ESCAPE THE FATE – In support of their critically acclaimed, chart smashing and self-titled, third studio album, Escape The Fate will be headlining The Dead Masquerade – 2011 North American Tour. Along with supporting bands: Alesana, Motionless In White, Get Scared and Drive A, this tour kick starts on January 20, 2011, in Tucson, Arizona. Two concert dates are scheduled for January 14th and 16th, in Islington, Great Britain. Check out the full tour date schedule below for your nearest city and venue!
* Escape The Fate was released on November 2, 2010, on DGC Records/Epitaph.
* Escape The Fate was produced by Don Gilmore, (Linkin Park, Bullet For My Valentine).
* The red cover is the deluxe edition of Escape The Fate, (pictured above), while the black cover is the regular version of Escape The Fate, (pictured below tour dates).
* For those who may not know, Escape The Fate is an American band, that has been labeled as Alternative Metal, Metalcore and Post-Hardcore… to name a few. I prefer to call ’em a damn good Heavy band, their new album is just that – Heavy. Yes, this new Escape The Fate album does have solid Metal momentstoo, Stone can never tell a Metal lie. Zombie Dance has some heavy grooves goin’ on and is a choice cut of mine from this new album. These young dudes of Escape The Fate have put it all together for this new release, making the future of Heavy Musiclook all the more potent and alive for us all.
ESCAPE THE FATE:
Craig Mabbitt – vocals
Monte Money – guitar, backing vocals & keys
Max Green – bass
Robert Ortiz – drums
* Two Concert Dates In Islington, Great Britain:
1/14/11 – Islington, GBR @ 02 Academy Islington
1/16/11 – Islington, GBR @ 02 Academy Islington
The Dead Masquerade 2011 North American Tour Dates:
1/20/11 – Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theater
1/21/11 – Tempe/Phoenix, AZ @ Marquee Theatre
1/22/11 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theatre
1/24/11 – Dallas, TX @ South Side Music Hall
1/25/11 – San Antonio, TX @ White Rabbit
1/26/11 – Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
1/28/11 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade Music Park
1/29/11 – Orlando, FL @ Club Firestone
1/30/11 – Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution
2/01/11 – Charlotte, NC @ Amos’ Southend
2/02/11 – Norfolk, VA @ The Norva
2/03/11 – Baltimore, MD @ Ram’s Head Live
2/04/11 – Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero
2/05/11 – Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom
2/08/11 – Lancaster, PA @ Chameleon Club
2/09/11 – Allentown, PA @ Crocodile Rock Cafe
2/11/11 – Hartford, CT @ Webster Theatre
2/12/11 – Worcester, MA @ Palladium
2/13/11 – Montreal, QC, Canada @ Club Soda
2/14/11 – Toronto, ON, Canada @ Phoenix Concert Theatre
2/16/11 – Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom
2/17/11 – Royal Oak, MI @ Royal Oak Music Theatre
2/18/11 – Grand Rapids, MI @ The Orbit Room
2/19/11 – Milwaukee, WI @ Rave
2/20/11 – Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre
2/21/11 – East Saint Louis, IL @ Pop’s
2/23/11 – Minneapolis, MN @ The Cabooze
2/25/11 – Denver, CO @ Summit Music Hall
2/26/11 – Salt Lake City, UT @ In The Venue
2/27/11 – Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory Concert House
3/01/11 – Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory Concert House
3/02/11 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
3/03/11 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox At The Market
3/05/11 – San Francisco, CA @ Grand Regency Ballroom
3/06/11 – Sacramento, CA @ Ace Of Spades
3/08/11 – Reno, NV @ Knitting Factory Concert House
3/09/11 – Fresno, CA @ Crest Theatre (Fresno)
3/11/11 – Anaheim, CA @ Grove Of Anaheim
3/12/11 – San Diego, CA @ Soma
(Source for tour dates: Escape The Fate Official Website)
Track Listing For Escape The Fate:
Choose Your Fate
Massacre
Issues
Zombie Dance
Gorgeous Nightmare
City Of Sin
Day Of Wreckoning
Lost In Darkness
Prepare Your Weapon
World Around Me
The Aftermath (G3)
* Bonus Tracks on Deluxe Edition:
Liars And Monsters
The Final Blow
Issues (Ruxpin Remix)
* For more info on ESCAPE THE FATE, just click on the links below:
METAL ODYSSEY’S TOP TEN SONGS OF 2010 – Every year, countless new Metal and Hard Rock albums are released. With an untold number of original songs, as well there being cover songs being released too, it is not humanly possible to hear them all. I have compiled a list of Top Ten Songs Of 2010, that represent THE songs that psyched-me-out of my Metal mind, throughout this past year and will continue to do so for many Metal moons to come. Quality musicianship, songwriting and vocals are all inclusive on these songs listed below, being heard by my attentive Metal ears. These art ten songs from 2010 that I will never forget for the rest of my Metal lovin’ life!
#10
MORPHINE KILLER – Throw It All Away
To listen to Throw It All Away, just click on that magnificent box above. Morphine Killer is Brandon Ortiz aka Eski and Belle Roka. Is it the music that Eski plays or the vocals of Belle that made this song an instantly memorable song for me? It’s BOTH. With a Modern Metal backbone meets Classic Rock accessibility, Throw It All Away is a song I want the world to hear. When a song can float above a variety of Rock genres like this one can and ROCK so damn steady as it does, it makes my Metal Odyssey Top Ten Songs Of 2010 list without a Metal hiccup. Metal Odyssey is handing out a #1 Female Heavy Rock vocal Performance for 2010… it’s Belle Roka with Throw It All Away. Morphine Killer has been my diamond in the rough for 2010.
#9
HIGH ON FIRE – Frost Hammer
On August 29, 2010, I blabbed away about how Metal terrific Frost Hammer is. You can read about it for yourself by clicking on the header below! Matt Pike and his band High On Fire are the epitome of what Metalshould sound like when you are flipping off the music charts. You’ll never find glitz or glam with these guys, just straight up Stoner Metal meets Rock ‘N’ Roll, with potent doses of landscape rippling sound, blasting from this now legendary three piece.
On August 29, 2010, I wrote about how much I really dig Frost Hammer. (I actually really dig the entire Snakes for the Divine album as well). Click the link below to read more about it!
The vocals of M. Shadows are laced with emotional realism that can’t be manufactured. While I listen to this song, the feeling of being overwhelmed by the relentlessly driving up-tempo and power of this A7X band occurs, from the opening note to the very last one. Every time I listen to thisNightmare song, the psyche-me-out meter explodes within my Metal soul. I swear I can hear and feel this band’s courage melting over this entire song and I’m not bashful to admit this. A7X made an incredible song (and album as well) under extreme conditions, after losing their brother and drummer, Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan, to a tragically untimely passing on December 28, 2009.
What stands out to me, every time I listen to this song, is the transparent mood of victory amongst the overall musicianship, which seems to swirl itself around the more darker vibe of Nightmare’s overall theme. Each member of A7X plays with an inspired emotion on this song that carries on through the entire album. Nightmare is a word that can sum up what A7X has endured as a band of brothers, yet it’s also a magical song that has carried them to the top tier and front row of Modern Metal.
#7
ARMORED SAINT – Chilled
Armored Saint returned in a very fantastic way in 2010. Metal be thy name was I thrilled that Armored Saint did make a comeback… and they did so by making a kick ass album titled: La Raza. On April 19, 2010, I wrote exactly how this Armored Saint song makes me feel. Chilled will always be a lifetime favorite song of mine, it’s lyrical message of chilling out as you get older hits home. Take the Metal plunge and read all about it by clicking on the header below!
