Aside from the venerable opening riff of Metallica’s “Master of Puppets,” there may be no more recognizable melody in thrash than the main riff of Slayer’s “Raining Blood,” the sort-of title track of their landmark Reign in Blood album. You May Also Like: No related posts.

Why the hell am I listening to The Smiths? The simple answer is that I saw a friend tweeting that he was listening to them. I was surprised, because I could have sworn that he found Morrissey’s voice off-putting. You May Also Like: The Smiths’ ‘How Soon Is Now?’ IsRead More

Guitarist Alan Morse joined us just before his band Spock’s Beard gathered to shoot a video for “Submerged,” offering his thoughts on their newly released album Brief Nocturnes and Dreamless Sleep and the band’s new frontman. You May Also Like: Neal Morse Did It All (Again) on ‘Songs from November’Read More

The standard-bearing harp influence of Walter Jacobs — he established the vocabulary still used by nearly every amplified modern player — is well documented. This guest-packed concert tribute reminds you of his composing prowess, too. You May Also Like: No related posts.

For years, John Oates was known for his work with Daryl Hall. These days, he’s working with a dizzying array of big-name collaborators — from Vince Gill to Hot Chelle Rae, not to mention producers for Taylor Swift and Eric Clapton. You May Also Like: No related posts.

Same name, different spelling. Initially billed as the Jesters, this Mankato, Minnesota band earned a hefty helping of local applause prior to making their presence known in select areas about the country. You May Also Like: Gypsy, “Gypsy Queen, Part 1” (1970): One Track Mind

David Lee Roth, in his own inimitable way, discusses his blockbuster reunion with Van Halen — comparing it, by turns, to training for a bike race, a game of chess and even a gridiron film. You May Also Like: No related posts.

Whenever I describe a jazz artist as unique and eccentric, using odd meters and irregular note progressions, that means I’m describing a whack jazz artist about 99% of the time. Reedman Daniel Bennett on the hand belongs in that one percent. You May Also Like: Daniel Bennett Group – WeRead More

Originally released in 1975 on A&M Records, Armageddon proved to be the late great ex-Yardbirds/Renaissance vocalist Keith Relf’s last stand — and he really went out rockin.’ It must have come as a shock to his legacy fans You May Also Like: How Jimmy Page and the Yardbirds Went OutRead More

Baby, you’re a Beatles fan: The monthly readers poll for April 2013 is dominated by Fab Four-related stuff — though, ultimately, Deep Purple’s terrific new effort topped the newest Something Else! list. You May Also Like: The Beatles, “What Goes On” from ‘Rubber Soul’ (1965): Deep Beatles The Beatles, “Boys”Read More