Held Hostage to perform at Metal Hall Of Fame Ceremony 2023

Wonders happen from time to time and I appreciate every little one of it. This time one of these moments came I as I read that Held Hostage, a small classic metal band has been chosen to perform at the Metal Hall of Fame on January 26, 2023, a event associated with big names that are already around for a long time and have made their way in the world of music.

Held Hostage are going to perform at Metal Hall Of Fame 2023.

The band has taken the opportunity to announce a special original rock set at the Metal Hall Of Fame Gala for all inductees and attendees. The lineup for that show will be Tom Collier founder/lead guitarist/lead vocals, Bill Ali guest vocalist, Scott Gregg rhythm guitarist/backup vocals, Dave Carroll bass guitarist/backup vocals, Ian Evans Drummer.

Held Hostage founder/lead guitarist/vocalist Tom Collier, "Held Hostage being part of rock history is something musicians dream of. We are so happy that Pat at the Metal Hall OF Fame had the faith that Held Hostage would come in and rock the Metal Hall Of Fame Gala in front of all the inductees and attendees."

Scott Braun FireRock Music Group A&R/Creative director says, "Having Held Hostage be part of the Metal Hall of Fame shows the world that hard rock and metal bands are still alive and doing well and, in this day, and age, they can still make it to the top. FireRock Music Group and Held Hostage are extremely proud to part of this historic night."

 

The Metal Hall of Fame announced the induction of 4 Hard Rock and Heavy Metal legends into the Metal Hall of Fame: Twisted Sister, Lou Gramm, Chris Impellitteri, and Raven. Celebrated guitarist Steve Vai (Whitesnake /David Lee Roth) and legendary drummer Mike Portnoy, (Winery Dogs) will induct Twisted Sister.

The event will include numerous performances, surprise artist appearances, a Meet & Greet, and All Star Jams. It will be hosted by radio/television music Icon Eddie Trunk, with entertainment personality Cathy Rankin.

The 6th Annual Metal Hall of Fame Gala, "The most important night in Hard Rock and Heavy Metal" will take place January 26, 2023, at the Canyon Club, Agoura

Hills, C.A.

Purchase tickets here:

https://www.axs.com/events/461909/6th-annual-metal-hall-of-fame-gala-tickets

35.00 Advance / 45.00 At Door

CELEBRITY RED CARPET: 6:00PM

DOORS OPEN 7:00PM

PERFORMANCES / ALL STAR JAMS 8:00PM

Here's one song of the band to quickly check them out with a deep and important message inside.

David Ellefson & Jeff Young to perform classic Megadeth albums live soon

There were already rumors spreading around but nothing was confirmed until now...

Yes, it's true that David Ellefson and Jeff Young have joined forces again with Chris Poland under the banner of "Kings Of Thrash".

Along with Chaz Leon and Fred Aching they will perform the Megadeth classic albums "Killing is My Business…and Business is Good" and "So Far, So Good…So What" in it's entirely.

Maybe a once in a lifetime chance to see these albums performed live by those who recorded the original records.

So far four shows in the United States have been confirmed. Let's hope they will turn out well and more shows can be revealed soon. Until then we are able to see and hear how the rehearsals went as the band uploaded a six minute long cut to YouTube for all of us to enjoy.

KINGS OF THRASH - 'THE MEGA YEARS' OCTOBER WEST U.S. TOUR 2022 

October 12th- Brick by Brick- San Diego

Click here for tickets

October 13th- Crescent Ballroom- Phoenix, Arizona

Click here for tickets

October 14th- The Space- Las Vegas

Click here for tickets

October 15th- Whisky A Go Go- West Hollywood, California

Click here for tickets

VIP packages will be available on all shows. Go here for more info.

Make sure to keep in touch for all further updates.

Official Website

Facebook

Instagram

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.  

EP Review: Hereafter - Fires Of The Flame (Groove Doom, 2022)

Mean vocals, tight riffs and great hooks on this EP. 

A lot of fun awaits the listener.

Hereafter features vocalist Chris Natalini (former Blood Feast), drummer Mad T (Corners of Sanctuary), bassist Robert Bigler (Burned in Effigy) and guitarist/producer Mick Michaels (Corners of Sanctuary).

