Platinum selling legendary LA rockers ANGELES have just released their new full-length album “Running like an Outlaw“, available now worldwide via MVD Entertainment and SONY Music and is now available at Walmart, FYE, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and all Digital Streaming retailers. And the band just hit #42 on the Billboard Radio Charts.
The band’s latest video ‘Nothing But Love’ from the album hit #42 on the Billboard Radio Charts. In case you missed the video, watch it here: https://youtu.be/si4LtV17bWY
“Running like an Outlaw“ track-listing and the song credits: 1. All Night – Dale Lytle/ Mason Oliver 2. Nothing But Love – Dale Lytle/ Mason Oliver 3. Running Like An Outlaw – Dale Lytle/ Mason Oliver 4. Creatures Of The Night – Dale Lytle/ Mason Oliver 5. Lords Of Thunder – Dale Lytle/ Mason Oliver 6. Witch Hunter – Dale Lytle/ Allan Curtis 7. Magic Touch – Dale Lytle/ Louis Collins 8. She’s On Fire – Dale Lytle/ John Aquino
“Running like an Outlaw“ album produced by Dale Lytle.
ANGELES are: DALELYTLE – Founder and Lead Guitar MASON OLIVER – Vocals STEVENSTIERS – Bass Guitar and backing vocals DANNY BASULTO – Drums
ANGELES’ next 2022 shows: May 21st at Sharkys June 11th at Whiskey Dick’ s
Heavy Metal pioneers ANVIL have announced the release of a brand new studio album, entitled ImpactIsImminent, due out on May 20, 2022 via AFM Records!
The Canadian trio belongs to one of the most distinctive bands of their genre, often cited as having influenced notable metal acts such as Slayer, MEGADETH, Metallica and Anthrax. After 40 years in the music industry, touring the world in sold-out venues, and garnering critically acclaim for Anvil! TheStory Of Anvil – the number 1 music documentary of every metalhead – the iconic band returns with their nineteenth album.
On ImpactIsImminent, ANVIL fires off merciless riff attacks, relentlessly driving drums and impressive bass grooves, complemented by vocal melodies and lyrics that inevitably drill themselves into the listener’s aural tract. As always, Kudlow and founding member and drummer Robb Reiner, are at the epicentre of this heavy metal extravaganza. For the past eight years, they have been supported by bassist Chris Robertson, who not only complements the ANVIL fold on a personal level, but also enhances the tracks with his powerful low frequency bass parts and backing vocals.
Today, ANVIL shared a first single alongside a music video for the full pedal-to-the-metal anthem ‘Ghost Shadow’! Says charismatic frontman Lips: “Ghost Shadow is my 6th sense telling me I’m being watched! Could be internet trolls or paranormal phenomenon! Either way the song is heavy as fuck!!“
“None of our previous albums blends music and lyrics into as tight a unit as ‘Impact Is Imminent’,” enthuses Lips on the fourteen songs on the group’s new album. “Everything comes together homogeneously. As a result, the new material sounds monolithic, right down to the very last details, both in terms of rhythm and harmonies. In the past, our studio sessions were sometimes like a little like jumping in at the deep end, with us having to improvise a lot and making decisions at short notice. Working on ‘Impact Is Imminent’, not only was there plenty of time for the songwriting process in the run-up to the recordings, but I also had the leisure to put all my ideas to the acid test and work on them until they were perfect.”
Like its three predecessors ‘Anvil Is Anvil’ (2016), ‘Pounding The Pavement’ (2018) and ‘Legal At Last’ (2019), ‘Impact Is Imminent’ was produced by Martin ‘Mattes’ Pfeiffer (U.D.O., among others) and Jörg Uken at Uken’s Soundlodge studios, so the successful combination consisting of Anvil/Pfeiffer/Uken has struck again.
The album pre-sale of ImpactIsImminent, available as CD, Vinyl and Digital formats on May 20, 2022, has just started at THIS LOCATION!
Tracklist:
Take A Lesson
Ghost Shadow
Another Gun Fight
Fire Rain
Teabag
Don‘t Look Back
Someone To Hate
Bad Side Of Town
Wizard´s Wand
Lockdown
Explosive Energy
The Rabbit Hole
Shockwave
Gomez
ANVIL: Steve ‘Lips’ Kudlow – Vocals/Guitar Robb Reiner – Drums Chris Robertson – Bass/Vocals
This year’s Monsters of Rock Cruise was captained by none other than Alice Cooper. Due to the size, the amount of guests on the cruise and the size of the room in which Alice would be performing, the cruise decided to split guests into two groups. The red group would see Alice perform on the 12th while the blue group would see him on the 13th. The red group’s show started at 7:30 PM and the crowd packed in quickly.
The stage was hidden by a beautiful curtain that would rise revealing a scaled down, yet still highly decorated, version of Alice’s normal stage set up. The crowd roared as the intro of “Feed My Frankenstein” began. Members of the band walked on stage and began to play. Right after the first strum all sound in the house vanished. Fans began pointing at their ears trying to let the band know we could not here them. The band finished the song and they all exited the stage, Alice leaving with noticeable anger.
