A whole lot of fans think so (nearly 13,000 so far have petitioned to have Death Magnetic remastered…and you know how goddamn lazy people are about activism), but Lars predictably disagreed yesterday on Blender‘s blog:
Listen, there’s nothing up with the audio quality. It’s 2008, and that’s how we make records. [Producer] Rick Rubin’s whole thing is to try and get it to sound lively, to get it to sound loud, to get it to sound exciting, to get it to jump out of the speakers. Of course, I’ve heard that there are a few people complaining. But I’ve been listening to it the last couple of days in my car, and it sounds fuckin’ smokin’.
Somebody told me about people complaining that the Guitar Hero version of Death Magnetic sounds better. Listen, what are you going to do? A lot of people say [the CD] sounds great, and a few people say it doesn’t, and that’s OK.
You gotta remember, when we put out …And Justice for All, people were going, ‘What happened to these guys, this record? There’s no bass on it. It sounds like it was recorded in a fuckin’ garage on an eight-track.’ And now …And Justice for All is sort of the seminal Metallica record that supposedly influenced a whole generation of death-metal bands.
The difference between back then and now is the Internet. The Internet gives everybody a voice, and the Internet has a tendency to give the complainers a louder voice. Listen, I can’t keep up with this shit. Part of being in Metallica is that there’s always somebody who’s got a problem with something that you’re doing: ‘James Hetfield had something for breakfast that I don’t like.’ That’s part of the ride.
I will say that the overwhelming response to this new record has exceeded even our expectations as far as how positive it is. So I’m not gonna sit here and get caught up in whether [the sound] ‘clips’ or it doesn’t ‘clip.’ I don’t know what kind of stereos these people listen on. Me and James [Hetfield] made a deal that we would hang back a little and not get in the way of whatever Rick’s vision was. That’s not to put it on him – it’s our record, I’ll take the hit, but we wanted to roll with Rick’s vision of how Metallica would sound.
Before he made a name playing drums in Alkaline Trio, Derek Grant went by the name of Reaper and sang for a band called Dead End. He says on his MySpace page:
For a period of about three years I answered only to the name Reaper. My hair style changed slightly, but I still retained all of the b-movie mentality of those early days (I ask myself now, has it ever gone away?) The tapes I had made found their way into the hands of some older musicians who wanted to start a band, and so Dead End was born….I continued to write new material and when we could, we would borrow devices to record. Thus, documenting the rise of Reaper—through puberty and beyond (you can actually here my voice change throughout these recordings.) After a few short years of playing parties, roller skating rinks, and punk clubs the band drifted apart.
He recently found some of those old Dead End tunes and has made them available for free download here. The MySpace entry also includes artwork and a short synopsis of each song.
[Update 2022: The MySpace page and download link are no longer active.]
Travis Barker and current music-making partner DJ AM were seriously injured in a plane crash last night. The pair had just performed a free show for South Carolina college students and were flying back to Van Nuys, California.
Officials said the plane carrying six people was departing shortly before midnight Friday when air traffic controllers reporting seeing sparks. The plane hurtled off the end of a runway and crashed through antennas and a fence. It came to rest on an embankment across a five-lane highway and was engulfed in flames….
The four other people aboard— the pilot, the copilot, Barker’s personal assistant, and his security guard—did not survive the crash. Both Travis and DJ AM are currently in critical condition at a burn center the Joseph M. Still Burn Center in Augusta, Georgia. We’ll keep you updated as more details are released. Below are other links related to the accident:
AP report and photos. [Update 2022: unfortunately, many of these links are no longer active.]
CNN report.
MSNBC video report with photos of the crash [ad alert].
MTV report with reactions from Barker’s and DJ AM’s families.
Update [from the MSNBC report]: One witness reported seeing “two men thrown from the plane, dumped on the highway, on fire.” The witness then reported that the men were “patting each other down and stripping off their clothes because they were burning.” The men may have been were Travis and DJ AM.
