Justinsayne's Music Asylum

[KyleCobra]

ouch. im gonna be the odd man out here...but...


are their going to be any bands showcased here that arent nu-metal?

im not one to classify music or bash on what people like, but seriously every band listed so far (with a slight excpetion to Lacuna Coil as i like some of their orchestral element) is very bare minimum in terms of musical talent.

None of those bands are good instrumentaly (and before you ask what authority i have, i graduated from Musicians Institute of Hollywood and curentlly give professional vocal lessons) and once again with the exception of the singer for lacuna Coil, none of them are good vocally.

I know that sometimes a band that is too musically developed can be hard to grasp for people that arent musicians themselves (that isnt in any way an attack on fans of these bands) but i really wish that people would reach out to find bands that are more musically inclined that easy power chords and strained ''rock'' vocals.

bands i would recommend..and granted these arent for everyone:

Between the Buried and Me
The Mars Volta
Horse the Band



But hell...i did like "Got the life" by Korn..nice hook

 

[TheOneBigWill]

None of those bands are good instrumentaly (and before you ask what authority i have, i graduated from Musicians Institute of Hollywood and curentlly give professional vocal lessons) and once again with the exception of the singer for lacuna Coil, none of them are good vocally.

I know that sometimes a band that is too musically developed can be hard to grasp for people that arent musicians themselves (that isnt in any way an attack on fans of these bands) but i really wish that people would reach out to find bands that are more musically inclined that easy power chords and strained ''rock'' vocals.

I know you don't mean any disrespect, & your opinion is valued & fine to have.. however by you saying you know what "good" music is, just because you graduated from some music institute & you give vocal lessons.. thats more of your own personal opinion, not an actual 'fact.'

No offense, because I don't mind your opinion, but I'm obviously not going to allow someone think just because the have a degree in something, that they have any right to tell me what "I" can consider to be great music, from bad music.

bands i would recommend..and granted these arent for everyone:

Between the Buried and Me
The Mars Volta
Horse the Band

And personally, everything I've ever heard from them.. has definately NOT been worth listening to again. So I guess this is a difference of opinion. And I don't have any degree in music, but I do believe I know what I like listening to.. & at least one of your recommended bands, to me anyways.. sucks beyond anything I've heard. (short of Hed P.E., who just won't ever leave my ultimate shit list)

 

[justinsayne]

I don't think I've ever said I love you directly to another guy before in my life, outside of someone that was possibly a family member, or a very really close friend. But I love you, Justin. (I know it doesn't have the same effect as it would coming from others.. hahaha)

Ummm....Thanks I guess, LOL

Does this mean you consider me a close friend or family member now?, LOL

Breaking Benjamin is my All-Time favorite band, which the irony is, when their first song came out. (Polyamorous) I completely hated it, without giving it a chance. I think the video turned me off, & I'm not even sure how anymore. However, my love for this band formed upon them being basically my first rock concert.

You didn't like Polyamorous at first?!?!?, what was wrong with you that's a great song

I do know what you mean about not liking a band when they first come out and then growing to love them, I went through the same thing with SOAD, I hated the first album, but my cousin forced me to listen to Toxcitity, and that's when I fell in love with them

It was Breaking Benjamin, opening, for Godsmack. And seeing them live, hearing more than just that one song, hell even taking the time to listen to Polyamorous gave me the true chance to love them & their music. I really can't explain what sparked my passion for their music specifically, but all I know is I haven't looked back since & they haven't produced a single song I've disliked yet.

Completely agree...man it's a little scary how much alike we are, LOL

I own all 3 of their main c.d.'s & I love each & every track. Some of my favorite songs include.

Saturate C.D.: "Wish I May", "Skin", "Water" & "Home"

We Are Not Alone C.D.: "So Cold", "Forget It," "Sooner or Later," & "Rain" (both the regular & acoustic)

Phobia C.D.: "Diary of Jane", "Breath" & "Evil Angel"

So often I just find myself relating to their music, falling into their songs. They've helped me through a lot. And I honestly feel they deserve so much more credit then what they've received. Hopefully they'll be around for a long time, although just because one person loves their music doesn't always make the rest of the world feel the same.

I'm sure I could go on forever, especially in repeating myself, but for now I'll stop with simply saying Thank you, Justin.

Your welcome

I haven't listen to the newest CD that much, mostly cause I got it from a guy I used to work with, and it was the edited version, and I hate when they faze words out, it compelety ruins the songs for me, if the guy wrote Fuck in the song then it's there for a reason, and shouldn't be edited out, music is a form of art and IMO art should not be edited and/or censored, but anyway I plan i getting a new copy, unedited, they way it was meant to be, and will listen to it more

As I've said before Polyamorous is my favorite song by thes guys, other songs I love by them would have to be Firefly, Sooner or Later, Breath, and Diary of Jane, and I've added a video of them doing a cover of the Deftones song Change(in the house of flies), I'm really loving that right now, great cover, though all of their songs are good,

funny story when I first heard Breaking Benjamin, Taproot came out around that time too, and I used to get them confused with each other all the time

 

[justinsayne]

ouch. im gonna be the odd man out here...but...


are their going to be any bands showcased here that arent nu-metal?

im not one to classify music or bash on what people like, but seriously every band listed so far (with a slight excpetion to Lacuna Coil as i like some of their orchestral element) is very bare minimum in terms of musical talent.

None of those bands are good instrumentaly (and before you ask what authority i have, i graduated from Musicians Institute of Hollywood and curentlly give professional vocal lessons) and once again with the exception of the singer for lacuna Coil, none of them are good vocally.

I know that sometimes a band that is too musically developed can be hard to grasp for people that arent musicians themselves (that isnt in any way an attack on fans of these bands) but i really wish that people would reach out to find bands that are more musically inclined that easy power chords and strained ''rock'' vocals.

bands i would recommend..and granted these arent for everyone:

Between the Buried and Me
The Mars Volta
Horse the Band



But hell...i did like "Got the life" by Korn..nice hook

Ok dude, seriously, If you don't like the bands posted then make your own thread

With that being said, I could honestly care less if you graduated from Music Snob Institute or not, that still doesn't give you any authority to tell me who I should or should not listen to, I post the shit I like to hear, the shit I feel is good music, I am a big fan of all the band in this thread, and as far as your nu-metal classification, I think that is complete shit, in my mind there is no such thing as nu-metal, there is Metal, and there is GLAM, I listen to Metal Bands, I like metal, these bands are extremely good IMO

And for the record I don't know what it is with all you Mars Volta fans, but wake up and realize they suck, they sound like absolute shit, and I yes I have given them a chance, they are just a band fans like cause they're "underground" and haven't reach mainstream success, "it's cool to like the underground band", if they were to get huge all of a sudden 90% of their fan base would turn their backs on them and call them sell-outs, Mars Volta sucks, always have always will

Like I said before if you don't like the bands I post then go make your own thread, cause I am going to continue to post good metal bands that I love, if others like the bands too then I encourage them to post, and share their appreciation

I may not have gone to some fancy shamcy Music Institute, and I don't need to, I know what I like, and that's all that matters

 

[KyleCobra]

oh my, Kyle Cobra bashing...

I never ONCE said that it was wrong for anyone to like any band..i wouldnt be able to call myself a fan of any music if i did

And actually...you just said that a band i mentioned (mars volta) sucked. So you just bashed me for what i was allegedly doing.

My post may have come off as snobby or judgemental which wasnt my intentions. I jsut wanted to bring up music i felt wasnt going to be mentioned because of the bands that had previously been.



And Mars Volta isnt good?

how so?

becuase their music is too intelligent? becuase the drummer can keep tempos and rolls that other drummers wish they could?

or becuase Omar (guitarist) is one of the most unique and talented guitarists Page? I know their are a distinct taste, but to say they suck as musicians is criminal.

and people liek them becuase its cool to like an underground band? hah really? it has nothing to do with their great live shows or their uniqueness? and thats like me telling you that you only liek Lacuna Coil beucase they are relatively unknown.

again, apologies for seeming offensive, especially to you justinsayne..didnt want to come off that way. i probably should have posted that elsewhere.

 

[justinsayne]

oh my, Kyle Cobra bashing...

I never ONCE said that it was wrong for anyone to like any band..i wouldnt be able to call myself a fan of any music if i did

And actually...you just said that a band i mentioned (mars volta) sucked. So you just bashed me for what i was allegedly doing.

My post may have come off as snobby or judgemental which wasnt my intentions. I jsut wanted to bring up music i felt wasnt going to be mentioned because of the bands that had previously been.


And Mars Volta isnt good?

how so?

becuase their music is too intelligent? becuase the drummer can keep tempos and rolls that other drummers wish they could?

or becuase Omar (guitarist) is one of the most unique and talented guitarists Page? I know their are a distinct taste, but to say they suck as musicians is criminal.

and people liek them becuase its cool to like an underground band? hah really? it has nothing to do with their great live shows or their uniqueness? and thats like me telling you that you only liek Lacuna Coil beucase they are relatively unknown.

again, apologies for seeming offensive, especially to you justinsayne..didnt want to come off that way. i probably should have posted that elsewhere.

