Spirit In The Room is one of my favorite bands I’ve written about. Dennis Sanders is a river of inspiration and continuously keeps impressing me with what he puts out. This past week Dennis put out a cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” that is quite good, and I feel compelled to share it with you all!
Enjoy!!
Spirit In The Room- Immigrant Song:
I really like making lists for you all. It’s fun and you all get to join in on the fun by adding to them.
This list of the best frontmen/frontwomen should be a really fun one. I’m basing the list not on singing ability but on how they are able to command the stage and be a reckoning force. Also this list will feature people from bands that you all might not like. So… let us begin.
This List Is In No Particular Order!!!
Phil Anselmo- Pantera/Down/Superjoint/Scour/etc
James Hetfield- Metallica
Ozzy Osbourne- Black Sabbath/Ozzy Solo
Trent Reznor- Nine Inch Nails
Greg Puciato- The Dillinger Escape Plan/Killer Be Killed
Jacob Bannon- Converge
Randy Blythe- Lamb Of God
Zach De La Rocha- Rage Against The Machine
Max Cavalera- Soulfly
Perry Farrell- Jane’s Addiction
Henry Rollins- Black Flag/Rollins Band
Marilyn Manson
Chino Moreno- Deftones/Palms/Crosses/etc
Ian Astbury- The Cult
Maynard James Keenan- Tool/A Perfect Circle/Puscifer
Peter Steele- Type O Negative
Jamey Jasta- Hatebreed
Jonathan Davis- Korn
Brian Molko- Placebo
Joe Duplantier- Gojira
Rob Zombie- Rob Zombie/White Zombie
Keith Buckley- Every Time I Die/ The Damned Things
Scott Weiland- Stone Temple Pilots/Velvet Revolver
Axl Rose- Guns N Roses
Dave Gahan- Depeche Mode
Til Linderman- Rammstein
Mike Patton- Faith No More/Dead Cross/Tomahawk/Peeping Tom/etc
Corey Taylor- Slipknot/Stone Sour
Jon Bon Jovi- Bon Jovi
Dave Grohl- Foo Fighters
Johnny Rotten- Sex Pistols
Morrisey- The Smiths/Morrisey
Jim Morrison- The Doors
Robert Plant- Led Zeppelin
Roger Daltry- The Who
David Bowie
Davey Havok- AFI/Dreamcar/Blaqk Audio
Eddie Vedder- Pearl Jam
Layne Staley- Alice In Chains
Casey Chaos- Amen
James Lynn Strait- Snot
David Draiman- Disturbed
Sully Erna- Godsmack
Jacoby Shaddix- Papa Roach
Wendy O Williams- Plasmatics
Courtney Love- Hole
Darby Crash- The Germs
Glenn Danzig- Danzig/Misfits
Lemmy- Motorhead
Gojira are one of the most promising bands to come out since the turn of the century. Like Mastodon, Gojira keeps getting better and better. They are one of the few bands to continually evolve without losing sight of who they are. Which brings me to this album rank. As you’ll hear you can really tell how good Gojira has become as the albums go on.
6) The Link:
5) Terra Incognita:
4) The Way Of All Flesh:
3) Magma:
2) L’enfant Sauvage:
1) From Mars To Sirius:
I’ve come to the conclusion that Aerosmith are part of what I call “Greatest Hits Bands.” Meaning that they’ve got some really great songs but, their albums as a whole just aren’t “that” good. Since I started this new feature, I’ve got a huge list of great times a song was used in a film and Aerosmith’s “Sweet Emotion” during the opening credits of the very awesome Dazed and Confused is perfect.
Aerosmith- Sweet Emotion in Dazed and Confused:
There are a handful of bands that I’ve written about here that really get me excited. One of those bands is He Whose Ox Is Gored. Ever since I first heard them, I’ve become enthralled by what they do. This four piece from Seattle is starting to really take the underground music scene by storm. Their mix of doom, shoegaze, and ambience are perfectly blended into their heavy and emotional sound. Their full length album The Camel, The Lion, The Child is still in constant rotation on my stereo and turntable. One thing that I really love about He Whose Ox Is Gored is the way the sparse vocals resonate through their songs. The lyrics and vocals add another dimension to their hypnotic sound. It’s almost as though the vocals invoke a whole different beast.
He Whose Ox Is Gored is the type of band that can transcend just being another heavy band. They have all the parts to make them not only stand out among their peers but, also the talent to really leave their own mark and inspire other bands. Do yourself a favor and buy their album and play it loud and proudly. You’ll thank me later for it.
