Author: THE SAW

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Classic Album Review

Album of the Week: Metallica – Master of Puppets

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The third studio album by the (now) legendary Metallica, Master of Puppets is so important to the history of music generally, and the evolution of it specifically that in 2015 The United States Library of Congress preserved the recording in the National Recording Registry; the first heavy metal recording to do so. It was recorded September 1 – December 27, 1985 at Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen, Denmark. It was released on March 3, 1986 by Elektra Records.

Whereas Kill ‘em All (the band’s first studio release) is straight-forward, in your face thrash metal, and Ride the Lightening (their 2nd release) evolved further into unchartered Metal waters (both of these records were heavily influenced by original lead guitarist, Dave Mustaine – Megadeth), Master is a full-blown leap off the map! The album is nearly universally praised as the best heavy metal album of all time, both inside and outside of the metal community. The record peaked at #29 on The Billboard Top 200, and was the first “Thrash Metal" album to be certified Platinum. It was certified 6X Platinum by RIAA in 2003.

Metallica was formed in Las Angeles, CA in 1981 (San Francisco has been the band’s base) by guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich. Dave Mustaine (Megadeth) was the original lead guitarist, but was fired just before the recording of Kill ‘em All. Cliff Burton was the original bassist until 1986 when, during their European tour, the band’s bus crashed in Sweden killing Burton. Kirk Hammett (Exodus) was tapped to replace Mustaine and has been a constant ever since. Jason Newsted (Flotsam and Jetsam) replaced Burton (R.I.P.), until January 2001. Robert Trujillo (Suicidal Tendencies; Infectious Grooves; Black Label Society) stepped-up in 2003 and has been a solid member on the bass to the present day.

Master stretched Metallica’s previous “thrash metal" sound, and invented a new one! A heavier, darker feel than any offering of it’s time. Hetfield’s vocals are deeper and chunkier and all guitars are drop tuned. The overarching theme of the record concerns control and the abuse of power (notice the cover art), as the title track suggests; as well as Battery, The Thing That Should Not Be, and Leper Messiah (directed toward the televangelists of the 80’s). Welcome Home (Sanitarium) expresses a result of such abuse. Disposable Heroes addresses the subject from the point of view of soldiers sent to endless wars on behalf of the elites. And Orion is a beautiful instrumental, composed by Cliff Burton, putting on full display his classical training. Don’t let my “beautiful” description fool you, though, this song is a beating; while Battery is the fastest, and The Thing That Should Not Be is the heaviest.

The “O.G. Metalhead" (a.k.a., my dad!) saw Metallica (with Cliff on bass) in 1986, in Binghamton, NY during the band’s first arena/stadium tour supporting Ozzy. “We had never heard of them. Upon seeing them perform, we had never seen or heard anything like it before! The rest is history!” I finally got to see them in Atlanta in 2018, and again right here in Raleighwood, January of this year (2019).

Favorite songs: Master of Puppets (duh!); The Thing That Should Not Be

Rating: 10/10!!

Stay Metal,

THE SAW

Categories
Podcasts

Mason Hamby From Heft

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Podcasts

DJ Beowvlf Anniversary Interview

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Playlists

Spooky Season Playlist

Okay, so Halloween is every day for me, but I get hella extra when October hits. October is the only time of the year where almost everyone is getting their spooky vibes on and it makes my heart happy. Horror movies 24/7, going to haunted houses with the homies, and eating candy are only some of the activities that go on during this time. What’s not to love???

You want to know what else is spooky? Metal. Why do you think I love it so much? Below is a playlist that I created for all of your spooky season endeavors! So, sit back, relax, and blast this playlist throughout your haunted house or in your car!! You already know your Master Butcher has your back  (literally, your spine) for all things scary (: welcome to The Saw’s Butcher Shop y’all!

The Saw’s Spooky Season Playlist (link to Spotify below, sorry my Apple Music Butcher Crew).

