Uncensored Lair of the Minotaur Video Available Now!

by Wayne Graham

Remind me, dear reader, what is your opinion of Lair of the Minotaur?

Okay. Good. How about videos with decapitations, naked vampire chicks, and gore to beat the band?

I see. That's what I thought.

Perhaps it would behoove you to drop what you're doing and check out the new Uncensored Cut of Lair of the Minotaur's "War Metal Battle Master" video.

Click here for carnage.

Hook of the Day - Alice in Chains "Angry Chair"

by Wayne Graham

I sure do love some good harmonizing. Seems like a lot of the bands I listen to let the guitar players handle the sweet harmonies (Iron Maiden, Thin Lizzy, At the Gates, etc.) but from time to time, you'll find a great band that knows how to use vocal harmonies for maximum impact, and it sounds sooooo good. We're working on our reviews for the new album of one such band---their name starts with a "T" and ends with a "orche"---but in the meantime, please enjoy one of the best bands to ever employ great vocal harmonies...Alice in Chains. From 1992's classic grunge epic Dirt, here's "Angry Chair"

Hook of the Day - The Ramones "Do You Wanna Dance"

by Wayne Graham

Many thanks to my buddy Rob, who after reading yesterday's post about t-shirts, brought to my attention another great band who has such an iconic logo, you wouldn't have been able to NOT wear the shirt to the gig...The Ramones.

So, for the first time, we're taking a request for a Hook of the Day. For Rob, here's the Ramones-- live in London in 1977--with "Do You Wanna Dance."

Hey! Ho! Let's go!

In Defense of.....Wearing a Band's T-Shirt to the Same Band's Show

by Wayne Graham

I can't keep quiet about this any longer. I'm not sure when it started, but, at some point, it became conventional wisdom that going to a show wearing the t-shirt of the band you're going to see is not cool. I first became aware of this concept when a character made the claim in the Animal House wish-I-was PCU, that to "be that guy" is not good. First of all, one shouldn't place too much stock in anything that is said in a movie starring David Spade, even if Jeremy Piven, Jon Favreau, and George Clinton are in it, too. Secondly, WHAT'S WRONG WITH BEING THAT GUY???

For one thing, there are some bands who have merch that BEGS to be worn at their shows. Off the top of my head, I think of the Grateful Dead, KISS, and Iron Maiden. These are all bands who have (or have had) very distinctive merchandising concepts, and who are also known for rabid fans, which means there shouldn't be anything wrong with presenting oneself as part of the Deadheads, KISS Army, or, um, Maidenfans. To do that, you gotta fly the flag...on your chest. Case closed. Where else am I going to wear my Maiden shirt? Work? Grandma's House? No! When Maiden rolls around Chicago in June, I'm wearing my goddamn Iron Maiden 2005 tour shirt, son! And I won't be alone!

Now, when it comes to bands without a subculture, or a cool logo, or a mascot....it's harder to defend. I'm a little more bashful about wearing my Queens of the Stone Age shirt to the QOTSA gig, because, in that situation, I'll look like a weird, stalkerish fan club/street team type or something to people who are being judgemental instead of enjoying the show. So, I guess I'll wear my Queens shirt to the Converge show, and since Baroness is opening for them, I'll save my Baroness shirt for when I see Mastodon and save my Mastodon for...I dunno, something else, and now I've had to actually plan when I'm going to wear which shirt to which show, thereby adding a degree of pain-in-the-assedness to something that is, at its core, all about letting it all hang out and having a good-ass time. And, really, is THAT cool??? And if so, is it that much more cool than just grabbing whatever damn shirt you want, throwing it on, and meeting up with your buddies for whatever pre-show festivities you may enjoy? Do I really have to plan every second of my life to look un-lame to Zak Penn and Adam Leff?

Who are Zak Penn and Adam Leff, you might ask? Why, they're the guys who wrote PCU, of course! Yet, you had to ask me who they were! If THEY were cool, would you have to ask me who they are? You wanna know what else these guys wrote? Zak Penn also wrote Elektra. Yes, that Elektra. Adam Leff is even better...BioDome, bitches. Boy, are these guys the birth of the cool, or what?

Let's face it, the people who truly believe this shit are probably people who listen to crap music made by people who sell boring face-on-the-front-tour-dates-on-the-back merchandise. For those of us who enjoy real rock music, good artwork is part and parcel of the experience. We like a good album cover, and we like a kick-ass shirt. And we're fans, goddammit. Fly the flag. Move along and mind your business, hipsters. Your draft of Last Action Hero isn't done yet. (guess who wrote THAT one?)

Myche adds:

Great post! It had to be said. I was once told by a girlfriend of a friend on the way to the Matter Of Life Or Death Maiden show that I was breaking the cardinal sin of coolness by wearing a Maiden shirt. I was pretty comfortable with my decision, so this did not phase me (and I really should have kicked her ass to curb since she had the audacity to say it when I was driving her ass to the show). I am a repeat offender. Guilty as charged. And I'll do it in the future, you can bet your ass on that. I do it at Queensryche, Y&T (where I even wore a shirt that I MADE, and the band loved, and one of the guys wanted me to make him one - and I did!) and Trouble shows. I'm flying my colors, plain and simple.

And let me throw this in: if I was worried about being cool all the time, I probably wouldn't want to be caught dead at some of the shows I go to! I love what's happened over the years. Back in the late 80's, everyone was really busy being tough and bad ass at shows. Now we're all a lot older and at some shows I get that "hey dude, you're still listening to these guys too?" vibe. And I think that is awesome. It's all about mutual respect...

I think maybe it's gotten to the point that people that wear a band's shirt to their show are not "that guy" anymore. I mean, doesn't it show confidence in yourself to go ahead and do this even though you know this claim is out there, everyone knows it?

It all comes full circle.

Or it really is uncool and I'm trying to justify myself.

Either way, I'm not going to stop...

Mark adds...

I am in such agreement with my fellow brothers of metal. I wear the shirts to the bands that I see because I support them. I was in that same car ride with QM and remember thinking how stupid that girl's comment was. I was wondering how many people gave her a thumbs up, or a kick ass shirt comment at the show? Does that sound like we're losers? Nope. Sorry. I am doing exactly what Wayne does. I save certain shows to wear certain shirts. If I have a show that I'm going to of a band that I dont really know yet or own any gear ( and it's called Gear, by the way...) It's a pretty good chance that I'm going to wear a Mastodon shirt. I own 4 for god's sake. If it's more agressive, I might wear a SlipKnot shirt. But you know what's funny? If I see someone with a SlipKnot shirt on, guess what? He's my brother. If nothing else we agree on, we agree on the 'Knot. Its a brotherhood. and I'm damn proud to carry the torch. I cant wait to bust out my button down maiden shirt for the concert. the one that cost me about 50 bucks to buy! It's EASILY my best shirt and I only bring it out on very important occasions. If people think I'm a dork for wearing it? That's not MY problem.

