This happened. As I Lay Dying's frontman is in some pretty hot water.
First, what I learned in my law class, and The Thin Blue Line, is that
First, what I learned in my law class, and The Thin Blue Line, is that
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Ghost - live in Seattle, April 27, 2013 - review
Guys, do you know what happened last night. Do you even know? No. You don't even know, man.
Megan and I saw Ghost last night. Ghost. The motherfucking
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Two Music Videos I Keep Showing To My Family
I've been watching these two videos by Ghost B.C. a lot and I thought I'd share them. They're cool.
Secular Haze
Year Zero
Ghost B.C. have released these in preparance of its upcoming sophomore album Infestissumam, to be released April 16.
They're streaming the entire album. Be sure to click the arrows near the bottom sides to scroll thru the images.
This is their website.
Remember, kids--the "B.C." is silent.
Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C.
Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam
Secular Haze
Year Zero
Ghost B.C. have released these in preparance of its upcoming sophomore album Infestissumam, to be released April 16.
They're streaming the entire album. Be sure to click the arrows near the bottom sides to scroll thru the images.
This is their website.
Remember, kids--the "B.C." is silent.
Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C. Ghost B.C.
Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam Infestissumam
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Live Review: Ubik at the Highline
Ubik played The Highline on March 29, and they rocked. Hard. It was my first time seeing them, and it had been a long time coming. I’d been hearing about them for a few years by then. Let me get two things out of the way right off the bat: this band is awesome, and this is gonna be a glowing review. You owe it to yourself to see Ubik, and they deserve the exposure for the work they put into their craft. Their show ranged from beautiful moments of emotional clarity to terrifying, dirty, metal dredging doom.
Google “Ubik” and they’re the second entry on the second page (the 13th hit)—not bad for sharing thier name with the title of a Philip K. Dick novel.
How they settled on “Ubik” is a long story, according to rhythm bassist Joel Fletcher. Many moons ago, before they had settled on a name, lead bassist Eric Charles was reading another Dick novel that included something called a “Rictus.” During a practice, the band were close to settling on Rictus as their moniker, but they wanted to sit on it for a week before making a final decision. This was a good idea—during that week they made a disappointing discovery.
“Every 2-bit Casio player or high school goth band or boring new age hippy rock trio had already plastered the internet with their own ‘Rictus’ band,” Joel said. When the week was over, Eric was onto another novel by Dick—Ubik. In keeping with the theme of an item from a Dick novel, they went out on a limb and settled on Ubik. The rest is history.
Full disclosure: I played with Joel in Born Without Blood, and we’re good friends. That didn’t, however, influence my growing infatuation with this band’s performance as it unfolded. In look, sound, and concept, they’ve got their game down, and they know how to entertain.
Plus they have a really energetic and charismatic singer in Michelle Pannell. When the show started she was immediately in character, pacing back and forth furiously, staring at the stage floor, ranting. Just ranting. Pointing and wagging her finger at the images in her mind, clenching the mic. Her vocal performance stretched the gamut from sweetly-sang, clear, elongated tones from the belly, to quick-fired bursts of word after spoken-ish word, to screams of absolute savagery.
Their drummer, Tyler Griffith, was a perfect, funky metronome. His style reminded me a little of Deftones’ Abe Cunningham. Griffith is a short, buff, skinny dude with shaved blonde hair and a lip ring. He played shirtless in true rock form. Definitely got a hip-hop sensibility about him. He kept time really well—especially during my very favorite part, at the end of the set, when they started to gradually slow down from fast punk music to drudgingly slow doom. It was so awesome.
That was my favorite moments of the show. The band slowed the tempo, letting the bassists’ tones ring out in a very prolonged fashion and shake my entire body. Meanwhile, Michelle was screaming like a maniac into thick, wet reverb and delay, extending her rage to the heavens, while Joel, Chris and Tyler stayed tight during a consistently-slowing tempo—not an easy task for a rhythm section. It was intensely distorted, low-toned, and unrelenting. I love doom.
In case you haven’t figured it out from my vague explanation, there are no guitars in this band—just two basses. And their humans are both over six feet tall. It all works sonically because Joel plays with his big, meaty fingers, slapping and plucking those strings like a practiced caveman, producing thick tones. He’s not afraid to play chords, either.
Eric, The Mad Scientist, wearing a white UBIK lab coat and black tie at the show and sporting his approximately 15-pedal-strong board of various and sundry effects, plays his bass with a pick and turns his e.q. toward the treble end of things.
All in all, Ubik gives you a full experience. They enrich you with all kinds of sounds and images and then send you on your way. 12 out of 11 stars. Fuck yeah, Ubik. You guys rock.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Ghost--new upcoming album, teaser single, singer-switchover-ceremony, conspiracy theory
Ghost is poised to release a new album, and way they've been leading up to it has been very impressive and entertaining. By releasing bits of information here and there, they leave a breadcrumb trail for fans to follow, in keeping with their theme of converting fans to flock.
