Classic Spins with Marc Durkee

Marc Durkee

There are so many different cool places in the Great White North.

Interestingly enough, this is my second article on a Canadian and I'm presently listening to The Great White North by Bob & Doug McKenzie. 

This all just happens to be a series of happy coincidences.

Also, in another coincidence, Marc Durkee is another progressive metaller, but he's from the other side of Canada. 

Hailing from Nova Scotia, he's been making music but now he's releasing it under his own name.

Check that stuff out on BANDCAMP and read more below.

1. My favorite kind of album is the concept album. The Wall is my absolute favorite. Beyond the amazing songs, it has spectacular nostalgia for me. What's your favorite one and why?

I also have a great love for concept albums, so much so that it's almost impossible to pick one. I'm a massive Coheed fan, which makes it a bit easier - my favourite of theirs is their third full-length Good Apollo: I'm Burning Star IV: From Fear Through The Eyes Of Madness. 

There's a band from Canada called Boys Night Out that released a really cool one called Trainwreck, that's another classic for me.

2. My very first album was Live Evil b Black Sabbath. Since then I've had a strong affinity for the live record, even if they're a bit fake. KISS set the bar with Alive!. Surely, it was fake, but it's got the best concert feel of anyone.

Tell me about your favorite live record?

When I was a teenager, I would blast Metallica's S&M album on repeat non-stop for hours. Though yes, that's definitely another one that has tons of overdubs and edits after the fact. 

I haven't gotten into many live albums in recent years, but that one was an important one for me.

3. There are a great number of records I've turned to for my moods. What do you listen to when you're angry? Sad?

That's what music is all about for me. Katatonia's albums are fantastic for all ranges of dark emotions, my favourite being The Great Cold Distance. 

Also, TesseracT's second full-length album Altered State always takes me on a journey. That's probably why those are 2 of my absolute all-time favourite albums.

4. One of my friends laughs at me, routinely, for loving the Misfit Toys of albums by major bands. Lulu by Metallica and Lou Reed, Carnival of Souls by Kiss, Diabolous En Musica by Slayer, etc. 

What's the strange one that you love?

Probably ReLoad by Metallica. 

I was young when it came out, so it's somewhat forgivable - bit still to this day it's one of my favourite eras of Metallica.

5. It's almost fashionable to release live versions of albums or re-record the old ones. King Diamond is releasing a concert with Abigail front to back. Roger Waters has done The Wall twice. 

Which ones do you have in your collection?

Live Scenes From New York by Dream Theater, where they did the entire Scenes From A Memory album with the cheesy visual accompaniment in the background of the show. 

That's another one I jammed a lot as a kid.