Persepolis was one of those books that I heard time and time again,"You have to read this!". I planned to but I didn't make it a priority. There's this awkward thing that happens sometimes  when someone I know recommends a book with gushing enthusiasm. Eventually I read it. Typically, I hate it or at best, feel meh about (yes,meh is a feeling).  The book will come up in discussion with the recomendee at some point and I'll be forced to admit that I hated it and it's just an awkward moment I like to avoid. I could lie and say either that I never got around to reading it or that I did read it and oh,yes...I loved it! but I can't lie to save my own skin, even when it comes to a little thing like that.

I also tend to find that when someone recommends a book ,it's because they picked-up on some esoteric aspect of the book and thought of me. Or just that I'm the only person they know in real life that has some distant connection to the subject of the book.For example, upon learning I was Pagan, a friend suddenly insisted The DaVinci Code be required reading on my To-Read List. Likewise, everyone who learned that I love graphic novels combined with my obvious interest in women's studies, history, world cultures, etc.... Persepolis was the book that suddenly became my new Must Read book.

So,finally...on a whim, I picked up Persepolis at the library one day. That same evening, I tucked the kids into bed and with no intention to start reading that night,I picked up the book and browsed through it. With graphic novels, I really can't help but do this browsing...a quick skim through the pages, kind of as a preview of what I'm getting myself into. The artwork in Persepolis is simple black and white drawings, which I mistakenly translated to mean "easy read". Somehow,I got sucked into Persepolis immediately and read the entire thing that evening, but not at all because it was a "fluffy" easy read. It was just that enthralling.

I did not expect to as emotionally drawn in or affected in any way beyond cerebral but time and time again, I found myself with that choked spot in my throat and eventually succumbing to tears at some points. I would pause and not fully understand why I was so affected.I even wondered out loud, "Is it normal to cry when reading this?".

Marjane Satrapi tells her story as a girl from that childish perspective ,growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution. The viewpoint through youthful eyes shows the impolite truth of matters and a freshness untainted by pre-formed opinions and ideology. Raised with a backdrop of a country in political and cultural upheaval, Satrapi still had to come of age, regardless of the chaos in her country.

I believe her own personal story itself is not what touched me the deepest. It's the stories surrounding her - the violence and repression against women, the rapes and murders of innocents, the torturous imprisonments and executions of men solely for their political alignments and simply the loss of daily freedoms and of course, the chaos and devastation of war around them. Her family's story is intriguing,yes but overall ,the whole story of Iran's Islamic Revolution is what is more profound. I cannot help but walk away from this book with the feeling that most people here (in the United States) are lacking this knowledge of global events in comparatively recent history and if they did know it, they wouldn't take so many of their freedoms and privileges for granted or carry with them a sense of entitlement.

Certainly, when I was a kid and listening to Kim Wilde, I didn't have to buy the tape off the black market and risk a whipping if caught with it. If I wanted an Iron Maiden poster, no one had to go to extraordinary lengths to smuggle one home to me.

Para ello han creado la Featured Artists' Coalition, un grupo de presión que busca mantener más derechos sobre la música que crean, tener un mayor poder a la hora de decidir cómo se venden sus canciones y contar con un mayor rédito en las ganancias (los derechos de autor están en propiedad de las mafias discográficas).

"Compañías discográficas y compañías tecnológicas están firmando acuerdos para trasladar la música a los seguidores de nuevas maneras. Los artistas no participan en esas negociaciones y sus intereses probablemente se pasan por alto. Los artistas deberían recibir una compensación justa como parte de esos acuerdos", señala el estatuto de la coalición, que ya cuenta con página web.

Por su parte, Brian Message, co-manager de Radiohead y Kate Nash, ha explicado que "la Featured Artists' Coalition ayudará a todos los artistas, jóvenes y viejos, conocido o no, para conducir el cambio atrasado por la industria en pro de los intereses de los artistas y de sus fans".

La puesta de largo de la coalición será mañana, domingo 5 de octubre, en Manchester.

Ya era hora de que los artistas pusieran contra las cuerdas a las discográficas. Ahora hay que esperar la arremetida de éstas, que, seguro, será de órdago.

e o bloc party fazendo playback no vmb ontem, hein? incrível como a emetevê consegue piorar a premiação a cada ano que passa (até o bonde do rolê foi ruim - no mal sentido). e tem gente dizendo que a banda inglesa fez playback para tirar sarro. DE QUEM, cara pálida? será que eles não sabem que existe youtube e que isso vai ficar na web pra sempre? tomaram, merecidamente, uma vaia monstro. só confirmou o que eu pensava deles. também não entendo a babação em cima de killers e kaiser chiefs, by the way. e o pior foi a emissora tentando filmar os caras de longe para diminuir o constrangimento. será que vai ter playback no planeta terra também?

bloc party, quer zoar playback? é assim que faz ó:

ou assim:

ou quem sabe até assim:

[caption id="attachment_725" align="aligncenter" width="354" caption="Dokken must have had wicked hairspray bills."][/caption]

My first show was Al Stewart at the Westport Playhouse in St. Louis. You know, "Year of the Cat" and "Time Passages." My second show was Iron Maiden at Market Square Arena in Indianapolis. You know, "The Number of the Beast." Talk about a change of pace! The Iron Maiden show was so loud that my ears rang for three days. I'll never forget the newspaper review the next morning: "About as subtle as a baseball bat to the forehead. But to these kids, all zonked to the rafters on Clearasil and beer, it was probably poetry." It was.

