Every year, NAMM bestows upon us shiny new toys for musicmakers of all genres to make new (and old) sounds with. NAMM 2012 was no less a musical heaven for the products, gadgets, and innovations that help make metal happen. We took a spin through the showroom floor at Anaheim Convention Center to check out some new equipment that our metal cohorts use and abuse. Full report after the jump.
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Tag Archives: metallica
LOU REED & METALLICA – Lulu
Just when you thought METALLICA were back on the redemption track for their near 20 year reign as sell out kings of rock music history, they go and put Lulu out. Few collaborations between two such celebrated artists have turned out as ill-conceived, poorly executed, and abysmal as this record.
First of all, THE VELVET UNDERGROUND‘s Lou Reed wrote all the lyrics and does lead vocals. METALLICA handled all the instrumentation/compositions and James Hetfield is on backing vocals.
So what does it sound like? Lou Reed sounds like a crazy old poet doing free form vocal lines that are often all over the place. And when he attempts to actually sing instead of just do his random spoken words, he provides a clinic in off key singing. Lyrically, no one gives a shit what he is rambling about partially because of how awful he sounds. And in case you do tune into his lyrics, they are just plain stupid. In other words, he sounds like total shit.
If you haven’t checked out THE VELVET UNDERGROUND by now, Lulu basically guarantees you will keep things that way.
So you would think that METALLICA learned some lessons in returning to some of the things that made them legends in the 80′s with their last album, but that is clearly not the case. The abominations known as St. Anger and S&M don’t sound as bad compared to Lulu. In what seems like a series of rushed improvisation sessions, the band have tried to write an art rock album with free form or atmospheric nuances. Unfortunately, the music is stricken with terrible riffs, poor songwriting, and poor execution that help create an extremely uncompelling and downright unpleasant listening experience.
Riffs meander and float in space hoping to form a hook or some sense of logic but it’s an overwhelmingly losing endeavor. Songs drag on for what seems like an eternity with no sanctuary in sight. Yes, many songs here are very long. The godawful, “friendly” guitar tones of the Load-era are back. METALLICA also try their hand at various guitar effects, playing styles, and adding classical stringed instrumentation to create a compelling art rock atmosphere but there are a trillion bands who are better than them at this.
Lars Ulrich bestows the world with his worst drumming to date. The free form nature of the music gives Lars more room to take a lead role but his beyond amateurish attempts at drumming 101 are laughable and just plain embarrassing. It’s easy to picture his ridiculous mannerisms and facial expressions as he lays down these tracks. His open gaped mouth like a fish out of water intermingled with his face wincing in the agony of trying to keep a standard drum beat come to mind. There’s a reason why Jason Newsted encouraged him to practice for all those years.
To add insult to injury, the record label is releasing many different versions of this abomination with different packaging and content at different price points. And you know they will all sell a shitload (pun not intended). Look for the Warner Bros. payola machine to peddle this garbage to the world as well as 2011 METALLICA fanboys to defend their old and tired band all across the internet.
When you lack self awareness about your talents and, most importantly, limitations, Lulu is what happens. The sad and pathetic part is that you know deep down inside, Lou Reed and METALLICA earnestly believe that this record is a brilliant collaboration that could warrant successive records together. METALLICA in particular play to all their weaknesses – improvisation, writing music beyond what they do best (their first four records), and the undying mindset that they are boundless. But the reality is, METALLICA stubbornly insist on proving to the world that they can reach new lows.
Lulu should be the final nail in the coffin for the careers of both Lou Reed and METALLICA. Fuck off. (Warner Brothers Records)
In New Murder in the Front Row Book, MACHINE HEAD’s Robb Flynn Recalls Growing Up in SF Thrash Metal Scene
MACHINE HEAD guitarist/vocalist Robb Flynn joins Gary Holt of EXODUS, Alex Skolnick of TESTAMENT, and other Bay Area thrash metal luminaries contributing written material to the deluxe upcoming photo book Murder in the Front Row: Shots From the Bay Area Thrash Metal Epicenter, by Harald Oimoen and Brian Lew. This massive volume is due December 2011 from Bazillion Points Books, and sneak peeks and preorders are available at this location:
http://www.murderinthefrontrow.com
In the book, Flynn recalls his initiation into the local scene via highly-energized gigs like RAVEN, METALLICA, and EXODUS at the Berkeley Keystone; Texas transplants D.R.I. at the Mabuhay Gardens; and EXCITER at the Stone. “I became totally obsessed,” Flynn writes. “I punched a kid and broke his nose at an ANTHRAX show at the Kabuki for saying [EXODUS guitarist] Gary Holt sucked. Yes, I was a thrasher, willing to fight and bang and bleed for my thrash metal gods.”
