“Freedom To Rock Tour”

Kiss, The Dead Daisies
Monday, August 29th 2016
Blue Cross Arena, Rochester, NY

Our Score: 4 out of 5 Stars

Kiss blasted in to the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, NY on August 29th as part of their Freedom to Rock 2016 summer tour. Along with the make-up clad Rock and Roll Hall of Famers was veteran rock super group The Dead Daisies. After an 18 year hiatus from the “Flower City” Both bands brought their A game to the near capacity crowd proving their return was long overdue.

Kicking off the night were The Dead Daisies a group whose current roster is made up former Motley Crue vocalist John Corabi, Whitesnake guitarist Doug Aldrich, fellow Whitesnake drummer Brian Tichy, former Ted Nugent/Thin Lizzy bassist Marco Mendoza and Australian guitarist David Lowy. The group seemed to be the perfect opener for the assembled Kiss Army as the band’s sound was the perfect blending of both classic and new rock tones. The hour long set featured original material from the group’s latest album “Make Some Noise” along with a sprinkling of covers which included a beefed up rendition of the Credence Clearwater Revival classic “Fortune Son” along with an in your face version of The Beatles “Helter Skelter” which the fans seemed to really dig. The set was fast paced as singer John Corabi and crew wasted little time addressing the crowd which in my opinion only added to the appeal of the group as they seemed to definitely be all about the music and their performance. After a thirty minute change over Kiss would take the stage where they proceeded to hold court for the next 90 minutes. This tours staging was much more scaled back than that of the previous “Monster” tour however the group performed just the same if not better than in subsequent years. The nights set list included a lot of the group’s staples including “Detroit Rock City” and “Love Gun” but also included lesser played songs like “Flaming Youth” and “Psycho Circus”. Despite a few missed vocal lines by Gene on “Cold Gin” and Paul’s voice starting to show it’s age the New York City natives did a solid job of transporting the crowd back to the groups 1970’s glory days.

From start to finish Kiss’s “Freedom To Rock” tour was a well oiled machine that provided an enjoyable concert experience for people of all ages. For the hardcore Kiss fans there may not have been enough diversion from the bands stock stage/set performance however for the band to still able to pull of this type of show in their 60’s is an impressive feat in its self. If your city is one of the few remaining on this season’s run then do yourself a favor and grab some tickets and get there early as you won’t want to miss either bands performance.

The Dead Daisies Set List:
1.) Whole Lotta Sabbath (Whole Lotta love/War Pigs mashup intro)
2.) Mexico
3.) Make Some Noise
4.) Fortune Son
5.) Lock n’ Load
6.) Long Way to Go
7.) Join Together
8.) The Last Time I Saw the Sun
9.) Devil Out of Time
10.) Helter Skelter

Kiss Set List:
1.) Detroit Rock City
2.) Deuce
3.) Shout it Out Loud
4.) Do You Love Me
5.) I Love It Loud
6.) Flaming Youth
7.) Bass Solo/ God of Thunder
8.) Psycho Circus
9.) Shock Me/Guitar Solo
10.) Cold Gin
11.) Lick It Up
12.) War Machine
13.) Love Gun
14.) Black Diamond
Encore:
15.) Beth
16.) The Star-Spangled Banner
17.) Rock and Roll All Nite

AND THEN THERE WERE THREE…

SLAYER’S “PRIDE IN PREJUDICE”

COMPLETES THE BRUTAL
REPENTLESS VIDEO TRILOGY

LOS ANGELES, CA – Tuesday, September 6, 2016 — A convicted prisoner on death row…a cookie-cutter, white-bread family unit putting up the Christmas decorations… two worlds, lightness and darkness colliding…white supremacists…ruthless murders…Slayer’s “Pride in Prejudice” music video.

Directed by BJ McDonnell

Produced by Felissa Rose

Edited by Ed Marx and Andrea Porter

Director of Photography – Eric Leach

Tony Gardner/Alterian FX for Special FX Makeup

Jason Trost (“Hatchet III”) – Wyatt

Danny Trejo (“Machete,” “From Dusk Til Dawn”)

Bill Moseley – the Dad (“House of 1000 Corpses,” “The Devil’s Rejects”)

Caroline Williams – the Mom (“Sharknado 4: The 4th Awakens”, “Hatchett III”)

Richard Speight, Jr. – returning as the ultimate Bad Guy (“CSI,” “Jericho,” “Supernatural”)

Filmed during the winter of 2016 in the mountains of Wrightwood, CA

“I’m particularly excited about this third video,” said McDonnell, “because we played with stylistic differences with the trilogy. Where one video plays like an action film, this third one is more of a dramatic piece. The final story takes us into a world that is especially sinister in tone, with the dark and the light colliding. The conclusion is visually cinematic and harsh, with Slayer conducting us through it all with ‘Pride In Prejudice.'”

“It was a pleasure working with BJ on this project,” said Slayer’s Kerry King. “Slayer is notorious for letting the artist be the artist, the producer be the producer, and the director be the director, etc. By doing this we get a completely unique perspective that never really strays far from our own. Get ready for video three. It’s my favorite!!”

*****

SLAYER AND THE “REPENTLESS” VIDEO TRILOGY

With the premiere of “Pride in Prejudice,” Slayer completes the Repentless music video trilogy.

The first video, “Repentless,” was released 9/11/15 and has accumulated more than 9.8 million views to date. It introduced us to Wyatt, the eyepatched rebel inmate (Jason Trost/”Hatchet III”), and a host of nefarious prisoners played by some of today’s most iconic horror film actors including Danny Trejo/”Machete,” “From Dusk Till Dawn”, Tony Moran/”Halloween’s” Michael Myers, “American Poltergeist,” Derek Mears/”Predators,” “Friday the 13th,” Tyler Mane/”Halloween,” Sean Whalen/”Men In Black,” “Halloween II,” and Vernon Wells/”Mad Max 2,” “Commando,” “Weird Science.” “Repentless” was shot at the Sybil Brand Institute in East Los Angeles and has Slayer performing the song in the prison yard while a riot breaks out, blood flowing in abundance, inmates and prison guards brutally slaughtered.

From the very first frame, “You Against You,” the gore, the violence, the carnage begins and just never ends. While the second video in the trilogy, it is the prequel to “Repentless,” telling the story of the circumstances that led to Wyatt’s erroneous arrest and imprisonment. Slayer’s performance for “You Against You” was shot at a graveyard of jets, airliners and helicopters in California’s Mojave Desert.

