mike and drunk are joined this week by jodie b of the po boys podcast. they discuss the following topics….
a noodling trip gone awry….
the king of cola tries shani: 5.9
james and jennifer crumbley…..
after the break we talk to perttu kivilaakso from the band apocalyptica about the band’s new album “apocalyptica plays metallica volume 2” which you can pre-order here. other topics include…
Happy birthday to Magali "Maggy" Luyten! Her work is a big inspiration for me (I know that metal music as a whole is, but I'm not immune to having favourites). Especially since I recently found out about her newest band - The Prize. I couldn't finish the whole of this experimental drawing in time like I had wanted, so I'm putting here the first half, hehe. I hope that I've managed to catch a glimpse of that stage presence which has captivated me for years! (Note: I hold a great appreciation for singers that make me wanna sing along Every Time I hear their voice, so that's why I'm currently fangirling more than usual.) I don't own the rights to the reference photo.
Some recommendatons:
With Ayreon - that's the most popular of her works. In the studio album she's featured on only two songs: Liquid Eternity and Ride The Comet, but I strongly recommend checking out her performance in the Ayreon Universe live album (2017) - of the songs Intergalactic Space Crusaders, Star of Sirrah, Everybody Dies and again, Ride The Comet.
Beautiful Sin - I'm not that much of a fan of their album, but that was Magali's first more popular work, I think, and it's definitely not bad at all. Songs recs: Give Up Once For All and Closer To My Heart.
Nightmare - this French band was founded in the 80s and has had different vocalists. Luyten was on the position in 2016's Dead Sun. I don't know if it's the band's best album, but I definitely love it - a classic heavy metal songwriting style, plus, Maggy's voice really shines here, and the production is nice - worth checking out if you like such stuff, in my opinion. Specific song recs: Ikarus, Red Marble & Gold and Starry Skies Gone Black.
The Prize - again, a very classic hard rock/metal approach, with a touch of modernity. I'd say their album (first and only for now, self titled, from 2022) is a collection of the musicians' influences and loved music, overall a not-too-unique but fun and exciting work. I strongly recommend it to anyone who has that specific nostalgic connection to this type of music (I am a person who was raised on rock and metal and I get very excited by only the sound of electric guitars and drums and rockstar-type vocals, so maybe that's why I like it so much). Song mentions: Cirkus (my favourite), Funhouse Mirror, Garden of Bones and Blood Red Ink.
This series will be continued at random times, so if you don't want to miss an installment, you can follow #guess the ballad . I have another one - PowerSymphonic Metal Thursday, which is updated weekly.
This is a musical entry I was originally going to save for Halloween 2023. But I’m a lazy bastard, and right now I’m riding high on all the hits I’m getting from nostalgia train content. For those who are just joining me on my blog, I’ve been digging up the fragrant bodies of dead bands for nearly two months now. And this kind of mass graverobbing wouldn’t be complete without a tune from the gothic girls of Switchblade Symphony. I have and can only recommend a handful of goth acts, and this is because I utterly hate nearly everything about goth rock. However, unlike the vast, vast majority of modern goth music, this group actually had some exceptional qualities that contributed to their cult-favorite status. A duo comprised of two goth girls from San Francisco, SS’s history began in the late-late 80’s and petered out in the late 90’s. They ended up putting out some songs and albums that were good, and some that were better than good, especially for their time… managing to stay afloat AND very successful in a veritable sea full of dark-rock + mascara-dripping + mopey-faced disposable plastic dogshit. These ladies managed to become more memorable than their 90’s goth contemporaries by boasting a sublimely poetic, operatic, harsh and lush sound that few can or have broached in the same exact way since this band’s demise. Their songs were drenched in thick orchestral dark wave and their live shows were intimate and heavy on audience participation. Sometimes, listening to their music is like watching a dreary and tonally unsettling stage performance unfurl in your mind. They were just plain fun to watch perform because of their (at the time) fresh dark sisters schtick which made them seem more like characters than actual people to me. Like many others, SS was the first goth band I ever managed to come across, cementing them as something of a standard bearer in my mind for what quality goth rock should sound like. Near as I can figure, when they broke up in the late 90’s they went on to try some solo projects and then went on about their lives as semi-normal people. This after having toured all over the country, had their songs appear in some American movies and shows, and been immortalized in the canon of symphonic rock cult legend history together. This is Soldiers from their 1997 album Bread and Jam for Frances. Smash play and enjoy dear listener, and thanks to the heroes of goth music like this that at least made the tunes quasi-listenable.
I really wish Susan Wallace and Tina Root would have stayed together, I can actually see their music evolving if they had. If you need me, I’ll be grave diggin’. I likes me some gravediggins’! More nostalgia train on the way, choo choo! Image source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJ5jBArAq4c
As a Christian, I struggle to find connection to God through traditional and contemporary worship music. Though I have tried many times, worship seems false when I'm trying to force it. I lean more towards heavier music, so mushy Chris Tomlin songs don't feel like authentic worship coming from me. When I explain this to people, they always recommend bands like Skillet, but I still don't make a connection there either. So here's a few Christian bands that I highly recommend for those of you who are looking for something a little different. Listening to them and singing their songs really feels like worship to me.
Neal Morse Band - Christian progressive rock, often concept albums
Theocracy - Christian symphonic power metal
Lou Gramm Band (former singer of Foreigner) - Christian rock