I have been hearing lately that guitarist Vinnie Vincent has gone missing. I did a Google search and found a couple of atricles regarding this but nothing concrete. Interesting how a former member of “The Hottest Band In The World!” can just fall off the earth. Is it a conspiracy? Did people from the planet Jendell abduct him on Ace’s command? Did Gene and Paul stash him with Jimmy Hoffa? Has fallen under the spell of the Cat People? Or is he just done with the limelight and rat race and just living life? I’m gonna keep digging and will keep you updated.
So, so happy to report that I’ve dodged the bullet of radiation. I was due to start a course that would have sidelined me for most of the first leg of the US tour, but my brilliant doctors have steered me towards an alternative course of treatment that will enable me to rejoin the tour this Saturday night in Birmingham Alabama. Furthermore, they’ve tailored future treatments to accommodate the tour schedule so I won’t have to miss any more shows.
I’m so happy and so indebted to the wonderful physicians who have worked so hard on my behalf to make this happen.
See you Saturday!
This saddens me to hear. Thoughts and well wishes to Vivian and his family.
Vivian Campbell: Def Leppard Guitarist Pulls Out of US Tour, Says His Cancer Has Returned
I’ve been spending a lot of time with Led Zeppelin lately. I have been listening to their albums with a new ear. With an 184 mile commute round trip I have the time. My focus has been on different aspects of their albums with each listen. From Led Zeppelin to Coda a new appreciation has grown within me for a band that has been a part of my life for a very long time. I mean how many of us used to draw the four symbols on everything we had?
The production and engineering on these albums was way ahead of the time. There is a magical depth to the music Led Zeppelin gave us. The lyrical content combined with the music expands the mind and transports us to worlds far from the ordinary world.
Led Zeppelin took us from blues to hard rock to reggae, sometimes on the same record. I often hear traces of them in many other bands throughout the years.
Thank you for the journeys Robert, Jimmy, John, and Bonzo for the friendship and joys you have given me.
Ahhh keyboards in rock music. I have always been a fan of keyboards in rock n’ roll, I mean John Paul Jones in Led Zeppelin, John Lord in Deep Purple, Rick Wakeman in Yes, Freddie Mercury in Queen, the list goes on and on. And then on December 21st 1983, a day that lives on in infamy to me, Van Halen released the single “Jump”, wait…what just happened? My hard rock driven guitar band released a song with a sickly poppy sounding keyboard in it? If you can’t tell I was sorely disappointed in the boys. People were labeling the song as “pop rock” or “synthrock”, I was aghast a this. I eventually overcame my lament and forgave Van Halen for this travesty (again this is my opinion).
Today on my commute home I heard “Jump” on the radio (no I still don’t like it) and thought to myself I wonder what others think about keyboards in hard rock and heavy metal. I know bands like Sonata Artica, Kamelot, and Nightwish use them, but what are your thoughts?
There are songs that you have heard a million times and you can’t take them anymore (Post about those songs another time), and those that remain eternally epic. This is my list of those songs I consider most epic.
10. “Tombs Ov Oblivion” – Crowned By Fire
9. “Back In The Saddle” – Aerosmith
8. “Breakin’ Down” – Skid Row
7. “More Than A Feeling” – Boston
6. “Now I’m Here” – Queen
5. “Dance The Night Away” – Van Halen
4. “River Of Deceit” – Mad Season
3. “No Quarter” – Led Zeppelin
2. “Love To Love” – UFO
1. “Spirits In The Night” – Manfred Mann’s Earth Band
These are the ten top songs which I could listen to over and over without them wearing out on me. I guess of I were to make a Hellion Rocks greatest hits CD these would be the ten songs that would make the cut for me. Why these ten songs? They each represent to me musical craft at its best. I can listen to these and be carried away on musical adventures in faraway lands. I encourage your feedback and responses with your own definitive top ten list.
MICHAEL MONROE, Celebrated Rock ‘N’ Roller, To Release
Blackout States On October 16 Via Spinefarm Records
(New York, N.Y.): MICHAEL MONROE-hugely influential front man, force of nature, multi-instrumentalist and revered rock ‘n’ roll icon-will release a new studio album, Blackout States, on Friday, October 16 via Spinefarm Records.
This 13-track outing was produced by Chips Kiesbye (Hellacopters, Nomads) in Gothenburg, Sweden, and mixed by Petri Majuri in Helsinki, Finland.
It is the follow-up to Horns and Halos, a Finnish chart-topper in 2013.
