From the Vault #11: Queens of the Stone Age – Same (1998)

Tracklist:

1. Regular John
2. Avon
3. If Only
4. Walkin' on the Sidewalks
5. You Would Know
6. How to Handle a Rope
7. Mexicola
8. Hispanic Impressions
9. You Can't Quit Me Baby
10. Give the Mule What He Wants
11. I Was a Teenage Hand Model

From the Vault #10: Kyuss – Blues for the Red Sun (1992)

Tracklist:

1.Thumb
2. Green Machine
3. Molten Universe
4. 50 Million Year Trip (Downside Up)
5. Thong Song
6. Apothecaries' Weight
7. Caterpillar March
8. Freedom Run
9. 800
10. Writhe
11. Capsized
12. Allen's Wrench
13. Mondo Generator
14. Yeah

From the Vault #9: Suicidal Tendencies - Suicidal Tendencies (1983)

Let´s skate...

Tracklist:

1. "Suicide's an Alternative / You'll Be Sorry" – 2:44
2."Two Sided Politics" (Muir) – 1:03
3. "I Shot the Devil" – 1:51
4. "Subliminal" – 3:08
5. "Won't Fall in Love Today" (Muir, Mayorga) – 0:59
6. "Institutionalized" (Muir, Mayorga) – 3:49
7. "Memories of Tomorrow" (Muir, Mayorga) – 0:59
8. "Possessed" – 2:07
9. "I Saw Your Mommy..." (Muir, Mayorga) – 4:52
10. "Fascist Pig" – 1:17
11. "I Want More" - 2:28
12. "Suicidal Failure" - 2:53

From the Vault #8: DOWN - Nola (1995)

Tune down, Sabb out.

Tracklist:

1. "Temptation's Wings"
2. "Lifer"
3. "Pillars of Eternity"
4. "Rehab"
5. "Hail the Leaf"
6. "Underneath Everything"
7. "Eyes of the South"
8. "Jail"
9. "Losing All"
10. "Stone the Crow"
11. "Pray for the Locust"
12. "Swan Song"
13. "Bury Me in Smoke"

http://www.down-nola.com/

From the Vault #7: Dag Nasty - Can I Say (1986)

Dag Nasty were a hardcore/punk band formed in 1985 by Brian Baker (guitar) of Minor Threat, Colin Sears (drums) and Roger Marbury (bass), both of Bloody Mannequin Orchestra, and Shawn Brown later of Swiz and Jesuseater (vocals). Their style of melodic hardcore was influential to hardcore as well as being an influence on post-hardcore or Emo. Shawn Brown was the first vocalist with whom the band recorded (until recently) previously-unreleased versions of most of the material that later made up their first release, "Can I Say," with former roadie and new singer Dave Smalley of DYS. If you dig bands like Jawbreaker, Samiam, or Jimmy Eats World, this one's for you.

Tracklist:

1. "Values Here"
2. "One to Two"
3. "Circles"
4. "Thin Line"
5. "Justification"
6. "What Now?"
7. "I've Heard"
8. "Under Your Influence"
9. "Can I Say"
10. "Never Go Back"

From the Vault #6: Metallica - Master of Puppets (1986)

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of this masterpiece‘s release, Metallica played Master of Puppets in its entirety on their Escape from the Studio '06 tour, for the first time ever at the Rock am Ring festival on June 3rd, 2006. Good old Metallica days….

Tracklist:

1. Battery
2. Master of Puppets
3. The Thing That Should Not Be
4. Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
5. Disposable Heroes
6. Leper Messiah
7. Orion
8. Damage, Inc.

Artwork Abominations #1: Booty Covers

In this little series I will, on and off, feature some of the most atrocious and ungodly album artwork in music history. Hold on tight, some of these are not for the fainthearted, especially when they´re from the 80‘s. Todays installment deals with a recurring topic in album art history: The Ass. Yes, booty, bum, behind, you know, the ass.

How many album covers have mooned right in your face, while browsing the stacks at your favourite record store? Here are some which might be remembered for ever, and some, well… see for yourself.

