AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE Signs to Napalm Records! New Album Tango Umbrella Due Later This Year!‏

February 17, 2015 by janaya64

AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE Signs to Napalm Records!
New Album Tango Umbrella Due Later This Year!

Hot on the heels of announcing that they will be taking part in the upcoming North American COAL CHAMBER tour, Minneapolis, Minnesota’s AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE has inked a new deal with Austrian metal label Napalm Records.

The band commented about signing with Napalm Records:
“AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE are extremely excited to announce our signing with Napalm Records for the 2015 release of our new album, Tango Umbrella. We’d like to thank all the fans, friends and family who contributed to make the recording process possible; we’re very proud to be delivering a DIY record to you all!

Working with Napalm will allow us a much broader reach for promoting and distributing the record and let us focus on what we love and do best: making music and playing shows.

We look forward to 2015 being a very busy and productive year, and we thank you all again for your continued and fanatic support!”

Napalm A&R representative Sebastian Muench added:

“Having lived in Upstate New York for a couple years I was right there when epic albums like ‘The War of Art’ and ‘The Feeding’ were released and the incredible effect they had on the music world back then! Napalm is determined and pumped to release a new AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE album after almost a decade of hibernation… and I can tell you the new songs will blow your mind!”

AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE burst onto the national scene in 2001 with their Rick Rubin produced American Recordings debut The War of Art. Aggressive, strange, cathartic, dangerous and, perhaps most importantly, different, they blended the industrial grind of Ministry and Marilyn Manson with the tripped-out melodic experimentation of Faith No More. OZZFEST 2001 and a worldwide tour with Slipknot followed. During that time, The War of Art went on to sell in excess of 250,000 units, and it propelled the band to international acclaim with the singles “All Wrapped Up” and “Just So You Know.”

After dissolving in 2008 the band reconvened four years later in 2012 and recently supported Wayne Static on a few select dates of his 15th Anniversary Wisconsin Death Trip Tour and returned to the UK to perform at the Download Festival along with a performance in London with Kill Devil Hill.AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE entered the studio in the summer of 2014 to begin recording with producer, Dave Fortman (Ugly Kid Joe, Evanescence, Eyehategod, Slipknot, Mudvayne, Godsmack) at Third Sky Studio, in Richmond, KY. What came of this is the band’s forthcoming album Tango Umbrella.

AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE will embark on an upcoming US tour supporting Combichrist, Filter and Coal Chamber in March and April of 2015.

AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE has literally survived it all, and is back to show that they are the stuff rock and roll is made from.

AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE Live:

3/3: Lincoln, NE @ Vega

3/6: Tempe, AZ @ Marquee

3/7: Los Angeles, CA @ House of Blues

3/8: San Francisco, CA @ Regency Grand

3/9: Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades

3/11: Seattle, WA @ Showbox at the Market

3/12: Portland, OR @ Roseland

3/13: Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory

3/14: Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory

3/16: Denver, CO @ Summit Music Hall

3/17: Wichita, KS @ The Cottillion

3/18: Tulsa, OK @ Cains Ballroom

3/20: Milwaukee, WI @ Rave

3/21: Detroit, MI @ Harpos

3/22: Joliet, IL @ Mojoes

3/23: Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue

3/25: Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall

3/26: Toronto, ON @ Opera House

3/27: Niagara Falls, NY @ Rapids Theater

3/28: Worcester, MA @ Palladium

3/29: New York, NY @ Webster Hall

3/31: Baltimore, MD @ Rams Head Live

4/1: Hartford, CT @ Webster Theater

4/2: Patchogue, NY @ The Emporium

4/3: Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom

4/4: Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero

4/5: Baltimore, MD @ Rams Head Live

4/6: Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr. Smalls

4/7: Norfolk, VA @ The Norva

4/8: Charlotte, NC @ The Fillmore Charlotte

4/9: Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade

4/11: Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live

4/12: Dallas, TX @ Gas Monkey Live

4/14: Kansas City, MO @ Riot Room

4/15: Waterloo, IA @ Reverb

4/17: Des Moines, IA @ Vaudeville Mews

4/18: Eau Claire, WI @ Hipps Pub

For More Info Visit:

www.headcharge.com

www.facebook.com/AmericanHeadCharge

twitter.com/ahc_official

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

-the Hellion

DROWNING POOL Releases “Soul” Music Video + IndieGoGo Campaign to Raise Funds for the American Heart Association‏

