Visiting my dad's vinyl and re-revisiting my own stash!

Recently I was able to visit my good ol' mom and dad in southwest Kansas and dig through my old man's vinyl collection. I've been wanting to do that for a long time because I knew I had a few gems I kept in there from years ago, and it's been high time to take 'em back!

Thanks, dad for keeping them safe!

As I dug through, I found countless examples of classic rock albums - all belonging to my dad. I combed through Hendrix, Deep Purple, Blue Oyster Cult, Johnny Winter, Nazareth, Judas Priest, Joplin, Beatles, Trapeze, and many more, including tons of blues and jazz.

I kept thinking how cool it was that many of these records my dad owns were bought new off the shelf, right when they came out. At the time, who knew that Hendrix would become the legend he is today or that Smoke on the Water would contain the riff that launched 1,000 guitarists?

Some of my dad's records are weathered and beat to hell from years of use and abuse, but man it felt good pulling those albums out and giving them some overdue attention.

Then I found my stash! You see, my vinyl-buying time was rather brief before I switched to cassette tapes and then CDs. I have only a few vinyl albums, and it was during a time when I was feeling my way through music to see what struck a chord in me.

I found Pink Floyd, ZZ Top, Zeppelin, AC/DC, Kingdom Come, and the Howard the Duck soundtrack.

Yes. The Howard the Duck soundtrack.

That pretty much summed up my vinyl buying experience, but I still picked up a couple more records a few years after I made the switch to CDs, and those were the ones I was after.

Here is one of 'em:

I already had the Garage Days Re-Revisted on CD, but when I saw this poor guy stuck in the freaking CUT-OUT BIN for a measly $2.99, I snatched it up and to this day never opened it. It still has the "Do not pay MORE!!!" sticker on it.

Now, I doubt that I would sell it for $5.98, damn what the stick on the cover says (including the $2.99 sticker).

I plan to get a nice turntable in the near future, and I am debating whether or not to rip the plastic off the cover and give this record a spin. The collector in me was kicking me in the balls as I wrote that last sentence.


Here is the second vinyl I was after:

I got the Whiplash EP at a used dealer YEARS ago for about $10.  This baby still looks brand-spankin' new, and I just love looking at it.

When I spotted these in the up-righted stack of records, I grabbed them up, added them to my sad little pile of vinyl and danced around a bit. My dad blankly looked at me and smiled. He loves music just as much as I do, so he understood my enthusiasm.

After I calmed down a bit, I put my pile to the side and continued to dig through my dad's records, pulling out stuff even he hasn't seen for years. We poured through quite a bit of his collection, dusting off memories and conversing about the magic of music.

Just...awesome.

We still have a bunch we haven't even went though yet. I can't wait to go back and continue where we left off.

Speculation about Diamond Plate's line-up change

Wow, so I was in for a surprise when I read that Diamond Plate replaced bassist/vocalist Jon Macak with Matt Ares. Last I knew, these guys were on their way to record a second album.

Well, they still ARE on their way to album number two, but apparently the chemistry between Jon and the rest of the band had deteriorated to the point of kicking the guy out!

Here is the band's statement:

“Over the past few months we have been writing and demoing songs for the next album. During that time, we felt that the chemistry between Jon and the rest of the band wasn’t as strong as it needed to be. We decided to move on, and find someone that shared the same passion to create the music that we’ve always wanted to make. We wish Jon all the best, and we want to thank him for being a part of this band. We are extremely excited to announce and welcome Matt Ares into the band as vocalist and bassist. Matt has really been a breath of fresh air for us, and in the first two weeks of jamming with him we were able to create an entirely new batch of songs and finish demoing the second album. Matt’s voice and playing add new dimensions to our sound, and we can’t wait for everyone to hear the band now. Thanks for always supporting, and keep your ears open for a new Diamond Plate record in 2013.”

This hit me like a ton of bricks, but after the dust settled in my head, I began speculating. That usually leads to trouble.

Well, I HAVE to speculate since (as of this writing) I have yet to read an official statement from Jon himself as to what the hell happened between him and the other fellas. Maybe it's none of my business, but as a big fan of Diamond Plate who invests time into the band's music, I can't help but wonder.

I love the Generation Why? album but I know that there was a huge backlash from those who believe that Diamond Plate strayed from the sound found on their demo. Many detested the vocals. Personally, the vocals did not bother me in the least. Others didn't like that every song was full-on traditional thrash metal. Again, this did not bother me because the dynamics between the "slow" songs and the thrash numbers worked well within the album as a whole.

I'm bringing this up because I wonder if the backlash had something to do with Jon's dismissal. Were they listening to the detractors and decided a change would be for the better? Did management have a hand in this? Did the band want to go further into what Generation Why? had begun or did they want to abandon that and go pure thrash metal? Which camp did Jon fall into and was this the reason for the breakdown in band chemistry?

