Rock Band Weekly: The Earache Thrash Pack

by Ross Miller { Mar 14th 2008 at 5:00PM }

You'd be advised to buy some throat lozenges before you attempt to sing along to any of this week's Rock Band downloadable tracks. Behold the thrash pack, which in three songs manages to overpower twice as many Grateful Dead tunes.

Earache Thrash Pack (440 Microsoft Points / $5.49)

Blinded By Fear - At the Gates (master) (160 MS Points / $2)
Thrasher - Evile (160 MS Points / $2)
D.O.A. - The Haunted (160 MS Points / $2)

Videos for this week's Rock Band DLC can be found after the break. As usual, the songs should be available Tuesday for Xbox 360 and Thursday for PS3.

Tags: at-the-gates, dlc, evile, harmonix, haunted, rock-band, rock-band-dlc, rock-band-weekly, rockband, the-haunted, thrash

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Fernando Rocker @ Mar 14th 2008 5:05PM

Mandatory Fernando Rocker comment:

Pffff... kids and their music this days. Really, what the fuck is wrong with the world music today? I'm a sad panda.

ChooChooCharlie @ Mar 14th 2008 5:06PM

In this case I agree with you.

Zoesch @ Mar 14th 2008 5:21PM

Oh god, who made you the resident music police? I'm a musician and I work in music too so I listen to pretty much everything and even though I have a preference for Hardcore, Industrial and Metal, you won't find me going "This isn't music" when they release a Mana or Jaguares Rock Band DLC pack. I might not like a band, but that doesn't make their work less music because you say so.

Not only that Fernando, they have called it music for over 28 years, which I take it is about twice your age from your comments.

Rollins @ Mar 14th 2008 5:23PM

Keep doing this - that way, we can see at a glance whether Joystiq readers like the music that's released any given week by checking your post rating.

Case in point - Joystiq readers as a whole have a balanced view towards this pack, as Fernando's rating is neutral.

Now, take Fernando making the same post about NIN; there, you see him voted down into oblivion. Thus, Joystiq readers like NIN.

:)

NoHitHair @ Mar 14th 2008 5:53PM

Zoesch-

Don't be mean to Fernando. I like when he posts - it's usually genuine.

Though I am curious... Was the original post vilifying all metal as a genre or these bands in particular?

Zoesch @ Mar 14th 2008 6:01PM

NoHitHair:

"Pffff... kids and their music this days. Really, what the fuck is wrong with the world music today? I'm a sad panda."

It'd be funny and sincere if it wasn't for At The Gates (And by extension The Haunted) making music since 1990. Even more so if it wasn't for Thrash Metal being a genre from the very early 80's.

You know, as much as I dislike NIN for example (And always wondered why people didn't pay more attention to Skinny Puppy or Frontline Assembly) I won't for a second call them non-music.

capt.strugglebunny @ Mar 14th 2008 6:08PM

Kids? I'm pretty sure D.O.A. has been around since before you were born.

Zoesch @ Mar 14th 2008 6:24PM

It's not D.O.A. the punk band, it's the song D.O.A. by The Haunted... I don't get the annoying tendency from Joystiq writers to break the Songwriter/Artist-Song convention and reversing it.

tmacairjordan87 @ Mar 14th 2008 7:46PM

i'll side with fernando on this one. I love thrash, but i know enough to know those aren't thrash, nor are they listenable. Bring me some real thrash please, like anything from the big thrash bands of the 80s.

tmacairjordan87 @ Mar 14th 2008 7:52PM

actually i take it back, well part of it back. That Evile song is the only one of them close to real thrash.

Tiptup300 @ Mar 14th 2008 9:20PM

If you really want to say what you want and show Harmonix. Vote at

http://unspun.amazon.com/Most-Wanted-Artists-to-Be-DLC-in-Rock-Band/list/show/14562

.

Seriously, we need thousands of people to vote to show Harmonix EXACTLY what WE want.

