Hard rock

The Dead at the End of ‘So Many Roads’

Ben Fong-Torres — Wed, 17 Jun 2020 17:07:29 +0000

The Dead at the End of ‘So Many Roads’ Ben Fong-Torres Wed, 06/17/2020

It’s not a sexy, round-number anniversary, but I bet Deadheads know that July 9 was the date of the last Grateful Dead concert with Jerry Garcia. That was in 1995, at Soldier Field in Chicago. With the surviving Dead having celebrated a 50th anniversary with a farewell tour—and then a return of most of them, as Dead & Company—they continue to be in the news.

They are on Qello Concerts, in the Classic Albums series (Anthem to Beauty) and in Festival Express, rocking and partying across Canada by train with Janis Joplin, The Band, Buddy Guy and other pals. And they are on my mind, since I wrote The Grateful Dead Scrapbook in 2009 and chronicled that last concert.

It came in the middle of a year when the Dead, their staffers, and increasingly more fans were alarmed by the state of Garcia’s health, owing primarily to drug use. But in spring, he appeared to be better, and, as I wrote:

The Dead and their fans enjoyed some excellent shows, including ones featuring guests and opening acts like Bruce Hornsby, Dave Matthews Band, Bob Dylan, and Chuck Berry.

At too many stops, though, the spirits deserted them, and the road was riddled with gatecrashing incidents and worse. Two people fell from an upper level at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh during a Dead show. The band weathered a death threat against Jerry in Pittsburgh and another in Indiana. A hundred or more people were injured at a campground called the Farm near Dead shows in Maryland Heights, when a veranda around the lodge collapsed.

The Dead’s performances themselves were uneven. As always, the fault lay with their leader. “Garcia had backslid into heroin use,” according to Holly George-Warren in Grateful Dead 365. “The sight of Jerry—clammy and gray, always out of breath, incommunicado onstage as well as off—was frightening to us all,” said Lesh.

The tour ended in Chicago with concerts on July 8 and 9 in Soldier Field. With plenty of media around, looking to capture some of the drama that surrounded Dead concerts, the band pulled off a trouble-free pair of shows, beginning with “Touch of Grey.” The last song Jerry Garcia sang was “Black Muddy River,” a melancholic Robert Hunter composition that the writer said was “about the perspective of age and making a decision about the necessity of living in spite of a rough time.”

Earlier in the concert, he performed “So Many Roads,” repeating the ending refrain, “So many roads to ease my soul.” No one knew that this was the last time Garcia would sing this deeply personal song. “It’s Hunter writing me from my point of view,” he once said. “The song is studded with little references that have to do with me and where I’ve been, what I’ve been involved with, my own musical background, my roots.”

At his post on bass, Lesh was moved to anguish by what he witnessed. “I watched in despair as Jerry—whey-faced, hunched over with chin on chest, fighting for breath before singing every line—struggled his way through an incredibly moving performance of “So Many Roads.”

In the audience, (veteran Dead chronicler) Blair Jackson saw and heard the performance, which stretched out to almost ten minutes, with the Dead providing background vocals in shades of “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door.” “This was Garcia’s soul laid bare,” said Jackson, “and the audience responded by cheering him on, empathizing with him, struggling with him.”

Back in California, Jerry entered the Betty Ford Clinic near Palm Springs, but left a couple of weeks later, saying he didn’t want to spend his birthday, August 1, in rehab. But then he checked into another facility, called Serenity Knolls, in Marin County. There, he died of a heart attack in his sleep. It was very early, August 9 th , and he had just turned 53.

August 9, 1995: One of the saddest anniversaries in rock.

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Rockfest 2018 | Nos coups de coeur

Catherine Boisvert — Wed, 27 Jun 2018 18:49:25 +0000

Rockfest 2018 | Nos coups de coeur Catherine Boisvert Wed, 06/27/2018

Du 14 au 16 juin, les amateurs de rock ont eu la chance de se ressourcer en prenant d’assaut l’édition 2018 du Montebello Rockfest. Pendant 3 jours, la petite ville de Montebello n’était pas de tout repos, contrairement à son habitude! Les plus grands fans ont campé par milliers en attendant avec impatience les artistes les plus talentueux de la scène rock.

De Dimmu Borgir à Prophets of Rage, voici nos plus gros coups de cœur de cette fin de semaine enflammée.

