Sonic Perspectives: Recent Episodes
Sonic Perspectives
After weeks in Europe unleashing one of Testament’s heaviest tour runs, Alex Skolnick is back home, almost over the jet lag and coming down from nights of high-volume catharsis. The decompression is real.
“I was there for a few weeks performing almost every night, and it takes a lot of energy,” he tells Rodrigo Altaf during their conversation. “You get used to it, and then you forget how much energy you’ve put out. And you get home, and you’re just exhausted for a few days.”
That contrast between exhaustion and renewal sits at the heart of Prove You’re Not a Robot, the new album by the Alex Skolnick Trio. It’s a record that insists on human interaction in an era obsessed with automation: musical, cultural, and otherwise. The title is more than a clever nod to login screens.
“Part of the inspiration for the title was the fact that everything is becoming so dependent on technology,” Skolnick explains. “I think there are just a lot of people that are not thinking for themselves and just sort of following podcasters or YouTube channels that are telling them how to think. And by not thinking, you’re behaving more like a robot.”
We’re constantly asked to prove we’re not machines online, but he’s more concerned with how we behave offline. He points to a growing culture of conformity: in politics, in entertainment, in the way audiences let algorithms, pundits, and influencers decide what to think.
For Skolnick, the trio’s music is the opposite of that: improvised, interactive, and unmistakably human: “It is music that does require interaction and being in the same room at the same time,” he says. “We are making this music together, and it’s an expression of being human.”
Artificial intelligence hovers around his world from multiple angles. On Testament’s latest album, Parabellum, the band dives into dystopian tech on the track “Infanticide AI,” born from ideas by Chuck Billy and lyricist Del James. Skolnick notes how naturally that theme echoes the trio’s more understated concerns.
“It’s interesting because even though my trio album doesn’t have AI in the title, you can certainly relate it to that as well,” he says.
But where Parabellum channels futuristic dread through blast beats and razor-edged riffing, Prove You’re Not a Robot answers with nuance, swing, and space. It’s a reminder that resisting the machine doesn’t have to mean shouting over it; it can mean listening more carefully.
The album’s visual world is as intentional as the music. The cover photo is Skolnick’s own black-and-white shot, born from a quiet moment with a “real camera,” not a phone. “This was an accidental image,” he recalls. “I was just going around taking photos, not thinking about what I was taking. And this really felt like it could be an image. And then once I had the title, it seemed to really fit.”
Randy Blythe of Lamb Of God sits at the intersection of these elements: he’s the one who pushed Skolnick into serious photography, then stepped behind the lens for the band portraits. “Randy got me into taking photographs on a real camera,” Skolnick says. All the band photos on the album, “the photos I’m in”, are Blythe’s work, woven together by designer Maddie SJ with Skolnick’s own images. The result feels tactile and human, the opposite of AI-generated gloss.
Photo by D. Randall BlytheOne of the standout tracks, “Armando’s Mood,” nods directly to two unlikely but foundational voices for Skolnick: Chick Corea and Steve Howe.
“Chick Corea is a massive influence,” he says, singling out pieces like “Armando’s Rumba” as essential, if daunting, study material. At the same time, he was revisiting “Mood for a Day” by Yes, rediscovering Howe’s hybrid picking approach.
“I realized a lot of his acoustic parts are done with pick and fingers. And I’ve been doing more of that lately.” Somewhere in that overlap, a strange idea clicked. “Something about the melodies, I thought, oh, this is interesting. It’s almost like you could play ‘Armando’s rumba’ slow at this tempo. And it fits.”
So he fused them, then twisted the meter into 11/8, more John McLaughlin than straight tribute. “It was really like a challenge, an exercise for fun. I wasn’t sure it was something worth putting on the record. But as I worked on it with the guys, it just really started feeling musical and challenging, but also fun. And now it’s this piece that’s very fun to play.”
Their version of Tom Petty’s “Breakdown” began as an emotional reflex. “That one came about on the day we found out he passed away,” Skolnick says. The trio was about to play The Iridium in New York, so they slipped in a partial, faithful version on the spot.
For the new album, he finally gave it the full treatment by breaking it apart. “Of course, I want to make it different from the original,” he explains. The trio leans into 5/4, tipping its hat to “Take Five” by Dave Brubeck and Paul Desmond, reharmonizing Petty’s tune and stretching it into something moodier, more psychedelic, still recognizably “Breakdown” but refracted through a jazz lens. The point isn’t cleverness for its own sake, but honoring songs by refusing to play them on autopilot.
The bittersweet closer “Asking for a Friend” traces back not to a guitar, but a piano, and to a conversation on Skolnick’s own podcast, Moods and Modes, with Pat Metheny. “He had talked to me about writing on piano,” Skolnick says. On this record, he followed that advice almost obsessively. “Almost all of it was written on piano.”
“Asking for a Friend” emerged accidentally, after he misplayed a pop tune he was trying to learn. “I played it wrong. But the wrong version sounded really nice. And it didn’t sound like whatever it was I was trying to learn.”
The title sat in his notes for a while, until the song earned it. Then came the twist: Dave Grohl released a track with the same name. “I recorded this two years ago,” Skolnick says, laughing. “I had it first. But what can I say? I’m honored. I guess that’s a sign. Good minds think alike.”
To bring Prove You’re Not a Robot on the road, the trio is heading for intimate clubs across the US and Canada, a deliberate contrast to the arenas and festivals of Testament. “Improvisational music is more of an intimate listening experience,” he reflects. In Europe, they played elegant rooms like Le Chateau in Paris and Porgy & Bess in Vienna, spaces where people sit, listen, and, if needed, shush.
He enjoys watching metal fans step into that environment. “There’s no reason you can’t have more than one type of musical experience,” Skolnick insists.
Convincing venues, however, can be another story. “They see my name and they think we’re going to show up with a giant drum kit, and I’m going to have walls of Marshalls amps like Yngwie, and they think it’s going to be this shred fest. And they don’t know. It’s an acoustic dynamic. It gets very quiet.”
It’s the same mission as the record: defy assumptions, insist on nuance.
None of this means Skolnick is softening. Parabellum is one of Testament’s most punishing records, shot through with modern extremity and flashes of black metal tension. A major catalyst is new drummer Chris Dovas, whose sensibilities pull from contemporary heavy acts. “He brings a lot of that energy,” Skolnick says. Tracks forged with Eric Peterson tap into a sharper, more modern aggression, while others echo the band’s classic DNA.
He cites the ballad “Meant to Be” as an example of piano-informed writing crossing into his metal life, the main melody and its guitar translation both born at the keys. It’s perhaps the most accessible track on a record otherwise dominated by extremity, and he’s fine with that contrast.
“I like to be able to play in different musical situations and not feel restrained,” Skolnick explains. “One world doesn’t limit the other.”
That, ultimately, is what Prove You’re Not a Robot argues for: in a time of algorithms and crowd-think, keep your edges. Stay curious. Interact in real time. Refuse to move like a machine, even when the world keeps asking you to tick the box.
Prove You’re Not a Robot is out now. Pre-order it here.
Alex Skolnick Trio is:
- Alex Skolnick / Guitar
- Matt Zebroski / Drums
- Nathan Peck / Bass
The post ALEX SKOLNICK Reflects On New ALEX SKOLNICK TRIO Album: “Everything Is Becoming So Dependent On Technology, But Our Music Is An Expression Of Being Human” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.
For guitarist Chris Caffery, best known for his work with Savatage and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, the release of 20 Years of the Music Man means much more than a career milestone. It’s a reflection of perseverance, humor, and the need to keep moving forward despite shifting musical landscapes.
“Well, basically what had happened was I had been releasing a couple of singles, and for me that kind of became sort of easy to do, because I didn’t have to get a whole record done… I recorded a song last year that was called “Do You See What I See Now”, and I decided to contact Mr. Jeff Scott Soto to see if he would share the lead vocals with me, and he did, and I really liked the way this song came out,” he explained.
What began as scattered singles evolved into a full compilation. Caffery admitted that the idea of a retrospective took on momentum of its own: “It started to feel like to me that it was going to have to be a record that was going to need to be done… I just kind of pieced together what I thought was a really neat timeline of the 20 years from when I first really started recording those songs… between 2004 and 2024, that’s where this music was recorded.”
The result is not just a “best-of,” but a sprawling map of his solo journey, including previously unreleased songs, vinyl exclusives, and tracks that slipped through the cracks the first time around. It’s a statement of continuity, that his solo career is not an afterthought to Savatage or Trans-Siberian Orchestra, but a parallel voice he continues to develop.
Among the compilation’s most talked-about songs are the ones that wear frustration on their sleeves. Titles like “Pisses Me Off”, “Sick of This Sht”, and “You’ve Gotta Be Fcking Kidding Me” might suggest pure rage, but Caffery explained that his intent was closer to comedy than fury.
“Here’s the thing, I did ‘You’ve Gotta Be Fcking Kidding Me’ because I had ‘Pisses Me Off’, so I thought it was kind of funny… when Holger said to me, well, you had ‘Sick of This Sht’… I thought the trifecta of those three songs would be pretty fun to have on one CD,” Caffery explained.
He added that the humor was deliberate: “I like to make people laugh, you know, and it’s like if I’m saying that stuff, it’s a way for me to use my sense of humor to control anger, not bring the anger out.”
For Caffery, these songs are snapshots of a time, as relevant for their energy as their satire. This balance between metal intensity and self-deprecating humor reflects his personality onstage with TSO, where he often uses jokes to disarm audiences. Still, he recognizes the risk of updating the formula for today’s climate: “I considered doing a ‘Pisses Me Off’ 2025 version, or something like that, but people are so sensitive now that if I were to write what pissed me off… instead of making people laugh… they would hear what I say now, and they get mad.”
However, not all of Caffery’s music stems from humor or catharsis. “Then She’s Gone”, one of the compilation’s most poignant tracks, was written in a moment of late-night reflection after personal heartbreak: “I was home one night in the band house… and I just kind of threw it all together really fast… I just thought it would be something that would be a really cool stamp to the end of this.”
Even when the vast majority of his fans have followed Caffery primarily for riffs and power, he can channel vulnerability with as much authenticity as ferocity. Although he initially saw the track as a quiet closer, the label insisted it should be released as a single — a choice Caffery initially doubted: “After the video came out and people started hearing the song, I was really blown away with how universal the reaction was. I don’t think I’ve released a song that had as consistent a response from everybody… Everybody seems to associate with that song.”
Of course, no conversation with Chris Caffery would be complete without addressing Savatage‘s return. The band’s performance in Brazil after more than two decades was deeply emotional for him: “You know, it just felt like it was a year ago that we stopped. It was so weird. You know, it was over 20 years since we were in Brazil, but it just felt like it was the day before. I mean, Savatage never broke up. We just had a really long pause.”
For Caffery, the reunion is not revolving around nostalgia, but about the band that shaped him reclaiming their rightful spot in the musical landscape: “Once I left my band with my brother, Savatage was my band with my other brothers. You know, it was like, I mean, it’s my band.”
Fans have long awaited the rumored Savatage upcoming album Curtain Call, but Caffery suggested it might symbolize renewal rather than farewell: “Jon wants to call it Curtain Call, but… I don’t think it’s a final curtain. Right. I think it might be rising again… maybe, fingers crossed, the curtain goes up instead of down. It’s a telling moment, about the resilience of a band whose legacy stretches back decades, one we refuse to let fade into memory.”
While Savatage fuels his heavy metal fire, the Trans-Siberian Orchestra remains a pillar of stability, both financially and artistically. The two projects may differ in style and scale, but for Caffery, they coexist — two sides of the same family carrying Paul O’Neill’s vision forward. Caffery emphasized its enduring mission.
“TSO is not going anywhere… Paul always wanted to keep the music alive. That’s why he had so many different singers and people involved, so that when he would always say, you know, we’re going to pass the torch… TSO is approaching next year, its 30th anniversary… and that music just keeps going to more people every year.”
Between solo work, TSO, and the revival of Savatage, Chris Caffery’s plate is full. Side projects like Spirits of Fire may remain on hold, but his focus is clear: “I wouldn’t mind doing one again if the time or the situation were right… But right now with having TSO and having Savatage, it’s like I’m not really looking for anything, you know, other than stay alive and, you know, take care of my family and my friends and life in general.”
It’s a grounded conclusion for a musician whose career spans from classic heavy metal to arena-filling rock theater. The past two decades prove that Caffery has never stopped creating, and with Savatage’s curtain rising again, his next chapter might be as vital as any that came before.
The post CHRIS CAFFERY Reflects On 20 Years Of Solo Career, SAVATAGE’s Return, And The Balance Between Legacy & Future appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.
For 40 years, Hasse Froberg has been putting out quality music. For 30 of them, he’s been a part of Swedish prog band The Flower Kings. Therefore, 2024 is a banner year for him. And he’s celebrating that with a new album from his band Hasse Froberg and Musical Companion (HFMC). “Eternal Snapshots” is the sixth record by the group, and it is a wonderful examination of the ups and downs of life—both musically and lyrically.
Froberg spoke to Mark Boardman just a mere week before the album release (last June 6th), and they chatted about his long trek through rock and roll, which started with hard rock in the early ‘80s before morphing to progressive rock in the mid-’90s. He talked about the balancing act that he faces in performing with both The Flower Kings and HFMC and also examined the reasons why so many Swedish bands base their sounds on compelling melodies and hooks (yes, he and many other musicians did buy ABBA records when they were little kids).
Watch or listen to their conversation below, and remember that for more interviews and other daily content, follow us on Facebook, Flipboard, and Twitter, or subscribe to our YouTube channel to be notified about new content we publish on a daily basis.
The post HASSE FROBERG On Why Melody Is A Staple Of Both THE FLOWER KINGS & His Own Solo Band: “We Have A Tradition Of Folk Music That Touches On All That We Do In The Rock Field” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.
In the realm of hard rock and guitar virtuosity, few names resonate as profoundly as Rik Emmett.
Renowned for his masterful fretwork and distinctive vocals, Emmett has left an indelible mark on the music world through his solo career and tenure with the iconic Canadian rock band Triumph. Recently, he unveiled “Diamonds – The Best of the Hard Rock Years 1990 – 1995,” a compilation featuring tracks from his first three solo releases alongside two previously unreleased gems, fans can go on a sonic journey through Emmett‘s evolution during this dynamic period.
In an interview, with Sonic Perspectives collaborator Rodrigo Altaf, Rik graciously offered insights into the compilation and his illustrious career. Reflecting on the selection process behind the album’s tracklist, Emmett delved into the creative process that fueled his solo endeavors during the early ’90s. From the raw energy of “Absolutely” to the introspective musings of “The Spiral Notebook,” each song encapsulates a distinct facet of Emmett‘s multifaceted artistry, promising listeners a captivating auditory experience.
Beyond his musical exploits, Rik Emmett candidly addressed personal challenges, including his health journey and his tenure as a music teacher. Despite facing obstacles, Emmett‘s passion for music remains undiminished, evident in his commitment to sharing knowledge and inspiring future generations of musicians.
The conversation also touched on tour plans and the prospect of live performances – as his fans eagerly awaited the opportunity to witness Emmett‘s electrifying stage presence once more. Watch or listen to their conversation below, and remember that for more interviews and other daily content, follow us on Facebook, Flipboard, and Twitter, or subscribe to our YouTube channel to be notified about new content we publish on a daily basis.
The post RIK EMMETT On Collaborating With ALEX LIFESON & JAMES LABRIE: “That Was Probably One Of The Greatest Days In The Studio In My Life” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.
In the realm of hard rock and guitar virtuosity, few names resonate as profoundly as Rik Emmett.
Renowned for his masterful fretwork and distinctive vocals, Emmett has left an indelible mark on the music world through his solo career and tenure with the iconic Canadian rock band Triumph. Recently, he unveiled “Diamonds – The Best of the Hard Rock Years 1990 – 1995,” a compilation featuring tracks from his first three solo releases alongside two previously unreleased gems, fans can go on a sonic journey through Emmett‘s evolution during this dynamic period.
In an interview, with Sonic Perspectives collaborator Rodrigo Altaf, Rik graciously offered insights into the compilation and his illustrious career. Reflecting on the selection process behind the album’s tracklist, Emmett delved into the creative process that fueled his solo endeavors during the early ’90s. From the raw energy of “Absolutely” to the introspective musings of “The Spiral Notebook,” each song encapsulates a distinct facet of Emmett‘s multifaceted artistry, promising listeners a captivating auditory experience.
Beyond his musical exploits, Rik Emmett candidly addressed personal challenges, including his health journey and his tenure as a music teacher. Despite facing obstacles, Emmett‘s passion for music remains undiminished, evident in his commitment to sharing knowledge and inspiring future generations of musicians.
The conversation also touched on tour plans and the prospect of live performances – as his fans eagerly awaited the opportunity to witness Emmett‘s electrifying stage presence once more. Watch or listen to their conversation below, and remember that for more interviews and other daily content, follow us on Facebook, Flipboard, and Twitter, or subscribe to our YouTube channel to be notified about new content we publish on a daily basis.
The post RIK EMMETT On Collaborating With ALEX LIFESON & JAMES LABRIE: “That Was Probably One Of The Greatest Days In The Studio In My Life” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.
As the bassist for Armored Saint and *Fates Warning, Joey Vera has carved a unique legacy in the genre, spanning decades of uncompromising musicianship and reliable low-end on both these bands. With Armored Saint, he’s been an integral force behind the band’s dynamic blend of power, melody, and raw energy, while his tenure with Fates Warning* has seen him contribute to the band’s progressive metal soundscapes, pushing boundaries and captivating audiences worldwide.
Joey toured with *Anthrax in the mid-2000s and more recently played with Mercyful Fate until conflicts of schedule led him to leave the band. And if that wasn’t enough, he’s also a member of the hard rock outfit Motor Sister, along with vocalist/guitarist Jim Wilson (Mother Superior), guitarist Scott Ian (*Anthrax*), drummer *John Tempesta (White Zombie, The Cult) and vocalist Pearl Aday (Pearl)
*Armored Saint has been on a particularly tumultuous path. The loss of guitarist Dave Prichard, who succumbed to leukemia in 1990 was definitely the lowest point, and difficulties with the record company and the overall market landscape led to their split in 1992. Singer John Bush would join Anthrax and record a series of albums, and Armored Saint would only reunite in 1999, although their output would be sporadic back then. The release of 2010’s “La Raza”* marked a period of more intense activity from the band, and nowadays they seem more active than ever.
Recently touring the U.S. and Canada in support of Queensrÿche and later doing a set of headlining shows in the US, *Armored Saint* had a handful of hectic few weeks and will take a break until the busy festival season during the summer months in Europe.
During their recent stop in Toronto, bassist Joey Vera sat down with Sonic Perspectives collaborator Rodrigo Altaf to discuss the recent tour, a few memorable shows from his past, and plans for the remainder of 2024. Listen to their spirited chat in the links below.
The post JOEY VERA Talks ARMORED SAINT’s Recent Tour, Upcoming New Single, And Discusses Likelihood Of FATES WARNING Touring appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.
Sebastian Bach will release his long-awaited studio album, “Child Within the Man”, on May 10th via Reigning Phoenix Music.
With a career that has spanned over 35 years and tens of millions of albums sold, billions of streams, chart-topping songs, and packing arenas/theaters worldwide, Sebastian is back with a vengeance with the release of “Child Within the Man”. All hail the new “King of all Media” with his monstrous imprint on music, theater, film, television, and pop culture.
Although his last album, “Give ‘Em Hell”, was released in 2014, Sebastian continued to tour and perform. He launched successful tours such as 18 and LIVE and the celebratory 30th-anniversary outings in honor of Skid Row‘s self-titled album and “Slave To The Grind”. In 2016, he released his critically acclaimed autobiography “18 and Life on Skid Row”.
“Child Within the Man” sees Sebastian blending the raw energy of aggressive metal with the allure of unforgettable melodic hooks. To bring his ten-year musical vision to life, Sebastian tapped into a diverse pool of talented musicians from the rock and metal world. Leading the charge with his unmistakable vocals, Sebastian enlisted Devin Bronson on guitar, Todd Kerns on bass, and Jeremy Colson on drums for the album. Adding luminaries like *Myles Kennedy, John 5, Steve Stevens, and Orianthi* as collaborators and guest stars further enriches songs with their unique styles.
“Child Within The Man” Album ArtworkWith Elvis Baskette producing, it’s no surprise that the result is a boundary-pushing endeavor, delivering entertaining and enduringly memorable music. It’s exciting to see artists like Sebastian continue innovating and evolving within the metal and rock landscape.
On April 14th, Sebastian performed at the Whiskey-a-Go-Go and will start his tour in Brazil on April 26th. To pre-order the album or tickets to his upcoming shows, click HERE.
Correspondent Robert Cavuoto spoke with Sebastian, who shares how his management didn’t allow him to listen to his completed album or discuss any details of its creation with friends or family, how Myles Kennedy approached producer Elvis Baskette about sharing song ideas – one of them became the first single, how he appreciated working with *Myles, and why Sebastian* thinks this is his comeback album!
Watch or listen to their conversation below, and remember that for more interviews and other daily content, follow us on Facebook, Flipboard, and Twitter, or subscribe to our YouTube channel to be notified about new content we publish on a daily basis.
The post SEBASTIAN BACH Talks New Album “Child Within The Man”: ‘It’s Mindblowing To Have My Songs Played On FM Radio In 2024’ appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.
Celebrating twenty years of existence, Baroness released their critically acclaimed sixth album, “Stone”, on September 15, 2023. As discussed in our review (which can be read here), this is one of their most cohesive pieces of work, although there’s plenty of room for experimentation. And obviously, now is the time to promote “Stone”, and showcase it to the world.
Entitled “Sweet Oblivion Tour”, this run of dates consists of more than 30 shows in 49 days. A gruesome schedule, but one which doesn’t seem to scare John Dyer Baizley (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Gina Gleason (lead guitar, backing vocals), Nick Jost (bass, keyboards), and Sebastian Thomson (drums). The band still finds time to do store appearances on selected dates, where they do a short acoustic set and sign copies of the album.
In the heart of Toronto’s vibrant music scene, Sonic Perspectives collaborator Rodrigo Altaf had the unique opportunity to sit down with two of the driving forces behind the critically acclaimed band Baroness. Backstage at the iconic Danforth Music Hall on November 19th, the anticipation in the air was palpable as he caught up with Nick and Sebastian.
As the stage lights prepared to illuminate another unforgettable performance, they delved into the inner workings of Baroness, exploring the creative process, the evolution of the tour, and the raw energy that fuels their live shows. Join us as we go behind the scenes and unravel the sonic tapestry woven by these two exceptional musicians, offering a glimpse into the musical journey that has captivated audiences worldwide.
Listen to their conversation below, and remember that for more interviews and other daily content, make sure to follow Sonic Perspectives on Facebook, Flipboard, and Twitter or subscribe to our YouTube channel to be notified about new content we publish on a daily basis.
The post Rhythmic Revelations: A Backstage Encounter with BARONESS’ Bassist NICK JOST and Drummer SEBASTIAN THOMSON appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.
*Europe has recently released its new single, “Hold Your Head Up,”* ahead of a 2024 documentary film about the band’s meteoric rise to becoming one of the greatest rock bands in history.
The song is a vibrant rocker reminiscent of their early hits and captures Joey Tempest [vocals], John Norum [guitars], John Levén [bass], Mic Michaeli [keyboards], and Ian Haugland [drums]continuing to be one of the most influential forces in rock music today. It was produced by Klas Åhlund (Ghost) and mixed by Stefan Glaumann (Rammstein, Def Leppard), who also mixed *Europe‘s “Secret Society” album. To purchase “Hold Your Head Up” head over here*.
*Europe plans to head to the studio this winter to pull their song ideas and riffs together for a new album due out in late 2024 / early 2025. It will be their 12th and first studio album in five years since “Walk the Earth.”*
The brand-new documentary entitled “Europe – The Movie” will tell the story of the band, from formation until the present day, telling of their rise to success in the mid-’80s, through hard times and heartache, to coming back in the millennium and the current successes the band has achieved.
Correspondent Robert Cavuoto spoke with Joey Tempest moments before they hit the stage at The Palladium in London last month for their second to last show of their Time Capsule, 40th Anniversary Tour. Joey shared how the band has been compiling song ideas and plans to go into the studio this winter. He also discusses content fans can expect to see in the documentary and reminisces on their heyday of the 80s when they were besieged in the street and the on-stage mishap that led to enlisting Mic Michaeli to handle the keyboard duties in 1984. Listen or read the transcript of their conversation below.
INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTYou are playing at The Palladium tonight in London, a show for your Time Capsule 40th Anniversary tour. It must be close to show time.
It is only an hour and a half from showtime, so it’s getting exciting. We are on this 40th-anniversary tour of 21 shows. It’s going so well, and I’m excited about playing in London. It’s a hometown gig for me, as well as Stockholm. I have two hometown gigs!