The riff fest starts out with the midtempo opener "Different Kind Of Something". It spreads a lighter vibe with a riff and tone that is a bit unusual. Anyway I like the way the vocals keep on a neutral way. The drums constantly follow the pattern and fit tight.  

"I Can Feel The Power" continues where the opener left off but with a meaner attempt. Vocals come on a sharper note and the whole package has a more pushing and compact note. This is underlined by the constant repeat of the refrain that should be a fine verse to sing along to for the audience. A song that let's you quickly get into and enjoy is something I like a lot.

Next to go is the title track. The tempo is raised up and so does the straight and more heavier guitar play. Anyway it reflects on the heat of the cover so the pure and organic sound continues but with few guitar riff lines running out every here and there - this may surprise some listeners including me.

"Devil By Your Side" closes the mini album. It keeps the fast speed up and the vocals become meaner than ever before. The hall effect fits to the vocals. It keeps the old school flag flying high. Reminds me so much of the days I started to listen to metal music. 

Make sure to listen to some fine tunes like in the days you began headbanging. The duration of the EP is short so it fits if you have few time to spare.

Have a quick overview with the YouTube player and listen to the full EP on a digital service of your choice.

A limited run of Compact Discs is available through a direct Paypal order. Your money helps the musicians to keep creating new music so it's well spent.

Niviane are on the lookout for a new bassist

I know it's often hard to find people to join your band. Many bands remain inactive because they don't find proper band mates.

Now the time has come for power metallers Niviane to part ways with bassist Rick Stallkamp. They are currently holding auditions for a replacement bass player.

Niviane seeks a new bass guitar player.

Here are some facts about the band:

To date, the band has released 2 full length Studio albums and completed multiple tours.

With a new album being tracked and future videos / tours in the planning stages, Niviane is holding auditions for the vacated bassist position.

Applicants should be professional, proficient at their instrument, creative and a team player with proper gear and transportation.

Please have a valid passport or be able to secure one. 

Niviane rehearses once a week in Sacramento, California.

If interested, please contact the band through their official website https://www.niviane.com or band email at: nivianemetal@gmail.com. You can also reach out directly to any of the members via one of our many social media platforms.

Listen to one track to get a idea of the band's sound.

So what is Rick Stallkamp now up to ? He is about to form a new band and also seeking proper musicians for a new Atmospheric Black Metal project in the vein of bands such as: Unreqvited, Akhlys, Elffor, Mare Cognitum & Esoctrilihum

If interested in this new project please contact Rick Stallkamp via the email below:

BlackMetalDimension@icloud.com

Single Review: October Thorns - Circle Game (1999/2021, Progressive Rock)

Some bands remain a legend. Also their lifespan may have been short they are often going round in the heads and hearts of music fans for a long time. 

It must have been like this with the band October Thorns, a progressive rock band that formed in 1999.  They only released one six track demo but that particular one had great reviews in international megazines like Aardshock and Germany‘s Heavy Oder Was?

The cover of the first single already gives a thought that something unusual hides here.

The line-up had members with them that should put a mark in other bands at a later time frame. 

Vocalist Paul LaPlaca went on to play with Chris Caffery (Savatage/Trans-Siberian Orchestra), Ted Poley (Danger Danger), Carnivore AD and currently plays with Drift Into Black, while bassist David Z went on to make a name for himself with Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Joan Jett, Jeff Scott Soto, and his own band, ZO2. On July 14,  2017, David Z was tragically killed in a vehicle crash while on tour with Adrenaline Mob.  

These days a re-worked (remixed and remastered) version of the demo along with bonus material is on it's way to be released in 2022. We at the Heavy Metal Underdogs blog were fortune enough to have a listen to the first single "Circle Game" and were impressed by the blow-away feeling it shares.

The first single "Circle Game" starts dreamlike with some guitar notes flying around with percussion adding to the atmosphere. Only seconds later the music explodes into a bright stream of pushing frequency. Gentle guitars touch the listeners ears with straight vocals writing the story. It's fine to hear the sound doesn't get overloaded also the solo section expands the volume of the highlighted music instruments. The vocals are partly multi-layered. I think this wasn't a standard in 1999 so it's a surprise to hear. The layering is set at proper moments so it adds to climatic moments of the sound and doesn't get on the nerves of the listener. The powerful end marks a sign in the mind to keep a eye on this release in the future.

