At the Gates - Debaser Medis - 07 September 2008

At the Gates was formed back in 1990 in Gothenburg, Sweden - and effectively put this sleepy town on the map. As pioneers of the "Gothenburg Sound", At the Gates released 3 albums before coming out with the melodic, breakthrough record "Terminal Spirit Disease" in 1994, and establishing them as a serious, proficient band. Their follow-up, "Slaughter of the Soul", was released in 1995, and became even more successful and influential in the Gothenburg (and global) metal scene. Sadly, the band broke up in 1996, with three of the members going on to form The Haunted. However in 2007, after a 10+ year hiatus, At the Gates reformed for a reunion tour (and nothing more, with no studio albums planned).

Last night they arrived in Stockholm, for their 2nd sold-out show in a row, after 13 years of not having played the town.

It was a pleasure to have At the Gates play Debaser Medis - there are many alternative venues in Stockholm, with the standard "metal" venue for a band of this caliber being Klubben - which is infamous for their sub-standard sound. Debaser worked just fine - yes, it could have been better, but I (as many others were as well) happy to be able to see a legendary band like At the Gates play.

Song highlights included "Slaughter of the Soul", "Cold", "Nausea" and "Blinded by Fear", executed with enthusiasm and - dare I say it - smiles. Vocalist Tomas Lindberg looked genuinely grateful that the house was packed that night, thanking the audience "for remembering" At the Gates. Indeed we remember, and shall never forget At the Gates, and their amazing performance that night.

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-p2

Exodus - Klubben - 30 August 2008

Fucking Exodus, man. These guys came together in 1980 (originally with Kirk Hammett on guitar, of now sold-out Metallica), and they've been through a lot - but are one of the few original Bay Area Thrash bands still going (and going strong). Bonded by Blood, their first studio release from 1985, is chock full of riffage, and its a wonder why this band isn't bigger than they are today.

The show at Klubben here in Stockholm was the last show of their European tour - and I wonder if it wasn't a sore fucking disappointment to them - with all of 150 people or so showing up. I asked the guy at the door if the show was sold out, and he just laughed at me. Thanks, man. You're a dick. These guys are legends. They deserve a lot more. A lot. Stockholm...wake up!

They of course played the classics, like "Bonded by Blood", "Piranha" and "The Toxic Waltz"...with Rob Dukes on vocals - I gotta say, this guy has charisma and class, boys and girls. He, no less than twice, was pointing out hot chicks in the audience. He told us to mosh, and we moshed. He demanded violence, we gave it to him. He wanted to recreate "Fight Club" on the ground floor of the venue...the man got his "Fight Club". He commanded...and we obeyed. Cheerily.

So, even though the crowd was small, the atmosphere couldn't have been bigger and more energetic - we thrash-metalheads love our legends and we're not afraid to show it. Exodus may be small in the grand scheme of (let's face it, people) fake, commercial metal - but they're larger than life in our hearts.

Love always,
-p2

Powertabs is back - MPA-approved?

Well, it looks like the Powertabs site is coming back online, in an MPA-approved format. What that means is anyone's guess. I suppose we'll have to wait and see...
And to think, Metallica used to be one of my favorite bands...

-p2

Iron Maiden - Stadion - 16 July 2008

Dear blog readers,
Yes, I know its been a while since I wrote. I'm very sorry. Life has gotten the best of me.

I'd like to ask for a plea of forgiveness by offering a review of the Iron Maiden show last night, at Stockholm's Stadion.

Iron Maiden formed in England around 1975, and are considered one of the leaders of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. They're the only heavy metal band that I can think of that actively employs 3 guitarists - Dave Murray, Janick Gers and Adrian Smith. They've produced 14 studio albums, all of which have at least gone Gold in the US.

Iron Maiden are one of those bands you just can't dislike - everyone likes at least one Iron Maiden song, even my mom. They're catchy, foot-tapping tunes that get stuck in your head (my "stuck-in-your-head-tune" has always been "The Trooper").

And whenever I've seen Maiden, they've always put on an amazing show. They do the stage show with such finesse, and it doesn't feel forced or like they have to do it because they're music is so unexciting. Quite the contrary. Their stage shows really add to the story lines in the lyrics and the feel of the music.