We spoke in 2017 for “Walk the Earth”, so getting some new music from the band has been long overdue. It’s a great song, and we are excited about it.
Thank you, we are pleased about it. We made it in the studio this summer before the tour kicked off. Since we weren’t touring during the pandemic, I was collecting ideas, and this is the one I felt strongly about. I sent it to the guys, and they all liked it and wanted to work on it. We managed to quickly get it done in a few days.
I read you will be putting out a documentary in 2024. I wondered if the new song “Hold Your Head Up” is a retrospective tribute to the band’s career that will be used in the film?
We are featuring the song in the documentary. It just came together that way, and it’s a good observation! It was luck that the song tied it all together. Early in the documentary, you see us in the studio today, but then you get transported to the suburbs of Väsby when we were teenagers dreaming of becoming a touring band and coming up with the band’s name. We also found old footage on VHS tape from hotel rooms and recording studios. We had more material than we initially thought. It all formed into a really good story at the end of the day. We are in the final stages of completing it, and it’s almost there. It will probably come out in early 2024.
Will it be available on a streaming platform or for a theatrical release?
We are involving people to get that together to find the most interesting scenario for it. It could be all of those aspects you mentioned. It will be a serious thing that we want fans to be able to see it. It’s a great story about the era.
There’s also a new album in the works for late 2024 / early 2025. How deep are you into writing and recording it?
We talked about that last week. We have some ideas. One was “Hold Your Head Up,” so we are not entirely starting from scratch. We think this winter, we will pull all the ideas together and send them to each other. If we are lucky, we can get it out, like you said, later next year or early 2025. We are looking forward to recording it. It’s been a while since Walk the Earth in 2017, which was recorded in Abbey Road Studios.
When you go into the studio, do you have all the songs fleshed out, or do you prefer to be more spontaneous in creating songs as a band?
We like to be very well prepared! We like to leave a few things in the air, like breaks, intros, or maybe a song that is less than 100%. We want to be rehearsed on 10 to 15 songs before we enter the studio. That’s the kind of band we are! Sometimes, we can be a bit lazy and write in the studio, depending on the producer. When we have worked with Dave Cobb, he is a good writer; he can join in on a bridge or intro, which works well because we know him. Sometimes, we can write one song in the studio.
I know you are still working on the songs, but will the album have any unexpected moments that Europe is famous for and fans can look forward to?
You sound familiar with the band, and we always like to take fans on an adventure. “Hold Your Head Up” has some punch to it with some old Europe metal edge to it while feeling modern. I have a few ideas that are a bit different to share with the band yet, so there will be some exciting stuff.
Will you be coming to the US to tour in support of the album when it does come out?
Yeah, I hope so! Our management company is in California, so we have an agent who is always looking. As you know, we were supposed to go to the US in 2020 on a major two-and-a-half-month tour, and it didn’t happen because of everything that went on in the world. We have been looking ever since, and it’s about finding the right scenario, band to go with, or package tour. We could look into going back to all the House of Blues venues again. It’s really important for us to get back to the US, and I hope it’s soon!
You’re an expressive lyrist who can paint pictures in people’s minds and a terrific storyteller writing about positivity and hope. What do you think is your biggest strength as a songwriter?
That’s an interesting question. I don’t know where it comes from, but I know my Mom has always been a very positive soul! I have some of her thinking on that aspect; there is always hope, and there is always light! That sentiment always creeps in even when we write about a tragic event in the world. It’s just the way I am, I suppose. That doesn’t stop us from finding issues that are more serious. At the end of the day, it’s music, and it’s Rock & Roll. I have never gone down the road to do a serious album about a theme. We started in that direction for the “Walk the Earth” about where democracy went [laughing], but halfway through, we realized we are a rock band! There are a few things in there that make you think a bit more.
With that thought in mind, what inspired you lyrically when you first started Europe, and what inspires you now?
You get older, and you start thinking about everything that you have experienced. You have a late-career and an early career, so you can look at things in relation to each other with more depth. You read more and write more music as you evolve. I like to anchor lyrics in reality more than the first album when we were 18 years old. It was cool when it sounded cool, and that was it [laughing]! My Dad passed away, and when I wrote the lyrics to “Hold Your Head Up,” I remember him telling me, “Get up; I know you can do this!” That was the thought behind that song, but I’m sure the album will have new songs anchored around the band, my life, or what is happening around the world. I think that is how you evolve; you tend to write about things that are important to you.
Are you always inspired to create music?
Yes, I think about music every day and listen to music every day. I play guitar and keyboard almost every day, depending on what I’m doing or if I’m traveling. It’s been part of my life since I was 6 or 7. There was always an instrument at home. My sister had a guitar and piano, and she didn’t continue, but I did. I like to express myself musically, and it makes me feel good to write and think of new ideas. I collect lyrics and melody lines all the time.
Keeping the documentary in mind with the history of your career, what are one or two key attributes that you feel have carried Europe through all the ups and downs of the music business and challenges the band faces on a daily basis?
The main thing is that we are all from the same place. We used to watch concerts together, we rehearsed together, and we partied together in those days. We went to different schools, but we were still connected with friends and watching each other’s bands. That is one of the things that we really appreciate after all these years. The band is like one soul with five different elements. It carries us now as the egos have calmed down, so there are no major fights. We feel lucky that we have each other and have this job. In the realm of music, we are all in agreement with the same artists and music styles. That means there will never be a major issue with choosing or writing songs. We are in the same world musically, so there will never be disputes going down with our musical roots. Some bands break up citing musical differences; wow, how is that possible? In a band that has been together a long time, it’s difficult to cite that as a reason. It comes down to the fact that we have so much in common regarding music, direction, and playing live.
Growing up in the 80s and listening to your music was a magical time. Is there anything worth reliving from the 80s?
They were great moments and tough moments, too. There were things we didn’t like to do, like perform on the family TV shows. We didn’t want to keep doing it, and some of us hated it more than others. There are elements from when we started to become one of the biggest bands in the world: going through cities like Rome, Paris, Los Angeles, New York, and Tokyo and experiencing it together, then going out to clubs after the show, we felt on top of the world. That feeling is there! There were a lot of playback sessions and lots of travel when we wanted to be on the road instead [laughing]. We had the down period when Grunge came in. The band went home to Stockholm only to find that some of the members realized they had less money. It was tough for some of the guys for a while. We met each other again and wanted to help each other and carry each other. Now we are together longer than on the first run. It’s about communicating and having the same goal of working together.
That’s a testament to your friendship.
Yes.
When you were on tour in the 80s, was it like Beatlemania when you rolled into a new city?
It was! In Rome, we had to sneak out of a big church when people started recognizing us. We couldn’t go on the streets in Europe for a while. Being in cars to go to and from the shows was almost impossible. Some of the stories are in the documentary. It was out of control for a while [laughing]. It was cool to go through it, it was all a good thing. People were just wanting a piece of us [laughing].
On the first two albums, you played keyboards, and then on the third, you brought in Mic; tell us about the decision to transition to having a fifth member.
There was an early moment in Europe‘s career when I played keyboards on stage. I had a bad experience when the keyboard broke down, and I was standing there with the keyboard misfiring and sounding weird. It was one of those decisions that I’m not going to go down this road again! Even though I played keyboards on the first two albums, in the back of our minds, we wanted to have that extra band member. Mic was a friend from school who was in a band, Avalon. He was the one who lent me a keyboard in college and wrote the “The Final Countdown” on. We were connected in that sense, and he was the only guy in school who had a keyboard [laughing]. Later on, we remembered him. He was still part of the music scene and played in different bands, and one of his bands opened up for us. We went to ask him, and he pretended to be cool about it; inside, he was like, “Yes! Yes! Yes!” He wanted to be in a touring band. So, in 1984/1985, everything kicked off with this line-up we are still with today.
The post JOEY TEMPEST of EUROPE Reflects On New Single “Hold Your Head Up”: ‘We Always Like to Take Fans On an Adventure’ appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.
In another one of many life-changing decisions taken by humanity after the daunting onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, Candlebox recently announced their retirement this year of 2023, coincidentally the year when the band is celebrating the 30th anniversary of their self-titled debut. Fans will have plenty of chances to say farewell to front-man Kevin Martin & [...]
The post CANDLEBOX front-man KEVIN MARTIN Talks Final Album And Farewell Tour: “It’s Been An Enriching Experience, And We’re Having A Blast!” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.
Spirit Adrift are back with a new full-length, entitled “Ghost at the Gallows”. The follow-up to 2020’s “Enlightened in Eternity” comes out on August 18 via Century Media, and delivers the band’s most fully realized work to date. This is a record that confidently stands at the crossroads of heavy metal at its most epic [...]
The post SPIRIT ADRIFT’S Main-man NATE GARRETT Talks New Album And Musical Mission: “I Wanna Write Songs That Sound As Lush And Massive As Possible” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.
It’s 2023, and the music industry has totally changed. While 30 or 40 years ago musicians focused on the one band they were a part of, nowadays having a side project is almost mandatory. The revenue streams are different, file sharing and instant messaging allows for multiple music outlets for anyone, so it’s natural that [...]
The post MICHAEL POULSEN of VOLBEAT Explores Death Metal On New Project ASINHELL: “My Love For Old School Death Metal Has Always Been There, You Can Hear The Inspiration On This Album” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.
Some bands just take consistency to the next level. That is definitely the case with death metal stalwarts KATAKLYSM. Originally formed in Quebec, they have put out one album every two years since their debut, 1995’s “Sorcery”. The band went through some lineup changes, the most notable of which was the departure of founding member [...]
The post MAURIZIO IACOMO of KATAKLYSM Shares His Recipe To Keep Inspired And Energized After Three Decades In Music: “It’s All About Being Consistent In Your Approach, And Using Music In A Therapeutic Way” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.
The old saying “good things come to those who wait” is one that FIFTH ANGEL fans have become rather used to. After twenty years of dormancy, the band reunited in 2010 for the Keep it True Festival, but plans to record new material were scrapped. In 2017 they returned to the same festival and then the [...]
The post KEN MARY And JOHN MACKO Reflect On The Intensity Of New FIFTH ANGEL Album “When Angels Kill”: “We’re More Progressive And Aggressive, But Maintaining Our Core” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.
Not many bands can leave a lasting impression and legacy like Black Sabbath have done over the last 50 years. They have been flying the flag for heavy metal throughout their career to legions of fans around the world since their eponymous debut album, “Black Sabbath”, which was released on February 13, 1970. They went [...]
The post BLACK SABBATH’s GEEZER BUTLER Talks Upcoming Book “Into the Void”: ‘There Have Been Terrible Fall-Outs; You Forget Them and Come Back Together’ appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.
On September 26, 2021 in Louisville, KY, JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner had a brush with death. He suffered an onstage aortic aneurysm during the performance of the band’s “Painkiller” encore. Somehow finishing the set, Faulkner was rushed to hospital and put through ten hours of emergency surgery. “I’m just lucky to be alive. And luckily we had a short set that day. We were playing before METALLICA, so we had an hour set instead of an hour and 40 minutes, in which case I wouldn’t be talking to you. I wouldn’t have come off that stage alive. The stars aligned: that was the last song and we were four miles away from the University of Louisville’s Rudd Heart and Lung Center, which is one of the mos well-renowned heart hospitals in the country.”
Almost 2 years later, Faulkner is not only recovered but he’s stamping his own seal in the metal music scene with a new band: ELEGANT WEAPONS, being bolstered and emboldened by the regal presence of Ronnie Romero (RAINBOW, VANDENBERG, MICHAEL SCHENKER) along with Dave Rimmer from URIAH HEEP and on drums, Christopher Williams from German Metal veterans ACCEPT. Producing is highly regarded PRIEST, OPETH, MEGADETH, SAXON and ACCEPT producer Andy Sneap, who has been respectful of Richie’s vision concerning a certain classic sound he wanted across the expanse of the record’s 11 songs (ten originals plus a cover of UFO’s “Lights Out”).
Where does the band’s name comes from?
“In almost any endeavor, the craftsman needs the right tools for the job. For a musician, those tools are things like their instruments, their voices and the emotions that the right combination of all those can bring to the surface. You can also consider it a reference to the instruments we play, because they’re almost antiquities now. So yes, it references our instruments and also this kind of music, where we’re carrying on the tradition of the greats like SABBATH and DIO but also bands the guys are connected to, like RAINBOW, PANTERA *and PRIEST*.”
“Horns For A Halo” Album Artwork
Pre-order “Horns For A Halo” at THIS LOCATION.
As for the music, Richie describes it as “a mix of JIMI HENDRIX, PRIEST, SABBATH, solo OZZY and BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, but with a lot of melody, sort of old school and modern at once if that makes any sense, and actually down-tuned a whole step. There are a lot of guitar solos and the songs are on the heavier side. And even though there’s a lot of melody, it’s still going to shake your bones.”
Another mandate of the band is for Richie to propose more fully than he can across a PRIEST record, his own voice or style as it pertains to the guitar. “Yes, everything that you do, without sounding pretentious, is trying to find your own voice and extension of your voice. I’ve been in cover bands all my life. Then you find yourself replacing K.K. Downing and it’s like, ‘Now what am I gonna say?’ I can’t sound like K.K. Downing. I can’t sound like Eddie Van Halen. I can’t sound like Zakk Wylde. So it’s refining and honing what your voice is, constantly fine-tuning what that voice is. And hopefully when people listen to it, they’ll think, ‘Oh, that’s Richie.’ In every song and every solo hopefully there’s that sound, that narrative, that voice, and hopefully it stands the test of time.”
Rodrigo Altaf sat down with Richie to discuss ELEGANT WEAPONS‘s debut album “Halo of Fire”, how he wants to to perpetuate the rich legacy of the traditional proto-power metal invented by the heavy metal titans of the ‘70s and ‘80s, how the recording of the album took place, how he wanted to form a band that evolves into the future, what are his thoughts on a join tour with IRON MAIDEN, and of course what’s going on with the long-awaited JUDAS PRIEST follow up to “Firepower”. Watch or listen to their information-packed conversation below; and remember that for more interviews and other daily content, Sonic Perspectives is on Facebook, Flipboard, Twitter and YouTube, where you can be notified about new content we publish on a daily basis.
The post JUDAS PRIEST Guitarist RICHIE FAULKNER Talks New Band ELEGANT WEAPONS, Upcoming JUDAS PRIEST Record and More: ‘I’d Like To Do A Big Four Tour Of British Metal, As A Fan I Couldn’t Imagine A Better Tour Than MAIDEN And PRIEST’ appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.
Often wonder and been intrigued by what life is like working, managing or being an artist, a rock star? Traveling to foreign countries, seeing the sights, feeling the energy of live audiences, night after night, and experiencing firsthand the screaming fans? It’s not always glorious or glamorous; in fact, there is more to it than you think. One thing for sure, it takes a lot of people to make it happen, with lots of talent, dedication, and nerves of steel to deal with the unknown day after day. It’s hard work, it’s a life like no other. If you’re lucky enough to experience it, love it, and embrace it for what it is, it can be yours for a lifetime.
Rikk Feulner has spent over four decades as a tour manager, working with some of the most iconic musicians in rock and country music: The Eagles, Robert Plant, Johnny Winter, Keith Urban and Dream Theater, just to name a few. Having crisscrossed the globe countless times, he has accumulated a wealth of experiences and stories that he now shares in his new book “Stars Don’t Carry Their Own Baggage”. With an insider’s perspective on the music industry and a deep love for the craft, Feulner offers a fascinating glimpse into the world of touring and the people who make it all happen.
“Stars Don’t Carry Their Own Baggage” Cover
“Stars Don’t Carry Their Own Baggage” is the story of up-and-coming 80’s rock band Cherry Thieves. but this isn’t your typical rock-n-roll origin story, this is the early days of a band through the eyes of their tour manager. Get the inside scoop, hear the untold stories, and find out if Cherry Thieves can survive their first world tour, and each other…
To get an insider’s view of Rikk‘s experience and how they reflected in a fictional way on his new book, restless interviewer Rodrigo Altaf sat down with Feulner for over half an hour, to discuss about his life on the road and how thousands of anecdotes shaped the pages of “Stars Don’t Carry Their Own Baggage”, what it takes for someone to be a great band manager, and of course, you can expect some Dream Theater insight, like who were the worst opening act for them, and what to expect from their upcoming summer tour. Watch or listen to their entertaining conversation below; and remember that for more interviews and other daily content, Sonic Perspectives is on Facebook, Flipboard, Twitter and YouTube, where you can be notified about new content we publish on a daily basis.
Order “Stars Don’t Carry Their Own Baggage” from any of the following links: Amazon | LuLu | Barnes And Noble
The post Music Industry Veteran & Longtime DREAM THEATER Tour Manager RIKK FEULNER Talks New Book, Life on The Road and Upcoming DREAM THEATER Summer Tour: “DREAM THEATER Don’t Get to Play Any Festival in the US, So They Created Their Own” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.
Multi-platinum rocker Theory Of A Deadman will release their eighth studio album, “Dinosaur”, on March 17th via Roadrunner Records.
The track “Dinosaur” is currently at #12 on the Top 10 at U.S. Active Rock Radio and quickly approaching the Top 10. This album marks a return to form stylistically while growing and learning to solidify their place at the top of modern hard rock. Ultimately “Dinosaur” stands out as the band’s best work to date because it’s about a shared experience with the audience. Theory Of A Deadman featuring Tyler Connolly [lead vocals, guitar], Dave Brenner [guitar, backing vocals], Dean Back [bass], and Joey Dandeneau [drums, backing vocals] have found their groove. This hard-hitting album’s ten songs riffs lumber ahead with the swaggering force of a T-Rex and the grace of a Brontosaurus.
While the singles “Dinosaur” and “Ambulance” hit you like a freight train, their newest single, “Two Of Us (Stuck),” slows things down to showcase the band’s signature wit on a breezy piano-laden breakup bop that takes a hard left from the refrain of the Grover Washington Jr. and Bill Withers classic “Just The Two Of Us.” Ultimately, Theory Of A Deadman is giving rock n’ roll precisely what it needs to deliver a barrage of rock anthems.
“Dinosaur” is available to pre-order now at THIS LOCATION.
Theory Of A Deadman will perform tracks off “Dinosaur” for audiences worldwide throughout the year. Following a run of dates this winter in New Zealand and Australia, the band teams up with Skillet for the co-headlining Rock Resurrection Tour. The 25-date trek, also featuring support from Saint Asonia, crosses the U.S. from February 17th through March 26th, where it wraps at The Wiltern in Los Angeles. See below for all upcoming tour dates, and visit HERE for more info and to purchase.
Correspondent Robert Cavuoto had an in-depth conversation with bassist Dean Back about the making of “Dinosaur”, the importance of injecting humor into their songs, his insights into the three key aspects that lead to the band’s success, and what new songs fans can expect to hear on the Rock Resurrection Tour. Listen to conversation below and remember that for more interviews and other daily content, Sonic Perspectives is on Facebook, Flipboard, Twitter and YouTube, where you can be notified about new content we publish on a daily basis.
“Dinosaur’ Album Artwork
“‘Dinosaur’ takes us back to our roots with this riff-driven rocker,” shares Connolly. “To me, it feels like it could fit on any of our albums, but I will say if you like the old THEORY OF A DEADMAN, you’ll love the new THEORY OF A DEADMAN.”
“Rock is where we made our bed for all these years,” adds guitarist Dave Brenner. “It’s been a while since we had an up-tempo in-your-face track like this — and it felt good.”
With sky-high hooks, riffs as thick as a 2×4, rumbling grooves, and a razor-sharp sense of humor, THEORY OF A DEADMAN — Tyler Connolly (lead vocals, guitar),Dave Brenner (guitar, backing vocals),Dean Back (bass),and Joey Dandeneau (drums, backing vocals) — have quietly persisted as an unapologetic, unbreakable, and undeniable hard rock force with major multi-platinum hits and countless sold-out shows in each of the past two decades. Jamming together in basements throughout high school, the band burst out of their small hometown of North Delta, British Columbia with the self-titled “Theory Of A Deadman” during 2002.
In addition to the double-platinum breakthrough album “Scars & Souvenirs” (2008) and gold-certified “The Truth Is…” (2011),THEORY OF A DEADMAN have notched a procession of hits, including the gold-certified “All Or Nothing”, “Bitch Came Back” and “Lowlife”, platinum-certified “Angel”, “Hate My Life” and “Not Meant To Be”, double-platinum “Bad Girlfriend” and triple-platinum “RX (Medicate)”. As the biggest smash of their career thus far, the latter hit, off their 2017 album “Wake Up Call”, marked their third No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and garnered a nomination for “Rock Song Of The Year” at the iHeartRadio Music Awards.
Their impressive catalogue has also logged two Top 10 debuts on the Billboard 200 and amassed more than one billion collective streams on Spotify alone and over 675 million views on their official YouTube. In 2020, the award-winning band’s seventh studio album, “Say Nothing”, landed at No. 2 on the Billboard Alternative Albums chart and No. 3 on the Rock Albums chart. Plus, the album, featuring the chart-topping and powerful single “History Of Violence”, earned praise from American Songwriter, Billboard, Alternative Press and Classic Rock magazine which awarded it four out of five stars.
The post DEAN BACK of THEORY OF A DEADMAN Discusses Upcoming “Dinosaur “Album: “It Will Take You on A Roller Coaster Ride Between The Rockers and Ballads” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.
The achievements of rock n’ roll heavyweights The Trews are many and mighty, highlighted by multiple radio hits drawn from seven critically acclaimed studio albums plus several EPs, a pair of live records, and a retrospective. The band’s 2021 release, “Wanderer,” emerged with their fiercest and most accomplished songs to date, taking the band further into the realm of rock greatness.
The Trews — Colin MacDonald [singer/guitarist], John-Angus MacDonald [guitarist], Jack Syperek [bassist], Chris Gormley, and Jeff Heisholt [keyboards]are currently on a US tour that started January 24th in Boston, MA, and wrapped it up last February 5th in Chicago, IL.
Click HERE to keep yourself up-to-date with what’s going on in their musical universe.
Correspondent, Robert Cavuoto, spoke with guitarist John-Angus MacDonald almost at the end of the tour, about the band’s latest release, how they captured their signature sound, the challenges of hitting the road post-pandemic, and the legacy the band wants to leave behind. Listen to conversation below and remember that for more interviews and other daily content, Sonic Perspectives is on Facebook, Flipboard, Twitter and YouTube, where you can be notified about new content we publish on a daily basis.
The post JOHN-ANGUS MACDONALD of THE TREWS: “I Want to Write Songs That Mean Something to People” appeared first on Sonic Perspectives.
August 19th marked the release of the self-titled debut of SiX by SiX. The collaboration between Saga‘s guitarist Ian Crichton, singer, producer and bass player Robert Berry, and Saxon‘s drummer Nigel Glockler will impress the most demanding progressive rock fans out there. Six By Six was born when Robert and Ian started exchanging ideas and [...]
August 19th marked the release of the self-titled debut of SiX by SiX. The collaboration between Saga‘s guitarist Ian Crichton, singer, producer and bass player Robert Berry, and Saxon‘s drummer Nigel Glockler will impress the most demanding progressive rock fans out there. Six By Six was born when Robert and Ian started exchanging ideas and [...]
A lone soldier on the front-lines of creativity, John Mitchell has been at the forefront of forward- thinking and progressive rock for decades now. As a member of such revered prog ensembles as It Bites, Arena, Frost* and his own projects Kino and The Urbane, he has become a uniquely vital contributor to the modern [...]
A lone soldier on the front-lines of creativity, John Mitchell has been at the forefront of forward- thinking and progressive rock for decades now. As a member of such revered prog ensembles as It Bites, Arena, Frost* and his own projects Kino and The Urbane, he has become a uniquely vital contributor to the modern [...]
A lone soldier on the front-lines of creativity, John Mitchell has been at the forefront of forward- thinking and progressive rock for decades now. As a member of such revered prog ensembles as It Bites, Arena, Frost* and his own projects Kino and The Urbane, he has become a uniquely vital contributor to the modern [...]
On September 29th, the German metal kingpins Accept will embark on their first U.S. tour in ten years. The tour supports their 2021 studio album, “Too Mean to Die,” which they were not properly able to tour in support of due to Covid-19. This U.S. tour will cover 21 cities starting in Nashville and ending [...]
“Beer commercials, car commercials, and Cobra Kai.” I straight up thought that legendary drummer Mark Zonder’s reference point for his new band would have been Toto or Journey. There aren’t really any sonic similarities between them and A-Z, but they all share these very key traits: at their core, they’re expertly-written, hook-saturated pop songs performed [...]
John Norum is most famously known around the globe as being the lead guitarist and a founding member of the band Europe. Together they are Sweden’s most prominent rock export selling over 10 million albums worldwide with songs like “The Final Countdown,” “Carrie,” and “Rock the Night.” Recently the song “The Final Countdown” reached 1 [...]
