The e-zine

02/12/07

p2 Taking Care of your Guitar p4 Captain Beefheart

P5 The Wombats

P6 10 reasons Rock-Soccers To Drink Heavily

P7 Iced Earth P8 Thrice

P9 Capdown P10 Final Metal Blowout P11 Bad Religion

Taking Care Of Your Guitar Dave Holley

I love my guitars (well, perhaps I love my basses a little more, but the same tips apply). And whilst I may not be Yngwie Malmsteen, even I know that a well looked after guitar does feel a lot nicer and can improve your playing (just as playing a US-made Fender Strat can make all the difference from a Squier version).

Looking after your guitar doesn't have to be too onerous, as long as you remember to do a few small things each time you play as well as some maintenance every now and then. You'll have a cleaner and easier to play axe, and you'll find it will last longer and be worth more when the time comes to finally say goodbye and move up in the world.

Firstly, one of the most important parts of the guitar are your strings. You're usually advised to change the strings on a regular basis but I've seen some people who have never changed strings ever! Obviously this is a Bad Idea™ because some nasty things happen to strings which are left on too long – firstly, they rust. Especially if you do not follow the string cleaning tips, you'll find that all guitar strings rust over time. That affects your sound and especially your tone massively, even if you can not see very much on the strings themselves. It also makes them feel different and awkward to play; you will find they slow down and do not bend as well. Secondly strings undergo constant stress and tension, which fatigues the metal. This can lead to stretching (and consequently the inability to tune for more than one song at a time) and in extreme cases snapping. Sure, strings snap every now and again, but keeping them fresh means you are less likely to be left looking really embarrassed as you launch into that skull-crushing breakdown riff. So keep those strings fresh and keep them clean. As well as running them over with a slightly damp lint-free cloth every now and again to clean up finger oils, sweat and dust, you can help keep them clean by washing your hands. If you simply take off the natural layer of grease your fingers accumulate, you will increase string life by a lot. This will also help preserve the fingerboard. As a final note on string-changing – don't do it all at once if possible, and certainly do

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This is not what you want.

not do it unevenly. Doing it one at a time or making sure the tension on the neck is balanced will have your neck thanking you in the long run. If you're finding it impossible to clean the fretboard then you may want to take them all off but remember how much tension your guitar's neck is under constantly – sharp alterations to that can cause problems.

Guitars are like plants (which is ironic considering they used to be them) in that they hate humidity and temperature changes. Sure, your guitar is really pretty and you want everyone to see it, but that stand it's sitting on in your college room which faces the vagaries of wintry drafts and lack of insulation right up to baking hot summer days isn't going to help the wood. Even a soft case isn't really going to help a whole lot. Ideally you want an insulated hard case, which will also give you a lot of protection against the inevitable knocks your guitar will pick up throughout its life. Guitars without chips and scratches in the paint job also resell for more, so consider the case an investment.

Proper truss-rod and bridge adjustment will also work towards preventing neck twisting and bowing. Try to do it every time you change string gauges and every so often anyway just to make sure. Learning how to adjust these things might also come in handy if you want to buy a second hand guitar. I've walked into a shop, demanded a discount because the neck was bowed and then walked home and just tightened the truss rod myself. Second hand guitars often haven't been treated very well (unless they were owned by Jimmy Page) so you'll probably find that a good setup can fix those little problems.

Dust and clean not only the body of the guitar but the neck and especially the fretboard. The frets themselves can corrode over time and feel rougher, and the fingerboard can become dull. Clean with a very clean and slightly damp soft cloth (alternatively some very fine – 000/0000 grade – steel wool works too for non-maple fretboards), and go at it until you have lifted off all the crap. Once it's clean again, it will be just like it was when you picked it up in the shop! You can also oil the fingerboard to prevent it drying out too much, but be careful not to overdo it as oils tend to

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...decay

collect dust and grime.

Lastly, play it! Having a good feel of your guitar means that you can tell when something is not quite right, and it allows you to identify when things need doing sooner. Plus, you are much more likely to remember these tips if you are doing them all the time.

Until next time, remember that your guitar is more important than your significant other.

Let’s start with a definitive and all-encompassing statement – this is the heaviest album of all time.

No doubt that’s sent up a few hackles (especially when considering that genre-wise, this is not a metal, or even a rock album), but such is the effect of this record, regarded by many as the ultimate musical artistic statement. In terms of sound, consider every blues-rock riff of the ‘60s, blasted simultaneously from each speaker, coupled with rollicking, earth-moving drums, free-jazz horns, ragged blues howls, a capella interludes, and environmentally-conscious lyrics tied into absurdist poetry. Once you have all that in mind, you might come close to what’s going on at any one time in songs that reflect the absolute pinnacle of dadaism in rock music (take THAT, Yoko).

