Blag Dahlia of The Dwarves - Issue 60

So...what have all you been up to the past few years? Haven't heard much album-wise from The Dwarves since "The Dwarves Must Die"... Are there plans for another album or did the title track basically say it all?

I’m glad you asked that. We have, in fact, died. I’m writing this in a fit of prognostication years before you even wrote to me.
As luck would have it, the Dwarves Lost Albums are now starting to emerge. Stuff deemed too bizarre when first conceived is now understandable by even our most retarded fans. We shall return!

The Dwarves are well known for their savage live shows... are there any plans to tour in the states anytime soon?

Look for East Coast and Mid West dates for Fall in the US and some Europe in the summer.

Though the original Dwarves sound was almost 100% raw punk rock, your sound has evolved and become a much more mature and distinct one all your own... How would you describe The Dwarves' sound today?

If the best punk band suddenly got talented, it would be us. All genres styles and flavors represented. Legends!

Who were some of your influences in the music world? What originally made you want to go out and rock a stage?

Vagina in all its many forms. Little pink ones with an absence of hair.

Tell me a little about your book. When did you decide to get into writing books?

My last novel was “Nina”, the story of a young girl and all the dirty things she does. I like novels because unlike music, people who are retarded really can’t appreciate them. Reading is fundamental!

Any future plans for you outside the band? How about a solo album? ...And what would it sound like?

Attached is a mix from something new by me and some friends. It isn’t Dwarves and it isn’t exactly Blag either. It’s classic so watch out for it!

John 5 Interview - Issue 60

John 5 started playing guitar at the age of seven, inspired by the Saturday morning TV show Hee Haw: “I didn’t know any... musical genres. I was just in awe of the players”. His parents were supportive of his learning and permitted him to play in bars and clubs on the condition that he kept his grades up.

Aged 18, John moved to California to pursue a career as a professional session guitarist. In 1998, after narrowly missing out on an audition 2 years prior, John was asked to lunch by Marilyn Manson: “he asked me to join the band – right there”. The name John 5 bestowed on him that day, John joined Manson et al, for the Rock is Dead tour. Following the tragic events of April 1999 at Columbine High School, the group began work on “Holywood: In The Shadow of the Valley of Death”, an angry response to the media witch-hunt the band suffered, and was the first album John wrote on. In 2004, John 5 and Marilyn Manson parted company. “I had a great run with Marilyn Manson. It was a lot of fun [but now] I’m busier...than I was on tour”.

Work began in earnest on ‘Vertigo’, a deeply autobiographical album pulled from turbulent personal memories on the last Manson tour. Following the album’s release, John began working with cult rock artist and movie director, Rob Zombie, joining him for 2005’s Ozzfest tour: “[I] never thought I would have the chance to share the stage with him playing the Zombie songs we all know and love”.

Later that year, John released ‘Songs For Sanity’, a second solo album, grittier than the first: Guesting on the album were Steve Vai and Albert Lee. After touring for almost a year in support of Rob Zombie’s ‘Educated Horses’, John took time out to work on his third solo album. ‘Devil Knows My Name’ saw contributions from Joe Satriani and Jim Root. It also won him an accolade for Best Shred Album from Guitarworld.com.

– adapted from John 5’s bio at www.john-5.com

With the release of his fourth album, “Requiem”, one of the most unique and diverse guitar players on the planet today brings his most recent opus of hard-riffed jams and screaming solos - The kind of solos that make you wonder if he’s got a few extra sets of fingers to help him out. John 5 may very well be from another planet altogether as tracks like “The Judas Cradle” and “Requiem” seem to have been created for the listening pleasure of beings from other worlds. With an obvious affinity for the southern twang, his distinct brand of brutal head-banging shreddery would make any Guitar Center wannabe quiver with fear. Well rounded and constantly evolving, there’s no question as to why John 5 remains an icon in the eyes of guitarists worldwide…

Your guitar style is so diverse and unique...How would you describe your sound?

I enjoy playing different styles and try to incorporate different music such as country, classical, and western swing and try to incorporate that into rock music.

How is this release different from “Songs For Sanity”? How do you compose your songs?

