Tuesday, December 17, 2013

CHUCK RUSSELL'S TOP 5 RECORDS OF 2013 (for now anyway)

5. AUGUST BURNS RED - Rescue & Restore  I just saw these guys last week in Birmingham and it was wild! (That's were I got this pic btw) My only complaint was that they didn't play Redemption. There aren't  any real weak points in this record, it's unmistakeable ABR, there just aren't many surprises either. I still love it, and will probably only love it more the more I listen to it, but I think Leveler was much better honestly. This disc debuted at #8 on Billboard, in spite of the fact that the mainstream, 'Christian rock' scene & hypocritical communist snob punk/HC scene are all pretending the band doesn't exist. It reminds me of Pantera's Far Beyond Driven reaching #1 with basically no support at all from the music press, MTV, or radio. You would think the idiots in charge of the industry would catch on by now, no?

4. NOFX - Self-Entitled 
Yea you read that right, I ranked NOFX ahead of August Burns Red. After all these years, these guys can still write/play punk songs better than 98% of anyone still (erroneously) calling their band 'punk rock.' I think it's more of a testament to how stagnated punk rock is/has been for the last 15 years or so than the band's talent, but that's an entire blog entry (maybe even a fuckin book) unto itself. The opener 72 Hookers is probably the best track, but it's not all downhill after #1. Each song has it's own personality, distinct from the others. Best of all there's still no goddamned SKA! Coaster was half greatness, half filler, this one is 75% greatness I'd say. The quotient would probably be higher if not for the fuckin goddamn liberal politics. (STILL writing songs about Regan & Thatcher? Pussy ass COWARD shit in my book) I suppose you gotta take the bad with the good. Too bad bands like NOFX would rather continue to flog the skeleton of punk rock than try anything new or different. I really miss passionate punk that actually meant something. Oh well, hippies gotta 'stick it to the man' and Democrats gotta keep getting elected somehow!!

3. Impending Doom - Death Will Reign
I love this band. Their last record Baptized In Filth made my Top 10 last year. I may even venture to say that record was a tad better, but I've obviously had much more time with the former. This assault on the senses isn't as diverse as BIF, but what it lacks in diversity it compensates for in passion. You can tell when musicians/songwriters are truly 'into' what they're doing or 'going through the motions' so to speak. I suppose that's one of the reasons I appreciate this band's work as much as I do. Most of the songs on this one are mid tempo chuggers with grind parts thrown in here and there to keep things interesting. I guess I should also mention this is a Christian band. The song topics are pretty narrow in scope, mostly narrating the struggle of being a Christian in today's disgustingly corrupt society. I don't consider it a bad thing, as you can see Brook Reeves is bearing his soul in many of these verses. "My life is a constant struggle/My life is a constant fight!" sounds simple, but anyone walking The Path will agree it's as true as it is honest. I really can't wait to see these guys live.

2.Carcass - Surgical Steel
I swore up & down since hearing this last month it would most certainly be my Album of the Year. It's obviously not, but only because another Death Metal legend decided to do the impossible and not only make a record I like more than this one, but do so with only TWO original members! But enough about that record, this is Carcass' time. I've already blogged a review of this one last month, so I guess my enthusiasm has waned a bit. The only word I can think of to describe this piece of art is 'perfection.' As I noted before, even Jeff Walker's snarls have improved. The music/lyrics are as brilliant as they are violent. It's like Hannibal Lecter decided to start a band. You will hear shades of the past hear and there, as Cadaver Pouch Conveyer System may remind you of Carnal Forge,   be not mistaken. This is no throwback record or attempt to please fans with nostalgia. It is Death Metal perfection, plain and simple. The only gripe I can think of is Ken Owen isn't behind the kit, and I can't help but wonder if the final product would've sounded different had he been involved. Aside from that, flawless.




1.Deicide - In the Minds of Evil
Yes, I'm about as surprised as you that the blasphemous Floridians managed to edge out Carcass for the (not) coveted title of Chuck Russell's 'Album of the Year.' Now, I know all you guitarists or prog/core hairstyles are saying "I bet they couldn't play any of such and such band's songs! All their riffs are simple powerchords blah blah" and I don't give a fuck. I do appreciate technical ability to a certain extent, but I suppose I value the ability to write a coherent song more. I've really grown weary of all this tech-death shit. I don't have the time to listen to your twelve fuckin minute guitar wank fests, Between the Buried and Me. How about I just assume yall can play guitar/bass/drums like, really fuckin good? That would save me lot The shit has gotten out of hand. It doesn't help that everyone who can hold a guitar is in a band now, the technical/mathcore/whatever the fuck it is needs to die off already. I don't know how many other ways to tell some of these guitarists that no one besides other guitarists care to hear you demonstrate how great you can supposedly play. You have no style, and your shit isn't memorable. It doesn't make me want to headbang. Deicide on the other hand, have nothing to prove, other than the fact they they aren't big fans of Jesus Christ or Christianity, I suppose. Every song on this disc makes me headbang. I haven't bought a Deicide album since Serpents of the Light, way back in 98, so this is a reunion of sorts. They were one of my favorite bands growing up. Once Upon the Cross still remains one of my all-time favorite Death Metal albums. The first time I heard them was the Legion album, and honestly, the opening track 'Satan Spawn the Caco Demon' scared the bejesus out of me! In case you don't know, their lyrical direction was uber-Satanic in the early years, and has apparently morphed into more of a 'never ending contempt for God/Christ/Christianity'-sorta direction. The guitar riffs are memorable and catchy. The aggression is over-the-top, even by Deicide's standards. I also love the drumming. Asheim is the only other original member besides Benton, and he's as precise and volatile as ever. The only gripe I can come up with is the vocals get a tad monotonous, as I'm used to Benton's deep roars being accented by his trademark unsettling, inhuman mid-range shrieks. Benton helped pioneer the low/high pitched trade off Death Metal vocal style literally everyone and their brother uses nowadays, so I suppose that's why he doesn't use the highs as much. Anyway this record takes the cake for its vehemence, memorable riffs, great drumming, and efficiency. It really is a breath of fresh air among all the prog-tech bullshit ruling the metal scene these days. Hopefully this helps inspire a new breed of 'meat n' potatoes'-style Death Metal bands. If you can actually write/play good riffs and songs, there's no need for all the wankery, kids.

Sunday, July 7, 2013

RIP Street Smarts



             I have never seen so many gullible people in my life. I saw a post from one of my fb friends (who is very smart,and experienced in economics) warning of the "Coming Economic Collapse" that turned out to be an ad for a book! (I wonder why this guy is even bothering making money if it is all going to be worthless soon...) A coulple of weeks ago, I stopped at a gas station and had the opportunity to be educated about all the poisons these evil corporations are putting in food that is mass-produced. (because the best way to make money is to kill your customers) This gentleman also felt inclined to let me know the difference between a 'gangsta' and a 'thug.' I only mention this because when people hear the phrase "street smarts", they think it pretains to living in the ghetto or a large city. It doesn't. It is basically an instruction manual on how not to be a sucker. One that no one reads anymore. Where do I begin?...........

