The Underground is concerned about maintaining free thought and the expression thereof throughout media. Collecting of facts, presentation of truths and preservation of freedom of the press is paramount. We strive to be subjective, objective, open-minded as well as entertaining as an online forum and presenter of alternative media. Often times in doing so we'll present stuff you don't like, put light on things you'd rather kept hidden and point out continuing trends of tyrannical bullshit. If we offend or anger some, no apologies. There is plenty of sheeple fodder all around you out there to get lost in. If you're not interested in how we present what we do, do your own, go elsewhere, or don't worry about it. Mainstream media is mostly lifeless caricature, something not what it seems once you understand how it works. Once you are awake and are ready to leave the propaghanda at home and the control of "assets", yourself included therein, as numbers from which to profit and control, then you'll be ready. For the Rock N Roll Revolution. ~TW

PIROSAINT Live At Blackthorn 51 Decidedly bottom end heavy, like the trampling of heavy machinery, Pirosaint live up to their name with this tight, explosive live set. The band showcase their power trio tendencies throughout, a full rich sound devoid of saturated noise. Add in vocalist Billy Vanders and it becomes a power quartet, as it is the added growls and shouted epitaphs which truly make the band. There is riffage in quality and quantity for the entire set, which seams into a long flowing tangle of hardcore, punk and metal. You go from big stomps to double kicks and cut time licks with ease. Then, out pops something like Sabbath (Tonight-Future-Real), and this is all in the same song, and you realize even the names of the numbers have meaning, and again live up to their names. It can be close to a spiritual awakening, if you're really into rock n roll. While the audience seemingly for the most part remains disengaged, the band plows on, bringing battle hymn worthy numbers to the arena. They give a nod to all the warriors on the rumbling A New Yesterday, preserving something for future generations of freedom fighters. Then they close out the show with the thrash classic which bears their name, Pirosaint. Again, in the end, living up to the name.

MEMENTO WALTZ Antithesis Of Time Originally released in 2010 and self produced by this Italian band, this title gets new life as the band signed with Jolly Roger and has since released their debut for that label (also reviewed here). Coming off the table like hot tayters on flesh, the first strands of these ditties put forth a technical proficiency so smokin' hot that it earns it's own genre. That track, the lead off "Through The Spiral Rise" is all but progressive heaven. The renaissance worlds of celestial lyrics and vocals of yonder yore, not a small bit reminding me of the glory of Dio intensified in delivery, phrase and power, works on this track better than average and really throughout this album seamlessly. Which for many bands of Memento Waltz's ilk, vocals get made into a mess. Here though, the work is clear and strong, as the entire album comes through uncluttered, precise and hittin' on all cylinders. Really, and I am not making this up, such a feat can be extremely hard to accomplish, if not just for the skill of writing this type of music, and being able to play it more than a one off jam. It takes work folks. "Illusion" is a prime example of this ability. It goes from galloping war horse to futuristic jam breakdown then off into the nether realms first blazed by the masters of the vinyl era over decades of toll. The band manages to put together a passable persian vibe on "Vision", reminding the listener that there is a world of music out there to explore above the bland pop varieties of the modern commercial quagmire which often just rip off such flows by sampling or just outright plagiarism. It just takes a one-two count though, or maybe a break beat, for the band to be back tearing it up with psychedelic abandon. Same song, different mind. In all, heavy metal is not far away, if not stampeding through your conscious en-route to oblivion. The sound clip and time inversion which kicks of "Albert The Visitor" brings to mind the innocence of youth, stripped away by the first clouds of reefer, the sky opening, the voices from the ether, speaking a new language. Behind it all, a massive barrage of rock n roll. This leads into the title cut, which makes you think it's simple, till you really listen to the parts; a lead drum passage riding above and putting a fret-board work-out to task, embedded in a myriad of riffing. Come to think of it, that's this album simplified and paired down; riffs, and lots of'em.

