Ripple Road Trip: Drivin' N' Cryin' Live At 3rd And Lindsley, Nashville TN 123012

How much more appropriate can it be to end the year to finally getting to see a band I have followed since 1991? Got hooked on Drivin' N' Cryin' the year Fly Me Courageous was released but for whatever reasons I never got around to catch them live until now. Better late then never huh...yes indeed because this was a magic night!

At 9pm sharp the band casually walks out on stage, plugs in their instruments and kick things into gear with a short instrumental piece. It's followed by the beautiful Honeysuckle Blue and this long-time favourite of mine sets the standard throughout the rest of the night. Whether the band goes all out rocking or seduces the crowd with slower more mellow songs they can't do wrong at all.
Hot Wheels from their current EP Songs About Cars, Space And The Ramones is next and apart from getting the crowd rocking what stands out the most to me is guitarist Sadler Vaden. He is extremely versatile and plays a blistering solo on this great song. Not only that, during the entire set whether he is playing lead, rhythm, slide or solo guitar he does it with such ease and elegance. It looks so effortlessly and easy but he is doing some very intricate things. What an addition for the band!

Another old favourite is then aired, With The People, and it's still a very current song speaking about the people having to rise and stand against the injustices made towards them. Positive change won't happen until then and that's where we are right now more than ever.

Drivin' N' Cryin' are in the midst of promoting two EPs released in 2012, Songs From The Laundromat and the aforementioned Songs About Cars, Space And The Ramones. They are parts 1 & 2 in a series of four to be released within 12 months, where part 3 is due in March 2013 and REM from Songs From The Laundromat follows With The People. It's a mid-tempo song with really nice vocal harmonies and it's a cool tribute to fellow Georgians R.E.M.

Further on Cheetah Chrome of The Dead Boys joins the band on stage for Out Here In The Middle Of Nowhere, a song from Songs About Cars, Space And The Ramones that he actual recorded with them. Fast and furious in true punk spirit it's over in about 2 minutes but man it rocks...awesome indeed!

After 27 years in the business Drivin' N' Cryin' know how to work a crowd. They know how to mix old songs with new to keep it interesting and they do it with such ease. Many a times bands barely play new songs when promoting their current album, Drivin' N' Cryin' on the other hand played 5-6 out of a total 11 on the 2 new EPs and that's great and how it should be. You couldn't really ask for more. However the icing on the cake for me occurs when they launch into Fly Me Courageous, the song that introduced me to these Georgians. It simply doesn't get any better than this!

The first hour of the show was recorded for a local radio station but as soon as that is over the band has everyone singing along in Straight To Hell. It's one of their most popular songs if you ask me and the crowd just loved it.

Cheetah Chrome returns to the stage and they go all out punk playing The Dead Boys' song Sonic Reducer. Actually from the moment the radio recording was over the band got rowdier, in every good sense of the word, with Kevn Kinney climbing speaker stacks and jumping from them! The frontman and founder of the band should consider a side career as a stand-up comedian. Because apart from being a great singer and guitarist he is extremely funny and really makes the crowd feel relaxed and at home. His interaction with co-founder and bass player Tim Nielsen is bar to none and their drive to keep Drivin' N' Cryin' rolling and still current is so visible on stage.

Unfortunately all good things must come to an end and what an end it was. They launched into a Kevn solo song, Blues On Top Of Blues and are joined by guitarist Audley Freed. This guy has played with Cry Of Love, Black Crowes, Jimmy Page, Dixie Chicks amongst many others and what a fantastic string slinger he is. The band were on fire jamming real good with Vaden and Freed trading solos back and forth. Amazing!

Kevn and Tim has assembled a great band around them and I can only hope this line-up stays intact because they have something going on here. Drummer Dave V. Johnson is solid and versatile and alert to any changes/jams going on and never miss anything. And I have already spoken about new guitarist Sadler Vaden and all I can add to that is....check him out!

All in all this was a great show and subsequently a great night. I couldn't have asked for a better occasion to see Drivin' N' Cryin' for the first time and my affection for the band from listening to them all these years increased a thousandfold.

Swedebeast

Katatonia to support Opeth on "North American Heritage Tour 2013"

 

Sweden's ultimate dark rock/metal band, Katatonia, has announced an extensive North American tour with headliner and fellow Swedish elite, Opeth. The upcoming run, "North American Heritage Tour 2013," will conquer over 30 cities this spring beginning April 18 in Buffalo, N.Y.