Umm...You came in here and basically said all of the bands I like have no talent, yet they are seeling out arena's all over the world...hmmm....they must be doing something right, I "bashed" Mars Volta cause the do indeed suck, they are sloppy, and not intelligent, what I said about them is completly true, if you wanna start a debate about them then make a thread and I'll go into more detail later, right now I'm too tired to do this shit

 

[IrishCanadian25]

Breaking Benjamins is AMAZING.

One of mine and my fiancee's favorite bands. Seen them in concert three times already, the first when they opened for Saliva at the Jagermeister tour. We also met the lead singer that night as he came out to see Saliva with the crowd. AWESOME guy.

For those who only hear the big hits, check out the song "Skin." That's the one that got me into them. Polyamorous is ok, Blow me Away is great, Medicate and Sooner or Later are fantastic.

I know my Korn post was deeper because I had more to say about them as a cultural phenominon, but Breaking Benjamins is quite possibly one of rock music's next big things.

 

[justinsayne]

Coal Chamber
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


Coal Chamber was a heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. The band formed in 1994 and disbanded in 2003.
Contents


History


The band gained a large following early in their career, arguably because they were the first "darker" themed nu metal band, with an image that comparatively had more in common with the goth subculture than followers of hip hop culture. Prior to Coal Chamber, Dez & Meegs formed a band in 1992 called She's in Pain. They later on switched to Coal Chamber with a different lineup. John Tor who was their Drummer for two years had to leave because he was starting fights with Meegs.


Coal Chamber (1997–1998)

Coal Chamber played in the first Ozzfest, signed to Roadrunner Records, acquired Mike "Bug" Cox who beat out his older brother for the spot and recorded their first album (all in 1996) for their self-titled debut Coal Chamber in 1997. They got Nathan "Karma" Cox to Direct their First Video Loco with the special apearance of Ozzy Osbourne as the ice cream man. The first sign of their demise began when they started to fight in 1998 during live performances.


Chamber Music (1999–2001)

Their next album was released in fall of 1999 entitled Chamber Music. This album was considered a step away from the nu metal image they had engendered with their prior release, having instead a more gothic metal inspired feel. With the bit of commercial success Coal Chamber received after Chamber Music, the band toured on headlining and festival tours. The band had managed to catch the attention of Ozzy Osbourne's wife, Sharon Osbourne, who became their manager. They later parted ways with Sharon over personal and creative differences. And those were definitely not the only personal and creative differences happening, for by this time, the band was having again many internal disputes, which caused them to take a break from touring, resulting in their non-participation in the Tattoo the Earth tour in 2000.


Dark Days/Dispansion (2002–2003)

The band followed up with their third album Dark Days in the spring of 2002, which met with mixed reviews. Bassist Rayna Foss had left the band to raise her daughter shortly after the album was recorded; she was replaced by Nadja Peulen, who had taken Foss-Rose's place during her pregnancy between the first two albums. Rayna had a falling out of sorts with frontman Dez Fafara saying that she and her husband had "found Christ" and would be leaving Coal Chamber for good. In May of 2002, it was announced that Coal Chamber had broken up after an onstage altercation between Dez and Meegs during a show in Lubbock, Texas. They had been fighting verbally before the show, and continued to fight onstage, with Meegs hitting Dez in the head with the headstock of his guitar, causing Dez to announce "This is the last Coal Chamber show ever!" and storm offstage. The band attempted to continue the show with Meegs singing vocals, but soon stopped the show altogether, with Mikey demolishing his drumset before storming offstage. The band managed to patch things up long enough for an appearance on "Last Call With Carson Daly" and a summer tour with American Head Charge, Lollipop Lust Kill, and Medication. These would be the last shows the band would ever play. In October 2002, Mikey "Bug" Cox was fired after several personal disputes with both Fafara, and guitarist Meegs Rascón. The official release on the Coal Chamber website stated that the band was looking for a new drummer, although all band activities had come to a standstill. Late summer 2003 saw the release of a compilation album titled Giving the Devil His Due, which included several demo tracks submitted by the band prior to their signing with Roadrunner Records in 1997, along with several alternate studio recordings and remixes of various tracks from their previous releases. Coal Chamber officially called it a day in 2003, shortly after lead vocalist Dez Fafara continued with his new band DevilDriver. In 2004 The Best Of Coal Chamber was released. In June 2005, Fafara stated that Coal Chamber's hiatus is permanent and will not be reforming at any time in the future. He has also described it that if he did go back it would be like repeating the 4th Grade again referring that Coal Chamber is something that is done. In September 2007 Rascon stated that "you never know what the future brings".


Post-Coal Chamber activities

After the disbandment of Coal Chamber, Fafara chose to continue as vocalist of metal band DevilDriver, recording three albums, DevilDriver, The Fury of Our Maker's Hand, and most recently The Last Kind Words.

Guitarist Meegs Rascon, went on to form rock band "Glass Piñata", previously known as just “Pinata”, the group has so far only released demos via their website.

Bassist Nadja Puelen created Cruel Tees, a t-shirt company that sold online and through stores such as Hot Topic. She is currently selling her Bass from the Chamber Music Tour.

After taking 2 years off to recover from a car accident, Drummer Mikey "Bug" Cox joined forces with long time friend and ORGY mastermind Jay Gordon, who also was producer of Coal Chambers self titled début. The band is called "Machine Gun Orchestra" and is currently in the studio working on their début album to be released on 2008.


Discography

* Coal Chamber (February 11, 1997, album)
* Chamber Music (September 7, 1999, album)
* Dark Days (May 7, 2002, album)
* Giving the Devil His Due (August 19, 2003, compilation)
* The Best of Coal Chamber (August 09, 2004, compilation)


External links

* Coal Chamber MySpace- http://www.myspace.com/coalchambermusic

Videos

COAL CHAMBER - LOCO
[youtube]X80m0bnlDiQ[/youtube]

Coal Chamber - Fiend
[youtube]cSNkypvYOps[/youtube]

Coal Chamber - Shock The Monkey
[youtube]P9Wm_3Z9Ryg[/youtube]

Coal Chamber - Dark Days
[youtube]qzJODr-WL_o[/youtube]

Justin's take

Coal Chamber is a band I first heard while in High School, for some reason they were huge where I went to school one of the most popular bands, you couldn't walk down the hallway with out seeing at least one Coal Chamber shirt, and this was a band that got very little radio play at that time as well, needless to say this meant I was going to have to check them out, and I did, I've been listening to them ever since, I don't know exactly what it is about this band that I love so much, I could never really put my finger on it, I think it must have something to do with the sound, the way you can really hear the bass in all their songs, that and the way the singer, Dez, delivers the vocals, he adds a cetain darkness to them, maybe that's just me though, Coal Chamber is a great band all in all, and I was saddened when I learned that they broke up, though have been happy to hear all the great shit that has come from DevilDriver ( the band that formed out of the breakup of Coal Chamber)

 

[Meilichia]

Good choice Justin
Loco was the first song I heard by them, a while ago, and since then, I have really liked them, I also liked the fact they had a female bassist for a change.
I was sad when they broke up, and i haven't heard anything by DevilDriver, but I'll have to give them a listen soon.

 

[justinsayne]

Good choice Justin

Loco was the first song I heard by them, a while ago, and since then, I have really liked them, I also liked the fact they had a female bassist for a change.

I don't even remember what the first song I heard by them was, I think it was Shock the Monkey, but I'm not sure, I do know that when I did hear them I was able to get into them very quickly, they are a great band that seems to have been forgotten for the most part, Some of the songs that really seemed to stand ut for me where Rowboat, Something Told Me, My Frustration, and of course Loco

I am always a fan of seeing bands with female members in them, it's something you don't seem to see much, and the great thing about Coal Chamber is that when Rayna left, Coal chamber went out and picked up another female to replace her at bass, Nadja Peulen, who IMO was even better, I hope to see her surface at some point in another band, cause she is so talented

I was sad when they broke up, and i haven't heard anything by DevilDriver, but I'll have to give them a listen soon.

I didn't even though they broke up until awhile after it happened, but was disappointed when I heard, however DevilDriver has eased the pain by producing some great fucking metal, IMO DevilDriver may even be a little better than Coal Chamber

 

[Meilichia]

I don't even remember what the first song I heard by them was, I think it was Shock the Monkey, but I'm not sure, I do know that when I did hear them I was able to get into them very quickly, they are a great band that seems to have been forgotten for the most part, Some of the songs that really seemed to stand ut for me where Rowboat, Something Told Me, My Frustration, and of course Loco

Coal Chamber are, well where a really over looked band, mainly because as they hit the main stream rock scene, they where catagorised with bands like Korn, and instantly became 'nu metal'. Now I have nothing against nu-metal, but i am not quite sure they really come under that catagory, someone of their more popular music might, but when listening to the albums, I would really just put them under 'metal'.

I am always a fan of seeing bands with female members in them, it's something you don't seem to see much, and the great thing about Coal Chamber is that when Rayna left, Coal chamber went out and picked up another female to replace her at bass, Nadja Peulen, who IMO was even better, I hope to see her surface at some point in another band, cause she is so talented

I don't know whether its because I am female, and I am self teaching myself the bass, but if a woman plays the bass it attracts me to the band, like Coal Chamber did, MSI have a female bassist and I love them, Concrete Blonde...

