A Hommeless Kyuss performs…

Kyuss reunited without the only Kyuss member who’s still relevant — Josh Homme. So they’re basically Hommeless. GET IT? LOLZ

Anyway, I am not a big fan of Kyuss, so imagine my not giving much of a crap about Kyuss Lives!.

But we do have some footage of them performing above, so enjoy it if you’re into that kind of stuff…

Dokken get a record deal

Dokken has formed in the late 70s, so you’d think they had a record deal at some point during the four decades of activity. But it turns out, they’ve just signed with Frontier Records for their upcoming album.

As for the current state of the album, eh, who cares? I was born in the 80s, yo, so let’s hear a song from that decade, shall we?

Dokken – Alone Again

Bruce Dickinson lost his job as a pilot

After a lackluster weekend in terms of DoM articles, I am delighted to start the week with three consecutive posts about three metal icons that changed music. Whilst the first two are sort of good news, this one isn’t. Poor ol’ Bruce lost his job as an airline pilot… Good thing he’s the lead singer of one of the best metal bands of all time, eh? In this economy, most people who are out of a job don’t have a multi-platinum selling band to fall back on.

“Iron Maiden rocker Bruce Dickinson may have to return to music full-time after the dramatic collapse of the airline where he has worked for years as a senior pilot.

The 53-year-old singer, who works for Astraeus Airlines, was flying 250 holidaymakers from Jeddah International Airport in Saudi Arabia, to Manchester, when he learnt the airline was due to be placed into administration and had been ordered to cease operations with immediate effect.“

Read full article here.

Aww, poor Bruce. If only there was a legendary band he could go back to… Oh wait, there is!

I was actually fortunate enough to be on a flight where Bruce was a pilot, and it was quite the experience. He actually played “Hallowed Be Thy Name” after the plane took off, and we all started second-guessing the song’s title after a bumpy ride.

I’m sorry about his job, but hey, he’ll get to fly ‘Ed Force One’ still, right? Or was that just for that one tour?

Oh well, Bruce, chin up! You’re a music legend, go back to Maiden full time. Oh, and if you’re wondering how I got to be on a Bruce flight, don’t worry — I lied.

Ozzy will not make sense in yet another medium

It’s kinda ‘hip’ to hate Ozzy Osbourne right now, but I honestly don’t dislike him one bit. He’s probably the funniest motherfucker in metal, and his band is the reason we’re all here today, so the guy is a true legend.

However, saying he ‘doesn’t really make sense’ would be quite the understatement. You can barely understand what the guy is trying to say. So he sounds like the perfect guy to have his own satellite radio show, right?

“Osbourne is getting his own Sirius XM channel. It’ll be dubbed “Ozzy’s Boneyard” and you will be able to find it at Channel 38 on your Sirius XM unit. “Ozzy’s Boneyard” will include classic hard rock and metal tunes, ranging from his own band Black Sabbath to Pantera to Van Halen and more.

Ozzy will be a part of what you hear on the channel beyond the music. He will tell personal tales about his career, as both a solo artist and as the frontman of Sabbath. Specials hosted by Ozzy and his family — wife Sharon, son Jack and daughter Kelly — will also air as part of the programming. So, Ozzy’s Boneyard will be quite the family affair.“

Read full article here.

They had me at Pantera… Then they lost me at ‘son Jack and daughter Kelly.’ I respect both for losing a lot of weight, but do they really need to be on a show about metal?

Needless to say, the show doesn’t sound that bad, it’s probably gonna be better than most radio shows (terrestrial or not) around, so good on Ozzy for making even more money. I just think he should keep it metal and keep it just Ozzy, no Sharon, Jack, or Kelly.

Winter warmer

“You lie in the snow.  Cold, but not dead…”   – ‘Burn’ by Neurosis

Winter is the darkest time of the year.  It is marked by death: plants shrivel and fade, weaker animals starve, and the natural world slows to a veritable crawl.  Despite this, I find some peace in this process, as I know it is both ephemeral and necessary; a cleansing in preparation for rebirth.   Civilization, though it has tried, has not freed us from these natural rhythms.

The music of Neurosis embodies this progression; the passing of the old to make way for the new.  They are often described as a force of nature, but in reality they are just a reflection – as is all good art.

The Eye of Every Storm is their most primal album.  Stripped of the apocalyptic, layered sound of previous works, ‘Eye’ is open, raw, and human.  It is men coming to terms with their place in the natural order of things.   Eventually, we all must do this.    Winter is the time for such contemplation.

So start a fire, pour yourself a dark ale (currently Pyramid’s “Snow Cap Winter Warmer” for me), and grow a beard while Neurosis guides you through the winter.  You’re cold, but not dead.

Check out a YouTube playlist here.