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Tuesday, April 30, 2013

A to Z Blogging Challenge: Z is for ZZ Top

 
A to Z Blogging Challenge:
Z is for ZZ Top
by
DJ Spectra
 
That Little Ole Band formed in Houston, Texas in 1970.
Back in the day, the band consisted of Billy Gibbons on guitar and vocals, Dusty Hill on bass and vocals, and Frank Beard on drums.
Fast forward to today. Same three guys, same three chords!
I've seen ZZ Top in concert three times. My assessment, other than that they kick ass, is that they still work just as hard to please their audience as if they were new on the scene. They give every song their all, and their gratitude to the audience for their support is always obvious.
The guys are in their 60's now, but they've still got miles left on 'em! I know they'll keep playing till they can't play any more, and that makes me happy.
What a fantastic note to end this challenge on!
 
~DJ Spectra~
 


Monday, April 29, 2013

Five Love Songs

A to Z Blogging Challenge: Y is for You


A to Z Blogging Challenge:
Y is for You
by
Illsa Gorrey
 
Hey, you!
Yeah, you!
You know, you're okay in our book.
We all get these messages that we're not good-looking enough to be someone important.
Maybe you're kinda socially awkward. I totally am.
Maybe you have a physical illness that holds you back. I have fibromyalgia.
Maybe you have a mental illness. I do.
You're probably not a glamorous fashion model or video vixen or body builder or movie star type. I'm sure not.
But like Joe shows us in his video, the most commonplace things and the most commonplace people are works of art, and they have a story to tell.
Your story is worth telling, Common Person.
And it may be a lot more interesting than the story of Glamorous Person.
One of the alternate meanings of "glamour" is enchantment or spell. A "glamor" is something unreal.
I may like writing about magic, but I prefer dealing with people who are real, imperfect, quirky, and most of all, kind hearted.
Thanks for stopping by.
Have a good day.
Joe's video follows the jump.
 
Peace.
Illsa
 
Cross-Posted to:


A to Z Blogging Challenge: Y is for Yu-Gi-Oh


A to Z Blogging Challenge
Y is for Yu-Gi-Oh
by
Aurora Hylton

All of us here on the Undead Blogging Team like anime. One of our favorites is Yu-Gi-Oh. I will feature Yu-Gi-Oh, the movie.
Yu-Gi-Oh is geared towards a younger audience, but adults who enjoy anime generally like it as well. Not all anime is for kids.
Why do people enjoy anime? Like any other entertainment, it's a form of escapism. There are degrees of anime fandom. Someone like me enjoys it casually. Others might like trading media, or going to conventions.

~Aurora~

Sunday, April 28, 2013

The Voice UK Coaches Sing

2Pac Do For Love


Saturday, April 27, 2013

A to Z Blogging Challenge: X is for X


A to Z Blogging Challenge:
X is for X
by
Naila Rainmaker

X is a U.S. punk band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1977. The members are vocalist Exene Cervenka, vocalist/bassist John Doe, guitarist Billy Zoom, and drummer D.J. Bonebrake. 
John Doe and Exene Cervenka were married from 1980 to 1985. Following the divorce, Exene married actor Viggo Mortensen in 1987. They separated in 1992 and divorced in 1997. They had one child, Henry, who was born in 1988. 
Exene Cervenka was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2009.
X is a greatly underrated band.  They have an extensive catalog of music, well worth checking out.

~naila~

Friday, April 26, 2013

A to Z Blogging Challenge: W is for Winterfylleth


A to Z Blogging Challenge
W is for Winterfylleth
by
Opal Zushaquon

I'm going to be honest and tell you that I don't know much about this band. They're fairly new, having formed in 2007. They're British. And they're well worth listening to if you're a fan of the Black Metal genre.
They do have an official website where you can go to learn more about them.
Winterfylleth might also be subcategorized as "Folk Metal." Their name means Winter Full Moon. Winterfylleth is also an Anglo-Saxon festival celebrating the arrival of winter. Their subject matter focuses on English folklore and history. Check them out!