The Velvet Underground (with Lou Reed) – Live
Butt-ugly…













Rolling Stones – Sticky Fingers
A classic which only starts mooning at you once you turn it around…. but the limited edition came with a real zipper…







Whitesnake – Lovehunter
I want this as a tattoo!!!













Scorpions– Animal Magnetism
The Scorpions are a reliable and seemingly never ceasing wellspring of hideous cover artwork. From their early stuff like Virgin Killer and Taken By Force to the bubble-gum chest cover of Lovedrive, they have never failed to deliver bad taste. And this one makes you wonder. Can´t he really make up his mind between the beer, the dog and the chick? Easy one, I´d say….
I could actually dedicate an entire edition of Artwork Abominations to the Scorpions‘ back catalogue. Thank God they left Germany for the US soon enough to do some real damage….





Bruce Springsteen – Born in the USA
Bruce made me wear Levis 501s in the first place….














The Strokes – Is This It
Artsy, kinda and just a side-shot. Is this it?














Eagles of Death Metal – Death By Sexy
One of the coolest band names and covers of all time. An instant classic.













The Donnas - Bitchin
The Donnas have substituted denim for leather.

From the Vault #5: Black Sabbath – Master of Reality (1971)

Master of Reality is a decisive moment in the history of rock ‘n’ roll. It cemented Black Sabbath as the undisputed masters of doom and brought a previously unexperienced heaviness to rock music. From the opening cough (yes, it´s Tony Iommi) and the sludgy guitar riff of "Sweet Leaf" to the infectious grooves of “Into the Void”, Master of Reality still stands out as a blueprint album of heavy metal. For this album, Iommi tuned his guitar down to achieve that evil doom-ladden sound that made Black Sabbath one of, if not the first metal band ever. Nowadays every time you turn on MTV, you see some Nu Metal moron trying to mess with the master´s technique, but in 1971 this must have been a revelation.

Tracklist:

1. Sweet Leaf
2. After Forever
3. Embryo
4. Children Of The Grave
5. Orchid
6 .Lord Of This World
7. Solitude
8. Into The Void

Back from the Swamp: DOWN III - Over the Under

DOWN, the swamp metal sabbath heads consisting of Philip Anselmo, Rex Brown, Pepper Keenan, Kirk Windstein and Jimmy Bower are about to release DOWN III-OVER THE UNDER on Sept. 25^th 2007. After releasing two records mainly as a side project, the band got together in the months before Hurricane Katrina to start working on new material. After the tragedy of the Hurricane in which the members were displaced and separated for many months, the band reconvened.

In the summer of 2006, the band embarked on a six week European headline tour with no opening band, no product, and strictly by word of mouth, proceeded to sell out all 21 shows. Inspired by the response, the band reconnected in New Orleans to begin work on their most ambitious record to date. Having already tapped Warren Riker, who produced DOWN's 2nd release, DOWN II-A Bustle in Your Hedgerow, the band demoed some 18 songs in Nodferatu's Lair, Philip Anselmo's studio. In February of 2007, the band commenced recording on their 3rd and most committed record to date. Recorded in Los Angeles between February and July, with a Canadian tour with Black Sabbath thrown in, 15 songs were ultimately cut for OVER THE UNDER. The result is a burner. Sabb out!

Line-Up:

Phil Anselmo - Vocals (Pantera,Superjoint Ritual)
Pepper Keenan - Guitar (Corrosion of Conformity)
Kirk Windstein - Guitar (Crowbar, Valume Nob)
Rex Brown - Bass (Pantera, Crowbar, Tres Diablos, Rebel meets Rebel)
Jimmy Bower - Drums (Superjoint Ritual,ex-Crowbar,ex-Sourvein,ex-Corrosion of Conformity)

TrackList:

