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 ABORT ISSUE 5
L O I TATION
INKSP
G A L L ERY
O O T I N G TSI DE
S H E E A S
F RO M TH
TA L E S
E P O IN T
TO T H R OF ILE
I S T P
ABORT
D U ND ER
21 A N
N G ED GE
CU T T I
THE
S
REVIEW

ABORT Magazine
Vol. 1 - Issue 4
Publisher/Editor-in-Chief E.S. Day
Senior Editor Grimm Culhane
Hip-Hop Editor Dave “Corvid” McCallum
Art Director/Layout Rheanna Fancypants
Senior Writer Derek Leschasin
Photo Editor E.S. Day / Grimm Culhane
Reviews Editor Grimm Culhane
Staff Writers Grimm Culhane, E.S. Day
Jimmy Lynch (Toronto),
William “Moose” Roberts,
Derrick Beckles (New York),
Calder Fertig (Calgary),
ninjoelspy., Andrew Johnston
Russ Foxx
Senior Photographer Sarah Hamilton
Staff Photographers Sarah Hamilton, Chris Webber
Toby Schuch, Jordana Hovis
Paul Michalowski, Jordana Meilluer
Owned and operated by Abort Media Publishing Corporation (AMP Corp.)
1140 Comox St. Ste 203 Vancouver, BC
Canada, V6E 1K5
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Fur Coats, Trans-fatty foods and Cigarettes to be considered for review…
editor@abortmag.com

Webdesign/Graphics John Allan –www.johnallan.ca
Contributors Mike Gilbert, FINK, Mike Boldt,
Emmylou Benson, PaperMonster
Kyle Wiltshire, Ben Carlin,
Darryl Whetung, Mark Boucher
Jamie Horlsey, Denis Maile,
Rob Koch
Intern Alexandria Lee
Cover Design and Concept Mike Gilbert and E.S. Day
mike@abortmag.com
To submit words, art, video and filth
submissions@abortmag.com
(NOTE: ABORT Magazine/ABORT TV and its copyright holders, accept no responsibility for and
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video, audio and film footage. Such material will not be returned unless accompanied by a SASE)
Tales From The Eastside™ contains pictures of people who have given consent to ABRT for use
of their likeness and comments
ABORT Magazine is
A Canadian Publication

s t
L i
Our Monthly
and the p e o p l e
to go fuck o u r s e l v e s .
Juliette Lewis
Our fave “Natural Born Thrilla” Actress turned musician
–turned guest appearance/hostess on other bands
tracks, Juliette Lewis decides she’s better off denying
ABORT an interview and spend the extra time taking
The Georgia Straight s Mike Usinger to a spelling bee
for their first date.
1. We Don’t See God – Law & Order (MCA)
2. Kool Thing - Sonic Youth (DGC)
3. Sensations – Sweetback (Sony BMG)
4. Rockin' Is Ma' Business - The Four Horsemen
(Def American)
5, If I Ever Fall in Love - Sanchez (VP)
6. Masta I.C. – Mic Geronimo (TVT)
7. Demagogue - Urban Dance Squad (Triple X)
8. I Against I - Mos Def & Massive Attack (Virgin)
9. Pocket Full of Fatcaps - Downset (PolyGram)
10. Second Bad Vibe - Autechre (Warp)
ests…
erview Requ
o l d u s
t
t
I n
o
o f
h
w
Ornette Coleman
After his jaunty little “Rest” onstage at Bonnaroo,
Pulitzer Prize winner Ornette Coleman and his mgmt felt
it would be best to just tell ABORT magazine to pucker
up, wrap our lips around his Instrument….and blow.
Actually Ornette, we leave that to the RIAA, but thanks
anyway.
Audiotopsy
Akrobatik – Absolute Value
As Mr. Lif told Abortmag personally, this is Hip Hop
history in the making, so listen the fuck up, get lifted,
and free your muthafuckin’ mind foo!!!
Triple threat and Mr. Lifs favourite up and comer W.E.
Jr., all so weeded on Backwoods over White Owls the
smoke’s so thick you can’t see through it.

A to the K” feat. B-Real Kindred” feat. Chuck D. and Brenna Gethers

Are you fucking serious? B-Real dropping “A to the
muthafucking K” on the hook and Akrobatik sounding
like a cross between Xzibit and KRS-ONE – East Coast
hardcore is back by way of Boston!
Soul Glo”
Body movin’ Rocksteady Soul, classic Jamaican
samples to get the party moving – “I got all night to
smoke weed, but for now, I know what the people
Mista Chuck intros the track like an episode of Roots
and Ak breaks down the roots of Black oppression like
a professor and a poet.
Front Steps Pt II (tough love)”
Unemployed in the hot summer, the lush soul sounds
rise up from the streets just as the young block hustlers
rise up to be legit block entrepreneurs, but only with
some schoolin’.

Beast Mode” feat Mr Lif.

need…”

Put Ya Stamp On It” feat. Talib Kweli The Perceptionists’ party track starts with Akro acapella
and bumps a Clipse style beat with Lif and Ak’s airtight
Skittery beats, stupid scratches, Ak and Kweli trading
conversational back and forths with Kweli sounding flows designed to shake asses.

If We Can’t build”
ever more blazed and breath controlled.
feat. Bumpy Knuckles
Step It Up” “Then you will be destroyed!”. Hardcore headz, middle
fingers up!
“Brute force rap” from the former fullback, over Phan-

Ak B Nimble”
tom of the Opera organ samples - he weighs in at
250lbs so you better listen.
And he sure as hell is quick. Over a ridiculous beatbox,
Rain” feat. Brenna Gethers Ak demonstrates skill so you can just “nod your head to
the beat…”
A contemplative, compassionate anthem for the down-

Back Home to You”

pressed featuring a lovely hook, something Rain City
can relate to – “God is crying ‘cause we killin’ each
other”. Over lush guitar samples, Ak’s outro is a love song and

Be Prepared” feat. Little Brother

9th Wonder brings the street funk while the trio reflect
on the rise from broke to bling and the seriousness of
the business.
a tribute to the woman behind the man. Intimate and
humble, pretty much the opposite of the front most
rappers adopt.
…Oh and there’s a bonus track that’s fucking slamming

Absolute Value”
too!!!

This disc will be on my play list for weeks to come. Big

Right, left, right, left punches of East Coast Hardcore to
up Akrobatik for keeping real Hip Hop alive! Sorry about
the jaw, Ak’s got the freestyle reps and bangers for the
the Patriots….
heads while “nobody got shit to rap about”.

Black Hell Breaks Loose”

feat. Wille Evans Jr. and Therapy
Cartoon soundtrack, kung fu samples, the Therapy
 E N T
V I NC W
THE K S leur HA D O
LA C
B na M
By Jo
eil
rda
MARILYN
MANSON
By Jordana Meille
ur JOOSE
Photo by Paul Michalowski

05
 RED 1
Photo by Paul Michalowski

M O S D EF
ul M ichalowski
Photo by Pa

06
09
RYAN WOMBACHER
Bleeding Through - Bassist Photo: Paul Michalowski

Matt From First To Last Photo: Sarah Hamilton

Paul Wall Photo: Toby Schuch

09
1
Gods
What can a new member expect fro
m God’s Girls?
A Godsgirls.com membership will give a person access to our
huge archive of photosets and videos. We have around 200
models who are selected for their good looks, their wild personali-
ties, their intelligence and their willingness/ability to be a part of
our thriving online community. Your membership fee supports the
models at their photo shoots but the friendships formed on our
site are free. That sounds sooo cheesy, but sometimes when I
think about our little community I feel pretty warm and fuzzy.

2 How are God’s Girls selected

? Is there specific criterion?
Girls from all over the world submit photographers and fill out a

l s
brief questionnaire that allows us to get a rough feel for their

Gi r
personality and wit. From there we begin a process that is meant
to weed out any major illiterates, dummies or girls who aren't quite
as pretty as our members have come to expect. Only the bright-
est, most beautiful girls get the coveted title of Gods Girls.

3 Why the name God

s Girls? Some relig
ious significance?
Yes. We are all drinking the Kool-aid and waiting for the spaceship
to take us to Heaven. Beepboopboop.

4 How does your site compare to other "alt-porn" sites?

Of course people will always make comparisons of Godsgirls to
other sites but from my experience the people who do so have
never been members of Gods Girls. The people who join can see
the big difference for themselves. Our models experience the
difference on a daily basis. We are not the same as any other site.

5 What exactly
is "alt-porn"?
I don't know. Everyone has a different idea of what
alt-porn is or should be. Gods Girls is an alt-porn
site. It is alternative because it focuses on a kind of
girl who you normally wouldn't see in adult
oriented content and also because our site
focuses on community and not solely on tits
(though tits are rampantly present) and also
on the models personalities.
 6 The Gods Girls collective is going
years soon, how much has change
on 2
d for
your viewers/readers and yourselve
s or
Gods Girls as a whole?
I couldn't tell you how our members have changed
over the last two years because it is different for
everyone. Our site has stayed pretty true to it's roots.
We are all about tons of updates, quality photosets,
hot girls and a friendly community.

7
l
u s u n d e rs ta nd the “socia
Help Girls. Is
in g ” a s pect of Gods
netw o rk ment
in fa c t s u b li minal entrap
this not ng stupid me
n?
e d u c e ” y o u
to “E-S
Well, the vast majority of our members aren't
stupid. Seduction is a two way street. Maybe we
are giving these 'young stupid men' as you called
them the opportunity to e-seduce the Gods Girl of
their choice or at least a fair try at it.
I don't think that the air of cynicism is quite as
thick on our community as your thought might
imply. It is a thriving community that is a lot of fun.
I'd also like to note that our site has about an
equal male to female ratio as far as members go.
A lot of people join and stay for the community
and the like-minded people that they will have
easy access to.

8 Will there be more Gods Girls app

the music industry and/or charita
earances involving
ble work?
The future could hold any number of things for us. We are often
involved with concerts, event promotion and with music videos. We do
have a charity project in the works that will benefit breast cancer
research and people who have been effected by breast cancer.

9 What can we expect from Gods Gir

ls TV?
We have been involved in a lot of exciting TV stuff with Vlaze.com
(formerly Musicplustv.com) in the past that we really enjoyed. We
also did some appearances with Dave Navarro on his internet TV
show amongst others. We are looking forward to breaking into
other people's studios in the future and blessing them with our
unruly presence.

10 Any tours planned?

No. We don't have any plans to organize a tour. Canada
already does see many Gods Girls. We have a ton of models
in Canada and a ton of members from Canada. You will
probably pass a Gods Girl in the street sometime soon.

11 xox Annaliese RIP M.H.M. 5/5/27 – 6/23/07

 ALES FROM TH
This page: photos by CHRIS WEBBER
ASTSID
HELL ON WHEELS

This page: photos by TOBY SCHUCH 13

 ALES FROM THE EASTSID

photos by

WEBBER
CHRIS
À LA CAR

15
Del The Fun k y H o m o s a p i e n
lo joints
ou nd wi th De ltr on an d Go rillaz, not to mention the so
After breaking gr Fu nk y Ho mosapien has done it again.
ste rm in d De l Th e
Hieroglyphics ma
has
iti ve Ju x, tou r, an d sti ll po unding out the comics, Del
A new album via Defin e- in sp iri ng lyrics and beats that to this da
y,
oth er wa ve of aw
indeed set the tone for an with.
are still a force to be reckoned

um sa t do wn wi th th e ma n at the “Del Hotel” kicked

ABORT’s Dave”Corvid McCall es ting breakdown of Del in ‘08
t an d lis ten ed to an in ter
up his fee
Corvid: Corvid here with Del The Funky Homosapien.
DEL: Mm hmmm
CORVID: How’s it going today sir? how’s it feel to be in Vancity
man?
DEL: Chilling man, we just got here man.
CORVID: Well, were glad you made it man. So well let’s see, what’s
new with Del man? Last time you were here was like five years
ago. I don’t know if you've done any shows here since then?
working on too. Worked on some stuff with APLUS & AAGEE,
both of them is called “Compound 7” and they did an EP for me
called LED which is DEL spelt backwards. That’s a seven song EP
so that’s finished, did “11th Hour” and been studding music
theory for the past seven years.
CORVID: Nice, nice what have you been working on?
DEL: Oh you mean what kind of courses? Oh you know just basic
music theory
CORVID: Yeah.

