Astral Doors
“Jerusalem”
Locomotive Music
Producers: Daniel Bergstrand
Tracks: 10

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

“Jerusalem” produced by Daniel Bergstrand is the 6^th and latest  full length studio album from the metal group Astral Doors. “Jerusalem” is the follow up to the bands 2010 release titled “Requiem of Time”. The album is being released via Locomotive Music.

Fans of classic metal will definitely want to take a listen to “Jerusalem”. The album is packed full of straight forward metal riffs and vocals that are very reminiscent of the late, great Ronnie James Dio. The album features 11 new studio tracks that from the very start of the album captivated me as a listener. Tracks such as “Children of Rock N’ Roll”, “Lost Crucifix” and the acoustic tinged “The Day After Yesterday” I felt really showcased what the Astral Doors has to offer. The overall mix of the album I thought sounded great as it really complimented the playing of the band.

Heavy metal purists may be quick to accuse the band of merely copying what has previously been done however “Jerusalem” is much more than that. This album is an updated take on the classic metal albums fans of the genre grew up on. Yes the sound of the band may be a bit dated in terms of the new metal material being released these days but that doesn’t stop this album from being a solid all around metal album.

Track Listing:
1.)    Seventh Crusade
2.)    With A Stranger’s Eye
3.)    Child of Rock N’ Roll
4.)    Pearl Harbor
5.)    Lost Crucifix
6.)    Babylon Rise
7.)    Suicide Rime
8.)    The Battle of Jacob’s Ford
9.)    Operation Freedom
10.)  The Day After Yesterday
11.)  Jerusalem

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Andy Biersack is the lead singer for the band Black Veil Brides. The band is currently on tour with Avenged Sevenfold and is scheduled to release a new EP called “Rebel” in December. Media Mikes had a chance to talk with Andy about the EP as well as the bands plans for 2012.

Adam Lawton: Can you give us an idea of how the band all came together?
Andy Biersack: I had the idea for the band when I was 14/15. I had been playing with local musicians in Southern Ohio which is where I grew up. Playing in bands was always sort of my thing. It wasn’t until after I moved out to Los Angeles that things started to come together.  In the winter of 2009 the band became more than just a project.

AL: Black Veil Brides is a very visual band. What were the some of the initial ideas related to the bands look?
AB: We never sat down and said we were going to be a band that wears makeup. It just came out of stuff we all liked growing up. I was always really into horror movies and comics growing up. I also love Motley Crue and Kiss. When it came time to have a band it was sort of a natural thing. The look of the band is just something we all enjoy.

AL: Can you tell us about the bands new EP, “Rebel”?
AB: We had a little bit of time between Warped tour and our last European tour so we decided to go into the studio. We all had been itching to get back in the studio and we just didn’t want to wait till spring time. We had a couple songs that we like to listen and drink to on the boss so we recorded those along with a new song which we didn’t have done in time for the last album. It’s really just something new for our fans and for us to listen to in our cars.

AL: How did you guys choose the final cover songs that made it on the EP?
AB: “Unholy” was a song that we all had agreed upon from the start. For me I had the “Kiss: Konfidential” VHS which contained the music video for the song. That was something personal I brought to the band a long time ago. We had thrown some other ideas out there but ultimately we landed on “Rebel Yell” by Billy Idol. The song came together really fast and I am proud of how it turned out. We are actually playing that song live each night.

AL: How did you get Zakk Wylde involved with the project?
AB: Zakk is a hero of ours and he really is a legend in the rock/metal community. Our manager Blasko had played with Zakk in Ozzy Osbourne’s band so it really was just a phone call. Zakk was into the idea and came in and put the solo down. It was really a fun experience.

AL: What is the release date for the EP?
AB: As of now we are just saying Christmas. When it gets a little closer we plan to announce an actual date.

AL: What are the bands plans for the rest of 2011 and into 2012?
AB: We are currently touring with Avenged Sevenfold and after that we have some international shows lined up. We are going into the studio in the spring and we hope to have a new album out buy this time next year. Once the album is released we plan to hit the U.S. hard as it will have been some time since we last toured the U.S. extensively.

A big thank you goes out to Kevin C. for setting this interview up and to Cody .B for help with some of the questions.

For more info on Andy and Black Veil Brides you can go to www.bvbarmy.com

John “JD” DeServio is the bass player for the heavy metal group Black Label Society. The band is currently on the Epitaph tour which is also featuring Judas Priest and Thin Lizzy. Media Mikes had a chance recently to talk with JD about the tour and what the band has in store for the rest of 2011 and into 2012.

Adam Lawton: How did you originally get involved with Black Label Society?
John DeServio: I had known Zakk before he joined Ozzy Osbourne. We have been brothers for a long time and we were always jamming and hanging out. I came in back on the “Pride and Glory” tour which was with Aerosmith were we got to tour Japan. That was just amazing. Zakk put Black Label Society together in 1998 and he asked me to do it. I was there until 2000. I had decided to split and do my own music for a bit. I was playing in wedding bands and doing whatever to make money but I just really wanted to make my own music and get better at playing. I also played with Richie Kotzen for about 6 months prior to rejoining Black Label Society.

AL: What were your initial thoughts when it was announced you would be touring with Judas Priest?
JD: It was awesome! We were totally blown away. I grew up listening to those guys and I never thought I would be getting the chance to play with them every night.

AL: How have the shows been thus far?
JD: The shows have been great and everything has been really good. We play an hour a night and the fans have been awesome. This tour has exposed us to some new fans which is always good for us.

AL: have there been any highlights of the tour so far?
JD: I think every day has been a highlight. Being on stage and getting to listen to Judas Priest has been pretty cool.