For this tour, as promised, they brought out several of their stage sets from older tours, including Powerslave and Somewhere in Time. How wonderful it was to see Eddie in many of his previous incarnations!

Aside from the stage antics, the band themselves are a treat to watch. Bruce Dickinson is a great front man, hands down. This man knows how to put on a show, knows his audience, and knows how to get them fired up. Case in point: teasing Stockholmers about the bigger Ullevi stadium in Gothenburg.

My only criticisms would be that they sounded like they were rushing through their songs, and that the sound at Stadion (since its an outdoor stadium) is a little lacking. There were solos that I totally missed because the sound was bad, and the vocals could fade in and out at times as well. (I can also blame the bad sound on Maiden's slight timing faux pas)...

Overall, Iron Maiden puts on an amazing show well worth seeing...I definitely recommend it.

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-p2

Dave Mustaine is getting separated....

...from his wife.

Dave. Call me. I'm single.

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-p2

Necrophobic/Demonical/Spazmocity - 04 Apr 2008 - Tantogården

Necrophobic is a death metal band from Stockholm, Sweden, who came together way back in 1989 (!). They've released only a handful of albums since their inception (perhaps because, as they describe themselves, they are too "self-critical"). They also have not played that many shows as of late, and especially not in Stockholm. Despite that, their fan base in Stockholm is about as big as it gets for death metal heroes like these guys. Those who cry "death metal is dead", are...well...dead wrong.

Now, I have to admit to you, I'm not intimately familiar with their albums, so I can't give you a rundown of what songs they played, etc. What I can tell you is that they put on probably one of the best shows that I've seen in a very long time. They were clearly feeding off the energy of the crowd and were loving every minute of it. Local shows like this one are the reason why I'm here. If you're a fan of classic death metal and have a chance to see these pioneers in action, I highly recommend it.

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-p2

The MPA can Suck My Ass™

They did not shut down the Powertabs site, did they?

It looks like they did.

Mutherfuckingbastards. This has just gone too far.

Powertabs is a freeware software program developed for musicians which allows transcription of songs in an easy-to-create and easy-to-use format. Although the software is still available, apparently the Music Publishers' Association (MPA) has forced the shutdown of the site which hosted the wealth of user-generated tablature for thousands of songs. Clearly this is a move by the MPA to intimidate the masses. What organizations like the MPA do not realize that, while they see this as "a victory in protecting the interests of artists and musicians", they are in fact mobilizing and strengthening this community against them.

Personally, the site has been an inspiration to me when I literally wanted to throw my guitar out the window and laugh sadistically while seeing it hit the ground and smash into a billion pieces. The community was/is great, the tabs were great, and I still went out and bought tab books regardless. With my crappy ear, I would never be able to transcribe anything just from hearing it, and fuck! Where are you going to find a Mercyful Fate tab book anyways!? Show it to me, MPA fuckwads, and I'll friggin buy it from you...

There are rumblings on the 'net about fighting back. I suggest asking the kind people at Pirate Bay for a special category, and posting the tabs there.

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-p2

:: Metal up your Ass :: Mercyful Fate - Don't Break the Oath

I thought I would give the honor of my first "Metal up your Ass" post to one of my favorite metal bands of all time, and one of my favorite metal albums of all time - Mercyful Fate's "Don't Break the Oath".

Mercyful Fate was formed in 1980 in Copenhagen, Denmark by guitarists Hank Shermann and Michael Denner, bassist Timi Hansen, drummer Kim Ruzz and the (in)famous King Diamond as vocalist.

"Don't Break the Oath" was released in 1984, and was this lineup's second full-length release - and a classic example of metal at its best. My favorite track on the album is the epitomical "The Oath" - the razor-sharp riffs, slightly reminiscent of Judas Priest or Accept but with a more evil vibe, cut through like a knife; the vocals are entirely unique to King Diamond: wailing, screaming, screeching, eerie and operatic. Other choice tracks include "A Dangerous Meeting" (with an intro that makes you want to pump your fist in the air!), "Gypsy" and "Come to the Sabbath" (which has a wicked keyboardish-breakdown in the middle). To be honest, there isn't a song on this album that I don't think is simply amazing. The combination of Hank Shermann's riffing and King Diamond's eerie lyrics and vocal stylings catapult this album to a cut above the rest.