And on the eighth day, God created Jon Oliva. In all Metal seriousness, Jon Oliva is a man of music and his very own and real nightmare comes to life musically and lyrically, with Death Rides ABlack Horse. Jon Oliva writing about his nightmares makes for incredible songs and Death Rides A Black Horse is as nightmarish as they come, in an epic and sensory stirring way. The keyboards are haunting and the dark mood of this song gives way to my very own, made up scary imagery. I embrace any song that entertains me like a horror novel or gives me the jitters like a nightmare, Death Rides A Black Horse is just that.
#5
KROKUS – Too Hot
The “classic” Krokus lineup from the One Vice At A Time album from 1982, returned in 2010 with a Hard Rockin’ mission statement called Hoodoo. I knew after my very first listen to the Hoodoo album that there were a few potential “Top Ten” song candidates… I dug this album that much. TooHot became just that type of song for me all year, this song is hot from beginning to end. An infectious Hard Rock vibe I feel throughout Too Hot, without an ounce of letup. This Hard Rock vibe jumps straight out of Too Hot, reeling in all of the delectable Old School feelings of good times, partying till dawn and… just free spirited FUN.
#4
GAMMA RAY – To The Metal
HAIL HEAVY METAL! This is the Heavy Metal anthem that will forever remind me that this great genre is bigger than anything anyone could have ever imagined. Years may pass us by, economies shall fall, wars will be waged while we Metalhead’s age… only Metal always stands tall, has stood the test of time and never goes away. This song is about more than Heavy Metal, it’s about the cultural and social impact it has had upon us Metalheads through the decades, an F’n damn Metal phenomenon that can never be stopped, controlled or denied.
When I interviewed Kai Hansen (Gamma Ray’s lead vocalist & guitarist) earlier this year for HARD ROCK HIDEOUT, he likened Heavy Metal to that of a dragon… he explained once you cut the head off a dragon, it keeps on growing more heads. Well put, Kai… and well done with your legendary Power Metal band – Gamma Ray!
On July 19, 2010, I wrote about this powerful Heavy Metal anthem – To The Metal. Read about it if you like, by clicking the header below!
If there is that young band that is going to eventually take over the Rock and Hard Rock world, KOPEK is that band. Metal as my witness, it’s just a matter of time. Don’t say Stone never warned you either. When a three piece can Rock the daylights out of me, while delivering a Hard Rockin’ sound that is as refreshing as an iced pint of beer, that band deserves any and all the accolades I can Metal muster. KOPEK is that band. Take a look and listen to Love Is Dead by clicking that cool box below… you’ll likely understand what I mean.
Oh, while I’m at it, why beat around the Metal bush…
Love Is Dead is Metal Odyssey’s #1 Music Video Of 2010!
#2
SCORPIONS – Raised On Rock
2010 was the year when the unreal legendary Scorpions announced their embarking on a final, three year tour. The Scorpions are retiring. It can’t be! Alas, the Metal truth sometimes is hard to swallow. I, along with Scott Coverdale set forth on our Metal journey this past June, of 2010, to the M3 Rock Festival, (Columbia, Maryland), to see the Scorpions off. On June 27, 2010, I posted about the Scorpions headlining the 2010 M3 Rock Festival. You can read about how I felt, seeing and experiencing the Scorpions at the 2010 M3 Rock Festival by clicking the large header below!
Raised On Rock is not just a song that my 80’s generation can relate to, this is a song that any Rock generation can and should relate to. Admittedly, I am instantly psyched out of my Metal mind, while my face gets flushed and my arms become covered with ostrich bumps each time I listen to Raised On Rock. With these types of emotional and physical reactions I experience from Raised On Rock… there really is nuthin’ else left to say, except…
THANK YOU SCORPIONS!
#1
HALFORD – Thunder And Lightning
Thunder And Lightning from HALFORD is my #1 song of 2010! Music should speak to you and make you feel good… and sometimes invincible. HALFORD makes me feel invincible with Thunder And Lightning, I’m not going to deny it, I will just accept it with Metal glee. Everyone knows, when a song “hits” you that certain way, it just feels like it was written and recorded especially for you. This is exactly how Thunder And Lightning “hits me”.
Everything that I have ever loved about Heavy Metal, seems to be woven into Thunder And Lightning. From the strong vocals of Rob Halford, to the melodic and yet still heavy guitar leads of Roy Z., with Metal Mike Chlasciak unleashing the rhythmic balance from his axe, the tempo never subsides from it’s elevated high. Oh, there is a kick ass guitar solo too from Roy Z. and it gives me the Metal chills. Mike Davis on bass and Bobby Jarzombek on drums make the woofers on my home stereo speakers quake to the Metal limit. The chorus is mind blowing and Metal riveting. Even the fade out on this song is perfect. F’n Old School.
Being track #10 on the new HALFORD album, Made Of Metal is without question worth the wait as I listen to this fabulous album. Then again, I can’t count the number of times I select only this song to listen to, sometimes twenty times in a row! I’m not kidding. Rob Halford, otherwise known as The Metal God, is at his vintage best on vocals, with his band surrounding him with an awesome display of pure Metalpower. When a song puts me on an ultra-maximum Metal high, like Thunder And Lightning does, it gets picked as #1. Metal be thy name.
On October 6, 2010, I posted a complete album review on HALFORD IV Made Of Metal, you can check it out by clicking the header below!
* Below is a list of other great sites/bloggers that cover Rock, Hard Rock and Heavy Metal and will be sharing their “Best Of 2010” lists and thoughts as well. It is well worth the trip to any and/or all of them!
Top Six Unsigned Metal Bands of 2010: There are countless unsigned bands in the world today, representing every genre of music. Metal Odyssey receives a fine share of demos and fully produced CD’s from unsigned bands. Many of these bands have potential to take their music to the next level, where there are those bands that should consider other career options. Then, there are the bands that are ready NOW for a major independent or major label to grasp onto what they are creating and playing. These are the unsigned bands that NEED to be signed NOW, to a major independent or major label.
I have chosen my favorite six unsigned bands of this past year and want to share them with the world, as a special edition of Metal Odyssey’s “Best Of” lists for 2010. A few of these bands I had the Metal pleasure to interview during 2010, while the other bands I’m sure I’ll cross Metal paths with one day soon. At the end of the Metal day, these six Metal bands are my favorites from the unsigned crowd of 2010. Here’s hoping that maybe one of these bands, if not all, will spark your Metal curiosity like they did mine!
Metal Odyssey’s Top Six Unsigned Metal Bands Of 2010:
MORPHINE KILLER
(Photo by: Stephanie Grant – imsteph.com)
From Southern California, there is the dynamic Metal duo of Brandon Ortiz, aka Eski and Belle Roka that make Morphine Killer… so damn killer to listen to.
What makes Morphine Killer such a tremendousMetal band is their quality songs, filled with quality vocals, lyrics and musicianship… the entire 100 yards of Metal. I reviewed their Nightmares EP with a posting back on April 23, 2010. Check it out for yourself by clicking that unreal looking header below!
Back on May 16, 2010, Eski and Belle Roka took the time to answer some questions I threw at them. You can read this very cool interview by clicking on the very loud header below!
