South Of Heaven by Slayer
February 21, 2007 by Jo Minor · Leave a Comment
South Of Heaven, alongside the band’s other classics Hell Awaits, Reign In Blood and Seasons In The Abyss, stands as one of the four most important releases by thrash titans Slayer.
The album’s departure from the breakneck thrash metal speed of Reign In Blood and the darkness and intensity of Hell Awaits for a more melodic and groove-oriented sound raised the ire of some Slayer fanatics, but South Of Heaven has proved to be the band’s more mature and sophisticated release of the 80s.
The cover of South Of Heaven looks very much like one of the other three landmark releases, thanks to the cover artwork of Larry Carroll, and captures the various religious, social, political and spiritual issues present in the lyrical aspects of the music.
From the haunting introduction of opener South Of Heaven, to the blistering intensity of Silent Scream - all the way to the mesmerizing introduction of the last track Spill The Blood, South Of Heaven is a masterpiece unlike any other. The band’s foray into a more melodic and groove heavy sound paid off, resulting in an album that is both groundbreaking and classic at the same time.
Slayer, as artists, decided to paint South Of Heaven with the more subtle overtones of catchy melodies without losing the intensity and dark lyrical content present in the band’s previous releases. This is best displayed in the introductions to the first and last songs of South Of Heaven, in which clean guitar riffs act as the catalysts to the buildup of the songs.
Here is a short track by track summary:
01 - South Of Heaven
A track of epic proportions, and one of the band’s best songs - a live favorite as well.
02 - Silent Scream
The writer’s favorite Slayer track, and starts off seamlessly from the end of South Of Heaven. Brilliant live favorite as well, this track was also covered by Finnish Power Metallers Children Of Bodom.
03 - Live Undead
Catchy, relentless, classy. Deals with the occult and death.
04 - Behind The Crooked Cross
Details the darker side of organized religion and it’s manipulation of mankind.
05 - Mandatory Suicide
Depicts the horrors of war, and the senseless act of sacrificing your live for a cause that’s not your own.
06 - Ghosts Of War
Akin to Mandatory Suicide, but views war from the perspective of soldiers fallen in battle.
07 - Read Between The Lies
Slayer thrashes hard with this track, which depicts the downside of blind faith.
08 - Cleanse The Soul
Classic thrash metal at its best.
09 - Dissident Aggressor
A brilliant Judas Priest cover.
10 - Spill The Blood
Melodic and brutal at the very same time - a track depicting sacrifice and immortality.
Slowly We Rot by Obituary
February 21, 2007 by Jo Minor · Leave a Comment
I walked into my neighborhood Rock Corner and got myself Obituary’s classic Slowly We Rot and Cause Of Death albums as celebratory purchases - signaling the end of my poor days as a student who couldn’t afford to buy CDs as often as I wanted to.
Although I’m familiar with the music of this pioneering Death Metal band from Florida, I have never gotten my hands on their CDs. I’ve heard about the band and their music, their undeniable influence over the hordes of American Death Metal bands and the amazing artwork on their albums - and now I have in my hands their first two studio albums.
Released by Roadrunner Records, Slowly We rot first saw the light of day in 1989 and was re-released in 1997 with demo versions of Find The Arise and Like The Dead. Before we get deeper into the minds and the music of the Obies, let me tell you that the cover for Slowly We Rot is simply magnificent - this is a cover on the same level as the artwork on Iron Maiden’s masterpiece Killers album. The simplicity and comic book feel of the cover - and the rawness of it all - will remind one of zombie and slasher flicks of the 80s.
Being the band’s studio debut, this release caught the attention of the media as well as the masses - Slowly We Rot marked the forced entry into the homes of thousands of people around the world. When Ozzy Osbourne first heard the two tracks of the album on tape, he went “They’re fucking mad!”
The sheer brutality and rawness of John Tardy’s guttural screams, alongside the guitar screeches of Allen West and Trevor Peres - topped with the drum battery of John’s brother Donald - was intense, brutal - and was unbridled violence on tape.
