Author: THE SAW

Categories
Miscellaneous

Top Horror Movie Slashers

You all know that I am a BIG horror fan and that I rate horror movies based on their gore factor (remake of Evil Dead is a 10/10 btw). This week I was talking to my roommate about the OG’s of horror. We started to compile a list and I thought it would be cool to share with you our OG’s of horror. I love all of these slashers because they helped me get the idea of the Butcher Shop and I use some of their lingo from time-to-time! 

Michael Myers – Halloween 

Y’all already know I had to put the legend on the list. The plot tells us about a mental patient who was committed to a sanitarium for murdering his sister on Halloween night when he was 6 years old. Fifteen years later, he escapes from the sanitarium and stalks his baby sister and her friends. This man has been after his sister for YEARS and no one can kill him. They have literally made so many movies about him trying to get to his sister. 

Freddy Krueger – Nightmare on Elm Street 

I just love Freddy’s humor; I think The Saw would vibe with Freddy the most. The plot for these movies is that the people who live on Elm Street, in a fictitious town of Springwood, Ohio, are invaded and killed in their dreams by a burnt killer with a bladed leather glove. Side note: I think Freddy has the best fashion taste. 

Jason Voorhees – Friday the 13th

We got a mama’s boy in the house!! Jason is silent but deadly, he is simple with the tools he uses to kill; he and Michael Myers would be the best of friends. The plot for these movies is that camp Crystal Lake is open for the summer and it’s history of murder does not stop people from wanting to attend. Unfortunately for them, they are stalked by a brutal killer.

Pinhead – Hellraiser 

Pinhead has some of the best one-liners, I use them all the time because they are so iconic!! For the first Hellraiser, Frank Cotton buys a puzzle box. Once solving the puzzle, he’s hooked to chains that emerge from nowhere, and tear him apart. Later the room is filled with swinging chains and remnants of his body. Frank is soon resurrected, and all hell breaks loose. These are some of my favorite movies. 

Leatherface – Texas Chainsaw Massacre 

FIRE UP THE CHAINSAW YEEHAW!!!! My two favorite things in one movie; Cannibal Corpse song references and crazy ass rednecks. The best duo. When Sally hears that her grandfather’s grave has been vandalized, she and her brother, Franklin, set out with their friends to investigate. As they are exploring the family’s old farmhouse, they discover a group of murderous people who live next door. They are attacked one by one with a chainsaw by a person who wears a mask of human skin. 

Pennywise – IT

Okay, clowns are hella scary. Yes, the remakes are good but you wanna know what’s scarier than an intentional scary clown? A REGULAR CLOWN. That is why the OG IT is the best! This movie follows along with kids who have incidents with a clown that feeds off their fears. They think they have defeated the clown but once they are all adults, the clown comes back for round two! I definitely recommend the book, iconic. 

Jigsaw – Saw 

Y’all already know that the saw is the law, and this is no exception. These movies are the ones that got me into gore horror and rating movies based on their gore factor. These movies have the craziest kill scenes. They are about individuals who do bad things; in other words, assholes, who are taken by Jigsaw because of their horrific acts and are put up in a device that they have to get out of, or they die. Do you think the people who make it out alive have changed their ways? 

Chucky – Child’s Play

Now, I am not a fan of dolls (they creep me out) and the Chucky movies are the OG scary doll movies. How Chucky came to be is that fictional murderer, Charles Lee Ray, used black magic to put his soul inside a doll named Chucky. A mother buys this doll for her son – we all know how this is going to end. Chucky kills the babysitter and when the boy tries to warn people about the doll, he is institutionalized. Typical. I find it interesting that in most of these movies, it is adults vs. the kids. They are always against one another and the parents never believe the kids when spooky things occur. Is this a common theme? What does that say about how we view society? 

Well, there you have it! My OG’s!!! Did I miss any? 

Who are some of your favorite horror movie thrashers? 

Stay Metal, 

THE SAW 

Categories
Classic Album Review

Album of the Week: Boundaries – Hartford County Misery (2017)

Hartford County Misery Album Cover

This album right here…. IS ICONIC!!! By far one of my favorite albums of all-time. I literally listen to this album every day. IT IS THAT GOOD. The riffs on this album are just so damn heavy and choppy. I can’t get enough of it. I love the way this band will start off on a dark, heavy, and chunky riff and then SLOW DOWN THE RIFF TO MAKE IT EVEN CHUNKIER AND HEAVIER. That right there is the sauce. I will never get tired of listening to this album. 

