think metal
issue 1 | may 2016
contents |
10
forty and fuck it
18 42 music for good
| issue 1
20 Lemmy: a tribute
34 under law
defining drug use
2
acid rest
52
dark, leather, denim
56 buring out fast
32 62
How h eavy m etal k eeps u s sane
How heav y m eta l keeps u s sane
44
how metal keeps us sane
fan photo
03
contributors|
EDITORIAL Editor-In-Chief Henry White
henry@syntox.com
Editor Harry Paterson
harry@syntox.com
| issue 1 |volume 1
Writer Carol Buckland
Carol@syntox.com
Sub Editor Leah Lyman
leah@syntox.com
Sub Editor Christopher Clark
Creative Director Paul Fisher
christopher@syntox.com
Photo Director Kylie Ince
michelle@syntox.com
paul@syntox.com
kylie@syntox.com
Sub Editor Michelle Harris
Associate Art Director Keith Slater
Production Director Pippa Clark
keith@syntox.com
Chief Sub Editor Elizabeth Lyman
oliver@syntox.com
Senior Editor Edward Greene
robert@syntox.com
Section Editor (Hair Metal) Adrian Young
anna@syntox.com
Section Editor (Hair Metal) Jake Miller
anna-ba@syntox.com
jake@syntox.com
ONLINE
Section Editor (Hair Metal) Ava Baker
Web Manager Samantha Butler
pippa@syntox.com
elizabeth@syntox.com
edward@syntox.com
adrian@syntox.com
Senior Designer Oliver Howard
Deputy Photo Editor Robert Piper
Junior Managing Editor Anna Springer Researchers Anna Bailey
ava@syntox.com
samantha-bu@syntox.com
Section Editor (Hair Metal) Madeleine Mills
Web Developer/Designer Daniel Davies
madeleine@syntox.com
daniel@syntox.com
Section Editor (Hair Metal) Samantha Russell
Web Production Coordinator Abigail Oliver
samantha Russell@syntox.com
abigail@syntox.com
Acting Section Editor (edits) Penelope Lawrence
EDITORIAL SUPPORT
penelope@syntox.com
fiona@syntox.com
Managing Editor Carolyn Jackson
marissa@syntox.com
Carolyn@syntox.com
Editor at Large Gabrielle James
gabrielle@syntox.com
PUBLISHING Publisher Lisa Pullman
lisa@syntox.com
Advertising Director Una Burgess
una@syntox.com
Advertising Manager Alan Russell
alan@syntox.com
Advertising Executive Jacob Grant
jacob@syntox.com
Advertising Production Assistant Hannah Kelly
hannah@syntox.com
Assitant to the Publisher Jasmine Mitchell
jasmine@syntox.com
Assistant to the Editor in Chief Fiona Lawrence
Fashion Director Alison Dyer
alison@syntox.com
Joseph O’Hagan
joseph@syntox.com
Contributing Editors Marissa Cole Katherine White
katherine@syntox.com
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Syntox is an intensely grunge music magazine published by Ouur that explores ways for readers to enhance their lives and cultivate community, through a variety of heavy metal music news.
Founded in 2016, Syntox, a national magazine, is the leading creatively elevated music magazine for a mature audience. Published monthly, Syntox maintains an insanely passionate contributor base.
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Letter from
Let me introduce myself: I am Syntox’s Editor in Chief. Syntox is an intensely grunge music magazine that explores ways for readers to enhance their lives and cultivate community, through a variety of heavy metal music news. We follow the most breaking news, in our always changing world. I enjoy all things music, especially heavy metal. I have been headbanging at metal concerts ever since I was a teenager. Along with my passion of music came my obsession with flipping though the pages of magazines, first absorbed in their images and stories, then realizing I could make this my career. I believe that design could help elevate the style of stereotypical heavy metal music. I hope we can package information in such a way that is both visually and linguistically appealing. Magazines are about trust and partnership: We, the editors, will strive always to keep you engaged; you, the readers, are free to engage with us or to reject us. Keep on headbangin’,
Henry White
m the editor
BANDS: Slayer Testament Carcass VENUE: Fillmore Silver Spring 8656 Colesville Rd, Silver Spring, MD
BANDS: Taake Young And In The Way Vattnet Viskar Bastard Sapling Cemetery Piss VENUE: Metro Gallery 1700 N Charles St, Baltimore, MD BANDS: Dawn Patrol Universal Remonster Ralph Narrow Grave VENUE: The Depot 1728 N. Charles St, Baltimore, MD
BANDS: Shumaun Spellborne Fortress Delain VENUE: Fat Tuesday’s 10673 Braddock Rd, Fairfax, VA
BANDS: Mac Sabbath Delain The Ocean VENUE: Baltimore Soundstage 124 Market Pl, Baltimore, MD
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1 2 3 4 5
thu wed tue mon Sun
MARCH MARCH mid atlantic
find the national calandar at syntox.com/calandar
fri
sat
contributors|
BANDS: Deceased Lifetime Shitlist Rat Infested VENUE: The Pinch 3548 14th St NW, Washington, DC
BANDS: Abazagorath Witchaven Steel Bearing Hand VENUE: El Gran Chaparral 8307 Annapolis Rd, New Carrollton, MD
BANDS: Conan Serial Hawk Local Bands: Fortress Faith In Jane VENUE: Ottobar 2549 N Howard St, Baltimore, MD
BANDS: Abbath High On Fire Skeletonwitch Tribulation Delain Creature VENUE: Baltimore Soundstage 124 Market Pl, Baltimore, MD
BANDS: Sonata Arctica Delain Local Bands: Omnislash A Sound Of Thunder VENUE: Baltimore Soundstage 124 Market Pl, Baltimore, MD
BANDS: Archgoat Valkyrja Murrum VENUE: Ottobar 2549 N Howard St, Baltimore, MD
BANDS: Rivers Of Nihil Dark Sermon Local Bands: Waking The Monolith Crawling Manifest Exemptus Emerge A Tyrant VENUE: The Pinch 3548 14th St NW, Washington, DC
BANDS: Abbath High On Fire Skeletonwitch Tribulation VENUE: Baltimore Soundstage 124 Market Pl, Baltimore, MD
BANDS: Slayer Testament Carcass VENUE: Fillmore Silver Spring 8656 Colesville Rd, Silver Spring, MD
BANDS: Sonata Arctica Delain Local Bands: Omnislash A Sound Of Thunder VENUE: Baltimore Soundstage 124 Market Pl, Baltimore, MD BANDS: Intronaut Scale The Summit The Ocean North VENUE: Rock & Roll Hotel 1353 H St NE, Washington, DC
BANDS: Mac Sabbath High on Fire Murrum VENUE: Baltimore Soundstage 124 Market Pl, Baltimore, MD
BANDS: Dawn Patrol Local Bands: Universal Remonster Uncle Buck Ralph Narrow Grave VENUE: The Depot 1728 N. Charles St, Baltimore, MD
BANDS: John 5 and the Creatures Local Bands: Don’t know who they are yet VENUE: State Theatre 220 N Washington St, Falls Church, VA
BANDS: Archgoat Valkyrja Hellfire Uncle Buck VENUE: Ottobar 2549 N Howard St, Baltimore, MD
BANDS: Abazagorath Witchaven Steel Bearing Hand VENUE: El Gran Chaparral 8307 Annapolis Rd, New Carrollton, MD
