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ABORT Magazine
Canada’s Counter Culture
ISSUE 15
Publisher/Editor-in-Chief: E.S. Day
Managing Editors: Grimm Culhane, Dave
“Corvid” McCallum, Arceon
Photo Editor: Scott Alexander
Senior Art Director/Layout: Daniel Bacha-
rach
Layout: Nick Tchir
Staff Writers: Dave “Corvid” McCallum,
Grimm Culhane, Arceon (Europe), Alxs
Ness, Kassandra Guagliardi, Joel “ninjo-
elspy” Parent, John Norby (UK), E.S. Day,
Nigel Mojica, Taylor Ell, Sean Cowie, A.W.
Reid, Brandon Siemens, Karla “Khaos”
McLeod, Matt Snow, Jimmy Lynch.
Staff Photographers: Scott Alexander,
Chris Webber, Jamie Sands, Ajani Charles
(Toronto) Sarah Hamilton, Grimm Culhane,
Arceon (Europe), Taylor Ell, Sean Cowie,
E.S. Day
Web Design/Graphics: John Allan (www.
johnallan.ca)
Contributors: Jonathan Parsons, Daniel
Bacharach, Eva Vulgar, Justin Critch, Shaun
Roberts, Byron Dauncey, Dustin Wood,
Transcribing: Alxs Ness, Jonathan Parsons,
Dave McCallum, Nigel Mojica, Scott Alex-
ander, Alexandria Lee
Cover Artwork by Justin Critch
www.underdecay.com
table of contents:
DENIED!: 6
AUDIOTOPSY: 8
The original artwork for this cover is avail-
able as a print: Subscriptions/E-Newsletter subscribe@
abortmag.com
HEADPHONICA: 10
justin@abortmag.com
(we DO NOT give out your e-mail address)
ABORT Logo by Ara Shimoon SUICIDAL TENDENCIES: 12
CD’s, DVD’s, Books, Art, Murals, Cash,
ABORT MAGAZINE is owned and operated Drugs, Garter Belts, Guns, Fur Coats, Trans-
by: fatty/deep-fried foods and Cigarettes to be
considered for review: editor@abortmag.
BLACK SHEEP: 16
Abort Media Publishing Corporation (AMP com
Corp.)
To submit words, photos, art, video and filth: HATEBREED: 18
1140 Comox St. Ste 203 Vancouver, BC
Canada, submissions@abortmag.com
V6E 1K5 (NOTE: ABORT Magazine/ABORT TV and NEIL ZLOZOWER: 22
its copyright holders, accept no responsibil-
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Fuck The Fax
unsolicited art, manuscripts or any form of
media Including photo, video, audio and film
MIKE FRASER: 26
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OLYMPIC PROTEST: 30
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AbortCast™, ABORT TV ™ and AMP Corp
ANGELA MARIE MACDOUGALL: 32
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www.abortmag.com/abortcast The views expressed in this publication are SOULS OF MISCHEIF: 36
those of the authors and do not
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lishing Corporation (AMP Corp.)
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SHOOTING GALLERIES: 38
ISSN 1918-0594
DEPARTMENTS:
ABORT Magazine is a Canadian Publication ABORTIST: RANK & FILE: 40
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Marketing/Promotions: promotions@abort- Copyright © 2004-2010 ABORT Magazine.
mag.com All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of this NINJAXGIRLS: 44
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REVIEWS: 46
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TALES FROM THE EASTSIDE: 70
 Denied!
Our regular list of interview requests and the people who told us to go fuck ourselves.
CHARLIE MURPHY

SLASH
On the eve of his latest solo album about to drop, the owner of Rock &
Roll’s most famous top hat gives ABORT Magazine the middle finger.
Guitarist Slash may definitely need to cut those curly strips that keep
him blind from seeing his interview requests as we were told flat out –
no!. Between the hired gun appearances on everyone else’s albums and Charlie “Darkness” Murphy left a huge DENIED! imprint on tickets as well. Maybe it’s for the best as the blogs are saying his
his failed Snake Pit series, Mr. Slash may have to do more than Music our foreheads and man our heads are bumping, Seems Mr. current tours’ opening act is blowing him off the stage. Mind
Conferences and guitar clinics to keep his inflated head above water. Murphy has decided he is doing just fine without Dave Chap- you, he could always go shoplifting with Katt Williams to gain
At least the hat doubles a flotation device. pelle or his famous brother to keep him in the headlines, as some street cred, or he could just do an interview with us and
we not could get a interview and were also refused reviewer watch his sales soar.
 We take an album and dissect it track by track. The results can sometimes be, well…messy.
AUDIOTOPSY
GROUNDBREAKERS: FROM THE GROUND UP
Vancouver’s own brotherhood of the
Boom Bap, Groundbreakers, feature the
lyrical skills of Attikus and Babie Paul, the
beatbox and production skills of GBoxx,
cuts by DJ Leaf, and the awesomely solid
and funky bassplaying of Backbone.
Their original mix of Golden Era Hip
Hop with live bass and beatbox has been
rocking crowds and turning heads on the
West Coast for years, and their LP “From
The Ground Up” offers a solid selection
of diverse tracks displaying the skill and
dedication of this talented collective. With
a foot firmly planted in the Old School,
and the fresh sound of artists who are true
to themselves, Groundbreakers are here to
bring the noise.
1. Like It Or Not – the opening track rocks
like Granville on a Saturday night – the
feeling’s right, the music’s tight, and At-
tikus flows deep in the cut over GBoxx’s
soulful groove.
2. The Grunt – reminiscent of Dream War-
riors’ classic “My Definition (of a Boom-
bastic Jazz Groove), Attikus’s baritone
bears witness to the Boom Bap science in
a bold anthem of respect for the roots.
3. Second Nature (Move) – rallies the
troops over a stadium size bass groove
from Backbone – if you don’t move, your
chest cavity might explode from the hype-
ness!
4. Don’t Cry – drops a mini-motivational
speech for the massive to help keep heads
nodding in times of despair.
5. How Long – the mood gets fresh with
Attikus and Babie Paul reminiscing like
veterans on the years spent repping.
6. VanCity Basics – some 70’s style sax
and Backbone’s brick wall of bass provide
the backdrop for a scenic painting of the
side of Van seldom seen by the superficial.
7. Shadowtalk – a wailing guitar loop and
dub bass worthy of Lee “Scratch” Perry
frame Attikus’s linguistic gymnastics
as he meditates on the dopeness and the
darkside.
8. Get Mine Get Yours – steady on that
money grind, Attikus reps for the hard-
working hustlers and runs through meta-
phors for miles.
9. Short Leash – some right in your ear rap
from Attikus and Babie Paul, keeping the
mic in a tight clutch.
10. Showtime – flexes the laid back lyri-
cism, like those rare sunny summer days
in East Van.
11. What I Do – digs deep into a more
underground dopestyle, the definition of
MCing.
12. Kruella Deville – shows off double-
time flows, waxing nostalgic about the
lady lost to time.
13. Shadowtalk (remix) – injects a deeper
current of funk into an already solid track,
proving Groundbreakers ain’t no light-
weight shit!
www.myspace.com/vancitygroundbreak-
ers
By Dave “Corvid” McCallum
Our office playlist based on the blood, sweat and fears of our staff.
1.(U Kno Wht It Iz) Black Rock - (Major Independents)
2. Hard Ride – Raven (Neat)
3. What I’m After - Lords Of The Underground & Redman (Pendulum)
4. Outsider - The Ramones (Sire /Warner)
5. Friendly Pressure - Jhelisa (4th & Broadway)
6. Outlaw – The Cult (Beggars)
7. Size Double D feat. Del - Dopestyle 1231(Waxploitation)
8. Splitting The Atom – Massive Attack (Virgin)
9. Sabotage – Cancer Bats (Distort)
10. Blind –Game Rebellion (Molotov Music)

SUICIDAL TENDENCIES
Suffering from member and label changes, physical damage
and constant touring, the current line-up of Venice, Califor-
nia’s legendary Skate/Thrash/Hardcore Kings Suicidal Ten-
dencies are back and heavier than ever. With 2 new albums on
the horizon and a slew of tour dates, vocalist Mike Muir spoke
with ABORT Magazine’s E.S. Day to give him the lowdown
on their new Live DVD and all things
Suicidal (and Infectious Grooves) for 2010.
By E.S. Day
E.S. Day: We are here with legendary vocal- a long time ago. Just because something is in MM: We haven’t done a record in 10 years, but
ist, and singer-songwriter Mike Muir, how are a book, doesn’t mean its true. I went through we have done a lot in that time. We have people
you sir? that with the Dog Town, my brother was one coming up to us saying ‘You know, you guys
of the original Z-Boys, and that whole thing are doing shows, why don’t you put a record
MIKE MUIR: Doing really good. Long story (Lords of Dogtown) caused a lot of contro- out and tour off that?’ That’s not what Suicidal
short, I’m just sitting at home in Venice, Cali- versy because it was one person’s version of is about. Its not doing it just because you don’t
fornia what was happening. think you will get another chance, I want to
get out there and prove we are better than we
ABORT: The first ever DVD “Live at The (cont.) That’s part of the reason we wanted to ever were. So going out there the last two years,
Olympic Auditorium” is in stores January film it. Not to go back to 1984, but to basically we have kind of re-baptized the converted, re-
26th on Suicidal Records I had a peek at it this show a little bit about where suicidal came minding people why they love Suicidal, get
morning…fucking brilliant!, truly captures from, to capture it, and show why we’re still them on the phone after the show calling up
the essence of Suicidal in their purest form, a band their friends. If you don’t have that excitement,
not grainy, choppy, great camera work and there is something wrong. We’re getting that
well worth the wait. So excitement out there,
my first question Mike, “We went to Russia, two years ago, and they said where people are really
what the fuck took so excited about a new re-
long? something about having three black guys in the band, cord. We’re kind of put-
why is this? Couldn’t you have found a white guy?” - ting out the old stuff,
MM: Well, as I said ev- clearing the deck, like
erything is a little bit of with the DVD, we’ve
a long story, but basi- Mike Muir got a live CD straight
cally, the Olympic Au- from the board from
ditorium, going back in history, was originally ABORT: You guys are as fresh, and as vibrant as 1995 with Infectious Grooves, Robert Trujillo
built for the Olympics and was the biggest you were back then, and it’s fucking wicked. on bass and stuff, something straight off the
venue in LA at the time, then over the years board that you can say, wow, that was 15 years
it has gone into disrepair, to the point that MM: Funny story, we were in France, and they ago.
in the early 1980’s, they actually let bands do had me go to this doctor, who was the national
big punk rock shows, which wasn’t very com- rugby physician, and I walked in, and the guy With Suicidal, we have two CDs coming out,
mon. It was a great big building, basically a is not the typical person you would think who the one, I call it the Mike Clark record, and I
fortress that could put up with anything. They knows Suicidal Tendencies, but he looks at me call it that because we got Mike (ST rhythm
did a lot of boxing, roller derby, that sort of and says, You’re Mike from Suicidal Tenden- guitarist) into Suicidal after working with him
stuff. Then we got a call, saying ‘They’re sell- cies! You may not know it from looking at me, and the band No Mercy he came in on “How
ing the Olympic Auditorium, there hasn’t been but I am a Suicidal fan. Will I Laugh Tomorrow” after 1987’s “Join the
any shows there for a while, we want you do Army”. Half of ‘How will I laugh’ was actu-
headline one last show’ which is all good and ABORT: No fucking way! ally songs for No Mercy. That was another no
would have been a no-brainer, but I just had brainer, like with Eric, why weren’t we using
back surgery… MM: He looked at me right away, and knew this for Suicidal?
I needed surgery, but I had another week of
ABORT: Oh fuck! shows. As a doctor, he told me I should jump We re-recorded some of the No Mercy and
on a plane, and just head home Join the Army songs with Mike Clark, who
MM: … We got another call about headlining isn’t on the originally recordings. With him,
a festival in Columbia, so we did the festival, ABORT: Drummer Eric Moore is absent from we take it to a further level, that’s why I call it
headlined to 95,000 people, the week after the drum throne, what happened there? the Mike Clark record.
that, the Olympic show. Two days before, I
wake up, and I cant walk. Because of all the MM: The footage was actually from 2005, And of course, there is the new Suicidal Re-
stuff going on, we decided to go ahead and do so pre-Eric. Back when Suicidal was touring cord coming out at the end of the year, which
the show, and afterward, I had to have another in California, Eric came to the show, he was everyone is always asking, does it sound old,
back surgery. friends with Steve, asked me what we were does it sound new, and for me, I think the
doing with Infectious, and if we ever did any- whole thing with doing a record, is ultimately
ABORT: Well you could have fooled me! After thing, he wanted to try out. We gave him the having people know it’s Suicidal. Suicidal in a
watching a raucous version of “Institutional- call, got him in the band. It was one of those sense that its different than what other people
ized”, you’re jumping around like a mother- things that was just too obvious. When we are doing. Some people wont like it because of
fucker! That must have hurt, because you were went to Europe, I had people coming up to me that, but ultimately, I think 15 years from now
going hard! saying ‘You’re bringing Eric to Suicidal, aren’t people will still be listening to it, and saying
you?’ We just did a show at Long Beach arena, wow, that was a really fucking crazy record.
MM: We had decided to film it, because I we had the drummers from the other bands
noticed that there was a lot of people doing filming him, going ‘Dude, that guy is insane!’ “Live At The Olympic Auditorium ” is in stores
documentaries, writing books, and since I and I think that is what Suicidal should be. now.
had people asking me about certain things, I
would ask them “Where the fuck did you hear ABORT: New Suicidal album when and who’s ABORT: We have a feature on the Afro Punk
that? That is not true” Turns out they read it producing? movement coming up and I cannot go without
in some book. It goes back to what I learned stating that not just ST but more importantly
Infectious Grooves plays a vital role in bridg- when it was on another bands bill. (Sevendust
ing he gaps between hardcore and funk are we MM: I’m glad I could have been a part of that! not withstanding)
going to see a new IG album? (Laughs)
ABORT: Back to the DVD I Have to ask, the
MM: Yeah, In March we are actually going to ABORT: What about Canada? Mike, I’m go- song “You Can’t Bring Me Down”, its not on
Europe, it’s the first time both bands are go- ing to give you a hard time here, I lived in To- there, Why?
ing to be touring together. We will be doing ronto, I’m in Vancouver now, we never hear
a few Suicidal shows, a few Infectious shows. from you, You’re only two hours away, what MM: Basically, we weren’t trying to go back
Eric’s in both of the bands, the only difference the fuck? (laughs) to 1984, we did play a few of the old songs, all
is Mike is not in both bands. the first records, but it was more an essence of
MM: The last time we played Vancouver, was what was going on at the time. Then we kind
ABORT: Do you still find people being igno- only literally because we had to fly in. We al- of decided not to play a lot of the ’84 stuff.
rant to the two genres mulled together? ways have a problem getting in as “Suicidal”
We get to Montreal one time behind Seven- ABORT: Speaking of future what the band
MM: Well, when it have on tap beside
first came out, people tour and album,
would talk, and I cant clothing line, book,
believe how many
racist comments we
“I think 15 years from now people will still be any other ventures?
got on it. It just gives listening to it, and saying wow, that was a really MM: Yeah, we have
people a chance to a collabo going on
hate you, and write fucking crazy record.” with VANS [shoe
stupid comments. company] and
We went to Russia, they’re also coming
two years ago, and they said something about dust, they are all smoking pot, they get in, then out with shorts, wallets, stuff like that. All
having three black guys in the band, why is it comes to our turn, 200+ people on one work available through the VANS site, in the US
this? Couldn’t you have found a white guy? bill, and they say we entered the country ille- at least, I don’t know if they are available in
gally. And they’re confiscating our bus. Canada or not. But this snowboard company,
ABORT: Oh my God! holy fuck! 686 is coming out with a Suicidal Snowboard
We were like, “Wait a minute, we’re with Sev- jacket, keeping you warm, comfortable, (and
MM: (cont) It’s funny because we did a record endust, on the same work permit! You guys hardcore) on the mountain.
called “Feel like shit, Déjà vu”, which has an are just fucking with us!” and at the same time,
acoustic version of ‘How Will I laugh’ and we they’re waving on the buses behind us who are ABORT: Suicidal Tendencies, Live at the
did an interview in Germany when it came still on the same work permit. Olympic Auditorium, the bands first DVD,
out, and the guy asks ‘This record you have, available now on Suicidal Records. You can
very hard songs and then you have acoustic The border guards and customs people started also visit the bands website, and check them
How Will I Laugh, why would you do that?” threatening to arrest us, and take our pass- out on tour if you are in Europe, hit up their
We explained how we thought it was great, and ports, it was ridiculous. If they wanted to ar- MySpace, support the band, still in full fucking
he comes back saying “Yeah, it is my favorite rest someone, it should be the people who let effect in 2010! Mike, thank you so much for
song on the record, but why would you put it us into Vancouver in the first place! Another your time today. Continued success, and the
on there?” So its just crazy, its lost in transla- time, they went through our bus and found best of luck with everything.
tion, and you just have to laugh it off. ‘contraband.’ You know what the ‘contraband’
was? It was all used Suicidal Tendencies T- MM: Thank you man appreciate it.
When IG first came out, we played our first shirts, hats, sweaters, and used clothes from
show, we didn’t even think anyone would be the bands bags. By E.S. Day
there, but it ended up selling out. It was like
three quarters chicks! ABORT: We have heard a LOT of problems Transcript – Scott Alexander
with people we have talked with, interviewed,
ABORT: Speaking of IG let me take this op- especially rappers, hip-hop artists. They really suicidaltendencies.com
portunity to let you know that I got fired from get a hard time.
a strip club called The Goldust lounge back in twitter.com/officialstig
the early nineties for playing your song “Punk MM: So no, we aren’t touring North America
it Up” as a break song, the manager grabbed right now at all, but in the fall we will have myspace.com/infectiousgroovesofficial
the mic from my hand and said get out. So some dates in the US, and we can maybe try
thanks for that, I hated the fucking place any- and work something out. But as I said, we have
way! (Laughs) only really had an easy time getting to Canada
Golden Era Gods Black Sheep have been down with a bunch of cats that I really respect as you say words that rhyme or you tap things out on to the Kanyes and the Jays and the top 40 cats that
hailed as one of the first “crossover” rap acts far as producers and some MCs. Got some un- the beat machine or sample or dance or graffiti, have been able to manipulate the game into lit-
to break into the mainstream,, but don’t be precedented things, you know, some real treats as much as it is a state of mind. I would dare to erally a dynasty. Their grandchildren’s grandchil-
fooled – MC Dres is back and keeps it more cats might not expect coming like a joint with say that some people that might not do any of the dren will be going to college. That’s never existed.
hardcore than ever with ABORT’s Nigel me and AZ or me and Rhymefest. I got a Native above can be hip hop, it’s all in how you walk. At And hopefully it will end up becoming something
Mojica, as he discusses the group’s future, be- Tongue track with me, Dave from De La, Q-Tip, the end of the day I agree it is interpretive. that’s effective for more of us, whereas instead of
ing the first rap artist to perform on The To- and Mike G. Just some really really cool stuff man: cats lookin’ to buy bobbles for accolades, that they
night Show and trying to park your car as a a project I’m really proud of. Oh! Jean Grey, I just ABORT: You’ve got a track off of the Prelude to wind up opening up daycare centers or things that
did a joint with Jean Grey last night. Really cool “From The Black Pool Of Genius” called Gimme are more structured for the people. That’s one of
black man in NYC in 2010.
stuff. Five and in the intro to that song you say that one the things that I would love to see but just the fact
of the easiest and most difficult things in life is to that that capital exists is huge. I lyrically would
Nigel Mojica: We’re here with legendary New
ABORT: Speaking of Jean Gray, what’s your stance just be yourself. What’s your word to the wise for love to see it become more prevalent that us car-
York MC Dres of Black Sheep. How you do-
on the women of hip hop right now and who do the cats out there who have lost confidence or de- ing about each other be the cool as opposed to the
ing?
you think will be the next person to break out or veloped a low opinion of themselves at the hands cool being ‘I’m fly and I paid a million dollars for
come back in 2010? of cruel circumstance or what have you...? my sneakers’ being cool.
Dres: I’m good fam. Maintaining.
Getting this project situated for the
Dres: I think Jean is dope. I’ve also been kinda Dres: Yo, sometimes life is going to be what it is ABORT: That being said, do you foresee a return
new year.
vibing on this young sister by the name of May- and some days are better than others but at the to the days when that type of real content can be
day who’s pretty fresh as well. At the end of the end of the day, just being true to yourself, you successful again and what’s that going to take and
ABORT: That’s right, big
day there’s definitely a lane open as far as female know, that inner voice, that conversation that you what part are you going to play in it?
things coming from you
MC’s are concerned. They’re definitely not getting have with yourself a lot of times is really what has
this year. Speaking of
their accolades at the moment, but it’s open for the ability to guide you in the right way if you Dres: I totally do. One thing that The Choice Is
what’s really current, your
them. For somebody fresh and original, it’s there listen to it. And also just to know that tomorrow Yours showed me is that cats will really gravitate
publicist says you just got
for them to come through. And speaking of new brings opportunity and opportunity means that towards something that they like. If you make it so
pulled over. Is that true?
music, I don’t know if cats are up on them, but you have the chance to do better. You also have a that cats like being clean, then cats are gonna be
Tough Junkie, Peyton Rock - Yo, these guys out chance to do worse, but if you keep things in per- clean. If you make it so cats like to be dirty, then
Dres: Yeah man, just got
of Jacksonville Florida are really fresh. I’ve been spective you know nothing’s gonna stay the same. cats are gonna be dirty. So right now there’s cats
a ticket. New York City
really vibing on them. Keep moving. We’re all gonna bump our heads; that could make it cool that we do some things
style.
you try to learn from it and do better and keep we should be doing. If it’s simple as, instead of a
ABORT: Speaking of Native Tongue and Tip who going, y’know? cat making a record about and white t-shirt and
ABORT: What’s that about?
you mentioned earlier, in ‘09 you said that 2010 everybody wearing a white t-shit, cat had made
Can the black man still not
would be the year we saw a Native Tongue re- ABORT: Yeah man. And speaking of opportu- a record about a suit and tie. Or if school was the
park his car in America?
union tour. How’s that lookin? nity, with Conan O’Brien getting ready to go on block, instead of “I made this for the block” it’s
a $30 million shopping spree and being that Black “naw, I make hip hop from school”, know what
Dres: Black man can’t do
Dres: I think it’s very possible. The Native Tongue Sheep was the first hip hop act to ever appear on I’m sayin? If that was the cool... it’d be embraced,
much in America these
record, that’s the beginnings of a reunion right the Tonight Show with Jay (Leno), is there any it’s really that simple. Our words are stronger than
days!.. without permission.
there. I’m into bringing us all together and doing chance that, when Jay gets back in that host seat, we realize sometimes.
Definitely gotta have a per-
some stuff. I think it’s very possible that cats are we might see a return to the show for you?
mission slip. But you know,
on the same page. ABORT: Thank you so much for speaking with
it is what it is, gotta deal
Dres: That would be so cool! I would love for my us. Best of luck and continued success in 2010
with it.
ABORT: That’s something to look forward to. On people to reach out and see if we could make that
the topic of hip hop in general - this is kind of an happen I think that would be just truly fresh. Dres: Thank you as well. There’s not a lot of times
ABORT: That’s cold shit.
interpretive question and you can take it as you when you can enjoy a conversation in these in-
But what’s not cold is Black
will - what is real hip hop? and, more specifically, ABORT: Often times when people talk with artist terviews and I truly enjoyed your questions. Ap-
Sheep, 2010, new album,
can anyone make real hip hop? Is it just a matter from the so-called “Golden Era” of hip hop, the preciate it.
“From The Black Pool Of
of doing you and being true to your story or are emphasis tends to be on the degradation of the
Genius”. No partner, hold-
there certain properties one needs possess to be culture, and rather than go down that road I’m
ing down the fort on your
a real MC? curious to know who you see as really hitting their ABORT: Thanks man
own under the Black Sheep
mark right now in terms of representing our time
moniker. What can
Dres: I would say it’s so much about being true in history in the mainstream?
we expect this time
around?
to yourself at the end of the day. I mean, as far as www.whostheblacksheep.com
whether something is liked or not liked, I think Dres: Um, shit man, there are a few... I hear what
that’s really up to the consumer, but being true you’re saying. There’s always someone who can
Dres: Aw man,
to yourself is, I think, a premise that hip hop is look at it and see what’s missing, but I feel you. By Nigel Mojica
Extreme fresh-
grounded in, know what I’m sayin? Just having an There’s cats that have brought certain elements to
ness. I feel
understanding of yourself and being true to it. I the production and the business side of the mu-
really good
think anyone has the opportunity to be hip hop. I sic that’s never been there. Say what you want, but
about the
heard a poet say “hip hop” backwards is “pih poh” there’s more young millionaires in the game now
project, it’s
and I kind of instilled that in my life even. I feel than there’s ever been. True, they may not be do-
honestly
like it’s the music of people. I would even dare to ing what they should with the money or some of
some of my
say that people from other genres can be a little their attention may be misplaced, but the fact that
best work.
bit more hip hop than they even realize if they’re the business aspect and the plans are so efficient
Just re-
doing music for the people. It’s not so much that these days means you’ve gotta kind of tip your hat
ally locked

