Instant Album Review

The new Hinder cd came out today. It is called All American Nightmare. I was not planning on listening to this cd at all, but I always like listening to new music, so I figured I'd give it a shot. Let me tell you that this is a great cd. They come out swinging with 2 Sides of Me and All American Nightmare before they get introspective with What Ya Gonna Do. That song should be released as the next single. The songs Waking Up the Devil and Striptease are among the other standout rockers on this disc. There really isn't a big power ballad such as Lips of an Angel on this disc. I guess the closest they get is The Life and Everybody's Wrong. Even those songs have a heavier vibe to them. They also have a little fun with the songs Hey Ho and Put that Record On. This is a pretty solid disc. The heavier songs remind me of Motley Crue's Saints of Los Angeles cd. It has that type of groove to it. If you like Saliva and Buckcherry, you should have no problem liking the new Hinder cd. I know that this is not the most in depth album review ever, but I'm sure most people don't really care about the chord progression of whatever song and just want to know if it rocks or not. It does rock! It reminds me of a cd I'd put on to get in the mood before going out and partying. Give it a listen!

cd pick of the day--Queens of the Stone Age--Over the River... (live)

Over the Edge this weekend

Gear up for another two hours of skull splitting metal this Saturday night from 9-11pm. All the people that need some more iron in their diet better strap it on extra tight. The week, debuts from:

Evocation
Heaven & Hell (Dio version of Black Sabbath)
Nails
The Wretched End (featuring Samoth from Emperor/Zyklon)
Atheist
Kylesa


Haven't heard of them? All the better reason to tune in and see what's going to burn through your brain like a buzzsaw.

Over the Edge is heard exclusively on Razor 94.7 and www.razor947.com


album of the day--Kreator-Past Life Trauma--A collection of some of their biggest tunes and rare tracks. German thrash at it's finest!

What a trip!!

Last week I went on vacation with my wife and kids. I knew the vacation was going to be a great time when the first night I got to see Avenged Sevenfold! We pulled into the town we were staying in and right next to our hotel was an arena. I knew there was a concert going on when we got close because of the dozen tour buses. I freaked out as a read the sign. Avenged Sevenfold, Hellyeah, Stone Sour, Sick Puppies, Halestorm, My Darkest Days, and New Medicine were playing. We got into town too late to see anyone but Avenged, but that didn't bother me. It was right next door. I tucked in the wife and kids and was on my way. Thanks to some guys extra ticket, I got into the show. It was in between sets, so I decided to go check out the place. I talked with Bri-dog from the Hellyeah crew (he probably thinks I'm odd because I recoginzed him from the Hellyeah dvd). We discussed the tour and the upcoming football season. Those Texans really love their Cowboys! The Packers must shut them down. I also talked with Lizzie Hale about Lou Brutus. She thinks he's pretty funny. Chad from Hellyeah/Mudvayne told me that they want to play in Green Bay soon (someone make that happen). He also said that Mudvayne wasn't done (I don't totally believe that). I saw Greg from Hellyeah/Mudvayne dressed as a southern hippie, complete with a "Southern Rebel" handband. Really? Peoria isn't the south. Whatever. Just keep coming up with the crunchy riffs. A lot of the bands came out and watched the start of Avenged's set. If you go see them, pay attention in the beginning and watch your head. I won't ruin the suprise for you. Even Vinnie Paul was out. I wonder if he was watching Mike Portnay and comparing drum styles. Avenged are totally rock stars now. They had tons of pyro, multiple backdrop changes, and a full on stage show. A number one record will help the record company throw some money towards your tour. They had the crowd in the palm of their hand. As my night ended, I ran into Sal from My Darkest Days. I asked him about how he got Chad from Nickelback and Zakk Wylde on their new song. He spilled the info about how he's been writing with Chad for a couple of years and it just worked out. Zakk hopped on board with a little coaxing from management. Sal was freaking out about how in a couple of weeks they are playing a show together and Zakk might join them onstage. It's cool to see a musician get excited about things like that yet. Sal told me how they were all playing a big festival the next day and invited me down to see it. He even gave me his cell phone number. It's 315-313-xxxx. I'm not giving it out! I told him I would try to check it out, but vacationing with the family was on the top of my list. I filled him in on some the places to play in Green Bay, so hopefully they'll make it out this way.

Do I wish I could have seen all the bands? In a perfect world, yes. But given the situation, I was happy to have stumbled on this show and got to see what I saw. It was a great start to the family vacation.

cd pick of the day--Aversion--Fit to be tied

New Music

In my head I hear a fanfare when I say the words new music.

