Time for another shuffle blog, where I pontificate on the finer things of the first ten songs that pop up on the iPod…

“I Want The Drugs”, Supersuckers Live At The Magic Bag

One minute and sixteen seconds of searing punkabilly from (in their minds) The Greatest Rock and Roll Band In The World.  I wouldn’t go quite THAT far but these guys are very good and if you like high octane rock mixed with punk, country, and classic rock you need to buy some Supersuckers albums.  Lead man Eddie Spaghetti certainly tells you what he wants in this song, as if you couldn’t figure that out yourself 😉

“Wash Me Down”, Talk Show Talk Show

If this song sounds a bit like Stone Temple Pilots, well…  you’re not that far off base.  Dave Coutts jumped on board with the rest of the STP guys while Scott Weiland was off in recovery/recording a solo album (take yer pick) to record a fairly strong late ’90s rock album that’s fairly similar in style and tone to mid-period STP.  “Wash Me Down” is one of those cool and chill vibe songs that STP tosses out every once and awhile.

“Rich Woman”, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss Raising Sand

So the Led Zep man teamed with the bluegrass/country chanteuse to record a fab album of swampy/bluesy yet eclectic tunes that both sound wonderful on.  “Rich Woman” hits all those voodoo swamp basics with its reverby guitar and the funky downlow, but the killer deal here is how awesome ol’ Robert and Alison sound together.  Plant keeps it in a fairly steady range throughout, allowing Krauss to weave her charms in and out.  Spellbinding.

“Alive (Demo)”, Oasis Definitely Maybe (Deluxe Edition)

Oasis’ chief songwriter Noel Gallagher had a truckload of songs ready to go for the band’s debut that they relegated many to B-sides (this one the flip to their “Shakermaker” single), with many as good or even better than the regular album cuts.  “Alive” is best left on the flip but as this is a demo they don’t really cut loose, especially as brother Liam’s vocal is a bit more sing songy than the sneering, cocksure attitude on the LP.  Still, a fairly charming cut.

“Roll Right”, Rage Against The Machine Evil Empire

A bit of a strange one here with the odd and slippery noodle riff but things settle into a dirty groove during the verses.  Vocalist Zach De la Rocha is suitably on fire as is his norm but guitarist Tom Morello gets a little more spacier, less slamming chords and instead bits of distortion and feedback to make things a bit unsettling.  Rhythm section as always with this band is totally aces, Timmy C with some fuzzy bass and Brad Wilk solid on the kit.

“Beneath The Tides”, Down Down III: Over The Under

Whether you like him or not, Phil Anselmo can certainly sell a song.  “Beneath The Tides” is no different, but what really makes this one is the rest of the band’s southern/sludgy/psychedelic take on the Black Sabbath sound.  I think these dudes recorded this late, late at night under a full moon, deep in the bayous of Louisiana; dredging up one smoky groove for Anselmo to bellow along with the other creatures in the night.  Brilliant.

“Realm Of The Wasted”, Soilwork The Living Infinite

It took me a while to get into the screaming/shouting singing style mixed with melodic vocals, but damn…  when you got some pretty killer riffing going on it helps you get used to it.  “Realm Of The Wasted” immediately breaks into an awesomely aggressive riff that immediately has you headbanging before throwing in a couple of twists and turns before the melodic bits come in during the chorus.  A good tune to ease yourself into this style.

“London Song”, Ray Davies The Storyteller

Yeah I’m a huge Kinks fan, not only the rock n ravers but those cuts where lead Kink Ray Davies reminisces about the characters around the village greens, pubs, and sunsets in old London town.  “London Song” isn’t a classic but as always Ray paints awesomely vivid pics of the scenes and locales unlike many other lyricists, also doing a bit of namechecking of classic Londoners.  Video version is the full band but I’m reviewing the solo performance.

“Unleash The Beast”, Saxon The Eagle Has Landed III

After geez…  how many albums?  Ah, I don’t remember…  Saxon still bring it and I prefer their heavier stuff, “Unleash The Beast” being one of their better latter day cuts and the debut of (at the time) new guitarist Doug Scarratt who certainly upped the ante in the riff and lead department.  This version is a scorching live one, performances strong across the board especially from lead throat Biff Byford on awesomely scratchy/hoarse vocal (that’s a good thing!)

