Artist
Jonathan Vigil, lead singer of Los Angeles-based The Ghost Inside, is a major hockey fanatic. Check out his Top 5 Moments in NHL History below!
The based band released their full-length record, Get What You Give, in mid-2012 via Epitaph. For more about The Ghost Inside, check out their Facebook page.
05. The First Winter Classic Game
The winter classic is a regular-season hockey game played outdoors. It's pretty exciting for players and fans alike because it brings you back to the roots of ice hockey. Building a rink in a baseball stadium, packing it out and watching hockey how it was meant to be played out in the open with the elements.
04. Ron Hextall Scores a Goal
Ron Hextall was the first goalie to shoot and score a goal in the NHL. Even with an open net, it's extremely difficult to accurately shoot a puck across the entire rink while the other team is still on the ice. The whole building went nuts when he scored.
03. Miracle on Manchester
Not being born yet when this happened but being a Los Angeles Kings fan I gotta put this at No. 3. The LA Kings were down 5-0 in a playoff game against the Edmonton Oilers, and they came back in the third period to tie it and eventually win the game in overtime. This took place at the Great Western Forum, which is on Manchester Avenue in Inglewood, California, literally a five-minute drive from my house.
02. Bobby Orr's Cup-Winning Goal
Probably the most famous hockey moment/picture ever. I wasn't alive when this happened either, but Bobby Orr won the cup for the Boston Bruins in overtime in 1970. He was tripped when he scored but celebrated the win in the air. Such a sick picture.
01. 2012 Los Angeles Kings Stanley Cup Champions
It's no surprise to anyone that I'm a huge LA Kings fan. Not only was this the first Stanley Cup for the Kings since they became a team in 1967, but I was fortunate enough to be inside the building when they won it. With all my touring and their schedule, it's a miracle on its own that I was home and able to get tickets to the playoff games. It's an experience I will never forgot, and one I can always look back on and say, "I was there ..."
Chris Krovatin is the author of three young adult novels, Heavy Metal & You, Venomous, and Gravediggers: Mountain of Bones. He is currently working on multiple new writing projects, as well as new material with his local New York metal band Flaming Tusk. He is a contributing writer for Revolver and generally comes off as a good-natured pain in everyone's collective ass. This column represents his opinions–and probably only his opinions.
With death metal and hardcore leading the mall-promoted face of metal (or whatever the fuck people under 20 care about these days, God, I need a drink), breakdowns have become a staple point within the genre. Every dude who likes swinging a ham-sized fist around for no reason spends much of any metal concert waiting for that moment when things slow down and he can stomp around like a violent turtle. There's even an entire genre now, "deathcore" that seems to be composed entirely of breakdowns. Chug-chug, slam-slam, we all love a good breakdown.
What aren't always given their due, however, are speed-up parts, the moment where a mid-paced song bursts into a thrash section and some dude in the pit is given the go-ahead to hold up his index finger and spin it around, signaling the much-loved circle pit. I've always adored these moments, when a normal song explodes into a barrage of speed and aggression, as I'm much more of an old-school mosher, the running and slamming and freewheeling type, than the modern karate-kicking dance majors who so often populate the pit during a breakdown. So, to honor both the quick and the deadly (and to piss off scene bros and kvltists alike), here is my list of the Six Best Breakdowns and Speed-Ups.
The Six Best Breakdowns:
1. Pantera, "Domination" Aw, man, the original. Dimebag's guitar breaks off of that pained wail and rolls right into that steady chug, eventually topped with insane weedling unlike any heard before. Tough as nails, catchy as Hell—the breakdown all others aspire to.
2. Slayer, "Raining Blood" The end of this classic Slayer track is a perfect example of a breakdown that makes a song. With its melodic variation on the opening riff coupled by the neck-snapping rhythm it stomps into, this manages to be both brawny and deeply evil at once.
3. Hatebreed, "Before Dishonor" If there was ever a breakdown to beat on one's chest to, it's that of "Before Dishonor." Jamey Jasta bellowing, "WHAT I HAVE IN MY HEART, I'LL TAKE TO MY GRAVE" helps. Easily the most macho of the breakdowns on this list.