February 17, 2015 by janaya64

DROWNING POOL Releases “Soul” Music Video +

IndieGoGo Campaign to Raise Funds for the American Heart Association

All Proceeds Earned Go to the AHA, in Memory of Dave Williams

WATCH NOW VIA INDIEGOGO

New Dates Added to Second Leg of “Sinner” Unlucky 13th Anniversary Tour

Support from ADRENALINE MOB and FULL DEVIL JACKET

Dave Williams Memorial T-Shirt Available via IndieGoGo

Last week, platinum-selling Texas rockers DROWNING POOL announced the second leg of their successful Sinner “Unlucky 13^thAnniversary” Tour, with Adrenaline Mob and Full Devil Jacket. The band will perform their platinum-selling album Sinner in its entirety at each tour stop, followed by other hits. See below for all confirmed dates, with more added since the last announcement.

VIP Meet and Greet packages are available here: http://ticketspin.com/drowning-pool

Today, in conjunction with the recent tour announcement and in memory of late vocalist Dave Williams, DROWNING POOL have released their new music video for “Soul”. The video is comprised of archived live performance video featuring Williams and is being released via the band’s new IndieGoGo campaign, designed to raise money for the American Heart Association in his name. The band’s goal is set at $13,000, all of which will go to the AHA. Donators of $30 or more will receive a special “In Memoriam” t-shirt adorned with Williams’ image. Watch the video and check out the donation page here: http://igg.me/p/drowning-pool-celebrate-dave-13-years-of-sinner/x/9874687

DROWNING POOL Tour Dates:

3/12 – Daytona Beach, FL @ Main Street Station – Daytona Bike Week

3/13 – Melbourne, FL @ County Line Saloon

3/14 – Jacksonville, FL @ Beach Blvd Concert Hall

3/17 – Clarksville, TN @ The Warehouse Bar & Grill

3/19 – Baltimore, MD @ Fish Head Cantina

3/20 – Poughkeepsie, NY @ The Chance

3/21 – Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom

3/22 – Beckley, WV @ Muncheez

3/24 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Altar Bar

3/25 – Kent, OH @ The Outpost

3/26 – Fredericksburg, VA @ Hard Times

3/27 – Lancaster, OH @ Mickey’s Bar

3/28 – Flint, MI @ The Machine Shop

3/29 – Racine, WI @ Route 20

4/1 – Laporte, IN @ Johnny’s Roadhouse

4/2 – St. Louis, MO @ The Mad Magician

4/3 – Dallas, TX @ Trees

You can pick up your 2-disc “Unlucky 13^th Anniversary” deluxe edition of Sinner now, which includes 13 tracks of demos, remixes and two unreleased tracks. This expanded reissue, originally released on in 2001, represents the definitive version of DROWNING POOL’s classic Dave Williams years, whose untimely death in 2002 at the too early age of 30 marked an unlucky end to a rising star. Sinner features the chart-topping hard rock anthem, ‘Bodies’.

Order the Sinner “Unlucky 13th Anniversary” deluxe edition now at these locations:

Best Buy physical – order here

Hastings physical – order here

Amazon physical/digital – http://smarturl.it/SinnerUnlucky13CD

iTunes digital – http://smarturl.it/SinnerUnlucky13

For more information on DROWNING POOL, please visit:

Drowning Pool official site: http://www.drowningpool.com

Tour Dates: http://www.drowningpool.com/tour.html

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drowningpool

Twitter: https://twitter.com/drowningpool

Vevo: https://www.youtube.com/user/DrowningPoolVEVO

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/DrowningPoolOfficial

Instagram: http://instagram.com/drowningpoolofficial

Campaign Hashtag: #UnluckySinner13

www.bicyclemusic.com

www.concordmusicgroup.com

DROWNING POOL is:

C.J. Pierce – guitar/ vocals

Stevie Benton – bass/vocals

Mike Luce – drums/vocals

Jasen Moreno – vocals

good call Drowning Pool

-the Hellion

THADEUS GONZALEZ RELEASES VIDEO FOR “THE NUDE LAND”‏

February 17, 2015 by janaya64

THADEUS GONZALEZ RELEASES VIDEO FOR “THE NUDE LAND” FROM UTOPIAN SOCIETY

Los Angeles, CA…Thadeus Gonzalez (former Electric Sister frontman) is releasing the 2nd video from his critically-acclaimed debut solo album UTOPIAN SOCIETY. “The Nude Land” is available on YouTube today.