Throw It All Away is the new single that Morphine Killer released earlier this year, it will be on their forthcoming full-length album – Sickening. You can purchase this fantastic song on itunes, along with Morphine Killer’s two raging EP’s: Unapologetic and Nightmares. For now, take a listen to Throw It All Away by clicking on that cool box below! I hope you dig this song as much as I have been!
* For more info on Morphine Killer, click on the links below:
Out of the Great White North… comes a Traditional Metal Band that brings Old School back with their very own supercharged Metal vibe and eye popping Metal skills… thank you Calgary, Alberta, Canada for – DERAILED. Led by founding member Dean Boland, the lead guitarist and a man of many Metal hats, Derailed is a big Metal deal to my ears. If you haven’t heard of Derailed just yet… your gonna.
On June 26, 2010, I posted the album review for the Derailed debut album Judgement Day. You can read all about it by clicking the huge header below!
On August 4, 2010, my interview with Derailed’s Dean Boland was posted. Check it out by clicking the gigantic header below… it will serve youMetal justice.
On both sides of the Atlantic, there is Metal aplenty. Metal is a worldwide phenomenon that will never say die. Austria can very well boast, they are the home country for – Sergeant Steel. Every neighborhood in every country should have a band like Sergeant Steel, their brand of Hard Rock colliding with Old School Heavy Metal is so damn contagious.
On July 1, 2010, I posted the album review for Sergeant Steel’s debut – Lovers & Maniacs. You can read about this Hard Rockin’ & Metal Thumpin’ album by clicking on the bloated header below!
Back on July 14, 2010, my interview with Phil Vanderkill, the flamboyant front man for Sergeant Steel, was posted. If you want to get an “inside” track on just what Sergeant Steel is all about, click on the hefty header below!
From Mammoth Lakes, California, VALDUR caught my Metal attention with a fiery blast of Black Metal whoop ass. Metal be thy name… VALDUR is for real.
On November 18, 2010, I posted the album review for VALDUR’S blackened Metal triumph which is called – Raven God Amongst Us. I highly recommend you take the time to check it out, by clicking that rotund header below!
NeuTrad Archon released their full-length album this past year, titled – Overture. With ten songs that more than smoke the Metal meter to a melting point. These songs on Overture have undeniable substance, both lyrically and musically, with an unrelenting ability to satisfy my Extreme Metal hunger.
Their progressive, blackened, momentarily Folk Metal and downright darkened with MetalExtremity. This band knows how to incorporate a melodic drive to their sound as well, utilizing the keyboards throughout Overture and on one track violins are introduced, which makes NeuTrad Archon not just ultra-diverse in their Metal style, it makes them a band to latch onto and brag about to your Metal peers. This band has all the right ingredients to be huge in the Metal world one day.
* Look for a complete album review of Overture in early 2011, right here at Metal Odyssey!
* For more info on NeuTrad Archon, click on the link below:
With New Jersey as their home base, the trio of M. Gonçalves (vocals, guitars, bass), Valcek (Violin) and JP Andrade on drums have created an album that mesmerizes my Metal senses with their full-length, eight song, album debut – Tribus. Windfaerer is such a band of Metal talent, it’s unquestionably scary. This is blackened Folk Metal at it’s underground finest, making me want to leap through the dark and foreboding fields of my neighborhood at night, in euphoric Metal glee, while raising the horns to the moonlit sky.
* Look for a complete album review of Tribus in early 2011, right here at Metal Odyssey!
* For more info on Windfaerer, click on the link below:
* Below is a list of other great sites/bloggers that cover Rock, Hard Rock and Heavy Metal and will be sharing their “Best Of 2010” lists and thoughts as well. It is well worth the trip to any and/or all of them!
JOE ELLIOTT’S DOWN ‘N’ OUTZ – Cover song albums can either catch me by surprise or bore me to pieces. Other times, a cover song album can be 50/50 with it’s quality of content. Therefore, making a cover song album is always a risky business, when attempting to make songs already known and revered by Rock fans. A band has to really add something to a cover song and make it memorable, let alone an entire album of them. An album of covers most often gets ignored and swept under cases of empty beer bottles anyways. Creating an album of cover songs is not always the “in” thing to do either. So, with all of the negatives attached to tackling a covers album, the likelihood of messing up by releasing such an album is apparently in the Rock ‘N’ Roll cards… unless you are Joe Elliott and your band is named Down ‘n’ Outz.
My ReGeneration was released on July 13, 2010, on Mailboat Records. Joe Elliott’s Down ‘n’ Outz covered Rock classics from the Mott The Hoople family: Mott, Ian Hunter and British Lions. Joe Elliott’s Down ‘n’ Outz not only captured the essence of Classic Rock on this album, they carried it off on their own Rockin’ vibe and did add that extra ingredient of relevance to songs that should never be forgotten. As a bonus, this album does take Joe Elliott away from the Def Leppard comfort zone and showcases him as a vocalist who once again, never over stretches his boundaries by singing within the songs and not over them.
A very addicting album MyReGeneration has been for me, while reminding me of the importance that Mott The Hoople and their spinoffs had on Rock Music history. I highly recommend this album to anyone who digs Classic Rock and Old School Hard Rock like I do. Take a listen and watch the video for England Rocks below, a song from the My ReGeneration album… it will serve you right!
On September 16, 2010, I wrote a more comprehensive review on My ReGeneration. Just click on the huge header below to read all about it!
* Below is a list of other great sites/bloggers that cover Rock, Hard Rock and Heavy Metal and will be sharing their “Best Of 2010” lists and thoughts as well. It is well worth the trip to any and/or all of them!
ALICE COOPER – Metal Odyssey gives a Metal Congratulations to Alice Cooper and each original member of Alice Cooper (The Band) for their induction into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, class of 2011. Metal accolades go out to the original lineup of Alice Cooper (The Band): Alice Cooper, Michael Bruce, Dennis Dunaway, Neal Smith and the late Glen Buxton.
Regardless of the bonehead maneuvers and clique driven approach that the “Rock scholars” at this institution have bestowed over the years, it is a fine feeling to have such an iconic band and powerful figure as Alice Cooper as a member there. Alice Cooper represents Rock, Hard Rock and Heavy Metal. Just exactly where Shock/Horror Rock would be today, without Alice Cooper leading the way, is a scary Metal thought to ponder. Influential, groundbreaking, legendary… how many more ways can I explain the impact that Alice Cooper has had upon Rock Music across the genres?
At the end of my Metal day, it’s not about Rock genres… it’s about music. Alice Cooper has created music that will live on for untold generations, long after my stay on Earth is over.
Metal Odyssey’s Metal Gripes:
* Alice Cooper belongs inducted as a solo artist as well. Alice Cooper’s solo career began in 1975 with the studio album Welcome To My Nightmare and continues to the present day. Alas, The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame’s Rock scholars probably don’t know that.
Let’s just hope the trend of inducting the musicians and bands that belong in The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame continues. My criticism of The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame shall continue, until there are real knowledgeable and non-political Rock minds in place at the helm. Without the likes of KISS, Cheap Trick, The Moody Blues, Heart, Motorhead, Slayer, The Doobie Brothers, The Electric Light Orchestra and Mott The Hoople, to name a many few, (there are many more), it shall remain one big Hall Of Shame. Remember: ABBA is already inducted (?)… the bands previously mentioned, sadly, are overlooked. Bizarre.
LONG LIVE ALICE COOPER.
