Archive for the metal music Category

Metal Odyssey Says: Happy Metal Birthday Scott Coverdale!

Posted in celebrity birthdays, classic rock, classic rock music, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock and roll, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , , , , , on March 24, 2011 by Metal Odyssey

HAPPY METAL BIRTHDAY SCOTT COVERDALE! – Metal Odyssey would like to wish contributing writer and Metal Researcher, Scott Coverdale, a Happy Metal Birthday! Yes, Scott turns (?) old today, March 24th, 2011. Let’s just say that Scott is “old enough” to “somehow” remember going to the 1988 Monsters Of Rock Festival in Foxsborough, Massachusetts and NOT “old enough” to remember watching the Beatles make their historical debut on the Ed Sullivan Show.

I would like to thank Scott Coverdale for his contributions, fact finding research and digging through CD’s for Metal Odyssey. Remember, my best Metal Buddy Scott… it’s all done in the name of METAL!

I chose the 1988 album cover of AC/DC – Blow Up Your Video (top of post) due to the Metal memories it provides me. You see, this 1988 AC/DC concert is single handedly, the most obnoxiously funny time I’ve ever had with Scott Coverdale at any we went to together. AC/DC Rocked the hell out of the Hartford Civic Center that night too! 1988 was a very cool Metal year indeed. Heatseeker! Uh… Metal be thy name.

LONG LIVE SCOTT COVERDALE.

“HAVE A DRINK ON ME”

Stone.

MACABRE – Announce 2011 Summer North American Tour; European Tour Begins In April!

Posted in Death Metal, Extreme Metal, gore metal, grindcore, Heavy Metal, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 24, 2011 by Metal Odyssey

Murder Metallers MACABRE have announced a string of North American tour dates for this Summer, the latest in their ongoing Grim Scary Tour supporting their latest blistering full-length Grim Scary Tales. Set to kick off in late July, MACABRE will hit the road for two weeks as direct support for Gore Metal outfit Exhumed, and also joined by Cephalic Carnage and Withered.

MACABRE will first hit the road for the previously-announced European leg of the tour in mid-April, with special guests Birdflesh, Rompeprop, and with nine select dates of the tour also including support from fellow Chicagoan Bruce Lamont.

Confirmed Dates For MACABRE The Grim Scary Tour:

European Grim Scary Tour with Birdflesh, Rompeprop, Bruce Lamont (on select dates):

4/16/2011 Salzman Factory – Kassel, Germany

4/18/2011 Feierwerk – Munchen, Germany

4/19/2011 Marx – Hamburg, Germany w/ Bruce Lamont

4/20/2011 Sticky fingers – Gotenborg, Sweden w/ Bruce Lamont

4/21/2011 Kafe Deluxe – Vaxjo, Sweden w/ Bruce Lamont

4/22/2011 Ungdomens Hus – Uppsala, Sweden w/ Bruce Lamont

4/23/2011 O’Leary’s – Kristianstad, Sweden w/ Bruce Lamont

4/24/2011 Turock – Essen, Germany w/ Bruce Lamont

4/26/2011 Exit Chmelnice – Prague, Czech Republic w/ Bruce Lamont

4/27/2011 Nova Pekaren – Nitra, Slovakia w/ Bruce Lamont

4/28/2011 Prostor Tančírna – Ostrava, Czech Republic w/ Bruce Lamont

4/29/2011 Skullcrusher club – Dresden, Germany

4/30/2011 Neurotic Deathfest – Tilburg, Netherlands

5/01/2011 4Ecluses – Dunkerque, France

5/03/2011 Dynamo Werk 21 – Zurich, Switzerland

4/04/2011 Pieffe Factory – Nova Gorica, Italy

5/05/2011 Escape – Vienna, Austria

5/06/2011 Warpurgis Metal Days Fest – Hauzenberg, Germany

5/07/2011 Puntpop Festival – Wuustweezel Belgium

5/08/2011 Steinbruch Theater – Darmstad, Germany

North American grim Scary Tour with Exhumed, Cephalic Carnage, Withered:

7/24/2011 Central Illinois Metalfest – Urbana, IL

7/25/2011 The Rave – Milwaukee, WI

7/26/2011 Station 4 – St. Paul, MN

7/27/2011 Royal Albert Arms – Winnipeg, MB

7/28/2011 The Exchange – Regina, SK

7/29/2011 The Pawn Shop – Edmonton, AB

7/30/2011 The Distillery – Calgary, AB

7/31/2011 Sapphire Nightclub – Kelowna, BC

8/01/2011 Rickshaw Theater – Vancouver, BC

8/02/2011 Studio Seven – Seattle, WA

8/03/2011 Branx – Portland, OR

8/04/2011 Slim’s – San Francisco, CA

8/05/2011 The Alley – Sparks, NV

8/06/2011 Cheyanne Saloon – Las Vegas, NV

8/07/2011 The Key Club – Hollywood, CA

The band’s turbulent new full-length Grim Scary Tales presents the classic MACABRE style fans have come to expect, cleverly combining nursery rhyme sing-along quirkiness with ultra-tight, high-speed, Gore/Grind/Death ingenuity. MACABRE have cleverly devised a “story book of murder” with this album, as Grim Scary Tales tracing back to the earliest recorded and most infamous mass killers.

(Source: Earsplit PR)

* For more info on MACABRE, just click on the links below!

MACABRE – MURDER METAL

MACABRE – myspace music

MACABRE – REVERBNATION

* To check out my album review for Grim Scary Tales, (posted on January 30, 2011), click on the large header link below!

MACABRE “Grim Scary Tales” – A Bloody Good and Terror Filled Escape of Metal Tales!

LONG LIVE MACABRE.

Stone.

Frankie Sparcello of Exhorder – Rest In Peace

Posted in groove metal, Heavy Metal, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock music, rock music news, Thrash Metal with tags , , , , , , , , , , , on March 24, 2011 by Metal Odyssey

It has been reported just about everywhere, that Frankie Sparcello (bass guitarist) of EXHORDER passed away on March 22, 2011. This is sad news for the entire Metal world. The loss of Frankie Sparcello only adds to the long list of Metal heros our Metal community has lost in the last two years alone. Metal Odyssey extends condolences to the family, friends, band mates and fans of Frankie Sparcello.

EXHORDER was scheduled to play at the Maryland Death Fest IX, which runs May 26th through May 29th, 2011, at the Sonar in Baltimore. EXHORDER originated from New Orleans, Louisiana, back in 1985. With two studio albums and one “split” live album in their catalog, EXHORDER has always maintained their loyal fan base, receiving the respect and brandishing influence among their peers, regardless of any periods of inactivity. Frankie Sparcello was the bassist for EXHORDER on their 1992 studio album The Law.

EXHORDER Discography On RoadRunner Records:

Slaughter In The Vatican – (1990)

The Law – (1992)

EXHORDER On Split, Restless Records:

Live Death – (1994)

Long Live The Metal Of Exhorder.

Rest In Peace, Frankie Sparcello.

Stone.

HUNTED “Welcome The Dead” – Colossal Progressive Metal To Prize

Posted in classic metal, Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums, heavy metal bands, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, progressive metal, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , , , , , , on March 23, 2011 by Metal Odyssey

HUNTED – In my Metal quest for delivering to visitors of Metal Odyssey, unsigned bands that are decidedly worthy of their Metal existence, I have uncovered yet another exemplary band. This Progressive Metal band is based in Cardiff, Wales and is known as HUNTED. Remember the name of this band, cause once a record label signs them (and Hunted will get signed) you can say, with Metal pride, you knew about them “back in the day”. Welcome The Dead is the debut album of ten songs that ruptures with proficiency, the Progressive Metal of Hunted. Hunted is a band that’s on the Metal advance and I’m on board for their Metal offensive.

