Detritus
Issue #510
Week of July 20, 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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-Saw Priest and Whitesnake this past Sunday, and my ears are finally
back to normal. :) - Tim
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*** PRESS RELEASE #1 ***
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-Win The Judas Priest Harley-Davidson Crossbones Bike
If you want a chance to win the Harley-Davidson Crossbones Bike that
Judas Priest are using on stage during the U.S. Summer Tour -- it has
been customised with Judas Priest BRITISH STEEL graphics and a Judas
Priest logo!
The band will be signing the bike at the end of the tour and some
lucky winner will own it!!
Click here for the details of how to be in with a chance to win the
bike!!
http://www.legendsharley.com/
JudasPriest.com - The Official Judas Priest Web site
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*** PRESS RELEASE #2 ***
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-Never-Before-Seen, Vintage Kiss Photos Featured In New Book By
Richard Galbraith
As a long-time fan of rock and a resident of Enid, Oklahoma, Richard
Galbraith has attended countless concerts since the early '70s, and
documented most of them with this photography. Led Zeppelin, Alice
Cooper, the Ramones, the Sex Pistols, and Black Sabbath (among many
others) have all passed through the lens of Mr. Galbraith. In his
first-ever photo book, "Richard Galbraith Photography Presents: KISS"
the reader is offered a glimpse of almost every single major concert
the masked quartet played in Oklahoma from 1976 through 1986.
Comprised of nearly 100 never-before-seen pix (in both color and black
and white), the book also contains notes and memories of the shows
from Richard, from interviews conducted by renowned rock writer Greg
Prato. Additionally, many of the photographs in the book are available
for individual sale through Richard (as well as more other photos not
included in the book).
The shows that are photographed and featured in the book include:
01. 3/8/76 - Tulsa, Oklahoma [Tulsa Assembly Center]
02. 7/26/76 - Kansas City, Missouri [Municipal Auditorium]
03. 1/6/77 - Tulsa, Oklahoma [Tulsa Assembly Center]
04. 1/7/77 - Norman, Oklahoma [Lloyd Noble Center]
05. 11/23/77 - Tulsa, Oklahoma [Tulsa Assembly Center]
06. 10/17/79- Norman, Oklahoma [Lloyd Noble Center]
07. 10/29/79 - Tulsa, Oklahoma [Tulsa Assembly Center]
08. 3/21/83 - Norman, Oklahoma [Lloyd Noble Center]
09. 2/22/86 - Tulsa, Oklahoma [Expo Square Pavilion]
To view sample pages from the book and for ordering info, visit:
http://stores.lulu.com/richardgalbraith
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*** PRESS RELEASE #3 ***
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-Legendary Guitarist Steve Vai Set To Release Live Concert -- WHERE
THE WILD THINGS ARE -- On DVD, Blu-ray And Live CD On Favored Nations
September 29th, 2009
HOLLYWOOD, CA -- Guitar legend Steve Vai will release his concert film
and live CD WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE September 29th, 2009 on Favored
Nations Records. The show was recorded and filmed at the State Theatre
in Minneapolis, MN before a sold-out audience as part of Vai's
successful Sound Theories world tour.
Visit
http://favorednations.com/wtwta-preview to view the concert
trailer.
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE is Vai's 21st solo project contributing to
his 20,000,000 unit worldwide sales that have accumulated over his 30
year career. Vai chose the State Theatre to film because of its large,
lush acoustics and the historical theatre's gorgeous interior.
Vai is widely known for both his unprecedented guitar playing
techniques and the unique design of his signature series Ibanez Jem
guitar. But his fans have become inextricably drawn to his melodic
depth, and dynamic stage performance. The continued evolution of his
craft is made apparent in the astonishing musicianship presented in
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE.
The 2 hour and 40 minute set contains several new tracks and re-
orchestrated pieces culled from his rich catalog. His guitar-wielding
extravaganza in "The Murder" is an artistic performance piece that
must be seen to be believed.
The addition of virtuoso violinists Alex DePue and Ann Marie Calhoun
add a dazzling dimension to Vai's compositions and stage show,
delivering fans the unexpected edge they always expect. Other world-
class musicians chosen for Vai's band are: Bryan Beller (bass), Jeremy
Colson (drums), Dave Weiner (guitar and sitar) and Zack Wiesinger (lap
steel).
"When I put a band and a show together I try to create an
entertainment experience that I would like to have if I was sitting in
the audience," explains Vai. "I like to witness great musicianship but
nothing too cerebral or overindulgent, I like to be stimulated by a
large dynamic range of emotional intensities and melodic richness, I
enjoy when people love their instrument and it shows by their oneness
with it, I like to feel as though I'm part of a family with the
audience and the band, and I like to walk away feeling uplifted and
not beat up by somebody's ego or the things they hate about themselves
and the world. And of course I want a cool T-shirt."
Performance Track Listing:
1. Paint Me Your Face
2. Now We Run
3. Oooo
4. Building The Church
5. Tender Surrender
6. Band Intros
7. Firewall
8. The Crying Machine
9. Shove The Sun Aside
10. I'm Becoming
11. Die To Live
12. Freak Show Excess
13. Apples In Paradise
14. All About Eve
15. Gary 7
16. Beastly Rap
17. Treasure Island
18. Angel Food
19. Earthquake Sky
20. The Audience Is Listening
21. The Murder
22. Juice
23. Whispering A Prayer
24. Taurus Bulba
25. Liberty
26. Answers
27. For The Love Of God
WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE is available on DVD, Blu-ray, and audio CD.
To view the trailers go to:
http://favorednations.com/wtwta-preview
For the artist web site go to:
http://www.vai.com/
Favored Nations site:
http://www.favorednations.com/
Steve Vai MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/stevevai
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*** PRESS RELEASE #4 ***
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-Magic Circle Music Update
Deluxe Edition Of E.P. "Thunder In The Sky" Goes On Sale!
Fantasy became reality when Manowar released the E.P., "Thunder In The
Sky." The world's first glimpse into The Asgard Saga, Manowar's
collaboration with Germany's best-selling fantasy author, Wolfgang
Hohlbein, the E.P. features six songs and a Bonus CD with "Father"
recorded in 16 versions in 16 different languages. The E.P. is the
prequel to the complete CD HAMMER OF THE GODS, due to be released at
the end of 2009.
A Deluxe Edition of the E.P. with a 50-page booklet complete with
stories written by Hohlbein to accompany each song went on sale on
July 17, 2009, coinciding with the opening of the Gates of Asgard at
Magic Circle Festival III. The Deluxe Edition is on sale in retail
outlets throughout Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
In addition, the E.P. is still available for sale online in high-
quality, DRM-free, MP3 format only at The Kingdom Of Steel Online
Store. The downloadable version of the E.P. contains the exact same
audio content as the E.P.s on sale: "Thunder In The Sky," "God Or
Man," "Let The Gods Decide," "Father," "Die With Honor," "The Crown
And The Ring" (2008) and versions of "Father" recorded in German,
Italian, Hungarian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Norwegian, Spanish, French,
Greek, Turkish, Polish, Japanese, Croatian, Portuguese and Finnish.
Manowar performed new material from the E.P. for the first time at
Magic Circle Festival III on July 18, 2009 at the Loreley on the Rhine
River in Germany.
Keep posted to Official Manowar Web sites for tour updates and news
from the festival:
http://www.manowar.com/
http://www.magiccirclemusic.com/
http://www.magiccirclefestival.com/
http://www.asgard-saga.com/
http://store.magiccirclemusic.com/
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*** PRESS RELEASE #5 ***
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-Firewind Working On New Material For Early 2010 Release
Firewind are currently working on a new studio album to be released
early 2010 and here is the update from Gus regarding the upcoming
recording session:
"So while we've been doing all these select shows this year, we
concentrated mainly on writing new material. I can tell you right now
that we have 12 great vocal songs and 2 instrumentals. While it's too
early to know what will end up on the album, all of us in the band are
very pleased with the demos and pre-production we did and we are
positive that we're creating the best album of our career so far!
"We're planning to enter the studio this Autumn and looking into
possibilities of who will be mixing our new album. As for the material
itself, I'd say it's what our fans would expect from us. Powerful rock
/ metal anthems with cool riffs and memorable vocal lines from Apollo,
but also some faster & more technical stuff is on there. We also wrote
a very challenging instrumental song. It will have a fusion of styles
and advanced playing from all of us. Needless to say the guitar will
shred like never before! ;-)
"Can't wait? Neither can we!!!"
http://www.firewind.gr/
http://www.myspace.com/firewind
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*** PRESS RELEASE #6 ***
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-Power Quest Forced To Cancel ProgPower USA
Hello Power Metallers,
We are very sorry to inform you, that Power Quest will not be able to
play Prog Power USA X in Atlanta on 11th September. The band was
denied their U.S. working Visas and as a result of this needed to
cancel their attendance.
Please check out the full story here:
http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/progpower-usa/511238-pp-usa-x-major-roster-ch\
anges.html
Here is a note from Steve Williams to you:
Hey guys
We are absolutely gutted that we won't be able to come over for PPUSA.
We've been looking forward to this for the best part of a year and it
was going to be the highlight of 2009 for us. Having spoken at great
length with the promoter Glenn [Harveston], there was absolutely
nothing that could be done once we heard the decision that had been
made.
I'm so sorry for you, our fans, who had contacted us saying how much
they were looking forward to finally seeing us on U.S. soil...and then
this happens!!! Hopefully we can come over in the future and be a bit
more fortunate when it comes to whoever reviews our visa applications.
We had booked flights as well so the band will take a loss of around
£1500 on that alone...
Glenn has done a great job in sorting out the roster at such short
notice... I'm sure you will all have a fantastic time as always at
PPUSA. I'm just sorry that we won't be able to be there and share it
with you.
Cheers,
Steve
Your Power Quest Headquarters
....the Quest must go on
http://www.myspace.com/powerquest
http://www.power-quest.co.uk/
http://www.napalmrecords.com/
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*** PRESS RELEASE #7 ***
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-Napalm Records News
Hollenthon: Amadeus Austrian Music Awards 2009
The cult metal band revolving around scene legend Martin Schirenc has
been nominated for the Amadeus Austrian Music Award in two categories:
"Hard & Heavy Band" and "Hard & Heavy Song." This year the jury will
no longer decide the winner, but rather the fans! Details about the
awards and how to vote online can be found at
http://www.amadeusawards.at/ . Prove your good taste in music by
casting your vote for Hollenthon! We are counting on you!
http://www.hollenthon.com/
http://www.myspace.com/hollenthonofficial
Lacrimas Profundere: MySpace Video Premiere
Exciting news just in from the Lacrimas Profundere camp: "The new
video to the track 'And God's Ocean' is now exclusively online on
MySpace. This latest clip delivers the last 3 months of our hard work
and supports 'Die Sandmänner' -- an initiative that fights to end
child poverty in Germany. Lacrimas Profundere will donate each and
every Euro earned by the single to 'Die Sandmänner.' Make sure to get
in touch with your local radio and TV station -- every Euro counts!
Last but not least, the band sends a big 'thank you' to MySpace for
supporting this noble cause! Greetings, Lacrimas Profundere"
http://www.lacrimas.com/
http://www.myspace.com/lacrimasprofundere
Tyr: New Video Clip
The Faroese Vikings have completed the clip to their latest anthem
"Hold The Heathen Hammer High." The video offers sweeping shots,
battle-hardened warriors, and striking visuals. Heri Joensen and his
brothers in arms have successfully transferred the song into a new
medium. Viking Metal fans my watch the clip at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fu2bgwcv43o .
http://www.tyr.net/
http://www.myspace.com/tyr1
Fejd: Live At Wacken
Swedish Folk masters Fejd have just confirmed their appearance at the
legendary Wacken Open Air. The band comprising the brothers Rimmerfors
will step up to the Medieval Stage on 29 July guaranteeing a magical
concert filled with myth and legend.
http://www.fejd.se/
http://www.myspace.com/fejd
Battlelore: Renewed Contract
Finnish Epic Fantasy Metal veterans Battlelore have renewed their
contract with Napalm Records. Now nothing stands in the way of further
journeys into Tolkien's legendary realm of Middle Earth. Music fans
who still have not experienced the unique sound of Battlelore, may
listen at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WDBvPcdo11k&feature=channel_page .
