this one

Wow, I'm totally stoked about Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax and Testament coming to our hometown on October 12 at Freedom Hall. In 1991, a tour called Clash Of The Titan's, this same lineup, minus Testament (plus then the mostly unknown Alice In Chains), came through Louisville and left a mark on our small hamlet that would not go away even after almost 20 years. I was there so I know what I'm yakking about!

Well, are you ready for round two? Only now it's called the American Carnage Tour and, yes, they are finally coming back to Louevil after nineteen years!

Forget Hullabaloo, LRSfest and all the cheesy big concerts we seem to get around here, we metalheads finally get to have some fun again. Heck, we've haven't had such a vicious lineup in the Ville since Sounds Of The Underground. I'm looking forward to covering this event and seeing all you freaks at this rarity of a show. I'm giving away some tickets to you mofos in early October, so read the info below and mark those calendars! It's not as hard to win as you might think!

Be sure to come early to see San Francisco thrash legends Testament. They fargin rule!

I hope all of you have had a fun summer. I tell you though, it's been the ungodliest hot summer that I can remember! I haven't even cruised my Jeep Wrangler as much this year because of the heat. I am trying to milk all the fun out of these last days of summer. I've been swimming and diving at the swimming pool, which was sweet, till I executed a hideous dive that went all wrong, and I ended up slapping my nuggets on the water most unpleasantly! That diving board needed better gripping on the end! Fargers! Ha ha.

My band got invited to play a few outdoor shows, but it's been so hot, I wanted no part of playing outside, especially after attending the rockstar mahem festival in July and almost passing out from the heat! I'd rather wait till it cools down some. Some fall outdoor shows sound good, though. The scene still seems to be recovering from the loss of over half its bands a few months ago, but some progress is being made. New bands are forming and things are slowly creeping back to where they were before. A few 502 bands like My Own Victim, Kallus and Incursion are reuniting to do a show, including my old metal band 13^th Level. I've kind of missed playing metal, so we are going to set up a reunion show or two. I've never done a reunion show before.

That should be a lot of fun jamming with my old bandmates, vocalist Billy Burton, bassist Marcus Goldsmith and drummer Kevin Davidson again after almost seven years. I'm looking forward to it.

New promoter Allen Ashbaugh has been having a lot of shows out at The Boondocks Bar and Grill in Shepherdsville. I heard they are pretty cool, too, although I still haven't made it out. It's next on my list, though, now that it's cooling off.

I'll go out there and review the place for you, folks, and check out some bands. I hope they have a nice PA system and stage setup.

For a while, I've been thinking about launching a new feature in LMN, that I believe would be perfect for this city. Promoter Terry Harper got me on this subject with a rather popular post about people in the scene, and how he is sick of their bullchit. I have to agree with Terry.

People don't seem to be as nice and supportive as in the past. A majority are users and fair-weather friends. And that's why I am starting the Douchebag of the Year Award.

I meet a lot of people every year, promoters, bands, so-called managers, club owners, radio people, newspaper people, and of all these music business persona's in a whole year, I've decided to pick out one A-Hole who really stands out amongst others in a virtual sea of anuses.

Therefore, we must celebrate this chosen individual's over-achievement in excellent fashion!

Some people in town are just plain scumbags who don't care anything but themselves and their inflated egos. I already have a leading candidate who excels in lying, using, breaking promises and backstabbing. This candidate is in a class all by themselves and has basically brought this great idea to fruition, so those who want to be in the final running for the award have a lot of work to do to catch up with candidate #1.

I might end up with a few more haters, but so what, they can suck a turd in purgatory.

Love me, hate me, just don't ignore me!

At least with me writing this stuff you know 100% that you are getting the truth.

Thank god for Louisville Music News. The only non-watered down publication in town that covers the real Louevil, not just the shiny happy-go-lucky commercial side. That nonsense makes me ill.

Sometimes I just gotta tell it like it is, folks, regardless of the outcome.

The Metal Grapevine

Win Tix to Slayer/Megadeth: (FREE-RIDE)

For a chance to win tickets to this year's baddest metal show in Louevil on October 12 at Freedom Hall, email me and leave your name and number at EDDYMETAL1@aol.com at exactly 6 p.m. on Saturday October 9^th. In subject line, put "Clash Of The Titans TWO! Some lucky readers will be going to this wicked show for FREE.