Despite releasing this album of epic proportions, Mercyful Fate split up shortly after its release, citing "creative differences." King Diamond went on to form his self-title band, taking with him Michael Denner and Timi Hansen; Hank Shermann went on to pursue other (non-Mercyful Fate) musical interests. Most of original lineup reformed in 1992 and released five more full-length albums under the Mercyful Fate name, though (in my opinion) none of them came close to matching the energy of "Don't Break the Oath". Mercyful Fate disbanded once again in 1999 after the release of the album "9".

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-p2

Metal up your Ass

I'm starting a new series called "Metal up your Ass" - where I'll be highlighting metal albums from across the globe. I rarely buy newly released albums (not cause I'm downloading them, you delinquent!) 'cause I rarely hear something new I like, so most of the highlights will be on classic metal albums.
I hope to inspire both veterans and newbies, who perhaps have overlooked a classic album (or need to be reminded of its greatness).

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-p2

How did I end up at a Nazi show last night?

Don't ask me how this happened really. I went to go see what I thought was a metal show last night at Tantogården, which does usually hold metal shows (flyer to the left). Someone told me that Månegarm was a good metal band. So, I went.

Arriving there, I noticed something was a bit off. There were a few too many shaved heads for a metal show, if you know what I mean (if you live in Stockholm, then you know what I mean). I sorta blew it off, but the whole atmosphere was giving me a strange vibe. I thought "no, I'm just being paranoid" (I've been called that before, so it was nothing my brain couldn't justify).

But waiting to order at the bar, I got shoved out of the way by a shaved head. I squeezed my way next to him and said (in English), "Hey, that was pretty rude. Are you really that desperate to get drunk?" To which he replied yes. Then (and this was the strange part), he asked me what "race" I was. Usually (even in Sweden, with the Swedes broken but lovely English) when people want to know what my ethnic background is, they ask "Where are you from?" (or something similarly benign). But this was a strange way of asking. Then I had this Flashback™ (more on that later). I turned and said "Excuse me? Does it matter?". He of course replied with a yes. To which I replied "Well then, I won't tell you." (Hey, I think if you're gonna call yourself a good nazi, you should at least be able to pick out the whiteys from the non-whiteys). I walked off with my drinks (which I ended up getting before him anyhow), clearly mumbling some fuck yous and blew that guy off too - because - to be honest, racism in Sweden is quite common and outspoken.

Fast forward to later in the night when Månegarm starts to play, and I turn to see him and all of his friends sig heiling to the band. And the band didn't seem to mind! Fuck that. I was outta there! Gave me Flashbacks™ to when I got a wooden bar stool broken over my head by a bunch of nazis in DC who thought I was a gypsy. 10 stitches and a badly-healed lump on my head later, I wasn't about to get into another brawl. At least not at a bar with metal bar stools.

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-p2

Dave Mustaine teaches YOU to play guitar

As if you didn't get enough guitar lessons from the last post, check out a few lessons below from my one and only, Dave Mustaine. Brought to you by Guitar World magazine...

Its All in the Hands


Guitar Picks


The Spider Chord


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Learn to play guitar on YouTube

So, have you ever wanted to learn to play the guitar, or improve your playing, but not had the money/time/desire to search out a teacher? Then YouTube is the perfect place for you!

Will Kriski has a series of videos on how to master metal guitar. His videos are chock full o' information, and very thorough. He's got a great encouraging vibe about him, too. The great thing about Will is that if you post a question on YouTube, he'll actually answer it! And he takes lesson requests too! Doesn't get much better than that!

Here's a sample, on how to do pinch harmonics:


Check out his website with all his guitar lessons here.

Another YouTuber you can check out who has alot of great lessons is "Bob, from Toronto, Canada". He's got his own website with a shitload of lessons, and its really great (but watch out for all those popup ads!). Bob's got alot of newbie lessons,too and they're well organized on his site.