·      Halloween Theme Song

·      Heads on the Wall – King Diamond

·      Halloween – King Diamond

·      This is Halloween – Marilyn Manson

·      Rotting in Vain – KoRn

·      Twist – KoRn

·      No Place to Hide – KoRn

·      Black No.1 -Type O Negative

·      My Girlfriend’s Girlfriend – Type O Negative

·      Summer Breeze – Type O Negative

·      Dragula – Rob Zombie

·      Living Dead Girl – Rob Zombie

·      Superbeast – Rob Zombie

·      Demonoid Phenomenom – Rob Zombie

·      Meet the Creeper – Rob Zombie

·      Feed My Frankenstein – Alice Cooper

·      All Hallows Eve – Type O Negative

·      Hallowed Be Thy Name – Iron Maiden

·      The Number of the Beast – Iron Maiden

·      Bark at the Moon – Ozzy Osbourne

·      Black Sabbath – Black Sabbath

·      Dead Skin Mask – Slayer

·      Raining Blood – Slayer

·      Seasons in the Abyss – Slayer

·      South of Heaven – Slayer

·      A Touch of Evil – Judas Priest

·       Creeping Death – Metallica

·      Enter Sandman – Metallica

·      Shout at the Devil – Motley Crue

·      Psychosocial – Slipknot

·      Duality – Slipknot

·      The Devil in I – Slipknot

·      Wait and Bleed – Slipknot

·      Kill or Be Killed – Spite

·      Kill or Become – Cannibal Corpse

·      Bloodstained Cement – Cannibal Corpse

·      Evisceration Plague – Cannibal Corpse

·      Hammer Smashed Face – Cannibal Corpse

·      Code of Slashers – Cannibal Corpse

·      Chopped in Half – Obituary

·      Slowly We Rot – Obituary

·      Ten Thousand Ways to Die – Obituary

·      Straight to Hell – Obituary

·      Turned Inside Out – Obituary

·      Inked in Blood – Obituary

·      Back from the Dead – Obituary

·      Lycanthropy – Six Feet Under

·      My Hatred – Six Feet Under

·      Murdered In The Basement – Six Feet Under

·      Insect – Six Feet Under

·      The Poison Hand – Six Feet Under

·      Where the Slime Live – Morbid Angel

·      Let The Knife Do The Talking – Hypocrisy

·      Symbolic – Death

·      Low Life – Death

You can find the Spotify playlist that includes all these songs here! 

What are some of your favorite spooky traditions? What songs are in your spooky playlist?

Stay Metal,

THE SAW

Categories
Band/Artist Profile

Band of the Week: Upon A Burning Body

Ahhh yes, the boys from San Antonio, Texas.  Upon A Burning Body (UABB) is one of my favorite bands, they were one of the first metalcore bands that got me into metal. Me and my cousin (who helped me find the bands that got me into metal) were going to go to a show and he showed me UABB. The first song that I heard was Intermission and I was instantly hooked.

UABB has this charismatic energy to them that immediately makes you want to move around. They also bring that same energy when performing. They are all running around and you can easily tell that they are having a good time.

I have seen UABB tons of times (and it never gets old!!!). I saw them twice back in 2016 at Amos’ Southend in Charlotte, NC, twice in 2017 at the Blind Tiger in Greensboro, NC, and once at Groundzero in Spartanburg, SC.  

When I saw UABB in Greensboro that one year, and I was in the front of the crowd singing the lyrics back to the band. Their bass player, Joe, always gives me a guitar pic when I see them. But their singer, Danny, dedicated Texas Blood Money (one of my favorite songs) to me and thanked me for jamming out during their entire set. After their set, Danny came down and gave me a hug and thanked me again. I went over to their merch booth later after the show and hung out with the entire band! It was a great moment and it honestly made my entire life. Now, when I see UABB, I hang out with the entire band! They are such cool guys!

UABB formed in 2005 in San Antonio, Texas. They have five albums: The World is Ours (2010), Red. White. Green. (2012), The World Is My Enemy Now (2014), Straight From The Barrio (2016), and Southern Hostility (2019).

UABB received some backlash with their publicity stunt in 2014. Danny Leal did a kidnapping hoax. Leal tweeted some weird tweets prior to his “disappearance” and then the UABB Facebook page wrote a post stating that he has gone missing. Come to find out, he was never actually missing and it was all a publicity stunt. It was said that the band did this behind the label’s back and it was not appreciated. This stunt did have some serious backlash that the band would have to deal with in the coming years.

UABB was then dropped from Sumerian Records sometime after they released Straight From The Barrio in 2016. This record was personally, my least favorite. They then got signed by Seek & Strike and released Southern Hostility in 2019 and it is honestly one of my favorite releases! They brought back the aggression and bone cutting riffs that we all know and love.  

