Let's speak with Hunter Omega (Metal, 2026)

The new EP "Lake Of Death" by the belgian formation Hunter Omega left a mark behind in my ears. Intensive metal in the style of traditional US bands came out of the speakers but the four tracks present on the release are very different songs. Some are pure thrash metal, others more melodic midtempo metal and there's also a slow song among the four tunes.

The new line up of the band Hunter Omega. Photo credit: Tom van Collie

So who is this band that put's so much intensity but also variability into only one release? Maybe this interview will help us to find out. Guitar player Joost and vocalist David from Hunter Omega were so kind to answer some questions.  

Heavy Metal Underdogs: You've changed the bandname from Hunter to Hunter Omega. Why have you done that?

Joost :

With two out of the five members replaced, and the inevitable evolution in sound that brings, we felt it was right to let the name evolve as well.

Why Hunter Omega? The Omega makes reference to the endtimes. It better illustrates the apocalyptic concept of the band. 

The new EP "Lake of Death" shows a mix of songs with a lot of variations in them. I think they are all heavy but also very different compared to each other. Did you have a special style of songs on your mind in the time of writing these tracks?

Joost :

I wrote most of the music this time. I definitely wanted to steer the band into a heavier direction. The songs were written when the old lineup was still together, but Bram en Manu's presence definitely helped make them what they are now. F.A.F.O. is the exception. That's based around a song idea from Jeroen. When I heard it, I thought "this would make a great Motörhead song" and I wrote the guitar parts with that in mind.

David:

I’m happy you say “there’s a lot of variation”. Imagine you would have to say, “I listened to your EP, and the songs were all very similar”. To me that would be a bad thing. 

Does the story of the Hunter continue on the new EP?

Joost :

While we don't really write concept albums, the central theme of man as a hunter, preying on others, and the apocalyptic visions definitely continue. We definitely want to retain what made Hunter what it was and build on that. 

David:

This time, the lyrics came to me based on three melodies I was hearing and the sounds that fit them most. The subconscious probably takes over, there’s some personal struggles hidden in the songs. The Hunter can always be found everywhere, but I think the lyrics are a bit more cryptic this time. Except for FAFO, which is basically as simple as “I get in trouble but I get my ass kicked every time”.

You've been releasing music independently for over ten years now. How do look back with all your experiences now?

Joost :

The advantage of releasing music independently is that you have total freedom. Nobody will interfere with the music or artwork. The disadvantage is that you don't have distribution or a publicity machine. If the right deal is offered, we would not hesitate to sign. If it doesn't, we're perfectly fine to continue on our path. 

Do you have plans for liveshows with the new songs?

Joost :

We have a couple of album presentation shows booked and we're actively seeking gigs for 2027 and beyond. Hunter Omega is first and foremost a live band. 

You can contact the band through it's homepage. 

At the bottom of the page you can find links to social media pages. The "Lake Of Death" EP is going to be released on 9th September 2026. 

Let's speak with Ian Highhill (Classic Metal)

In recent months I read a issue of the Rock Hard megazine. It had a special inside that took the readers back to the year 1992. One part talked about Black Sabbath that released the "Dehumanizer" album in those days with Ronnie James Dio on vocals. 

Later on a E-Mail flew into my inbox that said that the music of Ian Highhill comes with a similar flavor like the Sabbath album so I couldn't resist to listen and was warmly welcomed by the sound that took me back to the days of the Birmingham legend with Dio on vocals. Who stands behind such great songs and what does Ian Highhill want to express with them? His full independent release of a new album made me even more want to know details behind the album "A Hymn Among Gravestones".

Heavy Metal Underdogs: How did you start your career as a musician?

Ian Highhill: I started my career in the early 80s. A friend of mine wanted to start a band, and around the same time, I got my uncle's old electric guitar as a birthday present. And obviously, the NWOBHM was happening at the time, so you couldn't have asked for more inspiration to start a band, could you? This was followed by many line-ups, perhaps most notably the power metal bands Olympos Mons and Astralion, and now my solo project Ian Highhill.

Ian Highhill talks to us about his life as a independent artist.

Do you think that today's musicians have the chance to take more control on the material they release?

Absolutely! Thanks to Pro Tools, social media and streaming services, artists now have complete control over their work. However, they also bear the entire burden of advertising, sales and, of course, creating the product itself. In my case, that includes recording, mixing, producing and mastering. It's all the things that record companies used to take care of. However, lately, it seems like the bands have been taking care of most of this themselves, while the labels have been making the money. So, I'm not sure what's best anymore.

You've just released a brand new album called "A Hymn Among Gravestones". Which topics did you cover in the lyrics?

The new album covers many themes. The first one I came up with was the title track, 'A Hymn Among Gravestones', which is directly linked to the war in Ukraine and other ongoing unrest. The same goes for 'King of Ashes'. This, in turn, leads us to one of the greatest sins of mankind: greed. Hence the song 'In the Name of Greed'. I also wrote a song about young people who join criminal gangs in search of respect: 'Deal with the Devil'.

Do you write songs when a idea sparks up or do you work on new songs in sessions?

I like to do everything myself, so I can work whenever I want and whenever I have ideas. The great thing about this is that I don't have to book studio time or wait around for other musicians to finish. I can make the songs from start to finish without any hassle. I haven't written at band sessions since Pro Tools came along. It's great that I can work from home in peace and quiet, and at my own pace.

The cover artwork has been done by you, too. The front and back cover seem to accompany each other. Are there some hints on the meaning you would like to share with us?

Ian Highhill completed all steps for the new album by himselves.

Yeah, I've been doing digital art as a hobby for a while, so it was only natural that I should make the cover myself. I also did some oil painting back in the '90s, which has been helpful too. The cover shows a soldier coming back from war, only to find that the only reward he gets is a hymn among gravestones when he dies. I've been around long enough to have met some World War II veterans. I'll always remember the sad look in their eyes whenever the war was mentioned. With everything going on between Russia and Ukraine right now, I thought it'd be a good idea to make the album title track about war and forgotten war heroes.

You can listen to songs of the album by picking a streaming service of your choice of this list.

Physical copies are available of Ian Highhills own webshop.

You can also watch a video here directly.

Let's speak with Thomas Wright (bassist & creative leader of Rootbrain)

The german / finish alternative band Rootbrain came along to me with a lyric video showing beautiful nature scenes. It's music content is a slower tune with fine melodies that is building up constantly throughout it's duration. At the proper moments heavier parts come in but it all remains fitting very well with each alltogether.

Picture of Thomas Wright taken by Varjo Art.

The info that came with the music was very exciting so it was a close idea to ask the band a few questions how the new EP "Mothertomb" came together.

Heavy Metal Underdogs:The video for "Mothertomb" shows a lot of scenes filmed in beautiful nature locations. Have you recorded them in the surroundings of one of the recording locations? 

