Bass Busters Part I
February 26, 2007 by Jo Minor · Leave a Comment
Jason Newsted (Voivod)
Currently plying his trade with Canadian metallers Voivod, Jason Newsted has made a commercially recognizable name for himself as one of the band members of Rock Star: Supernova.
Newsted, however, had begun to carve a name for himself in 1988, when he stepped in to replace the deceased Cliff Burton in Metallica for the recording of their follow up to the breathtaking Master Of Puppets, …And Justice For All.
All of the abuse and bullying from the other members of the band didn’t dampen his energy and spirit, and Newsted soon made himself the band’s driving force in their successful world tours and other live shows since he came on board. Newsted’s undying liveliness and down to earth personality made him a fan favorite, and even though he suffered from being compared to the great Burton all the time he never showed any signs of weakness to the fans, and the music loving public who adored him and took him to heart.
Newsted, however, couldn’t take it much longer in Metallica. He was just the bass player, and was given absolutely no chance to view his creative ideas for the band - that was the sole responsibility of frontman James Hetfield and drummer/resident pain in the butt Lars Ulrich. He was controlled so much in Metallica that to this day, he is only credited with writing one song for the band - My Friend Of Misery - and judging from how amazing that song was, his creative contributions could have seriously enhanced the uninspired songwriting of Hetfiend and Ulrich of recent times.
Newsted quit Metallica not too long before the release of the horrible St. Anger, and plied his services for renowned acts like Ozzy Osbourne and Voivod. He is currently nursing an injury to his arm and shoulder - which he sustained after trying (unsuccessfully) to catch an amp falling from the top of an amp cabinet.
Steve DiGiorgio
Widely known as THE extreme metal bassist, Steve DiGiorgio has plied his bass playing with such distinguished acts such as Death, Iced Earth and Testament - just to name a few.
DiGiorgio is also the only fretless bass guitar player in all of the extreme metal genre, and his versatility and skills have made him one of the most sought after bass players in the industry. After having been involved with groundbreaking albums from the bands listed above - especially in Iced Earth’s splendid Horror Show (with former Death band member Richard Christy) and Testament’s masterpiece The Gathering (alongside Slayer’s drum maestro Dave Lombardo and extreme metal guitar legend James Murphy) - DiGiorgio has an impressive, unbeatable resume that speaks for itself.
One of the highlights of his career would be his participation in Testament’s The Gathering, where he joined forces with one of the greatest band lineups for any metal album ever put to tape.
Abbath (Immortal)
Abbath, of legendary black metal band Immortal may have long given up the 4-strings but he will always be remembered as the one man army behind the evil force of Immortal.
During the early years of Immortal, Abbath was vocalist, drummer, bassist and guitarist of his musical endeavor. He was always plagued with the disease of not being able to find able band mates, and was mostly involved in writing and playing everything audible in the band’s first few albums.
It wasn’t too long since co-songwriter and guitarist Demonaz joined the fold, and Abbath could relax a bit - he focused on playing bass for their live shows and recordings. Immortal then chanced upon drummer Horgh and bassist Iscariah - and with the departure of Demonaz due to injury to his arm Abbath took over the guitar assault of the band.
He has recently stated the reunion of Immortal, and we hope to see more of Abbath & Co. soon.
Bass Busters Part II
February 26, 2007 by Jo Minor · Leave a Comment
Cliff Burton (Metallica)
Bassist Cliff Burton was hired into the band in the periods of Metallica’s infancy, a time where they have not yet tasted the sweet, and potentially corrupting, taste of commercial success and fame.
When the band members first hear the sound of Burton’s bass playing, the thought that this guy actually played lead guitar - Burton’s wah pedal bass solos were something unheard of and became the man’s trademark contribution to the band, and heavy metal in general. This exact bass solo is captured in the band’s debut album Kill ‘Em All - where it’s entitled Anesthesia (Pulling Teeth).
From the time of his hiring and onwards, Burton was the star attraction of Metallica - people used to flock to their venues just to see the man perform live. Burton was even larger than then lead guitarist Dave Mustaine, and this volatile combination was to be short-lived.
