BEAUTY and the BEAST corps

RAIDEN

VAMP

Saludos, Belco.

Ever heard the term too much, too fast?  Well this is definitely the case here.  I should state for the record that I am a huge fan of this band, anyone who is a fan of breakdown’s doesn’t really have a choice, and I am a fan of breakdowns.  A year or so ago the future of this band was very much in question, they lost their singer, dropped off tours if I recall.  Their website went many months with no updates, their replacement singer left too, their guitar player got mugged and beat up.  Then out of nowhere the news a permanent new singer and a new self-titled record shows up and the anticipation began. 

For this record, forget everything you knew about Bury Your Dead, but then remember it later.  Lets talk about Myke for a second.  When Underoath acquired Spencer as their new “screamer” it enhanced that band.  He was different than the old singer, more range, more power, more passion and was generally a better fit for their sound.  Which is why I cannot understand why BYD got a guy that sounds almost exactly the same as their old singer.  Same power, same range, same passion, nothing exciting about him at all, kind of like this album, which makes him a good fit … I guess.

Musically, BYD have really broadened their horizons.  Opposed to their previous work of metal tinged, breakdown laden hard-core.  They have introduced a gigantic melodic element.  The breakdowns are still there, but used more as pinnacle of a song, instead of basing the piece on breakdowns. These songs appear to have been written with the melody in mind.  The difference with Myke here is that he can scream on pitch and maintain ferocity in those melodies.  Overall, these are probably the best songs that the band has ever written.  In order to do so they’ve had to make some compromises that turn me off.  They have slowed their tempos way down, cut down chugginess to a third of previous records and in the exploration of this new sound have failed to release an album where the tracks are all some what diverse.  And lets not forget WHERE ARE THE BREAKDOWNS!!  When it comes to these guys, I am a breakdown junky and now I’m in withdrawl.

This album isn’t terrible, but it’s nothing to sing about either.  I was really excited for this album and I wasn’t expecting something this different from their original sound.  Although, with a new a singer, a lot of things change.  This album isn’t great, but I’m not going to give up on these guys.  They were amazing before this and their new sound has a lot of potential.  I think they just need to get comfortable in their own shoes.

The band that I deem to be the heaviest band in  music today is back.  Picked up the album at lunch, listening while I do data entry.  

This is definitely a Meshuggah fan’s record but it has enough new stuff to gain some new fans too.  This record has it all, its as if the band has saved songs from Destroy, Erase, Improve all the way to Catch 33 and vamped them into one cohesive monster.  It has the poly ryhthms of DEI, franticness of Chaosphere, the pummelling heaviness of Nothing and the unabashed creativity of Catch 33.  Some how mixed all together, like a best without any new songs.  There’s nothing that really stands out, no song above another, which really makes the album as a whole flow better.  Some tips they picked up in their last two endeavours I’m sure. 

But there are some new/old elements the band is using here as well.  You can hear some thrash coming through, which is what started this band to begin with, ala Contradictions Collapse/None.  Also some more tradition metal riffing.  Reminiscent of Iron Maiden or even Lamb of God as a more modern example.  Plus, tehy finally seem to have some real production behind them, nothing and even Catch 33 to degree seemed muddy and this is really clear and crisp, just making it sound more heavy!!  It really seems like the band is enjoying themselves on this one.  Just songs, no agenda, nothing to prove.  This makes this record sound less forced, more natural and shows.  I think as band, they’re better for it.

This album is punishing from start to finish and heavy in many different ways.  This is an album that is diverse enough to keep you interest all the way through and the band has incorporated new tricks that make this one of the most listenable Meshuggah albums in a long time.  Once again Meshuggah delivered a punishing metal record that elevates them over the majority of bands in the metal genre and met the hype surrounding the record that started as late as 2006.  That said, though this is a very, very good Meshuggah record, it’s not their best.  However, if they keep with this formula and try not to make “concept” records and such, the next one very well could be.