The best performance I've seen was Eric Clapton on his 1994 blues tour. His guitar work was as skilled as you'd expect, but it was also unexpectedly emotional. The best show I've seen is, believe it or not, Ozzy Osbourne. He may have only three functioning brain cells, but he sure knows how to work his audience. It's hard to call the worst show I've seen, but Ringo Starr and Van Halen totally phoned in their performances, and Metallica was badly off their game when I saw them play in the rain in 1994.

Here's the list I've pieced together, in chronological order. Headliners are listed first. You'll see that I gravitated toward heavy-metal shows, and then gave up on concerts altogether for nine years while I was busy with my young family.

1986: Al Stewart

1987: Iron Maiden, Waysted | Eric Clapton, The Robert Cray Band

1988: Heart, Mr. Mister | Iron Maiden, Anthrax | Van Halen, Scorpions, Dokken, Metallica, Kingdom Come | Metallica, The Cult | Grim Reaper, Armored Saint

1989: Helloween and two bands I forget

1990: Motley Crue, Whitesnake | Paul McCartney | Rush, Mr. Big

1992: Ozzy Osbourne, Slaughter

1993: Heart | Aerosmith, Jackyl

1994: Rush, Primus | Metallica | Ringo Starr | Eric Clapton

1995: Megadeth, Korn, Flotsam and Jetsam, Fear Factory

1997: Metallica

2006: Heart

2007: Heart, Head East

I'm sure I'm still overlooking a band or two. But now tell me who you've seen! Leave a comment, or blog about it and link back here.

If you had the time to lose,
An open mind and time to choose,
Would you care to take a look,
Or can you read me like a book?

Time is always on my side,
Time is always on my side.

Can I tempt you, come with me,
Be Devil may care, fulfill your dream,
If I said I'd take you there,
Would you go, would you be scared?

Time is always on my side,
Time is always on my side.

Don't be afraid, you're safe with me,
Safe as any soul could be ... honestly,
Just let yourself go.

Chorus:
Caught somewhere in time
Caught somewhere in time
Caught somewhere in time ... oh oh

Like a wolf in sheep's clothing,
You try to hide your deepest sins,
Of all the things that you've done wrong,
And I know where you belong.

Time is always on my side,
Time is always on my side.

Make you an offer you can't refuse,
You've only got your soul to lose...
Eternally...Just let yourself go!

Chorus:
Caught somewhere in time
Caught somewhere in time
Caught now in two minds!

Esta canción es una de mis favoritas por el simple intro.  Me agrada escuchar el sonido y los tiempos, sobre todo cuando hay variaciones y la tocan con piano.  Se me hace una excelente banda, la voz de Bruce es simplemente de lo mejor.  Aunque no sé... nunca falta el trovador que llega y dice que es música descerebrada o para gañanes. Da igual... ellos tocan para pseudointelectuales. ¿De que se quejan?  Por lo menos Dickinson tiene voz y talento, ellos una actitud acidoamarga ante la politica nacional... que no resuelve nada y no promueve el cambio, solo se alimentan de la porquería que encuentran.

En fin, en fin...

Top 10 de grupos musicales:

1. Iron Maiden - Por mucho la banda que más influencia ha tenido en el Power y demás Metales.
2. Sonata Arctica - Power Metal a full... y a quien no le guste que le rompan el hocico.
3. Judas Priest (que vienen a mi ciudad Yey) - Igual, banda abuela, institución que heredo sonidos.
4. Slayer - Fuerte, bastante fuerte y ruidoso, no apto para gente de gustos eclecticamente refinados.  (Osea a los aburridos y feos esta música no les gusta).
5. Canibal Corpse (Lo mismo pero más duro y con portadas sumamente misoginas)
6. Epica - Dulcicima voz, de una dulcicima mujer, influenciada claro está por Tarja.  Me encantan los matices y las formas en las que mantiene el falsete, mientras que la música y la letra... no estan nada mal, aquí quizás lo que más me ha gustado es la difusión y su sonido en cuestión de cambios y tiempos.
7. Nightwish (Epoca de Tarja) - Institución de plano, muchos fueron copiando el estilo y ellos copiaron un chingo también.  A dios lo que es de dios...
8. Nirvana - No es metal, no es rock, pero me gusta que chingaos...
9. Dark Moor - Metal español cantado en inglés.  Tienen muy buen timbre, tienen muy buen volumen y su música sumamente tradicional.  Sin embargo, es metal jaja.
10. Avantasia - Stratovarius - Opera IX - Dark Funeral - Macbeth - Stream of Passion - Within Temptation pelean esta posición, realmente no puedo decidirme entre una banda, todas tienen lo suyo y yo gusto de escucharlas a todas. 
11. Oasis (esto viene siendo un gusto reciente más compartido que propio, si me han llegado por Mago y mi novio uff dos hinchas del Manchester City era de esperarse lo de Oasis).

