Categories
WKNC’s FAKING NEWS
Category: Blog
The band’s self-titled debut album, Van Halen was recorded at Sunset Sound Recorders, Hollywood, CA from August 30 – September, 1977 and was released by Warner Bros. Records on February 10, 1978. “Diamond" David Lee Roth is the vocalist (and acoustic guitarist on Ice Cream Man), Eddie Van Halen plays the (groundbreaking) guitar and sings backing vocals, Alex Van Halen is the drummer, and Michael Anthony is the bassist and backing vocalist.
In 1976, Gene Simmons (KISS) discovers Van Halen and finances a three-track demo, which does nothing for the band in attracting record labels. But the demo does get the attention of Marshall Berle (the bands future manager) and he catches their sold-out show in their hometown of Pasadena. After killing it at (the legendary) Whiskey a Go Go and the Starwood club, Warner Bros. were ready to sign them to a deal. The band’s first tours after recording their debut were opening for Journey and Montrose in the US and, later, for Black Sabbath in Europe and the US.
The cover photo for Van Halen are pics taken at the Whiskey a Go Go, along with a pic of Eddie’s original signature guitar, Frankenstrat, a replica Fender Stratocaster that is now housed in the Smithsonian Institute.
The record hit Gold Status on May 24, 1978 and Platinum October 10, 1978 (4½ months later!). On October 22, 1984, the record achieved 5x Multi-Platinum status; 6x Multi-Platinum on February 1, 1989, 7x Multi-Platinum on September 29, 1993, 8x Multi-Platinum on July 11, 1994, and on August 7, 1996 the record reached Diamond status by RIAA (that’s a certified ten million copies sold, yo!).
The music world and their fans were enamored with the charismatic, sex symbol in Roth and the electrifying pioneer of the six-string in Eddie Van Halen. Nothing of it’s time sounded at all like Van Halen. With Roth’s powerful stage presence – swagger, martial arts, and screeching vocals; as well as a bluesy billow – and Eddie’s “jaw-dropping" techniques – he was doing in reality what most other guitarists only imagined in dreams – Van Halen reawakened the Rock/Hard Rock world.
Eddie Van Halen
David Lee Roth
Runnin’ With the Devil is the opening track, followed by a perfect example of Eddie’s brilliance, the instrumental, Eruption. Following that is the cover of the Kink’s, You Really Got Me (Roth insisted covers were the way to go, for someone else had already done the work). Side One is completed by Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love and I’m the One. Jamie’s Cryin’ leads off Side Two, followed by the heaviest track on the record, Atomic Punk. Feel Your Love Tonight and Little Dreamer smooth out the roughness. Ice Cream Man is a cover of John Brim’s song, and On Fire ends the offering with a blaze.
Favorite Songs: Ain’t Talkin’ ‘Bout Love, Little Dreamer, Atomic Punk
Rating: 10/10!!
Fun fact: I used to make my dad play Little Dreamer all the time when he was dropping me off at elementary school! It will always be one of my favorites!!
Stay Metal,
THE SAW
October 24, 2019 was the day that Obituary returned to Raleigh! And you already know that ya girl was there to see those rednecks from Tampa (F***en) Florida! With them on this tour was (the not so redneck) Abbath; along with Midnight, Devil Master, and one of our Local Butchers, False Prophet.
Now, I’ve got to admit, I missed False Prophet (which really sucks because I really like them). They played “at doors,” which were at 6:00, and I had class until 5:45. I made it in to see Devil Master, who put on a straight-up, in your face, no nonsense set. The whole band was in costume, complete with a rhythm guitarist Dracula, and a keyboardist in a bad-ass hooded robe! Other than the lead guitarist having to tune after every song, the band pounded through their set list without hesitation. They came, they played, they kicked ass! BTW, I’m still not sure whether the keyboardist was real or some type of machine, but he never raised his head, never came out of role, and I never even saw him leave the stage when their set was over. He just… disappeared.
Midnight was a three-piece band full of energy and sound! The three – guitarist, bassist and singer, and drummer – were all hooded with black masks over their faces. I’m telling you right now, these guys lit it up! The crowd came to life for Midnight, and the band responded to that energy. They were constantly on the move, interacting with the crowd, and running the full stage. Midnight had a great set that night! I’d like to see them again!