Says Gonzalez, “‘The Nude Land’ is a song about starting over, albeit a country, a people, a person. A clean slate, a clean land, a nude land.”

“This thing pounds out with a smoking hot riff driven sound. It’s part metal, part prog and all rawk and roll. In some ways this reminds me of Motörhead, but with a modern alternative rock edge. This is great stuff.” ~ Music City Journal

The performance video was shot on set in Los Angeles and produced by Bobby Eras (Snoop Dogg, Metallica, Queens of the Stone Age). It features Scott Reategui Richards and Nick Hernandez on guitars.

The track was produced by Dennis Hill (Hagar/Satriani, Good Charlotte) and recorded/mixed by Kyle Homme (Matt Costa, Sugarcult, Reel Big Fish). Hill (Face to Face) and Scott Shiflett (Face to Face, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes) contributed guitars, Pete Pacheco (Electric Sister) was on bass, and Nathan Walker (Lit) on drums.

“Time to add this record to your collection!” ~ Hard Rockology

“Tad dishes out vocals so fierce, you ask yourself, “Where the hell have you BEEN all my life?!” ~ Motor City Blog

“This is a deadly combination of a seasoned songwriter, one of the best releases of the year period.” ~ Total Order Magazine

Artist to Watch ~ The Indie Authority

UTOPIAN SOCIETY is available on iTunes, Amazon, and other online retailers and at the artist’s site, thadeusgonzalez.com.

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

-the Hellion

Native Construct to release debut album in April‏

February 17, 2015 by janaya64

Native Construct to release debut album in April

New song online now

Native Construct is the product of collaboration between several students that began in 2011 at the storied Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. Guitarist and composer Myles Yang’s passion for innovation, coupled with his extensive academic study of arranging and compositional techniques, makes Native Construct a truly distinctive up-and-coming metal act. Yang, along with bassist Max Harchik, and vocalist Robert Edens completed work on their debut album Quiet World in between 2011 and 2013. By 2014, the band’s music caught the ear of Brian Slagel at Metal Blade Records, and led to a recording contract and a worldwide release of the band’s debut album. Listen to the first single, “Mute,” and pre-order the album now atmetalblade.com/nativeconstruct.

Quiet World was largely self-produced and written between 2011 and 2013 in between the individual band members’ studies at the Berklee College of Music. What began as jam sessions simply for fun eventually turned into a full-fledged musical endeavor. All tracking and programming was done at the band’s home studios in Boston, MA, with the exception of vocals, which were recorded with Jamie King at The Basement Studios in Winston-Salem, NC. The album was mixed by Rich Mouser at The Mouse House Studio in Los Angeles, CA, and mastered by Jamie King (Between the Buried and Me, The Contortionist).

A brief listen to Quiet World is enough to make it apparent that there is a concept, here. Though it’s best to let the band explain the album in their own words: “Quiet World is about a guy who loves a girl. The guy is a bit of an odd and eccentric person – an outcast. He’s also a mute, and a little unstable, as it turns out. The girl doesn’t return his feelings, but he can’t bring himself to let go. As his unrequited passion for her devolves into obsession and eventual resentment, his mind begins to slip further and further away. He convinces himself that he can’t be loved because of his condition and abnormalities. So he decides to create for himself a new, fantastic world of which he has complete control – a world where there are no oddballs or outcasts. A world where everyone is surrounded by people who are just like themselves: a much quieter world.

“It’s at this point that the first track of the album, “Mute,” begins. And it turns out that many of the subjects of his new world are not as content living this way as he is. In the second track we see a new character, the Archon, rise up and unite his people in the clouds with the once distant people in the sea. He leads an opposition to “Sinister Silence,” as the people come to call him. The rest of the album unfolds with events within the “Quiet World” and manifestations of the enduring struggle between the Archon and Sinister Silence. The lone exception is track number four, “Your Familiar Face,” which steps out of this world for a moment to give a closer look at the events prior to the first track and the tragedy of Sinister Silence.”