You can listen to "Circle Game" for yourselves on digital streaming platforms listed up on this link.

https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/octoberthorns/circle-game-2

In addition to “Circle Game,” the full album will include unreleased mixes of the songs “Leviathan” and “Sounds of Life,” as well as unheard demo tracks. It's set for release in 2022 through Divebomb Records.

Make sure to follow the band on Social Media so you won't miss this long lost gem.

https://octoberthorns1.bandcamp.com

https://www.facebook.com/October-Thorns-116719685391554/

Instagram - october_thorns

How is it to open up as power metallers for Soulfly ?

Well Niviane are a power metal combo. The sound they produce is a fest to all the die hards of the genre out there. Besides all the known trademarks the sound is enriched with heavier riffs than the usual and a voice calling out to the dedicated listener that throws a closer ear on all the details.

Live pictures of the power metal band Niviane.

Niviane send over a report that shares some of the past touring memories the band was able to collect on the U.S. tour.

Guitarist Gary Tarplee comments:

"On August 18, 2021, we departed Sacramento’s Rehearse America to embark on a 15 date onslaught of the Mid-West and East Coast with the legendary Soulfly. We are pretty well-known here in Northern California, but going out on tour with Soulfly into states that we’ve never been to, we were the “unknowns”.

We kicked off the tour in Albuquerque, New Mexico and delivered our brand of metal to a venue filled with people to see Soulfly. People were curious as to who was this band “Niviane” that’s out on tour with Soulfly.

We would take the stage, look into the crowd and most times see the look on peoples faces like “who are these guys“ and “what do they have to deliver“?

Night after night within a couple of minutes of the opening song, The Ruthless Divine, the crowds facial expression would change, we could see people getting into the music, raising their fists in the air and chanting along when prompted.

By the middle of our set, the crowds were pumped and into us. Night after night, we were just getting tighter and tighter. Playing to sold out venues in Colorado Springs, Colorado and Wichita, Kansas. Playing in Fort Wayne, Indiana to 1200 people on a Thursday night, sharing the stage with the Butcher Babies at a festival in West Virginia and playing in New York City at the Gramercy Theater were all incredible experiences.

We are incredibly fortunate and grateful to have been able to take our brand of metal across the United States, meet new friends, make new fans and create memories that will last a lifetime!"

Check out the band's sound for yourselves and you'll quickly get a idea that being the opener surely is not a easy job on such a package. The website of the band holds more detailed info on the band.

CD Review: Static-X - Project Regeneration Vol. 1 (Nu Metal, 2020)

Sometimes there are these tunes that give you hope. This happened to me as I heard the new Static-X album "Project Regeneration Vol.1". One of the good sides of listening to music is that it is a source of good feelings. These came up quickly as I had these songs pumping out of the speakers.

It's the mixture of the heavy riffing with the driving force of the drums on the one hand that gave me good feelings. But all of this was topped by the vocals that always kept going up and down and always shining through in deep emotional shapes. It feels as if at times my feelings could speak through the noise that can be heard.  

Most of the time it's pure aggression coming out but on some tracks like "Bring You Down (Project Regeneration)" it also comes in waves of fear and sometimes despair. Few electronic effects underline this. That's something I love to hear.

A track like "My Destruction" illustrates the band's potential to transform today's merciless society's behaviour through straight and rough thrashing. It has lot's of mean laughs in it that sound like the evil showing it's face in it's many incarnations. Impressive to hear that music can make such things visible to the human ear.
 
The keyboards on "Something Of My Own (Project Regeneration)" follow more positive vibes, yet it has broken feelings in it the track shines a more lighter and better note out of it.
 
These are my favorites of the album. What are your faves ? Let me know in the comments below.
Make sure to buy a copy out of the band's hands.

Help Static-X to get back stolen music equipment

It's hard to see musicians being often a target for attack. Why? These people share so many good things and ask for so few in return. I cannot understand why these humans are often treated so bad.

Stealing from artists is such a thing I cannot understand. But it happend once more. Please help the bands to get their equipment back. You can give hints and check the list of stolen items at Static-X's website. I'm sure they are offered somewhere. Please let them know if you've seen this stuff.