Speculation. My thoughts could all be bullsh*t and maybe he was let go because he's a Raiders fan or something. I don't know.

However, I am a fan of Jon Macak and if he chooses to continue in another band, I will check it out.

Also, I am a huge fan of Konrad Kupiec and Mario Cianci (he was in Thrash or Die for God's sake!!), so I will absolutely check out the new Diamond Plate album. I am curious as to which direction they will venture toward musically.

And yes, James Nicademus is killer, too (drummers don't get enough love around here!). James, you kick ass! \m/

In the end, I do wish the best for everyone involved, including new bassist/vocalist Matt Ares. I hope the future bodes well for 'em, 'cause I'm ready for some new metal!


UPDATE ---

It looks like Jon Macak had released a statement publicly. Here's what he had to say:


To all who are not yet aware, I am no longer with Diamond Plate. It has been an extremely difficult pill to swallow but it is the truth. I would like to take a minute to thank all of the wonderful people who have played a part in the good times and successes that we enjoyed while I was a member of the band: our manager  Frank Mastalerz for providing a calm voice and leading us through the difficult decisions; everyone at Earache Records for giving a bunch of kids a chance to live their dream when others would not; and all of the talented bands that we were fortunate enough to have toured and shared the stage with over the years for helping us learn how to be true professionals. All of the people mentioned above have my utmost respect and gratitude for the support that they have shown for me as well as the band during my time as a member.

In regard to my former band mates, I will attempt to jump the gun on some of the questions that I am expecting to get. I assume that many fans will want to know how or why the situation came to this resolution and my response to anyone wondering is that what happened is between Konrad, Jim, Mario, and I. My hope is that everyone will understand and respect that fact by trying to avoid any incendiary questions. What I will say is that due to how things transpired I am not currently on the best of terms with the guys but cannot overlook the reality of the situation. We grew up together, we shared countless adventures and amazing experiences together, worked our asses off to get where we got, and are who we are today because of the time we spent together. I am not happy about the end result but it would be ridiculous to release this statement without acknowledging what we accomplished.

Above all else, I would like to thank the fans that have given me the chance to perform onstage. Playing for you guys is what I am most thankful for and passionate about and I owe every good thing in my life to you for letting me do so all these years. Many of you know that my life has hit some difficult times in the past few years but the incredible and unending support that I have received from you was literally what helped give me the strength to get out of bed on a daily basis and face the obstacles that have been thrown my way. I have grown to be friends with many of you, especially in the Chicago scene, and I love and cherish each and every one of you. Going onstage to entertain you and bullshitting with you at the merch table is what I am on this planet to do and I will continue to pursue music as my career to do so. I will find a band that values the positives in my personality and performance and I will be onstage again. My desire to carry on despite what has transpired in my life is one-hundred percent thanks to all of you.

-Jon



So there you have it. Sounds like it wasn't amicable, but at least Jon seems determined to continue with music one way or another. I wish him luck!

The NWOTM Blog: Year Two!

So The New Wave of Thrash Metal Blog has reached its second year, and thanks to all of you, we keep growing and growing.

I believe the popularity of this blog stems from the lack of "thrash only" venues available online (or on the newsstands). Of course there are a few good ones, such as the Global Thrash Assault, among others, but for us thrash fans (along with thrash cousins punk/crossover and death metal), we take what we can get.

Usually, if you want to read about thrash metal, most of the well-known metal magazines, both on and offline, usually offer up a shred of thrash input to make room for the 100s of other sub genres within the metal community.

The NWOTM Blog tips the aforementioned formula on its head: I offer up a shred of other metal sub genres to make room for THRASH. I'm not dogging on the other sub genres (in fact, I like most of 'em), but what is a thrash-head to do when the pickings are so damn slim?

Well, I try to fill that open void just a little bit with the NWOTM Blog. Personally, I not only want to know more about the thrash bands I love, I also want to FIND MORE bands! As I have mentioned many times before, the grassroots is where it's at: local, hardworking, bad-ass thrash bands that have a couple unknown demos circulating on the Net.

I mean, you all already know about Evile, Municipal Waste, and Wabrbringer. Let the thrash world also hear about Sewercide! Condition Critical! Cuttin' Loose! Warsenal! Insanity Alert! The list goes on and on.

I find these bands (or they find me) that I think are amazing and want to share them with you all, putting them on par with the signed bands that I love so much.

Of course I will write about the more popular bands - I freakin' love those bands as well. However, I remember what it was like playing in a local band and trying to spread the word about my music, and how it felt when someone took notice.

After I posted the announcement of the NWOTM Blog's 2nd anniversary on the Facebook page, I received a comment from Pat Smith, the bassist for the Texas metal band Avenues of Approach, a band I recently posted on the blog. Pat thanked me for spreading the good word of metal, and then wrote:

"On behalf of AoA, I want to personally thank you! We are being listened to in parts of the world I would have never imagined possible, and that is all because of the NWTMB, and your dedication. While I don't see a "World Tour" any time soon, it's still really cool to say we're being listened to in 5 different countries! And the NWTMB is completely responsible for that."

