself. 4) Tag six people at the end of your post by posting links to their blog sites. 5) Let them know they’ve been tagged by leaving a comment on their site. 6) And let your tagger know when your entry is up.

——

1. I saw Iron Man this weekend. And I never really liked Robert Downey Jr. before-he’s gott a goofy looking face and then with all of his…issues… meh. Passable. But this Tony Stark guy is a badass. I think it’s the facial hair- or that asshole confidence. I’d love to be his Pepper Potts. Except… I’ll wear a lot of black and rock Iron Maiden.

2. I adore my dog. Cash is my little boy. I always want to express how much I adore him, how I wish I could take him everywhere. For right now, this little Pit Bull is the closest I am to having a child- and I wish people could see that. Cash is the Light of my Life. My life revolves around him and his happiness. I would do anything for him, given the resources. But right now, I am giving him the best life I can. I’m not happy with it. But its the best I can do right now, and I hope he knows that.

3. I don’t know if I ever told any of all y’all… but I have an amazing mental catalogue of wine,  beer and spirits in my head. I spent over 2 years employed at BevMo, which is a mid-range liquor store based in California, that prides itself on the knowledge of its employees. I was a head clerk- think shift leader- and would spend quite a bit of my working time reading, learning and mentally cataloguing information about a variety of wine and spirits. They also sent me to classes and wine tastings to learn about the products I was selling. Talk about an education! 

4. Did anyone here know that I can draw? I try and cover it up- in my real life I’m chased to draw tattoos and logos and all that stuff for people who have no interest in paying me. I’ve been approached to draw flash AND learn how to handle a tattoo gun on more than one occasion, but have yet to actually attempt either offer. Has a lot to do with the fellow offering is my BF’s pal and Rudy knows the ups and downs of mixing business and personal relationships- and discourages it.

5. I need to write up another Metal entry. I haven’t thought about it in a while since I’ve been pretty busy at work, but I’ve been trying to decide who. Motorhead REALLY deserves one, but I just wore them out last month on the CD Player so I should wait until the Taste cycles again. I’ve also been listening to Psychobilly stuff as of late and think a Nekromantix write up could be more than appropriate. I’m sure one will come up soon, but of who? Yo No Se.

6. I am bad at Numbers. Seriously. Like… I switch and reverse and mash numbers together. And fucking FORGET math. I am SO glad we can check our bank accounts online and some machine adds for me- cause I couldn’t do it. I mean- Math is the reason I went to art school. I wanted to be an astronaut. I wanted to be an archaeologist. I wanted to be a Coroner, before wanting to be a Coroner was cool. And why didn’t I do that? Cause all that shit required math. You’re lookin’ at the girl who took 3 years to pass ALGEBRA, and only passed with the help of a meathead jock who would turn around after every lesson and say “Okay. What DID you understand?”

By the way, I keep scrolling up to that Tony Stark picture and sighing.

Okay. so now I gotta tag 6 folks. Do I know Six folks?

Guise,  Kris,  Suspic,  Bill-Will,  Doho,  and cause my list is so dude-heavy… Mystie, if she’s not too busy.

 

Up the Irons!

I decided it was high time I did this. I haven’t done one in a while, and it occured to me ( via Mike over at Hopping into Puddles ) that it would be a neat-as-hell idea to not only talk about a band and show their picture, but to also give you a taste of their music. Granted, Mikey sends you straight to downloads, but I’m not that tech-savvy and… well, embedding YouTube seems all the rage at the moment so FUCKIT…

 So- Nowthat you have chills down your spine from the idea of sining WITH the the band along with over 50,000 people, I can start talking about it.

So- the first time I ever heard Iron Maiden was sometime in High School, and it was “Run To The Hills.” I was amazed by Bruce’s vocal range, and the seamless meshing of instrument and man exhibited by every member as they single-handedly changed my perspective about how Metal should sound.  I began mimicing Bruce’s style of singing the Chorus for a laugh* , but admired how much energy and power it took.

For a couple of years, that was my only foray into Iron Maiden, as I became more enveloped in the current metal trends at the time. The late nineties were a big time for Metal- NuMetal was rearing its head and people started picking up bands fast- in my circle it was cool to “find” a band, make a copy of it to tape and share it with our friends so everyone can chime in on it and decide whether or not it was worth following.  That’s how we discovered Isis, Brujeria, Static-X and Meshuggah, among many others. So exploring OLD stuff was kind of risky, and therefore not common.

But when Iron Maiden came out with Brave New World, Rudy snapped up the chance to introduce Maiden to his friends. And that was actually the first Maiden CD I heard from beginning to end. Most of his friends blew it off- it was too “Old-Sounding” and that “The 80’s are Over.”  I adored it, though. I tore it apart as I had done with many other albums- dissecting key chnages and phrases, lyrics and album art.

