grammyIt is common knowledge that the annual Grammy Awards Show and the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS) are absolute trash, especially when it comes to legitimate rock music. Let’s take a quick look at this year’s nominations that contain a semblance of meaning, namely the rock categories, followed by likely winners, as well as those that really deserve to win.

amazon-metallica-death-magneticBest Metal Performance: Metallica has the unalienable right to this award, but Slipknot makes me a bit nervous in this category. If the NARAS does not give it to Metallica then they should have the dignity to award “Best Metal” to Judas Priest. DragonForce would be a gross upset while Ministry has us all wondering how they got this nomination. Finally, the lack of Motörhead’s Motörizer in this category has us thinking, “Are You F*cking Kidding Me?”

  • Heroes Of Our Time
    DragonForce
    [Roadrunner Records]
  • Nostradamus
    Judas Priest
    Track from: Nostradamus
    [Epic]
  • My Apocalypse
    Metallica
    Track from: Death Magnetic
    [Warner Bros.]
  • Under My Thumb
    Ministry
    Track from: Cover Up
    [Megaforce Records]
  • Psychosocial
    Slipknot
    [Roadrunner Records]

amazon-judas-priest-nostradamus1Best Hard Rock Performance: I would love to see Judas Priest take this one, but the NARAS will most likely throw it to Disturbed’s “Inside the Fire.” “Saints of Los Angeles” would be my second choice to Priest. I also loved the Rob Zombie Live album, but they picked arguably the worst track. By the way, where the hell is Alice Cooper?

  • Inside The Fire
    Disturbed
    Track from: Indestructible
    [Reprise]
  • Visions
    Judas Priest
    Track from: Nostradamus
    [Epic]
  • Wax Simulacra
    The Mars Volta
    [Universal Motown]
  • Saints Of Los Angeles
    Mötley Crüe
    Track from: Saints Of Los Angeles
    [Motley Records/Eleven Seven Music]
  • Lords Of Salem
    Rob Zombie
    Track from: Zombie Live
    [Geffen/UMe]

Best Rock Album: Coldplay will win, Death Magnetic should win, and AC/DC’s Black Ice better take this category next year since it was released after the deadline of Sept. 30, 2008. Black Ice may even be up against Chinese Democracy in the 2010 Grammy’s.

  • Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends
    Coldplay
    [Capitol Records]
  • Rock N Roll Jesus
    Kid Rock
    [Atlantic]
  • Only By The Night
    Kings Of Leon
    [RCA Records]
  • Death Magnetic
    Metallica
    [Warner Bros.]
  • Consolers Of The Lonely
    The Raconteurs
    [Third Man/Warner Bros.]

acdc-black-iceBest Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal: AC/DC will definitely take this category with “Rock n Roll Train” if their is any honor on award’s night. Why Coldplay and Radiohead are in a category with rock and roll legends are beyond me. The Kings of Leon…c’mon…seriously? AC/DC’s chance of winning: -10%

  • Rock N Roll Train
    AC/DC
    [Columbia]
  • Violet Hill
    Coldplay
    Track from: Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends
    [Capitol Records]
  • Long Road Out Of Eden
    Eagles
    Track from: Long Road Out Of Eden
    [Eagles Recording Company II]
  • Sex On Fire
    Kings Of Leon
    [RCA Records]
  • House Of Cards
    Radiohead
    Track from: In Rainbows
    [TBD Records]

Best Rock Instrumental: The David Gilmour tune is a great track, but I am pulling for “Suicide & Redemption,” even though it may be the least impressive instrumental that Metallica has ever released.

  • Castellorizon
    David Gilmour
    Track from: Live In Gdansk
    [Columbia]
  • Suicide & Redemption
    Metallica
    Track from: Death Magnetic
    [Warner Bros.]
  • 34 Ghosts I-IV
    Nine Inch Nails
    Track from: Ghosts I-IV
    [The Null Corporation]
  • Hope (Live For The Art Of Peace)
    Rush
    Track from: Songs For Tibet: The Art Of Peace
    [Art of Peace Foundation]
  • Peaches En Regalia
    Zappa Plays Zappa
    [Strobosonic/Razor & Tie Entertainment]

Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance: Award will most likely go to Springsteen like it always does. In my opinion, Sir Paul McCartney shouldn’t get an award for covering his own tune. Eddie Vedder is the coolest rock star in this category, but his solo material is only cool in very small increments.

  • Gravity
    John Mayer
    Track from: Where The Light Is — Live In Los Angeles
    [Columbia]
  • I Saw Her Standing There
    Paul McCartney
    Track from: Amoeba’s Secret
    [Hear Music/MPL Communications Ltd.]
  • Girls In Their Summer Clothes
    Bruce Springsteen
    Track from: Magic
    [Columbia]
  • Rise
    Eddie Vedder
    [J Records]
  • No Hidden Path
    Neil Young
    Track from: Chrome Dreams II
    [Reprise]

Unfortunately, the NARAS has given us little reason to watch the actual Grammy event on Feb. 8, 2009 because most of the categories above (the rock specific ones) are hardly televised. This was an amazing year for hard rock/heavy metal but it seems to be poorly reflected by some of the nominations. While I enjoy Metallica winning awards that they truly deserve [“St. Anger” did not deserve the award in 2004], I would still like to see legends such as Alice Cooper and Motörhead get some respect from the academy.