Thomas Wright (bassist of Rootbrain): Yeah, the scenes are filmed around our Rootbrain hq, a cabin on an island in the middle of beautiful Finnish nature. A place baptised the Temple of Bad Habits by our drummer Fat Tony. Beats me why. I’ve been fortunate enough to call this place my home for the past few years. The clips on the video are just little observations during the last two years or so. I think they go very well with the song. You’re right we also recorded part of the Mothertomb ep there in our pop-up cabin studio. Vocals, bass and acoustic guitars to be precise. Victor and Helle nailed the distorted guitars later at Woodshed Studio, Germany. Tony had delivered his magic earlier at Q7 Studios in the same country 

The songs on the new EP "Mothertomb" were written more spontaneously. How exactly did you go along to catch the idea of the moment? 

It’s always been a part of our sound and approach that in the studio we deliver our parts pretty fast and try to capture a live feel. But it’s not like we enter the studio and just start jamming. There’s a lot of creative work in the background. Usually the process starts with me writing the core of a song. This usually takes a few demo versions before they start to find their form. If the song passes Helle’s scrutiny it usually proceeds to the next phases where we arrange it with Helle and Tony at the rehearsal place. That’s our expanded rhythm section. Then the more melodic elements get more attention closer to the studio sessions and that’s where Jules and Santura enter in a signifigant way. It’s true the vocal recordings were more spontaneous and intuitive this time and we could work on the songs in a way that gave more room to the vocals. All elements were more aligned this time. On the debut the album was already done when Jules joined the band and he just recorded his parts on top of the ready songs. He did that in a phenomenal way, though and created the genre of black grunge in the process. On these Mothertomb sessions it was very fruitful to work with the songs as entities and communicate much better. We even wrote some of the lyrics during the vocal recordings together. There is so much creative talent in this band that it’s a priviledge to have sessions like these. 

Does it mean you didn't practice the songs for a longer time but instead directly recorded them straight away? 

We didn’t practice that much before the recordings but we did have a couple extremely dedicated rehearsal camps with Fat Tony and Helle. Our rehearsals always last for days since we don’t live close to each other. That works very well for us and gives us the opportunity to get deeper into the songs compared to shorter sessions. They are also special occasions with special friends and during them we shut all outside life out and focus only on the present and the music. But yeah, we worked a lot on the vocals and lyrics on the spot. All the actual recordings we usually deliver quite fast trying to capture the magic of the moment. If it sounds awesome it’s much better than if it sounds perfect. One of our key principles is to have a bit of edge and danger that so much of the modern metal lacks because it’s all quantized and polished into perfection. We leave our fingerprints. 

Are you going to perform the new songs live this year? 

I sure hope so. So far our tour calendar is empty though. But we’re working on the second full length album and the plan is to start recording in the summer so we’re not resting on our laurels. Hopefully a couple festival shows will drop for the summer and who knows maybe there’s something in the autumn. Our music belongs to the stages. We have already played all the four new songs live. They worked really well. 

You can listen to more songs of the band on Spotify. Follow Rootbrain on Facebook so you won't miss out on future updates.

Let's speak with Stephen Chesney about All-Star-Project Agents Of Your Demise

Slash's Snakepit Vocalist Eric Dover, Bass Legend Billy Sheehan, KoRn Drummer Ray Luzier and Dizzy Reed of Guns N' Roses - that's together with guitarist and songwriter Stephen Chesney who stand's behind the brand new band Agents Of Your Demise.

A mix of the single artwork along with the musicians that performed on it. 

Having heard the very first single it became quickly evident that this wasn't going to be one of the many All Star Projects without substance. The raw, heavy and punching sound breathes real music life and energy that can be felt by the listener. Heavy Metal Underdogs took the chance to speak to Stephen Chesney and get some more in-depth information about what is going to be the upcoming debut album, due for release in the first quarter of 2025.

Question: Do you still remember what exactly brought you to the world of music (maybe an event or a song)?

Stephen Chesney: To be perfectly honest with you, I was around music from the time I was born. My mum was a singer, my dad had played guitar in bands outside of his career profession, and I was carrying around toy guitars from the moment I was able to walk… probably before I could walk, actually.

My late cousin was a massive fan of the British rock scene back home. He suffered from cystic fibrosis, and rock music was his escape from what he had to fight daily. When I was probably five or six years old, he made me a mixtape of Guns N’ Roses, Little Angels, and Thunder, and that was it for me. I fell in love with it then and never grew out of it or changed. I’ve broadened my horizons a little, but I still love now exactly what I loved then.

That might’ve been a bit young to have been training me to get into GN’R, looking back, but hey, I’ll take it—no complaints, lol.

Question: Having read that you perform in various genres, do you think every musician should try other musical territories to learn better writing abilities?

It depends on what their goal is. If someone’s passion is strictly within one realm, then that’s exactly what they should adhere to if they feel led that way. But personally, for me, I can’t see it as anything other than a positive to listen to different genres. Even if it’s not something you’d write or choose to listen to as a first choice, you’re still going to hear melodic structures, chord changes, and ideas that you may have never thought of, which you can bring to your own writing and into your preferred style.

I grew up a massive Jimi Hendrix fan. There was a BBC show called Rock Family Trees, and during an interview with Chas Chandler about Jimi, Chas said that no matter what style of music— even if the band was terrible—he always took one thing away from every song or performance he ever saw. Because even if something was terrible, there was always one hidden gem that he could add to his own playing and writing. That stuck with me.

The single is also available on Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Deezer and YouTube Music.

Question: Do you have certain people in mind at the time of writing songs, or does this part of selection happen after the music is complete?

It depends on what I’m writing for—what the project is. For the Agents of Your Demise record, I already knew who I had involved, so I was writing whatever I wanted musically because there was absolutely no question as to whether the guys involved had the ability to pull off what I wanted to do. Knowing who was waiting to play on these songs pushed me to be better to make sure I could keep up with them, lol.

That said, I purposely wrote the music to Hat on a Hat, which is the lead-off song on the album, specifically to play with Billy. I put the demo of that together in 2015 after I’d first started jamming with him, so that song was definitely written knowing exactly who I intended to have on board, lol.

Question: Is the upcoming full album of Agents of Your Demise reflecting on your private life or things that happened to you as a musician?

All of the above, lol. There’s a cover song at the end of the record that ties into a lot of my own life too. I think there’s really only one song that isn’t personal to me. Track 4, Raise Hell or Die, was one where I wrote the music, but Eric wrote the lyrics, so that one particular song is a separate thing. But everything else on the record is basically the story of the last 10–15 years of my life in some form or fashion.

There are probably going to be some people that hear it and think, “WTF? Is that about me?!” And guess what, pal—it might just be, lol. It might not be… but it might.

Question: Do you think the lyrics could also help people looking for advice?

When I wrote these songs, they were, in a lot of cases, my own form of therapy. But that said, my hope is that they’re relatable enough that someone may find some sort of help in them and be able to adapt what they hear to their own life experiences.

Some of the lyrics are more lighthearted than others, but across all of the tracks, if you listen to the actual musical style, the songs sort of camouflage how serious the lyrics are. I tried to make sure that the tunes are still upbeat—something you can nod your head to—without immediately realizing, Oh… this is kinda dark.

There’s a lot of very personal experience in the songs, and I think people who seek out the words will find they can relate to them in some way. Hopefully, they’ll be reminded that no matter what situation they’re in, everyone is in the exact same spot in some way, regardless of their standing in the world. It’s okay to feel like giving up… but don’t f***ing give up.