Commented guitarist, Anders Nyström, "Back in the U.S.A...That's right Springsteen! We're looking at round #2 as special guests to our brothers in Opeth on their last North American leg of the Heritage World Tour. This time we'll mainly cover off-territories, so regardless if you caught or missed us last time, consider this a second chance to attend the dead ends of North America with one of the best bills there'll ever be!"


The tour will make two special stops, the first in Worcester, Mass. on April 20 where the band returns to play the New England Metal & Hardcore Festival, then in Clifton Park, N.Y. on April 28 where acclaimed Porcupine Tree front-man Steven Wilson will join for the night. A full list of confirmed dates can be seen below.

Katatonia last toured North America in September 2012 as part of the co-headlining "Epic Kings & Idols Tour" with The Devin Townsend Project.

Dead End Kings, Katatonia's ninth studio album and the follow-up to 2009's critically acclaimed, Night is the New Day, hit stores on August 28, 2012 via Peaceville Records.

The record debuted at #4 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart, #138 on the Billboard Top 200 and #10 on Hard Rock, topping Night is the New Day first week sales in the U.S. and making it Katatonia's most successful U.S. debut in its 20-year career.

Stay tuned to the Dead End Kings mini-site: http://www.deadendkings.com for more information on Katatonia, Dead End Kings and "North American Heritage Tour 2013."


Katatonia on tour w/ Opeth...

4/18 - Buffalo, NY @ The Town Ballroom
4/20 - Worcester, MA @ New England Metal & Hardcore Fest
4/21 - Quebec City, QC @ Capitole
4/23 - Halifax, NS @ Halifax Forum
4/24 - Moncton, NB @ Casino New Brunswick
4/26 - Guelph, ON @ Guelph Concert Theatre
4/27 - Allentown, PA @ Crocodile Rock
4/28 - Clifton Park, NY @ Upstate Concert Hall *w/ Steven Wilson
4/29 - Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
4/30 - Norfolk, VA @ NorVa Theatre
5/02 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Culture Room
5/03 - St. Petersburg, FL @ State Theatre                
5/04 - Athens, GA @ Georgia Theatre
5/05 - Raleigh, NC @ Lincoln Theatre
5/06 - Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel
5/08 - Lexington, KY @ Buster's Billiards & Backroom
5/09 - Indianapolis, IN @ The Vogue
5/10 - Flint, MI @ The Machine Shop
5/11 - Joliet, IL @ Mojoe's
5/12 - Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
5/14 - Fargo, ND @ The Venue
5/15 - Des Moines, IA @ Wooly's
5/16 - Sauget, IL @ Pop's
5/17 - Lincoln, NE @ Bourbon Theatre
5/18 - Tulsa, OK @ Cain's Ballroom
5/20 - Boulder, CO @ Fox Theatre
5/21 - Boulder, CO @ Fox Theatre
5/23 - Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theatre

5/24 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Roxy
5/25 - Agoura Hills, CA @ The Canyon Club
5/26 - Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst


Katatonia is...

Jonas Renske - vocals
Anders Nyström - guitar, backing vocals
Daniel Liljekvist - drums
Per Eriksson - guitar
Niklas Sandin - bass


Katatonia online...

www.katatonia.com
www.deadendkings.com
www.facebook.com/katatonia
www.myspace.com/katatonia
www.peaceville.com
www.omerch.com     
www.northernmusic.co.uk

 

Ripple Field Trp - Origin & Decrepit Birth: May 12, 2012 Studio 7 Seattle

I attended this show on the eve of Mother’s Day, so I just want to take a moment to recognize what moms do for us.  Sure enough, at this show I saw a mom who had brought 3 boys, looked like early teens, and this poor lady was the definition of long suffering.  You could tell that she was not enjoying herself in any way, yet she was there for them, to make sure they were able to enjoy themselves.  I don’t know if she was mom to all 3, but I hope that which ever of them were her sons that they took care of her on Mother’s Day.

