Blame it on Edgar Winter. It was 1976, and I had just bought my first album at the drugstore down the street. A K-tel compilation that was a complete load of crap. I fucking loved it more than life itself, and for one good reason: "Frankenstein". It was a riff, it was my first, and it was good. A lifelong obsession began: To hunt down and obtain any and all riffs, by any means possible/ By 1982 I was a full on, red-blooded hardcore kid finding refuge in M.D.C. Bad Brains, Faith, Black Flag, G.B.H.. Government Issue, Flipper, Scream, Dead Kennedys, Circle Jerks, Naked Raygun, Minor Threat, Batallion of Saints, Articles of Faith, Husker Du, D.R.I... all the standards. I liked it fast and weird (still do), but I was looking for something heavy. This is where Probot begins. These 11 vocalists were chosen, not randomly, but specifically for their contribution to the underground metal scene around that time. More importantly, for their contribution to my record collection over the years/ VENOM is as fine a place as any to start. Few bands have ever sounded truly haunted. Few vocalists have ever sounded truly posessed. CRONOS sounds both. Go buy "Welcome to Hell", you'll see what I mean. I've seen this man eat raw red meat. For real/ SEPULTURA were to be the next Slayer, if I remember correctly. "Arise", "Chaos A.D." and "Roots" were three of my favorite albums of all time. Something about Max's Brazillian accent ripping trough his throat. They mixed metal with the attitude of punk and hardcore. Heavy as fuck, a drummers delight/MOTORHEAD need no introduction. A rock and roll band that inspired a generation of metalheads, Lemmy has become royalty. A true legend, and a fucking good guy, "Shake Your Blood" is the cornerstone of this album. Much respect/ COC's second record "Animosity" was some seriously ground-breaking shit. A hardcore band from the south that turned into an earth-shattering riff machine, they were at the forefront of what was eventually known as the "Crossover period. Ever stood in front of Mike Dean as he sang those songs? I have. I haven't been the same since. Fucking intense/ The "Rock Against Reagan" show, Washington D.C. 1983. I bought the first DRI 22 song 7 single from Kurt Brecht. They had just blown my mind for a good half an hour, and I needed something to prove to my friends that I had just witnessed the fastest band on earth. My goal in life became to play as fast as that drummer. It never happened/ On tour, 1988, Coventry, England. With nowhere to stay, nothing to eat, and nothing to smoke, my band was taken in by a gracious young lad named Lee Dorrian, who offered us a hard, ice cold floor. I went home and bragged about that shit for weeks. Great guy, have him over for some absinthe 1985, Richmond, VA: I had seen the Obsessed a few times, as they were the
godfathers of the DC metropolitan sludge scene. Local heroes. One of the few bands that punks and rockers could enjoy together. My hardcore band MISSION IMPOSSIBLE had the honor of opening up for them at a small restraunt down by the river. Nothing like loading in and seeing biker chicks in full leather catsuits hanging out waiting for the show. I was 16. The Obsessed blew my mind. Wino still does/ Celtic Frost were like no other. Any band that can go from the dark sickness of "Morbid Tales" to the genius orchestration of "Into The Pandemonium" to the controversial "Cold Lake" in a matter of years was something to behold. No one ever said these were normal people. Go deep, find yourself some HELLHAMMER./ VOIVOD were an obsession of mine from their first album on. "War and Pain" may well be the most thunderous fucking mess ever carved in vinyl. "Roosaaaarr" was the perfect follow up. One song from that album says it all, "Thrashing Rage". Meeting the drummer, AWAY, in Montreal on a Scream tour in 1989 was a huge moment for me. I was playing a 28 inch ride cymbal that night that he wanted to buy. I couldn't bring myself to sell it to him. Doesn't change the fact that he's a badass, as evident on the cover of this fine album. Away always did the Voivod cover art-work, it only made sense that my favorite artist do this one as well. I need to thank him for letting me borrow his singer. Snake rules/ Hearing TROUBLE for the first time was like hearing Sgt. Peppers for the first time. PSALM 9, The Skull, these were albums that became the soundtrack to my life. Eric Wagner's lyrics were greatly inspirational, and no band could drag you thru a beautiful dirge like they could. God bless 'em./ KING DIA MOND is the final track, and for a reason. Have you ever heard anyone that sounds like the King? Me neither. Ever listened to "Melissa"? "Don't Break the Oath"? "Nuns Have No Fun"? "Corpse Without a Soul"? That's all I have to say. The guy is a true legend. A perfect way to cap the record. I can finally die a happy man.
And there it is. 4 years in the making. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do. This album is rooted in the underground, in smoky basements and beer soaked vans. I'd personally like to thank all of these musicians for making my life a better place. Without them, the only liner notes I'd be writing would be on your order at the drive-thru.
HELL YEAH!
Dave Grohl 2003