It's impressive to me from a PR and marketing standpoint. Ghost wants you do some digging to discover them, and when you do, they give you moments of simultaneous excitement and dreadful fear.
They do this musically, as well, completing the theme in a very circular fashion, synchronizing sound & image--you hear them and immediately think, 'Huh, that's not so bad--pretty cool seventies-style heavy rock with a nice, mellow yet clear singer and a modern sensibility.' But then you listen to what they're saying and see what they look like live, and it takes on an entirely new meaning. They make sure you become invested in them and then drop a bomb on you. It's genius.
At that point of true Ghost discovery, every fan has to make a choice as to whether or not to listen to Ghost, and Christians particularly should have a hard time with this. The band writes lyrics promoting Satan in the same style that Christians use lyrics to promote Jesus, turning the church service upside down, or rather displaying a mirror-image of one.
In considering this, one should keep in mind that this is all a money-making venture for the band. Whether or not they believe in what they're saying, a reason to respect them is they don't cut corners as per their releases, live & interview appearances, and perhaps most importantly their online presence. As such they run their operation quite well. They play their cards close to their chest and their record company is seemingly helping them as per media direction. So of course they're gonna make a lot of money.
But at this point one has to wonder--how much is the business of music being integrated with Satan? Is the band akin to Famine from Gaiman & Pratchett's Good Omens?
To this I answer--an infinitesimal, tiny, tiny, tiny amount to that which it's been integrated with Jesus. So who's worse?
This, I believe, is a question central to the Ghost experience.
(OMG brutally good idea--a modern Good Omens movie for which Ghost provides the soundtrack!)
Leading up to their sophomore album "INFESTISSUMAM," Ghost hired a guy to create a preview/teaser website somehow containing the new single they've been playing live lately, SECULAR HAZE, and he wrote a blog entry about it. Very cool, until you get into all that coding language and your brain says, "No, you're not gonna go to school for two years in order learn to read that right now."
The site with the candles and the individual tracks was particularly striking to Megan and I, both huge Ghost fans, as we came across it innocently one night about a month or so ago. At first I was just highlighting one of the candles and we were like, "Wow, circus music. Great. Ghost's new direction is like Heroes's last season=shit piled on shit."
Then we moved to the other candles and were like, "Aaaaahhh!" We had that really impressed, 'Ah-ha' moment, realizing what Ghost was doing, how they were fucking with us, and how badass the whole thing was, with the scary clock ticking in the middle the whole time. Well-played, Ghost.
Check out this video from this Swedish website. They're a Swedish-based entertainment news org. Recently, Ghost switched singers, and they had a sort of singer-switchover ceremony, live. On-stage.
Need I say more?
Admittedly my, "OH HELL NO" reflexes went off the first time I heard they were changing singers. I'm delighted to report, dear readers, that I cannot immediately discern any difference between Papa Emeritus I and II. It seems like they tried very hard to get someone who looked and sounded like the original Papa Emeritus. I mean, he sounds really, really similar. It's eerie. It's like he was created in a vat of Cylon-resurrection slime with Papa I's DNA.
Megan and I got to thinking, What if they didn't switch singers at all and ARE JUST FUCKING WITH US?
It would be beyond genius, and I've got their whole scheme figured out. First, the original Papa Emeritus I stays offstage, singing along to the band playing onstage. Second, they've got some other schmuck, whom we'll now refer to as Imposter Papa Emeritus I, in the real Papa Emeritus I/ Imposter Papa Emeritus II's usual white, evil-Pope garb, but lip-synching with a mic that's turned off, onstage and acting the part, while the real Papa Emeritus I/ Imposter Papa Emeritus II is backstage, singing what the crowd is hearing.
Third--the mic handover. It goes like this: fake Papa Emeritus I hands mic over to Original Papa Emeritus I/ Imposter Papa Emeritus II, sound guy turns mic on. Papa I continues singing, but onstage.
I don't think they actually did that, by the way.
It's impressive to me from a PR and marketing standpoint. Ghost wants you do some digging to discover them, and when you do, they give you moments of simultaneous excitement and dreadful fear.
They do this musically, as well, completing the theme in a very circular fashion, synchronizing sound & image--you hear them and immediately think, 'Huh, that's not so bad--pretty cool seventies-style heavy rock with a nice, mellow yet clear singer and a modern sensibility.' But then you listen to what they're saying and see what they look like live, and it takes on an entirely new meaning. They make sure you become invested in them and then drop a bomb on you. It's genius.
At that point of true Ghost discovery, every fan has to make a choice as to whether or not to listen to Ghost, and Christians particularly should have a hard time with this. The band writes lyrics promoting Satan in the same style that Christians use lyrics to promote Jesus, turning the church service upside down, or rather displaying a mirror-image of one.