18 years later, and the band is still shattering eardrums and damaging speakers around the world. Obituary carved a name for themselves with this release and the other albums that followed - and have proven to the world that Death Metal, and other genres of metal, have no concept of rules and regulations.
Obituary have marked their territory with this release - alongside the other names of the Florida Death Metal scene like Morbid Angel, Nocturnus, Massacre, Malevolent Creation, Deicide, Atheist and Death; and have more than held their own against the names mentioned earlier.
Demigod by Behemoth
February 21, 2007 by Jo Minor · Leave a Comment
Demigod is Polish Black/Death metallers Behemoth’s latest offering after the brilliant Satanica, and takes the band one step further in their evolution from a pure Black Metal band in their earlier days to a full-fledged Brutal/Melodic Death Metal band today.
In the vein of their counterpart from the United States, Nile, Behemoth brings us on a journey through ancient times, places and events - as historical themes and overtones play a major role in the music of Demigod.
Demigod, up to a certain extent, even has parts that remind one of Nile’s latest studio offering, Annihilation Of The Wicked. Themes such as battles and ancient lore of Egypt take centre stage in both albums, and these themes offer a refreshing break from the countless blood and gore-obsessed ideas set forth by thousands of Death Metal bands. Such is the effect of Nile on Behemoth that the Nile frontman and songwriter extraordinaire Karl Sanders even lends a guitar solo in the track Xul.
Here is the track list of Demigod:
01 - Sculpting The Throne Of Seth
02 - Demigod
03 - Conquer All
04 - The Nephilim Rising
05 - Towards Babylon
06 - Before Aeons Came
07 - Mysterium Coniunctionis (Hermanubis)
08 - Xul
09 - Slaves Shall Serve
10 - The Reign Of Shemsu-Hor
Demigod is a fabulous and entertaining listen, thanks to the creative and fertile mind of Behemoth mastermind Nergal. Having said that, however, there are some songs that stand out more than the others - Sculpting The Throne Of Seth (fabulous opening track), Demigod (strikingly powerful), Conquer All (perhaps the best track in the entire album) and Slaves Shall Serve (fast, brutal and merciless).
Some of the other highlights in the album are Inferno’s powerful pounding of the drums (“Grandpa” just doesn’t stop blasting his drum notes), Nergal’s amazing guitar solos (especially in Conquer All, where the highly melodic solos serve as a pleasant surprise in an otherwise brutal and fast track) and the way the tracks work well together to form a strong, unbreakable link of powerful music, meaningful songwriting and superb lyrical themes.
All in all, Demigod serves as a reminder of how great Behemoth actually is - and while we wait patiently for the band’s next masterpiece (due out sometime this year) entitled “The Apostasy”, us fans are sure to keep Demigod playing on repeat until we can get our hands on the latest CD.
Cause Of Death by Obituary
February 21, 2007 by Jo Minor · Leave a Comment
Released just a couple of years after their debut Slowly We Rot, one of Florida’s best and pioneering Death Metal band Obituary came out with their second studio offering Cause Of Death in 1990.
As with Slowly We Rot, Roadrunner Records re-released Cause Of Death in 1997, and this version of the album contains 3 demo versions of Infected, Memories Remain and Chopped In Half.
Boasting yet another cult album artwork by artist Michael R. Whelan, Cause Of Death is a brooding and dangerous listen from start to end. When it finally hit the stores in 1990, Cause Of Death was already one of the most anticipated releases in Death Metal history. After all, with a debut like Slowly We Rot, fans have already set their standards way up high for the band’s second studio outing. Cause Of Death also signaled the a new lineup for the band: original guitarist Allen West left the band, along with bass player Daniel Tucker. Joining them, however, was metal guitar maniac James Murphy (just on his way out of Death) and top bass guy Frank Watkins.
The pair joined the 3 remaining members from the Slowly We Rot recordings: Trevor Peres, Donald Tardy and brother John “The Voice Of Terror” Tardy.
Cause Of Death was recorded and mixed at the famous Morrisound Recording in Tampa, Florida and was jointly produced by the band and Scott Burns.
Overall, this album is slightly better than their debut - it somehow sounds like the band finally found their sound and direction which was not yet firmly planted during the recording of Slowly We Rot.
