Suckville

But really, me.

  Population: me. I'm pretty damn horrible at this blog thing. *Sigh* I've been conversing with a buddy of mine [really, it was a short series of texts] about putting up some riffs. Ya know, what I mentioned in my last blog? Which was probably a month ago. I dunno, I haven't looked. I'm ascared. That's not a typo.

  Anyway, I'll be looking into it. Listening to some of my other riffs recorded and re-recording them so they're by themselves. That way I can post 'em individually if I feel so inclined. Keep this rusty train a rollin'!

'Til the next venture?

Out

Where Have I Been?

I don't know.

I've had a few things rolling around in my head lately. I've been meaning to get back on track. I just....haven't. Been thinking more about my friend Andrew's idea that I post some of my guitarages for those of you who frequent this blog to hear. I just need to play some more guitar as well. Just in general.

I'll get on that. It's not like it's hard to set up. Hook my guitar into my Pod and throw some headphones on. Commence the rocking!

I think I'll build up the list a bit more before I post anything here. I also need to separate most of them out. I'd been using one "song" to record all my different tracks. None of them mesh. It was just so I could have a place to store them.

I'll get back to ya. And back at it!

Tabitha Rene Watson [Dec. 22, 1956 - Sept. 15, 2004]

I realize I'm posting this a day late [but not a buck short], but that's not what this is about. I'm going to talk about something that's been six years in the making. Something I could never quite pin down until just this week. With the help of a perfect stranger.

As you can see in the title, my Mom passed away six years and one day ago. Pancreatic Cancer, if I remember correctly. I was at a very integral point in my young adult life. I had just joined the United States Air Force and had just arrived at my first duty station. I remember calling her up in tears [not heavy tears, mind you, but enough] because I was scared, unsure, and thought I didn't like it. She was my main support. The one I could ALWAYS count on to say the right thing at the right moment. To help instill confidence in a very un-confident person. About two months later she would be gone. I would then, really, begin to put up my walls.

As soon as the initial shock wore off I knew I wanted to do something to show how much she meant to me. The first inklings [no pun intended] began to enter the fray that a tattoo might just be the thing. Something that could never be lost in a move, or a natural disaster. Something solid. Just like her.

Aum

One of the last things I remember her really liking was the Om symbol [real spelling apparently, Aum]. She had gotten it tattooed on the back of her shoulder fairly shortly before her passing. At first, that's what I wanted too. Though, not in the same place. That idea stayed in my head for quite some time. Slightly changing from time to time. Mostly in the color or size. I always knew I wanted it on my inner forearm, though. My left inner forearm.

Eventually, that idea started to change. I began to realize that it wasn't what I wanted. She loved the Aum symbol, but that's not what she meant to me. It was barely a fraction of her life, though an important fraction. My new idea, as stupid as it sounds, actually came from a video game. A game that hasn't yet released. There's a tattoo on the character's arm of a series of lines forming either a square or a rectangle. I can't really remember. I liked that it was simple and formed a shape. Looked neat. My new idea was to have a series of sentences, or words, form a shape in a similar manner as the aforementioned fictional tattoo. Now I just needed a series of words.

I've had a difficult time coming up with the words I wanted to use. The arrangement, as well. A lot of that has to do with the difficulty I have truly expressing my feelings. To go back into that place I don't want to go. I can talk about damn near anything, but to feel it again? That's a different story altogether. Nonetheless, I found some words. Even had them arranged in a way I felt good about. But there was a seed. A seed of doubt. A lingering little tick of a feeling that it wasn't quite right.

This is the original composition and wording:

With

Beauty & Grace

Wisdom & Strength

Compassion & Love

You live on

1956-2004

While I do still like those words, I didn't feel right about them. It was just too much. Too wordy, maybe? I still can't quite put my finger on it. The main glare would have to be, "You live on". Still doesn't sit well. It feels forced. That's it. 

I think I just put a finger on it.

Next came the revision. I began to search other words that meant the same as compassion. It's pretty much just a variant of love. In so many words. 

Scrapped.

Dropped a couple other words and I finally had my compilation/composition. Now I had to actually get it done. 

I left soon after for PAX, six days with my Dad in Idaho, followed by six days with my friend Andrew in Los Angeles. I didn't originally intend on getting it done while on my trip. Two days after arriving in LA I decided to get it. Because, as I posted on Facebook, "Why the hell not?". Now's as good a time as any. Honestly, if I didn't get it now it's one of those things I may never have gotten around to. Oh, I'd talk about getting. Just not anything more than that. 

