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Heaven & Hell “Neon Nights – 30 Years Of Heaven & Hell – Live In Europe” Is Heavy Metal Elite

Posted in Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, heavy metal bands, heavy metal news, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , on December 7, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

HEAVEN & HELL – Back in 1982, an elite group of musicians known as Black Sabbath released a double live, molasses heavy album titled: Live Evil. In 1982 those two vinyl disks were like gold, to a then sixteen year old who knew a whole lot about nothing. Going on three decades later, that Live Evil album still is gold to this same dude, who knows a little about something. Fast forward to 2007, the legendary lineup of Ronnie James Dio (vocals), Tony Iommi (guitar), Geezer Butler (bass) and Vinny Appice (drums) returned to public view known as Heaven & Hell, with their Live From Radio City Music Hall double live album, released on Rhino Records. This legendary foursome was back… albeit a name change. Taking on the name of one of the most prolific Heavy Metal albums ever to be recorded, Heaven & Hell was now this bands identity.

Yes, Bill Ward was the amazing drummer on that phenomenal Heaven And Hell album from 1980, a legend without discussion. However, Vinny Appice is one quarter of Heaven & Hell and always will be. I won’t dare compare the Live Evil album of ’82 to this newly released Heaven & Hell: Neon Nights, 30 Years Of Heaven & Hell, Live In Europe, (released November 16, 2010, on Armoury Records for Niji Productions). There is nothing to gain by comparing this band to itself, some three decades prior. I am not the same person I was three decades ago… the past is a memory and the future is today.

This historic Heaven & Hell concert was recorded at the Wacken Open Air Festival in Germany, back in 2009. Yes, the late and ultra-legendary Ronnie James Dio does sound older on this newly released live album, only his vocals still gives me the same euphoric chills now as he did so many years ago. While listening to Neon Nights-Live In Europe, I realize I’m listening to a man who was a fighter, a man who was not going to back down to any illness that may invade his body. I think of my father, who is currently battling cancer, I think of his strength and will to live as well. I could only hope and pray that I can be as strong and courageous as these two amazing men.

It is the human factor that comes across so strong and vividly on this new Heaven & Hell album, I’m listening to a band that was with me all those years when I was lost and now listening to a band when I was found. The images and memories just come alive for me, as I keenly listen to this Heaven & Hell album… memories of seeing DIO on the Dream Evil tour of 1987, remembering holding, listening to and staring at my Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll album, while being introduced to real Rock ‘N’ Roll at an age where it was most important. I reflect on that first time I heard the opening riff from Tony Iommi, clearing the path for Voodoo and how it made me a believer in what Heavy Metal does for my soul.

No, this is not going to be a standardized album review of this new live Heaven & Hell album. I can’t find it appropriate in my heart or soul to give one. Instead, this album is a celebration of what these four men, these musicians, have given to me and an untold number of other fans for three decades plus… their music speaks louder to me now than it did in 1982. I’ve found my new piece of gold that I’m holding, listening to and staring at in 2010, the only difference now it being a CD, the one constant is… it’s Heaven & Hell.

* To donate to the Ronnie James Dio “Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund” and find out more about current DIO albums and merchandise, just click on the link below:

Ronnie James Dio.com

Track Listing For Neon Nights – 30 Years Of Heaven & Hell – Live In Europe:

Mob Rules

Children Of The Sea

I

Bible Black

Time Machine

Fear

Falling Off The Edge Of The World

Follow The Tears

Die Young

Heaven And Hell

Neon Knights

LONG LIVE THE MUSIC OF HEAVEN & HELL.

REST IN PEACE, RONNIE JAMES DIO.

Stone.

3 Comments »

Chuck Berry “Run Rudolph Run” – 1958 Christmas Classic Revisited

Posted in holiday songs, holidays, metal odyssey, Music, rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, rock and roll, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , , , , on December 5, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

CHUCK BERRY – As I was dining today, with the family, at our local Cracker Barrel Country Store and Restaurant, I overheard an all-time favorite Christmas song of mine – Run Rudolph Run, recorded by the ultra legendary Chuck Berry. It’s always a cool thing when a restaurant plays background music that isn’t lame and puts you to tears. While I feasted on some of the best fried chicken, macaroni and cheese and mashed potatoes that Stone could ever ask for, Run Rudolph Run just put me in a fine holiday mood.

Kudos to this Cracker Barrel franchise that has a location in the cozy town of Fogelsville, Pennsylvania. Usually the “other” big name franchise restaurants serve you cold food or pricey dinners that taste like they came straight from the microwave. This isn’t the case with Cracker Barrel, just good and tasty food from a menu where you can identify what your ordering.

Well, back to Chuck Berry and Run Rudolph Run. Upon my Metal research, I’ve discovered that this classic song was written by Johnny Marks and Marvin Brodie and published by St. Nicholas Music (ASCAP). Chuck Berry made Run Rudolph Run famous, and his vocals to this day can never be copied, nor can anyone seem to come even light years close, in my Metal opinion. Chuck Berry is one of a kind.

Run Rudolph Run was released on Chess 1714 (Records) back in 1958. Run Rudolph Run was the “B” side to Merry Christmas Baby, another Chuck Berry classic. Take a look below to see what the 45rpm looks like:

Apparently, Run Rudolph Run peaked at #69 on The Billboard Hot 100, back in 1958. Gee Metal whiz, I would have thought it charted higher than that! Nonetheless, this terrific Chuck Berry song will forever be a favorite of mine… all year long too.

* I did locate which Chuck Berry CD you can find Run Rudolph Run on, it is on Chuck Berry – Rock’n Roll Rarities. (See image at top of post). There are 20 Chuck Berry Rock ‘N’ Roll Classics on this CD, with Run Rudolph Run being track #15. Of course, you don’t have to buy the entire Chuck Berry CD to own this song, Run Rudolph Run is sold as an individual mp3 on most “popular” music store websites.

* I’m certain there are scores of other Chuck Berry “Best Of” and other Rock ‘N’ Roll compilation CD’s out there that have Run Rudolph Run included as a song. I used this particular Chuck Berry CD as a specific example… plus it really is a solid compilation of his songs, some not so well known too.

* Chuck Berry was inducted into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1986.

* For more info on Chuck Berry, click here: Chuck Berry – Official Website

LONG LIVE CHUCK BERRY AND HIS ROCK ‘N’ ROLL.

CHUCK BERRY… A TRUE ROCK ‘N’ ROLL PIONEER.

Stone.

3 Comments »

ARSON ANTHEM “Insecurity Notoriety” – A Hardcore Album That Trounces Anything In It’s Path

Posted in extreme music, hardcore bands, hardcore music, hardcore punk, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, Punk rock, punk rock bands, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , , , , , on December 4, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

ARSON ANTHEM – Released on October 12, 2010, on Housecore Records, Insecurity Notoriety is the first full-length album from Arson Anthem. A Hardcore band of enormous Punk aptitude, Arson Anthem is, no matter how you slice or dice it… a Hardcore supergroup. With Phil Anselmo on guitar and needing little to no introduction, his years fronting the iconic Pantera is unequivocally legendary, not to mention his years vocalizing with Sludge Metallers known as Down.

Mike IX Williams on vocals is also the front man for the Sludge Metal warriors – Eyehategod. Hank Williams III has brandished his very own successful solo career and played alongside Phil Anselmo with Superjoint Ritual. Hank also has molded and brought to underground fame his Metal meets Punk band called… Assjack. Collin Yeo rounds out Arson Anthem on bass, coming from his alt-heavy band… PonyKiller.

