Vision of Disorder
The Cursed Remain Cursed
Candlelight Records
Producer: Will Putney
Release Date: September 18, 2012
Tracks: 11

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

I have been a fan of VOD since 1996 and I remember, like it was yesterday, listening to them on the school bus every single day on….cassette…that’s right kiddies. “The Cursed Remain Cursed” marks the bands first studio album in 11 years. It also marks the bands best album since the self-titled debut. Now before I get yelled out by the internet trolls, “Imprint” is a fucking amazing album don’t get me wrong but their debut has always been my favorite. And for that matter as much I like the first album, this release really gives it a hell of a challenge. It is mad, fast and fucking intense, exactly what VOD should be. If you are looking for a trip down memory lane, I highly recommend this album, VOD has never sounded better.

“The Cursed Remain Cursed” is the band’s first album from Candlelight Records, who recently have become a label to reckon with. The Long Island, NY guys teamed up with producer Will Putney (Shadows Fall) for these new eleven tracks.  Tim Williams really delivers a raw and true performance, his vocal tracks are just as angry and well-aimed as they were back in 1996. Guitarist Mike Kennedy really shreds heavy and brings back the hardcore.  The album’s lead single “Loveless” is easily one of my favorite tracks. “The Enemy” is also one fast and heavy track.  What I am dying to see is these songs performed live.  I hope that the band is planning on heading to the Orlando, FL area (hint, hint) these tracks will make for one hell of an amazing mosh-pit.  (Note to my wife: No I will be not be in the mosh-pit ;-), but I can still observe)

Since this band was one of my main influences into hardcore music, I highly recommend this to anyone looking to go fucking crazy.  If you are looking for the effect that this band has on people around them, I have a quick story for you.  Earlier this month, I driving to work listening the track “Watering Disease”. I was sitting at a red light with a car behind me and that car had its windows opened. With that song blasting, I look behind me and the lady was literally closing her window and was, no joke, holding her ears!! And that my friends is the power of VOD! “The Cursed Remain Cursed” drops September 18, 2012, be sure to pick that shit up! Easily one of my favorite albums of the year!

Track Listing:
1. Leveless
2. Set To Fail
3. Blood Red Sun
4. Hard Times
5. Annihilator
6. Skullz Out (Rot In Pieces)
7. The Enemy
8. The Seventh Circle
9. New Order of Ages
10. Be Up On It
11. Heart And Soul

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Francesca Battistelli
“Christmas”
Release Date: October 16, 2012
Tracks: 11
Label: Fervent Records

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Francesca Battistelli is one of the notable rising stars in music today. She only entered the spotlight in 2008 and has earned a Grammy nomination (Best Gospel Performance) and has over 700,000 in album sales to date. So what better than to make a Christmas album, since it is a gift that keeps on giving every years. This album is a real treat and is very simple yet powerful. Though this album is not the only album Francesca will be featured on this Fall, also including “A Very Special Christmas: Bringing Peace on Earth” and “A Very Special Christmas 25th Anniversary”. So be sure to support those albums as well. “Christmas” will definitely get you in the mood for the holiday season.

This 11-track album is produced by Ian Eskelin. It is a nice compilation of classics and some newly-penned Christmas songs. The traditional songs include: “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas,” “Marshmallow World,” “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” “The Christmas Song,” “What Child Is This? (First Noel Prelude),” “Go Tell It On The Mountain,” and “Joy To The World.” Battistelli co-wrote all of the new songs as well such as: “Heaven Everywhere,” “Christmas Is,” “Christmas Dreams” and “You’re Here.” They are really nice songs and the fact that she included original songs sets this aside from other Holiday albums.

Battistelli said been quoted saying “Christmas is my favorite time of year”. I personally share the same feelings as well. You can tell that she is not just trying to sell her album, you can literally hear it throughout each song. The words are so pure and really filled with Christmas joy. Francesca is just getting started in this business and she is going to have a lot more coming up. But sticking with this album, I suggest grabbing some hot chocolate, grabbing a blanket and get ready to welcome in the holiday season.

Track Listing:
1. The Christmas Song
2. Heaven Everywhere
3. Christmas Is
4. What Child Is This? (First Noel Prelude)
5. Marshmallow World
6. O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
7. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
8. You’re Here
9. Joy To The World
10. Christmas Dreams
11. Go Tell It On The Mountain

Rickey Medlocke originally joined with Lynyrd Skynyrd back in the early 70’s before forming the band “Blackfoot”.  He re-joined Skynyrd in 1996 and has been rocking out since.  He is one of the bands guitarist along with Garry Rossington and Mark Matejka.  Rickey took out some time to chat with Media Mikes about the band’s latest album “Last of a Dyin’ Breed”.

Mike Gencarelli: What was the driving force inspiration behind “Last of a Dyin’ Breed”?
Rickey Medlocke: I feel like we are the last of a dyin’ breed. Along with our band and others like The Stones, AC/DC, ZZ Top, Aerosmith and The Allman Brothers, we all are the last of our kind. Even by the way we recorded this album was a great approach. After it was written, we setup in the studio live and recorded it.  Just like the way you hear it is the way it went down. It has really been a great experience.

