Megadeth’s Dave Ellefson and Chris Broderick talk about their work with group Metal Allegiance

Dave Ellefson and Chris Broderick are probably best known for their work in Megadeth however over the past couple of months the duo have appeared as part of Metal Allegiance. The all-star group along with Ellefson and Broderick the group features Alex Skolnick, Chuck Billy, Frankie Bello, Charlie Benante, Scott Ian and a long list of others. The who’s who of metals top players performed their first show as a part of Motorheads inaugural “Motor Boat Cruise” this past month. Media Mikes spoke with Chris and Dave about the creation of the group, experiences from that first show and what they are most looking forward to about performing with the group here in the States in January.

Adam Lawton: Can you tell us how a group like this came together?
Dave Ellefson: Mark Menghi is the guy who put this thing together. Back when we were doing the Big 4 shows with Slayer, Anthrax and Metallica, Mark had put me and Frank Bello from Anthrax together for a couple of bass clinics. That developed into a couple shows put on by our sponsors called “Metal Masters”. After we finished those dates up Mark and I kept talking about keeping the concept of the shows together but develop a little bit further. “Motor Boat” was where the first real chance to try this idea happened. It was very last minute as there was a ccancellationby one of the headliners. I knew Chris and I were going to be there as was everyone else we had talked about so I called Mark right away. The show was really great and set a lot of what we are going to be doing in the coming months in motion.

AL: Was there any nervousness to get up their being everything was so short notice?
Chris Broderick: Absolutely none! (Laughs) I was so ready to get on that boat and just play. I thought the Metal Allegiance idea was great. It helped keep my ticket on the boat. (Laughs) We had such a great time jamming with everyone. Very rarely do you get an opportunity like this one to play with all these different guys. It’s a killer opportunity to play and hang out with some great people. I do have to say the only reservation I had was hanging out with Mark Menghi. (Laughs)

AL: What was it like performing a set that was mostly improvised?
DE: We usually start determining some sort of set list through an email thread. You can only imagine what an email thread made up of 12 metal heads looks like. Things get crazy quite quickly. At one point playing the “Love Boat” theme was mentioned. The cool part is that everyone involved is really talented and between all of us we can play just about everything. We of course throw in some of our band’s songs but we wanted to go back to playing some of the songs we grew up listening to and learning. Songs by Kiss, Deep Purple and Judas Priest were all mentioned. Of course the set changes from night to night and after the first night we did this we were having dinner with Alex Skolnick and we asked him to come up and do some songs. Alex brought in a whole bunch of songs he knew. Before we knew it we had the entire first side of Van Halen 1. Right before we walked on stage we all sat down at this little table and figured out what we were going to do. We are all like a bunch of kids when we get up there. It’s like forming a band and you keep adding all these amazing players. It’s fun to have those types of moments.

AL: Is there one guy who sort of runs the show when you are doing these type of shows?
DE: We default to Mark Menghi. He is sort of the voice of reason and sanity. When you throw a bunch of gun slinging, metal heads together it tends to turn in to one giant beer drinking brawl. Someone has to come in and make sense out of everything. You do really need that one guy to be the musical leader because I feel it’s important to stay within certain parameters. We don’t want this to come off as being too watered down so the music we do is all metal and hard rock. Its music fans of our regular bands might be into as a lot of them are our age and grew up on the same music.

AL: How does playing in a setting like Metal Allegiance differ from that of Megadeth?
CB: There is a lot more improvisation going on. We rehearse the songs on our own and then we just get up there and do them. When we go up there with Megadeth were doing the same songs night after night. It becomes almost like rope memory. With this you never know where everyone is going to be and there is a much freer flowing feel to things. Each performance is a onetime thing which gives you moments that can never be duplicated.

AL: Is this project something we could be seeing more of in the near future?
DE: Once we did the first show the phone hasn’t stopped ringing since. It’s going to be great bringing this show to the House of Blues to kick off NAMM. This type of group is perfect for these events. Outside of those bigger event settings promoters want us to do tour dates all over the world. Our bands separately would tough to get on one bill at one time. Metal Allegiance makes things a little more possible because you bring in the key members from these bands and we can just keep everything loose with a jam feel. The whole thing is about getting a specific vibe.

AL: With you guys being a part of NAMM will you be unveiling any new music equipment at this year’s shows?
DE: I have a brand new signature bass coming out called Kelly Bird 5. This is my 4th signature model with Jackson and lots of them have been rolling out which is really been great. The new model just came out and I am really excited for people to check it along with the other gear I endorse.
CB: I have a hard tail version of my Chris Broderick signature series guitar. This model is going to be offered through the USA custom series. I am not sure if it we will be completely ready by NAMM but it will be out the early part of 2015.

AL: Can you give us a quick update on the new Megadeth album?
DE: The plan is to go into the studio in January. Generally there is never a specific date we put on an albums release as we want to make sure the songs we choose are the best fit for our style. We have quite a bit of material to go through right now.

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Filed Under: Interviews, Music Interviews Tagged With: allegiance, broderick, chris, dave, ellefson, group, ...

Book Review “Death Punch’d: Surviving Five Finger Death Punch’s Metal Mayhem”

“Death Punch’d: Surviving Five Finger Death Punch’s Metal Mayhem”
Author: Jeremy Spencer
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Dey Street Books

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

From the cofounder and drummer of Five Finger Death Punch Jeremy Spencer, “Death Punch’d: Surviving Five Finger Death Punch’s Metal Mayhem” is an inside account of one of today’s most successful heavy metal bands. The book is a revealing, personal journey told first hand by Spencer about the highs and lows of the rock and roll lifestyle. From the group’s early and from all point in between its all here told candidly by the man who lived it.

Very rarely do you get a tell book from a band member who’s still in the band they gained notoriety with let alone who is still selling out arenas around the world at the time of the books release. However Jeremy Spencer’s “Death Punch’d: Surviving Five Finger Death Punch’s Metal Mayhem” is the exception to that rule. From his earliest exposure to music to his first encounters with drugs and alcohol everything is here in this book. Even stories about the bands infighting and uncertainties about one another are included in this book. Again very rarely do you get this kind of access from a group who is still together and at the top of their game. Spencer tell it like it is approach really gives the book character while adding to each story compiled for the book.

At times I did find the books layout to be a bit confusing as past and present events are mixed among chapters. However this gave the book more of a real feel as it was felt like you were in the room listening to these tales from the road with the man himself. Throw in a slew of never before seen color photos and you have the making of a stand out biography worth checking out whether you’re a fan of the band or not.

 

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Filed Under: Book Reviews Tagged With: book, death, finger, mayhem, metal, punchd, ...

CCE Presents DeLand Rock & Metal Festival set for November 7-9th – 3 Days – 50 Bands!

