Lemmy: The Human

I am sure most if not all of you know that Lemmy has passed on and made his way into the eternal rock n' roll kingdom, wherever that is. It's a weird experience for me, that my rock idols are fading one by one. First it was Dio now Lemmy. It's weird because I don't know them. I know they are human, we all have to die some day but I have not met them....

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Song Masterpieces

There are rock and metal songs that are catchy. Their simple and repetitive chords and relatively simplistic lyrics make them memorable and rather enjoyable. Everybody knows them, everybody likes them (smoke on the water is an example).  There are songs that make you happy, sad, those you can headbang to, those you can dance to. Yet there are...

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Music Documentaries Worth Watching

I'm back! Well, sort of. Some of you may know I've been kept rather occupied by my PhD-nightmare, which is now finally submitted. I'm now waiting to hear about my defense date (i.e. the dreadful day I will be attempting to justify to two experts that what I did is the next big thing in science!). Wish me luck, I will need it! Anyways, back to...

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Gig Catch-up...The "Dark" Side (Part 1 of 2)

I haven't posted any gig reviews for a while now and you may think that I'm over them....NOT! The past few months leading up to the new year were my "re-discover the 'dark' side of metal" months. First, I went to the much talked about gig: Paradise Lost, Lacuna Coil & Katatonia all in one. Kind of like the BLT sandwich. 3 in 1. I'm a fool...

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What Does It Take to Be a Doctor?

I’m sure most of you have heard that the living legend, riff virtuoso Tony Iommi has received his long overdue official recognition. He finally got an honorary doctorate of arts from Coventry University. And I’m also sure some of them, namely the pretentious, self-righteous, and know-it-all Drs of all sorts snorted in derision when they read about...

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Heavy Metal Profiling Survey

You have every right to call me lazy or any other decorative adjective. I haven't posted anything in months. Not that your life is significantly changed or even affected by what I post here but I know quite a few who enjoy what shit I have to say and follow every post. Thank you 2 1/2 fans! As you know I'm a doctorate student meaning I have no life...

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The Rolling Stones Un-reviewed

This is a belated report on the recent Rolling Stones gig I attended. Recent being July! I know, I've been really bad in keeping up with the demands of the blog; I do apologise to those very few people that check it very rarely! Now, as per the legend it is the Stones, a review in the traditional sense is not appropriate now, is it? Still, we, common...

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Review of Download Festival 2013

A review of the happenings at Download Festival 2013, Saturday 15th, Donington Park, UK This year I almost didn't go. Yeah, I know! What was I thinking, right? Well, the line-up was average, money was tight, and our group was minimizing. Damn you economic depression! But then I thought: Iron Maiden. And I went. We stayed in the Main Stage...

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Science Feature: The Philosophical Basis of Headbanging and Moshing

How often do you see a research paper starting off with the lyrics of a heavy metal song? Never, I can tell you that! It's not the case with this paper I discovered recently though; the authors actually showcase the lyrics of St. Anger by Metallica! Ok, I'll admit, not the best asset of heavy metal music yet a powerful song in terms of lyrics that...

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Science Feature: The Effects and Influences of Music on Life

This is a new series of articles bringing you all the science bits you need to know about our favourite music genre: heavy metal [or rock n' roll if you prefer]. I promise I'll strip out all the boring and sometimes nonsensical parts and present you with the fun "takeaway" messages each research study offers. I'll first present a general overview...

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Rock N' Roll Goes To Hollywood

Unavoidably and to our amusement, arts get mingled at times. Hence, actors may sometimes come to be underutilized musical talents (e.g. Johnny Depp playing with Manson) or even ridiculously lost causes (e.g. Keanu Reeves with Dogstar [?]). On the other hand, many of our beloved musicians have appeared in cameo roles through the years....

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Rhetorical Thoughts: The Skin (Dis)Colouration

If no "blacks" are actually black, no "whites" are literally white, no "yellows" are really yellow, and no "reds" are in reality red.... Why, then, are we still categorising race by colour? Fact: We are all different shades of brown! More facts and science here.                        ...

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"IT" Is The Life

by guest author while(TRUE){life();} This piece is dedicated to all the engineers, tech-savvies, and geeks out there. A timeline of progress, disappointment, anger management issues, and liberation!  The Education  HND in Computer Engineering BEng in Computer Engineering MSc in Data Communication The Student Experience  During...

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