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photo & text by nacrowe
LOS ANGELES in the late 1980s was a hot bed of activity with the rise of the homegrown ALTERNATIVE ROCK scene with bands like FISHBONE, THELONIOUS MONSTER and JANE'S ADDICTION leading the way. GREEN JELLY was a UNIQUE band with an "anything-goes" aesthetic and had concerts that verged perilously closely towards PERFORMANCE ART. in fact they proved to be a breeding grown for other bands, most famously TOOL, as drummer DANNY CAREY and singer MAYNARD JAMES KEENAN were members of this BILL MANSPEAKER-led creative collective in the early 1990s when CEREAL KILLER SOUNDTRACK (ZOO, 1993) was being recorded. in fact, this release was a rerelease of sorts since the band had previously put out the CEREAL KILLER (ZOO, 1992) video-only album the previous year but had to shelve it due to a copyright infringement lawsuit from KRAFT FOODS for their original moniker GREEN JELLÖ. talk about stupid.
what i love about the CEREAL KILLER SOUNDTRACK is how INSANE it is. tracks like "THREE LITTLE PIGS," "OBEY THE COWGOD," "ELECTRIC HARLEY HOUSE (OF LOVE)" and especially "CEREAL KILLER" are all absolutely slammin' METAL numbers played by GIFTED musicians, but with tongue-firmly-in-cheek COMEDIC conceits that absolutely kill. my personal favorite is the "toucan son of sam" line on "CEREAL KILLER" which takes the conceit of a song about children's beloved cereal mascots being serial killers to LUDICROUS heights hitherto unexplored or even imagined. in retrospect its difficult to listen to GREEN JELLY and not think of other high concept COMEDIC and CARTOONISH like-minded acts such as GWAR, DREAD ZEPPELIN, STEEL PANTHER, DETHKLOK, "WEIRD AL" YANKOVIC, INSANE CLOWN POSSE or even GORILLAZ, not to mention fore-bearers like THE ARCHIES or JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS. my sense is that what differentiates GREEN JELLY from most of the pack (exceptions being DETHKLOK, DREAD ZEPPELIN and STEEL PANTHER) is their capacity to laugh at the true RIDICULOUSNESS and outright ABSURDITY that is themselves. i dont know if GWAR or the INSANE CLOWN POSSE ever really were self-reflective enough to truly laugh at themselves, since from an outside perspective they seemed to take themselves far too seriously. with GREEN JELLY and their breakout CEREAL KILLER SOUNDTRACK album the joke is seemingly on everyone, themselves included, and was a breath of fresh air in what became all to fast a STULTIFYINGLY SERIOUS and CLAUSTROPHOBIC ALTERNATIVE ROCK scene that seemingly imploded have a decade later from its own seriousness and worshipping outmoded beliefs surrounding PUNK ROCK authenticity. whatever that is. GREEN JELLY was its own support system and its own community and in many ways TOOL has continued that legacy moving forward. they're likewise deadly serious about their craft yet fully acknowledge the ABSURDITY of their profession in the press and in their lyrics. kinda wish more bands were like that come to think of it. 
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photo & text by nacrowe
in the elite pantheon of all-time SUPER HUMAN METAL singers, there really are only three names: RONNIE JAMES DIO, ROB HALFORD and KING DIAMOND. no disrespect to OZZY OSBOURNE (i adore him), but his appeal is not necessarily based solely on his voice but rather his unique PERSONALITY, PERSONA and WORLDVIEW that positions as a sort of EVERYMAN. his power is in his ability to have his audience project themselves onto him and thus it makes sense that generations of musicians have his example and started a band. counter that with DIO, HALFORD and KING DIAMOND and there is absolutely no hope of us mere mortals matching or even approaching their SINGULAR vocal gifts. to me they are almost FANTISTICAL and UNAPPROACHABLE comic book characters in that regard.
