All You Cannot Live Without 01.22.06: Conference Championship Edition
Posted by Ben Czajkowski on 01.22.2006
Wylde shoots craps. Smashing Pumpkins are back! Deftones close to completion. BCSA and a rant on why I think Amy Lee is destroying America youth.
Prelude to the Media
On a sad note, I'm depressed to report that fellow Polack Jeff Modzelewski will be leaving 411 Music. He's trading in his Monday Morning Metal for some politic crap. What an asshole. I mean, he's giving up working with a guy like me to write about old, fat white men. No, that was not a stab at Ozzy. Now it is. Regardless, he will be sorely missed. Now I have no reason to wake up on Mondays.
Over all, it's been kind of a slow week in the world of music. Thankfully. My first three columns have been massively packed with information. What's been up with me? How kind of you to ask. Actually, nothing. I'm currently addicted to eBay. There are simply some retards that use it. For instance, someone sold a "haunted" box and made over a thousand bucks. Someone's in for a disappointment when they receive that via FedEx, since they were expecting the box to radiate orbs.
As this column posts, the Pittsburgh Steelers will be taking on the Denver Broncos. Honestly, having the Steelers come this far really makes it feel like it's a fated feat for Jerome Bettis to be playing the Super Bowl in his home town (Detroit), since, at the end of this season, he's most likely going to retire. Makes me proud to be a Pittsburgh, and if those motherfuckers lose, I'm going to sit in my room all night tomorrow, in the dark, and I'm going to cry. Because what do I have after that? The Penguins. And if you know anything about hockey, you know that they are fucking terrible. What else can I say? Go Pirates? Maybe. But until then, go Steelers!
My Sweet Little Bitches
Jared McGuckin finishes his piece about rock remixes. I think he raises many good points. My favorite, though, is about the band formerly known as Nine Inch Nails. It will now just be called Trent Reznor. At least, according to Jared.
Michael Horvath finishes his top 20 singles of 2005. I agree, completely, with his top 3. I don't know about the other 17.
Jeff Modzelewski begins his final metal columns for 411Music. If you ever feel the need to do a guest spot, Jeff, or want to drop a message to the metal readers, hit me up.
Ian Wright last name is pronounced "Write" or "Right," and he writes an awesome column. This week: new Sonic Youth. I thought they all died.
Brian Berry has another edition of Radio Free Berry.
Rhett Walker attempts to piss off his readers with his weekly effort.
It's All Too Much to Look Up Yourself, So I've Done the Work for You
The Strokes First Impressions of Earth (out now)
Chimaira Chimaira (2 CD Special Edition) (out now)
Hed (pe) Only In Amerika: Live, Raw and Uncensored (DVD) (out now)
Switched Ghosts In The Machine (out now)
Switched Subject To Change (out now)
Bleeding Through The Truth (out now)
Underworld: Evolution Soundtrack (out now)
Dragonforce Inhuman Rampage (out now)
2006 Grammy Nominees Various Artists (out now)
Bela Fleck and the Flecktones The Hidden Land (out now)
P.O.D. Testify (January 24th)
Yellowcard - Lights and Sounds (January 24th)
Jane's Addiction - The Best of Jane's Addiction (January 24th)
She Wants Revenge She Wants Revenge (January 31st)
Train For Me, It's You (January 31st)
David Lee Roth - The Best (January 31st)
In Flames Come Clarity (February 3rd Europe, February 7th US)
Machine Head Burn My Eyes Special Edition (February 7th)
Whitesnake The Definitive Collection (February 7th)
My Chemical Romance - Life on the Murder Scene (February 7th)
Kittie - Never Again EP (February 7th)
Collective Soul Home (DVD) (February 7th)
Sleepless In Seattle: The Birth of Grunge - Various Artists (February 7th)
Kid Rock Live Mother Trucker (February 14th)
Metal's Dark Side Hard and the Furious Volume 1 (DVD) (February 21st)
Various Artists - Black Days: Midwest Movement Tribute to Soundgarden (February 21st)
Loser Nobody Knows (February 27th)
Mogwai - Mr. Beast (March 6th)
Taylor Hawkins and The Coattail Riders - Taylor Hawkins and The Coattail Riders (March 7th)
Boysetsfire The Misery Index; Notes from the Plague Years (March 7th)
Mindless Self Indulgence Straight to Video: The Remixes (March 7th)
Norma Jean O' God the Aftermath (Re-release) (March 7th)
Katatonia The Great Cold Distance (March 13th)
Type O Negative Symphony For the Devil (DVD) (March 14th)
Faktion Faktion (March 21st)
From First to Last Heroine (March 21st)
Silent Civilian - Rebirth of the Temple (March 21st)
Live - Songs from Black Mountain (March 21st)
Atreyu A Deathgrip on Yesterday (March 28th)
Queensryche Operation: Mindcrime II (March 31st Europe, April 4th US)
Lacuna Coil Karmacode (March 31st Europe, April 3rd UK, April 4th US)
Soil True Self (April 4th)
NearLY Reminder (April 11th)
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Stadium Arcadium (May 8th UK, May 9th US)
Walls Of Jericho Yet Untitled (July 25th)
The Low Down on the Underground
Since Modzelewski is dropping his metal column, I guess I have to pick up all the stuff I never wanted to touch, starting with Axl Rose (Guns n Roses). At Korn's tour announcement party, Rose told a reporter for Rolling Stone that we will, in fact, see Chinese Democracy sometime this year. Rose says, "It's a very complex record. I'm trying to do something different. Some of the arrangements are kind of like Queen. Some people are going to say, 'It doesn't sound like Axl Rose, it doesn't sound like Guns n Roses.' But you'll like at least a few songs on there." You can read the entirety of the interview at Rollingstone.com.