and raw power of a Hatebreed concert. With over
1 million CD’s sold, a new album, clothing line and more, this
hardcore dynamo is looking at dominating the scene once again in 2010.
Singer Jamey Jasta spoke with ABORT Magazine’s Alxs Ness about the new album,
the return of guitarist Wayne, his imprint Stillborn Records and more.
Alxs Ness: Hatebreed was recently given
the title of first hardcore band to reach
sales of over 1 million units. Has that
changed anything for you guys or is it
pretty much business as usual?
 
Jamey Jasta: Yeah, it’s just business as
usual. I mean it’s a cool accomplishment
for the band. We heard that Cannibal
did it. Being an extreme band from the
underground, that was a huge deal for
Cannibal and we’ve been on a bunch of
more mainstream tours and we’ve had
our name out there a lot, especially the
last couple years, so we saw the sales
climbing. But it’s cool that with this re-
cord, it’s the 4th album coming in at the
top 40 for us, it’s cool that it pushed us
over that limit, over that mark.
 
ABORT: You’re on a roll.
 
JJ: We’re trying, you know. It’s tough to
get people to buy CDs. But we’ve put out
a couple quality releases this year; the
DVD which went #1, the covers album
which debuted at #58 which is great be-
cause it’s not even our songs, and now
this new album. So yeah we’re lucky that
are fans are diehard and want to support
us. Cause we do directly benefit from
every DVD and CD sold now which is
great because we’re in a cool indie deal
that helps us as musicians.
 
ABORT: Excellent. That’s actually one of
my questions: how’s the sales response
for For the Lions and do you think
there’ll be another installment of a simi-
lar cover album?
 
JJ: I would like to do another one be-
cause we left out so many bands and now
Words
can’t describe the intensity
with Wayne back in the band we can do ABORT: Since Sean left back in Febru-  
a lot of the songs with shredding and so- ary, Wayne has returned to resume lead JJ: You know what, there’s a lot of cross-
los and a little more technical riffing. He guitar duties, has that changed the dy- over. Every time we play there’s always
came in and did the Slayer and the Sui- namics in the band has it influenced it Cannibal Corpse shirts in front. At all
cidal and the Black Flag and Bad Brains in any way? our signings, every night when we do
on the last one and helped us finish it.  It   meet and greet for VIPs, it’s all Canni-
would be cool to do it again and it’s actu- JJ: I think just going back and relearn- bal Corpse shirts so it’s actually cool that
ally done really well. The label was joking ing all of the songs; it’s just made us a we’re gaining fans from the tour. That
around the other day, saying that it’s sold little more tighter. After going through happened with us with the last headlin-
more than some bands’ studio albums. all the live tapes of the DVD recordings ing tour we did last year with Type O’
That’s pretty cool and everything, Negative a lot of people said well that’s
that our fans are “That’s pretty cool that our fans we noticed we a very different audience, how’s it going
diehard enough are diehard enough to want to were playing to work. But a lot of Type O’ Negative
to want to hear some stuff dif- Fans stayed for us and were into it and
hear us playing other people’s
us playing other ferent than the bought shirts and we made believers
people’s songs. songs” - Jamey Jasta album. So now out of them. That’s what you wan to do.
  we went back Especially like right now we don’t have
ABORT: Well you have a nice, diverse with Wayne and he’s pretty much the opportunity to go out and support
mix on there too for everybody kind of learned everything and we’ve practiced a bigger band. We’ve supported all the
thing. and we’ve rehearsed so much more now, bands that were out there to support and
getting him back in the fold. So that’s now we have to headline and just keep
JJ: Well you know, punk, hardcore, met- cool to get everybody back in the room charging forward.
al, death metal it’s all kind of represented together and hash it out before the tour  
on there definitely. as opposed to getting to the first day of ABORT: Oh damn hey… you gotta
  the tour and just sound checking. He headline now.
ABORT: It seems like your new alliance was teching for us for 3 or 4 years so we  
with E1 has given more strength to your didn’t have to  integrate a new personal- JJ: It is fun to go out and try to gain an-
name. Is the band happy with its new ity into living together all these days out other band’s crowd and not have to do
home compared to your other label? of the year so that was nice and easy to a full set. It’s easier than going out and
  have  a seamless transition. screaming for an hour and a half every
JJ: We’re on the other label for the rest   night. Luckily I love doing it and it never
of the world still so we get along and ev- ABORT: Just step from the back into the gets old but it’s fun… like we came here
erything’s good. This E1 deal is about to front. with System of a Down and we were
be up so we’ll see if we’ll do more stuff playing arenas, playing where the hock-
with them. I’d like to; so far so good. JJ: Exactly, come from out the back of ey teams play. That’s a huge opportunity
Especially with the state of record sales, the amplifiers into the front. for a band like us, coming from nothing
it’s so easy for kids to just click a link   to that… But this is great. Cannibal are
and get everything for free. We just want ABORT: You guys are basically right in great dudes. We hang out a lot. I go on
to urge people to support bands like us the middle of the tour Decimation of the their bus, they come on our bus. We go
that are actually working directly with Nation II and Cannibal Corpse is on the out to eat after the shows. They’re super
the distribution of the labels to get our tour as well, what’s the crowd response into old hardcore like us and we’re su-
music out there. been like considering that you guys are per into old death metal like them. It’s
  two completely different genres. one big family on tour. Hate of Eternal’s
great, Born of Osiris is great, Unearth are our friends since we were
young. It’s actually been really, really good. Even in the places that we
haven’t been in years, like Albuquerque was one of the best shows and
Portland, Oregon last night was incredible, so it’s been going well.
ABORT: What’s your connection to MMA, martial arts for fans that
don’t know.
 
JJ: I did the theme song for a guy named Andrei Arlovski who was a
UFC champ and I’m just a fan since I was a kid. It’s changed obviously
drastically, throughout the years but I still try to keep up with it. A lot of
different leagues have smaller little circuits where guys fight throughout
America where a lot of them come out to Hatebreed songs  so we’re
always hearing from different guys that are like “I  come out to this
song.” I try to keep up with all that other stuff but its tough being on
the road. We do occasionally get to a bar that will have the pay-per-view
or sometimes we’ll go and the club might have it on. But it has been
tough to keep up with.
ABORT: That brings me to the next question, you’re keeping busy with
your clothing line, Hatewear, Kingdom of Sorrow and of course Still-
born Records, has your own imprint taken you away from focusing on
other ventures and who is the next big band for Stillborn?
 
JJ: Well right now I’m lucky that I have two really good, working bands
that are out touring and doing well for the label. The first band I signed
up back in ’06 was this band Thy Will Be Done whose second album
just came out on our label and they’re coming here with Devildriver and
Suffocation and Goatwhore so that’s a really cool opportunity for them
and as well for the label. And I have a band called The World We Knew
who’s actually out now on my Hatewear tour which is Throwdown,
Bury Your Dead, Abacabb, the World we knew and this band called
For Today. So those records have been bubbling up, they came out back
in June and now going into the holidays kids are picking them up and
sales are going up so I’m hoping that people will still go out and check
‘em out. Those are two bands that I handpicked myself and was into.
Now I’m working with two other bands Strength for a Reason from
Pennsylvania, are older hardcore guys but had a cool record that was in
limbo so I just took over distribution for it and this band from Florida
called Abolish which is myspace/abolishkills is their site and kids can
listen to the songs there. Aside from the clothing stuff, I’m doing a
booth on pretty much all the summer tours so if kids want to Warped
or Mayhem or if Ozzfest ends up happening, you’ll see the Hatewear
booth there. I did it last year on Project Revolution and Mayhem and it
worked out well. Occasionally when you see people wearing the stuff at
shows, it’s cool, they either got it at the tour or they got in on the web.
People can get the stuff on the web. If you don’t want to wear a band
shirt… The guy from Converge, Jake the singer, did a bunch of designs
for me which I’ve now reprinted and kids are loving those so it’s cool
that people want to support it.
ABORT: Just saw Converge with Dethklok.
 
JJ: Yes. They’re out on the road, with my buddy High On Fire, actually
Desi from High on Fire is my old roommate from when I was young
so…
 
ABORT: No way.
 
JJ: It’s all a small world.
 
ABORT: Everybody’s connected.
 
JJ: Yeah.
ABORT: That’s all the questions I have is there anything else you want
to add?
JJ: Thanks again for the support. I know we haven’t been in the mag for
a while now so that’s really cool. If anybody’s listening to the podcast
and wants to learn more about the band, we have all our sites now. We’re
trying to be more indie-social-networking-realm so we have twitter/ha-
tebreed, facebook/hatebreed, myspace/hatebreed and hatebreed.com,
hatebreedstore.com… we have like 90 sites that everybody can check
out. And I have jameyjasta.com, which is my blog and I’m on Twitter
so we’re fairly accessible.
 
ABORT: Got a pretty steady presence on the web.
 
JJ: Yeah. So everybody can check it out. And hopefully we’ll be back next
year. We’re going to try to bring back core back across Canada. We’ve
kind of neglected it since the last record came out so hopefully we’ll be
back sometime next summer.
 
ABORT: Excellent. Hatebreed’s latest self-titled album’s available
worldwide, check out Hatebreed.com to stay updated. Thanks for your
time.
JJ: Thank you, I appreciate it. 
By Alxs Ness | Photos by Scott Alexander
Neil Zlozower
Rock & Roll Refraction: A Conversation with

Rock & Roll’s most famous photographer Neil Zlozower celebrates the release of his fourth
book “Six String Heroes” and once again captures the true essence of Rock & Roll from
behind the lens. He took the time to speak with ABORT Magazine’s Photo Editor Scott
Alexander to discuss his latest book, how it came together, working with digital vs. film and
the possibility of a book dedicated to drummers only. Sweet!

