Alex Hughes is the other half of the Iron Age guitar axis. Texas native and natural born shredder. He also may or may not be involved in eardrum shattering phenomena such as Hatred Surge and Insect Warfare. Some other random fun facts: He once moshed during an entire Das Oath live set. Also, he once made the rest of Iron Age, who were already on stage, wait for 20 minutes because he was walking a dog. Uncle Al...
What was the last record you bought?
Corrupted - "Paso Inferior".
If you could travel back in time and roadie on any tour that ever happened, what tour would that be?
The UK Earache Grind Crusher tour BOLT THROWER, CARCASS, MORBID ANGEL & NAPALM DEATH. Doesn't really get more brutal.
If you could erase one album from the history of music, which one would that be and why?
Gorilla Biscuits - "Start Today" (yuck)
What is your favorite record that never was? Meaning it never got fully written, recorded or released at all but it would have been awesome if it had been...
Obviously the Manpig 10".
What are your musical predictions for 2010?
Business as usual. Hopefully more metal and less messageboard bullshit.
Favorite Some Kind Of Monster quote?
Not a quote but the part where they show the different title ideas for St. Anger....SATANIC CUCKOO CLOCK
Friday, February 19, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Six Questions With Jeffrey Smet
Meet Jeffrey... An international jetsetter, sneakerhead pur sang, hip hop connaisseur and math wizard. If you're feeling unsure about the color combos you're thinking of rocking this weekend, ask Jeffrey for advice before you head out the door looking like rainbow man. As someone with a refined taste in music (I'll let his Lil Wayne fixation slip here for a sec) I knew I had to send these questions to him as well. Jeffrey was kind enough to take some time off from the writing of his book "Urban Wheelchairing In 2010" to answer them promptly.
What was the last record you bought?
The last record I scooped off ebay is Down - "Nola" LP. Had it on CD for years, finally got my hands on some vinyl. The last new music I bought is the latest Clipse record. Unfortunately on CD cause it wasn't released on vinyl. What's up with that?
If you could travel back in time and roadie on any tour that ever happened, what tour would that be?
I guess some early Life Of Agony tour. Rocking out with my all time favorite band day in day out.
If you could erase one album from the history of music, which one would that be and why?
The first thing that comes to mind must definitely be the latest Merauder record. Sad.
What is your favorite record that never was? Meaning it never got fully written, recorded or released at all but it would have been awesome if it had been...
Probably "The Commission" debut LP. The Commission was suposed to be this east coast rap supergroup based around Hova and Biggie. Too bad the latter died way to early.
What are your musical predictions for 2010?
I predict Drake is going to be the next big thing in pop/hiphop/music. "Thank Me Later" is gonna be an awesome record. Juelz Santana is gonna put out a great record and become the most relevant Dipset member of '10. I love the new 90´s RNB inspired stuff Diddy is doing now, think that might blow up as well. Hope to see something sparkling new on the Belgian hardcore scene too.
Favorite Some Kind Of Monster quote?
When Ulrich says he's gonna shove 50 dollars up your ass and James Hetfield continues: "One dollar at a time".
What was the last record you bought?
The last record I scooped off ebay is Down - "Nola" LP. Had it on CD for years, finally got my hands on some vinyl. The last new music I bought is the latest Clipse record. Unfortunately on CD cause it wasn't released on vinyl. What's up with that?
If you could travel back in time and roadie on any tour that ever happened, what tour would that be?
I guess some early Life Of Agony tour. Rocking out with my all time favorite band day in day out.
If you could erase one album from the history of music, which one would that be and why?
The first thing that comes to mind must definitely be the latest Merauder record. Sad.
What is your favorite record that never was? Meaning it never got fully written, recorded or released at all but it would have been awesome if it had been...
Probably "The Commission" debut LP. The Commission was suposed to be this east coast rap supergroup based around Hova and Biggie. Too bad the latter died way to early.
What are your musical predictions for 2010?