AL: What can you tell us about the Black Label Society Christmas EP?
JD: The EP has a few Christmas songs played by Zakk and I think it’s a cool idea. We just love to play and Zakk did something similar to this on our last EP which had “The First Noel” on it. This EP has a full Christmas motif to it.

AL: What can you tell us about the upcoming tour with G N’ R?
JD: That will be coming up right after our run with Judas Priest ends. The shows are going to be mostly arenas which are always a lot of fun.

AL: What do you think your greatest musical accomplishment has been thus far?
JD: Tour all this time with Zakk has been an accomplishment in itself. (Laughs) It’s all been great. When I was younger I had the chance to play Madison Square Garden which for me growing up in that area was a big deal. I was playing with Vinnie Moore back then and we opened two nights for Rush. There have been so many great things that have happened over the years.

AL: Is there any place that you haven’t played yet that you want to get to?
JD: I would love to make it over to Israel and the holy land. I have had friends go over there and play who have said it was an experience they couldn’t explain. I think Egypt would be really great as well. China would be another place that I would like to play as well

AL: What other projects do you guys have coming up this year and into 2012?
JD: I have a few bass clinics scheduled for this year. I generally try and schedule those during every tour we do. I went to Berkley College of Music where I learned a bunch of stuff outside of just Heavy Metal. It’s cool for me to get to show off on some other types of music. Hopefully the clinics will open up some ears and inspire a few people. On this run of clinic I have been doing some stuff with Thin Lizzy’s bassist Marco Mendoza and our new drummer Chad Saliga who used to play for Breaking Benjamin. Those guys have been playing along with me so it’s been great. My band Cycle of Pain who released an album back in 2009 is currently writing a new album and we hope to get that out as well.

CHICKENFOOT EARNS GRAMMY NOMINATION FOR 3D PACKAGING OF CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED CHICKENFOOT III ALBUM FROM eONE MUSIC and earMUSIC/Edel

Chickenfoot Scheduled to Play The Mark & Brian Christmas Show at Los Angeles’ Nokia Theatre on December 15th Before  January 2012 European Tour

LOS ANGELES, CA—December 9, 2011—Chickenfoot –the supergroup featuring guitarist Joe Satriani, drummer Chad Smith, former Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony and frontman Sammy Hagar – have earned a GRAMMY nomination for the “Best Recording Package,” for the creative 3D design of their recent Chickenfoot III (eOne Music/earMUSIC/Edel) album. The GRAMMY-nominated band plans to return to Los Angeles with touring drummer Kenny Aronoff to perform at the Mark & Brian Christmas Show on December 15^th at the Nokia Theatre and will embark on a European tour in January 2012.

Designed by art director Todd Gallopo, Chickenfoot III, features an elaborately designed 3D package with optical illusions and special codes giving fans a fully immersed creative Chickenfoot experience, creating a spectacle with spectacles.  With special “3D optical enhancers,” otherwise known as old-skool 3D glasses that come with each package, the cover and inside photos feature artwork that trick the eye by looking through the two different red and blue lenses of the glasses.  Having used a special state-of-the-art 3D camera rig to create the designs, Chickenfoot gives fans a truly multi-dimensional experience throughout the packaging that also offers a 3D photo of each band member with stats and Q&As, QR codes for behind the scenes 3D video content from the photo shoot on smartphones and much more.  A look through the red lens even reveals a very special message on the CD itself.

The band recently wrapped a sold out 2011 Road Test Tour that took them through San Francisco, Los Angeles, St. Louis, Chicago and New York with a stop for a performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!.  In each city along the tour, Hagar made a donation to a local food bank in a special partnership with Feeding America to encourage fans to do the same to help fight hunger, an important message that he also intended to convey through the music video for “Three And A Half Letters (I Need A Job).”

The first single from Chickenfoot III, “Big Foot,” debuted at #1 on the Mediabase Classic Rock Chart holding the position for 11 weeks, earning over 1.85 million listeners, and the album received critical acclaim.  Chickenfoot III features 10 tracks with so many moments of epiphany that one can barely take them all in on first listen.  Colossal, stadium-shaking riffs abound on earth-movers such as “Alright, Alright,” “Last Temptation” and “Lighten Up.” Tradition meets innovation on the Nashville pop-tinged “Different Devil,” the Delta-blues flavored “Something Going Wrong” and the aching rock ballad “Come Closer.”  Chickenfoot III debuted at #9 on the Billboard Top 100 and follows the band’s 2009 debut album, which debuted at #3 on the Billboard Top 100 and was certified gold for sales over 500,000 units by the Recording Industry Association of America.

Andrea Blaugrund Nevins is the writer and director of a new documentary titled “The Other F Word”. The documentary focuses on punk rock musicians and the difficulties they face as fathers. Jim Lindberg is a founding member of the California punk rock band Pennywise. Jim and the band have a very prominent role in the documentary which is based of of Jim’s book “Punk Rock Dad”. Media Mikes had a chance to talk with Andrea and Jim about the film.

Adam Lawton: Can You tell us how the idea for the film came about?
Andrea Blaugrund Nevins: Jimmy had put out a book titled “Punk Rock Dad”. I thought the book would be a great premise for a documentary. Jimmy had a lot of stuff going on at the time as Pennywise had a new album coming out and they were going on tour so everything tied in really well.

AL: What made you interested in writing the book?
Jim Lindberg: I have always been into writing and do quite a bit of it. I had the idea to put the book together about being in a band and being a father at the same time. We were throwing around ideas for titles and one of my friends said I should call it “Punk Rock Dad”.

AL: How long did you film for?
ABN: I think we filmed for about a year and a half. Jim was out on tour so we just kept adding footage. We also gave Jim a hand held camera which he used to capture some really great POV stuff.