After hearing that CD I knew something was up with these guys- if they were around for more than 20 years, they must be doing SOMETHING right. One of the things I love the most about Iron Miaden is their ability to make the entire band sound uniform and insanely skilled. Every member gives way to allow each other to shine through, and when they play all together they blend so handsomely it’s just a joy to listen to.

On one than more occasion I declared Iron Maiden the PERFECT MUSIC- their ability to master their individual instruments and make blazing guitar anthems and soulful dirges with a simple key change made music that simply COULD NOT BE BESTED.

About 5 years ago I saw them on their Brave New World tour- in my neck of the woods they Toured with Motorhead and Dio. Which meant we were going, no matter the cost. I was blown away by their stage presence, their show and their skills in a live setting. So rare is a band that is both good in the studio and live- and a live showing can make or break a band. And seeing them live made me understand the fanaticism thes guys invoked, cause it had bit me too.

So… yeah. I love IRON MAIDEN.  And… like, you can quote me on that.

*I wound up getting a 96 on Rock Band last week due to my ability to sing like Bruce. YeeHaw!

GWAR is teh Awsum!

Okay. I went to a GWAR show. I went a while ago… the day before Thanksgiving. But trying to get the pix off my phone has been killer, not to mention i work in ONLINE RETAIL and so this season is madness right now. You know That.

Anyway.

Let me just start by telling you that I believe that EVERY PERSON ON THE PLANET needs to see GWAR live. It is a life-altering experience, complete with a baptism of  fake blood. Think of it as a raunchy, dirty RHPS but undeniably metal. Oh, and cultural figures get massacred.

For starters, a mind vent.

WHAT THE FUCK IS WITH KIDS NOWADAYS!?

I hve never been to a more rude show. It was a 16+ show, and for starters, they FRISKED us. I’ve NEVER been frisked at the Catalyst. When they explained it- to check for weapons or booze on the kidlets-  I understood, but was a very WTF moment. I recall never being so inclined when I went to shows, but I was a civil little beastie.

Not only that, but the kids in there were rolling in packs that had no problem shoving people aside. Not to mention that THESE KIDS CAN’T PIT TO SAVE THEIR LIVES. We were in Santa Cruz. We don’t Circle-Kick here. We don’t Lawnmower. You can get away with a Suicidal Tendencies mosh, but you better be prepared to be ran over. We run in a circle, bounce off each other and shove. If someone falls, you pick them up.

And these kids are just out for blood- mashing, punching and all-together decimating one another- the last time I saw that many bloody people was when someone threw an m80 into a Slayer pit at Ozzfest.

So- yeah. Yet another reason why the next generation is screwed.

Anyway. Done with that. Arg.

*breathes*

 The whole show started with this Canadian Band called The End. They weren’t bad. A little on the Emo side. A tasty mix of Isis and Stabbing Westward. If I didn’t look at them, it was good. I’m thinking of seeing if I can hunt a disc down so I can hear it sans-crowd noise.

Then.

Then. The Next Band.

Horse. the Band.

IS A PIECE OF SHIT. 8bit emocore. Too mcuh noise, metal played through a Korg Keyboard, sporting chick pants and greasy hair. The lead singer fuckin’ smacked an audience member with his mike ON PURPOSE. dickwad. Talked way too much. I hated every second- I went out for a smoke. AND I DON’T SMOKE. They just stressed me out, and I was driving home so I wasn’t drinking. So we waited outside for their set to be over.

But we skittered in as soon as the next band came on-

3 inches of blood is a great band. An entertaining mix of Maiden lyrics with Judas Preist vocals and relatively modern guitar playing- but not that noisy stuff- more chuggy, but definitely “NWOBHM” style. I love the stuff. They’re great guys for bringing the best of 80’s metal into a modern format and into modern times. I may make a post about them, sometime… but I have to do SO many others first. I’ve got a mental list… Anyway. They were great. Not the best showmen, but the music rocked. And I can sing along and not be too high! “Ded-ly SINNARS!”

And GWAR.

I haven’t seen Gwar in a few years. They tour tons, but the stars hadn’t aligned for me to get to see them. I had forgotten how GREAT they are. Jaw dropping. Great music, amazing showmen with tons of talent. They’re doing a lot of Scumdogs stuff, as well as the stuff from their new CD, which is great! It’s different from their older stuff, but still very good.

I love Dave Brockie’s voice- even when speaking, it’s got so much character. So, by that vein (pun!) I love Oderus. I love that his fishnets never fit and he has no issues showing bare ass. I love that he wears all that monstrous gear just for a show. I love that he loves what he does. As Rudy once said “Oderus is my Hero.”

