Got something to say or an idea for a future rant? Email Al!
When I was younger I was (and still am) obsessed with 80's Metal. I tore my jeans, wore Skid Row T-shirts to school and refused to change for gym class because the girls would like me better if I was the rocker. Well, I also was obsessed with which is what is now called "Old Skool" Rap and Hip-Hop. RUN-DMC, LL Cool J, all the greats. I was even into Pop acts like NKOTB and Bell Biv Devoe and New Edition. Although my true passion will always be Rock N ' Roll I enjoyed all these types of music. Was I a Poseur? Yes. Am I still one?
I always get crap for the music I listen to. I mean I love SLAYER and I also love Elvis Presley. Some music snobs think this is unacceptable behavior. I say bullshit. Why does it matter what we like? We are defined by our interests. Like Rob said in "High Fidelity," "I agreed that what really matters is what you like, not what you are like... Books, records, films - these things matter. Call me shallow but it's the fuckin' truth." I could not agree more. So listen to whatever the hell you want. Who cares? People that are going to give you shit about it have no idea what they are talking about and are the ones who jump to the newest trend when it becomes popular. Follow your ear...your happiness matters.
Stay Sleazy
Humanary Stew
Ode to G’N’R
I took the Nightrain to Paradise City and I notice the billboard that reads “Welcome to the Jungle” I wait for Mr. Brownstone to arrive. ”You’re Crazy for coming here this late” he tells me, then says, “My Michelle will always be my Rocket Queen.” “Don’t Cry” I tell him, “Nice Boys always get the girl because Nice Boys don’t play rock n roll”. We discuss our Reckless Lives in the cold November Rain. We speak of Estranged loves, and I tell him how the boys in blue are “Out to Get Me for reasons Mr. Brownstone is very familiar with. Old Mama Kin came by and grabbed Mr. Brownstone from behind and said “You Could be Mine if I had the Patience to wait for you to come to my place and show me what your made of.” “Back off Bitch” Brownstone said, “You’re beating a Dead Horse if you think I’ll get into bed with you.” “Fuck off” Mama Kin said, then walked off into the city of angels. That bitch is One in a Million, I Used to Love Her until she became a crack head. That is what 14 Years of drugs will do to you my friend. Anything Goes in this city Brownstone, Anything Goes.
KISS - Part 4/4
I am not even sure how to bring this column to a close. The thing about KISS is that it is never ending. The tours, merchandise, CD‘s, television, it just keeps getting spoon fed to the fans and we eat it up. Even in a recession they are on a sold out world tour. I guess there are some starving children out there who won’t have food this week because mom and dad had to go see KISS again. I would do that, I don’t have kids so I am allowed to say it.
KISS will be around forever, literally. If something happens to one of them, or all of them, they will be replaced by new members of the army. This is the one good thing about the make-up. Paul Stanley recently said in an interview that he expects that KISS will go on without him. I can honestly say that will be the point where I hang up the costume, wash off the make- up and call it quits. A KISS without Paul is blasphemy. Part of me wants it to end soon. I think they need to go out on top. I remember thinking back in 1996 on the “Farewell Tour” that it was a good idea to end it with a tour with the original members, and now here we are 14 years later, a few lineup changes and they show no sign of stopping. Let me try to end this the way KISS ends their concerts….”People, this song is about what we believe in and I know it is what you believe in…so lets Rock N Roll All Night And Party Everyday!”
Keep on rocking boys and I will keep showing up.
KISS - Part 3/4
The 80's and early 90's gave us what my friend Craig and I like to call "80‘s KISS." I think that this era gave us some of their best music, All Hells Breakin Loose, Rise To It, X In Sex, Hide Your Heart, Crazy Nights, Heavens On Fire, Tears Are Fallin', Who Wants To Be Lonely, Reason To Live, Thrills In The Night, I Will Be There, and pretty much the whole Revenge album (and so much more,i could go on forever).
I grew up on this era of KISS. I learned about guitars, bass and drums from all of this. When Vinnie Vincent left they brought Mark St. John in and he only played on the Animalize record. Then, Bruce Kulick came in and rocked my world. Bruce is the younger brother of Bob Kulick. Bob played with Paul on a solo tour and when they needed a guitar player they gave Bruce a call on the suggestion of his brother. They made a good choice.
Bruce brought more of the technical aspect to KISS. He was a real musician in a band full of rock stars. I think he taught the other members how to play better, the songs were better, the shows were great and the band once again was unstopable. There is a bootleg video that fans may be familiar with from the Animalize tour, MTV played this concert for free one night only. When watching this concert you sense a togetherness between the band, the music is so perfect. Eric Carr's drum solo feels like cannons are going off in your head and Bruce's guitar solo is a blast of genius...
Eric Carr developed cancer in early ‘91 and sadly passed away in november of the same year. He was the best drummer KISS will ever have. He hit the drums harder than anyone, past, present, and future. He was all about the fans and would always take the time to take pictures, sign autographs, do interviews; he was thankful to the fans. He knew where he came from and never let the fame get to his head.
When Eric Carr passed away i was sure that KISS was done forever...I couldn't have been more wrong. KISS entered the studio to begin work on the Revenge record. Eric Singer, who played with Paul on a couple of solo tours was called in to fill the seat of the late, great, Eric Carr. The album came out and quickly became a fan favorite. They released a few singles off the record and enjoyed some airplay on MTV, but it didn't take off the way they expected it to. They toured for the album and sold out arenas all over the world, KISS was still alive and well. They also managed to realese Alive 3 it was recorded on the Revenge tour and is another example of how KISS live is an experience that once you see it you become addicted ad will do anything to go back, or at least thats how it made me feel.
KISS fans received a treat in 1996 when the band recorded an episode of MTV’s unplugged. Towards the end of the show Paul says to the crowd, ”We got some members of the family here tonight. We’re not talking about mom and dad. I’m talking Peter Criss and Ace Frehley.” The roar of the crowd was earth shaking and we all had a feeling something was up. They performed a handful of songs and after this show - the buzz started. Will the original 4 reunite? Will they put the make-up back on? Would Peter and Ace even be interested? There was a lot of bad talk between members in the press. There was one thing that was going to make this happen…$$$$$. Gene Simmons was not going to pass up an opprotunity like this. After all, he is the money man. He actually said at one point that if people wanted to send him money, anything as small as a dollar, that he would take it. I wouldn’t be surprised if some people actually sent him some!