AL: How did you decide who was going to be in the film?
ABN: Everyone who was in the film pretty much got involved through word of mouth. We would interview one person and they would say “oh you have to check out so an so”. We would go and interview them and then they would tell us about another great person to talk with. We really got a great group of people.
JL: It was great to have guys like Tony Hawk who don’t have the typical “punk rock” look however are still part of the scene. i myself don’t have tattoos or wear a leather jacket as I was never really into the look of punk rock. What drew me to the scene was the music. It was great to have guys like me shown along with the typical punk rock looking guys.

AL: Was it hard being filmed during the time of you leaving the band?
JL: I had told one of the guys in the band that I wasn’t sure how much longer I could keep doing what we were doing. They had some knowledge that I was unhappy so it probably wasn’t as big of as a surprise to them when I did decide to leave. There was one point where I just threw my hands up and said that was it.
ABN: We tried to only show certain things. We weren’t filming 24/7 like a reality show. Even though we shot off and on for over a year the cameras weren’t around as much as it seems.

AL: Have you had any communication with the band?
JL: No. I have tried to reach out to them but haven’t heard anything. I would have liked for everything to be good between me and the guys. I offered to help them out in anyway I could. I even offered to help them find a replacement but things just didn’t work out that way.

AL: Looking back on the footage do you have any regrets?
JL: I regret wiping out on that skateboard. (Laughs) I told the to burry that film and to never show it but it some how ended up making it into the film.

AL: What are the release plans for the film?
ABN: The film opened in a few cities on 11/4. It was kind of a slow weekend release wise which was good for the film. It opens in Pasadena and Costa Mesa on 11/11. We also are in the works of distribution in Canada and overseas. Once the film has run its course in the theaters it will be airing on Showtime and the DVD is slated for a spring 2012 release.

AL: Do you both have any other upcoming projects?
JL: I have a new band called The Black Pacific. We are currently writing songs and playing shows. I was actually able to squeeze two of the bands song on the films sound track. I have just a lot of cool stuff going on. I am at the first part of my second life.
ABN: The DVD is going to have some sneak previews of the new band in the special features section. Project wise I am looking right now at making a documentary about someone who is trying to reconcile their ego after being out of the spot light. It sort of the next phase when you are forced to remove yourself from the spotlight for one reason or another.

AL: Is the soundtrack from the film going to be release as well?
ABN: I would love too, however the economics don’t look to great. It’s something that we are still discussing though.

AL: Is there anything else you would like people to know about the film?
JL: For those who get the DVD when it comes out there is going to be a lot of extras to check out. The material has been packaged really well. The Directors cut will feature some voice over stuff from Andrea, myself and Art Alexacis. That should be pretty informative and entertaining. You of course will be able to check out the film in the theaters and eventually on Showtime but for those people who really liked the film the hard copy is going to be really great.
ABN: While the film is in the theater we want people to use the whole DIY word of mouth method to promote the film. The more people who go to see it in the theaters the will allow it to be shown in more places. The film has really great 5.1 sound with a soundtrack that rocks! It will be awesome to see the film in the theater.

Rich Williams is the lead guitarist from band Kansas.  The band is responsible for such memorable songs such as “Carry on Wayward Son” and “Dust in the Wind”.  The band is currently touring the country with there Collegiate Symphony Tour.  Media Mikes was able to chat with Rich about the tour and what he enjoys most about performing on the stage.

Mike Gencarelli: What can we expect from this year’s Collegiate Symphony Tour?
Rich Williams: The tour is going great! This was something we started last year and because of the great response we received we decided to do it again this year. We are hoping that the more colleges we play others will pick up on what we are doing and they will want us to play at their school as well. It’s been a great time.

MG: What has it been like working with the college students on the shows?
RW: It’s a lot of fun. The students seem to really enjoy it and they get to do something they may normally not have the chance to do in their normal curriculum.

MG: What do you like most about performing live as of late?
RW: It’s hard to describe as this is what I have always done. A long time ago I used to work at a liquor store while I was in college and then I started playing. I really haven’t done anything else. It’s a normal day to me. Everything is really fun however, when we have a couple weeks off I tend to go a little stir crazy.

MG: Is there one song that you really enjoy playing live each night?
RW: There are a lot of songs I enjoy. We have added quite a few songs to the set recently. We added a song called “Down The Road” back into the set. We have been playing a lot of symphony shows as well as shows at state fairs. There are some songs that don’t work without the symphony so we have to fill that time in. We haven’t played “Down The Road” live in a year or two. A lot of times we will pick a song, rehearse it in the dressing room and then go out and play it. It’s fun not to be on auto pilot.

MG: What were the bands initial inspirations?
RW: Everyone in Topeka at the time was in a band after the British Invasion hit. Some people eventually lost interest or got a day job. After a while the musicians who were left were the ones who either wanted play the Holiday Inn lounge or who really wanted to make it.  We were all really inspired by the things coming out of Europe and none of us were ready for a real job yet. All of us wanted to do real original music and that’s what really got us started.

MG: What type of music have you been listening to lately that you really enjoy?
RW: I really don’t listen to music as of late. I am just so busy that I don’t have time for anything. If I do listen to something it’s probably because I walked past a speaker that was playing something and that’s what I am listening to.

MG: Your song “Carry On Wayward Son” was featured in the video game “Guitar Hero”. Have you ever tried playing it?
RW: Before “Guitar Hero” came out they sent me all the hardware for it. The thing is I never heard back from them. I wasn’t really too interested in the game but my kids did enjoy playing it. The game has brought a lot of new people to our concerts and it has really sparked something. In my opinion anything that promotes playing music is great.

MG: “Dust In The Wind” is often used quite a bit in movies. How do you feel about the ongoing popularity of the song?
RW: Those things are what keep us out there. Both the songs you mentioned are bigger than we are. People a lot of the time know the songs but they don’t know us as a band.