                 Health food is a great example of human naivety. My wife and I bicker over bread all the time. She insists on buying the whole grain wheat bullshit. I hate wheat bread. My wife is convinced white bread is deadly. She says white bread causes your blood sugar to spike, which can lead to diabetes. Who knew the human body was so frail? It's a miracle all of the hundereds of millions of people who eat it every single fucking day are still alive! How else could you convince folks to spend $6-7 for something they can get for $2 gastro-intestinal consequences notwithstanding? Pomegranets are another great example. Not only is it one of the most pain-in-the-ass fruits around, but the flavor of the juice from said fruit bears a striking similarity to vinegar and urine! (dont ask how I know how urine tastes) My mother insists on buying pomegranete juice (her brand costs like $10 a bottle!) which has less vitamins and minerals than orange juice, and kind of tastes like unsweetened cranberry juice but worse. Some asshole on tv says pomegranets are better than our pathetic traditional fruits, so we better just eat them. I'm pretty sure I spelled 'pomegranet' wrong back there, but to hell with it. The shitty fruit doesn't deserve the effort required to check my spelling of its name. That's how much I hate them.
             I'm sure you're familiar with the 911 'truther' movement. Behold its progeny: the anti-Monsanto movement. I know a few people who have attended protests, and make an effort to eat only 'organic' food. Many folks with far too much spare time insist this monolith of a company is selling poisonous genetically altered food that will most definitly kill you if you eat enough of it. Monsanto made the herbicides they used in VIETNAM, man! That's completely irrelevant to the issue, but....war...puppets......neocons.....did you know they're selling DEPLEATED URANIUM shotgun shells now?! That'll definitely give you the edge in the battle for the coveted cul-de-sac. I told a friend last night I want in on some of this armageddon action and she said they only buy stuff from people they know, which definitly fits the paranoia profile, but I think shes bullshittin. I really would like to be able to sell guns, seeds, ammo..and....... whatever other survival stuff (Dad wasnt around folks,) these people buy. It looks like a good investment, because these people are just going to keep prepping from the looks of it.
         I know I've veered off course. My point is, we really need to try to instill a good sense of skepticism in our young folks. It doesn't matter what your background is.
        Look at Adam Koesch. A whole bunch of dipshits were gettin ready to march in DC on July 4, literally ready to go to war, because some asshole made some youtube videos they liked! I wish I was making this shit up! Do we need public service announcements like they had about crack? This shit is seriously getting scary! Find a Ron Paul follower. Best place to look is on Fox News' FB page or an xbox live room for Call of Duty. He/she will tell you that Ron Paul is the ONLY ONE who could've  saved us. The system is also rigged, all politicians are bad except Ron Paul, (who, ironically penned a grand total of ONE,one goddamn motherfucking bill. In 20 years in the Legislative Branch, this cocksucker did nothing but get one bill passed! And he has convinced a few million xbox addicted virgins hes some kind of god!Because these young folks haven't been taught to pay more attention to what a man does than what he says. We are judged on our acts. Not things we discuss doing, or our great ideas. Anyone with street smarts would tell you Ron Paul is a politician, plain and simple. They know what they're doing. They know what to say. They know what angle to work on you. It's called 'cunning.' More later

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Commonly Overlooked Records Part 2!!!

Im pressed for time, so I'll have to limit my raving. Here we go:       

Carcass - Swansong
         This is another strange animal of a record. After the success of the god-like Heartwork, Carcass decided to flip the script again and make a death-n-roll record. The result is ironically their most commercially appealing record. It would also be thier last (UNTIL THIS FALL YEEEEAAAAAHHHH!). Unlike fellow metal overlords' Entombed's approach, their sound relied more on 70's rock than punk or hardcore. The opener 'Keep on Rotting in the Free world' is one of the catchiest on the album and makes for the perfect opener. Amott isn't on this record, but his replacement does as well as any mere mortal could have. The second track 'Tomorrow Belongs to Nobody' is features one of my all time favorite riffs, the best song on the record easily. There are plenty of great riffs on this one, but don't hold your breath for any Death/Grind barnburners. As with Napalm Death's Diatribes, the band really challenged themselves to come up with something new and fresh, yet keep elements of distinction. 'Black Star' starts with a cool cyclic riff and remains pretty simple structurally, but the rich guitar sound and changes keep it interesting and enjoyable. Carcass are masters of creating atmosphere musically, without the aid of synth or keyboards, which they flaunt on 'Child's Play' and "Room 101' masterfully. The second half of the record isn't as great as the first, but only because of the near-impossible standard set by the first half. One of my all time favorites.


Suffocation - Despise the Sun
           This is another album that many hardcore fans of the band generally dislike.(it's actually an EP). I suspect this is because the songs aren't as immersive generally as most of Suffocation's albums, especially the Alpha/Omega of American Death Metal that is Pierced From Within. The temporary departure of founding drummer Mike Smith may have something to do with this, but his replacement Dave Culross not only fits in perfectly with the band, but adds something new to the band's sound. The from-another-angle-ness of 'Bloodchurn' and the godly breakdown on the title track are good examples of his fingerprints. The opener, 'Funeral Inception' is probably my all time favorite death metal song. The songs are generally more grind-oriented than their other records, which makes it all the more unique. The entire EP is a highlight, each song distinct and awesome in its own way. Brutal Death Perfection.


Knights of the Abyss - Shades
          This band (along with another one of my favorites among the newer crop of American Death Metal bands Through the Eyes of The Dead) are unfortunately on hiatus, which really blows, considering they actually have a clue about how to construct a song, unlike many/most of the young bands. Most songs here are probably not what many death metal fans (did I ever mention most are insufferable opinionated pricks, myself included) would call 'technical', but not 'meat n potatoes' either. There are some Deathcore elements here, but I don't think they're sportin the goddamn haircuts or anything. Mostly just cool breakdowns and no guitar solos :(. There are lots of cool guitar riffs and the songs have an intensity and urgency that never lets up. 'Don't Feed the Heathens' is probably my favorite on here, but each song is interesting. Hopefully these guys get back to recording and touring again.

Woe of Tyrants - Kingdom of Might
          This is another band I can't believe isn't more popular. I have never heard such catchy, even 'happy' sounding Death Metal songs in my life. This is an extremely unique record. I guess I should also add that this is a Christian band, which only adds to the quirky charm of the album. My wife is fussin, so I really have to go. Buy these records!!

Machine Head - The More Things Change....
           I'm not gonna lie, I'm not a Machine Head fan. This record (tape, again!) managed to make an impression on me from the first time I heard it,though. The first song 'Ten Ton Hammer' is appropriately titled, because the main riff is mothafukin HEAVY. They do get a little carried away with the feedback however. It is annoying as hell to hear anyone use the phrase 'I'ma' (If I wanted to hear that bullshit, Id listen to Limp Bizkit.) in a metal song, I must add. At least they refrained from 'White Devil' on this one. Song 2 , 'Take My Scars' is catchy with lots of changes, with clean and screamed vocals. It could do without the little (I cant remember the cocksucker from Rage Against the Machine's name, the one who plays guitar with a coathanger..) RATM part before the solo, but it by no means ruins the song. The 3rd track is a fast one (perhaps too) reminicent of Fucking Hostile that is lots of fun to headbang to. The guitar sound on this album is very rich, to the point it makes even average riffs sound great. Down to None is an anti-religion song with a very slow beginning that once again takes advantage of the robust guitar sound. The song evolves into a mid-tempo chugger with interesting drumming. The second half of the album isn't up to par with the first, unfortunately. 'Spine' has a main riff right off a Korn B-side. 'Bay of Pigs' picks up the tempo temporarily, but the riffs aren't up to par with the earlier tracks. Not to say the 2nd half isn't worth listening to, it's every bit as heavy as the first 6 songs, and there's some interesting experimenting going on here and there. The last song is a cover of Ice-T's 'Colors' presumably added to appeal to the nu-metal shits. I'm not going to lie, I've never listened to the damn song all the way through. This band sounded alot like a mix of equal parts Pantera, Biohazard, and Chaos AD Sepultura this era, which is why many of us were reluctant to shower them with praise. Honestly Machine couldn't hold a candle to any of the above bands, but have written some good records over the years. This one is probably my favorite.

The Vandals - Live Fast Diarrhea
               For reasons I'll never know, punks my age and older always prefer all punk band's early records to their later stuff. Zero exceptions. NOFX, The Decendents, Bad Religion, whoever. Maybe it's a sentimental thing, but that's just what folks always say. "Their old stuff is way better!" Every time. The Vandals first couple records are great, but this one is my favorite of theirs by a mile. If you didn't know, they are one of those bands who write 'funny' songs. Musically, it's pretty by-the-numbers SoCal fast punk rock, but these guys date back to 84 or so, so this sound belongs as much to them as anyone. This was released in 95, right when this sound was getting popular in the mainstream. Every song on this record is enjoyable, with the lone exception of the Blink parody 'I Have A Date'. It's every bit as insufferable as your average Blink song. My personal faves are 'Take It Back' , 'And Now We Dance', 'N.I.M.B.Y', 'Power Mustache', and 'Johnny Two Bags'. No matter how shitty a mood I'm in, this record always cheers me up. All the songs are fun to sing and rock hard. What more do ya need?