Scott Alexander: We’re with the one and only,
legendary rock photographer, Neil Zlozower,
fresh off the release of his fourth book, ‘Six
String Heroes’. How are you Neil?
Neil Zlozower: Good you’re going to have to
talk a little louder, I’m a little deaf! I am the
loudest voice in Rock and Roll, you wont have a
problem hearing me, I guarantee it. (laughs)
ABORT: (Laughs) Perfect, then we will get
right into it, after your first three books, what
made you decide to dedicate the pages of your
fourth to the guitar? Was there a moment
you were looking through your archives of
negatives, and just knew ‘Six String heroes’
was next?
NZ: I was sitting here one day with my buddy
Steve Vai, and I was showing him of my pho-
tos for the “Fuck You” book, and he looked
at me, and asks, “why don’t you do a guitar
book?” At first I was against it, I don’t want to
do you know: Here is Pete Townsend, Steve
Vai, here is Zakk Wylde…” Steve goes, Neil,
why don’t you pick out 10 or so guitarists that
you worked closely with over the years, Eddie
Van Halen, me, Satriani and you could focus
the book on those guys, and still have a lot of
stuff. I liked that idea; I told Steve I would do
the book under one condition. I would do the
book if he wrote the forward, and he agreed.
We ran the idea past my publisher, Chronicle
Books, and they liked the idea. Then, it sort of
changed to what I didn’t want in the beginning,
to what I didn’t want. We didn’t go into the ten
guitarists; it went into a bit of everything. If
you like Bonnie Raitt, and you don’t like Slash
or Zakk Wylde, you’re not going to buy the
book. We tried to put a little of everybody,
from Johnny Watson, to B.B. King, and people
like that. There are a few people that aren’t in
the book that I would have loved to have in
there, but didn’t have room for. There are a ton
of great players out there, and I have photos of
a lot, but there are only so many pages to the
book. There were certain people I wanted in
the book that got vetoed out by the two other
people who had a say in who went in there.
There are a few people I personally don’t want
in the book, but with a three-person decision,
you have to give and take a little.
(I want to know who the “few people” were)
– Ed
ABORT: With all these other people you want-
ed in there, but weren’t able to, it almost leaves
you open for a second volume of Six String
Heroes?
NZ: I don’t know how I am going to top this
one. (laughs) I just had my friend Erik Turner
from Warrant call and thank me for putting
him in the book. He had been a fan of my pho-
tos from back in the Creem and Circus, seeing
my name under the photos of his heroes.
ABORT: Are we going to see any new books
focusing on other parts of ‘The Band’ Singers,
Bassists, Drummers?
NZ: You know, I was thinking about a drum-
mer book, but I don’t know. Thank god, I don’t
know how many drummers can actually read,
I think they are capable of looking at pictures,
but drummers are my favorite people in the
world to pick on, but I have another book in
progress now, It wont be out for another year
or so, and I’m not going to spoil the cake and
tell you what it is right now, but I like doing
these books. I have been shooting for 41 years,
a lot of the work is already done, now its just
a matter of me and my art director putting
together this new book featuring one guitar-
ist who basically set the standards for all the
guitarists this day and age, but he is going to
be on board with us to. I’m sure you can guess
who it is.
ABORT: I can think of a few people who it
might be…
ABORT: Do you view rock photography as
an ‘old boys club’ or do you welcome the new
generations of photographers who find them-
selves in front of their favorite bands in “The
pit”?
NZ: There are people like me, dinosaurs like
me, they’re a thing of the past. Most of the
people now, its’ all digital, I know people these
days who don’t even know how to use a light
meter! I’m not necessarily talking about live
photography, but they will go into the studio,
take a shot at 1/125 at F11, and they will take
a shot, they’ll go wow, this is way too bright
and step it down to F16 or F22. They don’t
even know how to use a meter to get it right
the first time. I grew up in the day, when it’s
all film, manual focus, manual everything, and
you had to think to get a great photo. Back then
when you made a great photo, you SHOT a
great photo. Now, there are no more shooting
great photos, what you do now is “create an
image”, its amazing how many photos where
they take heads from different frames, go in
and remove bags, and whatever they got to
do. I mean, I’m not a fix it in the mix type of
guy. I always try and start out with the very
best possible photo that I can, and take it from
there. Whereas, people these days, people just
fix shiny faces, triple chins, and stuff like that
in Photoshop. That isn’t the way I like to work
when I get hired for jobs, you know?
ABORT: Yeah, definitely. Do you usually go
to these clients and say “You know, this is
how I do things, I don’t want to see my shots
photoshopped to hell after I’m done shooting
them?
NZ: No, not at all. I just try and give them the
very best shots straight up, so the art director
doesn’t have to spend hours retouching double
chins or fixing this and that because I wasn’t
paying attention to that in the first place. I
don’t like giving anyone substandard or sloppy
photos in the first place.
 Neil Zlozower
Rock & Roll Refraction: A Conversation with

ABORT: I’ve definitely seen plenty of those your bag with prime lenses for your shows? my head. I didn’t think too much of it, but
photographers over the years. NZ: Yeah, no zoom lenses. I don’t really shoot after the show I went backstage, and Tommy’s
live anymore; there is no money in it. Every sister Athena was like “Neil, you’ve got this big
NZ: There are some good new guys out there, Tom, Dick, and Harry can get three songs in cut on your head! How’d you get that” “Well,
but you know, there are a lot of people who the photo-pit, and you know, I would rather your fucking brother threw a drumstick at me,
pick up an automatic camera and don’t know shoot in my studio where I have control over I guess...” I didn’t think I was bleeding, but she
what they are doing. everything. took some wet washcloth, and started wiping
my head down, but it didn’t bug me, it was a
ABORT: You didn’t go digital for quite some ABORT: Having shot hundreds, or thousands good shot (the drumstick that is).
time, do you still find
yourself in front of the ABORT: Did you get a
stage with one or more photo of the drumstick
film cameras, or has digi- “I don’t really shoot live anymore; there is no coming at you? Or were
tal taken over? Is there a you even pointing your
difference if it is for client
money in it. Every Tom, Dick, and Harry can camera at Tommy?
or personal work? get three songs in the photo-pit, and you know,
I would rather shoot in my studio where I have NZ: Nah, I didn’t get
NZ: Nah, finally switched the shot, I was probably
over, the only reason I control over everything.” sticking my tongue out
didn’t switch over, is be- at him though.
cause when I shoot live, - Neil Zlozower
unlike these new crop ABORT: Musicians like
of guys with their zoom Courtney Love (Hole),
lenses 80-200 lenses at and Emily Haines (Met-
F2.8, that’s way too slow for me, I still liked of bands in your 40+ year career, is there any ric) have been known to take swings at pho-
using my film lenses. 50/1.4, 35/2, 28/2, and a band or musician, living or dead that you re- tographers, you get along so well with some
135/2, so my film lenses were quite a bit faster ally would have loved to capture, but never had of the biggest in the biz, but do you have any
than these digital guys. While they had to the chance? horror stories to share?
pop their ‘film’ in at 800 ISO, I could throw
in 400 ISO, (less grain) film, because my lens NZ: No one I would have LOVED to shoot. I NZ: Nah, I’ve just had people flip me the finger,
was opened up more. I eventually got tired of would have loved to shot the Beatles, but you but that’s all in good clean fun, but you know
using film because the film for concerts is like know. Most people ask if there is anyone I want what, there are a lot of obnoxious photogra-
$10-11 a roll, and I get the frames clipped, and to shoot, but I don’t really get star struck. I phers who know how to annoy the artist, and
I have to get everything processed, so every would have loved to shoot photos of Stevie Ray not be very professional. There is a little bit
roll of colour film and processing ends up cost- Vaughn though, just because he was a great of a code of ethics, as far as I am concerned
ing me over $20, and if you shoot 10 rolls of guitarist, and people still to this day ask me when you’re shooting in the photo pit, which I
George Lynch or Dokken, or whatever show, for photos of him, but I have pretty much shot wont get into, but if you don’t follow the code,
that’s over $200 of processing and developing whoever I have needed to over the years. you end up with disastrous results, whether
costs, and if you don’t end up selling any pho- it be from another photographer, or the artist
tos, that just means $200 down the drain. So, ABORT: What is the strangest thing you’ve on stage.
I kind of love the fact that you can store tons of been hit with while shooting?
photos on a memory chip, and you don’t have ABORT: Great, that’s all we had for you to-
to change the chip out after 36 frames. NZ: Nothing too drastic, maybe just someone’s day Neil, thanks for taking time to talk with
foot in the back of my head. Back in the grunge us. Check out Neil’s latest book, Six String
ABORT: I feel the same way. I have seven film days, you would have these people who would Heroes, on sale now, available in bookstores
cameras collecting dust on the shelf. try and see how many times they could [crowd everywhere.
surf] into the photo pit and get pushed back.
NZ: Yeah, I have them too. I actually have two I’ve never gotten beat up too hard. I remember We wish you continued success, and look for-
or three Mamiya RZ67’s that are just collect- one time at a Motley Crüe show once, back in ward to seeing more work in the future.
ing dust. ‘84, and Tommy was on stage, took one look
at me and threw a drumstick, hit me right in NZ: Thanks Scott, I appreciate it.
ABORT: The list of lenses you just talked about, the head, and it was a good shot, it bounced
is that pretty much what you go for, just filling right off the stage and sort of ricocheted off www.zloz.com
b e h i n d t h e
Mixmaster Mike. No not the Beastie Boys DJ,
but another type of audio technician the kind
that helps turn songs into hits. Known for his
extensive work with rock icons AC/DC, Aero-
smith, Metallica and a slew of others, Mixer,
Producer and Engineer Mike Fraser has set
the standard for making the ‘Classic Rock &
Roll Album. We sat down with Mike at the one
and only Warehouse Studios in Downtown
Vancouver to discuss his latest work, includ-
ing the Iron Man 2 Soundtrack, his thoughts
on the future of Aerosmith and some of AC/
DC’s studio habits.
ABORT: E.S. Day here for ABORT Magazine,
it’s another episode of Behind The Boards, this
time we are here with legendary producer, en-
gineer, mixer, and jack of all studio trades, Mr.
Mike Fraser. How are you today?
MIKE FRASER: I am doing great, thank you
for asking.
ABORT: Perfect. We are going to get right
into it, your current projects, and what’s your
involvement with the upcoming ‘Iron Man 2’
soundtrack what is on tap for Mike Fraser in
2010?
MF: We will be doing some new AC/DC stuff.
They recently did a big show down in South
America, Buenos Aires to a giant crowd and
it was amazing.
ABORT: South America loves AC/DC, major
crowds every time!
MF: The amazing thing, and what was really
cool, is that they are so into the music, that
they actually sing along to the guitar chords!
(Both laugh) Not just the chorus like we do up
here in North America. It is just an amazing
experience, 80,000+ people shouting out their
lyrics. So there will be a live DVD coming up
at some point.
b o a r d s
ABORT: Awesome. Will you be producing or
mixing that one?
MF: I recorded and mixed it.
ABORT: What was your involvement with the
upcoming ‘Iron Man 2’ soundtrack, which has
yet to be released.
MF: Iron Man 2 is almost like an AC/DC
greatest hits package, which they never do.
So it kind of cool, something new for them,
bunch of the old, spanning right back from
1974, the beginning, all the way up to 1999
or something.
ABORT: Is there going to be any unreleased
tracks, some new, or some bonus material? Or
maybe some Mike Fraser remixes of a classic
track?
MF: I remixed some of it, sure, since we had
to separate some vocals off the original mixes
so they can weave it in and out of the movie.
I haven’t seen what they did with it yet, but its
all just old material, there’s no bonus.
ABORT: The initial thing I saw, was “Shoot To
Thrill”, has that song been changed around
sound wise?
MF: No, that’s the original. I did mix one of
the songs, “Highway to Hell” I believe, off the
Buenos Aries show, so a live mix for the promo
stuff at least, I’m not sure if its actually in the
movie or not.
ABORT: We’re going to move from the big-
boys to the little ones for a moment. A two
part question. Any current up-and-coming
unsigned acts you are working on/with? And,
can indie bands, hire the illustrious Mike
Fraser, or is this a closed door industry still,
where, you know, its only the big guns that
get taken on?
w i t h :
MF: Its not closed door, I’ve got my website go-
ing, mikefrasermix.com, and its an open door.
Anyone who can reach me, and contact me, I
am open to all, and everything.
ABORT: Are you looking at bands that might
have a smaller budget? Band members living
with Mom, or working at Burger King, a few
guys who have honed their craft, can they ap-
proach you with a small budget?
“ You have to make decisions, if something
doesn’t work, get rid of it. Don’t rely on the fact
that you can use more tracks”
Mike Fraser
MF: For sure, I try to make it work. One of the
stumbling blocks is I do a lot of work here at
the Warehouse, and I don’t get deals, so there
is that hard cost, but my personal rate goes
up and down, you know, for these small and
upcoming bands, I’ll work on a good rate for
them without killing them, but I pepper them
in between the bigger gigs, I have to make a
living to, so when it quiets down, I can fit some
of these smaller projects in. It all comes down
to how busy I have been, but for sure I get
them in there.
MF: (cont) This great little band, approached
me last year on MySpace, and I listened to their
songs, and called my manager, Mimi North-
cott, and told her we had to do these guys. A
little Calgary band called ‘The Fast Roman-
tics.’ a little Franz Ferdinand-ish, but a really
cool, quirky band of really hard workers. They
put out an EP, and did a couple tours across
Canada, and actually got invited to New York
for some fashion, battle of the band thing. I
can’t really remember exactly what. They’re
doing it all on their own right now, no label,
no management, yet.
ABORT: That reminds me of a band here, that
I try and help out a lot, which has no manager,
no label, no agent who are in my mind, the
best band in Vancouver, Ninjaspy. They put
out their debut with GGGarth (Garth Rich-
ardson) and Bill Kennedy mixed that one.
They got invited to play Vans Warped Tour
last summer in Vancouver, by Kevin Lyman,
who also runs Taste of Chaos, which they also
played.
But they can’t get a break. The labels don’t know
what to do, and a lot of bands fall through the
cracks due to the marketing room not know-
ing what is going on. Do you find that bands
you have worked with get fucked around by
labels after you put all the work into it?
MF: There are bands like that who will fall
through the cracks, because the labels don’t
know what to do with them. They don’t fit
into any radio format or any standard promo-
tion format that they are used to, and there
is a great format in the Internet, but it’s not
being used to its fullest extent yet. But, you
know, a lot of the bands like that I work with,
I encourage them to do it for themselves. It’s
a lot of hard work, and you might not know
exactly what to do, but if you can get out there
and sell ten or twenty thousand copies on your
own, then look for a label.
ABORT: Would it be safe to say, Mike Fraser’s
career, based on making hits, or turning songs
into hits to please radio, now that it is an in-
ternet thing, does that change the game at all?
Or are you still in the business of making good
albums.
MF: I am still in the business of making great
MUSIC. Whether it runs on the radio, or the
Internet, or on someone’s
iPod. I try and keep the
sound quality up, and as
good as I possibly can, re-
gardless of the format it is
going to end up on.
ABORT: Lets move on for
a second. I see Kelly Row-
land (Destiny’s Child) on
your client list, can we
ever see you expanding
into the world of R&B or
hip-hop? Are you hirable,
I should say?
MF: Hell yeah! I like R&B,
Hip Hop, not so much but
I am open to everything,
and I am trying to do
everything too. Just be-
cause I am known for a
lot of rock stuff, I’ve done
some country stuff, Kelly
Rowland, Norah Jones
and Elvis Costello. I just
love music, and I love re-
ally good music.
ABORT: I remember
Butch Vig did a remix of a
ABORT: Favorite vocal mic?
House of Pain track, and it
didn’t do anything for them, but it was so in-
teresting, so I’m thinking, a Mike Fraser remix MF: Funny enough, it’s a [Shure]58. I love it,
of something like… maybe Public Enemy, or it sounds great. Especially on those screamer
guys, like Brian Johnson, and Steven Tyler. All
maybe someone a bit more modern. There is
such a crossover appeal, heavy metal and hip- those records are done with handheld 58’s. I
hop, so much in common, as far as rebellion, think because they become so comfortable
anti this, anti that. Like our friend GGGarth, with them live, they just know how to work
who did Rage Against the Machine. Can we it, you know?
ever see Mike Fraser mixing a track like that?
ABORT: Speaking of Steven Tyler, I can’t leave
MF: I’d love to. A lot of the hip-hop stuff isn’t of course, without asking your views on the
done here in Vancouver, while I do a lot of current Aerosmith situation.
work for people in other markets, LA, New
York, and being based in Vancouver, we only MF: I’ve heard a few rumors, so I don’t know
really get what comes through. the true story, but I think they are just tired
of touring, and that Steven would just like to
ABORT: Favorite piece of Equipment that do another record. Joe’s still out there do-
is now obsolete, but you still use (or would ing it. I went and saw Joe playing the other
like to use) because nothing new sounds as night (opening for Mötley Crüe), it was pretty
good? good.
MF: I use a lot of API EQ’s. I love those. ABORT: Name one album, of yours, that giv-
They sound great on guitars and drums. Of en today’s advancements in technology, you
course the Neves are also great. That is one would like to re-record? Not saying that ev-
good thing about this studio, they have all this erything you did wasn’t great as it is…
great stuff, and I don’t have to go out and buy
it myself (laughs) MF: Wow, there is a guy we did back in the
90’s, called Dan Reed, Dan Reed Network. It
was one of those records that fell through
the cracks, since it had a little bit of rap on
it. The rockers thought it was too ‘rappy’ and
the rappers thought it was a bit too ‘rocky’
so it fell through the cracks. I would love to
redo that record, and really nail it.
ABORT: I’ve been asked to give you this
question. AC/DC, who is the biggest trou-
blemaker, ‘the shit-disturber’ while working
in the studio? Who’s the one who you say
‘I’ve fucking had it with you, get out.’
MF: (laughs) Total Honest truth. None of
them are. They’re all great, and very hard
workers. Malcolm is the guy in the band
that they all look to, pretty much Malcolm
and Angus, but good guys. 3 million packs
of cigarettes (both laugh) this is the only stu-
dio without a smoking policy, so they let the
boys smoke, and pretty much do whatever
they want and they [AC/DC] just ask us for
the cleaning bill afterwards.
ABORT: Currently, what is on your iPod,
something that you didn’t have a hand in?
MF: I’m a big Drive-By Truckers fan, that
southern rock; I listen to a lot of that. They’re
one of those bands that I can honestly say I
am a fan of, and can just go to a show and
enjoy. Any music I hear, I am almost always
critically listening to, and can’t enjoy it like
other people do.
ABORT: Why are all you bigwig music peo-
ple living in Vancouver?
MF: Just look outside; look at what we live
in. No snow (laughs) its spring in February!
There is just a great atmosphere here, and in
the studio.
ABORT: Any advice to up and coming pro-
ducers, mixers and sound engineers in gen-
eral, that are trying to get into this vicious
game of rock and roll?
MF: I think the best thing, is for every one
of them to do an entire album on tape, what
I am finding, with all this digital, computer-
generation guys, aren’t making decisions as
they go anymore. Look at what the Beatles
did with 8 tracks. You have to make deci-
sions, if something doesn’t work, get rid of it.
Don’t rely on the fact that you can use more
tracks; rely on getting the song the way you
want it to sound.
ABORT: Inexpensive piece of equipment for
a youngster who records out of their base-
ment, the “Big Wheel” of recording gear?
MF: Get a really good mic, pre-amp and
compressor all in one, two-grand, that’s
one good thing to get. It will work on any-
thing,
ABORT: My God. I am looking at your
discography here, and I did not know you
did the ‘Pump’ album. I was a DJ in a strip
club for several years, and that was one of
the most overplayed albums in there (both
laugh) that and Permanent Vacation.
MF: Permanent Vacation was actually the
very first album I ever mixed. I started out
as the asst. Engineer, Bob Rock was the
engineer, and he was in a band at the time
called The Payolas, so he had to leave to go
on tour, so he and Bruce Fairburn, the pro-
ducer, were talking about who would finish
recording the album, so that duty fell to me.
So I finished recording the record, and then
Bruce had to go to New York for a few days,
and got me to rough-mix all the songs so
they could send it out and find someone to
do the mixing.
Well, Steven and Joe came in, listened to the
rough mixes, and said to me ‘You don’t really
want to do this, do you?’ I was crushed. I
thought they hated it! So I said, “Yeah, I want
to do this!” then to my surprise, they say “No,
you want to mix it, so go for it!” When Bruce
comes back, we had three songs mixed al-
ready, and he was pissed that I didn’t do what
he asked. Steven goes to him and says “Nah,
Bruce, sit down and check it out.”
Bruce listened to it, and said yep, that’s it. We
found our mixer. That was the springboard,
off to mastering. Thanks for those guys for
believing in me, and letting me do it.
ABORT: Are you hitting conventions this
year, or are there any other outside projects,
maybe a book of dirt on people who have
passed out in the studio?
(both laugh)
MF: There are a few things in the idea stage,
so I can’t say exactly what, yet, but I have
also thought about writing a book. I think
it would be kind of neat to put my thoughts
out there.
ABORT: You don’t hear so much from the
engineering or mixing side of it.
MF: (cont) Exactly. I am going to be doing
a seminar out at Canadian Music Week out
there in March, and the Columbia School
here in Van, I will be doing a seminar there
at the end of the month, and maybe some-
thing at Nimbus as well.
ABORT: www.mikefrasermix.com is the
website, for anyone who has a pile of cash,
or maybe not, call up and see if the man isn’t
booked solid for the next twelve years. Best
of luck to you Mike, and continued suc-
cess.
MF: Thank you!
www.mixfrasermix.com
www.warehousestudio.com
By E.S Day
Photos by Scott Alexander

