Afterlife - Avenged Sevenfold

Good morning, rockers. So I woke up today thinking "Today is the day. Gunna learn me some metal." I ended up tackling Afterlife by Avenged Sevenfold. This song.... it's difficult. That's for sure. But I will tell you this, it's so much fun to play that I had to share it with you.

If you use Guitar Pro, http://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/a/avenged_sevenfold/afterlife_guitar_pro.htm

If you like normal tabs, http://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/a/avenged_sevenfold/afterlife_ver3_tab.htm

Now this song uses a lot of techniques that are newer to me, including far slides, very quick h/o and p/os, distinct palm muting and back picking, double stops, and of course the deep throaty chords that you can only get with drop D. I can't begin to tell you how many times I've played through it simply because it's SO much fun to play. 

I know this is a short post, but I really recommend you go learn this song right now. RIGHT NOW. If you're trying to get better, Afterlife will push you forward pretty far and if you're just looking to impress the ladies, my neighbor texted me for the first time just to tell me "Sounds goooood ;)"

Now that, my friends, is a good feel.

Fun:

★★★★★★★★★☆

Difficulty:

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Chick Factor

★★★★★★★★☆☆

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Spotlight: NOFX

Good morning, rockers. So I just woke up and decided to listen to some NOFX to get my day started. That made me think, you all deserve to know about them, as they are truly the definition of punk. NOFX started out in LA. as many of the 90's punk bands did. They have been around since 91 and are considered by many punk rock legends.  Punk in Drublic was they're first real success story. It went Gold in the USA and Canda. In total, they have released 12 studio albums, each one staying true to their true original punk rock identity. That may not seem like a big deal, but when you think about all the others that were on the punk scene in the 90's and which ones of them are not only still around, but still playing the punk rock we all know and love, you gotta give NOFX some credit. When everyone else went soft, NOFX and Rancid are still carrying on like they never grew up. Which is a huge help to the genre.

In the beginning, 1983, Eric Melvin, Smelly and Fat Mike started out as No-FX. The released a demo called Thalidomide Child which didn't sell much, but became a huge collectors item. Matter of fact, there's one on ebay right now selling for 80 bucks. In 91, El Hefe became a permanent member of the band, which sealed the lineup and formed a legendary band in the making.

Once the band had been formed and got the feel for their style, the records started rolling out. The album "White Trash, Two Heebs and a Bean" was released in '92 through Epitaph Records, and it was their 4th studio album. Many consider this album to be the turning point for them as a band. It really defined them as a band, and it also gave the world "Buggley Eyes." If you haven't heard it yet, please do so now:

Ridiculous, sure. But it's a classic.

Gotta love the 90's cover art.

When the punk rock scene exploded with albums such as Dookie, Smash, and Let's go, NOFX finally caught up with the heard, releasing Punk in Drublic in '94. This remains their all time best seller, and is, put simply, one of the best punk albums out there. The album kept up with the biggest names in punk rock, and surpassed many of the smaller names of the time like Propagandhi, Screeching Weasel and Lagwagon.

Bob. A song about an alcoholic punk rocker. Nice.

Many of their albums have a disestablishment theme, much like Anti-Flag and Rise Against. However, having their own record label, (Fat Wreck Chords) they have the power to say whatever they want, without scorn from the label. NOFX seems to understand what subjects are touchy, and they make a living off exploiting those subjects. With songs titles like Franco Un-American, Murder the Government, What's The Matter With Parents These Days, and USA Holes, you can't really let your kid listen to them. But all is fair, as they also exploit themselves in hilarious ways. For example, these are two of their album names: I Heard They Suck Live (1995), and They've Actually Gotten Worse Live (2007) and they were, of course, both live albums.

You're wrong. Because NOFX only has facts, no opinions.

If you're a fan of punk rock, I highly recommend going out and buying each and every one of their albums. They are the essence of punk and one of the originals that haven't turned soft or sold out.

NOFX , their albums, and their personas:
★★★★★★★★★☆

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Review: Rocksmith

Today, I'd like to tell you a little bit about the video game Rocksmith.

This game made by Ubisoft is, in my opinion, an absolute genius concept. In my first post, I explained that I've been playing for 16 years. Truth be told, I just dabbled before I bought this game. It has helped me more than any teacher, tab, or program ever has.

