Friday, October 30, 2009

Album Review: Baroness' Blue Record Will Cream Your Jeans/Blow Your Mind and Not Call You Back


(Blue Record has more than awesome album art)

I've been holding off from reviewing this album for a couple weeks. It might be that I'm extremely biased going in having read other reviews. Decibel magazine gave it 10/10 and went so far to call it album of the year (they're right). Metalsucks.net gave it 4 1/2 out of 5 horns. Metal Injection hails it as a return to what "Epic" truly is. And truthfully, I can't agree more. After using Blue Record as the background music for my late night homework excursions (and thus listening to it between ten and fifteen times in a row), I figure I should toss my hat in the ring and give it my review.

I want to keep this as short as possible as not to sound like I'm masterbating over this whole album.

Blue Record opens with a lulling mellow track "Bullhead's Psalm" before pushing you off the deep end into the heavy riffage of "The Sweetest Curse." The album takes off running, taunting you to catch up. I'll stop myself from writing a song by song review now, thank you.

Blue Record is filled with lows and highs, soft and rough sonic textures, peaks and valleys, heavy riffs and proggy tones all combining to make an EPIC record. Let's talk about those last two. This album is very heavy. To counter that Baroness has expertly used prog-rock meleodies, and they've done it without sounding overly-wanky (my main beef with prog). This is a heavy metal album, but believe me if you like anything that resembles "rock" music, you will like this album. You'll enjoy the album, but tracks to watch out for are: "The Sweetest Curse", "Jake Leg", "A Horse Called Golgotha" and "The Gnashing."

This is album of the year. I encourage everyone to give it a listen on Baroness' myspace. The entire Blue Record is streaming there. Listen to it for free, if you like it support this awesome band by buying some merch (they have a t-shirt cd combo for cheap).

For blowing minds, pushing heavy metal forward and expanding metal beyond a niche genre, Baroness' Blue Record recieves FIVE OUT OF FIVE HAMMERS!



[Baroness' Blue Record was released on October 13th, 2009 on Relapse Records. Total play time: 44:25]

Mastodon Perform 'Divinations' on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

Jimmy Fallon isn't funny, but at least he brings metal acts on his show. Here's Mastodon performing 'Divinations' from Crack the Skye. It's a much better performance than when they played on Letterman.

HALLOWEEN EPISODE pt. 2



Here's the playlist from our epic Halloween themed show. We kicked things off with some Halloween safety tips from Dio. At about the hour mark I let Xander take over the boards and practice DJing. He did a fine job...until the end...shame shame. You heard Slayer's World Painted blood (in stores next week), new Between the Buried and Me, Living color and of course album of the year: Baroness's Blue Record.

The Sledge (Rock (Loud)) with Timothy Sledge 10/29/2009 10:30PM to 12:30AM

  1. Dio "Don't Talk to Strangers" from "Holy Diver"
  2. Iced Earth "Dracula" from "Horror Show"
  3. Children of Bodom "Living Dead Beat" from "Stockholm Knockout Live"
  4. Iron Maiden "Fear of the Dark" from "Rock in Rio"
  5. King Diamond "Halloween" from "A Dangerous Meeting"
  6. Helloween "Halloween" from "Keeper Of The Seven Keys Part 1"
  7. Fastway "Trick or Treat" from "Trick or Treat Soundtrack"
  8. Ozzy Osbourne "Bark at the Moon" from "Bark at the Moon"
  9. Lizzy Borden "Master of Disguise" from "Master Of Disguise"
  10. Dokken "Dream Warriors" from "Beast From the East"
  11. Death "Evil Dead" from "Scream Bloody Gore"
  12. Sodom "Witching Metal" from "In The Sign Of Evil"
  13. Tankard "Zombie Attack" from "Zombie Attack"
  14. Saint Vitus "The Troll" from "Mournful Cries"
  15. Black Sabbath "N.I.B." from "Black Sabbath"
  16. A Band of Orcs "Into the Maelstrom" from "Warchiefs Of The Apocalypse"
  17. Slayer "World Painted Blood" from "World Painted Blood"
  18. Saviours "We Roam" from "Accelerated Learning"
  19. Baroness "War, Wisdom and Rhyme" from "Blue Record"
  20. Living Colour "The Chair" from "The Chair in the Doorway"

Thursday, October 29, 2009

HALLOWEEN EPISODE!


Halloween is on Saturday and why not celebrate by rockin' out to all (most) of the Halloween themed songs that I can remember (think up). If you're not here listening in, you better be raging it at Orctoberfest:

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Until The Light Takes Us

A friendly documentary about the Black Metalz.

