DOWNLOAD 2010
Also known as Donington Festival, Download is known for having the most kickass metal festival in the world. This year it will be held from June 11 to June 13 at Donington Park in the United Kingdom, and the bands that are being announced are already incredible… Headlining the first night will be AC/DC with bands such as Dave Grohl’s band Them Crooked Voltures, Bullet for My Valentine, Lamb of God, and Wolfmother. The next day will showcase Deftones, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Megadeth, Billy Idol, Volbeat, and headlining will be Rage Against the Machine. Finally, the last night will comprise of Stone Sour, Motorhead, Stone Temple Pilots, Five Finger Death Punch, and, assuming Steven Tyler is healthy and out of rehab, Aerosmith will be headlining.
There are sure to be more bands added, so keep checking the official Download Festival website for more information.
Rush…?
This post is going to be quick. I heard (apparently from unreliable sources) that Rush was going supposed to perform at the opening ceremonies at the Olympic Games in Vancouver yesterday… Well, obviously, no Rush. Thanks for getting my hopes up…
Latest reports are that Rush is now postponed until the closing ceremonies because of the Georgia luger who died… They better be telling the truth this time.
Grammys… You FAILED.
Five reasons the Grammys sucked:
1. Jamie Foxx and T-Pain ruined Slash’s “November Rain” solo at the end of the performance by shouting random words that happened to rhyme (AKA rap).
2. Taylor Swift… Nothing else needs to be said.
3. Green Day officially is shit. Why did they have to suck up to alternative music? Go back to the punk days of Dookie and Nimrod, and maybe I’ll accept you back… (By the way, ALTERNATIVE is different from ROCK. Way to look stupid, Grammy,s by giving that one to them).
4. Lady Gaga and Elton John…..? Stevie Nicks and Taylor Swift…..? Jeff Beck was the only one who performed a duo (and tribute to Les Paul) without it being complete shit… In fact, Beck was outstanding, as usual. Now, if Beck and Slash had been together, that would have been more than I could have asked for, but no. The Academy has to put Slash with talentless fools with their “pants on the ground.”
5. Kanye didn’t get to insult Taylor Swift. I was mildly disappointed…
Well, there you go! Agree or disagree?
Mayhem Festival 2010
So for anyone who saw Mayhem back in 2009, you know it was fucking kickass. Last year’s line-up included Marilyn Manson, Slayer, Killswitch Engage, Bullet for My Valentine, Trivium, Job for a Cowboy, and many more. This year, Mayhem is back to, well, create some MAYHEM. So far, the line-up consists of Korn, Rob Zombie, Five Finger Death Punch, Lamb of God, In This Moment, Atreyu, Hatebreed, 3 Inches of Blood, Chimaira, Shadows Fall, Winds of Plague, and Norma Jean. It’s going to be one hell of a show! Even though Korn has faded a little bit in recent years and Rob Zombie’s new single is…different, bands like the rookies In This Moment and Lamb of God are sure to put on a fucking awesome show. And hey, Zombie and Korn have classic songs that everyone knows. Just make sure to get your ass to a show this summer! I’ll be keeping an eye on the website to see if more bands are added before the festival begins.
For more information, go to http://mayhemfest.com/mayhem/index.asp
For information of tour dates, go to http://mayhemfest.com/mayhem/concerts.asp
Top Ten Songs of the Week
Since my last top ten, I’ve found some pretty kickass music. Check these songs out!
10. The Sound of Truth – As I Lay Dying
9. Ties That Bind – Alter Bridge
8. In Ashes They Shall Reap – Hatebreed
7. April Rain – Delain
6. Beautiful Mourning – Machine Head
5. Powershifter – Fear Factory
4. My Heart, Your Hands – Dommin
3. Antisocial – Anthrax
2. Personal Jesus – Marilyn Manson
1. We’re Not Gonna Fall – Children of Bodom
The Rev, Metallica, McKagen, and More
Here’s just a list of what major stories have occurred in the rock world since my last post:
1. Probably the biggest story that’s happened is that Avenged Sevenfold’s drummer, Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan, died a month ago today supposedly due to natural causes (yeah…you just drop dead at 28 naturally…). Some say it was due to drugs, and others say it was because of health issues (bullshit). It doesn’t really matter how he died… He was a great person and was 
more than just a drummer. He was a husband, a brother, a friend, and a son. Yes, he was a rock star, but he also had a life outside of A7X. Right now, the band is working diligently on getting their new album out (that they were recording at the time of Jimmy’s death) in honor of him. Everyone will miss you, Jimmy. You fucking rocked our world and always will.