I didn't even though they broke up until awhile after it happened, but was disappointed when I heard, however DevilDriver has eased the pain by producing some great fucking metal, IMO DevilDriver may even be a little better than Coal Chamber

From what you showed me of DevilDriver, they sound pretty damn good, I don't know if I could say I liked them more than Coal Chamber just because I haven't heard enough by them, but I will be getting some of their stuff when I can.

 

[justinsayne]

Machine Head
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Machine Head is an American heavy metal band from Oakland, California formed in 1992. The band comprises founder and frontman Robert Flynn, guitarist Phil Demmel, bassist Adam Duce and drummer Dave McClain. Since its formation, Machine Head has released six studio albums, one live album, and DVD.

History

Formation and Burn My Eyes

Machine Head was founded in 1992 by former Vio-lence guitarist Robb Flynn in Oakland, CA. Beginning in a rehearsal room they shared with four punk rock bands, the band played its first show in August 1992 at a house (kegger) party in Oakland, with subsequent shows occurring in Las Vegas, L.A., Berkeley and San Francisco. Members at the time consisted of Robb Flynn, Adam Duce, Logan Mader, and Tony Costanza. Gaining a reputation for as a live band to be reckoned with as well as for being rough around the edges (they would be banned from three clubs in the Bay Area for fighting) they played shows with a diverse selection of bands from Rancid, Fear Factory, Clutch, and Deftones, to Possessed, Biohazard and Testament. After recruiting Chris Kontos on drums (Attitude Adjustment, Grinch) they would record a demo in a friend's home studio, and would go on to sell over 3,000 worldwide. They released their first album through Roadrunner Records, the highly influential Burn My Eyes, produced and mixed by Colin Richardson, on August 8, 1994. Credited with being one of the first bands to modernize thrash metal, as well as pioneering the combining of melodic "clean" vocals with harsh vocals, and launching the beginnings of metalcore, as well as the grooving rhythms that would inspire many nu-metal bands.

Machine Head's first tour in August 1994 would be with Napalm Death (whom they would share a bus with) and then-labelmates Obituary. The band would be asked to support Slayer for two months in the UK and Europe where their album had charted at #26 in the UK, and #44 in Germany. It would not break the Billboard Top 200 in the US, selling barely more than 1,100 copies its first week. UK Metal magazine Kerrang gave the album their top rating, being 5 "K's", with many international metal magazines giving equal praise to the album. The album would be panned in the US by the metal press with band members stating that one review was so bad, it ended by saying "Machine Head, pretty good, if you never heard of Prong".

The first song on the album, "Davidian", features the lyric "Let freedom ring with a shotgun blast". Subsequently the video was banned from MTV America due to its release date being very soon after the Waco Siege which it was apparently describing. Ironically the video would receive widespread and even daytime play on MTV in the UK and Europe where it would launch Machine Head's career overseas. A US Tour would follow with Slayer and Biohazard. would help establish the band in the underground. Flynn would appear with Slayer performing the song "Witching Hour" in Slayer's - Live Intrusion video. Appearances at Dynamo in front of 130,000 people, Donington Monsters Of Rock and a European headline tour (bringing singer Peter Dovling's pre-The Haunted band Mary Beats Jane and Meshugguah on their first ever tours), and playing the exact same venues they had just supported Slayer in. US success would be a ways off, Drummer Chris Kontos would be fired, and a headline tour of the US with Stuck Mojo and Wickerman as support with fill-in drummer Will Carroll (Old Grandad, later-Unsane) would be described as, and nick named, the Disastour with average attendance being 150 people, attendance highs of 500, and several attendance lows of 35 people. The band would play their final US show for Burn My Eyes on December 19, 1995, at the Troubador in L.A., where after their set, Los Angeles Sherrifs removed them from their tour bus after the bus driver accused them of being filthy, smoking too much weed, and threatening his life.

The More Things Change... and The Burning Red

After Chris Kontos was fired, the drumming services of Dave McClain formerly of Sacred Reich were acquired. They then released the follow up album, The More Things Change..., once again produced and mixed by Colin Richardson, in 1997, and would asked to be apart of the 1st official Ozzfest alongside Pantera, Black Sabbath, and Marilyn Manson. Other US support tours would include Corrosion Of Conformity, Sevendust and main support to Pantera. Co-headline appearance at the Dynamo Festival in Holland, and US and European headline tours with Napalm Death, Skinlab, Coal Chamber, and Snot as the support. Logan Mader unexpectedly left in the spring of 1998. He was then replaced by Ahrue Luster (Now of Ill Niño) who worked with the band on the third album The Burning Red (1999). This album was a sign of a change for Machine Head, the band deciding to experiment more rather than release another album that would be seen as just a shadow in the footsteps of Burn My Eyes.

Introducing lesser known influences such as The Cure, and Robb adding more of his rapping techniques in this album alongside the roar he used on earlier releases. The song "Devil With The Kings Card" is based on Logan Mader's leaving of the band. It would be their 2nd biggest album to date, with the band co-headlining with Coal Chamber on the Livin' La Vida Loco Tour with Slipknot and Amen opening. Several headline tours followed in the US, Europe, and Japan, with support coming from One Minute Silence, Revellie, Primer 55, Bat Cave, Yellow Machine Gun, and Videodrone, plus a festival run supporting Slayer, including an appearance at the infamous Roskilde festival where the Pearl Jam tragedy occurred the same day, and a co-headline slot atop The Lost Weekend Festival. The album did, however, receive some backlash from fans who weren't pleased with their change in style - some even accused the band of "selling out" and following musical trends (nu-metal and rap metal were becoming increasingly popular in 1999).

Supercharger

Machine Head released Supercharger on October 2nd, 2001, 3 weeks after Sept 11th, and, in spite of one of the worst American tragedies in history, would chart at #115 (higher than The More Things Change...). The video for the song "Crashing Around You" (filmed 1 month before 9-11) was banned by MTV due to its images of collapsing buildings around the times of WTC collapse strike. Co-headlining with inaugural Road Rage tour with Fear Factory (with Chimaira and Ill Nino opening) which began in the difficult 6 days following Sept 11th, would be a challenge for the band. The release of Supercharger would be proceeded by overseas tours supporting Slayer in Australia, Japan, and Korea.

By 2002, Machine Head had sold over 1.3 million albums worldwide, and overall "Supercharger" (Produced by Johnny K, and mixed by Colin Richardson) would go on to sell an impressive 250,000 copies worldwide. Despite a media backlash, fan support never wavered and the band would sell out clubs and small theaters in the US, and large halls and theaters abroad, including rooms in the UK such as the 5,000 capacity Brixton Academy. In light of the Sept 11th tragedy, nearly every single touring act in the music industry would cancel their tours abroad for fear of terrorism, with Machine Head being the sole band not to cancel their European tour, stating that they felt that was exactly what terrorists wanted. With Ill Nino as support, the band embarked on an extremely successful UK / European run, but unhappy with the support they were getting from their record label, once their US headline tour for the album had been completed in March 2002 (with Darwin's Waiting Room, and 3rd Strike as support), Machine Head and Roadrunner Records mutually decided to sever ties. To fulfill their obligations, the band released "Hellalive" (also mixed by Colin Richardson) a live album which was a recorded at a sold out Brixton Academy, in London set.

Through the Ashes of Empires

In May 2002 Ahrue Luster left the band and was temporarily replaced by Phil Demmel, who played in thrash band Vio-lence alongside Flynn. Demmel played some festival shows with Machine Head (including a headlining slot at the With Full Force festival in Germany). Then with Phil not being able to commit to the band, he and Machine Head parted ways. The remainder of the band started writing songs for the next album (eventually titled Through the Ashes of Empires), hoping to get signed to a record label. They recorded a 4 song demo featuring the songs Descend The Shades Of Night (a different 3 1/2 minute version), All Falls Down, and Bite The Bullet and included a slightly more radio-friendly song called "Pins and Needles" (which was never recorded by Machine Head but was included on the Roadrunner United CD under the name "Army Of The Sun"). Nearly every record label in the music industry rejected the four song demo.

However in March 2003, the band's spirits rose when Phil rejoined the group full time, and Roadrunner International (Europe and the rest of the world) came to the band with an offer. Then the band signed the international deal, and started recording Through the Ashes Of Empires. The band then decided to go back to Roadrunner USA hoping to be signed (which they eventually were), and Through The Ashes of Empires (Robert Flynn producing for the 1st time, and Colin Richardson mixing once again) was finally released in Europe and around the world (except North America) on October 28, 2003. Outside the US, the album was praised unanimously in nearly all musical publications (a notable absentee from the favourable reviews was Britain's influential Kerrang! magazine, who initially gave the album 2 K's but have since claimed in articles that they awarded 5 K's), and then it created a buzz in America.

Roadrunner USA came back to Machine Head and made them an offer, and they signed with the label. To make up for the American fans having to wait so long for the new album, they recorded a track called "Seasons Wither" which had not appeared on the European release. Through the Ashes of Empires. It received significant publicity due to the success of the song "Imperium" and what was seen by the fans and media as a massive return to form - both musically and lyrically. As part of this revival, Machine Head headlined the "True Metal" stage at 2005's Wacken Open Air festival in front of 40,000 fans - their biggest headline show to date . Through the Ashes of Empires debuted on the Billboard Charts in US at #88 -- an excellent showing for any metal band, but especially strong considering that the album had been available to purchase by import, and available on illegal internet sites for a full 6 months prior to the US release date.