I Google searched nearby tattoo parlors and even looked at some possible fonts [didn't really find anything I liked]. Drove down to the parlor the next day and really worked out the arrangement with the resident female, Emily. Part one of a two part process done! Now I just had to wait for her to finish the drawing. 

I showed up two days later at about 1:20 PM and finally got to see it. It wasn't what I had imagined it'd look like. It was better! She completely scrapped a few of the things we had talked about and just embellished one aspect to make up for the scrapping. I probably got in the chair at about 1:45 PM or so and didn't get up until 5:25 PM. That's one and a half to two times as long as she had thought it'd take! I began to wonder if she'd increase the price or stick to what she originally told me. Which was $200-$250. Fortunately, she stuck with the original. I ended up paying $210 today, with the total being $250 from the $40 deposit two days ago. I'm completely fine with that for all the work and time spent. It was even her one day off! Very cool of her.

Beginning of closure.

The end result is thus. It doesn't really form a shape. It's so much more elegant than I imagined. A piece that I'm extremely proud of. That conveys all that is my Mom to me. Apparently, it's what my Mom is to others as well. They've since told me such. 

It really came together with the assistance of Emily Scott at Riptide Tattoo. So, thank you, Emily. You've helped me close a chapter of my life. Being someone I just met, that's a big deal. Hell, it's a big deal period. Even if I'd known you for years. You did her justice. Thank you.

INCOMING!!!

I've a feeling there'll be a new post soon. I've just found a new band that is, quite simply, ridiculous. They've been called Elvis Metal, if that gives you any idea. They go by the name of Volbeat.....and they're Danish.

Celled Behemoth

Three words. Cage the Elephant. The first sentence is only two words. Don't get confused. Ya with me? I'm not really sure what it is about this band that I enjoy. As said in my Mission Statement [or About Me] I prefer the heavier side of music. This typically applies to downtuned/distorted guitars. Metal or Hard Rock, to be more precise. This band has not heavily distorted guitars. No Metal appearance. Dare I say, they're an Indie band? I think I will. I believe that's what they're "labeled" as. Only they can truly say what they are. Record execs aren't going to listen to them, though. Why would they?

TOPIC! The first song I heard was Ain't No Rest For the Wicked. It was unlike anything I'd heard before. Which really isn't saying that much! I like to say I've a broad range, but it's actually quite narrow. I know what I like. This song..........I just can't put it into words. It's almost an experience. My first experience was with a trailer for the game Borderlands. It may have helped to tie it to something. Complete the "experience", if you know what I mean. Twangy guitars, good vibe, interesting vocals and a unique look. I saw the music video shortly after. I had to see what these guys looked like. I'm now reminded of Smash Mouth's Walkin' On the Sun. There's driving, a band, and the desert. There's also a prostitute, a thief, and some dazedly standing around. Wicked is a decidedly darker tale. Walkin' is just a feel good song. Straight and simple.

*EDIT! I just watched the video for Walkin'. It's nothing like Wicked. I don't know why I was reminded of it in the first place. Weird.

After that first song I needed to hear more! Almost to the point of salivation. Not really. I was just hungry as well. So, I looked 'em up on the YouTubes and Amazon. I went to Amazon first to hear their completely awesome [*sarcasm] 30 second snippets. I wasn't impressed. I went to YouTube and watched the one other video they had for their song Back Against the Wall. I still wasn't very impressed. I liked the chorus, but that was about it. At that point I had given up on them. Finito!

Something soon changed. The hype on this band was steamrolling! They were [and still are] playing on the radio frequently. Now, usually the radio doesn't mean shit to me. I couldn't care less what's hot for today. They were playing a different song than what I had heard. It's called In One Ear. This one I could dig. It definitely wasn't as unique a track as Wicked, but it is COMPLETELY different from what else is out there on the airwaves. This renewed my interest in them. Some faith was restored as well. For those keeping track.....on my faith.

Like Kingdom of Sorrow, I was at it again. Back to Amazon! Damn, those 30 second snippets don't do anything justice! They tend to pick the worst 30 seconds with which to give you an impression. Back to YouTube! At this point the whole album had been posted on Tube. I picked a couple other tracks and decided on a purchase. I don't remember the tracks selected, otherwise I'd post 'em here for your pleasure. I will share with you my favorite song of the album. Judas.

I now know what draws me to this band. They groove. They ARE quite heavy. Heavy in theme. They most assuredly groove, though. Their main component. I find myself looking forward to their next release. Regrettably, I know nothing of the when or how of it. Once it comes out, if you don't have it, I'll fill you in on it. They deserve it. You deserve to hear it.