Beefcake plays a mean bass, I love watching him perform. Balsac does a great job of playing rhythm- he’s my favorite. I love wathcing his jaws flap as he plays- it’s like he’s singing along! The Guitarist- I can never remember his name? Flattus?yeah… he’s AWESOME. I love his solos- they aren’t all over the place. I like that in a metal solo. A solo I can memorize and hum. And The drummer- Jizmak, Wiki says- he’s got talent too.

If they weren’t so goddamn crazy, they’d be famous already. But I like them crazy.

Yep. Gwar is teh awsum. I sayz et now. I says forever.

a quick post.

before the Dia de Los Muertos one.

This is about… 60% done.

aaaaaaaaaaaaaand…

and this one hasn’t been started. Just drawn.

Billy, a while back, had asked me to draw him something like the “Open Mouth -Insert Foot” graphic I had up, and you can still find somehwhere deep in this blog. It was unfinished, and he dug it anyway. I first drew the chick, but decided that:

1: It was a chick and therefore too girly.

2: it wasn’t gruesome enough.

So I drew the second one, the first one above with the severed head. I like it, especially the severed head, and the “Black Dahlia” slice across her face, ear-to-ear. I think it’s a bit TOO gruesome, though.

Which one, Billy? Which One?!

the Late Halloween Blog.

God, things wer CRAZY that halloween week. I only NOW got to download the halloween pix off the camera. I hope you enjoy the belated post. If you can’t stomach Halloween goodness this late in the game, just wait until next year and read it then. Otherwise… wait a few days, ’cause I’m posting our Dia Del Los Muertos Adventures just after this.

Here’s our Pumpkins…

My first cyclops died due to warm weather, but it’s always the same idea. The kitty one could have been better, but by that point, I was in a rush. It’s a creepy cat. dig it.

    

Rudy’s punkin was a bit more elaborate- he had way more time. He carved a Frankenstein face into the front, and spraypainte dthe bride of frankenstein on the side. Both were pre-existing stencil pieces, he just had to lay them out on the pumpkin and carve like a fiend.

Okay, he used a dremel. Rudy has christened himself the patron saint of Power Tools. And koalas. Okay, I said he was the Koala saint. Cause I am scared shitless of powertools. Oo! Blog entry.

We did stuff on the Saturday before Halloween, cause that’s just what you do. We also had plans for halloween night , so we decided to pull out the stops Saturday, and key it down for Wendesday.

Anyway.

  

Th bag said it was a Harajuku Girl. And since I knew what a Harajuku girl was and no one else did, I went w/ it. People just said “wo, that’s CRAZY!” Which was fine, they didn’t ask Questions. I didn’t mind that I was upstaged either.

As for Rudy- oh man, this costume was 2 years in the making. That’s an official Oderus mask, though Oderus’ mask has change since the last album… less pustules. A large amount of the pieces were bought last year, and others were repurposed from his own wardrobe. This was the kind of costume that people used foul language in exclamation. And the best part- people recognized him! One fellow did show his lameness by stating he was an LOTR guy which promptly made us go “wah? Man, no.” and ignore him.

So we went to the Catalyst, a few good Cover bands played. We were’t in for more than a few minutes before Rudy was chosen to enter the costume contest. Cool.

We saw TurboNegra- a Turbonegro cover band. We had only heard of Turbonegro in passing, bt really liked the sound these girls made… we plan on picking up a few CD’s soon. We were so swimming in the crowd, it didn’t occur to me to take pix. Sawwy.

We did however, get some pix of Hell’s Belles, the AC/DC cover band. They were hawt. The Angus dame had blond dreadlocks and took off her top. Rowdy good time. She started with Johnson stuff, which I don’t dig so much, but towards the end she swung for Bon Scott, who I adore. So rocknesses.

After their set, the Costume Contest began. There were a lot of good costumes. Some were obnoxious skanks. Of course. Some showed real ingenuity.

Snake Eyes and Cobra Commander were totally rad, they recognized Rudy and he was really into his character. There was also a Chef and a Lobster, Bettie Paige, Dog the Bounty Hunter, evena bear attack victim with the BIGEST TEDDYBEAR I’D EVER SEEN strapped to his back… really great stuff.

Rudy took the stage and hammed it up. He didn’t place, but got a great crowd reaction. He almost didn’t wear his costume, but by the end of the night, he was pretty happy w/ it.

You know.I should probably write about actual Halloween night, but it’s not that huge, so I’ll just cut this into a two parter. Monday Night Football at the Pub! Wish me luck.

Type O Negative

I told you I’d do it.

And now I’m doing it.