with KING DIAMOND in particular, on what is considered his magnum opus ABIGAIL (ROADRUNNER, 1987), that CARTOONISH persona takes on a QUASI-LITERARY form with his concept record centered around the extended narrative of the ghost of a stillborn baby in a HAUNTED mansion during VICTORIAN-ERA ENGLAND. high concept indeed. i wont get into the actual story itself, but standout tracks include "THE FAMILY GHOST," "ARRIVAL," "THE 7TH DAY OF JULY 1777," "FUNERAL," "THE POSSESSION" and of course the EPIC title track "ABIGAIL." sonically these songs are buttressed by PUMMELING double-bass drum assault by MIKKEY DEE (later of MOTORHEAD) a dual lead guitar assault led by ANDY LAROCQUE and MICHAEL DENNER that acts as a fitting counterpoint to the ICONIC FOUR OCTAVE COUNTERTENOR FALSETTO screams of KING DIAMOND. equally important are the GALLOPING rhythm guitar parts that propel and roll the momentum of the album forward without becoming stagnant. it makes total sense that the SYNCOPATED twin lead and rhythm guitar work associated with KING DIAMOND records, and especially his previous NWOBHM-adjacent band MERCYFUL FATE, have influenced THRASH royalty like SLAYER and METALLICA and most of the extreme METAL that followed thereafter. speaking of which i was fortunate enough to see KING DIAMOND take out ABIGAIL on the road a few years back in PITTSBURGH when the opened for SLAYER on their extended farewell tour. the GARISH and often SATANIC imagery and set pieces were completely over the top but in keeping with a CREEPY victorian aesthetic (i.e. candelabras, creaky grand staircase, stained glass windows) that was pure KING DIAMOND. and i have to say, witnessing his voice in person is another matter entirely. it absolutely cut through the mix and was a sight to behold. youd think that those PIERCING HIGH FALSETTOS would grow tiresome throughout a set but they didnt, which is a largely a testament to his band and the original compositions themselves. whats INCREDIBLE is that i went to the show at the behest of my dad, whod seen them with my brother a few months earlier while i was still at a teaching gig abroad. for him, a baby boomer raised on BRITISH INVASION and CLASSIC ROCK, to find enjoyment in the musicality of someone as extreme as KING DIAMOND is the highest compliment i can think of. the POWER of his voice and the INTENTION of the music far outreached the schtick of it all. not that i dont love the satanic imagery. who doesnt? ABIGAIL in my opinion is required listening for any METAL head interested in any of the myriad of subgenres, from NWOBHM, DEATH METAL, BLACK METAL and THRASH to METALCORE, GRINDCORE, DOOM, PROGRESSIVE, SLUDGE, POST METAL and beyond. 
photo & text by nacrowe
ever since i first discovered them at OZZFEST in 1999, i was all about SYSTEM OF A DOWN. especially their eponymous debut record SYSTEM OF A DOWN (AMERICAN, 1998), which had the same FRENETIC bordering on MANIC ENERGY and CRAZY TECHNICAL PROFICIENCY of what i heard live that summer. and that lineup was absolutely loaded with MEMORABLE sets by DEFTONES, SLAYER, PRIMUS, FEAR FACTORY, BLACK SABBATH, ROB ZOMBIE and the emergence of not just SYSTEM OF A DOWN, but also STATIC-X and SLIPKNOT. but they stood out not just for the reasons described, but they seemed to be playing out of a completely different PLAYBOOK. it was later i learned that they were a LOS ANGELES band being of ARMENIAN descent and that their music proudly incorporated the TRADITIONAL SCALES, POLYRHYTHMS and compositional influences of the FOLK MUSIC of their ancestral homeland. for me that debut record was a TRANSFORMATIVE experience on par with discovering RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE abroad as a middle schooler because it brought to bear a fresh UNIQUE perspective and approach to METAL in general. it was ORIGINAL.
thats why when the follow-up and commercial breakthrough TOXICITY (AMERICAN, 2001) was released two years later during my senior year of high school, it felt a bit UNDERWHELMING in comparison to their debut. yes the singles from this record were STELLAR, tracks like the BROODING "AERIALS," the stop-go FRANTIC CRAZINESS of "CHOP SUEY!" and the multipart epic "TOXICITY." but other tracks like "PSYCHO," "DEER DANCE," "NEEDLES," "ATWA," "FOREST" and "PRISON SONG" all felt like paint-by-numbers retreads of the first record. maybe its unfair in retrospect but my expectations for the record were pretty sky high at the time. it felt to me like a slightly reigned-in version of their debut to market better at powerful national ALTERNATIVE ROCK radio stations like 106.7 FM KROQ in LOS ANGELES. the SYSTEM OF A DOWN sound was there but was not DISSONANT or CHAOTIC enough to stand out relative to old standbys like the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS or PEARL JAM. it reminded me that there is a reason that MR. BUNGLE and FISHBONE never got played on those stations, namely how much such confrontationally IDIOSYNCRATIC and COMPLEX songs would inevitably stood out in a playlist which is probably a no-no when selling listenership ratings to potential advertisers. TOXICITY at the time seemed ECCENTRIC, but not to the extent that it would stand out from the crowd like their debut did. i assumed such was by design. plus in 2001 i moved from KUWAIT to SACRAMENTO and the CLUELESSLY PRIVILEGED kids at this white flight suburban high school were all into SYSTEM OF A DOWN . they thought it was pretty out there stuff and sadly that association with those losers made me instantly rethink SYSTEM OF A DOWN on the spot and especially their recently released second album at the time. that was the period that i got into POST PUNK, SHOEGAZE and INDUSTRIAL MUSIC for the first time which i cant help but believe that such outside investigation was somewhat influenced by being at a school full of NICKELBACK and GODSMACK fans. even in retrospect, that whole scene at my high school in SACRAMENTO was beyond LAME. hard to believe that incredible local musicians like CHELSEA WOLFE and NICK REINHARDT, who are roughly my age, where right next door in ROSEVILLE at the time. time has proven that TOXICITY is one of the better albums of that era that i would put favorably in terms of songwriting INVENTIVENESS and sonic EXPERIMENTATION with the likes of peers like INCUBUS, MUSE, DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, MASTODON, DEFTONES, MODEST MOUSE and TOOL. i think it was ridiculously unfair of me to originally see them on the level of knuckle-dragging outfits like DISTURBED, P.O.D., DROWNING POOL or STAIND. my bad. 