Update [from the WIS News 10 report]: Eyewitness William Owens said, “I didn’t know what I had seen—it was maybe 800 feet in front of me, but as I approached it closer though I made out a fire. By then I was able to see the tail of the jet and I recognized it as a jet….It’s in flames and the fuel is running across the road and I had to cross the fuel to get to the two guys that seemed to have been dumped on the highway….” According to the report, “the two men were in the road trying to extinguish themselves. He [Owens] then asked the men if there was anyone else on board the plane and they said four more were with them.”
Update [from TMZ]: “Sources tell us Travis Barker and DJ AM saved their own lives after their plane crashed by jumping out the door of the burning plane, almost immediately after the small jet came to a halt.”
Update [from Stupid Celebrities]: “Travis Barker is said to be severely burned from the waist down, but expected to survive. DJ AM has severe burns on his face, which are being tended to currently. Sad news, Chris Baker, Travis Barker’s assistant died in the plane crash. To make this bad news worse, Chris Baker, 29, had recently married and has a new baby.” This information appears to have originated from TMZ.
Update [again from TMZ]: A publicist for Barker and DJ AM released the following statement: “Both Travis Barker and Adam Goldstein (DJ AM) are in critical but stable condition and are being treated at Joseph M. Still Burn Center in Augusta, Georgia after surviving a plane crash late last night in Columbia, South Carolina. The hospital will issue a statement with an update on their condition at 9:00 am eastern time tomorrow. Due to the nature of the injuries and the evolving course of treatment no further information on their condition is available at this time.”
Update 9/21/08 [from MTV]: Doctors treating Travis and DJ AM stated today that both men are expected to make a full recovery. Travis has second- and third-degree burns on his torso; DJ AM has second- and third-degree burns on his head and arms. Well-wishers can show their support by going to Doctors-Hospital.net, clicking on “Visitors,” and then “Email a Patient.”
Update 9/21/08 [from Perez Hilton]: PH is quoting insiders as saying that Travis’s fighting spirit was intact after the crash and that he was “defiant after the accident and didn’t want to be lifted in a helicopter, but rather an ambulance, so they had to knock him out.”
Update 9/21/08 [from E!]: The investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing, but a member of the National Transportation Safety Board has stated that the plane’s crew members thought a tire burst as they started down the runway.
Update 9/21/08 [from WIS 10 News]: “Barker and Goldstein [DJ AM] remain in critical, but stable condition. Doctors say both men should be able to return to performing after they have healed from their burns in a year.”
Update 9/22/08 [via Stupid Celebrities]: Video and audio recorded at the crash site have been released. It’s believed that Travis is the man pleading for an ambulance. Very unpleasant to hear, so listener beware.
Update 9/22/08 [from Us]: Shanna Moakler, Barker’s ex-wife, released the following statement today: “There are not enough words to express how thankful we are for the outpouring of love and support we have received during this very difficult time. We can only ask for prayers as we heal and mourn the loss of our dear friends who we considered part of our family. Our lives will be changed forever.” Rapper Jermaine Dupri visited Barker over the weekend and said, “He’s doing good…but I really hate to see my friends go through this.”
Update 9/22/08 [again from Us]: It appears that authorities are still focusing on a faulty tire as the cause of the crash. Goodyear, the manufacturer of the tire, released the following statement: “We have been contacted by the NTSB [National Transportation Safety Board] and will cooperate fully with its investigation. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims of this accident.”
Update 9/23/08 [from MTV]: Travis Barker is trying to remain upbeat after multiple surgeries for the second- and third-degree burns on his torso and lower body. Lieutenant Josh Shumpert of the South Congaree, South Carolina, police department provided the following information about the post-crash events: “[Barker and AM] told me that they slid down the wing on the right side of the plane. They said they were on fire and that they tackled each other and put each other out. When I got there they were on the side of the road. They were pacing and in shock. Travis was very shaken up.”
Update 9/24/08: Video from the first police officer at the crash site.
Update 9/24/08 [from Extra]: Copy of the 911 call placed at the crash site.
Update 9/24/08 [from Yahoo!]: This report provides more information from the first police officer, Lt. Jason Shumpert, who first arrived on the scene. “Travis, you could tell he was in pain,” Shumpert said. “He just kept saying: ‘That’s my friends in the plane, that’s my friends in the plane.’”
