Kinger interviews J.Bennett (Decibel Magazine)
Guinness + Metal Rocks!
As we move into 2011 and settle back into our old habits [yes, we know most of your "new years resolutions" have probably failed miserably by now unfortunately] and so we begin our normal routines yet again. However, what we have lined up for you is far from routine. We are still posting mega-rare 80′s Metal articles and interviews from the Demolish vaults, however, after much encouragement + support we have decided to resurrect the ‘zine and cover some current material as well. The latest propaganda will reside in the aptly titled DEMOLISH A.D. section.
To kick off the premiere article for this freshly minted department we are happy to bring you a kick-ass exclusive interview with none other than the ubiquitous music journalist and musician J.Bennett. We had hoped to bust this out last August, but father time pushed the fast-forward button on us and somehow five months have miraculously rolled past! With that being said, here’s to 2011.
Before we get out of the gates with this one, I must admit that I am not an avid reader of DECIBEL Magazine. As a matter of fact, up until a couple of years ago, I had only nonchalantly skimmed through a few issues while visiting a [Metalhead] buddies house around two years ago. After gulping several Guinness [while listening to Artillery's "When Death Comes" for the better part of an hour], I noticed his stack of magazines close by and decided to see what the latest crop of Metal rags were all about.
Upon closer inspection, I realized how much of a short attention span peeps must have these days as the reviews seemed to be very short and contained mini-blasts of info and or just a quickie summary about the band. After reading a few more items, I must admit that I still had no idea what some of the bands actually sounded like! Moving forward, I was steadily bombarded with many descriptive genre tags and even more sub genre labels. For some reason, the voice in my head told me that since Metal’s seemingly great comeback was so strong, I assumed the scene and or “industry” if-you-will must have solidified somehow and or became a cohesive powerhouse. Not so…
What I realized was that contrary to popular belief, “Metal” really never went anywhere, it had simply morphed and splintered off into countless sub genres of what Decibel Mag. was calling “extreme” music -yikes, yet another “genre”? Maybe this was the GRAND “Metal” label of all and every other form of “Metal music” now resides under that expanding umbrella —or at least within the last decade [or to be more precise, it was 7 years ago, when Decibel published their first issue]. In any case, kudos to all @ Decibel for putting out such a quality publication for the Metal fans. It’s about time an American company tries to take on the many European Metal counterparts!
What immediately got my attention was the first-rate print job and excellent illustrations of artist Bruno Guerreiro. This dude’s got skillz! After Bruno’s art caught my eye, I started to hone in on the actual article(s) themselves —it seems like the ones that resonated with me the most were usually written by the one named J. Bennett. BTW if you are wondering —his name isn’t Jay. “J” is actually short for something else. It turns out that “J” is one of their main contributors (certainly among their best writers IMO) and we are always down to support and promote such peeps who are doing something positive in the Metal community.
Mr. Bennett is certainly a busy-beaver as he contributes to Revolver, Alternative Press (mostly movie reviews/stuff there), MySpace.com, Thrasher and most notably Decibel. However J is normally on the other side of the table, meaning, he is usually the one asking the questions, doing band interviews or writing the reviews!
Please join us as we pick his brain about all things Metal, his life and anything else that we can think of that you might not know about him already.
KINGER: How in the world do you find the time to write for Revolver, Decibel, Thrasher and Self-Titled mag.?
J.BENNETT: Excellent question. I usually find it under rocks or buried in haystacks in remote foreign lands, which is a time-consuming process in and of itself. Which then requires me to find even more time. It’s a vicious circle. Seriously, though? Amphetamines.
J. Bennett - pic Sera Timms
K: Which of these outlets do you enjoy contributing to the most and what is the common thread among these choices [if any] and how did you narrow your choices to these four publications?
J: I suspect I’ll get fired by at least three or four magazines if I answer the first part of this question honestly, so I’m gonna go with Field & Stream. Mostly because they never hassle me about all the nonexistent deadlines they never give me. The common thread among the others is that they all probably wish they’d hired someone else. For some reason, I didn’t narrow it down to four, though. I also contribute to Alternative Press and Terrorizer. They also probably wish they’d made a better choice!
K: How did you get started writing about Metal?
J: I was young and didn’t know any better. Some teenagers experiment with drugs or alcohol; I experimented with drugs and alcohol and writing about heavy metal. My first assignment – unpaid, of course – was for a local Boston rock rag called The Noise. I think it’s actually still around. I reviewed a live show at the Middle East Club in Cambridge. I think the lineup was Big Wig (a rock band with a rapper), Cast Iron Hike (featuring future members of ISIS and Doomriders) and Orange 9mm. Then again, it could have been something else entirely.
K: I hear that you have some ‘zine publishing experience —back when dinosaurs roamed the earth, tell us about your old ‘zine Hexbender.
J: I published four issues between 1998 and early 1999 – a thousand copies each, I think. My brother from another mother, Keith Bennett, was my right-hand man and the house expert on all things extreme (he currently plays in the totally righteous PanzerBastard). We actually managed to land some respectable interview subjects even though we didn’t really know what we were doing: Queens Of The Stone Age on their first tour, Emperor, Arch Enemy (Johan Liiva era), Clearlight (Jimmy Bower from Eyehategod’s short-lived side project), John Garcia (pre-Unida), In Flames when they were still good, etc.
My friend Ironlung (of Scissorfight fame) wrote a column for every issue entitled “Ironlung’s Wild America.” One was about Bigfoot smoking weed. My favorite line claimed that Sasquatch liked to “get higher than Bill Walton and Robert Parish at Reggae Sunsplash.”
K: I found out about your writing mainly from the excellent Precious Metal book (also via some reg. Decibel issues). It appears that you wrote more than half of the pieces in that book, tell us how that came about and what bands you covered? Have you ever thought of writing your own book?
J: Precious Metal was the brainchild of Decibel editor-in-chief Albert Mudrian. It’s sort of a greatest hits compilation of the “Hall Of Fame” features that run in every issue of the mag. For each “Hall Of Fame” piece, someone at the magazine interviews all the members of a band that recorded an album we consider to be a classic.
The finished book includes 25 “Hall Of Fame” features, 14 of which were written by me – including Slayer’s Reign In Blood, Celtic Frost’s Morbid Tales, Kyuss’ Sky Valley, Sleep’s Jerusalem, Morbid Angel’s Altars Of Madness, Emperor’s In The Nightside Eclipse, At The Gates’ Slaughter Of The Soul and others.
As for the second part of the question, I’ve given a lot of thought to writing a book of my own. But I don’t wanna jinx it by running my mouth too much. I will say this, though: When and if it happens, it will not be music-related in any way.
K: I’ve noticed that your Decibel columns are posted on your Cry Now, Cry Later blog. Please tell us about this blog and what is the target audience?
J: The Cry Now, Cry Later blog is really just an archive for my Decibel columns of the same name. I usually post them after each new issue comes off the stands, but I think I’ve fallen behind by a month or two. The only thing I can really tell you about the target audience is that it’s apparently very, very small. I just checked, and I have a grand total of 15 followers. Obviously, I’ve hit the big time with this thing.
K: You mentioned that you are also working for Alternative Press online doing [primarily] movie reviews —how do you like doing that compared to the Metal material?
J: Writing about movies (after writing about metal most of the week) is like jumping naked into Boston Harbor in January after jogging barefoot across a mile of hot coals. It stings a lot and you’ll probably get an infection from all the sewage, but your pores will be less clogged in the long run.
“My review of Piranha 3D has already been called “the most pretentious movie review I’ve ever read” by some kid from Michigan with a sideways haircut.” – J. Bennett
K: Are you able to make a living from your writing or do you still have a day job perhaps? Walk us through a typical day for you!
J: Writing has paid my bills —barely, for the last 11 years. Mercifully, I’ve been able to avoid the miserable slave pit that passes for our country’s once-thriving service economy for at least that long. We’ll see how much longer it lasts. A typical day usually involves at least one interview, endless hours of soul-murdering transcription, and the occasional stab at stringing together some gibberish for my editors to publish somewhere. Rinse (drown sorrows in alcohol), wash (edit, spell-check), repeat.
K: Tell us the 411 about your music project, IDES OF GEMINI. What is your role in the band and/or what instrument(s) do you play?
J: Ides Of Gemini essentially started in December of 2009, when I pieced together some songs on the guitar in 
hopes of conning my girlfriend, Sera Timms, into writing some lyrics and singing (she sings and plays bass in a fantastic band called Black Math Horseman). She totally fell for it, so then I suckered her into starting a band with me. Two months ago, we released our debut EP, The Disruption Writ.
K: What genres of Metal and or other musical styles [ in general] do you prefer to listen too?
J: I enjoy most genres of music, with the possible exception of techno, but I tend to gravitate most toward various forms of Metal, rock, pop and soul. I have a huge soft spot for ’70s and ’80s music – everything from early glam like T. Rex, Slade and Bowie to cock rock, pop and new-wave. On the other ends of the spectrum, I love Ravi Shankar, Boards Of Canada, Gladys Knight and Thai pop from the ’60s and ’70s.
K: What’s your Top 5 Metal releases?
J: I’m not sure I could narrow it down to just five, but my top handful would absolutely include:
- Diamond Head’s Lightning To The Nations
- Metallica’s …And Justice For All
- Black Sabbath’s Vol. 4 and Sabbath Bloody Sabbath
- Judas Priest’s British Steel
- Danzig’s self-titled
- Celtic Frost’s Morbid Tales
- Slayer’s Seasons In The Abyss
- Kyuss’ Sky Valley (if that could be considered Metal)
- Motörhead’s Ace Of Spades
- Burzum’s Filosofem
- Immortal’s At The Heart Of Winter
- Darkthrone’s Transilvanian Hunger
- Life Of Agony’s River Runs Red
- Only Living Witness’ Prone Mortal Form
Art ©Bruno Guerreiro -Decibel
K: Since you listed METALLICA near the top —Metallica or Megadeth?
