Rock music is one of the most popular music genres, but at the same time it is one of the most misunderstood genres by the general public. Some people say that rock music is too heavy, strong, and loud. Others think it is related to the antichrist or Satanism. However, machos who have long hair or play distorted sounds on their electric guitar is not all there is to rock music. It originated from blues and country music, and was influenced by various music genres, such as classical, jazz and folk music. Nowadays, rock music has widely developed itself, and includes various subgenres such as hard rock, progressive rock, heavy metal, punk, hardcore, nu metal, grunge, and Britpop.

 Does it seem too hard to understand? Don’t worry. To help you enjoy this summer with cool rock and roll music, the Granite Tower (GT) has prepared some great rock and metal albums that released recently. All of them are good enough to satisfy both music maniacs and general listeners. Next, we will introduce some important live shows and festivals that will be held this summer and in the latter half of this year. If you listen to the recommended albums and go to the shows introduced below, you might find yourself quickly falling in love with passionate and energetic rock music!

Recommended Albums
Food Fighters - Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace (2007)
If you have ever watched the comedy movie Tenacious D, you may remember the devil that is defeated by JB and KG in the rock-off. Dave Grohl, the vocalist and the guitarist of the Foo Fighters, acted the part of the devil. He was a drummer for Nirvana, but formed the band, Foo Fighters, in 1995 after the death of Nirvana’s front man Kurt Cobain. The album Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace is the sixth studio album by the band and peaked at #1 in many charts all over the world. The singles The Pretender and Long Road to Ruin were also big hits. In the album, the band harmonizes their rough style with musical maturity. It was successful not only in various markets but also critically; this year, the band received Grammy Awards for Best Hard Rock Performance (The Pretender) and Best Rock Album (Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace).

Arch Enemy - Rise Of The Tyrant (2007)
 Some people still have a prejudice against extreme metal, such as death metal, black metal, and doom metal. They associate this type of music with the devil or Satanism. It is true that in rare incidents members of a few bands have killed each other or set churches on fire, but most of the bands do not commit crimes or follow Satan. If you have never listened to extreme metal, the album Rise of the Tyrant is a good place to start; because it is brutal but melodically beautiful at the same time. The front woman Angela Gossow shows great talent as a brutal vocalist, and the guitarists make splendid melody lines with strong riffs. Blood On Your Hands, Revolution Begins, and Vultures are the best tracks on the album. Do you want to vent all of your pent-up energy by listening to a loud but beautiful sound? Then, don’t hesitate to pick up the album Rise of the Tyrant; it will plunge you head first into the world of heavier, stronger music.

Dream Theater - Greatest Hits (…And 21 Other Pretty Cool Songs) (2008)
Dream Theater is a progressive American metal band, famous for its technical proficiency, complex song structure and complete harmony. Over the last 22 years, Dream Theater has become one of the most influential bands in the world of progressive metal. Greatest Hit (…And 21 Other Pretty Cool Songs) is the first best-of compilation album tracking the history of the band; it includes not only hit songs but also rare radio edits, B-sides and three remixed versions of Pull Me Under, Take The Time and Another Day. Comparatively ‘short’ songs are selected from the band’s studio recordings, so even beginners can approach this music without confusion (Many of Dream Theater’s songs are more than 10 minutes, and sometimes even 12 minutes long). Although the album does not include several important songs in the band’s history, the album gives us an opportunity to observe the development of progressive metal music for old fans, and to enjoy the essence of Dream Theater music for beginners.

Rock Festivals and Concerts
Nine years ago, world-famous bands like Deep Purple, Rage Against The Machine, The Pridigy, and Dream Theater came to Korea to perform on the stage of an international rock festival called Triport Rock Festival. However, the festival was cancelled on the second day, due to heavy rain. It remains a nightmare in many Korean rock fans’ memory. Seven years later, the festival was revived as the Pentaport Rock Festival. After the success of the last two years, the festival became the biggest international rock festival in Korea. This year, the festival will be held on July 25th, 26th and 27th in Incheon. Although, the full lineup has not been announced yet, Travis and Underworld will definitely perform on the stage. Travis is a British folk rock band, and Underworld is a British electronic music duo; both of them are predicted to be headliners on separate days.
It is alleged that another big festival called Summer Breeze is scheduled to be held this summer. The lineup and detailed information has been hidden under a veil until now, but Panic! At the Disco is planning to perform at the festival. For fans who want heavier and louder music, the Busan International Rock Festival will be held on Dadaepo Beach in Busan, on July 2nd and 3rd. Even better is that enjoying the festival is totally free of charge.
In addition to the festivals, live performances by great bands are expected in the latter half of 2008. Metal fans are on their toes with excitement, waiting for Judas Priest’s live performance that will be held this September. Judas Priest is a legendary heavy metal band, also known as Metal Gods that have influenced numerous metal bands both directly and indirectly. The show will be part of the world tour called ‘Nostradamus,’ and it will be the first time this band has ever visited Korea. The date and location have not been announced yet. Moreover, there will be one more metal show for Korean head bangers this year. American thrash metal band Testament plans to perform in Korea on October 14th, at the Seoul Fashion Art Hall. Last year, Testament played as a sub-headliner at the Pentaport Rock Festival, and recently released a new album, ‘The Formation of Damnation’.