What is impressive about Native Construct is not necessarily an involved concept on a debut record, it’s that they wrote, produced, and recorded the album while balancing school work and on a college student budget. It’s the epitome of “self produced.” And what Native Constructwants fans to know is that “the composition process for this album was intensely meticulous from top to bottom. Each note, each lyric, each twist and each turn were arrived at with the utmost care. As such, we were able to weave rich, often subtle layers of meaning into the music and text. We’re very excited for you all to experience the result of our efforts!” Quiet World is slated for release on Metal Blade Records on April 21st, 2015.

https://www.facebook.com/NativeConstruct
https://twitter.com/NConstructBand
https://www.youtube.com/NativeConstruct

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

-the Hellion

MASTODON & CLUTCH: NEW DATES ADDED TO THE MISSING LINK TOUR‏

February 17, 2015 by janaya64

ADDITIONAL DATES ADDED TO MASTODON & CLUTCH

THE MISSING LINK TOUR

GRAVEYARD WILL SUPPORT / BIG BUSINESS TO SUPPORT WHERE NOTED

February 17, 2015 – (Burbank, CA) – As previously announced, Mastodon and Clutch join forces for THE MISSING LINK TOUR along with special guests Graveyard and Big Business – each taking part of the tour as support.Together, this night of heavy rockwill be one of the heaviest and most exciting concert events of the year. Shows have been added in Honolulu on April 4th (tickets are on sale now) and Detroit on May 23rd (tickets on sale Feb 20th).

Neil Fallon (singer of Clutch) responded: “When we first announced the Missing Link itinerary it was received with a lot of excitement. It also received a good deal of consternation regarding the lack of a Detroit date. Myself included. So, we’re happy to announce that there is now a Detroit gig on May, 23rd at the Freedom Hill Amphitheater. See ya there.”

Support will be provided by Big Business, who recently supported Mastodon throughout a sold-out European tour. Sweden’s Graveyard will then take over the main support slot, starting in Los Angeles on April 29th and continuing throughout the remaining dates, closing out the tour in Columbus, OH onMay 24th. Tickets are on sale now.

Mastodon and Clutch share a longtime friendship as fans will recall Clutch frontman, Neil Fallon, contributed vocals to “Blood And Thunder” (from Mastodon’s 2004’s Leviathan) so their fans can expect surprises in store throughout the tour as they rumble across North America. THE MISSING LINK TOUR will feature full sets from both Mastodon and Clutch. Clutch will close the show onApril 24th in Vancouver, May 10th in Pittsburgh, May 15th in Bethlehem, May 16th in Baltimore and also the final night of the tour, May 24th in Columbus. Mastodon will close all other shows. For further info on Mastodon, go to: http://www.mastodonrocks.com/. For further info on Clutch go tohttp://www.pro-rock.com

Revered Maryland rockers Clutch have been pushing the boundaries that define heavy rock music since the 4 original members got together in high school. Clutch is an unmatched musical force that has been best described as “the quintessential American Rock Band”. Clutch released their tenth and latest studio album Earth Rocker via their own label Weathermaker Music on March 16, 2013. The album entered the Billboard Top 200 chart at #15 giving the band their highest chart position to date.

Mastodon’s sixth studio album, the universally praised, ONCE MORE ‘ROUND THE SUN, entered the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart at the #6 position on June 24, 2014, also their highest chart debut of their career. ONCE MORE ‘ROUND THE SUN has rightfully been placed in many Year End Critics & fan BEST OF 2014 lists including those in Rolling Stone, Revolver, Magnet, Decibel, CMJand many more. At present Mastodon has remained on the CMJ Loud Rock charts for the 26th week in a row. When OMRTS was placed No. 8 on Rolling Stone‘s “Top 20 Metal Albums of 2014” list, they summed up the success of the album stating, “The bold hooks and sharply defined riffs of Mastodon’s sixth studio full-length makes it easy to hear this album as their evolution from prog-sludge wizards to straight-ahead hard rockers – but the reality is actually far more, er, complex… Ultimately, the best part of Sun is Mastodon’s ability to make hooky and visceral music without sacrificing either their metallic muscle or their innate weirdness.”

