Tag Archives: Dio

BLOODY HAMMERS- CD REVIEW

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SoulSeller Records/Sacrificial Records

1. Witch Of Endor
2. Fear No Evil
3. The Last Legion Of Sorrow
4. Say Goodbye To The Sun
5. The Witching Hour
6. Black Magic
7. Trisect
8. Beyond The Door
9. Souls On Fire
10. Don’t Breathe A Word

     To be honest, I don’t know who told me about Bloody Hammers, but I’m glad they did. I anxiously awaited the release of this CD after hearing a sampling online. Bloody Hammers consists of: Vocals, Bass: Anders Manga, Organ: Devallia, Guitar: Zoltan, and Drums: Curse. Mysterious names, mysterious members, good luck finding photographs. They cite the following bands as influences: Roky Erickson, Alice Cooper, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Pentagram, Black Sabbath, Bauhaus, Concrete Blonde, The Beatles, Arthur Brown, The Cramps, The Misfits, Ramones, Venom, Rush, Joy Division, Dio, Captain Beyond, T.Rex, Sisters of Mercy, Dust, Trouble, Danzig, Hawkwind, Hammer Horror, Something Weird Video … everything! How could they not be good with those influences? Let’s get into the record: Stand out tracks for me are “Witch Of Endor”, “Black Magic”, “Say Goodbye To The Sun”, and “Don’t Breathe A Word”.

     Dark, brooding, and damn good, this records is hypnotic. While the band has an original sound, there are some comforting familiar riffs here. I find this CD strangely hypnotic and it draws me into it. Well put together and engineered, the dark theme of this work is captured beautifully. Another one  of the things that I love about this CD is the fact that no one tries to  over play each other. The instruments compliment each other, not drown each other out or try to take the spotlight from each other. I have listened to this CD several times through and the flow is awesome. There is truly no filler on this CD, you can put it on and let it go from start to finish. A winner all around! Here’s the video for “Fear No Evil”:

     Make sure you check out their facebook page and give them a like: http://www.facebook.com/BloodyHammers or their official website: http://www.bloodyhammers.com/

     Please check out his AWESOME band

the Hellion

ANOTHER MUSIC LOVER – ISH GARCIA TALKS ABOUT HIS LOVE OF MUSIC AND FAMILY

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I have a good friend who truly knows the meaning of family, Ish Garcia. This man sacrifices for his family by working out of the country to earn a living in this hard economic time. When he does get the opportunity to spend time at home he makes the best of it by giving back by sharing his passion for music with his family. I truly believe in the healing power of music as does he, Ish uses the power of music to help his autistic son “Matt The Cat”. I got Ish to take some of his rare time to answer a few questions:

1. When did you first fall in love with music?

Ish: I have always loved music, since a baby , really. In love, maybe after I heard and bought a Hendrix album Axis Bold As Love, after that ,I realized I couldn’t go a day without some kind of music.

2.  What is it about music that touches you?

Ish:  Music just gets inside,- lyrics, rhythm, it just depends on the song.

3.  What do you do to support you favorite bands?

Ish: Support ?- Buy the Album-whole album , not just the one you like on the radio, buy the album that’s why they made an album,I’m pretty sure the song are strung together for a reason. Also, buy a shirt, usually bands I like /love have cool merch for sale. Buy a ticket for the show and see ’em live!!! Share that shit with all your friends. Hope fully the small bands you like will make it, like Guns N’ Roses or Alice in Chains, Pantera , they all started doing small gigs and then bang, I would like to witness it first hand.

4.  Tell us about some of your favorite bands and your passion for music.

Ish: Jimi Hendrix – Guitar god great lyrics, His cover songs are better than the originals themselves-in my opinion Black Sabbath-Ozzy and Dio for me undecided…,c’mon its Sabbath, need I say more Ozzy-its like crack for my ears Zeppelin, to me its real rock n roll to me a blue print of what rock and roll should sound like. Alice in chains-Lyrics, the sound of Layne and Jerry together , chunky riffs.What is grunge ? Black Label Society-Everything I love all rolled into one-Doom, chunky riffs-blues, melody To me music is magical or spiritual and powerful, its in the air ,it’s a time machine. even when you cant see it, you can feel it, it can make you feel strong when your weak, inspire you, calm you down. I believe music is a super natural living thing, a gift to us. I couldn’t see a world without it. My wife is the one who really introduced me to Alice in Chains, and I’m so grateful. And as far as BLS, I gotta hear at least one song a day, and I have to blow out my ear drums with it.

