Tag Archives: Music

Epic Metal :: It’s not too late to join the quest!

Posted on by Standard 7

So, the warriors of Dethlehem have dropped a second album, aptly named The Ghorusalem Codex Vol. 2: Of Magick and Tyranny.  (This would be a follow-up to their 2009 disc, The Ghorusalem Codex Vol 1: Enthroned Upon A Spire.)  If you’re a fan of metal, or a fan of chaos involving things like trolls and dragons and wizards… you need this album.

DETHLEHEM | The Ghorusalem Codex, Vol 2: Of Magick & Tyranny

DETHLEHEM | The Ghorusalem Codex, Vol 2: Of Magick & Tyranny

Listen to this and try to tell me I’m wrong:  Dethlehem “Hypergates of Infinitude”  It’s one of my favorite tracks off of the album.

I’m big a fan of their first album, but this one blows it away in terms of recording, production, and overall album cohesiveness.  The interludes in between songs have become a much better over-all narrative to help guide you along the quest.  (The full story is coming soon to their website.)

Bovice and Hildor are the six-string men-at-arms, and the musicianship here makes me sick.  The guitars are ridiculous, it’s almost too over the top… but with what Dethlehem has going on, it needs to be ridiculous.  I’m talking shredding, sweeps, blazing riffs, and all manner of fretboard insanity.  If I didn’t know these guys, I’d hate them… they make a punk rock power chord chump like me almost too embarrassed to pick up a guitar.  Luckily for the Ernie and the Berts fan(s), I have no shame.

A slight lineup change on this album, Davidicus the Black replaces Galagore… not sure what the official story is, if Gallagore was eaten by a dragon or transformed into a toad by an evil witch or what.  Davidicus is a wizard, and adds a dynamic both in story & in playing style.  You can hear less doubling of guitar parts by the bass, more restraint where called-for musically, and stomping all over the place where appropriate.

Overlord Brom bangs on the drums like nobody’s business, and even my untrained ear can tell there’s all manner of math going on here with time-signature changes.  This is not 4/4 rock n’ roll.  Plus, when he plays live… he starts out with a bucket-like Helmet on his head where it must be impossible to see anything.  (By the way, funniest character voice ever in the narratives.)

Lord Bonecrush has developed what I can only call a battle-hardened confidence in his vocals.  While they were strong on Vol. 1, on Vol. 2 they’ve progressed to a point where any shred of vocal uncertainty is gone.  The vocals are honed sharp like any good weapon should be before going into battle… yet there’s a double-edge… clean for slicing backed up with growling with a ferocity akin to aurally ripping you asunder.  The backing vocals also stand out a little clearer on their own on this one… not sure who’s where… but it’s all done sparingly, tastefully, and appropriately.

While not a technical review by any means, I hope to have conveyed the overall feel of the album, and to have piqued your curiosity.

These guys put on an incredible live show… I suggest you buy the album to learn their songs, and then go see them when they come to plunder and pillage a venue near you.  I’m not sure if you can fully appreciate the epic-ness through just a recording or video.  They’re on tour now if you can catch them!

(In the interest of full disclosure, this may not be a completely objective review… I do know the guys, and they awesomely thanked me in the liner-notes of this disc…  But I’d like to think that those who know me know I wouldn’t push crappy music on anyone.)

These are not the droids you’re looking for.

Posted on by Standard Reply

Or, maybe the are.

R2-D2: Guitar Hero
R2-D2: Guitar Hero
C-3PO Rocks
C-3PO Rocks

|-o-| [-o-] |-o-|     ( °)

Envisage Your Ideal Concert

Posted on by Standard 2

Okay.  You just found out that you’re secretly related to Oprah, and since she knows you’re a huge music fan… she’s letting you put together the concert of all concerts to celebrate.  Since you have Oprah money, you pretty much have no limit there, but you are limited to bands that are alive and actively together, or that you believe could be reasonably brought back together with a little grea$ing of the wheels.  Example… you’re probably not going to get Guns N’ Roses’ Appetite or (even the Illusions tour) lineup to get on stage together… but you probably could get Steven Tyler & Joe Perry in the same room.

Put together the whole thing…

  • The Venue: A small club?  A stadium or amphitheater?  Your living room?
  • The Run: Is it a one-night-only deal, or is this a 3-day festival?
  • The Name: Every killer show has to have a killer title.  No “w00t-stock”, please.
  • The Bands: Who’s playing & in what order?  Bonus points for linking to ’em.
  • Added Insanity: Want a 20 minute drum solo with Neil Peart & Lars Ulrich?  Want an unplugged duet with Danzig & Shakira?  Want GWAR to disembowel you on the stage?  A guitar battle between Eric Clapton and Slash?  Want all the bands to do nothing but Black Sabbath covers?  Can’t hurt to throw the idea out there!
  • Micro-Manage: If you really want to get nuts, what do you want to see in each performer’s setlist?  Either highlights or the whole thing.