J: Metallica. Their first five albums are varying degrees of unstoppable. Much to the chagrin of almost every metal fan I know, my favorite is …And Justice For All… I’m also not one of those people who think the Black Album is crap. But in defense of Dave Mustaine, I will say that Megadeth’s “Holy Wars… Punishment Due,” “Hangar 18,” and “Peace Sells” are three of the greatest metal songs ever written (“Angry Again,” from the Last Action Hero soundtrack, is also a personal favorite.) And I’ve been listening to Countdown To Extinction regularly since the day it came out in ’92.
K: Did “grunge” kill Metal (I love his answer to this one —I totally agree)?
J: That’s just the excuse that the cock rock bands used to explain why no one gave a shit about power ballads anymore. In reality, most of those bands had already started sucking hard before Cobain pulled the rug out from under them.
K: What are some of your favorite Rock/Metal concerts that you’ve attended over the years?
J: Almost every Scissorfight show I’ve seen has been monumental. Very few bands brought it like those cats did. I also had a semi-religious experience at the Only Living Witness reunion show at the Middle East Club in Cambridge, MA, a couple of years back. And this past summer, I had the privilege of seeing Isis’ final show up in Montreal, which was as triumphant as it was a bummer. Oh, and Queens Of The Stone Age at the Wiltern in L.A. in December of 2005. Amazing show, plus they brought out John Garcia at the end to sing a few Kyuss jams. And I would be amiss if I didn’t mention Oxbow. They’re one of the greatest live bands out there.
As far as bigger shows, seeing Metallica, Guns N’ Roses and Faith No More at Sullivan Stadium in 1992 was a definite highlight. Slayer on their Undisputed Attitude Tour was another gem. My attorney and I saw that one at the now-defunct Axis club in Boston in ’96. I’ve never seen so many fights in one place in my life. Unsane opened, and I remember Chris Spencer saying, “I swear we only have one more song before Slayer comes on.” The place went batshit!
K: Do you still buy CD’s and or any vinyl and what is your take on MP3′s and or the availability for online music in general?
J: I’m a shameless vinyl junkie. I buy way too much of it way too often. But records obviously aren’t very portable, so for music on the go I prefer mp3′s to CDs. There’s no question about it—the easy availability and portability of mp3′s killed the compact disc. I’m actually in the process of unloading my CD collection as we *speak*. But I’ll be buying vinyl as long as it’s around.
"Ready for the Kill" (pic Sera Timms)
K: I liken the current explosion of online blogs to the fanzines of the 80′s. What’s your take on this and is this “explosion” responsible for the closing of several print magazines of late? What is the ultimate fate for the remaining [music] print magazines?
J: Clearly, a direct connection could be made between the blog blowout and the decline of print mags. And yeah, most of the music blogs I’ve seen certainly seem to have been created in the same spirit of the fanzines of the ’80s and ’90s. In most cases, the writing seems to be of the same quality as that of the old ’zines—which is to say: occasionally spirited but generally fucking terrible. But there are of course exceptions. As for the fate of the music mags still in print? If I had a crystal ball, I would gaze into it longingly and tell you the answer, my friend. I’ll say one thing, though: For the most part, the steady elimination of print mags has been a truly Darwinian process. The wheat has been separated from the chaff. There are exceptions to this, too, but few that I can think of.
K: There are several different delivery methods and or styles for blogs and or magazines these days. It seems that some places like to make a zillion posts that are super short…almost like “text messages” or short PR blasts and then others like to deliver longer interviews and or reviews. I guess it boils down to the age-old debate = Quality VS Quantity?
J: If you ask me—and I’m pretty sure you just did—quality trumps quantity every time. I’ve read 75-word blurbs that are more compelling than full-length novels. It all depends on who’s doing the writing and how much of a shit they happen to give on that particular day.
K: I am not a video game junkie, but I tend to think with the popularity of Guitar Hero and Rock Band type games, that it helped re-kindle some interest in all things Metal + Hard Rock. Do you think we will be seeing a noticeable “bump” one day [in the future] when all these kids grow up and start forming bands? If so, has this already began?
J: Your scenario certainly does not sound like crazy talk, but I’ve never played any of these games or even seen them being played by anyone else, so I’m in no position to answer this one.
Pic by J.Bennett
K: To some, Metal has definitely made a “come back” of sorts…would you agree? I mean for the last five years you are definitely seeing more of the classic 80′s bands putting out material —some fans + reviewers say their best material in ages even. For example: Testament, Overkill and Accept have all put out decent product lately.
J: I’m gonna be an asshole here and say that I don’t think any of those bands have put out some of their best material even sort of recently. I will say that the new albums from Burzum (Belus) and Atheist (Jupiter) were about a million times better than I expected them to be. I also thought Obituary’s comeback album, Frozen In Time, was highly satisfying.
K: What was the coolest writing gig you’ve ever had and why?
J: I’m gonna have to plead the Fifth on this one to protect the guilty. But I’ve got the scars and the memories to prove that it happened. I’ve been lucky enough to travel the world—not all of it, but a decent chunk—in the name of “journalism,” and I’ve met many a character along the way. But some things are best kept to oneself.
K: What do you think makes a good writer?
J: He or she does not bore you to death. If a writer can make you laugh, cry, or simply turn the page with anticipation, he or she is doing something right.
K: Who are some other writers in the industry that you respect? What are some of the blogs that you follow (other than Demolish of course)?
J: I’m not gonna name any specific writers here because I feel like I’ll forget someone and feel shitty about it later. But blog-wise, I follow:
- The Cosmic Hearse
- Mike Hill’s Everything Went Black blog
- Fenriz’s “Band Of The Week” blog (on the Darkthrone MySpace page)
- Joe Carducci’s The New Vulgate
- BibliOdyssey
- Cosmo Lee’s Invisible Oranges
- Aaron Turner’s Feral Pig blog
- R. Loren’s You Texas
- Dark Star blog
- Sera Wolf Blogspot
- On The List
K: Thank you for taking the time to chat with us. Is there anything you would like to add?
J: Thank you very much for the interview and support, Curt. I appreciate you taking the time to quiz me.
Linkage:
Decibel is America’s only monthly extreme music magazine.
Revolver is a bi-monthly hard rock and heavy metal magazine.
Cry Now, Cry Later Blog: text: J. Bennett, illustrations: Bruno Guerreiro
Alternative Press Magazine: If you’re a “hip” young adult, this is the magazine for you.
Ides Of Gemini – the disruption writ. The debut EP released 14 November 2010
Self-Titled is your new favorite music magazine.
Terrorizer is an extreme music magazine from the UK.
*Special thanks to Bruno Guerreiro for permission to use his illustrations. Also thanks to Larry [from the Metal Odyssey Blog for sending me several of his older issues of Decibel to soak up).
Metallica or Megadeth?
Metallica. Their first five albums are varying degrees of unstoppable. Much to the chagrin of almost every metal fan I know, my favorite is …And Justice For All… I’m also not one of those people who think the Black Album is crap. But in defense of Dave Mustaine, I will say that Megadeth’s “Holy Wars… Punishment Due,” “Hangar 18,” and “Peace Sells” are three of the greatest metal songs ever written. (“Angry Again,” from the Last Action Hero soundtrack, is also a personal favorite.) And I’ve been listening to Countdown To Extinction regularly since the day it came out in ’92.
New OVERDRIVE album “Angelmaker” in 2011
*Artwork: Monowasp
Yes folks the classic Swedish metal band of the 80′s is back with a vengeance! The new OVERDRIVE album is recorded and finished and will be released this month.
After 2008’s self explanatory “Let The Metal Do The Talking”, Swedish [melodic Metal exponents] OVERDRIVE deliver the most pulsating album of their career with the pedal to the metal bombast of “Angelmaker”.
This new album sees the band pummel the listener with their heaviest release yet. All 12 tracks will make any self-respecting Metal fan throw the “horns” in appreciation.
MUSICIANS: Per “PerilOz” Karlsson: Vocals, acoustic guitars Janne Stark: Guitars, bass Kjell Jacobsson: Guitars Kenth Ericsson: Bass Kenta Svensson: Drums
TRACK LISTING
01. Signs All Over
02. In Gut We Trust
03. Angelmaker
04. I Know There’s Something Going On
05. Under The Influence
06. On With The Action
07. See The Light
08. To Grow
09. Mother Earth
10. It’s A Thriller
11. Cold Blood Chaser
12. The Wavebreaker
Given their pedigree and reputation it’s no surprise to hear OVERDRIVE enter the third decade of their career hitting new heights with “Angelmaker” —a slice of traditional Metal as good as you will hear in 2011!
N-Joy!
OFFICIAL WEB LINKS www.overdrive.se
www.myspace.com/overdrivesweden
www.facebook.com/OverdriveMetal
The History
Mosh Potatoes Cited in Chicago Reader
Our readers will know that I am not fond of press releases and or reporting on the same ole’ crap that you can see on hundreds of other Metal blogs or syndicated news services, but today I felt compelled to pass along some interesting info that appeared in my in-box today….mostly ’cause it featured some noteworthy Metal “name-drops” from my hometown – CHICAGO, but I’ll admit the book intrigued me as well!