MG: Are there any plans to record and release new material?
RW: It would be great to do one but then there is reality. They take a lot of time and money to put together. We are out there playing because we love it. Not for the money. If we were going to be recording an album it would be us as a band paying for that. Besides the fact that I am not independently, radio won’t play anything new and people don’t really come to shows to hear new material. Once you realize that reality that people don’t truly care about new material you have to come up with a way to recreate yourself. That’s why we did the symphony album and tour. It’s a way of doing something different and fresh with what you already have.

While standing outside of the Orlando House of Blues’ green room waiting to interview Geoff Tate of Queensrÿche, three musical things can be discerned: the sound check of the opening band, Geoff doing some pre-concert vocal warm-ups and – very faintly – the calming strains of classical music.   It’s an interesting mix of stimuli to be sure.  When Geoff completes his exercises, he’s ready to talk – which is amazing given that Queensrÿche’s sound check went for an hour more than scheduled and that the band has less than two hours before they have to take the stage and deliver the goods to a packed house.

Tate’s look has changed many times over the course of the 30 years he’s been with the band.  Gone is the coiffed long black hair that appeared in the videos for “Silent Lucidity” and “Jet City Woman” from the band’s hugely successful 1990 release, “Empire”.  These days, Geoff is sporting a bald head and a pencil-thin goatee that cause me to immediately conjure up mental images of Ming the Merciless and Anton LaVey.  But Tate’s demeanor is far from threatening and certainly not in any way demonic.  For a singer known for his ability to carry high-pitched metal wailings, his deep voice is one that is surprisingly soft-spoken.

The green room’s two plush couches upon which he and I sit are rather relaxing – as is the Debussy that continues to softly play from his iPod’s dock’s speakers, something that will remain a constant throughout our conversation.

Well…at least for half of it.

Dave Picton:  So you’re on your 30^th anniversary tour.
Geoff Tate:  Yeah.  The end of it.  There’s the show tonight and then we have two shows on the boat and a show in Clearwater. Today is kind of a hectic day because we’re getting ready to go on a ShipRocked Cruise.  Certain equipment goes and certain things stay, you know?  We’re playing “Mindcrime” on the boat, so we’re rehearsing it now because we haven’t played the whole thing in quite a few years.

DP: The band has largely been the same group of guys that you’ve been working with since 1981.
GT:  Yeah.  Four out of five.

DP:  As you look back are there good memories?  Not so good memories?
GT:  Oh yeah, there’s both. Lots of both.

DP:  After a bunch of concept albums that you released within the past decade or so, such as “Operation: Mindcrime II” and “American Soldier”,  the latest new album, “Dedicated to Chaos”, finds the band going for straight-forward singles-oriented songs that often have new technology as a central theme.  What’s your take on technology?
GT:  Oh, it’s fascinating.  Very fun.  It can definitely be something that sidetracks you from a lot of things and definitely takes your attention away from a lot of other things while you’re figuring out the latest gadget.  A lot of really good things like studio stuff and recording equipment and all that has gotten really modular and now you can take it anywhere you want and record in rooms like this and airplanes.  We do a lot of work all on computers now   It’s great.  You can really sketch out an idea.  It helps in the studio in terms of composing and coming up with new stuff and making demos.

DP:  When you record demos now, how far are you going with the song?  I know that it used to be that it would be fairly crude like when Buck Dharma of Blue Öyster Cult recorded the “Don’t Fear the Reaper” demo, he was playing drums on cardboard boxes. Now you can have a demo be pretty close to what the final cut is going to sound like.
GT:  Well, sound-wise, you can get really close.  But working with the other guys in the studio is a whole different thing.  Personally, in my opinion, songs turn out better when everybody’s playing together.  There’s a kind of synergy that happens with the musicians and you take an idea a lot further along when you get other people involved.  You can take it on your own and get good sounds but you don’t get the really cool performances and the particular thing that they do.

DP:  “Operation: Mindcrime” has very much become heavy metal’s “Dark Side of the Moon” in terms of how timeless it truly is.  As of late, it’s also become very timely with events that are going on right now.  For example, there are a bunch of videos on YouTube of “Mindcrime” songs that feature photo montages of Occupy Wall Street.  What’s your take on the relevance of those lyrics to this cause?
GT:  Well, the movement is really interesting. Over the last couple of months, every city we’ve gone to, there have been protestors everywhere.  Thousands of them, not just a handful, you know?  The news likes to say that there are a lot of angry people out there – and rightly so.  It’s getting pretty tough to make a living these days in this country.  It’s a massive complex issue and there’s no simple answer to it. But it’s kind of what’s happened because our country is built on business and commerce.  That’s our culture, really.  And those things mean competition which wastes the other guy to get ahead.  If somebody can make more money selling jobs to overseas workers, they’re gonna do it if there’s no law that says they can’t. So that’s what’s happened.  We’ve sold all of our jobs and our manufacturing to other places and what have we got now?  We have a nation full of people that are trained for the service industry which is great but now that people aren’t spending money to go out and eat dinner what are you gonna do then?  Every action has a reaction to it. People think it’s fine to download music.  Well, downloading music has gutted an industry.  Where 10 years ago there were 50,000 or 100,000 people employed by the record industry, now there’s 3,000.  The industry is failing and the money is gone because somebody thought it was OK to steal the product.  You can’t fight that now that we’ve raised a generation of people who don’t see anything wrong with it.  In fact, I think they just passed a law that says file sharing is legal now.  Great.  Thanks.  Now you can steal my work.  Where does that end? It all affects everyone else, you know? So all of those people that are out of work in the industry now don’t have a job where they can go and pay to get their car fixed, so the mechanic is short on work now.  And because he’s short on work, he can’t buy the groceries he normally would buy at the grocery store so now the grocery store is hurting.  It all affects everything.