The annual Downtown Eastside Memorial Women’s
March commemorates the many women lost to the
streets of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. In a neigh-
borhood marred by rampant drug use and dangerous
sex trade, but also held together by a strong sense of
community and identity, the March has allowed the
families and friends of the lost to grieve, mourn,
and get the message out to the larger masses that
all is not well here in “The best place on earth”,
and that these women are neither faceless nor
forgotten. ABORT Magazine’s Dave “Corvid”
McCallum sat with planning committee mem-
ber Angela Marie MacDougall to speak on
the march, the conditions, and the solutions
to the problems of Vancouver’s Downtown
Eastside.
D: I’m here with Angela MacDougall
of Battered Women Support Services
talking about the Women’s Memorial
March. Can you introduce yourself
and talk about your role in BWSS?
A: My name is Angela Marie
MacDougall and I’m in the
role of Executive Director at
Battered Women Support
Services and sit on the plan-
ning committee for the 19th
Annual Feb.14th Memo-
rial March. The memorial
march planning committee
consists of women from the
Downtown Eastside as well
as women from other com-
munity organizations and
individuals and we don’t
represent any particular or-
ganization on that planning
committee. Rather, we do
the work of organizing the
march for the community.
D: Can you talk about the
march itself and how long
it’s been around and what it
represents etc.?
A: This is the 19th year. In
1991 a woman was found
murdered and dismembered in the Downtown Eastside
and her family at that time conducted a ceremony at each
location where her body parts were found. And the cer-
emony- I wasn’t at the ceremony- but it was to honor and
memorialize and it was to grieve her loss. At the request
of the family we no longer say her name but the Women’s
Memorial March started on that day. And what I under-
stand is that Feb.14th was chosen as the day because as
Valentine’s Day, it was a day of love, and it’s a day of par-
ticular significance for women in that it’s a way to show
love to women primarily. So that’s my understanding. So
for the last 19 years the march has been held and I have
been on the planning committee since 1995. Each year
we come together between 10 and 30 women to plan the
march.
D: In the 19 years since the march started, a lot has gone
on in the Downtown Eastside and this issue isn’t some-
thing- it’s really difficult to talk about honestly- but this
issue hasn’t gone away. The Pickton trial, that’s wrapped
up now but that’s just last year. Since the march has be-
gan, how has it grown to deal with this issue as an ongo-
ing problem in the community where women are disap-
pearing all the time in the Downtown Eastside? It seems
the majority of missing women are of First Nations. So
can you talk about what is going on and how it affects the
march, the Pickton trial etc.?
A: Good question. The march after the original ceremony
continued as a way to honor and to memorialize women.
There was critical component early on and that was that
part of the march- the procession- takes us to the Police
Station at 222 Main Street. And at that time in early 90’s
the police were not investigating disappearances and
murders at all. So each year we would go to 222 Main
Street and people would speak there and would essen-
tially ask the police to do their job and to recognize that
women were being murdered and were going missing.
Now fast-forward, what we have now is a situation where
in general, some missing women are being investigated,
in general there have been some investigations of mur-
ders. And we’ve had as you noted, a very high-profile ar-
rest and conviction. And that arrest and conviction was
important. We’ve had other issues as well, but they were
important because they were acknowledged and it was
some measure of justice for the murders and disappear-
ances. In lots of ways it took away attention and resourc-
es and it continues to take away resources. It took away
attention from women who had been found murdered
ANGELA MARIE
MACDOUGALL
OF BATTERED WOMEN’S SUPPORT SERVICES
prior and now post.
So why we see that women go missing, why are women
getting murdered, why is there a disproportionate num-
ber of indigenous women represented among the miss-
ing and murdered? I think we can look very much at the
making of this Nation for us to understand that violence
against indigenous women was at the heart of the mak-
ing of this Nation. And the dismantling of indigenous
cultures and the dismantling of indigenous ways through
that process was also a relegation of indigenous women
from leadership and from where indigenous women had
public roles and were a central part of the communities.
Prior to colonization the very process and ideology and
practice of colonization dismantled that and relegated in-
digenous women to the very bottom of our social struc-
ture where the process of colonization relegated women
less than men in general.
So that affects everything. The police were established in
a lot of ways to move indigenous peoples off their land,
so the lack of investigations that we saw of indigenous
women being murdered and disappearing very much
goes back to the making of the nation and with law en-
forcement here in Canada. The factors of urbanization of
people and subsequent poverty and residential schools
and the effects of residential schools - all that speaks to
why we see indigenous women represented. Violence
against women is one of most pressing issues of our time.
Right now the statistics that we see through our work at
BWSS that we’ve assessed, and this is confirmed by the
Provincial Government, that 1 in 3 women experiences
abuse as affected by violence. And women represent 52
percent of our population and so a third of us are deal-
ing with violence. And that grinds down in a big way
and becomes very… concentrated when we’re talking
about women in the Downtown Eastside where women
are incredibly vulnerable to violence and that violence is
rampant. And murders and disappearances are then the
consequences.
D: So it takes place Feb.14 and the Olympics start on
Feb.12. Concurrent with the Olympics people have or-
ganized and postered for a large anti-Olympic conver-
gence which has gone beyond that to an anti-Colonial
anti-Capitalist convergence with the focus on indigenous
sovereignty with the slogan ‘No Olympics on stolen Na-
tive land.’ With 95 percent of BC being ceded land be-
ing on sovereign Native territory, do you feel like with
the march taking place at the beginning of the Olympics
PHOTO BY SCOTT ALEXANDER
21 & UNDER WITH...
this year and concurrent with this anti-Colonialist rally,
does this give you a chance to express this sentiment to a
larger audience that is coming here unaware that this is
going on? The memorial normally draws so many people
usually and yet you have the chance to make your state-
ment to the larger population.
A: You know, this is very difficult and complex because
V.A.N.O.C. started very early on and spoke with the
elected leaders of the Four Host Nations- Squamish,
Musqueam, Tsleil-Waututh and Mount Currie, and from
V.A.N.O.C.’s perspective it was the very first time that
they had ever involved indigenous populations in or-
ganizing, agreeing or operating the Olympics on indig-
enous territory. So that has been controversial because
the elected officials and to some extent the hereditary
chiefs and officials within the four host nations are in
support of the Olympics, and who am I as the descen-
dent of settlers to disagree with them when you know,
I’m here- quite frankly- as a visitor, and the Indian Act
has given them authority and the Indian Act is the Law
of the day. And the Indian Act- you know, I didn’t create
it and neither did they and we’re dealing with the legacy
of it. So that’s one layer is that I can’t disagree with them
and their decision to do that. And the second part is that
there are a number of urban- and there’s a lot of dissent
within those four host nations of the indigenous popula-
tions who don’t agree and are very concerned about the
legacy. They don’t agree with their leadership and there’s
a large concern about what the legacy of that decision is
going to be over the long haul and where those resources
are going to and how it will shake down, not only to the
people of those Four Nations but also to all the urban
indigenous people that are in Vancouver that are without
representation, without obvious representation.
So the anti-Olympic organizing, the anti-Colonial orga-
nizing – yes, it is going to happen and for me- and I
recognize clearly and speak all the time about the fact
that you can’t talk about violence against women in this
nation now known as Canada without talking about Co-
lonialism.
We’ve been very much focused on the committee in sup-
porting all the sides of this and wanting to support ob-
viously anybody that is against the Olympics. But we’ve
been focused very much on the march being about mo-
bilizing women and a place for women to honor women’s
lives and grieve for missing and murdered women.
We’ve spoken with the anti-Olympic organizers, and cer-
tainly asked them to join us and to respect the intention
of the march and we’ve received assurances from them that they 21 & UNDER WITH...
would do that.

D: What does justice look like for the murdered and missing
ANGELA MARIE
women, for the families, for the people of the Downtown Eastside
and beyond for the whole of what’s now called British Columbia
on sovereign indigenous territory? What if suddenly tomorrow
MACDOUGALL
OF BATTERED WOMEN’S SUPPORT SERVICES
the city and the police and the Province- what if their hearts grew
three times larger and they were to say yes, we are going to make D: What size of crowd can we expect to see and can you describe
amends, so what can we do- what would your response be? what will be happening with the march this year in regards of
speakers, musicians etc. that might be there?
A: That’s a complex and a good question and the answer is a diffi-
cult answer. Here’s the thing- the Provincial government has blood A: I think in previous years we’ve had up to 1500 people at the
on their hands with respect to indigenous women and People. march. We are hoping to have between 2500 and 5000 people
And the issue of which is a pretty
land- you know, big jump but we
the issue is the think a lot of
land. And there “The Provincial government hasn’t even come close to people are go-
has to be some recognizing the extent to which violence against women ing to come out
measure of jus- happens, and violence against indigenous women and for that. As far
tice there. I don’t as speakers go,
know what that
women in the Downtown Eastside is the most the march starts
would look like as concentrated place.” at 12 noon at the
a non-indigenous Carnegie Centre
person. What I and it’s pretty
-Angela Marie MacDougall
can speak about much open for
as I said earlier, is the family mem-
that 52 percent of the population are women here in British Co- bers to speak so we’re hoping for that to happen for the families
lumbia. Between about 12, 13 and 14 percent of the population of of women who have gone missing or have been found murdered.
this province is indigenous and more than half of that are indig- And there are a number of families that will be traveling to Van-
enous women. So what I would like to see in terms of justice is couver for the event and part of what we’ve been doing is raising
that I would like to see our provincial government actually allocate funds for travel and accommodation expenses. And so that will
resources representing that percentage, to reflect that percentage. happen at Carnegie Hall. We’ll take over the streets in a big circle
And that services and programs and law enforcement responses as we always do at Hastings and Main and then we’ll proceed to the
reflect that- those percentages- in terms of the numbers. We’re no- various locations. And the ceremony is always led by indigenous
where near that at all. And in British Columbia last year there were women- always. When we make it to the Police Station we are now
over 10,000 incidences of violence, domestic violence and violence deciding who the speakers will be. We are very clear this year that
against women that were reported which was about 15 percent of we will not have politicians speaking. There will not be any elected
the actual and there are only 670 transition house beds provin- officials speaking unless of course they have family members who
cially. Juxtapose that. have gone missing. We are prioritizing family members at this
The Provincial government hasn’t even come close to recognizing point. So that’s who will be speaking at the Police Station when we
the extent to which violence against women happens, and violence get there to Main Street and then we will have a number of drum-
against indigenous women and women in the Downtown Eastside mers, of performers at the Japanese Hall where we have a feast.
is the most concentrated place. That’s where the rubber hits the And there’ll be performers and singers.
road, that’s where it grinds down. And that’s where we get to see
it obviously but it’s rampant throughout the province. So justice D: Thank you so much, it’s been really great talking with you
would look like prioritizing violence against women, and with an
anti-Colonial perspective which for me would be about creating A: Thank you!
ways for indigenous women to resume their matriarchal rights and
their matriarchal matrilineal traditions and to stop with the patri- Educate Yourself: www.bwss.org
archal kind of approaches that our government has with respect
to indigenous relationships. That’s in a general way what I think
could be helpful.
ABORT Magazine’s Dave “Corvid” McCallum recently spoke with Opio, one quarter
of the legendary Souls of Mischief, about their new album “Montezuma’s Revenge”,
working with Prince Paul and living in sunny Oakland California. A road tested
veteran of countless tours, Opio opened up about inspiration, life on the road, and
that sweet Cali herb. Well into a two decade career in Hip Hop, Opio’s “Vulture’s
Wisdom” is just one of the weapons in the Souls’ arsenal, so check it, ’cause like Opio
himself says – “for anyone who loves that real Hip Hop, this is the uncut raw!”.

True indeed.

