I mostly love this record. It makes me think about all the stuff good metal makes you think about: ancient ruins, sacrificial rites, barbarian hordes charging across the wasteland astride prehistoric beasts . . . this would sound perfect whilst driving through the desert in a primer-painted van with a druid airbrushed on the side, if it weren’t for that goddamned muppet.

[Read more →]

The first thing I noticed was the lack of detachment. Kids were wearing Elmo T-shirts and holding stuffed Elmos, flouting one of the key rules of concert-going cool. These little anti-hipsters were excited, and they were not afraid to show it. The music kicked in, and Sesame Street stars — Big Bird, Grover, Cookie Monster, etc. — strutted one at a time onto the stage to huge cheers, all laying down their own verses. I imagined that a Wu Tang show would go something like this.

[Read more →]