Why? Well, it's simple really. You're not James Hetfield, Kirk Hammet, Lars Ulrich, Cliff Burton, Bruce Dickinson, Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, Janick Gers, Steve Harris, Nicko McBrain, Ozzy, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, or Bill Ward. And you never will be. Even if you can play a Metallica song, you're still not as good as Metallica. So fucking stop.

The reason I'm writing this is also simple. One band inspired me to write this. Sum 41.

It's horrible. He plays the solo okay although he does a couple of things totally wrong, but he's not fucking Kirk Hammet. The drummer obviously can't play metal and the singer blows cock regardless of whether or not he's covering metallica.

But, to show I'm not being biased, Machine head covered a Metallica song and I hated it. Children of Bodom, In Flames and Arch Enemy all covered an Iron Maiden song and I hated it. And I like all those bands.

Just stop.

[dailymotion id=x1r6mh]

Video Clip : Infinite Dreams (live)

Singer : Iron Maiden

Lezers,

De avond valt over een onstuimig Den Haag. De Stormwind trekt verder aan met het vervliegen van de laatste beetjes daglicht. Kalm sluit ik de voordeur achter me en zet het aktekoffertje naast de koperen paraplubak, de autosleutels in de schaal op het kastje in de hal. 'Het is Zover'. Verbaasd over het hervonden gevoel van rust hang ik mijn jasje op een hangertje. Mobieltje uit, das af, manchetknopen los, overhemd in de wasmand.  Ik loop de gang weer in. In het voorbijgaan bewonder ik de getaande torso in de spiegel. Ik span mijn borstspieren even aan en kan tenauwernood een grommend geluid onderdrukken.

De traptreden kraken als ik afdaal in de halfduistere kelder. Stilte. Alleen het geluid van de regen die als zweepslagen tegen het kelderraampje slaat. Ik loop naar het verste eind van de ruimte, verplaats de tuinstoelen en til in een soepele beweging de voorraadkast opzij. Slechts een blikje erwten en worteltjes grijpt deze stoutmoedigheid aan om zich in een vrije val naar de kale, betonnen keldervloer te werpen. Ik vang hem in een reflex op met mijn glimmende Van Liers. 'Soepel. Scherp.' Dan verleg ik mijn aandacht naar de roestige stalen deur die met het verplaatsen van de kast is vrijgekomen. Instinctief gaan mijn vingers over het stoffige randje boven de deur vlak onder het plafond. Het begin van een grijns is van mijn gezicht te lezen als ik het koude metaal van de oude sleutel onder mijn vingers voel.

De geur van vocht en oude kolen komt me tegemoet als ik de kale stenen ruimte binnenloop. De fakkels naast de deur knetteren een paar keer hard als ik ze ontsteek, herwinnen dan het verloren gegane zelfvertrouwen en richten zich vol overgave op het verjagen van het duister. Het duurt niet lang of ik heb ook de met grote stenen omgeven vuurpot in het midden van de ruimte weer ontwaakt. Ik voel onmiddellijk hoe de hitte van het vuur brandt op mijn naakte huid. Dan verleg ik mijn aandacht naar de wanden. Van enige afstand laat ik mijn ogen geconcentreerd over de houten wandrekken gaan. Dan houden ze stil. Dit keer kan ik een grom niet onderdrukken. Hoe indrukwekkend hij ook altijd in de herinnering blijft, niets haalt het bij het gevoel van ontzag dat hij in werkelijkheid losmaakt. De Bijl die de Familie in 498 veroverde op een of andere Viking, die zijn dag duidelijk niet had. Een forse steel van ruim anderhalve meter van god-mag-weten wat voor Oerhout.  Hard en onbreekbaar als staal. Aan het uiteinde twee koppen van dof staal. Dof, met uitzondering van de vlijmscherpe randen. Ik pak hem op en voel hoe het gewicht mijn armspieren doet aanspannen.