MG: I’ve been a member of the Skynyrd Nation for 20 years and now I can’t wait to introduce my daughter to you as well; How can you reflect on Skynyrd being so multi-generational and still relevant today?
RM: First of all the bands fan-base is definitely multi-generational. Our fans span three generations and our fans are anywhere from 15 to 70. It is pretty cool when we you get to see fans that love your music and just enjoy listening to the songs. It goes to show what music represents. That is one of the key secrets in making new music to give fans something new to listen to. I guess we could sit back and rely on our classic tracks but if we can put out new music and material, it will keep things from getting stale.

MG: Tell us about the fierce use of guitar on these tracks?
RM: When we started this album, Garry (Rossington), Mark (Matejka) and myself had decided that we were going to try and bring the guitars out more. We wanted to make it more of a guitar based record, since the band is a guitar band. I believe what we have done is created a solid foundation of all three guitars. Each guy has his own place within each song. Everyone stepped up when they needed to take lead. You know what man, I think worked out really great. I for one am very happy with work that I did on it. Anyone always look back at their own work and think maybe I could have done better here or there but I think we nailed it. There are some guys that strive for perfection but hey man it is rock ‘n roll and rock ‘n roll is not perfect. It came out the way it was suppose to and we couldn’t be happier.

MG: You are working again with “God and Guns” producer Bob Marlette, how does the collaboration on this album differ?
RM: We decided way before this record that we were going to go out with Bob again. Bob is a really good director and producer. We are able to go off and do what we do. He is not one of these guys that it has to be his way or no way. With Bob on board, we planned to get into the studio and setup it up old school like. We wanted to record this live as we were performing it. We loved working with Bob and we are all the better for it.

MG: Love your vocal track on “Mississippi Blood”, how did that come about?
RM: Johnny (Van Zant) and I throughout the last several records have tried to do a duet. I like being a part of a song vocally, it is always a lot of fun. With that particular tune, the way it was written it fitted what Johnny and I wanted to go after. I really enjoyed it.

MG: For me it would be “Simple Man” and those opening cords, what is the one track that when it goes on you completely jam into it?
RM: There are a lot of songs in the Lynyrd Skynrd catalog. Right now in the shows, we are doing a melody of songs. We got “Needle and the Song” leading into “Tuesday’s Gone”. I really get off on those and love doing those two together.

MG: With each track omitting gold, which ones do you foresee becoming part of a must play list during touring?
RM: As far as the new stuff, we are doing “One Day at a Time”, “Last of a Dyin’ Breed” and “Good Teacher”. We wrote “One Day at a Time” we Kid Rock’s guitar player and writer Marlon Young. I really like doing “Good Teacher” because it has this Hendrix-style Wah-Wah. I broke out my ole Cry Baby for that tune when we recorded the track. I really enjoyed doing that. I also think that “Homegrown” is a great track to play live also. It has that Drop C that I really like. And of course, I also love “Mississippi Blood”, it has got some really great elements in it. Jerry Douglas played a great lap steel lead in that. This album overall is just loaded with good songs.

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“Rockstar Mayhem Festival”
Slipknot, Slayer, Motorhead, Asking Alexandria, Anthrax, As I Lay Dying, The Devil Wears Prada, White Chapel, I The Breather, Bleeding Ink
Date: Saturday, August 4th 2012
Venue: Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain, Scranton, PA

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

On Saturday August 4th the heavy metal circus known as “The Rockstar Mayhem Festival” screeched its way into the Toyota Pavilion located in Scranton, PA. Kicking of the day was the band Bleeding Ink who despite only playing a 20 minute set seemed to really give there all as fans were still slowly making their way through several security/ticket stops. I The Breather was up next followed by White Chapel and As I Lay Dying. Closing out the second stage was NY thrash legends Anthrax. Though I feel the band would have been more suited for the main stage they did do a great job packing their 40 minute set with such classics as “Caught in a Mosh and “Madhouse” before ending with the always popular “I Am the Law”.

After an afternoon of battling heat and the occasional crowd surfer in the venues parking lot the festival moved its way over to the main stage. The UK band Asking Alexandria opened up the evening with a brief 7 song set. Definitely the youngest band on the main stage and probably the least know by those in attendance were sadly given a luke warm reception. Despite the minimal crowd response the band forged on until their 30 minute set came to a close. Heavy metal icon Lemmy and his band Motorhead would be up next and instantly kicked the volume to the max. Performing such classic songs as “Damage Case”, “Killed by Death” and “Ace of Spades” the crowd sprung to life with pumping fists and banging heads. Slayer were up next and treated the crowd to a pyro packed set which was highlighted by such legendary Slayer tracks as “War Ensemble”, “South of Heaven”, “Angel of Death” and of course “Reign in Blood”. Immediately after pulverizing the crowd Slayer would leave the stage and a dark red curtain would be lowered. Following a brief intermission Slipknots intro “742617000027” began cranking over the pa. With a flash bang that could be heard for miles the masked clad band launched into an energy filled set that would entertain even the most casual of Slipknot fans. Highlights of the set included “Wait and Bleed”, “Vermillion”, “The Heretic Anthem” and, “Psychosocial”. Front man Cory Taylor wasted little time in between songs talking with the crowd as there certainly was an agenda and time frame for the evening.

