Discovering Metal: Anthrax

From left to right: Charlie Benante, Frank Bello, Scott Ian, Joey Belladonna and Jonathan Donais

The big four of Thrash Metal are Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax. Out of those four, Anthrax is the least successful in album sales with about 10 million albums sold worldwide. This has not stopped them from continuously touring and making great albums. Anthrax is viewed as being silliest of the big four with their mascot the “Not Man” which was spawned from a rap metal song that they made called “I’m the Man”.

Anthrax is known for their thrash hits like “Indians” and “Caught in a Mosh”, and rightly so, but they have explored depths which at the time where ground breaking like the song “I’m the Man” and their cross over with their rendition of Public Enemy’s song “Bring the Noise”. Throughout their career, they have produce a diverse array of songs that have the influences of thrash metal, heavy metal, rap, and punk.

For myself and other metalheads, what really made Anthrax stand out is that they have a lead singer with a broad vocal range and versatility. I’m talking about vocalist Joey Belladonna. While listening to Megadeth and Metallica is great and they each come with their own styles, Anthrax offers a different flavor that really appeals to me. I was used to the singing in Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, so Anthrax was a natural progression for me as I got into heavier music.

I first discovered Anthrax, after I saw my first Megadeth show, in the summer of 2013. The first album I listened to was their third album Among the Living. At that point in time, I had been listening to more of Megadeth’s deeper catalogue like Cryptic Writings. Anthrax had a different dimension in their music, a touch more punk than other thrash metal bands. I really enjoyed Among the Living so I decided to listen to their prior albums like Spreading the Disease and Persistence of Time.

I’ve listened to the music from Anthrax’s inception to the album Sound of White Noise and then from the album Worship Music to their current music. Based on my listening experience, I would definitely recommend to any heavy metal fan that they check out Anthrax, especially fans of thrash metal. Anthrax has continually impressed me with their creativity in the songs produced throughout their career. They’re a great band and I look forward to what songs they’ll release in the future.

Top Favorite Albums:

1) Among The Living

2) Worship Music

3) Spreading the Disease

4) For All Kings

5) Sound of White Noise

Album Review: Victorious

Impressions/Thoughts:

Wolfmother is an Australian Hard Rock band that that was formed in 2000 and is most well known for their song “Woman” from their self-titled debut album. I became a fan after listening to their third album, New Crown, but that album wasn’t as impressive as this latest album. Had the music business been like what it was when Wolfmother started up, I could have seen many of their songs being big hits on the radio. Wolfmother has this tone in their music that appeals to both the casual rock fan as well as the hardcore hard rock fan.

When I looked up the band, Monster Truck, on iTunes, my search results included their new album Sittin’ Heavy. I then checked the related section and that’s when I learned about Wolfmother’s album, Victorious. By this point, I was already a fan of Wolfmother’s music, but I didn’t know what to expect on this new album. I was pleasantly surprised because it had some hard rock mixed in with some softer tunes.

The Music:

“The Love That You Give” opens up the album with a catchy melodic riff. I like the parts in the song where the riff breaks up in preparation for the chorus.

The next song, “Victorious”, has a faster beat and a heavier riff which sounds more upbeat than the opening track. It’s a catchy song and the drums get to shine when the chorus plays. I like when later in the song the riff changes and the singer says “Don't you ever get tired and feel like giving up?” Then the singer breaks off into a solo which builds up back into the main riff.

The third song, “Baroness”, contrasts the previous song by being slower but none the less catchy. I really like the more distorted guitar sound, which makes the chorus even more catchy and complements the vocals.

The forth song, “Pretty Peggy”, is a slower song that sounds more like a ballad. I like when the vocals have that echo effect when the singer is wailing over the riff. The song itself has a slower melody that makes it stand out from the other songs on the album.  

The following track, “City Lights”, jumps in with a high pitched riff. I think it’s pretty cool when the vocals and riff tradeoff in the chorus. Later in the song, after the chorus, the band goes off into a cool guitar solo that demonstrates their instrumental abilities.

The sixth song, “The Simple Life”, opens with a very interesting heavier riff where you hear the drums and guitar in separate intervals, which then leads into the chorus. Further along in the song the riff changes with a solo playing over the riff, and then goes back into the main riff but with more dimension to it.

