Carl Begai

The great thing about having my own website is that I’m able to say what I like. Within reason of course, but the bottom line is I’m able to step away from the neutral ground of a professional environment like BW&BK. Not that I’m planning on being amateurish or infantile; I just figured I’d offer up a few items for your consideration that I find interesting and worthwhile. The curious and open-minded should read on, folks looking for illegal downloads and tabloid fodder should click here.

First off, the eternally sexy BW&BK family has posted the Best Of 2009 list in a nifty online flipbook. It’s the annual writer rundown of Top 20 cool albums, Top 5 pieces of crap, Top 5 shows, and predictions for 2010. Definitely worth reading if you’re into seeing what actually fuels the minds and souls of those of us behind-the-scenes. And for the record, yes, I really did put Daniel Merriweather down as one my fave shows from last year.
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I recently caught up with guitarist / producer Fredrik Nordström, who continues to slug it out with his band Dream Evil in between production jobs. Always a fun interview, we recently got the chance to play catch-up and discuss the band’s new record In The Night. I also asked him about his new and rather unique stage name, Ritchie Rainbow, which fits if you know the man’s warped sense of humour. An excerpt is available below.

Nordström: “I think many people are like me when they listen to music; they don’t give a lot of attention to the lyrics. I mean, on this album we have ‘The Ballad’, and I’ve played it for people and they don’t laugh because they don’t understand that we did it in fun. People don’t understand that sometimes we do this just to have a fucking laugh. This is something in the band, though, where we don’t do funny lyrics on purpose. They just come out that way. For example, I wrote all the music and vocal melodies for ‘The Ballad’ and I brought it to the guys saying that I thought it had hit potential, then gave it to Niklas so he could write the lyrics, and what you hear is what he came up with. I was laughing my ass off.”

As for adopting stage names, Nordström explains:
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It’s probably considered bad form to use the term “wow” to describe a what is essentially a doom metal album but… well… wow. Not since Theatre Tragedy’s first two albums – which aren’t nearly as gothic as folks like to think – has a gloom laden record dug its hooks in this deep and dragged me in so completely. A lush and epic soundtrack to personal demise, Woods 4 features frontman / founder David Gold twisting things in unexpected fashion, having exchanged the black metal-inspired vibe of Woods III: Deepest Roots And Darkest Blues for a oft-times slower, brazenly progressive and ultimately heavier album. Very Devin Townsend of him in fact, as Gold continues his own tradition of not playing to expectation. Lines can be drawn to Candlemass and Solitude Aeturnus in particular, and the Theatre Of Tragedy comparison holds merit in that one doesn’t have to be a fan of the deep and dark to get into Woods IV. The band has concocted a record that blurs the “doom” line without disrespecting the required genre dynamics as outlined by the purists. Some will bitch of course, but I’m currently looking into patenting can-openers for the mind.
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By Carl Begai

Back in 1997, before the internet ruled the music world, I accidentally stumbled upon an album entitled Project One by the Japanese band Saber Tiger. I was (and remain) a fan of Japanese metal, and even though I had no idea who guitarist / ringleader Akihito Kinoshita was at the time, the musicians on the album with him had more than enough credibility to hold my interest: Anthem bassist / founder Naoto Shibata, ex-EZO drummer Hiro Homma, and vocalist Ron Keel.

I bought the record without hearing a note.
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By Carl Begai

They don’t come any more down-to-earth than guitarist / vocalist Greg Fraser. Having lived the rock star life through the ‘80s as a member of Canadian hair band Brighton Rock, he’ll be the first to tell you that his new band Fraze Gang isn’t destined to take the same path. Not that he would complain if they did; Fraser is only too aware of just how far his brand of ‘70s-edged melodic rock will go over in this day and age with the music-buying / stealing public. He isn’t bitter nor does he think that the world owes him another shot at the brass ring, however. On the contrary, Fraser, bassist / Brighton Rock bandmate Stevie Skreebs, and drummer Phil Epp are quite content making music without the pressures of living up to the expectations of label reps and fans. Besides, if and when Fraser feels the need to play rock god for the masses he always has his reunited-but-not former band to fall back on.

Case in point with October 30th, 2008, when Brighton Rock joined Helix, Andy Curran and Russ Dwarf of Killer Dwarfs fame for a benefit show to raise money for Coney Hatch frontman Carl Dixon, who was seriously injured in a car accident earlier that year. A show that inadvertently fuelled rumours that Brighton Rock were getting back together for the long haul.
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The other day I was getting my daily fix of online music news and stumbled upon an article on Yahoo! discussing the new music poptart Ke$ha. Seems the sweet young thing, according to Nielsen SoundScan, racked up some huge numbers for her first digital single ‘Tik Tok’ prior to the release of her debut album, making her something resembling a big deal (click here for the info). Curiosity piqued, I tripped on over to YouTube to see what the fuss was about and was suitably appalled. The young lady is easy on the eyes, sure, but I found myself wondering yet again what it is that makes people buy into someone that is quite obviously devoid of talent beyond her nose piercing.