The cover of the upcoming Static-X album Project: Regeneration Vol. 1

STATIC-X & DOPE GEAR STOLEN AT HEIGHT OF CORONAVIRUS LOCK DOWN

STATIC-X have filed a police report with the LAPD, siting that their warehouse space (which is also shared with the band Dope) was recently robbed of nearly 200K worth of touring equipment during the Corona Virus Lockdown.

The two bands were advised to take the story public, in order to help raise awareness with other small business owners and bands alike.

“With most of us in lock down, and those who aren’t locked down, wearing masks in public, apparently it’s a great time to be a thief”, says Static-X drummer Ken Jay.

The band has released a statement on the robbery:

“We want to encourage our community to keep a close eye on your property and on your facilities during this unprecedented time… We also ask for our fans to keep an eye out for the stolen items and maybe we can help the police find these people."

The band has publicized a list of stolen equipment, complete with many of the serial numbers. The list includes: Multiple LED video panels, 2 drum kits, 40+ cymbals, various high end audio/video gear, microphones, racks, branded backdrops, etc.

They have also set up a tip center where you can share any info that may help in the investigation.

If you cannot help with hints please consider buying the band's goods on offer - for example the upcoming record "Project: Regeneration Vol.1". The first single "Hollow (Project Regeneration)" can be streamed or downloaded at https://lnk.to/projectregeneration and limited edition, exclusive pre-orders are currently available at https://static-x.org/apps/bundles/bundle/21189 Have a listen right here to the single.

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.

Single Review: Lady Beast - The Gift (True Power Metal, 2020)

The single "The Gift" is a appetizer to the upcoming Lady Beast album called "The Vulture's Amulet" (Release Date: April 3rd 2020) . It's kept in a 80s Metal soundshell but hold's some extra's that prevent it from being one of the many releases out there.

The cover already spreads a classic vibe but taking a closer look reveals a lot of details.

The guitars spread a riff that feels a bit unusual. It starts out in the first seconds of the digital release. In those moments a melody can be heard that works as a introduction moment that opens up the listeners ears wide. It's those seconds that made me listen closer to what's to come. It creates a little mystic atmosphere.

Next to go are the vocals which follow a more modern format without a highlighted refrain in it. Instead it feels more like a constant telling of a ongoing plot divided into several sections but with higher pitched parts like in the classic days. All those is packed in another riff that constantly let's a difference shine through. It' s cleverly mixed into the sound so it won't ruin the listening experience but let you continue to enjoy the track further.

Finally the only thing I disliked was the mix of the drums. It would have been great to have that element a bit louder. Don't let that keep you from listening to the new material in the YouTube player below.

Make sure to keep the eye on the band on Facebook or support them on Bandcamp with a follow click.

Single Review: Crystal Faith - Pain (Metal, 2020)

Some bands can put a subject so much on point it's just unbelievable. These words ran through my head when the newest Crystal Faith single came in.

The cover already teases what's inside.

It's the rushing agony that is spread through the constant push in the first part of the song that let's me sink deeper into the track. The next step comes with the lyrics pumping in with the constant knocking of words - expressing so much of what a person in this situation is thinking and wishing for.

I hardly know of any band that keeps translating feelings and thoughts into music like Crystal Faith do on "Pain". It's a symbiosis of words and music forming a bold message that changes and forms all the way through this digital release.

Finally there's a message at the end that I cannot second enough. I hope more people will think about it having seen and heard this great track.

You can purchase music from the website of the band. Every cent helps them to keep going. Follow them on Facebook for info on all the stuff to (hopefully) come.

Fatal Opera to release final album after 20 years

Some bands are a bit legendary for me since they were using a sound formula not to be heard too often. It's like this with Fatal Opera, a band from the US that featured ex Megadeth drummer Gar Samuelson and his brother Stew Samuelson.

They had a jazz influenced way to set up the songs and the first album "Fatal Opera" to me personally also feels a bit as if Jimi Hendrix's feeling for exploring heavy guitar sounds mixed with various rhythm was continued by the band.

A old band picture of Fatal Opera, Photo Credit unknown after 20 years.

