Photo by Tarina Doolittle

Describing the music on In Somniphobia by genre is impossible. It’s barely metal—while virtuosic darkness, growled vocals, and warlike drumming color all 11 tracks herein, there are also elements of smoky blues, throbbing techno, and spaghetti-western soundtracks. The marching-band horn sections of 2010’s Scenes From Hell are replaced by synthetic romanticism, a kind of sax-and-synth-based psycho-vomit that both enchants and pummels. “The Transfiguration Fear” sounds like a Satanic ritual in Toontown, while “L’excommunica-tion a Minuit” will have fans rolling on the floor at the black-metal revival church. “Amnesia” is a smoke-scented film noir bender, while “Amongst The Phantoms Of Abandoned Tumbrils” merges blackened distortion and European funeral dirges to a perfect degree.

If In Somniphobia has a flaw, it might be that it is at times so weird that its more metal aspects stand out as odd; “Fall To The Thrall,” for instance, sticks out as straight-forward orchestral black metal. This, however, is easily overlooked. There is nothing wrong with cracking metal’s mold if the progression is done well, and Sigh have done that, creating a vivid nightmare beyond simple conception. Good albums make you bang your head, this one will have you jumping out the goddamn window. CHRIS KROVATIN

So as not to let the promoters and fans down, Ozzy Osbourne will now perform the majority of the previously scheduled Black Sabbath dates (both festival performances and the headlining shows) billed as Ozzy & Friends.  These “first ever” Ozzy & Friends shows will feature appearances by “special guest” musicians including Geezer Butler (who will join Ozzy for a special Black Sabbath set as a show of respect and support to their friend, Tony Iommi) and longtime former Ozzy band member Zakk Wylde.  In addition, Ozzy will be accompanied by longtime collaborator and friend Slash at select shows, with other “special guests” set to join the tour at various stops along the way (full list of dates, appearances below).

Tony Iommi continues to make excellent progress and is looking forward to getting back out on the road.  Meanwhile, Black Sabbath continue to write and record music in the U.K. for their upcoming album.  More information about these dates and Black Sabbath’s recording and touring plans is forthcoming.

The 2012 tour dates are as follows:

BLACK SABBATH

DATE        CITY            VENUE

Sun 6/10    Donnington  UK    Download Festival

OZZY AND FRIENDS

DATE    CITY    VENUE
Wed 5/23   Helsinki, Finland      Hartwall Arena
Fri 5/25     Stockholm, Sweden   Stadium
Sun 5/27    Jelling, Denmark       Jelling Festival
Tue 5/29    Bergen, Norway        Bergen Calling Festival
Thu 5/31   Oslo, Norway            Spektrum
Sat 6/2      Malmo, Sweden         Malmo Stadium
Mon 6/4    Dortmund, Germany  Westfalenhalle
Wed 6/6    Prague, Czech Rep     O2 Arena
Fri 6/15     Vitoria, Spain             Azkena Rock Festival
Sun 6/17    Clisson, France         Hellfest
Fri 6/22     Dessel, Belgium         Graspop Metal Meeting
Sun 6/24    Milan, Italy                Gods of Metal Festival
Tue 6/26    Vienna, Austria         Stadthalle
Thu 6/28    Belgrade, Serbia       USCE Park
Sun 7/1      Athens, Greece         Rockwave Festival – Terra

“Oh, what a night we had last Sunday at the 54th Annual Grammy Awards. The glitz! The Glamour! SEACREST! Where do I begin?? Chillin’ with Lil’ Wayne…meeting Cyndi Lauper’s adorable mother…the complimentary blinking Coldplay bracelet…..much too much to recap. It’s really is still a bit of a blur. But, if there’s one thing that I remember VERY clearly, it was accepting the Grammy for Best Rock Performance…and then saying this:

“‘To me this award means a lot because it shows that the human element of music is what’s important. Singing into a microphone and learning to play an instrument and learning to do your craft, that’s the most important thing for people to do… It’s not about being perfect, it’s not about sounding absolutely correct, it’s not about what goes on in a computer. It’s about what goes on in here [futureusgalleryyour heart] and what goes on in here [futureusgalleryyour head].’

“Not the Gettysburg Address, but hey……I’m a drummer, remember?

“Well, me and my big mouth. Never has a 33-second acceptance rant evoked such caps-lock postboard rage as my lil’ ode to analog recording has. OK….maybe Kanye has me on this one, but….Imma let you finish….just wanted to clarify something…

“I love music. I love ALL kinds of music. From Kyuss to Kraftwerk, Pinetop Perkins to Prodigy, Dead Kennedys to Deadmau5…..I love music. Electronic or acoustic, it doesn’t matter to me. The simple act of creating music is a beautiful gift that ALL human beings are blessed with. And the diversity of one musician’s personality to the next is what makes music so exciting and…..human.

“That’s exactly what I was referring to. The “human element”. That thing that happens when a song speeds up slightly, or a vocal goes a little sharp. That thing that makes people sound like PEOPLE. Somewhere along the line those things became “bad” things, and with the great advances in digital recording technology over the years they became easily “fixed”. The end result? I my humble opinion…..a lot of music that sounds perfect, but lacks personality. The one thing that makes music so exciting in the first place.

“And, unfortunately, some of these great advances have taken the focus off of the actual craft of performance. Look, I am not Yngwie Malmsteen. I am not John Bonham. Hell…I’m not even Josh Groban, for that matter. But I try really fucking hard so that I don’t have to rely on anything but my hands and my heart to play a song. I do the best that I possibly can within my limitations, and accept that it sounds like me. Because that’s what I think is most important. It should be real, right? Everybody wants something real.