KISS - Part 2/4
On a saturday night in 1982 I was spending the night at my grandparents house because my parents were going out. They had some friends over so they let me go in the living room and watch T.V. I immediatly went to MTV because thats the only channel that i knew exactly what number it was. What I saw that night would change my life forever.
They were not human, they looked like super heroes....They were KISS! Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, and Eric Carr.
A few years later, I found out that Peter Criss was the original drummer and a very important member of the group. I didn’t think they were real; I thought they were superheroes, comic book heroes even. I just knew they were different. I stayed up every Saturday night to watch Headbangers Ball just so i could see KISS again.
For most of my childhood on Saturdays in the neighborhood a bunch of kids would get together and play baseball in a field down the street. There were a couple kids who would show up just to hang out and smoke ciggaretes.They looked so cool to me with their leather jackets with Iron Maiden patches on the back. I wanted to be like them so badly.
One of the kids was named Chuck,"the bear" was his nickname. I’m not sure why, but thinking back I bet it was because he drank alot of "beer".
One Saturday, "the bear" brought along a radio and a bag full of cassettes. He was blasting the music so loud I couldn’t hear myself think. I ran down to him and asked him what that song was and he told me me it was called "Creatures of the Night" and that it was by KISS. My jaw dropped and I was so happy. Chuck made me a copy of the "Creatures" tape and I listened to it for a week straight.
The next saturday, Chuck pulled me aside and told me that there was going to be a history making event involving KISS on MTV the following night. He told me that I needed to watch so I can see the truth (I think he was humoring me because I still thought they were superheroes). I waited patiently for Sunday night to arrive.
My mom made dinner and I watched the clock. At 8pm sharp I begged my father to turn on MTV so I could see KISS. He hesitated at first, but gave in. They were showing a lot of KISS videos and old interviews. The host came on and said "When we return we will see for the first time, the real identity of the members of KISS!" What the hell was he talking about?!?! I was so confused when the show came back on. I recieved another shock that would change my view on KISS.
The host came on (I think his name was J.J. Jackson) and he said, "Now it’s time to finally reveal the identity of the members of KISS!" They started with a picture of Gene Simmons with makeup on and J.J. said his name and the picture faded away to reveal what he really looked like without makeup. He looked like one of the stoners that would hang out at the baseball field. They did Paul Stanley next. This freaked me out the most because he was and still is my favorite member. I seriously wanted to cry. Vinnie Vincent was next (he replaced Ace Frehley a few years earlier when he left the band. I also found out he was from my hometown). Finally, they ended with Eric Carr. I didn’t know what to do, what to say. My father wanted to change the channel but I screamed and begged him to leave it on a little longer. The band was explaing that it was time for a change, time for a new KISS. They wanted a new beginning for a new era since two of the original members were gone and because it wasn’t fair to KISS fans to have other people wearing the makeup that made them famous (we all know how that story ends).
They announced another surprise. They were going to premiere their new video,"Lick It Up." This was so amazing to me. I hadn't heard new KISS music yet; I only had that one tape that Chuck made me. The video was nuts. They were walking around an alley with all these girls chasing after them. Paul had the tightest pants on I've ever seen. I always gravitated to Paul, I still do. I thought they looked weird at first, but I got use to them without makeup quickly.
As the years went on I would watch Headbangers Ball every weekend hoping to get a chance to see KISS. I discovered a new crop of bands that I still love today, Motley Crue, Poison, Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Warrant, Ratt, just to name a few. I realized later on that these bands owe it all to KISS. They started a revolution that is imitated to this day.
When my birthday rolled around I got $20 dollars from my grandmother to buy new shoes. That plan went out the window when I had my aunt take me to a store called Record Town. I had my $20 dollar bill in my hand and I ran into the store. I bought Bon Jovi's New Jersey album (yes they still sold albums) and KISS' Crazy Nights tape. The song Crazy Nights is still one of my favorites; it has a line in it that puts it all in place as a KISS fan: "This is my music, it makes me proud, these are my people and this is my crowd."
KISS cares about their fans (Except when they charge tons of money for tickets and up to $1000 for meet and greets. People actually pay this and some of them have waited 20-25 years to meet them!) They always put on shows that are amazing. It’s like going to the circus. It’s also like the 4th of July everynight they go out there and blow stuff up. People go to the shows in full KISS makeup (me and my friend Craig did!).
It’s like a family, an army. The KISS Army!
(I’ve been a certified member since I was 10)
KISS - Part 1/4
I want to tell you how KISS got started so you can understand how simple it was.
The early 70’s in New York was all about glam, New york Dolls, Blondie, and many others. If you were a guy that didnt dress like a girl and play in a band, you wouldn't fit in.
Gene Simmoms and Paul Stanley hooked up through mutual friends that they were in bands with. There’s an old story that Gene actually asked Paul to play him songs that he wrote to see if he was good enough for him to be in a band with. Gene's mentality of being the best started early, I guess.
Now, they needed a guitarist and drummer. Paul and Gene came across an ad in Rolling Stone that basically read "drummer available, will do anything”. They knew that was their man. Paul and Gene hopped a subway to Brooklyn to a very Italian club filled with your typical mafia lookin men drinkin beer and watching this trio on stage.
The drummer was in the groove until they started playing "In the Midnight Hour" and he started singing in a very blues voice that was just what they needed. Paul and Gene both agreed that was their guy. His name was Peter Criscuola. They shortened it to Peter Criss.
Peter entered the loft they had on 23rd street and they began to play as a trio.
1972 started to move quickly; they had songs to play and even started to wear make- up to signify their look. The make-up was less polished than what we're used to seeing. This all just seemed to work at the time for the boys. Bands that try and wear make-up today just look like cheap KISS imitators, mixed with Alice Cooper and Marylin Manson.
The trio, now named Wicked Lester, went before Epic records to see if they liked what they heard. The label sent down the vice president to the loft. They played 3 songs for the A&R man: Deuce, Strutter and Firehouse. They had worked an act into the end of Firehouse where Paul would take a pail filled with confetti and throw it over the crowd. The A&R man was so feaked out he began to run for the door where Peter's brother had been drinking and hanging out. He threw up on the A&R man’s shoes and he yelled back "I’ll call you!"
Paul and Gene realized that if they were going to write new music and hire new players, they were going to need a new name.......
Stay tuned for part 2 next month!
