All photo credits (except for album cover): Stone/Metal Odyssey
Back on May 7th of this year, I went to see the mighty BATTLECROSS at Oddbody’s Music Room in Dayton, Ohio. This venue plays host to many, many national, worldwide and local Metal bands. On this night Metal legends Suffocation and Soulfly were the headliners; with Abnormality and Lody Kong also as opening acts. I went solo to this night of amazing Metal mayhem and I also stayed in the pit for the entire BATTLECROSS set. Yes, I’m crazy at age 50. I did get pushed around pretty damn good too and I stuck it through.
BATTLECROSS are touring in support of their 3rd killer studio album: Rise To Power.
The next day my body felt like crap from the physical punishment it endured from being in the pit for both BATTLECROSS and Abnormality. I wouldn’t have changed a thing I did and that’s the way Metal is supposed to be if you want to be a human target in the pit. BATTLECROSS played an amazing set of songs and had their packed house of fans going crazy. Lead singer Kyle Gunther commanded the stage, never-ceasing to jump around for a second. Kyle stalked his fans and gave them their monies worth!
Above: Hiran Deraniyagala – guitarist
The entire BATTLECROSS band is extremely talented at their Metal crafts and are a Modern Thrash Metal band to reckon with. I absolutely enjoyed myself smashing and thrashing around to their Metal! I did (luckily) pause at times to take some photos of BATTLECROSS in action, thanks to a few BIG dudes at the front-line that shielded me from the carnage going on in the pit behind us. BATTLECROSS are from Michigan and are not to be missed if you worship in-your-face, high intensity Thrash Metal. Enjoy these photos I took and thank you for visiting. Metal Be Thy Name – Stone
Above: Alex Bent – drummer
Above: Tony Asta – guitarist
Above: Don Slater – bassist
In closing, Kyle Gunther is an animated, funny, very, very cool dude.
CAN’T STOP THE SHOW: THE RETURN OF KIX – A DOCUMENTARY
TWO-DISC DVD/CD SET TO BE RELEASED OCTOBER 21, 2016
DVD INCLUDES THE MAKING OF ROCK YOUR FACE OFF – KIX’S FIRST NEW MUSIC IN 20 YEARS, INTERVIEWS WITH THE BAND, PRODUCER TAYLOR RHODES, NOTABLE ROCK ARTISTS AND KEY ROCK MUSIC INDUSTRY FIGURES
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NEW YORK, NY (SEPTEMBER – 2016) – Platinum-selling Maryland Hard Rock icons, KIX will release CAN’T STOP THE SHOW: THE RETURN OF KIX, a two-disc DVD/CD set, October 21, 2016 on Loud & Proud Records. The 71-minute film is an in-depth look into KIX’s decision to record their first new album, 2014’s Rock Your Face Off, in almost 20 years.
The DVD – WATCH THE TRAILERHERE or below – also features the making of the album from bassist Mark Schenker’s studio, interviews with the band as well as notable rock artists such as Nuno Bettencourt of Extreme, Lzzy Hale of Halestorm,Jeff LaBar of Cinderella, Share Ross of Vixen, Shannon Larkin of Godsmack, and more, key music industry veterans such as radio personality Eddie Trunk, Don Jamieson of That Metal Showon VH1 Classic as well as Luc Carl and Keith Roth of Sirius/XM. It also includes a rare appearance by producer Taylor Rhodes (Aerosmith, Ozzy Osbourne, KIX’s Hot Wire).
The CD, CAN’T STOP THE SHOW (LIVE)offers never-before-released live KIX tracks recorded over the last three years. A bonus KIX logo sticker is inside the first manufacturing run, a special treat for KIX fans around the world, and each band member offers his own special contribution to the package’s booklet including vocalist Steve Whiteman’s rigorous exercise routine, cartoons by guitarist Brian “Damage” Forsythe, an essay by bassist Mark Schenker, a gear rundown by guitarist Ronnie “10/10” Younkins and a favorite recipe from drummer Jimmy Chalfant, aka “Chef Chocolate.”
“KIX is proud of the band’s legacy, but equally proud of our new chapter,” says Schenker. “We had an opportunity to work with some great film makers, so we just let the cameras roll everywhere, and had so much fun putting the project together. There was a true outpouring of love and admiration from our fans and our peers after the release of Rock Your Face Off and luckily, we had documented the recording sessions on film. Now we are excited to share the process of making the new album with our loyal fans. KIX thanks everyone involved and hopes everyone loves it as much as we loved making it!”
