Detritus
Issue #503
Week of June 1, 2009
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*** CAST OF CHARACTERS ***
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Patrick Brower, Editor
patrickbrower@...
Sean P. Gahgan, Editor
spgahgan@...
http://www.lakeoffire.net/
http://www.myspace.com/visionlakeoffire
Tim Wadzinski, Owner
tsw512@...
Steve Shumake, Co-owner
vongoober@...
http://www.myspace.com/kdsteve
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*** LET IT BE KNOWN ***
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-The review bonanza continues. We can be prolific little buggers from
time to time. - Tim
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*** PRESS RELEASE #1 ***
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-Design By Hümans Music Series Presents: Kiss!
Design By Hümans is excited to present its newest DBH Music Series
contest partner! Fresh off their "American Idol" performance with Adam
Lambert, let's welcome Kiss!
Celebrating thirty-five years of rockin' the globe, Kiss founders Gene
Simmons and Paul Stanley along with longtime band members, guitarist,
Tommy Thayer and drummer, Eric Singer, vow to bring the Kiss Army the
time honored Kiss spectacular that has made their performances
legendary.
3 lucky winners will receive:
o $1000 Cash
o $250 DBH Store Credit
o $150 Kiss grab bag
Plus 1 of the winners will receive:
o 2 concert tickets
o a meet & greet with the band
o a print of your winning design signed by the band
The awesome Kiss Grab Bag will include cool stuff like games,
collectibles, apparel, and much more!
Oh, one last thing... One of the three winners will receive a pair of
tickets to a Kiss concert with a meet & greet and photo opportunity
with the band members!
Design Guidelines
For this contest we will accept two types of submissions:
1) Art based designs that do not contain any Kiss logos or branding.
AND
2) Designs that contain the Kiss logo as well as other Kiss design
elements.
Winners will be chosen from both categories.
The contest is underway NOW so visit Design By Humans and vote for
your favorite design!
http://www.designbyhumans.com/special_contest/details/20
http://www.kissonline.com/
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*** PRESS RELEASE #2 ***
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-Rob Halford Update
Metal God Rob Halford Launches Metal God Records!
Rob Halford Meeting All NARM Attendees This Summer!
Metal God Entertainment and Rob Halford are pleased to announce the
launch of Metal God Records -- a new music label providing global
physical and digital distribution services for the world's Rock and
Metal performers.
"It's been a long desire of mine to be a co-owner and participate in
the operation of a label focused on supporting the Rock and Metal
communities," explains Rob Halford. "The infrastructure we have been
assembling at Metal God Entertainment now allows myself and other
artists to benefit from Metal God Records' global physical and digital
distribution networks, promotion and marketing services, apparel
products and a broad range of Artist & Repertoire services."
Metal God Entertainment and Rob Halford are also pleased to announce
several new strategic relationships aligned with Metal God Records
beginning with -- ADA Global / Warner Music Group for the world
excluding Japan; which is under license with Sony Music Japan; Canada
operating under license with Conveyor / Universal Music Canada and
beginning July 2009 in the U.S.A. Metal God Records is pleased to
begin a new relationship with Fontana / Universal Music Group.
Metal God Records will debut Halford's CRUCIBLE WORLD TOUR - LIVE IN
ANAHEIM DVD & Blu Ray Fall 2009.
Rob Halford will also be appearing in San Diego, CA at the NARM (The
National Association of Recording Merchandisers) Convention June 7,
2009.
Please visit
http://www.MetalGodRecords.com/ and
http://www.RobHalford.com/ for additional Halford news and release
details.
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-Magic Circle Music Update
The Kingdom Of Steel Online Store Goes On Tour!
Hail brothers and sisters of steel!! The Kingdom Of Steel Online Store
is going on tour!! Exciting new merchandise presently not available
online, along with a wide selection of merch items already posted,
will be featured at the Manowar merch booth at all festivals on the
"Death To Infidels Tour 2009."
The Kingdom Of Steel store / merch booth will be on location at
Provissirock 2009 in Seinajoki, Finland, Hellfest in Clisson, France,
Metalway Festival in Zaragoza, Spain, B'estfest Aftershock in
Bucharest, Romania, Norway Rock Festival in Kvindesal and Magic Circle
Festival III at the Loreley on the Rhine River in Germany.
Due to the tour dates, June 5th will be the last date online orders
will be shipped. Online orders will be accepted after that time with a
shipping date of August 1st. Customer service inquiries will be
available online throughout the tour.
Remember to get your Manowar condoms at the merch booth, so you can
f*ck the world... Safely!
The Kingdom Of Steel Online Store
http://store.magiccirclemusic.com/
Magic Circle Music
http://www.magiccirclemusic.com/
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*** PRESS RELEASE #4 ***
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-Steve Vai To Release NAKED TRACKS Box Set
Exclusively Sold @ Guitar Center; In Stores First Week Of June 2009
HOLLYWOOD, CA -- Steve Vai is set to release his famed NAKED TRACKS on
CD for the first time. Previously only sold on
http://www.vai.com/ and
iTunes as downloads only, Vai wanted to give his fans and players of
all ages something special -- An excellent practice tool for any
guitarist. "Through the years, whenever I would mix my records I would
usually do a mix of specific songs without the lead guitar. This
allowed me to play along with the track or make loops to jam to, and
because I figured perhaps someday maybe others would like to do the
same," explains Vai. "Voila! We have arrived at someday!"
NAKED TRACKS is housed in a special limited edition digi-pack box set.
This series of play-along CDs is designed to help create an atmosphere
of focus so you can shred yourself into a personally-induced
inspirational nirvana. Included in the set are five CDs featuring
backing tracks from the following albums:
• PASSION AND WARFARE
• SEX & RELIGION
• ALIEN LOVE SECRETS
• FIRE GARDEN
• THE ULTRA ZONE
• ALIVE IN AN ULTRA WORLD
• REAL ILLUSIONS: REFLECTIONS
You can download the liner notes, transcripts, tab, lead sheet and
scores all available soon at
http://www.vai.com/nakedtracks . Here Vai
will give the various parameters regarding the key, scale, time
signature and more of each track as well as guitar solo transcripts
and tabs.
Steve Vai is one of the most influential guitarists of our time. The
NAKED TRACKS box set is a testament to his vanguard approach and
creative mind-set. This box set is a must-have for the aspiring
guitarist, the seasoned guitarist and for all Steve Vai collectors.
For more information click on
http://www.vai.com/ or call the Guitar
Center nearest you and find out your stores date of arrival for the
NAKED TRACKS box set! For outside of the U.S.A. go to your nearest
retail store or if you want it NOW download the full version from
http://www.vai.com/ or iTunes.
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*** PRESS RELEASE #5 ***
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-Escape Music News
Escape Music signed new distribution contracts with Inakustik for
Germany and Cargo Records for the U.K. Ilium and Vindictiv are
scheduled for May / June and the new Radiosilence is scheduled for
July 24th.
Ilium - AGELESS DECAY / release: 19.06.2009
Ilium is a melodic power metal band with strong roots in the classic
heavy metal sound as purveyed by the likes of Iron Maiden, Black
Sabbath and Judas Priest, from Newcastle, Australia. The band has
already released three albums and is currently poised to release their
fourth album AGELESS DECAY on Escape Music. This album is the last to
feature vocalist Lord Tim, Ilium have recorded their fourth album,
entitled AGELESS DECAY with vocalist Mike DiMeo, a legend in metal
circles being the longest serving vocalist for New York legends Riot
before succeeding Jorn Lande as the lead vocalist for Roland Grapow's
post-Helloween project Masterplan. The album will be mixed and
mastered by the Danish power metal legend Tommy Hansen, who
practically wrote the book on power metal production with the
godfathers of the genre, Helloween.
Vindictiv - GROUND ZERO / release: 26.06.2009
The Basis of Vindictiv started in early 2004 and is the brainchild of
Stefan Lindholm. At an early stage Stefan contacted keyboard maestro
Pontus Larsson and they started to work on some of the songs Stefan
had laid down. They recorded a demo with Tommy Karevik (Seventh
Wonder) and guitarist Johan Larsson (Johan And Tommy Band). The result
was the 2005 demo and it met with some great reviews in Sweden's rock
magazines. However, Johan and Tommy decided to move on but Stefan
managed to contact respected singer Goran Edman (Yngwie Malmsteen,
Karma, etc.) and, as he liked the songs, he put his heart and soul
into making them fantastic. Bass player Nalle Pahlsson (Zan Clan,
Treat) joined the already impressive lineup and through Goran they got
in touch with drummer Mikael Wikman, who played on the debut (ESM164).
Zoltan Csorsz has since taken the stool and his fantastic drumming can
be heard on GROUND ZERO.
http://www.escape-music.com/
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*** PRESS RELEASE #6 ***
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-Lacuna Coil Announces Headlining North American Summer Tour
Italy's greatest musical export, Lacuna Coil, will make its triumphant
return to North America on July 7th embarking on a five-week
headlining trek with Kill Hannah, Seventh Void and Dommin. The much
anticipated tour also marks the group's first headliner of North
America in over two years, so it is definitely going to be a must see
event. Lacuna Coil diehard fans can rejoice as this will be your
chance to finally see the band perform an hour plus set consisting of
many new tracks from SHALLOW LIFE, alongside some older classics. Be
sure to visit the band's official MySpace page or see below to view
their complete touring itinerary.
Andrea Ferro (vocals) further states: "We just got back from the great
adventure that was the 'Music As A Weapon IV' tour in the States and
let me tell you: our fans are the best! Regardless of these hard times
with the economy, they were out there night after night to support
live music, ready to rock out and have a good time! We couldn't have
asked for a better start for the SHALLOW LIFE touring cycle and we
really want to take the time to thank Disturbed and all of the
traveling parties to make it such a great ride. June is coming and
we're getting ready for the summer festival madness around Europe and
to embrace all of our European fans and friends. We're gonna debut
some new songs together with our old material and it's gonna be
awesome!
"Shortly after that, we'll be back in North America for the first leg
of the 'American Spellbound Tour.' We will be hitting a lot of towns
and territories that we weren't able to on MAAW and sharing the stage
with old time friends Seventh Void, our new friends Kill Hannah and
Dommin. We are looking forward to having a blast as always in the U.S.
and are sure you will too. Make sure to get your ticket soon and be
ready to rock!"
