Letter From The dEaD

With the summer upon us, the festival season gets underway and nobody’s
safe from the evil promoters lurking in the shadows, waiting to sign up your
band to play some side stage freakshow. Ah...the side stage, the haven for
the obese teenager who can’t quite catch their breath long enough to hike it
over to the main stage, they are better off anyway; less chance of heatstroke,
they are closer to the concession stands for the watered down water and of
course, the comfort of knowing Mom is in the parking lot watching over
you to make sure you are not mistaking Sherm for Reefer. Or is that the
other way around? I’m not too sure as I just indulged in both.

Major label, corporate sponsored “Independent Music Festivals’ featuring “Indie” bands is also big business this year. It’s funny how in
2009, that “Indie” bands are signed to “Major” labels. You show me a band that doesn’t consist of 2 guys 1 girl, draped in sweater-vests
and black and red checkered Lumberjack shirts, holding a Casio CTK-2000, who don’t have a moniker involving Birds, Wood, names of
a month, Panthers, Wolves or Tigers and I’ll show you an act who can simply...play music. Have a great summer fuckers.

We hope you enjoy this issue as much we did, regardless of the fact that we don’t know what the fuck we are doing.

E.S. Day,
Publisher/Editor-in-Chief,
ABORT Magazine | ABORT TV
There’s no fucking way these go to 11
Bill Moseley
The ABORT Interview: Part II
In part two of our Bill Moseley interview, Grimm gets Bill to open up about writing for Na-
tional Lampoon magazine, his musical collaborations with Buckethead and oGhr, working
with noted directors Sam Raimi, Tobe Hooper and George Romero and the likelihood of
bringing Chop Top to Broadway. Throw some insights into his friendship with Timothy Leary
on the pile and you got yourself one fucking wicked read! Enjoy!

Grimm Culhane: Changing gears here Bill, I understand you were trying to get the images of matadors getting thrown into the air by
once a journalist yourself. bulls.

Bill Moseley: Yeah, I was an English major in college and my ABORT: Always entertaining.
first job was with an ad agency in Boston so I started out as a
copy writer and went from there to working on a presidential Bill: (Laughs) Yep, always entertaining.
campaign in ’76 for Frank Church, democrat from Idaho for
President. Frank needless to say did not become president, but no ABORT: Now this is quite interesting, you were actually friends
fault of mine. with Timothy Leary.

Both: (Laugh)
Bill: I eventually wound up in New York writing for several
magazines as a freelance writer. I wrote for Omni, Psychology
Today, Rolling Stone, a lot of different mags.
ABORT: And also National Lampoon, one of the greatest publi-
cations of all time?
Bill: Yep.
ABORT: What did you write for them?
Bill: Most of the stuff I did was for the “True Facts” section and
photo essays. Back then I’d spend time in the photo libraries of
The Associated Press, United Press International. In the center of
Manhattan they had these old, musty photo libraries and I would
go there with different ideas of funny photo essays and get lost
in the stacks. I had this idea one day, probably while riding the
subway, of Nuns and science. Just had this image in my mind, so
I went through boxes and boxes in the photo library and came up
with something called “Our Ladies of the Laboratory” and it was
eight images of Nuns standing in front of computers, looking into
a microscopes, it really was quite funny.
Bill: I did a play in Los Angeles which actually was amazing be-
cause it was also where I met Buckethead. It was called “Timothy
and Charlie” and it was in the early 90s and it was essentially a
two man play. It was based on the factual night back in the 70s
when Timothy Leary and Charles Manson were side by side in
solitary confinement in San Quentin Prison. I played Timothy
Leary, my buddy Gill Gale played Charley Manson. It was a two
act play, a lot of dialogue; it was basically Charles Manson argu-
ing in favour of drugs for everyone and Timothy Leary arguing
that they should only be used for the “priest class” to find knowl-
edge. Of course Charley’s argument won out.
Both: (Laugh)
Bill: But the funny thing was I played Timothy Leary like a tough
kid from South Boston, which is really what he was before he
became a Harvard professor of psychology. He actually came to
seven or eight of our performances and he loved the play. It was
a pretty wild play. Actually, some Manson Family members came
to see the play; I mean it was quite the thing. I became pals with
Timothy Leary and ended up interviewing him for Psychology
Today. He was a great guy, a wild character. Buckethead was pals
with Gill Gale and Buckethead was a big Chop Top fan so there’s
a thread running through this whole interview.

ABORT: I remember that, sure! Both: (Laugh)

Bill: You know, or something called “Tossed Around” which was Bill: He wanted me to come down to his studio in Sana Monica

Monica and go off as Chop Top over some of his guitar riffs. That’s
how we ended up creating “Cornbugs.” We just had so much fun riff-
ing and improvising and just making stuff up.
ABORT: Any future projects with Cornbugs?
Bill: No, I don’t think so. Actually what I’ve just done some vo-
cals on Ohgr’s new solo album (Devils in My Details). OhGr is of
course the lead singer for Skinny Puppy and he played Pavi Largo
in “Repo” (The Genetic Opera) so we’re pals. I came out to his
studio and read some poems which he incorporated into his new solo
album. That was a lot of fun and such a cool, cool album.
ABORT: Now since “Repo” started out as a stage play. Are there any
plans for you to say bring Chop Top to Broadway.
Bill: Uh, (laughs), I think that would be good. I’ve been so busy re-
cently, and I’m the guy who came up with the bumper sticker “Busy
is no Excuse,” but that has not actually been something I have sat
down and pondered. Now that you’ve brought it up I think I’ll have
to sit down with it.
ABORT: Good, and so you should.
Bill: (as Chop top) “Kiss my plate!”
ABORT: (Laughs) That would be very, very interesting. Now for
yourself Bill, what’s coming up in the future for you? I understand
you are part of “The Haunted World of El Superbeasto,” Rob Zom-
bie’s animated feature?
Bill: Yeah, a little cameo as Otis (P. Driftwood) for that and then I
have a bunch of movies coming out. I’ve been a busy monster lately.
I was actually just up in Vancouver working on a movie called “The
Tortured” for Twisted Pictures, the same company who puts out the
“Saw” movies and “Repo.” They wanted to use me again and then
I have a movie called “Alone in the Dark 2” and then “The Devil’s
Tomb” with Cuba Gooding Jr. and Ron Perlman and Henry Rol-
lins…
ABORT: Wow!
Bill: It’s kind of the Army meets the Devil so that’s… fun, and two
of my favourite themes (laughs), army stuff… and the Devil.
www.myspace.com/moseleyfish & www.choptopsbbq.com
ABORT: Army and the Devil, now I just have to mention Army of
Darkness here.
Bill: Yeah, oh absolutely!
ABORT: A brilliant film by Sam Raimi. You played the Deadite
Captain, is that correct?
Bill: Yes, I lead the successful charge on the castle. I had 50 pounds
of rubber on and I was on a horse, I had an eye patch over one eye
and a sclera lens over the other, the milk white contact lenses that
all the cool dead people wear, and I was towing another horse upon
which sat another skeleton. My big scene was leading a charge
across a field of the undead, or the dead-no-more, and then taking the
castle and then having a funny repartee with Bruce Campbell.
ABORT: That must have been a very entertaining production to be
part of.
Bill: Well it was a lot of fun, it was a lot of work and it was really
something that I wanted more than anything after seeing “Evil Dead
2,” still one of my favourite movies of all times.
ABORT: Yeah that’s a great film.
Bill: I just thought Bruce’s performance in that, as far as comic hor-
ror goes, to be the high water mark, and I got to work with Sam, who
is a really funny guy and certainly a friend of the actor.
ABORT: Is there a specific production you’ve worked on that you
enjoyed the most?
Bill: I’d have to say working on “Repo” was a load of fun. What was
so great about it was there was such a disparate cast. From Sarah
Brightman to Paris Hilton to ohGr to Alexa Vega who did such a
great job, and Anthony Head, such an eclectic bunch. It truly felt
like an ensemble cast which is always a lot of fun. There are cer-
tainly egos, but no one’s trying to push you out of the way and get
more face in the camera kind of stuff. Not a lot of back biting or set
intrigue, we were all pulling together to get Darren Bousman’s vision
to the screen and that makes movie making fun.
ABORT: Everyone pulling in the same direction.
Bill: Yeah, that ends up being a lot of fun and when the vision is so
completely wild and insane, you know, that’s the part that I like.
Both: (Laugh)
Bill: That’s what’s so fun about working with guys like Rob Zombie,
Tobe Hooper and George Romero. These are people who have these
visions.
ABORT: Bill we certainly appreciate you taking the time to talk with
us today.
Bill: Well thanks, it’s been my pleasure!
By Grimm Culhane

