photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
the PERSONAL NARRATIVE of BRAZILIAN METAL ICON MAX CAVALERA is one with such PHENOMENAL HIGHS and absolutely DEVASTATING SOUL-CRUSHING LOWS that it is DIFFICULT to comprehend how he persevered quite HONESTLY, given that he endured the DEATHS of MULTIPLE close FAMILY MEMBERS, the UNFORESEEN BETRAYAL of hist FIRST BAND SEPULTURA and the founding of a second LEGENDARY GROUP in SOULFLY. with the RELEASE of SOULFLY: THE SONG REMAINS INSANE (ROADRUNNER, 2005) DVD, which is largely a LOOSE BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO that includes LIVE TOUR FOOTAGE, MUSIC VIDEOS and NEW INTERVIEWS with the man HIMSELF, this is effectively his FIRST OFFICIAL STATEMENT to his FANS on the STATE of his LIFE and CAREER four ALBUMS into his NEW PROJECT.
for me (and i say this as a long-time DEVOUT FAN), the initial HANDFUL of SOULFLY ALBUMS are pretty INCONSISTENT, which makes ABSOLUTE SENSE given that CAVALERA was intensely interested in transcending the TRADITIONAL THRASH METAL SOUND of SEPULTURA and consciously incorporating other INFLUENCES such as REGGAE, HIP HOP, DUB and INDIGENOUS MUSICAL TRADITIONS from around the GLOBE. in my opinion these EFFORTS became COHESIVE beginning with his FOURTH ALBUM PROPHECY (ROADRUNNER, 2004) and continued on UNABATED on DARK AGES (ROADRUNNER, 2005) and the LATER SAVAGES (NUCLEAR BLAST, 2013). i think that when he released THE SONG REMAINS INSANE he knew full well that he delivered a CREATIVE and IMPACTFUL METAL RECORD for the ages in PROPHECY and that such was as good a time as ever to look back at his STORIED CAREER. what comes across in spades throughout this FILM is how much of a TOTAL FAMILY AFFAIR SOULFLY is, not just with the MUSICIANS and the FANS, but literally his KIN being showcased OUTRIGHT on TOUR, in MUSIC VIDEOS and at home. and that VIBE continues with the OUTSIDE and often OBSCURE MUSICIANS he collaborates with during RECORDING SESSIONS, sharing his PLATFORM to uplift the PROFILE of others in a GROWING NETWORK of FRIENDS around the WORLD. the METAL COMMUNITY can often feel pretty INSULAR and CONSERVATIVE in NATURE, expecting their HEROES to never evolve or alter their SOUND beyond that of their GLORY YEARS (i.e. THRASH PEERS in METALLICA and SLAYER), which makes CAVALERA that much more FASCINATING given his EVER-SHIFTING PALETTE of SONIC AGGRESSION that assimilates NEW TEXTURES and IDEAS into his UNIQUE, INCLUSIVE VISION. at one point he even mentions that he is like a METAL DIPLOMAT for the WORLD, which makes ABSOLUTE SENSE. given his EFFORTS in the two decades since PROPHECY and the SHEER AMOUNT of MUSICIANS hes brought into his CREATIVE FOLD, the DUDE should be called the METAL AMBASSADOR to the WORLD. SEPULTURA soldiered on and never really strayed from their CORE MUSICAL IDENTITY with CONTINUING DIMINISHING RETURNS, but CAVALERA just extended the VIBE of what made his FORMER BAND once GREAT and in the PROCESS transcended it. there is no better HOMAGE to his BELOVED and DECEASED STEP-SON DANA than creatively FLOURISHING in his WAKE. and this VIDEO is a TESTAMENT to that LOVE and CONNECTION with his FAMILY, both BLOOD and MUSICAL.
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photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
the LOS ANGELES-based EXTREME METAL BAND BRUJERIA is practically a CULTURAL INSTIUTION at this point and needs no promotion by this BLOG by any means. i just wanted to pay HOMAGE to what has to be one of the most POLITICALLY OUTSPOKEN GROUPS i can think of post-HARDCORE and post BANDS like DEAD KENNEDYS and SEPULTURA with blistering GRINDCORE / DEATH METAL-influenced SONGS about everything from RELIGION, IMMIGRATION and DRUG TRAFFICKING to RELATED ISSUES that profoundly effect the EXTENDED HISPANIC COMMUNITY. in a GENRE afflicted with MASS CONFORMITY, RIGID unspoken RULES and a mostly CLOSE-MINDED AUDIENCE BASE who are unwilling to deviate from TRADITIONAL SONIC PRESENTATIONS, its reassuring to know that there are still some stridently HONEST VOICES still in the MIX.
such has been the case for so long that the amount of MUSICIANS that have joined the likes of BRUJERIA include PROMINENT MEMBERS of NAPALM DEATH, FAITH NO MORE, CARCASS, AT THE GATES, FEAR FACTORY, CRADLE OF FILTH, DIMMU BORGIR and yes, even DEAD KENNEDYS. definitely a BAND worth checking out. photo & text by nacrowe
the IOWA-based, MASK-adorning, MATCHING JUMPSUIT wearing, NINE-PIECE METAL OUTFIT SLIPKNOT was an UNEXPECTED and absolutely STUNNING ONSLAUGHT-TO-THE-SENSES when their SELF-TITLED debut SLIPKNOT (ROADRUNNER, 1999) ALBUM was released just prior to the new millennium. my INTRODUCTION to them was at fifteen while attending a LOADED OZZFEST 99 stop in NEW JERSEY where the BAND broke out VISUALLY and SONICALLY alongside their mostly METAL PEERS in FEAR FACTORY, SYSTEM OF A DOWN, GODSMACK, DEFTONES, STATIC-X, PRIMUS, SLAYER, ROB ZOMBIE and BLACK SABBATH. turns out i saw them early on the tour that was their big break in the UNITED STATES, such being their first NATIONAL EXPOSURE thanks to JACK OSBOURNE, a CONSEQUENTIAL early SUPPORTER that also happened to be OZZY OSBOURNE's CLUED-IN fourteen year-old SON. but whereas most of those BANDS RHYTHMICALLY had a GROOVE-based (DEFTONES, PRIMUS, SYSTEM OF A DOWN, ROB ZOMBIE) or INDUSTRIAL-inflected (FEAR FACTORY, STATIC-X) SOUND, SLIPKNOT seemed to be a bit more STRAIGHT-AHEAD, OLD-SCHOOL THRASH / DEATH METAL (SLAYER) in its APPROACH (with GALLOPING TEMPOS that switch drastically) just SONICALLY way more DENSE with its BASSIST, DJ, two GUITARISTS and MULTIPLE PERCUSSIONISTS in tow. they definitely had a "MORE IS MORE" SONIC AESTHETIC that both seemed utterly ORIGINAL yet based in a CLASSIC METAL TEMPLATE.