So, it is fair to think, that Arson Anthem won’t be making their Grammy Awards performance debut anytime soon. This is why Hardcore exists, this is why Arson Anthem exists, to shove it in the face of the mainstream lovin’ and tuxedo wearin’ Grammy crowd. That same crowd who would probably cry and break out in puffy-red hives if Arson Anthem strolled down their red carpet. Blue collar, street and pissed off about somethin’, this is why I dig Hardcore and Arson Anthem. Accept it or go hide behind your stacks of Wall Street Journals. Once you put this new Arson Anthem CD into whatever “machine” your using, just know that the “stick it to the man” warning light just went on.

There are 17 songs on Insecurity Notoriety and 12 of them are under two minutes long. This is Hardcore and in your face, brutal and unforgiving of any insult to injury. Listening to this album is a lesson in quick release rage therapy. Arson Anthem has accomplished a remarkable task in keeping themselves sounding original. Arson Anthem’s reverence for Old School, with thick slivers of Punk fueled outbursts and playing for keeps, dramatically elevates the totality of their barbed wire hardness. This is a band that obviously knows where their Black Flag vinyl is kept.

Hank Williams III doesn’t just play the drums on these songs, he decimates them. Mike IX Williams doesn’t sing, are you kidding? Mike rants and screams his vocal chords inside-out. Collin Yeo doesn’t try to keep timed rhythm while playing bass, instead, he pummels his strings into frantic rhythmic chaos that might just open up the center of the Earth. Then there is Phil Anselmo on guitar, exhibiting some mighty riffs that cover the Extreme Metal spectrum. Phil leads by Hardcore example, with his axe attack teetering on the insane, he will even throw in some micro solos, making a song like Crippled Life seem as if it is going to explode it’s pissed off attitude straight from hell.

When Extreme combines with Hardcore, Punk and Metal, the only thing that can come out of it is a profoundly brutal piece of work. Arson Anthem has taken their Extreme Music roots and latched them upon their instruments, to create their first full-length that makes a pummeling statement. This is a crushing work of Extreme art that is Arson Anthem’s Insecurity Notoriety.

* For more info on ARSON ANTHEM, just click on the link below:

ARSON ANTHEM – myspace music

* For more info on HOUSECORE RECORDS, just click on the link below:

HOUSECORE RECORDS

ARSON ANTHEM:

Mike IX Williams – vocals

Philip H. Anselmo – guitar

Collin Yeo – bass

Hank Williams III – drums

Track Listing For Insecurity Notoriety:

Naught

Foul Pride

Isolation Militia

More Than One War

Insecurity Notoriety

Pretty Like That

Initial Prick

Crippled Life

Polite Society Blacklist

If You Heard This (You Would Hit Me)

Hands Off Approach

Has Been/Had Been

Primate Envy

Death Of An Idiot

Codependent And Busted

Kleptomania

Teach The Gun (To Love The Bullet)

LONG LIVE ARSON ANTHEM.

Stone.

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GAMA BOMB “Tales From The Grave In Space” – A Thrashin’, Moshin’, Old School Blowout!

Posted in Heavy Metal, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock music, rock music news, Thrash Metal, thrash metal bands with tags , , , , , , , , , on December 3, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

GAMA BOMB – Released back on February 9, 2010, on Earache Records, Tales From The Grave In Space is a Thrash Metal album that mixes in spooky themes, plenty of good times-moshin’ vibes and a whole lot of Old School. Metal as my witness, Gama Bomb gets it. These Irish dudes are obviously well versed and influenced by the golden age of Thrash Metal, still they deliver a fresh approach to making Old School feel like it’s new again. In comparing Gama Bomb’s sound to any of the legendary Thrash Metal bands, Anthrax comes to my Metal mind. The gang vocals coupled with the vocals from Philly Byrne, over all the free spirited Thrash noize that Gama Bomb administers, has me leaning towards those days when Anthrax sported printed shorts, unlaced sneakers and comic tees.

All legendary comparisons aside, Gama Bomb is a younger band that seems to have caught some Thrash Metal magic in a bottle… all the while steering away from anything that can make their Thrash Metal come across watered down. In other words, no silly ballad or over production will be heard on Tales From The Grave In Space… thank God. This Gama Bomb album is all about the meat and potatoes of Thrash Metal, with stacks of excitable guitar leads, solos and thick riffs. Mentioning the gang vocals again, only magnifies the nod of importance that Gama Bomb takes towards an Old School vibe and persona.

Metal be thy name, each time I listen to this Gama Bomb album, I get all Metal invigorated, wishing I decided on having a mosh pit added onto my house. That’s fine though, my current household surroundings shall suffice. As you listen to this album, it’s easy to discern Gama Bomb is not about being pissed off, instead their Thrash evokes having one damn ghoulish good time. There’s no disputing Gama Bomb likes to have (gasp) fun with their song titles and lyrics, which in turn makes them all the more enticing. So often, listening to music is described as an escape, with Tales From The Grave In Space, I have gleefully escaped any antagonistic stimuli peering in from the outside world.

All twelve songs are rip and tear Thrash and Gama Bomb accomplished quite the complete album without any aggregate waste. Thrash Metal fans both young and (gasp) old should give Gama Bomb a thorough listen… it is Metal time well spent for me. The songs on this album are all relatively short, with just two songs clocking in just barely over 3 minutes. The lack of an epic song is actually like a breath of Metal fresh air. The equality in these songs running time makes for a rapid fire listen that never loses my Metal attention.

Back in late February or early March of this year, Metal Buddy “Kinger” from Demolish Fanzine – 1980’s Heavy Metal Revival emailed me a link to check out Gama Bomb giving away free, their newly released Tales From The Grave In Space via download. Kinger couldn’t believe it, nor could I, that a band and it’s respective record company were actually giving their fans the opportunity to download their new album free of charge! It was a stupendous lead from Kinger, breaking this Gama Bomb news.

A huge Metal kudos goes out to both Gama Bomb and Earache Records! I checked as recent as today, (December 3, 2010), to see if Tales From The Grave In Space is still available for free & legal download… it is! Just click on the link below to download this Thrashtastic album from Gama Bomb, FREE!.. courtesy of Gama Bomb and Earache Records.

FREE GAMA BOMB ALBUM FROM EARACHE RECORDS!

I did purchase the hardcopy of this Gama Bomb CD at fye sometime around this past March. The liner notes and all accompanying artwork were the draw… there are 8 mini comics within the liner notes, each one corresponds to a track on Tales From The Grave In Space.  The mini comics are: Three Witches, Last Ninjas Unite, Escape From Scarecrow Mountain, Apocalypse 1997, Return To Blood Castle, Polterghost, Skeletron and Mummy Invasion. There are also some amusing and vintage magazine/comic ads from yesteryear in these liner notes as well, the likes of: body building, kids binoculars and acne cream. Fun stuff are these liner notes.

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

GAMA BOMB – myspace music

GAMA BOMB BLOG

GAMA BOMB:

Philly Byrne – vocals

Joe McGuigan – bass & backing vocals

Luke Graham – guitar

Domo Dixon – guitar

Paul Caffrey – drums

Track Listing For Tales From The Grave In Space:

Slam Anthem

New Eliminators Of Atlantis B.C.