Jyri Vahvanen: "We are very proud and happy to continue our musical
journey under the Napalm Records banner. The new deal guarantees good
conditions for future Battlelore albums, and for that we are very
pleased!"
http://www.battlelore.net/
http://www.myspace.com/battleloremusic
The Modern Age Slavery: On Tour In The Fall
The brutal metal mongers will join Malevolent Creation and Vomitory on
their upcoming European tour. Metal fans should make sure to check out
this hellish package! A complete list of dates can be found at
http://www.myspace.com/themodernageslavery .
http://www.myspace.com/themodernageslavery
Upcoming Releases:
July
Ahab CD - THE DIVINITY OF OCEANS - Nautik Funeral Doom Metal -
24.07.2009
Syrach CD - A DARK BURIAL - Doom Metal - 24.07.2009
Leaves' Eyes MCD - MY DESTINY - Gothic Metal - 24.07.2009
August
Saltatio Mortis CD+DVD - WER WIND SAT... - Medieval Rock - 28.08.2009
Leaves' Eyes CD - NJORD - Gothic Metal - 28.08.2009
Napalm Records
http://www.napalmrecords.com/
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*** PRESS RELEASE #8 ***
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-Z Records News
Eden Wrap Up Recording Of All-New Album
Eden have finished the recording of their all-new album for Z entitled
INTO THE WITHIN which will be released on October 16th. The band have
live dates already in place to support the release:
October 10: JB's - Dudley [with Von Groove]
October 11: The Cavern - Liverpool [with Von Groove]
November 1: The Cavern - Liverpool [with House Of Lords]
November 4: JB's - Dudley [with House Of Lords]
November 6: The Corporation - Sheffield [with House Of Lords]
Watchmen Video To Support Debut Release
Please see below the promo video for Watchmen's "Time Is Over" taken
from our latest release. Check it out...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6Ms-LOZiYM
Z Rock 2010 Tickets On General Sale From July 20th
Tickets for Z Rock 2010 will go on general sale from Monday July 20th.
Due to the current difficult times we have decided to keep the early
bird discount running until October 31st. Details regarding the lineup
and how to buy tickets can be found at
http://www.myspace.com/zrockfest .
Z Goes Facebook
We are now on Facebook under Z Rock Records and Z Rock Fest. Why not
add us to your friends?
Britton Set To Rock Hard!
We are pleased to be able to confirm the release of Britton's classic
debut ROCK HARD for the first time ever on CD with 10 bonus tracks.
This release has been requested for many year and now the 1988 classic
will finally be released on August 21st 2009 on Z!
Check out the radio hit "Hold On" at
http://www.myspace.com/zrockrecordsuk and check out the band's site at
http://www.myspace.com/brittonofficialsite .
Britton where formed in 1985 by lead vocalist Michael Britton and lead
guitarist Jim McMellen. They recruited Gary Holland (ex-Great White)
on drums and bassist Greg Chaissson (who was later to join Jake E.
Lee's Badlands). Last to join the band was Patrick Schunk, who
supported with keyboards and rhythm guitar. The band recorded demos at
The Record Plant which were featured on TEN BEST OF THE WEST, a Rhino
Records compilation of the 10 best yet unsigned bands in '87. At this
time, Greg Chaisson had left and was replaced by Skip Frank. The
Record Plant demos and the Rhino compilation album resulted in a deal
with TSR Records, a sub to the CBS label. The band released their
highly acclaimed LP ROCK HARD in 1988, singles lifted from the album
achieved extensive radio coverage all over the states, and the album
received great reviews from most respected rock magazines at that
time. 2009, for the first time ever, we will have the chance to listen
to 20 amazing Britton tracks on CD format supported with the original
artwork, pictures, lyrics, comments by front man Mike and Jim of the
band and a sound that is better than ever. Britton were definitely a
band that deserved much more success than they gained back in the day
when relatively many melodic rock bands sold gold and platinum in the
U.S., but with this release their classic debut will get a worthy
release!
http://www.zrecords.net/
http://www.myspace.com/zrockrecordsuk
http://www.myspace.com/zrockfest
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*** PRESS RELEASE #9 ***
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-Japan's Seikima-II To Release AKUMA NATIVITY - SONGS OF THE SWORD
Compilation
[Note: This is from Blabbermouth.net. - Tim]
Japanese heavy metal veterans Seikima-II (pronounced "Seikimatsu,"
which means "the end of the century") are back with a new album.
This new compilation, entitled AKUMA NATIVITY - SONGS OF THE SWORD,
will feature 13 of the band's greatest hits re-recorded in full
English. The CD will come out in August in the U.S. and Canada, and
September 16 in Japan. A European release date will be announced soon.
It will be released as a limited edition with a bonus DVD, and as a
regular version, featuring an all-new bonus track.
Seikima-II was formed in 1982 by lead guitarist Damian Hamada. While
the band underwent quite a few member changes, its most well-known and
most stable lineup included Demon Kogure on vocals, Ace Shimizu and
Luke Takamura on guitars, Xenon Ishikawa on bass, Raiden Yuzawa on
drums, and Yuichi Matsuzaki on keyboards.
Seikima-II took the roles of demons from hell, while wearing
traditional Japanese kabuki make-up, and because of this, foreign
people always found a strong resemblance to Kiss. Not surprisingly,
Seikima-II members have mentioned that Kiss was one their most major
influences in both the show and the music.
Though they disbanded on December 31, 1999 at 23:59:59 (since they had
long decided this, and their name says so), they played two special
reunion shows for their 20th anniversary. Both concerts included all
original members and supporting members while the second gig also
featured original guitarist Jail O'hashi as a special guest.
Seikima-II has released twelve studio albums, six compilations, and
five live albums, and has sold more than 10 million albums in Japan
alone.
The band has performed in Spain and England, and the group's live
album, LIVE! BLACKMASS IN LONDON, was recorded at the Marquee in
London.
Most of Seikima-II's former members are currently involved with their
own solo projects. Kogure, who is said to be the most active of them
all, recently visited Sweden as a special guest for a Japanese expo.
Seikima-II released a promotional video for the song "Eldorado" that
was made in collaboration with animation director Kobun Shizuno. Watch
it at:
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsite\
mID=123737
For more information, visit
http://www.myspace.com/seikimaiiofficial .
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*** PRESS RELEASE #10 ***
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-Chinawhite: CHALLENGES Closing In...
http://www.chinawhite.nl/
http://www.rockcompany.nl/
http://www.myspace.com/chinawhitenl
Hi there everybody,
It took longer than expected (duh), but finally the release of the
third album CHALLENGES by Chinawhite is closing in! You go figure out
that title...
To give you a taste of what is coming up, we have uploaded a teaser
track to
http://www.chinawhite.nl/ . Or listen to it on MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/chinawhitenl . You will hear 1 minute fragments
of all the songs on the CD.
Also we'd like to preview the cover artwork:
http://www.chinawhite.nl/pictures/challenges%20front.jpg
Expect the CD later this year (yeah, we will not burn our fingers on
naming a date again ;-) )
Parties interested in distributing this hard rocking but melodic
progrock album, please contact us!
Later,
Rock Company
Neerseweg 60
5988 DA Helden
Netherlands
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*** PRESS RELEASE #11 ***
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-Two Side Moon/SLW Promotions Update
Band: Sentry
Album Title: OUT OF REACH
Genre: Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
Release Date: Out Now
Web sites:
http://www.myspace.com/sentry08music
http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/Sentry
Sentry is an eclectic mix of signature female-driven vocals, and
passionate, intense guitar solos, reminiscent of the timeless
visionaries and artists of the '80s and '90s.
Sentry is comprised of a unique brother/sister duo, with Ruthie
performing clear, evocative lead vocals, and Jesse utilizing his many
talents by recording tracks on his multi-functional keyboard, playing
mesmerizing lead guitar, and supplying back vocals.
OUT OF REACH, Sentry's first all-original album, is a short
compilation of rich vocals, clean electric guitar, and haunting
melodies.
"'Darker Side Of Life' is a gorgeous, dark melodic ballad, showcasing
a mix of Evanescence, Spinnerette and Nightwish inspired gothic
melodic vibe coupled with superb musical arrangements and gorgeous and
magically perfromed vocals from Ruthie, the CD takes a few spins to
sink in, but once it does you find a diverse and interesting album,
this is a good start, watch out for Sentry." - TSM
Track listing:
1. Out Of Reach
2. By Tonight
3. Anything About Me
4. On My Mind
5. Mission
6. Darker Side Of Life
7. Out Of Control
8. Limits
9. Forever Baby
10. What You've Done To Me
Band: Man The Destroyer
Album Title: MAN THE DESTROYER
Genre: Rock/Metal
Release Date: Out Now!!
Web sites:
http://www.manthedestroyer.com/
http://www.myspace.com/manthedestroyermusic
http://www.cdbaby.com/manthedestroyer2
http://www.cdbaby.com/manthedestroyer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FI4WNEtP50
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBG-lRXZbeM
http://www.sonicbids.com/manthedestroyer
Before a problem is fixed, it must be acknowledged. There is no cure
without a diagnosis. Man The Destroyer is the rare rock band that is
willing and able to point out the countless faults of humanity. Rather
than merely point out the fallen nature of man, though, Man The
Destroyer offers a solution. Their ability to carefully evaluate
social issues and their knack for writing powerful and aggressive
music have endeared them to audiences in both Los Angeles and Toronto.
While studying at the Musician's Institute in California, vocalist
P.J. Bahramian and guitarist Don Pena joined forces when they were
assigned to create a live act in one of their performance classes.
Bahramian was instantly impressed with Pena's skills, and approached
him with a demo tape and his idea for a band. Pena was intrigued and
immediately agreed to work with Bahramian.
Within mere weeks, they had found another member, written songs, and
performed live shows. The band quickly created a strong following in
Los Angeles while performing at such famous locales as The Whiskey,
The Cat Club, and The Knitting Factory. Eventually, though, the two
founders graduated and were forced to relocate to Toronto due to visa
issues. They soon recruited drummer Mick Casmi, from Australia, and
Matt MacLean, a bassist from Windsor. The fresh blood and new location
immediately reinvigorated Man The Destroyer. Equally inspired by the
grit and intensity of Guns N' Roses and Metallica and the dramatic
element of Dream Theater and Static-X, Man The Destroyer soon
developed their own sound. More importantly, though, they discovered
endless inspiration in the form of current events. According to front
man Bahramian, the name "Man The Destroyer" developed as a statement
about "how we view human beings, and more specifically, mankind, as we
are today. Mankind is a destroyer that has evolved from Man. We were
not born this way, but we have evolved this way."
In contrast to artists who simply complain about the way things are,
Bahramian offers a sincere and thought-provoking solution: "By
recognizing our changes which have been for the worst, we can divert
our direction and stop the destruction that we have unleashed to the
world. We need to recognize our actions and realize that there are
always consequences." This worldview does not come across as preachy
or condescending because they "let the audience form their own
judgments" based on the band's observations.
Since moving to Toronto, Man The Destroyer have performed at some of
the city's more reputable venues, including The Reverb, Lee's Palace,
and The Kathedral. In 2007 they released their debut E.P. titled DAY
OF GREY along with the music video for their hit single "The Blame."
Recently they released their first full-length self-titled album. With
a commitment to making a positive contribution to both modern rock and
society, Man The Destroyer are poised to soon reach a wider audience.
For more information on Man The Destroyer, visit
http://www.manthedestroyer.com/ .