De zware hamer komt keer op keer neer op het roodgloeiende staal. Zweet loopt over mijn gezwollen nekspieren. De Bijl laat zich gewillig aanscherpen tussen Hamer en Aambeeld. Het geluid van staal op staal weerkaatst hard op de kale muren. De deurbel. Ik schrik op uit mijn meditatieve geros. Laat de bijl los en zet koers naar de keldertrap. Onderweg gris ik een met robijnen ingelegde dolk van het rek. Weer de bel. 'Vast die focking buurman weer. Altijd met zijn geluidsoverlast!' Ongewild klemmen mijn vingers zich steviger om de dolk. Halverwege de keldertrap kom ik tot inkeer en voel de frustratie weer plaatsmaken voor de Kalmte. Het laatste beetje frustratie raak ik kwijt door de dolk met veel kracht in het hout van de laatste traptrede te slaan. Ik keer terug naar de kelder, pak de nog nagloeiende bijl en houdt hem met de stalen kop in de grote bak water naast de vuurpot. Het water begint wild te borrelen alsof het zich verslikt in het gloeiend hete staal.

Ik doe de kelderdeur weer achter me dicht en werp wederom een blik in de spiegel. Tevreden. Klaar. Lange strengen donker haar plakken tegen mijn bezwete gelaat. Het plaatstaal van de schouderstukken werpt een spookachtig licht over mijn wangen. Ik houd de bijl schuin voor mijn lijf zodat deze ook in het spiegelbeeld te zien is. Ik span de met leer omspannen biceps aan en maak een stotende beweging met de bijl. 'Rock 'n Roll!'. Dan valt mijn oog op de Ikea-wandklok in de hal. Half twaalf. 'Let's go.'

Mijn zware laarzen klinken luid op het asfalt als ik tussen de geparkeerde auto's door de Fahrenheitstraat oversteek. Maar lang voordat het geluid de donkere gevels bereikt wordt het door de onvermoeibare wind opgepikt en weggevoerd. Ik loop westwaards, langs het ziekenhuis. Geen hond op straat. Ik loop de Nachtegaallaan af en loop het bos in. Nog steeds die Kalmte. Kalm, maar met een groeiende alertheid. De zware geur van het natte nachtelijke duinbos omsluit me. Ik steek de Nieboerweg over en het bos weer in. Dieper de duinen in. Op het gevoel.

Ik was er al vaker langsgefietst in de zomer, maar nu voelde ik het pas. 'Hier is het. Dat ik dat niet eerder bedacht had...' Ik bereik de top van het hoogste duin en kijk om me heen. Elke vezel gespannen nu. De storm licht in de verte bliksemend de Noordzee op. Een plotseling gevoel van verbondenheid met de woeste golven. Nog geen spoor van de Ander. Zou hij wel komen? Natuurlijk komt Hij. Ze zijn er Allemaal vanavond. In het hele land zijn ze door de storm aangewakkerd en op weg naar hun Ontmoeting. Of het nou is naar een havenhoofd in Rotterdam, of naar de brug over de IJssel bij Deventer. Ze zijn onderweg.

Dan gekraak in het kreupelhout onder aan de heuvel. Een bliksemflits reflecteert op een reuzachtig zwaard. Een oerschreeuw. Ik adem diep in, hef mijn Bijl hoog de nachtelijke hemel in en schreeuw uit de diepste krochten van mijn zijn: 'There can be only One!!!!' 

*** Queen - Gimme The Prize
*** Dio - Stand Up And Shout
*** Ozzy Osbourne - Mr.Crowley
*** Iron Maiden - Only The Good Die Young
*** Whitesnake - Judgement Day
*** Megadeth - Hangar 18
*** Type O Negative - Black No.1
*** The Cult - Rain
*** Gary Moore & Phil Lynott - Out In The Fields
*** Ozzy Osbourne - Gets Me Through
*** Iron Maiden - Fear Of The Dark
*** Accept - Balls To The Wall
*** Judas Priest - Breaking The Law

Las cosas que se pueden encontrar en Internet nunca dejarán de sorprenderme, nunca!!!
Esta "perla" está sacada de youtube y es que lo que no se encuentra en esta página una de dos, o no existe o no es merecedor de ser visto.

No me explico cómo he llegado a encontrar este vídeo porque realmente he empezado buscando vídeos de Angra y he llegado hasta este, pero cuando lo he encontrado y lo he visto me he quedado así... O_O

Corría el año 1992, me imagino que estarían en la gira de "Metallica (The Black Album)", cuando James y los suyos se marcaron esta versión de la canción de Iron Maiden en uno de sus conciertos.

Guau!!!
Ahí es nada!!!
Se trata de una de las bandas más grandes del Heavy Metal haciendo una versión de la (opinión personal) mejor banda de todos los tiempos.
Hoy en día creo que sería imposible volver a disfrutar de un momento así en directo, creo que el ego de los componentes Metallica se lo impediría :P Además ellos tienen un buen repertorio como para tocar canciones de otros grupos, pero la verdad es que es curioso y te tienes que quedar boquiabierto si estás en uno de sus conciertos y empiezan a tocar ese tema.