What set me off was the fact that all the vocals on the song are auto-tuned. Not just a little bit, either. There isn’t a single tone that comes out of the girl’s throat – or any other orifice for that matter – that wasn’t process cheesed by a computer before going to tape (yes, I said tape; I’m old school but you know what I mean). And it’s not just the one song; I did some checking and it’s the whole bloody album. From where I sit in the Castle Of Know-It-All Arrogance this is one of those things that is unforgivable in music, and the folks responsible don’t deserve the financial windfall that has and will continue to come their way.
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(Click here for my May 13th, 2009 interview with Devin about the Ki album)

By Carl Begai

Devin Townsend’s last album, Ki, was a clear message that his beloved Strapping Young Lad was indeed dead and buried. Capping off two years of self-imposed silence, the laid back and atmospheric record seemed better suited to a university poetry reading or smokey after hours blues club than the catalogue of someone known for making authentic Norwegian black metal seem tame. Townsend was and remains unapologetic for the scare, and as promised he’s followed Ki up with the second installment of his unofficial Circle Of Hevy Devy’s Life four album exercise under the Devin Townsend Project moniker. And while it’s safe to say that very few people saw it coming, the appropriately titled Addicted may well be one of his strongest outings to date. It depends, of course, on how much one has enjoyed (or not) Townsend’s work outside the Strapping Young Lad demolition derby over the past 15 years, but anyone who is a fan of the man’s diversity as a singer, songwriter and straight-up musical talent won’t go away disappointed. If you do, check to see if your heart is still beating.

“It’s funny. I was talking to a friend of mine at ESP Guitars recently and he said that he didn’t understand why, if I do a record that has the potential to go somewhere, that I can’t keep doing that,” says Townsend. “I tried to explain to him that my process is automatic. I don’t think about it, I don’t preconceive it, and when I write songs I can literally sit down at my computer, turn it on and start writing. If someone left me there and gave me the chance to pee and eat I could have a record a month later. And I wouldn’t know what it was about. (continue reading…)

By Carl Begai

Guitarist Yoichiro Ishino has slowly but surely started to make a name for himself outside of his native Japan with Area51. The band’s forthcoming third album is due for a March 2010 release – showcasing what has become his trademark neo-classical shred gone progressive – but in the midst of songwriting Ishino found the time to assist in writing and recording the two-part Eizo Japan debut. The brainchild of countryman and Anthem vocalist Eizo Sakamoto, the project picks up where his previous band Animetal left off, continuing the metalization of popular Japanese anime theme songs. Sounds like a stretch to Western ears in terms of a concept, but Animetal’s 10 year / eight album run that ended in 2006 suggests it isn’t all that far-fetched. Ishino was aware of Animetal’s appeal going in to do Eizo Japan, making it a no-brainer, and Anthem’s continued popularity can only help to push things forward.

“There’s a decent sized fanbase for Eizo Japan since the majority of the fans are anime fans more than metal fans,” says Ishino. “The project is mainly about Eizo’s vocals, it’s not a band like Animetal was. Several guitar players play on a single album, and the arrangements are not all metal. The sound is more diverse in that sense. All the songs I work on are metal, though. Eizo had the concept of this project for many years and was always looking for the right guitar player, and after seeing me play live some years ago he decided to contact me. For me, it’s such an honor to be able to work with him. Of course, there’s a fanbase so it should have financial success but it’s also a great chance for people to get to know my guitar playing. Still, if someone like Ronnie James Dio approached you and said ‘Hey, would you like to play guitar on my album?’ the financial side wouldn’t be the first thing that pops in your mind, right? It’s the same thing.”
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I recently caught up with Overkill frontman Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth to discuss the band’s new album, Ironbound, and how he and bassist / co-founder D.D. Verni have managed to keep the monster moving for the past 25 years. Ellsworth has always been a great interview and this time was no exception. An excerpt is below, the complete story is on the BW&BK website.

Ellsworth: “As you said, some records hit you and some don’t, but every step is necessary to be able to get to this point and to realize what your shortcomings are. I come from an age when, as a kid, I wanted to make actual records, something I could hold in my hand. If I think back to what my favourite vinyl is, they were cohesive records that when you put the needle down, from that first note to whatever that last note or scream was, that was The Record. It wasn’t just a collection of songs. It was about a feeling that it left you with after the 50 minutes or the 90 minutes or sometimes the 30 minutes (laughs).”
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With 2009 coming to a close I found myself thinking back 20 years, trying to remember what kind of crap I was up to then and comparing it to the nonsense I’m into now. Following are a few random comparisons between past and present. Enjoy …

1989 — “Holy crap. A real live gorgeous girl talking to me. I think I’m gonna pass out.”
2009 — “Holy crap. I have a girlfriend and friends who are girls, and they’re all gorgeous. That whole ’sell your soul to the devil’ thing really works…”

1989 — Alice In Hell.
2009 — Alice still in hell, aged well, still awesome.

1989 — As of December 1st I’m legally allowed to drink in the United States.
2009 — “Boy, these Americans are clever. Moose piss sold in beer bottles. We’re heading back to Toronto tomorrow, right?”

1989 — Children Of Bodom frontman Alexi Laiho is a Poison fanboy, has learned every lick on Look What The Cat Dragged In and dreams of being like guitarist C.C Deville minus the poofy blonde wigjob.
2009 — “This next song is called ‘Vai And C.C. Wish They Were Me’. GRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!”

1989 — Finland according to North American metalheads – “Like, Vikings live there, right?”
2009 — Finland according to North American metalheads – To make one (1) internationally successful metal band: Just add water (Note that vodka may be substituted).
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