Lacuna Coil

Having heard their last album, Karmacode, I recently got hold of an acoustic concert from the spanish radio channel website, Radio 3, dated on the 09/11/2006. It is a very brief but beautiful performance from this italian metal band, which features tracks from their two latest albums, with songs such as "Heaven's a Lie", "Within Me" and "Closer". Members are: Cristina Scabbia (vocals), Andrea Ferro (vocals), Cristiano Migliore (guitars), Marco Biazzi (guitars), Marco Coti Zelati (bass), and Christiano Mozzati (drums).

Chart 1, Level -A

Today I made it one step up in the chart, that's great! Guess how many steps are left? Yeah, until the A+. I'm still trying to get into some theory practice and other rather than mechanical exercises, but still don't know where to get the time from.

Today I have been busy doing some project work, attending a lecture boring as hell, and went to life drawing as well, (did some proportions, it's hard to get into it). At lunch time, I went to see a jazz session in the Richmond Atrium, performing just a saxophonist and a pianist. Quite good, but very brief, they (the University) should do this type of things more often.

That's all for now. Later.

Latin Metal (Ill Nino)

I would like to talk about a brilliant combo which came up in the nu metal scene, but with a twist in its approach to their musical ideas. This was, adding elements of latin music such as salsa, rumba, flamenco, etc. and which they like to call "latin metal". I am talking about Ill Nino, a New Jersey-based metal band with South American descent. They provide awesome, cutting-edge metal riffs with a very well crafted mixture of latin percussion and acoustic guitars, and delivering lyrics in both Spanish and English. To check out what I am talking about, here is their first single from their latest album:

This Is War(from the album "One Nation Underground", 2005)


This Is War Lyrics
He was enslaved, to the dirty system, pero murió (to face the end) mother fucking come on
This was the final mission
His life had just begun
It all had to be so fucked up
His death to me, so fucked
His face remains so deathless

[Chorus]

This is war
And I swear that I'm not giving up or giving in
This is war?
Then I swear that I'm not giving up or giving in
Giving up
This is war

Society is a loaded weapon
No one is exempt from the bullet within
El sistema (the system) is a prime example
De lo que pasa cuando (of whats to happen next)
The streets could be so fucked up
His destiny so fucked up
His face remain so deathless

[Repeat Chorus]

Dios mio, alma mia, ¿por que me as llevado la vida?
(god of mine, soul of mine, why have you taken my life)
Cuando yo todo te lo he dado (when I have given everything to you)
En mi hora de muerte, no me dejes morir (in my hour of need, don't let me die)
Necesito otra vida, Necesito que me digas (give me another breath, Speak to me)

Is this war? Is this war?
This is war

With all this latin metal going on, I would like to mention Marc Rizzo, former guitarist of Ill Nino, and actually playing in Soulfly, (he is the one playing on the video "Frontlines", in one of the previous posts). He is a very talented and technical player, and he has a side solo project going on as well. Also, I would like to add a link to a very useful website about Flamenco: The Flamenco Information Page.

Metalocalypse

"Metalocalypse is a Flash animated television series on Adult Swim created by Brendon Small and Tommy Blacha. It has been described as "Spinal Tap meets Scooby-Doo meets Norway." The series was originally pitched as Deathclock, but the name could not be used due to an existing trademark. The show and the main characters' band were then renamed Dethklok. The show's title was then extended to Death Clock Metalocalypse, although the starring band still retained the name Dethklok. The crew finally shortened the title to Metalocalypse because the extended show title was too complicated." Read more here.

Is really good, specially for metal fans. You can find some of the episodes here, in YouTube.

Remembering Sepultura and Soulfly

Hola, I am writing this post because I had been watching and listening music from my teenage days this christmas, which influenced me very much and was a very important movement in the thrash metal scene back in the day, and they were not from the United States of America, hahaha. I am talking about Sepultura, the Brazilian Godzillas :) and I really got into them with their album "Arise". After that came both masterpieces "Chaos A.D." and "Roots" (still proud for having those records), just before departure of Max Cavalera from the band. Don't know if this was good or bad, but what happend was the birth of a new band called Soulfly, from the mind of Max itself, giving some real fucking awesome songs, more in the style of the "Roots" album, while Sepultura remained with a new singer, Derrick Green, and one guitar off the collective sound. So, having said what I wanted to say, I am posting one video for each band, showing what they are up to nowadays.

Sepultura: Convicted in Life (from the album "Dante XXI", 2006)



Soulfly: Frontlines (from the album "Dark Ages", 2005)

Chart 1, Level B+

Happy new year! This time I have made it one step forward to the top of the chart. Patience is the key! As long as there is progress it is alright. Came back from my veeery short christmas break, so I thought why not put some pics of my guitars.

Here is the one I have since quite a long time now, five or six years I believe. A nice ESP M-II Deluxe, with Seymour Duncan pickups and a Floyd Rose bridge:





This is the one I have been using in Bradford, UK, since I came here. It has been almost three years now. A Rockwood Hohner with a Les Paul shape, with both humbucker picks, really nice. Got it second hand.