Personally, for me, his statement is awesome. Awesome! Not in an ego-stroking way. It's just validation to me that the Blog is doing what its meant to do: Get the word OUT!

So thank YOU to all the thrash fans and bands out there who check out this blog (and its accompanying Facebook page). You fans display a love and hunger for thrash, complete with a NEED to search out and discover new bands who can crank out your favorite sub genre of metal. It's a passion that should never be extinguished.

\m/

I went to see Accept and Kreator and all I got was a kick-ass metal show!

The Teutonic Terror Attack concert with ACCEPT and KREATOR. Man, I was so close to not going to this concert.

The answer as to "WHY?!?" is rather stupid, considering I have never seen either Accept or Kreator live in concert, and living in Kansas, I figure there might not be too many other opportunities to see these bands…especially at the same show.

So, the reason I almost decided to forgo a night of pure metal insanity stems from the fact that I hate going to concerts alone.

Boo-hoo.

But dammit, this IS the Teutonic Terror Attack concert, so I had to man up and not allow the fact that all my former concert-going sidekicks either moved away or no longer go to concerts deter ME from having a good time. Man, getting old might suck, but I ain't gonna let it TOTALLY suck, you know?

The place had a healthy crowd, and by the time Accept hit the stage, the audience was ready to freakin' ROCK. Accept did not disappoint, crushing us with Hung, Drawn and Quartered, Stalingrad, Bucket Full of Hate, and Up to the Limit, among many others.

These guys were have FUN, and I love watching a band enjoy themselves on stage. Accept kicked my ass hard, and I was rocking out even though I knew I had to save some energy for Kreator (I told you getting old sucks).

So then it happens.

Accept finishes and then at least a quarter of the audience clears out of the club and goes the f*ck home. Argh! Now I know that some of the old-school Accept listeners come from a different world than the underground extreme thrash scene, but come ON. I just hated to see the crowd thin out like that before Kreator, a legendary metal band in their own right, hits the stage.

Mille and company probably took a peek at the crowd while Accept was on and thought, "Ah, zis is goot!" Then they hit the stage and said, "Was fällt dir denn eigentlich ein? Vat happen to all ze peoplez?" (I write a German accent just as well as I speak actual German).

However, the thinned audience didn't thin the skin of the Kreator crew. Also, I must boast, that the thinning crowd didn't bother me once Kreator started considering I was right up front, nearly 20 feet from Mr. Petrozza!

A photo I took with my really, really crappy phone.

When they hit the stage, they went all-out. Pure, blistering, sweaty, loud as hell METAL! Ninety percent of the show you get a nice silhouette of the band members as Kreator seem to really like the combination of fog and backlights. Mille displays pure bad-assery when he does his "metal dramatic" scream-betweens - "The Kreator has RETURRRRRNED!"

Freakin' awesome. Period.

They hammered the audience with an arsenal of old and new favorites including Phantom Antichrist, Phobia, Hordes of Chaos, People of the Lie, Violent Revolution, and Pleasure to Kill.

By the end of the show, I was freakin' HYPED that I can finally check Kreator (and Accept!) off my "need-to-see" list. I was also hyped that I didn't wuss out and actually went to the show. I'd be kicking myself now if I didn't.

Visiting that music world...taking that music trip

There are countless bands I like and enjoy their music. End of story.

However, there are a few bands out there, that when they put out a new release, I will live, eat, and BREATHE that new album. My enjoyment of the album goes beyond the music, although that is where it definitely starts. No, when these particular bands put out a new album, the act of buying and listening to it becomes a completely different experience than simply jamming out to some killer metal (although I am not opposed to that by any means!).

A few examples from my high school years include Sepultura - Arise, Metallica - ...And Justice For All, Megadeth - Rust in Peace, Danzig - both Self Titled and Lucifuge, D.R.I. - 4 of a Kind, Suicidal Tendencies - How Will I Laugh Tomorrow..., and Slayer - South of Heaven among many others.

Each of these albums were essentially little worlds for me to enter into and visit for a while. Each had a very specific feeling to them, and to absorb the full atmosphere of an album, everything about it had to be eaten visually as well as audibly.

For those who still buy CDs (and vinyl!), you know how it is after purchasing a new album which you have been lusting over ever since the record company issued out the release date. You get it home and go into your designated music area where you can be alone, just you and your new album. Off comes the plastic wrap, and on through the gauntlet of removing the security tape that lines the top and bottom of the secured jewel case. All the while you can almost TASTE the music.

Once you finally open the case and pop out the CD (which always feels like it's going to break in half the first time you pry it out), the music trip can begin. The CD goes into the stereo and out comes the CD booklet - an essential flavor of the music-buying banquet.