I was working on a specific column for this month but decided to shelve it for now because something else is on my mind, Bret Michaels. When you stop laughing let me explain.
On April 23rd, Bret was rushed to the hospital with a brain hemorrhage. This just a few weeks after he had to have emergency surgery to have his appendix removed. Doctors are still unable to find out where the bleeding is coming from at the base of his brain. This is a very serious injury.
Last year at the Tony Awards, Bret suffered a head injury when a large set being lowered onto the stage knocked him onto the floor causing a concussion. I am no doctor, but I am guessing this may have had something to do with this most recent injury.
There have been a rash of hate websites, emails, and Facebook posts about Bret. This goes back to a problem I have with people -Why is it funny to listen to glam rock? I bet most of you “older folk” listened to Poison when they came out in 1986. I found it disturbing to read these disgusting comments: wishing he would die, the world is a better place without his crap music, etc. There is no need for this. He is a human being and needs our prayers and support. You wouldn’t appreciate it if it was one of your family members, so shut your mouth. Go back to listening to your mindless fabricated music and we can all go on living our lives. Have a nice day.
Keep it Sleazy
Humanary Stew
Update 05.16.2010
Bret’s condition has improved. He is alert and responding and with rest, he can expect to make a full recovery. I guarantee he will try and tour this summer. This is why he is better than most of us. He hasn’t stopped bringing the music for 20 years and I only see him stopping when he dies.
Update 05.29.2010
Bret returned to the stage in Mississippi.
Humanary Stew’s Classic Album Review
Appetite for Destruction - Guns n Roses
Released July 21st 1987
Geffen Records
Produced by Mike Clink
This is the real deal people. This album defines my obsession with music. It changed my life forever. This is the one that would come to the island with me. This record changed the way people listen, record ,and play rock n’ roll. It was like no other record out at the time. You have Axl Rose, one of the best front men in rock n roll. With his Mick Jagger moves and howling vocals he brought the crowd to their feet and the women to their knees all over the world. Izzy Stradlin, Axl’s childhood friend from Indiana. His Ron Wood style of playing and his cool, quiet appearance made him one of the most recognizable rhythm players of the last 20 years. Duff McKagan, a Seattle born bass player who was more punk rock than anyone in the band. Known for his alcohol consumption, he later became known as “the king of beers”. Steven Adler, a great rock n roll drummer who let drugs take over his life and was asked to leave the band in 1990. And finally, a man who needs no introduction, half man, half beast. He goes by just SLASH. The top hat wearing,Les Paul playing guitar god from Stoke- on- Trent,England. The chemistry between these five musicians will never be duplicated. I hope one day they can put their differences aside and tour again. That is one concert where price would be no option for me. I only need one kidney, I can sell one if I have to.
Appetite has sold over 18 million copies. The most from a rock debut ever.
Lets run through my favorite songs and re-live the greatness that is Appetite for Destruction.
1. Welcome to the Jungle: The first song Axl and Slash co-wrote together. It accounts a tale of a young man getting off the bus in LA and trying to make it. I remember seeing this video as a 9 year old boy and thinking to myself,” these are the coolest people I have ever seen” and since that day I have been obsessed with this band. The live performance and Axl’s teased out hair is priceless. The drug dealer in the video who approaches Axl as he gets off the bus is played by Izzy Stradlin.
2. It’s so Easy: This great track is about all of the women who would hang around the band in their poor days and basically feed them, cloth them, and well, have sex with them. It was so easy.
3. Nightrain: This gem is about the California brand of cheap wine, Night Train Express. It was very popular because of its low price tag and high alcohol content. This song appeared on Guitar world’s top 10 list of all time drinking songs.
5. Mr. Brownstone:This song was written by Izzy and Slash while sitting around Izzy’s girlfriend’s apartment complaining about being heroin addicts. Brownstone is a street reference to heroin. The man who was responsible for the Virginia Tech Massacre wrote a play titled “Mr. Brownstone”. There are several references to the lyrics In the dialogue.
6. Paradise City. Ok,I have very fond memories of this song. Sitting in my living room and seeing the video everyday on MTV after school. I wanted a white leather jacket like Axl’s so bad. I wanted to be him. I wanted to be in this band. The live performance video showcased the band as a true live act. When they were on, you were going to get the best show of your life. Paradise was written in the back of a van on the way back from a gig in San Francisco while the band drank and played acoustic guitars. Slash came up with the intro and Axl added the lyrics. There are many different stories of what this song is about, too many to mention. My take is that it is told from Axl’s point of view from a boy in Indiana trying to make it to the big city and be a star.
7. My Michelle: This song is a true story about a girl Axl and Slash knew. While driving with Axl one day, she heard “Your Song” by Elton John on the radio and commented that she wished someone would write a song about her. Axl wrote a ballad type song for her but then decided that it wasn’t an honest enough depiction of Michelle’s life. He then wrote the version that made it onto the record. “Your daddy works in porno now that mommy’s not around. She use to love her heroin, but now she’s underground”. Seems pretty honest to me.
8. Sweet Child O’Mine: What else is there to say about this song. When I first heard it I told all of my friends that Slash was playing the longest guitar solo in rock history. I made that up to sound cool. For a few days, it worked. The riff at the beginning came about as Slash joked around in a rehearsal and the remainder of the song was written in five minutes. Axl overheard this jam from the other room and couldn’t help but wrote lyrics. He based the song on his current girlfriend, Erin Everly. The rest is history.
9. Rocket Queen: This is my favorite track on the record. I always loved the fact that it basically sounded like 2 songs in one. The first half is an all out rock song to a girl who Axl wanted to be with. He then flips it and sings her the most beautiful lyrics in a slower rock ballad ending. It also features an actual recorded sex act. This to me was always cool because Axl basically got Steven Adler’s girlfriend to have sex with him in the vocal booth. Some say it was Axl getting back at Steven for something. Here is Axl’s explanation courtesy of Wikipedia:
“I wrote this song for this girl who was going to have a band and she was going to call it Rocket Queen. She kind of kept me alive for a while. The last part of the song is my message to this person, or anybody else who can get something out of it. It's like there's hope and a friendship note at the end of the song. For that song there was also something I tried to work out with various people—a recorded sex act. It was somewhat spontaneous but premeditated; something I wanted to put on the record. “
—Axl Rose An Interview With The Gunners, Hit Parader - March 1988[1]
Engineer Steve Thompson also added:
“Axl wanted some pornographic sounds on Rocket Queen, so he brought a girl in and they had sex in the studio. We wound up recording about 30 minutes of sex noises. If you listen to the break on Rocket Queen it's in there.”