LONG LIVE THE ROCK ‘N’ ROLL OF ALICE COOPER (THE BAND)
(New York, NY) — ANEW REVOLUTION will continue their trek in support of their record iMERICA early in 2011. Today the band announced they’d be supporting ILL NINO along side Ekotren and Fashion Bomb on the “Restore The Insanity Tour.” “What a year 2010 has been! We’re excited to announce that we will be heading out with Ill Nino. We’re going to spice up the live show and fans should expect some new songs in the set as well. Happy Holidays and see you all soon,” says Bassist Frank Salvaggio. Dates are below; more dates will be announced soon.
1/20 Chicago, IL @ Reggie’s
1/21 Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
1/25 Denver, CO @ Marquis
1/27 Los Angeles, CA @ Key Club
2/1 San Antonio, TX @ Backstage Live
2/2 Beaumont, TX @ The Gig
2/3 Dallas, TX @ Trees
2/4 Houston, TX @ Scout Bar
2/5 Houma, LA @ The City Club
2/7 Atlantta, GA @ Masquerade
2/13 Hartford, CT @ Webster Theater
2/15 Worcester, MA @ Palladium
2/19 Allentown, PA @ Crock Rock
ANEW REVOLUTION just finished up a tour with HELLYEAH after completing the highly successful “HARD DRIVE LIVE TOUR” alongside SEVENDUST and 10 YEARS.
The band saw the release of their sophomore eOne release “iMerica” in 2010 along with non stop touring. They shot a video for their popular single “Head Against The Wall” which can be seen here [http://bit.ly/i0IV8S].
Formed in Austin, Texas by singer/guitarist Joey Duenas, bassist Frank Salvaggio, drummer Rob Urbani in 2004, and later rounded out by shredder Jay Frederick on lead guitar, ANEW REVOLUTION stand by the promise in their name. Though they’ll happily recall the milestones set by their former bands – Duenas’ Ünloco, Urbani and Salvaggio’s Slaves on Dope, they’ll also be the first to remind you of just what ANEW REVOLUTION means.
(Source: eOne Music press release, December 15, 2010)
TIMES OF GRACE – Adam Dutkiewicz, (guitarist, producer, recording engineer and founding member of Killswitch Engage), has joined up with former Killswitch Engage vocalist/founding member Jesse Leach to create Times Of Grace. Releasing on RoadRunner Records, on January 18, 2011, The Hymns Of A Broken Man will be the melodically heavy, debut offering, from these two veterans of New England’s famously historic Metalcore scene. From the teaser videos and songs from The Hymns Of A Broken Man that I’ve heard… Stone does likey. I’m very much looking forward to hearing this album, from Times Of Grace, in it’s entirety.
* A CD/DVD release of The Hymns Of A Broken Man is slated for a January 18, 2011 release as well. The DVD contains videos for each album track, along with a commercial video for Strength In Numbers.
Complete Track Listing For: The Hymns Of A Broken Man:
Strength In Numbers
Fight For Life
* Willing
Where The Spirit Leads Me
Until The End Of Days
Live In Love
In The Arms Of Mercy
Hymn Of A Broken Man
The Forgotten One
Hope Remains
The End Of Eternity
Worlds Apart
Fall From Grace
* Willing is the bonus track on the CD/DVD enhanced version.
* For more info on Times Of Grace, just click on the links below:
UNCOOL – Once again, I’m back at it again… for a third installment of “Ten Very Uncool Hard Rock And Heavy Metal Album Covers”. Why do I embark on such a Metal task you query? Due to the fact that I admire and uphold the album covers that have stood the test of time: AllIron Maiden album covers along with Molly Hatchet, Motorhead, Asia, Boston, Lääz Rockit, Overkill, Avenged Sevenfold, King Diamond and of course, DIO, have all had astounding artwork and graphics to represent their prodigious music over the decades.
Why can many bands and solo artists have their image and music dutifully represented by their album covers, while many others are packaged by their artwork and imagery like a stale can of inedible baked beans? We now live in the age of “the mp3”, where album cover artwork is for all intents and purposes, non-essential to the mp3 consumer. That is a Metal shame. All of us “Old Schoolers” know the importance of the beloved album cover and realize the album art more often than not parallels the songs heard within.
Try taking a walk through the CD aisles (or aisle) of Best Buy or browse around the internet music websites… you’ll find it is nearly 50/50 as to the cool/uncool ratio of album covers out there. This remarkable cool versus uncool album cover fiasco has been going on for decades, since the very beginning of Rock ‘N’ Roll itself! I don’t try to advertise myself on being “The Hard Rock and Heavy Metal Album Cover Authority”, still, I hopefully know how to decipher the uncool from cool after all my Metal lovin’ years.
Enjoy this list, become informed, gain knowledge and above all… if you happen to purchase one of these CD’s in the near future, just cover it over with “something” at the checkout, so other customers don’t witness your purchase. In the event you purchase one of these CD’s via mail, you are safe, no one will know you bought a CD with an uncool cover, just the dude who packaged it for shipping will know. If you become annoyed by this “Part III” list, well, you must like uncool Hard Rock and Heavy Metal album covers then.
* An uncool album cover does not necessarily mean that the respective band and the music heard on the album is uncool as well. If the album is a total stinker with it’s product of music, I would warn the world. Without further delay, here is the non-prestigious list of Ten Very Uncool Hard Rock & Heavy Metal Album Covers Part III:
Foreigner – No End In Sight: The Very Best Of Foreigner (2008)
Bon Jovi and Nickelback have made prior uncool album cover lists here at Metal Odyssey for the same stale reason: a boring image of a… highway. What is it about highways and album covers? Why do these desolate paths of macadam/dirty asphalt keep popping up? I don’t care about the album title being “linked” with an image of this highway either. Highways are daunting, lonely and filled with road rage, therefore, highways are stressful. There really is “no end in sight” to the amount of times bands wind up with highways on their album covers. You’d think that after all these decades, Foreigner would want to have a cool album cover representing their legendary songs.
Nickelback – All The Right Reasons (2005)
Hey… look who’s back! It’s Nickelback! For a second time with another “uncool album cover induction” with All The Right Reasons. This marks the second album cover from Nickelback with a highway on it! I can think of a million reasons as to why this album cover is uncool and BORING, here is one: Regardless of the year and make of the automobile shown in the picture, this album cover is nothing more than an auto dealership brochure cover.
30 Seconds To Mars – Self Titled/Debut (2002)
? Doh!
Saving Abel – Self Titled/Debut (2008)
This day and age, I don’t know if I’m looking at a guy or a girl butt here. So, with all the confusion, this album cover is… uncool. For “me” it is anyways. Plus, how many more times do we need the “butt in tight jeans, staring at you in the face” album cover? An exceedingly overdone “theme”.
Bon Jovi – Cross Road (1994)
Just another Bon Jovi “Greatest Hits”. Wow, so compellingly Rockin’… Jon Bon Jovi and his band sitting around in a diner and doing nuthin’. OMG… that is so cool! Yeah, right. In reality, this band would never be caught in a blue collar diner… more like a 10 star, caviar serving, white linen restaurant on Rodeo Drive is more like it. Stone isn’t getting fooled. As an uncool bonus, this photo of the band is washed out and blurry. This photo would receive an “F” grade, back in my photography 101 class in college. This album cover makes Bon Jovi’s “second appearance” on a Metal Odyssey “uncool album cover” list. Congratulations Bon Jovi!
Collective Soul – Afterwords(2007)
Just embarrassing, really. Where is the slight or even remote imagery of “Rock” involved here within this album cover? This is more better suited as a Martha Stewart Living magazine cover. Metal be thy name.