I was super excited to be able to catch one of the stops on this year’s tour. With such a great line-up surely a good time was going to be had. However, catching the second to last show before of the tour did not yield such results. Yes I got to hear a number of my favorite songs by some great bands but with the exception of Slipknot and maybe one or two other acts the performances were a tad underwhelming and seemed rushed. I am sure by this stage in a tour bands are tired and ready to go home but, fans at the end of a tour pay just as much as those at the start of a tour and deserve a top notch performance. Despite a great looking bill and some really cool promotions related to the tour I think the show in Scranton, PA was a bit of a dud. Thankfully Slipknot closing out the end of a long, hot day and some promising performances from the Jagermeister stage left me with a glimmer of hope for next year’s run.

Slipknot Set List:
Intro- 742617000027
1.) (Sic)
2.) Eyeless
3.) Sulfur
4.) Wait and Bleed
5.) Disasterpiece
7.) Gently
8.) Vermillion
9.) The Heretic Anthem
10.) Psychosocial
11.) Duality
12.) Spit It Out
13.) People=Shit
14.) Surfacing
Outro- ‘Til We Die

Slayer Set List:
Intro- Darkness of Christ
1.) Disciple
2.) War Ensemble
3.) Die by the Sword
4.) Hate Worldwide
5.) Mandatory Suicide
6.) Alter of Sacrifice
7.) Jesus Saves
8.) Season in the Abyss
9.) Hell Awaits
10.) Dead Skin Mask
11.) Angel of Death
12.) South of Heaven
13.) Raining Blood

Motorhead Set List:
1.) Bomber
2.) Damage Case
3.) I Know How to Die
4.) Stay Clean
5.) Over the Top
6.) The Chase is Better Than the Catch
7.) The One to Sing the Blues
Drum Solo
8.) Going to Brazil
9.) Killed by Death
10.) Ace of Spades

Asking Alexandria Set List:
1.) Welcome
2.) Closure
3.) Breathless
4.) A Lesson Never learned
5.) To the Stage
6.) Dear Insanity
7.) Morte et Dabo

“Rockstar Uproar Festival”
Shinedown, Godsmack, Staind, Adelitas Way, Fozzy, In This Moment, Duece, Candlelight Red, Mindset Evolution, Cruz
Date: Saturday, August 25th 2012
Venue: New York State Fair Grand Stand, Syracuse, NY

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

The Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Festival came to the Great New York State Fair on Saturday August 25th and despite a few band cancelations the festival was quite enjoyable. The day’s festivities kicked off on dueling side stages sponsored by Jagermeister and Ernie Ball. Due to the venue layout all three of the festival stages were side by side making it very easy to watch all of the performances. Besides not missing one note of music the rotating stages allowed for a very mini lag time between groups. This not only kept the energy of the crowd up but gave the show a great flow and feel. Despite the absence of P.O.D and the recent cancelation of Papa Roach each of the bands on the smaller stages did a great job filling in the time and the afternoon was capped off by energetic performances from In This Moments and Fozzy which features WWE Superstar Chris Jericho on vocals.

Prior to the start of the main stage performances fans we made to clear the venue which did cause quite a bit of confusion and chaos as fans were shuffled through various small openings leading under the grandstand viewing area. After a 40 minute wait fans were finally allowed to re-enter and take their seats for the rest of the evenings events. Up and coming hard rock band Adelitas Way opened the night and gave the fans a brief but energy packed set which came to a close with lead singer Rick DeJesus jumping in to the crowd for some quality time where he remained signing autographs and posing for photos for some time after the rest of the band left the stage. Staind would follow with a surprisingly energetic set which featured hits like “It’s Been Awhile”, “Mudshovel” and “Outside”. Despite singer Aaron Lewis preparing to take some time away from the band to promote his upcoming country album band moral seemed high and it really showed in the group’s performance. Hard rock heavy weights Godsmack would be next playing a greatest hits set consisting of songs from each of the bands albums. Highlights of the set were “Keep Away”, “Bad Religion” and of course the dueling drum solo’s between Shannon Larken and Sully Erna. Having seen the band several times now it would have been great to see something different from the band as this set was almost identical to the set performed by the band on this past springs “Mass Chaos Tour”. Shinedown closed out the night with a pyro packed performance featuring songs off the band latest album “Amaryllis”. Though the bands stage show featured a number of cool effects and a guest appearance by In This Moment front woman Maria Brink I felt the performance by the band was a bit boring. Singer Brent Smith very rarely left his podium and spent little to no time interacting with the crowd. At times the sound of the band seemed very produced and digital which I felt hurt the performance more than helped it. I am all for bands embracing technology however you have to know when enough is enough.

Though the “Rockstar Uproar Festival” is a bit smaller and doesn’t have as many big names artists as Rockstar’s other traveling tour “Mayhem Festival”. The smaller set ups gave each performance a more intimate feel. Having attended both festivals the “Uproar Festival” featured a wider variety of musical styles, better stage set up and a far better sound production. If Uproar is coming to your town be sure to grab a ticket and get to the show early to check out some really great talent.

