metal

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The older I get, the more I want to stay at home and not deal with outside influences (driving, parking, people, etc.) To see a good club show, that means I have to drive a solid hour plus, each way. There are select bands that I plan to see weeks, or even months in advance. But what about the bands I know only by name and genre, but aren’t familiar with any of their music? Are these shows even worth the time, money and hassle? The answer is “most of the time.”

Ever since I started the brand 4theloveofmetal, (webpage, Instagram and Facebook public group), I’ve forced myself to go to more shows than previous. The only way to come up with content is to get out of the house and experience different shows that I probably wouldn’t have gone to otherwise. These are a few of the gems that I’ve seen over the last year or so, even though I don’t know much, or any of their music:

Devastation on the Nation Tour, featuring Dark Funeral & Belphegor:

I like black metal and extreme metal in limited amounts. This was the perfect dose for me that evening. Whether I like a band or not has a lot to do with their vocal style. Belphegor has a slow growl with the right amount of scream. Their music is death and chunky, really easy to get into during a live set. Dark Funeral was faster with more extreme vocals. They’ve been around since the 90’s, and they’ve got their shit together. They’re legends of their craft and it shows. From their first song, you can tell they’re worthy of headlining. The entire show was a brutal assault on the senses. Devastation on the Nation 2020 is coming up shortly. I may have to check that one out.

  • Belphegor
  • Belphegor
  • Dark Funeral
  • Dark Funeral

Goatwhore, Ringworm and Locistellar

Goatwhore was a pleasant surprise, especially for a Tuesday night (For some reason, a lot of good shows happen in Seattle on a Tuesday. The main reason I went to this show is because they played the iconic Crocodile Cafe. It’s a pretty small place, but they packed it pretty well. Goatwhore is a band I haven’t seen before because they usually play earlier on the bill. It was nice to see them headline this one. It was well worth the wait. I would call their style death metal with death/black metal vocals. If you ever get the chance to see these guys, you won’t be disappointed. In direct support was Ringworm and opening the show was Locistellar. They are a supergroup of sorts and it was cool that this was their first live show they played together.

  • Goatwhore
  • Goatwhore
  • Ringworm
  • Locistellar

Narcotic Wasteland:

I didn’t know anything about Narcotic Wasteland at the time. It was my birthday and it was the only thing going on that night. I watched a couple of their videos ahead of time, so I pretty much knew what to expect. Narcotic Wasteland was founded by Dallas Toler-Wade, who until recently, was a longtime guitarist/vocalist of the band Nile. I thought they played a solid set. The show was located at the Funhouse, which is the bar attached to El Corazón. There wasn’t more than a dozen people in the crowd that night, but I had a blast. I brought my Nikon camera inside with me and got some good practice taking pictures with a mostly unobstructed stage. I don’t usually drink at shows, but my wife was nice enough to go there with me and drive my drunk ass home afterwards.

Kataklysm, Exhorder & Krisiun

I heard a song or 2 on the radio from Kataklysm. I know they have their own brands of hot sauce, but I couldn’t tell you much about their music. I mostly went there to see Exhorder, but all of the bands playing that night were killer. I saw Exhorder play a year earlier at California Death Fest IV, and I liked what I saw. They played a high energy set of thrash and groove. It was really easy for the crowd to get into them. Coming up around the same time as Pantera, these are one of the bands that should have been a lot bigger than they are. I had a chance to speak with the singer Kyle Thomas after their set. He seemed like a really cool guy. They have a fairly new release called Mourn the Southern Sky. I need to start listening to them more before they come back to my neck of the woods.

  • Kataklysm
  • Krisiun
  • Exhorder

I know it’s easy to stay at home and be comfortable, (which I usually do), but it’s nice to go out every once in awhile and treat yourself. It always puts a smile on my face whenever I bring home a poster, patch, or even a t-shirt. I might even get lucky and get a guitar pick or a set list. It doesn’t matter if you’re familiar with the songs as long as you’re supporting live music and enjoying yourself in the process.

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There’s no such thing as the perfect Slayer set list. That being said, there are a few of their songs I wish they would take out of hibernation and play live. Unfortunately, they can’t play them all. This is a list of the 19 songs they played on the first leg of their final tour. On the left is what they play now. On the right is the song I would change it to, and the reason why. All changes, if any, keep with the spirit of their current setlist.

1. Repentless

I would keep this song the same. It’s only been out a few years, and it rose to instant-classic. I like when they open with this song

2. Blood Red

Not my favorite song off the Seasons album, but they haven’t played it live in awhile, that’s why I’m keeping it the same.

3. Disciple / Altar of Sacrifice

Disciple is a good song, but they’ve been playing it live, solid, ever since the song was released. I would switch it with a Reign In Blood classic that I haven’t seen them play in years

4. Mandatory Suicide / Live Undead

As much as I like Mandatory Suicide, I would switch it with another South of Heaven song that I can’t remember ever seeing them play live

5. Hate Worldwide / Evil Has No Boundaries

This being their final tour, I’m sticking with the classics. This is the perfect opportunity to see them play a song off of Show No Mercy

6. War Ensemble

Wouldn’t change a thing

7. Jihad

I would rather them play Cult off of Christ Illusion, but this one works for me too

8. When the Stillness Comes / Playing With Dolls

Both are “slower” Slayer songs, but I would prefer to see Playing With Dolls, a song I’ve never seen them play live

9. Postmortem

What I am, What I want, I’m only after death!