The seventh song, “Best of a Bad Situation”, is a much more upbeat song than the previous track. I like the part before the chorus where it almost sounds like clapping. In the upbeat nature of the song, I find myself stomping along with the beat. The song makes you want to sing along to its lyrics. This track can appeal to any type of rock fan and I can definitely see this song being played live.

The eighth song, “Gypsy Caravan”, opens with a more generic riff, but when it transitions into the chorus is when it really hooks you in. I like how the song breaks up and becomes faster later into the song. I think the song would have wide appeal to rock fans and would be a good mood setter for a party or social event.  

The ninth song, “Happy Face”, has a classic “Sabbath like” sound as it starts off slower with a distorted heavier riff. When Andrew Stockdale’s vocals join into the song, he reminds me of Geddy Lee from Rush. I really like the riff and the wailing guitar about halfway through the piece as it solos on top of the riff. The track is simpler than the other songs on the album, as I feel it is more about listening to the riff rather than the vocals.

The closing track of the album, “Eye of the Beholder”, has an added kick to it when the beat follows the drums. The vocals in the chorus soar over the riff adding another dimension to the song. The instrumentals then change into a faster beat, then goes back into the rhythm of the main riff. As the last track on Victorious, it is a good closing piece for the album.

Verdict:

The instrumentals in the songs on the album display true quality in Wolfmother’s music. The combination of the catchy riffs and the singer’s voices create a synergy that appeals to me. Victorious is a great hard rock album with some excellent songs that compose it. If you’re a hard rock fan I suggest you check out this album and the other music by Wolfmother.

Also, I’d just like to point out that this is the first album where Wolfmother actually has a wolf on the album cover.

Top 5 Songs:

1) “Victorious”

2) “Eye of the Beholder”

3) “Gypsy Caravan”

4) “Pretty Peggy”

5) “Best of A Bad situation”

You can follow Wolfmother on Twitter and Facebook, and they're official website is here.

Discovering Metal: Black Sabbath

the original line up from left to right: Gezzer Butler, Toni Iommi, Bill Ward and Ozzy Osbourne

In rock and pop music culture there are Kings and Queens. In metal culture there are Gods and Godfathers. I think metalheads watched one to many Scorsese films and read about one to many different pantheons. Black Sabbath is arguably the most important band in the history of metal music. From the great albums from their Ozzy and Dio eras to the lesser known albums such as Born Again, they have created a legacy that has made an impact on the entire Heavy Metal music genre.

For me, I wasn’t introduced to Sabbath through their classic Ozzy Osbourne period, but through the albums they did with vocalist Ronnie James Dio. I remember discovering it because I had gotten into Bruce Dickinson’s solo album Accident of Birth, which is one of my favorite albums of all time. I remember that on iTunes where I buy most of my music, that they only had the Dio era music as well as some more obscured Sabbath albums. I had bought the box set, The Rules of Hell, which was a compilation containing the entire 3 studio albums that Dio was on as well as the live album Live Evil and the three songs from the compilation Black Sabbath: The Dio Years.

At the time I had only heard the live version of “War Pigs” from an Ozzy Osbourne live album. I didn’t know the lyrics because of the nearly inaudible crowd singing of the song, so when I listened to the compilation album, The Rules of Hell, I was blown away. Because at that point I only heard very little of Black Sabbath’s music, so when I heard songs like Children of the Sea and Heaven and Hell, that to me was Sabbath.

Later, my friend gifted me Black Sabbath’s second album Paranoid on CD. After discovering this side of the band, I went and listened to their other albums like Master of Reality and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath. Of course iTunes at this time still did not have these albums yet so CD was my only option.

I remember when their album 13 was announced, the album itself was more reminiscent of classic Sabbath music. I had the pleasure of seeing them live on that tour for the album in 2014 in Hamilton, Ontario. They were great which is not something you normally can say for a band of their age. Black Sabbath is a band that continues to be as influential in Heavy Metal culture just as much today as they were in the 70’s.