This was actually one of those shows that I rant against.  They happen a lot here in Seattle, and probably just about everywhere that metal shows take place.  My problem is with a show that starts at 4 in the afternoon because there are, like, 9 bands on the bill.  I love metal, and that is too much for me.  So show promoters, take note.  Three or four really good bands on a bill is much better than three or four good bands, but you have to wade through 4 or 5 shitty bands to get there, and maybe you don’t make it and you go home, but you remember who put that show on and you don’t go to any more shows from that promoter.

By the time Decrepit Birth took the stage, I was ready.  They were 3rd to last, so I had waited through some not so enjoyable music.  Decrepit Birth totally delivered.  I’m not going to pretend that I’m a massive fan and know their discography forward and backward.  But I do like these guys a lot and their performance just increased my liking of this band.  Very solid, very well performed, great at working the crowd and excellent at melting faces.  Heavy death metal band that completely brings it in a live setting.  If you haven’t seen these guys before, get out and see a show soon, especially if you love you some death metal.

Origin, the headliner, put together a very solid performance as well.  Again, don’t know every song inside and out so I can’t tell you exactly what the set list was, but that’s why God invented the interwebs anyway, silly.  I had seen Origin once before a few years ago at a tiny little club in Tacoma, and I have to say that they seem to be much more together now.  Origin are all about technical death metal, so there is a lot of music that goes by in a blur.  They play fast, they play loud, and they play well.  Totally dug their set and left the venue very satisfied.

If I had to choose, I’d give a slight nod to Decrepit Birth because they were really on and really got the crowd into it, but it was a great show all the way around.  And I must give a tip of the cap to the venue, Studio 7 in Seattle.  They have a great sound system and always have sound guys who are on their game, which can make all the difference in a smaller venue.

- ODIN 

Yob - Live 1/23/12 - The Bourbon Theater, Lincoln, Nebraska

Yeah, I may be getting old but I can still rock out the hell out. I certainly don't feel 42 most of the time and I still get excited when a band I love comes to town. I saw that doom masters YOB were gonna be here before hitting the road with Tool, and knew it was maybe my only good chance to see the band that made my number-one album last year.

It was on a Monday, so that sucked, but I still couldn't pass it up. After all, this was gonna be up-close and personal. Intimate.

The Bourbon Theater in Lincoln, Nebraska is a tiny one but it still draws some pretty big names in heavy rock music, believe it or not. Clutch and The Sword come to mind. I don't know why it surprised me so much that YOB would also be appearing there. I guess I just never expected it.

I got there early, not so much to see the opening bands but more to browse the merch. I'm glad I hadn't ordered Atma on vinyl yet 'cause there it was, all shiny and new. I grabbed one, plus a shirt, and then noticed an album cover I hadn't seen before. It wasn't one of the band's regular releases. Turns out it was one of only a few vinyl demos the band had for sale so I got one of those too.

"Lucky you got one," the guy behind the table said. "Only 3 left and then they're all gone. Totally."

Sweet. I took the stuff out to the car, had a small break and headed back inside. By the time the first two bands finished the place was getting crowded and I decided to grab a spot as close as I could. Yes. A little stage-right from the drum kit.

YOB come out with smiles on their faces and acknowledge the crowd - maybe 100 people. This is gonna be an epic night. I couldn't believe I was about to hear this band in such a small venue. The whole stage is maybe seven or eight feet deep and 15-20 feet across. Barely enough room for the band and their equipment. And there I am, with my nose literally 12 inches from the mic stand. The stage comes up to the middle of my shins and I'm braced with the front of my thighs pressed up against huge Yamaha speakers.

I'm ready. Let's do this!

After a short sound check YOB tears into "Prepare The Ground", the first earth-trembling track from Atma. I'm not prepared. I had a thought about grabbing a pair of ear plugs earlier that day at work but that's as far as I got. A thought. Too late now. After the first couple riffs it doesn't matter anyway.

To tell you the truth, I totally lost myself somewhere in the middle of that first song. I didn't have anyone shoving me from behind and no one was brushing either of my shoulders. It was almost like I was the only one there and YOB was playing just for me. My own little private concert in Nebraska. Fucking awesome. I had plenty of room; my body was writhing and contorting to the thunderous grooves being laid down.

I didn't find myself until maybe the third song, I think it was "Atma", when Mike S. broke a guitar string. He apologized and took a couple minutes to fix it himself. No guitars techs at this show, but I didn't mind at all.

