Another cool band I have recently been turned on to is CONQUEST (thanks Dave Tedder). I recently was given the chance to speak with lead guitarist/vocalist Derrick Brumely. Here’s the interview and enjoy:
Check them out on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Conquestmetal/169329849774574
it’s loud, it’s dirty, it’s CONQUEST!
the Hellion
I have known Mike Araiza for several years now. In fact I remember sitting in the parking lot of the Owl Cafe with him and Jeff Sandoval listening to the freshly minted tracks from the Of The Earth project they had just completed.
They moved on in their journey and the next step was an album of songs they had written that turned out to be the frank Hannon Band ‘Six String Soldiers. Which featured appearances by legendary guitarists Dickey Betts, Dave Meniketti, Rick Derringer, and Pat Travers.
Now, I am excited to say, Mike and Jeff are taking the next step in their musical evolution. They are going to be releasing a series of new tracks as single releases over the next year. The first of which is tentatively called “All I Need” or “It’s All I Need”. This first track features mutual friend Kurt Arft on bass guitar and Chris Collier pulling double duties on drums and production duties.
bassist Kurt Arft
drummer and producer Chris Collier
Mike and I had a nice conversation about all of these events and would love to invite you to listen to it right here:
Make sure you got to Mike and Jeff’s Facebook page and give them a like and show your support: https://www.facebook.com/JeffandMikeMusic!!!
it’s loud, it’s tonerific, it’s Jeff and Mike!
the Hellion
STEEL PANTHER DEMONSTRATES “THE BURDEN OF BEING WONDERFUL” IN NEW MUSIC VIDEO DIRECTED BY KIRKER BUTLER
Video Premieres On Vevo Worldwide With New Album
All You Can Eat Out April 1st
(January 21st, 2014 – New York, NY) Steel Panther is releasing their second music video from their upcoming album, All You Can Eat. The latest track being brought to the screen is “The Burden Of Being Wonderful.” It will premiere worldwide on Vevo at http://www.vevo.com/watch/steel-panther/party-like-tomorrow-is-the-end-of-the-world-explicit/GBWWP1300151. The video was directed by Kirker Butler, who is best known for his work as a writer and producer on Family Guy and The Cleveland Show. Butler explains what drew him to direct the video, “I grew up on heavy metal videos. They were the best things on MTV (along with the Duran Duran videos with the naked girls). I wanted to make a heavy metal video the way they used to make them, but with better production values and less Tawny Kitaen.” Comedian Matt Braunger, who has been seen on MadTV and NBC’s “Up All Night”, plays the lead in the video that follows an average Joe throughout his day as he sees himself in situations that make him seem as wonderful as Steel Panther. All You Can Eat is slated for release on April 1st in the United States on Open E Records via Kobalt Label Services (KLS). The album is available for pre-order at http://steelpantherrocks.com/presale. Longtime Steel Panther producer Jay Ruston produced All You Can Eat.
From the opening acoustic riff of album opener “Pussywhipped” to final chord hit in the album closer “She’s On The Rag,” it is clear Steel Panther is back and better than ever. Songs like “Gloryhole,” “Gangbang At The Old Folks Home” and “BVS” all showcase Steel Panther’s incredible musicianship and ability to write memorable and sometimes educational songs. The band, comprised of Michael Starr on vocals, Satchel on guitar, Lexxi Foxx on bass and Stix Zadinia on drums, have made a name for themselves as one of the most entertaining acts out today.