On October 11, 2005, Machine Head released their first ever DVD: Elegies, greatly enhanced by master lighting designer (and tour manager), Mark Workman. The DVD contained concert footage from the sold out Brixton Academy show in December 2004, and various extras, including their most recent music videos (of 2004) and a documentary on the Making of "Through The Ashes" which detailed many of the struggles the band encountered during the 2 years they were unsigned. In the DVD's first week of release, "Elegies" reached the #13 spot in US and the #6 spot in UK music-related DVD sales.

As well on October 11, 2005, Roadrunner Records released an album to commemorate the 25 years of the label's storied history. Four of the songs on the album, Roadrunner United: The All-Star Sessions, were written by Robert Flynn. Both Phil Demmel and Dave McClain receive minor writing credits, and Logan Mader came on board as a producer of a different track, also providing the melodic harmonics on the track "The End". Roadrunner United was a project conceived by the label to showcase the talent of the dozens of bands signed to Roadrunner Records. There were 4 "Captains" assigned to write songs for the album: Robb Flynn of Machine Head, Dino Cazares ex-Fear Factory, Matt Heafy of Trivium, and Joey Jordison of Slipknot. Each "Captain" had to choose which artists were to participate in the recording of their songs, and they were to be primary producers. The album saw an all-star cast of artists from such bands as: The Misfits, Killswitch Engage, 36 Crazyfists, Sepultura, Soulfly, Slipknot, Cradle of Filth, Type O Negative, Fear Factory, Front Line Assembly, Coal Chamber, Ill Niño, Vision of Disorder, Trivium, Opeth, Stone Sour, King Diamond and Deicide, among others.

They contributed a studio recorded and produced cover of Metallica's "Battery" for Kerrang! magazine's 'Remastered', a tribute to Metallica's seminal album Master of Puppets. The cover was widely hailed as one of the best tributes.

The Blackening

March 26th (Europe/Rest of the World) and 28th (USA), 2007 saw the release of the band's sixth studio album "The Blackening", which was produced by Robert Flynn and mixed by Colin Richardson. Hailed unanimously as a modern masterpiece, with several credible publications calling it the greatest album of their career, and others going so far as to call it "The Master Of Puppets of this generation". KerrangI would give it 5K's (their first 5K's since Burn My Eyes) and Metal Hammer UK would give it 10 out of 10 the highest award ever issued to the band by the magazine.

Machine Head began 2007 by opening for Lamb Of God on their US tour in support of their album, Sacrament. Also on this tour was Trivium and Gojira. In April 2007, they were on tour opening for Megadeth and Heaven and Hell in the US. They then began their European festival dates during May, June and July in Luxembourg, supported by Caliban and Mastodon, and in a testament to their UK and European stronghold had Lamb Of God and Killswitch Engage opening for them on several dates in the UK and Europe. During this time they played the Download Festival at Donington Park. Their performance at the festival was praised by Kerrang!, and Iron Maiden's vocalist Bruce Dickinson as the best performance of the entire 3 day event (in the bands previous visit to the festival they were voted as "band of the weekend" by fans).

Shortly after their appearance at Download, they announced a co-headlining arena tour of Japan/Europe/Australia (called The Black Crusade) during October, November and December 2007. Other bands on the bill are Trivium, Dragonforce (Europe only), Arch Enemy and Shadows Fall.

On June 12, 2007, at the Metal Hammer awards, the band won the award for "Best Album", along with Robb Flynn winning the "Golden God" award.

They also replaced Bullet For My Valentine (they had to cancel because Matt Tuck needed a tonsillectomy) supporting Metallica's Wembley Stadium Show on Sunday July 8, 2007, much to the audiences delight.

In August the band won two Kerrang Awards awards once again for Album of the Year, and another for Hard Rock Heroes.

Sometime during the month of August, current Machine Head bassist, Adam Duce broke his leg while Dirt Bike Riding in Redding, CA. In an interview, Duce had this to say about the injury, "It sucks to be in this position, because we have such a killer tour set up for the end of the summer and now we'll have to find a replacement for me. I've never missed one show that this band has ever played up to this point and I never thought I would see the day when Machine Head would be playing and I wouldn't be on stage."

Unfortunately, the tour Adam will be missing is the Black Crusade Tour. Dates within September 13, and October 13 are still shows that Machine Head will be playing.

Recently, Machine Head Guitarist Phil Demmel's father died. This was the message posted on various websites and bulletins about the subject:

All of us here in Machine Head wish to extend our deepest condolences and sympathy to the Demmel family for their tragic loss of Harry W. Demmel. Flying home today to grieve with his family and celebrate the life of his father, Phil has asked that Machine Head continue on in his absence for what will most likely be the remainder of the Black Crusade tour.

Says singer Robb Flynn: "Phil was adamant about us continuing on. We didn't think it would be possible, but a lot of the guitar players on the tour rallied around Phil last night and volunteered to help out on guitar duties. We really can't thank them all enough. Adam and I spent most of our day off today teaching Corey and Matt from Trivium, Christopher from Arch Enemy, and Fredrique the bassist of Dragonforce the set. They will all be playing various songs throughout the rest of the tour".

Regarding Friday night's show in Zurich, Flynn adds: "We left it up to Phil as to whether we would play last night, and he was very sure of the fact that he needed to play. He wanted to keep moving and not dwell on it until the next day. It was one of the most courageous things I've ever seen, I honestly don't know how he did it. To the amazing people of Zurich who stood by the band, and supported us so much last night, we were all crying, and Phil and all of us felt the love more than you will ever know. Thank you."

In other news, as has been reported in the media, Phil Demmel did indeed collapse onstage Thursday night in Milan, Italy. Demmel was suffering from the flu at the time and was severely dehydrated.

Says drummer Dave McClain: "Thankfully, he was fine from the fall, his blood pressure was normal, and the medical technicians that arrived on scene all felt that he was ok. Machine Head wish to extend our gratitude to the good people of Milan for being so understanding at the end of our show."


Discography

* Burn My Eyes (1994)
* The More Things Change... (1997)
* The Burning Red (1999)
* Supercharger (2001)
* Through the Ashes of Empires (2003)
* The Blackening (2007)

Members

* Robert Flynn - vocals, guitar (1994–present)
* Adam Duce - bass guitar, backing vocals (1994–present)
* Phil Demmel - guitar (2003–present)
* Dave McClain - drums (1995–present)

Former members

* Tony Costanza - drums (1994)
* Chris Kontos - drums (1994–1995)
* Logan Mader - guitars (1994–1997)
* Ahrue Luster - guitars (1999–2001)

Awards and Nominations

Nominations

* Grammy Awards: 2008 Best Metal Performance for "Aesthetics of Hate"

External links

* Machine Head official website- http://machinehead1.com/
* Machine Head Myspace- http://www.myspace.com/machinehead

Videos

Machine Head - Imperium
[youtube]zPFPRSZDXp0[/youtube]

Machine Head - Aesthetics Of Hate
[youtube]Qk_L1drrzJY[/youtube]

Machine Head - Old
[youtube]LeU0h2jmMR4[/youtube]

Machine Head - Now I Lay Thee Down
[youtube]iyI7Gtd6ppA[/youtube]

Machine Head - Davidian
[youtube]UNyzZQZHYs8[/youtube]

Machine Head- Battery
[youtube]9Zwh4G3t-vI[/youtube]

Machinehead - From This Day
[youtube]08f6zb-kClk[/youtube]

Machine Head - Days Turn Blue To Gray
[youtube]kttk8dyB0Fo[/youtube]

Machine Head - The Blood, The Sweat, The Tears (Live)
[youtube]IwXwB9cY9Zo[/youtube]

Justin's Take

Machine Head is one of my favorite bands to see live, their shows are fucking crazy, and they throw just as much energy into the show as the crowd throws back at them, I am looking forward to seeing them again here in about a month, I love seeing heavy ass shit like what they play live cause you know the crowd will get fucking crazy, and you are pretty much guaranteed a good fucking time, I first heard of this band on a compilation disc I got awhile back, but the song it featured by them was From this Day, which sounded like most of the other stuff on the radio back then, so I kinda forgot about them until years later, when I heard some of there more true heavy shit, the stuff I refer to as the real Machine Head, and then when I saw them live last year with Lamb Of God and Trivium, I was hooked and have been listening to everything by these guys ever since, going back and finding all the great stuff I had been missing out on, my favorite songs by these guys would have to Aesthetics of Hate, and The Blood, The Sweat, The Tears, those are the first two songs that always come to mind when someone mentions these guys, they are a great real metal band, heavy as fuck and know how to play a good show that will get everyone in the crowd going nuts

 

[Shadowmancer]

Machine Head I have only just recently gotten into. I got a promo CD when I got Opeth's Ghost Reveries and Now I Lay Thee Down was the first song on it. I forgot about them for a bit as I was looking at other styles of Metal at the time. I was recently browsing through the track listing of that promo CD and I saw it and decided to get the blackening based on one song. A good band will make me do something like that as I usually get stuff on a 3 songs then album basis. I like the Blackening and I will be checking out some of their older stuff now.