DP:  A domino effect happens.
GT:  Exactly.  It’s a massive massive problem that nobody has an answer for.  It’s something we really have to look at and study and maybe change the way we think and the way we do things.

DP:  I think fundamentally that’s one of the core things on which the movement is based.
GT:  Yeah. I think that’s probably at the core of what a lot of the protestors are talking about – at least the ones I’ve talked to.  There’s a lot of people who don’t know what they’re protesting against so they don’t know how to define it or verbalize it but there’s a LOT of people that do.  It’s an interesting movement.  There’s a lot of anger and frustration that it’s based around and when people get angry and frustrated, violence happens.  So we could be on the brink of something pretty major here over the next few months I would guess.

DP:  It seems to be growing.
GT:  It is. We’ll see where it goes.

DP:  Anyways, back to some music questions.  If I snagged your iPod and I hit random, what would I hear?
GT:  Well let’s look. [reaches over to turn off  his iPod and remove it from its stereo speaker dock]  We were just listening to Debussy.  Artists or albums?

DP:  Let’s go with artists.
GT:  I’ll start at the top. [calls up his artist playlist]

DP:  Wow. All over the map.  America. Aerosmith. Beck. Benny Goodman. Black Sabbath. Brian Setzer. Frank Sinatra. Candy Dulfer.  Awesome saxophone player!  There’s actually quite a lot of saxophone on the new Queensrÿche album.
GT: Actually, there’s been saxophone on every album since..uh… “Promised Land” I believe.  Anyway, as you can see, there’s a lot of variance here on my iPod. [laughs]  Do you know of Erykah Badu?

DP:  I do.  I love her song “Next Lifetime”.
GT: She’s one of my favorites.  And we’re just halfway through the list! I’ve got a lot of stuff.

DP:  You’re not kidding! John Lennon & Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band. Miles Davis.  Diana Krall. I’ve noticed there’s quite a lot of jazz.
GT:  There’s a lot of jazz on it.  A majority of the stuff on here is old jazz.

DP:  But certainly not exclusively.  Neil Young.  Moody Blues.  Loreena McKennit.  I’ve seen her live.  Absolutely amazing show.  Pink Floyd.  Sade.  Yes.  I just interviewed Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman a month or so ago. Man…the list goes on and on.  And – but of course – Queensrÿche.  In the near future, what might I see on your Pod in terms of those guys?
GT:  [laughs]  I don’t  know.  We don’t really have a plan right now.  Honestly, this has been a really long tour and everybody’s just kind of burnt out right now.  It’s probably just time to get home and chill and recharge the batteries.  And then we’ll start talking in a couple of months about “Oh, do you wanna do something?” and we’ll see what happens.

“Epitaph Tour 2011”
Judas Priest, Black Label Society, Thin Lizzy, DJ Lady Starlight
Date: Wednesday, November 16th 2011
Venue: Main St. Armory, Rochester, NY

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

The Epitaph Tour headlined by Judas priest made its way to upstate New York on Nov. 16th playing to a near capacity crowd. The tour is slated to be the last tour for heavy metal legends Judas Priest who will be retiring from the road after almost 40 years in the music business. The crowd consisted of a variety of ages that ranged from pre-teens on up to what appeared to be grandparents. DJ Lady Starlight kicked off the night spinning a variety of heavy metal classics which she would continue to do in between each of the other acts sets. Thin Lizzy took the stage first playing a variety of hits. Though the crowd’s reception to the band started off luke warm classic tracks such as “Jail Break” and “The Boy’s Are Back In Town” quickly won the audience over.

Black Label Society took the stage next and was surely a crowd favorite. Zakk Wylde and company put on a stellar performance which seemed to work the crowd into a rabid frenzy. Songs such as “Crazy Horse”, “Fire It Up” and “Stillborn” gave the crowd plenty to bang their heads to. Though the band only played an hour each member appeared to give it their all. The assembled masses in return showed their appreciation in a variety of ways.

Judas Priest would take the stage next to close out the night. The stage featured a chain link motif that only added to the fact that after 40 years in the business the band are still the kings of heavy metal. At times throughout the set I found it hard to hear Rob Halfords vocals which seemed to get lost in the mix. That aside the band was extremely tight. Newly added guitarist Richie Faulkner who replaces K.K. Downing did an excellent job and seemed to fit right in with the veteran metalers from Birmingham, England. The set featured a variety of classic songs assembled from the bands vast catalog. Songs such as “Diamonds and Rust” Screaming for Vengeance” and “Hell Bent For Leather” which featured Halfords signature of riding a motorcycle across the stage were definite highlights.

If you are fan of both classic and newer heavy metal you will want to check out the Epitaph Tour. Not to mention this will most likely be one of the last times you will be able to see Judas priest live.

Thin Lizzy Set List:
Are Your Ready
Waiting For An Alibi
Jailbreak
Massacre
Emerald
Killer On the Loose
Rosalie/Cowgirls Song
Black Rose
Cowboy Song
The Boys Are Back In Town

Black Label Society Set list:
Crazy Horse
Funeral Bell
Bleed For Me
Suicide Messiah
Overlord
Parade of the Dead
Fire it Up
Guitar Solo
Godspeed Hell Bound
Concrete Jungle
Stillborn

Judas Priest Set List:
Rapid Fire
Metal Gods
Heading Out To The Highway
Judas Rising
Starbreaker
Victim Of Changes
Never Satisfied
Diamonds and Rust
Prophecy
Night Crawler
Turbo Lover
Beyond the Realms of Death
The Sentinel
Blood Red Skies
The Green Manalishi (With The Two-Pronged Crown)
Breaking The Law
Painkiller
The Hellion/Electric Eye
Hell Bent For Leather
You’ve Got Another Thing Coming
Living After Midnight

Me Vs Myself
“Where I Am…Where I Want to Be” EP
Tracks: 5

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

“Where I Am…Where I Want to Be” EP is the second release from the band Me Vs Myself. The Seattle band consists of members from the bands On The Last Day, Aiden and Forgive Durden? Together the quartet brings forth a sound that is full of fun lyrics and riffs

This EP features a catchy grouping of songs that are really enjoyable to listen to. It was a nice change to hear something this upbeat and fresh. The track “Now and Then” features a really great chorus that is super catchy and will in no time have you singing along. Tracks like “The Right Time” and “Carefully” feature nice laid back arrangements.