Nothing to Do w/ Music....really

I just wanted to post this real quick! I was dinking around in Photoshop yesterday evening because I wanted to create a new profile pic for my Facebook account. I'm a bit tired of the standard "normal" picture posted. I had a picture in mind that I wanted to use as I liked it's appearance. Unfortunately, I couldn't quite get the desired effect. Plus, the picture looks quite a bit different on my cell phone screen than it does all blown up. It's not as saturated on the big screen as it is on the little one. Whatevah! So, with that idea ditched I quickly came up with another. That almost never happens. This one worked out much better.

Now, it's time to tie it in to the music aspect. I have no new band to mention, for the time being. Once I finished the Photoshopness before you, I realized that it reminded me of a concert poster. One you might find hanging in the bathroom of your local sleazy venue. I really like how it turned out and may start working on another very shortly [I'm thinking a new banner design. The original creation doesn't fit the scheme here]. But for now I am content. My only gripe is that it's displayed really small on FB. I don't think everyone's gonna click on it to view it full size. Oh well. It was done for me anyway.

Miranda, if you read this, I've been using the USB cable from your Wacom tablet as I can't seem to locate mine. I know where my tablet and pen are, but I don't know what I did with the cable. This is concerning as I'm not usually one to misplace things.

COMING SOON! A band I haven't yet decided on! Stay tuned!   [<----This is sort of for Andrew. Sorry I let you down by not naming a band. NEXT TIME!]

Sorrow, apparently there's a Kingdom FULL of it!

All I know is that they have two albums out. I have no idea of their future. The two main components have other bands with which they divide their time. One of them has TWO other bands [at least] that he splits his time. The other has Hatebreed. These two men are Kirk Windstein [Crowbar, Down] and Jamey Jasta [Hatebreed].

I remember when I first heard this band. They only had the one album out at the time. I didn't like it once I heard what Amazon calls a "preview" of the album. 30 second snippets of each song is really just not enough to give it a fair chance. Nonetheless, I was not impressed. I enjoyed everything but the vocals. Jasta's to be exact. I've never been a fan of his larynx shredding. A friend of mine [quick shout out to Mr. Hyte!] describes his voice as "barking". To me, it's befitting.

Then something changed. I heard their song, God's Law in the Devil's Land, and it warped my perception of the band. It was like Down but it had more of a groove to it! And I LOVE Down! Now, I'm not saying they're better than Down. I'm just making a comparison. They much more akin to Down's first album NOLA than anything recent. Heavy and downtuned with some melody thrown in the mix. I can only imagine the crowd at their shows.

Back to what I was talking about! The opening riff on that track had me by the balls. I was in for a ride. Hammer ons and pull offs with some quick slides. JESUS! What an awesome riff! I WISH I could write stuff like that! Windstein has chops, everyone. Don't deny him that. I wouldn't call him a talented singer, but he gets the job done. Truthfully, the parts where he sings are my favorite parts of the album. Admittedly, Jasta does less barking on this album and even springs for some melody as well. Neither of them sing clean. There's always a touch of yelling/screaming to it. Quite like what Randy Blythe of Lamb of God does when he "sings" the chorus on some of their newer songs. No crooning. None whatsoever.

The picture you see up and to the right is for their 2nd album, Behind The Blackest Tears. I feel this album has more melody than their first. Hell, Kirk even sings all by his lonesome on From Heroes to Dust . I take my statements back about the lack of crooning on this album. Kirk is crooning. I would never tell him to his face, though. Have you seen this guy?! Not one to be trifled with. On topic! It seems that a lot of metal bands these days are afraid of showing a softer side. Even with the potential of coming in with a crushing chorus. It doesn't have to be an open E or D palm muted for it to be heavy. As long as it conveys the emotion of what he or she is going through. That's all that matters. I guess that's one thing true musicians are capable of over the guys cashing in on something while it's hot. Learn a couple scales, play 'em fast, and that's all you need!

I'm all over the place with this! Why can't I stay on topic? It's madness. Utterly comprised of madness. Truly. Faithfully. Undulatingly?

After COMPLETELY digging their 2nd release I decided to immediately give their initial effort another go. I'm glad I did. I find that it's a bit more straightforward than their sophomore release, but not at all a bad album. There's still plenty of melody to be had here. The standout tracks on this album are as follows: Hear This Prayer For Her, Begging For the Truth, & Buried In Black. If you're a fan of downtuned sludge metal with a hardcore twist then you can't go too wrong starting here. Give 'em a listen and make up your own mind. If you're still digging on Down and CoC but looking for something a bit heavier, than look no further. It's Kingdom of Sorrow.