A sample on "the heavy metal scale", from YouTube:


Check out his website, with all his guitar lessons here.
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-p2

Death Metal in Iran

I went to Iran back in 2001 to see the motherland, get back to my roots and try to find myself. I didn't really find myself - what I did find, however, was metal. It didn't really hit me back then when I saw the scrawls of graffiti on the walls of back alleys exclaiming "Slayer" and "Metallica rules"...but metal...its big in Iran. Really big. And way fucking bigger than you think, whitey.

Now, if you can put aside all of the bullshit you see on TV about Iran - terrorist this, and nuclear that - watch this 3-part Norwegian documentary with open eyes (and ears). (Don't worry, the important stuff is in English.)

Part One:


Part Two:


Part Three:



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-p2

Megadeth - 06 Feb 2008 - Arenan

I can't really write an unbiased review of a Megadeth show. Anybody who knows me knows that I worship the ground Dave Mustaine walks on. Quite literally, if I could (and wouldn't get kicked in the face by Dave himself - though I would even consider that an honor). Dave was the reason why I, at the ripe young age of 16, decided to pick up the guitar. He's still one of the motivations for playing today, always using Megadeth as a litmus test of my thrash metal skills.

I'll try to write a show review anyway.

Arenan, the venue at which they played in Stockholm, is notorious for bad sound. Especially when they cut off half the room and attempt to fill it with sound. The Megadeth show was no exception. Fucking shame too, 'cause Mustaine was on fucking fire that night. I've seen The Dave Mustaine show a few times, and I gotta admit, the man can be boring. (I attribute it to the fact that he's sober or that he's got a bunch of douchebags playing with him). But this show....this show was different. Even though he was sober, and still had a bunch of sub-standard musicians playing with him (I'm sorry flavor-of-the-month lead guitarist, you can't pull off the solos) - he looked genuinely happy to be on stage and playing - and best of all - he was shredding his ass off.

Of course they played some of the old shit, like Peace Sells, Hangar 18, In My Darkest Hour, Holy Wars, Tornado of Souls....I wanted to hear more of the old stuff, but it was totally cool...I was just thrilled to see Dave on stage and shredding.

I love you Dave. If you're reading this, please marry me.

And here you can check out a really bad video of them at the Stockholm show, the last half of In My Darkest Hour. There don't seem to be any good captures from that show, unfortunately.



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Shreds!

So, there's been alot of buzz online lately about YouTube user StSanders (Santeri Ojala, a 32-year-old from Tampere, Finland) guitar god parodies. He's been taking concert footage and videos of various guitarists/bands and overdubbing them w/bad licks, drums and vocals. You'd think any asshole who could barely play drums could do this, but I tell you its pure genius. I want to meet this guy and shake his fucking hand.

Anyhow, the buzz is that now they've been removed by the asswipes at YouTube for "copyright violation". Bullshit. Fuck you and your violation. I'll give you something to violate....

Watch the full collection of videos here (click on "Guitar God Parodies" in the box on the left):
http://video.wired.com/

Or check out the parody that literally made me cry:



Thanks to Wired Magazine, for not bowing down to the fuckwads that think the internet can be controlled. Unleash the fury!

-p2

Motörhead - 09 Dec 2007 - Hovet

Motörhead's self-titled debut was released amid the ruckus of punk rock in 1977 - and outdid the movement with its ultra-extreme defiance and anthems of rude rock rebellion. With Lemmy Kilmister at the helm belting out a dirtier, more distorted chorus of "sex, drugs and rock and roll", Motörhead became the poster band for outlaws and drifters alike.

Today, Motörhead's fan base still embodies the outlaw segment of society - those who are and those who wish they could be. In Stockholm especially, Motörhead shows must have the most per capita biker attendance than any other rock show (aka those who are), alongside members of mainstream society looking to unleash their rebellious side, if just for one night (aka those who with they could be).

Exemplifying this seeming contradiction in the audience were the fans surrounding me - glam rockers with big hair, short skirts and heavy make up to the left; timid, mediocre nine-to-five types in front (one of which couldn't help but stare up the aforementioned glammer's skirt all night long).