Pearl Jam – Pearl Jam (2006)
I don’t care how many albums were sold of this Pearl Jam release… this is a perfect example of over thinking what your album cover should look like and convey. Trying to go for the “it’s over their heads” mentality doesn’t work for me either, with this album cover. It’s not over Stone’s head, this cover is just 100% uncool. This style of photography and art worked extremely well for Pink Floyd, a legendary band that knew what legendary album covers should look like. Most recently, Pearl Jam is into cartoons on their album cover with Backspacer… go figure.
Judas Priest – Point Of Entry (1981)
Since the day I first bought this Judas Priest album on vinyl, (probably around 1982/83), up until today, this cover just falls flat for me. I absolutely LOVE this album and Judas Priest is a core band for my Metal lovin’ soul. Do I feel guilty then, that I’m choosing a Judas Priest album cover for an “uncool list”? Nope. This “original” album cover for Point Of Entry is so super bland, that it will be forever filed under: What were they thinking? The super scary part about this album cover, is the blue printer paper that stretches on for miles, actually simulates a… highway!!! Even the ultra-legendary Judas Priest dabbled in the highway theme for an album cover! It probably cost $50 in U.S. funds to create this album cover too.
Dokken – Under Lock And Key (1985)
First, Under Lock And Key is a Dokken album that potently Rocks like there is no tomorrow. No, it’s not the hair or fashion that is uncool here. These styles are still utilized by many bands today. This image was an identity to a grand decade of 80’s Hard Rock and Heavy Metal. Instead, what makes this Dokken album cover so uncool is that gigantic, cardboard key. That key ruined it. Minus that key, this album cover never comes up in an uncool album cover conversation. Who was behind this idea? That oversized, concocted, cardboard key would have served better inside a middle school lobby, with the words scrawled upon it: Unlock the key to your child’s education.
Christmas In Your Ear – (Release date unknown and who cares)
Gee Metal whiz, this compilation of Christmas songs, covered by some of the most popular names in Rock history, has not only an uncool album cover, it has an annoyingly uncool album title! Christmas In Your Ear. (!) Metal be thy name. The next uncool thing I’ll uncover will be a cookbook titled: Christmas In Your Stomach. What’s up with the raging serial killer’s face in the Christmas tree ornament? Talk about issues… that dude needs some anger management treatment fast. I could understand the album cover, only if it contained Death Metal bands covering Christmas songs. With the likes of Billy Squire, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Smithereens and Pat Benatar, etc. on this CD, the cover does NOT fit the contents of what you’ll be listening to. Simply put, an embarrassing album cover and title. I think I’ll change the name of this blog now to: Metal Odyssey In Your Eyes.
MOTORHEAD – On January 18, 2011, the ultra-iconic Motorhead will be releasing their 20th studio album, (21st studio album if you count On Parole from 1979). The new Motorhead album is titled – The World is Yours. The first opportunity to purchase a “pre-release” of The World is Yours, is by buying the upcoming issue of the (UK) Classic Rock magazine. This issue of Classic Rock has a release date of December 28, 2010, on Amazon.com.
* The Classic Rock edition comes as a 132 page deluxe magazine, dedicated to Motorhead as a “Motorhead fanpack”, with the CD of The World is Yours, a poster and metal pin badge. A career spanning overview of Motorhead with interviews of each band member are featured in this issue as well. Classic Rock Magazine.com reports this special Motorhead fanpack issue will be available for sale on December 14, 2010.
* The CD/DVD release date is January 25, 2011. The DVD includes the following:
– Documentary on the recording of The World is Yours
– Manchester Apollo live footage (30 minutes)
– Ace Of Spades (acoustic version)
– Get Back In Line (video)
– I Know How To Die (video)
(Source for release dates: The official Motorhead website referred me to Amazon.com, once I clicked on the album cover for This World is Yours on the Motorhead homepage. Therefore, Amazon.com is where the release dates were found.) **Release dates vary from country to country, plus, if you subscribe to Classic Rock magazine, the release date may be different from what date I’ve posted. Metal Odyssey is just reporting what dates have been found from researching through the official website of Motorhead, Classic Rock Magazine.com and Amazon.com.
* The World is Yours will be released on Motorhead Music via EMI distribution.
2010 – the 35th Anniversary of Motorhead Rock ‘N’ Roll!
MOTORHEAD:
Lemmy Kilmister – vocals & bass
Phil Campbell – guitar
Mikkey Dee – drums
Above is the Classic Rock Magazine “Motorhead Fanpack”. You can pre-order it at Amazon.com, the only thing is… get ready to shell out $47.68 (U.S. funds) for it.
IGLOO WARFARE – Brandon Ortiz, aka Eski, is a very busy guy these days. It is a minor miracle that Metal Odyssey caught up with him recently, to get a Metal lowdown on his side project Igloo Warfare. Metal instrumental ear candy is how I best sum up Igloo Warfare. With Eski being in full control of it’s creation, from playing every instrument heard, through production, to the final recorded songs, Igloo Warfare is his work of Metal art.
Songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, band manager, promotion and marketing manager, record label owner (Final Breath Records) and every other imaginable title associated with overseeing his music getting heard and noticed, is what Eski is all about. Eski isn’t taking a bow to the “do-it-yourself” crowd, he is leaping over them with his envious drive and passion for the music he loves to create.
With Belle Roka by his side, there is also Morphine Killer keeping the Metal irons burning and the creative genius side of him stirring. Throw in the recent opportunity for Eski to step in to help Faithsedge on bass duties and you have not just a multi-taking musician… you have what is an example of devotion. Here is what Eski had to say:
Stone: So, Eski, how did the name Igloo Warfare come about?
Eski: I got the nickname “Eski” when I was about 15 years old, mainly due to the fact of looking like an eskimo, and being able to withstand the cold weather. I liked the idea of eskimos being up to something inside those igloos, so I went with “Igloo Warfare”, being a random Rock Band name I made up on the spot.
Stone: What inspires your songwriting for Igloo Warfare?
Eski: I love writing music, and usually what happens is I have a lot of Morphine Killer songs on the backburner, ready for vocals. But sometimes I will write songs for a particular mood, such as being an energetic video game song, or a moody movie song.
Stone: What comes easiest for you, writing music or playing it?
Eski: Writing it, definitely! There’s a lot of nuances that come around when it comes down to recording, and it has to be perfect. I have experimented with writing on the spot to the drums I program, because sometimes you just have to go where the music takes you.
Stone: I get that “Escape From New York” vibe on “Spider Whispers Death”. Did you initially set out for a Science Fiction meets Horror element with Igloo Warfare’s sound? Are you a fan of John Carpenter’s haunting movie scores?
Eski: I didn’t really set out for that vibe, but I wanted a sort of eerie vibe with the music, mixed with metal.. maybe that is the music version of science fiction meeting horror! Without knowing it, I have been influenced by John Carpenter! I love the Halloween movies, and Big Trouble In Little China (I loved that they got the idea for Raiden from Mortal Kombat from this movie).
Stone: Do you see your instrumentals being better suited for motion pictures or video games? Perhaps both?
Eski: I’d like to hope for both, but possibly more video games. I’d really like to get into either area if I could, though! I grew up with video games that had awesome music that helped inspire the mood, and I hope to do the same one day.
Stone: Will vocals ever be added to Igloo Warfare’s music?
