Hammer of Doom News Report 07.23.12: Rest in Peace, Jon Lord
Posted by Robert Cooper on 07.22.2012
News and thoughts on KISS paying tribute to the military with a concert, the passing of Deep Purple's Jon Lord, Queensryche keeping their name, Lamb of God's Randy Blythe getting closer to freedom and more!
Welcome, Metal Faithful, to the only metal column that matters, The Hammer of Doom! As usual, I am your metal missionary, Robert Cooper. This week, we have some news, including my personal reaction to the passing of Deep Purple keyboardist Jon Lord. We also have news snippets, albums for the upcoming week, YOUR comments from last week, and the global metal gets back on track as we go to Belize, and hope that the band I found from there is really from there.
But that's just a taste, let's start with an appetizer as we hear...
THE CRIES FROM THE CRYPT!
Wormrot Announces Hiatus
That kinda sucks, they're a good grindcore band, hope to see them back in action soon.
Attendance At METALLICA's 'Orion Music + More' Festival Reportedly Reached 24,000
I'm sure they all showed for Eric Church.
Lullaby Renditions Of Kiss' Due In August
Nothing says "go to sleep my darling" like the lyrical contents of "Detroit Rock City".
Corey Taylor Says 'It's Gonna Be A Couple Of Years' Before Fans See New Slipkknot Album
The Golden Gods Awards will give them "Comeback of the Year" every year until that albums comes out.
Thaurorod Parts Ways With Singer, Seeks Replacement
I'd try out myself, but I don't have a power metal range, and I can't fly.
KISS To Pay Tribute To U.S. Military With Private Concert For Troops And Veterans
I applaud them for doing something so cool for the troops and veterans.
Special 30th Anniversary Edition' of Judas Priest's 'Screaming For Vengeance Due In September
Great great album, one of Priest's best, it deserves a 30th Anny Edition.
Serj Tankian's 'Harakiri' Cracks U.S. Top 30
While not metal, his album was one I covered, and it's nice to see him get that high in the charts.
Earache Acquires Heavy Artillery Records
So for bands like Vektor that are signed to the label, you get a bigger label to be exposed on!
QUEENSRŸCHE Members Get To Keep Band Name With New Singer, For Now
For some reason, I don't see this being over quite yet.
Now is ready for the main course, now we shall read from...
THE PSALMS FOR THE DEAD!
Jon Lord (9 June 1941 – 16 July 2012)
In news that hit the world of rock and metal, one of the two constant band members in legendary band eDeep Purple, their keyboardist/pianist/organist extraordinaire, Jon Lord lost his life after a pulmonary embolism.
This is news that when I read it, I just sat and thought, "This feels terrible", since I haven't been into metal that long, I haven't really been there for the deaths of legends such as Chuck Schuldiner or Dimebag Darrell, or I wasn't into the band now like I was then such as David Gold from last year, this news really kind of is a punch in the gut. It also makes me sit back and think about these people that I look up to and worship,in a way, and wonder how long we may have them on this earth. He did have cancer and had a good long life, and it has been said that he died with his loved ones at his side, so I think I can speak for us all when I say that he had a good life.
His legacy is one that needs zero introduction, he was in Deep Purple until 2003, he also was a member of Whitesnake until 1984, where he left and started Deep Purple back up. He also has had many other projects, including a supergroup with Tony Iommi.
One thing that we can smile about is that while he was here he gave us great memories and music.
"Hearing of Lord's death, Richard Jones of Welsh band Stereophonics, commented, "Deep Purple in Rock was the 1st album I bought. RIP Jon Lord." Geezer Butler of the band Black Sabbath wrote, "One of the great musicians of my generation", while jazz musician Jamie Cullum said, "RIP Jon Lord – a hero of the keys." American rock guitarist Tom Morello commented, "Deep Purple's cornerstone/keyboardist. So many great great songs and that incredible SOUND of his!"
Former keyboard player of rock band Yes, Rick Wakeman, who was a friend of Lord's, said he was "a great fan" and added "We were going to write and record an album before he became ill. His contribution to music and to classic rock was immeasurable and I will miss him terribly."
The Kinks posted at their website: "RIP Jon Lord. A fantastic pianist and composer. With The Kinks, he played keyboards on You Really Got Me. Legend." Dee Snider of heavy metal band Twisted Sister tweeted: "What an amazing musician and a true gentleman. We lost a great one", while Slash, former guitarist with Guns n' Roses commented, "One of the biggest, baddest, heaviest sounds in heavy metal. One of a kind."
Singer Bryan Adams wrote online, "RIP Jon Lord – incredible organist for Deep Purple, one of my fave bands growing up" while veteran DJ Bob Harris said Lord was "a gentleman." Actor Ewan McGregor tweeted, "Jon played with my great friend Tony Ashton. They'll be jamming upstairs now!"
National Turk commented, "Every kid who gets a guitar quickly learns to bat out the guitar riffs of "Smoke on the Water". But listeners should be just as aware of the fat, satisfying chords of Jon Lord's organ, a force which gave Blackmore's iconic chords their ideal answer.""
Have we reached the end?
In what is petty good news for metalheads and Lamb of God fans! The judge in the Czech Republic has denied the complaint by the prosecutor for keeping Mr. Blythe is jail. The only downside is that his bail has been doubled. I'm sure that the band has enough money from fans as well as among themselves to cover the extra $200,000. I think once it gets paid, he will be able to leave the country, and he says that he will and he wants to come back to the country for his court date, because he wants to set things right, and he kinda sorta has to show up for his trial anyways, but it's good that he wants to set things right.