Cannibal Corpse - Gallery of Suicide
           I'm not even going to mention the perpetual debate among fans of this band over whether Corpsegrinder or Barnes is the better vocalist.(Corpsegrinder, by a light-year) This is George's second record with the band, and was the first 'Corpse album I ever bought. What I like most about this record is you can tell they made an effort to make each song unique and distinctive. The opener 'I Will Kill You' is a pretty standard old-school thrash inspired 'Corpse song. Another virtue here is what they call 'vocal patterns' in the credits.(Dunno why) It basically means George sings in a rhythmic fashion, matching the tempo and riffs. It really helps the listenability. It does sound kind of like he's rapping on 'Headless' though. Song topics are as gruesome as any Cannibal Corpse album, which they've kind of backed off from in recent years.(thankfully) 'Disposal of the Body' is pretty similar musically to the first song, but thanks to the 'vocal patterns', and cool guitar riffs, sounds completely different. 'Sentenced to Burn' is a unique song for Cannibal Corpse. It's mid tempo without any changes. It almost reminds me of an industrial metal song, except not shitty.(I can't stand industrial) 'Dismembered and Molested' is musically psychotic, with a super fast verse riff, and a middle-eastern sounding riff at the breakdown. The title track starts out atmospheric and slow, with a gradual buildup to a chaotic climax. The following track ' From Skin to Liquid' is an awesome instrumental (every death metal record should have one), which starts out with a wandering riff, with some random elaborations, and eventually dies a slow death. The best songs on the second half of the record are also the best overall, in my opinion. 'Chambers of Blood' has an incredibly sinister main riff, with faster passages spread throuout, and a killer breakdown. My favorite song on here. 'Headless' is the fastest song, with a weird break in the middle, but still kick-ass. A great follow up to 'Chambers of Blood.' With all it's diversity, this album would probably appeal to even casual metal fans.

Incantation - Onward to Golgotha
                I love metal, but sometimes I think there's just too many bands at times. I hate seeing great bands that deserve recognition and success get lost in the shuffle. Incantation is a perfect example of such a band. This is pure brutal Death Metal. Their songs are insanely violent and heavy, with great doom breaks. I also love the production on this one. It reminds me a bit of Suffocation's Human Waste or Effigy of the Forgotten, only 10 times darker. The guitar is very down-tuned and sludgy, but you can still hear the riffs clearly.(How did they do that?). Some call this 'NY style' death metal, which is kind of fitting, but to many NY style means 'sounds like Suffocation.' While they are every bit as brutal as Suffocation, they honestly don't sound anything like them. Their sound is all their own. They released an album last year, to rave reviews. Hopefully their lineup is stable for good this time, as Ive read that's been a reoccuring problem over the years. Anyway, if you are a fan of death metal, buy this record. Most bands this brutal and heavy can't write songs this atmospheric and immersive, especially without keyboards.

Commonly Overlooked/Maligned Records that Kick Ass

There are lots of bands/records I've heard and thought "How is this not more popular?" I'm sure you have too. There are also some that are seen as a band's worst, or poorly executed, bad concept,etc, or sometimes a band follows up a successfull release with something no one was expecting which leads to bad reviews out of sheer disappointment. Some of these records are actually great, they just weren't critically/commercially successful for reasons beyond their control. This post is for those records that really deserve another listen,(or in some cases, a 1st listen)
Swingin Utters - Five Lessons Learned
          These guys were one of my favorite bands growing up. Their debut, The Streets of San Francisco (produced by Lars of Rancid!) was one of my favorites back in the day. I bought this one right when it came out and HATED it at first. The production was very un-Utters.Polished, slick even.  You really couldn't get much further from Streets... unless it were a Death Metal album. "Thats what happens when bands get on FAT!!", I bitched. I was in my "anything popular at all sucks ass" phase. Even punk likeNOFX was too happy sounding and poppy for me at this time. I was really into Napalm Death, Assuck, Capitalist Casualties, Suffocation, Deicide, basically the most angry, hateful shit I could find. This record was a curveball to say the least. The title track is the first song (usually not a good sign) which is a pretty standard fast Utters song, with trademark lyrics "I know I must not think that much, I'm always beaten to the punch/I'm holdin aces high and low and in between I'm trying to break my fall/ Love it! The second song , 'Tell Me Lies' is probably my favorite song on the disc. I should take this opportunity to tell you what Swingin Utters sound like, in case you haven't had the privilage. You have to mention Stiff Little Fingers first and foremost. That's their main influence. Don't be fooled though, they're no imitators. Their sound is as distinctive as anyone who has their own sound (not many these days), very irish influenced. I know there were a bazillion '77 style bands in the late 90's, but these guys set themselves apart. Anyway, the 3rd song 'A Promise to Distinction' is an old Irish folk-type track. Somehow, these guys can go from punk to folk, to country seamlessly and make it work EVERY TIME. As I said before, the production is very clean and polished sounding, which serves vocalist Johnny Bonnel's laid-back confidence well. His style isn't the usual of the usual 'gravelly' street punk variety (which almost always SUCKS btw. We know you don't really sound like that!) Mike Ness is an obvious influence, yet on this record, you won't hear much snarl. "This Bastard's Life" is another standout track, with just the right amount of piano/keyboards throughout. These songs really are timeless. Honestly every song on the record has it's own quirks and personality. This record is actually the reason I picked this topic to blog about. I can't recommend it enough. Why this didn't sell 5 million copies, I'll never know. It's incredible. The maturity of the song topics and lyrics also put these guys above 99% of punk bands. It's mostly working class type stuff, but very intelligent and wise. What puzzles me is they never really made another that sounded like this one. I dunno if it was a concept album or what, but their self titled LP after this one is more like Streets of San Francisco and Juvenile Product of the Working Class. OK I'll stop gushing now. Just buy the record.

Corrosion of Conformity - Wiseblood
          I'm not a huge COC fan, but enjoy this record immensely. I only bought this TAPE (lol) because of the glowing review it recieved from Metal Maniacs, a magazine that was basically my Bible during my teen years. Yet, I don't think I've ever heard a single COC fan (which is about the most diverse base you can get btw) say this is their favorite record. "Heavy" isn't even a strong enough word to describe this beast. The opener, "King of the Rotten" is an upbeat song with an almost too-simple main riff. The shit is so heavy, you won't care. One of my all time favorite records to drink to. (it may even be tied with Rancid's 1st.) Song 2, 'Long Whip. Big America' really showcases frontman Pepper Kennen's charisma. The chorus is addictive. I guarantee, the first time you hear this song, you'll immediately replay it. The 3rd song is the title track and is just as heavy and catchy as its predecessor. 'Goodbye Windows' is probably my favorite song on the album. Its pretty damn depressing blues-rock essentially done perfectly. The songs on the second half of the record are a bit more drawn-out (one of the trademarks of the Pepper era) generally, but there's plenty of diversity to keep you interested. 'Fuel' is a thrasher that shows equal parts 'Blind' and 'Eye for an Eye' DNA, 'Man or Ash' and 'Redemption City' sound alot like one another, yet different and distinct from one another, like twins whose lives both began as a single fertilized egg. The previous played deliberately at glacial pace to savor the crushing heaviness of the guitar sound. The final track, 'Bottom Feeder' is probably the trippiest of the album, which gradually fades out to the sound of swine feeding. Brilliant.

Napalm Death - Diatribes
              These guys need no introduction. From either external pressure from struggling Earache Records or boredom, Napalm Death decided to take the direction first explored in the experimental success Fear, Emptiness, Despair to its extreme. Most songs are mid-tempo, with near alternative rock rhythms and song structures that seem to toy with the tension and delay or even refuse payoff/release. The lyrics are a bit more abstract and introspective than their previous records as well, which is a bonus for those of us who aren't still riding the over-educated malcontent/contrarian bus.The songs are quite long by ND's standards, (in the grindcore world, 4:00 is epic) but they do a great job of keeping things interesting. It really is a tribute to this band's creativity and audacity to make a record like this, regardless of all the flack they recieved for changing thier sound so drastically. This direction had grown dull to me by their next release, Inside the Torn Apart, which in spite of a few high points (Lowpoint! lol) sounded bland and uninspired as Utopia Banished did compared to Harmony Corruption. They retured to their roots soon after, to the delight of their core audience, and released some of their best works of their collective carreer. Their latest, Utilitarian, is arguably their best. They've incorporated clean vox to the mix, giving thier sound the sense of atmosphere it lacked before, while remaining as pissed as ever. I don't know if they're proud or ashamed of Diatribes, they should be proud. Lesser bands rely on giving fans what they want to keep them, while ND challenged us and themselves as artists. It's no coincidence they are one of the most respected bands in extreme music.