There has been quite a few new releases out recently. Here is a few on my thoughts on them.

Hellyeah--Stampede

This cd has some really heavy moments. Hell of a Time, Debt that all men pay, and Cowboy Way are a great way to start off the album. I feel embarassed for them for writing Pole Dancer. That one I could do without. I have no problem with Hellyeah, but I have a hard time taking Chad and Gregg seriously. To go from Mudvayne to being cowboys? Aren't they from Peoria? Weird.

Nonpoint--Miracle

Nonpoint play it pretty safe on the new cd. Nothing too over the top agressive. They keep in the mainstream on this one. They cover Pantera's Five Minutes Alone and I think that they should have left it alone. I don't think any band can duplicate the feel of the original. They do score points with me for Lucky #13 and Frontlines. I would like to see Nonpoint turn it up a notch and not play it so safe

Deftones--Diamond Eyes

I was pleasantly suprised by the new Deftones cd. It's been a long time since I've heard anything new from the band and was not sure how this would be. It turns out it is heavy, grinding, and Chino's vocals are as smooth as ever. Deftones keep it short and to the point on this cd. I think it clocks in around 40 minutes. No wasted time on this one!

Chimaira--Coming Alive

Chimaira have released a live three disc set. 2 dvds, 1 cd. I don't receive the dvds, but the live cd is crushing. Recorded in their hometown of Cleveland, Chimaira own on this cd. I really I wish I could have been at this show to witness their domination.

Texas Hippie Coalition--Intervention
Some steel belted metal from Big Daddy Rich and crew. Solid songs throughout, but some weak lyrics in spots. If you like Black Label Society, Brand New Sin, and C.O.C., you should like this. Pissed off and mad about it is an instant classic


cd pick of the day--dead horse--peaceful death and pretty flowers. Spastic texas metal!!

Ozzfest Thoughts

1. Where is the Wisconsin date? Let's get it confirmed!

2. Not a bad line-up. Check it:

Ozzfest 2010 Main Stage:
OZZY OSBOURNE
MÖTLEY CRÜE
HALFORD
DEVILDRIVER
NONPOINT

Ozzfest 2010 Second Stage:
BLACK LABEL SOCIETY
DROWNING POOL
KINGDOM OF SORROW
GOATWHORE
SKELETONWITCH
SAVIOURS
KATAKLYSM


The second stage is definitely way cooler. Kataklysm=awesome. Death metal at 10 in the morning baby! Skeletonwitch and Goatwhore are badass too! Plus Kingdom of Sorrow and Drowning Pool! I'm suprised Drowning Pool didn't make the jump to the main stage. Speaking of which, Nonpoint on the main stage is great news for them. That should widen their fan base some more. Devildriver will freak out the people that are just there for Motley, Halford, and Ozzy. The final three are legends and will put on a solid show.

3. Where is that Wisconsin date!!!!!!!!!?

cd pick of the day--Kottonmouth Kings Peace not greed

Weekend Thoughts

Thanks to everyone who came out to Monster Trucks XL. It was a great time with lots of wrecked cars. I don't know if I've ever seen a monster truck get stuck on something before. Then again, a conversion van is a big kind of something. Bearfoot is definitely the star of the show! My son's eyes almost popped out of his head at some of the tricks the motocross guys were pulling off.

Nascar action got underway with the Bud Shootout. It would have been a big shootout had it not been for Jeff Gordon spinning out Biffle. Thanks for ruining a great finish Jeff! The Daytona 500 is less than a week away!

The Super Bowl was an excellent game. If a few plays went the other way, it could have been an entirely different outcome. Regardless, both teams played superbly and you couldn't ask for anything more. The commercials were pretty good. Budweiser has waaaaay too much money based on how many ads they bought. The Snickers one with Betty White was top notch!


Cd pick of the day--Fear Factory--Mechanize They are back and the riffs are precise as always. Totally necessary !

Thrash Like an Athlete

Megadeth, Testament, and Exodus are touring together!!! Incredible!!

With the American Carnage tour on hold (Slayer, Megadeth, Testament) due to Slayer's Tom Araya needing back surgery, Megadeth has booked a filler tour that will bring the old schooler out in you. Not only are these three thrash legends touring together, they have some suprises. Megadeth are going to perform their masterpiece Rust in Peace from front to back along with some other Megadeth classics. Testament served notice and said that they are going to play their debut album The Legacy. I expect Exodus to add to the mix by performing Bonded by Blood completely. If you are a fan of thrash, these are exciting times. The downside is that there are not any Wisconsin dates for either of these tours. I would love to see this at the Riverside. Head walking, stage diving, and all out thrashing would be in effect! Somebody make this happen!!


cd pick of the day--Napalm Death--Time Waits for No Slave. The fact that they've been doing this for 20 plus years and still can lay down political death metal with a groove speaks for itself. Grind!!!!!!

