parodies by nacrowe
it was my understanding back in middle school that the only type of METAL was THRASH METAL.
end stop. it was the summer of 1996 and my family was stateside in NEW JERSEY visiting after my first year living in NIGERIA. that was the time that METALLICA's LOAD (ELEKTRA, 1996) came out and i can still remember the display at a local record store that had their entire DISCOGRAPHY on discount as a promotion. i liked LOAD so i remember on a whim going back to the store and picking up RIDE THE LIGHTNING (MEGAFORCE, 1984), MASTER OF PUPPETS (ELEKTRA, 1986), ...AND JUSTICE FOR ALL (ELEKTRA, 1988) and METALLICA (ELEKTRA, 1991) in one fell swoop. id later come across KILL 'EM ALL (MEGAFORCE, 1983) from a friend back in AFRICA. not only did those previous ALBUMS, especially the earlier ones, completely blow me away beyond that of LOAD, it made me interested in investigating other THRASH METAL bands within the year including SLAYER, MEGADETH, ANTHRAX, TESTAMENT, SEPULTURA and EXODUS. this was back in the mid 90s before streaming, YOUTUBE or downloading when to get new music you effectively had to either buy PHYSICAL PRODUCT or borrow such from your IMMEDIATE NETWORK OF FRIENDS and buy CASSETTES to create MIXTAPES. for me, THRASH METAL was ground zero when it came to EXTREME MUSIC. from their i went chronologically backwards to NEW WAVE OF BRITISH HEAVY METAL bands like MOTORHEAD, DIAMOND HEAD, IRON MAIDEN and JUDAS PRIEST and even further to BLACK SABBATH. years later in high school and college id become familiar with DEATH METAL, BLACK METAL and GRINDCORE among other sub-genres, but THRASH was essentially the foundation. to my ears the recipe of THRASH was two parts the TECHNICAL MUSICIANSHIP and FEROCITY of NWOBHM (especially MOTORHEAD and JUDAS PRIEST) with one part the SNARLING ATTITUDE and immediacy of HARDCORE PUNK ROCK (a la THE MISFITS and DISCHARGE). within CLIFF BURTON-era METALLICA there was also this added NEOCLASSICAL ELEMENT that also provided those early string of ALBUMS, especially RIDE THE LIGHTNING and MASTER OF PUPPETS with a COMPOSITIONAL and EMOTIONAL SOPHISTICATION that has not been matched since across all sub-genres, even by the band themselves. and for me personally as much as i love the increased AURAL ASSAULT and OUTRIGHT BRUTALITY of MODERN EXTREME METAL bands like PIG DESTROYER, FULL OF HELL, DEATH, ENTOMBED, NAILS, TERRORIZER and NAPALM DEATH, it still all comes down to those two key METALLICA RECORDS, as well as SLAYER's REIGN IN BLOOD (DEF JAM, 1986) and SOUTH OF HEAVEN (DEF JAM, 1988), SEPULTURA's CHAOS A.D. (ROADRUNNER, 1993) and MEGADETH's RUST IN PEACE (CAPITOL, 1990) as the foundations of my appreciation for the THRASH METAL genre at large. embedded below is a recent DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that includes a playlist celebrating THRASH METAL. enjoy!
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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
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.
parody by nacrowe
check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO celebrating THRASH METAL royalty SLAYER!
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
originally conceived in the late 1950s as part of a new series of four decidedly MODERNIST guitar models by GIBSON pushed by their LEGENDARY president TED MCCARTY (including the EXPLORER, FUTURA and MODERNE) to compete with the FUTURISTIC FENDER STRATOCASTER, the FLYING V was shelved shortly after production began due to low sales. it wasnt until the PROMINENT 1950s BLUES guitarist ALBERT KING and later 1960s ROCK AND ROLL guitar players like DAVE DAVIES (THE KINKS), ANDY POWELL (WISHBONE ASH) and JIMI HENDRIX began using them that their popularity began in earnest. later in the 1970s and 1980s the model found a home and became identifiable with the NWOBHM and THRASH METAL scenes in bands like JUDAS PRIEST, MERCYFUL FATE, DIAMOND HEAD, SCORPIONS, ACCEPT and KING DIAMOND as well as SLAYER, METALLICA and MEGADETH.
