SKELETONWITCH, HAVOK, MUTILATION RITES, SUSPENDED, FALL TO ASH – EL REY 10/25/12

 

 

 

Thanks to Prosthetic Records (http://prostheticrecords.com/) I was able to attend this show and was able to interview SKELETONWITCH and MUTILATION RITES here’s a show recap!

Local band FALL TO ASH opened the night of mayhem with a hard charging set of metal. A local NM band straight on a hard charging path to stardom check them out at  http://www.facebook.com/fallto.ash?fref=ts

 

We got a treat with SUSPENDED an all female trio of metal fury. This band surprises you at every turn with the sounds that they bring forth from their souls. Be sure and give them a listen. Here is their page link:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Suspended/138495976185211?fref=ts

 

I was able to snag a quick video interview with MUTILATION RITES prior to the show (interview will be coming soon to http://rockunight.com/). Great guys that were awesome enough to spend a few minutes with me. They put on a great set of killer music. This was my first time catching them as they were newly introduced to me by Kelly Walsh from Prosthetic Records. Great set from a band that I will be listening to from now on. Make sure to check out their page: http://www.facebook.com/mutilationritesnyc?fref=ts

 

 

 

HAVOK was another band that was new to me, and I was pleasantly surprised. Reminding me of the early days of thrash metal this band took me back. Mid set I realized that I had to have their music and so I picked up the two CD’s they had at their merch table. Their stage show was energetic, engaging, and full of passion. I made it a point to speak with the guitarist and bassist and they proved to be approachable and grateful of the crowd response. These are links to their pages: http://www.facebook.com/HavokOfficial?fref=ts http://www.HAVOKband.com

 

 

SKELETONWITCH !!! I have been listening to them for several years now and seen them play before, and DAMN! this was the best yet. They dominated the stage from the first song and owned it till the final notes of the final song. I met with Scott Hedrick prior to the show and did a small video interview (which will be seen soon on http://rockunight.com/). I was able to watch some of the soundcheck which very cool to see. When they finally hit the stage they were spot on and super tight. They remembered some faces in the crowd from prior shows which I was glad to see that they were aware of their fans dedication. The new drummer, Dustin, fit in like a glove and totally owned his kit. Skeletonwitch is a band not to be missed. Like them on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/skeletonwitchmetal or on the web:  http://www.twitter.com/skeletonwitch http://www.skeletonwitch.com http://www.indiemerchstore.com/skeletonw… http://www.prostheticrecords.com

Here’s a bit live footage:

 

Thanks go out to the bands Fall To Ash, Suspended, Mutilation Rites, Havok, and Skeletonwitch.

Very special thanks to Kelly Walsh from Prosthetic Records!

 

the Hellion

 

BEARD – RELEASES BLACK UNICORN, IS #1 IN CASSETTE SALES!

ALBUQUERQUE NM – 10/26/2012, HOOLIGANS NIGHTCLUB 11:00 pm

BEARD took the stage to celebrate the release of their highly anticipated debut cassette (yes I said cassette) Black unicorn. After a brief introduction by Steve Beneath, it was on. The place was packed to the brim with friends, fans, and family all in a festive mood and ready to rock!

There are two things about BEARD that impress me, the fact that they don’t take themselves seriously, and that they DO take their music serious. They have FUN on stage and in turn, that fun is infectious to the crowd. Bringing their form of straight up Rock N’ Roll, BEARD takes me back to the days when life was still fun, and we were ten feet tall and still bulletproof.

BEARD doesn’t act like rockstars, or claim to be rockstars, yet they are. I have had the distinct pleasure of meeting and talking with the band several times and they are not only fantastic performers, they are great people.  Let me introduce you:

M. BEARD – lead guitar/ lead vocals

D. BEARD – lead bass

K. BEARD – lead guitar/ lead vocals

K. BEARD – lead drums

The show came off in true Rock N’ Roll style, gritty, loud, in your face, spot on. The crowd sang along to their favorite songs, the band called out to friends and family in the crowd, brought up guests to sing with them, a true Rock show.

The Mighty “Beard Beneath” guest vocalist on “Larry” 

The nights revelry culminated by an all out silly string assault on the band by friends and family. It was a virtual jungle of silly string, it was everywhere and it was wonderful.

BEARD is a band that truly deserves a shot in the world. The new “cassette” (the release is actually in digital download format) is utterly amazing (an in-depth review will be posted here very very soon) and the live show holds par with some of the national acts I have seen.

