PULP Summer Slam 14 – As I see it, if you live in the Philippines, are a devout Metalhead and have April 26th, 2014 as an open date, you most likely will be thrashing and celebrating at the PULP Summer Slam 14 at Amoranto Stadium. This 2014 music festival (as it’s referred to) is jacked-up with a potent lineup of killer Metal bands! Whoa!
The biggest and longest running Metal Festival in Southeast Asia will feature: Hatebreed, Bullet For My Valentine, Asking Alexandria, DeathAngel, Kreator, The Black Dahlia Murder, Cross Faith and more! PULP Summer Slam 14 is gonna whoop some ass! The super legendary Kreator will be performing for the first time in the Philippines too! Metal be thy name! – Stone
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About PULP Summer Slam:
PULP Summer Slam is an annual music festival in the Philippines. It is founded and produced by PULP Live World Productions, Inc.. The festival consists of local and international rock and metal bands with the occasional line-up of other genres.
PULP Summer Slam is produced to cater to the readers of PULP Magazine, an eccentric music magazine in the Philippines that feature rock and metal bands. PULP Summer Slam is produced by PULP Magazine publisher Vernon Go.
For MORE cool info, click on the links below! Whoa!
IRON MAIDEN will headline the opening night of the Arras Main Square Festival in France on July 3rd, 2014. The four-day Festival takes place between July 3rd – 6th.
Legendary Metal maven, DORO PESCH, has joined the ranks of the Rolling Stones, AC/DC, Motörhead, and Slayer in the bottled liquid category and proudly presents two very special rock ‘n’ roll drinks: DOROHero Cava Brut Reserva Champagne and Herzblut [Lifeblood] Vino Tinto Red Wine.
“It was my wish for my 30-year stage anniversary – which I will be celebrating on May 2nd and 3rd, 2014 in my hometown of Düsseldorf [Germany] – to present unique drinks to the fans that represent my own taste and quality standard,” comments DORO. “We went to a great old wine region in Spain to pick the right product for me and I discovered a very fine red wine there.”
View Metal & Wine’s eight-minute “making-of” video of these two very special and commemorative drinks at THIS LOCATION.
“Hero” is a track off of DORO’s 2012 album, Raise Your Fist, which was dedicated to one of the all-time greatest vocalists in rock and metal, Ronnie James Dio. “Herzblut [Lifeblood]” was released as a single in 2009. The Herzblut EP contains German, French, Spanish, and Portuguese versions of the song.
DORO’s 30 Years Strong And Proud Tour launches next year. Her career in music spans three decades, sixteen studio albums, eleven EPs, countless tours, a worldwide fanbase, and even includes various movie roles. This year, she was the recipient of the Metal Hammer Award in Berlin and the Golden Gods Award in London – both in the “Legend” category.
The two-night live concert party in May 2014 celebrating DORO‘s multi-decade career already includes the participation of Blind Guardian, Mille Petrozza of Kreator, and Udo Dirkschneider of U.D.O./ex-Accept. “I have the most awesome friends and colleagues,” DORO shares with a wide smile.
Raise Your Fist– which features musical guests Lemmy Kilmister of Motörhead and Ozzy/Firewind guitarist Gus G. – debuted at #65 on the American Billboard Heatseekers chart in November of last year and can be purchased from the Nuclear Blast Webshop.
Former NFL Quarterback and Heisman Trophy Finalist Brings Talent to Los Angeles as Newest Player Acquired by LA KISS
The LA KISS announced today they have signed prolific quarterback and Southern California native, Colt Brennan. A former 2007 Heisman Trophy finalist with the University of Hawaii, Brennan holds the NCAA record for most touchdown passes in a single season (58) and will utilize his National Football League (NFL) experience with the Washington Redskins and Oakland Raiders to add veteran leadership and electrifying play to the newest expansion team in the Arena Football League (AFL).
“We’re thrilled to bring such a dynamic and successful Quarterback to our team and to our fans,” stated Schuyler Hoversten, President of LA KISS. “Having a local success story in a key position is great for our fans and I know they’ll enjoy watching him play this season at Honda Center.”
Brennan (6’3” – 215 lbs) began his career playing high school football for Orange County powerhouse, Mater Dei High School, before playing at the collegiate level for the University of Hawaii. At Hawaii Brennan achieved national recognition while leading his team to a 12-0 record and 2007 Sugar Bowl appearance on the back of his record-setting season. He finished the year with an NCAA Division I record 58 touchdown passes and 70.4 pass completion percentage (along with 29 other Division I records) finishing third in the Heisman vote. He was also named the WAC Offensive Player of the Year and awarded First-Team All-WAC honors (for the second straight season).
