Tuesday is Late Monday Music Day -- Metal Horns Edition

[xraytheenforcer]

So, back a few weeks ago I agreed to make bassmike a metal mix CD. But upon reflection, I realized that while Norwegian symphonic black metal has its place, a true smorgasbord of rumbling guitar power would include a more temporally (at least the 1980s) and spatially (neglect not Texas and Brazil!) diverse music selection.

Which is just a really long-ass way of saying: PANTERA KICKS ASS.

Vulgar Display of Power was their break-through album commercially (their stylistic breakthrough happened an album prior, Cowboys From Hell), and holy crap, the music is as teeth-kickingly powerful today as it was when I first heard it 15+ years ago. Brain and I used to menace the Germans when "Walk" would come at at the Lindenbaum (Mainz's heavy metal dance club). But the all-time fun track is "Fucking Hostile" -- it basically encapsulates just about everything great about Pantera's approach to metal. Fast, groove-heavy, totally un-wanky.

The whiff of racism has always dogged Pantera (some of it rightfully earned) -- and I urge anyone who wants the album to get it at a second-hand store or, you know, other ways, if you're loathe to chuck cash towards the remaining members of the band. To my mind, the high points of Vulgar Display of Power are some of the high points in the entire metal genre, and are worth at least an ear-searing listen, or three. At top volume.

And now Mike knows at least one band that will end up on the mix. :)

Comments

[knightofredempt.livejournal.com]

Some early Black Sabbath the godfathers of metal
um
Iron Man for example.
Motorhead by Motorhead
Deep Purple..Speed King
and finaly you choice of Zepplin
OH YEY ENGLAND ROCKS

[xraytheenforcer.livejournal.com]

Ha. I do not disagree -- I love all of those bands.

The metal mix I'm making for Mike will focus on bands he's either not heard of, or not heard yet, or has heard, but neglected. (I suspect Pantera will be in the last of those categories).

I may put some Lemmy on the mix, though, because a mix without Lemmy is a sad one indeed.

Ah ha

[knightofredempt.livejournal.com]

Ok I will think of some more obscure metal and get back to you

[bassmike.livejournal.com]

I own every Pantera album. You're going to have to work harder.

[xraytheenforcer.livejournal.com]

It ain't hard to fill your mix with nowt but bands that will make your ears bleed. harder is finding something that's actually fun.

[bassmike.livejournal.com]

Ear-gouging Fun! I can't wait. I don't have any "recent" metal. Most of my metal is pre-1997. Which is why I'm curious about stuff like Mastodon and whatnot.

[misunderstruck.livejournal.com]

I like that the "fuckin' hostile" mood icon is a smiling kitty. Kitties are always happiest when they're getting reading to fuck you up.

[xraytheenforcer.livejournal.com]

Oh yes. Yes yes yes.

[yagathai.livejournal.com]

Eh, that Phil Anselmo may be personally bigoted doesn't really bother me. It's not racist music, the band doesn't propagate a racist viewpoint, and so I'm happy to give the band and label my money if I think the music is good.

[xraytheenforcer.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I think some people have read into certain Pantera lyrics a bit of racism as well -- although I think that's an entirely debatable point. They're no Prussian Blue, at least. I just know that there are those on my flist who might like the music, but balk at giving bigots their money for any reason. Instead, they can give their $$ to their local used record store.

[bassmike.livejournal.com]

I listened to Vulgar Display a few years ago after neglecting it (and a lot of other metal) for a long time, and I was surprised by how harsh (and probably racist) it seemed to me after a decade of "alternative/grunge/emo/post/whateveryouwanttocallit" rock. I think my tastes became a little more mainstream after college, in an effort to (re)discover "classic" stuff like Springsteen and The Who, which I pretty much neglected in the high school days when stuff like Pantera was in my regular rotation.

[the-corbie.livejournal.com]

I prefer Cowboys From Hell myself. And on the subject of Pantera, I have an MP3 you might like, tengentially relevant to the racism issue too... ;)

[xraytheenforcer.livejournal.com]

I think you just take whatever band I post, and go one album earlier, and then lay claim to that one being better becase you are a pill. Rage for Order. Now Cowboys From Hell (which is, admittedly, a really fine album). Next you're gonna be telling me you've been following Sabbath from the beginning. ;-)

[the-corbie.livejournal.com]

Nah, don't like Sabbath. :p

[yagathai.livejournal.com]

You take that back right now.

[knightofredempt.livejournal.com]

Come over here and say that you philistine ;-)

[bassmike.livejournal.com]

My last band was a heavy metal cover band. We covered Never Say Die and Hole In The Sky. I was never really a Sabbath fan before that, but I've seen the light. Gods that Geezer can play the mo'fuckin' bass.

coincidence!

[jonsiron.livejournal.com]

I've been listening to this CD in my car for the past week or two. Money as the day I bought it!