So, Abbath was up next. Hailing from Norway and steeped in the Black Metal genre, I was excited to see what was to come. For those of you who don’t know, the singer/guitarist (“Abbath Doom Occulta”) is one of the founders of the legendary band, Immortal. They pretty-much invented Black Metal. His first love was KISS, and you can see that influence in his stage presence and performance. If you can imagine, he is like a darker, more evil Gene Simmons (the Demon), spit straight out of the depths of Hell. Abbath left Immortal and formed this band of the same name in 2015. And they are taking some serious strides! What. An. Awesome. Show!! The powerful presence of Abbath, himself, was matched by drummer, Ukri Suvilehto. His playing and interaction with the crowd (from behind the kit) was hypnotizing. The walls, floor, and (I’m sure) ceiling reverberated his double base drums! They didn’t leave behind the other stringed instruments, either. The band, Abbath, operated like a well oiled machine. The light show and smoke machine added to the dreaded ambiance of this hellish display. They played for well over an hour. It was a blistering beating of crushing riffs and blast beats, over staggering double base and the agonized screech of Abbath’s vocals. It was exquisite!! When it was over, all I could think was, “No one but Obituary could follow that. They’d better bring it!”
Second picture taken by Courtney Breen.
And bring it they did! If you’ve never seen Obituary their show begins with piped-in country music, which is overtaken by the crunching riffs of the song, Redneck Stomp, a groovy instrumental. When they hit the stage, they were energized and ready to go. Obituary has been around so long (late 80’s, and earlier as Xecutioner) that their entire stage show is pretty-much patented! Trevor (rhythm guitar) holds the trademark for riff master/hair slinging headbanger. Kenny (lead guitar) is in charge of harmony and spooky/eerie wails, shrieks, and monster leads. Terry (bass) is a large and ominous presence, always middle/stage left; quiet, other than his bruising bass beatings. Donald (drums), in my opinion, invented Death Metal drumming. He is obviously ADHD (and I’ve met him, so…) and his technique takes on those qualities – always moving around the kit, feet of fury, hands a blur, with the crash of symbols; pounding the listener into dust. And then there’s John (vocals). You can listen to their first record, Slowly We Rot, or their most recent self-titled, or anything in between, and John’s raspy growl is consistent. His live edition lacks nothing, and is even more emphasized by his stage presence and his exaggerated lean out over the crowd as he gutturals the agonizing lyrics that are Obituary. They operate so well together, either they practice all the time or, because they’ve been together so long, and know so well their long and hallowed catalogue, that they no longer have to practice – They are the personification of Obituary. They can’t possibly play all of the fan favorites, so they pick some and turn it out! The crowd gutturals along with John and sways back and forth, “hair banging,“ with Trevor. What an experience!
This was an epic show! And all right here in Raleigh!
Stay Metal,
THE SAW
This band is one of my all time favorites. They are the perfect combination of rock, punk and girl power. This album reflects feelings of depression, anger and isolation. It is my go to album to play in the car while I’m driving and scream out the lyrics. You can hear the despair and anger in Clementine Creevy’s voice and the lyrics are beautifully written.
My favorite songs from this album are Daddi, Isolation, and Stupid Fish. This album is unlike any others that Clementine has written. The flows and transitions between songs are genius and the use of the instruments is magnificent. The guitar and the drums stand out to me the most on this album. The lyrics are incredibly impacting and you can easily relate to them if you have ever felt depressed, lonely or angry towards someone. All of the songs are unique in their own way and have their own little twist to them.
I recommend this to any edgy punk girl looking to find some empowerment. Clementine is a true badass and this band is amazing live. I got to see them perform this amazing album with their other great songs in Asheville this summer at the Orange Peel. I was looking forward to moshing hard but it was more of light pushing and swaying, which was not what I was expecting. This band and this album blew my mind and my expectations.