Deicide recently unveiled the title of their new album. Entitled The Stench of Redemption, it will be the first to feature new guitarists Jack Owen (ex-Cannibal Corpse) and Ralph Santolla (ex-Iced Earth). Both replace the brothers Hoffman, who left the band last year. You can listen to an untitled demo on the album's myspace site.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers originally planned for Stadium Arcadium to be a triple album, with each disc being released a few months apart. However front-man Anthony Kiedis has said, "That notion, I couldn't handle. In a year and a half, I know we'll be writing new music and then it will be time for that. In the end, these songs seemed like a body of music that needed to be heard as one body." RHCP recorded thirty-eight tracks, but only twenty-five made the final cut for the two disc album. The remaining tracks will most likely be released as a bonus track on different versions of the album sold at different record stores. Stadium Arcadium will be in stores on May 9th.
You know I'm desperate for filler when I'm whoring out fucking Queensryche. Their sequel to 1988's platinum-selling, concept album Operation: Mindcrime is set for release in Germany, not the U.S., on March 31, 2006. The band pushed back the North American release date to April 4. Operation: Mindcrime II track listing:
01. Freiheit Ouvertüre
02. Convict
03. I'm American
04. One foot in Hell
05. Hostage
06. The Hands
07. Speed of Light
08. Signs Say Go
09. Re-arrange You
10. The Chase
11. Murderer?
12. Circles
13. If I Could Change it All
14. An Intentional Confrontation
15. A Junkie's Blues
16. Fear City Slide
17. All the Promises
Ronnie James Dio (Black Sabbath, Dio, Rainbow) has been tapped to play the role of "Dr. X" on the album. The first single, "I'm American," will debut, with its video, at the end of February.
Jerome Dillon (ex-Nine Inch Nails) is releasing his first album with the band NearLY on April 11, 2006. The album, entitled Reminder, features vocalist Claudia Sarne (12 Rounds), Greg Dulli (Afghan Wings/Twilight Singer), Keith Hillebrandt (ex-Nine Inch Nails), and engineer/co-producer Brett Pierce. The group also features violinist Petra Haden. Reminder is also a concept album that attempts to musically document a recurring dream Dillon had over a six-year period. It will feature baroque strings and acoustic instrumentation with powerful, bombastic drums and bass. From what I heard, it's absolutely beautiful.
A new album from the Deftones could be in stores by late spring. The band reportedly has seventeen songs that are almost complete. Vocalist Chino Moreno is finishing off his vocals while producing a few Dead Poetic tracks. The band will take a break from the studio starting February 16th to take part in the Taste of Chaos tour along with Thrice and Story of the Year and others.
Liv Kristine (Leave's Eyes/ex-Theatre of Tragedy) is set to release her first solo album, entitled Enter My Religion. It's due out March 3, 2006, on Roadrunner Records. The first single, "Fake a Smile," scheduled to impact radio on January 27, will be released on an EP, featuring four, non-album tracks. The EP tracklisting:
01. Fake A Smile
02. This Is Us
03. Woman In Me
04. China Heart
05. Fake A Smile (Remix)
06. Fake A Smile (Video)
Enter My Religion was produced in Germany by Alexander Krull (Atrocity, Leave's Eyes). It's track listing:
01. Over the Moon
02. Fake a Smile
03. All the Time in the World
04. My Revelation
05. Coming Home
06. Trapped in your Labyrinth
07. Blue Emptiness
08. You are the Night
09. Enter my Religion
10. Streets of Philadelphia
11. You Take Me Higher
12. For a Moment
Of course, track 10, "Streets of Philadelphia," is a Bruce Springsteen cover.