Currently on a headlining tour supporting their latest re-
lease on Nuclear Blast Records, The Formation of Damna-
tion, Testament’s Chuck Billy who was enveloped in blood
red-drapery, candles and eerie ambiance, sets the mood to
chat with ABORT’s Alxs Ness.
Alxs Ness: How’s it going man?
Chuck Billy: Good. Really good.
AN: That’s good. So you guys are currently on tour supporting The
Formation of Damnation and for the North American tour you guys
launched a poll on your website asking fans what set list they’d prefer.
CB: Yeah.
ABORT: What’s been the response to that so far?
CB: Well right now [for the Vancouver date] we’re playing the set C
which is a medley of all of our stuff. We do it on a daily basis so we
don’t know what’s ahead of us until the day of the show. But it’s some-
thing different we’re trying. It’s kind of really trying to get the fan in-
volvement, offering the VIP packs like we do and by offering them to
choose the set that they want to see. So we’re really trying to get the
fans more involved and to be a part of the show, really.
ABORT: Do you guys have a preference at all? Are you making bets as
to what people will choose or is it pretty much just up to the fans?
CB: It’s up to them but we did the Legacy and New Order record[s]
in Europe a couple months back and it went over really well and we
actually had a lot of fun doing it so we decided let’s offer it, to do those,
each record and some ‘best of ’ or just get a ‘best of ’ set if that’s what
they want. They really do have the opportunity because we always hear
a lot of people that like our first two records, it’s like classic records or
whatever, so it’d be nice that actually if they want it, they get it.
ABORT: It’s kind of like a sociological experiment too
hey; see what people like in different regions.
CB: Yeah. But it really just gets them involved. Like talk-
ing to kids yesterday and they’re like “I couldn’t make up
my mind which set to choose. I couldn’t pick. I had to
flip a coin.” For someone to go through that much just
to try to be a part of our show, it just gets people talking
and gets people into it, so it’s nice.
ABORT: So you guys didn’t really plan this reunion
right? It was just something that came together and felt
right?
CB: It wasn’t planned. I’m a big believer that things hap-
pen for a reason and when I got sick with cancer Alex
and Greg and Louie all came back to the Bay Area and
did a benefit show with Steve Souza, the old singer, and
Eric. That was the original lineup. And I got to get up
there and perform one song. So I think that was break-
ing the ice after 14 years of not jamming together. It was
kinda the first time we all got on stage together. So that broke the ice.
And then I was trying to go to play the Dynamo festival and the pro-
moter said “I just confirmed the original Anthrax, what do you guys
figure about getting the original Testament?” Anthrax was the first
band we went to Europe with so it really did make sense to us that we
should do it.
ABORT: Like full circle.
CB: Yeah. So we decided that’s what we’re going to do and let’s go for it
and I called Alex and everybody and they were like “Yeah that sounds
fun, let’s do it, one show.” And so that’s all it was, was one show. But
that one show turned into 10 and then 10 shows turned into 30 and
30 turned into a year and a half and then we were like “we’re having a
good time with it, let’s just keep doing it.” We got to the point finally
where we said “hey, what do you think about doing a new record?”
And everybody said “Yeah sounds good.” So at that point, yeah let’s get
done touring let’s get to writing the record. We really had a big task in
front of us because The Gathering, for us, was our best record. We felt
like man, we really have to top The Gathering and if we don’t fans are
going to eat us alive because we haven’t had a record in 9 years and if
it sucks…
ABORT: That’s a lot of pressure.
CB: That’s a lot of pressure. It was the first record we ever sat down and
discussed what we needed to do to make this record better than the
last one. We set goals for ourselves and said what we thought we could
do to improve it. We accomplished it. We nailed them all. At the end
of the day when we heard the final product, we realized “man, these
are some good songs; I think we topped The Gathering.” We were very
pleased with the record. Until we listened to the final mixes, we were
like “Wow, this record kicks butt, I can’t wait for everyone to hear it.” It
turns out the fans and the media liked it, just like what we had hoped
for. So it’s cool.
ABORT: What’s the plan now? Are you guys just taking it one day at
a time?
currently in Vancouver
CB: One day at a time, but I think because of the success of the record and you have some more Canadian dates on this tour, do you have any
and having the original guys back, we’re having fun. We’re enjoying it favorite Canadian bands you’ve been listening to?
and I think that all of us, seeing what we got back together accomplish-
ing this record, now it’s about let’s finish what we started. We started CB: I’m a big Annihilator fan. I like Annihilator a lot. I don’t know if
this band 23-4 years ago; let’s finish this band together if that’s what it’s you consider Strapping Young Lad a Canadian band?
going to come down to. So I think that everybody’s in a real good place
right now. Everybody’s very happy, very comfortable touring. ABORT: Fuck yeah!, one last question for you, any upcoming festival
appearances?
ABORT: Excellent
CB: We’re doing festivals over in Europe. We’re doing a bunch. We’re
CB: And it’s a whole new organization now. We got new management going over there for six or seven weeks, July and August. We’ll be
and booking agents and record company, original band; there’s so playing festivals every weekend and headlining our shows during the
many things that are positive that came with this album. I’ve always week.
been a big believer that the music industry is all in timing. Be in the
right place, the right person, get the right record, you know. And right ABORT: Anything you want to add before we go?
now all those stars are lining up for us with everything that’s been hap-
pening. It’s kinda like wow, this whole full circle, we started back and CB: Hope people keep enjoying listening to our music. We’re not going
here we are again: touring hard, got a good record, fans are ready for to quit until we can’t play. (laughs)
it and so are we. We all still feel really young at heart. None of us feel
our age. We all still feel like we’re young kids doing what we’ve been
doing. By Alxs Ness
Photo by Scott Alexander
ABORT: Throughout the years, through all the ups and downs you
guys have had what do you think has been the key to your longevity?
Either as a band or as musicians individually?
CB: As far as musicianship, like Alex, he took it all the way. Alex, he
started this band at 15 years old, left at 23 so his whole growing up was
this band, being on tour and playing metal. So he wanted to experi-
ence other things in life and other types of music. And Alex comes
from a family where his father’s head of the law department at UC
Berkeley and his mom’s a psychologist who writes books so of course
they wanted him to be a doctor or a lawyer or something, not a heavy
metal guitar player. So Alex took it as far as he could. Went to col-
lege, got his Masters in music, plays jazz and he can play any-
thing now so everybody as far as musicianship goes took it
as far as they can and I think that’s… you know, there’s
some bands that break up and get together and they
just lost it. But everybody’s been playing for so long,
they’ve even gotten better. We’re all playing better
than we ever have and I’m singing better than I ever
have. We’re just a better band right now.
ABORT: And that sets you apart too because like
you said, not everybody achieves that in the end.
CB: Yeah, you don’t get this opportunity, you know.
Some guys just can’t settle their differences, but we
never had any differences. It was the times. It was
just the grunge thing destroyed us.
ABORT: Are you involved in any side projects right
now? You have anything in the works?
CB: I have my Dublin Death Patrol band. We’re actu-
ally working on a new record right now. Hopefully by the
end of the year we’ll have that record finished.
ABORT: Awesome. We’ll keep our ears open for that. Since you’re www.testamentlegions.com
mr. lif
The ABORT Interview
ABORT Magazine’s Dave “Corvid” McCallum talks backstage
at Richards on Richards in Vancouver with the ever eloquent
and aware Mr. Lif, about American Politics, introspection, his
departure from Definitive Jux and the formation of his own
company - “Tactical Bloodbot Enterprises”. Lif speaks with a
rare blend of compassion and intensity on his increasingly vi-
tal role as social commentator and conscience for the Hip Hop
Generation, in uncertain times when the fog of propaganda
obscures all but the brightest visionaries.
Representing the art of emceeing and Hip Hop Culture to the
utmost, with a swagger and intelligence matched by few, Mr.
Lif allows us a deeper glimpse into the profound mind lurking
under that infamous mountain of dreadlocks...
Dave McCallum: So, let’s talk about the new album, I Heard It
Today. Obviously from the title and the cover you’re honing even
deeper into the realm of Political commentary.
Mr. Lif: Yeah, it’s just that this era just called for that. I just feel like
there’s a lot of people doing the escapist thing right now, and you
know me man - I’m an introvert, I’m introspective, and I just felt
that there was just so much raw data out there. You know, CNN,
BBC, Democracy Now, just everywhere I looked man there was
just so much information to draw from. And just talking with
people in my community, on the internet, around the world...just
so many stories of hardship and people trying to really transcend
an era that called for everyone to be resourceful in different ways.
They say life is a game of recovery you know, and it’s about how
you bounce back from the tough times and I think that people got
their mettle tested since like mid 2008 to now. And I believe this is
a timeless record because it speaks on things like the housing crisis,
and that’s never going to be forgotten. I mean, people didn’t forget
the great depression! It touches on a lot of major issues that are
going to be affecting us for years to come. So yeah, I’m just really
proud to present this to people, I’m at peace with what this album
is, and I’m just very thankful and I fell very blessed to have just had
that energy flow through me to create this album, ‘cause as all my
fans know, it’s not like it’s an everyday thing for me. I mean once
every two years, or they’ll come out in clusters and you won’t hear
from me for a while.
ABORT: Quality takes time...
Lif: Thank you man, thank you!
ABORT: On that political tip, from Canada’s perspective the two
main things happening in the U.S. are the recession housing crisis
on the one hand, and the election of Barack Obama on the other.
And, from the cynical perspective in a movie like “The Obama
Deception”, he’s seen as just another figurehead of the New World
Order. Are you skeptical about him yourself or do you see him as
a figure of hope?
Lif: I mean, I think it’s gotta be a little bit of both. I don’t see how
America is going to from boing this big bad country that’s just run-
ning amok and that historically has just completely invaded other
countries on an economic level with no regard whatsoever for the
indigenous peoples or for the local economy, and just stricly func-
tioned to serve itself...and, you know, the repercussions of that will
be felt from now until the end of time. Look at Chile and the work
of good old Pinochet...I don’t know, I just think that you don’t go
from being that to being this ultra-humanitarian, functioning only
for the greater good type of machine. I think that America is trying
to redefine itself because it has to, those old tactics aren’t working
anymore, and I think that Barack Obama is just like...he’s a great
sedative. I mean, he’s a great way for people to forget that they were
pissed off, pissed off in a way like - “this government don’t work,
fuck this shit, let’s overturn this shit!!!”.
I mean, I don’t know how close Americans were to actual revolt, but
it felt like it was getting there, y’nahmasayin’? Like if McCain would
have won, shit could have hit the fan, and yeah there would have
been some serious problems. But I just think that obviously now we