And then there’s the back-story: written in one 8-hour session at a piano (which Beefheart claims only took that long because he’d never

played the instrument before), rehearsed in slum-like conditions by an effectively imprisoned band (all day, every day for six months) and produced by Frank Zappa (whose famous contribution was merely to

turn all the settings on an amp up to full, making the guitarist physically sick).

This is the sound of a band with so many good ideas that they can’t wait for the audience to catch up with them, the result being that the album, at first seemingly cacophonous and impenetrable slowly reveals its myriad hooks, and constant flashes of brilliance.

This culminates, after 75 minutes, with the band cranking out a standard rock number to finish, fading into an achingly gorgeous repeated guitar figure, almost as if to say ‘We can do that too, but we just wanted you to work for it’, which is surely something to be admired in this age of pandering to listeners with tried and tested formulas.

So, in conclusion, utterly pretentious, utterly fantastic.

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Captain Beefheart and his Magic Band Trout Mask Replica Stefano Belli

The Wombats Matt Bayliss

The Battles intro music is entirely appropriate tonight for the return of Oxford avant-guard trio The Evenings. And they waste no time in getting back to the form so sorely lacking at the recent gigs since their long hiatus. Jo's upright bass, looking like a prop from Solaris (the Tarkovsky version, of course) provides a rich, clean counterpart to Seb's wonky keyboard antics. Seb meanwhile, flails about as though he must be invisibly tethered to his instrument, lest he fly right off the stage at any given moment. The lynchpin of the whole ensemble is, and always has been, Mr Wilden's ridiculously good drumming (not so keen on the voice I'm afraid. But that's just, like, my opinion, man).

Long may their experimentation/improvisation continue though as it is a damn sight more interesting than Assembly Now, who owe such a huge debt to the likes of Bloc Party et al that I consider walking right up to them and asking for an advance cash payment. The sad thing is that they would probably take this as a compliment. This bog-standard indie shtick is especially infuriating after The Evenings' leftfield-ism and goes down like the proverbial lead balloon. When my disappointed wingman announces 'damn, I thought that was their last one!' half way through the set, I can but only agree. Assembly Now? Yes feel free to do so: Preferably by the Exit.

However all is not lost as one band that definitely hasn't suffered a talent-ectomy are Liverpool's The Wombats. Their relentless charm and humble nature, and a sly homage to The Young Knives, set them head and shoulders above their contemporaries. They rattle through an electrifying, dud-free set of disco-indie killers; and even manage the enviable task of dropping the pace with a Waltz-like number, without a loss of momentum. At the risk of gushing- surely these lads are due for bigger things.

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at the zodiac

Mixing beer and bourbon: guaranteed not to end badly

Dan Barrett10 Reasons why RockSoc-ers should drink heavily:

1. It causes you to feel less pain: Ever been caught right in the face by an accidental flying elbow during a particularly aggressive mosh pit? Yeah, me too, it fucking canes doesn't it? Know what lessens the blow? Being drunk. It's widely accepted to lessen the pain of moshing, falling down stairs, heartbreak, etc... And it makes you near-immune to the harsh coldness of the walk down Cowley to Room 101 on a Saturday. So no more excuses on that front.

2. The rich language: There are more different words for being drunk than there are different words used across the entirety of Dragonforce's lyrics (not that that's hard, but you get the idea...). For no other experience is there such a choice of descriptive words to choose from. Intoxicated, bladdered, pissed, hammered, trolleyed, wasted, wankered, and so on. My personal favourite? Fucked. As in, 'Let's get fucked up and do fucked up shit.' (see #8)

3. Everyone else is doing it: Now, we at RockSoc aren't going to advocate peer pressure, but i will say the following - we're all doing it, and we're awesome. Don't you want to be awesome too? Yeah!

4. It makes ImSoc girls attractive: No, i'm sorry, i'm lying. That is one thing no substance could ever do. However, a light case of the 'beer goggles' can certainly expand the range of possible take-aways for a saturday night treat...

5. 1 + 1 = 2: As in, music on its own is good. Drinking on its own is very good. How can you possibly combine the two and have a bad result? That's right - you can't.

6. A release: After an afternoon/day/week of working hard on an essay or a problem sheet, you owe it to yourself to let off some steam by doing something entirely different. What better opposite to mentally intensive activity than shotgunning cans of Carlsberg Special Brew while walking through the rain to a gig?

7. Science says not to: In a recent report, Lord Krebs and his chums at the Nuffield institute for something boring said that "drinking is bad and you should all feel bad for doing it". Now, who do you trust more? A bunch of middle-aged men in lab coats who don't listen to rock or metal, or the two smiley-faced guys* in the Gloc coming at you with a tray of shots? I thought as much. (* = that's me and Mark, by the way. No, we're not buying you any shots. Unless you're really nice.)