4. Lamb of God, "Now You've Got Something To Die For" Just beating that of "Black Label," the breakdown closing "Now You've Got…" is the bottom line for metal kids who want to absolutely lose their shit in the pit. Randy Blythe's roar over its opening is truly breathtaking.
5. Sepultura, "Propaganda" To be a stand-out breakdown on a record this chuggy and mid-paced takes some stones, but Sepultura pull it off without issue. It's especially notable given how well it closes one of the faster songs on the record, and does so in a solid swoop, not a fade-out.
6. Anthrax, "Indians" Two words: WAR DANCE!
Band of note: Dying Fetus I really wanted to include a Dying Fetus track on this list, but every attempt at finding the right song made me think, Is this an actual breakdown, or just a Dying Fetus part? Let me take this moment to say that Dying Fetus are kings of the death-metal breakdown, and much of the modern obsession with breakdowns is their doing.
The Six Best Speed-Ups:
1. Lamb of God, "Ruin" Ye-hess. The moment where this song breaks into an off-kilter thrash part is absolutely obliterating and totally satisfying. If you listen to this song and your fist doesn't begin pumping at this speed-up moment, you're not doing it right. The sound of someone's breaking point.
2. Cannibal Corpse, "Stripped, Raped, and Strangled" This Cannibal classic begins with a plodding, heavy-handed riff, but then breaks into a panicked whirlwind of guitar leads and drums that perfectly expresses the insanity of its protagonist. This is how a speed-up can be used as a consistent part, and subsequently craft a song into something better than it once was.
3. Slayer, "Postmortem" Not only is the sudden change in tempo of this song impressive, but the sudden speed applied to the sudden barrage of wordy lyrics—"My sinful glare at nothing holds thoughts of death behind it"—showcases Tom Araya's vocal versatility. Look, just tell me this: DO YOU WANT TO DIE?
4. Guns N' Roses, "Paradise City" Oh yeah—even the glamor boys got in on the speed. The sudden supercharged ending of this track takes the main riff and throws it on its head with a big dose of Lemmy. Didn't think you could mosh to GN'R? Think again.
5. The Crown, "Devil Gate Rider" This Swedish death-metal classic, guest starring Tomas Lindberg of At the Gates, is the best song about drag-racing in Hell that has ever existed. And when it speeds up, you can basically see a checkered flag dropping and smell rubber burning. BORN! TO! RACE!
6. Mercyful Fate, "A Dangerous Meeting" Though not as much a thrash part as the speed-ups above it, the acceleration of "A Dangerous Meeting" ups this chug-along Satanic metal song's cred, and probably inspired every black-metal band, ever.
Here's part three of A Life Once Lost's new tour diary, courtesy of guitarist Doug Sabolick:
Ahh, back in the USA.
After the shuttle from Mexico drops us off at our vehicle we hightail to to McAllen, Texas, for another gig before SXSW. Feels good to play on our own gear! After a fun show, we stay with our friends who did the show and hung out with the giant pig in their back yard. We wake up super early and hightail it north to Austin.
We have a day off and are just looking to see a few bands and chill. We check out Residuels at the Sailor Jerry party and head back to the truck, only to find out someone cut the lock on our trailer and stole my guitar, Chris' bass and Bob's bag and passport. We are pissed but also relieved they didn't have time to take other stuff. Stealing from touring bands is pretty low. Not sure how some people can live with themselves.
We get a hotel and I sleep lightly while hitting up Framus, my guitar company, and a friend from Philly who was flying to Austin that day. I got my roommate to drive my Les Paul to the airport on his motorcycle and drop It with the dude flying down. Same-day delivery halfway across the country. Sweet! Framus hits me back and is sending me a replacement and the Texas Metal Collective provided me with a loner guitar as well. It is really great having friends that care about you!
Enough sap. We head to Guitar Center and Chris buys a bass and gets it set up. We are now ready to play our two shows this evening.
The first show is on the roof of the Six Lounge. We load our gear to the roof and enjoy the view and the chill vibe. We absolutely destroyed this show. Meadows scaled the awning and sung from one of the highest spots in Austin. We meet a ton of cool people and hang out for a bit. Onward to the next show.