The DeLand Rock & Metal Festival has just finished booking its 5th installment of it’s ever growing Rock and Heavy Metal event. This Fall, The Deland Rock & Metal Festival will host it’s first multi-day, with camping event. The festival will feature bands from all over the east coast, one from Puerto Rico and also DeLand’s very own, Seven Kingdoms. Tickets are on sale, and it is expected to draw 800-1000 over the weekend at OBs in North Deland. This year will also include local business vendors ranging from Vapor products, beef jerky, chocolates and jewelry all the way to CD and Merch tents.

Visit the event page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/468548056578993

The Deland Rock & Metal Festival is BACK for its FALL edition!!!

This FALL FESTIVAL will be a MULTI-DAY Event!

NOV 7 – PREPARTY
NOV 8 – FESTIVAL – DAY 1
NOV 9 – FESTIVAL – DAY 2

Camping will be available overnight on festival grounds!

TICKETS ONSALE SCHEDULE:

-ALL INCLUSIVE BADGE (VIP and Camping)
ON-SALE-NOW – $95
http://ccepresents.bigcartel.com/product/deland-rock-metal-festival-all-inclusive-pass-vip-camping

VIP PASS only: ON SALE NOW – $65
http://ccepresents.bigcartel.com/product/deland-rock-metal-festival-vip-pass-only

CAMPING PASS only ON SALE NOW – $30
http://ccepresents.bigcartel.com/product/deland-rock-metal-festival-camping-pass-only

General Admission prices:
Preparty – $12
Saturday Festival – $25
Sunday Festival – $15

**VIP BADGE** – $65
– VIP FOIL LAMINATE
– EVENT T-SHIRT
– EVENT POSTER
– Masters Of Metal Productions Sampler CD
– **FREE ADMISSION** to the PreParty
– ENTRY TO SATURDAY AND SUNDAY
– 22oz SOUVENIR DR&MF BEER MUG
– EXCLUSIVE DRAFT BEER / CIDER OUTSIDE WITH BEER MUG ONLY
– VIP BAR and PATIO LOUNGE ACCESS
– ONLY **100** AVAILABLE

CAMPING INFO:
Camping will be PER PERSON – $30
– CAMPING STICKER CREDENTIAL
– Camping Friday, Saturday, Sunday nights
– HOT DELUXE BREAKFAST Saturday and Sunday Mornings
– ONLY **100* CAMPING STICKERS AVAILABLE
**we will be in touch with all our campers to see who is sharing tents – paid per person because we are including breakfast for campers**

More info, Bands, Lineups to be announced! 50 bands!

FRIDAY – NOVEMBER 7th **PREPARTY**
-OB’s MAINSTAGE-
1|6:15-6:45 – Stand Well Among Giants – Post Hardcore from Orlando
2|7:00-7:30 – Almost Winter – Metalcore from Orlando
3|7:45-8:15 – Unsung Hero – Metal/Hard Rock from Tampa
4|8:30-9:00 – Cover The Sun – Rock/Metal from Orlando
5|9:15-9:45 – ShadowStrike – Power Metal from NY
6|10:00-10:45 – Judicator – Power Metal from Tuscon, AZ
7|11:00-11:30 – Project: Roenwolfe – Power Metal from AZ/FL
8| 11:45-12:30 – Fathom’s Pass – Prog/Power from Tampa

SATURDAY – NOVEMBER 8th
-FESTIVAL STAGE-
1|12:00-12:30 – Koffity – Metal from Panama City
3|1:00-1:30 – Sinister Circle – Metal from Tampa
5|2:00-2:30 – All Hell – Death Metal from Longwood
7|3:00-3:30 – Atlas – Metal from Melbourne, FL
9|4:00-4:30 – Darkness Rising – Metal from Deltona
11|5:00-5:30 – Sarcophagi – Deathcore from Pensacola
13|6:00-6:30 – The Bride Wore Blood – Deathcore from Orlando
15|7:00-7:30 – Orbweaver – Experimental Metal from Miami
17|8:00-8:30 – Promethean Horde – Death Metal from Tampa
19|9:00-9:30 – Ovid’s Withering – Death Metal from Tampa
21|10:15-11:00 – Warforged – Death Metal from Chicago

-OB’s MAINSTAGE-
2|12:30-1:00 – Slow Motion Suicide – Metal from Jacksonville
4|1:30-2:00 – Denied Til Death – Death Metal from Jacksonville
6|2:30-3:00 – Martyr’s Asylum – HardRock from Orlando
8|3:30-4:00 – Psykotribe – Metal from Tampa
10|4:30-5:00 – Impurity – Death Metal from Gainesville
12|5:30-6:00 – Death Before Dying – Death Metal from Panama City
14|6:30-7:00 – City Of Stages – Metalcore from Orlando
16|7:30-8:00 – Zafakon – Death/Thrash from Puerto Rico
18|8:30-9:00 – Thrash Or Die – Thrash from Miami
20|9:30-10:15 – Abdomen Canvas -Death Metal from Orlando
22|11:00-11:45 – Visceral Disgorge – Slam Death from Baltimore
23|12:00-1:00 – Massacre – Death Metal from Florida

SUNDAY – NOVEMBER 9th
-FESTIVAL STAGE-
1|12:00-12:30 – Primitive Hard Drive – Rock from Jacksonville
3|1:00-1:30 – Jack Mantra – Rock from Brandon
5|2:00-2:30 – Armor Of God – Power Metal from Orlando
7|3:00-3:30 – Slikk Wikked – Metal from Tampa
9|4:00-4:30 – Chernobyl – Heavy Metal from Orlando
11|5:00-5:30 – Archangel – Thrash/Heavy Metal from Tampa
13|6:00-6:30 – Maverick Hunter – Heavy Metal from Tampa
15|7:00-7:30 – Everthrone – Epic, Symphonic Metal from SC
17|8:05-8:50 – Draekon – Symphonic Metal from Indiana
19|9:35-10:20 – Widow – Traditional Metal from NC

-OB’s MAINSTAGE-
2|12:30-1:00 – The Hanging Chads – Hard Rock from Tampa
4|1:30-2:00 – Embrace The Envy – Metal from Orlando
6|2:30-3:00 – Absolon – Goth/Power Metal from Orlando
8|3:30-4:00 – Frostfang – Thrash Metal from St. Pete
10|4:30-5:00 – Skyliner – Power Metal from Jacksonville
12|5:30-6:00 – Sons Of Ragnar – Viking Metal from Longwood
14|6:30-7:00 – Arcsin – Prog/Power from Miami
16|7:30-8:05 – MindMaze – Female Fronted Power Metal from PA
18|8:50-9:35 – A Sound of Thunder – Female Fronted Power Metal from DC
20|10:20-11:20 – Seven Kingdoms – Power Metal from DeLand

MISC INFO:
Your EXCLUSIVE draft beer and cider will be Yuengling and Angry Orchard. VIPs you will be the only people allowed to even have draft beer at the festival, all others are bottles/mixdrinks. Fillups will range (depending) from $4-$6 for whichever one you want and 22oz of it! you will get 10 tickets per day, which you will need to use each time you pay for a fill up. Its super exclusive draft just for you! IF YOU DON’T WANT BEER, there will be bottled water and Soda fillups for $1. PLEASE REMEMBER you will not be able to get the special draft, if you BUY THE CUP ALA CARTE at the fest, YOU MUST be a VIP holder! CAMPING BREAKFAST will be open each fest morning from 8AM-10AM. We will have Eggs, Bacon, Sausage, Biscuits & Gravy, Toast, Coffee and Orange Juice. Breakfast will be open for TWO HOURS. Breakfast will also go on sale, ala carte for those that didnt camp, that are Hungry, however we are only guaranteeing enough breakfast/per day for presold camping passes, so get your camping and breakfast passes!