~Opal~

Thursday, April 25, 2013

A to Z Blogging Challenge: V is for Video Games


 
A to Z Blogging Challenge:
V is for Video Games
by
Adam Everhard
 

Why is it so much fun watching other people play video games and listen to their rants?
I suppose it's not for everybody, but many people seem to enjoy it, hence the popularity of You Tube channels such as Yogscast.
I could start my own channel called "Watch Adam Suck at This Game."
Nah, probably not. Although who knows, it might be immensely popular.
I could get my nephew and my guy's brother and my brother in law's brother in on it. We laugh and cuss a lot when we play games. Basically, we turn into a bunch of fourteen year olds. Our respective mates laugh at us and roll their eyes a lot.
Maybe one of these days I'll do it. As it is right now, I'm a very sporadic blogger.
 
~Adam~

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

A to Z Blogging Challenge: U is for Understanding


A to Z Blogging Challenge:
U is for Understanding
by
DJ Blooming Psycho
 
Am I crazy for saying that music is the bridge to understanding between cultures?
There is great animosity between the Middle East and the West at this point.
I think that music will help to eventually bridge the gap between us.
This belief is a holdover from my younger days when I believed in nothing so much as peace, love, and music.
 
DJ Bloomy
 

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Blogging Challenge A to Z: T is for Testament

Dare you crank up the Testament on this Terrific T Day?

Testament is an old school thrash metal band from California. They formed in 1983 as Legacy. They have released released ten studio albums, four live albums, six compilation albums, and six singles.

Testament is a band with a hard hitting, no bullshit sound. They are about the tunes, not the flash. While personnel changes over the years have added different nuances to their sound, they always deliver the basics and never disappoint. It's little wonder they've been active in the music scene for more than 30 years. Their timeless sound will continue to please fans of the metal genre for many years to come.


Monday, April 22, 2013

A to Z Blogging Challenge: S is for Sad Songs

 
A to Z Blogging Challenge:
S is for Sad Songs
by
DJ Tempest
 
Sad songs: pretty much without exception we've all hummed them. We've sung them in the shower as tears ran down our face (well, at least I have.) We've belted 'em out while driving along a back road, half thinking of running over the one who made us feel this way and half wishing we could be back with them no matter how horrible they were to us.
This song by Portuguese musician David Fonseca is the quintessential sad song. He sings about wasting love on someone who can't love him back, advises himself not to waste his tears. And yet it can't be helped. The song must be sung--sometimes many times over--before the healing can begin.
 
If you must sing a sad song, may it help you heal.
 
Peace,
DJ Tempest

Sunday, April 21, 2013

All In Fun

Saturday, April 20, 2013

A to Z Blogging Challenge: R is for Randy Rhoads

December 6, 1956 – March 19, 1982 

A to Z Blogging Challenge:
R is for Randy Rhoads
by
Tempest LeTrope

Randy Rhoads formed his first band, Violet Fox, with his brother Kelle, at the age of 14. He then taught his friend Kelly Garni to play bass. They formed a band called The Whore. When they were sixteen, they formed the band Quiet Riot. Randy left Quiet Riot to join Ozzy Osbourne's band in 1979.

On March 19, 1982, bus driver Andrew Aycock convinced Randy and hairdresser Rachel Youngblood to accompany him for a ride in a small plane. Randy was reluctant initially, but thought it would be a good opportunity to get some aerial photos. 

Aycock, apparently high on cocaine while flying, attempted to buzz the tour bus where Ozzy was sleeping. On his second pass, he clipped the top of a pine tree and ended up crashing the plane into a garage on the property of Ozzy's friend Jerry Calhoun. The plane burst into flames, and everyone on board was killed.

One wonders how far Randy Rhoads could have gone had he lived. He was an amazing talent.

~Tempest~

From the TV show, After Hours. Not the best quality recording, but it's fun to see Ozzy and Randy performing.