Ryan Roxie informed a group of fans, who attended an unannounced Rock N’ Roll Parking Lot (on a boat), what had happened that night. According to Roxie, Alice was the first band to use the curtain on this cruise. As the curtain lifted it pulled the main cable to the PA system out completely. The crew worked hard and fast to figure out the issue and sound was restored within five minutes. Roxie also let fans know that because everyone on stage was wearing a monitor and could hear what they were playing, they did not realize what was going on. It was not until the second verse of the song that they noticed something was wrong. Roxie said they all looked out trying to find the devoted fans and did not understand why everyone was not singing along.
Once the technical difficulty was fixed the show continued without a single problem. Even though the stage and set up were smaller than normal, that did not stop Alice from pulling out all the stops. Props were used as normal including crutches, knives, and canes. During “Billion Dollar Babies” a giant baby paraded on stage meeting Alice’s minions who brought out a giant confetti cannon that shot gold, silver, and green pieces of confetti, as well as fake money with Alice’s face on it into the audience.
The fun continued all through the show as Alice and his gang of ghouls wowed the audience with their fine-tuned sound and silly stage antics. During “Teenage Frankenstein” Alice chased his band around the stage with arms stretched out in frontof him and knees locked like Frankenstein. It did not stop there. As Alice and his band walked back on stage for the famous encore of “School’s Out” one extra musician joined them. Taime Downe of Faster Pussycat came out to sing and enjoy the pleasure of popping many confetti filled balloons over the crowd with one of Alice’s knives.
Alice has been performing for over 50 years and at the ripe age of 74, is still performing with as much heart and soul as he did when he first began. His voice has not changed and everything you have heard about Alice Cooper you get times 10.
There are few rock guitarists on this planet who’ve had such a lasting influence on so many renowned musicians as MICHAEL SCHENKER. With his outstandingly fluid style, inexhaustible wealth of ideas, and instinctive feel for hooks and melodies, MICHAEL SCHENKER is a living legend who, despite his longstanding and distinguished history, still impresses with his unflagging energy and drive.
The blond stringsman from Sarstedt, Germany began his international career in the early 1970s with the Scorpions, achieved worldwide fame after joining British rock group U.F.O., and then seamlessly continued his exceptional global success story under his own name, as well as with acts such as MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP (otherwise known as MSG), Temple Of Rock, and MICHAEL SCHENKER Fest. SCHENKER and his career, which has spanned more than five decades, are absolute exceptions in the otherwise short-lived music industry.
Now his latest MSG album is about to be unleashed, scheduled for release on Atomic Fire Records on May 27th under the programmatic moniker of Universal. His latest offering will feature all the strengths of this exceptional musician: first-rate songs with anthemic melodies, catchy guitar riffs, and inspiring solos.
As we have come to expect from him, SCHENKER has once again enlisted a number of prestigious fellow musicians for the recording of his new studio production, among them, as main vocalist, Ronnie Romero (Rainbow, Vandenberg), who will also be MSG’s frontman on their upcoming tour, Michael Kiske (Helloween), and Ralf Scheepers (Primal Fear), keyboard player Steve Mann (Lionheart), drummers Simon Phillips (Toto, The Who), Brian Tichy (Whitesnake, Foreigner), Bobby Rondinelli (Rainbow), and Bodo Schopf (Eloy), as well as legendary bassists Bob Daisley (Black Sabbath), Barry Sparks (Yngwie Malmsteen, Dokken), and BarendCourbois (Blind Guardian, Zakk Wylde), with Tony Carey as a very special guest. But more about that later.
First, let’s talk about the basic parameters of the new recording: Like its predecessor Immortal (2021) and the MICHAELSCHENKERFest albums Resurrection (2018) and Revelation (2019), Universal was produced by MICHAEL SCHENKER and Michael Voss (Lessmann/Voss, Mad Max) at Voss’s Kidroom Studio, which has become something of a creative home-away-from-home for SCHENKER. “Michael Voss is happy to wait until I have worked out an idea and takes the time to really get to know the song, simultaneously developing ideas for the vocals,” SCHENKER describes of the fruitful collaboration which has one cog intermesh with the other. “Then we work out the drums, bass, and some keyboard parts together. He always has plenty of great ideas up his sleeve.” Compositional highlights abound on Universal, from the haunting opener “Emergency” and the subsequent “Under Attack” with its casually driving groove to “The Universe,” featuring an atmospheric duet by Ronnie Romero and Gary Barden, “Wrecking Ball,” performed as brilliantly as ever by Ralf Scheepers, and “London Calling” with its homage to the British capital’s musical spirit.
The rock anthem “A King Has Gone” and its intro “Calling Baal” both have a special significance: The track, sung by Helloween frontman Michael Kiske, is a tribute to the immortal Ronnie James Dio, in particular to his performance on the 1976 hard rock classic RainbowRising. For this reason, SCHENKER has brought together an original Rainbow rhythm section consisting of Bobby Rondinelli and Bob Daisley, additionally enlisting keyboardist Tony Carey, who also played on Rainbow Rising, for a terrific Moog synth intro – a direct reference to the iconic intro of the 1976 album opener “Tarot Woman.” The impressive result “Calling Baal / A King Has Gone” is already considered to be one of the most important and successful songs in SCHENKER’s career to date, both musically and lyrically.