Whale Rider Boots

Here at The Sledge, we are all about things that involve whales and flying. Gojira has just released their own kicks. Too expensive for my tastes, but they still look pretty cool:

Friday, October 23, 2009

The Epicast Episode Two: Pagan Pride



Can't get enough of The Sledge?

Head over to Metal Injection and check out episode two of The Epicast.

Prior to entering the studio Metalbeard and I heard the call of the Northern Forests. Mounting our glorious steeds, we rode deep into the mountains of Santa Cruz until we came upon the Pagan Circle (no really, there is one). After slaughtering the dirty hippies within the surrounding area, we used their blood to channel the Gods of Old. Thus did Odin call down to us from Valhalla, commanding that we dedicate the next Epicast to him and the glory of Asgard with only the best Folk, Pagan and Viking Metal.

-TS

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Pledge Drive


Hey bitches, it's KZSC's annual Fall Pledge Drive. We got some tasty Heavy Metal thank you gifts for ya. Call in and Pledge to get your hands on a copy of Iron Maiden's Flight 666 DVD. We also have a Rob Zombie DVD. Fun stuff.

EDIT: WE HAVE FUCKIN' DETHKLOK AND MASTADON TICKETS!!!

To get ya'll in the givin' mood I'll be playing a lot of old Maiden, Metallica and Sabbath. Good times for all. I'm going to make the last half hour new stuff. Tune in and pledge, your life depends on it.

Air Room number: 831-459-4036

Friday, October 16, 2009

Playlist October 15th, 2009: We Just Gave You The Shocker

That's right. We missed last week because we went to Manofest, which of course was awesome. During this week's show, we recapped the many adventures we had last week. and last night at the Warbringer, Havok, Hatchet show.

For Metal Beard's Bearded Bands he gave us his favorites from the Shocker (1989) soundtrack.

Here's the credits track:


...and the title track:


Oh yea, and here's the full playslist from tonight:

The Sledge (Rock (Loud)) with Timothy Sledge 10/15/2009 10:30PM to 12:30AM

  1. Lemmy Kilmister "The Trooper" from "Numbers of the Beast" -- Iron Maiden Cover
  2. Manowar "Metal Daze" from "Battle Hymnes"
  3. Skeletonwitch "Upon Wings of Black" from "beyond the permafrost"
  4. Children of Bodom "Somebody Put Something in My Drink" from "Skeletons in the Closet" -- Ramones Cover
  5. Hatchet "Awaiting Evil" from "Awaiting Evil"
  6. Havok "Scabs of Trust" from "Burn"
  7. Warbringer "Total War" from "One By One The Wicked Die"
  8. Savatage "Another Way" from "The Wake of Magellan"
  9. Saviours "Raging Embers" from "Into Abaddon"
  10. Kiss "Modern Day Delilah" from "Sonic Boom"
  11. The Sword "Freya" from "Age of Winters"
  12. Mastedon "Get Up" from "California Metal Vol. 2"
  13. Mastodon "Colony of Birchman" from "Blood Mountain"
  14. The Dudes of Wrath "Shocker" from "Shocker Soundtrack"
  15. Megadeth "No More Mr. Nice Guy" from "Shocker Soundtrack"
  16. Dangerous Toys "Demon bell (The ballad of Horace Pinker)" from "Shocker Soundtrack"
  17. Bonfire "Sword and Stone" from "Shocker Soundtrack"
  18. Steel Panther "Shocker" from "Feel The Steel"
  19. Apostle "The Sword" from "East Coast Metal"
  20. Cities "Burn Forever" from "Best of Metal Blade Vol. II"
  21. Dethklok "Murmaider II: The Water God" from "Dethalbum II"
  22. Thrust "Posers Will Die" from "Best of Metal Blade Vol. II"
  23. Steel Panther "Turn Out The Lights" from "Death To All But Metal"
  24. Municipal Waste "Wrong Answer" from "Massive Aggressive"

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Manofest is More Important Than The Sledge

It seems like half the posts on this blog are informing you that there will not be an episode of The Sledge this week or that.

I encourage you all to join Metalbeard and I at an event that is going to be the most fuckin' heavy metal kickass balls to the wall awesome show of the YEAR!



It's a fuckin' Manowar tribute show. BE THERE!

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Gojira's "Flying Whales"

MetalInjection.net has posted pro-shot footage from a recent Gojira show. I missed Gojira several years ago in LA when they toured with Children of Bodom and Amon Amarth (we got stuck in traffic resulting in our late arrival). Anyway, here's footage of my favorite Gojira song:

I'll search the flight of WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALES!