Update 9/25/08: The following quote is making the rounds on various rumor sites but should at this time be considered unconfirmed info: “From what we’re hearing, Travis Barker is a hero. When the doomed plane started hurtling about, Travis and DJ AM were sitting in the front seats. They turned around and saw a ball of fire roaring in the back of the plane and watched in horror as it engulfed their friends seated in the back. Travis realized what was coming and he pushed the door open and grabbed DJ AM and pulled him out of the moving plane. They were both on fire and ran screaming as fast and as far from the fiery plane as they could. DJ AM can’t sleep and somehow is able to text friends in spite of his hand burns. He’s worried about his scalp being burned off. Travis is quiet—he’s on more painkillers.”
Update 9/25/08 [from Contact Music]: DJ AM returned to Los Angeles today by bus. No word yet on when Barker will be released.
Update 9/26/08 [from SPIN]: Travis’s friend and business partner Jermaine Dupri said that the drummer would most likely be released from the Joseph M. Still Burn Center in “about two weeks.” DJ AM returned to LA yesterday.
Update 9/29/08 [from Yahoo!]: Travis was released today from the Joseph M. Still Burn Center. One source also told People, “He’s on a bus headed to L.A. Trust me, he will never fly again—ever.”
Update 9/30/08: The New York Post has incurred some wrath (and, predictably, a whole lot of pageviews) for its recent headline about Barker taking the bus back to LA: “Fear of Frying.”
Update 10/3/08: The latest rumors (beware of extremely irritating floaty ad if you click on the link) suggest Travis may have been admitted to the burn center at USC and is suffering from serious burns on over 50% of his body.
Update 10/6/08 [from MTV]: Tom DeLonge speaks about Barker’s accident: “Just like you guys, I was freaked out about the entire thing….Everyone wanted to know what I think, but it’s not about me. It’s not about Tom at all, and it’s not about Blink at all. It’s about Travis and his family, so stop worrying about what I think, and what I feel, and what I’m going to say, because it doesn’t matter.”
Update 10/7/08 [from AP]: Barker gave an interview to US Weekly: “I hate planes….My biggest fear ever is to be involved in a plane crash, so when that happened … well, I’m just thankful to be alive! I’m just grateful to be here at all.” He then continued, “I am doing the best I can possibly be….I’m so anxious to get out of here. … I’ve just been in surgery after surgery. I have third-degree burns basically from my feet up to my waist and both hands. One of my hands has second-degree burns and one has third-degree burns.”
John Blackwell will be joining Hudson’s Master Series DVDs. So sayeth the press release:
The three-hour DVD is divided into two main sections. In the first section, Blackwell performs with an all-star band and then explains and demonstrates the drum parts. Not only does the master drummer discuss the way the song and groove evolved along with the specific techniques that are involved in the performance, he demonstrates the patterns at normal and slow speeds to provide students with a deeper, fuller understanding of the parts and their musical context.
The second part of the program covers topics such as playing musically, grooving and embellishing the groove without over-playing, fills and solos, showmanship and independence as well as Blackwell’s Jazz, R&B and Hip-Hop roots. A bonus chapter on bass drum pedal technique featuring a rare appearance by Blackwell’s friend and mentor Marcus Williams is also included.
No word on a release date or when our review copy will be arriving.
So is Gil Sharone really leaving Dillinger Escape Plan? Um, maybe. DEP guitarist Ben Weinman said today:
He didn’t leave and we didn’t kick him out. He will be busy though working with his other band [Stolen Babies] a lot over the next year so I am talking to other dudes both for Dillinger possibilities and just for me to play with on other creative projects. We still may be touring and writing with Gil though. Kinda in the air. No big drama though or anything.
Metal Hammer is reporting that Gil Sharone might be vacating the DEP throne. The band hasn’t confirmed or denied the possibility yet, but if that rumor wasn’t eye-stopping enough for you, then check this one out: Raanen Bozzio, son of none other than uberthumper Terry Bozzio, is at the head of the line to take over Dillinger drumming duties.
