Here’s what’s up with Justin Manning

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Had the chance to chat with Justin Manning about some stuff…so check it out:

     -the Hellion

Dewey Bragg talks about MӦTH!

Catching up with Dewey Bragg, vocalist of Kill Devil Hill and the supergroup MӦTH!

 

     Also check out their  video for the track “Womanizer” :

     Catch up with MӦTH on the web:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mothsounds/171245566260834

http://mothsounds.com/

https://soundcloud.com/moth-5

     it’s loud, it’s dirty, it’s MӦTH!!!

     -the Hellion

The Hellion Rocks Photography

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They say necessity is the mother of invention. Well circumstances led me to pick up a camera in September of 2012. I have since spent a lot of time learning and will always be learning to understand the art of photography. I have put a selection of my shots up on Flickr. http://www.flickr.com/photos/117375233@N02/ I would dig it if you checked them out and gave some feedback. Any feedback is appreciated as we can only learn from it.  – the Hellion

Road trip to ROCK N’ ROLL – KILL DEVIL HILL!!!

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I cannot say enough good things about Kill Devil Hill. Paul Gargano of Century Media made sure I received the new CD Revolution Rise for review, set up an interview with vocalist Dewey Bragg, and arranged for me to shoot their show and meet with the guys. Thank you Paul and Century Media. Here is the interview link in case you missed it:

     I have to give thanks to Rancid Savage Productions for making it possible for my very good friend guitarist Mike Araiza (Of The Earth, Frank Hannon Band) to attend the show with me.

     ROADTRIP!!!

    I want to thank my friends guitarist Mike Araiza (Of The Earth, Frank Hannon Band) and vocalist Dion Tejada (Scars Blue) for sharing this epic road trip with me. We talked music, life, and basically had a great time. It was reminiscent of the glory days of Rock concerts. The vibe were chill, the road music was great, and the conversation flowed.

     We rolled up to the historic El Morro Theater in Gallup, NM and saw the infamous Dimebag tour bus. From that moment we knew we were in for a kickass night of Rock N’ Roll!

the Dime bus!

the Dime bus!

     We parked the Hellionmobile and walked to the venue as cool as we could. As we passed a small cafe we saw the legendary Vinny Appice sitting there on his laptop. We got to the venue and found it locked and the guest list was not available yet so we just chilled a bit. I called my friend Rob Traynor (vocals/guitars for Black Water Rising who was on the bill) and he said he’d meet us in a few. It was then we were told to go around the back and come on in. The bands were still loading in and equipment was everywhere and we were geeked for a killer show. My brother Mike Araiza offered to use one of my cameras and shoot from a different angle than me. It was a welcome addition to my show shoot and Mike managed to squeeze in 2400 shots!! Thanks Mike, much love brother!

El Morro theater preshow!

El Morro theater preshow!

     Testify

     First up on the bill was local Gallup band Testify. Identifying with their local heritage this young band brought some seriously good music to the mix. Definitely looking forward to more from these guys.

Testify

Testify

BlinDDryve

     Ahhh BlinDDryve, a band near and dear to my heart. I have seen this Albuquerque band grow and evolve into the powerhouse that they are today. They delivered a great set today and left the crowd wanting more.

BlinDDryve

BlinDDryve

Revocation

     Revocation is a band new to me and I have already interviewed them and caught them twice. Hard, aggressive, and LOUD!!! Revocation is a band on the move in a big way. Kicking ass and taking name is their game. Don’t miss out on them if they come your way.

Revocation

Revocation

Black Water Rising

     I was busy with something menial the first time I heard Black Water Rising, and it grabbed my attention fully. “Brother Go On” was the track and I was hooked. I found the CD and stayed in touch with what they were up to. Eventually I was able to do a phone interview with vocalist/guitarist Rob Traynor. I stayed in touch with Rob and was excited to hear about their new release Pissed And Driven. It was with great pleasure when I heard they were on the bill for this show. I will be doing a feature piece on them and their set.

Black Water Rising

Black Water Rising

Eyes Set To Kill

     A lot of people were excited to see this band and they drew a positive crowd response. New, fresh, with solid shared vocals and hooks, this band has been making waves across the globe. A band for the new world Eyes Set To Kill is coming to your ears soon.

Eyes Set To Kill

Eyes Set To Kill

KILL DEVIL HILL!!!

     Vinny Appice, Rex Brown, Dewey Bragg, and Mark Zavon are collectively known as Kill Devil Hill. The crew closed the curtains as the crowd prepared themselves for complete devastation from the band.  The crowd roared as the curtains finally opened and the band exploded on stage.

Kill Devil Hill

Kill Devil Hill

Having heard both of the KDH records I knew the sound that the band had in the studio and was stoked to see what they sounded like live, I was not disappointed. The band was stellar with their live performance. While true to the songs from the records, they infused them with the magic one can only see in a live show. Rex Brown played to the crowd drawing them in to the show and feeding off of their energy.

Rex Brown firing up the crowd

Rex Brown firing up the crowd

The legendary Vinny Appice brought the thunder to Gallup, NM that night. Pure magic came from behind the kit as Vinny pounded out the songs of Kill Devil Hill. We owe Vinny a debt of gratitude for giving us this incredible new music.

Vinny Appice the legend!

Vinny Appice the legend!

Mark Zavon has some serious chops. This is guitarist that I feel is seriously underrated and then some. From shred to clean riffs Mark did it all effortlessly. Although Mark is a newcomer to most people, he took the stage with swagger and confidence many veterans of the stage do not. He is rapidly becoming one of my favorite players.