   
Dead Kennedys - Bedtime for Democracy
              Ask any fan which is DK's worst album, and the answer almost invariably is Bedtime for Democracy. Look up any reviews for it, and nearly all are negative. There are a few good reasons for the bad reception. The first is the guitar sound. On many songs, it's all but impossible to make sense of what Ray is even playing. It's a hot mess. The second (I would guess) would be the fact that this is seen as a 'playing it safe' record. It's pretty standard 80's American hardcore punk (How is that a bad thing? Haveya read Maximum Rock N' Roll in the last 20 yrs?) musically. Nearly all the songs are fast, and DK's trademark weird/creepy anti-melodies and guitar work seem to take a back seat to a fast/faster/really faster  brutal approach. (I like this about the record, but I guess it's not ironic or sarcastic enough for the average DK fan). Anyway, this was the first DK album I ever heard in its entirety (another cassette,given to me by my brother in law Dave of DRUNK IN A DUMPSTER FAME) which may have alot to do with why I love it so much. As I said before, all the songs are up-tempo scorchers, most under 3 minutes. There's lots of humor and weirdness here, as with all DK records, which keeps things lighthearted and fun. All the songs are fun to sing to and the song topics are all at the least very interesting and thought-provoking even if you don't agree with Jello's social/political views (I couldn't DISagree more with most songs). I rarely skip any songs on this record. Each has it's own personality and is distinct from the other, which deserves praise considering how similar all the songs are to each other musically. If I had to pick favorites, I'd say 'Rambozo' (grey shrapnel flavored chewing gum...) 'The Great Wall', 'Triumph of the Swill', 'Macho Insecurity', 'I Spy', 'Chickenshit Conformist' 'Do the Slag', 'Gone With My Wind'.. really every song is great. There are also two 6 minute epics on here which add some variety to the chaos. 'Cesspools in Eden' is slow and neandering, with some cool signature eerie guitar parts and gradual buildups highlighted by Jello's maniacal vocal style. Classic DK.  A really well written song musically and lyrically. 'Chickenshit Conformist' is a scathing critique of the punk scene and the music industry in general, which will probably remain relevant as long as there is punk rock. You can say what you want about Jello, but his love and passion for music is obviously genuine. It's a shame he hasn't done much since. He's incredibly talented.

                  Logical Nonsense - Soul Pollution
             I read about this band in Metal Maniacs (I told you I read it ALOT) as a hardcore band that would also appeal to metal heads. They hit the nail on the head. They kinda reminded me of AUS ROTTEN (a discharge-inspired anarcho punk band from the 90's)but something different I could never quite put my finger on. Maybe it's the production. The vocalist sounds like he's from a metal band, with a very pissed gravelly snarl equal parts Wattie and Anselmo. Nearly Death Metal sounding at times. Most of the songs start out slow or mid-tempo, then fast, but done in such a way as not to sound repeatative or like they're following a formula. 'What's Left' is a good example. There are some very slight industrial/noise elements, but this is definitely a hardcore record, with rage to spare. It was released on Jello's Alternative Tentacles label, so you can probably still order a copy. I cant praise it enough. To have a sound so simple, yet diverse and distinct is quite an accomplishment.

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

      I didn’t want to write about the Christopher Dorner story in my weekly column, but now feel as though I should. No one in the media feels the need to point out the dangerous implications of the staggering ignorance on full display this past week, so I guess I have to.
If we are going to start listening to people who murder because of racial implications, we are in serious trouble. If we as a society do not have knowledge of the distinction between wrong and right on questions as simple as “Is it better to be a murderer or to be racist?”, humanity is in serious trouble. The fact that the LAPD is investigating accusations made by an obvious psychopath on a killing spree should get your attention, if nothing else. This is a red flag that we are astray as a society. Common sense must intervene.
Dr. Marc Lamont Hill had some interesting comments on the situation:
          “They were even talking about making him the first domestic drone target. This is serious business here. I don't think it's been a waste of time at all. And as far as Dorner himself goes, he’s been like a real life superhero to many people. Now don't get me wrong. What he did was awful, killing innocent people was bad, but when you read his manifesto, when you read the message that he left, he wasn’t entirely crazy. He had a plan and a mission here. And many people aren't rooting for him to kill innocent people. They are rooting for somebody who was wronged to get a kind of revenge against the system. It’s almost like watching Django Unchained in real life. It’s kind of exciting.”
            Forget context, forget apologies, all of it. This is the most ignorant statement I have ever heard from a panelist. Who gave this guy his degree? How is he in charge of educating anyone? I think it’s time to produce some credentials, Columbia University. I want to see his doctoral thesis, because I honestly have a hard time believing someone this stupid could ever aquire a PhD. It’s honestly not even a matter of education, it is a matter of common sense. If you take someone else’s life, whatever opinions are about politics should be irrelevant. Unless you were defending yourself, there is absolutely no excuse for killing innocent people. I understand there have been accusations of racism directed at the LAPD by Dorner. Which is worse, calling black people racial slurs, or killing them? Do we really need to have this discussion?! The debacle sheds light on how far public opinion has strayed from reality. We are entering a pernicious epoch, with our government seizing every opportunity to make itself more powerful every day. If we as a people don’t get our priorities right and our heads on straight, our decisions will be made for us, and our best interests won’t be a priority, according to history.

Saturday, February 9, 2013



         This was the first Misfits album I ever bought. I had only heard them on skate videos and a mixtape my bro Dave made for me(Where Eagles Dare). I only had enough money to buy one tape (yes this was a while ago) and I had the choice between Morbid Angel's Domination or this one. I wanted to hear something different, so I opted for this one. I fell in love the first time I heard it. The songs are very short, like sped up 50's rock mixed with the Ramones maybe. This is where Glenn Danzig made a name for himself, with a super cool Elvis meets Jim Morrison drawl that is as infectious as it was original. (in 81). This was actually released on a major label, which is why it is the only record not included in their mandatory coffin boxed set.
         The longest track on this is probably 2:30 at the most. All the songs are about horror/b-movie topics (zombies,aliens,vampires,dead folks, etc), which is weird, but I guess thats just how Danzig rolls. You will have lots of fun singing along to these simple catchy songs,and with titles like "I Turned Into A Martian", "Devil's Whorehouse", and "Astro Zombies", you'll never take any of it very seriously. I guess this is what I love most about this record and this band. The songs are all upbeat and catchy, and short, what's not to like? This was also an extremely influential band whos DNA has found it's way into the sounds of countless Punk,Hardcore, and even Metal bands. So go pick this up at your local record store, you won't be disappointed.And Fuck iTunes, they already have plenty of money!







Thursday, February 7, 2013

Some of My All Time Favorite Riffs

Part of loving music is loving the sound of the guitar. Some people prefer solos or technical stuff, but I've always been a "riffs" guy. Don't get me wrong, I love guitar solos, but honestly I can hardly play Blitzkrieg Bop. I like catchy stuff. So why not make a list of all my favorite riffs, right? I'm not going to rank them, because that just requires too much thought/contemplation which completely defeats the purpose of writing about music to begin with! So without further adoooo.....

1. The first I'll mention is Suffocation's Funeral Inception. I might say this is my favorite riff of all time, but my mood changes alot. It is very dynamic, brutal, and cyclic. It also evolves into the main.Brilliant.    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3WI-GUt2lk

2.Carcass - Tomorrow Belongs to Nobody  This may be a weird one, I don't know. All I know is this main riff is simply an awesome work of genius. Very catchy.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLnTjHywE54

3.Pantera - Mouth for War This needs no introduction. It really embodies Dimebag's legacy of heavy, chunky, catchiness. I never get tired of it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvzVpw9hWbs

4.Metallica - To Live Is to Die - An amazing piece of music. Lots of emotion on display.Genius
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WdYt9VkVek

5.Deicide - They Are The Children of the Underworld   Deicide was THE Death Metal band of the mid- late 90's (to me ) This track is probably my favorite of theirs, and really sums up the whole "meat n' potatoes" Brutal Death Metal. Very heavy, very catchy. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4fIa0FjlzqU

6.Cannibal Corpse - Hammer Smashed Face      I didn't know if this would be to obvious like Angel of Death or somethin, but I'm not sure of the audience reading this so this must me mentioned.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gNhN6lT-y5U

7.Pennywise - Fight Till You Die - Full Circle is a mandatory record. The riff from the opening track of this on really sums up the sound of the record, the metal influence is slight, and suprisingly that is what makes it so interesting! Love this record. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWEhn7baqMU

8.Fear Factory - Self Bias Resistor - I'm not even a big Fear Factory fan, but when they got it right, they got it right! This songs' riffs are brutal as they are simple and repeatative, but not too much. Cool song to headbang to.    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCTies9khqo

9.Sepultura - Mass Hypnosis  Max Cavalara and Andreas Kisser were a fuckin riff factory back in the day. I just named this song off the top of my head. Check out Beneath the Remains, Arise, Chaos AD, even Roots. Talk about a riff goldmine. These guys were geniuses. Highly Recommended
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0krreagQlyE

10.NOFX - Decomposer  I will never be a democrat, NOFX's War on Errorism was an inspired piece of SoCal punk rock. In case you didn't know, NOFX can fuckin shred with the best of em. Lots of great riffs from these guys..         http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpwIZpE8zik

