So, I know there's only a couple hours left of Christmas, but it is still the Christmas season until New Year's, right?
I looked up "heavy metal christmas songs" after having "No Presents For Christmas" by King Diamond show up at the end of another King Diamond YouTube video. I had no idea there were so many metal artists with Christmas albums. Now, alot of these are "glam" metal artists (Twisted Sister), but I absolutely LOVED Dio's version of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman". It sounded so epic and powerful. The song choice is great because it is naturally in a harmonic minor key, easy to "metallicize".
I made a little playlist of some of my favorite heavy metal Christmas songs I found, just for fun. Play it while your grandma is over for Christmas!
5 Christmas Favorites
Also on here is Twisted Sister's rockified version of "O Come all Ye Faithful", another song I always liked because it sounded so glorious and powerful. It really showcases Dee Snider's singing voice. It isn't the most reverent version, but it is very fun! You can also hear the guitar play "We're Not Gonna Take It" in there, as well as (I believe) the melody to "Hava Nagila" (a Jewish song) as the final melody. I'm not really sure why they did that, but it works! Maybe it was their way of being inclusive.
This song comes with a cute music video too! The acting is quite caricaturesque (apparently that isn't a word, but I'm using it anyway), but it is about a guy giving his (uptight) girlfriend a Twisted Sister album for Christmas. She freaks out, and Dee Snider and Co. appear magically in the living room (similar to the "We're Not Gonna Take It" video). Eventually she loosens up, and they all rock out in the living room. It's kind of hilariously bad, but I went awww at the end all the same because it was a happy holiday ending. I could kind of relate because metal helps me "let my hair down" too. But I'm not as uptight as that chick :P
Hopefully, I'll be able to post some cool guitar stuff during my break from school, and get to blogging more regularly. I hope whoever reads this blog has a great holiday season! Season's Greetings! I have always thought that was the poor forgotten cousin of holiday greetings. Everyone is up in arms about Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas, but no one remembers poor Season's Greetings. Anyway! Season's Greetings! Have a metal holiday :)
Mom by day, headbanger by night. . .
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Judas Priest!
On Non 16th, we saw Judas Priest and Black Label Society on their Epithet tour for part of my "History of Heavy Metal" music class. How sweet of an assignment is that? Almost as sweet as making a metal blog :P
I already wrote a decently long response to the concert, but I might come back and add some details. For now, enjoy the pictures and video! We made it to the second row, and I'm very pleased with how they turned out.
From top: Twin guitar leads!; Rob Halford letting us sing "Breakin' the Law"; "Livin After Midnight"
I already wrote a decently long response to the concert, but I might come back and add some details. For now, enjoy the pictures and video! We made it to the second row, and I'm very pleased with how they turned out.
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| Richie Faulkner |
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| Richie Faulkner close up |
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| Glenn Tipton far away. And devil horns. |
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| Rob Halford chillin'. |
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| Rob Halford singing. |
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| More Rob Halford. Zomg. Rob Halford. |
From top: Twin guitar leads!; Rob Halford letting us sing "Breakin' the Law"; "Livin After Midnight"
"Exclusive" Interview!
With Rochester metal drummer Mike Waske. He has a 7 year old son, M, so I thought I'd ask him a few questions about being a metal parent.
How did you get into metal?
My first experience being exposed to heavy metal was in 4th grade at an older cousin's house and we were hanging out and they had the radio on and a song came on - "You Can't Kill Rock n Roll" by Ozzy Osbourne. I heard that and went "WOW what the hell is this?" They pulled out some metal albums and played them and as soon as I went home I bugged my parents for a record club membership. I have Ozzy, Judas Priest, AC/DC, and yeah basically from then on up until middle school when I became more serious about metal. Metallica's "Master of Puppets" album launched me into heavier, more thrash metal.
What are you currently working on?
I am the drummer for Orodruin, a traditional doom metal band. We're still working on material, playing shows, that sort of thing. I'm also in Blizaro, a project of John Gallow, the guitar player for Orodruin. It's more of a horror rock group and we're currently in the process of recording an album for Razorback records.
You have a 7 year old son. Is he into metal?
Yeah! He doesn't complain about it, that's for sure. He's been to shows. It's something he thinks is interesting. He bangs his head, and when he comes to shows, throws the horns. It's cute.
So does he think it's cool you are in a band, or are you still lame because you're his dad? I'm not sure if he's at that age yet, he thinks it's cool. I think he thinks John Gallow is cooler than I am- he's pretty close with John. Before practices when we're warming up, M will get on the drums and play with John.
