As such I haven't even bothered to download the 'Beyond Magnetic' Ep.
That's right folks, it may be a new year, but I will be fucked if I will give Metallica one quarter until they do something that earns my respect again.
Undertsandably I'm sure Messer Hetfield, Ulrich, Hammett and hired gun Trujillo couldn't give a toss what I think of them, but it does seem that I am a member of a growing number of fans who are frankly sick of their shit. Still it seems this attitude is getting to them as this week motormouth Danish biscuit tin beater Lars was quoted as saying the new album will be shorter and more to the point when they head back into the studio with the man who Corey Taylor branded 'a fat lazy piece of shit' last year, Rick Rubin, for the next instalment of brand Metallica.
Let's just hope he doesn't spend all his energy on cashing the cheque this time round.
Anyway, I will not be draw into this again... until the next time...
Moving on the New Year heralded news that The Howard Jones aka HoJo had stepped down from wearing the least insipring stage gear ever (blue work shirt - check, blue trousers - check) and given back the mic for once good, now Emo behemoth's Killswitch Engage.
Now I haven't called myself a KsE fan for years, but I have to say this is fantastic news... don't get me wrong I have met HoJo and he was a genuinely nice guy - I gave him a pen when they played Exeter before the release of the mainstream smash 'The End Of Heartache' and chatted to him about his former band Blood Has Been Shed - but it seems that after a decade of singing over the same three drop chords in a repetitive growl/emo cycle he was no longer feeling it.
I know what he means and I don't blame Jones, I blame guitar playing buffoon Adam D. Now when I met him shortly after the release of 'End Of Heartache' he was a nice humble guy - in fact he blushed and said 'Don't say that...' when I told him it would be the album of the year (note I'd be richer if you had taken that bet Adam!), but since then has evolved into a cape wearing jackass who seemed hellbent on writing increasingly tedious music.
In a candid statement Howard cites a lack of interest (yeah Howard, I got that too and had to remove 'As daylight Dies' from the car lest I fall asleep at the wheel and plough into oncoming traffic) and an onset of Type II Diabetes (no doubt from all the saccharine sweet emo bollocks he's been warbling for his duration with the band) as the main reasons for leaving - proving to the metal world that you can leave a band in a dignified manner - or doing a reverse Portnoy as it is now known.
The unspoken personal reasons are the subject of some scurrilous internet rumours emanating from metalsucks.net and given KsE have made no where near as much bank as say Ryan Giggs a super injunction is not in place. But far be it from me to snipe at rock stars from the anonymity of the internet I shall just say that apparently Mr Jones ****** a **** star and got her ********* and tried forcing her to ***** the **** because he is allegedly happily *******.
So it would appear that he isn't quite the nice guy after all.
Still it has opening the door for a new man behind the mic.
Close friend of the band current All That Remains singer Phil LaBonte who filled in for the absent HoJo last year immediately came out and stated that he wouldn't ever consider leaving his band and was going back into the studio to record the follow up to For We Are many - their most successful album to date - which is a relief to me as it leaves the door open for original frontman Jesse Leach to return and keeps alive a band I love. Leach in turn having reminded members of KsE that they were once good with the Times Of Grace project.
Either that or they should shut up shop and fuck off all together.
Edit: I have just read they are accepting submissions for the vacant singer role... I expect Dan Nelson, Ripper Owens, Blaze Bayley and Corey Taylor to all be linked in the next few days.
Still such joyous news must be tempered with the solemn and far be it for me to be serious but this month has seen the sad announcement that Godfather of the evil riff Tony Iommi has been diagnosed with the early stages of lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphocytes, a type of cell that forms part of the immune system.
Iommi, 63, is currently working with his doctors to establish the best treatment plan and remains upbeat and determined to make a full and successful recovery.
To which I will say without his work this blog would not exit, even it's it's spiteful little form. The music that the man has created over the years with Sabbath has changed my life and influenced me far beyond the telling. I wish him all the luck in the world and hope to see the man standing still on the Hallowed stage of Download churning out those slabs of greatness whilst the clapping, jumping clown next to him attempts to hit the notes he did 40 years ago.
Right back on track.
As this title of this one alludes to this month sees the new anvil heavy Lamb of God release 'Resolution' hit the racks at the end of the month.
The Virginia heavy hitters new release see frontman Randy Blythe now sober and clean and voicing his not restrained opinion on Twitter. Now not dribbling and being punched out by his own band members I would actually consider joining the social network to read his rants as these days he's coming across more like a thinking man's Phil Anselmo as opposed to a drinking man's Jello Biafra, but I fear it would be a short walk from here to calling Scott Ian a massive douchebag.
Still having heard the album in it's entirety (sorry Randy... but rest assured you will get my money on payday) I can safely say that it is the best thing the band have release since their seminal Ashes Of The Wake album and rivals the latest Machine Head opus for a regular spot on my Ipod, which given how much I gushed like a school girl over it for the latter part of the year is no feint praise.
Elsewhere Down aim to release the first of four EPs this year in an attempt to challenge the way the music industry works. The subsequent parts are slated for release over the following three years, but given that continental drifts move faster than the New Orleans sluggers I'll be surprised if they make that ambitious schedule.
Sllllllaaaaayyyyyyyyyyeeeeeerrrrrr are also rumoured to be rebuilding Jeff Hanneman in order to head back into the studio to record the next album to be slated 'not as good as Reign In Blood, South Of Heaven or Seasons In The Abyss' since 2009's 'World Painted Blood'. Hopefully they will end up tacked onto a festival bill this summer so I can have the perfect excuse to be (even more of) an obnoxious cunt for a day and sing along to some of, if not the finest thrash songs ever recorded.
What else?
Ahhh, you're probably bored now, but there is a host of interesting metal stuff set to happen this year including the return of Vision Of Disorder, a new Therapy? album, Orange Goblin on record and on tour (supported by History favs Grifter) and a whole lot more.
Still I'm going to get out whilst my positive mood remains, fingers crossed for Machine Head to special guest at Download... right I hear Chris Moyles is in Plymouth this Friday so I'm off to buy a sniper rifle.