still have people suffering, but at least...you know, whether it’s the
illusion or whether it’s that Barack is actually making the effort, I
mean, things do feel a little bit better. People feel like there’s a poli-
tician that’s willing to help, but I mean, it’s tough man! And daily
life man...if you’re not watching that stuff everyday, which I’m not,
lately I’m not focused on the stuff, my immediate task is at hand...
mr. lif
...but what are the repercussions on my world? I’m struggling, things
are just tighter for everyone. And until that all changes, if Barack
wants to talk about making change, why aren’t we talking about the
Federal Income Tax? I mean, people work hard enough. Why are you
taking thirty percent from everyone? I know he’s working on Health-
care, but...I mean, setting the slaves free, let’s set the slaves free! The
new Emancipation Proclamation...I mean let’s get rid of that [Federal
Income Tax] and maybe people could pay off some of these credit card
debts! Let’s do away with the whole credit system actually! Why don’t
people just buy things that they can afford? Why don’t we just adjust
the pricing of everything to a level where it’s actually attainable?
ABORT: One notable thing about the new album is that it is not on
Definitive Jux, what’s the story there?
Lif: Well, my company is called “Bloodbot Tactical Enterprises”
(hearty laughs all around...) - sounds like some Star Trek shit! But re-
ally what it is, the bloodbot is...human beings, existing in a robotic
society, y’namsayin’? Whether you’re working for a major corporation
and rocking a tie everyday, or you’re someone like myself who tends to
be more creative and travels around the world for their income, there
are still systems that you get roped into paying a certain amount of
expenses, and then the good old income tax. It’s like everytime April
15th rolls around, which is income tax day in America, you ask your-
self who are you working for - are you working for yourself or are you
working for the government? We’re all robots! Like, if you had some-
thing set up with people working under you, and no matter what any-
one under you did, you got payed...I
mean that’s huge, and that’s what
we live under. That’s the bloodbot,
oddly enough, in ‘07, I couldn’t stop travelling! It was just really wierd,
and what I realized after a while was that, I was maybe running from
dealing with certain aspects of that whole situation. I was just bounc-
else mattered at the time.
Mr. Lif ’s latest release - I Heard it Today is in stores and online now
y’namsayin’? And “Tactical En- ing around from place to place, I wasn’t just in my home dealing with
terprises” you know, because my self. And what 2008 provided was an absolute grinding halt to me • www.myspace.com/mrlif
I’m big on strategy, I’m a strat- touring...I think I did less than fifteen shows in 2008. I was just in my
egist. I know people hear it house man, and it was just a really humbling time, a time where I had By Dave “ Corvid” McCallum
in my music, on my albums to just really look at myself and just see what I had been through and
how I’m always think- analyze where I wanted to go. I was largely uninspired during a lot of Photos by Jamie Sands
ing track to track, the that time and just feeling pretty lost, and then, you know, luckily this
flow...and “Enterprises” album hit me. This album happened very quickly for me. I’m not say-
because I’m a young ing I rushed it, I was just so wired, and it was literally like all I could do
enterprising business- from September until December was just make this album. Nothing
man, and I’m delving
into other realms to make
the message of my music
and the message of who I
am as a person just more of
an experience for people.
So that’s what it is man,
Bloodbot Tactical En-
terprises. I’m excited,
it’s been cool to mold
something of my own
and to be accountable to
it everyday. I mean, with
the Jux days...first of all I
love my days on Def Jux and
I love all the guys - EL-P, Ace, I
mean, these are my buddies, these
are memories that will never be re-
moved. We’ve had great times and we
still have impeccable relationships you
know, this is not a situation that arose because we couldn’t get along
or whatever or we couldn’t find a common ground. This is just a part
of my growth process right now, where I just felt like I needed to step
aside, and kinda get my hands dirty. I mean the industry’s changing so
rapidly anyway, I just really wanted to get my hands onto the pulse of
it and just see what I could do on my own, and just have this record...I
mean this record is just a very personal little gem of mine. All the vo-
cals that are on it I recorded myself in the solitude of my own home.
Very very grassroots, no interference, just me and the music, and it’s
very fitting that it’s coming out through my own company.
ABORT: On the more personal level, the last time we spoke was just
shortly after the catastrophic bus accident a year and a half ago,and
you talked about what a life changing incident that was. In your evo-
lution as an artist, you’ve gone from taling more about your personal
experiences, to transforming that more into social commentary, and
you’re increasingly taking on that role of artist as political/social com-
mentator. Do you see this as the future of Lif?
Lif: I think the social commentary is going to continue but it’s going
to come at you in a form that you don’t expect. I have some plans
for what I want to do next, that are gonna take a lot of planning and
strategy, but I hope I’m able to pull it off. I just feel like it’s the next
logical step for me. And you know, oddly enough when we did that
last interview, you caught me at this time where...you know I thought
that after that accident I wasn’t going to want to travel for a while, but
 PRONG
The ABORT Interview
Since their inception in 1986 the highly underrated power trio Prong paved the way for many
metal bands and industrial bands alike. Currently faced with surviving a music industry
apocalypse that looms over us like a dark cloud, Prong founder/frontman/guitarist Tommy
Victor, is not one to follow trends. He and his fine fellows have released a new album on
Al Jourgensen’s (Ministry) 13th Planet Records, featuring a hodgepodge of remixed Prong
tracks..
Tommy spoke with ABORT Magazine to keep us up to date and gives us a little history lesson
on how the music scene has simply...vanished.
E. S. Day: we are on the phone speaking with Tommy ABORT: Huh?.. thank you. wait a minute...are you
Victor founder of the legendary PRONG from New fucking with me?
York...now you’re in LA right now?
TV: No, no (laughs)
Tommy Victor: No I’m a transplant from New York, I
live here now ABORT: (laughs) Okay, but seriously, we are going to
run down a couple of tracks, but before we do that I
ABORT: Oh?, I did not know that, I know you as a just wanted to mention you’re now like 23 years deep
New Yorker, maybe I should read the fucking bio first into this the music industry...
(laughs)
TV: The “Evil 23” I didn’t even think of that
TV: Or maybe you should look at the area code I’m
calling from (laughs) ABORT: I went back and put on “Snap Your Fingers,
Snap Your Neck” the other day and thought to my-
ABORT: Or maybe I should stop smoking medicinal self, here’s a timeless, classic track. I mean, you could
marijuana prior to an interview? re-release that today or for the first time and nobody
would be the wiser that the track was that old, what do
TV: (laughs) Oh, we have a whole bunch of those you think has happened to the music scene these days
medicinal pot dispensaries around here, I mean I am in and specifically with heavy music?
Hollywood right? but I don’t smoke though.
TV: Well, there’s no club scene for starters, there’s no
ABORT: No? Well there goes one of my questions place for them to go to have a kind of community, I
(laughs), well let’s get into it, the new album is Power mean when I got out of high school, there was twenty-
of The Damn MiXXXer which is a remixed version two clubs that you could play original music at in
of Power of The Damager correct? just Manhattan. But now people seem concerned with
the cover scene again and now it’s like they want to
TV: I love the way you said that. emulate Yngwie Malmsteen or something, a lot of that
going on you know?
ABORT: (laughs) Fair enough.
TV: You know we were daring back then, New York was a desolate
place to be, and it’s very corporate now, back then, New York was
like burned-out buildings and graffiti on subways and just don’t
see that anymore as much, now kids go to Target and Best Buy and
they see things online and you gotta be a good-looking band now
as well...
ABORT: (laughs) Yeah, pretty boys now, like Tokio Hotel and
they’re reading Vice Magazine, Jesus fuck.
TV: (Laughs) Well they want to be a part of it because I don’t think
they know anything else. There’s always going to be something to
revolt to, me back then? we were considered like punk rock you
know? we were against mainstream music . Now everyone wants
to be mainstream, I’m from an era where your parents hated that
you played music.
ABORT: Right, right and that actually gave more integrity and
rawness to the music and you could feel that both lyrically and
musically, now it’s just so fucking contrived.
TV: Let me say something seriously, my father? the hardest thing
my father ever listened to, what he thought was real rock was like...
The Carpenters.
ABORT: (laughs) I hear you. Listen - let me bring up “Snap your
fingers” again, I noticed the other day that a Christian metal band
called Demon Hunter had done a cover version of that. your
thoughts on that? Are you a religious person? Do you even give a
shit? what’s the deal Tommy?
TV: No.
Someone
ended up
telling me
that they
w e r e n’ t
e v e n
Christian
metal, but
that song
has been covered so many times, like 5 times now. I have an as-
sociation with this guy named Scott Albert and we did this thing
together called Argyle Park he does all of Criss Angels’ music, has When it comes to marijuana & medicine,
The Faces of Compassion
like piercings all over the place, lifts weights all day, long hair is
dyed red and crazy and this guy’s a devout Christian, looks like Sa-
tan. What this [Christian Metal] is all about?...I don’t get it. It’s like
anything to do with rock music, is automatically: Satan. Anything
worldly usually has to do with the flesh.
ABORT: I hear you, while speaking of flesh, let’s tear the skin off
the new album The Power of The Damn MiXXXer, you’ve got a
lot of people remixing tracks from the album which is cool, you
may not look the way you expect
got Virus (Dope) who we spoke with not too long ago, and I gotta
say you can hear some of the song influence seeping into their
(Dope’s) music maybe a little too much.
Illness and disease strike
TV:...what about Static X? across all social boundaries.
So should our Compassion.
ABORT: Yes - Static X as well, but how did this all come together?
Did you throw names on the table put , the feelers out? Medical research
continues to confirm
TV: Virus I already knew from before, he had sent me an e-mail in
regards to this, I mean I already had plans this was already coming
the benefits of Cannabis
together before we even signed to 13th Planet. to human health.
Aren’t we ready to end the
ABORT: Is Prong going to be touring for this album? and if so
what will be the lineup? stigmatization
and criminalization
TV: It’s essentially going to be the same lineup as the album, ex-
cept without Monte [Pittman] because he’s currently touring with
of those who are ill?
Madonna.
ABORT: Madonna? Well I guess he has gotta pay the bills!
TV: Well, he can pay more than bills with the salary he gets (laughs)
but yeah, we will be touring again in Europe it’s called “The Worst Marijuana
of The Worst” tour that starts in Germany.
is Medicine.
(at press time, the band is halfway through this tour)
Compassion
A B ORT: The album is Power of The Damn MiXXXer
available on 13th Planet and in stores now, go
Clubs--
visit the band on tour now through until June
26th, or on their website, like to thank Tommy
Helping People
Victor for talking with us, thanks Tommy Heal
Thank you man.
Promoting A Holistic
• prongmusic.com
Approach to Healing and Living
By Edward Scott Day
The BC COMPASSION CLUB
& Wellness Centre
w w w. t h e c o m p a s s i o n c l u b . o r g
by practitioner referral
Photos by Scott Alexander
 Coheed and Cambria-Neverender Metal Retardation Flavor Flav
Columbia/Sony Directed by Bill Zebub Live In Concert
MVD Visual ABC Entertainment/MVD

