in 2008 I was excited to see a show called That Metal Show hit the airwaves. While I felt the show was good, I always felt that there was room for improvements. I was ok with Eddie Trunk as the host but never was satisfied with co-hosts Don Jamieson and Jim Florentine. I always held the opinion that they should have featured a rotating musician co-host. One other thing I think that would have been cool was to randomly pick an audience member to come down and be a featured co-host. I also would have to have seen some up and coming or lesser known musical guests. There are plenty of talented musicians that could have benefited from this kind of exposure. While I also enjoyed the coverage of “classic” rock bands I feel there was plenty of room to give some newer and lesser known bands exposure as well. I did enjoy the “Stump the Trunk” and “Top 5” segments as well.
I watched every show from every season and will miss it although I felt it could have been so much more. I hope it does find a new home and maybe by some miracle I can tell them about my thoughts… Rest In Peace TMS, another casualty of the war on Rock N’ Roll.
I had the opportunity to assign an eager young man, Simon Arnet to cover a show for me and here is his coverage:
Simon Arnet, On Assignment for The Hellion Rocks!
Invoking the likes of Kamelot and progressive bands of old, Oblivious Signal is a sure winner.
Good Female Fronted Heavy Metal and simply good Heavy Metal is a unique find these days and for good bands you must look to Europe, no longer. When I first heard Oblivious Signal I was blown away by the technical competency and confidence of the band. A venue mix up is never an easy thing (two shows were combined into one), yet somehow Oblivious Signal managed to maintain the attention of Hardcore and Death Metal bands (all of them extremely fun) alike showing the breadth and depth their music can have on people.
Oblivious Signal is good, very good. They move around on stage, interact with the crowd and throw fists up in the air invoking the old days of hair metal with postmodern clarity and a sense of what really makes them special. The vocalist Cristina has an incredible range, her highs will shock you and lows confound you. This band will be big, and deserves attention along with the greats of Symphonic and Progressive Metal like Kamelot, Nightwish, Gamma Ray and Epica.
The Blu Phoenix Venue “The Compound 2” is a brand new venue in Albuquerque, New Mexico. They set this show up amongst great difficulty and confusion, managed to combine a hardcore crowd with a heavy metal crowd. A smoke machine glitch was fixed within reasonable time, given the situations of the event, all the staff were extremely helpful and kind. Blu Phoenix will be having much bigger crowds in the future and more bands. The Blu Phoenix is a wide open space with a nice motor pool in the back, lots of room and great sound and lighting. No food or beer is available at the venue as of yet. High Road Publicity made everything work like clockwork.
Oblivious Signal is well educated, most of them have master’s degrees, that probably has to do something with their sound. The way they work together, write material and perform on stage. This band has a sound that pulls you in, sweeping rifts, a bit of pop and Viking influence. You can tell they’re fans of Amon Amarth in their intros. What Oblivious Signal has is complexity towards their music. The guitarist Nick is an excellent soloist and worthy of any guitar endorsement. The bassist Greg is just wonderful, and will blow your mind, the drummer Jason maintains a steady rhythm throughout the set. Onstage and off Oblivious Signal was a joy to work with, Mike the Merchant was really passionate about supporting the band and everyone at the show. I look forward to seeing them grow and thrive.
Get Oblivious Signal’s latest CD Exordium today, available everywhere!
Well, I received the new earlier this afternoon that Glenn Frey had passed away. Glenn and the Eagles have been a part of my life for s long as I can remember. My mom turned me on to the Eagles when I was young and I am grateful for that. The Eagles wrote songs that we could all relate to and they became part of the soundtrack to our lives. I am sorry to hear of your passing Glenn, “Take It Easy” my friend.
Prong has a great new record coming out on February 5th called “PRONG X – NO ABSOLUTES”. We had the chance to speak to Tommy Victor about this upcoming release and the tour to follow. We had a great conversation and it was a pleasure to speak with Tommy. You can enjoy it here:
I woke up to some tragic news this morning, David Bowie had passed away. Yet another iconic rock star has left us for the great beyond. I remember Bowie very very well. I grew up listening to his music and enjoying his myriad of personalities. I had always respected David for daring to be who he wanted and not afraid to express himself artistically. Throughout the years I have listened, and not always liked, to his music but continued to respect him and his work. And now, I am forced to say goodbye to the Thin White Duke. I will forever play his music and try to tell others about the legend of Ziggy Stardust.