I predict Drake is going to be the next big thing in pop/hiphop/music. "Thank Me Later" is gonna be an awesome record. Juelz Santana is gonna put out a great record and become the most relevant Dipset member of '10. I love the new 90´s RNB inspired stuff Diddy is doing now, think that might blow up as well. Hope to see something sparkling new on the Belgian hardcore scene too.
Favorite Some Kind Of Monster quote?
When Ulrich says he's gonna shove 50 dollars up your ass and James Hetfield continues: "One dollar at a time".
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Six Questions With Robert Moss
On May 29th Rob's band Dirty Money will be playing their last show ever. London's where you need to be if you want to catch that. Chances are he'll be wearing his yellow XXL De La Soul shirt for the occasion, while riffing it up on stage. Yeah, Rob's cool like that."Six Questions With..." is kind of a new thing I'm trying to get going here and I figured Rob would be a good first.
What was the last record you bought?
It was actually a Strength For A Reason record I think.
If you could travel back in time and roadie on any tour that ever happened, what tour would that be?
Any Pantera tour. I'd be drowning in black-tooth-grins with ma boy Dime. Watch it go!
If you could erase one album from the history of music, which one would that be and why?
"My Love. My Way" by Modern Life Is War. For inspiring too many people stuck in 2006 to form paint-by-numbers "epic" sounding bands that are just fundamentally boring.
What is your favorite record that never was? Meaning it never got fully written, recorded or released at all but it would have been awesome if it had been...
The Dirty Money LP? Ha! Maybe a full length Merauder record with Eddie Sutton singing. A progression from that demo. That would be interesting to hear. I don't mean I want to hear Sutton singing "Master Killer", I mean something new & specific to that lineup.
What are your musical predictions for 2010?
Within UKHC specifically I imagine things drifting along here with not much change. I'd expect maybe half a dozen really good records worldwide. In the UK there might be one or two interesting things in the planning stages. I imagine I'll start hearing a lot of bands doing watered down Trapped Under Ice riffs and other people getting really excited by that. I think more bands will start to do crossover records between hardcore and other genres and people will say they like them even if the music is bad out of fear of being accused that they 'don't get it'. At the same time I think a handful bands (outside the bands I expect) will do something massively creative and fun.
Favorite Some Kind Of Monster quote?
Lars' Dad - "I would say... delete that. I don't know for you guys, but for me it doesn't cut it..."
What was the last record you bought?
It was actually a Strength For A Reason record I think.
If you could travel back in time and roadie on any tour that ever happened, what tour would that be?
Any Pantera tour. I'd be drowning in black-tooth-grins with ma boy Dime. Watch it go!
If you could erase one album from the history of music, which one would that be and why?
"My Love. My Way" by Modern Life Is War. For inspiring too many people stuck in 2006 to form paint-by-numbers "epic" sounding bands that are just fundamentally boring.
What is your favorite record that never was? Meaning it never got fully written, recorded or released at all but it would have been awesome if it had been...
The Dirty Money LP? Ha! Maybe a full length Merauder record with Eddie Sutton singing. A progression from that demo. That would be interesting to hear. I don't mean I want to hear Sutton singing "Master Killer", I mean something new & specific to that lineup.
What are your musical predictions for 2010?
Within UKHC specifically I imagine things drifting along here with not much change. I'd expect maybe half a dozen really good records worldwide. In the UK there might be one or two interesting things in the planning stages. I imagine I'll start hearing a lot of bands doing watered down Trapped Under Ice riffs and other people getting really excited by that. I think more bands will start to do crossover records between hardcore and other genres and people will say they like them even if the music is bad out of fear of being accused that they 'don't get it'. At the same time I think a handful bands (outside the bands I expect) will do something massively creative and fun.
Favorite Some Kind Of Monster quote?
Lars' Dad - "I would say... delete that. I don't know for you guys, but for me it doesn't cut it..."
