Top 10 Albums of 2011

   It has been an excellent year for new music. I have seen releases from some old school bands that I grew up listening to, such as Anthrax, Deicide, Primus, Morbid Angel & Megadeth to name a few. I had the pleasure to come across some new music from noteworthy bands I have never listened to before like Trifixion, Jungle Rot, Born of Osiris, Godsic, Skeltonwitch, Revocation and many more. There has also been a few total abominations this year as well, and you all know damn well what I'm talking about, but I am not writing this to dwell on music that should have gone to the abortion clinic instead of the distributor. I'm here to focus on what I personally consider the best

Exclusive Interview with Battlecross

Q & A with Don Slater and Mike Kreger of Battlecross

by Ian Pfister

    I recently had the pleasure to sit down and chat with Don Slater and Mike Kreger, a couple of regular looking dudes who happen to be the monster rhythm section from the Detroit based metal band Battlecross. I shared a beer with the guys as we joked & talked about the local scene, dealing with major labels, the work you gotta put in, the hours of sacrifice and the satisfaction you feel when it all comes together. This is just days before setting off on a Fall/Winter Tour supporting metalcore vets Full Blown Chaos with help from a revitalized Rose Funeral and fellow thrashers Diamond Plate. Here's what they had to say...

Hi guys, how goes it? First off, let me say congrats on your deal with Metal Blade earlier this year. I know all of you must've worked your asses off to earn your spot on such a prestigious roster along side some of the greatest bands in metal. What would you say is the most important aspect for a band trying to get recognized by a major label?

Mike Kreger: It goes good here! Thanks for the props on the MB signing, it feels surreal. My advice would be: play shows and go to shows to help get your name out there & build fans. Book small tours, buy an advertisement in a well known magazine or website. The more your name is recognized and seen the better chances you have at "creating a buzz". Also, biggest point..... Work your ass off and have EVERYTHING ready for the label. The less work they have to do the better the chances of them having interest. Get merch & a bad ass recorded CD, use Facebook, My Space, Twitter, You Tube and make your own domain page. These are a must!!!! YOU have to spend money, to make money.

Don Slater: Thanks Ian! It's honestly like any other job interview; your previous work history, eagerness for the jobs to come and overall ability comes into play. Show them you mean business and you've already got a heads up on the competition.

  
Who would you say are the musicians that had the biggest influence on your own playing style?

Don Slater: When I started off, I wanted to be the next Matt Freeman from Rancid (except with my fingers), and then Les Claypool was introduced to me and I wanted to mimic his style to a tee. I could name drop a list of inspirations, but to be honest, I'm not limited to bassists anymore. Someone whistling the right notes in

All in a day's work

I.

     I know this place. I’ve been here many, many times, but something is different about it this time. I remember the damp and musty smell very well. It was very humid down there, almost saturating. Even after I would leave here to go stay the night at my girlfriend’s apartment, I would carry that odor in my nostrils for hours. I particularly liked the nights when I would blend that moist, dank basement air with the metallic scent of newly spilt blood. I can almost taste the iron in it now as I think about it, like when I would get a paper cut in kindergarten and suck the wound to stop the bleeding.

Sometimes I wondered if my girlfriend could smell it on me too, especially during sex, and if it turned her on the same way it did me. It was almost as if the fragrance

Meet me at Midnight

Bones rattle and skin stretches,

Deforming.

Reforming and revising what dwells within.

Synchronicity is impeccable,

as I give in to what has to happen.

Are you too old to rock?

   As I sit here in my not so comfortable chair, pondering a topic to write about, I can't help but to think about age. Being old. This is most likely due to it being (once again) my birthday tomorrow, and for some reason I'm not caring much for celebration. Do I really need to commemorate the fact that I am one step closer to the grave? Whatever. I suppose I could acknowledge all that I have achieved so far in my three plus decades of existence. I should be grateful that I have lived as long as I have, right? Sure, why not? I'll drink to that. Cheers!

   I guess my real issue is, when is old too old? When should we hang up the fingerless leather gloves? Is there an age limit to rock out with your cock out? When do you know your too old to be flirting with those hot 24 year old chicks at the keg party down the street, or jumping in the pit at the Slayer concert over at Pine Knob? (Yup, I said Pine Knob bitches.)

   Well, I guess I'll find out the answer to life's tough questions through my own experiences eventually. Until then, you can find me driving back from the latest metal show, doobie in my fingerless leather gloved hand, jammin' some Necrophagist with the stereo cranked, sonically assaulting the old foreign couple in the Honda next to me, who look at me in disgusted horror as they quickly roll the windows up. If you see me, flag me down and I'll give you directions to that kegger.

- Ian "Prolifik" Pfister

The Unleashing

     “Seriously” Steve declared, pausing to take a bite off of his particularly large slab of pizza, “Never underestimate someone’s ability to be an asshole.” The bright ballasts above were reflected in the little cups of cooked pepperoni that contained just the right amount of grease. Steve grabbed for his bottle of Mt. Dew, which sat still on the floor beside him waiting eagerly to please its owner with the odd, green colored fluid contained within, like so many of its carbonated ancestors before. The kid he was talking to was fiddling with his MP3 player. One ear bud perched comfortably in his left ear, while the other one dangled helplessly in front of his Toys R’Us work shirt like a bungee jumper whose friends left him hanging while they stood laughing safely above.

     Just then the alarm on Steve’s watch went off. It was a KISS watch he had since he was a kid, which was really just