After all of his contributions to the band - including co-writing the brilliant instrumental The Call of Ktulu, Burton died in a tragic bus accident in which he was flung out of the emergency window of the bus. Burton’s tragic death inspired the creation of the “Burton board” - a board that has since helped blocked the emergency escape window in buses all over Europe, in case of such accidents.
Burton helped spawn the Metallica craze worldwide, and his contributions to the band’s first three albums (Kill ‘Em All, Ride The Lightning and Master Of Puppets) were priceless. The band never fully recovered from his departure, and continued down the path of a slow and agonizing self-destruction.
Steve Harris (Iron Maiden)
The prime driving force behind heavy metal legends Iron Maiden, Steve Harris writes almost all of the band’s songs unaided, and is known to present completed songs to the other members of the band in the studio - which means he writes all of the guitar, bass, drum and vocal parts and melodies himself!
Being one of the few remaining original members, Steve Harris has been the persona and spirit of Iron Maiden. His characteristic bass playing, which utilizes the higher strings of the bass guitar instead of the lower ones, creates a clunky, metallic sound to the band’s songs. Harris has also written countless bass guitar intros for Iron Maiden songs, for instance, for songs like Killers, Remember Tomorrow, Wrathchild and Innocent Exile - among others.
Harris, being the leader of the band, is still spearheading the band’s rise in their post-millennium years with such highly acclaimed albums like Brave New World, Dance Of Death and A Matter of Life and Death. Last year’s release, A Matter of Life and Death, garnered significant success for the band - selling over 150,000 copies in the United States alone and gaining respectable reviews from the metal community and media.
A Matter of Life and Death was a darker, more philosophical album compared to some of the band’s classic works - yet it was full of the Maiden touch, thanks to Steve Harris. The album’s lyrical content focused on the effects of war and religion, but in a very unbiased and objective manner - thus paving the way for some brilliant lyrical contributions from Harris and some of the other members of Iron Maiden as well.
Even though Iron Maiden are currently in the twilight years of their long and illustrious career - which has spanned for more than two decades - Steve Harris will always be remembered as the ultimate driving force of heavy metal’s true and formidable monarchs, who never gave in to the commercial success they have attained over the years.
Podcast Event You May Want to Attend
February 22, 2007 by Jo Minor · Leave a Comment
If you’re trying to master podcasting to market your own band, or to create your own Internet radio station, you may be interested in this one:
PodCamp is a 100% free, volunteer, sponsor-supported event. It is born out of the desire to share information and learn more about audio and video podcasting and related subjects.
Details: http://podcamptoronto.pbwiki.com/PodCamp
14 Vital Factors for Indie Music Success
February 22, 2007 by Jo Minor · Leave a Comment
Found a great post on Bob Baker’s blog:
- Turn your mistakes into a reference library, not a room to live in.
- Do not take advice from people who are broke and struggling —
unless you want to end up like themyou can admire them and appreciate their talent, just don’t take career advice (especially financial) from them. - Great marketing is falling in love with something, then selling your love for it — not the product itself.
- Realize the lifetime value of a fan: It’s far more than a $15 CD sale.
- Pick one aspect of your music or personality and make that the cornerstone of your public identity.
- Conduct yourself as if you deliver great value to everyone you encounter — even if you don’t believe you actually do at the moment.
- Be willing to take smart risks and overcome the fear of failure. Ask: “What’s the worst thing that can happen?” Usually, not much.
- Beware of the quick fix. The sure and steady marathon beats the sprint every time.
- Ask: “How did you hear about us/me/the event?” It’s one of the best, low-cost research tools you can use.
- Ask: “What will it take to get from ‘Here’s what I dream about’ to ‘Here’s what I did’?”
- No one will manage you until you can manage yourself.
- Be proactive instead of reactive. In other words, create the circumstances you want, don’t merely respond to what’s handed to you.
- Stagnation occurs when your fear of the unknown is greater than your desire for a better life.
- What you do today sets the stage for the success you will enjoy tomorrow. Don’t squander today.
There’s a full heated discussions going on in the original post about item number 2. You know, the age-old argument of Talent vs “Selling Out”
For me, it was point number 1 that hit me hard. Indeed, I’ve been turning my past failure into a living room, and not leaving that room.