Top Favorite Albums:

1) Heaven and Hell

2) Paranoid

3) Master of Reality

4) Black Sabbath

5) 13

“Figure in Black which points at me…”

Follow Black Sabbath on Twitter and Facebook. Make an effort to go out and see them live for this will be the last time you'll ever have the change to do so. See if they're coming to a city near you here

Local Music Spotlight: Kill the Clock

Every band must always start small in their local music scene before they gain any notoriety or prestige. Buffalo New York is a music scene that features so many talented musicians that tend to go unrecognized. While the most popular band to ever come out of Buffalo is still the Goo Goo Dolls, rest assured that there is so much more talent beyond them.

(Pictured left to right: Dan McCormick,
Joe Morganti, Mike Tomasulo, John Vaughan)

For this local music scene spotlight, I'll be taking a hard look at the punk rock band Kill the Clock. Featuring Dan McCormick on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Joe Morganti on lead guitar, John Vaughan on bass and backing vocals, and Mike Tomasulo on drums and backing vocals, Kill The Clock is built for success right off the bat. The band always features an energetic performance from every single member. Mike is the kind of drummer that makes the muppets Animal look like an amateur, Joe is the kind of lead guitarist that would make any song a masterpiece, John plays bass with so much groove that you can feel the energy come off him at all times, and Dan is the perfect definition of a kick ass frontman.

I recently had the chance to attend another one of their concerts at the Waiting Room in Buffalo New York where they were the headlining band of the night. I can tell you all that I was nothing short of completely entertained the entire show. Kill the Clock has so much energy in their show, you cannot help but want to bob your head and jump up and down the entire show. With catchy guitar hooks and lyrics relatable to anyone between the ages of 12 and 30, these guys did not disappoint whatsoever with their show.

During their show, they played a song  that they had not yet released and had written only a short time prior to their show titled "Earth To Matilda". I had the chance to catch up with drummer Mike Tomasulo after the show to ask him about the inspiration behind the song.

He told me that the inspiration behind the song is essentially a middle finger to people that may disagree with you for the sake of disagreeing with you.

"Well we wrote the song start to finish 24 hours before the show. At first it was stressful trying to piece it together in our short time frame, but after two hours, we walked out of rehearsal with a new song capturing more emotion then anything else we've ever written."

Kill the Clock is finishing up recording their newest EP to be released on November 18th of this year via Skyway Studios owned and operated by fellow local musician RJ DeMarco of Rescue Dawn. Be sure to check out their new EP when it is released and attend their release show when that happens.

Until then, I'll leave you with an interview I conducted with the band via WNIA Radio at Niagara University earlier this year. This features a few live acoustic performances and a general discussion about the band themselves!

Click Here to go like them on Facebook and check them out!

Album Review: Welcome to Fat City

Impressions/Thoughts:

Crobot is a newer band from Pottsville, PA whose music has really groovy riffs and lyrics to match. They are known for their very energetic live performances and humorous posts on social media. I found out about Crobot rather randomly since their self-titled EP was featured on iTunes’ Spotlight for new metal music. I took a chance on listening to it and loved their music from the very first song on that EP “Legend of the Spacebourne Killer”. After they issued their 2014 debut album, Something Supernatural, which featured some great songs, I decided that it and was good enough to make it to my number two spot on my list of top albums for 2014. Their next effort, Welcome to Fat City, faced high expectations from their fans.

When Crobot finally released their first single “Not for Sale”, the reaction I had was that the song sounded similar to some of the tunes on their previous album. While having some commonality in the sound of the band from album to album can be a good thing, offering musical differentiation in their songs can make them stand apart in their music genre. Consequently, when their cool title track came out I had much of the same feeling, but it wasn’t until I listened to the third single “Plague of the Mammoths” that my anxiety about whether the rest of the songs would all sound the same was unfounded. Prior to the album being released, Crobot was promoting their new album on social media which started as a humorous ad campaign for the album. One of the campaign approaches was to make funny commentary or anecdotes about the covers or songs while providing snippets of the songs.

For those of you in the know fat city is a nickname for the city of New Orleans, Louisiana (NOLA). This album is not about NOLA, it’s about a fictitious planet named Fat City where the singer Brandon Yeagley is running for mayor. You can learn more about the concept behind the title track here.

The Music:

Following the drum fill on the opening song, “Welcome to Fat City”, it segues into a groovy riff, it just releases a sense of grandeur. This transition gets you in the mood and makes you want to move your body to the beat of the song.

