Released May 31 of this year, Blizzard of Oz allows metalheads and rock fans to bask in the glory days of heavy metal. This reissue has the bass and the drums of the original recordings restored as well as a dvd with exclusive never-before seen concert footage and interviews with Ozzy. The set also contains an invitation to the 'resurrection of Aleister Crowley.' The album is a must have for any Ozzy fan or metalhead. Containing some of Ozzy's most memorable tracks such as Flying High Again or Mr. Crowley this album features some of the best work of guitar legend Randy Rhoads prior to his 1982 death (the first of two albums recoreded with Ozzy).
Want to get involved? Submit blog posts, articles, reviews, batshit-crazy rants to blog@infernalcore.com
A few posts back we brought you a list of events in Toronto. Here is a reminder of what is happening this month in Metal and Hard Rock.
Mychildren Mybride, Impending Doom, A Bullet For A Pretty Boy, The Crimson Armada
July 12, 2011
Doors @ 7:00 PM
Annex WreckRoom
Toronto, ON
The Nocturnal Alliance Tour
Heavy T.O Two Day Metal Festival!!!
July 23-24, 2011
Downsview Park, Allen Road (After-show at Sound Academy on Sat)
Toronto, ON
The biggest metal gathering to ever come through Toronto, a two day massacre featuring the likes of: Motorhead,Children of Bodom, Slayer, Megadeth, Testament, Anthrax, Exodus, Rob Zombie, Opeth, Death Angel, Diamond Head and more!
Want to get involved? Submit blog posts, articles, reviews, batshit-crazy rants to blog@infernalcore.com
Last night I went to Toronto's Horseshoe Tavern to see a free show for a band from Barrie I had never heard of called Indian Handcrafts. The band is a two piece comprised of Brandyn James Aikins and Daniel Brandon Allen, but by their sound you would think there were at least 5 people on stage. Indian Handcrafts play loud. Really fucking loud. My head is still ringing, but that is okay, because they also play well. On their myspace page they have labelled themselves as a metal/psychedelic/shoegaze act which I think discredits or downplays the cohesion their sound has. Indian Handcraft mixes hardcore, punk, garage, blues and metal without sounding as if they are necessarily mixing all these genres. It just comes across as their brand of loud, energetic, aggressive, shit-kicking rock n' roll.Their sound is contemporary without being too modern and there isn't an abuse of effects (aside from a gain that is cranked way up).
As for the stage presence and personality, the two play with agression and passion 'getting into it' without seeming as though they are dancing around 'for' the audience. There was significant banter ie. "don't you have jobs in the morning" but it was kept light and brief and by the time the feedback was done ringing out from the last song the guitarist had already switched guitars and dove into the next track. Professional. Another thing is the band feels distinctively Canadian, perharps it is their rugged yet familiar sound, or maybe it is just that the two look like they stepped off the set of a Molson Canadian commercial, but Canadiana is a presence that is definitely felt. Highlights of the set include a track about "a guy in Barrie who lost his mind and just hangs around Sobey's pushing shopping carts" and a cut about an impending zombie apocalypse.
Here is a minute of footage I caught on my Iphone mid set.
Keep your eyes/ears out for Indian Handcrafts, because they have their shit together.
Want to get involved? Submit blog posts, articles, reviews, batshit-crazy rants to blog@infernalcore.com
Often credited as the pioneers of hardcore punk Washington D.C.'s Bad Brains have a sound so manifold it would be unjust to bind them within the sole genre they established. Bad Brains began as a Jazz fusion band in the mid '70s in the same vein as fusion ensembles such as Chick Corea's Return to Forever and were well versed in the Hard Rock of the era ie. Black Sabbath. The introduction of punk and ska punk to the band began the formation of the diverse yet iconic sound attributed to Bad Brains. While the initial success of the band is sometimes credited to the novelty of seeing an entirely African American band play punk music, their contributions to a wide spectrum of music (hardcore, punk, metal, alternative, hip hop, ska, reggae...) stands testament by the large number of successful (culturally and commercially) bands that have directly drawn influence from the band. To name a few: Faith No More, In Living Color, Fishbone, Sublime, Black Flag, P.O.D., Deftones, Beastie Boys, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rage Against the Machine and many many more. Billy Corgan of the Smashing Pumpkins once noted that he was inspired by the pacing of Bad Brains' abrasive, hard, fast rhythyms juxtaposed to mellow, smooth reggae and it was this dichotomy that Corgan used to develop the Pumpkins' sound.
I have personally had the pleasure of seeing a Bad Brains performance live and it is unlike any punk concert I have seen before. Singer HR stands tall, stern and relatively unmoved raising two peace signs while creating a myriad of vocal textures and literally emitting multiple voices.
Want to get involved? Submit blog posts, articles, reviews, batshit-crazy rants to blog@infernalcore.com
Today's deep cut comes from the Monks' 1966 album Black Monk Time. In a time usually associated with the begginings of psychedelic rock and sun-shinny, flower power optimism (that would come largely into focus by 1967's Montery Pop Festival) the Monks presented a much more disparaging tone.