Being a relative stranger to Me Vs Myself prior to listening to the EP, I wasn’t sure what to expect. However after listening to the 5 tracks contained on “Where I Am…Where I Want to Be”, I quickly became a fan and can’t wait to hear what else the band has in store.

Track Listing:
1.)    Before I Wake
2.)    Perfectly Wrong
3.)    Now And Then
4.)    The Right Time
5.)    Carefully

The Last Vegas
“Other Side EP”
Eleven Seven Music
Producer: Johnny K
Tracks: 3

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5stars

“Other Side EP” is the latest release from the band The Last Vegas. Based out of Chicago, IL the band blends a variety of rock sounds both new and old. The EP was produced by Grammy Nominated producer Jonny K who has worked with acts such as Disturbed, 3 Doors Down and, Staind. The EP is being released through Eleven Seven Music and features 3 new tracks available for free through the bands website.

Though the EP only features 3 songs each of those songs are packed with rock and roll goodness. If these 3 tracks are any indication of what’s to come with the bands full length release then we are all going to be in for a treat. The tracks reminded me of old school Gun’s N’ Roses but with a modern spin. “Other Side” was a personal favorite of mine as the track is a great all around rock tune that has a really great groove.

For free you really can’t go wrong downloading this EP. A lot of bands these days are releasing tracks for free and a lot of times there’s a reason they do so. Each of the 3 tracks contained on “The Other Side” are great representations of what the band has to offer.

Track Listing:
1.) Evil Eyes
2.) It Ain’t Easy
3.) Other Side

Slash
“Made in Stoke 24/7/11”
Number of Discs: 2
Running time: 160 mins
Label: Eagle Records

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

Slash is one of the greatest guitarist in the industry. This 2011 live release was recorded at the Victoria Hall in Stoke On Trent on July 24th. A cool fact about this show, is that it marks Slash’s return to his childhood home. Now obviously you know that Slash is know best for his guitar work but on this record the vocals were handled by Myles Kennedy of Alter Bridge. Let me tell you Myles totally rocks on vocals and nails some really great Guns N’ Roses tracks. Since this tour was to promote Slash’s debut album, the setlist featured tracks from that album, but also from his band work with Snakepit, Velvet Revolver and of course classic songs that he co-wrote for Guns N’ Roses.

I gotta tell you listening to the guitar work on this album is really loud but also focused and clear. I found myself busting out the air guitar throughout listening. Fans of Velvet Revolver, keep an eye out for “Slither”. Fans of Guns N’ Roses, keep an eye out of “Civil War” (in which Myles Kennedy nails), “Sweet Child O’ Mine” and “Paradise City” (which also closes the show). Slash rips the hell out of that guitar and Myles Kennedy impresses with his amazing vocal work.  Also notable that the set includes a jam packed two disc set with a decent insert included as well.  Whether you are fan of Slash’s solo work or no, I actually think it rocks pretty hard, this album is worth checking out.

Disc: 1
1. Been There Lately
2. Night Train
3. Ghost
4. Mean Bone
5. Back From Cali
6. Rocket Queen
7. Civil War
8. Nothing To Say
9. Starlight
10. Promise

Disc: 2
1. Doctor Alibi
2. Speed Parade
3. Watch This
4. Beggars & Hangers On
5. Patience
6. Godfather Solo
7. Sweet Child O’ Mine
8. Slither
9. By The Sword
10. Mr Brownstone
11. Paradise City

Queensryche
“30th Anniversary” Tour
House of Blues, Orlando, FL
November 12, 2011

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

Over the course of their career since forming in 1981, Queensryche have gone from playing large arenas to support huge-selling albums like “Operation: Mindcrime”, “Empire” and “Promised Land” to playing smaller theatres and clubs to promote a roster of spotty and occasionally downright awful releases since the departure of lyricist and guitarist Chris DeGarmo in 1997. Since then, the band has tried various means to attract crowds including a tour in which the set lists were mostly comprised of covers (to support the “Take Cover” album), a massive theatrical stage show that resembled a Broadway musical (the “Operation: Mindcrime II” tour) and even an adults-only cabaret tour that featured go-go dancers, contortionists, drag queens and a dominatrix.  To paraphrase Forrest Gump, “Life is like a Queensryche concert.  You never know what you’re gonna get.”

So, it was with great trepidation that I walked through the doors of the Orlando stop of their “30th Anniversary” tour – one that, in theory, was also embarked upon to support their most recent studio album “Dedicated to Chaos”. Given that “Chaos” is one of their weakest efforts to date, I very much hoped that the show would be retrospective in nature and cover a variety of their finest songs from the past three decades rather than one that would be dominated by the latest misfire. So, as the houselights dimmed, I crossed my fingers and prayed for the best.

From the now darkened room, two video walls on either side of the stage sprang to life and, underscored by a digitized sea of flames, the covers of every studio album the band had released materialized and faded, the hit albums receiving huge amounts of applause; the misses…well…not so much. After the appearance and disappearance of the “Chaos” cover art, Queensryche blasted into action with the appropriately titled “Get Started”, the opening track from that album. While the song caused me to speculate that the concert might indeed be dominated by the new release, “Started” played quite well live and lead vocalist Geoff Tate immediately established a dominating larger-than-life animated stage presence that would keep the audience in his clutches throughout the entire show. But would it remain “Chaotic”?