“I Never Loved Her Anyway”, John Corabi Unplugged

While I love the original road racin’ speedster from The Scream, this version from that band’s John Corabi is raw and unplugged and is a damn good one in all its acoustic shuffling glory.  Crab is totally on (as always) with that scratchy, raspy vocal of his plus he’s a pretty good guitar play here too.  Not sure who the other players and backup vocalists are but they do a damn fine job taking an all out metal ripper and converting it into a catchy campfire stomper.  Woo!

Man, tough choice for cut of the week but I’ll have to go with “Beneath The Tides” followed by “Rich Woman” and “I Never Loved Her Anyway”!

Time for a simpler top ten list, this one of my favorite thrash metal bands.  I’ll offer up a fairly short breakdown of each band, judging them based on their entire career from inception to today.  There may be some surprises in here for you 🙂

But first a little bit o’ history…  For those of you that haven’t kept up with this blog, here’s a bit of news for ya…  I’m a SERIOUS thrash metal fan.  Go back a few posts and read HERE about how I got hooked-  it took a little bit of time but once it got me in its grubby little paws  it’s never let me go.  I’m a little too old for the pit but I still dig a good show!

10.  Flotsam & Jetsam (great band and may have released their finest platter EVER with this year’s self titled album- it’s that good)

9.  Death Angel (relentless and formidible, moved from punky/clattery early noise to a more refined and excellent thrash unit who have made a welcome return to the scene)

8.  Overkill (No holds barred and workmanlike, these NYC boys are still going strong and release great new material although I miss the early Bobby Gustafson era)

7.  Sacred Reich (a little more brutal with hardcore punk overtones mixed with Sabbath heft, maybe some of the better lyrics in the genre- release something new please!)

6.  Slayer (got into Slayer quite late; that midperiod Rick Rubin produced stuff is epic and stands the test of time.  Best drummer in thrash bar none in Dave Lombardo)

5.  Anthrax (gets a higher vote here due to the massive Among The Living, which got me into the genre and will always rank high on my list of favorite albums)

4.  Exodus (manic yet insanely catchy thrash from another band that’s still going strong-  Gary Holt has a well full of riffs and the goblin shriek of Zetro is back where he belongs!)

3.  Metallica (might be low for some but have fallen somewhat due to some lackluster mid-period material.  Still, the first three albums rank VERY high for me with #4 not far behind)

2.  Megadeth (Mustaine edges out his former band here, mostly due to the continued technical mastery of his bandmates and to the all out aggression on the early material)

1.  Testament (in terms of overall consistency and a continued push of the thrash boundary with excellent results, Testament stands at the top.  Having the best frontman and the best lead guitarist in the genre certainly helps, plus Eric Peterson continues to write outstanding riffs)

A short and sweet post here to recognize Mr. Ed Harsch, most notably as keyboardist for the Black Crowes via second album Southern Harmony and Musical Companion up through 2006 or so.  His work throughout “Descending” is a thing of beauty and a masterwork of subtle playing.  Rest in peace…

Time for a double dose of Shameless Plug this time from a band that…  well…  I’m not the biggest U2 fan but I have the utmost respect for them.  I don’t follow the band’s every move, I’m not waiting with bated breath for their next release, I’ve not caught them on tour, I’ve never wanted my own pair of “The Fly” shades that Bono sported circa Achtung Baby, but I do own a few of their albums and fully dig some of their material.  Songs like “New Year’s Day”, “I Will Follow”, “Two Hearts Beat As One”, even stuff like “Bad” is great, but these two songs?  That’s a whole ‘nother ball of wax.

Usually with the Shameless Plug posts I’m highlighting a song from a favorite artist but this time I’m shifting gears a little to just highlight two fantastic songs.  Both of these cuts have a tendency to lift my spirits and make me feel good due to a variety of factors, although oddly enough not due to the lyrical content.  I mean, a song entitled “Beautiful Day”?  Geez, a title like that would make you think of blue skies, warm temperatures, and cool breezes but I’ve never been a guy that cares much about lyrics (although that does depend on the band).  For all I know, Bono could be spouting off about nonsensical stuff or about how the airport lost his luggage or how he’s grousing about how his dog digs up the plants in his garden.  Sure, I’ll pick up a lyric here and there but that’s not what’s hooking me.

