Cool. Just got a break from the endless childcare/online university education so I could watch it. Damn, we’re all getting old! Lars is starting to look like Harry Dean Stanton.
I really enjoyed catching up with you guys and watching that doc. Can we do it again sometime soon? How about a concert video? See the rest here
I think there are actually two amazing things here:
1) “[Y]ou somehow have managed to avoid the calcification of musical tastes that is a basic biological fact of age. How did you do that?” I agree, this is truly exceptional. In case you want to know what the near opposite of what you have been able to achieve is, here is a list of the ten albums I have most recently purchased:
What a bummer! You’re not wrong about Into the Mirror Black. I bought it a few years ago to prepare for Sanctuary’s Japan tour and was surprised by how much of it I remembered. Such a Carman album! See the rest here
I agree. Wow. Didn’t think they could still thrash like that. Also, isn’t it the perfect song for this crazy election year (and already the hottest year on record)? See the rest here
Dear Arse & Ziggles:
As always, I can’t wait for the Arsies to begin. As the suspense builds, I thought I should point out something you may already have noticed: The Arsies is anti-establishment. And that’s not just an opinion statement, I can prove it. Nick Cusworth at Heavy Blog Is Heavy aggregated the best-of metal lists from major metal websites (Stereogum, Loudwire, Rolling Stone, Consequence of Sound, SPIN, Decibel, LA Weekly, Apple Music, Metalsucks, Metal Injection, Metal Hammer, and Pitchfork) to produce one mega list representing the views of the “metal establishment.” See the rest here
Although I suppose we could come up with a definition of metal based on some combination of objective musical criteria (e.g. double-bass drumming, de-tuning, distortion, etc.) or some common sense standard like the Supreme Court’s definition of pornography (i.e. “you know it when you hear it”), I have a nagging suspicion that metal is best defined by the particular emotions it most commonly expresses. See the rest here
I’m sorry to hear about Chris Squire’s passing. He was quite a bass player and artist. R.I.P. See the rest here
That’s too bad about Chris. I hope he gets better soon. The only Yes I know other than the hits is Tales from Topographic Oceans, which you played for me in college. I’m not sure you were trying to make me a fan… See the rest here
Judas Priest
Budokan, Tokyo, Japan
March 11, 2015
Although the show was delayed for half an hour due to an equipment malfunction, the Priest delivered the goods (see what I did there?) as only they can. Rob’s voice sounded strong from the onset and if anything only got better over the course of the two-hour show. See the rest here
At the Gates/Engel
Liquidroom, Ebisu, Japan
February 9, 2015
I caught At the Gates in Ebisu, Tokyo, where I used to live when I had money. I was grading papers all day, so I arrived just before curtain. First up were openers Engel. I immediately noticed Engel were Engelin-less: Niclas Engelin, the band’s founding guitarist and presumably the source of their name, no longer tours with his band, I guess because he joined In Flames. See the rest here
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