"Check out the dark and melodic progressive spine tingling 'Forever
June,' a little Metallica, a little Alexisonfire, a smidgen of Dream
Theater laced in a modern arena rock crunch." - TSM
Track listing:
1. Wasted Life
2. When Freedom Fails
3. Forever June
4. The Hole
5. All Form A Line
6. It Ends With You
7. Seven Deadly Sins
8. Freak Out
9. Push It Down
10. Soldier
11. Something Of That Nature
Band: Sanchez
Album Title: NIGHTRIDE
Genre: Melodic Rock/AOR
Label: Blue Topaz Records
Release Date: Out Now
Web sites:
http://www.btr-music.com/
http://www.myspace.com/sanchezkicks
Recommended if you like Ratt, Europe, FireHouse, Dokken, Stryper.
Sanchez is a professional band that have been around in the music
business for a lot of years. These guys have each one of them a
history of playing live. Some of them have played as an opening act
for band such as Dee Snider and with major Swedish metal acts.
They have sold more than 15,000 albums worldwide and even been on tour
in South America.
The brain behind Sanchez is the lead singer, Jose Sanchez, who has
been singing since the early '80s. He has been around in a lot of
bands such as: Fierce Conviction, Lies and Empire Saint just to name a
few. But his heart has always been in the glam/hard rock and AOR
music.
He has the luck to be surrounded by very good and skilled musicians
such as: Bille B. (Bas), Rhandy Toss (Guit), Emil Eriksson (Drums),
and Pontus Swanberg (git).
This is for sure the kick ass live band you must see!
Haven't been slapped in your face today? Then you definitely need your
dose of Sanchez right now!
For all the die-hard fans of classic AOR/Glam/Hard Rock music. Sanchez
are ready to rock the crowd and to seriously kick some butts. They
have already proved it with countless shows, that they are an
energetic and devoted live act.
So check out Sanchez -- you won't regret it!
Track listing:
1. Nightride
2. Chasing The Sun
3. I'm In Love
4. Bad Boys
5. Funky Town
6. Looking For Some Love
Available from....
http://www.ginza.se/ (Sweden)
http://www.musicbuymail.eu/ (Germany)
http://www.aorheaven.com/ (Germany)
http://www.rockavenuerecords.com /(Japan)
http://www.targetrecords.de/ (Germany)
AND DOWNLOAD AT:
http://www.cdon.se/ (Sweden)
http://www.iTunes.com/ (International)
Band: Ray Gilman
Album Title: OVER TIME
Genre: Classic Rock
Release Date: Out Now!!
Web site:
http://www.raygilman.com/
Founded in the summer of 1999, Gilman's Crossing has the sound of a
band that has been together for years. A natural chemistry from father
and son combo Ray and Brian Gilman, with the addition of Brian Sherry
on drums, help solidify this classic rock trio and give them a sound
larger than life.
Ray Gilman: A veteran of the Twin Cities Music scene, Ray has recorded
eight CDs, played hundreds of live shows, and produced CDs for other
artists in his own recording studio. A multi instrumentalist Ray
sings, plays acoustic and electric guitars, and keyboards to give
Gilman's Cossing a very large sound. Gilman's Crossing is influenced
by artists like Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Black Sabbath, Jethro Tull, Tool,
Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin, to name a few. Ray's previous band TMPR
opened for Eric Burdon, Corey Stevens, and performed live on KARE 11
Television (NBC) in Minneapolis. Gilman's Crossing was featured on
KMSP 9 (UPN) on the "Buzz" program. And also won the Garage Logic
bumper band contest and got to perform live on AM 1500 radio at the
2000 Minnesota State Fair.
Brian Gilman: Brian is the youngest member of the group, but has
played the Twin Cities club scene since he was 16. Having heard his
father play since he was an infant, Brian had a guitar in his hand at
an early age. He has developed into a seasoned pro on the bass. He
also plays 6 string guitar, drums and sings. And is a computer
professional.
Brian Sherry: A veteran Drummer in Twin Cities music scene. Brian
started pounding on ice cream buckets at age 9. He learned his
drumming skills in the school marching band. By age 18 he recorded his
first record at Blackberry Way studio with the group TKail. He later
joined the the groups Paradise, Boys, White Raven, the Fanatics, and
was a member of Paragon for 10 years. He has opened for national acts
like Blue Oyster Cult, Pat Travers, Rick Derringer, Molly Hatchet,
Warrant, Jackyl, Foghat, Ruby Star, Delbert McClinton, and Bret
Michaels of Poison. He has also done fill in work with Uncle Chunk and
Tracy Blake. He brings a wealth of experience and a a solid foundation
to Gilman's Crossing.
Pat Swedzinski: Pat honed his guitar skills while serving in the U.S.
Army. He has performed as a solo artist, and with Ray and Brian in the
group TMPR, as well as other Twin Cities bands. His vocals and guitar
skills give Gilman's Crossing another dimension, adding a high energy
element.
Track listing:
1. Can't Stop Myself
2. New Game
3. Guitar Hero
4. Tennessee
5. Easy Come, Easy Go
6. Come Away With Me
7. Tales Of Modern Times
8. Compass
9. Evening Sky
10. Altitude
11. If I Could Be Myself
12. Funky Jazz Thang
13. Dark Earth
14. Saving The Day
15. Springtime Serenade
16. Like Before
17. No Way Out
18. Waiting For The Sun
Band: Whisperwood
Album Title: WHISPERWOOD
Genre: Progressive Rock
Release Date: Out Now!!
Web site:
http://www.whisperwood.com/
The Whisperwood Experience:
Whisperwood is a progressive acoustic fantasy narrative and an
unforgettable experience. Whisperwood is more than a band playing
songs; with over two hours of music and 20 years in the making it is
an epic event. Those who fathom its depths do more than listen, they
explore!
Immerse yourself in WHISPERWOOD, and be taken away on a musical,
spiritual, and emotional journey. Hearken back to the days when
listeners reveled in an entire album in a single sitting. Delight in
WHISPERWOOD as a whole, rather than as individual tracks. Relish
WHISPERWOOD in solitude with lyrics in front of you. WHISPERWOOD is
best experienced old school style -- as an album, a story told from
beginning to end. Partake holistically and you'll be richly rewarded!
The Whisperwood Story:
Elvin brothers Elric and Lokai are opposites, yet counterparts. The
brothers become traveling minstrels whose music has the power to heal
others as well as themselves. WHISPERWOOD is ultimately the story of
Lokai's redemption from vengeance to compassion.
Whisperwood History:
In 1988, Eric, Dave and their band were just days away from moving to
Jamaica to write music on a secluded beach, but Hurricane Gilbert
devastated the island and thwarted their plans. Undaunted, they
eventually moved to San Diego, CA, where Whisperwood was conceived.
Whisperwood soon took on a life of its own, with a magic that captures
the hearts of all who lend an ear. Whisperwood evolved in some fashion
every year between 1990 and 2008, and will likely continue to grow
well into the future. There is currently an effort to bring it to the
stage as a theater piece. Whisperwood is Eric's life work shared with
the world.
The Whisperwood Players:
Eric Minella: guitar, mandolin, octave mandolin, bass, vocals,
percussion, sound FX
Dave LeVardi: vocals, acoustic guitar, bass, percussion
Sean Lombardo: guitar, mandolin, octave mandolin, bass, vocals
Heather Schorge: lead vocals
Marc "Trope" Tropeano: drums & percussion
Jose "Popeye" Villegas Ramirez: violin
Lisetta D'Orazio: flute
Wes Elliott: upright bass
Ken Gullan: narration (primary narrator)
Darlene Lombardo: backing vocals and narration
Randy Rolfsen: backing vocals
Eric, Dave, and Trope started playing together 20 years ago. All three
hail from Berkshire County MA, a location they consider to be the
real-world Whisperwood. Sean joined the family in 1996. The
Whisperwood Players have been a San Diego, CA based band since the
early 1990s.
The band has an unrivaled chemistry, having worked, played, and lived
together for two decades. They sound like their primary musical
influences: Rush, Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull, and Pink Floyd.
Track listing:
Disc 1
1. Tale Of Elric
2. Tale Of Lokai
3. Who Can We Believe
4. Narration (Heart Whispers)
5. Ode To Elric (Muirigheal's Invocation)
6. Listen To The Rain (Muirigheal's Lament)
7. Ode To Lokai
8. Ode To Whisperwood
9. Narration (The Pilgrimage)
10. Elvin Song
11. Pawn Song
12. Ever The Twain
Disc 2
1. Land Of Giants
2. Music In The Air (Jamming With The Giants)
3. Salad Days
4. Full Circle/Laughing With The Hermit/Night Of The Toadstools
5. Change Of Seasons
6. Narration (Divining The Guild)
7. Lodestar (Ring True)
8. Horn Of Plenty
9. Peace Piper
10. Melding Of The Guild
11. We Believe
12. Sing Your Deeper Song (Muirigheal's Incantation)
13. Last Adiue (Muirigheal's Bidding)
14. King For A Day
15. The Brother Song
16. A Flower In Your Meadow
17. Narration (The Never End)
18. Song Of Songs
Band: Product Recall
Album Title: LIQUOR IN THE FRONT, POKER 'ROUND THE BACK
Genre: Modern Punk Metal
Label: Romulus X Records
Release Date: Out Now!!
Web sites:
http://www.productrecallband.co.uk/
http://www.myspace.com/productrecall
http://www.romulusxrecords.com/
"Like drinking 5 cans of Red Bull" - Babble and Beat Magazine
Hello and welcome to the world of Product Recall. Formed in 2004 by
five friends in Epsom Surrey, England, without aiming for a specific
music genre, the band opened up their hearts to play the most honest
brand of music they could find that was true to themselves and what
transpired was a unique style of hard rock/grunge with a new British
sound all its own.
The band now hails from Leicester, England with original members
Andrew (Pop) Larkin (Vocals) and Eliot (School) Poulter (Lead Guitar)
and the search was on to find the remaining members who understood and
complemented the sound and style Pop and School had already
established.
Kane Dalton (Drums) was the first new member in place, quickly
followed by the meaty sound of Keef Hodge (rhythm guitar), and lastly
Matt Payne stepped forward with a menacing bass groove. Product Recall
quickly struck up a working relationship with an independent record
label in the United States, Romulus X Records, whose President, Kenny
Colgate, understood and shared their vision.
The band soon travelled to the United States to record their debut
album LIQUOR IN THE FRONT, POKER 'ROUND THE BACK with Grammy nominated
producer Alan Labiner. With the release of LIQUOR IN THE FRONT, POKER
'ROUND THE BACK Product Recall is now working on establishing an ever
growing hard rock reputation and loyal fan base.
Prepare yourselves for the "Second Coming" of Grunge.
Track listing:
1. Not Your Song
2. Brain Machine
3. Ode To Louis
4. Iffs And Butts
5. Jump
6. Smug You Are
7. Breeders
8. I've Got A Mental
9. Question My Judgements
10. Twinkle Twinkle
11. Be Myself
12. Dead Quiet
Band: Naked
Album Title: GET NAKED
Genre: Melodic Rock/AOR
Release Date: Out Now!!
Web site:
http://www.naked.se/
"Overall it actually sounds like a mixture between Madison, Mad Max,
Casanova, Bonfire, Treat, early Europe and Nostradameus. Thanks to the
great lead vocals, it is a very nice CD to listen to from start to
finish. Make sure to check them out" - Gabor Kleinblosem ~ Strutter,
Holland
From out of nowhere... Naked is at this moment a studio project from
Stockholm, Sweden. The word naked needs no introduction and I think it
describes what we do perfectly -- pure, naked rock 'n' roll. And as
you can see on the photos, naked is beautiful. The music has its
influences from the hard rock of the '70s and '80s. We want to
contribute with our music and bring back the women to hard rock again.
We (Mats Stattin - rhythm guitar, Petri Vehviläinen - vocals, Mike
Roos - drums, Ronny Zander - bass and lead guitar) entered the Tower
Studios for the first time in September 2004. It resulted in a full-
length Master CD produced by Tony Borg (Alien). GET NAKED has been the
working title of the album and it contains 11 songs. Naked is not
signed yet but one of the songs "Hideaway" are available here for
listening (and looking)! Naked will be a live act in the near future.
