When did hardcore stop being fun? Not to start this review with a sweeping generalization, but it feels like the mainstream music press has been fawning over a wave of “edgy, “unique” hardcore for the sake of celebrating something different. I’m all about infusing adventurous songwriting into the hardcore and…
I often think about how we’re always talking about serious music on Heavy Blog Is Heavy. You want to take metal seriously, but I think we frequently forget that metal is music and music can often just be fun. Anyone who follows my writing on this blog knows of my…
Welcome back to the Pit, fellow moshers! We’re back to tell you about the thrash you need to know. Josh and I actually had a tough time this quarter. While there really aren’t enough releases to do this bad boy monthly, there were way too many good releases this quarter.…
During last week’s review of the latest Toxic Holocaust record, I got to thinking a lot about the newest wave of thrash bands that came out around the same time. They all share some characteristics. There’s a heavy emphasis on feeling and no fear about getting a little silly with…
What is it about straight genre bands that we love so much? We may all try to stay as objective as possible, but everybody has a favorite. Old school death metal, second wave black metal, grindcore, the list can go on and on. We all love something that we just…
Is there anything better than finding exactly what you’ve been looking for? Not in the “I lost my keys and I need to drop everything to track them down before I totally lose my mind” sense, but rather the fortuitous, dumb luck kind. The kind where the journey isn’t really…
Hello fellow pit-sters! This month, I thought we could do something a little different. You all know I’ve been playing fast and loose with the schedule of this column, and August will be no different! Fellow thrash Josh Bulleid and I thought we’d introduce ourselves to you all a little…
Trends can sometimes be difficult to identify. You see something over and over again, but you’re not always sure if there’s a pattern or just a series of coincidences. Until you see other people asking around about that thing you saw, you’re not even sure if you’re seeing something correctly…
Whenever I find a good crossover thrash band, I feel the need to share it with anyone I know who might listen to it. I’ve got my metal fans who love the sheer chaos of it all and are glad to have the occasional addition to their “party metal” collections.…
It’s that time of year again. The middle of December when you remember you haven’t done your holiday shopping so you’re packing it all in at the last minute. Sometimes you’re early enough where you get it all done in time and everything’s perfect. Other times, you were just a…