 

[Meilichia]

Again Justin another one of my favourite bands. I am so jealous you get to see them live. They are a bloody good band, what I like about them is they are a heavy band, yet unlike some metal bands, you can hear what he says, and they have good lyrics, not to mention awesome bass lines

 

[justinsayne]

Disturbed
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Disturbed is a rock band from Chicago, Illinois. The group was formed in 1996 when musicians Dan Donegan, Steve "Fuzz" Kmak, and Mike Wengren hired singer David Draiman in Chicago, Illinois. Originally classified as a nu metal band, Disturbed is now regarded by some music critics as hard rock or heavy metal, although others now regard them as alternative metal. However, the band's genre is still being debated. When asked about die-hard metal fans not finding Disturbed heavy enough, frontman David Draiman stated:

"We probably have too much melody going on or we're not quite as turbulent or caustic. While I really love that type of music, it's not what we try to do. If we have to place things in context, we're more hard rock than heavy metal these days."

History

Early days, The Sickness, Believe

In its early years, Disturbed started recording several demos and played live shows. Not long after, the band released its debut album, titled The Sickness, which launched the band into stardom. The song "Down with the Sickness" from the album became extremely popular and was later used in many film soundtracks, and still is used a great deal to this day. Soon after the release of The Sickness, Disturbed released a revamped cover version of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin's theme music for WWE called "Glass Shatters". Disturbed headlined Ozzy Osbourne's Ozzfest tour in 2001 alongside Black Sabbath, Marilyn Manson, Slipknot, Papa Roach, Linkin Park, Black Label Society, and Crazy Town. Afterwards, the band started their own tour, called Music as a Weapon. The bands Adema, Drowning Pool, Stereomud, and Systematic were featured on the tour alongside Disturbed.

Before joining Marilyn Manson's 2001 European tour, Disturbed's bassist Steve "Fuzz" Kmak was unable to play with the band due to a shattered ankle. Fuzz injured his ankle by falling out of a fire escape outside Disturbed's rehearsal hall in Chicago a few days before Christmas. He took the fire escape to exit the building while the elevator was being used to move their equipment downstairs. After a successful operation, doctors highly recommended that he skip the tour to avoid more severe damage to his foot. But he did perform with the band on January 11th and 12th, 2001 at Disturbed's show in Chicago. A bass player named Marty O'Brian was recruited and filled Fuzz's spot until Fuzz was able to play again. On June 4th 2002, Disturbed released a "documentary" about the band titled M.O.L., which showed the band in personal in the studio and during tours.

In September 2002, Disturbed released their second studio album titled Believe, which debuted at #1. The songs "Prayer", "Liberate" and "Remember" became very popular and many fans were impressed with Disturbed's new album, despite it being less aggressive than their debut album. Disturbed's frontman, David Draiman, recorded the vocals for "Forsaken", a track written and produced by Jonathan Davis of the nu metal band Korn for the Queen Of The Damned soundtrack. In 2003, the band once again participated in the Ozzfest tour and started another one of their own tours named "Music as a Weapon II". The bands Chevelle, Taproot, and Unloco toured with them.

Kmak left the band in early 2003, after Disturbed had finished the "Music as a Weapon II" tour; as frontman David Draiman puts it, "When Kmak was with the band, Disturbed wasn't totally clicking; musically or personally." The band tells fans that he left for personal reasons. He was replaced with John Moyer, who is now the current bass player.

Ten Thousand Fists, Indestructible

Disturbed toured with 10 Years and Ill Niño in support of their third album Ten Thousand Fists, released worldwide on September 20, 2005, which also debuted at #1 in North America. Ten Thousand Fists had five B-side tracks that were not released on the album, but rather on various singles and other albums. Currently the track "Hell" can be found on the "Stricken" single (a second version of this single has the studio version of the track "Dehumanized", which was originally featured as a live track on the "Music as a Weapon II" live album and DVD). The track can also be heard on the band's Myspace page. The track "Monster" was originally released as part of an iTunes pre-order package for the first people who pre-ordered Ten Thousand Fists. Afterwards, the track was very hard to find. But, it can now be found on the "Tour Edition" of Ten Thousand Fists (along with the track "Two Worlds"). The track "Sickened" can be found on the "Land of Confusion" single, which is a cover of a Genesis song. The fifth and final B-side track "Criminal" has currently not been released to the public, though it may be released on a single later in the future. A month after the release of Ten Thousand Fists, Disturbed headlined the Jägermeister tour along with the band Bloodsimple.

Disturbed supplied the song "Stricken" for WWE's New Year's Revolution 2006. In April 2006, the band completed an Australian tour supporting Korn and sharing the tour with 10 Years and Hatebreed. In mid 2006, a European tour was scheduled but had been moved twice due to the band's frontman having troubles with his voice.

"I had been taking Prevacid for about four years and my body built up a resistance to it, to the point where it wasn't doing anything anymore," he told MTV.com. "I had a night of drinking in London followed by a full day and night of drinking on a day off in Dublin, because what else is there to do in Ireland but drink? That, coupled with a show where I had monitor problems, and I pretty much trashed my voice."

In late 2006, Draiman went to undergo surgery for his voice. It was successful, and ever since then, Draiman has stopped drinking. Disturbed headlined Ozzfest 2006 along with Ozzy Osbourne, System of a Down, Dragonforce, Avenged Sevenfold, Lacuna Coil, and Hatebreed. The band also went on the European tour that had been previously moved twice earlier in 2006. Disturbed headlined another one of their own tours named "Music as a Weapon III"; the bands Flyleaf, Stone Sour, and Nonpoint toured with them.

Disturbed's frontman recently became involved in the music file sharing controversy by publicly speaking out against the RIAA's lawsuits against filesharing individuals, despite the fact his record label is a member of the RIAA.

"This is not rocket science. Instead of spending all this money litigating against kids who are the people they're trying to sell things to in the first place, they have to learn how to effectively use the Internet. For the artists, my ass... I didn't ask them to protect me, and I don't want their protection."

Draiman also told NYRock:

"[I'm] Very positive about the internet, Napster. I think it's a tremendous tool for reaching many more people than we ever could without it. When you release music you want it to be heard by people. Artists really want to have their music heard. They want to have their creation heard by people. Nothing is going to do that better than Napster. I can't tell you how many kids have come up to me and said, 'I downloaded a couple of tunes off Napster and I went out and bought the album.' Or they say, 'I want to come see you play.' I don't really make money off of record sales anyway."

Disturbed completed the first leg of their "Music as a Weapon III" tour in late 2006. Soon after, Draiman stated that there wasn't going to be a second leg to the tour and that instead the band was going off the road to start working on their fourth album. In July 2007, a new track titled "This Moment" was released on the soundtrack to the movie Transformers.

The band is currently mixing their fourth album in Los Angeles, titled Indestructible, which is expected to be released in late May, 2008. In a recent interview, Draiman said that they are going to record 15 songs, but only 12 will be on the album. David also said that the track "This Moment" will not appear on the album.

The band has recently changed the main screen of their website, promoting the new album.

It has also been announced that they will tour over July and August of 2008 in the Rockstar Energy Mayhem Festival. They will be touring with Slipknot, Dragonforce, Sevendust and Mastodon.

Discography

Studio albums

Album information

The Sickness

* Released: March 7, 2000 (U.S.)
* Label: Giant Records
* RIAA Certification: 3x Platinum in U.S.
* Chart Positions: #29 U.S.

Believe

* Released: September 17, 2002 (U.S.)
* Label: Reprise Records
* RIAA Certification: Platinum in U.S.
* Chart Positions: #1 U.S.

Ten Thousand Fists

* Released: September 20, 2005 (U.S.)
* Label: Reprise Records
* RIAA Certification: Platinum in U.S.
* Chart Positions: #1 U.S.

Indestructible

* Release: May, 2008 (U.S.)
* Label: Reprise Records

External links

* Official site- http://www.disturbed1.com/
* Disturbed's MySpace- http://www.myspace.com/disturbed

Videos

Disturbed-Stricken
[youtube]2I2b64-ykyE[/youtube]

Disturbed - Land Of Confusion
[youtube]9KW8DRSvEoQ[/youtube]

Disturbed - Down With The Sickness
[youtube]sAmuzdGYGlo[/youtube]

Disturbed - Stupify
[youtube]uqBv13PAt3Q[/youtube]

Disturbed - Prayer
[youtube]BaYCezb21lA[/youtube]

Disturbed - Voices
[youtube]qj-dw6xx-BQ[/youtube]

Disturbed - Remember
[youtube]4MxYhZLsVwY[/youtube]

Disturbed - Glass Shatters
[youtube]284I-OZ5_yw[/youtube]

Justin's Take

I first heard of Disturbed waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back in early 2000 I beleive, it was before they hit the mainstream, I heard of them cause they were announced on a commercial on the local radio station where I lived, to be opening on a huge metal show, with Apt. 26, Full Devil Jacket, Coal Chamber, Sevendust, and Slipknot, I figured since all those bands were pretty good, if not completly badass, that Disturbed was worth checking out, so I bought The Sickness, which had just come out at the time (I think), and was completely blown away by it, The Sickness is by far their best album nothing else that they have released since has even come close to topping it, Disturbed is also one of the best Live bands I have ever seen, David Draiman knows how to work a crowd like few others, he had the entire crowd in the palm of his hand for the entire show, Disturbed is a fucking great band, and I can hardly wait until Indestructible comes out in May, and hope to see them on tour this summer

 

[RVDgurl]

This is crazy, but Disturbed is a band that I just can't get into. Disturbed and Breaking Benjamin are very similar for me: I love the music but the vocals work on my nerves. I don't know... I just can't stand the sound of his voice. If Disturbed ever gets a new singer, I'll probably be all about them! lol.