“You Against You” premiered 3/16/16 and has accumulated more than 4.8 million YouTube views.

The “Repentless” video trilogy was conceived and directed by BJ McDonnell who directed the 2013 horror film “Hatchett III.” His rich resume as a motion picture cameraman includes “Jack Reacher,” “Tomorrowland” and “The Interview,” and just wrapped filming for the upcoming “Annabelle 2.”

In September 2015, Slayer released Repentless, the band’s 12th studio album, the first without founding member Jeff Hanneman and first with producer Terry Date, to widespread rave reviews and the highest chart debut of the band’s career. The band – Tom Araya/vocals & bass, Kerry King/guitars, Paul Bostaph/drums and Exodus/Slayer touring guitarist Gary Holt – has toured near-non-stop since the album’s release, and heads out on the road starting September 9 with a seven-week North American trek with Anthrax and Death Angel. This fall, Dark Horse Comics will publish a three-issue comic book series based on McDonnell’s original concept for the “Repentless” video trilogy and written by Jon Schnepp. In addition, October will see the release of Slayer’s “Cradle To Grave” BMX Bikes/Subrosa four-bike collection. Comprised of the Slayer Balance, Slayer 20, Slayer 26 and the Slayer Urban Terrain Bike, all are intended for BMX riders to “use and abuse.”

Slayer Official Website

GWAR B-Q 2016
Lamb of God, GWAR, Against Me!, Dillinger Escape Plan, August Burns Red, Lagwagon, EyeHateGod, Murphy’s Law, Eat The Turnbuckle, The Death of Rock ‘n Roll, Occultist, Mobile Deathcamp, American Nightmare, Brain Tentacles, Sawyer Family, Ramming Speed.

Date: August 20, 2016
Venue: Hadad’s Lake, Richmond VA

Our score: 5 out of 5 stars

The 7th annual GWAR B-Q took place on August 20th and again proved why it is the summer’s premier destination place for Bohabs from all over the globe. The humble setting of Hadad’s Lake in Richmond, VA again played host to the event which featured a variety of events, vendors, food and of course plenty of music. Headlining this year’s event along with hosts GWAR included fellow Richmond natives Lamb of God, Dillinger Escape Plan and Against Me!

With temperatures creeping towards triple digits and with a thick layer of humidity permeating the festival grounds we weren’t quite sure how things were going to play out for the day’s festivities. Thankfully the intergalactic overlords of GWAR had everything in check to ensure all those in attendance didn’t have their day cut short due to the extreme heat. Throughout the medium sized 1950’s era water park were plenty of food and drink vendors eager to help keep you going throughout the day. Prices were very affordable which made it easy to part with your all mighty dollars in that bottled “Gwater” ranged from $1/$2 and beer (PBR talls and Oderus Ale) was $4/$6. The food also was in the single dollar ranges making this hand’s down the festival with the cheapest concessions.

The event featured 3 different stages which all varied in size and for the most part each had ample viewing room. The only one that I found to not have enough space at times was the “Slutman Pavilion”. The smallest of the three stages became quickly cramped for energetic sets by bands like Occultist and the aggressive in your face; wrestling meets metal antics of Eat The Turnbuckle. At times the crowd spilled out the sides into the festival walkways which did cause some holdups when transitioning between the two larger stages. Also littered about were a variety of merchandise tents include one from Gwar slaves Bob Gorman and Matt Maguire and another from GWAR’s very own manager the one and only Sleazy P. Martini. Other musical high points from the day included powerful sets from Louisiana’s EYEHATEGOD which featured guest vocalist Phillip H. Anselmo of Pantera/Down fame. The group laid down a solid set of sludgy, doom metal that had the crowd worked into an utter frenzy. Despite the absence of vocalist Greg Puciato(due to a flight cancelation), Ben Weinman and the rest of Dillinger Escape Plan blasted through a unique set of music which feature a guest saxophone player along with a member of the crowd who was brought up to fill in for the absent member. Against Me! could have possibly been considered the odd man out on this bill which featured mostly metal acts but surprisingly enough was a big hit with the fans and, easily one of my favorite performances of the day. The band sounded and looked great while their set featured both classic material and a handful of new tracks which will be on the group’s new album due out in September. Event hosts GWAR would commandeer the stage next and within seconds of being announced by manager Sleazy P. Martin the sweat and dirt covered crowd was painted blue and red by a host of sprays and splashes. There were no safe zones this day not even in the backstage area which made for a wet but fun time which no one but GWAR can provide. Closing out the festivities were none other than Lamb of God. From the time the band first took the stage till the last notes of their set rang out the crowd was a bevy of excitement and energy. Hovering over head was a massive dirt cloud created by the large crowd who varied in color (ranging from blue to red and all point in between), wetness and thanks to the available water park varying levels of clothing making for one of the most unique LOG crowds I have ever seen. Randy Blythe and company gave there all which the crowd certainly appreciated and in my opinion capped off a perfect day.

As more and more European type festivals start to pop up around the States it can be hard to figure out which ones are the real deal and which ones, well to put it bluntly just plain suck! I am here to tell you the GWAR B-Q is one hundred percent legit. From the cool location and amenities to the low priced concessions and impressive musical line-up it was damn near impossible not to have a good time. Yes this festival might cater to a certain genre or specifically “hardcore” GWAR fans however there is plenty of fun to be had even if you don’t fall in to one of those categories. No matter what you look like, where you come from or what you are into if you go to a GWAR B-Q your going to find tons of cool people, off the wall activities and great music which will create memories that last a life time.

Eat The Turnbuckle is a heavy metal band hailing from Philadelphia, PA. Despite being from “The City of Brotherly Love” the groups sound and stage show which features elements of extreme wrestling couldn’t be further from the cities well know moniker. The band recently released a new EP titled “The Great American Head Bash In” and Media Mikes had the chance to speak with the bands vocalist Jag 13 to discuss the new EP, the group’s intense stage shows and their plans for the remainder of 2016.

Adam Lawton: Is Eat the Turnbuckle a band who wrestles or, wrestler that play in a band?

Jag 13: It’s kind of both honestly. Some of the older guys in the band used to wrestle and Shlak one of our guitarists wrestles now for CZW. For me personally I have always been into both wrestling and music. Philadelphia has always been a great town for wrestling and when I was younger I remember the WWF coming through a lot. I got to see the whole ECW thing come into play as well. With music I think that’s something almost everyone gets in to at a young age so I have been in to both for as long as I can remember.