Derek Sherinian seems determined to make up for the lost time. Having spent nine years working with the super-groups Black Country Communion, PSMS and Sons of Apollo, and touring with Billy Idol, Joe Bonamassa and others, he is now focused on his solo career. 2020 saw the release of “The Phoenix”, Derek‘s first solo record [...]
While the pandemic seems like a thing of the past at the moment and many artists are going on extensive tours, there are still albums coming out which were written at the height of Covid-19. That’s the case with Eric Johnson‘s two upcoming releases, “The Book of Making” and “Yesterday Meets Today”. Blue Élan Records [...]
Vinnie Appice is a metal legend, plain and simple. Having started his career playing with Rick Derringer and with his band Axis, Vinnie rose to fame after joining Black Sabbath on the Heaven and Hell Tour. With Black Sabbath he recorded the follow up album “Mob Rules,” before leaving to become the drummer of Dio‘s [...]
Released on March 18, 2022, “Postcards from the End of the World” is the sophomore effort of Shining Black. The band was formed as a collaboration between vocalist Mark Boals (Yngwie Malmsteen, Ring Of Fire, Royal Hunt) and guitarist Ölaf Thorson (Labyrinth, Vision Divine). Completing the lineup are Oleg Smirnoff on keyboards & piano, Nik [...]
What do you do when your band is on a break, and you’re used to playing a million notes every night? If your name is Jordan Rudess, the answer is: you go out on a solo tour and play a million other notes per show. Dream Theater finished a successful run of shows in Europe and North America, [...]
For 37 years, TESLA continues to write, record, and tour to the excitement of their fans. In 2014 they released a stellar straight-up, hard-rocking album, “Simplicity” and then in 2019 released “Shock,” a rock album but with a bit more polished and shine. It was written and recorded while on tour in hotels, backstage, and [...]
Fozzy released their new album, “Boombox”, last May 6th, 2021. The album features two Top 10 singles, “Nowhere to Run” and “Sane.” “Boombox” sees Fozzy returning with a diverse, attitude-drenched collection of songs. It’s everything the band’s faithful followers have come to expect from the band while pushing their signature sound forward. Songs like “I [...]
“This whole trip was chaos,” confides a visibly exhausted Timo Kotipelto. The reserved but charismatic Stratovarius front-man and I are tucked away in a corner at the lobby of the Sonesta Midtown hotel, spitting distance from popular ProgPower USA breakfast spot The Silver Skillet. The pair and their band-mates are about twelve hours removed from [...]
Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators will be releasing “Live At Studios 60”, exclusive vinyl for Record Store Day on June 18th. It’s their first-ever double live LP featuring their entire 2022 album, “4;” plus performances of the group’s Top 5 Rock Radio Hits, including “You’re A Lie,” “World on Fire,” “Anastasia,” and “Driving [...]
Michael Monroe has long been at the forefront of breaking musical barriers from Hanoi Rocks to his successful solo career. He returns with his highly anticipated album; “I Live Too Fast to Die Young,” due out on June 10th via Silver Lining Music. In an era where the pandemic and war are seamless bookends to [...]
The newest hard rock super-group, Iconic from Frontiers Music SLR, features some legendary and iconic musicians like Michael Sweet (guitars), Joel Hoekstra (guitars), Marco Mendoza (bass), Tommy Aldridge (drums), and Nathan James (vocals). Their debut album, “Second Skin,” will be released June 17th. The band’s collective resumes speak volumes for their talent, abilities, and musicianship. [...]
Just over a year ago Evergrey released “Escape of the Phoenix,” an album that was not only the band’s greatest commercial success, but was also widely acclaimed as one of the best albums of 2021. At Sonic Perspectives, we rated it number one. While many other bands would have been content to rest and revel [...]
Skid Row has always been one of the hardest working bands in the metal / hard rock circuit, but their touring schedule in 2022 is absolutely insane, even for their standards. With over sixty shows booked until the end of the year and hitting all corners of the world, it seems that nothing can stop [...]
John5 is one of the hardest working musicians on the planet, and to prove it, he will be heading out on his Spring/Summer 2022 Sinner North American Tour before a Rob Zombie tour this summer. Johns‘ tour starts in California on April 19th and takes him through June, ending in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Supporting [...]
Some collaborations do take time to mature and to come into fruition. In the case of James LaBrie and Paul Logue, it took 11 years for their album to finally be concluded. Their story began in 2011, when James lent his voice to a song called “No Holy Man”, from Paul‘s band, UK melodic metal [...]
The march of time may bring about change, but the memory of those who lived the glory days of thrash metal in the 1980s don’t have to settle for a future that doesn’t possess the music they love, at least if Germany’s own thrash titans Destruction have anything to say on the matter. Having been [...]
PROGJECT also dubbed “The Ultimate Prog Rock Experience” is the brainchild of drummer extraordinaire Jonathan Mover. Jonathan is not only a session drummer to the stars but has performed with some heavyweight artists like Alice Cooper, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, GTR, and Marillion, to name just a few. The idea for PROGJECT came to fruition [...]
There is no such thing as being too late to the party when it comes to hard rock, and few know this better than Kurt Deimer, who seemingly came out of nowhere a few months back and unleashed an EP’s worth of familiar yet highly unique odes to the aforementioned style. More discerning minds may [...]
ENVY OF NONE, the new band from Alex Lifeson (RUSH), Andy Curran (CONEY HATCH), Alfio Annibalini and singer Maiah Wynne, will release its self-titled debut album on April 8 via Kscope. Through its 11 tracks, the group explores a wide array of styles, with enticing vocal melodies, pop hooks and atmospheric passages. The genesis of [...]
There is something to be said for sticking to one’s proverbial guns when times get tough, and few know that better than Cage and Death Dealer screamer Sean Peck. Sharing a birth year with the godfather of grunge Kurt Cobain, his would be a far different path of swimming against the tide of detractors of [...]
Michael Romeo is back! Four years after his first proper solo album, “War of the Worlds, Pt. 1” was released, the sequel is finally among us. Romeo kept the same rhythm session as the first album – bassist John ‘JD’ DeServio and drummer John Macaluso – but added singer Dino Jelusick to the fold. The [...]
With 43 years of music under their belts and a demanding yet extremely dedicated fan base, MARILLION‘s approach to making music remains fresh to this day. Granted, the pandemic made their writing process a little bit more complicated than usual, but they came out of it with yet another incredible offering. Entitled “Ah Hour Before [...]
Andy Timmons is gearing up to add another highlight to his storied career by releasing his newest solo album “Electric Truth” on April 1st as an independent release. The upcoming album features all-new material from Andy since “Resolution” in 2006 and “Theme From A Perfect World” with the Andy Timmons’ Band in 2016. “Electric Truth” [...]
When the collaboration between Neal Morse, Nick D’Virgilio, and Ross Jennings was announced, prog fans worldwide received the unexpected association with great excitement. Even though we already know the outstanding results that the partnership between Morse and D’Virgilio usually provides, the presence of Ross Jennings, vocalist for prog-metal powerhouse Haken and Novena, gave the project an unpredictable and exciting appeal. From the beginning, it was announced that “Troika”, [...]
The thrash metal wave that took the West Coast of the United States by storm may have crashed down and receded with the onset of the 1990s, but you wouldn’t know it by how the original Bay Area sound has been continually cropping back up of late. While there is no shortage of new blood [...]
Aldo Nova is back and better than ever, releasing two albums this April. The first album features ten brand new studio tracks from this 25 song Rock Opera, “The Life and Times of Eddie Gage,” due out on April 1st. His second release, “Aldo Nova 2.0 Reloaded,” features nine of his classic songs re-imagined and [...]
Less than two years after the release of Ayreon‘s “Transitus”, tireless Dutch musician Arjen Lucassen is back with new music. This time, the prog-metal/rock icon opted to revisit the Arjen Anthony Lucassen’s Star One project, which until now was held in hiatus. With “Revel in Time”, almost twelve years of drought under the Star One moniker are broken, and it does so with [...]
Nick D’Virgilio is one of the most versatile musicians in rock. Drummer par excellence, who has handled sticks for Big Big Train, Spock’s Beard and more sessions than one can count. A top singer-songwriter, whose 2020 solo album “Invisible” was one of the best of the year. And vocalist? The man’s sweet leads and background [...]
“Have you ever worked on something and been really proud of it, and the next day you feel like the worst in the history of humankind?” Why yes, Carlos, I know that feeling rather well. “It’s like that,” Carlos continues. “When we write the music, we double-check everything. We want to make every second of [...]
With their recently released album “Epigone,” Boston-bred aural imaginauts WILDERUN take a deeper and darker step beyond their expansive, prog-leaning metal scores that so skillfully came together on 2019’s “Veil of Imagination.” The result is a record that is at once grandiose, complex, sophisticated and unexpectedly human. “This is certainly a “meta” record for me,” [...]
Canadian progressive thrashers Voivod have a new album in the can, the intense “Syncro Anarchy”. Recorded during lockdown, it was produced by Francis Perron at RadicArt Studio, and just like all their other albums, it features a cover artwork created by their drummer Michel “Away” Langevin. Written and recorded in just over a month, “Syncro [...]
A little over 2 years to the day that ANNIHILATOR unleashed their 17th studio album and mad thrashing foray “Ballistic, Sadistic”, seasoned veteran Jeff Waters has opted to revisit an older and largely unsung effort from his recent past, resulting in a retooled and revamped retread of 2007’s collaborative effort “Metal”, aptly dubbed “Metal II”. [...]
If you’re a fan of 80’s hard rock, chances are that you heard Terry Ilous‘ voice and might not even be aware. He rose to fame with the French-based XYZ and released two albums with the band, before they were swallowed by the grunge movement in the early 90’s. They have since reformed, and continue [...]
If there’s one person that can be called a prog-rock icon, that’s Ian Anderson. Having started his first band in 1963, he went on to form Jethro Tull in 1967, and became the band leader and the sole member to have been on all lineups of the group. He also released several solo albums which [...]
One of the most prolific bluesmen of our generation, Eric Gales is back with a new album, entitled “Crown”. More than a simple collection of songs, “Crown” is an artistic statement, which showcases Eric’s talent and sees him throwing the gauntlet to other musicians and claiming his place in the pantheon of best guitar players [...]
“…There’s no better feeling than when your inner ear tells you to go some place and you get there…” – Steve Vai Steve Vai is gearing up for a very productive year in 2022. The first shows of his “Inviolate World Tour” have already been booked, with over 50 shows booked for North America. This [...]
2022 is shaping up to be a very busy year for guitar mastermind Joe Satriani. The renowned axeman is the world’s most commercially successful solo guitar performer, with six gold and platinum discs to his credit (including one more gold award for the debut album by his band Chickenfoot), and sales in excess of 10 [...]
After releasing debut album “Satellites” to great acclaim in late 2020 (catch our review of the album here), the dynamic Silent Skies duo will grace the start of 2022 with sophomore album “Nectar” on February 4th. The product of collaboration between vocalist Tom Englund (Evergrey, Redemption) and keyboard player Virkam Shankar (Redemption) has been incredibly [...]
Leslie Mandoki is perhaps the most successful prog/jazz rock musician/catalyst you have never heard of. In 1991, Ian Anderson, Jack Bruce, and Al Di Meola became founding members of his band project Mandoki Soulmates and for almost three decades, Leslie Mandoki has continued to unite a “who is who” of the icons of Anglo-American and European rock and jazz-rock in the Mandoki Soulmates band. The lineup of additional musicians who have contributed to his newest project “Utopia for Realists” is astounding: John Helliwell (Supertramp), Nick van Eede (Cutting Crew), Till Brönner, Jesse Siebenberg (Supertramp), Cory Henry, Mike Stern, Randy Brecker, Bill Evans, Richard Bona, Tony Carey, Bobby Kimball (TOTO), David Clayton-Thomas (Blood, Sweat & Tears), Chris Thompson (Manfred Mann’s Earth Band), Steve Bailey, and Julia Mandoki.
In this brand new video interview, Sonic Perspectives correspondent Scott Medina talks with Mandoki about the incredible story of his musical career, why he is so renown around the world except for America, and what is behind his latest creation “Utopia for Realists”. We also touch on the global streaming event happening January 15th which will broadcast their electrifying open-air concert performance from Budapest in August 2021.
Watch the YouTube video of their chat below and make sure to follow Sonic Perspectives on Facebook, Flipboard and Twitter and subscribe to our YouTube channel to be notified about new interviews and contents we publish on a daily basis.
Mandoki Soulmates streaming event is this Saturday the 15th: Facebook event | Free stream on YouTube
Nine years after forming ASHES OF ARES, Matt Barlow and Freddie Vidales return with their third full-length album “Emperors and Fools”. The writing process began almost immediately after their previous album “Well of Souls” was released, and showcases a true collaborative effort between the two, with ideas originating from one or the other, then evolving [...]
The Motor City Madman Ted Nugent has just released a brand-new single, “Come and Take It,” from his upcoming album, “Detroit Muscle,” which will be unleashed upon the world on April 29, 2022. The new single is a powerful, patriotic rock anthem that reminds Americans of the sacred 1st and 2nd Amendment rights, a subject that [...]
Black Veil Brides are constantly growing, evolving and, reinventing themselves with each album. Their latest masterpiece, “The Phantom Tomorrow,” which was released October 29th, has been met with critical acclaim and no wonder because this is this is their most sonically powerful and melodically heavy release to date. Black Veil Brides consists Andy Biersack [vocals], [...]
Paul Gilbert is one of those instantly recognizable guitar players of our generation. He picked up his first guitar when he was 5 years old. By the time he was 15, he was featured in Guitar Player magazine. After graduating from the Guitar Institute of Technology (GIT) in Los Angeles, Paul immediately joined the faculty [...]
Frank Bello, bassist for the East Coast thrash metal kings, has recently released his memoirs, “Fathers, Brothers, and Sons: Surviving Anguish, Abandonment, and Anthrax” co-authored with Joel McIver via Rare Birds. ANTHRAX has sold over 10 million albums, traveled the globe more times than they care to count while captivating audiences from the world’s biggest [...]
Having established his identity with the revered prog-metal band Haken, as well as his involvement with Novena and other projects, Ross Jennings launches his own solo career in 2021 with “A Shadow of My Future Self”. Embracing classic rock, pop and folk stylings, the album gives another side of Jennings than most fans have heard [...]
Andy Summers is one of the most recognizable names in rock music with a career spanning more than 40 years, between The Police and as a solo artist. On October 15th, he released his newest solo album, “Harmonics of the Night.” It’s an intimate and atmospheric-sounding album that feels as if you are watching him [...]
Lucifer is back, and just in time for Halloween! The Stockholm-based band used the pandemic to record yet another album that rings in a new chapter and dives even further into the realms of grandiose and old fashioned rock, with a severe morbid twist. This time around they entered guitarist Linus Björklund’s Studio Ryssviken for [...]
One would not be aware that there’s a pandemic still affecting the world if their only indication of the state of things was Udo Dirkschneider‘s work ethic. Since March 2020 he has released a live album, a concept album in collaboration with the German Armed Forces Concert Band and worked again with other Accept alumni [...]
Two-time GRAMMY-nominated and millions-selling progressive music titans Dream Theater will be releasing their newest progressive-metal masterpiece, “A View From The Top Of The World,” on October 22nd via Inside Out Music / Sony Music. The new album lives up to Dream Theater‘s reputation as a band that can blend well-crafted guitar and vocal melodies with [...]
A man that needs virtually no introduction to any discerning melodic rock fan, Jeff Scott Soto launched his career at a young age in tremendous fashion as the lead vocalist for Yngwie Malmsteen’s debut album, “Rising Force” and the sophomore album, “Marching Out”. That first step into the spotlight has led to a career that [...]
Gus G. made a name for himself with Firewind, the band he initially launched as a solo project in 1998 that made its official debut in 2002. In that time the band has released nine albums, while Gus has also recorded and toured with Mystic Prophecy, Nightrage, Arch Enemy, Dream Evil and Ozzy Osbourne. He [...]
For the past two decades the band Magenta has built a solid reputation through their top-notch live shows and catalog of studio works. At times celebrating classic prog terrain and at other times pushing new horizons, Magenta have established founder Rob Reed’s passion for prog even as he has explored other musical projects such as [...]
Rage is back from isolation with their always dependable blend of thrash and melodic metal. Their new album “Resurrection Day” was released last Friday, September 17th, and features a revamped lineup, with two guitar players. After last year’s departure of guitarrist Marcos Rodriguez, Stefan Weber (ex-Axxis) was enlisted, followed just a few weeks later by [...]
At 74 years of age and a career spanning seven decades, one would think it’s time to slow down…unless your name is Carmine Appice! He is currently a member of Vanilla Fudge, Cactus, and ours with his brother Vinnie doing percussion shows. In addition to that, he’s doing a podcast series with his brother, entitled [...]
After releasing the highly acclaimed double concept albums “The Similitude of a Dream” and “The Great Adventure”, The Neal Morse Band are back with their eagerly anticipated fourth studio album “Innocence & Danger”. The new release sees them changing their name to NMB and returning to writing an unrelated collection of individual tracks that span through two discs containing 100 minutes of music. [...]
If the light at the end of the tunnel could be converted into sound, you can bet it would sound exactly like Leprous. Over the last two decades, the Norwegian mavericks have produced some of the deepest and most rewarding music imaginable, steadily evolving from their beginnings as exuberant prog metal explorers, to their current [...]
For the past decade-plus, Big Big Train have increasingly grown their fanbase and the size of their band. Almost on the verge of becoming a supergroup, the membership was so chock full of talent that it was continuously on the verge of tripping over itself. The pandemic and other factors brought some changes to the [...]
Contrary to popular belief, metal bands and fans do not walk around with frowny faces all the time, looking like they want to murder someone. In fact, humor and metal have walked hand in hand since forever. From Ozzy‘s stage antics and weird facial expressions with Black Sabbath, to Spinal Tap, S.O.D. and Steel Panther, [...]
The name of Yngwie Malmsteen has always stood for uncompromising excellence. In a career that now spans more than 40 years he has proven himself to be a unique artist. You can try to categorize him in any way you wish. But the manner in which this supreme Swedish craftsman has continually developed his music makes Malmsteen sublimely [...]
Ben Mink has surely cast a wide musical net throughout his career. From the early performances with the rock/country group Mary-Lou Horner, he went on to be the violin player of Canadian prog rockers FM, and collaborated with artists such as k.d. Lang, Rush, Barenaked Ladies and many more. As a producer, his credits are [...]
Powerhouse vocalist and front-man for KIX, Steve Whiteman, will be releasing his first-ever solo album, “You’re Welcome,” on July 2nd. The album contains twelve high-energy songs that are everything that you would expect from him; pumping riffs, punchy drums, infectious hooks, and huge choruses. Collaborating on this solo effort is longtime friend and drummer for [...]
K.K. Downing is a legendary name and figure in the history of metal. He helped found Judas Priest some 50 years ago and scaled the heights of rock ‘n’ roll as that band developed through the ‘70s and finally achieved its signature sound in 1980 with the groundbreaking album “British Steel.” Downing’s rough and tough [...]
On June 11, Dennis DeYoung released his most recent—and supposedly final—album, “26 East, Vol. 2.” It’s the culmination of more than 50 years in the music business, one that has seen some incredible successes, especially with his former band Styx. At age 74, DeYoung has nothing left to prove. But he had some more arrows [...]
Frost* came onto the scene in 2006 with their acclaimed debut album “Milliontown”. Comprised of a formidable group of musicians, it was primarily led by Jem Godfrey with John Mitchell (Lonely Robot, Kino, It Bites) closely in tow. These two have weathered several changes in the band during the intervening years and, accompanied by longtime [...]
The development of progressive pioneers INTERLOPER has not been an instant nor mundane process to say the least. On the contrary, it has procured particular expertise in creating endless layers of transcendent sound. Initially set as the title of one of the album’s most vibrant tracks, it quickly became obvious that the feel of “Search [...]
“Shai is a lobster.” This is the regard in which new-ish Subterranean Masquerade front-man Davidavi Dolev holds his bandmate, keyboardist Shai Yallin. Lobsters, you see, have evolved an impressive pair of eyeballs that not only enable them to see just fine several hundred feet below salty sea surfaces, they also have a 180° field of vision. But that’s not what “Vidi” is talking about. [...]
Tommy Clufetos has already carved his name in the history of rock and metal by working with reputable acts such as Rob Zombie, Ted Nugent and Alice Cooper. The cherry on the cake of such an illustrious touring career was being handpicked by Ozzy to join his band and to replace Bill Ward in Black [...]
Two of rock’s most notable figures have partnered up for a new project, Sunbomb. It features guitar hero Tracii Guns of LA Guns and iconic vocalist Michael Sweet of Stryper. The record, “Evil and Divine,” will be released on May 14th via Frontiers Records. “Evil and Divine” is a pure heavy metal record that mixes [...]
Todd Michael Hall of Riot V will be releasing a solo album entitled “Sonic Healing” on May 7th via Rat Pak Records. Todd and Kurdt Vanderhoof of Metal Church collaborated on the songwriting, and Kurdt also produced the record. With thought provoking lyrics and rock solid guitar riffs, “Sonic Healing” delivers all the power and punch that one would expect from these high-level players.
From the infectious guitar riffs of the opening track “Overdrive” to the anthemic album finale of “Long Lost Rock & Rollers,” Todd showcases his vocal range and passion for rock music. Songs like “Let Loose Tonight,” “Running After You,” and “Like No Other” are testaments to the magic that was created when Todd and Kurdt began to focus on their deep love of classic rock icons like Boston, Rush, Styx, Foreigner and REO Speedwagon. Todd’s multi-octave voice and Kurdt‘s riff writing capabilities create memorable songs that are reminiscent of the artists that inspired them to pursue a career in music. “Sonic Healing” delivers all the power and punch that one would expect from these high-level players with thought-provoking lyrics and rock-solid guitar riffs. Pre-orders are available here: https://smarturl.it/toddmichaelhall.
“Music has a healing effect to get you up and running,” Todd explains. “People use it to console themselves on a daily basis. It’s such a weird time right now. So, ‘Sonic Healing’ is meant to be good positive rock. We definitely paid homage to our favorite bands, but we added a new twist. There’s a hunger for this music, and there aren’t many artists trying to scratch the itch. We’re here to scratch the itch and bring the energy.”
Contributor Robert Cavuoto spoke with Todd about “Sonic Healing,” working with Kurdt, and what we can expect from Riot V in the near future. Remember that for more interviews and other daily content, make sure to follow Sonic Perspectives on Facebook, Flipboard and Twitter and subscribe to our YouTube channel to be notified about new content we publish on a daily basis.
The staying power of 80’s hard rock is undeniable. After its rise to fame and being almost completely erased from the airwaves by grunge, there seems to be a resurgence of the genre, and many of the same bands who were part of the “first wave” are still around. Granted, the days of filling stadiums and [...]
Rock, metal, jazz, songwriter material, progressive rock, finger style guitar – Jane Getter does it all, including vocals. On her new album “Anomalia” with her musical project Jane Getter Premonition, she employs all of these styles with her all-star band and a few choice special guests. The result is a devastatingly hip recording which will [...]
Guitarist Esa Holopainen has been making music with Finnish melodic death metal act Amorphis for over 30 years. Thanks to the metallic and melodic beauty of such classic albums as “Tales from the Thousand Lakes”, “Elegy” and “Skyforger”, Holopainen‘s magnificent abilities to create enchanting atmospheres and innovative riffs have become widely known within the worldwide [...]
Over the years, the Australian progressive metal scene has brought much joy to fans of the genre throughout the world. In recent years, the frequency of appearance of exciting and innovative bands has accelerated, and the quality has remained at a very high level. On April 9, the Brisbane-based progressive metal band The Stranger released their [...]
Talent surely runs in the family when it comes to Rufus Miller. His interest in electric guitar came from his father Dominic, an accomplished musician with several solo albums, who has been collaborating with Sting since 1991. Slowly but surely, Rufus started to learn basic chords and to play grunge songs, which to this day [...]
One of the most enduring metal acts on the planet, MEGADETH has been recording a new album in the last few months, and updates have been given by their main-man Dave Mustaine from time to time. While the new songs are being honed in the studio, the band’s bass player, Dave Ellefson, aka “Junior”, is [...]
The new chapter of SUNSTORM is here! Originally designed to showcase a musical style similar to singer Joe Lynn Turner’s Melodic Rock/AOR roots, the band now has a new face on the front-man’s seat, in the form of LORDS OF BLACK and RAINBOW singer Ronnie Romero. His debut with the group, “Afterlife” was recently released [...]
Very few people who are called an “icon” in the metal community deserve such title, but Geoff Tate is surely worthy of that denomination. Tate fronted the prog metal pioneers Queensrÿche from the band’s inception through the peak of their success with albums like “Operation: Mindcrime” and “Empire”, all the way to a controversial exit [...]
Coming from Hanover, Human Fortress has been flying the flag of power metal and taking no prisoners since their inception in 1997. After several lineup changes and eight albums, things seem a little bit more stable since Brazilian singer Gus Monsanto joined them in 2013. The band recently put out an album entitled “Epic Tales [...]