Thursday, January 21, 2010
This World, I Am Afraid, Was Designed For Crashing Bores
I have devised a bunch of plans in my head to help me survive 30 in 2010. One of them is doing more blogging. I have a few interviews coming up, so keep checking back. I do have some time on my hands now until Rise And Fall embarks on that 10 day Euro tour with Trapped Under Ice late January. So there might be more updates soon.
We did 3 shows with Hope Con a while back and it was a pleasure to see those dudes again, on and off stage. They raged through an epic setlist every night, playing as much as 16, 17 or 18 songs and lovin' it. I know I could not physically pull that off, despite being a few years younger than some of those guys, so hats off to them. Granted, it might seem a bit long considering how all our attention spans have been reduced to next to nothing thanks to the wonders of television and the internet but I actually enjoyed hearing such a wide variety of their songs, from real old to brand new. I love how that band works, they do what they do and when they want to. I have yet to acquire a physical copy of "True Nihilist" but I'm sure it'll come as no surprise when I tell you that record is really, really good.
Went to see a couple of shows last week, the first being the legendary Ian Brown playing one of Belgium's finest venues, the Ancienne Belgique in Brussels. Now, I am not very familiar with Ian Brown's solo records so I will not claim to be an expert but I have to say most songs he played didn't make much of an impression on me. That's alright though, as I mainly just wanted to see the man on stage. You never know, it might've have secretly been his last tour or something. I mean Jay Reatard died last week and he was only 29. "Fool's Gold" was the only Stone Roses song we were treated to, I was hoping for more but I do respect the man just doing his own thing. My favourite parts of the show were the ones in between songs where he'd just stroll around stage and say cool shit. Best quote: "Could you stop texting please?" to some random idiot in the crowd. Glad I went.
Then on Saturday I was back in Brussels, this time in the newly relocated Magasin 4. The old location was the spot in late 90's and early 00's for wild shows and the new building is definitely cool. Good location, roomy but not huge. Just a little chilly in the winter I guess. Main attraction here was Kickback, supported by Length Of Time and a few more bands. Length Of Time did well in front of an enthusiastic hometown crowd, the sound was good too. No new songs though although I know they've been working on some. Kirby held it down perfectly as the sole guitarist. Their set might've been a little long for my tastes but whatever.
On to Kickback, who throughout the years still have maintained enough mystique, charisma and popularity to draw a rather large crowd, especially in Belgium I'd say. Though I feel like a lot of people come to see the circus rather than Kickback the band, which I can understand, I've always thought they were a genuinely great band. Less of the provocative stage rants by Stephen this time around, I didn't really hear him call the crowd a bunch of f-bombs or whatever so that was a nice change. The music did all the talking and as far as Kickback shows go, this one was really good. An uncomfortable vibe dominated the room (in no small part thanks to the projections they have going on now, Neurosis style, showing the vilest shit you can imagine), a band possessed and a sound that was good but raw and aggressive enough to make it work. A lot of songs off their latest "No Surrender" album and obviously a bunch of tracks off "Forever War" and "Les 150 Passions Meurtrières". A good night.
Last of all, I'd recommend anyone to go see or rent "It Might Get Loud", a documentary on rock guitarists (I guess?) featuring Jimmy Page, Jack White and The Edge. This is one of the coolest music films I've ever seen. Seeing Jimmy Page play guitar, talk about guitars and school the young 'uns just brought the biggest smile to my face. Basically these 3 men get together with a bunch of guitars and a bunch of old records and talk about what they love most. Great concept. Lots of good music passes through. Afterwards I was thinking how brilliantly these 3 men reflect 3 generations of musicians. Seeing how U2 started out nearly as a punkrock band (The Edge gives props to The Jam and The Buzzcocks amongst others for inspiration), as a reaction to the old "rock dinosaurs" who were past their peak and would indulge in 15 minute guitar solos etc. they are defintely part of the generation that came after Led Zeppelin. In turn The White Stripes were very much a reaction as well to that generation. Back to basics, stripped down blues worship as a response to bands like U2 where the guitar didn't even sound like a guitar anymore, sounding too tame and too diluted for a wild cat like Jack White. "It Might Get Loud" is a job well done, above all, it was done with love and tremendous respect and that shines through. Don't miss out.