The Metal influences are easily detectable from the Progressive Metal sound that Hunted plays. I hear Geoff Tate’s influence resonate from the vocals of Chris G and trust me, this guy can sing like his life depends on it. Picture if you will, Iron Maiden fusing their Progressive Metal with Dream Theater and you have what Hunted reminds this Old Schooler of and openly agrees with. Hunted is light years from being a copy-cat band, so rest assured you will be listening to a band that has taken such legendary Metal influences and carved out their own flaming ball of Metal originality.

Minus any keyboard atmospherics, Hunted remarkably pulls off an ambiance of Progressive Metal space that excels. This band can play heavy, my ears don’t doubt this for a second. I Want Nothing has it’s tempo changes, only it plays out quite Heavy in both it’s Metal and vocal personality. There is a lot to be said, as to how Hunted structures their songs, leading the listener on a Metal landscape that evolves with it’s intensity and simmers down with melodic majesty.

The totality of musicianship and the vocals of Chris G carry Hunted in unison, combining for a band that plays extremely tight. While not radiating an over-polished listen in sound, there is an air of rawness to this album that many superstar bands are missing today. I am impressed by the talents of Tim Hamill and Hunted in producing and mixing this album, these are songs that can’t be thrown together with their delicate parts. Hunted comes across as a band that planned this Welcome The Dead album a long time ago, in a Metal galaxy far, far away. This is not an album you can listen to three times over and write about. Instead, Welcome The Dead is an album that needs to be digested for a month, enjoyed and continually savored.

The articulation of Chris G’s vocals coinciding with the Metal articulation of Steven Barberini on guitar could not have happened overnight… or over the course of one year, these songs are that luminous with profound energy, thought and dynamism. The melodic leads and solos that Steven plays are so flavorful, that I am launched into a world of swirling Metal highs because of my hearing them. Sounds sappy? Not to me. Music, especially Metal, can move me like there’s no tomorrow. Metal be thy name.

Aria (In Memoriam) plays out at 8:49 and is one of the finest Progressive Metal epic songs I’ve ever listened to. Emotion spills over from both this songs music and vocals. If your going to make Progressive Metal songs that last this long, the key is to keep the emotion on high and never let up and Hunted does just that. The title track/intro begins with the sounds of war, bullets ripping through the air, marching boots and an air raid siren. This is Progressive Metal. An intro such as this sets the stage, mood and impending anatomy to the songs that follow.

Hunted plays as if they have been together for twenty years. Layered songs with clever lyrics, the enthusiasm and competence this band exhibits through their playing of these songs cannot be denied. I’m already looking forward to another album from Hunted… right now. Then again, Metal, Progressive Metal that is this grand, cannot be manufactured or served up fast-food style. Welcome The Dead is an album of Progressive Metal and Metal for discerning fans of Metal Music. I’ll just end this rave review by adding: Hunted is without question, in the sparse crème de la crème crowd of unsigned Metal bands. Metal be thy name.

Track Listing For Welcome The Dead:

Welcome The Dead (1:19)

The Silence Of Minds (6:03)

Chosen (4:28)

Aria (In Memoriam) (8:48)

The Incident (0.33)

Impaled (5.11)

Scars (5.23)

I Want Nothing (5.41)

Shadows (7.00)

The Heart Collector (Bonus Track) (5.49)

HUNTED:

Chris G – vocals

Steven Barberini – guitars

Jon Letson – bass

Matt “Animal” Thomas – drums

Metal Odyssey gives HUNTED Welcome The Dead Five Metal Fists out of Five!

* Welcome The Dead was mixed and produced by Tim Hamill and Hunted.

* Welcome The Dead was mastered by John K. (Biomechanical)

* Welcome The Dead was recorded & edited by Tim Hamill at Sonic One Studio, Wales, UK.

* Album cover art by: Marcela Bolivar

* For more info on HUNTED, click here: HUNTED – myspace music

LONG LIVE HUNTED.

Stone.

Ozzy Osbourne Randy Rhoads Tribute – Live Album From 1987 Is Priceless, Old School, Heavy Metal History

Posted in classic rock, guitar legends, guitarists, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums, heavy metal history, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , , , , , , , on March 23, 2011 by Metal Odyssey

OZZY OSBOURNE RANDY RHOADS TRIBUTE – How often do you turn to your collection of music, whether it be CDs, vinyl, cassettes or (gulp) 8 tracks for that refreshing listen in Old School?  And as you rummage through your music collection, you find that one Old School release you haven’t listened to in quite some time? It happened to me a couple of days ago. This Old School album I’ve revisited is Ozzy Osbourne Randy Rhoads – Tribute. I have this live Heavy Metal masterpiece on CD and cassette, once owning it on vinyl. This is a “double-album” release and all 14 songs are on one CD.

Why do I refer to this album as a masterpiece you question? This is the first and only live Ozzy Osbourne album that features the infinitely legendary Randy Rhoads (Randall William Rhoads) as guitarist. Randy Rhoads passed away at age 25, back on March 19, 1982. It was a “freak” small plane accident that took Randy Rhoads away from us all, halfway through the Diary Of A Madman tour. I won’t get into anymore details about this sad story… the internet is loaded with the complete story on this horrible day in Rock Music history.

There are three Black Sabbath classics heard on this live album: Iron Man, Children Of The Grave and Paranoid. Randy Rhoads did these Black Sabbath classics spectacular Metal justice on Tribute. Yes, Tony Iommi is the originator and guitar master of these Black Sabbath songs, there is no dispute. If anything, Randy and Tony are on the same Metal tier in my most honest Metal opinion. Two entirely different guitar styles and two unique legends of Heavy Metal and Rock history are they both. Each guitarist has carved out his individual Metal legacy for all eternity. What more can I say about that?

As I listen now, some 24 years after this live album has been released, the chills still run up and down my body when I crank these Heavy Metal classics up… just as it happened to me in 1987. When a live album or any album for that matter, can never lose it’s euphoric Metal vibe that it gives me, such as this one, then I Metal ordain it a Metal Masterpiece. I’m forever left spellbound by listening to Randy Rhoads play his riffs, leads and solo’s throughout this entire live album. The studio out-takes of Randy Rhoads playing Dee never ceases in capturing my full attention. The all encompassing Metal high I get from hearing these live versions of Flying High Again, I Don’t Know, Crazy Train and Mr. Crowley is a personal feeling that is priceless.

Randy Rhoads has a featured guitar solo on Suicide Solution and it is a dizzying listen into just how immense, influential and dynamic his guitar playing was… and forever will be. Ozzy’s vocals on these live songs sound just incredible to my ears, it’s vintage Ozzy. There will never be another Ozzy Osbourne, just like there shall never be another Randy Rhoads. These two ultra-amazing men of Metal created two magical albums together with Blizzard of Ozz (1980) and Diary Of A Madman (1981). Those were two back-to-back Heavy Metal albums that essentially catapulted Ozzy’s solo career to iconic heights and made Randy Rhoads, the guitarist, an everlasting influence and legend.