their VISUAL PRESENTATION is also worth mentioning as it mirrored their SOUND. nine DISTINCTIVE MEMBERS wearing MATCHING JUMPSUITS and various HORROR-themed MASKS that seemed to infer a type of CONSCIOUS ANONYMITY within a UNIT, like a GANG. the JUMPSUITS also belied a WORKMANLIKE ETHOS and AESTHETIC, as if their INDIVIDUAL EFFORTS, of which those early INSANE shows there was nothing left ENERGY-WISE, only had any SUSTAINED VALUE in PROMOTION of the whole. no INDIVIDUAL STAR per se, just this IDEA of being taken over by a CULT. the MASKS in this CONTEXT provide some ON-STAGE DIFFERNTIATION and INDIVIDUALITY among MEMBERS, but like KISS before them, they also ensure their IDENTITY OFF-STAGE. and i think its that INTERESTING DYNAMIC between INDIVIDUAL ANONYMITY and GROUP IDENTITY that makes the BAND so POTENT from a VISUAL PERSPECTIVE. the OBVIOUS IMPLICATION is that literally ANYONE could be in that BAND, even the AUDIENCE. we are all SLIPKNOT. the ETHOS of their STRIKING VISUAL PRESENTATION is ironically counter to the STAR-MAKING AMBITIONS of most ENTERTAINERS. maybe it was their UNASSUMING IOWA ROOTS that nurtured this or their COLLECTIVE APPRECIATION for EXTREME METAL (MERCYFUL FATE, NEUROSIS, IMMOLATION) and AVANT-GARDE MUSICIANS (SKINNY PUPPY, MIKE PATTON, GODFLESH, HELMET, MINISTRY) that likewise pursued a CONSCIOUS ANTI-IMAGE AESTHETIC, but whatever the INSPIRATION, such was a breath of fresh air during the IMAGE-CONSCIOUS late 90s that was dominated by PROMINENT NU METAL BANDS like KORN and LIMP BIZKIT. now the MUSIC. the ACTUAL SLIPKNOT ALBUM is absolutely INTENSE. arguably it is the most sonically DENSE and CLAUSTROPHOBIC RECORDING that FAMED PRODUCER ROSS ROBINSON (AT THE DRIVE-IN, KORN, SEPULTURA, GLASSJAW, THE BLOOD BROTHERS) has ever been involved with, which is actually saying something given the BRUTAL EMOTIONAL and PSYCHOLOGICAL POTENCY of the PERFORMANCES he is able to instigate and capture on TAPE is his PROFESSIONAL CALLING CARD. i am hard-pressed to think of a more SAVAGE opening side to a commercially SUCCESSFUL RECORDING (with all due CONSIDERATION towards PANTERA, TOOL, LAMB OF GOD and WHITE ZOMBIE) than the TRACKS "EYELESS," "(sic)" and "SURFACING" off SLIPKNOT. it is a REAL TESTAMENT to ROBINSON's ENGINEERING and MIXING SKILLS that all these myriad of COMPETING INSTRUMENTS, VOCALS and SAMPLES are presented with DISTINCT ARTICULATION and their own AURAL SPACE in the MIX. there is nothing MUDDY or OPAQUE about these INTENSE TRACKS, they hit you like SLEDGEHAMMER right between the eyes. personally my FAVORITE TRACK is "LIBERATE" which is as close to their SOUND moving forward as anything else on their debut, which balances a STRONG TENDENCY towards DISSONANT SONIC INTENSITY with an UNEXPECTED, AUTHENTIC FEEL for MELODY that is not CONTRIVED. in fact it makes the TRACK more BRUTAL in comparison given that there are moments of LEVITY before you are being pile-driven again like those aforementioned OPENING TRACKS. the OBVIOUS SINGLE "WAIT AND BLEED" is arguably the WEAKEST TRACK and the most UNLIKE the others, which seem almost CONTENT in their ABILITY to channel UNDENIABLE SONIC FEROCITY into EMOTIONAL CATHARSIS. and for me that DYNAMIC is at the center of SLIPKNOT's APPEAL and where their VISUAL and SONIC AESTHETICS overlap. the ANONYMITY, SELF-DENIAL and implied NIHILISM of their LURICS seems aimed at the INTERNAL BATTLE going on within an INDIVIDUAL and the RENEWED PERSPECTIVE and EMOTIONAL RELEASE that comes from such a PURGING. out of experiences so DARK, VILE and UNSEEMLY comes something POSITIVE and SELF-AFFIRMING that UNITES and UPLIFTS EVERYONE in on the CONVERSATION. being ANONYMOUS takes away that need for BASE IDOL WORSHIP, it opens the gate to SELF-IDENTIFY with each other and be part of a GREATER COMMUNITY. and that was my EXPERIENCE with witnessing SLIPKNOT live at the second stage of OZZFEST 99. within the first SONG i was already INITIATED as part of the CULT. CLASSIC ALBUM by a CLASSIC BAND. absolutely required listening. photo & text by nacrowe
BRAZILIAN METAL ICON and former FRONTMAN of the LEGENDARY SEPULTURA, MAX CAVALERA was in a world of PAIN and CONFUSION when he went about creating the eponymous DEBUT SOULFLY record SOULFLY (ROADRUNNER, 1998). his aforementioned former band basically imploded over PASSIONATE DISAGREEMENTS concerning CAVALERA's WIFE and LONG-TIME MANAGER GLORIA firing.
from the band's PERSPECTIVE, after the release and touring of the phenomenally SUCCESSFUL ROOTS (ROADRUNNER, 1996), they had climbed a few rungs in the METAL HIERARCHY and therein had outgrown her. according to CAVALERA's memoir MY BLOODY ROOTS: FROM SEPULTURA TO SOULFLY AND BEYOND (JAWBONE PRESS, 2022), moving on from her MANAGEMENT was not necessarily a problem (as she primarily focused on them to the DETRIMENT of others on her ROSTER of bands) but the timing could not have been WORSE, she was en route along with CAVALERA to the FUNERAL of her SON, DANA, who had been SHOCKINGLY MURDERED in ARIZONA while the band was touring in ENGLAND. that they then collectively and callously chose to terminate her contract created a PERMANENT wedge between CAVALERA and the GROUP that was never addressed or mended and remains a BITTER point of CONTENTION between all parties involved decades later. SEPULTURA went on to a MEDIOCRE career where they functioned in the SHADOW of their FORMER GREATNESS, while SOULFLY effectively carried the SPIRITUAL TORCH of the band at their CULTURAL PEAK for twelve albums and more than twenty-five years to date. and that SECOND JOURNEY began with SOULFLY, which was a bit of a GROUP EFFORT, given that CAVALERA invited everyone from FELLOW COUNTRYMAN JORGE BEN to CHINO MORENO (DEFTONES), DINO CAZARES & BURTON C. BELL (FEAR FACTORY), BENJI WEBBE (DUB WAR) and DJ LETHAL & FRED DURST (LIMP BIZKIT), to join in on this record. part of that was since CAVALERA and his FAMILY were still very much in the throes of MOURNING over DANA during this period and his FRIENDS and PEERS wanted to show SUPPORT, never mind their MUTUAL RESPECT and AWE towards his RENOWNED work in SEPULTURA. the name of the band and album came from LYRICS he contributed to the DEFTONES' SONG "HEAD UP" off of their muc-CELEBRATED second album AROUND THE FUR (MAVERICK, 1997). it should be mentioned that the quick follow-up PRIMITIVE (ROADRUNNER, 2000) was likewise another GUEST HEAVY CELEBRATION of DANA with contributions by COREY TAYLOR (SLIPKNOT), TOM ARAYA (SLAYER), SEAN LENNON and, again, LONG-TIME FRIEND CHINO MORENO (DEFTONES). i'd even go so far as viewing the two as a SPIRITUAL PAIR. arguably the band took on a real IDENTITY once the third album 3 (ROADRUNNER, 2002) came out and CAVALERA leaned into taking the project into a LIFELONG JOURNEY throughout his LOVE of all things GLOBAL MUSIC and UNDERGROUND METAL. my experience hearing this album was through an OLDER STUDENT in my dorm when i was attending a boarding school in NEW ENGLAND. somehow this FILIPINO FOREIGN EXCHANGE STUDENT two years ahead of me had snuck in two POWERFUL speaker cabinets that he ran through his computer's compact disc player. i was long FAMILIAR with SEPULTURA at that point but hadnt heard CAVALERA's new project. that ended when this DUDE down the hall began blasting "EYE FOR AN EYE," "TRIBE" and "BLEED" moments after study hall ended at absolutely DEAFENING levels. those SONGS just exploded with ENERGY and a deep sense of GROOVE. it felt like ROOTS taken to the next level of INTENSITY with an understandably ENRAGED and emotionally RAW CAVALERA addressing the INTERNAL cudgeling that came with coming to terms with the SENSELESS MURDER of his BELOVED STEPSON. i still find that album AFFECTING and emotively POWERFUL and i am glad that the METAL COMMUNITY was there for him during this period. not only those on record, but those that also took him on tour such as SHARON and OZZY OSBOURNE with the OZZFEST vehicle that proved VITAL in breaking SOULFLY to the MASSES. in retrospect SOULFLY as well as PRIMITIVE are probably weighed down artistically in comparison to ROOTS due to the all the GUEST APPEARANCES, but as i said before, those additions served a DIFFERENT PURPOSE. it was a gathering of the TRIBES in SOLIDARITY behind CAVALERA, both as an artist and a man. from there on out he has never looked back and continued his career UNABATED as one of the SINGULAR VOICES in METAL along with and on par all of the other post STORIED ICONS (i.e. OZZY OSBOURNE, LEMMY KILMISTER, ROB HALFORD, JAMES HETFIELD, DIMEBAG DARRELL, TONY IOMMI, KING DIAMOND, RANDY RHOADS, CHUCK SCHULDINER, RONNIE JAMES DIO, CLIFF BURTON and so on). SEPULTURA just sort of hung around and folded into our COLLECTIVE MEMORY of its FORMER GLORY. no doubt one of the most CONFOUNDING, COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE and downright IDIOTIC lineup changes in ROCK N ROLL HISTORY. but such is LIFE and it provided an OPPORTUNITY for CAVALERA to continue without INTERNAL OBSTRUCTIONS or DISTRACTIONS from seemingly UNWORTHY COLLABORATORS. while i wouldn't put SOULFLY on the TOP-TIER of CAVALERA releases, which in my estimation are the SEPULTURA releases ROOTS, CHAOS A.D. (ROADRUNNER, 1993), ARISE (ROADRUNNER, 1991) and BENEATH THE REMAINS (ROADRUNNER, 1989) and the SOULFLY efforts PROPHECY (ROADRUNNER, 2004), DARK AGES (ROADRUNNER, 2005) and SAVAGES (NUCLEAR BLAST, 2013), i still feel it is very much worth investigating and checking out for anyone interested in METAL writ large. "EYE FOR AN EYE" to date is absolutely a UNIVERSAL banger in my opinion.
parodies by nacrowe​
​check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO celebrating the ICONIC VIRGINIA METAL band LAMB OF GOD!
