About Me

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Self-published author with 3 books out there dealing with the darker side of life through poetry, short stories, observations and sketches. 'Love or Suicide and the Life In-between', 'this heat, it's hell closing in on me' and 'Words to be performed from under a table by the last of us'. Can't live without music (heavy metal and soundtrack's especially), film buff (sci-fi floats my boat), anime watcher (old school mainly), book reader (anything that captures my interest), gamer (PS4/Xbox-One), gym pumper and all round geek.

Sunday 12 July 2015

There are moments...

...in life that define us.  Moments that remain fixed in our being until the day we die, moments that define what we are, what we like and what we want.  They can range from experiences, people we meet, jobs we have, heartaches and failures, successes and love, pets, films, books...the list goes on.  For me, there are many moments that define me.  Mostly made up of experiences and actions but there are also many to do with music.  My first ever gig was in 1996 and it was Marilyn Manson on the Antichrist Superstar tour and it opened the flood gates to the many other gigs I have seen since.  The greatest gig I have ever seen was Roger Waters playing The Wall at Manchester...a spectacle, musically and visually, which has yet to be beaten.  The first time I heard Queen's final album Made In Heaven, the moment I completely related to Nine Inch Nails masterpiece The Downward Spiral, the time I saw the music video for Killing Joke's Millenium which played over and over as I battled an all nighter trying to finish my Art coursework, the mind blowing experience that was Ozzfest and all that goes with a festival...all moments that I will happily take to the grave.  But there is one moment that completely re-defined what music is to me today...the moment I heard Fear Factory's Demanufacture.

Up until I heard that album, Heavy Metal was something I just wasn't into!  It was around, it was in the background, it was there...but always in the distance.  Then I heard the song Replica!!!  It blew my mind, it was heavy as shit but also melodic.  The music was brutal but also strangely beautiful.  How is this possible I thought...what is the trickery...is that keyboards I can hear????  Yes, Demanufactue is still the perfect example of using keyboards on an album full of heavy crushing guitars, pounding drums, throbbing bass lines and vocals that would rip you to pieces!!  Ah yes, the vocals...Burton C Bell could roar his way to hell and back then serenade you up to heaven...again, something which has rarely been pulled off (Devin Townsend equalling Burton's power).  Then there was the collision of metallic coldness and almost robotic goings on mixed in as well as amazing lyrics and artwork...this was a band at its absolute peak in every aspect!!!  From start to finish, it is an absolute masterpiece and still sounds as fresh and powerful as it reaches the grand old age of 20!  It is the one album that turned me into a fan of Heavy Metal and opened up my world of music for the better...and heavier!!

But why, you ask, am I barking on about this now?  Well, 2 days ago, 2 tickets were ordered and paid for to see the mighty Fear Factory in December (this will be the 7th time seeing them) where they will play the entire album in full...THE ENTIRE FUCKING ALBUM!!!!  So, 20 years ago, my life was changed because an album managed to re-define my entire taste in music...now, 20 years later, I get to experience that album played live in full by one of my all time favourite bands.  That is some special shit!!!