Peace.
We did 3 shows with Hope Con a while back and it was a pleasure to see those dudes again, on and off stage. They raged through an epic setlist every night, playing as much as 16, 17 or 18 songs and lovin' it. I know I could not physically pull that off, despite being a few years younger than some of those guys, so hats off to them. Granted, it might seem a bit long considering how all our attention spans have been reduced to next to nothing thanks to the wonders of television and the internet but I actually enjoyed hearing such a wide variety of their songs, from real old to brand new. I love how that band works, they do what they do and when they want to. I have yet to acquire a physical copy of "True Nihilist" but I'm sure it'll come as no surprise when I tell you that record is really, really good.
Went to see a couple of shows last week, the first being the legendary Ian Brown playing one of Belgium's finest venues, the Ancienne Belgique in Brussels. Now, I am not very familiar with Ian Brown's solo records so I will not claim to be an expert but I have to say most songs he played didn't make much of an impression on me. That's alright though, as I mainly just wanted to see the man on stage. You never know, it might've have secretly been his last tour or something. I mean Jay Reatard died last week and he was only 29. "Fool's Gold" was the only Stone Roses song we were treated to, I was hoping for more but I do respect the man just doing his own thing. My favourite parts of the show were the ones in between songs where he'd just stroll around stage and say cool shit. Best quote: "Could you stop texting please?" to some random idiot in the crowd. Glad I went.
Then on Saturday I was back in Brussels, this time in the newly relocated Magasin 4. The old location was the spot in late 90's and early 00's for wild shows and the new building is definitely cool. Good location, roomy but not huge. Just a little chilly in the winter I guess. Main attraction here was Kickback, supported by Length Of Time and a few more bands. Length Of Time did well in front of an enthusiastic hometown crowd, the sound was good too. No new songs though although I know they've been working on some. Kirby held it down perfectly as the sole guitarist. Their set might've been a little long for my tastes but whatever.
On to Kickback, who throughout the years still have maintained enough mystique, charisma and popularity to draw a rather large crowd, especially in Belgium I'd say. Though I feel like a lot of people come to see the circus rather than Kickback the band, which I can understand, I've always thought they were a genuinely great band. Less of the provocative stage rants by Stephen this time around, I didn't really hear him call the crowd a bunch of f-bombs or whatever so that was a nice change. The music did all the talking and as far as Kickback shows go, this one was really good. An uncomfortable vibe dominated the room (in no small part thanks to the projections they have going on now, Neurosis style, showing the vilest shit you can imagine), a band possessed and a sound that was good but raw and aggressive enough to make it work. A lot of songs off their latest "No Surrender" album and obviously a bunch of tracks off "Forever War" and "Les 150 Passions Meurtrières". A good night.
Last of all, I'd recommend anyone to go see or rent "It Might Get Loud", a documentary on rock guitarists (I guess?) featuring Jimmy Page, Jack White and The Edge. This is one of the coolest music films I've ever seen. Seeing Jimmy Page play guitar, talk about guitars and school the young 'uns just brought the biggest smile to my face. Basically these 3 men get together with a bunch of guitars and a bunch of old records and talk about what they love most. Great concept. Lots of good music passes through. Afterwards I was thinking how brilliantly these 3 men reflect 3 generations of musicians. Seeing how U2 started out nearly as a punkrock band (The Edge gives props to The Jam and The Buzzcocks amongst others for inspiration), as a reaction to the old "rock dinosaurs" who were past their peak and would indulge in 15 minute guitar solos etc. they are defintely part of the generation that came after Led Zeppelin. In turn The White Stripes were very much a reaction as well to that generation. Back to basics, stripped down blues worship as a response to bands like U2 where the guitar didn't even sound like a guitar anymore, sounding too tame and too diluted for a wild cat like Jack White. "It Might Get Loud" is a job well done, above all, it was done with love and tremendous respect and that shines through. Don't miss out.