Thank you BEARD, thank you very much for helping modern Rock N’ Roll music keep its validity. Be sure and check them out at http://www.facebook.com/beardisbullshit?fref=ts and like their page.

the Hellion

THEY JUST KEEP COMING……MORE BANDS FOR YOUR EARS (ONLY 5 THIS WEEK)

I listen to you guys! I was told by several people that checking out ten bands a week was a bit much, so this week I’ve scaled back to five, let me know what you think.

 

1. HAVOK

 

http://www.facebook.com/HavokOfficial

http://www.HAVOKband.com

I had the great fortune of seeing and meeting Havok at a recent show. Hearkening back to the days of early thrash Havok gives me hope for new bands and the future of Rock N’ Roll! Brutal in your face music in the style of Metallica, Exodus, Death Angel, and early Megadeth.

 

2. BABYJANE

 

http://www.facebook.com/pages/BABYJANE/110902428925603

http://www.babyjane.com.au

Australia keeps on giving to the world of Rock N’ Roll. Babyjane is an awesome inclusion to that category. Citing influences such as: Guns N’ Roses, Motley Crue, AC/DC, Rose Tattoo, Skid Row, Sex Pistols, Vains Of Jenna, Van Halen, Alice Cooper, Black Sabbath, The Cult, Faith No More, Megadeth, Pantera, how could they not be kick ass?

 

3. SKELETONWITCH

http://www.facebook.com/skeletonwitchmetal

http://www.myspace.com/skeletonwitch
http://www.twitter.com/skeletonwitch
http://www.skeletonwitch.com
http://www.indiemerchstore.com/skeletonw…
http://www.prostheticrecords.com

Another band I had to the great fortune to meet and interview. Brooding, dark, loud, all of the things you want in your Rock N’ Roll. Skeletonwitch delivers every time.

 

4. SUSPENDED

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Suspended/138495976185211

http://www.reverbnation.com/suspendedchickz

When you see this band it almost seems impossible that what you are witnessing is actually taking place. The sound that comes from these unassuming individuals testifies to the sheer power of Rock!

 

5. SHATTERED SUN

http://www.facebook.com/shatteredsun1

Shattered Sun is a metalcore band from the small town of Alice Texas, Formed in 2005, Shattered Sun went through their growing pains, going through numerous lineup changes to finally finding the right people. Their style is heavy/thrash metal with incredible guitar riffs, vocal distortions and that magnetic raw appeal that allows them to create that maximum effect with every song, every time.

 

 

New candy for your ears

the Hellion

 

THE WORLD IS FULL OF MONSTERS

 

The world is full of monsters. As a parent I am aware of this everyday. My children are now grown and young adults out in the world. I was often told as they were growing up that I was to overprotective and that nothing would happen. I tried and we were lucky so far, and I hope to remain so. My Friends in NJ were not so lucky as to the  recent events that have befallen them. The loss of their daughter Autumn has touched me deeply, the callousness in the way the alleged perpetrators treated   her sickens me. Now the blame game will begin, “I was mistreated as a child”, “My father wasn’t around”, etc. etc., well I got news for you, I WAS mistreated as a child, and my parents were at times neglectful. But you know what? I CHOSE NOT TO CARRY ON THAT CYCLE. YES,  YOU HEARD ME, I MADE THE DECISION.  All of your actions are chosen by you. Own them they’re yours. Now, take the time and talk to your loved ones and be a part of their life.

 

Rest In Piece Autumn Pasquale, the world dimmed a bit with your loss. If you want to donate to Autumn’s family and make sure that your donations
go to Autumn’s family, Please Contact only Joe Fortino, John Higginbottom, Ken Mondillo or Greg Tripp members of The Electric Boa
Or
Autumn Pasquale Memorial Fund
C/O Fulton Bank of New Jersey
35 N Delsea Dr
Clayton, NJ 08312
Donations can be made via mail or walked in to the location
This is the official fund…watch the scams..this is the official one..Help is still needed.

 

with repsect,

the Hellion

CHECK OUT MIND MERCHANT!!!

My good friend Kurt’s latest endeavor!

Chicago based band coming to you live, very soon!!!

FORMED TO BETTER THE MUSIC WORLD! We are an Original Rock/Metal Band that also plays some of today’s Hottest new Rock!! Five Finger Death Punch, Alter Bridge, A7X, Audioslave, Foo Fighters, Seether, Shinedown, Volbeat, BuckCherry, P.O.D. and so on….. The originals we write are a collaborative effort inspired by and drawn from all of our musical influences and fit right into the same category as those we choose to cover!!! With Steve’s amazing vocals, to Bob and Matt’s Shredding Creativity, to Kurt and Mark Making the Ground Shake, we are proud to bring you the quality music you’ve been looking for in your New Favorite Band !!!!! Thanks for checking us out!!!! We aim to please and have fun with our Friends and Fans!!!!

