Wednesday, January 16, 2013
ATHF
As I near the end of this A-Z voyage of albums, I decided to take a step into the Various Artists territory. Over the years I've racked up compilation albums, cover albums and samplers. So I've decided to post a few weeks worth of the hodgepodge I've gathered over the years. Some interesting, some just goofy, some stuff you mind enjoy. So lets kick this off with a soundtrack with some metal flare. Those of you who know me, know I'm a cartoon junkie, I love cartoons, plain and simple. Adult Swim has been a part of my late night viewing habits since their inception. One of those viewing pleasures is Aqua Teen Hunger Force. A show that over the years has featured the voice talents of Danzig, Zakk Wylde, and Neil Peart. For those of you unaware of the show, shame on you. It revolves around a group of food items that are detectives. The show really makes no sense in all honesty. In any case a few years back a movie was released in theaters, the aptly names 'Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film For Theaters'. The soundtrack was a collection of skits and songs relating to the movie. Featuring the likes of Mastodon, Unearth, MC Chris, Schooly D, Andrew WK, and The Hold Steady. The 'Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film For Theaters Colon The Soundtrack' is an odd mix of genres and laughs perfect for the fans of this show. And besides the Mastodon track on here kills.
Monday, January 14, 2013
Voivod
And closing out the V bands with some unique Canadian Prog/Thrash. I of course speak of Voivod. Formed in 81, Voivod has continued to bring their unique sound to the masses. Formed by Piggy and Blacky, the band recruited drummer/band artist Away and added Snake on vocals. Originally playing a thrash metal sound the band started out playing covers by Judas Priest and Mercyful Fate while mixing in their original tracks. Metal Blade Records noticed the band and was featured on the 'Metal Massacre V' compilation. by 84 the band recorded their debut 'War & Pain' and by the mid 80's the band had released some of the era's best metal albums with the likes of 'Nothingface' and 'Dimension Hatröss'. The 90's ushered in lineup changes and by the end of the decade it was unsure if the band would continue. But in 03 Snake rejoined the band with now former Metallica bassist Jason Newstead and the band carried on. However it was soon revealed that guitarist Piggy was suffering from colon cancer. Sadly Piggy passed in 05, leaving a huge gap in the band during a time a new album was being recorded. The band carried on and with a new lineup continue to release new edgy albums. Going old school with the selection here and choosing 'War & Pain' to showcase the band.
Voivod is and continues to be an interesting band. Mixing thrash with Prog rock to create this bizarre beast of a sound. A highly talented group of musicians, the band really only achieved some mainstream success with their cover of Pink Floyd's 'Astronomy Domine' off the 'Nothingface' album. More of an underground cult act, drummer Away has created the album covers for the band since day one, also contributing artwork to Dave Grohl's Probot project. Voivod is a great band to throw on when ya wanna thrash but you wanna be blown away by the complexity of things.
Voivod is and continues to be an interesting band. Mixing thrash with Prog rock to create this bizarre beast of a sound. A highly talented group of musicians, the band really only achieved some mainstream success with their cover of Pink Floyd's 'Astronomy Domine' off the 'Nothingface' album. More of an underground cult act, drummer Away has created the album covers for the band since day one, also contributing artwork to Dave Grohl's Probot project. Voivod is a great band to throw on when ya wanna thrash but you wanna be blown away by the complexity of things.
Veruca Salt
Time to go back to the glory years of the 90's with some good ol alt girl rock. Veruca Salt made a splash in the 90's alt scene by having two solid records, catchy singles and two hot females playing guitar and singing. It was every teenage boys dream. Formed in 93 by Nina Gordon and Louise Post, the band quickly gained attention in 94 with the release of the song 'Seether' from their 'American Thighs' album.Catchy and good, the band found itself opening up for the like of bands like Hole. By 97 the band was riding high offtheir second album 'Eight Arms To Hold You With', but turmoil soon reared its head and by 98 Nina Gordon had left the band in an ugly spat. The band continued on, but never regained the same level of success. A few more albums have been released, but the band is currently on an indefinite hiatus. But for old times sake lets revisit the debut 'American Thighs'
I seem to forgot about this band until I hear either 'Seether' or 'Volcano Girls' then I go back and dust off the albums and remember the glory days of alt girl bands. Seems like there was a rash of really good alt girl bands that came out round this time. Bands like Hole, L7, Babes In Toyland, Seven Year Bitch and many more. Makes me miss the ol grunge/alt rock days, you know when rock was dirty and raw and not some overproduced hunk of crap. Hard to believe that was nearly twenty years ago. Seems like yesterday I was a grungy teen.