However incompatible the fans, Motörhead brought them together - always full of energy - with the gig at Hovet being no exception. In true Motörhead style, they cut to the chase with grit and guts - not bothering with the fuss of guitar solos and other niceties. Exclaiming "We are Motörhead and we play rock and roll!" (the only distinguishable sentence uttered by Lemmy all night), they opened with "Jailbait", closed with "Ace of Spades" and "Overkill", and even managed to squeeze in an acoustic bluesy number, harmonica and all. Motörhead usually amplifies their shows with the "Motörhead Bomber", a giant aluminum plane hovering overhead, but for some reason it wasn't present that night. Not that it mattered - the intensity of the fans was kept high by the band's perseverance and dedication to rock and roll.

All-in-all, it was a solid night of distorted rock and roll, with a pleasantly diverse crowd - one that I'm happy to see come together harmoniously under the dissonance of Motörhead.

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-parastoo-

Gamma Ray/Helloween - 08 Dec 2007 - Arenan

Skit tråkigt! That's all I have to say about this show.

You know, I sort of set myself up for it. I'm not into the German power metal thing, and I went anyways. To be honest, I spent most of the night catching up with some old scensters and trying to avoid the occasional drunk, creepy metal fan.

That said, there were still some parts of the show (that I managed to bear through), that were fun.

Now Gamma Ray and Helloween share a sort of incestuous relationship. For those of you who don't know the background of these two bands, there is one common thread between them: Kai Hansen. Power metal fans that really dig Helloween and Gamma Ray all claim that Kai Hansen is the key to the bands' quality.

When it comes to Helloween, I can agree. The first 2-3 albums (up to "Keeper of the Seven Keys, Part II") are excellent speed/power metal albums. But Kai left Helloween to start Gamma Ray. Seemingly as a consequence, Helloween lost some of its speed metal edge - but Gamma Ray didn't inherit any of Kai's speed metal spirit at all. Instead, both bands went treading down the path of power metal. And, not being into the German power metal thing, I lost interest.

Even so, Helloween had one of the cutest sets and stage acts I've seen. They just released their 13th (!) album, "Gambling with the Devil", and had a stage show to match. Interrupting the ever-tedious drum solo, the three remaining members dressed up in midget costumes, stood amid a puppeteer's curtain and proceeded (in a voice-altered high-pitched German-English, as if just normal-pitched German-English wasn't hard enough to understand) to make fun of the drummer doing the drum solo - and got him to play arguably the easiest (and most banned) song in rock music...."Smoke on the Water".

Gamma Ray, on the other hand, was....well....power metal tedious. At least for me. The fans, though, seemed to eat it up.

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Grave/Nominion/Spazmosity - 01 Dec 2007 - Tantogarden

An entire night of relentless death metal - that's what everyone really needs in the dead of winter - and Grave, Nominion and Spazmosity totally delivered.

I have a special place in my heart for Grave, but Nominion and Spazmosity are bands that were new to me (but not to the Swedish death metal scene).

Spazmosity, who have been around since 1994, went on first, covered in blood, and brutal as hell. They started a bit early, which was a shame - an hour later with some more beer pumping in the veins of the audience of metalheads, and the energy would have been totally different. It was very sad, actually, to see the crowd of people that night standing a good three feet from the stage. It was still a decent set, but I have to be honest here - they're not as tight as I wanted them to be - the drumming was a little inconsistent, and the rest of the band had a hard time keeping up.

Nominion went on next, and I have to say, I was impressed. I always end up in front of the guitarists, cause I play guitar, and I like to see the riffs and check out people's chops up close and personal. The rhythm/lead guitarist in this band was brutal. Seriously, it was like he had merged with his instrument and became this beast of death metal destruction. (I saw this great potential in him for my thrash project, but alas, he said he lived in the south of Sweden, which made him a bit inaccessible to a budding Stockholm band.) The singer left a bit to be desired, though...he didn't really quite do it for me. Nonetheless, the sound was brutal and I was itching for more.