DEL: Naw, I haven't been out here in a million man. Been work- DEL: Just so I know the A, B, C’s of what I was doing you know cuz
ing on the new album “11th Hour” you know, that’s primarily what it was all by ear.
I’ve been working on. I have a couple other projects I’ve been
CORVID: Yeah, yeah. So you did that on your own?
DEL: Yeah I did it on my own. I just bought ever single music book
I could find you know? Try to just absorb any new information, try
to avoid any little, you know, rudimentary or whatever that was
given to you at school and stuff. I wanted to avoid all that. I
wanted to get to the core of what is it really about? I felt like it was
obscure by like teachers and stuff.
CORVID: Yeah.
DEL: Which it was, so I’m glad I just did it myself. I learned a lot
with in like a few years.
CORVID: So does that mean you’re doing a lot of production on
your new albums and such this year?
DEL: Oh yeah, I did a lot of the production anyway before, but I
think it’s a lot better now. I wanted it definitely to be more palat-
able to the average person’s ear. I didn’t want so much discord
you know, I wanted things to be little smoother, so to do that I had
to learn a lot of music theory courses, but it’s cool.
CORVID: So what kind of gear are you working on?
DEL: Truthfully I use the PC for music primarily, but I got the Mac
too you know cause I don’t need so much stuff with the Mac to get
it to operate, you know what I’m saying?
CORVID: Yeah
DEL: You know with the PC I need all these outside peripherals to
get it to work. With a Mac I can just plug it in a speaker… I’m cool,
you know what I’m saying? The only thing about the Mac is that it
doesn’t have as much, not even nearly as much software as the PC
has. I feel kind of like a little bit of a pinch as far as what I could do
with it, but there’s more software coming out for it now so it’s not
as bad as it used to be. Before, I couldn’t even use a Mac for music
at all. Now you know I’m a little bit more comfortable with it, as
more products have been crossed over to the Mac? That’s what I
use primarily though is the computer.
CORVID: So “11th Hour,” that is coming out soon, is it scheduled
for release right now? I think I read October something like that?
DEL: Yeah probably something like that.
CORVID: Probably yeah.
DEL: It’s done, now it’s just a matter of finding the avenue that
will maximize the potential of that release. Now there’s a few
things I’ve been working on that I don’t wanna speak on too
much.
CORVID: Naw man, keep it a secret, keep it a surprise man. The
world’s definitely waiting for more Del. Now I gotta ask this
because everyone wanted me to ask this, Gorillaz, any chance of
that happening again?
DEL: Actually, to tell you the truth, me being on the first Gorillaz
was like a once in a life time thing in the first place. I was never
written into Gorillaz. The way that that happened was that me and
Dan the Automator were finishing up the Deltron project and he
happened to be finishing up Gorillaz at the same time. He had
been telling me about it while working on Deltron. So he had the
song already, “Clint Eastwood.” He already had the song and had
a rapper on it, but he didn’t particularly dig that, you know what
I’m saying?
CORVID: Yeah
DEL: Basically he knew I could write a rap in like five minutes or
so and it'd be good, so he was like “you think you could do some-
thing with this,” and actually I didn’t even wanna do it cuz I was so
17
burnt out and tired from Deltron. It was so late at night, I felt like
saying “naw man, just take me home dude, I just wanna go to
sleep,” but he was like “man you know you could do this you
know,” trying to convince me so I was like “alright I’ll do it.” And
that’s how that happened. It was never a thing where like they
came at me and were like “Del man, we need you for this album.”
Automator just needed something that worked there right then
and there, I happened to be there, knew I could do it so that’s how
it worked. So as far as another Gorillaz, if they come hollered at
me, but they never came hollered at me in the first place so it was
a chance I’m getting, so that’s how that worked out.
CORVID: That’s cool too because through that chance you kinda
crossed over and there’s a lot of people who know Del, and there’s
not even a lot of real hip hop heads who know Gorillaz.
DEL: Lemmie just say that not that I have anything against the
Gorillaz, the artists that drew the art for Gorillaz he also used to
draw Tank Girl back in the day and that’s one of my favorite comic
books from back in the day, so believe me I don’t have anything
against Gorillaz. I thought off the bat the art was tight, and just to
see that artist get bigger like that cuz he was always on the fringe
you know? They even had the Tank Girl movie, but they didn’t
freak it like they needed to you know what I’m saying? He's dope
man, so I wasn’t mad at that at all you know? I was geeking off the
pictures from when Automator was showing them. He gave me a
book of the Gorillaz when like they first started doing it, he got me
a book of all the art. He's like “check this out, you think this is
cool?” and I was like “this is JAY!” He’s like “oh yeah yeah” you
know how Automater is, "oh yeah, yeah we’re working with him
too?”
CORVID: (Laughter)
DEL: That’s how Automater would talk, like it was just a matter of
fact. "Yeah I was eating dinner with Russell Simmons over there,
he’s a funny guy man," you know what I’m saying? He's just a
wheeler and dealer.
CORVID: (laughter)
DEL: But shit man, I just wanted to say that though cuz I didn’t
want to get misconstrued or nothing man. I feel Gorillaz, that’s all
good, but they didn’t come at me so it’s not like it’s my say
whether or not I’m gonna be on another one. I wouldn't mind, as
long as they didn't take too much out of me. They asked me to go
on the road with them for the first Gorillaz and I was like I can’t do
that, there cartoon characters. How can I go on the road for some-
thing that isn't real, that’s not there? They only exist on the
record. They were like "well, um, we know that, but we’re trying
to make it possible" and I’m like, “naw, I can’t do that.” Plus I
didn’t want my name to get too associated with Gorillaz, like
that’s what I do, cuz that’s not the type of music I do. No disre-
spect, its tight, but that ain't the type of music that I do, that’s not
particularly the type of music that I sit around listening to. I
didn’t want it to get misconstrued from people that peeped me on
that and be like thinking like that’s what Del do. So I did wanna to
make a separation there, but Gorillaz is cool, but I don’t want
people to expect that when they get a Del album and then be
disappointed next time.
CORVID: Cool, with Dan the Automator, doing any work with him
lately?
DEL: Actually the new Deltron album is done. Musically its done.
CORVID: No shit?
DEL: That’s musically its done, you know what I’m saying? I did
like a couple songs. I still need to write the lyrics for the songs,
but I need to be in the right frame of mind to do it. Basically, when
I wrote the first one I was young and had a lot of free time on my
hands, which ain't the case no more. Like every moment of my
life is taken up trying to handle some kinda business of some
sort. To get back into that childish frame of mind, or youthful
frame of mind I should say, is hard, you know what I’m saying?
But we'll see if I can do it or not. I mean I got a whole script for the
whole album you know so thematically what I wanted to be, so I
just gotta sit down and write, it you know? So I wrote like two or
three songs already, course there’s like sixteen, so you know once
I get into the mode it won’t take me longer than two or three
weeks to write it It don’t take me long to write, I just have to be in
that zone to do it you know, and that album in particular for me it
feels like it needs to have more substance cause the first one
didn’t have much substance as far as I was concerned.
CORVID: Really?
DEL: Not really. I basically was freestyling with a
lot of big words, but I’m still just about
MC’in. I still had some songs that had some
kind of topic to it, but for the most part I was
And this album, I wanted
just going off.
it to have more substance, so if some-
one wanted to sit and peep it at a park and be
like ok, it look like this on the surface, but if
you really listen to it he's not really talking
about nothing. I didn’t want nobody to do it,
cuz people tried to do this with the first Del-
tron. They’re like its cool and stuff and there trying to look at it
like it’s a novel or something, but it ain’t though. He’s really just
freestyling, and using a lot of futuristic terminology, but that’s
pretty much it. Its great or whatever, but he ain’t saying that
much. Don’t get it twisted like its more, that what it is and I had to
bill that like it ain’t, cause I didn’t expect it to be, but now it’s out

there you know? I just feel like the next one needs to be more
substantial since now it’s an ongoing thing. Ok, I need to make it
more now. You know I just feel like it’s a responsibly for the
people listening, for that particular project it takes time. Other
stuff it doesn’t take that much time, it doesn’t take that much
research for one. The first Deltron took a lot of research. I was
reading all kinds of scientific magazines like Omni and such,
watching a lot of anime while reading a lot of manga or comic
books and stuff, taking notes. All that took a lot of time, though it
didn’t seem like it took a lot of time, it took hours but you know
that’s what I was into. I don’t have time for that now, like reading.
Hopefully I have some time to read something’s every now and
then, but I can’t read things like I used to. Its unfortunate. I do
most of my reading online on the computer.
CORVID: You know that’s where that cross over comes in. A lot of
people that don’t even usually listen to hip hop they know Deltron.
DEL: Yeah, they praise Deltron like "man you did
so much for hip hop man, you’re like a
new frontier" and I’m like “ok man that’s
cool, I can dig that.” But that’s kinda' why I wanna
take it to a new level so it'll really be
there, but they trippin' off the other one.
I want it to really be there cuz after a while when they really start
listening to it a little bit more it’s not gonna be as tight as they
thought it was. So I’m like the next one, lemmie really put some-
thing in there a little bit more so seven or eight years after they
listen back to it, it'll be like they remembered it was. You know
when you listen to some stuff in the eighties and then listen to it
now and it seemed like it was so dope back then and now it’s like
I remember it was dope back then, but shit’s grown so much since
then. So I wanna grow you know what I’m saying?
CORVID: That’s cool man, it’s cool that you feel the responsibility
to step it up too. A lot of artists kind of just maintain.
DEL: Yeah well I feel like it’s about me and whoever is listening to
it to, you know cuz we can’t function with people getting into it
you know.
Del The Funky Homosapien will appear the Def Jux
Showcase during SXSW Conference alsongide EL-P ,
Dizzee Rascal and more
His New Album “The 11th Hour” Is In Stores March 11,
2008 via Def Jux
19
My name is

Emelie Jensen
I´m 24 years old.

My specialty is pinups, New School Tattoo

Art and Japanese Tattoo Art.

I live/work in a small town called Norrköping, in Sweden.

No date set yet, but sometime this autumn I will have an

exhibition in Norrköping, Sweden, at the Scandia
Theatre. More info about the exhibition will come up on
bettieboner.deviantart.com
 Well I started drawing from that day I could hold
a pencil in my hands. In the beginning, when I
was around 13 years old I drew mostly nature
art, like birds
and landscapes. I got into the tattoo art when I
was about 16. But the “flash” (if I even can call
it flash) I did back then wasn’t really good. I
tried running around at different tattoo conven-
tions and sell my stuff, not with any bigger
success though. When I was 18, I dropped out
of school and started an apprenticeship at a
tattoo parlor in Linköping, Sweden.
I lasted there for almost 2 years, but couldn’t
still decide what to do with my life/talent. So I
quit my apprenticeship and started working
instead. Still today, I´m only a tattoo flash artist,
not a tattoo artist which still is my dream to
become one day I´m an artist with big ambi-
tions, maybe to big, and that makes me a bit
clueless about my future. To many ideas turns
into nothing.

Still the tattoo art amazes me, and to one day

make my art more alive one someones skin is
my biggest dream. Till then I’ll continue to make
other peoples dreams come true, by drawing
them the art they either want in their skin or just
to enjoy on their walls.

bettieboner.deviantart.com

21
THE

photos by Chris Webber

brought to you by

23
THE
 LIVE REVIEWS
Whi tey w/ Jones Bones and New World on Fire
Saturday December 1st, 2007
Pub 340, Vancouver, BC
A good portion of Chilliwack showed up in Vancouver
Saturday for a night of musical madness at Pub 340, and
why not? If the smell of agriculture weren’t reason
enough to scare you out of “The Green Heart of the
Province,” catching sets by Jones Bones, New World On
Fire and Whitey just might do the trick.
East Van natives Jones Bones lead off the night with a
rapid fire set of BC’s “other” finest export, good tunes.
Their chunky, metal laden mayhem could give The Dead
Boys a run for their money, if in fact The Dead Boys
weren’t already dead (well… Stiv Bators anyway). Their
set was reminiscent of early incarnations of punk and
reminded me why I still love the genre. Bravo!
Newly reformed and back in action (thank fucking GOD!),
New World On Fire got the place jumping with a raucous
set of in-your-face Gaelic folk tunes. Nah, I’m just fucking
with you, New World On Fire are heavy duty all the way
baby! Limited practise time before the gig didn’t affect
the power and presence these guys brought to their set
one bit. After a 14 month hiatus I’d be wanting to kick
some serious ass too! Check them out when you can,
you won’t regret it.
WHITEY
knows exactly
what it takes to
WD
WORK A CRO
ZY
INTO A FREN
there.
and keep them
Finally the horned devils of mighty Whitey were up. With
enough people on stage to start a small country, the
members of Whitey and their punk/ska/rock stylings set
out to entertain and conquer and that’s exactly what they
did. Well crafted, infectious tunes kept the audience
moving and grooving, something obviously familiar to the
congregated crowd of cheering Chilliwackians. By
trading off lead vocals, equally talented Colin and Joe
kept things fresh, while the horn section of Cole, Mike
and Bryce (who seconds on keyboards) truly bring this
band alive without overpowering the other members.
Kudos go to drummer Paul as well, as solid a stick
handler as any I’ve seen this season.
It became quite obvious as the night wound down,
Whitey knows exactly what it takes to work a crowd into
a frenzy and keep them there. If you are in the mood to
drink and groove than it doesn’t get much better than
this! Scads of Chilliwackites can’t be wrong.
Big thanks to Pub 340 for bringing this one together.
By Grimm Culhane
photo: Sarah Hamilton
 IT WAS A
to see him FUCKING
all wailing TRIP
out on sta
DREADS ge,
with that
crazy ratt
FLYING,
le in his th
JUST LIK roat
E DAD H
AD.

Next up was the duet “The Conversa-

tion”, which featured Ky-Mani trading
lines (and moves) with one of his
gorgeous backup singers on the topic
of love amidst the struggle.

The band next launched into the

unmistakable opening bars of “No
Woman No Cry” and it was seriously a
moving moment to see and hear
Bob’s son, the spitting image and
voice of his father, tear into this
classic. Some of the motionless
chumps in the audience even seemed
to register some appreciation for this
rare moment.

