Guess What We Are Doing Today?
Author: mikeladano
REVIEW: PoundHound – Massive Grooves from the Electric Church of Psychofunkadelic Grungelism Rock Music (1998)
Complete studio albums (and more!), part 11
POUNDHOUND – Massive Grooves from the Electric Church of Psychofunkadelic Grungelism Rock Music (1998 Metal Blade)
You have to give Doug Pinnick credit for many things, and one of them is his prolific musical output. The same year as King’s X Tape Head album, Doug released this solo project under the band name PoundHound. Massive Grooves (the shortened title) featured Doug playing all instruments except drums. His King’s X bandmate Jerry Gaskill, and Shannon Larkin of Ugly Kid Joe helped out in the percussion department. The result isn’t that dissimilar from Tape Head itself. As the title suggests, these are indeed massive grooves.
The Reverend Hershall Happiness is your host for this heavy celebration. “Jangle”, the opening song, isn’t that much different from the groovy side of King’s X at all, and just listen to that bass! Doug lets it ring low, and boy oh boy does it sound good. “Jangle” is as catchy as it is groovy. “Shake” puts the emphasis strictly on groove. “Everybody, shake your thing,” sings the Reverend. It probably surprises nobody that Doug is a good enough guitar player to nail some cool solos too. Is there anything he can’t do? (Just the drums, apparently!)
The songs are mostly short and to the point. Don’t expect the progressive metal of King’s X. Do not think you’re getting simply good time party groovers either. A great song called “Friends” for example is pretty blunt. “Kevin is a razorhead, he says the cutting numbs the pain.” Just like King’s X, Doug is not afraid to paint a stark picture of some parts of real life that we often want to bury. “My world just got darker,” he sings on “Darker”. If you were expecting an entire album of good times, this is not it. But good rock and roll? Absolutely. The direction is more or less the same from track to track. It’s heavy groove based rock with the best soul singer in metal. The variety that you get from King’s X (and their multiple singers) is not present here, but if you like Doug then you will love PoundHound.
Doug’s bass and guitar sound amazing (you will rarely hear such a full bass sound), but the drums are fairly dry and a little thin (compared to the last few King’s X discs). This does not hamper enjoyment of the disc. The songs and sound are consistent enough.
Best tracks: “Jangle”, “Shake”, “PsychoLove”, “Friends”, “Hey”. Only semi-stinker in the bunch: “Supersalad” (too much grungy grunting vocalizing).
Doug released a second album as PoundHound, before shortening his name to Dug and putting out proper solo albums under his own name. For all intents and purposes though, Massive Grooves is the first Doug Pinnick solo album and a damn good one it is.
3.5/5 stars
Part 1 – Out of the Silent Planet (1988)
Part 2 – Gretchen Goes to Nebraska (1989)
Part 3 – Kings of the Absurd (split bootleg with Faith No More)
Part 4 – Faith Hope Love by King’s X (1990)
Part 5 – “Junior’s Gone Wild” (from 1991’s Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey soundtrack)
Part 6 – King’s X (1992)
Part 7 – Dogman (1994) + bonus “Pillow” promo single review
Part 8 – Ear Candy (1996)
Part 9 – Best of King’s X (1997)
Part 10 – Tape Head (1998)
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REVIEW: King’s X – Tape Head (1998)
Complete studio albums (and more!), part 10
KING’S X – Tape Head (1998 Metal Blade)
You never knew what you’d get with a new King’s X album. Monstrous musicianship, intelligent lyrics, and integrity certainly; but they like to fly in all sorts of directions. Tape Head, following the sweet pop rock of Ear Candy, was a monolithic slab compared to that earlier album. In many regards Tape Head is a brother record to Doug Pinnick’s solo project PoundHound (more on them later). The focus here is the groove.
Witness, the first song “Groove Machine”. “Welcome to the groove machine,” sings Doug, letting his bass lay it down. “Music oh music, such a funky thing. The closer you get, the deeper it means.” He’s right. Ty Tabor lays on a heavy wah-wah for his guitar solo, but not to be left out drummer Jerry Gaskill gets a bit of a solo too. It’s simple, straightforward and unpretentious. “Groove Machine” has but one purpose.