​ ​​past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO are available here at the DEER GOD website as well as in the MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC archives. and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience! photo & text by nacrowe
the ROSS ROBINSON (KORN, GLASSJAW, THE CURE, AT THE DRIVE-IN, SLIPKNOT) produced ROOTS (ROADRUNNER, 1996) album by BRAZILIAN METAL icons SEPULTURA is one of those small handful of truly TRANSFORMATIONAL releases that permanently shifted SONIC EXPECTATIONS surrounding METAL thereafter. it also marked the ABRUPT final collaboration between LONG-TIME SINGER-SONGWRITER MAX CAVALERA and the rest of the group, a PROLIFIC relationship that lasted twelve years and six studio albums. despite all of its OUTLANDISH lyrical obsessions and somewhat BRUTISH RITUALS and PRESENTATION that attest to the contrary, sonically METAL in general is a rather CONSERVATIVE genre that PARTICIPANTS and AUDIENCES alike dont appreciate much EXPERIMENTATION or DEVIANCE from the ESTABLISHED FORMULA. to my ears, ROOTS represents the (TEMPORARY) breakdown of those EXPECTATIONS and allowed for the introduction of truly OUTSIDE influences into the MIX.
SEPULTURA up until ROOTS was a rather traditional THRASH METAL band. arguably what differentiated them from the crowd was MAX's INIMITABLE VOCALS which were DEEP, PASSIONATE and uncompromisingly BRUTAL, especially when buttressed by SPEED METAL guitars courtesy of ANDREAS KISSER and the UNRELENTING pummeling of a wall of TOM DRUMS by his preternaturally GIFTED brother, IGOR CAVALERA. at their THRASH METAL peak, SEPULTURA on releases like CHAOS A.D. (ROADRUNNER, 1993), ARISE (ROADRUNNER, 1991) and BENEATH THE REMAINS (ROADRUNNER, 1989), arguably gave icons like SLAYER, EXODUS, MEGADETH, TESTAMENT and METALLICA a run for their money at the apex of their POWERS. to understand the influence of ROOTS, is to comprehend what a REMARKABLE shift it was stylistically away from its preceding catalogue. now people often point to KORN's eponymous debut album KORN (EPIC, 1994) as the harbinger of change in MODERN METAL, having sonically introduced and popularized SLOWER TEMPOS with more EXPERIMENTAL and heavily MODULATED DISSONANT TEXTURES, as well as a HIP HOP-influenced sense of GROOVE into the mix. there is a case for such, plus ROSS ROBINSON produced both KORN and ROOTS and KORN frontman JONATHAN DAVIS guests on the later SEPULTURA track "LOOKAWAY." i dont want to diminish the pioneering efforts of KORN, but SEPULTURA's record is on another level. part of it is the incorporation of LATIN GROOVES and TEMPOS to the point that PERCUSSION is a DEFINING feature of the sound, not just the timekeeper for the guitars. alongside the PROMINENT PERCUSSION are the COMMUNAL chants of the INDIGENOUS XAVANTE TRIBE from the BRAZILIAN interior that the band did field recordings with over a few days. this overall TRIBAL AESTHETIC blended with METAL to form a new DYNAMIC and incredibly exciting HYBRID sound. these group chants that coalesce into a mighty wall of SYNCOPATED RHYTHM encouraged new levels of AUDIENCE INTERACTION and GENERAL CRAZINESS in the pit. around this period GROOVE METAL bands like WHITE ZOMBIE and PANTERA seemingly bridged such an AESTHETIC with that of TRADITIONAL THRASH METAL MUSICIANSHIP to create another much CELEBRATED sound for the ages. ROOTS undoubtedly is in the MIX with all of that INNOVATION and as such is still heralded decades later as a SEMINAL record by a once MIGHTY band that seemingly imploded just as they were really getting started. when SEPULTURA continued on sans-MAX, it did so along its previous TRADITIONAL THRASH METAL trajectory with MEDIOCRE commercial and critical success at best. to my ears they sadly morphed into a sorry cover band of themselves. for his part, MAX started SOULFLY which carries on the spirit of EXPERIMENTATION at the heart of ROOTS and has maintained his spot as an ICONIC elder statesman in the METAL COMMUNITY not unlike LEMMY KILMISTER, ROB HALFORD, RONNIE JAMES DIO and OZZY OSBOURNE before him. for my part, my family moved to AFRICA in late 1995 when i was still in grade school and at spring break in 1996 we took a vacation to ITALY where between us, my brother and i acquired FAITH NO MORE's ANGEL DUST (REPRISE, 1992), RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE's EVIL EMPIRE (EPIC, 1996), TOOL's UNDERTOW (ZOO, 1993) and SEPULTURA's CHAOS A.D. and ROOTS albums on compact disc. it remains one of the most CONSEQUENTIAL record hauls of my life since i remain very much a DEDICATED fan of all those bands well into adulthood. when i think of ROME to this day, i can distinctly hear the key tracks "STRAIGHTHATE," "RATTAMAHATTA," "CUTHROAT," "ATTITUDE" and of course "ROOTS BLOOD ROOTS" as i was taking in all the history. the two are INDISTINGUISHABLE from one another. just such a VISCERAL, BRUTAL album with so much SWING and GROOVE. i was so looking forward to the follow-up and was just DEVASTATE when MAX left. luckily his next project picked up the pieces and delivered according. ROOTS is an absolute ESSENTIAL METAL record. required listening in my estimation. photo & text by nacrowe
arguably the most universally CELEBRATED METAL album of the 1990s, PANTERA's uncompromisingly BRUTAL second album VULGAR DISPLAY OF POWER (ATCO, 1992) defiantly waved the flag for the genre during the height of the ALTERNATIVE ROCK revolution that saw other legacy acts effectively bow down and acquiesce to its will (looking at you METALLICA, MEGADETH, ANTHRAX and SLAYER). its accomplished predecessor COWBOYS FROM HELL (ATCO, 1990) set the stage for this release with its GUITAR HEROICS via DIMEBAG DARRELL and their ZZ-TOP inspired attention to all things GROOVE, but VULGAR DISPLAY OF POWER took it all to another level of INTENSITY and SONG-CRAFT.