One last track to leave you with! Along the Path to Ruin. The sound quality is shitty. So, do yourself a favor and just pick up the album already. You'll make Kirk happy 'cuz he can buy more beer!

These never turn out quite like I think they will. I apologize for that. There's no pre-planning going on. I just wing it and hope it sticks. All I ask is that if it's not entertaining in some form or another, then tell me. If I suck then let me know I suck! Nothin' worse than to keep on trucking when no one likes what you're puttin' out there!

The Conformity....it's Corroded.

Boy, this took me long enough to get to, huh? I also lied. I told you it was gonna be about Kingdom of Sorrow. It's not. COC here. KoS at some other point. Anyway, I know what you're all thinking, "GET ON WITH IT!", said like those cheeky chaps from Monty Python. :) I love those guys.

Corrosion of Conformity has quite a few albums out. I'm not going to be talking about all of them. Just the albums that have Pepper as lead. I think there's 3 or 4 out with him as just guitarist. Then there's 4 more with him playin' and singing! Lots of back catalogue there. Though, there's quite the shift in sound right about in the middle. Carrying on.

The starting point is going to be their album entitled Deliverance. This album was quite a big departure from their previous sound. With Pepper at the reins the band went in a Southern Rock/Metal almost Sludge Metal sound. Don't let that make you think there isn't some diversity in there. These guys are musicians through and through. It's not all downtuned guitars and open string chugging. That Sludge Metal tag is more of an afterthought than anything. While I do enjoy some open string chugging I definitely prefer some change. Hittin' some of the higher strings with a bit of twang from time to time can send shivers down your spine. When used right it's a thing of beauty. I don't really know what their sound is before this album as it was my introduction to them. I've heard a few select tracks but didn't think much of them. Does that make me a bad man? Possibly. Maybe I'll give them another try in the future, but right now, I just don't want to.

Following their strong debut [to me] is Wiseblood. You can see that their cover art kind of follows in the same vein as Deliverance. Cut and pasted together, if you will. Lots going on. I feel that this is the superior cover art of the two. Oddly enough, I also feel that this is the superior album. Great, great 2nd album! As with most bands, I feel this is really where they found their sound and ran with it. Some of the songs really remind me of Tom Petty. Okay, really only one that I can think of. ;) But still! This album just has a wide variety of tunes. A great ballad [I guess you'd call it that?] in Redemption City. A real sludgy track with Man or Ash [guest vox by James Hetfield!]. I mean, c'mon, if you've got Hetfield on your album...there's just nothin' else to be said. The rest are just hard rockers. God, I LOVE this album!

Up next is their "cleanest" album to date, America's Volume Dealer. What I mean by "cleanest" is that it's their most produced album. Higher production values. Still a damn fine album. Most people hate it when an album's too "clean". Me included. This just destroys bands that don't have any feeling behind their music. If you've got soul in there, it shines through regardless, I guess. Maybe it sounds cleaner 'cuz it was released 4 years after Wiseblood, in 2000. Yeah, that's probably it. This is definitely standard CoC fare. Don't take that the wrong way! So far they're batting 1000. Standard fare for them continues this trend. More rockin' songs to jam to. Alternatively, if you're seein' 'em live, then these will get ya jumpin'. No doubt about that. Bust out those lighters for their softer songs. Possibly a joint if you've got one. I'll just pass it down.

So far they've gone 3 for 3. Can they go 4 for 4 with In the Arms of God? I'll tell ya the truth. I used to not think so. I found this album to be their weakest. Many had touted it as a strong return from the absent band. It came out in '05 after 2000's Volume Dealer. For awhile I only really like the opening track Stone Breaker. This is even after having listened to the album a couple times! I just didn't really dig it. Here's the kicker. I've been listening to this album whilst typing all this gibberish. It ranks right up there with the rest. I don't know what that young buck was thinking before. This is another true ringer for them CoC boys. The production values on this album are high as well. Yet, somehow, it feels more akin to their album Deliverance. It doesn't sound like it, mind you, it just feels like it could have come out with it as some sort of double album. Similar but different. Arms definitely shows their growth as musicians. It's probably the most ornate album. Some beautiful songs on there.

What else can I say about this band? Probably a lot, actually. As I really haven't said all that much. I realize this. You realize this. This is just what you're gonna get. I'm a little out of practice. Sue me. No, don't. I need that money. Just bare with it as I get back in the swing of things. I need to find my words. There's a couple in there. I've got more on the oft forgotten back burner. See that? Oft. That's short for often. Another one of them words. Keep it swingin'!