ABORT: So, to begin with, where exact- around for so long, I think, is that when
ly did the title “Montezuma’s Revenge” people see us live, we transfer that vibe
originate? of our lifestyle to the audience. So, yeah,
we’ve grown up as people, but the main
Opio: Well, we actually all got together thing is just to keep that vibe going and
and rented this house for the project always give it back to the people. You
about an hour from Oakland, and it was know, a lot of people are complaining
on Montezuma Street. We all lived in that the groups these days aren’t as good
it together for the duration of the proj- as groups back in the day, like a lot of
ect, and “Montezuma” first became the groups try to bring that energy, but we
name of the house, and then of the whole are that energy in the flesh!
album. I guess it kind of became a meta-
phor for how, you know, Hieroglyphics ABORT: You’re from Oakland, a city
take many forms, not known to have
just Egyptian, and it’s spawned several
like a metaphor in a major social/cul-
way for how we are “...we’ve grown up as people, but the main tural movements,
connected with peo- thing is just to keep that vibe going and al- from the Black Pan-
ple all over the world! ther Party in the
ways give it back to the people.” sixties, to the Funk
ABORT: Cool, cool.
So the greater part of
-Opio of the Seventies, to
the growth of Medi-
the production on the cal Cannabis Clubs;
album was done by what is it about your
always trying to push the envelope, so
the legendary Prince Paul, how was it hometown that makes for such a cre-
working with Prince Paul at the wheel
working with him? ative, revolutionary environment?
was a real treat.
Opio: Of course it was amazing! Yeah, Opio: Well, it’s just a lot of movements
ABORT: As far as the lyrical content
Paul produced the lion’s share of the al- have started here, from the Black Pan-
of the album, several tracks deal with
bum and hand selected the rest of the thers and the Hippies on, there’s a lot of
the realities of life on tour and the effect
beats, some of which were produced by diversity of thought. For some reason,
that this lifestyle has on your personal
Domino as well. I mean, we are all pro- there’s just a lot of forward thinking
relationships. Do you feel like you’ve
ducers in our own right too, so there was people here, and it sort of calls people
matured as artists?
lots of creative input, you know what I to have to be confronted with different
mean? But it was really like a once in a ideologies. Maybe it’s the sunshine or
Opio: You know man, since “‘93 ’till” to
lifetime opportunity, creating a vibe as a the herb, but there’s just a lot of intel-
2010, we’ve spent more time on the road
group and working with a living legend. ligent people out here!
than not, I mean, I started touring when
As far as the actual process, all four of us
I was seventeen! But you know, we’ve
are people who have so much going on soulsofmischief.com
spent so much time on the road that
in life all the time that we didn’t want any
it’s not like we live some crazy Rockstar
distractions while making the album. myspace.com/soulsofmischief
lifestyle, we know how to keep a bal-
Also, we had never really worked with
ance! (lol) The main reason we’ve been
an outside producer before, and we’re By Dave “Corvid” McCallum
Abortist:
rank & File
ABORTIST: Patrick “Star27”
Deignan (St. Petersburg, FL)
WHO: Patrick “Star27” Deignan
WHAT: Pop-Surrealist painter
WHERE: St. Petersburg, FL. USA
WHEN: Next (booked) show: The Alter-
native Café, Sept. 10, 2010, Seaside, CA.
: Lowbrow Tarot Project, Billy Shire
Fine Arts, Los Angeles, CA. 10/09/10
WHY: Patrick Deignan “Star27” was
born February 17, 1980. At a very young
age he felt different, separate from oth-
ers and quickly found solace in draw-
ing, painting, and music making. In
1998 he left Connecticut to follow his
dream on a scholarship to Manhattan’s
School of Visual Arts.
By the end of that year his inner demons had caught up with
him, and addiction became his life. There were attempts to re-
turn to school, with a short stay at San Francisco Art Institute,
and an even shorter stay at Ringling School of Art and Design.
Addiction demanded all of him and left no time for the pro-
cess of creation. There was no need to, no drive to and no love
of the process anymore. Having little to show for what would
be a nine year period; he had put away the brush and thought
he would never paint again.
After a near fatal night in 2007 he would soon adopt his moni-
ker, Star27, a tongue-in-cheek nod at his past. After much en-
couragement he rekindled his dream, with a love and drive
like never before.
Patrick “Star27” Deignan’s work focuses on the vices, weak-
nesses, and shortcomings of the human race. Every piece be-
comes deeply personal, something he has seen, felt, or expe-
rienced.
He sees not only his paintings, but Patrick himself as a work
in progress. With each piece, something new is learned, some-
thing is discarded, and better, clearer ideas of where he is go-
ing and where he has been become apparent.
PURCHASE/COMMISSION: star27@artstar27.com
artstar27.com
 ABORTIST: drfranken (Madrid, Spain)

WHO: drfranken
Kingfanta.com
WHAT: Illustration, Digital Art,

WHERE: Madrid, Spain

WHEN: Macworld 2010, Moca Museum,

NY

WHY: drfranken is Fran Rodriguez

Learte, a digital artist, born in La Coruña
and works in Madrid. My artistic side
started since childhood especially by my
father. My father was a great artist. He
painted using all sorts of techniques such
as oil, charcoal, pencil, watercolor. My
mother also paints very well and loves the
arts. But my interest in digital art arose
when I started my studies as a computer
programmer and I began to discover a
world of new possibilities and tools to
express my art.

Official web: nastplas.com

drfranken.deviantart.com

behance.net/drfranken

paintermagazine.co.uk/show_profile.php?username=drfranken

conceptart.org/index.php?artist=drfranken&cat=updated

community.imaginefx.com/fxpose/nastplass_portfolio/default.aspx

moca.virtual.museum/autogallery/autogallery_franken/

drfranken.cghub.com/images/
fIlm
Film Review – Avatar
Directed by James Cameron
rev
20th Century Fox
The long awaited magnum opus Avatar finally makes it’s way to
the big screen, but after a fifteen year wait and bold promises from
director James Cameron, does the film live up to expectations?
Flawed as it may be, there is no denying that Avatar raises the bar
to it’s highest position yet as far as sheer cinematic entertainment
goes. If you think you’ve seen movies before, go see Avatar.
Sam Worthington plays Jake Sully, a paraplegic ex-soldier com-
missioned to take over his deceased twin brother’s mission to
infiltrate the planet Pandora. This is accomplished through means
of an “avatar,” a genetically engineered human-Na’vi hybrid that
iew
Jake will control remotely. His task is to convince the native Na’vi
of Pandora to surrender the precious metal “unobtainium” or have
their world blown to bits by muscle bound Jarheads.
Another Cameron plot about as deep as a puddle. Without giving
too much away however, Avatar is eerily reminiscent of the plight
of the indigenous peoples of the Americas and the fate they suffer
at the hands of the White Man. As a cautionary tale about tech-
nological advancements and the false sense of entitlement this
can cause, Avatar hits it perfectly. The heavy handed violence that
takes up the entire final act of the film will please a majority of
those who prefer “pop-corn movies,” but brutality for the sake of
“pretty violence” gets tired fast here and carries on for far too long.
s
Sending decidedly mixed messages, what Avatar lacks in sub-
stance it more than compensates for in style. Sigourney Weaver as
Dr. Grace Augustine and Stephen Lang as Colonel Miles Quaritch
put forth excellent performances, but the real star of this film is
the imagery and thoroughness of Cameron’s vision, the attention
to detail and the processes involved in bringing Avatar to life.
Basically an update of the Edgar Rice Burroughs’ “John Carter”
series, Avatar is indeed a visual wonder rife with all things that
make going to the movies a worthwhile experience, save one…
a decent script.
Fifteen years in the making and state of the art 3D imaging (includ-
ing cutting edge motion capture technology and Cameron’s own
stereoscopic Fusion Camera System), will we have to wait that
long yet again for Cameron to outdo Cameron? Avatar won’t set-
tle for being just another “big” Hollywood movie however; (we
are talking the “King of Movies” here) Avatar accomplishes it’s
task and is easily the “biggest” movie ever made. A moniker that
suits it aptly… for now.
AvatarMovie.com
FoxMovies.com
By Grimm “Ativan” Culhane
Film Review – Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day
Directed by Troy Duffy
Maple Pictures/Sony Pictures
The MacManus brothers, Connor (Sean Patrick Flanery) and
Murphy (Norman Reedus), are back in Boondock Saints 2: All
Saints Day, a long awaited sequel to 1999’s cult classic, Boondock
Saints.
tions with Duffy’s decision to somewhat ‘recycle’ the personali-
characters introduced to the franchise. Duffy seemingly implants
bloom seems to have inherited many of her predecessors quirks,
plot masterfully played out by a brilliant cast, and the perfect mix
With a brilliant mind like Duffy’s sitting in wait with gems like
this, it’s a wonder studios keep hiring Michael bay to ruin movies.
A full decade in the making, writer/director Troy Duffy doesn’t
disappoint, with a sequel more thrilling than the original, packed
full of everything we have come to expect, as we once again follow
the explosive lives of the MacManus brothers.
After eight years of as fugitives, living the quiet life, and hiding
out on a farm in Ireland with their father (Billy Connolly), the
good brothers are violently called back to Boston when an assas-
sin, hired by Mob-Boss Concezio Yakavetta, son of the late ‘Papa’
Joe Yakavetta, murders a catholic priest in cold blood, framing the
saints. With vengeance on their minds the brothers hop a freighter
across the Atlantic, and the saints trademark style of holy justice,
once again takes the city by storm. In search of retribution, and a
mysterious old man known only as ‘The Roman’
Noah ‘Papa’ MacManus, aka Il Duce takes a back seat during most
of the action, but gives us a welcome glimpse into his past, show-
ing us the story about how ‘The Duke’ came to be. A young Noah
MacManus, an apprentice leather-maker, witnessed the brutal
murder of his father at the hands of brutal mobsters when they
did not get their way. With the help of his childhood friend Louie,
he tracks down those responsible, and takes his revenge.
The sequel sees nearly the whole cast return in one form or
another, with deceased saint-sidekick Rocco making several
appearances in flashbacks and dreams while Willem Dafoe’s
unnecessarily flamboyant FBI agent Paul Smecker is the only
main cast member who does not re-join the holy fight, instead
making only a small cameo. Smeckers protégé, the alluring
Special Agent Eunice Bloom of the FBI, ( Julie Benz), takes up
the slack as the inside (wo)man.
Some hardcore fans of Boondock Saints may have mixed reac-
ties of the missing members of team saints into the two new
late sidekick Rocco’s gung-ho personality into the saints new
right hand man, Latino tough-guy Romeo (Clifton Collins Jr.),
although, arguably a much better shot, where as Special Agent
including a knack for making Detective Greenly look like an
idiot.
In a world where ‘waiting for the DVD’ is becoming common-
place, BDS II explodes onto the silver screen with an amazing
of humour and action that leaves us praying for more.
In nomine Patri. Et Fili. Spiritus Sancti.
sonypictures.com/movies/boondocksaints2
By Scott Alexander
Film Review – Daybreakers
Directed by The Spierig Brothers
Maple Pictures
Wasteful consumption catches up with all of us and neck biting
vampires are no exception as evidenced in Daybreakers, one of
the goriest message films to ever splatter across the silver screen.
Packed with unrelenting action and plot twists galore, this is the
year’s first and best thrill ride. With a blend of Matrix sensibili-
ties and Blade Runner visuals, Daybreakers will grab your winter
blues by the throat and rip them from your limp, dying carcass.
Rarely are films released in January this good, but the latest from
brothers Peter and Michael Spierig is the exceptional exception.
Set in 2019, Daybreakers tells the story of a nasty plague that
has transformed most of the world’s population into vampires.
Due to a shortage of humans and the dwindling supply of fresh
blood, vampires starved of blood are turning into vicious beasts
hell bent on indiscriminate destruction. Enter Edward Dalton
continued >
FIlm Daybreakers continued
reviews
continued
Film Review – From Paris with Love
Directed by Pierre Morel
Maple Pictures
John Travolta goes “hair free” as he visits Paris for another “Royale
with Cheese” in director Pierre Morel’s bullet riddled caper com-
edy, From Paris with Love. With straight laced Jonathan Rhys
Meyers in tow, what we have here is the ghost of Luc Besson (who
actually produced this and isn’t dead yet) pulling the strings on a
rather amusing, action packed, comedic romp.
James Reese ( Jonathan Rhys Meyers) is a personal aide to the
U.S. Ambassador in France who works for the CIA in his spare
time. When changing license plates and doing basic grunt work
proves to not be enough for Reese his chance to be a bona-fide
agent comes true when he’s made wheel man for his new partner,
Charlie Wax ( John Travolta). Unfortunately Charlie proves to be
more than a handful with his wisecracking, trigger-happy ways.
Sent to Paris to stop a terrorist attack, Charlie drags James through
the Parisian underbelly, kicking ass, shooting bad guys and run-
ning his foul mouth. In other words, doing what it takes to bring
the bad guys to justice and looking stylish as they do so.
> (Ethan Hawke), a vampire and blood researcher attempting to
create a blood alternative and quash the approaching crisis for
both humans and vampires alike. After a fortuitous meeting with
Elvis (Willem Dafoe), an ex-vampire with a potential cure for
vampirism, Edward must decide whether to continue his blood
replacement research under corporate bigwig Charles Bromley
(Sam Neil) or turn his energies towards potentially curtailing the
vampire plague entirely.
Stylish and well acted, scary without relying too heavily on the
“startle” factor and compelling without being preachy, convoluted
and hard to follow, Daybreakers takes directly from today’s head-
lines and becomes more than just another vampire movie. With
the world’s fucked up economic situation being the fear du jour,
Daybreakers takes that fear of scarcity and twists it into exactly
what you’d expect from a modern day vampire film, something
frightening and thought provoking at the same time.
The perfect escape from those winter blues, (even if it kills you)
Daybreakers is exhilarating, visually impressive, scary and smart
all at the same time. A better January release you’re not likely to
find.
DaybreakersMovie.com
MaplePictures.com
By Grimm “Pain in the Neck” Culhane
Your basic, run of the mill smart ass cop drama with plenty of vio-
lence and a few good laughs is what From Paris with Love is all
about. Travolta’s over the top self mocking portrayal of the wise-
cracking, gun toting, bald headed Charlie Wax will either sink this
film or be it’s one redeeming quality, you can decide that for your-
self. Any reason is a good reason for Travolta to cut off his hair
and fly back to France to kick major ass and choke down another
“Royale with Cheese.”
The true star of this film (besides Rhys Meyers and Travolta) is
the stunning choreography of the action sequences that rival
anything Jason Bourne could identify with or feel a false sense of
supremacy about. In fact, its the stunt team involved with From
Paris with Love that makes this movie exactly what it is, a comedic
thriller geared to satisfy all your action oriented wants and needs.
The ghost of Luc Besson should be proud.
FromPariswithLovefilm.com
MaplePictures.com
By Grimm “The Scenic Route” Culhane
Film Review – Until The Light Takes Us
Directed by Audrey Ewell and Aaron Aites
Field Pictures
Out of the surplus of Black metal documentaries that have sprung
up both in film and book form, Until the Light Takes us seems to
be the most grounded in first hand accounts from key players in
the early Norwegian black metal scene. The film focuses on Varg
Vikernes (Burzum, ex-Mayhem) and Gylve Nagell (Darkthrone);
positioning these two as the originators, for better or for worse, of
the black metal style we recognize today.
What’s interesting about this film is the way that directors Audrey
Ewell and Aaron Aites position Nagell and Vikernes as belong-
ing to a “legitimate” form of black metal -Nagell musically and
Vikernes both through his actions as well as the music he created.
They clearly emphasize a division between the latter and those
who subsequently jumped on the bandwagon once the genre
achieved popularity. The way that they do this is clever; mainly
by juxtaposing the complaints of the film’s two “protagonists”
regarding the way people have bought into the black metal scene
without fully understanding what it was built on, with footage of
artists/musicians who seem to be doing just that.
Frost’s role in the film is an interesting one. Despite his status as
one of the best metal drummers in the world and the fact that
he’s been a member of a handful of well-known Norwegian black
metal bands, he’s portrayed as a performer; a guy who takes on
an alter-ego in the black metal style to convey a feeling of “obscu-
rity and darkness.” This perspective is further compounded when
Frost performs a mock suicide in front of an art audience at the
request of contemporary visual artist Bjarne Melgaard. While
essentially it’s up to the viewer to decide whether they want to
buy into the whole debate of a legitimate form of black metal in
the first place, the film does work to stoke the fires of this debate.
One of the ways Ewell and Aites do this is by including a very
awkward moment between Nagell and Melgaard. In this scene,
they are both standing in a Stockholm gallery where Melgaard’s
black metal themed exhibition is taking place. Despite the artist’s
inclusion of photographic depictions of Nagell’s friends, he does
not approach Nagell, but rather stares at him from a far side of
the room. This awkward moment juxtaposed with the apparent
affinity between Frost and Melgaard points to a divide between
the ones who built the genre and the ones who ran with it later.
Despite the fact that Until the Light Takes us is one of the most
straight-forward documentaries of its kind, there is some filler
material that could be omitted. For instance, the footage of Nagell
walking around the streets of Oslo, sitting in a bar, going to a street
market, etc doesn’t need to be there. Instead, footage of live perfor-
mances would be more relevant. Also, a less constructed portrayal
of Frost with an increased focus on the contributions he’s made
musically would help minimize the obvious bias of the directors.
blackmetalmovie.com
By Alxs Ness
cd
rev
CD Review – Grendel
Chemicals & Circuitry
Metropolis Records
Dutch aggrotech activists Grendel have smashed what-
ever was left of the people after Prescription: Medicide
in 2004 with Harsh Generation in 2007. The album
was a stunning success, the music and artwork and ex-
ample of perfect ebm, the way it should be. Unofficially
considered the album of the year by many an industrial
listener, Harsh Generation set Grendel in the forefront
of the scene.
IEW
Naturally, touring and destroying dance-floors carried
on for a noticeable amount of time, and as the people
began growing impatient for new material, Chemicals
& Circuitry turned out to be right on time. Just an EP
for now, it’s already one of the best recordings you
will listen to this year, albeit a bit different from what
they’ve been doing. Not that they haven’t been known
to experiment and do it right.
Everything on the CD is about three tracks, each
deserving serious attention. “Chemicals & Circuitry”
strangely doesn’t sink in right away and the rising
popularity of Combichrist will probably remind you
of their style, but that’s only at first sight. What steals
your heart right away is the quote from A Scanner
Darkly. Just when you’re already ecstatic, you’re hit
straight between the eyes with “Shortwired”. Probably
the next big hit around, the track is in all best tradition
of combining harsh ebm and dark electro, simply
fantastic.
“Serotonin Rush” comes as a treat, dwelling a bit into
the down-tempo genre. The track is great, and it shows
a tendency of putting down-tempo tracks on heavy
industrial albums (remember “Ghost in the Circuit”
from Velvet Acid Christ’s Lust for Blood”). It fits
perfectly and is followed by a bunch of remixes, out
of which Modulate have probably done the best job.
Chemicals & Circuitry is a great beginning of the year,
and leaves us craving for the new LP.
myspace.com/grende
By Arcendel
CD Review – Suicide Commando
Implements of Hell
Metropolis Records
When you have 24 years of experience under your belt,
you clearly know what you are doing. Belgian dark
electro activist Johan Van Roy, the man behind Suicide
Commando, is ready to command your damnation as
early in the year as possible with his new full-length al-
bum, Implements of Hell. As one of the originators of
the genre, he’s still on the forefront and the new release
deserves careful attention, as always.
Since Johan knows what he is doing, the main ques-
tion is why does Suicide Commando sound different?
Not bad, but different. The distinct trademark sound
familiar from Bind, Torture, Kill is gone, replaced by a
more not-so-disctinct dark electro/electro industrial
one, complete with a stronger concept throughout the
album. Not as if it comes unexpected, considering the
teaser Die, Motherfucker, Die, which came out last
year.
Well, if you’re that conservative, then you might be
a bit disappointed. Go buy yourself a pack of tissue,
while we thoroughly enjoy tracks like “Death Cures All
Pain”, simple but striking artwork and the atmosphere
of darkness and evil, that creeps and is ready to jump
and devour you. Best digested as a concept album,
from beginning to end, the album still has some
tracks that stand out, e.g. “God is in the Rain”, where
Dr. Commando treats us with a 90’s cyber embrace,
merged with more than modern beat.
Bonus points go to “Severed Head”, where the sample
is absolutely brilliant, the matter of fact tone of the nar-
rator is the doctor’s recipe. Or is it commandante’s?
suicidecommando.be
By Arceon
CD Review – Birdman
Pricele$$
Cash Money Records
With the release of his fourth solo album Pricele$$,
Bryan “Birdman” Williams makes a clear statement
that the millions are still rolling in with no end in sight.
The father of Cash Money/Young Money Records and
the man who once gifted Lil’ Wayne with a milli for his
birthday has no problem bragging about his worth and
providing rhymes that seem like an extravagant inven-
tory of his possessions.
How many tracks can one man fill with content about
money and luxury? Apparently a whole albums worth.
You cant hate the guy for being filthy rich considering
he built his empire from the ground up, but you can
hate him for teaming up with T-Pain on the obnoxious
club track “Shinin”; which is the only track on this
album that Birdman would have been better off record-
ing solo.
The choice to collaborate with his clique of Young
Money proteges was a smart move as Baby’s basic flow
and obvious lack of lyrical content isn’t strong enough
to support a whole album on his own. “Richer than
the richest, we certify gettin’ it” Birdman confidently
spits on “Money to Blow” where he is quickly over
shadowed by the killer combination of Drakes smooth
verse (despite the use of auto-tune) and Lil Wayne’s
clever wordplay. Title track has Weezy spitting a fero-
cious hook over Rebirth sounding beat with produc-
tion from Timbaland while Birdman’s lackluster verse
about Bentley’s, Louis Vuitton luggage and the dia-
monds on his teeth falls a little flat. Nonetheless “Mo
Milly” hits the jackpot thanks to Drake and “Always
Strapped” is a catchy enough hustlers anthem featuring
Lil Wayne and Mackmaine
Remove Weezy and Drizzy and this album is not
so much priceless as it is valueless. But clearly Baby
doesn’t need your dough anyway.
birdmanstunna.com
By Kassandra Guagliardi
cd reviews
continued
CD Review – Boris
Japanese Heavy Rock Hits Vol. 1-3
Southern Lord
Just when you think a band can’t possibly release
anything else in one given year, Boris are right there to
prove you wrong with exclusive vinyl singles, namely
Japanese Heavy Rock hits vol 1-3. If you look at the
name of their MySpace page, the first thing that comes
to mind is just how accurate it sounds, as they (along
with Merzbow) are easily the craziest, most talented
and well-known representatives of all things drone,
noise and experimental in Asia.
Japanese Heavy Rock hits though are more of a collec-
tors type of items, as they dwell in the land of tracks,
that are as always far from Western World’s eye and
insanely popular in Japan nevertheless. The only rea-
son this vinyl will be swept from the shelves is the fact
that the true Boris fans are already prepared to receive
something completely unexpected in that carton pack-
age or plastic box.
To be more precise, there is no drone or noise (except
for “…and Hear Nothing”) on the singles and there’s
hardly any true experimentation there, but you can
feel the raw energy and you can hear the sound your
soul makes when you listen to a brilliant trip-hop like
“16:47:52”. Six tracks neatly cover six genres, from
sludge on “8” to hardcore-punky undefinable “Hey
Everyone”. Whether you’re deep into an agreeable
Murakami novel, or just about to leave the house for a
gig and hang-out, you’ll find something for yourself on
Japanese Heavy Rock hits vol 1-3. If you think about
it, if you’re ready to leave the house on a mind-blowing
drug trip, the vinyl will be appropriate too.
Don’t take the music seriously, give in, and then you’ll
see how seriously good it is. Boris destroys, tradition-
ally.
myspace.com/borisdronevil
By Arceoris
CD Review – Game Rebellion
Sounds Like A Riot
You could easly dub Game Rebllion as one of the
Leaders of The New School of Rapcore, not the
CD Review – God Module
ephemeral version (Korn, Limp Bizkit,) but more
The Magic in my Heart is Dead
of a nod to the old Judgement Night soundtrack era
Metropolis Records
when you could enjoy an old BOO Ya Tribe track
laced with guitar or Onyx and Biohazard pairing for
CD Review – Fallen Decade The West Coast aggrotech/electro-industrial gem,
an elbow-throwing pit beats and blood. Although this
Under No God or rather module, God Module (pun intended) are
moderb day version may have some pre-concieved
FDM getting everybody prepared for the new album with
elemnt of Rage Against the Machine on leqd single
The Magic in my Heart is Dead. The EP has four new
Blind” the band ventures into the keybord sqwuealing
With old school thrash still reigning supreme on the songs and some great remixes all in the vein of their
radio friendly territory ith tracks like Blodd and Dance
metal circuit today, Canada definitely still contributes own brandy-trendy “Spooky Dance Music”. While the
Floor. This rence t aditon the the Afo-Punk movement
its fair share of talented metal acts. Vancouver-based idea and the concept do sound a bit lame, the music
may have intend on tapping into the hipster scne in
band Fallen Decade is the next on board to show & and everything else isn’t. God Module are as usually
Brookly and beyone , we think they should have stuck
prove that fact. With hardcore elements and straight- striking hard, so be prepared.
with the sheer raw power of tracks _ and _
forward thrash crossover influences seeping in, the
boys obviously listen to old Pantera, Slayer etc, but The playful artwork feels a bit scary and clinically
Maybe some of those shuld shine through a little more
it certainly does not sound “Canadian”. Thank god. insane. When you’re done with it check if it’s not “A
and and toss in some more hardcore hip-hip that has
Featuring ex-Cradle to Grave vocalist Greg Cavanagh, Minute to Midnight” by chance. If it isn’t it will feel
been blanketed in a crispy gutoar-crunch coating. Bake
he has stepped up his game in the vocal department like it, because the song pretty much captures the
at 450 degrees andsefving piping hot. We’ll take a bitye
and sounds more vicious, energetic and potent than moment. “Art’s” ambivalent harsh and gentle nature
of that
ever. Greg’s style can be called somewhat original as he is probably best described by the remixes. Ashbury
almost has a punk feel in his delivery especially on the Heights turned it into and 80’s new wave disco hit
title track “Under No God”. (it’s so simplistic and completely non-serious that it’s
Formed in Brooklyn I 2006 the bands cites their
actually good), while Aesthetic Perfection kept it pure
influscences as  Prince,The Cure, Jimi Hendrix, The
Drummer Dave Vokey “gets his Lars on” with the third to the ebm tradition. Go figure, but definitely a hit, the
Isley Brothers, Bad Brains, Johnny Cash, Mega-
track and first single and video “The Smoke” with its effect complete only after you hear the lyrics.
deth and Guns & Roses to name a few accorin to their
somewhat “Disposable Heroes” lifted intro, not a bad
bio. Granted there is nothing wrong wit branching
thing but a noticeable one. The twin six-string on- Project Pitchfork’s choice for remixes went to “Skepti-
and reaching tin the new audcine cookie jar but We
slaught of Andrew Murrin and Rod Davis complement cal”, and it literally could be guessed while listening
could only wish that keep it more like their incredible
the “chugga-chugga” bulldozer that is bassist Andrew to the original track. The last “new” song isn’t really
masterpiece of a shit-hotmtoher of a mixtape ‘Search-
Mann especially on the track “Dead by Morning”. We new, it’s a cover of Gary Numan’s “Me! I Disconnect
ing for Rick Ruibn” which plays in the ABORT office
cannot help but mention you also have great musician- From You”. To be perfectly subjective, there’s nothing
almost daily. Hopefully they will avoid the Black Keys
ship here, for the simple fact that there are Newfound- objectively good about it, just a cover. But apart from it
srtyle blackroc and go all Onyx style Blac Rick and
landers in this line-up, making the riffage as crunchy as the EP definitely lives up to it’s title. Although there’s a
keep it havey, fucnky beefy and beaty. Less Game Rbel-
some fatback scrunchions. good chance the magic will resurrect when we hear the
lion.That’s what the people want.
new album, because that’s were usually large-caliber
The rest of the album oozes pure metal, straightfor- sorcery comes in.
ward – not too garbled. not too mushy, just crisp,
Gamerebellion.com
sharp and straight to the point; the way it should be. myspace.com/godmodule
Produced by the band and Brandon Cherrington it’s all
By E.S Day
Canadian throughout, making this disc a Maple Leaf By Arceodule
masterpiece for 2010.
myspace.com/fallendecade
By E.S. Day
cd reviews CD Review – Killing Time CD Review – Karnivool