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Filed Under: Music Headlines Tagged With: 3, 50, 79th, bands, cdeland, days, ...

Playstation 3 Video Game Review “Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Heroes”

Format: Playstation 3
Publisher: Konami
Rated: Mature
Media: Video Game
Release Date: March 18, 2014

Our Score: 3 out of 5 stars

When I told a friend that I was playing the newest “Metal Gear Solid” game, he was like “How did I miss that?” Well if you are wondering the same don’t worry since “Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Heroes” is a prologue to the upcoming full game “Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain”, which is set to be released TBA 2015. This game is meant to get you excited and get your mouth watering. If you are looking to sit back and get immersed in the whole of “MGS” you might want to wait for the full game because this game is real short. I was able to fly through the campaign in nearly two hours. I would have to recommend this to those who are simply foaming at the mouth and can’t wait till next year to get some more Snake action.

Official Premise: World-renowned Kojima Productions showcases the latest masterpiece in the Metal Gear Solid franchise with Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes. Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes (on sale Spring 2014) is the first segment of the ‘Metal Gear Solid V Experience’ and prologue to the larger second segment, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain launching thereafter. MGSV: GZ gives core fans the opportunity to get a taste of the world-class production’s unparalleled visual presentation and gameplay before the release of the main game. It also provides an opportunity for gamers who have never played a Kojima Productions game, and veterans alike, to gain familiarity with the radical new game design and unparalleled style of presentation. The critically acclaimed Metal Gear Solid franchise has entertained fans for decades and revolutionized the gaming industry. Kojima Productions once again raises the bar with the FOX Engine offering incredible graphic fidelity and the introduction of open world game design in the Metal Gear Solid universe. This is the experience that core gamers have been waiting for.

I do have to give the same props for being very visual. In fact during the opening credits cut-scene, my wife walked in the room and said “What movie you watching, Mike?” and didn’t even realize that this was a game. To me that gives a real thumbs up to the game. Now, this was only on Playstation 3, so I cannot even imagine how good it would look on Playstation 4. Stealth is key in this game and definitely not for those who like to run in shoot and ask questions later, but obviously if you are familiar with the series this is no surprise. So whether you play on Normal or Hard, the challenge is very present, which should make hardcore fans happy.

Even though the main campaign is quite short. There is a still some decent replay value to enjoy if you take your time and poke around a bit. There are several side missions, which can be unlocked by finding XOF badges. I also felt that the general plot for this game was much darker than usual for this series, but that wasn’t entirely a bad thing. The game also features a strong voice cast including Kiefer Sutherland (“TV’s “24”) as Snake and Tara Strong (“My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic”) as Paz Ortega Andrade.

The timeline for the game is set in 1975, so it falls between “Peace Walker (1975)” and the original “Metal Gear (1995)” even though is obviously leads into “The Phantom Pain”, which is set in 1985 but I am basing it in terms of released games. This is also the first “Metal Gear Solid” game to explore the option of an open world giving players total freedom on how to play. So for $29.99, it all comes down to how hardcore of a fan are you for this series. Even though I went back and go to explore a little more after the main campaign, I finished this game just feeling a bit unsatisfied and wanting more.

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Filed Under: Game Reviews Tagged With: 3, 5, game, gear, ground, heroes, ...

Don Jamieson talks about VH1’s “That Metal Show” & new comedy album “Hell Bent for Laughter”

Don Jamieson is a veteran stand-up comedian who can be seen weekly on VH1 Classics popular television series “That Metal Show”. Along with co-host Jim Florentine and Eddie Trunk the trio spread the word of all things metal while incorporating in studio interviews with everyone from Zakk Wylde to Steve Harris of Iron Maiden. Media Mikes spoke with Don recently about his work on the show and about his upcoming comedy album titled “Hell Bent for Laughter”.

Adam Lawton: How did you first get connected with Eddie Trunk?
Don Jamieson: Jim Florentine and I were fans of Eddie’s radio show which is on here in the NY/NJ area. We usually always listened to his show on our way back from some awful comedy gig that was out in the middle of nowhere that we didn’t get paid for. The only solace we would have from those crappy gigs back in the day was to get in to the “Trunk Zone”. On his show Eddie would talk about all the bands that we grew up listening to and really loved. Eddie was just like as so we had to meet him. Today they call it stalking (laughs) but we basically just walked around some shows until we found him and we all ended up becoming best friends. It’s great to all be working together on the VH1 Classic show.

AL: What were the first ideas mentioned about doing the show?
DJ: After we had become friends with Eddie he would have us on his radio show as guests and we were basically doing what would become the television show however on the radio at that time. We just talked about music and sat in when there were guests. We broke each other’s balls then just like we do now and there was some good chemistry there. We figured we would try and find someone crazy enough to put this on television.

AL: What has fan reception been like since returning to New York for season 13?
DJ: We loved doing the show in Los Angeles and being recognized while walking up and down the Sunset Strip was pretty. However were all East Coast guys and we missed taping in New York. I look out in to the audience there and see a lot of the same people who I used to see at L’Amour’s in Brooklyn in 1986. It really is a lot of fun.

AL: Did the push to move back to NY come from you guys or from the fans?
DJ: The network controls everything. We may seem like we are in control of stuff but really we have less control than the Amish. (Laughs)

AL: You guys always seem to be having fun in front of the camera but can you tell us what it’s like behind the scenes?
DJ: There is a lot of farting going on. Not much else goes on other than listening to music while crop dusting one another. (Laughs) We usually go over notes a little bit but with all three of us being metal heads now for 35/40 years it’s easy for us to sit down and have a conversation with one another along with our guest/guests. We like to just try and stay loose. We break each other’s balls and have a good time while talking about music.

AL: Has there been one guest in particular that has stuck out as a personal favorite of yours?
DJ: There has been a bunch. I will always love the stuff we did with Brian Johnson, Lemmy and Alice Cooper. I love the classic guys as those are the bands I came up with. Lemmy is seriously like my idol! I wish he would have adopted me. As far as the television show goes I love guests who are very outspoken and who tell it like it is. The season we had Ted Nugent on and to me that’s the ultimate guest. That guy holds nothing back and shoots straight from the hip. Sometimes guys like that can be polarizing but at the same time you know you are going to watch. You can’t wait to see what they are going to say next.