Hook of the Day - Baroness "Rays on Pinion (live)"

by Wayne Graham

2008 is shaping up to be an amazing year for rock lovers so far. Lots of good albums already in stores (Meshuggah, Lair of the Minotaur), on deck (Torche, The Sword), and some hopefuls on the horizon (Mastodon, Boris, Nachtymystium, Opeth, My Morning Jacket). Don't even get me started on all the great live music we have in store for us. One show we at Hooks are counting the hours until is the Converge/Genghis Tron/Red Chord/Baroness bill. We've not had the pleasure of being in the same room with Baroness yet, so we're excited to see them soon.

Thanks to Metal Injection for posting this excellent clip of 'Ness shaking it up at Don Pedros in Brooklyn. From the stunning Red Album, here's "Rays on Pinion." (head over the M.I's site here and check out another clip for "The Birthing.")

New In Flames Album Streaming Now!

by Wayne Graham

All you fans of Gothenburg melodic death metal pay attention! The new In Flames album--A Sense of Purpose--is streaming in full on the band's MySpace page!

While you're at it, enjoy the video for the album's lead single, "The Mirror's Truth"



A Sense of Purpose will be in stores on April 1st from Nuclear Blast/Koch.
In Flames on MySpace [link]

Hook of the Day - Helmet "Unsung"

by Wayne Graham

We're pretty Torche-crazy around here lately as we gear up for the release of Meanderthal, due April 8th from Hydra Head Industries. On that note, it's hard to listen to Torche frontman Steve Brooks and not be reminded of Helmet's Page Hamilton, whose voice has a very similar quality.

From Helmet's classic 1992 release Meantime, here's "Unsung."

New Black Keys Album Streaming in Its Entirety on Rhapsody

by Wayne Graham

Good news for you fans of Akron, Ohio garage-blues duo The Black Keys. Rolling Stone reports that Rhapsody is streaming their new Danger Mouse-produced album Attack and Release for free, a full week before its April 1st release.

Check it out here.

Album of the Week - Lair of the Minotaur "War Metal Battle Master"

by Wayne Graham

On all of the promo materials for Lair of the Minotaur’s punishing new album War Metal Battle Master, they describe the release as “A concept album about solving conflicts with a big fucking axe.” Yyyyyyyyyyeahh that pretty much says more about what this record sounds like than anything that we’re going to tell you. WMBM is an extremely heavy record—both in terms of the club-over-the-head riffs as well as the dense sonic weight of the production (by Minsk’s Sanford Parker, with Pig Destroyer’s Scott Hull in charge of mastering).

With WMBM, Lair have perfected the art of distilling all the great elements of so many of metal’s subgenres, stripping away the problem spots that can cause those subgenres to falter or misstep, and to fuse the good stuff together into a cohesive, consistent wallop. There are blasting, growling death metal moments that grow out of riffs, as opposed to just providing a Look-Ma-No-Hands workout to attract love from the drum & guitar clinic crowd. The record has great martial-styled blast beats and throat shredding screeches that the best of Black Metal can offer, but without the theatrics or thin production. (One could go on all day about how fucking epic this thing sounds. Parker has really outdone himself on this one). Going on to fuse the dirty, sweaty riff n’ roll of High on Fire and Motorhead, the old-school darkness of Venom and Celtic Frost, and the gallop of 80’s Bay Area Thrash (especially early Slayer), the guys in Lair of the Minotaur are clearly lovers of metal in all its forms, but instead of skipping from genre to genre like so many prog know-it-alls, Lair have torn through what metal has done well before, pillaged what they need, and left the rest to burn in Hell. The songs are played with a pronounced bottom end that runs circles around what most doom metal outfits are doing these days, but the punch and focus of the arrangements keep everything moving at a nice clip. Each of the band’s members---Donald James Barraca on bass, Steven Rathbone on vox and guitar, and Chris Wozniak on drums—are all distinctive on their instruments, but they’re most impressive in how they lock in as a unit to fill as much sonic space with as much Heavy as possible.

So, yeah, what they said…….Big Fucking Axe.

The album is out today courtesy of Southern Lord Recordings. Wear a helmet.

Lair of the Minotaur on MySpace [link]

Hook of the Day - Battles "Tonto"

by Wayne Graham

Do you ever wonder if all your computers and gadgets get together and have a dance party when you're out of the room? Me too. I bet ya dollars to donuts it sounds like Battles.

From their wonderful 2007 album Mirrored, please enjoy "Tonto." Your laptop and your flatscreen are grinding against each other to this song right this second.

Hook of the Day - Big Business "Grounds for Divorce"

by Wayne Graham

A couple of years ago, I was the Double Door waiting for High on Fire to come out and lay waste to the joint, and out comes two guys--one bass player, one drummer---who called themselves Big Business. The crowd was ornery and BB had some work ahead of them......and they absolutely slayed! They had a tougher time when I caught them again opening for Tool, opening for Tool can be dangerous water...but BB played great then, too.

As you may know, these guys have also joined The Melvins as their new bass player and second drummer, so if it's good enough for Buzzo, it's plenty good for the rest of us! From a Chicago Double Door show opening for The Melvins last fall, here's "Grounds for Divorce" from their fantastic Here Come The Waterworks album. Thanks to thinkerthought for uploading!

Rumor of the Week - Judas Priest, Heaven & Hell, Motorhead to Tour Later This Year?

by Wayne Graham

According to a story posted this weekend on Blabbermouth, the rumor mill is white hot with reports of a possible trek later this year featuring Judas Priest, Heaven & Hell, and Motorhead. As far as we can tell, Blabbermouth seems to have started this rumor themselves, but many Blabberbashers (who all claim to have "reliable sources") are pointing towards the buzz being correct.

A few months ago, there was chatter about a possible Judas Priest/Scorpions tour, but there's no mention of the Scorps being involved on this bill. (Though Testament is strongly believed to be a possible 4th act for the JP/H&H/MH outing)

We'll let you know if we hear anything else. Grain of salt and high hopes til then.