Una vez encontrado este vídeo he estado buscando y buscando, y he encontrado otro no menos curioso que el anterior y mucho más divertido.

Los protagonistas, los baterías del ambos grupos, Lars y Nicko.

La acción, un "duelo" de baterías en pleno concierto de Metallica.

Señoras, señores... Lars vs Nicko!!! XD

Los concejales del antiguo partido ANV exponen una ikurriña. El portavoz del Partido Socialista Navarro, gran aficionado a la música, una de Iron Maiden. Los concejales de Unión del Pueblo Navarro han decidido colocar en su frente bandera y banderola del C.A. Osasuna.

¿Qué bandera colocarías tú? Yo pondría esta...

No es mi intención llamar cerdo a nadie ¿Alguien va a cuestionar mi adoración por ese completo animal? No me tachen de políticamente incorrecto, podría concretar más y poner una de un jamón pata negra, pero no estoy dispuesto a renunciar a la caña de lomo, al secreto, al salchichón...

Post dedicado al Sr. Pulido.

[vía menéame]
[fuente de la imagen del cerdo: embutidosfermin.com]

[dailymotion id=x1r6mh]

Video Clip : Infinite Dreams

Singer : Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden - Live After Death (1985, EMI)

1. Intro: Churchill's Speech
2. Aces High
3. 2 Minutes To Midnight
4. The Trooper
5. Revelations
6. Flight Of Icarus
7. Rime Of The Ancient Mariner
8. Powerslave
9. The Number Of The Beast
10. Hallowed Be Thy Name
11. Iron Maiden
12. Run To The Hills
13. Running Free
14. Wrathchild
15. 22 Acacia Avenue
16. Children Of The Damned
17. Die With Your Boots On
18. Phantom Of The Opera

Total Time = 1:42:03

Iron Maiden official website

Iron Maiden has been one of my favorite bands since the early '80s. I got seriously into Iron Maiden around the release of NUMBER OF THE BEAST in 1982 but I had known about the band from all the magazines and fanzines I used to buy. I used to hear a little Maiden over some of the local record stores' stereo systems when I would scour the racks for hours. I came of age with the Bruce Dickinson era of the band but I went back and bought both Paul Di'anno records (IRON MAIDEN & KILLERS) before Maiden released POWERSLAVE in '84. Going into that blockbuster album, I had everything on cassette that the band had released including the MAIDEN JAPAN E.P. (1981) and my personal favorite PIECE OF MIND (1983). After KISS and Judas Priest, there was Iron Maiden!

I followed the band's exploits on the World Slavery Tour through magazines like Circus, Hit Parader, and Metal Forces and definitely watching MTV. Iron Maiden was everywhere, you couldn't escape seeing the band's logo or their mascot Eddie on denim jackets or on the walls of your friend's bedrooms. When I read in Circus that the band was putting together a double live album to chronicle the World Slavery Tour, I knew I had to have it. Of course money became an issue because the album, LIVE AFTER DEATH, was released with a price tag that went between $12 and $15 depending on the shop and the sale prices. With Metal exploding all over the radio and MTV, there were so many bands to buy albums from in '85 so I had to spend my allowance and lunch money wisely. I remember being in my local Good Vibrations record store the weekend after LIVE AFTER DEATH came out trying to justify buying a single cassette for close to $15 when I could buy two other albums on tape by different bands. I could have even bought two more KISS albums to complete my collection! I ended up passing on it.....

I was in 7th grade at the time and one of best friends brought his older brother's cassette into school so we could all have a listen at the end of the day. I remember a whole bunch of us in the schoolyard after school huddled around my friend's boombox listening to Side 1 in the middle of October. It was cold but well worth it because I knew what my purchase was going to be at the record store on the coming weekend. I ended up walking over to my friend's house so we could listen to Side 2 and get homework done, that's where my friend's older brother was waiting and kicked my friend's ass for "borrowing" his new tape without asking. After my friend took a beating, we ended up listening to the whole album because his brother also bought the vinyl and we listened to it on the big stereo he had. I still remember marvelling over the artwork and how cool it looked as a record. That weekend I bought my LIVE AFTER DEATH tape and put the LP on my Xmas wish list (I never got the vinyl for Xmas!).

This is Iron Maiden at what many consider their peak with five solid albums and a record breaking worldwide tour to their credit, making LIVE AFTER DEATH one of the best, if not THE best, live album ever. To this day, 23 years later, I still can't find a weak song on the album. Every single track is powerful and grandly performed. I was huge into PIECE OF MIND and POWERSLAVE when this live album was released so my favorite tracks were 'Aces High', '2 Minutes To Midnight', 'Powerslave', 'Flight Of Icarus', 'Revelations' and 'The Trooper'. These were the popular singles so I liked them all immeadiately. Playing the album over and over, I really started to enjoy the live version of 'Rime Of The Ancient Mariner' better than the studio version and the Di'anno era songs like 'Iron Maiden', 'Wrathchild' and 'Running Free' just came off more energetic and powerful with Bruce at the mic. After a couple of decades, I find myself enjoying the last 5 songs of the album (Side 4 of the vinyl) the most, especially '22 Acacia Avenue' and 'Die With Your Boots On'.

