Happy Halloween

I hoped to post a White/Rob Zombie video fest for All Hallow's Eve, but Universal won't let anyone post his videos. Maybe next year.

Instead, here are some Halloween-themed covers that everyone should listen to on the most metal of holidays.

Secret Chiefs 3--"Halloween"



One of the best avant-bands in the world occasionally throws their startling cover of John Carpenter's unforgettable theme to his best movie into their live shows. Go see them for their jazz/klezmer/surf rock/Bollywood score/metal jams, and maybe they'll treat you to this gem.

White Zombie--"I'm Your Boogieman"



KC and the Sunshine Band's original gained a bite and lost none of its danceability when White Zombie covered it for one of the Crow sequel soundtracks. Further proof that Rob Zombie has a tighter sense of rhythm than nearly any of his metal frontman peers, and makes some of the coolest-looking videos.

Marilyn Manson--"This is Halloween"



The mighty Danny Elfman's past few scores haven't done much for me, and Manson's pretty much a self-parody these days, but this cover of the opening number from Nightmare Before Christmas brings out the best in both parties. Special thanks to whoever dubbed it over the movie's intro.

Sleep with one eye open...

Update: Extra Halloween goody (albeit no surprise:) the new Slayer song is AWESOME!



Updated update: Metal Injection posted pictures of some awesome Halloween pumpkins, definitely check these out.

Updated updated update: Those Who Know Music posted an imaginative lineup for the ultimate monster metal band.

Appreciating Ted Nugent with an asterisk

It's hard for any relatively well-informed music fan to say "I like Ted Nugent" and leave it at that. The kindest thing anyone seems able to say is, "He's a jackass but I still like his music." "That jackass made music?" is close behind, a distant third being, "Who?" For someone who's music's been inarguably irrelevant since the Carter administration, the Nuge can still spark quite a debate on the rare occasions that his name comes up.


Nugent is a despicable human being. He's entitled to be a right-winger, but the fact that he's also a chickenhawk who applauds sending troops into Iraq while boasting of his draft dodging antics in the '60s (don't look up how he did it, you'll be sorry) is inexcusable. Couple that with his tendency to eschew the "cowardly, irresponsible lifestyle of random sex and life-destroying drugs" from his bible-thumping high horse, while a court orders him to pay child support for his numerous illegitimate kids. Factor in his recent hate-comments regarding Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and even the late Dimebag Darrell, and this family values spokesman sounds like the most egregious creep to ever pick up a six-string. I can't really argue with that.

So why am I wasting your time with Ted Nugent? Because like many great musicians, writers, filmmakers and painters, Nugent is an awful person and a great artist. While not in the upper echelon of hard rock with AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Motörhead and Van Halen, Nugent has his share of awesome tunes. He's a monumentally gifted axeman with frontman chops to boot, like Brian Johnson and Angus Young, David Lee Roth and Eddie Van Halen, Ozzy and Tony Iommi roled into one high voltage showman. Over the top, charismatic and cartoonish, the Motor City Madman backed it all up with licks that captured hard rock's blues sensibilities and virtuosity like few who came before him. His spontaneous, unhinged playing and songwriting don't make him the most consistent musician, but no hard rock enthusiast should be without a Ted Nugent Greatest Hits CD. Especially if it has the following:

"Stranglehold"



Never did hard rock have such a smooth, soulful groove until this 8-minute classic. A hypnotic progression with a climactic buildup into an epic proto-metal jam which, to this day, doesn't sound like much else you'll hear on classic rock radio.

"Journey to the Center of Your Mind"



Nugent is respected as a hard rock pioneer, but his work in '60s garage band the Amboy Dukes has also inspired generation upon generation of punks, hipsters, stoners and eccentrics to pick up vintage instruments and play stripped-down, blues-inspired rock n' roll. Fellow Detroit native Jack White was taking notes.