Anyway, nice job (like always) on the info, Justin.

 

[justinsayne]

This is crazy, but Disturbed is a band that I just can't get into. Disturbed and Breaking Benjamin are very similar for me: I love the music but the vocals work on my nerves. I don't know... I just can't stand the sound of his voice. If Disturbed ever gets a new singer, I'll probably be all about them! lol.

Anyway, nice job (like always) on the info, Justin.

Whaaaaaa?!?!?....really??, wow, well alt least you replied, that's always nice, for me I've always liked Draiman's vocals the guy is great, and his voice is incredibly distinctive, you know it's him singing instantly, and if Disturbed ever got a new singer it wouldn't be Disturbed anymore, IMO David Draiman is Disturbed, his voice is what makes Disturbed stand out, if he wasn't there then I don't think they would be where they are today, it would be like what happened to Drowning Pool, they lost there original singer and the band just hasn't seem to find their niche since, they've pretty much just dropped off the face of the earth, I think the same would happen to Disturbed if Draiman weren't there anymore

Thanks, these things aren't taking nearly as long as they did when I first started, and I wish more people would post even if they don't like the band, I would love to see what about the band turns them away

 

[IrishCanadian25]

Disturbed is the prefered band of male weightlifters everywhere. At any given time, a few of the top songs in my iPod rotation include: Down with the Sickness, Stupify, Prayer, Stricken, Shout 2000, Land of Confusion, Hell, Pain Redefined, 10000 Fists, Fear and Glass Shatters. There is something about the beat, the anger, and the razor-sharp voice that lets me throw up one or two extra reps on the bench press.

These guys are awesome. Loads of talent, and they are not dumb enough to waste it. They are like Korn with better music. In fact, much like Korn, I love the way they broke through with angry rock music of their own and then created a renassaince by producing kicked up covers of 80's and 90's tunes like with Genesis' Land of Confusion.

I have also heard that their live shows are amazing. Energetic and lengthy, respect paid to the old school songs that created the band. I won't be shocked to see Disturbed as a major player in the rock industry for years to come.

 

[MattMoses]

I really can't stand Disturbed, they sound absolutely putrid. The instrumentals are boring; the guitar playing consists of one or two power chords per song, with an occasional obscenely simple mini-solo/fill here and there. The drumming is bland and consists of largely uncreative beats, and the bass is in no way remarkable. They lack any songwriting ability, and incorporate no variation into their song structures. Sure, they sometimes add some techno-ish electronics and turntable scratchings which seem to be included for extra melodic boost, but more often than not they just sound extraneous and cheesy.

Aside from their instrumentation being terrible, so is the songwriting. Disturbed take a stab at rap-metal with Droppin' Plates, using Korn-style, downtuned to fuck riffs coupled with incredibly lame white boy rapping. Take the song 'Numb' for example. It is an utterly tepid and insincere ballad that is unable to stir any emotion within the listener. Or their cover 'Shout 2000', which is a totally serious cover of Tears For Fears' famous pop hit, done in horribly generic heavy metal style. Or even 'Stupify', despite being one of Disturbed's more well known songs, is packed chock full of annoying melodies (actually, it's pretty much one recycled melody) and tepid hooks.

Personally, in closing, I see nothing enjoyable about this band, but that's just my opinion.

 

[justinsayne]

Alice in Chains
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Alice in Chains is an American hard rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1987 by guitarist Jerry Cantrell and vocalist Layne Staley. Although widely associated with grunge music, the band's sound incorporates heavy metal, hard rock, and acoustic elements. Since its formation, Alice in Chains has released three studio albums, three EPs, two live albums, four compilations, and two DVDs. The band is known for its distinct vocal style which often includes the harmonized vocals of Staley and Cantrell.

Alice in Chains rose to international fame as part of the grunge movement of the early 1990s, along with bands such as Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Soundgarden. It was one of the most successful music acts of the 1990s and sold close to 11 million albums in the United States alone. The band achieved two number-one Billboard 200 albums (Jar of Flies and Alice in Chains), 11 top ten singles on the Mainstream Rock Tracks charts, and six Grammy Award nominations.

Although the band never officially disbanded, it has been plagued by extended inactivity due to problems with substance abuse, culminating in the death of Staley in 2002. Alice in Chains reunited in 2005 and as of 2008 are working on their first studio album in 13 years with new lead vocalist William DuVall.

History

Formation

Following the demise of his band Sleeze in 1986, vocalist Layne Staley formed Alice N' Chainz, a band which he said "dressed in drag and played speed metal". The new band performed around the Seattle area playing Slayer and Armored Saint covers. Staley met guitarist Jerry Cantrell while working at Music Bank rehearsal studios, where the two struggling musicians became roommates, and lived in a rehearsal space they shared. Staley's Alice N' Chainz soon disbanded and he joined a funk band who at the time also required a guitarist. Staley asked Cantrell to join as a sideman. Cantrell agreed on condition that Staley joined Cantrell's band Diamond Lie, which at the time included drummer Sean Kinney and bassist Mike Starr. Eventually the funk project broke up and in 1987 Staley joined Cantrell on a full time basis. Diamond Lie played in clubs around the Pacific Northwest, often stretching 15 minutes of material into a 45-minute set. The band eventually took the name of Alice N' Chains, although they switched the z in the title to an s.

Local promoter Randy Hauser became aware of the band at a concert, and offered to pay for demo recordings. However, one day before the band was due to record the Music Bank studio in the Washington, the police shut down the studio during the biggest marijuana raid in the history of the state. The final demo was named The Treehouse Tapes, and found its way to the music managers Kelly Curtis and Susan Silver, who also managed the Seattle-based band Soundgarden. Curtis and Silver passed on the demo to Columbia Records' A&R representative Nick Terzo, who set up an appointment with label president Don Lenner. Based on The Treehouse Tapes, Lenner signed Alice in Chains to Columbia in 1989.

Facelift and Sap

Alice in Chains soon became a top priority of the label, who released the band's first official recording in July 1990, a promotional EP We Die Young. The EP's lead single, "Man in the Box", became a hit at metal radio. After its success, the label rushed Alice in Chains' debut album into production with producer Dave Jerden. Cantrell stated the album was intended to have a "moody aura" that was a "direct result of the brooding atmosphere and feel of Seattle".

The resulting album, Facelift, was released on August 21, 1990, debuting at number 42 on the Billboard 200 chart. Facelift was not an instant success, selling under 40,000 copies in the first six months of release, until MTV added "Man in the Box" to regular daytime rotation. The single hit number 18 on the Mainstream rock charts, with the album's follow up single, "Sea of Sorrow", reaching number 27, and in six weeks Facelift sold 400,000 copies in the US. The album was a critical success, with Steve Huey of All Music Guide citing Facelift as "one of the most important records in establishing an audience for grunge and alternative rock."

Facelift was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America by the end of 1990, while the band continued to hone its audience, opening for such diverse artists as Iggy Pop, Van Halen, Poison, and Extreme. In early 1991, Alice in Chains landed the opening slot for the Clash of the Titans tour with Anthrax, Megadeth, and Slayer, exposing the band to a wide metal audience. Alice in Chains was nominated for a Best Hard Rock Performance Grammy Award in 1992 for "Man in the Box", but lost to Van Halen for their 1991 album For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge.

Following the tour, Alice in Chains entered the studio to record demos for its next album, but ended up recording five acoustic songs instead. While in the studio, drummer Sean Kinney had a dream about "making an EP called Sap". The band decided "not to mess with fate", and on March 21, 1992, Alice in Chains released their second EP, Sap. The EP was released while Nirvana's Nevermind was at the top of the Billboard 200 charts, resulting in a rising popularity of Seattle-based bands, and the term grunge music. Sap was soon certified gold. The EP features guest vocals by Ann Wilson from the band Heart, who joined Staley and Cantrell for the choruses of "Brother", "Am I Inside" and "Love Song". The EP also features Mark Arm of Mudhoney and Chris Cornell of Soundgarden, appearing together on the song "Right Turn", credited to "Alice Mudgarden" in the liner notes. In 1992, Alice in Chains appeared on the Cameron Crowe film Singles, performing as a "bar band". The band also contributed the song "Would?" to the film's soundtrack, whose video received an award for Best Video from a Film at the 1993 MTV Video Music Awards.

Dirt

In February 1992, the band returned to the studio, again with producer Dave Jerden, to record its follow-up album. With new songs written primarily on the road, the material has an overall darker feel than Facelift, with six of the album's twelve songs dealing with addiction. "We did a lot of soul searching on this album. There's a lot of intense feelings." Cantrell said, "We deal with our daily demons through music. All of the poison that builds up during the day we cleanse when we play".