COHEED AND CAM- Interviews, interviews, Flavor Flav steps on

BRIA is one of the best interviews. Even in met- stage after a long DJ
live bands of all time. al they can become ex- and hype-man intro
tremely boring. Once in sporting a doo-rag,
Cargo 200 There I said it. Now let a while the set of circum- elaborate sunglasses
Directed by Alexey Balabanov the hate mail and shit stances happens to be and the signature clock
CTB Film Company/E1 Entertainment bombs fly. just perfect, as well as the around his neck. Pro-
mood, time of day and moting his self-titled
Since 1991, Alexey Bala- In the meantime, fans the amount of consumed solo album, the carica-
banov has been mak- of the New York-based alcohol. It is the time ture of rap at its most
ing films set in various alternative-progressive- when the musicians let ridiculous exudes more
eras throughout Russian emo-whatever-rock quar- go and speak their minds hype than music, but a
history. Best known for tet can sink their teeth freely, expressing radical couple of good tracks
1997’s Brother, Balabanov into Neverender, a two- opinions, shooting crazy and comical sentiments
has earned a reputation DVD set showcasing the remarks and performing carry the show.
for his ability to sculpt band’s four-night stint at acts of general drunken
stories around brutal vio- New York City’s Terminal human stupidity and re- Shout-outs to the late
lence, sexual depravity 5 from October 22-25, 2008. What makes this event so special is the tardation. Barry White and Jam-
and bleak everyday exis- fact that COHEED AND CAMBRIA played each of its four studio al- Master Jay force the
tence. bums in their entirety—front to back—on consecutive nights to packed Bill Zebub of The Gri- Swiss crowd into a mo-
houses. The rabid crowd sings along with every one of Claudio Sanchez’ moire of Exalted Deeds ment of silence but po-
Balabanov’s most recent words and the floor area is absolute mayhem for the duration of each magazine is the guy, who knows how to provoke that kind of com- litical rants bring up the
undertaking to be re- show. The band members—Sanchez, guitarist Travis Stever, bassist Mi- munication and his personal collection of metal interviews is fucking crowd participation. Mentions of “fucking” war and “fucking” George
leased on DVD, Cargo chael Todd and former DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN drummer Chris gold. Whatever you’ve seen before, this DVD is funnier, has more stars Bush are well received and put the DVD into a specific context. DJ
200, is set in 1984, before Pennie—have permanent grins on their faces, lapping up the adoration than you can imagine and on a 1 to 10 scale of can’t-believe-he-just- Lord, who’d replaced Public Enemy’s Terminator X in 1999, proves his
Gorbachev’s political and of its fans and clearly enjoying playing songs that have never been done said-it gets 11. If you want to see piss-drunk members of Nevermore dominance over the “wheels of steel” with freestyles scratches, con-
economic reforms. Based live along with the obvious favorites like “Welcome Home,” “Blood Red hit it off about record labels or maybe George Fisher confiding to the torting his body into such a frenzy that even Flav is motionless with
on actual events, this film Summer,” “The Running Free” and “The Devil In Jersey City.” As a man world his never-ending hunt for titties and his view on cereal mascots amazement.
depicts the decline of the of few words, Sanchez only takes one very short break mid-set at each – then “Metal Retardation” is a must.
Soviet era as experienced by a hand-full of interconnected characters. show to greet the audience. Otherwise, the music flows uninterrupted Flav brings out his pal Jet to throw down a French verse before in-
Alternating between the viewpoints of a younger and older generation, keeping the momentum going and the sweat flying. An hour and a half of killer footage (excluding the extras) will make viting “the flyest girls” to the stage to shake their booties. Forming a
Cargo 200 focuses on the devastating effects of the Russian occupa- you laugh so hard your stomach and cheeks will hurt. Every possi- military-style lineup of ass-shakers, Flav gives a little grind up on each
tion of Afghanistan. The title itself is taken from the Soviet term which In Neverender, a long-time COHEED fan could ask for nothing more ble delicate topic is mentioned and discussed, every question that the little dirty soldier. “Public Enemy No. 1,” is followed by A version of
describes the coffins used to transport dead soldiers from Afghanistan and for a newcomer, this unique package acts as the ultimate introduc- musicians would NEVER expect is asked, every humiliating response his collaborative track with DJ Tomekk, “123 from New York to Ger-
back home to Russia. tion to the band. Having seen COHEED AND CAMBRIA destroy The is recorded verbatim and presented in perfect editing. The snobs of many,” and “No One Can Take Us Down” to break up the drawn-out
Commodore Ballroom last year, this band is clearly one of the most course will take parts of it seriously and instantly become “gay” as repetitions of “yeah boy.” A couple of local B-Boys are brought out and
Although this film has been categorized as a black comedy, there isn’t underrated and underappreciated acts in music today. Neverender heeded by Zebub’s disclaimer. Nobody is insulted there, it’s all pure Flav demands a headspin as the boys show off their skills. Surprisingly,
really anything humorous about it. Scenes of alcoholism, murder, aims to rectify that and succeeds on every level. enjoyment and fun, even people like Messiah Marcolin, King Diamond Flav passes back a joint he receives from the audience, stating that he
abduction, rape and insanity, create a strong tension that underlies and members of My Dying Bride are happy to laugh at themselves and doesn’t smoke during shows.
the entire film. Though the lives of the characters intersect at various ***There is a sprawling, limited-edition version of Neverender avail- the world.
points, any real friendships and loyalties are lacking. The result is a able (subtitled Children of The Fence), which spreads the shows over Flavor Flav closes with a variation of Public Enemy’s “911 (Is a Joke)”
strong feeling of despair and isolation. Despite this gloominess, the five DVDs and four CDs and includes documentaries on the making- “You have never seen bands interviewed like this” reads one of the tags. to appease the die-hards. All in all, a rather silly DVD which is not
disclaimer that this film is one of the most controversial Russian mov- of the shows, extra footage and other goodies for the real COHEED Maybe you have, one or two questions at a time, but not like this, not particularly enjoyable but is highly amusing at times.
ies ever made seems a little blown out of proportion, at first. Be patient. AND CAMBRIA completist.*** this long and certainly not as hilarious. Seeing the bands speak without
Before you know it, the shit hits the fan and just keeps getting worse. restraints is something to be valued, because they can’t always do that. By Kassandra Guagliardi and Amalia Nickel
Definitely worth watching more then once, this is the type of movie coheedandcambria.com Just go and get the DVD, you won’t regret it. It’s guaranteed. Don’t you
that you’ll lend to your friends with a knowing smirk on your face. want to hear “Corpsegrinder” sing “Mary had a little lamb?”
By Sean Cowie
By Alxs Ness by arceon
El Alambrista: The Fence Jumper Method Man and Redman Kill The Record Labels open to all comers and of course the labels are scared, but the fact is
Dir. by Alfonso Sahagun Casaus Live in Paris Directed by Charles Rand & T. Thomas that they were perfectly content to assist and encourage mixtape DJ’s
Brink DVD 2008 ZYX Music/MVD Focus Media/MVD for years. When it comes down to it, this is an issue of property and
territory - not the “intellectual property” of artists and labels who can-
The Brink DVD motto Everybody loves them One might think from not handle having their work used as raw materials by others, but the
is “Micro-budget films some Wu Tang now and the cover that this is property and territory of true Hip Hop culture - culture which defines
that break the Hollywood then, so despite chop- some gritty footage itself on its own terms, not in reference to marketability.
mold”, and “El Alambris- py angles and choppier of backstage Hip Hop
ta” is most definitely that. sound, Method Man and drama a la the infa- Many artists have described the industry as the new slaveship, and
Snobs will see this as a B Redman’s Live in Paris mous “Beef ” series, but when you hear the words of the massas and bosses of today from their
grade tale of an aspiring DVD delivers a tight per- no, this documentary own mouths, you will know that they hold this cynical truth as a motto
“luchadore” or Mexican formance. The actual Par- is a serious inquiry into for their evil works. Kill the motherfuckers!
wrestler who makes his is concert was in 2006 and the nefarious elements
way to the US to sup- doesn’t promote any par- of the record industry killtherecordlabels.com
port his impoverished ticular album but draws that have recently been
family, but aficionados of from a timeless catalogue cracking down on the By Dave “Murda” McCallum
underground talent and of both Wu Tang and now well established
rare cinematic gems will Meth and Redman col- art of the mixtape. The Monsters of Metal Vol. 6
recognize it as a work of main culprit here is the Various Artists
labs, perhaps only dated
incomparable genius. RIAA - the Recording Nuclear Blast USA
by the dispairaging com-
ments made about now- Industry Association of
America, who have been Nuclear Blast is treat-
defunct politicians.
This is the kind of film mercilessly persecuting ing the metal commu-
that may appear ridicu- the producers and dis- nity yet again with the
Tracks from 1999’s Black-
lously amateur to some, tributors of mixtapes on 6th installment of their
out include the “How
but is rich with action, the grounds of copyright highly popular Mon-
High” Remix, “Da Rockwilder” and “Y.O.U.” and are played with the
humour, and the righteous shit-kicking of white racists, ranchers and infringement, while at the same time covertly supporting, provid- sters of Metal series. An
bare beats and grimy flows characteristic of the Wu Tang. Classics like
evil wrestlers. ing songs for, and in many cases even commissioning mixtapes from excellent collection of an
“Method Man” and the ODB Anthem “Shimmy Shimmy Ya” appease
prominent DJ’s as the most effective method of street-level artist pro- almost-satanic 66 video-
Following the tragic death of his father in a mine collapse, our hero the long-time fans with familiar jams. The sound of breaking glass di-
motion. When fans can only expect one or two hit songs per artist to clips, which provides a
departs for the border - a dangerous journey that requires the services vides up the tracks - which rarely get past the first chorus - and the
drop on the radio, mixtapes allow rappers to promote rare, one-off, way for the bands and
of a coyote, one of the corrupt traffickers assisting border jumpers and filming is meant for the ADD generation, a little too quick for eyes over
original material on a hand to hand basis. the label to show-off new
jacking their pesos in the process. After giving the coyote a thorough 20. Method Man is also a little difficult to understand, Redman’s crisp
footage along with rare,
kick in the ass, he acquires the name of “El Alambrista Emplumada”, styles make it past the sound quality a little better.
Made up almost entirely of interview footage with prominent DJ’s like unseen and even classic
or “The Feathered Fencejumper” (or something like that…), and goes material. Traditionally
It was obviously a good show to be at: the young French crowd is hype, Green Lantern and DJ Drama, Industry execs, entertainment lawyers
on to find work with a mean white rancher. When racists arrive to beat covering a vast genre
everyone’s smoking weed and Meth smokes a blunt while he spits, “Roll and MC’s like Juelz Santana and 50 Cent, the tale is told of a long es-
on his friends, El Alambrista takes the law into his own hands. He later landscape, this release is
that shit, light that shit, smoke it,” to lead Red into a smoked out free- tablished tradition of mixtapes in Hip Hop developing into a viable
gets work as a professional luchadore with the wheelchair-bound but aimed at the widest pos-
style. After a shout-out to Jam Master Jay DJ Dyce puts on a masterful industry and underground economy that was inevitably noticed by the
still deadly Senor Blutes as his manager, and then has to contend with a sible audience.
scratching show, spinning his body and utilizing his elbows and teeth vultures of the big four - EMI, Universal, Warner Brothers and Sony,
gang of luchadore-thugs and their greasy, chainsmoking boss who runs
to create raspy rhythms. and like the first wave of Hip Hop from DJ’s Kool Herc and Afrika With Monsters of Metal
a corrupt cockfighting ring using a secret formula that makes his roost-
Bambataa, was first promoted and capitalized on, then vilified and per- people who are new to
ers into psychotic murder birds. Saving kids and making money for his
Method Man and Redman Live in Paris is the live concert experience secuted under dubious “copyright” laws. In that Hip Hop music has the movement, they get
family back home, El Alambrista carries the tremendous weight of his
without the sensory stimulation of an actual live concert. It’s a little always been about sampling, the careful distinction is made between a great reference pack-
great responsibility with a humble dignity emblematic of the stoic, long
distracting to watch but a decent show to have on in the background. “bootlegging” - i.e. straight copying and selling a cd, and the mixtape age with virtually all genres being present in the roster. Gourmets will
suffering character of his people.
Track Listing: - in which the amount of hours spent remixing, chopping and adding be happy to see some unique video and appreciate the diversity. Old-
Okay, maybe I’m making too much of a simple story, but it seems to me new vocal tracks may rival the time spent on the major label album. timers will be satisfied to see the bands of their youth still in full gear
that immigrant Mexican labourers might see this as the ultimate fable and delivering kick-ass performances. The series in itself is an example
Intro 13.DJ Dyce - Scratching
of the battle between good and evil, between the hardworking peas- At the bottom of it all of course is the allmighty dollar - you know damn of what a true compilation must be like, having gothic and prog metal
1.Diggy Doc 14.Smash Sumthin’
ant and the corrupt landowners and their sellout lackeys. The fact that well that as soon as the suits found out how much money was being side by side with hardcore, death, black, metalcore and folk metal.
2.Time 4 Sum Aksion 15.Let’s Get Dirty
luchadores are so popular in Mexico may originate in this dramatiza- made by people other than themselves, they pulled out all the stops!
3.Method Man 16.Freestyle The time span is equally impressive, from Saxon and Exodus to Naera
tion of basic struggles in a fantastic context, similar to the American What couldn’t be accomplished by lawsuits was further facilitated by
4.Blow Your Mind 17.Let Da Monkey Out and Eluveitie. Just to make sure that the all-star band list doesn’t get
WWE, but even closer to the people’s daily sufferings. the formation of the so called “Hip Hop Cops” - a shady NYC under-
5.Tonight’s the Night 18.The Motto boring, you get an extra easter-egg hidden clip, which you’ll have to
cover unit that keeps tabs on every artist who makes even a bump on
Special features include Director’s Commentary, a “Gag Reel” with 6.All I Need 19.How High find without our hints. Whatever genre you’re into, there’s more than
their radar. With SWAT team tactics learned from DEA and ATF style
commentary full of funny outtakes and shorts, and “Yako vs. Peque- 7.Pick It Up 20.How High Part II enough here. A very considerate move from the creators of the com-
raids, the authorities have literally been treating the mixtape game like
no Guerrero” - a full luchadore match that gives a taste of the art in 8.Keep It ‘99 21.Y.O.U. pilation is the live footage of the recently disbanded After Forever, a
the drug game, despite the vast gulf in revenue…and intent.
all it’s glory. Grab a six-pack of Corona’s, a bottle of Patron and some 9.Bring The Pain 22.Judgement Day sign that their work will not be forgotten. Monsters of Metal series is
Mexican ditchweed and get ready for full belly laughs and righteous 10.Freestyle 23.Da Rockwilder an exhibit of a great idea and true professionalism of everyone involved
So once again we have a basic element of Hip Hop criminalized when
cheers as “El Alambrista: The Fence Jumper” shows the gringos what 11.Street 101 24.Shimmy Shimmy Ya into bringing it to life. A product of highest quality, this double DVD
its profitability threatens the corporate interest. With the development
he’s made of. 12.Freestyle Brooklyn Zoo release is a must-have for any metal fan out there. Horns up for Nuclear
of the internet and modern recording technologies, the floodgates are
brinkdvd.com By Kassandra Guagliardi and Amalia J. Nickel Blast.
By arceon
By Dave “Corvid” McCallum
 of their husbands because they were engineers on a “secret mission”
flight. And not to mention the secret killers who are caught by (public)
chance only because they get covered in a newspaper.