The track listing for All You Can Eat is:
1. Pussywhipped
2. Party Like Tomorrow Is The End Of The World
3. Gloryhole
4. Bukkake Tears
5. Gangbang At The Old Folks Home
6. Ten Strikes You’re Out
7. The Burden Of Being Wonderful
8. F@#king My Heart In The Ass
9. BVS
10. You’re Beautiful When You Don’t Talk
11. If I Was The King
12. She’s On The Rag
Steel Panther was, for a long time, rock’s best-kept secret: a cult legend on the LA scene. But in recent years due to the success of their albums (both debuted at #1 on the Billboard Comedy Album Charts), and live shows, the band has enjoyed huge acclaim from fans and peers alike. Steel Panther has been joined on stage by rock and roll icons such as Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, Paul Stanley of KISS, Corey Taylor of Slipknot, Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine/Audioslave, Chester Bennington of Linkin Park and Green Day to name a few. Steel Panther has also been seen on Dancing With The Stars, Bad Girl’s Club and most recently in a national web campaign for Warner Brothers Pictures hit film, Rock Of Ages.
http://www.steelpantherrocks.com/
https://www.facebook.com/steelpantherkicksass
https://twitter.com/Steel_Panther
RED DRAGON CARTEL RELEASE VIDEO FOR “DECEIVED” FROM BAND’S UPCOMING SELF-TITLED DEBUT OUT ON JANUARY 28th
Band Set To Hit The Road For The First Time This March
(New York, NY – January 21, 2014) – Red Dragon Cartel have been making waves since the band announced the release of their upcoming debut last year. Now, the band made up of guitar legend Jake E. Lee, bassist Ronnie Mancuso, singer D.J. Smith and drummer Jonas Fairley are unveiling their debut video for the song “Deceived.” The song comes from their soon-to-be-released Frontiers Records album Red Dragon Cartel out on January 28th. The video for the song can be seen at and fans that pre-order the album digitally on iTunes at http://smarturl.it/reddragoncartelreceive the song as an instant download. The album is also available for pre-order on Amazon.com at http://amzn.to/1aYjMng.
Jake E. Lee is best known for his work in Badlands and as guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne on Bark at the Moon and The Ultimate Sin albums. Red Dragon Cartel also features various guest appearances from some of music’s most notable faces including legendary Cheap Trick vocalist Robin Zander, original Iron Maiden vocalist Paul Di’Anno, Kill Devil Hill/Pantera bassist Rex Brown, Sass Jordan, Slash’s Conspirators Todd Kearns and Brent Fitz and In This Moment front woman Maria Brink. The album was produced by Ronnie Mancuso and Jake E. Lee and was executive produced, mixed and mastered by Kevin Churko (In This Moment, Ozzy Osbourne, Five Finger Death Punch).
Red Dragon Cartel will be hitting the road in the road in March to showcase Jake E Lee’s return to the world. The tour kicks off March 5th in Tempe, AZ and runs all the way through April 6th, where it wraps up in Seneca, NY. The tour will make stops in Oklahoma City, Houston, Raleigh and Philadelphia to name a few. The band will also be heading over to Europe where they are confirmed to perform at this year’s Download Festival in Donnington, England and the famed Sweden Rock Festival. More dates are being added around the world as the band looks to bring the music of Red Dragon Cartel to every corner of the globe.
From the opening riff of “Deceived” to final sustained piano chord of “Exquisite Tenderness,” it is clear Red Dragon Cartel has created an album that stands amongst some of the greatest hard rock albums of all time. Infectious songs such as “Shout It Out,” “Wasted” and “Slave” showcase the band’s ability to write memorable hooks and vocal melodies. Robin Zander of Cheap Trick lends his voice to the track “Feeder” and a lyric video for the song can be seen athttp://tinyurl.com/FeederLyricVideo. Maria Brink of In This Moment lends her unique vocals to the track “Big Mouth.” Paul Di’Anno and Sass Jordan also lend their talents to the band’s debut. Jake E. Lee’s trademark playing style instantly shines through and picks up right where he left off.
