Inch Of Dark Calls My Bluff

 

 

“More people will come if they think we’ll have punch and pie!” ~ South Park: Bigger, Longer, and Uncut (1999)

I am going to share with you a tale of humor and humility.

I suppose that I would have to admit that with my love for live music, I’ve been kind of a super troll lately towards local bands whenever they are promoting/announcing an upcoming show.

They are only doing what they can in order to get people into the venues. It’s their job. I know that. But whenever I see something like that, I always ask if there will be “punch and pie”.

This past weekend I went out to see several bands play live. One of which was “Skunkfest 2018”. Ten glorious rocking bands at one venue. One of those bands is “Inch of Dark”.

In the days leading up to the event, the band would just promote, promote, promote all over social media. And I kept messing with them about having “punch and pie”.

Well, I think the promotions worked because there were so many people there. It was so hot outside in the Texas summer heat that I wanted to go back inside, but there were so many bodies inside that it drove me almost crazy.

I had received a message several hours from one of the band members of Inch of Dark, and they said that they had a surprise for me when I showed up. 

Inch of Dark wasn’t playing. They called me out to the max!

As I arrived at “Skunkfest 2018” I saw so many people that I knew that it was hard to say hello to all of them.

Then I saw members of Inch of Dark and they began to laugh and said “Wait here!”

They LITERALLY bought a pie and a bottle of Hawaiian Punch!! And they had saved me some. (I do wonder what happened to the rest of it.)

I was busted….

I was grateful for the surprise, even if it was a joke.

Inch of Dark is a bunch of great guys.  And I think even greater music. But I warn you, don’t mess with them because they will mess with you right back!!

I look forward to seeing them play live once more.

Check them out:

Inch Of Dark

 

 

 

 

14 March 2015: Metal Monsters Of Texas- Fear Control/SXSW 2015 @ Dirty Dog Bar: Austin, TX

“To fans in a festival setting it’s like a picnic. You want to have a good time with your friends in that crowd. And in the background you hear the band play, ‘Oh, that’s my favorite song!’ everyone is there to enjoy the afternoon and that’s about it.”~ Tom Araya

Oh my… it is that time of year again for SXSW Festival.

More than a week of “celebrities” and musicians of all kinds showcasing their new album or new film or whatever they need to do in order to get their infamy.

Hell, even Grumpy Cat was back this year!! Last year, I got to sit next to the cat and pet it while idiot photo journalists went wild with their cameras once the feline let out a meow. They acted as if they never saw or heard a cat make a noise. But I digress. That was last year. 

But before the so-called “official” part of the festival devoted to the music, there’s been an influx of people and bands that have been playing all along Historic Sixth Street for free. No wristbands, no cover. Just an ID to show you are or are not 21+ and you’re in.

Let’s jump into this now. Metal Monsters of Texas. This full day of music featured ten heavy metal bands from Texas. Not all of them were from Austin. But all of them from the state of Texas.

Naturally, I got myself down there because of two reasons: FEAR CONTROL & CASKET OF CASSANDRA. The two biggest bands that made the largest impression on me from SXSW Festival of LAST year. And I’ve been following them ever since.

FEAR CONTROL went on stage first and it worked to the venue’s advantage that their music was heard outside and it drew people inside. I hadn’t seen FEAR CONTROL play since the big birthday weekend I celebrated last January.

The band is currently working out a schedule for them to be in the studio to record. So far as I know, they have finished two tracks. And now they are playing them live on stage. 

And they are both awesome!!!

FEAR CONTROL actually never disappoints when performing live on stage. The newer material that they are playing now is catchy in a sense that it grabs you and throws you against the wall a few times before slamming you back down on the ground and into the pit. I think the band is getting harder, heavier, and producing a lot more of an edgy sound. And it is actually thrilling. It definitely sets a tone and a mood. And I think that is what I like about music that I listen to.

Certain bands set certain moods. FEAR CONTROL sets a mood to keep the night alive and well. It is nearly a party atmosphere.

The most surprising was the return of “Off With His Head” to the setlist. With the band jumping into a new recording session, they obviously are going to leave their older stuff behind. But they brought it back and I hadn’t heard it in so long that I don’t remember the last time. They all know its my favorite song of theirs.

