“Electrifying,” “Magnetic,” “Memorable” are just some of the words that people used to describe an evening with B.B. King at the House of Blues in Dallas. His sophisticated style of soul-wrenching guitar playing inspired tears of joy and calls of “Amen,” “Preach it, brother” and “Oh Lord, I’m coming home.”…
2012 did not end with the bang promised by the Mayans. Fortunately, 2013 is gearing up to be the year of Heavy Metal. Some of the industry’s oldest and newest legends are conjuring some tunes to help nurse the no-apocalypse blues. Here are the ten metal albums likely to get…
When Arlington thrashers Warbeast flew overseas to co-headline a tour with legendary Pantera/Down vocalist Phil Anselmo, the band’s pulverizing riffs and grueling lyrics slew metal fans across Europe. A joint album seemed like another one of the devil’s pipe dreams until the two entities announced their upcoming split EP release,…
When Arlington thrashers Warbeast flew overseas to co-headline a tour with legendary Pantera/Down vocalist Phil Anselmo, the band’s pulverizing riffs and grueling lyrics slew metal fans across Europe. A joint album seemed like another one of the devil’s pipe dreams until the two entities announced their upcoming split EP release,…
On December 23, thrash metal lost another legendary pioneer when Mike Scaccia, lead guitarist for Ministry and Rigor Mortis, died shortly after collapsing during a performance at the Rail Club for Rigor Mortis/Warbeast frontman Bruce Corbitt’s 50th birthday celebration. Scaccia, who suffered from heart disease, died of a sudden heart…
Lamb of God, Hellyeah, In Flames, Sylosis Palladium Ballroom Friday, December 7 Christmas came early this year, as Sylosis, Hellyeah, In Flames and Lamb of God imploded eardrums on Friday night. British band Sylosis started the show, offering a modernized version of old-school Bay Area thrash metal, informed by West…
Compiling a list of the best metal songs of the Apocalypse nearly drove us insane, especially when the tiny devils swarmed our offices, screaming, “We said Warbeast, assholes!” But we ignored their irritating voices and came up with a list that would make David Letterman’s original body turn over in…
Unsilent Night Fair Park’s Centennial Hall Saturday, December 1 Against my better judgment, I decided to review this year’s Unsilent Night Festival at Fair Park. It’s not that I had anything against the bands. I’d spent the previous night watching Machine Head ignite the crowd at the House of Blues,…
Brendon Smalls is the creator of the animated series Home Movies and Metalocalypse, and the driving force behind the most successful animated death metal band in the history of metal, Dethklok. He’s an amazing guitarist who graduated from Berklee College of Music. His band has two of the highest-rated death…
Dethklok is the world’s most violent metal band. In fact, the band’s music is so savage, fans have to sign “pain waivers” just to enter the concert venue, or suffer the wrath of the Klokateers, the band’s loyal servants. Nathan Explosion (vocals), Skwisgaar Skwigelf (lead guitar), Toki Wartooth (rhythm guitar),…
For years, non-metal people have been accusing various metal bands of influencing their flock with hidden messages that could only be heard by playing the vinyl backwards. Overnight, this “backmasking” became a threat to national security, especially after Dan Rather played clips of hidden messages on CBS Evening News in…
Nothing says “I’m hurtin'” like the wail of a mournful guitar. It’s a sound that melts the heart and pierces the soul. While the blues saw a resurgence in the ’80s and ’90s, it’s fallen off the mainstream radar as of late. “In the summer of ’96, our royalty checks…
Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson Verizon Theatre Wednesday, October 31 The “Twins of Evil” tour was the perfect Halloween gift from the Great Pumpkin, who also made an appearance during Rob Zombie’s performance. In fact, several infamous people were wandering through the crowd at the Verizon Theatre: Scarecrow and the…
Leading up to our November 10 showcase, we’ll be getting you familiar with some of our Dallas Observer Music Awards nominees, either via past features we’ve done on them, or new ones. You can vote for your favorite acts, venues and more right here. Warbeast These old school thrash metalists…
All Hallow’s Eve is almost upon us, and what better way to celebrate than with Rob Zombie, who will be performing with Marilyn Manson on the Twins of Evil Tour at Verizon Theatre tomorrow night. It’ll be a fright night filled with elaborate stage designs, terrifying costumes and metal. I…
So you want to be a rock star, but you haven’t been able to convince your partner to let you strip off the Polo long enough to slip into coolness. Thankfully, Halloween is just around the corner. It’s the perfect time of year to lose the tie and slip on…
If there’s one thing that starts a guitarist’s heart thumping, it’s the heat from the fretboard as his or her fingers slide across the strings. It’s a sordid love affair that leaves fans screaming for more, and the guitarist’s soul longing for more. In fact, B.B. King loved his $30…
Mitt Romney and his wife, Ann, seem to believe they’re the rightful political heirs to the cache of TV’s Friday Night Lights because Buzz Bissinger, the author of Friday Night Lights, agreed with his politics and endorsed his campaign in the early ’90s. In fact, during his campaign appearances, Romney…
The New York Times best-selling author Kurt Eichenwald will speak at SMU as part of the William J. O’Neil Lecture series, discussing his new book, 500 Days: Secrets and Lies in the Terror Wars. In 500 Days, Eichenwald, a Vanity Fair contributing writer and Dallas resident, focuses on the 18…
Dinosaur Jr. The Prophet Bar Saturday, October 6 It’s a tale that’s been repeated throughout the history of rock: a washed-up band comes to town to promote new album, fans demand the familiar old stuff and a journalist writes a negative review. At Saturday night’s Dinosaur Jr. show, this old…
This year’s Fun Fun Fun Fest scavenger hunt began at 4 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, when I found the Raving Lunatics – Sheriff Red, Inmate 66247, P.P.O.P. and Sherlock Ownz – at the Libertine Bar. Each team registered for the hunt received a packet with a list of tasks separated…
Uproar Festival Gexa Energy Pavilion Sunday, September 16 See also: The tattooed fans of Uproar Festival “Buttrock: a term to identify a band trademarked with cheap, unoriginal song lyrics; the vocalist hiding his lack of vocal talent by producing a deep and ‘raspy’ voice (i.e. Nickelback, Creed)” – Urban Dictionary…