At least not anymore. He also doesn’t hate Dave Mustaine, though that’s probably just because MegaDave tends to be so freakin’ ridiculous:
I keep coming back to the statistics, which are interesting: he’s never played on a Metallica record, he was in the band for 10 months, 25 years ago! That’s an amazing statistic when you think about it, and still Metallica is such a prominent part of his existence. That’s just mind-blowing, because he has made some of the best heavy metal records of all time. It blows my mind.
The Los Angeles Timescaught up with Travis Barker to chat about his explosive entry into the world of hip-hop and remixes. In case you’ve been unplugged for the last year, it all started with a video posted on YouTube, a slamming version of Travis drumming to Soulja Boy’s “Crank That (Soulja Boy).” With 17.5 million views under his sticks, Barker has become the go-to drummer for other hip-hop-oriented artists as well, including in-demand turntablist DJ AM. The two have joined forces as TRV$DJAM and will be putting out an album (!) and touring.
There is a god, and she is merciful. Or maybe just a prick tease. We’re not exactly sure yet, but it does appear that Jason Bonham has been jamming a little with Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones, which can mean only one thing—Led Zeppelin reunion! Bonzo’s boy said:
I’ve been over a couple of times with Jimmy and John Paul just trying to do some new material and writing….So I don’t know what it will be but it will be something. I mean this is something that I always wanted to do but trying to predict what it will be at the moment…all I know is I have the greatest pleasure to go and jam with the two guys and try and work on some new material, so it’s been fantastic in that aspect.
And all this time we thought Jordison was a superbionic drum god. It appears, however, that his ankles are mortal enough because he broke one of them in Europe. As a result, Slipknot has had to cancel their slots at the Leeds and Reading festivals, as well as their remaining European dates. Expect riots and the maggot uprising to ensue. There’s just enough time to watch a few Jordison licks in the studio.
Diving even deeper into the land of hip-hop, Barker is now working with Wale on a track called “G Told Me.” The good bits (i.e., those with the drums) start around 1:38 in the vid below. Yet again, Trav is beating the hell out of some Zildjian Pitch Blacks, and surprisingly they don’t sound entirely terrible. Maybe he has the special prototype pro line?….
This “story” about Scott Weiland taking a tumble into Eric Kretz’s kit has been circulating ferociously for about a week now, but it’s way, way overblown. Sure Weiland was drug and/or booze addled (big shock), but we were expecting something a little more Keith Moon-y, with cymbals and drums exploding all over the place. Instead, dude just backs into the drums a bit, and it doesn’t appear that Kretz ever missed a beat. Have a look at the vid below, starting around the 1:23 mark.
Participants ask that the Gumball be referred to as a “rally,” but it’s really pretty much a race—a 3,000-mile race on public roads. Sound dangerous? Don’t be such a wussy: only a couple of people have died so far.
The race (er, rally) was founded in 1999 by former model Maximillion Cooper (awesome name, by the way), and the drivers are generally well-to-do car fanatics (e.g., just the entry fee for this year’s Gumball was about $120,000). Along with David Hasselhoff, Orlando Bloom, and Tara Reid, the celeb drivers in the 2008 race include Travis Barker, who we expect to burn some serious rubber as the representative for all thumperkind. We’ll be scouring the Web for pics of Trav in his vehicle, which we’re betting is a muscle car with Zildjian Pitch Black logos. Let us know if you got the goods.
Tommy Igoe will be answering questions in Zildjian’s Z-Club chat section tomorrow night at 8 p.m. (EST). He’s toured with name acts like Lauryn Hill, Art Garfunkle, and Blood Sweat & Tears, but most of us know him from the video Groove Essentials, which got many a beginning basher off to the right start.
…Beginning basher? Shit, we still suck at playing this Mozambique groove.
Though he’s not a super well-known thumper here in the States (mostly because he plays with lots of elevator prog musicians like Yngwie Malmsteen), Mike Terrana is pretty damn amazing. Check out this promo piece he did not long ago for ddrum.
