Headbangers’ Brawl is a weekly column where Metal Insider’s Bram and Zach take a moment to debate and analyze two opposing sides of a topical issue occurring in the world of metal and/or the music industry.
When the sunburn and aroma of beer and sweat start to fade away, it can mean only one thing: the Summer has come to an end. And while concert attendance saw a big dip this past year, the Summer of 2010 brought us some great metal tours, including Ozzfest, Mayhem Fest and the American Carnage Tour just to name a few. So with the season coming to an end, Bram and Zach take a moment in this week’s Headbangers’ Brawl to debate over which Summer festival/tour was the best of them all.
Zach: Not to sound like a hippy cheeseball who loves everyone, but there really wasn’t an “awful” tour this past Summer. Despite hesitations about certain shows (cough-Ozzfest-cough), I really had a great time at each show I attended. However, if I had to choose my favorite out of them all, this year’s Mayhem Fest would win it for me. Not only did each band on the line up perform their asses off when I attended the stop in Camden, NJ, but the atmosphere itself was simply awesome. Mayhem Fest has been able to capture the energy and excitement of metal every year, the same metal communal feel that I use to experience at Ozzfest. Plus, the two side stages’ back and forth set lists allowed the fan to experience non-stop metal (avoiding the annoying set change waits). This year continued to leave me satisfied.
Bram: I wouldn’t say there was an “awful” tour either, but to be honest with you, there weren’t too many super exciting ones either. I might be jaded because everything comes to New York, but with a few exceptions, all the summer tours/festivals that came around featured bands I’d already seen previously. If you’ve already seen a band twice on the album cycle, you’re not going to be won over by another festival appearance, and if you’re promoting an album that’s over a year old, I don’t really understand what your band is doing on tour. There are a number of things that make a tour or festival into a can’t-miss experience, whether it’s an older band coming out of retirement, an underground band graduating to a big stage, or a musician filling in for another, all of which happened to an extent this year. With that in mind, was Mayhem still your favorite?
Z: True, Bram. There weren’t “oh-my-god I must attend” tours this summer (maybe with the exception of Slayer/Megadeth), but I’d still say that each tour had its stand outs in their lineups. With that in mind, yes I would still stick with Mayhem. I agree that all of your points go into a “cant-miss” experience, but one thing I always consider is the actual lineup itself. One of the great beauties of touring festivals is how they bring bands together on the same stage, bands who otherwise probably wouldn’t even be in the same city as each other. While I’ve pretty much seen all the band’s I liked on Mayhem before, seeing them all together in the same day is worth the ticket price (which was pretty reasonable in itself). Even Lamb Of God’s Chris Adler revealed recently in an interview with Bloody-Disgusting.com how it was awesome and unusual to get the chance to perform infront of Korn and Rob Zombie’s audiences. With that in mind, Bram, which tour did you feel gave you the most bang for your buck?
B: I think in terms of bang for your buck, the American Carnage tour was pretty awesome. Granted, it’s a little nostalgia-based, but it was still great to hear two bands play two of their best albums, as well as have Testament opening things up. In terms of a well put together festival, I think that the Uproar tour is pretty good. Not that I’m a gigantic fan of any of the bands, but to introduce bro-dude Disturbed fans to bands they might not have heard before, like Halestorm and Airbourne, it’ll probably cultivate some fans of the newer bands. In terms of energy and bands I actually really like, I dug the Eyehategod/Nachtmystium tour earlier this Summer. But the most unique concertgoing experience? For sure, I’d say going to a movie theater to see the Big Four Tour. It was an amazing shared experience for metal fans around the world that really hadn’t been done before.
Headbangers’ Brawl is a weekly column where Metal Insider’s Bram and Zach take a moment to debate and analyze two opposing sides of a topical issue occurring in the world of metal and/or the music industry.
Back in June, former Metal Edge editor-in-chief Phil Freeman wrote on his blog that bands need to stop playing their classic albums in their entirety, calling it “lazy, thoughtless and frankly insulting.” And while our friends at Metal Sucks already gave their thoughts on the matter, Bram and Zach went to see the American Carnage Tour, featuring Megadeth and Slayer this past weekend. After seeing the classic thrash albums Rust In Piece and Seasons Of The Abyss in their entirety, Metal Insider decided in this week’s Headbangers’ Brawl to re-ask the question: should bands continue to play albums in their entirety, or is this beating a dead horse?
Bram: I’ll start this one off. As a huge fan of both albums when they came out, I was happy last week. Hearing Rust in Peace, especially now that Dave Ellefson is back in the band, was awesome, and it made me realize how long it’s been since I listened to that album all the way through. Seasons was great to hear too. I mean, Slayer has already done Reign in Blood in its entirety, and of the “trinity” of Slayer albums, I think Seasons is the most overlooked. I don’t think it really cheapens the live experience to see a band play one of their favorite albums. At the end of the day though, it better be a classic album the band is playing.