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Concert Memories: METALLICA, MOTORHEAD @ The Whisky (12/14/95)
Back in 1995, I had heard on the radio of an upcoming MOTORHEAD show to celebrate 25 years of MOTORHEAD and Lemmy‘s 50th birthday. But the thing that made me really want to go to the show was the fact that there were other famous rock stars expected to make an experience. My initial guess was that someone like Slash would show up since he’s always been into live guest appearances in LA, and hey, that was good enough for me.
So back then I was a senior in high school and by then, hardly anyone was into metal and if they used to be, they had moved onto punk (i.e. PENNYWISE) or something else. The prospect of going to a show alone wasn’t as bad as it could seem to appear simply because my absolute love for heavy music more than compensated. So with a recently purchased MOTORHEAD No Remorse compilation in my cassette tape deck and a Thomas Guide map to guide me, I set off for my first trip to The Whisky.
I guess word had spread about the possibility of famous guests at the show as there was a line formed outside the venue when I arrived early. So as we were all standing in line along the wall of The Whisky, you could hear a band doing sound check. Out of nowhere you hear James Hetfield‘s unmistakable voice roaring over the music. Holy fuck! I wanted to scream out in excitement. My favorite band in the world was going to appear at the tiny little Whisky! I heard some other people in line wondering out loud whether that was James Hetfield or not but it didn’t seem to stir up any outward excitement.
Once we were all let in, the first band to go on was LA’s own DEMOLITION PIT. The band had made some headway in the local LA scene, especially with their appearances on 105.5 FM KNAC (the world’s first all hard rock/heavy metal radio station). The band’s PANTERA-influenced style went over well with the packed house.
The Whisky had TV screens around the club that would announce the next band to take the stage. As the crowd waited around for the next band, the words “METALLICA” came up on the TV screens. People went apeshit! Everyone had to pinch themselves. This was a dream come true. So I did what any metal maniac would do, I fought my way to the front of the stage to get the best view possible.
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Haha of the Day:…And Justice for All Bass Tab Finally Transcribed
Video of the Day: Lars Ulrich Tries Out for DREAM THEATER
Unless you’re a METALLICA fanboy in 2011 (what’s wrong with you?), it’s a universally accepted truth that Lars Ulrich is one of the worst drummers in metal history. So to have some fun, dmdollinar08 posted this brilliant video chronicling Lars‘ audition for the recent vacancy on the drum stool for prog juggernauts, DREAM THEATER.
Enjoy!
METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH, ANTHRAX to Bring “The Big 4″ to New York this Fall
After last week’s successful “The Big 4“ concert in Indio, California, the heavy metal foursome of METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH, and ANTHRAX have announced an East Coast edition of the show at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York on September 14th, 2011.
Tickets go on sale Friday, May 6th at 10am through Ticketmaster. Pre-sales for MetClub members and Yankee season ticket holders go on sale Wednesday, May 4th.
Follow “The Big 4” on Facebook for all the latest info:
http://www.facebook.com/TheBig4
The Big 4 is Upon Us; LA Weekly Talks to SLAYER’s Tom Araya, ANTHRAX’s Scott Ian
This weekend is The Big 4 festival out in Indio, California with METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH, and ANTHRAX.
Check out some interviews in LA Weekly with SLAYER‘s Tom Araya and ANTHRAX‘s Scott Ian. They talk about the original Big 4 show in Bulgaria, the Coachella festival (which took place at the same venue as the upcoming Big 4), and their festival buddies METALLICA and MEGADETH.
Goldenvoice Announce “The Big 4″: METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH, ANTHRAX to Play Indio, CA
The collective of heavy metal titans known as “The Big 4″ of METALLICA, SLAYER, MEGADETH, and ANTHRAX have been confirmed to share the stage together via Goldenvoice‘s “The Big 4” for North American fans. The four bands shared the stage for the first time together last year in Europe. This event is slated to be the only time the bands will play together in the U.S.
The bands will take over Empire Polo Club in Indio, CA (home of Coachella and Stagecoach) on April 23, 2011. Tickets will range between $99 and $199 and go on sale Friday, January 28 at 10 AM.
Visit the official site for more info: http://www.thebig4festival.com/
Concert Memories: METALLICA, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, CANDLEBOX, FIGHT @ Cal State Dominguez Hills, Dominguez Hills, CA (07/26/94)
Back in the summer of 1994, I was a pimple faced teenage metalhead whose world revolved around classic rock, hard rock, and heavy metal. And like virtually every metalhead on the planet, I viewed METALLICA as the absolute infallible, invincible gods of metal. The band had taken the world by storm with the Black Album and they were in the midst of the height of their popularity.