Then my new friend, Lisa was standing behind me. She knows too. So as I was enjoying the crap out of it, she was patting me and rubbing my head and just making sure that I knew she was there and she knew. Such friends I have with this band.

FEAR CONTROL plays The Heart of Texas Fest (which is where I found them last year) on Wednesday, the so-called “official day” of music opening to SXSW Festival. You can find it on 7th & Neches Streets. And its free. Come by, say hello, and enjoy some balls-to-the-wall heavy metal music.

And this is the first of MANY blog posts of SXSW Festival 2015 that is soon to be come here. Hang on!!!

Class Act of March 2014 – SXSW Edition

“How beautiful it is to stay silent, when someone expects you to be enraged.”~ Unknown

The world by now already knows what tragic events happened at SXSW Festival. But what many are not hearing are the people who make this world such a great place to be.

There is a band JARED & THE MILL that is from the desert Southwest and they traveled to Austin to play at SXSW this year. They had a show to play that very night when tragedy struck.

Some of the fans of this band were involved and were listed among the injured and hospitalized.

Then JARED & THE MILL decided to go to the hospital with their instruments and enter the hospital room of their fans and play a concert. The very concert these victims had missed because of the idiot actions of a drunk driver. 

I sure as hell applaud this group of people even though I am not familiar with their music at all. This is how it should be in the first place. 

They should be caring and giving enough to know that its the fans that make or break their musical career. Without fans, they have nobody to play for but themselves. And generally musicians aren’t playing with themselves, for themselves.

Musicians play music for you and for me.

So the Class Act Award of March 2014 goes to JARED & THE MILL.

Personal note to them: Thank you for doing what you did for your fans. Truly classy and totally inspirational. Come back to the ATX at any time!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://m.statesman.com/news/news/local/injured-sxsw-fan-gets-private-concert-in-hospital/nfDkL/

I Ain’t Afraid Of No GHOST

“There is no ghost so difficult to lay as the ghost of an injury.”~ A. Smith

You probably should not read this blog post if you are:

• A fan of the band, Ghost.
• Not a fan of heavy metal music.
• Not a fan of music with dark, satanic lyrics and images.
• Have a weak stomach with topics of Satan.

About a week ago, I was introduced to yet another band from the area of Scandinavians.

Next stop: Sweden.

Ghost (or Ghost B.C., depending on legal battles in the courts) is a band that got started in 2008 in the town of Linköping, Sweden.

I had heard about this band, and did some research on them. Finding that they had a censored and uncensored version of their music video that has come from their latest album. When I found the uncensored version, it was nothing but a group of women down frolicking around naked, from the young to the mature to even the elderly. And then at the end the lead singer pulling up his evil robes to flail out his giggleberries and skin submarine. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over??????

I sent this stuff to my brother since he had the guts to “proclaim” himself an experienced professional in the realm and genre of heavy metal music.

Usually when I am writing to him, and I tell him that I think some band sucks or whatever… he will write me back and debate me about it.

But with the band Ghost, he did not argue or debate. Rather he said that it didn’t sound like metal at all, but rather some random pop style of hard rock with melodies oozing from the nose.

It was basically his way of saying that if you listen to the CD, you’ll end up with a nose bleed.

Personally though, I can only withstand so much.  

I understand their gimmick. Their garb and dress as if they are members of an undead, evil, and Satanic order of monks for live performances on stage or other public events. The idea of hiding behind the mask of anonymity. And of course their lyrical content heavily surrounding the idea of Satan.

Whatever. Bands from that area have been doing that for many decades. Some still very popular, some not so much.

However the band members themselves don’t even consider their music to be as such. I seriously question the thought or idea that Ghost is a “heavy metal” band. Their own words (if you find the right interviews online) call it Vaudeville-type of music. Something coming from the mid-1970’s said another interview.

Ghost does not have the dirty or “cookie monster” vocals as many bands from that area have. Bands I should say that are still around today. The vocals are clean. You can understand what is being sung. And they aren’t intimidating either. The vocal range isn’t dark and scary. In fact it is closer to a tenor’s voice, or even higher! I think THAT is the scary bit.