All of these are valid points and as many others in Secrecy, they be-
come a subject of an extended discussion, revealing some of the most
astounding facts about governmental actions. Whenever you sue the
US government on a case that so much as mentions confidential docu-
ments, the officials come to the court and order the case closed, be-
cause it touches matter of national security, effectively rendering the
government unsuable whenever they want to be. Even the judges of the
Film Review - Secrecy Supreme Court can’t review the documents personally just to tell the
Directed by Peter Galison and Robb Moss widows that yes, it was an accident, the responsible will be prosecuted.
Digibeta Democracy is at stake and the big question in Secrecy is whether gov-
ernment is going too far hiding
its secrets in the name of protec-
tion from terrorist, military or
any other kind of threats. And the
next logical question is wheth-
er secrecy helps achieve safety,
whether or not it actually aggra-
vates the situation.

As with any other documentary

on the US government, the film
brings the 9/11 to the table and
this is where you start to notice
an important detail. When you
talk about the war in Iraq, 9/11
and terrorism, the public is much
more interested in finding out
whether they will ever know what
really happened and who stood
behind the attacks and the real
reasons for the war. Is this all just
a big hoax? Secrecy doesn’t touch
these matters at all, and the way
Freedom of speech and privacy are easily one of the hottest topics of they discuss 9/11 seems to be very convenient for the officials, who
social discussion at any given time. Light a spark in front of the right use the same language you could hear on TV and it smells. This docu-
people and you’ll have yourself a bonfire of accusations, controversial mentary presents a very conservative yet profound view, and whether
statements and general disagreement. While it is widely established or not you’ll be satisfied depends solely on what you expect to see. An
that North America is a haven for human rights, many people here and abundance of facts and spot-hitting opinions will leave everybody sat-
abroad, would disagree. They would go even further and argue that isfied, but if you’re looking for answers, you won’t find them here. But
their constitutional rights are being bound and restrained. The other it’s certainly a good place to start looking.
side of the barricades will quote national security as something more
important than some human rights. In case you care about the subject secrecyfilm.com
and especially if you’re also a bit confused, turn your head to Secrecy,
winner of “Best Documentary” at the Newport International Film Fes- By arceon
tival amongst others.

Peter Galison and Robb Moss proved an excellent starting point for
many people pondering over the subject presenting opposite views on
the matter. CIA officers, lawyers, NSA officials, journalists and ordi-
nary citizens affected by government secrecy make up for a great in-
terviewee list, and they are exactly the kind of people that should be
presenting their respective views. There are no assumptions, all the
points are clear and very real, making you wonder. Press coverage on
intelligence monitoring Osama Bin-Laden’s satellite phone, killed that
uttermost important source of information. At the same time it takes
widows 50 years (if they live that long) to get information on the death