Rymz

Par Geneviève

Le rappeur originaire de St-Hyacinthe Rymz a pris d’assaut la scène Tony Sly pour une performance explosive. L’artiste a enchaîné ses succès, dont « Soir d’orage », sur une trame à la sonorité plus rock grâce aux musiciens et à DJ Shash’U qui l’accompagnaient sur scène. Grande fan de hip-hop, je ne pouvais me permettre de manquer Rymz, que je n’avais pas encore eu la chance de voir live et ce fût une des belles découvertes de mon weekend.

Groovy Aardvark

Par Rosemarie

Groovy Aardvark a livré une performance remarquable pour inaugurer la deuxième soirée du festival, soit le samedi 14 juin. L’énergie était palpable face au retour du groupe et le groupe punk rock canadien originaire de Longueuil a réussi à faire chanter la foule tout le long de sa prestation endiablée. Ils ont enchaîné sans prendre de pause leurs grands classiques comme « Dérangeant » et « Boisson d’avril » pour le plus grand plaisir des fans. Après une longue absence dans le monde artistique, le groupe a tout donné sur scène.

Dimmu Borgir

Par Catherine

Tout. Un. Show. Et ceci veant d'une personne qui écoute zéro métal. Dimmu Borgir, un groupe black metal symphonique, est monté sur scène le vendredi 15 juin. Au moment où le jour se transformait en nuit, le groupe norvégien a transformé l’ambiance de la foule en quelque chose d’incroyablement terrifiant et envoûtant – tout le monde était hypnotisé par leurs hymnes orchestraux. Oui, c’est dark, c’est aux allures sataniques, c’est lugubre, c’est bruyant, mais c’est un show divertissant et captivant. À ne pas manquer!

Prophets of Rage

Par Genviève

C’est devant une foule en délire que Prophets of Rage s’est présenté le vendredi 15 juin. Le supergroupe est composé de 3 membres de Rage Against the Machine (Tom Morello, Tim Commerford et Brad Wilk), de DJ Lord et Chuck D de Public Enemy ainsi que de B-Real de Cypress Hill. Ils ont offert aux spectateurs un enchaînement de succès des 3 groupes originaux dont les classiques « Fight The Power », « How I Could Just Kill A Man » et « Guerrilla Radio ».

C’était l’un des spectacles que j’attendais avec le plus d’impatience et j’ai été comblée!

Dès les premières notes de la chanson « Prophets of Rage » (Public Enemy), je savais qu’on aurait droit à une prestation digne des légendes qui se dressaient devant nous. Chuck D et B-Real ont aisément interprété tous les succès de Rage Against the Machine (« Testify », « Bombtrack », « Bulls On Parade » et plusieurs autres) – et la foule a également eu droit à 2 medleys hip-hop, qui incluaient entre autres le méga succès « Jump Around » de House of Pain.

C’était épuisée, mais tellement heureuse que j’ai quitté le site après avoir eu la chance inouïe d’assister à ce spectacle qui marquera sans aucun doute l’histoire de la 13e édition du Montebello Rockfest.

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Les musts du Rockfest 2018

Christine — Thu, 29 Mar 2018 19:17:39 +0000

Les musts du Rockfest 2018 Christine Thu, 03/29/2018

Amateurs et amatrices de rock, de métal, de punk, de hardcore, de hip-hop ou d’une combinaison de ces styles, le moment est venu de préparer votre équipement de camping pour la 13e édition du Rockfest de Montebello. Parmi les 73 groupes (on les a comptés) qui défileront sur scène du 14 au 16 juin 2018, on vous suggère de ne pas manquer… (roulements de tambours):

Prophets of Rage

En plus d’être l’une des têtes d’affiche du festival, le supergroupe formé en 2016 constitue un véritable trois-en-un de l’histoire musicale des trois dernières décennies. Les nostalgiques vont se régaler! Composé de trois membres de Rage Against The Machine (le guitariste Tom Morello, le bassiste Tim Commerford et le batteur Brad Wilk), des rappers B-Real (Cypress Hill) et Chuck D (Public Enemy) et de DJ Lord (Public Enemy), Prophets of Rage ne se contentent pas de proposer des nouvelles chansons tributaires de leurs passés respectifs (comme on peut l’entendre sur l’album homonyme sorti en septembre 2017), ils exécutent en concert les succès de chacune de leur formation. Au Rockfest, la formation rendra aussi hommage au regretté Chris Cornell par le biais d’Audioslave, le précédent supergroupe de Morello et Commerford.