Tommy Lee (Motley Crue) has recorded a cover of O'Jay's "Love Train." The song will only be featured for the upcoming horror flick "Final Destination." Currently, the song will only be in the film itself, used as the end title song for the movie. The drummer is currently dating a 20-year-old porn star.
Are They Still Out There or Did They Finally Overdose?
Smashing Pumpkins are back! Maybe. Ex-frontman Billy Corgan failed to find the same kind of stardom he had with the band when he broke with SP back in 2000. Corgan has viciously tried to put his band back together, starting with an ad he took out in a Chicago newspaper last June. The ad revealed the bald singer's desire to reunite. A recent entry on Corgan's web site hinted further at the band's reincarnation: "The surprise I have in store for you all will be announced soon enough Hold on to your horses. After all, good things surely come to those who wait. Don't you just love the suspense?" The band is rumored to be playing at this April's Coachella festival in California.
Biggest musical disappointment from 2005, Nonpoint is preparing to release a Spanish EP. The disc will feature new tracks done completely in Spanish coupled with previous songs translated and re-rocked Spanish. The band's most recent full-length CD, To the Pain has sold a measly 9000 copies in the United States during its first week. The CD before that, Recoil, was completely solid. Such a step back for this seemingly up-and-down group.
Seemless frontman Jesse Leach (ex-Killswitch Engage) has reported significant progress on his band's new record. Seemless has about 6 demos completed with many more tracks to be written. Leach says of his current jam session with his fellow cohorts, "I am getting some of this stuff on video so eventually we may release some sort of a DVD or clips you can watch online, we'll see." Paul Romano (Mastodon) will be doing the album art.
Zakk Wylde (Ozzy Ozborne) and comedian Jim Breuer have paired up for a new, straight-to-DVD, rock and roll comedy "Crapshoot." The Ozzy lead guitarist brings his powerful, larger-than-life rock attitude and skill to the table, perfectly complimenting Breuer's awesome improve skills. It will be a hybrid show mixing sketches, reality, improve, and, of course, music.
On a closing bit, for this section of the news, I decided, starting last week, to chronicle the process of one band from Pittsburgh. Throughout the course of this column, I am going to report on Monument the Ghost. The group promises to have its first demos up sometime this week. They have a bunch of songs recorded. There are pictures and a video clip of their recording process jam-packed on their Myspace page.
< Rant >
So, I have a bit of a gripe for the evening. Some of you might disagree with what I am about to type, which is definitely quite alright. My opinion isn't necessarily right, but it's definitely valued higher than yours and more intelligent and informed.
Anyway, some years ago, I downloaded the video for Evanscence's "My Immortal"/ First off, I am still peeved that they redid this song for a third time. And I have all three. I have the version they did for Origin and the Daredevil Soundtrack, then the one for the Fallen disc, and now they did a radio version. It's a good song, all things considered, but it doesn't need to be altered and released three fucking times.
Well, the video, if you've never seen it, is as depressing as the lyrics and singing by Amy Lee. But the video takes a slightly different look at the powerful ballad between Amy Lee and Ben Moody (ex-Evanescence). I definitely agree that this video could only be done in black and white. It's a sad song, and done in color, it would have taken away from the effect. It's choreographed well, and I really enjoyed some of the camera shots, such as Ben walking down the avenue and the two simultaneous shots of the trees and the buildings, looking upward. Amy does a nice job with her body language. Her teetering on the water fountain is absolutely splenderiffic. Very child like.
Only thing that really bothered me, other than the fact that the song was redone:
The bandages on her wrists and how much they focus on them.
Before watching the video, I never ever looked at this song from the point of view of death. It's more about the strength and weaknesses of a person in love, and the actions and outcomes that those actions have. The need to imply that the character in the video (not necessarily Amy as herself) cannot contain her feelings and therefore feels the need to kill herself. I think sends a message to the audience.
Well, you can argue, videos are a message.
Duh.
But, it's insinuating that those things are okay for someone to do. Depressed teens see that Amy cuts herself, and immediately they might think, Suicide, or at least cutting. I don't see cutting as an answer to anything. I cannot mentally grasp why someone would need to cause him/herself physical pain to take away from the mental pain. It seems almost backwards to me. I don't think that people who cut are bad people, not by any means. I don't see the relief of it. I've had countless numbers of friends try to explain it to me. I sort of understood. It might be one of the few things I just can't wrap my mind around.
