tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9002341165332679102024-03-12T20:58:09.245-05:00Primitive FutureToddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18183863977387034618noreply@blogger.comBlogger156125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-900234116533267910.post-26788379062828350012013-05-01T15:22:00.000-05:002013-05-01T15:29:12.414-05:00Thrust Demos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.metal-archives.com/images/1/8/7/6/1876_logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.metal-archives.com/images/1/8/7/6/1876_logo.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
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Chicago metal has a strange and not-too-storied history, despite delivering some of the greatest and most influential bands of many metal sub-genres. Anyone who knows anything counts Trouble, Master and Cianide among their favorites. Those who have dug into Paul Speckmann's history give Death Strike & War Cry the respect they deserve on archivist metal blogs. Zoetrope put together some pretty impressive crossover thrash. However, Chicago is currently known for a lot of dumb bands that mistake "experimentation" for creativity, but in the 80s, Chicago was doing it right.</div>
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Thrust exists in that nebulous area in the early 80s before thrash metal was a codified genre. This has all kinds of melodic NWOBHM riffs, but is quite a bit more aggressive than even the first two Maiden records. Vocals are bizarrely sing-song in a way that portends the strangeness of Vio-Lence. Each of these songs is a riff fest that traces melodies through linear runs, galloping power chords, and more melodic rock chord progressions. "Speed metal" became something really foolish and cheesy at some point, but these demos showcase what the genre was capable of becoming.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?ikmv34wd3p4j4bl">Thrust Demo I</a></div>
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<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?zbhb011m04v29tb">Thrust Demo II</a><br />
<br />
*Thanks to Scott from Cianide for sending these over and letting me post them.</div>
Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18183863977387034618noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-900234116533267910.post-83280315623576816222013-04-25T13:44:00.001-05:002013-04-25T13:44:41.480-05:00Fenriz Collection: 1996-2004<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.decibelmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/DarkthroneEsterS_2677-180x240.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.decibelmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/DarkthroneEsterS_2677-180x240.gif" /></a></div>
<br />
Inspired by my interview with Fenriz of Darkthrone, I put together of all the tracks from Darkthrone's "middle period" that were penned by Fenriz. After <i>Panzerfaust</i>, Darkthrone entered something of a mid-career lull. While many fans stick to some iteration of the first five records, these Moonfog albums should not be ignored. Part of the reason for the creative downturn is the shifting of much of the songwriting duties from Fenriz to Nocturno Culto. Not that Nocturno doesn't have his moments, ("<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuSkqMaqF3E">Rust</a>" from <i>Hate Them</i>) but many of his compositions drag and his melodic sensibility is just a little bit too obvious sometimes, especially given the volume of bands out there tremolo-picking various minor chords.<br />
<br />
During this period, Fenriz shifted his composition style away from the hypnotic tremolo-picked melodies that defined <i>Transilvanian Hunger</i> into a much more punkish interpretation of his oft-cited influences: Bathory, Celtic Frost & Hellhammer. This stuff isn't "black metal" in the 90s interpretation of the term that Darkthrone helped create. This is regressive 80s metal. Every Fenriz riff has its own sense of conflict and resolution within itself, and, while strumming patterns are often primitive and repetitive, the melodies create a sense of rhythm.<br />
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Some of Darkthrone's middle albums can seem disorganized and boring, but, presenting only Fenriz's tracks creates a much more focused vision. If you haven't paid attention to this stuff before, you're in for a huge treat.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/download.php?q1wp2dzw48m9yg0">Download</a></div>
Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18183863977387034618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-900234116533267910.post-42261549764718701422013-04-21T13:30:00.001-05:002013-04-21T13:30:07.436-05:00Fenriz Interview<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.invisibleoranges.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/DarkthroneCreditAshleyMaile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://www.invisibleoranges.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/DarkthroneCreditAshleyMaile.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
I interviewed one of the main riffmasters of all time over at Invisible Oranges: <a href="http://www.invisibleoranges.com/2013/04/interview-fenriz/">http://www.invisibleoranges.com/2013/04/interview-fenriz/</a>Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18183863977387034618noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-900234116533267910.post-16197681626049789212012-09-04T11:32:00.000-05:002012-09-13T10:11:58.642-05:00Like Rats - Like Rats (2012)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.a389records.com/store/images/rel_104.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.a389records.com/store/images/rel_104.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
My goal for Like Rats is to create music that could have existed in the evolving extreme metal scene of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Many of the bands that are ostensibly related in defining genre parameters don't really sound much like each other. Morbid Angel sounds way different than Suffocation sounds way different than Deicide etc.<br />
<br />
I wanted to write with the same <i>feelimg</i> as early material from Incantation, Immolation, Darkthrone, and Asphyx without actually sounding too much like any of those bands. I also wanted to maintain the punkish d-beat feel of Celtic Frost and Sodom (who just very clearly loved Discharge and Motörhead). Finally, I wanted to stress the dark melodicism that defines early death metal as well as artists like Dead Can Dance, Prokofiev & Strauss. Speaking of Strauss, trying to touch what these people have done makes me feel like <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML1OZCHixR0">an ape encountering a monolith</a>, but such is life.<br />
<br />
Here is a track-by-track breakdown with all of the riffs I can remember purposefully stealing. Some are blatant rip-offs and others are a bit more abstracted. I've noticed other acts of thievery upon relistening to the album, but these are the ones that were definitely intentional. Click each link to be taken to a youtube video timestamped to the pilfered riff.<br />
<br />
<i>Red Dawn</i>:<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxtZc-pRC1Q">Celtic Frost - Innocence & Wrath</a><br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzPfVvWwTz4#t=2m">Morpheus Descends - Proclaimed Creator</a><br />
<br />
<i>Fire</i>:<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FniUZJ2U1CA#t=32s">Slayer - Piece by Piece</a><br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMHwbdAGALo#t=10s">Death Strike - Pervert</a><br />
<br />
<i>River Dread</i>:<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIYRv7d2vpY#t=2m10s">Immolation - Into Everlasting Fire</a><br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUFREEJiGeQ#t=3m30s">Morbid Angel - Chapel of Ghouls</a><br />
<br />
<i>Winter Sun</i>:<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFzI1KUf7zU#t=3m7s">Sergei Prokofiev - Piano Sonata No. 6</a><br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdE7kIHP9ek#t=1m18s">Unleashed - The Final Silence</a><br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3epnOR7nklM#t=1m02s">Massacra - Apocalyptic Warrior</a><br />
<br />
<i>Dark Masks</i>:<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mae4xUW-OvU">Krypts - Dormant of the Ancients</a><br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2LRne-gGFQ#t=1m45s">Darkthrone - Summer of the Diabolical Holocaust</a><br />
<br />
<i>Dusk</i>:<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSHECmy-Vfg#t=53s">Sepultura - Morbid Visions</a><br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1GRRQ6q51U#t=21s">Celtic Frost - Eternal Summer</a>
<br />
<br />
<i>Direction</i>:<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nPPcDRrQvU">Gorgoroth - Drommer om Dod</a><br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ikk6mZV5Z9U#t=27s">Sodom - Nuctemeron</a>
<br />
<br />
<i>Bloodline</i>:<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pri0-be4GO4">Sergei Prokofiev - Piano Concerto No. 2</a><br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaytIdLYtPc#t=17s">Celtic Frost - Procreation of the Wicked</a> (probably the single most influential riff on Like Rats)<br />
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<i>Russian Midnight</i>:<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3Y5NycY5gM">Richard Strauss - Also Sprach Zarathustra</a><br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0g2v6bAwRk4#t=1m30s">Incantation - Nocturnal Dominium</a><br />
<br />
And of course, here are external links for purchasing and listening:<br />
