New RONNIE JAMES DIO Covers Album “This Is Your Life” Celebrates the Life and Legacy of a Legend — Available April 1, 2014 via Rhino‏

ew RONNIE JAMES DIO Covers Album “This Is Your Life”

Celebrates the Life and Legacy of a Legend

 

Available April 1, 2014 via Rhino

 

This Is Your Life Pays Tribute To The Late Singer With Covers Of

His Greatest Songs From Rainbow, Black Sabbath, And Dio

 

Features Newly Recorded Tracks From Anthrax, Halestorm, Rob Halford, Metallica, Motörhead, Scorpions, Corey Taylor, And Tenacious D, Among Others

To Benefit The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund

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Ronnie James Dio is one of the most beloved figures in rock history. His gifts, both as a singer and songwriter, are instantly recognizable, whether he was with RainbowBlack SabbathHeaven & Hell, or leading Dio. Sadly, Dio lost his battle with stomach cancer in 2010, but his towering voice and legacy live on.

 

To celebrate one of rock’s most powerful voices, an all-star group of his friends and fans recorded 13 of their favorite tracks for a tribute album that will raise funds for the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund (diocancerfund.org). Produced by his longtime manager and wife Wendy Dio, the album includes contributions by such metal heavyweights as MetallicaMotörheadScorpions,Anthrax, and Rob Halford, as well as appearances by many of the musicians who performed with Dio over the years.

 

This Is Your Life will be available from Rhino on April 1, 2014 for a suggested list price of $18.98. A digital version will also be available.

 

Although the songs featured on the album touch on the different eras of Dio’s career, several spotlight his time with Rainbow, including Metallica’s epic, nine-minute “Ronnie Rising Medley,” which combines the Rainbow songs “A Light In The Black,” “Tarot Woman,” “Stargazer,” and “Kill The King.” Scorpions add a scorching take on “The Temple Of The King” while Motörhead is joined by Biff Byford from Saxon on “Starstruck.” Rob Halford teams with frequent Dio collaborators Vinny Appice, Doug Aldrich, Jeff Pilson, and Scott Warren for “The Man On The Silver Mountain.” The final line-up of Dio’s solo band – Simon Wright, Craig Goldy, Rudy Sarzo and Scott Warren – are joined by Glenn Hughes (Deep PurpleBlack Sabbath) for “Catch The Rainbow,” a track from Rainbow’s 1975 debut.

 

Anthrax and Adrenaline Mob honor Dio’s memorable stint with Black Sabbath with their takes on “Neon Knights” and “The Mob Rules” respectively, as does a group, led by Oni Logan on vocals along with Jimmy Bain, Rowan Robertson, and Brian Tichy, which performs “I” from Dehumanizer.

 

This Is Your Life also includes songs from Dio’s back-to-back platinum albums Holy Diver (1983) and The Last In Line (1984), withDoro’s take on “Egypt (The Chains Are On)”, Halestorm tackling “Straight Through The Heart,” Corey Taylor (Stone Sour,Slipknot) covering the classic “Rainbow In The Dark” and Tenacious D (Jack Black and Kyle Glass) putting their signature spin on “The Last In Line.” Killswitch Engage’s cover of “Holy Diver,” a hit in its own right when released in 2006, is also included here.

 

Fittingly, Ronnie James Dio provides the finale (and the album’s title) with his moving performance of “This Is Your Life.” Originally released on Angry Machines (1996), the song’s lyrics explore mortality and are backed by a stark and beautiful arrangement that features Dio accompanied only by his longtime keyboardist Scott Warren on piano. The song serves as a poignant reminder that we will never hear a voice like Dio’s again.

 

The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund, co-founded by Wendy Dio, is a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable fund dedicated to supporting cancer-prevention research, raising awareness and educating the public about the vital importance of early detection and prevention when dealing with this deadly disease.

