Monday, February 7, 2011

Crunch Time: Dying Fetus

It's been awhile since the last edition of Crunch Time (where I gush over my favorite HEAVY metal riffs). To make up for the lost time, today's installment is a doozy. As in, retarded-ly brutal.

circa 2000 lineup
Dying Fetus was formed in the early 90's by John Gallagher (baldy) and Jason Netherton (black hair). The band's mid 90's output saw them rise to prominence in the underground metal scene, culminating with 2000's Destroy The Opposition, the band's magnum opus and easily one of the best death metal albums of the past decade. Shortly after the album's release however, Netherton exited the band along with the two other dudes in the picture to form Misery Index....leaving Gallagher and the name Dying Fetus on his own. Gallagher brushed up a new (and still ever changing) lineup and continues slamming in Dying Fetus to this day.

As much as I love both current bands, nothing touches Destroy the Opposition in my book. Gallagher really stepped up the technical aspect of the band's guitar sound ( arpeggios & pinch harmonics FTW) as well as his disgustingly awesome guttural/burp vocals. Kevin Talley was barely 21 years old when he annihilated the drums on this record and Netherton's lyrics were just the icing on the cake. So without further ado, here's the first track off Dying Fetus' Destroy The Opposition, and today's Crunch Time feature, "Praise The Lord (Opium For The Masses)."

(NO THE SONG ISN'T 9 MINS LONG....damn YOUTUBE)
Lyrics for the curious:
One by one, the young will fall, indoctrinating process growing.
Some too weak to fight at all, who controls their future?
God above, or God below, questions no one can answer.
Live the truth, or die to know, it's my agnostic vision.

Jews killing Muslims, and Christians killing Jews.
The circle is unending, and all sides always lose.
If faith is blind devotion, then death is the result.
When history is rotten, the young young and pure grow dead and cold.

I don't need a book for saving, fellowship or days of praying.
Organizing means dilution, and results in persecution.
Through it all I keep a vision, understand what I believe in.
Truth is not the faith you follow, it's far more than you can ever know.

Religion, the burden we carry forth.
Mankind, addicted--the drug spreads on.
Paranoia eats all reason, driving their crusading mission.
Zealotry from Rome to Mecca, millions more become infected.
God cannot be mass-projected, or beaten out through forced confessions.
It's for all of us to ponder, not for dogma's chains to hold us down.
Wake up, and put the past where it belongs.

Just beat them back till they are gone, 'cause their doctrines lead to misery.
They're prophets preaching fantasy, how can they hold themselves
above the rest?

From holy birth to martyr's death, the moral quest for life beyond.
It's just a pipe dream for the paranoid, the empty words of holy books
will mislead all those that read.

Buried in the lines of text are the myths that feed their needs.
Born from flesh, just like all earth down below,
which came from a life form we can never know (in our present context).
Pray for a world that only God above can save?
The church is the reason why they've lost their way.
Crusades and Inquisitions, holy wars, Jihad,
they are the willing victims of a grand facade.

Above it all, the lies are told. The masses follow without question.
First to die, or last to go, I know my convictions.
Flesh and blood, and spirit life, the trinity of my perception.
Dead awake, or sleeping dead, we will find out in the end

FUuuuuuuuuuuck is all I have to say. I've listened to that song for most of the 00's and still haven't gotten sick of it yet. The crushing groove of that intro riff should be outlawed it's so ridiculous. I know this type of music isn't for everyone, but the power of that riff cannot be denied! Here's a different version of this song I think many a blogger might appreciate:

Friday, February 4, 2011

New Ghostface

Finally! I've been waiting for Ghostface Killah's new video to come out since he released his latest album, Apollo Kids in late 2010. The video for "2getha Baby" is now up in glorious HD on Youtube. Although this song doesn't exemplify Ghost's insane wordplay like some of his older material, his delivery is raw as ever and I just love the beat on this track...easily my favorite song off this new album.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Winnie The Pooh brings the =)

Hello. I'm glad we all got through yesterday's post without a massive flame war erupting. Thanks for the kind words in the comments and also, glad most you bloggers seemed to enjoy Refused. I'll be sure to post more of their music in the future.

Well, as expected, the situation in Egypt hasn't improved. More violence, more lawlessness, journalists being attacked (hands off Anderson Cooper you bastards!). I can't help but feel overwhelmed/depressed each morning as I open up my browser and am hit with even more bad news. So today, Jim Fear's blog will feature the most awesomely cheerful video in history to offer a brief change of pace from the dreary real world. Of course, I'm talking about Winnie the Pooh!

