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BOOK REVIEW | "SEVEN DEADLY SINS: SETTLING THE ARGUMENT BETWEEN BORN BAD AND DAMAGED GOOD" BY COREY TAYLOR

12/2/2019

photo by nacrowe

ok before i completely unload on this subpar book i want to make clear that i am a fan of SLIPKNOT. i've followed their career since their national live debut on OZZFEST 99 when i was years old which is insane now that i'm thinking about it. 20 years. wow. all im saying is that back then even with a festival loaded with other notable acts like SLAYER, ROB ZOMBIE, DEFTONES, FEAR FACTORY, STATIC-X, PRIMUS, SYSTEM OF A DOWN and BLACK SABBATH, they still stood out.

so i say this with love. SEVEN DEADLY SINS: SETTLING THE ARGUMENT BETWEEN BORN BAD AND DAMAGED GOOD (DA CAPO, 2012) by SLIPKNOT frontman COREY TAYLOR was awful.

it read like a cross between an overly dramatic teenage journal entry (with all the requisite directionless first-person self-referential diatribes) and someone who literally just discovered a thesaurus. it was tiring to the point of exhaustion reading run-on sentence after run-on sentence and awkward word choices that were unnecessarily complex for the sake of being verbose.

its one thing that it was badly written (or in need of serious editing), but the premise of the book itself was garbage. this idea that the seven deadly sins are bullshit and that we should be able learn from and transcend our transgressions. sometimes i dont think TAYLOR even realized he was coming off pro-CATHOLICISM with all his seemingly anti-religious screeds. if anything he was proving the essence of the religion. this is the kind of book that probably does well with people that don't like to think very hard about anything for too long, which likely describes his audience. im said to say that this book did well, but he's made several other books since then so... ugh.

what annoys me the most is that his actual biography is compelling and worthy of a memoir. SLIPKNOT is arguably the last major rock band to reach stadium status since NIRVANA. think about that. a bunch of masked DEATH METAL / THRASH METAL fans from IOWA have pretty much owned the METAL genre and whatever is left of ALTERNATIVE ROCK radio for the better part of two decades and they come from the middle of nowhere in the forgotten midwest. the heartland. goddamn trump country! i'd be interested in reading THAT BOOK that talks about how his upbringing impacted his lyrical content and drive to succeed, not his lukewarm attempt at defining morality. what a letdown.

yeah, i have a copy of this book. anyone wants it just ask. i'm looking to move past having read it. i'll stick to his SLIPKNOT records.

"DEER GOD 56: THRASH METAL" AVAILABLE NOW

11/12/2019

cover by nacrowe

watch this recent episode of DEER GOD RADIO on MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC with a playlist dedicated to THRASH METAL. FUCK YEAH!

past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO as well as other MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC shows like MAKE HER SPACE, NOWHERE FAST, THE SYNTHESIZER SHOW and CLASSICAL-ISH WITH NUTMEG are available here at the DEER GOD website.

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!

"DEER GOD RADIO 56: THRASH METAL" LIVE TODAY AT 4PM EST ON MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC

11/6/2019

cover by nacrowe

today's episode of DEER GOD RADIO at 4PM on MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC is all about THRASH METAL, arguably the most influential permutation of the genre that bridges NWOBHM influences to modern day DEATH, GRIND and BLACK METAL among a myriad other sub-genres. gonna be awesome!

past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO as well as other MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC shows like MAKE HER SPACE, NOWHERE FAST, THE SYNTHESIZER SHOW and CLASSICAL-ISH WITH NUTMEG are available here at the DEER GOD website.

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!

CHECK OUT THIS BAND | INFANT ANNIHILATOR

10/25/2019

photo manipulation by nacrowe

INFANT ANNIHILATOR is another objectively amazing band name in the lofty tradition of other EXTREME METAL/DEATH METAL luminaries who are unafraid to have truly moronic monikers like CATTLE DECAPITATION, PIG DESTROYER, REGURGITATE, BLOOD TSUNAMI, ROTTING CHRIST, NAPALM DEATH, DEFECATION, HOODED MENACE, DYING FETUS, MORBID ANGEL, TOXIC HOLOCAUST and of course ANAL CUNT. i for one love it when METAL bands stop taking themselves too seriously and embrace the ridiculousness that is life. or is that death?

definitely check out the british DEATHGRIND band INFANT ANNIHILATOR and their awesomely kitschy videos. its about time an EXTREME METAL band did a full-blown BOY BAND parody. can't believe it took this long. maybe BLINK-182 got there first?

CHECK OUT THIS BAND | KING 810

10/11/2019

photo manipulation by nacrowe

honestly when i first heard Flint, Michigan-based METAL band KING 810 through my cousin when he was working on their record at the former [the end] studio in greenpoint years ago i didn't know what to make of them. they were so intense it was suffocating. in many respects you can see the influence of NYHC breakdowns and JONATHAN DAVIS' histrionics as pinpoints of their sound, but really it seemed they had one emotion: anger.

listening to them made me realize how much humor is a part of metal, going back SPINAL TAP and their send-up of the ridiculous theatricality of it all. its hard not to see that when thinking of KING DIAMOND or IRON MAIDEN, but it equally holds firm with any artist. they all have a shtick no matter how well-crafted or intentioned. with KING 810 their whole identity and raison d'être is a primal scream reaction to their upbringing in the famously impoverished and perpetually violent former automotive production town Flint. in many ways Flint is a stand in for america itself, with the fall of the automotive industry so to went our collective ability to self-determine our own individual destiny a la the american dream. KING 810 come off like the lost boys of a discarded america.

you may see where i am going with this. when i heard these guys a few years ago their earnestness was intense to the point of parody. it was like, this is what a band sounds like that takes themselves FARRRRRR too seriously and have no sense of levity whatsoever.

post-TRUMP this band sounds a lot different. it sounds like a group of individuals that have lost hope in any institution (political, religious or otherwise) other than themselves. their video for "alpha & omega" is a case in point on the catholic churches famously corrupt practices surround child sex crimes and priests. its over the top intense, but maybe that is what is need right now culturally, someone to just lay it all out there.

either way KING 810 is worth checking out.