Favorite songs: Intermission, Texas Blood Money, Sin City, All Pride No Pain, and The Champ is Coming.

Have you seen Upon A Burning Body? What are some of your favorite songs?

Stay Metal,

THE SAW

Categories
Band/Artist Profile

Band of the Week: Dying Fetus

If y’all know me, then you already know how much I love Dying Fetus. This band will hand out beatings like it’s nothing. They are one of the most intense, skull crushing bands that I have ever listened to and I love them for it. When I first saw Dying Fetus back in 2017 at Summer Slaughter, I was in pure shock. Why you ask? BECAUSE I DIDN’T KNOW IT WAS POSSIBLE FOR THESE THREE MEN AND ONLY THEM TO MAKE THIS KIND OF MUSIC. When you hear a Dying Fetus song, it is very intricate and technical, I thought there were more people in the band. But when I saw that there was ONLY THREE… I was shook.

Dying Fetus is an American death metal band originally from Greater Upper Marlboro, Maryland, that was formed in 1991. The group is known for their song titles, insane blast beats, slamming riffs and heavy ass breakdowns. There has been various line-up changed throughout the years, but John Gallagher (guitar, vocals) is the sole remaining original member.

The band has released ten studio albums: Killing on Adrenaline (1998), Destroy the Opposition (2000), Stop at Nothing (2003), War of Attrition (2007), Descend Into Depravity (2009), Purification Through Violence (2010), Infatuation With Malevolence (2010), History Repeats (2011), Reign Supreme (2012), and Wrong One to Fuck With (2017).

The band was founded by Gallagher and Jason Netherton. Gallagher first started off on drums because they could not find a drummer. The band soon found drummer Rob Belton and guitarist Brian Latta. This transition moved Gallagher back into the role of guitarist and vocalist.

By 2000, the band caught the attention of Relapse Records, who signed the band. This is when the band recorded Destroy the Oppositionwhere is featured stronger political themes. The songwriting on this album influenced the deathcore scene. After the release of this album their guitarist and drummer left the band and formed Misery Index. Gallagher then recruited guitarist Mike Kimball, singer Vince Matthews, and bassist/back up vocalist Sean Beasley. The band then released Stop at Nothing in 2003.

The Dying Fetus music video for “One Shot, One Kill” was on Headbanger’s Ball which helped them gain exposure along with being signed to Relapse Records and as well as going on a full North American tour with GWAR in 2005. The lineup changed, yet again, when their drummer and vocalist left. Dying Fetus’ bassist, Beasley, took over on vocals and Duane Timlin joined the band as the drummer.

The lineup then recorded War of Attrition in March 2007. THERE WAS ANOTHER LINUP CHANGE when the band fired their drummer due to incompatibilities and their singer left the band as well. Soon, the band found Trey Williams to play drums and the trio has remained ever since. If you need a refresher of who is in the band, they are John Gallagher (guitarist and vocalist), Sean Beasley (bassist and vocalist), and Trey William (drummer).

In 2009, Dying Fetus released Descend into Depravity and three years later they released Reign Supreme. Dying Fetus was trending worldwide when a fan stated back in 2014, that the Download Festival should give “new bloods” a chance. He later asked why they couldn’t give Lamb of God, Dying Fetus, or Carcass a chance. Soon, the hashtag #WhyNotDyingFetus? was trending. Due to them trending, Dying Fetus was soon confirmed to play at the festival. On June 23, 2017, Dying Fetus released their master piece that is, Wrong One to Fuck With.

Favorite songs: Subjected to a Beating, Fixated on Devastation, and Panic Amongst the Herd.

What is your favorite Dying Fetus song? Have you ever seen them live?

Stay Metal,

THE SAW

Categories
DJ Highlights

Listening to Metal: Expectations vs. Reality

Ahh, listening to metal… it’s the best. Metal has always been able to put me in a good mood no matter what is going on in my life. If you see me walking around campus or even in my car, there is a 99.9% chance that I am listening to some slam beatdown band.

When listening to metal, I always think that I look cooler than I actually do. I think other people are always looking at me and wondering, “what in the hell is she doing?” Here are the three main instances that happen to me when listening to metal that don’t exactly go as planned:

Listening to music with earbuds

So, I am mainly listening to music with earbuds because I am constantly walking to different classes and events. When I’m walking, you will see me play air drums, air guitar, pound the sky, and have a particular look on my face while I shake my head.