These days I'm surprised to learn that the band had a third album "Fatal Opera III" in the makings before Gar Samuelson died. Now 20 years later the results of these writing sessions are about to be released but in a special way with many upgrades and specials.

The street date for the LP has been announced to be Summer 2020 via Combat Records.

The album will include guest appearances from Megadeth’s Chris Poland and David Ellefson, who will appear on the track “The Raven”, which will mark the first time Poland, Ellefson and Samuelson have appeared on a track together since Megadeth’s seminal Peace Sells.. But Who’s Buying, as well as additional guest appearances from Poland, and New Yorkers bassist Robbie “Pags” Pagliari, marking the first time the original lineup of The New Yorkers (Poland and Samuelson’s pre-Megadeth Jazz/fusion project, also featuring guitarist Stew Samuelson) has appeared together on a commercial recording.

Also making a guest appearance on “The Raven” is Ellefson vocalist, and COMBAT Records A&R, Thom Hazaert.

Fatal Opera III, is the final chapter in the band’s legacy, featuring the final recordings of Samuelson, who passed away in 1999. Fatal Opera began work on a new album prior to Gar’s passing, and the tracks sat for almost 20 years, until they were finally revisited. Enough tracks were found to create Fatal Opera III, produced and mixed by Andy Freeman. The remaining members joined forces to finish the album that was started so many years ago, released in a fitting tribute and celebration to the legacy of Gar Samuelson, and Fatal Opera.

Vocalist Andy Freeman says, “It was a long time in the making, but it truly was a labor of love, putting together this final release. It was an honor and a privilege to work with David and Thom, who helped make this album possible, and getting Chris and David together with Gar once again brought the whole project full circle. We are very pleased that it will finally see the light of day, and hope that it will be an offering to our fans, and a fitting final musical tribute to Gar."

Megadeth bassist, and Combat Records owner, David Ellefson says, “Gar was one of the more unorthodox, unpredictable, and musically compelling drummers I've ever played with. His legacy continues to grow with the passage of time. So, it's an honor for me to have this posthumous performance with Gar, in honor of his incredible musicianship and legacy he left for us all to enjoy.”

Make sure to keep a eye on Combat Records Facebook page for further announcements of this release.

CD Review: Chout - Dogwater (Alternative Metal, 2018)

A album with two heads. The one being rough, direct and with many creative solo sections. The other one is slower, deeper and more thought-filled.

The cover may look strange but don't let this keep you from listening.

Sometimes it's just small pieces that point me towards a band. Chout were rocking it out directly with the video for "Seasons". They got me fast. The solo section was creative with the drums and guitars nailing it to the point. It was the first time that the guitarist and the drummer formed a unit together for a solo part. That was something new to me. I had to hear the full thing.

So what's inside of the full record? The first four tracks are real smashers. They hit you hard into the face and provide the heavier side of the alternative genre. The solo's are rough and the drums live and loud. The production takes no prisoners here. Besides the mentioed "Seasons" it's "So long long gone" that finally convinced me of the band with it's uptempo beat.

Starting with track five we go into a deeper and less hard direction. The band takes it not easy at all. Surely those songs were hard to put on tape but they let you relax more. The ballad "All has been done" is a much welcomed breathtaker in the otherwise rough sounding package. The last track "To lose" is very slow and creeping and shows how much variations the band is able to deliver on the first offering already.

Anyway it's the full package that counts and it's great. Don't let the cover art keep you from ordering a  copy at the band's webshop. "Dogwater" may look somehow strange on the first look but the music on the inside has been done with dedication. The booklet is small with few bandshots and contact data but allright. I think you'll want to focus on the music anyway instead of the package.


Follow Chout on socials like Facebook or Instagram.

Movie Review: Date From Hell (Horror Short, 2019)

Some dates are horrible. That's the way it looks like with the pair that can be seen in the beginning of the horror short movie "Date From Hell". The two have a little controversity going on (like so many have) and finally the man stands up. He had enough and leaves. She follows him and he disappears in a sideway.

The excellent cover for the horror short "Date From Hell"

Afterwards the movie starts a life of it's own. I won't spoiler anything here just saying that it will keep you shocked, laughing and wondering behind once you finish the full movie. I never thought it would be possible to do such a strong film in such a limited duration.