After some of his R+B flavoured

material, Ky-Mani ended the short (35
min.) set with “I Shot The Sheriff”, and
again it was a fucking trip to see him

Ky-Mani Marley w/Van all wailing out on stage, dreads flying,

H alen
with that crazy rattle in his throat just
like dad had. Did these lifeless fucking
Wednesday, December 5, 2007 corpses in the front row care one bit,
General Motors Place - Vancouver, BC or did they just think he was covering
an Eric Clapton song? Morons.
Anyway, even if greatness is not
After chilling on the bus and blazing jah herb with Ky-Mani, the goons at recognized it’s still greatness, and
GM place still wouldn’t let us in without an escort. But whatever, moments what does Ky-Mani care? He’s
later we were backstage with the band watching the giant Van Halen famous and awesome already.
balloons inflate.
Oh, and as for Van Halen, we weren’t
Ky-Mani and his killer band kicked it off with a rippin’ version of “Roots, allowed to stay for their show even
Rock, Reggae”, followed by the street anthem “The March” from his latest with our proper credentials, so fuck
album “Radio”. Ky-Mani brought the groove right down so that the those toothless old booze hags who
audience could hear the intense and brilliant lyrics, but judging from the can’t remember the lyrics to their own
faces of the crowd much of its significance was lost on these clueless songs anyway.
middle-age motherfuckers (Hey you described half the staff - Ed)
By Dave “Corvid” McCallum
photo: Sarah Hamilton

29

Shonen Knife w/ The Juliet
Da
and Verona G gger
rove
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Richard’s on Richards - Vancouver
Happy fun time at Richard’s last Thursday as Shonen
Knife returned to town after a two year (and eight month)
hiatus. Practicing their style of fast, garage grooviness
with all-girl charm, Shonen Knife have been doing what
they do for 25 years now and show absolutely no signs of
slowing down. Bringing with them The Juliet Dagger and
Verona Grove, it was a high energy night of Fun! Fun!
Fun!
Show starting Verona Grove poured out some edgy,
emo-rific tunes. All three members were into their set
even though the response wasn’t huge. Seems they were
saving it up for Shonen Knife.
The Juliet Dagger kicked things into upper gear ratios
next with a set of solid hard-rock. Lead singer/guitarist
Erin Roberts (with a rotating cast of characters) lifts this
band well above the average with her dominant voice
and catchy song arrangements. Its nice to hear rock and
roll trimmed of its fat and kicked out so well. I’d keep an
eye out for this band, Erin has that star quality for sure.
LIVE REVIEWS
Finally, after only two years (and eight months) of waiting,
it was, in lead singer Naoko’s words, rock time! Backing
their latest North American album ‘Genki Shock’ (and
their new Japanese release ‘Fun! Fun! Fun!’), Shonen
Knife climbed up on stage and worked their magic. Infec-
tious and always fun, in matching outfits with big, big
smiles, Shonen Knife played some of the tightest, fastest
and grooviest songs this side of Osaka. Tunes like
Konnichiwa, Fruits & Vegetables and the always favourite
Twist Barbie got those in attendance smiling and dancing
and singing along. One encore was certainly not enough,
but then how does one ever get their fill of this much fun?
After their set (and armed with impeccable manners) they
took the time to greet the audience and signed a whole
mess of autographs. Still a band of the people.
Definitely not just a novelty act, the three talented women
of Shonen Knife have been able to do something other
female bands (or just plain “bands” for that matter)
haven’t been able to do in the predominately male music
scene, last. 25 years and counting with no end in sight,
Shonen Knife is not only infectious, cute and fun, but
truly inspiring as well. Happy fun time indeed!
By Grimm Culhane Photo: Sarah Hamilton
Ne c ro w/ Danny Diablo, Psycho Realm
and Riviera Regime
Saturday, Jan 19, 2008
The Underground, Calgary, AB
Not letting brutal winter conditions deter him, Necro hit
Calgary’s Underground on January 19 to support his
latest Psycho+Logical/KOCH release, “Death Rap.” The
hype for the sold-out show was palpable, with fans lining
up outside of the venue hours in advance despite the
night’s sub-zero temperatures. When the doors finally did
open, the venue was flooded with hardcore fans, some
even brandishing rubber skull masks in the vein of the
cover art for Necro’s “The Pre-Fix for Death.” Punks,
goths, preps, jocks, Pitchfork readers, hip-hop fans and
metalheads filled up the small club, and the party was on.

The first act of the night was Canada’s own Riviera

Regime (part of Necro’s Psycho+Logical label), who had
the entire club going nuts before they even started their
first track.

The Regime were followed by New York’s Danny Diablo,

self-proclaimed international hardcore superstar and a
pioneer in the thugcore movement, promoting his latest
release “Thugcore 4 Life.” Mixing hardcore with hip-hop,
Diablo and Ceekay (The Shotblockers) along with DJ
Stress nearly tore down the stage, literally. Yanking
violently on a ceiling-mounted camera, DD’s face was
projected across every screen in the club as he spit out
his personal brand of gravel-filtered venom into the mic.
Diablo’s onstage demeanor was more Hatebreed than
hip-hop, which is fitting due to his numerous
Ruiner w/ Broadway Calls and JAWS
Wednesday, January 16th, 2008
collaborations with Hatebreed’s Jamey Jasta. La Casa Del Artista - Vancouver, BC
Next up were L.A’s Psycho Realm, launching a
three-M.C. attack over heavy, old-school breaks.
The show took place at the Mexican themed La Casa Del
Echoing groups like Cypress Hill, Psycho Realm’s set
Artista. With sombreros and trumpets on the wall, I was
was taut, yet laid back, with tracks like “Showdown”
fully prepared for a mariachi band to take the stage whilst
locking the crowd up front into place. But even though
throwing tacos at the crowd. Instead of this madness,
their tracks weren’t necessarily as heavy as the previous
Slingshot hit the stage. This young bunch of Surrey
act, the members of Psycho Realm put a ton of energy
punks started the night off right with a great brand of fast
into their set, and the crowd seemed to feed off of it.
skater punk, accompanied with some hilarious banter
Finally, with the now sauna-like club taking on a between songs. Noice.
morgue-like appearance as cold air flowed in from an
open door, Necro took the stage with Klee from Riviera Next up, Jaws. I found myself wondering if they had
Regime on backing vocals. With the crowd’s breath named their band after a shark or the Mongoloid with the
visible through their cheers, Necro delivered a killer, giant chompers from that James Bond movie? All this
genre-slashing set. With tracks spanning a number of his was lost on their first note. Jaws were a punishing metal
albums, from Death Rap and The Pre-Fix for Death to assault that let up for no one. In between songs the
The Sexorcist, Necro had the crowd moshing one singer told the crowd, “if I push you, just punch me in the
second and dry humping in the club’s booths the next. face” and the band all agreed. There was pushing, but
The newer songs kept the crowd just as engaged as his nobody took him up on his offer.
older tracks, with his razor-sharp, hyper-speed rapping
never missing a beat throughout the entire set. Broadway Calls. What does it call for? Apparently, some
high energy pop punk. These guys bounced around the
After the show, all four acts hit the floor of the club and stage offering up some great catchy tunes, while the kids
mingled with the crowd, but it wasn’t long until last call sang along smiling ear to ear. Once they started playing
hit and the venue finally emptied out. And with that it was they barely stopped for a drink. Throw in a Kid Dynamite
over, with nothing but a floor full of broken glass and cover and I’m happy. My only beef was that someone
bloody paper towels left as a reminder. near by kept rippin’ ass. Just because you’re going to
By Calder Fertig Photo: Mike Boldt spend your night in a crowded Mexican flavoured room
doesn’t mean you have to have a Mexican flavoured
dinner before you arrive. (cont)

31
I was impressed with Ruiner before they even started
playing. This was because one of their guitarists wore the
best cutoff jean shorts I have ever seen (did you get his
number? –Ed). I became doubly impressed once they
started playing. It was fast hardcore punk with an
emphasis on the hardcore. The singer was a red headed,
red faced, ball of fury. He would fly back and forth on the
stage like a rabid dog while chewing on his mic chord.
Their songs were epic, and I found myself purchasing a
CD because of this.
I love a show where they don’t mic the amps and just
crank ‘em up to ten. This was a perfect room for that with
its size and intimate feel. The lineup was versatile if
anything, with something for everyone. Next show they
ought to sell bean burritos and turn it into a real fart fest.
By Denis Maile Photo: Jordana Hovis
survived, but Lif’s world and perspective have been
forever changed. A new intensity is apparent in the
handful of new tracks he blessed us with, and in the
overall energy of his magnetic performance.
DJ Therapy warmed us up for the arrival of the dreaded
one, and when he took the stage like a mutant sorcerer to
drop gems from “I Phantom”, the crowd was immediately
hypnotized. Fellow Perceptionist Akrobatik soon joined
Lif to kick airtight back and forth verses of life, live,
politics and apocalypse until the air was thick with lyrics
and sub bass. Ak’s flow is amazingly quick and fluent,
with an Old School growl and the chest to belt it out, and
the interplay between him and Lif is clearly influenced by
their days playing college football together.
Therapy himself (“The Triple Threat”) kicked some stellar
flows and with three MC’s rocking it the crowd was fully
hyped. The highest point for me was “Brothaz” off
“Mo’Mega” – “brothaz it’s time to bust – SHOTS!!!” – an
incendiary message to look outward at the source of
oppression in an age of violence turned inward. I’m not
sure how much of Lif and Ak’s Molotov cocktail of lyrics
really resonated with the downtown audience, but the
simple fact is that this shit rocks hard, and you can’t help
but feel it.
Real Hip Hop with all the lyrics and without the fashion,
the Perceptionists are once again on top of my list of
artists who will carry Hip Hop into a future worth living.
Thanks to Sean and Spectrum Events.

Mr. Lif w/ The Perceptionists

By Dave “Corvid ” McCallum Photo: Chris Webber

Tuesday, Jan 22/08

Richard’s on Richard’s, Vancouver, BC

Just signed to Classified’s Halflife Records, Toronto’s

D.O. has the skills and material to make a great name for
himself in Canada and beyond. The holder of the
Guinness Book of World Records title for world’s longest
freestyle (at 8 hours 45 min.!!!) spits hype flows
reminiscent of Ghostface, and freestyled on topics
delivered by the audience. Even with the audience
growing impatient for Mr. Lif, D.O. stood tall and gave a
thorough demonstration of his powers as an MC.

Since Lif’s last appearance at Sonar supporting the

Perceptionist’s “Black Dialogue” album a couple years
back, he released the blistering “Mo’Mega”, - and Joe Keithley & his Band of Rebels
finished the tour with his bus rolling over a forty foot Thursday, Dec. 6, 2007
embankment and bursting into flames! Miraculously all Plaza Club - Vancouver

LIVE REVIEWS
It’s hard to believe that a man referred to more often than Enemy”, and Randy Rampage and Wimpy Roy, former
not as “Shithead” became one of Vancouver’s musical, DOA members, even joined in with the band. The encore
cultural and political icons, and is still going strong, but was definitely the highlight of the night, and a reason to
there it is. Joe “Shithead” Keithley might not often be be thankful not all rockers meet an early demise through
discussed during a family dinner, like David Suzuki, but drugs/drivebys/suicide etc. Keithley looked just the way
he’s still one of the city’s most recognizable names. you would want to see a musician: like he was having
Keithley has fronted legendary punk band D.O.A. for fun. Let’s hope he keeps on having fun making music,
many years now, so it was probably inevitable that he because he sure as hell is enjoyable on stage.
would record a solo album, which came out this fall,
By By Derek Leschasin Photo: Toby Schuch/Rize Photo
self-titled “Joe Shithead Keithley and His Band of
Rebels”. Keithley enlisted the help of several musicians
from outside DOA to record the album, which is a bit of a
departure from his other band’s punk rock styling’s;
incorporating elements of funk, reggae and straight up
rock and roll.
On December 6, at the Plaza Club, the band held the
official release party for the album, and the event was
also a benefit for marijuana activist Marc Emery, who is
facing serious legal problems and extradition to the
United States for selling marijuana seeds online. Before
Keithley and his band came on stage, Emery gave a short
speech about his plight, and Aging Youth Gang played a
lengthy opening set of snotty, mediocre punk rock,
including one of the worst Buzzcocks covers I’ve ever
heard, as well as a fairly decent Clash cover.
The evening began with a fairly sparse attendance, but
the Plaza began to fill up towards the end of Aging Youth
Gang’s set. The audience was a mix of younger people
and middle agers who probably knew DOA from their
youth. It’s not common to see that kind of age mixing at
such an event, and it was nice to see. Thanks to Emery’s
presence, it was also nice to hear some kind of political

issue mentioned at a punk rock show – something I
haven’t experienced much in the last few years.
When Keithley and his entourage hit the stage, they
played a long and energetic set of material from the new
release, including more straight-up songs like “When
Power Came to Canada” as well as danceable tunes
such as “Armageddon Time”. It wasn’t D.O.A.-style stuff,
but Keithley’s energy on stage showed that the old
master can still keep his audience enthralled. The back-
ing band was a spectacle as well, sometimes consisting
of seven or eight other musicians, including keyboards,
back-up vocals, saxophone and trumpet, and two drum-
mers. The only flaw was that it was very difficult to hear
the horns.
After finishing their set with a cover of “Born to Be Wild”,
the band returned on stage for an encore featuring DOA
material, including “Marijuana Motherfucker” and “The
Amon Amarth
w/ Sonic Syndicate
and Gross Misconduct
Friday, Dec.14, 2007
Croation Cultural Centre - Vancouver
Fist fights, Viking lore, and no mercy. This basically
summed up Friday evening at the Croatian Cultural
Centre in terms of both performances and attendees. A
sweaty, bloody and savage capacity crowd pulled many
punches as the music and atmosphere fueled rowdy
mosh-pits and fist fights to break out at any given
moment and any given place (although sometimes
difficult to tell the two apart).
Getting things started off (late addition) were local thrash
juggernauts Gross Misconduct. The Vancouver natives’
first show in front of such a sizable audience had them
greeted warmly with supportive devil horns and lighters
(cont)

