Really enjoyed Spin's exceptionally well-written and compiled 100 Greatest Drummers of Alternative Music feature. Not only do these underappreciated players finally get some respect (how many "best singers" and "best guitarists" lists have you already seen?"), but the Chris Weingarten-edited list also honors an excellent selection of great metal drummers. Some of my favorites are below, along with their Spin-selected "Most Booming Moment."
Showing posts with label chris adler. Show all posts
Showing posts with label chris adler. Show all posts
Saturday, May 25, 2013
Friday, March 1, 2013
Slayer, "Raining Blood"
Heaping praises on Reign in Blood is akin to bringing coals to Newcastle. It's almost ubiquitous on Best of Metal lists, and outside of Metallica's first four albums, it's the only thrash metal release that people who don't usually like metal own. But with Dave Lombardo being replaced over a silly contract dispute (it doesn't whose story about the terms you believe--there's no sane reason that an able Dave Lombardo shouldn't be in this band) this week, I'm going back to one of metal's only flawless tracks.
Several bloggers have already compared Half-Slayer (guitarist Jeff Hanneman is still recovering from an incapacitating spider bite) to KISS without Ace and Peter, but this is actually much worse. For all that the original KISS lineup is, the band doesn't compromise any of their nonexistent integrity by breaking up. Slayer has almost epitomized metal's integrity over the past few decades. Despite a few questionable business decisions, they've been the same straight-ahead, thrash-out-and-leave-the-room force of nature for almost 30 years.
The steady, ominous drumming that introduces "Raining Blood" is as iconic as any sound in metal. Lombardo's pacing isn't to take a breath, but to build suspense, which pays off at the infamous "In the Hall of the Mountain King"-emulating riff ("duh-nuh-nuh, nuh-nuh-nuh") that kicks in around the :33 mark. When it does, Lombardo steps right back into the war zone, directing the progression that a South Park would later honor as the ultimate hippie buzz-killer.
I once saw a pre-stardom Lamb of God open for Slayer, stepping up to one of metal history's greatest honors and challenges. Shortly before they closed, Lamb of God held a note and let Chris Adler drum the intro to "Raining Blood." "You all know why we're all here," Randy Blythe bellowed. He could have been talking to the crowd, or to any extreme metal fan in the cosmos, but he didn't need to say anything else.
Several bloggers have already compared Half-Slayer (guitarist Jeff Hanneman is still recovering from an incapacitating spider bite) to KISS without Ace and Peter, but this is actually much worse. For all that the original KISS lineup is, the band doesn't compromise any of their nonexistent integrity by breaking up. Slayer has almost epitomized metal's integrity over the past few decades. Despite a few questionable business decisions, they've been the same straight-ahead, thrash-out-and-leave-the-room force of nature for almost 30 years.
The steady, ominous drumming that introduces "Raining Blood" is as iconic as any sound in metal. Lombardo's pacing isn't to take a breath, but to build suspense, which pays off at the infamous "In the Hall of the Mountain King"-emulating riff ("duh-nuh-nuh, nuh-nuh-nuh") that kicks in around the :33 mark. When it does, Lombardo steps right back into the war zone, directing the progression that a South Park would later honor as the ultimate hippie buzz-killer.
I once saw a pre-stardom Lamb of God open for Slayer, stepping up to one of metal history's greatest honors and challenges. Shortly before they closed, Lamb of God held a note and let Chris Adler drum the intro to "Raining Blood." "You all know why we're all here," Randy Blythe bellowed. He could have been talking to the crowd, or to any extreme metal fan in the cosmos, but he didn't need to say anything else.
Monday, November 19, 2012
Lamb of God at Roseland Ballroom
It took a couple of mediocre albums to confirm what a great band Lamb of God really is. At last Friday's show at Roseland Ballroom, Virginia's greatest metal band aligned themselves with Maiden, Metallica and the elite few metal bands who can still stun from the stage long after their new albums stop mattering.
The smoke machines and projectors (which kicked off the show by airing Lyndon Johnson's "Daisy" attack ad) were new, but somehow they accentuated the excitement. Perhaps it was the novelty of seeing a band of Lamb of God's rawness with a higher-budget show--not since Pantera in the '90s has a band of such unmatched brutality fought their way into the Billboard Top Five. More impressive was watching the band lock in with the tightness of a brotherhood on older grooves like "Ruin," "As the Palaces Burn" and "Laid to Rest," still some of the best metal the past decade has offered. Even a few recent songs, rescued from the slog of their home albums, were even show highlights--every Lamb of God set should include "Set to Fail" and "Contractor." To the uninitiated, I'll recommend Sony's The Essential Lamb of God in advance.