Lacuna Coil has returned with the massively anticipated, new full-
length release, SHALLOW LIFE, and has undoubtedly proven that it is
one of hard rock's most revered artists as the album debuted at #16 on
the Billboard Top 200 chart. This impressive position marks the band's
highest Billboard chart entry, as well as the highest Billboard debut
in the history of Century Media Records. The new effort was recorded
with acclaimed producer Don Gilmore (Linkin Park, Pearl Jam) at the
famed NRG Studios in Los Angeles.
Lacuna Coil recently completed a stunning new video for the Active
Rock smash hit "Spellbound" that was shot in its hometown of Milan,
Italy at the world famous Dolce & Gabbana nightclub Gold. The clip was
directed by Saku, produced by Apnea Film and wardrobe was also
provided by Dolce & Gabbana. Click on the link below to check it out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_VS2B48c24&feature=channel_page
Also be sure to check out a new video interview with LACUNA COIL from
SynHERgy Metal at SkullNBones.com!
http://www.skullsnbones.com/profiles/blogs/synhergy-metal-interview
Lacuna Coil
With Kill Hannah, Sventh Void and Dommin
06/04 Street Festival El Paso, TX
06/06 Diamond Ballroom Oklahoma City, OK
06/07 Beaumont Club Kansas City, MO
06/08 Electric Park Ballroom Waterloo, IA
06/10 Intersection Grand Rapids, MI
06/12 Station 4 St. Paul, MN
06/14 Wilma Theater Missoula, MT
06/15 Knitting Factory Spokane, WA
06/17 Knitting Factory Boise, ID
06/18 Roseland Portland, OR
06/19 Neumo's Seattle, WA
06/21 Last Day Saloon Santa Rosa, CA
06/22 House Of Blues Los Angeles, CA
06/24 House Of Blues Las Vegas, NV
06/25 The New Oasis Sparks, NV
06/26 Senator Theatre Chico, CA
06/27 Slim's San Francisco, CA
http://www.lacunacoil.it/
http://www.myspace.com/lacunacoil
http://www.youtube.com/lacunacoil
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*** PRESS RELEASE #7 ***
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-Metaltix Newsletter
[Note: This is an excerpt of the latest Metaltix newsletter. - Tim]
Rock, Metal and Gothic in the shadow of the "Blocksberg"
From the 9th to the 11th of July 2009, the Rock Harz Open Air Festival
will be the meeting point of the Rock, Hard rock, and Gothic fans
again. On the new festival ground, the picturesque airport in
Ballenstedt/Harz, the Rock event in the Harz mountains already
presents itself for the 16th time.
The Harz is the most mystic and obscure mountain in Germany. The
legend has it that one time in the year, all the witches and demons of
the world come to that place to celebrate a big feast on the highest
mountain of the Harz, the famous "Brocken" or "Blocksberg" as it is
called.
The organizers of the Rock Harz invite their guests to celebrate a
much bigger feast consisting of Rock and Metal in the shadow of this
legendary place.
This year the camping ground will be close to the stage areas for the
first time. This will ensure short distances and a maximum of comfort
for the visitors.
About 40 bands will play on the two open air stages over three days.
Also internationally renowned artists of the genre will take part.
Bands: A.O.K., ARCH ENEMY, ASP, BATTLELORE, COPPELIUS, CRIPPER, DARK
TRANQUILLITY, DIE SCHRÖDERS, EPICA, ERSTE ALLGEMEINE VERUNSICHERUNG,
FIDDLER'S GREEN, GRAVE DIGGER, HEAVEN SHALL BURN, HEIDEVOLK, INGRIMM,
J.B.O., KORPIKLAANI, LEGENDA AUREA, LYFTHRASYR, MEGAHERZ, MOONSPELL,
NACHTGESCHREI, SCHANDMAUL, SUIDAKRA, TANKARD, TROLLFEST, UNHEILIG,
W.A.S.P., 3 Bands WACKEN METAL BATTLE Finale GERMANY & more!
http://www.rockharz.com/
Tickets
http://www.metaltix.com/item_list.php?item_cat=2011
Queens Of Metal Open Air 2009
18th to 20th of June 2009 in Kleinwenkheim (Germany, between Frankfurt
and Nuremberg)
The QOMOA which made itself a name with its fair prices, its relaxed
atmosphere and the nice festival area located in a forest, will take
place for the fourth time in 2009. After the consistent increase of
the number of visitors from about 750 in the first year to about 2,000
in the third year, this time there will be a limit of 2,200 visitors.
So it would be a good idea to buy tickets in time. You can order the
weekend ticket online at Metaltix or at the festival homepage for only
28€ plus pre-sale-charge. Camping and parking will be for free. Worth
to be mentioned is also the above average sound quality for the
complete festival ground and the premium selection of food, which can
be seen on the festival homepage. To begin with the "Bratwurst," baked
fish, "Jägerschnitzel" up to mozzarella sticks and many more, you will
find a wide range of fine food, which will be prepared freshly and are
sold for small prices. The price for 0.5l of beer will be 2€, so it's
hardly worth to bring your own beer.
Bands: John Oliva's Pain (USA), Illdisposed (DEN), Misery Index (USA),
Tankard (GER), Neaera (GER), Dream Evil (SWE), Cataract (CH), Sacred
Steel (GER), Fueled By Fire (USA), Powerwolf (GER), Whitechapel (USA),
Witchburner (GER), Enemy Of The Sun (GER/FIN), Hackneyed (GER), Bonded
By Blood (USA), Orden Ogan (GER), Desilence (GER), Contradiction
(GER), Ravage (GER), Davidian (GER), Ultrawurscht (GER/AUT), Sniper
(GER), Path Of Devastation (GER), Cronos Titan (GER)
http://www.queens-of-metal.com/
Tickets
http://www.metaltix.com/item_list.php?item_cat=3882
Metallica To Headline Sonisphere
New Global Touring Rock Festival To Feature Many Of Today's Hottest
And Hardest Acts
Sonisphere, the first ever, international touring music festival, will
bring together rock's A-list artists at venues across Europe this
summer. Hundreds of thousands of fans will witness Metallica
headlining at venues throughout Europe, while sharing the stage with a
host of rock heavyweights, including Linkin Park, Slipknot, Die Toten
Hosen, Lamb Of God, Mastodon, and many others.
"We're stoked to be touring England and Europe with Sonisphere," said
Metallica's Lars Ulrich. "Summer festivals in Europe are what
Metallica do best. We can't wait to see all of our fans over there."
Sonisphere comes from the creators of the legendary Monsters Of Rock
and Download Festivals. Their decades of experience in the
organization and execution of quality concerts and music festivals
will ensure that Sonisphere will be a cut above the rest.
Sonisphere is about QUALITY. Rather than squeezing as many bands as
possible onto multiple stages -- and forcing fans to choose between
performers -- Sonisphere will feature bands of the highest calibre
performing on two alternate stages; meaning you won't have to miss any
music; thereby solving a recurring complaint from rock fans at other
events. Sonisphere will also have all the usual festival madness,
stalls, fun fairs, jugglers, fire eaters and general rock debauchery
for a full on festival. From 2010, Sonisphere will break beyond Europe
and become a truly global phenomenon.
In addition to the headliner, Metallica, several of today's fiercest
rock acts are already confirmed for some or all of the dates. The
awesome Lamb Of God, whose new album, WRATH, is set to destroy ear
drums worldwide, and Grammy-nominated Mastodon will play all dates,
joining other special guests in each country. The mighty Slipknot
enlist for Holland and Spain, while Germany welcomes local stadium
superstars Die Toten Hosen. The multi-platinum, multi-faceted Linkin
Park will play Finland and Knebworth in the U.K.
http://www.sonispherefestivals.com/
Tickets
http://www.metaltix.com/item_list.php?item_cat=3846
SH-Promotion/Metaltix
Hauptstr. 47
D-24869 Dörpstedt / Germany
phone + 49 (0) 4627 18 38 38
fax + 49 (0) 4627 18 38 80
e-Mail:
info@...
Web:
http://www.metaltix.com/
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*** PRESS RELEASE #8 ***
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-Perris Records New Release: Odin - BEST OF ODIN
Catalog # PER2092
UPC Barcode 670573020929
Odin was one of the legendary bands on the Hollywood Strip. This
collection of 18 tracks was re-mastered by Roy Z (Judas Priest,
Helloween) and features the unreleased track "Let The Show Begin."
Odin also features Armored Saint's Jeff Duncan.
Nearly 10,000 days and nights have passed since the great Nordic god,
Odin, ripped open the sky and positioned the sun to reveal lead
vocalist Randy O., guitarist Jeff Duncan, bassist Aaron Sampson, and
drummer Shawn Duncan in the limelight. As a heavy metal brigade
collectively known by his namesake, Odin has come to represent the
god's primordial attributes of magic, fury, and excitement. The band
also possesses his well known command of war and battle. In the heady
days of 1980s Los Angeles, the concert stages Odin played were a
killing floor in the band's meteoric rise to become the most dominant
hard rock/metal act of the west coast southland. An unstoppable force
that sold out nearly every major venue in the sprawling metropolis of
Los Angeles, including The Roxy, Whisky A-Go-Go, The Troubadour, and
Chuck Landis' Country Club, Odin is the only unsigned band as a
headliner to have shattered attendance records on multiple nights at
both Gazarri's on the Sunset Strip and The Palace (now The Avalon).
By the time their landmark DON'T TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER E.P. was
released in '85, Odin had landed lucrative opening slots for some of
the most successful bands of the era including Warrant, W.A.S.P.,
Ratt, Tesla, Dokken, Armored Saint, Bang Tango and Keel. Odin's
popularity reached a whole new level of stratospheric heights when the
band released THE GODS MUST BE CRACY E.P. in '86. The opening cut on
the record is "Little Gypsy." A hot-blooded paean to the seductive
women who packed the band's live shows in droves, "Little Gypsy" and
Odin are featured front and center in Penelope Spherris' classic
documentary, "The Decline Of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal
Years."
The sun shone brighter and the flames burned higher when Odin booked
what were supposed to be three final shows at Gazarri's in '88 before
relinquishing their reign. All three nights sold out in record time.