He was selected in the sixth round of the 2008 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins and went on to lead the league in touchdown passes during the preseason. Over the next few years, Brennan spent time with the Redskins and Oakland Raiders before taking time off to rehab his injuries. He now joins the LA KISS as he hopes to rejuvenate his career and bring an unheralded level of excitement to the AFL and its fans.
“It’s not often you get to add a player with Brennan’s impressive combination of elite skill and veteran maturity, and we are excited to see the new dynamic he brings to the team,” says Bob McMillen, Head Coach for LA KISS. “Whether it’s through his play on the field or his leadership in the locker room, we know he will make a positive impact from day one.”
Brennan’s electric style of play, which enabled him to achieve such record-breaking levels of success throughout his career, will be the perfect fit for LA KISS and the AFL. With his addition to the team, fans can expect to witness the most thrilling form of sports entertainment around.
“I’m excited about the opportunity to get back on the field and play football for the LA Kiss,” Brennan said. “I’m looking forward to coming home and playing in front of my family and friends.”
For more information on LA KISS, or to purchase season tickets, please visit www.lakissfootball.com
Since the 1980s was the golden age of heavy metal and that golden age began with 1980, I thought what better way to pay tribute to it than to kick things off with an album by one of heavy metal’s founding fathers: Black Sabbath. The thing is however, “Heaven and Hell” isn’t just an album, it’s a iconic album destined to go down in history as one of the greatest of all time.
The main question when this masterpiece was first unleashed back in 1980 was would new lead singer Ronnie James Dio fill the void left by Ozzy Osbourne. The answer to that is a resounding “YES!” Now, I am not going to debate who’s the better of these two vocal Gods. They both have different vocal styles but at the same time, their vocals were suited to the needs of Black Sabbath. Dio’s vocals are truly amazing on…
You know, I haven’t bitched here on Metal Odyssey in a very long time. Very long time. Well, brace yourselves, cause I’m ready to bitch! I’m fed up. Wanna know why? Below are the reasons why I’m fed up. Take a gander at my bitching and if you don’t want to bother, well then, I really don’t give 2 shits. Seriously, I don’t. Metal be thy name.
1.ALL United States politicians from the municipal level on up can kiss my ass. Why? Cause Republicans are NOW Democrats and Democrats are NOW Republicans. Unless you’re a Tea Party constituent, y’all can kiss my ass again.
2. Dee Snider – Please, Dee Snider, shut the hell up already. You are NOLONGER funny, relevant, inspirational or badass. You are merely a whisper of “what once was” prior to your very annoying 1983 album: Stay Hungry. Go Away now, Dee. You’re yesterdays news. Hey Dee… two words for you… Broad Way. Here’s two more words for you Dee: You Liberal.
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3.Satellite Radio. Hey Satellite Radio… kiss my ass too! Y’all aren’t worth the drop of sweat off of a donkey’s asshole. I can lug around my CD catalog into my car and not have to give a shit about you corporate dumb dumbs; and save a TON of money in the process.
4.Apple. It seems like Apple is coming out with a NEW iPhone every two weeks now. Hey Apple… kiss my ass too! Hey Apple… how much of your BILLION dollars in profits have you given back to charity? Dumb asses, Apple.
5. Male erectile Enhancement Commercials. Give me a break. If I had a hard-on that lasted for more than 4 to 6 hours… I’m not calling any fucking doctor. If there are dudes out there that need this product, just pick up a copy of SWANK and you’ll save yourself a fortune. Plus, I’d wish these male erectile enhancement companies would STOP hiring all those geek corporate assholes to be acting like morons in your commercials. Dorks. Idiots.
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6. Metallica. Please, Metallica, go away! Lars Ulrich looks like he’s 85 years old and y’all can’t put out a studio album without it sounding like a RickRubin billion dollar produced piece of shit called Death Magnetic.
