Ray Carlisle is the singer/guitarist for the Wyoming based punk band Teenage Bottlerocket. In November of 2015 the group suffered a devastating blow in the death of their drummer (Ray’s brother) Brandon Carlisle. The group made the decision to keep going and, is currently out on Warped Tour 2016 this summer promoting their latest studio release “Tales From Wyoming”. Media Mikes had the chance to talk with Ray after the bands set in Syracuse, NY where he spoke candidly about the bands decision to move forward and about what the band has planned for the remainder of the year.

Adam Lawton: Tell us about the bands decision to keep going after the passing of your brother in November of last year?

Ray Carlisle: The decision was something that didn’t happen overnight. Brandon passing away put a lot of things up in the like if we were going to keep going as a band and playing music and also if we were going to go out on the Warped tour this summer. We had actually confirmed our spot on the tour before Brandon passed. I personally felt that I had already lost my brother and I didn’t want to lose my band as well. I truly feel that Brandon would have wanted us to keep going. We take the stage each day with him in our minds and in our hearts. His spirit is there while we play. It’s very helpful because I like being up there playing with my buddies. Brandon and I were really close so when I’m up there it’s a chance for me to not feel alone. We were just together all the time and I miss him very much. When we finally decided to get back together Darren Chewka our new drummer was the first guy I thought of to fill Brandon’s spot. We had him come down to Wyoming for a couple days to see how he fit in and everything went real well. We are really finding our chemistry together out here and have played about 45 or so songs together throughout Warped tour as we try and play a couple different songs each day. Needless to say we have been really throwing him for a loop. That’s kind of the spirit of this band is to just go song after song so we have had some great days out here so far and we have had some terrible ones.

AL: Today you guys opened up one of the stages here. Do you find that changing set times each day makes it a little more difficult to get in to a solid routine as a band?

RC: You sort of just have to go with the groove. When you are out on Warped tour you find out at 9:30am what time your set is for that day. You then just have to adjust your whole day around that. Going first is awesome! Everyone is fresh and super excited. The down side is some people who up late so they miss things. I enjoy the earlier slots over the later ones because you can just see the energy change as the day goes on. The heat can be tough on the crowd during these shows.

AL: With this being the bands second run on the Warped tour how do you feel the tour has changed since your last appearance in 2014?

RC: I am kind of bummed that they don’t have the acoustic stage this year. I recently had a solo album come out titled “Do You Wanna Go To Tijuana” and I was hoping to be able to do double duty and play some songs off of that. They also did away with the hip hop/rap stage this year. There are less bands and stages which means a smaller line in catering. Kevin I think really did his research this year for which bands he wanted to bring out and things are really positive around everything.

AL: Your latest album came out in March of 2015. Where are you at in the writing process for your next release?

RC: We are still on the cycle for “Tales From Wyoming” however Brandon did have some songs he was working on before he passed away. Cody and I have been talking about maybe finishing those up. They don’t necessarily sound like Teenage Bottlerocket so we will have to see. Cody and I are both still writing music and we have also talked about doing a concept album as well. There will definitely be more music and shows in the future. Things really changed when Brandon died so it’s something we are going to have to embrace and move forward.

AL: After Warped tour wraps up what are the tour plans for the band?

RC: In September were going to be doing a few shows in Canada which is where our new drummer is from. We will be up there to prove to all of Derrick buddies that he is in fact in the band. It’s also really great touring up in the Edmonton area. In December we are going to be doing a European tour with a band by the name of Bones.

For more info on Teenage Bottlerocket you can check them out at http://teenagebottlerocket.com/

 ANTHRAX REVS UP BAND’S 35th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

WITH A NEW LYRIC VIDEO, MAJOR FESTIVAL & HEADLINE GIGS
ACROSS THE GLOBE, AND A NORTH AMERICAN FALL CLASSIC
WITH FELLOW BIG FOUR MEMBERS, SLAYER
Band Announces Special VIP Tour Packages That Include
Choice of Band Members’ Signature Guitar, Bass or Snare Drum

LOS ANGELES, CA — (TUESDAY, June 21, 2016) – Celebrating 35 years as a band, 2016 is proving to be a very good time for thrash/metal icons Anthrax, and the festivities are intensifying. First, today Anthrax is releasing the third lyric video from their new album For All Kings, this one for the track “Zero Tolerance.” The song closes the album and its message is very personal and particularly timely in today’s society, with the horrific rise in mass shootings and other forms of terrorism. In the words of Anthrax lyricist Scott Ian, “‘Zero Tolerance’ sums it all up. It’s about doing anything to protect your small circle of family and friends from the insanity of the world.” Check out the lyric video for “Zero Tolerance” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1_HKsoql1Y

The truth of humanity is far from insane
It’s focused, it’s cruel, it’s hearbreak and pain
As if I needed more reasons to hate
A savage decision that’s not hard to make
Family and friends, dare to threaten what’s mine
I kill motherfuckers for crossing the line
Tighten the noose round my life and I choose
Murder and mayhem ’cause I’m worse than you

Clockwise from left: Scott Ian, Charlie Benante, Jon Donais, Frank Bello, Joey Belladonna

Photo credit: Travis Shinn

Anthrax’s 35th anniversary year will also see the band spending the bulk of June, July and August playing major music festivals throughout Europe. These will include France’s Hellfest and Download, SwedenRock, Graspop in Belgium, and the UK’s Bloodstock, as well as playing select dates with Slayer, Iron Maiden, and a handful of headline shows.

Then, the 35th anniversary will culminate beginning September 9 in Cleveland when Anthrax will join forces with Big Four comrades Slayer for a seven-week North American tour of major and secondary markets. This trek will also include appearances at several major North American music festivals including Ozzfest Meets Knotfest on September 25 in San Bernardino, CA.

“I find it hard to believe that all this time has gone by,” said Anthrax’s Charlie Benante. “I still feel like I did when we were first recording our Spreading the Disease album. For All Kings has been so well received, it really does make us want to take this to another level. I think it’s all so encouraging that, after all these years, here we are hanging out with out metal alumni Slayer. The two bands have never been better at what we do, that’s encouraging for the future of music.”

Added Scott Ian, “July 18, 1981 is the day I started playing rhythm guitar in Anthrax. Thirty-five years have passed since that day and my life has changed profoundly. I am a husband, I am a father. I am a long way from the 17-year-old soon to be college dropout that co-founded a heavy metal band. The only thing that hasn’t changed in 35 years, the one constant, I am still the rhythm guitar player in Anthrax. It’s what I GET to do. I GET to play in a band and I never take that for granted. It is a privilege. And the reason I GET to be in Anthrax is because for 35 years, people all over this planet have connected with what we do. There wouldn’t be an Anthrax if it wasn’t for the fans that heard something in our sound that made them want to bang their heads all those years ago. Together over these 35 years, we became part of something that changed the history of music and I am deeply proud of that. So to quote the Scottish poet Robbie Burns, “Here’s to us; who is as good as us? Damn few, and they’re all dead.” Thank you my friends…35 and counting.”

