So, I started working on a new music blog on tumblr with a couple friends.  Everyone who reads this and has a tumblr should click this link and ‘follow’ Rathbone Music!!:  http://rathbonemusic.tumblr.com/

I will probably be using that more regularly from now on, so if you want to read more articles by MusicTalker (a.k.a. Radio’s Tim Shaw), go and follow Rathbone on tumblr!!  I posted my first article a couple hours ago about this year’s Mayhem Fest lineup.  Check it out: http://rathbonemusic.tumblr.com/post/16468850876/mayhem-festival-2012-lineup

I hope to see people start following Rathbone!

Thanks,

MusicTalker

I will also be seeing Machine Head at the Worcester Palladium on Saturday, February 4th, with support from Suicide Silence and Darkest Hour.  A couple weeks later, I will experience In Flames and Trivium co-headlining the Palladium, on Friday, February 17th.  I will definitely try to get some timely show reviews on here for both of those concerts.

In other news, the Boss released a new song, which is very different for him, but pretty damn good.  I definitely want to see Bruce for the fourth time, so I hope he announces U.S. dates SOON!

Speaking of U.S. tours, Red Hot Chili Peppers just added one New England date to their upcoming U.S. tour at the TD Garden in Boston on May 7th!  Apparently, tickets are $62 or so.  If that’s the case, that isn’t too bad, especially considering how big the Chili Peppers are, as well as the show being at the Garden.

I think that’s all for now.  I will check back in very soon! Stay tuned, everyone!

MusicTalker here!  I haven’t posted here in several months, but now that my mind is free from the restraints called schoolwork, I am able to update my music-related thoughts once again!  AND, I’m back in time to post a “Top Albums of 2011″ list and have it be relevant!

This year’s list is MUCH more diverse than my past one(s).  However, it still relies heavily on my niche of heavy metal.

Check it out:

METAL:

1. The Devil Wears Prada – Dead Throne
2. Darkest Hour – The Human Romance
3. Machine Head – Unto the Locust

HIP-HOP/RAP:

1. Childish Gambino – CAMP
2. Jay-Z & Kanye West – Watch the Throne
3. Drake – Take Care

ALTERNATIVE:

1. Foster the People – Torches
2. Cage the Elephant – Thank You Happy Birthday
3. Incubus – If Not Now, When?

TOP TEN OF 2011:

1. Jay-Z & Kanye West – Watch the Throne
2. Foster the People – Torches
3. August Burns Red – Leveler
4. Warbringer – Worlds Torn Asunder
5. Childish Gambino – CAMP
6. Machine Head – Unto the Locust
7. Trivium – In Waves
8. Lazarus A.D. – Black Rivers Flow
9. The Black Dahlia Murder – Ritual
10. Cage the Elephant – Thank You Happy Birthday

Pretty solid? I personally think so.  This was a great year for albums, not the best for tours.  Next year looks amazing for both so far, though!  I mean, Black Sabbath reunion tour and album!!  Nothing tops that!

That’s all for now, but I plan to post here much more often now that I am done with school (forever!).  I also am planning to  start a website with a few friends devoted to all types of music – more on that in the coming weeks or so.

I hope everyone had a great year and Merry Christmas to all who celebrate it! Happy Holidays to everyone else!

- MusicTalker

It has been quite a while since my last post on here.  With that in mind, I figured I would give whoever ever reads this an update on what’s going on with MusicTalker.

Since last fall, I have been handling my own metal radio show on Bridgewater State University’s student-run radio station, 91.5 WBIM, in Bridgewater, MA.  I am also the  metal director for the station, a position that entails me promoting new hard rock/metal music, reporting to CMJ (College Music Journal (kind of like the college radio equivalent to Billboard)), and some other duties.  As some perks for the job, I am able to go to concerts for free and conduct band interviews for my show, Severe Auditory Trauma.

With that said, here are some links you all should check out:

http://www.youtube.com/user/severeauditorytrauma (my show’s YouTube channel – subscribe to that shit)

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=161155 (Blabbermouth article for my interview with Megadeth’s David Ellefson – follow the links to Severe’s YouTube channel and check out the rest of my interviews!!)