As the music plays in the background, the album cover become eye candy to be thoroughly studied over and over again, and eventually becoming one with the sounds pounding out of the stereo. The lyric sheet is poured over to memorize phrases as if they had been specifically written for the listener. At times we as fans would even find a way to relate certain lyrics to what is going on in our lives, helping us gain strength, cope, or enjoy what was happening at that exact moment in life as we listen to something that means so much to us.

I love that a particular album can set out to tell us fans a story with a combination of music and printed art and words. It causes a connection that is welcoming and eventually nostalgic, but always powerful.

Yes, now I am older and sadly have less time to connect with newer albums the way I did back in high school, but I still find those gems in the new wave of thrash that mesmerizes me just as much as the classic bands from 20-plus years ago.

Bands such as Tantara, Bio-Cancer, Municipal Waste, 4ARM, Dr. Living Dead, Violentor, Insinnerator, Essence, and many more grab me by the neck and drag me into that special place where it's just me, the sounds, and the freakin' CD booklet. For me, one of their albums becomes a world that I can visit for one hell of an involved music trip.

To quote my buddy at Gogmagogical: "because music is...tremendous!"

Taking bands for granted (or how the NWOTM deepened my love for the old-school)

There is always something interesting brewing over at the Gogmagogical Blog. Even when the Gogmeister is posting about a band that I don't particularly care for, I can always relate to something in his witty and insightful write-ups.

A few weeks ago, he posted a review on the new Overkill album The Electric Age (an album which I love). Within his first few sentences, he offered me a plateful of food for thought.

He said,

"I have always taken Overkill for granted. For someone who is less than a devotee, it's pretty easy to do. They were always there, for about as long as I've been buying music, their ubiquitous green logo and bat-winged skull seemingly always available in multiple variations in the "O" section of any record store I visited."


Yes, this also describes me to a T.

However, I could list off many, many bands in place of Overkill that I took for granted - never knowing how much they actually kick large amounts of ass. Sure, I'm catching up on a lot of lost classics now, but it sucks to think about how many years went by without experiencing what some of these bands had to offer when they were first hitting the streets.

Argh!

If the NWOTM has done anything for me, it has enhanced my appreciation for old-school thrash metal…and this is coming from a guy who lived his teen years in the 80s.

My love for many of the new school bands made me want to invest more time in those who influenced them. In turn, my research and collecting of old-school goodies was a fantastic trip down memory lane, obtaining many CDs I used to have on tape or that I listened to many times over at my friends' houses as a kid.

Also, I got to hear some thrash classics for the first time and purposely sought out bad-ass album covers I remember staring at in the local record store (Hello, Kreator's Out of the Dark!).

I firmly believe that the NWOTM is also giving its young fans the urge to check out the old-school, so hopefully this thought will pacify the angry thrash purists just a little bit.

But back to the statements made by Gogmagogical. What bands did you take (or are taking) for granted? Is there a band you have read about or a killer album cover you saw that piqued your interest, but never checked them out (thus having no clue whether or not they are completely freakin' bad-ass)?

It's unavoidable, I guess. There are simply way too many bands to keep track and we all only have so many hours in the day. However, if there is a band that has been sticking out enough for you to notice them, for God's sake check them out! It will suck to "discover" them 20 years later and say, "Damn, I missed out!"

The NWOTM Blog - a short hiatus

The NWOTM Blog will go on a short hiatus until Saturday, April 21st. Once I take care a few things and get my batteries recharged, I will be back in the blogging saddle again, offering up info on the most killer signed and unsigned thrash bands from around the world.

Meanwhile, I will periodically check the NWOTM Blog Facebook and Twitter pages and will possibly post a few tidbits of new information there, so keep your eyes peeled.

A big THANK YOU to all who check back with this blog from time to time. As a huge thrash fan, I love finding and sharing new bands with you. My hope is that you discover some new killer bands here and decide to keep coming back to see what's new!

If you're new to the NWOTM Blog, please comb through the old articles and find some stuff you like. Hit the bands up on Facebook or email them and tell them how freakin' bad-ass they are! All the bands, from the upstarts to the old-schoolers need to know that the fans are behind them, and we want more, more, MORE!!! I LOVE thrash metal, and I want show our favorite bands, both signed and unsigned, that all of us have a frenzied dedication to their music!

This blog has been and always will be a big HORNS UP to our favorite genre of music. As I continue to support thrash metal, I thank you all for your support in this blog.

Be back here on Saturday, April 21st, 2012 for more thrash madness! See you then!

Thrash is thrash

The dude from Axis of Metal and Osiris Webzine (by the name of Fritz, I believe?) posted the following statement over at the Thrash Unlimited forums regarding the new wave of thrash.

"But as far as this whole new wave, and everyone saying they hate the worshiping bands; I hate to burst your bubble; thrash is thrash. It will always share that common sound we all love.