7.Robert Trujillo – Somebody should remind RobertTrujillo, that his Metallica legacy ishe’s ONLY played on that one full-length studio piece of garbage… DeathMagnetic as a replacement musician for Metallica. I’m NOT even gonna count that EP offering of Beyond Magnetic. Why bother? It was a good effort by Metallica, yet, still, go away Metallica. Um, Mr. Trujillo… you are light years away from being the bass legend that Cliff Burton was (and still is). Go back to Sharon Osbourne and ask her if you could re-record more bass tracks for her on the Ozzy Osbourne catalog, Robert Trujillo. Reminder: You are NOT a Metallica legend, Robert Trujillo. Jason Newsted can school YOU on bass playing any day of the fucking year. YOU KNOW IT TOO.
SYLOSIS – As many of you know (or may not know), Sylosis was involved in a terrible tour bus crash, this past week. Fortunately there were no casualties; however there were injuries, resulting in the band’s tour cancellation with Trivium and DevilDriver. Money is now a huge issue for these unfortunate Metal lads from Reading, England.
I’ve posted below, the (2) actual Facebook entries from Sylosis’s guitarist/vocalist Josh Middleton. Maybe you can (please) help this great Metal band get back on their feet to recover their funds lost, due to this accident. Metal be thy name.
As reported by guitarist/vocalist Josh Middleton, on the Sylosis Facebook page, on September 26th.
Hey guys. Josh here again and again wanting to thank everyone for their support these past few days. It’s been overwhelming.
We’re really feeling it pretty hard today and are looking like a bunch of slow, old men when we walk. Aside from the physical issues that prevent us from continuing on with the tour it has also put us in thousands of pounds worth of debt due to losing the deposit (and now paying extra) on the RV, damaged trailer, booking new flights home, equipment damage and we’re now incurring all kinds of transport/accommodation costs as we make our journey home.
The last thing we want is for people to think we’re now cashing in on the accident and taking advantage of people’s sympathy, but we need some help right now so we’ve just released two exclusive tshirts where all the profits will go towards clearing our debts. Both of the shirts are available as a pre-order.
One is the tour tshirt (now with the majority of the dates cancelled) and the other is a brand new design we were waiting to release when we launch all our new designs in the a few months time. We like the idea of you guys helping us and actually getting something for your money but we will also accept paypal donations of any kind to:
sylosis@hotmail.com.
I can’t stress enough that we do not intend to exploit the situation.
Thanks to all of you guys and the entire metal community right now for showing us so much support these past few days.
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Below is an injury and band status report for Sylosis, As reported by guitarist/vocalist Josh Middleton on the Sylosis Facebook page on September 25th, 2013:
Hey everyone, Josh here. Myself, Rob and Bailey have just been released after over ten hours in hospital. Carl is being kept in overnight as he’s in too much pain to walk but should hopefully be released tomorrow morning (Montreal time) once some of his muscle pain/swelling has subsided.
All four of us and our driver were hospitalised but seeing as Bailey was the only one who didn’t get taken in on a stretcher and a neck brace he wasn’t treated as urgently. He’s just had his back sewn up and is off to the scrap yard where the RV was taken to get people’s clothes and some personal items – hero.
We’re all very lucky. We’ve mostly just been stitched up (my eyebrow, a few on Carl’s legs and Bailey’s back), badly bruised and what feels like full body whiplash. In car accident terms we’re alright but in general terms we’re not physically capable of continuing on with the tour and aim to get back to our families and friends asap to recover.
We want to thank the paramedics, the passers-by who came to our help, the staff at the hospital and all of the fans and bands that have wished us well. It means the world to us.
Heavy metal & Hard Rock label/distro Shadow Kingdom Records, home to the likes of MANILLA ROAD, ALTAR OF OBLIVION, CORSAIR and more, has bought out Austria’s PsycheDOOMelic Records and will be offering the label’s remaining stock on the http://store.shadowkingdomrecords.com.