For the September/October dates with Slayer, Anthrax is making available a limited number of “VIP Kings Ensemble Packages.” In addition to the band’s new For All Kings CD, access to the band’s Meet’n’Greet, a personal photo with the band, early entry into the venue, and much more, these special packages will include the buyer’s choice of a Scott Ian Signature Guitar, Charlie Benante Signature Series Snare, or a Frank Bello Signature Series LTD Bass Guitar. Only 10 of these Ensemble Packages will be available. For more info on all of the Anthrax VIP Packages, go to http://anthrax.com/vip-info/

Confirmed dates for Anthrax’s 35th anniversary tour are as follows:

JUNE
25 Amnesia Rockfest, Montebello, Canada

JULY
2 Tuska Open Air, Helsinki, Finland
3 Wroclaw Stadium, Wroclaw, Poland (w/ Iron Maiden)
5 USF Verftet, Bergen, Norway
6 Terminalen, Alesund, Norway
7 Parkteatret Scene, Oslo, Norway
9 Jalometalli Festival, Oulu, Finland
11 Pumpehuset, Copenhagen West, Denmark
12 Live Music Hall, Koln, Germany
13 Skaters Palace, Munster, Germany
15 Gefle Metal Festival, Gavle, Sweden
16 Dynamo Metalfest, Eindhoven, Netherlands
17 Rock Fest Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
19 Castrelos, Vigo, Spain
20 Sala Arena, Madrid, Spain
22 Area Concerti Festival Majano, Majano, Italy
23 Fosch Fest, Bagnatica, Italy
24 Rock in Rome, Roma, Italy

AUGUST
11 Leyendas del Rock Festival, Villena, Spain
14 Bloodstock, Walton-On-Trent, UK
21 Pain In The Grass, Auburn, WA

SEPTEMBER
9 Jacob’s Pavilion, Cleveland, OH
10 Freedom Hill Amphitheatre, Detroit, MI
11 Ground Zero, Travers City, MI*
12 Sound Academy, Toronto, ON
13 Metropolis, Montreal, PQ
15 Stage AE, Pittsburgh, PA
16 Anthology, Rochester, NY*
17 Revolution Rock Fest., Mashantucket, CT
18 Rock Allegiance Festival, Chester, PA
20 Egyptian Room, Indianapolis, IN
21 Concord Music Hall, Chicago, IL*
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
29 Club L.A., Destin, FL*
30 Horseshoe Casino Tunica, Tunica, MS

OCTOBER
1 Louder Than Life Festival, Louisville, KY
3 Norva, Norfolk, VA
4 Orange Peel, Ashveille, NC*
5 Tabernacle, Atlanta, GA
6 Varsity Theatre, Baton Rouge, LA*
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
12 Rev Hall, Boise, ID*
13 The Wilma Theatre, Missoula, MT
14 The Hill event Center, Idaho Falls, ID*
15 Revolution Concert House, Garden City, ID
16 Knitting Factory, Spokane, WA* (offer)
17 ENMAX Centre, Lethbridge, AB
19 S. Okanagan Cvents Centre, Penticton, BC
20 Abbotsford Centre, Abbotsford, BC
21 Hawthorn Theatre, Portland, OR*
22 Discovery Park, Elverta, CA (w/Aftershock)
23 Reno Events Center, Reno, NV
22 Aftershock Festival, Sacramento, CA
25 Orpheum Theatre, Flagstaff, AZ*
26 Top Deck, Famington, NM* (offer)
27 El Paso County Coliseum, El Paso, TX**

* Anthrax & Death Angel

ABOUT ANTHRAX:
This year, Anthrax celebrates its 35th anniversary as a band with the release of one of the year’s most-anticipated metal/thrash albums, For All Kings, (February 26, Megaforce in North America/Nuclear Blast internationally). The eleven-song crusher that the band’s drummer Charlie Benante has described as “aggressive and super-thrashy,” was written by Benante, bassist Frank Bello and rhythm guitarist Scott Ian, the dynamic triumvirate whose unique composition chemistry is, in part, what sets Anthrax’s music apart from other bands’ in the same genre. Add to that Joey Belladonna’s breathtaking vocals and the searing guitar leads by newest member Jonathan Donais, and it’s no wonder the band has been so excited about its 11th studio album.

For All Kings debuted at #9 on Billboard’s Top 200, becoming Anthrax’s highest-charting album in more than two decades. A first-quarter U.S. tour with Lamb of God consistently resulted in some of the exceptional live reviews Anthrax has received in its career.

Over its 35-year career, Anthrax has been a pioneering band with its unique style, sound and heavy brand of thrash metal, and, as Metallica’s Kirk Hammett put it, “one can hear their influence on any number of up and coming bands.” The band has sold in excess of 10-million units, received multiple Gold and Platinum certifications, six Grammy nominations and a host of other accolades from the media, industry and fans. From the race and genre barriers Anthrax helped break down in 1988 when they collaborated with Public Enemy on “Bring The Noise,” to becoming a card-carrying member of The Big Four – with Metallica, Slayer and Megadeth – as one of the four bands that defined the speed/thrash metal genre, to being the first metal band to have its music heard on Mars when NASA played “Got The Time” to wake up the Mars Rover, Anthrax continues to demonstrate it’s just all about the music.

Anthrax Official Website

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Introducing “The Breakout Tour” – Featuring THE MACHINIST and GLADIATORS

with Support from THE BLESSING OF THIS CURSE 

Beginning July 8th in Falls Church, VA

Introducing The Breakout Tour, featuring today’s hottest up and coming heavy metal and rock bands from the U.S. Northeast! Presented by Pure Deathcore, Deathkrew Clothing, CI Records, ESP Guitars, Imperial Cymbals and Fakelife Clothing Co., the tour will feature performances from New York City’s The Machinist and Lancaster, PA’s Gladiators, with support from New Jersey’s The Blessing Of This Curse. Each of these artists have received great recognition in their local scenes – demonstrating strong instrumentalism and striking live performances – and are poised to breakout into national stardom.

The Breakout Tour will visit a total of eight Northeastern U.S. cities next month, beginning on July 8 in Falls Church, VA and will hit venues in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut before ending in Lancaster, PA on July 17 at 717 Fest.

See below for all currently confirmed tour dates and more information on each band. To purchase tickets and for more information, please visit the links below.

The Breakout Tour dates:
7/8 Falls Church, VA @ VFW Post 9274 – event info
7/11 Elmhurst, NY @ Blackthorn 51 – event info
7/12 Poughkeepsie, NY @ My Place Pizza (Class Act Fest) – event info
7/13 Trenton, NJ @ Championship Bar – event info | tickets
7/14 Revere, MA @ Sammy’s Patio
7/15 Providence, RI @ Fete
7/16 Milford, CT @ Sobah Bah – event info
7/17 Lancaster, PA @ Lancaster County Convention Center (717 Fest) – event info + tickets

About The Machinist:
The Machinist is a four-piece metal band hailing from all corners of Queens, NY and abide by one goal: to bring the groove to all. With catchy riffs, grooving breakdowns and the shred we all love, The Machinist has a little something for everyone… and then some. The band’s debut release, The Machinist EP (out July 8 and available on tour), was recorded at Westfall Studios with Anthony Lopardo and is available to pre-order via the band’s BigCartel page.