“Fade” continues the heavy groove direction, slower now, and with Ty Tabor taking the vocals in the chorus. From the ultra-heavy bass to Jerry Gaskill’s beats, everything hits you exactly in the right spot. A break in the groove occurs on “Over and Over”, a Doug ballad with sincere soul. When Ty joins him in the chorus, the song becomes timeless. Heavy again again but with the same kind of powerful chorus is “Ono”. When you have an album as single-minded as Tape Head, you tend to grasp onto standout melodies like this even more. King’s X let their 1960’s flag fly a little bit on “Cupid”, which doesn’t let up in the groove department, but does have shades of their hippie melodic bent. That’s an appropriate way to lead into “Ocean”, a mellow Ty Tabor song that sounds like Ear Candy, but turned up to 11. Doug’s hella-sonic bass just crushes, even though you could fairly call this song a ballad! The difference between this and Ear Candy is all in the production. Tape Head is self-produced and you can tell they just wanted to hear everything heavier and lower!
Pure ear candy is “Little Bit of Soul” which sounds like it should. Heavy rock knows no singer with as much soul as Doug Pinnick. He even brings soul into “Hate You”, which is pretty straightforward in the lyric department! Then “Higher Than God” is one of the mightiest choruses on the album, thanks again to Doug, with Ty and Jerry backing him. Only King’s X can infuse R&B with their rock the way that they do. Listen to Doug’s low vocal crooning on “Happy”. Then he turns it up, lets it loose. There is only one Doug Pinnick and he is a rock and soul treasure.
You might not expect the slight twang that starts off “Mr. Evil” but like most King’s X songs, it mutates into different forms. (Nice steel guitar solo by Ty.) If you were craving just one more killer chorus before it’s all over, then “World” delivers that and some heavy-ass grooves too. The highlight here is a blazing rock n’ roll guitar solo, very different for Ty. That’s not the last song though; there’s a surprise at the end that defies description except to say it’s pretty funny!
Tape Head is an impressive monument of rock indeed. It bleeds pure gobs of soul, and it rocks the brain really, really hard. It’s slimmer in the catchy melodies stockpile, but the relentlessness of direction draws you back in for another listen. Some may lament that with Tape Head, their progressive metal past seems long behind them. I think that was road they already turned from, with 1994’s Dogman. They transformed into a heavier band, with echoes of their past but a sound that blends it all up. The songs are not as distinct, but the groove is king on Tape Head.
4/5 stars
Part 1 – Out of the Silent Planet (1988)
Part 2 – Gretchen Goes to Nebraska (1989)
Part 3 – Kings of the Absurd (split bootleg with Faith No More)
Part 4 – Faith Hope Love by King’s X (1990)
Part 5 – “Junior’s Gone Wild” (from 1991’s Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey soundtrack)
Part 6 – King’s X (1992)
Part 7 – Dogman (1994) + bonus “Pillow” promo single review
Part 8 – Ear Candy (1996)
Part 9 – Best of King’s X (1997)
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#451: The Summer Sausage Rule
GETTING MORE TALE #451: The Summer Sausage Rule
The owner at the old Record Store was a very smart man. He learned from everybody and absorbed everything. He was a virtual encyclopedia of retail do’s and don’ts. I don’t think anybody would be likely to meet someone who knows more about retail and how to thrive in difficult times.
There were many memorable lessons that I learned there, but one of the rules he tried to drill into managers was the “Summer Sausage Rule”. This was a display tip that he learned from Mac Voisin, founder of M&M Meats. This company is now one of the largest frozen food retailers in Canada. They grew from one to 425 franchises. You can see why the Boss admired their model, especially when we went into our own (less successful) franchising phase. We couldn’t duplicate their success by selling used CDs, but the Summer Sausage Rule was pretty simple and easy to apply at a store level.
