Angel Vivaldi

No lyrics to pretend you can understand today, kids - it's the instrumetal virtuosity of Angel Vivaldi!  TECHNIQUE-CRANK IT!

FLASHBACK! - Skid Row

With the 2015 holiday over, kids, it's time to go back in time - FLASHBACK!  It's Skid Row this week.  Now, I know what some of you are saying: that Sebastian Bach and the boys were glam and that their music is, at best, hard rock.  Listen again, this time without the preconception that because Skid Row peaked with the glams, they must have been glam, too.  It's the thundering, blistering "Slave to the Grind" - CRANK IT!

Gothminister

Happy Halloween, kids - it's one of my favorite guilty pleasures, Gothminister.  DARKNESS-CRANK IT!

Nightrage

Here it comes, kids - it's metalcore veterans Nightrage! Crank it!

Barn Burner

Tape up the big stuff you broke last week and get your breakin' stuff shoes on - it's Barn Burner, straight outta... Montreal?  Yeh, Montreal.  Don't think - CRANK IT!

Kvelertak

Hit the deck, kids - out of Norway flies the hammer that is Kvelertak! (That means "chokehold", by the way - awesome.) It's Blodtorst - CRANK IT!

FLASHBACK! - Metal Church

Where do the weeks go, kids?  FLASHBACK!  If you read the blog, you know I have kinduva problem with Slayer - mainly that, to me, Slayer is more a hardcore or death band than a thrash band, and thus shouldn't be included in the "big four" of American thrash.  This week we go to yet another band that might better serve that slot - Metal Church.  Now, the Church has a broad palette of styles, often melding the power of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal style with the energy of thrash, and many would argue that Kurdt Vanderhoof and the boys have been an abiding influence on the thrash scene, even starting in the mythical Bay Area before moving to Washington.  But don't take my word for it - CRANK IT!

Feed Her To The Sharks

We're goin' modern this week, kids - it's Australian metalcore outfit Feed Her To The Sharks. It's "Burn The Traitor" - CRANK IT!

Murp

Jump back, kids, today it's... this girl:

Proper child-rearing.  CRANK IT!

Skrew

Put on yer pseudo-military uniforms, kids - it's industrial gurus Skrew.  HAMMER IT into the shape of a crank, then CRANK IT!

FLASHBACK! - Accept

Where do the weeks go, kids?  FLASHBACK!  It's Accept today.  Fronted by history's most metal dwarf (not exactly, but not exactly not), Udo Dirkschneider, until 2009, Germany's proto-thrash stalwart Accept has enjoyed success for more than thirty years, arguably more successful than ever since Mark Tornillo took over vocals (can't help it, though - Udo will always be my preference.)  It's my favorite Accept track today, the too-often-overlooked "Restless & Wild" - CRANK IT!

All Out War

Hit the deck, kids - it's New York thrash outfit All Out War.  It's "Into the Killing Fields" - CRANK IT!

Comeback Kid

It's Canadian punk today, kids!  There's cold in Canada - the stone-cold, hardcore punk grooves of Comeback Kid!  CBK was supposed to be a side project for members of Figure Four and a couple of their friends; it turned into seven albums and counting.  Here's why - CRANK IT!

Aren't We All

Alright, kids, today it's Aren't We All out of the great state of Iowa; wait - Iowa?  The only metal Iowa has is Slipknot!  No, it has lots of stuff, and this is some of the stuff that's good.  In fact, I would go so far as to say Aren't We All is some of the best.  Personally, I think it's more than a little "early Tool"-esque.  It's "The Ledge" - CRANK IT!

FLASHBACK! - Death SS

Where do the weeks go, kids?  FLASHBACK!  Today it's Italian "horror music" juggernaut Death SS (the "SS" is nothing to do with the Nazi Schutzstaffel, but rather an, I think, narcissistic reference to the band's founder and only consistent member, Steve Sylvester.)  Even though Death SS didn't begin releasing full albums until 1988, the band was actually formed in 1977.  Fans of The 69 Eyes, Alice Cooper, or Mercyful Fate will find something to love in Death SS as surely as will lovers of Rob Zombie, Avatar, and Ghost.  HORROR-CRANK IT!

P.S.:  Due to the length of the band's history and the variety in its music, I feel the need to throw you a bonus:

As usual, this is just the tip of the spear - dig deeper for your own enjoyment and edification.

In Mourning

Guess what, kids?!  It's time for another post - post-metal, that is!  (I know you were just dying for more "post" puns.)  It's In Mourning today - CRANK IT!

Disarmonia Mundi

Jump back, kids - it's Italy's Diarmonia Mundi today - CRANK IT!