<a href="http://www.decibelmagazine.com/featured/exclusive-album-stream-like-rats/">Full album stream via Decibel</a><span id="goog_946313004"></span><span id="goog_946313005"></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a><br />
<a href="http://www.a389records.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=62&products_id=2102">Vinyl via A389 Recordings</a><br />
Digital download via <a href="http://www.a389records.com/store/index.php?cPath=61">A389</a> or <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/like-rats/id553127686">iTunes</a>Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18183863977387034618noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-900234116533267910.post-18629332439781086412012-08-28T14:00:00.003-05:002012-09-01T14:57:03.778-05:00Other Women - Demo (2011)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv17FivsvBC55Tj7KQSF87SStX5TaRZKfnXYF9CM_vSvdn8-viaeZ_Cbez-wNJ4n06Mp2CScNdyTXhqcl9hf17j67z4omVrqvlvuPw2jCIIiSAQWms2B3s3u3BQMwLQdLRxXuSY2-H9Zs1/s320/folder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv17FivsvBC55Tj7KQSF87SStX5TaRZKfnXYF9CM_vSvdn8-viaeZ_Cbez-wNJ4n06Mp2CScNdyTXhqcl9hf17j67z4omVrqvlvuPw2jCIIiSAQWms2B3s3u3BQMwLQdLRxXuSY2-H9Zs1/s320/folder.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Other Women is made up of friends who used to be in a band called Regrets, with whom Like Rats played many a gig. Their new band has way more bendy riffs, which is awesome. There's nothing quite like a good bendy riff. This demo is a perfect iteration of heavy, dark hardcore with lots of bendy, chromatic riffs. For fans of hardcore bands that clearly enjoy Celtic Frost (Sheer Terror, New Lows, Gehenna). Bendy riffs, man...<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?tlnzzh9nowucnc6">Download</a></div>
Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18183863977387034618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-900234116533267910.post-28365093121161137262012-08-20T14:12:00.001-05:002012-08-20T14:12:06.614-05:00Negativa - Negativa EP (2006)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/3a/Negativa_(EP).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/3a/Negativa_(EP).jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
I'm resurrecting Primitive Future to post this EP, which I've been listening to extensively since I saw Gorguts a month or so back. <i><a href="http://primitive-future.blogspot.com/2011/04/gorguts-obscura-1998.html">Obscura</a></i> is one of my all-time favorite albums, and this EP basically just sounds like <i>Obscura. </i>I also exchanged myspace messages with Big Steeve sometime around 2005 probably, and it blew my mind that someone from one of my favorite bands would take the time to respond to me on the internet. I actually think I just told him the story about my mom buying me a copy of <i>Obscura</i> then immediately making me turn it off when I put it on in the car.<br />
<br />
Either way, the riffs on this record are truly strange. One of the most compelling things about Gorguts and Negativa is that, while their riffs are ostensibly nonsensical, they are immediately memorable. If you heard someone playing one of these riffs in Guitar Center devoid of context, you would be irritated and confused. Yet, as part of these songs, they're almost hummable.<br />
<br />
Negativa also manages to be <i>heavy</i> in a bizarre, lurching way. Their riffs are occasionally bouncy, but still off-kilter. I know this band was working on a full-length, but unfortunately Big Steeve passed away a few months back.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<a href="http://www.noisecreep.com/2012/05/29/steeve-hurdle-dead-dies/">RIP, Big Steeve</a>.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?17aw5cpwbr5n4rc">Download</a></div>
Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18183863977387034618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-900234116533267910.post-211587834984938402012-06-12T10:19:00.000-05:002012-09-01T14:57:30.103-05:00Karl Sanders Interview<br />
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<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8d/Karl_Sanders_of_Nile_02.jpg/250px-Karl_Sanders_of_Nile_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8d/Karl_Sanders_of_Nile_02.jpg/250px-Karl_Sanders_of_Nile_02.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<i>I recently interviewed Karl Sanders about the new Nile album "At the Gates of Sethu" for Alarm Press. Here's the full transcription of the interview. Enjoy.</i></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>This new record is awesome. By the
way.</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
The new what
record? The new Nile record? [laughs] Just wanted to clarify which
record we're talking about. I'm sure there's a lot of new records out
there.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>There's plenty of new records out
there. Not sure if any of them are good, but this Nile record is
fantastic. Since you were just practicing, that's actually one of the questions I was going to
start off with. On this new album, the lead playing seems to have
been really taken up a notch, so I was going to ask what you actually
do to practice.</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Usually my routine
starts pretty early in the day. I get up and start working with the
metronome. Basic scales and arpeggios. I start off really slow with
the metronome, then I gradually work my way up in tempo.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
After a few hours
of that insanity, it's onto new ideas. I'll work on new ideas for
different melodic things or different techniques or maybe something
I'm learning. I have a pile of instructional DVDs. Anything from Mike
Stern to Paul Gilbert to Rusty Cooley to Jeff Loomis to Jeff
Beck...I've been quite fond of that one lately.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Then, I might work
on some new riff ideas for some songs. By that time, I'm pretty well
warmed up and my hands can follow along with whatever my brain might
come up with.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>So basically playing guitar is a
full-time job for you.</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Yeah, especially
in the last couple years. I had taken quite a bit of abuse on the
internet based upon a stupid-ass video that...I should have taken
more seriously. We were so completely exhausted on the Ozzfest tour
that we just did not have the energy to dredge up the ability to give
a fuck.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
That video, which
I got slammed for quite a bit, just really...It was really, really
psychologically crushing. I'm going to take all of this ill will that
people are throwing at me and turn it into a motivational iron will
to improve. So that's what I've been doing the last few years. Just
fucking working my ass off to push forward.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>What are you
working on right now?</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I'm doing four finger patterns in diatonic natural minor. In each
position, the four finger pattern changes so it takes a lot of
fucking concentration. I'm working on that, trying to be able to move
between the four different shapes. It's quite a challenge.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Do you do any
improvisational work in practicing?</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Sometimes
after I'm finished with working on scales, I might just play
<i>whatever</i>. Just jamming
some blues with my kid and whatnot. That's fun. He's into...get
this...Albert King, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and Eric Clapton. My seventeen
year old kid...that's what he's into. Go figure!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Hey man, that
works out fine. Those are some hot licks there. </b>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Obviously to progress you have to
continue to challenge yourself. Do you challenge yourself with other
people's ideas or with your own? Which do you find to be more
beneficial?</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I think other
people's ideas are a jumping-off point. I might learn a Rusty Cooley
lick, but the next challenge is to make it your own. To take it
somewhere new melodically or to take the pattern and invert it...in
some way personalize it. That's really where I try to steer to. Even
if I learn something, I try to make it my own and take it someplace
that's a little personal.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>In terms of actually composing these
Nile songs, where do these riffs come from? Are you humming melodies
to yourself? Are they coming out of licks that you practice?</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
On this record,
like I usually do, I write the lyrics first.<br />
<br />
When it came to writing
the riffs, I did it just a little bit differently. Every day, after
I'd gotten warmed up with a bunch of technique and stuff, I'd sit
with the guitar and the lyrics sheet and just start riffing.
Sometimes I'd just leave the recorder on. I've got my cabinet in the
next room with the mic on it that goes straight to a digital record.
I'd just record every fucking single riff. And just try to not think
about the fact that the red button was pushed. I'd say to myself, “If
I don't like anything, I don't have to keep it.” And saying that to
myself was liberating. I'd just play a gazillion riffs.<br />
<br />
The next day,
I'd sit down and sift through them. I had so many riffs for this
fucking album. It was insane. You could make a couple of albums out
of all of the riffs that got thrown out.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>So you'd basically end up jamming
with yourself. </b>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Yeah, I think so.