I have had a few versions of this album over the years: the original cassette, the first CD issue that didn't include the Side 4 songs, the Castle Records reissue from 1995 with the bonus disc, and finally the Raw Power reissue from 1998 that ended up including the missing Side 4 songs. The Castle reissue from '95 was the most disappointing because I figured the bonus disc would contain the missing Side 4 songs but it ended up being only three tracks that were all B-sides from the singles: 'Losfer Words (Big 'Orra)' live at Hammersmith Odeon, 'Sanctuary' live at Long Beach Arena and 'Murders in the Rue Morgue' live at Hammersmith Odeon. Today I own the three CD versions and the DVD that came out earlier this year, I sold my cassette a long time ago.

Per la prima volta mi cimento in una specie di recensione per quanto riguarda un disco. E per di più un disco appena uscito di una band ancora non troppo conosciuta anche se attentamente osservata dai più appassionati. Ma in fin dei conti queste sono solo mie opinioni.

La prima cosa che penso ogni volta che ascolto i Trivium è che hanno più o meno la mia età e, quando erano ancora più giovani, già avevano pubblicato qualcosa di importante.

Li ho conosciuti con la hit Anthem (We are the fire) e mi hanno attirato tantissimo per le loro chitarre (all'epoca usavano Dean Razorback). Con più attenzione apprezzai poi la loro fantastica musica: una voce dirompente e potente, tecnica chitaristica sopraffina, conciliazione di diversi generi (che poi alla fine è il loro nome) in una musica molto particolare, le armonie e le scariche.

[caption id="attachment_127" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Cover di Shogun"][/caption]

Shogun è il quarto album del gruppo (escludendo alcuni bootleg live non ufficiali) uscito a partire dal 23 settembre (in Italia il 30... ehm... ). Come altri hanno scritto, anche io ho notato subito un ritorno a melodie pre-Crusade.

Anche se criticato ai più puristi, lo stile Metallica-Megadeth-Maiden del penultimo disco secondo me era la giusta direzione per esaltare le qualità di tutti i componenti ma dopo aver sentito Shogun sono contento di questa nuova direzione. Ancora una fusione tra il pesante metalcore dell'inizio e il classico trash dell'ultimo.

Il canto pesante, tagliente, duro e basso accompagnato a riff velocissimi e cattivi a dir poco emana vera potenza. Ma i pezzi con la voce più docile di Matt sono eccezionali. Ovviamente anche Corey ci mette del suo e a volte sovrasta in potenza il compagno cantante. Decisamente la stazza la dice lunga su chi sia il cattivo.

Dal punto di vista chitarristico niente da eccepire: tecnica strepitosa, velocità allucinante ma anche tocco morbido e "sentimentale" quando serve. Da notare un uso di alcuni effetti in alcuni brani, cosa molto più rara prima di Shogun, abituati al solo e duro distorto. Anche qualche chitarra acustica infine. In alcuni tratti le chitarre hanno un suono davvero eccezionale, un tono, alcune sfumature all'attacco della nota che mi lasciano estasiato.

Ovviamente anche la batteria e il basso sono fantastici. Sicuramente le composizioni sono state studiate molto bene per dare il giusto tocco a tutti gli strumenti.

Stilisticamente sono molto particolari. Si ispirano chiaramente ai mostri sacri del metal. In alcuni punti v'è un palese tributo al sound Iron Maiden che poi sfocia di nuovo in fantastico trash. I crescendo prendono dentro e trasportano, i soli a volte troppo tecnici e schematici.

Particolare menzione per la traccia di apertura (già lanciata come singolo prima dell'uscita dell'album) Kirisute Gomen e per la title track Shogun, quasi una piccola suite che racchiude in se una miriade di emozioni.

A mio parere un disco fantastico. Dovrò ancora ascoltarlo bene per capire se più essere il masterpiece del gruppo ma sicuramente presenta elementi nuovi per i Trivium e un nuovo punto di riferimento per il loro sound. Provenendo già da ottime prove in passato non sono scesi per nulla.

Poco dopo l'uscita di The Cruasade, ancora li conoscevo poco e li vidi come spalla degli Iron Maiden a Milano meno di un anno fa. Da allora dico che quel giorno andai a vedere più i Trivium che i miti!

All the Live Album reviews are after this post.

This week is dedicated to some of the most influential live albums that I have listened to over the years. Most of these are my all-time favorite live albums but, most importantly, each album helped me discover more about each band.  Each live album review will be similar to my normal reviews but with a little more emphasis on the memories that each one possesses.