33
being raised appropriately. Unleashing technical thrash
in the vein of Slayer, At The Gates and Mastodon to a
receptive crowd must of been a great feeling and surely
a sign of things to come.
Attempting to satisfy anyone’s need for hooks was
Swedish sextet Sonic Syndicate. Offering metal heavily
favouring the melodic styling of brethren Soilwork and In
Flames (even some of Bleeding Through’s more melodic
offerings, as death metal organs were prevalent), with a
twin guitar and dual vocal approach, these Scandinavians
were not greeted so warmly. Being that the harsh vocals
were used more to accompany and emphasize the
prominent melodies, a noticeable margin of the audience
displayed their impatience with boos and tossing objects
(mostly water bottles) at the band. Much to the band’s
dismay, as drenched vocalist promptly flipped the
culprits. Regardless, Sonic Syndicate maintained
composure and pressed on through their set. Given the
right setting and crowd they are such to find their fans in Circle Jerks w/ Bison and
ing Youth Gang
Friday January 18, 2007 Ag
North America; unfortunately this Vancouver crowd was
not the right target.
Commodore Ballroom - Vancouver
To the sheer joy of the fans, whose chorus of chants filled
the gap between sets, emerged Amon Amarth in true Everything old is… well, still pretty old, but on Friday
epic fashion, unleashing their brutal Viking-metal to the night at the Commodore nobody gave a shit, the Circle
masses. Delivering fully, both on a musical and theatrical Jerks were in town! Secretly disguised as their own road
front, these bearded warriors hit the stage donning crew, the boys dragged their gear all the way from
medieval garb and spouting tales of early Scandinavia. Hermosa Beach to show us Vancouverites just what one
Spanning tracks highlighting much of their career, they of the most preeminent punk bands from the early days
unleashed “Death In Fire”, “Fate Of Norns”, “Down The of the L.A. scene can still do, rock fucking hard! They
Slopes of Death”, “Thousand Years of Oppression” and players may have aged some, but judging from the huge
“The Sound of Eight Hooves”. Never missing a beat, as age variance in the crowd gathered, their music is as
even segues were played perfectly, lead vocalist Johan relevant as ever. Not bad for a bunch of guys who’ve
Hegg set up each tale in over-the-top fashion. With been playing some of the most influential punk music
set-pieces including a line of Vikings filling the back of since 1979.
the stage, emblem-bearing shields hanging as
bookmarks from the ceiling, and Viking-horn shaped Aging Youth Gang (who seem to be “aging” gracefully as
goblets toasted to the crowd, Amon Amarth brought well) lit the fuse on this night’s powder keg with some
metal and theatrics in equally satisfying measure. abrasive, no non-sense “fuck-you-if-you-don’t-like”
punk. With feet firmly set in old school sensibilities,
(Note: Amon Amarth also enjoyed receiving their first
Sandy Beach, Zero Tolerance, El Furioso and Boom
Gold DVD presented to them on stage by Metal Blade
Boom (the drummer, of course) really know how to tear a
Records - Ed)
strip off a crowd and leave them wanting more. I wonder
if Sandy still has that lumpy couch I used to crash on
By Andrew Johnston Photo: Paul Michalowski
when my old band played in town? And hey, El Furioso,
get a bastard you haircut!

The big surprise of the night was local band Bison filling
out the bill. Having not seen Bison live before I can now
faithfully submit that these guys kick supreme ass!
Stoner metal (the likes of which you’ve never heard
before) filled the senses of those in attendance with a
calm, serene feeling, a feeling that only a bout of violent

LIVE REVIEWS
moshing could remedy. Monster anthems with some of
the best solo work this side of the border; Bison has a
knack for finding a groove and turning it into a war trum-
peting battle cry no one can resist.
Finally, to monstrous cheers, Circle Jerks sauntered out
on stage. You really have to give it to a band that’ve been
doing the same thing for nearly 30 years and are able to
keep it as fresh as day one. The energy and force exuded
by lead singer Keith Morris, guitarist Greg Hetson, bass
player Zander Schloss (remember him from “Repo
Man”?) and drummer Kevin Fitzgerald puts most bands
half their age to shame, shame, shame. With songs like
“Back Against the Wall,” “Leave Me Alone” and “I Wanna
Destroy You” its not hard to see just why they remain as
relevant now as they were “back in the day.”
It’s so great to live in a city where bands like the Circle
Jerks can come and play and get the recognition they
fully deserve. Let’s hope they return soon.
By Grimm Culhane Photo: Jordana Meilleur
Gallows w/ This is H
ell
and Cancer
Sunday, January. 27, 2008 Bats
The Plaza Club - Vancouver BC
The line-up on January 27 at the Plaza Club promised an
intense evening. With Long Island hardcore band “This is
Hell” opening, Toronto’s “Cancer Bats” following up and
England’s “Gallows” headlining, it was no surprise that
an early all-ages show on a Sunday night attracted more
than a respectable turnout.
“This is Hell” did a great job of building up the energy in
the club, seeming to suffer not at all from being in the
traditionally unenviable position of opening for the
headliners. Too often it can be difficult to hear an opening
band above the roar of conversation from a disinterested
audience, but “This is Hell” made their presence felt
through their set of fast, intense hardcore.
An opening act is still an opening act, however, so
“Cancer Bats” picked up on the energy in the room and
doubled it. It’s no surprise that this band has been
receiving a lot of attention lately, especially if all their
performances are this energetic. Drawing from their 2006
release “Birthing the Giant” as well as unreleased tracks
from their upcoming album “Hell Destroyer”, frontman
Liam Cormier lept around the stage with the crowd at his
complete control, and the band solidly behind him.
Judging by the new songs, “Hell Destroyer” is going to
kick everyone’s ass at least as much as the band’s previ-
ous release has done.
With the Canadians having set the mood, the stage was
ready for a band that has far more buzz floating around it
than virtually anyone deserves. Except for a spot on last
year’s Warped Tour, Gallows had never played Vancou-
ver before and it was clear that this was the band most
were at the venue to see. So it was a little odd to see the
band looking subdued throughout their first two songs,
and frontman Frank Carter appearing exhausted or ill
and seeming to lean on his mic stand for support.
Carter wouldn’t let the show continue without explaining
that he had seriously injured his back at the band’s
appearance in L.A. Admitting he hadn’t been to a doctor
“because I’m a pussy”, Carter said the band had needed
to make the choice of cancelling the tour or continuing
on in an inferior mode.
Maybe circumstances like this can really expose a
band’s mettle, because despite the fact that Carter
appeared to be in genuine pain and essentially confined
to the area around his mic stand, Gallows soldiered on
and seemed to pick up on the energy in the room, turning
what at first looked to be a disappointing, mediocre set
into something that at least hinted at the chaos this band
could potentially create on stage.
While fans had to be somewhat disappointed, there was
definitely no shortage of support in the room and Carter
and the rest of the band have to be respected for sticking
to the tour and playing their music, even though there
must have been concerns all around. When Gallows
return to Vancouver, hopefully with a follow-up to their
debut release “Orchestra of Wolves”, this band should
own the stage handily.
By Derek Leschasin Photo: Jordana Meilleur
35