BANDS: Mac Sabbath Uncle Buck The Ocean Steel Bearing Hand VENUE: Baltimore Soundstage 124 Market Pl, Baltimore, MD
BANDS: Cloud Rat Gouge Away Local Bands: Wet Brain Claw Bidet VENUE: The Pinch 3548 14th St NW, Washington, DC
BANDS: Sonata Arctica Delain Local Bands: Omnislash A Sound Of Thunder VENUE: Baltimore Soundstage 124 Market Pl, Baltimore, MD
27 28 29 30 31
BANDS: Shumaun Brave channel Volatile Spellborne VENUE: Fat Tuesday’s 10673 Braddock Rd, Fairfax, VA
20 21 22 23 24 25 26
13 14 15 16 17 18 19
BANDS: Throwdown Syndicate Bound By The Grave Bittered ZFL Malicious Intent VENUE: The Pinch 3548 14th St NW, Washington, DC
BANDS: Archgoat Valkyrja Hellfire Deathcult Local Bands: Murrum VENUE: Ottobar 2549 N Howard St, Baltimore, MD
BANDS: Slayer Testament Carcass Raph Narrow Grave VENUE: Fillmore Silver Spring 8656 Colesville Rd, Silver Spring, MD
BANDS: Abbath Tribulation Delain Creature VENUE: Baltimore Soundstage 124 Market Pl, Baltimore, MD
BANDS: Intronaut Scale The Summit The Ocean North VENUE: Rock & Roll Hotel 1353 H St NE, Washington, DC
BANDS: Abbath High On Fire Skeletonwitch Tribulation VENUE: Baltimore Soundstage 124 Market Pl, Baltimore, MD
FORTY AND FUCK IT
Sad news came for music fans who fondly remember the heyday of hair metal: Tw i s t e d S i s t e r 11
S
ad news came for music fans who fondly remember the heyday of hair metal: Twisted Sister has decided to call it quits after more than forty years together. The decision comes after several months of the band not speaking about what was next for them after the death of semioriginal member A.J. Pero, who played drums for all of the band’s hit singles and albums. Pero was not the group’s first drummer (he didn’t join until several musicians had come and gone), but he was
the drummer associated with the Twisted Sister the longest, and the one most adored by longtime fans. He passed away last year from a heart attack while on tour with his latest musical project, Adrenaline Mob. The band has only two live shows coming up this year, both of which they’ve dedicated to Pero. Just this past week, the group also announced that while they may be going their separate ways, they’re doing so with one last hurrah. A final tour is being planned for 2016, and it’s going to be quite the party. Entitled “Forty
the kids are back words by sam lee & photography by catherine mazzocchi
“His sledgehammer assault on the drums helped drive Twisted Sister and I to greatness and inspired me to rock every single show.” – Dee Snider
and Fuck It,” the run of shows are set to celebrate the band’s four decades in the music business, and there will likely be plenty of tributes to Pero as well. SAYREVILLE, NJ – MARCH 21: Jay Jay French of Twisted Sister (4th from L), and Chad Szeliga, Erik Leonhardt, Russell Allen, Mike Portnoy and Mike Orlando of Adrenaline Mob onstage during the A.J. Pero Tribute Concert at Starland Ballroom on March 21, 2015 in Sayreville, New Jersey. (Photo by Mark Weiss/WireImage) While never one of the biggest of the heavy metal groups to come out of the 1980’s the band has maintained a cult following for decades, recording, releasing music, and touring sporadically throughout the decades. The band has collected plenty of gold and platinum plaques throughout their tenure, and they charted massive hits like “We’re Not Gonna To Take It” back in the 80’s, becoming a mainstay on MTV thanks to their comedic videos along the way. After only a handful of successful albums, the band split up less than a decade after first breaking into the mainstream. Since
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the late 90’s, Twisted Sister has performed on and off, touring occasionally and sticking mostly to their tried-and-true fan favorites. They have reissued their hit albums, and even went to far as to completely re-record 1984’s Stay Hungry in 2004. The band’s last full length studio effort was a bit off-brand— it was a Christmas album called A Twisted Christmas—was released back in 2006. Twisted Sister have announced a pair of concerts to pay tribute to their late drummer A.J. Pero, who passed away March 20th. Dee Snider and company also revealed that longtime Dream Theatre drummer Mike Portnoy will join Twisted Sister for all of the band’s upcoming 2015 concerts, including the tribute shows. Both Pero and Portnoy also played drums for Adrenaline Mob. Finally, with Twisted Sister set to celebrate their 40th anniversary next year, the band said in a statement that they’ll “formally close the touring chapter” of the band’s history with a farewell trek in 2016. Dee Snider, Twisted Sister Rock Censorship: Big Brother Meets Twisted Sister The tribute gigs for Pero, who died of
the band will embark on a 2016 jaunt that will double as a farewell trek dubbed the “Forty and Fuck It” tour
an apparent heart attack at the age of 55, will take place on both coasts: On May 30th, the band will perform at Las Vegas’ Hard Rock Hotel and Casino as part of that venue’s Metal Meltdown, which also features Extreme, Skid Row and Great White. That gig will be filmed for 3D worldwide cinema release, TV broadcast and DVD/CD release. Two weeks later, with Pero’s family in attendance, Twisted Sister will play Sayreville, New Jersey’s Starland Ballroom on June 13th. In 1976, Twisted Sister performed their first ever show with Snider as lead singer, and to celebrate the occasion, the band will embark on a 2016 jaunt that will double as a farewell trek dubbed the “Forty and Fuck It” tour. The band’s longtime nucleus of Snider, guitarists Eddie Ojeda and Jay Jay French and bassist Mark “The Animal” Mendoza will all partake in the farewell tour. “Today, I lost a brother,” Snider said in a statement to Rolling Stone following Pero’s death. “A.J. was the final piece in a band that would become an international sensation and one of the greatest live rock acts to ever hit the stage. His sledgehammer assault on the drums helped drive Twisted Sister and me to greatness and inspired me to rock every single show. My heart breaks knowing I will never feel the power of his beat behind me, or turn to see his face smiling broadly from the sheer joy he got from doing what he loved. I will always remember that smile. R.I.P., my friend.” The band has only two live shows coming up this year, both of which they’ve