So let’s start with “Beautiful Day” and what exactly IS hooking me.  This song is a fabulous example of how a song can build into something magical due to sparse instrumentation, sweet production touches, and a chorus that lifts the song to another level.  I love music like this because it’s a bit of a journey; lots of ebb and flow, light and shade, high and low, harsh and sweet.  Starting off with a bit of strings to set the tempo, the heartbeat of a kick drum grabs your ear along with what sounds like an echoey, lightly stabbed chord before Bono lightly croons the first verse along with Adam Clayton’s moving bassline.  After a few lines, we hear The Edge come in with a fairly quiet guitar pattern before that magical chorus comes in-  here’s where the song starts to take off:  Edge has upped the volume and distortion on the chords, Bono’s vocal raises to an even more heartfelt level, and Clayton’s bassline mixes perfectly with Larry Mullen’s crashing drum work.  And did I mention production touches?  That clearly spellbinding moment comes with the swelling and building background vocal during that chorus, that “daaaaaaYYYY… daaaAAAYYYY” just kills me.  But we’re not done yet…  the section that begins with Bono singing “touch me” kicks into another gear before we drop down into the shade as the band mostly falls out and we get that “daaaaaYYY… daaaaAAAYYY” reprised one final time before the highs of the final chorus.  Utterly beautiful stuff.

I was in college when The Joshua Tree came out, which may have been THE album for many on the floor in my dorm.  While I liked the early singles enough (“With Or Without You” and “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For”), it wasn’t until the third single and awesomely cool video for “Where The Streets Have No Name” that I really started paying attention.  Like the aforementioned “Beautiful Day”, this song has a tremendous buildup via the keyboard intro but it’s really the pulsating, chiming rhythms of The Edge’s guitar work and the driving bass and drum interplay between Clayton and Mullen.  And by this stage of the band’s career, Bono was well into rock star mode and puts in an outstanding, earnest vocal-  not overcooking it but settling into a nice groove along with the band, the flow moving nicely yet building a bit during the chorus as he moves effortlessly from a breathy croon into a few soaring, full throated lines.  Production touches aren’t as noticeable as “Beautiful Day” outside of the beautiful washes of keyboard, but the song really drives due to the ringing guitar work of The Edge, the dynamic yet simple, rhythmic drive of the bass and drums, and Bono’s strong vocal turn.

U2 has had a storied yet chameleon-like career as they are constantly growing, morphing, and shape shifting in pursuit of something new for each album and phase of their career.  You may have your favorites but to me, these two are synonymous with each other and can certainly elevate my mood and lift my spirits when needed.  Seek them out when you need some “elevation” (sorry, that’s a bad U2 pun!).

“Mighty Rearranger” Robert Plant & The Strange Sensation, Mighty Rearranger

Those of you that have read this blog know of my love for Robert Plant and how I have full appreciation of him not resting on the success of his days in Led Zeppelin.  “Mighty Rearranger” gets jiggy with a poppin’ shuffle and groovy, snakelike guitar work, allowing Percy a solid bedrock to emote over.  Skin and Justin Adams on guitar are a fab tag team but the real cool touches here are the bits of harmonica work, boogie woogie piano lines, and the “ahhs” deep in the mix of the background vocal.  Great stuff.

“Dying Rose”, Sweet & Lynch Only To Rise

With a vibe very reminiscent of Furious George’s Lynch Mob days, our resident guitar hero teams with top notch vocalist (and Stryper main man) Michael Sweet for 3:41 of bluesy rock goodness.  Songs like this are why Lynch’s Dokken days put them several rungs above the standard hair fare of the 80’s, mainly due to the stellar guitar work mixed with rockin’ melodies.  And Michael Sweet?  He really shines here as the bluesiness is somewhat removed from his regular Stryper gig.  Fans of either artist should dig.

“Upon Azrael’s Wings” Cathedral The Garden Of Unearthly Delights

Kicking off with a Godzilla stompin’ ugly riff, “Upon Azrael’s Wings” steers Cathedral away from their standard Sabbath vibe into something a little more darker, doomier, menacing, and even hardcore in spots.  Lee Dorrian may be hard to stomach for some, but that menacing vocal is totally unique and makes these guys stand out from being a full on Sabbath copycat.  Man, so many changes here between light and shade…  it’s like a horror movie come to life.