Three Witches

Last Ninjas Unite

Escape From Scarecrow Mountain

Mussolini Mosh

We Respect You

Apocalypse 1997

Return To Blood Castle

Polterghost

Skeletron

Mummy Invasion

LONG LIVE GAMA BOMB.

Stone.

4 Comments »

KATAKLYSM “Heaven’s Venom” – Death Metal Mastery To Devour

Posted in Death Metal, Extreme Metal, Heavy Metal, heavy metal news, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , , , , , on December 2, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

KATAKLYSM – Released on August 24, 2010, on Nuclear Blast America, Heaven’s Venom marks the tenth studio album from Kataklysm, arguably the most brutally powerful Metal band ever exported from The Great White North. This new Kataklysm album is fully loaded with ten songs, which exceed the boundaries of what great Death Metal is supposed to accomplish… by mesmerizing your senses into a state of Extreme Death Metal delirium. It is a tried and true Death Metal band like Kataklysm that I cannot resist rooting for, their tireless effort to make their presence known as a Death Metal force, in the vast world of Metal, is an undisputed benchmark of their existence.

From the onset, Soulless God annihilates with it’s all encompassing and overpowering Death Metal fury. All ten songs for that matter, are an enormous listen into just how Kataklysm has evolved over the past two decades, with their obvious stamp of originality upon the genre of Death Metal, a genre which has become a behemoth in the annals of Metal Music. The melodic nature of Kataklysm’s sound is derived from guitar virtuoso Jean-Francois Dagenais, he can play the heavy while instilling an accessibility to this band from his diverse playing. Even casual Death Metal fans should easily adhere their ears to what Deganais plays here, with loyal fans knowing that he is one of the finest in all of Metal.

Without hesitation, Heaven’s Venom is one of the most engaging Death Metal albums I’ve ever listened to. Slivers of progressiveness will sparingly peer around Kataklysm’s corner, with the spoken word being utilized in the songs: A Soulless God and Hail The Renegade. Kataklysm has never been about fast food Death Metal, this band’s intricacies have always lied within their passion for creating songs that leap out at you with rage and then abruptly casting searing melodic turns without notice. Lyrically, Heaven’s Venom embarks on dark personal struggles and values, with revenge and triumph being touched upon in prolific style, which Maurizio Iacono conveys with undisputed domination. Maurizio is one of those vocalists… when Maurizio sings, Stone listens.

The themes of divide and conquer and good versus evil may seem cliche with their simplicity, only Kataklysm gives forth a larger story than that throughout Heaven’s Venom. The markedness of Heaven’s Venom is truly a carry over from the rest of Kataklysm’s catalog of albums, once again embarking on what I construe to be… thinking man’s Death Metal. Yes, contrary to any department of psychology misnomer, Death Metal can be smart, both lyrically and musically. Along with the forever legendary Death Metal pioneers the likes of Death, Kataklysm will unconditionally receive my Metal accolades for their artistic point style too.

My personal favorite song on Heaven’s Venom is As The Walls Collapse. I will survive all the demons you throw at me, I will deny all the weakness inside… these are lyrics that psyche-me-out beyond Metal belief. Combine intelligent and powerful lyrics with elevated Death Metal grooves and yes, this song is a masterful achievement that will not become obsolete for my ears. I could go as far by saying: As The Walls Collapse sounds superiorly delectable, when listened to ten times in a row, very loudly.

Without exception, is Heaven’s Venom relentless with the double bass and copious rhythmic blasts from Max Duhamel, holy mother of Metal does Max lock himself into a phrenetic groove on every song. Metal be thy name he is outstanding. The combination of Max Duhamel behind the kit and Stephane Barbe on bass makes for an earsplitting wall of Death Metal welcomeness. Heaven’s Venom is what I consider an undeniable right choice for any Death Metal, Metal or Extreme Metal fan alive today. An album such as Heaven’s Venom doesn’t just fall from the sky, this is as creatively heavy as it gets with Death Metal, while being fortified with the upmost intensity and Death Metal proficiency that I’ve come to expect from Kataklysm.

* For more info on KATAKLYSM, just click on the link below:

KATAKLYSM – MySpace Music Page

KATAKLYSM:

Maurizio  Iacono – vocals

J-F Dagenais – guitars

Stephane Barbe – bass

Max Duhamel – drums

Track Listing For Heaven’s Venom:

A Soulless God

Determined (Vows Of Vengeance)

Faith Made Of Shrapnel

Push The Venom

Hail The Renegade

As The Walls Collapse

Numb And Intoxicated

At The Edge Of The World

Suicide River

Blind Saviour

LONG LIVE KATAKLYSM.

Stone.

2 Comments »

The Devil Wears Prada “Zombie EP” – Get Scared, Get Very Scared…

Posted in extreme music, hardcore bands, hardcore metal music, Heavy Metal, heavy metal bands, metal music, metal odyssey, metalcore music, Music, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , , , , on December 1, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA – From the initial sounds of an angry thunderstorm hovering upon you on the opening track Escape, The Devil Wears Prada proves there is no room for watering down a concept EP that revolves around… Zombies. Zombie EP, released on August 24, 2010, on Ferret Records, is for all Metal intents and purposes Extremely Heavy.

All five songs are about Zombies and the nightmare of having them take over humanity. Zombies… that’s Metal. The Devil Wears Prada makes it very apparent that they are Metal as well, based on their extremities of speed and heaviness, combined with vocals that quite possibly could bring Mount St. Helens down to its fiery knees. Metal be thy name, can Mike Hranica belt out the lyrics with the upmost Hardcore potency, while making me feel like I really should be scared about these damned Zombies.

If there ever was any doubt that a Metalcore band could pull off an amazingly Extreme Metal EP of the harshest degree, then the The Devil Wears Prada makes me a believer. This young band has given me every reason to believe they will be around for another ten or twenty years from now… while never lending themselves to being just another number on the long list of Metalcore star gazers. What makes Zombie EP so real for me, is it’s sheer intensity that never caves into a dull moment. Metal be damned, just try to fast forward through any one song on Zombie EP and you are short-changing yourself from the total relentlessly Extreme package.

The Devil Wears Prada "Zombie EP" large album promo pic #5

I can completely embrace what The Devil Wears Prada has accomplished with this Zombie EP. Yes, their fusion of Extreme Music genres is worthy of raucous applause, only the haunting Zombie concept just seems to fit so perfectly with their ferocity of sound, that in turn envelopes the mind and senses so seemlessly well. All the key elements of Extreme Metal and Hardcore are ever apparent with The Devil Wears Prada. To lump this band into a Metalcore only bucket is a result of not listening to what they play. From the blast beats to a guitar tandem spilling out memorable heavy riffs while mixing up Death Metal caliber grooves, the melodic shades of this band do spill out onto their songs by some amazing miracle.

My recommending The Devil Wears Prada to Metal, Hardcore and Extreme Metal fans is an easy thing to do. Giving this band a listen and experiencing their fired up energy and Extreme sound on this EP might just serve many a Metalhead right… both young and old. Just the front cover photo of this Zombie EP gives off enough scary vibes to last an hour. There is something about those sinister power lines, amid the backdrop of a fog filled landscape and greying sky… that’s Zombieville if I ever saw it. The liner notes contain excellent creepy and macabre photography as well, along with the back cover to this Zombie EP, (see pic below).

THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA:

Mike Hranica – vocals & lyrics

Chris Rubey – guitars

Jeremy DePoyster – guitars & vocals

Daniel Williams – drums

James Baney – keys & synth

Andy Trick – bass

Track Listing For Zombie EP:

Escape

Anatomy

Outnumbered

Revive

Survivor

* For more info on The Devil Wears Prada, just click on the link below:

The Devil Wears Prada – Official Website

LONG LIVE THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA.

Stone.

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AMON AMARTH – Announce Title Of New Album Set For 2011 Spring Release!

Posted in Death Metal, Extreme Metal, Heavy Metal, heavy metal news, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , , , , on November 30, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

Kings of Swedish death metal AMON AMARTH have just announced the title of the their forthcoming album as Surtur Rising. Due out in the spring of 2011, Surtur Rising marks the group’s eighth full-length studio release and undoubtedly one of 2011’s most anticipated albums by fans and critics alike. Surtur Rising is the follow-up to the highly acclaimed 2008 release, Twilight Of The Thunder God, which landed the #7 spot in Revolver Magazine’s Top 20 Albums of 2008 and what MetalSucks called “[a] bottomless gauntlet of riffs that the band endlessly takes gargantuan swigs from, sounding both lush and emotive as well as skull crushingly heavy… every goddamn one is a chest-beating anthem.” Outburn declared how Twilight Of The Thunder God “will render you nothing short of ecstatic” and Time Out New York noted that “AMON AMARTH plays some of the most unabashedly epic metal you’re likely to find these days.” Be sure to stay tuned to MetalBlade.com for more details on Surtur Rising.

AMON AMARTH:

Johan Hegg – vocals

Olavi Mikkonen – guitar

Johan Söderberg – guitar

Ted Lundström – bass

Fredrik Andersson – drums

(Source: Earsplit press release, November 30, 2011)

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

AMON AMARTH – Official Website

* For more info on Metal Blade Records, click here: METAL BLADE RECORDS

LONG LIVE AMON AMARTH.

Stone.

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OVERKILL – European Killfest Tour 2011 Tour Dates!

Posted in Heavy Metal, heavy metal news, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock music, rock music news, Thrash Metal with tags , , , , , , , , , on November 30, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

OVERKILL – My fellow European Metalheads, Thrashers and Old School Metallers… whatever Metal label you go by, the European Killfest Tour 2011 looks to be your destination for the ultimate Thrash Metal experience. Thrash Metal Legends Overkill will be headlining, with fellow Thrash legends Destruction supporting! Thrash veterans Heathen will be on the bill along with After All. The month of March, 2011 is going to be a Thrashtastic one to remember… courtesy of Overkill and their European Killfest Tour!

The following are tour dates for the European Killfest Tour 2011:

03/03/11 – GBR – London @ O2 Islington Academy

03/04/11 – GER – Köln @ Esslgfabrik

03/05/11 – GER – Geiselwind @ Music Hall

03/06/11 – GER – Stuttgart @ Longhorn

03/07/11 – GER – Frankfurt @ Batschkapp

03/08/11 – SWI – Zürich @ Volkshaus

03/09/11 – ITA – Milano @ Live Club

03/10/11 – AUT – Wörgl @ Komma

03/11/11 – HUN – Budapest @ Petőfi Hall

03/12/11 – TCH – Brno @ Fleda

03/13/11 – POL – Warsaw @ Stodola

03/15/11 – GER – Berlin @ Columbia Club

03/16/11 – GER – Hamburg @ Markthalle

03/17/11 – GER – Braunschweig @ Meier Music Hall

03/18/11 – BEL – Antwerpen @ Trix

03/19/11 – NED – Enschede @ Atak

(Source: Overkill official website: http://www.wreckingcrew.com)

* For more info on this European Killfest Tour 2011 and more Overkill news, just click on this link: OVERKILL

LONG LIVE OVERKILL.

LONG LIVE DESTRUCTION, HEATHEN and AFTER ALL.

THRASH METAL REIGNS.

Stone.

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BOSTON – Classic Self Titled/Debut Album On 180 Gram Vinyl Releases December 7, 2010!

Posted in classic rock, classic rock albums, Hard Rock, metal odyssey, Music, rock & roll, rock and roll, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , , , , , , on November 29, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

BOSTON – Attention audiophiles worldwide! The self titled/debut Rock Classic from Boston will be released on 180 Gram Vinyl, (Friday Music), on December 7, 2010. Yes, I will readily admit to playing the debut Boston album more times than I could ever remember, so many years ago. I can recall having this album on my turntable for days, being the only album I was listening to. Personally, the songs on this album Rocked my head off as a young lad. My favorite song on this Boston album was and to this very day is… Something About You. I extremely dig Rock And Roll Band too… oh yeah I do. Gee Metal whiz, this entire Boston album has never grown stale for me.

There was and still is something mystical about hearing my favorite albums on vinyl. Just seeing vinyl spinning on a turntable today, brings me back to a time when “holding” and looking at an album jacket was part of the listening experience. The whole connection to a band I was listening to was through their music and the album jacket… with whatever artwork and liner notes that was part of it. There was no myspace music, MTV or youtube videos back in those late 70’s, … just the needle on the vinyl and my ears listening intently.

Loaded with more amazing melodies and vocal harmonies than I can count, this Boston album is a monumental Rock Classic. Plus… Boston belongs in that absent minded place that’s called The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. This Boston debut was one of the first albums I ever owned, well before I became a Metalhead… Metal be thy name. Do I feel old stating this? Heck no. Feeling old is a state of mind and I’m not approaching 90 anytime soon. I’ll be blabbing, ranting, writing and raving about the music I love when I do hit 90 years of age… I hope.

* Boston was released back in America’s Bicentennial Year of 1976, during the month of July.

* Boston was originally released on Epic Records.

* This 180 Gram Vinyl of Boston will be a “limited edition”… so I guess the number of pressings are low, just how low is the million dollar question.

Track Listing For Boston:

More Than A Feeling

Peace Of Mind

Foreplay/Long Time

Rock And Roll Band

Smokin’

Hitch A Ride

Something About You

Let Me Take You Home Tonight

LONG LIVE THE ROCK ‘N’ ROLL OF BOSTON.

Rest In Peace, Brad Delp.

Stone.

13 Comments »

DARKBLACK “Midnight Wraith” EP – Traditional Metal With Underground Appeal

Posted in Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums, heavy metal bands, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , , , on November 28, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

DARKBLACK – Midnight Wraith, a five song EP from Portland Oregon’s DarkBlack, will be releasing on December 1, 2010, on Stormspell Records. Wether you call yourself a Traditional Metal or Old School Metal fan, DarkBlack is a band that may inspire your going out to buy that 1983 Chevy Nova you’ve been holding out on… complete with fuzzy, black dice hanging from the windshield mirror with hood stripes too. As with their Traditional Metal peers, the likes of Enforcer, Ravage and White Wizzard, (to name a few), DarkBlack takes me down Metal memory lane to a time when bootleg and demo cassette trading was the norm.

Stop right there. Is there any Metal relevance you ask? Hell yeah there is! DarkBlack is a Metal band that doesn’t seem to care about contemporary fads… Old School Metal never says die! With that said, this Midnight Wraith EP does sound raw and absent of any multi-million dollar producer… and that is what makes this new release from DarkBlack all the more appealing to my Metal ears.