UNDENIABLE tracks like "FUCKING HOSTILE," "MOUTH FOR WAR," and "A NEW LEVEL" where live show highlights for the rest of their career and showcase a FOCUS, COHESION and INTERNAL CHEMISTRY that the band built upon with later releases but never equalled again. although decidedly more MELLOW and SLOW-PACED, the ballads "THIS LOVE" and "HOLLOW" likewise showcased a SINGULAR attention to craft with MEMORABLE VOCALS and GUITAR MELODIES that intertwined to HYPNOTIC effect. arguably the STANDOUT track from an absolutely LOADED record is the single "WALK" with its INDELIBLE opening hammer-on, hammer-off GUITAR RIFF and that absolutely CRUSHING CHORUS that comes crashing in with SLEDGEHAMMER FORCE and ABRUPTNESS. that song in particular is a case study in efficiency and how less really can mean more to a track's EFFECTIVENESS. many consider "WALK" PANTERA's finest moment. not sure id go that far [my personal FAVORITE is "FLOODS" off of THE GREAT SOUTHERN TRENDKILL (ELEKTRA, 1996)], but point taken. the LEGACY of VULGAR DISPLAY OF POWER is both its MEMORABLE songs and the context of which it was released. most of the LEGACY THRASH METAL bands turned in SUBPAR records in the 1990s attempting to follow suit with the ALTERNATIVE ROCK predilections for minimizing (if not skipping altogether) GUITAR SOLOS and [from a metalhead's perspective] hiding behind excessive DISTORTION instead of showcasing both TECHNIQUE and MUSICIANSHIP. METALLICA's LOAD (ELEKTRA, 1996), MEGADETH's YOUTHANASIA (CAPITOL, 1994) and later SLAYER's DIVINE INTERVENTION (AMERICAN, 1994) were more STREAMLINED affairs that seemed to capitulate to the MUSICAL AESTHETICS of the era whereas VULGAR DISPLAY OF POWER and its successor FAR BEYOND DRIVEN (ELEKTRA, 1994) just came off like a giant MIDDLE FINGER to it all. remember, the PANTERA dude's were close longtime friends with the likes of ALICE IN CHAINS and the FOO FIGHTERS, even shared the stage with them on numerous occasions so there wasnt any personal ANIMOSITY at all. but in terms of the FRACTURED FRATERNITY that is the greater METAL COMMUNITY, PANTERA is nearly universally REVERED since they stood firm against the cultural tide when others patently SAID UNCLE to the music industry. and that BRAZEN STEADFASTNESS is as much a part of the popular lore surrounding VULGAR DISPLAY OF POWER as the songs themselves and has singularly stood as a TOUCHSTONE for all METAL bands moving forward, from LAMB OF GOD, DEFTONES and HATEBREED to SYSTEM OF A DOWN, MUDVAYNE, AVENGED SEVENFOLD and beyond. VULGAR DISPLAY OF POWER is a LEGENDARY record that continues to live up to and exceed its own hype and is absolutely ESSENTIAL for anyone interested in METAL. end stop. photo & text by nacrowe
it feels sometimes when navigating through MUSIC WEBSITES or the comments sections of YOUTUBE videos, MUSIC BLOGS or posts on SOCIAL MEDIA that the online world is just TOXIC. there seems to be a fixation with being AGGRESSIVE and CONFRONTATIONAL with one's opinion rather than THOUGHTFUL, CONSIDERED or COMPASSIONATE. with WEBSITES there sometimes seems to be an embedded incentive to come off ELITIST and EXCLUSIONARY because of their access and role as a gatekeeper to the opinions and thoughts of ARTISTS and MUSICIANS.
what i love about the WIKIPEDIA: FACT OR FICTION web series by ONLINE MUSIC MAGAZINE LOUDWIRE is not the fact that it confronts MODERN METAL, ALTERNATIVE ROCK and PUNK ROCK royalty from the likes of SLAYER, PANTERA, INCUBUS, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, LAMB OF GOD, BAD RELIGION, WHITE ZOMBIE, KISS, METALLICA, AVENGED SEVENFOLD, SLIPKNOT and CANNIBAL CORPSE with their (more-than-often INCORRECT) group-sourced online WIKIPEDIA biographies, it is the fact that host GRAHAM HARTMANN is so EVEN-KEELED about the whole endeavor. too often an INTERVIEW SHOW like this will have a host that is attempting to make the whole thing about them and how KNOWLEDGABLE or COOL they are projecting themselves in the effective afterglow of the TALENT (for which the audience is tuning in for), which is more than a little GRATING and PATRONIZING as a viewer. it is easy to identify with HARTMANN as he is treating the talent like REGULAR people and thus humanizes them in the process. its refreshing how little of that actually goes on in the MUSIC PRESS, which seems keen on building up or tearing down the public profiles of prominent MUSICIANS and their work. that or being part of a TRANSPARENT PROMOTIONAL APPARATUS to the DETRIMENT of the FANBASE. i enjoy watching and rewatching these past episodes because of HARTMANN and his ability to not act as an industry cog, instead being an AWARE MUSIC JOURNALIST / EVERYDAY FAN that most MUSIC ENTHUSIASTS can see in themselves. at least i can. WIKIPEDIA: FACT OR FICTION has expanded in recent years into the worlds of PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING and ACTORS, along with MUSICIANS, but at the center of it all is still HARTMANN and his ability to make this promotional vehicle seem less showbiz and a bit more DOWN-TO-EARTH and FUN. most definitely worth checking out. photo & text by nacrowe
by the time you get to PANTERA's final album REINVENTING THE STEEL (EAST WEST, 2000), a transition within the band's SOUND and RELATIONSHIP to one another that had been underway since THE GREAT SOUTHERN TRENDKILL (EAST WEST, 1996) had basically come to fruition and fully calcified. namely this album was a band at the END OF THEIR ROPE CREATIVELY and INTERPERSONALLY.
in terms of their sound, the first two records COWBOYS FROM HELL (ATCO, 1990) and VULGAR DISPLAY OF POWER (ATCO, 1992) were the sound of an incredibly tight BROTHERHOOD coalescing together while writing, living and struggling together to create and promote arguably some of the most COHESIVE and EXCITING METAL ever produced. those two records represent an ascent and upward trajectory both commercially and in terms of shared VISION and FOCUS as a CREATIVE UNIT. once they hit FAR BEYOND DRIVEN (EAST WEST, 1994) some INTERNAL SHIFTS had occurred. for one, having been recorded in NASHVILLE it is the only PANTERA record to not be recorded in their home studio as everything before was in PANTEGO SOUND STUDIOS (formerly owned and operated by the ABOTT BROTHERS' father for decades) in ARLINGTON and everything after was done at DIMEBAG's home studio at his DALWORTHINGTON GARDENS residence. as such the record is ODD since it is both EXPANSIVE sonically and lyrically CLAUSTROPHOBIC with themes of DRUG ABUSE and MENTAL DEGRADATION. shortly thereafter its release vocalist PHIL ANSELMO had a HEROIN OVERDOSE on tour which shook the band to its core since for the first time the band's seemingly UNSHAKEABLE UNITY had been COMPROMISED. it was during this period also that ANSELMO pursued a major side project in the SLUDGE METAL supergroup DOWN, which the ABOTT BROTHERS tolerated but quietly chafed at given their allegiance and UNSPARING FOCUS to all things PANTERA. unfortunately, this schism was manifested in THE GREAT SOUTHERN TRENDKILL being conceived and recorded in two separate studios, the band in TEXAS and ANSELMO in LOUISIANA at TRENT REZNOR's NOTHING STUDIOS in NEW ORLEANS. this DETERIORATION continued on REINVENTING THE STEEL which to some listeners is the sound of a band in bad need of a well-deserved hiatus to recharge and regroup. which of course never happened as their world tour was cut short abroad by 9/11 and the band proved to never play live again thereafter as ANSELMO pursued an ever-growing list of side projects (DOWN and SUPERJOINT RITUAL among numerous others) without checking in with DIMEBAG or VINNE PAUL, leaving them in perpetual limbo for a few years. for me the experience of listening to REINVENTING THE STEEL is a bit BITTERSWEET as there are some STANDOUT tracks like "YESTERDAY DON'T MEAN SHIT," "HELLBOUND" and "REVOLUTION IS MY NAME", but overall its LACK OF COHESION and VISION makes it emerge as the LEAST IMPRESSIVE PANTERA album by far. even sonically, at this point everything had DISINTEGRATED into PURE ATTACK and AGGRESSION, whereas before there was a PALPABLE sense of GROOVE involved, like a more TECHNICALLY ADVANCED and HARDER-HITTING ZZ TOP. maybe, like with METALLICA or SLAYER, the standard and expectation level with PANTERA is just so ELEVATED that they were bound to misfire eventually, but the whole effort feels like a WASTED OPPORTUNITY for such an INNOVATIVE and POWERFUL band that basically kept the METAL flag going in the 1990s in the wake of the ALTERNATIVE ROCK explosion. you also can't help but wonder what would have happened if the band just took an extended break, got some side project records out of their system and STAYED IN COMMUNICATION so that when they eventually regrouped theyd be ready to actually fire on all cylinders again having reconvened as a more MATURE and FORGIVING UNIT, both CREATIVELY and INTERPERSONALLY. that of course never happened and the band is permanently a "WHAT IF" scenario only further solidified by the TRAGIC DEATH of DIMEBAG and the subsequent health problems of VINNIE PAUL that led to his PASSING from natural causes a decade later. the modern iteration of the band, nobly carried on with close friends of the ABOTT BROTHERS and METAL all-star recruits in ZAKK WYLDE (BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, OZZY OSBOURNE) and CHARLIE BENANTE (ANTHRAX, S.O.D.), still pales in comparison to the ENERGY, CAMARADERIE and SPIRIT of the original which sadly flamed out at the turn of the millennium with their final released effort. i should also mention that this was the period i saw the band play OZZFEST on one proved to be one of their last national tours of the UNITED STATES. although the band was AMAZING, you could definitely see the divide in retrospect as ANSELMO mumbled his way through his seeming CHARLES MANSON phase while DIMEBAG was in full, VIBRANT flight DAZZLING the audiences with his GUITAR HEROICS. it definitely appeared like an odd couple but a DEGRADED PANTERA was likely better than most bands at the top of their game so INCREDIBLE was this band. i wouldnt recommend REINVENTING THE STEEL as it is my LEAST FAVORITE PANTERA record. for me any of the first three albums is a great starting point for this LEGENDARY and highly INFLUENTIAL METAL band, undoubtedly of the first order right alongside BLACK SABBATH, SLAYER and JUDAS PRIEST. photo & text by nacrowe
when i discovered SEPULTURA in sixth grade back in 1995, it was a few months after my FAMILY moved to NIGERIA from SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. on a FAMILY trip to ITALY, between my brother and me we scored TOOL's UNDERTOW (review linked HERE), RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE'S self-titled debut (EPIC, 1992), FAITH NO MORE's ANGEL DUST (review linked HERE) and SEPULTURA's CHAOS AD (ROADRUNNER, 1993) and ROOTS (ROADRUNNER, 1996) albums. it was one of the better and most INFLUENTIAL record hauls of my life and very much served as the SOUNDTRACK to my experience living in LAGOS during my middle school years. i say this only to setup the fact that MAX CAVALERA's music helped CONTEXTUALIZE the rampant POLITICAL and ECONOMIC CORRUPTION and widespread HUMAN SUFFERING i witnessed of a burdened population with its neck firmly under the boot of a MERCILESS and BRUTAL MILITARY DICTATORSHIP. i was also similarly gutted the following year when CAVALERA left SEPULTURA, effectively ending their relevance as a creative entity moving forward.
