The 2009 Rockstar Mayhem Festival will kick off in July, but the real kick off to the tour may be a little sooner. The Revolver Golden Gods Awards show goes down on Tuesday, April 7, 2009 at the Club Nokia in Los Angeles, California. The best in metal will be honored by the World’s Loudest Rock Magazine (Revolver), including the Rockstar Mayhem Festival Best Underground Metal Band Award. Who will win? You’ll just have to be there to find out!

EXCLUSIVE LIVE PERFORMANCES FROM:

MEGADETH!
KILLSWITCH ENGAGE!
HATEBREED!
ALL THAT REMAINS!
SUICIDE SILENCE!
PROTEST THE HERO, and more!!!

Hosted by BRIAN POSEHN (Sarah Silverman Show, Just Shoot Me)

Special DJ Set by SLIPKNOT’S COREY TAYLOR!

With APPEARANCES BY:
OZZY OSBOURNE!
LEMMY!
DANZIG!
KERRY KING!
SCOTT IAN!
MAYNARD JAMES KEENAN!
VINNIE PAUL!
ALICE IN CHAINS!
ATREYU!
DETHKLOK!
TESTAMENT!
UNEARTH!
STEEL PANTHER!
ISIS!
MAYNARD of TOOL!
WWE’S CM PUNK!
Olympic Gold Metalist Shaun White!

For those of you in L.A. that can attend, I’m extremely jealous and would love to hear from you about the event!

~ Your Miss Metal Maiden

Tour dates:

Visit Ticketmaster for ticket information.

Getting into the music business almost seems easy these days. Just by appearing on American Idol one can land a record deal.

But some bands have gone the extra mile not only to make it in the music business, but to make a lasting impression on audiences as well.

A few glorious bands have created an entire theme to base their musical existence on. Whether it’s the songs they sing or the overall personality of the band, these bands have captured fans worldwide just by tapping into quirky interests and making a music career out of them.

While many musical artists compose albums featuring various subjects and human emotions, the bands Austrian Death Machine and Macabre choose to only sing about one subject.

Austrian Death Machine, a side project for As I Lay Dying front man Tim Lambesis, only writes songs about Arnold Schwarzenegger. Each song title is a direct quote from an Arnold movie such as, “Get to the Choppa” and fan favorite, “Rubber Baby Buggy Bumpers.”

Their sound is fast, pissed, brutal and full of testosterone — just like many of the characters Arnold has portrayed over the years.

The band even has an Arnold creation (thanks to Gwar, a band known for its impressive and grotesque stage creations) on stage singing. Some may find the band’s brutal sound and topic choice odd, but musicians singing about something they love is not such an unusual idea in music. It just happens that Austrian Death Machine really, really loves Arnold.

“The more underlying theme, the more fun,” J.P. Gericke, guitar player for Austrian Death Machine, says.

Macabre also focuses on one subject, but their subject may be a bit harder to swallow. For the last 24 years, Macabre has played music around the theme of murderers and madmen, earning them the right to be classified as murder metal.

Every song tells a tale, whether it be of Peter Stumpp, the werewolf who roamed the German countryside over 400 years ago ripping apart innocent victims and eating their hearts, or the devious Dr. H.H. Holmes, who built a dark hotel with trap doors and secret rooms to capture his prey.

Their lyrics are based on historic facts and legends, but despite its morbidity, Macabre has captivated audiences around the world and continues to find killers to write about.

Having a reccurring theme may seem boring to many music lovers out there, but Austrian Death Machine and Macabre continue to have a growing fan base giving musicians everywhere something new to try with their own careers.

If there are other bands out there that have followed the same career path as Austrian Death Machine and Macabre, I want to hear about it so leave a comment!

The sub-genres in metal music were created to categorgize bands by their music style, their subject matter and sometimes by their appearance.

There are probably about 20 or more sub-genres of metal music. I won’t go through them all because this post will be forever long if I do. But I will list and explain some of the more prominent sub-genres in metal and leave you to explore Wikipedia for more information on the genres I haven’t listed. If there’s a genre you absolutely love that I didn’t list, feel free to leave a comment.