Peace.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
2009
Part of being a nerd entails that you love lists. So obviously I do too. I was planning on having a bunch of people send me theirs but there's a whole bunch of other blogs and sites out there that are doing that already so peep those. Deathwish Inc, Complex man, Trumbull Island, etcetera. You know where to go. Here's my Top 10 Albums of this year in some random order. As with any list, I'll probably regret a few choices in a week from now and I probably forgot a bunch of great records too but that's life. Here goes...
IRON AGE - "The Sleeping Eye"
All the riffs you wish you wrote. Or the ones you wish Hetfield and Hammett were still writing. If you have a short attention span, you might not dig this. If you love good music, you probably will.
DINOSAUR JR. - "Farm"
Fuck it, this record probably has the coolest cover art of '09. Not a lot of records have me running into record stores a few days before the official release date hoping to dig this one out of a crate. If you thought "Beyond" was quite the return to form (and it was) then you're in for a treat.
DAN AUERBACH - "Keep It Hid"
The Black Keys' axeman goes solo, as if he hasn't written enough killer blues rock already. I know blues rock is the worst term but whatever. Doesn't stray too far from the path The Black Keys have paved, but if the path's this brilliant, who cares?
MORRISSEY - "Years Of Refusal"
Yeah you like The Smiths better. Yadda yadda. How can you be Morrissey's age and still be so cool? This relevant? And rock harder than you ever have? Beats me. But the man delivers again.
SHRINEBULDER - "s/t"
Fuck Them Crooked Vultures. This is THE supergroup of 2009. Bow to the altar of Wino, Scott Kelly, Cisneros and Crover.
CONVERGE - "Axe To Fall"
One only expects greatness from Converge and that's all they deliver. A touch more metal and at the same time a touch more "accessible" than their last few records. So good.
TRAPPED UNDER ICE - "Secrets Of The World"
Some people have refused to call this the record of the year because too many other people have. Weird huh? This record makes you love hardcore more.
RAEKWON - "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II"
The chef is back. Swinging knives and wrecking kettles. Everyone else, get out of the fuckin' kitchen.
KICKBACK - "No Surrender"
This is an ugly, hateful, vicious record. You cannot possibly explain to your mom why you like it, but you do like it. A lot. In fact, you don't want your mom to know you're into this because somehow it makes you a freak.
BLAKROC - "s/t"
Does everything The Black Keys touch turn into gold? It sure does seem so. Hip Hop and rock collabs have everything against them, but somehow these boys and some of Hip Hop's finest make it work. It sounds so natural and right you wonder if you should maybe give that Judgment Night soundtrack another shot.
IRON AGE - "The Sleeping Eye"
All the riffs you wish you wrote. Or the ones you wish Hetfield and Hammett were still writing. If you have a short attention span, you might not dig this. If you love good music, you probably will.
DINOSAUR JR. - "Farm"
Fuck it, this record probably has the coolest cover art of '09. Not a lot of records have me running into record stores a few days before the official release date hoping to dig this one out of a crate. If you thought "Beyond" was quite the return to form (and it was) then you're in for a treat.
DAN AUERBACH - "Keep It Hid"
The Black Keys' axeman goes solo, as if he hasn't written enough killer blues rock already. I know blues rock is the worst term but whatever. Doesn't stray too far from the path The Black Keys have paved, but if the path's this brilliant, who cares?
MORRISSEY - "Years Of Refusal"
Yeah you like The Smiths better. Yadda yadda. How can you be Morrissey's age and still be so cool? This relevant? And rock harder than you ever have? Beats me. But the man delivers again.
SHRINEBULDER - "s/t"
Fuck Them Crooked Vultures. This is THE supergroup of 2009. Bow to the altar of Wino, Scott Kelly, Cisneros and Crover.
CONVERGE - "Axe To Fall"
One only expects greatness from Converge and that's all they deliver. A touch more metal and at the same time a touch more "accessible" than their last few records. So good.