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=161062  (Devin Townsend interview)

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=158269  (Steve Zetro Souza interview, audio clips – go check it out at Severe’s YouTube channel, too!!)

Also, a shout goes out to the authors of the following two articles for the name drop:

http://www.rockaaa.com/news/new-megadeth-album-a-modern-classic-7309

http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/upcoming_releases/megadeth_th1rt3en_is_a_modern_classic.html

So, yeah, check those out and keep your eyes peeled, because I will try to post a little more often than I have been.  I know, I know.  I’ve said that before, but this time I mean it!

Lastly, please go to my show’s YouTube channel, show some love, subscribe, spread some links, etc.!  And, if you want to be super awesome, go “like” my show’s page on Facebook!  (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Severe-Auditory-Trauma)

Thanks!!

- MusicTalker

Musictalker’s Top 10 Rock/Metal Releases of 2010:

10. Holy Grail – Crisis in Utopia  (Phenomenal new band. For fans of Black Tide, these guys sound like a thrashier version of Black Tide when they were still good and promising for a return of old school metal. Holy Grail actually has a future. Hopefully, they won’t pull a Black Tide and kill that potential!)

9. Deftones – Diamond Eyes  (I don’t usually listen to Deftones normally, but this was hard not to give a good listen. great album)

8. The Devil Wears Prada – Zombie EP  (I sort of gave these guys a listen with their earlier stuff and wasn’t really a fan, but this release is much heavier and has the potential to appeal to a larger audience)

7. The Acacia Strain – Wormwood  (Another band I never really bothered listening to, but this is a killer album.  It still wrecks your ears and makes that brutal statement The Acacia Strain never fails to force upon their listeners, but also forges a sound that other types of metal listeners can relate to.)

6. The Damned Things – Ironiclast  (This is more bluesy hard rock, but so catchy and so good.  It is a very weird collaboration of musicians, though.  The Damned Things consists of members of pop-punkers Fall Out Boy, hardcore band Everytime I Die, and Big Four thrash metallers Anthrax.  Very, very weird combination, but the musical product is really good!)

5. Avenged Sevenfold – Nightmare  (This is bound to appear on many ‘best of 2010′ lists.  Despite the loss of Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan, A7X delivers a solid release, utilizing Dream Theater’s [now former] drummer, Mike Portnoy.  I only listen to a few A7X songs here and there, but this album was good overall.)

4. Death Angel – Relentless Retribution  (Thrasherpiece!  These guys killed it with this record.  They showed their power and expertise and why they are still playing strong after 20+ years of thrashing hard.  I actually interviewed lead guitarist Rob Cavestany for my radio show.  These guys are simply awesome and I really want to see them live!)

3. Exodus – Exhibit B: The Human Condition  (Another absolute killer thrasherpiece!  While I am not really a fan of their current vocalist, Rob Dukes, Exodus showed why they, too, still belong on that stage, playing heavy ass thrash metal.  Dukes actually gets the job done with this one.  Great thrash metal record.  Exhibit B and Relentless Retribution are neck-and-neck for best thrash metal record of 2010 in my book, with Overkill’s Ironbound close behind!)

2. Black Label Society – Order of the Black  (Oh. My. God.  This album is just too good.  I think it tops 2005′s Mafia.  I think Zakk realized how much of a failure Shot to Hell was and stepped it up BIG TIME!  I think Zakk getting sober may have worked out with his music after all. Good job, brother!)

1. As I Lay Dying – The Powerless Rise  (Awesome metalcore, dare I say, masterpiece.  These guys have found their own sound and direction.  AILD managed to bring back their brutality from their earlier years, maintain their melodic components from their more recent albums, and just step up everything, creating an altogether awesome effort.  I interviewed lead guitarist Nick Hipa for my radio show and he was wicked cool.  He was a great subject for an interview and proved how down-to-earth these dudes really are.  That fact enhances the power of their music.  Anyways, this was definitely #1 of 2010 for me.)

There you have it, folks.  Musictalker’s Top 10 Hard Rock/Metal Albums of 2010.  That’s all for now! Stay tuned to my blog, stay metal, and keep loving music, everybody!