Among the 9 original tracks in Cause Of Death, there is a cover of Circle Of The Tyrants by Celtic Frost - who were one of the band’s strongest influences throughout the years. Obituary’s version sounds rather dark and raw; but personally the cover version recorded by Swedish Progressive Metallers Opeth in their My Arms, Your Hearse album is undeniably better.
Some of the standout tracks in this album are Body Bag, Chopped In Half and the title track itself - which is arguably the best song in the record.
To sum Cause Of Death up in mere words would be a foolish task, but if there are any wise words spoken for this album then drummer Donald Tardy has already said them when he said “The great thing about Obituary is that we’re heavier than a bag of donkey’s balls.”
Amongst The Catacombs Of Nephren-Ka by Nile
February 21, 2007 by Jo Minor · Leave a Comment
Amongst The Catacombs Of Nephren-Ka is one of American Brutal Death Metal outfit Nile’s most monumental releases. To sum the entire album up within the constricted confines of an album review would be absurd, but I hope to give you some insight on this unparalleled album.
The album starts off with a blistering track entitled Smashing The Antiu - which is straight up Nile, from start to end. The next track in the album, Barra Edinnazu, is also a typical Nile affair, and sometimes sounds like certain Cannibal Corpse songs like Decency Defied or Sentenced To Burn - not altogether surprising, since most American Brutal Death Metal bands inspire and influence each other quite significantly.
The third song in the album, Kudurru Maqlu, however is a totally different take on Nile’s Egyptology influenced music and lyrics. Kudurru Maqlu is a minute-long instrumental of sorts - with a faint string section, atmospheric sounds and the screaming of a deranged woman thrown in for good measure - and sets up the arrival of the brilliant track Serpent Headed Mask.
Ramses Bringer Of War is the next track, which is a tribute of sorts to the bloodthirsty Egyptian God, but the most historically accurate track present in Amongst The Catacombs Of Nephren-Ka would be Die Rache Krieg Lied Der Assyriche - which is a German title for the battle cry of the ancient Assyrian armies of old. Musically and lyrically, Nile have stayed true to recreating this war cry - and must have done their homework - as usual - on the war rituals of this ancient people. This mostly instrumental track is a frightening listen - and your hair would stand on end when you hear the screams of “Ia Ia Pazuzu”.
Amongst The Catacombs Of Nephren-Ka is as educational as it is entertaining - I know that I’ve read up on the splendors of ancient Egypt even more after listening to Nile (I’ve been a history buff since I was a kid, so what if I’m a nerd). The music on display here is top notch Death Metal, but for those who can’t stomach ear-shattering metal then you can always listen to the introduction part of Beneath Eternal Oceans Of Sand (and what a beautiful instrumental introduction it is!) and the first twenty seconds or so of Opening Of The Mouth.
Amongst The Catacombs Of Nephren-Ka is monumental, historic and is a Death Metal classic - and shall stay as one for eons to come.
Zakk Wylde: One Too Many Words
February 21, 2007 by Jo Minor · Leave a Comment
When a word comes out of Zakk Wylde’s mouth, it’s a word too many.
Zakk Wylde, born Jeffrey Wielandt, is the famous axe-wielding Viking warrior look-alike who also happens to be the Prince of Darkness Ozzy Osbourne’s band mate. While he is a skillful musician, blessed with decent vocal chords and has the versatility of a multi-instrumentalist (think a heavy metal Kitaro), Zakk Wylde usually gets in the limelight for all the wrong reasons.
The metal and rock media have documented the man’s highest and lowest points in his life - as a musician and a person - thus far, and I bring to you some of the man’s best and worst characteristics. Actually, just the worst - where’s the fun in writing about the good side of someone?
Attitude
Zakk Wylde has the persona and attitude of a drunken sailor - usually spicing up his interviews and conversations with profanities worthy of an angry football coach. His limited vocabulary - constantly referring to most people other than himself and the Dark One (who is, coincidentally, also the Godfather of his children) as “pussies”. Ouch.