And don't forget who hooks you peeps up with Free tickets. Eddy Metal and LMN!!!

Win Tix to Black Label Society and Clutch: (FREE-RIDE)

Here is one raw and nasty lineup featuring some heavy hitters of stoner sludge metal. You got Zack Wylde, the guitar demon himself, and his band Black Label Society headlining, with major stoner rockers Clutch, and on top of that Children Of Bodom on the bill too. Heck yeah. Personally, I want to see Children Of Bodom again! That's who I am excited about seeing. Alexi's guitar solos are wicked. For those of you up front at this show, bring an umbrella, unless you want Zack to spit on you! He spits more than any twenty times the amount a normal man does! I predict lots of whiskey and drunken revelry at this event. Hopefully it will sound better than the last time they were here, at Coyote's, when it sounded like butt. That was the soundman's fault, not the band's.

For a chance to win tickets, email me your full name at EDDYMETAL1@aol.com on Sunday October 3 at 9 p.m. sharp. In subject line put "Wylde N Ready."

Jackyl and Slaughter, Jefferson TARC Bus at the Fair:

I've been a lazy slug all summer, so I thought I'd take my big butt out to the fair to see cheesy Eighties bands Slaughter and Jackyl. The Kentucky State Fair dropped the ball on this concert. Last year's show with Shinedown was awesome and packed! Then they go and book this doody? WTF? And I like Eighties music! That's how lame it was.

I looked up some Slaughter on Youtube to see what they sounded like nowadays and was shocked at how bad vocalist Mark Slaughter sounded. A guy who once had a voice that could soar high above the earth. I was hoping he would sound better than this hideous Youtube footage! He did sound a little bit better than the video, but not too much! Half of the set was unmemorable Eighties doody songs that I've never heard. Finally, they played stuff I had heard before. The band he had backing him wasn't bad at all as they lit into a few covers that sounded decent. The drummer was awesome. They played Black Sabbath's "Heaven And Hell" (the best song of the night and the point where Mark sounded his best, amazingly, even though he could have held out the notes a tad longer) and Motley Crue's "Livewire," which was pretty cool. Mark started wailing on guitar, some pretty sweet solos too, I might add! I didn't know Mark was a full-on lead guitarist. They played "Up All Night" which was kind of rockin', and their most famous song (and the song Mark Slaughter should not even attempt to sing), "Fly To The Angels," which Mark slaughtered. Not to dog the guy, he still does have a great low voice, but age plus wear and tear has made it nearly impossible to sustain those ultra high notes anymore. And in that song, where the sustained high notes are critical, let's just say it fell way short of being approved by me. I hate it when a singer can't hit or sustain high notes anymore and tries to go an octave lower or do other stuff that isn't even on the recording! Farg that! I expect the same fargin notes as on the recording. Mark had the crowd singing the hard parts because he couldn't. Boo. There were very few moments in this set that were rocking to me.

The Sabbath and Crue tunes saved the day. Barely.

I was hopeful that Jackyl would pick things up a little. After a very long and annoying breakdown/setup, Jackyl came on and got down on some Southern redneck rock. I've never liked Jackyl that much, except for "When Will It Rain."

The music is okay, I reckon, but what really gets on my nerves is Jesse James Dupree's voice. Sorry, but this guy cannot sing a lick (hence the chainsaw gimmick). If vocalists Brian Johnson and Bon Scott of AC/DC, and Udo Dirkschneider of Accept had a gay love triangle and were somehow able to reproduce, that would be Jesse James vocally!

Jesse might suck on vocals but the guy can rock on guitar! I've seen him throw down on some solos.

Anyway, dawg's vocals were grating on my nerves after only two or three songs ("Down On Me" was the last we saw), so my friend and I decided to head over to the Budweiser Beer Tent to see Jefferson TARC Bus. Why? Because JTB vocalist Steve Clark can sing better than Jackyl, plus there are always some hot females over at the Beer Tent, especially since JTB was playing. Jefferson TARC Bus has announced that Steve Clark will be leaving the band to pursue a non-musical venture. Steve's replacement is Jack Brizendine, formerly of 99MPH, who also jumped onstage and sang some songs. I hadn't seen Jack sing in awhile, and I do have to say that I think he has his mojo back.

