Archive for October, 2010

Slayer is Very Descriptive When Describing Stuff

Sunday, October 31st, 2010

“Running and Hunting and Slashing and Crushing and Searching and Seeing and Stabbing and Shooting and Thrashing and Smashing and Burning Destroying and Killing and Bleeding and Pleading then Death.”

That’s sure a very scary, and LONG, description of some scary guy about to do a BUNCH of really scary stuff to someone (or maybe to a bunch of people?) apparently. Whoever Tom is singing about in this song really has an anger problem. The dude just sounds like he’s like really tense and pent up. Probably not the happiest guy. Maybe kind of a “loose-canon”? He sounds like he just needs to chill-out man. Stop and smell the roses dude. Maybe he just needs a good cry…or a hug? Maybe he hasn’t been laid in a while either? Some people are just so angry.

You know what I’m saying?

But man, doesn’t Slayer use a lot of really descriptive action words. I think those are verbs? You know, “Verb…that’s what’s happening…I get my thing in action…VERB!” I remember that from the old, “Schoolhouse Rock!”, cartoons. Actually I remember more about English and U.S. History from those cartoons, and songs, than I do from high school or college! And I have a B.A. in Philosophy!

Favorite Guitar “Teams”

Thursday, October 21st, 2010

These are my favorite “guitar teams”, or “guitars duos”…whatever you want to call it when you got two badass players, playing together, in the same band. Obviously these dudes needed to gell, challenge each other, play off of each others strengths and weaknesses, complement each other, etc. Anyways, here it is. Disagree if you want. But you’d be wrong if you did.

1.) Dave Murray/Adrian Smith (Iron Maiden)
2.) Chris Degarmo/Michael Wilton (Queensryche)
3.) Brian Robertson/Scott Gorham (Thin Lizzy)
4.) Glenn Tipton/K.K. Downing (Judas Priest)
5.) Hank Sherman/Michael Denner (Mercyful Fate)
6.) James Hetfield/Kirk Hammett (Metallica)
7.) Bill Steer/Michael Amott (Carcass)

Tad Is As Big As His Band’s SOUND!

Thursday, October 14th, 2010

Tad was one of the best of the Seattle “grunge” bands. Heavy riffs, atonal guitar noises, throbbing bass, tribal drum beats, and Tad’s intense vocals.

Heavy stuff…both the man and the music.

Two of the Most Beautiful Songs on Earth

Friday, October 8th, 2010

Listening to Earth is not really like listening to any other “rock” band. It’s not like listening to an Iron Maiden album, or something where you actively, “listen”, consciously, to the riffs, the vocals lines, the drum beats, the time changes, the harmonies, the leads, etc. You just put an Earth album on…and let it play…It will do it’s “thang” to your head…Earth will effect your subconscious…And your whole body…Relaxing and heavy at the same time…

They are classified as a “drone”, “drone doom”, or sometimes just “slow music” band. But they also fall into the psychedelic, doom metal, sludge, and stoner rock genres. They were also very loosely associated with “grunge” early on because they were from Washington and were on Sub Pop Records (and were friends with Kurt Cobain).

Their music is mostly all instrumentals with no vocals. It is very repetitive…but also extremely well-written and “layered” with all-sorts of sub-level backround tones, counter-drones, dynamics, melodies, and musical subtleties to keep you brain entertained…

“Crooked Axis For String Quartet”

“The Dire and Ever Circling Wolves”

Earth has also always had the coolest album titles, song titles (eventhough 99% of their music has no lyrics), and album cover art work. Really cool sh*t man. I can’t stress enough how good the music is.

Very different.