He once spat beer in the face of the great (and now sober) James Hetfield - who had the decency to actually come by Zakk’s trailer for a jam - and called him “pussy”. He did all that just because James let go of the bottle for good after a successful rehab. If only he stopped living in his own world and gave James the respect he deserves.
Vocabulary
Zakk Wylde is a boring, boring man.
He is about as interesting as a doormat when he gives interviews, and is known to repeat the most ridiculous and inane things imaginable. He answers almost every question with “I only know how to play guitar, drink beer and fuck my wife.”
I guess that explains a lot, doesn’t it?
Appearance
Close your eyes and imagine an angry Viking warrior, decked out in a leather vest with a guitar wrapped around his body with a thick chain. That’s Zakk Wylde.
Ooh, he is all man, isn’t he?
He acts like a Neanderthal, still grunting and being defensive about almost everything - yet, when Sharon Osbourne (beloved wife of Ozzy Osbourne/egomaniacal control freak) asked Zakk to trim his beard for a photo shoot, he didn’t have a word of protest ready for her. Sharon also stated that his stinking beard was messy and had bits of anchovies stuck to it - and for someone who lies and exaggerates so much, I actually think she was telling it as it was this time.
Wife
We have no clue how Zakk’s wife is like, but according to reports she actually punched him at least once during a heated argument - that must say a lot about her size, considering the fact that Zakk looks and acts like a gorilla!
After said argument, he was so angry that he threw his Zakk Wylde Signature Gisbon Les Paul almost the distance of the stage he and his band Black Label Society (more on this soon) were on, and walked off stage. Someone needs anger management!
Black Label Society
When they first appeared on the metal scene, we actually thought that we had another decent and listenable American metal band in our hands. But, it was too good to be true.
Zakk Wylde’s Black Label Society had a couple of OK albums, and some neat songs - but that’s where it stops.
Their last two albums were total duds, and Black Label Society has dropped below the radar for quite some time. Zakk Wylde is, of course, the songwriter, vocalist and guitarist of Black Label Society - and credit is given to the man for writing some decent material with them - but where the hell have the goods disappeared to, man?
Zakk Wylde: The Better Things
February 21, 2007 by Jo Minor · Leave a Comment
It’s only fair that I give the man credit where it’s due. Zakk Wylde has made himself into an icon, a modern guitar hero, and a musical inspiration to countless of people around the globe.
Guitar Playing
Zakk is a monster on the guitar – there is no doubt about that. For someone who only picked the instrument up at the age of 15, he used to practice vigorously for about 12 hours a day, every day – and used to sleep through the school day just so he can make it back home to practice some more.
All his hard work paid off when Ozzy Osbourne picked him to be his guitarist. Zakk now has signature guitars, guitar electronics and other hardware to his name – including his own signature Les Paul guitar from Gibson and signature overdrive and wah pedals from Dunlop – and continues to appear on instructional videos and lessons.
Zakk’s blistering Pentatonic scale runs and heavy-as-balls riffs are famous throughout the guitar playing world, as is his artificial harmonics (also called “squeals” or “pings”) and tendency for Southern rock-tinged hard rock and metal songs. He also enjoys playing acoustic songs and piano ballads – if you can imagine a Viking warrior behind a piano, that is.
Choices in Life
He might not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but he has made some notable decisions that have resulted in him keeping afloat in the cold and brutal music business of today. Firstly, he never left Ozzy’s side – although he gives any of his band members in Black Label Society the freedom to leave the band anytime they see fit – and his decision has made him one of the biggest (and richest) rock guitarists the world has ever seen. He rode on the wave of success built by Ozzy’s notorious reputation and gained him a lot of fame and wealth – Zakk is currently a millionaire (or even a multi-millionaire) and still earns big bucks from shows and endorsements.
Secondly (although we have to thank his management for screwing this up) he wasn’t invited to join Guns ‘N Roses – even though he once went to audition for them. That would’ve been a mistake of epic proportions, and would have sent a fatal bullet to his music career – look at the bunch of clowns that claim to be Guns ‘N Roses now, and are going to tour the world in support of the Chinese Democracy album that hasn’t seen the light of day.
Endorsements
Zakk Wylde can sure sell some swag.