Always with the lyrics sheet around so that my mind was on whatever
the song happened to be talking about.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Nile obviously has a certain sound
based upon certain scales and modes. Are you conscious of the theory
behind this stuff while you're in your “jam sessions?” Or are you
just tuning out and going for it?</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I find the most
beneficial things for me are to forget about the theory for awhile
and play. And then examine the theory afterwards. Or, to learn a new
scale and just see where it goes. Quite a bit of the leads just
happened to fall into this scale that I had just come across in the
last year called supraphrygian mode. It's like a phrygian mode, but
it has a flatted fourth. It's got a lot of unique fingerings and
pattern shapes that really worked well within some of the songs we
were writing.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Now that you have all of these riffs
is the arrangement a communal process? Or are you the one sifting
through everything and composing with what you have?</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Usually if I'm the
one writing the song, I'm the one sifting through the riffs. If
Dallas is the one writing the song, he self-edits just as well. Then
we make song demos.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We record guitar,
bass, drums, vocals. We recorded every single thing that was going to
be part of the song. Down to the last iota. Especially with the
vocals this time. We wanted to get the vocal patterns and phrases and
melodies down there as soon as possible so that they could be under
the same sort of scrutiny as the guitar riffs were.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>I actually noticed that. The vocals
on this record seem to be more intelligible and catchier. </b>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I'd agree. I think
the process of scrutinizing them and refining them at an early stage
in the songwriting process really helped with that.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Just from a “fan” standpoint, I
was thinking, “These songs are much more distinct because the vocal
patterns are much more distinct from song to song.”</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Also, how do you decide who songs?</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
There's things
that Dallas does really, really well. There's things that I like to
think that I can do. Usually it falls into...Dallas is really tight
rhythmically, and I usually <i>slither</i>
around the beat. Like odd phrasings.<br />
<br />
One thing that happened while we
were making these song demos...the very first song demo that we would
make would be me recording all of the parts to be able to show it to
the other band members. Then, the other band members would come and
rerecord their parts. Those were always called the “Cave Box
Demos.” I would sing in registers that I was thinking were for the
other band members. Not necessarily the super low stuff that I do a
lot. I ended up singing in more of an area that I thought would be ok
for Dallas or Chris. Then Chris came to me and said, “Dude, you're
fucking nuts! You're fucking crazy! This other voice you're using
fucking sounds killer and we should be making use of this!” At
first I was like, “What are you fucking crazy? These are just demos
for me to show you guys your parts.” And Lollis [former bass player
Chris Lollis] was like, “No man, this is an absolutely killer voice
and we should make use of it.” So it turned out that we gave his
idea a chance.<br />
<br />
You hear some of that voice in track number two, “The
Fiends Who Come to Steal the Magick of the Deceased,” the title
track, “The Gods Who Light Up the Sky at the Gate of Sethu” and
“Tribunal of the Dead.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>I actually just
assumed that all of the different vocals were from the new bass
player. </b>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
In a lot of the European interviews I've been doing, they said that
to me when I told them that was me doing those parts. They're all
like, “No, that's not you! That's the new bass player!” And I'm
like, “You motherfuckers! The new bass player isn't even on the
fucking record, so shut the fuck up!” [laughs]</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>It sounds like
you guys have really tightened up the songwriting process for this
record.</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Absolutely!</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Is there
anything in particular that is an overarching goal that you're trying
to achieve with these songs?</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Well, my first goal was to completely and utterly not do anything
we've ever done before in terms of song structures or time signatures
or tempo changes. I wanted absolutely every bit of it to be something
completely foreign to us. Which is kind of insane. About halfway
through the songwriting process George Kollias, our drummer, sent me
an e-mail. He said, “Karl, what the fuck are you doing? All these
fucking insane time signatures and tempo changes and fucking weird
fucking odd time riffs. Dude, please! You're killing me! Will you
please just write something like old Nile? Something simple and
classic, because you're driving me crazy with all of this shit.” So
I thought about it for awhile, and I was like, “There's some
reality to what he said.”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
You can't go so far overboard that you lose the listeners. So I
rethought my approach a little bit and I toned it down and pulled it
back a little bit into the realm of the accessible. And I think he
was absolutely right about that, because I think the album definitely
benefits from the listenability factor. Listeners have to have
something to grab onto. It can't be so technical that you lose your
listeners.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>I think that the
vocals are a big part of the listenability on the new record. The
vocal patterns from song to song differentiate the songs more than
I've experienced on past Nile records. </b>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
I really agree with that. Each one of these songs has its own vocal
approach. The rhythms and the melodies and the way the vocals fit
with the guitar patterns...each one, to my ears, has a unique and
distinct identity.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>In terms of this
newer record, is there something you'd like to see happen with this
thing that hasn't happened in the past?</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
We want people to hear what we're doing. That was an absolutely
primary focus. We want to capture stuff cleanly enough that the
listener actually hears what we're doing. There's a saying that I've
been beating up everyone on this record with that was involved in the
making of it: If the audience didn't hear you do it, then you didn't
do it. It counts for nothing. As far as guitaring and drumming and
the bass playing and the vocals...if the listener doesn't hear it,
then you didn't do it! We've had struggles in the past...you might
play an awesome guitar riff or guitar lead, but, if for whatever
reason, it doesn't come across out of the speakers to the end
listener, then what good was it?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Another goal, and this was coming more from Neil Kernon. Neil came to
the rehearsals for the record, and he said, “Guys, one thing we're
going to really do is capture the fire and the feeling that you guys
have here in the rehearsal room and make that translate through the
recording process into the end product.” Because a lot of times
that shit gets lost somewhere along the way. You know, the fire that
the band has. Trying to record it, and you do it a thousand times to
get it perfect. Sometimes, somewhere along the way, you lose the
human element. That's one thing Neil really wanted to focus on this
time: retaining the human fire and the spirit.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>In terms of
recording then, did you play the songs together or did you instrument
by instrument?</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Well, we always do the drums first. That's done with scratch guitars
where Dalls or I will play along with George. We don't necessarily
keep those guitar tracks. They're just scratch guitar tracks. You get
the spirit of the thing going on in the recording.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Once we're satisfied with the drums, then we go about the process of
laying the keeper guitars on there. The real ones. And this time,
man, we took about a fucking month just trying to get that shit
nailed down as clean as we could.
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Cool man, those
are the questions that I have for you.</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
[laughs]Well this was a goddamn fun interview! I'm glad to be talking
about fucking music, shit that is actually relevant to the fucking
record. I can't tell you, my friend, how many interviews I do that
have nothing to do with the motherfucking record, and it's so
frustrating.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>Well yeah,
that's usually my attitude when I'm interviewing anybody. What do I
want to know? What do people usually ask other than about band name?</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
[mocking voice]What's your five favorite albums right now? What's in
your Discman? What's in your iPad?</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
And I'm like, “There's nothing in my iPad!”</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>I mean, I guess
I would be curious what you're listening to.</b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b>But yeah, as a
listener, when I hear something I'm like, “Man, that's cool. How
did these guys actually come up with this?” Especially for someone
like you who has been in this forever and is continually getting
better. You usually see the reverse. </b>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
You
know, I don't live like that. I'm playing metal because that's what I
want to do with my love. It's my passion. It <i>is</i>
my life. I didn't start playing metal just because told me it was
cool. No. this is something I've always wanted to do. Ever since I
was nine years old and I picked up a guitar, this is what I've wanted
to do with my life. Man, I'm always trying to learn. There's so many
amazing bands and so many amazing guitar players, and you never have
