There are very few iconic figures in heavy music these days. You have your Dave Mustaines of Megadeth, and Lars Ulrich of Metallica but these guys are just well known for their quirks. The truly iconic figures are the ones that predate them like Ozzy or Lemmy. I sat down today to watch the movie released last year on the man Lemmy himself. And just when you think you've been exposed to what the press says so much that you know a person something like this film comes along and shows you really don't know shit.
I think most people equate Lemmy as this gravelly voiced frontman from a dirty rock band. Looks like a biker, has the moles and the Rickenbacker bass guitar endlessly singing the Ace of Spades. An intidimating figure. The movie 'Lemmy' shows a completely different side.While I'm sure he was a hellraiser in his youth and the movie eludes to some of this, the Lemmy today is a quiet, intelligent man that everybody seems to love and who goes through life just doing his thing. Whether it's collecting tons of war items and just random crap, to endlessly playing slot machines to recording and touring with Motorhead. There are alot of poignant moments in the movie including time spent with his son and the story behind that, to certain drugs killing his friends to just age in general.
I'm not going to give away too much on the movie. But I do recommend it. It's yet another piece that really let's you make a connection you'd never think in a million years you would. While fans go crazy idolizing the frontman for a legenday band, behind the scenes he's just a regular bloke. To an extent. The tag line says 49% motherfucker and 51% Son of a bitch. It's so far off the mark it's not even funny. Long live Lemmy and go see this movie, even if you're not a fan you'll be glad you did.
I can not claim to be the biggest Rush fan on the planet. I think they were at their best from the inception to probably around the early eighties. But I do enjoy music documentaries and in fact used to watch VH1's Behind the Music when I could.So when that series declined and the announcement from my current favorite documentarian Sam Dunn (if that is even a word)I was looking forward to seeing it. Let's take a look after the jump.
This film was different then previous Dunn/McFadyen productions as the duo do not narrate but in fact let the interviews do the chronological talking. Many people in the rock and metal world were interviewed such as Kirk Hammett,Vinnie Paul,Trent Reznor,Billy Corgan,Mike Portnoy,Gene Simmons, and Sebastian Bach among others. The band also obviously play a prominent role in the narration as well as the people behind the scenes like managers past and present and record execs.
There are no tales of sex, drugs, and rock n' roll in fact quite the opposite. All the members came from good, solid upbringings and were just dudes that wanted to play music. Geddy Lee at the end makes mention that everyone was warned about how boring the band really was. But actually it was pretty refreshing to watch history unfold without the stereotypical things that plague bands throughout their career.There was discontent over musical direction and of course the monumental tragedies that hit Neil Peart's life that almost disbanded the band.And the fact they were able to overcome this obstacle is a testament to the devotion these guys have.
Overall the film was a fascinating account of how these guys from Canada came together and made some of the most complex yet accessible music and yet have garnered one of the biggest fanbases in rock history. All without critical acclaim or many major awards. The fact that they have not been nominated for Rock Hall of Fame status is mentioned more then once and hopefully this film will change that mindset. I'm pretty sure the Rush faithful have already viewed this movie but if you're a casual Rush fan or even just interested in music history check this DVD out. I really came out of this appreciating Rush more as a band and especially as people. You should too.
Scott over at Hook in Mouth made the mention that Opeth's 2003 live DVD,Lamentations, was on Netflix instant play so as I had never seen it what better thing to do then to watch it? You see, if you don't already know by now,I'm a huge Opeth fan. The live show I witnessed and chronicled in 2009 for Watershed was probably one of my favorite sets of all time.
So it was only natural to check out a set from earlier in the career. Lamentations is a set that was filmed in England at the Shepherd's Bush Empire.The set consisted of 2 hours and was comprised of the album Damnation in it's entirety and then a mixed set of Blackwater Park and Deliverance.All three albums are among my favorites of Opeth's long career. The quality on this DVD is exceptional in terms of the filming and the sound. At times it was like hearing these song all over again for the first time. Mikael Akerfeldt is an exceptional frontman as he has a dignified air about him into between songs. There is a shyness to him you can sense but at the same token he is genuinely pleased and satisified with the audience reactions to the songs and to the band.It was also interesting seeing an almost completely different lineup with the exception of Martin Mendez on bass.
If you are a fan of Opeth and have never seen a live show, do yourself a favor and check this DVD out. And if you're not sure who Opeth is then check it out as it is a perfect balance between what the band does both on the mellow and heavy side. After the jump is some clips from the DVD to highlight that last statement.
So Rob Zombie is making a new movie. It's called the Lords of Salem and yes it's named after one of his songs. It's going to be about modern day Salem residents invaded by witches from 300 years ago or something. Here is the *if's* that might make it watchable.
1. Sherri Moon is not in it. Or if she is she's naked and doesn't speak.
2. The residents of modern day are not despicable white trash folk in Massachusetts.
3. And the violence is believable in the sense of not just brutal for the sake of being brutal.
4. The people that produced Paranormal Activity are supposed to be involved in this. I don't know if that means this will be good or not since I didn't see either one.
Guess we'll have to wait for the trailers next year to see if this is going to be worth it or not.