“I don’t know how to do what Skrillex does (though I fucking love it) but I do know that the reason he is so loved is because he sounds like Skrillex, and that’s badass. We have a different process and a different set of tools, but the “craft” is equally as important, I’m sure. I mean…..if it were that easy, anyone could do it, right? (See what I did there?)

“So, don’t give me two Crown Royals and then ask me to make a speech at your wedding, because I might just bust into the advantages of recording to 2-inch tape.

“Now, I think I have to go scream at some kids to get off my lawn.

“Stay frosty.

“Davemau5”

REVOLVER What’s this song about?
ANDY SPENCE This song is about someone who takes advantage of someone else’s good will and love. It’s about hurting those who you love and who love you, the people closest to you. It’s about lies and deceit but also forgiveness.

Which part of it did you come up with first?
Gerald came up with the intro riff first and then eventually the verse and chorus progressions. It’s partly based on a bad experience he had with someone he loved.

Was this an easy song to write?
It was definitely quite an easy one, because I don’t think we had to put much thought into it, it just flowed once we got going.

What sort of feedback have you gotten on this song so far?
This song has probably been most people’s favorite track off the album and I think we’ve played at every gig! Always gets a good response.

Photo by Marcus Maschwitz

Guns N’ Roses original Live at the Ritz video from 1988:

Unlike the Guns N’ Roses who performed at the Ritz in the ’80s, just getting their first taste of success, this was a band putting on a Madison Square Garden–sized show on a small stage. They opened by playing the theme to TV’s Dexter, shortly after which the group’s three guitarists and bassist clamored to the stage to play the opening notes of “Chinese Democracy.” (See the full set list below.) From there, frontman Axl Rose—named one of the 100 Greatest Living Rock Stars in Revolver’s 100th issue, on stands now—became the band’s ringleader, snake-dancing his way through the group’s classic material and songs from 2008’s Chinese Democracy.

In all, GN’R played three-quarters of their breakthrough debut, 1987’s mega 18-times platinum Appetite for Destruction—including “My Michelle” and an almost reggae-fied “You’re Crazy,” neither of which the band has played at a public gig in the U.S. since 2006. And they peppered these with more hits, extensive solos (during which bassist Tommy Stinson played his solo song “Motivation” and guitarist DJ Ashba hammed it up with call-and-response solos with the crowd) and covers ranging from AC/DC’s “Riff Raff” (introduced by Rose as, “This is a song we like to play for ourselves”) to hints at “Heartbreak Hotel” and Elton John songs.

Although much has been made of the band’s current lineup—especially in anticipation of its induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in April—the fact is, the musicians played the set perfectly and songs like Chinese Democracy’s “Street of Dreams” and Use Your Illusion II’s “You Could Be Mine” sit comfortably next to each other in a live setting. Rose’s voice sounded as great as it ever has, especially considering he’s now 50, and the musicians segued between the songs with ease and, moreover, they had their own personalities distinct from the ’80s lineup.

Throughout the night, Rose seemed comfortable and playful, barely noticing he was on a smaller-than-average size stage. (This might help since, as part of GN’R’s current Up Close and Personal Tour, the group had already played New York’s 3,200-person capacity Roseland Ballroom and 3,000-person capacity Terminal 5.) He leaned over and shook fans hands during “It’s So Easy,” and when it came to the part where he sings, “Turn around bitch, I got a use for you/Besides, you ain’t got nothin’ better to do…and I’m bored,” he pantomimed a comic shrug. He played his own piano solo before going into “November Rain.” And he did his classic snake dance throughout. If anything was evident, it was that he would feel natural at any venue. But maybe he was excited to have returned to where the band first took off.

“Tommy just told me that the Replacements got signed here in 1985,” he said of Stinson’s former group after the grand piano he played “November Rain” was shoved back under the stage’s giant drum riser. “So it holds a special place in all of our hearts. And it was Richard’s idea to bring it all back.”

Bringing it back for Guns N’ Roses, though, means doing it on their own terms—with stadium lights and a supersized set list. Having taken the stage at 11:53 p.m., they didn’t end the show until 3:10 a.m., when Rose chucked his mic stand on the stage after playing a confetti-strewn “Paradise City.” But if anything is true of Guns N’ Roses, it’s the chorus to the song they had played just before that final encore: “All you need is just a little patience.” Lasting through to the end of the set may have been an exhaustive stamina test, but it was worth every minute.

Photos of Guns N’ Roses at the Ritz 2012 (shot on an iPhone):

[futureusgalleryimagebrowser id=74]

Guns N’ Roses Set List:

“Chinese Democracy”
“Welcome to the Jungle”
“It’s So Easy”
“Mr. Brownstone”
“Sorry”
“Shackler’s Revenge”
“Estranged”
“Rocket Queen”
Richard Fortus Guitar Solo
“Live and Let Die”
“You’re Crazy”
“This I Love”
“Motivation”
Dizzy Reed Piano Solo
“Street of Dreams”
“You Could Be Mine”
DJ Ashba Guitar Solo
“Sweet Child O’ Mine”
“Riff Raff”
Instrumental Jam
Axl Rose Piano Solo
“November Rain”
Bumblefoot Guitar Solo
“Don’t Cry”
“Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door”
“Civil War”
“Used to Love Her”
“Nightrain”

Encore:
Instrumental Jam
“Madagascar”
“Better”
“My Michelle”
Instrumental Jam
“Patience”
Instrumental Jam
“Paradise City”