Both of these iconic Heavy Metal albums are celebrated on this live Tribute album and Ozzy Osbourne paid tribute to Randy Rhoads through it’s release. The guitar playing and song writing of Randy Rhoads shall be celebrated forever by this Metalhead. This is a live album that belongs in every Hard Rock and Metal fans collection of music, I can’t fathom any reason otherwise. Ozzy Osbourne Randy Rhoads – Tribute is a live album that captured important Heavy Metal and Rock music history, which will be passed down for Metal generations to come.

The band as listed in the “original” album liner notes:

Ozzy Osbourne – vocals

Randy Rhoads – guitar

Rudy Sarzo – bass

Tommy Aldridge – drums

Track Listing For Ozzy Osbourne Randy Rhoads – Tribute:

I Don’t Know

Crazy Train

Believer

Mr. Crowley

Flying High Again

Revelation (Mother Earth)

Steal Away (The Night) (With Drum Solo)

Suicide Solution (With Guitar Solo)

Iron Man

Children Of The Grave

Paranoid

Goodbye To Romance

No Bone Movies

Dee (Randy Rhoads Studio Out-Takes)

* Ozzy Osbourne Randy Rhoads – Tribute was produced and engineered by Max Norman. The executive producer was Ozzy Osbourne.

* Ozzy Osbourne Randy Rhoads – Tribute was released March 19, 1987, on Epic Records.

The combination of knowing that the month of March marks the passing of Randy Rhoads and speaking with “DeadDave” of Dead Daves Radio.com about Old School Heavy Metal over this past weekend, prompted me to dig out this classic work of live Heavy Metal… without my even thinking about it. I guess needing to listen to Ozzy Osbourne Randy Rhoads – Tribute was imbedded in my Metal sub-conscious, all along this past week.

I met “DeadDave” for the first time in my Metal life at the COLD, KOPEK, Egypt Central, Oceans Divide and Maddam Ink. concert at the Crocodile Rock Cafe on Saturday, March 19th. I’ll tell the world this much… “DeadDave” is one cool dude who likes his Horror, Hard Rock and Heavy Metal. Thanks for the conversations “DeadDave” and for the Metal knowledge you shared as well.

Long Live Ozzy Osbourne.

Rest In Peace, Randy Rhoads.

Stone.

STRAIGHT LINE STITCH – Stream Entire New Album “The Fight Of Our Lives”, Giving Away Single For FREE Via iTunes!

Posted in Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums, heavy metal bands, heavy metal festivals, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , , , , , , on March 22, 2011 by Metal Odyssey

(Photo Credit: Tom Medvedich)

(New York, NY) — STRAIGHT LINE STITCH is streaming their entire new album “The Fight Of Our Lives” this week over at AOL Music, to celebrate it’s release that comes out today, March 22, 2011.

Listen to “The Fight Of Our Lives” here: http://aol.it/gLKCmO

Their current single, “Conversion” is featured on iTunes as the FREE “Discovery Download” single of the week. Download it here: http://bit.ly/hLdGni

The band has no qualms about staying on the road this year. They recently announced off-dates with the one and only IN FLAMES during their run on the  2011 ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL. They’ve also announced a handful of dates with road mates NONPOINT, Revolver magazine’s “Hottest Chicks In Hard Rock: Hell Hath No Fury” tour supporting IN THIS MOMENT and last but not least, DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL.  All dates can be found below.

Supporting Nonpoint:

4/6 Tallahassee, FL @ Floyd’s Music Store

4/7 Charleston, SC @ Jimbo’s Rock Lounge

4/8 Jacksonville, NC @ Hooligans

4/9 Johnson City, TN @ Capones

4/10 Winston Salem, NC @ Johnny and Junes

4/18 Fayetteville, AR  @ Rogue

4/19 Amarillo, TX @ The Sorority House

4/20 Farmington, NM @ Top Deck

Supporting In This Moment:

4/25 Sparks, NV @ The Alley

4/27 Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory

4/28 Seattle, WA @ Studio Seven

4/29 Portland, OR @ Bossanova Ballroom

4/30 Spokane, WA @ The A Club

5/01 Billings, MT @ Railyard

5/03 Des Moines, IA @ House Of Bricks

5/05 Madison, WI @ The Annex

5/06 Grand Rapids, MI @ Intersection

5/07 Barrington, IL @ Penny Road Pub

5/08 Evansville, IN @ Boney Junes

5/09 Little Rock, AR @ Downtown Music Hall

5/10 Lawrence, KS @ The Bottleneck

5/11 Tulsa, OK @ The Marquee

5/12 Lubbock, TX @ Jake’s

5/13 Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad

5/14 Tucson, AZ @ The Rock

5/15 Flagstaff, AZ @ The Orpheum

Supporting In Flames:

7/18 Omaha, NE @ Sokol Auditorium

7/25 Niagara Falls, NY @ Rapids Theatre

7/26 Clifton Park, NY @ Northern Lights

8/01 Charlotte, NC @ Amos’ Southend

8/08 Kansas City, MO @ Harrah’s

Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival 2011 Tour Dates:

Jul. 09 – San Bernardino, CA @ San Manuel Amphitheatre

Jul. 10 – San Francisco, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre

Jul. 12 – Seattle, WA @ White River Amphitheater

Jul. 13 – Boise, ID @ Idaho Center Amphitheatre

Jul. 15 – Phoenix, AZ @ Cricket Wireless Pavilion

Jul. 16 – Albuquerque, NM @ Hard Rock Casino Presents: The Pavilion

Jul. 17 – Denver, CO @ Comfort Dental Amphitheatre

Jul. 19 – St. Louis, MO @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater

Front woman Alexis Brown is the featured “Hottest Chick in Hard Rock”, in the newest issue of REVOLVER MAGAZINE. Copies are on stands now!

STRAIGHT LINE STITCH originally hailing from Knoxville, TN, features Alexis Brown on vocals, Seth Thacker and Kris Norris on guitar, Jason White on bass, and Kanky Lora on drums.

(Source: eOne Music)

* For more info on STRAIGHT LINE STITCH, click the links below:

Straight Line Stitch – MySpace.com

http://www.facebook.com/straightlinestitch

LONG LIVE STRAIGHT LINE STITCH.

Stone.

Withering Soul – Apochs.net Now Streaming Four Tracks From “No Closure”!

Posted in Black Metal, Death Metal, Extreme Metal, gothic metal, Heavy Metal, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 22, 2011 by Metal Odyssey

WITHERING SOUL – Packed with more Metal than your grandma’s hip replacement, our good buds at Apochs.net have again extended a fiery set of horns and are currently streaming four (yes, four) new tracks from the recently released slab of Blackened brilliance No Closure from Chicago’s WITHERING SOUL. Hook your laptop up to the good speakers and cruise over to: Apochs.net – Apochs Metal Review

No Closure is a combination of Symphonic Black Metal and Melodic Death Metal with some Gothic overtones thrown is as well. As an added treat, guest backing vocals have been provided by Melissa Ferlaak. Inclusive of quality Scandinavian influences, but now with mature competency, they have carved their own path that is destined to generate a buzz in the underground and capture fans across the board.

(Source: Clawhammer PR)

* Check out my full review for No Closure (posted on February 20, 2011), by clicking the big header link below:

Withering Soul – “No Closure” Explodes With Black Metal Impressiveness

Track Listing For No Closure:

Night of the Revenant

Phantasmal Chaos Divinity

The Sequitor

Tides of the Accursed

Possession of Deception – Part II

Sadistic Redress

Manifest Transparency

Lifeless They Lie

Unquiet

Requiem of Sorrow

* For more info on WITHERING SOUL, click the links below:

WITHERING SOUL – Official Website

WITHERING SOUL – REVERBNATION

LONG LIVE WITHERING SOUL.