Featuring lead vocalist Amanda Gjelaj – who’s demonic growls and screeches would put any metal vocalist to shame – The Machinist EP will appeal to fans of groove metal like Lamb of God, as well as fans of emotive melodic groups such as Misery Signals. Watch The Machinist’s new music video for the track “Wake Up” here, and learn more about The Machinist here: www.facebook.com/themachinistnyc

About Gladiators:
Gladiators is a rising progressive metal band from Lancaster, PA. Lancaster is a culture hub that within the last decade has become recognized for its vibrant music scene exclusive to the region. While Lancaster-native artists like August Burns Red, Texas in July and This Or The Apocalypse have made a strong name for themselves in the metal scene, Gladiators works tirelessly to set themselves apart and establish a new frontier in the genre. The band brings a fresh perspective and direction to a scene that has developed a specific sound.

Gladiators worked meticulously for the better part of a year to establish their new release, Plexus, which came out this past March via CI Records. The band released a music video for the title track, which you can view here. You can order Plexus via iTunes, and learn more about the band here: www.facebook.com/GladiatorsBandpa

About The Blessing Of This Curse:
The Blessing of This Curse is a five-piece metalcore band based out of Bergen County, New Jersey. Their most recent release, Emergence EP, is available now on iTunes and all other digital music providers! Featuring the singles “Quicksand” & “Unconditional,” this latest effort by TBOTC showcases their ability to blend technicality, brutality, and melody in a unique, cohesive way. This EP was recorded with Steve Seid and mastered by Will Putney at Graphic Nature Audio (Northlane, The Acacia Strain, The Amity Affliction).

Since their inception in 2011, The Blessing of This Curse has made it their goal to create honest, heavy music that stands out from the rest. Although their sound has changed and progressed over the last few years, this goal has stayed constant. After gaining traction with their sophomore release Separate Yourself, they have been given the opportunity to share the stage with national acts such as Motionless In White, The Word Alive, Upon A Burning Body, Veil Of Maya, Thy Art Is Murder, I See Stars, and more.

Check out the band’s music video for the single “Unconditional” here, directed and produced by Kevin Joel. Learn more about The Blessing of This Curse here: www.facebook.com/theblessingofthiscurse

“Clean Your Clock”
Motorhead
UDR Music
Not Rated

Our Score:  CD: 3 out of 5 stars    

                    DVD: 3.5 out of 5 stars 

“Clean Your Clock” is the latest live release from the heavy metal band Motorhead. The release captures the bands November 20/21, 2015 shows at the Zenith in Munich Germany and is the bands very last live recorded show. The release captures the natural sound of one of heavy metals most astounding bands and serves as a solid send off to the one and only Lemmy.

Having followed Motorhead’s last tour pretty closely due to the almost daily updates of front-man Lemmy Kilmister’s diminishing health I was a bit skeptical of a release that was going to showcase a show from this run. Would a sickly looking Lemmy be the way I wanted to remember the band? Most definitely not. Having experienced the band live on a couple different occasions and knowing the amount of energy the band exuded during their performances I initially wasn’t expecting a lot out of this release. Thankfully within minutes of putting the DVD portion of the CD/DVD combo in my player I could tell the performance was going to be top notch. The lighting elements of the show look great and include a moving plane which hovers at varying heights through out the performance adding uniqueness to the rather straight forward staging. I’m not going to say Lemmy looks or sound amazing in this because he does not however, for a 70 year old man dealing with what he was dealing with at the time he sounds damn good! Classic tracks like “Bomber”, “The Chase Is Better Than The Catch” and “Ace of Spades” rip through your speakers with reckless abandonment and showcases Lemmy’s signature attitude and sound while fellow band mates Mikkey Dee and Phil Campbell hold down their ends and in my opinion really carry the band throughout the performance. Both the DVD and CD portions of the release sounded nearly identical however the CD seemed to have a little bit more treble present in the mix. This did add some clarity to the tracks but at times the added frequencies were a bit too bright for my liking.

If you’re a devout Motorhead fan then you already know that “Clean Your Clock” is a must have. The release is available in a variety of formats including Blu-Ray, CD/Blu-Ray, CD/DVD and Vinyl however; you will want to check your video player setting as this is a European release which due to its encoding can play havoc with some players. Bottom line “Clean Your Clock” is a sleek, good sounding release that fans of the band will appreciate but, if your newer to the band or are a more casual listener you may want to skip over this one and check out one of the bands older live or studio releases.

Track Listing:

1.) Bomber
2.) Stay Clean
3.) Metropolis
4.) When The Sky Comes Looking For You
5.) Over The Top
6.) Guitar Solo
7.) The Chase Is Better Than The Catch
8.) Lost Woman Blues
9.) Rock It
10.) Orgasmatron
11.) Dr. Rock
12.) Just ‘Cus You Got The Power
13.) No Class
14.) Ace Of Spades
15.) Whorehouse Blues
16.) Overkill

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Jesse Zuretti is the founding member of the New Jersey based progressive metal band Binary Code. The group recently released their four full-length album titled “Moonsblood” in May of this year and are set to begin touring in support of the release in July. Media Mikes had the chance to speak with Jesse recently about the new album, his new found writing freedom and about the groups upcoming summer tour.

Ryan Albro: It seems a lot has changed in the band over the last 7 years since your first album was released, most notably, line-up changes. How much would you say the band has changed over that period of time?

Jesse Zuretti: That time period was mostly due to the writing process. This is the first release we have done where I was in control of writing the entire thing. I would say that because it was put into a position of songs get written when they get written instead of forcing them out it took a little bit of time. The end result was songs truer to the mindset that I was in each time they were written. Since nothing was forced it kind of allowed the songs to come at a natural pace, which is for me, in hindsight, a better way for the music to come about in the natural process. My drummer and I at the time used to jam a lot and write songs very quickly because we both had one another to hash things out with. This new stuff comes from me sitting down and very methodically coming up with the songs and being able to emphasize more of a song structure behind it. In my opinion as much as I like the contribution from the whole band it was definitely easier for me to come up with the songs in those moments. In the future there’s going to be a lot more involvement from the guys that are in the band right now. It will be more of a fusion. I think it’s for the best.

RA: What was the recording and writing process like this time around versus your previous releases?

JZ: The last two releases that we did were a combination of DYI mixed with help from a friend of ours who was manning the studio. It was very hands on for me in the recording process the last time. This time it was 100% we had a producer there. He would very uniformly tell me when things were right and wrong. The input from having an outside prospective on the music really helped with getting the best out of the music. It’s always really good to have a second set of ears on something. Having Eyal Levi involved with his music background thrown into the mix with guys who aren’t super musically schooled really made me a better musician at the end because the amount of preparation that goes into recording with Eyal is unbelievable. You go into it and you come out a better musician. In the past we would write a song and then show up to the studio. This time I would write the song and have it pre-produced. That would give me the option of look back at the songs and adding or changing things that I wish I could have done before. I just really got to have my influences shine through a little bit more because it was kind of like a representation of the song writing that I do.

RA: That album art is killer, what can you tell us about that?

JZ: The artist who did it, his name is Acid Toad, he’s an artist from Bangalore. I was blown away when I first saw his artwork. He does everything with paper and ink. I just feel like the market in the progressive metal scene right now in terms of art is very homogenous. There’s a constant flow of similarities between the bands, like everyone is drawing influence from another band. This guy’s artwork is so otherworldly that I thought he would be the guy. We had a lot of amazing guys do art for us and we noticed a lot of it was similar to the style of other bands and we didn’t want to do that. He was awesome, he’s going to do stuff for us in the future without a doubt. I really want to have a relationship with an artist. The influence behind that was the relationship H.R. Giger had with the band Triptykon and their history together. I really wanted to do the same thing with this guy.