But this is in fact way better than many movies I've seen that last for the standard 90 minute format. This is even more surprising for me as I'm not the strongest horror movie fan at all - please take this as a sign for a strong recommendation to check "Date From Hell" out. For a first teaser I can give you a small look inside with the official trailer. You'll get a idea of what it is all about.

"Date From Hell" Horror Short Teaser Trailer from Amadon-Shannon Media Group on Vimeo.

I could even imagine this to be a new trend since time is always limited but sometimes you have a few spare minutes on your hands. That's the moment people may seek something like this. Anyway, make sure to visit a screening near you or stream it of the official sources.

The first screening will be September 13th 2019 at GAS MONKEY Bar & Grill in Dallas, TX, as part of their CORPSEPAINT SHOW PARTY benefiting FOUNDATION 45 Powered by FANGORIA, where the film can be viewed alongside "Satanic Panic" and "Road Trash".

The second screening, coinciding with the film's official release on ALTER, will be September 16th 2019 at Independence Brewing Company in Austin, TX. This will be coupled with the official INDIGNANT DOG FILMS formation party, celebrating the creation of IDF whose founders (Ven Scott, Brandon Torres, and Tracee Beebe) were thrown together for the production of Date From Hell.

Tulip add more groove to symphonic metal / US Tour Aug. 2019

Some bands add few but important elements to a existing sound. This time symphonic metallers Tulip got me. They add a fresh dose of dry and well thought-out groove to the well known and popular symphonic metal world.

This working style gives a more calming element into the sound. That's something I think postive of. It makes the music more actionable. Try it out for yourselves with the music video of "Total".

It's great to see that the band that isn't around for too long has secured a opening slot on a package with Evergrey and Shattered Sun starting end of August 2019 in the United States.

8/23/2019 Los Angeles, CA The Satellite

8/24/2019 San Jose, CA The Ritz

8/25/2019 Sacramento, CA Holy Diver

8/27/2019 Portland, OR Bossanova Ballroom - TBA

8/28/2019 Seattle, WA Club Sur

8/30/2019 Salt Lake City, UT Metro Music Hall

8/31/2019 Denver, CO Marquis Theater

9/2/2019 Dallas, TX Gas Monkey Bar & Grill

9/3/2019 Austin, TX Come and Take It Live

9/8/2019 Toronto, ON Velvet Underground

Pick the flyer for a reminder to the shows and visit Tulip's Facebook page for updates and more info.

Tulip will open up for swedish melodic metal band Evergrey.

Single Review - BI·AS - Hesitation (Alternative / Nu Metal, 2019)

Fear can be a powerful feeling putting you down. This brand new single talks about that and how to overcome it.

The cover of "Hesitation", (c) by BI·AS

BI·AS is a new formation featuring David Silveria (original drummer of Korn). The single is a preview to their much-anticipated debut EP due out in 2020.

What I like so much about the track is the mixture of the heavyness with lot's of softer notes flying in between them. In detail the track opens up with a short drum intro and direct start of the melodic vocals.

It's those vocals that have heavily been worked on that give the tracks it's characteristic extra note. Here and there few guitar notes come in and finally the roughness kicks in but only with as much heavyweight as needed not breaking you down.

The second half of "Hesitation" goes a slightly rougher route. The drums already announce the new path with a dry electronic snare. Finally the track breaks all barriers at the end giving the full energy outload to the listener. It's like it's just there to give you the power you need to overcome anxiety.

I'm looking forward on how the band will move on. For the first here are some dates the band is going to play. BI·AS are currently booking shows till the end of the year.

Aug 23 - Costa Mesa, CA - Tiki Bar
Sept 26 - Logan, UT - The Cache
Sept 27 - Pocatello, ID -  Bannock County Fair Grounds - Elk stage

You can purchase the single at iTunes and Google Play just to name two. More links and the lyrics can be found at the description below the YouTube video. Follow the band on Facebook to stay up to date.

Crossing Rubicon perform in a wrestling arena

Does Wrestling and Metal music have something in common? A lot of people agree. What's certain is that there are many cooperations out there between the fightting and the music gangs.

This particular one is a appetizer to the new Crossing Rubicon record. The music video was filmed in partnership with the forthcoming documentary about famed ECW wrestling star Justin Credible that will also feature the track.