Red Dragon Cartel – Official Website: http://reddragoncartel.com Official Facebook: www.facebook.com/reddragoncartel Official Twitter: https://twitter.com/reddragoncartel
Tour Dates:
Mar. 5 Las Vegas, NV The Marquee
Mar. 13 Owaso, OK Lava Cable
Mar. 14 Oklahoma City, OK The Chameleon Room
Mar. 15 Houston, TX Concert Pub North
Mar. 20 Hazard, KY Summit City
Mar. 21 Janesville, WI The Back Bar
Mar. 22 Fridley, MN Leighton’s Pickle Park
Mar. 23 Richmond, IN The Firehouse
Mar. 25 McKees Rocks, PA Dead Hourse
Mar. 28 Largo, FL Largo Cultural Center
Mar. 29 – Apr. 1 Miami, FL Monsters Of Rock Cruise
Apr. 2 Teaneck, NJ Mexicali Live
Apr. 3 Philadelphia, PA The Legendary Dobbs
Apr. 4 Amityville, NY Revolutions
Apr. 6 West Seneca, NY Rock & Roll Heaven
May 30 Vienna, AUS Szene
May 31 Munich, GER Backstage
Jun 5 Norje Solvesborg, SWE Sweden Rock Festival
Jun 15 Donnington, ENG Download Festival
Jun 19 Seattle, WA El Corazon
Jun 21 Idaho Falls, ID Rock The Falls
Very lucky to have the opportunity to speak with drummer Jason Meudt from Emperors And Elephants. Great conversation and we could have spoken all day. We spoke about the new release ‘Devil In The Lake’ and even premiered a track “Your Will”. Here’s the link for your enjoyment:
Their new CD ‘Devil In The Lake’ has just dropped and you can pick it up world wide
Emperors And Elephants are on the web find them at: https://www.facebook.com/EmperorsandElephants and http://emperorsandelephants.com
it’s loud, it’s dirty, it’s EMPERORS AND ELEPHANTS!
the Hellion
1. Fields of Unforgiveness
2. My Dying Time
3. Believe
4. Angel Of Mercy
5. Heart Of Darkness
6. Beyond The Dawn
7. Scars
8. Damn the Flood
9. I’ve Gone Away
10.Empty Promises
11. Shades Of Gray
12. Dark Side of the Sun (Bonus Track)
13. The Nomad (Bonus Track)
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/catacombs-black-vatican-deluxe/id799689367
Well it appears that the track listing has been unveiled in iTunes. Little by little we are being whipped into a frenzy for this release!!! Viagra for our ears!!!
SDMF!!!
the Hellion
My good friend Shane “The Sound Man” interviewed the band Wes Ford and the Foundry recently. I found it to be an interesting and very cool interview. I asked him if I could share it here on the Hellion Rocks and he agreed. This is a first for the Hellion Rocks in having an outside contributor so enjoy! Here’s the link to the interview:
Thanks Shane! Keep Rockin’
-the Hellion
1. Bring It Down
2. Who You Are
3. Your Will
4. Man Of God
5. Locust
6. Hit Of Red
7. Deep Sleep
8. Change
9. Wicked Game
10. Ghost In The Mirror
11. You And I
12. M.O.G.- Dupermang Remix
The Rock N’Roll onslaught of 2014 continues with the release of ‘Devil In The Lake’ by Emperors And Elephants. Emperors And Elephants hit my radar when my friend, guitarist Randy Cooper, informed me that he had joined forces with them. I eagerly awaited news from this collaboration and read everything I could find. Now the fruits of their hard work have come to light as they unveil ‘Devil In The Lake’ to the world.
I have read other reviews comparing them to this band or that band, there will be none of that here. While you can hear certain influences in the music of Emperors And Elephants they remain unique in their sound. There are elements of Southern Rock riffs to full on blazing Metal. I am not going to list who I feel their influences are I will leave that up to you and your ears.
Emperors And Elephants is Jesse Andrews – vocals, Jason Meudt – drums, Jeph Stiph – guitars, Randy “The Arsonist” Cooper – guitars,and Ron “Stoppable”Vanders – bass a truly tight unit built for Rock N’ Roll.
‘Devil In The Lake’ reaches out and sinks its sonic awesomeness into your ears right out of the gate with opening track “Bring It Down”, and by the the time you get to the closing notes of “M.O.G. Dupermang Remix”, you will come to realize you have become infected with the need to listen to the record all over again.
