Author: planetsixstring

TWISTED SISTER singer Dee Snider says that he “absolutely” approves of Ukrainians using the band’s song “We’re Not Gonna Take It” as their battle cry while they are fighting back against the Russian invasion.

On Thursday (February 24), Russian president Vladimir Putin announced a “special military operation” in the east of Ukraine. A short time later, explosions were reported in the outskirts of Kharkiv, Kramatorsk and Mariupol, as well as the capital Kyiv.

Putin made the announcement during a televised early morning speech, peddling accusations of Nazi elements within Ukraine to justify the attack on his western neighbor, a move that experts slammed as slanderous and false. (Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is Jewish and lost three family members in the Holocaust.)

The Russian leader called for Ukraine’s “demilitarization and denazification” and warned other countries that any attempt to interfere with the Russian action would lead to “consequences they have never seen.”

Putin’s military aggression — which has been described by U.S. president Joe Biden as an “unprovoked and unjustified attack” on Ukraine — has resulted in nearly 200 deaths so far, including civilians, three of whom were children, according to Ukraine’s health minister.

Earlier today, Snider took to his Twitter to write: “I absolutely approve of Ukrainians using ‘We’re Not Gonna Take It’ as their battlecry. My grandfather was Ukrainian, before it was swallowed up by the USSR after WW2. This can’t happen to these people again! #FUCKRUSSIA”.

“We’re Not Gonna Take It”, the biggest hit single in TWISTED SISTER’s career, has been used in commercials for hotel chain Extended Stay America, Claritin, Walmart, Stanley Steamer and Yaz birth control.

The song’s lyrics say in part “Oh you’re so condescending/Your gall is never ending/We don’t want nothin’/Not a thing from you.”

“We’re Not Gonna Take It” was first released as a single (with B-side song “You Can’t Stop Rock ‘N’ Roll”) on April 27, 1984. The “Stay Hungry” album was released two weeks later, on May 10, 1984. The single made No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, making it TWISTED SISTER’s only Top 40 single, and the song was ranked No. 47 on VH1’s “100 Greatest ’80s Songs”.

“We’re Not Gonna Take It” was written solely by Snider. As influences for the song, he previously cited the glam rock band SLADE, the punk band SEX PISTOLS, and the Christmas carol “O Come, All Ye Faithful”.

TWISTED SISTER called it quits in 2016 after completing a farewell 40th-anniversary tour. The band’s last-ever concert took place in November of that year — 20 months after the passing of TWISTED’s longtime drummer A.J. Pero.

I absolutely approve of Ukrainians using “We’re Not Gonna Take It” as their battlecry. My grandfather was Ukrainian, before it was swallowed up by the USSR after WW2. This can’t happen to these people again! #FUCKRUSSIA
— Dee Snider?? (@deesnider) February 26, 2022

Understood (though they are claiming 60% of Russians support this invasion). But the Russian people (many who are already protesting) need to take responsibility for the piece of shit they have allowed to stay in powre for 22 years. #FUCKPUTIN https://t.co/3GaItfqrju
— Dee Snider?? (@deesnider) February 26, 2022

Unfortunately they are being fed a stream of propaganda by the Russian government telling them that the Ukraine is the aggressor. https://t.co/JNAMyz1rgK
— Dee Snider?? (@deesnider) February 26, 2022

Bassist Eugene Abdukhanov of Ukrainian modern metallers JINJER has released a new video message in which he condemned Russia’s invasion of his country, saying “this war cannot be justified by anything.”

Russian president Vladimir Putin’s military aggression — which has been described by U.S. president Joe Biden as an “unprovoked and unjustified attack” on Ukraine — has resulted in nearly 200 deaths so far, including civilians, three of whom were children, according to Ukraine’s health minister.

Earlier today, Abdukhanov shared a heartfelt video message via JINJER’s social media in which he urged all music fans and “the people of the civilized world” to do whatever they can to secure international support to respond to Russia.

He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “Hello, the whole world. I’m speaking to you from Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, which is now under the siege of Russian troops. It’s five o’clock in the afternoon [on] Saturday.

“First of all, all members of JINJER who are currently in Kyiv are relatively safe and okay, as much as it is possible during these dark days. Secondly, we appreciate all of our fans worldwide for showing the solidarity with us and our country for opposing the barbarism of war which was started by Putin here in Ukraine on the 24th of February.

“I would like to speak to all the people of the civilized world, all our fans, all music fans, all metalheads worldwide, no matter where you’re from, especially if you’re from Russia,” he continued. “This war cannot be justified by anything, no matter what propaganda says. No one deserves what we are going through now here in Ukraine. The innocent people of Ukraine are suffering. I’m not talking about politicians; I’m not talking about our government. The innocent people of our country are suffering… All the people of Kyiv are spending their days and nights in the shelters in basements. Children are spending their days and nights in the shelters. They are scared. They don’t have proper food. They don’t have enough water. They don’t have any comfort. Do they deserve this?

“Please spread the word about Putin’s aggression. Together we can stop this,” he added.