Personally, i like it that way. I like that the scene is prolific and bands make the beloved sound. It shares the same sound characteristics but the songs have unique riffs, different vocal styles etc. It's NOT all the same by any means. Some bands rip off completely the classic bands, where as others are influenced, you cant fault bands for sounding like the genre they play.

I cannot stand it when people hate on thrash bands because they play THRASH."



Well said. Take THAT, Lenny Troo Frasher!

The NWOTM Blog: Year One!

Last November I got the idea to start a blog featuring new wave of thrash bands and their influences.

Now, a year later, The NWOTM Blog is going strong, highlighting bands both signed and unsigned from all over the world. The NWOTM Blog Facebook page has gained a stunning amount of followers, and I am thankful to all the bands and fans who frequently visit that page.

When I began The NWOTM Blog, the original intent was always to feature the local band from down the block. Your friend's band. The local thrash band that kicks the hell out of that 7th tier signed metal group they opened for last weekend. Of course I would write about some of the big boys from the old and new school, but the grassroots is where it's at. There are so many hidden gems floating around the dark corners of the internet that it would almost be a disservice of this blog to not bring them to the forefront.

The hidden gems appeal to me so much because I remember what it's like to be in a band, trying to get your name and music out to the potential fans. Getting a band's name in articles, reviews and on posters is a big deal and although some don't want to admit they need it, such promotion gives a little validation to all the blood and sweat a band pours into their art. When others take notice, it's freaking cool.

Of course, beyond the "cool" factor of having your band included in an article or review is the solid promotion. It adds a few more Facebook "likes" and maybe a couple more albums sold. Ah, the swelling of the fan base. That's where I like to help.

First and foremost, I am a fan of thrash metal (obviously). So naturally, I want to see killer thrash bands thrive.

A year ago I would do a lot of digging for new bands, with successful discoveries almost every time I searched the net. The amount of incredible thrash bands out there writing new music is astounding. I can't keep up!

When I came across bands such as Sword of Judgement, Unhoped, Shredhead, 4ARM, Ecopolis, Hellbrain, and many others, I was blown away with the discovery, eager to share them with you all.

Now since The NWOTM Blog has taken flight, I don't have to do too much digging anymore because I get flooded with requests from bands all over the world for a demo feature or review. I'm not complaining - I freaking' LOVE it! My only problem is the time to write about all this great music I am hearing. Although writing about ALL these awesome bands is near impossible, I do the best I can.

The ROCKS! and the Weekend Breakdown posts (as well as this whole blog) are essentially love letters to my favorite genre of metal as well as a Thank You to those flying its flag.

Now I can't end this post without mentioning a few words about the one and only Lenny Troo Frasher.

Lenny was born of the ridiculous and self-contradicting insults that are spewed all over the web regarding the NWOTM. The "thrash elitist" (hahaha) who believes that new = sucks. Frankly, the attitude of "I love thrash so much that I hate thrash" confounds me. Although the absurdity of such an attitude is maddening, absurdity leads to good comedy.

Enter Lenny Troo Frasher.

His elitist take on new thrash makes him the butt of the joke, even through his own scathing insults hurled toward the genre - a genre of music he claims to love as long as it's not put out after 1990.

The addition of the Lenny Troo Frasher comic to the blog had the site hits go through the roof every time a new one is posted. I'm happy you all enjoy the running gag as much as I like writing it.

Now as far as what I really like about The NWOTM Blog (other than getting free music) is the correspondence with the bands and their fans. I love talking thrash! One guy named Christopher G. commented to me, "Dude, this is the only blog I even care about."

That meant a lot to me, offered me a ton of validation for the love I put into promoting my favorite genre of metal, and helps me keep going.

So thank you all for sticking around to watch this blog grow. My hope is that The NWOTM Blog will be around for at least another year.

Stay metal!

\m/


- r. lawrence blake

Thrashline: Exhorder gone?, new Smash Potater, Speedboozer and more!

There will be no Weekend Breakdown post this time around, but in this week's Thrashline bits of thrash news, there is plenty of kick ass new music to check out. Let's get to it!
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If you're like me, you shrugged your shoulders in disappointment after reading the news that vocalist Kyle Thomas and guitarist Jay Ceravolo quit Exhorder, seemingly killing off the band for good.

I guess it was just not meant to happen for these guys. I have been waiting with my hands wringing in mouth-slobbery excitement over the upcoming new Exhorder album. Well, poop.

I can only imagine that they have demoed some new material, no? If so, I wouldn't cry if it were released, even in raw form.

As for the future, I am interested to see if Kyle and Jay decide to continue on another project together. I hope the music is mean as hell.
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Nuclear Torment have taken their creative blood, sweat and time to create a killer EP titled 8 BIT DEATH and have blessed the metal-loving public by offering it as a FREE freaking' download!