As Borat would say, “Great success..”.
Guitars To Look Out For
February 21, 2007 by Jo Minor · Leave a Comment
Let’s take a look at some of the greatest and most sought after guitars from some of the biggest names in guitar manufacturing – this is bound to make any guitar aficionado drool and dream in delight!
Jackson 25th Anniversary King Kelly and King V
The skillful guitar makers from the Jackson Custom Shop proudly introduce this special 25-instrument run of the King Kelly and the King V. Besides looking absolutely mouth watering, these guitars boast some quality hardware and features (classic 80s Jackson logo on headstock, Seymour Duncan pickups, Gotoh tuners and Schaller bridge – among other things).
Manufactured to celebrate 25 years of Jackson Guitars in business, these instruments will be the most sought after Jackson Guitars collector’s items. For those who aren’t willing to dish out for these babies, then the easier to obtain X Series Jenna Jameson King V might be on the cards for you.
I know I’m going to have a hard time sleeping tonight.
Dean Razorback
The Dean Razorbacks were designed by Dimebag Darrell before his tragic demise in 2004, and are basically based on the guitarist’s favored Dean ML body shape. These super pointy guitars have been the most sought after items for years – some harder to obtain models cost the price of a small car.
There are at least 10 different models of the Dean Razorback (including several models of the Dean Razorback V) and while some of these are priced to fit the budget of the average guitar player, most of the Razorbacks would require a potential purchaser to collect his/her hard earned cash for at least several months to pay for one.
Ibanez MTM Series
Strictly for the fans of Slipknot and Ibanez guitars (there are a lot of you guys out there, I know).
Recently released by Ibanez (and by recently, I mean relatively recently – most of us weren’t even born when Jackson came out with their Randy Rhoads signature guitar some 25 years ago) the MTM 1 and MTM 2 were designed in collaboration with Slipknot masked horror Mick Thomson, and boasts some fine craftsmanship.
While other guitars might boast the same specs as the MTM 1 and MTM 2, we have yet to see a guitar with Mick’s signature “seven” emblem inlayed on the fret board of a guitar – and this, ladies and gentlemen – is enough to for some hardcore fans of the band to snap these guitars up.
B.C. Rich Exotic Classics
B.C. Rich Exotic Classics are blasts from the illustrious past of rock ‘n roll and heavy metal!
The company has been making top quality guitars with truly original designs for 3 decades, some of which have been important pieces of weaponry for many heavy metal bands for many years. 2 of the bands nominated for ‘Best Metal Performance’ at the Grammy Awards recently have in their ranks guitarists who are B.C. Rich endorsees; such is the company’s influence in hard rock and heavy metal. The winner of the Grammy was Slayer for ‘Eyes Of The Insane’ – who’s guitarist Kerry King has signature B.C. Rich guitars.
30 years after the inception of B.C. Rich guitars, they have decided to look back and come up with some retro looking guitars – named the Exotic Classics – targeted to fit the budget of the everyday guitarist. Some of these models were only previously available through their Custom Shop and would cost an arm and a leg to obtain one.
In November of 2006, however, the company was given due credit by Guitar World Magazine who awarded their Platinum Award for Quality and Design to B.C. Rich for the newly released Exotic Classic Mockingbird and the Exotic Classic 10 String Bich guitars.
Guide to Gigging
February 21, 2007 by Jo Minor · Leave a Comment
For those of you with any vision disorders, this isn’t “Guide to Giggling”, although I would love to write that someday.
Gigging is an activity riddled with countless variables that can throw anything and everything out of balance for you and your band. If you’re not completely prepared, physically and mentally, then you win yourself a good chance of humiliating you and your band mates in public.
This guide would probably be of some value in cutting down some of these variables - and for those of you who don’t understand my concept of variables; you will soon get the picture once you go through this.
Instruments and Accessories
If you wish to perform just as comfortably on stage as you are jamming alone in your bedroom or in the studio with your band mates, then you should always remember to carry all of your instruments and accessories - or at least most of them - for your convenience.
Never, and I repeat, never rely solely on the equipment and accessories at the venue of your performance. Most of the time, the instruments available are damaged or don’t perform up to standards due to abuse and wear and tear.