See, when I do this, I am jamming out to the music and just having a good time. I will see people watch me jamming out on my daily walk to class and some laugh, some just give me a weird look.

And here is what I have to say about this… mind ya business! lol.



Going to a show

We all know that the best way to listen to music is to listen live. When going to live shows, some things are bound to happen. You go to the show, and sing and headbang your little heart out to your favorite songs. You mosh, and go hard in the pit. What a great night!!!

Do you want to know how the night usually goes for me? I jam out and dance and sing to all my favorite songs, and occasionally go into the pit. Do you want to know what happens when I go into the pit? DO YOU?! I get hit in the face. Which sucks but hey, if you’re near the pit, you will get hit. Don’t get mad, you did it to yourself.



Editing Music

So, for my shift at WKNC, I have to edit the songs to make sure that they are FCC clean. That means no cussing at all, which can be an issue because bands cuss in songs sometimes and SOMETIMES it is during a nasty breakdown so it makes me sad to edit them out.

Usually, editing songs goes so well and the songs are still seamless. And I love when I go to edit a song and after listening to it, they don’t cuss at all.

But SOMETIMES these bands like to play jokes on me, drop a freaking F bomb at the end of the song. Why do y’all do this to me? WHY? Was it really that necessary?  

The struggle is real!!

Stay Metal,

THE SAW

Categories
Band/Artist Profile

Band of the Week: Parkway Drive

Carrion was the first Parkway Drive song that I had ever heard and I immediately got chills during the intro. From there, I went back into the band’s entire discography. This band will forever be one of my favorite bands not only because their music is kickass, but also because they are genuine guys. I met them at the Carolina Rebellion in 2018 and they were all super cool! They said that they liked my $5 Walmart sunglasses, and they also put hearts around their signatures on my poster.

Parkway Drive is from Byron Bay, Australia and they formed in 2003. The band has released six full-length albums: Killing with a Smile (2006), Horizons (2009), Deep Blue (2010), Atlas (2012), Ire (2015), and Reverence (2018).

The band got their name, Parkway Drive, from the street where their home rehearsal space was at. The home was also a venue for live shows because there was a lack of venues for punk rock and hardcore punk bands to play at. Parkway Drive played their first show at the Byron Bay Youth Centre.

The band flew to the United States where they recorded Killing with a Smile with Killswitch Engage guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz in just two weeks. Then the band got signed in 2006 to Epitaph Records. They went back to Dutkiewicz studio to record Horizons. The band hit the studio again to record Deep Blue, and according to Parkway Drive’s vocalists, Winston McCall, this record would be the rawest and heaviest record to date.

And as they say, the rest is history! The band has steadily been going up and getting bigger and bigger as each year passes. They went from playing at small house venues, to selling out big name arenas. Parkway Drive has “IT;” this edge to them, you can hear it in their music and you can see it in them when they perform live. They have this energy that puts their audience in a trance and you can’t help but jam when they play. They have that special combination that assures that the band will be even bigger! You can tell that they love what they are doing and that they’re playing for their fans. Having a band that is so genuine make it so far is honestly a breath of fresh air. Keep grinding, Parkway Drive. I can’t wait to see where you all go from here.

One of my favorite memories of seeing Parkway Drive was back in 2016 when one of their guitarists lost his shoe and a crowd surfer caught it and threw it back deeper into the crowd. The guitarist found this funny! And then out of nowhere, we had toilet paper being thrown around the crowd. It was awesome!

What is your favorite Parkway Drive song? Mine is Crushed.

Stay Metal,

THE SAW

Categories
Classic Album Review

Album Highlight: Highway to Hell – AC/DC

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The title track to this record is a rock-‘n’-roll / hard rock anthem! It’s opening riff is recognizable instantly! And stadiums, arenas, and ballparks around the world play this great song! Highway to Hell, unlike AC/DC’s previous five albums (and one LP), was produced by “Mutt” Lang, a legendary producer even at this early stage in his career. It was recorded at Chalk Farm, North London in March 1979, and released July 27, 1979. Mutt and the band changed just about everything the band was doing up to that point. AC/DC had been touring all over Australia and Europe by this time, but their evolution (even Bon Scott’s vocals) transformed into something they had never even thought about. Imagine, Mutt giving Scott vocal lessons!! Or Angus (Young) guitar lessons! Yet, that’s what happened, and it formed one of the greatest records of all time. Atlantic Records hated the album name, and the album cover released in Australia (the worldwide released cover, with addition of flames and a bass guitar neck) was no different (see Australian album cover above)!