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! 
photo & text by nacrowe
as ive' written about before concerning RUST IN PEACE (review linked HERE), my introduction to MEGADETH was during my middle school years when my family lived in NIGERIA. for whatever reason, METALLICA, SEPULTURA, PANTERA, WHITE ZOMBIE and MEGADETH were the groups the kids a few years older than me listened to and not THRASH METAL peer bands like ANTHRAX, TESTAMENT or SLAYER (which in retrospect is quite odd). i am almost positive i first heard YOUTHANASIA (CAPITOL, 1994) from my older friends at the time.
i consider this album to be last of the three CLASSIC records put out by the definitive MEGADETH lineup of DAVE MUSTAINE, MARTY FRIEDMAN, DAVE ELLEFSON and NICK MENZA. the other two being the aforementioned RUST IN PEACE (CAPITOL, 1992) and COUNTDOWN TO EXTINCTION (CAPITOL, 1992). once you get into CRYPTIC WRITINGS (CAPITOL, 1997) things get a bit screwy and MUSTAINE really bit hard on his longstanding personal obsession with mimicking the formula paved by his perceived nemesis in his former band METALLICA. the cool thing about these three CLASSIC lineup albums is that the their song-craft and TECHNICAL PROFICIENCY hold up rather well to other peer bands from the same period. i'll be generous and diplomatic by saying that MUSTAINE's singing voice is an acquired taste (one that i can tolerate in small portions). standout tracks include "ADDICTED TO CHAOS," "TRAIN OF CONSEQUENCES," "A TOUT LE MONDE" and "RECKONING DAY." all of them have a more STREAM-LINED aesthetic without sacrificing AGGRESSION or technical VIRTUOSITY. its a pretty solid effort whose formula was unfortunately abandoned on subsequent releases. at my school in NIGERIA there was a dearth of substitute teachers, so my mom would sometimes sit in for the high school math teacher. she's a former university math professor. i remember hearing from her how the kids would try to get her to let them play "A TOUT LE MONDE" in the class because somehow it would help them with their FRENCH class next period. pretty funny. i never really understood why the chorus of that song was in a foreign language anyway. MUSTAINE is a rather CONSERVATIVE dude with pretty REGRESSIVE views on immigration and foreign policy in general, which makes a song written and sung partly in FRENCH a CURIOUS choice to say the least. all that being said, do i recommend YOUTHANASIA? i dont know, maybe. its a SOLID MEGADETH album and MARTY FRIEDMAN's solos are generally COMPELLING and TASTEFUL. that said, a DECENT MEGADETH album still probably fails in comparison next to a SUB-PAR METALLICA or SLAYER record, which was the case at the time (i.e. LOAD / RELOAD and DIVINE INTERVENTION). so... yeah, check it out if you are really into THRASH METAL, otherwise i'd advise any number of other more COMPELLING METAL records from the same era that are more worth your time by the likes of PANTERA, NAILBOMB, TOOL, DARKTRHONE, KORN, FEAR FACORY, SEPULTURA, HELMET, DEFTONES, AT THE GATES, KYUSS, TYPE O NEGATIVE, ENSLAVED, NAPALM DEATH, KILLING JOKE, SOUNDGARDEN, BOLT THROWER, EMPEROR, CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, ALICE IN CHAINS, MACHINEHEAD, TESTAMENT and WHITE ZOMBIE among many others. 
photo & text by nacrowe
without doubt PAINKILLER (COLUMBIA, 1990) is my favorite JUDAS PRIEST record. right from the get-go with the opening title track, the sheer force of that double-kick courtesy of new recruit SCOTT TRAVIS of RACER X is an absolute transformative revelation. gone is the iteration of JUDAS PRIEST that is a slightly more uptempo BLACK SABBATH and in its place is a rhythm section that can compete in terms of power and velocity with THRASH METAL upstarts like METALLICA, SLAYER and MEGADETH.