Shinedown Set List:
1.) Sound of Madness
2.) Diamond Eyes
3.) Enemies
4.) If You Only Knew
5.) Devour feat. Maria Brink
7.) I’ll Follow You
8.) Unity
9.) .45
10.) Simple Man
11.) Second Chance
12.) Fly From the Inside

Godsmack Set List:
1.) Enemy
2.) Keep Away
3.) Cryin’ Like a Bitch
4.) Straight Out of Line
5.) Awake
6.) Bad Religion
7.) Speak
8.) Voodoo
9.) Drum Solo
10.) Whatever
11.) I Stand Alone

Staind Set List:
1.) Eyes Wide Open
2.) Right Here
3.) Now
4.) For You
5.) Paper Wings
6.) It’s Been Awhile
7.) Not Again
8.) Outside
9.) Mudshovel
10.) Something to Remind You

Adelitas Way Set List:
1.) The Collapse
2.) Hurt
3.) Alive
4.) Cage the Beast
5.) Criticize
6.) Sick
7.) Invincible

Join the Legion of Thunder and help “A Sound of Thunder” complete our next epic full-length album TIME’S ARROW…11 new tracks of classic metal! Click here to see how you can help them out on Kickstarter!

The title of our new album is TIME’S ARROW.  We’ve already begun recording with the same band lineup, studio and producer as OUT OF THE DARKNESS, and a new batch of 11 songs that will blow you away! The centerpiece of the album is the epic 9-minute sci-fi/metal title track “Time’s Arrow”, based on a short-story by our drummer Chris Haren. The album as a whole touches on our roots in metal, prog, classic rock, and even classical, blues, and jazz, and takes us into new territory while maintaining the overall classic metal sound.

Drums, bass, and rhythm guitars for TIME’S ARROW have already been completely recorded.  With your help we will track lead vocals, lead guitars, and keyboards, then mix the final album all at Assembly Line Studios in Vienna, Virginia.  Studio time is already tentatively booked and with your support we’ll complete the album this fall!

You can order TIME’S ARROW in the following formats:

• Digital Download
• Autographed CD
• Honored Heroes Pack (Your name in the album booklet)
• Ultra-Limited Box Set (including TIME’S ARROW short story and much more…see rewards for details!)

(Larger rewards that include the Honored Heroes Pack can be upgraded to the Box Set…just add $30 to your pledge, or contact the band!)

In addition to the full-length album TIME’S ARROW, we are announcing another release, the QUEEN OF HELL EP, exclusively available to fans who help us fund TIME’S ARROW via Kickstarter!   That’s right, a unique release by the band ONLY AVAILABLE HERE! 

Click here to see how you can help them out on Kickstarter!

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Edie Adams
“The Edie Adams Christmas Album: Featuring Ernie Kovacs (1952)”
Release Date: October 9th, 2012
Label: Omnivore Recordings
Tracks: 15
Running Time: 29 minutes

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

Omnivore Recordings is the label behind releasing this gem of a Christmas record. Edie Adams sings the best Christmas tracks along with Ernie Kovacs. There are 15 classic that have been pulled out from rare audio air checks from the TV show, “Kovacs Unlimited” dating back to the early to mid 1950’s. These recordings only exist today because Edie herself paid for them to be recorded. This holiday album from Edie Adams is also her first Christmas album. If you are looking for more audio titles from the archive of both Ernie Kovacs and Edie Adams, stand tuned since Omnivore and Ediad recently announced a deal together to release a bunch of unreleased recording.

There is just something about these tracks that make them very fun and entertaining. Even though they are from way before my timem still listening to these Christmas tracks from the 1950s, really put me in the mood. Edie Adams had just such an amazing voice and add that to the charm of Ernie Kovacs, this is a perfect match. Edie brought the vocals and Ernie brought the humor. “Silver Bells” is a great notable collaboration of the two. Some of the classics are tracks like “Winter Wonderland”, “White Christmas” and “Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town”. There is even a fun little Irish track “Christmas In Killarney” and also “It’s a Marshmallow World” makes me laugh every time.

I know today is the age of digital downloads and MP3, but I feel that his album really deserves to be listed to on Vinyl LP. I am not sure if it is available at this time but it would be a great idea if it is not. You can just hear the cracks and unique sounds that this was home recorded. Music today is way to polished and produced, it is very refreshing to here a different type of Christmas recordings. I could see myself putting this album on, relaxing with my wife and daughter and sipping some hot chocolate on a cold night. If you are looking to get some of that old time Christmas feeling, this is a must purchase for sure!

Texas In July has just premiered a brand new track today, called “Cry Wolf” from their self-titled album that will be out on October 9. This is the very first song revealed off of the new album. Texas In July is the follow up to their Equal Vision Records debut, One Reality, which was released in April 2011 and debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard New Artist/Heatseekers Chart and also placed on the Billboard 200, Rock, Independent, and Hard Rock charts. The band has just returned from a tour in Australia, and will next headline a Canadian tour with support from labelmates Glass Cloud, before heading out on the full US Unshakeable Tour supporting For Today this fall. They will close out the year on a UK/European tour as direct support to Miss May I this winter. All upcoming tour dates can be seen here. Pre-orders for the new album also launched last week, with each bundle coming with an instant digital download of “Cry Wolf”.