If any Metalhead out there needs to be swayed into listening to Midnight Wraith, just revisit the first two Iron Maiden albums from the Metal yesteryear. They were not the muscular produced gems of Iron Maiden’s The Number Of The Beast or A Matter Of Life And Death albums. In a perfect Metal world, Metal is best when it stays underground… and DarkBlack seems to have tapped into those underground Metal vibes quite naturally.

DarkBlack may not have their own Boeing 757-200 jet, complete with a band mascot painted on it, yet what they do have is a Metal hunger in their playing and it comes right out at me through their songs. Yes, there is plenty of room for DarkBlack to expand on their Metal palette, however, if one is to look at the legacies of Motorhead and Venom, who gives a crap about how raw a band does sound anyways, especially when the seeds of Metal legitimacy have been planted.

All five songs on Midnight Wraith seem to lure me in, they are like Metal bait on a hook. The riffs, guitar leads and solos are memorable throughout all five songs, admittedly they are kinda hard to ignore. A streamlined speed and heaviness combined with a melodic approach is what DarkBlack has embarked upon. I can’t help rooting for a band like DarkBlack, these guys would be voted off that bubble gum Fox network talent show in a heartbeat and would make the cast of Glee run for cover. What’s wrong with that? Absolutely nothing, is the correct answer.

Timothy on vocals could justifiably use some more oomph in letting his pipes be heard, he is a very decent singer… a production tweak is really all it takes there. As for the overall musicianship you can expect to hear on Midnight Wraith, it is all about the foundation. DarkBlack has it and will no doubt continue to build upon it. Sometimes you have to reach back into your Metal archives and realize that some of today’s biggest Metal bands never sounded super polished on their first two or three albums either. DarkBlack is worth checking out and keeping a Metal eye on… give ’em an Old School try, it might just serve you right.

* For more info on DARKBLACK, just click on the link below:

DARKBLACK – myspace music

Midnight Wraith EP Track Listing:

Doom Herald

Power Monger

Golden Idol

Midnight Wraith

Broken Oath

GO GET ‘EM DARKBLACK.

Stone.


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OVERKILL Side Project – THE BRONX CASKET CO. Signs To eOne Music

Posted in Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, heavy metal news, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock music, rock music news, Thrash Metal with tags , , , , , , , , , , on November 27, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

Left to right: Jack Frost/guitar, Rob Pallotta/drums, Charlie Calv/keyboards and DD Verni/vocals & bass

(New York, NY) — eOne Music has signed a world wide deal with NY rock band THE BRONX CASKET CO. “I am totally psyched to be working with eOne for the new Bronx Casket release! They did an amazing job with the Overkill record and I know they will do the same for this. Having a label home where people “get” it and are psyched to work a record is a great feeling”, says front man DD Verni.

The band originally formed in 1998 by Overkill co-founder and bassist DD Verni.  Having played in one of the most respected thrash bands ever for over 2 decades, why have another band? Two reasons, states DD, “the challenge of writing interesting new material and for fun of course!”

The bands second release caught the ear of playwright Andrea Lepcio. Soon after, Verni and Lepcio were collaborating with 3-time Tony Winner Hinton Battle to direct and choreograph. Soon the seeds of “The Bronx Casket Co., A New Musical” were planted. Verni quickly recruited several members from the Trans-Siberian Orchestra to perform. The cast consisted of performers from the Broadway shows Hairspray, Rent and Dance of the Vampire. There have been several performances off-Broadway for producers/backers and the show is still in the writing stages. It has a gothic/Broadway score with a twisted love story woven throughout. Songs from the first two Bronx Casket Co. releases are included in the show, as well as 13 new songs D.D. Verni penned just for the musical.

It’s been five years since THE BRONX CASKET CO. last released an album and has been well worth the wait. Verni concludes, “This Bronx Casket record is the best we have done, and we are looking forward to getting out on the road and doing some shows.” As with every Bronx Casket Co. release, Verni has charted new territory, and stretched his writing boundaries.

* The forthcoming 2011 album, from The Bronx Casket Co. is titled: Antihero

* Antihero has been produced and engineered by DD Verni, at his New Jersey based – Gear Recording Studio.

* For more info on THE BRONX CASKET CO., click on the link below:

THE BRONX CASKET CO. – myspace music

THE BRONX CASKET CO.

DD Verni – Vocals & Bass

Jack Frost – guitars

Charlie Calv – keyboards

Rob Pallotta – drums

Michael Romeo – shredding guitar solos on new album – Antihero

PARTIAL TRACK LISTING FOR ANTIHERO:

Antihero

Bonesaw

Holy Mother

NYC (Devil’s Playground)

You Look Like Hell

I Never Loved You Anyway

Death On Two Legs (Queen cover song)

My Way (Frank Sinatra cover song)

(Source: eOne Music press release, November 22, 2010)

LONG LIVE THE BRONX CASKET CO.

Stone.

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Earthride “Something Wicked” – A Crunching Doom Metal Ride!

Posted in doom metal music, Heavy Metal, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock music, rock music news, stoner metal music with tags , , , , , , , , on November 26, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

EARTHRIDE – Doom Metal, Biker Doom Metal and to a Metal degree Stoner Metal. This is Earthride. Let me tell you this much, if you are looking to take that gritty and bad-ass Metal ride you’ve been hankering for, look no further than this Maryland based band for just that. With more than enough mainstream dime-a-dozens getting all the attention from the Rock “scholar” mags, it’s a full-throttle, Doom pedal to the Metal band, like Earthride, that gets their proper Metal due here on Metal Odyssey.

Something Wicked is the third full-length album from Earthride and it’s exceedingly muscular in all of it’s Doom Metal glory, with Stoner riffs galore. If this album was actually alive and breathing, I would want it to be my personal body guard. Woven with blue collar toughness and plenty of underground thump and stump Metal, Earthride succeeds with their own Metal stamp of originality, combined with song quality. Plus, the production gives way to a raw appeal with just enough polish, to make Something Wicked sound so menacingly strong.

Ozzy Osbourne era Black Sabbath fans and Doom Metal aficionado’s should be thankful, that a band like Earthride is crunching out Metal as heard on Something Wicked. Earthride could very easily have named their new album Earthshaker… due to the Earth pounding bass courtesy of Rob Hampshire. Vocalist Dave Sherman sounds like a crusty combination of Lemmy Kilmister and Billy Gibbons, while still coming across as a damn cool original. Then again, after enough listens of what Earthride is playing here, the Motorhead and ZZ Top influence arguably exists musically… in my Metal opinion.

The opening track, Something Wicked (I May Become) lays down the Metal ground rules as to what Earthride is bringing to the party… some seriously Heavy, thick and trudging songs that have Old School guitar leads and solos intertwined within. This is a band and an album that solidifies the “what you hear is what you get” Metal school of thought. Don’t expect any experimentation or that one song that will throw you off guard, this is Earthride and they are aren’t about to cater to the diverse Metal enthusiasts anytime soon.

Amidst all the Doom and Stoner appealing riffs, there is some southern boogie in Earthrides step too. Force Fed Fear plays out at 8:31 long and is admittedly my favorite song on Something Wicked. Kyle VanSteinburg lends the boogie down riffs on this molasses heavy kicker of a song, while also providing a meat and potatoes solo that burns. Force Fed Fear is a mighty way to cap off this album.

Metal be thy name, I give Something Wicked 8 out of 10 Metal Fists.

