Trews To Crack U.S. Market?

Legendary Aerosmith producer gives 'em a leg up

The Trews are a young Canadian band who've had a lot of success in the Great White North and are now hoping to crack the U.S. market. Their stateside debut album, Den of Thieves, is produced by Jack Douglas--the man behind the board for many of Aerosmith's classic albums. Incidentially, the band takes its name from traditional Scottish pants!

Your Mama Don't Dance . . .

A number of hard-rock and metal acts have covered tunes from the '60s and '70s -- the era of music that's usually referred to as oldies. Below is a partial list of some instances of this. I've tried to avoid the more obvious ones like Poison's rendition of Loggins & Messina's "Your Mama Don't Dance" and Tesla's version of the Five Man Electrical Band's "Signs."

• Megadeth's "These Boots" (originally recorded by Nancy Sinatra under the title "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'")
• House of Lord's "Can't Find My Way Home" (originally recorded by Blind Faith)
• Sanctuary's "White Rabbit" (originally recorded by Jefferson Airplane)

Sin After Sin . . .

Judas Priest's 1976 album, Sad Wings of Destiny, moves me in almost spiritual ways. Singer Rob Halford aptly captures the spirit of surrender in the hard-hitting cut "Genocide." His solemn intonation in the middle of the song -- "Sin after sin/ I have endured/ Yet the wounds I bear/ Are the wounds of love" -- evokes both Old Testament psalms and Shakespearean sonnet. I've often thought Gianlorenzo Bernini's sculpture The Ecstasy of St. Teresa pairs up nicely with the breakdown in "Genocide" and can really help to visualize the meaning of that particular lyric.



If you look closely at the work, you'll see the angel ready to pierce St. Teresa's heart as she writhes in ecstasy. Of course, there's a lot of erotic and sexual overtones to the image -- the same sort that can be imagined in Halford's vocals.

Headbangers (Christmas) Ball: Give the Gift of Metal

While metal isn't typically associated with the holidays, some of your favorite rockers have recorded tunes with the yuletide in mind. Below is a partial list:

• American Angel, "Best Part of Christmas" (from their EP '92 release)
• King Diamond, "No Presents for Christmas" (from the No Presents for Christmas single)
• Enuff Z'Nuff, "Happy Holiday" (from the Peach Fuzz CD)

The Ultimate Metal Mix . . .
Coming Soon