I’ll tell you what sucks; an album this good coming out this early in the year.  Ontario’s own come back  with “Fortress” and it is a treat.  A band that was already unique in heavy music has not only defined themselves but also is racing to the head of the pack.  Some how they have made a more focused, listenable and catchy record, that is also more heavy and scattered.  PTH manage to mix thrash, metal-core, punk, death metal, 80’s hair/power metal and Maiden style melodies altogether in a very technical blend that’s as smooth as Jonnie Blue.  Some of the stand outs here are the musicianship is off the hook and more noticeable.  Plus they have added more intricate breakdowns.  My only big complaint with Kezia was I wished there was more screaming, and they have improved on that huge, their vocalist is good at it, I wonder why they didn’t do it more in the past. 

I found myself thinking over and over “I can’t believe how good this is”.  So if you liked Kezia or if you even kind of liked it, make this a must purchase on your list and start off 2008 right.

She did a gig at the weekend in Maidstone. That's in Kent, in the UK, you don't ever need to go. In fact to get there Madonna was flown in by hellicopter, even though her London house is only around 30 miles away. Believe me, if you had to play in Maidstone, you'd do the same, just to know you could exit quickly after the show to get the hell out of Kent.

Anyway, check out this footage of her rocking some Pantera on the guitar! It's about 6 mins in if you wanna skip the rest........

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=96873

Of course none of the UK press have picked up on this. They just made a big thing out of the fact there was live TV coverage and apparently Madonna told the director there were to be no close ups if she started to sweat! But then most people in the UK have no idea who Pantera are, let alone would recognise a random riff in the middle of a Madonna show. Just another reason on my ever expanding list as to why America is much better!

After metal's long and illustrius history, one has to beg the question, what's next?  In the early 90's who thought it would be possible to be heavier then Pantera,  then Meshuggah's Destroy, Erase, Improve came out.  It seems that since about 2000, we've been on the same course.  The Swedes are doing there things, In Flames has released the same album for the fourth time.  The American's are pumping out solid records and the chaff seems to be burning away.  Even death metal is being given a second life but really, we know that true death metal is only being kept alive by the original groups and that deathcore is an apporopriate term for what's going on now.  So again what's next!!??  I don't know, I'm racking my brain, searching the internet.  I'm afraid that the At The Gates reuinion will only extend our current state of being.  I'm ready to move on but only time will tell.

Relinquishing a coveted job may hurt a little, until the fact that OETI (new unit) happens to be stay-out. That is propitious for me and you, the reader, because I can see more of my residence and thus you can read more of me online. Which I'm sure you're ecstatic about, riiiiiiiiiiiiight?

Queensway happily boasts an underground metal outlet, perhaps the only one of it's kind in this very conservative country so it was a fortuitous find, and a brilliant one at that. First trip there was to pick up the ancient and highly sought-after The Jester Race, and my most recent one netted me the pre-eminent Clayman and Dark Tranquillity's fiction (given away as a gift) for a not-so-low price of sixty bucks. Ah, the cost of acquiring imported cds...thankfully I've my measly salary to blow so being a purveyor of rare artifacts isn't that stringent on my budget - that, and I've finally gotten an ATM card. I'm still dazzled how I can magically retrieve cash from almost anywhere in civilization now!

Album art blends both modern paintwork with Da Vinci's the Vitruvian man, providing a very intriguing and aesthetic feel to the insert. Of course you get pictures!

Finally, I picked up a hot new figurine which I pre-ordered. Yes, yes, I know, it's bordering on fetishism, but it's not like I haven't had a real-life girl before so no one can brand me a fantasizing loser. Army sucks a lot of dick. Stop drooling at it now, I know it's bordering on indecent.

So first day at my new vocation tomorrow. All I can think about is coming back home after dinning, hopefully before seven!

(Metal Playing the background)

Youth Pastor:   C'mon, there are kids here!!