AL: How much of the show would you say is scripted?
DJ: We never plan what we are going to say to one another. That was the tuff part about putting the show together was how three people were going to interview one guest. Luckily we had worked out some of those kinks on the radio over the years. I can look out the corner of my eye and see if Jim or Eddie has a question they want to ask. We have some good non-verbal cues of how we are going to sort things out. We are fans just like the people watching so the questions we ask aren’t scripted. Hopefully we are asking the stuff that fans like us want to know. My favorite interviews are always the ones where you don’t get to the questions you want to ask because things ended up going a totally different but cool way. We just save those questions for when the guest comes back next time.

AL: Can you tell us about some of the things you have going on outside of the show?
DJ: I have my second stand-up album coming out March 18th on Metal Blade Records and it’s called “Hell Bent for Laughter”. This is my second album with them and I did a lot of hard rock and metal jokes as compared to my last album. That has become such a big part of my life and it would be hard to get up on a stage and not talk about that stuff.

AL: Being that you have pretty close ties to the hard/rock metal community do you find yourself checking your material on that subject a little more now than in the past?
DJ: If something gets a laugh on stage I am going to keep doing it. When I did the Orion Festival with Metallica I did some jokes about them with James and Lars right there. If the jokes funny it’s funny and it’s nothing for anyone to get offended by. I think most people know that this stuff comes from the heart. When you are with your buddies you break each other’s balls. That’s how you show affection for one another. You never say just go up to your buddy and say “I love you” unless your drunk in a bar somewhere. (Laughs) You bust on them for 10 minutes and they know you care.

AL: You and the other guys from the show have started doing some live shows together. Do you have any of those coming up in the near future?
DJ: Jim, Eddie and I go out and do these really fun stage shows. Eddie tells a bunch of hilarious rock and roll stories and Jim and I will do some stand-up. We also do some Q&A with the audience which is a lot of fun. Sometimes we bring up special guests if the situation occurs. If people want to find out where we are going to be they can check out my website at www.donjamieson.com or Follow me on Twitter @realdonjamieson

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Filed Under: Interviews, TV Interviews Tagged With: album, bent, comedy, don, jamieson, laughter, ...

Bob Kulick talks about working with Kiss and “Thriller: A Metal Tribute to Michael Jackson” album

Bob Kulick is a Grammy Award winning producer with credentials that read like a who’s who of music royalty. Bob is also the older brother of ex-KISS/ current Grand Funk Railroad guitarist Bruce Kulick, and has performed on stages around the world with groups such as Alice Cooper and Meatloaf. Bob’s newest production project “Thriller: A Metal Tribute to Michael Jackson” was recently released via Cleopatra Records and Media Mikes was fortunate enough to speak with Bob recently about the release and his longtime relationship with KISS.

Adam Lawton: Can you tell us what initially sparked your interest in music?
Bob Kulick: My cousin played guitar and during family functions she would often play her acoustic guitar. My sarcastic, Brooklyn mother would always say things like “why can’t you do something like that”. It was sort of a dare on her part. My cousin started showing me the basics and when The Beatles came out the seed was planted. I do recall that even before that when I was a child in school we went on a trip to the Brooklyn Academy of Music. The orchestra there performed Ravel’s “Bolero”. I remember sitting there with my mouth hanging open and I just started to cry. I couldn’t understand what was happening to me. The gift I was given was announced that day. That was the birth of my gift and I just couldn’t recognize it initially. That was something special. I went on to college and did all that stuff but I still wasn’t happy. My gift was music and that is what I wanted to do. I knew if I applied myself and gave it the one thousand percent that it needs I would get the result I wanted.

AL: Having worked with everyone from Meatloaf to Alice Cooper at what point did you start to notice your transition from a performer to a producer?
BK: Being a studio musician afforded me the look see at people who I probably wouldn’t have ever gotten the chance to work with otherwise. The stuff I did with Diana Ross was one of those instances. She was dating Gene Simmons from Kiss at the time and he called me from the studio one day to ask if I would come in and play a solo. I went in and ended up playing the solo on her number one hit single “Why Do Fools Fall in Love”. Hanging around with people like that and utilizing my brain really helped. I got to watch guys like Eddie Kramer and Tony Bongiovi work so I just watched everything. I never was really interested in engineering as I was more interested in song creation. When I met my mentor Dick Wagner who worked with guys like Lou Reed and Alice Cooper I really got a firsthand look at somebody who was an arranger and a writer. Dick was also the guy who hired me to fill in for Steve Hunter on the Australia/New Zealand leg of the Alice Cooper tour and to play on Mark Farner’s solo record. I learned all the little tricks from him. It also became apparent to me at this time that the business was changing, as was the music. After being out on the road with Meat Loaf, Paul Stanley and Diana Ross my desire to be out on the road constantly had also started to die down. I said to myself that I wanted to try producing so that’s what I did. I met my first partner Billy Sherwood who had a studio here in Los Angeles and when he got the gig in Yes he handed me the keys and I started getting hired to work on projects which included a series of tribute records I did which included a Metallica tribute album that ultimately won me a Grammy. As of late I have started performing more regularly. I have been doing charity gigs as well as some Kiss tribute band gigs. I was part of the pre-Kiss Kruise kick-off party this year in Miami. I also jammed recently with Dick Wagner and Mark Farner at another event. It’s been nice to rekindle that fire and show myself that I can still dish it out. I even still look the same, as I haven’t lost any hair. (Laughs) It was like getting back on a bike after not riding for a while. It’s a blessing to be able to do both and to see and talk to the fans. I am very lucky, blessed and grateful.

AL: You have been working with KISS on and off almost since the bands inception. What do you think has been the biggest contributing factor to that ongoing relationship?
BK: My visibility with the band has been several fold. I have participated not only as a player on records and as part of Paul’s 1989 solo tour but I also have worked with the band as a writer. Even now I still get up and jam with the guys at various Kiss type events. Because of my visibility with the band I have been dubbed the 5th member of KISS. (Laughs) I have played on a number of KISS tracks like “Nowhere to Run”, “Rockin’ in the USA”, “Partners in Crime” “All American Man” and “Larger than Life”. There is quite a wealth of work there. The band has thought of me enough over the years that they even interviewed me recently as part of a new KISS documentary. It’s great that Gene and Paul acknowledge the times we had together. During the time of Paul’s solo album he was by best friend. People always ask me about that experience and what it was like working on that album. It was great! I got to hang out with my best friend. There was no pressure and it was fun. That’s why it came out so good. Paul would show us the songs and we would play them a couple times until we thought we had it and that was it. It was very organic. Everyone was really professional.

AL: Can you tell us about your work on the recently released album “Thriller: A Metal Tribute to Michael Jackson”?
BK: Michael Jackson even after his death is still one of the biggest stars in the world. The second album I did with Diana Ross he wrote the song “Muscles”. I was always fascinated with him and would often ask Diana what was up with him. (Laughs) After the work I did on Dee Snider’s Broadway album and the Frank Sinatra album we decided to take that same attitude and idea and apply it to this record. We weren’t re-writing or changing any of the songs, as we wanted to remain faithful to the originals while at the same time being different. We came up with a tunings that worked and got some guys that could really dish it out. We got some classic metal guys like Chuck Billy and Paul Di’Anno along with Lajon Witherspoon, Corey Glover and Angelo Moore from Fishbone who did an awesome job! We were very lucky to have such a great group of musicians/singers be a part of this record.