As for the concert, As I Lay Dying absolutely killed it.  They rocked the crowd, leaving them wanting more.  It was a real bummer, though, that they played a significantly shorter set than Underoath, who played before them and royally sucked.

Exactly a week later, on Tuesday, July 27th, I attended Mayhem Fest in Mansfield, MA.  That was a very fun day.  I actually met Shadows Fall, but as a fan, not a journalist.  Therefore, there was no interview or anything.  Still, it was a cool experience – they seemed like really chill guys.  Their set was awesome – too bad it was on the second stage and had to be so short!  Other highlights of the day were Lamb of God, Hatebreed, and definitely Rob Zombie.  John 5′s guitar solo totally kicked ass!  Additionally, this was the only Mayhem Fest date that Avenged Sevenfold played.  They were pretty good, but there were a ton of poseur metalheads rocking out to them.  Sure, they’re a decent band, but I don’t have a lot of respect for a ‘metalhead’ who sits down for Lamb of God, then stands for Avenged Sevenfold and sings along to every lyric.  It’s okay for the ladies, but for a wanna-be M. Shadows to throw the devil horns and sing to every A7X lyric like a girl, now, that’s just contradictory in itself.  There is no disrespect aimed at Avenged Sevenfold there, though, just the poseur fans.

Well, that’s basically my summer concert spiel for now.  I’ll try to update whoever actually reads this at some point next month after I experience Megadeth/Slayer/Testament and Ozzfest.

July 13th releases to look for:

In This Moment – A Star-Crossed Wasteland

Norma Jean – Meridional

HellYeah – Stampede

KoRn – KoRn III: Remember Who You Are

From what I have heard of In This Moment’s new album, it sounds like a great return for them.  I wasn’t really a fan of The Dream, but this sounds much heavier and more pleasing to the typical metalhead’s ear.

I’ve never been a fan of Norma Jean, but I am listening to their new album streaming in its entirety on Myspace as we speak, and it’s not awful.  It’s definitely worth a listen.

HellYeah’s Stampede  was leaked on YouTube a few weeks ago and it sounds awesome.  If you had pre-ordered it, you most likely already have a digital copy.

Honestly, I really don’t like KoRn at all; not even a little bit.  I doubt that will change, but I will give the new stuff a listen with a somewhat open mind if it’s streamed online.

Those are the main albums I have heard that are being released this Tuesday in the metal world.  You can catch In This Moment, Norma Jean, and KoRn on this year’s Mayhem Fest.  You can also catch HellYeah on the Rockstar Uproar Festival this summer/fall.

Still in store for this summer are Black Label Society’s Order of the Black on August 10th and Iron Maiden’s The Final Frontier  on August 17th, among others.  Keep your eyes and ears out and rock on!

I did not enjoy God Dethroned or Vader at all.  God Dethroned did not want to be there; it was evident in their delivery of their music.  Music-wise, they had a couple good guitar solos, but otherwise, they weren’t anything special.  Vader was the last band to play before the old school thrash titan headliners took the stage.  Their sound was off by so much.  The sound quality was so awful that it was hard to even listen to the music.  The band had horrible stage presence, even worse than God Dethroned, which says a lot.  I was surprised that the crowd was actually energetic at all toward this band; no thanks to Vader.

Overkill took the stage and just killed it.  Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth showed everyone how a true frontman does it.  The only problem with Blitz was that he ran to the side of the stage during almost every guitar solo, which is when the frontman should be interacting with his audience the most.  The band was tight all around, delivering an extremely strong set. 

Here are the setlists from each of the bands from this show as provided by Chyck on metalsetlists.com:

Evile:
Infected Nation
We Who Are About to Die
Thrasher
Bathe in Blood
Enter the Grave

Warbringer (missing a song or two / may be out of order):
Jackal
Living In A Whirlwind
Severed Reality
Total War
Prey For Death
Scorched Earth
… another song… damnit, I can’t read my writing

God Dethroned:
Soul Sweeper
Under a Darkening Sky
Nihilism
No Man’s Land
Poison Fog
Boiling Blood
Villa Vampiria

Vader:
This is War/Lead Us
Sothis
Wings
Devilizer
Rise of the Undead
Never Say My Name
The Crucified Ones
Shadowfear
Impure
Carnal