and then there are the songs themselves. "ALL GUNS BLAZING," "BETWEEN THE HAMMER AND THE ANVIL," "LEATHER REBEL," "A TOUCH OF EVIL," "PAINKILLER" and "NIGHT CRAWLER" are all stone cold classics and among the best songs in their extensive catalogue. i remember discovering JUDAS PRIEST and NWOBHM bands in general in high school and being slightly underwhelmed by their pre-PAINKILLER material which sounded accomplished and more than competent, but not nearly as brutal or powerful as the popular GROOVE METAL bands i was used to at the time, namely WHITE ZOMBIE and PANTERA. that was my basic criticism of most of the NWOBHM crowd sans MOTORHEAD for a long time (i.e. im still not a fan of IRON MAIDEN, VENOM or DEEP PURPLE). PAINKILLER was another matter entirely, it felt like it could compete with anything that came in its wake to date. speaking of PANTERA, it was during the PAINKILLER tour rehearsals in CANADA that singer ROB HALFORD learned of the band via a MUCH MUSIC television interview they did praising JUDAS PRIEST. after checking out their gig in the area he offered them an opening slot and the rest is history. it was the first big exposure for the legendary TEXAN GROOVE METAL outfit. PAINKILLER arguably found the band at the height of its powers, but would be the last record with HALFORD's involvement until the reunion album ANGEL OF RETRIBUTION (EPIC, 2005) some fifteen years later. due to miscommunication regarding HALFORD's need for an outside solo project, the band fired him and went on for two touring cycle's with a soundalike vocalist to their eternal detriment. it was during this hiatus that HALFORD went public about his sexuality as a gay man, which for much of his audience was an unexpected revelation. this is interesting given his penchant for putting in overt clues throughout the years in JUDAS PRIEST songs such as "LEATHER REBEL," "RAM IT DOWN," "HELL BENT FOR LEATHER," "RIDE FREE," "RAW DEAL" and "JAWBREAKER." never mind the fact that his tour getup for years was essentially bondage gear. it just goes to show that an audience will see what it wants to see and that sexuality is culturally defined. riding on motorcycles on stage in leather getups to a hetero audience is seen as the height of macho, yet hyper heterosexuality really does start getting into homosexual territory on that circular model of human sexuality. its an interesting dynamic. arguably all JUDAS PRIEST albums released since the reunion are in the sonic mold of PAINKILLER rather than what came before. i still listen to this record all the time and consider it their best work. an absolute classic METAL album that is well worth checking for anyone interested in the genre and its many sub-genres like GRINDCORE, DEATH METAL, BLACK METAL, PROGRESSIVE METAL, SLUDGE METAL, METALCORE, THRASH METAL and of course, NWOBHM. 
parodies by nacrowe
check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO celebrating the mercurial BRITISH METALCORE outfit BRING ME THE HORIZON!
​ ​​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 manipulation & text by nacrowe
parody cover bands are always hit or miss. for every DREAD ZEPPELIN, RICHARD CHEESE, STEEL PANTHER, THE RUTLES or "WEIRD AL" YANKOVIC who locate a thoughtful new wrinkle in an established genre's sound or a prominent band's catalogue, there are countless stultifying lame attempts too numerous and worthless to even mention by name.
coming across MAC SABBATH recently i think this may be one of the most COMPELLING and THOUGHT-PROVOKING parody bands ever: an OZZY OSBOURNE-era BLACK SABBATH cover band whose soul mission is to warn against the societal danger that is fast food. so far the "SWEET BEEF" song and video is the high-watermark and most SUCCESSFUL expression of their viewpoint, but i cant wait for more from RONALD OSBOURNE, SLAYER MACCHEESE, GRIMALICE and CATBURGLAR in the coming years. dude, the guitarist's name is SLAYER MACCHEESE and the drummer has a costume that is PETER CRISS of KISS as the HAMBURGLAR. what is not to like? this is literally too good to be true. MAC SABBATH is highly recommended and most definitely worth checking out. 
photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
for all the (deserved) attention and recognition that EDDIE VAN HALEN gets for his blazingly REVOLUTIONARY technical achievements on his instrument (as evidenced in "ERUPTION"), what often gets lost in the process is how damn CATCHY the debut VAN HALEN (WARNER BROS, 1978) record actually is. the whole album is one banger after another with CLASSIC singles like "RUNNIN' WITH THE DEVIL," "AIN'T TALKIN' 'BOUT LOVE" and "JAMIE'S CRYIN'" as well as lesser known deep cuts like "I'M THE ONE," "LITTLE DREAMER," and "ATOMIC PUNK." even the cover songs are ICONIC, i.e. THE KINKS' "YOU REALLY GOT ME" and JOHN CHARLES BRIM's "ICE CREAM MAN." this is one hell of a debut and it makes sense that other groups throughout the next decade chased its immense allure and formula to ever diminishing returns throughout the GLAM METAL era.
and i feel strongly that despite the band's moniker and EDDIE's status as a guitar god of the first order, the success of the actual group is the result of a unique chemistry made up of four musicians who each contribute to a whole that is far beyond the sum of its parts. there is definitely some interesting alchemy at play here the arguably only other TRANSFORMATIVE acts like THE BEATLES, KRAFTWERK, THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE, DAVID BOWIE or (much later) APHEX TWIN had tasted such rarified air. take bassist MICHAEL ANTHONY who is debatably the weakest musician in the band whose bass-lines are rudimentary at best, his backing vocals which hit the high notes in a three-part harmony with EDDIE and singer DAVID LEE ROTH are as instrumental to the VAN HALEN sound as anything guitar-related. drummer ALEX VAN HALEN (EDDIE's brother) is as much of a prodigy on the drums as EDDIE on guitar and the duo very much is the LEGENDARY core of VAN HALEN and one of the great rhythm sections in ROCK AND ROLL history. its no wonder that later brothers like VINNIE and DARRELL ABBOT of PANTERA looked towards the VAN HALEN BROTHERS as standard-bearers decades on. the aforementioned ROTH is one of the great frontman of all-time, whose limited vocal range did not deter his ambitions for world domination through sheer CHARISMA and CHUTZPAH to match. the fact that his persona proved so successful is almost PUNK ROCK and DIY in retrospect since the dude is absolutely SELF-MADE. people forget but in their formative years, the band played literally anywhere and everywhere in the greater LOS ANGELES area and had a repertoire of nearly every music genre, which only cemented their on-stage chemistry and technical dexterity alike. and then there is EDDIE. its one thing to be a VIRTUOSO player with a seemingly limitless knowledge of theory and technique, but entirely another to have the creative capacity and gift to write MEMORABLE songs. EDDIE was both. his crossover adoption of technique associated with CLASSICAL MUSIC (i.e. two-handed tapping on violin) established him as an innovator who expanded the technical vocabulary of what was possible on guitar in a ROCK AND ROLL context, but what made it relevant was how that new texture was utilized as a new emotional palette in song-form. i feel such is key in understanding his brilliance. when i hear a VAN HALEN solo it never feels excessive or overbearing, unlike many of his VIRTUOSO peers and later acolytes. his solos feel solely based in the song at hand and are often expanding on a theme and/or emotion therein. for me that innate ability to intuit such complicated musical terrain and have it musically come of not just cohesive, but emotionally satisfying is what makes him so singularly special. if you are not familiar with the debut VAN HALEN record, definitely check it out. regardless of your affinity for what came after it, this record is a ROCK AND ROLL goldmine and well worth investigation. 