We are headlining the Metal and Lace lounge tonight. We deliver another blistering set and proceed to party until our friend John gets out of work at his bar. It's now 4 a.m., and we are headed back to his house to rest up for a bunch more shows this week at SXSW.
Here's part two of A Life Once Lost's new tour diary, courtesy of guitarist Doug Sabolick:
So after our last entry, we were en route to Monterrey, Mexico, from Philly. I pulled a driving-career best 14 hours straight at the wheel. Needless to say, we were pretty haggard by the time we hit Laredo. We had a couple hours to kill before our shuttle arrived, so we did some shopping for just the essentials. Sombrero purchased.
Our shuttle arrived and we packed our guitars and pedals in the back and met our new traveling compadres, Solar Year and The Holydrug Couple, all the way from Chile.
Crossing the border was fine, but immediately we had a dose of reality: pickup trucks with federales riding in the backs with giant Gattling guns attached to the pickup beds. Rock 'n' roll. There were also amputees hanging out on the dotted lines of a highway panhandling. Pretty ballsy, gotta respect the effort. After a couple-hour ride, we end up at our hotel in downtown Monterrey. We meet our dude, Miguel, who hooks it up and chaperones us.
Festival Nrmal (the fest we are playing) seems like a pretty big deal here and people of many different styles are in the hotel hanging out together. We end up taking a shuttle out to the hills and hanging with all the bands at a mansion on the top of a mountain. It's like the hollywood hills south of the border. We hang hard all night then get a ride home with a friend we made. People here drive really fast, like really fast. We get back to the hotel in no time and crash out.
Three days in, and we finally play our first show of the tour. We play just as the sun sets behind the mountain and have a great set. A lot of friends we made the previous night were present, and one dude in particular got his acid freak on early this day to Ecstatic Trance. Rock on, amigo! The show was killer, and I must say Festival Nrmal was possibly coolest vibe of a show we have ever played. Thanks to Angel for hooking it up!
We had one more day to kill in Mexico so we hit a ton of taco stands, trucks, tables and any other objects you can make tacos on. We hit another party in the hills. Meet some new friends and proceed to get chill. Onward to one more party. The car overheats on the way up the hill so we abandon our plans and coast back down to the mountain to the hotel.
We hit the road the next morning, destination USA. We get some much-needed sleep on the ride, and after getting our bags searched and getting our van X-rayed, we are allowed back in to the country. We hightail it to McAllen, Texas, and deliver a decent set. Onward to Austin for SXSW!
Until next time.
Doug
A Life Once Lost on Tour
March 18 @ Fubar - St Louis, MO
March 19 @ Jenny Wiley Convention Center - Prestonburg, KY
March 20 @ Ultra Lounge - Chicago, IL
March 21 @ Mickey Finn's Pub -Toledo, OH
March 22 @ Broadway Joes - Buffalo, NY
March 23 @ Kung Fu Necktie - Philadelphia, PA
March 24 @ The Acheron - Brooklyn, NY
In the April/May 2013 issue of Revolver, we catch up with Alice in Chains, whose 2009 Album of the Year, Black Gives Way to Blue, saw the band's re-birth. But their work had just begun! Now the rock giants are out to prove they are here to stay, with the release of one of their heaviest and most challenging records yet.
In the same issue ...
• Metalcore pioneers Killswitch Engage have lost two vocalists in the course of their career. Now they've gotten one back — and it's given them new life.
• With Disturbed on hiatus, frontman David Draiman returns to the spotlight with a new killing machine: The all-star industrial rock project Device.
Plus: Get more details on the Revolver Golden Gods, >Phil Anselmo interviews Ghost B.C., and Black Veil Brides' Jake Pitts shares a tale from the pit.!
The new issue is available now at the Revolver Online Store!
In preparation for Revolver's March 15 Raw Power Management/The Agency Group SXSW showcase in Austin, Texas, we asked Of Mice & Men's Austin Carlile to list his five favorite barbecue foods.
Here goes!
01. Beef Brisket: Sliced or chopped, pink around the edges, nice and tender, smoked, perfect! Sandwich or by itself. And don't forget the pickles on the side!