Finally, Grave. These guys have been around since 1991, and their debut album, "Into the Grave", has to be one of the best Swedish death metal albums ever. Unfortunately, they don't seem to play a whole lot of shows in Stockholm. This year seems to be a different, though, as I've seen 'em play a few times, and its always been great. Ola Lindgren (guitarist/singer) is a scary muthafucka, but luckily he gets balanced out by Fredrik Isaksson (bass), who makes a lot of funny faces on stage. They played alot of classics, and by then the audience was in fine form. All in all, they're one of those bands that you have to see if you're into death metal. Your life will be changed forever.

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-parastoo-

Marduk/Unleashed - 23 Nov 2007 - Klubben

So, I'm not really a big Black Metal fan. Some of it's good: Venom, Bathory...but when the music turns into this "I'm more evile than you" thing, I sorta start to giggle. (I'll probably get burned at the stake if anyone in the Sthlm Black Metal Ring of Death is reading this. Sorry, MLO).

Which made Marduk "just okay" for me. Judging by the crowd's response, they put on a really good show, and I admit, I got into a few songs and sorta dug the singer's menacing voice. But, I left early. I really went to this show to see the opener, Unleashed.

Now, there's this ongoing conversation that I've been having with a friend of mine about Unleashed.

You see, I love Unleashed. I love their groovy, death metal style of music. I love the rhythms, I love the riffs...I love it all. I think they're one of the best death metal bands out there, and really personify the Scandinavian death metal sound.

My friend, however, says that the Unleashed guys are racist, that their lyrics expressly illustrate that, and that he's not into them because of that. I've never met the guys, so I can't say anything about them personally. But I did go and read some Unleashed lyrics. There was alot of "Viking this" and "Viking that", but I didn't pick up anything racist. He insists. The only "proof" I have is that they haven't joined Metalheads Against Racism. I don't know. You be the judge. Any comments, Unleashed?

It brings up this bigger issue, though, of separating "music" from "values". I definitely understand both sides of the argument.

One being, separate the music from the values of the people in the band. They're separate entities and should be treated as such. The actions/views of the band members should not influence the band's musical merit.

The other being that the music and the people creating the music are one in the same, and that if the people are despicable, it makes the music despicable. Period.

I tend to side with the first argument. I think if I started judging musicians for what they said or how they acted, I probably wouldn't have a lot of bands left to listen to.

That said, this was the first time Unleashed has played in Stockholm in 15 years!!? Why, I have no idea. It was also the first time I've ever gotten to see them play, unluckily missing them at every festival they've played. So, I especially enjoyed it, and they were brutal as ever, playing a lot of my old favorites like "Never Ending Hate" and "To Asgaard We Fly".

Sadly, I can't seem to locate any video of the Stockholm show, so check out Unleashed in Germany, in 1994 playing "Never Ending Hate":



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High on Fire - 19 Nov 2007 - Debaser

I heard about High on Fire back in 2001, when their second album, "Surrounded by Thieves" came out. I can't for the life of me remember the who, what, when, where or how about them, but I remember putting in that album and having the pants blown off of me. Punishingly brutal. And although they've slightly deviated from their earlier sound, they've managed to keep the stoner torch burning bright with relentless riffage and power.

That said, seeing High on Fire on stage is 1000 times more powerful than any CD they've managed to record. You just can't capture that sort of energy on a piece of plastic. Matt Pike (guitarist/singer) has this charisma on stage thats inexplicable. Sort of grungy, with raw animal intensity....its mind-altering to say the least. No shirt, stinking, dripping wet with sweat by the end of the set. Fuck. It really doesn't get any more fucking metal than that. I'd give anything to get inside that guy's head for just two minutes. Anything.

Anyhow, enough about my infatuation with Matt Pike.

Opening for them was a rather disappointing emo-indie-ambient-ish band called "Pelican". I swear to you, I nearly fell asleep during their set. I can't imagine why High on Fire would tour with such a band, except to make themselves sound even more punishing, by sheer contrast, than they already do. Guys, it wasn't necessary.

Their set was amazing, and contained some old favorites, as well as new selections from their most recent album, "Death is this Communion".

Check out the video for "Rumors of War" (from "Death is this Communion"):


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