Mark Zavon owning the stage

Mark Zavon owning the stage

And then there’s Dewey Bragg, my favorite new vocalist. There is a magic in his voice and you can feel it reach into you when you listen to the songs of Kill Devil Hill. From brain shattering screams to haunting harmonies Dewey hits it all. The thing about Dewey is that he sees his voice as an instrument and treats it accordingly, and it shows. Besides the voice and the company he keeps Dewey remains humble and grateful. I asked him in our recent interview if he ever looks around while on stage and says damn that’s Rex Brown and damn that’s Vinny Appice, his repsonse: : “Every Night”.

Dewey Bragg filling our ears with joy

Dewey Bragg filling our ears with joy

Kill Devil Hill are a classy group of gentlemen indeed. After busting their asses onstage they took the time to hang out and meet the crowd, take pictures and sign stuff for them. The Crowd lined up in anticipation and you could see the joy on their faces as Rex, Vinny, Mark, and Dewey acknowledged them even if for only a moment.

Rex Brown and Dion Tejada

Rex Brown and Dion Tejada

Vinny Appice with a fan

Vinny Appice with a fan

Kill Devil Hill with some VIP  purchasers

Kill Devil Hill with some VIP purchasers

Rex Brown with the Hellion

Rex Brown with the Hellion

As a bonus to people attending these shows Rita Haney (DimebagzHag) is running the merch table for Kill Devil Hill. She took the time to talk, sign things, and take pictures with the fans. A class act indeed.

Rita Haney with a fan

Rita Haney with a fan

Rita Haney with Mike Araiza

Rita Haney with Mike Araiza

And then it was all over and everyone had to go back to their regular lives, but at least, they were all carrying the magic of the nights show with them into their dreams.

Thanks to all of the bands for delivering a great night of Rock N’ Roll!!! Thanks Mike Araiza  and Dion Tejada for the company!

it’s loud, it’s dirty, it’s ROCK N’ ROLL

the Hellion

My conversation with KILL DEVIL HILL vocalist Dewey Bragg

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Lightning struck when  Kill Devil Hill exploded on the scene with their debut record in 2012. Lightning struck twice with the release of their sophomore album Revolution Rise. It was with great excitement when I received an email from Paul Gargano from Century Media, that contained Revolution Rise for me to review. A few weeks later Paul and I were able to arrange an interview with vocalist Dewey Bragg. Dewey and I had  a casual conversation rather than an interview and we discussed a myriad of things. Here is the link for your enjoyment:

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Be sure and pick up BOTH Kill Devil Hill records, catch them on tour in support of the new release Revolution Rise. They are on the web at https://www.facebook.com/KillDevilHillMusic?ref=br_tf and http://www.killdevilhillmusic.com/ Kill Devil Hill is breathing life back into serious Rock N’ Roll as we speak!!!

it’s loud, it’s dirty, it’s KILL DEVIL HILL!!!

-the Hellion

KILL DEVIL HILL releases Revolution Rise on 10/29/13

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The first Kill Devil Hill record kicked everyone in the ass. The second, Revolution Rise, will not only kick your ass, it will crush your ears and your mind as well. Revolution Rise shows the growth of Kill Devil Hill as a band. If you are not familiar with them here is a quick rundown: in 2011 Vinny Appice (Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell, Dio),Rex Brown (Pantera, Down), Mark Zavon (W.A.S.P.), Dewey Bragg (Pissing Razors) came together to create the force that is Kill Devil Hill.

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Now, on to the new record Revolution Rise!

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1. No Way Out
2. Crown Of Thorns
3. Leave It All Behind
4. Why
5. Wake Up The Dead
6. Long Way From Home
7. Where Angels Dare To Roam
8. Stained Glass Sadness
9. Endless Static
10. Stealing Days
11. Life Goes On

     The album opens dirty and nasty and grabs you right away and lever lets go. The vocals of Dewey Bragg have the right amount of power for  a band like Kill  Devil Hill. He knows when to sing clean and when to insert the insane metal screams to make your ears bleed. Mark Zavon brings some very tasty licks to the mix. Combing rhythm with leads he knows when the shred needs to be added to suit the track. The legendary Vinny Appice provides the thunder for Kill Devil Hill, and it is thunderous. It’s like having Thor come down from Asgard and sit in with your band. And then there’s Rex Brown, one of my personal favorite bassists. I have loved Rex’s bass lines for a long time now. I have seen Rex perform live and he is a chest crusher, it continues with Kill Devil Hill and on Revolution Rise.

     While it is hard to pick stand out songs on a record as good as Revolution Rise there are a few I have gone back to a couple of times.

     “Wake Up The Dead”- this track has a dark and heavy groove perfect for those scary nights

     “Stained Glass Sadness” – There are those thunderous drums in the intro and they lead into a track that has me closing my eyes and getting lost in my mind.

     “Crown Of Thorns” –  Yup, my neck already hurts from listening to this track, you know what I mean. In fact, here’s a listen:

     Kill Devil Hill – Revolution Rise final thoughts: This is a record to be enjoyed LOUDLY (so everyone around you can enjoy it as well) and with your favorite libation. It sounds great in your vehicle (warning: other drivers will think you insane as your rock your ass off to it.) I can only imagine the AWESOMENESS of these tracks performed live.

     It’s loud, it’s dirty, it’s KILL DEVIL HILL!!!

     -the Hellion