2015 is over but it brought us some great new music. Here are my top 10 in no particular order, enjoy:
Stryper – Fallen
Stryper’s new release, Fallen, is a supercharged release to say the least. For a band that has been around for 32 years they have continued to impress. This record is full of killer riffs and powerhouse vocals. I am totally impressed by the production quality of this record. I was even surprised to see a Black Sabbath cover on here “After Forever” is done very well by Stryper. The track that grabs hold and will not let go is “Fallen” :
Ahhh Ugly Kid Joe, 19 years after Motel California UKJ is back with a full album. These hold a very special place in my heart and always will. This record shows that UKJ has not lost a bit of the attitude that made them so great. This is rock n’ roll pure and undistilled. The stand out here is “Hell Ain’t Hard To Find”:
Throw The Temple is a hard working band that takes itself serious without being serious about it. Believe me, every move they make is calculated and planned. After seeing them perform for several years they have finally put out and album to be proud of. Full of deep lyrics and catchy tunes ( I even persuaded them to provide the theme song for the Hellion Rocks) this is an album which should be garnering national attention. Enjoy the video for “We Got It Goin'” right here:
This record was a complete surprise to me. While technically a “supergroup” it sounds nothing like one. I was ina bad mood the first time I played this record, by the end not so much. This is just a feel good record that you can tell was fun to make. Comprised of the legendary Tracii Guns, Rudy Sarzo, Rikki Rockett, and Brandon Gibbs, this is a DO NOT MISS record. Here’s the video for “Boneyard”:
Motörhead has always been a guilty pleasure for me. I have always listened to them and probably always will. I have seen the fairweather fans come and go as the trends change. I was extremely saddened to hear of the deaths of Lemmy and Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor. This final album from Motörhead is to savor and enjoy. Take a listen to “Electricity” and pay your respects:
Skulldron rocks, plain and simple. I have known these guys for years and years and enjoyed them immensely. Skulldron falls into the Stoner/Doom metal category and they do it so very well. This is a band that NEEDS some worldwide acclaim. This is another record that SHOULD be in your collection. Well crafted and put together Through The Smoke takes you on a trip to a very cool place in your head. Take a peek at G.O.A.T. :
Clutch is band that, to me, everyone should be running to the store and buying all of their records. Firing on all cylinders and then some, Clutch simply rules. This album continues Clutch’s streak of aggressive, hard charging rock. I have one thing to say about Clutch, if you don’t like them, you haven’t listened to them. Psychic Warfare is a great record to introduce you to the awesomeness that is Clutch. “X-Ray Visions” will whet your appetite:
Dellacoma Rio, vocalist for Dellacoma is one of the hardest working men in rock n’ roll. Hailing from Australia, Del continually works on world domination. Putting together an outstanding band of three world class musicians: Art Struck, Matt Cook, and Rick Reynolds, Dellacoma wrote and recorded a well crafted piece of art. No frill, no filler, just straight up feel good music. This is my pick for road music of the year. Put this on, roll down the windows, and hit the road. Let me show you what I mean:
Red Sky Mary was an accidental find for me. I was completely taken aback by the soul in this young band. It was as if someone jumped into a time machine and collected the DNA from several 70’s bands and somehow fused them into Red Sky Mary. I find so much depth and beauty in this record it amazes me that their are bands still making music that you can truly feel. Here is the latest from Red Sky Mary:
Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators – Live at the Roxy 9.25.14
Slash and crew deliver on this live recording from the Roxy. I f you have never had the chance to catch them live this is the next best thing. Relaxed and fun this record showcases Slash’s and Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators talent. With songs that span throughout Slash’s career from GNR, Velvet Revolver, through today this one is a winner. My favorite track from this record:
the Hellion Rocks 