02. Pulled Pork: Throw some on a bun with some cole slaw on top and you have yourself one of my favorite sandwiches.
03. Pork Ribs: What's BBQ food without fall-off-the-bone ribs? I like dry rub ribs as well!
04. Potato Salad: Leave the skins on, use some red garden potatoes. One of my favorite BBQ side dishes!
05. Corn Bread: Everyone claims their mom made it best. Mine actually did. A little sweet, maybe served with some homemade molasses as well. With a wash back of tea? Heaven.
Visit Of Mice & Men on Facebook.
Revolver's SXSW showcase will take place this Friday, March 15, at the Dirty Dog Bar, 505 E. 6th St. in Austin. The show, which is presented by Raw Power Management and The Agency Group, kicks off 8 p.m. (doors 7:30 p.m.). Here's the lineup: 8 p.m., Immanu El | 8:45 p.m., Monster Truck | 9:30 p.m., Crossfaith | 10:15 p.m., Young Guns | 11 p.m., Of Mice & Men | midnight, Chiodos | 1 a.m., Lacuna Coil
The show is presented in association with Revolver, Drop Dead Clothing and Tillys. Poster art (below) by Brian Ewing.
While thrashers Anthrax have written their fair share of headbanging classics, their biggest hits, at least on international radio, have been covers of songs by Public Enemy, Joe Jackson, and Trust. So recording a mostly covers EP (plus a remix of their own song "Crawl") makes perfect sense, and Anthrax do it with gusto on Anthems. Frontman Joey Belladonna's falsetto fits slick Big Rock Radio hits like Rush's stuttering "Anthem" and Boston's revved-up "Smokin'" perfectly, but it lacks the sweaty, blue-collar grit to sell AC/DC's "T.N.T." convincingly—though he sounds more haggard, and fittingly so, on Thin Lizzy's "Jailbreak." The EP's triumph is Anthrax's ultra-metal take on a song that would make most metalheads cringe: Journey's "Keep On Runnin'." The fact that guitarists Scott Ian and Rob Caggiano bring the noise on a song by freakin' Journey suggests that if they dig their picks into their strings deep enough, they can add a pair of cast-metal balls to nearly any songs. KORY GROW
In preparation for Revolver's March 15 Raw Power Management/The Agency Group SXSW showcase in Austin, Texas, we asked Gus Wood from Young Guns to list his five favorite barbecue foods.
Here goes!
01. Pulled Pork: We like to eat. That's something that needs to be understood right off the bat. Pulled pork is something that's really hard to find in the UK, so every chance we get in the US, we locate some pulled pork sandwiches and make short work of them. Doused in a hot sauce, BBQ sauce, chipotle, whatever! Side of 'slaw and some fries. Amazing!
02. Bratwurst/Sausages: Links, wieners, whatever kind of dog, it's a classic and awesome with all the trimmings. Mustard, ketchup, onions. Getting hungry just writing this piece. Went to an incredible place in LA called the Sausage Kitchen — bratwurst with chorizo and truffle oil drizzled fries. Wow.
03. Corn on the Cob: Wrapped in foil and with butter and seasoning, then sat on a BBQ until tender and just a bit charred.
04. Salmon: Again I like to foil wrap this, with some olive oil and whatever seasonings you prefer. Some dill, lemon juice, sea salt and some pepper, wrapped in foil while it cooks. Just before it's done, open the parcels up to allow them to crisp up a bit. Flakey and super tender.
05. Potato Salad: Not technically a "barbecue" food but definitely king of the accompanying sides. Best when the potatoes are still warm. I'm a fan of skins still on, Chopped red onion, salt pepper and mayonnaise, but some like to put sultanas in. These people are doing it wrong!
Writing this piece has made me extremely hungry - I'm off to eat!
Visit Young Guns on Facebook, and look out for the next SXSW blog post!