The owners of both labels commented on the takeover:
Dear Friends, Bands, Supporters of the label and store,
I wanted to thank you for all the years of support. It has truly been a blessing to have all of your support to fund my passion. I’ve taken a new job recently and with that new job and responsibility, I’ve decided to retire the label and store. Our friends over at Shadow Kingdom Records has made an offer to buy out psycheDOOMelic Records in an effort to give you a new safe home to buy records. Shadow Kingdom Records offers the very best prices and service and even with the higher shipping costs, the Euro to Dollar conversion rate will offset the difference. With that, I would like to encourage all of you to support Shadow Kingdom Records because they are not only the very best online classic heavy metal store (that also specializes in DOOM) in the world, they also have a great record label as well. Thank you very much and all the best – Márk
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Friends,
It’s a great honor to buy out the great psycheDOOMelic Records. Mark has over the years created a great label and he’s been an honest record dealer for over the past 10 years. As of right now the psycheDOOMelic STORE is now closed. We’re working on importing some stock over here and please bear with us because that’s going to take a while to sort out and add to the SKR STORE. Please feel free to take a look at the SKR STORE. The main page is just a preview of the newest stock added and the restocks. Once you dive into the rest of the store, there’s thousands of heavy metal items – with a lot of hard to find stuff in there as well. If you have any questions/concerns, please reach out to the mail order team or myself. Thanks – Tim
Shadow Kingdom Records started in 2004 as a store and small distribution channel. In 2006, a test label was created under a different moniker until 2007. SKR was inspired by and paying tribute to Robert E Howard. SKR has released a massive amount of quality music, showcasing a wide variety of Metal music, from both new and legendary bands as well as unearthed gems from Metal and Hard Rock’s glorious past. Traditional Heavy Metal, NWOBHM, Epic Metal, Doom Metal, Thrash, Speed, Power Metal, Death, Black Metal, Hard Rock, Psych Rock, and so much more can be found on the label as well as maintaining a vast US-based mail order distribution.
Left to right: Michael Lardie (keys & guitar), Audie Desbrow (drums), Mark Kendall (guitar), Terry Ilous (lead vocals) and Scott Snyder (bass).
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“I genuinely love my fans.” – Terry Ilous
Terry Ilous is no longer the new singer of the legendary Great White. Terry Ilous is the singer of Great White. Make no mistake about it, the electricity is swirling in the air within the Great White camp and Terry Ilous is a credible reason why. One listen to Great White’s 12th studio album Elation and their newly released live gem 30 Years – Live From The SunsetStripand the energy and good-times vibes are contagious, all with a little boost from Terry Ilous.
With previous work with an envious list of who’s who within the Rock, Metal and Pop recording industries, plus previous live lead vocal duties under his belt for Great White, along with being an original member and vocalist for XYZ, Terry Ilous couldn’t have been a better choice for this new era of Great White. Terry Ilous answered the Rockin’ call. Big time.
With an intensely busy schedule, Terry Ilous was very considerate to answer a few questions for me. This music and fan driven artist reflects on his invitation to join Great White, making money, playing live, his greatest moments as a musician and yes… the fans. Here’s what Terry Ilous had to say:
Stone: Terry, how did it all unfold as your becoming the lead vocalist for Great White?
Terry: I was asked to join the band in 2010 to replace Jack (Russell) who was sick. I received a phone call from Mark on Wednesday asking if could perform with the band the next day. I said, ” Yes, of course!” The fans were very supportive. It wasn’t easy, to be honest, as those were big shoes to fill. Jack has recorded some amazing songs. I respect his talent.
The band was very helpful. I developed a strong friendship with them and it helped me tremendously. We performed over 80 shows. When Jack decided not come back in December 2011, I was asked to permanently join the band. Please remember I was initially asked to temporarily join the band, to fill-in during Jack’s absence.
It’s never easy to replace a lead singer. It doesn’t matter how good the singer is! Fans are used to a sound they love. Introducing someone new is very challenging. That’s why when I sing the classic Great White hits, I respect the core structure of the melody.
Stone: Of course, money is essential to live. However, what is more important, selling multi-millions of albums or playing the music that you love in concert for your fans?
Terry: I think both are important. An artist has to have both a business mind and a creative mind. How can I perform for my fans if I have to work two jobs to support my family? And, if I only have a business mind, how can I be creative and genuine for my fans? The music I would create would be calculated and not heart-felt. The fans can feel that. I spend a lot of time with them, I answer my own Facebook questions, not always timely as I receive over 200 emails per day, plus I manage my own Twitter account. I genuinely love my fans.
Stone: Media and fan response to “Elation” and your hit single “Hard To Say Goodbye” has been phenomenal. What were your expectations with the release of “Elation”? I look upon it all as a tremendous fresh and new start for Great White.
Terry: I didn’t know what to expect to be honest with you. All I could do as a singer/songwriter is to be honest with myself. The band sat down, started writing and writing non-stop, comparing ideas. Michael would come up with something then Mark and then myself, not necessarily in that order and we would jam on them and if one idea would please all of us, we would work on it. Audie and Scotty would also be at the studio to comment and help us as well.