my motivation for reading MY BLOODY ROOTS: FROM SEPULTURA TO SOULFLY AND BEYOND (JAWBONE PRESS, 2022) was to gain some INSIGHT and CONTEXT in his own words into the BELOVED BRAZILIAN METAL icon MAX CAVALERA and his ECLECTIC career that i've followed and enjoyed for most of my life. to me the dude is a SINGULAR figure, even among the CELEBRATED greats of the genre, in that he has continued to expand both the LEXICON of the genre by incorporating new TEXTURES and INSTRUMENTS, often from INDIGENOUS world traditions, and has seemingly brought the extended FAMILY of METAL together throughout his career. METAL can feel a bit INSULAR at times, with the never-ending patchwork of evermore OBSCURE sub-genres, but CAVALERA seemingly proves the COMMONALITY and SHARED NATURE of such ARTISTIC EXPRESSION with each DISTINCT iteration and recording by his ongoing SOULFLY project (which has touched on everything from DEATH METAL, THRASH METAL, BLACK METAL, CROSSOVER THRASH, GRINDCORE, DOOM METAL, SLUDGE METAL and even NU METAL). in MY BLOODY ROOTS, CAVALERA presents a BRAZILIAN childhood that was marked by the death of his ITALIAN father when he was 9, effectively impoverishing his FAMILY and transitioning his life in short order from one of means and SECURITY to one of SURVIVAL. by the time he was 13, CAVALERA decided that music was his means not only of EXPRESSION and employment, but also an IDENTITY and sense of COMMUNITY in the wake of his father's passing. it seems obvious that CAVALERA's knack for COMMUNITY BUILDING started in that moment and has continued unabated to the present. along with his drumming brother IGGOR, CAVALERA established SEPULTURA and gradually learned his instrument and the band made its way up the ladder in BRAZIL, each record expanding on the prior in terms of LYRICAL CONTENT, TECHNICAL PROFICIENCY and SONIC BRUTALITY. this culminated in ROOTS, which saw the band incorporate INDIGENOUS RHYTHMS and TEXTURES into their EVER-EXPANDING SOUND, even collaborating some field recordings with the native XAVANTE tribe in the interior MASSO GRATO state in BRAZIL. in the wake of the demise of SEPULTURA, CAVALERA through his SOULFLY has incorporated word RHYTHMS and TEXTURES from SERBIA, TURKEY, RUSSIA and EGYPT among other places to date. SEPULTURA effectively broke up due to INTERNAL business tensions over their manager GLORIA, who in time was married to CAVALERA. the band thought MAX was given PREFERENTIAL treatment and that they could do better as a unit with outside management. her firing led to CAVALERA's quitting SEPULTURA, the band he started with his brother, who stayed along for another decade. the band is still an ongoing entity today, but their influence and stature is nominal at best. they are essentially a HOLLOWED-OUT edifice of what was a ONCE-PROMISING BAND poised to be the next METALLICA. the story of CAVALERA's career is one of finding COMMUNITY in the face of DISAPPOINTMENT and TRAUMA at the STAGGERING LOSS of his FATHER, his BAND and his STEPSON. it is also the story of coming to terms with such and the DESTRUCTIVE coping mechanisms he employed surrounding the excessive use of alcohol and other chemicals. the fact that he address such head-on with no fanfare and went to rehab with the right attitude and came out successful is a testament to his sheer will and LOVE and CONNECTION to his FAMILY, both of the blood and musical variety. i truly feel that what separates CAVALERA is his INTENTION. you never feel that he is going through the motions, just writing and performing music for its own sake. there is a palpable EDGE and a real sense that this process is deeply PERSONAL and CATHARTIC for him, always. in turn the listener buys into the SENTIMENT as well and treats him as a REVERED sage on a truly CHAOTIC but INSIGHTFUL aural journey. i'm always interested in his work with any number of his myriad of side projects, from CAVALERA CONSPIRACY with his brother, to KILLER BE KILLED with peers from THE DILLNGER ESCAPE PLAN and MASTODON, and GO AHEAD AND DIE with his son ZYON. not to mention the downright INCENDIARY NAILBOMB. his memoir MY BLOODY ROOTS may be a bit STRAIGHTFORWARD and UNADORNED, but its HEARTFELT and and unassailably AUTHENTIC much like his music. most definitely recommended. photo & text by nacrowe
the late PANTERA guitarist "DIMEBAG" DARRELL ABOTT was a LARGER-THAN-LIFE figure and arguably one of the most BELOVED HARD ROCK / METAL guitarists of all time, right there alongside the likes of EDDIE VAN HALEN, JIMMY PAGE, RITCHIE BLACKMORE, TONY IOMMI and RANDY RHOADS before him. his TALENT, PASSION and DRIVE for his instrument was absolutely UNDENIABLE, but what author ZAC CRAIN insists in his recent biography BLACK TOOTH GRIN: THE HIGH LIFE, GOOD TIMES, AND TRAGIC END OF DIMEBAG DARRELL (DA CAPO, 2009) is that among his PEERS, FANS and IDOLS he was just as RENOWNED for his HUMILITY, unbridled CHARM and preternatural ability to UPLIFT anyone and everyone's spirits, famous or otherwise. CRAIN even posits an argument that core of his DEVOTION for music and the guitar was not bred out of need to resolve a deep ANGER or FRUSTRATION with the world, rather it was a vehicle to express JOY, LOVE, AFFECTION and a shared CONNECTION with his extended COMMUNITY. such is particularly INTRIGUING given the absolute and uncompromisingly BRUTAL sonic nature of the METAL purveyed by PANTERA throughout their existence.
