Funk Metal

Scuzz Sundays: Korn – “Freak On A Leash”

January 31, 2021 — Leave a comment

All I have got to say to you is: Da-boom-na-da-noom-na-na-me-na. It’s Scuzz Sunday!

  • Pictured: Cover Art for “Follow The Leader” (LP) (Released on August 18th, 1998) (via Epic Records)

Good Morning to you – my name is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for another entry into our weekly Scuzz Sundays feature on the blog, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! The last seven days have really flown by, and it’s already time for us to revisit a classic from the Emo-Rock and Pop-Punk genres from the late-90’s to the mid 00’s to see how they hold up, named in honor of the long-lost Scuzz TV channel. Korn’s “Freak On A Leash” was released over 20 years ago, and the track had got to #24 in the UK Singles Chart. Released from the California-bred Nu Metal band Korn, this was the lead single from their third studio LP, “Follow The Leader”, which has been certified as 5X Platinum by the RIAA of the US. Although the album was their first not to be produced by Ross Robinson, with that mantle being taken up by the duo of Steve Thompson and Toby Wright instead, it peaked at the #1 spot on four charts, and it sold over 14 million units worldwide, thus remaining to be Korn’s most commercially-oriented album. In fact, this single is most notable for it’s music video in particular, where the lines between computer animation and live performance were blurred. The video itself garnered wins and nominations for both the Grammy Awards and the MTV Video Music Awards, and it’s twinned to the ‘Family Values Tour’ of the LP. Let’s mosh to “Freak On A Leash” below.

One fact that you might not know about Korn’s “Freak On A Leash” is that Korn once included an instrumental section of the track which they used to call the “noisy guitar break”, but this interlude had been edited out by Korn, as per their fans request of removal, yet it had still managed to hit #6 on the Billboard Alternative Songs Chart and #10 on the Mainstream Rock Songs chart in the US. With a simple “Boom-na-da-noom-na-na-ne-ma”, a crossover hit was born. Don’t get them wrong, “Freak On A Leash” is still a distorted and aggressive track, as dissonant guitar breaks mesh with rapid drum beats to craft the heavy, angry tone. The lyrics are opened by a grunge-driven Synth line and a delayed pedal effect to the bass guitar, as “Something takes a part of me” and “Every time I start to believe/Something’s raped and taken from me” are crooned in a low pitched delivery by vocalist Jonathan Davies. The harsh distortion of his voice, later on, leads to a more anthemic guitar riff and a line of static noise, which is submerged under heavy reverb effects. The structure is quite well-narrated, with the distortion effects signaling for stadium-sized rock instrumentation, and the lighter verses implying a more internalized quality. The iconic refrain is screeched by Williamson, and it is met by an unusual mix of scatting and psychedelia. The breakdown has a more darker and melodic feel to it, and the chorus is your typical state of Nu-Metal affairs, as the high guitar notes in the build-up lead to an explosive lead guitar hook that pays off nicely. The vocals are pretty nonsensical and the experimentation is daft, but the backing track is creative and the unusual vocal breakdown is still memorable – whether that is for better or worse. To conclude, although the track is undeniably dated, you could get a lot worse. The vocals break the immersion for me a little too much for me, but the instrumentation is well-paced. Silly – but it is heavy, it’s crazy, and it’s a bit catchy. Boom-na-da-noom-na-na-ne-ma!

  • Pictured: Jonathan Davis (Lead Vocals/Bagpipes/Programming), James Schaffer (Lead Guitar), Reginald Arvizu (Bass Guitar), Brian Welch (Rhythm Guitar/Backing Vocals) and Ray Luzier (Drums) (2015) (Photo Credit: Theo Wargo/Getty Images)

That’s all I have got for your Alternative Metal wrap-up for this week! Scuzz Sundays will be back at the usual time again next week. Before we get to that point – we need to ring in the new month. Join me again tomorrow as we turn to a familiar face – who we have previously covered on the blog – to review a piece of his work from his latest EP, which was released back in September via Friends Of Jagjaguwar. This electronic producer has been played on 168 episodes of programmes on NTS Radio, where he used to host a weekly radio show. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Scuzz Sundays: White Zombie – “More Human Than Human”