RA: What made you to decide to release the album yourselves?

JZ: It came down to whether or not we wanted to continue waiting for a business opportunity to come along to help with the release. We had just been waiting so long. We all decided it was time we did this on our own and it ended up being really exciting for us. I expected to be devastated be the idea of doing this on our own after all this time and it actually was a very exciting thing for us. We’re really happy to be doing it this way. There’s definitely a possibility of it in the future, just at this point we had to make a move.

RA: What are your plans to tour the highly anticipated new material?

JZ: We have a tour that’s being worked out for the end of July into August. We decided instead of wearing ourselves thin with a one month long tour we’re going to have a little space in-between and change it up with different bands. That will be hitting most of the U.S. After that we have something we’re working on with a band from Norway. We’re not really at a point where we can really say who it is, but they’re a band that we’ve played with before. We’re hoping that works out and the line-up for that tour’s killer and if that goes through that will be September. We’re definitely going to be a very busy band over the summer. We put so much work into the music and we waited so long and have been so patient, so the best thing for us is to go out and work as hard as we can.

Dee Snider is the out spoken, wild hair front man of the heavy metal band Twisted Sister. Dee is currently one of the subjects in a recent exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame titled “Louder Than Words: Rock, Power and Politics”. The exhibit showcases some of the most important debates of our country through the lens of rock music. Media Mikes had the chance to talk with Dee recently about the exhibit, his thoughts on the country’s current political climate and the Twisted Sisters farewell shows scheduled for this fall.

Adam Lawton: How did you become involved with the current Rock and Roll Hall of Fame exhibit “Louder Than Words”?

Dee Snider: As it turned out my involvement during the 1980’s in Washington was a significant rock and politics moment. They reached out to me to do an interview and afterwards asked if I had any items I could loan them for a display. I ended up donating some of the things I wore the day I testified before congress. After talking with them more I was invited to the opening of the event which evolved into me singing an acoustic version of “Were Not Gonna Take It”. We did that with just piano and vocals and it went real well. This song is so much more important and says so much. It’s a lot more than just a great party song.

AL: Prior to your appearance before congress were politics something you had always been interested in?

DS: I had no interest in politics at that time. I was a young man in rock and roll and you just don’t think about those things. The song was written about my/our oppressors and I was sharing it with our audience who were equally frustrated. Now were older and there are greater concerns. The political climate right now is just awful! The fact that we have probably the most despised person in the history of presidential elections running against the second most despised person. The elections are going to come down to voting for one of those two people. That’s not the way it’s supposed to be so that’s why now more than ever I want “Were Not Gonna Take It” to inspire people. I want people to listen to that song and have it inspire them to try and make a change to get things back to the way our fore fathers intended it to be. People have to vote based on if they like the other guy or girl candidate instead of what issues they stand for. People are viewing this election like a reality television show. We all know reality television is not real but this is! When it comes down to this election we are just boned. I am actually in the process of shooting a new video for “Were Not Gonna Take It” with the guy who shot the original. This time around the video is not going to be funny. It’s going to be a fucking statement! The thing is its too late now but it’s not too late for the future to make something happen.

AL: Initially “Were Not Gonna Take It” was attached to Donald Trump’s campaign. How did that come and about and how did things work when you asked them to stop using it?

DS: I want to make something very clear. Donald Trump is a friend, a great guy and a class act. Unlike most politicians he called me and asked if he could start using the song. Him being my friend I told him he certainly could use it. Now when you are friends with people there is a rule. You don’t talk about three things sports, religion or politics. We never talked about the things he was standing for so when I started to see and read this stuff I thought “Holy Shit!” I called him up and told him I couldn’t stand behind the things he was saying. He said ok and that was it. Donald is a class act because he asked me first to use the song and then stopped using it when I asked him. I still like him as a person but we definitely don’t see eye to eye politically.

AL: Having seen where “Were Not Gonna Take It” has gone what do you think the young Dee Snider would think of all this?

DS: Young Dee Snider would be stunned. That song was written to rile up the masses and scare parents and it did that. Then it leads to me being the poster boy for all things bad about rock music and having to defend my songs and speaking out about censorship. Cut to now and it’s a rock and jock anthem, It’s on kids shows and commercials for women’s pre-menopausal medications. The ultimate irony of all happened a couple of years ago when the “Rock of Ages” film came out. Catherine Zeta-Jones plays a typical esc character fronting a PMRC esc organization who is trying to stop rock and roll. What song do they end up singing? “Were Not Gonna Take It”. You had to be fucking kidding me! That was the ultimate definition of irony. If you told young Dee Snider that thirty or forty years ago he probably would have punched you in the face! (Laughs)

AL: Twisted Sister was recently the topic of a documentary titled “Twisted F****** Sister” which showcased the bands early career. Are there plans to release a second part to that showing the success of the band?

DS: We sort of covered that with the “Behind the Music” special that aired on VH1. That’s the story most people tend to already know. We supported the making of that documentary but it was not something that was instigated by us. There was a documentarian who was intrigued by our story having learned that we were a band for ten years prior to making it big. This was something he was taken with and we welcomed his interest as too many people think that we jumped on the bandwagon of hair metal. We didn’t jump on it we built it! There were no bands like Motley Crue or Poison when we started. I give credit to Hanoi Rocks and Quiet Riot as well for also contributing but there was certainly no wagon to be jumped on. We were carrying the torch for something that record companies were rejecting. This film shows how hard we fought to get noticed and to where we are.

AL: It was recently announced that the band will be playing a handful of farewell shows this year. Can you tell us about those plans and what prompted this decision?

DS: I think this is long overdue. I don’t want anyone to take that the wrong way but I never intended to reunite Twisted Sister and then be together longer than we were when we first got together. I wanted to fix the broken relationships we had with one another and then end on a higher note than the one we ended on when we quietly disbanded in 1987. After a few years of reunion shows we had accomplished what I had wanted. We played the Wacken Festival to seventy five thousand people and it was a perfect show played to a perfect crowd on a perfect night. It also was captured by a dozen or so HD cameras and is available on DVD. That’s how I wanted to end things and I asked the guys if we could stop however the guys voted to keep going. With AJ passing away the sense of who Twisted Sister is and how we wanted to be remembered has become very strong. We know guys have members die and they keep going but we don’t want to be that band. After AJ died it seemed like a logical stopping point for us but with one caveat. AJ was the nice guy in the band however he didn’t have any sort of estate planning set up in the event something happened to him. These shows are going to allow us to say our goodbyes to the fans but also help raise some money for AJ’s estate. Along with our love for AJ and with the help of Mike Portnoy who is one hell of a drummer we did a run of shows last year and will be doing some this year as it will be our 40th anniversary. After these show’s that will be it for us. I don’t think anyone would fault us if we wanted to continue on indefinitely however there are other things we have to take in to account besides the loss of AJ. We perform with a very high energy rate and aggressiveness which has become expected of us. I don’t want to let our fans down. With a lot of work at the age of 61 I am still in great shape but no one beats gravity. I don’t want to go down on stage with a broken hip or something. If I did I don’t think the guys would even know something happened because they have seen my roll around on the floor before. (Laughs) Those guys wouldn’t think anything was really wrong until the EMT’s showed up as they probably would just assume I was milking it.