Hook of the Day - The Sword (playing as Zombie Eaters) "From Out of Nowhere"

by Wayne Graham

Thanks to YouTube poster BradTheProducer for uploading this clip of The Sword performing Faith No More's "From Out of Nowhere" during their FNM cover set at SXSW a couple of weeks ago. A bit fuzzy, but you get the idea.

Another new Boris video---"My Neighbor Satan"

by Wayne Graham

How did you enjoy Boris' video for "Statement" that we posted last month? Pretty good, right? Want another?

Here's "My Neighbor Satan" from their upcoming album Smile, due April 29th from Southern Lord Recordings.

Thanks to crustcake for posting!

Hook of the Day - Gojira "To Sirius"

by Wayne Graham

Things to do this weekend.

1) Watch this excellent video for "To Sirius" from Gojira's jaw-dropping From Mars to Sirius album.

2) If you don't have it already, purchase Gojira's jaw-dropping From Mars to Sirius album.

3) Cancel all of your weekend plans, hole up, and let Gojira's jaw-dropping From Mars to Sirius album wash over you.

4) Pick your jaw up off the floor and tell a friend about Gojira. Go see them live. Buy all their albums from here on out. Acknowledge that your ass belongs to them now, and feel good about it.




Gojira on MySpace [link]

MP3 Randomization: 03-20-08

Myche:
1. Forever Young - The Band
2. Jacob's Ladder - Bruce Springsteen
3. Jailbreak - Thin Lizzy
4. Marriage Chant - Greg Brown
5. Straight Thru The Heart - Y&T

Wayne:
1. Alive - Daft Punk
2. Hung, Drawn, and Quartered- High on Fire
3. Planet Boom - Motley Crue
4. Huge- Boris
5. Flaming Youth - KISS

Mark:
1. Melody Cool-Prince feat Mavis Staples
2. Talullah - Jamiroquai
3. Red, Hot and Ready - Y &T
4. Piece by piece- Slayer
5. Breathe in, breathe out- Between the Buried and Me

Hook of the Day - Strapping Young Lad "Love?"

by Wayne Graham

Devin Townsend is a freakin' mad-scientist genius. Such a pity that none of us here were able to catch Strapping Young Lad live before they called it a day. S'pose we'll just have to be content with the dense brews of precision and power on the albums. From 2005's Alien, here's "Love?"

Reminder of the day

You know who rule?

3 Inches of Blood. I listened to them as I did laundry today, and I motherfucking ATTACKED it!!!!

As you were

New Video Alert - The Sword "Fire Lances Of The Ancient Hyperzephyrians"

by Wayne Graham

Muchas gracias to the fine folks at Stereogum for posting the new video for The Sword's "Fire Lances Of The Ancient Hyperzephyrians." This is one of the best tracks from the band's outstanding new album Gods of the Earth, due on April 1st from Kemado Records.

Is Prince doing Coachella???

by Wayne Graham

And with one fell swoop, this year's Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival goes from "eh, pretty weak" to "whaaaa???? really??" According to BrooklynVegan, Prince will be added this year's festival, taking place April 25-27 at the Empire Polo Field in Indio, CA. No word yet on which day he'll perform, and no confirmation from any official sources yet. We'll keep you posted as this develops. If this is true and you can make it out this year, DO IT. Prince is one of the greatest live performers on Earth. Other performers this year include Roger Waters (performing Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety), Portishead, and Kraftwerk.

UPDATE: Yep. According to Brooklyn Vegan, the Purple One will be there.

Hook of the Day - Thin Lizzy "Jailbreak"

by Wayne Graham

Um.....we completely forgot to wish you guys a Happy St. Patrick's Day on Monday. We're sorry. We were excited about posting that Tool video, and completely forgot that perhaps someone like Thin Lizzy would have been more appropriate for the occassion.

Is it too late? Of course not. There's always room for Thin Lizzy. Here's "Jailbreak" from the (excellent) album of the same name.

Question of the Day: I love Meshuggah, but I'm not nuts about Ministry...is it worth my time & money to catch their upcoming tour together?

by Wayne Graham

Don't get me wrong....Ministry is an important band and all, and I enjoy quite a bit of their music, but if I were to attend one of the shows on their upcoming tour, I'd really only be going because Meshuggah is opening for them. But do I want to shell out $40 bucks (and then more in Ticketmaster fees on top of that) just because I love the opening band? Can't I just wait for them to headline? Good question, and maybe some of you are in the same boat. Perhaps this blurb from a Blistering.com interview (by way of Blabbermouth) with Meshuggah guitarist Mårten Hagström will help us decide.

Blistering.com: You guys are getting what, 45 minutes for
this tour, right?

Mårten Hagström:
Yeah, I think it's 45 minutes, I'm not 100% sure. We'll be playing two tracks
off the new album. We have an opening set and a headlining set, but it's kinda
difficult. Obviously, we'd like to have a little bit everything. We'll do
something off "Destroy", something off "Chaosphere", "Nothing", but I don't know how much
from each record, but I do know that we're aiming for two or three songs off the
new record.

Good to know. Something to bear in mind. Check out the entire interview HERE.

***UPDATE***

This tour has started, and from some digging around, it looks like the Meshuggah setlist is:

The Mouth Licking What You've Bled
Bleed
Electric Red
Perpetual Black Second
Pravus
Rational Gaze
Straws Pulled At Random
Future Breed Machine

This is the only setlist I'm turning up, so I'd imagine this will more or less look like this for every tour date. That's 3 tracks from ObZen, 3 from Nothing, 1 from Chaosphere, and 1 from Destroy Erase Improve.

The Raconteurs New Album Update---Yep, it's coming out next week

by Wayne Graham

Per the Raconteurs' official newsletter:

"Album" meaning: full length vinyl, CD and digital formats; and
"everywhere" meaning: local mom and pop Indie retailers, corporate superstores,
supermarkets, iTunes, Amazon, the band's own website and any other location that
could get the record up and going this quickly (some places couldn't move this
fast, so they will join in as soon as they can).
It contains 14 new
recordings and is being released globally on Third Man Records in conjunction
with our marketing/distribution partners, XL Recordings and Warner Brothers
Records.
The album was mastered and completed in the first week of March. It
was then taken immediately to a vinyl pressing plant. Then to a CD pressing
plant. Then preparations to sell it digitally began. March 25th became the
soonest date to have it available in EVERY FORMAT AT ONCE. The band have done no
interviews or advertisements for this record before this announcement.
The
purpose: to get the album to the fans as soon as possible and as we promised. We
wanted to get this record to fans, the press, radio, etc., all at the EXACT SAME
TIME so that no one has an upper hand on anyone else regarding it's
availability, reception or perception.

