Five Albums That Changed My Life: Brad Lehmann of Maylene and the Sons of Disaster

Last month Maylene and the Sons of Disaster released 'IV,' their latest collection of Southern-tinged metal madness. The record's storyline finds the band as renegade outlaws from a 1920s gangster/prohibition era real-life crime family. It's the kind of lyrical bent that would make for a fantastic feature film. Maylene and the Sons of Disaster will be wreaking havoc on tour with post-hardcore vets Thursday starting on Nov. 23rd at Irving Plaza in NYC. Bassist Brad Lehmann took some time out of his schedule to take part in Noisecreep's 'Five Albums That Changed My Life' series.

1. 'Get a Grip,' Aerosmith (1993)

"In 1993 I was 11-years-old. My album collection at that time consisted of two "Weird" Al Yankovic tapes and some old Barbara Streisand vinyl my parents had. My older sister (being 13 at the time) introduced me to Aerosmith via MTV and the first single off the 'Get a Grip' record, 'Livin' on The Edge.' There's a lot of adult subject matter in that video, and at 11 years of age, most of it flew way over my head. What I did take away from the video, is that Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry is the coolest person on the face of the planet. My sister soon bought a copy of 'Get A Grip' and it was quickly worn out in my household. Soon after, my parents bought me a guitar and I learned the pentatonic scale in hopes of becoming Joe Perry... it never happened."

2. 'Punk in Drublic,' NOFX (1994)

"The first time I ever heard NOFX was off one of those 'Punk-o-Rama' compilations that they used to give you with a pair of Vans. Up until that point, I had been getting my music solely from MTV or the radio. I bought 'Heavy Petting Zoo (the current release at that time in 1996) and worked my way back through their catalog. Then I found 'Punk in Drublic.' This is the absolute best that a new-school punk record can sound; it's catchy, smart, and poignant. This record is so good, if you're in a crappy band that covers any song off this record, I will automatically like your band 10% more."

3. 'Perversity Is Spreading... It's About Time!,' I Spy (1998)

"Released in 1998, 'Perversity Is Spreading... It's About Time' clocks in at 37 minutes, with a whopping 25 songs. This record has the content of an ethics class delivered with the grace of a pipe bomb. Social, political, and angry (and Canadian too). To a high school kid very concerned with who and what is "lame" at the time, this record attacked me like a tomahawk. There is a narrative within some of their songs to get the message across, but they still leave you with the finger of blame being pointed directly at the listener for the state of society as a whole."

4. 'Good Mourning,' Alkaline Trio (2003)

"Matt Skiba writes what we're all feeling but no one is saying. His lyrics and melody are written in a way that is so smart and clever, and delivered in such a way that if you're too punk for pop, or too pop for punk, you can still sink your teeth in. The song 'All on Black' off this record is by far the best song ever written that uses a gambling term.... so, suck it Kenny Rogers"

5. 'Hide Nothing,' Further Seems Forever (2004)

"This album literally changed my life when I was 21-years-old. Through a series of circumstances, I ended up on tour selling merchandise for Further Seems Forever during the 'Hide Nothing' album cycle. That was my very first taste of touring life and this record became the soundtrack to my infancy of a life on the road. The talent and knowledge within that band was immense. They were a bunch of salty road dogs training a puppy. Seven years later, when I listen to this record, I feel 21 again, just with a different band, in a different van, going to a different show."