“Learn To Dance” Flotsam & Jetsam My God

Mid-period Flots leaned heavily on the groove, taking a page from Pantera’s playbook and moving into a more comfortable chug rather than the often mathematical thrash of the early days.  AK, as usual, is aces on the vocal as he mixes in a darn near crooning style during the verses before belting it out in gritty tones during the chorus (actually a really good song to showcase the dude’s range).  Also showcases some killer melody lines on the guitar as well as Jason Ward’s punchy bass.

“What You Need” Galactic From The Corner To The Block

Aw yeah baby, Galactic bringin’ the funk but on this record including some rap artists and others to add a different shade to their typical New Orleans kick.  On “What You Need” Lyrics Born is the featured rapper as he rattles of his long list of “what you need” while the rest of the band nails (and I mean NAILS) the funk in the backdrop.  I’ve never been a huge rap fan but there is no denying the groove and flow here plus the lyrics are pretty funny (“any legal tender with a white man in the center”).  Shake ya booty!

“Breaking The Law” Judas Priest ’98 Live MELTDOWN

1998…  enter Tim “Ripper” Owens, formerly of cover band British Steel, to lead the mighty Judas Priest and record a couple of decent studio albums before Rob Halford reentered the picture and resumed front man duties in 2003.  During the Ripper years the band recorded a couple of live albums which show off the new boy’s strong vocal chops on the classics and newer material.  This take on their 1980 classic is strong, maybe slightly rushed, a little goofy via the intro (not quite as charming as Rob), but solid overall.

“Born To Be Wild” Zodiac Mindwarp & The Love Reaction Tattooed Beat Messiah

Ummmm…  ahhh…  honestly, NOT the best version of this song but a fun one from an album that is a real over the top sleaze rock treat.  It’s rare to outdo a classic but the spirit and vibe are here as Zodiac and the gang do a decent over the top take with a shredtastic guitar solo and some gang vocals on the chorus.  Pretty representative of the 80’s, so if you love the era this will do you good.

“When Pigs Fly” BulletBoys Za-Za

If there was ever a hair era band with the spirit and attitude of early Van Halen, the BulletBoys was it.  Chalk it up to the outrageousness of lead singer Marq Torien or the heavy riffing of Mick Sweda, or possibly the knob job of old VH producer Ted Templeman, I dunno.  But songs like “When Pigs Fly” had the charm of some of VH’s more riffier cuts like “Mean Streets” or “Loss Of Control” including the loose groove of the rhythm section.  Just good ol’ meat and potatoes.

“Mistreated” Deep Purple Burn

Mach III of Deep Purple certainly had its charms, steering the band in a more bluesier and slightly funkier direction courtesy of new fellas David Coverdale and Glenn Hughes.  “Mistreated” is a prime example of the bluesier direction, Coverdale providing a stellar vocal and giving Ritchie Blackmore an opportunity to pull some great bluesy playing out of his magical kit bag.  Amazing thinking about how this band could push the limits of heavier rock styles and then lay back in the pocket to nail a different mood overall and come up with a major winner.

“Road Mutants” Death Angel Frolic Through The Park

San Francisco was certainly a hotbed of metal in the early to mid-80s and this lot was one of the many to make their mark on the scene (and continue to do so to this day).  “Road Mutants” is a storming mix of East Coast/West Coast thrash via punky riff, gang vocals, and clattery production plus lead vocalist Mark Osegueda is already in full metal throat at this point in the band’s history.  Come album #3 this unit really became more refined, tightening up the riffs and overall approach to become a more streamlined yet dangerous metal unit.

Some good cuts this week but I gotta go with “What You Need” over “Road Mutants” by a nose

No matter who you are voting for (Clinton/Trump/Johnson/Stein), you may be looking at the other candidates and thinking that they are…

Make sure you go vote on November 8th!

To steal a line from a latter day Billy Joel song-  when I listen to music I often go to extremes, partly due to mood, partly due to short attention span theater, but mostly because to me music is music.  It just has to have something, whether it oozes soul, a great guitar riff, a biting lyric, beautiful melody, a haunting vocal, or just an all out assault on the senses.  Granted I have my favorite genres and artists and as I’ve grown older my tastes haven’t necessarily changed too much but rather incorporated other palettes, so to speak.  And certainly, some of those palette shades may be bright and beautiful to some but may be fairly dark and grotesque to others, but that variety is the spice of life (or so they say).  Kinda like moving from that 8 pack of crayons to those new 120 pack boxes, so to speak.