5. Tell us a little about “Matt The Cat”

Ish: We took him to his first big( not local) concert and meet n greet. in 07 velvet revolver he loved slash from rock band. and then liked guns and roses, they were all cool to him, he got Duffs sweat band at the end of the show. I notice a big difference with Matt when we go to Black Label shows in particular, he’s dressed like everyone, so he feels “in” and true BL family show him respect. He loves the music , he gets exited when we tell him Black Labels in town. He can act like himself without being judged. Taking him to the meet n greets and concerts and seeing him be happy is priceless.

Thanks Ish, you have my utmost respect and love.

the Hellion

09/03/2012 SHOW!

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How my relationship with BLEACH BANGS RADIO started

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During the process of doing interviews for Music U-Night I was given an interview with Charlie Owens from Bleach Bangs Radio. I always like to spend some time before the interview getting to know my subject on a personal level. For me it helps to make the interview process flow easier and seem more natural. In getting to know Charlie it was if we were long lost brothers. We have so many common interests and likes, it was fate.

Charlie Owens from Bleach Bangs Radio on Music U-Night:

A little bit later I was asked to be interviewed on Bleach Bangs Radio. The on air chemistry continued and I was able to “meet” Randy Norris, and john Hennis, Charlie’s co-hosts on the show.  It was a great experience.

Bleach Bangs interview

 

A few months later I was invited to be a permanent co-host on Bleach Bangs and the rest is ….in the future!!!!

the Hellion

RONNIE JAMES DIO – \m/

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The first time Dio graced my ears was in 1978 “Long Live Rock ‘N’ Roll” hooked in an instant. That song galvanized me, I knew right then my mission in life. I then followed Dio throughout his illustrious career.

Ronald James Padavona was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire on July 10th 1942.

Dio’s musical career began in 1957 when several Cortland, New York musicians formed the band The Vegas Kings, which soon changed their name to Ronnie and the Rumblers. This band’s lineup had Padavona on the bass guitar, along with singer Billy DeWolfe, guitarist Nick Pantas, drummer Tom Rogers, and saxophone player Jack Musci.

In 1958, the band again changed their name, along with a few changes of personnel. The band was now known as Ronnie and the Redcaps. At this point, Padavona began singing, replacing DeWolfe. Musci also left the band, and a new guitarist, Dick Botoff, joined.

Padavona took up the name “Dio” after mafia member Johnny Dio, and first used it professionally at least by 1961, when he added it to the band’s second release on Seneca. Soon after that the band changed their name to Ronnie Dio and the Prophets. The group released several singles during the following years, until 1967.

Ronnie Dio and the Prophets disbanded in 1967, but he and Prophets guitarist Nick Pantas started a new band called the Electric Elves. They shortened their name to Elf in 1969, and eventually went on to become an opening act for Deep Purple while recording three albums.


Dio’s vocals caught the ear of Deep Purple guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, and when Blackmore left the band, he recruited Dio to Rainbow. Rainbow released its debut as Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow in 1975. Dio recorded two more classic albums (Rising and Long Live Rock ‘n’ Roll) and the live album On Stage with Rainbow, but he left the band due to creative differences: Blackmore had wanted to take the band in a more commercial/mainstream direction.

In 1979, after leaving Rainbow, Dio joined Black Sabbath, replacing Ozzy Osbourne. That line-up released the highly successful Heaven and Hell album in 1980, which revitalized the band’s career. They then went on to record Mob Rules with Vinny Appice on drums. Vinny replaced original Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward during the tour for Heaven and Hell due to familial problems at the time,it may also be noted that Bill was not very happy with Ronnie’s sing style and temperment (evidence of this divisiveness can be found in the Tony Iommi autobiography Iron Man. The album proved less successful than its predecessor, but still a hit. In 1982, disagreements over the mixing of Live Evil led to Dio and Appice quitting the band to form the band Dio. In 1992, Dio briefly returned to Black Sabbath to record Dehumanizer.