But, the message that this sends, on a smaller level, frightened me. 3/4 of the way through the video the first time. I hadn't noticed them at all. Until they did a close-up of them. And immediately I saw the usual connotation this song had for me go fluttering out my frost-paned window. And I was like, ugh....
It sends that same message that I feel rap videos have: "bitches and money". Wave a stack of money at the camera or shake a black girl's bottom into it sends a message. Sexual appeal and dough, baby. Both of which I have none of. I think I might be at the stage in my life where I can look back and say, these things are wrong, and the exposure we give to people only furthers the idea along.
I mean, I went through a long depression phase, and I thought of all of the things that reminded me of the way that I felt, and I can look at this video and say, Yeah, I remember all those times I just wish I could have died and been done with it. And I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't like to be reminded of those things. It's part of me that I wish I could lock away, and I'm sure each of you has someone that can relate to that, albeit the reader or a friend. It's not a fun experience, by any means, and by implicating that suicide can be a way out, then sure. There are always more options. I can attest to that. Granted, I never attempted anything that I thought of, I know people that have, some very near and dear to me. Maybe I have a bit of a strange view on death because I've never lost anyone to it. I used to try and imagine the feeling I would have if someone I loved killed him/herself. I can't begin to feel it or mentally comprehend the consequences or the thought of them doing it.
Maybe I am beginning to become cold towards things like that because it opens wounds for me, or because I find it juvenile. I mean, I know people that do/have done it for attention, not because it was necessary. And cutting yourself/suicide (c/s) does attract attention. I mean, it's how I've made three of my friends. I do have that soft spot for when people are hurting, but c/s is still not going to help. I've come to accept with myself that keeping feelings bottled away inside lead to things like that. On one hand, you have c/s, perhaps a temporary relief for what you really feel (or something permanent AKA Death) and on the other hand, you have ways to release that same anger inside of you, whether it be talking or therapy or counseling or whatever.
I think, also, depression is something that is overlooked throughout a lot of America. It's blamed on hormones, and perhaps that's what causes it, but it's not dealt with properly, and the result is the internalization of these emotions and feelings, both of which are negative. You have scared, lonely kids whose parents are not understanding and overbearing, demanding and oppressing, who don't recognize the fact that, hey, I'm hurting my kid. Teenagers have a very easily-swayed sense to them. One minute they are up, and the first cruel comment knocks them right down. And the constant upheaval and undermining of any positive influence berates and destroys any chance at positivitiy on a long term level. Parents need to be a positive stepping stone for their children. I remember how evil and bitter I thought my mother was, and she could be at times and she was, and how much that crushed me internally. On a subconscious level, I couldn't understand what was going on around me, and all the negativity entered me and stayed there.
And we can't let that happen. There aren't already enough positive things in this world. A lot of days are grey and bleak, even on the sunniest. There is war, pestilence, famine, rape, disease, poverty. Why add one more thing to the list? People focus a lot on drugs and alcohol, things that teenagers seek, sometimes, because they are depressed and looking for an escape. The root of that, though, is that depression. I am viewing this the way a gardener does. You watch someone pull a weed out and merely pull the leaves and the stem. The root isn't removed from the ground, and, therefore, the weed grows back. You take away drugs and alcohol, and you are only putting a band-aid on a gushing finger wound. The blood goes around and finds other ways, which some people don't realize until they are presented, whether flat out or subliminally.
Like cutting and suicide.
< /Rant >
This Band Earns the Benjamin Czajkowski Stamp of Approval (BCSA)
This week's winner of the coveted BCSA is Katatonia. For anyone with any semblance of a pulse, Katatonia's new album, The Great Cold Distance, should send shivers down your spine. This is not metal for the light-hearted, nor is this background music. From top to bottom, The Great Cold Distance is graced with song after song of Jonas Renske's graceful, yet subdued vocals merged with Anders Nyrstrom's flowing, eerie guitar work. The first single, "My Twin", will be released to radio last next month and it will feature a single disc. The tracklisting:
01. My Twin (Single Edit)
02. My Twin (Opium Dub)
03. Displaced
04. Dissolving Bonds
The Great Cold Distance follow-ups 2003's Viva Emptiness. It will hit stores mid-March via Peaceville Records.
The Stuff I Can't Put Down (Like Scott Weiland and His Heroin)
5. Nonpoint - Recoil
4. Nine Inch Nails With Teeth
3. Flyleaf Flyleaf
2. Katatonia The Great Cold Distance
1. Underworld: Evolution OST
It's A Problem to Just Quit, So I'll End With This
Until next time: peace, love, and apathy. And go Steelers. Good to see everyone in the sport section picked em as a win. See you all in the Dirty D.BC