One of the few bands on the face of the Planet that can channel angst and laughter at the same time, and be completely serious about it.  Type O has been one of my favorite bands for a long time. I love, LOVE how they jump from maniacal thrash ( “kill all the white people”) to angsty dirges ( “red water”), to honest-to-god lovemaking music ( ”love you to death”) to techno-goth ( “cinnamon girl”)… all without losing a step.

It really all started in high school- i was totally into the Beatles. like, Mad for them. Once, my friends- who are no longer my friends,thankyewverymuch- tried to channel the spirit of John Lennon through me because they figured they’d seen “The Craft” enough to get it right the first time. *rolls eyes* At the time I totally diapproved, but thought that maybe, just maybe… they did. alittlebit.teentinybit.

ANYWAY. 

I was only mildly interested in Type O at that time, with the more romance-hued tracks as background for “sessions” with Rudy and the thrasier stuff  as well as Carnivore tracks were listened to on road trips ( Rudy even covered a Carnivore song with his high-school band Death Piggies- or Hell’s Fury, depending on who you talk to) … until I heard their cover of Day Tripper on World Coming Down.

I became fascinated, and started to tear apart their music and found SO much depth to it, i grabbed whatever I could (which means “the Least Worst Of” on my limited college-going budget) that every time I listened to Type O,  I found something new- a new harmony, a new phrase that I could twist, a new rhyme to mull over. In fact, I listened to World Coming Down so much on my discman- i actually cracked my copy.

First off. Peter Steele’s Voice.

That man creates a voice that can jump octaves and rumble intestines. I like to sing along to him- I raise an octave so I can complement, but Rudy says that if I take Peter’s Part, then Rudy has nowhere to sing- so I’m only allowed to sing Kenny’s parts. Which sucks, but hey- Kenny has high harmonies whihc I find fun, so whatever.

uhm, yea. Rudy and I argue about who sings what when we sing. we’re dorks.

Peter’s Bass is a whole other matter entirely. That thing has such a voracious rattle that it’s almost unhuman that such a device can make such a sound. We’re sure he distorts the crap out of it but still marvel every time we hear it live. That thing- it’s possessed.

 And Thirdy- Peter Himself. That guy- that’s a showman. Granted, he doesn’t do much other than play and grumble obscenities- but God, he puts on a show when he needs to. We saw them at the House of Blues in April and that guy was on a Tear- at first he seemed listless and pissed to be onstage- all prima donna and not hearing himself in the mix and blahing through the opening of one of the songs, but after he dumped a bottle of red wine down his gullet he loosened up a touch, and by the end of the show he was his cage-rattling asshole Carnivore self.

The rest of the band seems to hide in his shadows, but I don’t think they mind.

Josh is a riot just by not saying a word, or being completely psychotic when he does speak. He’s probably my favorite cause he’s so off his rocker. And well, with all his hair he kind of looks like Captain Caveman. He thrashes at the keyboards like he’s possessed- watching him alone is a good damn show.

Kenny can play, REALLY play. I know it’s hard to share the stage with a bastard like Peter, but he does it, and really well. You can visibly see he hates putting up with Peter’s shit, but he keeps on keeping on, and I think thats a good mark on him. He’s quiet and he plays. His guitar sound is great-a wonderful blend in the mix, his skill is sharp and clean… Much better mental demeanor than a fair amount of prima-donna guitarists out there. Hurrah to you for keeing it cool and Low Key.

And Johnny-the new guy. Huzzah to you to taking it when they dish it out. It sucks being the drummer, and I think he knows it, but he is the ONLY ONE I ever see smiling while he plays. And why not- at the height of their fame, they pick YOU to play. And play on he has… for almost 10 years. His drum sound is sharp- we always remark at how crisp his snare is- no one does their snare like that and it’s so bright and sharp-spicy almost. It really kicks up the sounds on the lower songs. And he Uses his toms so well- he really utilizes them to make a melody all his own, independent of the guitar and bass, and yet meshing.

And let us not forget their wry and deprecating sense of humor. If Type O took themselves seriously, I’d laugh at them. You can’t be that maserable without trying to kill yourself a few times, or at least SUCCEEDING. Ya kno? I like that they can laugh at themselves. I like anyone that can enjoy being a butt of a joke. I’ve seen the videos they make, that’s a bunch of funny fuckers. I would not be able to hang out with them- they’d be too much for me- but watching them, regulary flash ass and beat the crap oy of each other? It’s like Jackass for the Goth Set. woohoo.

 Okay. That’s all I got for now. I should really be working. Well, I am. Inbetween bouts of posting about euroshams and Chenille tapestry duvet covers, I gush. Blardedarr.

latergater.