Pre-order link – http://texasinjuly.merchnow.com/

Jed Whedon & Maurissa Tancharoen are the co-writers behind such amazing projects like “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-a-long Blog” and Fox’s Dollhouse.  They recently released an EP album together under the name of This Girl.  Everyone seriously needs to check out this album, it is very fun and catchy.  They also just recently announced that they will be writing Marvel’s upcoming “S.H.I.E.L.D” TV pilot with “The Avengers” helmer Joss Whedon.  Jed & Maurissa took out a great deal of time to do a song-by-song analysis of their album and also discussed the long-awaited “Dr. Horrible” sequel.

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us how the name This Girl came about?
Jed Whedon: We were trying to present something that wasn’t just us and was trying to put a concept behind it. If you look at the photo shoot we did, it was me pushing Maurissa into the front.  And I think we were just talking and I was like “Hey look at this girl!” and Maurissa said “Hey, that could be the name” [laughs]. So that is how it happened.

MG: How long would you say this album took to complete?
Maurissa Tancharoen: Well it was sort of drawn out over the course of last year. It is a side project to pass the time since we were stuck at home for a long time. I had a rough health year last year. So Jed out of the kindness of his loving-husband heart [laughs], figured to pass the time we should record some songs. We worked on it sporadically over the course of last year. We never pushed to get it done and took our time we it. Right Jed?
JW: Yeah, I would say about a year. We would work on it for a while and then just toy around. When we realized that we were close to being done, then we gave a real push to finish it up.

MG: Tell us the inspiration behind the songs first up “Bombs” Away”
JW: Usually the way we work is music first. We just started building tracks and of course a ton of then never go anywhere. So, I think the general concept of the record was the make something upbeat and fun. Maurissa has a little bit of the R&B background.
MT: [laughs] Yeah, he told me “Let try and make you sing as white as possible.
JW: [laughs] Yeah. Like a androgynous, very vanilla sounding pop record. That was our inital concept.
MT: That was also the concept behind This Girl was that the songs do fall under the indie pop category. But overall they are all over the map. Like “Mr. Electric” is just so different” and “Dangerous” has a little bit of hip-hop and R&B vibe but very subtle. You are this girl on each track basically.

MG: Speaking of “Dangerous”, tell us a little more about that track?
JW: “Dangerous” was our first track. The concept was basically to do a really light vocal about getting your heart ripped out of your chest. The idea was that the music would be so kind and easy-going but the lyrics would be darker.
MT: She is basically a stalker or the quiet voice of the stalker. She is saying take my hard and crush it cause I am watching you and that is all I want.
JW: We had the track and had the idea of a jazz guitar. So I brought my older brother Sam in, he is an amazing guitarist. We recorded for an hour and just riffed on it. The guitar wasn’t meant to be this epic solo. But on one of the takes, I told him to just go crazy with it and that is the one we used.

MG: Next up we have “In Your Dreams”, tell us about that one?
JW: The idea was to make a five song album. We had the five tracks and Maurissa said we should just put it out. I thought let’s just do one more and whatever it is it will end up being our favorite. Your last song always ends up being your favorite.
MT: And it is…it is definitely our favorite.
JW: So, that one was the only one with a chorus before any tracks were laid down.
MT: I just love the story about a guy living a very monotonous life and wanting to be elsewhere.
JW: It is sort of a braggy mean song.
MT: It is a very mean song but again it is sang so gently it tricks you.
JW:  I just love the idea of “Your obsessed with me. You know it. Your pathetic” and then the last line of the chorus is “In your dreams”. Like “Yeah right, you wish”. In general that is something we like to do, which is play the lyrics against the song. It gives it this nice extra layer.

MG: Awesome, I love that song also; next up tell us about where “Second Nature” came from?
JW: That is another one that started with a drum beat feel. We wanted that to be kind of upbeat…
MT: That is also a sad song…all of our songs are sad [laughs].
JW: Yeah [laughs], considering how upbeat we always are.
MT: I guess since we were having a harder year, it came out in the lyrics.
JW: Happy lyrics are boring. Jane Doe is about a girl feeling sorry for herself. The music just grew organically from a general feel and then just sort of evolved.  I know that may seem a bit boring but it is true.
MT: That is the way that Jed has always worked. It is the music first. It is funny when he comes up with the melody. He will sort of half record the melody. It will be a bunch of gibberish and then a line that totally sticks and becomes the actual chorus.

MG: One of my favorites, tell me about “Mr. Electric”?
JW: That was one of the tracks that I had the hardest time with, since it was a hard mix for me.
MT: We almost took it off.
JW: We didn’t like it very much and now of course it’s everyone’s favorite.
MT: It just stuck out and was different from the rest. Up to the very last minute we were going to yank it. It is just unbelievable the response we have gotten about it from fans.
JW: It is basically another dark side of a happy song. I guess it is sort of a 50’s upset, “Mr. Sandman” rip-off. It is about a drug dealer and a girl that keep getting hooked. We also have a cool video concept in mind for it.