In line with all these highlights, the spectacular MSG album cover designed by ZsofiaDankova (Powerwolf, among others) features SCHENKER in a futuristic spaceship, floating high up in orbit. The artwork is based on the guitarist’s own visions, “I had the original idea for the album cover a few years ago, but only now does it seem to fit perfectly. So, I sent some older sketches to my label Atomic Fire Records and based on this the final artwork and album title were created.”
No doubt about it: The title, artwork, and new songs suit MSG as perfectly as his characteristic Flying V suits MICHAEL SCHENKER! Stand by for more from MSG in the weeks to come.
Raised during the 80’s debauchery on the Sunset Strip and still going strong in 2022, JIZZY PEARL’S LOVE/HATE recently released their third single titled ‘Gonna Take You Higher’ on all digital platforms. ‘Gonna Take You Higher’ comes from the upcoming albumHELL, CA.which is available to pre-order/add/save now and out on March 11, 2022, through Golden Robot Records.
‘Gonna Take You Higher’ was preceded by two absolutely cracking singles ‘Wanna Be Somebody’ and ‘Soul Mama’ which both show Jizzy in fine form and gives a strong indication as to what to expect from Hell, CA.
HELL, CA. is a collection of 10 hard-hitting rock anthems, all with that distinctive Love/Hate style, with Jizzy Pearl’s trademark vocals taking the songs up and beyond and the heavy guitars doing the rest.
JIZZY PEARL’S LOVE/HATE has been a staple on the rock scene since their first record BLACK OUT IN THE RED ROOM earned them “Best Record of the Year 1990” from Kerrang! and Metal Hammer magazines.
LOVE/HATE has been a fixture on the Hollywood Sunset Strip since they released their debut album on Columbia Records BLACKOUT IN THE REDROOM in 1990. BLACKOUT IN THE RED ROOM received much critical acclaim and was awarded “Best Record of the Year” from both Kerrang! and Metal Hammer magazines. The original LOVE/HATE released five records in the 1990’s and toured with such bands as Skid Row, Dio, Ozzy Osbourne & AC/DC.
Since that time, singer Jizzy Pearl has kept the band alive with his own version, JIZZY PEARL’S LOVE/HATE, and at the same time played, recorded and toured with such platinum artists as RATT, L.A. Guns, Steven Adler and currently Quiet Riot. Jizzy Pearl has released five solo records as well, including 2018’s Frontiers record ALL YOU NEED IS SOUL.
Exciting news! We are pleased to announce the upcoming release of a new studio album w/ Frontiers Music. We are looking forward to introducing our newest collection of hard rock music across the globe. A very special thank you to Serafino, Mario & the entire Frontiers Family!
From Frontiers Music srl Twitter timeline:
Autograph has signed to Frontiers and is currently working on a new album! Autograph features vocalist Simon Daniels, guitarist Jimi Bell, bassist Randy Rand, and drummer Marc Wieland. Stay tuned for more news as we have it!
We’re thrilled drummer extraordinaire Brian Tichy has returned to the Daisies fold.
“Well, what a nice way to start off 2022. I’m excited to get behind the drum kit and do some powerful, groovy rocking with my good friends Doug Aldrich, Glenn Hughes, and David Lowy in The Dead Daisies! Looking forward to seeing you all out on tour this year!”- Brian Tichy
Can’t wait to get out and play some showstogether!
Bruce Dickinson, the lead singer of the highly successful heavy metal band Iron Maiden, has taken to the road once again, but not in his usual way. Dickinson brought his spoken word tour to North America. From his days in boarding school and his time in Samson to joining Iron Maiden and his battle with cancer, Dickinson had more than enough stories to share with devoted fans.
The phrase “Spoken Word Tour” seriously undermines what actually goes on at one of these shows. From the second Dickinson walked out on stage he was bursting with energy. They would have been better off advertising this as Bruce Dickinson’s One Man Show. Dickinson was greeted by thunderous applause and a standing ovation as he entered the concert hall. He wasted no time in making the crowd laugh. He began his show where every good story starts…birth. To be more specific, how he did not want to be born, which he refers to as his first act against authority.
Dickinson quickly moved up the time line to his time in Oundle, an English public school, which to Americans is better known as a private school. Here Dickinson had his second brush with authority and was kicked out for peeing in the headmaster’s dinner, but not before falling in love with music. Believe it or not he did not always want to be a singer, but instead he wanted to sit behind the drum kit. Dickinson continued telling the story of his first band where he played the bongos. It was here however that he treated the audience to their first taste of his a-cappella singing. He belted out a quick rendition of the chorus to Let It Be by the Beatles, which happed to be the song that made him realize “maybe I should be a singer”.
He then went on to talking about his time in the band Samson. He brought the audience to tears describing the hysterically funny adventures he went on with the band; including his purchasing of a life size plastic goose for no reason other than he wanted to. Dickinson’s transition from stories of Samson to Iron Maiden was seamless. Fans roared with cheers as pictures of Iron Maiden flashed onto the screen. Those cheers became even louder as Dickinson began to talk about the ever so famous Rock in Rio.