The music is bad ass speedy thrash and you would be doing yourself a disservice by not packing 8 BIT DEATH into your music lists. Your MP3 player will thank you.
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Speaking of free thrash, go check out Sabretung immediately and download their full length album Conquest. These Australian thrashers come up with some killer riffs and satisfying song structures that kick them up a notch above most up and coming thrash bands. There is so much good riffage on Sabretung's 9 song release that it's hard to pick a favorite (although The Thing and Eliminate the Weak come to mind). Check it out, bang your head, hit them up on Facebook and tell 'em how much you love 'em.

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Our favorite Illinois super heroes Smash Potater has teamed up with thrash brothers-in-arms Attack Imminent and released a split titled Horrific Halloween Double Creature Feature. Own this piece of underground history for a measly $5! Go here…now!




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As I write this, Alcoholator's new album Coma is streaming in its entirety. Get your dose of alcohol-fueled insanity here. If you like what you hear, the hard copy should be available through EBM Records soon.


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Ireland thrashers Heresy will be changing their name to Animator. A new website and new songs will launch on November 11th. Check out the tune False Flag Attack from their Open Your Eyes album here.

By the way - Thanks to Eoin Clarke for tipping me off on these guys. You rock, man!
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Daniel Jackson filmed a video for the new Thrash Or Die song Street Trash. Any splatter fans out there remember the 80s horror flick this song is based on? I still remember the disgustingly awesome pics in an old issue of Fangoria. Ah, the memories.

Anyway, wake up and smell the thrash and check out the vid for Street Trash below!



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Are you a fan of Stephen King's IT? Of course you are! So you owe it to yourself to check out Windsor, CA's clowncore giants IT. Listen to Pennywise come to life here!
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Guitarist Alonso Maguino has parted ways with NY's Legionary. As I write this, The band is looking for a tight as hell death/thrash player who can fill in the newly vacant spot. If you're interested, check out their Facebook page for info. If you're not interested, go there anyway, like their page and listen to their bad ass tunes!
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U.S. thrash/punk band Speedboozer released a rough mix of their song Gunned Down, a pissed off raw slab of punk-infused metal! Man, I can't wait to hear the rest of the upcoming album! Check this vid stream below.

The NWOTM Blog Twitter Sweepstakes

A big thank you to everyone who has been following the NWOTM Blog! We have reached over 1,000 LIKES on our Facebook page, so we are celebrating with the first NWOTM BLOG TWITTER SWEEPSTAKES!

The details are in the graphic below, but the bottom line is this: Go follow us on Twitter and be entered to win free thrash metal music! It's that simple.

Extra special thanks goes to the following bands for agreeing to be a part of the sweepstakes:

• LICH KING
• INSINNERATOR
• UNHOPED
• THRASH OR DIE

If you have not yet heard one or more of these bands, please click on the above links, check them out, and show them some support.

So spread the word! Follow the NWOTM Blog on Twitter! Get entered to win some THRASH!

Contest ends on Monday, Oct. 24th at 10pm CST. Click on the graphic below for more details.

Bio-Cancer needs your votes!

I've been pimping this on my Facebook page for a while.

One of my favorite thrash bands BIO-CANCER is in the running to open for Sanctuary! All they need is your votes. Please consider clicking on this link and vote for them. There is only a few days left before it ends.

If you feel that you would like something in return, head over to their Facebook page and download their available streaming songs for FREE! You won't be disappointed!

NWOTM: 30 years from now

J.M. over at the Lunar Hypnosis blog has a review up for Havok's Time Is Up album. He mentions that some of the songs on the album could have been written 25 years ago, during the early days of thrash.

This reminded me of something I posted a while back about how thrash is backward compatible.

I then read a line in J.M.'s post that made me smile.

"What I'm trying to say is that thrash then and now is timeless and music like this has been a blast for the first thirty years of my life and assuming I don't drink myself stupid one day I'll hopefully be jammin' to this stuff for another thirty years to come."

I agree with J.M.!

I believe that 30 years from now, there will be teens who grew up listening to their dad's (or mom's!) Havok, Warbringer, and Municipal Waste albums. Some of these kids will start bands, churning out more slabs of traditional, undiluted thrash metal. Record deals will be made, and people will pay attention - another New Wave of Thrash? Yes!

Since thrash will never go away despite what is happening in the music climate, there will always be a new New Wave of Thrash Metal, and I love that. New bands will come out of the woodwork to either keep the classic thrash sound going or to add their own spin to the genre. These future metal giants will be part of the new NWOTM, and those bands which influenced them such as Toxic Holocaust and Evile will be considered old-school.

Can you just hear the future Lenny Troo Frashers? "I hate this modern crap! These bands are just ripping off the old-school masters such as Havok and Bonded By Blood!"

Come back to this post in 25 years, read that last line, and smile.