"I needed a break anyway," I thought to myself. Maybe I do feel old - my neck sure does. Damn.

YOB tear it up. During a couple songs I find myself fixating on drummer Travis Foster, who has a focused, determined look on his face as he's bashing away. His arms contort in ways I didn't know were possible as he apparently tries to beat his drum kit to death with two wooden sticks. Not since WEEDEATER have I seen such a punishing performance.

A good hour or more after they started, YOB follows up with a cool TOOL cover and then finish the show with "Quantum Mystic", off The Unreal Never Lived. I wipe my face with my shirt and then rub my eyes. Is it over? Wow. That's when I try to clear my ears and remember there's nothing in there.

The crowd fizzles out and I notice the band members tediously breaking down their equipment. "Now would be a good time to go get those albums from the car," I thought, and so I did. All three guys signed them for me without hesitating and listened graciously as I thanked them for coming to little old Lincoln. Great bunch of fellas. I wished them luck on the rest of their tour and told them I hoped they have fun.

"We already are," Mike said and then thanked me and my friends for coming out. He expressed that he's also a little nervous about thousands and thousands of people staring back at him in the coming month. Unexpected bodily functions are a possibility, he joked. Still, go see 'em if there's a show anywhere near you. I can only hope your experience was a great as mine.

To me, this show wasn't just a little warm-up before their big arena tour on the east coast with TOOL. It was special. It was an intimate night with YOB and I'll never forget it.

--Heddbuzz

Ripple News - Katatonia Tour Dates Announced

KATATONIA ANNOUNCES SPECIAL 20TH ANNIVERSARY NORTH AMERICAN SHOWS
Headlining “Last Fair Day Gone Night 2011” performances scheduled for September and October

Katatonia has announced several special 20th anniversary North American shows in celebration of two decades of gloom and doom from the world-renowned progressive metal titan. The headlining “Last Fair Day Gone Night 2011” performances will take place in the United States and Canada while the band is in North America for the upcoming “Heritage Tour” with fellow Swedish heavyweight, Opeth. Full dates for “Last Fair Day Gone Night 2011” and the “Heritage Tour” can be seen below.

            Guitarist Anders Nyström issued the following statement in anticipation of the “Heritage Tour…”

            "Both you and we know that North America damn well deserves to see more of Katatonia, right? So how could we possibly resist heading back to the States this fall when Opeth are giving us the opportunity to be their special guests? It was just a matter of time before it had to happen again. Yes we toured together in the same formation ten years ago in Europe, and not only was that tour very well received by both bands’ fans, but we also shared a great ride together as long time friends. Some people have even been calling this bill their ‘dream line-up’, so it's only fair that the loyal fans in North America now get their piece of the cake too! So come out and see us on this great tour and remember we're playing headlining sideshows as well! Looking forward! Cheers!"

            Katatonia last toured North America in the fall of 2010, a headlining run on the “Night Over North America” tour, in support of its 2009 release, Night Is The New Day.

            Stay tuned for more information on Katatonia, “Last Fair Day Gone Night 2011” the “Heritage Tour”.




“Heritage Tour” dates 2011…
Sept. 16 - Ottawa, ON - Zaphod Beeblebrox*
Sept. 17 - Quebec City, QC - Agitee*
Sept. 18 - Montreal, QC - Foufounes*
Sept. 19 - Worcester, MA - The Palladium
Sept. 20 - Hartford, CT - Webster Theater
Sept. 21 - New York, NY - Webster Hall
Sept. 22 - New York, NY - Webster Hall
Sept. 23 - Philadelphia, PA – Trocadero
Sept. 24 - Rochester, NY - Montage Music Hall*
Sept. 25 - Cleveland, OH - Peabody’s*
Sept. 26 - Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall
Sept. 27 - Louisville, KY - Expo Five
Sept. 28 - Nashville, TN - Cannery Ballroom
Sept. 29 - Charlotte, NC - Amos' Southend
Sept. 30 - Atlanta, GA - Center Stage
Oct. 01 - Lake Buena Vista, FL - House of Blues
Oct. 02 - New Orleans, LA - Hangar*
Oct. 03 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live
Oct. 04 - Austin, TX - Stubb's Waller Creek Amphitheater
Oct. 05 - Dallas, TX - Granada Theater
Oct. 06 - Kansas City, MO - The Beaumont Club
Oct. 07 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
Oct. 08 - Winnipeg, MB - Burton Cummings
Oct. 09 - Regina, SK - The Exchange*
Oct. 10 - Edmonton, AB - Edmonton Events Centre
Oct. 11 - Calgary, AB - MacEwan Hall Ballroom
Oct. 13 - Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom
Oct. 14 - Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory Concert House
Oct. 15 - Seattle, WA - Showbox SoDo
Oct. 16 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theatre
Oct. 18 - San Francisco, CA - The Warfield
Oct. 19 - Los Angeles, CA - Mayan Theatre
Oct. 20 - San Diego, CA - House of Blues
Oct. 21 - Pomona, CA - The Fox Theater
Oct. 22 - Tempe, AZ - Marquee Theatre
Oct. 24 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Complex
Oct. 25 - Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre
Oct. 27 - Milwaukee, WI - The Rave
Oct. 28 - Chicago, IL - Vic Theatre
Oct. 29 - Detroit, MI - St. Andrews Hall
Oct. 30 - Guelph, ON - Guelph Concert Theatre
Oct. 31 - Millvale, PA - Mr Smalls Theatre
Nov. 01 - Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live!