Rock N’ Derby
May 20th-May 22nd 2016
Schaghticoke Fairgrounds, Shaghticoke, NY

Our Score: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Upstate New York came alive on May 20th- 22nd as it hosted the inaugural “Rock N’ Derby” festival in the humble town of Shaghticoke, NY. Despite only being in its infancy the three day event offered a sprawling layout and variety of activities from professional wrestling and demolition derby’s to performances by some of today’s biggest artists including Five Finger Death Punch, Lamb of God, Halestorm, Shinedown and Megadeth.

With more and more multi-day festival popping up around the country it’s hard to figure out which ones are the real deal and which ones are merely just jumping on the band wagon. I am here to tell you that “Rock N’ Derby” is in fact the real deal. Despite being in a rather remote location which require traveling a variety of back roads the 3 day festival was easily one of the most enjoyable concert going experiences I have had. The festival offered plenty of room to move around, ample vendors and facilities including three well placed stages that didn’t require a lot of walking back and forth. To top it off the sound at all three stages was top notch the entire weekend. Though we weren’t able to be on hand for the events first day we talked with plenty of people in attendance who stated that the day’s events were highlighted by some killer performances including those by Lamb of God, Clutch and Five Finger Death Punch. Knowing all of those bands bring incredible live shows I’m sure they set the bar for the rest of the weekend. The main stages for day two of the event kicked off around 2pm with an intense set by the Ohio metal-core band Miss May I. Vocalist Levy Benton and company did an impressive job early in the day setting the standard for those who followed. As we bounced back and forth between the two main stages (the Derby Stage and the Rock Stage) we caught some really great performances by acts such as All That Remains, Chevy Metal featuring Taylor Hawkins of the Foo Fighters and as the day shifted to night Halestorm who put on an impressive set which included a full scale demolition derby taking place in the near fore ground. Closing out the night on the Derby Stage was the always energetic A Day to Remember. The band hit the stage with bursts of giant multi colored confetti and dozens of beach balls which bounced between the stage and crowd. The band sounded great and was very fun to watch as they played to one of the larger crowds of the day. Closing out things on the Rock Stage were thrash legends Anthrax. The NY natives also played before a very large crowd as they shredded through some of their classic back catalog which included songs like “Antisocial”, “Got the Time” before ending the night with “Caught in a Mosh”.

The main stages on the third and final day of the festival started up around 3pm with the hard hitting Trivium commandeering the Derby stage for an hour long set which helped re-energize the crowd from the previous day’s undertakings. Shortly after the opening of the Derby Stage the Rock Stage would be opened by none other than Dokken. Though only Don Dokken and Mick Brown remain from the bands classic eighties line up newer members guitarist Jon Levin and bassist Chris McCarvill handled their duties with ease as the band performed their hour long set. Aside from the days headliners the biggest talk around the grounds on Sunday was the performance of Ghost. The masked Swedish occult themed metal band played an incredible set that not only excited the festival crowd but also conjured up a wind and rain squall that added a different element to the bands theatrical performance. With the weather subsiding shortly after Ghost left the Derby Stage Nikki Sixx and Sixx A.M. got things going on the Rock Stage performing to a slightly dampened crowd. For me the performance matched the poor weather as they were one of the only acts over the three days that didn’t sound good. Sixx’s bass dominated the mix making the rest of the band barely audible and sent us back to the Derby Stage quicker than expected. Coheed and Cambria would take the Derby stage around 7pm putting on a stellar performance. The band was extremely tight making their intricate songs sound as good if not better than the studio recordings. It was great to finally here songs like “The Hardsell” and “A Favor House Atlantic” live as I had up until this day been unable to catch the band live. Needless to say they did not let me down. As the festival slowly started to come to a close Megadeth would be the last artist to take the Rock Stage where despite finding out about the passing of long time band member Nick Menza only a few hours before the group performed like true professionals. Mustain and his crew played a mixture of new and older material including “Hangar 18” and “The Threat is Real” prior to pausing and taking a few somber moments to recognize Nick’s passing. After a heartfelt moment of silence the band closed out the night and the stage with three of their more popular songs “Symphony of Destruction”, “Peace Sells” and “Holy Wars…The Punishment Due”.

While Shinedown was still holding court on the Derby Stage we made our way through the various camping locations and parking lots. Despite the large number of people at the festival things still remained uncluttered and in control. Festival goers moved freely out of the gates as did cars out of the lots. This was something I could greatly appreciate as anyone who has been to a concert of this size knows getting in and out can be one of the worst experiences ever. From our stand point “Rock N’ Derby” was a really fun and well organized event. Great acts, great vendors and a sizeable venue with ample facilities made the entire experience enjoyable and something we hope becomes an annual event.

Festival Line Up:

Friday, May 20th, 2016
Five Finger Death Punch, Lamb of God, Clutch, Parkway Drive, Wolfmother, Pop Evil, Scott Stapp, Corrosion of Conformity,        Red Sun Rising, Wild Throne, Schism

Saturday, May 21st, 2016
A Day To Remember, Halestorm, Anthrax, Chevy Metal, Hollywood Undead, Extreme, State Champs
Sebastian Bach, Bear Tooth, Memphis May Fire, We Came As Romans, All That Remains, Avatar,
Thy Art Is Murder, Stray From The Path, For Today, Cliver, Rings of Saturn

Sunday, May 22nd, 2016
Shinedown, Coheed and Cambria, Megadeth, Sixx A.M., Ghost, Collective Soul, Sevendust, Dokken, Trivium, Enter Shikari,         Born of Osiris, Like A Storm, Currents, Bad Case of Big Mouth

(All photos are Copyrighted and cannot be used without permission)

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“Poison Headache”
Poison Headache
Metal Blade Records
Producer: Phil Sgrosso/Taylor Young
Tracks:

Our Score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

“Poison Headache” is the self titled debut album from the band of the same name. Consisting of vocalist/guitarist Andy Kukta, drummer Kyle Rosa and vocalist/guitarist Phil Sgrosso Poison Headache are releasing their 10 track album via Metal Blade Records. If Sgrosso’s name sounds familiar you may have recognized him as the former guitarist of As I Lay Dying and/or from his current band Wovenwar. Along with Taylor Young, Sgrosso also produced the album which is a unique blend of heavy metal stylings.

Infuse early 80’s NY hardcore with guitar driven modern heavy metal and you have the foundation for the debut album from Poison Headache. The group which originally formed and started writing material several years ago after the demise of the band Internal Affairs was initially just for fun however, over time the idea of doing a full album became more real. Over the course of the album you can clearly tell that the records tracks are sort of a meeting of the minds so to speak as both Kukta and Sgrosso’s signature styles shine through at various points. The albums opening track “Sin Eater” along with tracks like “Rot With Me” and “Never Again” lean more to Kukta’s hardcore roots while tracks like “Grey Skies” and “Death’s Design” showcase Sgrosso’s heavy metal back ground. Though the albums cohesiveness is a touch off it was because of this that I kept listening. You never know what is in-store with each subsequent track. This not only made the album fun to listen to but also added to its over all appeal.

Fans of the trio’s previous works and various groups will certainly want to pick up a copy of “Poison Headache”. The album not only showcases the member’s musical roots but blends each member’s uniqueness and what it may lack in cohesiveness it makes up for in raw energy and power.