to stop learning. It's endless.</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18183863977387034618noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-900234116533267910.post-19183920082267043272012-04-25T10:39:00.000-05:002012-04-25T10:39:05.535-05:00Weekend Nachos InterviewI recently interviewed Weekend Nachos, and the results are posted over at Invisible Oranges.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.invisibleoranges.com/2012/04/interview-john-hoffman-of-weekend-nachos/">Take a look.</a>Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18183863977387034618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-900234116533267910.post-47632932834255800902012-04-25T10:37:00.000-05:002012-04-25T10:40:04.420-05:00There is no future without the past...The death of Mediafire has pretty much killed the primitive past. Sorry guys. E-mail me if there's something in particular that you want and I'll see if I can get you what you're looking for.Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18183863977387034618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-900234116533267910.post-33200730813899249842012-02-04T11:50:00.004-06:002012-02-09T15:09:26.690-06:00Shoes - Black Vinyl Shoes (1977)<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/416H14D26QL._SL500_AA300_.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/416H14D26QL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>My friends in <a href="http://primitive-future.blogspot.com/2010/12/shape-of-chicago-rock-to-come.html">Merlin Wall</a> seem to have gotten quite a few ideas from this Shoes album. Which also happens to boast one of the worst covers of all time. This is distant-sounding power pop with the hooks and melodic sensibility that discerning consumers demand from their catchy rock music.<div style="text-align: center;"><span><u><br /></u></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><u><a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?35uf559dnaf2b6j">Download</a><br /></u></span><br /></div>Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18183863977387034618noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-900234116533267910.post-24835175679302546422012-01-10T23:43:00.002-06:002012-01-18T13:58:02.157-06:00Cianide - A Descent Into Hell (1994)<a href="http://www.anus.com/metal/images/cianide2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 201px;" src="http://www.anus.com/metal/images/cianide2.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><div>I've been readinga few "best of" lists from 2011, and the only record that I've listened to with any consistency from 2011 is Cianide's <i>Gods of Death</i>. As such, I present you with one of Cianide's early achievements. This band has been basically putting out the same album since the early 1990s. This albums is a logical extrapolation of Hellhammer's <i>Apocalyptic Raids</i> as well as "Procreation of the Wicked." This is fully primitive, and fully cohesive. <a href="http://www.hellsheadbangers.com/cianide/">Support this band.</a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?uvcbe7gpmfi88l6"></a><a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?uvcbe7gpmfi88l6">Download</a></div>Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18183863977387034618noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-900234116533267910.post-58198344942493005292011-09-20T11:03:00.002-05:002011-09-20T11:19:17.559-05:00Beautiful Mother - Vanilla (2011)<a href="http://f.bandcamp.com/z/16/32/1632273171-1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 270px; height: 270px;" src="http://f.bandcamp.com/z/16/32/1632273171-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>My nice friend and roommate Andy has collaborated with my other friend Dan on a collection of songs about sexual shame and dysfunction. Andy also plays bass in <a href="http://likerats.net/">Like Rats</a> and guitar in <a href="http://www.facebook.com/weekendxnachos">Weekend Nachos</a>. Dan plays drums in Like Rats. This is highly recommended for fans of Steve Albini, Skin Graft Records, and nullos.<div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://beautifulmother.bandcamp.com/">Fix Yourself Up...Good</a></div>Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18183863977387034618noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-900234116533267910.post-43591909072607599752011-09-11T16:48:00.003-05:002011-11-14T14:04:36.299-06:00Steve Taylor - I Want to be a Clone (1982)<a href="http://www.sockheaven.net/images/music/albums/clone-front-cover.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://www.sockheaven.net/images/music/albums/clone-front-cover.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><div>Here is a bizarre, Christian new wave record that is cooler than almost every black metal record I've heard. Abort all fools.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?dluws80u24z5g5f"></a><a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?dluws80u24z5g5f">Download</a></div>Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18183863977387034618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-900234116533267910.post-69635678433016332342011-09-10T20:12:00.004-05:002011-09-23T00:05:48.262-05:00Jimmy Jones - Watch Out for da Big Girl (1996)<a href="http://www.bmoreclub.com/product_images/m/315/JIMMYJONES_BIG_GIRL__56857_std.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://www.bmoreclub.com/product_images/m/315/JIMMYJONES_BIG_GIRL__56857_std.png" border="0" alt="" /></a>Watch out for da big girl. Watch out for da big girl. Watch out for da big girl. Watch out for da big girl. Watch out for da big girl. Wath ouy foe ad gig birl.<div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?yn6w8vvvwxg9nfi">Download</a></div>Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18183863977387034618noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-900234116533267910.post-38535584132078820382011-08-30T11:34:00.002-05:002011-09-06T10:48:43.002-05:00Hossam Ramzy - Best of Hossam Ramzy<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/619WK5NP5TL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/619WK5NP5TL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><div style="text-align: left;">Biggest seller on this thing is the version of "Khusara Khusara," popularly known to white people as the song sampled in "Big Pimpin'." This was part of a healthy stash left in our apartment by previous tenants. Get high off of my supply.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?cblw1giz9do9lal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; "></span></a><a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?cblw1giz9do9lal">Download</a></div>Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18183863977387034618noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-900234116533267910.post-15369858829819881382011-08-29T12:53:00.003-05:002011-08-29T12:58:06.276-05:00Cianide Interview<a href="http://www.invisibleoranges.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/cianide-interview-invisible-oranges-header.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 630px; height: 473px;" src="http://www.invisibleoranges.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/cianide-interview-invisible-oranges-header.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><div>I interviewed legendary Chicago death metal outfit <a href="http://www.myspace.com/cianidekills">Cianide</a> over at Invisible Oranges, so take a look ya turkey: <a href="http://www.invisibleoranges.com/2011/08/interview-cianide/">Cianide interview</a></div><div>
<br /></div><div>"We're just neanderthals. I'm cutting my lawn with a Venom shirt on, just sweating. Total neanderthal shit, man."</div><div>
<br /></div><div>Their new record is also amazing, so consider enjoying that.</div>Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18183863977387034618noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-900234116533267910.post-32172300039496744072011-07-22T13:58:00.002-05:002011-07-22T17:19:21.402-05:00Arab on Radar - Queen Hygiene II (1997)<a href="http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/174s/43442245.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 174px; height: 174px;" src="http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/174s/43442245.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>As a man afflicted with sexual dysfunction in the form of debilitating delayed ejaculation, Arab on Radar comforts me. I'm not the only one. I'm not the only one who is broken.<div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?zae80vfi08ycm8q">Download</a></div>Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18183863977387034618noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-900234116533267910.post-2943079149209354112011-05-23T14:13:00.006-05:002011-06-13T22:39:28.107-05:00Huey "Piano" Smith - Having a Good Time (1959)<a href="http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/dre200/e205/e20531axizh.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 197px;" src="http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/dre200/e205/e20531axizh.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>This chunk of proto-rock/proto-R&B has the same song over and over, but at least it's a good song. It also has the same descending piano lick over and over, but at least it's a good lick.<div><br /></div><div>"Don't You Just Know It" was on these <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfman_Jack">Wolfman Jack</a> compilation tapes my dad gave me as a youth, and I was obsessed with it. I had impeccable taste, even as a child. Somehow that all went wrong around the onset of puberty when I got really into ska.</div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway, this shit is unbearably catchy, and you can probably make some friends with these call & response choruses.<br /><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?y0razc14q80ltde">Download</a></div></div>Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18183863977387034618noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-900234116533267910.post-56206034450097386722011-05-06T14:39:00.008-05:002011-05-09T12:18:20.355-05:00Patrick Stump Interview<a href="http://www.patrickstump.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/photo_gallery_full/2ps.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 500px; height: 334px;" src="http://www.patrickstump.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/photo_gallery_full/2ps.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">I interviewed <a href="http://www.patrickstump.com/">Patrick Stump</a> not too long ago when he played at Schuba's in Chicago, and I present here the un-truncated transcription. If you're interested in the mind of a pop song genius or two guys nerding out about Michael Jackson, keep reading. Also, his EP <i>Truant Wave</i>, is, as expected, weird, super-catchy, and vaguely reminiscent of Prince, so track that down.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">||||||||</b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Bottled water? Pillaging the earth of its resources?</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Actually, I’m super against the bottled water. But, on this tour, logistically it was kind of rough. I was going to get the water bottles that have the filter in them. I figured I’d take water off the rider, because, even if it’s coming out of the pipe brown, if it’s going through a filter, it’s going to be fine. I couldn’t find it in time.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Consumer ethics on tour are tricky.<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It’s rough, man!</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Eating at McDonald’s and…</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Well, I still don’t break that rule. I won’t eat at McDonald’s on tour. I will occasionally in other countries out of morbid curiosity. I just want to see what happens there.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">What does happen there?<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Everything is regionalized. Everything is regionalized. If you go into Canada, you can get poutine. You go to Japan, and you can get wasabi for the nuggets. They have lobster in Maine. Sometimes it’s cool to try it. Well, I haven’t done the lobster, since Maine is in America and that breaks my rule, but…</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">[laughs] You’ve got to draw the line somewhere.<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">So let’s get into this a little. One of the things that I’m very curious about is that, since you’re doing this by yourself and there’s a lot going on in the songs…is this all a fully-formed product in your head that you then pick out or do you create something then layer it?<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It’s hard to describe, because it kind of is a fully-formed thing in my head. It’s just a matter of what sounds am I going to use to achieve that. Somebody like Michelangelo, you know, somebody <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">huge</i>….was saying that he starts with a rock…well, “started,” he’s been dead for awhile now…Anyway, he would see his finished product in there, and it was his job to get it out. It’s kind of like that, in that I know what I want to get, and I know what I want it to sound like. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">Actually, you can go overboard trying to get it, too, since you’re by yourself, and there’s nobody there to stop you, and you can layer on as many <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">things</i> as you want. There is a lot of experimentation, but I usually have a pretty good idea of what I want it to sound like.