R.I.P. Jeff Hannemen (January 31, 1964 – May 2, 2013)

Sadly another metal legend has fallen, I am very sad to hear of this news.  Slayer were the first band I ever saw live and I got to see the original lineup many times.  One of the best riff writers in the history of metal, Jeff Hanneman will never be forgotten.

In addition to what he achieved with Slayer I will personally remember Jeff as being an integral part of the foundation on the bridge that brought punk and metal together.

I took the following two photos at Ozzfest in Vancouver 1999, photos were taken with a shitty disposable camera, but these are the best ones I managed to get of Jeff.   RIP man.... a sad day for metal.

Jeff Hannemen (January 31, 1964 – May 2, 2013)

Jeff and some serious head banging

Get well Tony Iommi!

Today I was informed via a friend that Tony Iommi has been diagnosed with cancer. According to his www.Iommi.com, "Tony has been diagnosed with the early stages of lymphoma, his bandmates would like everyone to send positive vibes to the guitarist at this time. Iommi is currently working with his doctors to establish the best treatment plan--the “IRON MAN” of Rock & Roll remains upbeat and determined to make a full and successful recovery."

This is very sad news and believe me I am sending Tony all the positive vibes that I can right now and will continue to do so until he manages to slay this bloody cancer dragon that has already taken down one of metal's finest and bravest warriors, former Black Sabbath vocalist Ronnie James Dio. I am sure Ronnie was able to at least permanently injure the cancer dragon, thus hopefully giving Tony a slight edge towards a speedy recovery.

The fact that this comes as Ozzy, Tony, Geezer and Bill Ward are writing and recording their first album in 33 years makes this news all the more sad, but hopefully after beating the cancer and taking care of his own health first, he will be able to carry out the plans and even tour. However, the important thing is that the mans gets healthy first, everything else is secondary.

Here is a very unprofessional photo I took of Tony and Ozzy via a disposable camera at Ozzfest 1999

Now I am going to go put on some Sabbath and start sending those positive vibes Tony's way. For the record, last time I saw Black Sabbath was at Thunderbird Stadium in Vancouver BC, at Ozzfest on July 16, 1999. I almost did not go to that show due to some personal problems at the time, and as a long time Sabbath fan I was very stressed that I was probably going to miss the reunion with Ozzy, however, a friend stepped up and bought me a ticket. I still owe him for that one as it was a great show and Ozzy was in excellent form. Slayer also played on that bill and Black Sabbath is probably one of the few bands that can successfully follow a Slayer set. In fact, I once left a Judas Priest concert after about 5 songs because my energy was so high after a ferocious Slayer set that I could not handle late 80's Priest after being totally and absolutely Slayerized! I don't think I need to say that of course, I regret that decision now.  Anyway, Black Sabbath are one of the most important bands in the history of rock and roll period, and this is not debatable.

This was also probably the most expensive concert I attended up until that point in 1999. At the time $70.00 to see Sabbath and Slayer seemed like a lot of money, but in hindsight it seems pretty reasonable now, but I still miss paying between 5-25 bucks for a concert.

The Big 4 cd.dvd boxset

With the release of the Big 4 dvd and the dvd/cd boxset in October, I thought it was a good time to get a little nostalgic. I passed on the opportunity to see it in the theater as watching a metal concert in a theater is just a little too weird for me, still I was eagerly awaiting the release of the dvd boxset. I must admit I was a little skeptical, as I don't really like the term big four, especially when it excludes a band as great as Exodus. Although, having said that, I realize Exodus were not as stable over the years and did not have the longevity and staying power as these 4 bands, it just seems wrong.

The biggest surprise upon viewing was Anthrax and Megadeth who I expected the least from. They were both great and I ended up enjoying their sets more than Slayer's and Metallica's. Anthrax displayed their usual lighthearted and fun hardcore type approach, but with the return of Joey Belladonna they were in great form. Maybe it was the nostalgia, I don't know, but it was a blast watching their set. I was especially pleased with Metal Thrashing Mad since in my humble opinion, "Fistful of Metal" is the best Anthrax album. Dave Mustaine and the latest version of Megadeth also were in top form, despite the over dubbing and vocal criticisms out there, I also found their set to be very enjoyable, but wish they would play a few tracks off their legendary first album, which is also my favourite Megadeth album.

Next up Slayer. Slayer delivers exactly what you expect from Slayer. A ferocious blast of intense riffing and soloing that rarely lets up long enough to catch a breath. Tom Araya looked a little stiff after his surgery, but who cares? It is Slayer for christ's sake! Sadly, both Slayer and Megadeth did not take advantage of the occasion to bust out some tracks off their first two albums. Metallica were perhaps a little more average than displayed on their recent Nimes release, but still in great form. My only complaint, is that the narrative in between songs has become very predictable and safe, but at the end of the day it should only be about the music and Metallica delivers as usual.

In celebration of the release of this dvd/cd set, your narrator will show a few interesting artifacts from his own personal collection:

Anthrax (rare megaforce promo)

Megadeth flyer for their 1st show, Slayer fans take note that this show featured Kerry King on guitar with Megadeth, oh and I would have loved to see Trouble back then)

Live for Metal - Die for MEGADETH!!!! 2nd, 3rd and 4th shows, also featuring Kerry King on guitar. (Please Note:These are all genuine, and no they are not for sale, so please don't ask)

Slayer (This was my second Slayer show and was the second time I saw Testament, I honestly don't remember much about Testament at this show, but when I saw them at the Paramount in New Westminster, BC approximately a year or so prior, they were absolutely amazing)

A photo I took of Kerry King at the show with Testament.  This was my first attempt at concert photography and I took it with a disposable camera... none of this digital camera shit every robot waves around at shows today. I remember the floor was absolutely mental, so it was hard to get good photos, but it was much calmer than the South of Heaven tour when they opened up for Priest!,  enjoy!

Metallica (rare and authentic flyer for first Metallica show ever, featuring Dave Mustaine of

Megadeth and Mr. Ron McGovney of the underrated Phantasm)