XOXO
Layla Ejlali AKA DJ Icy Indigoooo
Last Saturday (10/26) I had the privilege of seeing the litany of bands listed in the title. Obviously, it was a stacked lineup. Knocked Loose has been making waves for quite a bit now, and their recent album, A Different Shade of Blue, shows exactly why. It was my first time seeing them, and they made an excellent first impression. Stick To Your Guns was also great, although I had never really listened to them before. They brought a super positive energy that only a few bands can manage to do. It was also my first time seeing Rotting Out, West Coast legend with a fully latinx lineup. Their vocalist, Wally, is also a powerlifting monster so his stage presence was top notch. They were one of the bands that initially got me into hardcore, so finally being able to see them live was a real treat. Speaking of treats, how about Candy. They’ve also been gaining major traction, and as of their last single “Super-Stare” are signed to Relapse Records. They have origins in Richmond so you already know they’re going to be great. This was my fifth time or so seeing them, but this was one of the largest crowds I’ve seen them play to and the energy was through the roof. SeeYouSpaceCowboy opened, and anyone who showed up late definitely missed out on perhaps the heaviest set of the night. Their unique vocal style and penchant for a more mathy metalcore led to a unique and intense set. Along with this, their guitarist is local to N.C. All in all, the show was amazing and although way more crowded than the typical area hardcore show, it still had the same tight-knit energy that any legitimate show within the scene should have. As for other local shows, one huge one coming up is at Break Time in Winston-Salem on November 12th. The bill includes Sanction, Queensway (who just put out an absolutely insane EP-keep your eyes peeled for a review), Vatican, Fuming Mouth, Riot Stares, and The Burning Wind. Thanks for reading.
-Dylan McGee
No matter where you hear this album, whether it is in the car, at the club, or in the library while cramming for that exam you should’ve started studying for days ago, you won’t be able to stop banging your head to these insanely smooth hip hop beats. There are only two words to describe The best Christmas album ever released and that is one, west, and two, coast. From the bouncy high hats to the G-Funk-like Bass, OTXmas by Shoreline Mafia oozes west coast hip hop. You could close your eyes, choose any song on this album, crank up the volume on your sound system and the house party will be bumping.
If Occupied is not your anthem then you aren’t living right. This song preaches quitting your nine to five and getting face tatts. Whether you take the words literally or not is up to you… but live out your wildest dreams.
If you’re into Hip-hop and party music you’ll love this album right off the bat. There’s something about the combination between the synth and bass in each song that gets you pumped no matter what mood you are in before you hit play. This is indeed an album full of slappers.
Similar Artists: SOB X RBE, Blueface, Smokepurp
-Matt DeGeorge
EP Review: Live Fast Die Whenever
If you want to listen to something that will make you want to throw your kitchen furniture through your perfectly nice glass door look no further. The $uicideBoy$ newest EP Live Fast Die Whenever is a rare mix of musical realms that most hip hop artists do not dare enter into. The EP includes songs split between horrorcore, heavy metal and hip hop. The hip hop duo worked with the very talented drummer Travis Barker from the famous punk group Blink-182 and James Schaffer, the cofounder of Korn to create an EP that, for lack of better words, is absolutely FILTHY (in a good way)!
Killing 2 Birds With 22 Stones is, itself alone, a perfect representation of the sounds that make up this EP. It is a perfect split between a hardcore heavy metal frenzy and a dark, smooth, and bass heavy hip hop flow that the $uicideBoy$ are known for. If somebody wrote a textbook on the kind of song you need to open a concert, this would be the only thing in said book.