Always carry your own cables, picks, strings, tuner, effects pedals (if any) and a backup guitar - and keep some of the more important accessories close to you at all times. For example, I keep my picks on top of the amps or stick them with double-sided tape to my guitar. You can also opt for pick holders that attach themselves to your guitar strap.
Last Minute Checks
Remember to check your guitar tuning before each song, and carry an extra pack of strings in case you break any of them - and it’s impossible to restring your guitar in the middle of a show so a backup guitar (tuned to your main stage axe) would obviously be a better bet.
Also, set your guitar strap height to how your guitar would be if it’s on your lap when you play it sitting down - this way you know it will be in a comfortable position when you play standing up. It’s best to make adjust your strap while you’re sitting down with the guitar. I learnt this from the great Billy Sheehan when he came down for a bass clinic in Planet Hollywood some years back.
Another thing you should check before you rock out with your cock out is your amp and effects pedals settings. Never overlook this, and never experiment with anything right before a show. Seasoned professionals who have dedicated their lives to music are known to change certain elements in their set to keep the crowd at their feet, but that is best left to them.
Keep the number of your devices to the bare minimum. Don’t clutter your workspace by placing effects pedals you won’t use - and remember that any effects pedals that don’t have true tone bypass will eat up your tone. I always remember to leave my Crybaby at home on purpose when I go out jamming - just so I won’t have the urge to set it up just for the fun of it.
Last but not least, always make sure the other guitarists and bassists in your band are tuned the same way as you are. I have had the unpleasant opportunity to jam with a complete idiot of a guitarist who insisted on tuning a whole step lower than the Drop-D tuning of the song we were jamming. The result was a forgettable jam session that was a total waste of time and money.
Guide to Buying a Guitar II
February 21, 2007 by Jo Minor · Leave a Comment
The first part of this guide brought you through some of the rudimentary elements in getting an acoustic or electric guitar. Once you’ve set yourself out into the world of guitar stores and showrooms, and have come back with a pleasant purchase with a wide grin on your face, you should follow some of these steps to keep your guitar and guitar playing at its best form.
Case or Bag?
While most guitar purchases (be it acoustic or electric) include a case or bag of some sort or the other in their sales package, it would be best to upgrade to a solid case for your guitar if you’re keen on keeping it safely in your arsenal of musical instruments for years.
Any guitar player who does gigs should have at least a gig bag for those club and pub occasions, and a solid case to store the guitar safely after it has served its duties. While a gig bag is a lighter and more convenient option to carry your guitar to shows and jams, it offers minimal protection to your instrument. Invest in a solid case to store your instruments in once you’re back home.
Accessories
You will definitely need a good guitar strap if you intend on jamming and performing with your instrument. While some salesmen might put in a flimsy generic guitar strap when you purchase your instrument, always get a better strap if you know you are going to play your instrument standing up - you don’t want to know what can happen in the strap fails. I have seen guitarists perform deathly antics on stage with less-than-decent straps - you really wouldn’t want to see the death of a guitar when you’re having fun at a gig.
A decent strap might cost you around RM50 to RM100, but the security it offers to your guitar is worth more than the asking price. Also invest in some strap locks - Dunlop and Schaller make some extremely durable steel strap locks that keeps your strap glued to your guitar at all times. Cheaper plastic strap locks are available for a fraction of the cost of their steel counterparts but don’t offer as much protection.
Another crucial accessory is the guitar pick. While its size and cost might not be the best indication of its importance, remember that the guitar pick is the important piece between your hands and your instrument. I can’t emphasize enough on this. Go through at least ten different picks of different thicknesses and shapes, and stick to the one that does your playing justice. I’ve went through at least twenty picks from Dunlop, Ibanez and Gibson - only to settle for Dunlop Jazz III picks.
Effects Pedals and Other Electronics
When it comes to effects pedals, I strongly believe in the phrase “less is more”. While there are hordes upon hordes of untalented emo retards who hide behind tens of pedals each, guitar playing isn’t about making strange fart-like noises. We should leave all that tomfoolery to synth and keyboard players.