Smith/Kotzen, the collaboration between guitar giants Adrian Smith and Richie Kotzen, has been teased with cryptic posts on social media in the last few months. More recently, three singles have been revealed: “Taking My Changes”, “Scars” and “Running”, which carry both players’ early influences on their sleeves. On March 26th fans will be able to [...]
The unstoppable creative force known as Magnus Karlsson is back with a new project that stands out from the previous work he has done before. This time, his impressive mastery focuses on creating a symphonic metal opera under the Heart Healer moniker, which is set to release its debut album titled “The Metal Opera by Magnus Karlsson” on March 12, 2021. [...]
For decades John Young has played with an amazing array of rock’s best musicians and performers, making a living as full-time professional musician in esteemed company. From Asia to The Scorpions to The Strawbs to Bonnie Tyler and much, much more, he has covered a wide terrain while being one of the nicest guys you’ll [...]
“This album is all about growth,” she continues. “Every cloud has its silver lining, and there’s always light at the end of a dark period.” “If you look for it,” she adds. Anneke van Giersbergen is no stranger to facing daunting odds with a self-assured smile. Indeed, she penned one of her former band’s most [...]
In his in spare time between work with Yes and Asia, Geoff Downes began a new project with noted singer songwriter Chris Braide. Ten years later, the fourth release from the Downes Braide Association (DBA), “Halcyon Hymns”, is a beautifully textured album, as colorful as the Roger Dean cover art which adorns it. You can [...]
Over the course of five decades Steve Lukather has placed an indelible stamp on pop culture. Alongside his tenure as the only member of Toto to never take a hiatus from the band, he has performed on thousands of albums as a session musician. Amongst these musical contributions are some of the most successful, influential [...]
Earlier in the month, The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced their 2021 list of nominees. Among the illustrious group of artists was heavy metal favorite; Iron Maiden! It was a long-overdue recognition for the band as they are arguably one of the world’s biggest metal bands, selling over 100 million albums worldwide during [...]
Bayley Alexander Cooke, (widely known as Blaze Bayley), is a survivor. From his early days with WOLFSBANE, through his tenure with IRON MAIDEN and his prolific solo career, he has faced more than the usual share of hardships. A motorbike accident, the loss of loved ones, and criticism from the IRON MAIDEN fanbase who never [...]
Drummer Jason Rullo, from the internationally acclaimed prog metal band Symphony X, is venturing into new territories. His new band 3 Rules, with Ron Sanborn on guitar and Artha Meadors on bass, is focused on instrumental music with no boundaries. The end result can sometimes be heavy, melodic or jazzy, depending on what goes through [...]
Owner of one of the most distinctive voices in rock, Eric Martin has had an unstoppable career. Best known as the longtime vocalist for the Los Angeles-based hard rock group Mr. Big, he found chart-topping success with the band in the early ‘90s with the ballad “To Be With You.” Since his early efforts with [...]
Steven Wilson may have originally made a name for himself through his band Porcupine Tree but his subsequent solo career has seen his influence and impact grow exponentially. Having made music with a variety of projects and bands over the past three decades, Wilson has long pushed his edge of being a big fish in [...]
Todd La Torre, vocalist for Queensrÿche, will be releasing his debut solo record, “Rejoice in the Suffering”, this Friday February 5th via Rat Pak Records. As global touring came to a sudden and unexpected halt earlier this year, Todd used the pandemic downtime to put the finishing touches on his debut solo record. He and Craig [...]
Not many can say they had a stellar 50 year career in any line of work, let alone one in a competitive market such as the music business. Michael Schenker is a survivor, who went through every trend, fad and style through the years, and remained a respectable force in the guitar realm. From his [...]
Joel Hoekstra does know how to keep himself busy. Aside from being one of David Coverdale’s gunslingers in Whitesnake, he has done tours with Cher and Trans-Siberian Orchestra. In 2015 he created a solo project entitled Joel Hoekstra’s 13, and released the debut album “Dying to Live”. February 12th sees the release of the band’s [...]
Accept are back with another killer record, the aptly titled “Too Mean to Die”. Since their reformation in 2010, now with Mark Tornillo on vocals, they have experienced quite a resurgence, with a string of very successful albums, beginning with 2010’s “Blood of the Nations”. “Too Mean to Die” follows the same tradition of their [...]
Throughout its almost forty years of existence, change has been the only constant in VOIVOD’s trajectory. From their punk beginnings, evolving into thrash, incorporating prog influences, odd time signatures and melodic sensibilities, they seem to be always on the move. The release of 2018’s “The Wake” finally brought them much deserved recognition, with the band [...]
Much has been written about the impact 2020 will have in both the near and distant future, and live music fans have certainly felt its sting since March at least. We’ll leave more cerebral analysis to the experts and instead cap off a grueling year with an hour of thoughts and observations from Sonic Perspectives [...]
The casual observer could be forgiven for thinking that multi-instrumentalist virtuoso Vikram Shankar‘s recent rise to prominence in the prog-metal scene happened overnight. He did, after all, recently appear on Redemption‘s long-awaited live album, which documents his live debut with the band. And very soon after that, he’s also released the debut from the absolutely [...]
IRON MAIDEN… Arguably the most seminal heavy metal band in the annals of music history. The solely mention of its name strikes joy in the hearts of millions of metal fans, and immediately your mind takes you back to one of their gigs, with of giants columns of pyro, Spitfire planes flying overhead the frenzy [...]
Whenever a metal band chooses to go off the beaten path, it always causes polarizing views: old school fans refuse to embrace it, while a younger generation is quicker to give it a chance. From a combination of the powers of Frédéric Leclercq (Kreator, Sinsaenum, ex-Dragonforce) and Saki (Mary’s Blood) comes Amahiru, a band that [...]
Guitarist, songwriter, vocalist and producer Jakko Jaksyzk has experienced an amazing career which has culminated this past decade in his joining King Crimson. Filling the shoes of such legends as Greg Lake, John Wetton and Adrian Belew is not for the faint of heart but Jaksyzk has the talent and experience to be able to [...]
Throughout his lengthy career as a multi-platinum mixer, sound engineer and producer, Richard Chycki has helped to materialize the sonic visions of artists such as Rush, Dream Theater, Mick Jagger, Aerosmith, Jeff Healey and many more. Known for his pioneering mix work in multichannel audio, prog legends Rush entrusted Chycki to remix the multi-million selling [...]
Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons are back with another killer release, the boldly titled “We’re the Bastards”. What started as an excuse for Phil to play with his sons soon evolved into its own entity, and the band has moved from playing a set of covers in the afternoon slots at European summers to [...]
There are many album widely considered like masterpieces of progressive rock, however you may not know that “Unfolded Like Staircase” by DISCIPLINE. is world renowned with a cult following since its release in 1997. DISCIPLINE. formed in 1987 in Detroit Michigan, a far cry from progressive rock music. The band had been writing progressive rock [...]
From hard rock, to heavy metal, punk, progressive rock and AOR, Jeff Scott Soto has done it all. The singer, who has more than 85 albums under his belt along with numerous collaborations and recordings, has established himself as a consummate professional who manages to expertly deliver with his vocal performances across multiple musical genres. Soto’s [...]
“The demos were so exact that we all knew exactly what we needed to do,” says longtime Fates Warning vocalist Ray Alder from his flat in Madrid. “I usually record with either Bobby or Joey, but this time I was living in a police state.” Alder speaks at length about the unorthodox process by which [...]
Every once in a while a band emerges seemingly out of nowhere and provides a debut album that surprises you with depth, skill and musical landscapes filled with imagery. Such is the new band RUBBER TEA hailing from Bremen Germany having just released their album RUBBER TEA. RUBBER TEA is a progressive rock quintet who [...]
Amidst a sea of cancellations and delays in both shows and album releases, most artists have hunkered down to wait out the storm that 2020 became. Yet true to a reputation for embracing the unorthodox and conquering the nigh impossible, the eponymous Devin Townsend has spend these last six months busier than ever. Over the [...]
With their 40th anniversary just around the corner, Armored Saint is ready to unleash their eight full-length album, entitled “Punching the Sky”. Written and recorded in the last two years, it’ definitely a step up from its predecessor, 2015’s “Win Hands Down”. A diverse, attitude-drenched collection, it’s everything the band’s faithful have come to expect [...]
With 2020 being an absolutely devastating year for live concert shows, we’re happy to say the good folks over at ProgStock Festival are doing their best to keep the live music happening. ProgStock Festival is American Northeast only progressive rock music festival, especially now that RosFest has moved down to Florida. They’ve been keeping the [...]
There are few mainstays in the world of extreme metal who have been as consistent in their quantity and quality of releases, yet as varied in style, as Norwegian vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Ishahn. Though Ihsahn may be best known for his role in founding Emperor and for the legacy he built as a cornerstone to [...]
In 2017 Ayreon released ‘The Source” which revisited the ‘Forever/Planet Y’ saga, and now three years later it is time for something completely different… “The year is 1884, these are dark, troubled times, fraught with greed, envy and prejudice…” begins our narrator and storyteller, Tom Baker… The brand-new sprawling and epic studio album “Transitus” is built [...]
Music has become more important than ever in recent times. As a result, the triumphant return of AMARANTHE feels particularly timely. The Swedish six-piece have spent the last decade establishing themselves as a formidable, positive and fervently melodic force for metallic good. From their explosive self-titled debut in 2011 to the more sophisticated, streamlined likes [...]
If you’re a prog metal fan and haven’t been living under a rock for the last few months, you know that Dream Theater’s John Petrucci has a new album out. Available on all digital platforms since August 28th, “Terminal Velocity” comes fifteen years after John’s first album, “Suspended Animation”, and consists of eight tracks which [...]
“Whoosh!” is Deep Purple’s twenty first solo album, and judging by the energy it exudes, there’s no end in sight for these British rockers. Their third collaboration with producer Bob Ezrin honors their lengthy history, and broadens their musical palette, with songs like “Man Alive”, “Throw My Bones” and “Nothing At All” being added to [...]
The multi-talented Snowy Shaw has been called a “worldwide underground superstar.” After more than 30 years of touring the world, he has earned himself a rock-solid reputation as one of the most hard-working, multifaceted “art-ist” with loads of groundbreaking creativity and integrity. In 2018, his highly acclaimed solo debut “White Is The New Black” received [...]
In 2013 a brand-new progressive rock band named Sound of Contact released the fastest selling debut album ever on the Inside Out Music label: “Dimensionaut”. Their lead singer and drummer, Simon Collins, had a familiar surname to fans of prog-rock and they soon came to discover that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. [...]
The Ocean, the progressive and post-metal band, is set to release their new album “Phanerozoic II: Mesozoic | Cenozoic” on September 25th through Metal Balde Records (CD / digital) and the band´s Pelagic Records (vinyl). Such album will conclude the Phanerozoic journey initiated by the band’s previous record, with a bolder, more experimental, darker, and more progressive musical direction. The result [...]
From his beginning as part of the Shrapnel Records cast to his explorations into hard rock with “Howe II”, and playing with artists such as Enrique Iglesias, Michael Jackson and N’Sync, Greg Howe seems determined to challenge the norm and to take roads less traveled. His unique style separated him from the usual “endless shredding” [...]
A name eponymous with the dawn of extreme folk metal itself, Finntroll are poised to impress with their return album “Vredesvävd.” Seven years of studio silence were offset by filling those years with intensive touring, including top festival placements across Europe with folk metal compatriots including Korpiklaani, Ensiferum, and Turisas. Headlining tours celebrated both their [...]
Death metal band Kataklysm will be releasing their fourteenth studio album “Unconquered” on September 25th, following two years after their prior album “Meditations.” With the band’s 30th anniversary just around the corner in 2021, “Unconquered” brings a greater sense of aggression than the band’s prior work while maintaining their unmistakable signatures. Still retaining two of [...]
Having first emerged from the Bay Area thrash scene in 1984 alongside the likes of Exodus and Testament, Heathen is preparing to release their fourth full-length album “Empire of the Blind” on September 18th through Nuclear Blast Records, following more than ten years after their third album “The Evolution of Chaos.” Heathen is no stranger [...]
“It’s black, it’s death… and it’s incredible,” Cammie Gilbert tells me from somewhere in the city of my birth. You might think she’s describing her band, Oceans of Slumber, or their upcoming eponymous album, or a particular cut on the record. But you’d only be partially correct. She’s actually telling me about the controlled burns prescribed in the [...]
It’s no secret that we at Sonic Perspectives are big fans of keyboardist extraordinaire Derek Sherinian. He was kind enough to give us the details of the first Sons of Apollo album when it came out, and also spoke at length with us during an interview addressing all of his career. Known by his versatility, and [...]
The Tangent, the progressive group, led by Andy Tillison, is set to release their 11th studio album called “Auto Reconnaissance” on August 21st, 2020 through Inside Out. With their new record, the band continues to demonstrate that there are no limits to its progressive rock cocktail. With an astonishing fluidity, it mixes a plethora of musical ingredients that includes [...]
Coming seven years after their last full-length release, thrash metal legends Onslaught will be releasing their seventh studio album on August 7th through AFM Records. “Generation Antichrist” is one of the band’s most brutal offerings yet, inspired by their old-school sound while drawing on the benefits of modern production. Stripped-back and overflowing with aggression, “Generation [...]
Canadian punk rock band The Fallaways have released their second EP “Sunset Ave,” following three years after their debut EP “Skiddish” from 2017. Balancing party rock music with substance from their personal lives, The Fallaways pursue a musical style that has been recommended for fans of Fall Out Boy and Green Day. Based in the [...]
Bassist/vocalist Marcel ‘Schmier’ Schirmer co-founded thrash legends Destruction in Weil am Rhein, Germany, in 1984. Albums such as 1985’s “Infernal Overkill”, 1986’s “Eternal Devastation” and 1987’s “Mad Butcher” EP secured Destruction’s place in the German Big Four alongside countrymen Kreator, Tankard and Sodom. Their latest album “Born To Perish” was released in 2019, and received [...]
On June 26th, acclaimed symphonic black metal band Carach Angren released their sixth full-length album “Franckensteina Strataemontanus” to eagerly awaiting fans of horror and extreme metal alike. With their own unique twist on the popular lore of Frankenstein, the Dutch duo step back from the bleak narratives which fueled 2017’s “Dance and Laugh Amongst the [...]
Summer is here at last, and if you’re looking for the perfect soundtrack to celebrate the season, look no further: BPMD is here to provide you with the ultimate collection of American party anthems, with a killer track-list modernized for younger ears. The band is of course, the amalgamation of talents such as Bobby Blitz [...]
The debut release of super-duo Marco Minnemann and Randy McStine offers a densely crafted, hard-hitting album which takes listeners through a range of unexpected directions. When not recording and touring with his main band The Aristocrats or on solo albums, Minnemann is one of the most in-demand drummers in the rock, prog-rock and metal world. [...]
Within Temptation has always been a mutant musical entity. From their early material, which had gothic elements, through the incorporation of symphonic metal influences, to the dramatic shift on their latest album “Resist” – read our review here – they never made the same album twice. This formula – or the lack of one thereof [...]
After seven full-length albums, Lamb of God has titled their eighth studio record with their own name, suggesting that “Lamb of God” is the statement of a band prepared to fully embrace their place as a veteran metal act. This definitive moment for the group comes in the wake of longtime drummer Chris Adler leaving [...]
Best known for his longtime role as the lead guitarist and backing vocalist for American metal band Sevendust, 2020 saw Clint Lowery embark on his career as a solo artist with the release of his first album in January. Having previously released solo material under the project Hello Demons Meet Skeletons, “God Bless the Renegades” [...]
June 12th brings another release from Frontiers Records. Magnus Karlsson’s Free Fall the third one under this moniker, is another evidence that Magnus‘ creative well seems endless. Just like the band’s other two releases, it features a long list of special guests on vocals: Ronnie Romero, Dino Jelusick, Noora Louhimo and many others help Magnus [...]
For over 25 years California-born but Indiana-based drummer, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Nick D’Virgilio (NDV) has been delighting music fans, first and foremost through his drumming. Having recorded with Genesis, Big Big Train, The Fringe and hundreds of other artists, toured extensively with Tears for Fears, played with Peter Gabriel, and been featured drummer in well [...]
Her Chariot Awaits is a newly formed hard rock/metal group featuring the highly regarded Spanish singer Ailyn Gimenez (ex-Sirenia) on lead vocals and the multi-talented American guitarist and producer Mike Orlando (Adrenaline Mob, Noturnall, Sonic Stomp). This exciting new musical alliance is yet another creation of Frontiers Records, a label that seems determined to combine [...]
Switzerland apparently has a pretty metal academic scene. It’s so metal, in fact, that not only was Eluveitie singer/ harpist Fabienne Erni able to write, record, and present a pop-metal concept album to earn her master’s degree in music performance, the band she formed for her thesis in comprised almost entirely of students at her university.
“Except for Jonas,” she clarifies. “He’s actually a faculty member.”
A burst of ridiculously catchy pop-metal ear-spank, the debut album from Illumishade is a far cry from the Riverdance death metal that’s made Eluveitie one of the busiest bands on the global scene. “Eclyptic: Wake of Shadows” simply bleeds the kind of hooks, harmonies, and earworms that keep Delain and Amaranthe fans addicted, with heavy synth orchestration courtesy of Mirjam Schnedl. And then there’s Jonas Wolf. If his guitar playing didn’t impress you on those last two Eluveitie albums, I promise he will absolutely floor you within the first few minutes of “Eclyptic.”
In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, Illumishade‘s previously planned release party has been moved online. The band commemorated the release of “Eclyptic: Wake of Shadows” (and presumably, the completion of Fabi‘s graduate studies) this past May 23.
Fabi was kind enough to talk to Sonic Perspectives scribe Gonzalo Pozo on a recent Saturday evening. Listen on and see for yourself why this this young band and its charismatic front-woman are worthy of your time and their fan-base. For more interviews and other daily content, make sure to follow Sonic Perspectives on Facebook, Flipboard and Twitter and subscribe to our YouTube channel to be notified about new interviews and contents we publish on a daily basis.
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Bill Hubauer and Dave Buzard have a lot of history. They met in 6th grade – or was it 2nd? In any case, they gravitated toward each other, in part because of a shared love of music. They listened to great groups as they group up, including Kansas, Gamma, and many more. And like a [...]
Vandenberg is back! The band has a fresh lineup and a new album in the bag, simply titled “2020”. Produced by Bob Marlette (Black Sabbath, Alice Cooper, Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie), “2020” obviously showcases the talent of Whitesnake alumni Adrian Vandenberg, and also brings two other Dutch talents in the rhythm section: bassist Randy van [...]
Caligula’s Horse is a name that has garnered an ever-increasing amount of attention within the dynamic world of progressive metal, turning heads in 2017 with the ambitious concept album “In Contact.” Met with critical acclaim and a spot on the Australian Top 50 charts, “In Contact” was the launchpad for Caligula’s Horse to embark on [...]
Born in 2019 as the apparent off-spring of Spock’s Beard, Pattern-Seeking Animals features the soaring vocals of Ted Leonard, the dexterous and creative rhythm section of Dave Meros and Jimmy Keegan, and mastermind songwriter and keyboardist John Boegehold. After releasing their debut CD in the summer of 2019 the band wasted no time in coming [...]
Over the last ten years, Haken have moved from eclectic up-and-comings to a household name in progressive metal. This is a feat accomplished over the course of five full-length albums, the latest of which was “Vector,” released in 2018. Though it was not apparent at the time of its release, “Vector” was merely the first [...]
Coming out of the ashes of 3 Inches of Blood, which disbanded in 2015, Ritual Dictates released their debut record ir” on April 3rd via Artoffact Records. The band is inspired by a wide array of styles and instruments. The music itself has straightforward elements of metal and grind, with detours into anything from black metal [...]
Sorcerer continues to deliver epic doom metal in all of its might with their third full-length album “Lamenting of the Innocent,” set to be released on May 29th. Reborn in 2010 with original members Anders Engberg and Johnny Hagel after splitting in the early 1990s, the band joined forces with a new lineup and rejuvenated [...]
“It was mentally draining…” for the audiences to experience one of the landmark songs of both progressive metal and epic doom being performed live, in its entirety. I can personally confirm that Kjetil overstates nothing with this seemingly grand claim. Half the Atlanta’s Center Stage audience was stunned, and the other half wept. The towering [...]
Stewart Copeland doesn’t seem to ever stop. With The Police he toured the world “six times over, from the sea of Japan to the Cliffs of Dover”, as their song “Too Much Information” used to say. The band went on an extended hiatus after the Synchronicity Tour ended in 1984, and would only play together [...]
Nightwell, the best kept secret in Toronto emo-rock, released their self-titled debut album on April 3rd 2020. “Nightwell” is packed with the kind of tight, punchy sound and glossy, arena-ready vocals that are prerequisites for a band descended from mid-’00s post-hardcore like Saosin, Emarosa and Funeral for a Friend. The addition of new singer Jason [...]
“…At a show in Sacramento, in the space of five minutes, three people came up to me with life-changing stories. They told me how my music had helped them to deal with the loss of people close to them… ” The White Buffalo is Jake Smith – singer, songwriter, guitarist, teller of stories, Emmy nominee; [...]
Mainstays in the American metal scene since the early 2000s, Trivium are preparing to release their most definitive work to date on April 24th, offering up an album brimming with the strong character the band has spent almost two decades building. Each album Trivium has produced has lent itself to their gradual evolution, including transitions [...]
The Hollywood Monsters – a music collective that includes Steph Honde, Vinny Appice and Ronnie Robson as the core, with an amazing collaborative of internationally known musicians with huge resumes – have released their third album entitled; “Thriving On Chaos” with a star studded selection of guest musicians: Glen Drover, Greg Godovitz, Tommy Denander, Danko [...]
For several years, singer Jan Willem Ketelaers has been pondering the meaning of life—and what comes afterward. It’s not like he’s had a lot of time on his hands. Last year, he wrote the lyrics for and sang lead on Knight Area’s WWII epic concept album “D-Day.” But there’s much more in Jan Willem‘s musical [...]
Greek melodic power metal masters FIREWIND, the group led by guitar wizard and ex-OZZY OSBOURNE band member Gus G., will release their newest album, simply titled “Firewind” on May 15th, 2020 via AFM Records. Each time Firewind released an album over the last 20 years, it wasn’t just the brilliancy of Gus G that fans [...]
In a perfect world, Cirith Ungol should have been prominently featured in every half respectable metal publication, as much as other pioneers like Black Sabbath or Iron Maiden. Formed in 1971 in Ventura, California, they first appeared on the scene with their self-financed debut album, “Frost and Fire”, via their own Liquid Flame Records imprint [...]
Mainstays in the death metal scene for almost three decades, Vader have embodied the spirit of old school in each release since their 1992 debut album “The Ultimate Incantation.” On May 1st, Vader will release their latest full-length album titled “Solitude in Madness,” following close on the heels of their 2019 EP “Thy Messenger.” Crafted [...]
You may not know exactly who Michael Alago is, but if you’re a metal-head, you have a lot to thank him for. Working as an A&R for Elektra Records in the 80’s and Geffen Records in the 90’s he worked with bands like Metallica, Flotsam & Jetsam, Misfits, PIL, White Zombie and many more. The [...]
Another step in their continuing evolution, The Black Dahlia Murder return with more sonic diversity and emotionally-driven songwriting than ever in their upcoming album “Verminous.” Longtime mainstays in the death metal scene, The Black Dahlia Murder have never stopped striving for forward motion in their creative scope, and “Verminous” is no exception. Growing in confidence [...]
The time is now again for Testament to unleash new thunder to the masses, as the band has revealed their thirteenth studio album “Titans Of Creation” last Friday. With an even better mix than before, the bass is prominently showcased, new vocals are introduced, and as expected, the guitar-work of Eric Peterson and Alex Skolnick [...]
Having risen to fame in what is now regarded as the “classic” Symphony X lineup, Mike Lepond has surely kept himself busy in recent times. Aside from commanding the grooves on Symphony X, he decided to put his metal influences to good use on Mike Lepond’s Silent Assassins and Ross the Boss Band. More recently, [...]
Flattening the curve is a strange concept for Clutch, the Maryland rockers who continue to experience an exponential growth in their loyal fan-base. If you dig songs that have “groove,” with a mix of bluesy hard rock and funky riffs, and an oozing touch of hardcore, you are missing out f you are not already [...]
WOLFHEART, the solo project of Tuomas Saukkonen, has done it again. Their brand of Finnish melodic doom death, or as they like to call it, “winter metal”, has gained another worthy installment of their victorious saga, in the shape of their new album “Wolves of Karelia”. With a new member in tow (Vagelis Karzis on [...]
Back in the mid-1970s, a Prog group came out of Harrisonburg, Virginia of all places. It was not a YES or Genesis or ELP knockoff. It had its own very unique sound, one that blended free-form jazz along with classical and some other sounds that were hard to pigeon-hole. The band was Happy the Man [...]