For example, “Body and Blood” which talks about the Christian ideology of The Last Supper where the disciples of Jesus Christ are to consume the “body and blood”, establishing what the Christian church calls “Communion”… the lyrical content is downright disgusting! Its abhorrent. But the vocal style is of a young man who has had a bad day, but then all of a sudden found a puppy and is allowing the puppy to lick his face and he’s happy to have the opportunity.

You don’t knock down the religion of Christianity with specific vocal words such as “defecate” and expect to be having the best day of your life! Geez.  

Unfortunately for me there are a few things that I can let go and accept.

I think that the whole idea of evil monks and an “Undead Pope” as it were, is a terrifying idea to behold. Especially on stage. I think that the anonymity of the band members is cool. After all, American bands such as KISS and Slipknot attempted their own reign of their identity being kept secret. But eventually KISS and Slipknot would fall. I for a change, hope that Ghost is able to keep it going for their entire career. I think that the Satanic lyrics are nothing but show. Band members have specifically admitted to this fact. Their own beliefs are not what they sing about. They admit to it being an act, just something to entertain.

But I cannot take this entire force of darkness and evil and Satan and have it flow into my ears like a soft-spoken willow of a man.

I cannot let go of their gimmick when they look as silly as this.

I’ve seen live performances of the one and only song that I can stomach. The lead singer DOES have a good singing voice. But everything does not match up with their dark and evil gimmicks. What bullshit do I call!!! Their summoning of the various demons and beasts throughout various religions and mythologies can send chills down your spine. But then as soon as the first few musical notes hit, you’d believe that you were some 1960’s southern California carnival.

Anton LaVey would be soooooooooooooooooo tickled.

But this is NOT metal. Thankfully I have not seen it labelled as Black or Death metal. I’ll flip a lid and be writing another post about it if I actually find out that it is being called that. Its BARELY metal at all. And I would have reservations even saying that much.

Come on guys…. YOU ARE FROM SWEDEN!!!!!! You’re supposed to know better than this if you are coming out as a “metal” band. And if you did not have the intentions of coming as a metal band but a rock band, you should have said something.

I do not know how long this band will last. They’ve been to the United States of America a few times. But I don’t know how long that will make them stick around. Like I said, I HOPE they can keep up with their mystery of who’s in the band. Although there are rumors of who the lead singer is already and based on facial recognition programs and pictures of him in his corpse paint, it might not be that hard to figure out.

 

14 January 2012: French Toast, Fruit, & Six Minute Century

‘Happy Birthday, Don!’

“We need more French Fry on the monitor?!”~ Dr. Froth

 

Well, I forgot the fruit. Thankfully, that is not a serious offense. And the ONLY offense of the entire trip.

 

But off I went again to Houston to see SIX MINUTE CENTURY play. My third show in less than nine months. The first time since last August. And believe me when I say, that it gets better every-stinkin’-time!!

 

Not having been to a “January show”, I didn’t know what to expect, other than awesome music and a guaranteed great time. This time around, they were celebrating the birthday of guitarist, Don LaFon. (a.k.a. “The Frenchman” as he is better and affectionately known.)

 

It was great as I was also there to celebrate my own birthday just a few weeks early. What better way to do so, than with SIX MINUTE CENTURY, right??

 

But I never would have truly, truly, truly expected the fun, the excitement, and the all-around fellowship of everyone there.

 

Don LaFon is a very experienced and elite guitarist. The poor guy was on stage the entire night, playing in with every act which included Logan and Mystic Cross. So he had a full evening.

 

Chuck Williams, lead singer, announced Don’s 55th birthday. The comment is hilarious as there is a video on YouTube when Chuck announced last year, that it was Don’s 22nd birthday. Way to go, talk about leap years!

 

And of course, I need to give a great big “hats off” to Chuck for his courage and strength has he had been battling with laryngitis for the past two months and he STILL nailed it, vocally.

 

I think the grand moment was that when the rest of the band gave Don an air balloon-typed walker and they set it up in front of his microphone stand. Signs that said “Senility Ahead!”, and what not to signify that yes, The Frenchman is old. The way these guys pick on one another and just have fun is so great.

 

I was surprised that Don didn’t think about kicking it off the stage. I am guessing that it stayed there the rest of the night. SIX MINUTE CENTURY was the first act, and Logan was second, and throughout the Logan set, it remained.