EARTHRIDE:

Dave Sherman – vocals

Kyle VanSteinburg – guitar

Eric Little – drums

Rob Hampshire – bass

* For more info on Earthride, all you have to do is click on the link below:

EARTHRIDE – myspace music

* Something Wicked was released on July 20, 2010, through Earthride’s very own Earth Brain Records.

* Something Wicked was recorded, mixed and mastered by Chris Kozlowski, (Blue Cheer, Pentagram, Melvins and Trouble), at the Polar Bear Lair.

* Featured guest guitarist is underground Metal legend – Scott “Whino” Weinrich of Saint Vitus, Shrinebuilder, The Obsessed and Spirit Caravan fame. “Whino” appears on the track Supernatural Illusion.

* Included in the graphic layout of this Something Wicked album are the actual X-rays and MRI’s from the various injuries sustained over the years by all four members of Earthride. That’s Metal. That’s Earthride.

Something Wicked Track Listing:

Something Wicked (I May Become)

Hacksaw Eyeball

Make Up Your Mind

Destruction Song

Zodiac

Watch The Children Play

Grip The Wheel

Supernatural Illusion

Force Fed Fear

LONG LIVE EARTHRIDE.

Stone.

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THE WRETCHED END: New Track Streaming Via Decibel Magazine!

Posted in Death Metal, Extreme Metal, Heavy Metal, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock music, rock music news, Thrash Metal with tags , , , , , , , , , , on November 25, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

THE WRETCHED END — the blackthrash trio featuring ex-Emperor/ex-Zyklon guitarist Samoth, Mindgrinder/ex-Scum guitarist Cosmo and ex-Dark Funeral/ex-Aeon drummer Nils Fjellström — recently unleashed their debut full-length, Ominous, via Candlelight Records.

In honor of its release, you can check out “The Armageddonist,” the third track off the debilitating outing, courtesy of Decibel Magazine HERE.

THE WRETCHED END formed in 2008 as a creative collaboration between Samoth and Cosmo, who previously worked together in deathpunk project Scum. In addition, Cosmo played bass with Zyklon when the band toured Europe 2001 with Morbid Angel. The two have long spoken about an extreme metal project and thus, THE WRETCHED END was born.
(Source: Earsplit press release)
LONG LIVE THE WRETCHED END.
Stone.

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CROWBAR – Announce New Album Title And Track Listing Revealed!

Posted in Extreme Metal, Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums, heavy metal bands, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock music, rock music news, sludge metal music with tags , , , , , , , , on November 24, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

(New York, NY) — Legendary Metal-Sludge giants CROWBAR will release their crushing, long-awaited new studio album, “Sever The Wicked Hand” on Tuesday, February 8th, 2011 via eOne Music.

* The full album is available now for pre-order on iTunes.

The new album, produced by Kirk Windstein and mixed by Zeuss, is the band’s first new album of all new original studio material since 2005’s “Lifesblood for the Downtrodden.” Front man and founder Kirk Windstein recently told Decibel Magazine, “This is probably the most important record of Crowbar’s career.”

(Source: eOne Music press release, November 23, 2010)

Kirk Windstein – Crowbar founding member, vocalist and guitarist.

Sever The Wicked Hand Track listing:

Isolation (Desperation)

Sever The Wicked Hand

Liquid Sky And Cold Black Earth

Let Me Mourn

The Cemetery Angels

As I Become One

A Farewell To Misery

Protectors Of The Shrine

I Only Deal In Truth

Echo An Eternity

Cleanse Me, Heal Me

Symbiosis

Long Live Kirk Windstein and Crowbar.

Stone.

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Turkey Fart Public Awareness Announcement From Metal Odyssey

Posted in current events, current news, family, feel good stories, food, holidays, humor, rock music, travel with tags , , , , , , , , , , on November 23, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

CAUTION: Turkey Farts are an extreme public safety concern, when inhaled in a confined living room, with no air circulation, amongst a large gathering of relatives, friends and/or total strangers that ate like famished farm goats on Thanksgiving Day. Do not light a match or lighter in this extreme situation either, Turkey Farts are incredibly flammable. Any door marked “bathroom” within a Thanksgiving feast setting should also be avoided… unless you are equipped with a certified industrial gas mask.

* LOWER DWELLING EVACUATION PROCEDURES:

*NEVER move to a higher level of the house/apartment to escape a Turkey Fart… as with all nasty farts, they are fueled by excessive heat which only makes them rise farther into the air. Survivors of Turkey Fart inhalation will tell you, move to lower ground and make certain you bring enough beer with you. Beer Farts are not known to be as toxic as a Turkey Fart, therefore, the Beer Fart is the lesser of two evils.

* NOTE: You can escape a Turkey Fart by going outside; only the NFL games, assorted pastry, party platters, cheese, crackers and refreshments are all readily available… inside your own/hosts dwelling. Also, it is not far fetched to walk/run into an invading “Turkey Fart Thunder Cloud” from another neighborhood dwelling that is engulfing an entire street or city block… that is a whole other Turkey Fart nightmare for another day. Instead, be wise and refer back to  “lower dwelling evacuation procedures.”

* WARNING SIGNS OF POTENTIAL TURKEY FART OUTBURSTS:

In the extreme event you begin to hear a relative/friend/stranger utter: “gobble, gobble”, they are experiencing what is known as Turkey Fart hallucination. Get as far away from this person as you can! This is a tell tale sign that this Turkey glutton has eaten more turkey than their body can handle, resulting in toxic Turkey Fart emissions.

* Stay clear from any relative or immediate family member who exclaims upon finishing their Thanksgiving meal: “gosh, all I want to do right about now is lie down.” This person is a carrier of  Turkey Fart fever! Within 2 to 4 minutes, this dangerous individual will be letting loose Turkey Farts so potent and bizarre, you will wish you were standing in the middle of the Arctic Circle… with some cold beer and Black Metal blasting, of course.

Keep it safe this Thanksgiving and beware of Turkey Farts.

If you or someone you know, is a Turkey Fart inhalation survivor, please feel free to comment about it. Letting your story be heard, is the first step towards defeating your Turkey Fart anxiety.

Stone.

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EASTERN FRONT “Blood On Snow” – Outwardly Wicked And Saturated With Melodic, Blackened Intensity

Posted in Black Metal, Death Metal, Extreme Metal, extreme music, Heavy Metal, heavy metal music, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , , , , , on November 22, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

EASTERN FRONT – Caution: Eastern Front will tear your eardrums inside out and use them for slingshots, while your eyeballs widen and thine jaw drops in utter amazement from their Extreme Speed, Heaviness and fiery Blackened intensity. That is just the beginning… and I was well convinced after listening to the opening track – Stalinorgel, that Eastern Front has taken an enormously serious approach to their Extreme Music. One must listen to all eight songs that Eastern Front has created here, then absorb them all into thine senses and realize this band is not of the cookie cutter variety. Metal be thy name, has Eastern Front made quite the Black Metal statement with Blood On Snow.

The title track, Blood On Snow, clocks in at 8:31 and it is over eight minutes of 100% Black Metal majesty. From the mind invading and senses pummeling blast beats to the vicious guitar leads… and everything else in between, this title track is a Blackened Metal ride of ferocious euphoria. Can this Eastern Front album get any better? It sure can. The very next song, Unleash The Panzer Division, is an introduction to just how melodic guitar leads can coexist with dark, Black Metal ferocity of sound. These two songs, back-to-back are like a double dose of Eastern Front whoop ass… straight to my skin rippling forehead.