Silvester
Berlin, Germany
December 31, 2007
Imagine opening a door, any door that leads to the
outside world and encountering a dark world full of
chaos and mayhem, with street urchins running amok.
Stupefied and zombie-like, all of them with the same evil
glare in their eyes, glossed over and practically salivating
at the prospects of creating pure anarchy. You carefully
open your fortified, barricaded security door only to tread
upon a battle zone so immersed in wanton destruction the
prospect of venturing further seems idiotic to say the least.
But carry on you do, only to find the world which you have
been accustomed to has been horribly altered. The door
bangs shut behind you, bringing with it a sense of finality.
Once the survival instinct kicks in, you bolt in a zig-zag
track trying to avoid all the hazards along the way, but
inadvertently becoming a prime target just by being out
there. Gaze through the smoke-filled streets if it dissipates
enough, avoid the fragments of glass, constant explosions,
street toughs and mentally challenged and heavily armed 80´s
era post-communist punks. Disregard the malfunctioning
traffic lights, throw in the polizei (local police) watching the
insanity unfold at a safe distance (eating bratwurst and
lighting off fireworks themselves!). It may very well be
some sort of post-apocalyptic scenario in which all
remaining humans have gone mad… they have!!! But,
there has been no apocalypse, despite evidence to the
contrary, nor any major global skirmish. What has
happened is…Silvester 2008!!
The seasoned globetrotter may hazard a guess as to the
location of the aforementioned mayhem. Baghdad?
Mogadishu? Beirut? All wrong, not even close. The
answer is Berlin. For the other 364 days a year Berliners
are efficient, orderly people who go about their business
in a stoic, purposeful way. The only time words are
uttered by those outstanding citizens is when they are
politely requesting something. Even casual conversation
seems to be frowned upon in public. Orderly crowds
36
patiently wait for the U-bahn (subway) which (of course)
is precisely on time. Berliners, always in a rush, continue
to their destination with heads up and eyes front, aiming
to arrive early, never late. All of this is thrown out the
window for Silvester, for the regular rules of behavior
simply no longer apply.
With a population of just over 4.5 million, all of them
seemed to be out on the streets. By far the biggest bash
of all at the historic Brandenburg Gates had well over a
million people, beating out the New York City’s Times
Square party by a hundred thousand or so. D.J’s spun
and bands of all types pumped out tunes all night long,
accompanied by a brilliant laser light show, while the
beer gardens, (drinking in public is not only allowed, it is
encouraged) bratwurst, and famous Berliner currywurst
kiosks did very brisk business indeed.
So, with 25% of the population at one party, the other
75% claimed a piece of sidewalk (or street) for their own
party. It really is a sight to behold as the normally reserved
Berliners descend to an orgy of violent madness. All were
equipped with enormous amount of spirits. The preferred
method of disposal of the empty’s seemed to be either; a)
via explosion, or b) by being tossed away in any direction,
mostly though, to the street.
The personal arsenals were impressive indeed. Roman
candles, bottle rockets, 1/4 and 1/8th sticks of dynamite,
and of course, the best super-strength firecrackers (also
legal and encouraged) that China can make. All of these
were lit off all night in every direction, by everyone in
attendance, with complete disregard for the well-being
of anyone. By 1am local time (7 pm Eastern, 4 pm
Pacific) as the trams slowly continued down the
garbage-strewn streets, the sound of broken glass being
crushed under the steel wheels was an unusual
compliment to the symphony of destruction. Explosions of
various strengths occurred constantly. Either something
was being blown up, or something was about to be blown
up. Some maniac caught up in the frenzy, brandished his
9mm and fired off several rounds in the air. The shots, of
course, were blending in with the environment, creating a
“concerto a la volento, por favor”. Escaping the
pandemonium alone is reason enough to celebrate. Never
mind Silvester, the mere fact you have all appendages
intact and accounted for is enough to make you want to
raise your glass again and again and again…
By Jimmy Lynch, Toronto Correspondent
CD REVIEWS
After Forever
Self-Titled
Nuclear Blast
The eternal battle between good and
evil, conveyed in truly epic fashion, and
bridging the progressive, black-metal, and power-metal
genres in a seamless manner. Good here is portrayed by lead
female vocalist - Floor, a trained operatic soprano, who
soothes with beautiful and heartfelt delivery. Evil is played by
composer/guitarist and vocalist Sander, who uses the more
guttural black-metal approach.
Like a cross between Nightwish, Dragonforce and Dimmu
Borgir’s Death Cult Armageddon, After Forever’s eponymous
album is truly a summation for the band. Lyrically themes of
struggle, temptation, and existence are painted with ethereal
and dream imagery, and present a grand journey for the
listener. Sonic depth is created through electronic and indus-
trial flourishes, as well as a rousing orchestral section which
conveys a sense of wonder and whimsy at times, and doom
and danger at others. Layered vocals, choirs, haunting
whispers, and soaring choruses help to further set the atmo-
sphere.
The two strongest and most representative tracks here are
centerpiece “De-Energized” and 11 minute epic “Dream-
flight”. The latter is a journey through dream and nightmare,
heaven and hell, where you are welcomed and guided through
the light and the dark before the final battle. “Who I Am” is
another standout, with impressive guitar acrobatics, and a
second, more rebellious female vocal part added, fleshing out
two sides to same coin, contemplating temptation before
declaring “This is not who I am”.
A journey worth taking.
By Andrew Johnston
Arise and Ruin
The Final Dawn
Victory Records
Upon being handed Arise and Ruin’s
debut album ‘The Final Dawn’ the first
thing I noticed was a picture of two demonic looking horses
on the cover. With reared heads and crazy red eyes, they are
about to go at it. I’m sure stranger things have happened
during mating season, but on the back cover is a picture of
two horse skulls. Those demonic beasts must have eaten each
other’s faces. It was at this point that I knew I’d better get
ready for a metal onslaught.
‘The Final Dawn’ begins with power, speed, and aggression
that will keep all the longhaired, leather clad skids content. I
can see them now with their fists in the air banging those
long mops, dressed in black from head to toe. I was a little
distraught when I only noticed one hair farmer in the band
photo, but I’ll let it slide because this is good hardcore metal.
Metal singers these days are usually guilty of one of two
things. 1) Breaking out into horrible melodic singy choruses
that remind me more of emo than metal, or 2) Bad Phil
Anselmo impressions. Ryan Bauchman is guilty of neither,
showing pure rage the whole time. The Pantera influences lie
in the guitars, which is a good thing. When the solos are
played they aren’t cheesy, and the breakdowns are nothing
but heavy. The song ‘Pale Horse’ had some amazing guitar
work with mean riffs, and a wanked out epic solo under
screams of hostility. The pure fury of ‘Bound by Blood’ the
speed of ‘Unbound’ and the breakdown’s in ‘In Life’ made
these songs the standout tracks to my ears.
So if you’re a fan of hardcore metal, you’ll be a fan of Arise and
Ruin. And if you’re a fan of violent horses that eat each
other’s faces, then you’re fucked.
by Denis Maile
Bisc 1
When Electric Night Falls
Embedded Music
The sound of a city waking up, the
constant electrical hum of the matrix
and the goddamn bleep of the garbage truck backing up at
6:00 AM - this is the landscape that Bisc1 evokes through his
dense electro beats and blunted slang.
As a one-two punch, MC/Producer Bisc displays a clarity of
vision and a unique sound that sets him well apart from other
dorky white Hip Hop artists. Steeped in the legacy of the
Definitive Jux aesthetic, “When Electric Night Falls” blazes
new ground in the realm of accessible, intelligent Hip Hop –
full of angst and turmoil, but under just enough sedation to
make it enjoyable.
The opener “Night Fall” introduces Bisc’s sound with rolling
drums and a synth hook that’ll stick in your head for days.
The theme of internal struggle amidst the chaos of modernity
carries us through the “Turbulence” of the past days decisions
into a spectator’s view on “Parallels”.
Standout tracks for me are “Paranoia”, with it’s relentless
“I’m bugging…” hook and “Strange Love” with Mere guesting
to rhyme about “the game of writing on walls”. Bisc’s flow is
as dense and complex as his production and the two elements
blend seamlessly into a solid and deeply satisfying sound.
For fans of “Junk Science” and “Iller Than Theirs”, Bisc1 taps
a similar vein of “everyman” persona, but with a head space
that is more futuristic dystopia than present day nostalgia.
The common thread here is a refusal to embrace Hip Hop
stereotypes and the dedication to make real music that
people can feel.
By Dave “Corvid” McCallum
Between the
Buried and Me
Colors
Victory/UMG
Between the Buried and Me’s latest release, Colors, has to be
one of the strongest albums of the year, as far as aggressive
music goes. Why? These guys are real innovators who burst
beyond their genre and create something new, not something
that can simply be defined by fusing two or more genres
together.
True, Colors features brutal death metal snarls, heavy guitars
and ultra-fast drum beats, but the experimentation on each
track makes this so much more than another metal album.
Bizarro time signatures and song structures are common,
turning eight long tracks (the album is over an hour long)
into songs that seem to end too soon. The band switches
from a sound not unlike that of Brit-rockers Muse, to jazzy
instrumentals, to furious metal, often within the same track.
Granted, this is not the most accessible album. Straight-
ahead thrashers may not be pleased, and the entire album
tends to defy pop conventions.
Nevertheless, it seems pretty obvious that BTBAM aren’t out
to answer either criticism, and have instead followed the path
of creativity. This is a must-have for anyone who doesn’t
mind having music fuck with them a little bit.
By Derek Leschasin
Buck 65
Situations
Warner Music Canada
Buck 65 has a reputation for idiosyn-
cratic lyrics and production and this is
certainly not lost on him, in Situations.
Notorious for crammed lyrics and bipolar production, this
album unfortunately hits this spot once again. However, this
album does bring Buck 65 into a new and more mature era.
This album carries a consistent theme surrounding the year
1957 exploring deviant culture, the Cold War, beatniks and
poetry, and the all-powerful, baby-boomer appropriate
paranoia
The hope that I had for this album was clarity and in this
respect, he achieved this. He has a long way to go before his
ambitions stop competing with his intentions but this album
is much more concise…a much-needed departure from previ-
ous albums. Situations features a competition that
overwhelms the majority of the album.
The production is focused largely around drums and
competes relentlessly with Buck’s lyrics. There are a couple
moments of clarity in ‘Beatific’ and ‘Mr. Nobody’ with slow
and well-thought-out beats, production and lyrical emphasis.
It is my hope that Buck 65 will progress into a more fleshed-
out, and a more crystallized sound and composition. In any
case, Buck 65 still holds strong on his own and very defined
genre (god forbid we call this hip-hop because this is certainly
a breed of its own), he continually achieves growth and self-
resurrection with every beat and lyric his music delivers.
Viva La Revolution.
By Frankie Jacks
Caliban
The Awakening
Century Media Records
A band that, without fail, can produce a
new album every couple of years makes
me a little suspicious. Are these guys really trying or just
churning out low-grade material? On the other hand, are they
such damn good songwriters that putting out a new album
isn’t even a struggle? Whatever the case, German metalcore-
heads Caliban have put out a decent album in the form of
“The Awakening”, the band’s sixth studio release in their ten
years of existence. Decent, but not all that it could be.
There has never been a shortage of angry Germans and this
album is heavy. For the most part Caliban’s sound is similar
to a band like Poison the Well, with heavy, chugging guitar
riffs, breakdowns and ferocious screaming from frontman
Andreas Dorner. The band also switches it up in most songs,
including melodic sections that feature the clean singing of
guitarist Denis Schmidt. There are also a few keyboards
39
 sparsely thrown into a couple of tracks, but for the most part
this is pounding, straight-up metal broken up by Schmidt’s
interludes.
That could be part of the problem with this record. For
starters, Caliban aren’t exactly breaking boundaries here, as
most of the riffs are fairly repetitive – good for headbanging
and slamming people around, but not particularly creative.
When this band really does get intense, as often as not
Schmidt’s crooning interrupts. The man has a nice enough
voice, but these ‘pretty’ sections really don’t seem necessary.
I’m thinking this album could have been a lot stronger if
Caliban focused on the guitar-work and kept up the thrash.
By Derek Leschasin
Classified
While You Were Sleeping
Half Life/BBR
This best of collection spans
Classified’s 12+ years as a prolific
MC/Producer. 22 tracks from seven albums covering every-
thing from his earliest “pre-pubescent” works produced while
still living with his parents, through the weeded late nineties
and into his aloof game face period, including his latest fully
matured works as well as tracks produced for other vocalists.
Even from the earliest, Class’s skills were well developed and
his characteristic flow only improves with time. His produc-
tions grow steadily richer and more varied, from the “4 track”
days to the polished sounds of “Hitch-Hiking Music.” What
shines through most is Classified’s undeniable work ethic and
devotion to Hip Hop method – even though I find “Beatin’ It”
a little self indulgent (track 16, that is…), it lays it out pretty
clear.
The only shortcoming in my mind is that his lyrics focus too
much on Hip Hop lifestyle without digging much deeper.
Nothing wrong with that, I mean write what you know. With
a flow and delivery like that though, the visual element can
really come through strong, especially on storytelling tracks
like “Past Out” and “Hard to be Hip Hop.” “Addicted” is all
about having concepts, next come the 3D pictures in your
head.
The bonus DVD features 12 dope videos, from the self depre-
catingly funny cartoon for “Unexpected,” through the many
years of hoodies and starter caps on the road to MuchMusic
rotation.
Seriously, criticisms aside Classified is better than 90% of
other Canadian MC’s. He produces some of the dopest tracks
emerging from the depths of the Great White North (no pun
intended), and for my money puts on a better show than 90%
of all Hip Hop artists around. Watch out!
By Dave “Corvid” McCallum
40
D.O.A.
The Black Spot (Re-issue)
Sudden Death Records
People need trouble — a little frustra-
tion to sharpen the spirit on, toughen
it. Artists do; I don’t mean you need to live in a rat hole or
gutter, but you have to learn fortitude, endurance. Only
vegetables are happy.
- William Faulkner
D.O.A. are definitely not vegetables. As a band that’s been
around for almost 30 years, they’ve learned what it takes to
escape the rat hole and endure. Set-backs; they’ve seen their
share, but for each one they face they seem to rebound with
greater strength, greater character and greater artistic
expression.
Take their 1995 release “The Black Spot” for example.
Recently re-issued by Sudden Death Records (out of print
since 2000), the circumstances surrounding the pre-
recording of “The Black Spot” may have potentially broken
any lesser band, but D.O.A. is no lesser band. On January
25th, 1995, shortly before recording began, D.O.A. drummer
Ken Jensen was killed in a house fire. The remaining mem-
bers, Joe Shithead Keithley, Brian “Wimpy Roy” Goble and
Ford Pier, were absolutely floored, but did the only thing they
knew how, they toughed it out. As Joey wrote on the album
liner notes:
“It was unbelievable…. It almost seemed like way to much to
carry on, but with the spirit of Ken Jensen at our sides we
did”
With the help of NoMeansNo drummer John Wright they
entered the studio and produced what is arguably their
smartest and most polished album to date. Listening to the
musicians collected here in other bands over the years (The
Subhumans, NoMeansNo, Jr. Gone Wild to name a few), its
hard not to notice the subtleties each player brings to the
recording. “Order” is reminiscent of Showbusiness Giants,
while “Worries” has The Subhumans all over it and that famil-
iar NoMeansNo sound pops its head up time and time again
from somewhere just below the surface. With the pothead
anthem “Marijuana Motherfucker” and the Canada Customs
slagging “Je Declare” leading the way, this is as politically
charged and as vital as anything D.O.A. has previously done.
Overlooked for many years, “The Black Spot” is back and
showcases D.O.A. at their meaty best. For a band who’ve
made fortitude and endurance a way of life, this is yet
another great accomplishment. Beat that vegetables!
By Grimm Culhane
 Eyes of Eden
Faith
Century Media
Goth-metal has had a bit of a heyday in
the last few years. Coming in on what
looks to be the tail-end of that trend is Eyes of Eden, with
their debut release, “Faith”. Having a female vocalist -
Franziska Huth - gives the band some similarity to Lacuna
Coil, but there are strong ties, as well.
Guitarist/songwriter Waldemar Sorychta produced every one
of the band’s records. After also playing with Grip Inc. and
Despair, Eyes of Eden is essentially Sorychta’s project. While
Sorychta’s earlier two bands specialized in thrash metal, Eyes
of Eden is brooding and almost symphonic, with only a dash
of thrash thrown in. Strings and synths play a major role
here, but it is definitely Huth’s voice that carries the album.
Whatever else anyone can say about the album’s sound,
Huth’s voice is gorgeous – it’s almost like listening to new-age
singer Loreena McKennit gone metal (P.S. - she’s hot, too).
At its best, “Faith” is melodic, multi-layered, radio-friendly
goth rock (including a couple of decent singles like opener
“Winter Night”).Unfortunately, there’s little energy on much
of this record – something that is almost, but not quite,
masked by slick production. Despite Sorychta’s past, there
isn’t much in the way of challenging guitar-work here, nor
does the tempo get much beyond plodding. With a voice like
hers, one hopes Huth will go far, but let’s also hope it’s in a
vehicle a little more interesting.
By Derek Leschasin
Ghostface Killah
The Big Doe Rehab
Def Jam Records
From the almost cartoonish cover
image, it’s hard to tell that Abdul Raheem, AKA Ghostface
Killah (AKA Tony Starks, etc…), is a 37 year old practicing
Sunni Muslim who battles with diabetes. Somehow this in no
way contradicts the album’s focus on money, women, and
rising from the streets to live the high life.
Ghost’s soul drenched sounds and manic flow just gets better
with time, and “Big Doe” has all the elements that made
“Pretty Toney” and “Fishscale” instant classics. Everything
you wanted, from Tony Starks skits, collabs with Wu Tang
comrades Raekwon, Method Man, U-God and Cappadonna,
and awesome acapella from OX, to Ghost rhyming right over
top of a whole song, this time “Superman of Love” by Johnny
Guitar Watson. Ghost gets some live backing from The
Rhythm Roots Allstars on “!”, and Masta Killa trades verses
on “Killa Lipstick”.
While there are no major departures from Ghost’s signature
sound and flow, this is a damn good album full of fresh soul
cuts, vivid imagery and Ghostface’s irrepressible, itchy trigger
finger style narrative bombast. He takes it from the scene of
a fresh homicide on “Walk Around”- all paranoid and jumpy,
to the ultimate party with all of his favourite rappers and R+B
singers in “White Linen Affair (Toney Awards)”. His hyper-
inflated vocals never lag and Ghost puts more soul into every
line than some MC’s have on a whole album.
So good I almost didn’t want to spoil the surprise for you by
describing it at all, “The Big Doe Rehab” once again proves
that real MC’s can actually get better with time, and Ghost-
face Killah delivers the real Hip Hop for those tired of the
breathless flows on the radio.
By Dave “Corvid” McCallum
Gross Misconduct
The Process of Indoctrination
Indie
Current metal bands heavily
influenced by classic metal are in no
way uncommon these days. While the debut album by
Vancouver based Gross Misconduct most certainly revels in
its influences, it also effortlessly manages to craft a sound of
their own. You cannot go wrong when early Metallica,
Pantera, Slayer, At The Gates and Mastodon are said
influences and what results is a menacingly raw, blistering
offering. On display here are 7 cuts of pure metal, complete
with impressive musicianship and meaty riffage.
Lead off shredder “The War Breeds On” gives a sense of what
the listener is in for with spiralling guitars, lightening fast
drumming and satisfyingly harsh vocals, which can be likened
to those of Mastodon’s Troy Saunders. The standouts here
are “The Humbler” which comes across as a thrashier “Far
Beyond Driven” era Pantera or “Burn My Eyes” era Machine
Head and Driven Fanatic with its pulsating double bass, stop
start guitars and killer call and answer vocals.
Gross Misconduct is a local band worth supporting, especially
for fans of underground 80s thrash. Here’s looking forward
to what Gross Misconduct will produce next. This is a great
debut album!
By Andrew Johnston
 Havoc
The Kush
Nature Sounds/Fontana North
After all these years Havoc finally
drops his solo album on Nature
Sounds…and it sucks! Seriously, I ain’t pullin any punches on
this one - would Hav want any less? Same shit different
album, and while Hav’s flows have always been impeccably
tight, without the collabs it’s dead boring - endless litanies of
gun talk, fuck you’s and hatred for the haters.
What else would you expect you ask? A change of content
from the Infamous Mobb Deep Don? Actually, I was more
interested to see where Hav’s at with the beats - I mean I
fucking study his old shit, up to Amerikaz Nightmare even,