8. A sense of adventure: When you take your first sip from your first pint, or hear that hiss-crack of an ice-cold can being opened for the first time that day, you're not just having a drink. You're at the foot of a mountain, the start-line of a race, the boarding gate at an airport. Where are you going to end up? What's going to happen next? The brilliant thing is, there are no answers to these questions once you have started drinking. If, like a sober person, you know where you're going, what you will be doing at all points in an evening, you might as well not bother doing it. There's no surprise, no reward to live for. But if like us, you choose to walk off the beaten path and into the great unknown, you can end up with more than you ever dreamed for. Or, you could end up face-down in the alley at the Wheatsheaf. But don't worry, we'll look after you.

9. I'm sorry, I haven't got any more now. It's 22.49, and I need another drink. Beer or bourbon? Hey, why not have both, I say!

See you in the bar soon?

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Iced Earth – Overture of the WickedDaniel

Shepherd

Progressive power metallers Iced Earth’s second release with vocalist Tim “Ripper” Owens (Beyond Fear, ex-Judas Priest and Wintersbane) also sees the return of Brent Smedley (drums) as well as the addition of Tim Mills (lead) and Ripper’s former Wintersbane colleague Dennis Hayes (bass).

The EP, consisting of one new track

and a remake of the title trilogy of 1998’s “Something Wicked This Way Comes”, was intended to re-introduce Iced Earth main-man Jon Schaeffer’s “Something Wicked” storyline ahead of a forthcoming double concept album.

The original trilogy stands among Iced Earth’s best work, featuring great vocal dynamics, complex melodic riffs, pianos and even Gregorian chant. A successful remake was always going to be difficult to pull off.

New number “Ten Thousand Strong” is a good thrashy number featuring Owens’ trademark searing high vocals with a catchy albeit slightly cheesy chorus.

The success of the remakes is limited. Ripper has shown that he can pull off Matt Barlow-era material despite his slightly less melodic style and again he doesn’t disappoint. The problem lies in Schaeffer’s musical tinkering on opener “Prophecy”, where a heavier intro, some unconvincing synth-tubular bells, messy bass tone and the removal of the best riff cripple what was once the trilogy’s highlight. The remaining two tracks are good remakes with a darker tone which fits well with Ripper’s style, though the absent piano outro is a shame.

Overall, a worthy EP that whets the appetite for the forthcoming release but for real excellence stick to the original Something Wicked album.

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Thrice - The Alchemy Index Volumes I and II Mark Spillman

Thrice are back for their fifth outing into the mixed waters of post-hardcore. Thankfully, this album is every bit as good as their prior works. The band have grown over the years, and have received critical acclaim from all quarters for their unique blend of heavy riffs and delicate melodies that intertwine to create music that appeals to many. This has come to a climax with The Alchemy Index, a 4 part album being released as two two-disc EPs. Each EP is themed around one of the ancient elements: Fire, Water, Earth and Air. Volume I consists of the 'Fire' and 'Water' discs, and the contrasts between the two are stunning. (Volumes III and IV – Earth and Air - will follow early next year).

Fire brings us heavy riffs, distorted vocals, screams and shouts. These are some of the heaviest songs Thrice have done, and some of the most atmospheric. From the Deftones-esque opening track Firebreather, to the epic and haunting track 'The flame deluge', Thrice keep you on your toes, wishing that it was more than 6 tracks.

After the raw energy of 'Fire', 'Water' takes a more introspective and almost post-rock turn, which blends in seamlessly from the ending of 'The flame deluge'. These electronica drenched ambient mood pieces are enough to raise neck hairs, and are truly compelling to listen to, time after time. Dustin Kensrue's unmistakable voice is subtle and quiet, and the chorus to each track is catchy and meaningful.

With Volumes I and II, the band have captured the raw aggression associated with fire, and the mysterious and beautiful nature of water. I wait hoping that Volumes III and IV will complete the Alchemy Index in a way that compliments these two brilliant EPs.

For Fans Of:Deftones, Coheed & Cambria, Radiohead, Brand New, Alexisonfire

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Capdown at the Carling Academy

Emma Davis

You should never miss the opportunity to see a ska band, especially if that ska band is Capdown, and especially if its their final tour. I turned up late to this, unfortunately, as it meant I only caught the last song of the first support act, Desperate Cycle. Looking past the excess of 'Famous' t-shirts and floppy hair, which might give the impression of a whiny, teenage emo band, these guys were actually pretty good. Ok, so I only saw one song, but the vocal lines were strong with some good harmonies, accompanied by melodic riffs and crunchy breakdowns. Their stage presence was flawless, with each member emitting the kind of energy that is only possible when they are properly enjoying themselves- a shame the audience receiving it was a bit thin and unenthusiastic!