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! 
photo & text by nacrowe
METALLICA's LOAD (ELEKTRA, 1996) album (along with its sibling RELOAD) is unfairly DISCARDED and critically DERIDED often as the moment the band lost their way from which they have been, in essence, crawling back ever since.
i dont think thats entirely fair. this record was my introduction to the band back in the summer of 1996. at the time i was very much into SOUNDGARDEN, DINOSAUR JR, FAITH NO MORE, ALICE IN CHAINS and NIRVANA as well as a few bands i had discovered in the past year like RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and TOOL. to my ears, LOAD sounded like a more than COMPETENT, above average ALTERNATIVE ROCK record that fit well in that milieu. i was of course naive to their history nad previous incarnation, a gap that was filled later that summer when i bought their back catalogue at a local NEW JERSEY record that had a sale on such. it was then that i realized that their past discography was REVELATORY. i still feel that RIDE THE LIGHTNING (review linked HERE) and MASTER OF PUPPETS (review linked HERE) are UNTOUCHABLE and BULLETPROOF even when compared to the likes of peers and contemporaries like SLAYER and JUDAS PRIEST. it was then that i appreciated the distance between those FLEMMING RASMUSSEN-produced 80s records and the revamped BOB ROCK-produced 90s incarnation of their sound. it was like two DIFFERENT bands. and so when i think of LOAD now it is a bit of an expectations game. i think on its own terms there is some great material on this record that saw the band go way outside the sonic palette they permitted themselves beforehand. specifically songs like "BLEEDING ME" and "THE OUTLAW TORN" are EXPERIMENTAL standouts that are singularly EMOTIONAL and EVOCATIVE and definitely hit a chord when i first heard them as an early teenager. i think where the critiques pile-up are often in regards to the string of DERIVATIVE mid-tempo blues-based songs like "2 X 4," "POOR TWISTED ME," "HERO OF THE DAY," "AIN'T MY BITCH," and "THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT" that feel LISTLESS and without the punch and unflinching TECHNICALITY that established the band in the 1980s and was their signature pre-METALLICA (review linked HERE). i will say that there are some mid-tempo tracks that work in my opinion like "UNTIL IT SLEEPS," "WASTING MY HATE" and "THORN WITHIN," but really the band should have stopped after those three. the others are completely TIRED and REDUNDANT. unlike other fans and critics, i have no problem with the COUNTRIFIED TOM WAITS-inspired "MAMA SAID." perhaps it shouldve been a b-side or something put on a side project or solo album, but i feel like it is a SOLID song that holds up and adds another facet to JAMES HETFIELD's capacity as a SONGWRITER. as a whole the record just feels like a bit of a LETDOWN relative to their past output. and that is probably the point in the end. the band undoubtedly felt like they were becoming an ANACHRONISM and no doubt paid attention to their new ALTERNATIVE ROCK peers over the previous half decade. i wouldnt say the record is a failure, but it is more of an OUTLIER in their catalogue. and it was done that way by design. relative to the 1990s ALTERNATIVE ROCK pack this record definitely holds its weight in terms of sonic EXPERIMENTALISM and overall SONG-CRAFT. relative to their 1980s THRASH METAL discography, the record is a completely different animal and its a bit UNFAIR to compare it to such. and that is the kicker. LOAD has long been a litmus test for fans about how much they love the back catalogue and wish the band would satisfy that METAL itch. in years since the band has largely listened and attempt to re-ingratiate themselves with varying results. to me LOAD represent the last time the band was UNFILTERED and FREE to pursue their own course before the fans had their say. arguably the later LULU (WARNER BROS, 2011) collaboration with LOU REED was another example, but id argue that such an opportunity was never gonna be curtailed. plus REED was very much in control of that record. do i recommend LOAD. absolutely. but if you are aware of the band's 80s output just go into it with an OPEN mind. im sure thats what any artist wants in the end anyway. 
photo & text by nacrowe
i believe i first came across the DELIVERANCE (SONY, 1994) album by CORROSION OF CONFORMITY while in middle school in NIGERIA after being introduced to the band by a LEBANESE 9th grader. the dude was into PORNO FOR PYROS so i thought for sure this other band was a sure bet. and they were.