the IN-ARTFULLY named, conceived and executed recent FLYING V (TEN NINETY ONE, 2020) documentary is focused on the SYNERGISTIC relationship between those music scenes and that particular GUITAR MODEL. there is something to be said about the GIBSON models LACK OF CURVES and SPACE-AGE AESTHETICS which stood out on stage and literally pointed the way forward. their popularity resulted in a myriad of later brands, most notably JACKSON, ESP, B.C RICH, DEAN, SHECTER, KRAMER, IBANEZ and so on taking their stab at creating POINTIER, more ANGULAR REVISIONS with DIFFERENT ACTIVE PICKUP CONFIGURATIONS that went well beyond the original SETH LOVER humbucking pickups associated with the original. the film is largely an INCOHERENT series of interview clips with the likes of K.K. DOWNING (JUDAS PRIEST), MICHAEL SHENKER (UFO / SCORPIONS), MICHAEL DENNER & HANK SHERMANN (MERCYFUL FATE), BRIAN TATLER (DIAMOND HEAD), WOLF HOFFMAN (ACCEPT), ANDY LAROCQUE (KING DIAMOND), MICHAEL AMOTT (ARCH ENEMY), DAVE MUSTAINE (MEGADETH), JAMES HETFIELD (METALLICA) and KERRY KING (SLAYER) among others about various aspects of the guitars appeal. most of these interviews are pretty TEDIOUS and REPETITIVE and act almost as advertisements for the band members and their particular MODELS, which does the FLYING V ultimately a disservice in my opinion. the film would have been served better by conducting interviews with the manufacturers themselves and those that are continuing to INNOVATE on the original design. there is also LAZY EDITING and the LACK OF LICENSED MUSIC by said artists, which shows both a LACK OF BUDGET and buy-in from the artists themselves. in fact, the same GENERIC background music is repetitively utilized over and over again throughout to the point that it grates as the film rambles on. in totality, this film was difficult to watch even with a passion for the subject that i have as a fan of guitars and their development in general. this film feels RUSHED and ILL-CONCEIVED and would have been executed in a more talented director's hands with a bigger budget. NOTHING WAS LEARNED here that a thirty second perusal through the first two paragraphs of a WIKIPEDIA entry couldnt have taught me, which funny enough feels like the extent of the preproduction utilized for this documentary. id given this film a hard pass unless one is exceedingly interested in the subject of FLYING Vs to the extent that they could stomach one EVISCERATING the topic. dont say you werent forewarned. photo & text by nacrowe
as with anything METALLICA-related, you have to go into it with MEASURED expectations and a REALISTIC perspective. the knee-jerk (and patently unfair) response is to compare every new release with what that TRANSCENDENT string of releases they created back in the 1980s as 20-somethings. the band is pushing sixty now so it is just not reasonable to expect them to be recreating something with the RELENTLESS FIRE and ENERGY of RIDE THE LIGHTNING (MEGAFORCE, 1984) or MASTER OF PUPPETS (ELEKTRA, 1986) at this point. personally, i am just grateful that they are still around as a FUNCTIONING, creatively VIABLE entity unlike so many of their former prominent peers in SLAYER, PANTERA, DEATH, WHITE ZOMBIE, SOUNDGARDEN, BLACK SABBATH and so on. im not being facetious, i honestly love the fact that there are still METALLICA albums to look forward to every few years.