So there it is. I know most of you out there own this cd,tape or record. I have about 6 copies of each plus rare Japanese pressings and I also own the original cover version with the robot and the naked girl.
I could have made this review a lot shorter but I think it needed to be told from my point of view since what I say matters. To me at least. And my cats. They love this album and they agree with everything I say.
Keep it Sleazy
Humanary Stew
Note: -All quotes courtesy of Wikipedia.-
A Motley Sort of Crue
When I listen to Motley Crue I feel dirty. I feel like I need to take a shower. I can taste Jack Daniels on my tounge, which also tingles from too much cocaine. I need to tell this girl in my bed, that I don’t know to leave so I can go out, play the show, and do it all again tonight. Normal people would not be able to live like this for 25 years, but Nikki Sixx,Vince Neil, Tommy Lee, and Mick Mars did. They still rock and they can still kick your ass.
I have to admit, I was a little late to the Motley party. I was watching the much missed Headbangers Ball one Saturday night in 1985 when the video for “Home Sweet Home” came on. I have always been a fan of the “power ballad” and was immediately taken in. The video is a lot of footage of the band on stage and traveling on their tour bus. I instantly wanted to become a rock star! This began my unhealthy obsession with glam rock; an obsession I still have to this day. I discovered Bon Jovi, Ratt, Ozzy Osbourne, Iron Maiden, and many more amazing bands; some of them not actually glam, but they got my attention. I was already a fan of KISS and Aerosmith so I welcomed this big haired change with open arms. A few days after I saw the “Home Sweet Home” video my mom became very angry one morning before school when she saw the holes in my jeans. I explained to her that this is how Nikki Sixx wears them and ill never forget the look in her face.You see, I made these holes myself and she didn’t like that I ruined them. She is not very rock n’ roll, except for her obsession with Jon Bon Jovi. Take a number mom. There are a lot of ladies waiting for Jonny.
Unlike a lot of bands from the decade of decadence, Motley never stopped making music.They never stopped touring. They did make an album without singer Vince Neil. They hired Scream singer John Corabi. Die hard Motley fans say this is one of their heavier more guitar driven records. Critics called it a joke. Corabi was eventually let go and Vince came back.
These days, glam has become nostalgia for a lot of people. They think it is funny to like Motley or Poison. I always get a weird look or made fun of for expressing my love for 80’s metal. I will take my obsession to the grave and beyond. I want people to take glam seriously. After all, ”glam” in the seventies influenced a slew of bands.
When I was twenty years old my fellow glam lover and one of my best friends Dino and I decided to start a band. We wanted to be the band that we would go to see at clubs. We wanted to take what all our heroes gave us and throw all that energy into our music. I was going to attempt to sing, Dino was going to kill on the guitar, we got Dino’s friend Bob Miles on drums and finally we put out an ad for a bass player and the very talented Anthony Apuzzo answered and we were ready for glam destiny…or so we thought.
I immediately began putting the thought in my mind that we were going to be famous.We were going to pound the pavement, get our name out there and make it fast. We were convinced at this time because in early 2000 a glam revival was suddenly happening. We went to see Poison, Motley, Ratt, Cinderella, and a slew of other bands that we worshiped. Some bands we saw a few times in a row. We must have seen 100 concerts in a few years time! We even got to meet a few of our heroes…Bret Michaels, Sebastian Bach, Mark Slaughter, Keri Kelli, Dee Snider, Firehouse, Ratt,(they even took pictures with me) Quiet Riot, and L.A. Guns to name a few.
At one Motley show I had the opportunity to take pictures of the band. They were the coolest guys I’ve ever met. They made me feel like one of them. I felt like I was a glam rocker when I was with them. I took my pictures and was happy…they started to lose interest in me when a few more than eager girls walked into the room.
The show that night was great. Scorpions opened up and they were amazing…those guys are phenomal musicians…I always laugh to myself for some reason when I think of how short the singer is.
The next day I called Dino and told him that we need to cover a Motley song in our set. We decided on the less popular “10 Seconds to Love”. Sometimes when we played this song people asked us when we wrote it. Or how we got the crowd to sing along to the hook? IT was easy for us to know who the real glam fans were after those gigs. I started to worry when the crowd was having more fun while we played cover songs…no one said we were songwriters! I wanted to be a rock star, not a song writer.
We eventually fizzled out and we all went our separate ways. There was a second line-up of this band with Anthony and I and another guitarist and drummer but I choose to erase that year from my memory..not because of Anthony but because of our racist, egotistical guitar player.
The music is still in us all. There is a small group of friends that I share my obsession with. We spend many nights drinking and discussing music, films, books, etc. These topics interests us. We have been called music snobs and that is the highest compliment anyone has ever paid me. Thank you and I look forward to arguing with you about music someday. I drink Sam Adams so get me a cold one and lets talk rock, metal, punk, blues, anything you want…but be prepared for a long night.
Keep it Sleazy
Humanary Stew.
Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan
02.10.81-12.28.2009
When I woke up today I went online to do my normal daily check of all my music sites. I was shocked when the first site I clicked on was reporting that "The Rev", drummer for Avenged Sevenfold had died at the age of 28 of natural causes. That phrase bothers me: "natural causes at the age of 28". What does that even mean? It sounds so unresolved. I'm assuming drugs were involved. You don’t die at 28 from "natural causes."
Last year I did a review of the A7X show I attended. You can check out the piece in the "Reviews" section of the site, or be lazy and click here. Going back and reading it I regret not touching more on "The Rev's" amazing drumming style. I mentioned in the review that he somehow plays with 3 bass drums on stage. My friend Anthony, who cites The Rev as his favorite drummer, told me “he must have 3 legs”. The Rev co-wrote a lot of the bands songs and had very unique backing vocals...the most notable is the track " A Little Piece of Heaven" off of 2007's self titled release.
Now the question is: What does A7X do now? They have been friends since grade school and were more of a family than a band. Can you replace family? No...never. Personally, I think they should release the record they were working on and call it quits after that. I love this band and don’t want them to go away, but you can’t replace an important member like Rev. Zeppelin never replaced John Bonham and The Beatles never replaced Lennon. Whatever they decide they have my support.
Rest in Peace Rev…Enjoy the party in the afterlife.