Abdukhanov’s bandmate, JINJER frontwoman Tatiana Shmayluk, is currently staying in Southern California with her boyfriend, Alex Lopez of deathcore troupe SUICIDE SILENCE.

On Thursday (February 24), Putin announced a “special military operation” in the east of the country. A short time later, explosions were reported in the outskirts of Kharkiv, Kramatorsk and Mariupol, as well as Kyiv.

Putin made the announcement during a televised early morning speech, peddling accusations of Nazi elements within Ukraine to justify the attack on his western neighbor, a move that experts slammed as slanderous and false. (Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy is Jewish and lost three family members in the Holocaust.)

The Russian leader called for Ukraine’s “demilitarization and denazification” and warned other countries that any attempt to interfere with the Russian action would lead to “consequences they have never seen.”

Pentatonics are certainly well used (maybe overused?) by guitarists. There’s so much you can do with them and there’s a lot of great music to be found within our beloved five-note scale. My aim is to go for the whole “sheets of sound” thing that was popularized by John Coltrane and later adapted to guitar by players like Allan Holdsworth. However, the technique arms race has slowed down over the last few years, with modern players opting for interesting lines that focus more on cool rhythms and unexpected intervals. Let’s get to it.My reference for this style is players like Plini, Rick Graham, and Jack Gardiner, and these kinds of lines can be heard on their albums and in their improvisations. My hope is to introduce different technical, rhythmic, and textural ways of approaching the well-worn minor pentatonic scale.Plini – “FLÂNEUR” (Live 2019)Ex. 1 isn’t really a lick, but it’s a way of combining positions of the A minor pentatonic scale (A–C–D–E–G). We start out with two notes on the 6th string, then three on the 5th, one on the 4th, three on the 3rd, one on the 2nd, and two on the 1st string. This is very similar to some of the picking patterns found in Frank Gambale’s playing. Visualizing the scale this way will open up all kinds of phrasing and technique options. I’ll be using patterns like this throughout this column as my foundation for building the lines.Ex. 1You knew we were going to hit legato at some point. Three-note-per-string patterns work great for legato playing. In Ex. 2, I’m playing patterns of seven on each string, starting on the lowest note of each three, rolling up and down to create a pattern of seven notes. I’m aiming to get this as close to a septuplet as possible. It can also be helpful to practice these patterns as straight 16th-notes, as I demonstrate in the second part of this example.Ex. 2Ex. 3 uses a similar approach to Ex. 2, however this time we’re employing string skipping. Now we’re getting those sheets of sound I was talking about. I start out with groups of seven, then I go for a more linear approach with straight up-and-down string skipping. I follow this as straight 16th-notes to practice balancing the evenness between the hammer-ons and pull-offs. You’re welcome to execute this line however you wish, with picking, hammers from nowhere, or various tapping approaches.Ex. 3Let’s move to the E minor pentatonic scale (E–G–A–B–D) for Ex. 4. Playing a minor pentatonic scale based a fifth above the root offers some interesting melodies. In the key of A minor the E minor pentatonic scale gives us the 5, b7, root, 9, and 11. Super imposing pentatonics gives our classic phrases a totally different feel. Another thing unique about this phrase is that we’re using a 2-1-2 pattern, where we play two notes on one string, one note on an adjacent string, and then two notes on next adjacent string. It’s a superb way of getting modern-sounding interval phrases happening across the fretboard in lots of different situations. (For more on this check out my 2-1-2 lesson here.)Ex. 4Quintuplets (groups of 5) are a great way to break up the pentatonic scale. (Joe Bonamassa and Eric Johnson use this technique all the time.) For Ex. 5, we’re sticking with the E minor pentatonic 2-1-2 thing and moving across the strings before descending with a similar pattern in 12th position. The second half of the lick uses quintuplet quarter-notes (five notes over two beats) to create a deeper level of rhythmic interest.Ex. 5In Ex. 6 I add a note to our E minor pentatonic patterns to create a 3-1-2 pattern. This is great for modern sextuplet licks.Ex. 6Quite a lot of what I’ve covered in this column has been combination picking and legato. So, we might as well cover sweep picking as well. Ex. 7 is a sweep- or economy-picking lick, which means when you change strings your pick is going in the direction of the next string. If you’re new to it, try the second half of the lick first. Practice each fragment slowly first of all with even subdivisions, and ensure your pick is planted on the next string you’re moving to. Timing is everything!Ex. 7And there we have it, some mega pentatonic ideas to hopefully inspire new phrases in your playing. Pentatonic scales are super valuable and it’s worth finding as many ways of playing them as you can. Plus, the guitar has great geometric patterns we can make a lot of music from. The patterns in the 3-1-3 and 2-1-2 systems can be a bit tricky, so find the ones that resonate with you and don’t forget to mess with the super impositions and subdivisions for extra fun!