11.Dismember - Misathropic   I'm not even that into this style of death metal, but the "Death Metal" record by Dismember is chock full of cool riffs. My only complaint is they should have saved this song for the last as it is the obvious climax of the record. But I digress.This riff is crushingly heavy, and played at multiple tempos in the song which is always cool (as in Hammer Smashed Face)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1l3zmjXBao

12.Bad Religion - Lookin In BR are probably my favorite band. This song epitomises the bands sound, sort of.     http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yq9P1nu6CY8





Tuesday, February 5, 2013

                
   
       The Deathcore genre has either peaked, or evolved into something else or maybe it's in its prime. One thing I can tell you now, it is not a fad, or gimmick, or fleeting would-be genre like industrial. This stuff is here to stay I think, and I'll tell you why...
        I quit keeping up with the metal scene arout 2002 or so. I had a new child and a host of grown folks' priorities which prevented me from being able to keep up any longer. I was invited to attend a show full of 'hardcore' bands by a friend in Birmingham, and out of curiosity I obliged. I didn't know at the time, but I was seeing some of the most influential deathcore acts of the time that night, all I knew was the bands FUCKIN ROCKED.
        I grew up on a steady diet of Death Metal (Suffocation,Deicide,IncantationMorbid Angel,etc) and extreme hardcore (Capitalist Casualties, Napalm Death, Spazz, many others I can't recall). I loved Death/Grind, and went to shows as often as I could, Nile and Incantation were my favorite live acts. That was more or less the heyday of Death/Grind of the "Meat & Potatoes" variety (Deicide,Obituary,Malevolent Creation,old Cannibal Corpse) meaning, the music was very brutal, but relatively scaled back music-wise, almost a verse-chourus-verse style. There is nothing at all wrong with this style. It has died out for the most part, but it was to the point, no bullshit, brutal Death Metal. Some bands today could learn a thing or two from Malevolent Creation in my opinion when it comes to keeping the music interesting to the listener, rather than being about giving the performer the opportunity to showcase his guitar skills(prog). There is a balance many bands lose between being technical and complex, yet easy to listen to, and just simply finding excuses to show how totally fuckin awesome you are at hard-to-play guitar stuff, (Between the Buried and ME)
        I've veered off course. Sorry. Someone has to say these things.
         Anyway, I had pretty much heard all there was to hear of the Death-Grind stuff(I thought) and the stuff started to seem repetitive. My interest dwindled until the Birmingham show. The bands on the bill were Ion Dissonance, Beneath the Massacre, Through the Eyes of the Dead, and As Blood Runs Black. Almost all prepositional phrases I know, but band names can be tough. As for the show, I was floored. The bands' intensity, distinct sounds, and heavyness impressed me alot. I spent most of the time headbanging, mostly cause you couldn't drink at the club (the now defunt Cave 9 in Birmingham) and it was way too hot to go to the stage. It was a blast though, and began a friendship and times I will always cherish in my memory, driving from Birmingham to the Masquerade in Atlanta to get drunk and headbang with my buddy Mike. We saw lots of great bands:Goatwhore, Job For A Cowboy, Gojira, The Red Chord, Cannibal Corpse, Beneath the Massacre, Despised Icon, Behemoth, and countless others. Many if not most were of the "Deathcore" sub genre. Which is generally Death Metal/Grindcore with Hardcore influences. Many dismiss this sub-genre as just another fad, that there will be no deathcore bands in a few years. I take exception to this for a few reasons, such as the fact that way back when Pantera was ruling the scene in the 90's, many folks said they were not metal and the sound was just a fad as well. I'm actually old enough to remember this stuff. Now, to say Pantera isn't metal is obviously false to anyone who knows anything about the music. They were/are legends. And rightfully so. They left their mark on the music industry for sure.
 The same  can be said for the Deathcore subgenre now. If you are unfamiliar with this sound, I'll suggest a few records for you:
The Red Chord - Prey for Eyes
Between the Buried and Me - The Silent Circus, Alaska, or Colors
Job For a Cowboy - Genesis or Demoncracy
As Blood Runs Black - Allegiance
Through the Eyes of the Dead - Malice
Any Ion Dissonance or Despised Icon
The Black Dahilia Murder - Deflowerate
The Acacia Strain - Death Is the Only Mortal
As I lay Dying - Awakened
Some may dispute some of those, but to hell with em. That's a pretty good representation of the genre. Now, if you haven't heard much of the stuff, part of what distinguishes it from other metal stuff are things like the emphasis on breakdowns. This is a hallmark of deathcore, and it shows its hardcore roots here, because we all know that many times, the build up in anticipation and ultimate payoff is part of what makes hardcore breakdowns so fun. Especially in the live setting. It is a chance to stop, slow down, catch your breath, or just simply stretch out the brutality. Through the Eyes of the Dead are great at writing cool death metal breakdowns. They kind of remind me of a stripped-down Suffocation/Incantation style Death Metal/Hardcore. The Red Chord is one of the genre's best bands, the record Prey for Eyes reminds me of like a Far Beyond Driven of deathcore. The music is brutal as hell, as well as quite technical, the lyrics are very harcore-inspired. Humerous, funny at times even. What really sets that record apart from the rest to me is the atmospheric slowed down instrumental parts. They all have a very creepy feeling to them, and are all very original sounding, catchy and memorable. Check out the track Prey for Eyes end part, the instrumental It Came From Over There, or the end of the last track, Seminar. Perfect arrangements. Something to behold any way you look at it. Another one of my personal favorites is Between the Buried and Me's Alaska. I compare this as the And Justice For All of deathcore, maybe. I know the comparisons are weird maybe, but the similarities are there. This was BTBAM's last pure "metalcore" record, as they went pretty prog with Colors, (which is also Godly in it's own right) and the riffs and drumming are infectious. The title track is mercurial metal fun, as the song is constantly changing every 10 or so seconds. And as I noted before, those dudes can fuckin play! Check out Selkies:The Endless Obsession, Backwards Marathon, and Roboturner. Each one of those is deathcore perfection.
Job for a Cowboy has always been a controversial band, due to their age, (folks say when the Doom ep came out, they were still in high school) and the fact that their early works weren't the most technical songs ever written, to say the least.
         The Acacia Strain's Death Is the Only Mortal is a pretty new record, but I listed it because it really epitomizes their sound perfectly. Their guitar sound is syrupy, sludgy mid-tempo for the most part, but they have a very distinct sound. The lyrics are always negative as possible, to the point of being humerous. The record is what gave me the idea to write this piece, because it is that good.
           The Black Dahilia Murder are another band who has left the deathcore label behind them,and is now regarded as Death Metal generally. The Ritual record is my favorite. It came out last year I think, and it's incredible. I'm listening to it right now as a matter of fact.
          And you really can't talk about deathcore without mentioning Job For A Cowboy. They improve with every record. My only problem with the newer stuff is it sacrifices listenability for the sake of being technical, which makes the songwriting suffer. The songs aren't memorable, because you can't really distinguish one from the other at times. It's just a bunch of hard to play parts strung together.That pretty much raps it up.

Saturday, February 2, 2013

Want weirdness? Vladimir Putin is inviting Boyz To Men to perform in Russia on Valentine's day to help spur procreation. I'm not making this up. Apparently, the birth rate is low. If there are russian women in need of impregnation, why didn't he just call me? I'm not hard to find at all,and making babies appears to be my only talent....
I got tired of running beads over and over again in welding class, so I made this:
It was supposed to be two gears working it looks like two fucked up crosses or something, i dunno, its kinda cool, Im gonna grind it to make it all shiny maybe that'll help.At least I tried, dammit.
  The Super Bowl is tomorrow, I haven't figured out if I'm going to get drunk or watch the game at church,we'll see I guess. I'll probably get drunk, but you never know....
Also I heard earlier that YET ANOTHER conservative/gun rights activist has been murdered. A suspect has been apprehended, and I want to know EVERYTHING about the dude who did it. If he's an Occupy Black Bloc dude, we officially have an insurgency in America and it's a fucking shame. God help us. Please pray for our country.It is under attack constantly, whether people acknlowedge it or not is another story, but to put it bluntly: THE DEVIL NEVER RESTS