"Free-for-All"



This song just rocks without abandon. Nugent pulls hooks out of the filthiest part of his mind and peppers in a bawdy yarn about looking for action. Aerosmith would forfeit their Wayne's World 2 cameo to call this song their own.

"Cat Scratch Fever"



The crowning achievement of the Nuge. An indisputable hard rock staple that will get your parents to headbang inadvertently, cause your best friend to grudgingly overlook Nugent's politics and sound unbelievable when your kid brother plays it at full blast. Bonus: Check out Pantera's excellent cover, from the soundtrack to the greatest film ever made.

"Paralyzed"



On some days I might pick "Homebound" or "Motor City Madhouse," but "Paralyzed" sounds perfect right about now. The instant sing-a-long chorus ("The lights are on, but there's nooo-body hooome") nearly defines the man, and that solo sounds so dangerous that I can't believe it ever got played on the radio.

So what happened? While the artistic decline may have been inevitable, Nugent can only blame himself for his waned popularity. Nostalgia acts like KISS will still sell out arenas, but as long as Uncle Ted insists on being a vehement dipshit, most of his few remaining fans won't support his crackpot ideals by buying CDs or concert tickets. Thus the Nuge is doomed to reality TV appearances, occasional guest spots on Sean Hannity and performing to sparse crowds at county fairs.

At least we got some good tunes out of him.

Fun with McCain

Amon Amarth rules for serious

If your friend needed to know what makes death metal great, there may be no better way to demonstrate then to lure said affiliate into an Amon Amarth show.


Coming off an awesome new album, Twilight of the Thunder God, and bringing a stronger mob of openers than anyone could've reasonably hoped, Amon Amarth took over Irving Plaza on their New York stop. Florida-based starters the Absence offered song-driven death metal and a solid cover of Testament's "Into the Pit," and Austrian followers Belphegor resembled a live-action Dethklok with their hooky death metal, campy attire and especially their tendency to pluralize random words in their stage banter ("Are yous readys fors the blast beats??")



Best of all openers were Ensiferum, probably the second-best Viking-themed metal band in existence. The Helsinki metal warriors incorporated medieval-sounding instrumentation and structure into their melodic death metal, spouting tales of vengeance, monstrous creatures, sorcery and epic battle. Suggesting troubadours from the middle ages who were dropped off in the era of blast beats, Ensiferum tore through a masterful set of metal that was both catchy and colorful, sounding like they could raise a kraken or entertain a king's court on "One More Magic Potion" and "Ahti." "This one is called 'I-ron!'" stated ethereal singer guitarist Petri Lindroos, phonetically pronouncing the song title and urging the crowd to sing the "da-dadada, da-dadada" part. With the conviction of Manowar devotees, we all obliged him.

Still, Sweden's Viking leaders ruled the evening. Twilight of the Thunder God's phenomenal title track was a perfect opener, blending a melodic riff with a death metal assault over prose seemingly culled from Edda. Sandwiched around the kind of Guitar Hero solo that Dragonforce would sacrifice Herman Li for, Amon Amarth came roaring into New York like the hammer of the gods. Come from the land of the ice and snow, from the midnight sun where the hot springs blow...



"New York City, you have shown us that you have true Viking spirit!" bellowed jolly, enormous frontman Johan Hegg. Lesser bands fall prey to bombast and gimmickry, but Amon Amarth's music is stripped down, song-driven and even subtle enough to defy any Lordi comparisons. Amon Amarth never turned being loud, fast or technical into a competition, it simply came with great songs like "Death in Fire," "Asator" and "Runes to My Memory." Plus, they're getting better--Thunder God's "Free Will Sacrifice" succeeded everywhere that Frank Miller's 300 failed, and the anthemic "Guardians of Asgaard" is sure to be a staple in future sets. Bringing Norse mythology to life with the same vigor that helped Metallica capture Dalton Trumbo, Amon Amarth created a soundtrack that was both self-empowering and apocalyptic.

