Author: THE SAW

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Concert Preview

Upcoming Metal Shows

What’s going on Butcher Crew?! There has been tons of shows that have been announced and I know that it can be hard to keep up with, but I decided I would help out my Butcher Crew and make a list of the tours that will be coming through North Carolina!! The Saw will be at most of these shows, will I see you?

Monday, March 9th: Local 506, Chapel Hill

This show is going to be killer!! You have some of the most hard-hitting bands on one bill! I am mainly excited to see Kublai Khan because I love their most recent album, Absolute, and I can’t wait to hear them play those songs live!

Sunday, March 15th: Amos’ Southend, Charlotte

Literally every band on this bill I am excited for. I haven’t seen Aversions Crown or Fit For An Autopsy in a few years!!I’ve just recently seen Thy Art Is Murder a few months ago and I love seeing them any chance I get.

Sunday, March 15th: The Ritz, Raleigh

Killswitch Engage is one of the OG bands for the new wave of metal that opened the door for metalcore bands, and they are bringing another heavy hitter, August Burns Red, with them!

Friday, March 20th: The Pour House, Raleigh

Vio-lence has never been to Raleigh and this will be their first time coming here! They have some of my Local Butchers opening for them! I will be the MC for this show!


Saturday, March 21st: The Drunk Horse Pub, Fayetteville

Pathology and Pyrexia are some big-name bands that have had a huge impact on the heavier realm of music, and they are bringing some more of my Local Butchers with them to open up this show! The Saw will be there, will I see you?


Friday, May 8th: The Blind Tiger, Greensboro

Suicide Silence is hitting North Carolina again with their newest record, Become the Hunter, and they will have many of my Local Butchers with them! The Saw will most definitely be there!!

Sunday, May 10th: The Ritz, Raleigh

I am so excited to see Motionless in White, Knocked Loose, Stick To Your Guns, and Ovtlier. There is a wide variety of bands on this bill and I am very interested to see how this shows goes!! I am super excited to see all of these bands!

Monday, June 1st: The Ritz, Raleigh

Do I really need to say anything about this tour? Two of my favorite bands are touring together, so it’s a no brainer that I will for sure be there.

Sunday, June 14th: Red Hat Amphitheater, Raleigh

Megadeth, Lamb of God, Trivium, and In Flames will be hitting Raleigh and I am super-excited for all of these bands! I haven’t seen Megadeth in so long and I can’t wait to yell their lyrics back to them!

Wednesday, June 17th: PNC Music Pavilion, Charlotte 

Slipknot is bringing A Day To Remember on this run and, honestly, I love seeing the mixed genres that bands are bringing on tour with them! Slipknot and ADTR never disappoint!

Friday, September 11th: Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheater, Charlotte

Let’s be real, I love all of these bands on this bill: Parkway Drive, Hatebreed, Knocked Loose, and Fit For A King. I already got my pit tickets for this show and I can’t wait to mosh to all of these bands!

Thursday, September 17th: PNC Music Pavilion, Charlotte

I have never seen Judas Priest live so hopefully this will be my chance to see them!

Are you going to any of these shows? Did I miss any that you are excited about?

Stay Metal,

THE SAW

Categories
Classic Album Review

Album of the Week: Diary of a Madman – Ozzy Osbourne

When John Michael “Ozzy" Osbourne was effectively fired from Black Sabbath in 1979, I don’t think anyone (except the “Prince of Darkness" himself) knew what would become of an Ozzy solo career. In 1980 he released his first record, Blizzard of Ozz, and there was, in fact, something to pay attention to, here. He had found a young guitar player by the name of Randy Rhodes (Quiet Riot), who played in classic fashion but with uncommon precision and style. “Crazy Train" and “Mr. Crowley,” the two singles from the album, give the listener a clear view of both, Ozzy’s future and the talent of the young guitarist.

On November 7, 1981 the greatest Ozzy record (IMO) was unleashed onto the world, Diary of a Madman (Jet); and it was a clear and powerful sign that there would be no containing this madman, later to be called, The Godfather of Heavy Metal! The two singles, “Flying High Again" and “Over the Mountain" give an immediate glimpse of Ozzy’s Genius and the evolution of that young guitarist, Randy Rhodes. The production of the entire record is thick, in a good way! It helps to portray the power of this duo as they were getting wound up to revolutionize the metal world. But it is the title track, “Diary of a Madman" which casted Ozzy’s vision the clearest, I think; with the incorporation of a choir and keyboards, this track is huge when speaking to what was to come – Dark and Eerie.