Odin was put to rest, but the solar eye remained open. Hunger for the
band's music went undiminished even as various members sought new
musical allies. Recorded the same year as THE GODS MUST BE CRACY,
Odin's first full-length disc, FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE, was released on
Japan's JVC/Victor label in 1992.
As the end of an era fades further from view and the dawn of a new
world emerges at a reckless speed, the battle scars sustained in a
music industry jungle remain, but Odin is back with a vengeance.
Performing a string of rare one-off shows to SRO crowds at well known
L.A. venues The Troubadour and The Key Club, Odin has set the stage to
return fire and restore their position in the royal pantheon of metal
lore. Perris Records has joined forces with the band once again this
year to release BEST OF ODIN. The compilation features the entire
DON'T TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER E.P. well as a brand new song, "Let The
Show Begin." An ultra rare recording from Odin's almost extinct debut
E.P., CAUTION, plus a live track recorded in the era when metal was
more dangerous are also included. Rounding out the collection is a
reserve of the heaviest songs from both FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE and THE
GODS MUST BE CRAZY.
Band MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/mightyodin
Track listing:
1. The Writer
2. One Day To Live
3. Don't Take No For An Answer
4. Solar Eye
5. Shining Love
6. Judgement Day
7. Fight For Your Life
8. She Was The One
9. Push
10. Serenade to the court
11. Modern Day King
12. Stranger Tonight
13. 12 O'Clock High
14. Midnight Flight
15. Little Gypsy
16. Over Your Head
17. She Needs My Love
18 Let The Show Begin
1. Selling points: For fans of Van Halen & '80s Hard Rock
2. Internet Campaign: Hundreds of online Web sites serviced for CD
reviews & interviews worldwide.
3. Radio Campaign: Hundreds of radio stations serviced worldwide.
4. Print Campaign: Rocknation newspaper ads, reviews and interviews.
Hundreds of magazines serviced for CD review and interviews worldwide.
Perris Records
http://www.perrisrecords.com/
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*** PRESS RELEASE #9 ***
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-Death Angel Update
EMG Pickups Video Lesson
Death Angel's Ted Aguilar and Rob Cavestany drop by the EMG PickUps
office to discuss gear setup and show us an audio sample of of what
EMG has to offer!
Check out the video clip by here:
http://www.emgpickups.com/pages/emgtv
Interview With Rob Cavestany
Read an interview with Rob Cavestany and find out more about the
upcoming DVD+CD release here:
http://www.bravewords.com/features/1000615
Five years after the acclaimed comeback album THE ART OF DYING, and
the following album KILLING SEASON, the legendary and one of the most
influential bands of the Bay Area Trash Metal scene Death Angel will
release a DVD with two full-length concerts filmed in Germany.
The DVD was filmed live at Rockhard Festival 2007 and in Adelsheim in
2008. It contains some of the new songs, two clips and a lot of old
Death Angel stuff which is still seriously cult!
This is the first live DVD ever in the history of Death Angel and it
will be released as a Live CD (North America), Live DVD (North
America), and a Live DVD+CD / CD+DVD / 2LP (Europe).
So, what to say more: Grab SONIC GERMAN BEATDOWN - LIVE IN GERMANY and
see by yourself that Death Angel are more alive than ever before! It's
just amazing!
DVD (VERSION):
Live @ Rock Hard Festival 2007:
Intro
Seemingly Endless Time
Voracious Souls
Mistress Of Pain
EX-TC
3rd Floor
Thrown To The Wolves
5 Steps Of Freedom
Thicker Than Blood
The Devil Incarnate
Disturbing The Peace
Stagnant
The Ultra Violence
(introduction: Carnival Justice)
Bored
Kill As One
Live in Adelsheim, Live Factory, 2008:
Lord Of Hate
Evil Priest
Sonic Beatdown
Dethroned
Voracious Souls
Carnival Justice
Buried Alive
Soulless
When Worlds Collide
Seemingly Endless Time
God Vs. God
Steal The Crown
Devil Incarnate
3rd Floor
Kill As One
Resurrection Machine
Thrown To The Wolves
Bonus video clips:
Thicker Than Blood
Dethroned
CD (VERSION):
1. Intro
2. Seemingly Endless Time
3. Voracious Souls
4. Mistress Of Pain
5. EX-TC
6. 3rd Floor
7. Thrown To The Wolves
8. 5 Steps Of Freedom
9. Thicker Than Blood
10. The Devil Incarnate
11. Disturbing The Peace
12. Stagnant
13. The Ultra Violence
14. Bored
15. Kill As One
Band Parts Ways With Drummer
Death Angel has released the following statement in regards to the
departure of longtime drummer Andy Galeon:
"As some of you may have already heard, Death Angel's long time
drummer and original member Andrew Galeon has decided that it is time
for him to move on from the band. While we are sad to see him go, we
wish him nothing but success. Not only has he been an integral part of
Death Angel from day one, but he's also family and a friend and we
will miss him. All the best to you, Brother.
"As for the future of Death Angel, THE SHOW GOES ON! Old friend and
long time fixture of the Bay Area metal scene, Will Carroll
(Scarecrow, Old Grandad, Vicious Rumors, etc.), will be handling the
drum duties for the upcoming local shows in June and the Summer
Madness Tour in Europe with Kataklysm and Keep Of Kalessin. Will's
been jamming with us for over a month now and is tearing it up! We
look forward to hitting the stage with him very soon. We'll be
performing songs from FROLIC... and ACT III that we haven't played
live since back in the day so prepare for a dose of some serious old
school thrash!
"Thank you all for your continued support over the years. See you on
the road this summer!"
http://www.deathangel.com/
http://www.myspace.com/deathangel
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Death-Angel/9938175758
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*** PRESS RELEASE #10 ***
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-Holy Water - THE COLLECTED SESSIONS
Members and side men of Doro Pesch, Quiet Riot, Widowmaker, Saraya,
Prong and Foreigner banded together under the moniker Holy Water in
the late '80s to create music with all the promise of a true rock and
roll classic: Hooks and melodies galore, monster guitar riffs, a bone
crushing rhythm section and just enough keyboards and harmony vocals
to bridge the gap between '80s pomp and '90s power.
Recently re-mastered by Patrick Klein (The Lizards) and packaged by
artist Danny Frank, THE COLLECTED SESSIONS is a never-before-released
CD chronicling Holy Water's mercurial career. The nine-song disc opens
with The Green Machine Sessions, a stellar, three-song set featuring
the brilliantly crafted AOR-ready single "I'm Not Worried Anymore."
Produced in the early Nineties by former Foreigner keyboardist Al
Greenwood, these three songs have been ranked among the classics of
melodic rock by industry insiders. In addition to songs and demos from
The Grand Slam Sessions, The Studio 1212 Sessions and The Mask
Sessions, THE COLLECTED SESSIONS also features two newly recorded
songs (dubbed The Perris Sessions): a remake of the Stevie Wonder
classic "Living For The City," which demonstrates Holy Water's ability
to take a keyboard oriented R&B classic and turn it into a guitar-
driven rock anthem, and the original "All I Need," a beautiful, tender
ballad that should easily rival songs like Mr. Big's "To Be With You"
and Extreme's "More Than Words."
Joining vocalist David Knight, guitarist Thomas Jude and bassist
Freddy Villano on these two tracks is drummer Bobby Marks, who
recently filled in for Mick Brown on Dokken's summer tour, and
keyboardist Jay Davidson, famous in the rock world for his work with
Cinderella. Listening to Holy Water's music one can hear a maturity
evidenced only in the truly great artisans of rock. The official
release on Perris Records was in April 2009.
Band MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/thisisholywater
Track Listing
1. I'm Not Worried Anymore
2. If I Knew Then...
3. Some Things Have To Happen
4. Once Is Not Enough
5. If I Knew Then...
6. MonsteR Iff
7. Crocodile Rock
8. Living For The City
9. All I Need
1. Selling points: For fans of Foreigner and Bad Company.
2. Internet Campaign: Hundreds of online Web sites serviced for CD
reviews & interviews worldwide.
3. Radio Campaign: Hundreds of radio stations serviced worldwide.
4. Print Campaign: Rocknation newspaper ads, reviews and interviews.
Hundreds of magazines serviced for CD review and interviews worldwide.
Perris Records
http://www.perrisrecords.com/
*
*** PRESS RELEASE #11 ***
*
-Leaves' Eyes: MY DESTINY MCD
It has finally arrived: Leaves' Eyes delivers brand-new material to
their anxiously awaiting fans with their latest E.P. MY DESTINY. The
sweeping title track begins with an emotive and mystic interlude that
soon turns into sonorous ear candy -- a true delicacy for all fans of
symphonic rock music. The opulently produced orchestral and choir-
filled compositions resonate with a fresh, powerful, and energy laden
force. As always the case with Leaves' Eyes, expect the ensuing
tempest with its impressive musical variety and dynamics to emphasize
the band's world-class status, including "The Battle Of Maldon" and
"Northbound," two smashing tracks to be found on the E.P. With the
acoustic version of "Scarborough Fair," familiar to some fans from
past unplugged shows, and the atmospheric "Nine Wave Maidens" the tone
takes a more subdued turn. Liv Kristine once again bewitches the
listener with her one-of-a-kind vocals and the package is completed
with a re-mix of the title track. Up-close-and-personal, as well as
"value-for-your-money" are always at the top of Leaves' Eyes' list,
and thus the successful prelude to yet another journey with Leaves'
Eyes to a land of myth makes landfall. MY DESTINY, the musical
harbinger of the forthcoming album NJORD arrives on 24 July 2009!
http://www.leaveseyes.de/
http://www.myspace.com/leaveseyespage
*
*** PRESS RELEASE #12 ***
*
-Exclusive Stream Of New Tyr Album On Blistering.com!
"By far their best, melding the band's penchant for multiple vocal
harmonies with honest-to-Odin, ball-busting choruses. This, combined
with the fact that this album contains some of the strongest guitar
melodies we've yet seen from the outfit, seem to lend one to believe
that 2009 just may indeed be the year Tyr breaks big worldwide" - Zero
Tolerance
Tyr's forthcoming BY THE LIGHT OF THE NORTHERN STAR opus is available
as an exclusive stream on Blistering.com. The album, the band's fifth
overall, is now available in North America and is already being hailed
as Tyr's best work ever. This exclusive stream can be found here:
http://www.blistering.com/fastpage/fpengine.php/link/1/templateid/16123/tempidx/\
5/menuid/3
Tyr recently completed a highly successful North American tour with
label mates Alestorm this past March, and already plans are afoot for
another North American tour later this year. For further info, consult
http://www.myspace.com/tyr1 and
http://www.napalmrecords.com/ .
