Progressive Rock is a dinosaur and concept albums went out of vogue in the 70s. That’s what you think. Atlanta-based metal quartet Mastodon continue to challenge preconceived notions about the viability of mixing modern metal with conceptual Prog Rock with its musically acrobatic third album, Blood Mountain. For this ambitious album about an arduous journey to the apex of a mythical mountain – which boasts songs about one-eyed Sasquatches, benevolent tree people and crystal skulls – drummer Brann Dailor drew inspiration from both musical and cinematic sources, including the 1973 Alejandro Jodorowsky film, The Holy Mountain and Genesis’ 1974 epic masterpiece, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. Continue reading An Interview with Brann Dailor of Mastodon→
Despite my busy and very ass-kicking social life, it’s not unusual for me to spend full weekends holed up in the Chick Pad working on my book or writing an article for Modern Drummer magazine. Because that’s just the kind of dedication to The Rock that I possess. Today I spent most of the afternoon listening to Quiet Riot’s Metal Health and Warrant’s Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Richover and over (at a volume that I can only hope completely annoyed the shit out of my upstairs neighbors) while composing 100-word reviews of each album for an upcoming issue of Metal Edge magazine featuring a section on “The 25 Essential Hair Metal Albums.” Honestly, I’m all over it. Continue reading In a Metal Mood→
In a review of its 2005 album The Curse, a critic described Atreyu’s music as being “too goth to be emo, too metal to be punk and too brazenly emotional to be metal.” With the release of the Orange County band’s latest CD, Lead Sails, Paper Anchor the identity crisis appears to be over. According to drummer/vocalist Brandon Saller, Lead Sails represents a bold effort to “sound like ourselves and not like ten other bands” – a goal which it achieves brilliantly. “We’ve come up in a heavier, hardcore scene,” Saller continues, “but we didn’t want to be stuck with that ‘Metalcore / Screamo’ label.” Continue reading An Interview with Brandon Saller of Atreyu→
It’s been over a year since Lamb of God released its much-lauded fifth album, Sacrament, the popularity of which has kept these princes of American metal on tour non-stop since the summer of 2006. While the group consistently plays to sold-out throngs of enthusiastic fans, drummer Chris Adler admits that sometimes a venue’s politics can stand in the way of Lamb of God entertaining its rabidly loyal audience. Continue reading An Interview with Chris Adler of Lamb of God→
It’s been two years since South African rock band Seether released its fifth album, Karma and Effect, so the group’s latest CD, Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces can hardly be called a ‘come back.’ But the new album does represent a come back of sorts for drummer John Humphrey. In December of 2006, John underwent major back surgery to repair a painful and debilitating collapsed disc that had seriously compromised his ability to play drums. Regarding the chronic condition he lived with for over four years, Humphrey explains, “Physically, my upper body was strong and my hands were not affected, but in the year prior to my surgery, I noticed that my bass drum leg had become very weak. I didn’t realize how weak until towards the end of our last tour, when I was using two legs to play parts that I could usually play with one.” Continue reading An Interview with John Humphrey of Seether→