ToRo @ Mar 20th 2008 11:18PM

Yeah I know. No classic rock this week etheir... :(

ChooChooCharlie @ Mar 14th 2008 5:07PM

So is it the "Thrash Pack" or the "Trash Pack"? I see both in the post.

Moffka @ Mar 14th 2008 10:35PM

I would go with the Trash Pack based on the Garbage for next week.

XanthouS @ Mar 14th 2008 5:08PM

Well fudge. When that list of DLC tracks got hacked, I was really hoping "D.O.A." was a Foo Fighters track.

These songs aren't really my cup of tea, but they'll quell the cravings for disgustingly difficult guitar tracks people have been wanting. I'm still pumped up about this week's tracks (Serj and Shockwave especially).

Moffka @ Mar 14th 2008 5:13PM

I knew this day would come and it sure is sad.

I guess singers will be left out in all of these songs.

Damn that music sucks balls.

Ronshatmycarl @ Mar 14th 2008 5:16PM

Are they trying to make us go play GH3? At least their terrible DLC was free this week.

The DLC has taken a dive in general the past couple of weeks. I haven't bought a song in a long time.

AoE @ Mar 14th 2008 5:22PM

Dude, you should check out at least a couple of the grateful dead tracks. They're hella fun to play. "China Cat Sunflower" and "Franklin's Tower" in particular are a lot of fun, no matter what instrument you're playing.

whymog @ Mar 14th 2008 5:49PM

You need to go out on a limb and try some songs you wouldn't normally listen to. I hated the Dead for my entire life (or so I thought) but then I bought last week's Grateful Dead pack and found that yes, they rocked, and yes, their music is very enjoyable.

So try something new for once. After all, that guitar solo on Thrasher sounds amazingly fun - even though I'd never buy their album.

jsn @ Mar 14th 2008 6:05PM

c'mon, any of these songs could be in the last two tiers in GH3 and nobody would complain.

I've never quite understood how people will love a game like GH1/2/3 that has a bunch of songs they've never heard before or wouldn't normally listen too, yet they still have fun playing them and progressing, but they'll view DLC from bands that they've never heard of or styles that they don't immediately like as an abomination... anyway.. there will be a LOT of people buy these simply because they're going to be among the hardest songs in the game and they (and their friends) play for the challenge. Isn't that what these games are about more than beboppin around the house to your favorite tunes?

sandoze @ Mar 14th 2008 6:13PM

I have to agree with the Dead comment. Not a big dead fan but I felt the drums were pretty good (playing on expert), guitar is OK too.. but i prefer drums on any song really.

Tiptup300 @ Mar 14th 2008 9:22PM

That was actually the problem with 3. I knew nearly every song on it, so it wasn't quite as enjoyable.

ark_keeper @ Mar 14th 2008 5:16PM

You title it trash and called it trash in the link....it's THrash.

Jeff Smith @ Mar 14th 2008 5:17PM

I C Wat They did thar !

Ross Miller @ Mar 14th 2008 5:38PM

Erm, that's a typo, and I promise not a Freudian (or is it Fernandian?) slip.

Fernando Rocker @ Mar 14th 2008 5:51PM

AoE @ Mar 14th 2008 5:18PM

lol @ trash pack... Freudian slip there Ross?

miyagi @ Mar 14th 2008 5:23PM

We're sorry, this video is no longer available.

joeyg @ Mar 14th 2008 5:26PM

F'in A!!!! about time some good stuff to play.

\m/

deaftly (Brawl - 1075-0467-4222) @ Mar 14th 2008 5:30PM

I always thought The Haunted were pretty cool at least.

Shagittarius @ Mar 14th 2008 5:35PM

Can't release good songs every week, what would be left to sell us in Rock Band 2: The Search for Curley's Gold.

born2expire @ Mar 14th 2008 5:37PM

as much as i HATE rock band and GH, finally some good music is out for them.

would have prefered to some DRI, Testament, or Scared Reich to The Haunted (At the Gates is when the haunted where good, Dolving is shit).