The short and sweet of it is simple. The music flows down the screen much like Rockband or Guitar Hero. The difference is that this game comes with a cable that hooks up directly to a real guitar. After you are hooked up, you select a song and tune up. You start of the song on your pre-determined skill level, and as you get better, the song gets harder until you've unlocked the full song. Once you can play a song pretty close to 100%, you unlock master mode. Master mode is just you, your guitar, a simulated spotlight and a simulated crowd going wild. They try hard to make you feel like a real rock star, and since it's a real guitar, they've done a pretty good job at beating out the fandom of Guitar Hero and Rockband. Learning the songs is fun, but theres a whole other section that is getting great reviews from players. It's called the guitarcade and it's full of mini-games designed to help you get better at some of the things you have trouble with.

Guitarcade:

• Ducks - Focus on fret placement
• Super ducks - same as Ducks, but uses all strings
• Scale Runner - teaches scale patterns. once you're good enough, you'll be able to write with this
• Quick Pick Dash - works on your tremelo skill, or "backpicking"
• Big Swing Baseball - bend your string to move your bat. practices the bending technique
• Super Slider - helps with slides, in a Dr. Mario kind of feel
• Dawn of the Chordead - Play the chord, kill the zombies
• Harmonically Challenged - Simon Says, but with harmonics.

To me, the reason Rocksmith is fun is because it teaches you how to play guitar, while introducing many techniques and styles in a fun, easy to learn kind of way. You can almost feel yourself getting better as you play. I highly recommend it to anyone that's had a hard time learning any part of the guitar. Whether you're not great at barre chords or hammer-ons, sliding or nailing pinch harmonics, Rocksmith can certainly help you get where you want to be.

Fun:

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Effectiveness:

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Soundtrack:

★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆

Rock on,

Roach

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Review: Ibanez RG120

Today I'd like to review the Ibanez RG120.

My Ibanez RG120

Features:

This Ibanez is the base package for RG's. It's made in Indonesia, but it's pretty good quality. With 24 frets, two humbuckers and a three way pickup switch, this guitar is ready for just about anything you wanna throw at it. It's not made of real wood, which makes it a bit heavier than most guitars.

★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆

String and neck:

as you can see, it was worth a LOT of my time.
and finger grease.

The action on the RG is adjustable, which is great because after a few years of slamming on it, mine has been adjusted several times to keep up with the punishment. I keep the action set very low, as this is kind of my metal/filthy guitar. I've had it for 5 years and I can still put it in tune to the open, 5th, and 12th fret positions. Typical of Ibanez, the neck is skinnier that Fenders and Gibsons, seemingly allowing you to move faster up and down the fretboard with less thumb cramping.

★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

Sound:

Coulda cleaned it up first, but I didn't.

I love the sound on this guitar. It's more than you would expect out of a 5 year old 150 dollar guitar. It's got a growl to it that just can't be matched by the standard Stratocaster. Sounds great with punk and grunge.

★★★★★★☆☆☆☆

Dependability: Five years strong, I've tore the guitar completely down 3 times to repaint, put it back together and it sounds just as good (if not better) than the day I bought it. Keep the bolts tight on the neck and don't lose the head of the switch, and you'll have a nice guitar for years to come. Keep in mind though, this is like buying a basic package mustang. It's the cheapest version of a good thing. You get what you paid for.

★★★★☆☆☆☆☆☆

Bottom line:
The RG120 has a lot of spunk for being one of Ibanez's cheapest guitars. The sound is unique, that's for sure. Whether your playing some metal, hard rock, grunge or punk, this guitar has everything you need to sound as "dirty" as you want. When I'm sitting here at home playing Chili Peppers, the stratocaster is the obvious best choice. But when I wanna get down to some Blink, Green Day, Offspring, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, etc. etc. then this guitar is the one to grab.

Final rating:

If you wanna buy a guitar and don't have much money to spend, This is the best choice. It'll last you for a while and the features it pulls off are worth far more than you would think for as cheap as it is.

★★★★★★★★☆☆

Rock on,


Roach

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The bastardization of a once great tradition.

Let's start this off with a riddle. What do Justin Bieber, Nicki Manaj, and Skrillex have in common?

That's right. None of them have any talent.

