60 Minutes with Atomic Bob

For years I’ve wanted to do something like this, it’s like making a mix tape that gives you a little perspective on where I’m coming from as an artist based on roots from everything from blues to metal and beyond.  I’ll do my best to make sure you understand why I put the song on the list and hopefully inspire you to check out some really killer tunes in the meantime.

The first one is the Misfits “Some Kinda Hate” off Static Age coming in @ 2:08.  I really just had this song in my CD player and wanted to give you something up to speed with what I’m listening to right now.  Truth is, I hated the Misfits the first time I heard this album.  I thought the production sucked and I took it back and got Danzig’s “How the God’s Kill”.  But I missed the point entirely.  Punk rock would not be punk rock without an essence of middle finger in there somewhere.  I really like the chord changes and the solo is simple and melodic.

#2.  The Revolting Cocks “RevColution Melody” from the album Cocked and Loaded @ 4:43 … I really like this track cause it has all the different elements from Jimi Hendrix to Queen to Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd.  The way it was pieced together to mock everything that came before it is pretty killer.  I like the rebellious lyrics and line-up of charachters on this song.  The opening line and riff are stand out to anything that this band had done before this.  I also think this there’s a line in there that asks “Is anyone here from Alaska?” But sometimes I just hear things.

#3. is Static-X “Destroyer” off the album Cannibal @2:45 and really, I could just choose any song off this album because they all sound exactly the same and they all rock just as hard.  The way this band took industrial metal to the next level is respect worthy on all accounts.  It has a really big sound without being too noisy and what makes it so heavy is the chromatic factor blended with simple chord structure.  It’s not too much and it’s right in there with the perfect blend of electronics and lead.

#4. Devil Driver “Before the Hangman’s Noose” off the album The Fury of Our Maker’s Hand @ 3:51 This I chose because I introduced a lot of people to this band when they first came out with this album and it was right about the same time as the rebirth of heavy was coming back around.  The sound is incredible and makes ya wanna say “Carpe Diem” as well as put the pedal to the metal if you’re drivin’ anywhere.  I don’t play them in any of my sets so I don’t know what their tuning is, but it’s just fun stuff man.

#5. Probot “Centuries of Sin” W/Cronos off the self titled album @ 4:09 This one I do play and it rips.  It takes me into that zone where I can feel how hard the band is hittin’ their stings when they’re rockin’.  If you’ve never played this one before, first attempt through your forearms gunna feel like it wants to fall off.  This is due to the amount of changes on the lower register the main riff has… you’ll wanna quit by the end but your forearm’ll be so pumped up by the end of the song that you won’t want to.  This is a really physical song to play and takes a lot of stamina.  Hang in there and everything else’ll be cake.

#6. Queens of the Stone Age “Feel Good Hit of the Summer” off the album R coming in @ 2:43 The opening line to this one is a classic as well as the main one note riff that also happens finishes off the album Songs For the Deaf.  I’m a fan of most of the projects that Josh Homme ends up in from the eary Kyuss to the newer material with Them Crooked Vultures.  I think a lot of that punk rock metal attitude do-it-yourself mentality as it carries into a lot of my own music.

#7. Metallica “The Small Hours” from The $5.98 E.P.: Garage Days Re-Revisited coming in @ 6:43 This was always one of the harder cassettes to get growing up and when I got my hands on it I played it till I practically wore the tape out.  Because it was so rare there wasn’t any way to learn how to play it other than by listening to it.  I think internet tab existed but I didn’t own a computer.  Later on I would read that Kirk uses a major 2nd to a minor 3rd shape, but really it’s just got a dark and eerie lead intro riff that I really enjoy.  The riff that comes in after is just as heavy and the song takes me everywhere I need to go.

#8. White Zombie “Electric Head Pt. 2 (The Ecstasy) off the album Astro Creep 2000: Songs of Love, Destruction, and Other Synthetic Delusions of the Electric Head comin’ in @3:53.  To me, this song kinda rips off “I’m Your Boogie Man” that they would later release on the 2nd Crow soundtrack but ya know… it came out before that track so it wasn’t really a rip off.  It used to be one of the first songs that I would jam when I picked up a bass but the main riff has a lot of fun things going on in it.  For example that little chickin sqwak Yeunger does after the first 2 power chord chugs into the 2nd riff.  Dum Dum sqwak! Dum Dum squak! Dum Dum sqwak! Dum Dum sqwak!  Pure adrenaline goes into all J.’s riffs and sometimes I think Rob was an idiot for ever gettin’ rid of him…. but ya know, I’m a John5 fan too.