I believe that this is a lot more intense than my other cds. When I was on tour with Rob Zombie, I would travel with a mini recorder and metronome. I would just work on the record during the day and during soundcheck before the show. Most of the records were done after midnight and in the middle of the night.

Who are some of your influences as a guitar player?

Jimi Hendrix at age 7, Van Halen, Yngwie Malmsteen, Paul Gilbert amongst many others.

Do you play any other instruments other than guitar?

I mainly concentrate on guitar, but I play bass guitar, some banjo, and basically a little bit of everything.

Where did that Honky-Tonk speed picking sound heard on “Pity Belt” and Songs For Sanity’s “Gein With Envy” come from?

That’s from my background. I love country pickers, and I love learning different styles like bluegrass, country and players such as Albert Lee and Chet Atkins.

Do you see yourself ever releasing a non-metal album?

I was thinking about doing more of a mellow album to change it up a little bit. So yes, maybe something like that in the near future.

What would you tell a person that wants to learn to shred like you? How does one get so damn good?

I would tell them to stay focused and try to learn something new at least once a week. Don’t try to be super fast right away, just take it slow and go at your own pace. It takes a lot of years and dedication.

Who would you be most excited to tour with?

I’ve always been into The Beatles and it would be a true honor to play with Paul McCartney. I set a really high goal for myself to do that.

CD Reviews - Issue 60

The Ocean
Precambrian
Metal Blade

Through a seamless progression of moods and aural landscapes, The Ocean’s newest release, Precambrian, is a far cry from most Metal albums released today. It’s been a minute since I’ve been able to listen to an album start to finish without having to skip a track…let alone a Hardcore album… A veritable “Dark Side of The Moon” for the Metalcore world, Precambrian delivers a unique mixture of sporadic symphonic arrangements with tasteful pinches of electronic wizardry. These elevations in mood and dynamics provide the perfect texture for the band’s signature brutal chord progressions and savage vocal prowess. One of the most infectious Hardcore releases in recent years, this album may even turn the most unlikely of listeners into believers.


Alabama 3
Hits & Exit Wounds
One Little Indian

Hailing from the success of their hit “Woke Up This Morning”, which landed itself as the theme to HBO’s groundbreaking show ‘The Sopranos’, Alabama 3’s ‘Hits & Exit Wounds’ proves them to be much more than just a one trick pony. With a unique southern flavored groove, apparent on “Hello…I’m Johnny Cash”, an obvious tribute to the Man in Black, it’s dance music to combat dance music. And that’s no more blatantly expressed than on tracks such as “U Don’t Danse To Tekno Anymore” & “Ain’t Goin’ To Goa”. That’s not to say that Alabama 3 don’t incorporate electronic rhythms…they do. They just do it with class.


Raashan Ahmad
The Push
Om Records

From Crown City Rockers' MC Raashan Ahmad comes a positive hip hop album with more soul than a Texas Buffet… The Push, Raashan’s debut release on Om records conveys his ever-positive outlook on the hip hop culture and life as we know it. The Push proves that Raashan can hold his own when it comes to putting out music…full band or not! Tracks like “Weight” and “City Feel Proud” (which features J5’s Chali 2na) are laden with glimpses of wisdom straight from the mind of the Bay Area’s hip hop movement. You won’t find any ‘rims’ or ‘ice’ or ‘gangsta’ shit on this record…just some good old fashioned, down-home funk and soul with a little B-Boy style. I looooove being a B-Booooooooy!


Slightly Stoopid
Slightly Not Stoned Enough To Eat Breakfast Yet Stoopid
Stoopid Records/MRI

The culmination of years of bong smoke and an undying desire for regurgitated Reggae bass lines & Sublime albums, Slightly Stoopid’s collection of “Outtakes, Rarities and a Couple New Joints” fails to impress. With a lack of originality, every song has that “I’ve heard it before” feeling. I don’t know, maybe it’s just me, but I’m not getting it. With all the publicity these guys are getting on the road with acts like Pepper and Ozomatli, whom respectively employ some truly incredible musicianship, I’m surprised that Slightly Stoopid has even been able to keep up with their own hype. This album is less than forgettable. I think I’ll just keep ignoring it until it goes away.