This is one of those projects that has to grow on you. Initially I did not like the different hardcore vibe that this EP includes because I lean toward the usual overdriven hip hop style that the duo is known for but when you are in the right mood or the right place, dare I say… this EP slaps. I would recommend this album to anybody who is into Hardcore, Metal, or Hip Hop
Similar Artists: Germ, Pouya, Ramirez, $atori Zoom
-Matt DeGeorge
Travis Miller is no stranger to stark, disturbing content. After several early (largely ignored) stints in genres like black metal and noise, he gained notoriety with his half-parodic Memphis rap homage persona, Lil Ugly Mane. Pushing the already dark and murky sonic elements of the genre to the absolute brink of their extents, Ugly Mane tracks either came out hilariously listenable (“LOOKIN 4 THA SUCKIN”), as legitimate, raw bangers (“CUP FULLA BEETLEJUICE”), or sinister, avant-garde opuses (“UNEVEN COMPROMISE”). Travis took the latter style and ran with it on his 2015 project Oblivion Access, his planned final project under the LUM moniker. Though largely ignored or underrated by critics upon release, Access created something otherworldly with Travis’ bleak and cynical vision — no longer seemingly drowned in irony or imitation, he ditched the pitch-shifted vocals, derivative or quasi-experimental beats, and gratuitously vulgar lyrics for a Travis that had never sounded so concurrently confident and insecure. Diving into mental illness, mortality, filth, social issues, critics, and fans, backdropped by a harsh, spacious, and disturbed array of instrumentals sounding unlike even other experimental or noise rap contemporaries (e.g. Death Grips, clipping., or BLACKIE), Oblivion Access seemed Travis’ ultimate sendoff.
Yet suddenly at the start of 2017, Travis returned with a brand new alias, sound, and supposed series. The first (and for now, only) installment was titled “Flick your tongue against your teeth and describe the present” listed as “bedwetter.” His Bandcamp description of the project opens with “I really thought today would be the start of something different” and the album itself with a distorted, chopped up sample of John 1:1. Initially, it all feels a bit melodramatic and edgy. Until the actual music starts.
“man wearing a helmet,” the second track but first actual song, has Travis at unprecedented levels of vulnerability, fear, and agony, not just for his own music’s standards, but for truly anything I’ve ever heard before. Bedwetter raps from the perspective of a frightened young child being kidnapped — perhaps young Travis himself, or a recurring nightmare of his, or even a metaphor for the clutches of his depression. Travis scrawls this uncompromisingly brutal and grotesque portrait in blood and Crayola, filled with “chafed legs, denim tears, piss, vomit” and narrating his further decent into his (and his parents’, as bedwetter also notes) personal hell in this “hidden jail.” The song climaxes with a chilling return to the present: “all this time passed, I’m scared that I’m there still” before the drums and foreboding piano melodies kick in, with Travis’ urgent and deeply pained refrain: “all these f****** years, I just don’t remember.”
The album continues with further ventures into bedwetter’s corrupted psyche and personal agonies, via both bitterly candid verses and myriad instrumental interludes, venturing through experiments in electronica, sparse guitar riffs, unsettling samples and ambience. Travis flashes forward to the present day with “stoop lights,” a meditation on a life in decline. Bars contemplating family rifts, alcoholism, and self-hatred flow over the closest thing to a modern trap beat Travis has ever worked with.
vol 1’s truest moments of doom and utter frustration come on the final rap track of the record, “haze of interference,” an apocalyptic instrumental teetering between dark heavy synths and hi-hats and low-tempo boom-bap drums with the specter of a repeated Jandek sample looming over all. The raps are beyond cynicism, beyond fear, beyond contemplation — it’s a screaming, utterly defeated polemic against the agonies mental illness have brought him his entire life. Beyond even this, biting self-awareness and direct references to the audience and his fanbase are slung toward the end — “You’re treated like a muse / Are you happy now, Travis?”
-Ethan Myers
On October 18th, a film many had been anticipating for months finally made its way into American cinemas: The Lighthouse, the sophomore feature from director Robert Eggers. Released by indie powerhouse A24 and starring acting titans Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson, the film is a brilliant, terrifying and beautifully shot descent into madness that’s a true must-see for any lover of cinema. The gorgeous, black and white cinematography and the furious, no-holds barred performances from the two leads ensure that the film is already one of the best of the year, but there’s one element that does the most work to catapult The Lighthouse into the pantheon of great American horror: the score.
Across horror cinema history we’ve seen all genres of music set the tone for the events that unfold on screen. John Carpenter’s high energy synth compositions for films such as Halloween and The Thing are perhaps the most memorable, serving as inspiration for his numerous successors, including Disasterpeace’s It Follows and Sinoia Caves’ Beyond the Black Rainbow. Others such as Candyman and The Shining have used classical pieces to great effect, while the 90s over the top masterpieces Army of Darkness and Dead Alive achieve a perfect balance of terror and comedy with completely overblown, almost slapstick-esque orchestration.