Track Listing:
1.) Sin Eater
2.) Pity the Backseat
3.) Rot with Me
4.) Conspirator
5.) Gray Skies
6.) Benumbed
7.) Death’s Design
8.) Hail, Colossus
9.) Never. Again.
10.) Discloser

Punk mainstay Harley Flanagan is often recognized as one of the most influential members of the NY hardcore/punk scene of the early 1980’s. His band the Cro-Mags set the early standard for hardcore which is still followed and recognized to this day. Harley recently released his first solo album titled “Cro-Mags” and Media Mikes had the chance to speak with him recently about the album, his trials and tribulations with his former band and also about his upcoming book.

Ryan Albro: At what moment did you decided it was time to release your first solo album?

Harley Flanagan: I had some ideas in my head that I had been working on and at one point I was fortunate enough to have some studio time made available to me so I decided that I was going to use that time to start laying down some demos. From there one thing led to another and it wound up turning into this album.

RA: What was the writing process like working on a solo album versus previous albums?

HF: It was really the same process as I am the guy who came up with riffs. Back in the old days, I would have be recording them on a cassette player or when I was living with Squatch I used to call up Parris’s house and tell him not to pick up the phone so I could hum riffs on his answering machine. He’d learn the riffs and then we’d meet up later and we’d play them together. Now I sit around the house and record them on my phone. Whenever a riff comes I put it down and I work with it. I had a ton of riffs on my phone and when the studio time became available I went in and just waded through everything and picked out a bunch that I thought had an old school type of feel. I wanted to write a bunch of short songs that just come in, punch you in the face and walk right over you. I actually wrote everything believe it or not on an acoustic. I am actually thinking about releasing an acoustic version online just for fun because that’s how this whole album was originally recorded

RA: What made you decide to name the album Cro-Mags, considering the issues you have with the band?

HF: I basically felt like it was time for me to reclaim something that is rightfully mine. All bullshit aside, my hand has always been extended to those guys and even after all the shit went down at Webster Hall and along with everything else, my hand is still extended. The fact of the matter is that so called band is just John and occasionally Matthew. There’s nobody playing in that so-called band that has ever written a Cro-mags song and the Cro-mags have not written a song since I haven’t been involved. They are like a tribute band doing songs and other covers. This new record sounds more like Cro-Mags than anything anybody’s done since. I’m taking back the name. That magic is never going to be recaptured without everyone being involved. I believe that and I know that and that’s why I’m the sentimental fool that’s always fucking extending my hand to these guys, but obviously it doesn’t mean as much to those guys as it does to me. The good that game out of it far outweighs the bad, but unfortunately there has been a lot of bad. For me that whole interruption in 2012 and then putting out this album and really venting my feelings about that moment has been a real positive thing for me because it has helped me exorcise a lot of those demons.

RA: You also have a book coming out can you tell us about that?

HF: As far back as I can remember people have been telling me I should write a book, at least going back to like the 80’s but, I never really wanted to. Despite being told I have some really great stories it’s just never been something I had the desire to do. When I was going through some particularly tough times in my life I started thinking that in case anything happens I do want my side of the story to get out. I already knew that hardcore had made enough of an impact culturally where there would inevitably be books written and bullshit said and bullshit told. I was like I’m going to get my side of this out and I’m going to tell my story, the actual story. If I don’t I’m going to wind up with some asshole telling my life story the way they perceived it or the way they want it told to serve their purpose. I started writing everything down that I could remember going back as far as I could to my early childhood. Over the years of working on it I kept going back and fact checking and, double checking and, confirming facts with my family members. My mom was helpful with that before she passed away. I did a lot or research on everything. I wrote this book with the intention of it being something that people would want to read and them to see what it was like living in that time period through the eyes of a child, through the eyes of someone that was there growing up in it. There has been a lot of books about punk rock but there haven’t been any written by someone who was 10 years old when this happened. It goes through my whole life. It starts off with the day that Webster Hall went down and then right when that started to erupt it goes back to my early childhood and it retraces everything through as much as I could. Obviously I had to cut a lot of shit out or it would have been like a 10,000 page book but I wound up getting an editor and after everything was written and really narrowed down to the most powerful stuff. People can get a taste of what will be in the book if they check out www.harleyflanagan.com

RA: Lastly, What are your plans for touring in support of the new album?

HF: I have looked into doing some shows and some touring but so far the right show hasn’t come up. I work 6 days a week, I love my job, I love the people I work with and I love being home with my wife and spending as much time with my kids as I can. For me to get out there and tour it has to be the right shows. When the book comes out I will definitely be doing a book tour and, the idea is I would like to try and book shows that coincide with that so I can perhaps do a book thing during the day and maybe a show that same evening in the same city. That way you can kill two birds with one stone while having fun.

“Songs From The Garage”
Jim Breuer and the Loud & Rowdy
Metal Blade Records
Producer: Rob Caggiano
Tracks: 11

Our score: 2 out of 5 stars

Accomplished comedian Jim Breuer has been mixing his love of heavy metal into his stand up acts for years. Be it through real life stories, impersonations and even adding a live band to portions of his comedy shows. “Songs From The Garage” is the debut music album from the actor/comedian who was a staple on “Saturday Night Live” during the late 90’s. Produced by former Anthrax and current Volbeat guitarist Rob Caggiano the album features 11 tracks which combine in your face guitars and drums with Breuer’s off kilter comedic stylings.

From his portrayal of “Goat Boy” on SNL to his role as the lovable stoner Brian in “Half Baked” Jim Breuer’s comedy is something that I have grown up with so, when I heard he was going to put out an album of actual metal music I couldn’t wait to check it out. Sadly what I found on the albums 11 tracks was a mediocre comedy album with a band playing your typical 80’s style metal in the back ground. There really was just nothing spectacular here. Not even a guest appearance by long time AC/DC front man Brian Johnson on the track “Mr. Rock n Roll” could turn this around for me. Knowing Jim’s love of heavy music and the fact that his backing band consists of Mike Tichy, Joe Vigliotti and Metal Mike Chlasciak (all great players) the two just didn’t mesh well and came off as stale and forced. Aside from a few fun titles like “Raising Teenage Girls” and “Be a Dick 2nite” I just couldn’t find anything that I would listen to more than once.

When a performer crosses mediums it can go one of two ways, either really well or in the case of “Songs From the Garage” really bad. I appreciate the attempt that Breuer and company made on the record however I was torn between the mix of comedic tracks and those that were more serious as it caused me to question the direction of the album. Was it meant to be a serious attempt at a metal record or just another comedy record with musical elements? I think the album would have come off as way more cohesive if that common element was defined clearly. Yes I understand Jim Breuer is a comedian so there will undoubtedly be comedic elements to his works but, knowing his level of musical fandom especially when it comes to rock and heavy metal music it makes me question why he did this the way he did.

Track Listing:
1.) Thrash
2.) Raising Teenage Girls
3.) Old School
4.) Be a Dick 2nite
5.) My Rock n Roll Dream
6.) Mr. Rock n Roll
7.) Who’s Better Than Us?!
8.) Family Warrior
9.) Sugar Rush
10.) Wannabe
11.) The Unexplained

You may recognize Phil Sgrosso as the guitarist for bands such as As I Lay Dying and Wovenwar However, not one to sit idle for any length of time Phil is back with yet another new band, Poison Headache. The 3 piece power trio is set to release their self-titled debut album in June via Metal Blade Records and Media Mikes had the pleasure of speaking with Phil recently about the group’s formation, the albums creation and the status of his other projects.