So what am I getting at here?  Well, part of this is the reason I blog-  to expose some of you to artists that you may never have heard of, or maybe to get you “outside of the box” and push the realms of your comfort zone.  All music should be personal taste; just because a song is #1 on iTunes means you have to download it too or if an online or print band proclaims such and such artist as “the next Beatles” or “the new Michael Jackson” or “better than Bieber!” doesn’t mean you need to take notice and buy it because it’s the new flavor of the month.  All you gotta do is listen and determine…  how does it make YOU feel?  What are YOU getting out of it?  If it sucks, it sucks.  If YOU think it’s great, well, that’s all that matters.  And if you’re like me, you can listen to all of this back to back and enjoy the hell out of it!

Heed the words of The Dude and not Grumpy Cat!

So here ya go….  ten songs to get you outta your box and expose you to new things!  If you like it’s cool but if you don’t like it’s cool too.  Some of these may be familiar and some may not, so enjoy!

Let’s get right down to it-  THE best version of this song is not the original, not the Van Halen cover, but the absolutely riotous and smoking live version found on their fab One For The Road LP.  Sure, the original is a stone cold classic featuring one of the most notable and epic riffs of all time-  legend has it lead guitarist Dave Davies sliced the cone of his amp with a razor blade to get an even nastier tone out of his guitar (and arguably created the first strains of heavy metal); and Van Halen’s epic cover version is mostly highlighted by that blistering guitar solo that is “Eruption” (one always seems to be tied to the other come radio play); but neither holds a candle to the punked up version on display on side four, cut one on that 1980 platter.

I can hear the haters now…  “blasphemy!  The original is IT!  Young band making their mark!”…  or…  “COME ON!  The VH version tops all because…  well… it’s VH!  Listen to Ed!  He roolz!”  I say…  naaaah babeeee naaaah… no way Jose!  Just listen to that introductory rumble from Davies; like an earthquake mixed with a reckless locomotive in danger of derailing at any minute. I have a feeling that he wanted to show the young Van Halen who’s the guitar boss by putting his own unique spin on the cut, immediately roaring out of the gate with the NASTIEST Les Paul tone committed to vinyl:  all knobs on TEN and grabbing you by the throat as he kicks into the main riff followed by the band in heads down, take no prisoners mode in full swing behind him.  And brother Ray’s lead vocal is full of commanding swagger as he helps lead that charge by whipping the crowd into a frenzy.  Such a venomous take from a band that was out to show the punks (and certain burgeoning hard rockers) that these original “old” cats still had plenty left in the tank.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the original and I love the VH version but both are turgid and elephantic in comparison.  Sure, the VH one more closely mimics the original and is bombastic in its own right (those background vocals and lead solo are aces) but there is a raw energy missing that is more present in the rest of that band’s catalog.  And the original? Pure awesomeness but not as edgy as the live version, although I’ll say that Davies’ solo on it is just chonkingly perfect.  However, I think the time period played a big part with the new amped up approach:  arena rock was the new thing and the band was moving into new directions after a series of concept albums failed to hit big with their fans.  Come their new contract with Arista Records in 1977, the band was starting to feel the need to rock out again and get away from the concept format and back into straight ahead rock songs.  And rock they did, especially come One For The Road and its excellent takes on both new and old material.

So yeah, if you haven’t heard this version I strongly encourage you to listen and pick up the album too if you’ve not heard it.  Pure, raw unbridled rock and roll from a band who still had it.  Oh yeah…  after digging hard on the back cover and listening to those tones on display, I’ve had a longing for a Gibson Les Paul Artisan guitar!

Once again, time to post my two cents on the first ten songs that pop up on the ol’ iPod (28484 songs strong!)

“Porch”, Pearl Jam Ten

I’ll be honest, I’m not the biggest PJ fan in the world but Ten is a good album.  “Porch” is one of those rare ravers on the disc, definitely yards away from the hits as far as punch, power, and funky punkiness is concerned plus Eddie Vedder gets in a WTF moment early.  Leans classic rock come the chorus and guitar solo time as the Gossard/McCready team lay down a double tracked bit o’ goodness.  Some good tones on display here.