Here’s the rule:
Mac Voisin noticed that if he displayed only a small number of summer sausage (like one or two links) for sale, nobody would buy them. There’s something psychological about it. Customers are less likely to buy one, if there are only a couple out to buy. Maybe they think “this product can’t be very good,” if there are only one or two out. Or, perhaps it was, “There are only two left, which means all the best sausage is probably gone.” When Mac displayed dozens of pieces of summer sausage as opposed to just one or two, they would fly off the shelves. Same product, same store; just different quantities on display.
Therefore, the Summer Sausage Rule, as it applied to CDs and CD accessories was “display as many as you can.” If you’re selling CD wallets, don’t just price one or two and put them out. Fill the shelves with them. Same with CD towers. If you display two dozen, you’ll sell them faster than if you only put out one or two at a time. Posters, CD cases, CD cleaners – it doesn’t matter. If you have the stock, then display it en masse. You will turn them around much more quickly.
The best rules are often the simplest. This is one rule that actually worked! Retailers of the world, take note and learn from a once-tiny now-huge frozen food empire!
A Word on Summer Sausage
It may surprise longtime readers to know that I am not fond of summer sausage. Considering I often boast of being a proud annual Sausagefester every summer, you might assume I enjoy all forms of cured spiced meats. I do not. Its powerful taste and dense meat* do not appeal to me. Having said that, I find it fascinating just the same.
The most common summer sausage in this area is made by Schneiders, who make a pork based version. However this is farm country, and just a few clicks north in St. Jacobs, you can buy it fresh in more varieties. Keep in mind though, what you are looking at here is basically a fat and salt torpedo. These things will bomb your guts like no tomorrow, so remember: moderation!
*Aaron, your line here ___________________.
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REVIEW: King’s X – Best of King’s X (1997)
Complete studio albums (and more!), part 9
KING’S X – Best of King’s X (1997 Atlantic)
Alas, it was inevitable. After six stunningly good albums, but none of them gold, in 1997 Atlantic dropped King’s X. In the mid-90’s it’s amazing that King’s X hung around as long as they did. Many labelmates has long since been dumped, or broke up. King’s X did not break up, but instead continued to work on their own, self-producing a new album. Atlantic meanwhile prepared the calculable “best of” package for release. Whenever a band gets dropped from a label, a “best of” is bound to follow. It’s a law of science.
It’s a pretty straightforward release. Chronologically, you get most of the major singles and hits from all six albums. Then you get the three requisite unreleased songs. Finally, a 10 minute live blowout from Woodstock ’94, previously unreleased. In an unusual touch of quality for a release like this, Ty Tabor himself remastered all the tracks for the album.
We already took a close look at most of these songs earlier in the series, and there are no real duds. The CD is weighted too heavily to the later albums, leaving Silent Planet and Gretchen under-represented with only four songs between them. Hearing “King” opening the album is perfect, and the inclusion of “Pleiades” earns respect. The other two tunes, “Summerland” and “Goldilox” are awesome but predictable inclusions. The self-titled album and Dogman are represented by two tracks each. We could have done with more Dogman. “Shoes”, for example, or “Pretend”. Three songs from this set come from the more commercial Ear Candy. Again, you can’t really criticize the choices too much, because all the songs are great. How do you squeeze more in?
Well, one way would be not including the unreleased songs, but these are record company bait to entice fans to shell out for it. The three studio cuts are self-produced demos from 1996. Appropriate to that era of the band, these are more commercial sounding than typical King’s X. The production is not lush, but they have a lively quality. “Sally” is nothing to write home about, but it’s a concise King’s X pop rocker with plenty of cool noodling by Ty. Both “Sally” and the next song, “April Showers” feature fuzzy wah-wah guitar, always a treat. Doug Pinnick sings the funky “April Showers”, which sounds a bit more King’s X. Possibly the best song is the sparse ballad “Lover”, also sung by Doug. It just depends on whether you prefer the mellow hippie sounds of “Lover” or the funk of “April Showers”!
