Rolling Metal Thread 2010

PS - here's what I saw at Roadburn: YOB, Goatsnake, Suma, Shever (all female doom from Switzerland), Darkspace, Bohren und der Club of Gore (performing Black Earth), Tryptikon (quite a few Celtic Frost tunes in their set), Thorr's Hammer, Comus (performing First Utterance), YOB again, Enslaved + Shining, Master Musicians of Bukakke, two mindblowing sets from Jex Thoth, and a touch of Eyehategod.

I'm probably forgetting something but goddamn this is the best festival in the world, even with major cancelations like Candlemass and Shrinebuilder. Can't imagine I'll ever skip this fest again. Being here in Tilburg with hundreds of stranded stoners has just lent a certain "doomed" ambience to the whole affair. Go Mount Doom!!!

Wish yob would come to Scotland. Tell Mike "fuck london, glasgow is better" please nate :)

I had quite a few friends at roadburn and 1 or 2 who couldn't make it.

COMUS?!?! How was that?

Well I'm deep in discussions with them about handling their US tour. Talked to them for an hour after the show and they've already emailed me twice.

The bongo solo was the highlight for me. VERY cool set.

Oh how could I forget that I saw Church of Misery?! What a blast that was :)

Yay COMUS U.S.! Please let it not be festivals only!

Anyone here is welcome to email me their ideas for the best situations for a band like Comus in their town.

Having said that, someone on here wrote me asking if I was still on tour with Ludicra.

a) I'm not
and
b) if you don't include your return email address, I can't write you back...

Great words from Time Out NY's Hank Shteamer on the Ludicra show in Brooklyn on Sunday night:

http://darkforcesswing.blogspot.com/2010/04/just-returned-from-seeing-ludicra-at.html

Hey is there a metal logos discussion thread? There should be.

http://1a2a3a.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/death_logo.jpg

Bohren und der Club of Gore (performing Black Earth)

Jealous!

Silliest metal band logos/names?

Having said that, someone on here wrote me asking if I was still on tour with Ludicra.

a) I'm not
and
b) if you don't include your return email address, I can't write you back...

Sorry Nate - that was me. Sounds like Roadburn was all that and a bag of chips. Seriously jealous.

Cathedral's The Guessing Game hit the streets of North America today and it sounds so much better than the rip I had. Absolutely amazing.

By the way, if you live in the Northeast it is on killer sale at Newbury Comics - $7.99. Absolutely no excuse not to pick it up at that price.

Currently listening to the Levi/Werstler instrumental disc Avalanche of Worms. It is duller than you can possibly imagine, even if you're already familiar with Daath's lobotomizingly tedious work.

thx ez snappin! that is a killer price.

EZ Snappin, you are the hero of the day -- i will be heading out to NC later today

I actually like Daath. As for Levi-Werstler, it is on the overbearing side.

Damn my wife needs to go see her mom in Boston so she can make a newbury comics run for me! Mebbe I'll check Best Buy tonight and see what kind of price they have...

Daath don't know how to write songs, only riffs.

Guys there are two holes that need filling in my iron fucking maiden library: Seventh Son and the 2000 reunion album. Which should I get first?

Seventh Son, by all means. Get that at once. But Brave New World is not without merit.

I think they're kind of equal, actually. Seventh Son is great, but it's a concept album and has the saggy moments common to all concept albums. Brave New World has a lot of strong, anthemic songs, plus it's the first album with the three-guitar lineup, and I really like them that way.

I really think Brave New World was overrated -- it actually was pretty much exactly what I originally expected, but then reviews starting pouring out from skeptics saying it was one of the best Maiden albums ever. No, it isn't, though it is good. Unlike the tripe that came afterwards :(

Seventh Son rules, on the other hand.

I actually think Seventh Son is the only Maiden album in their entire discography that doesn't have a single crap song on it. The rest of their 80s albums, as great as they are (Maiden's my favourite band), all have a throwaway track.

I think SEventh son did a better job of integrating the synthesizers than Somewhere in Time did, too.

going to see Cannibal Corpse shortly. Oh, fun will be had, for sure.

seventh son is... pretty good. but I like pretty much every maiden album that came before it (and a couple that came after) better.

and apropos of nothing, I think this is a stone-cold classic. totally underrated.

http://www.amazingbarkingspider.com/music/Covers/Pictures/Iron%20Maiden%20-%20Somewhere%20in%20Time.jpg

Badass cover.

Yeah was listening to Somewhere In Time when I posted the above query. Thoroughly awesome IMO with the exception of 'Alexander The Great'.

"Deja Vu" is the one on that album that comes closest to being a stinker.

figured someone would say that (it's a little maiden by-the-numbers) but I kind of irrationally love "deja vu"

It's got those autopilot Steve Harris lyrics that get a little too silly, even for Maiden. Like "Fear of the Dark".

yeah, fair point. but I love that twin guitar action.

I'm angry that Cannibal Corpse played only Cat Stevens covers tonight....

Here's a link to my interview with Stephen Pearcy of Ratt.

argh so annoying the new webfilter at work won't let me read phil's blog. F U parent corporation!

I'm angry that Cannibal Corpse played only Cat Stevens covers tonight...

Sorry but that made me laugh my ass off...

Apparently there will be a new Worship album out in the winter.

Didn't Harvey Milk do that at one gig? (Play just Cat Stevens covers that is.)

Didn't Harvey Milk do that at one gig?

Sounds like exactly the kind of smug fuckery they'd pull.

So, who else is going to the Maryland Deathfest this year? I just booked my train ticket and a really nice hotel room; waiting to hear back if the organizers are issuing me a three-day pass before I buy my ticket. Looking over the website, there's nine bands I want to see on Friday, eight on Saturday (along with a couple I wouldn't mind sitting through) and thirteen on Sunday.

harvey milk did an all-REM gig, I think.

Speaking of Harvey Milk, their new album is some dark, dark stuff. No smugness whatsoever (none of the pop culture references of "Death Goes to the Winner"), it's a concept album that contains a plot not unlike a classic murder ballad. There are some moments that are just unbearably sad.

tbh, their music is rarely smug. at least it doesn't strike me that way. the early stuff and especially special wishes are fragile, heartfelt, and gorgeous records.

their image is another matter, yeah.

in any case, I'm really excited for the new one

I've tried, but they just don't do it for me. The album that came closest to entertaining me was The Pleaser, but even then I just wound up going back to the '70s hard rock they were ripping off.

i really wanna hear the new harvey milk. love those guys. and, yeah, i can't think of any other recent records that have choked me up like special wishes did.

would srsly <3 a metal Cat Stevens cover album

and, yeah, i can't think of any other recent records that have choked me up like special wishes did.

had the same reaction. the single they released right around the same time ("i got a love" b/w "the old revolution") has a seriously great l. cohen cover too. their best one, hah.