Friday, April 19, 2013

BarboInjectQ: It is the Story from the Laboratory


A to Z Blogging Challenge: Q is for Quorthon

Tomas "Ace" Börje Forsberg AKA Quorthon
February 17, 1966 - June 7, 2004
 
A to Z Blogging Challenge:
Q is for Quorthon
by
Opal Zushaquon
 
Talented Swedish multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and music producer Ace Forsberg is one of the most underrated and most misunderstood musical talents. He was on the forefront of the Scandinavian extreme metal scene, but he didn't personally take the imagery seriously. It was theatrics, and he seemed quite bemused that anyone would take such things to heart.
Quorthon was a very private person. He never talked about his personal life. When asked his real name, he enjoyed using such pseudonyms as "Per Vars" (perverse.) He had a dry, off the wall sense of humor, which tended to be a bit bawdy.
Those who met Quorthon said that he was very unaffected by his renown. He was polite and gracious. He enjoyed helping young people trying to become successful in music.
Quorthon was very interested in Scandinavian history and mythology. These interests form the basis for many of his songs.
Unfortunately, Quorthon had serious heart problems, which ended his Earthly life at only 38 years of age.
Cie Cheesemeister, our infamous and rather cagey leader of Team Netherworld, liked Quorthon so well that he was the inspiration for one of her first Netherworld characters, along with fellow Swedish metal tunesmith The Spooky Guy (Per Yngve Ohlin.)
But enough from me. It's time for you to listen to Quorthon's band, Bathory.
 
~Opal~
 
Cross-posted to:



TWILIGHT OF THE GODS

There is a serpent in every Eden
Slick as grease and cold as ice
There is a lie in every meaning
Rest assured to fool you twice

In this age of utter madness
We maintain we are in control
And ending life before deliverance
While countries are both bought and sold

Holy writtings hokus-pokus
Blaze of glory and crucifix
Prepried costly credit salvations
TV-preachers and dirty tricks

Don't trust nobody
It will cost you much too much
Beware of the dagger
It caress you at first touch
O, all small creatures
It is the twilight if the gods

When the foundations to our existence
Begins to crumble one by one
And legislations protects its breakers
And he who was wrong but paid the most won

Even the gods of countless religions
Holds no powers against this tide
Of degeneration because we have now found
That there is no thrones up there in the sky

Run from this fire
It will burn your very soul
Its flames reaching higher
Comed this far there is no hold
O, all small creatures
It is the twilight if the gods

(Twilight of the gods
Twilight of the gods
Twilight of the gods
Twilight of the gods)

Thursday, April 18, 2013

A to Z Blogging Challenge: P is for Pink Floyd


A to Z Blogging Challenge:
P is for Pink Floyd
by
Opal Zushaquon

Pink Floyd was formed in London in 1965. The original members were Nick Mason, Rick Wright, Roger Waters, and Syd Barrett. Dave Gilmour joined the band in 1967.
Syd Barrett left Pink Floyd in 1968 due to mental health issues. The song featured in this post, "Wish You Were Here," was written in honor of Syd.
Pink Floyd had some instances of creative differences over time. Rick Wright left the band in 1979. Wright then rejoined the band as a paid session musician.
Roger Waters left Pink Floyd in 1985. He and the other members of Pink Floyd reunited in 2005 for a performance at Live 8.
Syd Barrett died on July 7, 2006 from pancreatic cancer.
Rick Wright died on September 15, 2008 from an undiagnosed cancer.
Dave Gilmour and Nick Mason joined Roger Waters on his The Wall Tour show in 2011.

Here is "Wish You Were Here" for your listening pleasure.

~Opal~



Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Blogging Challenge A-Z: O is for Ozzy

Blogging Challenge A-Z:
O is for Ozzy
by
Spectra Ghostseeker

Ozzy Osbourne is a British heavy metal vocalist. He was the original frontman for Black Sabbath until he was replaced by the late Ronnie James Dio in 1979.
Ozzy was born John Michael Osbourne on December 3, 1948 in Birmingham, England. He has six children: Elliot, Jessica, and Louis with first wife Thelma; and Aimee, Kelly, and Jack with second wife Sharon. 
Ozzy has six grandchildren.