TRAPPED UNDER ICE - "Secrets Of The World"
Some people have refused to call this the record of the year because too many other people have. Weird huh? This record makes you love hardcore more.
RAEKWON - "Only Built 4 Cuban Linx II"
The chef is back. Swinging knives and wrecking kettles. Everyone else, get out of the fuckin' kitchen.
KICKBACK - "No Surrender"
This is an ugly, hateful, vicious record. You cannot possibly explain to your mom why you like it, but you do like it. A lot. In fact, you don't want your mom to know you're into this because somehow it makes you a freak.
BLAKROC - "s/t"
Does everything The Black Keys touch turn into gold? It sure does seem so. Hip Hop and rock collabs have everything against them, but somehow these boys and some of Hip Hop's finest make it work. It sounds so natural and right you wonder if you should maybe give that Judgment Night soundtrack another shot.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Everything You Might Need For Day To Day Survival
Just in case anyone out there hasn't seen this yet. Here you go. Thank me later.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
I'll Be Hangin' Where Eventually You'll Have To Be
Got home yesterday after what looks a hell of a lot like 3 months of straight touring. Feels weird being back home, but it ain't all that bad. It'll be cool to just chill on my own for a while and coming back to a snow covered and icy cold Belgium does have its charms.
Australia was the last tour we did in 2009 and I'm pretty sure I'll forever remember Australia as the coolest place I've ever been too. I don't know how to explain this exactly... If you've been there, then you know because most people I've met who have been there have all wanted to just stay there. Australia seemed to be the perfect mishmash of English, European and American influences, with a vibe that is all their own, plus a ton of amazing beaches, the ocean, overwhelming landscapes and cool cities. Looking across the ocean is like looking at the end of the world. I couldn't help but imagine that at the horizon the world just stopped, as if the earth was flat. We toured with an awesome band called Blkout, who we'd met only once, when their tour and ours joined up for a show in Berlin last summer. Dudes turned out be cool as hell and they are a great band to watch too. They have a record called "Total Depravity" out on Resist Records, if you dig post "Age Of Quarrell" Cro-Mags, The Icemen and let's say, True Blue then chances are you'll dig them. Other Australian highlights included cuddling with koalas, swimming rockpools, jumping off shit, picking up a pair of Alifes in the sales, having Marty, Josh and Jimmy take care of us and wandering around Melbourne in the morning, scoring breakfast and a bunch of second hand books.
The month of October seems like ancient history already, but that was when we toured the States. As usual it was a tour that had its ups and downs and as usual it was all around awesome experience. We got to play with a bunch of great bands (Bracewar, Bitter End, Ceremony, Trapped Under Ice, etc.) and we got to meet and play for about a week with Chicago's hardest, Harm's Way. For some reason I'd never seen this band live or met any of the dudes in the band, but turns out Harm's Way are some of the coolest dudes I've met in quite a while. Their LP "Reality Approaches" is cool but live they really shred hard. A lethal force if you will. When I get back into blogging more than I have been you can expect more on this band. A lot of shoe/clothes/record shopping was done on this tour, I can't seem to help it... So much good shit out there in the States. And that dollar is still so low too, it's like someone's forcing my hand.
November was spent touring throughout Europe with our friends in Iron Age. This was one of the best tours we have ever done, in terms of turnouts, being able to sell the new album and playing a lot of cool shows. Lots of fun, lots of riffing and lots of weed. Needless to say that seeing Iron Age every night was quite the trip. I got the impression that they go over some people's heads sometimes, which is a damn shame because I think they've never been this good and this tight live. They have the songs to back it all up too. I figure that right now, they are the band they have always aspired to be. "The Sleeping Eye" might just be my favourite heavy (or hardcore related) release of 2009. If you haven't yet, pick it up. The tour ended in Ghent, our first hometown show since early 2008 and it also served as the official record release. Despite me stressing out it all went real well and the show was a success. Perfect way to end a great tour.
