A few years back Tom Morello put together a new band called sTreet Sweeper Social Club. They were pretty decent. I saw them open for Nine Inch Nails twice. During one of their tour stops in San Diego Trent joined them on stage for a rendition of the MC5’s classic “Kick Out The Jams.” Check it out!
By: Brian Lacy
Plain and simple, Nine Inch Nails live, is a beast. Whether it is on their albums or live show, they are very hard to top. Last night I had the pleasure of attending what is now my thirteenth Nine Inch Nails show. And they did not disappoint me. Watching Trent Reznor and his band on stage is hypnotizing. More on Nine Inch Nails in a moment.
Starting off the show was Cold Cave. Fronted by Wesley Eisold, former vocalist of the hardcore group Give Up The Ghost (originally named American Nightmare). Their music is as though Joy Division and Disintegration era The Cure had a child. Its mix of new wave and synth pop is infectious, and the perfect type of group to open the show. Though their set was only 25 minutes, they brought a ton of energy and personality. They are one band I’d really enjoy seeing at a small club.
Next up was Soundgarden. I’ve been waiting years to see them live. Maybe my expectations were too high, but Soundgarden was boring and had no energy. Their set list was a short hodgepodge of songs from Louder Than Love, Bad Motor Finger, Superunknown and their latest (and hugely disappointing) King Animal. The only person on stage that had any energy or passion in their playing was Matt Chamberlain (Matt Cameron is too busy with Pearl Jam). The highlight of their set was when they played “Fell On Black Days,” but even that lacked anything. Chris Cornell seems like he can’t sing anymore. Musically the band still rocks, but they are boring as hell. Kim Thayill looked like a statue all night. Ben Sheppard had some moves but you could tell he was winded by the 5th song. It’s a real shame, because they were once so good. Now they are barely a shell of what they once were.
The main event of the night of course was Nine Inch Nails. Their stage set up and visuals were stunning. Though only having about an hour and a half, the set list blazed through much of their classics as well as some new gems. When Trent came out on stage alone kicking things off with “Copy of A” from Hesitation Marks, the roar of the crowd was astonishing. Joining him on stage were Robin Finck (guitar), Ilan Rubin (drums) and Alessandro Cortini (synths). The light walls that backed the band for the first few songs really draw in the attention of the crowd. By the fifth song “March Of The Pigs” everyone in attendance was on their feet and singing along in unison. The sea of hands and fists in the air was awesome. There are certain Nine Inch Nails songs that really get me beyond excited, so when they played “Gave Up,” “Eraser,” “Terrible Lie,” “Wish” and “The Great Destroyer,” I could feel my vocal cords hating me from singing so loud. Though their set was only an hour and a half, they were unrelenting and made sure that everyone in the crowd got their moneys worth.
Even with Soundgarden being a bummer, it was a great night. the combination of Nine Inch Nails, my fiance and a couple great friends made this a memorable show. Trent and company never let you down. If you have never seen Nine Inch Nails live, I suggest you pony up some bucks and see them. You won’t regret the money you spent.
Nine Inch Nails Setlist:
1. Copy Of A
2. Sanctified
3. Came Back Haunted
4. 1,000,000
5. March Of The Pigs
6. Piggy
7. Terrible Lie
8. Closer
9. Gave Up
10. Disappointed
11. Find My Way
12. The Great Destoyer
13. Eraser
14. Wish
15. The Hand That Feeds
16. Head Like A Hole
Encore:
17. Hurt
Soundgarden Setlist:
1. Searching With My Good Eye Closed
2. Spoonman
3. Gun
4. Outshined
5. Jesus Christ Pose
6. The Day I Tried To Live
7. My Wave
8. Fell On Black Days
9. A Thousand Days Before
10. Rusty Cage
11. Black Hole Sun
12. Beyond The Wheel
Photos by: Alisa Diaz and her phone
By: Brian Lacy
Happy Birthday Layne Staley.
Alice In Chains-Nutshell: From MTV Unplugged
Mad Season- Wake Up: Live At The Moore 1995
Instead of posting about a new band today, I thought it was a great idea to compile all the bands that have been featured here into one post for you all to check out in case you missed one.
| Aeges |
| And We Are Them |
| Ghost Idols |
| Lightsystem
http://lightsystem.bandcamp.com/ |
| Open Hand |
| Mossbreaker |
| Sidewave |
| Anakin |
| Damn This Desert Air |
| Interstelar
https://www.facebook.com/interstelarLA |
| HiddenAmongst Us |
| City Of Ships |
| Destroy Judas |
| New Cathedral |
| Big Jesus
http://bigjesus.bandcamp.com/album/one |
| Dekades |
| Spirit In The Room |
| Machines Learning |
| Digicide |
| Obliterations |
| Barrows |
| Wild Throne
https://www.facebook.com/wildthrone |
| Goldsboro |
| With Our Arms To The Sun |
| Abloom |
| He Whose Ox Is Gored |
| Silver Snakes
http://www.yearofthesnakes.com/ |
| Disquiet
http://www.reverbnation.com/disquietsongs/songs |
| Young Hunter |
| Black Map |
There are so many covers of Black Sabbath songs. Most of them are pretty bland. Neurosis did a version of “Children Of The Grave” some time ago, and their own twist to the song.