dedicated to Pero. Just this past week, the group also announced that while they may be going their separate ways, they’re doing so with one last hurrah. A final tour is being planned for 2016, and it’s going to be quite the party. Entitled “Forty and Fuck It,” the run of shows are set to celebrate the band’s four decades in the music business, and there will likely be plenty of tributes to Pero as well. Dee Snider, Twisted Sister Rock Censorship: Big Brother Meets Twisted Sister » The tribute gigs for Pero, who died of an apparent heart attack at the age of 55, will take place on both coasts: On May 30th, the band will perform at Las Vegas’ Hard Rock Hotel and Casino as part of that venue’s Metal Meltdown, which also features Extreme, Skid Row and Great White. That gig will be filmed for 3D worldwide cinema release, TV broadcast and DVD/CD release. Two weeks later, with Pero’s family in attendance, Twisted Sister will play Sayreville, New Jersey’s Starland Ballroom on June 13th.
14 “I will always remember that smile.” – Dee Snider
fans gather at Twisted Sister concert
“Today, I lost a brother,” Snider said in a statement to Rolling Stone following Pero’s death. “A.J. was the final piece in a band that would become an international sensation and one of the greatest live rock acts to ever hit the stage. His sledgehammer assault on the drums helped drive Twisted Sister and me to greatness and inspired me to rock every single show. My heart breaks knowing I will never feel the power of his beat behind me, or turn to see his face smiling broadly from the sheer joy he got from doing what he loved. I will always remember that smile. R.I.P., my friend.” The band has only two live shows coming up this year, both of which they’ve dedicated to Pero. Just this past week, the group also announced that while they may be going their separate ways, they’re doing so with one last hurrah. A final tour is being planned for 2016, and it’s going to be quite the party. Entitled “Forty and Fuck It,” the run of shows are set to celebrate the band’s four decades in the music business, and there will likely be plenty of tributes to Pero as well.
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His SLEDGEHAMMER A S S A U LT o n t h e drums helped drive Tw i s t e d S i s t e r a n d I to greatness and inspired me to rock every single show. My heart breaks knowing I will never FEEL THE POWER OF H I S B E AT b e h i n d me, or turn to see his face smiling broadly from the sheer joy he got from doing what he loved. I will always R E M E M B E R T H AT SMILE.” – Dee Snider
community
Music for Good words by john hubert
So I know that everyone thinks that the heavy metal lifestyle revolves around be sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll -but really, that mentality is pretty cliché. Overstated. Presumptuous. Then again, I’ve clearly never been a rock star; but the majority of the ones I interview are more obsessed with their musical proficiency, the state of the industry today, and how heavy metal can make the world a better place. Nowadays, it’s commonplace to hear about huge charitable music festivals, nonprofits started by people like Bono and Madonna, and musicians supporting a cause close to their heart. And by the way; it might surprise your grandmother (mine doesn’t believe me), but metal-heads are not exempt from charitable giving. It’s not as bad as it used to be, but I’m so sick and tired of heavy metal being stereotyped as a collection of people who have no regard for society or the problems in it. Hell -- half the music is actually about that. Listen up, people! So I decided to list seven charities founded and established by a heavy metal band or musician that stand for a range of causes, from Alice Cooper’s redemption of failing music programs at children’s schools, to cancer research in the name of Dio, to Slash’s affinity for animal conservation. Whatever the case, here’s to heavy metal’s big-ass heart making the world a little bit better of a place.
STAND UP AND SHOUT CANCER FUND The loss of Ronnie James Dio, who died in 2010 from stomach cancer, was a huge hit to the world of heavy metal. This fund was co-founded by his widow Wendy Dio (one of my personal favorite women in heavy metal), and in addition to funding research, the organization’s mission is also to educate the masses about prevention, early detection and treatment of the different forms of cancer. Stand up and shoouuuttt!! THE HEAVY METAL TRUANTS The history of how this foundation came about is just as kick-ass as the three charities it supports. Iron Maiden manager Rod Smallwood and a group of people completed cycling trips around the world in a group called the Truants to raise money for children’s charities. Smallwood convinced Metal Hammer Editor-In-Chief Alexander Milas to join in on the Morocco ride, and over recovery beers the two decided that The Heavy Metal Truants would be the perfect offshoot to the Truants. The three children’s charities are Teenage Cancer Trust, Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy, and Childline/NSPCC. If you’re into cycling, supporting those in need, and appreciate some heavy metal headbanging, you can even join in on one of the trips. BOB IRWIN WILDLIFE & CONSERVATION FOUNDATION Slash (Guns N’ Roses, Velvet Revolver) has always had an affinity for animals; in fact, he serves on the board at the Los Angeles Zoo. He now pays homage to the late Steve Irwin, and advocacy for Australian wildlife, via the foundation he set up in 2012 with the eccentric outdoorsman’s dad, Bob Irwin. The goal of the foundation is to get people stoked on supporting advocacy for
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T H E I R S T O R Y:
SOREPTION
band of the month
Soreption is a technical death metal band from Sundsvall, Västernorrlands län, Sweden. Formed in 2005, they are best known for their fast melodies and sharp riffs. In 2013, Soreption was chosen among a list of acts selected to perform at The Summer Slaughter Tour. They have released one EP and two full-length albums. In 2014, after the release of their latest album "Engineering The Void", bass player Rickard Persson left the band and was replaced by Mikael Almgren of technical
D I S C O G R A P H Y:
Studio albums:
M E TA L F A C T S :
metal band Terminal Function.