Mosh Potatoes (Simon & Schuster) is a book that features 147 recipes from legendary icons like LEMMY, ZAKK WYLDE and LITA FORD to the thrash titans of PANTERA, MEGADETH, TESTAMENT, OVERKILL and ANTHRAX to the hair metal bands of GUNS & ROSES, DOKKEN, LA GUNS, STEEL PANTHER, TWISTED SISTER to the mayhem of metal including MUDVAYNE, LAMB OF GOD, SHADOWS FALL, HATEBREED and DEVILDRIVER to death metal pioneers of NAPALM DEATH, OBITUARY and DEATH and the book wouldn’t be complete without the future of the new school like MUNICIPAL WASTE, SKELETONWITCH, HOWL, EVILE and MOTH EATER.
OK sounds pretty cool – so on to the Chicago info!
Mosh Potatoes – CBS News Interview
Music Industry veteran and musician Steve “Buckshot” Seabury author of “Mosh Potatoes – Recipes, Anecdotes & Mayhem From The Heavyweights Of Heavy Metal” was interviewed on CBS News Program about their “The Best Of” segment. Seabury was asked what he thought was the ultimate Metal restaurants and bars in NYC, Chicago and Los Angeles. “Who doesn’t love Metal and good food? These are the places I love to hang at when I am on the road or just going to grab some grub with my friends” states Seabury about his decisions.
*You can find one of his Best Of picks at the links listed below [yes, minus the NYC & Los Angeles links of course].
Best Metal Bars and Eats in Chicago
Pic ©Paul John Higgins/Chicago Reader
The Chicago Reader noted for its literary style of journalism, is acclaimed for their critic’s choices and recommendations in film, music, art and dining has named Mosh Potatoes in their top 10 cookbooks of 2010 in their year-end Food & Drink Column.
©2010 Kuma's Corner
Kuma’s Corner
2900 W. Belmont Ave.
Chicago, IL (773) 604-8769
Kuma’s to me is METAL!!!! When you walk into the place you think you have died and gone to Heavy Metal Heaven. The smell of the grill, the music blasting, and range of beers makes this spot one of the greatest places to eat.
They have 22 kick-ass burgers all named after some of the greatest metal bands ever to jam on stage. When you sit down to eat you feel you are going to your very first metal concert. It’s that good. I recommend the Judas Priest and Neurosis Burgers. They will give your taste buds whiplash! Oh yeah. Did I mention they have Mac & Cheese too? Well they do, and it ROCKS!
For more information on the METAL cook book:
Steve Seabury has an extensive history in the music industry from performing, working at various record and marketing companies. He began his career at Mayhem Records, where he helped launch such acts as Cradle of Filth and Nothingface into stardom. At Spitfire Records/Eagle Rock Entertainment, Steve was the National Sales Director and A&R and had the opportunity to work with rock legends Testament, Zakk Wylde, Ronnie James Dio, Alice Cooper, Ted Nugent, and new developmental acts like Dog Fashion Disco and Sixty Watt Shaman.
At Concrete Marketing, Steve orchestrated and initiated several marketing campaigns for many platinum artists, including Metallica, Velvet Revolver, Iron Maiden, Avenged Sevenfold, Breaking Benjamin, Damageplan, Judas Priest, and many more.
He has taken his experience and recently formed two new companies: Barley & Hops Management and a new Record Company called Giddy Up! Records that is distributed through Sony/Red. You can also see him thrashing like a maniac with his new metal band, Moth Eater. Steve lives in Queens (home of the New York Mets) with his wife Lisa. This is his first book.
It’s not Heaven nor Hell – It’s SANCTUARY
Interview with Lenny Rutledge from 1987
by Curt King
It’s not Heaven nor Hell…it’s SANCTUARY!
How many ways are there for an unknown band to get “discovered” or signed for a record deal? I am sure you’ve heard all the success stories and every imaginable way possible for a band to land that ever-so-lucrative record deal/contract! Think again.
For this melodic Power Metal band from Pacific Northwest it [i.e. getting discovered] was definitely not “business as usual” and I applaud them for being so creative and “pro-active” (or at least ballsy). So who are these creative D.I.Y types? One Warrel Dane (vocals), Lenny Rutledge (guitar), Sean Blosl (guitar), Jim Sheppard (bass) and Dave Budbill (drums).
Pic ©Bartolomy
Please join us as Demolish founder/editor Curt King chats with guitarist Lenny Rutledge and uncovers this unique band and brings their very interesting story to light.
CURT: Let’s go all the way back to the beginning, please tell us how SANCTUARY got started?
LENNY: The conception of the band started with my cousin and I —the guitar players in the band. Basically, we started playing guitar on the same day! You see, we kinda’ walked into a record store one day and we saw this $100 bill laying on the floor, which was kinda’ a trip, so we picked it up and ran out of the store as fast as we could and ran to the nearest guitar store and bought a guitar. And that’s how we started out playing guitar!
After we started getting proficient at playing, we went our separate ways. He went to another band and I joined another band. Later on, after we had played for about four or five years, we got back together and started a band called SANCTUARY. It took us a while to get all the assorted members though. We went through a lot of drummers and bass players because we were the only two members of the band that “stuck with it”. Basically we had to “steal” people from bands that were doing good because we couldn’t find anybody that would really stick with it. We stole our drummer from another band! They weren’t really doing that good but the drummer was doin’ really good —so we got him to join our band because we we’re doing well at the time.
For the singer, we just recorded a demo tape. One night we wrote this song called “Wally’s Song”. We had not really met the guy before we had heard of him. We had heard that he was into the kind of mystic, deep, dark-sounding type of songs. Then we wrote that song and the feeling we got from it was like: “f**k, this guy’s gonna’ love this song!” We had that positive attitude about it and when he heard it, that’s why he joined the band. So it was like the total feeling of that and him hearing the song and actually liking it (just like we thought he would). It just hit us off, we all hit-off really good from then on.
Pic ©Bartolomy
Was he in another band at the time?
LENNY: He had just quit a band from Seattle, so we just snagged him and that’s how he joined the band. From there it took like two years to get all the musicians that we wanted. We didn’t want to go with your basic type singer…we knew exactly what we wanted. We didn’t go and play all the bars or anything with just any ole’ singer would fit in —we just waited until we got exactly what we wanted!
Did you record your demo while you were in the process of completing the line-up or did you just start rehearsing and writing material from the get-go?
LENNY: Right, we were writing songs and we we’re playing some covers and stuff. When we finally got our singer, we stopped playing covers and wrote all originals. Then we went in and recorded a demo and got it played on a radio station out here at KCMU. We were number one or number two for a year straight!
With that same demo tape, you were recently signed to Epic Records and are about to release your début album entitled “Refuge Denied”. Tell us how that deal came about.
LENNY: That took place when KING DIAMOND and MEGADETH played a concert here. We had the demo recorded and we were doing OK, but we had only played out once! I went to the show with a friend and two girls. The two girls found out what hotel MEGADETH was staying in, so I talked them into going.
No way, so what happened then?
LENNY: So, what we did was: when we found out what room they were in, I just kinda’ pushed the door open and pushed these two girls in! I figured if Dave Mustaine see’s them then he’s gonna’ let us all in [laughs]. Sure enough, he saw them and the place was like “yeah, let’s party!” So we walk in there and I sat right down next to Dave. He shared his bottle of “Cavasia” (i.e. Courvoisier perhaps – ed) and we talked for a while. Next, we talked him out to our car and we put in our demo tape and he loved it! Then he just decided he wanted to produce us!
He flew us to L.A. And we talked to a few labels and stuff. We did a couple of shows with MEGADETH and then we recorded the album. His manager, Keith Rawls paid for everything. Now he’s our manager also (funny how that works huh! – ed).
Dave produced the album and we kinda’ share a bit of the production credit with him. After we got it all finished, then Keith shopped it around to all the [record] labels. We tried smaller labels at first and a lot of them were really interested, then a lot of the big labels were interested. One label is even flew us down to L.A. For a private showcase but nothing really happened with that. It was like thirty people standing around checkin’ us out —it was like the scariest time we’ve ever played!
I can imagine. That would be tough. So how did you play?
LENNY: We did really good, but they supposedly had some kind of “signing freeze”…something weird was going on. Then, Epic Records calls us up the next day and says: “sh**, we’ll sign you right now!”
Pic ©Bartolomy
*Rockin’ onstage in Holland 1988!
Wow, most bands do not get a record deal early on in their career (let alone a major label deal) and help from a popular character like Dave Mustaine, do you feel “lucky” in any way?
LENNY: Yeah, we definitely feel lucky! We made the right contact and it was definitely a LOT of luck, but [I mean] it was a combination of not just luck. Epic didn’t listen to the tape and say: “Dave Mustaine produced it, it’s gonna’ sell a million albums.” They listened to it and said that it’s got Dave Mustaine’s name on it (also our engineer was the same guy who engineered both the METAL CHURCH albums) and not only that —the music’s good! They listened to the music and they liked the music. Nobody’s gonna’ sign you unless you have good music! If you have good contacts and good music, then your obviously gonna’ “make it” easier. I’m sure some people can go by their contacts alone and go somewhere, but our musics’ good too!
Tell us about the recording of the album and how was it different from your previous efforts?
LENNY: We recorded it at Steve Lawson’s studio in Seattle. It took a little less than a month to record it. We were in a hurry so it went really fast. The demo was totally different. We started it over and did it from scratch. We went through it really fast because Dave was getting ready to go on tour and he only had like a month to do it, so we had to do it right then and there. We mixed it there and after we got signed to Epic, they re-mixed it —so it does sound a little better than it did in just that month.