Jack has been around forever, playing covers, and a few years ago, he seemed really bored with it and his voice seemed to have deteriorated a bit as well. Whose voice wouldn't, playing that many shows? But at the Fair, he was like Austin Powers when he got his sexual Mojo back from Doctor Evil. The band sounded good as always. There was a phat crowd for them, too.

The Beer Tent was a mass of revelry and good times. Thing's got hazy. My friend Greg doesn't remember hardly anything. Ha. We Kentucky rednecks had a hankering for good smoke and cold beer.

We saw a hilarious fight between two sissies, one of whom got knocked out. I had front row seats and was refereeing. Then the cops ran up and yanked my friend up (who wasn't even in the fight) and tried to lock him up, till one one the sissies told the cops he wasn't involved.

What a night. I left dirty, sweaty, full, half buzzed and smelling of carnival food and beer, and yet I had a smile on my face because a good time was had with old friends, regardless of Slaughter and Jackyl not being so great. Maybe next year they'll have someone better.

So I Hit A Nerve?

Several people have told me they really liked my June column where I wrote of how in today's music scene it doesn't matter how good your band is, all that matters is how many people you draw/tickets you sell, and how pretty and popular you are.

I got news for you. There are a lot more ugly MFs in this world than there are pretty ones.

And us ugly MFs can kick some butt. Ha. Hopefully these words (called some of my best?) will open up some doors to bands who haven't had the chance to really shine yet. Jokes aside, it made me feel good to know that my words actually touched people, and were respected and looked upon as being honest and totally right. When that happens, it makes me feel like what I do is actually worthy and that I've accomplished something. Sometimes I feel the scene doesn't appreciate all the stuff I've done over the years for the scene, but all I need is a little encouragement from time to time to keep me going, so thanks to the ones who support what I do and the words I write. You make it worthwhile.

Rock For Kosair 6 Coming:

The date for the 6^th Annual Rock For Kosair benefit is Friday, November 19 at Phoenix Hill Tavern. I'll be booking the bands in September, so some of you bands will be getting the invite real soon! Of course, we'll have the usual guitar giveaways, and the region's best bands on the bill, all for the cause of helping Kosair Charities for Christmas time, when they need it the most. God knows the Kosair people have helped out so many in this region (I have heard 100 stories from people they have helped), so we should definitely help them out with supplying toys to the sick and unfortunate kids in the region. I want all of us to put aside our egos, differences and grudges that are so frequent in today's music scene, all for the sake of helping these children.

I could use all the help I can get with this event, so if you would like to get involved, give me a holler! The more the merrier. EDDYMETAL1@aol.com

Superunknown, Taking Over:

Not too much has come out of Lexington, Kentucky lately, until Superunknown. Superunknown has many accomplishments lately, including winning the regional contest to open for Kiss on the main stage at Riverbend. Holy cow, what a blast that must have been! I would have had an orgasm and fell over dead. And I thought playing in front of 6,000 people was awesome! Anyway, these guys from Lexington have the smarts real good, because these cats are taking over. I've not seen a buzz this big about a Lexington band since Supafuzz. These fellas are pretty darn good m, too, I'm telling you. I checked out some live footage and wow, these guys wail. Singer Ronnie Rodriguez has a powerful voice that reminds me of some Creed or Nickleback. Their Myspace playlist count on the song "Forever" is 446451. That is awesome. These guys have opened for Motley Crue, Kiss and quite a few other big bands as well.

The band seems ready for the big-time. I'm rooting for them to get a big record deal. I support any Kentucky original music that is that close to getting a deal.

okay, here's the deal. Superunknown don't play Louevil that often, so you should make plans to come see this One Night Only show at "Kentucky Rock Explosion"on Friday, September 3 at Phoenix Hill Tavern with Kiss contest runners-up The Zoo Kings (debut show), Stitch Rivet, Year Of The Gun (our last show 'til we find a new drummer) and Popkiss Chainsaw. It's free before 9pm!!!