continued Three Steps Back

Dead City Records

The New York Hardcore legends, Killing Time have

Sound Awake
Sony Music

Sound Awake, the second full-length album from With songs like “Simple Boy”, “Goliath”, and “Set
finally unleashed their first studio effort in over ten Western Australia’s prog-rock five-piece Karnivool Fire To The Hive” the band treads a winding
years upon the hardcore masses. With this new release, presents somewhat of a departure for the band. road of groovy basslines and phat beatz while
one is reminded just why it is that they have the reputa- Guitarist Drew Goddard describes it as “the first still keeping a heavy edge to their sound as they
tion of influencing musical greats such as Hatebreed, time we’ve had a complete lineup through a creative pound out hard-hitting, thinking-man’s rock.
Madball, and Rancid, only to name a small few. The process” and it definitely shows, especially compared They then kick out some more “traditional”
CD Review – Hatebreed band might have gone by the wayside, not having writ- to the band’s first album, Themata, which was written prog-rock jams (with traditional prog-rock song
Self-Titled ten any new material since 1996’s, The Method, and exclusively by Goddard and only played by the band lengths; 12:04 and 10:47, respectively) with the
E1 Entertainment certainly not anything that came to more than a small together after it was finished recording. The difference rhythmic cadences of “Deadman” and “Change”,
boil since the bands first release in 1989 Brightside. can be heard almost immediately as Sound Awake which both take their time as they meander
Hatebreed’s latest release, an epic 14 track, self-titled eschews head-banging hardrockery for ethereal prog- through swirling Technicoloured sonic nebulae
behemoth, follows fast on the heels of For the Lions, rock soundscapes. Gone are much of the band’s earlier laden with the pulsing electric glows of guitar
the covers album they released early this year. It seems jagged, repetitive riffs. They are replaced by smooth, notes and the hammering of concussive drum
2009 has been extremely productive for the five-piece floating melodies that wind their way through pockets blasts. Indeed, the new collaborative approach
despite initial upset with the departure of lead-guitarist of sizzling guitars in the vein of their earlier works. The has worked so well, maybe Karnivool should add
Sean Martin in February. With former guitarist Wayne band’s new collaborative process’ inclusivity is heard six or seven more band members to kick the next
Lozinak back in the game, Hatebreed’s determined to right from the first track as the emphasis seems to album up another notch.
keep the momentum going. This latest release ensures have changed from driving guitar to an overall sound
CD Review – Kittie that melds bass and guitar and vocals together with karnivool.com.au
they will do just that.
In the Black the guitar to form songs imbued with purpose and
E1 Entertainment destination. By A.W. Reid
After 15 years of constant writing and touring –the
efforts of which have earned them a Grammy nomina-
It’s been a rough road for Kittie since they rose to fame
tion, sales of over 1 million units, not to mention the
with their 1999 hit “Brackish.” While they haven’t
cultivation of an internationally recognized trademark
been at the fore of the metal industry in years, it hasn’t However, now with the release of Three Steps Back,
sound- Hatebreed have never lost the drive to progress.
been for lack of trying. Despite several label and Killing Time is here again and possibly this time to
Although from the second you press play you know
line-up changes, original members, sisters Morgan stay. In 2006 the guys began playing more live shows
you’re listening to a Hatebreed album, this self-titled
(vocals) and Mercedes (drums) have managed to keep as well as going on a brief tour in Asia in 2007. After
release has seen them venture into new territory with
it together, releasing 4 albums since Spit, including the tour they most undoubtedly decided to get back
the inclusion of sung vocal parts and increasingly
their latest In the Black. Their discography has seen to the basics and back to writing. Possibly hoping to
technical riffs. “In Ashes They Shall Reap” is a prime
their sound evolve in accordance with ever-changing bring back the nostalgia of their now classic release
example of how they’ve fused these new elements
mainstream metal trends. In the Black continues this Brightside, or just to show the new brigade that they
seamlessly with their distinctive style. Wasting no time
tradition, merging metalcore and classic metal influ- wouldn’t go down without a fight, the band returned
diving straight into the anthemic chorus that’ll find
ences for a sound that thrashes back and forth between to their original practice garage (where they wrote and
you fist in the air ready to kick some ass, Jamey Jasta
the aggressive/heavy side of things and the kind of practiced Brightside) to hammer out the twelve song
brings it down a notch with a brief sung verse before
metal-lite that women in this genre are most often album entitled Three Steps Back. One could imagine Karnivool as a captive monster lay-
kicking back into the chorus guns-blazing. “Every Last-
associated with. ing on a concrete slab in a dark laboratory, wrapped in
ing Scar” is another example albeit one with a slightly
The first song on this album, “Flight Plan” is a quick a tarp and tied down with chains. A dancing scientist
different approach. On this track Jasta incorporates
After a brief instrumental intro, “My Plague” starts reminder of how hardcore began; hard hitting, with with a scar across his mouth experiments on him for
“clean” vocals into the chorus resulting in a Slipknot-
things off dark with minimal clean vocals, nice techni- a powerful vengeance that is going to kick your ass if shits and giggles. The scientist stabs a tube into the
type sound; making it the most radio-friendly track on
cal riffs and sick drumming. The only trouble with this you don’t start moving. It is pure raw energy, to the beast. The tube is connected to a machine marked
the album. Not to worry though, tracks like “Become
one is the hard-to-ignore likeness between it and Lamb point, aggressive, gritty, and unrelenting. You aren’t “Seether”, which sucks several litres of a putrid brown
the Fuse”, “Through the Thorns” and “As Damaged
of God’s “Laid to Rest”; the main riffs in both tracks really sure if you are listening to hardcore music with substance out of the creature. Laughing, the scientist
as me” keep the overall feel of the album brutal and
are very, very similar. If they had written this track the old school punk and metal interwoven into the pulls out the first tube and replaces it with one con-
aggressive.
5 years earlier it might have stood a chance, but the various songs, but that maybe exactly what the guys nected to a machine with the word “Muse” written on
resemblance is overbearing. In their defense, tracks like had in mind when making this album. The music takes it, and he pumps several gallons of a roiling, rainbow-
Currently wrapping up their tour North-American
“Cut Throat” and “Forgive and Forget” pack a good you back to the early days of hardcore, where it began coloured gel into the monster. Enraged, the demon
tour with death-metal legends Cannibal Corpse before
punch, the latter featuring an extremely impressive and where it was a sin to stand there with your arms shreds through the tarp and chains and eviscerates the
hitting Europe with Machine Head, Hatebreed are
solo by lead guitarist Tara McLeod. In fact, throughout crossed and pretend to “enjoy the music”. mad scientist before spending several hours doing the
working hard to maintain a strong presence in the
the album’s 12 tracks, McLeod shreds like a mother- moon walk through his entrails. That would be one
metal/hardcore community. Undoubtedly their efforts
fucker, proving to be a valuable asset for the band; her This album will remind you of what it was like to actu- way to think of how Karnivool’s sound has changed on
will be rewarded as they continue creating the kind
technical abilities giving them additional credibility. ally live and breathe the music of New York Hardcore. the new album.
of inspiring, “take-no-shit-from anyone”-type music
that diehards all over the world have come to love and Enjoy it! Don’t use this album as a coaster. Take it off
The past 10 years have seen Kittie change significantly. the shelf and play it loud and more than once. It grows
respect.
While In the Black isn’t a groundbreaking release, on you quickly! Three Steps Back is here to prove that
it’s worth a listen; even if only for nostalgia/curiosity once again hardcore is defined and it is Killing Time!
hatebreed.com
reasons.
e1entertainment.com killingtimenyhc.com
kittierocks.com
e1entertainment.com By Karla McLeod
By Alxs Ness
By Alxs Ness
cd reviews
continued
CD Review – Mudvayne
Self-Titled
Epic/Sony Music
With Mudvayne’s new self-titled album, no one could have an-
ticipated the band would still be going strong after ten years and
five studio records. Taking into account the nü-metal trendiness
and alien gimmickry that plagued Mudvayne early in its career
on L.D. 50 and The End of All Things To Come, the band was a
sure-fire bet for the cut-out bin and has-been status. Fortunately,
Mudvayne had enough foresight to grow with its audience and
morph into a solid hard rock/metal band. On Mudvayne, the
band reaches into its bag of tricks without stepping too far from
its signature sound and proves once again that they are a viable
force surging forward into its second decade.
Mudvayne bridges the old with the new by blending bone-jarring
heft with hook-filled melodies. Greg Tribbett’s searing guitar on
opener “Beautiful and Strange” is backed by a white-noise intro
that rides into a hyper-speed tempo. As he did on last year’s The
New Game, Tribbett branches out into a more varied playing
style on Mudvayne, even dropping some shred-worthy solos
along the way. “Scream With Me” and “Heard It All Before,” the
album’s standout tracks, coast along on instantly catchy choruses
but still retain enough metallic fortitude to keep the heshers
happy. “All Talk” shows Mudvayne branching out with some
truly mature songwriting, crafting a song that switches tempos
briskly and effortlessly, utilizing each member’s respective skill.
“Dead Inside” gives vocalist Chad Gray a chance to really shine
with some lush harmonies constructed around Tribbett’s subtle
acoustic strumming. “Beyond The Pale” is bolstered by the
rubbery bassline of Ryan Martinie (the band’s underrated secret
weapon, in this writer’s opinion) whose progressive flourishes
are really given room to breathe on the album thanks to Jeremy
Parker’s (Evanescence) production touch.
Fans should be alerted to the artwork circulating online and
that which will actually appear on the cover of Mudvayne. The
Paul Booth-drawn cover art appears pure white to the naked eye
however when viewed under a black light, the blues and purples
blossom to reveal a Gollum-meets-The Fly character. This can ei-
ther be seen as a clever marketing gimmick or, as the less cynical
may view it, a band that is actually still hanging on to the magic
of album artwork in the digital age.
Regardless, Mudvayne finds this ever-evolving band still keeping
its collective head afloat and releasing great music. Coming just
thirteen months after The New Game (the two albums were ac-
tually recorded at the same time but released a year apart), Mud-
vayne is hardly a Load/ReLoad collection of B-grade leftovers.
Continually disproving its critics and pleasing its ever-growing
legion of followers over the past ten years, Mudvayne reflects the
sound of a band that still has plenty to say musically and refuses
to rest on its laurels or fall prey to the trappings of its past.
mudvayne.com
By Sean Cowie
CD Review – Rakim
The Seventh Seal
RA Records/SMC/E1
It’s been a long wait, but the God MC, the seventeenth letter, Ra-
kim has returned. After canning the Dre sessions and numerous
delays, “The Seventh Seal” entered at #61 on the album charts,
proving that true Hip Hop heads are always hungry for spiritual
nourishment, and while it will appeal to neither the Soulja Boy/
Lil Wayne crowd nor fans of Snoop and Eminem, this tablet is a
vessel of guidance for open minds.
Mathematics, street knowledge and jaded wit combine with Ra-
kim’s effortless delivery, which defined swagger before there was
such a word and influenced all who followed. Hear his resonant
vocal tone in the cadences of Prodigy, Jim Jones and even Jeezy,
who all rock it from the larynx. Understand the significance of
terms and concepts elaborated on by the Wu Tang Clan and Jay-
Z, originating in the one hundred and twenty lessons of the Five
Percent Nation, and only recently revealed to outsiders. With
storytelling flows that run through more grimy scenarios than
Raekwon, more sex scenes than Ghostface and a sharper sword
than the RZA, the god Rakim is a potent antidote to post Golden
Era poison, a mental floss in fourteen movements.
Ever rooted in the electro Boom Bap of the Eighties and the
soulful loops of the Nineties, the productions elegantly comple-
ment Rakim’s eloquent flow, from the manifesto contained in
the opener “How to Emcee”, to the spiritual paean of tracks like
“Man Above” and “Holy Are You”, which manage to present
devotion with an appropriate seriousness and reverence. “Work-
ing For You” is a story of life and love that all men can relate to,
while “Psychic Love” describes the ideal bond of sex, affection
and understanding that makes life a heaven on earth. “Still In
Love” brings that love to the art and culture of Hip Hop itself,
the ultimate and eternal companion of true Hip Hoppas. Closer
“Dedication”, Rakim’s ode to his late mother is too much to even
speak on. Beauty can often hurt, and this music is no comfort
blanket, but like KRS-ONE said – “take the pillow from out your
head!!!”. It’s time for Hip Hop to start dealing with reality again,
and not the club fantasy of forever living the high life. It’s time
to hear lyrics about the reality of human relationships – with
ourselves, each other, and the Creator.
If you’ve heard enough god talk for one review, then this album
is not for you. But with idiots like Kanye West forever claiming
religious inspiration, it’s better to hear testaments from a true
Emcee schooled in the rich traditions of Hip Hop culture from
its origins. As each seal is opened in its own good time, “The
Seventh Seal” is revealed only to those with overstanding, and
the ultimate lesson seems to be… love.
myspace.com/rakim
By Dave “Corvid” McCallum
dvd DVD Review –
Pagan Metal: A Documentary
Directed by Bill Zebub
Bill Zebub Productions/MVD
Director Bill Zebub who’s brought us such hits as Jesus
Christ: Serial Rapist and The Worst Horror Movie Ever
rev
Made is back with Pagan Metal: a Documentary. With
interviews from top Pagan/Folk metal bands such as
Primordial, Finntroll, Korpiklaani, Ensiferum and Turisas
(to name a few), this documentary provides extensive
information from the horse’s mouth about a metal genre
that’s taken the world by storm since early 2000.
What’s great about this documentary is the fact that Bill
Zebub is willing to go beyond the regular, cliché type
questions common to interviews and delve into more
touchy subject matter. Questions about nationalism
and cultural pride are definitely relevant, especially con-
sidering most Pagan/Folk metal bands are comprised
solely of white Europeans. It’s also interesting to hear a
bit about a rivalry between countries; for instance when
one of the members of Korpiklaani proclaims that the
best, most diverse folk metal bands have come out of
iew
Finland while bands from other European countries,
especially Germany, sound generic. While some of Bill
Zebub’s questions seem to be an attempt to draw out
racist sentiments, most of the bands express an open-
minded attitude. For instance Primordial front man Allan
Averill and Turisas’ Mathias Nygard give down-to-earth
responses; explaining that their music is not solely about
their own culture but include content which people of
other cultures should be able to relate to.
The only real downside to this documentary is the dura-
tion. Rather than ask the important questions and call it a
day with rich material and a healthy dose of live footage,
there’s a certain point mid-way where things really start
to drag on. While Bill Zebub has some very intelligent
questions at the beginning (many of which infused with
humor), he sabotages his credibility with unnecessarily
immature questions. For example, during his conver-
sation with Alan Averill he becomes focused on racist
notions of penis size and nationality. What’s funny about
this is despite his ridiculous questions, he’s unable to faze
the eloquent front man who responds without skipping
a beat. Another example is his interview with Finntroll
which he runs into the ground with an obsession over
their drinking habits.
Despite the downsides, this DVD is still worth watching.
Fans of Pagan/folk metal will most likely enjoy the in-
depth interviews, while fans of Bill Zebub will no doubt
appreciate the presence of his distinctive brand of humor.
billzebub.com
By Alxs Ness
DVD Review - Suicidal Tendencies
Live at The Olympic Auditorium
Suicidal Records
Suicidal Tendencies’ Live at Olympic Auditorium is the
first-ever DVD released by the band. Recorded in 2005,
this DVD’s been a long time coming. Without any bonus
features to act as filler, all the pressure is put on the live
performance to carry the release. This one stands on its
own offering a fitting, no-bullshit glimpse at why many
fans have stuck around and stayed true despite vari-
ous changes in style since the band’s inception. Luckily,
original member Mike Muir (vocals) put on a killer,
high-energy show despite persistent back issues which
manifested in partial paralysis the day of the show. The
fact that Muir was still able to do what he does –running
around the stage, pushing the pace for over an hour- with-
out letting on that he was having severe medical problems,
is a testament to his drive and determination; essentially
what’s been keeping the band going on and off for almost
30 years now.
The set begins with “I Shot Reagan” (AKA “I Shot the
Devil”) and includes many other early tracks such as
“Institutionalized,” “Subliminal”, “I Saw Your Mommy”
and “War Inside my Head.” The line-up featuring Mike
Clark (rhythm guitar), Dean Pleasants (lead guitar),
Steve Brunner (Bass) and Ron Brunner (drums) (who
was since replaced by Eric Moore) does a great job of
churning out these old tunes, adding their own touch in
certain spots and helping Muir keep the energy going.
What’s interesting about the way the performance is shot
is the “amateur” quality. While the camera work is good,
there’s an overall “real” perspective created which gives
the impression that it was shot by hand-held cameras.
Again this adds to the no-frills aspect of the DVD and
gives the feeling that we are seeing it as it was, not an over-
produced, cleaned up version.
European fans will get a chance to see Suicidal in all their
glory during their European tour with Mike Muir’s other
project Infectious Grooves this March.
suicidaltendencies.com
By Alxs Ness
CD/DVD Review – Mayhem
Pure Fucking Mayhem
Prophecy Productions
As one of the most controversial black metal bands
in the scene, Mayhem is a household name for many
metal heads; fans and non-fans alike. Their story has
been told around the world for almost 2 decades; most
notably through documentaries such as Lords of Chaos
(book- 1998/2003), Cult of Aggression (2004), Metal:
A Headbanger’s Journey (2005), and Until the Light
Takes Us (2010). With the imminent release of Lords of