Although he has had personal and substance abuse issues throughout his life, Ozzy is a deeply sensitive and caring individual who is devoted to his family and friends. He was devastated when guitarist Randy Rhoads was killed in a plane crash on March 19, 1982.

Ozzy's son Jack was recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. We wish him the best in combating this devastating disease.

~Spectra~


Tuesday, April 16, 2013

A to Z Blogging Challenge: N is for Nazareth

A to Z Blogging Challenge
N is for Nazareth
by
Illsa Gorrey
 
Nazareth is a hard rock band which formed in Dunfermline, Scotland in 1968. They are probably best known for their songs "Hair of the Dog" and "Love Hurts." They have a much more extensive catalog than just these two songs, and it's worth checking out their deep cuts.
 
The original members were Dan McCafferty on vocals, Manny Charlton on guitar, Pete Agnew on bass, and Darrell Sweet on drums.
 
Manny Charlton left the band in 1990. Darrell Sweet died from a heart attack in 1999 at the age of 51, while the band was on tour.
 
The current lineup consists of Dan McCafferty on vocals, Jimmy Murrison on guitar, Pete Agnew on bass, and Pete's son Lee on drums.
 
The quality on the following video isn't bad. It's a 2007 show in Minsk.
 
~Illsa~


Monday, April 15, 2013

A to Z Blogging Challenge: M is for Music and Mental Illness


A to Z Blogging Challenge: 
M is for Music and Mental Illness
by
Illsa Gorrey

Hello, everybody. This is going to get kind of ranty, so before I start, I'll just say this. Anyone who reads the Undead in the Netherworld blog consistently knows that we utilize music a fair bit on our posts. You will also notice that a lot of the soundtrack music is hard rock and metal. That's because our stories are more metal than everybody's! ;-)
Winky face so nobody gets all butt hurt and bent out of shape. 
KHEL 666 is our Multimedia blog, so we feature a lot of music there. A lot of that is hard rock and metal too.
We sometimes use music to drive a point home or to illustrate what we're feeling on Crazy Town in Looney Land (one of our Dropout Loser Quitter Blogs that didn't finish the A-Z Challenge.)
We might feature music occasionally on Poetry of the Netherworld. Because music is, after all, poetry in an instrumental setting.

This entry is going to be cross-posted over all of those blogs. Lazy? Whatever. We have other projects and problems. Sometimes we get lazy.
So before I start the rant, here is a playlist of relaxing music. This is the kind of music we listen to while editing, trying to meditate, or just because. We're eclectic here.
"You sound angry, Illsa. So you're not going to whip out the Death Metal on our asses?"
Nope. Not today.

Everyone involved with this series of blogs has a mental illness of one variety or another. Most of the participants have bipolar disorder. We met culling through mental health sites and found each other. Not all of our team members participate in the blogs very often. We have kind of a core group who are frequent participants. You'll see a lot of Tempest, a fair bit of me and Lily. Opal has been fairly active this month as well. Cie Cheesemeister is generally in the background, editing or creating her photoshop images. She doesn't directly post very often these days.

We are all broken people. We are not your happy go lucky chasing dreams and love types. That ship done sailed long ago, that train done left town. We are older, we have been abused, we realize that dreams don't tend to come true for people like us. We're waiting to die, we're just trying to make it more interesting while we wait.

I have discovered that I really hate certain words. Don't give me the "they're just words" schpiel. Let me call you a cuntbag and tell you "it's just a word." But think for a minute what your immediate reaction to being called a cuntbag is. Yeah, words have power. It's one of the reasons why bullying is so destructive. So let's put the "they're just words" bit to rest right now.

"Lazy" is a word that I hate.
I used to apply it to myself, anytime I was lying around so inert that I could barely get up to do anything. "Get up you lazy, stupid bitch! Get up!" 
I was experiencing severe depression. I knew I was sad and miserable and had "no reason to be." I should have been able to "just get up." Or so I was told.