In 2014, KIX released their seventh full-length album, Rock Your Face Off(Loud & Proud Records) their first studio effort since 1995’s Show Business. The album debuted at #1 on Amazon’s “Hard Rock and Metal “chart, in the Top 50 on Billboard’s “Top 200 Albums” chart, #5 on the “Independent Albums “chart, #11 on the “Top Internet “chart, #17 on the “Top Rock Albums” chart, #27 on the “Indy/Small Chain Core Stores” chart and #33 on the “Physical” chart. It also garnered rave reviews from publications such as Stereogumwho said, “KIX have made an album with all the spirit and joy and craftsmanship that they always brought, an album with a hooks-per-minute ratio enough to grab you even if you never heard of them before reading this review. The band plays with a sense of rhythmic push-pull that reminds you that people used to dance to this stuff, and that they still could, if they were so inclined…Its mere existence is an inspirational thing, and it’s a reminder that sometimes exploring new musical space isn’t the most important thing. Sometimes, songs are the most important thing.”
KIX will be performing select shows for the rest of the year, including a home town release event show in Baltimore, MD at Rams Head Live on September 24. All tour dates can be found on the band’s website HERE. Pre-order CAN’T STOP THE SHOW: THE RETURN OF KIX through Amazon HERE.
CAN’T STOP THE SHOW: THE RETURN OF KIX CD TRACK LISTING:
1. Wheels In Motion (Live)
2. Rock Your Face Off (Live)
3. Cold Shower (Live)
4. Mean Miss Adventure (Live)
5. You’re Gone (Live)
6. Cold Blood (Live)
7. Can’t Stop The Show (Live)
8. Girl Money (Live)
9. Love Me With Your Top Down (Live)
10. Blow My Fuse (Live)
11. Love Pollution (Live at Sirius/XM)
12. Midnite Dynamite (Live at Sirius/XM)
DVD INTERVIEWS:
Eddie Trunk (radio personality)
Taylor Rhodes (producer)
Nuno Bettencourt (Extreme)
Lzzy Hale (Halestorm)
Luc Carl (Sirius/XM)
Keith Roth (Sirius/XM)
Share Ross (Vixen)
Shannon Larkin (Godsmack/Wrathchild America)
Jeff LaBar (Cinderella)
Don Jamieson (Host of That Metal Show on VH1 Classic)
Jaime St James (Black N Blue/Warrant)
Chip Z’Nuff (Enuff Z’Nuff)
Alex Kayne (L’Amour)
Kevin Butler (Hammerjacks)
Steve Kicas (Hammerjacks)
Scott Spelbring (producer)
William Herd (guitars, vocals, keyboards) and Brad Lewellyn on drums are the one-two wallop that comprises Portland Oregon’s BROODING HERD. The heaviness of this band’s new EP, Rewired, should be enjoyed by Metal and Hard Rock fans world-wide! From large hints of Black Sabbath like atmosphere (thanks to the guitar solos, riffs and bass) united with a Clutch feel of pounding rhythm, BROODING HERD are as tight and crisp as the most polished of any major label Heavy Rock bands out there today. I am amazed this is an underground band that recorded this underground album. Seriously. That’s my opinion and I’m not bullshitting for fun here.
The five songs on this EP are: Rewired, Cryptic Verses, Leech, Greed Machine and Crawl. Each song plays out at 6 minutes plus, save for the title track which is 5 plus minutes. BROODING HERD are light years from Extreme Metal and still their Heavy Rock/Metal has plenty of power-packed muscle to leave me saying: Holy Metal Shit! William’s clean vocals are of the bad-ass mold and I honestly can say their unique as all hell. William plays guitar so damn good, there’s nothing else I nor my ears can say. Brad on drums kills it. Greed Machine and Crawl are my 2 favorite songs on this EP; they both flow with a thunderous charge, man.
With some impressive moments of progressiveness and no boring moments to be had, Rewired is as solid a Heavy Rock album I’ve listened to this year. Now go get yourself some at their bandcamp site and buy some real music. Metal Be Thy Name. – Stone
Zombie Rodeo is a Finnish, Helsinki based gritty Fuzz Rock Band. The band is now releasing a brand new EP named Cult Leader, through Inverse Records on November 18th 2016. This time both the music and vocals are much tighter and pronounced, than with the previous releases, with a more heavy, melodic and diverse feeling. Even the band themselves were very positively surprised by the outcome. Now Zombie Rodeo is ready to spread the music and to perform energetic and loud live performances.