CHECK OUT THIS BAND | IRON REAGAN

10/4/2019

photo manipulation by nacrowe

genius name. genius band.

seriously just watch. this is why i love METAL. IRON REAGAN are the HARDCORE alter egos of THRASH METAL group MUNICIPAL WASTE, but honestly it's all fuckin' ace.

you're welcome.

BOOK REVIEW | "ACCESS ALL AREAS" BY SCOTT IAN

9/30/2019

photo by nacrowe

somewhere along the way, legendary guitar player SCOTT IAN of THRASH METAL icons ANTHRAX learned he had a real gift for storytelling. his obvious mentor in this regard was HARDCORE frontman HENRY ROLLINS of BLACK FLAG/ROLLINS BAND fame who has maintained a longstanding second career as an in-demand spoken-word artist.

given his stature, IAN has seen things over his 30+ year career and his second memoir ACCESS ALL AREAS: STORIES FROM A HARD ROCK LIFE (DA CAPO PRESS 2017), which he penned himself, maintains his acerbic wit, cadence and voice. reading through this it is not hard to imagine him standing beside you performing each narrative as a spoken-word routine, which is definitely a compliment. there is a reason why most musicians don't write their own memoirs, and IAN proves himself a highly capable narrator. his style is very much utilitarian in that he doesn't get too wordy or overly clever with descriptions, which in a way describes his iconic no-sense rhythm guitar work and that of his musical idol, MALCOLM YOUNG of AC/DC.

obviously i don't want to give away any of the stories, but i will say that they deal with his outside pursuits regarding professional poker, moonlighting in tv shows like THE WALKING DEAD and GAME OF THRONES, relationships and of course touring. highlights include stories that include the pranks of legendary PANTERA guitarist DIMEBAG DARRELL (R.I.P.), hanging out with MADONNA and the wardrobe choices of the immortal LEMMY KILMISTER (R.I.P.) of the almighty MOTÖRHEAD.

IAN comes off as a hardworking musician more than aware of how fortunate he is to have his career and the respect of his peers and this book, along with the previous I AM THE MAN: THE STORY OF THAT GUY FROM ANTHRAX (DA CAPO PRESS 2014), seem to be a celebration of that community of musicians. a celebration of how they touched his life, so in that regard i hope he keeps writing.

also keep a look out for the dude in concert. just learned he's touring with MR. BUNGLE in 2020. MIKE PATTON and SCOTT IAN sharing a stage. man, life certainly does not suck.

SPOTLIGHT | METALOCALYPSE

9/14/2019

photo manipulation by nacrowe

its been years but im still pissed ADULT SWIM took this show off the air.

the long-defunct animated show METALOCALYPSE, which aired on CARTOON NETWORK from 2006-2013 was the brainchild of one BRENDON SMALLS and followed the banal and vapid musings of the most successful METAL band of all-time, DETHKLOK. how big? world economies hang on their every release. so big that an ILLUMINATI-esque secretive council of military, business, political and religious leaders are constantly convening to decide their fate unbeknownst.

METALOCALYPSE was easily the most cutting satire of the truly ridiculous aspects of all things METAL since THIS IS SPINAL TAP (EMBASSY PICTURES1984). it really milks for comedic effect the megalomania, paranoia, pettiness and extended childhood impetuousness that comes with being a musician. it doesn't hurt that musically no METAL genre goes unscathed, including BLACK METAL, DEATH METAL and GLAM METAL which really is a testament to the multiple talents of SMALLS who wrote and directed the series as well as constructed and played most of the music with the help of legitimate members of the metal community. and that involvement is what separates this show from SPINAL TAP in spirit, as the latter was created by a group of comedians lampooning the genre outside outside the community. METALOCALYPSE has had numerous guests, choosing adroitly to hide most of their collaborative efforts, including KING DIAMOND, ACE FREHLEY of KISS, MIKE PATTON of FAITH NO MORE / MR. BUNGLE, ISAHN of EMPEROR, KIM THAYIL of SOUNDGARDEN, STEVE VAI, GRUTLE KJELLSON of ENSLAVED, KIRK HAMMETT & JAMES HETFIELD of METALLICA, DEVIN TOWNSEND, MATT PIKE of HIGH ON FIRE & SLEEP, CORPSEGRINDER of CANNIBAL CORPSE, SCOTT IAN of ANTHRAX, BILLY GIBBONS of ZZ TOP, MARTY FRIEDMAN of MEGADETH, BRENT HINDS, BRANN DAILOR & TROY SANDERS of MASTODON, MICHAEL AMOTT of CARCASS, RICHARD CHRISTY of DEATH / HOWARD STERN SHOW, DAVE GROHL of FOO FIGHTERS / NIRVANA, JACK BLACK of TENACIOUS D and DWEEZIL ZAPPA among numerous others.

rather than ramble on i'd rather instead invite you to seek out the world of NATHAN EXPLOSION, PICKLES, MURDERFACE, SKWISGAAR SKWIGELF and TOKI WAROOTH. asbolute required viewing for any fan of METAL.