* Katatonia headlining “Last Fair Day Gone Night 2011” date

JPT Scare Band Continues Their Mad Ascent with First Live Gig in over 35 Years

 

What a year it's been for JPT Scare Band!  After plying their frenzied, hard-rocking, acid blues trade in near obscurity, the world is waking up to JPT Scare Band's brand of acidified blues and the love and accolades keep pouring in.  Classic Rock Magazine, featured JPT Scare Band on their November edition cover-mounted CD, Rhapsody declared JPT Scare Band one of the "10 Essential Proto-Metal bands", and their debut Ripple Music release, Acid Blues is the White Man's Burden soared up the charts at CDBaby.com to the #2 in the Extended Jams Category where it has continued to hold that position for nearly a full year!

As the world wakes up to the masterful acid jamming that is JPT Scare Band, the boys are readying to unleash a new treat for their legions of fans, young and old: their first live performance in over 35 years!  Without a doubt, JPT Scare Band forged their reputation with their incendiary live performances and now's your chance to witness the band doing what it does best.  JPT Scare Band is blasting it out live at Crosstown Station with Granmax and the New Lost Souls, July 22nd in their hometown of Kansas City, Missouri.

Don't miss this night of psychedelic madness as Kansas City welcomes back their wayward sons and opens their minds and doors for a night of searing acid blues.  Expect some JPT Scare Band classics to blitz the audience, and if rumors are correct, keep your ears open for two brand new songs!

It seems the world is waking up to the terror that is JPT Scare Band.  The Rock and Roll Report  proclaimed Acid Blues is the White Man’s Burden, “sizzles with fuzzy guitars, gritty vocals, and extended jam sessions that instantly transport you to what feels like a Hendrix concert. Terry Swope has got to be one of the world's most underrated guitarists! If you miss the glory days of Cream, Deep Purple, and Jimi Hendrix, you have to check out these uncovered gems from JPT Scare Band.”  Here Comes the Flood decrees that Acid Blues “holds its own against famous niche sharers, such as Cream, Ten Years After, Rory Gallagher and the mighty Led Zeppelin!” and Sonic Abuse gushes that Acid Blues is simply a “gem to treasure.”

Don't miss your chance to catch them live!   Details and tickets at: Crosstown Station.

Acid Blues is the White Man’s Burden is available in limited quantities from Ripple Music in two-toned, gatefold, double-LP with two bonus tracks, Deluxe digipack CD, or digital at www.ripple-music.com and all fine music sites like iTunes, Digstation, Amazon, CD Baby, and eBay.

Click here for the full CD Baby.com rankings:  CDBaby

RIPPLE MUSIC STORE

www.ripple-music.com

Personal Message to all Waveriders from Anthrax's Scott Ian

Hello my friends, how are you all?  I hope you're all kicking ass.

I know there's been a lot of rhetoric out there regarding upcoming Anthrax shows, Big 4 and otherwise.

I've been debating on whether or not to make a public statement about this as it really pertains to my personal life and I generally like to keep that personal.  Because this is affecting my band life, I feel like you, my friends, deserve to hear from me personally.