Zach: I think it’s a fun thing to see, but as you said, the album needs to be a “classic” one. Plus, there are only a few bands that have such records that justify getting played in its entirety. I love Motley Crue, but does Dr. Feelgood really need to be heard from start to finish? While it would be cool to see certain bands follow this trend on a limited basis, are there really any more “classic” records that haven’t been played in its entirety yet? Not to say that the trend itself is has been beaten to death, but most of the albums that one would want to hear live have already been done. Are there any albums left that you desperately need to be heard live from top to bottom Bram?
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Headbangers’ Brawl is a weekly column where Metal Insider’s Bram and Zach take a moment to debate and analyze two opposing sides of a topical issue occurring in the world of metal and/or the music industry.
In a recent interview with The Republic, Ozzy Osbourne added more fuel to the Black Sabbath reunion fire. While he shared that he would love to reunite with Iommi, Butler and Ward for a new album, he also claims that “It’s not going to happen for at least a year or two because I’ve got my tour and an album to do, whatever.”
In a similar vein, Soulfly/Cavalera Conspiracy frontman Max Cavalera restated in an interview with PyroMusic.net a few weeks ago how he genuinely wants to reunite with his former band Sepultura once again. “I did try my best to get a reunion going, but I couldn’t do it because Andreas didn’t want to, you know? So gotta wait until next time,” Max claims.
With all these possible reunions not happening for one reason or another, we asked ourselves in this week’s Headbangers’ Brawl but who we think has a better chance of getting back together: The Original Black Sabbath or the Classic-era Sepultura?
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Headbangers’ Brawl is a weekly column where Metal Insider’sBram and Zach take a moment to debate and analyze two opposing sides of a topical issue occurring in the world of metal and/or the music industry.
It’s been a few months since drummer Tommy Clufetos suddenly left Rob Zombie’s band to join Ozzy Osbourne’s, and four years since bassist Blasko did the same. While he’s kept quiet for the most part, Zombie let it be known that he’s still pissed about it. In an interview with Artisan News Service last week, Zombie said “there’s ways to do things and I think there’s ways to not do things and I think the way they’ve chosen to do things is not how I would do things; I think it’s kind of rude,” and then further said that “I thought the drummer I had before [Tommy Clufetos] was a good guy, but you find out some people are just phony. But the greatest thing that ever happened was him hitting the road and Joey coming in and replacing him, ’cause it’s always great to replace somebody with a better drummer.” As if that wasn’t enough of a jab, in a recent interview with Revolver TV, Zombie goes further to say “Once you leave our group, you’re pretty much dead to us, so we’re fine.”
With Zombie venting about the lineup changes, and getting a bit ugly about it, we propose the following question for us to debate in this week’s Headbangers’ Brawl’: Should Rob Zombie be that annoyed and upset?
Bram: Who would have thought? They seemed to get along so well a few years ago. I think Rob’s definitely got the right to be pissed, but I feel like it’s a little sour grapes on his part. What self respecting musician wouldn’t leave whatever band he was in to play with Ozzy Osbourne? That’s royalty, man. Let’s do some comparisons, shall we? “Thunder Kiss ’65″ or “Paranoid?” “Dragula” or “War Pigs?” “Mars Needs Women” or “I Don’t Know?” I DO know. Ozzy wins every time, even if Rob’s current/new material might be better than anything Ozzy’s done for a while.
That said, there’s a protocol to be followed. Ozzy’s a preferable situation, band-wise, but there’s a way to leave and a way to not leave. I don’t know the specifics, but it sounds like Tommy was like “Great Rob, we’ll open with this song and – oh wait, Ozzy wants me, I’m out!”
Zach: Ozzy (or his camp…aka Sharon) might have broken protocol, but that shouldn’t allow Zombie to act so pissed off. Especially since he himself admits to finding better fits for the band. Even Zombie bassist Piggy D. told Metal Insider in an interview that it wasn’t difficult to reshape the band after Tommy left. “In fact, as soon as we played the first song with Joey we went ‘This is exactly where we need to be!’ because he makes us play harder and I know we’re a better band because of him,” Piggy further told me. Again, this isn’t about who’s the better drummer or bassist, but when you have new members that you feel make you stronger, then why dwell on the drama? It’s one thing to question how one goes about doing business, but it’s another to talk shit about them.
B: Zombie’s a guy that holds a grudge, though. Remember when he got Bullet For My Valentine kicked off their tour for complaining about him on a message board? Sure, he might come off as a whiny bitch, but the guy’s had a career for 20-odd years now. He’s entitled to his opinion, and if he wants to take it public, it’s his prerogative. Being in a band with someone is like being in a relationship with someone. Some end amicably, and some end with you bitching to a camera crew about that girl you thought was a sweet innocent angel that wound up blowing the football team. Wait, what was the question again?
At the end of the day, it’s a win for Rob. He’s obviously getting lots of press about this, as evidenced by all the internet we’re wasting on this. And if he winds up pissing off the mighty Sharon Osbourne in the process, then guess what? More publicity. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. Circle of life. Hakuna Matata.