December 6, 2020 — Leave a comment

In your head, In your head – is gonna be White Zombie… Zombie… It’s Scuzz Sunday!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Astro-Creep: 2000 – Songs Of Love, Destruction and Other Synthetic Delusions of the Electric Head” (Album/LP) (Released in 1995) (via Geffen Records)

Good Evening to you – I’m Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s finally time for me to get typing up about your new entry in our weekly Scuzz Sundays series, where I take you back to the Emo-Rock and Pop-Punk movements of the late 1990’s, up through to the mid-2000’s, with an ancient gem that I’ve dug out from that era of rock, named in tribute to the now-defunct Scuzz TV channel from my childhood years. It’s almost time to cap off 2020 – and this is going to be our last regular installment of the ongoing series until the new year of 2021, because we are getting more festive with the theme from next week onwards. Last, but not least, we have White Zombie – the trailblazing NYC-based Alternative Metal group most famously comprised of the rock goddess Sean Yseult, the lead guitarist Jay Yuenger, the drummer John Tempesta, and – of course – their frontman, Rob Zombie – who has since gone on to direct a wealth of B-movie horror flicks. Although disbanding in 1998, the band were still ranked highly at #56 of VH1’s “100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock” list that was published in 2006. “More Human Than Human” was one of their signature tracks – and it was included on the group’s fourth and, what proved to be, their final album – with the shortened title of “Astro-Creep 2000”, which was released in 1995 by Geffen Records. It landed the 4-piece group their most commercially successful album – reaching #6 on the US Billboard Top 200 albums chart, which was a really successful feat for an Alternative Heavy Metal record at the time. A few interesting facts about the track is that it features a repeated Slide Guitar figure, which is more commonly used in Blues music. Moreover, Zombie sampled the moaning vocal effects in the intro from “Cafe Flesh”, a Post-Apocalyptic pornography movie, of all items. Let’s hear the results of this below.

“More Human Than Human” quickly became White Zombie’s most recognizable single in their storied career, earning the band their second Grammy Award nomination for Best Metal Performance, and being ranked on PopMatters’ list of “The 10 Best Alternative Metal Singles Of The 1990’s” list. The title of the track, as well as the lyrics themselves, also derive from the Phillip K. Dick poem “Do Androids Dream Of Electric Sheep”, as Zombie wanted to infuse more elements of Sci-Fi Horror and Industrial rock themes into the band’s output for the LP. It was the single that tipped Rob Zombie over the edge to the mainstream of American radio, built around the toe-tapping Funk guitar rhythm that evokes qualities of Groove Metal. After the electronic intro with the witty sample, we get into the consistent Sliding guitar riff that forms the melodic basis of the track. Rob Zombie has a distorted vocal style, and he sings; “More Human Than Human” repeatedly over the top of the steady guitar instrumentation, with bass guitar riffs that are chugging along to the delayed pedal effects and the undertones of Post-Grunge. Zombie also proclaims the likes of “I am the Jigsaw man” and “I am the ripper man” above the crushing drum patterns and the Whammy-accentuated guitar work with a snarling vocal delivery that makes it a good fit for every over-the-top action flick that came out in the late-90’s. The vocals are pretty difficult to decipher and there’s not really a great deal of substance to them, but it’s the laidback Funk sensibilities and the Hip Hop-inspired placement of the quick samples that made the track stand out amongst the pack since there’s a decent amount of varied influences going into the composition. This lives up to it’s status as an, albeit cheesy, 90’s classic. It’s great to end our feature on a high this year.

  • Pictured: Rob Zombie (Lead Vocals/Producer/Writer), Jay Yuenger (Lead Vocals), Sean Yseult (Bass Guitar/Backing Vocals) and John Tempesta (Drums) (1995) (Photo by Mick Hutson/Redferns)

Thank you for reading my latest blog post! As usual – I’ll be back tomorrow – although it will be a pre-written one since I’m making the travels back to my non-university home for the festive period tomorrow. There are only ever so many hours in a day, after all! I’m going to continue to shout about a certain Kansas-based singer and songwriter who describes herself as a “Girl who makes music in her living room”. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: Gengahr – “Heavenly Maybe”

December 28, 2019 — Leave a comment

How do you get Pikachu on a bus? You poke him on! It’s time for a Saturday blog post!