I will be playing the Big 4 show April 23 in Indio, CA s well as the shows in Manila, Bangkok, and Japan that will follow the Indio show. 

I won't be playing the shows scheduled from July 2 - 16 in Europe and the UK.  My wife Pearl and I are expecting our first child and she is due literally the day of the Big 4 Sonisphere show in France.

This decision to miss these shows was a deeply personal one.  I co-founded this band July 18, 1981 and for almost thirty years, I have been there for everything we've ever done.  I have never been faced with anything that would make me even question being there for anything Anthrax related.  Becoming a father is the biggest, best thing that's ever happened to me and it made the decision relatively easy.  My priority is with my wife and the birth of our first child.

As soon as I was faced with this decision, I knew, as Freddie Mercury so eloquently said, "the show must go on."

I started thinking about guitar players I knew, guys that I am a fan of, guys that I respect, guys that headbang like Angus was watching them, guys that I listen to and who I thought had the spirit to enable the show to go on.

This wasn't a hard decision at all.  I asked the rest of the band what they thought, and we were on the same page.

We chose Andreas [Kisser from Sepultura] because we feel he can do the gig better than anyone.  He has the fire, the attitude, and the crushing right hand to do the gig. I've played with Andreas at the Roadrunner 25th anniversary show, and I've gotten up and played with Sepultura and we are kindred spirits.  We both play every show like we're going to jail the next day, like it's the last show we'll ever play.  He has what it takes and he has the experience and history to fucking bring it and make these Anthrax shows something special.  I can't wait to see and hear it for myself!!

This year will bring our tenth Anthrax studio record featuring the return of the one and only Joey Belladonna.  We're hard at work finishing it and I can say that from the tracks I have heard, it is going to tear your fucking heads off.  I'm looking forward to getting back on the road with the band that is now better than we've ever been, and seeing all your sick faces and banging heads.

Cheers,

Scott


(Scott will play the following dates)
APRIL
23    Empire Polo Club, Indio, CA (Big 4 show)
30    Pulp Summer Slam Festival, Manila, Philippines

MAY
 2    AP Parking, Esplanade, Ratchada, Bangkok, Thailand
 5    O-East, Tokyo, Japan
 6    O-East, Tokyo, Japan
 7    Diamond Hall, Nagoya, Japan
 9    Big Cat, Osaka, Japan

(Andreas Kisser will play the following dates)
JULY
 2    Veltins Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Germany (Big 4 show)
 3    Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden  (Big 4 show)
 5    Komplex AG, Zurich, Switzerland
 6    Fiera Open Air Arena, Milan, Italy  (Big 4 show)
 8    Sonisphere Festival, Knebworth, UK 
 9    Sonisphere Festival, Amneville, France
11    Garage, Saarbrucken, Germany
12    Vega Musikkenshus, Copenhagen, Denmark
14    Slottsfjell Festival, Tonsberg, Norway
15    Dour Festival, Dour, Belgium
16    Zwarte Cross Festival, Lichtenvoorde, Netherlands

Field Report - Sleep Reunion in Brooklyn 9/8/10

 L-O-U-D!

The Brooklyn Masonic temple was erected in 1907 and sits in Brooklyn’s beautiful and historic Fort Greene section. About 3 years ago various promoters began renting it out and having concerts there. Everyone from Neurosis to Big Star have performed inside the historic space and was the perfect venue to catch one of the few Sleep reunion shows. Sleep’s unique blend of heavy music, spirituality and massive weeed consumption was well served on the majestic altar.

Sleep played 2 nights in Brooklyn, Monday Zeptember 6 and Wednesday Zeptember 8. The Wednesday show was the first one announced and sold out so quickly another show had to be added. The Masonic Temple also hosed a concert of Boris and Sunn O))) performing as Altar on Tuesday Zeptember 7. I was told that the Monday Sleep show was a complete fog of pot smoke and that the Boris/Sunn O))) show was cut short by a visit from the police, while others claim there was a problem with the power. The Temple has no air conditioning so it was pretty fragrant with the scent of b.o. and swampy air.