Friday, October 2, 2009

Playlist October 1st, 2009: Bodom My Bodom




That's right. I lied. We didn't hit you with the Big Four Block or MetalBeard's Bearded Bands! Instead I decided to run with an ill-conceived, but excellent idea: Play an exciting song by a band Children of Bodom covers and then play the Bodom cover. This segment (termed "Bodom Boxing") was a smashing success!

First we started things with Megadeth's "Sweating Bullets" because Dave Mustaine is releasing an autobiography by someone else. Then we hit you with "Preacher's Daughter" off of 3 Inches of Blood's latest: Here Waits Thy Doom

When we finished up with Bodom. A waterfall of new releases (and random 2009 releases) poured into your ears.

The Sledge (Rock (Loud)) with Timothy Sledge 10/01/2009 10:30PM to 12:30AM

  1. Megadeth "Sweating Bullets" from "Sweating Bullets single"
  2. 3 Inches of Blood "Preacher's Daughter" from "Here Waits Thy Doom"
  3. Scorpions "Now!" from "Blackout"
  4. Children of Bodom "Don't Stop At the Top" from "Skeletons in the Closet" -- Scorpions Cover
  5. W.A.S.P. "Animal (Fuck LIke A Beast)" from "Animal (Fuck Like A Beast)"
  6. Children of Bodom "Hellion" from "Skeletons in the Closet" -- W.A.S.P. Cover
  7. Iron Maiden "Killers" from "Maiden Japan"
  8. Children of Bodom "Aces High" from "Skeletons in the Closet" -- Iron Maiden Cover
  9. Slayer "Evil Has No Boundaries" from "The Best of Metal Blade"
  10. Children of Bodom "Silent Scream" from "Skeletons in the Closet" -- Slayer Cover
  11. Anthrax "Metal Thrashing Mad" from "Fistful of Metal"
  12. Children of Bodom "Antisocial" from "Skeletons in the Closet" -- Anthrax Cover
  13. Andrew W.K. "Ready to Die" from "I Get Wet"
  14. Children of Bodom "She Is Beautiful" from "Skeletons in the Closet" -- Andrew W.K. Cover
  15. Children of Bodom "Rebel Yell" from "Skeletons in the Closet" -- Billy Idol Cover
  16. The Gates of Slumber "Beneath the Eyes of Mars" from "Hymns of Blood and Thunder"
  17. Alice in Chains "Check My Brain" from "Black Gives Way to Blue"
  18. Asphyx "Bloodswamp" from "Death... the Brutal Way"
  19. Dethklok "Bloodlines" from "Dethalbum II"
  20. Buried Inside "IV." from "Spoils of Failure"
  21. Steel Panther "Turn Out the Lights" from "Feel The Steel"
  22. Megadeth "Dialectic Chaos" from "Endgame"
  23. Megadeth "This Day We Fight" from "Endgame"
  24. Burnt By The Sun "Inner Station" from "Heart of Darkness"
  25. Tenet "Take A Long Line" from "Sovereign"
  26. Municipal Waste "Relentless Threat" from "Massive Aggressive"
  27. Howl "Kings That Steel" from "Howl"

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Time for a Hair Cut

Ok, so I've been growing my hair out for quite sometime now. Two years or something like that. It has slowed its progress quite a bit. I feel people have fallen in love with my hair and have forgotten to look past my beautiful, golden locks to see the person on the inside.

For most of my life, I'm pretty sure I've just gotten my head buzzed. It could be time for an actual hair cut. Now I'm pretty bad at making decisions like these, so help me decide on how to style my hair. I've compiled a list of possibilities and my thoughts on them. I will use a poll to decide the winner. Please vote for your favorite or suggest another option.

No guarantees.

1. Val Kilmer in "Top Secret"


2. Patrick Swayze "Road House" era:


3. Richard Dean Anderson: MacGyver

We all know mullets aren't in style anymore, so I'll probably shorten the back on this one.

4. Val Kilmer in "Top Gun"


5.Feasibly, I could pull off a blonde version of Tom Cruise's do from that film


6. That guy from the "Shine on Me" video:



Ok, I'm joking about that one.

7. Karl Logan of Manowar:


8. Other. Please post your suggestions, I know I forgot about some great stuff.

Time to get hit!

HEY DOUCHE! The Sledge is back tonight. We're hitting you with an all new Metal Beard's Bearded Bands, Big Four Block and new Megadeth, Steel Panther, Municipal Waste and...Children of Bodom!