Formed in 1964 by a group of American GI's stationed in Hamburg Germany the group began by following the template of contemporary British Invasion rock acts playing skiffle, rock n' roll and blues covers, not far off from the format of the Beatles at the time. It wasn't until a year later when the band met Walther Niemann and Karl-H.-Remy a pair of existentialist designers/luminaries that they appropriated their more provocative image and sound. Welcoming the influences of Niemann and Remy the group positioned themselve as a total antithesis of the Beatles. Adorning themselves in black Cassocks, cutting their hair short and shaving tonsures (bald spots), the group styled themselves literally as a grim middle earth monks. The Monks also wore rope nooses around their necks, a morbid symbol which was a reminder of 'the nooses worn by all humanity.' The Monks' sound consisted of a concious neglect of melody with a focus on repetitive tribal rhythym, with a mixture of shouting, singing & childlish vocals all of which were extremely repetitive. The lyrical content was a combination of dadaist absurdity, pensive social criticism and facetious handling of social taboo and serious subjects. Like all pioneer iconoclasts the Monks were met with 'mixed' reviews... for example one concert attendant in Hamburg attempted to strangle band leader Gary Burger for alleged blasphemy. While the Monks' may not have always met the warmest reception, there is a cult following that has stood as a testament to their genius, influence and contribution to the evolution of rock music. Vocal fans of the band include Jack White, Jello Biafra, Henry Rollins and many others.. Iggy and the Stooges would not have formed had Black Monk Time ceased to exist... And rock Legend has it that it wasn't until attending a 1966 Monk's concert in London that Hendrix was inspired to experiment with guitar feedback.
Want to get involved? Submit blog posts, articles, reviews, batshit-crazy rants to blog@infernalcore.com
What can I say about the great Lemmy Kilmister that hasn’t already been said in his fifty year-plus career? Lemmy is God, the stuff of true legend, few could argue against it. Anybody that has ever rocked out, knowingly or not owes a lot of gratitude to the founding father of Rock N’ Roll. He was a roadie for Hendrix, he blew psychedelic minds with Hawkwind, and he dedicated his life to fast, loud, heavy as all hell music with Motorhead before thrash or punk where even musical terms. Most of all, Lemmy survived, with no compromising him and the boys of Motorhead have consistently pumped out albums nearly every year and toured the world for decades since 1975 with absolutely no signs of slowing down.
As anybody that attended Lemmy’s most recent Toronto mass (held on February 26th at the Kool Haus) will tell you, even at the tender age of 65 the icon does not skip a beat and delivers a note for note high paced show that can only come from Motorhead. To call him a senior seems almost heretical, but this rock n’ roll drill sergeant delivers more punch on stage then guys a third his age. So what makes this mutton chop supporting, Rickenbacker shredding, Jack Daniels guzzling, Marlboro smoking, slot-machine-playing-speed-freak with a voice of broken glass and a stripper on his lap, tick? Well luckily for us, directors Greg Olliver and Wes Orshoski embarked on a three year journey to get under the belly of the beast and give an insight to the man behind the mole.
By no means an easy (or safe) task to create, I can say without a doubt that Lemmy provides a highly entertaining, thought provoking, badass roller coaster ride for anybody willing (or daring enough) to see it. The appeal of the documentary goes beyond the metal crowd. Lemmy is a cultural icon, and his life is the stuff of myth and lore. That is not to say that there aren’t a few surprises revealed throughout the film, showing both his bad to the bone on stage stature and his intelligent, philosophical, down to earth approach to life in general. From the opening scene of the Rock deity making fries (My God, he’s human?!) to sit down conversations with close friends and musicians, one thing is evident…Lemmy is Lemmy, there is not a fake bone in his body, and his persona is not an act, this man is the real deal. To support his case a star studded line up for metal alumni has come out to sing their praises, including everyone from Ozzy, Alice Cooper and Metallica to Dave Grohl, Joan Jett, Ice-T and Billy Bob Thornton.
At 116 minutes the movie leaves you feeling ready to take on the world, I literally felt my balls get bigger with every passing segment. The absolute treat comes in the form of the ‘Ultimate Badass Edition’, a 2 disc version loaded with hours upon hours of special features. I briefly decided to check out just one of them, and then hours later found myself up in the middle of the night having gone through only about half the content. The no-bull Motorhead Live bonus on the first disc gives a what-better-way-then-to-witness-it approach to the world of Lemmy by providing 8 live cuts of the trio performing at various locations. Disc two covers everything from the classic Clarke-Kilmister-Taylor line-up (and it’s very nice to see Fast Eddie and Phil the Animal involved in this project) to Lemmy rehearsing and performing with his disciples in Metallica. All this accompanied by features on his current band mates, Mikkey Dee and Phil Campbell, the infamous Road Crew, the dedicated Super Fans, Funny Stories from the man himself and a 747 load of others. Personal favorites would be Metallica performing as ‘The Lemmy’s’ in full costume for the frontman’s 50th birthday, and a quick shot of a roadie passed out stage left during yet another ‘turn it up to 11’ Motorhead set.
The last of a dying breed, Lemmy is still here to wave the flag for everything that is authentic about rock n’roll. He never compromised, especially when the odds we’re stacked against him, he never gave up, even when diabetes tried to end his career. Lemmy is the embodiment of standing on your own two feet, and this documentary is an inspirational dedication to living true to yourself, and to not bending for anything but your own will. At a time when everything is either sugar coated or made up of horse manure, Lemmy has given us something to believe in, something that is true and honorable…and that is, without a doubt, exactly what we need.
-Posted by CORE Member Ian Rose
Want to get involved? Submit blog posts, articles, reviews & batshit-crazy rants to blog@infernalcore.com