“Pictures Of Home”, Deep Purple Machine Head

First time I heard this song I said to myself, “so this must be where Yngwie Malmsteen stole his licks!”  Yeah, everyone knows the Purple hits but frankly, this is an underrated cut where everyone in the band shines-  great riff, fantastic organ accompaniment, killer Ian Paice drum intro, and subtly smooth Ian Gillan vocal.  But of course, Ritchie Blackmore is the big star here as he lays down one hot lead break followed closely by some cool Jon Lord Hammond runs and a brief bass swoop by Roger Glover.  Highly recommended!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4UjWtLyYBY

“Fly On The Wall”, Thunder Behind Closed Doors

Talk about a really cool band and one fantastic singer, Thunder plays that funky music here with the occasional horn stabs mixed in with some heavy rockin’ guitar.  These guys are generally a little more bluesier in their work, but this one is like amping up some Bad Company and mixing it with KC and the Sunshine Band.  A band that should be bigger than they actually are, even though they’ve carved a nice niche in their home country Britain.

“My Baby’s Gone”, Los Lobos By The Light Of The Moon

Another time for honesty, I’ve always wanted to play in a roots rock type band that leaned towards the blues and stuff like “My Baby’s Gone” is what we’d cover.  Just a really good and straight ahead blues rock cut, a little funky courtesy of the groove and percussion but definitely blues territory come the guitar work.  Shades of the Kings (Albert, BB, and Freddie) and Jimmie Vaughan with the guitar tones and stinging leads.

“Bladecatcher”, Mastodon Blood Mountain

Whoa…  if you like oddball stuff mixed in with your heavy riffage this may be for you (although if you need some singin’ this ain’t got it).  This instrumental has what sounds like a catchy tapped intro before breaking into freakout zone with a crazy distorted vocal, then swinging into a Maidenesque riff a la “Genghis Khan” before changing gears AGAIN with another cool bit that changes one more time before closeout.  Great interplay among the two guitars and bass here.

“Seven Little Indians”, John Hiatt Stolen Moments

Ahh, a feedback intro on a John Hiatt album 🙂 A bit of an oddity, but I really liked this period from Hiatt as he pushed the elements and introduced different instrumentation to his material.  “Seven Little Indians” mixes Hendrixy electric with Dylanesque rhythms and also includes some sweet mandolin interplay, making for a rewarding listen.  As always, Hiatt’s growl is a treat and his lyrics are always enjoyable and here in fine storytelling mode.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97phQX8HVeQ

“Bedrock Twitch”, Rock Roll Bubblegum Classics

Ha ha, yeah!!!  I’ve got no idea where I got this from but this is the original from the TV show and not the B-52s remake from The Flintstones movie.  I loved this when I was a kid and love it just as much now.  If you’ve not heard it, click below.  What I gotta know though is who is the guitar player?  Man, that’s one nasty lick!  Sure, this is a song from a cartoon TV show but it’s a great sendup of the surf rock and twist music popular at the time.  Killer horns and vocal too.

“Your World Will Hate This”, Orange Goblin Coup De Grace

Kinda funny, two songs this post with the f word proudly displayed early in the vocal.  Just two minutes of no nonsense, full on blast riffage from these stoner rock cats from bloody England, all fuzzy distortion and in your face vocal.  Not much more to say really other than a great way to get your attention at the start of this disc.  BAM!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyj92khQ9QA

“Big Teaser”, Saxon Coming To The Rescue

Saxon’s always been a big fave of mine, some cuts moreso than others although I must say that “Big Teaser” falls way down the list of go-to Saxon cuts.  It’s not bad but it leans more to the glammy side, feeling a bit like a heavy Sweet ripoff mixed with some Motorhead riffage.  This is the original version and not the version that was released on their debut album so it’s a little more raw and undercooked.  Still pretty cool stuff even if it’s lower level Saxon.

“One Of These Days”, Pink Floyd Meddle

And we end this week with an unheralded gem and one of my favorite cuts from Pink Floyd-  “One Of These Days” is just an epic builder headlined by some rushing wind effects before that throbbing double tracked bass kicks in as the centerpiece of the whole song.  Rick Wright has some fabulous keyboard stabs here, but it’s David Gilmour’s grandiose guitar work that just steals the show.  Angry, distorted, and growly slide work that’s incredibly tasty in context but when he gets into those higher note bends this song reaches another level.  Awesome.