Keep It Sleazy
Humanary Stew.
Update: Couretsy of Blabbermouth.net
The autopsy on "Rev" has come back inconclusive.
The Orange County coroner's office ordered "toxicology, microscopic and laboratory tests" to help determine why Sullivan died, according to Jim Amormino, a spokesman for the Sheriff's-Coroner's office.
So, I lost my job a few weeks ago and I’ve been pretty bummed since. You know what has kept me going this whole time? Music..that’s right Rock n Roll has kept me motivated. It’s amazing how such a simple thing can make people happy. I think without music we would all be pretty bored. I've caught up on a lot of cds in the past two weeks and I hope to review some of them real soon for you all to read. I want to just tell you a little something about the new Slayer World Painted Blood. It is a classic thrash metal record that has hints of “Reign in Blood" and "South of Heaven". Dave Lombardo has never sounded better and King and Hanneman are two of the best guitarists of the genre and are a force to be reckoned with. Tom Araya is a rare gem. He lets you know he is in charge from the opening note to the last one. I'm going to give this masterpiece a full review so check back soon.
Keep It Sleazy
Humanary Stew
PS-I just want to thank my former employer for lifting the mountain of stress off my back. It wasn’t worth working for you. You made me do all of your jobs and you got paid a lot more. You are a terrible person.
In order for anyone to understand someone, they need to know a little about them.
Here is my story.
My real name is Belardo Bristow. I was a secret agent for a sub division of the Blood Line Society called "Project Mountaineer." I was chosen for this based on a profile run through a central database at the Blood Line Society headquarters. I was approached while eating lunch in the courtyard at my local college and handed a card. I was told that I was the chosen one and that I needed to call this number and instructions would be given to me as to what to do next. I was intrigued so I called the number and was told to go to an abandoned warehouse. I was led by masked men into an underground cave where I was instructed as to what was to happen next. I would be an undercover agent with speBlood Line Societyl training in weapons and defense and I would travel the world to uncover mysteries and retrieve documents that will help my company achieve their goal of world domination.
My cover from now on is that I am a bank employee who handles all offshore accounts for clients and will have to travel constantly to satisfy their banking needs. Now no one can know anything about what I do or the consequences are fatal. I must lie to the people I love in order to keep them safe. Now at one point I ran into a problem. I proposed to my girlfriend and she said yes. I couldn't keep this secret from her. I went into the shower one day and asked her to join me. The shower is the only place in my apartment that isn't wired with listening devices. I told her what I really do and that I have been an agent for the last 3 years. She didn't believe me and left. I went to Italy on "business" and received a message from my girlfriend drunk and rambling that she accepts what I do and that she will keep my secret. I knew there was going to be a problem because they trace all of my calls and messages. When I arrived back home my apartment was trashed and my girlfriend was gone, or so I thought. I went into the bathroom and found her body shot to death in the bathtub. I was devastated and went to my employer for answers. They wanted to kill me also for telling the secrets of the project but needed me for the speBlood Line Societyl skills that I provide when on missions. I can decode any code and unlock any safe. This is valuable to them. They had no sympathy for my loss and sent me on my way. I decided that this division isn't what it seems to be and I went to the Blood Line Society headquarters to state my complaint with the directors.
I was lead into an office to privately speak to a director. What I was told next would answer a lot of questions. "Project Mountaineer" is actually run by the enemy I was told I was fighting against. I was a bad guy this whole time. I wanted to destroy the whole division myself. So I made a difficult decision. I became a double agent now working for the real Blood Line Society. My mission is clear. I need to destroy "Project Mountaineer." So I begin both of my jobs, same deal, no one knows, no one gets hurt. I don't know who to trust anymore. Anyone could be in the same position as me. I am told some information by my Blood Line Society handler that there are 12 divisions of "Mountaineer" and we need to destroy them all. I travel the globe and slowly destroy each division and the only one left is my current location. The attack is planned accurately. Members of a Blood Line Society attack squad surround the building and we dismantle the security system and enter from the vents and the roof. We slowly destroy all computers and assassinate leaders and workers who are crooked and evil. After intense standoffs we were able to take control and destroy all aspects of "Project Mountaineer." The good guys were in control again. Now I'm in deep cover working for a bank again. I hope it gets a little more exciting around here.
Keep it Sleazy,
Humanary Stew
Humanary Stew's classic album review!
Alice Cooper - From the Inside 1978
Alice Cooper, rock n roll's master of the concept record. From the Inside documents Alice's stay at a New York sanitarium for alcoholism. This is my favorite Alice record and it's not even his typical "rock" sound; it is a "pop" album at best. Alice brought along 3 outside musicians for this record, lyricist Bernie Taupin, guitarist Davey Johnstone, and bassist Dee Murray, all former members of the Elton John band. Also contributing to song writing to 3 of the tracks is legendary song writer/producer David Foster.
One of the many reasons I’m obsessed with Alice is because he lets you into his mind. You feel like you are right there with him. Here are the lyrics to a song off of From the Inside titled "Billie and Millie." This is a true account of people that Alice came across in the sanitarium:
Billie I wonder why are we insane
Millie don't worry
God made love crazy so we wouldn't feel alone
Billie my mind seems to wander
Millie our world's an asylum
God made love crazy so we wouldn't feel alone
Billie I dream of our children
Oh millie oh billie criminally insane
Oh Billie it's fresh in my memory
And I liked your late husband Donald
Sounds like some interesting people in there...I guess the best way to express yourself is through song. I wonder where Billie and Mille are right now and if they ever had those frightened gruesome kids...please take a listen to this album. You will become an Alice fan.
Keep it Sleazy
I've been thinking about my death a lot lately...I wonder who will go to my funeral? Will anyone care? Will I just be forgotten by all of my friends in a few months? I wonder if you can watch your funeral from where ever you go after you die. That way you can come back and haunt the people that didn't show up. I read an article a few years ago with Marilyn Manson and they asked him to describe what he thought his funeral would be like. He said, "In a perfect world, everyone on the planet would attend, and then a bomb would go off and everyone would die with me." That is one of the greatest quotes I have ever read.
As you can see, I’m very curious about death. I want to know what happens after we die. I'm not sure if I believe all the stuff I learned as a kid in Sunday School. Do we go to heaven if we are good, hell if we are bad? If this is true I am screwed. Maybe Hell will be a kick ass heavy metal party. I honestly don’t care either way. I only care about Heaven and Hell if we are talking about Ronnie James Dio.