  • Pictured: Felix Busche (Vocals/Lead Guitar), Hugh Schulte (Bassist), John Victor (Slide Guitar) and Danny Ward (Drums)

Similarly titled to Björk’s 1995 art-pop classic “Possibly Maybe”, “Heavenly Maybe” is a track by London experimental rock group Gengahr which has absolutely nothing to do with the Icelandic song mentioned above. It does, however, have something to do with the forthcoming LP record by Gengahr, “Sanctuary”, which gets released on January 31, 2020. It’s their third release on the Transgressive Records label. I first heard the song on John Kennedy’s evening X-Posure show on Radio X, although I’ve heard of the band before as I had a friend in my vocational college who is massively into them. They were named after one of the original Pokemon, although it was initially not meant to pan out that way. The 4-piece originally wanted to call themselves “RES”, but it was changed after they found it was already taken. Hello, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and today’s track is “Heavenly Maybe”, the new single by Gengahr!

“Heavenly Maybe” is a euphoric psychedelic rock track with a cinematic theme, which seems to be all the rage nowadays, as Gengahr follows suits in the likes of Editors, White Lies and The Orielles. The synth-led rock melody has a relatively quick pace and the vocals kick in within 30 seconds of the track’s opening verse. The lyrical context of the track centers around a night out and a release from a tumultuous period of your life, essentially leaving your troubles and finding a more joyous, clear state of mind. It has a poppy 1980’s backdrop, with grinding bass guitar riffs and a funk-laden electronic direction. Schulte laments the downsides of finding escapism in the chorus: “Angel, don’t hurt yourself/A payload to mellow you out/’Slow down, ‘ you said yourself/It’s coming back/But where are you now?”, with a guitar-driven bridge: “Tell me you hear that/Subliminal that’s what I thought/Greater now on and on and on”, with a slight increase of the pacing and intensity of the jolting synth-rock sound towards the latest stages of the track. The track has an obvious nu-disco-esque image to the two-sided coin, which is created by the electro-driven production work and the high-tempo vocal performance. Overall, I personally feel the track doesn’t innovate very much, but it does what it does rather well, with a smooth texture and a slick groove which is destined to find an audience, despite a slight lack of experimentation.

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Sanctuary” (Available on 31st January 2020)

Thank you for reading this post! Make sure that you check back on the blog tomorrow, as it’s almost time for another Scuzz Sunday post! I know, it feels a little bit unbelievable since we’ve only just had Christmas! I’ll be listening to a festive-themed emo/punk song from 2009! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Scuzz Sundays: Rage Against The Machine – “Killing In The Name”

December 15, 2019 — Leave a comment

Rage Against The Machine? Put me in front of any computer past 10pm and that’s what the recipe will brew up! Another week, another weekly Scuzz Sunday blog post!

  • Pictured: Zack De La Rocha (Lead Vocals), Tom Morello (Lead Guitar, Rhythm Guitar), Tim Commerford (Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals) and Brad Wilk (Drums, Percussion) (Photo Credits: Niels Van Iperen/Getty Images) (1996)

Well, it’s no happy-clappy Christmas song, but it still hit #1 on the UK Singles Chart for Christmas in 2009. Yes, that’s right, the track sold 50,000 copies on downloads alone (which was a big thing in those days, believe it or not) in a campaign to stop the X-Factor winner from getting the #1 spot for the fifth year in a row. Joe McElderry with a cover of Miley Cyrus’ “The Climb” was the victim, after a string of christmas #1 hits from Shayne Ward, Leona Lewis, Leon Jackson and Alexandra Burke. Well, if you want to completely disappear from the world without a trace, the way to do it is by going on The X-Factor and winning it! I do have a soft spot for Leona Lewis though, she has a gorgeous voice! Seasons greetings to you, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m blogging about “Killing In The Name” by Rage Against The Machine, originally released in November 1992, as a single from the self-titled debut LP from Tom Morello’s old band.