Clutch’s Earth Rocker reached #1 on the Rock Chart and #4 on iTunes’ overall Top 100 album chart. Earth Rocker was awarded “Album of The Year” by Metal Hammer and garnered a Top 10 spot on Rolling Stone’s “Top 20 Metal Albums of the Year”. Rolling Stone further enthused: “Four Maryland lifers – road dogs who’ve been grinding since the early Fugazi administration, cranking out seething admixtures of jam-band chops, careening blues-punk riffs and singer Neil Fallon’s nerdy, piss-taking wiseass lyrics – release their hardest rocking set to date. Look for a go-go break (and some clever punning on the phrase “drop the bomb!”) on “D.C. Sound Attack!” Inspirational verse: “If you’re gonna do it/ do it live on stage/ or don’t do it at all.”

Clutch is currently working on their follow up to Earth Rocker which will be released in 2015.

Confirmed dates for THE MISSING LINK TOUR are as follows:

*Mastodon Closes The Evening. **Clutch Closes The Evening

# indicates newly added tour date.

# Apr 4 Honolulu, HI The Republik (not part of THE MISSING LINK – on sale NOW)

Apr 16 *St. Paul, MN Myth

Apr 17 * Winnipeg, MB The Burton Cummings Theatre

Apr 18 *Saskatoon, SK O’Brian’s Events Center

Apr 19 * Edmonton, AB Expo Centre

Apr 21 * Calgary, AB MacEwan Hall

Apr 23 * Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom (SOLD OUT)

Apr 24 **Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom (SOLD OUT)

Apr 25 *Portland, OR Roseland

Apr 26 *Seattle, WA Showbox SODO

Apr 28 *Oakland, CA Fox Theater

Apr 29 *Los Angeles, CA Palladium

Apr 30 *Tempe, AZ Marquee Theater

May 01 *Las Vegas, NV House of Blues

May 02 *Salt Lake City, UT The Complex

May 03 *Denver, CO Red Rock’s Amphitheatre

May 05 *San Antonio, TX Kapone’s Ballroom

May 06 *Oklahoma City, OK Diamond Ballroom

May 08 Atlanta, GA Shaky Knees Festival

May 09 *Raleigh, NC Lincoln Theatre Street Stage

May 10 **Pittsburgh, PA Stage AE

May 12 *Clive, IA (Des Moines) 7 Flags

May 13 *Milwaukee, WI Eagles Ballroom Club Stage

May 15 **Bethlehem, PA Sands Event Center

May 16 **Baltimore, MD Pier Six Pavilion

May 17 *Boston, MA House of Blues

May 19 *New York, NY Central Park Summerstage

May 20 *Niagara Falls, NY Rapids Theatre

May 21 *London, ON London Music Hall

# May 23 **Sterling Heights, MI Freedom Hall – (Tix on sale Feb 20)

May 24 **Columbus, OH LC Pavilion

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

-the Hellion

YESTERDAY’S SAINTS Announce North American Tour With Iron Man‏

February 17, 2015 by janaya64

YESTERDAY’S SAINTS Announce North American Tour

With Iron Man

New Album out Now!

“There are so many dimensions to “Generation of Vipers” and that’s what makes it such a great album.”

-Metal Underground-

“Ambitious it is, but I believe they met that mark. It is as bold and brutal as any Thrash and Death Metal, as complex and technical as anything I have heard this year as well, but maintains an accessibility that gives you a complete listening experience.”

-Metal Temple-

Concept albums are not new territory in metal by any means. But Northern Virginia’s YESTERDAY’S SAINTS elevate the notion of conceptual metal to a whole other level, thanks to the rich, extensive storytelling and the pummeling metal in Generation of Vipers. The music is as smart and thought-provoking as it is extreme, that’s not an easy thing to do. Striking an artful balance is difficult, but YESTERDAY’S SAINTS make it seem easy.

Generation of Vipers is available for order HERE. Purchases of the album via bandcamp will also receive a physical copy of the album and the download is mastered for digital play. The album’s amazing artwork was done by Vance Kelly (Huntress, Down, Prong)

In support of the new album, the band has announced a North American tour supporting Iron Man. The tour begins March 12^th in Washington, DC and runs through March 22^nd in Dayton, OH. Press opportunities are available for all shows.