Eski: I would like to think so! If they do, most likely they are going to end up a Morphine Killer song, unless someone else does vocals as a guest spot, and maybe we can release it as such.
Stone: With “Dopeth”, is it safe to say you are a fan of Opeth?
Eski: Absolutely, I love Opeth. Mikael Åkerfeldt is one of my favorite vocalists.
Metal Odyssey Note: Check out below, the Metal instrumental of Dopeth for yourself, courtesy of IGLOO WARFARE!
Stone: What’s the latest news you can share about Morphine Killer?
Eski: We’ve been working on ten or so songs that still need a bit more fine tuning. We’ve been really busy with our upcoming baby release than CD release, so please excuse us!
Stone: You and Belle are very much excused! A new baby on the way is much more important!
Stone: You’re also currently busy helping out Faiths Edge, handling the bass duties. What’s that been like?
Eski: It’s been really fun to just jam with friends and not feel the pressure of taking the reins so much. It’s also a really fun learning experience to work with another song writer and be able to bounce ideas off of each other. I helped him write a new song which might or might not appear on his next CD, so we’ll just have to wait and see!
KID ROCK – Get ready all of you vinyl lovers out there… the brand new Kid Rock – Born Free is about to get released on double LP – vinyl! The vinyl release date is December 14, 2010. Born Free is Kid Rock’s eighth studio album, released on Atlantic Records. It’s the diversification of Rock ‘N’ Roll, that flows through Kid Rock’s soul, that makes him so damn appealing to me all these years. From Rap Metal to Southern Rock and almost everything else in-between, Kid Rock makes it real.
* Born Free was produced by the legendary Rick Rubin. Mixing was done by Greg Fidelman.
* I have seen this double LP of Born Free for sale on Amazon.com, it also comes with the entire CD of Born Free, from what the site states, it is referred to as a “bonus CD”.
* For more info on Kid Rock, just click on the cool link below:
MARTY FRIEDMAN – World renowned & legendary guitarist Marty Friedman turns 48 years old today, December 8, 2010. Happy Metal Birthday Marty! Marty Friedman solidified his elite guitar status during his days as a Metal axe slinger for the ultra-legendary Megadeth, appearing on five of their albums. Marty played guitar alongside Dave Mustaine, on such seminal Megadeth albums as: Rust In Peace, Countdown To Extinction, Youthanasia, Cryptic Writings and Risk.
Marty was already the established and well revered guitarist among the Heavy Metal universe before that historic gig. Teaming up with guitar great Jason Becker to form Cacophony, releasing Speed Metal Symphony in 1987, on Shrapnel Records. Speed Metal and the art of shredding was highlighted by the neo-classical Metal techniques and skill that Marty and Jason bestowed with their Cacophony team-up. Go Off! was the second and final studio album from Cacophony, released in 1988, (Shrapnel).
That is Marty on the left, Jason on the right, (above album cover). This was a very cool album then and it still is now. Metal Odyssey highly recommends both Cacophony albums… don’t pay attention to any old and stale mainstream album reviews on ’em, those mainstream Rock critics don’t know what they’re listening to anyways.
* Marty Friedman founded the Heavy Metal band Hawaii, back in 1982. From 1983 to 1985, Hawaii released three full-length studio albums. Hawaii could best be described as Speed meets Power Metal.
* Marty Friedman has also released 12 solo albums, (studio & live combined), from 1988 to 2010 and has always been known for his instructional videos/DVD’s on guitar playing and techniques as well.
* Above is a really cool Japanese promo poster/ad for Marty Friedman’s 1996 solo album – True Obsessions, released on Shrapnel Records.
* For more info on Marty Friedman, just click on the cool link below:
HEAVEN & HELL – Back in 1982, an elite group of musicians known as Black Sabbath released a double live, molasses heavy album titled: Live Evil. In 1982 those two vinyl disks were like gold, to a then sixteen year old who knew a whole lot about nothing. Going on three decades later, that Live Evil album still is gold to this same dude, who knows a little about something. Fast forward to 2007, the legendary lineup of Ronnie James Dio (vocals), Tony Iommi (guitar), Geezer Butler (bass) and Vinny Appice (drums) returned to public view known as Heaven & Hell, with their Live From RadioCity Music Hall double live album, released on Rhino Records. This legendary foursome was back… albeit a name change. Taking on the name of one of the most prolific Heavy Metal albums ever to be recorded, Heaven & Hell was now this bands identity.
Yes, Bill Ward was the amazing drummer on that phenomenal Heaven And Hell album from 1980, a legend without discussion. However, Vinny Appice is one quarter of Heaven & Hell and always will be. I won’t dare compare the Live Evil album of ’82 to this newly released Heaven & Hell: NeonNights, 30 Years Of Heaven & Hell, Live In Europe, (released November 16, 2010, on Armoury Records for Niji Productions). There is nothing to gain by comparing this band to itself, some three decades prior. I am not the same person I was three decades ago… the past is a memory and the future is today.
This historic Heaven & Hell concert was recorded at the Wacken Open Air Festival in Germany, back in 2009. Yes, the late and ultra-legendary Ronnie James Dio does sound older on this newly released live album, only his vocals still gives me the same euphoric chills now as he did so many years ago. While listening to Neon Nights-Live In Europe, I realize I’m listening to a man who was a fighter, a man who was not going to back down to any illness that may invade his body. I think of my father, who is currently battling cancer, I think of his strength and will to live as well. I could only hope and pray that I can be as strong and courageous as these two amazing men.
It is the human factor that comes across so strong and vividly on this new Heaven & Hell album, I’m listening to a band that was with me all those years when I was lost and now listening to a band when I was found. The images and memories just come alive for me, as I keenly listen to this Heaven & Hell album… memories of seeing DIO on the Dream Evil tour of 1987, remembering holding, listening to and staring at my Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll album, while being introduced to real Rock ‘N’ Roll at an age where it was most important. I reflect on that first time I heard the opening riff from Tony Iommi, clearing the path for Voodoo and how it made me a believer in what Heavy Metal does for my soul.
No, this is not going to be a standardized album review of this new live Heaven & Hell album. I can’t find it appropriate in my heart or soul to give one. Instead, this album is a celebration of what these four men, these musicians, have given to me and an untold number of other fans for three decades plus… their music speaks louder to me now than it did in 1982. I’ve found my new piece of gold that I’m holding, listening to and staring at in 2010, the only difference now it being a CD, the one constant is… it’s Heaven & Hell.
* To donate to the Ronnie James Dio “Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund” and find out more about current DIO albums and merchandise, just click on the link below:
THE DAMNED THINGS – On December 14, 2010, Ironiclast, (Island/Def Jam), the debut album from The Damned Things, releases among the masses. The Damned Things features a heavy hitting lineup from the Hard Rock and Metal world: Scott Ian and Rob Caggiano of Anthrax, Keith Buckley of Every Time I Die and Joe Trohman and Andy Hurley of Fall Out Boy.
You can currently listen to Friday Night (Going Down In Flames) and We’ve Got A SituationHere, both songs on the Ironiclast album, streaming on The Damned Things myspace music page, (see link below). Iconiclast (Rough Mix) is also streaming there as well. The sound of The Damned Things takes on a Heavy Metal meets Arena vibe, melodic with an elevated, anthem like feel and quality. The Damned Things have created songs that are both accessible to the casual Heavy Metal fan as well as long time Metalheads!
