So this last month and a half I have been inundated with literally five inquiries as to when the next installment of angst that is A Brief History Of Metal would appear, well the truth is that I have experienced a serious, and I do mean serious lack of inspiration from the music industry. The following things have brought me nothing but disappointment:
Josh Homme sues Kyuss Lives!
About a month or so ago John Garcia (non-crowd interacting, LSD taking, equine fetishist and voice of Kyuss) released a statement in which he claimed Homme (Tank top wearing riff lord and revolving door curator) had issued a cease and desist order to the members of Kyuss Lives to prevent them from dropping the 'Lives' and reverting to plain old Kyuss.
In this statement Garcia, possibly bitter, attacked Homme saying that once the Ginger, sneering QOTSA frontman discovered publishing rights it was the end of Kyuss as a song writing unit. Further to this he added that there is a clause that states unless at least two original members of the band are in Kyuss Lives, it cannot be Kyuss. If true this is a cynical move from Homme, not entirely without merit granted, but it leaves a sour taste that such a great unit collapsed because of industry greed and now isn't allowed to continue because an already rich and disinterested man wants to protect his assets.
The next thing shouldn't come as a surprise, it is of course the Black Sabbath Reunion.
A little more to the left please Bill...
Bill Ward issued a second statement saying definitively that there was no chance that the original four creators of heavy metal would be stepping onto the same stage this summer as they could still not reach an amicable agreement… I mean for fucks sakes… I can't even find the energy to rattle off the same tirade again about this travesty.
An amusing aside to this was all weekend at Download they were teasing the crowd with 'Is it the greatest PR stunt ever!?!' line.
Was it?
Course it fucking wasn't and true to my word I went and thoroughly enjoyed Rise Against with a pint and a rock and roll cigarette on my Jack Jones rather than watch three multi-millionaires take the entire audience for mugs.
To be honest with you there were several other little stories that made me think I was beginning to not actually like metal anymore, but one is the most heart breaking.
A fair way back when it was a fledgling fart in the ether, rather than the professional juggernaut it is now I guested on Glewcifer's Midweek Alternative with a piece about Roadrunner Records, the accompanying article can be found here.
Well earlier this year I was rocked (and that's not rocked in a good way I should highlight) by news that Roadrunner had axed Roadrunner Europe and Canada. My whole point on the MWA show was that Roadrunner America had its head up it's ass and one of the main reasons why they had success was because of the support and dedication that it's frontline staff had shown. Least we forget that without the hard work in Europe which made bands like Machine Head, Slipknot, Fear Factory, Trivium, Lamb of God and the list goes on, so successful before our brethren across the pond woke up to the fact that Limp Bizkit were not the only band out there then metal would be in even sorrier a state than it is right now.
As news broke it seems that not only were the staff axed but it was done so in a cold calculated manner.
Whilst I cannot stand baby faced, Daddy sponsored Metallica tribute act Trivium, frontman Matt Heafy twattered "I wish I knew who or what to blame specifically, and chew off it's heads - but Roadrunner records just fired some of their best employees. I don't know if it's corporate greed or it's due to the fact that no one puts value in physical art and that piracy created a domino effect."
He continued: "But our friends who are being tossed away so quickly by the label are now out of jobs. These people helped bands get where they are today.Wanna defend piracy? Do what you do for me and 10,000 others for free. Whatever your trade is - give me that for free or You're a jerk. "My heart goes out to my friends who have been delivered this awful news today. You helped us get where we are. You're in our thoughts."
Now not getting side tracked by the piracy issue, I would say the fault lies more with parent group Warner Music who have decided to shut down the UK and European offices of Roadrunner Records in a 'bid to save money'.
This is from a board of directors who allegedly (according to Metalsucks.net) 'top Warner brass like Lyor Cohen gets paid over $3 million per year to show up to a Ghost show in a limo and stay for two songs. While label president Jonas Nachsin gets paid who knows what, then shows up to a Korn listening party, professes to be SO ecstatic about the signing, then can’t recall the name of the new album he’s about to preview to the press. While countless other high-level Warner employees live in an old-world record label / big money mentality.'
As they rightly point out losing one of these designer suit wearing douchebags could have saved the people who actually do the work, know what they are talking about and are passionate about their jobs. I mean sure there are back room staff like accountants, administration staff etc whose jobs can be handled by the parent company but it is worth pointing out that this is Roadrunner who also canned the guy who signed every awesome band on the label ever (this, after two-and-a-half years ago firing the other guy who signed every other awesome band on the label ever ). And a key member of their sales and marketing staff. And they fired the guy who heads up the department related to this newfangled thing called the “Internet,” ’cause that technology has no future whatsoever, right?
And in case you think Warner’s brass might be content to simply use Roadrunner as their “rock” arm, think again: they even canned the guy who signed Nickelback…
Thoroughly depressing and enough to make me wonder what's the fucking point.
Then I heard Shadows Fall 'Fire From The Sky' and suddenly a little ray of light cracked in.
This coupled with surviving the Download festival mud bath and everything begins to seem a little rosier.
Right on sue news breaks that Anthrax have had to settle out of court with Dan Nelson for defamation of character and lack of payment for co-authorship of songs that appeared on last years step back in time Worship Music.
Following their acrimonious split back in 2009 'Thrax have alleged that Nelson was physically sick and not able to perform, that he quit (several times) and was a bully who they caved in to because they were vulnerable. Well it seems that in order to keep a lid on the actual details have paid the man off.
Which is a shame because i really want to know if he did actually shit on Franky Bello's chest.
I was going to do a big article on Download, but I figure this is probably enough for a re-emergence and give me something to savour for next time as I talk you you through hiking through mud and drinking Absinthe in the afternoon. Oh and music.
In the meantime I leave you with A Brief History of Metal's 'Word of Day':
Jizznozzle.
Expect it to be applied liberally next time.
