That changes a lot, I discover new bands almost every day (past and present). I’ve been getting into a band called Colosseum and their album War Dance. I’ve also been listening to Ron Jarzombek’s materiel beyond Watchtower and Blotted Science, Spastik Ink and his live DVD with Marty Friedman have been a favorite of mine.
I like to go back and listen to albums I’ve overlooked, one being Rush’s Counterparts, Slayer’s Diablous in Musica and Sacred Heart from Dio. Even though these were considered some of those band’s lesser works compared to the more classic albums, I always find something to appreciate about them and generally I love listening to a musician’s progress through time and hearing all the great and possibly bad things they did. I learn a lot from what I hear on a record, so usually I’ll go back and study everything a musician has put out even, if it’s considered terrible by fans or critics.
One other obsession of mine are live bootlegs, especially with bands like Metallica and Slayer. Hearing the uncut, unedited raw quality brings new insight to the bands the influence me. Like with the records, I learn a lot from a live recording, so I listen to almost every band’s live set and really listen with a detailed ear. It’s better to do it at the actual shows, but since I wasn’t born in the ’80s; the closest I can get is a soundboard, crowd recording or YouTube. I’d say among all things, listening to live recording has been my biggest obsession for the last few months. Megadeth, Pink Floyd, Dio, Black Sabbath, Gorguts, Suffocation, The Faceless, Obituary, Naked City, Kraftwerk and Havok are some of my favorites to listen to in a live perspective.
Hemotoxin’s new album, Biological Enslavement, will be released in April via Unspeakable Axe Records. For more information on Hemotoxin, click here.