He Whose Ox Is Gored- The Camel, The Lion, The Child:
Fainting Room Collective 7”:
Live at Saint Vitus Bar New York:
Band In Seattle:
Tour Dates:
The Cure is one of my all time favorite bands and “Fascination Street” is my favorite song by them as well. I was searching for a cover to share with you all and I came across this gem of a bad idea. Here is Chimaira covering The Cure’s “Fascination Street.”
Don’t say I didn’t warn you.
Chimaira- Fascination Street:
The Cure- Fascination Street:
Over the past few years there has been a resurgence of bands from the 90’s reuniting. Some have been absolutely great to have back, like Failure, and others, well lets just not mention them. One band in particular that I’d love to see make a return is Silverchair.
Their first three albums are still in constant rotation in my stereo and still hold up. The first album Frogstomp is drenched in teenage angst and despair but, it still resonates with today’s youth. Freak Show is a continuation of that angst but with a bit more social commentary. And Neon Ballroom, the bands pinnacle and most evolved album, is an unsung masterpiece. From start to finish, Neon Ballroom is exactly what the band should have become. Their follow up albums though, Diorama and Young Modern, were a bit sub par and deviated a bit too far from what the band had evolved into. Granted I know that Daniel Johns is a huge Beatles fan, so that pretty much explains why Diorama sounds the way it does. The way the band disappeared after Young Modern is sort of sad. Young Modern was also a giant departure from their rock sound and focused more on electronics and synths. The lyrics even took on a more metaphorical approach but, still retained Daniel Johns poetic touch.
It’s hard to believe that it’s been 10 years since Silverchair was still a band. I’d really like to see them come back. They were a very underrated band in the sea of grunge/alternative rock bands. When Silverchair released Neon Ballroom, it was cemented that they had the ability to break away from what they were placed in by the critics and media. To this day, that album is one of the best albums of the 90’s, even though it was released in 99.
So what do you say Silverchair? How bout it! Get back out there and kick ass again. The fans want it, and I’m sure deep down you do as well.
Frogstomp:
Freak Show:
Neon Ballroom:
This feature is fast becoming a favorite of mine. Well all the features I do are favorites, some are just more fun than others. Today I present another song battle featuring Stone Temple Pilots vs 311 and their songs “Down.”
I go STP without question. There are some people that might/will pick 311. And that’s ok but, Stone Temple Pilots win this one hands down. And their video is better too!
Who do you think wrote the better “DOWN?”
Stone Temple Pilots- Down:
311-Down:
Mastodon are one of the best bands to come out in the last 15 years. They have always been a band that stuck to their guns and let the music speak for itself. They have managed to evolve as a band as organically as possible. When you have four members that all fit together to create something so deep and poignant, it leaves a lasting mark. On their new album Emperor Of Sand, Mastodon gets back to what they do best, making albums. Drawing from their personal struggles and family tragedies of cancer, Emperor Of Sand tells the tale of a desert wanderer who has been handed a death sentence. This album is one of their deepest lyrically since Crack The Skye. So much so that, when you are listening to the album the story and words take you on a journey that is separate from the music. There is something truly remarkable about this album with its ability to give you two different ways to listen. One being just the music and the other with the lyrics and story.
Working with Brendan O’Brien again, who was in the producers chair for Crack The Skye, gets the band back on track. Songs like opener “Sultan’s Curse,” “Precious Stones,” “Roots Remain,” “Ancient Kingdom,” “Andromeda,” Scorpion Breath (featuring Scott Kelly of Neurosis on guest vocals) and closer “Jaguar God,” all have the Mastodon DNA ingrained in them. Other songs like “Steambreather,” Word To The Wise,” and Clandestiny,” see the band stepping out of their comfort zone a bit more and experimenting with different melodies and tones. The one odd ball song on the album “Show Yourself” is the biggest departure Mastodon has ever done. The lyrics and theme of the song really fit with the album, but musically it’s a sharp left turn.
All in all, Mastodon, has really dug deep and returned with a fantastic album. They are masters at what they do and it shows. They are truly making complete albums, something that a lot of bands seem to be forgetting about. After listening through the album a few times, I’ve determined that it’s sonically similar to Crack The Skye with a bit of Once More Round The Sun, and a dash of Blood Mountain. Mastodon are one of the few bands since the turn of the century to really leave a lasting mark. Had they come out in the 90’s, I think they would have been one of the biggest bands of the era. Not only that but, I think they would have a Tool-esque following.
Overall Rating: A
Mastodon- Emperor Of Sand:
AUDIOECLECTICA 