Stone.

MARYLAND DEATH FEST IX: May 26th thru 29th, 2011 – Metal Bands Listed and Info!

Posted in Death Metal, death metal bands, death metal festivals, Extreme Metal, Heavy Metal, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock music, rock music news, sludge metal, Thrash Metal, thrash metal bands with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 19, 2011 by Metal Odyssey

MARYLAND DEATH FEST IX – Take a look at this lineup of Metal bands! Metal be thy name, there is enough Death Metal firepower at this Maryland Death Fest IX to make any fan of Extreme Metal drool for a month! From May 26th, thru May 29th, 2011, the Maryland Death Fest IX will be letting loose at Club Sonar in Baltimore, Maryland. (See links at bottom of post for more info on Maryland Death Fest IX and Club Sonar).

It’s an incredible Metal feat to corral such an impressive amount of Metal bands together for four days! I can only imagine the logistics involved. Metal as my witness, this vast lineup of bands kicks some serious Metal ass. With Metal Legends the likes of Coroner, Neurosis and Cathedral being on the same bill, the influence meter for younger bands will be exploding! Corrosion Of Conformity brings their diverse Metal history to this Death Fest IX and this lineup gets meatier by the Metal minute. Dutch Death Metal all-stars, Hail of Bullets, will be making a U.S. appearance here as well and they will certainly set forth their old school Death Metal proficiency upon the masses.

The legendary Voivod looks to add some potent Thrash with their progressive extremity. Thrash Metal warriors Nuclear Assault are back! Thrash Metal has their pioneering flag bearers at this Death Fest IX without argument. GHOST has been stirring up quite the Metal buzz the last several months, they should fit right in with this Death Metal party just fine. Their brand of old school, Classic Metal with their identities unknown, will only recruit more fans at this amazing event to the dark and evil gospel according to GHOST!

* For more current info, news, ticket info, event history, hotel info and band running order, just click on this link: MARYLAND DEATH FEST IX

* For more info on CLUB SONAR in Baltimore, Maryland, plus directions, just click on this link: SONAR BALTIMORE

LONG LIVE MARYLAND DEATH FEST.

LONG LIVE DEATH METAL.

LONG LIVE METAL.

Stone.

HEMOPTYSIS – Streaming “Misanthropic Slaughter” Album Online!

Posted in Death Metal, Extreme Metal, Heavy Metal, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock music, rock music news, Thrash Metal, thrash metal bands with tags , , , , , , , , , , on March 18, 2011 by Metal Odyssey

HEMOPTYSIS – Phoenix Arizona’s Hemoptysis have announced that their debut album “Misanthropic Slaughter” is now available for streaming in it’s entirety via the band’s new bandcamp page : HEMOPTYSIS – bandcamp page

* “Misanthropic Slaughter”, as well as singles, are also available for download on the Hemoptysis bandcamp page as well.

* Physical copies of “Misanthropic Slaughter” are available worlwide at this location: HEMOPTYSIS – Official Website

“Misanthropic Slaughter” was produced by Grammy Award winner Ryan Greene (Megadeth, NOFX, Alice Cooper) and has received over 20 positive reviews worldwide… all before it’s release! “Misanthropic Slaughter” will be available in stores throughout Europe via Rock It Up/IceWarrior Records in late April, 2011.

HEMOPTYSIS:

Masaki Murashita – vocals & guitar

Ryan Miller – lead guitar

Sunao Arai – bass

Travis Thune – drums

* For more info on HEMOPTYSIS, click on the links below:

HEMOPTYSIS – Official Website

HEMOPTYSIS – myspace music

HEMOPTYSIS – Facebook

HEMOPTYSIS – REVERBNATION

* Metal Odyssey reminds those who want to help out our great friends in Japan, to click on the link below for assistance:

http://www.google.com/intl/en/crisisresponse/japanquake2011.html

LONG LIVE HEMOPTYSIS.

Stone.

IMPENDING DOOM – Sign a World Wide Deal With eOne Music! 2011 Tour Dates Listed!

Posted in Death Metal, deathcore, Extreme Metal, Heavy Metal, heavy metal bands, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 17, 2011 by Metal Odyssey

(New York, NY) — Hard hitting “gorship” outfit IMPENDING DOOM have signed a world wide deal with eOne Music. “We’re very excited to start a new chapter in our career on a label who has proven to be a staple in the Metal community,” says guitarist Corey Johnson. The band is writing new material to be released later this year. Johnson continues, “We’re certain that with our new material, the touring plans we have on the horizon and having such a powerful label behind us there will be no stopping Impending Doom!“

IMPENDING DOOM are currently on tour with NORMA JEAN and STICK TO YOUR GUNS, with a few weeks left before they head over to Europe for the first time in their career alongside WHITECHAPEL.

w/ Norma Jean, Stick To Your Guns

3/16 Cleveland, OH @ Peabody’s

3/17 Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Smalls

3/18 New York, NY @ Gramercy Theatre

3/19 Worcester, MA @ Palladium Upstairs

3/20 Lancaster, PA @ Chameleon Club

3/22 Richmond, VA @ Canal Club

3/23 Charlotte, NC @ Tremont Music Hall

3/24 Tampa, FL @ State Theatre

3/25 Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade

w/ Whitechapel

04/08 Glasgow, UK – Cathouse

04/09 Sheffield, UK – Corporation

04/10 Manchester, UK – Academy 3

04/11 Birmingham, UK – Academy 3

04/12 Islington, UK – Islington Academy

04/13 Portsmouth, UK – Wedgewood Rooms

04/14 Paris, FRA – Boule Noire

IMPENDING DOOM have achieved success in recent years with releases like “The Serpent Servant” and “There Will Be Violence;” both cracking the Billboard Top 200 Chart. Often seen on tour with acts like CHIMAIRA, WHITECHAPEL and AUGUST BURNS RED, the band has no plans of stopping now.

IMPENDING DOOM are Brook Reeves on vocals, Cory Johnson on guitar, David Sittig on bass and Brandon “B-Town” Trahan on drums.

(Source: eOne Music)

* For more into on IMPENDING DOOM, just click the links below:

IMPENDING DOOM – myspace music

IMPENDING DOOM – facebook

LONG LIVE IMPENDING DOOM.

Stone.

MISFITS – NEW TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED FOR 2011!

Posted in horror metal, horror punk, horror punk rock bands, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, Punk rock, punk rock bands, punk rock music, rock and roll, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , , , , , , , on March 17, 2011 by Metal Odyssey

MISFITS – Get ready all of you Fiends out there… here are some NEW tour dates just announced by the Misfits! Take a look below and see if there is a Misfits show in your neck of the scary woods!

04/11/11 – State College, Pennsylvania @ The Mezzanine **NEW**

04/15/11 – Recife, Brazil @ Abril Pro Rock

04/17/11 – TBD, Brazil, TBA

05/05/11 – Monterrey, Mexico @ Escenica

05/06/11 – Mexico City, Mexico @ Salon Cuervo

06/11/11 – Milovice, Czech Republic @ Sonisphere Festival **NEW**

06/12/11 – Vienna, Austria @ Arena Open Air Festival **NEW**

06/17/11 – Lichtenfels, Germany @ Rock In Concert Festival **NEW**

* I don’t have any additional info on the 04/17/11 date in Brazil. “TBD” and “TBA” is what’s currently attached to this Brazil date. Once I find more info on this Brazil date, I will post it up!

