Anticipated Albums: Mark Morton- Anesthetic

Lamb of God guitarist Mark Morton is preparing to release his debut solo album March 1, 2019. This is an album that Mark has been working on for a while. In a recent interview Mark went on to say “This album wasn’t a concerted effort to start something outside Lamb of God,” he explains. “Music is always in my head, and until I write and record it, it’s stuck there. But once I record it, it’s out. It’s a catharsis, more for my own sanity.” So needless to say, this album is full of variety and riffs galore. The album features Mark playing all the guitars with guest accompaniment from the likes of Roy Mayorga, David Ellefson, Ray Luzier, Paolo Gregoletto, Alex Bent, Mike Inez, Jean-Paul Gaster, Steve Gorman, Marc Ford, Yanni Papadopoulos, and Chris Brooks rounding out the band. Anesthetic sure seems like a beast of an album. Two songs have been released already “The Truth Is Dead” featuring Arch Enemy’s Alissa White- Gluz and Mark’s Lamb of God mate Randy Blyth, and “Cross Off” which features the late Chester Bennington of Linkin Park.

 

The Truth Is Dead w/ Randy Blyth and Alissa White- Gluz:

 

 

Cross Off w/ Chester Bennington:

 

 

 

ANESTHETIC TRACK LISTING:
1. “Cross Off” (feat. Chester Bennington)
2. “Sworn Apart” (feat. Jacoby Shaddix)
3. “Axis”  (feat. Mark Lanegan)
4. “The Never” (feat. Chuck Billy + Jake Oni)
5. “Save Defiance” (feat. Myles Kennedy)
6. “Blur” (feat. Mark Morales)
7. “Back From The Dead” (feat. Josh Todd)
8. “Reveal” (feat. Naeemah Maddox)
9. “Imaginary Days”
10. “The Truth Is Dead” (feat. Randy Blythe + Alissa White-Gluz)

Guest Guitarist: Tom Morello

Tom Morello is one of the most innovative guitarists of the last 25 years. I’d dare say he’s up there in terms of style and influence with the likes of Eddie Van Halen, Jimi Hendrix and countless others. There is no denying he has a unique style and a distinct sound. So it’s only natural that when you hear him play, you know it’s Tom. Over the years Tom has quietly lent his talents to a plethora of other bands and artists. Here are a few the gems he’s guested on over the years.

 

RUN DMC- Big Willie (from Down With The King):

 

Cypress Hill- Rise Up (from Rise Up):

 

Linkin Park- Drawbar (from The Hunting Party):

 

Device- Opinion (from Self Titled):

 

Travis Barker w/ Rza, Raekwon and Tom Morello- Carry It (from Give The Drummer Some):

 

Prodigy with Tom Morello- One Man Army (from Spawn Soundtrack):

 

Primus- Electric Uncle Sam (from Antipop):

 

Primus- Mama Didn’t Raise No Fool (from Antipop):

 

Bruce Springsteen- Jack Of All Trades (from Wrecking Ball):

 

Bruce Springsteen- This Depression (from Wrecking Ball):

 

Class Of 99- Another Brick In The Wall (from The Faculty Soundtrack):

 

 

Great B Sides: Linkin Park- QWERTY

When bands record albums they have a tendency to record more songs that don’t show up on their albums. This new topic highlights those songs (B-sides), that the band didn’t put on their albums.

First up is the song “QWERTY” by Linkin Park. I was never really a fan of the band but, I remember hearing this song over ten years ago and thought “Why didn’t they put this on an album?” Instead they switched gears and released the mediocre Minutes To Midnight. Though never officially released, Linkin Park did put this song out on one of their fan club CD’s. So here is “QWERTY” for you all to enjoy.

 

Linkin Park- QWERTY:

 

 

Tribute: Chester Bennington

This piece has taken me a while to write. Not because I was extremely influenced or inspired by Chester but rather, because I’ve never looked at Linkin Park other than a great marketed band. Throughout the past couple days since the news broke of Chester’s suicide, I took some time to really delve into Linkin Park and see if there was something I missed. That’s not what this piece is about though. Chester was a guy who put himself out there and that alone stands for something. There are so many people out there that shit on him and the band but, those are the people that never put themselves out there and tried.