By: Brian Lacy
Earlier this year when I heard Royal Blood, I was taken aback. To me there was something about their music that had been missing in rock music. When people asked me what they sounded like I would say, imagine if The Black Keys didn’t suck and Muse didn’t start to whimp out. After seeing them live my description lived up to my words. Now in August, Royal Blood is unleashing their debut full length. Simply self titled, the 10 songs blaze a path in the 32 minutes of the album. Three of the songs (Out Of The Black, Come On Over and Little Monster) are from their Out OF The Black EP. The other 7 songs are a mix of heavy rock with lots of melody, and the occasional experimentation with blues, and mid tempo beats. The first single “Figure It Out” is a pure groove rock song. Closing song “Better Strangers” features a really cool bluesy feel with a slow laid back beat. My favorite of the new songs is “Blood Hands.” This song is the perfect blend of heavy and subtle. It really shows their ability to craft a well written song. Mike Kerr (Vocals/Bass) and Ben Thatcher (Drums) have created a sound that is blistering with melody and heaviness all the while providing a great groove and feel for the listener. Royal Blood is primed to invade with great rock n roll.
https://www.facebook.com/RoyalBloodUK
By: Brian Lacy
There are certain albums in every bands catalog that get overlooked. Most people when they talk about Pantera talk about Vulgar Display of Power and Far Beyond Driven. In 1996, amongst a lot of band tension, Pantera was able to put together their most brutal and honest album The Great Southern Trendkill. This album is known for relentless screaming throughout the album most notably on “Suicide Note Pt.II.” Also featured on the album are some of the fastest tempos and most down-tuned guitars that the band ever recorded. It also has a more experimental nature to its songs, such as the acoustic guitar and keyboard-laden “Suicide Note Pt. I”, the long breakdowns in the middle or near the end of songs like “Suicide Note Pt. II”, “Sandblasted Skin”, “Drag The Waters” and “War Nerve”. Some of the more intricate vocals that Philip Anselmo has doen can be heard on songs such as “Suicide Note Pt. II”, “The Underground In America”, “Sandblasted Skin”, “War Nerve” and “Living Through Me (Hell’s Wrath)”. A very interesting fact about the making of Trendkill was that Phil Anselmo recorded the vocals for this release in Trent Reznor’s studio in New Orleans, while the rest of the band stayed in Dallas to work on their parts. Of all the albums Pantera released, this one is by far my favorite. The lyrics go beyond just the normal anger. Topics such as hate for the media (“War Nerve”), suicide (“Suicide Note”), drug abuse (“10’s”, “Living Through Me (Hell’s Wrath)”) the end of the world (“Floods”), trends (“The Great Southern Trendkill”, “Sandblasted Skin”) and teenage taboo on life (“The Underground In America”) are all brought up.
1996 saw the release of Metallica’s Load, Sepultura’s Roots, Rage Against The Machine’s Evil Empire, and Korn’s Life Is Peachy. The Great Southern Trendkill stood out amongst all the other metal bands releases of 96. with the exception of Neurosis’s Through Silver and Blood. Do yourself a favor and take another listen to The Great Southern Trendkill and you’ll have a totally different appreciation for it!
By: Brian Lacy
The fantastic Dekades just released a new song. Check it out below:
Attacking with subtle goth moments and borderline industrial sounds, Dekades has unleashed another great song in “Red Trolley.” The vocals and melody are unique and powerful. Imagine if Fiona Apple had more range mixed with Beth Gibbons of Portishead. The drums come out heavy with a bit of a Nine Inch Nails vibe attached to them. The guitar accents and ambience amplifies the direction of the song, all the while the heavy distorted bass drives the song. Dekades are on the right track. I personally can’t wait to hear more.
http://www.dekadesofficial.com
https://www.facebook.com/Dekadesofficial
By: Brian Lacy
I’ve talked about this band a lot, reviewed their shows and interviewed them. They are one of the best new bands I’ve heard in a long time. I can’t stop listening to their Driver EP. They deserve all the good that is coming to them. Their balance of being a heavy rock band with melody is beyond intriguing. For a power trio they really put out a lot of volume. The drums are thumping and pounding courtesy of the heavy hitting Chris Robyn. The guitars are delicate and crisp when they need to be and then change in to distorted crunchy heaviness thanks to Mark Engles. The bass is driving and plays off the riffs so well. Vocally the range of Ben Flanagan is astounding. His ability to hit high notes then go to a gruff scream is tremendous. Black Map is one hell of a gem to see live. There is so much energy that it permeates through the crowd. Be on the look out for their debut fill length soon!
https://www.facebook.com/blackmapmusic
http://blackmapmusic.bandcamp.com/album/driver
By: Brian Lacy
Pink Floyd is very hard to cover. Korn tried and failed miserably, but then again it is Korn. In 2003, when Shadows Fall released their great album The Art Of Balance, I was incredibly surprised to hear them cover “Welcome To The Machine” at the end of the album. It’s another cover that I’m torn on. I love the original, and this version is good but I’m sure something is missing from it.
By: Brian Lacy
audioeclectica 