“There were only two good places to play at and SLAYER shut both of them down! They were just too wild.” – Lenny Rutledge
Some people insist that Mr. Mustaine is a very arrogant person, what was it like working with Dave and in the studio?
LENNY: It was great! We had a lot of wild partying times…it wasn’t just sit there and play —we’d sit there and PARTY [ha ha]! It was interesting as we always kept it interesting and we were always on our toes. He also taught us a few drinking games!
You have some very eerie song titles, do you ever take, say, a “mystical” approach when writing song lyrics? Give us some of the titles and or what they are about please.
LENNY: Well, a lot of it is like, let’s say “Veil of Disguise” for example —it’s like a vampire story. “Ascension to Destiny” is more like if aliens we’re taking over the Earth. “Battle Angels” is kinda’ like an “armageddon” type thing. Wally writes a lot of lyrics about armageddon. “Termination Force” is again, like armageddon! “Die for My Sins” is like the saints that sin on Saturday and ask everybody to repent and die for their sins on Sunday in the church! “Soldiers of Steel” is about a movie called The Keep. Our lyrical approach is very serious, it’s not like ANTHRAX or anything like that. Nothing against them, but we are very serious. We also do a cover of JEFFERSON AIRPLANE’S “White Rabbit”, only now it’s heavier and it’s real “crunchy” and “grinding”. Dave also plays the guitar solo on that one. The last song is called “Sanctuary”, and that’s a song about when you die and when you go to the other side. Wally describes it as a place in between Heaven and Hell. It’s not Hell, it’s not Heaven…it’s SANCTUARY —maybe like a purgatory.
Pic ©Bartolomy
Is that what your band name represents?
LENNY: Yeah, kinda’, in a way. The whole thing is mystical and scary. Not Heaven or Hell, just kind of different and beyond. Our music is tough to describe. It’s tough and grinding and it’s got both melody and speed in it. We’ve also got the slow parts and the speedier, crunchy parts, but speed isn’t that important to us. We like both. We’re not too prone to having “speedy” songs all the way through. We only have a few like that. We like the best of both worlds. Let’s say, like KING DIAMOND meets METALLICA.
I’ve got a lot of feedback from bands in the Pacific Northwest stating there aren’t too many places to play —is that true? You also mentioned that the radio station, KCMU, was giving you some healthy airplay. Isn’t that the station that has those wild “Brain-Pain” parties? If so, please tell us about them…
LENNY: Yes, well those parties are every Sunday night. I usually don’t go to them that much. Our vocalist [Warrel] and bass player [Jim] goes to them all the time. I’ve been to a couple and about thirty people get together and drink some Old English forty-ouncers’! It’s a lot of Thrash Metal and other stuff, but it’s all high-energy Metal —it’s a cool show. They still play us a lot too. The guy who does the show [Jeff Gilbert pic above -ed] really pushes us hard and has been really good to us.
As far as the scene here goes, it is definitely suffering since there is no place to play! There were only two good places to play at and SLAYER shut both of them down! They were just too wild.
Huh? What happened?!
LENNY: They got the crowd going and they ended up tearin’ the place up!
So there you have it folks. What an amazing story on how they were “discovered”. Best of luck to the band. I think they could rightly make their mark on the Metal world. If you enjoy your Metal with lots of power + finesse then give them a shot. Warrel’s vocals soar, the riffs are catchy and melodic and there is enough grinding and or “crunch-factor” to satisfy your Thrash urges. What more could you ask for?
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BAND UPDATE
*We hope you enjoyed that relic from the 80′s. This is a partial interview as the original tape is now M.I.A. So let’s just call this a “part one” until the original C-90 is un-earthed and transcribed fully!
Refuge Denied (1987)
Track listing
- All tracks written by Lenny Rutledge and Warrel Dane, unless stated
- “Battle Angels” (Sean Blosl, Dane) – 4:30
- “Termination Force” (Rutledge, Dane, Jim Sheppard) – 3:49
- “Die for My Sins” – 3:37
- “Soldiers of Steel” – 5:24
- “Sanctuary” – 3:54
- “White Rabbit” (Grace Slick) (Jefferson Airplane cover) – 3:07
- “Ascension to Destiny” – 4:52
- “The Third War” – 3:47
- “Veil of Disguise” – 5:43
Cover art by Ed Repka
-
Into the Mirror Black (1990)
Track listing
- “Future Tense” — 5:08
- “Taste Revenge” — 5:00
- “Long Since Dark” — 5:04
- “Epitaph” — 6:02
- “Eden Lies Obscured” — 5:21
- “The Mirror Black” — 5:07
- “Seasons of Destruction” — 4:51
- “One More Murder” — 4:21
- “Communion” — 5:37
-
Into the Mirror Live (1991)
Track listing
- “Future Tense” – Studio Version
- “Long Since Dark” – Live
- “Battle Angels” – Live
- “One More Murder” – Live
- “White Rabbit” – Live
- “Taste Revenge” – Live
*sorry, you will have to click & watch on You Tube as the embedding is off!
*Into The Mirror live is live promotional EP of the band recorded on May 12, 1990 at The Country Club in Reseda, CA, during their “Into The Mirror Black” tour. Approximately 1000 CD copies of this were made and less than 500 were ever distributed to radio stations and record stores. Because of contractual problems with Epic Records, the full version was never released for public consumption. Warrel Dane has stated on several occasions that he has the master tapes and copyrights of the full show and intended to have it finally released.
*according to Wiki
*After their début LP was released, they toured alongside Megadeth and the German band Warlock.
After the tour, they entered the studio to record their second and final studio album, Into the Mirror Black in 90′. The above video clip for the song Future Tense was made and it received some air play on MTV’s Headbangers Ball. During the tour for Into the Mirror Black guitarist Sean Blosl left the band and was replaced by Jeff Loomis.
Shortly after, the word on the street is that continued pressure [from Epic Records] to fit in with the flourishing Seattle grunge scene caused disagreements between band members (about the band’s musical direction). So in 91′ Sanctuary officially disbanded.
Refuge Denied and Into the Mirror Black were re-released as a double CD set by IronBird Records on February 22, 2010.
Post-breakup
- After disbanding, Warrel Dane, Jim Sheppard and Jeff Loomis formed the band Nevermore in 91′.
- Dave Budbill lives in Florida, and is now the drummer for Alive Inside.
- Sean Blosl is creating music and film independently through Golden Flower Media.
- Lenny Rutledge became a musical producer, and has his own studio. Additionally, he helped Nevermore on the demo sessions of their 1999 album Dreaming Neon Black.
2010 Reunion
Warrel Dane announced in May, 2010, that Sanctuary will reunite to record a new album. Warrel confirmed on Nevermore’s official forum that he can still hit the high notes he did in Sanctuary’s early days. However, he did not say whether he’d be implementing them into the new album. Sean Blosl is currently working on a film called “Into The Heart Of Shiva” and won’t be taking part in the reunion.
Recently announced that their only US appearance in 2011 will be at ProgPower USA held annually in Atlanta. They will be headlining on Friday night. The dates have yet to be announced. The band will also be playing on the 70,000 tons of Metal festival [which will take place on a cruise ship!] in January of 2011
Heavy Metal Wheel of Sex!
By Kinger
So who doesn’t enjoy a good “round” of sex?
Well, in my ongoing effort to bring you insightful and unusual items from the Demolish Vaults, I was able to pull this gem out of my bag-o-metal-relics! I found this hilarious backstage pic that I took many moons ago from Bogart’s in Cincinnati, Ohio —which is still @ 2621 Vine Street oddly enough.
*warning: please be advised this post + pic might contain some slightly lewd and or crude language below.
Upon first viewing you might not be that impressed (me either -ed), but upon closer inspection the hushed giggles will probably begin to well up in your belly.
Feast your eyes on this work of art:
Pic© by Curt King/Demolish
Eat yer’ heart out Vanna White!
*In a nut shell, some crafty beaver put together a homemade “Heavy Metal Wheel of Sex” life-size board game. I suppose this person (or persons) were pretty darn creative and or bored out of their skulls while backstage. Personally I thought it was great and when I ran upon it I had to give it a spin or two!
Pic from Vegas Retro site
This was in the late 80′s folks and I guess the Wheel of Fortune TV show was going strong and of course in those days Vanna was quite the young hottie.
*It appears someone used an old ass bass drum head from a previous concert, that from the looks of it, took a beating (pun-intended)!
For all the Metal purists/fact-checkers out there (and or real drummer types), this looks to me like an old school 20″ – 22″ Remo Control Sound Series (w/Silver Dot) bass drum head. I could be wrong…
I attended many great shows at Bogart’s throughout the 80′s (since it was just a few hours drive from my Midwestern home base) at the time. If you were into Hardcore, Thrash Metal, Speed Metal, regular Heavy Metal, Rock etc. —it didn’t matter, it was all there…seven days a week.
I really miss that place + the “Golden Era of all things Metal“. It’s still there, but I live in Chicago nowadays and that’s just too far to drive and or too expensive to fly. Besides, why would I want to do that when there is a thriving Metal scene practically in my back yard in the great Windy City?
*Original Bogart’s post card flyer
Some local sources say the place has not changed in years (or decades perhaps – ed) and needs some TLC and serious remodeling. I recall someone saying that they were forced to close the upstairs balcony area due to ceiling leakage and water coming down on the main floor; talk about dangerous! Yikes…I remember that (in)famous floor as being the host to some of the largest and most violent pits I ever saw anywhere peeps. When that band started and it was time to mosh, then let me tell you it was ON!