Kansas City’s newest metal heroes Hyborian are a young band, formed in 2015. Combining the octane-coated stoner metal of High on Fire, the progressive thunder of early Baroness and Mastodon and Bay Area thrash metal influences, they released their first full-length, “Volume I” in 2017, to critics and fans’ delight. In 2020 the band took [...]
When it comes to 80’s guitar playing, the first obvious names that come to mind are shredders like Yngwie, Eddie Van Halen, Steve Vai and Joe Satriani. One unsung hero of that era, however, is Ross the Boss. Coming straight out of the Bronx, New York, as a member of The Dictators and Manowar he [...]
Virgil Donati belongs in a different class of musicians: his determination to improve himself and challenge past concepts is second to none, and his prowess on the instrument is envied by many. More importantly, he was able to find his own identity, and come up with an instantly recognizable style. Through the years, Virgil was [...]
In late 2019, progressive metal band The Night Watch released their third full-length album, a stunning instrumental masterpiece titled “An Embarrassment of Riches. Weaving together classical guitar, violin, and breathtaking cinematic effects,The Night Watch managed to create an immersive experience like no other in a conceptual adventure following a shipwrecked explorer. Though they already had [...]
From his work as a guest vocalist in projects such as the metal opera Avantasia, to heading bands such as Masterplan, to running a band under his own name, there are few vocal powerhouses that stay as busy as Jorn Lande. After spending months on the road with Avantasia for the “Moonglow” world tour, Jorn [...]
Sometimes the most unusual combinations produce the best results – in colors, in cooking ingredients, and why not, in musical partners. Evidence of that can be heard on the new collaboration between Anette Olzon (ex-Nightwish, The Dark Element) and Russel Allen (Symphony X, Adrenaline Mob, TransSiberian Orchestra). Entitled “Worlds Apart”, the album showcases their powerful [...]
Vocalist Robin McAuley (McAuley Schenker Group / Riding the Rock Vault / Michael Schenker Fest), guitarist Reb Beach (Winger, Whitesnake), bassist Jeff Pilson (Foreigner, The End Machine, ex-Dokken), and drummer Matt Starr (Ace Frehley, Mr. Big) have joined forces in BLACK SWAN, a new band project signed to Frontiers Music SLR. Their debut album, “Shake the [...]
About a year and a half ago, Sonic Perspectives contributor Mark Boardman messaged Martin Schnella. He’s a wonderful guitarist and singer and songwriter. And with his partner, the great vocalist Melanie Mau, in recent years they’ve produced some beautiful acoustic music… including some amazing covers of bands you’ve heard of. Boardman asked Martin if he [...]
Few bands have been as enigmatic as Psychotic Waltz. A casualty of the grunge/ alternative era, Psychotic Waltz were perfecting progressive metal at the same time that most of the Magna Carta roster was too busy aping a certain New York quintet to do anything, you know, progressive. Sadly, the group imploded during the Dark [...]
AEGIS –-ˈē-jəs. A shield or breastplate emblematic of majesty that was associated with Zeus and Athena. Also – protection. About eight years ago, the folks at Ulterium Records had a suggestion for one of their artists. Matt Smith, they said, why don’t you put out a song for charity—with all proceeds going to some worthy cause? [...]
New storytellers have joined the ever-expanding ranks of Frontiers Music srl, but this metal quartet brings music of a much heavier variety than the label’s usual offerings. Drawing on the cinematic grandeur of symphonic metal, while hardening their bite with tastes of melodic death and blackened atmospheres, Seven Spires are dazzling stars that transcend the [...]
One of the longest-standing names in thrash, Annihilator continues their relentless pursuit of all things hard and heavy with more than thirty years and sixteen full-length albums to their name. Driving force of the band, taking on the roles of vocals, bass, guitar, and production throughout its history is frontman Jeff Waters. As though their [...]
One of the pioneers of American heavy and progressive metal, Queensrÿche have been riding the waves of resurgence ever since they teamed up powerhouse vocalist Todd La Torre. The band’s first two efforts with La Torre at the mic – 2013’s “Queensrÿche” and 2015’s “Condition Hüman” – received praise for feeling reinvigorated and reminiscent of [...]
Few artists are as busy as drummer Mike Portnoy in the music industry today. A proud “member of 83 bands” – a fictional number which might just as well be true eventually – this year he has toured with Metal Allegiance, The Neal Morse Band, The Winery Dogs and Flying Colors, and did a tour [...]
Not many metal acts can look back at as comprehensive, multi-faceted and varied a career as Rage. Founded in spring 1983 in Germany, the band surrounding vocalist/bassist Peavy Wagner has integrated a wide range of stylistic nuances into its musical concept. There have been releases which focused primarily on hard thrash sounds, but also recordings [...]
Hugh Syme is a graphic artist whose name has been indelibly linked to Rush since he did his first work for the band, the cover of “Caress of Steel”. He is responsible for ALL but the first 2 of Rush‘s album cover artwork. He also created Rush‘s famous StarMan logo, though he never imagined the [...]
It’s that time of year again, when I solidly insert my earbuds anytime I enter a retail space, avoid shopping centers like the plague, and the both the suburbs and the sorority girls next door begin to reek of pumpkin spice. You know what that means… It means everyone who thinks they know more than [...]
Molly Hatchet, the unstoppable ambassadors of Southern Rock, are back again with a new live offering, entitled “Battleground”. Their last album of original material might be too far back in the rear-view mirror now, but their relentless touring schedule proves that they’re still a force to be reckoned with. The musicians surrounding guitarist Bobby Ingram [...]
Drawing influences from the origins of metal as much as from alternative rock, Prong has always been a difficult band to categorize. They rose to fame in the mid 90’s when songs like “Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck” and “Beg to Differ” got a lot of rotation on MTV. Refusing to be pigeonholed, their [...]
November 1st represented a new chapter in Voyager‘s already extensive career: their seventh full length, “Colours in the Sun”, was unveiled, bringing all the classic elements that their fans learned to love. Catchy choruses, crushing riffs, tasty keyboard lines and an expansive sound, which is heavy and yet captivating. Having played ProgPower US and ProgPower [...]
“It’s getting really hard to book headliners,” laments ProgPower Festival Day 2 honcho Milton Mendonça… so the motherfucker booked TWO. Tease that he is, ou outro terror do brasil (o primeiro terror being our very own Rodrigo Altaf) has spent the better part of two months posting minute-long videos on ProgPower’s Vimeo page. Thoroughly whetting the [...]
A month ago hundreds of progressive rock fans gathered together at New Jersey for three days of music and friendship. For a festival younger than my kindergarten-aged nephew, Progstock sure has brought some incredible talent to New Jersey. Having already featured such luminaries as In Continuum, Glass Hammer, the Dave Kerzner Band, and Enchant, the [...]
In the fall of 1994, multi-talented musician Kevin Gilbert had an idea. He and some friends would perform the Genesis classic The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway for Progfest in Los Angeles. He had just two weeks to put it together. So he called in some guys who are now well-known but, back then, were just [...]
Like it or not (and I kinda don’t), there’s been an upswing in 80s nostalgia going for a few years now. I personally suspect that two bands will remain when the dust settles after this resurgence: The Night Flight Orchestra, and a raucous little collective called Iron Kingdom. Hailing from British Columbia, childhood friends Chris [...]
Certain artists simply transpire versatility, and refuse to be pigeonholed in a single style. That’s the case with guitarist Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, whose career has taken a million twists and turns since he decided to play an instrument, after listening to “Kiss Alive!” at the age of six. Having toured the world with Guns N’ [...]
In March 2019 ECLIPSE main songwriter Erik Martensson was voted one of the top 10 songwriters in the world by renowned Japanese metal magazine BURRN! In the years following the release of the 2012 album “Bleed & Scream”, ECLIPSE has become one of Sweden’s most prolific heavy rock bands. Together with guitar virtuoso Magnus Henriksson, [...]
Never a band to rest on their laurels, Blind Guardian have always moved forward and changed their sound from time to time. From their speed metal beginnings, to absorbing thrash influences in subsequent releases, and finally establishing themselves as power metal ambassadors, there was always something new with every release. For epic performances at Wacken [...]
With four full-length albums and a notable guest appearance under her belt, Canadian singer Leah has been making waves lately with her distinctive other-worldly take on Celtic-inspired folk metal. Fresh off last year’s collaboration with Testament‘s Eric Peterson on the third Dragonlord album as well as her own album “The Quest,” the Vancouver-based siren quickly [...]
Very few people in metal today embody the term “persistence” as much as Frankie Banali. Having formed Quiet Riot in the 80’s and reached the top of the charts in 1983, going above Michael Jackson‘s “Thriller” and The Police‘s “Synchronicity”, Frankie surely had his share of hardships since then. He faced a million lineup changes [...]
The Swedish progressive band Opeth released their thirteenth studio album, “In Cauda Venenum,” on September 27. Widely hailed as a more focused and biting effort than its more psychedelic predecessor, “In Cauda Venenum” sees the band perfecting the sound they adopted after their more metallic era came to a close nearly a decade ago. On [...]
Most music fans got to know Derek Sherinian when he joined Dream Theater. However, he already had a rich history in music when these American prog metal giants brought him in, having toured with Alice Cooper, Kiss and Jimi Hendrix‘ drummer Buddy Miles. Known for his distinctively heavy keyboard sound, Derek soon embarked on a [...]
One of rock’s premier bass players, Dave LaRue has become known most prominently through his memberships in The Steve Morse Band and Dixie Dregs. He also he has played with the upper echelon of virtuosic guitarists such as Joe Satriani, John Petrucci, Vinnie Moore, Pat Travers, Steve Lukather, Mike Stern, Eric Johnson, Andy Timmons, Albert [...]
There is hardly a more pivotal figure for the development of the thrash metal scene than Jon Zazula. The owner of the Rock and Roll Heaven record store, he started booking bands like Raven, Anvil and Venom, and his life changed after a demo tape of a band called Metallica fell on his hands. Initially [...]
In late 2018, Anneke Van Giersbergen released “Symphonized”, an 11-track live album which registered two career-spanning concerts alongside the Residentie Orkest The Hague. The album comprised solo tracks as well as compositions from Vuur, The Gentle Storm and The Gathering reimagined with the orchestra. Now on the 27th year of a prolific career, Anneke is [...]
“Soul Shifter” is the 9th solo album from acclaimed guitarist Vinnie Moore, considered one of the originators of shred guitar. Besides eight influential solo albums, and six albums and a live DVD as a member of rock royalty legends UFO, Moore has made countless album guest appearances, and has even recorded the soundtrack for a [...]
The second and final part of the two ProgPower postmortems podcasts (you can listen to the first one here). Early September really is the most wonderful time of the year for a group of dedicated metalheads who flock to Atlanta for the annual ProgPower USA festival. To recap the last two days of the twentieth [...]
Early September really is the most wonderful time of the year for a group of dedicated metalheads who flock to Atlanta for the annual ProgPower USA festival. To recap the first two days of the twentieth edition of the festival, Talking Perspectives host Gonzalo E. Pozo and Sonic Perspectives totalitarian overlord Joel Barrios linked up [...]
In a genre where it’s hard to stand out and not sound like a million other bands, one has to admire the uniqueness of Elvenking. Formed in 1997, this Italian Folk Power Metal outfit has released ten full length albums, the latest of which is their most ambitious project to date. “Reader Of The Runes [...]
Markus Hirvonen is enjoying his break. Fresh off the European festival circuit, a four-city jaunt through Mexico, and a triumphant headlining gig at Night 1 of ProgPower USA XX, Markus and his fellow insomniacs are eager for a few weeks off before they hit the road again in support of their upcoming record, “Heart Like [...]
Fans of The Dead Daisies were surprised with rumors a few weeks ago that Glenn Hughes would be joining the band, replacing singer John Corabi and bass player Marco Mendoza. The confirmation of the lineup change finally happened this week, and the band is now working on a new album, with a tentative release for [...]
The Dutch band Knight Area has been something of a shape shifter in its 15 years of existence. Only one original member—keyboardist Gerben Klazinga—is still with the band. At various points, the group’s style has been prog, or symphonic, or prog metal, or a variety of other sounds. For their seventh album, “D-Day”, Knight Area [...]
Eirikur Hauksson has had quite the career. He started singing in Icelandic rock bands nearly 40 years ago. He’s performed in the Eurovision Song Contest on multiple occasions. Uriah Heep founder Ken Hensley hired Hauksson to sing with his band—which meant performing songs once presented by the legendary Dave Byron. But for the last 12 [...]
It’s a warm September day in Georgia. I’ve got my recorder, mic, and a friend’s LPs in hand. I’m nearing the end of my hedonistic holiday, I’m almost late to my interview, and freaking Waze is sending me south when I need to go north because it doesn’t realize I’m not driving. I arrive at [...]
If you are an addict to the NWOBHM, or a fan of traditionally sounding heavy metal in general, most likely you know of Steve Grimmett and his former band Grim Reaper, which achieved major success worldwide with three highly acclaimed studio albums along with single releases and MTV airplay. Steve not only was the vocalist [...]
Phoenix-based thrash veterans Sacred Reich recently released Awakening, their first studio outing since 1996’s Heal – and their first with former Machine Head drummer Dave McClain back in the fold. The album was produced by Arthur Rizk, who has previously worked with CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, POWER TRIP and CODE ORANGE, among others. Showcasing everything a fan [...]
Michael Schenker is a legendary figure in rock, one of the most gifted and influential guitarists of all time. His work with Scorpions, UFO and the Michael Schenker Group made him a hero to millions of fans and inspired a generation of musicians, including Steve Harris of Iron Maiden, Kirk Hammett of Metallica, and Slash [...]
Moron Police. The name just jumps out at you. But up to now, the Norwegian group has been a bit obscure, perhaps limited by the obscure lyrics and some “in your face” song titles (“T-Bag Your Grandma,” “Stomp the Goomba,” etc.) . So for the third album, A Boat on the Sea, Moron Police chief [...]
Before his show in Boulder, Colorado, Jon Anderson spoke to Sonic Perspectives correspondent Scott Medina about the tour and his new album 1,000 Hands. Below is a recounting of several of the highlights of the interview, interspersed with an overview of the show itself. The complete audio of the interview is also available underneath. The [...]
I found myself in a dilapidated Chicago airport on a damp and dingy Friday in February 2001 without a plan, without a debit card, and frankly, without a clue. The freezing winds somehow didn’t feel terribly cold, I had traveled light, and I had to figure out quickly how I was going to make the [...]
Andrew Colyer should be doing something right. In a matter of years his has skyrocketed to world renowned fame. As the keyboardist for AWAKEN, CELL 15, 3.2 featuring ROBERT BERRY and his own band CIRCULINE, Andrew has achieved highly acclaimed success, in the world of Progressive Rock music. Today Andrew discusses the many facets of [...]
New England’s leading metal band, DEAD BY WEDNESDAY released their self-titled full length album on April 19th, 2019 through Combat Records/ EMP Label Group. In addition, DBW released their new video for the first single off the record titled “You & Die.” The 12 track album showcases a rebirth and rebranding of the band since [...]
Despite arriving to their third decade in the music business, chances are you have never heard of THE 69 EYES, and if that’s the case you need to pay attention. Conceived in Finland in 1989, dark rockers THE 69 EYES have come a long way and shaped the genre of ‘Goth ‘n’ Roll’ like no [...]
Two excellent reasons to party for the Freedom Call camp: first, the band surrounding vocalist/guitarist Chris Bay are set to celebrate their 20th anniversary this summer; then, on 23 August 2019 they’re also scheduled to release their tenth studio album, featuring the promising title M.E.T.A.L. Since their 1999 debut Stairway To Fairyland, the act from [...]
Powerhouse drummer Ray Luzier is entering his 13th year with veteran ’90s metal titans KoЯn, and is currently on a co-headlining tour with Alice in Chains, but in between KoЯn album releases and tours, he finds time to work with dUg Pinnick of King’s X and George Lynch (Lynch Mob and The End Machine) to [...]
Currently on a lengthy North American tour to promote their latest album Warpaint, Buckcherry made a stop in Toronto at the Phoenix Concert Theatre last August 06th. Showcasing their unique blend of punkish attitude and sleaze rock, they brought in tow the newcomers Joyous Wolf, which were a pleasant surprise. Just before the show I [...]
Released last June 14th, Baroness newest album Gold & Grey has catapulted the band to a whole new level of attention, both in musical and popularity terms. Press and followers have praised the release – the final chapter in their chromatic-themed albums – as a cohesive and very diverse album, encapsulating everything the band is [...]
JOHN 5‘s resume is staggering. He has worked with a varied range of artists, performing as guitarist for some of the biggest headlining rock bands in the world such as Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson, as well as playing session with Paul Stanley, Rod Stewart, Lynyrd Skynyrd and more. Slash has called JOHN 5, “one [...]
Most commonly known for his work with progressive metal stalwarts Haken as well as Nova Collective, Mike Portnoy’s Shattered Fortress, Richard Henshall is now about to release his debut solo album, The Cocoon, which drops next August 9th via The Burning Shed. We recently published a detailed review of the record, which you can read [...]
Thrash Metal legends DESTRUCTION‘s upcoming musical manifest Born To Perish will certainly create a furor when it hits the shelves next August 9th. The brand-new line-up featuring the Canadian drum animal Randy Black and Swiss shred-master Damir Eskić, together with veterans Schmier and Mike, is here to bring you musical destruction. This is a new [...]
If being a member of one of the biggest thrash metal bands of all time wasn’t enough, MEGADETH‘s Dave Ellefson is doing so much more nowadays that one guesses how is he pulling it off. A Christian preacher and recovering drug addict, Dave owns his Ellefson Coffee Co. to EMP Label Group, manages artists like [...]
Drummer Dobber Beverly of Oceans of Slumber minces no words about the issues the band has faced during their brief but rapid climb. Singer extraordinaire Cammie Gilbert, the target of the unwarranted and uncharitable criticism her bandmate and companion Mr Beverly references, takes it in characteristic stride. “There’s a lot of societal variables that affect what people expect to see [...]
Swedish metallers Hammerfall have a new album in the bag. Entitled Dominion – you can peek at our review here – it features their traditional brand of power metal with Scandinavian roots, which has produced many excellent bands over the years. And they’re not shy to acknowledge their roots. Actually quite the opposite – they [...]
New York-based heavy metal band DAMN YOUR EYES may seem new to the scene, but they are anything but green. The band – formed by former members of We Are The Enemy and Bonesmith, plus current members of Black Water Rising – came together in 2015 and immediately hit the ground running. As respected musicians [...]
If we were to discuss all the albums that Simon Phillips took part of, we could be busy for the rest of the year. Primarily known for his work with The Who and Toto, he started to play professionally at the age of twelve in his father’s dixieland band for four years, and went on [...]
For the past thirty years Billy Sherwood has been involved with the band Yes to varying degrees: songwriter, touring support musician, producer, full-time member, friend and finally, filling the role of the late Chris Squire on bass. During that time, Sherwood’s own career has flourished and traveled many roads, from early bands like World Trade [...]
One of the most adventurous and prolific power trios of recent times, The Aristocrats are back with a brand new album, entitled You Know What…? which we recently reviewed. Released only a mere week ago, this collection of tracks sees them taking unexplored territory once again, and bringing the listener on a musical roller coaster [...]
Resurrected from the ashes of one of the most influential death metal bands of all time, NOCTURNUS AD was initiated by founding mastermind/death metal legend Mike Browning (also co-founder of Morbid Angel). His intention? To continue the path laid down twenty-eight years earlier, by the legendary Florida death metal band (named Nocturnus at the time) [...]
This year has been filled with wonderfully crafted music coming from all genres, and out of the most unexpected surprises thus far has been the album Sweet Oblivion, some sort of a project put together by former Queensrÿche and current Operation: Mindcrime frontman Geoff Tate and DGM‘s guitarist Simone Mularoni, under the auspicious of Frontiers [...]
For the past 15 years, Mike Morton has been the one constant in the British Prog band The Gift. Composer, lyricist, singer, frontman, and the occasional multi-instrumentalist—Morton did it all with a revolving set of bandmates. But The Gift membership began to solidify with 2016’s Why the Sea is Salt. And its most recent release—Antenna—features [...]
Scandinavian rock and roll legends D-A-D took their time to record their new album A Prayer for the Loud, but the wait was certainly worth it! The new songs fall right into the vintage D-A-D mold, and will surely please the long time fans, with a clear musical link to classic D-A-D albums such as No Fuel Left [...]
Currently on the road supporting their 2018’s studio release God Damn Evil, STRYPER have been on a continuously successful streak since 2013 when they released No More Hell to Pay. The faith-driven rockers have endured by continually writing, playing and producing over the years. God Damn Evil shines with a modern heaviness and edge that carries [...]
Talking Perspectives is normally a fun show where the panelists talk both music and trash with and at each other, but Episode 25 will be more somber. On the morning of 8 June 2019, Andre Matos‘ wife posted on social media that she’d found her dear husband dead in their Sao Paulo home. An official statement [...]
For the past 47 years Alan White has been synonymous with the band Yes, taking over from Bill Bruford in 1972 without missing a beat. From the classic era in the 70s to the chart-topping success of the 80s to Union and various lineups of the 90s and beyond, Alan and Chris Squire delivered one [...]
As part of the Graham Bonnet Band‘s 2017 “The Book” tour in Japan, a three night special engagement and reunion of Alcatrazz was presented much to the delight of the Japanese hard rock faithful. Founding Alcatrazz members, Graham Bonnet (vocals), Jimmy Waldo (keyboards) and Gary Shea (bass), reunited after 33 years for a unique series of shows [...]
Picking up on their first mammoth hour-long interview, the legendary original Fates Warning singer spills the beans on his love of Iron Maiden, his own history with the city that gave Fates Warning its next two singers, and the possibility that the one and only Bruce Dickinson might be a John Arch fan. Yeah, read that last part again. And [...]
Coming off several weeks of technical foulness and work-related brutality, the ever-obnoxious triumvirate of twits that is Jordan Blum, Nick Andreas, and Gonzalo Pozo resurface to bring you a long-overdue 24th episode of Talking Perspectives. This time around, our panel discuses their favorite releases 2019 has given thus far (spoiler: The Mute Gods and Empath are brought up yet again); exciting album [...]
Some statements are so unambiguous that they require no further explanation: “If you like the first song, then the odds are you’ll like the whole album. It’s balls-to-the-wall heavy metal, song after song. No ballads and nothing your mom will be humming,” promises Carl Canedy, drummer of legendary US metal act The Rods. Recorded at [...]
JOLLY, the genre-defying band from New York City, has endured more than their fair share of struggles in their ten-year career. Everything from having their homes and band gear destroyed by Hurricane Sandy, to seeing the death of a beloved friend and the births of their own children, JOLLY has weathered a lot in the [...]
Whenever and wherever guitarist, keyboardist and composer Turilli and vocalist Lione have been working together, the result has been something extraordinary. Something both metal and rock lovers around the globe loved, cherished and remembered forever. Now, after eight long years, the two brothers in arms are finally back together again. They reunited to start an exciting new chapter on their [...]
In the midst of their longest tour of North America, Riverside leader Mariusz Duda takes some time to speak with Scott Medina right before taking the stage in the beautiful Boulder Theater, in Denver, Colorado. Their conversation focuses on the band’s experience on tour and how the evolution of Wasteland is bringing Riverside to a [...]
People will be approaching Terraformer, the third album from Thank You Scientist from a lot of different angles. Of course there will be those who have never checked out the band before, and excited current fans ready and waiting for new material. Of that latter group some may have expectations set by the advance singles [...]
Neal Morse does not stand still for long. Mere months after releasing double-album The Great Adventure with the Neal Morse Band, he is back with an epic musical of the life of Jesus, in Jesus Christ the Exorcist. Written and performed extensively by Morse, a wide host of guest vocalists take the spotlight including Ted [...]
Evan Carson is a world-class percussionist and highly sought-after bodhran session player who is best known in this corner of the musical world as go-to percussionist and live drummer for iamthemorning with Marjana Semkina and Gleb Kolyadin. After a successful crowdfunding campaign in summer 2018, Carson is releasing his debut solo album on July 1st, [...]
Pattern-Seeking Animals is a brand new progressive rock band founded by frequent Spock’s Beard songwriter John Boegehold. The band formed organically over the past year, initially bringing in Jimmy Keegan on drums, then Dave Meros on bass and Ted Leonard on vocals and guitar. Once InsideOut Music responded favorably to the new quartet and offered [...]
“Pioneer,” an adjective to be used carefully. Many wish they were, most are not. DIAMOND HEAD – the Stourbridge, England-born New Wave Of British Heavy Metal pioneers – return to the world stage with a new album. The Coffin Train, DIAMOND HEAD’s eighth studio album, is a glorious testimony to Brian Tatler and Rasmus Bom [...]