Track listing:
1. Guardian Angel
2. Posession Obsession
3. You Stole My Heart
4. Stonecold Faces
5. Until Death Do Us Part
6. Hideaway
7. If You're Ready
8. Get Naked
9. Doctor Doctor
10. Why Can't You See
11. Black Roses Turn Red
Band: Kooznetz
Album Title: KOOZNETZ
Genre: Old School Heavy Metal
Release Date: Out Now
Web sites:
http://www.kooznetz.ca/
http://www.myspace.com/kooznetz
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/kooznetz
It all started on October 30, 2005 with a keyboard player Eddie Riumin
and a guitarist/vocalist Kim Izmaylov. That day the two enthusiasts
got together to jam. A temporary name "Blacksmith" was chosen for the
band. It was obvious that this name had to be changed at some point,
since there were 849,423 bands with the same name. A week or two later
they managed to perform a few classic russian rock covers in front of
a small crowd gathering.
In a month or so it was decided that they needed more people in the
band. On December 11, 2005 Andrian Sevastyanov joined them and took
the role of playing guitar along with Kim. After a few months of
playing in this lineup Eddie decided that he no longer wanted to play
keyboard. His passion were drums. So, the only problem left was to
find a proficient bass player. After almost two years of struggling
and seeing bass players come and go, the trio invited Marco Restagno
to join. At that time the bassist was playing in five different bands,
but soon switched to only one (the better one ;).
The name Kooznetz (Russian translation of Blacksmith) was officially
chosen on May 12, 2007. This was also the day when it was decided that
we are going to stay together and make quality music. We specialize in
playing Metal and are up to something big.
Kim - Guitar and Vocals
Daddy Metal - Guitar
Marco - Bass Guitar
Eduard - Drums & Keys
Track listing:
1. Prelude
2. The Tribal Dance
3. Insurgent Mass
4. Uphill Journey
5. Hit The Metal
6. Circles
7. Chemical Mirage
8. Spirit Of The Highway - Russian
9. Works With Metal
10. Stalingrad - DVD included with CD
11. Rasputin
Band: Spank
Album Title: GET BENT
Genre: Rock / Hard Rock
Release Date: OUT NOW!!!
Web sites:
http://www.spankonline.com/
http://www.myspace.com/spankonline
Feedback
Spank - "Within, Without" - ARFM, London, March 7th
"The style they bring is melodic rock/pop with its feet firmly in the
here & now. The kind of sonical outburst that appeals to the young but
is at the same time classic enough to get the parents of said
youngsters aboard." - Rock Report, Belgium 5/6 Points
"It's a pretty good job, and I'm sure it would be a great sweaty old
school live show. Let's hope they'll make it across the Atlantic
someday. The guitar seems to come straight from an '80s American movie
soundtrack and the chorus out of modern days MTV. Truth is, putting
together everyone's influences and ideas these four actually managed
to find their own trademark sound" - Glitzine, U.K.
"Spank return with GET BENT, a nice album filled with Melodic Hard
Rock, sometimes groovy, Spank already has the contacts to become
bigger and with this new CD who knows! They have three lead singers,
whom all can really sing quite well, besides doing some great harmony
vocals on most of the songs, so go check out this great Melodic Hard
rock band's new CD" - Strutter, Holland
"Spank and their latest work GET BENT is a solid and entertaining work
of melodic hard rock whose strength comes from its individual parts
especially the vocal arrangements and hearty rhythm section. Their
songs are well composed: often derivative, but also imaginative. Spank
is good, and can only get better. GET BENT is a worthy contribution to
the melodic rock field. Recommended!" - Dangerdog.com
"I wouldn't argue if this was an unreleased hard rock album from 1982
because the production is right on spot from that era" - Melodic.net
"Spank's second full-length album GET BENT (again produced by Mitch
Easter) continues in the harmony filled-melodic hard rock style of
Spank's debut album. GET BENT standout tracks include 'Gravity,' 'Back
To Me,' 'Breathing,' 'Step Out Of Line' and more. A special five-track
E.P. called WITHIN, WITHOUT was also released where the title track
was produced by legendary producers Mitch Easter (R.E.M., Let's
Active) & Beau Hill (Ratt, Warrant, Alice Cooper, Winger)." -
Metaltemple
"Bright, melodic arrangement really peaked my interest with its toe-
tapping melody and solid, harmonic chorus which reminds me a lot of
that late '70s/ early '80s hard rock sound or a band like the Stage
Dolls." - Rockeyez
"There are some fun songs that play off of some smooth arrangements
and sensational melodies. The vocals work wonderfully on those songs
as well" - Roughedge
"The group is willing to temper their hard rock with some dazzling
flashes of acoustic guitar work (which only makes the heavier moments
more so), so couple that with gorgeous, challenging vocal harmonies
and you have a band that really deserves to be heard!" - Lucky Clark,
Music In Review, Sweden
"GET BENT it is a surprise: we believed that sleazy glam the years '80
were died with Bon Jovi. And instead the Spank they demonstrate the
contrary to us" - Babylon Magazine
"No weak tracks among the 10. There's some Warrant melodies and some
early '70s Kiss feel. I have a feeling that Spank is just a small
break away from the big times and stages." - Flash Magazine, Italy
"Spank is a hard rock quartet, not the thing you'd like to give to a
women. Powerful and variated" - Concreteweb
More feedback to follow!!!
Two Side Moon/SLW Promotions
http://www.myspace.com/nickyaor
http://www.slwpromotions.com/
*
*** PRESS RELEASE #12 ***
*
-Hirax: New Studio Release EL ROSTRO DE LA MUERTE ("THE FACE OF
DEATH")
Digital Downloads Now Available; 2009 Tour Dates
LONG BEACH -- Hirax will release their highly-anticipated new studio
album -- EL ROSTRO DE LA MUERTE ("THE FACE OF DEATH") -- in mid August
2009. It is the veteran thrash band's first full-length since 2004's
THE NEW AGE OF TERROR.
EL ROSTRO DE LA MUERTE ("THE FACE OF DEATH") is a dual-studio effort,
combining the skills of two Hirax producers which the band has worked
with on their past three releases. The 10 new tracks were recorded and
engineered by John Haddad at Trench Studio in Corona, California, and
mixed by Michael Rozen at Speed Semen Clove Factory in North
Hollywood. The new CD will also contain one bonus track from the CHAOS
AND BRUTALITY E.P., which was previously unavailable in the U.S.
"The combination of Haddad and Rozen's recording and production are
perfect for the vision that we had for the sound of this album," said
Hirax vocalist Katon W. De Pena. "We worked with Haddad on the last
two Hirax E.P.s, ASSASSINS OF WAR and CHAOS AND BRUTALITY. He has a
great understanding of the power and speed of Hirax, and he knows how
to bring the best of our talents to the surface. We have a lot of
respect for him. Hirax first worked with Michael Rozen back in 2004 on
THE NEW AGE OF TERROR album and it's great to be working with him
again. His experience in mixing and production are what we need to
complete the mega-epic sound that we are striving for. It's the first
time Hirax has ever brought two of our producers together, but it
seemed like the logical thing to do since they both have an ear for
detail and a certain work ethic which brings out the best in the band.
Musically, it combines everything that Hirax is known for and much,
much more! TRUE THRASH METAL!!"
EL ROSTRO DE LA MUERTE ("THE FACE OF DEATH") will be released on Black
Devil Records and Deep Six Records and will be distributed through CM
Distro.com. It will be pressed in CD and vinyl formats as well as a
limited edition picture disc.
The Hirax title NOT DEAD YET (the band's two classic thrash metal
albums RAGING VIOLENCE and HATE FEAR AND POWER together) is now
available digitally through iTunes, along with THRASH AND DESTROY,
ASSASSINS OF WAR, THE NEW AGE OF TERROR, and BARRAGE OF NOISE. The
band plans to release make more of their extensive back catalog
digitally by the end of the year. A new line of Hirax shirts can be
purchased through Razamataz.com Ltd.
(
http://heavymetalonline.co.uk/acatalog/HIRAX.html ).
Hirax's EL ROSTRO DE LA MUERTE ("THE FACE OF DEATH") tour will begin
in Modesto, California on August 1. They have four dates in the metal
stronghold of Texas, a return date in Chile, and a debut appearance in
Puerto Rico. More dates, including an East Coast tour, are in the
works.
TOUR DATES
8.01.09 Modesto Virtual - Modesto, CA
8.02.09 DNA Lounge - San Francisco, CA
8.22.09 Salon Royal - Los Angeles, CA
8.27.09 Smokin' Aces Mission, TX
8.28.09 Walter's on Washington - Houston, TX
8.29.09 Red 7 - Austin, TX
8.30.09 The Compound - Corpus Christi, TX
9.04.09 El Teatro Caupolican - Santiago de Chile
11.07.09 La Respuesta - San Juan, Puerto Rico
11.21.09 Modified Arts - Phoenix, AZ
Hirax.org
BlackDevilRecords.com
*
*** PRESS RELEASE #13 ***
*
-Contrive Album To Be Mixed By Devin Towsend
Contrive has just completed recording their second soon-to-be titled
album at Toyland Studios, again with Producer Adam Calaitzis (
http://www.toyland.com.au ).
The band can now confirm the mixing duties will be handled by none
other than Mr. Devin Townsend.
Drummer Andrew Haug comments: "Unless you live in a cave you should be
aware of the great work Devin Townsend has delivered over the years,
not only with his own bands but many other albums he has worked on.
We're beyond stoked to be working with him on the long awaited second
Contrive record. I personally will be heading to Vancouver in the
coming weeks to nut out our l'il masterpiece with Dev at Studio D for
what will be a killer time and some awesome results! More news soon,
all Hail."
The yet to be signed band will then shop the album around for any
label interest.
Contrive formed in 1999 by twin brothers Paul and Andrew Haug and
bassist Tim Stahlmann, releasing two E.P.s and a debut album in 2005
titled THE MEANING UNSEEN (Mixed by Fredrik Nordstrom - Studio
Fredman, Sweden). The band has shared the staged with the likes of
Machine Head, Stone Sour, Sepultura, Soilwork, Destruction, Mayhem and
more.
THE MEANING UNSEEN reviews:
http://www.sputnikmusic.com/album.php?reviewid=14581
http://metalobsession.net/contrive-the-meaning-unseen
Contrive on MySpace
http://wwwmyspace.com/contriveaustralia
Contrive on Facebook -- Become a fan!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/CONTRIVE/16792407242?ref=ts
Contrive on Twitter
http://twitter.com/CONTRIVEAus
Write Contrive:
PO Box 134
East Keilor 3033
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
*
*** PRESS RELEASE #14 ***
*
-Ravage Post Artwork And Track Listing For THE END OF TOMORROW! New
Song Posted On MySpace!
Boston, Massachusetts metallers Ravage are ready to unleash their
Metal Blade Records debut, THE END OF TOMORROW on August 15th / 18th
2009. Artwork was handled by the famed artist Ed Repka who is known
best for his Megadeth covers as well as cover art for Death, Municipal
Waste, Toxic Holocaust and Austrian Death Machine. THE END OF TOMORROW
seamlessly intertwines the sounds of New Wave of British Heavy Metal,
late '80s American Thrash Metal and late '90s European power metal to
showcase the band's signature style. The album is sure to be enjoyed
by metal maniacs young and old as it blends the soaring vocal and
guitar melodies of Iron Maiden and Helloween with the raw power of
thrashers like Testament and Kreator, presented in a crisply modern
production-style courtesy of producer Peter Rutcho.
Here's what vocalist Al Ravage has to say: "This album has been a
very, very long time in the making and we'd like to thank Metal Blade
for giving traditional, no-bullsh*t, American heavy metal a chance
again. Also thanks to Peter Rutcho for his great production work on
the album (giving new life and freshness to a classic sound), and Ed
Repka (for inviting you all to share a glimpse into Ravage's corner of
the singularly demented alternate reality he has created with mere
brush strokes). 'The End' is finally near! Get ready to Ravage and
we'll see you on tour this fall."
THE END OF TOMORROW track listing:
1. The Halls Of Madness
2. Reign Fall
3. Freedom Fighter
4. Damn Nation
5. The Shredder
6. Into The Shackles
7. In Shattered Dreams
8. The Nightmare's Hold: Part 1
9. Nightcrawler
10. The Nightmare's Hold: Part 2
11. Grapes Of Wrath
12. The End Of Tomorrow
Ravage have posted the brand new song "Grapes Of Wrath" on their
MySpace. Click here to check it out as well as the rare E.P. version
of the album track "The Shredder":
http://www.myspace.com/swwr
THE END OF TOMORROW is only the beginning for Ravage, who are only in
their mid 20s, despite having played together for over 10 years!
THE END OF TOMORROW will be released in Europe on August, 15th / 18th!
http://www.myspace.com/swwr
*
*** PRESS RELEASE #15 ***
*
-Delain's New Full-Length APRIL RAIN Released In The U.S.
Licensed from Roadrunner to Sensory Records for North American
release, Delain's sophomore album APRIL RAIN is being heralded as one
of the top gothic/melodic heavy releases of 2009. Comparable to
popular acts like Nightwish and Within Temptation, Delain was
initially formed by ex-Within Temptation keyboard magician Martijn
Westerholt. The band have been receiving amazing reviews from both
American and European publications and fans upon release of APRIL
RAIN, and in addition to more European live dates, the band has plans
of touring North America in the near future as well. Stay tuned for
more details.
"This is really enjoyable stuff from start to finish, lots of heavy
crunch for the metal crowd, enough keyboard flourishes for the prog
crowd, and plenty commercial sounding to grab some of the women out
there." 4/5 - SeaOfTranquility.org
"This is huge sounding, well done goth metal... I believe this Dutch
outfit has reached the top tier of this style with this release." 8/10
- Hellbound.ca
"Delain are relative newcomers to the scene, but they possess a
musical prowess that is far too interesting to ignore." -
MetalEater.com
http://www.delain.nl/
http://www.myspace.com/delainmusic
http://www.lasersedgegroup.com/
*
*** PRESS RELEASE #16 ***
*
-Whiplash: New Song Posted Online
Reactivated Garden State thrashers Whiplash have posted another new
song -- "Fight Or Flight" -- on their official MySpace Page. Visit
http://www.myspace.com/whiplashusa to check it out. The track comes
off the band's new album, UNBORN AGAIN, which is scheduled for an
August 5th release via Pulverised Records. The CD was recorded at
Studio with world-renowned engineer/producer Harris Johns (Sodom,
Kreator, Helloween, Sepultura). The band mixed and mastered the CD at
Spiderhouse Studio. The cover artwork was created by Ed Repka (Death,
Atheist, Megadeth, Nuclear Assault, Possessed, etc.) and can be viewed
here:
http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=451309518&blogI\
d=501614021
The record will be made available in digipack CD + DVD format later in
the year which documents the making of UNBORN AGAIN.
Whiplash is a three-piece power trio hailing from New Jersey. The band
was assembled back in 1984 when Tony Portaro (guitar, vocals) and Tony
Scaglione (drums) joined forces, recruited Tony Bono on bass and
released their first CD, POWER AND PAIN, in 1985 on Roadrunner
Records. The debut CD was followed up by their first live performance
at Ruthie's in Berkley, California with Possessed and Death Angel.
Whiplash's current lineup:
Tony Portaro - Guitar/Vocals
Joe Cangelosi (ex-Kreator) - Drums
Rich Day Bass (ex-Primal Scream) - Bass
http://www.myspace.com/whiplashusa
http://www.pulverised.net/
*
*** PRESS RELEASE #17 ***
*
-Stareblind Has SOMETHING LEFT UNEXPLAINED -- Release Debut Album July
21st, 2009
From once a humble side project to now one of the most innovative
groups to break out of Montreal's alternative metal hotbed, Stareblind
releases their debut album SOMETHING LEFT UNEXPLAINED. Featuring
aggressive, yet lyrical vocal textures coupled with a crushing rhythm
section. Stareblind's 11-track album presents a distinctive and
identifiable sound that reflects the proficiency, cohesion and like-
mindedness of the group and its individual band members.
"We've spent the last year in studio working on this album; we refined
a sound that we felt was Stareblind." says vocalist Manu. "It's
amazing how we came together as just a side project at first and from
the reception in Montreal and other parts of Quebec, have evolved to
become a more serious fixture on the metal scene."
Progressively gaining the respect from both peers and audiences in the
Quebec metal scene, Stareblind are preparing to display their ground
breaking compositions to the rest of Canada later this fall when tour
dates will be announced.
http://www.Stareblind.net/
http://www.myspace.com/StareblindOnline
Stareblind - SOMETHING LEFT UNEXPLAINED (2009)
Available at:
iTunes
CD Baby
1. Shelter
2. Shapes
3. Something Left Unexplained
4. Fetters
5. Embrace
6. The Guilt
7. On With The Cowards
8. Hollow
9. The Way You Want Me
10. Souls In The Sandbox
11. Outro
*
*** PRESS RELEASE #18 ***
*
-The Company Band E.P. To See Special Vinyl Pressing This Fall
Restricted Release proudly presents a special 10-inch vinyl pressing
of The Company Band's mini-album SIGN HERE, HERE, AND HERE. Set for
release September 15, the pressing features format-exclusive artwork
and is limited to 1,000 hand-numbered units worldwide.
Recorded in Los Angeles with producer Andrew Alekel (Queens Of The
Stone Age, Bad Religion), SIGN HERE, HERE, AND HERE was originally
released as a digital-only recording early in 2008 (followed later by
its physical digi-pak partner). It brings together five highly-
regarded musicians with nothing but the love of jamming on their
minds. Two live performances to date have highlighted their still
short sonic union (early fans of the band surely hoping to see more;
member schedules permitting).
Founded by Jess Margera (CKY) with James Rota (Fireball Ministry) and
Dave Bone in 2006, The Company Band originally got together and
recorded some instrumental tracks. Jason Diamond was approached to
contribute bass tracks while friend Neil Fallon (Clutch) agreed to
appear as a guest on one of the songs but quickly changed status to
that of a full-fledged member. Brad Davis (Fu Manchu) replaced Diamond
earlier this year when the band laid down tracks for their full-length
debut which is planned for release later this fall.
http://www.myspace.com/restrictedrelease
http://www.myspace.com/thecoband
*
*** PRESS RELEASE #19 ***
*
-Static-X Invading Your Town: Pedal To The Metal Tour With Mudvayne
And Black Label Society This Summer
HOLLYWOOD, CA -- Static-X announces additional headlining tour dates
along with the Pedal To The Metal tour coming your way this summer
2009.
The Pedal To The Metal Tour 2009 will kick off July 24 in Portland,
ME, and conclude September 9, in Oklahoma City, OK (see complete
itinerary below). Pre-sale tickets are available to all of the bands'
fan club members beginning Wednesday, June 10, at 12 p.m. local time
at
http://www.pedaltothemetaltour.com/ , general public went on sale
Friday, June 12, at 10 a.m. local time.
Static-X front man Wayne Static says of the tour: "I'm very picky
about who we tour with. I think Static-X slaughter most bands live,
and I pride myself in our show -- I refuse to open for a band that I
don't think is worthy, so that says a lot about Mudvayne, Zakk Wylde,
and this entire package."
Tour Dates:
July
24 - Portland, ME - Cumberland County Civic Center
25 - Lowell, MA - Tsongas Arena
27 - New York, NY - Irving Plaza *
28 - Reading, PA - Sovereign Center
29 - Youngstown, OH - Covelli Center
31 - Big Flats, NY - Tag's Summer Stage
August
1 - Altamont, NY - Altamount Fairgrounds
3 - Dayton, OH - Mc Guffy's House of Rock *
4 - Ft. Wayne , IN - War Memorial Coliseum
5 - Battle Creek, MI - Kellogg Arena
6 - Flint, MI - Machine Shop *
7 - Moline, IL - iWireless Coliseum
8 - Rockford, IL - Metro Center
9 - Madison, WI - Willow Island
11 - Topeka, KS - Landon Arena
12 - Mankato,MN - Alltel Center
13 - Sioux Falls, SD - Ramkota Exhibit Hall *
14 - Council Bluffs, IA - West Fair Amphitheater
15 - Little Rock, AR - Stone Hill Ranch
16 - Wichita, KS - KS Coliseum Lot
18 - Boise, ID - Napa Idaho Amphitheatre
19 - Missoula, MT - Ryan Creek Meadows
21 - Spokane, WA - Spokane Arena
22 - Auburn, WA - White River Amphitheater
23 - Hillsboro, OR - Washington County Fairgrounds
25 - Eugene, OR - Cubhert Amphitheatre
26 - Reno, NV - Events Center
28 - San Jose, CA - San Jose Civic Center
29 - Bakersfield, CA - Rabobank Arena
31 - Anaheim, CA - HOB*
September
1 - San Diego, CA - Sports Arena
2 - Mesa, AZ - Mesa Amphitheatre
4 - Corpus Christi, TX - Concrete Street Amphitheater
5 - San Antonio, TX - Sunken Gardens
6 - Lubbock, TX - Lonestar Amphitheatre
8 - Grand Prairie, TX - Nokia Theater
9 - Oklahoma City, Ok - Zoo Amphitheatre
10 - Memphis, TN - Minglewood Hall
11 - Louisville, KY - Coyotes
12 - Toledo, OH - Headliners *
14 - Columbia, MO - Blue Note *
15 - Kansas City, MO - The Beaumont
16 - Colorado Springs, CO - The Black Sheep
17 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theater *
18 - Farmington, NM - Gators *
19 - Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theater *
* Static X Headline Shows
For More information go to
http://www.myspace.com/staticx or
http://www.static-x.com/ .
*
*** PRESS RELEASE #20 ***
*
-Eagle Twin Debut Album Out Via Southern Lord This Week
Behold the debut album from Eagle Twin! Although the band itself is a
new entity, its helmsman, Gentry Densley, is no stranger to
innovative, heavy music. Densley was the musical visionary and leader
of the legendary Jazz, Prog, Rock, Metal, Hardcore group Iceburn from
1991-2001. In order to disseminate his majestic and mountainous riffs
in the present day he enlisted massively behemoth skinsman Tyler
Smith. The drums are not only a driving force that efficiently steam
rolls over you they conjure a repetitious mantra that is eerily
infectious. The riffs and music definitely have familiar reference
points, including Caspar Brotzmann Massaker, Earth, Sunn O))),
Melvins, and more, but are crafted in a unique approach that stands
miles beyond the others.
Eagle Twin's debut full-length THE UNKINDNESS OF CROWS was recorded to
tape in Seattle by Randall Dunn (Earth, Sunn O))), Kinski, Ascend),
and will come beautifully packaged in a digi-pak with original artwork
from Densley, Sri Whipple and others, and designed by Stephen
O'Malley. The album was officially released on Tuesday, July 21.
Eagle Twin played two killer outdoor sets at this year's SXSW
Festival, and has recently completed a Midwest tour with Sunn O))).
Catch them on tour on the West Coast in early August again with Sunn
O))), and also with new label mates The Accused.
8/06/2009 Neumo's - Seattle, WA w/ Earth, Pelican, Sunn O)))
8/08/2009 Independent - San Francisco, CA w/ The Accused, Sunn O)))
8/09/2009 Historic Brookdale Lodge - Brookdale, CA w/ The Accused,
Sunn O)))
8/11/2009 Center for Arts, Eagle Rock - Los Angeles, CA w/ The
Accused, Sunn O)))
8/13/2009 Bluebird Theatre - Denver, CO w/ The Accused, Sunn O)))
8/14/2009 Avalon Theatre - Salt Lake City, UT w/ The Accused, Sunn
O)))
More tour aktions are to be announced in mere days. Stay tuned for
further propaganda.
http://www.myspace.com/eagletwin
http://www.southernlord.com/
http://www.myspace.com/southernlordrecordings
http://blog.southernlord.com
*
*** PRESS RELEASE #21 ***
*
-Ambassador Gun Brutalize The Masses With New Full-Length
Ambassador Gun began in Minneapolis, Minnesota in the summer of 2002.
Within the music, there is ingrained a unique ability to master catchy
and truly memorable elements. Using rhythmic and aggressive vocal
patterns, dissonant down-tuned chords and progressions along with
drive saturated low-end. They envelop music expressing comical,
political and social disdain; put home lyrically, and fired through a
blistering soundtrack of metal, punk, grooves and grind.
Previously known as A Second From The Surface, the band have shared
the stage regionally with national acts including Today Is The Day,
Weedeater, Sourvein, Dead To Fall, Battlefields, Red Sparrowes and
countless more over recent years, and further live/tour plans are in
the works for the coming year.
To be released August 11th on the band's own imprint Pangea
Recordings, the band's fourth full-length WHEN IN HELL is a
thunderous, angst-ridden, cross-genre stampede of energy, combining
elements of Slayer, Nasum, Cattle Decapitation, Mastodon and more.
Ambassador Gun live:
8/15/2009 Triple Rock Social Club - Minneapolis, MN (WHEN IN HELL CD
Release Show)
8/28/2009 Filth Moon Fest - St. Paul, MN
http://www.myspace.com/ambassadorgun
*
*** SPECIAL REPORT ***
*
by Tim Wadzinski (
tsw512@...)
-Judas Priest/Whitesnake/Pop Evil
Charter One Pavilion @ Northerly Island, Chicago, IL
July 19, 2009
To say I'd been merely "looking forward to" this show would be a gross
understatement. I hadn't seen the mighty Priest Beast since Rob
Halford returned to the fold, I hadn't seen Whitesnake in over five
years, and I'd never been to this cool, newish venue on Chicago's
beautiful lakefront. It's an outdoor venue with -- if I heard
correctly -- a seating capacity of 3,000 and it's situated right on
the lake near a harbor, Soldier Field, and the Adler Planetarium...
and there's a killer view of part of skyline and Navy Pier just off to
the north. Very, very picturesque, and -- cliche alert! -- there
didn't seem to be a bad seat in the house. The weather was perfect,
too. Everything was set...
Pop Evil (30 mins.)
<< set list unknown >>
Y'know, perhaps it was the early start time (6:45 p.m. and still light
out) but I just wasn't ready for these guys. I'd never heard of them
and they were WAY TOO FRIGGIN' LOUD to boot. I did a bit of checking
around online and found them described as a "melodic post-grunge" band
from Grand Rapids, Michigan. I heard a little modernized southern rock
in there, too, maybe a dash of Nickelback... They had enthusiasm and a
charismatic front man, but I lost track of the proceedings; they
might've played six or seven songs, and the singer indicated one was a
brand new single on the radio. They were decent but my buddy and I
agreed they were pretty darn average. The coolest thing I saw was one
of the guitarists busting out a green-and-yellow Dean Razorback (the
Dimebag model, I think) axe that looked very, very cool. But he took a
risk playing a guitar with Packers colors so close to Soldier Field...
Whitesnake (70 mins.)
Best Years / Bad Boys / Love Ain't No Stranger / Slow An' Easy / Lay
Down Your Love / guitar solos/jam / Crying In The Rain / Is This Love
/ Give Me All Your Love / Here I Go Again / Still Of The Night
David Coverdale took the stage with the same strong lineup that
recorded 2008's GOOD TO BE BAD -- guitarists Doug Aldrich and Reb
Beach, bassist Uriah Duffy, keyboardist Timothy Drury, and drummer
Chris Frazier -- and immediately erased all memories of Pop Evil with
his aura of sheer coolness. I last saw 'Snake in 2003 and back then I
felt Beach wasn't featured enough; this time out I decided to keep
track of who played what. Game on. (Nothing against Doug Aldrich at
all, mind you; I just happen to think Reb is criminally underrated.)
The band launched into GOOD TO BE BAD's "Best Years" before amping it
up with "Bad Boys." The crowd had a huge buzz during this one, and
right off the bat Reb absolutely smoked his part of the "Bad Boys"
solo. Great stuff. Mr. Coverdale mentioned he recently became a U.S.
citizen (and was sworn in by a man named Jerry Garcia!), and someone
in the crowd handed up a $10 tall boy for him to crack open and toast
the audience; pretty funny. A couple more chestnuts followed, namely
"Love Ain't No Stranger" and "Slow An' Easy," and the crowd was well
pleased.
I'm not super-wild about the album version of GOOD TO BE BAD's "Lay
Down Your Love," but it certainly sounded better live. And then, while
I was interested to see Reb Beach play more, I really wasn't expecting
a lengthy guitar solo from him and Aldrich; they traded licks for a
while, then harmonized some, and then Duffy, Drury, and Frazier came
back out for a full-band blues jam. "Crying In The Rain" got things
back on track...at least until Frazier started up a drum solo. I found
all the soloing to be a bit tedious, and people around me were
actually sitting down for a while. (My buddies and I started wondering
when the piano solo would come...)
Coverdale then got everyone's attention with humorous band
introductions; Beach was dubbed "Lord Of The Strings" and
"Pittsburgh's Prince Of Porno," and Aldrich was "Lord Of The Les Paul"
and the "Riff Meister." The ballad "Is This Love" ensued, and then
"Give Me All Your Love" got the tempo back up to snuff; that song
rocks. Mega-hit "Here I Go Again" turned into a huge sing-along, and
then show-stopper "Still Of The Night" -- complete with some savage
headbanging from Beach -- finished off the set.
Overall the band was solid but I do have some quibbles. It sure did
seem like Coverdale was starting to lose his voice 'round about "Here
I Go Again," and perhaps even sooner. I was a little disappointed to
find out later that this set was virtually identical to the one I saw
five years ago -- with the two GOOD TO BE BAD songs substituted for
"Slide It In" and "Judgment Day" -- and I really would've rather heard
another song instead of the solos. And speaking of, excluding the
stand-alone solo/jam section, the unofficial guitar solo talley wound
up Doug Aldrich: 9, Reb Beach: 5. I'd still like to see Beach featured
a little more evenly, but by no means was he just hiding in the
background. Perhaps a full headline set from Coverdale & Co. would
remedy these gripes? :)
Judas Priest (85 mins.)
Rapid Fire / Metal Gods / Breaking The Law / Grinder / United / You
Don't Have To Be Old To Be Wise / Living After Midnight / The Rage /
Steeler / The Ripper / Prophecy / Hell Patrol / Victim Of Changes //
Freewheel Burning / Diamonds And Rust // You've Got Another Thing
Comin'
It started off with a cool banner dropping down from the lighting rig;
it depicted an industrial setting meant to look like the original
"British Steel" city of Birmingham, England. Then the smoke started
billowing out, and a laser image of a steelworker projected up onto
the banner. Yes, it was kind of cheesy but c'mon -- lasers! That's
awesome.
The banner dropped and Priest ripped into BRITISH STEEL, from start to
finish, with the iconic razor blade album cover looming in the
background. Everyone knows the hits from this album -- "Breaking The
Law," "Living After Midnight," and "Metal Gods" -- but the deeper cuts
are nothing to sneeze at either. Case in point: was the lead-off track
"Rapid Fire" ever powerful live -- talk about a wall of sound! -- and
you just have to love the song's chorus-less structure. The groove in
"Metal Gods" is 10 times more savage live; always has been and always
will be. And yes, we've all heard "Breaking The Law" 1,000 times but
there's a reason -- that simple riff rules and it's still fun to shout
out the chorus.
"Grinder" is an odd song. Prior to the band playing it on the
PAINKILLER tour, I always sort of overlooked it; in fact I still don't
understand what it's even about. (Sandwiches?) However, as with "Metal
Gods," live, the groove in this thing is simply amazing. The dopey
anthem "United" also improves a bit in the live setting, but not as
much. Yes, it's catchy but wow... I think drummer Scott Travis almost
fell asleep tapping out that simple beat. :) "You Don't Have To Be Old
To Be Wise" -- insert obvious age joke here -- came next, and was
another one I was pleased to hear and sing along with, as there are
some cool lyrics in this tune.
The home stretch started with "Living After Midnight"; see my comments
on "Breaking The Law" above. :) Bassist Ian Hill then took a rare turn
in the spotlight on the intro to the moody "The Rage," which mostly
sounded good, but if I'm to be honest I must say the goofy, reggae
breakdown parts sounded disjointed, as if Hill and guitarists Glenn
Tipton and K.K. Downing were all playing different songs there for a
minute... Downing did rip off a nice solo, though.
This portion of the set was bookended nicely by "Rapid Fire" and the
stellar closer "Steeler." Wow, man, where has this song been in
Priest's set for the last 30 years? This song absolutely rules, and
the morning after the show I listened to it three times to get
reacquainted. It ended with an extended instrumental break that had
many people around me nodding and fist-banging in appreciation. And
just like that -- wham! -- the BRITISH STEEL experience was over. It
was a heck of a way to spend 40 minutes, I'll tell ya.
The latter part of the show -- which featured a few different
backdrops -- kicked off with "killer" classic "The Ripper," a short
epic (how's that for an oxymoron?), before launching into the newer,
more traditional epic "Prophecy" from the sprawling NOSTRADAMUS.
Hearing the two songs back-to-back was a study in contrasts and really
highlighted Priest's diversity.
I was then thrown a curveball, as the rat-a-tat-tat drum intro to
PAINKILLER's "Hell Patrol" rang out. I was *not* expecting this song.
Yes it's heavy and all, and the harmony guitar section form Downing
and Tipton is stellar, but the made-up words in the lyrics have always
left me thinking it's too cartoonish to take seriously. I was really,
REALLY amped up to hear "Rock Hard Ride Free" and I had a nasty
suspicion "Hell Patrol" took it's place in the set. Dang...
The guitar showcase "Victim Of Changes" fired up next; this song alone
makes K.K. Downing a rock star. Bow down to the man. Tipton may be the
more talented of the two, but Downing is quite the showman and this
song is all for him. Halford hit the screams pretty well, too.
The encore section started with "Freewheel Burning," with Halford
rolling out on the Harley. I had a devil of a time keeping up with him
as he sang the really fast parts -- I don't know how he does it. Then,
as a pleasant surprise, the "regular" version of "Diamonds And Rust"
came next. I know the slower, semi-acoustic version the band has
played over the last 10 years is cool and all, but this song really
kicks it when they're plugged in. I wonder what Joan Baez thinks?
The second encore began with a new operatic twist on Halford's stale
"whoa ooh oh ooh oh yeah" / "yeah, yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah YEAH yeah"
sing-along bit. Everyone pretty much went along with it, but I have to
say I wouldn't exactly mind if this ritual was retired. :) The show
then ended with a storming version of "You've Got Another Thing
Comin'" (complete with another sing-along). Afterwards, the band
members remained onstage for quite a while, slapping hands with fans
and tossing out guitar picks, drum sticks, etc. Everyone was all
smiles.
Man, Judas Priest was awesome; I mean, I am a longtime fan and they
really impressed me here. I've seen them plenty of times over the
years, both with Halford and with Tim Owens, and this was one of the
best shows. The BRITISH STEEL gimmick definitely worked for me,
despite the fact the whole "play an album in its entirety" shtick has
been done to death by other bands already. It was a riot hearing the
lesser-known tracks live, and even the tired/stale/overplayed songs
sounded great, being kinda sped up and played within the context of
the album. And sure, I would've enjoyed another couple songs ("Rock
Hard Ride Free," dammit!) in the second part of the set, but the
tracks they did play were played with fire and conviction. Long live
the Priest!