2. Rumours have been circulating that Duff Mckagen may possibly be joining… JANE’S ADDICTION? What the hell, Duff? You can do so much better than that! Yes, Jane’s Addiction is a revolutionary band, but come on. I’d rather see you on your own (or maybe with Slash) than go to Jane’s Addiction…
3. About three months ago, a girl by the name of Morgan Harrington disappeared right outside of a Metallica concert in Virginia. Just a few days ago, her body was found, and Metallica released a statement saying, “We are profoundly saddened by the news of the discovery of Morgan Dana Harrington’s body Our most sincere condolences go out to the family and friends of Morgan Dana Harrington, the 20-year-old Virginia Tech student who was last seen while attending our concert at the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, VA. Sadly, Morgan’s body was found yesterday ending her family’s three-month vigil hoping and praying for her safe return. Mere words cannot express the anguish and grief that we know her parents Dan and Gil are feeling, and our thoughts are with them.” Word to the wise, if you’re a young girl going to a rock concert, it’s not the best idea to attend by yourself. Now, I’m not sure if that was the case, but always be careful anywhere you go. People these days will do anything…
4. The Who are set to perform at Super Bowl XLIV on Sunday, February 7, 2010. Pete Townshend recently said about the set list,”We’re kinda doing a mash-up of stuff. A bit of ‘Baba O’Riley,’ a bit of ‘Pinball Wizard,’ a bit of the close of ‘Tommy,’ a bit of ‘Who Are You,’ and a bit of ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again.” Sure to be a great show! Better than the Rolling Stones at least…
5. The Scorpions are calling it quits after 2010. “While we were working on our album these past few months, we could literally feel how powerful and creative our work was – and how much fun we were still having, in the process. But there was also something else: We want to end the Scorpion’s extraordinary career on a high note. We are extremely grateful for the fact that we still have the same passion for music we’ve always had since the beginning. This is why, especially now, we agree we have reached the end of the road. We finish our career with an album we consider to be one of the best we have ever recorded and with a tour that will start in our home country Germany and take us to five different continents over the next few years.” Sad, isn’t it? All the great bands from the 80s are beginning to fade out. That’s why you need to see bands like Van Halen, Aerosmith, Twisted Sister, Iron Maiden, etc. while you can! You never know when they’re going to hang up their gear or, in Aerosmith’s case, have their lead singer go back into rehab for pain meds after falling off of the stage and breaking his shoulder. Get better soon, Steven.
(Sorry I haven’t posted in a while. Surprisingly, the blog views are very high, so I’m back to keep them like that! Thanks for all your support!)
Happy Holidays!
Probably not going to post for a while with the holidays coming up. Plus, I’m having surgery on my back next week, so 
I’ll be out of comission for a while. Happy holidays, and if you’re in the this god damn blizzard in the midwest (like me), be safe! The roads suck, and people are getting trapped everywhere without any assistance. Emergency crews are only responding to injury reports on the road. So yeah, be safe!
Jessie
Machine Head
One of my favorite bands of all time is Machine Head. They’re about the only band that has stayed true to their roots and not wandered from metal into mainstream rock in recent years (can’t say the same for Linkin Park or Slipknot). The lead singer, Rob Flynn, is fucking amazing… He has so much energy and knows how to work giant crowds. At one time during Sonisphere 2009, he got the crowd to do twenty-one circle pits at one time. Yeah, he’s good. 
Machine Head was founded back in 1992 by Flynn (who also plays guitar) and Adam Duce (bassist, backup vocals). Their first album, Burn My Eyes, will thrash you from start to finish. My personal favorite from it is “Davidian” which is nothing but pure thrash metal. It also is a bit controversial due to its lyrics, but hey, what’s thrash metal without controversy? Anyway, they went on to release The More Things Change… in 1997 (with new drummer Dave McClain), which debuted at #138 on the Billboard 200 and toured with Ozzfest in support of it. Check out “Struck a Nerve” from it. If you want to see what I mean by 21 circle pits, check out this song performed at Sonisphere 2009. Complete insanity…
From there, they went on to release The Burning Red in 1999 and received an uproar from their fans claiming that they were trying to “sell out.” Honestly, I don’t see how they were. I mean, what Backstreet Boy fan wants to listen to “The Blood, the Sweat, the Tears”? I admit, though, the rapping in “From This Day” is very unlike thrash metal, but it’s still metal! But in 2001, they redeemed themselves with Supercharger. However, their debut single off the album “Crashing Around You” was banned from MTV due to depictions of the 9/11 attacks. Because of this, their label, Roadrunner, stopped the funding the band, thus making Machine Head leave the record label. Not long after, their lead guitarist, Ahrue Luster, left and was replaced by Phil Demmel.
