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.
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Drummer Mike Portnoy hasn’t only played in many bands. He’s covered many as well.
The former Dream Theater drummer — and current skinsman for Adrenaline Mob — has always been drawn to covers. He’s such a fan, in fact, that Adrenaline Mob will be releasing Coverta, an EP packed with eight covers of songs ranging from Dio to The Doors.
“I’m a huge fan of covers,” Portnoy says. “Doing covers is a chance to pay tribute to a favorite band, bring new life to an obscure gem, or perhaps help make a new generation of listeners aware of your influences. In any case, whether you play it safe and remain faithful to the original or completely rework and reinterpret the song, it’s always fun!”
Revolver asked Portnoy to list his favorite covers:
1. Metallica, “Mercyful Fate Medley” “I was always a huge Mercyful Fate fan and Metallica did the ultimate tribute with this amazing medley of riffs from the classic Melissa and Don’t Break the Oath albums. Tackling King Diamond’s vocals could’ve been impossible, but James did some great reinterpretations.”
2. Iron Maiden, “Cross Eyed Mary” “In the early days of Maiden, they would always record covers and extra B-sides for their 12-inch singles. This Jethro Tull cover was the B-side to “The Trooper” and tipped off Steve Harris’ appreciation of classic prog.”
3. Tool, “No Quarter” “Not many bands can cover Led Zeppelin and equal the original’s greatness, but I think Tool came damn close with this amazing version of Zeppelin’s moody and haunting classic.”
4. Anthrax, “Bring the Noise” “Anthrax have always done so many great covers through the years, ranging from the expected (Kiss and Sabbath) to the not so expected (Radiohead, Journey and Boston). Here’s an example of taking a cover that completely crosses over genres. Anthrax took this Public Enemy classic, gave it some serious balls and energy and kickstarted a metal and rap revolution that would reverberate for years. Forget about Run DMC doing “Walk This Way” … this is where metal and rap really crossed over!”
5. Judas Priest, “Diamonds and Rust” and “The Green Manalishi” “Two great examples of covering songs and making them your own. How many of you out there didn’t even realize these weren’t written by Priest? That’s right, these Judas Priest classics are actually covers of Joan Baez and Fleetwood Mac!”
Metallica have posted a video recap of the second night of their 30th anniversary shows in San Francisco, earlier this month. In it, you can see Metallica performing with Mercyful Fate, Marianne Faithfull, Armored Saint’s John Bush, and erstwhile bassist Jason Newsted, as well as some of the opening festivities of the night featuring Armored Saint. Watch it below, and let us know what you think of it in the comments.
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Danish rockers Volbeat have confirmed that Mercyful Fate guitarist Hank Shermann will act as stand-in on the upcoming Gigantour, which kicks off next month. The announcement comes after former guitarist Thomas Bredahl left the band last month.
Frontman Michael Poulsen had the following to say about the recruitment of Shermann, who recently joined Metallica onstage for their 30th anniversary shows:
“It’s a true honor getting to work with Hank, whose guitar work has inspired all three band members long before Volbeat was formed. I’m very thankful that Hank has the time to join us on Gigantour in his busy schedule.”
Gigantour–featuring Megadeth, Volbeat, Motörhead, and Lacuna Coil–dates:
01/26 Camden, NJ, Susquehanna Bank Center
01/27 Uncasville, CT, Mohegan Sun Arena
01/28 New York, NY, Theater at Madison Square Garden
01/29 Lowell, MA, Tsongas Arena
02/01 Glens Falls, NY, Glens Falls Civic Center
02/02 Quebec City, QC, Colisee Pepsi Arena
02/03 Montreal, QC, Bell Centre
02/05 Kingston, ON, K-Rock Centre
02/07 Oshawa, ON, General Motors Centre
02/08 Hamilton, ON, Copps Coliseum
02/09 Auburn Hills, MI, Palace of Auburn Hills
02/10 Chicago, IL, Aragon Ballroom
02/12 Milwaukee, WI, Eagles Ballroom
02/14 St. Paul, MN, Myth
02/16 Saskatoon, SK, Prairieland
02/17 Edmonton, AB, Shaw Conference Centre
02/18 Calgary, AB, Big 4 Building
02/20 Abbotsford, BC, Abbotsford Ent & Sports Centre
02/21 Kent, WA, Showare Center
02/23 San Jose, CA, Events Center
02/24 Universal City, CA, Gibson Amphitheatre
02/25 Phoenix, AZ, Comerica Theatre
02/26 Albuquerque, NM,Tingley Coliseum
02/28 Denver, CO, The Fillmore Auditorium
If there’s one thing more exciting than seeing your favorite bands live, it’s seeing your favorite bands playing live together at the same time. Although the hard-rock and metal history books include more than a few eye-popping collaborations over the genres’ four-decade histories, 2011 boasts some of the most exciting. Below is a list of what got the Revolver editors’ jaws dropping this year. Let us know what jams you think were the best in the comments section.