Awesome.

Hook of the Day - ISIS "Holy Tears"

by Wayne Graham

Given our frequent mentions of bands like Tool, Mastodon, Neurosis, and Torche, it should come as no surprise that ISIS is highly thought-of round these parts. All of these bands share qualities that are thankfully more and more common in metal these days---focus, dynamics, intensity, sensitivity, texture, vulnerability, and sheer sonic weight. Hopefully, if you're into this kind of thing, you already know about ISIS and the amazing work they do. If not, start with 2006's In the Absence of Truth, and work your way back through their excellent catalog. From that album, here's the recently released video for "Holy Tears." "Holy shit!" is more like it. This mofo is intense.

Mastodon @ Brooklyn's Masonic Temple - Video #4 (Final Clip)

by Wayne Graham

Muchas gracias to Mastodon for letting those of us unfortunate enough to have missed their opening stint with Neurosis at Brooklyn's Masonic Temple take a look at how it all went down, and for sharing news about the making of their next album, due out from Warner Brothers later this year. Here's the last of 4 clips. Enjoy!

New Raconteurs Album Due Next Week?

by Wayne Graham

According to Rolling Stone, rumors are heavy that the second album from The Raconteurs could hit stores as early as NEXT WEEK! The ball got rollin' when a record store employee commenter on a Radiohead messageboard passed along word that their boss heard from some guy at Warner Brothers that Jack White strolled into their office with the masters of the new record and requested an immediate release. Click on the link above and you'll see the sleuthing efforts to this point. So far it's a little "I know a guy who knows a kid who did the nails for some girl who met Jack White", but given the success of recent Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails release-when-done albums, it's not unthinkable.

I sincerely hope this is a trend that catches on.

BTW--- the pic above is allegedly the album cover

Lair of the Minotaur's WAR METAL BATTLE MASTER Release Events

by Wayne Graham

Chicago's own Lair of the Minotaur have a couple of Windy City-area events lined up to celebrate the March 25th release of their latest kick-in-the-ass, War Metal Battle Master. (courtesy of Southern Lord Records)

Tomorrow night, March 18th, @ 10pm, Southern Lord will present a listening party at Kuma's Corner (2900 W. Belmont Avenue, Chicago). The event is free, and there will be food and drink specials all night. (I presume one could partake of Lair's namesake burger which has brie, pancetta, carmelized onions, and whisky-soaked pear slices on a pretzel roll) Metal DJ sets will be provided by Laurent Lebec (of Pelican) and Ben Eastman. Limited edition versions of the CD will be on sale.

Additionally, on March 25th @ 5:30pm, Lair will play a short set at Reckless Records (1532 N. Milwaukee Avenue, Chicago). Also free. Also awesome.

Both events will be great. If you're in the area, drop by, won't you. And say hi to me! I'll be the guy with the beard!

Please enjoy "Horde of Undead Vengeance" from War Metal Battle Master.

Hook of the Day- Tool "Vicarious"

Let's just let this fine piece of work speak for itself, shall we?

From their excellent 2006 album 10,000 Days, here's Tool's "Vicarious."

Hook of the Day - Iron Maiden "2 Minutes to Midnight" PLUS New Tour Dates Released!!

Metal gods Iron Maiden have announced new U.S. tour dates for their massive 2008 Somewhere Back in Time tour!!!

June 11 - Rosemont, IL @ Allstate Arena (on sale 3/22)
June 12 - Cuyahoga Falls, OH @ Blossom Music Center (on sale 3/29)
June 14 - Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center (on sale 3/22)
June 15 - New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden (on sale 3/22)
June 17 - Camden, NJ @ Susquehanna Bank Centre (on sale 3/29)
June 18 - Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion (on sale 3/29)
June 20 - Mansfield, MA @ Tweeter Center for The Performing Arts (on sale 3/28)

These dates are in addition to the following dates already on sale

May 21 San Antonio, TX @ Verizon Wireless
May 22 Houston, TX @ Woodlands
May 25 Albuquerque, NM @ Journal Pavilion
May 26 Phoenix, AZ @ Cricket Pavilion
May 28 Concord, CA @ Concord
May 30 Los Angeles, CA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
May 31 Los Angeles, CA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
June 2 Seattle, WA Verizon Wireless @ White River Amphitheatre


For your Hook of the Day, please enjoy "2 Minutes to Midnight" from the classic Live After Death DVD and album.

Mastodon @ Brooklyn's Masonic Temple - video #3

Hi folks! Hope your weekend is off to a good start. If not, perhaps the newly released 3rd of 4 clips detailing Mastodon's now-legendary opening set at the Brooklyn Masonic Temple Neurosis shows will help. (Come to think of it, you folks having nice weekends will like it, too!)

Good footage here of a blistering run through Blood Mountain's "Hand of Stone" and some cool interviews with the guys about their creative process as they build Album #4.

Enjoy!

Hook of the Day - Motorhead "Iron Fist"

by Wayne Graham

Sure seems like everyone down at SXSW is getting their fair share of great metal this year , including a free Motorhead set yesterday! Needless to say, we're quite jealous. When we come across any good footage from the gig, we'll throw it your way. Til then......."Iron Fist"

Hook of the Day - Soundgarden "Outshined"

by Wayne Graham

At the Saviours show the other night (our review is on the way), some kind soul put on Soundgarden's classic Badmoterfinger as in-between set band-setting up time music. From that record, here's "Outshined." Bon appetit!

Rage Against the Machine, Wilco added to potential Lolla participant list!!!!

by Wayne Graham

According to Rolling Stone, Rage Against the Machine and Wilco's names are being thrown into the ring as possible participants at this summer's Lollapalooza festival at Chicago's Grant Park from August 1-3. This news combined with the previously reported Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails rumors means this year's extravaganza could be quite excellent.