I'm not totally sure where I am going with this rant...I am just obsessed with the idea of the "afterlife". I have real intense vivid dreams about dying and the end of the world that I actually wake up and I think I'm dead. Sometimes my body is numb when I wake up and I can’t feel my arms or legs and I can’t speak. That’s when I usually think that I died in my sleep. That's how intense my dreams are…I don't think that's normal.
So for years I've been trying to figure out what's going on with my dreams and a friend of mine turned me onto the study of "Lucid Dreaming".
So, you may think that this is easy to do...it’s not. You need to be focused and patient. I have been trying for 11 years to master this technique but I fail every time. I think my problem is I am trying too hard. You can't just "lucid dream" you need to prepare and focus your mind on the task at hand, controlling your dreams.
Can you imagine how crazy your dreams could be if you had total control? I would love to step in right when something crazy was going to happen. Maybe I’ll save the world, maybe I’ll finally fly, and maybe I’ll actually get to kiss Kate Winslet without waking up right before (that’s a joke...or is it?). I think that lucid dreaming could be beneficial for some people. I know for me personally I have a lot of dreams where I can’t figure out what the hell is going on and maybe if I took control I could change that.
If you have patience, give this a shot. I suggest reading "Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming" by Stephen Laberge PHD. I've read this book five times since high school and it is very in depth and also very intense.
Let me know what you think and as always…Keep it Sleazy
Humanary Stew
Michael Jackson "The King of Pop" died on June 25th 2009 at 2:26pm. Now I know I'm the "metal guy" but this shocking news was devastating to me. I grew up listening and dancing to Michael Jackson's music. He is and icon and an innovator. He inspired a full line of performers....Usher, Justin Timberlake, Chris Brown, just to name a few. Every boy band to come out owes their careers to the Jackson 5: New Kids on the Block, New Edition, Nsnyc…the list can go on forever.
Michael started performing with the Jackson 5 when he was 5 years old, released his first record with the group when he was 11. Then he released his first solo record, Off the Wall, when he was 21 under the guidance of musical genius Quincy Jones.
Then came Thriller. The best selling album of all time, over 50 million units sold. Out of the nine tracks on the record, seven were hit singles He has also won 13 Grammys. That hasn't happened since and will never happen again. His total record sales have surpassed 750 million units, this will also never happen again.
Do you remember how amazing the "Thriller" video was when it came out? That was the most epic and most expensive video ever made at that point in time. It was a mini movie at 13 minutes long! I watched the premier with my parents and some friends of theirs and I was terrified. My hero was turning into a werewolf! When I saw that it was a movie within a movie I was relieved. So what's going to happen next? His girlfriend gets scared because of the movie, leaves the theater and he has to chase her out. They walk home and come across a graveyard....then MJ turns into a zombie and the fun starts. We all know the dance that is done in the video. We have all done it in our bedroom, a wedding, or on a dare from the girl you are in love with in 8th grade just to impress her and your dad ends up videotaping it and showing it when he wants to embarrass you!
I'm not going to ramble on forever about this. I want him to be remembered for his musical achievements, not for all of the wrong he was accused of. The bad always overshadows the good in a celebrity's case. He helped many families dealing with cancer and many other fatal diseases. He donated millions of dollars to Aids relief and also co wrote "We are the World" with Lionel Richie and donated all the money to famine relief in Africa.
I could go on forever talking about all the good he has done. Unfortunately, our society tends to focus on the bad. I am only going to say this...He was acquitted of all molestation charges for a reason, a jury of his peers found him innocent because he didn't do it. He was exploited for his money. The families should be ashamed of themselves for doing. The jokes that I've read in the past and continue to read now after his passing are lame; the people telling them are assholes and need to grow up. If you have anything bad to say, email me. The link is at the top of the page. He has a family; they do not need to read all the negativity. He was a human being and deserves respect.
Rest in Peace Michael. You will never be forgotten.
I am always told that I am filled with useless knowledge and ridiculous random thoughts...like this one: How does a group or artist determine the order of the songs on a record?
I think song order is a very important decision. This can make or break a record. If the opening track on "Appetite for Destruction" was "Think About You" and "Welcome to the Jungle" was track 11, it would have a totally different feel to it. I think that I should get hired by bands to do that job for them. Song order is so important to me that it takes me weeks to make a mix CD because it has to be just right and the songs have to be perfect and keep the listener wanting more. If you have seen the movie "High Fidelity" you’ll remember these instructions:
"The making of a great compilation tape, like breaking up, is hard to do and takes ages longer than it might seem. You gotta kick off with a killer, to grab attention. Then you got to take it up a notch, but you don't wanna blow your wad, so then you got to cool it off a notch. There are a lot of rules."
These rules also apply to all records. Think about your favorite records and how they would feel if the songs were in a different order. Email me and lets talk about it!
Keep It Sleazy
PS- I want to take a moment and congratulate Danielle. She is the amazing woman who runs this awesome site. Her and her boyfriend Dave recently announced their engagement. I know for a fact that they are going to have a "Heavy Metal" wedding! Maybe if we are all nice to her we will get invited? If we do go, I say we all start a circle pit during dinner!
"Auto Tune" This Out
This is something that should be banned from music....throw it in a box, light in on fire, and never be spoken of again. You may be wondering what the hell I’m talking about here. Well the definition of "Auto Tune" is listed as:
Auto-Tune is a proprietaryaudio processor created by Antares Audio Technologies that uses a phase vocoder to correct pitch in vocal and instrumental performances. It is used to disguise inaccuracies and mistakes, and has allowed many artists to produce more precisely tuned recordings.
In addition to being used to subtly change pitch, with some settings it can be used as an effect to deliberately distort the human voice.(courtesy of wikipedia)
This to me is what's wrong with music. This makes it too easy. Now a singer can just assume that the producer can run his tracks through and they will sound pitch perfect and clear. Some performers use it in live performances to assure a great performance. Every song I hear on the radio lately seems to be using this technology. How do I know this you ask? When I hear a track on the radio and then I hear the artist perform live, it sounds terrible…like it’s a different person singing rather than the one on the recording. Now I know that not everyone sounds the same live, but this is just ridiculous. This technology is popular in the rap/hip hop/r&b community. Not to say that Rock n' Roll singers don’t use it (Some who may benefit from it: Vince Neil, Axl Rose, to name a few). I just choose to ignore it...I'm a snob like that.