DELIVERANCE is an interesting album in that it splits the difference between the GARGANTUAN RIFFAGE and EXTREME DISSONANCE of SLUDGE METAL with the MELODIC LYRICISM and GUITAR WIZARDRY of classic 1970s SOUTHERN ROCK. during this phase in the group's career they very much sounded like a cross between THE ALLMAN BROTHERS and EYEHATEGOD. there is no better example than the single "ALBATROSS" whose mid-tempo groove is just about impossible to not nod back and forth to, and those lead lines. man, what a great song. same goes with "BROKEN MAN," "DELIVERANCE," "SEVEN DAYS" and "SENIOR LIMPIO" which both absolutely crush with a sense of unrelenting VENGEANCE and unadulterated WRATH while maintaining THIN LIZZY-inspired lead lines throughout. i know for O.G. fans of CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, these 1990s albums represent a capitulation to the ALTERNATIVE ROCK scene of the time. their previous work in the 1980s was seen by many as being the very definition of HARDCORE PUNK ROCK. in retrospect i find it infinitely COMPELLING to think about the predicament of HARDCORE and THRASH METAL bands that felt a sense of being OUTMODED by a scene that had its roots in both scenes. if anything, the major bands of the ALTERNATIVE ROCK movement of the early 1990s felt a kinship with these bands. as a teenager coming across DELIVERANCE i just remember being blown away by how great the songs were as well as the technical musical DEXTERITY and just BRUTALITY of the riffage, not to mention PEPPER KEENAN's incredible voice (this being his vocal debut four albums in) even when he is singing at the upper limits of his range. where they place in the pantheon of sub-genres or great METAL bands, i dont know, but DELIVERANCE seemed to be a SUCCESSFUL EXPERIMENT on an ARTISTIC level in my view. which i believe is saying something given that their peers in METALLICA, SLAYER and countless HARDCORE bands ended up regretting most of their output during this period. definitely check out DELIVERANCE if you are interested in UNCONVENTIONAL yet WELL-CONSTRUCTED METAL that is slightly on the EXPERIMENTAL side. 
photo & text by nacrowe
maybe its because THE DIRT (review linked HERE) is arguably the greatest ROCK N ROLL memoir ever written or maybe its because guitarist MICK MARS and drummer TOMMY LEE are such a POTENT tandem, but MOTLEY CRUE is probably the one HAIR METAL / GLAM METAL band i can actually appreciate. for the record i dont consider VAN HALEN, TWISTED SISTER or GUNS N' ROSES as part of that much MALIGNED cultural movement (in my mind they are more CLASSIC ROCK-aligned than anything else). for me the appeal of MOTLEY CRUE is not that far off from the appeal of KISS, which is that they are a MEDIOCRE band (sorry, VINCE NEIL is terrible) that play to their strengths: namely their penchant for SPECTACLE.
by the time i reached my teens in the late 1990s, MOTLEY CRUE were a CULTURAL ANACHRONISM for nearly a decade. the PSEUDO-BONDAGE GEAR worn without irony in the "LOOKS THAT KILL" and "TOO YOUNG TO FALL IN LOVE" videos just look downright RIDICULOUS in retrospect. it was a time and an era dominated by JUDAS PRIEST, obviously. but that EXTREMITY and penchant for SPECTACLE again is what makes SHOUT AT THE DEVIL (ELEKTRA, 1983) and MOTLEY CRUE in general so FASCINATING to watch. for me the standout track is the title track "SHOUT AT THE DEVIL" which has an INDELIBLE mid-tempo groove and stop-start dynamics that really showcase the VERSATILE musicianship of MARS and LEE. and yes i am aware that bassist NIKKI SIXX wrote most of their catalogue, but im not sure that is really saying much. the songwriting and lyrics are probably the LEAST INTERESTING aspect concerning MOTLEY CRUE. plus SIXX disavowed in later years the apparent SATANIC imagery on the record, remember they are shouting at the devil. how lame. for me the music is a soundtrack to their MEMORABLE videos and OVER-THE-TOP live gigs with their MASSIVE explosions and rolling drum cages. goes to show that a subdued MOTLEY CRUE unplugged performance would probably never work. thank god. has SHOUT AT THE DEVIL aged well? not really. if you are looking for great METAL from the 1980s then their are plenty of other more INNOVATIVE and POWERFUL acts with better songs like SLAYER, METALLICA, JUDAS PRIEST, CELTIC FROST, VOIVOD, POSSESSED, MERCYFUL FATE / KING DIAMOND, DIO, MEGADETH, CANDLEMASS, ANTHRAX, MOTORHEAD, OVERKILL, CARCASS, DEATH ANGEL and EXODUS among many others. but MOTLEY CRUE is FUN because of their DEBAUCHED BEHAVIOUR and LAWLESS ATTITUDE and especially their SHAMELESS eye for all-things SPECTACLE. so if that interests you definitely check them out. if not, there are plenty of other SUPERIOR options out there. 