MG: “Remains” was previously released a single back in 2009 for “Dollhouse”, tell us about why you chose to close the album with it?
JW: We just wanted to put in on the album. Since we only had one tune out there together, we wanted want to put it on one album. “Remains” is a more genuine track and we  felt like it was a good bridge between “In Your Dreams” and would also work well after “Mr. Electric”.

MG: Any more plans for Jed Whedon and The Willing in the future?
JW: We do have a lot of projects going on right now. If we ever have any downtime, which is where This Girl came from, I will definitely spend time making a new one. That is the plan right now. I hate saying that though since when it comes out in four years people are going to wonder what took so long.

MG: Jed, if your brother can stop making films that gross $1 billion dollars [laughs], where do you guys think that a “Dr. Horrible” sequel lands your timeline?
MT: It is definitely in our timeline.
JW: It is for sure. There are a lot of projects in the works now. Everyone in the world now know how busy Joss is now. We are definitely planning to do it.
MT: We have more of a solid plan to aim to start next year.
JW: Not only do we think we will get it done, we also think it will be pretty great.

photos by kate danson
http://katedansonphotography.com/

Ryan Mendez is the lead guitarist for the pop-punk band Yellowcard. The group is set to release its 8^th studio album in August titled “Southern Air”. Media Mikes caught up with Ryan at this year’s Vans Warped Tour to discuss the band’s new album?

Adam Lawton: What can you tell us about the bands upcoming album “Southern Air”?
Ryan Mendez: The album will be out August 14^th on Hopeless Records. We are all beyond excited for this album to come out. I want to say that this is the most proud we have ever been of a record. There is just something about how this album turned out that has a confidence to it. We didn’t go into the studio trying to make anything specific happen but this just turned out so strong in our opinions. We can’t wait for everybody to hear it.

AL: How did the writing process on this album compare to that of the album you put out in 2011?
RM: We had a pretty similar process. We went in to things not having any specific agenda or direction. We just wanted to write songs that were fun. We didn’t want to over think things. We just wanted songs that were rad and energetic. We thought about what would be fun to play live and have kids sing along to. We would write things we thought sounded good and then just moved on to the next thing. In the end I think the album has an energy and a rawness to it that just seems natural.

AL: Are any of the songs on the new album left over from the previous albums recording sessions?
RM: For the most part this is a new batch of material. There is one song that was taken from an Idea Ryan and I had years ago. When we were on hiatus myself, Ryan and our previous bass player were doing a side project called Big If. We wrote 12 songs and on the last record we took some of those songs a re-worked them to be Yellowcard songs. For the new record we did that with just one song. We took pieces of that song and wrote a new song around it. Aside from that everything else is new.

AL: Is there a song of the new record that you are really looking forward to playing live?
RM: That’s an interesting question. A lot of times when we are making records we don’t spend a lot of time in the rehearsal room playing the songs over and over. The songs are in a way birthed in the studio. There are so many of these songs that we have never sat down and played as a group. It is going to be interesting to see which ones are fun and which ones aren’t. Sometimes there are songs that you really love but are not fun to play live. If the song requires a lot of work or has a lot of changes then that can make it not so fun to play. I really have to just wait and see what songs will be fun or not.

AL: What are the bands plans after the Warped tour finishes up?
RM: I believe the 5^th of August is the last day of the Warped tour. After that we have a couple days off andthen we head over to Europe for some festivals. I think we will be over there for about two and a half weeks. Starting in September we have some more international shows which take us to Japan, Australia and Singapore. There also will be some more stuff announced as it gets closer. The idea is to do a fall states tour. More details about that will be announced after Warped tour.

AL: What is the best place for fans to keep up with the band and watch for these upcoming announcements?
RM: We are all pretty up on using the band Twitter and Facebook accounts. Also all five of us have our own personal Twitter accounts that we are active with as well. We really try to make a conscious effort to interact with the fans. Fans can write to us on any of our pages and we will write you back. For general news our Facebook page will be the one to be watching.

Lynyrd Skynyrd
Last of a Dyin’ Breed
Release Date: August 21, 2012
Label: Roadrunner Records/Loud & Proud Records
Tracks: 11
Running Time: 43 minutes

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Pronounced “leh-nerd skin nerd”, I have been a member of the Skynyrd Nation for the last 20 years. When I was approached to review this album, I got a wave of terror since they are in fact of my favorite bands. When you are reviewing one of your favorite band, you most importanting don’t want it to suck. Well luckily this album doesn’t and in fact is one of the bands most amped up records to date. If you go from the country-backed “Gods and Guns” to this Southern rock-infused “Last of a Dyin’ Breed”, it is like two different bands. Compared to the political edge to “Gods”, you can just feel that boys of Skynyrd are in the studio just having fun and delivering some good ‘ole southern rock! Skynyrd is still at the top of their game and show no signs of slowing down.

“Guns” producer Bob Marlette is back on board for “Last Of A Dyin’ Breed” and really re-ignites and even improves on the magic they had last go-round. The sound of the album is traditional Skynyrd blended very well with what is going on right now in the world. It is an album for the fans and definitely made for the fans. If you are looking for instantly memorable songs and some ridiculous three-guitar attacks, look no further! I do not think that there is a Skynyrd fan out there that will disagree with me that Skynyrd is on fire with this album.