There no much you can say at this point about American rock singer Jeff Scott Soto that hasn’t been said before, time and time again. A declared Freddie Mercury fan, and best known for being the vocalist on Yngwie Malmsteen‘s first two albums and the lead vocalist for Journey on their 2006–2007 tours, Jeff also [...]
In an age where music is available instantly and bands appear and fade just as quickly, the power and resiliency that is Overkill who’s initial social media was stuffing show flier ads under windshield wipers in the 80s, has remained as resolute as ever, and even more so. It’s with over 30 years under their leather [...]
JOHN ARCH, the unmistakable voice of the first three Fates Warning records, left the music industry in 1987 after just four years of the touring cycle. It would be over seventeen years before Arch would enter the recording studio again. Though he did appear with his former band-mates during a 1994 Fates Warning concert, and [...]
On Van Halen’s A Different Kind of Truth, David Lee Roth asks the listener an interesting question at a certain point: “when was the last time you did something for the first time?”. That struck a chord when I heard it, and since then I’ve been adamant in trying something different at any given opportunity – new foods, new sports, new countries…new bands! Last Wednesday, on a day when Torontonians began to envisage something remotely similar to summer, I experienced yet another band – one which is completely left-field and unexpected, considering my all-things-metal background. The band is called I Don’t Know How But They Found Me, but you can call them iDKHOW. In case you’re wondering, their name comes from a line on the 80’s film “Back to the Future”.
It’s hard to describe iDKHOW’s sound, but if I was to take a stab at doing so, I’d say it’s a cross between boy band and indie rock. They only have one EP out, entitled 1981 Extended Play in which they unashamedly wear their 80’s influence on their sleeves, so embarking on a headline tour was a risky bet. I came to the show completely unprepared and not knowing what to expect, but kept wondering “How on Earth are they going to fill a one-hour set if they only have five songs ‘officially’ released?” Bear with me and you’ll find out.
I arrived at the gorgeous and very traditional Opera House just as the band was hitting the stage for the first song, “Modern Day Cain”. To my surprise, they’re a duo – a format which was made popular in recent times by bands like White Stripes and Royal Blood. However, unlike these two, iDKHOW does not bet on minimalism or space between instruments, instead opting for pre-recorded guitars, keyboards and eventually a saxophone. Visually and sonically, they have a demeanor that indicates that they’re a lost act from the late ’70s/early ’80s who never quite made it, and now with modern technology made available, they are bringing their sound for today’s generation. Crazy concept, but you can’t blame them from trying. Especially at a time when retro-rock seems to be the ONE THING that can attract the ears of generation Z to a more instrument-oriented type of music.
On songs like “Bleed Magic” and “Absinthe”, Dallon Weekes (vocals, bass) and Ryan Seaman (drums) mix new wave, Weezer and, why not, a bit of the innocence The Beatles’ first years. The rest of the repertoire is filled with songs from The Brobecks, a band which once had both Dallon and Ryan in their ranks, and an interesting choice of covers – more on that later on.
With a cult following this early on in their career, iDKHOW won the crowd even before they played their first note. Dallon’s stage banter speaks to the younger generation – when he introduced “Social Climb” he said “if you ever felt alone in a crowded room, this song is for you. Hands up if you felt out of place or misunderstood when you were a teenager”. At one point of the show he says “the first rule of iDKHOW is no peer pressure”, and many in the crowd seemed to know that already. At a time when the internet has multiplied the corners of information by infinite times ten, it’s no surprise that these guys might be a sensation and end up selling arenas around the world without many of us ever hearing about them.
And now, the covers. “Iggy Pop”, from Hot IQs, fit like a glove into iDKHOW’s repertoire, and got a great response from the crowd. Another interesting choice was Beck’s “Debra”, where Dallon puts his falsetto to the test. And they even found time to include snippets of “I Want It That Way” by Backstreet Boys and “I Want You To Want Me” by Cheap Trick. There will come a time when their repertoire will be robust enough that covers won’t be necessary, but tonight, their choices sounded more like “hey, look what we can do with these songs”, rather than “we’re desperate to find an hour’s worth of material”.
The highlights of the show were the funky “Do It All the Time”, with the clever line “we’re taking over the world one kiss at a time”, and the cathartic retro number “Choke”, which was appropriately released as a single – it is definitely their most interesting song, with an equally amusing video. Also worth noting is “Visitation of the Ghost”, where all the piped in sounds are muted, allowing the instruments to shine. The proceedings were closed with the cleverly titled “Nobody Likes the Opening Band” and The Brobeck’s vintage-sounding, Coldplay-esque “Boring”.
Moral of the story: their sound may not be for everyone – it is definitely an acquired taste. But credit must be given where credit is due: it’s reassuring and refreshing to see that there are bands out there willing to bring rock to a younger audience. iDKHOW has chops, potential and charm, and if the amount of smiling fans at the end of their set in Toronto is any indication, I have a feeling we will be hearing about this band for a long time.
iDKHOW Setlist: Modern Day Cain / Bleed Magic / Bike Ride (The Brobecks cover) / Social Climb / Debra (Beck cover) / Iggy Pop (Hot IQs cover) / Anyone I Know (The Brobecks cover) / Absinthe / Do It All the Time / Visitation of the Ghost (The Brobecks cover) (with snippets of “I Want It That Way” by Backstreet Boys and “I Want You To Want Me” by Cheap Trick) / Choke / Nobody Likes the Opening Band / Boring (The Brobecks cover)
There was a time in which genuine power was felt erupting from the sonic landscape that is now referred to as “old school” death metal. As with most newly developed forms of art, at its genesis it was filled with a fresh and vibrant energy and was virtually unsaturated by musicians. It was the mighty [...]
The word “legendary” has been used to a large extent when introducing classic rock artists, but in Uli Jon Roth’s case, there isn’t a more appropriate adjective. He had a pivotal role in the Scorpions’ early years, being the lead guitar player on four amazing studio records and the legendary live album Tokyo Tapes. He [...]
For the past many albums, progressive rock band Big Big Train have excelled in telling stories of the English countryside and its people. Formed 20 years ago, the band underwent many personnel changes especially over the past decade, until they finally reached their current all-star lineup. With new recording Grand Tour they are ready to [...]
The DC-based trio Animals as Leaders has spent the last decade forging a unique take on the djent sound. Led by perhaps the most absurdly talented guitarist of our generation, the Animals as Leaders approach is a far cry from the “let’s jam it out in the practice room” approach that birthed heavy metal in the first place. It’s also well removed from the 80s shred heyday when style overpowered substance. Rather, it reminds me of a slogan on a Spiral Architect shirt I bought many years, the front of which reads: “thinking man’s metal.”
Which isn’t to say that Animals as Leaders sound anything like those Norwegian lunatics, but that none-too-subtle nod to Cynic is hard to escape. The compositions Animals as Leaders create are just that: compositions. Pushing both the boundaries of theory and musicianship, Animals as Leaders have become an unlikely force in latter-day prog, carrying the banner that Holland’s Exivious laid down with their disbanding, and pushing the boundaries even further.
I admit I’m late to the party, but I was invited long before it was even planned. I first became aware of guitar god/Animals as Leaders honcho Tosin Abasi when his technical hardcore band Reflux toured with Strapping Young Lad circa 2006. Though their songs were on the forgettable side, Reflux’s technical abilities left my compadres and me stunned; this group of guys were shredding and changing times as if they all had the same metronome built wired into their bloodstream. And it wasn’t every day that you saw a young black dude completely dominating on the guitar. I knew that moment I saw Reflux that this Tosin Abasi guy would go on to do incredible things.
Animals as Leaders began their Spring 2019 tour in San Antonio’s beautiful Aztec Theater, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that the Wednesday night turnout was far greater than when I’d seen death metal legends Cannibal Corpse there some years ago. Moreover, I was very pleased to overhear many people in the audience completely geeking out over Javier Reyes, Matt Garstka, and Abasi‘s prowess as musicians. I came of age in the alternative rock era, when dedicated musicianship was discouraged and even frowned upon, so seeing this mostly young audience eat this stuff made me realize that not only is it now socially acceptable for rock musicians to be actual musicians, my beloved progressive metal seems to have gone mainstream without selling its soul. Fuck yeah!
ANIMALS AS LEADERS Setlist Wave of Babies / Tempting Time / Thoroughly at Home / On Impulse / Nephele / The Price of Everything and the Value of Nothing / Behaving Badly / Para Mexer / The Brain Dance / The Woven Web / CAFO / Arithmophobia / Ectogenesis / Cognitive Contortions / Inner Assassins
PICTURE GALLERY
Albums born from personal tragedies are not new in the music business – from Pink Floyd’s The Wall to Sting’s Soul Cages, from Bowie’s Blackstar to Swallow the Sun’s When a Shadow Is Forced into the Light, death seems to force musicians to tap into their wells of creativity with even more focus and drive [...]
Los Angeles based, US Heavy / Power metal legends Steel Prophet are back with a new massive sounding heavy metal album The God Machine, released two weeks ago. Five years after the release of their latest album Omniscient the band recruited the all-star Heavy Metal singer / producer R.D. Liapakis of Mystic Prophecy / Devil’s [...]
Mark “Truey” Trueack created a stir in the prog world with the band Unitopia from down under, which he created with Sean Timms. After he and Timms went their separate ways, rather than form a new band per se, Truey went on to create a collective of rotating musicians called United Progressive Fraternity. First enlisting [...]
Whitesnake, the mega-platinum legendary rock n’ roll band founded and formed by Deep Purple singer David Coverdale are embarking on their 2019 world tour, which will feature songs from the new studio record to be released in May 2019 on Frontiers Music SLR entitled Flesh & Blood alongside their biggest hits and songs from one [...]
At this point in time, Judas Priest is not just a band, but a British institution. One of the forefathers of the movement that came to be known as the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, they are now more popular than ever. Having been through ups and downs in the music industry, lineup changes [...]
With a career that spans back to the early 80s, Minnesota-based singer Lance King has gained global recognition for his impeccable timbre, mile-wide range, and towering persona while fronting such luminary bands as Pyramaze and Balance of Power. Fresh off the release of his second solo album, ReProgram, King was a good enough chap to [...]
At 68 years of age, and soon to be 69, Steve Hackett seems unstoppable. Coming off of a tour celebrating the Genesis classic Wind and Wuthering, he recently released his 26th studio album, At the Edge of Light. In his own words, the new effort is more than just a collection of tracks. “I love [...]
Singer, guitarist, songwriter and producer John Mitchell wears many hats, but he wears them all well. A member of such mainstay progressive rock bands as Arena, It Bites, KINO, and Frost*, Mitchell‘s more recent project Lonely Robot has turned many heads since its 2015 debut album, Please Come Home. April 26th will see the release [...]
It’s not every day that you get to chat with a couple who not only share their lives, but also amount to unbelievable musical pedigree. Jane Getter has a 20 year career as a solo artist, and has performed with a myriad of world renowned artists including Ursala Dudziak, The Roots The Jam, Kenny Garrett, [...]
Familiar to any friend of melodic, heavy sounds Iron Savior is the band around mastermind Piet Sielck, a staple in the power-metal scene of the last decades. In 1996 the multi-talented artist, who made a mark among others as a guitarist and producer, founded this solo project. The line-up carousel rotated steadily, but over the [...]
Call it hyperbole if you wish, but with prog-rock in America often associated with older bands and often equally experienced fans I don’t think there are many bands more important to the next wave as New Jersey’s own Thank You Scientist. And coming from a Pennsylvania resident you know I mean business when I actually [...]
Recently released Exumer‘s fifth full-length album entitled Hostile Defiance, is exactly what its title suggests: A 42-minute full on attack, the thrash faction hold nothing back as they unleash hell as only they can, yet with more variety and dynamics than ever before. While the album’s title is overtly belligerent, the lyrical content is far [...]
Queensrÿche is a name that had long been synonymous with innovation and excellence before egos and power struggles derailed them from their once-trailblazing path. Now in their seventh year of the post-Tate era, the Seattle natives are bringing their revitalized sound to fans who, after nearly a quarter-century, at last feel like they can trust [...]
One of the greatest American hard rock band of the last 30 years, LA Guns have always delivered a solid show. Having found a new breath of air with the reunion of Phil Lewis and Tracii Guns after years being apart, they released the widely praised The Mising Peace in 2017, and are now back [...]
RPWL has long been one of progressive rock’s best kept secrets. Their 8th studio album, Tales From Outer Space, has just been released and it continues their long tradition of soaring guitar, emotional melodies and keyboard-drenched arrangements. With their four-man crew, they have dedicated themselves entirely to science fiction on the new LP. Singer and [...]
One would he hard pressed to find a guitar player with a more diverse and exciting output than Doug Aldrich. He started his career in the mid 80’s with hard rock bands such as Lion, House of Lords and Bad Moon Rising, and became more prominent after joining Ronnie James Dio’s solo act. Doug later [...]
Nick Beggs has come into prominence in the progressive rock world through his constant touring with Steven Wilson and Steve Hackett in the past 10 years, along with his bass playing having graced albums from Lifesigns, Fish on Fridays and many more. He originally made his mark in the 80’s with Kajagoogoo and continues his [...]
Is constant artistic evolution a virtue? Is it necessary to maintain a group’s integrity? When is it okay for a band rely on the fruits of past labors? Can a teenager recruit members of King’s X and Spock’s Beard to perform on his debut release? Riding on the heels of Episode 21’s discussion of artists [...]
German metal queen Doro Pesch will release a four-song vinyl EP, Backstage To Heaven, in two days (March 8th) to coincide with the start of the second leg of her world tour. The EP will feature two previously released album tracks as well as two new live recordings. The title track, “Backstage To Heaven”, is a [...]
Last January 2019 saw The Neal Morse Band perhaps making the boldest artistic statement in all its members’ collective pasts combined: The Great Adventure, another double concept album following their previous lauded magnum opus The Similitude of a Dream. Yet another mammoth release of epic proportions, The Great Adventure was received by rave reviews and [...]
HAKEN, one of progressive music’s most exciting bands, released their much-anticipated fifth studio album titled Vector at the end of 2018, and the band has been touring actively in support of the record. The album was produced by the band themselves, and recorded & mixed by Adam ‘Nolly’ Getgood (Periphery, Devin Townsend Project), with the [...]
What happens when you record a bunch of know-it-all prog nerds on a conference call? You get yet another episode of Talking Perspectives, back for the second edition of the new year. On Episode 21, regular panelist Jordan Blum and Talking Perspectives founder Nick Andreas join host Gonzalo Pozo to discuss the virtues of mixing [...]
Frontiers Music SLR is known for building new bands/projects featuring musicians of outstanding quality and who come from unique backgrounds. After an intense brainstorming session, a dream team of renowned metal musicians including Tim “Ripper” Owens (ex-Judas Priest, Iced Earth), Chris Caffery (Savatage, Trans-Siberian Orchestra), Steve DiGiorgio (Testament, Death etc.) and Mark Zonder (ex-Fates Warning, [...]
ROTTING CHRIST were the first Greek band to break out from the underground and make their impact felt worldwide. In a signature style honed by 30 years of toil and triumph, the quartet has delivered heavy metal thunder so epic that it could have been forged by the gods themselves. Band’s front-man Sakis Tolis proved [...]
It’s no secret that we at Sonic Perspectives love FLOTSAM AND JETSAM – we recently published an interview with their guitar player Michael Gilbert, and a glowing review of their upcoming album, The End of Chaos, which is promising to be one of the greatest metal releases of 2019. And now, expanding even more our [...]
Since their formation in the late 90s, the Faroese band Tyr has faced a number of obstacles, not the least of which include finding personnel in their sparsely populated country. From their early days as a pagan-hearted progressive metal band to their current seafaring savagery, Heri Joensen and his horde of heathens have held their [...]
Drummer virtuoso John Macaluso is a name that will be familiar to anyone following the melodic metal scene for the last 20 years. One of the most in demand and hard working drummers to ever grace a stage – with a catalogue of over 200 albums spread across numerous different genres – Macaluso is a [...]
Talented singer, songwriter, guitarist / multi-instrumentalist Randy McStine is probably best known as the nucleus of his band Lo-Fi Resistance, but in more recent years has played extensively with Dave Kerzner in Kerzner’s live band, and now Kerzner’s new project, In Continuum, which debuted at ProgStock 2018, just released its debut album, and will perform [...]
Born in 1960 to a musical Californian family, American multi-instrumentalist and composer Neal Morse is arguably one the most prolific musical composer in the prog-rock scene nowadays, and probably even beyond the genre boundaries. Neal played in many bands in his youth, learning and mastering several instruments along the way, eventually forming the progressive rock band Spock’s Beard with his brother Alan in 1992. Many years and bands have passed and Neal remains as productive as ever, I’d dare to say his musical output has done nothing but increasing lately, with The Neal Morse Band attaining worldwide recognition and universal praise since the collective debuted with The Grand Experiment in 2015.
Hot on the heels of the massive success of their The Similitude of the Dream album released in 2016, Neal and his partners in crime – Mike Portnoy, Randy George, Bill Hubauer and Eric Gillette – have now put out the follow up to that epic effort, aptly named The Great Adventure. With fans and critics raving about it, author and interviewer Rodrigo Altaf caught up with Neal and they discussed the new album in detail. Read their chat below:
Hi Neal. It’s great to speak with you again! The last time we spoke was in January 2018, and you were releasing your solo album “Life and Times”. Since then a lot has happened, and of course, on a personal level, your daughter got married, so congratulations man!
Yeah, that was awesome. That was a weekend full of memories and tears, one I will never forget!
I saw a video on the Facebook page of the Neal Morse Band jamming at the wedding reception, and you guy played “Back in Black”, which is probably the most non-wedding song of all time! [laughs]. I should say also congratulations on the new Neal Morse Band album, The Great Adventure! I clicked with it instantly!
Oh Great. I’m glad you like it!
I know that you guys decided to continue with the story addressed in the previous album, “The Similitude of a Dream”. Was that decision taken after the first album was finished, or did you know beforehand that there would be a sequel?
Oh, the decision was definitely made after the first album was finished. When I started writing I didn’t even want to [make it a sequel]– I remember coming home from one of the legs of the Similitude tour and wanting to just get some rest, but you know, just feeling that kick inside to go into the studio and write a little bit. And I think even as early on as spring of 2017 or even earlier than that, like during the winter, I started to jot down some ideas about that indicated we’d be going to lead towards the sequel. But I wasn’t sure either. I didn’t really have the whole picture. I just had a couple pieces though. It took a long time for us to sort it all out.
I think it was very clever how you used the last sentence of Similitude, which is “Let the great adventure now begin” and use it in the title of the new album. Probably the proggiest move you guys have ever done!
That was Mike‘s idea. I remember him saying “if we ever do a sequel, we need to call it The Great Adventure”.
So there was kind of that writing on the wall about possibly having a sequence at some point in time. It was in someone’s head, I think, right?
I was kicking it around and I was, I was kicking around ideas. Way back when I think I wrote “Vanity Fair”, for example, pretty early on and I started reading the second part of The Pilgrim’s Progress book where the wife that was left behind changes her mind and decides to follow the husband and all that. But you know, I wasn’t that inspired by the second part of the book. I ended up sort of doubling back and using more things that we didn’t get to in the first part of the book, but I don’t know, it’s all really loosely based on the book anyway, so it doesn’t really matter that much. It matters whether it touches people’s hearts as it is now.
I saw the videos you guys released with the story of how the previous album, Similitude of a Dream was recorded, and there was some tension there, and at some point you guys argued at length about putting it out as a double album or not, and a few other things. Was there a similar kind of tension this time?
Oh yeah, there was more because it seemed to be more of a consensus that we didn’t want to do a double and we didn’t want to do a sequel. I think the whole band felt that way and I was open, but I wasn’t sure enough to push it through, you know what I mean? On Similitude, when we came to start working on the second half and Mike wanted to wrap it up, I felt pretty sure that we had enough good stuff for the second half that it warranted an exploration. But this time it was just a whole different process. We got together in August of 2017, I guess it would’ve been before the last run of the Similitude tour, we got together and we put together some ideas, and some of the rough sketches at the time included “Vanity Fair” and another thing called “Talking” and another sketch called “The Clock is Ticking”. That ended up being part of “I Got to Run”. And then we got together with Mike and in January and then we created a whole album, actually a whole single disc album. And I just sat with it and I personally, and I guess I wasn’t the only one, we all felt like it wasn’t really quite there, it was good, but it wasn’t quite what we needed it to be. So while I was taking breaks from the Life and Times tour, I was coming home and kind of working on that and I felt like I was going to have to present it. If it was going to go through, I was going to have to make it happen so people could hear it and go “yeah!”. And so I did a whole other demo of it. There’s many different drafts of this album! There’s an August draft, the January draft…and then the March/April draft of mine. And then we got back together this last August and did the final version.
I know you guys took your time writing the album, and it took a bit longer than your other efforts. Did you write music for the next album while on the road? Can the touring environment be a creative space for you?
Yeah, actually one of the main themes – the orchestral part that opens disc two, which is one of my favorites – came to me in Warsaw. We were having a day off in Warsaw, so it’s called “The Warsaw Theme”.
I need to ask you about that line on “Welcome to the World”. What on earth is a taciturn iconoclast and who came up with that line?
Oh, that’s me! I read a lot, and sometimes I come across some big words that I like to look up. Taciturn is a moody and dark sort of guy, and iconoclast is a challenger of beliefs. But honestly, I don’t know where that came from, but it sounded very cool, so we decided to use it.
You mentioned John Bunyan’s book “The Pilgrim’s Progress”, and those who read it said there’s a lot more to the story than what’s addressed in the albums. Would you consider writing more songs and albums addressing the full story or not?
I don’t think so at this point. You know, but then we never thought we would do these two albums either! [laughs]So I’m, I’m afraid to say what we might do in the future because I just don’t know. I’m kind of resting between things right now, so I don’t know what would happen next. I really don’t have a clue.
I may be jumping ahead, but it’d be cool to have like an edition with both albums and the booklet expanding on the story and giving insights into each of the composition process, the recording process etc. Is that something you guys would consider doing?
Yeah, sure. Yeah, I think that’s a great idea.
Speaking a little bit more in detail about the new album. There’s a song called “Hey Ho, Let’s Go”. I thought it was going to be a tribute to the Ramones, but it actually sounds more Beatles than The Beatles to me!
Oh yeah? [laughs]For me, I always thought that track was sort of Supertramp-esque to me. I think it became more Beatles sounding honestly, when Eric sang lead on it. His voice sounds so bright on it that it probably explains the Beatles sound it acquired. It’s a pretty catchy tune, and I love it. Oh yeah, it does. We should do a video of that one eventually!
“The Great Adventure” Album Artwork
I listened to the album several times since we received it, and another song that grabbed me was “Vanity Fair” and the transition between that and “Welcome to the World Pt. 2”, which is quite heavy. And there’s a Tom Morello-inspired solo there from Eric, right?
Eric does an amazing solo on that track. And when it comes to that sort of circus thing, that vaudeville part, it was totally a Bill Hubauer creation at the sessions. Originally it was just a joke, like when we were just goofing around because I had written that “diddle-did, diddle-dat”, that ending of “Vanity Fair”. I think he was on an accordion sound and started playing it all fast and we were just goofing around. And eventually I said “that’s cool, man, I want to put that on there!”. And I think Bill was surprised, because he thought it was just a joke, but I like it!
My favorite song so far is The River, which I think it borrows melodies from Overture and from “Welcome to the World” as well. And I hear some Genesis on that track, am I right?
I’m sure you’re right [laughs]. I am always influenced by Genesis, they were tremendous influence on me.
I have a question about the vocal arrangements. Obviously you take the bulk of the singing, but everyone else has their share of leads, and the backing vocals are a big part of the band sound as much as other instruments. How do you guys decide who’s going to take which part?
Well, our general thing is that Eric’s in the middle, Bill’s on top and I’m on the bottom because that just seems to be the best blend. Every once in a while we’ll change that because we just think “oh, you know, maybe Bill should be in the middle on this one or maybe even I should be in the middle of it”. It kind of depends. But that, that’s our general rule is that Eric‘s in the middle and Bill’s on top. I’m on the bottom because it just sounds the best.
A lot of articles about the chemistry between you and Mike, and about the injection of energy from Eric. But let’s talk about the unsung heroes of the Neal Morse Band for a bit, Randy and Bill. How do they contribute to the overall son of the band and the composition process?
Randy has a lot of really good ideas. He tends to throw in riffs mostly, like the riff that starts the second song on the album. That’s a Randy riff. And he does a lot in terms of arranging. He’s good at looking at all the ideas in that and figuring out how to fit things together. He helps a lot with logistical things, which is also really needed, and he’s just really, really helpful in million different ways. And Bill writes full on, you know, songs and brings them in from time to time. Arguably one of the best songs on Similitude was his. I wrote the lyrics and we changed some of the things in it, but “Ways of a Fool” was Bill‘s. And the whole theme on this one, the dark melody is mostly based on Bill’s stuff. So Bill brings a lot to the table. He brings a lot of music and a lot of really heartfelt ideas. He’s great.