-Thanks to Chip Ruggieri and Jen Farhood at Chipster PR & Consulting,
Inc., and Lora Michaelides at Live Nation.
Relevant links:
Judas Priest
http://www.judaspriest.com/
http://www.myspace.com/judaspriest
Pop Evil
http://www.popevil.com/
http://www.myspace.com/popevil
Whitesnake
http://www.whitesnake.com/
http://www.myspace.com/whitesnake
*
*** NEWS/RUMORS ***
*
-Check out About Heavy Metal's "Best Heavy Metal Albums Of 1983" list
at
http://glclk.about.com/?zi=1/7TXQ .
-Carmine Appice (Blue Murder, King Kobra) will have his two GUITAR
ZEUS albums reissued by Fuel 2000 on August 18. See
http://www.myspace.com/guitarzeus for more.
-The third album from Italian guitarist Simone Fiorletta, WHEN REALITY
IS NOTHING, is due August 28 from Lion Music. See
http://www.simonefiorletta.it/ and
http://www.myspace.com/simonefiorletta for more.
-There's a new Lita Ford interview at
http://www.examiner.com/x-2579-Chicago-Metal-Music-Examiner~y2009m6d23-Sacred-Me\
tal--An-interview-with-Lita-Ford
.
-Sammy Hagar will open a Cabo Wabo Cantina at the Planet Hollywood
Resort & Casino in Las Vegas this fall. Hype: "Cabo Wabo Cantina
offers a blend of live music and coastal Mexican cuisine served up all
day and night, for a party that rocks into the early morning." Check
out a full report at
http://myvegasscene.com/blog/cabo-wabo-cantina-set-open-fall-planet-hollywood-la\
s-vegas/
.
-Check out song samples from the new House Of Lords album at
MelodicRock.com.
-Bassist Marcel Jacob (Talisman, John Norum, Yngwie Malmsteen)
apparently committed suicide on Tuesday; he was only 45. His official
site
http://www.marceljacob.com/ has more information, including a
statement from band mate and friend Jeff Scott Soto that indicates a
memorial show will be planned. Jacob and Soto had been planning
Talisman's eighth studio album to celebrate the band's 20th
anniversary. See
http://www.myspace.com/marceljacobkingofbass ,
http://www.talismanworld.com/ , and
http://www.myspace.com/talismantheband for more.
-Online reports indicate the new Kiss album is due in October, will
feature lead vocals from guitarist Tommy Thayer and drummer Eric
Singer, and will include these songs: "Russian Roulette," "Modern Day
Delilah," and "Stand." Kissonline.com has a new survey intended to
"help [the site] understand and better serve Kiss fans around the
globe." Fans who fill out the survey will be rewarded with "a 5%
discount on any purchase in the Kiss Official Store." Check it out at
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=oAJmFdSeOFOlixeTyvoV7A_3d_3d&utm_source=Pu\
blicaster&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=EMLKISOS_Survey_20090721
.
-Check out a new video interview with Korpiklaani at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6mLmCaiHbI .
-HeadbangerNYC.com reported Metallica will participate in the Rock And
Roll Hall Of Fame's 25th anniversary celebration, in October at
Madison Square Garden in New York City. Metallica will perform on
October 30, with headliner Aretha Franklin, U2, and Eric Clapton.
October 29 will feature Bruce Springsteen, Simon & Garfunkel, Paul
Simon, Stevie Wonder, and Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young.
-In Motley Crue news, the book "An Education In Rebellion: The
Biography Of Nikki Sixx" will be re-released by Rock 'N' Roll Books on
September 1. The book originally came out in 2002 but has now been
"entirely re-edited, updated through 2009, and features a two-disc
bonus sampler featuring original bands influenced by the music of
Sixx/Motley Crüe." The book features interviews with Tommy Lee,
producer Bob Rock, Lita Ford, Kevin DuBrow, producer Tom Werman, John
Corabi, photographer Neil Zlozower, Bruce Kulick, and more. The whole
set can be pre-ordered now for $15.95 (retail price will be $24.95);
contact
rocknrollbooks@... for more information.
-The Nightmare Over St. Pauli Festival will take place at the Knust
Club in Hamburg, Germany, from July 27-29. One of the headliners is
Deathriders, featuring former Anthrax singer Neil Turbin. See
http://www.myspace.com/alptraumfestivalhh for more.
-Nine-T-Nine's KEEP THE FLAME ALIVE is out now on Whiterock Records.
The melodic hard rock band's lineup is Sharky on lead vocals, Stefan
Theil on lead guitar, Oliver "Turner" Sztukowski on guitar, Helge
Reichard on bass, Jurgen Barmann on keyboards, Lorenz Cornelisen on
drums, and Corina Elvers on backing vocals. Track list: "Caught In A
Trap ," "Not Easy To Forgive," "Faith," "Bus Stop," "The Way You
Touched Me," "Light My Life," "Bringin' My Life," "Can You Feel All
The Days," "Sandy," "The Escape," "Shoreline," "Sunshine," "Radio."
Check out samples of four tracks:
"Caught In A Trap"
http://www.targetrecords.de/mp3/NineTNine_Keep/00000001.mp3
"Not Easy To Forgive"
http://www.targetrecords.de/mp3/NineTNine_Keep/00000002.mp3
"Faith"
http://www.targetrecords.de/mp3/NineTNine_Keep/00000003.mp3
"Bus Stop"
http://www.targetrecords.de/mp3/NineTNine_Keep/00000004.mp3
See
http://www.nine-t-nine.com/ and
http://www.myspace.com/9t9rocks
for more.
-Rush drummer Neil Peart is reportedly set to become a father again;
Peart's site and the fan blog Rushisaband reported his wife is
pregnant. Congratulations! See
http://www.rushisaband.com/display.php?id=1884 and
http://www.neilpeart.net/ for more.
-All songs from "New Jersey's thrashing pirates" Swashbuckle's new
album, BACK TO THE NOOSE, are now streaming at
http://www.myspace.com/swashbuckle . See
http://www.swashbuckle.info/
for more.
-Twisted Sister keeps promoting the 25th anniversary release of STAY
HUNGRY; check out interviews with Dee Snider at
http://www.bullz-eye.com/music/interviews/2009/dee_snider.htm and
http://www.examiner.com/x-2579-Chicago-Metal-Music-Examiner~y2009m6d29-Still-Hun\
gry-But-Not-Dangerous--An-Interview-with-Dee-Snider-of-Twisted-Sister
.
-WildeStarr -- featuring former Vicious Rumors bassist Dave Starr and
wife London Wilde -- will release ARRIVAL worldwide on August 1. Check
out
http://www.wildestarr.com/ ,
http://www.ReverbNation.com/WildeStarr , and
http://www.myspace.com/WildeStarr for more, including song samples.
Thanks to John Erigo, HeadbangerNYC.com, Marjo Verdooren, Chad Bowar,
Brian Poteat, Sandy Serge, Robert Pancur, Lasse Mattsson, Andy Craven,
Melanie Falina, and Bill "Helicopter" Kotowski for help gathering some
of this information.
*
*** ROCK HARD RIDE FREE ***
*
by Tim Wadzinski (
tsw512@...)
-I know this is a little tardy but I didn't get to watch it in time
for last week's issue. Twisted Sister performed live on "Live With
Regis And Kelly" last Thursday, July 16. You want to talk about odd,
man, this was it. I'd never watched the show before but I just knew it
was a cheesy talk show, and I was right. During the opening segment
Regis Philbin held up a vinyl copy of STAY HUNGRY and jabbered about
it for a minute, and later the band came out and played "We're Not
Gonna Take It." Afterwards, Philbin introduced Dee Snider as "Dee
Smith" (oops), and A.J. Pero gave Kelly Ripa his drumsticks -- to
which she replied, "Thanks, but don't you need that?" [And as an
aside, how do you pronounce guitarist Eddie "Fingers" Ojeda's last
name? Naturally, I always assumed it was the Spanish pronunciation
"oh-HEY-da," but over the years I've heard everyone -- including the
band members -- say "oh-JAY-da." Then on this show, they used the
Spanish version. Argh.... :)] When the show was ending, the band came
back out and played "I Wanna Rock." This segment was notable because
Ms. Ripa teased her hair way out in time-honored metal babe form, and
she rocked out next to Snider, jumping about. He even let her sing the
chorus a little bit. Very surreal. [Note: The fellas were on "Late
Night With Jimmy Fallon" last night, July 23, for another live
appearance but again, I didn't get a chance to see it before this
issue went out.]
And speaking of Twisted, if you've been keeping up with all the hype
and interviews as the band promotes the 25th anniversary edition of
STAY HUNGRY, you've undoubtedly realized Snider has no love lost for
the album's producer, Tom Werman. (Check out the two interviews listed
above in "News/Rumors" for examples.) Well, Mr. Werman has addressed
his side of the story in his blog at Popdose; check it out at
http://www.popdose.com/tag/tom-werman/ . Apparently, he's open to
chatting with Snider but his offer has never been accepted. Rock feuds
live -- great stuff.
Adding to the surreality (is that a word?) of this episode, there was
a segment entitled "Celebrity Lookalikes" featuring a dude who plays
Steven Tyler in an Aerosmith tribute band, Aeromyth. If I heard
correctly, the guy is ex-L.A. Guns vocalist Chris Van Dahl, who sang
on the misguided AMERICAN HARDCORE release many years ago. Wow.
-So as you can tell, I thoroughly enjoyed Priest's 30th anniversary
celebration of BRITISH STEEL. I'm one of the many people who say this
album is what got me into Priest, but -- unlike most folks -- it
wasn't simply because I got hooked after hearing "Living After
Midnight" and/or "Breaking The Law." Nope, what happened to me was
back around 1982, my friend Andrew turned me on to Priest, after his
older brother turned him on to them. The "older brother turns younger
brother on to metal" story takes a left turn here -- the brother
actually was into classical music at the time, and he bought a
Beethoven cassette only to discover it had Priest's BRITISH STEEL on
the actual tape. Very, very weird. He listened to it and liked it, and
eventually the sickness spread to me. :)
-My friend Bill turned me on to some funny mashups. Check out "Nirvana
Vs. Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give Your Teen Spirit Up" at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN75im_us4k , and check out
http://popdose.com/mix-six-mashups/ for a few good ones. The best is
"The Trooper Believer" by Iron Monkees, which is, naturally, a blend
of The Monkees' "I'm A Believer" and Iron Maiden's "The Trooper." :)
The page also has "Tie Your Superfreak Down" by Mad Mix Mustang,
featuring Queen and Rick James, and "Just Dance To New Order" by DJ
Earworm, featuring more Queen mixed in among Lady Gaga, New Order, and
others. Man, I wish I had that kind of free time...
-Recently I urged you to check out Testament guitarist Alex Skolnick's
blog entry about W.A.S.P.'s Blackie Lawless. I guess right after that
was posted, Testament and W.A.S.P. played a show together -- how's
that for coincidence? Check out Skolnick's follow-up to his original
post, in his SkolNotes blog now at
http://skolnotes.blogspot.com/2009/07/blackie-lawless-sequel.html .
-Slacker reporting here, yes, but at least it's better than nothing. I
forget the exact date but Spinal Tap will appear on "Late Night With
Jimmy Fallon" one night next week.
-In my current playlist: Lillian Axe - SAD DAY ON PLANET EARTH
(Blistering Records), StormHammer - SIGNS OF REVOLUTION (Silverwolf
Productions/SPV), Nympho - V.I.P. (Perris Records), Tyr - BY THE LIGHT
OF THE NORTHERN STAR (Napalm Records).