Please enjoy this clip of Rage Against the Machine bringing a very rabid audience to a boil last summer. (I attended this show and I've rarely seen an audience go so bugfuck nuts)

8 New My Morning Jacket Songs!!!

by Wayne Graham

The June 10th release of Evil Urges--the latest effort from the peerless My Morning Jacket--can't get here fast enough. The band played a whopping EIGHT songs from the album at their gig with Yo La Tengo in Houston on March 10th, and "eggs" from Breakfast on Tour was kind enough to tape and post them. (thanks also to Stereogum for the heads-up)

"Evil Urges"


"I'm Amazed"


"Highly Suspicious"


"Thank You Too"


"Sec Walkin"


"Aluminum Park"


"Smokin from Shootin"


"Touch Me Part 2"

Hook of the Day - Genghis Tron "Board up the House"

by Wayne Graham

Much thanks to crankstrap for uploading this excellent clip of Genghis Tron performing the title track from their beyond-excellent new album Board up the House. I'll spare you my usual verbose noodlings, and inform you that GT are making some very very exciting music right now, and it would behoove you to pick this latest release up. An early 2008 highlight! Don't miss them on the road with Converge this spring!

New Opeth song---"Heir Apparent"!

by Wayne Graham

Our first taste of new Opeth was posted today, courtesy of fan-filmed footage shot at the band's appearance on the Melloboat Cruse (between Stockholm and Helsinki) over the weekend. (Thanks to maxorxo for the upload and Blabbermouth for posting). The song is called "Heir Apparent" and will appear on their upcoming album, Watershed, due out June 3rd from Roadrunner Records.

Good? Of course it's good.

The Sword---Faith No More coverband???

by Wayne Graham

According to BrooklynVegan, Austin metal flag-wavers The Sword will continue their annual tribute band tradition at South by Southwest, this time performing under the name "Zombie Eaters." Expect nothing but Faith No More songs, performed with The Sword's characteristic gusto.

Needless to say, if you're in Austin tomorrow, there's no better place to be. For further details, click HERE.

As soon as we get any clips of this, we'll post 'em right here.

Hook of the Day - Slayer "Angel of Death"

by Wayne Graham

Not much I can say about Slayer that you don't already know. God bless the brave soul who brought a videocamera into a Reign in Blood-era show, and was able to bring it back out in one piece. This ain't your pappy's Grammy-winning Slayer, this is August of 1986 Slayer! Watch your ass!


Mark adds: Kerry King is so goddamned Hot.

Mastodon @ Brooklyn's Masonic Temple - Video #2

by Wayne Graham

Everyone's favorite Southern metal leviathans Mastodon have posted the 2nd of 4 episodes highlighting their recent stint opening for Neurosis at Brooklyn's Masonic Temple.

"Megalodon" never sounded so good!!

New Torche track available for streaming!!

by Wayne Graham


There are a TON of albums on the way this year that have the potential of being truly, truly great. One that we're keeping a close eye on is Torche's Meanderthal, out on April 8th on Hydra Head, produced by Converge's Kurt Ballou (is there anything he isn't producing these days??)

A few weeks ago, the band posted a new track--"Piranha"-- on their MySpace page. Great track. Today, they've posted another, "Grenades"....also great. This bastard is shaping up real nice!

Enjoy!

Album of the Week - Meshuggah "obZen"

With certain bands, the single act of an album release comes on like an event, not only for that band's legion of fans, but also for the entire genre of music which they represent. It goes without saying that Meshuggah safely falls into that category. The gang at Hooks So Big have been spinning the band's latest, obZen, due in stores tomorrow on Nuclear Blast Records. Here's what we think:

Wayne's take:

Despite being one of the most adventurous bands on the planet, Meshuggah does have a general formula. The fun with each new album is listening to the ways that they conform to or pull away from it. They're justifiably lauded for their tricky time-signature work, but, unlike Dream Theatre or Protest the Hero, who tend to steal away to a new signature from measure to measure, there's an almost industrial quality in the in the way that Meshuggah employs their rhythm section in relation to polyrhythmic patterns. Over a bedrock of throbbing, spidery tension, vocalist Jens Kidman's throat-shredding howls provide cathartic counterpoint, and Fredrik Thordendal's Allan Holdsworth-esque guitar leads spin webs through it all. Uniting the ensemble is drummer Tomaas Haake, who supports the bottom-end with lightning quick double bass work, and accents the more fluid figures with snare drum, toms, and cymbals, often at a signature and speed different than his feet.

Which brings us to obZen. As with all the band's releases, it's difficult to apply some sort of grade or evaluation when it's so fresh out of the box. A new Meshuggah record is one to be listened to over and over again, put down, chewed over, read about, discussed, and listened to several more times before you truly have it figured out. That said, what sets obZen apart from previous efforts is that it feels fairly straightforward, even thrashy in spots. Not to make it sound like a 4-square platter without nuance or unique thrills-----it's surprising how effective slight gradations in texture and pitch can be (check out the last minute of "Bleed" for example)---but, for a band that has experimented with everything from the number of strings on their guitars to temporarily dropping live drums in favor of programmed percussion, it plays like an exercise in relative simplicity. With the exception of "Bleed" and the 9 and 1/2 minute "Dancers to a Discordant System", none of the tracks here break the 6 minute mark, and on ALL the tracks, the band has trimmed the fat down to just enough to pack a wallop and leave you begging for more. You already know if you're picking this one up, so my highest recommendation is pretty much useless. All I'm saying is that, once you have it, it's worth your time and money, many times over.

Mark's Take:

Yeah, the excitement I felt knowing that there was going to be a new Meshuggah album was great. What isn't there to like about these guys? They are fast, intricate, heavy, brutal, and they have that Swedish thing that just kind of makes me happy. And crave Swedish meatballs from Ikea. I listened to this once in its entirety, and got a quick feel of it. It doesn't stray too far away from the usual Meshuggah sound, but then the album started over and the song "Combustion" came on, and it was during this second listen that the album started to reveal itself to me. I got HOOKED by that riff. Then as I was typing my text to Wayne and QM telling him how much the first track was a jam, he sent back his pick of the song "Bleed." Gotta love Wayne. He could pinpoint a killer drum riff in ways that I am simply unable to. I tend to be more guitar based, and he knows all of the drummer's names and shit. He's awesome. But then he got me listening deeper into all of these tracks. Jesus, this album builds and burns. Easily one of the best releases so far this year of a good amount of great music released so far. Plus one of the guitarists is pretty cute. I love those goateed metal guitarists, as you know, faithful Hooks readers. I'm gonna make a list one day. I don't give a shit.