Similar to this SNL sketch, I’ve thought about what I would like to hear in Crobot’s music. The answer is ‘I’d like to hear more cowbell’. In the second track, “Play It Cool”, we get that right from the get-go as the cowbell is played along with the beat of the groovy riff. I like the chorus of the song where the vocals have a kind of echo effect.

The next song, “Easy Money”, starts off with the guitar only, but when the bass and drums jump in the tune is really rocking. After about three-quarters of the way into the song, the riff slows down and a harmonica solo is added over the riff which creates a really cool and dynamic sound. The following track, “Not for Sale”, is the fastest song on the album. It starts off with a faster riff then slows down a bit and then returns to the previous fast pace. In the music video for the song, part of the lyrics are misinterpreted from “who paid your debt to be here” to “who paid your dad to be here” which makes for a very humorous video to watch.

Crobot then slows it down with a slightly heavier song, “Hold on for Dear Life”. The song starts out slow and builds up to a faster pace and then transitions to a slower riff with the singer wailing over the melody followed by the riff picking up again to its conclusion. Although this more mellow style is different from what you would expect to hear from Crobot, it gives the ear a break and creates an enjoyable piece to listen to. The next track, “Temple in the Sky”, sounds cool the way the riff plays. As the song continues the riff gets faster until the chorus then returns to the slower pace like in the beginning. The seventh song on this album, “Right Between the Eyes”, starts off with distorted guitar sound which marches into the vocals. The next track, “Blood on the Snow”, has another groovy riff that makes me want to bang my head to the rhythm.

Now we are on the last section of the album. The ninth track, “Steal the Show”, has a return of the harmonica. I can see this song being played live as they ‘steal the show’. The following song, “Moment of Truth”, is a mellower track on the album. I like how the song builds up and then near the end it breaks down with only the slow beat of the bass and drums complimented by guitar bursts that accent the rhythm of the riff. The vocals join in with “Moment of Truth” repeating till the end of the song. The closing track, “Plague of the Mammoths”, has an interesting riff that differentiates it from the rest of the album. It happens to be the heaviest song on the album. It has a great riff and overall sound to close out the album.

Verdict:

Welcome to Fat City is great album for those that like groovier metal. Those that are fans of Crobot will love this album. I greatly enjoyed listening to this album and for me it is a must buy. I recommend you check out this album as well as Crobot’s debut album Something Supernatural.

One last thing, while the album is called Welcome to Fat City, I think it should be renamed Welcome to Groove City, because it’s just a groovy record.

Top 5 Songs:

1) “Not for Sale”

2) “Welcome to Fat City”

3) “Plague of the Mammoths”

4) “Easy Money”

5) “Play It Cool”

Check out the playlist below for the ad campaign for Crobot’s album Welcome to Fat City.

*CONTEST*
Leave a comment below for a chance at winning a code for the digital version of this album. Contest deadline ends on Wednesday 10/5 at midnight.

You're Either In It Or You're Not

I’ve personally never heard anyone say this to me, but I have heard others talk about this. What I’m referring to is when people say, “Hey I used to listen to metal” or “I used to listen to that band”. What I’m talking about is the decision to stop listening to heavy metal, or hard rock for that matter, hell any genre of music!

The typical response to that statement is “well why did you stop listening?” and then they retort back “oh I grew up”, “I have kids now” or “I got married”. Well unless your spouse had you in the ultimate pussy whip (or whatever the term is for the opposite genre is) and also happens to be as uptight as the third Reich, there is no reason, I repeat no reason why you should stop listening to the music that you enjoy, no matter your age.

I read this article and the only thing I have to say about it is that the writer was giving his view of generalized older metalheads and what was proper to wear for someone who is older. That article infuriated me because metal is not pretty and if you truly want to express your love for the music, then why should you care about what is proper? It’s ludicrous to think otherwise. Metal is there for you when people aren’t. It can get you through the tough times in life and can help express destructive emotions in a positive manner.

I thoroughly enjoy listening to heavy metal, and there is no reason for me to stop. If there was a clinical trial that predicted that I would die if I listen to another note of heavy metal, then I would get all my affairs in order and die banging my head to the music I love.

