Third in line, but actually the truly second album by Brooklyn’s finest Dark/Gothic Metalers, released 18 years ago, on 17th August 1993. I love this one. From the gloomy grooves of the mysterious “Christian Woman” to the magic vibe of the Seals and Crofts cover “Summer Breeze” through the organ-driven “Set Me On Fire” with its vintage charm to the shifts of tone and moods in “Too Late: Frozen”, Peter Steele, Josh Silver, Kenny Hickey and Sal Abruscato delivered a masterpiece.
“Bloody Kisses” was the first record for Roadrunner to reach certified Gold and later Platinum status in the US and the unexpected success of Type O Negative only raised the pressure from the record label on the band to deliver more radio-friendly materials further. Former member and drummer Sal Abruscato left the band and joined Life Of Agony and later was replaced by the band’s drum technician, Johnny Kelly.
And well, after “Bloody Kisses”, Peter quit his day job at the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation… Read more Type O Negative – Bloody Kisses (1993)
Yearly Archives: 2011
Psychostick – Space Vampires vs Zombie Dinosaurs In 3D (2011)
The third strike of this so-called “Humorcore” band from Tempe, Arizona, will be released on August 16, 2011 and the band also made available the first two singles, “Political Bum” and “Beacuse Boobs” as free downloads on their web site in order to promote the album.
Quoting from their official bio: “a breath of fresh air has come for those who need a break from the standard angry rock or metal band. While many fans love the rush of loud and heavy music, it usually comes bundled with negative lyrics and attitudes”, Psychostick brings humor in Metal, adds dumb and funny lyrics to cutting riffs, pounding drums and the pulsing bass, reminds me somehow of Green Jellÿ, they add spices to classy Metal and sometimes full of shit life and boring, cliche-full (mainstream) music.
Read more Psychostick – Space Vampires vs Zombie Dinosaurs In 3D (2011)
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Mother’s Milk (1989)
Between naked punks with only socks on their cocks and (funk) rock superstars with “Blood Sugar Sex Magik”, the transitional album was this “Mother’s Milk” from 1989, released on 16th August 22 years ago. Just as curiosity, “Freaky Styley”, their second album was released also on 16th August, but four years earlier, in 1985.
Kiedis, Frusciante, Flea and Smith delivered a nervous, high energy material where funk and punk collided into groovy and pulsing music. “Mother’s Milk” also contains guitarist Hillel Slovak last recording, a cover version of The Jimi Hendrix Experience song “Fire”. Slovak died on June 25, 1988 due to a heroin overdose. The record also contains another cover, Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground”.
“Higher Ground”, “Knock Me Down”, “Taste the Pain” and “Pretty Little Ditty” are the more funky – and radio-friendly tracks – while “Magic Johnson”, “Stone Cold Bush”, “Fire” and “Punk Rock Classic” were kept the energy and rawness of punk and the other songs were blendings of both direction.
Read more Red Hot Chili Peppers – Mother’s Milk (1989)
Media Blitz – A Voice Of Our Own (2011)
It’s been eight years since Wattie Buchan and his buddies released their eighth studio album, “Fuck the System” and I actually miss a little bit of anarchy and I miss The Exploited quite a lot. I love their raging Punk since the mid 80s.
And this phrase: “Riot starting, bouncer bashing, cop baiting, hotel trashing, foul talking, noise making, chaos causing, venue wrecking, government hating, rule breaking, piss taking, unrelenting, punk rocking. Clearly we’re not talking about Pepsi adverts here!” (excerpt from The Exploited History page) somehow quite fits right here as I’m listing Media Blitz, a quartet from Orange County, California, formed by Jason Schwartz – vocals, Eddie Oropeza – guitar, Jeff Salisbury – drums and Ryan Blank – bass.
Read more Media Blitz – A Voice Of Our Own (2011)
Garbage – Garbage (1995)
Today I’m gonna take you back only 16 years. 😀
The self-titled debut album by Garbage released on August 15, 1995 was considered innovative for its fusion of Pop melodies with Alternative Rock, Trip-Hop and Electronica genres and its use of loops and sampling. 6 songs out of 12 became successful singles. “Garbage” spent over a year on both the US and UK charts, reaching the top 20 on charts worldwide and receiving multi-platinum certification in numerous territories. The album’s success was helped by the band promoting it on a year-long tour, including playing on the European festival circuit and supporting the Smashing Pumpkins throughout 1996, as well as by a run of increasingly successful singles culminating with “Stupid Girl” which in 1997 was nominated for Grammy Awards for Best Rock Song and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group. Read more Garbage – Garbage (1995)
Diamond Plate – Generation Why? (2011)
Absolutely classy Thrash Metal, fans of Testament, Overkill, eventually Metal Church will be positively surprised by this new Bay Area quartet released by Earache Records. And well, their album title is quite a good question nowadays: generation why? Don’t bother answer it, it’s quite obvious: for sport shoes, iPads and big screen TV sets. Nothing else matters anymore. But once again, not quite to everybody.