Just look at him! As a child, Winnie the Pooh was my favorite Disney character. I had a Pooh stuffed animal that I simply could not part with, EVER. My mom said it all started when I was baby at my first trip to Disney Land. Apparently I had a shit fit every time one of the giant costumed characters came up to us and cried my balls off until I turned red. The only exception to the rule? My silly ol' Winnie the Pooh of course. So today is Pooh day here at the blog. The weight of the world getting you down? Just youtube your worries away with this:

How awesome is that song? It's pure happiness incarnate. It even sounds amazing in Russian:


Mishka! something something Mishka! haha. Enjoy

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Dedicated to all those in Egypt...

Meanwhile in Egypt...
I tend to shy away from political or religious posts, because nothing kills the mood of a blogger party quicker than talking about one's god or government. Despite this, hostilities continue to escalate in Egypt as I'm sure most of you who aren't living under a rock are aware of. The country is in the throes of a revolution, happening live as I type this from my semi-comfortable desk chair. I've studied the French and Russian revolutions and have always been fascinated by great social upheavals, but researching historic revolutions of the past, where death tolls are mere statistics, and witnessing one unfold before your eyes (via the internet) are two different things entirety. I personally support the protesters and their desire to oust the corrupt regime but at the same time, empathize with those bystanders who just don't want their families harmed/property damaged/lives destroyed.

I dedicate this "fight the power" jam from my favorite Swedish commies, Refused.


"Rather be dead than alive by your oppression
Rather be dead than alive by your design

Poisoned my fingers
Burned out my eyes
Cut down my throat
To be alive

Rather be dead than alive by your social values
Rather be dead than alive by your tradition

Poisoned my fingers
Burned out my eyes
Cut down my throat
To be alive

Rather be alive..."
I think the most poignant part of the song is the final lyric, "Rather be alive," as in...damn you for forcing us into this.

"Rather be alive"

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

2nd chances w/: Deftones

Reppin' "...Sacktown, the Bay Area and back down..."
Welcome to another edition of 2nd chances, where I shine the spotlight on a band/album that I initially felt indifferent toward, let down by, or totally hated on but have since come to peace with. This installment is a little different than the previous two. I'm not only singing a different tune regarding Deftones latest album Diamond Eyes, I'm singing it's praises from the rooftops.


I gave Diamond Eyes a few spins when it first came out in 2010. I liked what I heard, and automatically knew the album flowed better than their self titled Deftones album and their last full length Saturday Night Wrist, but wasn't blown away either. I thought, nice work Deftones. End of story. Well flash forward to early 2011, news broke that Deftones and The Dillinger Escape Plan will embark on a U.S. tour together in Spring after years of failed attempts. To my surprise/horror, the tour has ZERO California dates. This makes no sense seeing as how Deftones and Greg from Dillinger all live in my bankrupt state...needless to say I'm devastated by this. I go on a Deftones kick, spend an evening listening to Diamond Eyes on my iPod and fall in love with the damn album.

So whats so damn great about this record? Well for starters the production is phenomenal. This album sounds amazing on my overpriced iPod earbuds, I suppose my first mistake was only listening to Diamond Eyes on my computer speakers...at a lowered volume....while playing MW2. =/ Yeah. Next, the arrangement. As I said before this album flows extremely well together from start to finish unlike their last two CDs which, IMO had a few curveballs in the order/pace of the overall albums. Finally and most importantly, the bees knees about Diamond Eyes are the songs. Holy feces these songs have some hooks. The band outgrew their Nu Metal origins on 2000's White Pony by transitioning from whiny aggro rock to hauntingly sultry space jams. Diamond Eyes has this in spades. In fact that might be the reason I initially overlooked this record. It's a slow burner, meant to seduce the listener over time. Hell, I'd go back in time and include this in my Top 10 albums of 2010 for sure if I could.

Here are my two favorite songs off the album, which they awesomely enough made legit music videos for.

This song has some sleazy swagger to it, plus the band gets down in a bloody orgy with scantly clad women. You're welcome.


This next one is my favorite song off the album. I think this might even surpass "Digital Bath" in terms of sheer beautiful awesomeness.  


TL;DR: Deftones Diamond Eyes rules. "Sextape," best song on the record.