All of these events contributed to tighter security and stricter set times. It was posted that Sleep would start the Wednesday show at 10PM and they hit the stage at ten on the dot. The crowd went berserk as guitarist Matt Pike started the opening droney riffs of “Dopesmoker.” When bassist Al Cisneros and guest drummer Jason Roeder of Neurosis came thundering in for “Holy Mountain” the sound was truly overwhelming. As someone who’s been going to see really loud music for over 25 years, this was easily one of the loudest shows I’ve ever witnessed. I was towards the back of the venue near the soundboard and the beer stand. When it was time for a freshie there was no chance of telling the bartender what you wanted. You just had to point to what you wanted and hope they understood. Unfortunately the tighter security totally harshed the mellow of those trying to let Mother Nature fly free. A few people were kicked out but plenty of sneaky weedians were able to sneak a puff or two.

Back in Sleep’s original 1990’s heyday they were know for playing massive Green Amps but it seems that they were using borrowed or rented gear on this tour. Matt played his cherry burst Les Paul through two Marshall amps and four Orange 4x12 cabinets. Al’s Rickenbacker bass was powering two Ampeg amps with matching 8x10 cabinets plus a Marshall amp and two 4x12’s. The PA system was excellent allowing Jason’s drums and Al’s vocals to be heard over that inanely hellish crossfire of sound.

For the main set, they played everything from the classic Holy Mountain with some parts of the epic “Dopesmoker” mixed in. The band was very tight but took plenty of liberties with the material and stretched out on some incredible jams. The zonked out crowd loved it. Behind the band a huge screen projected space footage, pot leaves, fire and other hallucinatory images. It’s hard to pick any standout songs because everything was played so well but the jam during “From Beyond” was especially Grand Funk-esque.

After a short break, the band returned to play a cover of Ozzy’s “Over The Mountain.” It was a good choice since playing a Black Sabbath cover would be completely redundant since all of Sleep’s songs owe such a huge debt to them. It started off at Ozzy’s tempo before dropping to a slower pace for the verses. During the guitar solo the band got faster and slower a few times, but I’m not sure if that was intentional or not. The last two songs of the night were the unreleased “Antarcticus Thawed” and “Cultivator,” both of which were massively heavy.

Without a word, the band left the stage and the stunned and deaf crowd filed out of the Temple and went in search of munchies and fresh air.

--Woody

Ripple News - 1349 Reveal North American Tour Plans and Special Edition Album Art

Norwegian black metal act, and recent Pope rave-about, 1349 have unveiled the cover art for the North American and European special edition of their upcoming album, DEMONIOR. The album will be released by Indie Recordings throughout Europe on April 26, and by Prosthetic Records in North America on April 27.

The track list is as follows:

11. Tunnel of Set - I
12. Atomic Chapel
13. Tunnel II
14. When I was flesh
15. Tunnel III
16. Psalm 7:77
17. Tunnel IV
18. Pandemonium War Bells
19. Tunnel V
20. The Devil of the Desert
21. Tunnel VI
22. Demonoir
23. Tunnel VII


For the band's fifth full-length release, 1349 decided to suck out the fiercest and most potent energies from every single member and surroundings, channeling it into songs that are pulsating with uncanny atmospheres, rawness and nerve shattering intensity. The whole process of getting the material on record was like one long, exhausting black magic summoning that could not be allowed to go wrong, and it all resulted in 1349's darkest, most sinister and brutal work to date.

DEMONOIR will be available in North America as a digipack CD and a limited edition 12" picture disc LP.

The band is also confirmed for North American dates this spring with Cannibal Corpse. The dates are:

4/20       Firestone- Orlando, FL

4/21       Masquerade- Atlanta, GA

4/22       Volume 11 Tavern- Raleigh, NC

4/23       JAXX- Springfield, VA

4/24       Palladium (Metal Fest)- Worcester, MA

4/25       Crazy Donkey- Long Island, NY

4/27       Club Soda- Montreal, QC

4/28        Opera House- Toronto, OB

4/29        House of Blues- Chicago, IL

4/30        Eagles Club- Milwaukee, WI

5/1          Station 4- St. Paul, MN

5/2          Granada Theater- Lawrence, KS

5/3          Gothic Theatre- Denver, CO

5/5          Slim's- San Francisco, CA

5/6          House Of Blues- Los Angeles, CA

w/ Cannibal Corpse, Skeletonwitch, Lecherous Nocturne

www.legion1349.com
www.myspace.com/1349official