To this day, he has a ton of equipment to his name – all bearing his name and the familiar bulls-eye motif that is synonymous to the man. Zakk is an endorsee of Gibson Guitars, Marshall Amplifiers, Jim Dunlop, GHS Strings and EMG Pickups.
Here’s a list of some of the stuff in his name:
Zakk Wylde Gibson Les Paul Custom guitar
GHS Zakk Wylde Boomers strings
Marshall Signature JCM800ZW Amplifier with EVM12L-Black Label guitar speakers
MXR ZW-44 Dunlop Overdrive pedal
ZW-45 Zakk Wylde Signature Crybaby wah pedal
EMG-ZW Set pickups
That’s a mouthful, ain’t it?
Friends
Zakk Wylde seems to have the coolest bunch of people as his friends – he was a good friend of the late Dimebag Darrell since 1993, and is close with the guys from Slayer, Yngwie Malmsteen, among other rock celebrities.
Achievements
Having been a part of over 20 albums – including in 10 of the Prince of Darkness’ albums – isn’t a small feat. Zakk was immortalized at the Hollywood Rock Walk of Fame in recognition to his successful career as a musician and contribution to music industry in 2006.
Selling Your Music on Ebay
February 20, 2007 by Jo Minor · Leave a Comment
David Hooper has written a brief tutorial on how to list your songs for sale on Ebay. You can get it here.
There’s also an actual Ebay page dedicated to teaching you how to sell your mucic.
Other useful sites / books that teach you how to sell your music on Ebay:
- Sean McManus interviews Robin Cowpertwait about how he sold over 100 copies of his independent CD on Ebay
- AMAZON: ow to Sell Music, Collectibles, and Instruments on eBay… And Make a Fortune
- LoopMode: These guys claim to help you sell your music on EBay
Radio Stations Looking For Your Music
February 20, 2007 by Jo Minor · Leave a Comment
There’s a good thread on the Music Forte forums about radio stations that will accept and review your music, and if it’s good, give it some airplay.
Here’s some of them:
- Etown - www.etown.org
- Isami - www.radio.uccs.edu
- KVNF - www.kvnf.org
- KCAW - www.ravenradio.org
- KHNS - www.khns.org
- KSUA - www.ksua.uaf.edu
- KAMP - www.kamp.arizona.edu
- KXUA - www.kxua.com
- KUAR - www.acousticsoundscafe.org/radioshow.htm
- Free Radio Jackson - www.live365.com/stations/aaronchilds
- Muskegon College Radio - info@lakefxradio.com
- WRVU NASHIVLLE - www.wrvu.org
You probably find much more on the actual thread as you’re reading this, so you can check it out here: http://www.musicforte.com/forums/about3043-0-asc-0.html
Editing Your MySpace Band Profile - Part 1
February 19, 2007 by Jo Minor · Leave a Comment
NOTE: If you haven’t set-up a profile, read this post to do it correctly.
Now I’m editing the profile of Superbar, my case study band on MySpace. This profile was created more than a year ago when I had no idea how to use MySpace properly, so if you follow the case study series you’ll probably learn shit loads of info.
Most of the profile options are already done, so lets take a look as what can be improved.
I can see that one of the band members have already uploaded a good picture of the band. If your profile is new make sure you get a good photo in there as soon as possible.
When you go to your profile manager page the first thing you’re likely to see is “Upcoming Shows”. You can ignore this until the rest of your profile has been set-up.
Here are the few things you need to edit:
- Listing - Make sure you select a few related genres for your band. If you’re not sure what to put, search for the band that you feel sounds the most like yours, and follow what they have chosen.
- What you choose here will ultimately decide where MySpace decides to place your music among the thousands of other bands.
- This ia also where you get to create the web address (URL) for your band. Do it carefully as you don’t want to change it later
- Manage Songs - This is where you get to list your songs for your visitors to stream / listen to. This will be covered more in Part 2.
- Band Details - This is perhaps one of the most important parts of creating a good profile page for your band. See Part 3 for more info.
- Basic Info - This is really simple, so please dude get this done. You just need to insert your band name and list where your band is from (country, zip etc).
See the other parts for detailed instructions.
