Posts Tagged ‘rage against the machine’

Idiom-Movement

Dirt Track Records 2014 Included free with the March 2014 issue of Metal Hammer, “Movement” (which may have initially been released back in 2013) looks to be the latest from Exeter-based “alternative metal” band Idiom. I say “looks” because there are no other references to other recordings on the group’s Facebook page. Online, and indeed on iTunes, the album “We Can’t All Be Superheroes” (from November of 2010) is shown, but beyond that it’s anybody’s guess as to what else this band has done since first forming back in 2005. As for the second phrase in quotation there (“alternative metal”) that’s their description and not mine. For this lot (and this is none too surprising given Metal Hammer’s containing obsession with the better left dead genre!) is prime-time nu metal with just the faint hint of metalcore. Said to be influenced by the likes of Faith No More, Korn and Deftones the band comes across as more of the later and not more of the former. Descriptions have been made to the likes of Rage Against The Machine and System Of A Down and both tags are more then a bit fair. Admittedly this English metal band has a solid front-man in Matt Sharland and his companions (guitarist Kris Gibbs, bassist Grant Knight and drummer Dan Harrison) are none-too-shabby. The problem is music like this has been played to death and really it should remain DEAD and BURIED! There is nothing worse they hearing bands like this that have the HEAVY part down, but then are extremely limited because they refuse to allow their guitarist to let loose. That’s always been a issue for me when it comes to both nu metal and metalcore (the lack of solos) as you end up with (essentially) nothing more then a HEAVY rhythm guitarist! That said the band does have potential. You can sense that. But why restrain yourself? Why settle for being a second rate nu metal/metalcore band when you could easily take your influences (which would also seem to be the likes of Papa Roach, Korn, Ill Niño, P.O.D., DevilDriver and even Pantera) and with a few twists and turns of the dial turn them upside down and inside out creating something truly wicked and fresh? If that were to happen, and this band suddenly developed the urge to thrash their heads straight off(!), then I would ENTHUSIASTICALLY endorse this English act. For now though I just feel like shrugging my shoulders and saying “Eh”….

Tool Receive Praise From Members of Metallica, Rage Against the Machine, Gojira + More

Tool Dissectional Tool are one of the most critically praised and fan-worshipped bands in the world. The experimental quartet are musically complex, influential and incredibly original with both their music and videos. To celebrate the band (and probably to encourage them to finish their fifth studio album), some of today’s finest musicians, such as Tom Morello and Rob Trujillo , have praised the Los Angeles manipulators of sound. In an Artist Direct original column, Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello recalls witnessing Tool’s very first show “There was a band called Green Jello, who later changed its name to Green Jelly, and Danny Carey was the drummer,” tells Morello. “Maynard sometimes worked with them and lived in this loft where a lot of musicians lived in Los Angeles. Tool actually had their first show in that loft! A couple of the other guys from Rage Against the Machine were at the gig too, when we had just started writing songs. Maynard had been my roommate for a while, and I had grown up with Adam. I’ll be frank. We did not have the highest expectations for what was going to occur at that loft gig and we went kind of as “friend rock” [Laughs]. They were devastatingly awesome from the very first show though. There’s no other way to say it. They were just awesome. It was unbelievable.” Metallica bassist Rob Trujillo is a huge Tool fan, and so does his son. “My little boy loves Tool!,” states Trujillo. “When I take him to school, we’re playing Tool all the time, so I definitely connect with them. There’s a lot of bass in that group, which is nice. They’re a great band for a bass player to listen to. So believe it or not, my son and I are going through a big Tool phase! It includes every record too.” Gojira frontman Joe Duplantier credits Tool for creating his favorite album and getting him addicted to it in his sleep! “’10,000 Days’ is my favorite record, raves the frontman. “The first time I heard it, I didn’t get it. I forced myself to listen to it two times in a row. Then, I fell asleep with the album repeating, and I spent the whole night with the album in my ears. Maybe that’s why I got addicted! I heard it six or seven times in one night. It got to my brain very deeply. Now, I’m addicted [Laughs].” Check out Artist Direct for more testimonials from members of Iron Maiden , Machine Head , Korn + more. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/tool-drummer-danny-carey-new-album-drop-in-2013-talks-vespa-crash/” title=”Tool Drummer Says New Album Will Still See 2013 Release” align=”center”]