 

 

RONNIE JAMES DIOThis Is Your Life Track Listing:

 

  1. “Neon Knights” – Anthrax*
  2. “The Last In Line” – Tenacious D*
  3. “The Mob Rules” – Adrenaline Mob
  4. “Rainbow In The Dark” – Corey Taylor, Roy Mayorga, Satchel, Christian Martucci, Jason Christopher*
  5. “Straight Through The Heart” – Halestorm*
  6. “Starstruck” – Motörhead with Biff Byford*
  7. “The Temple Of The King” – Scorpions*
  8. “Egypt (The Chains Are On)” – Doro
  9. “Holy Diver” – Killswitch Engage
  10. “Catch The Rainbow” – Glenn Hughes, Simon Wright, Craig Goldy, Rudy Sarzo, Scott Warren*
  11. “I” – Oni Logan, Jimmy Bain, Rowan Robertson, Brian Tichy*
  12. “Man On The Silver Mountain” – Rob Halford, Vinny Appice, Doug Aldrich, Jeff Pilson, Scott Warren*
  13. “Ronnie Rising Medley (Featuring A Light In The Black, Tarot Woman, Stargazer, Kill The King)” – Metallica*
  14. “This Is Your Life” – Dio

 

* Previously unreleased

MY CONVERSATION WITH RUDY SARZO

at the meet and greet

at the meet and greet

Rudy Sarzo, his accomplishments are many: Ozzy, Quiet Riot, Whitesnake, M.A.R.S., Manic Eden, Michael Angelo Batio, Dio, Bassinvaders, “Ripper” Owens, Animetal USA, Queensryche, Project Rock, TRED, and several others. Rudy has become a legendary bass player that has inspired so many musicians. I was fortunate to have met him recently after a Queensryche show. Imagine my response  when I confirmed an interview with him. The interview went well (a few rude people make noise in the beginning though) and Rudy  was certainly a warm and down to earth person. I cannot thank him enough for taking the time to do an interview with me. Here’s the link and enjoy:

 

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

the Hellion

Interview with Robert Sarzo about his new release AFTER THE STORM.

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Every so often you run into someone who makes a positive impact on you. Robert Sarzo is one of those people. I was fortunate to meet him after a Queensryche show recently. He was extremely gracious to everyone he met and was genuine about it. That, my friends, is class. He recently released a solo record call After The Storm. Robert was kind enough to give me phone call and chat about his new record and music. Enjoy it right here:

     If you haven’t already, do yourself a favor and go to http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/robertsarzo1 and pick up After The Storm.

     Thank you Robert, for everything!

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

Robert Sarzo releases After The Storm

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1. War Dance
2. Don’t Change Your Love
3. Lace, Pearls and Fire
4. Innocent Girl
5. Not Yet
6. Los Canbios De Amore
7. Heilo Y Fuego
8. Angelita
9. Backbeat

     Robert Sarzo is one of the worlds outstanding guitarists. I was fortunate to meet him and his brother Rudy at a recent Queensryche show. His playing and showmanship was outstanding.

Robert Sarzo on fire!

Robert Sarzo on fire!

Now Robert has released After The Storm. I picked it up yesterday and haven’t stopped listening to it. Full of tribal sounds, Latin rhythms and full on metal licks, there is something here for everyone.

After The Storm opens with the tribal inspired instrumental  “War Dance”. Great drum beat backed with ethereal sounds make up this track. “Don’t Change Your Love” is a straight on rocker full of great riffs and smoking vocals. Pure rocking at its finest. “Lace, Pearls, And Fire” is one  my stand out tracks on this record. Catchy hooks and dirty blues based rock make this a do NOT miss song. “Innocent Girl” slows the pace a bit but loses nothing in that. Opening with beautiful guitars, it leads into a “raise your lighter to the sky” type of ballad full of emotion and melody another stand out track for sure. “Not Yet” is a great sing along track that will get your blood pumping and head nodding in time to the hook, another favorite. “Los Canbios De Amore” is the kickass Spanish version of “Don’t Change Your Love”. “Heilo Y Fuego” is the awesome Spanish version of  “Lace, Pearls, And Fire”. “Angelita” is the Spanish version of “Innocent Girl” . “Backbeat” closes out this wonderful record with another rocking tune that fills the ears with joy.