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">I imagine a lot of details like that come out in “jamming,” but you can’t really just “jam” if you’re doing it by yourself.<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">That’s interesting because I don’t really “jam” that well. Sometimes I have creative dreams where I’ll get flashes of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">it</i>, and then I just have to figure out how to do that. That happens to me a lot. A lot of these songs are things that I heard it in my head pretty much as it is, and then I have to go back and reverse engineer it to get it that way.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Similarly, something like Prince, where that dude is just a maniac…</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">And I know for sure that he just does kind of screw around sometimes and he is just experimenting with things. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">I think in some other interview you referenced Timbaland.<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Yeah, yeah! His drums are huge to me!</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">So, something like that is just layers upon layers. So, you have a pretty good idea of the rhythm you’re looking for?<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Yeah! I’ll know the general groove. Lyrics come last in that context. They might be written beforehand, but they get applied to the song last.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">On my version of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Thriller</i>, it has the home demo of “Billie Jean,” and I was blown away because it has the little violin part [at the end of the chorus]. I was like, “whoa, that dude was planning on doing that all along!”<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">That’s what’s crazy, because there’s so much you think is maybe Quincy Jones. But it’s really just Michael just going nuts. Or the home demo of “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough.” You can hear him talking to Janet because she’s in the background singing harmonies, and he’s like “I need more cowbell in the phones.” But the song as a whole sounds pretty remarkably like the album version.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Speaking of which, did you hear the new Michael Jackson record?<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Yeah, I did. It was a tough decision, because I was like “do I listen to this and commit sacrilege?” But, at the end of the day, it’s still a new Michael Jackson record, and that’s amazing.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">“Behind the Mask” is insane.<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">There’s a few songs on there that I’m like “if he were still alive, that would have been a hit.” Like “Hollywood.” There’s that one song that they released first…”Breaking News,” which is just scathing.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">He’s pissed!<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">He’s so pissed off! I was psyched on it, because it’s like hearing him yell. He’s mad. I was like “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">killer</i>!”</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Although he didn’t drop any racial slurs in that one.<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in">[laughs] Next time, next time.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">So, at some level, these new songs of yours sound like hip-hop, where the focus is on a beat or a groove. However, Fall Out Boy is much more melodic.<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in">Everything has always been rhythm to me. Even in Fall Out Boy where it’s more melodic. I always kind of wrote music like a hip-hop beat where it’s kind of separate from melody. You leave space for it to be melodic, but it’s more or less thought out before the melody was there.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in">And sometimes it was even separate. I would read Pete’s lyrics and have a melody without any music. And I would find songs that I had already written the groove to that it would fit over. It was always different. I still rarely ever do the thing where you freestyle the melody and come up with the words later. Words are everything to me. If I don’t have the words first, then there’s no song.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">One of my biggest struggles in writing songs is combining my gibberish words with actual lyrics. <o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in">That’s the thing! I find that it’s easier to take words first and make a melody out of them rather than trying to go the other way around. I kind of learned the way that I do it now by accident, because that’s just the way that Fall Out Boy wrote. It’s really rewarding for me as a writer. I’m always happier with the lyric when I spent some time on it just as words first, and then later found a place for it.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Speaking of that, Saves the Day’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Through Being Cool</i> is really hard to sing along with because of that phenomenon. You can tell that dude had his melody, and just kind of jammed lyrics into it. <o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in">There’s a lot of strategically placed “whoa”s that fill in those gaps.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">People will put on “Shoulder to the Wheel” and sing along with every word, and I’m like “how are you even doing that?”<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>You just love that song that much. You just know it. [laughs]</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">In a lot of your songs, I find the pre-chorus to be catchier than the chorus. Do you ever do that on purpose?<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in">[laughs] Yeah, sometimes. Speaking of Michael Jackson, his choruses are almost never <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">choruses</i>. When you look at “Billie Jean,” it’s all about the [sings]”People always told me be careful what you do.” Also, Prince! Look at “Controversy.” [sings]”Some people want to die so they can be free” is the catchy part. There’s almost no chorus in that song.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in">It’s not usually conscious. I’ve tried a lot of different types of song-writing, and that’s kind of the A-B form that’s been sticking with me lately.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Even something like “Spotlight” where the chorus is kind of big, the part of the song that actually sticks with me is the pre-chorus.<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in">And that’s what I wrote it around, too. In fact, they may have been two separate songs originally. I think I might have been singing the pre-chorus, and then just threw in the “Spotlight” at the end. And I was like, “Oh, that could be more of a hook!” And I made it into a whole song.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">How did you become such a good singer? Just listening to your discography, you get markedly better throughout time.<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in">I got less scared of my own voice. I did get better, but I also think that I was better than I was singing. I started out, and I was in this punk scene with all of these pop punk bands. I was a drummer and I always wanted to sing back-ups, and all of my bands were really disparaging of my voice. They were all like, “Ugh, your voice is so pretty.”</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in">So, I was really scared of it. I was kind of ashamed of it. I wasn’t trying to sing in Fall Out Boy, I was trying to be the drummer/songwriter or whatever. So, when they asked me to sing, I was like, “Ok, I guess you want me to sing ‘pop punk.’” So I affected my voice a lot more. I was still really hiding behind that.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in">I never really sang the way I actually sing in front of them for years. I did a little falsetto at the end of that song “Saturday,” and I was just messing around, and Pete was like, “Do that! That’s awesome!”</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in">They embraced the way I sang, and that got me to relax a bit and be more honest about the way I sing. And it’s not even like I was dishonest, I was just terrified. It’s a lot easier to do an impersonation of what you think a singer is supposed to sound like than to go out and be yourself.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in">That’s one of the things that my mom said when she heard this new EP. She’s like, “You finally, totally sound like you.”</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">That’s a good compliment.<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in">That’s a big compliment. That’s a huge compliment. That made me feel really happy. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in">I’ve worked with a lot of really amazing singers in the studio, too, who have these really amazing voices, but they’re kind of hiding behind something affected. The biggest lesson I ever learned is just let it out. You singing in the shower? Do that. That’s better than all the other stuff you do. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">But also the shower just has really nice acoustics.<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in">It does! It just makes you want to sing. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">What do you sing along to?<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in">You know what’s weird? I used to sing along a lot. I used to sing along to everything. To Michael Jackson records, to R&B records, to punk records. Now, when I’m not making music, I don’t listen to music. I just relax. It’s weird. It’s a totally different thing now.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in">I said this once to somebody, and I was like, “You’ve gotta think that porn stars might have the most vanilla sex lives.” And this guy was like, “Actually, I know Nina Hartley and she’s very prominent in the swinger’s scene.” And I was like, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">Sorrrrr</i>-ry. I don’t go to a lot of those parties, I’ll be honest. And I didn’t know that.”</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in">[laughter]</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in">When I go home, it’s kind of quiet. I can’t be very passive, when there’s music around. It’s hard for me to watch shows, because I want to play. I can’t dance because I want to play. So, I don’t sing along anymore.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">So, when you write songs, do you steal? I know I have a list of songs that I want to take an idea from, be it a chord change or…<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in">I think everybody does something akin to that. Some people outright steal, some people pay homage…I’ve done all of it. There are songs that happen where you don’t know where they come from, and there are songs that happen that you know exactly where they come from.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in">There’s a song that I’ll play tonight that’s on <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Soul Punk</i>, and it’s called “Everybody Wants Somebody.” And I know that I built that song around wanting to play live drums like an old Linndrum from Minneapolis. Like Prince, or The Time, or Vanity 6…something like that. I wanted it to sound like those kind of drums. It’s kind of a composite groove of the best of those drum grooves. Sometimes there will be simple things like that, and that’s what starts the song.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in">Everybody steals. It’s important to know…how to be comfortable with it. Fall Out Boy, early on, took a lot from Saves the Day and Green Day…some Lifetime, a couple Kid Dynamite things. Just as Green Day is fairly open about taking from The Who and The Ramones. You take from your heroes, but you’re you, so it’s going to sound different.