While Dickinson did his best to keep things light hearted and funny there is no escaping the seriousness that is cancer. He explained what it was like for him to get chemo therapy and radiation. In the end he still had to make the audience laugh by making fun of his own beard, which he grew during his cancer treatment, and then how he lost pieces of it at the most inconvenient times. As Dickinson left the stage for intermission, they played TheWritingontheWall Music video on the big screen for fans to enjoy.
After intermission came the question and answer portion of the night. Before the show, fans were able to write a question to Dickinson and have the opportunity to have him answer it on stage. He brought a nice stack of them out on stage and began to answer different things about flying, accidents on stage with Iron Maiden, and other personal yet appropriate topics. If he did not want to answer a question he just threw it behind him. For the very last question he was asked to sing a bit of the song TearsoftheDragon. As he finished his last note he thanked the audience and left the stage once again being met with thunderous applause.
It is one thing reading about Dickinson’s show and seeing little videos from it, but it is a whole other world being there and experiencing it in person. You can feel the passion that Dickinson has for everything he does and he expressed it well with silly voices, funny faces, and one or two self deprecating jokes which makes him that much more relatable.
Heavy metallers SPIRITSOFFIRE – Feat. Chris Caffery, Steve Di Giorgio, Mark Zonder, and new vocalist Fabio Lione – have unveiled the title track of their upcoming album “Embrace The Unknown”, coming out February 18th on CD/LP/Digital, via FrontiersMusic. (Please note, due to ongoing worldwide vinyl manufacturing delays, the LP release date is March 18, 2022.). Pre-order/save HERE: https://orcd.co/embrace
Heavy metal supergroup SPIRITS OF FIRE first formed in 2017, released their first single in late 2018, and unleashed their debut album in February 2019. Originally formed by Chris Caffery (Savatage, Trans-Siberian Orchestra), Steve DiGiorgio (Testament, Death, etc.), Mark Zonder (ex-Fates Warning, Warlord) and Tim “Ripper” Owens (ex-Judas Priest), the band’s self-titled debut was met with fan and critical praise upon its release.
As it approaches two years since the release of their debut, Spirits of Fire are now set to return with a new album, ” Embrace The Unknown ” that sees renowned Italian metal vocalist Fabio Lione taking over frontman duties for the band. Production this time comes courtesy of Aldo Lonobile, whose recent work on releases by Archon Angel featuring Zak Stevens, Sweet Oblivion featuring Geoff Tate, and his own band, Secret Sphere, makes him the perfect fit for the band.
Once again, the band worked on a set of songs that were primarily put together by Caffery, with Lione and Lonobile adding their own touches to Caffery’s stellar songs. The final result sees a killer musical output that continues in the vein of “classic Priest meets Savatage” sound that the band has pursued since their formation.
With Caffery’s renowned guitar playing, the undeniable power of the rhythm section of Di Giorgio and Zonder, and the world class vocals of Lione, “Embrace The Unknown ” sees SPIRITS OF FIRE pushing their sonic stamp further and further. From the biting riffage of the charging opener “Embrace The Unknown”, the band is firing on all cylinders and prepared to appease the heavy metal gods.
SPIRITS OF FIRE are built to deliver classic in-your-face heavy metal and they have accomplished that goal on every level on “Embrace The Unknown”. From Lione’s soaring vocals, to Caffery’s guitar pyrotechnics, to the propulsive and crushing rhythms of Di Giorgio and Zonder, the performances are stellar from beginning to end. There is no shortage of memorable, metal hymns to raise your fist and bang your head to on this all killer, no filler metal journey.
“Embrace The Unknown” Tracklist:
A Second Chance
Resurrection
Wildest Dreams
Into The Mirror
Embrace The Unknown
My Confession
Sea Of Change
Shapes Of A Fragile Mind
Hearts In The Sand
House Of Pain
Remember My Name
Out In The Rain
LINE-UP: Fabio Lione – Vocals Christopher Caffery – Guitars Steve Di Giorgio – Bass Mark Zonder – Drums
HOOKERS & BLOW, the now legendary project formed by long time Guns N’ Roses keyboardist Dizzy Reed and Quiet Riot guitarist Alex Grossihave announced a handful of March tour dates to celebrate the recent success of their debut covers album released last August via Golden Robot Records.
These shows will be HOOKERS & BLOW‘s first live performances since the release of their highly anticipated covers album. After teasing their fan base for nearly 2 decades the band finally released their self-titled covers album digitally, on CD as well as limited edition Vinyl last August via Golden Robot Records. Since the release, the band has had 2 tracks on the album chart internationally, with the initial pressing of the limited vinyl selling out almost immediately.
In addition, the album was picked as one of 2021’s Top 50 Hard Rock/Metal releases by Audio Ink Radio, with HUSTLER Magazine naming them “the greatest cover band of all time”. Along with Reed and Grossi, HOOKERS & BLOW current lineup includes Johnny Kelly (Danzig, Type O Negative), Mike Duda (W.A.S.P.), and Nadja Reed.
Supporting Hookers & Blow on each date will be DEAD FERVOR.