Back to the album. Sometimes this album gets a little samesies to me, but then again, most bands will have a style that is theirs. I feel Meshuggah sounds the same within their world, but can out fucking jam anyone trying to sound like them. I listened to "I" after I listened to this one, just to see how they have matured, and I tell ya. They are tighter now, and they were pretty triumphantly tight when they recorded "I" These guys SHOULD be big. They are big in sound, riffs, and stature. I cant wait to see them live, but I still cant get into Ministry. So lets hope they do a tour all their own. With like, The sword, and someone cool like Rager opening for them...

Myche's Take:

I'm finally getting on this - sorry it took so long. I've listened to the new album about three times. Pretty powerful stuff, and no real surprises from these guys. They just take care of business! Earlier on this blog I reviewed their previous album, Catch Thirty-Three. I would have to say that my review would basically be the same for this one. I think repeat listens will help me discover the nuances of the songs, but I usually feel it gets a little monotonous on a full album listen. And, quite frankly, exhausting. That's not meant to be as big a knock as it sounds - it's just such a auditory assault that I am fatigued after about 30 minutes. Trust me, I'm glad there's music out that that does this to me!

Hook of the Day - Kyuss "Demon Cleaner"

by Wayne Graham

There sure does seem to be a lot of stoner rock around these days, no? But is any of it as good as Kyuss? Nnnnot really, no. From the excellent Welcome to Sky Valley record, here's "Demon Cleaner." Love that fuzzed out riff!

Today in E-cards : The Sword and Meshuggah

by Wayne Graham

Howdy. There are a couple of E-cards available on the web today that warrant your attention.

One is for the latest Meshuggah release ObZen, coming your way this Tuesday from Nuclear Blast Records. Check out the E-card here, where you can sample each of the album's tracks (in the event that you didn't listen to the entire thing on Meshuggah's MySpace page earlier this week).

The second is for Gods of the Earth, the upcoming album from The Sword, in stores on April 1st, courtesy of Kemado Records. Check out upcoming tourdates, sample tracks, view an album promo, and download the (very excellent) first single "Fire Lances of the Ancient Hyperzephyrians" at the location here.

The whole Hooks So Big gang have heard both of these records, and prepare yourself, both of them are outstanding. We'll have our obZen thoughts for you early next week. A review of Gods of the Earth is forthcoming, as well.

New Testament Track Streaming on BraveWords.com!!

by Wayne Graham

Mercyful Fate!!! What a news day this is turning out to be!!! If you're done geeking out about rumored Lollapalooza headliners and At the Gates gigs, head on over to BraveWords.com, and lend an ear to a new Testament track, "More Than Meets the Eye", from the band's highly, highly anticipated new record The Formation of Damnation.

At the Gates TOURDATES!!!!!!!!

by Wayne Graham

Many, many, MANY thanks to the Deciblog for posting the long-awaited At the Gates tour dates. Support will come from Darkest Hour and Municipal Waste.

Hell. Yes.

July 10 - New York, NY – Irving Plaza

July 11 – Worcester, MA – The Palladium

July 12 – Montreal, QC – Le Medley

July 13 – Toronto, ON – Opera House

July 14 – Chicago, IL – House of Blues

July 15 – Sauget, IL – Pop’s

July 17 – Houston, TX – Warehouse Live

July 18 – San Antonio, TX – White Rabbit

July 21 – Denver, CO – Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom

July 23 – Seattle, WA – El Corazon

July 24 – Portland, OR - Roseland Theatre

July 25 – San Francisco, CA- The Fillmore

July 26 – Pomona, CA - Glasshouse

July 27 – Hollywood, CA – Henry Fonda Theatre

And the Lollapalooza Headliners are....Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails??!!??!!??

by Wayne Graham

According to the Chicago Tribune, Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails are "expected" to be 2 of the 3 headliners for this year's big Lollapalooza festival, taking place August 1-3 at Grant Park in Chicago.

God, I hope this is true......

Other rumored headliners we've picked up here and there are Smashing Pumpkins, Tom Petty, and the Police. We'll see. Stay tuned.

Here's Nine Inch Nails' video for "Survivalism" off of last year's terrific Year Zero album. Keep an eye on the site next week, as we'll share our thoughts about NIN's newest release Ghosts I-IV.

Queensryche Acoustic Set on MP3.com

by Wayne Graham

Needless to say, having a member of the Hooks So Big team called Queensryche Myche indicates a level of fondness on our part for that magnificent band. Drop by MP3.com and check out a live 4-song acoustic set, featuring the "The Killing Words" from Rage for Order, "Eyes of a Stranger" from Operation: Mindcrime, "The Hands" from Operation: Mindcrime II, and a cover of Crosby, Stills & Nash's "Almost Cut My Hair" from last year's Take Cover.

Go here now.

Dillinger Escape Plan's Ire Works---2008 Plug Independent Music Metal Album of the Year

by Wayne Graham

Congratulations to Dillinger Escape Plan, whose brilliant 2007 album Ire Works, was proclaimed the 2008 Plug Independent Music Awards' "Metal Album of the Year." The Plug Awards are nominated by members of the independent music community and voted on by fans via online ballot on Plug's website. The winners were announced at a ceremony hosted by comic genius Patton Oswalt last night. Other winners included Arcade Fire (album of the year), Animal Collective (indie rock album of the year), Iron & Wine (Americana album of the year), and Gogol Bordello (punk album of the year). Ire Works was my #1 favorite album of last year, and it figured highly on the lists of the Hooks So Big gang on the whole, so we're thrilled to hear about Dillinger's continued success.

Here's the band's new(ish) video for "Milk Lizard", an Ire Works highlight and the best video ever made about a bar stool.

Hook of the Day - Machine Head "Now I Lay Thee Down"

by Wayne Graham

Have you picked up Machine Head's most recent album--"The Blackening"--yet? If not, you're missing out on one of 2007's very best releases, a horn o' plenty of riffs n' hooks. Here's that album's "Now I Lay Thee Down."

CD Preview: Crom – Hot Sumerian Nights

By Myche J

I’m flying completely blind here, but I have a good feeling about this. Haven’t heard it at all, but I’ve read some things that sound promising. It’s probably going to be awesome, I just need to find out if it will be funny/ridiculous awesome, or seriously good awesome (or possibly a combination?).