but how good is the new album 72 SEASONS (BLACKENED, 2023) ? all things considered its PRETTY GOOD. with METALLICA there seems to be three big eras in their career. first there were the CLIFF BURTON years plus ...AND JUSTICE FOR ALL (ELEKTRA, 1988) that all happened in the 1980s. then you have the 1990s albums plus ST. ANGER (ELEKTRA, 2003) that saw them both STREAMLINE and EXPERIMENT with the formula with varying results. id argue that everything from DEATH MAGNETIC (WARNER BROS, 2008) on is a revisit to the spirit of the early 1980s material and era but with a sense of production and song construction prowess that they gained in the second phase of their career. like DEATH MAGNETIC and HARDWIRED TO SELF DESTRUCT (BLACKENED, 2016), 72 SEASONS basic lives in MID-TEMPO territory with songs that dont take off or soar technically like their early material. part of that is due to drummer LARS ULRICH and his RENOWNED hesitancy (or inability) to utilize double kicks to real push these songs forward. such is not new and is a feature of the later METALLICA sound. another feature are the KIRK HAMMETT IMPROVISATIONAL guitar solos which often seem rather OFF-THE-CUFF and sadly not as orchestrated or thought through as his REVERED earlier work with the band. i feel strongly that JAMES HETFIELD and his rhythm guitar playing, as well as bassist ROBERT TRUJILLO's SLIPPERY and SLINKY counterpoint note choices, is where the band excels sonically. there is definitely something special that has been established between those two players over the past decade or so that finds them either LOCKED IN or revolving around one another almost arguably in a JAZZ kinda way. STANDOUT tracks include "SCREAMING SUICIDE," "IF DARKNESS HAD A SON," "72 SEASONS," "SHADOWS FOLLOW" and the MOTORHEAD-inflected "LUX ÆTERNA." overall i think this is the sound of a band playing to their strengths and incorporating elements that they enjoy from throughout their career. would i recommend this record? maybe. id still say youre better off getting familiar with RIDE THE LIGHTNING, MASTER OF PUPPETS and ....AND JUSTICE FOR ALL before exploring the rest of their catalogue. better to start with what made them SPECIAL first before becoming acquainted with their subsequent IDIOSYNCRATIC choices that led them to their current position as elder statesmen.
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
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
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
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
out of their entire catalogue, ...AND JUSTICE FOR ALL (ELEKTRA, 1988) is unique in that it showcases METALLICA, for better or worse, in a moment of transition. you can definitely see the first three records (KILL EM ALL, RIDE THE LIGHTNING and MASTER OF PUPPETS) as an early version of the band made up of a triumvirate of talented songwriters and composers in that of JAMES HETFIELD, LARS ULRICH and CLIFF BURTON. with BURTON out of the picture due to his tragic untimely passing, essentially the rest of their career has been heralded by HETFIELD and ULRICH, with ...AND JUSTICE FOR ALL their first foray.
and it shows. BURTON arguably was the most versatile musician within METALLICA and the most open to outside influences including CLASSICAL MUSIC. this is pretty much gone and what is left is a epically brutal album filled with complex time signatures that are constantly shifting, lyrics dealing with retribution, pain and suffering, as well as (famously) little to no bass guitar. this is an album that is pretty much all about HETFIELD and ULRICH and thus primarily guitars and drums. it is almost impossible to listen to this record and not think of how BURTON would have made these collections of riffs and song ideas more cohesive and impactful to the listener. taht is not to say that this record does not have standout tracks. "BLACKENED," "DYER'S EVE," "HARVESTER OF SORROW," "...AND JUSTICE FOR ALL" and of course "ONE" absolutely crush and are fan favorites to this day. me included. in fact i wouldnt even say that this record is a disappointment since it shows METALLICA at the their most uninhibited and least restrained peak. where it falls is only in comparison to their stellar previous two records, which arguably (in my opinion) are two of the best METAL albums ever bar none. it is a record only made more interesting given the follow-up a few years later that largely abandoned its complexity and ambition in favor of a more streamlined sound. i agree with those that add this record with the BURTON-era albums as the essential METALLICA records, and its been interesting see the risk-taking and artistic risks the band has made since. its just that the post ...AND JUSTICE FOR ALL output has been not as convincing for fans of their 1980s output. i couldn't recommend ...AND JUSTICE FOR ALL any more strongly. an essential THRASH METAL record that is absolutely required listening. photo & text by nacrowe
internal band dynamics are always a tricky thing. there are tons of examples of bands that from the outside looking in seem like a consolidated front made of co-equal partners yet such is far from the case. probably no modern METAL musician is more defined by this in the popular consciousness than former METALLICA guitarist and MEGADETH frontman DAVE MUSTAINE.