*
*** PRESS RELEASE #13 ***
*
-Dynazty Signs A Worldwide Deal To Perris Records
Perris Records is proud to find another Swedish band to break onto the
music scene.
Dynazty's BRING THE THUNDER release will hit the CD stores this summer
and is available for pre-orders at Perris.
Dynazty recorded at Polar studios in Stockholm, Sweden under the hands
of producer Chis Laney (Zan Clan, Animal).
This thunderous heavy metal group dominated the Swedish live scene
with its flamboyant shows and powerful anthems for many months before
hooking up with producer Chris Laney to record a debut album. For one
month Dynazty worked with Laney creating a fierce album that will make
a lasting impression. Dynazty features Rob Love, a former guitar
slinger in Zan Clan, along with Chis Laney.
Dynazty will have a full feature in Rocknation newspaper's Issue #13,
featuring many artists appearing at the Rock On The Range, Vans Warped
Tour, and Rockstar Mayhem festivals this summer. The band will be
shooting a video and TV interview in Stockholm to appear on future
"Rocknation TV" episodes.
Drummer George Egg had this to comment on the deal: "While the record
industry is suffering from severe crisis most labels don't take any
chances in signing new bands. President Tom Mathers of Perris Records
did a great thing by signing us (and several other new bands) and
giving us the chance to get our music out to the whole world. I
believe this proves that Perris is more concerned with promoting great
MUSIC, which I am sure will lead to huge success in the long run. We
in Dynazty need a label that believes in our music, and for that
reason we are extremely happy to have become part of the Perris
family."
Dynazty members:
George Egg - Drums
Nils Molin - Vocals
John Berg - Guitars
Rob Love - Guitars
Joey Fox - Bass
For more information:
http://www.dynazty.com/
http://www.myspace.com/dynaztyband
http://www.perrisrecords.com/
*
*** PRESS RELEASE #14 ***
*
-Ravenland Launches New YouTube Channel And Video Clip
Brazilian gothic metal Ravenland launched a channel on YouTube where
is available the band's first video clip, made for the song "End Of
Light." The channel will be updated with official video clips,
interviews and also TV, radio and webTv appearances. Check it out at
http://www.youtube.com/ravenlandchannel .
The new video was recently aired on Brazil by AllTv, Rede NGT and also
MTV Brazil and can be watched at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlYlfxo59GU .
Ravenland's debut, entitled ...AND A CROW BRINGS ME BACK, which
features drums by Ricardo Confessori (Angra, Shaman) and guest guitars
by Tommy Lindal (ex-Theatre Of Tragedy, ...In Deviltry), will be
released soon by Free Mind Records and will feature 14 new tracks and
two multimedia videos.
Ravenland
press@...
http://www.ravenland.net/
http://www.myspace.com/ravenland
*
*** PRESS RELEASE #15 ***
*
-Dark Castle Ready To Tour... Again
Dark Castle will hit the road late this week for a month in support of
their debut full-length, SPIRITED MIGRATION, out this week on At A
Loss Recordings. The Floridian duo's eclectic, pentatonic, organic
doom riffs and engaging live energy should be quite impressive
alongside acts like Zoroaster, Mouth Of The Architect, It's Casual and
more over the coming month.
Dark Castle dates:
5/30/2009 The Brass Mug - Tampa, FL w/ Zoroaster, Mouth Of The
Architect
5/31/2009 The Backbooth - Orlando, FL w/ Zoroaster, Mouth Of The
Architect
6/02/2009 Jack Rabbits - Jacksonville, FL w/ Zoroaster
6/03/2009 Big Daddy's - Tallahassee, FL w/ Zoroaster
6/04/2009 Dysfunction Junction - Panama City, FL w/ Zoroaster
6/05/2009 The Nick - Birmingham, AL
6/06/2009 Little Hamilton - Nashville, TN
6/07/2009 Cafe Berlin - Columbia, MO
6/09/2009 Love Garden - Lawrence, KS
6/10/2009 Box Awesome - Lincoln, NE w/ Empires
6/11/2009 Old Curtis Street Bar - Denver, CA
6/12/2009 The Loom House - Salt Lake City, UT
6/14/2009 Squid & Ink - Seattle, WA
6/17/2009 Plan B - Portland, OR
6/20/2009 Mountain Bar - Los Angeles, CA w/ Gort, It's Casual
6/21/2009 Sh*tty T-Pot - Scottsdale, AZ
6/24/2009 Pastime Tavern - Dallas, TX
6/25/2009 1011 (formerly the Warhol) - San Antonio, TX
6/27/2009 The Tavern - Hattiesburg, MS
What the mags are starting to say about Dark Castle's debut album
SPIRITED MIGRATION:
"...a rupturing combination of doom wreckage and post-metal
advancement..." - Decibel Magazine
"Listening to the debut from this Florida duo is like walking through
a lush valley while the sky before you turns black." - Alarm Magazine
"This male/female doom-psych duo has crafted an impressive, assured,
and surprisingly melodic debut." - Brainwashed.com
http://www.myspace.com/darkcastlemetal
http://www.myspace.com/atalossrecordings
*
*** PRESS RELEASE #16 ***
*
-Introducing I'm Better Than Everyone Records
I'm Better Than Everyone Records
Location: Chicago, IL
Specializing in: The true vinyl experience...
Mission Statement: In an age of low-quality MP3s reducing music to
electronic files downloaded over the Internet, there's been an
absolute disconnect from the artistic aspect of music. I'm Better Than
Everyone Records was created with the goal to resurrect the experience
of listening to music as it was intended. We believe that music should
be an organic experience, where one is welcomed to participate in the
artist's vision at creating their art both sonically and visually.
We won't be releasing any CDs, focusing instead on vinyl, which in our
opinion is the only way to enjoy the true sound of the bands we choose
to work with. Our goal is to rekindle the beauty of the almighty riff
in its intended format: Needle against groove, analog trumping
digital. Each release will be limited but no corners shall be cut.
There will be a heavy focus on artwork with this label as well. I'm
Better Than Everyone Records intends to give each release the
opportunity to cater to those who appreciate rock the way it was meant
to be heard.
Out Now:
Deadbird - THE HEAD AND THE HEART
Deadbird have successfully fused the melancholic drone of Neurosis
with the almighty riff worship perfected by High On Fire to create a
new breed of metal not unlike their fellow Arkansas brothers in Rwake:
A dark, brooding heaviness few bands can even attempt to harness.
Their debut THE HEAD AND THE HEART (originally released on CD in '05)
generated immediate interest worldwide and heralded Deadbird as a band
to watch. I'm Better Than Everyone chose THE HEAD AND THE HEART as
their debut vinyl release, with 500 hand-numbered copies on thick
vinyl, and a deluxe gatefold jacket to immortalize Deadbird in the
best manner possible.
http://www.myspace.com/deadbird
Hail!Hornet - HAIL!HORNET
Hail!Hornet, featuring members of Alabama Thunderpussy, Weedeater,
Beaten Back To Pure and Sourvein, released their debut CD on Dwell in
2007. Although Hail!Hornet could be erroneously considered a "super
group," none of the members are resting on the laurels of their
respective bands. Collectively they've created a sound which
personifies abrasiveness and glorifies doom; a style they've aptly
christened as "grime metal." Few can argue upon listening to the
angst-ridden sludge of Hail!Hornet that their particular style has all
the subtlety of an exploding hand grenade. This vinyl pressing of
their debut is strictly limited to 500 hand-numbered gatefold copies
with artwork by renowned underground artist Tom Denney, known for his
work with Kylesa, Sourvein and Soilent Green, among others.
http://www.myspace.com/2hailhornet
On Deck:
Black Skies - HEXAGON
From the aptly named opening track "The Quiet Before The Storm"
through the thundering conclusion of "Chain Of Command," Chapel Hill,
NC's Black Skies throw their heavy hat into the ring with their latest
E.P. HEXAGON. Together for just over three years, Black Skies weave
their songs with well-thought and executed riffs playing alongside a
churning organic groove. This is tonal chemistry befitting of a
legendary band sharing the same initials, yet with a decidedly
American flavor. Through hard work Black Skies has been making waves
across the eastern half of the United States and continue gaining
momentum with tours booked throughout 2009. If these six tracks serve
as a fitting prelude of greater things to come, the next waves of
attack from this sonic strike-force will truly be something to behold.
The limited edition vinyl pressing of Hexagon will be available very
soon via I'm Better Than Everyone Records, and features exclusive
cover artwork by Tom Denney. This edition will be in an edition of 500
hand-numbered copies, on 180g vinyl, with numbers 1-100 on clear brown
vinyl and 101-500 on black.
http://www.myspace.com/losblackskies
Power Pellut - POWER PELLUT
Simply put, three Shreveport friends jammed and a band was born.
However, pegging Louisiana's Power Pellut as simply the end result of
a mere jam session would be a near-criminal disservice. This trio
feasts on sonic dissonance and regurgitates thick, plodding and
devastatingly heavy songs with emphasis on volume, catharsis and
discomfort. With more than a cursory tip of the hat to Unsane,
Melvins, Black Sabbath, the Jesus Lizard, and Merzbow, Power Pellut is
a tribute to the ugliness that surrounds and consumes us all: An
exercise in despair in the form of a song. To date, they've shared
bills alongside Black Cobra, Jucifer, Black Skies, Collapsar, Rwake
and Bible Of The Devil, among others, with more shows in the works.