At The Gates Of Moscow is a mini Black epic in it’s own right, with seven minutes of unrelenting and Extreme song writing precision. Nagant’s warrior strong vocals are overwhelming with excessive power on At The Gates Of Moscow. Where Warriors Once Fell, this album’s closer, is the answer to what Iron Maiden would sound like if they were to try their Metal hand at Black Metal. Then again, this is Eastern Front, a Black Metal band that has put forth their very own style with more than subtle confidence. This is a Black Metal band that is overflowing with convincing Metal skill sets. If Eastern Front intended to save their Blackest best for last, they surely have succeeded with Where Warriors Once Fell.

If there is to be one consistent adjective to describe Blood On Snow, it has to be… powerful. From Nagant’s vocals to Holocaust’s unreal guitar leads and every nuance in between, the muscularity of Metal explodes with this bands Blackened style and character. Krieg on rhythm guitar, Destroyer on bass and Destruction on drums all enrich this album to it’s dark and Extreme fullest. Eastern Front sounds razor sharp and very tight on this album, they sound ready to take on the world, with a skull splitting deliverance of their Black Metal power surge.

Listening to this album is like getting hit by that continuous storm wind, that malicious wind that comes out of the northern sky with an unnatural vengeance… and all you can do is respect it’s overall strength. Blood On Snow is swirling with melodic speed throughout each song, with tempo changes, string arrangements and sound effects that are not incorporated for listening convenience or sell out, rather they exist due to the real emotions that Eastern Front has built into this beyond entertaining Black album.

* Blood On Snow was produced by Anders Backelin at Andy LaRocque’s Sonic Train Studios in Sweden. The quality that Andy’s Sonic Train Studio brings to the cascading Black Metal sound on this album is blatantly obvious and arguably, one day in the future… legendary. From the onset to the last note of Blood On Snow, I can hear the painstaking attention to detail, amongst the layers of sound, that great producers like Anders Backelin and Andy are conscientious about. Andy LaRocque is an original member alongside the ultra legendary King Diamond. Andy plays guitar, keyboards and is a songwriter for King Diamond. Andy was also a guitarist for DEATH, appearing on their 1993 studio album – Individual Thought Patterns.

* EASTERN FRONT lists Ipswich, United Kingdom, as their land of origin, on their myspace music page. (See myspace link below).

* EASTERN FRONT – Blood On Snow was released in Europe, on Candlelight Records, on September 13, 2010. Blood On Snow was released in the U.S. on Candlelight Records, on September 21, 2010.

* For more info on EASTERN FRONT, just click on the link below:

EASTERN FRONT – myspace music

EASTERN FRONT:

Nagant – vocals

Holocaust – lead guitar

Krieg – rhythm guitar

Destroyer – bass

Destruction – drums

Blood On Snow – (Back Cover of CD above)

Track Listing For Blood On Snow:

Stalinorgel

Battle Of Smolensk

Blood On Snow

Unleash The Panzer Division

Motherland

Dvenadtzat Kilometrov Ot Moskvy

At The Gates Of Moscow

Where Warriors Once Fell

EASTERN FRONT HAS ARRIVED… BEST TO LET THEM IN.

Stone.

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BON JOVI and POISON – Who Cares About Their Recycled “Greatest Hits” Collections Anyways?

Posted in Hair Metal, Hard Rock, hard rock albums, hard rock bands, Heavy Metal, metal odyssey, Music, rock & roll, rock and roll, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , , , , , , , on November 21, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

BON JOVI/POISON – Metal be damned their back. I’m not talking about the bands Bon Jovi and Poison themselves, I’m talking about their recycled, re-mastered, decades old “hits” that everyone on planet Earth already owns. Yes, both bands have reintroduced to the world, once again, their sacred “hits” and have now decided to call them… “collections”. The sole purpose of these “collections” being released now, is for their being purchased as holiday gifts, the timing could not be any more prosperous for Bon Jovi and Poison.

Some poor dude out there is gonna get this Bon Jovi The Ultimate Collection as a Christmas present this year…  just because he probably mentioned once, during a family reunion picnic, that he digs the song Bad Medicine. That’s so damn unfortunate. Some poor Hard Rock chick (who owns every Poison album already) is gonna receive this Poison Nothin’ But A Good Time Collection as a holiday grab bag gift at work… all due to her saying she has dug Poison her whole life to someone at the company cafeteria. Terrible thought, I know.

Any fan of Poison or Bon Jovi already owns every damn studio album, live album and greatest hits as it is. I don’t think either band is hurtin’ in the big pay day department either… still, it’s all about the $$$ and no remote care in the world for the long-time fans who want “new” studio recordings of songs. This is Bon Jovi’s fourth “greatest hits” album… hello, egomaniacs anonymous? Maybe these new “collections” from both bands are fitting for younger fans who are just getting into their music, I will concede that. Plus, I’m certain there are a ton of Democrat politicians who have been voted out of office this November that will buy this new Bon Jovi “Collection” as well. Those soon to be former Democrat politicians owe Bon Jovi for his supporting them… so there is always that new market to tap into.

How many times does Poison need to release a “greatest hits”? It’s been eight long years since Poison released a studio album of “new” songs, the last being 2002’s Hollyweird. Four “new” songs on Bon Jovi’s Ultimate Collection is like giving their loyal fans a bagged fart, disguised as a secret toy surprise, in the middle of bland tasting cheerios. Oh, I forgot, This Bon Jovi band is too “busy” to make a full-length album these days. This is as perfect an example, as I can point out, to two different bands becoming so commercial and worldly popular, that anything they decide to refry and belch out, is to be automatically accepted by the Rock listening and buying public. NOT!

Seasoned Rock and Hard Rock fans worldwide, save your hard earned money this holiday season and do yourself an “ultimate” favor by staying away from these “ultimate” collections. I’m not taking away from either band being solid and great in their own musical regards, that is not my intent. I really, really, dig Poison, always have and will. However, giving a little extra more money to the Salvation Army kettle, this holiday season, sounds like a much more valiant way to expend any more disposable income that I already don’t have.

Metal be thy name.

Stone.

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MURDERDOLLS – Violent Night Deadly Night U.S. Tour Dates! Plus 2011 International Tour Dates!

Posted in Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, heavy metal bands, horror metal, horror punk, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, Punk rock, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 20, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

MURDERDOLLS – Tis the season to be horrified and have your face Rocked off and brain rattled from the Metal meets Horror Punk onslaught of MURDERDOLLS… live… on tour… and quite possibly down the street from you. Joey Jordison and Wednesday 13 are ready to spread some bedlam across the U.S. to close out 2010… then they embark on invading Europe and Australia to get their nightmarish 2011 kick started! Get Scared and Vampires Everywhere! will be on the U.S. Violent Night Deadly Night Tour as support bands.

