A gaping void is opening in the metal world: Slayer have announced they’re hanging up their horns after one last world tour. They’re bringing Anthrax, Testament, Lamb of God, and Behemoth along for a festival’s worth of intensity on the North American leg, which starts May 10 in San Diego. The rest of the dates and info can be found here.
Slayer has proved an enduring outlet for metalheads of all ages over their 30-plus years of existence. Their aggression has never waned, and though it may have overpowered their dynamics in the last couple of decades, their classic songs have an abiding relevance right up there with the greatest rock bands on anybody’s list. There are many out there who would put the build-up and hefty riffs of “Seasons in the Abyss” next to anything by Zeppelin, who would take dizzying Dave Lombardo drum fills over Neal Peart’s, who would whistle the lead to “South of Heaven” past any graveyard, and who wouldn’t want any other band playing in the getaway car.
We’re washing them up because we sincerely believe their talent is underappreciated — maybe because so many of their fans are the epitome of mindless testosterone run amok — and also because we feel like we sorta owe them one. We had the chance to interview them back in 2006. That was back when we were writing regularly for local and national rags, at the top of whatever game we may have once had, but the intimidation of interviewing the mythical “Fucking Slaaaayer!” turned us into a blathering sort of Chris Farley fawning over his favorite musicians with dumbass questions. Only our questions weren’t funny. We asked the usual generic questions about making the new album, and keeping things intense after all this time, and then fell over our own stupid and ended up finishing a line of questioning with, “So how does Slayer define evil?” Kerry King actually winced before he took a long pull on his Fiji water bottle. Silence followed for four seconds while we figured out how to somehow change the subject. They were nice enough guys that they didn’t laugh, but that silence was about the loudest “what the fuck?” we’ve ever felt. Ended up with a dull story that we’ve always regretted. Somehow Slayer survived, but we always wonder how much bigger they coulda been if we’d written something spectacular.
Sad side note to that story: it was April 20, and we were too scared/stupid to bring a joint.
So, Slayer, though we’re too old to slam in your pits anymore, we’ll miss you coming around every couple of years to scare the squares and give us crazies something to look forward to.
Speaking of tours, Burger Records is sending some great bands up and down the West Coast in February and March for a tour called Burger-A-Go-Go. Featuring the snapping garage punk of The Coathangers, the simmering swagger of the Death Valley Girls, the exotic grooves of Dengue Fever, and many more fantastic female-fronted bands. Here’s all the info about the tour, and a playlist that will put some Burger boogie in your day.
Old English punks The Damned have released a new single ahead of their forthcoming album, Evil Spirits, which will be out on April 13. “Standing on the Edge of Tomorrow” is full of guitars that twang a bit while bass bubbles and drums pitter and snap. Dave Vanian sounds like he’s pointing a gothic finger in your face as he dishes out “This time could be the last time/maybe the only time to get it right!” There’s a sorta faux-epic build -up and chorus that sounds Damned enough, but there’s all sorts of droning vocals in the background, and overall the song sounds like a John Hughes’ movie closer in double time. Throw your fist in the air as you walk across the football field and enjoy.
The new album, the old band’s first in over ten years, was recorded with Tony Visconti on some vintage gear. Peep the spacey video here.
Rad news! The first song from the first Hot Snakes album since 2004 has been released to a world that needs fast downstrokin’ rocknroll like an old hockey player needs teeth. It’s hot and snakey!
There’s a band from Sweden called the Deadheads that aren’t even close to hippy shit. The guitars are movin and groovin fast rock with a glam vibe that calls to mind the hot licks of Turbonegro at their deathpunk flashiest. It’s fast music for rockers who start their day with a Jack and Coke (or maybe ol’ guys who remember when they did). Their new album comes out January 26, and is not-so-originally called This One Goes to 11. We’d be surprised if these guys don’t take off soon and we see them at all the best dive bars across ‘merica. Here’s an older video so you get the gist of it.
And finally, because we all need a laugh, grab your poncho and get a nice cigarillo for Wild West, a band that turns old pop songs into spaghetti western-style themes. Click the pic and get rollin’.
Thanks to Long Beach’s great record shop, Fingerprints, for finding this gem and sharing it in their email newsletter, which you should sign up for no matter where you live because they’re always finding nuggets like this to brighten your day, and even better nuggets like this to remind you why you don’t want to give up on music.
Slaaaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyeeerrr!!!!