The closing piece of the album was a surprising but important inclusion, and that is the live version of “Over My Head” from their opening set at Woodstock ’94. This 10-minute track features a passionate singing rant by Doug Pinnick. He has often spoken about his difficult upbringing, and how he never heard the words “I love you” as a child. “This is a song about my grandma…she raised me from a child…she was a very religious lady…she went to church every night…she read her Bible all the time…” begins the painful rant. It still gives me chills, but it has a positive note. If you have kids, make sure they know that you love them, more than anything in the whole wide world.
Yes it’s an odd way to take up 10 minutes of a “best of” CD, but it had to be on here. It was a historic moment for this band. Anybody in the crowd that day who wasn’t completely blasted on drugs would remember that moment forever.
Opening up Woodstock ’94 should have propelled King’s X into the stratosphere. They just couldn’t catch a damn break. They couldn’t even be given a decent album cover for their own damned Best Of!
4/5 stars
Part 1 – Out of the Silent Planet (1988)
Part 2 – Gretchen Goes to Nebraska (1989)
Part 3 – Kings of the Absurd (split bootleg with Faith No More)
Part 4 – Faith Hope Love by King’s X (1990)
Part 5 – “Junior’s Gone Wild” (from 1991’s Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey soundtrack)
Part 6 – King’s X (1992)
Part 7 – Dogman (1994) + bonus “Pillow” promo single review
Part 8 – Ear Candy (1996)
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REVIEW: King’s X – Ear Candy (1996)
Complete studio albums (and more!), part 8
KING’S X – Ear Candy (1996 Atlantic)
This is actually the album that sparked this review series in the first place. I had to re-rip it to my PC. Enamoured, I forged on with an entire series of King’s X, because they deserve it!
By the time King’s X hit album #6, any hope of them being a mainstream success was in the distant past. 1994’s Dogman was an artistic triumph, and considerably heavier than past albums, but still nothing. King’s X even played the noteworthy, critically acclaimed opening set at Woodstock ’94 (more on that next time), to no avail.
Ear Candy was their last album for Atlantic and I don’t know if it was record company pressure or simply natural creativity, but it was different for the band yet again. The heavy tunnel-vision sound of Dogman was severely toned down, in favour of melodic composition. Canadian hitmaker Arnold Lanni was on board for production, his only outing with King’s X. (The Canadian connection was manager Ray Danniels who was handling King’s X for a brief time.) Even guitarist Ty Tabor had stepped back up to the microphone, after being notably absent on Dogman‘s lead vocals. Some fans naturally rejected some of these changes. For others, Ear Candy was a high water mark. The 90’s were a confusing time!
This reviewer is in the high water mark category. Although Ear Candy eschews progressive rock tendencies in favour of catchy tunes, I don’t think the end result was a bad thing.
“Step up and step aboard, your seat is to the left. Leave all your bags and tighten up your metal belt.” That voice is Ty Tabor’s and what better way to usher in his vocals with the first song on the album? “The Train” is a duet between he and Doug Pinnick who sings on the choruses. Classic King’s X trademarks are in place: harmonies, sweet 60’s melodies, hard guitars, and soul. The train is departing on a journey called Ear Candy, and it is a welcoming song. Continuing with the 60’s vibe, “(Thinking and Wondering) What I’m Gonna Do” is sweet and summery. Acoustic guitars, tabla, and Doug’s soulful throat are the focus. Drummer Jerry Gaskill refuses to play anything simple, and so his drums and percussion are spare but unorthodox. Backwards Tabor guitars add to the psychedelic trip.
One of the draws to King’s X has to be Doug’s 8 and 12 basses. “Sometime” (another Doug song) has some of the baddest, lowest, most ass-rumbling bass you’ve ever heard. You have to love the sound of those big phat strings shakin’. Mid-tempo and sweet, “Sometime” is hard enough but with those Beatles-like harmonies.
