Music News
Battlecross Live Review
MOTORCITY TRASH
If you like balls to the walls metal with that extra side of fuck off then this is the band for you. Battlecross from Michigan blend harmonic shredding guitars with drums that make you want to kick an old lady. Then there are the vocals that pierce your soul while fist fucking you.
As they hit the stage lead singer Kyle Gunther or “Gumby” asks the crowd “ are you ready to watch 5 sweaty dudes”. “Gumby” was sporting a Chewbacca shirt and a look that was somewhat reminiscent of Otis from The Devil’s Rejects. He commanded every inch of the stage with his vocals.
Battlecross opened their set with the track “Force Fed Lies” and immediately dispelled any doubts that they came to tear this place down. Battlecross played a mix of their three full length albums, including the songs “Scars” and “ Blood and Lies”. The band jumped into “Kaleb” which Gumby proclaimed it to be his favorite song from their catalog. They song is penned about his son and is an amazing track that demonstrates that metal dads have a heart too.
Battlecross didn’t let the let the crowd take a moment of rest as they finished of their set with “Push Pull Destroy”. They are such an amazing band to see perform live. I’ve had the opportunity to see them play at Mayhem Fest, but nothing compares to seeing them in intimate setting of a club where they absolutely reign supreme. Such energy and compassion for the genre! Battlecross is here to stay. So buckle up and enjoy the ride cause it’s gonna be a doozy.
BATTLECROSS ARE
Tony Asta – guitar
Hiran “snickerdick” Deraniyagala – guitar
Don “Hulkamania” Slater – bass
Kyle “Gumby” Gunther – vocals
Alex Bent – drums
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Music News
CREED GREATEST HITS VINYL
Creed who just recently reunited and about to embark on tour. Re-Released their 2004 Greatest Hits on Vinyl. It’s got a nice clean look and sound to it. It comes with 2 vinyls and has 13 tracks. The thing I found interesting is that in the song “What’s this Life For” the God of Goddamn is edited off the track.
The vinyl comes in many variants from Walmart and Target. If you are a fan of Creed this vinyl is a must in your collection . Go buy the vinyl and go check out Creed when they come to a city near you.
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Music News
N.a.s.H. “Vox Populi”
NY. Rock and Roll band N.a.s.H. Have just put out a new single “Vox Populi”. If you’re into good ole rock and roll that’s gritty and fun this band is someone to check out. It’s very “commercial” rock like in the style of band like Creed and Nickelback, which isn’t a bad thing if you’re into that. The video has a cool silhouette style to it and is a fun song.
THIS IS A SPONSORED REVIEW BROUGHT TO YOU BY TAG PUBLICITY
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CD Reviews
Ministry – HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES
As we near the collapse of mankind and the imminent doom of our political system, a perfect stage has been set for the outspoken rebels to flood the airwaves with dissident upheaval bathed in musical bliss. With the end looming, no greater landscape could welcome the reemergence of the enigmatic Al Jourgensen and company with their latest release, HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES, via Nuclear Blast Records. Scheduled for a March 1st 2024 release, Uncle Al, along with guitarist Cesar Soto, Paul D’Amour, formerly of TOOL, on bass, John Bechdel on keys, Roy Mayorga (ex-STONE SOUR) on drums, and newly added guitarist Monte Pittman, form the current incarnation of the long-lived Ministry.
This album is an open-book commentary on our American society at large, bathed in slow-burn angst and distortion injected with punk rock/thrash riffs and samples galore.
Within the opening seconds of track one, a female voice proclaims, “What was once forbidden becomes fringe, and what was once fringe becomes mainstream.” Soon Al’s vocals take over with a distorted and effect heavy declaration of “horny little boys filled with hormones and hate, waging war on women ‘’cause they can’t get a date,” thus laying the groundwork for the entire album. As “B.D.E.” (Big Dick Energy) continues, a heavy yet simplistic guitar riff drives the song forward while increasing the energy level and tempo. Al’s vocals continue with his immediate, recognizable attitude and tone, stating, “No one can justify the toxic behavior.”
“Goddamn White Trash” is perhaps the most accessible and rythematic song on the release. It has hints of the Psalm 69 days of the band. Chants of “USA, USA” ring out along side screeching guitar noise reminiscent of Mike Scaccia’s playing style.
Track three is titled “Just Stop Oil,” and it dives into yet another realm of political advocacy. Jourgensen delivers, “Dehumanization at a cellular level. Policy set by the corporate devils, There must be resistance, we cannot be silenced, There is the existence of possible violence” in a growled whisper.
On the track “Aryan Embarrassment,” we are treated to a none-more-fitting guest appearance from what I believe is activist and Dead Kennedys front man Jello Biafra, who delivers a rap-style series of vocal lines backed by a driving rhythm. Jello wails, “How on Earth did all this happen? Plagues of militantly stupid” Followed by “Scamming on the punk scene. Oi, oi, oi. Ain’t proud of you boys at all.”
Another standout track is “New Religion” which starts with a classic industrial riff and buries itself in the repetitive, slow-burn heaviness that has become the Ministry standard as of late. Followed by “It’s Not Pretty,” which opens as a haunting acoustic piece that I imagine being set in a post apocalyptic landscape with the reverberating lyrics “It’s not pretty. This is the end of the world to me. This is the end of society.”
“Cult of Suffering” strays from the format of the balance of the album and could be firmly placed on an Alabama 3 album, and it may feel at home on a Surgical Meth Machine release.
Rounding out the album is a little ditty called “Ricky’s Hand.” This is a synth pop throwback to the early days of Ministry and leaves us longtime fans eager to hear the longtime teased rerecording of some of the very early Ministry material. This track has a Devo, Information Society, and even Depeche Mode feel to it and is a perfect bookend to a solid release from an iconic band.
Ministry will be on tour throughout the summer with Rob Zombie, Alice Cooper and Helmet.
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JJ
May 3, 2016 at 9:42 pm
Saw them at Mayhem Fest a few years ago. Solid as hell live.