Luckily, it didn’t.

Only one other song from “Chaos” was played (“At the Edge”) during which Geoff Tate donned a saxophone and added his own instrumentation to mixed results. The rest of the 19-song set featured the classic songs that fans of the band regard as their greatest – and ones that could easily convert newcomers to do the ‘Ryche thing from there on in.

The show was probably the tightest that I’ve seen the band play since the “Hear in the Now Frontier” tour in 1997, the last that DeGarmo would participate in. Tate’s voice is still in peak form and the core rhythm section since the group’s inception, bassist Eddie Jackson and powerhouse drummer Scott Rockenfield, remains one of the best in the heavy metal genre. Guitarist Michael Wilton has also been a constant, but the post-DeGarmo years have seen him trade licks with three other axemen. The most current, Parker Lundgren, is undeniably the best of the batch and the synergy between the two guitarists rivals that of the band’s banner years.

Because of this, this iteration of the group was able to infuse new life into their staple songs. As could be expected, tracks from “Operation: Mindcrime” and the hugely successful “Empire” dominated the set list. Their 9 other studio albums were represented as well and included classics from early in the band’s career such as “NM 156”, “Screaming in Digital” and even “The Lady Wore Black” and “Queen of the Ryche” from their 1982 self-titled debut EP. The band truly seemed to enjoy this trip down memory lane and their assembled legion of followers reacted with huge enthusiasm as the group dished out mutual favorites.

One can only hope that Queensryche can maintain the level of lucidity and intensity they so readily exhibited at the House of Blues. At their peak, the band brought a level of sophistication and intelligence to heavy metal that hadn’t been seen before and, in so doing, raised the bar so high for the genre that the group itself frequently couldn’t clear it. As Queensryche enters into their fourth decade, the future could be a very bright one for them – as long as they continue to remember how it started.

The Jeff Healey Band
“Full Circle: The Live Anthology” (4-disc box set)
Studio: Eagle Records
Number of discs: 4 (3 CDs + 1 DVD)
DVD Run Time: 64 minutes

Our Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

The Jeff Healey Band’s “Full Circle: The Live Anthology” box set is a most-welcome breath of fresh air from the holiday-spawned scheme in which record companies drudge up every goody that an artist has ever recorded and repackages it in hopes that completists will then part with their cash and repurchase a mass of material, most of which they already own.

The folks at Eagle Records skip the usual array of greatest hits, previously unreleased studio cuts, dusted-off-from-the-vaults demos and special remixes that are typical of this type of scam and, instead, serve up three CDs worth of live concert performances: one from 1989’s Montreal Jazz Festival, another from the Switzerland-based St. Gallen Open Air Festival in 1991, as well a Toronto show from 1995. A DVD of the 1991 show rounds out the package. It’s a ballsy maneuver and winds up turning what could have been a posthumous insult to into a tribute that truly befits Healey and is so richly deserved.

The set lists from each of the three shows documented by “Full Circle” often include the same songs and, as such, provide anchor points by which the listener can specifically hear Healey and his band grow from a raw three-piece outfit that, while still immensely talented, could be somewhat ragged and repetitive in its instrumentation into a finely-tuned machine that was a force to be reckoned with. The performances showcase the band ripping through their own material (including the sentimental mega-hit “Angel Eyes”) as well as an assortment of revved-up covers that includes the Doors’ “Roadhouse Blues”, the Beatles’ “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” and Stealers Wheel’s “Stuck in the Middle With You”. At the core of each and every song is Healey’s virtuoso blues guitar work and a bare-bones rhythm section that augments him perfectly. Envision ZZ Top or Neil Young’s Crazy Horse being fronted by Stevie Ray Vaughn and you’re pretty much there – save for one thing.

Only the DVD of the 1991 show allows the viewer/listener to discover the fact that Healey was entirely blind. Although often seated with his double-necked guitar positioned pedal-steel style in his lap and fretting in a way that more resembles piano playing, the video also captures him playing his axe behind his head, with his teeth and even with his feet. These flashy displays would seem indulgent and cliché if the musician presented throughout the 4 discs seemed arrogant and out to impress in a sideshow circus performer kind of way, but that’s far from the case. Healey’s frequent down-to-earth stage banter and ever-present true love of the blues consistently allows the music to outshine the man himself.

The only item that has been overlooked by the creators of the box set is the inclusion of any sort of write-up that explains why these three particular shows were chosen or any sort of biographical information about Healey. Liner notes from any of his contemporaries sharing their insights as to what made him such a consummate and gifted artist would almost seem to be a mandatory component as well. However, the only item included is a 4-page booklet that’s solely comprised of the track lists from each of the discs and restoration credits for the video footage contained on the DVD. Given that this text is already printed on the back of the standard-issue DVD case insert, it’s redundant and unnecessary – and a massive lost opportunity.

Regardless of this oversight, “Full Circle” is a well-envisioned package that, instead of being superfluous, becomes a necessary historical document. Fine musicianship rarely shines as bright as Healey’s and this set allows us to see a light that was extinguished far too early.

Jeremy DePoyster is the rhythm guitarist for the metal-core group The Devil Wears Prada. The band recently released a new full length album titled “Dead Throne” via Ferret Records and is currently on tour supporting the album. Media Mikes caught up with Jeremy to talk about the new album as well as about the bands new iPhone app.

Adam Lawton: What can you tell us about the band’s new album “Dead Throne”?
Jeremy DePoyster: The album is not so much a reinvention of the band but more so a rediscovery. The album still fits in the mold of our previous releases while at the same time being a progression. There are some slower songs on this album which is a different sound for the band. I think the album is fun and heavy.