New Wave of British Heavy Metal - This group of metal, in my opinion, was the biggest influence on other metal bands with the exception of Black Sabbath who started it all. This group took the blueprint of metal that Black Sabbth created, took out the blues and created a powerful heavy metal sound. Bands include: Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Motorhead and Saxon.

Death metal – This group of metal is one of the most explicit. Subject matter usually revolves around death and destruction. Their sound is brutal to say the least with distorted guitars and growling, “cookie monster” like vocals. Bands include: Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel and Death.

Thrash metal- This group of metal is probably one of the hardest out of all the genres. Most of the bands in this group formed in California and their sound is fast, features double bass, difficult guitar riffs and screaming vocals. Bands include: Slayer, Anthrax, Metallica and Megadeth.

Black metal- Out of all the genres in metal, this is the only group who can really be considered Satanic. Most of the black metal bands originated in Norway and they dress in dark clothing with gothic make-up and sing in high-pitched rapsy voices. All of their songs lyrics are about Satan or other pagan imagery. Bands include: Bathory, Burzum and Venom.

Nu metal- This group of metal combines heavy metal riffs with hip-hop and rap influences. This group was very popualr in the late 90s to early 2000s but has faded away in popularity. Bands include: Korn, Linkin Park and Limp Bizkit.

Metalcore- This group combines metal with hardcore. It uses the melodic, musical style from metal but the shouting vocal style from hardcore. The bands in this group have grown in popularity in the last few years. Bands include: Killswitch Engage, Shadows Fall and As I Lay Dying.

So in case you still don’t understand the metal genres, visit YouTube  and watch the metal genre series by Kraal7718 (there is 5 parts). I felt they were great learning tools. I also recommend, again, Metal: A Headbangers Journey. Sam Dunn, the director, created a metal family tree explaining the metal genres and it’s very thorough. Below is a video showing his tree. It may be hard to read so rent or buy the DVD! It’s worth the money!

 
The heavy metal and hard rock world is full of creative and sometimes brilliant bands and artists that fans never get a chance to hear or see. With radio watered down with  repetitive top 40, classic rock (some people only think that there are 40 or so classic rock songs) and even worse boring country music, there isn’t much room left for new bands, new music - much less heavy metal.

Heavy metal has relied on word of mouth and fans to keep many bands alive. Thankfully, the Internet came along.  Heavy metal fans are smart and interested in hearing the latest on the scene. Old and new bands alike thrive together in a soup that is as diverse as the human race.

 
That brings me to bands that you should have heard of and their music that should be in your play list or collection or in some way in your brain. Some of these bands died off from lack of record label support, changing fads, self destruction, or just simply moved on with their lives.

There are many more bands that are worth mentioning that didn’t make this list. If you have heard of a band on this list, add a comment. If you know of a band that should be added, leave a comment.

 
Trouble – One of the forefathers of stoner rock though they didn’t know it. This band was known for their contemplative, sometimes spiritual, mostly dark lyrics. At the time of the release of their first album, Psalm 9, some people mistook them for a Christian metal band. Slow and creeping, almost a throwback to Black Sabbath, I find myself cranking this one up and singing along like I’m a heavy metal prophet. Check out “At the End of My Daze,” “Psychotic Reaction”  and “Black Shapes of Doom.” I understand that the band may be active again.

 
Acid Bath – A strange progressive metal band that was a lot of things…a single song could be in three genres. This band came up in the same rock climate as Tool. Grunge was dull and Rush was too old school. This band produced interesting music and was extremely popular in the underground and still is to this day. The leader of the band, Dax Riggs, has gone on to be a fan favorite and has had many projects in many genres. This is worth discovering if you are a Tool fan or a progressive metal fan in general.

 
Sea of Green – I don’t know much about this band – information about them is scarce on the Internet. I do remember when Time to Fly was released; I didn’t stop playing it for days. As you might be able to tell from the name of the band, they are a stoner rock band. If you like sludge and distortion in your metal, Sea of Green is for you. If you can make your way through the fog, check out “Women Today” and “Annihilation.”

 
Sword – You didn’t get it right. This is not The Sword. This is the Canadian heavy metal band that was huge in Canada in the late ‘80s. They only made two albums and started out as a Kiss cover band. Don’t worry, they don’t sound even close to Kiss. This would almost be thrash, but they didn’t quite commit to it. Dave Mustaine of Megadeth, calls their first album, Metalized, one of the best heavy metal albums of all time…or something like that. Check out “Stoned Again” and “FTW (Follow the Wheel).”