Thankfully, Amon Amarth are also as non self-important as death metal gets. Their show-stopping tradition of drinking beer out of Viking horns remains worth the admission price, and the war cries they elicited for "Steve" the beer guy were also admirable. Most bands whose stage props include shields with the band's initials would be unable to engage in such everyman tactics, but, alongside death metal beasts like "Valhall Awaits Me," that's part of the magic of Amon Amarth.

Ending with "The Pursuit of Vikings," Amon Amarth left everyone feeling a little more like Thor. If your friend didn't like it, then chances are they'll never enjoy death metal. Which raises the question--why are you affiliating yourself with someone who doesn't get Amon Amarth?

The Way of All awesomeness

At risk of waxing nostalgic, my very first post here was inspired by the incredible show headlined by Lamb of God at Roseland Ballroom in spring of 2007. Of the evening's awesome openers, I expressed admiration and hope for their success, "if there's any justice in the world." About 18 months, a few high-profile tours and a lot of buzz, Gojira's The Way of All Flesh is widely being regarded as one of the year's best metal albums. Rightfully so.

Following up From Mars to Sirius, an earth-shattering, death metal watershed, have taken their progressive edge even further, practically spewing out bizarrely infectious riffs in the hard-hitting "Toxic Garbage Island" and "All the Tears," while a nasty synthesizer loop somehow leads "A Sight to Behold" into a headbanger's dream. The band is still embracing the environmental consciousness that made From Mars to Sirius the best progressive metal concept album about whales since Mastodon's Leviathan, and environmentalist beliefs are prevalent on first single "Vacuity" and the seething, confrontational epic "Wolf Down the Earth." Vocalist/guitarist Joe Duplantier's lyrics are effective if not poetic, and no band has taken save-the-earth music further from misguided hippie stigma since the days Dave Mustaine was howling about "Dawn Patrol."

"Vacuity" is a wonder. As with "Walk," "Sad But True" or "Refuse/Resist," a technically overwhelming metal band throws all their power into a relatively simple progression, killing all radio prospects by sheer force. Still, it's too catchy to imagine that it won't expand Gojira's audience.



Vocal Gojira fan Randy Blythe's appearance on the monstrous-sounding "Adoration for None" is also sure to lure in new listeners. Blythe has been contributing to Gojira's fanbase constantly, from bringing them on tour with Lamb of God to raving about them in the press, and now he's aided them aesthetically by matching his growled vocals with Duplantier's barks on "Adoration." Lamb of God are unquestionably one of the best metal bands in the world, but hearing Blythe trade verses with Gojira had me wondering if The Way of All Flesh is the best album he's ever contributed to.

When a didgeridoo creeps into the percussive intro to "The Art of Dying," Gojira briefly recalls the experimental side that they indulged on earlier albums like The Link. It gives way to a clear example of how far they've come and how far they've taken metal with them. Rarely has any band made progressive metal sound so concise, and the jackhammer picking and blast beats of "Esoteric Surgery" and the aforementioned "Toxic Garbage Island." are awesomely hardcore. Even the relatively slow moments, like the closing title track, sound like they're pulling you light years ahead. But maybe that's just Gojira's innovation. Maybe it's the best metal album of the year.



Buy it.

Answering a few questions

Iann Robinson of Nonelouder posted his takes on some questions that have been wracking metalhead's brains for years. Some I agree with and some I don't, but I can't resist posting my thoughts.



1. What would Metallica sound like if Burton had lived and Mustaine had stayed?

They still would've been the biggest and most influential metal band in history. Cliff Burton is one of the best metal bassists ever, and he'll be remembered long after we're all gone for having his name on "For Whom the Bell Tolls," "Master of Puppets" and "Creeping Death," to name a few. But the crux of Metallica' songwriting and direction is James Hefield, and besides probably co-writing a few more masterpieces, I'm not convinced that they'd sound like Slayer's contemporaries if Cliff had been alive in the '90s.