Me:  You make listening to metal sound like looking at naked ladies.

My love for music began with The Smashing Pumpkins' Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness album, now this was something.  There we're fast songs, slow songs, straight up rock and more kind of out there things.  To me, this album stands not only as the best album of the 1990's, yeah Nirvana can eat a dick, but also one of my all time favourites.  Billy Corgan was into Priest and Maiden and those metal influences definitely came out.  Later on I got into Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails, so my tolerance was going up.  Then in 96'/97' the Nu-Metal craze came at full force and for once I got to be part of a fad that not many people knew about, yet.  It didn't take long before Follow the Leader came out and Nu-Metal was everywhere, those of us that were there for the early Deftones and Korn albums felt betrayed and disenfranchised with commercialization of the whole thing, it happened so fast that I didn't even realize that Disturbed and Linkin Park had killed it like Bush killed grunge.

So what was I to do?  Nu-Metal sucked, maybe it always did and I was tempted to keep going with the Deftones and leave the rest for dead.  Then I heard about Chimaira and I bought they're first album, Pass out of Existence.  There something different here, it was fast, it was heavy, though the riffs were Nu-Metal in style they made no attempts at sounding funky or poppy or clean or like hip-hop, it was like Nu-Metal was less like foil, you know, not that heavy and meant to be thrown away.  I needed more, what was this?!  After more digging I discovered what was being called "The New Wave of American Metal"  and it was then over.  I got into everything, I was like a junky, the heavier the better.  I moved into Metalcore, Hardcore, screamo, Deathcore, Death Metal, Thrash, Grindcore, Swedish Death metal, Prog and I was even inspired to check out the metal roots, like Sabbath, Maiden, Metallica and Pantera.  The only problem was Metallica was no longer heavy enough for me.

So that's the story, I rediscovered metal in my 20's and I haven't looked back.

01. ILS - No Soul [PMT Remix]
02. ROOTS MANUVA - Sinny Sin Sins
03. VOLBEAT - Soulweeper
04. NILE - Papyrus Containing The Spell To Preserve Its Possessor Against Attacks From He Who Is In The Water
05. DISBELIEF - It's Simply There
06. FURNITURE - Brilliant Mind
07. P.O.D. - Youth Of The Nation
08. KORN - No Place To Hide
09. SUICIDE SILENCE - Hands Of A Killer
10. MACHINE HEAD - The Blood, The Sweat, The Tears

Ich bitte um eine rege Beteiligung. Es ist schließlich Sommer.

Zwei meiner Söhne, nämlich Milos und Roman, machen auch Musik.

Milos ist hierbei der deutlich ernsthaftere.

Normalerweise spielt er eher Metal, aber für ein Bandprojekt im Musikunterricht hat er neulich mit seinen Kumpeln eine tolle Rockballade geschrieben und aufgenommen.

Ladies and Gentlemen, hier sind Melguu and the Moustache Men:

There's Someone Who Cares About Me

Tracklist

1 - Enter Sandman
2 - Master of Puppets
3 - Harvester of Sorrow
4 - The Unforgiven
5 - Sad But True
6 - Creeping Death
7 - Wherever I May Roam
8 - Welcome Home (Sanitarium)

Apocalyptica se formó en 1992 en la academia de música clásica Sibelius de Helsinki en Finlandia cuando varios amigos hacían covers de sus bandas favoritas sólo por diversión, pero con la diferencia de que los tocaban con sus cellos. Al principio solo tocaban en fiestas, campamentos y frente a sus amigos pero luego comenzaron a tocar en clubes.

En diciembre de 1995 después de tocar "Master of Puppets" y "Creeping Death" en el Heavy Metal Club Theatre, Kari Hynninen, un representante de Zen Garden, los invitó a grabar un álbum. Como la mayoría de sus covers eran de Metallica decidieron grabar el álbum exclusivamente con canciones de ellos. Así, en 1996 bajo el nombre de Apocalyptica (fusión de Apocalypse y Metallica) surgió Plays Metallica by Four Cellos, el cual vendió más de 450,000 copias alrededor del mundo. Ese mismo año, el 18 y 19 de noviembre, abrieron para Metallica durante sus dos conciertos en Helsinki.