Vocalist Matt Rice commented on the upcoming tour:

“We are really excited to be heading out on the road with our friends in Iron Man and being able to bring our new music from our album to new ears. This is the first set of dates we have this year and we are currently working with our agent on future shows for this year. See you on the road”

YESTERDAY’S SAINTS, who play a death-thrash-power hybrid, has been in existence since summer 2010 and with a self-released EP and some regional touring under their belt. They knew that a full concept album was the next step they wanted to take. But they did not go about it capriciously. The decision to go with a concept for the 11-track Generation of Vipers was driven by the most important things the songwriting and careful thought.

The album is assembled like an opera, with three acts, along with an instrumental interlude and outro. It traces the story of Satan, one of the most notorious characters in history, throughout time, from his desire to usurp God’s throne to his modern infiltration of mankind to the indication that all of Earth’s inhabitants are now his descendants.

It’s a lot to process, but once you absorb that story along with the music, your appreciation will be furthered and deepened, as all senses are satisfied by Generation of Vipers, which targets one’s brain and one’s body.

Overall, Generation of Vipersis pretty advanced and intellectual extreme metal. But it’s not stringing together big ideas for the sake of big ideas. The album, which was recorded in the band’s own studio and Assembly Line Studios in Virginia, features atypical metal instruments, such as the piano, cello, violin, so it really is lush and expansive and there is a lot going on.

YESTERDAY’S SAINTS and Generation of Vipers requires time and attention, but once you make the commitment and dive into the story and the sound, you’ll find yourself doubly rewarded.

YESTERDAY’S SAINTS Live:

3/12: Washington, DC @ The Pinch

3/13: Allentown, PA @ Jabber Jaws

3/14: Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie

3/15: Brooklyn, NY @ The Paper Box

3/16: Providence, RI @ Dusk

3/17: Salem, MA @ Koto

3/18: Buffalo, NY @ Broadway Joe’s

3/19: Ft. Wayne, IN @ Skeletunes – formerly Berlin Music Pub

3/20: Detroit, MI @ The Sanctuary

3/21: Columbus, OH @ Ruby Tuesday Bar CLUB IS ON OSU CAMPUS

3/22: Dayton, OH @ Courtyard Lounge – Englewood

For More Info Visit:

http://www.facebook.com/YesterdaysSaints

https://twitter.com/YestrdaysSaints

http://instagram.com/yesterdays_saints

http://www.yesterdayssaints.com

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

-the Hellion

American Metal Legends TESTAMENT Announce “Dark Roots of Thrash II” Tour, Coming April 2015

February 17, 2015 by janaya64

TESTAMENT to Perform an Exclusive New Set List, Including The Legacy and The New Order in Their Entirety + Select Practice What You Preach Album Cuts

Re-Introducing Bassist STEVE DIGIORGIO

Support from Thrash Leaders EXODUS + Texas Metal Assailants SHATTERED SUN

TESTAMENT and EXODUS Combined VIP Meet & Greet Experience Available via www.SLOTIX.com

Pioneers of the classic American metal scene, TESTAMENT, are announcing what will undoubtedly be the most crushing heavy metal tour to hit North America this spring – the Dark Roots of Thrash II tour! The Dark Roots of Thrash II tour will conquer North America for five weeks, beginning April 1^st in San Francisco, and will include select TESTAMENT and EXODUS festival performances. Select cities are on sale now, and more dates will be announced soon.

Adding to TESTAMENT’s live onslaught, fans will receive a guaranteed pummelling from the Dark Roots of Thrash II tour’s revered support: fellow Bay Area-thrashers EXODUS and Texas melodic metal assailants SHATTERED SUN.

