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Contents
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--Metallica Rulz?
--Led Zeppelin
--Scott Weiland Troubles
--Pantera's Return
--Random Thoughts
--Column Question
--Closing


METALLICA RULZ?
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Metallica is definately still the biggest metal band in the world since the new CD "St. Anger" supposedly shipped with pre-orders of a million and a half CDs and sold a half million right off the bat. Given that a lot of the metal/hard rock bands are going #1 by selling around 200,000 copies and the new Anthrax only moved 10,000, Metallica really blows everybody off the planet. They are Metallica, so the big sales should have been expected just on name alone.

Well, I've heard the new one and I'm initially disappointed with the "garage" sounding groove rock they put out. Looking over some online reviews, it seems that the major reviewers are leaning in favor of the CD using words like "refreshing" and "brutal", but the fan comments are more like 75-25 against it. Some fans wanted more alt-metal and some wanted a return to the old-school thrash days, but Jaymz and the boyz went against the grain and put out a different sound. Did they do it on purpose as a reaction to people's demands--the ever independent streak; did they do it to try and start a new trend in metal; did they just play what they felt like playing? Fuck, I don't know. What do I look like, Nostro-dumbass or something?

I will predict that you will see more of this style, soon enough. Nu-metal is supposedly played out and sales are down, so when someone sells a million metal CDs, the companies will analyze the record and put pressure on bands to sound the same hoping to ride the wave of some new trendy bullshit. Bands themselves will figure that if Metallica can do it sounding like that, then maybe they can to, so they'll change their sound hoping to hitch a ride on a star. It's due time for another commercial trend in American metal, but since the new music of Metallica isn't a rise up from the underground anymore, will it get grass-roots acceptance or will it be considered a commercial ploy from the commercial oligarcy that is the music industry?

If they start any trend, I hope it's adding DVD's and selling the whole package for $10. That I can get behind! Gimmie some videos or some studio stuff or some live performances in addition to my music and quit trying to gouge me for $16 a CD.

I've spent the last two weeks with Powergod's "Bleed for the Gods (That’s Metal - Lesson 1)" stuck in my player and I have no problem saying I wanted Metallica to go back to their roots and help start a new wave of American thrash metal. It will be interesting to see how the concert sales for the Summer Sanitarium Tour go now that St. Anger is out.

Oh, well. Here's looking forward to the new Iron Maiden CD!


LED ZEPPELIN
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The great Triumvirant of Rock--The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin--is still as stong as it could be. The Beatles were #1 recently and make more money yearly than anybody else. The Stones still do stadium tours without being part of a big package of bands and Zeppelin's new CD/DVD set is #1 this week. They've been gone for 20 f'n years! I haven't got the new cds, but I did get the DVD set and it is a must for Zep fans. The Knebworth show on Disc 2 was especially great to see.

Will they get together and tour or won't they? The band/company has been teasing us with "yeah, it would be cool, but no, we haven't talked about it". Bull, bull, bull. How could they not discuss it during the production of the new stuff? I think they will because they could probably pull in a good 150 mil and they've already showed by selling "Rock n Roll" to Cadillac for commercials that they aren't just interested in living off the dough they've already made. IMO, Plant and Page need to quit hoggin the profits, grab John Paul Jones and Jason Bohnam and go out with one last tour of intimate vunues before they turn to dust.

It would be funny, IMO if they were pricks and only did Plant's solo stuff and The Firm songs and John Paul Jones' soundtrack arrangements.


SCOTT WEILAND TROUBLES
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Ex-Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland was stopped for having herion and coke in the car he was driving. Fuck, he's so hopelessly addicted. The new band featuring ex-GUNS 'N ROSES members Slash, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum is putting out new music, so he had a great chance to really get back in the swing.

It's somewhat difficult to say whether I would let him have his personal rights to take whatever he wants to damage himself how he chooses or intervene and try and force him to get clean. I suppose I come from a view that believes there is a decent guy in there and that given some time and patience he could be taken off drugs and eventually have a better frame of mind to guide his own life. Take the guys from the Red Hot Chilli Peppers for example. I don't mind someone choosing to do some pot or even some smack for recreation, but if an otherwise normal person decides they want to suck dirty dick in alleys for crack, then some intervention may be for their own good.

Charles Bronson does have Scott in the M.M. Heavy Metal Death Pool. Could be a winner there.


PANTERA'S RETURN
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Pantera is fuckin dead. They're as dead as a possum stuck under the frame of a Chevy in West Virginia. A reunion ain't happening anytime soon, so please give up the ghost folks. Phil Anselmo says he's happier being away from the arena scene, so quit trying to pull him back in. If you can't find anything good in Superjoint Ritual or Dimebag's projects then I guess, you're all SOL. You could always try Overkill, who are still going strong and have always stuck to their roots.


RANDOM THOUGHTS
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--How many more Jackass/Candid Camera clones can TV come up with? How many more talent/beauty judging shows?
--Who will punch who first this summer--Lars or Durst?
--Another Zep DVD should be made with post-80's, reunion performances like from Live Aid and the Atlantic Records bash.


COLUMN QUESTION
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Do you believe that an accurate psychological analysis could be made of your personality based on your metal collection and what you choose to listen to?

Send your suggestions to me here at Maximum Metal or open up some discussion about my question or anything else in the Rawface forum.


CLOSING
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Maiden's latest will be out pretty soon and I hope to see them on tour this summer with the wicked elf (Dio) and metal legends, Motorhead. I think Motorhead will wind everybody up well, but I haven't been into much Dio since Vivian Campbell left. If he stacks his setlist with older songs, I will be a happy dude. Maiden, as always, will rule so...


Up the Irons!!!


"Metal ain't dead"
John Pardon
06.13.2003