At times, it was very exhilarating and at times scary, as we only had 2 weeks to write the songs. We went into the studio with 2 songs. We had to be finished writing, recording, mixing, and mastering within 28 days! It was a lot of pressure! I believe in sincerity and honesty, I know, I’m old-fashioned. So I gave it my very best. Yes, I was nervous, I knew some would welcome me and some would not. I know that replacing a singer is never easy. The fans are used to a sound and it’s sometimes difficult for some to accept a new singer but it’s been done many times before. Dio replaced Ozzy and Coverdale replaced Gillan. Talk about iconic singers being replaced!
We did what a real band does and that’s write music because we love music! They love their fans! Before anything else they are just a bunch of guys getting together to share their same passion for music, not money. Previously, you had asked me about money and the fans. In this case it’s all for the love of music!
Listen to and watch “Hard To Say Goodbye” below!
Stone: Terry, could you pinpoint the greatest moment you’ve experienced as a musician, regardless of how small or large the moment was?
Terry: Coming to America with $500 dollars in my pocket! Getting the deal with XYZ, opening a sold out show for Ted Nugent in Detroit, performing on stage with an acoustic guitar and hearing eighteen thousand fans sing the song a cappella with me, and of course joining the Great White! That’s for sure!
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* For more info on GREAT WHITE, click on the links below!
Photo from Ultraviolet recording sessions at The Jam Room
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“UNSPOKEN” MP3 AVAILABLE NOW
Feb. 26, 2013, Philadelphia – Kylesa is set to release Ultraviolet, one of the most anticipated Hard Rock releases of the year and the follow-up to their critically acclaimed album SpiralShadow, on May 28 via Season of Mist (May 24 in Europe).
“Whereas Spiral Shadow was a warm album suggesting concepts of hope, Ultraviolet is a bit colder and darker,” explains songwriter/guitar player Laura Pleasants. “All of our studio albums have their own unique identity and we’ve always been a band who strives for something different than what current fads suggest. With Ultraviolet, we took a step inward and wrote music that we felt we had to write; this album centers around the multiple themes of loss and you can feel it in the music. Everyone goes through it during their lifetime and this record reflects that experience.”
The Savannah-based quintet recorded Ultraviolet at The Jam Room in Columbia, SC with the band’s guitar player/songwriter, and sought-after producer, Phillip Cope (Baroness, Black Tusk) once again overseeing production.
Kylesa released a rarities collection in November titled From The Vaults, Vol. 1, which featured unreleased, new and alternate versions of songs spanning the band’s catalogue as well as one new song titled End Truth. Cope and Pleasants spent over a year going through their archives preparing the release.
The band’s most recent studio album, Spiral Shadow, had the highest Metal/Hard Rock entry on the Village Voice’s 2010 Pazz & Jop album poll, led Pitchfork to say “Kylesa would be a household name” following the release and landed the band on the cover of Terrorizer as well as album of the month accolades from Metal Hammer, Rock Sound and Visions Magazines. In 2011, Kylesa became the first Metal band to perform on Last Call with Carson Daly.
Kylesa will return to the road in May with more details forthcoming.
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(Source: Speakeasy PR & Marketing)
* For more info on KYLESA, click on the links below!
TOKYO DRAGONS – They came from London, England. They played in-your-face, denim and leather wrapped, good-times Hard Rock. Their debut album Give Me The Fear was released back in 2005, via Escapi Music. This band certainly packed 100% Heavy Rockin’ potency and Give Me The Fear is 100% proof, to my middle-aged and Metal scorched ears. Tokyo Dragons was their name and how I wish they were still in the Hard Rock game!
Apparently, Tokyo Dragons is no longer a band. From what I’ve read, Tokyo Dragons disbanded back in 2008; just after releasing their sophomore album Hot Nuts. With no official website or facebook page existing for this band, the alternative source for information is reading about their career biography on Wikipedia. Now that’s an unfortunate thing.
What I do know is what I hear and Give Me The Fear is an amazing experience of Hard Rock bliss upon my senses! This debut from Tokyo Dragons could have easily been titled: Psyche-You-Out-Of-Your-Hard-Rockin’-Party-Lovin’ Mind! ALL 11 songs on Give Me The Fear are high-octane and pedal to the metal! This is an album that can be enjoyed by both Classic Rock and Hard Rock fans alike; with the 80’s Heavy Metal crowd undoubtedly included!