Thinking of "The Sleeping Eye" brings me to the much feared end of the year lists. I'll take a shot at an Album Top 10 or Top 20 in the near future, I'm trying to figure it all out in my head first. I know my man Klaas is planning on doing a whole bunch of them on his blog (www.complex-man.com) so check that out. Klaas dove headfirst into blogging, bringing quality and quantity. Definitely one of my favourite blogs going right now.
Since I last posted here, that Blakroc album has come out and I've only gotten round to listening to it 4/5 times but I'm loving it. Definitely delivers. More on that and other records soon, I've been buying a lot of vinyl in the last couple of months. It feels good. Peace.
Australia was the last tour we did in 2009 and I'm pretty sure I'll forever remember Australia as the coolest place I've ever been too. I don't know how to explain this exactly... If you've been there, then you know because most people I've met who have been there have all wanted to just stay there. Australia seemed to be the perfect mishmash of English, European and American influences, with a vibe that is all their own, plus a ton of amazing beaches, the ocean, overwhelming landscapes and cool cities. Looking across the ocean is like looking at the end of the world. I couldn't help but imagine that at the horizon the world just stopped, as if the earth was flat. We toured with an awesome band called Blkout, who we'd met only once, when their tour and ours joined up for a show in Berlin last summer. Dudes turned out be cool as hell and they are a great band to watch too. They have a record called "Total Depravity" out on Resist Records, if you dig post "Age Of Quarrell" Cro-Mags, The Icemen and let's say, True Blue then chances are you'll dig them. Other Australian highlights included cuddling with koalas, swimming rockpools, jumping off shit, picking up a pair of Alifes in the sales, having Marty, Josh and Jimmy take care of us and wandering around Melbourne in the morning, scoring breakfast and a bunch of second hand books.
The month of October seems like ancient history already, but that was when we toured the States. As usual it was a tour that had its ups and downs and as usual it was all around awesome experience. We got to play with a bunch of great bands (Bracewar, Bitter End, Ceremony, Trapped Under Ice, etc.) and we got to meet and play for about a week with Chicago's hardest, Harm's Way. For some reason I'd never seen this band live or met any of the dudes in the band, but turns out Harm's Way are some of the coolest dudes I've met in quite a while. Their LP "Reality Approaches" is cool but live they really shred hard. A lethal force if you will. When I get back into blogging more than I have been you can expect more on this band. A lot of shoe/clothes/record shopping was done on this tour, I can't seem to help it... So much good shit out there in the States. And that dollar is still so low too, it's like someone's forcing my hand.
November was spent touring throughout Europe with our friends in Iron Age. This was one of the best tours we have ever done, in terms of turnouts, being able to sell the new album and playing a lot of cool shows. Lots of fun, lots of riffing and lots of weed. Needless to say that seeing Iron Age every night was quite the trip. I got the impression that they go over some people's heads sometimes, which is a damn shame because I think they've never been this good and this tight live. They have the songs to back it all up too. I figure that right now, they are the band they have always aspired to be. "The Sleeping Eye" might just be my favourite heavy (or hardcore related) release of 2009. If you haven't yet, pick it up. The tour ended in Ghent, our first hometown show since early 2008 and it also served as the official record release. Despite me stressing out it all went real well and the show was a success. Perfect way to end a great tour.
Thinking of "The Sleeping Eye" brings me to the much feared end of the year lists. I'll take a shot at an Album Top 10 or Top 20 in the near future, I'm trying to figure it all out in my head first. I know my man Klaas is planning on doing a whole bunch of them on his blog (www.complex-man.com) so check that out. Klaas dove headfirst into blogging, bringing quality and quantity. Definitely one of my favourite blogs going right now.
Since I last posted here, that Blakroc album has come out and I've only gotten round to listening to it 4/5 times but I'm loving it. Definitely delivers. More on that and other records soon, I've been buying a lot of vinyl in the last couple of months. It feels good. Peace.
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