In 1989, Metallica was just about to become a household name. And Justice For All, the bands fourth album, was truly was a monumental album for heavy music. There is no denying the impact this album has had over the years. The songs are beyond classics and the influence has only grown.
We all know what happened at the Grammy Awards in that year with Jethro Tull beating out Metallica for the first Heavy Metal Grammy. While they didn’t win that, they did however perform that night and won the audience over that was in attendance as well as watching at home.
Metallica have been on top of the world since this point and with no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Take a moment to enjoy this classic and memorable TV performance of “One” by Metallica.
Music in the late 1980’s has a very interesting history, particularly rock music. While the mainstream was celebrating excess and decadence, the underground was about to turn the world on its head. Sure the party was glamorous and full of fun to the enth degree, there was just something more about the grittier side of the street.
The underground scene was full of great bands and artists that made huge impacts and inspired so many. So much so that two iconic forces of nature from this era would have a chance encounter and make a few songs that, one not only become a blueprint for other projects of this kind. And two, the collaboration between two different artists from different genres, making a record that has gone on to become an unsung masterpiece.
Let’s travel back to 1987 in London, England where Ministry’s Al Jourgensen was currently living. While there he met Ian MacKaye of Minor Threat and Embrace. This was just before Ian formed Fugazi. Al was working on new ideas and was moving away from the new wave sound of Ministry’s previous albums, With Sympathy and Twitch. The two would form a bond both musically and politically and would form a project that combined industrial music and hardcore punk. The end result was Pailhead.
What Pailhead was able to do by combining these two genres is still explored today. The way the cerebral vocals and lyrics of Ian MacKaye permeate against the backdrop of the industrial soundscapes. This record is as heavy as it is deep and dark. One of the most intriguing aspects of Pailhead is the poetic commentary on societal issues and landscapes. As much as it meant something back in 1987, the themes discussed here still are represented today.
Pailhead was a blueprint for so many other collaborative projects of this ilk like Nailbomb, Pigface and Lard. The song “I Will Refuse” has gone on to become a bit of a song placement gem. You’ve heard it over the years on skate videos and TV. The combination of Ian and Al is something that should be celebrated.
We all have made lists of bands we’d love to see tour together. The endless possibilities that are out there make for some pretty amazing ideas. There’s one idea I’ve had for quite a while now that I’ve finally put together. I’ve long had this idea in my mind for years, that a Mastodon tour with Failure would be absolutely mind blowing. What a compelling one / two punch. To completely put this tour over the top would be to add Cave In as the opening act.
Each band is phenomenal on their own. Then you combine all three under one venue and you’ve got a recipe for a sonic experience your mind will never forget. Each bands set is full of songs you love and choice deep cuts that you’d not expect.
Back in 1993, while riding high off their album, Angel Dust, made a late night TV appearance on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. “Midlife Crisis” was the single at the time and the audience in the studio had no idea what hit them. The band was also on tour with Metallica and Guns N Roses at this time making them a very hot commodity. It’s worth noting that Faith No More also performed their cover of The Commodores “Easy.” Enjoy “Midlife Crisis” below!
Faith No More- Midlife Crisis (Live On The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, 1993):
Led Zeppelin is one of the best bands of all time. I’d even go out on a limb and say they are better than The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. Led Zeppelin had it all from the songs, live show, musicianship, mystique and then some. You’d be hard pressed to find a catalog of a band with the amount of greatness, that Led Zeppelin put out. Below is the definitive album rank of all nine Led Zeppelin studio albums.
The wait for the new Genghis Tron album is making me impatient. A few weeks ago, the band released the news that their new album, Signal Fire would be coming out on June 12 and the first single “I Am All” from said album , right out of the gate was sonically pummeling!
Now, as the impatient wait continues, Genghis Tron has dropped another new song “Born Prey” and this one is even more unrelenting than the previous. The song is a welcome return to the bands older and more abrasive side while also pushing the boundaries of where heavy music can go.
I for one am very stoked on this upcoming new Genghis Tron album. Bands like this need to be celebrated more. There’s a real uncanny amount of artistry in this band and it’s really quite stunning. Prepare yourself accordingly!
I’m declaring 2026 to be the year of Converge! The year started off with their new album, Love Is Not Enough, which came out of the gates like a bat out of hell. Then came news that there was a second album on its way, in the form of Hum Of Hurt, which arrives on June 5th!
