Zappagram 147: Steve Albini's Closet, QOTSA in the Catacombs, 800+ Fugazi shows, cars crash into buildings, Smokey Robinson is a dirty old bastard, and more...
Dude, I knew you would have some great recommendations. If you're able to compile a playlist, that would be awesome! But this list gives me somewhere to start.
There's plenty of stuff in there for metalheads of all stripes, I would say that Pantera and Slayer are probably as heavy as most people will want to go but there's heavier stuff in there I also paid particular attention to making sure that I highlighted female metal artists as well
Electric word life and I’m here to tell you. There’s something else. The after life. A world where never anything happens. You can always see the sun Day or night. So when you ring up that shrink in beverly hills God dam aint they all alike.
I would never get Nick Cave and Nicholas Cage mixed up because I love them both, for entirely different reasons.
But I described the attributes of Billy Connelly at a client dinner in London when it was actually Sean Connery who was being discussed. “He swears a hellova lot on stage”, I mused. Response: “WHAT? Sean Connery?” Took me a while to realise my mistake and the incident became legendary.
As was the time I attended another client dinner in London and an American lawyer mentioned Babe Ruth. I piped up “Didn’t he die of Babe Ruth’s disease?” I shit you not!
Hey Barbara, sorry it took me so long to respond. Life has been insane. No relation to Frank that I know of, though I’ve always been a huge fan of his. I like to tell people you know I’m not one of his kids because I wouldn’t have a boring name like Chris(topher). 😁
No worries. Hope everything is ok. At least as ok as we can be these days. These days, figuring a lot of people don't know who Frank Zappa was. He was also such a force for good, we could have used him now.
Thanks, Barbara. Yeah, everything is okay as it can be these days. I hope the same is true for you. I also badly wish Frank were still with us for so many reasons. Both his voice and George Carlin’s would be indispensable right now!
A step outside the scope of metal, but a grindcore; glitch-pop artist I must recommend is Ada Rook.
Two of her last albums are incredibly heavy, those being:
- UNKILLABLE ANGEL
- UGLY DEATH NO REDEMPTION ANGEL CURSE LOVE YOU
She also has a project under the name Crisis Sigil, that fully embraces her violent mesh of metal and grindcore. *Likely a bit more on point of what you requested:
Thanks, Nova! I’ll check out both of those projects! I dig a lot of the grindcore stuff I’ve heard so far. I’ve also gotten into Knocked Loose in the last day or so. Are you into them at all?
We saw the DK's in 2012 with no Jello. Band sounded great, but truthfully, it was like watching a cover band. Saw him play at PRB with the Guantanamo School of Medicine a couple years later. The set was ok, but the encore? Fucking unbelievable. Played a DK medley and the whole place just exploded. If they reunited they could go on a world tour like the Circle Jerks just did and sell out every place they play!
I continue to find PetroDragonic Apocalypse by King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard as the most appropriate soundtrack these days. For additional consideration, my favorite heavy records that came out last year include Kinship by IOTUNN, Voice of Storms by Horseburner, Beyond the Reach of the Sun by ANCIIENTS, and Opeth’s The Last Will and Testament
Hey Matt! I hope all is well with you. It's great to hear from you. Thanks for all these recommendations—I've not heard a single one, but I'm going to add them to my library for listening now!
Smokey must have inherited his father's dirty old bastard genes in his senility. William Robinson, Sr., a.k.a. "Five", is of necessity a major character in his son's autobiography, and he comes off as a quick-tempered guy who drank too much and wanted to kick the ass of everyone he thought had insulted him.
“Armageddon Man” Black Flag is my go-to for this kinda stuff. 9mins of furious jamming with Rollins spitting lyrics like his life depends on it.
Minor Threat’s entire discography fits here but I’ll choose “In My Eyes” and “Betray”
where to begin with Bad Brains? “Big Takeover” references these exact issues (“just another Nazi scheme”) “Banned in DC” & “Right Brigade” still inspire me today.
and perhaps the ultimate for this moment: “Malfunction” by Cro-Mags.
Thanks, buddy! I’m a longtime fan of all these bands. Black Flag was my first concert, and I badly wish I could’ve seen Bad Brains and Minor Threat. I need to give Cro-Mags a listen—it’s been a looong time!
figured they’d all strike your fancy. I have arthritis in my left shoulder from moshing at a Bad Brains concert on my 22nd bday…32 years ago this past Feb.