Power Pellut's debut LP is available via I'm Better Than Everyone
Records and features artwork by Glyn Smith (Scrawled). This will be an
edition of 500 hand-numbered, 180g vinyl. Records numbered 1-100 will
be on turquoise vinyl and 101-500 will be in black.
http://www.myspace.com/lonnietreyscott
:::I'm Better Than Everyone Records:::
http://www.imbetterthaneveryonerecords.com/
http://www.myspace.com/imbetterthaneveryonerec
*
*** PRESS RELEASE #17 ***
*
-Hatesphere Guitarist Begins Guest Column On Blistering.com
"We'll be blunt: Hatesphere rules." So says Blistering.com major domo
David Gehlke, and thus why the Web site's been granted the privilege
of a monthly guest column by Hatesphere guitarist Pepe Hansen! In his
first installment for Blistering.com, Hansen discusses the trials 'n'
tribulations of a metal band touring the European circuit, and often
in a self-deprecating light. This first installment can be found here:
http://www.blistering.com/fastpage/fpengine.php/link/1/templateid/16143/tempidx/\
5/menuid/3
Hatesphere released in April their sixth album overall, TO THE NINES,
which was both their first for new label home Napalm Records and also
their first record to feature new vocalist Jonathan Albrechtsen. The
album's been receiving rave reviews, and the band hope to tour North
America again before year's end. For more info, consult
http://www.hatesphere.com/ and
http://www.napalmrecords.com/ .
*
*** PRESS RELEASE #18 ***
*
-Behold! Lightning Swords Of Death
It began seven years ago when a pact was made within a dilapidated
house hidden in Southern California. It was here that Autarch, Roskva
and Menno found themselves in agreement that should the occult
sciences be applied to music, the results would prove extremely
dangerous to their sanity, yet yield spectacular results. Lightning
Swords Of Death, as they would name it, would be in itself a
meticulously designed hyper-sigil constructed to direct and antagonize
the limitless dark energy that lurks within the less navigable chasms
of the human mind and the space between spaces.
In 2007 the band unleashed THE GOLDEN PLAGUE upon the earth. This
declaration of unholy war was well-received and inspired a tour of the
west coast and north western blocks of the United States. Audiences
witnessed performances by men possessed by insane devils. Lightning
Swords Of Death live continuously proved to be a conqueror's fury
leaving an ashen stain on every stage they destroyed. The tour began
sharing battleground with bands like Nachtmystium and High On Fire and
concluded with Lightning Swords Of Death opening for Danzig during the
mighty Blackest Of The Black tour.
Said Decibel magazine of THE GOLDEN PLAGUE, "I truly wanted to know
how USBM crew Lightning Swords Of Death get their sound. It's
seriously crushing and vicious and yet it sounds like it's 10 miles
away. Or 10 miles underground. Uncanny. You know, it's an art sounding
this f*cked up. . . . 'Let This Knife Lead You To Us' has a riff worth
killing for." SOD magazine simply called it "a torrent of anguish"
while Pit added, "LSOD leave no face unripped with a blackened death
approach that puts as much importance on memorable hooks and
downtrodden groove as it does on blast beat blaspheme."
The second release took the form of a split CD with comrades Valdur
which was only available for a limited time at performances during the
country wide 2008 Blodhevn tour. Metal Maniacs called LSOD's part a
"heavy, bestial and brutal assault bringing to mind a young and hungry
Thornspawn." Said Decibel in a recent review of the split, "Sort of
like Watain with American heft, LSOD's four beastly shanties shake
Tiamat from their centuries-long slumber. And she ain't happy 'bout
it."
The split continues to infect all who experience its unyielding
expression of true chaos, but it's only a precursor of the grand and
terrible horror that is looming in the future like a headsman's
shadow...
The band will pillage their way through Missouri for this year's
edition of the Kansas City Power Metalfest [
http://www.myspace.com/kansascitypowermetalfest ] on August 14th then
make their way to New York City on August 17th for a show at Lit
Lounge's renowned Precious Metal Party [
http://www.myspace.com/preciousmetalnyc ]. More dates TBA soon...
http://www.myspace.com/lightningswordsofdeath
*
*** PRESS RELEASE #19 ***
*
-Marduk Statement Regarding U.S. Tour
The situation with Marduk not having performed during the first week
of Blackenedfest is due to vocalist Mortuus not having received his
visa yet. Note, it is not a "denied" visa. The band filed for a P-1
non-immigrant work visa, which is required for a band to play in the
States. The visa was approved by the United States Government's
Homeland Security Office. Furthermore, as required, the band members
each individually went to their Visa appointments at the U.S. Embassy
in Stockholm for the standard interview, at which point the persons
handling the band's applications informed the band that there was no
further action needed and that they should expect their passports in
the mail with the P-1 visa attached. Everyone in the band received
theirs except Mortuus. The day before the tour, while the rest of the
band were at the airport awaiting to board their flights to the U.S.,
Mortuus returned to the embassy to inquire as to the location of his
passport. At this point, he was informed that he was missing one
document in order to finalize the visa. No one in the band, nor the
label, was made aware of this missing form. After we were made aware
of this missing document, we provided the document to the Embassy in
Stockholm and we are currently awaiting each day for the Passport to
be returned to Mortuus with the visa stamp. The Embassy is aware of
the urgency of this matter and we expect the band to join the tour in
progress any day now. We are hope to announce the arrival of the band
soon.
BLACKENEDFEST TOUR DATES
5/29/2009 Sunshine Theater - Albuquerque, NM
5/30/2009 Clubhouse - Tempe, AZ
5/31/2009 House of Blues - San Diego, CA
6/02/2009 House of Blues - Hollywood, CA
6/03/2009 DNA Lounge - San Francisco, CA
6/04/2009 Hawthorne Theater - Portland, OR
6/05/2009 Studio Seven - Seattle, WA
6/06/2009 Knitting Factory Concert House - Boise, ID
6/07/2009 Cervantes Masterpiece - Denver, CO
6/09/2009 Station 4 - St Paul, MN
6/11/2009 House Of Blues - Chicago, IL
6/12/2009 Peabody's - Cleveland, OH
6/13/2009 The Majestic Theater - Detroit, MI
6/14/2009 The Opera House - Toronto, ONT
6/15/2009 Les Foufounes Electriques - Montreal, QC
http://www.marduk.nu/
http://www.myspace.com/truemarduk
*
*** NEWS/RUMORS ***
*
-Acero's album EN PIE DE GUERRA won an award for "Best Composer/Author
Of The Year" in the "Hard Rock genre" at the recent VIII ACAM Awards
gala. See
http://www.nacion.com/viva/2009/mayo/26/viva1974612.html for
more, and check out the "En Pie De Guerra" video at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-D24hEYyjlk .
-Alestorm's BLACK SAILS AT MIDNIGHT is out this week on Napalm Records
(see review below), and a limited edition version comes with a bonus
live DVD featuring the band's 2008 Wacken appearance. View a teaser at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwwmglYX7QE&feature=channel_page . Hype
says the disc "consist[s] of just the right blend of sing-a-long
refrains, catchy pirate melodies, and numerous mugs of rum." Record
release parties in Germany -- presented by EMP, sounds2move, metal.de
and Rock Hard! -- are scheduled as follows:
6/3 - Steinbruchtheater, Darmstadt
6/5 - Shadow, Leverkusen
6/6 - Labor, Hannover
6/6 - Hellraiser, Leipzig
6/13 - DK-Dance, Osnabrück
See
http://www.alestorm.net/ and
http://www.myspace.com/alestorm for
more.
-Alice In Chains bassist Mike Starr reportedly will appear on the
upcoming season of VH1's "Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew," which will
begin early next year.
-HeadbangerNYC.com reported Ozzy Osbourne has filed a lawsuit against
his Black Sabbath band mate Tony Iommi, "claiming that Iommi illegally
took sole ownership of the band's name in a filing with the U.S.
Patent and Trademark Office." The suit asks for "a 50 percent interest
in the 'Black Sabbath' trademark, along with a portion of Iommi's
profits from use of the name."
-The Blind Guardian 20th anniversary reissue campaign continues with
these releases: FOLLOW THE BLIND, TALES FROM THE TWILIGHT WORLD,
IMAGINATIONS FROM THE OTHER SIDE, THE FORGOTTEN TALES, and NIGHTFALL
IN MIDDLE-EARTH. These join previous reissues SOMEWHERE FAR BEYOND,
BATTALIONS OF FEAR, and TOKYO TALES. Hype: "All tracks have been
re-mastered from the original master tapes and each album contains
updated layout & graphics. Plus most contain bonus tracks / alternate
mixes."
-The Dead End Kidz' song "One Way Ride" is included in a "Top 10 Song
Podcast" available at InternetRadioSyndicate.net. Check it out at
http://www.internetradiosyndicate.net/podcast/ccount/click.php?id=35 .
See
http://www.myspace.com/dekmusic for more.
-Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius will soon release ONE FOOT IN THE NEXT
WORLD, and Deninzon himself has been working on "an instructional book
on violin improvisation" for Mel Bay. Upcoming shows:
6/19 - 6/20 - Freedomfest, Harmony, ME
6/26 - Lucky Mojos, Long Island City, NY
6/27 - Old Bay, New Brunswick, NJ
7/10 - Lucky Mojos, Long Island City, NY
7/11 - Great South Bay Music Festival, Patchogue, NY
7/17 - Ray Kelly's Pub, Bridgeport, CT
10/2 - 10/3 - Harvest Festival, Harmony, ME
See
http://www.stratospheerius.com/ ,
http://www.myspace.com/stratospheerius ,
http://www.joedeninzon.com/ ,
and
http://www.myspace.com/joedeninzon for more.
-Dirty Looks is reissuing the previously German-only SLAVE TO THE
MACHINE on Perris Records, with two bonus tracks: "Slave In The
Machine," "The Hole," "The Rotten Kind," "A Better Way," "Quite So
High," "Better Off Dead," "Murder For Money," "Droperidol," "Jaw
Breaker," "Anesthesia," "Getting Even," "Feelings Of Dread," "Last
Crack," "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" (live), "Let There Be Rock"
(live). The two bonus live tracks were recorded recently at the Warner
Theatre in Erie, PA. See
http://www.dirtylooksmusic.com/ and
http://www.myspace.com/dirtylooksmusic for more.