With Blackout States, MONROE‘s current touring and recording outfit, comprised of bassist Sami Yaffa (ex-Hanoi Rocks/New York Dolls), guitarist Steve Conte (ex-New York Dolls/Company of Wolves), guitarist Rich Jones (ex-Black Halos/Amen), and drummer Karl Rockfist (ex-Chelsea Smiles/Danzig), provided strong creative support for a groundbreaking artist whose reputation continues to flourish. Many of rock’s most noted performers, including Dave Grohl and Slash, have cited MONROE‘s unwavering drive and three-decade-plus career as a genuine source of inspiration.
Indeed, when Slash headlines the Ice Hall in Helsinki on May 28, MONROE will be the invited “Special Guest,” opening the show in front of thousands of fans; after that, he heads across to London to play the Camden Rocks Festival on May 30.
This one-off UK appearance at Camden Proud will be filmed by celebrated videographer/photographer Ville Juurikkala as part of the video for the first single from Blackout States.
As with Horns and Halos, the new recordings see MONROE both toasting the future and honoring the past, occasionally giving the nod to glam punk pioneers, Hanoi Rocks, the group with which he forged his name in the early-to mid-’80s.
Says MONROE, “I’m extremely excited about our new album, Blackout States. It has all the ingredients of a perfect rock ‘n’ roll record: strong melodic songs with great meaningful lyrics that defy all clichés, delivered with a punky, ballsy attitude by a killer band. I highly recommend Blackout States to anyone who’s even a little bit interested in what real, authentic, high energy
rock ‘n’ roll at its best sounds like today.”
MONROE has a number of festival appearances locked into place for the spring and summer, with further international touring plans to be announced shortly.
Michael Monroe and Hanoi Rocks was very influential to the “Hair Metal” bands of the 80’s. I have always been a fan of the music and style of Hanoi Rocks. I am glad to see Michael still living the dream and making great music.
With all of the news of racial/social/political unrest as of late it has caused me to reflect on things, and I have come to the conclusion it is all because of you.
You have the choice to not hit your child or your spouse. Sure you might have grown up in a home where domestic violence was the norm (I myself witnessed my mother beaten by my stepfather and I was at the end of a few myself), and yet I choose to respect my wife and children. I choose to not follow that path.
You have the choice not to sexually abuse others. Again, I knew people who were abused by people they trusted and yet they grew up and made choices to help others that were being abused.
You have the choice to not abuse alcohol. Again I have firsthand experience with alcoholism in the home. This is a devastating problem int he country today. I have again made the choice to stay away from that lifestyle.
You have the choice to not abuse drugs. Once more, I have experienced this in my home as a child. This is another choice I am proud to have made in staying away.
You have the choice to obey the law and not run from the police. I am saddened to see all of the death and destruction in the news today regarding this issue. Think of how many would still be alive if they had just obeyed the law and the police. I say again, you have the ability to choose the right thing.
There is only one race, the human race. We are all brethren and should not be afraid to embrace each other publicly and claim our love for one another. We could achieve miracles then.
I used to enjoy listening to the radio. Now it’s just a jukebox with the selector buttons broken so we hear the same songs over and over. While I enjoy all forms of music, I predominantly listen to Rock N’ Roll. Recently one of my favorite long time radio stations, KZRR 94 Rock, was assimilated by the collective known as iHeartRadio. This assimilation has brought with it inane commercials for iHeartRadio advertising artists and events that have NOTHING TO DO WITH THE GENRE OF ROCK N’ ROLL!!! I also tried out their streaming of 94 Rock while I was out of state for three months. With their streaming they have something called “Fast Tracks” which turn out to be an abbreviated version of a song…wait, WHAT? PLAY THE WHOLE SONG!!!! Here’s another idea for iHeartRadio, how about playing some of the new artists trying to break through? I mean as much as I love the artists that do get play, there are many others out there.
I get the feeling that iHeartRadio is actually trying to kill off live radio and music as well. Just the other day another station that I listened to, 104.1 The Edge, dismissed its long running morning show personalities. This dismissal has led to an out-crying of support for said personalities. The reason was given as “restructuring” of the radio station…sigh.
I think we need REAL radio stations back with REAL DJ’s who played the music that they loved and had some control over it. I mean think about how many bands you were turned on to by a DJ.
I say now go home iHeartRadio you are not welcome anymore.
September Mourning Releases Cover Of “Stand By Me” Paying Tribute To The Late Great Ben E. King
The Dark Alternative, Hard Rock Transmedia Project September Mourning have released their cover of of the classic hit “Stand By Me“, paying tribute to the late great Ben E. King who recently passed away. The band is currently on a U.S. tour with stops at AC Boardwalk Con and Rock On The Range. The band will be making their UK debut later this year at Download Festival.