Song of the week goes to “One Of These Days” followed by “Pictures Of Home”

A couple of weeks ago with my impending birthday, my brother proposed a road trip to Cleveland to catch the opening night of the Slayer/Anthrax/Death Angel show.  As my present, he’d buy the tickets and provide the car; all I had to do was drive.  The offer was much too tempting and one I couldn’t pass up, especially considering I’d never seen Slayer and neither of us had seen Death Angel (we’d both seen Anthrax multiple times).

Now I must admit, the first time I heard a Slayer album it literally scared the crap out of me.  I’d already heard (and dug) the song “Black Magic” but when we finally purchase Hell Awaits I was scarred forever.  Dropped the needle on the self titled intro cut and was “treated” to evil incarnate- and that was before the music started!  I’m kidding…  kinda… 🙂  That said, I will admit that I’m not a HUGE Slayer fan but I do like a good chunk of their songs and figured I can’t pass up a free ticket and the opportunity to hang with my brother for the evening.

So the day of the show we had one minor problem…  my brother couldn’t meet until 3 PM and the show started at 7:10 PM, and our drive was right around four hours.  Being that we are big Death Angel fans, we high tailed it to Cleveland but got there midway through DA’s set.  What we did see was pretty damn good-  long standing members Mark Osegueda on vocals and Rob Cavestany on lead guitar were dead on hot, as were the rest of the band.  We only got to see two and a half songs but they were mind numbingly good-  nice and punchy thrash.  Unfortunately, their time on stage was just five songs but they did a fine job warming up the crowd.  Can’t wait to catch them live some other time.

As for Anthrax…  well, we’ve seen them a number of times and they always put on an entertaining show.  Unfortunately, these days I’m not quite as big a fan as I used to be-  the last two albums have their moments but I pine for another all out thrash assault like Among The Living.  All that said, they did a decent job mixing up newer cuts with their older classics during their one hour set (although I could have done without “Antisocial”; replace that with “Madhouse” and I would have majorly approved) plus Joey Belladonna was more energetic than I’d ever seen him-  lots of running around the stage and encouraging crowd participation.  Oh yeah, Scott and Charlie and Frankie?  All great players who have a lot of fun up there, especially during crowd pleasers “Caught In A Mosh” and “Indians”, my two faves from the night.  Just watching Cholly play drums is amazing and Scott is a mini-maniac.  WAAAARRRDAAAAANCE!!!!  Not my favorite show from them but it was good nonetheless.

I had zero expectations for Slayer.  I was actually thinking, “how many Slayer songs do I actually know?  Four?”.  Well ladies and gentlemen, I know MANY MORE Slayer songs than I’d realized and HOLY CRAP were they good.  Well, I’ll be a little honest…  there were some songs that they played that I didn’t really know at all which were kind of “ehhh”, but once they broke into the greats I was all in.  Sure, some of you may say “it ain’t Slayer without Hanneman and Lombardo” but Gary Holt and Paul Bostaph do a fantastic job filling in for those two guys.  I’ve always had a bit of man love for Holt anyway due to his day job with Exodus so he gets a pass from me, but I will admit that I would liked to have seen Lombardo behind the kit.  That said, Bostaph totally kills it back there and by the end of the show I was thinking “Dave Who?”.  As for those Slayer mainstays Tom Araya and Kerry King?  Aces.  Tom’s voice was in really good shape considering that this was the first show of the tour, plus he was hitting a lot of those highs and screams in many of the songs.  And King IS Slayer, so you know what you’re getting with him (although I miss that armband thingie with the nails that he wore in the old days).

Highlights of the Slayer set were definitely the classics-  “War Ensemble”, “Postmortem”, “Dead Skin Mask”, and the final four cuts of the night; those that made me realize that this was a GREAT show:  “South Of Heaven”, “Raining Blood”, “Black Magic”, and the insanely awesome “Angel Of Death”.  Not too familiar with the new album other than lead track “Repentless” but I must say the other cuts from the album were just OK-  throwing one in after three classics in a row brought the energy level down for a brief period.  Would like to have heard “World Painted Blood” instead of “Hate Worldwide” from their previous album but that’s just me.  Oh yeah, they played “Hell Awaits” too but it didn’t scare me this time (ahhhh ha ha ha ha ha!!!).

All in all, a great show and one that killed my hearing for a couple of days.  We drove straight home after the show and I hit the bed around 4 AM with ears ringing.  I woke up the next day dialing up some Slayer classics on the iPod before I went into work-  nothing like using “War Ensemble” as a wake up call first thing in the morning!