And now, the end is near, and so we face the final curtain. My friends, we’ll say it clear, we’ll state our case, of which we’re certain. We’ve lived a year that’s full, and listened to each and every album (well, a good several hundred, in any case), But more, much more than this, We did it our way…
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For years, metal and hardcore have been regular bedfellows but that wasn’t always the way. Back in the ’80s, metalheads regularly ran the risk of getting beaten up if they attended hardcore or punk shows. Skins and Mohawks did not take kindly to long-hairs stepping onto their turf, and vice versa. It wasn’t until the emergence of more popular bands like Slayer who, by straddling both genres, showed that the two sets of fans were capable of co-existing without confrontation.
I’ve written about this before, but given the huge response of a recent Bacon’s Bit on the topic, I wanted to re-address it. Your band should have a cover song or two in your back pocket. If you are able to do this then you are going to be able to differentiate yourself and more importantly have your band be remembered. When it comes down to it, as an unsigned band trying to break it in the underground having your band be remembered is the most important thing. If people can’t recall who you are you are fucked. But if you can give them a reason to recall you – you’re in the clear. So I wanted to address all this and get into why covers aren’t corny, how they help to cement you in the fans’ mind, how to choose a good song to cover and of course some of the additional benefits that covers bring to the table. Continue reading
We were back at the Worcester Palladium for the massive fall tour co-headline tour of Municipal Waste and Napalm Death, with Sick Of It All and Take Offense as support! The venue had been home to the annual Rock and Shock all weekend, “3 days of Metal and Horror”. The weekend had already seen the likes of Korpiklanni, Eluveitie, Revocation, with locals like Vivisepulture, and Ice Giant (Day 1) and Day 2 was dominated by the folks over at Psychopathic Records with the Insane Clown Posse and all their friends as well, with a few local bands opening on the second stage upstairs. Continue reading
If you’re going to name your band Cunts then I expect some vile shit. If you’re going to double down and go with Cunts (Ipecac Recordings) as the name of your album, then you’re really looking to summon the Kraken here. I’m ready to slam a forty ounce of Olde English 800, get bashed over the head with a folding chair and crawl back home only to fuck on the floor. Let’s destroy something beautiful. Continue reading
Connecticut Americana-Punks Turkey Vulture are back with a complete left turn from their excellent previous release, their EP, Boxer. Today Ghost Cult teams up with the band as we share their amazing rendition of ‘In The Pines’ (aka ‘Where Did You Sleep Last Night’ or ‘My Girl’). Its author is officially unknown, but it lives in the American songbook and was popularized by Bill Monroe and Led Belly. The song had new life breathed into by Nirvana, as they included it in their MTV Unplugged concert and album. Turkey Vulture does its own special spin on the track with sparse instrumentation, earthy percussion, heart-rending cello, and a lot of character. Check it out! Continue reading
It comes as no surprise that this year’s Aftershock Festival was once again sold out. I mean, how could it not with big-name talents such as Slipknot, Tool, Korn, Rob Zombie, Blink-182, Lamb of God, Dropkick Murphys, Marilyn Manson, Bad Religion, Chevelle, and many others. And with the über-early announcement of next year’s headliner—Metallica, for those of you living under a rock—there’s no question that 2020’s Aftershock will sell out as well. In fact, as of this writing, VIP weekend passes were all gone. A year in advance! So, how was this year’s outing? Damn good, in our humble opinion. Continue reading