I seem to forgot about this band until I hear either 'Seether' or 'Volcano Girls' then I go back and dust off the albums and remember the glory days of alt girl bands. Seems like there was a rash of really good alt girl bands that came out round this time. Bands like Hole, L7, Babes In Toyland, Seven Year Bitch and many more. Makes me miss the ol grunge/alt rock days, you know when rock was dirty and raw and not some overproduced hunk of crap. Hard to believe that was nearly twenty years ago. Seems like yesterday I was a grungy teen.
Thursday, January 10, 2013
SRV
Mid week and it's time to go with some blues and with a guitar legend taken away from us way to early. Stevie Ray Vaughan was one of the premier blues guitarist in the 80's and is credited with bringing the Blues to a whole new generation. In 82 SRV played the Montreux Jazz Festival and was nearly booed of the stage, but not before catching the eyes of David Bowie and Jackson Browne. Browne later offered up free use of his personal studio to record an album. In 83 SRV along with his band Double Trouble released 'Texas Flood'. After a successful tour, the band released several more critical acclaimed albums. In 89 SRV checked into rehab for an ongoing coke addiction. Clean again he recorded an album with his brother Jimmie before tragedy struck. On August 27th 1990 a day after playing a Blues festival with the likes of Clapton, Cray, and Buddy Guy, SRV boarded a helicopter bound for Chicago. Shortly after takeoff the helicopter crashed killing SRV. Despite his untimely death SRV influenced a new generation of blues guitarists like Kenny Wayne Shepherd. John Mayer, and Johnny Lang. 'Texas Flood' remains one of the best blues rock albums ever. It's fitting that this deluxe edition should be shared.
SRV was truly one in a million. There was and will never be another one like him. His music, even at his worst was so full of passion and soul it's hard not to get lost in the moment. The way he put everything into his music was just something you didn't see a lot of people doing in the 80's or even today. Blues guitarist may not be all the rage or even be somewhat mainstream, but they all have the heart and soul in the music that makes them worth listening to.
SRV was truly one in a million. There was and will never be another one like him. His music, even at his worst was so full of passion and soul it's hard not to get lost in the moment. The way he put everything into his music was just something you didn't see a lot of people doing in the 80's or even today. Blues guitarist may not be all the rage or even be somewhat mainstream, but they all have the heart and soul in the music that makes them worth listening to.
Van Halen
Time to go for some classic rock and perhaps a band I struggled on featuring here. Everyone has their take on Van Halen. Whether you side with Roth or Hagar or if you think the bros while talented are complete idiots who can never keep a good thing going. The Van Halen brothers came from the Netherlands and formed their band in 72 and by 78 rounded out the lineup with bassist Michael Anthony and wild frontman David Lee Roth. The bands self titled debut was quickly a hit and the band was well on their way. By 1985 the band was tired of the antics of DLR and decided to split with him and recruit Montrose frontman Sammy Hagar. The band once again released several studio albums much to the chagrin of fans. But by 96 tensions again rose within the band and Hagar left. Roth briefly rejoined in 96, most remember that short lived reunion. Lead singer number three in Gary Cherone of Extreme last a mere three years. From there things get crazy again, reunions both with Roth and Hagar happened and longtime Bassist Michael Anthony departed only to be replaced by Eddie Van Halen's kid Wolfgang. Last year did see the long awaited new album being released. It's hard to pick a Van Halen album, so I went with 'The Best Of Van Halen, Vol. 1'. This album was released after Hagar left and DLR stepped in to record two new songs. This is a good mix of Van Roth and Van Hagar material that is sure to please all fans.