 
Circus of Power – This band was the Guns ‘n’ Roses of the east coast. They simply rocked some down and dirty swamp music. They wrote songs that were heavy with a nasty guitar sound and had lyrics that you could have read off of some ancient temple as prayers to the gods of rock ‘n’ roll. This band faded away leaving a legacy of drunken midnight debauchery. If you listen to “Call of the Wild,” “Motor” and “Evil Woman” you will understand leather and lust.

 
McQueen Street – This band was groomed by their record company to be a hair band. At their core, they were much more than that. With the success of Nirvana, their record contract was abandoned and they were set adrift. Derek Welsh, their singer and song writer was a poet at heart and strived to create rock ‘n’ roll as he saw it with the help of Steve Stevens and the famed producer Tom Werman. Unfortunately, the success of grunge will keep us from ever knowing the true vision of Derek Welsh. Their second album, McQueen Street II, was canned by their major label after it was recorded and has since been released independently. Both of their albums are true finds if you are so lucky.

 
Masters of Reality – This band was really a heavy blues band but heavy enough to be heavy metal in my mind. Ginger Baker (of Cream) played drums at one point. I can remember “The Candy Song” being played on the radio and rushing straight to the record shop to buy it. What rock ‘n’ roll band can make you feel like you are in purple haze without ever consuming contraband? Smooth, airy guitars and lyrics that just begged to be sung along with prompted me to listen to their first album over and over. Masters of Reality never quite fit in with any rock movement. They were all alone in their world and still are. They didn’t self destruct, didn’t have a lack of album sells. The leader of the band just moved on. It’s only rock ‘n’ roll.

 
You may want to do some of you own research and check out some of the bands that I considered writing about in this article for Headbanging Haven:

 
Zebra – Zepplinesque band from the early  ‘80s that could have been bigger than Boston.
The Front – A psychedelic heavy metal band in the ‘90s that should have came along in the ‘70s.
Kings of the Sun – If Jim Morrison was heavy metal he would have been the leader of Kings of the Sun.
EZO – I still get a heart attack when I listen to this Kabuki/Kiss inspired band from Japan.
Budgie – Maybe Metallica’s biggest single influence.
Blue Oyster Cult – You have heard their hits but you have never heard the band.
Warrior Soul – Half punk, half thrash – all power.
Engine – A heavy metal version of The Cure.
Celtic Frost – One of my most beloved bands and one of the most forgotten.
ZENO – A brilliant guitar player…he is out of place, out of time and signed the biggest record contract in the history of the world in 1986.

There are so many genres to metal, I would have to make a whole new post explaining them. Maybe I will do that later this week. But until then, here’s a list of metal artists and songs that fans new and old can savor.

Ace of Spades - Motorhead (A punk-esque metal band. They are even known for playing Ramone covers at concerts.)

Master of Puppets – Metallica (A recent Grammy winner, I chose an old favorite to start with.)

2 Minutes to Midnight – Iron Maiden (Iron Maiden has been around for years and has had 3 singers over the course of their career. I chose a Bruce Dickinson song because it rocks and he’s their main leading man.)

Practice What You Preach – Testament ( I really like Testament and I think they are a step in the right direction to harder metal songs.)

Breaking the Law – Judas Priest (Judas Priest has also been around for years and Breaking the Law is a great song to start with. Then I suggest moving on to Ram It Down, one of my favorites.)

Kick in the Soul – Pink Alligator (I just heard about this band through Rock ‘n’ Roll View. The group has a Southern rock feel and Kick in the Soul reminds me of Iron Man in parts and has a killer guitar riff in the middle.)

Raining Blood – Slayer (If the other songs listed above are just not hard enough for you, then it’s time for some Slayer. Notorious for insane mosh pits and complicated guitar riffs, this band is the epitome of metal.)

Electric Funeral – Black Sabbath (You can’t have a metal list without Black Sabbath. I chose Electric Funeral because it’s a great song and Paranoid and Iron Man tend to be a bit overplayed.)

