Seriously funny musicians are compelled to seriously not make serious music, finding the absurd around every corner of a melodious jack-in-the-box. Pop goes the weasel, ‘cuz the weasel goes pop! When most musicians give in to an urge to create dramatic music, these comedic musicians can’t help but take the…
Along with booze and a bowl, a metalhead’s favorite pastime is arguing about all things metal — the who, what, where, when, why and how something is the best of the best. These arguments typically end with broken teeth, bloody noses, fat lips and a cold can of beer on…
The Hate has changed its name to Wiredogs. Since we last heard from the band, the guys have been hard at work on a new EP, which is slated for release sometime this fall. The Resistance, which was recorded at Black in Bluhm by Chris Fogal, is even more aggressive…
Along with having a killer set of pipes, the best frontman can simultaneously stand at his pulpit on stage, engage with the crowds, rage and conduct the flow of the show. Decisive, commanding and blunt, these men are the alpha males of alpha males, the kings of kingpins and, like…
In metal, stage flair is pulled from every corner and then piled high on stage, or in this case brushed, rolled, picked and gelled to such great heights. Most metal musicians are so busy perfecting their metal madness through instruments, they don’t have time to be bothered with such trivial…
Keeping track of metal and all its subgenres can often be confusing and frustrating. Classic and thrash metal are at the center of the metal universe, while various other styles are major and minor constellations radiating manic energy. Sorting through the subgenres can be a tedious task. This is why…
In metal, a genre teeming with testosterone and addled by adrenaline, women have made leaps and bounds over the years. Defying dainty stereotypes, these beauties have butted heads with the best of them. More salty than sweet, these ladies are tougher than leather. Keep reading for the ten most ferocious…
You only get one chance to make a first impression, as they say, and these bands sure made the most of their opportunity. Some of these inaugural releases launched new subgenres, while others have yet to be matched in more than two decades. Keep reading for a rundown of the…
Nu metal is the non-alcoholic beer of metal. Why waste your time? Altering, developing and tweaking metal is fine (see sludge or progressive metal), but nu metal strips away everything that is good about metal and somehow makes it sound tepid and miserable, with generic words describing the collective dejection…
These are the phantoms of the metal opera. They are the faceless. Human? Alien? Robot? Beast? Pinky and the Brain? Luke Skywalker’s father? Nobody knows for sure. The only way we could ever find out is if we go back in time to the ’50s to collect a bunch of…
Every year at the Westword Music Showcase, we enlist our army of Backbeat wordsmiths to host various stages. In addition to their emcee duties, we ask them to pull double duty by submitting a travelogue of their individual stage. Adam Steininger hosted at Broadways this past Saturday. Keep reading for…
Hipsters weren’t the first to sing and dance in a spontaneously choreographed group for a musical, and probably will never feel compelled to in this world, but in the movie world they have now given into this urge in Hipster! The Musical. The musical didn’t immediately take form as a…
In the darkest recesses of the metal world, truly shitty albums lurk. Now, these albums aren’t necessarily 100 percent shitty (there may still be some redeeming music to be found), but they are certainly incredibly disappointing, particularly given the otherwise worthiness of their creators. Plug your nose and dive on…
Getting laid is one of the perks of the trade. Guys form bands with the sole goal of getting their bananas peeled. Most metal dudes are satisfied with groupies every night, but some just can’t get enough of the jiggly bits and the furry monsters, so they end up singing…
Geeks love metal more than the computers on which they listen to it. They yearn for heavy metal that was forged by Orcs in the mountains of Mordor, smuggled halfway across the universe on Serenity and then discovered by Silver Surfer while scouting for delicious planets. These bands aren’t necessarily…