It's the weekend!!!

I'll be working all weekend, per the usual, but here are a couple of things to look forward to:

Over the Edge Saturday night 10-midnight. New metal from Shadows Fall, Freya, The Resurrection Sorrow, and Mutiny Within. All things metal!!!


The Local Edge Sunday night at 7. Special in studio guests Seed and 5 Man. Seed is even going to perform acoustically. Local, live, and loud

Did I hear that Borna has a concert announcement Monday at 5? I really want to spill the beans, but you'll have to wait until Monday!

cd pick of the day--The Resurrection Sorrow--Hour of the Wolf. Down/C.O.C./sludgy, dirty, angry music. It's like free therapy!!!

Over the Edge Saturday night!!

Saturday night at 10, join me for the loudest, fastest, heaviest show in the area, Over the Edge. Two hours, all things metal. We will have new metal from Fear Factory, Six Feet Under, and Brainstorm. Also, the latest from 2 Cents, Volbeat, and AM Conspiracy. Prepare to have thy head banged!!


Check out some of the other metal headed your way in 2010:

Abominable Iron Sloth (Blackmarket Activities)
Abysmal Dawn (Relapse Records)
Aeternam, Disciples Of The Unseen (Metal Blade)
Armageddon, Embrace The Mystery & Three (Century Media)
Barn Burner, Bangers (Metal Blade)
Black Anvil (Relapse Records)
Brian Posehn (Relapse Records)
Dark Fortress, Ylem (Century Media)
Dark Funeral (Regain Records)
Dark Tranquillity, Where Death Is Most Alive (Century Media)
Dream Evil, In The Night (Century Media)
Evile, Infected Nations - Redux Edition (Earache Records)
Faster Pussycat, Front Row For The Donkey Show (Full Effect)
First Blood, Silence Is Betrayal (Trustkill)
Genghis Tron (Relapse Records)
Great American Beast, Domestic Blood (Trustkill)
Hero Destroyed (Relapse Records)
Holy Grail, Crisis In Utopia (Prosthetic Records)
Howl (Relapse Records)
Kid Liberty (Trustkill)
Kingdom of Sorrow (Relapse Records)
Landmine Marathon, Sovereign Descent (Prosthetic Records)
Living Sacrifice, The Infinite Order (Solid State)
Mantric (Prosthetic Records)
Misery Index (Relapse Records)
Most Precious Blood, Do Not Resuscitate (Trustkill)
Orphaned Land, The Never Ending Way Of ORWarriOR (Century Media)
Pig Destroyer (Relapse Records)
Priestess (Tee Pee Records)
Sweet Cobra (Blackmarket Activities)
Through The Eyes Of The Dead, Skepsis (Prosthetic Records)
Toxic Holocaust (Relapse Records)
Trap Them (Prosthetic Records)
Unearthly Trance (Relapse Records)
White Wizzard (Earache)

2010 is going to be metal!!! (then again, so is every year)

cd pick of the day--Barn Burner--Bangers. I got the advance on this and I am loving it. Super heavy Sabbath/Fu Manchu/The Sword grooves. Excellent!

Time to Change It Up

I love my mp3 player. It is amazing to have that much music all in one place. I almost always have mine on shuffle, unless I feel like listening to all the songs from one particular artist. Sometimes it seems like it doesn't shuffle very well. A lot of the same songs will come up and it does get stagnant. I decided to try something different. I took the shuffle off and challenged myself to listen to all of the songs in my library in alphabetical order. It was awesome. I kept trying to guess what might come next (and usually failed). I kept track of how many songs in a row were from the same artist. Suicidal Tendencies were the kings with 5 in a row. Slayer had 4 in a row twice. I have three songs named Heaven and Hell, all done by different people (Black Sabbath, Circus of Power, and Madball). I have a couple of songs on twice that I didn't know about. I'm hoping that now that I played all of the songs, they will all shuffle in. If not, I'll do it again.

I had a blast at the Gamblers game last Friday. The Gamblers defeated Team USA. Thanks to everyone who came out to Man night!!!


cd pick of the day--Five Finger Death Punch--War is the Answer
Is it as good as The Way of the Fist? Not sure. Are some of the lyrics weak? Yes. Does it still bring the heavy? Yes. War is the Answer!!!!!!