Zoesch @ Mar 14th 2008 5:40PM

Hahahahahaha only to see people's faces trying to play Surf Nicaragua or Beneath The Wheel (D.R.I. they were so good). Maybe Municipal Waste to see drummers trying to reach the levels of precision and insanity from Witte.

The Haunted is/was good (In fact I love Disfear more than I ever liked At The Gates).

jsn @ Mar 14th 2008 5:45PM

haha, and why do you HATE them?

ark_keeper @ Mar 14th 2008 5:45PM

These songs are going to be ridiculous on both drums and guitar. Should be interesting. I'll probably just get Blinded by Fear though.

born2expire @ Mar 14th 2008 5:56PM

because i hated both Merlin and Simon as a kid.

jsn @ Mar 14th 2008 6:10PM

Born2expire: haha, I got a good laugh out of that one, and I see your point to an extent...but it's a bit extreme. Have you tried them? Is it really because you feel stupid playing a fake guitar? The only people I've found who dislike the game that strongly do so because they can't get over feeling dumb standing there pretending to play a fake guitar...

Zoesch @ Mar 14th 2008 6:32PM

I'm not going to say I hate RB/GH (Although the Merlin and Simon connections, never made those in my hate), but I most definitely didn't get any enjoyment from playing it at a friend's house... and it might have to do with the fact that I'd rather grab my bass or my guitar and play along learning the songs.

Anyway, we know we're the minority here but it doesn't stop me from wishing a bit more variety into the game's music selection

Pro-Truth League @ Mar 14th 2008 5:55PM

People's reactions to this ensure we'll probably never get any black metal, and definitely no viking metal.

I hate you people... and while I hate grating screaming vocals too, I enjoy the music... and I think people who want to hear some REALLY good stuff, should look up some Falkenbach or Almora, or something, on youtube. Good stuff. Shows you what metal really can do.

jsn @ Mar 14th 2008 6:22PM

no way, they know their core audience will always be people who play the game to be challenged and all the crazy fast metal variants will always be go to genre's for that. There will be more metal.. fear not.

KrazyIan @ Mar 14th 2008 6:11PM

At the Gates and The Haunted are made of pure awesome, but how did Evile make the cut? Isnt there a better band to round out the collection?

ThornedVenom (Harley Quinn Defense Force) @ Mar 14th 2008 6:21PM

I'm a big fan of metal, though I'm not particularly fond of death metal, but I think we could all agree that it'd be a pain to play these songs on Hard. =P

ApolloIV @ Mar 14th 2008 6:55PM

Meh these songs aren't the right songs to come from a thrash pack. Could of done a lot better. But let me make this point,
Because you dislike a band, doesn't mean they suck. This is always true except for Fall Out Boy, Nickelback and Limp Bizkit.

drusades @ Mar 14th 2008 7:33PM

I am not a fan of thrash metal but I think it is good to see that they are releasing songs by more obscure artists. It gives me hope that some of my favorite lesser-known artists will be put in the game.

forestofdeath @ Mar 14th 2008 7:43PM

the haunted? YAY!!

Youthinized @ Mar 14th 2008 9:01PM

Maybe they'll have a Thrash Pack 02 like they released a 2nd punk pack. And that one would have 80's thrash.

But, I'm not interested in this pack. Not my type of metal. The Dead Pack was awesome and a great buy and the new songs out this week are good. Shock Wave is one helluva fun song.

Srsly people, sometimes you have to try new music. I can't believe people were bitching about .99 cent songs when they are damn good stuff. You can't even buy a damn double cheeseburger at Mickey D's for a dollar without tax!

Ryan @ Mar 14th 2008 10:19PM

Great to see yet another week of Rock Band music that 20% of people will love and 80% of people will hate rather than music everybody at least likes and/or are familiar with. I understand they're chipping away at the specific groups of whining fans wanting their particular favorite Band's music in the game, but this is still very underwhelming stuff. We're talking about EA and MTV here, it's not like they're strapped for cash towards getting popular music.