En 1998, tras el éxito de su primer álbum, lanzaron Inquisition Symphony, que contenía más de sus covers de Metallica y de otras bandas como Sepultura, Faith No More y Pantera. Además incluía tres temas originales compuestos por Eicca Toppinen.

Tras este álbum comenzó su gira mundial que incluyo Italia, Grecia, Luxemburgo, Polonia, México, entre otros países. Un año después Antero Manninen decide salir de la banda para seguir con sus estudios de música clásica. Fue reemplazado por Perttu Kivilaakso, quien al principio no pudo entrar a la banda ya que era menor de edad y aun no terminaba sus estudios.

En 1999 la banda fue invitada a tocar en la fiesta celebrada por el concierto de Metallica con la orquesta sinfónica de San Francisco, S&M. Un año después lanzaron su tercer álbum, Cult, que incluía únicamente canciones originales, pero no quisieron dejar atrás sus raíces, así que incluyeron dos covers más de Metallica y un cover del clásico del compositor noruego Edvard Grieg, "In the Hall of the Mountain King".

Este fue un gran paso para ellos, no sólo porque era su primer álbum con solo temas originales, sino porque también incluyeron otros instrumentos de orquesta, cellos eléctricos y por primera vez hicieron colaboraciones vocales. Un año después lanzaron su primer DVD en vivo, Live.

Diskografia:

1996 - Plays Metallica by Four Cellos
1998 - Inquisition Symphony
2000 - Cult
2002 - The Best of Apocalyptica
2003 - Reflections
2005 - Apocalyptica
2006 - Amplified // A Decade of Reinventing the Cello
2007 - Worlds Collide

DESKARGAR!!

Informazion adizional:

Web: www.apocalyptica.com/
Myspace:www.myspace.com/apocalyptica

When you are planning how to put together your home decor, and if you are looking for a natural look, you may balk at the prospect of decorating your house with metal. However, the truth is that metal work can have a natural, and rustic look to it that will aid in your ability to turn your suburban house in a natural oasis of rustic rural living.

There are many options open to you with metal rustic decor items, and before you start thinking of metal trees, there is actually amazingly wonderful rustic metal artwork available. A good example of this is the metal artwork that is used in everything from candle holders to fireplace guards. These metal masterpieces are a great addition to your home if you are looking for a rustic decor because they often have nature themes integrated into them and they're useful. Furniture and accessories that is art is wonderful because it meets two needs not just one!

When you are looking for the perfect item to put on the wall of your office, one of the best things you can choose is metal artwork. Perhaps it is metal that has been worked into the shape of a bear in the woods, or perhaps it is just a decorate and painted metal tree that hangs on the wall. The point is that you can find some wonderful metal artwork that will be a great addition to your home decor.

It does not have to be fireplace guards, or wall hangings, the array of metal artwork items that you can have in your home is astonishing. If you want some metal light switch panels, or even metal artwork curtain rods, you can have it. The great thing with the metal art is that it can be used for so many things and it can be crafted into so many things.

Putting metal art and decor in your home as part of your home interior design is one of the best things you can do to complete the more natural and cozy rustic look.

When you are trying to turn your home into a more back to nature kind of environment, one of the best ways to get started is by buying the often forgotten items like the curtain rods, fireplace guards, light switch covers, and more. They are small details, but they can add a lot to turn your house or apartment into a relaxing home.

