Jesse Leach's Check Your Head

I have lost sleep stressing about how I was going to make ends meet. I have had ups and downs in my marriage and relationships. I have lost dear friends and lost touch with others. However, as I look back on my life and reflect, I feel a strong sense of understanding and purpose.

I firmly believe everything we go through, all of our struggle and suffering, has a reason — a lesson, if you will. It is difficult when you are currently in a tough spot to see outside of your situation and reflect. Often times, when we push through and persevere, we have clarity and perspective. I find that perspective is so important and very necessary for personal growth.

The feeling of helplessness and desperation clouds our judgement and perspective but these feelings are also necessary and life changing. The process of being humbled (or even brought to your knees in some cases) by a situation forces you to realize your strengths and weaknesses.

The most important thing I have been able to take with me from all I have been through is understanding fear. Fear drives many people whether it is a lack of fear, a respect for fear or being overtaken and controlled by fear.

People who claim to lack fear may not have a true understanding of what fear is (I’ll get to that in a moment). People who are overtaken and controlled by fear haven’t learned to embrace and understand their own strengths and weaknesses. Lastly, people who know fear, understand fear but are not ruled by it are living a genuine and grounded life. Those who claim to not have any fear are not being honest with themselves.

Fear is not just being “scared” or intimidated by a situation. Fear is also tied to reverence or respect. It reminds me of those T-shirts I have seen on guys that say “No Fear” when in actuality (on an intellectual level) the real “manly” phrase would be “Know Fear.” Know thine enemy. To have knowledge of fear is to understand fear and thus, have a respect for it and thus, not be intimidated by fear (or posture like you have none, which is impossible as humans).

Can you stand in the face of death, death of a loved one or the mortality of self and not be effected? There is a hidden fear even in the most fearless of us…I could go on. There are many examples I could pose to you (the reader) to prove my point, but I digress. It’s what I don’t say here that will spark the contemplation of what I have written.

To bring this article full circle, we come to laughter. What an amazing and beautiful thing laughter is. My sense of humor has been a great tool for me to cope and ease the pressure in my life. Whether its laughter among friends, laughter when watching a movie, a comedian, your favorite show or perhaps, more importantly, laughter at oneself, laughter is good medicine — period.

Some of my darkest times in life have led to some of my deepest laughter, in retrospect…now, when I say that, I am using it figuratively as well as literally. I have had moments where I look back and remember the struggle, I remember the pain and I have been able to feel relief and at times, even just sit and laugh…sometimes until the tears come.

I am living proof that you can overcome, you can achieve and pursue your dreams and aspirations. There is hope! I have been to the edge of my sanity, to the point where I seriously considered ending my life due to exhaustion, depression and anxiety. Here I am today, alive and well, living my dream, doing what I love everyday (by the grace of God).

Trust me, laughter literally and figuratively played a huge part in my life…and still does. Just remember no matter what you are going through, “This too shall pass” and when it does, for the love of life, reflect…appreciate and look back. And laugh.

None of us are immune to the struggles of life; none of us are safe from the fears and desires of life. So…embrace it all. Live in the moment and learn from the past. Push forward to the future. Life is fleeting and beautiful; you just have to recognize that it is. You have so much more strength than you think you do. Learn to love yourself and learn to laugh at yourself in humility. Each day is a chance to gain knowledge and experience of this existence. Do not be afraid to take chances, live your life…it is the only one you get on this Earth!

That’s just my two cents.

Thanks for reading and see you on the road friends! Cheers to life in all its joys and pains!

Gorguts

Bummer.

Gorguts have announced four shows for this fall.

A list of those gigs follows at the end of this post.

Gorguts, in case you didn’t know, fucking kick all kinds of ass.

The band recently inked a new record deal with Season of Mist.

The first fruit from that pairing will be released sometime before the end of the year.

Joy! New Gorguts makes me tingle in gornuts.

Gorguts dates:

9/5: Springfield, VA @ Empire
9/6: Raleigh, NC @ Hopscotch Festival
9/7: Wilmington, DE @ Mojo 13
9/8: Worcester, MA @ Palladium

Satyricon

It is as true as the day is long.

Norwegian outfit Satyricon have christened their forthcoming batch of black metal badness.

The name is: Satyricon.

Yup. Self-titled. That’s the worst. I feel like that’s just the lazy way out of the woods, you dig?

Also today, the band revealed that they have a very special, exclusive show coming up on September 8 at Oslo’s Norwegian National Opera House, where they will perform with Norway’s 55-strong National Opera Chorus.

Now that, I’d like to see. Who’s willing to put me up? I know I have readers in Norway! Don’t be shy, folks. I only snore like a bear when I’m gassy.

The special event is part of the Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival, and fans of both Satyricon and the National Opera Chorus can look forward to a very unique and exciting evening, which coincides with the worldwide release of Satyricon’s ninth studio album.

Says Sigurd “Satyr” Wongraven, the band’s frontman: “Satyricon excels as a band, the bigger the platform is. In Norway, there is no greater stage than the main hall of our new Opera House. There is nowhere better suited to provide the dynamics, power and authenticity to such an occasion than the Opera Choir and Satyricon.

“To us, there is no better way to celebrate with our fans that we are back with our first album in five years. We are also excited to have a couple of special musical friends come and play their part as well. Ladies and gentlemen — welcome!”