TESTAMENT, EXODUS and SHATTERED SUN “Dark Roots of Thrash II” Dates:

04/01/15 Regency Ballroom – San Francisco, CA

04/02/15 House Of Blues – Hollywood, CA

04/03/15 Livewire – Scottsdale, AZ

04/04/15 Sunshine Theater – Albuquerque, NM

04/06/15 Aztec Theater – San Antonio, TX

04/07/15 House Of Blues – Houston, TX

04/08/15 House Of Blues – Dallas, TX

04/10/15 Pop’s – Sauget, IL

04/11/15 Mojoes – Joliet, IL

04/12/15 Harpo’s – Detroit, MI

04/13/15 The Intersection – Grand Rapids, MI

04/15/15 Phoenix Concert Theatre – Toronto, ON – CANADA

04/16/15 Rapids Theatre – Niagara Falls, NY

04/17/15 Starland Ballroom – Sayreville, NJ

04/18/15 The Palladium – Worcester, MA, New England Metal & Hardcore Festival

04/19/15 The Paramount – Huntington, NY

04/21/15 Mercury Ballroom – Louisville, KY

04/22/15 Cannery Ballroom – Nashville, TN

04/23/15 Masquerade – Atlanta, GA

it’s gonna get LOUD!!!

-the Hellion

Bassist Joey Vera talks about MOTOR SISTER

February 16, 2015 by janaya64

Yipee!!! (That’s me jumping for joy at the fact that someone remembered the band Mother Superior)

I recently learned that Scott Ian gave himself a birthday present that in reality gave back to all of us.

For his fiftieth birthday, Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian wanted one present more than any other – the reunion of one of his favorite unsung heroes, Mother Superior – only he wanted to be a part of the lineup.

“They’re a great, classic band that hit me in the same spot as all my favorite ’70s bands, whether it’s UFO, Ted Nugent, Cheap Trick or KISS,” Ian explains. “I knew getting to play with them would be like joining KISS and getting to record all my favorite KISS songs with Gene and Paul.”

Thanks to Scott’s wife Pearl Aday, who has been working on her solo career with Mother Superior front man Jim Wilson for years, all it took was a quick phone call and the stage was literally set for Scott’s dream gig. “I wanted to cherry-pick a set list of my favorite Mother Superior songs and get these guys together and have the concert at my house,” Ian says of the event that eventually led to an album.

“[Mother Superior] frontman] Jim [Wilson] was totally into the idea. Pearl was a huge Mother Superior fan from way back and was in. I asked my good friends Joey Vera (Fates Warning/Armored Saint) and John Tempesta (White Zombie, The Cult) to be a part of it because I knew they were both big fans as well and with no hesitation they said, ‘We’re in.'”

Wilson, too, was stoked by the opportunity to dust off some songs he hadn’t played since his LA rock trio broke up in the early 2000’s after releasing eight albums and playing as Henry Rollins’ backing band. “I definitely didn’t need any arm-twisting,” he says. “I was totally flattered and thought it was a great idea. I figured it would be fun and it was a great opportunity for a new chapter to be established in order to move forward.”

The band called itself Motor Sister after the Mother Superior song “Little Motor Sister” and got together the day before the party to rehearse in Ian’s jam room. For the party, they invited about 25 friends who were already Mother Superior fans and appreciated the significance of Wilson re-opening the vault.

“The energy in the room was amazing and we were great as a band playing those songs,” Ian says. “It felt awesome. We had no intention of doing anything after that. It was just something we did for fun and to celebrate my birthday.”

The crowd for the show may have been small, but it included several industry veterans who couldn’t stop raving about the performance. In no time, word got back to Metal Blade A&R man Mike Faley, who immediately realized the potential to capture the lightning in a bottle vibe the band exhibited that night and put it out on a record.

“He called me up and asked if I had any intention of doing anything more than that one show,” recalls Ian. “And I said, ‘It’s funny you should mention that because I was sitting in the kitchen talking to Pearl and I just said to her, ‘Imagine if we could make a record.’ And they said if I was serious Metal Blade would be happy to put it out.”

After the original Mother Superior broke up, Wilson recorded a solo album and played with Daniel Lanois, Emmylou Harris and Pearl. As rewarding as those projects have been, he was excited to return to the pedal-to-the-floor groove-rock he pursued for almost 18 years with Mother Superior.

“The minute I started to play with Scott, Joey and John the chemistry was amazing,” Wilson says. ” We sounded like a band that had been together forever. It was fresh, it was powerful. The original band had moments, but it was a power trio and it just never got its due. We were either a little ahead of our time or a little behind our time. When Pearl Jam and Soundgarden were taking over, we were rock and roll fans. We were being driven by classics like Humble Pie, Cream and KISS. Scott, John and Joey all come from that same place, too, so when we got together to play these songs that Scott had chosen it was like we were putting a fresh coat of paint on these old songs that still held up.”