SUMNER BROTHERS The Hell In Your Mind Couldn't think of a nicer way to remember 2015. While perhaps it's all been said and done before, this album contains enough actually composed music to be called original today. True, you might get a smattering of countless psychedelic blues all stars, yet the Sumner Brothers have approached the masses with some refreshments worth partaking; rarely boring, slightly off put, recalling of camp fire sing alongs when the scouts finally discover the cannabis growing amongst the weeds. Visions of mountain murder sprees, drunken spur of the moment regrettables, twisted nostalgic relationships and foggy recollections of adventure cast the emotional lyrical framework suspended upon simple to complex progressions fed by guitars. Occasionally, the lead work throughout is inspiring, only but a time or two do you encounter much drought, and thankfully it is fleeting. You can almost hear Willie Nelson & 'ol Trigger down at the revival spouting timeless words of wisdom on secondaries like "Lose Your Mind", yet it's the Sumner Brothers gearing down for considerations relating to your mental stability. There's even a little organ in there fleshing out the scene. This is later on in the album, the true fire comes early with true gems such as "Last Night I Got Drunk" with it's hillbilly funeral stomp and swirling leslie. It does get your hopes up early that what will follow is an incredible masterpiece, the brothers however just let you glimpse the enlightenment. The final awakening, they let you decide. No doubt there is magic arising at times; while a bit retro, sounding like the best of some other band which will remain nameless, you have the soaring "Ant Song". The Brothers know, you'll figure it out, even if you're a bit late to the game. A time or too, you wonder what the Sumner Brothers were thinking. The drums, overall most of this music, shuffles between percussion and mere shadow dancing. Sometime that sounds like a kid with a drum machine rips to bandage right off the wound, making you want to holler in pain. Overall, whatever discomfort you feel is salved over by the amount of fine guitar medicine abundant throughout. Henceforth the number "Go This One Alone". More of that riding on the riff, laid back back beat that comes at you at just the right time, as you enter into the maze known as the jam, and the doors open again, and you glimpse the light. The Sumner Brothers are there, helping you fly, and The Hell In Your Mind relents, as the music takes you away. Touche'

ADELE Hello From The Outside You'd not be thought of too badly if you just brushed off this latest single from massively popular sing Adele as just commercial blandness. True, it's almost scripted by the numbers songwriting. Pop music (from the word popular) is often like that; the verses are short, the chorus uplifting, or at least going somewhere, and repeated often. Repitiion is a stable of that world. The first single signifying the return of Adele, maybe somewhat calculated, and safe, but Adele's voice sounds good, at least on this recording. Seems I remember some vocals problems after the work load of her smashing success back what seems like a decade but is more like half of one. The song is seasonally correct, as we're deep into the change of nature with winter coming on, and it's a bit sad, a bit dark, and kinda wistful. Was releasing it at this time calculated as well? In the music industry, such things often are. So I'll be interested to see how strong the work this time around really is, or have we just been given a hope for right at the doorstep of the holidays specifically for the purposes of the sell? Adele had quite a few good songs, a couple of great ones when I first got into her on her last album, and that stuff has stuck around in the conscious of popular music (that often paid for pop thing type label maketing hype yada yada again) ever since. I'll say this song is a good song, to escape the follow-up blues, she's gonna have to have a great one or two in there, just for the market's sake. Adele herself, may not care one way or the other, but I bet she does.

MEMENTO WALTZ Division By Zero New release from the band who brought you Antithesis Of Time (see review above). They start off strong with the multi-faceted Omnicron. It's got plenty of parts, at times tied together nicely, then at the next cue you're left wondering if you haven't stepped into the lair of doom. This album again has plenty of progressive jamming. The jam, and diversity, is a calling card of Memento Waltz. Most of the time it works, sometimes, not so much. Opus Alchemicum is a perfect example. Not bad mind you, I'm yet to hear anything this band does that could be considered near to being "un-listenable". It's just too all over the place, though again, it has its moments. About half way through the song the band starts kicking hard, but only for a minute or so. Some more length to the ripping would serve well. By more I don't mean more tricks of time, funky key integration, or extended meltdowns. You yearn for extension of the heavy riffage, something solid and less fleeting. You almost get it on Europa. It starts off with inside chords that bring you in, then hit you sideways as the parts change, making you pay attention lest life passes you by. In contrast, the following number Achille's Paradox is fine prog metal, but it's on the edge of being too much by the numbers. We've heard this too many times before. Perfection though, rears its head on the stunning Mechdreamer. It's eight minutes and one seconds of proverbial trip city. Perhaps not enough shape shifting for some, but it's pure bliss for those still relevant in the swirling landscapes of the outer avant-garde atmospheres of non-mainstream music. There, your negative diatribes mean nothing. If you could EVER state Memento Waltz could be paired down, truly an oxymoron, the description could be applied to A New Beginning. I found my mind wandering and boredom not too far off. The set finished out with Emphasize, which was rather standard for Memento Waltz. Again, not bad, but not their best. Just a tad too much like other stuff you hear in the genre. The song, as well as the entire album is saved by it's adherence to metallic jazz, trademark of the band. That's generally what people come looking for when they choose Memento Waltz. Division By Zero will probably not disappoint them, yet for the hardcore, it may leave them wanting more.