This technology seems like cheating to me. I understand that this can be used to fine tune some recordings that need a little tweaking, but I think that it is being abused. You shouldn't have to record all of your vocals using "auto tune". You should have some freaking talent if you're privileged enough to record a record in a studio. I would think you would be embarrassed to sound great on record and then go play in front of a crowd and sound like shit. I would want my money back.
I’m not going to go on rambling much longer on this. I just want people to see my point. Music should be natural; it should have feeling and mean something to you. As an artist you should be honored to be providing someone with the soundtrack to their lives. I don't think it’s fair to mislead someone and make them think you are better than you are. I've seen some petitions online encouraging the banning of this technology in music. At the Grammy Awards this year, Death Cab for Cutie wore blue ribbons in protest to stop the use of "auto tune." Let’s try and get rid of it, thin out the herd and see what’s left. Then we will know who the real rock stars are.
Also, I sang in a band for five years and I couldn't sing for shit. Maybe if I used "auto tune" I could have been a famous singer and I wouldn’t be stuck in a dead end job that makes me want to slam my head into a wall everyday.
Keep it Sleazy!
- Humanary Stew
Sunday April 5th was the seventh anniversary of Layne Staley's death. For all you little Hot Topic kids out there, Layne was the lead singer of a group called Alice in Chains. It upsets me that I didn't read anything about his death on that date, nothing on the internet, magazines, music channels...nothing. The funny thing is that Kurt Cobain killed himself on the same day and that idiot gets a ton of press. When I was 15 yes, I did love Nirvana, but looking back at it now I see that Kurt was not really talented…at all. He was a terrible guitar player, his lyrics were stupid, and he doesn't deserve all the praise he still gets to this day. I remember when Layne died he got a little corner article in Rolling Stone and Kurt still gets covers for doing nothing. Alice in Chains are a much better band. The music is better, the lyrics actually make sense and Layne had a voice that when you heard it, you knew right away it was him. So please, don’t listen to Nirvana anymore, listen to Alice in Chains, you’ll thank me for it.
Keep it Sleazy-
Humanary Stew
"The Wrestler" Review - SPOILERS
My wife and I decided to go see "The Wrestler" the other night. We all have been hearing a lot about this movie, especially Mickey Rourke's performance. The film is about Rodney 'The Ram" Robinson. The Ram is a former professional wrestler still wrestling in amateur matches in New Jersey 20 years after his pro career has ended. He is living in a trailer park and stacks boxes in a local supermarket. He can't pay his rent; at one point his landlord locks him out and he is forced to sleep in the back of his van. He is estranged from his daughter who wants nothing to do with him. He frequents a local strip club and develops feelings for Cassidy, a dancer played by Marisa Tomei. Her appeal as a dancer has faded due to her age but she still is very persistent with customers.
Ram continues to abuse his body with steroids. He still wants to be the wrestler he was 20 years ago. After a brutal hardcore match which causes deep gashes from barbed wire and staples in his back and chest he goes back to the locker room and is praised by all the wrestlers. As he walks to the showers he grabs his heart and begins to vomit and he falls to the floor. He wakes up in the hospital and is told he had a serious heart attack that required a bypass operation. The Dr. tells him that his heart won't be able to support the steroids and that he shouldn't wrestle anymore. This makes Ram think of his life mistakes and wants to get back into his daughter Stephanie’s (Evan Rachel Wood) life. After much hesitation she agrees to spend an afternoon with him. They spend time on the jersey shore and go to places Ram took her as a little girl...they go into an abandoned ballroom arm in arm and begin to dance together. Ram feels like he has gotten his daughter back. They agree to meet the following Saturday for dinner.
Ram goes to thank Cassidy for encouraging him to contact his daughter. He gets her a card and she rejects him because she is afraid of falling for him because of the world she is involved in...Ram leaves upset and goes to see a match. He receives a lot of attention from fans and wrestlers at the match and wants to get back in the game. At a bar after he hooks up with a girl, does coke in the bathroom and has sex with her. He wakes up the next morning at her house, goes home, and sleeps the rest of the day. When he wakes up he realizes that he blew off his daughter the night before. He goes to her house to explain what happened and she wants nothing to do with him. She tells him she never wants to see or hear from him again.
So Ram decides to fight one more fight; it is a rematch between Ram and The Ayatollah. Their last match sold out Madison Square Garden twenty years prior. Ayatollah is now a car salesman in Phoenix. Before the fight, they go over what’s going to happen in the fight and basically it is decided that Ram is going to win. Now, it is fight time and Ayatollah is in the ring waiting for Ram. We see Ram backstage and he is ready to go....Flash to Cassidy dancing at the club and she is thinking about Ram. Realizing she has feelings for him, she gets off the stage and basically quits her job and drives to his match. She finds him in the backstage area and tries to stop him from fighting. Ram hears the roar of the crowd and knows this is where he belongs. So he enters the ring and gives a heartfelt speech thanking everyone for all the support throughout his career and that Ram is back! Throughout the match, they exchange blows and Ram begins to feel pains in his chest. He isn’t sure if he can go on. He doesn’t stop and Ayatollah wants Ram to pin him and stop but despite pain, Ram continues. He gets to the top rope, hand on his heart and looks around and signals for his finishing move, A diving head but called "Ram Jam". He jumps and the scene goes black. This ended upset me. It was very "Sopranos" but after I thought about it more i excepted it. When you watch this movie you actually feel like you are watching Mickey Rourke's life play out in front of you. It is a feel good movie that keeps you rooting for Rourke the whole time...go see it and let me know what you think.
There is one scene between Rourke and Tomei that I love. After Cassidy helps Ram pick out a present for his daughter in a consignment shop he convinces her to go have a beer with him. While at the bar, Ratt's "Round and Round" plays on the jukebox and The Ram is excited. He begins to dance and also pretends to give Cassidy a lap dance. They both sing along to the song and laugh. They start to talk about how the 80's had the best music..Crue,Ratt,etc. The Ram then says that the 90's sucked and that music was cool until Cobain came along and ruined everything! As a huge fan of the 80's, I began to clap at this. People around me must have thought I was crazy!
