heavy metal

Listening to Wolfmother’s “Cosmic Egg” is a refreshing break from the usual blasé fare offered under the aegis of “rock revival.” Even with an almost entirely new band in tow, Wolfmother has produced a second album that can stand the test of time. The linchpin in the entire effort is that Wolfmother plays stand up rock and roll without any of the ironic sense that has become so fashionable in music and pop culture. Andrew Stockdale isn’t playing rock and roll out of some grand nostalgia, or to impress any sort of image on the listener.

Arch Enemy’s “The Root of All Evil” is an interesting study. It has all the tenets of typical European death metal fare, but at its darkened and fiery center beats an irrepressible heart of old-school thrash. Beneath the prominent blast beats and screeching vocals is an album that features intricate and calculated guitar work, down to earth riffs stretched over simple but infectious rhythms, and an integrated understanding of powerful metal themes.

There are few bands that I have seen before who I will still travel three hundred miles round trip to see again. KMFDM is one of them. I had previously seen them on consecutive Halloweens in 2003 and 2004, and each of those shows is likely included in my personal top seven favorite shows. So, ticket in hand, I packed into the car, and off I went to Boston, and the House of Blues.