AL: What can you tell us about the bands most recent EP?

Jag 13: We did “The Great American Bash Your Head In” for our most recent tour. We try and have new material out each time we go on the road. If we know we are going to be heading out at a certain time we start writing and putting things together. This EP has 5 new songs which have been going over really well so far. We only did one show here in the states on this run with the rest of the dates being over in Europe. We did about 22 shows over there and wrapped things up with our performance at this year’s Gwar B-Q inn Virginia. We were actually supposed to do one other show however we had to cancel due to our drummer having a broken ankle. He actually broke it the second day of tour and finally went to the hospital on the fourth day of the tour. He had a cast on but didn’t miss one show. Like a dummy he took the cast off when we got back home and things got messed up even worse.(Laughs)

AL: Speaking of the Gwar B-Q. This was the second time you guys have been asked to play. How did this year’s event differ from the previous year you performed?

Jag 13: The first time we played they had us going on pretty early. Something happened with the doors and we ended up playing to a small group as a lot of people were stuck at the gates. I think the reception from those who saw was really good and the fact that a lot of people who wanted to see us couldn’t helped with us getting asked back this year. This year was off the hook! We played the Slutman Pavilion which was a lot of fun. I think I would prefer playing that stage over one of the bigger stages. We have sort of gotten used to playing on smaller stages but even if we were on the bigger stage things would have definitely spilled over. (Laughs) A bigger stage means we have to do bigger gimmicks!

AL: With your show incorporating extreme/hardcore wrestling elements and references what was the European reception like being that type of wrestling isn’t as common there?

Jag 13: I think those things were why we have caught on so well over there. They don’t have the hardcore and extreme matches in their wrestling shows so this is something new for them. We had people coming up to us after the shows who weren’t fans of the music but they came out to check out the wrestling. We played a lot of smaller countries over there and those people just ate it up. They loved watching the shows. We did a festival in the Czech Republic where they actually got a wring for us. Shlak ended up wrestling the Champ from the league there in a death match. It was in front of about five thousand people and it was just crazy. Both the guys needed to get stitched up afterwards.

AL: What type of planning goes into one of your shows being that not only are you performing musically but you are also including wrestling elements as well?

Jag 13: We argue a lot. (Laughs) Right before the show we sort of get the lay of the land and plan out what we are going to do. At the same time we have work with the venue to make sure we know what we can and can’t do. Like when we did the Gwar B-Q you can’t have any glass. Every show is a little different so we have to just go with the flow. People have been really accommodating. We have all been in bands that have crazy stage shows. That’s how we all came together. Philadelphia has a history of violent shows so we sort of just fit in to that. When things started to get a little more PC within the scene myself and Shlak started gathering guys who still wanted something crazy.

AL: Do you ever feel that the graphic nature of your shows limits your audience?

Jag 13: We have had shows cancelled due to people finding out about our shows and in turn not wanting anything to do with it. At this point I have become so used to that type of thing that it doesn’t bother me. If they don’t want us, they don’t want us. We have a pretty good booking agent who lets all the places know what type of show we put on. Some of the show we have done in the past we just showed up and started going at it. (Laughs) That tended not to work out real well for any one.

AL: With your drumming being laid up with an injury does that end the year for you or do you still have things plans?

Jag 13: We don’t have anything planned until October then after that we don’t anything planned until spring time of next year. We have some bids in on tours that we think will work well for us here in the states so we have our fingers crossed.

For more info on Eat The Turnbuckle be sure to check out the bands official website at www.facebook.com/eattheturnbuckle

Reyka Osburn is the vocalist/guitarist for the California based goth/rock band Death Valley High. The group is set to release their second full length album on November 4th 2016 titled “CVLT [AS FVK]” and Media Mikes had the pleasure of speaking with Reyka about the albums creation, the addition of guitarist Sean Bivins and the group’s plans for 2016/2017.

Adam Lawton: Can you give us some info on the band and how everything came together?

Reyka Osburn: Death Valley High was sort of born out of my previous band Tinfed. Things had sort of begun to get a bit watered down towards the end of it. I wanted to keep doing a project that was going to be darker so eventually Tinfed disbanded and I kept going with the start of Death Valley High. When the band first started I had some people from the previous project on board but when we started playing live was when I started to get new members in the band as I continued to flesh things out. It really just grew from there.

AL: What can you tell us about the band’s new album which has sort of a unique title?

RO: We were looking for something that was us. We were all having sort of a tough time pin pointing where we were at so we thought that by blending the night culture that we love with dance/death rock/goth clubs with the hardcore scene which we also love. “Cvlt [AS Fvk]” was a morphing of several ideas we put together from various ideas.

AL: What has the addition of guitarist Sean Bivins been like for the group?

RO: We had been having Sean come out on tour with us so when it was time to record everything felt very natural. It was great to have Shawn help fill things out while still being able to keep our signature tone but with something a little more. We were able to mix in some more modern tones which were really cool. It was great for us as a band to have all this new stuff put together before going in to record.

AL: How did your partnering with producer Ulrich Wild come about for this record?

RO: Ulrich had approached actually and we just hit it off. He asked what we were looking for which led to us talking about some of his previous work with White Zombie. He told us about how he did those albums and things ended up being a lot of fun. We were able to throw any ideas at him and if it was worthy of keeping he would make it work. Ulrich was willing to give things his best sot to make sure we got what we wanted. I feel you can hear all the work we put into this record and the relationship between the band and Ulrich as well.

AL: How did you go about choosing “Warm Bodies” as the album’s first single?

RO: All the songs are my babies. “Warm Bodies” was one we completed later on in the recording process. We got everything laid out and people started just gravitating towards that song. We started playing the song live to test it out and crowds were definitely in to it so we ran with it. I think there is a bunch of great single worthy tracks on the album which makes me question if this one is the strongest but we have gotten a lot of good feedback thus far with this track.

AL: Have you started to map out any touring plans to support the release?

RO: We have some European things happening along with a few other things which are being scheduled for both this year and next. There are talks of both tours and a few festival dates as well.

For more info on Death Valley High be sure to check out their official Facebook page at www.facebook.com/deathvalleyhigh

Chart-Topping Rap Duo TWIZTID to Drop New Full-Length Album The Continuous Evilution Of Life’s ?’s on January 27, 2017

A TWIZTID First: Supporters Exclusively Surprised with New Album Details via The Green Book Re-Issue Booklet, Out Last Friday

PLUS: The Green Book Vinyl Includes Download Card for New Single “Are You Insane Like Me?”