I’ll think about mine while you post yours in the comments below, and in a few days or so I’ll revisit the whole idea in another blog post.  Links to bands’ websites, videos, and music strongly encouraged!

 

The Satanic Bat – Satanic Brats EP

Posted on by Standard 9

There’s lots of free music out there on the internet.  I decided to start pointing to some of it.

Sadly, bands disband.  For whatever reason, a lot of ridiculously awesome bands just peter out or implode or flat-out fall apart.  One such band is old time local rockers, The Satanic Bat.  I guess they’d be classified as stoner metal in the most generic sense of trying to pin them down.

My old band (Gasoline Dion) shared a practice space and a band member with these dudes.  (Regular readers will know I mention Dave all the time. If you have a band, check to see… Dave’s probably in it.) They even helped us record our album, but probably wouldn’t want their name attached to it.  (Maybe I’ll put that up for free in a later installment.)

These cats could (and individually still can) rock, and they had a sense of humor.  They were asked to play a Ramones tribute show… and they recorded an EP.  The resulting songs sound like Black Sabbath covering the Ramones.  Seriously.  Since I’m a big fan of both, this is one of my absolute favorites.

Mead Rock 2000 | Satanic Brat EP

Satanic Bat - Satanic Brats EP

Satanic Bat - Satanic Brats EP

Click the link or image above to go through to the old Bat blog post for details and the link to download.

TRACKLIST:

  1. Loudmouth
  2. Commando
  3. Beat on the Brat
  4. R.A.M.O.N.E.S.  (Motörhead)

For a weird anecdote… the show was played at Rugger’s with the Atomic Drops, of which Erin “Ernie” Payne was a member.  Now, Dave & Erin are my current partners in crime with Ernie and the Berts.

Other live Satanic Bat stuff is available in their old blog, I urge you to check it out if you dig this EP.  You can also buy their CD: Tales From the Southland, Tales From the Sea.

Steve & Josh went on to form Rogue Vessel.  Dave is in Dethlehem and Ernie and the Berts. Jon ended up quitting music for a while, but I hear he’s back?  Anyone have any info on that band?

At any rate, enjoy the EP… I’d love to hear what you thought of it.

Ernie and the Berts | Photos from the Fallout Shelter – Sat. Oct. 30th, 2010

Posted on by Standard Reply

Just sharing some photos from Saturday’s show at the Fallout Shelter.  Thanks to Jason for taking the photos of Ernie and the Berts!  I got the photos of Blaming Murphy and GuruGuru.

I know I had a blast, hopefully everyone in attendance did too.  This show felt great.  My “being in a band again” nerves or jitters or whatever they were are gone.  I wasn’t thinking about what I was playing… I was thinking about goofing around and being entertaining.  Hopefully it payed off.  I need to remember to tape my cords to the floor so I don’t unplug my pedal.  Ha ha.

Or just click on the thumbs…

































Thunder can’t quietly do anything. It’s thunder.

Posted on by Standard 2

Oh my goodness.

So funny.  I like this John Moe character.  There’s plenty more pop song correspondences, and even more content at McSweeney’s Internet Tendency.  I really dig this cat’s style.

 

Guitars & Rock N’ Roll

Posted on by Standard 2

I like guitars.  I blog about a bunch of stuff, but I can’t believe I neglected adding a guitar category before now.  Perhaps because I’m back to rocking out again, I’ve been more aware of guitars and music in general.

I have always loved music from an early age, and the guitar has always been my favorite instrument.  Of course I wanted to learn how to play.  I took a class in school because I needed 2 music electives one year.  We did the Mel Bay “Marry Had a Little Lamb” crap and I skimmed through only sort-of learning to read music while I bought guitar magazines and learned my favorite riffs by tab at home or from the kids in the guitar class who already knew how to play & were taking it for an easy A.

I was also learning at church camp… the minister in charge used to play campfire standards & hymns for the sing-alongs, and taught me how to play chords to a whole song instead of the riffs that I was used to half-assedly piecing together.  I think through this is where I first felt comfortable singing & playing at the same time.  I remember that being a huge obstacle at one point, but now it almost seems ridiculous.

I took lessons at a music store for a while, and it was cool… but basically I learned 1 scale and how to play by ear.  It wasn’t very structured, and I wasn’t a great student.  I just wanted to rock… not learn.

Around the same time, I re-discovered punk rock.  I had always been a fan of pop rock, punk rock, metal, & more… but when I learned that I could pop in the Misfits or Ramones and play along to the whole record, something just clicked.  I fell into a three-chord way of life… and discovered that I didn’t need to be a great guitar player.  Sure, there’s always room to improve, but I’m not trying to be Yngwie Malmsteen or Jimi Hendrix or anything.

