Metalheads and weedheads shouldn't have much crossover. Metal trends towards loud, pissed, and action-oriented. Stoner rock wants to just, like, hang out...man...what? But, see, way back in the day on Master of Reality an Ozzy led Black Sabbath released Sweet Leaf. By the gods that's some heavy and weed-loving riffs.
Now, there's a great many Stoner Metal bands to choose from. Possibly slavishly devoted to the Sabbath riff is Electric Wizard. Can I have some more bass please? I didn't quite feel that vibration all the way up my rectum.
But, standing head and shoulders above all other Stoner Metal outfits are Sleep. That particular track is about a dragon that also happens to be an astronaut going to Mars. Also weed, I'm guessing.
Sleep's Magnum Opus, Dopesmoker, almost never saw the light of day. Apparently, short-sighted record execs felt a single hour long track was unmarketable. Pricks. The battle to see its release created strains on the band that led to their eventual break-up. It's last gasp was a live track packaged with the eventual release of Dopesmoker called Sonic Titan.
But, all is not lost. Soul-searching poet and bass player Al Cisneros re-emerged with Om - a unique blend of chanted vocals and heavy riffs - this is the Metal the Dalai Lama would listen to. Also, as a side project, the seriously awesome and wail-y Shrinebuilder.
Shirtless axe-wielding barbarian Matt Pike would go on to form the slightly heavier, sludgier High on Fire. Sweet Christ, Matt, don't ever fix those teeth - that's the heaviest mouth in metal.
\m/
Prof. Organgrinder
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Friday, May 13, 2011
Artist Feature: Ghost
Sweden's Ghost has the Tru Kvlt Black Metal community rather divided. Their debut album, Opus Eponymous, has an incredibly ear-worm-y quality; I haven't stopped spinning it since I picked it up. But as Black Metal goes, it's not exactly Mayhem. It's Black Metal with a, well, pop sensibility. But, shit, they sing about the Devil on every. single. track. One can understand the lyrics without having spent years developing an ear for deciphering the standard Black Metal Shriek - does that make it something else? Is it closer to Maroon 5 than Blut Aus Nord? I leave it to you.
Prof. Organgrinder
Prof. Organgrinder
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Thrash Basics
Thrash Metal is probably what you've heard of without realizing it. Characterized by speed and aggression, a common technique in Thrash is the palm-muted riff, which gives it its characteristic "chugging" sound. My first Thrash Metal album was Slayer's first full-length release Show No Mercy on cassette (yes cassette). It had a "Super-Saver" label slapped on it, which caused my father (Master Slaine Mac Roth Organgrinder, Esq.) to quip that it had "more chuck-a-chuck for your buck."
Differing from Death Metal (which Thrash predates by a few years), the vocals in Thrash are generally sung in a clear (though clearly angry) melodic shout. Chilean vocalist/ Tom Araya said of Slayer's most famous opus, Reign in Blood, that he wanted to sing clearly because the words were such an important part of the song for the audience to take away.
Slayer is my personal favorite of what's commonly called "The Big 4." Four American Thrash Metal Bands that have defined the genre.
Metallica
Megadeth
Anthrax
and once more, Slayer
There's a number of classics outside the big four, so be sure to check out Exodus and Testament if nothing else - I'm certain Professor Smythen-Wesson will have more to say on the subject.
Not to be outdone, Europe gave us their own epic shredders in the German 3.
Kreator
Sodom
Destruction
Noticing a trend? There's not as great a diversity of sound in Thrash as there is in Death or Doom - I'm not knocking it, mind you! But, unlike Doom which splinters into Sludge, Stoner, Drone, etc. and Death with can be Melodic or Technical or Doom/Death or Blackened Death (among others) diverge much from the Thrash formula and you're no longer listening to Thrash. Not sure why that is, it just is. All the bands highlighted here got started in the 80's and all of them are still touring and cutting albums - it's a formula that works. And there's still great new Thrashers emerging - here's a couple of greats that popped up in more recent years.
Municipal Waste
Warbringer
Enforcer
Gamma Bomb
Prof. Organgrinder
Differing from Death Metal (which Thrash predates by a few years), the vocals in Thrash are generally sung in a clear (though clearly angry) melodic shout. Chilean vocalist/ Tom Araya said of Slayer's most famous opus, Reign in Blood, that he wanted to sing clearly because the words were such an important part of the song for the audience to take away.
Slayer is my personal favorite of what's commonly called "The Big 4." Four American Thrash Metal Bands that have defined the genre.
Metallica
Megadeth
Anthrax
and once more, Slayer
There's a number of classics outside the big four, so be sure to check out Exodus and Testament if nothing else - I'm certain Professor Smythen-Wesson will have more to say on the subject.
Not to be outdone, Europe gave us their own epic shredders in the German 3.
Kreator
Sodom
Destruction
Noticing a trend? There's not as great a diversity of sound in Thrash as there is in Death or Doom - I'm not knocking it, mind you! But, unlike Doom which splinters into Sludge, Stoner, Drone, etc. and Death with can be Melodic or Technical or Doom/Death or Blackened Death (among others) diverge much from the Thrash formula and you're no longer listening to Thrash. Not sure why that is, it just is. All the bands highlighted here got started in the 80's and all of them are still touring and cutting albums - it's a formula that works. And there's still great new Thrashers emerging - here's a couple of greats that popped up in more recent years.
Municipal Waste
Warbringer
Enforcer
Gamma Bomb
Prof. Organgrinder
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