The guitar work that is found on ‘Devil In The Lake’ is top-notch. Randy “The Arsonist” Cooper and Jeph Stiph give us some riffage that dreams are made of. Beautiful acoustic, dirty Southern Rock grooves, to ear bleeding shred it’s all here on ‘Devil In The Lake’. Their trade-off licks remind me of some of the great guitar duos of Rock N’ Roll. You can distinctly hear their individual styles on the record though as each show their style of playing.
Jesse Andrews vocal work makes me ask “Where the hell has this guy been hiding?” Powerful is an understatement with Jesse on ‘Devil In The Lake’. Clean melodic work to bone rattling screams give your ears delight throughout. One of the things that draws me into a vocalist is the ability to inject emotional feeling into their vocals. Jesse imparts emotion and then some here, you truly feel when you listen to him sing.
Ron “Stoppable”Vanders provides the bottom end to Emperors And Elephants on ‘Devil In The Lake’ solid and the style that is needed on a record like this. Ron has the ability to lock into the groove of the song and get your head nodding, in my opinion a good bassist does just that. I love closing my eye and focusing in on the bass lines on this record.
The drums of a record are like a heartbeat to me. Jason Meudt gives ‘Devil In The Lake’ its heartbeat and then some. Another thing a bout a record I love is the ability of the drums to accelerate your own heartbeat and get your adrenaline pumping. No needless flashiness here, just some solid Rock N’ Roll drumming. Jason provides the foundation upon which ‘Devil In The Lake’ is built.
Clocking in at around 46 minutes the 12 songs on ‘Devil In The Lake’ are all enjoyable, yet there are a few that stand out to me. “Bring It Down”, “Man Of God”, “Deep Sleep”, “Change”, “Ghost In The Mirror” all just have that je ne sais quoi about them. Give them a listen and you” see why.
Production wise the ‘Devil In The Lake’ is clean and mean. Levels and clarity are stellar across the board and the CD stands up to being played at levels that will let your neighbors on the block enjoy it as well.
I was just speaking to Randy Cooper as I was writing this and he is excited for the world to hear it and he is proud as hell of the band and the work they accomplished here. I have to say “Randy, you’ve found your groove brother.”
My final thoughts on ‘Devil In The Lake’ are this, 2014 is gonna be a great year for Rock N’ Roll music, and bands like Emperors And Elephants are on the font lines leading the charge. This a record that all lovers of straight up, Rock N’ Roll music need in their collection. 15 out of ten stars right here, it’s that good. Thanks Jesse, Jason, Randy, Jeph, and Ron for making a record that is enjoyable start to finish. Now, bring it out on the road!
Find Emperors And Elephants online at: https://www.facebook.com/EmperorsandElephants and http://www.emperorsandelephants.com/
it’s loud, it’s dirty, it’s Emperors And Elephants!
-the Hellion
Well, well ,well what can I say? I said in my review of The Ground Beneath ‘Self Titled’ CD that is was a 10 out of 10. That goes for the live performance as well. A packed house enjoyed the killer set from the guys and the buzz was afoot that the new songs were a success. The songs translated well in the live format and I feel that their subsequent tour will go over very well for them. Steve, Tim, and Bearface killed it on the stage! Here are some live shots of the show for your enjoyment! The Ground Beneath is on the way to greatness!
Steve with the Dad Beneath
it’s loud, it’s dirty, it’s THE GROUND BENEATH!
-the Hellion
The hard working rockers Mind Merchant have released a lyric video for the track “Killer Instinct”. Inspired the hit Showtime series Dexter, “Killer Instinct” is the 2nd single released by the Chicago band, Mind Merchant. Mind Merchant is comprised of: Steve Crandall-singer/percussion, Bob Cashin- guitar/ vox, Doug Ehrhardt-guitar/vox, Kurt Arft-Bass/ vox, Mark Cox- Drums/ vox. Check it out right here:
You can find Mind Merchant on the facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mind-Merchant/383766625024958
it’s loud, it’s dirty, it’s MIND MERCHANT!!!
-the Hellion
the Hellion Rocks 