Check out the tour tour dates below, to see if MURDERDOLLS are invading your peaceful community this holiday season:

Violent Night Deadly Night U.S. Tour:

12/03/10 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave

12/04/10 – Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre

12/06/10 – New York, NY @ The Gramercy Theatre

12/07/10 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Altar Bar

12/08/10 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club

12/09/10 – Allentown, PA @ Crocodile Rock

12/10/10 – Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom

12/11/10 – Baltimore, MD @ Bourbon Street Ballroom

12/12/10 – Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall

12/14/10 – Loop Station, MN @ First Avenue

12/15/10 – Des Moines, IA @ People’s Court

12/21/10 – Tulsa, OK @ The Marquee

12/22/10 – Wichita, KS @ The Cotillion

Wednesday 13 and Joey Jordison

International Tour Dates – 2011:

01/16/11 – Amsterdam, NL @ Melkweg

01/18/11 – Munich, BAY DE @ Backstage

01/19/11 – Berlin DE, @ SO 36

01/20/11 – Hamburg, DE @ Grünspan

01/21/11 – Lingen, DE @ Schlachthof

01/23/11 – Milan, IT @ Magazzini

01/25/11 – Zürich, CH @ Dynamo

01/26/11 – Lyon, FR @ Transbordeur

01/27/11 – Bordeaux, FR @ Rock School Barbey

01/28/11 – Rennes, FR @ Etage

01/29/11 – Paris, FR @ Elysee Montmartre

01/31/11 – Antwerp, BE @ Trix Hall

02/02/11 – Portsmouth, UK @ Pryramids

02/03/11 – Norwich, UK @ Waterfront

02/04/11 – Bristol, UK @ 02 Academy

02/05/11 – Sheffield, UK @ Corporation

02/07/11 – Wolverhampton, UK @ Wulfrun Hall

02/08/11 – Middlesbrough, UK @ Empire

02/10/11 – Glasgow, UK @ ABC

02/11/11 – Manchester, UK @ Academy 2

02/12/11 – London, UK @ HMV Forum

02/13/11 – Nottingham, UK @ Rock City

02/14/11 – Exeter, UK @ Lemon Grove

02/26/11 – Brisbane, AU @ RNA Showgrounds

02/27/11 – Sydney, AU @ Eastern Creek Raceway

03/03/11 – Melbourne, AU @ Melbourne Festival Hall

03/04/11 – Melbourne, AU @ Melbourne Showgrounds

03/05/11 – Adelaide, AU @ Bonython Park

03/07/11 – Perth, AU @ Steel Blue Oval

(Source: MURDERDOLLS Official Website)

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

MURDERDOLLS – Official Website

MURDERDOLLS – myspace page

* For more info on Get Scared, click the link below:

GET SCARED – myspace music

* For more info on Vampires Everywhere!, click the link below:

Vampires Everywhere! – myspace music

LONG LIVE MURDERDOLLS.

Stone.

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DORO – “25 Years In Rock” Releases December 7, 2010 In North America!

Posted in Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, heavy metal albums, heavy metal concerts, heavy metal news, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock music, rock music news with tags , , , , , , , , , , , on November 20, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

DORO – Metal’s “real” Queen is Germany’s Doro Pesch and she is celebrating her 25th Anniversary as such in grand Metal style. 25 Years In Rock… And Still Going Strong will be released on Nuclear Blast in Europe on November 26, 2010 and November 29 in the UK, while a December 7, 2010 release is slated for North America. This amazing DORO package is a 2 DVD/1 CD, featuring the celebration of her 25th Anniversary concert on December 13, 2008, at the ISS Dome in Düsseldorf, Germany, (Doro’s hometown).

Live concert footage includes: Big City Nights and Rock You Like A Hurricane with Klaus Meine and Rudolf Schenker, Always Live To Win with Bobby “Blitz” Ellsworth, Walking With The Angels with Tarja Turunen, True As Steel with Warlock line-up of 1986 and Warrel Dane, All We Are featuring all the guests from this incredible night, plus many more Metal surprises! The total running time is 5 hours on DVD! Whoa… that’s a ton of DORO greatness!

* DVD 1 is live concert footage, while DVD 2 is a documentary with highlights, extras and bonus features.

DORO – 25 Years In Rock Ltd. Edition Double LP Picture Disc, (above). This beauty is being sold directly on Century Media – CM Distro.com. As of November 20th, I’ve seen it as “temporarily out of stock”… so it’s a hot DORO commodity!

* Click below to see the third trailer for DORO – 25 Years In Rock

DORO – 25 Years Of Rock (2DVD/CD Slipcase)

DORO – 25 Years In Rock CD Track Listing:

Introduction

Earthshaker Rock

I Rule The Ruins

You’re My Family

Herzblut

Unholy Love (Featuring Honza K. Behunek)

East Meets West (Featuring Chris Boltendahl and Axel Rudi Pell)

Burn It Up (Featuring Jean Beauvoir)

Above The Ashes

Celebrate (Full Metal Female Version)

Breaking The Law

LONG LIVE DORO PESCH… THE METAL QUEEN.

Stone.

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CROWBAR – KICK OFF FIRST HEADLINING TOUR IN OVER FIVE YEARS!

Posted in extreme music, Heavy Metal, heavy metal bands, heavy metal news, metal music, metal odyssey, Music, rock music, rock music news, sludge metal music with tags , , , , , , , , , , on November 19, 2010 by Metal Odyssey

(New York, NY) — CROWBAR will be hitting the road hard next week along side BLACK TUSK. Dates will span most of the eastern seaboard through the middle of December. All tour dates are below. For more info on CROWBAR, click the links below:

CROWBAR – myspace music

CROWBAR – Official Website

w/ BLACK TUSK:

Nov. 27 – Savannah, GA @ The Jinx

Nov. 28 – Jacksonville, FL @ The Pit

Nov. 29 – Atlanta, GA @ Drunken Unicorn

Nov. 30 – Raleigh, NC @ Volume 11

Dec. 01 – Charleston, SC @ Jimbo’s Rock Lounge

Dec. 02 – Charlotte, NC @ Tremont Music Hall w/ EYEHATEGOD

Dec. 03 – VA Beach @ Hangar 09

Dec. 04 – Trenton, NJ @ Championship Bar & Grill

Dec. 05 – New York, NY @ Santo’s Party House

Dec. 06 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Barbary Coast

Dec. 07 – Providence, RI @ Club Hell

Dec. 08 – Cambridge, MA @ Middle East

Dec. 09 – Niagara Falls, NY @ Evening Star Music Hall

Dec. 10 – Columbus, OH @ Alrosa Vista

Dec. 11 – Chicago, IL @ Reggie’s Rock Club

Dec. 12 – St Louis, MO @ Fubar

Dec. 13 – Memphis, TN @ Hi Tone

Dec. 14 – Little Rock @ Downtown Music

Dec. 15 – Tulsa, OK @ The Marquee

Dec. 16 – Amarillo, TX @ El Cien

Dec. 17 – Dallas, TX @ Trees

Dec. 18 – Shreveport, LA @ Riverside Warehouse (No Black Tusk)

Newly signed to eOne Music, sludge metal legends CROWBAR recently re-released three influential records, CROWBAR, LIVE +1 and TIME HEALS NOTHING on October 5th, 2010. These three records are the band’s core titles and have influenced many of today’s major metal acts including LAMB OF GOD and HATEBREED. With each title originally being released in the early nineties, this will be the first time all three records will be widely available in stores and online. A new CROWBAR record is planned for early 2011.

KIRK WINDSTEIN – Founding member, guitarist and vocalist of Crowbar.

Kirk Windstein formed CROWBAR in 1991. Since that time, the band’s sound has profoundly influenced a new generation of Metal acts the world over. Kirk Windstein is also a key member of KINGDOM OF SORROW (with HATEBREED frontman Jamey Jasta) and DOWN.

(Source: eOne Music press release, November 19, 2010).

LONG LIVE KIRK WINDSTEIN & CROWBAR.

Stone.

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