There was one single released from this album, the very rare “A Box”. (This single had a bonus track called “Freedom” that is missing the LeBrain HQ rock library.) A brilliant selection for a single, “A Box” has that “Goldilox” sound from the first King’s X album. Pinnick had been dealing with his own personal issues and you can hear this in the words. Also worth noting: the drum sound. Arnold Lanni has a knack for finding a killer snare drum sound. Just listen to Our Lady Peace’s first album Naveed. Jerry’s drums have never sounded better than they do on Ear Candy. That snare just snaps! Then “Looking For Love” blasts. Doug is not seething in anger, but you can hear it between the lines. “Religion burned me at the stake,” and “I guess I lost my faith,” sings the once-devout Christian. You can also hear it in the tempo; straining at the lead. Then, following “Looking For Love” is possibly the album highlight…possibly. Because next is Ty’s “Mississippi Moon”, which is impossible to hate. Ty sometimes writes these pleasant, 60’s-pop-like songs in his solo material, and with King’s X. The layered vocals are like a little sugar on top. Just delightful. The only stumble is “67”, which is plenty chunky but not memorable. The freakout guitar noise outro is pretty cool though.
That sounds like a side closer, and the next song “Lies in the Sand (The ballad of…)” would work nicely as a mellow start to a second side. Ty ballads are sometimes very special, and “Lies in the Sand” is special indeed. His earnest singing and playing are basically the song; the other two guys take a step back and just let the song pulse. Things pick up again with “Run”, with Doug sounding cast-down and dejected, but bouncing back again. The pain also runs through “Father”. “My brother’s on crack, my sister’s a wreck, our mother she tried, our fathers are lies.” But the message is clear: “Every one of us loves every one of us.” Blood is thicker than water.
Jerry Gaskill takes a rare lead vocal on the ballad “American Cheese (Jerry’s Pianto)”. The 60’s are recalled once again with a very Beatles-like piano pop ballad. This sets up “Picture”, possibly the most upbeat pop rock moment on Ear Candy. It has a drive to it, and instrumental integrity, which takes it levels high and above most examples of pop rock. Doug sounds happy, and the band rock with glee. It’s a great precursor to “Life Going By”, the finale. It has a quality that sounds like a bookend to “The Train” at the start of the album. Tabor weaves a bright tapestry of acoustic and chiming electric guitars, and also takes the lead vocal for this last song. Layers of harmonies take us out on a sweet, soulful note.
What an album. What’s not to like? Fear not the pop, for King’s X took it back to heavy for 1998’s Tape Head….
5/5 stars
Shortly after Ear Candy, progressive rock fans who craved a little more got their wish partly fulfilled. Doug Pinnick did an excellent guest appearance on the hella-cool song “Lines in the Sand”, from Dream Theater‘s Falling Into Infinity album from 1997. Doug sang accompanying vocals with James LaBrie, lending the song an additional edge. A 10 minute long-bomber, “Lines in the Sand” definitely supplied a taste of the heavy complex rock that fans may have missed. Even if Doug was just a small part of it, he was an integral part.
KING’S X review series:
Part 1 – Out of the Silent Planet (1988)
Part 2 – Gretchen Goes to Nebraska (1989)
Part 3 – Kings of the Absurd (split bootleg with Faith No More)
Part 4 – Faith Hope Love by King’s X (1990)
Part 5 – “Junior’s Gone Wild” (from 1991’s Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey soundtrack)
Part 6 – King’s X (1992)
Part 7 – Dogman (1994) + bonus “Pillow” promo single review
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#450: Beat Up in a Mascot Suit [VIDEO]
RECORD STORE TALES #450: Beat Up in a Mascot Suit
When I first saw this thing sitting in the Beat Goes On back room, I thought it was one of the most hilarious sights I’d ever be likely to find. For shits and giggles, I offered to wear it one Saturday afternoon, and stand on the sidewalk waving to cars. I quickly changed my mind when one of our staff attempted to dissuade me, by telling her friends to kick my CD-suited-ass. Upper management may have lost respect for me when I backed out, but I didn’t see any of them waving at cars either.
You have no defence inside the suit. Your hands and arms are limited to movement at the wrists, and you lose all peripheral vision. A gang of highschool aged Korn fans would have made short work of me!