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
By Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
Quirk Classics
Posthumous collabora-
tions are pretty common
these days. With current
technology, it’s not too dif-
ficult to take the work of
a dead person –whether
in video, music or book
format, throw in a current
artist (or another dead
one) and call it a remix/
collaboration.
Usually these “collabora-
tions” border on exploita-
tion: using the established
name of a dead person to
propel a not-so known
artist’s career. In the case
of Pride and Prejudice and
Zombies, Seth Grahame-
Smith’s take on the original
Jane Austen classic actu-
ally makes this novel readable. Although a small percentage of people
would consider Jane Austen’s version to be one of the greatest novels of
all time, most of us fall asleep a few pages in.
Grahame-Smith has recounted the dramatic romance between Darcy
and Elizabeth Bennett all the while incorporating zombie mayhem,
decomposing corpses and mass bloodshed for good measure. In his
version, the Bennett sisters are masters of the “deadly arts” and capable
of slaying the “unmentionables” as good if not better than any man.
While their mother is still bent on marrying them off, the sisters’ ro-
mantic ventures are interspersed with their violent urge to kill zombies
whenever encountered. Most likely this book will offend any one who’s
ever made it through the original, but for the rest of us, it’s a brilliant
and modern spin on an age old classic.
quirkbooks.com
By Alxs Ness
The Rock Bible: The Unholy Scripture for Fans & Bands Subway Art: 25th Anniversary Edition
By Henry Owings By Martha Cooper and Henry Chalfant
Quirk Books Chronicle Books
If you’ve ever wondered Twenty-five years later, and
which synth bass would still as influential as the day
best compliment the new it hit the shelves, comes
guitar strap you just blew the anniversary edition of
your paycheque on – The veteran photo snappers
Rock Bible is here to con- Martha Cooper and Henry
demn you to the bowels Chalfant’s ‘Subway Art’.
of your local state fair to
cover Whitesnake for all Based on their renegade
eternity. For those who documentary, ‘Style Wars’,
wish to repent, this unholy this visual master piece fol-
scripture will lead you lows some of the most re-
down the path of redemp- puted artists in 1980s-cool
tion…or at least lead you New York as they struggle
to keep the book in your to leave their mark. This
bathroom for a chuckle book will take you back to a
when need be. Praise Dio. time when crews of unlike-
ly kids were unknowingly
Henry Owings’ Rock Bible spawning an art movement
– Unholy Scripture for for generations to come.
Fans & Bands is a tongue An original documentation
and cheek guide for those of an art form that is now lost in NYC due to new polyurethane coated
about to rock; laid out flawlessly on a badass bed of surprisingly useful trains and nightly buffing.
tips, empty bottles of Jack, faux-biblical illustrations, destroyed hotel
rooms, and writings by master humorist Andrew Earles, drummer For you graff-snobs out there, keep in mind that this book does not
Brian Teasley, and comedian Patton Oswalt. document the entire scene. The art shown was produced by a few crews
that let Cooper and Chaldfant tag along and get an insider’s look at the
From ‘The Wisdom of the Amp ‘, to ‘The Psalm of the Groupie ‘, to work that they were producing. Although many of the greats were left
the ever important ‘Blasphemy: Forbidden Words When Naming Your out of this book, Subway Art is a stellar snap shot of a moment in time,
Band ‘– The Rock Bible will give you a steel-toed punt from Wannabe and gives us outsiders just a taste of what really went down. This is
to Self-Proclaimed Rock Star in just 144 pages. NOT a ‘how to’ guide. If you’re looking for pointers, hit the streets.
Wise scriptures include… This re-mastered edition has been expanded to an almost offensive size
to properly capture the importance of this subculture, showing the full
Drummers: “If you’re one of those drummers who sets up at the front creative talent bombed on the sides of these moving steel canvases.
of the stage, back the hell up. You are the goalies of rock; play your With the addition of 70 unprinted photographs and fresh introduc-
position.” tions and afterword’s by the photographers themselves, this is a piece
of history for ‘graf-heads’ and curious followers alike.
Amps: “If your amp has more than 6 knobs, you are one of them.”
Chroniclebooks.com
Onstage Antics: “Being wasted onstage works for only about five per-
cent of bands, and yours isn’t one of them.” By Kristin Eccles
Whether you rock out on stage or in your shower, this book is sure to
steal laughs from the hardest of the head-bangers. There is something
new to chuckle at every time you pick up the book, and it’s bound to
lead to more than a few roasts of your friends and their bands.
quirkbooks.com
By Kristin Eccles
 Busta Rhymes The Cliks The Devil Wears Prada
Back On My B.S. Dirty King With Roots Above and Branches Below
Universal/Motown Warner Music Canada Ferret

From the opener “Wheel Formally a quartet, now Since their conception in
Of Fortune”, it is clear that downsized to a power trio, 2005, The Devil Wears
Busta has fallen off in a big Toronto-based band The Prada has been making a
way. Gone is the old Busta Cliks release their follow- name for themselves in the
- hyperactive, apocalyptic up to the highly acclaimed underground scene with
and mysterious, replaced Snakehouse album with most of their following
The Boy Will Drown by the hulking menace of their latest Warner Music being from your standard
Fetish the new Terminator model Canada release (Tommy social networking sites like
Earache Bussa Buss, all bloated on Boy in the US), Dirty MySpace. Following the
‘roids and alcohol, encrust- King. Back on the passion- success of two albums, The
Hailed as some of the best ed with ice and baiting for ate grind, vocalist/guitarist Devil Wears Prada expands
new Death Metal to come a fight. While it is generally Lucas Silveira and his crew, their fan base yet again with
out of the UK, The Boy true that rappers aspire to have once again successful- their third release: With
Will Drown’s first track on being fat (fuck the “ph”…), ly subjected their listeners Roots Above and Branches
Fetish titled “Deep Throat”, greatness of rep and stature to songs of woe and wis- Below. A much anticipated
sets the tone for the album have seemingly diminished Busta’s once legendary lyrical potential, dom, a hard rocking, think- album that shows the bands growth and maturity in a heavier tone
and unfortunately the rest and while he is still at times lightning quick with the flows, his voice ing man’s version of Elvis Costello with the lyrical prowess of Chrissy that is a bit more mechanical than past albums, but stays true to their
of songs don’t stray too far has bottomed out in a gravel pit of Henney on the rocks and Marlboro Hynde , the combination makes this group of Canadians worthy of distinct style.
from it. All of the songs straights. taking the center stage with The Cult, Cyndi Lauper (True Colors tour)
stick to a grindcore tempo and currently with the legendary New York Dolls to name a few. The Devil Wears Prada finally sheds any remnants of ‘sceamo’ as they
playing as fast as possible. Add to this a plethora of totally run of the mill beats in the autotuned- officially hit metalcore status with opening track Sassafras which will
The talented lead guitar- out vein of lamesters like Akon and T-Pain, all saccharine and synthy, “Haunted” opens the album with with exactly that: a haunting, brood- immediately have listeners’ ears oozing with joy. The track is a stel-
ist, Liam Keel, unleashes and no level of gritty flow can counterbalance the insulin shock head- ing, almost somber look inside what could be a personal message from lar choice for an opener and will have anyone within ear-shot gripped
extremely fast breakdowns ache. Lil’ Wayne manages to drop a decent few bars on the otherwise the mind and soul of Mr. Silveira, but the title track “Dirty King” takes from the get-go. Mike Hranica’s brooding raw screams are consistently
in every song, though tones unmemorable “Respect My Conglomerate”, while T-Pain drives a nail the album by storm with it’s surf-riff, garage rock inspired hooks. There forceful and engaging from one track to the next, giving a power to the
and melodies that greatly differ from one another aren’t as constantly in the coffin of Busta’s reputation with the ill-advised and nauseating seems to be quite a few ballads on this album, all worthy mind you, just lyrics in contrast with the clean vocals of singer Jeremy DePoyster.
heard. The death grunt and screamo vocals are sung to a very similar “Hustler’s Anthem ‘09″ - without the anti-nausea agents in the mix, could use a pinch of more Fuzztone/Rock to make this a tasty recipe.
beat throughout the whole album. the syrup poured here will give nothing but gut rot. And Busta, please, Let’s say it’s a decaffeinated version of the first Yeah, Yeah, Yeah’s album. Among the more notable points of this album is the unexpected track:
- “Arab Money”? A-Rab money, that is…the controversy and strangely But pay no mind, its the true songwriting skills that shine. One could Louder Than Thunder - a piano and strings driven melodic ballad that
Guitar scale progressions lead the majority of the songs, but there are catchy if blasphemous hook aside, is this really what “Hip Hop” has even hear some slight nods to Lone Justice from the Shelter album- a shows off DePoyster’s much improved vocal chops, and the evident use
many intersperses of exciting metal guitar riffs. But they are constantly come to? “Decision”, featuring Jamie Foxx, Mary J. Blige, John Legend classic. Standout tracks “Career Suicide” and “Wolverines” could eas- of synth in tracks like Gimme Half and Ben Has a Kid. Synth has al-
cut short and quickly replaced by new riffs that end and are replaced and Common is the only redeeming track on the whole damn disc, ily be the new live faves for The Cliks‘ already growing international ways been an underlying element in The Devil Wears Prada, and it has
just as quickly. A listener has little opportunity to grasp the song’s mel- and it’s neo-soul aspirations are totally out of sync with the rest of the fanbase really been brought to the forefront in these tracks thanks to James
ody and get into the rhythm for the song to seize the moment. Each album. Baney.
song sounds like two or three songs cramped together. Producer Sylvia Massy known for her work with Red Hot Chili Pep-
It seems that Busta Rhymes is now more personality than artist, more pers has once again taken her place behind the boards, and turned out Newfound maturity and growth aside, With Roots Above and Branch-
Fetish is intense at first but having all 10 songs with comparably similar celebrity caricature of his former self than any kind of logical develop- a meticulously crafted sound that complements the bands’ hard rock es Below hits so hard that it’s easy to forget that these guys are not only
structures, or maybe a lack of structures, makes it seem all too similar ment from the diabolical prophet of doom who once produced “Ex- stigma that is Dirty King. With the band touring constantly, Lucas Sil- a Christian band, but still relatively new on the scene. This is only the
to itself and ultimately repetitive. tinction Level Event”. If you’ve been watching YouTube videos on the veira and his bandmates Morgan Doctor and Jen Benton have gone the beginning for The Devil Wears Prada.
Masonic leanings of Jay-Z and Co. you may wonder if a similar process extra mile to place Canadian Rock back on the map… for good.
Fetish arrives in stores June 16th of soul extraction has occurred, or it may just be that something infi- myspace.com/tdwp
nitely more mundane has happened to a rapper whose image was al- Dirty King is in stores June 23
myspace.com/tbwd ways just that - an image. In his old age he has gotten lazy, complacent, By Kristin Eccles
cynical, materialist and boring…just like any typical American male TheCliks.com
By Brandon Siemens does who sold out long ago.
myspace.com/thecliks
bustarhymes.com
By E.S. Day
By Dave “Corvid” McCallum
D-Sisive Eminem Epochate Heaven and Hell
Let The Children Die Relapse Chronicles of a Dying Era The Devil You Know
Urbnet Records Aftermath/Interscope Metropolis Records Rhino/Warner