So with a dash of parody and a healthy dose of sincerity, the NWOTM will perpetuate itself, and assuming I don't drink myself stupid one day (on too much grape soda and Diet Mountain Dew) I'll hopefully be writing about this stuff for another thirty years to come.

I forgot that I saw Demolition Hammer in concert

Yes, I forgot that I saw Demolition Hammer live.

That may sound strange, especially now that DH is such a revered band with albums that are considered thrash cannon. However, in my defense, I was going to a LOT of shows during that time, and usually there were three or more bands playing per gig. Sometimes things get lost in the shuffle...and I didn't even drink.

This past weekend, my brain had been exposed as the blundering forgetful mass of pudding that I never knew it to be. I was with my friend Kevin, who went to many of those shows with me back in the day, and I mentioned how awesome it was that we saw the band Cancer during their 1992 US tour.

Kevin said, "Yeah I remember that. Demolition Hammer was bad ass."

Everything got quiet. I looked up at Kevin with a quizzical look. He looked back at me. "What?"

"Demolition Hammer?" I asked.

"Yeah," Kevin said. "They opened the show."

"WHAT?" I asked, wide-eyed. I shook my head. "No, no. I'm talking about the Deicide show when Cancer opened."

"Yeah, and Demolition Hammer opened the whole show," said Kevin.

My memory kicked in and my heart sank a little. I suddenly remembered that the line up truly did include Demolition Hammer as the openers. I frantically tried to assemble the events of that night 19 years ago.

I remembered Cancer's set and getting their autograph on my copy of Death Shall Rise.

I remember Deicide's set and my friend Kevin trying to get Benton's autograph after the show. Benton signed ONE dude's CD and then said loudly, "Alright, that's all," and walked away. Kevin stood there, holding out his CD booklet as Benton turned and headed toward his bus. Kevin then said boldly (and angrily), "F*ck this guy!"

So, yes, I remember all that, but for the life of me, I still cannot remember Demolition Hammer.

I pulled out the old ticket stub that I have tucked away inside the Cancer CD booklet. There it is: Demolition Hammer. How can I not freaking remember these guys playing?!

Admittedly, back in '92 they were a new band (to me) and at that concert I had my eyes set to see Cancer. So at the time, the opening band was just in the way of me seeing one of my favorite death metal bands.

Get that? Demolition Hammer was "in the way." As in, "Hurry, whoever you are, so I can see Cancer."

AHHHHHHHH!!!!!

I feel sick now even typing this.

In light of this, I need to dig out my old ticket stubs to see if I have any other brain farts preventing me from remembering killer concerts I've attended way back when.

Hold on.

Yep. I don't remember seeing Epidemic open the Unleashed show I attended back in '93.

AHHHHHHHH!!!!!

No Weekend Breakdown. Here's an ADM vid!

Sorry, folks, but there's no time for me to get a Weekend Breakdown post ready. If I can get a post in before Monday, that will be great, but don't count on it.

Anyway, I had this song in my head today, so I thought I'd share it. Give Arnie some love (everyone else has).

Why the Half Price Books stores rule!

Just got back from Half Price Books with more treasure.

It used to be my one-stop shop for killer comic books. I actually found a handful of MINT 60s X-Men comics for about $1.50 each as well as the first 20 issues of the 70s Ghost Rider comics for $5. It still gives me chills. Enough comic geek talk. Just know that there are goodies to be found at the beloved HPB.

Within the last two weeks, I found the following:

On cassette: Artillery - Terror Squad/Fear of Tomorrow combo. Destruction - Cracked Brain. Gutted - Bleed For Us to Live. Sadus - A Vision of Misery.

On CD: Dark Angel - Decade of Chaos. dead horse - peaceful death & pretty flowers. DEMILICH - Nespithe. Pestilence - Spheres.

Cassettes were 50 cents each and the CDs were between $5-$6.

Good stuff. What sucks is that Half Price Books get "new" items in all the time, so I want to go almost every freaking day.

Anyway, just wanted to share and do a bit of bragging. If anyone out there has found some killer deals on music in the past, plug in a comment. I love reading those kinds of stories.

New Thrash Hate Fail

The status of this actual Facebook page as of this writing.
















It appears abandoned. I don't blame them.

Ditch the "Like Before Listen"

Many bands who post songs on various social networking sites have given web-wondering music fans a choice: If you click the button to "Like" our page (or become a "Fan" of the band page), then you may listen to our streaming songs.

The Like Before Listen option. Not a good idea.

It's not a good idea because with those who you are trying to network...well, they will skip your band. You see, for guys like me who have limited time while researching scores of bands on the web, I will generally skip a band who is adding an extra step in the streaming-song-listening-process and simply move on to the next group.

That sounds a bit petty, but consider that I will go through band after band after band who are all making their tunes available for streaming. A few I will like and most I will not. Out of the few I like, a handful will earn me clicking the "Like" or "Fan" button. After that, I try to offer up space on my blog for those bands that caught my ear.