(Source: MISFITS Official Website)

* For more info on the MISFITS, just click the links below:

MISFITS – Official Website

MISFITS – MySpace Music Page

MISFITS – facebook

MISFITS RECORDS – facebook

LONG LIVE THE MISFITS.

Stone.

VREID: Norwegian Black Metal Collective Unleash Fifth Full Length To North America Today!

Posted in Black Metal, black metal albums, Extreme Metal, Heavy Metal, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , , , , , , , on March 15, 2011 by Metal Odyssey

Norwegian black metallers VREID today release their fifth studio album, simply entitled V, in North America via Indie Recordings. Issued to European territories in February, the nine-track offering was produced by bassist/songwriter Hváll at his own 1184 Studio and has already received a positive response from European press, earning a perfect 6/6 rating in Scream Magazine in Norway and an 8/10 in Terrorizer who called the record VREID’s “most accomplished work to date.”

V Track Listing:

01. Arche

02. The Blood Eagle

03. Wolverine Bastards

04. The Sound Of The River

05. Fire On The Mountain

06. The Others & The Look

07. Slave

08. Welcome To The Asylum

09. Then We Die

Check out the video for “The Sound Of The River”, filmed in Wroclaw, Poland by Grupa 13 (Behemoth, Amon Amarth) Just click this link

 

The song is reportedly inspired by the book Markens Grøde/Growth Of The Soil by Knut Hamsun (a book which earned the legendary and controversial Norwegian author a Nobel prize in literature in 1920).

ABOUT VREID:

VREID, Norwegian for “wrath,” arose from the ashes of Windir, following the tragic death of Valfar in January 2004. At the time the band consisted of Windir members Hváll (bass), Steingrim (drums), Sture (vocals/guitar) and new guitarist/longtime friend, Ese. This lineup went on to release four albums and one DVD.

Between 2004 -2006 VREID released two full-lengths on Tabu Recordings: Kraft and Pitch Black Brigade. The music was a natural continuance of the music Hváll wrote with Windir, with a new twist — the ambiance of Windir and rawness of Norwegian black metal meshed with the rocking groove of Sepultura, Metallica and Motörhead. The lyrics were in both English and Norwegian, and heavily influenced by historical themes.

By 2006 VREID signed to then-new imprint Indie Records. Their third album, I Krig (Norwegian for “at war”), was released in May 2007. All the lyrics were based on poems from 1946 by Gunnar Reiss-Andersen, a member of the Norwegian resistance fighters during WW2. In 2009 they released Milorg. With English lyrics, the album once again dealt with the resistance movement’s work in Norway during WW2. The album received rave reviews and is VREID’s greatest success to date.

Since then, the band has been on a long-lasting path of progression and success. Their European headlining tour with Kampar and Iskald (on which they played Milorg in it’s entirety almost every night) was nearly sold out everywhere. They also did an extensive tour with Pestilence as special guests on their comeback tour. In April 2009 VREID performed on the main stage of the Inferno fest. Their set included pyro, movie screens and guest performances to illustrate the themes from their last album. This show is the backbone for their first ever DVD, Vreid Goddamnit that was released in September 2010. In the summer of that same year, VREID found themselves playing some of their most monumental shows ever on the main stages of mammoth festivals like Wacken Open Air, Summer Breeze, Brutal Assault, Oslo Live and Zwarte Cross. For the US release in October 2009, they did the Heathen Fest with Eluveitie and Belphegor which took them to 29 cities in 31 days.

VREID spent 2010 playing select festivals and shows, with their main focus on writing V. Build upon Norwegian blackness and ’70s rock, on V, the Norwegian black ‘n’ rollers are reunited with guitar maestro Strom from Windir and Ulcus days (former guitarist Ese fled the band late 2009). With history as the lifeline of their lyrics, V focuses its thoughts on Hamsun, Munch and Sarte and is clearly bears some of their heaviest and most complex songs ever recorded. VREID have marched across the world performing over 200 shows since their start back in 2004, and will be hitting the road 2011. Further details to be announced in due time.

(Source: Earsplit PR)

VREID Lineup:

Hváll – Bass

Sture – Vocals/Guitar

Strom – Guitar

Steingrim – Drums

LONG LIVE VREID.

Stone.

Masaki Murashita of Hemoptysis – Comments on His Native Japan, Concerning Current Crisis

Posted in Death Metal, Extreme Metal, Heavy Metal, japan, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock music, rock music news, world news with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 15, 2011 by Metal Odyssey

As the country of Japan has suffered tremendously from the recent earthquake, tsunami and subsequent nuclear reactor problems, we have all been watching in horror and feeling for the people of Japan. Some have been hit on a more personal level, Hemoptysis vocalist/guitarist Masaki Murashita is a native of Japan and has issued the following comment:

“I first want to thank our fans for the overwhelming support they have shown me in the last few days since my home country of Japan was hit by devastating earthquakes and a tsunami. I have been in contact with my family and friends in Japan and they are safe at the moment but not out of harm’s way. This is without a doubt one of the most difficult and tragic times for my country. The Japanese people are strong and resilient but any help you can spare for the people of Japan would be greatly appreciated. You can help by following this link”  http://www.google.com/intl/en/crisisresponse/japanquake2011.html

Thank you. Masaki

On March 8th, 2011, Hemoptysis released “Misanthropic Slaughter” and signed an European record deal with Rock It Up/IceWarrior Records. The album is available on iTunes, Amazon and other online retailers digitally, physical copies are available worldwide via HEMOPTYSIS – Official Website and copies will hit store shelves throughout Europe via Rock It Up Records late next month.

* For updated Hemoptysis info, visit these links:

HEMOPTYSIS – Official Website

HEMOPTYSIS – myspace music

HEMOPTYSIS – Facebook

LONG LIVE HEMOPTYSIS.

LONG LIVE JAPAN AND IT’S GREAT PEOPLE.

Stone.

KISS “DYNASTY” – An Old School Flashback To 1979

Posted in classic rock, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock and roll, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , , , , , , , on March 14, 2011 by Metal Odyssey

KISS DYNASTY – 1979 was an interesting year. In sports, the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XIII by a score of 35-31, at the Miami Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. Five days later, I turned thirteen years old. (Yes, I am the same age as the Super Bowl, in case you didn’t notice). This was a grand year for the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania for the Pittsburgh Pirates also became World Champions too, by winning the World Series against the Baltimore Orioles in seven games. This was after the Pirates were down in the World Series three games to one. “We Are Family”! Yes, Sister Sledge will forever be most famous for this Pittsburgh Pirates theme song of 1979.

Jimmy Carter was serving as the 39th President of The United States, with Vice President Walter Mondale by his side. There were extremely long lines at the gasoline pumps in the U.S. due to an “oil crisis”. A partial core meltdown accident occurred at the Three Mile Island Nuclear Facility, on March 28, 1979, in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. Three huge news stories involved Pennsylvania in 1979: the World Series Champions, the Super Bowl Champions and Three Mile Island. Now that’s Pennsylvania trivia for you! Of course there were countless other news stories going on around the world in 1979… KISS releasing their seventh studio album Dynasty was one of them.