Unfortunately, it would not be the duo of Ozzy and Randy that would conquer the world. Ozzy would have to foster another relationship when Randy Rhodes was tragically killed (1982) in a plane crash while on tour with Osbourne in Florida. Three Ozzy guitarists would follow, Brad Gillis [Night Ranger] (1982), Jake E. Lee (1982-87) and Zakk Wylde (1987-present). But for this masterpiece entitled, Diary of a Madman, its Ozzy (vocals, obviously), Randy Rhodes (guitars), Bob Daisley (bass), Lee Kerslake (drums) – though neither of the last two are credited anywhere but the original release. Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot; Whitesnake) soon took over bass and Tommy Aldridge (Whitesnake; Ted Nuggent; Thin Lizzy) the drums for the American tour to support the album.

Ozzy has had MANY great songs during his career, but the ONE great record is Diary of a Madman – Triple Platinum in the US!

I got to see Ozzy in 2018 in Bristow, Va. His stage presence, along with Zakk Wilde’s, is the best I’ve seen. Of the “big bands,” this was definitely one of the best shows!

Favorite Songs: Flying High Again, Over the Mountain, S.A.T.O., Diary of a Madman

Rating: A Masterpiece 10/10!!

Stay Metal, 

THE SAW 

Categories
Band/Artist Profile

Band of the Week: Abbath

Photo by Courtney Breen @chewing.glass on Instagram

Abbath (the band) was formed in Bergen, Norway in 2015 by Abbath (the person; Abbath Doom Occulta). Their genre is Black Metal,  but their sound is not that easy to nail down (no pun intended). They are definitely Black Metal. Yet, they fuse German Thrash and symphonic to form a blistering, crushing sound. Combined with the howling, screeching, rasp of Abbath’s vocals and devastating guitar playing, they are definitely distinct in the metal scene.

Abbath (the person) is Olve Eikemo (a.k.a., Abbath Doom Occulta). He, along with Harold Naevdal (a.k.a. Demonaz Doom Occulta), were the founders of the legendary Black Metal band Immortal. As one of the groundbreaking artists in the dark world of Black Metal, Abbath worked with the giants of the genre; drummers like Hellhammer, Armagedda, Horgh, Padden, and Grim; guitarists like Demonaz, Tore Bretsath, and Varg Vikernes; and bassists like Apollyon, Iscariah, Ares, and Saroth; and bands like Bathory, Celtic Frost, and the band the began it all, Mayhem.

Abbath (the band) has had so many different members in it’s short life that only Abbath (the person) is original – the original “Creature” (drums), and a couple of drummers donning the “Creature" mask, bass players like King Ov Hell and Mia Wallace, and several great guitarists (too numerous to mention). As of this writing, Abbath (the band) is: Abbath (the person – guitar, vocals), Ole Andre’ Farstad (guitar), Rusty Cornell (bass), and Ukri Suvilehto (drums).

It is this lineup that I witnessed a few months ago when Abbath (the person and the band) came to Raleigh with Obituary (check-out my show review). H.O.L.Y C.R.A.P! What an awesome stage performance by the band, and an unforgettable performance by the person! Now, if you’ve never seen them, Abbath (the person) reminds me of a much darker, more evil, bringing the hordes of Hell with him, Gene Simmons. Not only the face paint (“corpse paint” for Abbath), but the stage persona and presence is incredible. The band was not overcome by this, however, as each was truly impressive in their own right.

Abbath (the band) has two studio albums, Abbath (2016) and Outstrider (2019). I know that Black Metal is an acquired taste, but Abbath do it well. Especially live! If you get a chance to check them out, recorded and/or live, do it! You won’t regret it!

Stay Metal, 

THE SAW 

Categories
Band/Artist Profile

Band of the Week: Pantera

Ahhh yes, Pantera, the band that opened the door for many bands that we listen to today. When Pantera first hit the scene, there was nobody like them. No band had the riffs and grooves like Pantera did. Now, when listening to bands, you can hear the influence that Dimebag Darrell (RIP) had on their music. He invented a whole new way to play and it would seem that his mind continuously thought of killer, crushing riffs. Phil brought a hardcore edge and sense of vocal rage to these riffs. Darrell’s brother, Vinnie, played some of the cleanest drums I have ever heard, writing most songs with his brother. And Rex masterfully thumped with anything and everything that developed. If I had to name one single thing that made Pantera special it would be the fact that this is a band where everyone was equally talented so no one outshined the other. Each seemed larger than life.