for the brilliant production.
I don’t know if its the new software or old age creeping in but
these mouse click Pro-Tools beats seriously lack punch. Sure
they’re spooky and paranoid - kinda like Zelda on a bad trip,
and all the drum sounds are like tiny fists hitting tinfoil.
Where are the relentless, migraine inducing snares, gut
pummelling kicks, and scratchy dark samples that made “The
Infamous” and “Helll on Earth” as heavy as Metal?
Prodigy’s only verse, on “Set Me Free,” sounds like they
temporarily brought him out of a coma to drawl it out, but at
least his gangsta is real and the menace in his voice is
convincing enough to make even these sluggish bars sound
dope.
Havoc weaves through cadences with ease - and a 500 word
vocab, one of his favourite being “faggot”. Come on man,
you’re like 32 and you still say “faggot”?! Napoleon complex
in full effect. Oh well, yet another well established artist
falling victim to his own narcissism. Too slow, too slick, too
much of the same shit.
Even if the street life is still real for Havoc, this album sounds
like the view from a fortress in a comfortable position looking
down, bored shitless and too blazed to notice. Better luck
next time.
By Dave “Corvid” McCallum
Jill Scott
The Real Thing Words and
Sounds Vol. 3
Hidden Beach/Fontana
Oh this one is easy. Imagine sucking on a
Werthers candy that never dissolves. Creamy caramel, confined
to a set of vocals. Sumptuous and satisfying, the latest album
from songstress Jill Scott, reciprocates what true R&B (or Neo
Soul for the white people) is truly all out about.
Ms. Scott once again makes us play “Hide and Go Freak” bringing
along Scott Storch’s production on some tracks, but more impor-
tantly her honor amongst (harmonious) thieves, leaves her
holding the get out of jail free card. And break free she does. Yes
- nothing but praise here. She should have pulled D’Angelo out of
his career hole, to drop a verse or two. Same goes for Maxwell
and Angie Stone. Would have been a gem.
Only gripe is her session guitarist blatantly lifts from Mahav-
ishnu Orchestra’s “You Know, You Know” track. I don’t think it
“embodies the melody of” either. Although it could be like Elaine
ripping off that Ziggy cartoon and calling it her own without
knowing it.
Regardless, Jill Scott can call this her own and she certainly
knows it.
By E.S. Day
Junk Science
Gran’ Dad’s Nerve Tonic
Definitive Jux/Embedded
The newest addition to the Definitive
Jux family is a surprising left turn for a
label whose sound has become associated for some almost
exclusively with the dark and abstract. Based out of Brooklyn,
Junk Science are: Baje One on the mic and Snafu on the beats,
and the everyman world they conjure on tracks, is refresh-
ingly positive and laid back (and believe me I don’t say those
words very often).
Junk Science are members of the Nuclear Family collective, a
group of seven or so NYC Hip Hop artists in various forma-
tions of collaboration, and like their comrades Iller Than
Theirs, their style is rooted in Old School production and
tight but relaxed flows. Through the good graces of fate, Def
Jux picked up their latest (and second) release - “Grand’Dad’s
Nerve Tonic”, and they have just finished a 22 date tour with
Del the Funky Homosapien and Devin the Dude.
“What’s this sir?”, “Drink it!” – from the album’s intro and the
cavernous drums of the opener “Slojo”, to the Sunday morn-
ing wake up call “Do it Easy”, the “Tonic’ soothes and mellows
the splintered nerves – just the thing for Def Jukies coming
down while the sun comes up. Each track is a gem in it’s own
right, and standouts include “Jerry McGuire”, the anthem for
the unsatisfactorily employed, with the chorus -“I’m gonna
quit my job!”, and “That Being Said” featuring Iller Than
Theirs- the requisite slammin’ party track. “Hey!” showcases
Baje One’s dexterous flow (and slacker mentality!) and
Snafu’s subtle and complex productions.
For those that have always loved the Definitive Jux world but
wished to see it expand in it’s conception, Junk Science are
like the antidote to the paranoia and hostility that saturate
much of the Def Jux sound. Not that I’m not paranoid or
hostile, it’s just nice to guzzle some of that Gran’ Dad’s Nerve
Tonic and forget about it all once in a while.
By Dave “Corvid” McCallum
 K’naan
The Dusty Foot
on the Road
Wrasse
Those of you familiar with K’naan’s
previous album, The Dusty Foot Philosopher, you know that it
received both acclaim and criticism. The majority of criticism
came from other artists called out and dissed in the album
(“…if I rhymed about home and got descriptive, I’d make 50
Cent look like Limp Bizkit” and citing K-OS as “a suburban
negro turned hip hop hero”). Regardless, those of you who have
been following the young Somali’s sound and content know
that he is one to be reckoned with. He does border on the
righteous, ridiculing the quintessential American ‘gangsta’,
and reminding us that African civil war always trumps inner-
city gangland-violence (it does). Can you blame him? This guy
fired his first gun at 8, accidentally blew up half his school with
an armed grenade and witness three of his friends shot to death.
Mogadishu in the 1990’s was a painfully brutal era that K’naan
managed to escape as a refugee to Canada at the age of 13.
He has made a notable departure from mainstream politicized
hip hop and stripped it bare, reveling the reality beyond a glock
in Compton and the Americanized version of Africa and show-
ing us the dusty back alleys of Mogadishu littered with spent
shells and burning tires, hostile roadblocks and bloody civilian
riots. Sounds depressing, right? Not a chance. K’naan delivers
his opinions in a subtle message leaving with a soft under-
standing of what he comes from.
If you get that then you are ready for The Dusty Foot on the
Road. This is a simple and stripped down version of his some of
his previous album with vivid and strong new sounds and
collaborations. Recorded live from Djibouti to Edmonton, the
album is largely acoustic and rooted deep in African music and
culture. The sound is subliminal, dignified and deeply
sentimental but just as raw as the first album. K’naan has
managed to show a rounded evolution in his music, despite his
short recording career, and promises to continue down his
road slowly revealing to us his inner experience.
By Frankie Jacks
Ky-Mani Marley
Radio
Vox/Fontana North
On his first album since 2001’s “Many
More Roads”, Ky-Mani steps out to prove
that he is more than just a rootsman, and
that his star shines as brightly as any of the Marley sons.
From the opener “I’m Back”, featuring Young Buck and Louie
Rankin, Ky-Mani rocks a beautifully fluid melodic gangster flow,
equal parts Bob and Mobb, and his gravelly tone merges
perfectly with Buck’s. The righteous rudeboy lyrics continue
into “The March”, an anthem for the street soldiers and “Hus-
tler” is a straight up, one-drop roots reggae number for the
hustlers and riders that would make father Marley proud.
“The Conversation,” featuring Tessanne Chin, is a beautiful
back and forth between a gangster and his girl, and the
Lover’s Rock continues through “Royal Vibes” and “I Got
You”. Some club bangers, some struggling “sufferah” tunes,
and some deep spiritual vibes close out the album.
The production throughout favours the crisp sounds of
modern Jamaican music, with Ky-Mani’s emotionally rich
voice soaring over the mix. The sounds are soothing and
spiritual and at the same time real and gritty. Just how much
of the hustler life he has lived (like his character in Shottas), I
don’t know, but Ky-Mani Marley speaks for the ghetto dwell-
ers forced into crime as a means to survive, in a world where
morality is vague, but spiritual integrity is Iron like a Lion.
Reggae is sometimes seen as pacifist music, when it was first
the music of the rudeboy and the struggler. Ky-Mani Marley
is the next level in it’s evolution, linking the Hip Hop world
with the Jamaican roots from which it sprouted. Like his
character in “Shottas”, he merges both worlds to take what is
rightfully his – a permanent place in the music pantheon,
whatever the style, with a rare integrity and a real message.
By Dave “Corvid”McCallum
Mudvayne
By the People, For the People
Epic/Sony BMG
As I sit here in my easy-chair by the
fire, with my pipe and my slippers and
my trusty dog at my feet, I can’t help but feel grateful that I
was able to get my easy-chair, my pipe, my slippers and my
dog out of the house before it became the raging inferno I see
before me. Yes, in a world of fleeting pleasures and falling
ashes its nice to have things to appreciate.
Take the new Mudvayne album By the People, For the People
for instance. Showing some greatly deserved appreciation
“back” to their massive fan base, Mudvayne asked fans to do
something unprecedented, join with them and help construct
an album. By visiting their website, fans could help pick the
tracks, submit artwork for the album and even participate in
making a video. When’s the last time a band asked their fans
to do that?
As if that weren’t enough appreciation already, By the People,
For the People consist of a mix of live recordings, rarities,
demos, as well as two new recordings, “Dull Boy” and a cover
of the Police song “King of Pain.” Lead singer Chad Gray even
gives a brief introduction to each and every song. I can almost
picture him in his easy-chair with his pipe and his slippers
and his trusty dog at his feet as he records the intros. I mean
seriously, what’s not to love here?
Nothing. There is absolutely nothing “not” to love here. The
43
demo versions of “Silenced” and “Not Falling” are fucking
amazing, almost better than the finished versions. The live
versions of “Dig” and “World So Cold” are so perfectly
captured its like actually being there and the mix of songs and
versions chosen gives this album a broad, yet cohesive struc-
ture and appeal.
So, as I remain seated here in my easy-chair, warmed by the
smoldering remnants of my home, with my pipe and my
slippers and my trusty dog at my feet, I can’t help but appreci-
ate how good By The People, For The People actually is.
Definitely a one-of-a-kind joint effort (pun intended) both
Mudvayne and their fans can be proud of. Perhaps with the
success of this album it will generate more of its kind from
other artists. Perhaps all albums will come “custom-made” in
the future. Perhaps the smoke is going to my head. Perhaps
the fire department will be here soon. Ah, perhaps.
By Grimm Culhane
Saul Williams
The Inevitable Rise and
Liberation of Niggy Tardust
Indie
With his third album, “The Inevitable
Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust,” slam-
poet/director/alt. hip-hop musician Saul Williams and
producer Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails) have created a
genre-defying instant classic. From the thunderous electro-
tribal beats in the opener “Black History Month” to the crush-
ing Bomb Squad style breaks in “Tr(n)igger” (complete with a
sample from Public Enemy’s “Welcome to the Terrordome”),
Williams’ album is constantly switching styles while always
sounding completely cohesive. Though it is unquestionably a
hip-hop album at its core, “Niggy Tardust” challenges the
genre’s conventions both lyrically and musically, forging a
sound that is distinctly its own. Whether using classic 808
rhythms, skittering industrial squelches, or neo-soul loops,
Williams’ vocals always lace the songs together into a compel-
ling, eclectic whole. He even manages to take U2’s “Sunday
Bloody Sunday” and make it his own.
By taking some of the best aspects of hip-hop and mutating
them into a strange, yet utterly compelling new form, “Niggy
Tardust” is to hip-hop what The Doors’ first album was to
rock. It’s fierce when it needs to be, but there are also aston-
ishing moments of fragility, as found in the track “No One
Ever Does.” It’s hard to know what to expect with every track
change, and that’s part of what makes “Niggy Tardust” such
an exciting album. As such, Williams has finally fulfilled the
promise that he uttered on his previous album: This ain’t
hip-hop no more, it’s bigger than that.
And here’s the best part: taking a cue from Radiohead, the
album was released without a label on www.niggytardust.com
as a free download (for lower-quality MP3s) or for $5 (for a
variety of higher quality formats, including FLAC). For less
than the price of a shitty cup of well-marketed coffee, you can
support one of the best releases of the past year *without*
feeding any dying record labels. And if you’re still skeptical or
have to consult with your accountant before spending five
bucks, you can always check out the album for free on the
site.
By Calder Fertig
Shad
The Old Prince
Black Box Recordings
From the fairy tale intro for “Quest for
Glory”, it’s obvious this is not your
average rap record. Setting the tone for a conscious, self
reflective album more reminiscent of old De La and 90’s
Common than any 2008 sound (Canadian or otherwise),
Shad embarks on a journey of self knowledge that is mostly
captivating, if at times understated.
Hailing from London Ont, Shad’s lyrics typically vilify the
contemporary rap scene for it’s shallowness, while at the
same time holding out the hope of it’s salvation. The fact that
he neither curses nor swears means I could give a copy to my
nine year old son for his birthday, while at the same time his
swaggering braggadocio can at times be as overbearing as
ignorant “fuck you bitch” raps. And he disses weed….
Regardless, I liked the album. The beats are laid back and East
Coast funky. Shad’s flow is flawlessly effortless, positive but
not self righteous. The message of self reliance and self worth
is to me the essence of Hip Hop, and there’s no fronting on
gangster bullshit here.
Unfortunately, the album seriously loses momentum on the
overly long interlude “Behind the Thinning veil of self depre-
cating humour, the old Prince is afraid he may have just
wasted the last three years” – uh, yeah… so you can play the
piano… yawn. By track 11 “Exile” shit’s rocking again with
boom bap drums, beatbox and cello. “Get Up” keeps it
slamming, but the outro featuring Kamau is a too heartfelt
monologue that left me cold.
Tight flows, solid beats, talent and skills and something to
say. The album may not hold one’s attention equally through-
out, but it show the makings of a unique Canadian Hip Hop
talent. We’ll see how his live game is when he opens for
Classified on Jan 20th.
By Dave “Corvid” McCallum
 Steve Earle
Washington Square Serenade
New West/Fontana North
No Place to Run , No Place to Hide is an
apt theme for Steve Earle’s new CD
Washington Square Serenade; however, whereas this theme
has resurfaced within the context of many of Earle’s previous
releases, here it seems as if he is using this theme to demon-
strate that being in New York City in Greenwich Village is
making him a much more contented chronicler of the human
condition because of life’s lessons learned.
Very telling of Earle’s coming to a truce with his demons is
the tune “Days Aren’t Long Enough”. It is a duet with his wife
Allison Moorer. “Oxycontin Blues” is another tune that refer-
ences Earle’s past addictions, but without the previous overt
resignation.
On first listen I felt that I did not really care for this CD. Was
I ever wrong? It grows on you; it is not in your face like many
of Steve’s previous albums. Nevertheless, it has some of Earl’s
great storytelling and inventive instrumentation.
The musical arrangements are accessible, yet contain many
layers that have to be read, listened to, and dissected- as if
one is peeling a piece of cinnamon.
There is also a DVD version of Washington Square Serenade.
It is mostly Steve discussing his songwriting . Interesting for
sure, although I feel that the DVD mainly appeals to die-hard
fans, while the CD has a very populist feel to it.
By William”Moose”Roberts
Styles P
Super Gangster
(Extraordinary Gentleman)
Koch Records
On his third solo release, Lox alumnus
Styles P walks a fine line between hardcore street lyricism and
cutting edge contemporary club bangers. From the lead off
“Blow your Mind” produced by Swizz Beatz, the slick highly
processed digital sound and breathy chorus almost turned me
off until the blunted gangster flow kicked it up a notch.
Shit gets progressively darker up to “All I Know is Pain”,
produced by the Alchemist – a gritty testament of jaded street
hustling reminiscent of Al’s work with Prodigy. The Akon
chorus on “Got My Eyes on You” brings it back to the dance-
floor for a few cuts, and the mac game is in full effect on
“Look at Her”.
Raw Buck drags Styles back to the gutter on “Shoot Niggas”,
and Ghostface drops by to amp him up a level on “Star of the
State.” Fellow Lox Jadakiss and Sheek Louch are adequate on
“Gangster,Gangster”, and the album closes with my pick
“’Cause I’m Black” featuring Black Thought of the Roots,
whose intelligent streetwise flow inspires Styles on a politi-
cized, dare I say conscious tip.
With Swizz Beatz and Akon, and ringtones for sale, it’s clear
that Styles P is going for the mainstream on this one. The
beats are straight Saturday night clubbin’, but the flow is
smoother, smarter, and harder than most of the fools on the
radio. Given the choice, I’d go for this over Belly any day.
By Dave “Corvid” McCallum
The Spades
Learnin’ The Hard Way
GoKart Records
Here we have another punk/metal
group whose members are all black. I
chose this disc primarily as I feel I could be a proper authority
on “Black” metal. Why? Well you’re not!. Proper Grounds, Bad
Brains, 24-7 Spyz, Znowhite amongst others, have all had an
influence on me. As a white guy this means nothing, nor does
it make me down with my new found Holland homies. Next
up comin’ “Straight Outta Eindhoven” – The Spades. Can
they call themselves that? What if they named themselves
The Jiggaboos? Because they’re black I guess its okay.
What’s NOT okay, is ripping off every song ever written by
The Dictators. Yes - that’s right; they’re a black version of The
Dictators. I shit you not - one of the band members is even
named Handsome Dick Spade!. Give me a break. Still, fast-
paced chunky riffage had me doing the twist. Stand out track
“Beat Me” with its anal probing commentary gave me the
shivers. Even more frightening, that these 5 “Sons of
Sanford” based out of Holland have all been in jail and all look
like they played gang members on Good Times.
Scary.
By E.S. Day
The Warriors
Genuine Sense of Outrage
Victory/UMG
I have to admit, the first thing that
impressed me about this disc was the
cover art. Check it out: it’s a guy playing air guitar, with a
fucking wolf’s head bursting out of his chest, and the blood
pouring out of the wolf’s mouth is turning into little red
devils with wings and swords and shit! Give this cover a 9-
point-something in the “badass ranking”.
For one of the more low-key releases of 2007, The Warriors’
Genuine Sense of Outrage has a surprising number of guest
vocalists, including Lou Koller from Sick of It All, Andrew
Neufeld from Comeback Kid, and most surprising, Lemmy
from Motorhead, who is featured on the track “Price of
45
 Punishment”. Amazingly, none of this comes off as Fear Nuttin’ Band
gimmicky, and actually adds to the album. Limited Edition EP
As for the music within said badass cover, The Warriors play
a blend of hardcore crossed with metal. Sure, so does every- Part 1: Thug & Part 2: Life
one else these days, but this band has a more unique sound Bodog Music
than others in the genre, sort of like Rage Against the Machine
meets earlier Refused, maybe featuring a cameo by Madball. Produced by Terry Date (Soundgarden,
Marshall Licthenwaldt’s vocals are a perfect, raspy howl, and Unearth), this Bad Brains clone meets a quasi-Fishbone
carry the spirit of the album’s “Genuine Sense of Outrage”. hybrid, has in fact, mulled over their influences and dropped
That cover art might get this album in your CD player, but it’s a 4-track ep that somewhat slakes your thirst for a modern
the music that’ll keep it jammed in there for weeks. day hero in the Reggae-Rock genre. Of course, having dreads
By Derek Leschasin or an authoritative sounding ragamuffin rant does not neces-
sarily give this an official seal of approval. More Metal, more
Dancehall. Please.
Tupac Shakur With The Red Hot Chili Peppers seeping in a little too much
on “Can’t Get Mi Weed”, your eyebrows might raise on their
The Best of 2Pac
own. Without a doubt, the Fear Nuttin’ Band probably kill on
Part 1: Thug & Part 2: Life the live circuit, so no point in breaking balls on a 4 -song EP.
Interscope/UMG Their previous effort “Vibes” has been given a few kind words.
Let’s wait until the album”YARDCORE” drops this April and
“Yo I wrote this back in ‘ninety fo’” – see if they can instill some fear in the heart of the music-
yep… like in the Chappelle Show skit where he’s rapping buying public. Wherever they are.
about shit that happened after he died, the late Tupac Shakur Track Listing:
just keeps on releasing. This time around it’s a two part best 1. Rule the World
of collection put together with the blessing of his mother 2. Police State
Afeni Shakur. The dedication speaks of the medicine of his 3. Can’t Get Mi Weed
lyrics, “filled with his blood, sweat and tears”, that is 4. Fear (Old Crusty Version)
ultimately “music for your spirit”. Viewed in this light, and By E.S. Day
with over ten years passed since his death, Tupac’s spirit
shines through in all his rugged resilience and tragic
machismo.
Part I – THUG – kicks off with Snoop and Pac on “2 of Ameri-
kaz Most Wanted”, into “California Love”, then moves into
the more contemplative “So Many Tears” and “I Ain’t Mad At
Cha”. Even on the upbeat tracks, the melancholy patina of age
gives his voice a morose quality, full of the foreknowledge of
his doom.
Part II – LIFE – brings the upliftment and self confident
swagger back with “Definition of a Thug Nigga” and “Still
Ballin.” The pain of life is transformed into something mean-
ingful through shared struggle on tracks like “Never Call U
Bitch Again” and “They Don’t Give a Fuck About Us.” The
vision of an idealized life on earth inspires “Ghetto Gospel”
and “Thugz Mansion”.
Did the world really need another Tupac compilation? This
music is definitely timeless and presented in this format it
takes on a spiritual resonance that is often lost in the contro-
versial facts of Tupac’s brief, intense life. What is undeniable
is that Tupac was more than a gifted artist and performer, he
was the voice of a generation whose impact on the world is
still being felt – what with 10 year olds in Africa going into
battle with his face on their T-shirts! His struggles mirror the
struggles of millions, and his voice resonates with a depth of
feeling rarely equaled. RIP.
By Dave “Corvid” McCallum