Here's this week's lineup:

Sunday: KISS - Alive II (1977)

Monday: Iron Maiden - Live After Death (1985)

Tuesday: Scorpions - World Wide Live (1985)

Wednesday: Krokus - Alive & Screamin' (1986)

Thursday: Royal Hunt - Live 1996 (1996)

Friday: UFO - Strangers In The Night (1979)

Saturday: Judas Priest - Priest.....Live! (1987)

Você deve conhecer o tipo: passa horas e horas pesquisando bandas desconhecidas pela internet,  e adora escutar coisas consideradas alternativas (embora todo mundo as conheça e já tenha ouvido uma ou outra coisa). Acima de tudo, adora demonstrar seu "grande conhecimento" criticando estilos e atribuindo notas à tudo que escuta, sempre discordando e discutindo com aqueles que se opõe à sua opinião, taxando-os de ignorantes com mal gosto.

O crítico chato foi uma figura que sempre existiu. Seja aquele coleguinha de escola que te enchia o saco dizendo que Iron Maiden é a melhor banda do mundo, e dizendo que todo o resto do Heavy Metal é "falso", ou aquele cara totalmente "alternativo" que não aceita que exista quem ache bandas como Radiohead chatas e que não veja nada demais em seu som experimental. Com o surgimento da internet e a liberdade de escolha, essa figura se tornou ainda mais presente, seja em blogs, foruns e sites conceituados.

Algo que sempre me incomodou nesses críticos não é exatamente em si a postura de falar mal de tudo que não se encaixa em sua idéia específica do que é música boa, mas sim quando estes conseguem uma legião de seguidores para defender sua palavra e inflamar seu ego. Quando se concentra uma espécie de culto em torno do "crítico", sua palavra passa a valer como algo quase divino, e coitado daquele que ouse discordar. Claro que existem pessoas mais qualificadas para falar de música do que outras, assim como em qualquer outro assunto, mas a principal característica que observo nos chamados "críticos" é uma mente fechada aliado ao fato de aparentemente esquecerem que gostar ou não de algo no fundo é uma questão pessoal.

Mas afinal, qual o papel do crítico? Será que o papel real deles é esse que citei, de supostos detentores da capacidade de dizer o que é bom ou não? Eu não vejo a possibilidade de essa figura desaparecer no futuro, mas sim uma modificação de seu papel, atualmente estipulado como "o cara que sabe dizer o que é bom ou não". Com o crescimento da Internet, o crítico tende a ser mais como uma referência do que vale a pena conferir, mas será forçado a assumir uma postura diferente, pensando mais em qual o público alvo daquilo que escreve do que meramente em seu gosto ou conhecimento musical.

É claro, sempre vão existir os chatos conhecidos por só reclamar e nunca apontar os pontos positivos de algo (coisa que acho intrigante, já que diversas vezes vi críticas positivas que se refletiam em notas mediocres, assim como a situação inversa), mas acredito que essa figura logo deve entrar em extinção, pois a tecnologia digital (leia-se mp3 e sistemas P2P) permite uma facilidade muito maior em julgar algum trabalho por si mesmo, do que ficar em dúvida de adquirir algo muitas vezes caro e que não se tem certeza da qualidade.

O grande problema do critico chato ao meu ver é a incapacidade de ver os demais têm direito a uma opinião e um gosto diferentes do seu. Acredito que as pessoas que são incapazes de ver que nem sempre estão certas (e por que não, de admitir que gostam de músicas que efetivamente possuem baixa qualidade, mas que divertem) acabam ajudando a criar preconceitos, e acima de tudo incentivam as pessoas a não pensar por si mesmas. Pense, quantas vezes você já não deixou de ir em algum show de uma banda desconhecida, ou criou um preconceito com um novo lançamento de um artista, porque algum dito conhecedor do assunto falou mal daquilo?

Com a internet, vejo cada vez mais cada um se tornando o crítico em si, procurando ter um papel mais ativo em sua relação com a música. Forums e blogs são a prova de que cada vez mais a tendência é que opiniões conflitantes encontrem espaço, tirando o poder do grande crítico, que vai ter que pensar mais no que seu público espera do que meramente empurrar uma opinião mal humorada para cima dele.