With the punk re-awakening that I had, I wanted to write songs and be in a band.  Playing the guitar was the means to that end.  Luckily this was happening at the same time for me as some other good friends & eventually AiXeLsyD was born.  I’ve played on & off in a handful of bands & projects since then and been part of a few different scenes.  I’m very thankful for being introduced all the people that I’ve met through those endeavors.  There’s a weird bond with other people in bands that you just don’t get if you’re not part of the whole thing.  It’s like a weird brotherhood or religion or secret club… even within that I guess there are still more than a few who still don’t get it once they’re in it, but that’s a whole other blog.

This went a different direction than I intended, but you’ll have that.  Maybe I’ll blog more about the band experience… I’ve had a few standard rants about bands over the years that I’ll have to rehash here.

My original intent was just to say that I was going to start blogging about guitars.  I love guitars.  I like to play all kinds, I’d love to own them all.  I like normal guitars, but I gravitate toward the weird ones.  I’ll blog about all of them here.  Hopefully it’ll spark some discussions, awe, and ire.

31st Street Pub Photos – Ernie and the Berts / the Shutouts / the Undercover Saints

Posted on by Standard Reply

Got some cool photos the other night from Ernie and the Berts‘ first official show at the 31st Street Pub.  Bethany took all the ones of Ernie and the Berts, I took the ones of the Shutouts and the Undercover Saints.


To see the whole album, you have these options…

I had a good time taking the photos, hope you enjoy ’em.  It’s good to be out & about and watching vital punk bands still playing.

You should definitely check out the Shutouts and the Undercover Saints some time soon if you’re into Pittsburgh punk rock.  I found some free music online too…

You can’t afford not to check ’em out now.  (Or would that be… You can’t afford to not check ’em out now?)

Women in rock?

Posted on by Standard Reply

While on Tumblr, I found an interesting post that I just couldn’t shut up about…

It’s about women in rock.  I dug the sentiment, but I dunno if I agree with the premise.  So, check out the original…

The girls onstage. The ones who might never play a major tour, the ones trying to grab some attention in a shitty bar, the ones who hear “show us your tits,” the ones who had better be traditionally attractive or no one wants to hear what they have to say, the ones who scream lyrics to a crowd…

(read entire post)

and my thoughts:

I enjoyed this post, but is it really still unfair for women in rock n’ roll?  Some of my favorite bands are The Eyeliners, The Donnas, The Teen Idols, and Dance Hall Crashers… all successful women in rock.  Even locally, we have the Motorpsychos… I certainly wouldn’t mess with them.  And, one of my favorite locals was Sing the Evens, Play the Odds.  I never once thought “Oh, there’s girls in this band, so I’m not going to take them seriously.”

I think all musicians are objectified to some level, no matter their gender.  My wife would jump Bret Michaels in a second if we weren’t married and he wasn’t a giant walking STD.  A guy screaming “show us your tits” is pretty much on par with a teenage girl yelling “I love you” to Justin Beiber… just slightly more vulgar.

A female friend of ours once asked my wife about me “Doesn’t it get you hot to see him up there with a guitar?”  Her answer was a resounding no… but apparently it got our friend excited.  Ha ha ha.  Should I be insulted?

What do you think?

Ernie and the Berts

Posted on by Standard 4

So, I’m in a band again.  We’ve only been jamming for a short while now, but the chaos is already well underway.  We decided to play an open stage night before we were ready, just because we could.  I dig this momentum/vibe.  Plus, I got to break out the FlipOut guitar for its first show!  I didn’t realize how much I miss gigging out.  It’s addictive.

As far as a style, it’s still taking shape… but right now it’s stripped down punk/rock/pop, and it’s sloppy.  We’ll have some covers, some originals, whatever we feel like as time goes on, I guess.  Most importantly, we’re having fun.  If you’ve seen a handful of local ‘Burgh bands in the past 10 years, chances are you’ll recognize all the players here.

For more about E&tB in the future, keep watching…

To see what you missed, here’s almost our entire 3-song set thanks to Bethany.  Watch your speakers… her camera didn’t like our volume, I guess.

Ernie and the Berts “Suffragette City” (Live) Mon. June 28th, 2010 @ the Thunderbird Cafe

URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHX_H9bg4uA

Ernie and the Berts “Radio, Radio”/”Hot N Cold” (Live) Mon. June 28th, 2010 @ the Thunderbird Cafe

URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzbwYG0Sa0I

And, there are a few photos (thanks again to Bethany)…

Ernie and the Berts @ the Thunderbird Cafe - Mon. June 28th, 2010 - Lawrenceville (Pittsburgh), PA

Ernie and the Berts @ the Thunderbird Cafe - Mon. June 28th, 2010 - Lawrenceville (Pittsburgh), PA

I also have to say that I also learned that the Thunderbird Cafe in Lawrenceville is awesome.  It’s a great room, it has a menu devoid of shellfish, and the crowd was a nice mellow mix form all walks of life.  While I’m at it, host band Craig King & CBG Connection were awesome dudes.  They were very welcoming, and they rocked the place out with some funk/blues/rock/jazz insanity.

If for some reason you want both videos, you can get a zip of both of them in mp4 format here:  http://drop.io/EatB_06282010_TBC