I'm not sure if Hetfield and Mustaine's creative courses could've co-existed much longer in the same band, but even if they only made it to three albums they'd be untouchable. But Ride the Lightning, Master of Puppets, ...And Justice for All and the other albums that shaped metal into what it is today would be radically different with Mustaine and without Hammett's often overlooked songwriting contributions. Plus, we never would've heard all those life-changing Megadeth records like, like Rust in Peace and Peace Sells...But Who's Buying?. I'm glad that we got both bands, and Hammett and Mustaine are both in their right places.



2. What would Back In Black sound like if Bon Scott had sang on it?

Even dirtier. It may not have sold 42 million(!) albums worldwide, but Back in Black would probably still go down as AC/DC's big statement. Still, maybe the death of Bon Scott inspired Angus and Malcolm Young to get even better, so you never know.



3. What would Iron Maiden have sounded like if Paul Di’Anno had stayed?

Maiden would still be a great band, but they wouldn't have been able to sell out arenas the way that they do today. By any measure, Di'Anno is a great singer, but Dickinson's range, charisma, operatics and stage energy are a huge part of what gave Maiden the status that evaded Saxon and Diamond Head.

Amazingly, neither Di'Anno nor Dickinson were prominent songwriters for Maiden, so it's odd that either would change the band so drastically. But would Steve Harris write "Run to the Hills" or "The Number of the Beast" for someone who couldn't belt it out?



4. Where would Ozzy be if Randy Rhodes had lived?


We would've had a lot of great music that was lost when Randy died in the plane crash. Randy's increasing classical tendencies could've totally redirected Ozzy, and while we might've lost Ozzy's greatest solo moment (No More Tears,) it's heartbreaking to think of all that could've been.



5. What if Diamond Dave had never left Van Halen?

The inevitable artistic declines of both parties would've coincided. David Lee Roth's awful solo career would meld with Van Hagar's generic arena rock, and people would still go see Van Halen to hear their awesome first six records. We'd be spared the Gary Cherone album and Diamond Dave's radio show, but I don't think we lost a lot of great music on that fateful day in 1985.



6. Why did it have to be Dimebag?

Because life is really, really, really unfair. As one of my favorite writers sang, "Life's good, but not fair at all."



7. Why do Bon Scott, Jimi Hendrix and those guys die due to drugs and alcohol but not Mötley Crüe or Poison?

See answer six. Of course, dying from drugs has nothing to do with the quality of your music. Ozzy, Lemmy and Keith Richards are all still rocking hard into their '60s, and Jerry Lee Lewis is 73.



8. How would Black Metal be different if Varg Vikernes hadn’t killed anybody?

Maybe a little less stigmatized? I feel like most people who judge and condemn death metal don't even know who Varg Vikernes is. Pro-censorship crusaders generally don't know anything about the music that they're talking about, so I don't think that Joe Lieberman is on his soapboax because he cares that Euronymous was murdered.

Also, from Leadbelly to G.G. Allin, felonious psychopaths have treated us to some pretty great music, but on the relevance scale Varg Vikernes is a little above Charles Manson. As far as I can tell, Lords of Chaos (the book about the history of Satan-related crime in Norway) is more interesting than anything that Vikernes recorded, and if the part about him whining that they took away his computer in prison is true, then he's also a baby.

I forget which death metal musician once said "Burning churches doesn't mean you're a satanist, it means you're an asshole," but he was right.



9. Where would death metal be if Chuck Schuldiner had lived?

Just like any genre, it would've gotten stale with the passing of time. There will always be talents and innovators, but since the initial shock of Death and Morbid Angel has worn off, there's also been an endless slew of inferior imitators. Saying that we would've avoided this if Chuck lived would be like saying we'd never suffer through Puddle of Mudd if Kurt Cobain were around.