The Continuous Evilution Of Life’s ?’s Pre-Orders Begin Black Friday 2016 via www.TwiztidShop.com

Supporters of 11-time Billboard chart-topping rap duo TWIZTID were treated to a special surprise when opening the booklets of their pre-ordered The Green Book re-issues that were delivered on last Friday’s release date of August 19th – the title and release date of TWIZTID’s upcoming 12th release, entitled The Continuous Evilution Of Life’s ?’s was revealed! The new full-length album will be the duo’s second released via their own Majik Ninja Entertainment label and pre-orders will go live on Black Friday – November 25, 2016 via www.TwiztidShop.com. The Continuous Evilution Of Life’s ?’s will hit stores on January 27, 2017.

TWIZTID recently announced their massive 2016 fall tour, the “Spooktacular Horror Show”, beginning on September 28 in Minneapolis, MN and visiting 30+ cities before coming to a close on Halloween night in Sauget, IL. The “Spooktacular Horror Show” tour will feature special guests Mac Lethal, Zodiac Mprint (Blaze and The R.O.C.), Lex The Hex Master, Menage 2 Sobriety and Godz Of Kaos. See below for currently confirmed “Spooktacular Horror Show” dates.

Tickets and VIP Packages are on sale via www.Twiztid-Shop.com. VIP Packages include a pre-show Meet and Greet with TWIZTID, Zodiac Mprint and Lex The Hex Master. They also include a VIP pass, 24×36 poster, hat pin, Majik Ninja Entertainment sampler, Get Twiztid CD, Mutant Remixed And Remastered CD, TWIZTID live DVD and three black and white 8×10 promotional photos that VIP’s can get signed by TWIZTID at the VIP Meet and Greet.

TWIZTID on the “Spooktacular Horror Show” 2016 Fall Tour

9/28 – Minneapolis, MN @ Cabooze

9/29 – Kansas City, MO @ Riot Room

9/30 & 10/1 – Denver, CO @ The Roxy Theatre

10/2 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex

10/4 – Sacramento, CA @ The Boardwalk

10/6 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Union Nightclub

10/7 – Las Vegas, NV @ LVCS

10/8 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Marquee Theatre

10/9 – Albuquerque, NM @ Sunshine Theater

10/10 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Farmers Market Event Center

10/11 – Houston, TX @ Scout Bar

10/12 – New Orleans, LA @ Southport Hall

10/13 – Marietta, GA @ The 120 Tavern and Music Hall

10/14 – Richmond, VA @ The Broadberry

10/15 – Boonsboro, MD @ Boonsboro Event Center

10/16 – Worcester, MA @ Worcester Palladium

10/17 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Trocadero

10/18 – Clifton Park, NY @ Upstate Music Hall

10/20 – Buffalo, NY @ Vpub at The Villager

10/21 – Morgantown, WV @ Mainstage Morgantown

10/22 – Cleveland, OH @ The Agora Theatre

10/23 – Newport, KY @ Madison Theater

10/24 – Clarksville, TN @ The Warehouse

10/25 – Knoxville, TN @ The Concourse at the International

10/26 – Columbus, OH @ The Alrosa Villa

10/27 – Louisville, KY @ Diamond Pub and Billiards

10/28 – Kokomo, IN @ Front Row Live

10/29 – Chicago, IL @ Portage Theater

10/30 – Detroit, MI @ The Majestic Theatre

10/31 – Sauget, IL @ Pop’s

In addition to the new album details, supporters who bought the The Green Book re-issue vinyl edition were treated to a digital download card featuring the first single off of The Continuous Evilution Of Life’s ?’s, entitled “Are You Insane Like Me?” The track will be available for streaming soon.

The Continuous Evilution Of Life’s ?’s will feature 12 all new tracks, primarily produced by longtime TWIZTID producer Seven. However, the new album features four tracks with a clear hard rock influence – a crossover genre TWIZTID has successfully dabbled in for over a decade. The four aforementioned tracks were produced by famed goth rock frontman Davey Suicide and his keyboardist Needlz. An official tracklisting will be revealed soon.

TWIZTID states, “We’re blessed to still be putting out records… I like to think that’s because we put out good music that continues to entertain and amaze. This new record is another level of our continuous evolution. We are the question marks!”

The Continuous Evilution Of Life’s ?’sproducer Davey Suicide adds, “Needlz and I have been writing songs together for five years now. So when TWIZTID mentioned they wanted to have a rock industrial aesthetic in this album, we were pumped to contribute our musical influences to this.”

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Cheap Trick/Joan Jett/Heart
Starlight Theater
August 15, 2016

Our score: 4 out of 5 Stars

This year the good people at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame righted some wrongs by inducting, among others, Cheap Trick, Joan Jett and Heart into it’s realm.

Some brief “Mike” history: I was in a band in high school and the first song we played together as a group was “Surrender,” so Cheap Trick is a band I’ve seen on many occasions. Like me, Joan Jett is a big fan of the Baltimore Orioles so naturally I’d seen here in the past. The only unknown entity on the bill was Heart, a band I enjoyed listening to as a young adult, especially their rocking 70s stuff.

Cheap Trick took the stage first, with lead singer Robin Zander dressed in white (basically wearing the same outfit as the band wore on the “Dream Police” album cover). Zander was in fine form vocally, sounding much better on the higher notes than he did last year. The band played a few songs off of their new album, “Bang, Zoom, Crazy…Hello” and the crowd seemed to enjoy them. I know I did. They also did some of their classic hits, finishing up with “Surrender.” Musically the band was tight with a special shout out to drummer Dax Nielsen. The son of lead guitarist Rick Nielsen, the drummer very capably filled the shadow left behind by Bun E. Carlos.

Next up was Jett who, at age 58, can still look amazing in a body suit. Like Cheap Trick, Jett and the Heartbreakers played a few new songs as well as some classics, with Jett reaching as far back into her catalog to include “Cherry Bomb,” her hit when with the Runaways. The group finished with a great version of Sly and the Family Stones’ “Everyday People.”

Last but not least was Heart. Ann and Nancy Wilson have been doing this a long time and their rapport worked to their advantage. Too bad their sound people didn’t. For whatever reason, the band sounded terrible. The sound pretty much drowned out Ann’s vocals, which are, of course, one of the reason’s to attend the show. For whatever reason, Ann Wilson’s microphone sounded under-miked, which made it difficult to hear and understand. Oh well, at least if I ever get asked I can say that I’ve “seen” Heart.” Just don’t ask me if I’ve ever heard them live!