The second single from Hum Of Hurt has arrived in “Doom In Bloom.” This song is heavy and full of a raw, unrelenting riffs and rhythms. Lyrically it’s introspective in a very optimistic way.
One of the things about Converge that I personally enjoy the most is the honesty in their music. Every album has a different meaning and feeling. The way the artwork plays into the lyrics which in turn plays out through the music. It’s an underrated aspect about Converge and what comes with each album. Bring on Hum Of Hurt, I’m ready!
During my album deep dive into Killswitch Engage, I was quickly reminded of a song of theirs that is truly one of the best in their entire repertoire. For this one we go back to the band’s 2016 album, Incarnate, and find it at track eleven, “We Carry On.”
“We Carry On” what a song! There’s a deeply impassioned vocal performance by singer/lyricist, Jesse Leach throughout the album but, when you get to this song in the course of listening, there’s just something truly remarkable. The weight of the lyrics bellow out of Jesse’s heart into direct hit of optimism and hope. Guiding this vocal is music that hits the right melancholic notes with just the right amount of heaviness to push through the wall and make it past it all.
Songs like this are magnetic and beautiful. I distinctly recall when I bought this CD back in 2016 (Happy Ten Year Anniversary!! By the way), I put it on my stereo at home, grabbed my headphones, went to my favorite spot, pressed play and read the lyrics as I listened. When I got to “We Carry On” there was an instant connection to the song. One of those gems that deep in the track listing.
As great as this song is, it’s only been played live four times. And all in 2023. You lucky 4 shows! Just going to put this out in the universe to put “We Carry On” in the setlist going forward!! It’s too damn good not to play it!
Late last year, I introduced you all to the band The Owling. Their debut album, You Don’t Bow, You Will Learn” hit me out of nowhere and was a perfect end note to the year. Now, Kal Michael (guitar/vocals) and Art Quanstrom (drums), have kept their creative flow going and have released a new EP titled, Intravenous Flow.
Intravenous Flow is quite the perfect title for this release. Clocking in at just about twenty five minutes, the way this EP plays out really feels more like an album. The title track, “Intravenous Flow” starts things off and truly does have quite the flow. The delicate nature of the guitar creates a warm texture against the ambient cymbals and drums, while the vocals float on top. In a way there’s a post punk tinge to go along with the doom riffs and thunder drums. “Hollowed” is quite possibly my favorite song by The Owling. There’s a really cool almost Neurosis vibe to this song and it’s one of those really great slow burn songs. And then comes the cover song you didn’t know you needed, Ozzy Osbourne’s “Mama I’m Coming Home.” I quite enjoy this version. The way it pays homage to the original but, sways more into Sabbath territory is treat. Closing out this record is an acoustic version of “Intravenous Flow,” And what I said prior still stands, this one truly is THE delicate one.
I haven’t had the chance to see The Owling live yet but, I sure will soon. These songs live are going to be huge! The Owling aren’t just the a typical doom/insert other genre here band. When you listen you hear substance and depth. Something that is truly missing from so much rock music these days. Take your time with this record and really listen.
The Smashing Pumpkins have always been a prolific band in terms of albums, live shows and songs. The songwriting and arrangements are some of the best ever. Billy Corgan has written so many great songs, sometimes it’s hard to keep up with them all.
Recently, I was revisiting the Pumpkins album, Zeitgeist. I distinctly remember when this album came out. It was one of those moments where one of your favorite bands return. Zeitgeist is a polarizing album with songs that now, almost twenty years later, ring more true than ever. There is a particular song though on this record that has always been a favorite of mine. And that song is “Stellar.”
“Stellar” is an absolute gem. There are shades of early Pumpkins on this song but, it doesn’t rely on that to shine. Clocking in at six and a half minutes, “Stellar” shoots you to the stars. The “big rock” sound that the albums production has too, showcases this song. The shoegaze vibe mixed with a bit of new wave and a dose of seventies era pop a la Cheap Trick is brilliant.
If you were lucky enough to see The Smashing Pumpkins 2008 on their European tour, there’s a good chance you might have heard this wonderful song. The live band during this run was fun to watch and hear. At the time of the release as well, if you bought the gray edition of Zeitgeist, which was a Best Buy exclusive, “Stellar” was found on this version along with “Ma Belle” and “Death From Above.” Zeitgeist is a hard album to find but if you find it in the wild, buy it, it’s so worth it.