Enthralled at the idea of making a record of his favorite Mother Superior songs, Ian emailed producer Jay Ruston (Anthrax, Steel Panther) and asked if he thought it was possible to recapture the same spontaneous energy Motor Sister generated at their makeshift gig, and if an album could be recorded quickly. “He said, ‘Yeah, we can make the record in two days and we can make it sound really good.’ So that’s what we did,” Ian says. “A week and a half later, we made the record in LA over a two day period. We recorded the whole thing live in the studio and the set-up was just like it was at my house.”

For Wilson, revisiting Mother Superior classics with a second guitarist leant a new urgency to songs like “Devil Wind,” “Beg, Borrow, Steal” and “Dog House.” “I was always the sole guitar player of the original band. I overdubbed rhythm guitar in the studio, but it was all me,” Wilson says. “Now, there’s definitely a metal edge to these songs. It’s still blues-soaked rock and roll influenced by Zeppelin and the Stones. But it’s so great having Scott’s guitar in the mix. He’s playing on the left side and I’m on the right. Sometimes I jump in the center for a solo. But when you listen to the album it’s so cool to hear the two guitars and know who’s doing what. So if I’m doing a bluesy solo, you hear Scott on the left side adding his touch to the rhythms. And it sounds like him. I’ve never heard these songs sound more exciting.”

Ian, too, couldn’t be prouder of the album and insists he favorite tracks change almost every day. “I always go back to ‘Devil Wind’ because there’s something so epic about it,” he says. “If they ever finally make ‘The Dark Tower’ by Stephen King into a movie or TV series, ‘Devil Wind’ sound be the theme song.”

While everyone in Motor Sister is busy with their day jobs, they are all interested in playing live as much as possible. “We are a great live band” Ian says. “We proved it to ourselves in my jam room. It was our ability to play live together that made this happen and I can see us getting onstage and playing this shit back-to-back, Ramones-style, and just blowing people’s minds with the power of these songs. And the door is always open to write more material because Pearl and Jim are always working together and I’m always with them. So we’ll see what happens in the future.”

“It would be great to keep this thing going,” Wilson concluded. “I enjoyed playing these songs with Motor Sister more than I’ve ever enjoyed them before. Scott’s like a brother, John Tempesta is such a monster drummer, Joey [Vera] is incredible and Pearl’s harmonies and background vocals are amazing. This feels like a continuation of trip I started long ago and it’s a real blessing.”

To top it all off I had the chance to speak with Joey Vera about the whole thing:

it’s loud, it’s dirty, it’s Rock N’ Roll!

-the Hellion

Speaking on the Grammys

February 9, 2015 by janaya64

I was doing my best to stay out of the “Grammy bashing” posts, but alas, I find myself jumping in. If we as music lovers and consumers are unhappy with the situation we need to speak up. If everyone who has made a statement would take the time to make their thoughts known to the right people we might make a difference. By flooding the radio stations with emails, phone calls we might make a difference. By writing and emailing the Grammys and telling them your thoughts we might make a difference. Lastly, by PURCHASING the music you love and telling others about it, and going to shows and supporting the music you love we WILL make a difference. – the Hellion

Talking about Strange Days with Chip Z’Nuff

January 29, 2015 by janaya64

CHIP Z’NUFF RELEASES FIRST SOLO RECORD, STRANGE TIME, ON FEBRUARY 3

Features Robin Zander, Steven Adler, Dale Bozzio

I had the chance to speak with Chip Z’Nuff on the phone today about his upcoming solo release. Check out the interview here:

Be sure and check Chip Z’Nuff out online:

https://www.facebook.com/Enuff.Znuff.Official

http://www.enuffznuff.com/

http://cleorecs.com/store/?s=Enuff+Z%E2%80%99nuff&post_type=product

Thanks Chip for the great conversation and a great new record

-the Hellion

the Hellion Rocks

Rock N'Roll has NEVER died, we're just getting ready for another set.

Tag Archives: Rock N’ Roll

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Bassist Joey Vera talks about MOTOR SISTER

Speaking on the Grammys

Talking about Strange Days with Chip Z’Nuff

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