"Loser" is a word that I hate.
Many people are unable to become successful in life. There is too much onus placed on being some sort of superstar. Not being able to achieve a certain measure of success does not make a person a loser. I think there are plenty of really talented people who never become successful or famous.

"Quitter" is another word that I don't like.
People quit things for a variety of reasons. Maybe they give up too soon, but branding them with a label is never good. Many people have enough negative labels applied to them. Perhaps more like negative millstones. I know that all the negative terms that come to mind for myself weigh heavy on me.

Our M of the day is Music and Mental Illness and an admonition to put yourself in someone else's shoes before you apply a label to them.

Peace.

A to Z Blogging Challenge: M is for Musicals

A to Z Blogging Challenge:
M is for Musical
by
Tempest Nightingale LeTrope

A musical is simply a dramatic work with musical interludes utilized to tell the story.  Bonnie and Clyde is a newer musical, which takes real elements from the lives of  Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, who were bank robbers during the Great Depression. A story line was then created using musical numbers to enhance interest and excitement for audiences.

~Tempest~


Sunday, April 14, 2013

Protomen: Father of Death


Saturday, April 13, 2013

A to Z Blogging Challenge: L is for Lynyrd Skynyrd

A to Z Blogging Challenge:
L is for Lynyrd Skynyrd
by
Lily Strange

Lynyrd Skynyrd is one of the best-known Southern rock bands of all time. I'm not going to go into arguments about whether Skynyrd is still really Skynyrd. I never got to see the original Lynyrd Skynyrd in concert. I've seen more current incarnations, and they do put on a good show.
Ronnie Van Zant, Allen Collins, and Gary Rossington began the band as "The Noble Five" in 1964. Bob Burns and Larry Junstrom joined in 1965. They changed their name to "My Backyard." In 1970, they became "The One Percent." 
Later that year they changed the band name to "Leonard Skinner" in honor of their high school gym teacher, who had a habit of sending them home for violating school policy against boys having long hair. They altered the spelling when they released their first album. 
Skinner actually had a sense of humor about the band using his name. He allowed them to use his photograph and a photograph of a sign from his business, Leonard Skinner realty. The band members developed a friendship with Skinner.
Lynyrd Skynyrd is a band plagued by incidences of tragedy. On October 20, 1970, their plane crashed in a wood near Gillsburg, Mississippi. Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines, Cassie Gaines, assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, pilot Walter McCreary and co-pilot William Gray were killed on impact. The other band members and road crew sustained serious injuries.
Following the death of his wife Kathy in 1980 due to a massive hemorrhage (likely caused by a placental abruption) during her pregnancy with the couple's third child, guitarist Allen Collins' life spiraled out of control. Collins was involved in a serious auto accident in 1986, which killed his girlfriend and left him paralyzed from the waist down. Allen died January 23, 1990 from pneumonia.

In 1987, the band reformed with Johnny Van Zant as frontman. The band included several of the original members. Most of them have died or left the band since then. 
Artimus Pyle left the band in 1991. Michael Cortellone is the current drummer.
Leon Wilkeson died from emphysema and chronic liver disease on July 27, 2001. He was replaced by Ean Evans. Ean died from cancer on May 6, 2009. Lynyrd Skynyrd's current bassist is Johnny Colt.
Keyboardist Billy Powell died from heart failure on January 28, 2009. Skynyrd's current keyboardist is, fittingly, Peter Keys.

Guitarist Ed King left the band in 1996 for what he assumed would be a temporary hiatus. In the meantime, he was replaced by Hughie Thomasson of the Outlaws. Hughie ended up becoming a permanent replacement, until he died from heart problems on September 9, 2007. 
Skynyrd's current guitarists are Gary Rossington, Rickey Medlocke, and Mark Matejka.

Gary Rossington is the only remaining original band member.

Enjoy the short movie about the history of Lynyrd Skynyrd, if you care to.

~Lily~

Friday, April 12, 2013

A to Z Blogging Challenge: K is for Kiss

A to Z Blogging Challenge:
K is for Kiss
by
Tempest Nightingale LeTrope

Kiss may be a bit Kampy, but Kiss are always Kool.