-Disaster Peace (formerly Disasterpeace) is the new group featuring
vocalist Wade Black (Crimson Glory, Seven Witches, Leatherwolf, Leash
Law), guitarist Pete Blakk (King Diamond), bassist Hal Patino (King
Diamond, Force Of Evil, Maltese Falcon), and drummer Jasin Marxx. The
band's self-titled debut is out now via Music Buy Mail with this track
list: "Disaster Peace," "Scarecrow," "S&M," "Purgatorio," "Judas
Witch," "Hallowed Death," "Don't Come Back," "Immigrant Song" (Led
Zeppelin cover), "Blood To Blood," "The Gaoler," "My Guns," "Inferno,"
"Kill 'Em & Love 'Em." Blakk co-produced the album with King Diamond
guitarist Andy La Rocque, who also plays lead on "Hallowed Death." See
http://www.myspace.com/officialdisasterpeace for more.
-Perris Records is reissuing Faithfull's LIGHT THIS CITY (2003), which
is aimed at AOR and melodic rock fans who dig Bon Jovi, FireHouse, and
Danger Danger. This new version includes the European and Japanese
bonus tracks, "Please" and "Cast Out The Rain." Track list: "Light
This City," "There's No Turning Back," "All I Want, All I Need," "I've
Been Missing You," "You Won't Get Me Now," "Ending Song," "Melting
Your Ice," "Learned My Lesson," "Like A Shadow," "The Way I Am," "Way
Back," "Please," "Cast Out The Rain." Also check out the band's 2008
Perris release, HORIZONS. See
http://www.faithfull-band.com/ and
http://www.myspace.com/faithfullband for more.
-Gary Hoey has a new album due out later this summer, and is on a
Fender clinic tour this week. See
http://www.garyhoey.com/ and
http://www.myspace.com/garyhoey for more, and check out a great new
interview with Mark Morton of Heavy Metal Examiner at
http://www.examiner.com/x-5629-Heavy-Metal-Examiner~y2009m5d30-Exclusive-intervi\
ew-with-guitar-icon-Gary-Hoey--2009-Fender-clinic-tour-and-more
.
-Upcoming shows for The Iron Maidens:
6/6 - OC Tavern, San Clemente, CA
6/13 - Paladino's, Tarzana, CA
6/17 - San Diego Fair, San Diego, CA
6/20 - Angel's Roadhouse, Yucaipa, CA
6/27 - Cane's, San Diego, CA
7/11 - Sunset Station Casino Pool Party, Las Vegas, NV
7/12 - Santa Fe Springs Swapmeet, Santa Fe Springs, CA
7/17 - The Underground, Reno, NV
7/18 - Bill's Casino/Bar 24, Tahoe/Stateline, NV
7/30 - Second Wind, Santee, CA
In related news, on June 12 Nikki McBurrain will sit in with Surfing
With An Alien (a Joe Satriani tribute) at the Canyon Club in Agoura
Hills, CA; on June 14 Steph Harris will perform "classical selections
for the orchestra" in Culver Cith, CA; and on June 26 Nikki McBurrain,
Mini Murray, Adriana Smith, and Bruce Chickinson will perform three
one-hour sets with their new side project Crabby Patty at the Santa Fe
Springs Swap Meet in Santa Fe Springs, CA. See
http://www.theironmaidens.com/ and
http://www.myspace.com/theironmaidens for more.
-Check out a new short video for Neal Morse's THE RIVER: WORSHIP
SESSIONS VOLUME 4 at
http://bandwidth.csrtechnologies.com/Worship_4_Compressed.mov . The
disc is available at Radiant Records,
http://www.radiantrecords.com/ .
Morse also announced an additional "new solo acoustic/church thing"
added to his June schedule:
6/18 - Neal Morse persönlich - live und unplugged
Anskar Kirche Wetzlar
Philipsstraße 4
35576 Wetzlar
Contact: Claas Kaeseler
0163 477 34 86
http://www.anskar-wetzlar.de/
Start time: 19:30
-Nympho -- featuring "Brazil's sleaze glam king" Criss Sexx on vocals
-- released V.I.P. on Perris Records. Joining Sexx are guitarist Dick,
bassist Olavo Barroka, and drummer Pablo Pinheiro. The band lists
Kiss, Bon Jovi, and L.A. Guns as influences, and hype says the disc
will appeal to fans of those bands. Track list: "Ignited," "Green
Lights Go," "You Gotta Love," "I Ain't Over You," "Get Down
(Nymphomaniac)," "All Night Long," "New Life," "Resurrection," "Say
It," "Reason To Rock," "Tits & Ass," "Without You Tonight." See
http://www.myspace.com/nymphovip for more.
-Queensryche's upcoming European tour dates for AMERICAN SOLDIER:
6/15 - Metropolis, Munchen, Germany
6/16 - LKA, Stuttgart, Germany
6/17 - Huxley's, Berlin, Germany
6/18 - Garage, Saarbrücken, Germany
6/19 - Capitol, Hannover, Germany
6/22 - Stahlwerk, Dusseldorf, Germany
6/23 - Gate Music Hall, Langquaid, Germany
See
http://www.queensryche.com/ for more.
-Word on the street is Ratt and Extreme will tour together this summer
and fall.
-Saris' CURSE OF TIME -- described as "Neo Progressive, Melodic Hard
Rock" -- is available from Duck Dive Music. Check out some 30-second
song samples:
"The Curse"
http://www.targetrecords.de/mp3/Saris_Curse/00000001.mp3
"Falling Leafs"
http://www.targetrecords.de/mp3/Saris_Curse/00000002.mp3
"Victims Of The Night"
http://www.targetrecords.de/mp3/Saris_Curse/00000003.mp3
"Kingdom Of Shadows"
http://www.targetrecords.de/mp3/Saris_Curse/00000004.mp3
-Check out a new interview with Stratovarius drummer Jorg Michael at
http://glclk.about.com/?zi=1/7DQb .
-Blabbermouth reported Stryper guitarist Oz Fox is set to marry a
"former high-class" prostitute named Annie Lobért on June 5. She
founded an international Christian ministry called "Hookers For
Jesus," gives lectures "in both secular and religious communities on
the effects of the adult entertainment industry," and had an
autobiography entitled "Hooker For Jesus" on the way. Read the full
report at
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsite\
mID=121206
.
-Sum 41 is working on a new album for a late '09 release, and plans to
hit the road with The Offspring next month:
7/8 - Roseland Ballroom, New York, NY
7/10 - Paul E. Tsongas Arena, Lowell, MA
7/11- Meadowbrook, Gilford, NH
7/12 - WHRL Big Day Out Tuesday @ Saratoga PAC, Sarratoga Springs, NY
7/14 - Uptown Amphitheatre, Charlotte, NC
7/15 - House Of Blues, Myrtle Beach, SC
7/16 - Hard Rock Live, Orlando, FL
7/17 - St. Augustine Amphitheater, St. Augustine, FL
7/18 - Pompano Amphitheater, Miami, FL
The band's current release is the U.S. edition of last year's ALL THE
GOOD SH*T: 14 SOLID GOLD HITS 2001-2008, a 14-song "best of" CD that
includes a bonus DVD with all their promo videos. CD track list:
"Still Waiting," "The Hell Song," "Fat Lip," "We're All To Blame,"
"Walking Disaster," "In Too Deep," "Pieces," "Underclass Hero,"
"Motivation," "Makes No Difference" (alternate version), "With Me,"
"Handle This," "Over My Head (Better Off Dead)," "Pain For Pleasure,"
"The Hell Song" (live). DVD track list: "Still Waiting," "The Hell
Song," "Fat Lip," "We're All To Blame," "Walking Disaster," "In Too
Deep," "Pieces," "Underclass Hero," "Motivation," "Makes No
Difference," "With Me," "Over My Head (Better Off Dead)," "Pain For
Pleasure." See
http://www.sum41.com/ and
http://www.myspace.com/sum41
for more.
-The first volume of John Taglieri's LIVES project is out this week.
See
http://www.TheLivesProject.com/ for more. Taglieri also announced
he'll teach three dates at The School Of Rock in New Jersey -- two
performance workshops and one recording workshop in July and August.
Upcoming shows:
6/5 - Cheeseburger In Paradise, Iselin, NJ (4:00 p.m.)
6/5 - Sunset Pub, Lincoln Park, NJ (9:00 p.m.)
6/6 - Cheeseburger In Paradise, Middletown, NY (4:00 p.m.)
6/6 - Cheeseburger In Paradise, Secaucus, NJ (9:00 p.m.)
6/8 - Breakers Lounge, Herndon, VA
6/9 - Crystal City Sports Pub, Arlington, VA
6/11 - Market Street Inn, Salisbury, MD
6/12 - Jose O'Reilly's, Norwood, NJ
6/13 - Ft. Stewart, GA
See
http://www.JohnTaglieri.com/ and
http://www.myspace.com/johntaglierimusic for more.
-In addition to the 20th anniversary reissue of SLIP OF THE TONGUE
mentioned here previously, Musictap.net reported Whitesnake will
release a 25th anniversary "deluxe edition" of SLIDE IT IN. Like SLIP
OF THE TONGUE, the SLIDE IT IN set will feature re-mastered audio, new
cover art, bonus tracks, a 24-page booklet, and a DVD. The 10 bonus
tracks are: "Need Your Love So Bad" (U.S. Mix/Single B-side),
"Gambler" (U.K. Mix), "Slide It In" (U.K. Mix), "Standing In The
Shadow" (U.K. Mix), "Give Me More Time" (U.K. Mix), "Slow & Easy"
(U.K. Mix), "Spit It Out (U.K. Mix), "All Or Nothing" (U.K. Mix),
"Guilty Of Love" (U.K. Mix), "Love Ain't No Stranger" (live in Japan).
The DVD will feature seven clips videos: "Guilty Of Love," "Slow &
Easy," "Love Ain't No Stranger," "Guilty Of Love" (Live Castle
Donington 1983), "Love Ain't No Stranger" (unplugged live in Japan -
STARKERS IN TOKYO); "Give Me More Time" (BBC "Top Of The Pops"
(1984)), "Love Ain't No Stranger" (LIVE...IN THE STILL OF THE NIGHT
(2006)). Both sets are due June 30.
-Witchking's new vocalist is Michael Zaczek (Reload). The band is
working on its third album. See
http://witchking@witchking.pl/ and
http://www.myspace.com/witchkingband for more.