From great tragedy comes
inspiration, and D-Sisive
has flipped his own per-
sonal turmoil into a dark,
haunting and affective re-
cord. Let The Children Die
is as creepy as it sounds:
think ancient Greek theatre
in hip-hop form. Ghost-
like choruses, random
noise mash-ups and shal-
low, tinny beats make this
album something to listen
to on headphones but to
keep away from parties.
The mournful intro sets the tone, asking “why must any of the children
die?” repeatedly in different vocals on disconnected strings. The title
track continues this tome with a scratchy and superficial melody, set
against masculine choruses of “la la la…it is what it is,” and a biting
critique of false hip-hop prophets: “you’re not a killer, you’re a sound-
alike.” The most disturbing and moving track on the album is Father,
wherein the artist cries “Daddy I need you, never look away.” It’s obvi-
ous that the pain of losing his loved one has spurred D-Sisive on to
artistic devastation: an echo of a conversation, a wistful melody and
stiflingly sad strings offset the dissonant and distorted repetitions of
“father.”
But the album gathers momentum and by the time Classified gets on
board the sadness has dissipated; horn and cymbal bring the beat up
and revolution is in the air. Riot I Caused opens with the image of
a “flame-filled night brought fire to the dark,” and closes with a sur-
real mash-up of news reports, children’s laughter and sounds of broken
bottles. Buck 65 joins D-Sisive for “The SuperBowl is Over”, a slow-
jam that’s anything but romantic, talking about “a record to record
and a throat infection, a broken typewriter and a loaded weapon.” The
funky bassline of “Like This” is reminiscent of a 70s cop show but the
dark beat suits Guilty Simpson’s low flow well in this collaboration.
The ultra-dope cover says
it all – emerging from a
mountain of medication
and constantly touting his
full year of sobriety, the
razor tongued psychopath
who first burned his way
into our collective con-
sciousness ten years ago
is back with a screaming
vengeance. Still mining in
the old vein of dense lyri-
cal onslaughts full of mur-
der, misogyny and may-
hem, Em seems to almost
glorify his drugged out lifestyle while at the same time contextualizing
it in a childhood of sexual abuse and chemical supervision.
In his four year absence from the limelight, Eminem has gone through
the loss of his best friend Proof and his own struggles with addiction
and personal relationships, and he is certainly trying to prove that he
still has the fire that first made him famous. “3 AM” establishes the
dark mood of narcoleptic murder spree imagery that seems to recur
like a bad reaction to prozac, while “My Mom” provides the rebuttal
to all haters who would wonder why Mr. Mathers was so fucked up to
begin with. The already infamous “Bagpipes from Baghdad” baits Mr.
Maria Carey in barbed barrages of blistering curses reminiscent of Slim
Shady’s finest diss tracks. Tracks like “ Must be the Ganja” and “Crack
a Bottle” keep enough party in the mix, while closer “Undergound”
finalizes the darkness from which Shady emerges.
Em’s bratty nasal tone has never been the greatest, but with such a killer
flow and manic intensity it doesn’t interfere much except on some of
his weaker choruses, which seem as dated in their sing song cadence as
Dre’s largely uninspired beats which largely come off as derivative… of
his own earlier work, if that’s possible. This album is far from perfect,
and reeks of the desperation that a once prolific artist has when trying
to return to form.
Industrial rock is on the
rise again, and that state-
ment is only valid because
of newly emerging bands
like Epochate: talented, ex-
perimental and pleasantly
captivating. The project of
Victor Love (Dope Stars
Inc.) isn’t anything ultra-
original or mind-blowing
but this band sure does
breath life into the old
genre, presenting the all-
familiar concept in a sexy
atmospheric wrapping,
with a bit of apocalypse as a heartily welcome bonus.
Chronicles of a Dying Era is a record you absolutely want to buy on a
CD, because the artwork is nothing short of stunning. One of the best
cover art work we’ve seen in a long time, it adds seamlessly to the mas-
sive dimensional landscape of dark orchestral samples and a feeling
of inescapable impending doom, that builds up throughout the album
and leaves your mind hungover, only until you listen to it again. Draw-
ing a thick red line between our reality and a world of pain and death,
Epochate is exceptionally good at drawing parallels and shooting met-
aphors at the unsuspecting minds of day-to-day living humans.
The setting will appeal to fans of post-apocalyptic culture, but the im-
portance of symbolism in their music should not be underestimated.
Epochate is not a band that creates concepts, it’s historically a concept
so good that it grew into a band, and with Noras Blake (Spineflesh/
Edenyzed) on board they produce a mature and profound product that
will stand apart and appeal to both old and new school fans alike. In-
telligently dark, the record is recommended to fans of KMFDM, Nine
Inch Nails and Einstürzende Neubauten. This is an extremely worth-
while release and not a regurgitation, yet in the best industrial rock
tradition with a twist that will permanently glue your attention to this
remarkable band’s work.
Heaven and Hell is in fact
the , post-Ozzy Black Sab-
bath consisting of Ron-
nie James Dio (vocals),
Tony Iommi (guitars),
Geezer Butler (bass) and
Vinnie Appice (drums).
The quartet originally re-
united in 2006 to record
a few tracks for the Black
Sabbath: The Dio Years al-
bum. Adopting the name
Heaven and Hell, they
continued their collabo-
ration by embarking on
a world tour in 2007 with
various bands including Megadeth and Lamb of God. Despite rumours
of the members going their separate ways, when all was said and done,
they sat down and started working on a follow-up to 1992’s Dehuman-
izer. Finally, after 17 years and a couple line-up changes, the boys are
back with their new release The Devil You Know.
Armed with a wicked lineup, killer album art and 10 songs that incor-
porate each member’s abilities and unique style, The Devil You Know
has proven to be well worth the wait. Highlight tracks include “The
Turn of the Screw” and “Breaking Into Heaven.” On “The Turn of the
Screw”, Geezer shines through with his low, groove style. This song
also contains a brief but epic guitar solo by the “founding father of the
heavy metal riff,” Tony Iommi. While Dio’s powerhouse voice is present
from the first track to the last, his larger then life vocals are accentuated
by beautiful harmonies found on “Breaking Into Heaven.”
Despite the fact that The Devil You Know doesn’t come close to touch-
ing original Black Sabbath albums such as their self-titled release or
Paranoid (what could?), it is a solid release by some of heavy metal’s
originators. What more could you really ask for ?
heavenandhelllive.com

D-Sisive has definitely put out a unique product: it connects to a darker No doubt Eminem is still the tortured lyrical genius he’s always been. epochate.com By Alxs Ness
side of humanity, which makes it all the more relevant to our dark ex- His subject matter and beats have barely changed in ten years, and yet
istence. his X-ACTO blade rhymes slice the air like no other MC before or By arceon
since.
Let The Children Die is in stores May 7th
Having once set the standard for both battle rappers and MC super-
myspace.com/dsisive stars, Relapse aims to prove that he is still both in equal measure, and
years of opiate abuse have in no way dulled his edge. Now if only it was
By Amalia J. Nickel aimed at a worthy target.

therelapse.com

eminem.com

By Dave “Corvid” McCallum

Marilyn Manson Mr. Lif Obituary Sadat X
The High End of Low I Heard It Today Darkest Day Brand New Bein’
Interscope/UMG Bloodbot Tactical Enterprises Candlelight Records Ground Original/Cold Heat