Dimmu Borgir

Il y a au moins deux raisons d’assister à la prestation de la formation norvégienne. Tout d’abord, il s’agira de son premier concert au Québec en 8 ans et ensuite, Dimmu Borgir souligne cette année son 25e anniversaire. On s’attend donc à ce que le groupe black métal symphonique interprète les incontournables de sa carrière (For all tid, Nar Sjelen Hentes Til Helvete, In Death’s Embrace, Dreamside Dominions, etc.) en plus des morceaux tirés d’Eonian, son 10e album à paraître le 4 mai. D’ailleurs, après quelques écoutes, on peut affirmer qu’il n’est pas mal du tout.

Steel Panther

Qui dit festival extérieur dit party et qui dit party dit Steel Panther! Que vous ayez vécus ou non la mode des cuissards en spandex et des cheveux crêpés, le glam métal du groupe de Los Angeles vous replongera au cœur des années 1980. Le fait que Steel Panther ne se prend pas du tout au sérieux, comme l’indique le titre des albums Hole Patrol (2003), Feel the Steel (2009) et Lower the Bar (2017) rend le voyage dans le temps encore plus mémorable et appréciable.

Henry Rollins

Force de la nature aussi à l’aise derrière le micro que la caméra (il a joué dans de nombreux films et séries, dont Sons of Anarchy en 2009 et Z Nation en 2017), Henry Rollins, qu’on a découvert dans le groupe hardcore punk Black Flag, mérite absolument d’être entendu. L’artiste reconnu pour son franc parlé s’intéresse à tous les sujets et a le don de transformer les anecdotes les plus banales en péripéties captivantes et drôles.

Beyond Creation

La première participation du quatuor montréalais au festival coïncide avec la fin du cycle de tournée pour l’album Earthborn Evolution, lancé en 2014. Si le concentré death métal progressif complexe et dense de Beyond Creation est agréable à entendre sur disque, c’est encore plus fascinant de voir les musiciens en action. Le groupe qui vient de terminer l’enregistrement de son 3e disque en profitera peut-être pour nous donner un avant-goût de son nouveau matériel.

Morgan

Rien de mieux pour rendre hommage aux vaches de Montebello qu’un groupe qui donne à sa musique le nom de « Cowpunk »! Le punk festif de Morgan évoque le son de Dropkick Murphys, mais en y ajoutant une bonne dose d’humour et de country twang à la place de l’influence celtique. Bref, difficile de rester de glace à l’écoute des chansons (écoutez Mow Your Lawn, Running For My Life, Porcupine) qu’on trouve sur Morgan Deli, le 2e album de la formation de Salaberry-De-Valleyfield.

Le Rockfest de Montebello

14-16 juin, 2018

http://www.montebellorockfest.com/

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The Free Life by Turbowolf

Noémi — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 16:32:20 +0000

The Free Life by Turbowolf Noémi Mon, 03/12/2018

Instagram: @turbowolfband Twitter: @turbowolfband Facebook: /turbowolf Youtube: Turbowolf

“It’s not: ‘Let’s make it sound like this band.’ It’s: ‘Let’s make it sound like no band.”

- Andy Ghosh

Turbowolf have made a name for themselves with influences and output that covers the entire genre of electrified music – everything from garage rock, to punk, heavy metal, and psychedelia. Their third album, The Free Life, is no different.

A demented, yet highly addictive take on high-octane riff rock

Explosive modern-day rockers Turbowolf are on a mission to destroy the rock and roll playbook you know and love. The Free Life challenges you on every level. The band isn’t thinking outside the box, they’ve burnt the box and smoked the ashes.

“Guitar music has become one of the safest and most predictable genres around. It’s been going on like that for so long now that people have actually forgotten the whole point of rock and roll was to be dangerous and scary and unpredictable. Things are stale and boring. We’re trying to shake things up and make them interesting again.”

- Andy Ghosh

The Free Life bursts at the seams with raw power and drips with unadulterated attitude. The opening track “No No No” superbly builds thunderous stoner rock riffs. The album’s greatest strength is its harmonic interplay. This is demonstrated on hardcore punk-ish “Very Bad” and is also featured on every. single. song.

Bludgeoning licks, schizophrenic synthesizers, and throaty vocals

About halfway through the album, the band permanently departs from earth and plunges into carefree synthesizer solos and spastic guitar plays.

“Cheap Magic” juxtaposes flashy riffs before breaking into playful and bouncy drumming by Davis. Similarly, “Last Three Clues” heads straight into fuzz rock, briefly devolving into a chilled-out break that features some psychedelic keyboards. Then, there’s the languid beginning of “Up N Atom” that rapidly transforms into an aggressive and 1980’s-induced electronica. A gem, nonetheless.