You’ve had several different lineups in your solo career, particularly guitar players and keyboard players until this band solidified like a musical entity that it is today. Did you enjoy that diversity when you have a lot of lineup changes or are you happier now having a permanent partners in crime?
Oh, well, I still get around with other players. I was just working with Flying Colors some weeks ago, and then I did the Jesus Christ, The Exorcist musical, which is with a lot of different people. So I enjoy that, but you know, the Neal Morse Band is special. It’s a special mix of ingredients that is just definitely one of my favorites I’ve ever been a part of.
How would you say your faith has impacted your career musically and in terms of career choices?
Well, I honestly, Rodrigo, I pray about everything. I mean the making of this album is all a result of faith and prayer. My daughter’s wedding was a result of faith and prayer. For me there isn’t anything that is kind of separate from that. I’m always praying and trying to do what I feel like is God’s will in all things. Anything that happens with me that’s a blessing or that is good, and even the negative things, I all take it to be God working. And I’m looking for Him and to be doing his work through what I’m doing is what it’s all about for me.
Your music may sometimes not explore religious themes necessarily, but are you able to appreciate other forms of music since becoming a Christian? Like, Black Sabbath for example? Or can you appreciate what Slayer brings to the table?
Sure, man, I just played “Back in Black” at my daughter’s wedding! [laughs]. But seriously, I don’t really like heavier, darker stuff that much. I never had really, I mean, even before I was a Christian, most of the music that I liked was generally of the lighter nature. I was a Sabbath fan when I was like 12 years old, but as soon as I saw Yes open for them, that was it for me. I kind of moved over to the progressive thing. But I appreciate all kinds of music. I wouldn’t necessarily buy it and listened to it in my house, but generally what I’m looking for is to be lifted up and be built up spiritually, you know, so with any kind of art, if I feel like it’s kind of a negative thing and not a good thing to put in my spirit, then I’ll kind of move away from it.
Can I ask you what the status is on Flying Colors? You just posted a picture of you guys jamming and working on the new album some weeks ago. Do we have at least a tentative release date for album number three?
No, we don’t. I’ll be hoping that this would come out in August, but I have no idea if that’s going to happen or not. That’s just my personal hope.
Who’s the most troublesome in Flying Colors when it comes to schedule? Is it Steve Morse, you or Mike?
Honestly it would be Steve. Steve is the busiest with Deep Purple, for sure. They tour and record a lot and they don’t seem to be slowing down, man. They’re really going at it!
That would have been my guess as well. But going back to the Neal Morse Band, there are already almost 50 dates announced for the new tour. Can we expect to see more added?
I don’t know if there will be more added. If you want to see us, and I think everyone should, you have to find us in one of those dates.
Well, last year you came to Toronto on the Life and Times tour, and I had to miss it, because the Sons of Apollo played here the day before, and you know how things are – my wife got the upper hand, and I could only watch one of those two shows. But you have a date in Toronto in February of 2019, and this time I’ll make a point of seeing you guys!
Yeah, that’ll be cool man. Come and see us!
I will. Thank you for your time Neal, and all the best with the new release!
Thank you so much. God bless! Bye!
Casey McPherson established his name on the more pop end of the spectrum with his band Alpha Rev, but as his career developed he has found greater freedom of expression with bands like Flying Colors and The Sea Within. A couple of years ago he wanted to do something outside the box, a more in-depth [...]
On paper, Get It Out, the new full-length debut from Altitudes & Attitude, might imply something other than a collection of smartly crafted melodic hard-rock songs. After all, Altitudes & Attitude is a collaboration between Anthrax’s Frank Bello and Megadeth’s David Ellefson – two virtuosic bass players who’ve anchored some of the fiercest thrash records of [...]
What do you do when you unleashed arguably the finest hour in your 30-plus year career and you are ready to record its follow-up? You head back to the dark n’ dusty garage to keep that momentum going. Flotsam and Jetsam – the album – saw the Arizona veteran band firing on all cylinders, writing/performing [...]
Prog metal fans can expect a great 2019, and evidence of that can already be found in one of the first releases of the year – Soen’s new album Lotus. Formed in Sweden in 2004, Soen released their debut album Cognitive in 2012, to critic and fans’ acclaim. Since then two more albums followed, and [...]
Fernando Perdomo is not only known as the guitarist and bassist of the Dave Kerzner Band, he’s also a multi-instrumentalist, performer and record producer with a larger than life presence, and an even larger list of musical endeavors. He owns and operates Reseda Ranch Studios and has delved into as many styles of music as you are able to name.
Last year 2018 he self-released his first ever progressive-rock album entitled Out To Sea which garnered rave reviews in the progressive rock community. Today Perdomo is pleased to premiere “Out to Sea 2 Suite”, the first single from his forthcoming album Out to Sea 2. The song can be streamed below.
The suite puts the first 3 songs of the album together into an epic prog-rock suite running at just over 8 minutes. The 3 sections are “Two”, “Super Woofer” and “Boing!”. Perdomo plays all the instruments on the track with 2 special guests on part 2 and 3. Joe Deninzon of Stratospheerius plays electric violin on “Super Woofer”. Jamison Smeltz plays saxophones on “Boing!”.
Out to Sea 2 comes out next February 15th, with an exclusive pre-release on board Cruise To The Edge 2019 – where Perdomo will be performing with his Out to Sea Band – and is the logical follow-up to Out to Sea. Again, legendary Genesis artist Paul Whitehead has painted the cover for Out to Sea 2. The album features 15 tracks written by Perdomo and 2 live in studio bonus tracks featuring his Out to Sea Band.
“Out to Sea 2″Album Artwork
“Out to Sea 2” Track-listing.
- Two
- Super Woofer (feat Joe Deninzon)
- Boing! (feat Jamison Smeltz)
- Theme from “Dr. Leisure” (featuring Tom Bones Malone and Eddie Zyne)
- Beautiful (feat Eric Matthews and Joe Cass)
- Five Four (feat Mark Murdock)
- Stairway to the Sea
- Your Precious Echo
- Saturday Night
- The Angels of Ardent
- Seven Stars
- Arturius
- The Stratosphere (feat Mark Murdock)
- Flying to Utopia (feat Derek Cintron)
- The Victory
- Angel (Bonus tracks featuring the Out to Sea Band live in the studio)
- The Architect (Tribute to Peter Banks) (Bonus tracks featuring the Out to Sea Band live in the studio)
You can pre-order Out to Sea 2 at this location, buy some Perdomo‘s previously released music from his Bandcamp page and follow his musical endeavors through his Facebook page and website.
When an artist takes an unexpected turn into new musical directions, it may cause stirring among fans. This is not the case of the increasingly global fanbase of Indonesian progressive fusion maestro Dewa Budjana, who always come prepared to the perennial journeys through the world of their favored guitarist. For his 11th solo recording, Mahandini, [...]
SOILWORK is a band that has been through a lot. They has been around, in one form or another, for twenty years now. Some people say that they haven’t made anything worth listening to after »Steelbath Suicide«. Some have only heard Stabbing The Drama. Some think The Living Infinite was quite epic. It’s all good. At this [...]
Matt Barlow is back! His band Ashes of Ares recently released the long-awaited follow-up to their self-titled debut album. “Well of Souls” presents an increased intensity and more wide-ranging sound which builds upon the foundation laid down by the first album and further solidifies Matt Barlow and Freddie Vidales’ partnership in writing. Former Ashes Of [...]
That dreaded moment when you have to look back and choose the album releases you liked the most for the year. Uff! Let’s get it done! For this episode of Talking Perspectives regular host Nick Andreas returned with an extended cast of Sonic Perspectives contributors for a hindsight analysis of the music we have dealt [...]
Can one compose music while unable to move? Could anything go wrong when a group of Bostonians drive across the country during a snowstorm? Can any music really surprise you when your constantly inundated in new music? Talking Perspectives host Nick Andreas hands over hosting duties to regular panelist Gonzalo Pozo as they shoot the [...]
If you are unfamiliar with the name Johnny Gioeli and the bands he is/has been involved in, Hardline, Crush 40, and Axel Rudi Pell, then you have simply missed out on one of the most gifted voices to grace the hard rock genre in the past 25 years! Not too long ago, the man responsible [...]
California’s Witherfall has been on a hell of a ride. This stellar progressive-metal collective came into being when former members of White Wizzard, Jag Panzer, and Circle II Circle decided to do something interesting together. The resulting record, Nocturnes and Requiems, boasted music and songcraft some bands well into their third decade could never dream [...]
German heavy metal legends ACCEPT are experiencing more success than ever, and have hit their stride creatively! In the 10th year since the band’s reunion, the quintet can look back on four top 10 albums in Germany, including an unbelievable #1 with “Blind Rage” (2014) and a brilliant #3 with their latest album “The Rise Of Chaos” (2017). Over the past few months, they have been finalizing their latest project, entitled “Symphonic Terror – Live at Wacken 2017” Released on November 23rd via Nuclear Blast, it consists of a unique, 2 hour ACCEPT show, shot on August 3rd, 2017 at the legendary W:O:A, where the band played the biggest and most extraordinary show of their career in front of 80.000 fans.
As described in our recent album review,, the show was divided into three parts: a “standard” Accept set with tracks like ‘Die By The Sword’, ‘Restless And Wild’ and ‘Pandemic’, a middle part hosted guitarist Wolf Hoffmann accompanied by a symphony orchestra, and a third set (also accompanied by the orchestra), with hits such as ‘Princess Of The Dawn’, ‘Breaker’, ‘Fast As A Shark’ and ‘Stalingrad’.
The restless and wild Sonic Perspectives collaborator Rodrigo Altaf had the chance to catch up with the longest standing member of ACCEPT, guitar player Wolf Hoffman, and they discussed the new album, plans for 2019 and much more. Check out their conversation in the audio player below, and remember to subscribe to our Podcast in several platforms to listen and be notified about new interviews and contents we publish on daily basis.
Norway’s Chrome Division is known for many things, but most notably having a good time while playing adrenaline-fueled classic rock ‘n roll, and for being a musical outlet for Dimmu Borgir‘s Shagrath. Sadly, after 15 years or so, the band is finally calling it quits. But do not weep for them, as they are masters [...]
An amalgamation of influences and various explorations of the Deep South, Henry Derek Elis origins are about as strange as his career in the music business. Henry grew up next to Central State Hospital, once known as the largest psychiatric facility in the world, the town being one of many surrounding areas nearly destroyed & badly [...]
NORDIC UNION is the successful collaboration, built by Frontiers Records SLR president Serafino Perugino, between singer Ronnie Atkins of the legendary Danish hard rock institution PRETTY MAIDS and the up-and-coming Swedish songwriter and producer Erik Martensson of ECLIPSE and W.E.T. fame.
The partnership between the two Scandinavians came about sometime in 2015, when Atkins was sent a bunch of demos put together for him by Martensson. The enthusiastic reaction from Atkins sparked a brand new musical alliance that culminated in Nordic Union’s self-titled debut album, which was released in January 2016. Musically, the duo presented a hybrid of the more melodic aspects of Pretty Maids’ sound mixed with elements of Eclipse, Talisman, and W.E.T., while still possessing their own identity. Heavy riffs, soaring vocals, thumping beats, and a grand ballad… this album has it all and flows perfectly with songs that are memorable, rocking, and of course, melodic.
Following requests from fans for a follow up to the debut, the two musicians decided to give Nordic Union another shot, so after a few months production, “Second Coming” was released on November 9th. Sonic Perspectives collaborator Rodrigo Altaf sat down with Ronnie Atkins to discuss the new Nordic Union album, as well as the current and future plans for the Pretty Maids. Check out their conversation in the audio player below, and remember to subscribe to our Podcast in several platforms to listen and be notified about new interviews and contents we publish on daily basis.
Follow Nordic Union on Facebook, and visit the Pretty Maids website to know even more!
What do you get when you send a metalhead and a prog-nerd with a camera to a Good Charlotte show? You get a set of photos and a thirteen-minute audio piece. Sonic Perspectives Texas Bureau Chief Gonzalo Pozo and longtime friend Melissa Cagle leave their comfort zones to live among fans of more radio-friendly rock [...]
When Artillery formed in the small Copenhagen suburb of Taastrup in 1982, little did they know they’d be here alive, vibrant, and ready to destroy in 2018. Sure, they’ve had their share of ups and downs—the group first folded in 1991, returned for a brief one-album stint with B.A.C.K. in 1999, and officially reformed in 2007 after a good multi-year hiatus—but any metal band worth their salt perseveres. And Artillery have survived. They were there when thrash metal took off. They were around to see the emergence of death metal. And they’re here today, to make their mark on a whole new generation of metal-heads.
Since the release of “Penalty by Perception” (2016), Artillery has taken the road around the world and won several awards for the release. And now the time has come to open the next chapter with their new album “The Face of Fear” Produced by Søren Andersen (Glenn Hughes, Marco Mendoza, Mike Tramp etc.), it addresses topics like the crimes of humanity, horrors of religion and personal strife, and the band even takes a trip back memory lane with a rerecorded song from 1982.
Sonic Perspectives restless interviewer Rodrigo Altaf sat down with one of Artillery’s founding members, guitar player Michael Stützer, and they spoke about the new album, the touring plans, what he does to achieve such an aggressive guitar tone, and much more. Check out their conversation in the audio player below, and remember to subscribe to our Podcast in several platforms to listen and be notified about new interviews and contents we publish on daily basis.
Follow Artillery on Facebook, or visit the band’s website to know even more!
Anneke van Giersbergen burst onto the scene in the mid 90s when the Dutch progressive death metal band The Gathering decided to start doing things a little differently. Since then, this siren of the lowlands has led a varied and busy enough career to exhaust musicians half her age, transitioning into and out of metal, [...]
Having released collaboration albums with The Sea Within, Jon Anderson and being out on tour with Steve Hackett, the leader of The Flower Kings is now focusing on his own music by releasing a brand new album called “Manifesto of an Alchemist”. Under the moniker ROINE STOLT’S THE FLOWER KING, “Manifesto Of An Alchemist” offers [...]
For many people, Guy Manning flies under the radar. That’s despite a 30-plus-year career that’s included more than a dozen albums under his own name, Manning, a stint in The Tangent, work with The United Progressive Fraternity, and too many guest spots to count. His current band is Damanek, an intercontinental collaborative effort with Southern [...]
Alex Skolnick first gained attention as the teenage wizkid whippersnapper super-shredder in the legendary thrash band Testament. But his musical passions have always had a broader scope; he experimented with funk with Stu Hamm in the early 90s, formed a number of bands who played everything from fusion to cop-show music, pursued a degree in [...]
Live Perspectives is back, once again brought to you by Gonzalo Pozo. This time around he witnessed the Alex Skolnick Trio show @ Fitzgerald’s Bar & Live Music Venue in San Antonio, TX, as part of the “Conundrum Tour”. Listen to Gonzo’s thoughts about the night in the audio below, and enjoy some pictures of the [...]
The Seattle music scene in the mid 1980’s was a breeding ground of exceptional talent. “Heavy metal” was a new wave of music that was beginning to sweep the globe, and FIFTH ANGEL was one of the forefathers of the legendary Seattle music scene that also produced iconic bands such as QUEENSRYCHE and METAL CHURCH. Coming back from a long hiatus, FIFTH ANGEL recently put the finishing touches on their first new album in almost 30 years, “The Third Secret”, which will be released on October 26th, 2018. The album features the incredible talents of guitarist and lead vocalist Kendall Bechtel, bassist John Macko and drummer and backing vocalist Ken Mary.
Says bassist John Macko, “When we began this process, we always were mindful to write songs that moved us as a band first. We felt that if we achieved that, then the music will most likely touch our fans as well.”
We recently reviewed “The Third Secret” and now you can find more details about the writing and recording of the new album, as well as their touring plans on this John Macko‘s exclusive interview with Sonic Perspectives collaborator Rodrigo Altaf. Check out their conversation in the audio player below, and remember to subscribe to our Podcast in several platforms to listen and be notified about new interviews and contents we publish on daily basis.
With so many great metal bands fading away into the sunset, IMPELLITTERI continues to carry the torch for guitar driven heavy metal that features powerful operatic vocals, anthem style choruses, and brilliant musicianship. Chris Impellitteri’s guitar playing is majestic. His fretboard wizardry is astonishing, fierce, and influential.
On their recently released new album “Nature of the Beast”, IMPELLITTERI shine on songs like “Do You Think I’m Mad”, the Maiden influenced “Run For Your Life”, the highly energetic remake of Black Sabbath’s “Symptoms of the Universe”, and the speed metal cover of “Phantom of The Opera” . In this exclusive interview, Sonic Perspectives collaborator Rodrigo Altaf discusses with both Chris Impellitteri and Rob Rock regarding the details of the recording process of the new album, how Chris dealt with the competition with other shredders in the 80’s, how big his guitar collection is, what Rob does to keep his voice in shape and how different it to work with Chris than on his solo project.
Check out their conversation in the audio player below, and remember to subscribe to our Podcast in several platforms to listen and be notified about new interviews and contents we publish on daily basis.
Do you remember when you first got into your favorite band? How you quickly ran through everything they had done up to that point and then anxiously awaited their next release? On this episode of Talking Perspectives we talk about how the point in which that happens with a band affects how you perceive their [...]
Talking Perspectives road trip! We head to the land of ProgStock, a progressive rock festival that was held over the weekend of October 6th in Rahway, New Jersey. Joel Barrios, Austin Kokel, Scott Medina, Nick Andreas and Bruce Allen give a day-by-day wrap up of the highlights of the festival, which featured over a dozen [...]
Dom R Crey made a splash when he joined the German bier-loving metalheads Equilibrium, but his own band Nothgard had been making some damn fine metal in the vein of Dark Tranquillity for several years already. Nothgard are set to hit the European road with Wolfheart and Omnium Gatherum to support their new album, Malady [...]
On this week’s episode Nick, Jordan, and Gonzo were joined once again by Edge of Reality and Kyros axeman Joey Frevola. The quartet discussed the use of, and the pros and cons of click and backing tracks in live performances and how Joey’s bands use them as part of their creative process. The second topic [...]
One of the most important bands in the history of metal, Saxon appears to have nine lives: they went through every difficulty you can name under the sun and survived, rising stronger than ever. Lineup changes, music trends, a fight for the band’s name, loss of popularity – nothing seems to deter these stubborn Brits, who released their 22nd album in 2018. “Thunderbolt” maintains the consistency and quality of recent efforts, and addresses themes as varied as Greek mythology, vampires, snipers and a homage to Motorhead.
For the third time in a row, Saxon counted with Andy Sneap at the production helm, and he seems to have managed to capture the band’s essence to perfection. Age doesn’t seem to catch up with them – if you’ve seen them live, you know what I’m talking about. They have now announced a string of U.S. tour dates, following the incredibly successful tour with Judas Priest earlier this year and prior to their appearance on the 2019 Monsters Of Rock cruise out of Florida.
Saxon‘s vocalist Biff Byford spoke with Sonic Perspectives’ collaborator Rodrigo Altaf, and mentioned the current plans of the band, his efforts to record a solo album, and the difficulties the band went through in the 90’s, plus their wish to celebrate a special milestone in 2019. Check out their conversation in the audio player below, and remember to subscribe to our Podcast in several platforms to listen and be notified about new interviews and contents we publish on daily basis.
Fernando Perdomo is best known in progressive rock circles as the right-hand man and guitar gunslinger for Dave Kerzner and his live band, recently rubbing shoulders with the likes of Steve Hackett, but as a multi-instrumentalist, producer, and singer/songwriter in his own right, Perdomo has a staggering body of work to his own name. Recently [...]
Much-beloved Pagan’s Mind guitarist and songwriter Jørn Viggo Lofstad is on the cusp of releasing the first album of a new (and yet not so new) project with Floor Jansen of Nightwish. The band and album, both entitled Northward, will be released October 19th, 2018, on Nuclear Blast; but strangely enough, this new album, for [...]
ProgStock 2018 is happening in two weeks time! The sophomore edition of the three-day Progressive Rock music Festival will take place Oct 5-7, 2018 at the Union County Performing Arts Center in Rahway, New Jersey, USA and tickets are already on sale at this location. ProgStock will be three days of fun, food, merriment, photos, recalling [...]
For Neal Morse fans, the annual two-day Morsefest festical is a “must be there” musical event. The 2018 edition was held on the weekend of September 14-15—the fifth time the festival has taken flight, in Cross Plains, TN – and it was perhaps the most ambitious in the series. Attendees were entertained by a “Voices [...]
With the fifth Haken album, Vector, around the corner, appearing to the world on October 26, and the next Haken tour starting on October 30, Nick Andreas had the pleasure of having a chat with the band’s bassist Conner Green. The two naturally talked about Haken‘s evolving sound and what to expect from the forthcoming [...]
Ted Leonard stands in front of his audience—and he’s nervous. These folks don’t know him. They’ve never heard of his bands, Enchant and Spock’s Beard. They’re expecting something great to happen, so the pressure is on. Ted takes his guitar and slowly picks out notes and chords—and the audience smiles in recognition. Lynyrd Skynyrd! The [...]
This week on Talking Perspectives regulars Nick and Jordan were joined by Mark and Rayna Monforti, co-owners of the ProgRock.com internet radio station and show runners of Music in Widescreen, which has now aired over 750 episodes. Our middle segment focused on the topic of internet radio, their history in it, exploration of it, and how [...]
In this day and age, the term supergroup has been used exhaustively, and in many occasions the end result is smaller than the sum of its parts. However, every now and then a band of musicians with significant calibre seems to get it right. That is the case with Dream Child, the new endeavour of Craig Goldy, Rudy Sarzo (QUIET RIOT, OZZY OSBOURNE, WHITESNAKE, DIO) and Simon Wright (AC/DC, DIO, OPERATION: MINDCRIME), who are accompanied by Wayne Findlay (MSG) on keyboards, and an uncannily Dio-sounding singer, Diego Valdez (ex-HELKER). Their first album Until Death Do We Meet Again was released last September 14th, and contains 12 tracks whose mission statement is to capture the spirit of bands like Rainbow, Dio and Deep Purple.
Sonic Perspectives collaborator Rodrigo Altaf spoke with Craig Goldy a few days before the album release about the formation of this new band, the writing process for the new album, and a few of his other endeavours, such as Rough Cutt, Giuffria, writing with David Lee Roth and touring with Budgie and his longtime friend, the late Ronnie James Dio. Check out their conversation in the audio player below, and remember to subscribe to our Podcast in several platforms to listen and be notified about new interviews and contents we publish on daily basis.
During a career that’s spanned over two decades, Bay Area guitarist Jasun Tipton has gained notoriety for his frightening approach to shred and his minimalist approach to prog-rock songwriting. First gaining notice with Zero Hour in the late 1990s, Jasun soon began releasing solo albums as well starting and a number of side bands such [...]
One of the most exciting and technical bands in the death metal scene, Obscura has recently released their new album Diluvium. This marks the end of a four part story, which began on 2009’s Cosmogenesis, and deals with existential and philosophical themes, such as the origins of humanity, evolution and our ultimate demise. Musically, the [...]
ProgStock 2018 is coming! The sophomore edition of the three-day Progressive Rock music Festival will take place Oct 5-7, 2018 at the Union County Performing Arts Center in Rahway, New Jersey, USA and tickets are already on sale at this location. ProgStock will be three days of fun, food, merriment, photos, recalling stories, hanging out with [...]
Angra guitarist Rafael Bittencourt has proven himself to be among the most dedicated bandleaders in the metal world. Despite a constantly rotating roster that recently saw his fellow founder and guitar-slinger Kiko Loureiro leave for the greener pastures of Megadeth, Bittencourt has kept his beloved band both alive and relevant for nearly twenty years following [...]
Russell Gilbrook is one of those musicians who thrives on variety. He’s drummed for Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath, with Van Morrison, with skiffle king Lonnie Donegan, and even a British Dixieland jazz band. But for the last eleven years, his main gig is manning the sticks and skins of the legendary Uriah Heep. The [...]
ProgStock 2018 is coming! The sophomore edition of the three-day Progressive Rock music Festival will take place Oct 5-7, 2018 at the Union County Performing Arts Center in Rahway, New Jersey, USA and tickets are already on sale at this location. ProgStock will be three days of fun, food, merriment, photos, recalling stories, hanging out with old pals, making new friends, and sharing in our mutual love of the musical genre we call PROG.
One of Canada’s top progressive rock bands, Mystery was founded by Michel St-Père over 30 years ago. As they released their excellent new album “Lies and Butterflies” some weeks ago (you can find our review of the album here), Michel took the time to talk with Sonic Perspectives correspondent Scott Medina about the changes in the band over the years and why they are stronger than ever now. Mystery recently wowed the crowd at The Night of the Prog festival in Loreley, Germany. They will play in the States for the first time in many years this October at the ProgStock Festival. You can listen to the audio of their chat in the link below.