Pantera was an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas that formed in 1981. Their best known lineup is Vinnie Paul (drummer) (RIP), “Dimebag” Darrell Paul (guitarist) (RIP), Rex Brown (bass), and Phil Anselmo (vocalist). They are credited for being part of the second wave of thrash metal. But they became much more than a thrash metal band, they offered metal the fury and force that propelled it into the powerhouse genre that it became. Pantera gets the credit for forming a metal formula which would inspire hundreds of bands to follow.

Before becoming the heavy hitters that we know and love now, they started as a glam metal band and released three albums in the mid 1980s with founding member Terry Glaze as vocalist. When looking for a new and heavier sound, Pantera replaced Glaze with Anselmo in late 1986. They went on hiatus in 2001 and were disband by the Abbott brothers in 2003. The brothers went on to form Damageplan, while Anselmo continued several side projects. On December 8, 2004, Dimebag Darrell was shot and killed on stage by a fan. Vinnie Paul went on to form Hellyeah after his brother’s death. Vinnie Paul died of heart failure in 2018.  

Pantera has 5 full-length albums: Cowboys from Hell (1990), Vulgar Display of Power (1992), Far Beyond Driven (1994), The Great Southern Trendkill (1996), and Reinventing the Steel (2000).

Favorite songs: This Love, 5 Minutes Alone, Walk, Cemetery Gates, and Cowboys from Hell.

What are your favorite Pantera songs? Did you have a chance to see them live?

Stay Metal,

THE SAW

Categories
New Album Review

Album Review: Sepultura – Quadra

Quadra (Nuclear Blast), the 15th studio album from Brazil’s own Sepultura, dropped on February 7, 2020. And the offering proves to be a solid record! The diehard Max (vocals/guitar)/Igor (drums) Cavalara era Sepultura fans, looking for a continuous remake of Arise (1991), Chaos A.D. (1993), or Roots (arguably the band’s best record; 1996), will find some familiar ground on which to stand, here. But, for the most part, the band has left that phase of its evolution long ago. This record is simply their best since those early days.

As the title suggests, the album is intentionally divided into four distinct parts, of which old school Sepultura is a part. The other ¾ of the record, however, is a survey of sorts of the band’s musical journey since those days; looking into the future. Andreas Kisser (guitars) is, as usual, incredible as the substance that holds the band in consistency. Paulo Jr (bass) is the other long-standing member, present for decades, that concretizes the sound. Eloy Casagrande (drums) is exceptional as the tribal, driving, time-keeper. And Derrick Green (vocals) is quite a force, both with his powerful chops, but also is giant presence.

Some tracks that are interesting, both in their representation of their respective sections (the Quadra), but also in their own right are: “Isolation,” and what an opening song! Old school thrash, post-modern twist, with crushing death vocals. “Ali” and “Raging Void” mark the next section, and they are groovy and heavy. Very nice. “Guardians of Earth” begins section three, and is an atmospheric track that expresses the talent of the individual pieces of the whole band. “The Pentagram” is an instrumental in the middle of section three. Sepultura has very talented instrumentalists. And this section shows the band moving away from the past and into the future. “Agony of Defeat” gives evidence of Green’s range, with clean vocals, screams, and gutterals. Beautiful! “Fear, Pain, Chaos, Suffering” is the last track on the album. It gives us an idea of the direction Sepultura is going with their sound and style. The song features Emmily Barreto (Far From Alaska) with Green harmonizing (often in gutterals), and superb riffs.

Favorite Songs: Isolation; Ali; Raging Void; Guardians of Earth

Rating: 8.5/10

*Bonus: For more info on the concept of Quadra and Sepultura, listen to my podcast interview with Andreas Kisser, only on The Saw’s Electric Chair, in The Saw’s Butcher Shop on WKNC.