The record had a less than serious theme: Love Hungry Man, Girls Got Rhythm, Beating Around the Bush, Touch Too Much, Walk All Over You, Get It Hot, and Shot Down In Flames are all metaphors (or otherwise insinuating) sex. The three remaining songs are stand alone themes: Highway to Hell, believe it or not, is about the band’s life on the road. If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It) is a titled borrowed from the band’s previous live record and it speaks to the fact that AC/DC will always give you everything that they have when they play live. And Night Prowler became quite controversial quickly! The serial killer, Richard Ramirez, nick-named “The Night Stalker,” was a huge AC/DC fan, and the song and the maniac will forever be intertwined. The band says that this song, too, is about sex, but that doesn’t explain the lyric, “…And you don’t feel the steel till it’s hanging out your back!”

The record was certified 7X platinum by RIAA in 2006. Tracks from this album are featured in eight movies, as a soundtrack for a video game, and as a theme song for the WWE SummerSlam (1998). The record peaked at #17 on the US Too 100. And it is the second highest selling AC/DC album of all time (right behind Back In Black, released a year later).

Within months of the release of Highway to Hell, Bon Scott literally drank himself to death, dying of alcohol poisoning on Feb. 18/19, 1980. AC/DC remained Angus Young – lead guitar; Malcolm Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals; Phil Rudd – drums; and Cliff Williams – Bass guitar, backing vocals with the addition of Brian Johnson taking up vocals soon after the tragedy.

Favorite songs: Highway to Hell; Girls Got Rhythm; Beating Around the Bush

Rating: 10/10!!!

Stay Metal,

THE SAW 

Categories
Band/Artist Profile

Artist of the Week: Mac Miller

Photo by Clarke Tolton 

Over the weekend, it marked the one year anniversary of Mac Miller’s death (September 7, 2018). Mac’s death hit me differently than other artists death hit me. I remember my older brothers playing Mac Miller when I was growing up. I soon started listening to him on my own in middle school. It was like I grew up with Mac, he was a part of my childhood and my transition into adulthood. His death came as such a shock and even to this day, his presence is missed by many.

Mac Miller (Malcom James McCormick) was born January 19, 1992 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He began his career in the city’s hip hop scene back in 2007 at the age of fifteen. He signed a record deal with a Pittsburgh-based record label, Rostrum Records. This is where his breakthorugh mixtapes, K.I.D.S. (2010) and Best Day Ever (2011) we’re produced. Miller’s debut studio album, Blue Side Park (2011) became the first independently distributed album to top the Billboard 200 since 1995. In 2013, Miller founded the record label REMember Music. After releasing his second studio album, Watching Movies with the Sound Off (2013), he left Rostrum and signed with Warner Bros. Records in 2014. With them, he released three studio albums: GO:OD AM (2015), The Divine Feminine (2016), and Swimming (2018) which would be his last record.

When looking at videos of Mac Miller, he was always so happy and fun to be around. He had the personality and energy that influenced the people around him. He created great music that spoke to a lot of people. He was such a relatable artist. He spoke on subjects, feelings, thoughts, and situations that everyone goes through. He was an artist that was taken too soon.

On September 7th2018, Mac Miller was found unresponsive in his home. He was pronounced dead at the scene. Thousands of fans honored Mac Miller at Blue Side Park, the inspiration behind his debut album. The site has continued to be a place of his remembrance.  A tribute concert, Mac Miller: A Celebration of Life, was held on October 31, 2018, in Los Angeles. Many of his friends and collaborators performed. They also raised money for the newly-established Mac Miller Circles Fund, which aims to support youth arts and community-building programs in his memory. The charity had raised over $700,000 by January 2019. In May 2019, the renamed Mac Miller Fund issued its first grants, including $50,000 to MusiCares, where they help young musicians with substance abuse issues.

On September 4th2019, Cameron James Pettit was charged with distribution of a control substance, counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, that were given to Mac Miller 2 days before his death. RIP Mac.

Stay Metal,

THE SAW