Fear My Thoughts

Get back, kids - it's Fear My Thoughts!  Metalcore, Germany, 'nuff said - CRANK IT!

P.S.:  But also this sweet not un-jazz-y instrumental?

Flashback! - Armored Saint

It's that time again, kids - FLASHBACK!  My big four of thrash would have been a little different than "the" big four; for several reasons I won't go into today, I've always thought Slayer didn't deserve to be there as much as other bands that were there slogging it out with the others, bands like Death Angel, Testament, and Exodus.  Another big contender in my mind has always been southern California's Armored Saint, and I'm of the opinion that more than anything else, it's John Bush's raw vocal style that really makes them metal.  Anthrax fans already know what Bush did for that band, but both before and after Anthrax, he's fronted Armored Saint - that's right, Armored Saint is still out there chuggin' along.  It's one of my personal favorites:  "Reign of Fire" - CRANK IT!

P.S.:  As a bonus, here's new Armored Saint - RE-CRANK IT!

Krisiun

Oh man, kids - it's Brazilian death metal today - it's Krisiun!  Now, don't change that channel just because you think death metal has a particular sound and that you don't like it (I would hope you trust me a little more than that by now.)  These three brothers (yeh, it's just brothers, like early Chevelle) have as much Dimebag Darrel and Slash influence as they do Andreas Kisser and Kerry King.  All you need to do is wait to fall into the groove at about 1:09, then catch the fiery wah pedal solo at about 3:02, and I think you'll start to hear what I hear, which is that you can't put Krisiun in a box.  It's "Blood of Lions" - CRANK IT!

In This Moment

As you know, kids, I try to stay away from posting bands that I think you probably already know about - you don't need me for that.  However, obviously people have varying knowledge, and I don't always know where the line is, so if you are already familiar with In This Moment, lucky you - enjoy the feeling of knowing things other people don't (I sure do); if you don't know the band... you're still lucky, and you're about to find out why.  In This Moment is kinda like if Lady Gaga and Slipknot got together and spawned a demon band, and it is born already having had a messed up childhood and knowing how to ROCK - CRANK IT!

 P.S.:  Definitely check out this surprisingly faithful and killer Blondie cover, too - feels like a loving homage to a major influence:

Heaven Shall Burn

Hit the deck, kids - out of Germany, it's Heaven Shall Burn!  CRANK IT!

Flashback! - Stick

It's that time again, kids: FLASHBACK!  I feel like Stick is one of those bands that you just LOVED, but apparently only you ever heard of - you know what I'm talking about and you have yours in the basement in your box of old CDs (or cassette tapes? gadzooks.)  Souls At Zero was another one of mine I featured a few months ago.  Anyway, if I'm right about Stick and you missed 'em, you missed some alterna-metal excellence; if you were into Quicksand or Orange 9mm or anything like that, you need to go back and find a copy of the "Heavy Bag" album.  It's Stick - ALTERNA-CRANK IT!

Ghost Brigade

So, now I'm on a post-metal kick.  Post metal is a little hard to describe, but the way I understand it from the music, it is a progressive style of rock featuring metal elements, often characterized by long songs that feature the music more prominently than the lyrics, although the bands that make music of the style tend to favor theme albums that lyrically explore broad or otherworldly concepts from the first track through the last.  As usual, a verbal explanation gives you a far less complete picture of the music than does the music itself - DUH.  I will, of course, post more post-metal in the near future (pun not originally intended), but great examples are Russian Circles and Isis.  Today it's Ghost Brigade out of Finland - POST-CRANK IT!

P.S.:  Just thought I'd say "post" a couple more times: post post.

The Haunted

Jump back kids, it's The Haunted today!  CRANK IT!

Holy Moses

Holy crap, kids, it's Holy Moses! It's your lucky day - a research overflow bonus from the April of Authority, the legendary German thrash band Holy Moses has been fronted by berserker Sabina Classen - yeh, that's what I'm saying: that's a WOMAN destroying the microphone - for more than thirty years and is still going strong. Hope your neighbors like it loud - CRANK IT!

FLASHBACK! - Pennywise

It's that time again, kids: FLASHBACK!  Get set to break stuff: it's Pennywise - PUNK CRANK IT!

Deus Ex Machina (Singapore)

Alright kids, Deus Ex Machina is a melodic death band out of Singapore.  Beyond the band's actual skills, the secrets of DEM's success in the west are two-fold.  First, even through lineup changes, the band's membership has always been diversely international; and second, unlike a large percentage of the metal bands in southeast Asia, which tend to be either brutal or technical, the band strikes a balance between the two.  Also, if you listen, I think you'll hear a distinct NWOBHM spine underlying the shifting balance.  Now, of course I could talk all day, but as usual, the best way for you to get the picture is to just dive in.  From the I, Human album, it's Deus Ex Machina!  CRANK IT!