I know, I know - this is an old movie but I'm sure there's a lot of people here who has yet to see this gem. So I'm gonna review it anyways, ya naysayers.
Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny stars the manic musicians of The 'D'; Jack Black and Kyle Gass. If you've ever heard their self-titled debut CD, then you're already one step ahead of the game.
Black and Gass star as, wait for it, JB (Jaybles) and KG (Kyle Gass) two hapless rock-Gods in training with two completely different ideas on how to get there. Kyle puts on a wig of flowing locks and takes his acoustic guitar to the beach to entertain the masses and get his band The Kyle Gass Project out there into the mainstream. There he meets JB, a starry-eyed youngster with a guitar and a dream to be the greatest rocker ever with his mission prophesied by the late, great Ronnie James Dio.
This movie follows the same premise as the cd's where they treat each other like total shit but are the closest "brothers" you'll ever come across.
Their tumultuous relationship is as rocky as the strange events they face throughout the movie. Upon discovering the secret to some of the greatest Guitar-God's success, The Pick of Destiny, they go on a cross country search to find the location of the fabled devil-horn fragment to become the greatest band EVER.
On the way they fight, make up, fight again, screw each other over, meet Sasquatch, crash a Frat party and gain assistance from a mysterious man with a really bad limp.
The music is brilliant, showcasing all that's awesome about Tenacious D, though I have to admit, unless you see the movie the soundtrack is not going to make sense as Rob and I learned at their live show years ago.
Try not to take this movie too seriously, this isn't Avatar or anything. It's just a fun, not safe for kids good time movie where if you'll find yourself laughing at the stupidest gags and the lowest of lowbrow humor.
One of the beat parts of this movie is the epic final battle with the Lord Satan himself as he fights for their souls against Rage Cage and Jaybles epic rock-ness.
If you get the DVD or Blue-Ray check out the bonus features for my fav song on the soundtrack (not in the movie) The Government Totally Sucks.
So go on, grab a weed and pizza combo, do some cock push-ups and enjoy a whole lotta laughs.
Here's the intro song with Meatloaf as JB's asshole Dad and Ronnie James Dio as the voice of inspiration and all that is awesome. RIP RJD.
JB meet KG
Check out the nail biting battle with Lucifer.
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While I try to stay current on metal releases I often times find myself missing out on another medium in terms of seeing documentaries as they come out. Case in point is Global Metal by Sam Dunn. Sam is the predominant documentarian for metal and it's easy to see with Metal:A Headbanger's Journey and Flight 666. This time Sam and Seth travel around the world to get an insight on how metal finds it way into other cultures and the challenges presented within that.
The countries represented are places like Japan, Iran, Israel, China,Indonesia, and Brazil. Distinctly absent is Africa but I'm assuming they only had time and budget to hit the countries they did visit. The film has the same overtones as the others where it shows kids, mostly in oppressive regions, relaying their emotions about the music and how it affects them in their daily lives. There are interviews with the big names like Lars Ulrich, Tom Araya, and Bruce Dickinson but for the most part its about the cultures,governments, and fans of heavy music. Most of the interviews are with regional bands and how they cope with integrating metal music into their lifestyle.
I highly recommend this film is you have not seen it yet. It's quite an eye opener to see the passion and struggles that people in other countries have over a form of music that we take for granted here in the States and other privileged countries. As someone with no religious beliefs it also reinforces my assessment that religion possibly is the greatest evil man puts on themselves. So much oppression and hatred is put on people in the name of a god that at times it's sickening. But yes, see this film if you get a chance and I eagerly await Sam Dunn's next project whatever it may be.Here is the trailer for Global Metal.
Get thrashed is a documentary that covers the history of thrash metal.I couldn't remember if I had seen it or not because I didn't see an article on it. So I sat down and watched it and had indeed viewed it before. I'm just a terribly lazy person sometimes and forgot to write an article. But it sort of works out because because I had forgotten much about the film and it was interesting how it had become a time capsule already having been released in 2007 and knowing some of the changes that had taken place since then with many bands.
This documentary is sort of unique as it doesn't fall back solely on metal historians or 'experts' to tell the story but of the artist and industry people themselves perspective. It begins with members of the old guard such as Blitz from Overkill and Kirk Hammett from Metallica for example going over how they got into extreme music and how thrash formed.
All regions are covered such as L.A. ,The Bay Area, New York and even Germany. There is quite a bit of attention given to Metallica because let's face it they're the most successful metal band of all time but the film doesn't spend much more time then it has to on the those guys. In fact the Big Four gets just enough coverage I think to satisfy even those people that are over those bands by now.
Some interesting notes as I said is the time capsule that this film has become. Gene Hoglan of Fear Factory is spoken to but he's not back with Fear Factory yet and with his original band Dark Angel. Death Angel were still broken up. Dave Ellefson was not back with Megadeth.On the flip side many bands that are fairly popular today are included as newcomers such as Shadows Fall, Skeletonwitch, and Municipal Waste and they get their fair share of interview time.
There is a bonus feature that is pretty good in it's own right where it's basically discussing bands that didn't get any coverage in the main film are talked about at length in here. Such as Testament, Metal Church, and Overkill.