Origin: Sweden
Deterioration of Minds (2010) Engineering the Void (2014) EPs: Illuminate the Excessive (2007)
Genres: Technical death metal, Deathcore Years active: 2005–present Labels: Unique Leader Associated acts: Terminal Function Members: Tony Westermark Anton Svedin Fredrik Söderberg Mikael Almgren
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LEMM LEMM
MY MY a tribute words by matt kyle & photography by johnson kow
LEMMY KILMISTER, the lead singer and bassist of Motörhead and a heavy metal icon for six decades, passed away Monday after a battle with cancer. Kilmister turned 70 on Christmas Eve. The band’s official Facebook confirmed Kilmister’s passing, noting, “There is no easy way to say this … our mighty, noble friend Lemmy passed away today after a short battle with an extremely aggressive cancer.” Lemmy Kilmister Motorhead’s Lemmy: My Life in 15 Snarls “He had learnt of the disease on December 26th, and was at home, sitting in front of his favorite video game from [Los Angeles bar] The Rainbow which had recently made it’s [sic] way down the street, with his family,” the statement continued. “We cannot begin to express our shock and sadness, there aren’t words. We will say more in the coming days, but for now, please… play Motörhead loud, play Hawkwind loud, play Lemmy’s music LOUD. Have a drink or few. Share stories. Celebrate the LIFE this lovely, wonderful man celebrated so vibrantly himself. HE WOULD WANT EXACTLY THAT.” Many of Kilmister’s heavy metal brethren and artists he inspired took to Twitter to pay tribute to the inimitable artist. “Lost one of my best friends, Lemmy, today,” Ozzy Osbourne tweeted. “He will be sadly missed. He was a warrior and a legend. I will see you
on the other side.” Kilmister served as a cowriter on his friend Osbourne’s 1991 LP No More Tears, including the hit “Mama, I’m Coming Home” and Grammy-winning “I Don’t Want to Change the World.” “We’ve lost a friend & legend,” Foo Fighters wrote on their Facebook page. “My heart is broken. RIP Lemmy. Born To Lose, Lived To Win.” The band attached a live version of “Stay Clean” from their 1979 album Overkill. Radio personality Eddie Trunk was the first to report Kilmister’s passing, “Sorry to report that I have confirmed Lemmy has passed away just now at the age of 70. RIP to a true original icon of rock. Anthrax’s Scott Ian wrote, “He lived a life of dreams and he went out on top. He was Motörhead and HE PLAYED ROCK & ROLL!!!” Ian added in a statement to Rolling Stone, “He was my hero and he was my friend.” “Lemmy has passed away. Truly one of a kind. Much more to him than many knew. RIP,” Kiss’ Paul Stanley wrote, while Mark Lanegan tweeted, “Rip Lemmy. Seeing Motörhead at the Yakima Speedway on ace of spades tour changed my life. So sad.” Kilmister had suffered from numerous health ailments in the past year, resulting in a series of postponed concerts. Lemmy was fitted with a pacemaker in 2013 and suffered from a hematoma in 2014. Despite his ailments
Play Motörhead loud, play Haw k w i nd l ou d , p lay Le m my ’s music loud. and 40 years of heavy drinking and hard living, the “Ace of Spades” band continued to tour at a heavy volume as they supported their latest album Bad Magic. This year, Motörhead gigs were postponed for reasons ranging from Lemmy’s bad back to the singer suffering from altitude sickness. “I’m all right, you know,” Kilmister told Rolling Stone in August. “I’m not dying yet.” Born Ian Kilmister, “Lemmy” got his start in music as a roadie for the Jimi Hendrix Experience; he shared an apartment with bassist Noel Redding. By 1972, Kilmister joined the space-rock band Hawkwind, serving as their bassist for three years, including their landmark live LP, 1973’s Space Ritual. However, by 1975, Kilmister was tossed out of Hawkwind and he and his distinctly gravelly voice began fronting his own project: Motörhead. The band took its name from the song “Motorhead,” a Hawkwind B-side that Kilmister wrote and later refurbished for Motörhead’s 1977 self-titled debut. “I wrote that when I was in Hawkwind,” Kilmister told Rolling Stone. “The song was about speed and it was an issue to Hawkwind, and that’s why I got fired. I never asked them what they thought of Motörhead after that. I didn’t care what they thought of it. I don’t think of ‘Motörhead’ as a defining song, though. That song’s long gone for me now.” Kilmister’s distinct, pulverizing bass and unmistakable snarl were the backbone of
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2
People don’t People don’ when they’re de when they’re d about them a about them But it’s not tru But it’s not tr asshole asshol just dead just dea
become better ’t become better ead; you just talk dead; you just talk as if they are. m as if they are. ue! People are still rue! People are still es, they’re les, they’re dadassholes! assholes!