In our class we learned about the PMRC, which tried to censor heavy metal. Metal does contain some explicit language and general goriness. Do you limit what he listens to?
At this age no, as he can't make out the lyrics and can't be bothered reading them. When he does get to the age, no, I won't censor- when he gets to that age, I'll have discussions with him to find out how he feels about it, and basically try to see how it affects him and just help him learn there's tons of ways music expresses itself. And I'd also discuss what's appropriate and not in social situations. I don't wan to limit him. Questionable things like that are about having an open dialogue. You know, it's funny because the PMRC happened right when I was exposed to thrash metal, and they were attacking all the bands I was getting into.
How do you balance work, music, and parenting?
Well, you have to make a choice- either hit the road and make a life of it where you aren't going to do other things, or make it a hobby. Vacations become tours. We are fortunate enough in our groups where it pays for itself- we are able to break even. Unless you are making a decent amount of money, metal is pretty much a hobby. It's important to surround yourself with people who support you.
So would you say it's important for parents to have outside interests?
Yeah, whether it's music, art. . .crocheting! whatever. You have to make alot of sacrifices when you have a family and have children but it's absolutely necessary to keep those passions, have to have some sort of outlet outside family life. My time is music and you know, I want to pass it on to my son.
:) Thanks so much for talking with me Mike!
For more information on Mike's bands, check out:
http://www.myspace.com/orodruin
http://www.myspace.com/jgblizaro
How did you get into metal?
My first experience being exposed to heavy metal was in 4th grade at an older cousin's house and we were hanging out and they had the radio on and a song came on - "You Can't Kill Rock n Roll" by Ozzy Osbourne. I heard that and went "WOW what the hell is this?" They pulled out some metal albums and played them and as soon as I went home I bugged my parents for a record club membership. I have Ozzy, Judas Priest, AC/DC, and yeah basically from then on up until middle school when I became more serious about metal. Metallica's "Master of Puppets" album launched me into heavier, more thrash metal.
What are you currently working on?
I am the drummer for Orodruin, a traditional doom metal band. We're still working on material, playing shows, that sort of thing. I'm also in Blizaro, a project of John Gallow, the guitar player for Orodruin. It's more of a horror rock group and we're currently in the process of recording an album for Razorback records.
You have a 7 year old son. Is he into metal?
Yeah! He doesn't complain about it, that's for sure. He's been to shows. It's something he thinks is interesting. He bangs his head, and when he comes to shows, throws the horns. It's cute.
So does he think it's cool you are in a band, or are you still lame because you're his dad? I'm not sure if he's at that age yet, he thinks it's cool. I think he thinks John Gallow is cooler than I am- he's pretty close with John. Before practices when we're warming up, M will get on the drums and play with John.
In our class we learned about the PMRC, which tried to censor heavy metal. Metal does contain some explicit language and general goriness. Do you limit what he listens to?
At this age no, as he can't make out the lyrics and can't be bothered reading them. When he does get to the age, no, I won't censor- when he gets to that age, I'll have discussions with him to find out how he feels about it, and basically try to see how it affects him and just help him learn there's tons of ways music expresses itself. And I'd also discuss what's appropriate and not in social situations. I don't wan to limit him. Questionable things like that are about having an open dialogue. You know, it's funny because the PMRC happened right when I was exposed to thrash metal, and they were attacking all the bands I was getting into.
How do you balance work, music, and parenting?
Well, you have to make a choice- either hit the road and make a life of it where you aren't going to do other things, or make it a hobby. Vacations become tours. We are fortunate enough in our groups where it pays for itself- we are able to break even. Unless you are making a decent amount of money, metal is pretty much a hobby. It's important to surround yourself with people who support you.
So would you say it's important for parents to have outside interests?
Yeah, whether it's music, art. . .crocheting! whatever. You have to make alot of sacrifices when you have a family and have children but it's absolutely necessary to keep those passions, have to have some sort of outlet outside family life. My time is music and you know, I want to pass it on to my son.
:) Thanks so much for talking with me Mike!
For more information on Mike's bands, check out:
http://www.myspace.com/orodruin
http://www.myspace.com/jgblizaro
What's playing in my car
Avenged Sevenfold! More specifically, the album City of Evil (released in 2005). I know a7x isn't the most metal band in the world (ok, I can think of people who might be reading this blog who are thinking "uh huh, they aren't metal at all!"), but if Poison is considered metal, I'd say a7x is allowed in the club. To be fair, I would formally classify it as metal core.
(Warning! I am NOT a music critic! It is not my job to write about music, and this is the first time I've ever put my feelings about an album into words. I can't guarantee it'll be accurate. Or make sense.)