Kiss formed in New York in 1973. They drew attention for their ourtlandish stage makeup and pyrotechnics, but without the musical chops, they would not have lasted.

Kiss members take on four characters: the Cat on drums, Demon on bass, and Spaceman and Starchild on guitar.

The four original band members were drummer Peter Criss, bassist Gene Simmons, and guitarists Ace Frehley and Paul Stanley. Simmons and Stanley have remained constant members of the band. Frehley and Criss departed due to disagreements.

The current lineup consists of drummer Eric Singer, bassist Gene Simmons, and guitarists Paul Stanley and Tommy Thayer.

I'm not going to go into stories about the band's problems. This post has one purpose: to let you Get Kool with Kiss! 

~Tempest~


Thursday, April 11, 2013

A to Z Blogging Challenge: J is for James Brown


A to Z Blogging Challenge:
J is for James Brown
by
Wanda Psycho


James Brown, the Godfather of Soul, was born May 3, 1933 in Barnwell, South Carolina. His parents were Joseph Gardner Brown and Susie Behlings Brown. 

James' early life was troubled. The family lived in extreme poverty. His mother abandoned the family for another man. For a time, young James lived with an aunt who ran a brothel.

James dropped out of school after the seventh grade. He earned money doing odd jobs and singing in talent contests. He formed a vocal group, the Cremonia Trio, when he was just twelve years old. 

James was convicted of armed robbery at the age of sixteen. While in prison, he formed a quartet. R&B legend Bobby Byrd heard James perform. He was impressed by the young man's talent, and worked to secure him an early release from prison. 

Upon release from prison, James became active in boxing and semi-professional baseball. After sustaining a serious leg injury, he turned back to music.

James recorded an album with The Ever Ready Gospel Singers. Bobby Byrd asked James to join his band, the Avons. The Avons later changed their name to The Toccoa Band, and later to The Flames, and finally to The Famous Flames. 

James passed away on December 23, 2006 due to pneumonia and congestive heart failure, which had resulted from the pneumonia going untreated for a fair period of time.

Although he sometimes had trouble in his personal life, James' contributions to music cannot be denied. He had one of the most powerful voices in music. He truly deserved his title, The Godfather of Soul.

~Wanda~

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

A to Z Blogging Challenge: I is for Icehouse


 
A to Z Blogging Challenge:
I is for Icehouse
by
Adam Everhard

My cousin got me and my sister into Icehouse. They had a couple of hits here in the U.S. before their albums started ending up in the dollar bins. They're quite popular in Australia, their homeland, and deservedly so.
I was actually never as keen on their big hits such as "Crazy" and "Electric Blue" as I was on their deeper cuts. I love the above song, for instance.
On a personal note, it was one of those songs I cried in my beer to when I finally grew a pair and broke up with my emotionally abusive boyfriend of 8 years in 2005. Changed the lyric to "hey little boy" when I blubbered along. My family and friends were proud of me for kicking him to the curb, and I was proud of myself. I was okay during the day, but when the night fell, there I was sobbing my heart out to sad tunes.



This is one of my songs with my new guy, who my sister and brother in law introduced me to at a Halloween party in 2010. Kay, stop tearing up, you silly old queen. I've always been a bit of a wet blanket. I love my man. Never thought I'd be with anyone else, but now I've got someone to spend the rest of my life with.

Boys and girls, if you're Icehouse fans, I've got a treat for you!

On a side note, I saw my ex last summer when I was out with a couple of friends. He didn't see me and I didn't make any effort to alert him to my presence. He was still the same. Wavy highlighted hair, tight pants, obsessively toned body, real pretty.
Did I feel any nostalgia? No, I felt relief that he was out of my life. Being a party boy and picking up dick wherever you can find it is not a good look when you're in your mid forties. The pretty is all he has. I'm pretty sure he also still has a love for nose candy. It's actually kind of sad.