*Check out some of those lineups!
I remember a time when SLAYER played there (keep in mind this is a smaller theater type environment that holds just shy of 1500 ragers) and they had security up the wazoo. They were lined up on each side of the main floor like some sort of military exercise. Come to think of it, I think it might have been real Cinci Police Officers! Even with all that security, I think someone ended up getting stabbed and or hurt real bad in the mosh pit even. Go figure.
I don’t mean to paint a picture of Bogart’s as a bad place, but I think you know how damn crazy and rabid SLAYER fans can be? If not, beware as you will be rudely awakened —and rather quickly I might add, should you ever get “thrown to the wolves” or forced to go to one of their (awesome) live shows against your will!
yikes: "The proof is in the pudding...."
OK, enough no-nonsense nostalgic ramblings, let’s get back to the program.
Since it was such a smallish backstage 
area, the bands ended up playing with this thing for hours on end. I saw many uproars and or drunken bellowing coming from “The Wheel” —day time or night. Undoubtedly with plenty-o-booze (usually those nasty 32 oz. Foster’s Lager cans) + whatever “party favors” were around, then I guess pretty much anything can be funny and or positively entertaining!
Random History Note: This was pre-internet and cell phones young lads. This was when you had to use your imagination and or creativity to be entertained. ha ha!
I wish that I had taken more photos of this legendary Metal lore as some of the spots on “The Wheel” are not legible. Looks like I had the flash set to “auto” on my rusty 35MM camera! Oh well, I am just glad that I took this quickie shot, otherwise I would just be talkin’ smack and or reading a page outta’ my “Life With Heavy Metal” story book out loud —which is only published inside my head.
Step on up dude (and dudettes), spin the wheel and see what you land on (or get I should say). “Crabs”, arrrrggggh…spin again.
ACTUAL SCENARIOS ON the WHEEL:
- Crabs
- 38 DD Titty F**k
- Spin Again
- 14 year old (sic)
- She just wants to be friends
- Female impersonator
- Talk to her (for 4 hours) & her BF shows up
- Good Head
- AIDS
- Too drunk to f**k
- She falls in love with you
- Herpes
- Great Sex
- Devil Woman 666
- Snappin’ P*ssy
-
Couldn’t make out the last 2 -sorry!
80's Thrashers Backstage @ Bogart's
I wonder who the creative genius is who actually built this beauty? I am pretty sure I snapped this pic while hangin’ out at the EXODUS + M.O.D. show. This would be the killer “Fabulous Disaster” era and tour fan boys & girlies. Those guys were all crazy, so maybe these Bay Area Thrashers are to blame/thank?
Maybe some old geezer/local Bogart’s regular will read this article one day and be able to correctly identify the master craftsman. If you are said geezer, then please contact us for extra credit “80′s Metal” points.
Here is a short list of other bands I interviewed and was lucky enough to see during that time (so the caper might be hiding among these musicians):
KING DIAMOND, TROUBLE, C.J.S.S, WRETCH, VIO-LENCE, FLOTSAM & JETSAM, TESTAMENT, DAVID T.CHASTAIN, ARCH RIVAL, OVERKILL, SLAYER, ANTHRAX, ZOETROPE, HEATHEN, MEGADETH, WARLOCK, SANCTUARY, VOIVOD, CRUMBSUCKERS, D.R.I., METAL CHURCH, SACRED REICH etc. The list goes on and on…
*Original “Hell on Wheels” stub. Click to enlarge
Take another good look at “the Wheel” pic above and see if you can find where the center of the wheel came from. I just happened to notice this after 20 years. I did not remember it being there at the time. I will give you a hint —it pre-dates the 1987 “Hell on Wheels” Tour (which featured a young HELLOWEEN, GRIM REAPER and ARMORED SAINT).
Taken From a HELLOWEEN advert from the 80's
Quite suggestive I know, but I guess times were much different then and everyone wasn’t so outrageously politically correct. Tipper Gore and her cast of idiots over at the P.M.R.C. were putting up a “stink” about Metal Music in general and the above graphic artwork seemed pretty “playful” back when.
Thank God for Dee Snider and Frank Zappa for stepping up and speaking out against these conservative “political gangstas”. Good job fellas!
Pic from their official MySpage page
Thank you Bogart’s, staff, bands and Booking Agents for hosting so many great shows! You may not be the spiffiest of venues around to see live entertainment but you sure rocked my 80′s Metal World!
_
Linkage
DIO (R.I.P.) – Reflections on a Metal Legend
Ronald James Padavona
Ronnie James DIO
(R.I.P.)
1942 – 2010
Reflections on A Metal Legend
Well, if you have not heard the sad news yet, yes our dear friend Ronnie James Dio (aka’ Ronald James Padavona) passed away this morning. Ronnie, who was a true Metal Trooper and music icon, lost his battle with cancer at age 67. All of us at Demolish Magazine want to send our heart-felt condolences to Wendy Dio and all of Ronnie James Dio’s family.
Upon awakening and reading the bad news from my email in box, my heart skipped a beat and I jumped up and immediately started frantically searching all over the internet to confirm that it wasn’t so! I have felt rather “blue” all day long when it was definitely confirmed that we did indeed lose our beloved hero.
Dio was blessed with one of Metals most distinctive voices and was one of the greatest dynamic stage performers I ever saw. I have been a Metal fan all of my life and I truly respect what Ronnie shared with us (all of his dedicated fans worldwide).
It’s really hard to put into words how hard this hit me and how much this stings. It is strange and yet so hard to watch your heroes die. One of my best Metalhead buddies and Metal Odyssey Blog owner said it best HERE with his most eloquent & heartfelt post today.
I am sure there will be many retrospectives and all sorts of articles in the coming hours and days but I feel the need to throw in my perspective. I am not really sure to begin but I just wanted to post my thoughts and reflections about his well-respected career and what DIO meant to me.
So what is the international hand “sign” or #1 pose/ gesture for every Metal fan in the world, in any local on the planet? Hint: \m/ <– and what in the world does that stand for?
Well, if you have to ask then forget it, since you have obviously been living under a rock and or have failed miserably to listen to something other than Burl Ives, Bing Crosby, Lawrence Welk, Kenny G and or Michael Bolton & Barry Manilow. Nothing wrong with those fine folks but we’re talking METAL here and who fronted the biggest, baddest, heaviest “Metal” band of all time? The one and only Ronnie James Dio that’s who and that band is BLACK SABBATH (otherwise known in more recent times as HEAVEN & HELL).
What an excellent release!
Although Ronnie did not invent the “Metal-Horns” as some like to call it, he did help to popularize it throughout the years by flashing it on stage and in hundreds of photo shoots. Ronnie said he actually learned it from his Italian grandmother and was used to ward off evil or bad luck (pronounced malocchio or maloik by most Metal fans).
Whatever its origins, it continues to live on in the legacy of all Metal bands worldwide since the 80′s (regardless of specific genre or locale) and I am giving full credit to sir Dio for this cultural phenomenon!
Ronnie started out professionally in 1967 (about the time I was born) singing in a band called ELF and after releasing three albums and a few years later having impressed Ritchie Blackmore countless times on the road (while opening for the mighty DEEP PURPLE), Dio ended up fronting some of the most legendary rock bands of all time.
First with RAINBOW (a wildly successful Deep Purple -Ritchie Blackmore offshoot), then with the legendary second coming of BLACK SABBATH and ultimately his solo career and band with his (last) namesake – DIO.
And then finally with the most excellent HEAVEN & HELL group, which featured original Sabbath members Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler plus his long time drummer in his solo band Vinnie Appice.
What a stellar lineup!
Appice, Dio, Butler & Iommi
No matter what group or band Dio fronted, he was able to bring his own unique voice to the forefront and really add that extra something to make it sparkle. In reality, Dio was a rather short fellow, but he sure made up for that with such a powerful throat and onstage presence didn’t he!
Wow, I am so thankful that I was able to see him live in concert several times. The first time was on the début “Holy Diver” era + tour. I was a pimply faced freshman in High School rockin’ my cassette copy of the stellar Holy Diver release in 1983! Man, that LP was just great as DIO was on fire as he injected so many catchy melodies with the classic Metal riffage of a young axe-slinger known as Vivian Campbell. Team that with veteran bassist Jimmy Bain and drummer Vinnie Appice and you have quite the power- house lineup.
Ronnie and Jimmy played keyboards (which is something I like in my music) in the studio, but later Claude Schnell was added to perform keys for their live shows. Sadly, if I recall correctly, Claude was either hidden and or off to the side in the dark. Perhaps he was just chillin’ back by “Murray” (their evil mascot) on the large stage backdrop tapestry.
Live pic © R.Galbraith
*I also remember watching early videos on MTV for “Holy Diver” & “Rainbow in the Dark”. They didn’t know quite what to do for a video, but you have to give them credit for trying something and getting it out there.
My second DIO live show extravaganza came with their excellent “The Last in Line” LP and later tour. This time they had a bit more p.a. equipment (i.e. speakers, amplifiers, pyro etc.) + an excellent lighting rig complete with some of the earliest lasers available! They opened the show with the uptempo “We Rock” and boy did they ever. My young ears (now a Sophomore in High School) were bleeding but lovin’ every minute of it.
One of the best $10 I ever spent!
Live pic © R.Galbraith
Other standouts included the title track The Last in Line and “Egypt (The Chains Are On)”. The show highlighted drummer Vinnie Appice who turned in a notable solo, while playing 360 degrees around his massive kit and bangin’ those four large (Japanese Taiko drum-like) Ludwig toms!