AL: Were you involved with the song selection at all?
BK: We worked in conjunction with the label on that but all of the arrangements are my partners and mine. No one came to us with arrangements ahead of time, as these types of albums don’t generally work that way. We usually will cut the song as a template and then send it out to someone to see if they would be interested in doing it or not. By doing that the artist gets to see maybe not the finished product but they have the framework of what it is.

AL: Having done a number of tribute albums what is it that interests you in these types of projects?
BK: Some projects are harder to do than others. So the idea of putting together a track say for instance the Chuck Berry song “Run Rudolph Run” which we did for the Metal Christmas CD and getting guys like Lemmy, Billy Gibbons and Dave Grohl as the band is just crazy. No one but me is doing things like that. I am the guy who comes up with these creations. A lot of times the creations are what make the people want to show up and be a part of these projects. That’s how Tim “Ripper” Owens got connected with Yngwie Malmsteen. I put them on a track together and Yngwie loved it! For me it’s all about making exciting concepts of these songs through the arrangements and through the combination of people who play and sing on them. The word tribute really is just a title. People have been covering songs for years and I am a guy who likes to stir the pot. It’s just music which is about the fun and I like to push the envelope.

AL: Can you tell us about any other projects you are currently working on?
BK: I worked on a song for Dee Snider and Giuliana Rancic from the E! Channel which available now on ITunes. We did a very unique arrangement of “Silent Night”. This is a really cool version of the song as you don’t know what you are getting until you start listening. I also have a few other projects in the works however I can’t announce any of those just yet. I also have been working with my brother Bruce on some songs that we hope to have out early next year. The idea with these songs is to keep things within the boundaries of our audience. We want to make songs that people who enjoy our work will like.

 

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Filed Under: Interviews, Music Interviews Tagged With: album, bob, jackson, kiss, kulick, metal, ...

CD Review “Thriller: A Metal Tribute to Michael Jackson”

Various Artists
“Thriller: A Metal Tribute to Michael Jackson”
Cleopatra Records
Producer: Bob Kulick
Tracks: 13

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

When you think of heavy metal your probably not instantly thinking of Michael Jackson however, Cleopatra Records along with Grammy Award winning producer Bob Kulick and a laundry list of metal’s elite musicians are about to change that. “Thriller: A Metal Tribute to Michael Jackson” features 13 reworked versions of some of Jackson’s most memorable songs heard as they never have been heard before.

Being a fan of music there is always room on my playlist for some Michael Jackson. Now I’m not saying I am a fan of everything he ever did however “Thriller: A Metal Tribute to Michael Jackson” has shined a new light on the departed singers catalog. Producer Bob Kulick and a diverse cast of metal maniacs have put together a great sounding metalized pop album. The album hits the ground running or maybe in this case moon walking as it opens up with Testaments Chuck Billy’s grainy rendition of “Thriller” which gives way to Angelo Moore’s spot on performance of “The Way You make Me Feel”. As the album progresses we are treated to performances by everyone from Paul Di’Anno and Doug Pinnick to Phil Campbell and Corey Glover who team up for a great rendition of “Billy Jean”.

Now before all you MJ purists out there take to the message boards only to discredit the albums mere existence I strongly encourage you to take a listen before making any judgments. Yes this is a rather unconventional line up performing however Bob Kulick truly lets his genius as a producer shine as even with the songs being reworked and beefed up they still retain the charm and appeal of the original versions making this album a great listen whether you are a traditional MJ fan or a fan of the artists performing on the record.

Track Listing:
1.) Thriller – Chuck Billy (Testament)
2.) Man In The Mirror – Danny Worsnop (Asking Alexandria) & Billy Sheehan (Mr.Big)
3.) The Way You Make Me Feel – Angelo Moore (Fishbone), Doug Aldrich (Whitesnake), Rudy Sarzo (Queensryche)
4.) Black Or White – Lajon Witherspoon (Sevendust), Bruce Kulick (ex-Kiss),Tony Franklin (The Firm)
5.) Beat It – Priya Panda (Diemonds) & Ron Bumblefoot Thal (Guns n’ Roses)
6.) Billy Jean – Corey Glover (Living Colour) & Phil Campbell (Motorhead)
7.) Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground) – Elias Soriano (Nonpoint)
8.) Rock With You – Doug Pinnick (King’s X)
9.) Dirty Diana – Chris Jericho (Fozzy)
10.) Bad – Paul Di’Anno (ex-Iron Miaden) & Craig Goldy (Dio)
11.) They Don’t Care About Us – (Icarus Witch)
12.) Never Can Say Goodbye – Lonnie Jordan (WAR)
13.) Smooth Criminal – (Alien Ant Farm)

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Filed Under: CD Reviews Tagged With: cd, jackson, metal, michael, review, thriller, ...

CD Review: Newsted “Heavy Metal Music”

Newsted
“Heavy Metal Music”
Chophouse Records
Producer: Jason Newsted
Tracks: 11

Our Score: 5 out of 5 stars

Former Metallica bassist Jason Newsted has just released his debut full length album titled “Heavy Metal Music”. The album is being released on the heels of Jason’s explosive 4 song EP titled “Metal” which was released in the spring of this year via Newsted’s Chophouse Records. With the exception of the songs “Soldierhead” and “Kings of the Underdogs” all the material contained on “Heavy Metal Music” is brand new. This definitely added to the appeal of this release being that it was being put out in such close proximity to the subsequent EP. From beginning to end Newsted and company are bombastic in their approach.

The album’s opening track “Heroic Dose” pounds its way into your skull while doing an excellent job of setting the stage of what’s in store for the listener. Each track on “Heavy Metal Music” features Newsted’s gritty vocals and ripping guitars courtesy of Staind guitarist Mike Mushok and Jessie Farnsworth. Other tracks worth checking out are “As The Crow Flies” which features a really cool groove which weaves it’s way in and out of the catchy choruses while the track “Kindevillusion” is a melding of all things Newsted.

If you listen carefully you can clearly pick out pieces reminiscent of Jason’s previous work. “Heavy Metal Music” features lots great playing that provides something for everyone making this the perfect album to pick up if you are looking for some solid rock/metal music to throw on during that late summer cook-out with your crew.

Track Listing:
1.) Heroic Dose
2.) Soldierhead
3.) As the Crow Flies
4.) Ampossible
5.) Long Time Dead
6.) Above All
7.) King of the Underdogs
8.) Nocturnus
9.) Twisted Tale of the Comet
10.) Kindevillusion
11.) Futureality

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Pantera’s Phil Anselmo talks about solo album and “Housecore Horror Film and Metal Fest”

Phil Anselmo is no stranger to the music scene after sky rocketing to fame in the mid 90’s with the multi-platinum selling heavy metal group Pantera. Though the group disbanded in 2003 Phil has kept himself busy with several other bands such Super Joint Ritual and Down which also featured former Pantera bassist Rex Brown. Phil’s newest endeavor is a solo album titled “Walk Through the Exits” and is being released under the name Philip H. Anselmo and The Illegal’s. Media Mikes caught up with Phil recently to discuss the band, its new album and the inaugural “Housecore Horror Film and Metal Fest”?