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

Phil Sgrosso: Andy Kukta the bands other guitarist/co-vocalist and Kyle Rosa our drummer had been friends for quite some time and this sort of started up when I was with As I Lay Dying. Andy is a fellow riff writer who was looking to put a band together after his previous one broke up. He reached out to Kyle and I and we would jam off and on when I wasn’t out with my current band. Nothing serious really came of it until we had enough songs to make up an album. We decided that’s what we were going to do and got Metal Blade Records on board and they were super supportive of the whole thing which was great. Things were a bit slow starting out but we are now ready to kick things into the next gear and get going.

AL: Where did Poison Headache fit in during that period of time where As I Lay Dying was ending and Wovenwar was beginning?

PS: It was something we wanted to do and during that time I actually had the time to do it. We were just waiting for that window to open. Now that we are making a go of this we have to make the most out of it. I don’t for see Wovenwar being as busy as it was when we first started. It will still be an active band but I want to be doing as many musical projects as I can be. I don’t want to put all of my eggs in one basket because if I have another band that I really love doing that’s something I want to be able to go out and do. So far this year I have the Poison Headache album coming, we are finalizing the second Wovenwar record and I also have been out on tour with the band Saosin as well as one called Nails who I also have been touring with. I try to fill my schedule with as many musical things as I can to keep me busy and going.

AL: What type of adjustment period did you have to allow yourself for going from playing/writing in 5 piece bands to now doing the same for a 3 piece band?

PS: It is a very different animal. With all the bands I have done I tend to like being the overseer of things. When I have someone like Andy writing a lot of stuff and I can play the producer role on the songs he has written which allows me to hone in on his vision within that role. In a way its easier being in a three piece but there is still a lot of work. You have to take on more roles that may be delegated to another member in a bigger band. Knowing that I have that type of control over things I can process things the way I do. There is a little bit of a different mentality especially with gear and such. We both want to play guitar live so we have to be creative with our tones and things like that. Once we start moving into the live stage of things we will have all that stuff figured out. Vocally it takes a lot of practice to build up your stamina to be able to do a whole song and not just backup vocals and then to take it further being able to perform an entire set.

AL: How do you separate your roles as Producer and Performer?

PS: You have to really rely on your band to produce you when you are in that type of situation. What’s nice about a three piece is you ask the other two guys what they think and their cool with it that’s really it. I really trust Andy and Kyle’s opinions so I think that’s what keeps me in check when I am trying to oversee the big picture of things. I feel trust and respect is the foundation of any relationship so the fact that we have that together along with being on the same creative page has made things very easy.

AL: Is a majority of what makes up the album material Andy had written or is there new material you all contributed to on here as well?

PS: I would say probably a third of the album is stuff Andy had written with another third of it being stuff I had written. The other third was probably pieced together from things the three of us had written together. Andy and I are both capable of writing a complete song and seeing its vision so we bounce a lot of ideas off of one another. I can say that Andy’s approach and style has been the inspiration behind the sound of the band.

AL: The album has a very hardcore meets thrash sound to it. Was this sound something that evolved over time or was it present from the very beginning?

PS: I think having that hardcore type feel or groove is something completely Andy. When I hear the album and a part like that comes on, I can say that’s totally Andy. Kyle is a very dynamic drummer that is able to adapt to that which is certainly a strength. That’s the type of music that we like and want to play so when we can include those elements we enjoy that. There is one track on the record called “Be Numbed” which is an instrumental track that I wrote to break things up a little. That track has more of a shoe-gazing, post metal vibe. We just sort of threw in things here or there which we may have not done yet. I don’t think there was ever an instance where we said “no we can’t do that”. If a song called for something we went for it. This really helped push our creativity.

AL: What types of touring plans are in place for you guys at this point?

PS: It’s tough for any new band to get out there on the road. We could do that but being older now we have more responsibilities. We just can’t go jump in the van for a tour and come home with no money and be ok with that like we did when we were teenagers. We all want to have jobs and security for our families so with Poison Headache we plan to build gradually within out scene in Southern California. I also co-own a venue with two of the other guys in Wovenwar with my wife acting as the promoter so we know a lot of bands and we feel that’s a smart way for us to start. From there we will see what opportunities come our way.

AL: Where are things at with the upcoming Wovenwar album?

PS: Things were a bit different when we shifted from As I Lay Dying to Wovenwar. We had become this machine and had gotten used to a certain way of doing things that when we had the rug sort of pulled out from under us we tried using that same design with Wovenwar. We had to step back and realize that we were still a new band despite our previous work together. The business side of things is a bit different and where we are at with life now is all different. We have to be smart about what we do. We are all at different stages in our lives with having kids and being married and what not so we all had to look at what we wanted to do and how we could make the band work. We did all of the production ourselves and it is currently being mixed by Nolly from Periphery. Everything is just now entering the final stages.

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Imagine John, a benefit concert for Lift Disability Network, will be performed Saturday, May 21st at 6:00pm on the lawn of The Bear Club at Keene’s Point in Windermere, FL.

Lift Disability Network’s desire is to elevate life in the disability family. Their passionate mission is to inspire individuals and families living with disabilities to discover a new vision for their future. They do this through camps, community events and groups and family care. The Imagine John benefit concert, hosted by Promoting People, will raise funds to help Lift Disabilities provide a permanent home for their outreach and service activities in the West Orange County community.

The artist, Carm Castiglione is a versatile singer and songwriter. He was been performing in cover bands for over three decades, and has impersonated artists such as Maurice Gibb (Bee Gees), John Lennon and Robert Plant (Led Zeppelin) across North American venues. He writes and produces audio for film and licensing placements as well as arranges and composes Classical sheet music. Castiglione is also a secondary school music educator in Canada.

Tickets are available for $40.00 online at liftdisability.net/imagine-john/ or at the door the night of the event. Attendees are encouraged to bring a blanket or lawn chair. Light hors d’oeuvres and beverages will be available for purchase.

Come enjoy a great evening of music and fun and elevate life in the disability community at the same time.

When:              Saturday, May 21, 2016 | 6:00 PM
Where:             The Golden Bear Clubhouse at Keene’s Point
Tickets:            General Admission:  $40      
https://liftdisability.net/event/imagine-john/

Reserve your tickets: (407) 228-8343 at the door May 21, 2016.

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“Misadventures”
Pierce the Veil
Fearless Records
Producer: Dan Korneff
Tracks: 11

Our score: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Post-hardcore heart throb’s Pierce the Veil are back with a brand new studio album titled “Misadventures”. The album which is being released via Fearless Records consists of 11 tracks produced by Dan Korneff (Breaking Benjamin, Paramore) that dig deep into a variety of topics such as self-worth, an individual’s ability to shine and dreams of leaving everything behind for love.

“Misadventures” combines Pierce the Veils energetic, genre blending sound with internal struggles that the bands fan base can surely all relate to. From the albums opening track “Dive In” a track which ungulates back and forth between tempos while a somewhat sinister sample plays in the back ground all while acting as the foundation for what’s to come. Upbeat radio friendly tracks like “Texas Is Forever” and “Circles” were among personal favorites of mine while tracks like “Gold Medal Ribbon” and “Songs For Isabelle” show the band stretching their musicality while not drifting too far from the sound which has made them a common name spoke between cafeteria lunch room tables.