I think it’s more Season’s Beatings to you in this case! This is an Alternative Metal classic that doesn’t let up in much of a sentimental context, making it a great fit for the protest that got it to the #1 spot in Christmas 2009. Chosen as it was a protest track about institutional racism and police brutality in the 1990’s, “Killing In The Name” has remained an early 90’s classic because it has a signature guitar riff and a vocal style of lyricism which is raw and aggressive. There are also 17 profantities of the word “fuck”, although this is a surprisingly easy track to cut into a radio edit. The hard rock power of the track is boosted by the frantically-paced drumming and the bass-driven punk chords which put a stamp on the immediate impact of the politically charged sound. Zack De La Rocha gears up for the explosive chorus “and now you do what they told ya”, before he conjures up a storm of heavy lead guitar chords and fast-paced rock production with the chorus: “Those who died are justified, for wearing the badge, they’re the chosen whites/You justify those that died by wearing the badge, they’re the chosen whites” and he leads a mosh pit into a live crowd with: ” Yeah! Come on! ” to create an overwhelming sense of protest and emotions of miserable anger. It’s cold and brooding, but I think it still qualifies as a credible piece of art because it’s managed to live on in the years since and the lyrical messages are still relevant in the world we’re living our society within today. Overall, it’s one of, if not, the most unconventional Christmas #1 song of all-time, even though it faces very hard competition from Mr. Blobby and Bob The Builder. Yep, it still bangs!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Rage Against The Machine” (Self-Titled debut LP record) (1992)

Thank you very much for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as usual, with an in-depth look at a new track from a US indie singer-songwriter who has recently started her own solo project after being well-known as the lead member of the Philadelphia-born indie rock band, Hop Along! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: Faith No More – “We Care A Lot”

November 20, 2019 — 2 Comments

How much do I care about just completely wiping the floor with the overexposure of the generic on the blog? I CARE A LOT!!! It’s finally time for your Wednesday blog post!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “We Care A Lot” (1985)

Later being covered by the well-known metal band Korn in 2016, “We Care A Lot” was originally performed and recorded by Faith No More, a US hard rock group from San Francisco, California. This version of the track was the first single released by the band in 1985 under the band’s original lineup with Chuck Mosley at the helm, which has since undergone many significant changes over the years. The band went on to release six albums, before going on a hiatus in 1998, before kicking off a reunion tour and a new album in 2015. The track was released on an album with the same title, which was also released in 1985, being produced and recorded without the support of a major record label or much promotion from external sources until the late production stages of the record, where Slash Records decided to reissue the album as “Introduce Yourself” in 1987, which is still considered to be the first true Faith No More LP record, by their fanbase. The single has reached #53 on the UK Singles Chart.

“We Care A Lot” is an undeniably 80’s heavy rock track that still sounds very nerdy at it’s age, but the thrashing riffs and passionate vocals from Mosley keep the track run at an enthralling pace throughout and it creates a highly infectious energy, which creates the certainty that the track holds up today. The lyrics are sarcastic and charged by the cultural anxieties of the time of the 80’s release, referencing how the band cares a lot about the “disasters, fires, floods, killer bees” and the “starvation and the food that Live Aid bought”, along with the line: “It’s a dirty job, but someone’s gotta do it” over a chorus of crowd chants and an old-school rock n’ roll sensibility that calls back to the pioneers of punk and glam rock scenes in the 60’s – such as The Sex Pistols and The Velvet Underground. The sound of the track is fairly experimental, but it sounds youthful and full of aggressive confidence. The track has a very catchy prosperity and a type of short-fuse response, which makes it sound effective with immediate impact. The lyrical references and the political messages are not still highly relevant in this era, however, with the track briefly losing it’s footing in the quieter riffs in the main hook, but the roots behind the music has translated very well.

  • Pictured: Chuck Mosley (Lead Vocals), Jim Martin (Lead Guitar), Mike Bordin (Drums, Percussion), Billy Gould (Bass Guitar) and Roddy Bottum (Keytar, Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as usual, with an in-depth look at a “Jacob Classic” track from a lesser-known dream-pop group from Lund, Sweden! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/