With dramatic dark lyrics that show glimpses of hope and redemption, I couldn’t resist a reinterpretation of this standard. It begged for a dynamic dramaticism that we couldn’t resist bringing to life. – September (September Mourning)
Check out September Mourning’s “Stand By Me” cover below:
September Mourning Tour Dates:
May 05 – Vintage Villains – Danville, Illinois
May 06 – Heating & Cooling Pub – Chicago, Illinois
May 07 – Frankie’s – Toledo, Ohio
May 08 – Diesel Concert Lounge – Detroit, Michigan
May 10 – Slake – New York, New York
May 15 – AC Boardwalk Con – Atlantic City, New Jersey
May 17 – Rock on the Range – Columbus, Ohio
May 21 – Hijynx – Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin
June 14 – Download Festival – United Kingdom
September Mourning has just recorded her debut album. It tells a story in 12 songs, an epic tale of “heartbreak, loss, pain, joy, love, redemption, but most of all, courage…” Produced by Howard Benson (Chris Cornell, My Chemical Romance) and mixed by Chris Lord-Alge, September Mourning revives the concept of rock star meets superhero. If Marilyn Manson and Lady Gaga had a kid, it would be September Mourning, who also cites influences as varied as David Bowie, Freddie Mercury, KISS, Evanescence and My Chemical Romance.
“For me, the project is a story, a theatrical art piece,” September explains. “Music is the backbone, but for this to work, it has to include the imagery and the narrative all symbiotically linked into the whole. Music taps into your innermost being. There’s something very intimate and personal about it.”
The character of September Mourning is a human-reaper hybrid, who feels the need to give some human souls a second chance, and thus toys with Fate. To expound on this narrative, September is working with iconic comic book artist Marc Silvestri, who started out on the original X-Men comics and went on to form Top Cow Productions (Witchblade, The Darkness). Together, they are putting together the story of September Mourning in graphic form, to accompany, and enhance the musical message.
September Mourning carries positive passions into its music, which is often operatic, but also completely rock ‘n’ roll in all its majestic glory. The album is full of themes that run the gamut, from “Skin and Bones,” which takes on people who would judge you on appearances, and “Chariot,” about those who allow themselves to be consumed by somebody else, to “Paper Dolls,” lambasting a guy “who rips people’s hearts out without regret” and “Before The Fall,” a song that accentuates our common humanity. “When we bleed/We bleed the same,” sings September. September describes “Children of Fate” as a “call to arms for her fans, our families,” which she turned into a 6/8 waltz, “but heavy, eerie and strange, to give it this weird feeling.
Having toured with Marilyn Manson, September Mourning has already built up an impressive fan base, which she calls her “Children of Fate,” constantly encouraging them to have “the courage to embrace their passion… to allow yourself to follow your heart and not be a slave to your fears. To know that the only boundaries that exist in our lives are the ones we allow.”
I was 13 years old and had that one older friend that my parents warned me about. He was also that friend who turned me on to some great music. He had long hair, wore a denim vest, engineer boots, drank beer, and smoked cigarettes. He also loved this band from Australia called AC/DC.
I grew to love this band as well and their “dangerous image”. They were raw, abrasive, and didn’t give a shot about niceties. They songs reached into your dirty side and made you feel cooler by just having listened to them. There was no pop, bubblegum, with these guys, just nasty Rock N’ Roll.
Bon Scott had a voice like no other, period. There was no smooth golden notes to slide easily into your ears. Bon himself exuded so much coolness, and it worked.
Then in 1980 on the heels of their greatest album to date, Highway To Hell, the world lost Bon. I was devastated to say the least. Myself and my Rock N’ Roll cronies paid our respect by trying to wear out our AC/DC records. And yes, I shed a few tears for Bon.
I don’t remember when it was but I soon read rumors that AC/DC was going to soldier on with a new vocalist. My circle was abuzz with speculation. And on July 25th 1980 we were waiting at the record store for the new release, Back In Black.
We listened to the record trying to be accepting of what we were hearing. It was a great record from start to finish. While the new singer, Brian Johnson, was no Bon Scott, he did the band justice. We had hope for AC/DC with Brian.
It is now 2015 and I now find myself reflecting back through the years of AC/DC music. Now, I am gonna piss a lot of you off. Back In Black was the last great album AC/DC made.
I had high hopes for the band but in my opinion they strayed into the pop world with all of the albums after Back In Black. While not becoming a shitty band, they just lost that dangerous raw edge that drew me in in the first place.
I do happen to own every AC/DC release from the beginning to Rock Or Bust, and will continue to support them, I just happen to not get the same rush from their newer music.
Bon, I miss you and wonder how far you could have taken the band, and Brian great effort in carrying on but sorry, it wasn’t the same.
the Hellion Rocks 