Question: The cover art of the single Nothing’s Made to Last shows a darker atmosphere presented in a comic style. Do you prefer this style, or does it just fit better with the heavier guitar sound that’s so prevalent in the first single?

There are a ton of different things I intend to do with bits and pieces of artwork styles for pushing the songs. When possible, I wanted to try and get away from the stereotypical rock image… which is ironic because I wound up with a skull and a rose on this one, so I guess I didn’t move too far away from it after all, lol.

That said, there’s a lot of other imagery coming that’s entirely different from what was used with the first single.

In my head, it probably has different meanings than just being a rock skull or whatever. There’s a bit of humor in where it came from when I designed it. In a way, it’s like… there were people who knew of me and what I was doing, and then I sorta went quiet publicly for a few years after the pandemic. Then life got in the way of things moving along quickly.

So that skull version of me has a bit of a “Hey, what’s up? Uhh… told ya I’d be here—so how’s it goin’?” vibe in the pose, lol. But I think you’ll see a lot of different styles for each song as we go.

Make sure to stay in connection with Agents Of Your Demise so you won't miss out on how the other songs sound like.

https://www.agentsofyourdemise.com/

https://www.facebook.com/StephenChesney

https://instagram.com/stephenchesneymusic

Let's speak with Still Dusk (Alternative Rock)

In the beginnings it was the music that was compelling for me. It was the creativity, the never ending of expression and feelings through melodies and sometimes the raw energy of the guitars or the beat of the drums.

Later on as I began to buy music I started to watch the lyric sheets that often came with the records. That's the second time music became so important to me because I often felt that I was able to relate to the text. Other times it was inspiring to see other perspectives on a similar topic. 

Still Dusk give a fresh look upon today's society.

The alternative rock formation Still Dusk quickly draw me into their music with the lyric video for "Sugar". Having been teased before by a short info in a mail I was curious to hear how this sounds. Minutes later saw me be being feeling touched by the straight rocking riffs mixed up with lyrics that create some reaction and reflection in my mind. I was sure I wanted to know more about who stand's behind all of this and some questions for a interview were sent away. 

Here's what vocalist Konstantina answered to mostly lyrics-related questions about the music of Still Dusk.

Heavy Metal Underdogs: Thank you very much for taking the time to answer some questions for the Heavy Metal Underdogs blog. How did the band find together in it's initial days?

Konstantina (vocals): The band initially came together in 2018 through an ad posted on a website by a former member who had the vision to start a music project. In its early days, the band explored a different musical style. However, the pandemic brought a period of reflection and change. Afterward, we reorganized, redefined our direction, and evolved into what we are today. Now, we're thrilled to be just a step away from releasing our debut album, marking a new chapter in our journey.

Your lyrics seem to be outworked a lot and something you center upon. How do you work them out?

Our approach to lyrics is like weaving a tapestry. Every thread has a purpose, and every detail matters. We don’t write them just to fit the music; we see them as an extension of the song's soul. Sometimes, a lyric begins with a single word or phrase that lingers in our minds, and we build from there, layering meaning and emotion. We also like to explore contrasts, pairing raw vulnerability with bold imagery or blending abstract ideas with vivid storytelling. It’s less about following rules and more about creating something that feels alive and honest.

Are the topics based upon personal experiences?

Many of our topics are drawn from personal experiences, but we don’t limit ourselves to just that. Sometimes, a song starts with a deeply personal moment or emotion, and other times it’s inspired by observing the world, exploring human nature, or imagining alternate perspectives. Even when the lyrics come from personal stories, we like to write in a way that leaves room for listeners to find their own meaning. It’s a mix of introspection and storytelling, always aiming to connect on a deeper level.

Do you write the music first or are there moments where the lyrics define the sounds they are going to be combined with? 

It’s a bit of both, depending on the inspiration behind the song. Sometimes the music comes first, an idea, a riff, or a melody that sets the tone and the lyrics are written to fit the emotional landscape of the sound. Other times, the lyrics are so vivid or powerful that they dictate the mood and direction of the music. There are also moments where everything happens simultaneously, as if the words and music naturally find each other. We enjoy the flexibility of letting each song take its own path during the creative process.

Follow the band on social media so you won't miss anything on the upcoming album.

Bandcamp: https://stilldusk.bandcamp.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stillduskofficial
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StillDuskofficialchannel

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stillduskofficial

Let's speak with Darren Michael Boyd (Instrumental Rock/Metal)

Instrumental musicians work different in my eyes. Since they don't use refrains and anything of that kind they need to put in more and different elements to keep the music attractive to the listener.

This fact makes talking to such musicians extra exciting and when the chance knocked at my door to speak with guitarist Darren Michael Boyd I send him some questions without hesitation. Even more because the first song I listened to had sort of healing effect on me. ("Solitary Green Witch" - which you can listen to scrolling further down this interview)

Darren Michael Boyd creates a lot of positive sounds.

Heavy Metal Underdogs: Did you start to play the guitar already before the car accident that seems to be the spark of your solo career?

Darren Michael Boyd: Oh yes, I’ve been playing guitar for as long as I can remember. I actually started out playing drums – I took lessons for a few years. Somehow, I always knew that guitar would become my main instrument. On my solo albums, I play all the instruments, with the occasional exception, but the guitar is my instrumental “voice”. 

Creating this instrumental music has been therapeutic for me, and I hope other listeners feel a similar benefit.

How did you start to write songs at the beginning?

I started attempting to write songs by about age 7, although I couldn’t really play any instruments. It was just part of artistic development, I suppose. Eventually I started to actually form bands and write complete songs by age 15. Back then it was a case of bringing the idea to the band members and hammering it out during rehearsals.

Is there a preference to write songs on your own or in cooperation with other artists?

I love doing both. Obviously writing music for myself gives me 100% creative freedom, but it’s also important to collaborate for educational purposes, and to be challenged. There’s definitely something magical about teaming up with another artist and creating something special together. I should make a point of doing that more!

Do you write music only when you schedule time for it or spontaneously when inspiration comes your way? 

I can certainly sit down at a scheduled time and write with intention, but I do love that feeling of pure inspiration, creating a killer composition that seemed to just float out of the air. Whenever I pick up an instrument I immediately seem to slide into writing mode for some reason, which makes hard to simply “practice”! I just let it happen, I’m in the passenger’s seat along for the ride, giving some directions. I also have notes and voice memos filling up my phone, like most writers, I assume.

Is there a favorite setup you use for writing music or do you put it all together the moment it happens?

I have a modest home studio where I record almost everything. I tend to take all those idea from my phone memos and start fleshing them out when I have a block of time.

Have you never thought of joining a band for a long time?

Yes, absolutely. I have played in bands my entire life, sometimes as a hired musician, sometimes as the leader. Either way, I’m happy to play great songs with great people, for a great audience. If I’m fortunate enough to get a great paycheck too, that’s a bonus haha!

But after my car accident, things had changed once I started to become active again, and I wanted to make things happen instead of waiting around – starting my solo career it allowed me that freedom.

What's coming up next? Any dates you can share with us?