this focus on DIMEBAG's HUMILITY is the stuff of LEGEND. a childhood friend of mine who lives in MONTREAL spoke about how he ran into DIMEBAG and drummer VINNIE PAUL ABOTT while walking in a park. they were playing that night at a local club as part of their tour pushing their post-PANTERA project DAMAGEPLAN. my friend told them how during his middle school years in NIGERIA their music got him through a CRAZY time period in a foreign country. the ABOTT BROTHERS asked him to write his name down and stop by the show, he was added to their guest list. literally a guy off the street that recognized them and expressed a GENUINE CONNECTION to their music was enough for them to open their backstage for a ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME experience. testimonials to that level of GENEROSITY are throughout BLACK TOOTH GRIN. he in essence treated the METAL COMMUNITY as his extended FAMILY. what i found INTERESTING about BLACK TOOTH GRIN was how CRAIN analyzed how music being a FAMILY BUSINESS (with his father being a former MANAGER and his only brother a BANDMATE) affected DIMEBAG's sense of FAMILY and how matters of the band, with the exception of his mother and long-time girlfriend RITA, superseded such. his father's dismissal as band manager upon moving to a major label led to an impasse that remained simmering in place for the rest of his life. likewise, his relationship with his brother was always colored by their shared involvement with one another in BUSINESS INTERESTS. all major life decisions thus inevitably got processed through the lens of PANTERA and then DAMAGEPLAN, rather than as a FAMILY. that is a terribly COMPELLING insight into DIMEBAG's relative ISOLATION at the end of his life. another INTERESTING wrinkle was DIMEBAG's FUNCTIONAL ALCOHOLISM and how such was enabled by his position and RABID fanbase that sought to get wasted with him as a manner of CELEBRATION. a bit bloated and no doubt less robust as he hit his forties with DAMAGEPLAN, had he survived there no doubt would be a need for eventual moderation if not sobriety in his near future. such was the case with his partner-in-crime ZAKK WYLDE (BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, OZZY OSBOURNE) who year later would famously veer away from the booze as a matter of self-survival. BLACK TOOTH GRIN is a fairly PEDESTRIAN biography is REPETITIVE in places. you can tell it was a LABOR OF LOVE and that interviews collected were almost explicitly POSITIVE by FANS, PEERS, ROADIES, SPONSORS, TOUR MANAGERS, BUSINESS PARTNERS and GUITAR IDOLS alike. at times i feel that the book veers a little too hard into hagiography, especially given the more UNSAVORY elements of PANTERA's legacy. this includes singer PHILIP ANSELMO's often MISOGYNISTIC lyrics and sometimes LATENTLY RACIST themes, as well as the band's penchant for CONFEDERATE FLAG-themed merchandise. similarly CRAINE seemingly conflates the TOXIC MASCULINITY exhibited by ANSELMO with the band retaining a sense of METAL PURITY in an age of other bands (namely METALLICA) selling out to the ALTERNATIVE nation. i think such is a particularly UNFORTUNATE supposition, as METAL has nothing to do with those DESTRUCTIVE positions and to suggest otherwise is DANGEROUS and just historically INACCURATE. so i was disappointed by all of that. similarly, it was also deeply troubling that CRAIN spent so much time describing DIMEBAG's deranged murderer. the less i know, understand or think about that asshole, much like JOHN LENNON's assassin, the better. the fact that CRAIN didnt heed such only paid off in death what that SAD, PATHETIC person arguably desired most post-mortem: attention. i would recommend listening to DIMEBAG's guitar playing, but not necessarily this book. i'd instead turn to bassist REX BROWN's OFFICIAL TRUTH: 101 PROOF: THE INSIDE STORY OF PANTERA (review inked HERE) memoir, which is likewise PROBLEMATIC and anything but definitive, but at least an INTIMATE and thoroughly AUTHENTIC perspective on the career and legacy of the much universally CELEBRATED METAL band. almost two decades after his passing, the loss of DIMEBAG is still bitterly felt. i feel incredibly lucky to have gotten the opportunity to see him play live at OZZFEST 2000 back in the day. he was undoubtedly the highlight of a stacked METAL tour and was undeniably SPECIAL. RIP DIMEBAG AND VINNIE PAUL. photo & text by nacrowe
by the time of PANTERA's eight studio album THE GREAT SOUTHERN TRENDKILL (ELEKTRA, 1996), the band was probably in desperate need of an extended hiatus. singer PHIL ANSELMO had been dealing for years with back problems that led him down a SELF-MEDICATED SPIRAL of PAINKILLERS and ALCOHOL that would eventually culminate in a HEROIN OVERDOSE on tour not long after the release of this album. in retrospect this album is the first PANTERA effort conceived of by a splintered collective, with ANSELMO recording his VOCALS alone with producer TERRY DATE at TRENT REZNOR's NEW ORLEANS studio and the band at the ABBOTT BROTHER's home studio in TEXAS. not surprisingly given the INTERNAL CHAOS, this would be the final DATE-produced PANTERA record, having worked on every release since their COWBOYS FROM HELL (ATCO, 1990) major label debut.
all that being said, THE GREAT SOUTHERN TRENDKILL was the record i first became aware of the band through, given that it came out at the end of my sixth grade school year in NIGERIA. i know for certain that by seventh grade i had a taped copy of the record. being surrounded by oil brats from the AMERICAN SOUTH, most of whom were at least LATENTLY RACIST towards our WEST AFRICAN hosts, i've always had a hard time stomaching SOUTHERN PRIDE which this album has a lot of. the concept for the record was that in the midst of ALTERNATIVE ROCK largely replacing TRADITIONAL METAL, with longstanding legacy bands like METALLICA, ANTHRAX and SLAYER all making concessions to the new format, PANTERA was standing STRONG (the unsubtle insinuation being much like their confederate forefathers of yore) and flying the freak flag of UNDILUTED, UNADULTERATED METAL for the hardcore fans. THE GREAT SOUTHERN TRENDKILL is an UNCOMPROMISING album about STUBBORNNESS, INTRANSIGENCE and PERSEVERANCE in the face of environmental headwinds like popular opinion and cultural trends. despite the process that birth it, the record is sonically and lyrically one of the most FOCUSED and DIRECT efforts in their catalogue. themes include SOCIAL DEFIANCE and the VULNERABILITY and SHAME involved with ADDICTION. AGGRESSIVE tracks like "SUICIDE NOTE, PT. 2," "WAR NERVE," "THE UNDERGROUND IN AMERICA" "THE GREAT SOUTHERN TRENDKILL" and "DRAG THE WATERS" are made more impactful by their STRIPPED, BACK-TO-BASICS PRODUCTION, especially in contrast to the more THICK and LUSH, MULTI-LAYERED guitar overdubs found on their CELEBRATED previous effort, FAR BEYOND DRIVEN (ELEKTRA, 1994). more MELLOW affairs like "SUICIDE NOTE, PT. 1" and "FLOODS" is where this album really separates itself from the pack, especially the latter and its ICONIC GUITAR SOLOS and much REVERED OUTRO. even in the midst of a BRUTAL RECORDING, the exceptionally AFFECTING "FLOODS" outro is arguably the most beautifully MELODIC COMPOSITION DIMEBAG DARRELL ever wrote. looking back at THE GREAT SOUTHERN TRENDKILL, there are some REGRESSIVE POLITICAL and SOCIAL ASPECTS of the lyrics i still find deep issue with, but musically this record is an absolute BEAST. its the album in my opinion that most effectively showcases the COMPLICATED PANTERA legacy bar none. that being said it is worthy of investigation and most definitely worth checking out. photo & text by nacrowe
it is arguable that OZZY OSBOURNE will be CELEBRATED inasmuch for his years of the traveling OZZFEST summer METAL concerts as for his involvement with BLACK SABBATH in establishing the genre outright. this is because by the 1990s and the ALTERNATIVE ROCK movement basically killed METAL in general, which quite honestly was necessary given the fact that it became a parody of itself in the 1980s. famously OSBOURNE advocated for a slot on one of the LOLLAPALOOZA tours in the mid-1990s and was turned down, such was his CULTURAL IRRELEVANCY and that of METAL from the zeitgeist in general. OZZFEST was his METAL version of the same concept and went on, along with the PUNK-themed WARPED TOUR, to be among the most SUCCESSFUL annual traveling summer music festivals in history.