photo & text by nacrowe
THE BEAVIS AND BUTT-HEAD EXPERIENCE (GEFFEN, 1993) is quite the interesting 1990s CULTURAL ARTIFACT. produced by none other than STEVE ALBINI, this compilation was obviously a bit of a cash grab at the height of the ALTERNATIVE ROCK movement that the BEAVIS & BUTT-HEAD TV SHOW had no small part in helping popularize (just as WINGER and all those HAIR METAL bands that got pilloried and became instant cultural pariahs), but as such go this one had staying power.
the unquestioned standout track by a mile is the strong NIRVANA track "I HATE MYSELF AND WANT TO DIE" which was one of the last tracks released prior to his suicide. in fact, this song was the would-be title track to IN UTERO (review linked HERE), as I HATE MYSELF AND WANT TO DIE was the original working title for their third album. other notable tracks include a memorable ANTHRAX cover of the BEASTIE BOYS' "LOOKING DOWN THE BARREL OF A GUN" track (off PAUL'S BOUTIQUE) and the hard-charging WHITE ZOMBIE song "I AM HELL." the album is rounded out by largely forgettable, hit-or-miss tracks by the likes of THE RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, PRIMUS and MEGADETH. i originally had this record on cd back in elementary school in SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA and the two songs i remember pretty distinctly (aside from the NIRVANA, ANTHRAX and WHITE ZOMBIE tracks) was the updated CHER duet "I'VE GOT YOU BABE" with BEAVIS & BUTTHEAD and of course the epic BUTTHEAD slow jam "COME TO BUTTHEAD." looking back now you have to hand it to CHER that she had a sense of humor and was able to laugh at herself. you wonder how much her inclusion may have also been to show how cool she was to her young son ELIJAH BLUE ALLMAN (of much later DEADSY fame). i wouldnt blame her for a second if that was the case. it's pretty badass. "COME TO BUTTHEAD" is also surprisingly well-produced and no wonder, it was composed and recorded by none other than funk brother par excellence NILE RODGERS himself. BEAVIS & BUTT-HEAD creator MIKE JUDGE definitely had lots of surprises on this cash grab no doubt. the humor surrounding teenage attitudes towards BODILY-FUNCTIONS and SEXUALITY would be a hard sell in today's environment, but that is why it is interesting to revisit this record from time to time. it also makes you consider how the reboot of this show will fair now 30 years later from a different historical moment with TECHNOLOGY and CULTURE moving at speeds unheard of back in the day. it is an interesting conceit nonetheless. i love this record but i am completely biased. i listened to this record during my formative years so of course id recommend it. definitely worth checking out. 
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
sometimes ROCK N ROLL bands overthink things. they try to get clever write songs that overly complicated and conceptually dubious for no reason other than because they can.
not TWISTED SISTER. sonically id argue they are a back-to-basics TRADITIONAL band in the long GLAM ROCK-inspired bands like the NEW YORK DOLLS, THE RAMONES and even KISS. its no frills, meat-and-potatoes ROCK N ROLL but even under such limitations TWISTED SISTER went for maximum impact. look no further than their third record STAY HUNGRY (ATLANTIC, 1984) and their two MEMORABLE singles "WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT" and "I WANNA ROCK." those two songs are the very poster children of bumper sticker song titles and instantly convey a sense of reckless abandon and directionless REBELLION. "WE'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT" has been used at sporting and political events for decades now to the point that it is a fangless parody of itself. but in my estimation thats fine because it is such an ENJOYABLE and SUCCINCT hit of WARPED POP PERFECTION. its impossible to hear and not smile. "I WANNA ROCK" is my personal favorite TWISTED SISTER song because it just cuts right to the chase and never lets up. its a HARD-CHARGING track about the TRANSCENDENT JOY of anticipating and being a part of ROCK N ROLL. there is almost something TRIBAL and COMMUNAL about it. it definitely brings people together with its INCLUSIVE sentiment even if it is more than a bit GOOFY and CARTOONISH. and that is where i respect DEE SNIDER, who wrote those two songs, as well as his primary collaborator (and TWISTED SISTER founder) JAY JAY FRENCH. they are unafraid to lean in with absolute abandon into the RIDICULOUS theatrics and crushingly SIMPLE song concepts and structures. to me it feels unquestionably RAMONES-y, almost like TWISTED SISTER are the intentionally forgotten LONG ISLAND step children of JOEY and JOHNNY RAMONE. the rest of STAY HUNGRY is UNINSPIRED and INCONSEQUENTIAL, but those two singles are well worth the price of admission. just leave any semblance of good taste and rock snobbery at the door. you wont be impressing anyone with that here. 
parodies by nacrowe
join us TONIGHT at 8PM EST for an all new episode of DEER GOD RADIO on MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC with a playlist celebrating SHEFFIELD METALCORE / AMBIENT / POP chameleons BRING ME THE HORIZON!