As a thirteen year old KISS fan, I was psyched-out when I first learned of Dynasty being released. I was not a full-fledged Metalhead just yet and KISS was heavy-duty stuff for my ears at that age. I remember seeing the KISS Dynasty advertisement on the back cover of many comic books, well before it’s release, making it all the more exciting to me. When I first heard I Was Made For Lovin’ You on FM radio, I was hooked! You have to look at my age and the time period of this KISS album being released, to truly understand why I Was Made For Lovin’ You was a big deal.

Fast forward to 2011 and many (if not the majority) of KISS fans both young and old, will wince at putting I Was Made For Lovin’ You at the top of the list of all-time KISS Klassics. Honestly, I still like this song, only it’s not the greatest KISS song ever recorded. I may not get the ostrich bumps up and down my arms from this song, as I did back in 1979, yet tastes change and so did this iconic KISS group. My biggest pet peeve about I Was Made For Lovin’ You is it being singled out as a (gulp) Disco song. Ouch. Sure, this song has some “dance in it’s step”, still, it isn’t Donna Summer’s MacArthur Park from 1978 either. The Village People were Disco. Metal be thy name.

Charisma and Sure Know Something are my two favorite songs from Dynasty. I’ve always loved hearing Gene Simmons play that rich, deep bass on Sure Know Something. Gene’s vocals on Charisma were fun then, they still are entertaining as ever for me today. 2,000 Man is a Hard Rock Klassic, Ace Frehley sings this song with timeless coolness. This was and always will be a fun KISS album to listen to, not to be misunderstood as a Classic Rock masterpiece. Dynasty is a very decent album from KISS. These were KISS songs that reflected this era of Rock ‘n’ Roll, not to be misjudged as songs meant to change the course of Rock history.

For several years after the release of Dynasty, I had the KISS poster that came inside the album jacket hanging on my bedroom wall. My wife remembers, as a young kid, having this same poster hanging on the back of her bedroom door for years as well. Neither one of us kept this Klassic KISS poster, however, we both still have our respective copies of Dynasty on vinyl! Go figure. By the way… my copy of Dynasty is in better condition than my wife’s copy. Don’t anyone tell her I said that.

* KISS DYNASTY was released in May of 1979, on Casablanca Records.

* DYNASTY was produced by Vini Poncia.

Track Listing For KISS DYNASTY:

I Was Made For Lovin’ You

2,000 Man

Sure Know Something

Dirty Livin’

Charisma

Magic Touch

Hard Times

X-Ray Eyes

Save Your Love

* Per request of Tokyo Five who sent me the pic of the KISS DYNASTY poster, here it is, in all it’s KISS Klassic glory:

* For more info on KISS, just click here: KISS

LONG LIVE KISS.

KISS SHOULD BE INDUCTED IN THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME… DAMMIT.

Stone.

EARTH – Announce U.S. and European 2011 Tour Dates! Band To Headline Mexico’s Aural Fest Next Week!

Posted in avant-garde music, doom metal, experimental rock, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 13, 2011 by Metal Odyssey

Following the recent release of their latest mammoth full-length, Angels Of Darkness, Demons Of Light 1, we’re proud to announce EARTH’s first confirmed American tour installment in support of the album.

Set to take place this June, EARTH will tour through the Midwest and Northeast regions of America showcasing material from the new album and their new touring lineup to a dozen cities, with support from Washington state-mate, soloist Ô Paon for the entire trek.

This newly announced string of North American dates will follow EARTH’s massive European tour with Sabbath Assembly which engulfs the entire months of April and May for the band.

And before any of the full tour activities even get underway, EARTH have also been confirmed alongside the Melvins to headline Aural Fest, a massive music celebration which takes place during the country’s Festival de Mexico!

Later this Summer, EARTH are also confirmed to appear at I’ll Be Your Mirror, a festival curated by Portishead & ATP America, taking place in Asbury Park, New Jersey, alongside countless other acts.

Dylan Carlson – founding member, guitar

EARTH – Confirmed 2011 Live Appearances:

Aural Fest @ Festival de Mexico:

3/19/2011 Lunario Paseo de la Reforma – Mexico City w/ the Melvins

European Tour w/ Sabbath Assembly:

4/01/2011 Brudenell Social Club – Leeds, England

4/02/2011 Islington Mill – Manchester, England

4/03/2011 Hare & Hounds – Birmingham, England

4/04/2011 The Cluny – Newcastle, England

4/05/2011 Stereo – Glasgow, Scotland

4/07/2011 Auntie Annies Porterhouse – Belfast, Ireland

4/08/2011 Button Factory/Crawdaddy – Dublin, Ireland

4/09/2011 Cyprus Avenue – Cork, Ireland

4/11/2011 Millennium Music Hall 2 – Cardiff, Wales

4/12/2011 Scala – London, England

4/13/2011 La Maroquinerie – Paris, France

4/14/2011 Sugar Factory – Amsterdam, Holland

4/15/2011 Roadburn Festival – Tilburg, Holland

4/17/2011 Inkonst – Malmo, Sweden

4/18/2011 Nefertiti – Gothenburg, Sweden

4/19/2011 Bla/John Dee – Oslo, Norway

4/20/2011 Strand – Stockholm, Sweden

4/21/2011 Tavastia – Helsinki, Finland

4/22/2011 Friction Festival – Berlin, Germany

4/23/2011 Dude Fest – Karlsruhe, Germany

4/24/2011 Impetus Festival – Lausanne, Switzerland

4/26/2011 Spazio 211 – Torino, Italy

4/27/2011 Init Club – Rome, Italy

4/28/2011 Locomotiv – Bologna, Italy

4/29/2011 Unwound – Padova, Italy

4/30/2011 MC Velenje – Velenje, Slovenia

5/01/2011 Arena – Vienna, Austria

5/02/2011 Feierwerk – Munich, Germany

5/03/2011 Beatpol – Dresden, Germany

5/04/2011 Gebaeude9 – Koln, Germany

5/05/2011 Stadsschouwburg – Brugge, Holland

Midwest/East Coast American Tour:

6/08/2011 Mayne Stage – Chicago, IL w/ Ô Paon

6/09/2011 Mad Planet – Milwaukee, WI w/ Ô Paon

6/10/2011 Magic Stick – Detroit, MI w/ Ô Paon

6/11/2011 The Strut – Kalamazoo, MI w/ Ô Paon

6/12/2011 Grog Shop – Cleveland, OH w/ Ô Paon

6/13/2011 Johnny Brendas – Philadelphia, PA w/ Ô Paon

6/14/2011 Wadsworth Theatre – New Haven, CT w/ Ô Paon

6/15/2011 Middle East Downstairs – Boston, MA w/ Ô Paon

6/16/2011 Le Poisson Rouge – New York City, NY w/ Ô Paon

6/17/2011 Ottobar – Baltimore, MD w/ Ô Paon

6/18/2011 *TBA – Pittsburgh, PA w/ Ô Paon

6/19/2011 Southgate House – Newport, KY w/ Ô Paon

ATP Fest, curated by Portishead

10/02/2011 I’ll Be Your Mirror, curated by Portishead & ATP – Asbury Park, NJ

Adrienne Davies – drums & percussion

Released on February 22nd via Southern Lord Recordings, Angels Of Darkness, Demons Of Light 1 represents yet another new chapter in the EARTH lineage, as the band continues to expand their trademark slow-morphing drone a bit beyond the realms they’ve explored on their last handful of releases and recent years of touring, and continuing to reproduce continually inspiring music as they have with every recording to date.