Next up were the King Blues, who set the ska/punk theme for the rest of the evening as front man Johnny Fox appeared on stage during their massive introduction to spray paint his band's name on a white back cloth. Bopping around the stage with his trademark ukulele, the audience, which was considerable larger by this point, followed his lead, happy to skank along to the reggae rhythms and ska-fuelled melodies. The odd twist to The King Blues music is how remarkably English it sounds, and it was refreshing to hear a band whose lead singer was

not afraid to mask his blatant London accent.

By the end of their set, I was not sure how the crowd were still standing, or indeed how they were going to continue for the main band of the evening. However, the appearance of the band seemed to inject a new energy into everyone and Capdown launched into their first song with such vigour and excitement that you would have never thought they had been doing this for over ten years. In the next forty minutes or so, Capdown demonstrated exactly why they have been able to continue on the gig circuit for so long, as the quality of their live performance prevailed, executing their punchy ska-chords and melodies in such a way that you cannot help but

dance along. The lead singer threw himself about in his eagerness to deliver the vocals, somehow managing to cover every part of the stage, and even the floor as he would crouch down and sing almost personally to the front row. This is perhaps one of the best things about Capdown, their ability to create an intimacy with their audience, to know exactly what they want and how to deliver it. Their return to the stage for their encore to chants of "Ska Wars! Ska Wars!" certainly demonstrated this and it did not disappoint. It’s a shame that this was Capdown's last tour as they represent exactly what live music should be all about, that is the ability to really affect its listeners and I was most definitely not the only one to leave that night with a stupid smile on my face.

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Final Metal Blowout at the ZodiacSue Fine

This is it this is literally it. Wayne and I used to sit around talking about how we were the last beacons of hope in a world where everyone sold out so much that you had to wonder whether they were actually selling out because any principles that they had in the first place tended to be geared towards selling out.

Alan was different though, Alan wouldn’t go down without a fight. The whole time he was always there at my back. He could scream loud enough to make you want to curl up and die, even when he had a cutlass in his mouth. Every day I still see him ringed by fire. He was my everything, my everest, my undying.

The night reminded me that metal was the great leveller, the greatr deceiver. There were guys in football kids, there were old guys on the heart attack waiting list, there were young greasy skinny kids who looked like their parents were neo nazis on one side and a sleeveless oil drum on tother. There were people who wanted to change worlds and thought they could, but only using metal. It was like the industrial revolution (hahaha). Some day these guys are gon be in a museum next to pictures of steve albini, but tonight they were mine. I closed my eyes and drank it in through everyone orifice.

Walk. I am a baby I am a corpse in a death mask and I will never tire of Walk. Dimebag was with us. There were two cunts in front of me that tried to kick people who were moshing. They got beat up by a forty year old. That’s how the world should roll: instant karma without catchers in the rye.

There was a singer hanging onto a light fitting. My womb was drunk on its own pregnant child of defiance. This is the kind of thing that will die out that will never be repeated without some fuckup irony. I saw feathered dinosaurs waiting by the doors waiting for the last scraps of humanity to leave.

I was happy to have ached there.

fuck carling.

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Bad Religion – New Maps of Hell Lance Miller

In a shocking turn of it being that time of year again, another Bad Religion album has been released – something which would appear to have been going on since the early hardcore punk scene of the 80s, with barely a pause to sell-out to a major label then get fired again. Some might ask why they still bother, a question which lead singer / zoology phD/ religion basher Greg Graffin would presumably answer with his usual “I really hate George W. Bush. And I really hate Christians.”

Perhaps a better answer would be “We've taken our standard slow-song-of-this-album format, and added a chorus with an awesomely silly call and response vocals bit, where after a bit the voices start to run together and counterpoint eachother in a way which sounds really, really massive. There's also some quite good lead in the intro, seeing as the guitars are downtuned, which isn't something we're going to do very often, even though we clearly sound better when we do.” First single 'Honest Goodbye' is a reminder that Bad Religion are in fact capable of doing punk songs with big pop harmonies (an idea which they probably played some part in coming up with) more powerfully than most of the younger bands which copied their sound but wrote lyrics that made people cringe less. The song is also reason to forgive 'New Maps of Hell' much.

Not that the rest of the album is entirely bad – instrumentally, things sound as solid as they should do from a band which has been in existence for 27 years, although there is still no reason at all that they need three guitarists, and there are some nice moments, such as in 'New Dark Ages' and 'Heroes and Martyrs', that recall the pace and forward momentum of earlier albums like 'No Control' and 'Generator.' Unfortunately things soon degenerate into a mess of lazy song writing and contrived attempts to return to their earliest and rawest days. There are also some tracks which are bewilderingly accurate copies of previous efforts- compare 'Germs of Perfection' to 'No Direction' from 'Generator,' for example- though this is nothing particularly new from Bad Religion.

They do however score effort points for as ever packing 16 songs into an album under 40 minutes long.

In conclusion then, Bad Religion are an excellent band making terrible albums. Better luck next year.

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