his memoir MUSTAINE (IT BOOKS, 2010) written with veteran scribe JOE LAYDEN is very much defined the the shifting internal dynamics of not one, but two iconic THRASH METAL bands and provides a much-needed counterpoint to the popular narrative of this influential yet highly CONTROVERSIAL musician. i'll admit right at the beginning that i am not the biggest fan of MUSTAINE. in interviews he always comes across as a condescending BRAGGART and an unrepentant EGOIST, and that was before his conversion to CHRISTIANITY and conservative politics. his voice and his attitude towards his peers has always been GRATING, but i will say that the dude is supremely gifted as a guitarist and a songwriter. it was no doubt his sense of abandon on his instrument and his reckless behavior that initially lifted METALLICA from obscurity and helped establish the nascent THRASH METAL scene in the 1980s. MUSTAINE as a historical figure is absolutely instrumental in the evolution of METAL music. period. its interesting how much ink in this memoir is dedicated to the internal strifes of both bands. METALLICA was a band of alcoholics that discarded one of their members, MUSTAINE, in essence for being a mean drunk. that is popular story, but its interesting that MUSTAINE points to his substantial songwriting credits during his period with the band to suggest that it may have been more about artistic control. in essence METALLICA had three main songwriters in JAMES HETFIELD, LARS ULRICH and MUSTAINE. one theme that is carried throughout this memoir is MUSTAINE's sense of being an underdog, which is rooted in his growing up very POOR, without a father figure and with a mother whose identity got taken over by the JEHOVAH's WITNESS community. HETFIELD had similar circumstances with his deadbeat father and a mother that passed on after being taken advantage of by the beliefs of her CHRISTIAN SCIENTIST community. he is portrayed as being psychologically WEAK, UNASSERTIVE and essentially a patsy to ULRICH, who in turn is portrayed as privileged, wealthy son of a bohemian DANISH TENNIS professional. ULRICH is effectively presented as being a duplicitous MACHIAVELLIAN figure (which is probably pretty accurate). METALLICA was very much a surrogate family for MUSTAINE and his dismissal echoed the rejection of his father towards his family. no doubt it was a traumatic effect and was a primal event in his career and personal relationship trajectory thereafter. but what i found more interesting was his reaction to this dismissal, fair or not. he created a new family in MEGADETH of which he was the sole leader, whose only other longtime member (absent two breaks of which we are now living in the second) is DAVID ELLEFSON whom he deems as dismissively as "junior." the rest of the band throughout is made of a revolving cast of opportunists, scabs, legends and METAL lifers. what struck me in particular is how MUSTAINE never questions his own motives, paving over bad decisions during his many drug-addled years as MISGUIDED or MISINFORMED but not ill-intentioned. he comes across as incredibly naive and largely absent-minded or uninterested in the financial and emotional needs of his bandmates. throughout the memoir he is his absentee father. he wants the leadership and the acclaim but none of the responsibility that comes with it. its interesting that he, more than any other METAL figure, should have been aware of the trauma that comes with bad leadership in a band setting. yet he just kept the cycle going. the biggest bummer is the whole born again CHRISTIAN nonsense at the conclusion of the book in which he considers whether it is ethical or not to play with "satanic" bands. that is just so beyond LAME. he is an artistic leader who can tour with whomever he wants, but it just feels antithetical to ROCK N ROLL in some basic core manner. it also presumes his own purity as a CHRISTIAN which is beyond DISAPPOINTING and, again, just LAME. thats my reaction to this memoir basically. MUSTAINE is a supremely gifted musician who deserves credit for his achievements and contributions to THRASH METAL, but as a person he just comes across as an ass. even in his own memoir in which he is trying to counteract the popular opinion of him being an ass. its beyond CONFOUNDING. go figure. photo & text by nacrowe
while their debut KILL EM ALL (MEGAFORCE, 1983) had a ferocious and immediate spit-in-your-eye aggression and the follow-up RIDE THE LIGHTNING (MEGAFORCE, 1984) a growing compositional and lyrical sophistication, to many fans MASTER OF PUPPETS (ELEKTRA, 1986) is the definitive METALLICA album. in many ways it marries the aggression and sophistication of their previous two releases into a cohesive yet brutal statement dealing with themes regarding ADDICTION, from DRUGS ("MASTER OF PUPPETS"), RELIGION ("LEPER MESSIAH") and SELF-IMAGE ("WELCOME HOME (SANITARIUM)") to our seeming cultural need for AGGRESSION and DOMINATION with regard to foreign conflicts ("DISPOSABLE HEROES"). in my interpretation, this record is about the price we pay at both a societal and individual level for our dependency on PROPAGANDA and SELF-DELUSION. and it still holds up.
