No matter how open-minded a fan of any given band might be, there are moments when one has to be skeptical about their output – particularly when that output is an album specially dedicated to covers. Think about it; why would a group decide to stop in its tracks and play human jukebox? Particularly in the case of any metal band that enters into such an undertaking (Between The Buried And Me leaps), one has to ask why – “Why...

There will always be ongoing debates among fans about how it came to be that a particular band reached one creative consensus or another that ultimately yielded a significant artistic change in style but, sometimes, it's much more simple than anyone would like to believe and, of that, Attack In Black is living proof. While there were indications on the band's sophomore effort, Marriage, was moving speedily away from the rather standard-issue hardcore that the band played out on their...

For some bands, the loss of a key member – say, the singer, for example – would qualify as a devastating blow to morale and place the group's future into question. With the singer would go an identifying, recognizable trait from the band and the loss would immediately cast the group's future into question; if the remaining members allow themselves to view it that way. On the other hand, if the group in question embraces the change, recognizes the challenge...

There is no hard and fast set of rules for how a band creates music, each one does it differently. When it comes time to make a new record, some bands consciously go out of their way to block out a pre-determined (by them) set of dates and times during which the band's members will pour all of their concentration and imagination into the development of new material; hammering out the knicks and dings in their ideas – whether individually...

As any stand-up comedian can tell you, it takes a lot of work to be funny. Social commentary and criticism – no matter how superficial – require a precarious balance of obviously out-sized imagery and prescient truth in order to get over with audiences because the delivery will lose audience members if one is too heavy on one side or the other of the truth/mockery line. Is the act too serious? That's not funny and one risks the possibility of...

In every music genre, there are a few records that mark time and mark a shift in values that would forevermore be felt and seen in the style and sound of that genre – how it's perceived, what it might mean to the people listening, what it means from both a historical and sociological standpoint – and indicates a shift in direction as far as how that sound is both performed and consumed. In the early years of hip hop...

Some sounds are just universally comforting. Whether it's a melody that reminds a listener of an easier time or it's a chord progression that invokes feelings of nostalgia, there are some songs that will cause a listener to heave a sigh of relief involuntarily as muscles begin to loosen and relax. Songs like this dot the catalogues of lots of singers – Van Morrison has “Rcok Your Gypsy Soul,” Ben Harper has “Diamonds On The Inside” and Billy Joel  has...

Some sounds are just universally comforting. Whether it's a melody that reminds a listener of an easier time or it's a chord progression that invokes feelings of nostalgia, there are some songs that will cause a listener to heave a sigh of relief involuntarily as muscles begin to loosen and relax. Songs like this dot the catalogues of lots of singers – Van Morrison has “Rock Your Gypsy Soul,” Ben Harper has “Diamonds On The Inside” and Billy Joel has...

So…….yeah, no review here unfortunately. There was a mild misunderstanding at the box office and the ticket that was meant for my writer wasn't there. The name wasn't on the list, but we still looked under the table, checked clipboards, the trash and even went up on stage to ask the crowd if they have seen an extra ticket. Everyone just shook their heads and/or shrugged and that was that. It was just me with my camera. And I would...

As my friend Ray recently said about Lemmy of Motörhead, some things do seem to “get better with age.” In this particular case, by “better” I mean “more creepy.” For most sexagenarian musicians, this would be a horrible fate. For Alice Cooper, it may just be what he has been working towards for all of these years. Off-stage, he’s known as an avid golfer, a restaurateur, an actor and even a fan of The Simpsons but under the spotlight, Cooper’s...