Summers always recall those dope-hazy days of high school when three months of freedom seemed to stretch out like a John Bonham drum-solo. During the summer our music of choice usually wasn’t the heavier stuff – well, maybe a little “Master of Puppets” or “Number of the Beast”. But even the mighty Slayer generally took a back seat in the summer to something with more of an AC/DC beat. You know – something with that back beat, you can’t blues it? You know what I’m saying? I’m talking about when “Heavy Metal” was still synonymous with “Rock and Roll”. Remember when you could tell someone that you were into the new Scorpions or Van Halen album without fear of derision? Yeah, well…those days are kinda gone, but I remember them, dammit. I may have gone around school for nine months with pentagrams and upside-down crosses scratched across the surface of every book, Pee-Chee© and sleeveless denim jacket I owned – loudly and proudly screaming out lyrics such as “The ghosts of sin/Torment the priests/Their altar will soon be destroyed/Heaven’s palace turning black/The church now belongs to the dead” (©1984 Slayer) as if I were some satanic tourette’s victim, but come summer it was out with the Motley Crue and Twisted Sister. That’s right – from June through August blasting out of Dan’s diesel-powered Chevette’s stock speakers would more than likely be “Blackout” or “Women and Children First” or at least some Ozzy—“The Ultimate Sin” was big in the summer of ‘86. Somehow, driving down Pacific Avenue in Tacoma with the windows rolled down and the rock ‘n’ roll noise pollution of “Shout At The Devil” blaring out for everyone else’s annoyance just made sense in the summertime.

Of course, come autumn and the bleaker months, the dark stuff would always creep back in…

But glorious summer was made for rockin’ out, dude. So time to pony up two bucks for the keg and gimme a ride outside of town—I know a guy who’s got some good homegrown for sale. There’s gonna be a party at the Sandpits tonight and everyone’s invited. Bring along your favorite SUMMER METAL and don’t forget to vote on the poll!