My new album should be released by Halloween – I had some serious technical setbacks, so I’m currently concerned about that particular deadline, but I’m working late nights and crossing all my fingers (when I’m not playing guitar, of course).

I only have one live show coming up, at Avant-Garde Bar in Ottawa Canada on October 10th.

I will be attending the Josie Music Awards in October as a nominee in three categories; Musician of the Year (guitarist), Instrumental Song of the Year (Darkling), and Instrumental Album of the Year (Hexalogy).

The JMA’s are world’s largest independent music awards show, held at the Grand Ole Opry House, in Nashville, Tennessee, so it’s an honour to be nominated. Especially being this weird Canadian instrumental artist, playing “Spooky Surf” and Metal!

Thanks for including me on Heavy Metal Underdogs; it’s important work you do – sharing new Metal with the people! And thanks to the readers, it’s wicked to meet you!

Darren

You can check out the website or Bandcamp page for more details and music of Darren Michael Boyd.

Let's speak with...Die Dorks (German Punk)

Sometimes there's a need to speak out clearly. That's at least how it feels in my mind. But with today's context we're living in people doing that have become rare. Small wonder if you consider the consequences.

Die Dorks are a band with in-depth and meaningful lyrics.

The german band "Die Dorks" are one of the few ones that are keeping the flag of free speech flying high. The newest album output can be translated to "Business model hate" in english language. Most of the lyrics question topics such as tolerance, freedom, violence, hate, pressure but also topics like missing someone are present. I felt the need to talk to band head Liza Dork to find out who stand's behind such a output.

Heavy Metal Underdogs: Did you have to deal with hatred on social media yourselves ?

Liza Dork: Fortunately, we have never been exposed to real hatred or threats that would make us fear for our lives. However, it can be observed that cyberbullying towards others on social media has increased rapidly. It's bad enough that this still isn't punished more harshly. In my opinion, this phenomenon has increased even more during the pandemic and inspired us to write this song.

What do you think does hate do to the persons that suffer of it ?

Mental illnesses such as social phobias and anxiety disorders can be the result of cyberbullying. In the worst case, this can not only lead to isolation but also suicidal thoughts for those affected.

Have you received feedback to your thoughtfull lyrics on "Geschäftsmodell Hass" ?

We always get feedback from our fans that our lyrics are always reflective and meaningful. Far away from flat phrases. It is also our aim to work on every song lyric with great attention to detail.

Can you already reveal any toudates of upcoming shows with us ?

This year, booking is still a little slow, as we only accept selected shows that allow us to pay our expenses and hotel. It's not easy for a band like us who book themselves independently. The clubs' budgets are limited and the support slots for the bigger acts are scarce.

We are available for booking inquiries all year round to: lizal-dorks@hotmail.de

You can check the tourdates section on our homepage for all the latest info. 

Music speaks in many languages so I thought it would be great to include the video of the title track here.

Let's speak with Rage about the upcoming UK tour

Soon after having re-discovered some Rage CDs in my collection (Ghosts, Lingua Mortis and End of All Days) a Email hit my inbox saying that the band is going to play a string of dates in the United Kingdom soon. 

Rage are back as a three-piece band.

The full list of dates is as follows:

November 27th – Dudley – Red By Night

https://www.facebook.com/events/291235009932841/

November 28th – Newcastle – The Cluny 2

https://www.facebook.com/events/286485224037167/

November 29th – Dunfermline – PJ Molloys

https://www.facebook.com/events/1038416840849718/

November 30th – Sheffield – Corporation

https://www.facebook.com/events/117477021403958/

December 1st – Bradford – Nightrain

https://www.facebook.com/events/613130937466997/

December 2nd – Brighton – The Arch

https://www.facebook.com/events/785652519717595/

December 3rd – London – The Underworld

https://www.facebook.com/events/1410405596357836/

Rage will be bringing a superb supporting cast with them for their UK campaign, with their old friends, British band C.O.P. UK and the excellent Italian symphonic metal troupe Secret Rule joining them for every date.

For ticketing information see https://linktr.ee/rageinuk

The Email also offered the chance to talk to the band - something I couldn't let unused. They were one of the first band's here in Germany that performed heavy/speed/power metal so I compiled a few questions and got a reply instantly.

Let's see what Peavy Wagner has to say about the upcoming shows and the evolution of the band in nearly 40 bands of existence.

Heavy Metal Underdogs: Why does the new line-up of Rage only feature three band members? What happened in the meantime?

Rage (Peavy Wagner): Our second guitarist Stefan is taking a break from the music biz for a while, due to private reasons. In the meantime we continue as a three piece…

Your website lists three releases entitled "The early years", "The metal years" and "The classic years". Is this a way you would also describe the evolution of the band?

These are different boxset releases, that contain albums from the different phases of Rage, there are three more boxsets (the millenium years, the rising years and the glory years, the last two coming soon). We just called the boxsets like this. The names not necessarily explain the content.

Looking back: what was the trigger that made you try out classic sounds at all?

I (Peavy) always liked classical music, it was often an inspiration to me, when the chance came up to work with orchestra musicians we gave it a chance.

How do you compile the setlists for each show?

We try to feature as much as possible of those 4 decades, of course the highlights but also some forgotten pearls here and there…

Can fans hope to see and hear some songs at the UK dates that have not been in the setlist for a long time?

Yes, we dug out some nice stuff from our older albums, wait and listen! Lookin‘ forward to see you all in the UK! Metal for all 🤘🏻

Finally check out some music in the player below.

CD Review: October Thorns - Circle Game (Deluxe Edition, Progmetal 2022)

This is the ultimate version of a legendary demo. It's faithfully re-stored and reworked to today's standards. 

All of October Thorns work can be enjoyed on one CD now.

The listener get's to hear eight progmetal gems that are a blast. It's permanent powerfull playing power overwhelmed me. All the songs call out the full dedication and detail work anyone can imagine to be a trademark of this genre.

Sure it's progmetal all the way but there are elements woven into the sound that need to be discovered first. With every round you'll get to hear more of them. I think that's why it's nearly listenable infinite times because it takes much time to fully get into October Thorns sound. I myselves thought I had it all after just one walkthrough but having heard "Soul Forge" for a second time opened my eyes for all the detail work.

Of the studio songs the tracks Jihad and Soul Forge stand the strongest on my mind. Along with the title track I think they already show why a purchase of this disc is worth it. But the release as a whole wears this typical highlight feeling that comes to my mind of listening to progmetal. The power of the music along with all the memorable hooklines is hard to resist and pushes me everytime.

The bonus demo tracks show music that has been held back. Those songs are not fully produced of course but in good condition ayway. Thinner sound flows through the speakers but the power remains the same. I guess these tunes didn't fit to the others at the time of the demo release.

But they are great anyway. They just need more patience to be enjoyed compared to the first nine offerings on "Circle Game". They are not so straight-forward in terms of music but show a more experimental side of October Thorns.

The release comes with a detailed 20 page booklet. It holds the full lyrics to the album. There are plenty of photos showing the band at several phases of the existence at promotional shootings as well as a collage with many live shots of the shows the New Yorker played.