I do not want to hit the "Like" or "Fan" button to hear a song I most likely will not enjoy just so that I have to go back and "UNlike" the band. It is a waste of time for me personally as a music blogger. Again, it might sound petty, but if I had to do that 20 or 30 times every time I am online researching, I would probably stop all together.

I completely understand why a band will want people to Like or Fan their pages. The more the merrier, and what band DOESN'T want big numbers of Fans?

However, requesting that someone "Like" a band before hearing the music is like getting paid before doing the work.

Imagine if I wrote a blog post but wouldn't let anyone read it unless they click "Follow" on Google or "Like" on my Facebook page. That would be silly, right? It would also suck since I would have a total number of zero readers if I implemented a Like Before Reading option.

So please forget the "Like Before Listen" option. Not only will it strengthen your chances of getting listened to by music bloggers, but also potential fans (some who absolutely despise Like Before Listen). Believe me that if a music fan finds your band interesting enough to give your songs a shot, he or she will most likely follow you if the music kicks ass.

And your music DOES kick ass, right?

Musical tastes and my favorite record stores

The last time I went to my two favorite record stores, I left feeling a little bit depressed. After a few hours of shifting through countless CDs, many of them used at a low price, I ended my day taking home only one.

Years ago, that would be unthinkable. Long ago I could walk into a record store and have a wanted piece of music on plastic in my sweaty hand within five minutes. Usually I would have to pick between four or five CDs that I would want, sadly putting most back on the shelves due to budgetary restraints (light wallet).

Now, it's a miracle for me to find anything. Have you ever looked in a refrigerator full of food and not find anything to eat? That's me in a record store.

One reason is that I already have a TON of CDs, so when it comes to the well known thrash and metal bands, I already own it or was never too interested. "Never too interested" means that although I might like a band, I am okay not owning all of their albums. If I see one on a store shelf, I could leave it and not feel incomplete.

However, one of the main reasons that I leave record stores empty handed and a little depressed is that the stores cannot support where my listening habits have ventured.

Will the record store here in middle America carry Mentally Defiled, Hyades, Injury, National Suicide, Evildead, or Evil Army? This may seem like an ancient argument - about how record stores won't carry underground metal, but back in the 90's, I could find the sickest and craziest death metal available on the shelf next to…I dunno, Tom Petty. Sure, I couldn't find the hard stuff at the neighborhood Walmart, but the actual record stores, both local and national, had plenty (along with Tom Petty).

Also, back in the day, I had some built-in bias against demos. Back then, I was never a demo collector, and rarely gave unsigned bands the time of day, so it didn't matter if you could find it on the shelf or not. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Now that I know better, I have discovered some of my favorite music is being cranked out by fans who pour their blood and sweat into a three or four song self-released EP.

Also, now that I am writing for this blog and spending time with all sorts of new thrash bands from all over the world, a big chunk of my music listening time is dedicated to bands who self-release or are tied with "very" independent labels. When I go to the record store here, will I find Bio-Cancer, Lich King, Which Witch, Hellbrain, or Impalers? Of course not (especially the self-released demos), and I don't fault the record stores one bit for that. However, those bands are where my musical tastes play, so it's no wonder I leave two of my favorite record stores with one lonely CD in my hand.

I don't want to seem like I'm knocking record stores. They have to make money to stay open (and they definitely get my online business), but with less thrash and traditional metal taking up shelf room, and killer demos available online, it's my own musical preferences that have stifled my in-store buying experience.

I still wish the brick and mortar stores luck in finding a foothold within the online world. I will visit them when I make the trip out of town in hopes of finding a couple treasures. Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on your own view, I probably have already found it online.

By the way - the one CD I bought that day was R.D.P.'s Anarkophobia, found at Love Garden Sounds in Lawrence, KS. If I collected vinyl instead of CDs, Love Garden would be an absolute paradise for me.

The Thrash/Death Metal Name Creation Chart

I know someone had to do something similar to this, but I had the idea and just ran with it. Heck, it might not even work, but try it out anyway.

I created a Thrash/Death Metal Band Name Creation Chart. The chart is simple to use.

From the first list, mix and match between one and three given choices. Now keep in mind that not all choices from the first list can link up together - you'll need to use a bit of common sense when choosing.

After, you will choose an appropriate ending to your band name from the second list.

Done!

Let me know if you come up with anything interesting.

Examples: Nuclear Hellergy! Warination! Bioserrectercide!

You can download a high-res pdf of the chart here.


Oopsie. It looks like one is unable to create the following words: Holocaust, Zombie, and Toxic. That is ridiculous. Without those three thrash staples, this chart is a fail. I'm sure there are others I am missing, but damn, those three hurt. Once I gather other important omissions, I'll eventually get around to updating the chart.