AL: Did you guys try any different approaches during the recording process of the album?
JDP: Yes. We pretty much did everything differently than we have in the past. A majority of the songs are written by our other guitarist on his lap top and we take them from there and re-work them. However we on occasion do write material together and jam on it as a group. That was what we did more so on the new record. All of the song structure was done ahead of time and by the time we were ready to go into the studio we had demo tracks for every song to use as reference.

AL: How many tracks did you guys go into the studio with?
JDP: The 13 songs that are on the record are what we took in with us. We had one song that wasn’t quite done yet but that was scrapped prior to pre-production. We knew going in that all the songs we brought were going to make it onto the album.

AL: How do you think the band has evolved since your first recordings?
JDP: I think it’s natural for everybody to progress as musicians. When we first started the band I was 18 and I am 24 now. I think we all have become more proficient at our instruments but also at how we approach songs and textures. For me I play a lot differently than I used to.

AL: How do you think this album stands out above those that have been released recently who are in the same genre?
JDP: I think you can see passion and reality over imitation. It is flattering to see a group of bands that have almost carbon copied what we have done as a band but, at the same time it’s not offering anything new to the musical world. I think that’s really the difference. We aren’t writing to sell records or make a career. When we started this band there was none of those things. We started the band to have fun and the other stuff just came along. I think that makes us stand out as well as the maturity of our material.

AL: Do you have a favorite track off the new album?
JDP: It depends on the day. Playing the songs live has also altered things a bit as well. I really like “Born to Lose”. I think that song is a good representation of who we are as a band. I also like “Chicago” because I wrote a majority of the guitar heard on that track. It’s a really personal song and is something we don’t normally have on our albums.

AL: Can you tell us about the “Zombie Slay” app?
JDP: We just released that a few months ago prior to us leaving for Australia. We have talked about doing something like this for a long time. Dan our drummer was really into the idea of having an app and having that communication with other I device users. All the other stuff out there we felt was just dull and boring. We wanted to make a game that would be super rad and could stand alone outside of the band. Over the past few years we have really taken control of what comes out of the band. We really try and have quality control over our products. We didn’t want this to be something a manager got on and tried to sell our fans tickets. We wanted this to be awesome! The guys did a really great job with it and the band was really involved with the testing process. (Laughs)

AL: What are the plans for the band the rest of this year and into 2012?
JDP: This tour that we are on now is really what is left for this year. This is our first big U.S. North American headliner in quite some time. We will be finishing this up soon as we have a lot going on planned for next year. Nothing has really been announced yet but everyone can be looking for those announcements soon.

Festival Republic Presents:
Orlando Calling 2011
Citrus Bowl Park, Orlando FL
November 12-13, 2011

Our Score: 2 out of 5 stars

This music festival feels like they were trying to capture the look and feel of Woodstock but unfortunately failed.  This was the first year for this two-day music festival at the Citrus Bowl, it may also be the last.  When arriving the event, I saw that the attendance was very poor but I figured that they were possibly waiting for the night’s main attractions but no such luck.  The venue itself did not seem prepared for sure an event.  The cumulative feelings from the events attendees was that the event was very unorganized.  Besides the main stage, the additional stages were almost hard to find and too far to trek in between each act.

Day one was seemed to aim at a younger audience with bands like The Killers and Kid Cudi.  Our coverage focuses on Sunday’s bands which definitely trumped the acts from Saturday. Kid Rock and Blake Shelton are a big enough draw even without, the recently MIA, Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band.  “The Doobie Brothers proved they definitely can still rock the house and sounded fantastic. Blake Shelton was honestly not a good as I hoped he would be.  I do not think that it was the fact that he was one of the only country acts at the festival but he just didn’t really bring it all to the stage, presence-wise.  Kid Rock easily stole the show with his amazing performance.  His full set was packed with all of his great hits and was super high energy. His songs “Fucking 40” and mash-up of “Picture/Bawitaba” with a little help from “Beavis and Butt-head” where a major highlight.  Unfortunately then he was followed by Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band.  Normally I think that Bob Seger would have been fantastic but his act cannot follow Kid Rock and brought more “Night Snooze” than “Night Moves”.

I think that this event had major potential but was definitely disappointing.  Maybe with a different venue this could have honed-in on its potential.  Maybe it was just the lack of a audience because my section 226 had less than 20 people total, though even the GA area was less than 1/3 full.  I would have loved to post some video for you from these great acts but both Kid Rock and Bob Seger did not allow any video at the event. In fact Seger didn’t even allow photos, which was quite disappointing. Not sure if there will be a next time but if there is I hope they try and improve it.

Kid Rock set list:
1. Devil Without a Cause
2. It Feels Good To Me
3. Tom Sawyer/Forever
4. Cocky
5. So Hott
6. I Got One for Ya’
7. Wasting Time
8. Purple Sky
9. Cowboy
10. Lay it on Me/Cowboy (Reprise)
11. Care
12. Fucking 40
13. What’s My Name?
14. Cat Scratch Fever/God Bless Saturday
15. Picture/Bawitaba
16. All Summer Long
Encore:
17. Rock N Roll Jesus
18. Only God Knows Why
19. Born Free

Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band set list:
1.Roll Me Away
2. Tryin’ to Live My Life Without You
3. The Fire Down Below
4. Mainstreet
5. Old Time Rock & Roll
6. Going Back To Birmingham
7. Travelin’ Man
8. Beautiful Loser
9. We’ve Got Tonight
10. Nutbush City Limits
11. Come to Poppa
12. Her Strut
13. Turn the Page
14. Sunspot Baby
15. Real Mean Bottle (w/ Kid Rock) (Vince Gill cover)
16. Against the Wind
Encore:
17. Hollywood Nights
18. Night Moves
19. Rock and Roll Never Forgets