Icehouse is one of those bands that writes songs for life's soundtrack. Yeah, that sounds cheesy. But that's how I feel. They're a great, underrated band.

~Adam~
 


Tuesday, April 9, 2013

A to Z Blogging Challenge: H is for History


A to Z Blogging Challenge:
H is for History
by
Gunnar Raven
 
History, you may say. What does that have to do with music? Do you mean music history?
We've strayed a bit from our original goal here--or at least I have. I'm always a troublemaker.
This blog is a mixed bag, and history is one of the things that many of us KHEL 666 VJ's enjoy. So I'm going to share a little history with you, in case you're a history geek too.
At any rate, we have a lot more music than MTV does--and they've got music in their name!
 
~Gunnar~
 
Enjoy the Discovery Channel Ultimate Battles series, featuring Alexander the Great in the Battle of Gaugamela.


Monday, April 8, 2013

G is for Ghost

A to Z Blogging Challenge
G is for Ghost
by
Spectra Ghostseeker

Ghost is a Swedish doom metal band. The identities of the band members are unknown. The Nameless Ghouls wear robes which hide their faces. Vocalist Papa Emeritus wears a skull mask.
The band utilizes tongue in cheek Satanic imagery in their stage act.

We would like to mention that this is the twenty-second anniversary of the death of another iconic Swedish metal musician, Per Yngve Ohlin, aka Dead of Morbid and Mayhem. He would have been 44 years old this year. We hope he has found peace on the Other Side.

~Spectra~



Saturday, April 6, 2013

Six Word Saturday: Hope and Destruction

Hope and Destruction: Yin and Yang

(I confess, it made a really good excuse to share this cool little band, The William Blakes.)

~Adam~

A to Z Blogging Challenge: F is for Folk Music


A to Z Blogging Challenge
F is for Folk Music
by
Opal Zushaquon

Folk Music is actually a very broad category. It can refer to traditional music from any part of the world. It can also refer to music made during the folk revival of the 20th century.
Folk music can be fused with other types of music, i.e. folk rock and folk metal.
All sorts of instruments can be utilized in folk music. The songs tell stories, or are made to be danced to. One might say that the purpose behind folk music is to bring people together.

~Opal~

Friday, April 5, 2013

A to Z Blogging Challenge: E is for Eddie

Eddie is a fixture in the Netherworld


A to Z Blogging Challenge:
E is for Eddie
by
Spectra Ghostseeker

This is cross-posted from our story blog, Undead in the Netherworld.
Eddie is the (in)famous mascot for the famous British heavy metal band, Iron Maiden.

Right, you got us. Eddie is not a Lovecraft/Cthulhu Mythos Monster. But he is one of our monsters. Well, he's actually Iron Maiden's monster. But we figure they wouldn't mind if we borrow him. 
We've created our own mythology about Eddie.
Edward Theodore Head was born around 666 years ago in London, England. He says that he don't bloody well remember exactly when he was birthed, and we aren't going to press him for information. It was sometime around June 6, 1346, during a plague outbreak.
Eddie was something like 49 years old when he died, also during a plague outbreak. But because he was a practitioner of the Dark Arts, he quickly came back from beyond the chuffin' grave. The effects of plague and brain rot made him bleedin' well insane, and he spent a lot of years chopping people up and probably eating their brains. 
Some have speculated that Eddie was Jack the Ripper, but he will neither confirm nor deny this.
Eddie stumbled into a pub one night when an early incarnation of Iron Maiden was playing. He demanded asked to be in the band. How could they refuse? So now Eddie had a steady gig, and audiences fainted at the sight of loved him. 
All this love made Eddie a little bit less homicidal. As well as his gig with Iron Maiden, he is now a DJ at KHEL 666 Monday-Friday on the 7 PM to 11 PM time slot. Eddie is happily married to a fellow zombie, The Undead Sports Fan, who is a cousin of UNDEAD media's Sportin' Reportin' editor Cuzzin Hildy-Bob. They have three sons: Eddie-Bob, Itsy Lyve, and Allan.