Chester was a guy like many of us out there that has struggled with depression, addiction and other demons. Sure he was a celebrity but, that doesn’t change the fact that he was a person just like the rest of us. He suffered for many years with many ups and downs. He laid it all out there with his words and voice. Listening to their songs, you can really hear it in his performance. His desperation and suffering really showed through as the band continued on their journey. Not everyone is going to like the next thing a band does but, sometimes that doesn’t really matter. It’s about where you are in life and how you can continue to better yourself. Recently, Chester took a lot of the criticism of his bands new album One More Light very personally. The comments sections on the internet were full of disgusting negativity about the direction of the album. Chester directly addressed a lot of these critiques and it really got to him. Chester and Chris Cornell were also very good friends, so I’m sure he was struggling to come to terms with Chris’s death as well. It doesn’t matter how deep you try to bury the feelings you don’t want to feel, they tend to always come back and pick at you little by little in some way.

I’ve been deeply affected by other deaths in my life and this one has slowly crept in there. My wife was a big Linkin Park fan way back when, and I’ve seen her take this pretty hard. It’s never easy to lose someone that you are connected to on a specific wavelength. The power of music really does help save lives.

You don’t have to be a fan to feel the pain and anguish others are going through. I truly hope that those out there that are suffering and in need of help, can get it. Mental health isn’t a subject that should be brushed over. People need to really pay attention to what is happening. Take the time to show you care, and that you are there for those that you know are having a hard time.

 

A Place For My Head:

 

Faint (I’ve always thought this video was awesome):

 

From The Inside:

 

Leave Out All The Rest:

That Was A Bad Idea: Stone Temple Pilots with Chester Bennington

We live in a very strange time. Some bands try to stay relevant with a revamped lineup. Though most of the time, the new lineup just doesn’t cut it. A great example of this occurred a couple years back when, Stone Temple Pilots recruited Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington to front the band after they fired Scott Weiland. The band with Chester made a surprise appearance at a KROQ radio festival, and left many in the crowd wondering “What the hell?” This utterly disgusting idea was not just a bad idea but, it also tarnished the legacy of STP. Granted Scott was struggling again with his demons but, come on, picking Chester is like the equivalent of picking Alvin form Alvin and the Chipmunks to be the singer. The band would put out a terrible EP called High Rise, and they would tour, playing to half empty venues and mildly curious fans. I’m sure there were people out there that dug on it, but seriously, how can this be called Stone Temple Pilots without Scott?

Scott is no longer with us but, he left quite an impact on not the rock world but music in general. His lyrics, melodies and voice will always be remembered. I had hoped that STP and Scott would have one more chance at it before he died but, that didn’t come to fruition.

Take a listen to this wretchedly bad idea, and you’ll understand why this sucked.

Stone Temple Pilots with Chester Bennington:

 

STP with Chester LIVE:

Worst Cover Songs: Linkin Park (Nine Inch Nails)- Wish

Wow, this is awful. Nine Inch Nails is my all time favorite band, and this version is just plain awful. Though I don’t know what’s worse, Linkin Park covering this song, or the comments people left saying that this is better than the original. Also they can’t even play it right. It’s atrocious people!!!

 

Linkin Park- Wish:

 

Nine Inch Nails- Wish:

 

Also Rob Bourden, THIS is how you play the drums for this song:

 

Guest Vocalist: Aaron Lewis

This feature has really become one of my favorites to do. It’s always fun to go back and listen to these songs. Here are a bunch of songs that you may or may not have know that Aaron Lewis of Staind guested on.

Sevendust- Follow:

Cold- Bleed:

Cold- Send In The Clowns:

Limp Bizkit- No Sex:

Linkin Suck- Crawling (ReAnimation Version):

Cover Comparison: Chris Cornell and Chester Bennington vs Corey Taylor and Lzzy Hale

When I first heard “Hunger Strike” when I was a kid, I was absolutely blown away. The sheer magnitude of vocals from Chris Cornell and Eddie Vedder… WOW! That Temple Of The Dog album is still one of the best albums of the 90’s in my opinion. Sadly though so many people have tried to cover “Hunger Strike” and fail miserably. A few years back Chris Cornell joined Chester Bennington on stage to do a version of it. And recently Corey Taylor joined Halestorm at an awards show to do a cover of it as well. Both versions are pretty bad in their own right. I’m curious as to which one you all prefer.

Chris Cornell and Chester Bennington:

Halestorm and Corey Taylor:

The Original: