Spring Forward: Chicago St.Patricks Day
Are You Chi-Rish?
No one has more fun on St. Patrick’s day than Chicagoans! Come celebrate all that is Chi-Rish – you could win the chance to help dye the river green.
It’s that time of year again – when the Chicago River is turned emerald-green (and local radio station XRT plays the best Irish rock you’ll hear anywhere). Your ultimate St. Patty’s Day soundtrack kicks off this Friday with Lin Brehmer’s Morning Show and the Shamrock n’ Roll continues thru the weekend with our annual Shamrock & Roll Party starring Churchill LIVE from Mystic Celt Saturday afternoon.
Wrap up your St. Patrick’s Day celebration with a Sunday Night Concert Special starring the ultimate Irish rock band, U2. This historic appearance at New York’s intimate Irving Plaza (originally aired as a live XRT Concert Exclusive in December, 2000).
Event Details:
Do you want to be the first person to pour that famous green dye into the Chicago River this year? Join 93XRT at Declan’s Irish Pub at 1240 N Wells St., on Saturday, March 9th from 9 – 10pm and win the chance to do so.
The Chicago Journeyman Plumbers Local 130 proudly bring you the official Saint Patrick’s Day Parade and dying of the Chicago River. Join this year’s grand celebration this Saturday at Noon, and come early to see the river greening magic.
Ever heard of the band GREEN RIVER?
Heavy Metal management – The Wisdom of Motherfuckers Goin’ Apeshit
There is no arguing that today’s business world suffers from a severe lack of METAL. And thus it has been for quite some time now, despite the fact that, for the past 50 years or so, Heavy Metal Musicians have created lucrative global brands from basic four-chord progressions and… denim jackets. And not exactly in silence.
Why is it that modern business people have so profoundly failed to embrace more metal in their everyday journey to the Top Management Levels?
Frankly, we don’t know. We sense that there is some “fear of flying”, some “nobody has done it that way before” and “I’m so uncool I HAD to go to business school to compensate” involved in the matter. But even more frankly, we might just not give a shit.
We act, instead. And this is where it all begins.
Heavy Metal Management is a comprehensive, yet easy-to-read, management guide-book that takes a realistic view on what can be accomplished with a few (or a shitload) doses of Heavy Metal in the management stew.
You want fame and success, right? You want people to throw themselves at your feet, buying T-shirts with your picture and name, and you want to have it all, right now, right?
Good news: it CAN be done!
Bad news: It takes work. There ain’t no getting anyplace with some “one minute management” here and some “search for excellence” there.
Back to good news: it’s still attainable. You’re probably already working your butt off, right? So why not do it with a bit of Hell Bent For Leather-Attitude?
After all, if the Great Heroes of Heavy Metal are, as your mom and dad probably claimed in the seventies, a bunch of no-good half-wits, how come it’s them laughing all the way to the bank in their Ferrari’s and not you?
Well?
Regardless of your sex, it takes BALLS to pull that off.
And here’s the best news: We’re gonna help you all the way.
Just buy our book and let’s get rolling!
/The Authors
///
Hans-Olov Öberg is a reformed Investment Banker turned Crime Novel Writer and Publisher. He began his career as a Business Intelligence Analyst with seb, and then spent a several years as a Financial Editor with Affärsvärlden.
In the mid-nineties, he dived headfirst into the financial markets and a several years with Deutsche Morgan Grenfell, Folksam Asset Management—and worse firms— ensued. Since 2008 he devotes full-time to his crime novels and running the publishing company Bullet Point Publishing.
He plays a multitude of musical instruments in many styles and is equally likely to be found playing heavy metal guitar, be-bop saxophone or even classical recorder.
Pär-Jörgen Pärson is a Venture Capitalist with one of Europe’s leading firms, Northzone. He is on the Board of online music sensa- tion Spotify, Russian online classifieds giant Avito.ru, payments provider iZettle and other fast growing technology companies in Europe and United States.
In the early nine-ties he spent five years at McKinsey & Co but then turned consumer goods entrepreneur and subsequently into a venture investor.
Pär-Jörgen likes to put his collection of vintage guitars to work through his Marshall stack and gladly belts out his signature version of Hendrix’ Purple Haze for anyone who dares to listen.
*Re-blogged from: Heavy Metal Management
The New Business of Making Music?
The music industry (as we once knew it) seems to be in a constant state of flux. There are more bands than ever, more web sites and yet most fans or listeners prefer to be spoon fed from traditional outlets such as radio stations, I-Tunes or You Tube. There’s nothing wrong with that, but there is so much great music out there that is just begging to be discovered. Basically, in 2013 you are only limited to the amount of time or effort that you invest in searching for new music.
We realize folks are busy (and quite lazy these days) when it comes to hunting down fresh/creative talent. Luckily, the internet is infinitely flexible and several crafty beavers out there are inventing new models and offering some very cool services for the bands and the fans.
Replacing the indie record label scene from back in the day, are newer crowd-sourcing sites like Kickstarter.com and PledgeMusic.com. These sites offer a chance for the fans to get involved in the making of the your favorite bands next album or music projects. This model has proven to be highly effective for established acts and a few notable artists from all over the world.
New album “Ugly Noise” due in 2013
I was first introduced to the Pledge site when FLOTSAM and JETSAM used their site to help fund their latest release. Luckily, their goal was achieved at 157%! Looking forward to their new music.
Check out a fact sheet below from Pledge Music below and see if there are any bands you would like to get involved with to further their career and or lend a hand.
PledgeMusic for Artists
PledgeMusic is a music company offering you a new way to take control of your career. We’re not interested in being a rights owner – Pledge does not want ANY rights to your music, live income, merch etc. We just help you fund whatever type or format of record you want to release next.
PledgeMusic is a music company offering you a new way to take control of your career. We’re not interested in being a rights owner – Pledge does not want ANY rights to your music. We just help you fund, market, and release whatever music you want to make.
We help and encourage you to participate with your fans in an exciting and unique way. Pledge allows artists to easily create an irresistible customised menu of exclusive content and experiences that integrate your email database, Facebook fans, Twitter followers and various other social networking sites. You decide how much money you’d like to raise and your fans pledge money for whichever item or experience they want. In a direct-to-fan campaign, fans are only charged once the full target amount has been raised. We also offer preorder campaigns, perfect for marketing and releasing your album without targeted fundraising. And there’s even the option to build a charitable donation into your campaign. We charge a flat 15% fee and we have no hidden fees or transaction costs whatsoever.
PledgeMusic for Fans
PledgeMusic is a way for you to help your favorite artists make and release their records. It helps artists and bands design a tailored fundraising campaign to raise money for their next release. As a pledger, you will gain access to exclusive content and experiences, available only through PledgeMusic. The options can be anything from DJing at your house party, to attending a rehearsal, or even a movie and dinner with the band!
For traditional direct-to-fan campaigns, there is no risk to you as your money will only be taken once the artist’s target amount has been raised, and PledgeMusic will keep you informed of the project’s status every step of the way.
In a pre-order campaign, you’ll be charged immediately upon pledging, and will receive the record on release date, much as with other e-commerce pre orders.
So please get involved and have a good time helping your favorite bands create more great music!
What are you waiting for?
New Music: T&N (featuring Dokken members)
Back in my hard rockin’ high school days, I enjoyed the sounds of 80′s chart-toppers DOKKEN and the [criminally underrated] melodic sounds of KING’s X. When I found out that Doug Pinnick (singer/bassist from Kings X) was collaborating with all three original members of DOKKEN—minus Don Dokken, I was pretty stoked to say the least. The fact that these musicians are still around making great music in 2012 is a testament to their individual skills as players and popularity among die-hard rock/metal fans.
The group is simply called “T&N” now, which any long-time DOKKEN fan will know [un]officially stands for “Tooth and Nail.” For what it’s worth, Tooth and Nail is my favorite DOKKEN album as well. They found out another label has that name trademarked and so they had to shorten the name. Not sure if that was a good move or not as that might prove difficult to market or help brand this project. Insiders and true fans will likely figure out the connection (which is the main draw IMO); lets hope the newbies get a taste of this interesting release.
Describing this band gets a little tricky as it features former and current DOKKEN members George Lynch, Jeff Pilson and Mick Brown. Mick being the only “current” member. Not sure why the boys couldn’t work it out with Don Dokken, but he is continuing on with the official DOKKEN band and has a new album with different members that just came out last month. To be fair I haven’t heard that release yet!
The new T&N album came together from original collaborations between Pilson and Lynch for a Lynch Mob record, but morphed into this new project. Rat Pak Records will be releasing their new album entitled Slave To The Empire on October 31st.
T & N’s Slave To The Empire offers seven new original songs and five re-recorded classic DOKKEN songs that feature kick-ass vocal performances by:
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Tim “Ripper” Owens (Judas Priest, Iced Earth, Dio Disciples)
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Doug Pinnick (Kings X)
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Sebastian Bach (Skid Row)
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Robert Mason (Warrant, Lynch Mob, Big Cock)
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Also the multi-talented drumming of Brian Tichy
*Tichy is the one who suggested they take the original stuff and put it together with re-recordings of Dokken classics with guest vocalists.
This 12 song release is described as “progressive, heavy, dark and bluesy.”
Track Listing:
Slave to the Empire
Sweet Unknown
Tooth and Nail (featuring Doug Pinnick of Kings X)
It’s Not Love (featuring Robert Mason of Warrant)
Rhythm of the Soul
When Eagles Die
Into The Fire
Alone Again (featuring Sebastian Bach)
Mind Control
Kiss of Death (featuring Tim “Ripper” Owens)
Jesus Train
Access Denied
Chad Bowar – About Metal [Industry Spotlight]
Continuing our popular [behind the scenes] features on various industry people: This month Kinger chats with Metal journalist Chad Bowar about all things Metal and his daily activities.
Tell us about your position with the Heavy Metal division @ About.com please.
About.com has hundreds of sites in all sorts of topics. There are several music sites, and I’m in charge of the heavy metal section.
How did you land that and was it’s surprising that they wanted a dedicated Metal editor or web presence; since they are a part of the New York Times Company etc.
About.com has been around for more than fifteen years and has had a few owners. The heavy metal section is at least a decade old and I have been the editor since 2005. I was writing for a different web site at the time (along with some print publications), saw the job posting and applied. After going through a testing and training period, I was selected to be the editor.
What do you like best about your job there?
I have a lot of freedom in terms of content. I decide who and what we cover, which allows us to showcase both unknown and extremely well-known metal artists.
The site offers a lot of Heavy metal news, reviews – how many people work there with you or do you have freelancers who submit the reviews and or material you post?
In the beginning it was just me writing all the content. A few years into it I brought aboard some contributing writers, which have steadily increased. Right now we are up to about ten writers and me. We have a team of extremely talented and dedicated writers, and I’m very proud to work with them.
I see you use Twitter to promote various things, how has that affected the Metal industry or music scene or in general?
Social media in general has dramatically changed how things are promoted. A well-known band can post something on Facebook or tweet to their million plus followers and it is instantly read by a vast number of people. Communication is now direct and instantaneous. It also provides a great avenue for interaction that wasn’t there in the past.
Congrats on having almost 10K followers. How long did it take to build that audience?
A few years. The number of Twitter followers has grown steadily. People just find us, I find and follow people who follow back, and it is promoted in our weekly newsletter. It’s been a bit more challenging to build Facebook fans, but continue to work on it. Feel free to follow us on both platforms. We’re on Facebook, and @aboutheavymetal on Twitter.
Tell us about your custom Twitter profile page background. It says: “Need, Know, Accomplish.” I like that.
It’s the same background as all About.com Twitter pages.
Can you believe what was happening with singer Randy Blythe overseas? That is a popular topic in Social Media lately. Yikes!
It has got a lot of attention in the metal and music press, but the mainstream media has pretty much ignored it except for some outlets near Blythe’s home in Virginia. It’s a scary situation, and from the outside it seems he is getting a raw deal. The justice system in other countries can be far different from ours in the U.S.
What do you think of the strength and renewed popularity of Metal in 2012! I mean all the 80’s bands are back and there is such a plethora of younger bands as well!
Metal has never gone away, and seems to be thriving more than ever in 2012. Nostalgia is driving a lot of the ‘80s hair band revival, and it’s cool to see bands like Poison still able to draw a crowd. The biggest names in the genre like Metallica and Iron Maiden are still making relevant new music, and there’s a giant crop of young talented bands. The future of metal music is bright, but the state of the music industry is another story.
I see you are based in Charlotte, NC – how is life there and is there a strong music scene there perhaps?
Charlotte is a great city. The climate is good and we’re close to both the coast and the mountains. We get our fair share of big name concerts, although our proximity to Raleigh and Atlanta means we don’t get them all. There’s a good local music scene as well.
Chime in on the internet downloading and the future of music or CD sales. I read somewhere that there has only been one single artist to sell a million copies thus far in 2012! That is amazing to me, but I am an old dog from the 80’s as well. But the industry has certainly changed in the last decade!
The whole music industry has been in a free fall the past few years. Illegal downloading has accelerated the decline. Labels are struggling and artists aren’t making any money on album sales. I think you’ll see more and more well-known bands abandon record labels and release albums on their own. Getting distribution is easy, and by using social media and contracting a publicist they’ll be able to get the word out. Even if they don’t sell as many copies, their profits will be higher because they keep a higher percentage of each album or download sold.
Describe a typical work day for you.
- I get up at 3:30am to go to my radio job.
- I’m usually home by 11am. I grab lunch and do some writing for About.com
- some Loudwire assignments
- then back to About.com after that.
- I usually stop for the day around 5
- then eat dinner and do whatever.
- I check email constantly
- …am in bed by about 9pm.
You’ve interviewed hundreds of bands over the years – Who was your favorite interview subject or band over the years and why?
I always enjoy interviewing Rob Halford of Judas Priest. He’s a great guy, very down to earth, and tells interesting stories. I’ve spoken with him several times and it’s always a great interview.
The Metal God
Who was the worst…and why?
It was a fill-in hair band singer who was releasing a solo album several years ago. He was just unpleasant and didn’t seem interested in speaking with me. Recently I had another awful interview with an up and coming singer who gave such short and worthless answers I couldn’t even publish it. I thought it might be me, but I spoke with another writer who had the same experience with her.
I like your weekly Retro Recommendation; that might be how I found you. Who’s idea was that? Thanks for that. It gives the younger fans something to hear and research and discover some of the great music in the “Heyday of Metal” (i.e. 80’s).
It has been a Friday staple of the site for the past few years. Dan Marsicano writes that feature, and sometimes I’m amazed at the obscure stuff he comes up with. It’s an awesome way to rediscover older releases you might have forgotten about or missed the first time around.
I see you recently interviewed Metal Blade CEO Brian Slagel for their Anniv. Can you believe it’s been three decades?! Who are your all time favorite bands on Metal Blade?
My top five Metal Blade bands past and present would be (in no particular order):
- Amon Amarth
- Primordial
- Slayer
- Voivod
- Fates Warning
How many digital press releases do you get weekly? I have hundreds of emails from PR companies in my inbox and I cannot possibly read all of them. What’s your method for digging through all that “news”?
I receive dozens per day. We don’t really do news posts, since that niche is covered well by sites like Blabbermouth and Brave Words. I look for the album release emails, since our release calendar page is extremely popular. I put a ton of work into that calendar.
Do you still accept old-fashioned/old school printed press releases?
I would accept them, but nobody sends them!
Do you still like the 80’s music best or are you a fan of any modern metal, extreme metal or other micro-genres?
I still love the music from my youth, but also enjoy a lot of modern stuff. My tastes are pretty eclectic when it comes to genres. It’s more about the band than the style, but I would say thrash, traditional, progressive, power, folk and melodic death metal are genres I tend to like. I’m not as much of a fan of grindcore, metalcore, black metal or brutal death metal, but there are certainly bands within those styles that I like.
Speaking of genres, it used to be easier for writers when describing a bands sound. A band was either Hard Rock or Heavy Metal [laughs]. Then came Power Metal, Speed, Thrash and Death. That’s where I stopped with the genres in the late 80’s. It got to be ridiculous after that! Thoughts?
The sub-genres have gotten out of control. New wave of this, post that, it’s getting hard to keep up. Genre titles are used to categorize bands, but so many of them cross multiple genres that it doesn’t always work.
I liken the Metal blogosphere to the old tape trading days and all the fanzines that were being put together all over the world! This is great…What blogs do you like?
I don’t have as much time as I’d like to read other sites, but there are a few that I enjoy. Angry Metal Guy, Blistering.com and Hellbound are a few that come to mind.
My favorite rag was always Metal Forces! They are posting old reviews and interviews from the
past on their site.
RIP (and Lonn) was cool too…miss that one.
As a teenager I read all the magazines I could get my hands on. I subscribed to Rolling Stone, and always purchased RIP, Circus and Hit Parader. Probably should have held onto them, they might have been worth some money now!
Do you think Revolver [“The World’s Loudest Rock Magazine”] and Decibel [“America's only monthly extreme music magazine”] can hang with Kerrang! And Metal Hammer?
Decibel is my favorite metal magazine. I’m also a big fan of Metal Hammer and Terrorizer. Revolver is definitely more commercial, but they have some good stuff as well. I don’t read Kerrang!
It seems readers are always obsessed with lists – esp. die-hard Metal fans (who you know are “some of the most passionate people around, who aren’t afraid to make their opinions known”). It seems those must be really popular on the site?
Without a doubt. Lists are some of the most popular pieces of content on the site. It’s always fun putting them together and then seeing readers weigh in on them.
What advice would you give to any aspiring writers or reviewers out there? The publishing and world of journalism has changed through the years as well.
When it comes to writing reviews, too many reviewers miss the point. It’s not about being cute and clever and using your thesaurus to come up with obscure phrases and references. Tell us what the music sounds like and what your opinion of it is. I read too many reviews that look like a creative writing project and are extremely well written, but don’t say anything. People don’t read reviews for their literary value, they want to garner useful information from them. Develop a style and voice, but give the readers what they want.
When it comes to places to write, they are almost unlimited. Just start writing. Submit a review to a metal site and see if they want to publish it. If not, start your own blog. Build some experience that way. You may draw your own following and not want to write for somebody else. You may aspire to write for one of the larger metal sites (like ours) or a magazine. Just be warned that there’s little to no money to be made writing about metal.
Are you into reading any music/band books or Kindle e-books?
I read and review as many music books as possible. Most of them are hard copies, but a few have been sent to me in digital format, which is fine. Some of the best music books I’ve read recently include Metalion: The Slayer Mag Diaries by Jon Kristiansen, Crazy Train by Joel McIver, No Sleep Til Sudbury by Brent Jensen and Dirty Deeds by Mark Evans.
Are you able to fully support yourself by writing/editing for the site?
Not even close! Metal writing is a passion, but not enough to make a living. My “real job” is in radio, which I’ve been doing for more than twenty-five years. It’s not a traditional nine to five gig, which gives me the time and freedom for writing. There are people who make their living writing about metal and hard rock, but not many.
What are some of the magazines or places you contribute too?
Right now Loudwire is about the only other place I’m writing for in addition to About.com. Over the years I’ve written for magazines such as:
- Outburn
- Hails and Horns
- Amp
- And several that are unfortunately no longer in existence
What’s a pet peeve of yours as far as other journalists or metal writers when you read their interviews?
Doing interviews can be daunting, and preparation and research is vital. That’s always a good first step, and allows the conversation to go in many different directions. Don’t be afraid to stray from your list of questions, and make sure to actually listen to their answers instead of thinking about your next question.
As far as pet peeves, my main one is when interviewers inject themselves into the conversation and make it as much about them as the artist. When I read an interview where the questions are longer than the answers, it’s not going to be a good one. The readers want to know about the artist, not the interviewer.
Do you download your music now or still buy CD’s?
I’m lucky enough to get pretty much all metal releases for free. Most of them are digital downloads, but a few labels still send real CDs for review. I buy stuff in other genres, and it depends on the price. If a download is cheaper, I’ll do that instead of the CD, or vice-versa. I have so many CDs it’s ridiculous, so I should be doing only digital to save space!
Hats off to you for being involved in Metal for the past 25 years…any last parting words?
Thanks for the interview Curt. Always a pleasure.
Chad is a longtime music journalist specializing in heavy metal and residing in Charlotte, North Carolina. Though he may appear to be an accountant, looks can be deceiving.
Chad has been involved in metal for over twenty-five years. He writes or has written for several national music publications including Outburn, Hails and Horns, AMP, Lollipop, Loud Fast Rules and more. He’s done hundreds of interviews over the years with members of bands such as Judas Priest, Metallica, Cannibal Corpse, Queensryche, Sepultura, In Flames and more.
In addition, Chad has covered events like Ozzfest, Warped Tour and the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival. He’s also worked in radio for the past two decades at stations all over the country.
30 Richest Drummers In The World
I ran across this online and thought it was rather interesting. I am not sure how accurate it is, but I am posting for your enjoyment or amusement.
There are a few drummers on there who really surprised me and a few that repulsed me!
Without further ado, here are the 30 Richest Drummers in the World!
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Ringo Starr: $300 Million
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Phil Collins: $250 Million
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Dave Grohl: $225 Million
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Don Henley: $200 Million
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Lars Ulrich: $175 Million
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Charlie Watts: $160 Million
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Larry Mullen Jr.: $150 Million
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Roger Taylor: $105 Million
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Joey Kramer: $100 Million
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Chad Smith: $90 Million
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Travis Barker: $85 Million
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Stewart Copeland: $80 Million
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Alex Van Halen: $75 Million
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Nick Mason: $75 Million
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Tommy Lee: $70 Million
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Bill Ward: $65 Million
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Jon Fishman: $60 Million
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Carter Beauford: $55 Million
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Rick Allen: $50 Million
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Tre Cool: $45 Million
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Danny Carey: $40 Million
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Tico Torres: $40 Million
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Max Weinberg: $35 Million
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Mickey Hart: $30 Million
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Bill Kreutzmann: $25 Million
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Neil Peart: $22 Million
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Taylor Hawkins: $20 Million
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Questlove: $16 Million
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Steven Adler: $15 Million
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Mick Fleetwood: $8.5 Million
*Source: Drum Mag.
Kinger chats with NONPOINT Drummer Robb Rivera (2012)
Kinger recently caught up with NONPOINT drummer Robb Rivera, who gave us a detailed band update and some history behind this great band.
KINGER:Although you guys were originally from Florida; when did you move to Chicago please?Are you a permanent resident now? Welcome!
ROBB: I have been in Chicago since May of 2010, Elias is in the Michigan area so we are all pretty close to each other.
I am playing a Gretsch to record in the studio. The “K” cymbal was there at the studio so I used it! I was playing Sonor drums but i am currently playing a Pearl Reference Kit. Love that thing!
“Change is the essence of life. You have to be willing to surrender what you are for what you know you can become.”
Well, after our change in our lineup last year Elias found that quote and posted it online.
Well it was only intended to be a teaser for our die-hard fans and whoever else just wanted to check out a free track. It is not the first single but quite a few stations have picked it up and have played it. Sirius Octane has played the hell out of it. The response has been incredible, our old school fans that may have lost a bit of interest from the last few albums are really happy. A lot of people who have heard have said that it’s going back to our old school roots which was the goal for this album.
The new guys are Dave Lizzio on Guitar, Adam Woloszyn on the bass and Rasheed Thomas on guitar and vocals. The all come from the Chicago area. Really great guys who are hungry to be in a band and possibly some of the most laid back people we have ever met.
Working with Johnny was amazing. His ideas were really what shaped up this album. He wanted a vibe on the album that we have never really been able to accomplish. We decided on him for many reasons. His track record was one, also being in Chicago it was really convenient for all of us. All in all it was the production and vibe we have ever had in our career.
Mixing and mastering is done and we are looking at a September release.
Well I think our brand name was what attracted the deal with them, with six records under our belt it was really cool to have such a killer company interested in us. They have been nothing short of amazing to us.
I believe they are yes.
You know all bands like to experiment so I do not fault them for trying to do so, that is what is part of being in band. As for us, we have always wanted to mix up Heavy grooves but with melodic vocals. We always felt it sounded heavier with the melodic vocals but that is my opinion you know.
NP has over a decade of extensive road experience under your belts, hats off for the hard work/dedication! Peeps don’t realize what it takes to “make it” or survive in the crazy music biz in modern times. What’s your take?Honestly it’s very physical but most of it is mental. You have to be wired a certain way to do this. We have always compared our career to bands like Sevendust who tour relentlessly. That has been our same work ethic. Just go out there and do it and whether it is ten people or a thousand people…we go out there and do our thing.
That is tough to respond to [these days] because of the many changes that have happened since we started. With the internet, downloading and concert attendances has declined so it is almost impossible for a young band to get out there and survive. All I will say is that if you truly believe in what you are doing then absolutely go for it. I think the most important thing is to find the right members to do it with, without that you will [for sure] not survive.
Love for our craft, music is just in our DNA. We have been absolutely blessed to have such an amazing fan base of people who come see us and buy our albums for us to continue to do this. Without them there is no us.
I think connecting with fans is the most important thing for any band and that is another way you will continue in this industry. Fans love that personal connection. I mean you have sites like Twitter that you can just get an account and start following your favorite artist/band and sometimes they will even respond and one hundred and forty characters can go a long way to make a fan really happy. Back in the day it was impossible to talk to your favorite bands and now it just seems extremely easy. Of course there are those who are extremely negative and love to give opinions (about stuff they have no clue about which makes for entertaining reading).
Nothing beats live because of the connections you have with your fans but in the studio is the time to be creative and make that record that you can take out to the world to play live. Both have their pros and cons but it is needed to continue your career.
Well usually set up sideways and I see the crowd looking to my left. I got the idea many years ago when I saw Stryper in Puerto Rico and Robert Sweet set up that way. He looked like he was part of the show and that is what I wanted as well.
I am excited because it has been a long time since we have toured. We are going out with our good friends Call Me No One and Eye Empire. We are stoked for sure. On the other hand I am a little sad because I just became a first time father and leaving my little girl and wife will be really hard.
Honestly the same ones we had once we got into that garage in Fort Lauderdale in 1997 and that is to continue to make music and play shows!
Go to www.nonpoint.com for all tour dates, release dates etc…
No thank you man for taking time out to talk to me!
Member Profile
What are your Top 5 favorite Metal albums?
- Metallica Master Of Puppets
- Iron Maiden Piece Of Mind
- Mercyful Fate Melissa
- Black Sabbath Master Of Reality
- The Cro Mags Age Of Quarrel (Yes I know it’s not metal but a killer album)
What do you think “makes” a good song?
Amazing vocals
How long have you been playing drums and who are your influences?
Been playing since I was 16 and influences are a lot but the most important are Rush, Sabbath, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Only Living Witness, Journey, Anthrax, Slayer, Biohazard, The Cro Mags, Slayer, VoiVod, Machine Head, Testament, Scorpions, Judas Priest, Armored Saint, Boston, Venom, Sick Of It All, Alice In Chains, Sepultura, Kings, X etc. Jesus man, I could go on forever!
Who are your Top 5 favorite drummers?
- Neil Peart
- Bill Ward
- Alex Van Halen
- Eric Stevenson (Only Living Witness)
- Shannon Larkin
What’s wrong with the Metal Scene [if anything] today and why?
Don’ think there is really anything wrong with it to be honest
What’s right with the Metal Scene these days and why?
Well metal is still alive and well and that is what is right about it. No matter what kind of metal you play – Heavy, Thrash, Power, Hardcore or Rock; music is still alive!
Mark Tremonti – New Solo Album
Mark Tremonti, best known as the lead guitarist of the American rock bands Creed and Alter Bridge. He is a founding member of both bands, and has also collaborated with many other artists over the years.
“The bands are so different,” he said of his two current main projects. “And I write so much. I’m going to do a solo record because there are some songs that I’d hate to think wouldn’t see the light of day because they don’t work for Creed or Alter Bridge.” He is playing guitar as well as singing lead on all of the songs himself. Former Submersed members Eric Friedman and Garrett Whitlock will perform on the record as well.
Although these tracks are certainly melodic, don’t let that fool you as there is some heavy [almost thrash/speed metal] riffing going on with this solo outing!
For sure it’s heavier than either Creed or Alter Bridge. It’s what I like to call melodic AMP (American Power-Metal).
All I Was, the first solo album by Mark Tremonti will be available July 17th, 2012. The album features the first single “You Waste Your Time” which is available on iTunes.
Mark Tremonti performs “You Waste Your Time” from his début solo album “All I Was.” The performance was recorded live at Groovemaster studios in Chicago.
Track listing:
1. Leave It Alone
2. So You’re Afraid
3. Wish You Well
4. Brains
5. The Things I’ve Seen
6. You Waste Your Time
7. New Way Out
8. Giving Up
9. Proof
10. All I Was
11. Doesn’t Matter
12. Decay
Also check out previews of other songs
Lineup:
Mark Tremonti – Vocals, lead guitar
Eric Friedman – Backing vocals, guitar, bass
Garrett Whitlock – Drums
Death to All Tour 2012
Sick Drummer Magazine/Grind Percussion LLC and Perseverance Holdings Ltd. introduce DEATH TO ALL 2012 – In benefit of Sweet Relief. This 5 city tour will feature a majority of DEATH’s amazing musicians, as well as special guests. This tour is to celebrate the life and music of Chuck Schuldiner, as well as to raise awareness of Sweet Relief Musicians Fund – a charity that provides financial assistance to career musicians faced with illness, disability or age-related problems.
This benefit for Sweet Relief is a gathering of some of the best talent in the Death metal genre. Featuring such legendary musicians as:
- Gene Hoglan
- Sean Reinert
- Steve DiGiorgio
- Scott Clendenin
- Paul Masvidal
- Shannon Hamm
- Bobby Koelble
With a vocal assault from Steffen Kummerer and Charles Elliott. These shows will pay homage to their roots and celebrate music with the fans, even some who have been behind them for decades.
DEATH TO ALL 2012 TOUR DATES:
*Fans (and ticket holders – all 10 of you in Texas and Georgia) please note:
It’s ironic that while promoting a tour to help Sweet Relief (a foundation that helps musicians in times of need), that one of the musicians on this DEATH TO ALL tour finds themselves with a health issue. Sean Reinert suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon while training for the tour a couple of weeks ago. He has had the necessary surgery and has started rehabilitation. Sean will remain a drummer on the tour, but to what extent depends on his progress. We are fortunate enough to have Gene Hoglan and tour drum-tech Danny Walker (Intronaut/Exhumed) on the team to help make the most of the situation.
From Sean: “This is a horrible injury, the pain has been off the charts but I think it’s meant to be. I think the grand plan here is to use this as an example for a reason to raise awareness & have an outlet for musicians in need. Although I am devastated that I can’t perform at 110% I am grateful that my injury is a minor one (one that will heal over time) and still allows me to be a part if this wonderful tour and cause.”
There will be guest appearances in each city and some cities may have more than one surprise in store. You never know when or where these guests will be showing up, but you can expect to be seeing the following musicians somewhere on the tour: Richard Christy of Charred Walls of The Damned (ex-DEATH), Alex Skolnick and Chuck Billy of Testament, Paul Ryan of Origin, Craig Locicero of Forbidden, Travis Ryan of Cattle Decapitation, Trevor Strnad and Ryan Knight of The Black Dahlia Murder and Emil Werstler of Daath/Chimaira.
Queensrÿche Members Speak Out (the rumor mill of the internet)!
Core Queensrÿche members were recently interviewed by hometown Seattle radio station KISW 99.9 FM on “The Men’s Room” show. I was really anxious to listen to this (I am sure you all were too) to see if they would actually talk about any of the rumors and or elaborate on the future of Queensrÿche and what’s up with their new side project called RISING WEST.
Unfortunately The Men’s Room show was a typical “shock rock” broadcast and their attempt at comedy was so far off the mark it wasn’t even funny (pun intended)! The two DJ’s tagged teamed and never let the band speak and most of their questions were a waste of time. I decided to re-edit and give you some sound bites below so you did not have to sit through the full recording or podcast of the event. Hat’s off to the station for having the guys on though, I appreciate that. If you think you can stomach it; DOWNLOAD the full Podcast.
Michael Wilton stated [about the formation of RISING WEST and the status of QUEENSRŸCHE], “We have some time off this year, so we put a project and this kind of turned into this monumental, epic band. And we’re doing that as kind of a side thing away from QUEENSRŸCHE.” He added, “We still very much are QUEENSRŸCHE, and QUEENSRŸCHE will be continuing on. We want to just have some fun, play some old ‘RŸCHE, bring back some memories and just kick it.”
Michael Wilton
*click to listen: What’s New?
*Rumors and future of Queensrÿche
Todd LaTorre
Todd LaTorre stated: “Well a lot of people, you know we’ve got tours and some shows coming up in Europe/ coming up in August and we’re [Crimson Glory] writing a new album.
I met Michael at NAMM. We met there, and had dinner and talked and it just kind of morphed from there and this is a once in a lifetime opportunity.
The fans are in for a real treat – we’d love for them to come out. Their gonna’ hear songs that some of these the band has never played before love and it if they have it’s been 20 + years. We’re all having a great time, we crack up, it’s a great time.
It feels you know – even Michael today said, man, you’re taking me way back!”
Scott Rockenfield
*The road ahead.
*The fan response thus far?
On Bands First Shows
The band performed rare and classic hits from the first five QUEENSRŸCHE albums — from the 1983 EP through 1990′s “Empire” — as well as a cover version of the IRON MAIDEN staple “Wrathchild.”
*How do you decide what to play?
*Legalities and band advice
*On Rocklahoma incident and Brazil rumors
RISING WEST‘s set list:
01. Queen Of The Reich
02. Speak
03. Walk In The Shadows
04. En Force
05. Child Of Fire
06. The Whisper
07. Warning
08. The Needle Lies
09. Take Hold Of The Flame
10. Prophecy
11. My Empty Room
12. Eyes Of A Stranger
Encore:
13. Wrathchild (IRON MAIDEN cover)
14. Roads To Madness
Visit: RISING WEST on Facebook
Rising West features Michael Wilton, Eddie Jackson, Scott Rockenfield and Parker Lundgren of Queensrÿche, with powerhouse vocalist Todd La Torre of Crimson Glory. The band plan on hitting the studio sometime early summer 2012 to begin recording their first release.
A Tribute to Mercyful Fate: Metal Kickstarter Project
I ran across this nifty Kickstarter project from some of the Demolish Twitteri recently. For those of you who are not familiar with the Kickstarter website; basically it’s a new way to fund creative projects and arguably one of the most innovative platforms to emerge for the creative community.
Every week, tens of thousands of people pledge millions of dollars to projects from the worlds of music, film, art etc.
About this project
Satan is Alive: A Tribute to Mercyful Fate is a proposed 5.5×7″ 152-page, black & white (2-color cover) book featuring comics, prose and illustration inspired by the music of Mercyful Fate. They’ve assembled an impressive lineup of underground artists/writers including:
- Tom Neely (Henry & Glenn Forever/The Wolf/Popeye/The Blot)
- J. Bennett (Decibel/Terrorizer/Revolver Magazine/Ides of Gemini)
- Bruno Guerreiro (Decibel Magazine)
- Kim Holm (Pickman’s Model/ Hole in the Sky 2010 Memories)
- Chuck BB (Black Metal Part 1 & 2)
- Tim Sievert (That Salty Air/Clandestinauts)
- J.T. Dockery (In Tongues Illustrated)
- Ed Luce (Wuvable Oaf/ Henry & Glenn Forever and Ever)
- Kevin Cross (Barbarian Riot Squad/ Pitch Black/ Nerve Agents)
- Johnny Ryan (Prison Pit)
- Stephanie Buscema (The Little Tales of Otto & Olive/ Web of Spider-Man)
- Sara Turner (Ghosts of Pineville)
- Nick Green (Decibel Magazine)
- Roger Langridge (Popeye/ The Muppet Show/ Fred the Clown/ Snarked!)
- Tim Shagrat (Acid Witch)
- Ben Marra (Lincoln Washington: Free Man!/Henry & Glenn Forever and Ever)
- Vasilis Lolos (The Pirates of Coney Island/Spider-Man Family)
- Mark Rudolph (Dagon/ Metal Hammer/ Decibel/ Tombs of the Blind Date)
Specifics:
As of June 2012, I have about 85% of the content from contributors and have found a printer that can do exactly what I’m looking for. What I’m looking for here is funding to print the book. I have done print-on-demand in the past, but I want this book to look as great as it possibly can, so Satan is Alive will be done offset, with perfect binding.
The money raised here will go toward: paying the printer, shipping supplies/cost, and compensating contributors. This is a passion project, so I’m not making a payday here, just trying to get the best quality book printed as soon as possible. Thanks so much for your support!
~Mark Rudolph
Only 25 Days to go to support this project
It Might Get Loud: Jimmy Page, Jack White & Edge
It Might Get Loud is the title of a 2008 documentary by filmmaker Davis Guggenheim.
I am sure most of you have seen this by now, if not; it’s a rather unique gathering of three iconic guitarists [Jimmy Page/Led Zeppelin, Jack White/The White Stripes & Edge/U2] who come together to play, compare notes and talk about music and their mutual love of the electric guitar.
Directed by Davis Guggenheim and conceived by producer Thomas Tull, the film, through the words and music of three generations of musicians, celebrates the love affair these men and countless others have with the electric guitar, perhaps the most innovative and challenging instrument ever created!
Filmed through the eyes of three virtuosos from three different generations, audiences get up close and personal, discovering how a furniture upholsterer from Detroit, a studio musician and a painter from London and a seventeen-year-old Dublin schoolboy, each used the electric guitar to develop their unique sound and rise to the pantheon of superstar. Rare discussions are provoked as we travel with Jimmy Page, The Edge and Jack White to influential locations of their pasts.
Set on an empty sound stage, the musicians come together, crank up the amps and play. They also share their influences, swap stories, and teach each other songs.
The highlight of this interesting musical exchange, is when Jimmy shows the boys’ the riff to “Kashmir” – which is my favorite Led Zeppelin song. Notice the look of wonder and awe on their faces when he introduces this odd-tuning and classic riff. Too bad, they try to emulate what he is doing and end up ruining it for me as they won’t stop playing the main part of the riff when he goes to the next parts. Either they were not familiar with the song changes (ugh!) or they were starstruck and just sat there like a “deer in headlights.”
Either way, it was great to get to see and hear Jimmy dissect this amazing riff from their catalog and he clearly demonstrates that he still has “it.”
Check out the original just to get a reference to how majestic this song is.
Kashmir is from their sixth release entitled Physical Graffiti, which was a double LP (remember those?!). It was released on February 24, 1975 and was the band’s first release on its own Swan Song Records label.
The original album jacket for the LP included die-cut windows on the building shown on the cover. As the inner sleeves for the discs were inserted in different orientations, various objects and people would appear in the windows, including photos of the band members in drag. The two buildings photographed for the album cover are located at 96 and 98 St. Mark’s Place in New York City.
The album was a massive commercial and critical success, reaching #1 on Billboard’s Pop Albums chart, and has proven to be one of the most popular releases by the group, selling 16 million copies in the United States alone.
- Physical Graffiti was the first album to go gold on advance orders alone.
- Shortly after the release of Physical Graffiti, all previous Led Zeppelin albums simultaneously re-entered the top-200 album chart.
- In 1998 Q magazine readers voted Physical Graffiti the 28th greatest album of all time; in 2000 Q placed it at number 32 in its list of the 100 Greatest British Albums Ever; and in 2001 the same magazine named it as one of the 50 Heaviest Albums Of All Time.
- In 2003 the TV network VH1 named it the 71st greatest album ever.
- Rolling Stone ranked it #70 on their list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
Karma Violens: Do you believe in Karma?
Click Image above to stream new album!
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If you believe in Karma then you have to believe that Violence is something innate in every human or inhuman being. Karma in the old and now Indian religions is the concept of “action” understood which creates the entire cycle of cause and effect. Violence from the other hand is inside in each one of us, some people can control and others cannot, but in every occasion it is a part of human nature. Living in the modern world, all of us can see violence in our eyes, in the streets and everywhere. The combination of Karma Violens describes the action of Violence, because every action in these brutal days creates a violent respond.
Dormancy is not only music but gives the opportunity to the listener to read/sing the lyrics and understand the way the band express its thoughts for the modern man, the world around him and how pathetic he has become because of the bombastic media which feeds people’s minds with shit. Every person has the right to think for himself. This album gives a reason to react against everything that pisses you off. Take these words for granted.
“This album gives a reason to react against everything that pisses you off”
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- Shop : www.shop.karmaviolens.com
- Facebook : www.facebook.com/karmaviolens
- Myspace : www.myspace.com/karmaviolens
- E-mail : info@karmaviolens.com
CHUCK BILLY [Testament]: One Bad Mofo
Thrash air-guitar on the course?
So what does the lead singer in a Thrash band like to do on his day off? Play golf!!…who knew? I wonder who would win in a real golf match between Chuck and Alice Cooper?
Gotta’ love Chuck though, who’s quite the accomplished air-guitarist. Normally he plays air guitar on stage with his half mic stand while playing live with TESTAMENT. And who can blame him? When you’ve got choice riffs flying all over, song-after-song from guitarist Alex Skolnick and Eric Peterson!
Hopefully you were able to catch them on tour this year or the last few months of 2011. They played quite a few dates all over the U.S. co-billing with thrashers Anthrax and Death Angel. For old school thrash-mavens, you couldn’t ask for a better concert bill. This tour pretty much destroyed every venue they played at.
I know it’s hard to believe that these three bands are still alive and kickin’ in 2012 after almost three decades. Kudos to all three for giving us much enjoyment and such killer music through the years. As a matter of fact, TESTAMENT is about to drop their new album this year as well, which is entitled The Dark Roots of Earth.
Concert goers were in for a unique treat for some of the shows in the Midwest, as Joey Vera (Armored Saint) temporarily replaced Anthrax bassist Frank Bello. Unfortunately, Frank and [his uncle] Charlie Benante both had to leave to spend time with family due to Charlie’s mother [Bello's grandmother] becoming ill and passing. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Bello and Benante and their family during this difficult time.
As they say in show business, the show must go on, and so for the fact the band was able to carry on [albeit with fill-ins] is why I considered this a treat. Drummer Gene Hoglan (who was filling in for TESTAMENT) sat in for the Anthrax set as well! Being a major Hoglan fan, this was a kick-ass line up and once in a lifetime event. Well, technically that is not 100% accurate as all true Testament fans will know that Hoglan appeared on the Demonic record in 1997 with the Bay Area thrashers.
*So is Gene a replacement for Paul Bostaph now and or do you think he will come back permanently?
“Well, Paul has recovered but he is not coming back to the group. He has decided to start a new band, I guess. So, we had Gene do the record, and the touring for the record. Well we’d love it if he decided to [come back] but we haven’t really got that far yet. We just have to get through this tour and see where we’re at. Gene kills it.” Chuck states.
Andy Sneap is producing it; did you go to England to record?
“We did it at our place in Oakland and at Trident Studios and Andy came out and did all the recordings with us—as much as he could—and then we finished off some vocals and guitars at Trident studios. I think over the years Andy really knows the sound of this band, and kinda knows what we want. We’ve mixed stuff with Andy, so I think he knows without has having to be there physically with him what we are looking for. And I just haven’t heard anybody in metal come out with any better mixes! Honestly!”
Tell us about some of the songs on the album?
“Well, there’s a song called “Native Blood”, which is basically a song about my Native heritage. It’s almost like a protest song, that the Native Americans have a voice that needs to be heard—that’s the chorus of the song. There’s another called “True American Hate”, which was kinds inspired by when we sent all our troops overseas there, and we were just seeing in the news when all that was going on a lot of young kids, under 10 years old, out there with their families burning American flags. And that was a pretty shocking thing to see, to see that generation, a kid that young being taught to hate that much. It makes you think what’s going to happen, 10 to 15 years from now when the majority of these kids have just been raised to hate? It struck me as a little odd. There’s a song called “Cold Embrace”, which we kinda hoped we’d be able to pitch the song into one of the Twilight series movies; it’s a song about a girl becoming a vampire and never being able to see the sun again. “The Dark Roots of Earth” is kind of a play on the band we have together, just like a metaphor, like Testament is a tree and all of us in this group are really embedded in the planet, in the earth, the environment and our surroundings. It was kind of a play on that. “Rise Up for War” is more of a war song, like you’re preparing yourself for war, going into battle. There is a lot of cool stuff there.”
Congratulations go out to Chuck Billy – He is the first Native American entertainer to be permanently displayed at the Hard Rock Casino in Albuquerque, New Mexico! Chuck made an appearance last Jan. [2012]. There was a special unveiling ceremony and autograph session that followed.
*Excerpt Deciblog by permission
Enjoy this live in studio performance until the new album drops!
Enjoy some live photos and review
DeathPop Club: Devil’s Logo Gallery
by Kinger
I know this has been around for a minute, but I thought it was a very clever and creative Metal Moment (by today’s A.D.D. standards at least).
Enter the DeathPop Club, which is a [Watercolor and Pen] recontextualization for a few pop groups who allegedly make/made the devil’s music.
← It appears there is a Dirty Black and White xerox ‘zine of the logos in the works due to the recent popularity and blogger love.
According to creator Mark Hall-Patch, “it will include some extra little fan club bonuses, with a projected release date – early New Year [2012].
*Make sure you peep Mark’s work on the site, as there are many kick-ass works on display, including: illustrations, graphic work, cartoons, mix-tape journals and video work.
P.S. I wonder what the pop stars would think of this? I like the “Bieber” logo spoof the best. Maybe Justin Bieber is a closet Slayer fan after all. Or better yet, I’d like to see Kerry King’s [not my uncle - ed] face or Mr. Araya’s reaction to the borrowing of their “devilish” logo. Digital [visual] remixing is all the rage these days so I am sure they would be good sports and spot the comedic irony here.
P.S.S. The LADY GAGA and COLDPLAY renditions are pretty funny too. Enjoy!
Click on any image to view the slide show. Use arrows to navigate or Esc.
New IRON MAIDEN (Studio Side Project: PRR)
Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith & former SikTh front-man Mikee Goodman have joined forces for a brand new studio project called PRIMAL ROCK REBELLION.
Oftentimes, musicians—especially established ones—like to stay within their musical comfort zone and prefer to walk the tried and true path rather than breaking out in search of new pastures. Primal Rock Rebellion doesn’t fit that bill!
The is a project of UK musicians with different stories to tell, a project that is attempting to be both reassuring and unexpected at the same time. On the one side, there’s Adrian, a key member of Iron Maiden (a band he first joined back in 1980) and since that time, Maiden has gone on to become one of the biggest hard rock bands the world has ever seen, playing to vast crowds all over the world, while opening new doors in parts of the globe many people will never even have heard of! Their last studio album, The Final Frontier, hit the number one slot in over 28 countries.
With Maiden’s reputation having been forged through their ability to blend well-crafted vocal & guitar melodies with the sheer brute force of prime heavy metal, it will surely come as no surprise that the début Primal Rock Rebellion album, Awoken Broken, delivers fully on both fronts, but with an extra nod to the underground, the alternative and the downright edgy—an aspect of the music that is enhanced from start to finish by the presence of ex-SikTh front man Mikee Goodman. Generally speaking, this is a more mature and experienced Mikee, showcasing a strong, melodic voice plus an impressive vocal range, using the more “adventurous” end of his repertoire as a way of providing contrast and effect.
In essence, Primal Rock Rebellion is the meeting of different minds, different mentalities and different musical backgrounds, but the result is very much a cohesive, self-produced whole… albeit one that reflects the individual talents of the musicians involved: Adrian provides the guitars, the bass and the advanced song-writing skills—the sense of drama, of light and shade, of music designed to stir the senses, all of them.
Right from the start, it’s been very much a labor of love.
“It was great working at my own pace and in my studio with no time constraints. I think during the making of this album I went around the world twice with Maiden, working on the project in between. In the process, it allowed for a bit more of an experimental approach.”
~ Adrian
Meanwhile, Mikee goes head to head with this renowned player as a full writing & production partner, adding new (sometimes surprising, often experimental) layers to the tracks, and ensuring that the music glistens with an inherent contemporary sheen.
“Adrian inspired me in many ways. I learnt the importance and the power of choruses in songs. Adrian also gave me a lot more belief in myself melodically. I think we pulled each other out of our comfort zones, creating something fresh and exciting along the way. We co-produced the album together, and the whole recording process was very relaxed—no deadlines, just honing the songs naturally as we recorded them, a new experience for both of us.”
~ Mikee
IN ADDITION to the Primal Rock Rebellion pair, there are backing vocals on three of the tracks (delivered by Tarin Kerry, discovered by Mikee while he was acting as producer for a band she was in), viola on the bulk of the songs (provided by Abi Fry of Bat For Lashes), plus original SikTh member Dan ‘Loord’ Foord on drums.
The album was produced by Adrian and Mikee, and mixed by Simon Hanhart, whose previous credits include everyone from Tin Machine to Saxon. The album features 12 tracks and it will be available on digi-pak CD, digital download and double coloured vinyl in gatefold sleeve.
1. No Friendly Neighbour 4.53
2. No Place Like Home 3.06
3. I See Lights 4.59
4. Bright As A Fire 6.21
5. Savage World 3.38
6. Tortured Tone 5.08
7. White Sheet Robes 5.16
8. As Tears Come Falling From The Sky 0.47
9. Awoken Broken 4.58
10. Search For Bliss 4.13
11. Snake Ladders 4.43
12. Mirror and the Moon 5.04
Their début album, Awoken Broken, will be released on 27th February 2012 through Spinefarm Records.
You can hear and download the album track I See Lights below.
EDDIE VAN HALEN – Riffage 101
Pic courtesy of Richard Galbraith
This will be the first of a new series of posts featuring Eddie Van Halen. I’ve recently ran across some interesting recordings of Sir Eddie aka’ “The Shark” that I thought I would dissect, comment upon and or just share with all the thousands of fans out there.
Most of these rare nuggets are either solo rehearsals, jam tapes and or just misc. out takes from the old school VAN HALEN days. The time frame I am talking about is from their humble beginnings all the way up to the 1984 album.
All of this material has floated around the tape trading scene over the years but I am sure most of you haven’t heard it before. There’s rumored to be enough “left-over” VH material and demos to release several albums.
Before some of you start ranting in the comments section or sending in anti Van Halen mail, yes I am obviously aware of the fact that VH is not strictly “Metal.”
There are lots heavy bands featured throughout this site and in the original magazine, but the focus was always on rock + hard rock + metal…and beyond. So, I’d recommend that if you are wanting to hear DEATH or MORBID ANGEL, then right about now would a great time for you to check out.
*You may want to stick around, however, as I have some “audible evidence” below that may or may not link Eddie’s early crunchy riffage style to some modern metal and or how it possibly influenced some of the early Thrash Metal guitarists. This was back when they were sitting in their bedrooms staring at their EVH posters and or trying to learn Eruption on a beat up Kramer guitar perhaps…
Before we get into that, let’s have a listen to some classic never-released “warm ups” and out takes from the cutting room floor.
The “tune” up—notice the early snip of “Panama” @ end
The “warm” up—notice how much reverb he used
The “kool” riff—here’s a bone, can anyone name this one?
The “lead” lick—this is kinda sloppy even (by EVH’s standards)
Pic used with permission from R.Galbraith
How is Eddie Van Halen linked to Heavy Metal?
Whoa – did you hear that grind (in-between the blues licks)? Go back and listen again…closely
Let’s get rid of the blues licks and isolate and loop that section…mmm that’s tasty!
*Ha—now that I’ve got your attention. Play that riff again Metalheads (if you didn’t already do so).
Sounds a bit like Metallica’s early crunch/guitar tone or playing on “Seek and Destroy.” Keep in mind that Eddie was just jamming or fooling around and this was one of about a hundred or more riffs or misc. leads and rhythms that went to tape that day.
Just think what it would’ve sounded like if he decided to use something like that as a main riff! Eddie and Co. did open up for the Masters of Metal Black Sabbath back in the day, so he’s no stranger to Metal. Imagine you get a dream-come-true opening slot on a major tour, and then you had to prove yourself night after night—not only to the fans, but Tony Iommi.
Now imagine a heavy bass chugging along, possibly another layered guitar track (or another rhythm guitarist) behind it, a bangin’ drummer…and throw in a vocal growl for good measure.
Might go something like this:
Holy crap, that’s heavy for early 80′s. Sounds like Armored Saint ala’ Delerious Nomad days or maybe a heavier Savatage style riff.
Here’s another riff that he had sitting around for years. I am pretty sure it eventually made its way into the song “House of Pain” many years later, on their 1984 release.
*I know that one wasn’t very fast. Here is a slightly more “upbeat” version that I found and looped for demonstration purposes only.
I like to picture this one with some seriously HEAVY [double-bass] action. Think Lombardo!
Here is the final version for “House of Pain” if you had any doubts…
This is probably the “heaviest” song on the album and was dead last in the track listing
Hope you enjoyed my mini [imaginary] “case study” on how Eddie Van Halen’s guitar sound and or playing style of the late 70′s/early 80′s could’ve influenced some guitarists Metal guitarists or bands. Or maybe you enjoyed being able to hear these unreleased pre Van Hagar riffs and rare rehearsal tapes.
P.S. This was a snapshot of a certain guitar sound, playing style and audible correlation that I made for fun. I am not saying EVH invented any of the above, only that he was taking what T. Iommi came up with originally and how he took it to the next level perhaps.
*It’s well-documented that Black Sabbath did in fact take out a young VAN HALEN on tour with them back in 1978 and these youngsters consistently blew the geezers off the stage every night as well. Or so the story goes…
Special thanks to photographer Richard Galbraith for permission to post the unreleased photos & flyer.
Read an interview with Richard
Join Richard on Facebook
Rare SLAYER T-shirt slideshow
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These tour t-shirts are getting harder and harder to find. I didn’t buy a lot of concert shirts but I am glad that I actually purchased a few of these puppies!
Enjoy the slide show and rare SLAYER shirt archives.
Oh Lord Yeah! [Black Sabbath Reunited] 2012
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NEW: BLACK SABBATH ANNOUNCE NEW ALBUM AND 2012 WORLD TOUR!
November 11, 2011
“Well, after all the rumours and having to keep plans quiet for so long, I can finally stop dodging questions. The truth is it has only come together properly in the last few days! Look forward to seeing you all in 2012. All the best.”
~Tony Iommi
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DECIBEL: Thrash Metal Hall of Fame [special issue]
The fine folks over at Decibel Mag. sent us an email blast this week about a nifty special collectors issue they’ve put together called Thrash Metal Hall of Fame. It looked pretty cool so I thought I would share with our readers. I haven’t actually read it, so if it sucks or turns out to be a blatant “cash-in” then please don’t kill the messenger.
Here’s the scoop:
“The end of every year is prime list-making time. Christmas lists if you’re a widdle baby; esoteric, in-depth, face-crushingly metal lists if you’re us. We’ve already hit you with bonus content in the form of our 100 Greatest Metal Albums of the Decade and Black Metal Hall of Fame issues. Now it’s time to ride the lightning beneath the remains of the greatest albums in thrash history, and find out which master reigns.”
That last sentence kinda’ sounds like something Don Jamieson or Jim Florentine [co-hosts on That Metal Show] might say!
I am banking on the Hall of Fame writing of J.Bennett, which is the best part of that print mag. IMO. Horns up to the kick-ass artwork and graphic design of Andrei Bouzikov.
Enjoy the orig.artwork
“In the new Thrash Metal Hall of Fame issue – featuring exclusive new cover art by acclaimed metal artist Andrei Bouzikov (Municipal Waste, Skeletonwitch, Cannabis Corpse) – not only do we go hi-top deep into the top 50 thrash albums of all time, but shred you to submission with seven Hall of Fame’s.”
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Slayer: Reign in Blood
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Anthrax: Among the Living
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Testament: The Legacy
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Metallica: …And Justice for All
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Megadeth: Rust in Peace
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Anacrusis: Reason <–finally a pick out of the underground!
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Prong: Beg to Differ
The Thrash HOF issue is available now, albeit only through Decibel’s webstore and select indie records stores. See monitorthis.com for locations in case your dog ate your credit card or your girlfriend didn’t pay for your internet connection this month!
Buy on site Metal peeps!
Cliff Burton: A Dedication to my Son
by Ray Burton
This was very heartfelt and unexpected!
The Father of Cliff Burton, Ray Burton (at the age of 86) thanks all of Cliff’s fans for the support they have given him since his death. Sept. 27th marks the 25th Anniversary of Cliffs tragic death.
May he live forever in our hearts.
JOURNEY: The Hottest Band in the Country?
I was never a super huge JOURNEY fan (they had their moments), but I was a big-time arcade freak as a child! I do not however, remember an arcade game in 1983 that featured the band.
The hottest band in the country is about to take over the planet…as stated in the Bally/Midway promo arcade flyer from way back in 1983.
Ouch!
I am showing my age now.
Evidently since their Escape and Frontiers albums were so successful, Bally/Midway jumped on this opportunity to brand an arcade game that was based on the band.
Although they have cartoon bodies, the faces of the members are shown as black-and-white photographs, taken of the band while on tour.
The game’s theme is pretty primitive (by today’s standards). The game starts out with the player choosing one of five planets to travel to. Each planet features a mini-game starring one of the Journey band members, with the goal of collecting his musical instrument (with Steve Perry, it’s a microphone).
Once the instruments are collected Journey performs a concert!
Get this:
During the concert sequence, an edited, looped version of “Separate Ways” is played through an on board cassette player inside the machine. That’s right I said “cassette”….haha!
While the concert sequence is being performed, the player takes control of Journey‘s roadie, a large man (sic) whose object is to keep the fans from rushing the stage by placing himself in front of one of three entrances to the stage. Once the fans do rush the stage they run off with the band’s instruments (little bastards)…then the game simply starts at the beginning again.
Given the nature of the game’s build out, it’s probably safe to say that very few of the original arcade cabinets are still in good working order, which could also explain why the game is pretty darn scarce these days.
I guess the game was pulled from arcade’s and was not so popular as the Journey game was voted number nine of the Top 10 Worst Licensed Game Ideas (ever) in the “Connect” section of the June 2007 issue of Game Informer magazine.
Perhaps this was just another companies attempt at cashing in on the band since the band had previously appeared in a video game for the Atari 2600, titled Journey Escape two years earlier in 1981.
*info + game facts from Wiki
Kinger (ex-SLEEPY TRIP, KURU-AMA drummer), Demolish Mag. Editor/Owner/Publisher etc.