In a new interview with El Paso Inc., GHOST mastermind Tobias Forge spoke his decision to record the band’s upcoming album “Impera” with producer Klas Åhlund, who also sat behind the desk for 2015’s acclaimed “Meliora” effort. Asked why he chose to end his streak of working with a different producer on each new GHOST LP, Tobias said: “The thing is you need to keep moving so that you don’t get stuck in friendly comfortable mode. ‘Meliora’, the record I made with Klas, was really good, but the recording and the production itself left a few things to be improved. When time came to record ‘Impera’, the writing and demoing had been done in 2020. But in early 2021, the American producer who was supposed to make the record couldn’t come because of the travel restrictions, and I couldn’t go to America. And because Klas is also a very scheduled person, he had a project lined up that fell through. All of a sudden, he had a few months off, and I was, like, ‘That is well-timed, because I don’t have a producer. Would you like to produce the record?'”

GHOST’s fifth album, “Impera” will arrive on March 11 via Loma Vista. Forge worked on the follow-up to 2018’s “Prequelle” with Åhlund and Swedish co-writers Salem Al Fakir and Vincent Pontare, whose credits include Madonna and Lady Gaga.

Regarding his collaboration with Åhlund, Al Fakir and Pontare, as well as OPETH’s Fredrik Åkesson who was brought in to sharpen the album’s guitar attack, Forge recently told St. Louis Post-Dispatch: “I found that I can work really well with someone I respect, who is always pushing for the best. They make me want to write better, to get my game up a little.”

GHOST kicked off its co-headlining tour with VOLBEAT on January 25 at the Reno Events Center in Reno, Nevada. The 26-date trek, which includes special guests TWIN TEMPLE, will conclude on March 3 in Anaheim, California.

The official music video for “Impera”‘s latest single, “Call Me Little Sunshine”, was lensed by iconic director Matt Mahurin and stars Ruby Modine.

In March 2020, at final show of GHOST’s “Prequelle” tour in Mexico City, Mexico, the band officially introduced Papa Emeritus IV, the new character who will front the act for its next LP phase.

Forge performed as a “new” Papa Emeritus on each of the band’s first three LPs, with each version of Papa replacing the one that came before it. Papa Emeritus III was retired in favor of Cardinal Copia before the release of “Prequelle”.

Photo credit: Mikael Eriksson

SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR frontman Corey Taylor was one of the musicians who joined Lou Brutus of HardDrive Radio to celebrate the 30th anniversary of PANTERA’s classic sophomore major label album “Vulgar Display Of Power”. Speaking about the impact the LP had on his musical upbringing, Taylor said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “I remember where I was when that album came out, man. I was listening to that incessantly. I was working at the RV center that my grandma got me a job at. ‘Cause I didn’t wanna cut my hair and I couldn’t work anywhere else, man, so I was washing RVs for nine hours a day during the day in the hottest summer I’d ever felt. And it was intense, dude. And all I had was that tape — I had that tape and [a cassette from] BEASTIE BOYS. So I kept trading those tapes back and forth. And when I needed a burst of energy, I’d put on ‘Vulgar Display’, and when I just wanted to chill and just kind of get into the rhythm of it, I would put on, I think it was [BEASTIE BOYS’] ‘Check Your Head’. So it was, like, those two albums really fueled me that summer to get through it. And I just remember listening to that album and just going, ‘Jesus, this is so heavy and yet so hummable.’ That’s the thing that I think people really lose with PANTERA — is that it was so incredibly heavy but the hooks were incredible, dude. I mean, it was like the next evolution of what METALLICA had kind of started to do. To this day, it’s still one of my favorite albums.”

Back in 2017, Taylor named PANTERA’s 1994 effort “Far Beyond Driven” as one of his 10 favorite metal albums of all time. “That album is so sludgy,” he told Rolling Stone. “I loved ‘Vulgar Display Of Power’, and obviously everybody gravitates toward that one just because it’s got the songs, it’s got the whatever. But to me, ‘Far Beyond Driven’ was the first example of what a modern metal production could sound like. It was so thick and the mix was a little angrier. To me, it was the first time that you could really hear how heavy they could go and how willing they were to just drive that shit home. And it’s got my favorite PANTERA song on it, which is ‘Becoming’. That song alone wins. Just when you thought you had some shit figured out, fuck you. You’re done.”

“Vulgar Display of Power” was certified double-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2004, signifying shipments of more than two million units in the U.S. since its February 1992 release.

PANTERA drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott passed away on June 22, 2018 at his home in Las Vegas at the age of 54. He died of dilated cardiomyopathy, an enlarged heart, as well as severe coronary artery disease. His death was the result of chronic weakening of the heart muscle — basically meaning his heart couldn’t pump blood as well as a healthy heart.

Vinnie Paul and his brother co-founded PANTERA. When PANTERA broke up in 2003, they formed DAMAGEPLAN. On December 8, 2004, while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, Dimebag was shot and killed onstage by a troubled schizophrenic who believed that the members of PANTERA were stealing his thoughts.

Up until his death, Vinnie remained on non-speaking terms with PANTERA singer Philip Anselmo, whom the drummer indirectly blamed for the murder of Dimebag.