First things first: look at that album cover. Fairly cheesy graphics, with the middle dude flipping the bird. I’d love to see what art they DIDN’T go with. I love it. I also get a kick out of the fact that it kind of looks like the second and fifth guys are smiling a bit. Not very metal, in my opinion, but while I keep looking at it I’m not so sure they are smiling. Maybe it’s just neutral glares. Although, given what the second guy is wearing, you know he’s the clown of the bunch (Purple? As you are marching into war?). You gotta work hard to stand out as the goofy dresser in that bunch.

Ok, on to the tunes that I’ve never heard. There are 22 tracks on the CD, many I believe are short intros with audio clips of Conan The Barbarian. That will work. Then most of what I assume are songs clock in at around 1:30. Cool – cut to the chase, we all got a lot to do. But then there is one song that is over eight minutes long called “Book of Thoth”. I love a good epic, and that sounds promising. Other gems are “Battle Axe Butchery/Banned in B.C.”, “The Horn of Tiafa-diop”, “Thorgrimm’s Lament”, and “Wee Hours of the Snowgoat”. Tell me, how can this miss?

So I’m off to do some research on these guys. I’ll report back with an update…

New Video Alert! 3 Inches of Blood "Trial of Champions"

By Wayne Graham




This video is so metal, it's not even funny.

Hook of the Day - Eddie Vedder "Hard Sun"

by Wayne Graham

Finally caught "Into the Wild" last night on DVD---OUTSTANDING movie. Too many great elements to completely document here, but Eddie Vedder's songs compliment the film beautifully. From that soundtrack, please enjoy "Hard Sun".

Concert Review: Exodus @ The Pearl Room, Mokena 2-16-08

by Wayne Graham

"God, I'm so glad that THIS is who we're on our way to see!" - Me

With bellies stuffed full of delicious pre-show Kuma's Corner burgers, Myche, Mark and myself were cranking the excellent new Exodus album, The Atrocity Exhibition: Exhibit A and on our way to The Pearl Room in Mokena, IL for the Exodus/Goatwhore/Warbringer show (additional openers Arsis were not able to make it to the gig). As even the most casual of observers will notice, thrash, particularly straight-up mid-80's Bay Area-style thrash, is back in a huge way lately, and what better way to celebrate the days of hi-top Converse sneakers and sleeveless denim vests than with an evening moshing it up with one of the greatest bands the genre has to offer.....

This was my maiden voyage to the famous Pearl Room, and I was not disappointed. You can get there from Chicago in less than an hour, and the room is PERFECT for metal. Intimate without creating clausterphobia (a nice balance), I vowed to come back the second I stepped foot inside.

Ventura, California thrash prodigies Warbringer were already in the process of dropping an atom bomb on the joint when we arrived, and, lemme tell ya, don't let the fact that hardly any these guys were born when Reign in Blood came out deter you, they know their way around a light-speed riff and back again. Take all the best parts of Exodus, Kill 'Em All-era Metallica, and Slayer (vocalist John Kevill even resembles a young Tom Araya), and roll it up into a big wrecking ball, and you get the idea. Kevill could stand to refine his between song banter (or chuck it altogether), but the band is more than worthy of all the hype they're generating right now.

Next up was Goatwhore, from New Orleans, Lousiana. After perusing some of their work here and there leading up to the show, I wasn't sure how I'd like them, but their thick brew of black and death metal went over great. They had plenty of nice riffing and and an arresting stage-presence to offset the doom n' gloom atmosphere of their songs. If they're in your area sometime, go check them out. I think you'll be pleased.

So then we're up to Exodus, finally, and they......well........they played great. Lots of killer riffs and great drumming and enough great thrashing about to suit the most jaded of fans, but.....

Something rubbed me wrong about them from the get-go. I feel like a nice, massive moshpit is to be earned, not demanded, and vocalist Rob Dukes was calling out the moshers from the second he hit the stage, and when he found himself doing so over and over, his annoyance was clearly visible, and it really took me away from the great job they were doing, you know, MUSICALLY.

But I put this aside, as they were ripping the Pearl Room a new brown-eye, but then came....."The Incident".



A few songs into the set, a kid jumped onstage, got his bearings, and took a nice leap off the stage. Pearl Room security, of course, gave him the boot, which didn't please Exodus in the least. The band stopped playing entirely, demanding that the boy be let back in, and that no one was being harmed by stage-diving. At this point, the band starts playing again, inviting as many people onstage to stage-dive as space would allow, in a grand "fuck you" to the security guards, who, it must be said, were not abusive or unfair. They were just doing their jobs.

At about this point, Exodus got their mics turned off, and we were all forced to wait while the band cursed at the owners of the venue. The crowd ate it up. Me? It bored the shit out of me. I'm not a stage-diver, nor am I mosher. I want to headbang, and shout with gang vocals, and throw horns, and dance when the mood strikes. What do I care if some dope gets to jump onstage??

Eventually, the band manages to set aside their differences with the venue management, and they all come to an agreement that moshing is fine, but stage-diving isn't, and blah blah blah and they finally start playing again. Unfortuately, all the posturing completely ruined the momentum, and I was already thinking about a post-show Frostee at Wendy's.

Like I said, the band played great...when they played. Even without The Incident, I could have done without Rob Dukes' bullying stage presence, but that' s a personal preference. As much as has been said aboutWarbringer resembling the classic thrash bands, perhaps guys like Exodus could stand to take a page from the younger band's play book...the one that says "Shut the fuck up and shred!"

Here's Warbringer's "Combat Shock" from their War Without End album.

Hook of the Day - My Morning Jacket w/ the Boston Pops "Gideon"

by Wayne Graham

There are few bands I love more than My Morning Jacket. I could elaborate on why, but that would just waste time that you could spend enjoying this clip of the guys getting all dolled up with the Boston Pops and knocking out yet another audience (this time a David Letterman studio crowd). If this band is playing anywhere near you anytime, do yourself a favor and check them out. So worth your time it's not even funny. This clip aired probably sometime in 2006. Enjoy!

An Open Letter to Rocklahoma

by Wayne Graham

Dear Rocklahoma--

I'm not sure how to say this, so I'll just say it.....what HAPPENED?? I mean...this? THIS is the line-up? Ya see, you're a new festival so maybe you don't know how it's done, but the idea is to improve upon the previous year's line up. I didn't go last year, but I sorta wish I had. Twisted Sister, Y&T, Dokken, a quarter of a Motley Crue (the crappiest quarter, but still...), fucking QUEENSRYCHE! Yeah, there were some FireHouses and BulletBoys and that motherfucker Kip Winger (don't ask, suffice it to say he's a Grade A Choad), and honestly, this stuff is ALL pretty goofy, but there was some fun stuff there! And it was a big success! Hell--Rolling Stone did a profile on the dude from Bang Tango....and Rolling Stone didn't do a profile on Bang Tango when they were big! Hell, they were NEVER big! That was your power, Rockla!