#9. John5 “Damaged” from the album Songs for Sanity at 3:04 This was the first John5 album I bought and this song was the first one that I transcribed.  The use of 32nd notes buy this guy is really enduring to write out but somehow I’m always inspired to finish whatever I start.  I like this song because it reminds me of where we’ve come from as guitar players and due to the fact that it’s purely instrumental I can relate to that side of it.  John does some really interesting things with multiple guitars at various tempos and throws in some really spectacular technique.  The good news is that it all seems to make sense in some twisted way if you can wrap your head around it.  Tonaly, the guys just a genius.

#10. Marilyn Manson “Irresponsible Hate Anthem” off Antichrist Superstar @ 4:17.  Back when I saw this band back in 1996 the same year I saw White Zombie they were still pretty contreversial.  With the line that makes you contemplate your beliefs ”I hate love, I love hate” the chant builds into a really heavy riff that starts off with an F#.  And I’m not sure if you’ve ever noticed this, but a lot of Manson goes back to the F# chord.  Great song… love the tempo and despite anything you might think about the band, this one just rocks.

#11. Nine Inch Nails “Wish” from the album Broken @ 3:46.  I love this song.  I used to play this song quite a bit growing up and the simplicity of the riff is what makes it so cool. It’s just a half-step hit from the D to D# and really all about the angst here.  The lyrics hit really hard and I really enjoy the electronic industrial sound that comes in to compliment the distorted guitars.

#12. Ministry “The Great Satan” off the album Rio Grande Blood at 3:09.  When I saw this song was gunna be on guitar hero I was pretty stoked.  My impression of this song was that around this time they had found a formula that worked and this is one of the grammy nominated pieces that shows that they know how to do what they do best.  I really dig on Al’s vocals for this one and the kick drum going at a break neck speed is really what it’s all about.  Or rather “bringin’ down the U.S.A. is what it’s all about”  The riffs that Ministry was using towards the last few albums were really pretty incredible, and the same for this song.

#13. Pantera “Cowboy’s From Hell” of that same album @ 4:06.  I shouldn’t really have to say much about this track. It takes a lot of dexterity, but what makes it cool is that the opening riff comes in over a backwards guitar and then plays the same thing from 12th position down into open position.  The verse riff although it chugs switches around so that it takes a lot of memorization to master a hundred percent.  There are days where I’ll just jump the opening riff around until my forearms can’t take it anymore just to see where my breaking point is.  I suggest everyone do the same, or just crank it for kicks.

#14. Slayer “Raining Blood” from the album Reign in Blood @ 4:17.  I think this song has done more for me as a musician than any other song recently cause of my experience playing with Kerry right off his first appearance since his last appearance on the tour with Manson in San Diego the previous year.  Slayer has always been one of the bands that I didn’t learn cause the riffs just seemed too chaotic.  The last few years since I’ve had more fun learning these riffs cause I can finally make sense out of them.  If you take a look at the video where I’m on stage with Kerry, you can almost see my eyes pop out of my head when I watch how fast his fingers are moving during the 16th note shred part after the main riff.  I like everything about this song now.  The b5th in the intro, the insane speed, awesome hammer-on pull off technique and rhythm changes are something I can’t believe I missed out on for so long as a guitarist.

#15. Black Sabbath “Electric Funeral” off the album Paranoid coming in @ 4:50.  This hour wouldn’t be complete if it didn’t have some Sabbath in there somewhere.  Really, this song is one of my favorites and you can hear reference to it in one of my own songs if you listen closely.  The wah involved with the heavy main riff and reference to the atomic really makes me feel at home here.  It doesn’t have the greatest speed, but Sabbath was one of those bands that didn’t have to play fast to be heavy.  The song creates a dark imagery and if you wanted to listen to it one more time after this hour is over you would have a hard time regretting it.

Rock and roll ain’t noise pollution man.  Take it easy!