i very much see this record in tandem with its aforementioned predecessor RIDE THE LIGHTNING in terms of its track-listing, subject matter and even its artwork. both albums have highly orchestrated opening tracks that devolved in to barn-burning torrents of absolute aggression ("FIGHT FIRE WITH FIRE" vs "BATTERY") as well as CLIFF BURTON-penned instrumentals ("THE CALL OF KTULU" vs "ORION") that showcase his musical dexterity as well as compositional chops. my personal preference is towards RIDE THE LIGHTNING, but many consider the title track "MASTER OF PUPPETS" to be among the best tracks METALLICA ever produced, if not the definitive track bar none. this track is epic in its conception, as it has multiple sections that seem to mirror the stages related to ADDICTION and RECOVERY. the aggressive parts are sonically beyond brutal as if to aurally express the bowels of SHAME, GUILT and SELF-HATRED that come with the pursuit of one's addiction while the middle interlude section with its down tempo and soaring dual guitar leads presents a sense of HUMILITY and COMPASSION towards oneself and gives a sense of HOPE that RECOVERY is an option. again, this is just my interpretation since the song could be about ADDICTIVE BEHAVIOR writ large, but its musical and compositional complexity gives it that deeper MEDITATIVE quality that renders it anything but one-dimensional. sadly MASTER OF PUPPETS is the last METALLICA record recorded with the late great BURTON, who passed away while touring this record in NORWAY in a freak bus accident. in many ways the METALLICA that came after is a different band entirely since BURTON was such a key contributor to the band and was arguably responsible for their sophisticated compositional aesthetic that made them standout from both their THRASH METAL counterparts and the NEW WAVE OF BRITISH HEAVY METAL bands that predated them. their seminal yet problematic next offering ...AND JUSTICE FOR ALL (ELEKTRA, 1988) is a more compositionally complex yet less coherent statement, which really provides an apt metaphor for the band's state of mind post-BURTON. he is dearly missed to date, but in many ways MASTER OF PUPPETS is his lasting statement and legacy within the broader musical community, well beyond the confines of METAL. rest in power CLIFF BURTON.
photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
one of the DEER GOD RADIO moments that really stands out to me as something particularly special was EPISODE 92 that i conducted with my friend VERONIKA about her all-time favorite band: METALLICA. i should start by thanking KRISTIN & TOM from MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC for making it technically possible behind-the-scenes, because VERONIKA was broadcasting remotely from ARGENTINA. which was so cool.
her and i met in VENEZUELA when we both worked at an international school in the petroleum-rich eastern part of the country. i moved there within six months of the demise of HUGO CHAVEZ, at what was the beginning of the disastrous regime of current "president" NICOLAS MADURO. i basically had a front row seat to the economic and political dismantling of a proud country (which in turn prepared me for the same stateside under TRUMP a few years down the road). the thing that blew me away about VERONIKA (as well as two other local musicians i met) was how they all effectively learned ENGLISH through METALLICA lyrics. the level of PERSISTENCE and RESOURCEFULNESS to pull such off to me is still quite an incredible achievement and showcases a summit of true FANDOM i cant begin to imagine. she even flew alone to BRASIL (first time abroad!) to see them play live in RIO DE JANEIRO. like a lot of admirers of THRASH METAL, post-CLIFF BURTON era METALLICA is a little suspect especially once they hit the 1990s, but meeting my friend VERONIKA kinda changed my view a bit on the global phenomena behind that celebrated by all-too-often derided band. at the very least i wanted her perspective when presenting their music on my show and im still happy we (and by we i mean KRISTIN & TOM at MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC) were able to pull it off. in case you were wondering, like many VENEZUELANS with qualifications, VERONIKA was able to leave VENEZUELA in order to find economic prosperity elsewhere on the continent. in the post-CHAVEZ years when VENEZUELA has truly nose-dived POLITICALLY and especially ECONOMICALLY, many have sought refuge in countries such as CHILE, PANAMA, COLOMBIA, ECUADOR and ARGENTINA. i have other friends from VENEZUELA that have even become long-term refugees in GERMANY. its an absolutely disgrace that the UNITED STATES has not done more in this regard. anyway, definitely check out this special past episode of DEER GOD RADIO co-hosted with my friend VERONIKA. thinking of which, i should probably follow-up and do another show with her... photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
i thought that i understood what it meant to be a passionate fan of something. like MUSIC, FILM, SPORTS or ART. and then i moved to SOUTH AMERICA and realized i didnt know even the half of it.