Eddie says that it's okay to make this a cross-post. He thinks we're bloody well naff to have done this challenge bit on six blogs. We're inclined to agree with him. Of course, no-one with an iota of common sense would ever be inclined to disagree with Eddie.

~Spectra~

Cross posted to:

Couldn't leave off this post without some Iron Maiden. Believe me, Eddie wouldn't let us get away with that kind of fuckery.

Thursday, April 4, 2013

A to Z Blogging Challenge: D is for Death Metal



A to Z Blogging Challenge
D is for Death Metal
by
Wanda Psycho

Death metal is a musical genre which focuses on dark and sometimes violent imagery. It generally utilizes aggressive, growling vocal stylings and loud, distorted guitar riffs.
Certain bands that fall into the death metal category may also be categorized as black metal, doom metal, or thrash metal. 
Black metal, death metal, and thrash metal were all influenced by the British extreme metal band Venom. The American metal band Slayer was particularly influential in the death and thrash metal camps. Of course one cannot talk about death metal without mentioning Death, which formed in Florida in 1983. 
There are too many great death metal bands to mention all of them in a short piece such as this one. 
Death metal subgenres include deathcore, Death/Doom, blackened death metal, Death and Roll, Goregrind, Deathgrind, technical Death metal, melodic Death metal, and Pornogrind.

I leave you with Death to wrap up this entry. Rest in peace, Chuck Schuldiner.

~Wanda~

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

A to Z Blogging Challenge: C is for Classic Rock


A to Z Blogging Challenge: 
C is for Classic Rock
by
Spectra Ghostseeker


Although we here at KHEL 666 love a variety of musical genres, the Classic Rock genre is probably our all around favorite. 
Classic rock generally includes rock bands from the 1960's to the 1990's. These bands range from mid-tempo acts such as the Beatles to harder rocking bands such as Metallica. 
Some classic rock fans include bands such as the Beastie Boys in their classic rock playlists. The Beastie Boys and other old school hip hop acts such as Run DMC and Public Enemy utilize hard rock tracks to rap over. Public Enemy tours with instrumentalists as well as their DJ.
If you like to rock at all, there's someone somewhere in the classic rock genre who's sure to appeal to your tastes.
Let's go with The Sweet for a sample. 
If you young whippersnappers don't know who they are...
Well, listen, and then find out more!
Rock on!

~Spectra~

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

B is for Ballad

 
B is for Ballad
by
Gunnar Raven
 
A ballad is poetry or a narrative set to music.
 
The standard form for a ballad is AABA form. This is also called the 32-bar form. This is because ballads were originally composed as dance tunes, utilizing couplets and refrains in alternate lines. The dancers would sing along with the tune being played.
The name "ballad" comes from "ballares," which were medieval French dance tunes. The word "ballet" also derives from "ballares."
 
These days there is a lot of room for variation in musical form. However, a ballad always tells a story.
The term ballad has become synonymous with love song in modern times.
 
I leave you with a ballad for your listening pleasure.
 
~Gunnar~
 
Here is a lovely Japanese ballad. I don't know what she's saying, but her voice is beautiful!


Monday, April 1, 2013

Thrash Playlist for your Listening Pleasure

Click here to enter Thrash Heaven. 
You're welcome.

A to Z Blogging Challenge: A is for Ambient


A is for Ambient Music

I know we said we'd be doing a band a day, but I think we can agree to change that to a "musical something a day." 
All of our Admins listen to Ambient music, especially when we are editing. While one might enjoy listening to music with lyrics and a certain theme or a hard rocking style while writing, it's rather counterproductive when editing--at least that is how we find things to be. 
Ambient music does not have one specific style. It can come from anyplace in the world, can cross genres, and can use any variety of instruments. If drums are involved, they are usually understated.
Try ambient music when you are editing, writing, painting, drawing, doing homework, or meditating. You will find that it goes well with just about any activity where you need to be calm and focused.

xoxo,
Tempest


Enjoy a playlist of beautiful, Ambient music here.

An Alien listening to Ambient music
(Image found here.)