Longtime members Gary Rossington (guitar), Johnny Van Zant (vocals) and Rickey Medlocke (guitar) and drummer Michael Cartellone are leading the pack on this album. The last time they recorded an album was 2009, which was a rough year for the band with the loss of Billy Powell and Ean Evans. Joining them is their newest bassist Johnny Colt (The Black Crowes, Train), guitarist Mark “Sparky” Matejka and keyboardist Peter Keys. Van Zant has honestly never sounded better vocally. With Medlocke and Rossington, you can just tell that they are literally tearing the shit out of their guitars. Skynyrd is a band that will never be put down and will just keep on coming.

If I had to choose a favorite song, I would have a very hard time for sure. Some notable tracks are “One Day at a Time”, “Something to Live For” and definitely “Ready to Fly” (shit, I guess I do have a favorite). Other notable tracks are “Homegrown”, which uses some cool vocal distortion and “Honey Hole”. They are probably two of the most unique tracks and just plain fun. Of course props needs to also be given to the title track “Last Of A Dyin’ Breed”. Johnny’s vocals are honestly the best they have ever been.  Also keep an ear out for “Mississippi Blood” featuring rare vocals from Medlock.  I have seen Skynyrd perform live probably 10 or more times and that track can easily open every show and get the crowd going.  I can just see Johnny getting up there and raising that microphone up like he always does! Woo hoo hoo!

If you are a die-hard Skynyrd fan, be sure to pick up the special edition of this record because you get not one but four bonus tracks, including “Poor Man’s Dream”, “Do It Up Right”, “Sad Song” and “Low Down Dirty”. After listening these tracks together as whole, this album isn’t complete without them personally. I can’t stress more that these are a must for all Skynyrd fans.

Track Listing:
1. Last Of A Dyin’ Breed
2. One Day At A Time
3. Homegrown
4. Ready To Fly
5. Mississippi Blood
6. Good Teacher
7. Something To Live For
8. Life’s Twisted
9. Nothing Comes Easy
10. Honey Hole
11. Start Livin’ Life Again

Ola Lindgren is the vocalist/guitarist for the death metal band Grave. The band has just released their 10 full length studio album titled “Endless Procession of Souls”. Media Mikes talked with Ola recently about the album and the bands upcoming tour with Morbid Angel.

Adam Lawton: What can you tell us about the band’s new album?
Ola Lindgren: I would say it is very much back to the bands roots. It is very old school and straight forward. The album has a very heavy, death metal groove. We set out to do an album that could sound like it could have been released in the early days of the band some 20 years ago. I think we accomplished that pretty well with not only the songwriting but also the arrangements. We recorded this album ourselves in our own studio. It’s crushing in every way.

AL: Was there any specific reason for wanting an album that sounded like the band in its early days?
OL: Our two previous albums were a lot more in this same direction. We are sticking to what we know best. We have never really been technical or complicated. We are very straight forward. This album also featured some new blood in the band. Everyone contributed with their own ideas. The process both writing it and putting it together has been pretty easy.

AL: Did having new members in the band change the writing/recording process at all?
OL: I would say the process was very much a band effort. It was different though from the previous 3 albums. It has always been pretty much myself and Ronnie doing everything. We had been sitting at home shooting tracks back and forth and also doing some pre-production stuff. This time it was everyone together in a rehearsal room. Everything felt very right and that’s the way we wanted to do it. Each member had a part in how the songs came together.

AL: Are you planning to shoot a video for any of the songs on the album?
OL: We have some plans but nothing is definite yet. There is one track that I really want to do a video for however we have to decide when to do it and what song we actually want to use.

AL: Can you tell us about the bands upcoming tour?
OL: It’s a very cool idea I think. We actually toured with Morbid Angel back in 1993 here in Europe. They are good friends. We got asked very early in the process about doing this tour. The addition of Dark Funeral is very cool as well. We are really looking forward to playing a lot of the new material and I think the tour will be very successful. The tour starts Sept. 20^th and runs through Oct. 26^th.

AL: Are you hitting any places that you haven’t been to before?
OL: I don’t think so. I recognize most of the cities on the list as this will be our 5^th or 6^th time to the States. We also have some Canadian dates and we have played there as well so I don’t think we will be making any new discoveries this time around.

AL: Is there any place the band wants to tour but has not been able to yet?
OL: The only place we have really toured or played is Japan. That has always been something that I thought would be very cool to be able to do. It’s very hard to get over there but we have people working on it for us. Lately there are a lot of things opening up in China and it would be cool to go there as well.

AL: What are the bands plans after the tour wraps up in October?
OL: There are plans for more touring. Before we come over to the States we are doing a small 2 week headlining run here in Europe. We can’t do much more than that as we have to head over to the states. When we get back we are looking to do a more extensive headlining tour as well as a tour in South America and Australia.