-XXX, featuring Snowy Shaw (drums, vocals), X (guitar, vocals), and
Rob Nasty (bass, vocals), will release HEAVEN, HELL OR HOLLYWOOD on
Perris Records. The disc was mixed by Andy La Rocque and produced by
Shaw and X. Track list: "Hello!," "It's Suicide," "We're Gonna Rock,"
"Wall Of Fame," "I Want You To Want Me," "Singalongsong," "So Fuxxxing
You," "Tomboy," "Miss Misery," "Heaven, Hell Or Hollywood?" The disc
is hyped as appealing to fans of Motley Crue and Poison. See
http://www.snowyshaw.com/ and
http://www.myspace.com/snowyshaw for
more.
Thanks to Jeff "Warhead" Adee, Bill "Here's A Song For Ya!" Kotowski,
Chad Bowar, Tom Mathers, Mateusz Gajdzik,
Mikey@...,
Anne Leighton, and Robert Pancur for help gathering some of this
information.
*
*** REVIEWS ***
*
ALESTORM - BLACK SAILS AT MIDNIGHT (A) Napalm Records, 2009
10 tracks, RT: 46:17
[
http://www.alestorm.net/ ]
[
http://www.myspace.com/alestorm ]
[
http://www.napalmrecords.com/ ]
[
http://www.myspace.com/napalmrecords ]
The Scottish pirates are back with more tales of debauchery and
violence on the high seas, expanding what they did so well on their
2009 debut CAPTAIN MORGAN'S REVENGE. Trash, gruff vocals, yo-ho-ho
sing-alongs, ace riffing, etc. -- plus a surprisingly large amount of
keyboards placed front-and-center -- make BLACK SAILS AT MIDNIGHT
another winner for Alestorm. (And I still *love* that band name, too.)
I mean, c'mon, the first four songs -- "The Quest," "Leviathan," "That
Famous Ol' Spiced," and "Keelhauled" -- all rock, and effortlessly mix
in such awesomeness as the amazingly hooky lyric "tearing bodies limb
from limb / eviscerating on a whim" (from "Leviathan") and an intro
bit featuring the odd trio of a kick drum, a violin, and an accordion
(from "Keelhauled"). You cannot go wrong here...except maybe with the
icky, too-long quasi-ballad "To The End Of Our Days." Elsewhere, the
title track has kicks big ass with its wicked, macho riffing, "No
Quarter" is a bounding instrumental, "Pirate Song" is a solemn-yet-
funny recollection of a buccaneer's life, "Chronicles Of Vengeance"
surges along triumphantly, and rollicking closer "Wolves Of The Sea"
somehow manages to conjure up a lighthearted "Broadway show finale"
vibe (but it's still metal of course, yaaaRRRR!). Hurry up and snag
this release -- the first, limited edition version of the disc comes
with a bonus DVD with the band's show at last year's Wacken Open Air
festival.
- Tim Wadzinski (
tsw512@...)
ASECRETDEATH (B) Tribunal Records, 2009
18 tracks, RT 58:42, multimedia section
[
http://www.myspace.com/asecretdeath ]
[
http://www.facebook.com/pages/asecretdeath/25371205744 ]
[
http://www.tribunalrecords.net/ ]
[
http://www.myspace.com/tribunalrecords ]
[
http://www.skullandbonesrecords.com/ ]
[
http://www.myspace.com/skullandbonesrecords ]
Hailing from the sunny location of the Gold Coast in Australia,
asecretdeath is out with its first full-length, self-titled album. The
CD features six bonus tracks in addition to the 12 main ones, plus a
bonus video clip (for the song "IDKFA"). One thing that stood out to
me about this album was the fluidity from one song to the next -- the
transitions are seamless and flow beautifully. Instrumentally, I'd say
this is typical thrash metal with a little extra kick, but it could be
considered post-metal or progressive metal as well. The songs are
fueled by a vitality to keep the listener constantly entertained.
Vocalist Nathan switches from a morbidly frightening death metal
voice, then transitions into something softer, yet still full of the
passion executed in the other range. Instrumentally, the songs had me
captivated as well. There's not a dull moment to be found on this
album. Some of the songs are rather short, lasting only a little over
two minutes. However, those six exclusive CD bonus tracks ensure
you'll have plenty of asecretdeath to listen to. You can tell this
band has a love for creativity just by looking at the song titles
alone. You can see this illustrated in songs like "Gloom With A View,"
"Peyote Ugly," and "Ordeal Or No Deal." I really appreciate that kind
of play on words. To me, it seemed like the bonus tracks were lacking
in caliber when compared to the original 12. It also seemed like the
longer the song was, the better the song was overall. There aren't
really any solos from guitarists Scott and Jacob, but the album has
enough intensity and diversity to stand on with these two strengths.
The song I'd recommend checking out is "Gloom With A View." This is a
band worth seeking out.
- Stephanie Davison (
Zatanna7@...)
FARFLUNG - A WOUND IN ETERNITY (C-) MeteorCity, 2008
8 tracks, RT: 45:36
[
http://www.myspace.com/farflung ]
[
http://www.meteorcity.com/ ]
[
http://www.stonerrock.com/meteorcity ]
OK, kids, this is a weird one. The L.A. trio known as Farflung
describe themselves as "an apocalyptic beacon from the dark cosmos"
and claim that their mission is to "bring space rock to your mental
galaxy bathed in infrared, shuddering under the strobes, and warping
the eyes." Um...ooooo-kay. Once I cut through all the pretentious sci-
fi B.S. in their press info and on their MySpace, I decided that this
eight tracker was best summed up in one word: "Drone, drone,
droooooooonnnne." (Well, that's actually three words, but you get my
drift.) A WOUND IN ETERNITY, the band's seventh release, sounds like
it would make a great soundtrack for a 'shrooming session or an acid
trip; unfortunately for the band, I don't do that kind of stuff
anymore. The vocals are drenched in echo and reverb for that spooky,
"we are descending from outer space" vibe, the instruments sound as if
they're coming from far away, and to me it all sounds like one very
loooooonnng song. Hmmm, maybe I should've smoked something before I
listen to this? Whatever. A WOUND IN ETERNITY is competently played
and well produced, but this stuff simply ain't my style. The band's
bio compares them to Hawkwind (a band that I know next to nothing
about, other than the fact that they gave the world Lemmy a long time
ago) alongside such names as Chrome, Damo Suzuki Network, and
Pressurehed, none of which mean anything to me. I suppose if you're a
fan of any of the aforementioned bands, feel free to go nuts, 'cuz
this will probably be right up your alley. As for me, Farflung sound
like Coheed And Cambria covering the early Floyd catalog (ugh!) and A
WOUND IN ETERNITY couldn't end fast enough for me. Yawn.
- Keith Abt (
KeithAbt@...)
GAMMA RAY - HELL YEAH!!! - THE AWESOME FOURSOME (A) SPV/Steamhammer,
2008
Disc 1: 11 tracks, RT: 1:01:20
Disc 2: 11 tracks, RT: 1:03:38
GAMMA RAY - HELL YEAH!!! - THE AWESOME FOURSOME (DVD) (A+)
SPV/Steamhammer, 2008
Disc 1: 1:56:35
Disc 2: 2:34:12
[
http://www.gammaray.org/ ]
[
http://www.myspace.com/gammaraymyspace ]
[
http://www.spv.de/ ]
[
http://www.spvusa.com/ ]
[
http://www.mypace.com/spvusa ]
Gahh!! Somehow I managed to temporarily lose track of this release,
and I never reviewed it last year. Bad, bad, bad me. You've probably
read all about this already, if for no other reason than its goofy and
loooong subtitle: AND THE FINNISH KEYBOARDER WHO DIDN'T WANT TO WEAR
HIS DONALD DUCK COSTUME. Okay, all goofiness aside this live set --
two CDs or two DVDs -- is a true piece of metal brilliance. The main
concert was recorded/filmed three years ago in Montreal, during the
MAJESTIC tour, and features a great mix of Gamma Ray old 'n' new, plus
a token nod to main man Kai Hansen's past life. The set list: intro,
"Welcome," "Gardens Of The Sinner," "New World Order," "Man On A
Mission," "Fight," "Blood Religion," "Heavy Metal Universe," "Dream
Healer," "Heart Of The Unicorn," "Fairytale" (acoustic), "The
Silence," "Beyond The Black Hole," "Valley Of The Kings," "Somewhere
Out In Space," "Land Of The Free," "Rebellion In Dreamland," "I Want
Out" (Helloween), "Send Me A Sign." The main thrust of the CD is an
edited-down version of the show (i.e., stage banter is kept to a
minimum), but as a bonus CD #2 features four extra, non-DVD tracks
recorded on the more recent LAND OF THE FREE II tour: "Into The
Storm," "Empress," "From The Ashes," and "Real World." Regarding the
DVD set, the first disc keeps it simple, containing just the energetic
Montreal show. The production values are top-notch, with multiple
cameras and a Japanese concert video vibe due to the judicious use of
split screens. Besides the show's overall energy and excellence, the
disc's notable moments include the opening four-song salvo of burners,
a fun vocal/guitar battle between Kai Hansen and Henjo Richter in
"Heavy Metal Universe," and some humorous nuggets buried in the
closing credits. (Don't skip 'em!) The second disc is, naturally,
loaded with other goodies. The 47-minute hodge-podge entitled "Bits &
Pieces Of Historay" features various live, studio, and interview clips
of the band filmed between 1994 and 2006. Highlights include Hansen
being "introduced" as the band's new singer in '94; live-in-Tokyo
boots of "Beyond The Black Hole" (with a woman singing) and "Pray";
the band playing Helloween's "Future World" with HammerFall in Athens,
Greece, and its own "Somewhere Out In Space" with Helloween bassist
Markus Grosskopf; Hansen stage-diving from a height of at least 10',
and then crowd-surfing; drummer Dan Zimmermann spitting fire
(literally) on the SKELETONS IN THE CLOSET tour; and a press
conference Q&A at the Wacken Open Air festival. The "Video Clips"
section includes promo videos from the early Ralf Scheepers years
right up to current: "Space Eater" (dig the *poofy* hair; Mr.