The album closes with the slow approach of the title track, eventually building speed into a loud romp with Chris Georgiadis’ vocals soaring above. There’s a definite increase in confidence from all members. Musically and vocally, The Free Life is the work of a bolder, more confident, and more settled band that knows what it is aiming for. It is the perfect sum of Two Hands and Turbowolf.

Always a hard band to pin down, Turbowolf has outdone itself again. A fun, ethereal trip through the mind of some talented and twisted musicians and songwriters. Here’s an intoxicatingly dizzying and majestic one for the books.

Check out Turbowolf on Stingray Music!

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Top 10 | Heavy Metal Songs

Noémi — Wed, 08 Nov 2017 15:35:37 +0000

Top 10 | Heavy Metal Songs Noémi Wed, 11/08/2017

100% HEAVY METAL (we’re not talking about iron, lead, and zinc)

How many metalheads does it take to change a light bulb? None. They embrace the darkness.

Whether you’re looking for background music to debate Slayer’s best album or simply looking for a little piece of heaven, well you’ve got another thing comin’: we’ve compiled 10 disasterpiece[s] that’ll make you blackout. So, stick around, don’t run to the hills. Welcome to the Jungle.

10. “Market Demand” by Comeback Kid

I had to plug Comeback Kid here #SorryNotSorry. They’re my all-time fave. Their restless creativity never ceases to amaze me. If you’re seeking raw and powerfully chilling tracks, look no more. Check out their underrated album Symptoms + Cures (the only album you’ll need if every there’s a sonic apocalypse).

9. “Lost Not Forgotten” by Dream Theater

If Dream Theater had a PhD, it would be in instrument technical proficiency. The band’s tendency to drift into atmospheric-like melodies demonstrates how their songs are oh-so laboriously crafted. “Lost Not Forgotten” embodies what Dream Theater’s all about: history marking songwriting and extremely solid musicality.

8. “Louder Than Hell” by Mötley Crüe

Oh, Tommy Lee, I’ll never forget your drum solos. Nikki Sixx, I thought you were a total badass for setting your pants on fire and rolling around on stage. Mötley Crüe throws all rock conventions out the window and burns the window down. Nitro-fueled riffs and echo-drenched fury, the Crüe are the true underdogs of rock and roll.

7. “Damages” by Converge

Converge has no limits. Converge is deeply poetic. Converge is mathcore-soaked. I love you, Converge. “Damages” leaves us simmering in its insane hooks and relentless drumming. Jacob Bannon’s commanding vocals drive the song like a drill sergeant. Take a plunge in the heart of metalcore and don’t forget to catch your breath.

6. “Paranoid” by Black Sabbath

I probably should’ve put this one as No. 1. This is pure auditory bliss. “Paranoid” is soulful and backbeat-driven à la Hendrix. Quite possibly one of the tightest and rhythmic songs off their entire repertoire. Talk about shock and awe. Can someone get my Les Paul? I need to practice.

5. “Angel of Death” by Slayer

It’s headbanging time! Five minutes of insurmountable, grimy, and flat-out wicked awesome combinations of guitar and thunderous drumming. Metal’s known for its darkness, wittiness, and sharpness – Slayer has epitomized those qualities. I dare you to find an equally brilliant guitar solo. Go on. I’ll be waiting.

4. “Runnin’ With The Devil” by Van Halen

Eight kick drums, anyone? Ah, Van Halen. They’ve forever disrupted metal. Their live performances are unforgettable. (Read: Michael Anthony pouring himself a shot of whiskey in a paper cup before performing the most impressive bass solo you’ll ever come across)

3. “Hallowed Be Thy Name” by Iron Maiden

I’ve been seduced by Iron Maiden’s rebellious f-all attitude since I was 13. “Hallowed Be Thy Name” contains enough high-octane guitar shredding and surreal wordplay to satisfy any true metal head (cue 4:24). Are you guys a coronary artery? Cause you’re wrapped all around my heart.

2. “Holy Wars… The Punishment Due” by Megadeth

Now, this is a band that never disappoints. Megadeth’s impulsivity has propelled them to stardom and allowed them to create unpredictable fretwork, textural spontaneity, and neck-breaking rhythms. They’re having fun (it shows) and their fans get to tag along for the ride. Need I say more?

1. “Master of Puppets” by Metallica

Metallica sums up quintessential wild thrash metal, even when they’re jumping all over the musical map. They’ve created sounds that perfectly melt into ripples of psych rock, and trash about in a storm of crunchy metallic riffs. God bless “Master of Puppets” for its clean vocals and sharp arrangements.