Set Lists:

Cheap Trick
1. Hello There
2. Big Eyes
3. California Man
4. Tonight It’s You
5. When I Wake Up Tomorrow
6. If You Want My Love
7. Baby Loves to Rock
8. Stop This Game
9. I’m Waiting for the Man
10. The Flame
11. I Want You to Want Me
12. Surrender

Joan Jett and the Black Hearts
1. Bad Reputation
2. Cherry Bomb
3. Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah)
4. TMI
5. You Drive Me Wild
6. Light of Day
7. Soulmates to Strangers
8. Love is Pain
9. Fake Friends
10. Any Weather
11. I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll
12. Crimson and Clover
13. I Hate Myself
14. Everyday People

Heart
1. Wild Child
2. Magic Man
3. What About Love
4. Bebe Le Strange
5. These Dreams
6. Two
7. Straight On
8. Kick It Out
9. Beautiful Broken
10. Alone, Crazy on You
11. Barracuda
ENCORE
12. The Immigrant Song
13. Stairway to Heaven

DEATH VALLEY HIGH Crafts Industrial for the Masses with New Album

CVLT [AS FVK]

Out November 4 via Minus Head Records – Pre-Order Here

Listen to New Single “Warm Bodies” via Alternative Press

Melding New Wave, Goth Pop and Rock-Alternative Influences, CVLT [AS FVK] Fuels Your 90’s Nightmare…

“The new face of Goth Rock” – Outburn Magazine, July 2016

One part Marilyn Manson, another part Deftones and mostly parts all their own, Northern California’s DEATH VALLEY HIGH have crafted true alt-industrial rock for the masses with their new full-length album CVLT [AS FVK], out November 4 via Minus Head Records. The tracks on CVLT [AS FVK] meld traditional goth magic and modern alternative majesty – co-mingling new wave/dance beats, cinematic rock instrumentation and gritty, sensual, macabre-pop hooks.

With one listen it’s clear – with a new movement of industrial on the rise, DEATH VALLEY HIGH stands at the forefront with an offering of the catchiest, most unforgettable songs of their career. Teaming up with producer Ulrich Wild (White Zombie, Deftones), they ignite 12 nocturnal anthems that are impossible to shake and undeniably CVLT [AS FVK].

Pre-order your copy of CVLT [AS FVK] now via Bandcamp. Amazon and iTunes pre-orders are coming soon.

DEATH VALLEY HIGH is wasting no time releasing their first single from CVLT [AS FVK], entitled “Warm Bodies”! Take a listen to this goth-pop earworm, exclusively via Alternative Press, right now: http://www.altpress.com/features/entry/death_valley_high_premiere_new_single

“Warm Bodies” struts along on a creaky synth and deliciously danceable riff. It quickly snaps into an unshakable vampiric declaration, “We need warm bodies.””It doesn’t matter if you’re an animal, a salesman, a preacher or whatever, you need warm bodies,” singer Reyka Osburn explains. “If you look at it from a horror perspective, vampires need warm blood or it tastes rancid. Sex is all about warm bodies. It’s all encompassing. I like that duality.”

The DEATH VALLEY HIGH boys have always incorporated a gothic sensibility, but they fully embrace it on CVLT [AS FVK]. Since the release of 2013’s Positive Euth, DEATH VALLEY HIGH has logged over two years on the road, touring alongside everybody from Mindless Self Indulgence and Crosses to Filter, Orgy and Vampires Everywhere! These experiences left a permanent imprint on the band.

“The tours we’ve done and the fan attention we’ve received made us look inward and ask, ‘What do people respond to about us?’,” Reyka admits. “We could see how the crowd reacted. That definitely had an impact in shaping our next musical evolution. At the same time, we wanted to reinterpret our inspirations and influences in an original way.”

Producer Ulrich Wild originally reached out to the band and the friendship-pairing was instantaneous. The eye-opening process of collaborating with a producer the band was not familiar with prior was an adventure – especially finding the collective voice between the two.

“Ulrich was the perfect producer to capture this time in our musical mutation. He welcomed any Frankenstein ideas we had, and made them work; even if it meant the ideas didn’t come to life the first few times around,” Reyka adds.

He finishes, “We wanted to make an album of songs you feel in your gut and that make you get up and move. This has a take the night back vibe. We’re inviting you to the party.”

Stay tuned for more tracks, videos and beyond coming from DEATH VALLEY HIGH leading up to their November 4 release of CVLT [AS FVK].

Photo by Attic Floc

DEATH VALLEY HIGH online:

www.deathvalleyhigh.com

www.facebook.com/deathvalleyhigh

www.twitter.com/deathvalleyhigh

www.deathvalleyhigh.bandcamp.com

www.minushead.com/bands/death-valley-high

DEATH VALLEY HIGH is:

Reyka Osburn – vocals, guitar

Adam Bannister – drums

Huffy Hafera – bass

Sean Bivins – guitars on CVLT [AS FVK]

Daniel Ka$$hu – full-time guitars (2016-)

SLAYER’S ARAYA AND KING: Talk About Fall Tour on New Video Clip

LOS ANGELES, CA – August 12, 2016 — SLAYER has just released a brand new video clip with Tom Araya and Kerry King talking about the band’s upcoming Fall tour of North America. Fellow Big Four members Anthrax will Special Guest, and Death Angel will support.

Check the clip out here – tour dates are below.

