Venezuela Protest – Tempe Beach Park – 2/22/2014, a set on Flickr.
Author: alecdamiano
Why the Grammys Are Clueless About Metal
Unless you’ve been away from the headbanging world, you are aware that Halestorm won the 2013 Grammy for “Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance”. This win is historic in the sense that singer Lzzy Hale is the first female singer to ever be nominated for that category and win.
By all means, congrats to Halestorm. They are a hard working band and “Love Bites (So Do I)” is a great song.
But once again, this decision reflects the cluelessness of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS), the head of the Grammys, when it comes to metal.
The hard rock/metal category has undergone several changes.
The first and only “Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance Vocal or Instrumental” Grammy was awarded in 1989. It was expected that Metallica would win. Their album “…And Justice For All” had spawned the hit “One” and was their best-selling album to date.
But non-metal band Jethro…
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American Gangsters: Interview with Broadway Mob
Last week, TBOS conducted an interview with Broadway Mob, a death metal band from Minot, N.D. They discuss their upcoming album and the importance of supporting local music.
Here are some snippets from the talk.
The Blog of Shredding: So why did you choose the name Broadway Mob? It’s such an atypical name for a death metal band.
Tony Waswick (vocals): (laughs) I guess that’s more Tom’s story than anything.
Tom Shepherd (drums): We live in a town that had a lot to do with Prohibition in North Dakota, and Broadway Mob is a Prohibition gang from that era. And Broadway is the main street in our town, so it just seemed kind of fitting.
TBOS: Your first song is called “Blessed By Thor,” and you described it as a “jaw-dropping experience” because you hadn’t heard anything like it. Could you describe it? Like why would you say…
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Welcome to Warhead
Warhead is a speed/thrash metal band based out of Phoenix, Ariz. Their songs are written in the vein of the Big Four of Thrash Metal (Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax and Slayer). They look like they got time-warped into 2013 straight from the 80s, and they sound like it too.
TBOS got the opportunity to interview Warhead and film them as they were rehearsing for their upcoming show. You can also hear their song, “Death Row,” in the video below.
Tomorrow March 15, they will perform at the Rocky Point Cantina in Tempe, Ariz. Other bands on the bill include: Hemoptysis, Scattered Guts, Existence AD, and Fail to Reason. The show is all ages and tickets are $5. Doors open at 7 p.m.
Warhead will be touring in May in support of their debut album, “Death Row”. The full-length interview and more concert footage will be posted on…
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Album Review: Stone Sour – ‘House of Gold and Bones Part 2’ (2013)
Release Date: April 9, 2013
Label: Roadrunner Records
Earlier today, Stone Sour streamed the sequel to their chart-topping album “House of Gold and Bones Part 1” (2012). Though “House of Gold and Bones Part 2” won’t officially be released in the States until next week, I am reviewing it now.
It’s been a long time since I’ve listened to an album that has genuinely kept me entertained the whole way through. When I heard HOGAB Pt. 2, I didn’t find myself looking back at the track list every so often, wondering, “Just how many songs are there left?” It is a fantastic album and fitting sequel to Part 1 with its schizophrenic time and style changes, sometimes during single songs.
HOGAB is singer Corey Taylor’s brainchild–two concept albums and a 4-part comic book miniseries about temptation and vice. The music itself is a representation of the conflicts the protagonist…
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DORO, SISTER SIN and More Live in Tempe, Ariz.
Last month, TBOS had the honor of interviewing the Metal Queen, Doro Pesch. The interview was transcribed in four parts, and the audio was featured on Blabbermouth.net.
Saturday, we had the pleasure of seeing and hearing Doro do what she does best–making people headbang till their necks turn sore!
Tempe’s Rocky Point Cantina held an epic mini metal-fest Saturday night, with a total of six bands performing.
Local Phoenix bands Unconscious Minds, Hands of a Traitor, Epyon and NightSphere primed the audience for Sister Sin and DORO.
First up were classic/thrash metal outfit, Unconscious Minds. They made Pantera fans proud with their soaring vocals and melodic bass lines.
Next were metalcore group Hands of a Traitor. They were definitely the youngest out of all the local bands, and they had a dedicated fanbase moshing in the audience. If you’re into newer metal like Asking Alexandria…
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Sifting Through April Fool’s News
Many Americans start off their day by checking the news.
But on April 1, what is usually a simple task becomes more difficult with the array of hoaxes that plague the Internet.
Arizona State University students were asked about their methods of sifting the fact from the fiction on April Fool’s Day.
“I often don’t read news on April Fool’s Day, so that’s one of (the methods I use),” says Allie Cooper. “I’m from Virginia, and my school always did a fake news story, and it was common knowledge.”
“I use common sense,” says Alexa Chrisbacher. “If someone said North Korea attacked America today, I probably wouldn’t believe it. I know that joke is on the roster. I’m waiting for it.”
Kayla Pologa also said she uses common sense to filter through false news, and that she tends to distrust extraneous news.
Madeeha Maqsood says she acquires outside input before believing strange stories.
“I would definitely discuss it with my friends,” she says. “If I hear something, I discuss it with my friends. I would also do research, just to check to see if what I was reading is true.”
While these ASU students have their method of making sure that the news they acquire is true, there are many Americans who will fall for these pranks.
Alec Damiano 