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, make sure and download the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience! 
photo & text by nacrowe
following up the REIGN IN BLOOD (DEF JAM, 1986) proved to be a pretty difficult artistic dilemma for celebrated THRASH METAL titans SLAYER. how does one even go about topping one of the most celebrated BRUTAL records of all-time? do you make the next record faster, more concise, more extreme? its very interesting that SOUTH OF HEAVEN (DEF JAM, 1988) instead took the opposite tack, it went SLOWER.
aside from taking the tempo down more than a few BPMs is that fact that they experimented with lower tunings, the end result being a more plodding effort that put more emphasis on the INTRICATE mostly JEFF HANNEMAN-penned riffs, TOM ARAYA's powerful voice and quite frankly, the songwriting. with celebrated tracks like "MANDATORY SUICIDE" and the title track "SOUTH OF HEAVEN" these adjustments created a more ATMOSPHERIC but no less SAVAGE sonic experience for the listener. it very much feels like the remainder of SLAYER's career was a ping-ponging between the relative extremes of REIGN IN BLOOD and SOUTH OF HEAVEN, especially when you consider the next record SEASONS IN THE ABYSS (DEF AMERICAN, 1990) and the relative variety of tracks like "DEAD SKIN MASK" and "WAR ENSEMBLE." like most METAL fans, i heard SOUTH OF HEAVEN after experiencing REIGN IN BLOOD. i dont believe im alone in explicitly linking those two albums together. originally i was taken aback by the style shift, but then quickly realized that the slower-paced tempos allowed for a deeper appreciation for a wider palette of sonic textures that netted a more BROODING, DELIBERATE and INTROSPECTIVE experience. if REIGN IN BLOOD is just full-bore AGGRESSION, RAGE and MANIC BRUTALITY i.e. the mind of a SOCIOPATHETIC killer in all-out MELEE mode, then SOUTH OF HEAVEN is more akin to the internal machinations and dialogue of a WARPED mind in the process of meticulously planning such. one is an unstoppable force of nature and the other feels all too human. for me personally, the idea of WANTON, RANDOM VIOLENCE (like a volcano, tsunami or hurricane) is ironically less threatening than what goes on in the mind of a MISGUIDED person seeking DELIBERATE action against the world. for me, that is the appeal of SOUTH OF HEAVEN as an artistic statement both sonically and lyrically, as the the two mutually reinforce the other. definitely check out SOUTH OF HEAVEN, preferably in conjunction with its universally heralded predecessor. 
parody by nacrowe
join us TONIGHT at 8PM EST for an all new episode of DEER GOD RADIO on MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC with a playlist celebrating the longtime 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, make sure and download the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience! 
photo & text by nacrowe
for me METALLICA's METALLICA (ELEKTRA, 1991) record, more commonly referred to as THE BLACK ALBUM, has always been an interesting topic. this is because on the face of it, the record is an incredibly SUCCESSFUL pop record. and i do not mean that disparagingly. in terms of PRODUCTION, song CONSTRUCTION and SONIC VERSATILITY it is quite a devastatingly POWERFUL record. when i was first introduced to METALLICA during the LOAD-period in the mid-1990s this was the record that caught my attention. it is in fact a great entry-level introduction to METAL end stop.
what makes the record interesting for fans of the genre is the context from which it came out. the previous three records, ...AND JUSTICE FOR ALL (review linked HERE), MASTER OF PUPPETS (review linked HERE) and RIDE THE LIGHTNING (review linked HERE) are a VERITABLE MURDERER'S ROW of classic THRASH METAL records, probably the GREATEST streak of records anyone from the genre has ever produced. now that i am thinking about what i just said, i'm still sticking to it. yeah, i'd put those three up against anything SLAYER or even BLACK SABBATH put out back-to-back-to-back. those three records are what their REPUTATION is built upon. its not that THE BLACK ALBUM is a bad record, its just that it is a victim to the band's discography, something the band has suffered from ever since in all honesty. i think what makes THE BLACK ALBUM so CONTROVERSIAL to some and interesting to me, is how INEVITABLE it was. eventually there was going to be a record that widened the appeal of the genre to a MASS AUDIENCE, if not METALLICA then someone else. at some point someone was going to create a record that softened the harder edges, constricted errant noodling, shortened the song lengths and focused more on TRADITIONAL song-craft to manufacture a product more PALATABLE to radio and global audiences. case in point are traditionally constructed tracks like the singles "WHEREVER I MAY ROAM," "THE UNFORGIVEN," "SAD BUT TRUE," and of course "ENTER SANDMAN." in essence its a victim to its own success. i am of the opinion that this was the record they wanted to make at the time and ultimately it is a great pop record. but as a listener aware of how far they transcended their peers beforehand in terms of TECHNICAL PROWESS, FEARLESS COMPOSITIONS unafraid of lengthy detours, POLITICAL LYRICS and just sheer BRUTALITY; it is in retrospect a letdown. i respect them for following their instincts, i just wish that such had led them down a different path. one that melted my face off like the first time i heard "DAMAGE INC" or "FIGHT FIRE WITH FIRE" or even "DYER'S EVE." and im still waiting. 
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