2022 Dates are as follows: 3/03/22 – HOOKERS & BLOW – The Tiki Bar – Costa Mesa, CA 3/04/22- HOOKERS & BLOW – The Whisky A Go Go – Hollywood, CA 3/05/22 – HOOKERS & BLOW – Fremont Country Club – Las Vegas, NV 3/06/22 – HOOKERS & BLOW – Lake Havasu, AZ 3/11/22 – HOOKERS & BLOW – The Roadhouse – Idaho Falls, ID 3/12/22 – HOOKERS & BLOW – Salt Lake City, UT
Acclaimed King’s X guitarist, songwriter, and co-vocalist Ty Tabor has today announced his latest solo album, Shades, out on March 4th via RatPakRecords. The upcoming 11th solo album features 10 brand new songs with three bonus tracks and is available via CD, vinyl and digital download and follows the successful release of 2018’s Alien Beans.
“When it comes to what I write for solo material, I don’t really think about bands or anything like that. These new songs explore different sides of life and death,” Ty explains. “I was dealing with the recent loss of my dad when some of this was written. There are lighter moments mixed in to keep it from being too focused on loss or sadness. I also resurrected a couple of old ideas that weren’t ready until now. I just write music that makes me happy, and I’ve ended up with an album I really love!”
From the opening chords of “Come Home,” it is clear that Ty Tabor’s trademark guitar tone lays the bedrock for his latest solo release Shades. Ty tackles a wide array of emotions and topics with layered harmonies, hooky pop sensibilities, and the total riffage that remains a crucial ingredient to the King’s X sound. Songs like “What You’re Thinking,” “One Drop of Water,” and “Doesn’t Linger” show Ty’s penchant for crafting tunes with tremendous melodies, while songs like “Shallow,” and “Your Fantasy,” trend heavy and exemplify why Ty is one of the most influential guitarists of the last three decades!
TRACK LISTING:
01 Come Home 02 Shallow 03 Your Fantasy 04 What You’re Thinking 05 Sister Genocide 06 Best Day in a While 07 Insane 08 One Drop of Water 09 Doesn’t Linger 10 Leaves Falling Down 11 Ashes – (Bonus Track) [CD & Digital Download only] 12 Political Nonsense – (Bonus Track) [CD & Digital Download only] 13 Ashes (Acoustic) – (Bonus Track) [CD & Digital Download only]
Melodic hard rock supergroup OUTOFTHIS WORLD featuring legendary names such as Kee Marcello (Europe), Tommy Heart (Fair Warning), Ken Sandin (Alien), and Darby Todd (Devin Townsend, Gary Moore, The Darkness), have officially unveiled their self-titled debut full-length, out now on Atomic Fire Records!
In celebration of the record’s release, the band is pleased to deliver a video for the hugely epic “In A Million Years.” The track was originally written by Kee Marcello for Europe’s PrisonersInParadise and spent the past thirty years in his drawer. “But with this voice, it was just perfect,” Marcello raves of his vocal force Tommy Heart. “To me, it’s one of the highlights of the album.”
View OUT OF THIS WORLD’s “In A Million Years” video at THIS LOCATION and below:
View the band’s previously released video for “Hanging On” HERE.
Out Of This World is available now on CD, LP, and digital formats. Find ordering options at the Atomic Fire webshop HERE.
It’s no coincidence that Marcello’s latest endeavor bears the name of that legendary multi-platinum Europe album released back in 1988. “When I told people about my new project, someone suggested I call it something like Kee Marcelo’s Europe. But that’s terrible,” he laughs. “I hated it. Tommy suggested to call it OUT OF THIS WORLD, simple as that. Just as the Black Sabbath guys and Dio did with Heaven And Hell.”
The same vibe, the same ear for melody, the same hooks permeate an album that was brought to life with the vigor and passion you wouldn’t exactly expect in a rock star who’s seen it all and done it all in the past forty years. “I’ve always concentrated on music, and my passion for that never changed,” he says. “I’ve never changed style; I’ve never tried to do anything I’m not doing well.”
Out Of This World beams with a freewheeling and overflowing sense of fun, musicianship, and togetherness. It’s an effortless flux that’s just not normally found on a debut. “You have to remember that Darby, Ken, and I go way back,” the legendary axe-man notes of his rhythm section. “We did hundreds of gigs together and are as tight as a thumbscrew. Same thing goes for Tommy and I. We clicked instantly when working together for the first time a couple of years ago. We have this almost brotherly connection. We’re literally reading each other’s minds, man. There was no stumbling block, it was all a self-playing piano.”
It’s the same for vocalist Tommy Heart who’s been around in this game forever as well. “You meet, you play, and sparks begin to fly,” he describes the chemistry between the members. “We don’t even talk that much. We simply let the music speak. We touch our hearts when we play which is something that’s incredibly rare to find. Nobody has to explain himself; everybody is doing just what anybody else would do at that moment.” Heart was instantly hooked when he realized that OUT OF THIS WORLD was more than a one-off thing between bored musicians in lockdown. “I don’t like these temporary projects,” he muses. “This here is the real deal.”