Nick Cave & Warren Ellis
Lawless: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Distributed by: Sony Masterworks
Release Date: August 28, 2012
Tracks: 14
Running Time: 39 minutes

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

Nick Cave & Warren Ellis have collaborated on many films including “The Proposition”, “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford” and “The Road”. They all seem to have the same feel to each of them, though all unique. The film is based on Matt Bondurant’s 2008 novel “The Wettest County in the World” and that novel was adapted into a screenplay by Nick Cave. The soundtrack is a nice mixture of original songs written by Nick Cave for the movie and performances by Country legends Willie Nelson and Emmylou Harris along with Grammy Award winner Ralph Stanley (O Brother, Where Art Thou) and Mark Lanegan from Screaming Trees and Queens of the Stone Age.

Nick Cave and Warren Ellis are best known for their work in the critically acclaimed rock band, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. Cave and Ellis mixed their original music with innovative vocal under the name of The Bootleggers, which was the band they formed for the project. After listening to this album on loop a few times, I did start to dig it a bit more, but I feel it still runs a little too short for my taste. Nonetheless, it definitely captures the essence of the film very well. It also has a real period feel of country mixed with bluegrass. I would actually recommend listening to it and THEN seeing the film, since it will definitely get you in the mood.

The track from country legend Willie Nelson was actually previously unreleased and packs a mean harmonica. There are two versions of Velvet Underground’s “White Light/White Heat”, one by Mark Lanegan and the other by bluegrass veteran Ralph Stanley. The two new songs that Cave and Ellis specifically wrote for this film was “Cosmonaut” and “Fire in the Blood” featuring versions from Emmylou Harris and Ralph Stanley. The album ends on an instrumental track called “End Crawl, which is a brave move but is a good close.

Track Listings
1. Fire and Brimstone
2. Burnin’ Hell
3. Sure ‘Nuff ‘N Yes I Do
4. Fire in the Blood
5. White Light / White Heat
6. Cosmonaut
7. Fire in the Blood / Snake Song
8. So You’ll Aim Towards the Sky
9. Fire in the Blood
10. Fire and Brimstone
11. Sure ‘Nuff ‘N Yes I Do
12. White Light / White Heat
13. End Crawl
14. Midnight Run
15. Midnight Run (Buddy Cannon Mix)

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Brian Slagel is the founder/owner of Metal Blade Records. This year marks the labels 30^th anniversary and Media Mikes had the chance recently to talk with Brian about the labels history and what it has planned to celebrate this monumental occasion.

Adam Lawton: Can you tell us what initially led you to putting together the first Metal Massacre compilation?
Brian Slagel: I was in Los Angeles and saw so many really great metal bands playing around. At that
time there was no way for them to get heard. I was a huge fan of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal in England and its DIY attitude and from there I got the idea to do a compilation of local LA heavy metal bands. I was also working at a record store and I asked the import distributors I bought from if they would buy a compilation if I put one out. They said yes and the album became a reality.

AL: Did the success of that release plant the seed for you in starting Metal Blade Records or was starting/having your own label always something you wanted?
BS: I never intended to start a label. I was working at a record store and also doing a fanzine. After the album was released, I was offered a pressing and distribution deal from one of the importers. That is when it started to become a label.

AL: You gave Metallica their first real exposure with the Metal Massacre release. Was there a specific reason the band did not sign to Metal Blade?
BS: Yes I had no money as did they. So with no money there was no way to record an album. They came to me first, but no money meant it never happened.

AL: What do you feel has been the labels biggest accomplishment in its 30 years of existence?
BS: Probably just being around for 30 years and still going strong. It is a difficult business, but we have been lucky to still be around and doing what we love.

AL: With the 30 year anniversary of the label is their going to be any special edition releases or re-releases from the label?
BS: Yes we are doing special versions, vinyl, picture discs all year long. Also we are doing special sales around the world as well tied into the 30th.

AL: When signing bands to your label are there any specific qualities or characteristics you look for?
BS: There is nothing specific. We always look for bands that sound a bit different and also are willing to work with us. Getting signed these days is the easy part, and then the work really begins. It’s always helpful if the band has something happening before they ever sign with us.

Singer/Songwriter Chad Kichula’s latest album “A Fire” was released in May of this year and Media Mikes had a chance recently to ask Chad a few questions about the new album and about his writing process.

Adam Lawton: What sparked your interest in music?
Chad Kichula: As far as I can remember I’ve always been interested in music. As a kid, I’d play old records that I’d find around the house, and I’d always have a radio on in my room. As I got older, I tried to figure out how to write and play my own music.

AL: Can you tell us about your new album?
CK: The new album is a mix of rockabilly and rock influences. It is mostly about my working life and what drives me. The album is a very blue-collar record.

AL: What is your writing process like?
CK: My process starts with an inspiration, which can come from any where these days. Sometimes good things happen, and the music meshes with the lyrical side. If it doesn’t, some parts get used later for future songs or it all gets thrown out. It’s kind of like spare parts from a car. After releasing 5 albums, I find that the more songs that I write, the harder it is to come up with something new.

AL: Do you have any music video in the works?
CK: We created some videos in the spring and then I started working on a new project. I do want to get some more live videos from shows this summer up on YouTube.

AL: Do you have any other thing in the works you can tell us about?
CK: We’re recording a new EP that should be ready for a late fall release. It’s pretty exciting. The single from this new EP is sounding really good.