rock

High on Fire When I saw High on Fire recently, I was astounded by the number of females in the crowd. Only Enslaved in Berlin had more girls – go figure. Actually, I kind of get that. Europeans invented metal, so it’s in their blood. There, black metallers actually have Norwegian names, and girls go […]

If Fugazi were on Deathwish Inc., they might be Coliseum. Thus, abstract yet hard-hitting politics meet dirty tones, Motörhead worship, unison bends, and a general hardcore ethic. Ryan Patterson’s howl even suggests Guy Picciotto with more testosterone (“defeater” sounds like “repeater”). Kurt Ballou’s behind the boards on No Salvation (Relapse, 2007), so it pulses with […]

Aeon For some reason, I’ve been in a death metal mood recently. Maybe it’s because I’ve been hitting the gym (TESTOSTERONE! BR00TAL!). Or maybe it’s because it’s warm here in SF, which enjoys its summer in autumn. It’s hard to be grim and cold when the sun’s out. Prong – The BanishmentDethklok – HatredcopterAeon – […]

3 Inches of Blood Some new writing up – at Metal Injection, I have reviews of film buffs/metalcore-rs Killwhitneydead and Relapse retro thrashers Dekapitator. At Stylus, I have a look back at Fugazi’s most underrated record, Steady Diet of Nothing, as well as reviews of the Speed Kills…Again compilation on Heavy Artillery, metal-obsessed rapper Necro, […]

It’s been well over 10 years since I last heard Joe Satriani’s Surfing with the Alien (Epic, 1987). When I was younger, I was into such guitar gymnastics, but my tastes have changed, and I haven’t given the album much thought since then. Recently, though, I picked up this 20th anniversary “Legacy Edition” out of […]

The art of Stephen Kasner is one of the best things that’s ever happened to me. Although I’m now familiar with his style, it still d/haunts me. It’s a “take a deep breath and leap into the unknown” proposition, which I prize but find so rarely. I’m honored to have spoken with him; his interview […]

English shoegazing meets NeurIsis heaviness – the typical result would be buried vocals, but Brendan McDermott’s soaring singing is this band’s trump card. The songwriting is a little undisciplined (either give me the perfect three-minute song or go the whole 10-minute distance), but the tension is interesting. Song or sound? Why not both, see Swervedriver. […]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W744PD_1NSc] The Japanese are responsible for some of the most fucked-up (and addictive) TV I have ever seen. There’s their uber-sadistic game shows (warning: NSFW), my favorite of which involves forcing contestants to apply makeup while riding a rollercoaster. There’s the most messed-up English lesson ever. There’s the amazing Cats Carrying Fish, 11 full minutes […]

Obscurus Advocam Some new writing up – at Metal Injection, I’ve reviewed robust efforts by old-school thrashers Hirax and 420 advocates Six Feet Under, as well as black metal from The Ruins of Beverast and Obscurus Advocam. The latter has been really doing it for me lately – black metal that’s heavy for once! At […]

When I was much younger, I absolutely bugged out to the B-52’s “Rock Lobster.” I’m talking about full-on losing it, complete with bodily mimicking of the “down, down, down” part. After seeing a gazillion YouTube videos of the song, including a pretty good Family Guy rendition, I’m convinced this is one of the best songs […]