On September 29, 1992, Alice in Chains released its second album, Dirt. The album peaked at number six on the Billboard 200, and since its release has been certified quadruple platinum by the RIAA since its release, making Dirt the band's highest selling album to date. The album was a critical success, with Steve Huey of All Music Guide praising the album as a "major artistic statement, and the closest they ever came to recording a flat-out masterpiece". Chris Gill of Guitar World called Dirt "huge and foreboding, yet eerie and intimate", and "sublimely dark and brutally honest". Dirt spawned five top 30 singles, including "Rooster", Them Bones", and "Down in a Hole", and remained on the charts for nearly a year. Alice in Chains was added as openers to Ozzy Osbourne's No More Tears tour, but just days before the tour began, Layne Staley broke his ankle in an ATV accident, forcing him to use crutches on stage. While on tour, bassist Mike Starr left the band to spend more time with his family, and was replaced by former Ozzy Osbourne bassist Mike Inez. In 1993, the band recorded two songs with Inez, "What the Hell Have I" and "A Little Bitter", for the Last Action Hero soundtrack. During the summer of 1993, Alice in Chains joined Primus, Tool, Rage Against the Machine, and Babes in Toyland for the alternative music festival Lollapalooza, which was the last major tour Alice in Chains played with Staley.

Jar of Flies

Following Alice in Chains' extensive 1993 world tour, Staley said the band "just wanted to go into the studio for a few days with our acoustic guitars and see what happened". "We never really planned on the music we made at that time to be released. But the record label heard it and they really liked it. For us, it was just the experience of four guys getting together in the studio and making some music."

While never originally intended for a public release, Columbia Records released Alice in Chains' second acoustic-based EP, Jar of Flies, on January 25, 1994. Written and recorded in one week, Jar of Flies debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, becoming the first ever EP—and first Alice in Chains release—to top the charts. Paul Evans of Rolling Stone called the EP "darkly gorgeous", and Steve Huey stated "Jar of Flies is a low-key stunner, achingly gorgeous and harrowingly sorrowful all at once". Jar of Flies features Alice in Chains' only number one single on the Mainstream Rock charts, "No Excuses". The second single, "I Stay Away", reached number ten on the Mainstream rock charts, while the final single "Don't Follow", reached number 25. After the release of Sap, Layne Staley entered rehab for heroin addiction. The band was scheduled to tour during the summer of 1994 with Metallica and Suicidal Tendencies, but while in rehearsal for the tour, Staley began using heroin again. Staley's condition prompted the other band members to cancel all scheduled dates one day before the start of the tour, putting the band on hiatus.

Alice in Chains

While Alice in Chains was inactive during 1995, Staley joined the "grunge supergroup" Mad Season, which also featured Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready, John Baker Saunders from The Walkabouts and Screaming Trees drummer Barrett Martin. Mad Season released one album, Above, for which Staley provided lead vocals and the album artwork. The album spawned a number-two single, "River of Deceit", as well as a home video release of Live at the Moore. In April 1995, Alice in Chains entered Bad Animals Studio in Seattle with producer Toby Wright, who had previously worked with Corrosion of Conformity and Slayer. While in the studio, an inferior version of the song "Grind" was leaked to radio, and received major airplay. On October 6, 1995, the band released the studio version of the song to radio via satellite uplink.

On November 7, 1995, Columbia Records released the eponymous Alice in Chains, which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, and has since been certified double platinum. Of the album's four singles, "Grind", "Again", "Over Now", and "Heaven Beside You", three feature Cantrell on lead vocals. Jon Wiederhorn of Rolling Stone called the album "liberating and enlightening, the songs achieve a startling, staggering and palpable impact." The song "Got Me Wrong" unexpectedly charted three years after its release on the Sap EP. The song was re-released as a single on the soundtrack for the independent film Clerks in 1995, reaching number seven on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The band opted not to tour in support of Alice in Chains, adding to the rumors of drug abuse.

Alice in Chains resurfaced on April 10, 1996 to perform their first concert in three years for MTV Unplugged, a program featuring all-acoustic set lists. The performance featured some of the band's highest charting singles, including "Down in a Hole", "Heaven Beside You", and "Would?", and introduced a new song, "Killer Is Me". The show marked Alice in Chains' only appearance as a six-piece band, adding second guitarist Scott Olson. A live album of the performance was released in July 1996, which debuted at number three on the Billboard 200, and was accompanied by a home video release, both of which received platinum certification by the RIAA. Alice in Chains performed four shows following the 1993 Lollapalooza tour, with the final live appearance of Layne Staley on July 3, 1996 in Kansas City, Missouri.

Hiatus and the death of Layne Staley

Although Alice in Chains never officially disbanded, Staley became a recluse, rarely leaving his Seattle condominium following the death of his fiancée in 1996, due to bacterial endocarditis. "Drugs worked for me for years", Staley told Rolling Stone in 1996, "and now they're turning against me, now I'm walking through hell". In 1998, Staley reunited with Alice in Chains to record two new songs, "Get Born Again" and "Died". Originally written for Cantrell's solo album, the songs were released in the fall of 1999 on box set, Music Bank. The set contains 48 songs, including rarities, demos, and previous album tracks. The band also released a 15-track compilation titled Nothing Safe: Best of the Box, serving as a sampler for Music Bank, as well as the band's first greatest hits compilation. The band's last official releases include a live album, simply titled Live, released on December 5, 2000, and a second greatest hits compilation, titled Greatest Hits in 2002.

After a decade battling drug addiction, Layne Staley was found dead in his condominium on April 19, 2002. An autopsy revealed Staley died from a mixture of heroin and cocaine 14 days previously. In his last interview, which was given months before his death, Staley admitted, "I know I'm near death, I did crack and heroin for years. I never wanted to end my life this way". Cantrell, shaken by the death of his friend and band mate, dedicated his 2002 solo album, Degradation Trip, to Staley.

Reunion

In 2005, Jerry Cantrell, Mike Inez, and Sean Kinney reunited to perform a benefit concert in Seattle for victims of the tsunami disaster that struck south Asia. The band featured Damageplan vocalist Pat Lachman, with other special guests including Wes Scantlin of Puddle of Mudd, Maynard James Keenan of Tool, and Ann Wilson of Heart. On March 6, 2006, the surviving members performed at VH1's Decades Rock Live concert, honoring fellow Seattle musicians Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart. They played "Would?" with Pantera and Down vocalist Phil Anselmo, and "Rooster" with William DuVall and Ann Wilson. The band followed the concert with a short United States club tour, several festival dates in Europe, and a brief tour in Japan. To coincide with the band's reunion, Sony Music released the long delayed third Alice in Chains compilation, The Essential Alice in Chains, a double album that includes 28 songs.

Comes With the Fall vocalist William DuVall joined Alice in Chains as lead singer during the band's reunion concerts. Velvet Revolver and ex-Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan also joined the band for the reunion tour, playing rhythm guitar on selected songs. Before the tour, Kinney mentioned in an interview that he would be interested in writing new material, but not as Alice in Chains. However, AliceinChains.com reported that the band has begun writing new material, with DuVall on lead vocals. The band members plan to release their first studio album since 1995 by the end of 2008.

Musical style

Although Alice in Chains have been labeled grunge, alternative, and hard rock, Jerry Cantrell identifies the band as primarily heavy metal. He told Guitar World in 1996; "We're a lot of different things... I don't quite know what the mixture is, but there's definitely metal, blues, rock and roll, maybe a touch of punk. The metal part will never leave, and I never want it to". Alice in Chains' has cited musical influences such as Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, and Metallica.

Jerry Cantrell's guitar style combines what Stephen Erlewine of All Music Guide called "pummeling riffs and expansive guitar textures" to create "slow, brooding minor-key grinds". While down tuned distorted guitars mixed with Staley's distinctive "snarl-to-a-scream" vocals appealed to heavy metal fans, the band also had "a sense of melody that was undeniable," which introduced Alice in Chains to a much wider pop audience outside of the heavy metal underground.

The band has been described by critics as "hard enough for metal fans, yet their dark subject matter and punky attack placed them among the front ranks of the Seattle-based grunge bands". Three of the band's releases feature all acoustic music, and while the band initially kept these releases separate, Alice in Chains' self-titled album combined the styles to form "a bleak, nihilistic sound that balanced grinding hard rock with subtly textured acoustic numbers".

Alice in Chains is also noted for the unique vocal harmonies of Staley and Cantrell, which included overlapping passages, and dual lead vocals. Alyssa Burrows said the band's distinctive sound "came from Staley's vocal style and his lyrics dealing with personal struggles and addiction". Staley's songs were often considered "dark", with themes such as drug abuse, depression, and suicide, with Cantrell's lyrics dealing more with personal relationships.

Legacy

Alice in Chains has sold more than ten million albums in the United States, released two number-one albums and 19 top 40 singles, and has received six Grammy nominations. The band ranked number 34 on VH1's 100 Greatest Hard Rock Artists.[49] Alice in Chains has had a large impact on many bands, such as Godsmack who, according to Jon Wiederhorn of MTV, "have sonically followed Alice in Chains' lead while adding their own distinctive edge". Godsmack singer Sully Erna has also cited Layne Staley as his primary influence. Staind has covered Alice in Chains' song "Nutshell" live, which appears on the compilation The Singles: 1996-2006, and also wrote a song entitled "Layne", in Staley's dedication, on the album 14 Shades of Grey. Other bands that have been inspired by Alice in Chains include Taproot, Puddle of Mudd, Smile Empty Soul, Creed, Nickleback, Cold and Tantric. Metallica, who originally influenced Alice in Chains, in turn said they always wanted to tour with the band, citing Alice in Chains as a major influence on the vocal melodies for Metallica's eighth studio album St. Anger.