Keep it Sleazy
Humanary Stew
This story always makes me laugh when i think of it. Back in 2000, my buddy Dino and I went to the Big E to see Def Leppard. This was a free show so we were going no matter what. This was the first time that the Big E was full of Metal heads! So, we met up with a few friends, grabbed some beers and made our way to the area where the band was playing. We noticed on the way that there was another area where a band was playing, so we went to go check it out. Rick Derringer was going to play. We were standing around waiting and this guy walked up to me and said, "What do you think of this guy Rick Derringer?" Now, at this point I've had a few beers so I'm feeling good. I said to him. "Well I know he is old now and the only song I know is 'Rock n Roll, Hoochie Koo'." He then walked away to go get a beer. We waited a few more minutes and the show was about to start. I noticed the guy that I talked to on the side of the stage tuning a guitar so I assumed he was a guitar tech and I felt bad for insulting Rick Derringer. Now the show starts and the guy I talked to walked out to the mic and started playing. It was freaking Rick Derringer...I felt like such an ass. I decide to go to the bathroom. About 5 minutes later I come back and Rick Derringer says, "This is dedicated to the kid who thinks I'm old." He then goes into "Rock n Roll, Hoochie Koo".
You’re wondering, what’s the moral of this story?
Humanary Stew
Keri Kelli - The Greatest Guitar Player You've Never Heard Of
I first discovered Keri Kelli when I purchased the Pretty Boy Floyd "Pornstars" CD. I knew this guy was amazing and I didn't even listen to the CD yet. I put the CD in and was blown away. I did some research and it turned out that Keri didn’t play much on that CD, but he was either in and/or wrote songs for all of my favorite bands. He was in Ratt, Warrant, Pretty Boy Floyd, Dads Porno Mag, Slash's Snakepit, Saints of the Underground, L.A. Guns, Big Bang Babies, VInce Neil Band, US Crush, Shameless, The Newlydeads and most recently, the great Alice Cooper. I had the opportunity to meet Keri at a Ratt show a few years back and he was nicer than I expected. He signed CDs, took pictures and talked to a group of us for about 10 minutes. As far as rock stars go, Keri is the nicest one I've met.
If you like kick ass Rock n Roll, check out some of Keri's work. You won’t be disappointed. He is so passionate about his music and it shows in his playing.
Humanary Stew
You know what really gets me angry? The lack of passion in music today. Rock n' Roll is dead. No one writes real songs anymore. I'm willing to bet that 95% of bands today were manufactured by record companies. It seems that anyone can have a hit single when a group of paid songwriters are doing all the work. Those people are the real rock stars and we don't even know what they look like.
I want to read stories of bands that formed the old skool way. Four of five guys who grew up together, decide to start a band, get together in a garage and begin to write some kick ass tunes. They play some shows, build a local following, cut a demo, someone who matters gets their hands on that demo and gives the band a break...I just don't believe that happens anymore.
Now this is my version of how bands are formed now....a bunch of idiots in suits from record companies who know shit about music go to the mall and wait outside Hot Topic. They wait for a group of 4 kids to come out together and they approach them. "Hey kids, do you guys like rock n' roll?" "Yeah we do." "Great,you will be our new band..we want something that sounds like everything else and that simple minded teenagers will spend all their money on." "Well, we are simple minded teenagers so lets go do it." "Ok, well here is a copy of your cd..it's been written and recorded for you already so you just have to lip synch everything on it." "We don't know how to play any instruments." "It's ok, that's not important anymore, we can do it all for you in the studio and when you play live, we will play a backing track and you just pretend to do everything. We will also give you a script to say to the audience in between songs and we will choreograph your jumps that you will do during each song. Oh and by the way, your new names are Mikey, Johnny, Davey and Jenny.(there is always a girl now, this is because the music will more than likely suck so they need some sex appeal to sell the horny teenage boys on).
So that's how I believe it goes down and I'm always right.
I want the Led Zeppelins, the Black Sabbaths, the Alice Coopers...you know, the music that matters, that has substance, staying power. Three decades later, this music is still going strong. Check with me in 30 years and see who remembers Fall Out Boy..please...check with me in 5 years instead.
So please, all you kids out there....be true to your music and go start that kick ass band. Don't let anyone tell you what to listen to, how to dress, or what bands to like.
Keep it Sleazy-
Humanary Stew
Ok..We all know how Megadeth came about. Dave was fired from Metallica for his drinking...funny 'cause soon after Metallica became known as "Alcoholica". Then, he is put on a greyhound bus back to California and starts Megadeth. Now don't get me wrong, I love Metallica, but there is something more serious about Megadeth.
Dave's songwriting topics range from war, politics, death, economic issues, etc. The music is more technical and in depth. Obviously, this won't get all your songs on the radio, but it will earn you an army of devoted fans.
There isn't any feeling in newer Metallica music, but whatever they touch gets airplay. Megadeth will be around forever. They have 11 studio records and have had minimal commercial success but have an army of fans all over the world.
Key Album: 1994's Youthanasia
Click here to launch BeyondReflection (main page) in a new window.
Will we ever get better
Will we stay the same
Billie I'm worried
No one knows our pain
Being in love is crazy not alone that way
I know you're worried today
He was thinking of us he was thinking of us
God made love crazy so we wouldn't feel so alone
To events of a night long ago
Driving alone with our guilt well concealed
In the trunk of your '68 Olds
And our minds like you say ain't that straight
But you know and I know our passion's
Not deformed it's true I'd say
We'll love our lifetime
He was thinking of us he was thinking of us
God made love crazy so we wouldn't feel so alone
They're frightening and gruesome and sad
And I don't want them growing inside me
They're no price for the love that we have
Oh Billie oh Millie
The night that it had to be done
You with your pick axe and scissors
And you with your shovel and gun
But such torture his memory brings
All sliced up and sealed tight in baggies
Guess love makes you do funny things........
Humanary Stew.
August 12, 2009
Wikipedia lists the definition as:
“A lucid dream, also known as conscious dream, is a dreaming which the sleeper is aware that they are dreaming. When the dreamer is lucid, they can actively participate in and often manipulate the imaginary experiences in the dream environment. Lucid dreams can be extremely real and vivid depending on a person's level of self-awareness during the lucid dream.”
July 1, 2009
June 19, 2009
Humanary Stew
May 21, 2009
April 15, 2009
March 29, 2009
March 11, 2009
Never insult men who look like aging rock stars at the Big E because they can end up being Rick Derringer!
February 22, 2009
January 30, 2009
January 20, 2009
Key Track: A Tout le Monde (also featured on 2007's United Abominations as a duet with Lacuna Coil's Cristina Scabbia)