With a robust lineup of musicians that The Damned Things bestows, fans would expect their songs to sound good, right? Instead, this band’s songs sound great! It’s always a tremendous thrill for me to hear about a group of musicians, from different backgrounds, getting together to create an album… it’s even a greater thrill when it sounds like a Rockin’ success! I’ll be getting my ears onto this new debut album from The Damned Things on December 14th and it will serve me right. Look for a full album review of Ironiclast in the near future, right here on Metal Odyssey.
Take a look below at the 7″ clear vinyl single of We’ve Got A Situation Here, (B side is Ironiclast),that I picked up at Hot Topic recently:
This 7″ clear vinyl single is an “Ultra Limited Edition” of only 1,000 copies made! Whoa. Whoa again. I paid $4 (U.S.) for it at Hot Topic and currently there are only two copies for sale on Amazon.com. One is selling for $18.99 and the other is $24.99, (U.S.) funds! I guess I made out like a Metal bandit at Hot Topic! Take that Amazon, ha, ha. Let’s give a giant Metal hooray for Stone! I sometimes feel like Stone “The Metal Hunter”.
* For more info on THE DAMNED THINGS, just click on the links below:
BOSTON – Attention audiophiles worldwide! The self titled/debut Rock Classic from Boston will be released on 180 Gram Vinyl, (Friday Music), on December 7, 2010. Yes, I will readily admit to playing the debut Boston album more times than I could ever remember, so many years ago. I can recall having this album on my turntable for days, being the only album I was listening to. Personally, the songs on this album Rocked my head off as a young lad. My favorite song on this Boston album was and to this very day is… Something About You. I extremely dig Rock And Roll Band too… oh yeah I do. Gee Metal whiz, this entire Boston album has never grown stale for me.
There was and still is something mystical about hearing my favorite albums on vinyl. Just seeing vinyl spinning on a turntable today, brings me back to a time when “holding” and looking at an album jacket was part of the listening experience. The whole connection to a band I was listening to was through their music and the album jacket… with whatever artwork and liner notes that was part of it. There was no myspace music, MTV or youtube videos back in those late 70’s, … just the needle on the vinyl and my ears listening intently.
Loaded with more amazing melodies and vocal harmonies than I can count, this Boston album is a monumental Rock Classic. Plus… Boston belongs in that absent minded place that’s called The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. This Boston debut was one of the first albums I ever owned, well before I became a Metalhead… Metal be thy name. Do I feel old stating this? Heck no. Feeling old is a state of mind and I’m not approaching 90 anytime soon. I’ll be blabbing, ranting, writing and raving about the music I love when I do hit 90 years of age… I hope.
* Boston was released back in America’s Bicentennial Year of 1976, during the month of July.
* Boston was originally released on Epic Records.
* This 180 Gram Vinyl of Boston will be a “limited edition”… so I guess the number of pressings are low, just how low is the million dollar question.
DARKBLACK – Midnight Wraith, a five song EP from Portland Oregon’s DarkBlack, will be releasing on December 1, 2010, on Stormspell Records. Wether you call yourself a Traditional Metal or Old School Metal fan, DarkBlack is a band that may inspire your going out to buy that 1983 Chevy Nova you’ve been holding out on… complete with fuzzy, black dice hanging from the windshield mirror with hood stripes too. As with their Traditional Metal peers, the likes of Enforcer, Ravage and White Wizzard, (to name a few), DarkBlack takes me down Metal memory lane to a time when bootleg and demo cassette trading was the norm.
Stop right there. Is there any Metal relevance you ask? Hell yeah there is! DarkBlack is a Metal band that doesn’t seem to care about contemporary fads… Old School Metal never says die! With that said, this Midnight Wraith EP does sound raw and absent of any multi-million dollar producer… and that is what makes this new release from DarkBlack all the more appealing to my Metal ears.
If any Metalhead out there needs to be swayed into listening to Midnight Wraith, just revisit the first two Iron Maiden albums from the Metal yesteryear. They were not the muscular produced gems of Iron Maiden’s The Number Of The Beast or A Matter OfLife And Death albums. In a perfect Metal world, Metal is best when it stays underground… and DarkBlack seems to have tapped into those underground Metalvibes quite naturally.
DarkBlack may not have their own Boeing 757-200 jet, complete with a band mascot painted on it, yet what they do have is a Metal hunger in their playing and it comes right out at me through their songs. Yes, there is plenty of room for DarkBlack to expand on their Metal palette, however, if one is to look at the legacies of Motorhead and Venom, who gives a crap about how raw a band does sound anyways, especially when the seeds of Metallegitimacy have been planted.
All five songs on Midnight Wraith seem to lure me in, they are like Metal bait on a hook. The riffs, guitar leads and solos are memorable throughout all five songs, admittedly they are kinda hard to ignore. A streamlined speed and heaviness combined with a melodic approach is what DarkBlack has embarked upon. I can’t help rooting for a band like DarkBlack, these guys would be voted off that bubble gum Fox network talent show in a heartbeat and would make the cast of Glee run for cover. What’s wrong with that? Absolutely nothing, is the correct answer.
Timothy on vocals could justifiably use some more oomph in letting his pipes be heard, he is a very decent singer… a production tweak is really all it takes there. As for the overall musicianship you can expect to hear on Midnight Wraith, it is all about the foundation. DarkBlack has it and will no doubt continue to build upon it. Sometimes you have to reach back into your Metal archives and realize that some of today’s biggest Metal bands never sounded super polished on their first two or three albums either. DarkBlack is worth checking out and keeping a Metal eye on… give ’em an Old School try, it might just serve you right.
* For more info on DARKBLACK, just click on the link below:
Left to right: Jack Frost/guitar, Rob Pallotta/drums, Charlie Calv/keyboards and DD Verni/vocals & bass
(New York, NY) — eOne Music has signed a world wide deal with NY rock band THEBRONX CASKET CO. “I am totally psyched to be working with eOne for the new Bronx Casket release! They did an amazing job with the Overkill record and I know they will do the same for this. Having a label home where people “get” it and are psyched to work a record is a great feeling”, says front man DD Verni.
The band originally formed in 1998 by Overkill co-founder and bassist DD Verni. Having played in one of the most respected thrash bands ever for over 2 decades, why have another band? Two reasons, states DD, “the challenge of writing interesting new material and for fun of course!”
The bands second release caught the ear of playwright Andrea Lepcio. Soon after, Verni and Lepcio were collaborating with 3-time Tony Winner Hinton Battle to direct and choreograph. Soon the seeds of “The Bronx Casket Co., A New Musical” were planted. Verni quickly recruited several members from the Trans-Siberian Orchestra to perform. The cast consisted of performers from the Broadway shows Hairspray, Rent and Dance of the Vampire. There have been several performances off-Broadway for producers/backers and the show is still in the writing stages. It has a gothic/Broadway score with a twisted love story woven throughout. Songs from the first two Bronx Casket Co. releases are included in the show, as well as 13 new songs D.D. Verni penned just for the musical.
It’s been five years since THE BRONX CASKET CO. last released an album and has been well worth the wait. Verni concludes, “This Bronx Casket record is the best we have done, and we are looking forward to getting out on the road and doing some shows.” As with every Bronx Casket Co. release, Verni has charted new territory, and stretched his writing boundaries.
* The forthcoming 2011 album, from The Bronx Casket Co. is titled: Antihero
* Antihero has been produced and engineered by DD Verni, at his New Jersey based – Gear Recording Studio.