so fast forward a few years when this OZZFEST 2001: THE SECOND MILLENNIUM (SONY, 2001) live compilation came out the SCENE had changed immeasurably. in that time OSBOURNE, or more precisely has wife/manager SHARON, had provided countless emerging and established METAL bands of varying sub-genres with a NATIONAL PLATFORM to springboard their careers from: groups like SYSTEM OF A DOWN, NEUROSIS, INCUBUS, SLIPKNOT, TYPE O NEGATIVE, LINKIN PARK, P.O.D., MUDVAYNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, DISTURBED, TOOL, SOULFLY, PANTERA, NONPOINT, FEAR FACTORY, TAPROOT, COAL CHAMBER, PAPA ROACH, DEFTONES, STATIC-X, LIMP BIZKIT, GODSMACK and ROB ZOMBIE among many others. the result was that METAL became a part of the national conversation again and basically single-handedly REVITALIZED the SCENE. many still view this as OSBOURNE's crowning cultural achievement, which is saying something given how INFLUENTIAL both BLACK SABBATH and his solo career have been. by 2001 the festival was in full swing and well-established, and the line-up that year of BLACK SABBATH, MARILYN MANSON, SLIPKNOT, LINKIN PARK, PAPA ROACH, DISTURBED, MUDVAYNE, HATEBREED and BLACK LABEL SOCIETY showcased on the live compilation highlights such. i was at OZZFEST 2001 at the NYC-area stop in HOLMDEL, NEW JERSEY and my recollection was how different the acts were from one another. the polish and professional songwriting prowess of LINKIN PARK (who were blowing up at the time) and how they contrasted with the INTENSITY of the more METALCORE influenced bands like HATEBREED and the high-concept PERFORMATIVE theatrics of MARILYN MANSON. there really was something for everyone. OZZFEST that year presented the SCENE to a national audience as being in a particularly STRONG, DIVERSE position with acts of varying styles and levels of heaviness. its difficult to look back and think about the fact that METAL today is a bit more listless with a KALEIDOSCOPIC variety of BRUTAL sub-genres competing for attention. there is no more tentpole event for the COMMUNITY to rally behind and celebrate each year, as the tribes have spread out and work on a much more local and DIY level outside of national acts that largely derive their notoriety back from the time of OZZFEST. its hard not to think about how promising bands on an upward trajectory like BRING ME THE HORIZON or ARCHITECTS are going to make that jump to SLIPKNOT-level exposure in this day and age without such a PLATFORM. its interesting. maybe they should bring OZZFEST back. here is hoping. photo & text by nacrowe
the modern FRENCH METAL band GOJIRA is an absolutely MASSIVE band that are basically as universally celebrated as PANTERA, SLAYER, MASTODON and LAMB OF GOD at this point. i am under no preconceived notion that they are in any need of promotion by anyone these days, much less me and this blog. my reason for writing about them is their UNIQUENESS in the history of modern METAL and ROCK N ROLL in general.
the whole notion of being an 'outsider' and holding some type of personal grudge against society at large, or specific groups therein, is an essential element of modern AGGRESSIVE music going back to BLACK SABBATH or even further to DELTA BLUES. its just an ingrained part of the DNA of music. with GOJIRA, that anger and vitriol is redirected as most of their songs deal with the UNSPEAKABLE RAVAGES against the NATURAL WORLD through CLIMATE CHANGE. they write, by and large, from the perspective of the PLANET which is incredibly interesting when one considers how such redefines notions of in-group/out-group dynamics. as humans we are the root of all planet DEGRADATION and INSTABILITY like a CANCER on the natural cycles and established balances that have served WILDLIFE and the seasons for literally millions of years. we are war with the NATURAL WORLD in essence, they are the out-group. when i listen to GOJIRA, it is essentially the figurative PRIMAL SCREAM of a world in TURMOIL. like ELIZABETH KOLBERT's THE SIXTH EXTINCTION: AN UNNATURAL HISTORY (book review linked HERE) come to fruition. interestingly, the music videos from their most recent album FORTITUDE (ROADRUNNER, 2001) has seen them expand such to include minority societies like the TIBETANS and AMAZONIANS that live in harmony with NATURE but are victimized and put in incredible PERIL by those same INDOMITABLE forces of modern GLOBAL CAPITALISM and STATE POLITICS, whose influence have similarly DOOMED the PLANET and us all in its wake. GOJIRA is basically merited FRUSTRATION and ANGER on an ELEVATED PLANETARY level. its an INTRIGUING redeclaration of a conservative genre not known or celebrated for its INTELLECTUAL conceits. in my opinion this perspective along with their preternaturally next-level technical rhythmic gifts has made them one of the most DYNAMIC and emotionally INTENSE METAL bands of all-time. it also makes them well-worth checking out. photo & text by nacrowe
its not a big secret that PANTERA frontman PHIL ANSELMO joined that TEXAN group with a bevy of influences that veered well past the NWOBHM, THRASH and GLAM-inspired 80s METAL that the band had been rehashing up until that point. this included a pronounced HARDCORE AESTHETIC, not to mention a penchant for BLACK METAL, DEATH METAL and what would become SLUDGE METAL out of his hometown in NEW ORLEANS.
in-between the cycles for FAR BEYOND DRIVEN (EASTWEST, 1994) and THE GREAT SOUTHERN TRENDKILL (EASTWEST, 1996), ANSELMO pursued a NOTABLE side-project in DOWN that was a veritable ALL-STAR lineup of the burgeoning NEW ORLEANS SLUDGE METAL scene that included PEPPER KEENAN of CROSSOVER HARDCORE band CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, KIRK WINDSTEIN of CROWBAR and JIMMY BOWER of EYEHATEGOD. their debut NOLA (EASTWEST, 1995) is a watershed moment in METAL history as it is a SEAMLESS CONFLUENCE of influences from SOUTHERN ROCK to STONER ROCK and of course, SLUDGE METAL. their sound is in a lot of ways the antithesis of PANTERA, whose records were METICULOUSLY PRODUCED with a sense of unmatched GROOVE, INTENSITY and TECHNICALITY. DOWN had a UNIQUE SOUND and SONGWRITING AESTHETIC that was more laid back (and even loose) that really seemed to revel in the EMOTIVE power of a DISTORTED guitar through a BLOWN-OUT speaker in a manner later mined by POST METAL bands like SUN O))) and ISIS. tracks like "BURY ME IN SMOKE," "LIFER," "STONE THE CROW," "REHAB," and "TEMPTATION'S WINGS" find ANSELMO singing in a manner somewhat devoid of the HYPER-MASCULINE posturing of his other famous outfit. i remember in 2001 when PANTERA broke up and ANSELMO pursued a string of perceived side projects like SUPERJOINT RITUAL, VIKING CROWN, CHRIST INVERSION and so on that played up his passion for various METAL sub-genres. the understanding by fans was that such was a temporary DISTRACTION before the next PANTERA record when inevitably come. obviously that never happened and the communication between ANSELMO, bassist REX BROWN and the ABBOTT BROTHERS deteriorated to NOTHING. it was a real pity because if anything NOLA provided an INTERESTING calming aside from the CAUSTIC BRUTALITY that was THE GREAT SOUTHERN TRENDKILL. felt like that debut DOWN record was a worthwhile pursuit and something he had to get out of his system, as well as shed light on a much CELEBRATED adjacent scene in LOUISIANA. it should also be said that DIMEBAG and VINNIE PAUL were friends with all these dudes as well and understood the benefit of giving each other space. that was hack when the band communicated. 1996 saw ANSELMO overdose on heroin after a DALLAS PANTERA show and that pretty much was the beginning of the end of that open correspondence. when i listen to DOWN i hear an artist on a white hot streak at the pinnacle of their powers and i see a potential that never came to pass, at least with PANTERA. DOWN would continue to make absolutely SICK SLUDGE METAL records to date, but they are cursed to being perceived publicly as a PANTERA side project even decades after that former bands IMPLOSION. NOLA is required listening for any METAL fan. its a VERITABLE MASTERCLASS of how much POWER there is in taking the TEMPO and pulling it way way back in the name of GROOVE.
parodies by nacrowe
the thing ive always appreciated about ROB ZOMBIE is how he takes all these DISPARATE elements (KUSTOM KULTURE, GERMAN EXPRESSIONISM, HORROR FILMS, COMIC BOOKS, MONSTER MOVIES, EXPLOITATION FILMS) and synthesizes them into an AESTHETIC that is identifiably his own. in fact when i was in college and learning about FILM MOVEMENTS and directors it was always fun to learn about the ESOTERIC source material for much of his songs and promotional videos, i.e. auteurs like RUSS MEYER, JACK HILL, ROGER CORMAN, JAMES WHALE, GEORGE A. ROMERO, WILLIAM CASTLE, ROBERT WIENE, KUCHAR BROTHERS, HERSCHELL GORDON LEWIS and ED WOOD JR.
it has always struck me how CONSERVATIVE METAL, as with PUNK ROCK, actually is with audience expectations that are often MYOPIC and ANTAGONISTIC towards any sense of progression or INDIVIDUALITY. they want the cheap thrills and will tolerate deviation only to a certain point. with WHITE ZOMBIE, ROB was on a different level both in their nascent EXPERIMENTAL, noise-rock phase as well as the later full TECHNICOLOR, PHANTASMAGORICAL, all-or-nothing GROOVE METAL phase for which they are famous and of which setup and informed ROB's solo career to date. the fact that his professional trajectory inevitably pointed towards a film directing career, and that such actually panned out is INCREDIBLE. their is a definite sense of continuity no matter the era of his CREATIVE OUTPUT you dive into and when i feel jaded like ive heard or watched everything, i take not of what OBSCURE film or artist he's referenced in a song or video and start exploring again. its fun and a CULTURAL EDUCATION in and of itself of which i am thankful for. im glad he's still doing his thing. embedded below is a DEER GOD RADIO episode from HALLOWEEN week 2021 on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC dedicated to the music of WHITE ZOMBIE / ROB ZOMBIE from throughout his extensive catalogue. enjoy!