“With OUT OF THIS WORLD, though, it never felt like a project,” says Marcello and he admits: “It felt like a band from day one. This is why the album turned out so well. It has a genuine band feel to it.” At their very first rehearsal session in Marcello’s hometown of Gothenburg, they sketched a couple of songs that would later wind up on their debut, namely “Twilight,” “Lighting Up My Dark,” and “In A Million Years.” “We actually found ourselves right in the middle of our first recording session without even knowing it,” he marvels. “Everything felt so natural and so good that writing the rest of the songs was a walk in the park.”
Graced by additional key wizardry courtesy of Deep Purple’s very own Don Airey and embellished by a Ron Nevison mix (Kiss, Bad Company, Ozzy Osbourne, Meat Loaf, Heart, Chicago, Damn Yankees, etc.) who reunited with Marcello for the first time since producing Europe’s Out Of This World a staggering thirty-three years ago, the songs masterfully transport the bygone era of melody driven, anthemic hard rock into the present. From uptempo rocking first single “Hanging On” via “In A Million Years,” originally written for Europe’s Prisoner In Paradise, to colossal anthem “Lighting Up My Dark,” and prog-rock playground “Staring At The Sun,” OUT OF THIS WORLD solitarily resurrect a genre we thought was lost long ago.
OUT OF THIS WORLD: Tommy Heart – vocals Kee Marcello – guitars, keyboards Ken Sandin – bass Darby Todd – drums
UDO DIRKSCHNEIDER is THE constant among the German metal scene. Originally becoming world-famous as a founding member of Accept, he continues to steadily expand upon his international successes with his U.D.O. and DIRKSCHNEIDER outfits. Remaining true to himself over the years in a way few musicians could, Dirkschneider consistently bucks music industry trends in favor of following his heart and his most personal and extraordinary album to date will be released on April 22nd via Atomic Fire Records.
Titled MyWay, the record contains seventeen cover versions of the very songs that have influenced the musician and singer the most. All kinds of classics from music history are among them – including those that you might not expect from Dirkschneider. Not only does a very personal story lie behind each of the tracks, but also a sometimes-surprising arrangement that, despite the very individual implementation, lives and breathes Udo’s manuscript throughout.
Udo: “Now, when I hear the song, I remember the time when, as a very young Udo, I’d go out to light up the town and lived all the stories that can only be experienced late at night in the clubs,” he recalls. Here, Alex Harvey’s “Faith Healer” allows the artist to feel those days of an era long past. The fact that “Nutbush City Limits” is also on the album reveals a secret rarely told until now, “What hardly anyone knows so far: I was a huge fan of Ike and Tina Turner, and especially Tina’s voice. We always covered this song during Accept rehearsals in the early days. It was one of the mainstays of our Accept rehearsal repertoire for years. Regrettably, there is no recording of it.”
With Wolfsheim’s “Kein Zurück,” Dirkschneider sings in German for the first time in his career, “I immediately felt like the words understood me. It seemed to me that the lyrics were telling the story of my career, of my highs and lows and all the good and bad experiences that life has. There simply is ‘no going back’ for those who choose to live as a musician.”
The cover album also makes one thing clear: Just how many in the music industry have come and gone over the years. Yet, UDO DIRKSCHNEIDER is still here.
Coming this Saturday December 18, at 8pm ET is a very first for Stryper. It is the WORLD PREMIER of Stryper performing their iconic album Soldiers Under Command. Some of these songs have not been performed live in over 30 years. This is a multi-camera professionally recorded in-studio concert performing the album in its entirety. This is also the first event Oz Fox played after his first of two successful brain surgeries.
Stryper has NEVER performed Soldiers Under Command in its entirety until now.
The band will be live before the performance as well as after the performance with a Q&A. Also – during the performance the band will be in the chat room chatting with fans.
Can’t watch at that time? That’s okay – We have 2 options for you. 1) Purchase now before the show and re-watch it for 48 hours or 2) Upgrade and for just $8 more watch it as much as you want for as long as you want with our Lifetime Viewing option.
This is truly a rare event. Tickets are only $12. Get yours now.
The first full-length biography of Eddie Van Halen—a searching, affectionate, and in-depth look at the remarkable life of a genuine musical virtuoso who changed the course of rock ’n’ roll.
“The game changing guitar legend gets the biography he deserves…. Diligently researched, perceptive and well-written.” —Classic Rock
Arriving in California as a young boy in the early 1960s, Edward Van Halen and his brother Alex were ripe for the coming musical revolution. The sons of a Dutch, saxophone-playing father, the brothers discovered the Beatles, Cream, and other icons as they bound together as musical partners, forming identities for themselves in their adopted home along the way.
“Affectionate and unflinching portrait of heavy metal’s Mount Everest…. Paul Brannigan goes deep here, his detailed…biography probing Van Halen’s psyche as well as his music.” —MOJO
From the moment their hugely influential 1978 debut landed, Van Halen set a high bar for the rock ’n’ roll lifestyle, creating an entirely new style of post-’60s hard rock and becoming the quintessential rock band of the 1980s. But the high-flying success was fraught with difficulty, as Eddie struggled with alcohol and drug addiction while simultaneously battling David Lee Roth over the musical direction of the band, eventually taking the band in an entirely new direction with Sammy Hagar and scaling new heights, before that iteration of Van Halen disintegrated.