 

But as I said the fellowship amongst the family and friends of the band was so great. I was able to actually capture several of them in photographs with a camera and some of them I actually held decent conversations in the loud and rocking music club.

 

And then I would be stunned.

 

I got this logo necklace. I had seen it worn before by Dr. Froth’s wife, a.k.a. “Vampiress of Metal”. (yes, they all must have nicknames, cuz they said so!) I had told her that I would want one, but they had never given one to a male before. So some of the frills of the original piece were removed to make it more masculine I suppose. Still, it was really awesome. I tried to pay for it but I was denied. Looking at me like I was insane or something.

 

I’ve always said that I am the “SMC VIP”. And yes to a degree I still believe that I am. I think that its so cool.

 

I also was able to replace my t-shirt and CD as both were originally autographed by the entire band last August. Now I’ve got something to wear and listen to, and the originals can be placed on my shelf as rare collectibles.

 

After the show, I went to hang out with half of the band at a restaurant. I think that’s always a wonderful bonus. But I did kinda beg for that to happen. A few days before, suffering a little bit of personal issues, this trip was the perfect thing to do to be able to re-group and relax. Either way, I’ve got a “neener neener” moment of “I hung out with the bannnnd!!…”.

 

It truly does get better each time I go see SIX MINUTE CENTURY. The music is great, even live. The people of the circles are just so wonderful and precious to me that I always have such a hard time leaving Houston when I come back home.

 

I still believe it is worth the effort to go.

 

The band usually will have shows in January, April, and in August. Celebrating the birthdays of the members of the band. As I said, I went in April and August of last year. Now I’ve got January under my belt.

 

SIX MINUTE CENTURY is nearing the finish line of the completion of their second album. They hope to have it done this spring/summer. I understand that they will have a CD release party, and I WILL be going! I was told that I was, and I couldn’t argue about it. (As if I would have!)

 

I love the people of the band, their families, and all of the friends I’ve made and continue to make each time I make this trip. They are the best group of wild individuals that I’ve met. And now that I am home, it is time to plan the next trip. And I cannot wait.

 

So Happy Birthday, Don! You’re one of the best musicians I have ever met!!

 

And, after all. I AM A CENTURION!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Elevated Elations

“Real elation is when you feel you could touch a star without standing on tiptoe.”~ Doug Larson

 

Just another couple of days and I will be on a whirlwind of postive emotions which have been eluding me for quite some time. I’m way overdue.

 

It is hard to believe at this point, but knowing that good times are ahead just completely fill me until it overflows.

 

Once more, I’ll get to see SIX MINUTE CENTURY play live. Something that I missed back in November and had practically beaten myself up over for almost a month. This time, there will be no self-brutalization! I will be there!! Not to mention the possibility of getting to meet up with my beloved friend, Jessica again.

 

But it doesn’t end with just a couple of things. I’ve added an extra day to this trip. I felt that just in case I missed someone then I could still be available to meet up with them another day while I am there. Whether or not this extra day is going to be fruitful, I do not know.

 

I would stay a lot longer but to be back the following weekend would mean that I will be participating in a sledge hockey event that is being hosted right here where I live. Plus those who are participating were given FREE tickets to see the TEXAS STARS hockey game later that first evening. I intend on bringing as many people to this weekend event as possible. I mean, who can argue with FREE, right?

 

Then shortly after that, I will celebrate my birthday.

 

My possibilities the rest of January are endless.

 

I am more excited about my travels than anything. I haven’t seen SIX MINUTE CENTURY play since last August. The people in the band’s circles, I haven’t seen since that time as well. I wonder if they miss me as much as I miss them?

 

What a crazy and wild time I will have the rest of this month. If you would have told me two years ago that I would be doing this today? I would have told you that you were reall bonkers. But, here I am… DOING IT!

 

I’m honestly grateful for having friends that will play host for me during my visit. This time around, I’ll be staying with people that I’ve not been around since I was a little child. It should be fun.

 

And of course as it is a trip centered around seeing SIX MINUTE CENTURY, my followers and subscribers and all of my online stalkers can expect a blog post on how things went.

 

What a difference eight weeks makes!!

'So Happy!'

 

So far, so good in 2012 I would say. There’s not been any catastrophic and moronic events happening around here. Or at least not around me to where it would damper my spirits.