In considering this, one should keep in mind that this is all a money-making venture for the band. Whether or not they believe in what they're saying, a reason to respect them is they don't cut corners as per their releases, live & interview appearances, and perhaps most importantly their online presence. As such they run their operation quite well. They play their cards close to their chest and their record company is seemingly helping them as per media direction. So of course they're gonna make a lot of money.
But at this point one has to wonder--how much is the business of music being integrated with Satan? Is the band akin to Famine from Gaiman & Pratchett's Good Omens?
To this I answer--an infinitesimal, tiny, tiny, tiny amount to that which it's been integrated with Jesus. So who's worse?
This, I believe, is a question central to the Ghost experience.
(OMG brutally good idea--a modern Good Omens movie for which Ghost provides the soundtrack!)
Leading up to their sophomore album "INFESTISSUMAM," Ghost hired a guy to create a preview/teaser website somehow containing the new single they've been playing live lately, SECULAR HAZE, and he wrote a blog entry about it. Very cool, until you get into all that coding language and your brain says, "No, you're not gonna go to school for two years in order learn to read that right now."
The site with the candles and the individual tracks was particularly striking to Megan and I, both huge Ghost fans, as we came across it innocently one night about a month or so ago. At first I was just highlighting one of the candles and we were like, "Wow, circus music. Great. Ghost's new direction is like Heroes's last season=shit piled on shit."
Then we moved to the other candles and were like, "Aaaaahhh!" We had that really impressed, 'Ah-ha' moment, realizing what Ghost was doing, how they were fucking with us, and how badass the whole thing was, with the scary clock ticking in the middle the whole time. Well-played, Ghost.
Check out this video from this Swedish website. They're a Swedish-based entertainment news org. Recently, Ghost switched singers, and they had a sort of singer-switchover ceremony, live. On-stage.
Need I say more?
Admittedly my, "OH HELL NO" reflexes went off the first time I heard they were changing singers. I'm delighted to report, dear readers, that I cannot immediately discern any difference between Papa Emeritus I and II. It seems like they tried very hard to get someone who looked and sounded like the original Papa Emeritus. I mean, he sounds really, really similar. It's eerie. It's like he was created in a vat of Cylon-resurrection slime with Papa I's DNA.
Megan and I got to thinking, What if they didn't switch singers at all and ARE JUST FUCKING WITH US?
It would be beyond genius, and I've got their whole scheme figured out. First, the original Papa Emeritus I stays offstage, singing along to the band playing onstage. Second, they've got some other schmuck, whom we'll now refer to as Imposter Papa Emeritus I, in the real Papa Emeritus I/ Imposter Papa Emeritus II's usual white, evil-Pope garb, but lip-synching with a mic that's turned off, onstage and acting the part, while the real Papa Emeritus I/ Imposter Papa Emeritus II is backstage, singing what the crowd is hearing.
Third--the mic handover. It goes like this: fake Papa Emeritus I hands mic over to Original Papa Emeritus I/ Imposter Papa Emeritus II, sound guy turns mic on. Papa I continues singing, but onstage.
I don't think they actually did that, by the way.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
On Cliché
Lordy I've had three bowel movements before 9 today. What?
As a rock composer, I can say that I dislike cliché guitar riffs and that I will never use them, but the truth of the matter is that I'd be nowhere without them.
As a rock composer, I can say that I dislike cliché guitar riffs and that I will never use them, but the truth of the matter is that I'd be nowhere without them.
Saturday, September 1, 2012
New Leatherhorn LP
My friend Sean Jerns's Bellingham, WA-based black metal band Leatherhorn has finished recording and mastering a new LP.
They've posted three songs on their Bandcamp page, as of this writing. Check them out.
Fully awesome, brutal, modern metal that doesn't suck.
Sean and I used to play guitar together, and I know his style. So trust me when I say he's one of the two most brutal black metal guitarists I have ever worked with. The guy can fucking hit 1/16th notes on a 184-bpm, 8-minute song, without stopping, no problem.
Him and I were a guitar duo, and we wrote two long-ass songs together. Total prog black metal. Often I couldn't keep up with him. His strength on guitar is brutality--mine is technicality. We complimented each other very well.
Those songs were never recorded, regretfully. Maybe I should take care of that.
They've posted three songs on their Bandcamp page, as of this writing. Check them out.
Fully awesome, brutal, modern metal that doesn't suck.
Sean and I used to play guitar together, and I know his style. So trust me when I say he's one of the two most brutal black metal guitarists I have ever worked with. The guy can fucking hit 1/16th notes on a 184-bpm, 8-minute song, without stopping, no problem.
Him and I were a guitar duo, and we wrote two long-ass songs together. Total prog black metal. Often I couldn't keep up with him. His strength on guitar is brutality--mine is technicality. We complimented each other very well.
Those songs were never recorded, regretfully. Maybe I should take care of that.
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