Scheepers actually kinda resembles Michael Bolton here); "One With The
World" (with nifty film-speed tricks like in Helloween's "I Want Out"
video); "Gamma Ray" (the hippie vibe is tres freaky...); "Rebellion In
Dreamland" (this one's a bit like a short film); "Send Me A Sign" (a
slapped-together clip featuring live footage); "Heavy Metal Universe"
(featuring live footage from this DVD); "Eagle" (with sci-fi CGI,
mascot Fangface, and the band doing battle with lasers); and "Into The
Storm" (a darker vibe, with a girl breaking free from a bloody
brainwash session). The nearly 40-minute "Live @ Wacken 2003/2006"
section features "One With The World," "Last Before The Storm,"
"Rebellion In Dreamland," "Heavy Metal Universe," and "Somewhere Out
In Space"; "Unplugged In Japan" is 15 minutes of Hansen and Richter
performing "Rebellion In Dreamland," "Land Of The Free," "Fairytale,"
and (a very cool and bouncy) "Send Me A Sign" acoustically; and the
16-minute "Road Movie" is a collection of candid "on tour" bits,
showing the band in a dollar store, on the bus, backstage, and walking
around various towns and cities. {Curiously, my promo copy has another
segment entitled "Melbourne Playback" which simply has the "Heavy
Metal Universe" promo video again; I wonder if that's a defect?) All
told, these releases are a whole boatload of German melodic metal
mayhem that will keep your fists flying and heads banging for hours.
- Tim Wadzinski (
tsw512@...)
NASHVILLE PUSSY - FROM HELL TO TEXAS (B) SPV/Steamhammer, 2009
12 tracks, RT: 38:54
[
http://www.nashvillepussy.com/ ]
[
http://www.myspace.com/nashvillepussy ]
[
http://www.spv.de/ ]
[
http://www.spvusa.com/ ]
[
http://www.myspace.com/spvusa ]
The ever-notorious Nashville Pussy returns with their fifth studio
album, and believe it or not, though I've become quite familiar with
their legendary rep over the years, this was the first time I'd
actually heard these Atlanta-based hellraisers. For those who've been
living under a rock (like me), the co-ed four piece (named after a
lyric from Ted Nugent's "Wang Dang Sweet Poontang") play no frills,
redneck sleaze rock, best described as a cocktail (ha!) of Bon Scott-
era AC/DC, Thin Lizzy, the aforementioned Nuge, and a hit of
Motorhead. This is the kind of stuff that's tailor-made for the
soundtrack to one of Rob Zombie's 1970s styled, Southwestern-set
splatter films. Vocalist Blaine Cartwright will never be considered
one of rock's great vocalists, but he gets the job done, spitting out
lyrics about drinkin', fightin', and f**kin' in a snarl that sounds
like Alice Cooper at his nastiest while his backing band (wife Ruyter
Suys on guitar, Karen Cuda -- who can certainly fill out a pair of
Daisy Duke shorts, by the way -- on bass, and Jeremy Thompson on
drums) belt out some righteous hellraisin' noise on their instruments.
The production is a little on the thin/dry side but I'll bet this band
must whoop some serious ass live. I especially liked "Speed Machine,"
the hilarious "Lazy Jesus" and catchy-as-hell "I'm So High" (Gotta
love the title "Dead Men Can't Get Drunk" too -- so true!) but all 12
tracks zip by like a gang of Harley ridin' bikers on meth. If you put
on this CD, you have two choices -- either shake your ass or get the
hell out of the way!
- Keith Abt (
KeithAbt@...)
REFLECTION - WHEN SHADOWS FALL (C+) Cruz Del Sur Music, 2008
12 tracks, RT: 47:49
[
http://www.reflection.gr/ ]
[
http://www.myspace.com/reflectiongr ]
[
http://www.cruzdelsurmusic.com/ ]
[
http://www.myspace.com/cruzdelsurmusic ]
[
info@... ]
I'd never heard of this Greek five-piece till this disc came through
the mailbox, but apparently Reflection has been around since 1992 and
they have quite a few prior releases under their belts. The band's bio
says that they're "the driving force of Hellenic Epic Doom Metal," to
which I say "Um... yeah, OK, whatever." They sound more like slower-
paced melodic power/prog to me, but to each their own. The proof is in
the tunes, and Reflection have got 'em to spare. WHEN SHADOWS FALL is
a tight, machine-precise album full of crunchy riffs and epic,
stirring choruses performed by extremely skilled musicians.
Unfortunately, the odd, warbling vocal style of Leo Stivala took some
getting used to. He's one of those guys who over-emotes every single
note to the point where he sounds like he's about to keel over. I
tried getting past that to enjoy the band's crunchy riffing, which
does indeed sound great for awhile, but by the album's halfway point I
found myself wishing that they'd kick things up a notch; almost the
entire album is played at a rather frustrating mid-tempo plod. (Hence
the "Epic Doom" tag, I guess?) I get the feeling that there could be a
pretty decent power metal band inside these guys if only someone would
light a fire under their asses. I also wonder if WHEN SHADOWS FALL is
a concept album. The promotional copy I received didn't contain any
lyrics so I don't know for sure, but these songs feel like they're all
interconnected in some way, if that makes any sense. Anyway, the band
chugs on for 11 songs about ghost ships and "the lost" and "desert
lands" until the final track, an "orchestral" version of the song
"Mistress Of Sea," which sounds like it could've come off the last
Manowar album (editor's note: that's not a good thing) or the end
credit song to a "Lord Of The Rings" sequel. These guys would probably
take that as a compliment, but I found it unnecessary at best. In the
end, I didn't hate WHEN SHADOWS FALL, but didn't love it either. It
started out promising enough (aside from the vocals) but after several
spins ended up sounding somewhat half-baked. I expected more from a
band that supposedly has such a long history. Fans of Symphony X,
Kamelot, and the like will probably get more out of this album than I
did.
- Keith Abt (
KeithAbt@...)
STRATOVARIUS - POLARIS (B+/B) Armoury Records, 2009
11 tracks, RT: 55:01
[
http://www.stratovarius.com/ ]
[
http://www.eaglerockent.com/ ]
[
http://www.ear-music.net/ ]
Last week in my column I joked "Stratovarius is back?" Seriously, I
didn't know. Longtime main man Timo Tolkki is forging ahead -- and
already two albums deep -- with his new band, Revolution Renaissance,
and I thought Stratovarius was left for dead. But a funny thing
happened on the way to the cemetery... Singer Timo Kotipelto, bassist
Lauri Porra, keyboardist Jens Johansson, and drummer Jorg Michael put
all the b.s./publicity stunts/drama/wackiness behind them, found a new
guitarist in Matias Kupiainen, divvied up the songwriting chores, and
set to work. With the previous chief songwriter/guitarist gone you
might think the resulting album would be a departure or "fresh start"
for the band. And you would be wrong. Why mess with success? POLARIS
fits right in with the lengthy Stratovarius back catalogue, and there
are no crazy left turns taken or curveballs thrown here. The biggest
surprise (for me anyhow) is how much "semi-new guy" Porra -- he came
from Kotipelto's solo touring band to replace Jari Kainulainen back in
'05, but POLARIS marks his Strato recording debut -- contributed to
the band: he wrote no less than five of the album's 11 tracks. The
remaining six are split evenly between the Kupiainen/Kotipelto tandem
and Johansson. I love when musicians do this sort of thing; it evokes
images in my mind of a "true band" mentality. Anyway... Opener (and
first single) "Deep Unknown," follow-up "Falling Star," and "Higher We
Go" all have that heavy-yet-commercial vibe the band has done so well,
"Blind" and "Forever Is Today" are the burners (with the latter having
a strong SEVENTH SIGN-era Yngwie Malmsteen vibe), "Winter Skies" and
"Somehow Precious" are the power ballads (check out the particularly
nice piano work and guitar soloing in the former), and closer "When
Mountains Fall" is a delicate mix of vocals, guitar, and strings. The
"epic" songs are Johansson's nearly seven-minute "King Of Nothing" and
Porra's two-part, 11-minute "Emancipation Suite." Something for
everyone, and I wager the band's fans will be well pleased. Welcome
back, guys, and here's to your new beginning.
- Tim Wadzinski (
tsw512@...)
TANKARD - THIRST (B) AFM Records, 2009
10 tracks, RT: 44:54
[
http://www.tankard.info/ ]
[
http://www.myspace.com/tankardfrankfurt ]
[
http://www.afm-records.de/ ]
I've never really heard any Tankard before, aside from an occasional
tribute album track, but I'm pretty sure I've seen the band referenced
in some of the recent metal documentaries that have been making the
rounds -- "Metal: A Headbanger's Journey," "Get Thrashed!," VH1's
"Heavy: The Story Of Metal," etc. -- which certainly makes sense as
the band has been around for 25+ years. I'm guessing THIRST is
consistent and right in line with the band's career output. It sports
10 songs and a 45-minute running time (just like every album 25 years
ago when we were copying each other's new acquisitions on blank, 90-
minute Maxell tapes) and if you like thrash and/or beer, Tankard is
the band for you. These songs feature crisp, clean production so every
instrument is clearly audible, and despite my preconceived notions
that these guys would be sloppy (I know I would be after 25+ years of
drunken mayhem) the music is quite precise. There is some outstanding
riffing and rhythm work from guitarist Andy Gutjahr, and the rhythm
section comprised of bassist Frank Thorwart and drummer Olaf Zissel is
most excellent. In time-honored German thrash fashion, vocalist
Andreas Geremia shouts, screams, and growls his way through the album,
but at no point is he ever unlistenable. "Octane Warriors" and
"Deposit Pirates" kick things off in fine up-tempo, crunchy fashion,
then the title track throws a bit of a curveball with some tempo
changes and a fairly complex guitar solo. "Hyperthermia" starts off
with a fierce, butt-shaking boogie and showcases another great Gutjahr
solo. The riffing in "When Daddy Comes To Play" will have you whipping
out the air guitar, and stay tuned for -- gasp! -- additional vocals
from a children's choir. Elsewhere, "Zodiac Man" has more great
riffing and "G.A.L.O.W." (stands for "Gods And Legends Of War") is
speedy and the Greek mythology lyrics satisfy the D&D nerd in me. Then
we have "Myevilfart." Yes, it's about farting and makes reference to
"the burning flame of power." <sigh> I know these guys have a sense of
humor but you'll just *never* catch me walking around humming "Myyyyy
eee-vil FART..." :) All in all, THIRST should quench your need for
some fun thrash.
- Tim Wadzinski (
tsw512@...)
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