* For more info on THE BRONX CASKET CO., click on the link below:
BON JOVI/POISON – Metal be damned their back. I’m not talking about the bands Bon Jovi and Poison themselves, I’m talking about their recycled, re-mastered, decades old “hits” that everyone on planet Earth already owns. Yes, both bands have reintroduced to the world, once again, their sacred “hits” and have now decided to call them… “collections”. The sole purpose of these “collections” being released now, is for their being purchased as holiday gifts, the timing could not be any more prosperous for Bon Jovi and Poison.
Some poor dude out there is gonna get this Bon Jovi The Ultimate Collection as a Christmas present this year… just because he probably mentioned once, during a family reunion picnic, that he digs the song Bad Medicine. That’s so damn unfortunate. Some poor Hard Rock chick (who owns every Poison album already) is gonna receive this Poison Nothin’ But A Good Time Collection as a holiday grab bag gift at work… all due to her saying she has dug Poison her whole life to someone at the company cafeteria. Terrible thought, I know.
Any fan of Poison or Bon Jovi already owns every damn studio album, live album and greatest hits as it is. I don’t think either band is hurtin’ in the big pay day department either… still, it’s all about the $$$ and no remote care in the world for the long-time fans who want “new” studio recordings of songs. This is Bon Jovi’s fourth “greatest hits” album… hello, egomaniacs anonymous? Maybe these new “collections” from both bands are fitting for younger fans who are just getting into their music, I will concede that. Plus, I’m certain there are a ton of Democrat politicians who have been voted out of office this November that will buy this new Bon Jovi “Collection” as well. Those soon to be former Democrat politicians owe Bon Jovi for his supporting them… so there is always that new market to tap into.
How many times does Poison need to release a “greatest hits”? It’s been eight long years since Poison released a studio album of “new” songs, the last being 2002’s Hollyweird. Four “new” songs on Bon Jovi’s Ultimate Collection is like giving their loyal fans a bagged fart, disguised as a secret toy surprise, in the middle of bland tasting cheerios. Oh, I forgot, This Bon Jovi band is too “busy” to make a full-length album these days. This is as perfect an example, as I can point out, to two different bands becoming so commercial and worldly popular, that anything they decide to refry and belch out, is to be automatically accepted by the Rock listening and buying public. NOT!
Seasoned Rock and Hard Rock fans worldwide, save your hard earned money this holiday season and do yourself an “ultimate” favor by staying away from these “ultimate” collections. I’m not taking away from either band being solid and great in their own musical regards, that is not my intent. I really, really, dig Poison, always have and will. However, giving a little extra more money to the Salvation Army kettle, this holiday season, sounds like a much more valiant way to expend any more disposable income that I already don’t have.
MURDERDOLLS – Tis the season to be horrified and have your face Rocked off and brain rattled from the Metal meets Horror Punk onslaught of MURDERDOLLS… live… on tour… and quite possibly down the street from you. Joey Jordison and Wednesday 13 are ready to spread some bedlam across the U.S. to close out 2010… then they embark on invading Europe and Australia to get their nightmarish 2011 kick started! Get Scared and Vampires Everywhere! will be on the U.S. Violent Night Deadly Night Tour as support bands.
Check out the tour tour dates below, to see if MURDERDOLLS are invading your peaceful community this holiday season:
Violent Night Deadly Night U.S. Tour:
12/03/10 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
12/04/10 – Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre
12/06/10 – New York, NY @ The Gramercy Theatre
12/07/10 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Altar Bar
12/08/10 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
12/09/10 – Allentown, PA @ Crocodile Rock
12/10/10 – Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom
12/11/10 – Baltimore, MD @ Bourbon Street Ballroom
12/12/10 – Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall
12/14/10 – Loop Station, MN @ First Avenue
12/15/10 – Des Moines, IA @ People’s Court
12/21/10 – Tulsa, OK @ The Marquee
12/22/10 – Wichita, KS @ The Cotillion
Wednesday 13 and Joey Jordison
International Tour Dates – 2011:
01/16/11 – Amsterdam, NL @ Melkweg
01/18/11 – Munich, BAY DE @ Backstage
01/19/11 – Berlin DE, @ SO 36
01/20/11 – Hamburg, DE @ Grünspan
01/21/11 – Lingen, DE @ Schlachthof
01/23/11 – Milan, IT @ Magazzini
01/25/11 – Zürich, CH @ Dynamo
01/26/11 – Lyon, FR @ Transbordeur
01/27/11 – Bordeaux, FR @ Rock School Barbey
01/28/11 – Rennes, FR @ Etage
01/29/11 – Paris, FR @ Elysee Montmartre
01/31/11 – Antwerp, BE @ Trix Hall
02/02/11 – Portsmouth, UK @ Pryramids
02/03/11 – Norwich, UK @ Waterfront
02/04/11 – Bristol, UK @ 02 Academy
02/05/11 – Sheffield, UK @ Corporation
02/07/11 – Wolverhampton, UK @ Wulfrun Hall
02/08/11 – Middlesbrough, UK @ Empire
02/10/11 – Glasgow, UK @ ABC
02/11/11 – Manchester, UK @ Academy 2
02/12/11 – London, UK @ HMV Forum
02/13/11 – Nottingham, UK @ Rock City
02/14/11 – Exeter, UK @ Lemon Grove
02/26/11 – Brisbane, AU @ RNA Showgrounds
02/27/11 – Sydney, AU @ Eastern Creek Raceway
03/03/11 – Melbourne, AU @ Melbourne Festival Hall
03/04/11 – Melbourne, AU @ Melbourne Showgrounds
03/05/11 – Adelaide, AU @ Bonython Park
03/07/11 – Perth, AU @ Steel Blue Oval
(Source: MURDERDOLLS Official Website)
* For more info on MURDERDOLLS, just click on the links below:
DORO – Metal’s “real” Queen is Germany’s Doro Pesch and she is celebrating her 25th Anniversary as such in grand Metal style. 25 Years In Rock… And Still Going Strong will be released on Nuclear Blast in Europe on November 26, 2010 and November 29 in the UK, while a December 7, 2010 release is slated for North America. This amazing DORO package is a 2 DVD/1 CD, featuring the celebration of her 25th Anniversary concert on December 13, 2008, at the ISS Dome in Düsseldorf, Germany, (Doro’s hometown).
Live concert footage includes: Big City Nights and Rock You Like A Hurricane with Klaus Meine and Rudolf Schenker, Always Live To Win with Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth, Walking WithThe Angels with Tarja Turunen, True As Steel with Warlock line-up of 1986 and Warrel Dane, All We Are featuring all the guests from this incredible night,plus many more Metal surprises! The total running time is 5 hours on DVD! Whoa… that’s a ton of DORO greatness!
* DVD 1 is live concert footage, while DVD 2 is a documentary with highlights, extras and bonus features.
DORO – 25 Years In Rock Ltd. Edition Double LP Picture Disc, (above). This beauty is being sold directly on Century Media – CM Distro.com. As of November 20th, I’ve seen it as “temporarily out of stock”… so it’s a hot DORO commodity!
* Click below to see the third trailer for DORO – 25 Years In Rock
DORO – 25 Years Of Rock (2DVD/CD Slipcase)
DORO – 25 Years In Rock CD Track Listing:
Introduction
Earthshaker Rock
I Rule The Ruins
You’re My Family
Herzblut
Unholy Love (Featuring Honza K. Behunek)
East Meets West (Featuring Chris Boltendahl and Axel Rudi Pell)
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