“…unlike most heavy-music acts it changed over time as human beings actually do. Its music became lighter and clearer and wiser; it started having more to do with Indian music and La Monte Young and Miles Davis’s ‘In a Silent Way.’” – The New York Times

“As Earth developed its heavy instrumental vision in the past six years, subtle deviation has been crucial to the band’s renewal. Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light 1  is the latest installment in that trajectory, adding a cello, desert blues and British folk-rock motifs to Earth’s slow-moving Americana.” – NPR

(Source: Earsplit PR)

* For more info on EARTH, click on the link below:

Thrones And Dominions.com – EARTH

LONG LIVE EARTH.

Stone.

Def Leppard – Live Album: “MIRRORBALL Live & More” Releasing Summer of 2011! Includes Three New Studio Tracks!

Posted in arena rock, classic rock, classic rock bands, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, live rock music, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , , , , , , , on March 12, 2011 by Metal Odyssey

DEF LEPPARD press release from Def Leppard.com: “Def Leppard, Great Britain’s premier Arena Rock band, have announced the release of their first ever live album, “MIRRORBALL”, out this Summer. The live album was recorded across the world over the course of many of the band’s sold-out dates. “Mirrorball” will feature all of the classic songs that have made Def Leppard one of the most respected and beloved Power Rock bands in the world. The release captures the group’s legendary concert experience at it’s thunderous best, bringing together live versions of classic Leppard hits such as “Pour Some Sugar On Me”, “Rock Of Ages”, “Foolin'”, “Hysteria”, “Photograph” and an incredible rendition of “Bringin’ On The Heartbreak”.

With Their creative juices at full flow, the band has also added three new studio tracks: “Undefeated”, “It’s All About Believin'” and “Kings Of The World”, that are undeniably Def Leppard. “Mirrorball” follows the bands 2008 studio release, “SONGS FROM THE SPARKLE LOUNGE”, which debuted at #5 on the Billboard Top 200, marking the group’s highest chart position since 1992’s “ADRENALIZE”.

In addition to the album, Chronicle Books will be releasing “DEF LEPPARD: THE DEFINITIVE VISUAL HISTORY”, featuring photos of the band by legendary Rock photographer Ross Halfin. His fully authorized visual history of the band follows them from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal to their massive “PYROMANIA” and “HYSTERIA” albums to the sustained power of their records and tours today. The book will be available this June”.

* For more info on DEF LEPPARD, just click here: DEF LEPPARD

LONG LIVE DEF LEPPARD.

Stone.

Def Leppard “Pyromania” – An Old School Flashback To 1983

Posted in classic rock, classic rock albums, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , , , , , , , on March 11, 2011 by Metal Odyssey

DEF LEPPARD – I remember this scenario vividly. It was 1983 and I was a junior serving boring time in high school. I was hanging out in study hall in the school’s cafeteria, (the school cafeteria was used as a study hall area after the lunch periods ended). Per usual, I wasn’t studying in “study hall”, instead I always opted to chat long and hard with my Metal buddies about… Heavy Metal. That particular day, I made the announcement to my Metal buddies, Rich and Steve, that I bought the new Def Leppard Pyromania album. This was a telling moment in my teen Metalhead life, this was when I realized that the “battle lines” were drawn for Heavy Metal.

“You like that bubble gum stuff”? I couldn’t believe my ears. Did he really say that? Did Rich just refer to Def Leppard and their new Pyromania album as “bubble gum stuff”? My Metal loyalty, regardless of it being only a few years old, was receiving a verbal open hand slap! Rich shook his head at me in disgust. Steve, on the other hand, was always quite diverse in his music interests. I received a “cool” from Steve along with a nodding approval. (Phew), at least one of my Metal buddies was giving me some encouraging signals.

To sum it up best, Rich was anti-commercial Metal. Motörhead, Venom and later that year, Mercyful Fate, were the Metal bands that Rich swore his loyalty to. Who could blame him for being loyal to those iconic bands? From that day forward, I understood there would be “groups” of fans showing their loyalty towards bands they considered “real Metal“. I always listened to whatever band psyched-me-out or moved me and still do to this day. I just remember that rejected feeling, of not getting that sacred Metal mark of “approval” from a fellow Metalhead peer for liking Def Leppard. Fast forward to 2011 and I can give a rat’s ass about receiving anyone else’s approval for the bands I hold Metal allegiance to.

I’ll never forget hearing for the first time, that “big chorus” in Rock Rock (Till You Drop), it was the first song I heard on the radio from Pyromania. Before I bought this album, that song kept me up many nights, as I tried to find it playing on the FM dial. I remember being familiar with just a few songs from the 1981 Def Leppard album High ‘n’ Dry, before I bought Pyromania. Good old FM radio was playing Let It Go, High ‘n’ Dry (Saturday Night) and Bringin’ on the Heartbreak rather consistently before Pyromania’s release. Due to Pyromania’s affect on me, I bought High ‘n’ Dry next and a year or two later the debut Def Leppard album – On Through The Night. Strange how I bought the first three Def Leppard albums in reverse, isn’t it?

Pyromania was/still is loaded with some amazingly potent Heavy Metal songs that are now deemed (by me anyways) Old School. Honestly, is there one “bad” song on this album? I say there isn’t. The MTV exposure that Def Leppard attained from Pyromania is Rock and Heavy Metal history in and of itself. Let’s face it… just like any Heavy Metal article or book written about the history of MTV should attest is: Def Leppard made, if not, helped build MTV into the music video juggernaut it once was.

My favorite song from Pyromania is Foolin’. Metal be thy name, that is a powerful sound of vintage 80’s Heavy Metal that explodes from Pyromania. I always could appreciate the vocals of Joe Elliot, let’s face it, who really sounded like him back then? Phil Collen and (the late) Steve Clark on guitars were not just cool to listen to, they were both damn cool to watch on all of those Def Leppard videos as well. Rick Allen on drums and Rick Savage on bass made me a believer in their booming beats on Pyromania. Just a classic album all around is Pyromania, from a legendary band, in my Metal opinion.

As for those Old School Metal buddies of mine from 1983, well, I’d bet Rich is now listening to Josh Groban and John Tesh now. Um, I doubt it. Then again, who knows? Towards graduation, Steve was getting into Christian Metal a great deal and was still quite diverse as a Metal fan. I don’t know what happened to these two Metal buddies of long ago… I sure hope they are doing well.

* Pyromania was released on Mercury Records and produced by the legendary Robert John ‘Mutt’ Lange.

Track Listing For Pyromania:

Rock Rock (Till You Drop)

Photograph

Stagefright

Too Late For Love

Die Hard the Hunter

Foolin’

Rock of Ages

Comin’ Under Fire

Action! Not Words

Billy’s Got a Gun

LONG LIVE DEF LEPPARD.

Rest In Peace, Steve Clark.

Stone.

INCANTATION – To Play Neurotic Deathfest 2011!

