New Releases

Mastodon - Crack the Skye

Yes, this is the album artwork for Mastodon's new album, Crack the Skye. Also, they have released their first single from the album, titled Divinations. You can download it at itunes or listen to it at their myspace.

Keep it metal!

Waste Your Money On...

Guitar Hero: Metallica

Have I died and gone to Hell? Now they just need to release a Led Zeppelin edition. Here is the final set list for Guitar Hero: Metallica:

Metallica Tracks:

All Nightmare Long
Battery
Creeping Death
Disposable Heroes
Dyers Eve
Enter Sandman
Fade To Black
Fight Fire With Fire
For Whom The Bell Tolls
Frantic
Fuel
Hit The Lights
King Nothing
Master of Puppets
Mercyful Fate (Medley)
No Leaf Clover
Nothing Else Matters
One
Orion
Sad But True
Seek And Destroy
The Memory Remains
The Shortest Straw
The Thing That Should Not Be
The Unforgiven
Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
Wherever I May Roam
Whiplash

Along with these tracks from other artists who have influenced or been influenced by Metallica:

Alice In Chains -- "No Excuses"
Bob Seger -- "Turn The Page"
Corrosion of Conformity -- "Albatross"
Diamond Head -- "Am I Evil?"
Foo Fighters -- "Stacked Actors"
Judas Priest -- "Hell Bent For Leather"
Kyuss -- "Demon Cleaner"
Lynyrd Skynyrd -- "Tuesdays Gone"
Machine Head -- "Beautiful Mourning"
Mastodon -- "Blood And Thunder"
Mercyful Fate -- "Evil"
Michael Schenker Group -- "Armed and Ready"
Motorhead -- "Ace of Spades"
Queen -- "Stone Cold Crazy"
Samhain -- "Mother of Mercy"
Slayer -- "War Ensemble"
Social Distortion -- "Mommy's Little Monster"
Suicidal Tendencies -- "War Inside My Head"
System of a Down -- "Toxicity"
The Sword -- "Black River"
Thin Lizzy -- "The Boys Are Back in Town"

Around the World

Just in case your Led Zeppeling t-shirt just isn't doing it for you these days, I suggest you take a look at this amazing suit. Wait....$43,000? Man, and people wonder what's wrong with the world.

Oldie But Goodie

Deep Purple - In Rock

I get so sick and tired of listening to people debate about whom the first heavy metal band was, or which record was the first heavy metal album ever made. I get especially tired when I hear Alice Cooper state that his band was the first heavy metal band. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not bashing his music; I actually love Alice Cooper. However, his debut album, Pretties for You, came out the same year In Rock by Deep Purple did, and if you compare the two, dear lord does In Rock completely destroy Alice’s record in every fucking fashion.

You want the first heavy metal record? Well, Mr. Cooper, here it is – In Rock by Deep Purple. “Speed King” is probably the best album opener I have ever heard – it gets right to the point and lets everybody know that this band is on a mission to be the hardest rockin’ band on planet earth. Sure, it’s not the evil doom that you hear on Black Sabbath’s debut, but back in 1969 you just didn’t hear shit like this. “Child in Time” shows a softer, more blues based side of the band, but the album picks right back up with “Flight of the Rat”. The groove in the intro to “Living Wreck” completely sold this record for me. After I listened to that intro a total of 10 times in a row (I think I finally listened to the whole song a week later…maybe), I knew that something special was going on.

Not only is Ritchie Blackmore in top form on the guitar, but Jon Lord’s keyboards are something out of this world. The way Lord and Blackmore duel is absolutely entrancing. I’m all for using keyboards to add atmosphere to the music, but when Lord makes riffs that are almost as heavy as Blackmore’s guitar, I jizz in my pants, as The Lonely Island would say.

Mk II Deep Purple released quite a few timeless record (Fireball or Machine Head, anybody?), but In Rock is their true masterpiece, with the band daring to stand out of the musical pack, playing in your face metal while most others, including Alice Cooper, were following the psychedelic trend that the hippies were just eating up.

Mixed Reviews

Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion

This album has gotten amazing reviews across the board. If you don't believe me, go check out Pitchfork for further evidence.

Not sure what to expect from Animal Collective? Well, they sound like the Beach Boys on acid. Sound incredible? I thought so.

Waste Your Money On...

The Scion Rock Fest. This shit is ridiculous. It's taking place in Atlanta, and is actually fucking FREE. However, it's first come first serve, so if you were to come from out of state to witness one of the best heavy metal festivals put on by one of the worst car brands ever invented, there would be a chance you would not get in.

Seriously though, can you resist a festival that includes Mastodon, Baroness, Nachmystium, 1349, AND Skeletonwitch? There is something for everybody at this festival. Therefore, the plane ticket to get to Atlanta is definitely worthy of your money.

Mixed Reviews

The main aspect of a music website is for fans to read reviews of their favorite bands new album. Now I don't feel like having to randomly pick albums to review, so I figured you worthless peons would just tell me what albums you want to see reviewed.

Remember that this is a fucking METAL website, however I do listen to indie rock and electronica, so your requests may include albums from all of these genres.

If there are are any other ideas you have for a weekly article, please send them to me at mkieke@trinity.edu or dehoward8@tamu.edu

Keep it metal!

Metal Matt's Introduction