There’s so many memorable riffs and hooks on Give Me The Fear that it’s flat-out insane! Guitar driven to the maximum and lead vocalist/guitarist Steve Lomax sounds like a seasoned superstar of the Hard Rock world. To me, Tokyo Dragons were (very likely) feeling and sharing some legitimate Hard Rockin’ chemistry as a band, when they recorded their debut; it’s such a damn shame they’re no longer around.
I landed Give Me The Fear on CD this past weekend; finding a used copy at a store called BuybacksEntertainment. For $2.99, I couldn’t have spent my money any wiser! Due to Give Me The Fear, I’ve been transported from being unfamiliar with Tokyo Dragons to being a fan of their heavy music. Tokyo Dragons played some blue-collar, kick-ass Hard Rock. ‘Nuff said.
In my most honest opinion, Tokyo Dragons wasn’t any copycat band. Fans of AC/DC to Cheap Trick (with Helix, Fastway and Motörhead fans in-between) can all find something to savor from Give Me The Fear. I know I’m savoring every moment, each and every time I listen to this album. Now if only Tokyo Dragons would reunite… that would be Hard Rock news to celebrate. Metal be thy name.
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Give Me The Fear – Track Listing:
What The Hell
Get ‘Em Off
Do You Wanna?
Come On Baby
Let It Go
Johnny Don’t Wanna Ride
Teenage Screamers
Ready Or Not
Burn On
Rockin’ The Stew
Chasing The Night
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TOKYO DRAGONS:
Steve Lomax – lead vocals & guitar
Phil Martini – drums & vocals
Mal Bruk – guitar & vocals
Ade Easily – bass guitar
* In the liner notes of Give Me The Fear, it reads: “Tokyo Dragons welcome aboard Mathias Stady on Bass Guitar.”
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LONG LIVE THE HARD ROCKIN’ LEGACY OF TOKYO DRAGONS.
KROKUS – For almost 40 years now, Krokus has stood for high-quality, honest-to-goodness, hand-made power rock. No other Swiss rock band sells albums worldwide like Krokus. The band has already sold over 14 million records, toured the world, and received gold and platinum discs in the USA and Canada. The milestones in their rock career are dotted around the world: from Australia and the USA to Mexico, Russia, Japan, and China.
Today they are back in their classic line-up with Mandy Meyer and are stronger than ever on their new album, DIRTY DYNAMITE. The band spent two years working on the new album under the watchful eye of producer Chris Von Rohr at the legendary Abbey Road Studio. Guitarist MarkKohler has this to add: ‘This is not just another Krokus album. I think we have definitely passed another rock milestone with this record.
San Francisco – Death Valley High, the NorCal quartet Alternative Press described as “a particularly edgy Queens Of The Stone Age with a few stolen At The Drive-In moves thrown in…,” return with Positive Euth on June 4 via Minus Head Records.
“With Positive Euth, we turned everything up a notch,” explains Reyka Osburn, singer and guitar player for Death Valley High. “If it was dark, we went darker. If it was hard, we went harder and if it was dancy, we went, you guessed it… dancier.”
The 12-track album was produced by Osburn and Jesse Nichols (The White Stripes, Ty Segall, AFI), mixed by Eric Stenman (Weezer, Deftones) and mastered by Brian Gardner (Queens Of The Stone Age, Linkin Park). Positive Euth was recorded in late 2012 at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, Calif.
The band kicks off a brief tour, which includes an Austin stop during SXSW, on Mar. 6 at the DNALounge in San Francisco. Dates are:
SOEN, the Progressive Metal supergroup featuring drummer Martin Lopez (ex-Opeth, Amon Amarth), bassist Steve DiGiorgio (Sadus, Testament, Death, Iced Earth), vocalist Joel Ekelöf (Willowtree), and guitarist Kim Platbarzdis, are pleased to bring their Cognitive debut stateside this Summer.
Initially released digitally via Spinefarm Records last Winter, Cognitive was mixed by DavidBottrill (Tool, Coheed and Cambria, Silverchair, Smashing Pumpkins, Muse, etc.), mastered by João Carvalho and features ten tracks of what Lopez describes as “melodic, heavy, intricate and different.” View the band’s video for “Delenda,” at THIS LOCATION.