 

Stay positive is the key. Having something to look forward that makes me totally want to burst in joy helps keep it that way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dream Vacation

I think I know now why they call them, “dream vacations”. I just spent the weekend in Houston, Texas. No, not the ocean like I said I would be at. There are reasons for that deception. I’ll get to that in a moment. But now that it is over, it felt so much like a dream.

I would have to say that it was quite difficult for me to keep things under wraps, so to speak. The whole intention of the so-called weekend getaway was to surprise a few people who live in the Houston area.

I had other things going on, but I won’t be so boring getting into them. Besides, who wants to talk “business” when its supposed to be a vacation?? So I’m just going to focus on solely, the “personal”.

During that time though, I got to do what I had only been dreaming of doing for many years now. For one, getting to a SIX MINUTE CENTURY show. But I will blog about all of those experiences in another post. Their lead singer, Chuck Williams was celebrating his birthday and they had a show. My entire plan was to surprise the whole band by traveling the 200 miles to be there. The other, was to finally meet in person, romance author Jessica Trapp.

To be honest, I never would’ve thought in a million years that these dreams would  come true. But they did. I am so grateful for those dreams to turn into a reality. I am above Cloud Nine at this point.

I had never been to Houston before. I had gone through it on the way to Galveston twice in my life and I thought that Houston was scary! Maybe it was just the traffic. So I knew this was going to be quite the experience for me. Nervous, excited, and totally stoked to go. I showed up far too early at the bus depot that it was just totally unnecessary and inhumane to be there that early. The excitement got the best of me for sure.

Three hours on the bus and I was met by one of my dearest friends, Lori. I had known her for about two years and now I was face to face with her. Then later meeting up with her fiancee, Michael. The bassist to SIX MINUTE CENTURY.

I had only been there for about five hours and I remember thinking to myself, that this was a great idea and I was excited for the next day to meet everyone that I had been in communication with over the Internet for so long. All of my worries were carried away. I was able to just chill out and relax and enjoy those who were hosting me for the weekend. Great and awesome people! I knew that the excitement would build.

Its so surreal when you are in non-verbal communication for so long and then you are directly in their face. There’s no turning back. There’s no delete button. No backspace key. It becomes whatever you make it and that’s the way it is.

I have no complaints though. I didn’t have any problems at all with anyone. And I was glad for it.

That same night, I was taken to a recording studio where SIX MINUTE CENTURY is hard at work recording their second album. So thrilling for me because I had never been in one before. I got to meet lead guitarist, Don LaFon later that evening. (See guys? I spelled it right!)

For me to have that opportunity as a fan to get to hear the new material was just so cool! I definitely felt like I was receiving the VIP treatment!! I’m probably one of the band’s biggest fans.

When I begin to like something and feel passionate about it, I go full force. The dedication stays with me until death!

That first day, I was awake for 21 hours before I was able to crash at the hotel. I literally sat there all alone in the hotel room, overwhelmed with positive energy, happiness, and full of emotion that I cried myself to sleep. Getting to see the entire band was going to be so awesome.

The 22nd of April was the big day. The reality was slowly creeping in that at long last I would be in the presence of great colleagues and get to see the band that I admire so much play live.

In the afternoon, I met up with author Jessica Trapp and her son, had lunch and spent the afternoon walking around in the mall and the surrounding shopping centers. 

I was totally nervous. I had so much trouble with being so scared that I would sound like an idiot. After all, she is a writer and it would stand to reason that her vocabulary would be more advanced than mine. I just hoped that I sounded like a decent human being when I engaged in conversation. To me, that was a lot of pressure.

Even with my nervous driving me insane, I still found a way to become relaxed and  comfortable. Even though the first impressions are always the ones that become impressed on the mind and opinions of others.

The world seemed to have stood still. Nothing else mattered. Yet time still melted away and I parted ways from Jessica in the late afternoon. It was a real fun time. I enjoyed her company. And as always, I was appreciative that she took me to lunch, and took the time to come out to see me. Even though I was probably quite a drive from her.

The night of the concert I will be saving for the next post. Yet it was another 19 hours of being awake and crawling into the hotel room at 5:00 AM? Yeah, all I can really say about it is, “that’s rock and roll for you!”. I’d do the entire day all over again and again and again and again if I could.