Revolver's SXSW showcase will take place this Friday, March 15, at the Dirty Dog Bar, 505 E. 6th St. in Austin. The show, which is presented by Raw Power Management and The Agency Group, kicks off 8 p.m. (doors 7:30 p.m.). Here's the lineup: 8 p.m., Immanu El | 8:45 p.m., Monster Truck | 9:30 p.m., Crossfaith | 10:15 p.m., Young Guns | 11 p.m., Of Mice And Men | midnight, Chiodos | 1 a.m., Lacuna Coil
The show is presented in association with Revolver, Drop Dead Clothing and Tillys. Poster art (below) by Brian Ewing.
In preparation for Revolver's March 15 Raw Power Management/The Agency Group SXSW showcase in Austin, Texas, we asked the guys in Crossfaith to list their five favorite things about Texas.
Here goes!
01. SXSW: "I guess the most famous thing in Texas is SXSW. It has been our dream to playing at SXSW for a long time, because many Japanese bands don't get the oppotunity to get outside of Japan. I've heard so many great things about SXSW. We're so glad to get a chance to show our music to you guys! I can't wait to have good times with our fans and friends!"
02. Tokio: Do you know Texas is a part of Japan? Haha! There's a city in Texas called Tokio. I was surprised when I heard about it. I'd love to go there and compare Tokio to Tokyo.
03. Tex-Mex Food: I love Tex-Mex food! Especially tacos — one of my favorite meals in the world. But we're from far east Asia (Japan), and it's hard to find Tex-Mex restaurants in Japan. So when I find Tex-Mex food, I always get it. Please tell me about great tacos places in Texas on Twitter or Facebook!
04. NASA: Don't laugh! To be an astronaut was my dream when I was young. NASA is the closest place to space. I used to think NASA is greater than the government! Everybody knows Apolo 11 didn't get the moon, but I still believe they walked on the moon. And playing a show outside of the earth is one of our huge dreams as well.
05. Minute Maid: The best beverage! I just found out the Minute Maid head office is in Texas as I was answering this question. I don't drink other fruit juices. It's little more expensive than others, though. If I have a chance to get to their HQ, I'd like to grab a bunch of juices for the tour!
Revolver's SXSW showcase will take place this Friday, March 15, at the Dirty Dog Bar, 505 E. 6th St. in Austin. The show, which is presented by Raw Power Management and The Agency Group, kicks off 8 p.m. (doors 7:30 p.m.). Here's the lineup: 8 p.m., Immanu El | 8:45 p.m., Monster Truck | 9:30 p.m., Crossfaith | 10:15 p.m., Young Guns | 11 p.m., Of Mice & Men | midnight, Chiodos | 1 a.m., Lacuna Coil
Visit Crossfaith on Facebook, and look out for the next SXSW blog post!
The show is presented in association with Revolver, Drop Dead Clothing and Tillys. Poster art (below) by Brian Ewing.
In preparation for Revolver's March 15 Raw Power Management/The Agency Group SXSW showcase in Austin, Texas, we asked the guys in Chiodos to comment on their five favorite things about Texas.
Here goes!
01. Best BBQ Food: Rudy's BBQ, known for its famous slogan, "The worst BBQ in Texas." It's always attached to a gas station, but don't let this fool you. The food is incredible and the BBQ sauce is to die for.
02. Best Craft Beer: Real Ale's Full Moon Rye Pale Ale based out of Blanco, Texas, which is in the Hill Country
03. Best Late-Night Mexican Food: Chacho's. I dare you to try to defeat the notorious King Kong Nacho platter!
04. Best Summer-Time Activity: Toobing down the Comal River in New Braunfels
05. Most Underrated Band to Come Out of Texas: Recover.
Visit Chiodos on Facebook, and look out for the next Top Six Fave Things About Texas blog post!
Revolver's SXSW showcase will take place this Friday, March 15, at the Dirty Dog Bar, 505 E. 6th St. in Austin. The show, which is presented by Raw Power Management and The Agency Group, kicks off 8 p.m. (doors 7:30 p.m.). Here's the lineup: 8 p.m., Immanu El | 8:45 p.m., Monster Truck | 9:30 p.m., Crossfaith | 10:15 p.m., Young Guns | 11 p.m., Of Mice And Men | midnight, Chiodos | 1 a.m., Lacuna Coil
The show is presented in association with Revolver, Drop Dead Clothing and Tillys. Poster art (below) by Brian Ewing.