“It was a good time to be in that band. It was perfect for us. Everything just fell into place. The ethic in rehearsal was amazing. The effort in the recording was just as good. Everybody wanted it to be great. We really believed in what we were doing and couldn’t wait to get that product out and have people hear it.” - Ronnie James Dio
Then it was Vivian’s turn to rip it up with his blistering guitar solo. This displayed his creative playing and excellent technique.
Vivian Campbell + DIO live Pic© Bartolomy
DIO pic ©Curt King
Third times a charm right? Correct. The third time I got to see the master of dragons and rainbows was in Nashville, TN. in 1988 with Savatage and Megadeth opening the show.
Those are two powerful acts to follow, but even though I love both of them, by the time DIO was into his second or third song, I forgot all about them! This time around the band featured new guitarist Craig Goldy (ex-Rough Cutt/Giuffria).
Even though Dio put out another six albums, this would mark the last time I got to see perform live in concert. Sadly, this will be the last time forever…thank you Ronnie for giving my life so much joy listening to your music and watching you do your magic! I will continue to listen to your music until I perish.
_
“RIP RJD. Horns at half mast. Such a huge loss” – Anthrax’s Scott Ian
Live pic © R.Galbraith
“We are filled with great sadness at the terrible news about our friend Ronnie James Dio – our condolences and love go to Wendy and Ronnie’s family – Ronnie was a wonderful man and will be sorely missed.” – JUDAS PRIEST
_
LINKS
Wendy and Ronnie Pic©Blabbermouth.net
Official original notification to Blabbermouth Media (from his wife Wendy)
METALLICA Drummer’s Letter To RONNIE JAMES DIO
Rockers Offer Their Thoughts On DIO (LOUD REVIEWS)
Tony Iommi on Dio with recent Eddie Trunk Interview
David Felix (ROCK EYES) 2006 Interview
HEAVY METAL ADDICTION – Black Sabbath (The DIO Years) Review
Official Ronnie James Dio Facebook Fan Page
The Official "unofficial" last DIO pic on blogs everywhere
Everyone please raise one last “devil horn” in tribute for the man, the myth…the LEGEND!
*If you are into Hard Rock or Metal music then now is a good time to subscribe to our blog. Never miss another post – you can stay up-to-date…or get lost in the 80′s all over again. Your choice -just enter your email addy in the Word Press form (or you can subscribe via our RSS feed as well) – CK
“Climbin’ the Walls” with WRATHCHILD (America)
The Wait is Over…
by Curt King
Love em’ or hate em’, but you cannot deny how hard this band works and how dedicated they are! I love em‘ and have known about them for a couple of years now. Up until then, I had read only a few blurbs here and there in various Metal magazines and always heard they were a killer live act.
These cats have been around for several years with various members and lineup changes, in fact, their current lead singer and bassist Brad Divens even had a brief stint as a member of KIX. For those of you who are not familiar with KIX, they have some rockin’ songs but they are more of a basic hard rock band with melodic songs. Wrathchild however, are much more intense and have a different attitude altogether.
Jay Abbene (Guitars/BG vox), Terry Carter (Guitars/BG vox) and their ace —”wild man” drummer Shannon Larkin round out their present lineup. Are you one of those who thinks Tommy Lee is a powerful + a great show man? Just wait until you see Shannon perform live on the skins!
Early Wrathchild promo (pic ©)
Some of you may be thinking to yourself (after a quick glance at the above photo), “this doesn’t look like the glam band from the UK”, well, your correct —it’s NOT! This Wrathchild is from the good ole’ U.S.A. (Maryland to be exact) and are in no-way-shape-or-form related to those characters from England (except of course for the obvious -the name).
Wrathchild plays a widespread type of music that jumps back and forth from being heavy, to fast, to slow, to melodic, to…well, I don’t even know what you would call it —other than good!
The band hinted at success a few years back with their 1983-84′ “Danger-us“ demo tape. It rocked, but sadly they were not able to capture the power and intensity of their live show within’ those four original tracks. Don’t get me wrong, songs like “Heartache Queen”, the twin guitar attack of “Metal Madness” and the AC/DC influenced “Roll the Dice” (and the title track “Danger-us”) certainly jams hard, but they lack the originality of their newer material.
You can also detect a definite 70′s influenced guitar sound on that demo but this is now coupled with a heavier sound ala’ early Priest or Maiden. So yes, obviously (if you have to be influenced by someone) then those are some great musical influences to have! In some of the smaller clubs they require you to play some covers, so the band usually does a short set of cover tunes and a full-set of their originals at their live shows.
They have a track called “Armed to Deliver” featured on last years L’Amour Rocks 87′ compilation album, which showcased eight up n’ coming young bands.
I am sure Wrathchild was included mainly due to the strength of their live shows, which has taken them all over the U.S. and especially the Midwest (including the Baltimore rock scene where they a very popular).
These East Coast natives are easily the standout band and their special blend of power + Metal should help them rise above all the “wanna-be’s” out there on the club circuit these days.
*check out this relic for some band history.
OK, let’s dig in a little bit deeper and see what makes this band tic as Curt King has a chat with front man Brad Divens to get the run down of their struggle to the top.
Curt King: I understand that you guys have been at it for a while, exactly how long have you been slugging it out and has it been hard sticking with it over the years?
Brad Divens: “We’ve been together for five years as we are now. Terry and Shannon started the band a long, long time ago when they were in high school. It’s basically been like this for the last five years. It’s been rough at times. Not really rough as far as sticking together, but with just all the financial problems and playing constantly with all the ups and downs.”
Terry Carter -pic ©Curt King
You were a five piece unit at one time, what happened to your bassist?
Brad: “We were a five piece unit for like three and a half, almost four years and then our bass player (Kevin Keller - ed) seemed like he lost a little interest. The songs we were writing just didn’t have any feel. He was writing everything and we were just learning it. We didn’t like that too much, so we parted ways with him.”
Jay!
Brad: “I’ve always played guitar -for about sixteen years (as previously mentioned above, he had a brief stint with KIX during this time before he joined Wrathchild – ed). When he left, instead of hiring somebody else and trying to find the right person, I just said, “hell, I’ll do it”. If you can play guitar then you can play bass.”
Which instrument do you like to play the best then?
Brad: “Oh, I don’t know, that’s a tough one. Actually, I play guitar at home all the time. I like playing guitar a lot! Terry and Jay are a lot better than me though. When we first started out, we had three guitars believe it or not. We all switched off leads and stuff, it was pretty cool.”
You guys have been constantly touring and promoting the band for the past few years, can you tell us about some of this touring, you know -where have you been, who have you played with etc.
Brad: “We’ve played constantly for five years. We’ve been out to L.A. and back twice. We’ve also played Ohio, Texas, Arizona, Oklahoma, Colorado, North Carolina, South Carolina, Mississippi, Louisiana…just everyplace! And we’ve gotten a good response everywhere.”
-
“We’ve played constantly for five years and we’ve gotten a good response everywhere.” – Brad Divens
There is a cool local place here called Kramer’s Lake that I should hook you guys up with. It’s actually an amusement park/lake during the day and by the time Sunday evening rolls around each week, they have live bands out there.
Some of the bands are really great (like Buster Brown or New York) and play originals, although most bands just play cover tunes. But it’s a fun time and I know someone in the family that runs it, so I will try to hook it up for you through your manager (Chip over at James Turner Productions).
One of the best drummers I've seen live - CK pic©
Brad: “When we go out on the road we hit the same clubs and always try to play new clubs if it is financially possibly. A lot of the places, for the first time, don’t like to play very much and we’d have to see if it is worthwhile to go out of our way to play the place.”
Jay Abbene (Pic Chris Metz © Demolish Mag)
Where is your biggest following at?
Brad: “We’re the most popular in the Baltimore/Washington area, along with Cincinnati, Ohio. We did exceptionally well in L.A.”
Who are some of the many bands that you have played shows with thus far? Any national acts? I heard the show in Baltimore with Twisted Sister impressed them enough to result in another show – this time at the infamous Brooklyn, NY Metal Club L’Amour’s.
Brad: “We’ve played with Accept, Saxon, The Ramones, Anvil, Ace Frehley’s Comet, Foghat and yes Twisted Sister at L’Amour.”
Your live show features a variety of of songs, ranging from the Sex Pistols, to Metallica, to Bad Brains, to Pink Floyd (not to mention a whole sh**-load of originals – ed) are you, as a band, influenced by any Punk or Hardcore type of music or do you even like it?
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“We are influenced by everything basically” – Brad Divens
Isn’t it true that certain members of the band have other side-projects that’s along the lines of Hardcore?
Brad: “Yeah, Kiddie Porn. That’s Shannon’s little project. That was basically done for fun. They did a tape and sold a bunch of copies of that. Jay also plays with him, along with a bassist named “Tumor”. I don’t what’s gonna’ happen with them though, they might go back in the studio and record some more songs just for the hell of it. Shannon likes playing Hardcore and Punk so much that it’s good for him to get that out of his system! The lyrics are also too sick and demented for Wrathchild (laughs Brad).”
Terry Carter (Pic Chris Metz © Demolish Mag)
Brad: “Some of us are influenced by Punk + Hardcore. Jay are Shannon are and I like some of it too. I personally don’t like a lot of the Hardcore stuff, but I like Punk music. We are influenced by everything basically.”
Didn’t Shannon even try out for the mighty Slayer once when they lost Dave Lombardo for a while?