In the meantime, check out superunknownmusic.com

Heatherfield - Different Is Good:

I like this Heatherfield; they sound great. Usually this isn't my cup of tea, but there is no denying this band's talent and performance. I saw them once or twice and was impressed with the depth and emotion of their music. They are different and I love that. Mixing many different styles - rock , blues, funk, etc – into one, I really enjoyed their set and the way they used keyboards to enhance the songs. Vocalist Drew Wagner sings well. Very talented musicians all around and very tight as a unit. I'm listening to them on Myspace and I have to tell you they sound so much better live than on recording. If you like lighter rock with a great groove and ethereal feel, check out Heatherfield I guarantee you will like them. If it draws in a picky old metalhead like me, anybody would like it.

You can see them September 8 at Club Oasis, opening up for Karnivool.

502 Reunion In December:

Looks like someone beat me to the reunion idea. Oh well, it happens! Several old-school Louevil bands will be reuniting for one cool show: My Own Victim, Incursion, Factor 9 and Kallus. This show will be on December 10 at Headliners.

Kayla Marie Ratcliff Benefit:

Sometimes horrible things happen to the most innocent people. Recently, a young girl's life was taken way too early, all because some careless idiot was texting while driving. I swear to you not a month ago some woman in the car next to me was texting, not paying any attention, and almost ran me off the road. I was soooo mad and thinking "what a careless stupid b**ch! And they should throw people in jail who do that stuff. to make a point."

And then this tragedy happens.

Kayla Marie Ratcliff was a nineteen-year-old who loved life, rock and metal concerts, motorcycles, and basically had a good outlook on life in general and could easily put a smile on the grumpiest and most depressed person's face. She was also involved in functions at school (Western High School) helping the mentally challenged. She was a really special kid. Kayla was very close to Tim "Stem" Holder, vocalist for Seclusion and Incursion. A benefit show was held at Expo 5 on August 21 that included Seclusion, Project Sovereign, This Year's Finest, They Came Bearing Arms, Descention, Juan and Twan, Death At The Disco, The Long Haul, Stand, Larry Larmore, Scott Louie and Timmy Williams, and Stem and The Geez. These generous bands donated time and effort into making this one big show that raised over $3000 for funeral expenses. Great job people, you did a really nice thing. My deepest sympathies go out to Kayla's family and friends in this trying time. But her family and her good friend Stem have an important message for you all, and I am with them 200%.

The message: DON'T TEXT and DRIVE! There is nothing on your phone that is more important than the lives of the people around you! If it's that important pull over or wait until you reach your destination! From what I understand, this is a growing problem the cause of a large percentage of current auto accidents.. Even Stem had the courage to admit he used to do it all the time, but has now learned a valuable lesson and will not do so again. I believe him.

I think Kayla would have liked this writeup and the fact that this tragedy wasn't in vain, and that this important message WILL be sent out to the world and possibly save lives in the future.

R.I.P., Kayla.

Club Oasis Back In Action:

Club Oasis is back in action and they have some shows coming up.

Karnivool is coming there with Thomas Medicine, Shatterstone (these guys rock!) and Heatherfield on September 8,^, so go to Terryharper.com for ticket info! I like every one of these local bands , so it should be a sweet fargin' show! I keep hearing of this Karnivool a lot, maybe I might research them a little more and see if I like it. Support Club Oasis! They have the Eddy Metal/LMN seal of approval!!!

If you haven't been there before, you should check it out, it's nice and they just put a lot of money into the place, so I can't wait to see the upgrades.

Whoever put this money up, did it for our scene. Running a club is so risky the days, so let's try to pay these people back by going to these shows and showing some love for caring enough to entertain us.

Welcome back, Club Oasis.

Lost In Eden, New And Rockin':

I finally got to see the newer band Lost In Eden and I must say I liked it quite a bit. Cool riffs, nice melodies, decent vocals; what's not to like? This is one of those bands you hear on their website and it's not that impressive, but when you see them live, you realize that they had been shortchanging themselves with bad recordings/video. I enjoyed their set all the way through, and I'm a picky bastage. Vocalist/guitarist Keith Wheatley is pretty good at singing and playing at the same time, something not very easy to do on some parts. He pulls it off fine. The songs are pretty catchy too. I dig the songwriting going on here. It's hooky. True, the music isn't that heavy, but it still keeps you interested and keeps those toes tapping. They got a great sound, especially for a three-piece band. If you like radio friendly rock with good vocals, I think you would like Lost In Eden.

