Phaith

This is what the fuck I'm talking about.



Now I have never been a huge sports fan, but for the last few years I have been following this team. People always talk shit about Philly fans and their teams and this and that, but now it's our time to shine. Last night was amazing. It's what playoff baseball is all about. Emotion. I never really let sports get the better of me emotionally. I try not to invest my feelings to much b/c the heartbreak is crushing. But I'm in. After Sunday's bench clearer I was in. I felt myself get mad. I wanted to go through the TV and rip Manny Ramirez's fucked up dreads right of his head, jump rope with them and shove them down his fat throat. I wished Shane Vicotorino would womp on some asses. But he was a man about it. We lost that game, but I knew Shane would have his revenge. I'm sure you all saw it last night, Victorino basically ass fucking Dodger Stadium, but did you see is face. Emotion. He wants something. Matt Stairs. 17 seasons in the majors, has his first playoff home run last night to win the game. He wants something. Chase Utley, a one man out machine with diving double plays. He wants something. WE want something. And even if we don't get exactly what we want, we got something last night. Hope. Hope for the underdog. Hope for old school guys eyein' down the end what they know. Hope for the fans. But most of all, hope for some positive light to be shed on this fair city of ours.

Thank you Philadelphia Phillies, for renewing my faith in hope. Christ knows I need it right now...more on that later.

PS. FUCK LA....fuck it.

End Transmission.

Hypocrite...Hypocrite

Although it may seem like it, this blog is not about the new Metallica album exclusively. I am going to get this out of the way fairly quickly as there are other more important matters at hand, such as:

That being said, the new Metallica album Death Magentic is good. Real good. The lyrics/vocals have much to be desired but musically they still have it. I mean it's not Master of Puppets, but it is ...And Justice For All. The songs are long and all over the place, but it works. I'm not going to get into a whole review of every song here, b/c frankly I don't care that much to examine every minute of a 115 minute album. So here's a summary:
1. That Was Just Your Life - Great opener. Has the staple James "dunna dunna dun" riffs.
2. The End of the Line - Staying strong.
3. Broken, Beat and Scarred - I'm not sure if I hate the part that comes in at 1:04 or if I love it. I think I love it.
4. The Day That Never Comes - sounds like Nickelback with wild ass solos.
5. All Nightmare Long - This is a classic. That rhythm sound familiar to anyone...oh wait, it's Metallica. Nailed it on this on.
6. Cyanide - I want to drink some after hearing that wah. Who is on the bass here, DJ Magic Mike?
7. The Unforgiven III - There is no forgiving this. Piano? Yea. Piano.
8. The Judas Kiss - eh...take it or leave it.
9. Sucide and Redemption - didn't get through all this. Instrumental. Bringing back but definitely no Dyer's Eve.
10. My Apocalypse - they must have gotten the old amps from Kill Em All out for this one. Good closer.

That's it. No more talk about Metallica on my blog until January 18th.

End Transmission.

The slave becomes the master...

I take it back, well some of it...




...and not this far back either.


More to follow...

Youth of Today and the early 7 Seconds...

Friends,

Saw The Hold Steady last night at the TLA. This guys are pretty fucking great. Finally a new(er) band that I don't hate. Probably b/c if I started a band it would be the same thing. Non-practicing Catholic, 30 something, semi-overweight ex hardcore kids that like to drink and play rock n roll. They played a fast set, only 40-minutes b/c they opened for tall 50-something grunge pioneers who make a lot of noise, Sonic Youth. I saw Thurston Moore meandering around the crowd and that dude is tall. They were never my thing, I did however like old Thurston's solo album, Psychic Hearts. Anyway, The Hold Steady. Craig Finn is a madman on the stage. I thought he might start convulsing at one point. He is the preacher in this congregation, with the participants holding on to his every word. The rest of the band sounded tight, a little muddy maybe b/c we were in the balcony, but tight just the same. The highlight was mustachioed keyboardist Franz Nicoli magically flipping a bottle of wine out of no where and just getting after it. First time I saw that, instead of beer the band is slangin' back merlot. Actually, I think Peter Steele from Type O Negative might have done that. But he's a vampire so that's different. After the Hold Steady we bounced. A big shot out goes to that ole' Slother who sped me to the Conshy McDonalds so I (and him and the wife) wouldn't piss our pants. And extra-special big up to Steve Gigs, who even though I don't see him to often, never fails to disappoint. That music was beautiful, wasn't it?

End Transmission

Facing The Thing That Should Not Be

Just heard 2 NEW Metallica songs. I mean did you really think they were going to go back to Master of Puppets? C'mon. Being a genuine Metallica fan I held hope for this. Especially with Rick Rubin at the helm. Sadly, I'm disappointed, and have been for a long time. When I first heard Metallica it blew my mind. I was a young kid, probably 13ish. My uncle, the resident family metal-head that let me know that Iron Man was not just the Road Warriors theme music, gave me a tape for my birthday. On said Maxell C90 you would find Canada's other power trio, Triumph's classic 1981 gem Allied Forces on Side A. Side B is where it all came together. Kill 'Em All. From that first pick slide in Hit the Lights I was hooked. That's it. No more stupid ass hip-hop from the moron's in Saint Francis. It was Metallica, all day everyday (and Kiss), but that's for another day. I needed to consume Metallica all of it. I figured out how to write my name like their logo. I got the back catalog, Ride the Lightning and Master of Puppets. Bought my first piece of vinyl at Listening Booth in the King of Prussia Plaza, ...And Justice For All. By the time I hit high school Nothing Else Mattered. The Black Album came out, and although an obvious pre-cursor to what was to follow in the next 10 years, it still ruled. My first band played Enter Sandman at a talent show. Saw Suicidal and Danzig open for them at the Mann. Was in the Snake Pit at the Spectrum. By the time high school ended Metallica had fallen out of grace with faithful. Load and ReLoad came out. No one cared. Something else might have come out in there...no one cared. Then St. Anger. I mean Robert Trujillo is on that shit. Anyone that was in Suicidal won't put their name on garbage. Stupid me. I didn't really even give a shit. But now here we are...2008 and a new Metallica album is upon us. So much hype. Rick Rubin. So much hype. "return to Master of Puppets." So much hype. So much crap. Those 2 songs that I heard are horrid. They sound like Nickelback and the try to sound like Metallica. You know that saying, "there is no 'I' in team." Guess what, there is no "Metal" in Metallica, I don't care if it's the first five letters of the name or not. I mean you don't forget how to right like that, do you? There is a part on that one song that get's close. It's in the last few minutes, i think the 3rd solo or something that almost gets close to a rhythm i'm familiar with. That's about it. There are still like 10 other songs on the album, so before I bash the whole thing, I will give it a try. I'm sure I won't be happy though. All that being said, I will be in the Snake Pit at the Wachovia Center on January 17th, if you are looking for me that night.

End Transmission.

oh and one more thing....
I'm surprised this headstone didn't fall over with all the rolling over that must be going on underneath it...

This is me.

welcome. this is where you will end up. thanks.

end transmission.