One slow evening, I decided to take a break and use the time constructively. I wanted to try on that suit! I went into the back room while leaving Dandy in charge of the register. In the back, working a night shift on our web sales, was Wiseman, who offered to take some pictures and video of the suit.
This is what happened. The events were not staged. I never wore it again!
Enjoy.
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Star Wars: The Force Awakens – new TV spot featuring Finn
This is one of the coolest spots yet. A few weeks ago, Hasbro released a “riot control stormtrooper” figure featuring some kind of electro-baton. In this clip we get to see Finn facing off again this guy with the blue Anakin saber. Looks just awesome.
December 18 is less than a month away…
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REVIEW: King’s X – King’s X (1992)
Complete studio albums (and more!), part 6
KING’S X – King’s X (1992 Atlantic)
The end of an era: the self-titled album. When you self-title a record, it’s usually meant to be a statement. Who knows if King’s X knew that theirs would be the end of the classic era of the band? Tensions with producer/manager Sam Taylor were increasing and this would be their last collaboration.
King’s X, the album, seems to hone in on songwriting. There are no long bombers, just short and taut King’s X songs. “The World Around Me” exemplifies this. The main ingredients are intact: Doug’s soulful but pained lead vocals mixed with the lush backing of the other two, the heavy but uniquely constructed riffs, and the diverse assortment of influences. This song, and the next (“Prisoner”) get in and get out quick, delivering the necessary hooks with integrity. They don’t spend time noodling or meandering. The songs are more direct this time, without selling out. You still can’t mistake what band this is. There is only one band that sounds like King’s X, and that’s due to a unique vocal blend, and playing that sounds like no one else.
“The Big Picture”, the first ballad, doesn’t sound all too different from the Faith Hope Love material. Good song, but a retread. Then we’re “Lost In Germany”, with Doug and Ty Tabor sharing vocals, but this is one song that annoys more than it entertains. Something about that chorus. “Germany, lost in Germany!” Maybe it’s the fact that my old boss at the Record Store used to make fun of this song, or maybe it’s just corny. It has a tricky little Steve Vai-esque guitar lick, but I don’t want to be “Lost in Germany” any more. Having found the autobahn, we get off next at the “Chariot Song”. Accelerating breakneck, this song kicks ass. Time signatures and keys change left right and center, but it’s a cohesively awesome song. All I dislike are the self referencing lyrics: “Out of the planet comes Gretchen with faith, hope and love.” You’ll love the psychedelic Beatles section in the middle. Fave tune “Ooh Song” blows out the speakers. The stuttery riff and dark melodies hint at where King’s X were headed. “Ooh Song” and “Chariot Song” are a whopper of a one-two punch, 100% King’s X, no selling out.
“Not Just for the Dead” is uplifting, with hints of piano and sitar. It has a proud, anthemic quality before it too ventures into psychedelia. An album highlight for sure. Then, “What I Know About Love” (the closest thing to a long bomber on this album) has a long Ty Tabor solo section; very cool. “Black Flag” was the lead single but never a favourite of mine. Like “Lost in Germany”, something about the chorus just isn’t happening. Seeing Doug flying around in his underoos, in the music video, is entertaining however. There are also some King’s X puppets — somebody made actual puppets of the guys for props in this video. I sure hope somebody hung onto those!
Winding down the album, Ty’s mellow “Dream in my Life” just kind of sits there. It doesn’t have the drama I crave in King’s X. Fortunately, the closer “Silent Wind” kicks ass completely. The verses and chorus are equally excellent. This is a powerhouse of a song, and though a closer, could have made a much better single than the two they picked!
King’s X created another solid album, but for the first time it felt like they had not progressed. King’s X feels like an amalgam of previous King’s X albums, and maybe that was the point. Still one of the greatest rock bands of all time, they spun their tires a little here. But change was afoot.
4/5 stars
The only King’s X album I reviewed prior to this series was Dogman (1994), and that review is the next chapter in this series. You can read it by clicking here now!