1. 3 Suns And 1 Star
2. The Path
3. N.O.D.
4. I Scream
5. On March The Saints
6. Never Try
7. Mourn
8. Beneath The Tides
9. His Majesty The Desert
10. Pillamyd
11. In The Thrall Of It All
12. Nothing In Return (Walk Away)

www.down-nola.com

The Donnas substitute Denim for Leather

Running in the tradition of The Runaways, Girlschool, Vixen and other all girl hard rock bands, the Donnas have managed to make the transition from nice-to-look-at-girl group to a successful powerhouse of contemporary hard rock music. Their classic rock riffs and tongue in cheek lyrics represent more than a simple turning of the tables of male rock clichees. Instead, their seventies-influenced hard rock ‘n roll has become a household name of its own. Songs like “Take it Off”, “Dirty Denim” or “Take me to the Backseat” could have escaped the soundtrack of an American 70’s drive-in movie, at the same time they are tighter than an old pair of drainpipe jeans. Up until the release of 2004's Gold Medal, the band used pseudonyms, very much like The Ramones.
Each member was known as "Donna" followed by the first initial of their surname. They decided to drop the stage names prior to the release of Gold Medal, though. On the fringe of the mainstream for some time, the Donnas put together a string of solid albums, from the unpolished American Teenage Rock 'n' Roll Machine (1998) and Get Skintight (1999) to the success of Gold Medal (2004).
With backing from Atlantic, the Donnas released Spend the Night in 2002, and Gold Medal in 2004. They also play cool cover version´s like Judas Priest´s Living after Midnight or Billy Idol´s Dancing with Myself. Whatever they do, they do it with style. With seven albums to their name and still in their mid-20s, these girls have a lot to come.

The Donnas have recently announced details of their eighth album together, which is their first since splitting with Atlantic Records. Returning to the more D.I.Y ethic of their earlier work, the band will release Bitchin’ on September 18th via their own record label Purple Feather. Cover Artwork as well as the new logo point towards a new direction for the girls.

The tracklisting for Bitchin’:

01 Bitchin’
02 Don’t Wait Up for Me
03 Wasted
04 What Do I Have to Do
05 Save Me
06 Like an Animal
07 Here for the Party
08 Better Off Dancing
09 Love You Till It Hurts
10 Smoke You Out
11 Girl Talk
12 Give Me What I Want
13 Tonight’s Alright
14 When the Show Is Over

http://www.thedonnas.com/

Return of the Foos: New Album Out Soon

Dave Grohl´s Foo Fighters have announced the title and track listing for their forthcoming new album, which will be released September 25th on Roswell/RCA. "Echoes, Silence, Patience And Grace" is the band's sixth studio release and marks the first time the band has worked with producer Gil Norton since 1997's double platinum The Colour And The Shape, which is reissued this week as a remastered 10th anniversary deluxe edition featuring six bonus tracks. This is great news since I missed the spontaneity of their earlier albums like Colour and the Shape in the more epic stuff they did recently. Go Foos!

Track list:

The Pretender
Let It Die
Erase/Replace
Long Road To Ruin
Come Alive
Stranger Things Have Happened
Cheer Up, Boys (Your Make-Up Is Running)
Summers End
Ballad Of The Beaconsfield Miners
Statues
But, Honestly
Home

Watch the video for the first single “The Pretender” here.

Rock 'n' Roll Wurstsalat: The Beatsteaks

The Beatsteaks from Berlin are truly the most exciting German rock band since… since… uh.. yeah, well they´re just awesome. Formed in 1995, they played the German punk and hardcore circuit, gathering a solid fanbase over the years. With
their next album Launched in 1999, they became the first German band ever to get a release on Epitaph Records.
They also were the first German band to play
the VANS WARPED Tour.

At the MTV Europe Music Awards of 2004, they won an award for "Best German Act". They have also appeared on various Punk-O-Rama compilations.

What`s more important than awards though: they rock. Big time.











Discography
48/49 (1997)
Launched (1999)
Living Targets (2202)
Smack Smash (2004)
limbo messiah (2007)

www.beatsteaks.org

Video: Beatsteaks „Hand in Hand“ Live Rock im Park 2007