Scorpions - Pure Instinct (1996, Atlantic Records)

Track Listing:
1. "Wild Child" - 4:16
2. "But the Best for You" - 5:19
3. "Does Anyone Know" - 5:55
4. "Stone in My Shoe" - 4:37
5. "Soul Behind the Face" - 3:59
6. "Oh Girl (I Wanna Be with You)" - 3:48
7. "When You Came into My Life" - 5:27
8. "Where the River Flows" - 4:09
9. "Time Will Call Your Name" - 3:56
10. "You and I" - 6:13
11. "Are You the One?" - 3:11

Band:
Klaus Meine - Vocals
Rudolf Schenker - Guitars
Matthias Jabs - Guitars
Ralph Rieckermann - Bass
Koen Van Baal - Keyboards
Curt Cress - Drums

Additional keyboards by Luke Herzog

Produced by: Scorpions, Keith Olsen, and Erwin Musper

Got this one fairly cheap used alongside Face the Heat.

Wow. Scorpions got really soft here. "Wild Child" is a great opener and really rocks in typical Scorpions fashion (despite ludicrous lyrics), but the rest of the album is slow to mid tempo balladry. I guess the band was feeling emotional at this point in their career? Who knows. I understand wanting to expand on the kind of music you play, but how do you go from being such a great hard rock band to doing practically an all-ballad album? I don't understand what they were hoping to achieve with this album. To be respected? In the mid-90s? Who were they targeting with this release?

And Scorpions usually produce great ballads, but that's only when they do one or two per album. Pure Instinct is ate up with slow songs & ballads. I can't say it's a bad album though, sure, some of the songs fall flat, but putting aside that Scorpions should've delivered another great hard rock album, this is a decent effort. It's just that it is a very weird effort coming from this band.

Highlights: "Wild Child", "But the Best for You", "Does Anyone Know", "Soul Behind the Face", "When You Came into My Life"

www.the-scorpions.com
www.myspace.com/officialscorpions

Scorpions - Face the Heat (1993, Mercury/Polygram Records)

Track Listing:
1. "Alien Nation" - 5:44
2. "No Pain, No Gain" - 3:55
3. "Someone to Touch" - 4:28
4. "Under the Same Sun" - 4:52
5. "Unholy Alliance" - 5:16
6. "Woman" - 5:56
7. "Hate to Be Nice" - 4:30
8. "Taxman Woman" - 4:30
9. "Ship of Fools" - 4:15
10. "Nightmare Avenue" - 3:54
11. "Lonely Nights" - 4:44

Band:
Klaus Meine - Vocals
Rudolf Schenker - Guitars
Matthias Jabs - Guitars
Ralph Rieckermann - Bass
John Webster - Keyboards
Herman Rarebell - Drums

Additional keyboards by Luke Herzog

Produced by: Scorpions and Bruce Fairbairn

For some reason, I was thinking this album sucked. I bought it used a few years ago, along with Pure Instinct, and I guess I let my opinions for that album carry over to this one. This is a really good album. I remember liking "Alien Nation", but I didn't think the rest was anything special, but boy am I wrong. I won't say this album is classic Scorpions, but it retains that 80s Scorpions sound with a slight update and turns out some really good rockers. It's heavier than their previous album, Crazy World, which was great, but very pop-metal, IMO.

"Someone to Touch" is probably my favorite song here, but "Lonely Nights" is another great haunting Scorpions power ballad. Overall, this album is very underrated and any fan of the band could probably find at least a few redeeming songs.

A cover of Elvis Presley's "Marie's the Name (His Latest Flame)" is a hidden track.

Highlights: "Alien Nation", "No Pain, No Gain", "Someone to Touch", "Unholy Alliance", "Ship of Fools", "Lonely Nights"

http://www.the-scorpions.com
http://www.myspace.com/officialscorpions

First is a cute cartoon, about Sam Suds he is on the case of PVC The Poison Plastic. Check it out here: http://www.pvcfree.org/video.htm

Topic two; have you ever wondered what the products you recycle become? Well here is a small list for you. Aluminum cans may get a new life as cookware, bicycles, car parts and even home appliances. Plastic containers can become goggles, benches, fleece or polyfill jackets and even carpets. Paper products may become your next grocery bag, newspaper or magazine and the lower grades egg cartons, fruit trays and even home insulation. Glass is cool because is can be recycled over and over again but can also be a part of marbles, surf boards, roads, sidewalks and even tiles!