Robert is filled with true musical talent and this talent needs to be heard. Be sure and pick it up at https://www.cdbaby.com/cd/robertsarzo1

You can keep up with Robert on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/robertsarzosr?ref=ts&fref=ts

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

the Hellion

QUEENSRYCHE STARRING GEOFF TATE – 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF OPERATION MINDCRIME 04/12/13 SHOW REVIEW

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     From the opening notes of “I Remember Now” to the closing notes of “Eyes of a Stranger”, Operation Mindcrime was played in its entirety  to perfection at The Hard Rock Casino in Albuquerque, NM on 04/12/13. No breaks, and no interruptions, the story of Operation Mindcrime was told to completion. Never mind about controversy and nay saying, THIS was Queensryche at its finest. Like a superhero calling forth his team mates, Geoff Tate has assembled a rock solid lineup.

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     With Robert Sarzo (Hurricane, and was considered as Randy Rhoads replacement for OZZY), Simon Wright ( AC/DC, Dio, UFO, Rhino Bucket, John Norum, Tim “Ripper” Owens, Mogg/Way), Randy Gane (Myth), Kelly Gray (Myth, Slave To The System), and the LEGENDARY Rudy Sarzo (OZZY, Quiet Riot, Whitesnake, M.A.R.S., Manic Eden, Michael Angelo Batio, Dio, Bassinvaders, Tim “Ripper” Owens, Animetal USA), you can’t go wrong.

Robert Sarzo on fire!

Robert Sarzo on fire!

Kelly Gray in charge!

Kelly Gray in charge!

Somewhere behind this kit is Simon Wright

Somewhere behind this kit is Simon Wright

Rudy Sarzo showing us how bass is done!

Rudy Sarzo showing us how bass is done!

After totally annihilating us with their blistering rendition of Operation Mindcrime, Geoff finally broke his silence and talked to the wildly enthusiastic crowd.  “You want more?” he queried. Queensryche then launched into a four song encore set. “Silent Lucidity”, “I’m American”, “Jet city Woman”, and closing with “Empire”. Geoff and crew continued to whip the crowd into submission until the very end. It was awesome to see the massive crowd singing in unison to these great songs.

the crowd says it all!

the crowd says it all!

 

     Thanks Geoff, Robert, Rudy, Kelly, Simon, and Rudy S. for giving us a memorable evening and keeping the music of Queensryche true to form!

at the meet and greet

at the meet and greet

Funny story from the meet and greet. I happen to have a Tri-Ryche tattoo on my right arm. I also happen to have a green Happy Bunny tattoo wearing a blue shirt with my daughters nickname on it. In the process of showing Geoff my Tri-Ryche tattoo he asked “What’s with the green bunny?” A nice moment of levity with Queensryche.

 

I would like to give a special shout out to Jeff Albright from THE ALBRIGHT ENTERTAINMENT GROUP  for making it possible for me to cover this show.

 

 

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

the Hellion

 

 

 

 

Deadline Music/Cleopatra Records to release first single “Cold” from the upcoming April 23rd album Frequency Unknown from QUEENSRŸCHE!

Deadline Music/Cleopatra Records to release first single “Cold”

from the upcoming April 23rd album Frequency Unknown from QUEENSRŸCHE!

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Deadline Music / Cleopatra Records is proud to announce the release of “Cold,” the premier single from the upcoming Queensrÿche CD, Frequency Unknown (due out Tuesday, April 23rd). Mixed by Anthony Focx (Jason Newsted, Aerosmith, Night Ranger, Ted Nugent) the single is available on iTunes for downloading and will also be released as a special limited-edition 7” vinyl single with a newly-recorded version of the Queensrÿche classic “Silent Lucidity” – mixed by Jürgen Engler (Doro Pesch, Die Krupps ) -on the B-side.

Catch Geoff Tate and QUEENSRŸCHE on their 25th Anniversary Operation Mindcrime Tour in a city near you!