My point is that music, especially metal music, is more than some superficial phase in your life. You live it, you breathe it, hell some people shit metal, although, I would contact your doctor if that happens. You don’t just go through your high school and college years and say, “yeah I’m not a fan anymore” because believe you and me, you are either in it or you were never part of it!

Album Review: Seal the Deal & Let's Boogie

Impressions/Thoughts:

Volbeat is a Danish metal band whose music would best be described as a mixture of metal and rockabilly. I had discovered Volbeat when I learned that they were touring near where I lived with one of my favorite bands Anthrax. On this tour Volbeat was the headliner even though they are a much younger band than when compared with Anthrax who’s been in existence two decades longer than Volbeat. I found their music to be intriguing as the combination of metal and rockabilly was very appealing to me, but I couldn’t get over the fact that I can’t understand all the words that the vocalist is singing. My challenge wasn’t due to the vocalist screaming for something, instead it was due to the singer’s accent so that it made it hard to understand the words without the lyrics right in front of you. None the less I took a liking to Volbeat, so when this album was announced to be released this year I had to check it out.

Seal the Deal & Let’s Boogie is Volbeat’s fifth consecutive number one album in their home country of Denmark. In comparison to their last album Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies which came out in 2013, I like this album much better.

The Music:

The album opens with “The Devil’s Bleeding Crown”, which has a familiar metal tone with a more traditional rock n’ roll under tone. Its great song and I can see why they chose it for the lead single for the album. The next song, “Marie Laveau”, has a very catchy chorus that I sometimes find myself singing, although I don’t know what most of the lyrics actually are. The next song, which was the second single, "For Evigt" or “The Bliss” as its titled on the North American version. This song has a littler tone than the first two songs, and makes for a very memorable song on the album.

The following song, “The Gates of Babylon”, has an interesting riff that makes it enticing to where the song goes. The chorus actually changes to a higher pitched tone and sounds really catchy. After another song titled “Let it Burn” which doesn’t really deviate from the album as a whole, as it continues to carry the tone onto the next song. “Black Rose”, which features guest singer Danko Jones, is a song that has a different sound and the tones of both singers created an interesting contrast for this song.

“Rebound” is cover song originally made by the American punk band Teenage Bottlerocket, the way the song is performed takes on the personification of the metal and rockabilly combination. It’s a short but sweet song that in its simplicity is really easy to listen to. “Mary Jane Kelly” is a track which seems like it’s in the style of traditional rock n’ roll bands. Lyrically the song is sad with “She’s been lonely and forgotten ever since, But her beauty in the night light will remain”. The song has a lighter tone but also mixes in that somber tone of the lyrics.

“Goodbye Forever” has a good chorus and has a great riff that lends itself to create a very catchy song. After the midpoint of the song, the chorus is taken over by the Harlem Gospel Choir which is a very cool addition to the song. The title track, “Seal the Deal” is a phenomenal song with great soloing and is really rocking. Lead guitarist Rob Caggiano who produced the album gets the opportunity to show off his ability to shred on this song.

“Battleship Chains” is the second cover song on the album, and was written originally and performed by Terry Anderson. Vocalist/guitarist Michael Poulsen gives a very southern inspired vocal performance in this cover song. After another song that isn’t as memorable, but still has good performances, we get to the closing track of the album. “The Loa’s Crossroad” is a heavier song than most of the other pieces on the album. I enjoyed the riff and the parts of the song were the drums get to shine. I can see this song being a good staple for their live performances. It’s one last hurrah from the album, as it ends on a good note.

Verdict:

Vobeat has refined their musical style when compared their previous albums and is my current favorite Volbeat album. Seal the Deal & Let’s Boogie is defiantly an album to check out if you prefer hard rock or more classic rock. For those like myself who prefer a more metal sound, there are a few songs that will appease your tastes. If you like Volbeat it is a must listen to and you will not be disappointed with this effort. If you want to check you more of Volbeat’s music, I recommend you listen to their album Beyond Hell / Above Heaven which came out in 2010.

Top 5 Songs:
1) “Seal The Deal”

2) “The Bliss”

3) “The Devils Bleeding Crown”

4) “Marie Laveau”

5) “The Loa’s Crossroad”