Lemmy: a tribute part two
A LEGEND CHEERS TO Motörhead singles like “Killed By Death,” “Bomber” and otherwise. Why won’t people listen?” As Kilmister told Rolling “Overkill.” However, the band’s biggest, most influential track Stone in August, his chief influences were Little Richard’s was 1980’s “Ace of Spades,” a speed metal classic that remains “Good Golly Miss Molly” and a Beatles concert he saw at the band’s most enduring cut. Liverpool’s Cavern Club when he was still a teenager. “It’s still very popular. When we do it onstage, With Motörhead, Kilmister recorded 22 studio albums, everyone loves it,” Kilmister told Rolling Stone. “But when we most recently 2015’s Bad Magic, as well as their U.K. chartwrote it, we were just doing an album. It’s just fucking another topping 1981 live LP No Sleep ‘til Hammersmith (The album song. I thought it was pretty good, but I didn’t think it was that title later inspired the Beastie Boys heavy metal-indebted good. So I have no special memory of writing it.” track “No Sleep till Brooklyn.”) In 2005, Motörhead won their “I’m the guy that’s always been into the fucking villain first Grammy for Best Metal Performance with their cover of musicians, from Gene Vincent to Keith Richards to Joe Perry, Metallica’s “Whiplash”; Metallica had previously covered and I don’t think any of these tough guys can hold a candle to Motörhead’s “Overkill” on their 1998 covers album Garage Lemmy,” Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash told Rolling Stone in Inc. In addition to the music, Kilmister’s unique personality 2009. “The first time I ever saw Motörhead was on the Blizzard and appearance – the muttonchops, the facial moles, of Ozz tour. I swear to God, it was the loudest thing I ever the obsession with slot machines, his collection of Nazi heard. They EQ’d it in a way to rip the top of your fucking head memorabilia – endeared him to diehards and casual music off. And the set they do today is the same as back then – not in fans alike. In 2010, Lemmy, a documentary dedicated to terms of song choices, but the way it comes at you, barreling Kilmister and his larger-than-life personality, was released to down the tracks like a freight train.” critical acclaim. Despite the breakneck pace of Motörhead’s music, Kilmister boasted that he had drank a bottle of Jack Kilmister himself insisted that the band wasn’t a heavy metal Daniel’s every day since he turned 30, although he admittedly act. “We were not heavy metal,” Lemmy told The Independent gave up booze in 2013 as his health started to catch up in 2010. “We were a rock and roll band. Still are. Everyone to his hard living. “I suddenly realized I was waking up in always describes us as heavy metal even when I tell them pools of other people’s vomit, and I had no recollection of
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Have a drink or few. Share stories. Celebrate t h e l i f e t h i s l o v e l y, wonderful man celebrated so vibrantly himself. He would want exactly that.
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them,” Kilmister told Rolling Stone in January 2014. “That’s a bit much. I’m not saying don’t have fun, don’t snort the occasional line – but don’t make it your life.” At that time, after a series of health issues threatened to take Motörhead off the road and force Lemmy into retirement, he revealed that he was worried about the future of rock and roll. “There’s nobody now,” he said. “There is going to be a huge hole, and nobody to step into it. I think it’s important music. It’s the constant music of this generation and the last one and the last one.” In Kilmister’s biography White Line Fever, Lemmy wrote of his own death, “People don’t become better when
they’re dead; you just talk about them as if they are. But it’s not true! People are still assholes, they’re just dead assholes!” Kilmister’s passing comes just a month after former Motörhead drummer Phil Taylor passed away at 61.
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jack and coke: the lemmy
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THE LEMMY: JACK AND COKE
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How he av y m etal ke ep s u s sane
How h e avy m etal k e ep s u s sane
words by kim carmody
without fantasy there is n o r e a l i t y.
It’s been 40 years since the release of Black Sabbath’s Master of Reality and 25 since Metallica’s Master of Puppets, the first presenting us with the aboriginal metal vision, the second refining that vision dramatically. And today we find ourselves in something of a metal slump. There’s plenty of it around; the kids, in hundreds of thousands, are buying albums by Disturbed or Avenged Sevenfold; longtime casualties like your correspondent are enjoying Mastodon, High on Fire, and the smoldering Zoroaster; the extremist has his niche metals—his death metal and his black metal and his drone metal and his vocals that sound like a man vomiting in a cathedral. And the hoary old gods (Slayer, Metallica) are still chucking the odd thunderbolt.
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health
Master of puppets I’m pulling your strings Tw i s t i n g y o u r mind and smashing your dreams Blinded by me Yo u c a n ’ t s e e a thing Just call my name ’cause I’ll hear you scream
But metal’s profile is low: the mega-tours seem to pass invisibly from city to city, with no new figureheads arising at whom the general populace can scream and throw turnips. Metal didn’t even dent Billboard’s top 50 best-selling albums of 2010. Prompting the question: Have we passed peak metal? Unlikely, I think. Metal renews itself, as we shall see. Nonetheless, the moment invites us to cogitate a little upon the whole heavy-metal thing—to go back, as it were, to first principles. Black Sabbath created heavy metal. We can say that with a satisfying kick-drum thump of certainty. Cream was heavy; Hendrix and Led Zeppelin were heavier still; in Japan, the Flower Travellin’
Band was shockingly heavy; but Black Sabbath, from Birmingham, England, was heavy metal. No joy here, nor any wisp of psychedelic whimsy. From the first note, this band sounded ancient, oppressed, as if shambling forward under supernatural burdens. With his use of horror-movie atmospherics—the tensionbuilding tritone or flatted fifth—and the leering majesty of his riffs, guitarist Tony Iommi redirected the spiritual drag of the blues into an uncharted world of bummers and black holes. Bassist Geezer Butler, a mystical vegetarian, wrote the lyrics. Raised Catholic, Butler as a youngster had entertained thoughts of the priesthood, and for all the band’s occult trappings, his view of things was essentially orthodox, if a little on the medieval side: God over here, Satan over there, man flailing and biting his nails in the middle. “Lord of This World,” from 1971’s Master of Reality, made it all very clear.
the benefits
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WeWe recently exer recently ex under California under Californi Warner Bros. Rec Warner Bros. Re longerlonger recordrec fo fans express their anger towards Warner Brothers words by matt kyle & photography by johnson kow
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words by kim carmody & photography by johnson kow
rcised our rights xercised our rights aialaw and notifiied law and noti ed cords we would no ecords we would no or them. cord for them. 35
Few of the executives who have been integral to our continued success are still at the label, and we love and are grateful to them for their hard work. However, since we signed with the label, Warner Bros. has had 3 different regimes, multiple heads of marketing, and none of the senior management or A&R executives who were at the company and responsible for signing us are still there. Whatever the activity, it takes a full team to compete, and we no longer know most of our teammates. In the coming days, you may read about the lawsuit our label filed against us for exercising our legal rights, rights the State of California granted specifically to protect artists. You may see mistaken facts or worse. one such error we want to make sure you know about: Avenged Sevenfold has never renegotiated its original recording agreement with Warner Bros. Records. Billboard has now corrected its story to reflect the real facts. Most importantly, we want our fans to know this: we are in the middle of writing a record we cannot wait for you to hear. We expect to go into the studio very soon, and look forward to releasing our new album later this year. Until then, we wish all of you a happy, healthy 2016. Love, A7X
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fans gather at A7X concert
AVENGED SEVENFOLD has announced they will be entering the studio next month to knock out a new one! Update: Turns out this report was false. Here’s all the info. This will be the band’s first record with the absolutely mental Brooks Wackerman behind the kit. If the band’s contributions to Call of Duty are any indication of the new stuff, then check me off as “stoked.” It helps that Avenged Sevenfold has even explicitly come out and said that the new stuff will be “aggro” and generally heavy!
