For the past month, I’ve been listening to, re-listening to and debating over which albums will make my “Best Metal Albums Of 2013” list. For clear reasons (to me) this year marks the most difficult time I’ve ever encountered, in compiling this list. I’m in a quandary!! Someone call Dr. Phil or better yet, someone call Black Sabbath, Motörhead, Carcass, Sodom, Stryper, Satyricon and Satan and tell them ALL they should have never released such amazing milestone Metal albums; especially ALL at once this past year! Um, please, no one tell them that.
Throw in the fact that Witch Cross and Sinister Realm are in the mix with spellbound like True Metal releases in 2013 and I’m on my knees begging for the Metal Gods to help me sort it all out!! Which band’s album gets #1 and why? Which band’s album comes in last on my best of list and for what reason? Rankings super SUCK and I have the urge right now to eat a case of Doritos. Can anyone please kick me in the ass and tell me to stop!?
Motörhead – Aftershock
Adding to this quandary, is: I believe that any album that makes any “Best Of” album list of mine, equates to either an instant classic or soon to be classic, within our beloved pages of Metal History; at least my pages of Metal History! All of this self-debate and (at times) self-doubt over which best Metal albums I’ve listened to over the year is very important to me. I need a very cold beer right now, from my very cold garage.
Stay tuned. My Metal list will be done eventually. Stone will come through. Hell, my “Best Hard Rock Albums Of 2013” list is already secured in my brain. For some crazy reason, the Hard Rock albums list never drove me even remotely insane. My “Top Ten Songs Of 2013” list went down easier than a Yuengling lager. Go figure. Best Metal Buddy, Scott Coverdale, already has his Best list done and ready to go. I know he struggled with it, though. Ha, ha. Still, he’s the best.
I gather it’s time for me to stop whining and get back to my Metal debate with myself. Once this fun task is complete, I can then begin to listen to what 2014 has in store for my Metal hunger… and look forward to another quandary such as this in a year from now. Metal be thy name.
UK-based traditional metallers DARK FOREST are set to return with their anticipated third long-player, The Awakening. The album has been slated for North American release on March 11 via Cruz Del Sur Music.
DARK FOREST was forged in the Black Country, England by guitarist Christian Horton. For just over a decade they have been delivering their uniquely rousing, defiant heavy metal to the world. With the release of their self-made EPs in 2007, the band quickly gained the attention and support of the heavy metal underground, both in England and abroad, and then went from strength to strength, gigging across Europe and the UK and releasing their self titled debut album in 2009, then Dawn of Infinity in 2011.
In 2012 DARK FOREST recruited the outstanding vocalist Josh Winnard as their new front man and shortly afterwards also gained the incredible talents of guitarist Pat Jenkins. With this new line up, the band immediately began writing fresh material and entered the recording studio in June 2013 to produce their third album The Awakening.
The album is recorded in 444hz instead of the standardized 440hz tuning. The decision was based by studying the lost “Solfeggio frequencies”, original sound frequencies which were apparently used in Ancient Gregorian Chants and were believed to impart “spiritual blessings when sung in harmony”* and also by studying the nefarious origins of 440hz. Tuning to 444hz corresponds to a “C” of 528hz on the Solfeggio Frequency Scale, the exact frequency used by genetic biochemists to repair broken DNA. This frequency is also believed to encourage “Transformation and Miracles.”
DARK FOREST’s innate sense of melody remains intact on The Awakening, as well as the band’s trademarked epic twin-guitar dueling, but this time the album is permeated by a general sense of oppression and sorrow and sounds much more reflective than their previous works. Not by coincidence, The Awakening opens with the ending lines of Percy Bysshe Shelley’s poem ” The Mask of Anarchy” and ends with the anthem “Sons of England”.
The awakening must be both spiritual and intellectual and through the rediscovery of our roots and a connection to nature, must lead all humanity to remember the truth – that we are infinite consciousness and we are one. This is the realization that will defeat the global control system of the elite and set humanity free.
METAL ODYSSEY’S TOP TEN SONGS OF 2013 – Within the release of untold thousands of Hard Rock and Metal songs during this past year, these are the songs chosen as Metal Odyssey’s Top Ten Of 2013!
This is a list of songs that I’ve turned to countless times during 2013; songs to psyche me out, lift me up and shake me loose! I hail the musicians and songwriters behind each song listed here; for each song on this list is uniquely special. A link is below each album cover; sending you to a 2013 Metal Odyssey post featured on that respective song. I sincerely hope you can enjoy one, a few or all of these songs!
The above link is for an original post featured on Metal Odyssey on May 15, 2013.
#1
Revolution Harmony – We Are
Stone Says: Below, Listen to the song We Are and read it’s inspiring and mystical lyrics. A brilliant song from top to bottom, an epic song that gives me the chills… in a grand way. A powerful song is We Are; thanks to thepowerful musicians and vocalists that have made it soar so prolifically. We Are is: ten stars out of ten stars… and 5 Metal fists out of 5 Metal fists! Metal be thy name.
Metal Odyssey is proud to support Ray Holroyd, Revolution Harmony and the charity http://www.buskaid.org.za that benefits from the sale of We Are.
December 23, 2013. Cincinnati, Ohio – The Warriors of Metal, Inc. non-profit organization is very excited to announce the Denver, Colo., based Power Metal band CELLADOR as the first confirmed artist for our 7th annual Warriors Of Metal Fest, to be held at O’Sheckys LIVE in Columbus, Ohio from Thursday, June 26 to Saturday, June 28, 2014.
Band founder, guitarist and vocalist, Chris Petersen states: “I’m fully stoked to announce our participation in next year’s Warriors of Metal Festival! The band is excited to return to Ohio revitalized and energetic as ever. The fest has some great guys working behind the curtains and we’re excited to see all the bands as well. Happy to take part in what is turning into a powerhouse of a festival! Cheers \m/!”
Check out “Unchained” from CELLADOR’s latest release, Honor Forth, below:
Keep up-to-date with all of the developments such as band announcements and ticket information for next year’s show through the Warrior’s of Metal Fest’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/warriorsofmetal
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.
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