when i relocated to VENEZUELA in the summer of 2013 i was confronted with new peers and friends that shared my love of THRASH METAL and CLASSIC ROCK, except that for them the music was their gateway to learning ENGLISH and thus a valuable skill that led them to working at a school alongside me. their passion for music quite literally altered their lives. it was powerful then and still is in retrospect, given that they all now live and work outside of VENEZUELA (which is in a dire state at the moment) in other LATIN countries such as ARGENTINA and CHILE. which brings me to the YOUTUBE channel of current MEGADETH lead guitarist KIKO LOUREIRO. his channel, which began long before his current tenure with the THRASH METAL veterans, is part guitar tutorial and part behind the scenes look at the daily life of a WORKING MUSICIAN. what shines through is his PASSION for the instrument and sharing said passion with fans as well as the cast of characters that revolve around it (road crew, guitar techs, security, catering, other musicians). for some reason this instinct to lift that fourth wall and give his fans a look behind the curtain is pretty remarkable, even more so because it includes at times the reclusive and very private DAVE MUSTAINE. you get the sense that their is a high level of trust and mutual respect between the two. that instinct to share and connect also feels very much steeped in LATIN culture. it is almost as if he is telling his community in his native BRAZIL that this level of success is attainable through hard work, perseverance and a bit of luck. i always love the fact that BRAZILIAN musicians (MAX CAVALERA, JORGE BEN, CAETANO VELOSO, etc.) that make a mark stateside are outspoken and passionate about their native homeland, which has a distinct, multi-faceted musical tradition that rivals such of any other. its funny because when i think of MEGADETH, i think of unparalleled musicianship (notably past guitarists MARTY FRIEDMAN and CHRIS POLAND) as well as the regressive and recalcitrant politics of MUSTAINE. with LOUREIRO in the mix a new word comes to mind: JOY. check out his YOUTUBE channel. it provides an interesting perspective on the journey through the recording, rehearsing and touring life of a talented, modern WORKING MUSICIAN. photo & text by nacrowe
i should start by stating that BIRTH SCHOOL METALLICA DEATH (DA CAPO, 2014) by PAUL BRANNIGAN and IAN WINWOOD is far from a perfect book. its BRITISH authors have an unfortunate GEOGRAPHIC BIAS towards the supposed importance of their native island in the role of METALLICA's career trajectory and an even more misplaced PROXIMITY BIAS to the role of KERRANG! magazine, of which the both have written for in the past. the authors also tend to be a bit verbose to the point of obfuscation, almost as if this book was written with a word limit in mind. there are also numerous grammatical mistakes (which is hard for me, a former ENGLISH teacher, to forgive).
all that being said, BIRTH SCHOOL METALLICA DEATH does an alright job of relating the narrative of METALLICA and their massive cultural impact on the world of METAL and beyond. being familiar with their many documentaries (CLIFF 'EM ALL, A YEAR AND A HALF IN THE LIFE OF METALLICA I and II, SOME KIND OF MONSTER, etc.), most of this information i was already familiar with. i assume that fans much more... well, fanatic, than me would probably concede that much of this book is rather basic boilerplate knowledge of the band. i think where this book succeeds is in how the authors reveal the interpersonal relationships between band members and those close to the bands orbit including family, managers and, of course, fans. JAMES HETFIELD and KIRK HAMMETT in particular grew up in broken households where music was a respite from conflict and the unfair and undue hardship of being a child dealing with adult problems. in LARS ULRICH you have an only son with a unique upbringing in that he was raised in a progressive, loving family with a wealthy, sophisticated father figure whose profession as a DANISH tennis pro allowed his son access to world travel and an education in the arts that was second to none. original bassist CLIFF BURTON likewise came from a loving family, albeit one that was working-class with no inclination for musicianship. this triumvirate (of HETFIELD, ULRICH and BURTON) after the ouster of original lead guitarist DAVE MUSTAINE, was fairly stable and artistically cohesive. its only after BURTON's untimely passing while on tour in EUROPE that these the new power struggle between HETFIELD and ULRICH is on full display and the victim of such is JASON NEWSTED. its very interesting that the book makes clear that despite lyrics dealing with rebellion and standing up to the man, that when confronted with issues surrounding any semblance of EMPATHY, COMPASSION and basic DECENCY the leadership of the band failed miserably. HETFIELD, ULRICH and HAMMETT come across as victims of a deep