Joe’s Garage tribute recap
According to vocalist Bruce Corbitt (Rigor Mortis/War Beast - formerly Texas Metal Alliance), the Joe’s Garage Tribute Weekend to Abb Greig was a thrashing and smashing success. The festivities at Ft. Worth’s Rockstar Sports Bar were capped by attendance records - 280 paid on Friday and over 320 Saturday night - with each paying five measly dollars and traveling from places such as San Antonio, Oklahoma, New Orleans and Arkansas.
With admissions, sales of Joe’s Garage memorabilia and specially made T-shirts, plus a raffle for a Dimebag painting over $4000 was raised.
Ruth Greig, Abb’s wife, was in attendance both nights and, prior to the Puncture set on Friday, she addressed the crowd, stating, “Abb would have loved all this.” The following night, she again spoke, thanking everyone for showing up and noting that, “Abb is smiling down on us right now.“ The peak moment came seconds later, when Rockstar owner Warren Garza presented her with $3000. The look on her face was priceless. The benefit continued on Sunday.
Metal heads from DFW - and those who traveled - stepped up to the plate (the pit). (Money raised is to go to a college fund for Abb’s grandchildren).
A Thrashing Recovery
Rigor Mortis guitarist, Mike Scaccia, underwent emergency neck surgery on May 4. He later texted, saying they’d had to slit his throat open and he wouldn’t be able to talk for a few days, but that the surgery looked like a success.”
Texas underground metal
The authority on Texas metal’s history, TMU (TexasMetalUnderground.com) has created TMU Records, which will focus on rare and classic gems from the 1980’s and early 1990’s. As with the website, the label’s goal is to preserve the legacy of classic Texas metal and allow fans to hear some of the area’s great bands during the 1980’s underground heyday. The debut compiles a 1988 demo from Corpus Christi’s Final Assault and unreleased 1989 demo tracks from Vengeance. Vocalist Alex Robles fronted both bands, which featured virtuosic guitar work from Ruben Vela and Izzy Munoz. A regular version and a collector’s version of this true masterpiece can be purchased at texasmetalunderground.com…
Goodbye Robb’s Metalworks
All good things must come to an end, including those who live, breath and broadcast metal such as Robb’s Metalworks in San Antonio.
After a 12-year run with such guests as Zakk Wylde, Jamey Jasta, Glenn Danzig, Billy Milano, Larry Barragan, Vinnie Paul and Bobby Jarzombek, RMW has decided to call it a day. The final episode will air June 21, ending like it began - supporting San Antonio metal, this time with Brotherhood and Nothing More. For more detailed information visit the show’s myspace page at myspace.com/metalshows or robbsmetalworks.com.
Prayer and Slayer
Directors of the International Day of Slayer, a holiday for metal and those who enjoy the band’s music, have petitioned the White House to make the holiday official. “Heavy metal music is the central belief of a culture that exists among us, and Slayer is the perfect spokesperson,” said Brett Stevens, a member of the International Day of Slayer (IDoS) Task Force.
Studio
Immortal has completed All Shall Fall, with a release set this fall through Nuclear Blast. The album, recorded at Greighallen in Norway and Sweden’s Abyss Studios (owned by Hypocrisy’s Peter Tagtgren).
Reunited thrashers, Defiance (Oakland, CA), have finished their new album for Candlelight Records, with an expected release in September. It will be the band’s first CD since 1992’s Beyond Recognition on Roadrunner.
Media comics
Terminal Press and Nuclear Blast have teamed up for one of the most brutal comics of the year - Dimmu Borgir: Dark Fortress.” It’s the first in a series of books influenced by the lyrical, artistic and musical concepts from the label’s polarizing roster of bands. The Creative teams at Terminal Press are responsible for the translation.
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Hatebreed - For The Lions, E1 Music
Jamey Jasta and his cohorts pay tribute to some of their many influences on For The Lions. Taking 18 tracks from the likes of Bad Brains, Agnostic Front, Sepultura and Black Flag, they’ve added their hardcore stamp and brutalized them like only Hatebreed can. Madball’s “Set If Off” is in your face, while “Escape” (Metallica) sounds a little heavier than the original. But Jasta keeps the vocals along the lines of Hetfield. Other standouts are “Ghosts Of War” (Slayer), “Suicidal Maniac” (Suicidal Tendencies) and “Life Is Pain” (Merauder). Of course the disc wouldn’t be complete without a cover of namesake song “Hatebreeders” by the Misfits. For The Lions should help turn a lot of new ears on to some great music.
 (Travis Tutwiler)
Ministry - Adios… Puta Madres, 13th Planet Records
Recorded during the Ministry’s C-U-LaTour in 2008, this one-cd/two dvd set gives a last look at the band’s final world tour. Thirteen tracks capture the great live sound like “The Dick Song,” “No W” and “Khyber Pass.” The first dvd, En Vivo has 15 live performances from various shows and switches a few songs from the cd such as “Thieves” and “Just One Fix.” The second dvd, Fuchi Requiem, offers interviews with the band as they reflect on the tour, backstage footage and the crew as they prepare for the tour. There’s even some footage of the Dallas skyline from the Palladium Ballroom, where the tour stopped in April 2008. This set is a great way to remember one hell of a band for years to come.
(Travis Tutwiler)
The Legion - A Bliss To Suffer, Listenable Records
On A Bliss To Suffer, this Swedish quintet unleashes a bludgeoning onslaught of speed and force. “Shining Redemption” grabs you by the throat and drags you into a sonic beat down. “Call Of The Nameless” is a break-neck track with plenty of double bass. “A Tor Beneath The Skin” and “A Curse For The Dead” are skull-crushing tracks that feature plenty of low-end chugs and grinding. While A Bliss To Suffer contains plenty of what you’d expect from typical death metal, The Legion moves between extreme speed and pile-driving force to deliver a renewed sound to an often-stale genre.
(Travis Tutwiler)
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