It’s been way too long since I’ve written a blog.  These past few months have been crazy – they’ve seen me finish a master’s degree, my wife and I finish the nursery, and my job continue ramp up in activity.  I regret that I didn’t get more content out in the past month, but that just means I have a ton on my mind now.  

 
Primarily on my mind is the highly anticipated yearly four day music festival called Rock on the Range.  In two short days, a group of 9 of my close friends and I will be heading to Columbus, Ohio to see almost 40 bands.    
 
So, while I’m stranded in the Kansas City airport on a work trip, what better way to reintroduce myself to the world of blogging than a ROTR version of the Hour of Music that I debuted in March?  This hour will help me frame some the questions that will be answered this weekend, and give me a last minute chance to brush up on the bands that I can look forward to. 
 
I have 72 minutes until my plane leaves.  Let’s do this kids!! 
 
Note:  For a list of bands that will be at Rock on the Range this year, check out this link.  To hear the song being described on YouTube, click on the album image.  
ONE HOUR OF MUSIC 
Method:  Spotify Custom Rock on the Range Channel 
 
Lacuna Coil – Our Truth – Karmacode (2006)
Not a half-bad start to these shenanigans.  Lacuna Coil is one of the two or three bands that I’m most looking forward to seeing this weekend.  This song is a great example of how well they use dual vocals and skilled musicianship to set themselves apart from other groups.  This song has been one of my favorites from the beginning, and is a great reminder of how much power this band can have.  I thoroughly enjoyed the song, and can’t wait for the concert.








Attack Attack! – Smokahontas – Self titled (2010)

I have no idea what Smokahontas means, but I laugh every time I see it.  Attack Attack! is quickly growing on me, and this song certainly displays all the different things they are trying to accomplish – a handful of techno beats and a smidge of dubstep all wrapped in with some really solid screams, the classic chugging breakdowns, and a quick lullaby in the middle.  A great testament to their versatility, but it was all too much for a single song.  Not their best work, but I do think their show will be pretty incredible.  

 



The Drug in Me is You – Falling in Reverse – The Drug in Me is You (2011)

Unless I want a good friend of mine sending me death threat text messages in the near future, I have to be careful what I say here.  Regardless of whether you are on his side of the fence, or Escape the Fate’s, there’s really no denying that Ronnie Radke is a great song writer and singer.  I am very excited to see this band live at ROTR, as I want them to be my next D.R.U.G.S. (embarrassingly emocore band I can’t turn off).  This song is really really solid, and I really have no idea what to expect from this group live.  






Mastodon – Blood and Thunder – Levanthian (2004)

Before last year, I admired Mastodon from a distance, but The Hunter absolutely blew me away, and hit right at a time when I was looking to expand into more traditional metal.  Now, I’m left scrambling to see what all I missed.  While Blood and Thunder proves the band has definitely improved since 2004, it’s also a great throwback, and uses interesting guitar lines and powerful vocals to deliver a really solid song.  It’s proof that I should have been listening to this band for much longer than I have been.  I hope their show at ROTR is half as good as when I saw them on their tour last year. 






Megadeth – Sweating Bullets – Countdown to Extinction (1992)

This song from Megadeth is just weird.  Most of the verse is just him creepily talking and not singing at all.  They do throw in a pretty cool guitar solo during an instrumental section in the middle of the song, but for me it wasn’t enough to make this song anything but weird.  I know Megadeth is a legendary thrash band, and I’m sure their show will be decent, but there’s a reason this song won’t be on their set-list.  It’s a clear case of filler that pales to other songs on the album like Symphony of Destruction and Skin O’ My Teeth. 




Marilyn Manson –  Four Rusted Horses – The High End Low (2009)

I wish I knew Manson’s library better than I do, because I honestly don’t know why he is so popular.  He has some great songs that sort of started the industrial metal trend in the 90’s, but since then his music has all been garbage.  For the longest time, I thought it was his live show that kept his music career alive, but I saw that in 2008 at the Mayhem festival, and I was completely underwhelmed.  This song was pleasantly enjoyable, however, and renewed my hope that he gets his shit together and brings it as a headliner at ROTR.   






Escape the Fate – This War is Ours (The Guillotine, Pt 2) -This War Is Ours (2008)

ETF is one of those bands that I really don’t feel like I have to apologize for liking.  Not only is their live show GREAT, but I believe that they have put together a couple of great albums that have something for everyone.  This song is a favorite of mine, and is rumored to be written about Ronnie Radtke…. (ROTR showdown??) The highlight throughout the song for me is the vocals.  As the two leads trade back and forth, I think they just sound tremendous.  In addition, it offers really cool lyrics that crescendo into one of the most impressive guitar solos that I’ve ever seen live.  