LONG LIVE PHILBRO AND THE GORE! I remember how stoked me and Kilgore were because Sabbath were doing an album and tour with Ian Gillan on the vocals. Everyone loved Sabbath, and me and gore were big fans of both Deep Purple and Gillan's solo work at this point, probably somewhere 1984 or so. The band gigged in Atlanta and we went. Opening were Night Ranger, who were an odd pairing with Black Sabbath. Not that Right Ranger didn't have rockin' songs and give it all they had. They actually had the crowd pretty good till they broke out 'Motorin' (Sister Christian) and they literally almost got booed off the stage. Gore and I had managed to make it up to the third row by then and we were laughing our asses off. I remember the drummer trying to do his acapello part and shit being thrown on the stage. It was great! Everyone was ready for Sabbath. Lots of people liked the Born Again album, it was more popular than people remember nowadays. They played Trashed, Hot Line and Zero The Hero, as well as the title cut, on 96 Rock in Atlanta fairly regular. I can't remember if the band did Trashed, but I know they did Hot Line and Zero the Hero, as well as Disturbing the Priests at the concert. Seems they might have did Digital Bitch as well. They did well over an hour alone of classic Sabbath tunes, Gillan giving a fresh persepctive to the by then immortal vocal passages. One of the older ones the band set a new high for was Supernaut. Ian fit in quite nicely. The crowd was fantastic and the band was spot on tight that night. We stood right in the front of Iommi and he caught our eyes more than once and gave us long smiles. Gillan had what looked like an indian peace pipe stashed in his front monitor and he'd get it out and hit the side of the stage while the band went into some long jams. A couple times he'd come back out in modified mood with bongos and tear it up. To me it was always a shame Sabbath never did another album with Ian Gillan. You hear how that era of Black Sabbath had some down sides, but overall that is just part of playing in most bands. I hear people say Gillan sounded like shit on that tour but he damed sure didn't in Atlanta. He might had some rough edges but that is metal live vocally overall, part of it's enduring character. I sure do miss Kilgore. He'll be dead five years in January 2016. We saw quite a few concerts together back in those days. I remember bits and pieces, some long sections, of 30+ years ago. When he and I and Philbro played in our own rock n roll band called Theoria. Now Philbro is gone too, October 6th 2015 Mr. Calvin left the human stage. It'll be good in spirit to jam with those two guys again, on the other side, Born Again. Long live the Gore, Long live Philbro, Long live Rock N Roll!

THE WISDOM OF STEELE Scott Steele - The Wisdom Of Steele https://www.facebook.com/scott.steele Because I Am a Man Because I'm a man, when I lock my keys in the car, I will fiddle with a coat hanger long after hypothermia has set in. Calling the AAA is not an option. I will win. Because I'm a man, when the car isn't running very well, I will pop the hood and stare at the engine as if I know what I'm looking at. If another man shows up, one of us will say to the other, "I used to be able to fix these things, but now with all these computers and everything, I wouldn't know where to start." We will then drink a couple of beers, as a form of holy communion. Because I'm a man, when I catch a cold, I need someone to bring me soup and take care of me while I lie in bed and moan. You're a woman. You never get as sick as I do, so for you this is no problem. Because I'm a man, I can be relied upon to purchase basic groceries at the store, like milk or bread. I cannot be expected to find exotic items like "cumin" or "tofu." For all I know, these are the same thing. Because I'm a man, when one of our appliances stops working, I will insist on taking it apart, despite evidence that this will just cost me twice as much once the repair person gets here and has to put it back together. Because I'm a man, I must hold the television remote control in my hand while I watch TV. If the thing has been misplaced, I may miss a whole program looking for it...though one time I was able to survive by holding a calculator...(applies to engineers mainly). Because I'm a man, there is no need to ask me what I'm thinking about. The true answer is always either sex, hunting, sex, cars, sex, tractors, sex, fishing, sex, sports or sex. I have to make up something else when you ask, so don't ask. Because I'm a man, I do not want to visit your mother, or have your mother come visit us, or talk to her when she calls, or think about her any more than I have to. Whatever you got her for Mother's Day is okay; I don't need to see it. And don't forget to pick up something for my mother, too. Because I'm a man, you don't have to ask me if I liked the film. Chances are, if you're crying at the end of it, I didn't...and if you are feeling frisky afterwards...then I will certainly at least remember the name and recommend it to others. Because I'm a man, I think what you're wearing is fine. I thought what you were wearing five minutes ago was fine, too. Either pair of shoes is fine. With the belt or without it, looks fine. Your hair is fine. You look fine. Can we just go now? Because I'm a man, and this is, after all, the 21st century, I will share equally in the housework. You just do the laundry, the cooking, the cleaning, the vacuuming, and the dishes, and I'll do the rest.... like wandering around in the garden with a beer, wondering what to do. This has been a public service message for women to better understand men. The Mighty Steele has Spoken! IP Address

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