I like the way you move your hips….
Sunday Metal – Ratt
I like the way you move your hips….
Music
An old weekend
Flipping channels on the TV and I see that VH-1 Classic is all heavy metal all weekend.
Rock on! \m/
And then… you realize, it’s VH-1… the “old people” music. And not just VH-1, but VH-1 Classic.
And it’s all old metal, which of course is cool in my book. I just watched a “Classic Albums” on Black Sabbath’s “Paranoid” album. Awesome album.
Maybe it’s just amusing to watch the rebels of my rebellious youth becoming older. I mean, Jizzy Pearl’s recent rants on Metal Sludge sound like he needs to end them with “get off my lawn!”. When you see the guys in Slayer with their kids, or things like James Hetfield going to his daughter’s ballet class.
Yeah, we all get older. We’re just not as angry any more. Life changes, priorities change.
But in the end, well… Lemmy says it best: We are Motörhead, and we’re (still) gonna kick your ass. 🙂
Sunday Metal – Ron Young
This isn’t really “metal”, but it’ll work for this regular blog feature.
Ron Young is probably best know as the lead singer of the band Little Caesar. I always loved that band, and still do. Just straight ahead rock-and-roll, blues based, hooks, riffs, soul. They had attitude, presence… but most of all, they had Ron Young’s voice.
I always thought Ron had a fantastic voice. Listen to their best known single, a cover of “Chain of Fools”
Or off the same s/t album, another cover… “Wish It Would Rain”
I picked the two covers because they come with a frame of reference, and I think really showcase the soul that Ron has in his voice.
In 2009 they released a new album, “Redemption” and made a video for the song “Supersonic”
It shows the band hasn’t missed a beat. And whereas when a lot of guys age and their voice goes, Ron’s is still as strong as ever.
Ron did a stint in a “supergroup” called Manic Eden. Here’s a track, “Do Angels Die”
If you’ve never heard of Little Caesar, if these sound good to you, they’re a band worth checking out. I wish they could have hit it bigger, but the stars just didn’t align for them. But they’re still out, touring around. I’d love ’em to come to Austin. 🙂
Sunday Metal – Candlemass
I don’t remember how I discovered Candlemass. Certainly it was sometime in high school. I remember their album, “Epicus, Doomicus, Metallicus” was so heavy. Thing is, after that album, I lost interest in them. Not sure why. Nothing against the band, I just drifted in anothe direction.
Found this on YouTube the other day… figured it would make a good Sunday Metal. 🙂
Lazarus A.D. – May 13, 2011, Austin, Texas
I became a fan of Lazarus A.D. a couple years ago. They were the opening act for Testament, and while we weren’t able to catch their whole set, they impressed me and buddy W enough that we bought their CD there at the show. Been a big fan ever since.
A few months ago their new album, “Black Rivers Flow” came out. Finally! Unfortunately they came through Austin on Valentine’s Day so there was no way I could make the show. 🙂 But Lazarus has established themselves as a touring band, constantly on the road. I knew they’d be back and sure enough they were… Friday May 13, 2011, Emo’s. The bill was HeadCrusher, Lazarus A.D., and headliners Cavalera Conspiracy.
I went to the show, because I wanted to see Lazarus A.D.. That’s all I cared about. 🙂
Doors opened, I head in. I see Jeff Paulick behind the merch counter. I head over, buy a shirt, talk with him a bit. That’s one thing about this band: they are a band for the fans. Throughout the night I was able to speak with Jeff, Dan, and Alex (missed Ryan). Approachable, friendly, and just nice and humble guys. Asked for pictures, no refusal. Of course, they’re not millionaires, so they’re doing their own merch, their own load in and load out… no roadies here. And I figure they had to do their own tire change when it blew out on their way to Austin. You just want to support these guys because they’re working hard and having a good time while doing it.