Aranda – Whyyawannabringmedown – Self titled (2008)

This band cracks me up.  Whyyawannabringmedown makes me feel like someone took a rock band and put them in the blender with The Four Tops.  They have a style that’s all their own, and while I don’t necessarily know that it fits in with the rest of the music scene at ROTR, I really enjoy them.  The question is – can they pull in the crowd and have a fun show at ROTR, or are they too far of a stretch?  Regardless, listen to this whole song and tell me that you didn’t, even a LITTLE bit, feel like dancing around your living room like an idiot. 





Incubus – Nice to Know You – Morning View (2001)

Incubus as a headliner has caused much controversy among ROTR fans.  Has ROTR gone soft?  Personally, I’ve been a fan since alternative started to take over when I was in high school.  This song is no doubt one of their most popular, and has everything that I remember loving about Incubus – interesting song writing, great execution, and a cool mix of heavy riffs, more mellow tangents, and killer vocals by Brandon Boyd.  The funny thing about this song is that if it came out today, it probably wouldn’t even hit my radar.   However, music is timeless, and this song proves it.  Really enjoyed this throwback song….but will their concert be too retro, or will it be unforgettable?




Rob Zombie – Superbeast – Hellybilly Deluxe (1998)

Similar to the last band, I grew up loving Rob Zombie, and in fact, this used to be the song that I listened to that got me pumped up for basketball/football games in high school.  However, unlike Manson, Zombie has remained relevant despite no good new material because of his unbelievable live show.  I’ve seen over a thousand live shows, and I can say without question that he has one of the best shows on the planet.  Superbeast is a great example of his patented combination of creepy whisper singing and heavy (yet simple) chorus riff that really helped kick off the industrial metal scene in the late 80’s and early 90’s.  I never seek out Zombie material, but am always glad when it finds its way to me.  Zombie headlines this weekend and I can’t wait to see what he has in store.   



Send the Pain Below– Chevelle – Wonder What’s Next (2002)

Initially, I had a really bad reaction to this song.  Chevelle is another band for me that is just too unoriginal.  However, as the song progressed, I found myself not hating it at all.  By the end of it, I was quietly humming along to it while I typed away, much to the chagrin of the dude sitting next to me in the WCAR shirt (see below).  Send the Pain Below is Chevelle’s most popular track, and I think therein lies the problem.  It’s a decent rock song, but it’s just not good enough to be band’s best piece of work.  I’m interested to see the Chevelle show this weekend – if it isn’t surprisingly good, I will probably write them off for good.



(Side Note:  The dude next to me in the airport is wearing a We Came as Romans shirt, which led me to do some sort of extended smile/stare at him as he walked up to sit down.  I then eased the tension by continuing to stare at his shirt to try to read the fine print, but not say anything as he sat down next to me.  Fairly certain he thinks I want to fight him. 

 
 

Do I – Emphatic – Damage (2011)

This was actually a pleasant surprise for Emphatic, which has completely avoided my radar to date.  ROTR has several unknowns each year for me, and Emphatic fits that bill this year – their sound is decent, but I just don’t know them well enough to know if they are the Shaman’s Harvest of 2010 (previously unknown band that I will never forget) or the Trust Company of 2011 (had to look up their name b/c I couldn’t remember them).  The song Do I is a bit catchy, but also a bit heavy.  I do have several friends that like them a lot though.  Exciting unknown for me.  





I only have a few minutes before the plane leaves, and everyone is boarding, but an hour is an hour.  One last song.  Let’s hear it Spotify, how are you going to end this bitch? 
 



Inception of the End – Trivium – In Waves

Touche.  Matt Heafy and the gang at their best.  Trivium is one of my favorite bands, and this album is incredible.  I absolutely love the drumming in this song, as many of the hard hits are on the upbeat and mix so well with the guitar doing some really cool and sporadic scale sliding.  Last time I saw Trivium was in 2008.  They’ve grown, and I have too musically.  This is the single most exciting band for me this year at Rock on the Range.  My hopes are outrageously high.  Don’t let me down Trivium.



 
 


That’s the end of the hour! Good times – this did nothing but make me even more excited for this weekend.  Here’s a few other notes on some bands that I’m really looking forward to at ROTR:

  •        Halestorm – Their most recent album is really pretty solid.  Will they pick up their show even another notch?
  •        Adelita’s Way – They were AWFUL when I saw them open for Shinedown.  Fluke? 
  •        Kyng – A new favorite of mine.  They are my sleeper Sweet 16 band. 
  •        Foxy Shazam – Will they play well enough to make an impression on the ROTR crowd?


Look forward to several blog posts from Rock on the Range in the weeks to come, and while you wait, check out last year’s Rock on the Range Blogs.  Until then, wish me luck this weekend! 
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