Van Halen undoubtedly has played a major role in every guitarists life. Eddie Van Halen is one of the best guitarists ever, hands down, the stuff he has come up with over the years continues to amaze today. Of course there will be the never ending debate of who fronted the band better. And that really overshadows the greatness of the band. Personally I like both eras, each seems to have its own magic and charm. Sadly the band over the years has become somewhat of an ongoing soap opera. I'm hoping for one more good album and the band can ride out on a high note.
Van Halen undoubtedly has played a major role in every guitarists life. Eddie Van Halen is one of the best guitarists ever, hands down, the stuff he has come up with over the years continues to amaze today. Of course there will be the never ending debate of who fronted the band better. And that really overshadows the greatness of the band. Personally I like both eras, each seems to have its own magic and charm. Sadly the band over the years has become somewhat of an ongoing soap opera. I'm hoping for one more good album and the band can ride out on a high note.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Van Canto
New year and time to get the ol blog back on track. So we will dive into a weeks worth of V bands. First up this week is something a little different in the metal genre. Van Canto are an a capella metal group. Loosely put it's five singers and a drummer. Aside from the drums, no instruments are used. Instead a "rakkatakka" style is used to sound like instruments. This is far from a traditional metal band in every sense of the word. Hailing from Germany, Van Canto have been around since 06 unleashing their unique sound on the world. Four albums in there doesn't seem to be an urge to slow down. Some of their work is covers of songs by the likes of Metallica, Nightwish, Manowar, Deep Purple and Grave Digger, the band does have their own material. I've decided to go with the their third album 'Tribe Of Force'. This album does feature a unique take on the classic Metallica track 'Master Of Puppets' as well as Grave Digger's 'Rebellion'. The album does feature quite a bit of original material and showcases what this band can really do. Worth a listen for the curious and the true metal fans.
I got into Van Canto some years back via their cover of Metallica's 'Battery'. It was more of a gimmick I think at the time, but I dug into their catalog and found their take on tracks to be rather unique. The rakkatakka style just kinda grows on your after a bit. Since then I've picked up their albums and are always fascinated with their videos. This is just a really unique take on the Metal genre and it pays off really well.
I got into Van Canto some years back via their cover of Metallica's 'Battery'. It was more of a gimmick I think at the time, but I dug into their catalog and found their take on tracks to be rather unique. The rakkatakka style just kinda grows on your after a bit. Since then I've picked up their albums and are always fascinated with their videos. This is just a really unique take on the Metal genre and it pays off really well.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Usurper
Closing out the U bands with some Usurper. Hailing from Chicago, Usurper flew under the metal radar but did have a cult following. Their first two releases are considered underground favorites. However I'm going to go with their third LP 'Necronemesis'. Released on the now defunct Necropolis label, the album is a mix of American black and thrash metal, tinged with a bit of sludge. The album also features guest vocals from none other than King Diamond on the title track. The band kinda faded into the underground after this release, only managing to release another two album before calling it a day in 07. While maybe not on par with the earlier albums 'Necronemesis' is still a solid record worth listening to.
I got into this band via a story that revolved around King Diamond. 'Necronemesis' came out in 2000, the same time as King Diamond's 'House Of God'. As luck with have it both bands were booked in the same studio at the time. King needed a bit more time to finish up the record and in exchange he agreed to do a guest vocal spot on Usurper's record. In the end it worked out. King hasn't done too many guest vocal spots, so that alone was enough to get me to listen to the band. Sometimes you find bands in the most bizarre ways.
I got into this band via a story that revolved around King Diamond. 'Necronemesis' came out in 2000, the same time as King Diamond's 'House Of God'. As luck with have it both bands were booked in the same studio at the time. King needed a bit more time to finish up the record and in exchange he agreed to do a guest vocal spot on Usurper's record. In the end it worked out. King hasn't done too many guest vocal spots, so that alone was enough to get me to listen to the band. Sometimes you find bands in the most bizarre ways.
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