Z: Sure, he’s getting press out of this from Metal Insider , but that doesn’t equal good press. Hell, if he had left it with Sharon being an asshole, then he’d be seen as preaching the truth. But going after his former band mates so viciously (especially in the Revolver TV interview) just makes him look like a bigger jerk. He may be a senior in the business, but his album sales don’t need any more bad press. If we all went about yelling at our ex’s on TV after watching them dry hump a random dude in a sweaty bar, we’d be no better than The Jersey Shore. Don’t be The Situation, Rob.
B: GTL, baby! Personally, I’m pretty glad there’s some drama happening. At least he’s not bowing down to the almighty Sharon, and he doesn’t need to. I mean, it doesn’t look like Zombie’s going to be invited to Ozzfest next year, but do you think he really cares? As long as there’s substandard remakes of ’70s horror movies or “edgy” episodes of CSI: Miami to be done, Rob doesn’t need to suckle the teat of the music industry. And as long as he continues to play live, there will be people lining up to see him regardless. He’s not much of a singer, but he puts on a great show, much like his tourmate Alice Cooper. And also like Cooper, who he has playing in the band is secondary to the man himself and the production lined up behind it. And I’m pretty sure Blasko and Tommy aren’t losing much sleep over their former band leader talking smack.
Headbangers’ Brawl is a weekly column where Metal Insider’s Bram and Zach take a moment to debate and analyze two opposing sides of a topical issue occurring in the world of metal and/or the music industry.
Hits Daily Double is reporting based on one day sales that Avenged Sevenfold’s new album Nightmare is estimated to sell between 160,000 to 175,000 in its first week and is a strong contender to beat out Eminem to claim the top of the charts. But we’re not debating the band’s deserving success in the first edition of our new column Headbangers’ Brawl. Rather, Bram and I will be going head to head to discuss what we think are the main reasons for Avenged Sevenfold’s extraordinary sales.
Zach: Avenged Sevenfold are one of my favorite bands of all time, and would like to think that it’s the music that drew out the fans. However, I can’t help to think that the untimely death of drummer Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan had a hand in the album doing so well. While the single “Nightmare” has been well received, it didn’t actually premiere online until May 18 (and the video for said song didn’t make its debut until two weeks ago). The band has only done two concerts so far, and both of them were within this past week (the only major touring they have planned is this year’s Uproar Festival). With such little promotion done so far, I have to believe that their recent tragedy has made either their loyal fans make an extra effort to purchase the album or has attracted new fans.
Bram: Yeah, that’s probably got something to do with it. It’s the same reason a lot of people went to see The Crow, and the reason Biggie Smalls did so well with Life After Death being released two weeks after he died (wow, child of the ’90s much?). But I think their current fill-in drummer might have had something to do with it too. Dream Theater fans are pretty much geeks, and I mean that in a good way. If they’re not hanging out at a Guitar Center doing sweep pentatonics and paradiddles, they’re out supporting their favorite musicians’ endeavors. The last Dream Theater album sold 40,000 its first week. I’ve got to imagine some of the 160,000 that buy the album next week will be Mike Portnoy fans that never would have thought about buying an Avenged Sevenfold record `til now. You’ve heard the album, do you think the musical growth (or lack thereof) is pushing new people to buy the album?
Zach: I have heard the album, and will openly say that I love it. I’d also say that it’s a major step forward from their 2007 self-titled release (though City Of Evil remains as one of my all time favorite albums). However, I admit that Nightmare probably won’t convert listeners who never cared for the band. Hence why I feel that though Mike Portnoy may have attracted a few prog-nerds who were jamming to Rush’s “YYZ” in their basement before going out to buy the album, I can’t imagine it made too much of a difference. Avenged Sevenfold is a band many either love or hate. As much as I (a lover) was impressed with Nightmare, I ‘m not sure it’s an album that will win over haters. Avenged Sevenfold’s loyal fans are just that: loyal. Many hardcore fans felt extreme pain from The Rev’s passing. The album probably would have been a success either way, but the heart ache fans have been feeling has made them even more supportive of the band.
Bram: Well either way, this is a win for Avenged Sevenfold, Dream Theater, Metal, and pretty much everyone but Eminem. No one’s going to mistake me for the world’s biggest A7X fan, but Waking The Fallen was an amazing album. Since then, I feel like they’ve just kind of coasted, but they’ve gotten even more popular. And make no mistake, they’re a metal band. The dual guitar harmonies, musicality, and overall vibe of the band is way beyond the generic goat-rock that most active rock radio plays. And for any band to sell more than their previous album in this day and age, it’s a minor miracle. The last Avenged album didn’t even top 95,000, so if it sells what Hits thinks it might, everyone wins.
Posted by Metal Insider on Thu, Sep 2, 2010 at 5:16 pm
Headbangers Brawl