Brad: “Yeah, he did try out for Slayer. He wasn’t unhappy with Wrathchild or anything, it was just that Slayer is his favorite band! We all encouraged him to do it. We said “yeah, go do it, and if/when they offer you the job, we’ll come and talk you out of it.”
I heard that he did pretty damn good and came close to getting the job?!
Brad: “He was definitely one of the likely candidates!”
Jay and Shannon tearin' it up live!
Neck-crackin' at Kramer's! 1988
You guys recorded your second four song demo in 87′, can you please tell us about those songs and what kind of reaction it stirred -if any?
Brad: “We got a bunch of write-ups and stories in magazines. That demo also got us the deal with Atlantic Records. The songs on the demo consisted of:“Climbing the Walls”, which deals with what all happened to us on one road trip. I mean everything happened to us, from not being able to get motel rooms to getting stopped by the police, to getting screwed over on money! “Day of Thunder”, deals with war -any kind of war. “Candy from A Madman” (my favorite – ed) is about an insane person out in the streets. The kind of freak that molest little girls and stuff. Don’t take candy little girls (laughs)! “Hell’s Gates” is about what actually happens when you go to hell…if there is a hell. That’s one of my personal favorites. We have some other songs like “Armed to Deliver”, “No Deposit, No Return”, “Wasted by the Night”, “London After Midnight”, “Hernia”, which is an instrumental. Also “Silent Darkness (Smothered Life)” and “Danger-us”.
“Our style has changed because now it’s a mixture of everybody’s influence as compared to just one person writing the whole song -lyrics and all!”
You do seem to have a pretty widely varied sound/style that appeals to a variety of people.
Brad: “You can’t really pin point our style. You’ll hear us doing something and you’ll think it’s Heavy Metal or Thrash and then we’ll break into some off-the-wall shit -Blues or Jazz or something! You don’t know what style.”
You’ve recorded your début album and I have received a pre-release of it and it’s great! How was it to work in the studio and do you feel that when this is released that it will finally give you the recognition you so rightfully deserve?
Brad: “We will definitely start getting, at least, a little respect. Respect and two cases of beer instead of one. And hot dogs (laughs)! When we first started talking to Atlantic they told us to pick out some producers we wanted. We talked to Michael (Wagener -ed) and sent him a tape and everything. We flew him out to see the band and he loved us! I mean, he definitely wanted to work with the band. It was great.”
I’m more-than-sure that you are familiar with the Glam band from the UK that also uses the name Wrathchild?! What do you think about them and who has the rights to the name?
Brad: “They suck! I’m pretty sure we have the rights to the name. Anyway, they changed their name to: Wrathchild UK, so we don’t have anything to worry about now. I don’t think they have ever came over and here and I am sure we’ll be able to go over there to play. We’ll do anything to avoid confusion with them, even if we have to say U.S. Wrathchild!”
What’s going through your minds now and what future plans do you have as a band?
Brad: “To get the album out definitely. Then just driving it down peoples throats by playing everywhere possible (to a certain extent), I mean, we wouldn’t tour for two years after our first album. We’ll probably tour for year and go in the studio and do another one. We want to be successful and have our name known everywhere because we definitely want to go to Europe! Hopefully our booking agency will get us on tour. We’re hoping for a band like Iron Maiden, Ozzy or even AC/DC.”
Yeah that would be cool. Any parting last words our Demolish readers and or future Wrathchild fans?
Brad: “That’s about it -so everybody please make sure to buy the album”.
Jay Abbene pic ©Curt King
After many years of touring and hard work, it seems that these rockers are finally about to get their big break. Right now though, they are in the midst of an ongoing legal battle with the UK “Wrathchild” who are fighting them a bit for the rights to use that name. I hope they win too as I like their name and it fits them like a glove. The UK band with the same name are some “sleazy glam boyz” and certainly not up to the same pro-level as our beloved Wrathchild from America.
Wrathchild have everything going for them and I am pretty positive that the time is now for them to take the world by storm. I have predicted this ever since I saw several of their awesome, energy-packed live shows!
*In order to transport you directly back to the 80’s (i.e. 87′ – 89′ to be exact) we will continue to keep the language in the posts “present tense” even though this is 2010.
Call it “shticky” if you must but…I thought this would be way better than always saying “back in the day” or “this is the way it was back when…” over & over & over. -CK
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Band Update
I am happy to report that I was successful in connecting their management with Kramer’s as you can see from the pics above (if you actually read the captions) and they indeed played Kramer’s several times. They were able to get in by agreeing to do a set of cover tunes. Some of which can be heard here. So all of you E’ville peeps out there now know who you can thank for all of those great times!
*Well, I cannot take all the credit, as we have to give special thanks to Daphne’s mom as well for taking a “chance” with the (then unknown) band. Those pictures were taken in the spring of 1988 on March 20th.
They were so successful that they branched out and were booked to play other gigs in the Tri-State area including Funky’s.
Enjoy a few more pics…
Brad Divens - Kramer's Lake 88' pic ©Curt King
Jay Abbene (red light man) pic ©Curt King
When I met up with the rest of the band, I had them fill out the famous “Demolish Asks” questionnaire. These are some of the earliest known copies of these documents as well! I asked the band what their Top 5 current albums were and what do you think makes a good song?
*click on each for a larger view
Terry
Brad
Jay
Shannon
Well, I am not happy to report that the band or label ended up delaying the release of their début LP “Climbin’ the Walls” almost 2 years later —in the first part of 1989! They were also either forced to (or willingly) added the silly “America” to their name to avoid further confusion with the UK band. This was all fine and dandy but I think it surely let the steam out their sails a bit and in the process maybe killed the “buzz” they had managed to create to date. Couple that with the changing times in the music industry and a lackluster job by Atlantic Records at promoting these rising stars and that translated into average sales and further complicated matters. That’s a damn shame too, as this is a gem of a band AND album and they deserved better.
I don’t think the label knew what to do with them. They do not fit nicely into one classification that’s for sure. Some journalists tried to lump them into the widely popular Thrash Metal genre, but while they did show some rather fast + heavy moments (that resembled “straight up” Thrash), they were much more melodic than that. They also were able to add in the “catchi-ness” of older Heavy Metal and even some blues and jazzy parts. Maybe even some heavy waltz parts here in there right in the middle of their songs!
Best of all these seasoned musicians were able to put on a show and did not just stand there head bangin’ like most Metal bands of the day. Plus their drummer —Shannon Larkin, out “head-banged” nearly every Bay Area band from BEHIND the drum kit! This is no lie. He must have a rubber neck.
Check out the cool video the band made to promote the album. I did see this on “Headbanger’s Ball” a lot!
At the end of the day, I think most people did not understand them, did not give them a proper chance and or just didn’t “get it” perhaps. Maybe some fans did not gel with their songwriting and or often satirical lyrical output? Most of that was meant to be funny and or tongue n’ cheek, so maybe they too it too “seriously” unfortunately. Let it be said here now: These warriors are pro-caliber musicians and execute live with total precision and authority.
If you call yourself a fan of Metal or Hard Rock and you (somehow) missed these guys the first time around, then please redeem yourself by going here and getting the “Climbin’ the Walls” CD. It still holds up today and I have listened to it several times while writing this post.
Track Listing:
1. Climbin’ The Walls
2. Hell’s Gates
3. No Deposit, No Return
4. Hernia
5. London After Midnight
6. Candy From A Madman
7. Silent Darkness (Smothered Life)
8. Time
9. Day Of The Thunder
©1989 Atlantic
*The band ended up co-producing the LP with Mark Dearnly (& David Radin).
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Phase II
After a rather un-momentous first experience with Atlantic Records and their major label début, WRATHCHILD carried-on (as they usually do) and shrugged off the negative vibes and kept on rockin’, show after show, song after song. I am not sure if they were ever able to meet up with the “UK Wrathchild” (that caused them so much grief) and kick their asses!
Either way, the boys went back into the studio and recorded another great twelve track album simply called “3-D”. This time around, which was another two years later (i.e. 1991), things were even more awry in the music industry. The Power Metal and or Thrash Metal scene was starting to implode on itself and the 80′s left-coast “Hair-Metal” scene was starting to dry up as well. I mean, how many more “power ballads” could we take?
Check out their second promo video for the song: “Surrounded by Idiots”
Excuses and or “bad-timing” aside, this albums rocks from start to finish! This album is much more varied and complex vs their début. The power + “catchi-ness” is still there and the sound quality is better as well. Songs like “Desert Grins” and “Surrounded by Idiots” just ooze with clever songwriting and skill!Perhaps this song sums it up best:
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Surrounded By Idiots
All through my life every day’s the same
And they tell me I’m losing again
I can talk until I’m blue in the face
But can you tell me who’s the one to blame
And what are you gonna do when we get old
And we’re tired of doing what we’re told
Because the government’s broke and we’re out-of-place
In a country that’s already been sold
I don’t know what to think
But I know what I see
I think I’ll have another drink
You wanna join me?
I can’t make sense out of any of this
The more I try, the more I get pissed
This confusion that I can’t erase
Can’t seem to crawl out of the abyss
Desperate groupie making a pass
The little slut didn’t just want my ass
She said, “I wanna be cool and have a rock star’s kid”
But will the novelty of the bastard last?
I don’t know what to think
But I know what I see
I think I’ll have another drink
Wanna join me?
Surrounded, Surrounded, Surrounded
Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right
(Here I am) Surrounded, I’m surrounded, surrounded
Surrounded by idiots
The TV gods and the Jesus freaks and the flag burners
And the rapists, and the murderers, would you check out
All the geeks…I can’t believe what walks the streets
From Hollywood to D.C.