46

Genitorturers -
Live In Sin
Edited by Seth Walker
and Andy Ussach
MVDvisual
By Grimm Culhane
The self proclaimed “World’s Sexi-
est Rock Band” gets a chance to
strip down and flaunt their stuff on
their latest DVD release, Genitorturers - Live In Sin.
Featuring ten expertly edited live tracks and three unre-
leased live versions of songs from their yet to be titled
2008 album, Gen, Bizz, Evil “D”, Andy and an assortment
of willing victims give us their “Genitorturing” best.
Although sadomasochistic acts performed on the genitals
Gods of Time Square
Directed by Richard Sandler
BRINK DVD
By Derek Leschasin
Even if you’ve never been anywhere
close to New York, chances are
you’ve at least heard of Times
Square. Occupying a prominent
place in American pop culture (a
culture that infiltrates pretty much every culture there is),
Times Square is iconic – one of the city’s landmarks, its
meeting-places. To the rest of us, it’s best known as the
site of a never-ending series of New Year’s Eve specials.
In this two-hour special edition release, “Gods of Times
Square” gives us a very different, intimate view of those
fabled city blocks. Film-maker Richard Sandler sets out
aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, this video has enough in it
to satisfy any and all of your fetish requirements without
unsightly build-up or sticky residue. That part is left to
the viewers’ discretion and is highly advised.
Come witness the devil whipping himself into a frenzy as
Gen converts the self proclaimed righteous in “Devil In A
Bottle.” Marvel at the deeply wretched, suspending
themselves above the hapless audience as the
Genitorturers grind out the virtues of a “House of
Shame.” Gaze in awe at the eerie, sensual imagery of
“Flesh Is The Law” or squirm and writhe as you chant
along to “Public Enemy #1”.
As if that weren’t enough to satisfy even the most
deranged, wait there’s more. Included on this disc are
some of the most fiendishly entertaining bonus features
ever to be compiled. I could watch them for hours with
one hand over and over again. Crazed mud wrestling,
some of the most amazing tour antics you’ll ever see
(care of Omaha, Nebraska), a rare Japanese Sin City
promotional video, a Kiss sing along plus a behind the
scenes look at the photo shoot for Hu$tler Magazine, this
video has it all! Kelly’s bomb story is truly hilarious and a
visit from Jello Biafra is like the blood splattered icing on
this bloodbath birthday cake.
If you are a “Cum Junkie’, a “Liar’s Liar” or just “One Who
Feeds”, the rock and roll fetish fest of Genitorturers - Live
In Sin is an excellent way to keep your mind occupied
and your hands busy. Don’t say I didn’t warn you, and
hand me a tissue would you? Thanks.
to record some of the most flamboyant and yet most-
ignored denizens of Times Square – the street preachers;
religious zealots who seem to devote a significant chunk
of their personal time to saving us all from hellfire or
whatever in particular they deem is coming for us (and
rest assured it’s bad, because we’re all sinners). Filming over
the course of the mid-90’s (1993-1998) Sandler introduces
us to and follows an array of characters – some hateful,
some mysterious and some simply bizarre.
“Gods of Times Square” follows no particular linear progres-
sion – the characters Sandler focuses on seem timeless.
Touched on lightly are the changes that took course
throughout these years, as the Disney Store moved in and
small businesses moved out, and Times Square became a
more sanitized version of itself. Yet the religious doom
prophets remain, as they always have and likely always will.
Method Man - Live
From the Sunset Strip Hardrock
Directed By Christoph Green
MVD
By Dave “Corvid” Tical’llum
I was not at his recent performance
at Plush, so I can’t say if it lived up
to his “live standards’ by this show.
As he himself declares, “No one
rocks a Mutherfuckin’ stage like I do!”, and this is a
lesson in athletic showmanship.
Leaping across the stage in his Air Nikes, crowd surfing,
fake ejaculating and blazing blunts continuously, Meth
embodies everything that makes the Wu great. Fellow
Clan brothers Masta Killa and Inspecta Deck join in for
the classic bangers and the ODB tribute, and hype man
Streetlife backs Meth’s flows seamlessly.
Sure, he only spits the first half of most lines and there is
some drag in the middle before the second blunt is lit,
but it’s all about endurance and Meth unleashes some
serious flows and the intensity of his voice never wavers.
Crowd response is not overwhelming, but enough so
that he can walk off the stage onto their hands.
Of course, the best part is when he swallows the lit end
of a blunt and brings it back still burning. There…I
spoiled it for you.
Bonus Materials:
• Photo Gallery * Extended Interviews • Hidden Scene
Sandler films the stereotypical fire-and-brimstone
preachers, condemning homosexuality, immorality,
godlessness and so on, and then there are more obscure
sects like “Jews for Jesus”, and the Hebrew Israelites,
African-Americans (possibly from the Nation of Yahweh)
claiming to be the ‘real Jews’, who spout black supremacist
rhetoric as virulent as any a white racist has ever thought
up. Finally, there are more thoughtful characters - like
James, who carries a copy of the Koran and wears a
priest’s collar, or Jimmy, who claims he is Christ returned,
and will reveal himself to the world through rock n’ roll.
At times, this film is a melange of strange imagery and
even stranger people – the sort of scenes that only an
urban mass concentration of people seems able to
produce. Yet Sandler (through dialogue with various
individuals, as there is no narration in this film) seems
Directed by John Stu
Maple Pictures
By Dave “Corvid” McCallum
This flick is so bad it makes you
stupid just by watching it. A collec-
tion of ridiculous gangster carica-
tures stumble through hackneyed
dialogue and high school grade cinematography in a
thrown together plot that they must have written as they
went along.
A judge’s daughter dies from tainted ecstasy, and two
street level dealers are recruited to find out who cooked
up the bad batch. Assisted by “The Surgeons”, a
cartoonish band of ex cold-war assassins, they plod
through scene after scene of …oh fuck it, it’s just too
stupid to describe! Seriously, not even worth watching for
cheap laughs, the only redeeming factor is the hot ladies,
and they don’t appear nearly enough (or naked enough!).
Please tell me John Stu, how in the hell is Raekwon credited
as a main character when he only speaks about five lines
into a cell phone while lying on his back in jail, and even
that seems taxing to him? Kids are obsessed with this
gangsta shit, so give ‘em the real deal, not this Mack
Bolan dime novel trash. Watch Shottas instead, I had to
just to scour my brain of this mindless sludge.
intent on keeping a mostly-neutral position in his work.
What becomes clear is that as strange as it seems, Times
Square is actually an important venue for free debate and
conversation. In an era where most debate is confined to
the various forms of mass media, here we see real
(though not necessarily normal) people voicing their ideas
about the best way to live in the world.
By skipping the narrative and getting face-to-face with
people whom most others ignore, Sandler has created a
challenging and thoughtful film. It’s also a piece of work
that can never truly be out-of-date. There will likely always
be someone on a street-corner with something to say.
Special Edition includes: Over an hour of additional
footage, including four featurettes.
49