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Cognitive Track Listing:
01. Fraktal
02. Fraccions
03. Delenda
04. Last Light
05. Oscillation
06. Canvas
07. Ideate
08. Purpose
09. Slithering
10. Savia
SOEN – Cognitive
When Lopez joined forces with DiGiorgio, Ekelöf, and Platbarzdis, it was obvious that this collaboration would not be another name-dropping, substance-deprived “super project.” The foursome paint their musical canvas with broad strokes that on first listen may appear gray and sullen, but the true power of the music lies clandestine, just a little below the monochrome surface. More than just a sum of its rather esteemed parts, SOEN weave an intricate network of melody and melancholy. While SOEN may sound Opethian at times, it features none of the guttural vocals and full-on death metal wall of sound of Lopez’ former group. Nothing more is needed however when Ekelöf’s somber voice, Platbarzdis’s transcendent guitar work, Lopez’s trademark drum beats and DiGiorgio’s exquisite bass lines collaborate to build a pensive tide waiting to wash over you.
Cognitive isn’t an instantaneously accessible album but with a bit of listening patience, can prove to be one of the most rewarding pieces of “thinking man’s metal” you will ever come across. In a world full of super-compressed albums waging the loudness war, Cognitive breathes with ease thanks to the warmth of Platbarzdis/Lopez production and the masterful mixing work of. Like rain on a windowpane, translucent and free of form, Cognitive breathes like a living entity. The colors are there, lingering within the grays. It’s just up to you to find them.
Further information on SOEN to be revealed in the coming weeks. Stay tuned.
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Critical Praise:
“The instrumental prowess of each of the members aside, the thing that ultimately makes Cognitive a success is the high-caliber of songwriting from beginning to end, a triumph in rhythmic and melodic interplay between all instrumentalists and vocalist Joel Ekelof… a brilliantly executed album.. sure to stand up to repeated listening for a long time to come.” – Ultimate-Guitar
“For a debut album, this is really something to behold. The production is even, the music thematic and smart, and the musicians eager to share every second with the other. Most remarkable is that SOEN simply appear to be on the exact same page.” – The Metal Observer
On Thursday, May 2nd, 2013, at Club Nokia in Los Angeles, California, the Revolver Golden Gods 5thAnniversary Show will take place! Hosted by Chris Jericho, this fantastic Metal event is also presented by Epiphone. 5FDP, Anthrax, Stonesour, The Dillinger Escape Plan and Halestorm will be performing! Metallica is headlining too! Metal be thy name!
Take a look and listen below to the fun-filled and Metal star-studded TV commercial promoting this night of Metal mayhem:
Philadelphia – ASG, North Carolina’s favorite Psych-Rock quartet, have set a May 28 release date for Blood Drive, their Relapse Records debut.
Blood Drive was produced by Matt Hyde (Slayer, Fu Manchu) in the Fall of 2012. “Days Work,” a new song from the album, was released as a split 7″ with Red Fang on Tuesday (http://www.relapse.com/split-7in-ep-blue.html). The new album will be available on CD/2xLP/Digital.
The band also kicked off a new round of tour dates, including a stop at SXSW, with a Wrightsville Beach performance last evening at Red Dog’s.
Ohio-based trio THE UNCLEAN has this month self-released their sophomore full-length album, in the process unleashing some of the most classic but contemporary, polluted but pristine Rock n’ Roll the underground has to offer.
Known for trolling Akron’s dive-bars and tattoo shops, the members of THE UNCLEAN collective pulled their resources together in 2007. Hailing from predominantly sludge/doom-scene acts including Rue, Fistula, Sofa King Killer, with this act the members crank out solid, no-frills, riff-heavy, Blues-based Rock anthems. With influences and comparisons tracing to classic acts like ZZ Top, Humble Pie, Thin Lizzy and Motörhead, the band self-released their debut album No Excuse Necessary in the Fall of 2008 and have since honed their soulful tunes even further on-stage regionally, alongside other hard-working local and touring acts.
At the end of 2012 the trio shacked-up in the studio to lay down the thunder that would culminate into their second full-length. The drums were recorded at Studio Time in Akron, Ohio (former Black Keys studio) by Jason Tarulli (current mastermind behind Black Keys live sound), and the rest of the album written, recorded, mixed, mastered and produced by the band in their own Unclean Studio. Now completed and available to the public once again in totally D.I.Y. fashion, THE UNCLEAN proudly offer their most honest and lively material yet with The Eagle.