Friday, February 1, 2013

I try not to be small minded. I try to look at things through other's eyes before judging. It is still not enough to make sense of this culture. For once, I'm not even fussing about pop culture, I'm referring to the extreme music scene and how they need to pull their head out of their ass.
      Take Napalm Death for example. I LOVE Napalm Death. Harmony Corruption, Fear,Emptiness,Despair and Diatribes were all great works, in my opinion. To change their sound the way they did and still retain the intensity of their early grindcore stuff is no small feat at all. My interest in the band dwindled after Inside the Torn Apart. I didn't hear anything from them until Order of the Leech, which was pretty good, though it fell in the same trap as many of their old records as being repetitive. Utilitarian is their best work, in my opinion. The new elements like the clean singing complement the music perfectly, and give it a bit of atmosphere,which was the one thing they really lacked up to that point due to the hardcore influence on their music, I suppose. I loved Utilitarian, but the left-wing-'Occupy-friendly lyrical themes had me cringing. For those who don't know this band is from Birmingham UK so you can guess what political value system they adhere to, Anti-Capitalist,Anti-Christian,Anti-White folks,Anti-competition, i.e. Cultural Marxism. I'm pretty used to this, but its getting to the point that it's ridiculous. What I see as a threat to the UK's soverignty and well being is the agenda of radical Islam.Due to the elite's stranglehold on ideology, the British have been deceived into believing that they owe middle eastern people a living, for some reason. So the brits appear content to step aside and let their country be conquered by muslims. Oh well I suppose.But instead of ranting about actual threats, Napalm Death still choose to blame capitalism and civilization for all their woes. How much sense does that make? I've been a fan of Death Metal/Grindcore/Whatever-core and I see the same themes over and over and over again. I know rock'n roll is supposed to be rebellious,but it seems the hippies have said all they are going to say, in case you haven't noticed.The Rolling Stones are fossils literally. Can we please move on? They never come up with anything new, and it is supposed to be hip somehow, to repeat yourself over and over. It's nonsense.

Monday, January 28, 2013

I read a piece on Facebook from the Huffington Post praising liberal troll Jon Stewart for supposedly being smart and funny. I don't know if I can put into words how much I HATE his show, as well as its underhanded opinion-forming tactics, but I'll try...
        First off, it should be a dead give away that the object of this show is to create a casual liberal audience out of unsuspecting moron viewers is the fact that it insists it is NOT a news/info show, when, although it is not, it tries to be. The asshole does nothing but trash basically all conservative/Republican viewpoints, supporting the narrative that they are unenlightened, uneducated hillbillies who are blinded by their belief in the false Christian God. The show tries to target democrats occasionally to give the illusion that they are impartial, a fact repeated endlessly by the show's fans, only convincing themselves of the delusion. It is nothing but left-wing simpleton politics/ideology, under the guise of comedy. It's spinoff the Colbert Report is an even more egregious example of this shit-for-brains approach to infotainment. Here is a link to a video from a few years ago informing its viewers that Al Jazeera is a legitimate news source and should be available (be sure to ask your cable provider!) in the United States, and anyone who disagrees is a right wing idiot clinging to the Bible and American flag blah blah blah... http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/378442/march-22-2011/ayman-mohyeldin
Anyone who doubts what Im saying should ask themselves:" Why in the fuck would an American TV show that questions the credibility of Fox News and Rush Limbaugh EVERY DAY also be trying to convince me that Al Jazeera is a network I should be watching?" Bear in mind this is THREE YEARS before Al Gore sold his bullshit network to the terrorist pieces of shit. Here's another link to a video of a western journalist who has decided to work for Al Jazeera because I guess being a pussy submissive traitor to satan sounded like a good idea. http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/58447/january-31-2006/david-maresh

Share this with people you know, get the word out about these assholes. They are fighting against our country's best interest because they are deceived by the forces of darkness. God help us.

Saturday, January 26, 2013

The Japanese Rip-Off Extravaganza!

          I was drawn outside by a strange odor filling my welding lab today. I smelled strangely familiar, yet poisonous, like a comparison I can't come up with. There was a dude cutting an oil pan with a plasma cutter(the best toy ever),that had a metal shaft bisecting it perpendicularly. "What the hell is that?" I asked, blowing cigarette smoke. "It's for a Skyline GT-R, we're converting it from AWD to RWD" he replied. I told him that was part of the reason that I hate japanese cars, their unnceccasary complexity. I used the difference between BMW's Valvetronic variable valve lift system and Honda's VTEC as examples. He didn't exactly agree, but said Japanese people "think different" than other people, which I found interesting. Whose system is better depends on who you ask, as is whether it is wise to have still employed the use of timing belts until recently(that's a whole nother article, I suppose)but it reminded me of someone I used to know.
             Some people, who coincidentally are usually really into Magna/Anime and other childish shit, think Japanese people are smarter than everyone else. Some people insist that video games, (which they didn't invent), automobiles(not these either), and other technologies they rip off from other countries are proof. Is there any proof to these claims? Lets see..
          The first thing I always think of when I think of Japanese stuff is cars. They are good at building and designing them, many believe. I believe they are better at improving on existing concepts, reverse engineering, if you will. Check out Toyota's first Lexus LS400, next to a Mercedez-Benz of the same era




   Looks like the same damn car, doesn't it?! The similarities don't end there. Here's some specs:
                                                                Mercedes s420                        Lexus LS400
Engine size:                                             4.2L (4200cc)V8                  4.0L (4000cc)V8
Power (hp):                                                 275 hp                                 260 hp
Chassis Type                                          Front Engine RWD           Front Engine RWD
Overall Length                                       205.2"                                        196.7"
Height                                                         58"                                          56.5"
Width                                                          74"                                          72"
 The apeing doesn't end there. Lexus' BMW fighter, the IS 300 was a blatant rip-off of BMW's 3 Series. I'll spare you all the details, but each was a small, RWD sedan, with a 3.0 liter 6-cylinder engine producing 225hp! If the similarities weren't so close, it wouldn't be so obvious all they are doing is buying a competitor's car, stripping it down and seeing where improvements can be made. This is why I don't care much for Japanese cars. All they ever really do is imitate the Germans. They are known for reliability, which can't be disputed, but someone has to call them out on this crap, they've been doing it forever. I saw Neil Cavouto(sp) talking about how Apple's stock had been taking a beating as of late, mostly due to the fact that Samsung is totally ripping off the iPhone. It's quite shameless. I have a Samsung Galaxy, and even I agree it is totally an iPhone imitation. I don't know how laws work for stealing other people's ideas in the global market, but Samsung should at least have to pay Apple something, for they owe all their wireless buisness to the existence of the iPhone. We all also know there probably would be no Nintendo if not for Atari. It looks as if most American and German companies are doing all the research and development for Japanese companies. Pretty good scam they have going.                                  
                                          

Friday, January 25, 2013

 So the new Bad Religion CD was ok. Their liberal views sure are annoying though. Why do they only criticize American culture,government,etc. It's actually a good example of how liberals magnify all the flaws and contradictions found in our way of life, while ignoring the daily atrocities that take place in developing countries. I'm reminded of the recent case of an Indian girl who was gang raped,then encouraged to marry one of the subhuman swine who carried out the crime! Why wasn't India's religion/culture scrutinized? America's useless media is too busy worshipping Obama to ask such things. The media in America is so infatuated with Obama, they can't help themselves. It is truly sickening. Especially considering as righteous as the press has always portrayed itself.
       Remember when racist jackass Kanye West said Bush doesn't care about black people? How long has it been since Sandy, and people are still in the cold? This is how the American public has been decieved. George Bush could do absolutly nothing right by the media's standards. Whether or not you were for the war in Iraq you have to agree that the press despised him. The mainstream media has ZERO credibility in my eyes.
          I just read a Tweet by some liberal hag Joan Walsh who is upset people like Bobby Jindal. What is it about liberal women that is so despicable? I think what bugs me most is when they are middle aged(at the least) and still try to look/act young.It is seriously pathetic. Like old-guy-at-bar-with-ponytail-AND-beret-pathetic. i gotta go  bbl