Band members

* William DuVall: lead vocals, rhythm guitar (2006–present)
* Jerry Cantrell: lead & rhythm guitar, lead vocals & backing vocals (1987–2002, 2005–present)
* Mike Inez: bass guitar, backing vocals (1993–2002, 2005–present)
* Sean Kinney: drums, percussion (1987–2002, 2005–present)

Former members

* Mike Starr: bass guitar, backing vocals (1987–1993)
* Layne Staley: lead vocals, rhythm guitar (1987–2002)


Touring musicians

* Scott Olson: acoustic guitar, bass guitar (1996)
* Patrick Lachman: lead vocals (2004–2006)
* Duff McKagan: Rhythm Guitar (Reunion Tour)
o Note: Olson only played on the Unplugged performance.

Discography

Studio albums and EPs

* We Die Young (1990)
* Facelift (1990)
* Sap (1992)
* Dirt (1992)
* Jar of Flies (1994)
* Alice in Chains (1995)
* Upcoming studio album (2008)


Awards and nominations

Awards

1993- MTV Video Music Awards Best Video from a Film – "Would?" from Singles

Nominations

1991- MTV Video Music Awards Best Heavy Metal/Hard Rock Video – "Man in the Box"
1992- American Music Awards Favorite New Heavy Metal/Hard Rock Artist
Grammy Awards Best Hard Rock Performance – "Man in the Box"
1993- Grammy Awards Best Hard Rock Performance – Dirt
1995- Grammy Awards Best Hard Rock Performance – "I Stay Away"
1996- Grammy Awards Best Hard Rock Performance – "Grind"
MTV Video Music Awards Best Hard Rock Video – "Again"
1997- Grammy Awards Best Hard Rock Performance – "Again"
2000- Grammy Awards Best Hard Rock Performance – "Get Born Again"

External links

* Official website- http://www.aliceinchains.com/
* Alice in Chains at MySpace- http://www.myspace.com/aliceinchains

Videos(A lot of the videos wern't working for some reason so I instead posted the youtube link to them)

Alice in Chains - Would
[youtube]i3FnQMSD4Zg[/youtube]

Alice In Chains-No Excuses
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oz8ctHV3nwA

Alice In Chains-Down In A Hole
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FL0cK4gaEuM

Alice in Chains - Rooster
[youtube]snkbewlsUVk[/youtube]

Alice In Chains-Heaven Beside You
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDTGZOf1N6U

Alice In Chains-I Stay Away
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMOU7qZVwJs

Alice In Chains-Grind
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JW-3mIaajWM

Alice In Chains-Angry Chair
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yn82dMFGN8g

Alice in Chains - Again
[youtube]Yogm2hlpnhY[/youtube]

Alice in Chains - Them Bones
[youtube]BkM38vmFuAw[/youtube]

Alice In Chains-We Die Young
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTIAaJcc0I0

Alice In Chains-Bleed The Freak
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PYegfhgiZo

Alice In Chains - Love, Hate, Love
[youtube]l9jX1KAKp78[/youtube]

Alice in Chains- Man in the Box
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFWkPVHKwCY

Alice In Chains-Get Born Again
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTtVg13rtIs

Alice in Chains - Sea of Sorrow (Original)
[youtube]Dm98t-iGaN8[/youtube]

Alice In Chains-Over Now
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Krr2CnFBdfw

Justin's Take

Alice In Chains is by far the best band to come out of the grunge era IMO, they are easily better than Nirvana, who may be one of the most overrated bands ever, but that's a different subject all together, I have always loved their sound, and thought that Layne has always had a great voice, that has always stood out, I saw them a few years ago on the Reunion tour, and even without Layne they still sounded great, the new singer sounds almost exactly like Layne, and though he'll never be able to truly feel Layne's shoes, I think he has and will continue to do a good job, though I do feel the band would be better off changing the name, since it really isn't Alice in Chains anymore since Layne's death, which was one of the most tragic death in modern music IMO, there is no denying that AIC has had and always will have a great fan following, I have a friend who may be the biggest AIC fan I have ever met, she has even gone as far as to name her son after Layne, I'm looking forward to see what happens next for this band, cause I think all the remaining members have great talent and with this new singer are capable to make some great sounding stuff

 

[Slim Pickns]

Alice in Chains owns Nirvana so bad its not even close. Their sound is just more distinct. I honestly have no idea why Nirvana is far more popular. Whenever people talk about the best grunge albums they always bring up "Nevermind." Personally, I didn't see what the big deal was, it hasn't been in my CD player since the turn of the millennium.

I guess what bugs me the most is that people credit Nirvana for Alice in Chains' success just because Nirvana hit mainstream first. I'll take AIC or Pearl Jam over Nirvana anytime. Nirvana paved the way, so they get more credit than this gem of a band.

 

[Freedom 35]

superb choice this week Justin, finally a band I get into. Alice in Chains may have been the first band I ever liked besides probably The Meat Puppets, Ive literrally loved this stuff since I was about 5 from riding around listening to Dirt in my Dads old Volare, thats how long Ive loved these guys. Great to see these guys getting their due praise around here and I also personally agree they were the best "grunge" band to come from that era and really took that grouping of music and did so much more with it, they had many different high quality sounds and always brought something good to the table. I was not aware that they had resurfad and will have to look into that more and am excited to hear some of their more recent stuff.

 

[justinsayne]

Alice in Chains owns Nirvana so bad its not even close. Their sound is just more distinct. I honestly have no idea why Nirvana is far more popular. Whenever people talk about the best grunge albums they always bring up "Nevermind." Personally, I didn't see what the big deal was, it hasn't been in my CD player since the turn of the millennium.

I guess what bugs me the most is that people credit Nirvana for Alice in Chains' success just because Nirvana hit mainstream first. I'll take AIC or Pearl Jam over Nirvana anytime. Nirvana paved the way, so they get more credit than this gem of a band.

That's bullshit, Nirvana didn't pave shit, Nirvana was just in the right place at the right time, that is all, AIC was around long before the whole grunge movement started, I was never that big of a fan of Nirvana, like I said IMO they are one of the most overrated bands ever, I don't even own Nevermind anymore, I have a couple of CDs of theirs but In Utero was their best, and really the only one that has seen the inside of my CD player in the past decade, other than greatest hits

IMO Pearl Jam may be the most talented band musically to come from the Grunge era but AIC was my favorite and the best IMO...I think Soundgarden may be the most underrated grunge band simply cause they are so overlooked, and had such great stuff...the further back you go the better it gets with them

 

[Freedom 35]

That's bullshit, Nirvana didn't pave shit, Nirvana was just in the right place at the right time, that is all, AIC was around long before the whole grunge movement started, I was never that big of a fan of Nirvana, like I said IMO are one of the most overrated bands ever, I don't even own Nevermind anymore, I have a couple of CDs of theirs but In Utero was their best, and really the only one that has seen the inside of my CD player in the past decade, other than greatest hits

IMO Pearl Jam may be the most talented band musically to come from the Grunge era but AIC was my favorite and the best IMO...I think Soundgarden may be the most underrated grunge band simply cause they are so overlooked, and had such great stuff...the further back you go the better it gets with them

Word Justin Word

Nirvana IMO was nothing more than a basic band, they were the face of that era and will forever be praised as influencial because of that while there were other bands from that era such as Alice in Chains or Pearl Jam who were putting out better music. influencial or not Ive always hated that At The Drive-in one of my favorite bands have always been called the hispanic Nirvana because reallythey just straight up wrote better sounding higher quality music and while they werent considered the "face" of a generation they always seem to be compared to Nirvana like thats some sort of standard to shoot to be like when really it should be the other way around

 

[Shadowmancer]

Alice In Chains I love these guys. Each song they ever put out is just listenable over and over again. For a Time I just had the Greatest Hits pumping all day everyday for about a week. And I never got sick of a single song. Man In a Box is that damned good to show what is required of a great Riff, it chugs and chugs throughout the song then you have that haunting wail type thing. Then some of the best lyrics in a song ever in

I'm the man in the box
Buried in my shit
Wont you come and save me, save me

Feed my eyes, can you sew them shut?
Jesus Christ, deny your maker
He who tries, will be wasted
Feed my eyes now you've sewn them shut

I'm the dog who gets beat
Shove my nose in shit
Wont you come and save me, save me

Feed my eyes, can you sew them shut?
Jesus Christ, deny your maker
He who tries, will be wasted
Feed my eyes now you've sewn them shut

Feed my eyes, can you sew them shut?
Jesus Christ, deny your maker
He who tries, will be wasted
Feed my eyes now you've sewn them shut

Those lyrics are Nihilistic to the point that it is sort of disturbing, but the image conjured in the mind is so evocative at the same time, that you can't help but be drawn into the song.

And then there is Heaven Beside you which is sort of the Ultimate "I Don't Give a Fuck" Song.

So theres problems in your life
Thats fucked up, and I'm not blind
I'm just see through faded, super jaded
And out of my mind

Pure brilliance in those lines right there.