Acclaimed biographer Paul Brannigan tackles the dramatic story with respect and affection for one of rock’s greatest musicians, pairing original interviews with meticulous research to bring the story of Eddie Van Halen completely up-to-date. Unchained: The Eddie Van Halen Story is a remarkable account of determination, genius, and single-minded commitment to the music.
AUTHOR BIO:
Paul Brannigan is a former editor of Kerrang! and Planet Rock magazine, and a current contributor to MOJO, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer, Kerrang! and Louder. He has previous written books on Dave Grohl, Metallica and much-missed Motorhead legend Lemmy. Born and raised in Ireland’s Six Counties, Brannigan lives in North London.
VANILLA FUDGE throws out another re-worked Led Zepclassic, this time it’s ‘Ramble On’ to go with the recently released ‘Immigrant Song’ and ‘Rock and Roll’. All 3 tracks come from the soon to be released album Vanilla Zeppelin.
This is Led Zeppelin done ‘’Fudge’’ style. This remastered version of ‘Ramble On’ will be released digitally via Golden Robot Records on 30th November.
A great ode to one of the most respectable and best bands of all time, by one of the most respectable and best bands of all time. VANILLA FUDGE add their own slant to Led Zeppelin’s‘Ramble On’, including some amazing organ interludes. This version definitely has a life and identity of its own.
Listen to ‘Ramble On’ HERE Listen to ‘Immigrant Song’ HERE Listen/ Buy ‘Ramble On’HERE
ABOUT VANILLA FUDGE:
Vanilla Fudge was one of the first American groups to infuse psychedelia into heavy rock sound to create “psychedelic symphonic rock” an eclectic genre which would, among its many off shoots, eventually morph into heavy metal.
Although, at first, the band did not record original material, they were best known for their dramatic heavy, slowed-down arrangements of contemporary pop songs which they developed into works of epic proportion.
Originally, Vanilla Fudge was a blue-eyed soul cover band called The Pigeons, formed in New Jersey in 1965 with organist, Mark Stein, bassist, Tim Bogert, drummer, Joey Brennan, and guitarist, vocalist and US Navy veteran, Vince Martell. They built a following by gigging extensively up and down the East Coast and earned extra money by providing free lance in-concert backing for hit-record girl groups. In early 1966, the group recorded a set of eight demos that were released several years later as “While the World Was Eating Vanilla Fudge”.
The East Coast, in particular, New York, and New Jersey, created a sound all its own. Inspired by groups such as The Rascals and The Vagrants (fronted by guitarist, Leslie West of “Mountain” fame).The Pigeons reworked many of their own existing arrangements of covers to reflect their unique interpretation of this “East Coast Sound”.
In late 1966, drummer, Joey Brennan, moved out to the West Coast; The Pigeons immediately drafted drummer and vocalist, Carmine Appice, a disciple of the renowned Joe Morello (Dave Brubeck Band) and a seasoned veteran of the club scene. In early 1967, The Pigeons manager, Phil Basile, convinced producer, George “Shadow” Morton (producer for The Shangri-Las and Janis Ian), to catch their live act. Impressed by their heavy-rocking, trippy and psychedelic version of The Supremes’ ‘You Keep Me Hangin’ On’, Morton offered to record the song as a single. This resulted in a deal with the atlantic subsidiary Atco, which requested a name change.
The band settled on Vanilla Fudge. Vanilla Fudge celebrated their 50-Year Anniversary in 2017 and is still rocking the world as hard as ever.
Los Angeles, CA – Long-time bassist for multi-platinum rockers Quiet Riot, Chuck Wright, proudly presents the release of the first single from his new solo album. Wright has also worked alongside such rock music luminaries as Alice Cooper, Greg Allman, Ted Nugent, various members of Guns N’ Roses and Kiss to name a few, and now embarks on his first-ever solo excursion.
The first single is a hard-rocking, intense interpretation of Björk’s 1995 hit “Army of Me” and is accompanied by a video that represents Wright’s exploration into disorder and parallels with the recent chaotic state of world affairs. The visuals include a 3D animation of an “army” of Ruth Bader Ginsburgs, the late Supreme Court Justice, feminist icon, and steadfast advocate for women’s rights and gender equality. “I chose to recognize the late Justice Ginsburg in this video as she was such a formidable presence on and off the bench. She challenged the status quo knocking down legal obstacles to women’s equality and inspired an army of believers.”
The track “Army Of Me” features several of Wright’s musical peers including the late Pat Torpey (Mr. Big) on drums, guitarist Lanny Cordola (House of Lords), and Sven Martin (Jonathan Davis Band) on keyboards along with songstress Whitney Tai, the recent “Best Vocalist” winner at The Intercontinental Music Awards.
The full-length album from Chuck Wright’s Sheltering Sky, coming in 2022, features over 30 guest performers including members of Mr. Big, Skid Row, Tesla, Dream Theater, Great White, Asia, Jefferson Starship, acclaimed solo artists Allen Hinds, Toshi Yanagi, and many others. Wright is finally stepping out on his own with a wide range of genres, from Jazz Fusion, Prog, Funk to in-your-face Hard Rock, which was in itself one of the things that led him to want to forge his own way and create this unique collection of songs within his “Sheltering Sky” project.