Once you know you way around your equipment, it won’t hurt to acquire effects pedals that would improve and increase the versatility of your guitar tone. If distortion is your thing then you can opt for a distortion pedal - if you can’t get a decent enough distorted tone from your amp and guitar pickups. Boss, MXR and Line 6 make some great distortion pedals - some of their pedals offer crunchy rock ‘n roll distortion to all-out skull-crushing, face-melting metal distortion, all in a single box.
I hope you’ve picked up some tips for your next rockin’ purchase!
Guide to Buying a Guitar
February 21, 2007 by Jo Minor · Leave a Comment
As an amateur musician who has had one-too-many rock star dreams, I still own - among other music-related instruments and memorabilia - three guitars (two electric and one acoustic). While I got really lucky in acquiring my guitars (got my acoustic and first electric from uncles for no charge at all, and my second electric with the excess money of my education loan) I think I can part some valuable info to beginners who seek to get their hands on guitars without knowing head or tail about them.
Here’s a guide on how to get your hands on a guitar that’ll serve your musical needs and be a joy to play as well.
Electric or Acoustic?
This is the biggest question you need to ask yourself, as they are two very different beasts. Electric guitars might offer versatility and a wide tonal range, but no electric can ever imitate the natural timbres and tones of a finely crafted acoustic guitar.
Make up your mind - if you intend to play music that requires the need for an acoustic guitar, then plop some money for one. Don’t bother getting an electric guitar if you don’t require its capabilities and tones - you’ll find yourself spending too much money on things you don’t need.
Budget
Be realistic. No beginner should ever spend thousands on their first guitar - it’s just not right, no matter how you look at it. I’ve seen total amateurs spend thousands on guitars I still can’t afford, only to really suck at playing their instruments. If you’re a total hack, then there would be no difference in owning a branded thousand dollar guitar or a twenty dollar battery-operated toy axe.
Spend only what you can afford to spend on a guitar. Save your bucks to get a nicer axe when you have put yourself through your paces with your first guitar. For a first electric, I would recommend someone to not spend more than RM1500 on a guitar (inclusive of amplifier) and just about RM300 for a decent acoustic.
Brand?
As a beginner, don’t bother with the name on the headstock of the guitar. You would suck on a nameless acoustic as much as you would on a RM15,000 Paul Reed Smith anyway.
Get serious with playing, practice and don’t bother with brand names for the first few years of playing an instrument. If you can afford a nice first guitar, then by all means go ahead - but personally I firmly believe in putting in hard work on an acoustic guitar, for finger strength and stamina, for the first few years of playing. I know this; I had to play on my Yamaha acoustic for no less than three years before I got my first electric guitar - and I still thank my lucky stars for not having an electric as my first guitar.
Getting a Kick-ass Guitar
So you think you’re ready for the real deal. You walk into a guitar store and…well, you don’t really know what to get next. What do you do?
While most acoustics come in the same body shapes, acquiring an electric guitar can be a pain in the ass if you haven’t done your homework on stuff like neck and body shapes, neck and body woods, and pickups and pickup configurations.
You can read up on these items online, or get some books on guitars, but generally you should get an electric guitar that is comfortable for you to play on. You should test out as many guitars as you possibly can, and choose the one that fits your style and budget the best - buying a guitar on a whim or just by the way it looks would prove to be a catastrophic mistake.
A general rule would be to get a guitar that you can see yourself playing on for at least the next five years, and if you can imagine that with a certain guitar then that piece of wood and steel is your musical dream come true.
The Black Album
February 21, 2007 by Jo Minor · Leave a Comment
Metallica, or The Black album as it is unofficially known by millions of Metallica fans worldwide, marked the bands entry into commercial success. The album was an amalgam of shorter, radio-friendlier tunes - a total opposite of what the band created in the two masterpieces preceding this one. Master Of Puppets and …And Justice For All had significantly longer songs that were technical and…long, but they were some of the best albums the band has ever come up with. The Black Album, however, did have the all-too-famous song written by lead guitarist Kirk Hammett - Enter Sandman - and quickly became Metallica’s best known (read: commercially successful and radio friendly) track.