After missing out on the first few rounds of the Black Album tour as well as the dream tour with GUNS ‘N ROSES, my time had finally come to see my first concert via the 1994 Shit Hits the Sheds Tour. To say my friend and I were stoked is an understatement. In hindsight, I really didn’t even know to expect at a metal show. Man, was I in for a surprise.
The tour’s Los Angeles-area stop took place on a huge grass field at a university, and there was definitely a festival vibe to things. There were thousands of people on the field. The crowd was a great reflection of the Los Angeles metal scene in general at the time. There were diehard fans since the 70′s and 80′s, young fans, lots of female fans, and a diverse array of cultural backgrounds represented. To this day, I have never seen such a wide array of metal shirts in all my life.
Up until that tender age, I had never smelled weed smoke before but I knew exactly what that skunky smell was right when it hit me. There were literally hazes of smoke flowing over the field the whole day. Yeah, this was LA alright.
Despite arriving in the late afternoon, the show had already started with Rob Halford‘s FIGHT playing songs off their excellent debut, War of Words. Watching the Metal God stalk the stage with his big, black goatee and singing better than on the record was a truly awesome site to behold.
ALICE IN CHAINS were originally on the tour but had to pull out due to drug issues with singer Layne Staley. I was bummed out as Facelift and Dirt had greatly impacted my young life. Unfortunately, for some godforsaken reason, super shitty CANDLEBOX took their place on the tour. Their brand of soft rock did not go over well as the audience quickly booed them continuously and gave them the finger. The band eventually got butthurt enough that they were forced to cut their set short. The lame singer made sure to give us all the finger before he left the stage. We all had a good laugh about that.
As dusk settled in, Venice, CA’s SUICIDAL TENDENCIES took the stage to the roaring approval of the crowd. As soon as the first note was played, the crowd went apeshit. Gigantic moshpits instantaneously formed all across the field. Everyone was pushing, shoving, and just going crazy. I got sucked into a few pits and was too busy fighting for my life to be scared. By the middle of SUICIDAL‘s set, I found myself near the front of the stage and utterly smashed like canned sardines against everyone else around me. It was hard to breathe at times and that was a freaky feeling. The band was awesome so it helped to distract you from the discomfort of elbows flying, crowd surfers landing on your spine, and lots of man sweat from strangers being rubbed on you. It was easy to see just why vocalist Mike Muir was such an icon. The man is charismatic as hell.
Once SUICIDAL concluded their set, I was more than relieved because I could finally get a breather from the madness. The grass field had been transformed into a dirt field and the air was thick with dirt and dust. I was thirsty as hell but there was no way I could get to the vendors as I was stuck right near the front of the stage.
It took at least an hour for METALLICA to hit the stage. The wait was excruciating to say the least. I hadn’t seen my friend since SUICIDAL played and figured I’d have to find him after the show. Once “Ecstacy of Gold” starting playing, the crowd was instantly energized. James Hetfield ran out on stage playing the first notes to “Breadfan” and the madness went to a whole new level. Plumes of weed smoke bellowed into the night air. Everyone was furiously headbanging, pumping their fists, singing along, moshing, pushing, kicking, punching, and any other primal behavior possible. The crowds of today in the U.S. don’t even come close to the brutality of those final years of metal’s mainstream heyday.
Throughout their 2+ hour set, you couldn’t help but think that METALLICA were indeed the gods. Seemingly endless classic song after classic song put me in heaven. And to be up so close to the band was just amazing. I could clearly see every member’s faces. Watching Lars disappear through his secret trap door behind his drumkit was hilarious. I don’t think I’ve ever been to another show with so much enthusiasm. People were high fiving each other after every song and headbanging together in camaraderie while others chose to bash each other to a pulp. It was a special night where thousands gathered to enjoy the thing they enjoyed most in life, metal music.
After the show, I eventually found my friend and both of us were covered in dirt and dust. He managed to escape the moshpits by fleeing to the side of the field. My eyeglasses were bent out of shape while being in my pocket, and my shoelaces were severed. I was coughing up and sneezing dirt for days. Also, I was sore all over for days.
Since that summer night, I’ve gone to literally hundreds of shows but nothing compares to that show. It was the perfect night, time period in my life, and era of metal to have my first concert experience. Who knew that METALLICA would not only ruin my life but the lives of millions around the world two years later with their next record?