You banned little red riding hood
censored mister Rogers’ neighborhood
I go to jail if they find a seed
But meanwhile the mayor runs free
Now I know what I think
And I know what I see
I say everything sucks
You agree!
Surrounded, Surrounded, Surrounded
Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right
(Here I am) Surrounded, I’m surrounded, surrounded
Surrounded by idiots!
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3-D Track Listing:
1. 3-D Man
2. Spy
3. Gentleman Death
4. Forever Alone
5. Draintime
6. Surrounded By Idiots
7. Desert Grins
8. What’s Your Pleasure?
9. Prego
10. Another Nameless Face
11. 11
12. I Ain’t Drunk, I’m Just Drinkin’
©1991 Atlantic
Check out a rare interview + the rare “Spy” promo VHS clip.
Check out this MAJOR blast from the past here:
Rewind the tape back to 1984: CBS News began a pre-production for a new prime time series. The show, in the format similar to 60 Minutes, will eventually be titled “West 57th”. Producer Craig Leake decided to film a segment based on the struggles of a young touring act trying to break out of the night club “death march”. After reviewing several bands, from upstate New York to Washington D.C., Mr. Leake picked Wrathchild.
Phase III
Sometime after the band was dropped from Atlantic Records, they decided to retire the Wrathchild America name and continued to make even HEAVIER music. This time around they were called SOULS AT ZERO. I will be the first to admit that their output during these years was pretty decent as well, but there was just something “missing” that I cannot put my finger on as to why they could not make it and or move up the ranks if-you-will.
I think the band was (rightfully) pissed-off and wanted to make aggressive music that definitely could be considered Thrash Metal this time around. The band still added their signature quirkiness though and were like dynamite live as well. I only got to see them one time under the SOULS AT ZERO name unfortunately. It was at some “Hall” on Fulton Ave. in Evansville (I cannot remember the name – and it’s since been demolished).
So there we have it, yet another amazing band that was never able to rise above cult status over the years.
*Shannon Larkin left the band in 1994 to fill the drum seat in Ugly Kid Joe.
Souls at Zero Releases:
Souls At Zero (Energy) 1993
Souls at Zero – six-t-six (Energy) 1994
Souls At Zero – Taste of the Perverse (Energy) 1995
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*Shannon Larkin is now the drummer in Godsmack and has played for or toured with M.F. Pitbulls, Amen, Ugly Kid Joe, Kiddie Porn, Black Sabbath, Another Animal and Glenn Tipton among others.
*Terry Carter – A.K.A. “T-Bone” has since moved on to playing in country and blues bands and just about any other form of music that puts him on a stage in front of a crowd. For a short time he toured with Fear Of God but now resides in Florida.
*Brad Divens is now a successful producer /promoter/sound engineer working with such bands as Mindset and Linkin Park, Cyndi Lauper and Slayer.
*Jay Abbene was in Kiddie Porn with Shannon. He’s toured with Fear Of God and Crowbar.
*according to their Souls at Zero (fan page).
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Collage Curt King/Demolish Mag.
Collage Curt King/Demolish Mag.
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Links of Interest
Wrathchild:
*there are some cool photos on here
Souls At Zero:
But their music on Amazon
Demolish Posts Top Metal Adverts from 1980-1990!
by Kinger
I know first-hand how much all of you crazy Metalheads like to read or compile “Best Of” album lists and how you like to look at special collections, rare Metal memorabilia or relics from the hey days of Metal. So I thought I would put together an eclectic selection of advertisements (or adverts as they say in the UK) from 1980 through 1990 (with a few thrown in from 91′, which were mostly recorded or released at the tail-end of the 80′s).
It’s interesting to look back at how the graphics have changed and also the marketing “tactics”, which was something I was unaware of when I started “testing the Metal waters.” I was really just into the graphics or artwork (who wasn’t right -ed) and if it looked cool and or slightly “outer-fringe” then it was probably decent (in my innocent mind). Up to this point, I really did not pay any special attention to the silly record label wording in the ads and or what label it was released on. That did not concern me in the least, as long as I had my Heavy Metal I was fine!
Looking back, I was like a musical sponge, soaking up anything and everything I could get my hands on and magazine advertisements were one of the main ways to find out about new bands or releases back when. Remember kiddos (for those of you who weren’t even born yet) there was no such thing as the internet and there were not many radio stations that actually played Heavy Metal music or even “heavier” bands (like Slayer, Metallica, Kreator, OverKill etc.). In my experience, the only stations that I could tune into that played such music were local college radio stations!
MTV’s “Headbanger’s Ball” was something that was just starting as well and besides, it was only aired ONCE per week. Can you image having to wait an entire week to hear new stuff? Hey, we were happy as hell to even have that and I can remember many times that we made that special night into an event! We either had the VCR set to timer-record the show and or we made a mad dash back home when it was about to come on!
You had to have some “Metal patience” back then folks. And that is where the mighty album artwork and liner notes came into HEAVY play as well. That gave you something to think (or dream) about during the “down-time” and or while you were actually listening to the music.
My fondest “dreamer” moment was opening up the first KISS Alive album or Alive II and folding that baby out and voila’, a huge panoramic photo of inside a concert arena! Wow, I was hooked and I sooo wanted to be inside that scene! I literally sat there and imagined what it was like to be there while jamming on the record. You could sense the excitement as the lights were about ready to dim! The only thing that was left out of my imaginary scenario was the smell of the special “left-handed” cigarettes wafting about that some (who are we kidding here – MOST of the -ed) fans rolled themselves!
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*click to play and step inside the arena
One of the best "live" albums ever?
So without going into a full-on rant about “how it was back in the Metal 80′s” (I will save that one for later), I will however, slam on the breaks and shut it down…so you can at least enjoy these hand-selected Metal/Hard Rock adverts.
BTW these are not arranged in any special order or anything for all of you anal Metalheads or O.C.D. candidates!
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METAL Advert Gallery
*To experience the photo gallery/carousel, just click an image below. You can then navigate between photos using the left and right arrow keys, or by clicking or tapping the arrows on the left and right. When you’re done, click anywhere in the background or press the Esc key on your keyboard to return to the thumbnails.
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*OK, so which one(s) are your favorite?
You gotta’ love the early Judas Priest ad from 1980! It says “Can You Take 12″ of British Steel”!! Ha ha, Mr. Halford must have had something to do with that one.
Coming in at a close second is the silly Krokus ad for their Hardware LP. It reads: “It drills, it bites, it hammers, it cuts through anything”. Now that is really bad! I hope those morons weren’t paid too much who came up with that bit of sheer brilliance. I used to jam on “Burning Bones” and “Rock City” when the band was into being an AC/DC clone.
Love the “Good friendly, violent Fun” quote for the live Exodus release. Classic!
New York’s Mongel Horde Records announce in their ad that the “devastation of planet earth” was coming with “the formation of their record label” that was “dedicated to releasing, bone-crunching records for molten Metalheads all over the Earth”…..priceless! Oh wait there’s more: All “flesh-ripping Metal bands, send your blood-thirsty tapes to us if you want to be included on our Monster Metal Compilation.” It doesn’t get any more 80′s Metal than that peeps!
Keeper of the "7 booties"?
Oh and who could forget the dirty lil’ Helloween ad (above) for the “Keeper of the Seven Key’s Part One”, which showcases a bare-assed cartoon hottie who is about to “pounce” on a pumpkin/stem of all things! You will NEVER ever see tongue n’ cheek (pun-intended -ed) ads like that ever again folks. The world is far too politically correct today.
Honors for worst ad?
This would have to go to Pretty Maids with their cheeseball “bald-head” ad. It’s main headline is: “Pretty Maids are after your head”. And the text spiel reads: “Pretty Maids have put a buzz in the metal underworld. They thrashed Europe with their first albums and left thousands of bodies strewn about SRO concert stages.” Oh boy, where to start with this one. So when did Pretty Maids become “thrash-metal” anyway? “Bodies strewn about”…bad, bad, bad! I am sure it was the label who cam up with this garbage anyway. I bought their decent “Red Hot And Heavy” LP back in 1984.
Runner up goes to Noise International‘s Destruction ad, which reads “Guess who’s back?, Destruction is back, Cracked Brain is Here.” And then it has this text: “Turn the volume to 11 for this one” (how original -ed) wrapped-around a pair of mini headphones!
Tyketto’s “It don’t come any better” slogan and “Town Bad Girl” title by Legs Diamond is pretty lame-o too.
Most “desperate” Ad:
Goes to the “Let the MEGAFORCE be with you” (Deeper into the Vault) by Megaforce Worldwide. Who could pass up on: “14 rare and unreleased tracks in a classic collectors deluxe package. Unique & Essential”??? I wonder how much this is worth now? Props to Megaforce for their earlier output with Metallica, Testament, OverKill & S.O.D!
Best Artwork:
Hands down the Megadeth “Rust in Peace” (by Ed Repka) and the Suicidal Tendencies “Join the Army” (by Michael Sieff) covers are amazing!
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I hope you enjoyed this latest trip down memory lane and at least got a kick out of a couple of these ads! Disclaimer: Even though I rip on album covers, song titles, lyrics and sometimes cheesy Metal band names, I am still a life-long fan of Metal music – Kinger
Special thanks to Brian Lew over at the Umlaut Blog. And Hugo Caldeira at My Gallery of Rock & Metal blog for a couple of scans.
*Don’t forget to pass along these gems to your friends (and you can also support us by donating or subscribing via RSS).
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Kinger (ex-SLEEPY TRIP, KURU-AMA drummer), Demolish Mag. Editor/Owner/Publisher etc.