I'd like to think that Death would continue to improve and challenge audiences with each new album, although they could've also treaded water or streamlined their sound. We'll never know, but I think we missed out on a lot of great music when Chuck Schuldiner succumbed to cancer.



10. Is Manowar really just fucking with us?

Yes and no. They clearly enjoy what they're doing, perform with a lot of conviction and are completely caught up in their greatness, but it's hard for me to believe that they don't think any of it is remotely silly.



11. Would it have been cool if KISS retired when they took the make up off?

It would've been cool, but it wouldn't have been KISS. KISS is great in part because they're campy, ham fisted, over the top and ridiculous. The thought of them gracefully retiring and preserving their legacy is as unthinkable as Gene and Paul not whoring their names out to any remotely conceivable sponsor, product or KISS merchandise. KISS aren't "cool," they're KISS, and that's part of why they rule.

Siiiiiiiiiiigh

Tokyo-based black metal band Sigh recently stopped by BB King's on a rare US tour, perhaps to follow up on the press they've gotten for their new EP of all Venom covers. Despite rarely making it to the states, signing to affluent avant-metal label The End and getting a tour sponsorship from premier metal blog Metalsucks, barely 30 or so metalheads made it out to the show. The result was a sparse, pathetic mosh pit and no crowd-surfing room at all, but the fiery performances from Sigh and openers Unexpect gave no quarter, and the handful of dedicated fans present were happy to indulge them.

Montreal's Unexpect, another envelope-pushing End Records act, melded Mr. Bungle-inspired freakouts, klezmer instrumentation, prog and death metal exchanges and a cinematic jazz-minded, almost Danny Elfman-esque sense of song. Producing the a-level musicianship minus the excessive low end demonstrated on their newest album, In a Flesh Aquarium, Unexpect thrashed out a distinct, impressive din highlighted at a breakneck pace. Despite their considerable skills, Unexpect were sometimes overwhelmed by their musical capabilities and knack for weirdness, which blended some of their songs into a convoluted mess. Still, although Unexpect's amalgamation of sounds aren't as challenging or enjoyable as labelmates Sleepytime Gorilla Museum or Estradasphere, they're clearly a promising, exciting band.



Sigh, who've become increasingly avant-garde on their past two studio albums, Gallows Gallery and Hangman's Hymn, offer catchy songs with memorable choruses with no sign of the droning alterna-metal that many their countrymen in Mono and Boris prefer. The band's experimental side lies in their arrangements, especially considering the circus-worthy saxophone and keyboard riffing from Sigh's vocalists. Bandleader Mirai Kawashima, a short, pokerfaced howler in goth attire, provided the night's most comprehensible singing, while his fetching foil Dr. Mikannibal out-growled him all night, providing a startling death metal howl that matched the band's unrelenting of speed and apocalyptic compositions.

Despite their symphonic arrangement, Sigh are a raw-sounding outfit, both on their underproduced studio albums and in their shows. While clearly talented musicians, the band plays relatively simple, fast music, held together by a rhythm section that owes more to punk than Sigh's blast beat contemporaries. But like any good metal band, Sigh have no pretenses about not enjoying themselves onstage, and the band's showy singers indulged all their black metal fantasies, spewing tales of sorcery and Satan while engaging the fervent fans in the front row. Proving themselves better than ever in their 18-year-career, Sigh concluded their first set with Hangman's Hymn tracks "Death with Dishonor," "Me-Devil" and "Inked in Blood," an eccentric, cult-metal playlist that was accompanied by some pretty kooky dance moves from Kawashima and Mikannibal.



Encoring with Venom's "Black Metal," Sigh ushered as much of a mosh pit as one could expect in the mostly-empty venue. Hearing them tear through a trend-setting usher of thrash and death metal, it was clear that Sigh are in the position that Venom were in decades ago--stylish, seriously campy, and fantastically inventive, whether or not it's going to take a while for a large audience to appreciate it.