The Big Four
Although Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax jammed together for the first time last year, it was in 2011 they made it their calling card. Beginning with their performance of Diamond Head’s “Am I Evil?” in April to their jams in Europe (which also featured members of Diamond Head, Exodus, and Sepultura), to their U.S. final performance of Motörhead’s “Overkill” in New York City, these bands have made history at each performance.
The Metal Masters
The night before the Big Four concert in New York City, members of Megadeth and Anthrax along with drummer Mike Portnoy gathered to give instrument tips to fans and musicians a like. What the audience didn’t expect was the closing jam, which featured Anthrax’s Scott Ian, Frank Bello, and Charlie Benante, Megadeth’s David Ellefson, Mike Portnoy, and special guests Kerry King of Slayer and…Phil Anselmo of Pantera and Down fame, who sang “Fucking Hostile” and “A New Level.”
Temple of the Dog
For Pearl Jam’s 20th Anniversary concert, Chris Cornell joined the band for a four-song set of the songs he recorded with the nascent band under the name Temple of the Dog in 2011.
The Revolver Golden Gods Awards
We may be tooting our own horns here, but even we were floored by the collaborations of Avenged Sevenfold with Vinnie Paul on Pantera’s “Mouth for War” and Duff McKagan on GN’R’s “It’s So Easy,” as well as Duff, Corey Taylor, and Steve Jones’ take on Judas Priest’s “Electric Eye,” Volbeat’s take on Dusty Springfield’s “I Only Wanna Be With You,” and Asking Alexandria and Sebastian Bach’s electrifying take on “Youth Gone Wild.”
Guns N’ Roses and Zakk Wylde’s “Whole Lotta Rosie”
At a recent Indiana gig, Guns N’ Roses invited Black Label Society frontman Zakk Wylde to join them on guitar for an electrifying rendition of AC/DC’s “Whole Lotta Love.”
Mötley Crüe with Cee-Lo
Cee-Lo Green the Soul Machine, who had a massive hit last year with “Fuck You,” joined the Sunset Strip’s Kings of “Fuck You”—Mötley Crüe—at an L.A. gig in June for a rendition of his hit and the Crüe’s “Don’t Go Away Mad (Just Go Away).”
Drop in the Bucket Charity Event
At the Drop in the Bucket Charity Event, Slipknot and Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor played a set highlighted by all of his famous friends. Together they played some of hard rock and metal’s greatest hits. Two highlights were Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train”—performed by Taylor, Jane’s Addiction’s Dave Navarro, Rob Zombie guitarist John 5, and Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo—and AC/DC’s “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap”—played by Taylor, Anthrax’s Scott Ian, John 5, and Rob Zombie bassist Piggy D and drummer Ginger Fish. For more from that night, click here.
Metallica 30th Anniversary
Nobody has ever thrown an anniversary party quite like Metallica’s 30th Anniversary shows, which wrapped up on December 10 in San Francisco. Over the course of four nights, they played with artists who influenced them, their peers, and past members of the band. These include everyone from Diamond Head to Mercyful Fate, Marianne Faithfull to Rob Halford, Alice in Chains’ Jerry Cantrell to Kid Rock, and, most impressive, original guitarists Dave Mustaine and Lloyd Grant alongside original bassist Ron McGovney for the first song the band ever recorded, “Hit the Lights.”
For the finale of Metallica’s four-night 30th Anniversary concert extravaganza on Saturday night at San Francisco’s the Fillmore, the legendary thrash band reunited onstage with the musicians of its earliest lineups for a rendition of the song “Hit the Lights.” Guitarist Dave Mustaine, who’s made his name with Megadeth in this years since his departure from Metallica, joined Metallica with original bassist Ron McGovney and guitarist Lloyd Grant, who played on the first recording of the song as it appeared on the Metal Massacre compilation in 1982. You can see fan-filmed video of the performance below.
Over the course of the shows, which were held for members of the band’s fan club, Metallica paid tribute to their now-deceased bassist Cliff Burton and joined up with musicians whom they have played with over the years, including Jason Newsted, Black Sabbath’s Ozzy Osbourne and Geezer Butler, Kid Rock, Lou Reed, Marianne Faithfull, Glenn Danzig, Judas Priest’s Rob Halford, Alice in Chains’ Jerry Cantrell, and present and former members of Mercyful Fate, Diamond Head, Armored Saint, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Down, Faith No More, the Anti-Nowhere League, Death Angel, Apocalyptica, Saxon, and more. The band filmed each of the shows, so look for a release of these shows in some form in the future.
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