Greetings all!
Welcome Back!

A lot has been happening since my last column. All kinds of new music was discovered and released, live rock n roll indulged in, and of course...my love for CLUTCH has grown (Check out this issue for my interview with Neil from CLUTCH!). Clutch has some great music out there, Blast Tyrant, Pure Rock Fury, and Slow hole to China are by far the best. Not only do they have infectious "grooves", but lyrically, very clever and mysterious. That seems rather rare these days. This is the best discovery since Acid Bath in 1994. The rest of their music to me is just so-so, but these three albums blow almost anything new I have heard lately and has once again made me thrilled to have the gift of hearing.

It has been a goal of mine to meet MetallicA since 1990. I will never forget when a friend put in ...And Justice For All. It changed my life. Actually, I remember the 1^st time I heard it, I hated it! It just didn’t do it for me. After a few times, I was hooked. I had never heard anything at the time that heavy. I grew up in a small town with 2 radio stations, no cable TV, and rather out of touch with the outside world. I would visit my relatives a hundred miles away and hung out with a new group of outsiders that turned me on to something that would change my life forever. (By the way, Thanks JJ!).

Fast forward to August 2004. It is 14 years later and I am standing backstage with 20 or so die hard fans just like me salivating at their chance to come face to face with their favorite artists. I was about the most nervous I have ever been. What could I possibly say to Jaymz Hetfield that could make him even begin to understand how much his music, lyrics & persona have meant to me. I am not a "fair-weather" fan like a lot most folks. I would have to say 90% of the people I associate with regarding MetallicA can’t stand or very much dislike anything they have done since 1991. I love every album they released to date, all for different reasons. It took some adjustments after having what seemed to be the longest wait in existence from the Black album (91) to Load (96). I changed as a person and so did Metallica. Load was a new direction that took them to the next level and in turn, lost a lot of their die-hard fans. The thing is, change is healthy. It is a vital part of evolution. It took me awhile to figure that out. I was skeptical about Load. It wasn’t what I was expecting at all and I was left wondering what had happened to the single most important musical influence in my life. I did give it another shot and listened again, then again. As I looked deeper and listened harder, I truly discovered lyrics and melodies that took me emotionally to someplace I had never been (Check out Bleeding Me and The Outlaw Torn!). It was then I begun to see the true beauty my favorite band had to offer. Two years later came Re-load, then a collection of covers old and new, Garage Inc. and then the mighty S&M show when they really let down their guard and played with a symphony. That has shown me, the fan, the ultimate respect by keeping things fresh. In turn, I have amazing respect for MetallicA. Anyone for that matter that steps outside their comfort zone and tries new things, deserves some props.

Ok, now I am backstage waiting patiently talking with the fellow fans. Hearing stories of past shows & adventures they were a part of was something special. I really felt at ease and comfortable with the crowd. I felt at home. I tried not to worry too much about the right thing to say. The point I wanted to get across is to thank them for just being themselves and how much it was appreciated. Slowly over the next two hours all four members came out individually and took the time to look you right in the eye and exchange thanks for what one another has done for each other. After all, MetallicA wouldn’t be much without their fans and vice versa. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but was thrilled with the outcome. There was so much I wanted to say, and I am confident I will have another chance. I made James a personal album of tracks I thought he would dig. A great group of musicians, and an even greater group of souls.

Later that month, I went to see the documentary Some Kind Of Monster outlining the dark times and inner turmoil they experienced. I have been on a documentary frenzy since I saw "Paradise Lost 2" and "Bowling for Columbine". With the band allowing such personal issues to be exposed for over three years and thousands of hours of footage really showed me a side I never knew. Yet another growth spurt! A fan of movies will enjoy this film, MetallicA fans or not.

Well, now that y’all know how I feel about MetallicA, let’s move on! .

On a sad note, the metal world lost a hero in Dimebag Darrell. An un-fathomable tragedy took place in Ohio. I was shocked, saddened and outraged. Dime meant so much to so many. I was lucky enough to have met him and got to see him play live many times. Great guy, great heart, killer guitar player (not bad drummer either!). The Metal world took a bullet.

So much has been said I am not going to go on and on. It is great to see how the metal community came together & bonded in a time of need. I know Phil feels terrible for what happened. One should always keep those who matter close, you just never know. I hope he keeps it together and isn’t the next one to go. Good things will come out of this somehow, someway.

Thanks again for reading and see you soon!

Please email any suggestions, comments, complaints or anything you like to darren@adrenalinfanzine.com.

Clutch "Blast Tyrant", "Slow Hole to China", "Pure Rock Fury"
MetallicA "All"
Hank III "All (Hillbilly & Hellbilly)"
Children of Bodom "various tracks"
Soilwork "A Predators Portrait"
Anthrax "All"
Split Lip Rayfield "All"
Megadeth "The System Has Failed"
Transmission0 "0"
Damageplan "New Found Power"
Pantera "All"
Black Sabbath "Ozzy Years"
Ozzy Osbourne "No More Tears" (What an album!)
Waylon Jennings "Ultimate Waylon Jennings"
Acid Bath "All"
CKY "All"

Supersize Me
Bowling for Columbine
Fahrenheit 911
The Brothers Keeper
Some Kind of Monster