Finally a good batch of reviews reflects on the media echo the band got upon release of the demo and playing shows. They are presented with the original typo and media logos. Some reviews come as original pages taken of music magazines.  

A all new interview with vocalist Paul LaPlaca offers a in-detail look into October Thorns art of creating decicated music and how the band came together and broke up.

Make sure to pick up a copy on the website of Divebomb Records. Fans of the genre get music for weeks to discover and enjoy in their ears and hands.

October Thorns is still active on Facebook these days.  

Revealed: The unknown singer who almost replaced Bon Scott in AC/DC

Who auditioned back in the day to fill the vacant slot Bon Scott left behind ? Well not much has been lifted of that period of the Australian Rockers. I got this cool story article that talks with the man who nearly got the slot. But moreover it shows how the story went on after he didn't made it. Rock 'n' Roll still writes some of the most surprising stories with many twist and turns. 

It has been written by Rock Candy author Hojo and is taken of the latest issue number 25 of the Rock Candy magazine. You can order the print magazine directly at www.rockcandymag.com Each copy purchased online comes with a free download in pdf format. 

The front cover of Rock Candy issue 25.

In the latest issue of Rock Candy Magazine editor HoJo interviews the man who almost replaced legendary AC/DC frontman Bon Scott after the singer’s untimely death in 1980. 

Steve Burton was an unknown vocalist in Birmingham, England, earning a living working as a roadie for a number of bands, including Judas Priest. Two roadie friends from Birmingham, Terry Lee and Keith Evans, were working for AC/DC – Terry as lighting director and Keith as Angus Young’s guitar tech. When Bon died on 19 February 1980 both suggested ‘Burtie’ for the vacant vocalist’s slot. 

“I went down to London to audition for the band,” Burtie confirms in the Rock Candy Mag interview. “I got along fine with everyone and thought I did well, but for whatever reason I didn’t get the gig and it went to Brian Johnson, of course. But I must have made an impression on the band, because soon afterwards I got a call asking if I’d be interested in working with Angus and Malcolm Young’s nephew, Stevie. He was putting a new band together in Birmingham and Malcolm had told him he should get hold of me.” 

Stevie and Burtie ended up forming Starfighters, and within three months the band was offered the support slot on the UK leg of AC/DC’s ‘Back In Black’ tour. Malcolm was so impressed with the group that he ended up working with Starfighters on a demo that led to the band signing to Jive Records. 

“We played the last show of the tour at the Victoria Apollo Theatre in London,” recalls Burtie. “And as soon as AC/DC had finished their set Malcolm came off stage, towelled himself down, threw his jacket on and jumped in the minibus with us. We went straight to Morgan Studios in Willesden and from 11 o’clock at night until nine the next morning we recorded with Malcolm helping us out. We did two songs, ‘Alley Cat Blues’ and ‘Rock ’Em Dead’, and those two songs got us signed to Jive.”

Starfighters recorded two albums for Jive, ‘Starfighters’ in 1981 and ‘In-Flight Movie’ in 1982, but success proved elusive and the group soon split. “I’d given up everything for the band,” says Burtie. “Because you know how it is. You’re on your way to stardom, you’re going to settle in America, all that stuff. I ended up working in my mate’s caff in Birmingham for two years flipping burgers!” 

The singer isn’t bitter, though, despite his former bandmate Stevie Young having gone on to replace Malcolm in AC/DC back in 2014. “I’ve never been jealous of anyone’s success,” says Burtie. “Whatever happens in life you’ve got to carry on, whether it be playing in a band or shovelling sh*t all day.” Read this, and many other fascinating stories – including how Ronnie James Dio nearly joined glam rock band Sweet – in issue 25 of Rock Candy Mag. 

About Rock Candy mag 

Rock Candy Mag is a 100-page, full-colour bi-monthly rock mag, created in the UK. It covers the sights, sounds and smells from the greatest era in hard rock music, the ’70s and ’80s. Put together by respected UK rock journalists Derek Oliver, Howard Johnson and Malcolm Dome – all frontline writers for the legendary Kerrang! magazine in the golden era – Rock Candy Mag is available in print format with a free digital download version for anyone who buys the mag online at www.rockcandymag.com.

Let's speak with...The Midnight Devils (Boogie-Woogie Glam Rock,2021)

Uplifting - that's the feeling that came to my mind as I heard the first song of the Omaha based band. On the first look you can quickly spot that they have created a own optic for themselves. The music follows this idea to stand out.

Photo Credit: Mistress Desire.

Sure it is based on the Glam Metal genre but adds a slightly rougher shaped note to the melodies. The drums are also tighter and the whole package goes in straight without setting marks that leave a trace behind.

Who are the guys behind the album "Something Bigger" ? I felt the need to have a talk about the band's first tour that got cancelled in the first Corona wave, online shows, the burdens of today's generation and the new album that is in the works.

 

Heavy Metal Underdogs: I think your sound is outworked more in detail compared to similar bands. The guitar riffs are heavier and darker toned. How did you go along to create your own style ?
 
Sam Spade - Thank you very much.  We have tried very hard to create a sound that is unique and exciting.  The Midnight Devils are a new rock n roll band that is very heavily influenced by bands like KISS, The Ramones, and Van Halen yet we aren’t setting out to recreate anything from the past.  Our music is familiar yet still unpredictable and fresh.  We just combined all of our influences including Elvis, The Rolling Stones, and Motley Crue.  It’s ass-shaking party rock n roll that is all about having the best time possible if only for just one night.   

 

You were on tour in March 2020 as the Corona-Virus started to spread and had to stop the tour. How was the situation back in those days for bands ? Did the shutdown come fast or were there still some venues who held the doors open ?
 
Sam Spade - It was very interesting how it all happened.  We got the call to join The Quireboys on as their support band on their US tour.  We were blown away and had about a week to get ready and get out to Salt Lake City to start the tour.  It was an incredible feeling being able to open for some of your heroes every night across the country.  As we started the tour there were slight rumblings of this virus in China that was killing people.  We didn’t think anything of it and kept playing shows like normal.  About a week into the tour we heard that the virus made it into the USA and some of the cities might start shutting down.  We started to get a little nervous and monitor the news more closely.  About two weeks into the tour states started closing and we knew we were in trouble but we were going to stick it out as long as possible.  Our last show was in New Orleans on March 15th and that night the entire city shut down at midnight.  We got off stage The Quireboys manager took us outside and said he loved working with us and this was the hardest thing to do but he had to cancel the rest of the shows.  They were worried about making it back to England let alone to the next stop.  We were defeated and that hurt badly.  We turned around and drove 20 hours straight home thinking this would all be over in a week or two.  Here we are one full year later.   

 

Do you think online or car shows are a alternative to real shows ?
 
Sam Spade - I personally don't think online streaming shows even come close to the real thing.  The fact is that we don’t have many other options.  I think some great things have been done over the last year but watching a band on your phone just doesn’t have the same sensory effect.  You don’t get the lights, sounds, smells, tastes, or touch of an actually rock n roll party.  That being said everyone is now exactly on the same level.  We are all a captive audience sitting at home on our phones watching and listening.  Streaming shows are cool but it pales in comparison to the real thing.   

