Friday, December 31, 2010
Sonic retainer
2011 targets: Part 1
Thursday, December 30, 2010
New year eve ritual...
Happy New Year!!
May 2011 be a splendid year for all of us- thanks, once again, cheers!
It's not yours, be more mindful
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Putting paper to task
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Suffer the finger
Monday, December 27, 2010
Cry- the greatest
Watching The Godfather, one of my favourite movies. There are some lines in this movie which kept ringing in my head from time to time. One of them is I'll make them an offer they can't refuse. Marlon Brando was spectacular & he got away with some of the most memorable mumbling & slurring to date.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Selling: Marshall MG10
Ibanez 2011: Possible additions
SR4500E: This is a stunning Prestige SR bass, elite features all round & more tone controls at the helm.
ASR76T: A racing stripe AS body; how about that?
RG8527Z: The J-Custom range gets a 7-string addition. Of course, the chances of this making it here is very remote.
Another availability frustration
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Bits storage
- I can't collectively see what I have
- Zip-lock bags don't last because some of the spares are sharp-edged/ pointed
Headstock finishes
Wish it was back: Yamaha Weddington
Friday, December 24, 2010
Rosewood neck
It's one of those very few guitars sporting a rosewood neck as evident above. Now this, is the correct 'rosewood neck' reference.
Die Hard ritual
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Swing: MG-103
StarGazer: A Great Work of Ages
Orange vs Mallory
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Wish it was back: Heartfield Talon
But I wish this guitar was back.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Ibanez: SA1260... the deviation
No whammy applications with this guitar so 5-springs in there, as usual.
- Neck: DiMarzio Area '67
- Middle: DiMarzio Area '67
- Bridge: DiMarzio PAF 36th Anniversary
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Where death is most alive
I went to see Dark Tranquillity with Insomnium and Cypher16 at the Underworld last night and I had a lot to say about it, so I thought I'd share my wise and well-informed opinions with the rest of the world.
First of all - Cypher16. J hates the name, but I don't think it's so bad, although numbers with any name just make it look like a bad email handle. Terror 2000 remain my exception to the rule, because I love that band :D
So, crappy name...and crappy band, for me at least. I think they have a lot of potential and some people may well think what they're doing is cool already, but they were not my cup of tea at all. If I'm honest, I checked them out on MySpace, decided I didn't like them and so only bothered to turn up right at the end of their set. A little unfair, but I'm hardly Lady Justice.
Moving on...Insomnium fucking RULED. They owned that place; every song was awesome. It's the second time I've seen them and both times they've blown me away - I'm not saying they're technically the best or they have the best sound or whatever, but overall, they are one of my favourite live acts. They had a lot of fans there, which was great to see and they had an incredible atmosphere for a relatively unknown band here in the UK. I got one of their albums after I saw them the first time and didn't think much of it, but I'm definitely going to try again. If not then hey, I only like Immortal live, there's nothing wrong with that.
Dark Tranquillity were really really good, despite a few technical difficulties, but overall, I think Insomnium won the day. DT are one of my favourite bands, but in terms of what they play they can be very hit and miss. More than half their set was songs I really didn't care for at all - although the upsides were two from The Gallery (my favourite album - they played the title track and Punish my Heaven) and ended with Terminus, for me the setlist wasn't that great. My highlight would have to be Punish my Heaven as it's one of my favourite songs ever.
The other highlight of the night, I have to say, was Michael Stanne himself. Obviously I don't know him, but he comes across as a really, really nice guy. There was a lot of crowd interaction - he surfed, didn't mind holding hands or holding out the mic to people and generally seemed incredibly happy and at ease with everything. At the end he said the band were going to be at the merch stand and would be sticking around for a couple drinks after the show, which is great to hear from a band that's big enough to get away without doing that shit nowadays.
In terms of venue, I'd say they could have done with a bigger place. The Underworld is small and has many pillars and last night was probably the busiest I'd ever seen it. Even the merch stand could have done with more room - the bar just ain't big enough. Had the Astoria not been razed (bastards), that would have been a perfect venue, but without it, London's really lacking a great medium-sized venue. Last time DT played the UK it was at the stupidly small Barfly in Camden, so I don't know whether the band's management are too cautious with the bookings or just undervalue their commercial appeal, but I'd say they could easily play Islington and with a little more advertising, they could even fill Brixton or Shepherd's Bush.
My final point - oh dear god, £4 a pint? I spent almost a tenner, wasn't even close to drunk then decided I couldn't possibly afford to get drunk. Doesn't make for a fun night, Underworld (and all you other venues charging stupid amounts for watery beer). Improve please!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Seasons in the Bathroom
J: Slayer Guitarist's Food Poisoning Forces Tilburg Cancellation - from the comments;
> Seasons in the bathroom
i lol'd XD
:D
J: > When I caught the Big Four movie
what is this :?
ohh, the first set of it, they showed in cinemas across europe, tickets were bear dollar tho :3 i don't think that many people went, i don't know any that did. i only knew it was happening 'cause P told me...