Wanting to continue together as a band, Ronnie James Dio and Vinnie Appice formed Dio, the band, in 1982. On guitar played Vivian Campbell and on bass Jimmy Bain, the latter whom he had known since the old Rainbow days. Their debut album, Holy Diver, included the hit singles, “Rainbow in the Dark” and the title track, “Holy Diver”. As the band changed members over the years, Dio was the only original member. Except a few breaks, Dio, the band, was always touring or recording.

We lost Ronnie James Dio on May 16, 2010

Dio’s career spanned over half a century. During his stellar career , he received a number of distinctions and awards. He was inducted into the Cortland City Hall of Fame in 2004, and has a street named after him there called Dio Way. In his post-Elf band Rainbow, Ronnie wrote some of the first Power Metal lyrics. Classic Rock Magazine awarded Dio with the “Metal Guru Award” at their yearly “Roll Of Honour” awards ceremony in 2006. On January 17, 2007, Dio was inducted into Guitar Center’s Rock Walk of Fame in Hollywood, CA. Dio was named “Best Metal Singer” at the Revolver Golden Gods Awards in April 2010 for his work on The Devil You Know, making him the oldest recipient of this award at age 67. He accepted the award in person at what was to be his final public appearance, less than one month before his death. The main stage of Bloodstock Open Air is also named after him in tribute after Heaven & Hell pulled out upon his death. Also the main stage on Masters of Rock festival carries his name since summer 2010. A Dio monument has been unveiled in Kavarna, Bulgaria.
Rolling Stone magazine eulogized Dio with these words: “It wasn’t just his mighty pipes that made him Ronnie James Dio — it was his moral fervor…what always stood out was Dio’s raging compassion for the lost rock & roll children in his audience. Dio never pretended to be one of the kids — he sang as an adult assuring us that we weren’t alone in our suffering, and some day we might even be proud of conquering it”.
On July 10, 2011 in parallel to Ronnie Dio’s birthday in Cortland, NY was held a day-long event featuring many central New York local bands and talent for a benefit to the Stand Up and Shout Cancer foundation for cancer research and Dio Memorial concert. Part of the proceeds from the event went to fund a memorial music scholarship for the local city high-school in his name.

 

Thanks Ronnie, my life was changed because of you. \m/

Remember this?:


 

 

Revolving Vocalists- How does changing a front man affect a band?

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In the world of Rock N’ Roll sometimes band members come and go. It’s in the nature of the business. Drugs, money, egos, and sometimes death can alter a band. We all know bands that have changed members so let’s look at a few and see the results.

AC/DC: BON SCOTT to BRIAN JOHNSON

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BON SCOTT 1974-1980

BRIAN JOHNSON 1980-

AC/DC was on the rise of US success with the August 3rd, 1979 release of HIGHWAY TO HELL when tragedy struck. Bon Scott and AC/DC were in the process of developing the album which would become BACK IN BLACK when the unthinkable happened. On 19 February 1980, Scott, 33 at the time, passed out after a night of heavy drinking in a London club called the Music Machine (currently known as the KOKO). He was left to sleep in a Renault 5 owned by an acquaintance named Alistair Kinnear, at 67 Overhill Road in East Dulwich, South London. The following afternoon, Kinnear found Scott lifeless, and alerted the authorities. Scott was rushed to King’s College Hospital in Camberwell, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Pulmonary aspiration of vomit was the cause of Scott’s death, and the official cause was listed as “acute alcohol poisoning” and “death by misadventure”. The band thought about hanging it up for a while but, after a visit with the parents of Bon Scott, decided to carry in his honor. Angus Young later recalled, “I remember the first time I had ever heard Brian’s (Johnson) name was from Bon. Bon had mentioned that he had been in England once touring with a band and he had mentioned that Brian had been in a band called Geordie and Bon had said ‘Brian Johnson, he was a great rock and roll singer in the style of Little Richard.’ And that was Bon’s big idol, Little Richard. I think when he saw Brian at that time, to Bon it was ‘Well he’s a guy that knows what rock and roll is all about.’ He mentioned that to us in Australia. I suppose when we decided to continue, Brian was the first name that Malcolm and myself came up with, so we said we should see if we can find him.” The rest, as the world knows, is history as AC/DC has carried on to become icons on the world of Rock. In my own opinion they are two different bands (I take this opinion of several other bands as well). I like them both but I feel they were a harder, darker, and more dangerous band with Bon. With Brian they are more of a friends band at a keg party type of band, just my opinion. AC/DC continues to this day.  Let’s compare Bon and Brian:

“Highway to Hell” – Bon Scott: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_5kv8QeBBc&feature=fvst

“Highway to Hell” – Brian Johnson: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7svqfVu468&feature=related

VAN HALEN: DAVID LEE ROTH/ SAMMY HAGAR/ GARY CHERONE

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DAVID LEE ROTH  1972-1985

Van Halen came on the scene like gangbusters and were moving up and up riding the wave of success and then Dave was gone. Egos, drug use, and too much too fast were the apparent reasons for David and Van Halen splitting up. David went on to record several successful solo records and Van Halen moved on.

SAMMY HAGAR 1985-1996

Eddie invited Patty Smyth of Scandal to replace Roth but she refused. Eddie was then introduced by way of a mutual auto mechanic to Sammy Hagar, formerly of 1970s band Montrose. This was the shot in the arm Van Halen was looking for. Van Halen went on  to stellar success with Sammy writing some fantastic music along the way. But all was not perfect with this line up either. Fired or quit, Sammy was out of the band in 1996.

GARY CHERONE 1996-1999

Gary Cherone known for being the singer of the band Extreme was tapped to be the next VH vocalist. Van Halen III was recorded and sad to say didn’t take off. Let’s give a listen to the three vocalist of Van Halen:

“Unchained” – David Lee Roth: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2Qatc4K85A

“Unchained” – Sammy Hagar: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=185roOKaUuQ

“Unchained: – Gary Cherone: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oygJouHFnsk

Van Halen continues on today welcoming back David Lee Roth back to the fold. Sadly original bassist Michael Anthony has been replaced. New record, new bassist (Wolfgang Van Halen) new world tour, let’s see where it takes them. My opinion is with each vocalist we got a new band, same name, but new band.

BLACK SABBATH: OZZY OSBOURNE TO DIO

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I know there were other members of Sabbath but we are just going to look at the Ozzy/Dio versions.

OZZY OSBOURNE 1969 TO 1979

Ozzy and company rose to stardom with their dark and doom laden music. Like so many others before them success also got to them. The reckless lifestyle Ozzy  was living led to his dismissal in 1979.

RONNIE JAMES DIO 1979 TO 1982

Ironically Sharon Arden (later Sharon Osbourne), daughter of Black Sabbath manager Don Arden, suggested former Rainbow vocalist Ronnie James Dio to replace Ozzy Osbourne in 1979. Dio officially joined in June, and the band began writing their next album. With a notably different vocal style from Osbourne’s, Dio’s addition to the band marked a change in Black Sabbath’s sound.

Let’s look at some differences:

“War Pigs” – Ozzy: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E3K0PvO2Dr4

“War Pigs” – Dio: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IG1lEiOUclc

I am going to stop at three bands. I know there are several more to discuss, maybe a part 2 blog. I also plan to discuss replacing musicians within a band as well. Some of the singers discussed here have left us may they Rest In Peace:

Ronald Belford “Bon” Scott (9 July 1946 – 19 February 1980)

Ronald James “DIO” Padavona (July 10, 1942 – May 16, 2010)

While others, OZZY, David Lee Roth, have rejoined to band mates. What is your take on replacing singers? I feel like they become a “different” band. Let me know!

Thanks to my best friend, my love, and my partner in crime, my wife Dani for this idea!

the Hellion