The Days of Lore

Black Friday: Reading between the lines

Friday, June 19th, 2009 | musiX | 3 Comments

Historically in metal, a band’s image is as (if not more) important as the music itself. From the band’s name, to its garb, right down to the logo. Alice Cooper and KISS were better-known for what they looked like than the music they made (more true with the latter). When metal ruled in the late ’70s and the ’80s, it was all about image … until it regressed to absurdity before finally getting smothered by the always-fashionable flannel shirt.

The Me Decade is when the metal logo was truly birthed—a single, defining brand that could be easily seen and recognized on records, posters and, most importantly, T-shirts. Bands like Motörhead and Judas Priest went with classically ornate logos, while the aforementioned KISS chose a simple, very memorable signature lighting-bolt “SS” (turned into backwards “ZZ” when the band toured Germany). It carried over into the ’80s when it was all about the logo—Metallica, Exodus, Slayer, RATT, Anthrax, Dio, Def Leppard, AC/DC—all of which could be found scrawled on notebooks and in bathroom stalls, or crudely written or carved on school desktops … or so I’ve heard.

The tradition carries on today. In metal if you don’t have a tough/menacing logo, you might as well be playing Showtunes. Especially in black metal. In fact, in the world of black metal a band’s logo might be the first, and sometimes only, identifying element. It doesn’t even have to be legible for chrissakes, as bands are seemingly trying to one-up each other in keeping their names a mystery to the world.

So. For this Black Friday, I’ve scoured the bottomless pit of the Interwebs to find the most unruly, tangled, illegible band logos possible. It is your duty to try to decipher them. I’ll post one new logo per day (not including Saturday and Sunday) through Thursday, June 25. Shoot your answers to me at mark@thedaysoflore.com. The person who guesses the most band names correctly out of five will win a classic metal album of my choosing. Yes, this means all five people who both listen to metal and read TDoL have a chance to win a disc. It will, of course, be an incredible metal masterpiece.

Deadline is midnight (PDT), Thursday, June 25, and the winner will be announced next Black Friday. It will take a keen eye. It might also help in some cases to be fluent in Finnish.

Ridiculously unreadable band logo No. 1: This band comes from—you guessed it—Finland. They enjoy long walks in the snow, and their lyrics are as unintelligible as their logo.

Tags: AC/DC, Alice Cooper, Anthrax, Black Friday, Def Leppard, Exodus, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, KISS, metal band logos, Metallica, Motörhead, RATT, Slayer

There’s a Supersucker born every day

Tuesday, December 30th, 2008 | interviewZ, musiX, pdX | No Comments

What would you say if I told you that you could spend New Year’s Eve with the greatest rock ‘n’ roll band in the world? You’d probably say, “How? Where? And who do I have to kill to get in?” Or something.

Well, it just so happens that the self-proclaimed “Greatest Rock ‘n’ Roll Band in the World” is playing on New Year’s Eve … in Portland. Oregon, not Maine. The Supersuckers have been playing the same music for 20 years—sort of a dirty, grimy, dingy, filthy, soiled, dusty, foul, raunchy form of rock ‘n’ roll—played at two speeds, like a blender from the ’50s.

Fronting this motley crüe is Eddie Spaghetti, who might have the greatest between-song rock banter in the history of between-song rock banter. I saw them around this time last year, and I recall it being one of the best times I’ve had at a show … OK, maybe the fourth or fifth best. Here’s what you need for maximum live rock enjoyment: earplugs and an open bar tab. That’s it. If you already have plans, might I suggest procuring the following items for your party: A copy of The Evil Powers of Rock ‘n’ Roll, the Supersuckers’ 1997 country gem Must’ve Been High and a handle of Jack. Your friends will love it.

The band just released its latest album Get It Together! in a year that saw AC/DC, Motörhead and that Rose fella put out new records. Maybe rock ‘n’ roll records are selling this year. The Days of Lore talked to Eddie Spaghetti about the state of rock and his feelings on New Year’s resolutions.

TDoL: It’s been a decent year for rock, so to speak, with GN’R, AC/DC and Metallica releasing albums. Ten years ago if someone were to tell you that those bands would all have records out in 2008, what would you have said?
Eddie Spaghetti: I’m not surprised that these bands have albums out in 2008. Rock ‘n’ roll as an art form is getting older, it shouldn’t be that surprising that artists that have been around are still doing it … if they’re alive.

Have you listened to any of those records?
The new AC/DC record is actually really good. And so is the new Motörhead record. These are guys in their 60s, still cranking out good rock ‘n’ roll. As far as GN’R and Metallica are concerned—they should tear a page from the book of AC/DC or Motörhead on how to do a record in their old age.

Any New Year’s resolutions?
New Year’s resolutions? [Laughs] To not let it be five years before our next record comes out.

Why would anybody spend New Year’s Eve with the Supersuckers?
Because they are old. And stupid. They are seeking out something that doesn’t exist, something better than what we are going to offer. It’s amateur night with the crowd but not with us.

“The Evil Powers of Rock ‘n’ Roll” - Supersuckers

“Hungover Together” - Supersuckers (duet with Kelley Deal off Must’ve Been High)

Tags: AC/DC, Eddie Spaghetti, Get It Together, Guns N' Roses, Metallica, Motörhead, Must've Been High, News Year's Eve, Supersuckers, The Evil Powers of Rock 'n' Roll