M. Drew's blog

So I’ve been keeping my eye on something. In the last six months to a year, there has been considerable movement in the growth of a sect of music on the outside of metal. It consists largely of bands trying to straddle the gap between rock and metal, attempting to create a unique sound while catering to both audiences. Bands like Burn Halo, Black Stone Cherry, The Veer Union, Sick Puppies, Halestorm (who I saw live the other night and was suitably impressed,) and a host of others, are getting some moderate metal billing while maintaining a more solidly rock sound.

It was the posting of a Candlemass video earlier in the week that got me thinking: while on the subject, is "Bewitched" really the worst metal video of all time? Surely, I could come up with some rivals.

When I first heard Candlemass’ “Death Magic Doom,” I was blown away. “If I Ever Die” is one of the finest songs I’ve heard this year. The pace is solid, the construction is peerless. The lead guitar riff wastes no time, and is instantly infectious, which is no doubt a side effect of its simplicity. The riff is so compact and well put together that you wonder how it could be possible that no one else thought of it. Couple all this with new singer Robert Lowe (no, not that Rob Lowe,) who could easily pass as an imitation for Dio, and the album is off to an amazing start.

Tickets in hand, I arrived with my companions at the much anticipated NIN/JA tour stop in New Jersey. The PNC Bank Arts Center (formerly the Garden State Arts Center, I believe,) is a fine amphitheatre for such a show. It’s like every other concrete amphitheatre ever built; good sight lines, easy to navigate open spaces and otherwise totally unremarkable.

Sometimes you have a slow day, and you just can't conjure up any material for the ole' blog. Then, there are days like this....as reported on Blabbermouth:

I'm a man who tries to live an uncluttered life, and to that end, I don't own a lot of forms of portable technology, save my cell phone. No iPhone, no iPod, no Blackberry, no GPS, no laptop, etc. Still, I keep an eye on the growing number of "apps" which just seem like an excuse to try and dull the effect of objects that exist in real life, from compasses to pets.

What the hell is this?

I find myself faced with a new album by Marilyn Manson. Now, allow me to be clear; the man has yet to impress me. Sure, he’s done a small handful of pretty good songs, and I’ll also admit that he has (had) some talented musicians in his entourage. Still, even as a young, not-really-angsty teenager, I found the whole act overblown and insipid. It was clear to me that the man was simply a marketing machine; any message he had hidden away was comfortably couched within his ability to sell records.

Yes. Yes, yes, yes. Frequent readers of my little corner of the universe will remember that I have been campaigning for the emergence of a new American thrash metal band for months now. Also recall that when I saw Soilwork live back in February, I spoke at some length about the up and coming band Warbringer. I encouraged everyone to look into their forthcoming album “Waking Into Nightmares” and said we’d reconvene upon its release in the spring.

As I walked into the Chance, I was immediately hit with a revelation about the show I was about to see: the crowd was much smaller than I had anticipated. The Chance, which has a great balcony to watch a show from, had the balcony closed off, keeping everyone contained on the lower level. This actually gave me a lot of hope, as I had seen Overkill under the same circumstances, and the crowd was extraordinarily dedicated to the show.

If ever there was an argument to be made for the fraternal connection between heavy metal and the blues, “Danzig III: How the Gods Kill,” is the bedrock of that argument. A blues masterpiece at its heart, “Danzig III” is an old-school romp through Black Sabbath’s graveyard.