 

One of the tracks on the debut CD is called "Generation Durt". Do you think this generation has to take more burden than others ?
 
Sam Spade - Not necessarily.  I think it’s really all about your goals and what you are willing to do to get there.  Sure it seems like this generation has everything easier but on the other side nothing has been handed to us.  Especially in the music business there are so many bands, agents, managers, and labels looking to make an easy dollar off of any artist.  There are so many bands and shows that it’s more difficult now to sell records then it was 20 years ago.  How do you separate this band from the rest of the guys out there?  How do the great bands rise above every other dude with a guitar.  There is no easy way and the business has made it more difficult then ever for artists to grow and nurture.  Think about this though, what happens when bands like Motley, Alice Cooper, KISS, Poison, Def Leppard all retire?  There needs to be another generation of rock n roll stars to step up and follow the guys that laid the blue print.  

 

 

You are going to record a new album with Chip Z'Nuff on the helm. Do you think his influence will change your sound in some ways ?

 

Sam Spade - I am very excited to work with Chip on this new album.  I am excited to bounce ideas off of him and let him get his hands in The Midnight Devils.  We have done a ton of shows with Chip and the boys and he knows exactly what we are supposed to sound like.  I think he is going to help us deliver a really incredible record with mega hooks and catchy sing-a-long choruses.  We will be staying there in the studio with him in Chicago so it will be four days of hard work and lots of good times.  I fully trust Chip and think he is going to help us knock this sophomore release out of the park.  

Finally make sure to check out the band on their cool styled homepage and follow them further on social media such as Instagram or Facebook.

Let's speak with Fierce Deity (Stoner/Power Metal, 2020)

This was a love upon first sight. I just watched the video on YouTube and the warrior at the fire instantly woke my interest. 

To my further pleasure the music and further progress of the lyric video spoke from my heart. It felt like being back in my childhood days listening Iron Maiden for the first time. I simply had to know more about who stands behind Fierce Deity. Happily my questions where listened to so here's what I was able to find out...

Heavy Metal Underdogs: Hey! Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions of the Heavy Metal Underdogs blog.
Fierce Deity / Jonathon Barwick: Really appreciate you having me, Jens!

- Where does the inspiration for the warrior at the campfire on the cover come from?
I call him ‘The Traveller’ (or ‘Trav’ for short) and I got inspiration for the images a few years ago when my life was chaotic. I grieved by reading The Witcher and travelling to Japan. Witchers and Samurai share many philosophies that helped me move forward and find peace - well, that and a little LSD.

- Do you practise meditation for yourself?
I started in July 2017. I found a group of Tibetan Buddhists in my city that allowed the public to join in their meditations. I wrote ‘The Path’ after my first session - I got home, picked up my guitar and all those riffs fell into place.

 
- Do you play retro-games? If so: which systems and games/genres do you prefer?
My first console was a SNES but I spent most of my childhood on a Nintendo 64. I don’t prefer any system and I love all genres. My favourite games always seem to be single player adventures - Zelda, Witcher 3, Fallout 3, the Souls games… Also I’m the best in the world at Mario Kart 64.

- What do the japanese letters underneath the band name stand for?
It translates to “INTENSE GOD”. I visited Japan in 2018 - I was blown away by their culture and I haven’t seen life the same way since. It opened my eyes to the big wide world and the possibilities of life. A year later Fierce Deity was born but without a doubt the idea was conceived in Japan.

- Could you imagine converting the one-man project Fierce Deity into a full band if there was a demand for shows?
I sure can but I have a wild imagination! If the music catches a strong wind I’ll put a show together - and I mean “a show”. I have zero desire to do the local grind. I’d rather do something special a few times than do the same mediocre thing over and over again. I like the idea of Lemmy and Motorhead - he had a bunch of awesome people come through his band creating a different sound from his writing over the years.

Keep in touch with Fierce Deity with a subscription on Facebook.

Let's speak with Memories of a Dead Man (Post Hardcore, 2020)

It was the cover of Memories of a Dead Man's album that quickly lead my attention towards their music. A deer crying out while he is standing in ruins - I never saw something similar before.

 

The music turned out to be balanced. Some very rough songs (Shapeshifter) are to be hard while other tracks stick to a far more melodic side. Let's see what stands behind such a diverse post hardcore formation and the newest release (re) M.A.Z.E.d.

Heavy Metal Underdogs: How did the idea with the deer on the cover come up?
Thierry :The stag has many meanings, especially in the post/hardcore world, and can symbolize the everlasting cycle of life, losing its crown and growing it back up. (re)M.A.Z.E.d is a record made after a long break, a sort of rebirth for a 15 years old band with an history, so the image fits well for the record.
 

Does the new album (re) M.A.Z.E.d follow a concept when it comes to the lyrics?
Thierry :There is no specific theme for the whole album, but some “things” came back naturally one after another, and it kind of binds the record together. Every track is based on introspection, feelings, and social unrests, with a changing point of view, depending on the vocalist or on the track itself. 
 
The songs are mixed to a loud volume. Do you want to express something as well this way (maybe inner pressure) ?
Ben : Indeed to give intensity the mix is strong enough, it sticks to our style for a long time and inner pressure is increased !
And in addition we play hard it would appear  ;) 

 
Is the album linked in any way to it's predecessor V.I.T.R.I.O.L - the cover of both records have a similar style and color with them ?
Thierry :In a way, it is linked, because the band has an history, and the records of yesterday made the sound of today. It was a way for us to express the “back to roots” side we did with (re)M.A.Z.E.d, as well as the coming back of the band, while the line up and styles of vocalist are totally different from the previous record.
 
The new output comes around well balanced. Aggressive tunes and more baladesque material follow one another. Do you prefer to build a certain atmosphere inside the listeners mind?
Thierry :If chaos seems to be a ladder, music is a conduct where feelings can bloom and mindblown the listener, following changing time signatures and different tempi. Every track from the album was thought as a “one shot piece”, where the decor and different actors are set for a quick duration.
 
Do you write the music together as a band or are only certain members involved in the songwriting?
Thierry We write together as a band, each one of us bringing his personal stone to the edifice from his musical influences, under the attentive orchestration of Ben, the band’s oldest member and founder. Some passages of (re)M.A.Z.E.d were discussed together, in order to mix things up more efficiently.  

How do the digipak and jewelcase CD formats offered on Bandcamp differ from each other?

Thierry :The current digipack of (re)M.A.Z.E.d contains a special offer for the first purchasers (including one “stag” t-shirt and a pick of your choice color, depending on the stocks left). 
 
Ben : You can have all merch here :
Bandcamp : https://memoriesofadeadman.bandcamp.com
 
Season of Mist : https://shop.season-of-mist.com/fr/memories-of-a-dead-man-re-m-a-z-e-d-cd-digipak
 
Streaming : https://id.ffm.to/remazed  
 
And Exclusive T shirt  on  Season of Mist 
 
https://shop.season-of-mist.com/merchandising/print-on-demand?display_all=label_layer&label_layer=15331

Rob Halford gives a insight into his new book "Confess"

Rob Halford will give insights into his new book "Confess", the new Judas Priest record and how the band managed to stick together for 50+ years this upcoming Saturday October 31st at 3:33 PM, Eastern.