Hopefully they will do a recording soon that does them some justice. Meanwhile these guys have stayed busy and have been trying to play out of town more, and it seems to be working out well for them. That is exactly what I want to do, play out of state shows to an audience who has never seen us before. Keep up the hard work guys, with those good riffs, and the dedication I see in your band, it should pay off someday. Myspace.com/lostneden

Sever This Illusion/Slow Intentional Damage:

I said I'd get out to more shows to support you original rockers, so I moseyed on up to Bizkit's Sever This Illusion/Slow Intentional Damage show the other day and had a pretty good time partying with Bizkit and the bands. Up first was a younger band called Broke And Bleeding.

They had some promising moments but the vocals were throwing me off a bit, I must admit. Some of the screaming parts were cool, though. The singer needs to mix things up a little more is all. The guitar leads and muddy amp tone needed a bit of work (I'm a guitar tone connoisseur), and the solos were dry as a bone. Yuk.

EDDY TIP: Bands! Throw some reverb or at least a thick chorus into your leads.

That would add so much to the lead. All the baddest solos in rock history are with effects.

The drums and bass sounded good. They were tight, though, and had some rocking moments. However, their version of "Wicked Game" didn't impress me at all. I may have to drop that song from my setlist! It seems every band plays that song now. Sheesh.

Broke And Bleeding are an okay new band that has some work to do like many young bands, but they also have promise as well, if they can take a little constructive criticism and right some wrongs.

Then a band called Slow Intentional Damage came on and rocked. They are from Champagne, Illinois and are also on Louevil rockers Sever This Illusion's Turkey Vulture Records. This band was good. They tore it up and even used some cool melodic vocals. I felt bad for them that there wasn't a bigger crowd. All of us promoters shows have suffered because of the economy. The musicianship was awesome in this band. The riffs were pounding and heavy as phuck. I've been in a commercial rock band for a year, and I needed to hear some metal this night and they delivered. The drummer was pretty sick. The guys in SID were cool as can be, and I'd love to see them back in the Ville. I told them that, unfortunately, they missed Louevil's metal heyday several years back. Louevil's metal scene is lackluster these days. Good job to Bizkit for bringing them in though. Then Sever This Illusion came on and rocked as usual. I like these young thrashers. These guys are going through some major bullchit with their label, so their upcoming CD, Unidentified Assassins, is on hold as of right now. The darn thing was supposed to be out already but there were some problems within the management, so there is nothing the guys can do but wait until this issue gets cleared up. This is why I am always leery of smaller record labels and their promises.

I've always said that being signed to a small label isn't worth doodle-squat in the end, and so far, I cannot say that my mind has been changed. However, I do hope that this is resolved, and these Louevil rockers get the chance to prove me wrong. I'd love to eat my words on this.

So Turkey Vulture Records, get these guys going, and soon! They are excited and ready to unleash. And good job with SID, I really enjoyed watching them play. They are like a chihuahua who ate a big rock of cocaine. Or the kid on Talladega Nights who said "I'm all jacked up on Mountain Dew!"

Stitch Rivet, From Central Kentucky With Love:

These guys seem like they would be super-cool to do a show with, so I booked them. This band from south central Kentucky sounds great. Someone told me about them several months ago, about how good they were, and that I should book them. I'm checking out a song called "New Orleans" and it's about getting high (not that I do that). It's a funky little reggae-ish rock tune that has much promise indeed. They have a great commercial appeal.

The song "Fine Line" rocks real good. Great guitar rhythms and tone in this recording. It's heavier than the last song and much groovier and raw. Makes me wanna drink Wild Turkey and slap someone!

I'm also digging the bass tone in this recording. Hell yeah, Stitch Rivet rocks. No wonder I heard so much good stuff about these guys. They seem like a serious party rock band that can tear the roof off a venue. The vocalist is very skilled and the songwriting is nice! Given the right chance/opportunity I see these guys doing well.

They will be at the Phoenix Hill Tavern on Sept 3 for the Kentucky Rock Explosion. Don't miss this one night only performance of one of Kentucky's rock greats!