Thursday, January 24, 2013

           I got the new Bad Religion album 'True North' yesterday. I can't tell if I don't like it or I'm just not in the mood to listen to Bad Religion. I guess I should note that Bad Religion is my favorite band. I am well aware they are liberals, and atheists,but they are still making decent records. Most of their albums since founding member Brett Gurewitz re-joined the band have been solid overall. Yes, it is a tad repetitive, yes they aren't breaking any new ground, but neither are the fuckin Chili Peppers, or whatever other band whose members are approaching 50 (yes FIFTY.MR.Brett is FIFTY!!I couldn't believe it either!). I don't really follow bands who still choose to flog the corpse of punk rock (it was killed by liberals) I still listen to NOFX, Rancid,and Social Distortion. Generally I listen to Death Metal/Extreme 'Core/Grind/Whatever the kids call it these days. I guess Death Metal/Hardcore is appropriate. That reminds me I got the new NOFX as anniversary present (I just realized I didn't get her anything,I'm a bastard I know, but she actually requested me to spend the money I would have on her present on the kids which I did and that's how my daughter got an iPod Touch.I immediatly quit the job cause my mgr was a racist bastard who cussed me out literally every 10 minutes.I quit in the middle of the shift too,to make it worse. The guy walks in late and I was sitting reading a paper, (this is at a warehouse for a newspaper)so I fold it up and place it on a stack. He tells me to get my midget ass over there put the paper where it was supposed to go and I say "I put it where it went, relax." But noooo this asshole starts berating me as he does every night I work over every petty thing so I say " I got a better idea;How about you find another sucker to do this bullshit? Fuck you and this job. He kinda paused and started following me out wanting to talk asking me to to stop. To which I replied "I don't need the money bad enough to put up with your stupid shit every night, I quit, I'm outta here.")
        So I guess I should write about the new NOFX. It didn't make my top ten records of 2012, that's for sure! I have even more of a love/hate relationship with NOFX than Bad Religion, for numerous reasons. NOFX was pretty apolitical(they even made fun of liberals) for most of their career, until the war in Iraq. Fat Mike was subsequently brainwashed and fell for the commie narrative hook, line and sinker. It's ironic, because the CD that resulted "The War On Errorism" is probably my favorite NOFX album. By a mile. NOFX is bad about making filler tracks that are fucking stupid to take up space on records.Punk in Drublic,as well as White Trash,Two Heebs And A Bean have multiple filler tracks.That's part of NOFX's charm though, is they do things for the express purpose of pissing people of so if you're a fan you're used to it. Anyway the new NOFX is called Self EnTitled (yes, another fuckin pun name). The first song "72 hookers" is probably my favorite song on the record.
I'm listening to Ronnie & Mags right now and it really demonstrates how fuckin stupid liberals are. For starters, they are bitching about Magaret Thatcher shutting down government coal mines, (they HAD to shut them down, they were losing shitloads of money because ONCE AGAIN nationalizing industries FAILS EVERY TIME). The second song is about being an atheist, which is sooo trendy now. I think those people bother me even more than liberals. How are you categorized by something you DON'T do? I think its a crock of shit, atheists are just angry, whiney bitches who can't accept that life isn't fair. I guess if I looked like Penn Jillete, I'd be pissed at God too. The record is pretty good I guess, I just wish they weren't such adament atheist/liberals its fuckin annoying to listen to someone say things you KNOW are bullshit,yknow? Either way it's still 100 orders of magnitude better than the crap people call music these days.Seriously it's pathetic.I'm supposed to give a fuck if Kanye West wears a skirt on stage? The music industry is in the toilet because its selling a shitty product. They can blame piracy all they want, but the truth is the corporations that run the record industry are afraid of taking risks on new music, so they keep shoveling the same shit over and over. There are lots of great bands that would/could be selling millions of records if a few suits would take a chance on bands like In Flames,The Red Chord,The Sword,Soilwork, there are so many. Hear that Major Labels?!  WE VE HAD ENOUGH FUCKIN SNOOP DOGG!
         I didn't even intend to write about music. I was gonna bitch about how Beyonce lip synced the national anthem and Phil Mickelson is apologizing for saying he's leaving California.
       I was goofing off on youtube and found this, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c91usT4P1u0
       Its an example of how people are learning about politics these days. It honestly frightens me. If we are this stupid, we are doomed. Like it or not, the Simpsons and the Daily Show are where folks are getting their information these days, and anyone who argues this point is delusional because it is blatantly obvious to any one with any sense. Irrational liberals are calling the shots now, who knows what's going to happen? CBS's media chief ENCOURAGED Obama to "Destroy the Republican Party." The Lord tells us not to worry, so I try my best not to.

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Random Review: In Flames - Reroute to Remain
               If you look up In Flames you'll probably read their best record was their second, or first, or whichever The Jester Race was. I thought it was the first initially, but then I remembered Lunar Strain was first, I honestly don't know which was first. But when it comes to Death Metal, fans can be misleading because they are the most opinionated lot in the world! Look up reviews of Death's last record, the singer died of cancer well before his time, but Death Metal fans don't give a fuck. They still shit all over that record in spite of it being Chuck's last recording. That's just how they are. If they were happy people, they wouldn't be so into Death Metal I suppose.But I digress. Most people say The Jester Race or Colony was In Flames best record and this one was where they started to go downhill. I'm here to tell you, those people are full of shit. While both of the aformentioned records are great works of melodic Death Metal, a sub-genre which In Flames helped pioneer, Reroute to Remain has them beat in more ways than one. The choruses are catchier, the synth and keyboards are even more up front, and the vocals are cleaner, for better or worse. The first track is the title, which in many cases is a bad sign, this is an exception. In Flames have created almost a form of "easy-listening" metal if there is such a thing, removing all abrasiveness from guitars and vocals for a sound that is both dynamic and accessable. The synth and keyboards provide a diverse pallate of sounds from witch to draw, and the result is both originial and familiar. I will never condone the use/abuse of hallucinogens, but if you are to eat shrooms or guzzle DXM, this is the band you want to listen to, trust me. The combination of cool riffs and vocal effects and keyboard breaks is never boring, always interesting. Check out "Dawn Of A New Day", too weird not to like. It's a folksy sounding acoustic number with a screamed chorus that goes down easy and works, amazingly! "Cloud Connected" is another tune you could almost mistake for some weird euro-pop song with a catchy main riff that is simple and vocal effects that enhance the feel. Its very impressive. Every song on this disc is worth listening to, but if I had to choose favorites, I'd say the title track, System, Trigger, Cloud Connected,and Dawn of a New Day. They are all keepers, in my opinion, and I still love this band and the way their sound has evolved over the years. Brilliant. Highly Recommended.