Konrad Kupiec – lead and rhythm Gguitars, Jon Macak – vocals and bass guitar, Jim Nicademus – drums and Mario Cianci – rhythm guitars gave us a hell of a trip back to the end of the 80s, beginning of the 90s through their debut album, and this full retro taste-like Thrash album somehow feels absolutely fair and alright. Read more Diamond Plate – Generation Why? (2011)
The Who – Who’s Next (1971)
The Who became known for their energetic live performances which mainly were finished by smashing their instruments and ended up by selling over 100 million records. If this isn’t Rock’N’Roll, what is it?
Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips said, “I already believed in rock & roll, but seeing The Who really made me feel it” while Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder said, “The one thing that disgusts me about The Who is the way they smashed through every door in the uncharted hallway of rock ‘n’ roll without leaving much more than some debris for the rest of us to lay claim to.”
Influencing artists from Led Zeppelin and The Clash to The Stooges, Queen, U2, Nirvana and Green Day, The Who managed to merged Blues-Rock with the aggressive and explosive energy of what later was labeled being Protopunk and often they have been called “The Godfathers of Punk”.
Most of the people at least heard about them because of “Tommy” and eventually their anthem “My Generation”. Youngsters maybe noticed the song “Behind Blue Eyes” on Limp Bizkit 2003’s “Results May Vary” which is actually a Pete Townshend composition and it was recorded in 1971 and released on 14 August, exactly 40 years ago on the album “Who’s Next”. Read more The Who – Who’s Next (1971)
Today Is The Day – Pain Is A Warning (2011)
Today Is The Day was founded by Steve Austin and Brad Elrod in Nashville, Tennessee in 1992. Nominated as “Experimental-terror-metal noise heroes”, Today Is The Day incorporated from Alternative Rock elements to Grindcore, and from Garage Rock to Industrial noises all type of sounds and structures, genres and approaches. Contorted, still fluent, noisy, but also quite harmonious and musical, Today Is The Day are a perfect killing machine.
After a four-year wait since their previous release, “Axis of Eden”, band’s founder, lead guitarist/vocalist and producer, Steve Austin teamed up with Wetnurse‘s Curran Reynolds (drums) and Ryan Jones (bass) for this ninth studio release of the band. Read more Today Is The Day – Pain Is A Warning (2011)
Mr. Bungle – Mr. Bungle (1991)
As one of the (never resting and) “brilliant” journalist stated: they were the “most ridiculously terrible piece of festering offal ever scraped off the floor of a slaughterhouse”. 😀
1991 was a very good year, quoting a famous song title. Yesterday I mentioned Metallica’s “black album”, today’s Mr. Bungle’s turn and their self-titled debut album for Warner Bros after previously they released four cult demos.
In 1989 Mike Patton became the lead vocalist for San Francisco’s Faith No More replacing Chuck Mosley, getting the job after guitarist Jim Martin heard him on a Mr. Bungle demo. Patton in only two weeks, had written all the lyrics for the songs that would make up the Grammy award-nominated “The Real Thing” released in 1989. Mr. Bungle was formed in 1985 and Patton continued to be a member of both bands simultaneously and the band established a following in Northern California, but mainly the success of Faith No More secured them a record deal with Warner Bros. And between “The Real Thing” and “Angel Dust” it was “Mr. Bungle” – released 20 years ago, on 13 August. Read more Mr. Bungle – Mr. Bungle (1991)
Metallica – Metallica aka The Black Album (1991)
It was released on August 12, 1991, exactly 20 years ago, “Metallica” – also know as “The Black Album”, the fifth studio album of the band and the first after the bursting success of “…And Justice for All” – meantime certified 8x platinum by the RIAA, and it was one of the most expected record at the time.
The album debuted at number one in ten countries, and spent four consecutive weeks at the top spot of the Billboard 200, making it Metallica’s first album to have involvement at the pole position. “Metallica” is the band’s best-selling album to date with more than 22 million copies worldwide and the album was certified 15x platinum (diamond) by the RIAA on November 13, 2009.
James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett and Jason Newsted, but not at least also by contributions from producer Bob Rock, delivered a different Metallica album, “Metallica” is a step away from their previous Thrash Metal sound and approach to a more cleaner, kind of classier sound, but pointing to a new direction. Read more Metallica – Metallica aka The Black Album (1991)