Although Metallica would become a '90s heavy metal phenomenon (due largely in part to their multi-million selling self-titled release from 1991), the band's major force early on was undeniably their late-bassist Cliff Burton. Burton had a major say in Metallica's music, look, and direction, which was an unglamorous slap in the face against glam metal (ripped jeans, shirts of their fave bands, long unkempt hair, etc.) with absolutely no interest in videos or the mainstream. After Burton's untimely death in 1986, Metallica enjoyed their biggest success, but wound up going completely against what they originally stood for. Burton was born on February 10, 1962, in Castro Valley, CA, and took up bass as a teenager. Influenced mainly by '70s heavy metal (Black Sabbath, Blue Öyster Cult, Rush, Thin Lizzy, etc.), Burton retained his retro "bell-bottom jeans" look well into the fashion conscious '80s, making him a true original. His playing style was unmistakable as well; he played a lead-style on bass that was often drenched with distortion. Guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich realized this when they caught Burton playing L.A. with his band Trauma and they immediately asked Burton to join their new band, Metallica. Burton accepted on only one condition: that they move to San Francisco. The members agreed and Metallica was on their way. While the majority of "metal" bands of the era were wearing makeup and spandex, singing about partying, and playing nothing more than hard-edged pop, Metallica went completely against the grain. Their music owed a lot to the British metal bands of the early '80s (Iron Maiden, Motörhead, Diamond Head), as evidenced by their rough debut album, 1983's Kill 'Em All (which saw guitarist Kirk Hammett replace original guitarist Dave Mustaine), that included the vicious Burton-bass solo "Anesthesia (Pulling Teeth)." The band was signed to Elektra in 1984, which issued their exceptional release Ride the Lightning, easily one of metal's all-time classics. But the best was yet to come; Metallica's third release was unquestionably their finest hour -- 1986's Master of Puppets -- and it broke into the U.S. Top 30 and went gold without any radio or MTV support. After completing a spring/summer opening slot with Ozzy Osbourne, the band embarked on a European tour. What should have been a time of celebration quickly turned to tragedy on the morning of September 27, 1986, when Burton was killed when Metallica's tour bus was involved in a horrible accident. - Greg Prato (allmusic)

Corey y Paolo fueron los invitados del vocalista de Iron Maiden, Bruce Dickinson, en su programa de radio ("The Bruce Dickinson Friday Rock Show") la noche del 26 de Septiembre. Puedes escuchar ya el programa en BBC.co.uk.

Destruction + Troll's, Overdeath, Brutal Crisis, Vulgar Addiction- 03 de Octubre/2008- Arena Lopez Mateos  

Metal Fest on the Street- 04 de Octubre / 2008 (12 pm) - Calle Manuel Aleman, Col. Conchita- Del. Tlahuac, Distrito Federal

Mexican Brutality ( Foeticide, Wintermoon, From Forgotten Beign ...) - 04 de Octubre / 2008 - Circo Volador

Mötley Crüe- 05 de Octubre / 2008 - Palacio de los Deportes

Dimmu Borgir- 05 de Octubre/2008- Circo Volador

Maidenmanicos" (Maidenmaniacos 2008) 11 octubre Multiforo

Extreme Noise Terror- 12 de Octubre / 2008 - TBA ( por confirmar)

NOVIEMBRE

Symphony X- 14 de Octubre / 2008 - Teatro Metropólitan

Deicide- 16 de Octubre / 2008 - Hard Rock Live

GPKISM - 05 de Noviembre / 2008 - Expo Reforma

Electro Hell Fest ( Alien Vampires, Sdc05, Sinner69 DJ'S: Fortran, Intrudercell) -15 de Noviembre/2008- La Toma De Conciencia

Black Fest in the name of Satan (Endstille, Crimson MOON) - 15 de Noviembre / 2008 - Circo Volador

Illuminate + Sounds 4 Nights - 29 de Noviembre/2008 - Lugar por confirmar

DICIEMBRE
Unternull- 5 de Diciembre/2008- La Faena

Asesino- 13 de Diciembre / 2008 - Circo Volador

Oingo Boingo - Capitalism

What I love about this mix is that the further you get into it, the more depressing and hopeless you feel about our economic predicament. I tried my hardest to do this without using traditionally sad music. You know, just because our economy is collapsing doesn't mean that we can't rejoice in good music.

Songs that nearly made the cut but didn't:

• Billy Ray Cyrus - Pain the Gas
• Dire Straits - Money for Nothing
• Donna Summer - She Works Hard for the Money
• Bruce Springsteen - Youngstown

Walter Lee, a longtime Capitol Records promo man has passed away.  He had been receiving  treatment for colon cancer since February.  Lee began his career in music as lead guitarist for a Boston-area rockabilly band, the Uniques who had some local success after releasing two singles.  He joined Capitol Records and later moved to Detroit where he is credited for bringing Bob Seger to the label.  After a handful albums failed to get Seger noticed outside of Michigan, Capitol was ready to drop him until Lee persuaded the higher-ups to put out an album that captured Seger in his element, the stage.  That album was Live Bullet, and it launched Seger into the stratosphere.  The 80's found Lee running Capitol's radio promotion department in Hollywood.    His leadership as Vice President and GM at Capitol contributed to such successes as Duran Duran, the Motels, Missing Persons, Iron Maiden, Steve Miller and many more.  After leaving Capitol, Lee lead the promotions team at Morgan Creek.  In recent years, he was a partner at Pro Sports Music, a firm that promoted music through sporting events.