Tom Morello Reveals Identity of ‘How I Could Just Kill a Man’ Video’s Naked Guy

Kevin Winter, Getty Images Rage Against the Machine ‘s Tom Morello has continued his video series where he answers fan questions and in his latest installment he revealed a long-secret piece of trivia from the band’s history — the identity of the naked guy in the ‘How I Could Just Kill a Man’ video. In the clip, the offending naked guy is briefly shown standing next to singer Zack de la Rocha, and more than a few fans have asked how that piece of video footage found its way into the clip and why. Morello revealed, “It was a friend of ours who toured with us named MJ Plenty and at the time on that particular tour we were doing this grim, I wouldn’t call it hazing, but we had this outstanding $250 per diem money that was always sitting on the desk. And then someone in the band or someone in the crew would come up with a different task and if you did the task you got the $250.” The guitarist recalls that Plenty accepted the bet, which for that night entailed him going onstage naked, with a few other conditions that needed to be met to achieve the goal. Morello says, “He’s not just naked, he’s naked with his wiener tucked. It you do it frame-by-frame, you’ll see that he has a wiener-tuck going on. And I’m not sure if he’s singing the Maynard [James Keenan] part of ‘Know Your Enemy’ or if he’s just onstage during that part of ‘Know Your Enemy’ while Zack is singing to him, but part of the deal was that he couldn’t laugh. He couldn’t break character, he had to be … stoic. He did it. He got the $250 and he is forever immortalized in the ‘How I Could Just Kill a Man’ video.” With Rage pretty much on break at this point after reissuing a 20th anniversary edition of their debut album last year, Morello is finding other things to keep him occupied. The guitarist says he’s currently working on a new Nightwatchman album and will play a show at New York City’s Lincoln Center Feb. 16. In addition, it was just confirmed that Morello will sit in with Bruce Springsteen ‘s E Street Band during their Australian trek as Steven Van Zandt has requested time off to shoot his TV series, ‘Lilyhammer.’ Watch Rage Against the Machine’s ‘How I Could Just Kill a Man’ Video [button href=”http://loudwire.com/best-rage-against-the-machine-songs/” title=”Next: 10 Best Rage Against the Machine Songs” align=”center”]

Rage Against the Machine’s Tom Morello: Not All Band Members Ready to Make a New Album

Trixie Textor, Getty Images With the 20th anniversary edition of legendary rap-rockers Rage Against the Machine ’s self-titled debut on target to arrive Nov. 27, rumors have been swirling that the band might be planning a new album. Guitarist Tom Morello dashed any of those hopes in an interview with Billboard earlier this month, and now, he’s chiming in on why the band might not regroup for a new set. Speaking with NME , Morello stated that some members of Rage simply are “not ready” to start working on a new studio release. “When bands make albums, it’s because everybody wants to, and that’s not the case with Rage Against the Machine at the moment,” he explained. “Everyone in the band gets along very well, we consider each other friends and comrades in arms, but people sometimes don’t feel ready to do it. I don’t have one minute of one day that’s not filled with music, or politics, or family. If at some point Rage were to get it together to work more, I would be open to that, but that’s not on the table right now.” Rage Against the Machine’s 20th anniversary of edition of their self-titled debut, named ‘Rage Against the Machine – XX,’ can be pre-ordered via this link . [button href=”http://loudwire.com/rage-against-the-machine-best-reunion-tours/” title=”Next: Rage Against the Machine – Best Reunion Tours” align=”center”]

Rage Against the Machine Bassist Comments on Possible New Album + Paul Ryan’s Fandom

Kevin Winter, Getty Images Rage Against the Machine bassist Tim Commerford gave a “maybe” when asked last month by TMZ if the band was going to be making a new album. Now, Commerford has given a slightly different response when asked the question yet again, with an added dig at Republican Vice Presidential candidate Paul Ryan in reaction to the politician’s claims that he’s a certified Rage fan. A few days ago, TMZ caught up with Commerford in a parking lot again (watch below), and once again asked the bassist about a new RATM album. “Definitely, maybe. Anything’s possible,” said Commerford, adding yet another positive, yet mysterious answer to one of rock music’s most burning questions. He was also asked about Republican Vice Presidential candidate Paul Ryan, who earlier this year claimed to be a fan of Rage Against the Machine. Commerford tells TMZ, ”Clearly he’s not that smart to be admitting that. It just seems like it’s stupid for him to even bring it up, so he’s obviously not that smart of a guy.” When the interview suggested it might be the band’s “infectious bass lines,” Commerford quipped, “It must be the bass, it’s gotta be the bass.” Commerford’s Rage bandmate  Tom Morello previously commented on Ryan’s love of rage, saying , ”Paul Ryan’s love of Rage Against the Machine is amusing, because he is the embodiment of the machine that our music has been raging against for two decades.” Whomever you choose to support in the 2012 Presidential Election, make sure to go out and vote tomorrow (Nov. 6) if you’re a U.S. citizen 18 years of age or older. Additionally, fans from all over the world can vote in Loudwire’s President of Heavy Metal Election , where Rob Zombie is facing Ozzy Osbourne in the finals! Watch Tim Commerford of Rage Against the Machine Talk to TMZ [button href=”http://loudwire.com/rob-zombie-vs-ozzy-osbourne-president-of-heavy-metal-election-finals/” title=”Vote in the President of Heavy Metal Election” align=”center”] ?