Chaos- The Movie (set for release later this year), there is
certainly still much interest in the Mayhem story specifi-
cally and Black Metal history in general.
What makes the documentary included in the Pure
Fucking Mayhem CD/DVD set different from many of
the others listed above is that the story is told directly
by current and former Mayhem members including
Necrobutcher (bass), Attila (vocals) and Manheim (ex-
drums). This is actually a follow-up to Cult of Aggression,
also directed by Stefan Rydehed. What’s questionable
with this one is, like Cult of Aggression, the glaring
absence of ex-bassist Varg Vikernes. While Vikernes was
not a member of Mayhem for very long, his contribu-
tion to the band has played a huge part in defining their
current infamy. From church burning to the murder of
Mayhem guitarist Euronymous, the actions of Vikernes
have brought international attention to the black metal
scene in Norway.
While the documentary portion of Pure Fucking
Mayhem is fascinating, the DVD itself leaves little to be
desired. The production is minimal and the “live footage”
includes for the most part scenes of pure darkness inter-
rupted with the occasional photograph. In addition, the
CD, which features 8 tracks of piano music inspired by
various black metal songs, is quite obscure and boring,
working more to fill some kind of marketing requirement
than any sort of significant contribution to the quality of
the set. Despite these drawbacks, Pure Fucking Mayhem
offers a candid look at one of metal’s most notorious
bands and is definitely a worthy addition to any black
metal fan’s collection.
myspace.com/officialmayhem
By Alxs Ness
book
rev
Book Review – Six String Heroes – Photographs of Great
Guitarists
By Neil Zlozower
Chronicle Books
Photographer Neil Zlozower returns with an impressive collec-
tion of rock and roll’s gun slinging who’s who in his latest book
entitled Six String Heroes – Photographs of Great Guitarists.
Boasting a photographic career that has lasted for over 40 years
can only be based on one of two things, either a boat load of
talent or a boat load of luck. Fortunate for the reader, Neil takes
his boat load of talent and graces each and every page of Six
String Heroes with some of the most impressive photographs
iew
you’re likely to see in this or any decade.
Included in this impressive tomb is a forward by legendary
guitarist Steve Vai plus an insightful introduction by Neil
Zlozower himself. As if that and hundreds of photos of your
favourite guitarists wasn’t enough, intermittent “unpublished”
snippets of interviews conducted by the unsung rock corre-
spondent Steven Rosen. The strength of this book lies in the
combination of photos of and words from the artists them-
selves, such artists as Angus Young, Keith Richards, Lita Ford,
Chet Atkins, B.B. King, Johnny Winter, Yngwie Malmsteen,
Jimmy Page, Chuck Berry, Dave Navarro, Nancy Wilson, Frank
Zappa, the list goes on and on… and on.
There are some notable string slingers missing from this
collection and the interview snippets can be rather “self-ag-
grandizing” at times, but this doesn’t take away from what “The
Zloz” has accomplished with this collection. Photo after iconic
photo populates this book, many of which will be familiar to
the discerning rock and roll enthusiast, while many others will
just leave you going “wow!”
From the early days of rock and roll right up to today, Neil
Zlozower has captured the very essence of rock and roll and
the guitar-slinging superstars that make it great. For about the
price of a single concert ticket, the pages of Six String Heroes
– Photographs of Great Guitarists allow you to celebrate the
icons of rock and roll and their greatest moments again and
again.
ChronicleBooks.com
By Grimm “Four String Zero” Culhane
Book Review – Mötley Crüe: A Visual History 1983 -2005
By Neil Zlozower
Chronicle Books
Photo books can usually be summed up without ever open-
ing the front cover. Typically, they are outrageously over-priced
behemoths printed on ultra-glossy stock that the artist hopes will
thrust him or her into the minds of the snobby intelligentsia and
up their professional credibility. Fortunately, Mötley Crüe: A
Visual History 1983 -2005, Neil Zlozower’s photo essay on the
bad boys of the Sunset Strip, avoids all the usual clichés by de-
livering an affordable, yet no less spiffy, chronicle of the band’s
career through his lens.
At nearly 250 pages and—blood and tattoos aside—glitzy
enough to adorn any music fan’s coffee table, Mötley Crüe: A
Visual History 1983 -2005 takes the reader on a journey through
Zlozowers’ professional relationship with a band whose over-the-
top debauchery and legal woes have been sordidly played out in
the media for nearly thirty years. Rather than dwell on the nega-
tive or accentuate the band’s troubles through wordy text (brief
testimonials from various front-line business associates of Mötley
Crüe occasionally break up some of the photo action), Zlozower
lets the photos speak for themselves. “Up close and personal”
doesn’t even begin to describe the all-access pass Zlozower had,
especially during the eighties.
Presented in full, robust color, the controversial “blood session”
from 1984, extensive live, backstage and in-studio photos and
loads of exclusive behind-the-scenes shots fill the book from
cover to cover. As he did previously with Van Halen, Zlozower
truly captures the essence of Mötley Crüe in photos, staying true
to the book’s title and presenting a near chronological visual his-
tory—the tumultuous nineties are understandably absent—of
one of metal’s most influential and charismatic acts.
Hot on the heels of Neil Zlozower’s recently-released Six String
Heroes – Photographs of Great Guitarists, Mötley Crüe: A Visual
History 1983 -2005 affords readers a visual companion-piece to
the band’s autobiography, The Dirt. What that book explained
in words, this one shows in pictures giving Mötley Crüe fans an
up-close-and-personal (and at only $35, affordable) look at the
original vagabonds of the Sunset Strip scene.
Zloz.com
By Sean Cowie
Book Review – Taking Aim: Unforgettable Rock and Roll
Photographs Selected by Graham Nash
Graham Nash
Chronicle
Taking Aim is a fairly new addition to the ever-increasing phalanx of
coffee table style books chronicling in words and photos the musi-
cians and music of Rock and Roll. However, this book is a refreshing
change as it is presented by Rock Hall of Fame member, Graham
Nash. It is a beautiful book to look at and to own. The photos are very
alive and the writing is well thought out. Mr. Nash seems to have put
a lot of thought into picking these photos, which are part of an exhibi-
tion of which the author is the curator.
Most of the photos are in black and white, while some are in color.
Different photographic journalists took aim and shot the photos,
which cover the 1950’s to the new millennium. To his credit, Mr.
Nash is one of the photographers whose photos are included several
times in this volume.
Some of the photos have appeared over the years in various papers
and books on the History of Rock and Roll. Others may have, but I
have not witnessed them before.
I personally have several favorites in the book. Elvis Presley eating
breakfast in Virginia brings out an innocence and vulnerability in the
young Elvis rarely seen. Brian Wilson in his health food restaurant
The Radiant Radish is also informative because at the time Brian was
not very healthy at all.
Bob Dylan is represented several times in the book and Nash’s mus-
ings on Dylan are interesting. The Dylan photos are among the most
creative in the book as they fully reveal the elusiveness of Dylan.
There are too many photos to comment on, but they are all interest-
ing. Included with the book is a CD which covers much the same
ground as Mr. Nash covers in the book.
The final image in the book which shows Neil Young driving to his
home in Northern California in 1988. It seems to add a dimension of
domesticity to the book as it shows that out Rock heroes do go home
and have normal lives. The attitude of rock and Roll comes through in
the photos and the author as an insider would appreciate the success
of the book in this regard.
Consider this volume to be a worthy addition to a fans collection of
books and music.
By William “Moose” Roberts
Book Review – LA Woman
By Estevan Oriol
Drago books
This stunning coffee table hardcover contains some of
the most reverently sexual images of beautiful women
ever captured on film. By allowing his subjects to present
themselves on their own terms, Oriol’s images span the
categories of erotica, documentary and art photography,
presenting an intimate view of LA’s loveliest ladies that
challenges the viewers conceptions of beauty and female
power.
From tatted up bad girls licking guns to badass gangstresses
rocking the shotty, from classy looking girls in lingerie
cooking breakfast to street level goddesses cooking the
pipe, Oriol’s subjects are either fully engaged in their own
intense reality or are staring defiantly into the camera as if
to say “so you think you could handle this?”. With the rich
tones of unedited film, Oriol’s exceptional vision portrays
the city that he loves as personified in her beloved daugh-
ters, from the killers to the cops, and the effect goes far
beyond sexual titillation. For those that would brand this
medium as exploitative, these women’s images defy con-
ventional concepts of female beauty, and I’m sure these
women would themselves challenge any who saw these
pictures as disrespectful.
With a nod to Jim Morrison, “LA Woman” is a book in
the same vein as the classic song – “are you a lucky little
lady in the city of light?/ or just another lost angel, in the
city at night” – seems like a relevant line. Oriol’s work has
always portrayed LA’s light and shadows like a loving son
– an unconditional love that sees more beauty than flaws
and never judges the harm she’s done to herself. The clos-
ing image is a portrait of Oriol and his wife, with a note of
thanks for her “not tripping”, and her proud smile and his
serene calm pretty much say it all – that great men get their
strength and inspiration from great women.
By Dave “Corvid” McCallum
Book Review – The Gospel of Hip Hop
By KRS-One
Powerhouse Books
When presented with this hardcover, 800 page gold embossed vol-
ume of pure wisdom, my first reaction was in fact “is this real?”, for
such a tome seems like too much to be true. Subtitled “The First
Instrument”, this is the first volume in KRS’s philosophical master-
work “I Am Hip Hop”, presented in the format of a “self-help holy
book”, and the culmination of over thirty years of living, breathing,
speaking and being Hip Hop, and while those raised in the ringtone
era may marvel at such a lofty undertaking, those raised in the begin-
ning and the golden era, all breathed a collective sigh of relief on even
hearing this book was published.
Rigorously organized into eighteen “overstandings” that set out the
foundational principles of Hip Hop culture, from its origins in the
Bronx through its historical development in America and beyond,
the “Gospel” also delves deep into past events and movements that
prefaced Hip Hop, from the tribal inter-communality of pre-colonial
America, to the promise of hope contained in Dr. Martin Luther
King’s monumental “I have a dream…” speech. Those accustomed
to KRS’s far-ranging intellect and radical re-interpretations of society,
culture, religion and economics will find this book the logical exten-
sion of the familiar voice of “The Teacha”, giving himself free rein to
explore the deepest extent of his inner knowledge and experience.
Opening with a quote from Edgar Cayce, the sleeping prophet, that
“Heaven is not a place you go to, it is a place you grow to” this is a
self-help book in the truest sense, encouraging the motivated reader
to take responsibility for and control of ones life, and to utilize one’
abilities and circumstances for the greater benefit of all in the origi-
nal flow of Hip Hop. Using a vocabulary of redefined terminology
that differentiates Hip Hop, HipHop and hip-hop (you’ll have to
read it yourself…), and establishes the principle of “endarkenment”
as the necessary corollary to enlightenment, reading the Gospel is an
enervating mental exercise leading to knowledge of self and true in-
spiration, as long as one is willing to cast aside the cynicism built up
by a decade and a half of corporate hip-hop. Peace, Love, Unity and
having Fun without violence. Intelligent Movement. The relation be-
tween Light, Mind, and God. These are just a few of the keys to the
kingdom that KRS brings to the table.
For those who rejoiced over the release of “The Wu Tang Manual”,
“The Gospel Of Hip Hop” is an essential addition to the library of
any devoted hip hoppa who seeks to delve deeper into the original
philosophy that brought forth our culture, and is perhaps the great-
est contribution to Hip Hop from a respected veteran in a year that
saw releases from Raekwon and Rakim. This is a book to be savoured
in quiet moments of reflection, absorbing a little each day as inspi-
ration for times to come. Knowledge Reigns Supreme Over Nearly
Everybody, and with the publication of “The Gospel Of Hip Hop”,
may knowledge now reign over every true hip hoppa, so that the es-
sence of our culture may be fully manifest.
By Dave “Corvid” McCallum
live
Live Review – Vancouver Killing Spree with Third Lit and
Sinister Black
rev
Friday, January 15, 2009
The Eldorado – Vancouver, BC.
Perfection on a Friday night is no easy task, but beer, babes
and punk rock gigs help keep it all in perspective… as long
as Vancouver Killing Spree is in the mix. Tearing it up at The
Eldorado last Friday night, the likes of Third Lit, Sinister Black
and “VKS” provided an excellent opportunity to showcase some
top notch local bands whilst swilling a beer with your favourite
Chiquita.
The punk community is probably the closest knit group of indi-
viduals in Vancouver. Showing support and a positive focus can’t
always be easy in a city that seemingly doesn’t give a shit about
you. A near packed house at The Eldorado Friday let it be known
that you can try and knock a good group of people down, but you
can never EVER knock them out.
iew
Friday night was started by Sinister Black and their truly unique
sound. Something hard to label, but easy to enjoy is always wel-
come, so thank fuck for that. Equal parts punk and metal served
up with a “fist in your face” delivery made Sinister Black well
worth checking out. Its good to hear an independent, local three
piece not trudging over the same tired musical grounds.
As diverse as they are catchy, Vancouver’s Third Lit presented
an excellent set of well penned compositions echoing Monster
Magnet as much as Rancid and Nomeansno as much as Fugazi.
Third Lit’s sound will stick with you making them well worth
checking out both live and on disc. Another distinct voice on the
Vancouver Punk scene for sure.
Does imbibing several beers make everything a little bit better?
Fucking rights it does and Vancouver’s Redeemers of Punk took
that point and delivered it proper. Vancouver Killing Spree is the
latest local punk outfit making a decent noise in Vancouver both
live and on disc. Taking tracks from their latest disc It’s Not About
Murder and dropping them HARD on the heads and ears of the
diligent, local hardcore community gave visage to some sort of punk
perfection reserved for the very few. Sincerely appreciated by all in
attendance, Vancouver Killing Spree will be your new favourite band
very soon.
Strengthening the scene with yet another excellent lineup, thanks goes
to The Eldorado for bringing together Third Lit, Sinister Black and
Vancouver Killing Spree for a fucking wicked show.
Grimm “One More Fuck” Culhane
Photo by Dustin Wood
Live Review – Arch Enemy w/ Exodus, Arsis and Mutiny Up next, Virginia-based Arsis set the tone for the rest of the night
Within with their wicked, fast-paced death/thrash metal style. They’re
Friday February 5, 2010 a great choice for this line-up as their crossover sound is a per-
Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC. fect synthesis for the distinct styles of Exodus and Arch Enemy.
Despite having had to cancel their scheduled tour with Carcass
Finally a killer metal show in Vancouver on a Friday night! Just last year due to personal issues and surviving the looming pos-
when you thought weekend metal shows was a thing of the past, sibility of a break-up, Arsis made it through and are back on track,
Arch Enemy stop by the host city of the 2010 Olympics, one anticipating the release of their next album Starve for the Devil
week before the games, to stir shit up at the sold-out Commodore February 9th, 2010.
Ballroom. It’s no surprise this show sold-out; with the combina-
tion of two highly-influential, legendary bands– Arch Enemy and Exodus, as always tore the roof off the place with the shameless
Exodus- sharing the stage on a Friday night for a city always hun- Rob Duke leading them through classics like “Piranha,” “A Lesson
gry for metal, what else can you expect. in Violence” and “Bonded by Blood.” Begging the crowd to show
their tits, there were 3 takers in a sea of hundreds, followed by
countless cameras trying to get a shot and rubberneckers at all cor-
ners of the venue, trying to get a peek; never a dull moment with
Exodus. Though the band/crowd interplay wasn’t quite as rabid as
their show at the Vogue with Kreator last April, this seems to have
much more to do with the barricade at the front of the stage at the
Commodore (and the lack thereof at the Vogue) rather than the
band’s performance or the crowd’s interest. Keep posted for news
on their upcoming album due to be released this April.
Arch Enemy greeted the sold-out Vancouver crowd with
“Immortal” from 1999’s Burning Bridges. As always, they dipped
into a bit of everything from their discography, including many
early tracks, due in large part to last year’s release of The Root of
All Evil which featured Angela Gossow’s vocals on tracks previ-
ously recorded with original vocalist Johan Liiva. Despite Exodus’
merciless set, Arch Enemy worked the crowd into a frenzy with
favorites such as “Ravenous”, “My Apocalypse”, “We Will Rise”
and “Dead Eyes See No Future.”
It’s great to see one woman, on stage, fully-clothed, able to get
the undivided attention of 1000 people. Though small in stature,
Angela had the crowd eating out of the palm of her hand with a
Mutiny Within broke the ice with a short but strong set. While powerful stage presence and demonic vocal style. The Ammott
their brand of prog metal seemed slightly out of place with this brothers of course dominated as well –their epic solos and
line-up, they got an overall good reception from the crowd. fast-as-fuck shredding almost perfectly replicating their studio
Despite a lighter sound then the other bands –due in large part to recordings. If you haven’t’ been to an Arch Enemy show yet, you
vocalist Chris Clancy’s predominantly clean vocal style and their owe it to yourself to check it out. While these days there are quite
strong power metal influence- their intense, right-on-point stage a few female-fronted metal bands, Arch Enemy is one of a handful
presence and tight musicianship made them a captivating act to that rely on musical skill and charisma over T and A.
watch.
Exodus Set List: My Apocalypse
Bonded By Blood Silent Wars By Alxs Ness
Iconoclasm Drum Solo Photo by Scott Alexander
Lesson in Violence I Will Live Again
Children of a Worthless God Dead Eyes See No Future
Piranha Bury me an Angel
Deathamphetamine Chris guitar Solo
Blacklist Michael guitar solo
War Is my Shepherd Dead Bury Their Dead
The Toxic Waltz We will Rise
Strike of the Beast Encore:
Arch Enemy Set List: Snow Bound
Intro
Nemesis
The Immortal
Fields of Desolation
Revolution Begins
Outro
Ravenous
Taking Back my Soul
The Day you Died