Saturday was a day of trying to recover. I think I kind of failed. Such the headache and fatigue crept over me like a blanket and I just was fumbling around so much like a goofball. But I was happy about it!

It literally took two days to get over it. But that second day was the day I was to return home on the bus.

I needed to get back to my own life and I needed to let others return to their routine of daily life as well. Not having my own mode of transportation and having to rely on others to get me where I needed to go, does become burdensome. I’m just so glad that I have wonderful friends who didn’t mind so much. I did exactly what I needed to do in order to gain some of the good mental health back into my life and stop worrying about the bullshit drama that actually surrounds me at home every single day.

There was a discussion about the possibility of me returning to Houston for the band’s next show and when that could be. It looks like near the end of the summer. It was also discussed about whether or not things could be done to make it happen on both sides with my wonderful hosts and myself. I think there’s a chance. I discussed my feeling that I would like to have a bit of a longer stay but I knew that it would mean a lot more. And besides, things worked out great this past weekend, having it being Easter. Those around me having the day off and all. If I were to go, I’d probably have a lot more free time on my hands all by myself until people are out of work and able to connect with me.

There was really not a lot of negative stuff happening around me. I lost my cd player in the process, and a favorite writing pen walked off somewhere in the city of Houston. But I have plenty of pens at home, and I was able to replace my cd player while I was there.

I was supposed to depart at 12:30, but things got fouled up when I heard that the 12:30 bus did not have a wheelchair lift. Instead, I had to wait until 3:30 to take the next one that did have a lift. I wasn’t sure what happened. I did what I was supposed to do on my end. So my hosts got to hang out with me at the bus depot.

And then Jessica Trapp came back for one more visit, bringing her entire family with her, on their way through town to celebrate Easter with someone else. She brought a bag full of goodies. Brought a few books that I did not have that she wrote and autographed them. It was a really nice surprise. (I actually came home with A LOT of stuff that was just given to me. I am thankful for everything and everyone.)

After the short visit by her, my hosts departed to be on their way as well to celebrate Easter with family. More pictures were taken. Hugs given. Loving sentiments traded. I just needed to let everyone know how much I appreciated them, and how much they meant to me. Their sacrifices that they made to make this all become a successful trip. Totally overwhelming for me.

And then, wouldn’t you know it? Drama has to set in while sitting outside in the sunshine.

Some bum came up to me and asked me for change and/or a cigarette. I told the guy that I had nothing. So he moved on to the next person standing about four feet away, puffing away on a cigarette.

He asked him for a smoke, and the guy told him to get bent because it was his last one. Just about that time I adjusted myself in my wheelchair and shifted my weight. Right when I did that, all this change came pouring out of my pocket and spilling onto the sidewalk.

That bum heard it, and came running after it. I freaked out. I mean, I had my stick with me. And we all know by now the history of the stick. But it was buried at the bottom of my bag. It would’ve taken me a very long time to dig through to find it, and possibly use it if I needed. I just wouldn’t have had enough time to do that and protect myself. This guy came running so quickly that I started yelling.

So lucky that Houston police was right there when it happened. They yelled at the guy and he tried running away, but the police officer did one of those running tackles from behind. Something that I’ve only seen on “COPS”. He was arrested and hauled away. Not sure what charges were given.

I saw that, and I got to witness a woman getting arrested for shoplifting at the mall on Friday morning. Such sad people. But I was okay. I wasn’t hurt.

I finally boarded the bus around 3:00 and was under the impression that we would be leaving at 3:30. But we pulled away from the bus depot at 3:15. Then being told over the intercom that we would be arriving at 6:45, I thought that the ride home was going to be miserable. It was bad enough that I didn’t want to go in the first place. Lucky for me, we arrived just three hours later. I think I finally entered my apartment at 7:00 on the dot.

So my personal thanks goes out to Michael and Lori, and Jessica… and of course, SIX MINUTE CENTURY. It was worth every ounce of energy planning this for so long, and worth every penny spent to get down there. I hope to have an even better time if I make it down there again in a few months. Now that I know the ropes of riding on the bus to and from Houston. It will get easier and be better each time I do it.