Hartford County Misery kicks off strong with the song Reign of Pain, that sets the overall theme and vibe for the album. I am so happy they started off this album with this song. It keeps you coming back for more. This record is filled with anger, passion, power, and punishment. It hits home with these themes because these are things we feel every single day, week after week, on repeat. Boundaries combined conventional, traditional metalcore with an infusion of heavy-hardcore intensity and beatdowns. I can already see the mosh pit getting violent when listening to this album. 

Hartford County Misery is a masterpiece that displays ignorant aggression. There is literally NO REASON for the band to pop off the way they did, but I am sure glad they did. It’s seven tracks are filled with storytelling, catchiness, and insanity. I am absolutely in love with this album. Boundaries combines several styles of -core and metallic influences to make something gritty and nostalgic sound and feel new. This album is a great for anyone who are fans of hardcore, metalcore, and deathcore. There is something for everybody on this record! 

Favorite Songs:

Felicia, Reign of Pain, Sour Mouth, and Seizin’ the Demon. 

I would put every song as my favorite, but that defeats the purpose. 

Rating:

10/10!!!! 

What is your favorite song off of Hartford County Misery? 

Stay Metal, 

THE SAW 

Categories
New Album Review

Album of the Week: Justice For The Damned – Pain Is Power (2020)

Pain Is Power Album Cover

I have never heard of Justice For The Damned until I heard this album. It showed up on my feed from Spotify as a recommendation for me to listen to and I am so glad it did. This album has easily become one of my favorites! The riffs are nasty, blast beats are immaculate, and the vocals… iconic. 

This band has a good mix between metalcore/deathcore and hardcore: the vocals are very deathcore with his deep growls and screams, paired with blast beats makes a perfect combo for metalcore/deathcore fans. The band also incorporates some two step riffs and beats in there in order to give their music a bouncy sound, which will please the hardcore kids. 

Pain Is Power is Justice For The Damned’s second album and the title says it all: pain is in fact, power. The record sounds violent and angry (which I LOVE) but that’s not the only thing this album has to offer. The theme behind this album is to take something that is painful, traumatic, or negative, and turn it into something positive; something powerful. This album is filled with personal, political, and philosophical material. I love this album solely because I find a new theme each time. The record has a little bit of everything and it is sure to have your heads banging. 

To me, this album is inspirational because it is telling a story of suffering, but not having that suffering drown you. It’s about fighting back and turning that suffering into something that cannot destroy you. This record is filled with emotions and y’all know I love it when you can feel the emotions that the artists have put into their work. It also has some features from Matt Honeycutt (Kublai Khan) on the song Guidance From The Pain, and Joe Badolato (Fit For An Autopsy) on the song Final Cataclysm. 

This album is the heaviest and well-produced album the Justice For The Damned has to date. I believe that it will help launch their career, not only in the Australian metal scene, but worldwide. 

Favorite Songs: 

Sinking Into The Floor, Machine of War, No Peace At The Feet Of Your Master, and Final Cataclysm. 

Rating: 8.5/10!! 

What are some of your favorite songs off of Pain Is Power? 

Stay Metal, 

THE SAW 

Categories
Music News and Interviews

Edward “Eddie” Lodewijk Van Halen

Eddie Van Halen RIP

January 26, 1955 – October 6, 2020

The Colossus of Rhodes was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It was a huge statue, measuring 108 feet tall, erected on the Greek island of Rhodes in 280 BC. The actual location of the original statue is disputed today, but one of the opinions on the matter is that the statue straddled the opening to the harbor of Rhodes, a foot on each side. 

I grew up listening to Van Halen with my parents. I have told the story, many times, of riding to kindergarten with my dad, and asking him to play “Little Dreamer,” my favorite at the time. Hearing Eddie play at that young age, helped bring a familiarity to all music that I would hear from then on. The sound of screaming solos and chugging riffs has always been an inviting and welcoming sound to me. In the era in which Eddie played, there were great guitarists. But he turned it up! And turned Rock on its head!

Eddie was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands. His family moved to California and in 1972, he and his brother Alex, founded Van Halen with original bassist Mark Stone and singer David Lee Roth. He may not have invented the “tap style” technique of guitar playing, but he sure did perfect it! More than that, though, he was the perfect expression of one’s instrument becoming an extension of one’s self. With a perpetual grin, Eddie did amazing things, both in the studio and on the stage. 