See, to me, the last 12 or 11 years have been a turning point for music. Whether you grew up with Disco Fever, the 80's hair, or the 90's alternative, you're probably thinking "how would you classify the 00's? The answer is simple, and I'm gunna share it with you.

When you get elderly, you will notice that your senses aren't what they used to be. Then your spine starts curving, your knees hurt all the time, you get dementia, then you die. This is how I view music as well. It's been around for centuries, sure. But I think the cruel and unusual punishment that bands like Boys Like Girls, I Set My Friends on Fire, and Cute Is What We Aim For have dealt to the great Music God have started to really make him sick.

Brace yourselves, guys. I firmly believe that Rock and ALL music as we know it is laying the hospital right now, taking shallow breaths, and counting the days to its demise. I'm sure that'll be the day Nicki Minaj comes in and pulls the cords keeping music alive.

PSA: Please do your part to help keep music alive and well. Stop respecting the "musicians" that can't record a song without autotune, drumboxes, wub-wub machines, dropdabass mentalities, etc. etc. If you'd like to help, go buy any Red Hot Chili Peppers, NOFX, Fratellis, or Pearl Jam album.

Oh, and if you think this post is just an opinion and that music isn't really dying,

Simply disgusting.  Ew.
Source: is.gd/i3O05J

Think again.

Rock on,
Roach

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Review: Uno! - Green Day

So now I want to take a second and review an album. More specifically, Uno! by Green Day. I personally love this album. It's great for several reasons. Mainly, the fact that they brought back the "rebel" feel they had perfected. Warning (2000) was the last album released by the trio that wasn't in some way an anti-establishment smite. The more political, antipatriotic Green Day was great, don't get me wrong. I loved American Idiot (2004) and 21st Century Breakdown (2009), but they couldn't hold a candle to Dookie and Nimrod. It's good to hear their old style shining through again.

Even if you aren't a huge Green Day fan and you never noticed the changes they made in the last decade, you'll still appreciate that Green Day has proven that Punk Rock still exists, and it's still just as raw and filthy as the 90's songs we all know and love. It's like a totally different Green Day than the last two albums showed. It's great because they don't even hint at the theatrical attributes they've stuck by for so many years. Unfortunately, the role they took on for all those years has made an impression on their appeal. You can clearly tell that they went for a "shock factor" while writing this album. Much more swearing. Much more violence. Somewhat like they're trying to reintroduce you to the 1994 Green Day. While true fans see that, it has worked out well for those that haven't followed so closely. With songs like "Oh Love" and "Kill The DJ", they've ushered in a seemingly whole new branch to their fan base. Pretty genius move.

Final review:
Worth the money?
★★★★★★★★☆☆
Replay review
★★★★★★★☆☆☆
Shreddit Factor:
★★★★★★★★★☆

Now, if we could just get the old Blink back...

Rock on,
Roach

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Review: Line 6 Spider III

Let's keep this ball rolling! Gunna start off my equipment reviews with my amp.

Line 6 Spider III

• 75 watts
• 400 song and artist based presets
• 36 customizable user presets
• on board tuner
• 7 smart control effects, running 3 simultaneously
• includes tape echo, delay, sweep echo, chorus flanger, reverb, phaser, and tremelo
• 12" Celestion Speaker

Now I've had this amp since 2009, so I think I can give you a pretty good idea of whether it's worth it or not. It's a great amp. I play artists from Brad Paisley to Alice in Chains to Tenacious D, and this amp can get damn close, if not right on the dot, to the effects I need. The cleans sound crisp and perfect, while the more filthy settings, especially the "insane" knob position, sound just as dirty as a 200 dollar pedal. If you're new to guitar, a Line 6 is a perfect amp to start with. It's got so many settings you can tweak that you really don't need many pedals. You'll still need your own wah, obviously. This one in particular has got the police called on me four times. In my humble opinion, that's how you know you're doing it right. I bought mine back in the day for 275 USD, and I'm pretty sure prices have dropped. Most of them are probably in pawn shops now, to be honest. If you see one for less than 200 dollars, I would say definitely get it. It'll be worth it.

Final review:
tone options:
★★★★★★☆☆☆☆
sound quality:
★★★★★★☆☆☆☆
versatility:
★★★★★★★☆☆☆
looks:
★★★★★★★★☆☆
overall:
★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Rock on,
Roach

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