Probot includes: Wino (vocals, guitar); Lemmy, Cronos (vocals, bass); Max Cavalera, Mike Dean, Kurt Brecht, Lee Dorrian, Tom G. Warrior, Snake, Eric Wagner, King Diamond (vocals); Kim Thayil, Matt Sweeney, Bubba Dupree, Erol Unala (guitar); Dave Grohl (various instruments).
Includes liner notes by Dave Grohl.
Head Foo Fighter Dave Grohl's drum-pummeling on SONGS FOR THE DEAF by Queens of the Stone Age revealed that the rock Renaissance man could indulge in his heavy metal leanings with powerful results. However, Grohl's Probot project takes this passion to even greater heights (and gloomier depths), by presenting collaborations with a different underground-metal vocalist on every track of the self-titled album.
Although many of these frontmen reached creative and commercial peaks with their bands in the 1980s, none have lost their vocal prowess, singing their lyrics over music written and (mostly) performed by Grohl. Standout moments include Max Cavalera (Soulfly/Sepultura) growling on the hard-charging "Red War," Corrosion of Conformity's Mike Dean ranting on the skate-core of "Access Babylon," and Snake of the pioneering prog-thrash band Voivod sneering on the fierce "Dictatosaurus." (Incidentally, Voivod's drummer, Away, contributes his inimitable artwork to PROBOT's cover.) Aided on two songs by former Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil, Grohl truly solidifies this metal tribute on the creepy epic "Sweet Dreams," with the octave-climbing screamer King Diamond, and "Shake Your Blood," a rocked-out track featuring the legendary Lemmy of Motorhead on vocals and bass. Those looking for the catchy rock ditties of the Foo Fighters should be warned--this is full-on, full-blooded metal.
What the critics say…
Rolling Stone (2/19/04, p.67) - 3.5 stars out of 5 - "[A] labor of love seething with spite….Look no further for the year's first great metal album."
Spin (3/04, p.91) - "Grohl squeezes more brilliant moments out of his geographic brethren…" - Grade: B+
Q (3/04, p.110) - 3 stars out of 5 - "The result isn't for the meek, as the most grizzled singers on earth unite to belt out thrash and death metal numbers written by Grohl…"
Magnet (pp.105-6) - "With Probot, Dave Grohl explores his inner metalhead by writing and recording an album's worth of headbanging, throw-your-devil-horns-in-the-air songs."
Mojo (Publisher) (3/04, p.106) - 3 stars out of 5 - "[A]n anti fashion statement that runs from thrash metal to a stoner groove, from classic metal to punkish thuggery."