For fans who have worn out their copies of 2012’s “Collide with the Sky” the wait is over as Pierce the Veil’s latest offering showcases the bands progression both personally and professionally while staying true to the sound that got them to where they are today. “Misadventures” is even a great starting point for newer fans of the band as the album is solid incorporation of a number of musical styles which only adds to the albums over all appeal.

Track Listing:

1.) Dive In
2.) Texas Is Forever
3.) The Divine Zero
4.) Floral & Fading
5.) Phantom Power and Ludicrous Speed
6.) Circles
7.) Today I Saw The Whole World
8.) Gold Medal Ribbon
9.) Bedless
10.) Sambuka
11.) Song For Isabelle

Heavy Metal band Trivium released their 7th full length studio album titled “Silence in the Snow” in October of 2015. Since that time the band has been performing at a relentless pace playing to thousands and thousands of fans all across the world. As the summer tour months get closer and closer the band is showing no signs of slowing down. Media Mikes caught up with the bands co-guitarist Cory Beaulieu recently to discuss the latest album, the bands upcoming performance at the inaugural “Rock N’ Derby” event and his thoughts on the changing tour landscape here in the United States.

Adam Lawton: Now that “Silence in the Snow” has been for a few month how do you feel the reception has been not only from a sales stand point but also from live performance reception?

Corey Beaulieu: Every record we put out there is always this quick knee jerk reaction from various places that either love it or think it sucks. A lot of time people build up these expectations in their head of what a record is going to be and if it ends up being something different than they expected there tends to be a negative reaction. There are also people who take their time with a record and really digest it and take it for what it’s worth. A lot of people have come up to us and said they weren’t sure about the album at first but after giving it some time they really like it. The album has been doing great and gotten on radio in a big way. Because of that we have been able to reach new fans that didn’t know who we were. We also have been able to change radio’s perception of who they thought Trivium was. I think there were some out there that thought we were a death metal band from Sweden and weren’t too sure about playing our albums. After meeting us and hearing the new material they have jumped on board and this new exposure here in the States has been really great.

AL: From a player/band stand point is there anything you would want to go back and change about the album?

CB: We spent a lot of time honing in the songs for this album. We knew exactly what type of record we wanted to make and what songs we needed to write. We spent a lot of time jamming and feeling the songs out. We wanted everything to feel very smooth and natural. If something didn’t feel natural we would re-write it. We didn’t stop till every key point we wanted to achieve with the record was done. I don’t think there is anything we would want to change however when you reflect back on a record you look at it and pick out things that you may or may not want to do with the next record. This record is definitely a great step for us and how we plan to do the next one.

AL: How much of the new album has made its way into your live set thus far?

CB: We have been doing a lot of headlining on this album which has allowed us to have longer set times which has been great. So far in the set we have four or five new songs that we have played. We try and balance things out between the newer and older material. Our new drummer has been learning a lot of the older stuff that we haven’t performed in years so to add in some of that stuff along with the new material has been a lot of fun. Each show we have been changing the set list so it’s a little different each night. By doing this we have been able to play a lot more material and we keep working on other songs to add in to the set on different nights and for future tours. I think it would be a lot of fun to be able to play “Breath in the Flames” and “Rise Above the Tides” which are both off the new record so hopefully for the next U.S. run of shows we will be able to debut some of these.

AL: With each album release do you find it harder to fit new material into your sets due to fans wanting to hear a lot of your back catalog?

CB: It seems like every song we rotate in and out fits pretty well. We aren’t switching a real popular one with a more obscure one or anything like that. All of the swaps are pretty equal. I think each of the sets that we play is equally strong regardless. With the internet it seems after you do your first show fans can check out the set list and know what you are playing ahead of time. It’s cool being able to swap sets because people come in not knowing what we are going to be playing that night. That brings back the excitement of not knowing what’s going to be played and makes for a cool surprise. Also with our new drummer learning more and more of our back catalog and by us adding in stuff here and there people will see that we are trying to cover all of our history and by doing that we hope more people will come out to the shows and see what we bring. Every show is different and the excitement that fans want is there each night.

AL: What are your thoughts on the recent climate shift in touring here in the States where we are seeing less multi-city traveling festivals and more single city weekend festivals similar to what have been done in Europe for quite a long time now?

CB: There is definitely more of a Euro style going on as of late. Weekend destination festivals are a model that has worked in Europe for twenty plus years. Traveling festivals like Mayhem and Ozz-fest were great in that they helped break a lot of bands but a lot of those shows took place during the week when a lot of fans were working an unable to attend. With shows shifting to a more weekend based time frame more fans are able to attend. People fly in from all over for these types of shows. Festivals like “Rock on the Range”, “Knot-Fest” and “Rock N Derby” show that this type of model is working here and are very popular.

AL: Outside of the bands appearances at various festivals this summer what other plans does the band have?

CB: “Rock N’ Derby” is actually our last show on this run of shows. After that we have a little time off then we head over to Germany to start a Euro festival run that is four weeks of shows over there. After that we are taking some time off from touring but will be working on other band related work. After that we are looking to finalize a fall headlining tour that will start in September and run through October. There is also potential for us to hit some new territories in the winter months and then wrapping up the album cycle early next year with another possible European run. You never know what else may pop up in between now and then though.

“The Concrete Confessional”
Hatebreed
Nuclear Blast
Producer: Chris “Zuess” Harris
Tracks: 13

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

The kings of Connecticut hardcore Hatebreed are back with their first new album in three years titled “The Concrete Confessional”. The album which is being released via Nuclear Blast was produced by Chris Harris features 13 brand new tracks from the New Haven natives and serves as the follow up release to the bands 2013 album “The Divinity of Purpose”.

Hatebreed come out swinging with their latest offering “The Concrete Confessional”. Packed with crushing guitar riffs and brilliant break downs there’s very little (if anything) missing from this release. Front-man Jamey Jasta sounds as powerful as ever while the rest of the band consisting of Chris Beattie, Wayne Lozinak, Matt Byrne and, Frank Novinec provide equally impressive performances over the course of the albums 13 aggressive tracks. Songs like the albums opening track “A.D.” and “Us Against Us” hit you square between the eyes pummeling your senses while tracks like “Seven Enemies” and “Slaughtered In Their Dreams” feature a slightly slower pace yet still retain the bands ferocity and drive. From a production standpoint the album has a solid mix that does a great job showcasing the bands signature sound. Despite a lot of the songs being in lower tuning registers tones sound equally audible and lively on both headphones and larger speakers.

If you are looking for something to kick start your senses grab a copy of “The Concrete Confessional” and go to town! From start to finish the album is pure intensity as it will quickly take your adrenaline levels to the extreme. Any fan of hardcore/metal music will want to check this album out as it is truly a solid piece of musical work.

Track Listing:
1.) A.D.
2.) Looking Down the Barrel of Today”
3.) Seven Enemies
4.) In the Walls
5.) From Grace We’ve Fallen
6.) Us Against Us
7.) Something’s Off
8.) Remember When
9.) Slaughtered in Their Dreams
10.) The Apex Within
11.) Walking the Knife
12.) Dissonance
13.) Serve Your Masters