Concert Previews: August 1996

Def Leppard / August 24 @ Wolf Mountain

Slang is the latest Def Leppard release. It has piled up unsold in chain stores all over the United States and it will soon be available in cut-out bins for about $4. My advice is to wait until that date to make a purchase. The album is not at all bad. The core audience simply didn’t catch on. Meanwhile Def Leppard are on the road promoting the record and distancing themselves from their past. “Slang was recorded in Marbella, Spain, Dublin and Los Angeles. In addition to bearing a contemporary sound, Slang is also the first complete studio album the band has made since the death of longtime guitarist Steve Clark, who died in 1991 during the Adrenalize recordings.” A lot has happened since 1991.

Most metal bands disappeared into hibernation during the first part of the 90s. Many have returned over the last two years with new albums and corresponding tours. In case the reader missed them a membership to the Sage or other Sandy clubs would appear beneficial. Def Leppard made the spot changing attempt and it appears to be a commercial failure. The added elements of stripped down production, funk, soul, alternative, dance and the experimental edge are all lost on their old fans. Remember these are the people with WWF haircuts. I’ve heard a rumor that some local scalpers are accepting food stamps. —Wa

Downset / August 18 @ Bar & Grill

Downset continues the month-long trend of music for damaging hearing. I stole an advance of the soon-to-be released Do We Speak A Dead Language and had a listen. Bone crushing metal backs a combination of screams and raps. They do it in Spanish too. The band toured for a year and a half on their last record. The new one shows a tighter group. The road tends to do that to a band. Hip hop metal is a controversial subject. Some hate it, others love it, a middle ground is nonexistent. The idea at home is to turn it up loud enough to scare away the cops. The idea in the car is to turn it up loud enough to offend the bass crew. The idea when seeing Downset live is to have a good time and be safe. The Bar & Grill has a low ceiling. Crowd surfing is dangerous, especially at that place. H2O opens and the show is all ages. —Wa

Slayer / August 22 @ Saltair

American Records informative mailer shows Slayer performing at Saltair on August 22. Now that is indeed a show! Those toughies just put out a disc titled Undisputed Attitude. How about we check out their press release describing the record. “This ain’t no whiny, snot-nosed, dyed-hair, punky-come-latelies spewing out tunes about fucked-up childhoods, and low-self esteem while raking in the big bucks. This is the original wave of punk bands as recorded by Slayer.” So JEFF HANNEMAN, “what do you think of the current state of punk rock?” “What passes for punk rock nowadays is just whimpy pop. It’s so inoffensive, so pussy; there’s no attitude.”

How about Kelly King? Do you have an opinion? “The big thing these days is geek music. The guy you beat up in high school.” Don’t even think power-pop-punk. Undisputed Attitude is a crazed platter. They should make quite a racket when they do it live. Can anyone possibly head-bang as fast as Slayer plays? —Wa

Strung Out / August 17 @ Bar & Grill

Once again the order came down from on high. Do a preview on Strung Out? Oh? Why? They bought an ad? I read in the Salt Lake Tribune that the summer concert season hasn’t been a good one. Jerry died on countless large promoters around the country. How could he do such a thing? Now they’re stuck with Styx, Foreigner and Boston. I guess not many people are buying tickets to see those guys. Down at the gutter level the concert scene is hopping. No one is making piles of cash, but there is a national band of some stature playing someplace nearly every single night. Who knows? Maybe the music industry slump will drive the monopolies out of business. No need to sue Ticketmaster, simply wait for them to go bankrupt.

Strung Out recorded for Fat Wreck Chords (Please see their ad). The StrungOout bio includes this quote from Diesel Magazine. “Thirteen songs of straight ahead hardcore. The lyrics fall into a well-balanced mixture of politics and personal feelings. Hard, crunchy guitars way out in front. Well written, sure footed songs. Pick up ‘Another Day in Paradise.’ it’s sure to be a classic.” That is some pretty good writing from the Diesel boys and girls. In the past SLUG Magazine had a bit of fun with the departed Diesel, but without Diesel a lot of these punk rock type shows wouldn’t be happening right now. Give the credit to former Diesel employees. 

The new album from Strung Out is titled Suburban Teenage Wasteland Blues. After that title there isn’t a need to go any further… melodic hardcore. The band will appear at the Bar & Grill on August 17. The opening bands are Diesel Joy and Anger Overload. —Wa

The Misfits / Anthrax / Life Of Agony / Cannibal Corpse / August 11 @ Bricks

I’m guessing that this show might be my first opportunity to meet SLUG hack Forgach. He’s the dude penning the Written In Blood column and if he isn’t at this show I’ll make fun of him forever. A bloke walked into the chain store and said, “Where’s your punk rock records, where’s the Misfits?” Say that with a heavy Brit accent and forget eurodisco or anything to emerge from the island since about 1977. Punk rock is an American export. They spit it back on the shores, and they did it damned good, but it is still an American art form. The Misfits are an American band. They are as American as the band who wrote the song (Grand Funk Railroad) and they haven’t gone all religious like Mark Whatshisname. The word on the street is that the Misfits should have played Bluffstock because they are a Misfits cover band. Go tell it to them live. These are some big motherfuckers. Attempt a stage dive. Go ahead. They don’t need security, except police to stop the ensuing riot, these guys will toss you right off stage themselves and not miss a chord.

Anthrax only has one new song to push and it is a good one. Watch them bang out “Bordello Of Blood” as well as some old B-sides. What’s in a name – Life Of Agony, Cannibal Corpse? I’m waiting to see Cannibal Corpse hawk copies of Tomb Of The Mutilated in a gay bar. This show promises to be the most bizarre appearance of the summer. The list of bands is weird enough, but think about these bands playing outdoors at Bricks. It doesn’t get any more Salt Lake than that! —Wa

Total Chaos / August 25 @ Bar & Grill

Now that “Old School” has come to mean the early 80s, Total Chaos is a band reaching back farther than far. In the first days major labels released punk rock. It is true. I have Clash and Stiff Little Fingers vinyl from Sony and Wea. The latest Total Chaos album takes inspiration from both bands. There is something about that sound, not the New York hardcore sound or the West Coast hardcore sound, but actual punk rock that is exciting. It brings back that feeling of listening to music that no one bought. Fuck, the first Clash record came with a bonus single and it cost about $3 used.

I’m just guessing, but I do believe the Oi! thing came a bit after the Clash. Oi! is included. Most of the original Total Chaos line-up is missing in action. Watch for them to resurface elsewhere. It doesn’t matter because the current membership is quite capable of rockin’ just a bit. Anthems From The Alleyway is a total and complete “old school” punk rock. The band is from Los Angeles. They are doing the English / Australian style with the new record. Since the English style is what I grew up with (Like I never heard the Seattle sound before Seattle became grunge and “Dirty Water” is a punk anthem in mind, not a complaint about the environment.) I’m all in love with Total Chaos. —SLUG Mag 

Neurosis / Bloodlet / August 12 @ DV8

Relapse Record’s Neurosis will be at DV8 with the band Bloodlet on August 12. I’ll warn you ahead of time, it’s Monday night, but I’ve been told you will NOT want to miss this show. Neurosis, once signed to Alternative Tentacles, has been on the cutting edge of experimental hardcore / metal madness for the past ten years. I hear it’s not so much a show as it is a total experience. Be there. Maybe Athey will even show up. —Forgach

Read more from the SLUG Archives:
Record Reviews: June 1996
SnoCore Tour: February 1996

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