10. Black Magic

It’s always nice to see them play this classic off the Show No Mercy album

11. Payback

Payback’s a bitch motherfucker!!!

12. Seasons in the Abyss / Captor of Sin

They like to stack their set with Seasons songs as of late. I would rather switch out this one for an early song they hardly ever play

13. Dittohead

One of my favorite songs from Divine Intervention

14. Dead Skin Mask / Kill Again

As much as I like Dead Skin Mask, I would rather hear an additional song from the Hell Awaits album

15. Hell Awaits / At Dawn They Sleep

Now hear me out. I normally would never take Hell Awaits off their setlist. If I were going to though, I would switch it with a song from the same album that they rarely play

16. South of Heaven

I’m good with this. It’s a slower tempo song, and it gives Tom the chance to rest his voice a little

17. Raining Blood / Can’t Stand You

I would play Can’t Stand You as a tribute to Jeff. It also warms them up a little for their final 2 songs

18. Chemical Warfare

I would never change this one “Fuck it up! \m/

19. Angel of Death

The perfect ending for the relentless assault on our senses. No Slayer show is complete without the Heavyweight Champion of the World.

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I felt this would be a fitting first blog for me to post. I know that it’s easy to become complacent and set in your ways the older you get. I’m 45 years old, so I’m starting to figure that out in a hurry.

I can always remember music associated with my life. Some of my earliest memories was playing records I had. Disco Mickey Mouse, the soundtrack to Grease and Scooby Doo are the titles that come to mind now. When my family first got cable, I remember staying up all night in the tv room with my sister, watching MTV when it was the big new thing. I also liked making mixed tapes. I would sit next to the radio and wait for that perfect moment to push record.

I was probably in my early teens when I first recall hearing a particular rock song on the radio. For whatever reason, it clicked with me. It was Tom Sawyer by Rush. I would search for it on the radio, and that’s probably when I switched from pop to rock radio. That’s about the time I started listening to the hair metal bands of the time like Whitesnake, Motley Crue and GnR. My musical tastes would eventually grow heavier over the years. I probably first got into metal with Metallica and Anthrax. It took a little longer with Slayer, but when I first saw them on the South of Heaven tour back in ’88, it was on from there.

I was around 19 or 20 when I experienced a life changing event. My friend Peach introduced me to Pantera – Vulgar Display of Power. It was the finger of god pointing down from the heavens. That album was definitely a game changer. The first song Mouth of War played. My eyes got really big. I looked at my friend in amazement. She looked back at me and said “I know”. The next song came on and I’m like, alright, this is good. The next song played and my eyes got even bigger. Now we’re at Fucking Hostile. That’s when it blew my mind. I was hooked.

Around the same time, grunge started to become the next big thing, even though us locals hated that word. Having grown up in the Seattle area (Tacoma), it was a huge influence on my early 20’s. This is the time my wings started to sprout, and I moved away from the parental nest. I was working at Tower Records at the time. I was surrounded by music, and I had friends that shared the same passion for music that I have. My musical tastes were becoming much more diverse during that time.

I like the crossover music, with bands like The Accused and D.R.I., where thrash and punk unite beautifully. I’ve always appreciated classic rock legends such as Jimi, Beatles, Sabbath and Led Zeppelin. These musicians form the foundation for rock and metal we listen to today. Bands such as the Misfits and Bad Brains provide that punk edge and a different attitude that I find appealing. I’m also a big fan of 90’s rap and hip-hop. Ice Cube, Ice T, Cypress Hill, Tupac. These artists provide the stories and beats that I find fascinating. It was always fun discovering new music. Whether it’s hearing Iggy Pop on the Trainspotting soundtrack or driving around listening to the Stones. I would hear something I like and seek out similar artists to listen to in that genre.

Fast forward a bunch of years. I still go to concerts and I still love music, but I find myself becoming more set in my ways. I still venture out on a new artist once in a while, but it’s easier for me to listen to the wealth of music I’ve accumulated through the years. It seems like everything new is recycled garbage of the past. Most of the music today I find to be boring and unoriginal. I keep getting older, but I’m not getting that kick in the ass from music that I have in the past.

So much for all the build-up. I now go back to the original question, “Why should I give a shit about listening to new music?” It’s a simple answer; The joy I get for listening to something good for the first time. When I connect with that certain beat, riff, or vocal, my eyes widen and my ears perk up. It’s like a Dorito, I need more. Granted, I’ll probably never have another Pantera moment. Youth may be the perfect storm for my positive music connections until now, but it’s still possible to have that one moment that keeps the flame alive. Whether it’s hearing an old band for the first time like Terrorizer, a classic like AC/DC – Powerage, that I just bought on vinyl, or a newer, torch carrier like Power Trip, it’s still possible to experience joy from listening to something new.