If I had any problems with the documentary it would be some people were given way too much interview time then I think they should have gotten. Even though I grew up technically in the Bay Area I never once heard of Hirax and they spend alot of time talking to the lead singer of that band.Another person that gets entirely too much face time is Corey Taylor who while influenced by the thrash scene and Slipknot is still pretty popular doesn't really add much to the film and actually comes off like Jeff Spicoli more then a lead singer. Also if you're going to interview someone and they are struggling to come up with good things to say then don't put them in the final product. Such as the historian guy who was obviously not a fan of Overkill and basically fumbled around until he said 'they were a major influence'.
But overall if you're a fan of thrash music or just interested , do yourself a favor and check this film out. You might come away with some new favorite bands out of it and get knowledge at the same time.Here is the trailer for 'Get Thrashed'.
So I'll be the first to admit I know nothing about The Runaways. I've heard it in passing that Joan Jett and Lita Ford were members of the band but their names never inspired me to look them up like the time that I checked out Kamelot because Epica's siren Simone Simmons did a guest vocal on one of their songs "The Haunting (Somewhere in Time). Sadly, I have to admit it was Kristen Stewart starring as Joan Jett and the promise of her snogging Dakota Fanning that lit the fire under my arse to see it ( but mostly it was Stewart, mostly ).
This movie proves that there will probably never be a greatly respected all-female rock band regardless of how talented they are because, for some stupid reason, women can't rock as well as men. I, of course, think that's rubbish, but I AM only one man after all. I've always thought that women do it better than men or at least just as well. On the other end of the coin, when I'm up at the front row, between mad bouts of head-banging, if I had to look up and my only view was a crotch, I would rather it be that of a woman than a sweaty, tattooed man ( because, frankly, when you look up from that angle from the front of the stage, that's all you see really.
I am a huge fan of the whole 'girl power' movement, and as previously mentioned; I find it an absolute pleasure to see four ( or more ) gorgeous women proving the masses wrong. Though it IS about the music, you can't deny that it helps to have something nice to look at, as well as listen to.
Throughout the history of Rock bands like The Donnas, Vixen, Aroarah and the Runaways prove that they have talent to spare and rock with the best of them but you'll probably never see any of them headlining The Shoreline, the Superdome or Madison Square Gardens: which, also, is sad. But I digress.
The Runaways tells the story of one of the first all-girl rock Bands and how they became the band that ruled the scene (albeit momentarily) and that it started as something of a novelty in the eyes of mentally fucked producer Kim Fowley and ended four years later as a self-destructive, fucked up family of sorts. Sex, drugs and rock n roll with loads of alcohol to wash it all down is the driving force of this movie with dashes of humanity and a little bit of humility thrown in.
They all, at least the members of the band that they center the attention on all have their own issues and character flaws. Again, not knowing very much about Joan Jett, spends most of the movie rocking out, looking after young Cherie or making out with just about every girl around ( not complaining ). I have to say, I'm not sure if it's Stewart being type-casted (by me) but it was basically just Bella Swan with a foul mouth. She seems to have no real ability to act as another person because as I watched the movie all I saw was Bella. It's kinda like Mark Hamill; he IS Luke Skywalker and when you see him in any movie that's who you see. You can't help it.
Dakota Fanning was great as Cherie Currie though I thought it was a little disturbing to see her in this role. I had it in the back of my mind that the police were going to knock down my door and arrest me for some lascivious act against a minor for the shit she did in this movie. Is Dakota doing drugs (or at least acting "stoned") or making out with Joan or having sex with the roadie or dressing like a skank. I would watch and sporadically throughout the movie, feel guilty that I was watching it. It did feel a little bit sleazy at times.
Regardless I did enjoy the movie and I was surprised that Fanning and Stewart sang their parts instead of it being lip-synced to the original music and on watching the bonus features Stewart learned the guitar parts to make the performances more realistic. i also did find myself Googling and IMDBing and Wikipediaing people and events and was fascinated by what I saw on the TV and what I read on the net. There definitely IS an interesting story there and the director and cast members did an amazing job of telling that story. I have a new-found respect and admiration for the lovely ladies of the runaways (though in looking up old pics and vids of the REAL Runaways, they were all actually quite homely) because of what they did and what they went through to get there. I totally recommend this movie and will definitely add it to my collection.
I do really hope that one day these women rockers ARE respected for their talent ad much as they are idolized for their beauty and I hope they never give up on their dreams no matter how much the record industry decided on what we want to see and hear.
Here is the original Runaways, performing Cherry Bomb in Japan in 1977
I think they did an excellent job as casting this film. Dakota worked with the real Cherie to get everything down and Joan worked with Kristin and was a huge influence in the movie. Here's the same song with Dakota and Kristin singing on this version:
Jumping ahead to the 1980's, you can't not think of Vixen. I've always thought they were a pretty kick-ass band, even though they never had a chance rocking out with the likes of boys with bigger hair and more makeup than they could ever sport.
I think we can pretty much skip the 90's and jump ahead to this decade and rock out with The Donnas:
...and one of my favourite bands of all times, Aroarah!!!