parodies by nacrowe
for me the experience of listening to anything MAX CAVALERA has been involved in over the years (i.e. SOULFLY, CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, NAILBOMB, KILLER BE KILLED, PROBOT and of course SEPULTURA) is akin to snuggling in a warm familiar blanket. the minute i hear that POWERFUL SNARLING, SNEERING, VICIOUS beast of a voice, i am instantaneously transported to being a GLEEFULLY nodding-in-approval twelve year-old, when i first heard CHAOS A.D. () off a tape an older middle school friend had at the time. CAVALERA's presence and PASSION for music was also an interesting primer for BRAZILIAN culture writ large, which interestingly is not far removed from that of the WEST AFRICAN culture i was immersed in when i first became aware of his music.
and i think it is that ENTHUSIASM and unadulterated JOY in getting lost in the music that separates him from most in his peer group, i.e. classic 80s THRASH METAL bands like SLAYER, TESTAMENT, MEGADETH, EXODUS, ANTHRAX, DEATH ANGEL and METALLICA, DEATH METAL bands like OBITUARY, DEATH and MORBID ANGEL, BOLT THROWER and NAPALM DEATH as well as GROOVE METAL bands like PANTERA, WHITE ZOMBIE and their later acolytes in MASTODON, LAMB OF GOD, GOJIRA and the like. with the exception of maybe DIMEBAG DARRELL, CAVALERA in my opinion singularly personified the transcendent escapist ABANDON that only great METAL provided. and did i mention that the dude is still a DIEHARD fan of the genre and, like ROB HALFORD of JUDAS PRIEST, seemingly loves paying it forward to the next generation of musicians. CAVALERA is a veritable METAL ambassador and elder statesman at this stage in his career nearly four decades in and has yet to loose his footing in the least. here's hoping he keeps the streak going as undoubtedly the man has given so much HAPPINESS to my life and that of my brother who is also a huge fan. embedded below is a DEER GOD RADIO episode from late 2020 (during the pandemic) on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC dedicated to the vast catalogue of MAX CAVALERA. enjoy!
parodies by nacrowe
theres been talk of a PANTERA "reunion" as the METAL band's stature and legend has ballooned in the intervening years since guitarist DIMEBAG DARRELL's SENSELESS and SHOCKING on-stage murder in OHIO in 2004. you look at all the major bands that have come to prominence in their wake (GOJIRA, LAMB OF GOD, AVENGED SEVENFOLD, MASTODON, POWERTRIP, etc.) and seemingly all of them have a deep sense of GROOVE at the core of their sound, which for me was DARRELL's major contribution eve given his celebrated technical lead guitar heroics. for me PANTERA sonically was ZZ TOP on steroids.
like a lot of die-hard fans, im pretty AMBIVALENT about the upcoming "reunion" of PANTERA as a global touring entity. PANTERA drummer (and older brother to DIMEBAG) VINNIE PAUL was against the idea wholesale during his life (he passed away in 2018 from cardiac arrest) in no small part to how the band ended in 2001. essentially singer PHIL ANSELMO and bassist REX BROWN became incommunicado after their tour dates on behalf of REINVENTING THE STEEL (EAST WEST, 2000) stalled in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. the pair instead focused on SLUDGE METAL supergroup DOWN's debut and in the case of ANSELMO, numerous OBSCURE side projects that allowed him to explore his passion of early BLACK METAL and DEATH METAL. which is all well and good if they needed a break from PANTERA, but they left DIMEBAG and VINNIE PAUL absolutely hanging with no heads up whatsoever, which is pretty LAME. and it still is. the fact that the ABBOTT BROTHERS are no longer around to participate for what was a project that they alone SWEAT, BLED and FOUGHT for is a pretty bitter pill to swallow. the fact that the two surviving members that effectively abandoned the project at its peak, ANSELMO and BROWN, are the ones carrying it forward just feels wrong on some level. the saving grace is that ZAKK WYLDE of BLACK LABEL SOCIETY / OZZY OSBOURNE is set to take on guitar duties and CHARLIE BENANTE of ANTHRAX is drumming for the revamped project. both were close friends of PANTERA and especially the ABBOTT BROTHERS. in spite of whatever moniker this project will be billed as on global festival marquees, this "reunion" for WYLDE and BENANTE is a largely a CELEBRATION of their friends and a means of reintroducing the music of PANTERA to a new generation that was denied access to this seminal group. and for me, despite my reservations about ANSELMO and BROWN, i believe that this outing will be a NET POSITIVE for the legacy of the band. much as WYLDE has kept the legacy of fall guitar god RANDY RHOADS alive and relevant with his live work supporting OZZY OSBOURNE, i can only see the same being done on behalf of his former drinking buddy DIMEBAG. almost 20 years later its really a quite touching act of LOVE and MUTUAL RESPECT that will no doubt have a new generation of musicians go back and listen to those records and wow over DIMEBAG's genius much as i did as a teenager. it really is a gift. that is how im choosing to see this, especially since the estates of both DIMEBAG and VINNIE PAUL have cosigned this "reunion." if i can score tickets im there since i only got to see the band once way back on OZZFEST 2000. much like with OASIS, i just want to hear those songs played on that scale again in a big venue. should be AMAZING. below is a DEER GOD RADIO episode from the summer of 2021 celebrating the music of PANTERA on nonprofit radio station MAKER PARK RADIO. enjoy!
parodies by nacrowe
check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO celebrating the iconic independent EXTREME METAL label METAL BLADE RECORDS!
​ ​​past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO are available here at the DEER GOD website as well as in the MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC archives. and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience! photo & text by nacrowe
major label debut's dont come much cooler and more fun than WHITE ZOMBIE's LA SEXORCISTO: DEVIL MUSIC VOL. 1 (GEFFEN, 1992) with all of its gloriously and unapologetically SATANIC, PHANTASMAGORICAL IMAGERY via frontman ROB ZOMBIE and the absolutely crushing musicianship via newly recruited guitarist JAY YEUNGER. well, technically this was WHITE ZOMBIE's third record for GEFFEN, as the previous two were released via subsidiary label CAROLINE RECORDS, but in terms of overall cultural impact and popular awareness of the band, this record really is the introductory salvo in a legendary one-two punch that was closed by the celebrated follow-up ASTRO-CREEP 2000 (GEFFEN, 1995).
it was probably either through listening to 106.7 KROQ in LOS ANGELES or watching BEAVIS & BUTTHEAD on MTV at a friend's house that i first became aware of WHITE ZOMBIE via the INFECTIOUS track "THUNDER KISS '65" with its absolutely KILLER opening riff. that song and its day-glo, EXPLOITATION FILM-themed video was instantly MEMORABLE and effortlessly cool. like NIRVANA's "SMELLS LIKE TEEN SPIRIT" before it, the track just hooks you in for life immediately upon your first listen. just a DEVASTATING sonic experience with a highly referential yet OPAQUE set of lyrics that dont get in the way. other standout tracks like "WELCOM TO PLANET MOTHERFUCKER" and the IGGY POP-assisted, muscle car themed "BLACK SUNSHINE" are celebrations of EXTREME experiences, which basically summarize the band's aesthetic in general. ROB ZOMBIE once said in an early interview that his objective in making music was to create something that he himself would be willing to pay for as a fan and that ethos seems all over this record. there is a sense on LA SEXORCISTO that MORE IN FACT IS MORE. MORE ART, MORE GUITARS, MORE DRUMS, MORE SATAN. it all just adds up to a DENSE, EXTREME experience that is almost overwhelming on the initial listen. two decades later i still find myself listening to this record routinely and i have to be careful, because if i am driving i may fine myself 10-15 miles per hour faster by song's end. if you are a fan of artistic METAL or ALTERNATIVE ROCK from the 1990s, you really cant go wrong with either WHITE ZOMBIE's LA SEXORCISTO or ASTRO-CREEP: 2000 (review linked HERE). along with PANTERA, those records serve as the high water-mark for what has since been deemed GROOVE METAL. could not recommend either much more emphatically. this is required listening in my opinion. |
NICHOLAS ARCHIVES
February 2025
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