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">I also feel that the more further removed the genre is, the more comfortably one can steal.<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in">That’s one of the things that’s funny…I was reading something about Prince. A jazz musician said he saw Prince at the show, and he did this one drum fill…a very signature drum fill that was his drum fill…and then Prince’s record came out, and there was his drum fill. And it’s like “whatever.” It wasn’t on MTV so no one knew it unless you were at that show. But everyone does it. And most of us don’t even know we’re doing it half the time. It’s just being open to the experience, I guess.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">You did vocals for the new Weekend Nachos LP. Are you still in touch with any hardcore or metal?<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in">Yeah, yeah. It’s one of those things where…it’s not one of those things where it goes away, where it’s not part of my life anymore. I was really attracted to a lot of the political bands, you know? Tim from Rise Against…I was always into all of his bands. I was really into Racetraitor. You know, I was into a lot of the political hardcore bands in Chicago.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in">And right when [Fall Out Boy] started, a lot of the people were abandoning it and making different music altogether, like Pelican. Then you also had a lot of the really tough guy crew hardcore bands. I always dug that stuff, but I didn’t feel as communal with it. I didn’t feel like I could hang so much. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in">So, it’s cool now seeing bands like Weekend Nachos. Weekend Nachos in the first place kind of started out as a joke then got really good. They weren’t taking it seriously, then got kind of awesome.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in">So yeah, I still keep in touch with some of my friends, but it’s hard to keep in touch with anybody anymore honestly. I’m kind of an outsider now. I’m kind of back to being a mailorder kid. [laughs] I came full circle. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Sending away to Asian Man Records.<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in">Yes. Or what was it?</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Hopeless?<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in">No, no. Very Distribution. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">I don’t think I ever ordered from them.<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in">Very was this giant catalogue, and it would just be <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">full</i> of…they had every hardcore record you could ever want in there in like five different colors. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">My money all went to Asian Man, Hopeless, Lookout!, and Dr. Strange.<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in">Absolutely. I sent a lot of money to Asian Man. I sent a lot of money to Lookout!.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">So, you have a mainstream audience at this point. But you’re still someone who came out of this subcultural scene. I think this is really interesting because, speaking of those political hardcore bands, it’s like “oh yeah, all the kids in black t-shirts can hang out in the corner and be mad about stuff together.” But you get to talk to people outside of that group with your music.<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in">Which is something of a….something of a plan. Definitely not a full on plan, but it’s something that I’m not going to shy away from. I was always attracted to making more or less pop music. But I’m still as into the things that got me into the punk community in the first place. I’m still as into the politics. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in">So, I get to say a lot of things to an audience…Well, I would have gotten to say these things to a punk audience, but they would all agree with me so that’s whatever. I think that’s potentially more powerful. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in">See, but that’s the thing. Fall Out Boy got slammed a bit for leaving politics behind. We were a vegan straight edge band when we started. There’s one straight edge vegan in the band now. We ended up not singing about that stuff as far as people know. But, we really got into metaphor, and disguising a lot of things. Especially on the last two records [<i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Infinity on High</i> and <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Folie a Deux</i>]. They were very political…openly political. And people were like “oh, they’re talking about being famous.” And I’m like, “Fuck man! That’s not even close!” Especially on the last record. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in">I could be accused of the same thing when you listen to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">Soul Punk</i>. On the surface, a lot of these things sound like I’m talking about girls and parties. I’m not. Ever. Everything is something else, and that’s kind of the point. And I get to do that. I get to say really extreme shit, but I’m disguising it as a girl.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I’m disguising it as a drinking song. I can say pretty left wing shit.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">So you are actively using your “fame?”<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in">Yeah it’s not like…not in a contrived way. Artistically, that’s how I want to say it now. I don’t want to scream anymore. I’m tired of proclaiming it. I want to express what I’m thinking, and that’s the way that’s been cathartic for me to express it. I feel better after writing this way. Not to sound too posi. [laughs]</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">So, even as a celebrity…I mean how many Twitter followers do you have? When you say something, people are going to pay attention.<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in">Yeah, well...sometimes. Sometimes they listen, sometimes they don’t. I wrote about rescue animals. I wrote something about making an effort to get rescue animals a home. I also wrote about having never seen an episode of Jersey Shore. I’ll give you two guesses which one got retweeted more. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">But then again, if you blog or anything like that, you can sort of figure out how to push people’s buttons so they comment or whatever.<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in">Yeah, and there’s definitely some psychology to it. But, I always just try to be honest and say what I’m really thinking. I never want to be full-on contrived, but I do want to say things to people. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in">And…this is actually one of the things that I think I’ve learned. This is a big difference between me now and me ten years ago. I used to be so angry that the only way I could handle it was confrontation. I had to confront you about what you’re doing wrong. About how fucked up what you’re doing is. Now, I’m just as pissed off, but now I’m going to empathize with you and force you to empathize with me so you understand where I’m coming from. So we listen to each other and actually get something done. Because I really do believe in this shit. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Yeah and that perspective…it’s sort of like when you’re sixteen and you get all mad about bands “selling out.” Then you get a little older and you’re like, “oh wait.”<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in">Yeah, and with selling out…I used to believe that it was this thing that you had a choice in the matter. But you don’t! You have no choice!</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">I remember sending an angry letter…[laughs]<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in">Tell it! Tell it!</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">I’m having a hard time speaking because this is so funny to me. I sent an angry e-mail to Thursday when they signed to Victory Records. [laughter]<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in">The thing is…there’s perception that somehow going indie is more legit or whatever. There are dishonest douchebags everywhere. That’s another really dark lesson I had to learn. The indie dudes aren’t cool, either. They’re all trying to cheat you. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in">We [Fall Out Boy] didn’t think anyone was going to come to our shows. We didn’t think we were going to be a big band. You don’t really make these choices.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in">And the thing that fucked us up, is that on each record, we actually did try to get more and more weird…more and more out there. Because we were really scared of being this big band. And somehow we got even bigger. And I was like, “Well, shit…”</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">I’ve got one more thing I want to ask you. So, you have this EP. You have this LP. I assume you have years of weird backlogged material. How do you approach this? Are you releasing an album? Are you releasing a compilation of your best material?<o:p></o:p></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in">The first thing I tried was recording my “best of.” Recording all my best songs that hadn’t been released yet. I tried that and it sucked. I was happy with all the songs, but it didn’t make any damn sense as an album. So I went back, and scrapped most of it. I picked a couple songs that made sense with each other and made an album around that. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in">Which, again, is why the music and the lyrics got to be so distinctly metaphorical. The songs that I thought really worked together had that vibe. There were some songs that had that angry political vibe. And there were some songs that were musically very different. So, it is very much an album to me. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops:1.0in">And that’s the other thing is where do I go now? I have a potential second record that is totally different. Maybe more poppy. But I don’t know that any of that is ever going to come out. By the time I make record two, what am I going to be doing?</p>Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18183863977387034618noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-900234116533267910.post-49198801937453554252011-04-28T11:43:00.003-05:002011-04-28T11:51:21.090-05:00Gorguts - Obscura (1998)<a href="http://www.anus.com/metal/gorguts/gorguts3.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 199px;" src="http://www.anus.com/metal/gorguts/gorguts3.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>One of my first trips to Chicago's Metal Haven (RIP) was part of a lunch date with my mother. I had recently gotten into "technical death metal" and I was obsessed with Cryptopsy. I hadn't heard Gorguts, but I was aware that they were another <i>totally crazy</i> French-Canadian death metal band. A promo copy of <i>Obscura</i> was in the used section, and I bought it (along with a dumb Marduk CD I think). I put it on in the car ride home, and my mom immediately asked me to turn it off.<div><br /></div><div>This record is absolutely insane. So heavy. So weird. Consistently one of my favorite albums ever since that fateful day what must have been eight years ago.<br /><div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?k17upi12gqhfdqj">Download</a></div></div></div>Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18183863977387034618noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-900234116533267910.post-70658749398460240862011-03-22T11:04:00.004-05:002011-03-27T17:36:21.283-05:00Party Boyz - The Bass, The Booty & The Cash (1992)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZcNspRdTIFaXC-Vr9skltVKQiyFXbY1IFwssZ3odR0L-ZZafPvrbxRPzc0lKGK0w1mWMZOd5dP1tMR8FzEdrT2kj0ydXrPtJMNN30vz3n5OrcjRQBNdvQwrRmAR7UO4L83Pr7b9wKiMY/s1600/_front.