For 2008, there were rumors of Scorpions, Def Leppard, and Judas Priest...lofty rumors perhaps, but the sky was the limit, right? Isn't that what 80's metal was all about---hope? And then Dee Snider said that this year was going to be a little more "metallic" and--I swear he said this--"Maiden-esque". What???

So of course we get excited. We don't have Wacken or Download here. We're up the eye teeth in festivals, but none for two horns in the air RAWK! Hell, if they can get Maiden, why not Van Halen? Why NOT Scorpions or Leppard or Priest? Or Whitesnake? Or Aerosmith? Or, Jesus, WHY NOT Metallica and Guns N' Roses?!?! Yeah, Krokus and Vixen were getting thrown around, but I'd sit through "Livin' on the Edge of a Broken Heart" to hear "It's So Easy"!

But we start hearing chatter of Bret Michaels, and Warrant (but WITH Jani Lane, as if any of us knew he was gone in the first place), and Tora Tora, and we get worried. And then the Motley Crue rumours start swirling around, and we think you might bounce back....

....but instead we get Pretty Boy Floyd, and Trixter, and Extreme, and Kix, and--groan--Kingdom Come. I mean, fer Chrissakes, you couldn't even raise up Sebastian Bach? Were you too busy NOT getting Autograph to pursue him? Rocklahoma, baby, I can make a phone call and have Autograph at my apartment in 45 minutes, you can't get them for a 4-day hair band festival??

So, anyway. Sorry for coming off harsh. It's not all bad. I like Cinderella and Tesla. Armored Saint could be cool and Night Ranger---that's not a bad get, at all. Plus, I saw some TBAs on that lineup. Maybe you're waiting to spring some good stuff on us. I hope I'm wrong. But this shit is bush league.

Best,
Wayne

Two-fer Tuesday - Mastodon

by Wayne Graham

Yeah, yeah, I know. We talk about Mastodon alot around here. So? What of it?? You got something against perfectly conceived and executed Mettle? Okay...good, we didn't think you did. You always seemed like readers of impeccable taste.

Anyway...

For clip #1, please enjoy the first of four video diaries from The Don's recent Neurosis-opening stints at Brooklyn's Masonic Temple. (i.e. the gigs we all wish we had just gone and paid to go see)




Nice. Hope you enjoyed that. For Numero Deuce, here's a behind-the-scenes look at the guys recording Three Dog Night's "One" for EA Games' "Army of Two" trailer.

This Year's Rocklahoma Line-Up

by Wayne Graham

The long awaited line-up is out, and um, well, no Maiden, no Motley, no Whitesnake, no Def Leppard, no Priest.....soooooo no Hooks So Big. But, in case you're interested, here's what they've got. We can expect some additions, but you get the idea.

Thursday
Bret Michaels
L.A. Guns (Tracii Guns version)
Enuff Z’Nuff
Vain
Jetboy
House of Lords

Friday
Armored Saint
XYZ
Kingdom Come
Night Ranger
Triumph

Saturday
Warrant (w/ Jani Lane)
Kix
Cinderella
Every Mother’s Nightmare
Black ‘n Blue
Pretty Boy Floyd
Tora Tora
Trixter

Sunday
Axe
Beautiful Creatures
Zebra
George Lynch & Lynch Mob
Tesla

Hook of the Day - Judas Priest "Metal Gods"

by Wayne Graham


How you doing, ALRIGHT?!? A few weeks ago, Mark, Queensryche Myche and myself all sat down and enjoyed "Judas Priest: Live Vengenance '82", a DVD concert film taped at MidSouth Coliseum in Memphis, Tennessee on Priest's '82 Screaming for Vengeance" tour. From that DVD, here's one of my all-time favorite Priest cuts, "Metal Gods". We hope you're in the mood for a little heavy metal this tiiiime!

Concert Review: Bang Camaro @ Double Door, Chicago 02-29-08

By Myche J

Why didn’t I think of this? Three guitars, bass, drums, and about 12 singers! Well, that’s easy to say now that you see it with your own eyes. The fact is I didn’t think of it, they did, and they are executing VERY well on the idea. Certainly one of the most fun shows I’ve ever been to.

I was a little disappointed that I miscalculated their start time and showed up a little late. One of my favorite moments of a concert is how it starts – lights go down, band hits the stage, etc. And I figured with a setup that this band has it could be pretty awesome. So I felt a little horror when I realized it was them playing as I walked in. I’ll just assume it was awesome. Anyway, within seconds of arriving, the band rips into “Pleasure (Pleasure)” and off we go. I was familiar with the tunes before the show, but live is just a whole other experience. Musically what you get is straight-ahead power rock. Riffs galore. And then comes this wall of voices! It’s a full-on celebration of rock. A lot of the songs don’t even really have verses, just chorus after chorus.

The crowd was very receptive. I’m guessing there were those who knew a bit about the band, and those that were curious and wanted to see what this was all about. I almost wish I was in the latter group for full impact. Can you imagine walking by and popping in to see who was playing tonight – and to witness that insanity? It would have been quite the concert moment.

By the time the band went into their most popular song “Push Push (Lady Lightning)”, the place was up for grabs. It’s a song that is most conducive to the overhead synchronized clap, and I succumbed. You had to. What a great moment. I guess the song is featured on Guitar Hero and Rock Band (in fact, one of the guys in the band was a programmer for Rock Band). Now that is a tie-in that just flat out worked.

I talked briefly with a couple of the singers after the show. Really nice, and very appreciative. With all the bravado on the stage, I admit I was taken aback by that. Maybe even a little disappointed…

So if you weren’t there, do me a favor and go see these guys next time they come around. I have a feeling that this may be one of those things that will shine very bright, but not necessarily very long. I don’t know how you couldn’t have fun.

Still unconvinced? Crank up your volume and watch this:

Hook of the Day - AC/DC "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)"

by Wayne Graham




In celebration of a rumoured new AC/DC album in the works, here's "It's a Long Way to the Top (If You Wanna Rock 'n' Roll)". Keep an eye on these kids. I predict big things.