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So where does this information come from? A press release about the band’s new line of guitars. The announcement of a new record is literally two lines in a release, as if this isn’t a bigger deal. But there is more to the story. The band is being sued by their label. Billboard reports the band has tried to get out of their label contract with Warner Bros., citing the “seven-year rule,” where you can only bind somebody to an exclusive deal for seven years max. Here’s the official wording: The “seven-year rule” of the California Labor Code allows parties to leave personal service contracts under certain circumstances after seven years have passed. Upon record industry lobbying, the 70-year-old law was amended in the 1980s to allow record companies to claim lost profits on uncompleted albums. Record companies, though, only have 45 days to do so when an artist exercises the right to terminate. Naturally, Warner is suing the band for breach of contract. The band’s attorney released a statement saying there has been so much turnover at the label, nobody originally involved with the band is there anymore: “Avenged Sevenfold recently exercised the rights given them by this law and ended its recording agreement with Warner Bros. Records,” the band’s attorney Howard E. King said in a statement. Since the 2004 contract was signed, King says the label “underwent multiple regime changes that led to dramatic turnover at every level of the company, to the point where no one on the current A&R staff has even a nodding relationship with the band.” To which Warner responded: The label says the band sent it a letter announcing an intent to leave the contract effective Nov. 25, 2015, but Warners did not receive it until Nov. 30. And even if such notice properly met a so-called “future date certain” requirement, Warner Bros. claims it has invested significant funds in the band’s future releases and has allegedly been led on to believe the agreement would remain effective, thus making the sudden opt-out unfair and a breach of good faith and fair dealing. Furthermore, the lawsuit reveals that the band is obligated to turn in an additional CD/DVD live album, which the label purportedly already funded.
Furthermore, the lawsuit reveals that addit ional CD/DVD l ive album, which
the band is obligated to turn in an the label purportedly already funded.
scene from a concert on may 20, 2015
40 scene from a concert on may 20, 2015
defining ourselves by drug use is an error
words by nicole iacobellis, photography by johnson kow
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Drugs
you’re with the chaos, freedom, individualism, irony and rebellion
T
he conservative side, namely all those who believed society still had a culture and values in common, said “don’t do drugs” but couldn’t explain why, resorting to shock tactics that made you think the instant you puffed a joint you’d die; when that didn’t happen, the whole house of cards fell apart and all their propaganda actually inverted in value. The leftist side, comprised of all Hollywood and entertainment figures and most of my teachers, said that drugs wouldn’t hurt you and it was a lifestyle choice, do it if you want. Neither gave what was needed: an accurate depiction of how drugs are used, and the effects both long-term and short-term. Metal emerged from popular music, borrowing the instrumentation and roles of rock music, which is commercial society’s way of inducting teenagers into adult consumerist life: define yourself by buying things. As a result, it inherits the ego-mania and external focus of rock music, which includes people rebelling by taking drugs. There are also some who take some drugs for the “mind liberation” capabilities ascribed to those substances. However, most are just trying to grow up, and for them partying, sex, and learning to be a consumer are vital nodal points in that process.
clouds of smoke seen at a small club gig
health Much as defining ourselves through external adornments is a problem for metal, as it encourages dishonest promotion of crap music, defining ourselves by drug use is also an error. If you approach the drug question, do so from a clarity of mind. It will not make you cool or uncool. It will not reveal the secrets of the universe, but will also not obscure them. It will not clarify your philosophical positions, but also will not muddy them. It is like anything else, a detail that without corresponding architectonic details, remains without context and with minor influence on your life, excepting biological impact. First, we should look at drug use as character definition, and next consider the biological factors. Most people who approach the drug issue will try to convince you that it’s like religious people versus atheism, or conservatives versus liberals. You either believe the world has an objective purpose, and so you’re against drugs, or you’re with the chaos, freedom, individualism, irony and rebellion program, and you believe life has no purpose except whatever you decide to make of it. smoking before a concert at a small club
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ACID R ACID R Joe Cocchi
Within The Ruins co-founder and guitarist Recently I got the chance to interview Within The Ruins cofounder and guitarist, Joe Cocchi. We talked a bit about the band’s excellent new album, Phenomena. I also got to ask him about his surprising new entrepreneurial endeavor; beer brewing. I myself love beer, especially craft brews and beer is something that has always gone together well with heavy metal so naturally this turned into a pretty cool and informative conversation. Joe founded the Tin Bridge Brewing Co. in his hometown of Westfield, Massachusetts
earlier this year with his brother and a mutual friend. It’s a pretty interesting story. The guys have already created a few brews and they are currently working on more. The brewery is not currently open to the public but they hope to have a soft opening soon and have some product in the stores late next year. Once the brewery opens ,we hope to be able to give all of our readers a guided video tour with even more in depth information. Until then you can check out our very candid interview with Cocchi:
REST REST words by matt kyle, photography by catherine mazzocchi
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A hoppy interview
You guys released your fourth album, Phenomena, on July 22nd and it has since reached #72 on the Billboard charts. What do you think it was that has made this album so successful thus far? COCCHI: A combination of a lot of things. We worked really hard, harder than we ever have on an album up until this one. We had the time we needed to get it done, and i think we ended up putting together a kick ass group of songs. Having a good team is the #1 reason that any album or band will succeed. Or any entity for that matter. From the band members, to the label, to our management, we had a very solid group of people behind this whole release and it ended up paying off.
How did the writing and recording process differ from your subsequent albums? It differed in the sense that typically we write over about a years worth of time. Between the touring schedule and our personal lives, it’s tough sometimes to have or even make time to be able to write. This time though, we were able to take about 4-5 months off in a row to just concentrate on the writing, and another couple months in the studio. It just turned us into some serious work horses, the momentum never let up since day one of this project, and it was a very cool thing to have happen for us.