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZcNspRdTIFaXC-Vr9skltVKQiyFXbY1IFwssZ3odR0L-ZZafPvrbxRPzc0lKGK0w1mWMZOd5dP1tMR8FzEdrT2kj0ydXrPtJMNN30vz3n5OrcjRQBNdvQwrRmAR7UO4L83Pr7b9wKiMY/s1600/_front.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><div>I've been posting a lot of serious metal records recently, so maybe you guys forgot that I like Miami bass. While Miami produced many impeccable singles such as "Tootsee Roll," "Face Down, Ass Up," and "Whoomp! (There It Is)," the full-length albums from these artists were surprisingly good as well. We've got a sort of Motorhead effect, where consistency and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bh2-MeMuDuI#t=2m20s">steadiness</a> rule the day. Clearly, there is a Miami bass framework, and, if you just plug in clever and vulgar lyrics, you can create LP after LP of songs that I want to listen to.</div><div><br /></div><div>The highlight of this record is obviously "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HgTrNKO-Lps">give me hed til I'm ded</a>." I too am the one who wants head until I'm dead.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?290caidavjr3z4l">Download</a></div>Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18183863977387034618noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-900234116533267910.post-35068214085083664892011-02-26T17:56:00.005-06:002011-05-06T14:54:51.751-05:00Tom Warrior Interview<a href="http://www.thegauntlet.com/photo/celticfrost-tomwarriors.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 275px; height: 379px;" src="http://www.thegauntlet.com/photo/celticfrost-tomwarriors.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>When <a href="http://www.myspace.com/triptykonofficial">Triptykon</a> came through Chicago a few months ago, I got to interview my musical hero Tom G Warrior. I also gave him a Like Rats 7", so hopefully he thought that was cool. The interview ran on the <a href="http://alarmpress.com/26362/blog/music-news/qa-tom-warrior-of-celtic-frost-triptykon-and-hellhammer/">Alarm Press blog</a>, but I'm posting the full thing <span style="font-style: italic;">right here right now</span>. Enjoy.<br />--------------------------------------------------------------------------------<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /><br />You’ve taken control of everything at this point. Having read your books, you’ve experienced some shady practices in the music industry. For the new Triptykon LP and this new EP, have you successfully navigated the treacherous waters of the music industry?</span><br /><br />I would say yeah. We had the advantage of having a huge framework in place because of Celtic Frost’s last album. When we reformed Celtic Frost, we decided to keep control over everything. We formed a record company, Prowling Death Records, we formed our own music publishing company, and we put a framework in place of a manager and a combination of other things. When I left Celtic Frost, all of these people decided to come with me. I’m very happy about that, actually, and I was able to build Triptykon on the basis of that.<br /><br />We retain control of everything. We have partnered with Century Media, which is a fantastic partnership. But, at the end of the day, we call all the shots, we own all the rights, every single sentence that is being released in the advertising goes over my desk, and so on. It’s a much better proposition than it used to be in the 80s when record companies just did whatever they wanted to do with everything we created.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Shatter EP and the Eparistera Daimones LP are part of the same body of creative work. Can you comment on what you’re trying to accomplish with this, be it an emotional agenda, a political agenda, or any or all of the above?</span><br /><br />Probably all of the above, but, on this first album, it’s predominantly emotional. Of course, the sessions from the first album reflect some of the turmoil that existed when I left Celtic Frost. There’s no way around it. There’s some social commentary in songs such as “Goetia,” but, by and large, it’s my own feelings about leaving Celtic Frost, leaving my own band, leaving the summary of my life behind in a forced manner.<br /><br />I think the next album will be slightly more balanced. Nobody’s forced to read the lyrics, nobody’s forced to read the liner notes. We provide very detailed information but by no means are you required to read all that. Music is music at the end of the day, and, with music, you should create your own images in your head. I think it’s perfectly possible to listen to Triptykon without dealing with the lyrics or the liner notes. The music is intense and dark enough.<br />When I was a teenage fan, I didn’t speak English so well, so I just listened and the music created its own images in my head, and that’s the way it should be. It’s probably better that way.<br /><br />The EP is simply the remaining tracks from the sessions. It’s not us releasing garbage or anything like that. We did very detailed pre-production before heading into the studio and we weeded out the songs that we felt were not suitable. Everything we recorded in the studio was designed to be released, but the album had such long playing time that we decided to do an additional EP later on. The song “Shatter” is, to me, actually one of the most important Triptykon songs written so far. It’s a very personal song, and, for me, musically very interesting. It’s really a standalone product, it’s not just us throwing out some material that was still on the studio floor. It’s a legitimate product.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Do you consider your body of work to be albums or to be a line of consistent creative output that is then delivered to the public via albums?</span><br /><br />Well, the albums are of course the landmarks. But, as I’ve grown older, the album has grown less and less important in society, especially with the advent of the internet. Albums don’t mean so much anymore. They’re still somewhat landmarks for bands, but…I think you have to be consistent. Whether it’s an album or not, every song counts. For us, since this is only our second release, the EP is a very important release. It’s half of what we have released so far, so it is significant. The albums are, of course, the big project where you have all of the elaborate artwork and things, so, even in a diminished role, they’re still the most important thing.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Having read your books, you describe your musical influences in detail. You reference the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, particularly Venom and Raven amongst others, but also some punk stuff like Discharge. To me, those artists are still very “rock” sounding. They still use the pentatonic scale and have conventional song structures, whereas Hellhammer and early Celtic Frost is this chromatic, atonal thing that, to me doesn’t sound like anything else. Where did that come from?</span><br /><br />Good question…probably from my weird mind. That’s the thing, I never went to music school, I never learned to analyze music the way you’re supposed to do it. I don’t know…it’s probably because that’s my own interpretation of what music should be like. Yeah, it probably is weird by necessity. I never knew that you’re supposed to play in the blues scale, I just played whatever was in my limited mind, and what was within the limited capabilities of my fingers. And that’s what resulted. It’s all based on my emotions, and much, much less on any theory or musical heritage. I started from scratch with a bassist, Steve Warrior, who was equally untrained, and we just did what we could. It’s very authentic, at least.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Similarly, the intro track on “To Mega Therion,” to me sounds very classical. It sounds like Richard Strauss or something.</span><br /><br />Those are quite big words. I would never remotely rate myself anywhere near Richard Strauss. But I’ve been deeply fascinated by classical music, by the epic emotions that classical composers were able to convey in their music. Without any amplification, without any modern means, they were able to bring across such intense atmosphere, such pride, such epic landscapes. It pulled me in deeply as a child when I heard classical music. In my own tiny, minute way, we tried to do something like that on To Mega Therion in ‘85. Absolutely.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Initially, it seems that Hellhammer and Celtic Frost were sort of a novelty. This extreme thing. However, by today’s standards, those recordings are not particularly extreme. But people still care about it. For me, for example, I was listening to Suffocation and tracing my roots, and I listen to Celtic Frost and I’m like “this is pussy shit.”</span><br /><br />The same thing happened to me in my generation.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">But at some point, something clicks. What do you think makes it hold up?</span><br /><br />That I don’t know. It’s totally inappropriate for me…I don’t know if it stands up to other people. It’s my music, I cannot rate it like “yeah, it stands up.” It would be kind of a star trip to say that. I don’t know if it holds up. People like you and our audiences decide about that.<br /><br />I can repeat from before, it was very authentic. It was very honest music. At that time, there was no corporate view on extreme metal. There was no extreme metal scene. You had to devise it yourself. Everything you created was original by necessity. You had to invent it. Maybe that makes it somewhat timeless, I don’t know. It’s very honest music, and maybe the rawness has a certain appeal. When I listen to many modern extreme metal albums, they’re very over-produced. Which on one hand is fantastic; you hear all the details. On the other hand, it’s called extreme metal, after all, and it should be extreme. Maybe the rawness of the early recordings is something that appeals to people, I don’t know.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">You’ve often expressed a deliberate avant-garde intention in terms of combining different genres. However, in terms of actual song-writing and riff-writing, do you do that with intention or is that more spontaneous?</span><br /><br />It’s very spontaneous actually. My song-writing is very honest. It’s based entirely on the mood I’m in, or the emotions I’m feeling. I think it’s best evidenced on Triptykon’s first album, which is completely based on emotional turmoil and a lot of those songs happened very spontaneously. Even though afterwards I worked very extensively on these songs, but the core of the songs usually happens very spontaneously.<br /><br />But the word avant-garde is a huge compliment and it’s very flattering, but it’s not something we apply to ourselves. It’s something that the press applied to us starting in the late 1980’s. It was surprising for me to read that, because I associate “avant-garde” with real art, and art is a big word to me. It’s a word I approach with a lot of respect, and I have no idea if my music actually classifies as art. So the term “avant-garde,” while very flattering…I’m very careful about it. There are real artists in the world who have really changed the world with their art. We’re just creating noisy music.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Do you think it’s possible with metal to achieve anything other than subcultural success? Do you think it’s possible to make some sort of change in the world other than having people who like “noisy music” like you?</span><br /><br />Yeah, I actually am certain about that. Of course not on a global scale because the metal scene has been pushed back into the underground. It’s now an underground scene again, and you reach only so many people with that. But yeah, of course. Metal fans are by no means stupid. They are intelligent people. They have a very good instinct. My experience is that yeah, you can change things if you want to change things.