Steve Crandall-singer, percussion
Bob Cashin- guitar, vox
Kurt Arft-Bass, vox
Mark Cox- Drums, vox
Matt Ryan- guitar, vox
the Hellion

TONIGHT!!! – BLEACH BANGS RADIO ON 10/23/12!!! – EPISODE LINK!

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/bleach-bangs/2012/10/24/athelhessler/scrub/0

Check these kick-ass bands on Bleach Bangs on 10/23/12

ATHEL

http://www.facebook.com/athelmusic

HESSLER

http://www.facebook.com/Hesslerchicago

VIDEO OF THE WEEK 10/21/12 – RED FANG “WIRES”

 

Great band check them out on tour!

http://www.facebook.com/redfangband?fref=ts

http://redfang.net
http://redfangband.blogspot.com/
http://redfang.bandcamp.com/
http://twitter.com/redfang
http://myspace.com/redfangpdx

“Wires”

some cool cameos in it

the Hellion

HARDLINE – A BAND WORTH CHECKING OUT!

In 1991 I first heard of theses guys and was totally wowed. Killer vocals, riffs, and talented players made these guys contenders .

Formed by the Gioeli brothers Johnny (vocals) and Joey (guitars) in 1991 they recruited  Neal Schon (guitar), Todd Jensen (bass) and Deen Castronovo (drums) to round out the group. “Hot Cherie” and “Rhythm From A Red Car” were but two of the outstanding track from their debut release Double Eclipse. 

It was ten years before we got II and there had been lineup changes. Johnny Gioeli – vocals, Josh Ramos – lead guitar, Joey Gioeli – guitar, Bobby Rock – drums, Christopher Maloney – bass guitar, Michael T. Ross – keyboards. Another solid release from Hardline!

2009’s Leaving The End Open brought more line-up changes: Johnny Gioeli – Vocals, Josh Ramos – Guitars, Michael T. Ross – Keyboards, Jamie Brown – Bass, Atma Anur – Drums, Jun Senoue – Solo Guitar in “Before This”. Hardline continued to develop and grow as a band with this release.

The future looks bright for Hardline with the release of 2012’s Danger Zone and yes more line up changes: Johnny Gioeli (Vocals, 1991–1992, 1999–present), Alessandro Del Vecchio (Keyboards, 2011–present), Thorsten Koehne (Guitars, 2011–present), Anna Portalupi (Bass, 2011–present), Francesco Jovino (Drums, 2011–present). They are solid as ever and things are looking great for the future.

Check out Hardline and enjoy!

the Hellion

AN INTERVIEW WITH CROWNED BY FIRE GUITARIST JUSTIN MANNING

 

http://www.facebook.com/CrownedByFire?fref=ts

http://www.crownedbyfire.com

Justin took time from his busy schedule to call me and give an intimate interview on Crowned By fire and their up and coming take over of the world. Take your time, sit back, grab a tasty beverage and listen……

thanks Justin! It was a pleasure speaking with you as always.

the Hellion

THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR NOT LISTENING TO THESE BANDS!

Another smoking edition of bands you should be listening to! They just keep coming and coming, so listen up!

1. SOILENT GREEN

Image

http://www.facebook.com/SOILENTGREEN

http://www.soilent-green.com
http://www.reverbnation.com/soilentgreen
http://www.myspace.com/soilentgreen
http://www.crashandburncartel.com/

Soilent Green is:Ben Falgoust (Goatwhore), Brian Patton (Eyehategod), Tommy Buckley (Crowbar) and Scott Crochet. They say only the strong survive and for Louisiana swamp grinders Soilent Green, no truer words were ever spoken. Hardly strangers to adversity, Soilent’s two-decade-old history is fraught with lineup changes, van collisions, murder, suicide and a hurricane casualty. And yet, they soldier on, driven by passion, patience, perseverance and a will to dominate.

2. GOATWHORE

http://www.facebook.com/thegoat666

http://www.goatwhore.net
http://www.twitter.com/goatwhorenola
http://www.reverbnation.com/goatwhore
http://www.ilike.com/artist/Goatwhore

Goatwhore was formed by singer/guitarist Sammy Duet following the breakup of his previous band, Acid Bath. Soilent Green singer L. Ben Falgoust II, guitarist Ben Stout, bassist Patrick Bruders, and drummer Zak Nolan completed the lineup, which debuted with the demo Serenades to the Tides of Blood; Goatwhore’s proper debut LP, The Eclipse of Ages into Black, followed in early 2000. Funeral Dirge for the Rotting Sun appeared in 2003 before the band jumped to Metal Blade for the fall release of 2006’s A Haunting Curse. They performed at both Ozzfest 2008 and Ozzfest 2010.
In 2009, Goatwhore released their fourth album, entitled Carving out the Eyes of God, and toured with Obituary, among others.
In January and February 2010, Goatwhore embarked on the ‘Bound By The Road’ Tour with DevilDriver, Suffocation, and Thy Will Be Done.