Eluveitie

Alright kids, it's folk-metal (yeh, that's a thing, too) band Eluveitie today.  As you can imagine, I usually hate this kind of thing, but these folks (yeh, I punned that on purpose) strike a much saner balance than most outfits of their ilk.  Expand your mind a little today - I did!  Plus, two words: fife shredding.  MEDIEVAL CRANK IT!

APRIL of AUTHORITY - Dylath-Leen

It was agony, kids, but I finally chose between the last few contenders for last week of the April of Authority and it's <kick drum roll> Dylath-Leen from... France? - yeh, France - beat out the others (based on my admittedly somewhat-nebulous criteria - if you want to know whom else I considered or you want details on how I choose, all you have to do is ask me about it IN THE COMMENTS.)  Dylath-Leen's name is a reference to a dark city in H.P. Lovecraft's dreamlands.  Dylath-Leen's frontwoman Kathy Coupez not only takes care of the death growls and the clean vocals, she's also the rhythm guitarist - I love it.  CRANK IT!

APRIL of AUTHORITY - FLASHBACK! - Hellion

Whoa, kids!  Put on yer special hats that keep yer heads from blowing up - today is both FLASHBACK! Saturday AND still the April of Authority!  As if perfect symmetry was ordained by the universe, Hellion is both an awesome band with a killer frontwoman AND is named for a Judas Priest track.  Frontwoman and lawyer (yeh - all this and a law degree, too) Ann Boleyn has been shaping the world of metal for thirty years, and I'll bet you've never heard of her.  She is credited with coining the term "speed metal", and her New Renaissance Records label is responsible for launching the careers of bands like Prong (one of my favorite heavy metal bands ever), Morbid Angel, Mayhem, Supultura, and Flotsam & Jetsam.  Now show some respect - it's Hellion - CRANK IT!

APRIL of AUTHORITY - Cadaveria

Y'know, researching bands for the April of Authority is breathing new life into me.  Kind of ironic that this week's offering is Cadaveria (like "cadaver" - get it?)  Cadaveria is both an Italian band and the singer of that band.  Born Raffaella Rivarolo, Cadaveria the person was the singer of symphonic black metal juggernaut Opera IX until she and drummer Flegias left in 2001 to form the band Cadaveria, and I gotta say, it was the right move.  Cadaveria's music can be classified as melodic black metal, but it also has a throwback doom metal feel; the band proudly wears its Black Sabbath, Coven, Misfits, and Type O Negative influences on its sleeve, while simultaneously forging its own path.  Now, I've settled on "Spell" as the selection for today because it displays what I think are some of the best qualities of both the lady and the band, but so you don't get a limited impression of what I like about the outfit, I encourage you to at least also check out the tracks "The Dream" and "Death Vision", both of which have great videos, so that you can get a feel for the full range of what Cadaveria does.  But enough of me blathering - CRANK IT!

P.S.:  If you're obsessed with covers of "Call Me" (my favorite is In This Moment's killer rendition), Cadaveria does a kinda far out one, too.

APRIL of AUTHORITY - Izegrim

Oh, you live in exciting times, kids!  I have received a reader challenge to have a theme month in which I play great bands with frontWOMEN - it's the April of Authority!  (Yeh, I come up with the names myself; no, this one doesn't super make sense, except that it sounds cool - you don't like it, tell me about it in the COMMENTS.  Besides, what did ya want, Estrogen April?)  Now here's the challenge with which the challenger hath challenged me: because I have already used several great bands with frontwomen, I have had to turn over the stones of the internet and discover all new ones - and would ya believe, they're there!  Get back - it's Holland's Izegrim, fronted by the destroying one, Marloes Voskuil!  CRANK 'ER?  I hardly know 'er!  CRANK IT!

Thanks to Jessica for the challenge; I think we're all gonna like where this goes.

Nachtblut

I have discovered it, kids - melodic black metal!  CRANK IT, ALL DEMON-LIKE 'N STUFF!

Flashback - Heart

It's time to go back in time again, kids - FLASHBACK!  What makes a track heavy metal?  Galloping guitar riffs?  Shrieking vocals?  Angry lyrics?  In 1977, Heart released its third album, Little Queen, and the album was promoted on the strength of the single "Barracuda."  Reportedly written by Ann Wilson in a fury after being asked by a record promoter where her lover was (in reference to Nancy Wilson - her sister), the track meets the requirements of the blog - CRANK IT!

P.S.:  Check out Roger Fisher's leather vambrace - what's more metal than that?  Well... I guess... I guess a metal vambrace, but you know what I mean - RAWK!