Stay Metal,

THE SAW 

Categories
Podcasts

Throwback Jams with DJ Psyched

Categories
Band/Artist Profile

Band of the Week: Whitechapel

Are you guys surprised that Whitechapel is my band of the week? Because I’m not. Whitechapel’s song, The Saw Is The Law, influenced my DJ name, The Saw. During my senior year of high school, “where we come from, the saw is the law” was my senior quote and I wrote it in the sand at the beach for the whole world to know that the saw is the law. I even have a saw blade tattooed on my shoulder blade, so you can say that I am a pretty big Whitechapel fan. This is because Whitechapel was one of the first deathcore bands that I got into. My brother used to play them when I was younger, and when I started to get into the music myself, they were one of the first bands I went back and listened to. I love their overall sound and how the music and vocals blend beautifully together. I also love their evolution, musically. They have tried different things on their most recent album, The Valley, and even though it is different from their previous records, they keep their theme of brutality.

I have seen Whitechapel four times, and every time they impress me. They always put on a great show and Bozeman’s voice is so powerful and strong and I don’t know how he can do his gutturals live. The entire band is in the crowd’s face throughout the whole show and it makes the crowd rowdier and more exciting. I got to meet Whitechapel and it was great to finally meet one of my favorite bands. They were so nice and they were all smiles when I told them that mg DJ name was influenced by them. When I said that I go to NC State, Bozeman said “go Wolfpack” and it honestly made my day.

Whitechapel is an American deathcore band from Knoxville, Tennessee and was founded in 2006. They got their name after the Whitechapel district in East London, England, referring to the series of murders committed by Jack the Ripper. They are signed to Metal Blade Records and have released seven albums: The Somatic Defilement (2007), This Is Exile (2008), A New Era of Corruption (2010), Whitechapel (2012), Our Endless War (2014),  Mark of the Blade (2016), and The Valley (2019).

Whitechapel has stated that they are influenced by a wide range of bands. A few are Cannibal Corpse, Meshuggah, Slipknot, Dying Fetus, Pantera, Slayer, Despised Icon, Nile, Behemoth, Amon Amarth, Morbid Angel, and Cattle Decapitation. You can hear these variety of influences within their music. Phil Bozeman (vocalist) stated in an interview that him and Ben Savage (lead guitarist) are more into death metal, Zach Householder (guitarist) is more into epic black metal, and Alex Wade (rhythm guitar) is more into hardcore. Within the guitars, you can hear the different riffs that represent their taste in music.

Current members: Phil Bozeman (vocals), Ben Savage (lead guitar), Alex Wade (rhythm guitar), Gabe Crisp (bass), Zach Householder (third guitar), and their touring drummer, Alex Rüdinger.

Favorite songs: The Saw Is The Law, The Somatic Defilement, Mark of the Blade, Elitist Ones, Brimstone, and Black Bear.

Have you seen Whitechapel live? What are some of your favorite songs?

Stay Metal,

THE SAW

Categories
Playlists

The Saw’s Bloody Valentine’s Day Playlist

Happy Valentine’s Day Butcher Crew!! I hope your day is filled with love, metal, and even more metal! I know that some people love the love of Valentine’s Day, and others hate it. Whatever you are doing for Valentine’s Day – going out with your significant other, having a guys/girls night, or binge watching Netflix while eating a tub of ice cream, I have some songs that will fit any occasion! So crank up that music and have yourself a good time on the day of love.

·      Romance Is Dead – Parkway Drive

·      A Deathless Song – Parkway Drive

·      This Love – Pantera

·      Cemetery Gates – Pantera

·      Love You to Death – Type O Negative

·      My Girlfriend’s Girlfriend – Type O Negative

·      Cinnamon Girl – Type O Negative

·      Gravity – Wage War

·      Johnny Cash – Wage War

·      Thanks For Nothing – Bent Life

·      Psychotic Romantic – Miss May I

·      Snuff – Slipknot

·      The Death of Lies – Cradle of Filth

·      Let Me Put My Love Into You – AC/DC

·      When the Wild Wind Blows – Iron Maiden

·      I Hate Everything About You – Three Days Grace

·      Careless Whisper – Seether

·      Miles Away – Memphis Mayfire

·      Love, Hate, Love – Alice in Chains

·      Love-Hate-Sex-Pain –Godsmack

·      I F****** Hate You – Godsmack

·      Another You – Of Mice & Men

·      Vermilion Pt. 2 – Slipknot

·      On Her Mind – Volumes

·      Tough Love – Left Behind

·      No Love/No One – Gideon

·      F***** With A Knife – Cannibal Corpse

·      I Cum Blood – Cannibal Corpse

For Spotify playlist, click here!!