America’s underground
favourite shit disturber
Marilyn Manson is back
again to make the house-
wives frown, set the press
on fire and give pleasure
to the mad-at-the-world
basement dwellers of the
nation. The High End of
Low will also be interest-
ing to everybody else for
that matter. For the re-
cord, Marilyn Manson is
the guy who does every-
thing in his power to be
appalling to popular culture, but has long since become a part of it. The
problem is, most of the wanna-be badass acne laden teenagers don’t re-
ally get his message. You know how the mainstream public is different
in this respect? Nohow.
Those blessed with the ability to perceive metaphors and look just a
bit farther than their own noses along with the nowadays hard-to-find
individuals with an open-mind will find Marilyn still strong in con-
cept, sharp on wordplay and able to conjure a couple of catchy tunes as
a bonus. Don’t be dishearten, with the first song “Devour”, it’s a weird
opening for an album, but not the last ballad-type song on it either.
These tracks don’t spoil the impression though, bearing references to
the all-familiar everyday emotions we experience.
With the amount of shit Marilyn Manson dumps on popular culture,
politics, stupid teenage girls and everything else, now wonder at least
one of the songs got completely censored, even on uncensored ver-
sions of the CD. In case you’re wondering, it’s “Blank and White”. But
while it’s a very strong track, one other stands out. “Leave a Scar” is
a smashing hit, “Arma-Goddamn-nMotherfuckin-Geddon” is a radio
single, but “We’re from America” is something we’ve all been waiting
for. Nothing short of genius, it summarizes what we and the rest of the
world despise about this society. If you’re listening to this and don’t
want to shake Marilyn’s hand to the “God is an excuse!” chanting, than
you’re probably one of the hopeless.
On The High End of Low Manson is very much himself, trying to
turn the world upside down. The album is not better than anything
he’s done before, it’s not worse either. It’s just another installment from
someone who’s not afraid to open his mouth and wake up the lethargic
tube-watching comfort zone inhabitants of this continent.
Marilynmanson.com
by arceon
This singularly beautiful
gem of True Hip Hop ge-
nius is clearly the product
of a period of deep intro-
spection in the life of Lif.
Following the life alter-
ing tour bus crash of two
years ago on the personal,
and the economic crisis in
America, Lif has delved
deep into the well of his
inspiration and brought
forth fourteen jewels that
shine with the brilliance
of his uniquely insightful
lyricism, bump with warm bass heavy beats, and blaze with the inten-
sity of a million suns. As the banner on the skeletal eagle on the cover
reads - “On the backs of the many, so the few can advance…”, the sense
of urgency and indignant disgust at the system is the driving force be-
hind Lif ’s return from seclusion.
“Welcome To the World” sets the stage for the current catastrophic col-
lapse of the American economy, and the election smokescreen and po-
tentially false promise of Obama. “What About Us?” shouts forth the
battle cry for a nation of disposed who wake up to find themselves even
less entitled to a future they worked their whole lives for. “Breathe”
features Philly legend Bahamadia and Lif taking a moment to venti-
late from the daily stresses of life in Babylon. After the “Homecoming”
scene, smokers’ anthem “Head High” finds the homies blessing their
brother with herbal medicine after his release from prison. “Dawn”
looks forth to the promise of a new day full of love and unity, the only
hope in a world of unpredictable madness.
With notes from Lif on the origins and intentions of each tracks, and
the full lyrics printed inside, this album is clearly a transmission of
valuable information through soulful music that deserves to be heard
over and over. As always, the richness of Lif ’s mind has crafted a classic
work that speaks ever more clearly as the voice and conscience of our
times, with a compassion and over-standing so rare, yet so essential
and truly Old School in it’s perspective. This is radical music - radical
in it’s politics, and radical in the truest sense - coming from the roots.
“I Heard It Today” should be heard everyday. Word.
myspace.com/mrlif
By Dave “Corvid” McCallum
Veterans of death metal
Obituary are back in the
game with their new and
highly anticipated album
Darkest Day. Fans have
been sitting on the edge
of their seats waiting pa-
tiently since 2007 for this
album and it shows to be
nothing less than what is
expected from one of Flor-
ida’s most successful metal
bands. Keeping things true
to their roots Obituary has
mastered the instrumen-
tals for this album. The sound presented can be considered cleaner but
just as heavy as previous albums. Darkest Day has shown to be more
than just another album for Obituary it is a demonstration of what 20
years of hard work, playing kick ass metal and having the time to find
the desired sound can do.
Allen West and Trevor Peres give this album a fast and heavy sound,
many of the riffs on songs like “Outside my Head” and “Fields of Pain”
show both the abilities of lighting fast shredding and the pure raw
heaviness of death metal come into play to create something new but
familiar to Obituary. It is not just the guitars that are noticed through
out this album. Donald Tardy’s drums make a strong appearance from
the start to finish; complex drum riffs and perfectly timed beats bring
all the pieces together. Bassist’s Daniel Tucker adds the finishing touch-
es with thick and heavy bass lines that keep Obituary at the forefront.
With all the instrumentals in the right place for this album vocalist
John Tardy matches it all perfectly with his vocal style sounding how
it has from day one. John’s inhales and growls can impress anyone and
keep the die hard fans of Obituary happy with what they hear.
Darkest Day shows old and new fans that Obituary is still alive and
ready to play what they play best pure, raw and all-American Death
Metal.
obituary.cc
By Taylor Ell
I once heard an anecdote
from someone about be-
ing in a restaurant in New
York and hearing a certain
distinctive drawl across
the room - sure enough it
was the one and only Sa-
dat, an MC whose voice
and style are so instantly
recognizable that it is easy
to imagine his high regis-
ter twang cutting through
a room of conversation.
Since debuting with the
legendary Brand Nubian
over twenty years ago, The Great Dat has gone on to forge a uniquely
resolute path of shining lyricism that spans the realms of the street
hustle to the Sacred Mathematics of the Nation of Islam.
A committed community activist who has worked as a public school
teacher, firefighter and basketball coach brings the integrity and inten-
sity of Golden Era Hip Hop to 2009 with the understated swagger of a
lyrical O.G.
“All For One Remix” kicks off with a fresh take on the classics, while
“Nuthin” asserts Sadat’s dominance over younger rappers intent on
fame without the skills and knowledge to last the distance, or even
make it out the gate. The mighty KRS-ONE assists on this recurring
premise with blistering verses on “Blow Up the Spot”. “The Natural”
finds Sadat seemingly reminiscing on his previous weapons convic-
tion, albeit in his typically left of centre wraparound perspective.
With foundational microphone innovators like Craig G on “Lyrics”
and Buckshot on “Bullseye”, this album is heavier than a cannonball
dropped in the box of Krispy Kreme donuts that is today’s mainstream
rap. “Gamer” features C Rayz Walz on some abstract reminiscence on
the development of video games, one of the few of the current breed of
MC’s whose cadences clearly reflect Sadat’s influence, though no-one
can match X’s unpredictable flow.
With bumping Old School flavoured production and tasteful cuts by
the great DJ JS-1 of The Rocksteady Crew throughout, “Brand New
Bein’” is like an object lesson for young upstarts in what is True School
Hip Hop as laid out in the blueprints of the Masters, developed to frui-
tion by the innovators of the Golden Era, and maintained, nurtured
and carried forward to a new generation by great artists like Sadat X
and his hand-picked band of lyrical heavyweights.
With the renewed vitality of a “Brand New Bein’”, the great Sadat X
has demonstrated that age means wisdom, and often an even sharper
focus.

myspace.com/sadatx

By Dave “Corvid” McCallum

Slaughter Brute Undercover Slut
Excellent Meat Amerikkka Macht Frei
Coyote Records Offensive Records

It would be safe to say Hailing from Paris,

that out of Eastern Eu- France, the heavily Mar-
rope only Poland has ilyn Manson inspired
a name on the world’s quartet - Undercover
metal scene. Numerous Slut has certainly got-
highly talented acts are ten the image down pat
smashing heads in other . For those with a dark-
countries and are usually er musical palate, the
limited to the post-Soviet gents looked primped
setting while the world and primed, almost as
is seriously missing out if Vampirella sprouted
on some teeth breaking a big cock and fell face
metal. All these epithets first into a bag of Robin
are true when you are Hood flour. Guess what?
talking about Slaughter there’s nothing wrong
Brute, a technical/brutal with that. Aside from in-
death metal band from Donbass, Ukraine. fants pouring goblets of wine down their throats at dinner, we will have
to say it’s about time the French churned out a decent freakshow
Hailing from an area of heavy industrial manufacturing and min-
ing, this band skillfully delivers thick ear-ripping brutal death metal France has not exactly been known for their Industro-Goth metal, but
on their debut album Excellent Meat. They are definitely off to a great the album is actually not that bad, Amerikkka Macht Frei is more of ac-
start, honouring the genre with masterful playing technique and strong rimonious stab at fellow trendsetters like the aforementioned Manson,
concept. Heavy riffs, intricate solos, shotgun-like drums and impec- then throw in some Murderdolls, Newlydeads, and you get the pic-
cable precision are defining characteristics of this release. ture. The boys (or girls) also venture into uncharted waters for having
a hip-hop beat kicking off track 7 “Black CNN” for the first four bars,
You could start comparing them to all their influences, but since they which of course turns violently delicious, adding a nice little balance
are doing it at least as good, the credit is theirs alone. Holding you at compared to the normal tripe coming out .
gunpoint from the very first track, Slaughter Brute crush your brains,
and what’s left of them is quickly absorbed into an atmosphere of ter- The bio states it’s “A real violent cross between 21st Century technol-
ror and gore. You are furious and helpless, but you can’t help but enjoy ogy, and ‘77 punk rock nostalgia” well…mission accomplished moth-
exploring the dark side of your personality to the sound of razor-sharp erfuckers, and with the rest of North America still not in the know
knife on “Butcher Profession”. about this troupe, hopefully Producer Chris Baseford’s (Rob Zombie,
Genitorturers), name will lend a hand to obtaining North American
Skeptics are welcome to proclaim this unoriginal and go contradict audience approval. Did we mention they are activists? Their support
themselves by listening to a Cannibal Corpse album for the zillionth for the Animal Liberation Front shines through on the “Shadow Song”
time. and its accompanying video, showcasing some brutal footage and get-
ting the point across: Be a vegan, fuck in public… and then die.
myspace.com/slaughterbrute
That wasn’t very nice was it? Nor is this album and lyrically, its trau-
by arceon matic, dark and nasty. Buy the CD, light some black candles and lock
yourself in the bathroom.

undercoverslut.com

By E.S. Day
 Photo- Scott Alexander

Words: Amalia J. Nickel

Photo - Jamie Sands
 Photo- Jamie Sands

Photo- arceon

Photo- Jamie Sands

Photo- arceon

Photo- Scott Alexander

Photo- arceon
Photo- Scott Alexander

Photo- Kristen Eccles

 COMING IN ISSUE 12 OF...

SUMMER OF SLAM!
Interviews with:

RAEKWON: With Only Built for Cuban Linx 2, his follow-up (to the timeless classic of the same name) around the cor-
ner, the Wu-Tang Clan’s Chef Raekwon drops some knowledge on Hip-Hop, touring, his new deal with EMI and more!

NEW YORK DOLLS: David Johansen gets all dolled up and we get deep, dirty and devilish.

CAGE: Who the fuck let him out? The next Def Jux Superstar - turned Asher Roth’s Anti-Christ, comes forward and
drops a verbal busker bomb on ABORT Magazine and we’re lovin’ the aftermath.

THE CRYSTAL METHOD: Ken and Scott smash our glass pipes and its on motherfucker!

JOHN MCLAUGHLIN: Jazz/Fusion pioneer reminisces about getting ripped off by Jaco Pastorius. An ABORT Interview
Exclusive!

Plus! Artists and Bands TOO HUGE to mention here (plus we are still in the process of jerking off their publicists)

FESTIVAL BLOW-OUT ISSUE

Warped Tour, Rock the Bells, Virgin Festival, Mayhem, NXNE, Sled Island and More!

Lots of bad screamo haircuts, over-sized white sunglasses and overpriced hot dogs make this the Summer of Slam”, as
ABORT leaves no stoner unturned.

Expect nothing short of shocking and shameless, when it comes to our exclusive interviews, photos and rants - all for
you, the Counter-Culture Connoisseur.

ABORT Issue 12 - August ‘09

ABORT Magazine: “Because Everyone Has A Dark Side”

www.abortmag.com