1974 – 1985: Eddie, Alex, David, and Michael Anthony (bass) delivered raw emotion and talent on Van Halen’s first 5 records, all of which have since been certified multi-platinum – Van Halen, Van Halen II, Women and Children First, Fair Warning, and Diver Down. The sixth record, 1984, was far more commercial than the previous records, but Eddie kept on with the kick ass riffs. 

In 1985 Roth went solo and The Red Rocker, Sammy Hagar, stepped in to vocals and as a second guitarist. The band became even more successful, producing four U.S. number-one, multi-platinum records – 5150 in 1986, OU812 in 1988, For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge in 1991, and Balance in 1995. Eddie introduced keyboards on the 1984 album, and carried that through this era as well. These records had a more pop-rock sound, but Eddie kept dealing out the killer guitars. 

1996, Hager leaves the band and Gary Cherone (Extreme) takes vocals for Van Halen III in 1998. He leaves the band in 1999. 

2003, Hagar rejoins for a worldwide tour in 2004, and leaves again in 2005. 

2006, Roth rejoins and Wolfgang Van Halen (Eddies son) takes over on bass. 

2012 sees the release of A Different Kind of Truth and, you guessed it, Eddie kept delivering the guitar mastery. 

The Colossus of Rhodes is the perfect imagery to me, when imagining Eddie within the larger guitar community. He stood like a Colossus with one foot in Rock-n-roll and the other in what would come to be known as Metal. He stood in welcome of travelers journeying to this new form of energy. He was the bridge between the old and the new. There are giants in the land of guitarists. There are metal-gods and titans that traverse here, too. But Eddie was a Colossus that changed the art of shredding forever. With a grin and a swagger, this Colossus stands forever. Rest In Rock, sir. 

Stay Metal,

THE SAW

Categories
Non-Music News

Goodbye Tumblr, and Hello WordPress!


Ahh, today is the day that we must say goodbye. Our long, long thread of blogs on Tumblr are no more! We are now on the lovely WordPress! We have updated WKNC’s website and, y’all, it is so cool. WKNC said: “Glow up!!!!” 
 
We transitioned to our new website, which is still wknc.org, on October 1st and we love our new little baby!! The blogs can now be viewed on the website, and the home screen gives you some sneak peaks of our most recent blogs and content! Our podcasts can also be found here, too! How convenient! 
 
Now, let’s take a walk down memory lane, WKNC first started on Tumblr in January 2014.We have been on Tumblr for a little over 6 years! We have so much content on different bands/artists, albums (new and old), concert and festival reviews, interviews, and short stories on Tumblr that have made our days when we needed them most. All of those blogs will be on WKNC’s new website! YAY!! You can spend hours upon hours just reading the amazing content that. Our DJ’s and staff have created! 
 
The Saw (and her Butcher Shop) has destroyed us in her Meat Grinder and hung us up in the Meat Locker so we had no choice!! We had to switch over, the pain was tremendous in the Butcher Shop!! But we have plenty of room over here at WordPress so we are safe… for now. She might find us, oh no!!
 
But until then, Tumblr, we love you and WKNC just wants you to know: it’s not you, it’s us. We had to flex on ‘em real quick. Ya feel? So, go on over to our new website and check out all that we have to offer! We got WKNC’s history, HD-1/HD-2 schedule, our playlist so you never miss the name of your favorite songs, our podcasts, our blogs, and many many more!! 
 
Happy scrolling  🙂
 
-THE SAW 
 
-On behalf of WKNC 
Categories
New Album Review

Six Feet Under – Nightmares of the Decomposed (2020)

Six Feet Under - Nightmares of the Decomposed Album Cover

Have I mentioned that I love Chris Barnes and Six Feet Under?! You know that I certainly have, Butcher Crew! And Nightmares of the Decomposed is no exception. It was released on October 2, 2020 by Metal Blade Records. This record is Six Feet Under’s 17th full-length album, and as usual, it marks a difference in vocal style and musical composition. 

First, Chris Barnes’ vocals continue to evolve (or, devolve) from the early days of ‘95s The Haunted, where his gutterals were legendary; to mid-career material like Undead (2012) and Unborn (2013), where he utilized a strangely darker vocal sound – not as gravely, but more psychotic sounding – to Nightmares of the Decomposed where we find Barnes’ vocals a creepy combination of gutteral and nearly out-of-control rasp. I like it! You can tell it’s Barnes, and at the same time you’re like, what the hell is going on?! And we can’t forget his patented squEEEEEEl!!! 