As stated above, Kings’s X, the album, was the end of an era. Dogman would be dramatically different. There were no lead vocals by Ty Tabor, and they had gotten much, much heavier. Putting the emphasis more on the groove, and installing Brendan O’Brien at the console, King’s X delivered a punishing sledge of an album. Dogman rates 4.9999~/5 stars, just shy of a full 5/5. Check out the full review for that. Also previously published is a mini-review for a promotional CD single for the track “Pillow” from Dogman, complete with two then-unreleased live bonus tracks. Click ’em both.
KING’S X review series:
Part 1 – Out of the Silent Planet (1988)
Part 2 – Gretchen Goes to Nebraska (1989)
Part 3 – Kings of the Absurd (split bootleg with Faith No More)
Part 4 – Faith Hope Love by King’s X (1990)
Part 5 – “Junior’s Gone Wild” (from 1991’s Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey soundtrack)
Part 6 – King’s X (1992)
Part 7 – Dogman (1994)
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#449: Paris
Paris
The world in general, but Paris specifically, was shaken again by heinous terror on Friday November 13, 2015. In the misguided name of religion, an apocalyptic cult that we call ISIS or ISIL have attacked the good people of France once more. But they were surprised by the resilience of the French populace, and by the love of the entire world.
Still shaking, we all still struggle to make sense of these attacks. The loss of innocent lives, the radical cult with the twisted concept of good and evil and the desire to bring about the “final battle with Rome”, and the fear of what may come next. We have all spent time thinking about such things.
For some like myself, this attack has crossed a blurry line. For the first time ever, our precious music was a target. Josh Homme’s Eagles of Death Metal were playing to a crowd of 1500 people at the Bataclan concert hall. Little did Homme, or the gleeful concert goers realize, but ISIS had declared their gathering to be one of “pagans”:
“The targets included the Bataclan theatre for exhibitions, where hundreds of pagans gathered for a concert of prostitution and vice.” – official statement from ISIS.
Then, gunmen broke into the venue and executed 89 music fans, including some in wheelchairs. In the eyes of the terrorists, rock fans are all evil unbelievers, beyond redemption. To the rest of the sane world, they were simply 1500 people in the wrong place at the wrong time, punished for nothing, lives ended for nothing. It makes no sense.
Then, we all woke up the next morning. Bombs fell on Raqqa in Syria, in the name of Paris. For some, life goes on. For others, they must now carry on without their loved ones.
Without taking any focus away from where it should be (the innocent), this terror attack feels different than any other in memory. Rock music used to be a place we could go to escape. While gun violence (Dimebag) and mass tragedy (the Station House fire) are sadly nothing new at a rock concert, this is the first time rock fans have been specifically targeted by terrorists for the music we like — apparently “prostitution and vice”. We were already probably all targets anyway, for being the wrong religion, or sexual orientation, or just for holding the wrong beliefs. Now, 89 of us have been slaughtered, including Nick Alexander, a well-liked merchandise manager for the Eagles of Death Metal, for being at a rock concert. My friend Mike, who does the same job with Steve Earle, left Paris only hours before the attacks.
Sure, millionaires like Bono have always been trying to get music involved in world affairs. Music has raised money for the poor and starving, it has raised awareness for a multitude of issues, but ultimately it was really just an escape from the world. People do not attend a U2 concert to learn how to change the planet. You can learn that much more affordably by buying a book. People go to see U2 to witness the light show, the music, and ultimately escape from the outside world for two or three hours. That’s all it is in the long run, and now that sanctuary has been shattered for some.
Music will still be an escape for most of us. Most will not let this one attack change our lives, but it feels like a new battle line has been drawn. Now even we the rock fans, usually under society’s radar, have been attacked and killed. Expect this to draw us together, not tear us apart. Unlike the merciless fiends who did this, those hurt will draw strength from the love of the entire world.
Cut us, do we not bleed? Yes, we do. We will not stop resisting evil in this world, but now that rock fans are among the specifically calculated dead, it feels different to me. This time, it feels personal. ISIS have killed again, but they have also failed again. The world is stronger than they are. Love defeats hate.
mikeladano.com 