Solid State

So, I found out earlier in the week that a reunited Alice in Chains might be making an appearance at Club Metronome, of all places. Today it was confirmed.

Wait, you say: Didn't they find AIC frontman Layne Staley's partially decomposed body in his Seattle condo back in 2002?

Indeed, they did.

But after coming together to play an Asian Tsunami benefit and a Dimebag Darrell tribute concert, surviving members decided it just felt too damn good to stop.

I think it's more than a little silly for them to carry on. Like 'em or not, you have to admit that Staley was the most important member. Without his peculiar, necromantic croon, AIC would've been just another hair band with slightly heavier riffs.

Guitarist Jerry Cantrell claims they're doing it in tribute to their fallen comrade. They also want to bring the tunes to audiences that missed them the first time around.

I saw them in '91. Thought they sucked. Staley looked pretty rough even then, like a stiff wind might snap him in half.

Still, I admit to rocking out to Dirt on occasion, particularly "Them Bones," which I think has aged fairly well.

Fuck it, I'm going.

The band will play a couple of their tunes on a VH1 Classic "Tribute to Heart," which airs tonight.

In addition to their barely-known new singer, Phil Anselmo (ex-Pantera) will guest. He's kept a pretty low profile since Dime's onstage murder. I hear he's into the hard stuff, too.

Man, this is becoming a dirtbag metal forum!

Oh, check out a shitty bootleg of Tool's Maynard James Keenan sitting in on "Them Bones."

And "Man in the Box."

Didn't think I'd squeeze in another post today, but this is WAY too good.

Arthur Magazine — the freaky deeky San Francisco-based music rag — recently interviewed Sully from Boston dude-rockers Godsmack. It's about the use of the band's music in military recruitment ads. Be sure to read it all the way through.

Here ya go.

PS: Godsmack's latest crapsterpiece debuted at #1. Who the fuck is buying records in this country, anyway?

Babe in Toyland.

I miss being young, fearless and lysergic.

Let's step back in time, shall we? The year was 1992, and the music world seemed primed to explode.

Well, maybe it was just the drugs.

A day or so ago, I was watching a metal-themed countdown on VH1 Classic. The program was hosted by Skid Row's Sebastian Bach, whose continued enthusiasm for the genre never fails to amaze me. Apparently, Skid have moved on without him. Look for 'em at your local VFW hall!

Featured in the countdown was White Zombie's "Thunderkiss '65." Not feeling it? Drop more acid, pierce something, and give another listen.

It made me recall the days before the '90s rockersbecame washed-out caricatures of themselves. Not that Rob Zombie wasn'talways a caricature. It's just that he was cooler back then.

I'm happy to discover that WZ's bass-slingin', motor-fueled goth sweetheart Sean Yseult is still playing.

I promise I'll get off the nostalgia trip soon. 

Maybe.

You guys know about Snakes on a Plane, right?

A quick breakdown:

Samuel L. Jackson is starring in a movie in which terrorists unleash - you guessed it - snakes on a plane. It caused a sensation in blogland when an L.A. script doctor documented the flick's curious birth.

From there, it became an underground sensation, with copious fan-made trailers, merch and what-have you.

New Line Cinema, who had considered changing the title of the film to Pacific Air 121, decided to embrace the phenomenon. Fans have even managed to get a line in the script. Reportedly,  Jackson actually says, "I've had enough of these motherfuckin' snakes on this motherfuckin' plane!"

Now the studio is hosting a contest in which the best SOAP-inspired, fan-created tune will be played over the movie's end credits.

Hey, I should get on that!

An associate of mine - Dusted's Micheal Cramer - has already turned in his composition.

You can vote for it here.