This is how the new Crossing Rubicon record sleeve for "Seeing Red" will look like.

Musically it gave me a strong reminder to the classic times of metal music. Especially the drumming picked my interest. It's build the way it used to be in those times holding a basic pattern that is held straight forward. Throughout the duration there are variations of this pattern but it doesn't leave the trace.

The whole song is packed in a modern sound shell but without the mastering set to high. The volume level is kept on a moderate level. This makes it more enjoyable in my eyes.

The track is part of Crossing Rubicon's new album, Seeing Red, that has been pushed back to August 9th. The band, which features a former All That Remains member, also announced that pre-orders for the album are now live on iTunes. Also keep a eye on Facebook for future updates on liveshows etc.

David Ellefson to tour with new solo album and memoir

Want to hear how the new David Ellefson solo record "Sleeping Giants" sounds like in advance? Do you have questions regarding his bassplaying techniques?

You are in luck. You can have both. A new leg of the "Basstory" tour has been announced for the US in July 2019 .

The shows will feature a Q&A/discussion, with co-author and partner Thom Hazaert, about Ellefson’s upcoming memoir MORE LIFE WITH DETH, in stores 7/16 via Jawbone Press, and a full live-band set including songs from the companion album SLEEPING GIANTS, in stores 7/19 via COMBAT RECORDS. Have a very short 30 second preview on three album tracks:
Plus you can check out some bands from the label roster of the EMP Label Group in live format. Please check local show listings for info which band will perform at your town. So far WRATH, Archer Nation, Last Crack, Bleed/Crawl, Voodoo Terror Tribe have been confirmed.

The show that FatBoy Authentics presents on July 27 in Indianapolis promises to be something special. On that evening they will be unveiling the “Masters of the Bass” Series which David Ellefson will be the first to be featured! These cards will be available at FatBoy Authentics table while supply’s last.

Get  your tix here for the Indianapolis show.

2019 BASSTORY: More Life After Deth Tour

 Satuday 7/6 - Providence, RI - Fete Music Hall
Sunday 7/7 - Long Branch, NJ - Brighton Bar
Monday 7/8 - N. Branford, CT - Strangeland (Book Signing)
Wednesday 7/10 - New Bedford, MA - Vault Music Hall
Thursday 7/11 - Waterbury, CT - Shamrock Pub and Grill
Friday 7/12 - Halethorpe, MD - Fish Head Cantina
Sunday 7/14 - Long Island, NY – Revolution
Weds 7/17 - Lakewood, OH - The Winchester
Thursday 7/18 - Pekin, IL - Twisted Spoke Saloon
Friday 7/19 - Lombard, IL – Brauerhouse
Sunday 7/21 - Green Bay, WI - SV2
Monday 7/22 - Rockford, IL - Whiskey's Roadhouse
Wednesday 7/24 - Tama, IA - Tama Ballroom
Saturday 7/27 - Indianapolis, IN - Citadel Music Hall
Monday 7/29 - Minneapolis, MN - Turf Club
Tuesday 7/30 - Mankato, MN - What's Up Lounge
Saturday 9/7 - Phoenix, AZ - Joe's Grotto (w/Fatal Malady)

More dates TBA. See the Facebook page of Basstory for all the updates and links to purchase tickets.

Reason Define sort sound with deviding sections

Some bands have this something in their sound. It feels to me as if a song is sorted into sections through a devider that works as a bridge. That's something fine in my ears. It's like you can clearly spot that one part already finished and which part is going to be played as next  Looks like this all-female Charlotte/North Carolina based 5 piece had something similar in mind when they put together a new video single.

Reason Define have a package of great riffs for you. The band photo was taken by Obscvre Photography.

Reason Define did this in a special way for me. The track "Pointing Fingers" has many sections in that are build up the way I described in the column before. Besides that the music is power filled and breathes the fire of blazing riffs in them. The drums are straight and pushing but always clear to follow. In addition a nice story has been build into the music video but just see for yourselves...

Make sure to check the website and socials since this is only one song of the new package "In Memory" that has been released in March 2019 already.
https://www.reasondefine.com/

https://www.facebook.com/reasondefine/

https://twitter.com/reasondefine