Track list:
1. Nameless Rider
2. Silver Medicine
3. Cult Leader
4. Personal Hell
5. Replacement Memories
Discography:
Blind Eye Blues EP (2011)
In Love with the Dead EP (2012)
Día de los Muertos EP (2015)
Cult Leader Single (Inverse Records) (2016)
Cult Leader EP (Inverse Records) (2016)
Line-Up: Thomas Vee – Vocals Miika Partonen – Guitar / Vocals Mika Rissanen – Guitar Mikko Puhakka– Bass Mikko Mustonen – Drums
That’s it above, my MISFITSCrimson Ghost wall clock! Whoa! Not too shabby, huh? I received this very cool MISFITS wall clock as a Christmas present from my family, several years ago. It’s battery operated, made of glass and keeps accurate time too. Dig it.
Since the MISFITS are in the news lately with their twohuge reunion concerts, I decided what better time than now to share this with my fellow Metal Odyssey brethren. Thanks for looking and Metal Be Thy Name.
BREAKING NEWS:Frontiers Music Srl is delighted to welcome the reunion of Tracii Guns And Phil Lewis as L.A. GUNS to the label for the release of a brand new album set for release in the summer of 2017.
After a nearly 15 year break, Philip Lewis and Tracii Guns are back together for another chapter in their partnership that began in 1986, four years after Tracii formed L.A. Guns in 1982.
Their writing partnership spawned classic L.A. GUNS songs such as “Sex Action”, “Never Enough”, “Electric Gypsy”, “The Ballad Of Jayne” and countless more in an impressive catalog of fan favorites. The last time Lewis and Guns joined forces was back in 2000 with legendary producer Andy Johns for the making of what would become “Waking The Dead” – an album that went on to receive tremendous critical acclaim and proved that their musical partnership was every bit as strong as the early days with all-killer-no-filler songs including “Don’t Look At Me That Way”, “Hellraisers Ball” and “The Ballad”.
“I think we owe it to our fans who have stuck with us during the many ups and downs of the band’s long and checkered career,” says Lewis. “Tracii and I have written the songs to the soundtrack of many people’s lives, and I think it’s definitely worth investigating to see if the magic is still there.”
As for Guns, he’s been compiling song ideas over the last year and promises this one will be one of the band’s heaviest records, simply stating, “It’s good to be home.”
The band has already confirmed a bunch of UK shows in early 2017 and two shows at the legendary Whisky A Go-Go in Los Angeles, CA with more surprises to be announced soon!
TOUR DATES US & UK:
March
03. Los Angeles, CA, Whisky A Go Go
04. Los Angeles, CA, Whisky A Go Go
10. Belfast. Limelight2.
11. Phewelli. HRH fest.
12. Swansea. Scene
16. Bristol. Bierkeller.
17. Basingstoke. Stage.
18. Wolverhampton. Civic.
20. Doncaster. Diamond.
22. Sheffield. Academy2.
23. Edinburgh. La Belle Angele.
24. Glasgow. ABC2
25. London. Academy2
French Heavy Metal pioneers NIGHTMARE with brand new line-up will release their new album, Dead Sun on November 25th via AFM Records.
World Premiere of the new video clip + digital single Ikarus will be on Friday, September 23rd at 12:00pm CET.
The album has been arranged in France by the band’s long time friend and producer Patrick Liotard together with Joost Van Den Broek (The Gentle Storm, Epica), produced and mixed by Joost Van Den Broek at Sandlane Studios in The Netherlands and recorded at Noise Factory Studio in Belgium with Gerald Jans behind the desk.
Cover artwork of Dead Sun was created by Julien Spreutels (Epysode).
Dead Sun – Track List:
01. Infected
02. Of Sleepless mind
03. Tangled In The Roots
04. Red Marble & Gold
05. Ikarus
06. Indifference
07. Dead Sun
08. Seeds Of Agony
09. Inner Sanctum
10. Serpentine
11. Starry Skies Gone Black
The new NIGHTMARE band made its live debut with new singer Maggy Luyten and new drummer Olivier Casula on June 19th 2016 at Hellfest in France, on July 29th at Metaldays in Slovenia and on August 19th at the Sabaton Open Air in Sweden. Next show will be at FEMME Metal Female Event on Sunday September 25th in Eindhoven (The Netherlands).
To celebrate the album release, the band will be preparing a special night and “release party show” in their hometown of Grenoble (France) at La Belle Electrique on November 25th 2016.
If you are a band or musician and would like your music reviewed or be interviewed by Stone, please click the link under the "ALBUM REVIEW" section below.
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