Photos: Top photo: Mari Kawaguchi Bottom photo: Tim Janssens
Editor’s note: Metal Odyssey proudly introduces Tanis Enos to our staff. She embodies the talents of being a writer, photographer, concert aficionado and interviewer. Enjoy her review below! Welcome aboard, Tanis!
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Tracii Guns and Phil Lewis have joined forces once again to give fans another electric album. They teamed up yet again with the Vampiric Shredder, Ace Von Johnson, and “Stud” Johnny Martin. CheckeredPast was released on November 12th, 2021. Before the release, the band gave fans a taste of the new album releasing not only 3 singles (Cannonball, KnockMeDown & GetAlong) but also 2 new music videos for Cannonball and GetAlong.
CheckeredPast has a beautiful mix of both the fast pasted Sleazy sound that fans have come to love and slowed-down emotion invoking melodies and lyrics. The day of the release, IfIt’sOverNow was part of Apple Music’s Best New Songs list. This song alone leaves fans wondering “Who hurt the writers”. The slower-paced guitar paired with the low vocals and emotional lyrics makes for a truly theatrical experience that gives fans the ability to picture their own story. The same can be said about LetYouDown. The feeling of this track can be compared to “a heartache in the rain” scene in a movie. Even though it can’t be seen the feeling of sadness can be heard.
On the complete opposite end of the spectrum, LA Guns have turned out another group of hard rock in-your-face songs that will make you want to grab your leather pants and even your pirate hats. Cannonball is an explosive way to start the album with heavy drums and fast riffs. LivingRightNow is special because of its punk-sounding undertone during the verses and Blues Rock sound for the rest. If you didn’t know Phil was British you did after listening to bits of that song.
Though the band has gotten older, Phil’s voice hasn’t changed a bit. Just listen to ThatAin’tWhy and try to say that it doesn’t sound as clear and clean as listening to ElectricGypsy on their debut album. Tracii Guns will never not have flair, showing off his Jimmy Page like abilities on lead guitar. Now take the talent and grit of Tracii and add the style and skill of Ace Von Johnson and you have the dynamic duo that every band needs.
What is that old saying? “A band is only as good as its bass player”? Well, good thing they have Johnny Martin slapping the bass on this album. You can really hear him shine in songs like LivingRightNow and GetAlong and he adds the deep groove with the drums in Dog.
The diversity of songs in this album alone is incredible and truly makes it hard to skip any song. CheckeredPast will continue the musical high that was given to fans by the release of their 2019 album TheDevilYouKnow. Fans are already crazy about the album, making it the number one best-selling Blues Rock album on Amazon the day it was released. – Tanis Enos
Vocals: Phil Lewis
Lead Guitar: Tracii Guns
Rhythm Guitar: Ace Von Johnson
Bass: Johnny Martin
Drums: Adam Hamilton / Scot Coogan
Track List: 1. Cannonball, 2. Bad Luck Charm, 3. Living Right Now, 4. Get Along, 5. If It’s Over, 6. Better Than You, 7. Knock Me Down, 8. Dog, 9. Let You Down, 10. That Ain’t Why, 11.Physical Itch
First thing, my respect for what Dee Snider has accomplished for our community of Metal is steadfast. Dee Snider has DEFENDED METAL and Rock ‘N Roll his entire life and his discography has proven to be timeless. Seriously, a gold life-size statue of Dee Snider should be created and erected at the entrance of The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. I don’t give a rats shit about who disagrees with me on that last sentence either. My belief. My blog. My life.
This past Summer, I bought this incredible Dee Snider autographed photo from the Martyr Hardcore Metal Online Store. This website is also the home to all the merch for HATEBREED. Dee Snider had tweeted about his autographed photo being available at this site mentioned; thus how I found out about it!
The cost for this historic piece of Metal history was $30 plus a few bucks for shipping. Compare that to how much other bands/musicians charge for autographs and you’ll agree this is an extremely fair price! C’mon, $30 for an authentic autograph of Dee Snider!!
Man, there are many unbelievable deals you can find by just shopping around! My autographed photo also included a DEE FUCKING SNIDER patch and sticker! Metal Be Thy Name!! – Stone
Stephen Pearcy and his Ratt Bastard’s Rocked the House at Quechan Casino Resort for the Veteran’s Day Concert that was originally slated with Vince Neil.
After Vince Neil’s recent fall, he cancelled the Veteran’s Day show dated November 11th, 2021 but showed up on a yacht to play a private show the day before on November 10th, 2021.
Pearcy and his Boys ROCKED the house then stayed after to meet and hang with the many great Rock n’ Rollers that have served this Country. “This was an Important show” Pearcy said “It was an honor to be here”.
Pearcy played a 14 song Powerhouse set that included a mix of all things Stephen Pearcy, from early RATT “You Got It” (written by Pearcy in “78-“79) to Arcade’s “Nothing to Lose”
LONG LIVE STEPHEN PEARCY. A TRUE AMERICAN PATRIOT.
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Metal Odyssey's Rock, Hard Rock and Heavy Metal Hall of Fame! These Are The Rock And METAL Legends Wrongfully Ignored By "The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame"
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