Over the past few years, we’ve seen much more experimentation in this field than ever before, and it seems to be really coming to a head in 2019. Scores of films like Us and Midsommar demand to be paid attention to: Us with its soaring choirs and sinister flips of classic rap songs, Midsommar with its paralyzing, string-laden ambience. Perhaps most uniquely impressive was how director Gaspar Noe soundtracked his supremely disturbing Climax, making French house the soundtrack for an LSD-induced psychotic freak out, and effectively ruining future listens of most Daft Punk songs. Even in a year with this many great scores, The Lighthouse stands out as the best so far.
Composed by Mark Korven, the music serves as the perfect compliment to the barnacle-covered, brine-soaked psychological breakdown the film’s audience bears witness to. Korven had previously scored Eggers’ first feature The Witch, and the Canadian cult hit Cube. Raised in Winnipeg, Korven studied jazz and orchestration in Edmonton, and ended up specializing in various genres of world music throughout his life. He’s been composing since the 1980s, and had been nominated for several awards in Canada, but he seemed a relative unknown to American ears until he met Eggers.
What Korven has done here is remarkable: he’s taken all presumptions of structure and melody and thrown them out the window, in favor of putting ear-shattering, soul-shaking soundscapes at the forefront. The score effortlessly evokes the feeling of a terrible nightmare in an unknown place, and like every good horror score, it’s unpredictable. The blaring, ever-present, obnoxiously loud foghorn from the film that repeats enough to drive you insane is absent from the soundtrack; Korven manages to almost completely eschew motif here, partly because there’s rarely a distinguishable pitch or key in any track. In other words, it would be very hard to traditionally notate or transcribe the noises present here. Accomplished and fully realized through an assortment of instruments alien to American ears, The Lighthouse’s music is more avant-garde than the majority of films are willing to get, and because of that it only serves to make the film scarier. Perhaps not surprising that Korven was a key player in the creation of the Apprehension Engine, an instrument whose sole purpose is to generate extremely unsettling sounds.
In a way, The Lighthouse seems like the ultimate culmination of this new wave of experimental horror music. Gone are the cheap jump scare accompaniments to The Conjuring and Sinister that defined the earlier part of the decade, and gone is any notion that music in horror should be relegated to the background.
Listen to The Lighthouse score here: https://open.spotify.com/album/2BhIDZrVtzZ5v9xY6KblYJ
The Apprehension Engine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzk-l8Gm0MY
-Jacob Stutts
BEST TRACKS: Heart Attack, Home, Unwired
FCC violations: A Dream The Veil
3 years after the successful release of album The Great Escape, Devarrow steps back onto the scene with a highly anticipated self-titled album. Raised with wonderful parents who promoted free expression, openness, and simplicity, Devarrow’s mastermind Graham Ereaux feels pressured and at odds by the bustling suburb life. This album feels like a much-needed escape to the Nova Scotia seaside, away from the information overload and anxiety-inducing, technology-embedded society of today. Psychedelic folk rock is such a niche and specific genre, so I always get excited when I stumble upon a new release in this category. I can safely say that this album is the best thing to happen to psychedelic folk rock since Dougie Poole’s Wideass Highway was released in 2017.
Devarrow features western influenced twangy guitar and psychedelic reverberations but still holds a firm core of classic Nova Scotia sweetness. Even if you’ve never seen a spaghetti western in your life, listening to this music will transport you vividly to someplace free and far away. Devarrow is an album that will fully immerse you in a sense of peace and balance.
I think this album is the best acoustic album to come out all year. Though this is a stripped-down album, each song has distinct, unique features and exudes so much bright energy. It’s hard to get the same pulsing energy playing acoustic as you can when playing plugged in, but Devarrow does, and makes it sound effortless. Graham Ereaux is talented vocalist who can switch his voice in an instant between a harsh scratch to a gentle croon, keeping you on your toes. Devarrow is proof that you don’t need any fancy equipment or instruments to make diverse, layered songs. At most, all you need is the help of a harmonica, an organ and an acoustic guitar.
Recommended if you like Dr. Dog, Hozier, Fleet Foxes, or Dougie Poole.
-Safia Rizwan