Overkill:
The Green and Black
Rotten to the Core
Wrecking Crew
The Battle
Hello From the Gutter
Feel the Fire
Ironbound
Hammerhead
Bare Bones
Overkill
Gasoline Dream
Bring Me the Night
Elimination
—————-
Necroshine
Old School
Fuck You/Sonic Reducer

Also, as most people know by now, a Metal God retreated to the Heavens at 7:45 am on Sunday, May 16th, 2010.  Ronnie James Dio was an amazing person and had the most amazing voice.  He was truly a god amongst men and deserves to be remembered as such.  He passed away on Sunday after battling stomach cancer for several months.  Known for popularizing the metal horns, fronting Black Sabbath after Ozzy left, and many other great contributions to the metal community and the world in general, Dio was an inspiration for countless individuals, especially most metal musicians.  I was lucky enough to have seen him live with Heaven & Hell three times, one of which involved me staying the night in a hotel room across the hall from him.  He was an irreplaceable human being and will be sorely missed by so many.  Rest in Peace, Ronnie.

In lighter news, Exodus’ Exhibit B: The Human Condition was released today.  This album is a must-buy for thrash metal fans.  While Rob Dukes is not even close to being the best Exodus vocalist, he offers some quality vocals on this thrasher.  He brings to the table some old school thrash shouts as opposed to his usual generic screams.  With that said, if you did not enjoy their 2007 effort, Exhibit A, do not hesitate to check this one out.  Exhibit B climbs to much highers levels of excellence and is more raw and old school-sounding than any of Exodus’ recent releases.  It is definitely worth the buy and gives good competition against Overkill’s Ironbound for the title of “Thrash Album of 2010.”

Other recent albums you need to check out:

As I Lay Dying – The Powerless Rise

John 5 – The Art of Malice

Albums to look for:

Soulfly – Omen – 5/25

Kingdom of Sorrow – Behind the Blackest Tears – 6/8

Ozzy Osbourne – Scream – 6/22

Black Label Society – Order of the Black – 8/10

I’m sure everyone has heard about all of the Mayhem Fest 2010 details by now, but if you have not, here’s the lineup for this year’s Mayhem:

Mayhem Festival Side Stage: Atreyu (great band, live and in studio), Norma Jean (not a huge fan), In This Moment (awesome live band; amazingly hot female lead singer), and 3 Inches of Blood (haven’t seen them live yet)

Jagermeister Side Stage: Hatebreed (can’t wait to experience them live!), Chimaira (great live, except for their lack of stage presence), Shadows Fall (amazing all-around), and Winds of Plague (dion’t know them too well)

Main Stage: Korn (eh), Rob Zombie (can’t wait to see him, especially with John 5 on guitar and Joey Jordison on drums!), Lamb of God (amazing band, can’t wait to see them), and Five Finger Death Punch (eh)

Presale tickets go on sale tomorrow (Friday, April 2nd), so jump on that!  Here’s the link if you need further details:

http://www.rockstarmayhemfest.com/mayhem/index.asp

Also on the agenda, I’m seeing Overkill live tomorrow night.  I will attempt to get some pictures and I will post a review on here as soon as I get the chance.  It should be a great show.  Thrash Revival bands Warbringer and Evile will be there.  I cannot wait to experience their live shows.  They are helping to maintain the thrash metal sound, because soon enough our beloved old school thrash titans (i.e. Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Testament, Overkill, etc.) will see their days.  After all, they’re all at least in their early 50′s. 

The last item on my list to inform everyone about is a list of some upcoming CDs to check out:

Slash – “Slash” – April 6th

Coheed & Cambria – “Year of the Black Rainbow” – April 13th

Sevendust – “Cold Day Memory” – April 20th

Drowning Pool – “Drowning Pool” – April 27th

Soulfly – “Omen” – May 4th

As I Lay Dying – “The Powerless Rise” – May 11th

Exodus – “Exhibit B: The Human Condition” – May 18th

Deftones – “Diamond Eyes” – May 18th

Kingdom of Sorrow – “Behind the Blackest Tears” – June 8th

Those are only a few of  many noteworthy releases coming up, so keep checking back as I will try to update this blog more often.