Disillusion

No, kids, I have NOT become jaded with the blog; this week's band is actually called Disillusion. If you like progressive metal (admittedly a term that can mean about anything), especially the newly resurrected Faith No More, you will definitely be able to find something to love about beleaguered German outfit Disillusion. Here's a track from the band's "Gloria" album - CRANK IT!

Daath

Holy crap, kids - it's Daath!  Apparently, it's pronounced "dath"; I was saying "dae-ath" for a while - that's wrong.  You'll probably be fine just calling it "awesome" - CRANK IT!

Darkest Hour

Here's somethin' about me, kids: if you name your band for a classic Megadeth song, you'll definitely get a fair listen from me, but you'd better rock at least as much as Darkest Hour or I'll just hate you for wasting a good band name.  CRANK IT!

Flashback - Diamondhead and Budgie

FLASHBACK - DOUBLE FEATURE!   Just in case you didn't know, without the British bands Diamondhead and Budgie, there would never have been any... what are those guys called again? - oh, now I remember: Metallica.  You may well be surprised that some of your favourite early Metallica songs are actually Diamondhead and Budgie covers.  Let's just ease you in with "Blitzkrieg" and "Crash Course In Brain Surgery" - CRANK 'EM!

(P.S.: Can you can hear that James Hetfield has really just been doing a Sean Harris impression all these years?)

Lifelover

Ok kids, so here's a genre that exists: depressive suicidal black metal, or DSBM; yeh, read that one again.  Was black metal already depressing enough for the completely-backwardsly-named Swedish band Lifelover?  No!  We also need to wear masks and shriek about hopelessness while we play ambient metal.  As if that isn't sad enough, the guys managed to make four actually-pretty-good-if-you-dig-listening-to-metal-in-the-dark-while-contemplating-sacrificing-your-wrist-integrity-to-Satan albums before the primary songwriter died of a prescription drug overdose - in his sleep.  Which, now that I think about it, sounds like a peaceful way to go.  Now, wait, don't run away - somehow, the tracks are not all that depressing; they're cool, don't really sound anything like black metal, and a lot of 'em kinda rock.  Which, if the band was going for depressing, is kind of depressing.  Oh, the humanity!  It's Lifelover - CRANK IT!

Russian Circles

Holy crap, kids - it's Russian Circles!  Russian Circles is three guys from Chicago who play instrumental ambient/metal; think Isis or Pelican, but less "Bwaaah!" and more "djent djent djent djent djent dunhdunhdunhdunhdunhdunhdunhdunhdunh!" - er, well just CRANK IT! for yourself.

Chain Collector

Alright kids, it's Chain Collector today - CRANK IT!

Flashback - Sister Machine Gun

Where do the weeks go?  FLASHBACK!  By being the right guy in the right contract at the right time, Trent Reznor got the success; through a series of betrayals, Chris Randall got the shaft.  For my money, give me Sister Machine Gun every day of the week and twice on Sunday.  But good news, kids: today's video not only celebrates SMG's frankly-more-consistent-than-NIN catalogue, but also its impending return - that's right: look for a new Sister Machine Gun album this spring (and hopefully some shows - these guys leave it all on the stage.)  To tide you over, it's "Wired" - CRANK IT!

UPDATE:  The "Future Unformed" EP is out now - buy it!

Carnal Forge

Holy crap, kids - it's Carnal Forge - CRANK IT!

Parkway Drive

Alright kids, here's your metalcore fix: all the way from Australia, it's eco-metallers (yeh, that's a thing - see Gojira) Parkway Drive - CRANK IT!

Comments update

Some experimentation in person with some of my readers has revealed that you need to be signed into your Google/Gmail account to be able to leave comments on the blog posts (which now seems really obvious - don't I feel like an idiot.) So if you've tried to leave comments and weren't able to, please give that a try. I want to hear from you; it can only become your blog if you make yourself heard.

Avatar

Holy crap, kids - it's Avatar today.  Avatar is a bundle of contradictions; I don't understand Avatar, and I don't care.  The name seems to have no relation to the band's image or lyric content, but it looks and sounds cool (and admittedly, is a sort of nebulous buzzword of late); the guys look like they use Marilyn Manson's makeup artist and tailor, but their sound is often (but kindof only half the time) squarely under melodic death metal; and while they're based in Gothenburg, Sweden, not only do they not sound like a Gothenburg band (think In Flames), but listening to them is like listening to some guys who love classic American metal artists and can't decide which one to sound like.  Somehow, they make all of this REALLY WORK.  Enough trying to put into words what must be experienced.  Geez, I'm a little giddy - I've been diggin' on this band for a couple of weeks, and I don't know what to play for you first; wait, no, it turns out I DO know what to play first: it's "Let It Burn" - CRANK IT!