You recently finished up on the Summer Slaughter tour which had a pretty awesome lineup of extreme metal bands. Who were some of your favorite bands to hang out with on the tour? Can you tell our readers about any funny stories from the tour?
Man every band was awesome to hang with. Summer Slaughter was just one huge group of great musicians who all were out on the road doing the same thing. Some of my favorite dudes to drink and hang with though were Goatwhore, The Faceless, Thy Art Is Murder and Fallujah. So many stories I don’t know where to start, haha. There were lots of good hangs, great venues and awesome fans.
You are one of two founding members of Within The Ruins and at this point, you guys have become quite successful. Now, we hear that you are branching out into other arenas. Recently you founded the Tin Bridge Brewing Co. in Westfield, MA. Can you give us the back story on how this all came about?
“We’ve created a tool that we can also take advantage of using in other aspects of our lives.” Thank you. Sure, basically I think our band is finally somewhat established, and kind of on cruise control. Which is amazing, I couldn’t imagine being in a better place with all that. So I have some time to put into other hobbies and interests now too. We had been home brewing at my place for a while (my brother and a close friend). Once it started to take over my entire house, we decided we needed to find a place dedicated to just brewing. It was all in fun, but just kept progressing so quickly. We were actually all putting in good amounts of cash for bigger and better equipment we needed. Just because it was so interesting and enjoyable. One day we thought to name it, make some t-shirts. etc. Next thing we know, we’re applying for brewer’s licenses and turning to an LLC with aspirations of one day selling to local stores, and being in the local bars.
Beer and metal always seem to mix really well. Many metal artists are beginning to branch out into other ventures which they then cross promote with their bands. Do you have any plans to tie in the brewery with Within The Ruins (ie names of beers, promotion, marketing etc.)? Exactly. Our other band members and I have worked this hard at music since we were teenagers. We’ve created an entity; Within The Ruins. We’ve created a tool that we can also take advantage of using in other aspects of our lives. That’s exactly what I want to do. Cross promotion is basically the way the music business works. I saw it as an opportunity. If I wasn’t in the band, would I have gone after this new project expecting to yield the same amount of success? Maybe, maybe not.
You seem to have some serious work ethic, as the band has turned out four solid albums in just over five years. Is this work ethic what drove you to open your own business? With the amount of time you spend writing, touring and recording, how do you find time to brew beer?
“We’ve created a tool that we can also take advantage of using in other aspects of our lives.” I can’t not be doing something. I drive myself crazy when I have nothing to do. I always have so much on my plate, but it’s my own fault. It’s what keeps me motivated though. I work better under pressure. Yeah, it’s basically all of the same ethic that I have and still do apply to our band. We started this band from nothing, from the ground up. Never imagining it would go this far. I remember one time saying “Hmm, I wonder where this band will be in 2,5,even 10 years.” Seeing where we’re at now alone gave me the confidence to start Tin Bridge. I’m now asking my self the same question “Where will this be in ten years?” It just excites the hell out of me and you never know what can happen.
What kinds of beers is Tin Bridge currently offering? What styles are you currently experimenting with? What one style of beer are you most interested in trying to create?
We now have four of our own recipes down that I am in love with. Smoked Porter, Oatmeal Stout, White IPA, and Pale Ale. We’re now working on an Amber, Wheat, etc. Some more of the basic beers. We are most interested in creating what has not yet been created. There’s a lot of great breweries out there coming up with this and that flavor of x beer style. Its inspirational and we’re striving to do the same thing. Just better.
Are any of the brews ready to hit the shelves? Do you have any agreements with bars or stores to sell your beer yet? If so, can you let our readers know some of the places that they will be able to purchase Tin Bridge beer? Can fans visit the brewery?
“Take risks. No risk. No reward.”
I’m doing this kind of private thing where for now its just touring bands that can come to the brewery. There’s tons of bands who I have become great friends with over the years, so when they roll through, I like to give back. There’s nothing cooler than being on the road and being welcomed into someone else’s place of business, or home, or where ever. And just being treated greatly, because it’s tough being on the road sometimes. We will not have anything on shelves until late 2015, mostly due to the fact that we are still jumping through hoops with the State and Federal Government in order to finally be legal to sell and transport to retail. It’s just a long process that we are still working on. What mark do you hope to leave on the brewing industry? What are some of your goals for the business going forward? I want people to know how passionate we are about this and about beer. We make damn good beer, and that is the point. We’ll never compromise quality for quantity. Quality and hard work is what got our band to where it is today, and I expect those two things to make this brewing company a success. I want people to know our story and hopefully be able to provide some inspiration to others. What advice would you give to someone looking to live their dream and start their own business? Take risks. No risk, no reward. Lastly, we would like to ask you one more metal question. Massachusetts has a pretty vibrant metal scene as we are home to a slew of famous bands. Coming from an area like this can certainly help when you’re trying to make it in the industry. What advice would you give to up and coming metal bands that come from areas where metal is less popular and are trying to break into the business? Doesn’t matter where you’re from. If you don’t some how get yourself out there, it will be a struggle. You need to make connections, meet people, help people, be everywhere. Networking and promo are your number one tools.
Fashion
dark,
leather, denim dark, denim leather, leather, dark, denim words by matt kyle, photography by johnson kow
HEAVY METAL FASHION involves the metal uniform of blue jeans, black T-shirts, boots, and black leather or jeans jackets. Boots were heavy metal subculture, joined by athletic shoes around 1980, along with baseball caps with band logos. T-shirts are generally emblazoned with the logos or other visual representations of favorite metal bands. The shirts are worn proudly and metal fans feel free to direct brief remarks or a thumbs-up gesture to others waring shirts depicting a group admired by the viewer. Other ads on shirts are quite acceptable in heavy metal fashion and to metal audience, particularly those for Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Two types of jackets are acceptable in heavy metal fashion and worn by members of the metal subculture. Best known to the general public is the black leather motorcycle jacket. Basically it is made with heavy leather and has several oversized chrome zippers, including those on pockets and sleeves. The jeans jacket, a legacy of the hippie, is more popular than the black leather jacket in terms of prevalence. These jackets are not only far less expensive than leather, they are also light enough for summer wear. Both kinds of jacket provide spaces for an array of patches, buttons, pins, and homemade artistic efforts. The patches (embroidered band logos) are sewn on to the jackets. They range in size from about three inches to over a foot long. The buttons, from one inch to three inches in diameter, carry logos or reproduce the album covers of favorite groups; a person rarely wears just one. Prominent designs include skulls, skeletons, snakes, dragons and daggers.