The exclusive talk was conducted as part of the BraveWords’ new live streaming experience, "Streaming For Vengeance". 

You can watch these live streams on the Bravewords Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/bravewords or YouTube https://www.youtube.com/user/Bravewords666?sub_confirmation=1

 For more information on Streaming For Vengeance visit http://streamingforvengeance.com

Let's speak with...Molitoth (Dark Ambient Rock, 2020)

Kyle Brandt is known as the vocalst of the ambient rock band A Light Within. Some time has passed since the last release "Epilogue". Vocalist need to use the organ continually to keep it in motion and the muscle strong

So what did Kyle do? He recorded some new tunes for his own project "Molitoth". The first album "The Tribunal" is going to be released on June 26th 2020.

We had the chance to speak with him in advance about a couple of thoughts that rushed through my head when I read the first hints of the album without having heard a single note. Here's the first single that came out after this interview was already done. It has a cleaning and healing effect on me. Let your soul breathe and close your eyes while listening.

The album concept let's the listener embark in an emotional chronological timeline of regrettable actions and consequence, resulting in five stages of grief.

Furthermore it's meant to explore condensed meditation techniques to help balance the anxieties  that stem from feelings of accusation, entrapment, and confinement.

Heavy Metal Underdogs: Do you practice meditation yourselves or where did you get the inspiration for the topic from?

Kyle Brandt: Yes! I discovered it a few years ago as I was looking for methods to help breath more efficiently from my diaphragm (to help me become a better singer). I came across some breathing meditations which really helped me out, and of course I went down the rabbit hole into deeper meditations and hypnosis.

Many musicians say that they never took any lessons to train their skills. Do you think it's possible to go over a certain limit without that?

“Lessons” can come in many forms in my opinion. I think a lesson could just be watching and learning from someone regardless if it's formal instruction or not. I pretend like any Live musical event I attend is some type of “lesson” for me, as I am watching and learning what TO do (or what NOT to do).
I'm unsure if I believe in “natural” or “God-Given” talent, or if talent is just a product of hard work, passion, and environment. I think that if given the chance, anyone who has an interest in something should be open to learning from someone else, as we all go through different experiences.

Kyle Brandt speaks about the dark concept behind "The Tribunal" LP:

The description of the upcoming Molitoth record centers on emotions like regret and grief. Do you think everybody has made decisions in his life that have led them to those feelings? Is it impossible to live without that?

I would hope everyone has made decisions leading to these natural feelings... if not we may have a perfect human being in existence. Or not even human at all! Aliens!?!? haha

Could the lyrics of "The Tribunal" also be seen as a retrospective on psychological therapy sessions?
Visit any favorite band media page and you will see fans talking about how their music “Changed their life” or “helped them from a dark road”, etc.

I've had influential bands really make me feel therapeutic just based on the deep relations to the lyrical content.

So I typically try and write based on ideas that a broad audience can relate to, with a goal to write metaphorical enough that the audience can adapt in their own way.

The logo of the "Molitoth" project.

Do you think the text can help people in similar situations to get a fresh look upon their own situation?

I can only hope, and if not... I wish they find something else they enjoy within “The Tribunal”. Whether that be the overall sound, vocal melodies, production value, or the guests musical additions that are featured on the album.

Thank you for your time and ears!!

Molitoth

Make sure to follow the project through these social pages:

facebook.com/molitoth.audio

instagram.com/molitoth

twitter.com/molitoth

bandcamp.com/molitoth

soundcloud.com/molitoth

twitch.com/molitoth

Let's speak with...Raddar (First Melodic Hard Rock Band from Texas, 2020)

When I first heard of Melodic Hard Rock band Raddar I couldn't believe my eyes. The band released their debut album after having recorded the basics for the songs fourty years ago. "Transmission" was originally recorded in 1978 in a time when Hard Rock was doing the very first steps.

Raddar performing live. Band Photo by Brian Hubbard

The chance to discover them was like having a time machine. It brought me back to the roots of heavy music. Why did it took that long to release it? How did it all come together? And what are the guys behind the diverse longplayer with 17 blistering tracks doing these days?

More than enough exciting reasons to talk to Razar King (Bass, Guitar, Vocals) and Randee Lee (Vocals, Guitar, Organ) of the band about their Compact Disc in 2020. They kindly gave an in-depth behind the scenes look on transfering the old material, completing it and finally finding a proper way to release it physically as well as digitally.

Before continue reading make sure to open the official Raddar website in a new tab. You can listen to one full track there. It fits well in the background while reading what the guys had to say about the exciting travel back in time.

Heavy Metal Underdogs: Was there something that made you start playing music - maybe a special life event etc. ?
Randee:I actually started recording at around 6, archiving TV shows on my mother's mini Sony reel to reel tape recorder. So the recording side was there from an early age...I had a 3rd grade teacher who realized I had a gift of writing what would later become lyrics and fast forward to the teen age years when I realized all the records I was buying were for the guitar parts. That led to my desire to play guitar and of course after hearing Mountain's Mississippi Queen it was a lock! When I met RAZAR, a fellow musician endowed with the same guitar fervor as myself, a match made in Heaven was established. The rest is history!

Razar:Hearing Foxy Lady and Crosstown Traffic by Hendrix on local radio is what initially started the fire in me. Several of my friends were taking guitar instruction classes in school, so I thought I would have the same teacher show me how to play bass guitar. Everyone was learning guitar and there were no bass players. He was teaching Beatles, Monkees, Beach Boys and that sort of music, so I opted to learn about the bass from him and then go home and put on records to learn how to play the kind of music I loved. I must have played through Humble Pie's Rockin' The Fillmore and Grand Funk's On Time and Red Album a hundred times! I remember the specific event that got me on guitar-my father was listening to me play the bass and made the comment "It's hard to tell what song you are playing" and I thought to myself that it would be easier to play tunes people knew if I was on guitar instead of bass. Next thing I knew I had a '59 Gibson Les Paul and a Marshall Super Lead half stack and was hammering out the chords! I used Yesterday And Today (Y&T) and early UFO to teach myself the basics of rock guitar. Michael Schenker and Tony Iommi became my heroes and much of my lead playing still sounds like them to this day!

HMU: Do you had to fight with technical problems while recording the songs? I think studios and producers weren't familar with that style back in the 70s in the United States.
Randee: Being the archivist I was from an early age we were fortunate that I kept all of the original recordings from all those years ago. I think the problem we really faced looking back was that there was no one really steering the bus in the recording sessions. We went in and recorded all those tunes in one take live,  just as we played them but never really really finishing any of them. Strangely, the technical problems were not uncovered until after digitizing the catalog and finally taking a good hard listen to what we had. I think originally we were recording on 8 tracks which seems maybe archaic to today's standards but we might as well have been working at NASA in our minds...lol. We ultimately had to deal with all the drums being on 2 tracks and bass tracks not being recorded well at all. Fast forward to today we had the opportunity in my recording studio to flesh out, fix and complete the songs as they should have been.