The Black Album is an album that’s unforgettable. The worldwide craze it spawned will go down in record books, and the album was even certified Gold in our very own Malaysia - it even achieved multiple Platinum status in other countries. Even the all black album cover - save for a tiny rattlesnake motif - that is barely visible at best - lodged at one of the corners of the cover, was cheeky and original. It was also the album after the epic and very lengthy …And Justice For All, which was then new bassist recruit Jason Newsted’s first album with the band. While the production maladies of …And Justice For All raised the ire of Newsted, whose bass playing could not be heard clearly in the final mix of the album (some conspiracy theorists claim that this was done on purpose by the rest of the band to push aside the then fresh hired gun’s bass playing) some foresaw The Black Album to finally do some justice to the man’s outstanding bass playing capabilities.
When it finally hit the stores, the album proved to have benefited from a great production process, thus making the songs in the album much clearer and cleaner than ever before in Metallica history - the album even made the band sound bigger and heavier than they ever have.
The Black Album also contained a song - written for the first time by bassist Jason Newsted - that was titled “My Friend Of Misery”, which is probably one of the best tracks in an already solid album. Personally, I would choose “Wherever I May Roam” as the best track for the CD, and give “My Friend Of Misery” a generous #2 spot - I wouldn’t choose Enter Sandman after the senseless spins it gets on the radio and (cough) even in clubs!
What made The Black Album a great record was the fact that it was given a production worthy of the quality of the songwriting present within the covers of the album. It was also the band’s most commercially successful and radio-friendly album to date - and marked the end of the band’s legendary first four albums that placed the band in the annals of heavy metal history for all time. From their humble thrash metal roots in Kill ‘Em All to their express train world tours to support the …And Justice For All album, Metallica had already become a household name, in millions of households around the globe, quite some time before The Black Album saw the light of day.
Sadly, though, this departure also signaled the end of an extremely creative period for the band. The Black Album soon paved the way for the band’s more commercial albums, especially the Load and Re-Load albums, and spelled the end for Metallica the Thrash Metal Band and marked the beginning of Metallica the Radio Rock Band.
Although The Black Album was a first in terms of production and songwriting approach for Metallica, it will always be seen as the tombstone that marked the end of Metallica’s most glorious period.
This Godless Endeavor by Nevermore
February 21, 2007 by Jo Minor · Leave a Comment
This Godless Endeavor marked progressive thrash metallers Nevermore’s seventh studio album, and marks the band’s finest offering in their ten year career. Released by Century Media Records in 2005 and produced by the legendary Andy Sneap, This Godless Endeavor was easily the album of the year and displayed the band at the very peak of their creativity and brilliance.
Eleven tracks make it into This Godless Endeavor, which is a concept album that deals with theological, social and political issues typical of Nevermore, and brings the listener deep into the twisted and fragile world of decay, corruption and manipulation brought on by incapable leaders and the irresponsible media.
The album starts off with Born, a brilliant track that deals with the consequences of our birth and existence in this world. With clever, thought provoking lyrics weaved into the structure of the song, Born is an accurate representation of what the album has to offer.
The next track in the album, Final Product, also comes with a brilliant music video. Final Product deals with the manipulation and biasness of the media, and the harmful effects it unleashes upon the fertile minds of man. The song starts off with vocalist Warrel Dane barking out the words “The media loves their latest tragic suicide, they exploit it, then package it, and profit from the people who die”. The magic that lies within this track aren’t the exceptional lyrics, however, it lies within the brilliant guitar solos of guitar maestros Jeff Loomies and Steve Smyth - and the best of the three or so guitar solos in this song is the out of this world tapping solo by Jeff Loomis just before the 2:35 mark of the song. Words can’t even begin to describe this piece of guitar wizardry.
The album is then transformed into a roller coaster ride of various sounds and musical landscapes, until you arrive at the title track which sits majestically at the very end of the album.
The title track is over ten minutes long, and is arguably the best song the band has ever come up with - and judging by Nevermore’s brilliant songwriting prowess, this track will probably go down in the history books of heavy metal as one of the best title tracks for any metal album. This Godless Endeavor (the title track, that is) starts off with a tragic acoustic-rock influenced introduction, with Warrel Dane’s emotional vocal anguish painting a very bleak and gloomy picture indeed.
Majestic and unparalleled This Godless Endeavor is one of the finest metal albums to ever see the light of day.