SEPTEMBER

9 Jacob’s Pavilion, Cleveland, OH

10 Freedom Hill Amphitheatre, Detroit, MI

12 Sound Academy, Toronto, ON

13 Metropolis, Montreal, PQ

15 Stage AE, Pittsburgh, PA

17 Revolution Rock Fest., Mashantucket, CT

18 Rock Allegiance Festival, Chester, PA

20 Egyptian Room, Indianapolis, IN

22 The Pageant, St. Louis, MO

24 Houston Open Air Festival, Houston

25 Knotfest, Devore, CA

27 Hard Rock Live, Orlando, FL

28 Fillmore, Miami, FL

30 Horseshoe Casino Tunica, Tunica, MS

OCTOBER

1 Louder Than Life Festival, Louisville, KY

3 Norva, Norfolk, VA

5 Tabernacle, Atlanta, GA

7 Gas Monkey Live, Dallas, TX

8 ACL at the Moody Theatre, Austin, TX

10 Fillmore, Denver, CO

11 The Complex, Salt Lake City, UT

13 The Wilma Theatre, Missoula, MT

17 ENMAX Centre, Lethbridge, AB

19 S. Okanagan Cvents Centre, Penticton, BC

20 Abbotsford Centre, Abbotsford, BC

22 Aftershock Festival, Sacramento, CA

23 Reno Events Center, Reno, NV

27 El Paso County Coliseum, El Paso, TX**

LAMB OF GOD Reveals New Music Video for “Embers”, Latest Single from VII: Sturm Und Drang

Read Guitarist Mark Morton’s Op-Ed & Watch “Embers” Now, Exclusively via Vice/Noisey

www.Lamb-Of-God.com

Last summer, internationally-renowned heavy rock band LAMB OF GOD released their latest Grammy-nominated full-length album, VII: Sturm Und Drang, which includes the emotive anthem “Embers” featuring Deftones vocalist Chino Moreno.

In order to further illustrate the story behind “Embers”, LAMB OF GOD has revealed the official music video for the track. The video is directed by Zev Deans, also recognized for directing videos for Ghost, Behemoth, Chelsea Wolfe, and others.

Watch the “Embers” Video and Read a Personal Op-Ed by Mark Morton via Vice/Noisey Here
LAMB OF GOD will perform in their hometown on August 20th at Gwar BQ 2016 in Richmond, VA. Tickets are available here.

VII: Sturm Und Drang landed a #2 first week debut on the Billboard U.S. Top Current Albums chart, #3 on the Top 200, and #1 on both the Rock Album and Hard Rock Album charts. Get your copy of VII: Sturm Und Drang here: Lamb-of-God.com | iTunes | Amazon | Google Play

LAMB OF GOD is: Randy Blythe (vocals), Mark Morton (guitar), Willie Adler (guitar), John Campbell (bass), and Chris Adler (drums).

For more information about LAMB OF GOD, please visit:
www.lamb-of-god.com
www.facebook.com/lambofgod
https://twitter.com/lambofgod
http://instagram.com/lambofgod

Related Content

• LAMB OF GOD to Release “Ashes Of The Wake – 15th Anniversary Edition” on May 3, 2019
• DVD Review “Lamb of God: As the Palaces Burn”
• Steve Lukather to Release First Ever Memoir “The Gospel According To Luke”
• LAMB OF GOD Releases Animated Music Video for BURN THE PRIEST Cover of Ministry’s “Jesus Built My Hotrod”
• LAMB OF GOD’S MARK MORTON ANNOUNCES NEW COLLABORATIVE PROJECT

“Great Is Our Sin”
Revocation
Metal Blade Records
Producer: Zeuss

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

“Great Is Our Sin” is the 6th studio album released by the Boston, MA metal band Revocation. This is the bands second release via Metal Blade records and it features 10 new tracks which were produced by the one and only Zuess. “Great Is Our Sin” is also the first album from the band to feature 3 Inches of Blood drummer Ash Pearson who joined the band in 2015.

If you thought you loved Revocation before, you know nothing until you hear this album. The band is on top of their A game in every sense. Standout tracks include, “Arbiters of the Apocalypse”, “Monolithic Ignorance”, “Communion”, and the more melodic “Cleaving Giants of Ice.” As if there wasn’t enough mind-blowing guitar work, the album even features legendary guitarist Marty Friedman guest shredding on “The Exaltation.” The album also brings back producer Zeuss who previously worked with the band on the “Teratogenesis” EP and their last release, 2014’s “Deathless”.

Long time fans won’t be too surprised by the album’s content, but improvements in songwriting and production can still be heard. Newcomers should absolutely check out this album as it has everything. From thick riffs and blistering guitar solos to lightning fast precise drumming which is topped off by front man Dave Davidson’s signature growls. If you had any concerns about original drummer Phil Dubois-Coyne being replaced, do not fret (pun intended), Ash Pearson is a perfect fit for the band as his style further extenuates what Revocation is presenting with this new album. Revocation never disappoint as they seems to only get more fine-tuned (pun also intended) with each release. “Great Is Our Sin” is a staple in Revocation’s catalog and a must listen for any metal head.

Track Listing:
1) Arbiters of the Apocalypse
2) Theatre of Horror
3) Monolithic Ignorance
4) Crumbling Imperium
5) Communion
6) The Exaltation
7) Profanum Vulgus
8) Copernican Heresy
9) Only the Spineless Survive
10) Cleaving Giants of Ice

Be sure to also checkout our exclusive interview with Vocalist/Guitarist Dave Davidson in the interview section of the site.

Dave Davidson is the guitarist/vocalist for the Boston based death metal band Revocation. The group just released their 6th studio album titled “Great Is Our Sin” via Metal Blade Records and is currently out on the road in support of that release with the Summer Slaughter tour. Media Mikes had the chance to speak with Dave recently about the new album, the bands new drummer and the group’s plans for the rest of 2016.

RA: The new album “Great Is Our Sin” is absolutely mind-blowing. How was the writing process different on this album versus previous ones?

DD: To be honest, it wasn’t really that different from what we have done on previous albums. It’s usually the same process every time. We just get better at refining and honing our ideas. For me it always starts with the riffs. I will come up with a series of riffs while we’re in a period of writing. The writing period between albums could start the very next day we’re done recording the whole record. I don’t wait around a month before we’re supposed to go in the studio to start writing things. When the inspiration hits me I record it. That way I have a stockpile of material to pull from when I’m organizing my ideas for the next record. Once I have a bunch of riffs set up from there I’ll go through them and start organizing different sections in my head. That’s the way it’s always been. It starts with this germ of an idea, and then it spreads and multiplies from there. We’ve never been afraid to experiment and I think that experimenting over the years has helped us realize what we want our sound to be.

RA: Do you do any writing while you’re touring?

DD: Sometimes. The verse riff for “Communion” came to me while we were in sound check in Hungary and Ash was filling in for us on that tour. I just started playing something and Ash played a thrash beat along with it. Later on that day we recorded it. Inspiration can hit me whenever.

RA: What has the transition been like for the band now having Ash Pearson on drums?