Monday, January 21, 2013




          This record sticks out like a sore thumb in Slayer's discography. It was the first with out legendary pioneer Dave Lombardo, as well as the first on Rick Rubin's now defunt American Recordings. It is debateable whether Rubin's influence on the band early in their carrer is a good thing or not(I think they were on their way to singlehandedly founding extreme/death metal after Hell Awaits,but I digress)as his fingerprints are all over it, mostly in the for of the "get on with it" anti-technical attitude towards songwriting. It may work for the Chili Peppers, but technical instrumentation is a hallmark of metal, as has been demonstrated thoroughly by the evolution of ever-multiplying sub-genres. Each more complex than the one which proceeded it.
          What Paul Bostaph lacked in speed or precision, he made up for in sheer brutality, in my opinion. I would call this Slayer's most extreme record. It is not as fast as Reign In Blood, but the over-the-top at times drumming and Discharge-inspired no frills guitar work make this record a strange animal. It is probably my favorite Slayer album, as it was the first I bought, in 1994.
          The record starts with an acknowledgement of their new drummer."Killing Fields" is a fairly good opener, going from mid-tempo to fast and literally crashing into the psychotic "Sex. Murder. Art.", which confirms the band has shifted it's direction from images of Satan & Hell, which are imaginary to some and inconceivable to the rest, to more reality based themes of horror."The urge to take my fist, and violate every orifice.." in the second track grabs the attention suitably. The third track,'Fictional Reality" is the lamest on the entire disc and the only one I regularly skip, even though it seems errily prophetic now check out the opening "Crisis fears the lunacy, all fear the new machine. Consumed Democracy returns a Socialist Regime."WTF. The fourth track, "Dittohead" is the reason I bugged my parents for the money to buy the disc. I saw the video on Headbanger's Ball and thought, "Yea, that's me!" It is in the vien if songs like "Necrophobic" where Tom sings really really fast, instead of just really fast.Once you hear the songs you will know what I mean. It is probably my favorite Slayer song, as it is both pissed and fast, with cool guitar solos and insane drumming in under 3 minutes.Perfect! The title track is a mid-tempo atmospheric piece describing Hell which mentions God but not Satan oddly.The riffs make it a keeper. The evolution of the song is cool. This is songwriting 101. "Circle of Beliefs" is a pretty long anti-Christian rant kept interesting by the drumming and solos.Same for SS-3. The song 213 is a bone chilling narrative from the POV of Jeffrey Dahmer. The creepy acoustic intro works perfectly, definitely a standout track.The last song, Mind Control is a speed metal masterpiece, that sums up the record as a whole perfectly. Slayer never re-visited this sound again, presumably because drummer Paul Bostaph couldn't hold up under Slayer's inhuman touring demands. Their next record would incorporate shitty "nu-metal"elements rather than forging ahead in the extreme direction as I had wished. They probably wouldn't have survived shitty rap-metal otherwise, who knows?
      The inauguration of the Unholy One was today, coincidentally on phony PhD party animal MLK (Don't like it?Look it up) Day as well as the "bluest day of the year", according to some random fact thingie that Tweets me everyday. I'm inclined to believe it, and don't feel like looking it up to substantiate the fact, so...yeah.
   Beyonce' Alicia Keys, and Jamie "Kill All The White People" Foxx all sang at the ceremony/ball, which is appropriate, I suppose. The internet is all abuzz over what designer Moochelle is wearing. All I want to know is , who paid for the damn acre of fabric to cover her fat ass? I also wouldn't mind if our current administration at least pretended to give a flying fuck about the American hostages killed in Algeria. It is clear the image of Islam is more important to our President than American lives. We all know this, but it's rarely acknowledged, sadly. I guess it doesn't help that the Americans killed worked for a greedy Oil company, but at least it was the irredeemably sinister BP, who has only paid $30 BILLION for the Gulf Disaster. We all know they should pay more, or deserve to go out of business.This is surely 'Karma' for their evil deeds against Mother Gaia. I should note I am being sarcastic, for those of you unaware.(I would'nt take time to point it out, but people often misconstrue sarcasm especially online, too bad my idea of denoting sarcastic sentences with this* never caught on, I thought it was a good idea.Perhaps I'm ahead of my time,that's my default excuse for when I have an idea that fails, the world wasn't ready for it yet.)
        I forgot what I'm talking about, so I'll start a new paragraph. Also , don't fly off the handle for me making fun of MLK, segregation was an evil policy, supported by SOCIALIST DEMOCRATS, but if we can call the founders slave owners, we can acknolwedge MLK wasn't infallible as well. Those who think I'm racist for saying that are going to think I'm racist for being a republican anyway, so fuck it.
        Speaking of racial shit, I'm a big fan of the NBA. White folks have trouble understanding why sometimes, as many who make up the culture of the NBA have made it clear they don't care much for white folks. This point is arguable, but I cant help but be reminded of racist midget asshole Spike Lee and the playoff series between the Indiana Pacers and the New York Knicks in the early 90's. Spike Lee is a huge Knicks fan. When not blaming western civilization for all evil in the world, he attends nearly all the Knicks home games at MSG. Remember all the Malcom X merchandise? Wasn't that crazy? For those of you who are too young to remember, Spike Lee made a movie about Malcom X in the early 90's and launched a line of activewear to promote it. You could get baseball caps and shirts with a big white "X" on them(But why is the 'X' WHITE??) for a designer price. Bizarre. The Rosa Parks Cutlery Set he released subsequently didn't perform as well, so Spike went back to making shitty movies(except 25th Hour, It literally made me cry) for a living. Anyway, the New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers had become bitter rivals in recent years,and the entire nation was watching this playoff series. Spike Lee just couldn't resist the urge to ruin the friendly competitive spirit in the air, though, and as most assholes like him, started calling everyone in Indiana RACISTS because the Klan used to be big there or something.I'm not researching it because its a false point, okay? So Spike Lee insists all the people who are pulling for the Pacers to win in that series are racists by proxy even though they are cheering on a team that is made op of mostly black players. This really embodies the "anti-racist" self righteous anti-white mentality to me perfectly. Mostly because it is inherently RACIST TOWARD WHITES!! No matter how un-racist you prove to be to a reasonable person, to these morons, you are racist for not agreeing with them. This left a pretty bad taste in my mouth, and though my interest in the NBA didn't dwindle immediatly, I was reminded of it when it did. So I can kind of understand why people don't like pro-basketball. For me, it's too ingrained into by personality no to. I went to many schools where I  was the only white kid, and my friends and I played basketball whenever we had a free moment. We even made little basketball hoops out of paper and taped them on out doorframes for rainy day games of horse. I will probably always love basketball, professional specifically for many reasons. I still don't know if it loves me back or  not, it has more than skateboarding, at least.

Sunday, January 20, 2013



   
           I don't know if this is the first Death N Roll  record. This was one of the first Death Metal cds I ever bought, and has been a favorite for many years. The first track, "Eyemaster" is the disc's lone fast song, played at that familiar "horseback riding tempo" Swedish bands love so much. "Rotting Soil" is upbeat and catchy, and sets the tone for the disc better than the first track. Another thing I love about this record is the use of humor. Most of the songs are from the point of view of some drunk swede,an everyman,so to speak. Not to say the songs are dumb. There are many tasteful interludes and solos thrown in the mix. I have to tell you about the guitar sound. The negative/heavy tone is their trademark. It has been aped by other bands for years,but aside from Dismember, I can't recall even one band still left from those days. Anyway the title track is #3 and it is about as simple as you can get. That is what I love most about this record. The songs are so basic and fun, it's infectious. Lots of headbanging riffs, funny vocals and lyrics,and compotent drumming. This is a must for anyone who is new to metal or Death Metal. There isn't a bad song on this disc. The only one I skip occasionally is "Blood Song" for obvious reasons. I enjoy the "dumb" aspect of this record, but that track takes it a little too far. "Contempt" is probably my favorite song on this disc, if I had to pick one. And I dunno if it's because maybe English isn't their first language or something, but some of the lyrics are hilarious. Like "Hollowman": "Who examines the doctors?!" or my all time favorite "Heavens Die", "Ressurrected to get laid!" It never gets old. I've been listening to this for the better part of 20 years,and haven't gotten tired of it yet, in spite of its simplicity. That is why I hail this as a work of genius.You can't not like it, it's just too charming. It's also too drunk,too busy raisin' hell to care what you think anyway.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

          I've been ranting for years that the popular culture in this country is turning our population into idiots. It looks like people are finally waking up and realizing it may not be a great idea to allow your kids to fill their heads with lies because their friends are. The left has lots of advantages, the control of pop culture is probably their most valueable asset. It assures the next generation will fall for the same old routine, now entitled "Social Justice." I encourage all conservatives to speak up and not only defend their beliefs when challenged even indirectly, but to be on the offensive. Be "the opinionated Republican" at your workplace or social clique. Be outspoken to a fault. When you hear someone spewing lies about how great Obama is or how racist Bush was, correct them. Don't be ashamed because you are right! I hope the younger in our ranks take heed to this most of all. The current liberal narrative is a rickety framework of lies which can be easily dismantled at will by a person with knowledge and audacity. The salvation of our Republic will not come from the government, but from its people! Think of the Bush Doctrine. You cannot win a conflict waiting to be attacked. You must attack and put your adversary on the defensive. It is possible. We can change minds. We can change the world.

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

       It appears this Illuminati theroy isn't going to go away by itself. It seems to be increasing in popularity. Apparently, being on youtube automatically qualifies something as credible these days. The ever gullible American public has fallen for this anti-west,pro-islam propaganda hook, line and sinker. Have they never noticed nearly all the 'Illuminati' videos on youtube are made by people with muslim names? The Michael Jackson story is my personal favorite. According to the videos, he wasn't a delusional pedophile. He is merely yet another victim of the evil, racist American government. All of the charges of child molestation are false, they say. Michael Jackson was actually a persecuted quasi-muslim. They blame his paranoid psychosis he displayed late in his life on the idea that the FBI was following him, as well as poisoning his food. It also features a video of Jermaine Jackson (On arab TV, no less!) insisting that Michael was being persecuted for being surrounded by muslims and was on the verge of converting before he was murdered by the FBI. The fact that adults believe this frightens me. For starters, Michael admitted to sharing his bed with young boys. He was in poor health before his death because he was a DRUG ADDICT! He died of a drug overdose. How is this simple explanation less appealling than these bizarre conspiricies? The video also explains, through pseudo-analysis, that the child rapist encoded details to the plot against him through nonsensical symbolism in his music videos. The videos also assert that the 911 attacks were carried out by the U.S. government, not radical Islamists. In the popular "Illuminati Controls Hollywood" (by Farhan Khan) this is "proven" by the fact that the numbers 9 and 11 appear next to each other in a dozen or so movies and TV shows out of the countless thousands made in the last 30 years. The effectiveness of this propaganda is chilling. Millions of grown adults have been deceived into believing western civilization as well as the global economy has been infiltrated by racist warlocks hellbent on destroying Islam. The Jews are in on it too, of course. Other videos claim the nation of Israel, which can hardly keep its own borders secure, are manipulating all western governments secretly. The fact that there's no evidence supporting this claim proves how good the Jews are at tricking us! If noticed alot of anti-Israel rhetoric from delusional Ron Paul supporters. This is little suprise, as the vast majority in this camp learned everything they think they know from youtube. (Ever argued with one? It's only a matter of time before they start posting youtube.) Hopefully, our society will rediscover critical thinking, and Occam's Razor. If not, anyone with a digital camera and an internet connection could have the chance to form public opinion, however they please.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2eQQ6iGLQM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1wPNBdv6F0