J: so it's some film about the big 4 now? :O
M: no, not a film, they literally screened the sets in via satellite link so you could 'watch as if you were there' sort of thing...
J: oh that, i've noticed that on other gigs.
M: orly? i never seen it before :O
J: yeah, read about it on the nme (i think), some band have a proper director involved in doing it :/
M: omg that's lame :(( what's the point? i hate live stuff unless i was there, someone i know was there or....well yeah, that's about it. apart from s&m, which most people hate anyway...
J: just in case you didn't feel like showing up :)
M: :DDDDDDDDD yeah hehe :)
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Jammer
M: FEAR FACTORY Drummer GENE HOGLAN Discusses His Technique In New Interview - "i enjoy triggers and joining as many bands as possible. you could say i model myself on nick barker. we're fat and we're both in a lot of bands..."
is what the interview should say.
J: that made me lol irl XD
M: :D true tho ain't it :))
J: yeah :)
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Cash Fiends
M: METALLICA To Play Special 'Old-School' Show In Christchurch - ohh, i thought they meant old-school set. they do not. they just mean they're not gonna be playing in the round 'cause it's not big enough...... but to be fair, that's how 99% of other metal bands play, so it's not that old-school or significant at all. thanks bbmouth, for making me think there was a story when there was none.
whilst kirk's playing a solo, help mess it up :)
they're friends now, gaying it up an shit :)
Monday, July 12, 2010
Albums I Like - 2
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Halfway to 50...
I'm going to be a complete lord and see all kinds of ridiculous bands that I imagine no-one else will want to see, but I don't care!! Amorphis, Rage, BLOODBATH, Behemoth, Bonded by Blood...none of it actually on my birthday (which is the Thursday), but like I said, might as well make a weekend out of it.
If anyone's going that reads this that I don't know already (which would be highly surprising) gimme a shout :)
Albums I like - 1
Hieronymus Bosch - Artificial Emotions
This album is pretty hard to describe, so I'm not gonna try too hard, I hate all of that self conscious bullshitting people do. It's progressive death metal, to be genre-specific. It has roars, jazz (which usually I don't like), a lot of pinch harmonics (squeaky) and a Sound of Perseverance vibe.
All I can really say is that this is easily one of the best experiences my ears have ever had, they enjoyed every single second of it. It was like when I heard Enthralled in Essence by Atheist for the first time. It was like I had popping candy in my ears and my ears liked it. Crunchy.
This is all even sadder to say now, 'cause the band split up just a couple months ago. I haven't heard their newest album yet and I dunno whether I'll like it, but I'm gutted I'm never going to see this band now. Really fucking gutted.
So there, that's the first album in my list of all-time favourites. I highly recommend you go listen to it, all the way through.
Friday, June 25, 2010
We shall fight on the beaches
He obviously doesn't know Iron Maiden fans! Even casual enjoyers of the band (I'm by no means die-hard) know Churchill's speech and can probably quote a bit of it...
Sir, I give you Aces High.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
HELLFEST
It was of the the greatest weekends of my life, despite the 1000 mile round trip of horribly confusing roads, motorways you have to pay to use and toilets that left a lot to be desired...
Still, Exodus played all of Bonded by Blood, Bloodbath played an awesome set and Angela Gossow was in fine form. We saw Abbath walk out over the drawbridge of a castle (we're 99% sure it was him), we met 3 awesome french dudes (hey Armel, Fred and JD! good luck with the baby Armel:) ) had a lot of beer, danced to KISS and Motorhead, J shouted along to Discharge, I got a kiss from Mr. Rock and...well, it was fucking iron maiden.
le sandwich!!!
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Let's ALL stab Malcolm Dome in the throat :D
M: http://www.metalhammer.co.uk/
J: > Five Finger Death Punch
was this the band where the singer or someone went missing in that bizarre thing last year?
> and Suicidal Tendencies
AND suicidal?! Srsly, no one cares about them no more, it's only mike i think still in it :O
> Iced Earth (UK exclusive)
again, does anyone still care about iced earth?
> DevilDriver (Spring Exclusive)
at no point is DD playing exclusive!
> Epica (Only UK Show)
this sounds important, but wtf are they?
> Napalm Death
was this outdoor or indoor. ND at a fest is like MW at a fest, pointless.
M: >> Epica (Only UK Show) this sounds important, but wtf are they?
J: > LOLOL epica are one of them lady fronted nightwish/lacuna coil whatever bands :/
i did have a feeling that would be the case :)
basically; malcolm dome has demos you can only dream of. you have to visit him in that office near the fox which he shares with that other wanker and ask to see it :O
M: that's my ultimate dream!!! to go there, get that fucking iron maiden demo tape and then STAMP ON IT and spit in malcolm dome's eyes :) i think of it every time i'm near there, i look up and think about that :)
J: stab him in the throat with the broken cassette. that's real ultraviolence :D