There Can Be Only....Uh...A New One!

I can feel it coming as I've acquired some new music. I'll give you the band name, Kingdom of Sorrow. That is all! Await the true wordage! It'll happen. If not tonight, then tomorrow. Though, I'm fairly busy tomorrow. So, if not tomorrow then the next day. Ya follow?

Alice In Chains/Corrosion of Conformity

The latter just popped up hardly 15 minutes ago. I'll get to that in a minute.

Things to do with my sister....I'll DEFINITELY be seeing AIC in October with her. Also at the show will be Mastodon [Yay!] and Deftones [whatever]. I had mentioned on Facebook that I was wanting to attend the concert. Brought it up to my lovely girlfriend Miranda [Hi!] and she seemed vaguely interested. Which was fine. My sister caught wind of what I was stepping in and offered to pick up the tab for me as I didn't have the funds to purchase the tickets early. I'm on AIC's mailing list so I sometimes have access to things before the general populace. Since she would be buying two tickets I told her she had to come with. First I said that she didn't have to buy the tickets for me. She insisted, saying something along the lines of, "I owe you anyway". I don't remember what for. Apparently she does so it's set in stone!

Now! Earlier tonight, maybe 20 minutes ago, I hop on to Facebook [as I'm addicted] to check on updates. I see that she's posted something on my Wall about a CoC concert @ Neumos in Seattle. I had no idea they were back together. As far as I knew, they were done and Pepper's main band was now Down. I know nothing! Back on track...she asked if I was interested in attending since she was already going.

So! It looks like I'll be attending TWO concerts with my sister this year! This all comes as a surprise to me. From none to two. I imagine I'll quite enjoy myself as I always do when I'm around my sister. This probably has to do with the fact that we don't see each other but once or twice a year. Not nearly enough! These two concerts will make it at least 5 times this year! I saw her a couple months ago. Then we have our annual family get together. Next the CoC concert followed by AIC [and others]. Finally, we have our annual Christmas family get together [probably at my Aunt Valen's, where it's at every year, I love it there!].

All right! This is going on longer than I anticipated! I'm excited for both concerts! I also have PAX to attend followed immediately by my trip to UK/Scotland. Those two combined go from Sept 4 to the 18th. I have quite the busy schedule come the end of July. I couldn't be more thrilled!

When the Sun Rose Again

I'm having trouble picking my first band to break down/pick apart. There's sooo many good ones! I'll just have to contemplate further. I'm not going to start with Alice In Chains. I feel that that's too obvious a first choice for me. For those that know me, that is.

This just means that you'll have wait until the title suggests. Maybe even later. Who knows? I surely fucking don't. I guess when I feel the initiative. Or inspired. Whichever comes first.

**EDIT** By the way, that's an Alice song. Off their latest album Black Gives Way to Blue. I just listened to it so it was fresh in my mind.

The Creation

It has been suggested that I create a blahg [that's not a typo] to discuss my interest in music. I was going to call it METALmorphosis [being the clever one, naturally], but someone already took it [far more clever, or quicker, than I]. They didn't spell it as cool as I would have, however. Whatever!

This blahg will be about the bands I like and why I like them. All encompassing reasons [that I can think of at the moment of typing]. I just hope that everyone [honestly, probably 2 or 3 people] find it an interesting enough read to warrant repeat viewings. Not of the same blahg, mind you, but of differing topics/bands. Although, I suppose it wouldn't be too bad if someone wanted to re-read a post. I'll just have to wait and see if that happens.

There might be a few blahgs that don't have anything to do with music. Bare that in mind when visiting. I would like to hope that I'll keep to the topic at hand, but maybe I won't feel like spreading the digital ink about music that day. Let one slide every now and then. If I go TWO days, however, bust out the chopping block and make some heavy handed threats. I'm not scared....right now.

So, this here's the inaugural! The rest following [but remember the scant few!] should be about my musical endeavors. Perhaps you'll be inspired to check out a few of these artisans. Be sure to let me know in the comments box.

Yes, I want you to write in my box. Not THAT box. I don't have one of those. Even if I did I wouldn't want you inking it up. Maybe a tattoo, but that's something ENTIRELY different. Most don't look like handwriting. Though, either would this as you have to type it. Maybe that wouldn't be so bad. TOPIC AT HAND! TOPIC AT HAND!

Comment if you will. Be prepared for some mild insanity on my "off" days. They might be more frequent than you think.

Here's a fat [but happy!] seal.