<br /><br />It’s not mandatory, metal can also be there to headbang and have a good time, which is just as legitimate. But of course if you want to convey a certain point, you also want to think about certain things. Not take everything for granted, and think a little bit behind the scenes. “Why is this like this? Why do human beings act like that?” But of course you can, you talk to those fans by means of your releases. And I’ve had uncounted amazing discussions in my life with fans who read our lyrics or… through something we did, our artwork or whatever we did, came to me or came to Martin and discussed these things with us in extreme detail and sometimes, in turn, made us think again.<br /><br />Yes, definitely it’s possible. It really depends on what you want to achieve with your band. You don’t have to be a missionary. But of course, it’s also nice if you’re given this platform to talk to several generations of people and your peers that you say something meaningful, and not just sing about beer cans, you know?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Or toxic mutants or whatever.</span><br /><br />(laughing) Exactly. Although, if you look at Hellhammer’s lyrics…<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">(laughing) Kind of similar, although with maybe less obvious humor</span><br /><br />(laughing) Yeah, exactly.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Someone just posted the “A Dying God” documentary that was on Swiss TV with English subtitles</span><br /><br />Oh Jesus…I haven’t seen it yet.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">I was happy, because I tried to watch it when it came out, and I speak mild Spanish and English, so…</span><br /><br />That probably won’t do any good.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">You said something along the lines of “Celtic Frost doesn’t work when I’m happy.” Do you still feel that way about Triptykon?</span><br /><br />That’s a good question. It’s probably less so in Triptykon, because I’m very happy in Triptykon. There’s two states of happiness, there’s your current happiness that you’re living in right now, and then there’s the feelings that you have about your life as a sum of things. And my life, as a sum of things, is rather less happy. And that’s probably where I derive my music from, and that’s why the music is so dark. But here on tour and in the band, I’m very happy because it’s a circle of friends. I know it sounds like a cliché, but Triptykon is actually a circle of friends, whereas Celtic Frost was a congregation of enemies. There’s a huge difference in that, of course, especially when you’re on tour or in the studio and you talk to each other for 24 hours a day. I’d much rather play with a band that is a substitute family than with a band that, when I turn around, stabs me in my back.<br /><br />So I am happy, but there’s been enough events in my life to keep my music dark, I suppose. The one album that I made when I was happy was made twenty two years ago, and I don’t think I will repeat that mistake again.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">That thing…honestly, those are still obviously your riffs.</span><br /><br />Well not really…<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Oh come on, some of them are. You have a certain rhythmic thing that you always do that still shows up on that album. So I still kind of like it, because I really like the way that you write riffs.</span><br /><br />You know, if you write that down, they’re going to burn you at the stake. (laughing) They’re going to lynch you. Like Frankenstein. They’re going to stand outside your home with scythes, pitchforks, and torches.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Hey, I’ll defend that opinion. I don’t think that many people have honestly heard that record.</span><br /><br />Of course not. And I’m happy about that. (laughing)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">But there are still good riffs on that thing. I can listen to a lot of stuff that I don’t like that much, and still appreciate chunks of it.</span><br /><br />Of course, of course.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Something like Slipknot, that band has riffs.</span><br /><br />I know, I know! But even the worst Slipknot album is still a million times better than that album, I’ll say it myself.<br />(laughter)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">What about that one part where you’re like “Check this out!” (on “Seduce Me”)? That’s so awesome!</span><br /><br />(laughter)<br /><br />You know, I haven’t heard that album in about twenty years. I don’t own it!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">See, I understand, because, if I listen to stuff I made in high school…I gotta hit the stop button on it.</span><br /><br />I’m working on my thirteenth album, I prefer the other twelve.<br />“Check this out,” huh? Jesus Christ…(laughing)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">It’s so good!</span><br /><br />It’s so good, huh? Sure!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">You know, because you’re so famous for the “OOOH” and then you kind of tone it down into “check this out.” It’s amazing. And it comes at a really good part, too.</span><br /><br />I should end this interview here (laughing)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Relisten to it just for the “check this out,” it’s in the first thirty seconds of the album.</span><br /><br />I will not listen to this album until the day I die!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Listen, it’s in the first thirty seconds of the record, you’ll hear yourself say “check this out!” and you’ll be like “that’s cool!”</span><br /><br />I’m not gonna listen to it! I don’t own it! (laughing) Seriously, I don’t own it! I would have to illegally download it!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">It’s on all the blogs, that’s where I got it.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">I’ll also ask you, what did you do in the 90s?</span><br /><br />I wonder myself. Well, I worked on Celtic Frost’s last album that was never completed until early 1993, then the band fell apart. I lived in America at the time, first in New York, then in Texas. Then I moved back to Europe with my then-American wife. I completely left the music industry for a couple of years. I was totally fed up after all the events of the 1980s. We got screwed so royally by the recording industry that I just…I didn’t know if it was a permanent break or just a temporary break, but I sold all my equipment, I completely retired from this shit. I became like a normal citizen for awhile.<br /><br />Then a Swiss band approached me to produce them in 1995 or so. That never happened, but I became very close friends with the guitar player, Erol Unala. Eventually we decided to form a project together, which was the industrial project Apollyon Sun. There was no timeframe set for this project, we didn’t know whether it was going to be a long-term thing. Eventually, we recorded two CDs with Apollyon Sun. To me, that was good enough. It really provided me with a musical break that I needed. I had been playing extreme metal all my life, ever since Hellhammer, and I’d never done anything else. I really needed to have different horizons. A complete, drastic change to really clear out my mind. And it was nice being, for the first time, not the leader of the band, but one of five song-writers and just basically the singer. I hardly ever played guitar. It was very refreshing. It put a very different spin on making music.<br />I came out of that project completely ready to continue where I had left off. That’s ultimately the reason I reformed Celtic Frost. I came out completely refreshed and I think that, without Apollyon Sun and the second half of the 90s, that wouldn’t have happened. We wouldn’t be sitting here right now. My 90s in a nutshell.Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18183863977387034618noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-900234116533267910.post-19701786361066989952011-02-21T12:08:00.003-06:002011-03-10T12:51:19.198-06:00Varathron - His Majesty at the Swamp (1993)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.metal-archives.com/images/8/4/1/0/8410.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://www.metal-archives.com/images/8/4/1/0/8410.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>For a brief period in the early 1990s, Greek metal bands zeroed in on the "epic but not cheesy" market. This album is the best of the bunch as far as I'm concerned.<br /><br />Tempos rarely rise above a mid-paced stomp, giving this album the feel of Celtic Frost's "Procreation of the Wicked" or one of Iron Maiden's longer epics, and this album is full of harmonic minor single-string riffs. Also, do you guys remember when Dave Mustaine freaked out about sharing a bill with Rotting Christ and also had beef with Dissection? Hilarious.<br /><br />Slowwwwwwwww.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?a2rnya9cdcbdy4u">Download</a><br /></div>Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18183863977387034618noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-900234116533267910.post-3035579528683303432011-01-24T21:02:00.005-06:002011-02-03T14:31:38.609-06:00Zero Kama - The Secret Eye of L.A.Y.L.A.H. (1984)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPiIBs5DTVZ_xj6ej2Rrec7GHvxybuknGsQBMIz8nkgrE9WWXLHM9gfPx-WM8MWOr4AQGeswtNLftGfIe-3PMYrgJYZ3lwH7EgDRPTSdpzyuxOfGMYyPUvFH6W2Dg75oNldWfFApIceX08/s400/ZKcover-sq.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPiIBs5DTVZ_xj6ej2Rrec7GHvxybuknGsQBMIz8nkgrE9WWXLHM9gfPx-WM8MWOr4AQGeswtNLftGfIe-3PMYrgJYZ3lwH7EgDRPTSdpzyuxOfGMYyPUvFH6W2Dg75oNldWfFApIceX08/s400/ZKcover-sq.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>While Zero Kama's back story is tailor-made for angsty pseudo-goth teens (instruments made out of human bones!), this record is totally unsettling regardless of any attached narrative. Steady rhythms touch the innate capacity for ritualistic behavior while aimless melodies induce crawling skin and altered perceptions of reality. If you want to doubt your own humanity for an hour, this recording is for you.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?nqa7omlaxiukdfd">Download</a></div>Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18183863977387034618noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-900234116533267910.post-89390993395438608382010-12-29T11:41:00.005-06:002011-01-09T09:49:49.396-06:00Hall & Oates - Voices (1980)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/89/Hall_and_Oates_Voices_alternative_cover_art.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 280px; height: 280px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/89/Hall_and_Oates_Voices_alternative_cover_art.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>A recent comment on this blog called me a cross between <a href="http://www.anus.com/metal/">SR Prozak</a> & an effeminate hipster, which is really cool to me. Also, according to people who I know, "hipsters" are really into Hall & Oates these days. If this is true, this is the greatest thing that hipsters have ever done, because Hall & Oates are the epitome of genius.<br /><br />This is Hall & Oates's best record, and this is their most "rock" record. Some of this kind of sounds like Buzzcocks and I also hear quite a bit of the power pop of the 70s creeping into these songs. Either way, choruses are super catchy, but the verses and pre-choruses of these songs often offer the most interesting twists, regularly catching me off guard with wildly unexpected melodic phrasing. Check out the aggressively successful hit single <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6u9FrXBWu_I">"Kiss on my List"</a> for a perfect example. That pre-chorus, man. That pre-chorus makes me want to become a better person.<br /><br />In a cool "connect the dots" moment, one can see how the chords at the beginning of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fguiBDF2B7s">"Hard to be in Love with You"</a> became <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zV8xeA7Z5Q">"Out of Touch"</a> a few years later. You've gotta lotta nerve, Daryl Hall. (got-ta lot-ta)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mediafire.com/?2xdc9f22dvejfmd">Download<br /></a></div>Toddhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18183863977387034618noreply@blogger.com15