I love the Swell Season thanks for the heads up. This is a particularly great newsletter and I second the emo on “Ew.” I was thinking of bands like Pentagram and the Plasmatics for your request. Keep up the great work!
I wrote a note but it disappeared. I found out about Pentagram from a doc ten years ago on Netflix. Crazy band, the singer was a drug addict living at home with his mother and he was already old. There was a resurgence of young fans and he went back to fame and some fortune NOT. He knocked up some chick and apparently beat the shit out of the chick he married who was half his age. I heard cray stories because he did an album with my friend Sonny Vincent from NY's punk legend band The Testors.
OMG! I hadn't put two and two together. You won't believe this—I've been seeing this band blowing up on TikTok recently! I searched the band name and the crazy lead singer's photo popped up and I was like, "Holy shit! That's the crazy-eyed singer from TikTok!" How wild!
Metal? Fuck yes
Sepultura "Roots Bloody Roots"
Pantera "Fucking Hostile"
Metallica "Disposable Heroes," "Battery"
Slipknot "sic"
In This Moment "Ashes"
Cannibal Corpse "Hammer Smashed Face"
Deicide "Once Upon the Cross"
I mean there's more. So much more in this misunderstood genre (and sub genres). If you like I'll generate a playlist.
Dude, I knew you would have some great recommendations. If you're able to compile a playlist, that would be awesome! But this list gives me somewhere to start.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/00kgIEdgGkwP0kqlrFOwz5?si=J9y7i7vSRsK_qCArvvuhHg
Thanks, man!
There's plenty of stuff in there for metalheads of all stripes, I would say that Pantera and Slayer are probably as heavy as most people will want to go but there's heavier stuff in there I also paid particular attention to making sure that I highlighted female metal artists as well
Obligatory "Fuck LiveNation" for good measure
Haha thanks—I had hoped for at least one of those!
The Kerry King album might be a good call. Nit usually my thing. I listened to some of it on a whim yesterday. Google clickbait led me astray.
Thanks, Alec!
Electric word life and I’m here to tell you. There’s something else. The after life. A world where never anything happens. You can always see the sun Day or night. So when you ring up that shrink in beverly hills God dam aint they all alike.
This life, your on your own.
Alice in Chains - Dirt
Really enjoyed this issue - a great oasis of calm in the middle of the shit-storm whirling around!
Thanks, Bryan! I’m glad you enjoyed this one. Dirt is one of my all-time favorites!
YES! I guessed right about the coffee beans.
I would never get Nick Cave and Nicholas Cage mixed up because I love them both, for entirely different reasons.
But I described the attributes of Billy Connelly at a client dinner in London when it was actually Sean Connery who was being discussed. “He swears a hellova lot on stage”, I mused. Response: “WHAT? Sean Connery?” Took me a while to realise my mistake and the incident became legendary.
As was the time I attended another client dinner in London and an American lawyer mentioned Babe Ruth. I piped up “Didn’t he die of Babe Ruth’s disease?” I shit you not!
I love them both too, but like you, I can’t imagine mixing the two up! Hilarious stories about the client dinners, too! 😆
Oh, forgot to recommend German heavy metal band “Rage”. You’ve got plenty of that emotion going on just now, so you might enjoy them.
Oh! I already like them based on their name alone! 🤘🏻
Rage? Check out Metallium as well
Wonderful Zappa footage.
Barbara, I’m excited to watch the Zappa special at some point!
I've always been all about Zappa and also Zappa plays Zappa. Are you related? I've met most of the immediate kids and Gail.
Hey Barbara, sorry it took me so long to respond. Life has been insane. No relation to Frank that I know of, though I’ve always been a huge fan of his. I like to tell people you know I’m not one of his kids because I wouldn’t have a boring name like Chris(topher). 😁
No worries. Hope everything is ok. At least as ok as we can be these days. These days, figuring a lot of people don't know who Frank Zappa was. He was also such a force for good, we could have used him now.
Thanks, Barbara. Yeah, everything is okay as it can be these days. I hope the same is true for you. I also badly wish Frank were still with us for so many reasons. Both his voice and George Carlin’s would be indispensable right now!
I have some metal recommendations that are more modern.
Cattle Decapitation- “One Day Closer to the End of the World,” “Scourge of the Offspring.”
Fit For An Autopsy - “Iron Moon,” “A Higher Level of Hate,” “Warfare,” “Lower Purpose.”
You can find them at the end of my playlist.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0um23bB9MAYm7hVj32lVvl?si=1_aNiTtFSba44aWZ9cRLRA&pi=9jpW6vpjRWetT
Enjoy! I hope these help as much as they help me.