Leather-studded gauntlets and wrist bands are also part of heavy metal fashion. Other items of jewelty adorninig some metal fans include earrings and necklaces, generally with dangling crosses, although males with earrings are distinct minority. Closely related to the pins and rings, but more colorful are the tattoos, which are key trademarks of the heavy metal fashion. The usual location of the tattoo is on the arm, since T-shirts permit it to be seen there. From the beginning the metal hairstyle for males consisted of one simple feature: it is very long. Long hair is the most crucial distinguishing feature of heavy metal fashion. Long hair is significant because it can’t be concealed. It is the one feature that excludes weekend warriors, those with a part time commitment to heavy metal. Long hair become a real sign of heavy metal dedication and heavy metal fashion, a willingly embraced cross to bear. It functions to define the boundary of metal subculture.
above image (from left to right) m o de l: sarah gardner to p: free people $45 le a t h e r le g g i n g s: urban outfitters $55 m o de l: anna corso le a t h e r ja c ke t : garage $110 ‘v a n da l ’ te e s h i r t : urban outfitters $40 m o de l: kiara bunting le a t h e r ja c ke t : zara $120 je a n s : garage $80
right image m o de l: anna corso le a t h e r pa n t s : garage $110 bo o ts : zara $60
left image (from left to right) m o de l: sarah gardner h a l te r c ro p t op : garage $25 s n e a k e rs : converse $65 m o de l: anna corso je a n ja c k et : garage $110 le g gin g s : urban outfitters $30 right image m o de l: guillermo diaz gines s w e a te r: urban outfitters $90 re d je a n s : garage $70
top image m o d e l: anna corso ja c k e t: urban outfitters $90 bla c k je a ns : garage $70 left image m o de l: charlotte balogh je a n ja c k et : garage $79 le a t h e r boot s: zara $60
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David Coverdale and others – but the logistics of tracking down the singers and getting them into the studio proved impossible. So Iommi recruited Jeff Fenholt, whose only claim to fame was playing the lead role in Jesus Christ Superstar. (Coincidentally, Deep Purple’s original vocalist Ian Gillan, who sang on Sabbath’s Born Again, also played the lead role in Jesus Christ Superstar.) Iommi recorded several demos with Fenholt, but producer Jeff Glixman didn’t feel his voice fit the songs and convinced Iommi to let him go and hire another exDeep Purple singer, Glenn Hughes. While Iommi and Hughes were working on new songs Fenholt reappeared in an unexpected way; he became a televangelist and did an interview with the New York Times about the evils of rock and roll. “They wrote that he saw the light, rejected evil and all this bollocks,” Iommi wrote in his memoir Iron Man. “We were right back into the Satanism thing because Fenholt was going on about it.” Undaunted, Iommi persevered, contacting Butler to try to get him to play on the record.
Regardless of Iommi’s discontentment, management booked a Black Sabbath tour that featured Glenn Hughes as lead vocalist.
His wife and manager Gloria agreed that it would be a good move, then the next thing Iommi knew, Geezer had signed on with Ozzy Osbourne to play in his solo group, leaving Iommi as the only original member of Sabbath to play on Seventh Star. The rest of the band consisted of Hughes, bassist Dave Spitz, drummer Eric Singer and keyboardist Geoff Nicholls. While Hughes sounded powerful and versatile on the album, Iommi said working with him wasn’t much fun. “He did ten times more coke than me,” the guitarist wrote. “It just turned into a nightmare. He’d go: ‘I’ve got this idea, I’ve got this idea!’ He drove you up the wall.” Somehow, Iommi and Glixman got through the sessions, which were recorded at Cheshire Sound Studios in Atlanta. In August 1985 they wrapped up the album. The guitarist figured it was a good solo effort and he would do some small-scale touring to support it, then move on to the next project. But Black Sabbath’s manager Don Arden (Sharon Osbourne’s father) and Warner Bros. Records felt Seventh Star should be released as a Black Sabbath album. Not only would it get the band back on the road and in front of fans, it would complete their contract with the label. Since Iommi wanted to point out to fans that this wasn’t a typical Black Sabbath album, Warner Bros. released it as “Black Sabbath Featuring Tony Iommi.” It was hardly the kind of compromise the guitarist was hoping for. “Neither I nor Glenn were pleased with [that] because we felt we weren’t doing the record justice presenting it this way. And to go out and play ‘War Pigs’ and ‘Iron Man’ — it just wasn’t right.”
Regardless of Iommi’s discontentment, management booked a Black Sabbath tour that featured Glenn Hughes as lead vocalist. Even before the tour began the singer’s drug use caused problems. He had to be dragged onstage for the first show and on another date he had to be wrestled away from drug dealers in order to even make it to the venue. By the third gig, Hughes was suffering from a broken nose, allegedly inflicted by tour manager John Downing when Hughes was being particularly uncooperative. The injury rendered him unable to sing properly and the cocaine he had been aggressively snorting didn’t help his voice any.
Bill Ward
Realizing the Seventh Star tour — which featured support acts Anthrax and W.A.S.P. – was burning out fast, Arden suggested that Sabbath cancel the rest of the tour. But Iommi was afraid the band would not just lose money, they’d get sued. So they hired an understudy for Hughes, Ray Gillen and kept him in the wings until the inevitable occurred. After a show in Worcester, Mass. on March 26, Iommi fired Hughes and the band soldiered on with Gillen.
Ozzy Osbourne
Tony Iommi
Geezer Butler
The tour didn’t significantly boost record sales, and neither did the video for “No Stranger to Love,” which depicted Iommi alongside Denise Crosby, better known as Tasha Yar in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Seventh Star peaked on the Billboard album chart at No. 78 and quickly dropped.
FAN PHOTO: before the concert
For those about to rock, we salute you