My thoughts the first time I listened to it were: This is GREAT driving home at night on the highway music! I have a 1.25 hour commute each way from school, and while I love me my talk radio in the morning and afternoons, Sean Hannity can get a bit repetitive for me. So I've started, *gasp*, listening to CDs.
On a more musical level, the CD starts out closer to traditional metalcore, and gets more experimental as it goes, adding samples that sound like they came from movie soundtracks, acoustics guitars, and even a mini orchestra. It flows very well, forming a cohesive whole. Sometimes "it flows well" is a codeword for "it all sounds the same" but only a few or difficult to distinguish with a casual listen.
I thought I'd go through a few of the highlights of the album, just to give an idea of what it is about:
-"The Beast and the Harlot"- the opening track. I really like this one. It has a great epic opening that devolves into blast beats. The vocals are clean and melodic, even though it is one of the more "metal" songs on the album. The lyrics are taken directly from the Book of Revelation's "whore of Babylon" or "Babylon the great", who is eventually overtaken by a seven headed, ten horned, beast. In the video though, a7x modernizes the story and creates parallels to Hollywood's materialism and vanity. I also liked the imagery of ancient Mesopotamia, as I have always loved ancient history and mythology, which is often used in metal. Iron Maiden's "Powerslave" album comes to mind. This is a great opener with great energy.
-"Bat Country"- I am less enthused about this one, but included it because it is the most famous and successful single from the album. It was on Madden 2006 and Guitar Hero 2. It is based on a Johnny Depp movie "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" which basically consists of various scenes of Johnny Depp on hallucinagenic drugs. This is not why I am not fond of it though. It is a hair's length away from being "douchbag radio rock metal" (a la Three Days Grace, Theory of a Deadman), especially with its kinda whiney vocals and frantic pace. However, it is very catchy and has song great guitars that save it from medipopcrity.
-"Strength of the World"- This one took longer to discover on the CD- it is #10. This is where some of the "movie soundtrack" noises really contribute to the song. The opening is an acoustic guitar/string ensemble arrangement that reminds me of what the background music would sound like as explorers discovered the New World. If you can't imagine that, maybe imagine something from the LOTR. The theme begun here is peppered throughout the song in the background, weaving the disparate intro into the song.
(Warning! I am NOT a music critic! It is not my job to write about music, and this is the first time I've ever put my feelings about an album into words. I can't guarantee it'll be accurate. Or make sense.)
My thoughts the first time I listened to it were: This is GREAT driving home at night on the highway music! I have a 1.25 hour commute each way from school, and while I love me my talk radio in the morning and afternoons, Sean Hannity can get a bit repetitive for me. So I've started, *gasp*, listening to CDs.
On a more musical level, the CD starts out closer to traditional metalcore, and gets more experimental as it goes, adding samples that sound like they came from movie soundtracks, acoustics guitars, and even a mini orchestra. It flows very well, forming a cohesive whole. Sometimes "it flows well" is a codeword for "it all sounds the same" but only a few or difficult to distinguish with a casual listen.
I thought I'd go through a few of the highlights of the album, just to give an idea of what it is about:
-"The Beast and the Harlot"- the opening track. I really like this one. It has a great epic opening that devolves into blast beats. The vocals are clean and melodic, even though it is one of the more "metal" songs on the album. The lyrics are taken directly from the Book of Revelation's "whore of Babylon" or "Babylon the great", who is eventually overtaken by a seven headed, ten horned, beast. In the video though, a7x modernizes the story and creates parallels to Hollywood's materialism and vanity. I also liked the imagery of ancient Mesopotamia, as I have always loved ancient history and mythology, which is often used in metal. Iron Maiden's "Powerslave" album comes to mind. This is a great opener with great energy.
-"Bat Country"- I am less enthused about this one, but included it because it is the most famous and successful single from the album. It was on Madden 2006 and Guitar Hero 2. It is based on a Johnny Depp movie "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" which basically consists of various scenes of Johnny Depp on hallucinagenic drugs. This is not why I am not fond of it though. It is a hair's length away from being "douchbag radio rock metal" (a la Three Days Grace, Theory of a Deadman), especially with its kinda whiney vocals and frantic pace. However, it is very catchy and has song great guitars that save it from medipopcrity.