Thanks man—I look forward to checking these out!
A step outside the scope of metal, but a grindcore; glitch-pop artist I must recommend is Ada Rook.
Two of her last albums are incredibly heavy, those being:
- UNKILLABLE ANGEL
- UGLY DEATH NO REDEMPTION ANGEL CURSE LOVE YOU
She also has a project under the name Crisis Sigil, that fully embraces her violent mesh of metal and grindcore. *Likely a bit more on point of what you requested:
- God Cum Poltergeist
Thanks, Nova! I’ll check out both of those projects! I dig a lot of the grindcore stuff I’ve heard so far. I’ve also gotten into Knocked Loose in the last day or so. Are you into them at all?
We saw the DK's in 2012 with no Jello. Band sounded great, but truthfully, it was like watching a cover band. Saw him play at PRB with the Guantanamo School of Medicine a couple years later. The set was ok, but the encore? Fucking unbelievable. Played a DK medley and the whole place just exploded. If they reunited they could go on a world tour like the Circle Jerks just did and sell out every place they play!
I continue to find PetroDragonic Apocalypse by King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard as the most appropriate soundtrack these days. For additional consideration, my favorite heavy records that came out last year include Kinship by IOTUNN, Voice of Storms by Horseburner, Beyond the Reach of the Sun by ANCIIENTS, and Opeth’s The Last Will and Testament
Hey Matt! I hope all is well with you. It's great to hear from you. Thanks for all these recommendations—I've not heard a single one, but I'm going to add them to my library for listening now!
I hope you find something new to enjoy among them, Chris!
Thanks, buddy! 🙏
Smokey must have inherited his father's dirty old bastard genes in his senility. William Robinson, Sr., a.k.a. "Five", is of necessity a major character in his son's autobiography, and he comes off as a quick-tempered guy who drank too much and wanted to kick the ass of everyone he thought had insulted him.
Check out Eyes of your Eyes - "Fueled by the perception of the incoming horrors of a technological society run amok"
https://open.spotify.com/artist/65YerjDIhAhVZebMCUfZ9S?si=qtlN5S7CQ5SaCFKIpon_DA
Oooh, will do, Scott. Sounds right up my alley. Thanks, man!
I feel you Chris…keep on truckin’
“Armageddon Man” Black Flag is my go-to for this kinda stuff. 9mins of furious jamming with Rollins spitting lyrics like his life depends on it.
Minor Threat’s entire discography fits here but I’ll choose “In My Eyes” and “Betray”
where to begin with Bad Brains? “Big Takeover” references these exact issues (“just another Nazi scheme”) “Banned in DC” & “Right Brigade” still inspire me today.
and perhaps the ultimate for this moment: “Malfunction” by Cro-Mags.
Thanks, buddy! I’m a longtime fan of all these bands. Black Flag was my first concert, and I badly wish I could’ve seen Bad Brains and Minor Threat. I need to give Cro-Mags a listen—it’s been a looong time!
figured they’d all strike your fancy. I have arthritis in my left shoulder from moshing at a Bad Brains concert on my 22nd bday…32 years ago this past Feb.
RESIST!
Oh wow! That’s incredible! (The moshing at BB, not the arthritis part.) ✊🏻
at this stage it’s a badge of honor. hurts like hell though
I love the Swell Season thanks for the heads up. This is a particularly great newsletter and I second the emo on “Ew.” I was thinking of bands like Pentagram and the Plasmatics for your request. Keep up the great work!
Thanks, Lori! I’m glad to know you enjoyed this one! I’ll check out those bands…I’ve heard of Plasmatics but not Pentagram. 🤘🏻
I wrote a note but it disappeared. I found out about Pentagram from a doc ten years ago on Netflix. Crazy band, the singer was a drug addict living at home with his mother and he was already old. There was a resurgence of young fans and he went back to fame and some fortune NOT. He knocked up some chick and apparently beat the shit out of the chick he married who was half his age. I heard cray stories because he did an album with my friend Sonny Vincent from NY's punk legend band The Testors.
OMG! I hadn't put two and two together. You won't believe this—I've been seeing this band blowing up on TikTok recently! I searched the band name and the crazy lead singer's photo popped up and I was like, "Holy shit! That's the crazy-eyed singer from TikTok!" How wild!
Lol
I’m not a fan of metal, but I’ll offer you Killing Joke’s album Night Time.
Thanks, Ben! I’ll check that album out!