I'm sure the metal news site will be a little more boring once he gets out, but then again, they have plenty of shitty hipster deathcore bands to post about.
For once it wasn't Lars
In news that I have just found out about. Apparently Nuclear Blast Records were trying to sue like crazy for people downloading the music of All Shall Perish. I will admit, I'm not a huge fan of the band, but I have heard a few songs that shed that generic deathcore stigma that I get off of some bands and they have forever earned my respect now.
Once the band heard about their record company trying to sue, they asked that the label call off the attack dogs, because they don't want their fans getting financially wrecked or hurt. Not to mention, that those same fans tend to go to their concerts.
This will of course lead into the whole illegal downloading debate again. It is a huge problem, I admit, because some people download discography after discography (though I don't mind borrowing from those people things they stole) and that's a lot of money out of the artist's pockets.
My defense for these people is that those same people will go out and buy the albums later (which is something my uncle made me go do when I burned an album from him) or they spread the word. I am one that spreads the word abut a lot of bands, because I love spreading metal love to the world, I am also one that if the price is right, I jump on any album I can if I have the cash. Goodwill is like a savior to me, because this month alone I have gotten 5 CDs for under $2 each (1 AC/DC, 1 Danzig, 1 Led Zepplin, and 2 Soundgarden).
HAPPY CHRISTMAS!, CHEAPASSES!
Last Monday, we had a one day only download of "Sex" by Motley Crue, and if you missed it, you didn't miss much, it was very bland and bored me.
Though for a download that hasn't ran out yet, we have a track from Lamb of God guitarist Mark Morton called "To Make Sure2" it can be found HERE!
Now that we are caught up on last week's metal news...let's get caught up with this week metal releases in....
THE TEMPLE OF THE DEAD!
This week we have a short, sweet, but still metal release schedule for this week.
We get "Systemic" by UK Death Metal band Depraved Plagues
"Simulacra" by Polish Black/Death band Devilish Impressions
"1986" by Swiss Melodic Metal band The Order
and for the ALBUM OF THE WEEK!....we have...
"Advaitic Songs" by California Stoner/Doom Metal band Om
I was only able to listen to the new Baroness album, which was my pick of the week last week, I thought it was a good album, but it was much more in the wheelhouse for a rock fan, because their stoner sludge sound is almost totally wiped clean, and now they're more a rock band with a prog edge.
Now that that part is over, let us get to the reader comment section, the place...
WHERE THE RUNES STILL SPEAK
I don't think the lack of coverage of the Lamb of God story is necessarily because of anti-metal prejudice, but rather because very few people outside the metal community even know who the fuck Lamb of God are, let alone their lead singer. You can better believe that if it was Vince Neil, Bruce Dickinson or James Hetfield on trial, you'd see a lot more attention paid to the story.
Posted By: Michael L (Guest)
Good to see you back, Michael L,
You make a good point that I did not think of, perhaps I overestimated the popularity of Lamb of God among the mainstream culture.
Was watching Once Upon a Time In Norway, a documentary about Mayhem in Norwegian, before reading this, and i wonder what the international press had to say about the church burnings and Euronymous' muder by Varg Vikernes.
Yes, the Randy Blythe issue is probably not due to anti-metal sentiment, the major Czech rock festival is similar to Download at Donnington Park, with almost 75% of the bands being metal, many well known bands some local Czech ones, some good death metal bands, many are recognised in the mainstream metal community and also the general community for some of them!
I think i remember reading somewhere that Nergal from Behemoth was mentioned in the national news in Poland when he was diagnosed with Leukemia, and also the Decapitated member who died and the Gorgoroth incident in Krakow! Also have to mention the 1986 Metallica bus crash which got a brief new mention in Sweden i think, also the death of Evile's bassist!
I suppose the coverage of metal in various countries medias will all differ from one country to the next, here in the UK there is unlikely to be a news report unless a major mainstream metal band is involved which Lam of God isnt, mainstream for metal fans, but definitely not in the top tier lie Maiden, apologies if i repeated myself a little, its 5am now and im getting tired!
Posted By: Emil (Guest)
Emil!, it's good to see you yet again!,
I'm not sure what would happen with the black metal church burnings, I could imagine it getting a good amount of press, especially because news is worldwide nowadays, I know I'd hear about it down here in the bible belt.
If I'm not mistaken, I think the national news mentioned Tony Iommi's cancer diagnosis, but beyond that, I can't recall anything metal getting into the spotlight. One thing that I always say is that if Dimebag had got shot a day later, it'd have been much bigger news, but he died on the same day Lennon did, so you'll never hear about Dimebag in the national news here.
Just like Michael L said and you do as well, I agree that LoG is not as mainstream as I thought they were, and that would explain why no one over here talks about it.
I'm back on my tour of metal from South of the Border, I hit Belize, which has very little metal, by what I can tell, but I have found death metal!
Here's "Back From Death" by " Lasher Zombie.
So if you have any opinions on the column, some genre or country that you want me to feature in the global metal column, or if you just want to talk metal you can e-mail me at themetalcoop@gmail.com, tweet me at @themetalcoop or comment below.
I will be back next week for great metal news and other unmentionable things, but in the mean time, in the words of Chuck Schuldiner KEEP THE METAL FAITH ALIVE! \m/