DD: We have known Ash for awhile and have toured with him in the past so we knew going in what he was capable of. I think that has made things a bit easier for us. The thing that was most different is he lives in Vancouver so we when we get together to practice and work on material we have to make sure to make the most out of that time together. What was happening was Ash would fly out when we were doing weekend warrior touring in Boston and New York so we would work on the set and some new material to get a head start. We would be going back and forth with a number of ideas and Ash would record all of that stuff. He travels with a Go-Pro so he’d set that up and film me playing riffs or him playing along to me playing. Then we could go back and refine things from there. Even though we didn’t have the luxury of getting together multiple times a week, I think it made us more focused because we really had to buckle down to make sure we got everything. We would also do Skype sessions back and forth. He would be in Vancouver, I’d be in Boston and I would play him a riff over the computer and he’d have his practice pad out and we’d talk about riffs that way. Luckily he’s such a great drummer who really understands the ins and outs of rhythm so I could give him feedback. He was able to pick up on all the little cues and the feeling of the music which I thought was kind of cool.

RA: How was it working Marty Friedman again?

DD: It was great. It was my second time working with him, having worked on his previous record Inferno. I definitely knew then that I wanted to have him on our record. It really blew me away. It’s weird having one of your idols that you grew up listening to be on one of your records.

RA: What type of gear setup did you use this time around for recording?

DD: I’m using my Jackson signature series guitar which has my DiMarzio signature pickups in it. I feel like it really has my sound. Zeus does a great job with the mixing and mastering and he knows the sounds that we’re looking for. The guitar tone on this album I think is my favorite tone we’ve had so far. It sounds really organic, but also razor sharp and super clean.

RA: What’s the band’s upcoming tour plans for the album?

DD: We’re out on Summer Slaughter with Cannibal Corpse, Nile, Suffocation, and some other great death metal bands right now. After that we have a little downtime before our next tour in Europe with Obscura. I think we’re all sharing a bunk together, so it’ll be like the music nerd bandwagon rolling into town every city. I can’t talk about it too much, but after that we’re planning on doing a headliner or co-headliner when we get back to the states.

RA: You guys have recorded a few covers songs in the past. Has there been any talks of possibly doing and entire EP of cover material?

DD: We actually have talked about that before. We have about six cover songs that we’ve done for records. At this point it would be cool to have each member pick a different cover we could do. It’s just a matter of timing and scheduling. We also have to see what the demand for that kind of thing is. We would also have to have two different labels work together to make that happen as some of cover songs were on Relapse and some released on Metal Blade. There are no concrete plans right now, but it would be cool.

Be sure to checkout our album review of “Great Is Our Sin” in the review section of the site.

Weird Al Yankovic
Date: August 8th, 2016
Venue: Starlight Theater

Our Score: 5 out of 5 Stars

If there was ever music icon that demanded your undivided attention at a concert, it is Weird Al Yankovic. His performance is a full-sensory experience. Obviously it’s a visual and audible treat for those who show up in tin foil hats, polka pants, Amish attire, or whatever reference they can make to the musician’s 40-year career. But Weird Al incorporates more theatrics into one show than most bands do throughout an entire tour.

The concert begins via jumbotron, displaying crusty black and white propaganda video repeating the phrase, “Mandatory Fun”, the title of Weird Al’s last album. We then cut to Weird Al’s his tour bus where he appears singing “Tacky”. Shoving show extras out of his way and teasing the audience with what’s to come as he enters the Starlight seating area, he comically drifts to the stage through elaborate cheesy dance moves. It doesn’t take the comedy king of polka to bust out the accordion or the new songs that helped him land at #1 on the Billboard Top 40 last year.

Because each song parodies a song or specific style of a band, this is a concert requiring a costume change in between nearly every song during the two-hour show. In between songs like “Fat”, “White and Nerdy” and “Foil” are pieced together video clips highlighting the pop-culture relevance of Weird Al. Everything from his appearance in the “Naked Gun” movies to his vocal talents being utilized on contemporary cartoon favorites like “My Little Pony”. For fans old and new, the clips are a relentless sampling of his lengthy relevance and influence in society.

The seemingly one man show is joined on stage by his bandmates, who match his intensity, comedic timing and quirks. The madcap nature of Weird Al is matched by everyone, even the stage hands who have to awkwardly stand and hold a harmonica during “Ode to a Superhero” or the intentionally unenthusiastic cheerleaders during “Smells Like Nirvana”. The dedication to the surreal nature of it all reaches its peak during the encore. During “Yoda” the band stops playing their instruments and becomes a choir of cartoon sound effects and madcap a capella.

Every song played that night was a unique and unforgettable memory for fans, even the moments of parody medley. Weird Al spends a solid 15 minutes cramming in 10 shorted songs to better cram in his lengthy catalogue of memorable parodies to please every concertgoer. There are even a handful of songs that can be viewed as interactive, on the audiences end and Weird Al’s end. My review could have easily been a recap of every wonderfully joyous moment experienced in each song.

Having seen him live 15 years ago, it’s impressive to see the same energy, if not more. There are signs of age in that jester smile and silly grimace that he flashes, possibly worrying fans that he may be nearing the end of his rich career. I highly doubt the man who truly loves entertaining the nerdy masses is going to retire anytime soon. But on the off-chance he’s getting closer to hanging up the accordion, do yourself a favor and see him now, and often.

Set List:
Tacky
2.) Lame Claim to Fame
3.) Now That’s What I Call Polka!
4.) Perform This Way
5.) Dare to Be Stupid
6.) Fat
7.) First World Problems
8.) Foil
9.) Smells Like Nirvana
10.) Party in the CIA/ It’s All About the Pentiums/ Handy/ Bedrock Anthem/ Another One Rides the Bus/ Ode to a Superhero/ Gump/ Inactive/ eBay
11.) Canadian Idiot
12.) Wanna B Ur Lovr
13.) Eat It/ I Lost on Jeopardy/ I Love Rocky Road/ Like a Surgeon (Acoustic)
14.) White and Nerdy
15.) Word Crimes
16.) Amish Paradise
ENCORE
17.) We All Have Cellphones
18.) The Saga Begins
19.) Yoda

“A Decade of Dio: 1983-1993”
Dio
Rhino
Producer: Ronnie James Dio, Tony Platt, Mike Fraser
Discs: 6

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Legendary vocalist Ronnie James Dio may have passed away in 2010 however that has not stopped his legacy and music from living on. Thanks to Rhino Entertainment fans of the former Elf, Rainbow and Black Sabbath front man can experience “A Decade of Dio: 1983-1993”. The six album collection focuses on the first 10 years of Ronnie’s solo career which he embarked on in 1983. Remastered and packaged in a sleek box set featuring brand new artwork from Marc Sasso, the artist who was responsible for many of the band’s iconic covers.