Secondly, the band. Jeff Hughell (Asylum, Vile, Braindrill) has been on bass since 2012, “Lord Marco” Pitruzzella (Vile, Braindrill, Vital Remains, The Faceless) has been on drums since 2013, Ray Suhy has been a guitarist since 2015, and Jack Owen (Cannibal Corpse, Decide) joins in on guitars for this record. We haven’t seen the Barnes/Owen combination since the early days of Cannibal Corpse, and you can tell by the writing of both music and lyrics that having these two back together is a very good thing. 

And finally, Six Feet Under have returned to a more classic sound, musically. Most of the songs on Nightmares of the Decomposed are slow to mid-tempo, groovy bops (and you already know that I like that!) with the legendary Jack Owen-style riffs. Great examples of this tone are “Migraine” and “The Noose.” They just ooze along, leaking bodily fluids, as the vocals tell a horrifying story. Then, there’s another style, here, like on “Blood of the Zombie” and “Self Imposed Death Sentence.” The rhythm progressions are layered, while harmonies (yes, harmonies!) and melodies (what?!!) fill out the song with a thick beating. And finally, the faster songs – “Amputator” and “Without Your Life” – are great examples of the technical skill of the band. The latter, in fact, combines all three elements – ooze, layered beatings, and technical pulverizing for one excellent song! As Barnes says in “Labyrinth of Insanity,” enjoy the ride! 

Track Listing:

  1. Amputator
  2. Zodiac
  3. The Rotting
  4. Death Will Follow 
  5. Migraine 
  6. The Noose 
  7. Blood of the Zombie 
  8. Self Imposed Death Sentence 
  9. Dead Girls Don’t Scream
  10. Drink Blood Get High 
  11. Labyrinth of Insanity 
  12. Without Your Life 

Favorite Songs: Amputator; The Rotting; The Noose; Without Your Life

Rating: 8.5/10 – a strong offering from Six Feet Under! 

What are some of your favorite songs?

Stay Metal,

THE SAW

Categories
Classic Album Review

Album of the Week: Death – Spiritual Healing (1990)

Death - Spiritual Healing Album Cover

30 years ago the best Death album (in my opinion) and one of the greatest Death Metal albums of all time (again, IMO) was unleashed onto the world! Spiritual Healing was originally released on Combat Records in February of 1990, and was reissued (with bonus material) on Relapse Records in November 2012. 

It was Death’s third studio album, following Scream Bloody Gore (1987) and Leprosy (1988). The lyrical content was a huge leap forward for Chuck Schuldiner (vocals; guitars); leaving behind the typical Death Metal topics for the more political themes of abortion, the ramifications of drug use, eugenics, and televangelism, etc. Schuldiner had an all-star line up on this record with Terry Butler on bass (Obituary; Massacre; Six Feet Under), James Murphy on lead and rhythm guitar (Obituary; Testament; Disincarnate), and Bill Andrews on drums (Massacre). 

Spiritual Healing is a truly amazing record; with heavy riffs, winding progressions of melody, classic Death Metal double bass, incredible solos, and Chuck’s undeniable tortured rasp of a voice! There is not a single wasted song, space, or bar on this one, folks! Its simply a must have in your collection, classic! I have a favorite song, here, but every one is a masterpiece! What else can I say?! You’ve got to give it a listen to believe it. And if you’ve heard it, then you already know. 

The original Combat Records release in ’90 contained: 

  1. Living Monstrosity 
  2. Altering the Future
  3. Defensive Personalities 
  4. Within the Mind
  5. Spiritual Healing 
  6. Low Life
  7. Genetic Reconstruction 
  8. Killing Spree 

Favorite Song: (as the Butcher Crew already know) Low Life

Rating: 10/10! Simply the perfect album! 

What are some of your favorite songs?

Stay Metal,

THE SAW

Categories
Weekly Charts

Chainsaw Charts 10/7

Album Cover for Into the Warp

Artist Record
1CRANIAL CONTAMINATIONInto the WarpRealityFade
2SIX FEET UNDERNightmares Of The DecomposedMetal Blade
3FIT FOR A KING The Path Solid State 
4ARMORED SAINT “End of the Attention Span” [Single]Metal Blade 
5CARCASS“The Long and Winding Bier Road” [Single]Nuclear Blast 
6CHELSEA GRIN“Bleeding Sun” [Single]Self-Released
7VISIONS OF DISFIGUREMENTAeons of Misery Realityfade 
8PUTREFIED CADAVER Wretched Times Amputated Vein
9UPON A BURNING BODY Built From War [EP]Seek & Strike 
10ALPHA WOLFA Quiet Place To DieSharp Tone
Categories
Weekly Charts