In early 2012, the band released their fifth album, entitled Blood for the Master.

3. WEEDEATER

http://www.facebook.com/weedmetal

http://www.weedmetal.com/

Weedeater is a sludge metal band formed in Wilmington, North Carolina in 1997 with members from the recently defunct Buzzov•en. The band has released four full length albums. In April 2007, the band signed on to the Southern Lord record label. In January 2010, vocalist “Dixie” Dave Collins lost his big toe in an accident involving his “favorite shotgun”, causing the recording of their fourth album to stall.

4. KNUCKLEZ DEEP

http://www.facebook.com/knucklez.deep?fref=ts

These guys play  “in your face” straight up metal. Representing the New Mexico music scene this band is on the fast track to success!

5. FOXY SHAZAM

http://www.facebook.com/FoxyShazam

http://foxyshazam.com/

Foxy Shazam is an American rock band from Cincinnati, Ohio, formed in 2004. The band is composed of lead vocalist Eric Sean Nally, guitarist Loren Turner, pianist Sky White, bass player Daisy, trumpeter and back-up vocalist Alex Nauth, and drummer Aaron McVeigh. The band released their debut album The Flamingo Trigger independently before signing with Ferret Records, under which they recorded their second album, Introducing. The following year, the band recorded its first major label record with multi-platinum record producer John Feldmann. Foxy Shazam signed with Sire Records (a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Records) and released its self-titled major label debut in 2010. The band’s fourth studio album, The Church of Rock and Roll, was released in January 2012.

6. ORANGE GOBLIN

http://www.facebook.com/orangegoblinofficial

http://www.orange-goblin.com
http://www.facebook.com/orangegoblinoffi…
http://www.myspace.com/theorangegoblin
http://www.youtube.com/orangegoblinofficial

Inspired by the gods of hard rock, heavy metal, punk rock and underground extremity, from Sabbath, Motörhead and Thin Lizzy through to Celtic Frost, Danzig and Black Flag, Orange Goblin were initially seen as major contenders amid the mid-90s stoner rock explosion, but it soon became apparent that this band had much more up their collective wizard’s sleeve than red-eyed boogie and flapping flares. In fact, over the course of their roller coaster career, the band have proved themselves to be one of the most consistent and persistent forces in modern heavy music, amassing a catalogue of albums that rivals anything released during the same period. From the rambunctious, heads-down exuberance of their Frequencies From Planet Ten debut in 1997 through to the multi-genre bonfire of insanities that was 2007’s Healing Through Fire, Orange Goblin have always kicked arse, always written songs that hit home like a stage diver’s boot connecting with your forehead, always delivered the rampaging heavy metal goods while meaning every last riff, beat, solo and bellow.

7. THE WRETCHED END

http://www.facebook.com/thewretchedend

Musically THE WRETCHED END can best be described as EXTREME METAL, with influences from both black, death and thrash metal.

8. SWITCHBLADE SCARLETT

http://www.facebook.com/switchbladescarlett

What do you get when you have an MTV “MADE” coach, two of the hottest indie-rock producers and one of Guitar Player Magazine’s top five guitar players under 30? You have Switchblade Scarlett!

9. RAGDOLL

http://www.facebook.com/ragdollrock

http://www.ragdollrock.com

With an authentic sound and an unrivalled dedication to the music, nothing’s discounted in developing a Ragdoll original, that’s why each and every tune evokes that certain something… something almost indescribable… something you can’t quite put your finger on. It’s that ‘something’ that’s at the heart and soul of every Ragdoll song and every Ragdoll performance. It’s music steeped in tradition, paying homage to the greats and ghosts of the past while forging its own exciting new path through the Rock wilderness.

10. A PALE HORSE NAMED DEATH

http://www.facebook.com/APHND

http://apalehorsenameddeath.com/

A Pale Horse Named Death is an American goth metal band based out of Brooklyn, New York. It was created by Sal Abruscato (a former drummer for Type O Negative) and produced / engineered by Matt Brown of Seventh Void / Uranium 235. The band currently has one album released called And Hell Will Follow Me.

Whew!!!!

the Hellion