Occasionally, when you’re out with friends or at a gig, people ask you what your top 10 or top 5 albums are of all time. It’s always a really tricky question to answer because your tastes change and there are millions of ground-breaking records out there.
But for me, whether it’s a Top 5 or Top 10, one record which will always be somewhere in my list, is a self-titled record by a punk / metal band called Amen.
It’s the work of a cult hero called Casey Chaos, who formed the band in 1994. The band has an almost constantly rotating lineup, with founder Casey Chaos remaining as the only constant member throughout. He writes all the music and lyrics, and performs all vocals and instruments (bar drums, since the debut album) for studio recordings.
So why do I like Amen and specifically their debut record back from 1999? Why would it always make my Top 5 or Top 10?
It’s one of those records, which sounds real and raw, it has a virbancy and quality about it, which I’ve never heard since. You really feel the music hit you, no bullshit, auto-tune, slick production, effects – just a guy venting his demons in one take and capturing it in a blistering record. It’s a powerful album, it doesn’t get lost or second-guess itself, its never pretentious or tedious – instead, it bristles and snarls at you with an intensity few can match.
If you’ve not heard it, you are missing out (in my mind) on one of the most under-rated records from the 90’s.
Here’s some interesting info you might not know about this true legend of rock n roll. Firstly, he has worked with legends such as Henry Rollins, Iggy Pop, Rikk Agnew, Sex Pistols, Rozz Williams, and many others. Secondly, he has recorded side projects with: Faust (drums – Emperor/Blood Tsunami), Samoth (guitar – Emperor/Zyklon), Happy Tom and Euroboy (bass and guitar – Turbonegro) called SCUM; Josh Homme (QOTSA) and Nick Oliveri (QOTSA/Mondo Generator) called HEADBAND; Daron Malakian (System of a Down) and Zach Hill called SCARS ON BROADWAY.
Amen have released albums via Roadrunner Records, SonyBMG and Virgin Records, and are now independant.
I firstly met Casey @ in-store signing event, when Amen came to play as part of the Big Day Out Festival in Australia. Just to give you some idea of how amazing that tour was, check out the video filmed live onstage below. (If you can’t see it click here)
Check out from 2.15 onwards!!
AMEN – Mayday (Live att Big Day Out)
We kept in touch via e-mail for about a year, he even put me on the door for the side show with System Of A Down that night (which I already had tickets to obviously haha, so I took an extremely grateful friend).
At the time, a mate of mine back in the UK, had a brother who was really sick in hospital and who was an equally MASSIVE Amen fan. So I told Casey about it and asked him if he could send him an e-mail, just a few lines, some words of encouragement to help him through one of the most difficult periods in his life. I can’t remember exactly what was wrong with the kid, but it was just horrifying reading about all the pain his body was in at such a young age. Truly and utterly heartbreaking.
A few weeks later my friend told me that his brother was in the intensive care ward, when he got a pacakge from Casey, which had a personal note, signed CDs, merch, posters and all this other cool stuff, which had been sent to him direct.
How awesome is that? Now THAT is caring about your fans. Not only is the guy a musical genius and punk icon, he’s also a genuine human-being as well – I have so much respect for the guy for doing that.
Casey Chaos – Official Site
Listen to Amen on MySpace
Watch Amen Videos Here
Wikipedia Amen_(Band)
AllMusic.com Amen
Enjoy – afterall, it’s good to broaden your musical horizons 
Alex
Shaan says:
mate, that was one of my fave albums around the late 90’s early 00’s, sadly I never really got into anything else they released after that. Time to give the new Lamb Of God a spin
Feb 09, 2009, 6:19 PM