Daytime Charts 10/7

Bully Album Cover
Artist Record Label
1BULLYSUGAREGG

Sub Pop

2GIRL FRIDAY
Androgynous Mary

Hardly Art

3BARTEES STRANGE
Live Forever Memory
4TAPEWORMSFantastic [Advance Tracks]Howlin’ Banana
5HOLLY MOTORS Horse [Advance Tracks]Wharf Cat
6OSEESProtean Threat Castle Face
7IDLES Ultra MonoPartisan
8TUNE-YARDS “nowhere, man.” [Single]4AD/Beggars Group
9KENT JAMZ In Search OfRCA
10MAC MILLERCircles Warner
11JO PIPPINS“Nightwing” [Single]Self-Released
12YOUNG FLETCHER “Energy” [Single]Stack Dollars Empire
13645AR“Sum Bout” [Single]Columbia
14MACHINEDRUM“Kane Train” feat. Freddie Gibbs b/w “Ur2yung” [Single]

Ninja Tune

15KING GINO
Infinity Tapes, Vol. 1

Callisto

16LEFT LANE DIDON, THA GOD FAHIM
Arcadia
Phonic Art

17MEZ“Southside Mez” [Single]

Human Re Sources

18PAT JUNIOR
I Thought I Knew

Be Absxlute

19TOBI LOU
Live On Ice

Empire

20BLACK SOPRANO FAMILY
Black Soprano Family

eOne

21MARLON CRAFT
Work From Home [EP]

RCA

22JERRY WEST
“Who Is U” [Single]

Self-Released

23DISCLOSURE
ENERGY

Capitol

24JAMES TILLMAN
Vm2 [EP]

Musella Creative

25KARI FAUX
Lowkey Superstar

Change Minds

26RICO NASTY
“IPHONE” [Single]

Sugar Trap

27DANIELA ANDRADE
Tamale

Crooked Lid

28MEI
“Rudimental” [Single]

Self-Released

29AJANI JONES
Black Power Ranger

Ajani Jones

30CUPCAKKE
“Discounts” [Single]
Self-Released

TOP ADDS

Artist Record Label
1SHY BOYS
Talk Loud

Polyvinyl

2NANA ADJOA
Big Dreaming Ants

Bloomer

3SILVER SYNTHETIC
Out Of The Darkness

Third Man

4LC FLOWERS
Works1619

Mint 400

5YVES JARVIS
Sundry Rock Song Stock

Anti-

6MAMALARKY
Mamalarky [Advance Tracks]

Fire Talk

7GOAT GIRL
“Sad Cowboy” [Single]

Rough 

8NOTHING
The Great Dismal [Advance Tracks]
Relapse
9MISTY BOYCE
Genesis

Self-Released

10PLURALONE
“The Night Won’t Scare Me” [Single]
ORG

Categories
Miscellaneous

Spooky Season

Spooky Season

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, its spooky season!!! Now, here in The Saw’s Butcher Shop, it’s always spooky season, but since October is the month where being spooky is culturally acceptable, let’s talk about some TV shows and movies that will get you into the spirit of Halloween! I watch scary tv shows and movies any time of the year but it’s especially great to watch when it is spooky season. They always get me into the Halloween spirit. I will be listing some of my favorite things to watch that are sure to have you singing “This is Halloween!” 

Movies: 

  • The Nightmare Before Christmas 
  • Corpse Bride 
  • Halloweentown 
  • Butterfly Kisses 
  • Any of the Saw movies 
  • Halloween
  • Nightmare on Elm Street
  • Scream
  • House of 1000 Corpse
  • The Conjuring 
  • The Grudge
  • The Ring 
  • Hocus Pocus
  • Beetlejuice 
  • The Addams Family
  • The Shining 
  • Hereditary 
  • Midsommar 
  • The Haunted Mansion
  • The Exorcist 
  • Carrie 
  • Us
  • The Lodge 
  • The Nun
  • IT
  • Holidays 
  • Drag Me To Hell
  • Evil Dead 
  • Insidious 
  • The Autopsy of Jane Doe 

 TV Shows: 

  • American Horror Story
  • The Exorcist 
  • The Walking Dead 
  • The Twilight Zone
  • Goosebumps 
  • Chilling Adventures of Sabrina 
  • Supernatural 
  • Ratched 
  • The Haunting of Hill House 
  • Two Sentence Horror Stories 

What are some of your favorite things to watch during Halloween?

Stay Metal,

THE SAW