Adam Lawton: Was there any particular reason you chose now to be the time to release a solo album and do you feel there’s more pressure on this release compared to ones you have done with Pantera and Down?
Phil Anselmo: Why not? I had the urge and felt I needed to scratch that particular itch. I base a lot of what I am going to do off the mood I am in at that particular time. As far as more pressure or whatnot I don’t think there is any more than what may normally be there. It’s doesn’t matter who I am up on that stage with because no one is doing the singing for me. I’ve got to get up there and do things regardless so I don’t really feel any more pressure.

AL: How did go about assembling your backing band “The Illegal’s”?
PA: I always knew that Marzi Montazeri was my guy for guitar. This has been a long time coming type of project and I always knew I didn’t want to start a “super group” or anything like that. I could have asked a lot of different people to be involved with this but I wanted to get cats that were under the radar. Marzi was one of those guys. From there I struggled in finding a drummer who could learn all these different time signatures and not rely on speed for the sake of playing fast. The singer from Warbeast offered me their drummer Jose Manuel Gonzales. I asked him if he was up for it and he said “sure”. When we started actually recording the record and it was time for bass we used this guy from New Orleans named Bennett Bartley. He is a really talented guy that plays with a lot of different bands and also holds down a day job. I knew there was always going to be a question of his availability for touring so for that side of things we are going with a guy by the name of Steve Taylor. He has been working with Marzi for a very long time so that made perfect sense.

AL: What was the writing and recording sessions like for the record?
PA: I wrote things the good old fashioned way. When I was inspired I busted out the axe and practice amp and just started writing riffs. I just kept putting everything together and when I finally found I had the basic structure of a song that’s when I would bring the band in. After doing that there is always a lot of trial and practice to see what you have. You can sometimes write a riff that just doesn’t translate to a full blown band type setting. I was pretty lucky this time around and very focused. At the same time I was working on my record I was also producing for others and recording the Down EP. Work on my solo album was sort of a start and stop type situation. We would record or practice for a bit then I would have to take time off from that work on Down or whatever. That happened four or five times.

AL: Do you have a specific preference as to what comes first (music/lyrics) when writing?
PA: I don’t really have a preference especially now. A song can come out of nowhere. For this particular record it seemed as though there would be a cadence that I would catch and then I was able to feel or hear the rhythm. I would then write the lyrics around that section. That opened up a whole new world for me as I normally sing against a riff rather than on top of it. With this album it felt different so there are certain parts where I am singing right on top of a riff and I felt that was the correct thing to do. In the past and normally even if I have written the entire song its riff first then vocals. That sentence structure or cadence was something that was always rearing its head and had a lot to do with how things were done on this record.

AL: Can you tell us your thoughts on releasing the album via your independent label as opposed to going with a major label release?
PA: I don’t really see any worth in major labels anymore. There are just straight up too many rules. That was the reason I started my own label to begin with. I wanted the freedom to be able to do what I wanted, when I wanted to do it. I didn’t want to have to ask for permission or have to pay anyone. These days you don’t have to sign to a major label. You can just do things yourself and be done with it.

AL: What are the bands tour plans in support of the release?
PA: We start things off in Oklahoma and will be traveling through the mid-west as we make our way to the east coast. Possibly in the fall we are looking to do a west-coast run. We will have the bad ass thrashers Warbeast out with us along with Author & Punisher. He is a one man act that makes his own instruments. He is very interesting and makes this sound that is just a wall of sonic poison. I love it!

AL: Can you tell us about the upcoming “House Core Horror Film and Metal Fest”?
PA: Obviously we are going to have films ranging from older black and white films up through the 70’s and early 80’s. There are going to be a lot of cool bands and guest directors coming out as well. One of the more interesting things for me to come out of this opportunity is to review a lot of submission films. Everything from short and mid length films to full feature length films have been coming in from unknown directors. I have no aspirations to become an actor or director but these guys are really pushing the envelope in an effort to make horror less of a paint by numbers thing. It’s going to be a huge kick to be able to turn the audiences on to these new guys. That’s really exciting to me. With this being the first year of the event a lot of it is going to be trial by fire as there are lots of logistics and things to make sure everything runs smooth. I want make sure I don’t use the term “annual” until I get this year’s event under the old gut.

AL: What is it that has made you a horror fan for so long now?
PA: The only answer I can possibly come with for that is that it was born in me. I can remember being just this squirt of a kid who was glued to television set watching everything from “Godzilla” to “The Twilight Zone”. I caught on to things at a very early age and things just stuck. It’s still a mystery to me to a certain degree. I really guess it just caught me young enough and just held.

AL: Has there been a horror film in the past 5/10 years that can compete with the likes of classic horror films?
PA: I don’t know. There have been some movies that I thought were pretty good but as far as a classic I don’t know about that. I thought “In Absentia” was pretty good. “The Bleeding House” was ok. There have been films like “Insidious” and “The Blair Witch Project” that have been so hyped up only to fall flat for me. I have no problem saying “The Blair Witch Project” was a steaming pile of dog shit. I hated that movie. There is just so much that goes in to a classic from the direction and characters to more importantly the story. How it wraps up and how it is shot always is important. These days I think there is a real problem with character development as people just don’t have a care for what they are seeing. People like Steven Spielberg and Toby Hooper know how to build characters that people connect with and care about what happens to them in a story. Things these days seem to be very Hollywood and not very believable. My heart lies with the likes of Boris Karloff and Mario Bava of “Black Sabbath” fame.

AL: Do you have any other projects in the works that you can tell us about?
PA: I have been in the studio with IHATEGOD who are wrapping up a really great studio album but I’m not sure who they are going to release it with. I have been working with their vocalist Mike Williams very tightly. I love those boys and this record is a really tight record. Anyone who is a fan of IHATEGOD is going to be just blown away. Besides that I have just been working hard on the solo project and getting ready to play all sorts of venues and have a good time.

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Filed Under: Interviews, Music Interviews Tagged With: album, anselmo, fest, film, horror, housecore, ...

Eddie Trunk talks about VH1 talk show “That Metal Show” and new book

Eddie Trunk is the host of the popular VH1 talk show “That Metal Show”. The show recently kicked off its 12th season and is already shaping up to be one of the best yet. Media Mikes had the chance to talk with Eddie recently about the history of the show, what it’s like working with co-hosts Don Jamieson and Jim Florentine and shed some light on his new book.

