It seems like a million years ago, but in reality was probably about September last year that I decided my next tattoo would be the Danzig demon skull on the back of my neck. If Twitter wasn’t so damn transient I could tell you the exact date, because I announced it in an alcohol-soaked 140-character conversation. But that’s not really the important part of the story.
It took a while to get around to it, schedules being what they are, but now it’s done. The mighty Ox from On The Edge Tattooing (doesn’t he have a great web site?) did the work and the picture above shows the end result, 10 days later and almost completely healed. I’m stoked.
At some point, Al said “if you get a logo of anything tattooed on you, I’m going to punch you in it”. A debate then ensued as to whether the image in question is actually a logo or not, an argument which was not resolved conclusively (I say no, he says yes). He did, however, gracefully allow that he could wait until the tattoo was healed before administering the punching. I’m bracing myself for it any day now, but I feel it’s an ok compromise.
The title of this post is a line from She Rides, off the first self-titled Danzig album (the album bearing the demon-goat-horned-skull silhouette on the cover). You can listen to the song below. I could have embedded the official video clip but it features some cheesy ‘80s arse and I don’t really want that all over my blog, you know? But it’s a great song and it sounded kind of appropriate.
Back in about 2003, we were at the filming of the video clip for Fear Factory’s Cyberwaste. I’ve talked about it before, but just to summarise it was filmed in the South Fremantle Power Station which was closed down in 1983, and we didn’t realise they didn’t have permission to film there until we were taken inside through a hole in the fence (and later escorted out by the police). Overall it was a pretty fucking cool experience.
I was telling this story to the lovely Biodagar and we thought it would be a blast to go visit the site again when she came to visit Perth. We timed our visit for late afternoon in the hope of getting the gorgeous late afternoon sun from over the ocean but true to form, it was pissing down with rain and miserable as hell.
The place is ridiculously easy to get into – the fence on the beach side is more hole than fence these days – and it’s always full of people, so the “cool and forbidden factor” is basically gone. There were a few groups of people industriously decorating the walls, someone was hefting a drum kit back outside just as we arrived, and a family, complete with kids and a dog, was roaming around upstairs.
Still, the building is hauntingly beautiful in it’s decay and I had some fun taking photos. I even found what was left of the massive Fear Factory logo painted on the ground where the band played.
The building is in such a severe state of decay that despite all the signs proclaiming it a “heritage site” i don’t think it would be good for pretty much anything these days – it’s too far gone. Rather sad, really.
To describe what the band sounded like is difficult, because it’s kind of a mix of what would later become nu-metal and then metalcore, and that just sounds like the worst possible thing ever. But it actually works and don’t forget this band broke up long before everyone and their dog was signing nu-metal and hardcore metal bands to their crappy labels.
earthtone9 then:
earthtone9 now:
The beards, the beards!
I for one would be very interested to hear what an earthtone9 album circa 2010 would sound like. So feel free to go for it, guys.
I guess it’s not really metal, but I’ve always loved Skunk Anansie – something about their songs just sticks with me. I’ve always thought they are at their best when the songs are angry.
For a sneak peak at the new stuff, the compilation album released late last year – Smashes and Trashes – has three new songs. I heard the song embedded below for the first time today. Does it have potential? I think it may. It’s an odd video – am I the only one who thinks the CG looks like a trippy educational video on conception? – but it’s pretty heavy and it definitely has hooks.
I’m hoping the new album will have some angry songs. It’s hard for bands to keep that kind of attitude up, especially after so many years, as everyone mellows out and matures – but that’s what I want to hear: rage coming through my speakers that makes my spine tingle and my hair stand on end.
We’re not anywhere cool enough (or in the right time zone) to get it live, but in a couple of weeks a local cinema is playing a recording of thrash metal’s “big 4” – Anthrax, Megadeth,Slayer and Metallica – playing together for the first time.
Given that I can’t be at any of the actual shows, I can’t decide whether it would be unbelievably cool or unbelievably lame to be at the cinema to see the recording.
First I asked Charp. His guess was leaning towards ‘really lame’ but he said he might be interested in going anyway.
Dave also thought ‘really lame’ was the probable outcome. He also suggested that three and three quarter hours sitting in an uncomfortable cinema watching an event that should by rights be watched on your feet would be a fairly unpleasant experience, especially when it will probably be released on DVD before too long. And sure enough a DVD release has already been announced.
But at the end of the day, I think it’s an event that almost definitely needs the accompaniment of beer, and as that’s not an option at an Australian cinema, I guess I’ll wait for the Blu-Ray.
In the meantime here’s the whole goddamn lot of them doing Diamond Head’s Am I Evil (after a big ole hugfest, that is):
Say what you will about the whole thing, that’s pretty cool.
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