trauma that is sublimated onto NEWSTED. they come off very much like small men indeed. and for all the flowery, sentimentalization carried throughout BIRTH SCHOOL METALLICA DEATH, i thought such was quite a statement of fact. no doubt in the wake of his eventual departure in the early 2000s, which is beyond the scope of this book (which ends after their fifth album at the beginning of the 1990s), there very much is an emotional awakening that traces its painful roots back to the chronology of events examined in this book. the book also makes clear that the band in all its lineup variations was in control of its destiny for better or worse. this goes with major decisions regarding personnel, management, booking agents, record labels, touring packages and so on. the notion that somehow the band was pushed to work with BOB ROCK and construct a more streamlined commercial record at the dawn of the 1990s is absolute garbage. the band (and by that i mean HETFIELD and ULRICH) were already there. despite their internal frailties and inherent weakness in acknowledging their own pain to each other in the face of a major trauma, in terms of creative decision-making, METALLICA was their own general. no doubt the METALLICA of today is a very different animal than this period. and kudos to them for having the courage to progress as humans by admitting and vulnerability, and doing so very publicly. its the less celebrated late-career METALLICA that i feel are truly COURAGEOUS and undeniably AUTHENTIC in a genre filled to the brim with pretenders and charlatans. this book only makes that trajectory come into sharp focus and for that i appreciate it despite its many flaws. photo & text by nacrowe
in my mind RIDE THE LIGHTNING (MEGAFORCE, 1984) by METALLICA is the best THRASH METAL record of all time (sorry SLAYER). it may even be the best METAL record as well. the jump in technical proficiency and song-craft from the KILL 'EM ALL album released just a year earlier is quite remarkable.
for me it is all about "FIGHT FIRE WITH FIRE," "RIDE THE LIGHTNING" and "CREEPING DEATH" which are virtuosic exemplars of brutality, musicianship and song-craft without losing a sense of urgency and focus that happens when technically gifted musicians seek to show off their proficiency. it really hones in on the intention and drive of HARDCORE with the next level savage riffage and aggression of NWOBHM in a hybrid that has been copied but not matched (again, in my estimation) since. these three songs also tackle disparate subject matter regarding the likes of NUCLEAR WARFARE, CAPITAL PUNISHMENT and the BOOK OF EXODUS which showcases a progression in broader interests beyond that displayed on KILL 'EM ALL, which was a METAL record largely about, well, playing METAL. RIDE THE LIGHTNING is also the first METALLICA record where the band consciously sought to throw a curveball at its audience by including, gasp, a ballad. albeit it is a ballad about suicide. "FADE TO BLACK" is a now a long-running staple of their live shows that foreshadowed similar fare like "WELCOME HOME (SANITARUIUM)" off of MASTER OF PUPPETS and "ONE" off ....AND JUST FOR ALL which similarly utilize a sophisticated sense of extreme song dynamics to carry a narrative. fairly or unfairly, i identity this fearlessness to buck listener expectation with CLIFF BURTON, whose musical lexicon and appreciation far exceeded the METAL genre. the dynamism of "FADE TO BLACK" and the instrumental "THE CALL OF KTULU" are a testament to such. my middle school band in NIGERIA also covered the ERNEST HEMINGWAY-referencing "FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS" so that opening dual guitar-line will always have a special place in my heart. at the time the lyrics that dealt with complicated themes regarding organized violence and state motivations for war were beyond me, but those riffs were not. viscerally i cant still visualize playing this song publicly and getting a reaction from the crowd in the cramped gym. so yeah, im a bit biased. one other thing i want to mention is the classical influence on RIDE THE LIGHTNING. when i first heard this record in the mid 1990s that sense of sophistication in the arrangements and even orchestration of parts sonically differentiated this record. when "FIGHT FIRE WITH FIRE" kicks in it really punches because of how its unrepentant aggression contrasts with the opening orchestrated prelude. that trick will be repeated to similar effect with "BATTERY" and "DAMAGE INC" off of MASTER OF PUPPETS. that classical influence gave this record, as well as the aforementioned follow-up MASTER OF PUPPETS, a distinct feel and sophistication that resulted in the pronounced aggression and heightened lyrical themes hitting that much harder. i cannot recommend this record highly enough. easily one of my favorite METAL records of all-time. if only they left off "ESCAPE." |
NICHOLAS ARCHIVES
March 2024
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