Razar:Studio engineers back in the late 70's referred to our sound as "rugged" and "heavy duty" since they had never heard anything like us. I don't think people quite knew what to do with us since we weren't the watered down RNR sound that was popular in Texas during those days. Randee and I were able to get the tones heard on Transmission by playing our Marshall and Sound City amps wide open on 10 and running them through attenuators to bring the volume down. That way we had "our sound" no matter where we were recording. We weren't so fortunate with the original bass tracks. When we digitized the analog tapes a few years ago and gave the songs a listen for the first time in decades the bass guitar tracks were thin sounding and distorted. We knew we couldn't use them, so I had to record new bass guitar tracks on all 17 songs. I tried to be true to the original spirit of the songs wherever I could.

 Razar King and Randee Lee always pushed forward to make "Transmission" become a reality. Photo Credit: Jeannie King

HMU: How did Gary Priest (the drummer on the "Transmission" sessions) join the band?
Randee: I will yield to my most honorable colleague RAZAR for this one as I personally don't recall our initial meeting but I do remember rehearsing and discovering that we had commonalities in musical tastes in certain bands of the day. Very prolific drummer for those times. His chops were amazing and I'm sure they still are. There wasn't anything that we threw at him that he couldn't handle.

Razar: OK, I'm reaching way back in my memories for this one. Best I can recall, my wife was friends with a guy named Monty, and he had a brother named Phil. Phil was friends with Gary Priest, the original drummer, and word made it's way to Gary that Randee and I were in need of a drummer. Gary was the best drummer I had ever seen. He was a student of a world famous school for jazz drummers when we found him. Through much technical wizardry in mixing and mastering Randee was able to keep Gary's original drums.

HMU: Did you have to re-record parts of the old material or was everything in good condition at the time you transfered the tracks to the digital format?
Randee: I briefly touched on that in a previous question but I will elaborate a bit further. The short answer is no, not all was well when we finally dove into the material. Miraculously, the tapes themselves had survived really well. We did have to go through the whole tape baking process and we did have a great engineer (Jeff Mount) that was an awesome archivist at a studio that still had machines that could play these very old tapes. He took great care in saving the recordings and digitizing them so we could bring them back to my studio. From there we embarked on a rather long and arduous journey of taking stock of where we were at with them and where they needed to go recording and song wise to get to where we are today. In the long run some lyrics were rewritten or scrapped all together in favor of new story lines. Some guitars were updated as some songs did change along the way. As I had mentioned before, new bass tracks were added due to the original tracks being recorded very poorly and not salvageable plus, some songs changed due to rewrites. I ended up replacing the original vocals due in part to us not being able to get the original vocalist  on board, and with the new updates we wanted to have a consistent vocal presentation on the record. A tremendous amount of work went into the restoration of the original recordings to get the final product where it is now.

Razar: It was fun doubling guitar parts that I hadn't played in 40 years! As stated before, all the bass tracks were re-recorded. But, the guitar tracks transferred to digital quite nicely. Since there were some new arrangements due mainly to re-writing lyrics it was necessary to hammer out power chords here and there, and Randee and I added new solos where necessary. But, we were able to keep the songs very true to their original state and most solos are coming out of the original Marshall and Sound City stacks.

HMU: Why didn't you already release the album back in the 70's/80's?
Randee: I think RAZAR and I asked ourselves this same question numerous times during the making of this record. Unfortunately we don't have an answer except that we just never seemed to finish any of the recordings as we would now or maybe we thought they were finished as they were recorded how we played. Once again no real producer at the helm at the time and  we had a very limited budget that we were working with. No backers...lol. We just did not have access to the record business that we would have needed at the time until 40 years later when a label did come knocking after finding a long lost demo.on another band's tape. We opted to self release.

Razar: I've wondered ever since these songs were written if we could have been a part of the rise of hard rock/metal (Rods, Riot, KISS, Motley Crue) in the USA. Looking back I think if we had management with vision that could have placed us in the flow of NWOBHM coming from Europe we could have been the band opening for Priest in the states (like Kick Axe and Great White) or playing at Donnington (like Pantera in their early days). IF we had released an album in '79 or especially in '80-'82 I know it certainly would have increased our chances! Unlike self releases of today, one still had to go through "the machine" and catch a record company's attention back then. We were heavy rock and might have been ahead of our time musically for the year 1979.

Raddar finally released their material after 40 year, Photo Credit: Jeannie King

HMU: Did you also listen to psychodelic music at the time of the recordings?
Randee: I don't think that would have been my playlist during these days...maybe a bit earlier as I listened to a lot of music, very broad based in terms of genres...rock, folk, psych, prog, hard rock, metal, lots of guitar music and even early Christian rock music such as Petra. I was very into songs and bands that featured crunching guitars and organ with great vocals.

Razar: I listened to Hot Tuna and Jefferson Airplane with Papa John Creach, Iron Butterfly, Nektar.

HMU: What happened after you finished recording the "Transmission" album?
Randee: Took a break...lol! No really we just kind of took a step back and did a victory dance as we realized that we finally had the finished product in our hands. A completed project with finished songs, new art work by Nello DelOmo from italy and the physical tangible product. A great feeling.

Razar:I've heard artists say they can't listen to their finished product after being in the studio hashing out the nuts and bolts of getting the songs recorded. Not the case with me! I love these songs, not because we wrote and recorded them, but because they are really good songs that are easy to listen to AND THEY ROCK. I've listened to Transmission almost daily since we finished it, and my interest is renewed each time someone local or abroad tells me how much they enjoy it. These aren't 17 cookie cutter songs-they are different. We followed no known patterns when we wrote or recorded these songs. They truly came from our love of what we wanted to hear. After the disc was finished I immediately began contacting people and radio stations worldwide who promote this kind of music. The next release will be a bit heavier and I'll do it all over again unless we get picked up by a distribution company.

HMU: Do you still create music these days?
Randee: Very much so. I am writing all the time. I have several solo projects that are scheduled for release plus RAZAR and I already have most of a new RADDAR record in the can and ready to go with a couple more on the drawing board.  Since I have a studio I have produced a few records for other artists and logged several tunes on Texas radio with one in use by the Dallas Cowboys football team. It has been in my blood for a long time. Between RAZAR and myself we have veritable cornucopia of plectrum fueled musical escapades in storage waiting to be unleashed.

Razar: Well said! I have 360 songs sitting on my desktop waiting for their turn, and that doesn't include the songs Randee and I are working on together for Raddar. I have several recording side projects. A doom metal band, a traditional power/heavy metal band, and even a country/hard rock project. No grass growing under these feet. I've always been a metal head and never tire of cranking the amps, and I have 20 of them I can crank!

Maybe more material of the band will show up in the future. Photo Credit: Jeannie King

HMU: Where can the people purchase your music?
Randee: At this time it is only available on our website at www.raddartheband.com. We are actively seeking outside distribution for the States and overseas. We would love to hear from everyone!!

Razar: Having distribution outside the states would reduce the cost of our cd's, posters, and t-shirts to other countries, so we hope to arrive at that end shortly.

Randee and Razar: Thanks for your interest in our music and for giving us the opportunity to chat with you!!!

Make sure to follow Raddar on Facebook to keep track of the next steps of the band.