Adam Lawton: How did the show initially get started?
Eddie Trunk: I had been pestering VH1 for a very long time and it was something that I brought to them. What some people may not realize due to the channel not be as readily available as it is now is that I had been hosting on VH1 Classics since 2002. Before “That Metal Show” I was doing all different types of interviews and VJ work for them. During that time I was always pushing to do my own show which would feature the music I loved and have guests on that I could talk with like I do on my radio shows. It took a long time to get them to come around to the idea. Finally in 2008 they decided to give it a shot and shoot a pilot. The show went through a lot of evolution as there were a number of different people attached to it on all different levels. Things eventually happened in that they came to me asking to bring in some other host and not just have me by myself on. They wanted guys that weren’t serious in an effort to mix up the chemistry. I had the perfect guys in mind. Don and Jim were friends of mine and they were often on my radio show. We brought them in, had a great meeting, shot the pilot and here we are 100 episodes later.

AL: Other than the recent move from New York to Los Angeles what do you think has been the biggest change in the show since its inception?
ET: The biggest was something that I had been pushing for since day one. The show started out as only a half hour and after the fourth season we went to an hour. Coming from radio I loved the time you have where you can just sit and talk to someone. TV is completely different and it’s hard to make that change when your show is only a half hour. When it really comes down to it the show is 21 minutes because of commercials. It was agonizing for me for some time trying to fit everything in to that time frame. Once we switched to an hour things felt much better to me. The only thing now is that with it being an hour I want it to be two hours. (Laughs)

AL: Can you tell us about the idea of bringing in guitarists, bassists and drummers to perform during the show?
ET: The ultimate goal is to have a band play one day but we can’t do that because we just don’t have the budget. We simply cannot afford to bring on an entire band or pay the publishing which is very expensive and a lot of people don’t realize that. We try and work around that buy just bringing in single musicians to do some shredding and stuff. We have had drummers, bassists and predominately guitarist as they lend themselves to the gig a little more. This season we split things down the middle with four shows being with a guitarist and four shows being with a drummer. We have a lot of fun bringing those guys in and it’s a great opportunity to showcase sometimes the little lesser known guys. For example Richie Kotzen has always been a favorite of mine and in America he is barely known. To have him featured on our show has been great as lots of people have been emailing me for more info on him.

AL: In the shows 12 seasons has there ever been a guest that you thought would never end up on the show but actually did end up being on?
ET: Steve Harris from Iron Maiden was tuff. He doesn’t live in American and the Iron Maiden camp is extremely protective of their brand and how they do things. I have always had a great relationship with them but in order to get everyone on board the stars have to align themselves. The season that Steve was on ended up being a last minute score for us because Steve had just announced he was going to be doing a solo album and the band happened to be in Los Angeles. I went to their manager and just asked to have him on. Steve ended up coming down and having a blast. We hope to have him back one day. They guys who don’t live in America are a challenge logistically. Tony Iommi was another one that I was really excited to have one.

AL: What is it like working with Jim and Don behind the scenes?
ET: Things are the exact same as you see on the show. We all bust each other’s balls. Those guys as stand up comics are going to be a little better at it than most people but it comes with the territory. Their role is to throw things a little off balance. Behind the scenes we all put a lot in to the show. As a co-producer the show is kind of my baby so a lot falls on me to sort of be the referee and also to get the guests as I have a lot of history with most of them. Don and Jim work hard as well coming up with concepts and we are all very much involved as it’s a team effort.

AL: Besides the remaining shows for this season what else do you have in the works?
ET: I just completed my second book which is the follow up to “Eddie Trunk’s Essential Hard Rock and Heavy Metal Vol. 1”. I just found out that Vol. 2 will be coming out on September 24th. The book is an exact sequel to my first book. The format and everything is the same except that there are 35 completely different bands in this one. I am really excited for that to be happening. I will also be continuing my two radio shows as this year I am celebrating my 30th year in radio. I am always out there looking for ways to make my projects bigger and take things to the next level.

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Filed Under: Interviews, TV Interviews Tagged With: book, eddie, metal, show, talk, talks, ...

CD Review: Newsted “Metal” EP

Newsted
“Metal” EP
Chophouse Records
Producer: Jason Newsted
Tracks: 4

Our Score: 4 out of 5 stars

Jason Newsted the former bassist for heavy metal legends Metallica has released his debut solo EP titled “Metal”. The EP features 4 brand new tracks written by Newsted who handles bass/guitar and vocal duties along with drummer Jesus Mendez Jr. and guitarist/bassist Jessie Farnsworth. The EP is being released via Newsted Chop House Records and was also produced by Jason. If “Metal” is just a taste of what’s in-store from Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Jason Newsted then I can’t wait to hear what’s next.

All four tracks featured on “Metal” are blistering rock tunes over flowing with Motorhead like grit. The Ep’s opening track “Soldierhead” puts the pedal to the floor and doesn’t look back while the track “King of the Underdogs” snakes its way in and out of edgy breakdowns and catchy lyrical passages. Fans of metal and hard rock will definitely want to pick up the “Metal” EP to hold them over until the LP version of the album is available and with the recent addition of Staind guitarist Mike Mushok, Newsted are sure to be a force to reckon with.

Track Listing:
1.) Soldierhead
2.) Godsnake
3.) King of the Underdogs
4.) Skyscraper

 

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Filed Under: CD Reviews Tagged With: cd, ep, metal, newsted, review

Matthew Modine reflects on working with Stanley Kubrick in "Full Metal Jacket" and Christopher Nolan in "The Dark Knight Rises"

Matthew Modine is probably known best for playing Pvt. Joker in Stanley Kubrick’s “Full Metal Jacket” and Louden Swain in “Vision Quest”. He recently appeared as Deputy Commissioner Peter Foley in “The Dark Knight Rises” and will be appearing later this year as John Sculley in upcoming “jOBS”. Matthew also is set to produce and voice act in Ralph Bakshi’s latest film “Last Days of Coney Island”, which is currently trying to become funded via Kickstarter. Matthew took out some time to reflect working with Stanley Kubrick in “Full Metal Jacket”, Christopher Nolan in “The Dark Knight Rises” and his role in “jOBS”. Check out the first part of our interview with him, here.

Mike Gencarelli: Can you believe that it has been 25 years since “Full Metal Jacket” and here we are still discussing it all these years later?
Matthew Modine: It is amazing. It is a testament to Stanley Kubrick and his genius. He didn’t make movies that are disposable. They continue to have relevance long after they have been released, whether it is “Paths of Glory”, “Dr. Strangelove”, “2001: A Space Odyseey” or “A Clockwork Orange”. They are just films that continue to speak to audiences. I always remember something that Stanley said “A film should be like a good piece of music. Something that you can listen to over and over again and have relevance long after it is written”. I think he tried to approach film with that mentality like a great piece of music.