-"Strength of the World"- This one took longer to discover on the CD- it is #10. This is where some of the "movie soundtrack" noises really contribute to the song. The opening is an acoustic guitar/string ensemble arrangement that reminds me of what the background music would sound like as explorers discovered the New World. If you can't imagine that, maybe imagine something from the LOTR. The theme begun here is peppered throughout the song in the background, weaving the disparate intro into the song.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Sad but True
I haven't picked up my guitar since October. And before that, I last picked it up Dec 2009. Yikes.
So you'll understand why I hesitate when I call myself a "guitar player". But I did take lessons for 5 years and I did make it to Mel Bay's Book 5. Do I remember any of it? Not really. Maybe if I looked at it.
My music "career" started at age 7 when I started taking piano lessons. I took those for 10 years, so I'm decently proficient at that. I'm not going to be spouting of Rachminoff any time soon, but I can play one Bach invention and the Harry Potter theme, among other things.
I really want to get into playing (and practicing!) music again, and I have things I'd love to learn on the piano and the guitar. I might forsake the guitar for bass, but I would have to own a bass for that.
I also can't wait to share music with my son when he is older. Right now he enjoys banging the keys on the piano and chewing on the drumstick for his drum :)
So this is my jumping off point. I spent some time recording at Chris's house and this is what we came up with that sounded good. I hope to continue it!
Proof that I can play three notes on the guitar over and over
I hope to track my progress on here. I wish I had something cool to have on before this project is due, but alas. Looking forward to Christmas break to begin my quest to get better at the guitar!
So you'll understand why I hesitate when I call myself a "guitar player". But I did take lessons for 5 years and I did make it to Mel Bay's Book 5. Do I remember any of it? Not really. Maybe if I looked at it.
My music "career" started at age 7 when I started taking piano lessons. I took those for 10 years, so I'm decently proficient at that. I'm not going to be spouting of Rachminoff any time soon, but I can play one Bach invention and the Harry Potter theme, among other things.
I really want to get into playing (and practicing!) music again, and I have things I'd love to learn on the piano and the guitar. I might forsake the guitar for bass, but I would have to own a bass for that.
I also can't wait to share music with my son when he is older. Right now he enjoys banging the keys on the piano and chewing on the drumstick for his drum :)
So this is my jumping off point. I spent some time recording at Chris's house and this is what we came up with that sounded good. I hope to continue it!
Proof that I can play three notes on the guitar over and over
I hope to track my progress on here. I wish I had something cool to have on before this project is due, but alas. Looking forward to Christmas break to begin my quest to get better at the guitar!
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Anvil! (concert)
On November 7th, I saw Anvil at the Montage Music Hall in Rochester, NY. It was a fabulous show! There were not alot of people (maybe 250? I'm terrible about guesstimating) so it was very intimate, and I could get up close to the band and take these pictures and videos! Bear with me, they were taken with my not-smart phone, but I was impressed at how they turned out. And you can see how close I was.
Before the show, we watched Anvil! The Story of Anvil, and it was just as good as the trailer made it out to be. I definitely recommend! These guys are NOT a joke like Spinal Tap though. They are the real thing! It's real power metal that comes from the heart. No, they don't take themselves too seriously- "Thumbs will twist. . .can you resist?" is an actual lyric, and Lips the singer/lead guitarist is known for using vibrators for solos. But they are a real group. And because they don't take themselves too seriously, it is fun! I had a BLAST at this concert if you can't already tell!
It's their incredible struggle that made me want to see them. Lately I had been feeling really down because I felt like I could no longer have goals or interests now that I am a parent. It is also hard because it happened much sooner than I intended. I was extra depressed around that time, and when we saw the video in class, I thought "wow! I'm not dead because I'm a mom! These guys have kids and shitty jobs and they play heavy metal!!!" While I'm not aspiring to wear leather bondage wear and play guitar solos with sex toys, I found it SOOO inspirational.
Anyway! Like I said, the concert was great, albeit it started around 11 pm after some mediocre opening bands we didn't listen to. They played such favorites as "This is Thirteen" (from their newest album), "Thumb Hang" (made famous in the movie- about the Spanish Inquisition" and of course, "Metal on Metal". I was in the first row, right in front of Glenn Five. I'm pretty sure he looked at my phone in one of the videos. It wasn't a rowdy crowd, which is good because this was the first concert I went to without a man to protect me. I met some of the local Rochester metal heads, and it was a great time.
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| Lips singing |
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| Lips Soloing |
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| Bassist Glenn Five |
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| Glenn rocking out |
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| Glenn and Lips- I never got a good one of Robb Reiner playing drums! |
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| Blurry Robb and Glenn with a "don't f*** with me" look |
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| Anvil bass drum |
Ok here is the best part of the whole night- I met Robb Reiner!
