heavy metal

I really enjoy discovering new music, both from bands who have been around for a while and bands who are just starting out. Finding a band at the start of their career and following them as they ride the wave that is the music business is incredibly rewarding for me. Not to brag (well, maybe just a little) but I had the good fortune of hearing 311 (remember them?), Korn and Kid Rock before they hit the big time. This week I was given the opportunity to review the latest album from Denver's own Red Tide Rising.

When I reviewed Grand Magus' previous album, “The Hunt”, I remarked how unusual it was to experience a metal album that was actually fun to listen to. In the time since then, I have come to realize that “The Hunt” was not as well-received with most fans as it was with me, and metal being fun is a trend that has yet to catch on. For whatever reason, metal bands continue to work under the assumption that everything has to be angry, in a minor key, and put you in a terrible mood. Anything less, they think, shows weakness.

Before we get too far down the rabbit hole with Hammercult’s “Steelcrusher,” let’s take a minute to appreciate the art in front of us. Take a look at that album cover. If you click on it, it’ll show full size. Have you ever seen something so masterful? That album cover, which like a certain rug tying the room together is made whole by the prominent middle finger in the middle of the image, is among the greatest iconography in heavy metal. No joke.

Yeehaw! Rockabilly is alive and well and now available on Victory Records. I was thrilled to find the latest release from The Reverend Horton Heat in my inbox for this week's review. In full disclosure I am, and have been, a big fan of the Reverend and his take on the rockabilly genre. The man has been at it since 1985 and his newest release "Rev" is proof positive that he's still going strong.