When they finally hit the stage, they knew they had 45 minutes to tear the house down. I could tell all that time on the road the past couple years had really sunk in and paid off. They weren’t just up on stage, they owned the stage. They put on a good show, despite the cramped stage there at Emo’s. I was right up front, which as a fan is where I wanted to be, but unfortunately the way Emo’s p.a. is set up I heard more from off the stage than the p.a., so I couldn’t hear much for vocals and I wasn’t getting the full house mix. However, being right in front of Dan and Ryan’s drum set, hearing the drums 3 yards in front of me off the stage instead of through the p.a. I could hear every nuance of Ryan’s drumming and damn he’s good.
If I remember the set list:
- The Ultimate Sacrifice
- Thou Shall Not Fear
- Absolute Power
- Last Breath
- Black Rivers Flow
- Light a City (Up in Smoke)
- Revolution
- Rebirth
- Who I Really Am
If I messed that up and you were at the show, please correct me. 🙂 I thought it was a good setlist. I admit I thought it would have been cool if they played something like “Up On Stage” since it was their last night on the tour, but no worries. You have 45 minutes and you make the best of it.
After the show was done and the stage cleared, I spoke with Dan and Alex, and then had to head out. Yes, I left before CC ever took the stage. Nothing against Max and Igor, I love (old) Sepultura, but I came for one reason and one reason only: to see Lazarus A.D.. I came, I saw, they kicked ass. Can’t wait for them to come through Austin again, hopefully as headliners… or at least on a stage with more room.
And hopefully they’ll van will hold together long enough for them to make it home. 🙂
Sunday Metal – Venom
Venom.
Perhaps cheesy. Perhaps not the most talented musicians in the world.
But there’s no denying their place in metal and how metal wouldn’t be what it is if not for them. Pioneers.
One of my favorite songs, from my favorite Venom album: “Buried Alive”
And just because the “Ultimate Revenge” video was such a fucking cool video back in the day, here’s their performance of “Countess Bathory”
Sunday Metal – Alestorm
Arrr! Pirate Metal! Alestorm’s “Keelhauled”
I love the use of the keytar.
And I just don’t know what to think of this. I mean, there’s the whole folk metal thing. This is… silly. It’s a little stupid, a little “trying too hard”, but in a “lighten up, Francis” moment I have to admit it’s funny. I can’t help but laugh and smile. And well… they do their idiom just fine, even if it’s one they apparently have invented. 🙂
Sunday Metal – Alabama Thunderpussy
This is pretty cool. Alabama Thunderpussy (R.I.P.) covering Whitesnake’s “Still of the Night”
Aging bands
Wow. KK Downing, guitarist for Judas Priest, is retiring from the band. Official press release.
Man… that feels strange. But yes, finish out the tour that’s already booked… lots of obligations, money, contracts, etc.. But it does make you wonder, is it time for the band to as a whole to retire?
I’ve been wondering about this with a lot of bands. ZZ Top… 40+ years, still going strong, but when is it time? Aerosmith had a lot of turbulence over the past few years with the notion of calling it quits being thrown around. I know Slayer is a band that feels with their sort of music that being up there at 60 years old and still playing doesn’t seem right.
I’d rather see someone go and leave us wanting more, than to be the last guy that never leaves the party… you know, like KISS. 😉 Don’t get me wrong, I love KISS, but 15 years of farewell tours seems kinda silly. Oddly tho, their latest album ‘Sonic Boom’ was pretty good, so should they keep going?
Then you think about personnel changes and when the only “original” member of some band is the guy they used as a touring keyboardist during the mid-70’s… is it really that band any more? When is a replacement too much? Which of course goes back to another key question: what makes a band that band? Replacing Bon Scott wasn’t horrible for AC/DC, nor David Lee Roth for Van Halen. But the guys from Journey keep wanting a guy that sounds like Steve Perry.
Bottom line is… we’re no longer the MTV crowd, we’re the VH-1 crowd, but that’s slowly being pushed out and off too. When’s the time to put the guitar back on the rack? When is the time to say we should leave with a solid legacy and dignity, even if it means leaving the gravy train behind?
Sunday Metal – The Bronx Casket Co.
The Bronx Casket Co. is a side-project band of Overkill bassist D.D. Verni.
Here’s a track called “Antihero” off their new album
Stuff From Hsoi 