Machine Head’s next album was Through the Ashes of Empires (released in 2003)
, and in my opinion, is one of their strongest albums to date. Songs like “Imperium” and “Bite the Bullet” really define what modern thrash metal is, and it was also the first album to feature the current lineup altogether. They toured for a while in support of the album and headlined the Wacken Open Air Festival in 2005 (played to largest crowd-40,000 people). After that, they went into the studio to work on their sixth album, The Blackening, their strongest album. It has been the most successful Machine Head album to date and has gotten them the status of one of the leading bands in American thrash metal.
They’ve been touring for almost three years now and have said that they will go into the studio around January 2010 to start writing and recording the new album. Can’t wait until then!
Here are some my favorite songs from them. If you like thrash, you’ll love them all.
1. “The Blood, the Sweat, the Tears” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwXwB9cY9Zo
2. “Halo” – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-SohL691kc
3. “Struck a Nerve” – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjqX429DbcY
4. “Imperium” – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xEtC7sBvUc
5. “Crashing Around You” – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVUItOTpvfo
Top Ten Guitarists of All Time
There are a lot of great guitarists out there, but being unique makes you stand out from the crowd. People who made innovations in guitar techniques also have their place in history. That’s why I’m going to settle the age old question: Who is the greatest guitarist of all time? Well, here’s my top ten.
10. Randy Rhoads (Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne) - He’d be a lot higher if he’d had more time to play material, but sadly, he died in a plane crash. Still hell of a guitarist. Best solo is “Mr. Crowley” and obviously most recognized is “Crazy Train.”
9. Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin) – What can I say. He’s Jimmy Page! Probably most recognized solo is “Stairway to Heaven”, but his best is “Achilles Last Stand.”
8. Slash (Guns N’ Roses, Velvet Revolover, Slash’s Snakepit) - One of the most recognizable guitarists with his top hat and hair. Best solo is ”Paradise City”, but most recognized is either “Sweet Child O’ Mine” or “Welcome to the Jungle.”
7. Dave Mustaine (Megadeth) – Best red haired guitarist out there and one of the smartest guys in metal, EVER. Best solo is Hangar 18 but most recognized is probably “Peace Sells.”
6. Adrian Smith, Dave Murray, Janick Gers (Iron Maiden) – There’s nothing better than having three guitarists on stage at the same time. The guitar solos are…amazing…seriously. Best solo(s) in technical terms is probably “Hallowed Be Thy Name”, but my personal is either “Deja Vu” or “The Clairvoyant.”
5. David Gilmour (Pink Floyd) – One of the most innovative guitarists of all time… Pink Floyd is just awesome. Best solo and most recognized is probably “Comfortably Numb.”
4. Kirk Hammett and James Hetfield (Metallica) – Probably the most recognizable metal band out there because of the crossover on the Black Album. In the beginning, however, they led the thrash metal movement and their solos changed metal completely. Best solo(s) is either “Fade to Black” or “Welcome Home (Sanitarium)” but most recognized would be” Enter Sandman.”
3. Angus Young (AC/DC) – The school boy! There’s nothing better than watching Angus moon the crowd in AC/DC boxers after he’s stripped down from his school attire. He’s one of the first guitarists to really put personality to rock and making it more of a show than a concert. Best solo is “Highway to Hell” but probably the most recognized is “Back In Black” or “You Shook Me All Night Long.”
2. Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath, Heaven and Hell, Iommi) – THE METAL GOD. He created what we know today as heavy metal. If he had never gotten the tops of his fingers cut off, we probably would never gotten the heavy, deep sound that he created. Very innovative and inspriring, and he’s also a hell of guitarist! Best solo is “I Go Insane” and most recognized is either “Paranoid” or “Iron Man.”
1. Eddie Van Halen/ Joe Satriani (Van Halen/ Joe Satriani, Chickenfoot) – Well, I tried to, but there’s no way you can put one of these guys over the other. Eddie is….amazing and Joe is just insane… Eddie might get a slight edge for being the major innovator in tapping, but that’s about it. Eddie’s best solo and most recognized is “Eruption”, and Joe’s best solo is “Surfing With the Alien.” Of course, everyone knows Joe’s most recognized solo, “If I Could Fly”, because Coldplay STOLE IT
If you don’t believe me, look at this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eb49QuPLuHg. Fuck you Coldplay. You have no talent…
