Posted August 18, 2011 at 7:52 am | No comments
Ride the Lightning, Metallica’s second studio album, is now considered one of the most influential thrash metal albums of all time, but when it was released in late July of 1984, it was just the tenacious and relentless new album from speed mongers Metallica. It maintained the feverish psychosis of Kill ‘Em All, but hinted at the more progressive, extended metal jams that the band would become famous for. The album’s namesake, “Ride the Lightning,” is sung from the point of view of a death row inmate scheduled for a trip to the electric chair, lamenting his fate and the current state of the justice system. With its huge wall of buzz saw guitars, “Ride” is one of the heaviest songs on one of Metallica’s heaviest albums, and it features a solo by Kirk Hammett that begins melodic and slow. By the end of the the bridge section, however, your fingers will be flying all over the fretboard.
Posted in: Guitar Tab
Posted August 17, 2011 at 4:31 pm | No comments
Alice Cooper Superstar made his presence known in New Jersey when he thrilled a packed hall at the Mayo Center in Morristown. Alice’s faithful arrived in full force, and in full make-up, enjoying songs from his 30 plus year career.
Posted in: Concert Reviews, Reviews
Posted August 17, 2011 at 2:19 pm | One comment
You know George. He’s that gravely-voiced madman who sings about bein’ bad and drinkin’ alone. He would like, no, he demands one bourbon, one scotch, and a beer, and screw you if you don’t have it. He’s bad to the bone and has been since he started playing blues standards and his own dirty originals with his band The Destoyers in the mid ’70s.
Posted in: Blues Interviews, Interviews, Rock Interviews
Posted August 17, 2011 at 7:51 am | No comments
1986’s Master of Puppets, metal giants Metallica’s third studio album, is widely regarded as one of the best metal albums of all time. It has been included on “Best of” lists in publications ranging from Q to IGN to Rolling Stone and even TIME Magazine. The seventh track from that album is “Orion,” the only instrumental track James Hetfield and company decided to include. The song, whose name allegedly came from the “spacey” bridge section, features several solos that are often mistaken as the work of guitarist Kirk Hammett. They are actually bass solos played by the late Cliff Burton, who died soon after in a van crash while touring behind Master of Puppets.
Posted in: Guitar Tab
Posted August 16, 2011 at 7:51 am | No comments
A live favorite for Metallica fans, “One” was the third single from their 1988 album …And Justice For All. Since its release as a single in 1989, it has gone on to become one of the fearsome foursome’s most popular and well-loved songs, helped by the song’s status as Metallica’s first Top 40 hit. Like many Metallica songs, “One” begins with James Hetfield fingerpicking a tender yet ominous intro, over which Kirk Hammett plays a clean guitar solo. In typical Metallica fashion, it builds and builds, getting faster and heavier through multiple changing time signatures, which leads to a Kirk Hammett tapping-ridden guitar solo. I hope your tap chops are up to snuff!
Posted in: Guitar Tab
Posted August 15, 2011 at 7:51 am | No comments
“Master of Puppets” begins with two of Metallica’s most recognizable riffs, one moving right into the other in typical Metallica thrash fashion. As the second track and title track of Metallica’s third studio album, 1986’s Master of Puppets, the song is distinctive for its extended, almost tender instrumental section that serves as a bridge for the otherwise driving headband-inducing riff fest. Late bassist Cliff Burton has said that “Master of Puppets” is one of his favorite Metallica songs, and his definite favorite from that album. Featuring some great melodic solo work from Kirk Hammett, “Master” is about how when people become addicted to drugs, the relationship flips, with the drugs as the master and the person as the puppet.
Posted in: Guitar Tab
Posted August 14, 2011 at 7:53 am | No comments
Mid-way into tonight’s set, singer Geoff Tate told the crowd, “It’s been 30 years since the band formed. We can’t live in the past because it already happened and we can’t live in the future, so we can only live in the present and enjoy the moment.” He then asked the crowd, “Are you enjoying yourself tonight?” the crowd responded with a thunderous applaud in agreement. That set the tone for tonight’s show!
Posted in: Concert Reviews, Reviews
Posted August 14, 2011 at 7:51 am | No comments
One of metal legends Metallica’s most well-known songs, “For Whom The Bell Tolls” is a lesson in writing ominous heavy metal music. While Metallica are known for their fast-paced thrash metal, they slow it down to a crawl for this superheavy buzz saw of a tune. The song, which was the third single from their 1984 album Ride the Lightning, is based on the novel For Whom The Bell Tolls by author Ernest Hemmingway about the immorality of modern warfare. You’ll have to tune your guitar a little sharp to play completely in tune with this song, as Metallica tuned up a little to be in tune with the tolling bells at the beginning.
Posted in: Guitar Tab
Posted August 13, 2011 at 11:31 am | No comments
We now give you my long, overdue review of Middle Tennessee State University’s Tennessee Guitar Festival 2011, hosted by Dr. William Yelverton on June 1st-4th, 2011. I know these things are supposed to come out right after the event happens, so my apologies for that. The only excuse I have is that I’ve been on two continents, 13 different states (11 U.S. and two Brazilian), and have traveled almost the distance of the circumference of our planet since then. I won’t apologize for that, though. I had a blast!
Posted in: Classical Reviews, Jazz Reviews, Reviews
Posted August 13, 2011 at 7:51 am | No comments
“Don’t Tread On Me,” the sixth track from Metallica’s self-titled 1991 album, is an odd one for Metallica, as it quotes “America,” the popular song from the famous musical West Side Story. Of course, the Metallica song is much more metal than the showtune. The lyrics, as any history buff can tell from the title, expound on themes of the American Revolutionary War. Metallica never play the song live, probably because James Hetfield doesn’t care much for the song, as he has revealed in interviews. “Don’t Tread On Me” does have a sick solo by Kirk Hammett, however, who uses the hell out of his wah-wah pedal to great effect.
Posted in: Guitar Tab