Myspace.com/stitchrivet

Some Kind Of Saint News:

Dallas, the drummer for Louevil light rockers SKOS hurt his leg in an accident and had to have serious surgery in early August to fix the problem. It's a big setback for the guys, who were doing so well. But fret not, fans of the band, they will be back around mid to late September, and I'm sure they will be more than ready to pick up where they left off. In fact, I bet not jamming for a few months is driving them crazy.

Hold on guys, you got a few more weeks to go! Then it's on.

Drummer Needed for my band:

The melodic hard rock band I play guitar for, Year Of The Gun, is seeking a drummer again. (What is it with drummers?) Check us out at Myspace.com/eddymetalrocks in my playlist, where there is live footage, too. We have a PA, and secure heated/AC practice place. Contact Eddy 502-367-2080

Upcoming Shows

Club Oasis

Wednesday, September 8 – Karnivool w/ Heatherfield, Shatterstone and Thomas Medicine. 7 p.m.

Friday, September 10 – Silent From The Struggle CD release w/ 7 day, Sun, Nova Red, Shyaway and Fall N Disgize. 7:30 p.m. $5

Friday, September 17 – Boombox Poets w/ Action In The Streets, The Elephant room, Young Thugs, Juss Russ, Cam Dollaz, Young Sweet, Mad Hatters Prod, Dolla Green, Mike Deeze and DJ Grim. 7 p.m. $5

Expo 5

Tuesday, October 5 – Black Label Society, Clutch, Children Of Bodom. 6:30 p.m. $35

Monday, October 11 – 30 Seconds To Mars w/ Neon Trees and New Politics. 7 p.m. $25

Headliners

Wednesday, September 1 – Nonpoint, Seclusion, Downtrend, Artifex and Mama Thai. $10

Friday, September 3 – Voices Of Adria w/ They Came Bearing Arms, Remember Me Always, and She Asked For It.

Sunday, September 5 – Kottonmouth Kings, Villebillies, Big B and Bliss N Eso. 7 p.m. $15 – $20.

Saturday, September 11 – Sick Puppies w/ 5^th Omen, Hurt Circle, Se7en Dayz Till Next Week and Hello Radio. 7 p.m.

Friday, September 24 – Bleeding Through, w/ After The Burial, For Today, The Word Alive and Dead And Divine.

Tuesday, October 5 – Flyleaf and Story Of The Year. 7 p.m.

Phoenix Hill Tavern

Thursday, September 2 – Exodus w/ Malevolent Creation, Holy Grail, Bonded By Blood. 7 p.m.

Friday, September 3 – The Original Rock Showcase Series "Kentucky Rock Explosion" w/ The Zoo Kings, Superunknown (the band who won the open for Kiss spot at Riverbend), Stitch Rivet from central Kentucky, Year Of The Gun and Popkiss Chainsaw. 8pm. Free before 9pm!

Friday, September 3 – Straight Line Stitch, Seclusion and Bury The Wicked. 8 p.m.

Saturday, September 11 – Janus, Through The Storm and Seedus. 8 p.m.

Friday, September 17 – Bizkit's showcase w/ Sever This Illusion w/ Turnkey Pauper and Gravelswitch. 10 p.m. $10

Friday, October 1 – The Original Rock Showcase Series w/ Shatterstone, Through The Storm, Ozzy and the Crazy Babies (Ozzy Tribute w/ young musicians and Crazy Train vocalist Pat Bereis) and Ashes Eve.

Friday, November 19 – Rock For Kosair 6. Make plans now!

Skull Alley

September 7 – Girl In A Coma w/ Hacienda and Sick Of Sarah.

Thursday, September 16 – Sick Of It All w/ Wisdom Of Chains and Mongoloids. 7:30 p.m. $12

Saturday, September 18 – Despised Icon w/ Misery Index, Revocation, Through Desolate Eyes, As Eagles Become Vultures. 7 p.m. $12

Uncle Pleasant's

Tuesday, October 5 – Katatonia w/ Swallow The Sun and Orphaned Land. 7 p.m.

Wicks on Baxter

September 18 – Nova Red and Ashes Eve. 9 p.m.