Live Review – Eyedea and Abilities Feat. Dosh and DJ Sage
Friday, February 5th, 2010
The Biltmore Cabaret, Vancouver, BC
Vancouver’s fans of underground Hip Hop eccentricity were
treated to a rare exhibit of skills and inspiration when Anticon’s
Dosh and Rhymesayers’ prodigies Eyedea and Abilities dropped
by the ever plush Biltmore Cabaret for an evening of well-inten-
tioned mayhem.
After a tear-the-roof-off set with DJ Sage on the ones and twos,
the ever eclectic Dosh took the stage to provide an aural canvas
of delight. Featuring the improvisational talents of Martin Dosh
and Mike Lewis the unit combines looped keys and sax with live
percussion to great effect, warming the crowd up nicely for the
ragged joys to follow.
After securing their rep on the battle circuit MC Eyedeas and DJ
Abilities have gone on to great success as one of the most on point
experimental Hip Hop duos around. Their fuzzed out, bass heavy
sound had the crowd enthralled as they tore through a set of clas-
sics from “First Born” and the more far out tracks from their latest
“By The Throat”. Eyedea’s dizzying cadences were well comple-
mented by Abilities unearthly skills on the decks, and the results
were electrifying. Rarely do artists of this caliber display such
crowd control skills, and the dynamic duo had the crowd literally
eating out of the palm of their hands.
Again, much respect to the Biltmore for being one of the dopest
venues in town, and for consistently bringing in great acts and
keeping a chill vibe overall. Spring is in the air, and Hip Hop is
bursting out everywhere.
By Dave “Corvid” McCallum
Photo by Jamie Sands
Live Review – Korpiklaani w/ Tyr, Swashbuckle, White a metal version of the Spongebob Squarepants theme and then
Live Review – P.O.S. w/ Grieves and Dessa
Wizzard & Trollband proved themselves with a terrific performance, their blazing gui-
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Sunday, January 31st, 2010 tars, thundering drums, and death metal vocals screeching their
The Biltmore Cabaret, Vancouver,
The Rickshaw Theatre, Vancouver, British Columbia way through every audience member’s eardrums.
Another evening of Rhymesayers dopeness had the Vancity
There was a word that was buzzing around the packed house at the After Swashbuckle finished it was Tyr that took the stage and
underground heads wide open, starting off with the soulful
Rickshaw Theatre in the heart of Vancouver’s scenic Downtown delivered a jolt of progressive Viking metal. Clad in armour which
sounds of Dessa’s sweet mix of Hip Hop, RnB and spoken word.
Eastside, sometimes in the form of regular conversation and more they eventually had to shed halfway through the set because they
Warming ears up with tracks from her new disc “A Badly Broken
often than not in the form of guttural howlings: Korpiklaani. were too hot from rocking so hard, the Runavik, Faroe Islands-
Code”, the Doomtree affiliate was more than eloquent enough to
have fans screaming for more. based foursome were electrifying, bounding across the stage as
Dessa’s emotive stylings politely gave way to the body rock Funk
Hop Neo-Soul of the amazing duo of Grieves and Budo. Budo’s
cascading loops, fly trumpet stylings, guitar slanging, and synth
tweaking supported Grieves like a brick foundation while the
By the time the Finnish sextet took to the stage the crowd had been they performed rousing versions of songs such as “By the Sword
26 year old MC exercised the kind of crowd control skills usu-
whipped into a state of near-frenzy and they voiced their impa- In My Hand” and “Hail To The Hammer”, during the latter of
ally only owned by those who’ve reached stadium status. Songs
tience to see the folk metal maniacs with a monstrous roar. But of which the members of White Wizzard mooned the crowd with
like “Smile For the Blade” and “I Ate Your Soul” had the crowd
course the boys from Korpiklaani weren’t the only ones ripping it the name of the song written on their butt-cheeks. Finally, with
screaming out the choruses even if they didn’t know them, and
up. The night started out with local act Trollband kicking things the crowd screaming in anticipation, Korpiklaani came out to a
with a free download of the “88 Keys and Counting” LP offered to
into gear. The keyboard-driven folk metal five-piece pumped out wall of roaring fans with their fists in the air and proceeded to just
all in attendance, the meal of Hip Hop stew served up by this duo
some tight, headbangin’ grooves that had the crowd all jacked up own the place. Their entire performance was like a big party, as
left us well satisfied.
and pumping their fists in the air. On stage they projected an air members of all the other bands all came out and drank and ate
of confidence and a casual nature with the exception of bassist/ and rabbleroused, with the members of Tyr even bringing a couch
Doomtree founder POS took the stage with a commanding air,
vocalist Sam Levitt, who seemed a man on fire, his extreme level onto the stage so they could drink their beers comfortably. From
launching without intro into several track from the ballistic new
of psychedness exuding from every bang of his head. their bombastic, singalong-style version of “Beer Beer” to their
LP “Never Better”, injecting his distinctively Punk Rock inspired
vitriol into endless barrages of deeply personal lyrics, filled with forceful rendition of “Wooden Pints”, the entire set was like one
Up next was White Wizzard, whose old school Dio/Maiden-style big free-for-all party, with every member of every band seeming
pain and poignancy. Songs like “Drumroll (We’re All Thirsty)”
rockin’ evoked images of red Trans Ams, old-style pilsner, and the like they were just having a blast, and undoubtedly the party raged
and “Purexed” incited fanatic crowd participation, while the older
bitchinest of mullets. With lead singer Wyatt “Screamin’ Demon” until the early morn’.
tracks from “Audition” and “Ipecac Neat” delved deep into POS
Anderson patrolling the stage, the guys from Los Angeles,
world of daily trials and inner strength. Despite the wear and tear
California seemed to yell “party, motherfucker!” with every bang The whole night can really be summed up with that one word:
of touring, his throaty cadence cut through the mix like a semi
of the drum, every stroke of the guitar, every vocal note hit with party. Every band seemed to just love being there. You could tell
auto, and his sung choruses displayed a vocal skill possessed by
bang-on, dope-ass versions of songs like “Out Of Control” and they loved to drink beer, loved to rock out, loved to have a good
few current MC’s.
“High Speed GTO” time and loved to play metal.
Clearly POS, and Rhymesayers in general inspire an almost Cult-
Then it was time for the pirate-metal trio that is Swashbuckle to Special thanks to the The Invisible Orange
like following, and it’s great to see that honest, authentic, personal,
board the stage for some serious thrash shreddage. With their cos-
no-bullshit Hip Hop has a solid niche in the market in which to
tumes and inflatable palm tree the New Jersey-based act hammed By A.W. Reid
thrive. With all three of the evening’s acts representing the high-
it up playing “I’m On A Boat” as they got on stage as well as doing Photo by Scott Alexander
est levels of accomplishment in their respective arts, it’s clear that
Rap still ain’t all about party and bullshit, but definitely about a
good time!!!
By Dave “Corvid” McCallum
Photo by Jamie Sands
LIve
Reviews
Continued

Live Review – Raekwon w/ guests

Thursday, February 4th, 2010
Boss Nightclub, Vancouver, BC

Rap is something you do, Hip Hop is something you live, and the
distinction between “Rap Music” and Hip Hop Culture is becom-
ing as great a divide as it was in the era of Public Enemy and
MC Hammer, unless by “Hip Hop”, one automatically imagines
a world of rampant materialism, shallow lyrical retardation, and
self-congratulatory fakeness. It’s reputation as the most utterly
bogus club in Vancouver sealed by the evening’s sausage fest,
“Boss” nightclub was host to the bastard children of “C.R.E.A.M.”
and their culture of consumption for an evening of scenesters and
wannabes.

Global Syndicate’s prepackaged East Van hustler image was well

received by a crowd of meatheads and hoochies who bought into
the hype without complaint, forfeiting their minds and asses to
a set of weak keyboard beats and Dipset rejects. If this is what
is considered “that raw Hip Hop”, as they announced themselves
to be, it’s clear that these 90’s babies have never heard of Onyx,
Gravediggaz or Cypress Hill. Has Hip Hop really become so shal-
low that what was once the soundtrack of the oppressed has come
to echo the message of the oppressor? For a moment the slaves
were freed, and then they just chose to put the chains back on
themselves?!

When the Chef Raekwon finally took the stage, the difference
between the local amateurs (complete with mic feedback…) and
a true and living master was as clear as the difference between
OG Kush and Super Wizard Smoke. Rae’s delivery was crystal,
his energy focused and his vibe elevated. With practiced skill, he
literally had the crowd in the palm of his hand, chanting along to
classic tracks like “Ice Cream” and the better part of “OBFCL”.
Despite the hypeness, one literally had to laugh out loud when he
asked all the “real niggas in the house” to make some noise, and
fans of all complexions hollered in unison.

Ultimately, does a great set justify a terrible venue and an abysmal

vibe? Only if you’re a journalist and get in free. Costing fifty bones
at the door, one should expect at least a cordial environment and
half decent sound system, and to be treated like a paying customer
and not just another cow for the slaughter. Isn’t Hip Hop sup-
posed to help diffuse feelings of aggression and violence, not make
you want to kill someone before you get in the door?

By Dave “Corvid” McCallum

Photo by Jamie sands