So this is my list. You metal fans out there can argue with me over the songs I picked or let me know if I should have listed some others. Don’t worry, I’ll make more song lists down the road. Enjoy!

• Disturbed – Inside the Fire (nominated for Best Hard Rock Performance)
• Judas Priest -Visions (nominated for Best Hard Rock Performance), Nostradamus (nominated for Best Metal Performance)
• Rob Zombie – Lords of Salem (nominated for Best Hard Rock Performance)
• Motley Crue – Saints of Los Angeles (nominated for Best Hard Rock Performance)
• The Mars Volta – Wax Simulacra (winner for Best Hard Rock Performance)
• Metallica – My Apocalypse (winner for Best Metal Performance)
• Dragonforce – Heroes of Our Time (nominated for Best Metal Performance)
• Ministry – Under My Thumb (nominated for Best Metal Performance)
• Slipknot – Psychosocial (nominated for Best Metal Performance)

Congratulations to Metallica and The Mars Volta for winning! I have to admit I was rooting for Disturbed and Judas Priest but at least the Grammys recognize metal and hard rock as genres that deserve to be awarded for its efforts and talents! I only wish they would air the winners on television. It would be nice for the fans to see their perferred style of music recieve an award.

So congratulations once again to the nominees and winners! Keep on rocking!

Dio showing off his horns!

You can see the sign of the horns flashed anywhere these days. Concerts, sporting events, on the street, during political speeches - they are everywhere! But the horns will forever be a metal symbol simply because that is where the trend started.

So here is a bit more metal history.

The horn trend all started with one person – Ronnie James Dio. When frontman Ozzy Osbourne performed with his legendary metal band, Black Sabbath, he would flash the peace sign at concerts. But when Ozzy left, Dio took the reigns. Opting not to flash the peace sign and copy Ozzy, Dio chose to flash the sign of the horns, creating a new image for Black Sabbath and metal music.

Dio first learned the horns through his Italian grandmother who would flash the gesture in order to ward away the evil eye according to Italian culture. You can learn more about Dio’s take on the horns by reading a brief interview by Metal-Rules. com or watching Metal: A Headbangers Journey.

The history of the sign of the horns goes way back but thanks to Dio, the horns will forever be a symbol in metal and pop culture history!

I just found out about an awesome tour starting in March. I felt it was my duty to  share this information with fellow metal fans.

The 4th Annual Music as a Weapon Tour will start March 20th and feature the bands: Disturbed, Killswitch Engage, Chimaira and Lacuna Coil. The Music as a Weapon Tour  was created by Disturbed and not only features music but tattoo artists, extreme sports and video games according to Wikipedia. Don’t miss out on this event! Check out ticket prices and tour dates at Ticketmaster.

But I have been to my fair share of concerts.  Alice Cooper, GWAR, Motorhead, Judas Priest, Heaven and Hell, Testament, Shadows Fall, Cradle of Filth, Megadeath, Metallica, Apocalyptica, you name it. I’ve had the privilege of meeting Tim Lambesis from As I Lay Dying and Austrian Death Machine, as well as the extremely talented Alex Skolnick from Testament. I have even been in a Slayer mosh pit, which is quite a feat for my size and stature.

And so it is with that introduction that I go into an agrument that has lasted for years. Who was the first metal band?

Some argue it was Led Zeppelin who came into the music scene in 1968. Their heavy guitar riffs and screaming vocals certainly put them in the running but I don’t think they are quite it. Others believe Cream started it all. But I feel their sound is more blues meets hard rock so they wouldn’t be the first either.

Black Sabbath is the first metal band and here’s my reason why: Tony Iommi. (Alex Skolnick would agree with me). He alone created that dark metal sound all because of a finger accident. As a teenager he worked in a sheet metal factory and lost the tips of two of his fingers in a sheet metal accident. He stopped playing due to the pain but soon created homemade devices to cover his fingers so he could play again. He also used lighter strings and detuned his guitar.  All those methods put together are what created the metal sound.

You are more than welcome to argue with me about the first metal band but I think history proves who started it all. Check out the DVD Metal: A Headbangers Journey,  available at http://www.metalhistory.com/metal01.html, to hear from the experts who the first metal band was.