Boasting nearly forty minutes of ballsy, Bluesy, beer-swilling anthems about good times and bad, guitarist/vocalist Bremmy (ex-Sofa King Killer, Honkeytonk Damnation), bassist Burns (ex-Rue, Nailblack, Fistula, Sofa King Killer), and drummer Frank The Tank (ex- Search Block) play it straight from hip, loud and in your face.
After releasing The Eagle this month digitally via all the usual online suspects (iTunes, Spotify, EMusic, Google Play and more), THE UNCLEAN will drop a CD version in the coming months alongside regional shows and sporadic touring in support of the record. Stay tuned for further info in the coming weeks.
Okay, so there are worse things in life to worry about. I know that. I am thankful my family and I are all alive and healthy after our big relocation to Ohio; via Pennsylvania. Still, I am floored by how messed up my CD collection has become, since the unpacking commenced! I, like so many of my fellow Metal brethren, have always strived for some sort of “system” to the way I group my CD collection. I’m far from being a perfectionist, however, I’ve come close to it, when it comes to my CD organization skills.
Part of my CD collection used to be in alphabetical order. Other parts of my CD collection used to be divided up into bands and genres. Now my CD’s are just divided up into a where is it? collection! You see, I was told not to pack my CD’s by the moving company; they were hired to do all the packing of all our possessions for us. I should have packed my own CD’s. Glory be to the Metal Gods, I should have!
Eventually, I’ll have my “systems” all back into place and my CD collection will be back to normal. For now, I’ll just get by with having my Hatebreed and Electric Light Orchestra CD’s next to each other. I’ll ignore that my Venom CD’s are on top of my Santana CD’s too. I’m certain that these CD’s will all get along with each other; unless the Venom CD’s have something to say about it! Metal be thy name.
Legendary Metal Queen DORO PESCH is currently finishing up the Raise Your Fist North American Tour which commenced with a fiery appearance on the 70000 Tons Of Metal Cruise late last month! Touring in support of the anthemic Raise Your Fist full-length,released worldwide via Nuclear Blast late last year, the iconic songstress continues to enthrall the masses with her permeating voice, metallic grace and infectious, onstage charm.
Comments the perpetually upbeat DORO: “So far the tour has been so amazing! It’s the best North American tour we’ve ever done. The venues have been packed and so many have sold out. The fans have been truly amazing and so supportive, it’s been overwhelming! The Joliet, Illinois show was so intense, we’re saving some of the live footage for an upcoming DVD. Some shows have been very long — everyone wants to hear so many songs; so many encores! We are so looking forward to playing the rest of these shows, especially Hollywood! The old Warlock members, our label and so many friends are coming out. I truly thank all the fans who’ve made these shows so amazing and possible.”
Additionally, DORO devotees in Tempe, Arizona will have the opportunity to meet Pesch and her bandmates at a special in-store meet & greet on Saturday, February 23, 2013 at Naked Dave’s Music located at 2155 E. University Drive, Tempe, AZ. The signing session will run from 5:00pm – 6:30pm. For more info, go to THIS LOCATION.
DORO North American Headlining Tour 2013 [remaining dates]: 2/19/2013 El Corazon – Seattle, WA 2/20/2013 Hawthorne Theatre – Portland, OR 2/21/2013 Thee Parkside – San Francisco, CA 2/22/2013 House Of Blues – West Hollywood, CA 2/23/2013 Rocky Point Cantina – Tempe, AZ
Raise Your Fist features guest appearances by Motörhead’s Lemmy Kilmister and Ozzy/Firewind guitarist Gus G, with artwork by British artist and longtime DORO collaborator Geoffrey Gillespie. The offering debuted at #65 on the American Billboard Heatseekers chart upon its first week of release and was commended by Outburn in an 8/10 rating for delivering “50 minutes of expertly crafted Teutonic metal.”
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Critical Praise For Raise Your Fist:
“…probably the classiest lady in metal.” – Outburn
“Raise Your Fist is a solid outing for DORO PESCH and at this stage in the game, would expect nothing less from her. She still manages to savor that hard rock image and make it work for her and I hope she never stops doing this. I say raise your fist in the air babe, and never let it go.” – Blistering
“On her 12th solo album, German metal maiden DORO PESCH sounds more assured than ever, particularly as a songwriter on these 13 taut, Teutonic tunes.” – Revolver
(Source: Earsplit PR)
* Read how meeting DORO on this Raise Your Fist North American Tour was Stone’s Metal Dream ComeTrue by clicking the link below!
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