KISSOLOGY Vol . 3, 1992-2000
VH1 Classic/Fontana North
By E.S. Day
Banking on the brink of destruction,
the lovely lads in KISS have
released the third and final DVD
compilation, KISSOLOGY Vol . 3,
1992-2000. In a series of rare,
behind the scenes footage, this DVD chronologically
showcases the band as they (Gene and Paul) go through
a few line-up changes. Ok so more than a few. And
what’s with everyone dying? Poor Eric Carr, my fave of
the 3 KISS drummers, and Mark St. John who got stuck
touring and recording for the inane “Animalize” album.
Regardless, the boys do us right on this final installment
with the thoroughly enjoyable “Reunion” Tour of ’96 and
even some great behind the scenes takes from the
“Unplugged” special the boys did, including all surviving
members joining forces for a couple of tracks.
You have to feel bad though for Ace. The poor bastard
fucks up every version of “Shock Me” and can’t get the
flares to shoot out of his Les Paul in a straight fashion, as
he aims for the nearest roadie to whom he gives a warning
nod. Like the Family Guy episode that mocks him twice
(once by Gene), you get the same feeling as he tries so
hard to comply with the on-air acts of invective tomfoolery
that envelope his current reputation.
The “Revenge” Tour kicks off Disc one – Gene’s Hair
piece is so embarrassedly obvious you don’t mind it. Its
the “Revenge” album tracks that are bothersome. This
disc also contains the aforementioned “Unplugged”
session, which has it moments, more pre-show stuff
that’s interesting. Disc 2 brings forth the other official
reunion – the tour. The MTV novelty shoots are here, real
Super Bowl half-time stuff. Still need to go to the first
volumes of the series to get an authentic “I Stole Your
Love”, but nonetheless, good to see the boys, especially
Paul Stanley as he belts it out in true KISS style with an
instant audience connection that rivals the rest of the
band’s vibe with the crowd.
By the time you hit disc 3 this visual retrospective has
taken its toll. We now have Peter handing out roses
during “Beth” (of course), and we now officially reach the
8th version of “Rock & Roll All Nite” (I shit you not).
Some will undoubtedly skip to the prize at the bottom of
the box -of disc 4 (there’s also a Limited Edition version/5
discs), the coveted Coventry show from 1973. Grainy,
black and white footage that boasts restored audio and
an adequate set list (9 tracks). No editing, just straight
KISS with “Old” makeup from the first album before
Casablanca started getting their paws into the mix.
Basically, a tossup or toss-off: you can pull 2 of the 4
DVD ‘s out and hurl them at the next kid wearing a
“Destroyer” T-Shirt who has never heard the album,
and/or, enjoy the mistakes, numerous takes, twists and
turns that bring you to the beginning of a Rock & Roll
odyssey that just will–not-die. Speaking of dying again,
we were kinda hoping Gene would go next.
Jetboy - THE GLAM YEARS
MVD
By E.S. Day
We have a CD/DVD combo here
with a few rarities but more impor-
tant the poorly orchestrated inter-
view footage that does enable old
school closet queens to understand
more as to why Jetboy never really made it. Sporting his
trademark Mohawk hair, vocalist Mickey Finn is still the
only off kilter glam rocker from the 80’s heyday of
sleaze/glam debauchery that is still viable. A perfor-
mance filmed at the infamous Whiskey-A-Go Go from
1986, is the integral part of this title.
Fans of Love/Hate, L.A. Guns, Tuff, Swingin’ Thing, etc..
will find this appealing, maybe even some shit-kicker
crossover stuff like Dangerous Toys, Law & Order or even
Warrior Soul. The Hanoi Rocks influence also seeps in on
classics like “Don’t Mess with My Hair.” Its too bad MCA
fucked up the Jetboy legacy within one release. Maybe
MVD can help keep the name and vibe from that era alive.
In any event if you’re over 34 and remember this kind of
flake, then roll up a bill and have a sniff of some classic
old school sleaze metal.

Vader - And Blood Was
Shed In Warsaw
MVD
By Jamie Horsley
Vader’s latest DVD, ‘And Blood Was
Shed In Warsaw,’ would have been
a wild show to see live, but lacks
any of the theatrics that make a
great live show worth watching on
your shitty TV screen. They don’t do the costume thing,
no makeup, no scantily-clad women, no whips, chains,
no pyrotechnics, not even an elaborate set. Oh lights,
they had good lighting. Just four dudes on a stage show-
ing that they know how to kick metal ass. And they do.
Vader plays their set flawlessly. All the glorious head-
banging death metal that we’ve come to know and love
and expect from Vader is unleashed on their friends,
family and fans in their home country of Poland. Their
home crowd worships them. Without a gesture or much
more than a look, the crowd screams “Va-der! Va-der!”
when the band stops playing for more than a few
seconds.
The wicked tunes and well lit stage monkeys last for an
hour and a half and during that time found myself mulling
about doing other things because, while the music was
always great, the visuals weren’t holding my attention. I
would much rather be there live. They’ve got better
speakers, a better view, and a mosh pit. But it’s a DVD, so
there’s other stuff on it.
There are a couple music videos included, those are
always cool. One is for a song they did for a video game,
the other is for ‘Helleluya (God is Dead).’ The music
videos aren’t bad. There’s even an interesting interview
with Peter, the band’s lead singer. Too bad it’s in Polish
with English subtitles. Good thing you can read. Speaking
of reading, there’s a full 14 page history of the band on
there too. My eyes burned after trying to read 14 screens
full of text on my television. There are a few other goodies
on there too.
If they had made a live album on CD of the same concert,
you wouldn’t have to buy this DVD. But there is no CD, so
you must buy the DVD.
Bob Mould:
Circle Of Friends - Live at the 9:30 Club
Directed By Christoph Green
MVD
By Grimm Culhane
Long time rock icon and ex Hüsker
Dü and Sugar frontman Bob Mould
lets the cameras invade some of his
personal space in the MVD release, Bob Mould: Circle Of
Friends - Live at the 9:30 Club. Filmed at Washington,
D.C.’s famous 9:30 Club (no guff!) during a stop on the
2005 Body of Song tour, Circle Of Friends is the first autho-
rized and long overdue live concert release by Bob Mould.
Featuring drummer Brendan Canty (Fugazi), keyboardist/
vocalist Richard Morel (Morel), and bassist/vocalist
Jason Narducy (Rockets Over Sweden), and covering
selections from across Bob’s entire musical career, this is
definitely one fans both old and new can truly appreciate.
Not one to do anything half-baked, Bob’s Circle Of
Friends is something he should be proud of. From the
numerous camera angles catching all the action to the
quality of the audio, this is an intimate and extremely well
produced piece of work.
In a short segment at the beginning of the DVD, Bob and
the rest of his band have a chance to explain how they all
met. The chemistry between them becomes even more
evident once the music starts, ripping through selections
from all of Bob Mould’s incarnations, from Hüsker Dü
and Sugar to his latest solo work. The majority of songs
here are from Sugar’s 1992 release Copper Blue and
Bob’s 2005 solo album Body of Song, but Hüsker Dü get
their due as well… finally! Not playing Hüsker Dü songs
since their break-up in 1987, Bob pulls out the classics like
“Hardly Getting Over It” (Candy Apple Grey) and “Makes
No Sense At All” (Flip Your Wig), dusts them off and trots
them out as fresh as the day they were recorded.
Those familiar with Bob Mould know he takes his live
performances very seriously, but here is a side of Bob we
rarely see. Loose, comfortable and yes, even happy, Bob
proves you can go back again and be successful doing so.
51
GAME REVIEW
UNREAL
TOURNAMENT 3
PC-DVD Epic Games/Midway
The “first person shooter” and other games genres have
become increasingly realistic in both game play and
visuals over the past five years. It seems that ever since
the success of Counter-Strike in 1999 multiplayer shooters
have been more and more geared around high-realism
and “round based” game play. Unreal Tournament 3
(UT3) provides a sigh of relief for those of us that just like
to blow shit up.
Like the other Unreal games before it, UT3 is designed to
be a multi-player game, so the real fun is wreaking havoc in
large groups online. All of the standard play types are
included: Capture the Flag, Deathmatch and Team Death-
match. Game elements are heavily based around speed
and precision. Health and armour upgrades are littered all
about the map. Ammunition is plentiful and dying results in
an immediate re-spawn. The sci-fi weapons provide a
decent range of variety from the “headshot” rewarding
sniper rifle to the toxic waste dispensing bio cannon.
Visually UT3 is like a swift kick to the ear. Many of the 30+
maps are a mixture of the typical multiplayer dungeon
and outdoor field which keeps environments varied
during your murderous rampages. The latest and greatest
texture and lighting effects put UT3 graphically on par
with other high end PC shooters like Call of Duty 4,
Crysis and Gears of War. For those of us with older
systems the game will run acceptably after tweaking a
few video settings. But On a high end PC this game
looks so good you will probably find yourself stopped
during game play inspecting all the details. Be warned
that these moments of Zen are usually interrupted by and
enemy rocket turning you into a fractal of virtual blood
and tissue.
Although the heart and soul of the game has not been
changed there have been some decent additions aside
from the boner-inducing graphics. First off the campaign
mode has been beefed up by adding quality cut scenes
and a hilariously cliché storyline. Some of the funniest
dialogue attempts to explain how characters can die a
seemingly infinite amount of times during war, and why
coloured flags in some fields must be run back and forth
between enemy camps. The campaign can be played in
co-op mode with a buddy if you want to watch the Oscar
calibre story unfold together.
UT3 does fall short in some of the details. The menu
system is convoluted and advanced graphic options are
not customizable. Gamers will find themselves on a
miniature scavenger hunt every time a setting needs to
be changed. It’s important to note that there were many
stability issues at the time this review was written so PC
Gamers may want to hold back a few weeks until Epic
releases the 1.1 patch.
In the end UT3 provides the same entertainment as any
decent action movie. You walking in expecting plot-less
gratuitous violence and explosions, get your fill and leave
content.
By Kyle Wiltshire
BOOK REVIEW
WHY WHITE KIDS
LOVE HIP HOP
By Bakari Kitwana
Basic Civitas Books
The former Executive Editor and Senior Editor of
National Affairs for “The Source Magazine,” Kitwana is
well versed in the fucked up racial politics of America. It
is this depth of analysis that today informs “White Kids”,
(aka - wankstas, wiggers, wannabes and the new reality
of race in America).
The underlying concept that “the national conversation
about race has yet to catch up with the national reality”
initially makes for a very engaging read, with vital issues
about racial and cultural identity laid bare in chapters
like - “Do white boys want to be black?” and “Are white
suburban kids really Hip Hop’s primary audience?”
Essentially the point is, although Hip Hop was created
with the intention of racial unification through culture,
much of the popular depiction of Hip Hop only serves to
reinforce negative racial stereotypes. At the same time,
in seeing Hip Hop as inclusive, some non-black heads
are refusing to acknowledge the black origin of the
culture, which amounts to racism.
Part two dwells long on the paradox of Eminem (the
“Elvis” of rap) and “The Source” fueled beef between
him and Benzino over Em’s alleged racism (the sexism’s
undeniable…). Kitwana gives him credit for emerging
from an underprivileged underclass parallel to the
experience of many black rappers and describes him as
a product of “America’s new racial politics.”
The trouble is that not once does Kitwana let Eminem
speak for himself, or any white rapper… or any Hip Hop
practitioner at all for that matter. The fact that he only
interviewed dilettantes and hobbyists truly shows what
he thinks of white Hip Hop heads. There have been
groundbreaking words said recently by artists like Cage
and El-P about refusing to uphold racial and cultural
stereotypes that blow Kitwana’s P.C. analysis out of the
water.
The closing chapter, “Coalition building across race,
Organizing the Hip Hop voting bloc”, works on the
assumption that a conscious, Hip Hop motivated youth
demographic can positively change voting trends.
Typical American bullshit, well intentioned but so
steeped in “Amerrrikkka” that he can’t see outside of
the box. Speaking as a white MC, Hip Hop has always
been a means of thinking beyond the binary choice
between Tweedledum and Tweedledummer, and if you
have any faith at all in the system you’ve already lost.
Besides, no matter what, when the majority rules the
minority always loses…
Ultimately, the book deals more with America’s touchy
feelings on race than with the explosive impact of Hip
Hop on youth of all descriptions (race being a false
concept, after all…), and eventually degenerates into a
“we can make it together if we try” defense of electoral
politics. Republicrats and Democrans, fuck ‘em all, like
DPZ said – “meet me up on Capitol Hill, and we gone
get up to some real shit!”. Peace, DMcC.
By Dave “Corvid” McCallum
53
 Blowing Up The Set in 2008

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