Metallica

This way, it’d be done and he wouldn’t actually have to go through the experience of working on it.

I wish I had 20 blogs written for tomorrow, today. But shit doesn’t work that way. I may not be making sense; there’s a reason for that. My head is pounding, and I have a hard time thinking when it feels like someone’s in my brain, chiseling their initials into the inside of my skull.

Fucking rad.

So, yeah — Metallica’s James Hetfield and bassist Robert Trujillo both spoke with Billboard.com about the progress they’re making on the next album, which won’t be out until 2015.

“I want it done yesterday,” Hetfield said, “and [Metallica's second Orion Music + More festival] and [the upcoming 3D] movie [‘Through The Never’] is keeping us pretty busy at this point and it’s taking a lot of our time and effort.

“We’ve been touring some obscure places; I guess basically what we’re trying to do is pay for this movie, so the touring is keeping us from getting in there and finishing the record. Right now the focus is on the movie.”

The movie, people. THE MOVIE.

It’s all about the movie and keeping the Hollywood folks happy. Maybe then they’ll make a sequel. P.S. I can’t wait to see the Metallica film…when it’s on HBO and I don’t have to buy a ticket for it.

Hetfield continued: “We got out into the room and jammed and we’ve come up with enough material for a record, for sure. We’ve gone through maybe one-tenth of the material that’s on our riffs CDs. We’ve got enough for an album, we just haven’t had enough time to really focus on it and dial in and start whittling it into these masterpieces, hopefully.”

...because I couldn't find a picture of Harm Wülf

They’re a Philadelphia hardcore outfit boasting Blacklisted’s G. Hirsch.

The band’s just signed a deal with Deathwish Records.

Look for Harm Wülf’s first release this summer.

“From a vagabond spirit rooted within dissimilar worlds, but both yielding a dim outlook, Harm Wülf perpetuates a vagabond emotiveness; a non-complacent style of America,” says a press release.

Can anyone translate that for me?

“Fusing elements from multiple genres and eras into something both classic and contemporary, Harm Wülf is the bedroom musical entity of G. Hirsch,” says the release.

Deathwish has released a track from the band’s album There’s Honey In The Soil So We Wait For The Till, called “Spectrum Blues.”

Listen to it below.

Sanctuary

The label announced the signing this morning, while I was at work. I would have posted this news sooner, but…I gotta pay the bills, children.

The Seattle metal band reunited in 2010 with four of the founding members and they played some shows.

Those shows turned into songs, and now, the band’s preparing to start tracking their next LP.

A late 2013 release is planned.
 
Said the band’s Warrel Dane, known for his work with Nevermore: “Having been with Century Media since 1995 with Nevermore, it was a very comfortable decision for Sanctuary to sign with them.

“Century Media has a great team that always delivers for all of their bands. I’ve known most of them on a first name basis for many years and I look forward to this new chapter in history.”
 
So, that’s pretty rad. Let’s listen to one of Sanctuary’s best loved tunes now, shall we?

Fuck The Facts

Be careful…this song might bite!

Fuck The Facts’ new track is called “L’enclume et le marteau,” and is pretty fucking insane, if you ask me.

Typical Fuck the Facts fare, so if you’re a fan, you’re about to cream your shorts.

The song will appear on the group’s upcoming EP Amer, which is due in stores June 18.

Let me know what you think of the track. I’m curious if you folks dig it as much as I do.

Kayo Dot

No. OK, well…fuck you then.

At the end of this post, you will find those 13 minutes of unfettered audio from Kayo Dot, who plan to release a double album later this year called Hubardo.

The album, the band says, will pay homage to the various styles the group have experimented with over the year.

Pre-order the album here.

Rob Zombie

Since then, Rob Zombie has come forward with a statement on Phil’s death.

“Well, I heard rumors of this a few days ago but I wasn’t sure if they were true or not. But it seems that one of our former drummers for White Zombie has died,” says the compassionate Zombie.

“Phil Buerstatte who was in the band for about two years 1992-94 was found dead this weekend,” writes Zombie, obviously distraught.

His heart-felt words continued: “Phil was a very troubled guy during his time with us and I never really knew what happened to him after he left the band. The few stories I heard were not good. He played on three recording with us in his brief time, ‘Feed The Gods’ on The Airheads Soundtrack, ‘Children of the Grave’ and ‘I Am Hell’ from the Beavis and Butthead soundtrack.”

You can tell Rob’s pretty broken up about this.

No cause of death has been revealed.

Red Fang

I awoke this morning to no hot water. Fucking rad.

I took a shower so cold, my penis retracted into my torso. Where my cock once stood tall, there’s now a belly-button like hole with a pair of shrunken balls.

No one ever feels clean after a rushed, freezing cold shower, and now, I am already at work, miserable as always.

I hope the dudes in Red Fang are having a better day.

The band’s just announced that they’ve wrapped up the recording of their third full-length album for Relapse Records.

Producer Chris Funk oversaw the sessions while Vance Powell mixed the bastard.

“We’re hyper excited about this new album. The basic tracks are like rabid monkeys we’re wrangling at Type Foundry in our hometown of Portland, OR. Producer Chris Funk has almost been amputated twice. Surprise guests abound! We’re in the final moments before all systems are go on this sucker. Dig people!”

Look for that new one to hit stores this fall.