Then again trying to know what you can recycle and how to do it can be a place many folks stop, before they even start. So taken from Body + Soul magazine July/August 2007 is a great recycling 101-tip page. Of course, it is always best to check with your local providers.

Recycling 101
While recycling programs vary from city to city, a few rules hold true for most curbside collection programs. To find out about your local regulations or learn how to start a recycling program in your building, neighborhood, or city, visit earth911.org.

Hazardous Waste
This group includes household products that have corrosive, toxic, ignitable, or reactive ingredients, such as rodent poisons, paints, batteries, electronics, cleaners, fluorescent lightbulbs, and thermometers.

Do Read product labels for disposal information.

Do Follow the "reduce-reuse-recycle" hierarchy. Reduce the amount of hazardous waste in your home, and use up as much as possible. Donate leftovers (find out where at earth911.org). As a last resort, arrange for disposal through community collection programs (call 1-800-CLEANUP or your local solid waste agency for dates and locations).

Do Participate in take-back and trade-in programs for batteries, computers, cartridges, and some electronics. See company Web sites for instructions.

Don't Pour hazardous waste down the drain, storm sewer, or in your yard.

Don't Put electronics out with your trash or recycling. Learn about the impact of "e-waste" and how you can help at svtc.org.

Metals
Do Recycle all aluminum cans. (If you're not certain if a can is aluminum, test it with a refrigerator magnet. Aluminum isn't magnetic.)

Do Rinse out tin cans (the kind that soup and pet food come in) before putting them in your bin. You don't need to remove labels, but if they're paper and come off easily, recycle them.Do Find out if your program accepts clean aluminum foil.

Do Remove plastic caps from metal containers and recycle them separately.

Do Check to see if your program accepts empty aluminum

Plastic
Do Rinse out containers before recycling.

Do Look beyond the number. Although pro­ducts may have the same number, they may not all be recyclable. For example, #2 bottles may be acceptable but not #2 wide-mouthed tubs. Check local rules to find out what's okay.

Do Find out if your program requires removal of plastic bottle caps, which are often a different type of plastic. When in doubt, remove the cap and throw it away.

Don't Mix plastic bags, film wrap, or molded plastic with your recyclables. Put film wrap in the garbage and recycle bags at a local supermarket. Donate usable products, such as chairs and kids' toys, made with molded plastic.

Glass
Do Check local guide­lines to see which colors of glass (green/blue, brown, clear) jars and bottles you can recycle.

Do Remove caps, lids, and corks from jars and bottles.

Do Rinse out glass containers.

Don't Put ceramics, heat-resistant ovenware (such as Pyrex and CorningWare), mirrors, windows, lightbulbs, drinking glasses, garden pots, or broken container glass (bottles and jars) into the mix.

Don't Drive 50 miles to recycle a few bottles. If you don't have curbside pickup, find a local collection facility or buy-back center (often located at supermarkets).

Paper
Do Keep it clean and dry. For many programs, a greasy pizza box or damp paper towels can render a whole bin useless. Limit moisture by putting recycling out on collection day, rather than the night before.

Do Flatten cardboard.

Do Recycle junk mail, including envelopes with plastic windows, unless local guidelines specify not to.

Do Recycle magazines after removing all samples and non-paper inserts.

Don't Throw in wax paper, Styrofoam, or heavily soiled paper (like oil-soaked fast-food wrappers).

Don't Bundle papers together with tape, wire, plastic, or rope. If local guidelines allow bundling, use lightweight string.

Be well!

Full B/W set over on my Flickr

More photos from Rudee over on his blog! Thanks again dude!

- Joe

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