I met so many people and made new friends. It was definitely a wonderful time. I can say it over and over again. Hard to believe that I saw all these wonderful, beautiful people just YESTERDAY!

So I believe its called a dream vacation, because I had such a wonderful time and didn’t want to come home at all. Please Houston, if it was only a dream… NEVER wake me.

Note: SIX MINUTE CENTURY’s MySpace and Facebook pages, along with Jessica Trapp’s new website, “Getting Trapped In A Book”, can be found in the links in the blog roll. I highly suggest you check them all out.

Six Minute Century: Time Capsules

SIX MINUTE CENTURY

ALBUM: TIME CAPSULES

YEAR: 2008

NIGHTMARE RECORDS

Chuck Williams-Vocals
Don LaFon-Guitar
Darren Davis-Drums
Michael Millsap-Bass

(current line-up) 

 

 

Six Minute Century is a prog/power metal band from Houston, Texas. The band was formed in 2004 playing locally in Houston. My introduction to the band was through MySpace. Their four full-length song demo is was got my attention. One song remains my all time favorite from that list. But since buying the CD, other tracks on the album tend to find their way to my ears repetitively. I do not want to spoil the entire CD for those who have had the greatest opportunity to hear it. So I will concentrate on a few tracks. I understand that this album was released in 2008, but this is the first time I have been able to hear all ten tracks of the CD because I only purchased it as of a few days ago.

　

UNDER THE MOONLIGHT: A song that almost immediately flows through my circulatory system with what I can only describe as a gothic-style of a pipe organ. The senses begin to relax and its easy to get lost into a beginning stage of meditation, just before lead guitarist Don LaFon comes in with a heavy, powerful sound that smashes your face in like your grandfather’s old 1950s Louisville Slugger. It bites down and doesn’t let go. A nightmare tale of a vampire.

　

APRIL 19, 1995: A song that deals with the story of the tragic story of the Oklahoma City Bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building. Lyrically, a chilling recollection of what happened that day, which was the worst act of terrorism on US soil (until 9/11/2001). I get the sense that lead vocalist, Chuck Williams, wrote this song to express his emotions and sadness and wanted to put it in the face of Timothy McVeigh as he sits in prison, awaiting his execution.

　

ZERO HOUR: This is my ultimate, all-time favorite track from Six Minute Century. It deals with the war in the Middle East. Again, lyrically, it paints such a vivid picture of realism that you can actually see the visions of war in your head. The phrase, “LET FREEDOM RING!” rings out and it just gets my blood pumping into over seven minutes of headbanging fury, pride, and good ole heavy metal music.

　

HEAVEN’S GATE: This track is clearly is about the cult in San Diego called “Heaven’s Gate”. Don’s crushing riffs starts it off to an absolute brute force. Including the incredible drumming coming from Darren Davis, pairing up with high velocity vocals. Its definitely becoming another favorite of mine.

　

Chuck Williams has a vocal range so strong and wide that I cannot even begin to think of who to compare it to. Listening to him gives me chills. I believe that Chuck is in a class of its own. Much like the guitar styles of Don La Fon. It just makes me want to throw the double horns up in the air. I cannot think of anyone who could be in comparison. My personal feeling is that I would not want to compare them to any one at all. But for those who do not know Six Minute Century, its difficult to pinpoint it exactly. I have read other reviews, and they continually mention other bands such as Dream Theater, Symphony X, Dio, Fates Warning, Kamelot, and TNT. And as headlining as these bands may be, I caution the move to push them side by side with Six Minute Century.

　

I have not seen them live on stage. But I have had the chance to e-mail them personally and talk about upcoming projects and events that the band may have in the works. They are in the recording studio, working on their second album. I have publicly expressed my support since I was introduced to them, which is probably around the time that TIME CAPSULES was released by Nightmare Records. From that point, I have expressed my desire to see them perform in person. From that point on, members of the band and other personal supporters have sent me the beginnings for a perfect collection for the avid Six Minute Century fan. To which I am extremely thankful. They have scratched my back and now I am scratching theirs. But keep in mind that this review would still be written without it. This is far from a professional music review, but it is my review nonetheless. And I do wish to share it with the rest of you.

Let’s hope at some point the day of fulfillment will come and I will be able to make it to one of their shows soon in the very near future.