Lamb of God's riff work will thrive Guitar World indefinitely, and snare master Chris Adler is still one of modern music's most discernible drummers. But this ongoing tour is deservedly the Randy Blythe Show. Currently facing involuntary manslaughter charges and coming off a stint in a Prague prison, Blythe is performing this tour like it literally will be his last, showing off 20 years of frontman experience, boundless energy and a bellow that shows no signs of winding down. Maybe he was especially charged up by the idea that he may be locked up for the next 10-15 years, but still some other force must account for his consistently rousing belligerence and engaging interaction. While his bandmates left stage to change instruments, Blythe was at times alone on stage, modestly thanking the fans or reflecting on his band's history between howling out curses to various oppressors.
Ending with the two-fisted "Redneck" and the swinging "Black Label," Lamb of God signed off with the conclusion that their best studio years may be behind them, but that they could be one of metal's best live bands for decades.
The openers were a mixed bag. England's Sylosis, hand-picked to star the show by Chris Adler, offered progressive, tuneful death metal, whereas Connecticut's Hatebreed epitomized the kind of hardcore kid numbskullery that Minor Threat worked to defy. In Flames, one of death metal's greatest claims on record, were slightly stifled by poor sound, an average setlist and a blinding stage light show.
The smoke machines and projectors (which kicked off the show by airing Lyndon Johnson's "Daisy" attack ad) were new, but somehow they accentuated the excitement. Perhaps it was the novelty of seeing a band of Lamb of God's rawness with a higher-budget show--not since Pantera in the '90s has a band of such unmatched brutality fought their way into the Billboard Top Five. More impressive was watching the band lock in with the tightness of a brotherhood on older grooves like "Ruin," "As the Palaces Burn" and "Laid to Rest," still some of the best metal the past decade has offered. Even a few recent songs, rescued from the slog of their home albums, were even show highlights--every Lamb of God set should include "Set to Fail" and "Contractor." To the uninitiated, I'll recommend Sony's The Essential Lamb of God in advance.
Lamb of God's riff work will thrive Guitar World indefinitely, and snare master Chris Adler is still one of modern music's most discernible drummers. But this ongoing tour is deservedly the Randy Blythe Show. Currently facing involuntary manslaughter charges and coming off a stint in a Prague prison, Blythe is performing this tour like it literally will be his last, showing off 20 years of frontman experience, boundless energy and a bellow that shows no signs of winding down. Maybe he was especially charged up by the idea that he may be locked up for the next 10-15 years, but still some other force must account for his consistently rousing belligerence and engaging interaction. While his bandmates left stage to change instruments, Blythe was at times alone on stage, modestly thanking the fans or reflecting on his band's history between howling out curses to various oppressors.
Ending with the two-fisted "Redneck" and the swinging "Black Label," Lamb of God signed off with the conclusion that their best studio years may be behind them, but that they could be one of metal's best live bands for decades.
The openers were a mixed bag. England's Sylosis, hand-picked to star the show by Chris Adler, offered progressive, tuneful death metal, whereas Connecticut's Hatebreed epitomized the kind of hardcore kid numbskullery that Minor Threat worked to defy. In Flames, one of death metal's greatest claims on record, were slightly stifled by poor sound, an average setlist and a blinding stage light show.
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Help Randy Blythe
Randy Blythe is still in a Czech jail. I thought that this would be taken care of in a few days, but even after posting a nearly $200,000 bail, Blythe remains imprisoned.
I don't believe in fans jumping onstage during shows, unless the artist (i.e. only Iggy Pop or Andrew W.K.) encourages it, and even then in moderation. Especially after Dimebag Darrell's murder, no artist should be blamed for the fate of some jackass who jumps at the band during their performance. The more I read about this matter, the more infuriating it gets that Blythe is being detained. By all accounts from my friends in the music business, he is a good guy.
Please take a moment to help Randy Blythe here. There's been an absurd backlash to this fund, which Chris Adler has addressed here, and I can't see a good reason for Randy to be in jail. Send your best thoughts and support his way.
I don't believe in fans jumping onstage during shows, unless the artist (i.e. only Iggy Pop or Andrew W.K.) encourages it, and even then in moderation. Especially after Dimebag Darrell's murder, no artist should be blamed for the fate of some jackass who jumps at the band during their performance. The more I read about this matter, the more infuriating it gets that Blythe is being detained. By all accounts from my friends in the music business, he is a good guy.
Please take a moment to help Randy Blythe here. There's been an absurd backlash to this fund, which Chris Adler has addressed here, and I can't see a good reason for Randy to be in jail. Send your best thoughts and support his way.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
