rock

Photo by learydotmarkReview by Casey Boland Can ass-kicking rock be intelligent? By its very nature, rock (and its subsets from punk to metal) is decidedly crude and visceral. Its primal instincts arguably preclude the need or desire to give it a brain. Let’s face it: few fans consume albums or go to shows to be […]

Pictured: L.A. Guns Despite its title, this new column isn’t a complete dis. Yes, “Jerry Bruckheimer metal” is slick and over-produced. I dislike the vast majority of it. But I like a little of it. Bad Boys II comes to mind. It’s the most over-the-top movie I’ve ever seen. Actually, it’s not a movie so […]

Devin Townsend is one of the few exceptions I’ll make for over-production. His music almost requires it. I say “almost” because his recent album Ki has a relatively stripped down sound that fits its material. Otherwise, Townsend’s music and production are inseparable. An unabashed fan of Def Leppard’s Hysteria, he modernizes its “more is more” […]

Fight Amp has slipped by a large portion of the metal populace. It might be a case of too many cooks in the kitchen, as there is no shortage of Amphetamine Reptile-worshipping bands now. But while peers like Engineer, Black Cobra, and Akimbo enjoy bigger exposure, Fight Amp has come up with Manners and Praise […]

Photo by Bill Shouldis Contrary to the stereotype of metallers as slackers, Baroness is a band of over-achievers. Vocalist/guitarist/resident artwork designer John Baizley typifies this with his music, graphic design work, and art exhibitions. (His work is currently on display at the Metropolis Gallery in Lancaster, PA). As if the release of a new album, […]

Records like this are why I write about music. Horseback‘s The Invisible Mountain (Utech, 2009) brings to mind psych rock, black metal, and Ennio Morricone by way of Neil Young. It’s dark, beautiful, and patient. If I could meet a mate like this, I’d be set for life. But I’ll gladly make do in the […]

Pictured: Let the Night Roar In metal, fast is glamorous, while slow is often overlooked. I get sent a lot of great slow stuff, so I’m starting this column to feature some of it. Doom, sludge, stoner, and post-metal are all fair game. Get off the lead foot, and get on those lead boots. Let […]

http://www.youtube-nocookie.com/v/IF0ZxA130u4&hl=en&fs=1& Drummer Gerhardt “Jerry” Fuchs died yesterday after accidentally falling down an elevator shaft. (Full story here.) Only a few days ago, I was enjoying this video of Joe Walker, of Philadelphia’s Breakfast at Sulimay’s web TV show, interviewing Fuchs and his band Maserati. Fuchs and his mustache seemed so alive. I also recently got […]

For many, Pelican have much to answer for. Their career thus far has been haphazard. For every great doom-laden slab like the self-titled EP or Australasia, there are messy, wankish post-rock releases like City of Echoes and the Pink Mammoth EP. A label switch to Southern Lord didn’t raise hopes for a change in direction. […]

A book called Why AC/DC Matters (HarperCollins, 160 pages, $16.66) may seem redundant. The world’s second best-selling music act (The Beatles are #1) obviously matters to millions of people. But for Anthony Bozza, a writer whose portfolio includes Rolling Stone and autobiographies of Tommy Lee and Slash, that isn’t enough. He explains his motivation for […]