MG: Tell us about the origin of your book “Full Metal Diary”?
MM: I had a tremendous experience working with Kubrick and I kept this diary while I was working on the film. He also allowed me to take photographs on the set. I had this 2 1/4 x 2 1/4-inch Rolleiflex camera that I tucked inside my jacket when we were in Vietnam and then kept in my foot locker when we were filming the boot camp. It was very rare that he allowed me to take photographs on the set because he was such a secretive and private filmmaker, but he almost encouraged it. I don’t know why but I am very grateful that he did and gave the opportunity to be able to share what that looked like. The thing about keeping my diary is that Kubrick often asked me to read my diary out loud to everyone on the set. The thing that it encouraged me to do was tot hen keep a very good diary with accurate notes. The thing that I love about the diary is that it is the voice of a young man that is in a situation that he really doesn’t understand. It is not a reflection is my point. It is not somebody looking back at a time working with Stanley Kubrick, as a recollection. What you experience when you reach it is this naive person about a circumstance that he doesn’t understand and I think that makes it quite unique.

MG: How did your diary go from book to the new iPad app?
MM: I was approach by Adam Rackoff. He used to work for Apple. He was one of the geniuses that worked for them. Steve Jobs was his boss. He was responsible for opening stores, advertising and more. I had done a presentation at the Apple Store in Soho talking about how the book was made on a Mac. He really just loved the book and knew that their were only 20,000 copies of the books made each with a serial number. So years later, the iPad come out with these amazing apps. He told me that he thought it would be an perfect iPad app. He said he would have me record the story in my own voice, do characterizations for the people talked about in the stories, have someone do original score along with sound effects and create this amazing and deeply immersible experience for people to enjoy with iPads. The final thing that sealed the deal for me is that he said that it would be something that Stanley Kubrick would be proud of. So with us holding the bar that high for Stanley Kubrick, that was the criteria for this…was it good enough for Stanley? In the end, I think we created something that he would definitely be impressed with.

MG: Last year you played Deputy Commissioner Peter Foley in “The Dark Knight Rises”, tell us about that experience?
MM: The thing that was amazing about that film is that people are always comparing Christopher Nolan to Stanley Kubrick. As big as that film was, as large as the cast was, the budget…everything – when you came on the set of “The Dark Knight Rises” it felt like an intimate independent film. Nolan creates an environment on the set that makes it feel very intimate. He doesn’t have a video village. He has this little monitor he wears around his neck. He is not one of those directors that is hiding behind a bunch of monitors and away from the set. He stands on the set and is with his actors and his crew. He is curious about what his technicians are going and what the actors are thinking and saying. I think that may not sound like what a director is suppose to do but you will be surprised at how many filmmakers are not that involved. There is so much chaos on a film set that you don’t know who is directing the movie. Is it the producers? Is it the writer? The crew? The director of photography Nolan is really the the captain of his ship. His wife is his producing partner and his brother is his writing partner. It is just a very tight and intimate environment. I mean how often does anyone have such a great character arc in that kind of a film. I just hope I get the opportunity to work with him again.

MG: You mentioned Apple and later this year you also have your role of John Sculley in “jOBS” coming, what can we expect?
MM: I haven’t seen the finished film but it was extraordinary to work on. I think that Ashton Kutcher did an amazing job from the work I saw. He was really fully committed to doing Steve Jobs justice. It is amazing to see how much he began to look and sound like him. I am looking forward to see it. I know it closed the Sundance Film Festival, was received positively and received a distribution deal. So all the signs are that it will be an entertaining film.

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Founder/Owner of Metal Blade Records’ Brian Slagel talks about 30th Anniversary

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Filed Under: Interviews, Music Interviews Tagged With: 30th, anniversary, blade, brian, founderowner, metal, ...

Blu-ray Review “Full Metal Jacket: 25th Anniversary Edition”

Director: Stanley Kubrick
Starring: Matthew Modine, Adam Baldwin, Vincent D’Onofrio, R. Lee Ermey, Dorian Harewood, Kevyn Major Howard
MPAA Rating: R
Distributed: Warner Home Video
Release Date: August 7, 2012
Running Time: 116 minutes

Film: 5 out of 5 stars
Extras: 3 out of 5 stars

As much as I absolutely love this film, the 25th Anniversary release of “Full Metal Jacket” feel a little but like a double dip…but you know you still need it if you are a die-hard fan. The main draw here is a newly added 60 minute documentary and an impressive 48-page DigiBook with photos from Matthew Modine’s personal collection. Also within there are behind-the-scenes stories on the production and the music. I think for this is honestly worth the purchase alone. If you agree then you don’t want to miss this release. I know it may be hard to believe but this is the first time I am watching this film on Blu-ray and it was definitely worth the wait.

The film says to included a new remastered video though it is the same as the 2007/2011 releases. Nonetheless it still looks incredibly impressive. It easily warrants 5/5 stars for 1080 transfer alone. There are many a few audio when it comes to the film’s audio. The Dolby Digital 5.1 is the default but the uncompressed PCM 5.1 surround track is sharper and more impressive. The special features are decent but feels a little light overall. “Stanley Kubrick’s Boxes” is an hour-long documentary, which follows director Jon Ronson as he is given a chance to dig through thousands of boxes on Kubrick estate following his death. There is a commentary track from author/screenwriter Jay Cocks and actors Adam Baldwin, Vincent D’onofrio and Lee Ermey. Sounds perfect right? It would have been but it was recorded individually, so the fun was gone. Matthew Modine takes the lead in “Between Good and Evil” focusing on the filming, casting, and the overall production. Lastly, there is the theatrical trailer included.

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Premise: Marine recruits endure basic training under a leather-lunged D.I., then plunge into the hell of Vietnam. Matthew Modine heads a talented ensemble in this searing look at a process that turns people into killers.

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: 25th, anniversary, bluray, edition, full, jacket, ...

DVD Review “Metal Tornado”

Directed by: Gordon Yang
Starring: Lou Diamond Phillips, Nicole de Boer, Greg Evigan, Sophie Gendron, John Maclaren, Alexis Maitland
Distributed by: Arc Entertainment
MPAA Rating: PG
Running Time: 91 minutes

Film: 3 out of 5 stars
Extras: 0 out of 5 stars

I am a total sucker for any film about tornadoes. You throw in a metal tornado…even better. Top it off with Lou Diamond Phillips and Greg Evigan and you’ve got a winner. This film obviously screams low-budget cheesy horror but it is fun, entertaining and packs some decent special effects. Lou Diamond Phillips definitely is the main draw to this film for me and delivered the goods. I mean, HELLO!?, a film about a metal tornado, how can you go wrong?

The film’s premise is fun simple. I mean what do you honestly expect from a film titled “Metal Tornado”. Due to an ground-breaking industrial experiment that goes out of control, Metal objects start being consumed from the developed magnetic tornadoes and, of course, start wreaking havoc everywhere. It is up to Lou Diamond Phillips to defeat the tornado and save the day.

Anyone who would even consider this film knows exactly what they are getting themselves in for and should have a blast watching this film. This plays exactly like an Syfy Original Movie and if you are a fan of those this is for you, otherwise stay away. The DVD comes with zero special features, which is very disappointing.

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Filed Under: DVD/Blu-Ray Reviews Tagged With: dvd, metal, review, tornado
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