The latest offering from Rhino Entertainment “A Decade of Dio: 1983-1993” isn’t just a collection of greatest hits. Instead you get the first 6 albums from Ronnie James Dio’s solo career in their entirety. Remastered and repackaged complete with replica inserts “Holy Diver”, “The Last In Line”, “Sacred Heart”, “Dream Evil”, “Lock Up The Wolves”, and “Strange Highways” all sound just as good as the originals. However I was a little disappointed at the remastering process as it didn’t seem to add anything to mix. If anything the remastering added a layer of thinness that was a bit shrill on the ears at time. Thankfully Ronnie and his bands performances are so strong on the included albums that you can easily get past the sonic shortcomings and enjoy the track for what it is. Tracks like “Last In Line”, “Egypt (The Chains Are On)” and “Gypsy” were some of my personal favorites while classics like “Stand Up and Shout”, “Holy Diver” and “Rainbow in the Dark” are always a fun listen.

If you already have these albums then there probably isn’t enough offered in this package to warrant purchasing them again. However for those looking to bolster their Dio collection then this set is worth its weight in gold. The recreated front and back album art and inserts is nice little feature as when you open up the main box it’s as if your getting 6 miniature LP’s. I think it would have been nice if the set came with a book providing background info/photos on the releases as I feel that would have given a little incentive to those who already have some of these albums to pick up this package. None the less still a cool offering, the set is available now on CD and will be released on vinyl October 4th.

Disc 1: “Holy Diver”
1.) Stand Up And Shout
2.) Holy Diver
3.) Gypsy
4.) Caught In The Middle
5.) Don’t Talk To Stranger
6.) Straight Through The Heart
7.) Invisible
8.) Rainbow In The Dark
9.) Shame On The Night

Disc 2: “The Last In Line”
1.) We Rock
2.) The Last In Line
3.) Breathless
4.) I Speed At Night
5.) One Night In The City
6.) Evil Eyes
7.) Mystery
8.) Eat Your Heart Out
9.) Egypt (The Chains Are On)

Disc 3: “Sacred Heart”
1.) King of Rock And Roll
2.) Sacred Heart
3.) Another Lie
4.) Rock N’ Roll Children
5.) Hungry For Heaven
6.) Like The Beat Of A Heart
7.) Just Another Day
8.) Fallen Angels
9.) Shoot Shoot

Disc 4: “Dream Evil”
1.) Night People
2.) Dream Evil
3.) Sunset Superman
4.) All The Fools Sailed Away
5.) Naked In The Rain
6.) Overlove
7.) I Could Have Been A Dreamer
8.) Faces In The Window
9.) When A Woman Cries

Disc 5: “Lock Up The Wolves”
1.) Wild One
2.) Born On The Sun
3.) Hey Angel
4.) Between Two Hearts
5.) Night Music
6.) Lock Up The Wolves
7.) Evil On Queen Street
8.) Walk On Water
9.) Twisted
10.) Why Are They Watching Me
11.) My Eyes

Disc 6: “Strange Highways”
1.) Jesus, Mary & The Holy Ghost
2.) Firehead
3.) Strange Highways
4.) Hollywood Black
5.) Evilution
6.) Pain
7.) One Foot In The Grave
8.) Give Her The Gun
9.) Blood From A Stone
10.) Here’s To You
11.) Bring Down The Rain

Old Wounds an up and coming hardcore band from New Jersey are out on the 2016 Vans Warped Tour promoting their newest release “The Suffering Spirit”. Being the bands first time on the tour they are eager to show fans both old and new their unique style of modern hardcore through energetic live performances. Media Mikes had the opportunity to sit down with the band and talk about their experience on the tour and what’s next for the band.

Ryan Albro: What made the band decide to do Warped Tour versus a smaller tour on your own?

Mikey: Our label came to us and offered us a spot on the tour. It’s an incredible opportunity to be given. It’s really a no-brainer. If you bust your ass for nearly 6 years doing this and it comes to a point where somebody is pretty much handing you a slot on Warped Tour, you have to say yes.

RA: Overall how do you like the tour thus far?

Mikey: It’s a lot more fun than I think any of us had anticipated. We had a strong feeling it was going to be good, but it’s been a blast. It’s a very unique time.

Matt: I’m having a great time and I love the food. A lot of us are vegan or don’t eat meat and the catering is really great helping us out with our needs and they make really great food. We made a lot of friends and it’s been a good time for sure.

RA: Who are you excited to see play each day?

Kevin: Every Time I Die and Motionless in White.

Matt: There are two bands that play on the Full Sail Stage with us that I love! two One is called Mother Feather and the other band is called Safe to Say. We’ve made great friends with Like Pacific as well. I usually hang close to our stage so I watch a lot of bands on our stage and those are some of my favorites that play every single day.

RA: Any cool stories from the shows so far?

Mikey: Not so much from this one. It seems every other tour we’ve done though a lot of funny and stupid shit happens.

Matt: One thing that sticks out from this tour is the storm we got in New Orleans. We were loading our stuff out and out of nowhere this crazy monsoon hit. A lot of our stuff got completely soaked. . A lot of our gear was drenched and we had to throw out all the cardboard boxes and stuff for our merch away. Everyone except for Kevin and me was just drenched.

Kevin: I always carry an umbrella around just because I don’t want to get tan.

Matt: That umbrella wouldn’t have done you any good anyway

Mikey: Luckily we didn’t lose anything gear wise. All of our cabs, heads, and guitars were totally fine. We got lucky.

RA: You guys are approaching the end of “The Suffering Spirit” tour cycle, what’s next for the band?

Mikey: We do have a tour about a month and a half after this ends. I can’t say what it is just yet though. We’re in the middle of writing a new album right now so that’s going to take priority. We toured a lot on this record and we really want to get the next record out.

RA: What can you tell us about the new material you’re working on?

Mikey: We have actually been playing one of the new songs in our set each day so we’ll be playing that on the remainder of Warped Tour. That’ll give everyone a taste of what’s to come.

Zak: Now that we have Matt as our second guitar player, the dynamics are definitely a little different. There are more harmonious guitar riffs. It’s definitely a combination of everything we’ve been doing. It’s heavy where it should be and there are melodies where they should be. There’s more of a metal influence for sure.

Kevin: It not going to be something where when you hear it you think “Oh that doesn’t sound like Old Wounds.”