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| It's meee! |
I did e-mail Lips afterwards about how much I loved the concert and how I sooo wished I could meet him. I also asked if I could ask a few questions for this project, but he didn't offer to let me interview him. However! Here is his reply:
"Hi Kait, I wish you all the best! To continue in the music business, you need to make money from any other source..also it must be something not too over barring and not too time consuming. Never depend on music as your main source of money...if you do it can be disastrous. I never put that kind of stress or expectation on my music that way it stays pure at heart...doing music for the love of it...doing it for the right reasons...good luck to you...LIPS"
Again, I don't really intend on being in "the music business" but now I have tips if I do!
Yay Anvil!
Saturday, December 3, 2011
What heavy metal means to me
Doesn't that sound like the title of a 4th grade essay? At least it would be an awesome 4th grade essay!
I got into heavy metal when I was 18 years old when I went to some concerts during the summer of 2008. I had never even heard of Metallica, I was that far under the proverbial rock. I had previously been a fan of hard rock and classic radio rock, so it wasn't that far of a leap. And I still like that music (along with a potpurri of other things), but metal is most definitely my favorite genre. And the coolest genre!
I love metal because it makes me feel powerful. There were times in my life where I felt very weak, and was told I was weak, which was not true. It makes me feel like a kickass strong woman. At the same time, I feel that metal takes time to recognize pain, rather than ignore it. This is not new- the blues certainly recognized unfortunate events!- but I love the dual nature of the broken self and the dominant self that Rafalovich (who we read in class) talked about. It's like dark chocolate- the bitterness makes the piece taste that much richer. As someone who feels like she's been screwed over at some points in her life, I really admire the way metal deals with real life.
I love the experience of the metal concerts. I'm not really a mosher (for god's sake I'm five feet tall!), but I love the energy among the crowd and the collective camaraderie of being part of a subculture. Even if I can't even see the musicians, I can Feel the music. The Judas Priest concert I went to with Chris was one of the times I felt most alive.
Speaking of which, metal is one of those things that helps me build self confidence. I used to feel like an idiot banging my head and was very very worried about doing it wrong or looking stupid. Metal, in making me feel empowered, has helped me go "who gives a shit!" and do what I want to do for once. I have always felt like I was on the outside looking in, and when I'm banging my head, I don't.
The sound is obviously a huge factor too. Riffs! Power chords! Virtuosity! All I can think of here is that when I first heard some Metallica I thought to myself "wow! This is what I had wished other music would sound like but I didn't know existed!".
I'm sure there's a gazillion more things I love about heavy metal, but I'm drawing a blank.
I don't really know alot about heavy metal. But I know that metal absolutely electrifies my soul. And it's pretty fucking awesome.
I got into heavy metal when I was 18 years old when I went to some concerts during the summer of 2008. I had never even heard of Metallica, I was that far under the proverbial rock. I had previously been a fan of hard rock and classic radio rock, so it wasn't that far of a leap. And I still like that music (along with a potpurri of other things), but metal is most definitely my favorite genre. And the coolest genre!
I love metal because it makes me feel powerful. There were times in my life where I felt very weak, and was told I was weak, which was not true. It makes me feel like a kickass strong woman. At the same time, I feel that metal takes time to recognize pain, rather than ignore it. This is not new- the blues certainly recognized unfortunate events!- but I love the dual nature of the broken self and the dominant self that Rafalovich (who we read in class) talked about. It's like dark chocolate- the bitterness makes the piece taste that much richer. As someone who feels like she's been screwed over at some points in her life, I really admire the way metal deals with real life.
I love the experience of the metal concerts. I'm not really a mosher (for god's sake I'm five feet tall!), but I love the energy among the crowd and the collective camaraderie of being part of a subculture. Even if I can't even see the musicians, I can Feel the music. The Judas Priest concert I went to with Chris was one of the times I felt most alive.
Speaking of which, metal is one of those things that helps me build self confidence. I used to feel like an idiot banging my head and was very very worried about doing it wrong or looking stupid. Metal, in making me feel empowered, has helped me go "who gives a shit!" and do what I want to do for once. I have always felt like I was on the outside looking in, and when I'm banging my head, I don't.
The sound is obviously a huge factor too. Riffs! Power chords! Virtuosity! All I can think of here is that when I first heard some Metallica I thought to myself "wow! This is what I had wished other music would sound like but I didn't know existed!".
I'm sure there's a gazillion more things I love about heavy metal, but I'm drawing a blank.
I don't really know alot about heavy metal. But I know that metal absolutely electrifies my soul. And it's pretty fucking awesome.
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