*
*** REVIEWS ***
*
ARKAEA - YEARS IN THE DARKNESS (C+) E1 Music 2009
14 tracks, RT: 1:02:52
[
http://www.arkaea.com/ ]
[
http://www.myspace.com/arkaeamusic ]
[
http://www.kochrecords.com/ ]
Arkaea is a new project featuring Christian Olde Wolbers and Raymond
Herrera of Fear Factory, along with Threat Signal's Jon Howard and Pat
Kavanagh. YEARS IN THE DARKNESS is their debut release, and is
targeted directly at the young metalcore crowd. What frustrates me
about this kind of thing is that these guys play some really intense
metal riffs, especially menacing on "Beneath The Shades Of Grey, "The
World As One," and "My Redemption;" the problem is the vocals, which
recycle the annoying aggro meets melodic style so common in modern
metal. There are also no guitar solos. The Fear Factory element is
clearly present, just mixed in with a healthy dose of Linkin Park's
vocals. I will say the "of the moment" style of tracks like "Locust"
and "Gone Tomorrow" will probably get the band some airplay on
alternative rock radio and perhaps on the "Headbanger's Ball," but
unless they develop more of an identity I don't see them sticking
around for a sophomore outing. Not for me but if you're into modern
commercial metal this may hit your ears differently than it did
mine...
- Neal Woodall (
MysticX9@...)
BIBLE OF THE DEVIL - FREEDOM METAL (B-) Cruz Del Sur Music, 2008
8 tracks, RT: 43:50
[
http://www.bibleofthedevil.com/ ]
[
http://www.myspace.com/bibleofthedevil ]
[
http://www.cruzdelsurmusic.com/ ]
[
http://www.myspace.com/cruzdelsurmusic ]
[
info@... ]
First impressions: the title of FREEDOM METAL immediately made me
think of the vintage TV commercials for the '80s classic-rock
compilation album FREEDOM ROCK, starring the two hippies, and made me
imagine an updated version advertising this album, with a leather
jacketed mullethead saying to his buddy, "Hey man, is that FREEDOM
METAL? Well, TURN ITUP MAN!" (Haha!) Though B.O.T.D. has four previous
full-lengths and a number of split releases under their belts I was
unfamiliar with the Chicago-based band until FREEDOM METAL landed in
my mailbox. From looking at the picture of the four burly, bearded
dudes on the back of this CD, I half expected them to be some sort of
death metal or 'core combo, but the music that soared from my speakers
turned out to be old-school metal that's more 1979 than 2009,
containing eight tunes which zip along as quickly as the motorcycle
racers escaping from the police on the CD's front cover. Bible Of The
Devil are quite similar to such retro-minded bands as Widow, The
Sword, and (to a lesser extent) 3 Inches Of Blood. This is good,
catchy stuff with a distinct NWOBHM/doom vibe to it, owing a lot to
DiAnno era Maiden, Sabbath, Trouble and the like. Though vocalist Mark
Hoffman's nasally voice took some getting used to at first, I soon
found myself jamming to tracks like the killer opener "Hijack The
Night" and "The Turning Stone." The catchiest song to my ears was the
total Thin Lizzy worship of "Ol' Girl" -- I actually skimmed through
the Thin Lizzy discography listings on Wikipedia looking for a mention
of this song, thinking that it might be a cover tune, but couldn't
find it, so I guess it's an original. FREEDOM METAL is a killer burst
of classic metal fury that should warm the hearts and raise the
studded leather gauntlets of throwback headbangers worldwide. Give
this one a spin.
- Keith Abt (
KeithAbt@...)
ONSLAUGHT - LIVE POLISH ASSAULT 2007 (DVD) (B+) Metal Mind
Productions/MVD Visual, 2007
RT: 2:03:18
[
http://www.onslaughtfromhell.com/ ]
[
http://www.myspace.com/onslaughtuk ]
[
http://www.MVDb2b.com/ ]
[
http://www.metalmind.com.pl/ ]
[
http://www.myspace.com/metalmindproductions ]
[
http://www.metalopolis.pl/ ]
Onslaught's comeback album, KILLING PEACE (2007) was a pretty decent
slab of Slayer-derived thrash metal that may not have been the most
original thing to come down the pike but it showed the reactivated
Brits were still a force to be reckoned with after a decade-plus
layoff. The energy they showed on KILLING PEACE definitely transfers
over to the live arena, as evidenced by this DVD, shot (as if the
title didn't make it painfully obvious) in Poland in February of 2007.
The back of this DVD promises "100% LIVE THRASH" and that's what you
get in spades -- a 14-track live set from Warsaw's Stodola Club, plus
four additional clips from Japan in 2006, and for the real diehards, a
bonus audio portion of three songs taped in Onslaught's British
homeland way the hell back in 1987. One thing I have to say about
Poland's mighty Metal Mind Productions -- whenever they release a
product, be it a DVD or CD (such as their popular Roadrunner Records
catalog reissues from a while back), they go all out. The main concert
portion of this DVD is filmed from several camera angles and edited
nicely, capturing the band's brutal thrash assault effectively. The
live sound is great, with Sy Keeler's gruff vocals in particular
sounding even more throat-shredding in concert than on the KILLING
PEACE album. The gig was shot in what appears to be a medium sized
concert hall/club and the packed crowd of Polish bangers go suitably
nuts during the performance; I certainly wouldn't have wanted to be in
the midst of that pit as the band thrashed through such tracks as "Let
There Be Death," "Twisted Jesus," and "Power From Hell." In addition
to the live goodies, DVD is also packed with bonus material, including
a lengthy interview with Keeler and guitarist Nige Rockett about the
history of Onslaught (very interesting stuff here, particularly when
Rockett becomes visibly uncomfortable while discussing Onslaught's
shortlived major-label era with Grim Reaper's Steve Grimmett on
vocals), a photo gallery, desk top images, web links, and probably
some other stuff that I haven't even located yet. The packaging and
artwork is also top-notch; this may be one of the best produced, most
elaborate concert DVDs I've ever had the pleasure to review. If you're
an Onslaught fan or an aficionado of thrash in general, you are bound
to be more than pleased with this DVD.
- Keith Abt (
KeithAbt@...)
SOLITUDE AETURNUS - HOUR OF DESPAIR (DVD) (B) Metal Mind Productions/
MVD Visual, 2007
RT: 2:25:47
[
http://www.eternalsolitude.com/ ]
[
http://www.myspace.com/solitudeeternal ]
[
http://www.MVDb2b.com/ ]
[
http://www.metalmind.com.pl/ ]
[
http://www.myspace.com/metalmindproductions ]
[
http://www.metalopolis.pl/ ]
Let me get this out of the way first: though I occasionally enjoy a
bit of Doom Metal here and there, I have never listened to much
Solitude Aeturnus. I bought one of their CDs years ago (I believe it
was 1992's BEYOND THE CRIMSON HORIZON), it never did much for me, and
I haven't checked them out since then. So when this live DVD arrived
in my mail quite some time ago my first impression was "Damn, this
band is still around?" After watching Metal Mind's excellent Onslaught
DVD (reviewed above) I knew that even if I wasn't a big fan of the
band I was at least going to be enjoying a quality product, and I
wasn't disappointed when I slipped this into the player. Shot at the
same venue (Stodola Club in Warsaw, Poland) as the Onslaught DVD (and
also on the same date, in fact) HOUR OF DESPAIR presents a 12-track
live set of doom metal in its purest form. The band makes effective
use of lighting to match the moody feeling of their music, and
vocalist Robert Lowe (who also fronts Swedish doom lords Candlemass)
reminded me a bit of legendary Trouble front man Eric Wagner with his
"at peace" stage presence, perhaps with a touch of Ronnie James Dio as
well. Since my knowledge of the band's material is next to nil, all of
these tracks (including "Haunting The Obscure," "Phantoms," and "Days
Of Prayer" amongst others) were new to me, and I must say that I
enjoyed their groove. Though the two bands couldn't be farther apart
from one another musically, it was interesting to see the Polish
crowd, which was beating each other senseless during the Onslaught
video, went crazy for Solitude Aeturnus as well. Like the Onslaught
DVD, HOUR OF DESPAIR is also packed with bonus material aside from the
live set -- two short bootleg-quality sets shot in Solitude's home
turf of Texas in 1992 and 1987 (the '87 one is so mushy and fuzzy that
it's all but unwatchable, by the way), an interview with main men
Robert Lowe and John Perez, a photo gallery, desktop images, web
links, etcetera, etcetera. A quality package all around, Solitude
Aeturnus fans should find themselves in Doom Metal Heaven with HOUR OF
DESPAIR.
- Keith Abt (
KeithAbt@...)
THE STRIPT (D) Ifiymm Records, 2007
6 tracks, RT: 21:59
[
http://www.thestript.com/ ]
[
http://www.myspace.com/thestript ]
[
http://www.ifiymm.com/ ]
In the nearly three years this band has been together, they have
managed to gather almost 24,000 friends on MySpace. They must have big
families, because it would be hard to believe the music they put out
on this E.P. would attract that many fans. Lead singer Mikey "Kidd"
Lorenzo has the most annoying voice in rock. While the CD lists
members as Bryan Lorenzo, Brian Lerner, and Steve Grisanti, the only
one of those musicians left is Mikey's brother Bryan. While their own
site is still under construction, their MySpace page seems current and
lists the other band members joining the Lorenzo brothers as: Robert
Zakaryan and Frank Sidoris on guitars and Jon Wozniak on bass. However
wonderful these three new players may be, it won't help the band with
Kidd on lead vocals. At least the band included barely legible lyrics
to help the listener figure out just what he's trying to say as he
warbles and screeches these lyrics. The songs don't seem to tell a
story, make sense, or even simply rhyme. Check out the hot mess of
"Sweet Marie" for the best example. I have tried on several different
occasions to listen to this CD more than once through to see if it
would grow on me; each time I played it I was ready to shut it off
during song two, and ready to listen to a jackhammer for a better
change of pace after the last song was over. They list their
influences as Rolling Stones, Guns N' Roses, The Bronx, My Chemical
Romance, Led Zeppelin, The Hives and New York Dolls, but you'll hear
nothing of any of these on this CD. It's hard to even describe what
this might sound like. Credit must be given; the band has tenacity.
According to their MySpace blog, all of their equipment and their
traveling van were stolen in 2008, yet they carried on. Apparently
someone in their hometown of Las Vegas felt sorry for them and held a
fundraiser so they could buy new equipment. All the band members are
under 25, so maybe time and practice will help them eventually. Unless
you are looking for a sure fire way to annoy the neighbors or get a
headache, skip this music entirely.
- Jan W. (
jw4jzon@...)
DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT - KI (B+) InsideOut Music/HevyDevy Records,
2009
13 tracks, 1:06:49
[
http://www.hevydevy.com/ ]
[
http://www.devintownsend.com/ ]
[
http://www.myspace.com/devintownsenddtb ]
[
http://www.insideout.de/ ]
[
http://www.insideoutmusic.com/ ]
[
http://www.myspace.com/insideoutamerica ]
[
http://www.myspace.com/spvusa ]
Strange album. KI is the first in a series of four planned releases
from the Devin Townsend Project, and represents the quirky musician at
his most introspective and compelling. If you're only familiar with
Devin's now defunct extreme metal outfit Strapping Young Lad, you'll
likely be taken aback by KI as there is a lot of mellow material on
the album, although Devin manages to inject heavy elements into
"Disruptr," "Gato" and "Heaven Send." Much of the rest of the material
is ambient and sensitive, perhaps acting as a sort of therapy for
Devin, who admits he recently gave up drugs, alcohol and a "host of
other addictions" that had taken control of him. You'll find some
beautiful songs here, such as the poignant "Terminal," smoothly
flowing "Winter," and rockabilly flavored "Trainfire." The
musicianship is subtle but excellent throughout, with especially nice
performances from guest vocalist Che Dorval and veteran drummer Duris
Maxwell, and the production is exquisite. So yeah, an unusual album
that you'll have to take some time to get into but that will
definitely reward repeated exposure; if you're primarily into SYL you
may find this one a head-scratcher, but those into Devin's solo works
will surely want to grab a copy of KI. Give it some time and be
mesmerized...
- Neal Woodall (
MysticX9@...)
*
*** OUT ***
*
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