Sat 04/06/13 West Wendover, NV Peppermill Concert Hall
Tue 04/09/13 Aspen, CO Belly Up Aspen
Wed 04/10/13 Grand Junction, CO Mesa Theater & Lounge
Thu 04/11/13 Denver, CO Paramount Theatre
Fri 04/12/13 Albuquerque, NM Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Albuquerque
Sat 04/13/13 Las Vegas, NV Chrome Showroom
Sun 04/14/13 Tempe, AZ The Marquee
Tue 04/16/13 Tucson, AZ Rialto Theatre
Wed 04/17/13 San Juan Capistrano, CA The Coach House
Thu 04/18/13 Agoura Hills, CA Canyon Club
Fri 04/19/13 Solana Beach, CA Belly Up Tavern
Sat 04/20/13 Los Angeles, CA Club Nokia
Sun 04/21/13 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
Mon 04/22/13 Sacramento, CA Ace Of Spades
Wed 04/24/13 Austin, TX Emo’s
Thu 04/25/13 Houston, TX The Concert Pub North
Sat 04/27/13 Dallas, TX Granada Theater
Thu 05/16/13 Milwaukee, WI Northern Lights Theater
Fri 05/17/13 Saint Charles, IL Arcada Theatre
Sat 05/18/13 Turtle Lake, WI St. Croix Casino & Hotel
Wed 06/05/13 Verona, NY Turning Stone Resort Casino
Fri 06/07/13 Providence, RI Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel
Sat 06/08/13 Hartford, CT Webster Theater
Sun 06/09/13 Boston, MA Wilbur Theatre
Tue 06/11/13 Luzerne, PA Brews Brothers West
Wed 06/12/13 Lancaster, PA Chameleon
Thu 06/13/13 Falls Church, VA The State Theatre
Sat 06/15/13 Detroit, MI The Fillmore Detroit
Sun 06/16/13 Cleveland, OH House Of Blues

Mike Orlando guitarist for Adrenaline Mob/Tred/Sonic Stomp, on the Hellion Rocks

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Well I love what I do. Sometimes the stars align and great things happen. I was recently given the opportunity to do an interview with one of my favorite guitarists, Mike Orlando. First let’s get to know Mike a bit. Mike came onto my radar with the release of Sonic Stomp.

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The sonic Stomp release is an instrumental work of art. Ranging from blazing shred to beautifully composed ballads this CD will take you on a trill filled musical journey. Featuring Ron Thal (Bumblefoot) and A.J. Pero from Twisted Sister as special guest performers. When you listen to this CD you will see why Mike should be ranked among the likes of Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, John Petrucci,Jason Becker and Yngwie Malmsteen.

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Sonic Stomp II kicked my ass from the first note. It is equally amazing as the first, although a bit more intense. This time guests include Mike Romeo & Mike Pinella (Symphony X), Gary Hoey,Shane Gibson (Korn), Joe Stump & also featuring John Macaluso (Yngwie Malmsteen,TNT,James Labrie-Dream Theater,Ark,George Lynch). The magic keeps coming from Mike Orlando and his guitars.

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I had heard hints and rumors of this project and was super excited for it to come to light. Omertà was released in March of 2012 to great acclaim.

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Featuring, Mike Orlando -guitars and bass, Mike Portnoy- drums, Russell Allen – vocals, Adrenaline Mob is a powerhouse of a band. The album is a testament to solid rock n’ roll. While one can hear the influences of others on the record, it has a unique sound that is distinctly their own. A great album to throw in your player and drive down the road to.

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Being released in March of 2013 Covertà, is a collection of covers that hold a special place in the hearts of Adrenaline Mob. The songs were recorded true to style, but with the power, rawness, and aggression that is Adrenaline Mob. We were treated to a teaser of “Romeo Delight” (Van Halen). See it here:

In my opinion, and no disrespect to the legendary Van Halen, “Romeo Delight” was always a more dangerous and aggressive song than the way it was recorded. I feel that Adrenaline Mob has captured that and more in their recording. We will have to wait and see what the rest of the EP holds in store for us.

HERE IS THE LINK TO OUR PHONE INTERVIEW, ENJOY:  

 

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In conclusion, Mike Orlando is a force in music that should not be missed. You can find more about him, Sonic Stomp, and Adrenaline Mob at:

www.mikeorlandomusic.com

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mike-Orlando-Sonic-Stomp/138283299550354?fref=ts

http://adrenalinemob.com/

https://www.facebook.com/adrenalinemob?fref=ts

the Hellion