Posted in Death Metal, Extreme Metal, Heavy Metal, heavy metal festivals, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 10, 2011 by Metal Odyssey

INCANTATION – U.S. Death Metal pioneers Incantation have recently been added to the already stacked lineup for this years Neurotic Deathfest, which runs April 29th & 30th in Tilburg, Netherlands. Drummer Kyle Severn gave the following statement:

“On behalf of myself and Incantation, we would like to announce that we have just added to the greatest indoor European Death Metal Fest lineup that we have ever seen. Yes, I’m talking about this year’s Neurotic Deathfest in Holland. Incantation is honored to share the stage again with the almighty Autopsy, as well as the return of At The Gates and other Metal legends like Obituary and new Metallers of the 2K-era – Hail Of Bullets. We plan to play a very obscure set in honor of this amazing lineup and for our very supportive fans, old school and new alike. With a well rounded fest lineup bound together with leather and spikes, you will not want to miss this Incantation set-list, which is already a making in Metal history. We are riding the Metal storm out with the same lineup as we had this time last year when we successfully spread blasphemy across Europe during our headlining tour for the highly respected 7″ EP “ScapeGoat” with Alex Bouks (Goreaphobia, Master) guitars, Chuck Sherwood (Blood Storm) bass, John McEntee on guitar and vokills and myself skinsmans Kyle Severn on the drums… Kyle666″.

Neurotic Deathfest 2011, featuring the likes of At The Gates, Autopsy, Obituary, Hate Eternal, Incantation and many more, is already shaping up to be the most brutal festival of the year. Keep checking in at NEUROTIC DEATHFEST 2011 for information, updates and to buy tickets.

(Source: CLAWHAMMER PR)

LONG LIVE NEUROTIC DEATHFEST.

LONG LIVE DEATH METAL.

LONG LIVE INCANTATION.

Stone.

ABIGAIL WILLIAMS – Apostles Of Darkness Over The Americas Tour Begins March 9th, 2011!

Posted in Black Metal, Death Metal, Extreme Metal, Heavy Metal, heavy metal concerts, heavy metal festivals, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 9, 2011 by Metal Odyssey

ABIGAIL WILLIAMS – their thirty date North American tour alongside Melechesh, Hate, Lecherous Nocturne and headliners Rotting Christ embarks this Wednesday, March 9th in Virginia. Dubbed the Apostles Of Darkness Over The Americas, this massive Black/Death tour lineup shall easily prove to be one of the most Extreme Metal tours of 2011 so far.

Apostles Of Darkness Over The Americas:

ABIGAIL WILLIAMS with Melechesh, Hate, Lecherous Nocturne and headliners – Rotting Christ:

3/09/2011 Jaxx – West Springfield, VA

3/10/2011 Championship Bar & Grill – Trenton, NJ

3/11/2011 Montage Music Hall – Rochester, NY

3/12/2011 Rocko’s – Manchester, NH

3/13/2011 The Palladium – Worcester, MA

3/14/2011 Crazy Donkey – Farmingdale, NY

3/15/2011 Petite Campus – Montreal, QC

3/16/2011 Mod Club – Toronto, ON

3/17/2011 Blondie’s – Detroit, MI

3/18/2011 Peabody’s – Cleveland, OH

3/19/2011 Reggie’s Rock Club – Chicago, IL

3/20/2011 Station 4 – St. Paul, MN

3/22/2011 The Republik – Calgary, AB

3/23/2011 Starlite Room – Edmonton, AB

3/25/2011 El Corazon – Seattle, WA

3/26/2011 Hawthorne Theatre – Portland, OR

3/27/2011 DNA Lounge – San Francisco, CA

3/28/2011 Chain Reaction – Anaheim, CA

3/29/2011 The Key Club – Hollywood, CA

3/30/2011 Brick by Brick – San Diego, CA

3/31/2011 U.B’s Bar – Mesa, AZ

4/01/2011 The War Legion Underground – Amarillo, TX

4/02/2011 The Marquee – Tulsa, OK

4/03/2011 Rail Club – Ft. Worth, TX

4/04/2011 Emo’s – Austin, TX

4/05/2011 Walter’s – Houston, TX

4/07/2011 Brass Mug – Tampa, FL

4/08/2011 The Masquerade – Atlanta, GA

4/09/2011 Volume 11 – Raleigh, NC

4/10/2011 The Casbah – Charlotte, NC

ABIGAIL WILLIAMS’ latest album In The Absence Of Light was released in September via Candlelight. Recorded at Conquistador Studios in Cleveland and mixed by Peter Tagtgren (Dimmu Borgir, Immortal, Celtic Frost) at Black Lounge Studios in Sweden, the album presents founder/vocalist/guitarist Sorceron with new guitarist Ian Jekelis and drummer Ken Bedene. The album’s eight songs, written exclusively by Sorceron, contain far more urgency then the band’s previous material, cutting down on snyth and keyboards without depleting their crushing atmospheric capabilities, while adding a more brutal, sinister edge to their attack.

(Source: Earsplit PR)

LONG LIVE ABIGAIL WILLIAMS.

LONG LIVE EXTREME METAL.

Stone.

AMON AMARTH – “AN EVENING WITH” U.S. TOUR DATES FOR APRIL & MAY 2011!

Posted in concerts, Death Metal, Heavy Metal, melodic death metal, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , , , , , , , on March 9, 2011 by Metal Odyssey

AMON AMARTH – Now we’re getting serious with Metal, real Metal, invading our U.S. shores… and this is a Metal invasion I welcome with Metal glee. AMON AMARTH. Those two words alone are equivalent to top tier. (Actually, the Sindarin translation for AMON AMARTH means: Mount Doom). This Melodic Death Metal giant of a viking band, from Sweden, is back in 2011… stronger, louder and more Metal victorious than ever!

Surtur Rising marks AMON AMARTH‘s eighth studio release and undoubtedly one of 2011’s most anticipated albums by fans and critics alike. In celebration of its release, the band will embark on 2011 U.S. headlining tour next month. Simply dubbed “An Evening With AMON AMARTH,” this very special trek will find the band touring without support and instead performing two separate sets each night. One set will include the performance of Surtur Rising in its entirety.

AMON AMARTH:
Johan Hegg: Vocals
Olavi Mikkonen: Guitar
Johan Söderberg: Guitar
Ted Lundström: Bass
Fredrik Andersson: Drums

An Evening With AMON AMARTH:

4/14/2011 – The Bottom Lounge – Chicago, IL
4/15/2011 – Station 4 – Saint Paul, MN
4/16/2011 – Granada Theater – Lawrence, KS
4/17/2011 – The Summit Music Hall – Denver, CO
4/19/2011 – Wonder Ballroom – Portland, OR
4/20/2011 – Showbox Sodo – Seattle, WA
4/22/2011 – The Regency – San Francisco, CA
4/23/2011 – Ace Of Spades – Sacramento, CA
4/24/2011 – House of Blues – West Hollywood, CA
4/25/2011 – Nile Theatre – Mesa, AZ
4/27/2011 – White Rabbit – San Antonio, TX
4/29/2011 – Culture Room – Fort Lauderdale, FL
4/30/2011 – Beacham Theatre – Orlando, FL
5/01/2011 – Masquerade – Atlanta, GA
5/02/2011 – Jaxx – Springfield, VA
5/03/2011 – Peabody’s – Cleveland, OH
5/05/2011 – Best Buy Theater – New York, NY
5/06/2011 – Theatre Of Living Arts – Philadelphia, PA
5/07/2011 – Paradise Rock Club – Boston, MA

* For more info on AMON AMARTH, click the links below:

AMON AMARTH – Official Website

http://www.myspace.com/amonamarth

http://www.facebook.com/AmonAmarthBand

http://twitter.com/amonamarthband

(Source: Earsplit PR)

LONG LIVE AMON AMARTH.

Stone.