And always remember, the quickest way to someone’s heart is through the sternum.

Stay Metal,

THE SAW

Categories
Band/Artist Profile

Artist of the Week: Tash Sultana

Tash Sultana is an Australian singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, described as a one-person band. Sultana grew up in Melbourne and has been playing the guitar since the age of three. She began her music career through busking (street performing) and gained a lot of attention from that. Sultana can play 20 instruments, including guitar, bass, trumpet, flute, percussion, and saxophone. Sultana is nonbinary and uses the pronouns they. They self-described themselves as a drug addict, at the age of 17, they developed drug-induced psychosis. Later in 2017, they were diagnosed with laryngitis.

Sultana shared a video on social media of them playing a song and within five days, gained one million views. They won the J Award for Unearthed Artist of the Year and had two tracks voted into the Triple J Hottest 100 in 2016 with their hit songs Jungle (No.3) and Notion (No. 32). They recorded the single Jungle at their home and gained over 40 million views. They then went into the studio and began working on the EP release, Notion, which was released in 2016. Their first full-length album, Flow State, was released on August 31, 2018. In 2019, they released 3 singles: Can’t Buy Happiness, Talk It Out, and Daydreaming.

When watching videos of Sultana playing, it looks like they lose themselves in the music. Their whole entire body is embraced within the music and you can see how much they put into performing. I first heard them back in 2018 when they released their album Flow State, and the first song I heard was Blackbird. When I first listened to that song, I was watching it on YouTube and the album cover would move while the song played. It was so trippy, and I got stuck in a trance watching the video and listening to them playing an acoustic guitar solo. When they started singing a few minutes within the song, I got chills. From that point on, I fell in love with their music.

Favorite songs: Murder To The Mind, Blackbird, Pink Moon, and Cigarettes.

What is your favorite Tash Sultana song?

Stay Metal,

THE SAW

Categories
Band/Artist Profile

Band of the Week: Megadeth

Out of the “Big Four,” Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, and Slayer, my favorite would have to be Megadeth. Although I grew up listening to all four bands, Megadeth always stuck out. My parents tell the story (and have videos) of me as a toddler, marching around with my hands in the air dancing to Crush ‘Em by Megadeth. This was the only song that could get me out of any mood that I was in. I could be eating, sitting in the car, watching tv, or playing and when Crush ‘Em would come on, I would stop everything that I was doing to jam out to the song. I have seen Megadeth live twice. The first time was with my dad in Charlotte when I was 8 and I saw them at the Carolina Rebellion! I got on the jumbo screen during the rebellion because of my headbanging, it was awesome.

Megadeth is a thrash band from Los Angeles, California. Guitarist and vocalist Dave Mustaine and bassist David Ellefson formed the band in 1983, shortly after Mustaine was dismissed from Metallica. In. 1985, Megadeth released their debut album, Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good! Peace Sells… but Who’s Buying? was released in 1986 and was a major hit with the underground scene. They then released a number of platinum-selling albums, such as Rust in Peace (1990) and Countdown to Extinction (1992). These albums brought along worldwide tours and public recognition.

Megadeth has sold 38 million records worldwide and received 12 Grammy nomiations. In 2017, Megadeth won their first Grammy Award for their song, Dystopia, in Best Metal Performance category. When they were walking up to accept their award, the orchestra played a Metallica song (which if you are in the loop of the relationship between Metallica and Megadeth, this was taboo).

Megadeth has released 17 albums: Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good (1985), Peace Sells… but Who’s Buying?(1986), So Far, So Good… So What?(1988), Rust In Peace(1990), Countdown To Extinction(1992), Youthanasia(1994), Hidden Treasures(1995), Cryptic Wrtings(1997), Risk(1999), The World Needs a Hero(2001), Still Alive… And Well?(2002), The System Has Failed(2004), United Abomination(2007), Endgame(2009), Th1rt3een(2011), Super Collider(2013), and Dystopia(2016).

Mustaine was diagnosed with throat cancer in 2019. He recently received a clean bill of health from his doctors, after completing chemo/radiation.

Favorite songs: Crush ‘Em, Angry Again, Symphony Of Destruction, A Tout Le Monde, and Poisonous Shadows.

What is your favorite Megadeth song? Have you seen them live?

Stay Metal,

THE SAW