John Macaluso is a man who’s proud of his work. And judging by his output, he has every right to be: starting his career with American power-thrash metal band POWERMAD, he also worked with TNT and RIOT, before founding the groundbreaking ARK with Tore Østby and Jørn Lande. He went to on collaborate with a million other artists such as Yngwie Malmsteen, James LaBrie, Dee Snider and temporarily replaced Jason Rullo in SYMPHONY X in 2013. Which brings us to his latest collaboration: he played drums on Michael Romeo‘s first solo album, War of the Worlds, Pt. 1, which is a strong contender for album of the year.
In this career-spanning interview with Sonic Perspectives collaborator Rodrigo Altaf, John talks about his influences, his studies with Rod Morgenstein (DIXIE DREGS) and Tommy Aldridge (WHITESNAKE), his work with Michael Romeo on his new album, and the intention to put together a tour to celebrate ARK‘s legacy. Check out their conversation in the audio player below, and remember to subscribe to our Podcast in several platforms to listen and be notified about new interviews and contents we publish on daily basis.
For many years Phideaux Xavier, head of Phideaux and Mogon was one of the most prolific writers on the prog-rock scene, netting eight studio albums in as many years. Snowtorch, which arrived in 2011 was the last new studio album until now, with Infernal finally being unveiled to the world. In our interview you can hear how the flood gates could once again be ready to open, as aside from the amazing double album Infernal there is a live release in the works, updates on 7 1/2, and some fresh mixes on out of print materials, all of that in addition to new material that has already been worked on.
We also talk about the band’s last live outing, and their much anticipated next live show at RoSfest in 2019. This will be the band’s first full band appearance in the US in eight years, and given how hard it is to get a 10-piece band to the stage might be the last one in as many years, so it’s not to be missed! To prepare make sure you pick up Infernal now, assuming you want the CD or digital releases, or pre-order the vinyl which will be out in the coming months.
Check out our conversation in the audio player below, and remember to subscribe to our Podcast in several platforms to listen and be notified about new interviews and contents we publish on daily basis.
The only predictable thing about Canadian cosmic-metal warriors Voivod is that they will forever be unpredictable. During their 35-year career, they started as a punk/thrash band and with each album incorporated more prog influences, culminating with a few covers of Pink Floyd, and having Terry Brown (of Rush fame) producing one of their albums. Their career suffered a huge blow with the death of the main composer Denis “Piggy” D’Amour in 2005, but luckily they found a suitable replacement in Daniel “Chewy” Mongrain. Other members have come and gone, including Jason Newsted (Metallica), who played bass on three albums.
2018 marks a turning point for Voivod: the band is busier than ever, and is ready to release a new concept album, entitled “The Wake”. Whilst treading new waters, the new release has all the signature elements that made the band famous: dissonant chords, dystopian future lyrics, crazy tempo changes and the inimitable style of the cover art, made by their drummer Michel “Away” Langevin.
While he was waiting to go on stage in Las Vegas, Away had a chat with Sonic Perspectives‘ collaborator Rodrigo Altaf , where he spoke about the new album, their influence in newer acts, and the plans to finish a documentary telling the story of the band. Check out their conversation in the audio player below, and remember to subscribe to our Podcast in several platforms to listen and be notified about new interviews and contents we publish on daily basis.
If ever there was a rebirth of a band, Riverside have experienced it. After losing their guitarist who passed away unexpectedly in 2016, the rest of the group took a break to recover from their shock, and ultimately decided to continue as a trio. Now they are ready to release their first studio album of original material since that time, and their audience awaits to see how their beloved band has chosen to carry on. Mariusz Duda is Riverside’s main songwriter, singer, bassist and now rhythm guitarist.
In this interview, he shares with Scott Medina his approach to the new album, the challenges the band has faced, and how they wrestled with their demons. Though the material is weighty, Mariusz’s attitude is positive and even playful. If you listen to the audio stream of the interview, or download the podcast, you will hear him singing examples of his inspirations which often came from Western movies or Polish television. You can also read the transcript of the interview below. Be sure to catch Riverside back on tour this fall and into 2019!
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Interview Transcript Welcome everyone. This is Scott Medina for Sonic Perspectives. Riverside fans unite! Their long awaited album is just about here. It’s about to be released on September 28th, it’s their seventh studio album called “Wasteland” and on the phone we’re going to be talking today with Mariusz Duda. Hello, Mariusz!
Hello everyone. Hello.
Thanks for chatting with us. I hear you’re just back from holiday.
Yeah, just back from holiday and I’m refreshed and I’m ready to talk! [laughs]
Excellent. So are we! It seems like there’s been so much anticipation for this new album. Does this feel like a rebirth of Riverside to you?
Yeah, I do hope so! Because we had very unpleasant years in the past, but now it seems that we are trying to stand up on our two feet again and yeah, we’ve finished the new album! So that’s huge, especially for us because it means that we can carry on and I hope there’s still a future ahead of us.
Yeah, I’m sure that there is. There’s no doubt by listening to this album that there is. Does being a trio now, in and of itself, change the way that you write?
Yes, exactly. Because we are a trio now and we had to decide what to do, you know, because we lost Piotr. He was our guitar player and it was a really important voice. For many, many Riverside fans, Piotr was the most important member of the band. And then boom, suddenly we are without him. We had our grieving already. We’ve been crying a lot but that’s it. You know, we had to do something. And probably it would be very obvious if we had hired just another fourth member of the band, you know, and do some rehearsals and do another album. But we didn’t want to do that. I thought that it would be nice to be true to what we said two years ago: that we became a trio. So it would be nice to record the album as a trio, too…especially this one. I thought about these post-apocalyptic themes many, many years ago. And I just realized that now is the time for that story, you know, because we sort of had the end of the world in our band, so that would be very multi-dimensional, and really symbolic. And we had to do this as a trio and so I had to be the guitar player this time and I did more things by myself. But the result is as it is and I think that it still sounds like Riverside in spite of everything.
It really does sound like Riverside…it sounds new and yet quite familiar as we’re used to. Last year you played a lot of live shows before recording this album. What was that experience like returning to the stage as a trio, even though you had guest guitarists with you?
It was really hard, you know. We had two very emotional and really hard, hard moments in our career within the last two or three years. First, it was the “Eye of the Soundscape” recordings. When Piotr suddenly passed away, we had to go back to the studio and finish all of these recordings without him. And it was really, really hard, you know. Someone just asked me if it was hard for us to record “Wasteland”. No, it was not hard anymore because I spent in the studio, lots of time with my solo Lunatic Soul two albums and some other stuff. So “Wasteland” was like the fourth album in a row for me. But recording the previous compilation album “Eye of the Soundscape”, it was really tragic. Because we returned to the studio without Piotr, and we felt that nothing will be the same again.
And then that kind of emotion appeared also on the first live shows, especially on the first one, which was dedicated to Piotr that we played in February, 2017. That show was full of really, really deep emotions…crying onstage and that kind of stuff. But then with every show we started to become stronger and stronger. And in the midst of the tour we were just, we were raised from the ashes, if I can say that. And we felt powerful again. But the beginnings, yeah, it was not easy.
Did you feel that it was important to reestablish Riverside as a live band before writing and recording a new studio album?
We wanted to go on a tour and we wanted to say goodbye to Piotr somehow. And so we just titled that tour “Towards the Blue Horizon”. That is a song I wrote to someone else, I wrote it to my friend who died suddenly in 2014. And just within two years, I lost two really close friends. And so suddenly the song became Piotr’s song. You know, people just started to kind of…we had to do this, you know, that this song should belong to him…to that moment. So I had this idea that, okay, maybe we should go on this tour and title this tour that way. I didn’t think of a new album yet. I wanted to go back to the studio and focus on my solo Lunatic Soul. And I wanted to deal with my private demons in my solo project first…not in Riverside, because I didn’t have an idea how to do that. But suddenly it happened! [laughs]Suddenly in October and December of last year the music just came out with me and we had the new album.
This new album surely has one of the most powerful openings on any Riverside album, beginning with “The Day After”, which is mostly your solo vocal, which then builds with a violin behind you. And then we go right into the hard hitting “Acid Rain”. It’s quite an intro back into Riverside.
Yeah, the dark has returned a bit! Especially after “Love, Fear and the Time Machine”, which by the way was a pretty mellow album about memories in childhood and stuff like that. But no, I wanted to dig into the darker melancholy again because this is the album about the end of the world, kind of connected with death and dying and that kind of gloomy stuff. But I think it has really powerful moments. Especially like the intro, for instance.
There’s lots of acoustic guitar on this album and you also are playing electric guitar now, including a couple of solos. Did all of that guitar playing change your experience of recording the album and how you approached the songs?
Well, first and foremost, this is a post-apocalyptic story. So I was thinking of using a different sound to adapt it. First and foremost, skipping all of these electronic influences because you know, I just imagined myself somewhere alone in the desert after the end of the world and with the basic instrument in my hand, the old broken acoustic guitar with rusty old strings, right? That should be the main instrument, I said to myself, for the compositions. So I focused on that. And also, um…three years ago, I got something new from my friend who makes guitars for me. He created something called the piccolo bass, and this is a bass guitar with guitar strings. And in many moments it sounds like a guitar. So I started to play on the acoustic guitar, and I started to play on this piccolo bass. And when we did the demo, we just realized that there’s no lack of guitar…there’s lots of guitar in it. And that I also should add electric guitar with that. In my solo project Lunatic Soul, I play lots of different instruments so it’s not like I’m a bass player only. The bass is always the last instrument that I always take in my hand. So, I played a lot of things and later I just put electric guitar with the rhythmic stuff, which was easy for me because I’m the bass player so I can deal with the rhythm. But for the solos, I said, okay, maybe I can play something, but I also would like to use Maciej who plays with us during our live shows. And someone else to fill these gaps. Right? Because Piotr was not the rhythmic guitar player. Rather, he created these solos, these soundscapes and this special atmosphere and I and I wanted to have it, too. So Maciej was the perfect choice for that.
“Lament” is a particularly emotional song on Wasteland. Tell us a bit about what’s behind that song.
Well, I started to think, what should be different on the new album? I thought that definitely something should be different. The worst thing that we could do would be if we recorded the same album like we did in the past. Like, Second Life Syndrome, part two. You know, like if we did exactly the same songs and that kind of stuff. So I thought, no, we need to do changes. (Of course we did reference the Second Life Syndrome album, by the way, but that was the hidden message…it’s not like it’s the same album again.) But anyway, I thought, okay, what should we should change? Well let’s do bigger drums this time. Let’s do different guitar sounds. And there is a very different guitar sound on the Wasteland album because it’s a blend that makes all of this distorted piccolo bass, electric guitar and acoustic guitar. That’s why it sounds like some stoner rock, some metal stuff, some weird sounds with distorted bass like O Type Negative for instance, or all these bands like Royal Blood. And I thought about lower singing and different melodic lines. I wanted to bring back a bit of some kind of Slavic approach because I’m from Poland, I’m from this country, I don’t want to be influenced by British rock so much anymore. I want to do something which is my own. And I started to search what kind of things this could be. In Lunatic Soul I did lots of experiments with folk music. But in Riverside, I always wanted to be in a different place. So now I felt okay: Slavic melodies. Let’s do something which sounds like an old kind of folk Slavic melody. And I started to play this and sing this and that was the beginning of “Lament”. And then I realized that it should be something like a ballad, but that it should be together with a hard, powerful wall of sound. That’s why in some parts there is also that kind of thing. But “Lament” also helped me to realize that I needed a violin on this album. I was searching for a different instrument. Uh, you know, in the past we had the saxophone. Now I thought, hmm, what else? What else? What else should be connected with the subject and with the new sound? And I was thinking, okay, violins would be pretty interesting. So I imagined a kind of violin intro for this song, but later this intro found itself at the END of the song! That was the beginning of this new approach: the changing of the melodic lines. I wanted to use this melancholy and the vocals in a different way. So when you hear “The Day After”, “Lament”, and even “Wasteland” at the beginning, this is the different type of approach for singing, you know, the melodies are more like a hymn than just simply sad singing about something.
Yes, it is like a hymn, you’re right. What would you say is the most cathartic moment for you on the new album?
Well, for me “Wasteland” is like the third album in a row because after Lunatic Soul’s “Fractured” and “Under a Fragmented Sky”…all of these tragic moments that I had in 2016…I had to deal with that. So I just closed myself in the studio and I did Lunatic Soul and another Lunatic Soul. And so “Wasteland” was the third album in a row. Maybe that’s why it came out for me really quickly and pretty easily. But, I realized during the composing of this album that subconsciously some things were waiting for the right moment, just to spit out…to feel free. So when I heard the demo of “Wasteland” for the first time, I realized that this darkness that I just wanted to split out of me on Lunatic Soul finally found its place somewhere else! And maybe that’s why Riverside is so, so emotional, as never before.
In addition to that darkness and heaviness, there’s so many beautiful moments on here with songs like “River Down Below” especially, and in “Guardian Angel” and “The Night Before”. These are very acoustic and melodic, and “The Night Before” is almost a lullaby. So you really brought in a lot of beauty into the darkness as well.
Yeah. Yeah. You know, this is what we play. Riverside doesn’t play progressive metal. We play melancholic rock. Sometimes it’s more heavy, sometimes it’s more electronic, but for me it’s just dealing with the melancholy. Sometimes melancholia is dark, like on our previous albums. Sometimes melancholia is kind of refreshed, or maybe just sad, or with a shade of a smile in the corner. Like with “Love, Fear and the Time Machine” because it was an album about childhood, about childish memories. So I wanted to use kind of, you know, pleasant memories, pleasant melancholy. But this time, yeah, I just wanted to focus on something which is still nice but with some something really deep inside of you. “The Night Before” is a piece that Michal brought to the studio. I said to him that we’re going to do an album about the post-apocalyptic stuff, so do you have something? He said, “I’ve got one song.” So he played this piano piece for me and I had tears in my eyes. It was really touching. We always wanted to do something with a piano and a vocal only. For the first time we finally have the song for the vocal and the piano only. I think that’s a really good piece of art. This is Riverside, this is melancholic Riverside. But this time I think the level of emotion is quite deeper…probably because of what happened. Probably also because we grew up simply, you know. I turned 40 two years ago, so I’m not a boy anymore, singing sad songs about nothing important. So now I started to change my approach and I just want to sing about something that matters.
Yeah, you’ve got plenty of real life experience now to sing about. And how have the other two band members responded to this new stage of the band?
Well, our drummer said that he really loves the album. [laughs]Uh, you know, he was not involved too much with that.. He trusted me with everything. He said that he would play what needs to be done, and he did that. So we spent this time together with (keyboardist) Michal in the studio with Robert Srzednicki who always works with us in the studio. And, you know, that was a pretty exciting adventure. Maybe Michal was sometimes a bit angry with me because I did lots of things by myself, but he got used to this at the end. So the final result is the most important thing. I never do anything that will not appeal to at least one member of the band. So they say that this is really cool. So we went into this direction and they feel pretty okay. And together with Michal we’re huge fans of western movies. So we had lots of fun doing the song “Wasteland”. There were all of these Ennio Morricone moments, you know, Sergio Leone movies. I still remember when I started to play this moment [sings melody]and I said, well, it sounds like it’s from a western, maybe I should add a female voice to that. So I just started singing [sings in falsetto to mimic female voice]. And Michael says, wow, I’ve got the bell somewhere, which sounds like it’s from this movie. And he found out the sound of the bell and then we had it. And I said, wow, that’s something new! I don’t know what people will say, but we really liked it!
What was it like for you to sing in your lower register, because on a few of these songs on “Wasteland”, you’re really singing lower lead vocals than you ever have. So I’m wondering what that was like and if you think that’ll be a challenge, live in concert.
[answers in a very low register]Not at all. I can still sing…it was not made by computer. [laughs]It was funny because during the Towards the Blue Horizon tour, I decided to take vocal lessons. I wanted to be prepared because of this break that we had. I was not sure if I could make it physically, and so I just took some lessons and my teacher said, you have very nice low voice, why don’t you use this? I said, well, because, you know, I always have to be above the instruments during the sound checks and stuff. And he said, well change the arrangements because you’ve got very nice voice. And I just realized that I always use my low voice somewhere. Even on my first album “Out of Myself” in the song “Okay”, for instance. But it was always the backing vocal or where I tried to sing with lots of air, but never singing, more like, um, Nick Cave, for instance. Well, they said, okay, this is something new that I should add to all these new points. And also that’s kind of the style of a road movie. And the “Wasteland” is sort of like a western, you know. It’s a post-apocalyptic story but also connected with some western movies. It’s a movie about the lonely rider, about the strong man who needs to survive somewhere. And so I thought instead of just melodic singing things, I should do something more manly this time [laughs]. And being manly doesn’t mean that I have to scream or do some growling. I just decided to sing with a lower voice in some parts. And so we have “Guardian Angel” and we have the intro for “Wasteland”. There’s one more thing, the “Wasteland” intro at the beginning where I sing [sings theme], this is really funny because that was kind of inspired by Polish television entertainers from the past. And I remember at the beginning of these, they were always connected with the low voice singing those kind of weird patriotic songs. So I thought maybe I should try this! [Sings examples of patriotic songs] So it was kind of patriotic, and so I thought that I should use that this way. Now it’s so funny because it was inspired by Polish television entertainment, but at the end, it sounds like, I don’t know, Johnny Cash and pretty American, but it was based on all the Polish shows! So later when we added this Ennio Morricone and Sergio Leone fragment, it appeared that we had a very nice original title-track.
Again, it’s great that you’re making it your own and as you said, not following all of the British prog rock bands as far as influence goes for this album. It’s fresh for you.
Of course, there will always be people that say that we are influenced by Pink Floyd again and some other bands. But let’s be honest, this is really not that. No, comparing this to previous albums, I think we found a really nice mixture of totally different styles this time and it’s really, really Riverside-ish. I don’t want to say that on the previous albums there was a lack of Riverside style. But with this one, I think we’re definitely starting a new chapter and we proved that we can still do something new. So this is why I’m really happy for this album.
Yeah, you’re growing and evolving as a band. So there’s no better time to do that than now. It doesn’t look like this time around that there’s a bonus disc being offered with extended ambient remixes or anything like that, is there? After the “Eye of the Soundscape” are you taking a break from that kind of approach?
I didn’t want to repeat myself. I just thought that this is the new chapter of us. And as I said before, this is the post-apocalyptic theme, and so I didn’t want to do electronic things on this one. If we had more time, maybe we would have done that kind of stuff with more organic sounds. But because of the Lunatic Soul albums…they kind of stole Riverside’s time in the studio, unfortunately. We couldn’t do that. Besides, you know, I really wanted to start our new chapter without all of these bonus things. We had this conversation with the record label. They always want to have something. “So please, maybe you can use the old songs?” I said no, not old songs. Not with Piotr because this is something new, this is more about us. Let’s not dig in the past. “Okay, so maybe you can prepare some other bonus tracks?” No, we don’t have bonus tracks. This is the pure essence of everything. It’s pretty well balanced. So at the end we did only one disc. Just for the media book we had to do something, so we had to do this radio edit for “River Down Below”, but this is only so that we could release it as media book CDs. So just please ignore this [laughs].
Yeah, I think just having a one very concise 50 minute album at this point in your career makes perfect sense and it’s very effective. So you’re right, there’s no need for anything more than that right now.
Especially when we did a lot of stuff in the past, together with “SONGS” and with the “Time Machine”. So maybe now it’s time for the pure essence of what’s the most important.
Exactly. What are you looking forward to the most in the upcoming tour?
I’m pretty excited for the arrangements, live arrangements. We’ve started to do some preparations. So for instance, we ask, “Okay, Maciej, now just play this riff on guitar and I will play the bass.” And he started to play “Acid Rain” and it didn’t work! So I said, okay, so I need to play on this because I play this on the album. So I just took my Piccolo bass and I started to play and he did something else on the guitar and Michal started to play electric bass and we said, wow, that sounds pretty amazing! So there would be lots of surprises when I have to take a different instrument in my hand. There will be moments when there will probably be five people on the stage because we’re also going to take one guy with us who will play additional bass guitar. So, Riverside’s changed now in the live version. So we are a trio in the studio but in the live version we will be a different band. I’m really looking forward to see and hear how it goes with this! Plus, I believe that songs from “Wasteland” will be pretty amazing live. Especially “Acid Rain” or “Wasteland”, the title track with all the singing of the audience.
So when you’re performing the songs live, have you found it to be a limitation that your bandmates don’t sing as well? So you can’t really recreate all of the harmonies and layering from the studio albums? Or do you like being the sole vocalist and then getting the audience to sing with you?
Hmmm… I don’t want to play with additional backing tracks, like many, many bands do. That’s why we decided to do this in this pure version. Sometimes we need to rearrange tracks. But it’s always nice when people sing with you [laughs]. That makes you feel that you’re not alone! So I have a hope that people will help me in singing, in many moments.
Are there any songs from your catalog that you do not want to revisit in concert after the passing of Piotr?
Well, the most painful things we did already during the “Towards the Blue Horizon” tour. I think that people cried their eyes out already and now they’re also ready for everything. So we want to go back to our old catalog. Maybe we should return something from the “Out of Myself” album. I will. And mix and blend this together with “Wasteland”. There will be lots of surprises, I believe. So I’m pretty excited for the upcoming tour and maybe I should mention that…because you’re in the United States and we are not coming there this year, but we’re definitely coming to the U.S. next year. First we’re gonna go to play the Cruise to the Edge. It’s some kind of party on the boat for some proggy geeks. And then we will come back in May to play at Rosfest in Florida!
Yeah, it’ll be great having you on the Cruise to the Edge. I’ll be on there with you guys and as you said, it’s a great party and a lot of fun. I know we’ve been wanting to get you on the cruise for a long time.
And all these people with the same t shirts again! I love that! [laughs] You know, we have this Cruise to the Edge and we did the Progressive Nation at sea in 2014 as far as I remember. And it was a really, really amazing experience and people were adorable. So I’m really looking forward to be there, too.
Has your audience changed over the years, given the different styles of music that your albums have explored?
Um, I think that this decade I’ve noticed more and more younger people coming to see us. Probably these are the kids of our previous audience! [laughs]So now they grew up and now they’re adults, and they can finally come to see us. But yeah, that’s something that I noticed that there’s more and more young people. So it’s kind of refreshing and shows us that it’s not so bad with music these days.
How are you hoping your audience will react to the new material?
I don’t know! I don’t know. We’ll find out! I hope that some of them know this Clint Eastwood trilogy, this Sergio Leone trilogy and they will, they will love it! [both laugh]
Well, Mariusz, so nice to talk with you. I really look forward to seeing you play live on Cruise to the Edge and then when you get to tour later on next year, but have a wonderful tour this fall and all the best to you in the album release later on next month!
Thank you so much, Scott. Thank you so much to all your listeners. I do hope that there will be a chance to meet and talk again during our shows next year.
We’re going to leave everyone by playing the “Vale of Tears” from the new album. Anything you want to say as an intro to this song?
This is a song that kind of reflects the mood of the album. I’m a Zodiac Libra and I always try to find a good balance between the mellow stuff and the hard stuff and those kinds of things you can find on this song. It shows how we changed, but it doesn’t show how the album looks like as a whole because for that you need to listen to the album from the beginning to the end.
And we will! We will. September 28th, everyone. Thank you again so much, Mariusz.
Thank you. That was a pleasure.
Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends, unless of course you count the part where it ends after about an hour! This week’s discussion features some usual suspects in Gonzo and Jordan, but we were also joined by a very special guest! You may recognize Vikram Shankar as the new keyboard player for Redemption, soon to perform at ProgPower, and he also has his own act Lux Terminus which is set to release their debut album, The Courage to Be, on August 24. We talked to Vik about those items as well as several new projects in the works including a new symphonic metal band called Threads of Fate.
Vik also joined us as we went on to part two of our unpopular opinions segment, where Gonzo tried to grant sainthood to Blaze Bailey for his years in Iron Maiden and Jordan decided to go full blasphemer on Between the Buried and Me and Opeth fans. And we finished up riffing off some comments made by Bruce Dickinson about illegal downloading and the value of music.
You can listen to the whole chat below, or subscribe to our podcast to be notified about the upcoming episodes, as well as any other content we publish almost on daily basis.
Terry Bozzio is someone we could call “a drummer’s drummer”. Widely known for his work with Frank Zappa, Jeff Beck, Korn, UK, Missing Persons, Mick Jagger, Robbie Robertson, Alan Holdsworth, Tony Levin, Steve Vai, Quincy Jones, Ken Scott, Metropole Orkest – as well as film score composers Basil Poledouris, Mark Isham & Patrick O’Hearn, Bozzio is a Grammy Winner, RockWalk Honoree, Modern Drummer Magazine’s Hall of Fame Award, & is in Rolling Stone’s Top 5 Drummers of All Time! Terry has been touring as a solo artist since the mid 90’s, and has been mentioned as an influence by every drummer under the sun. He’s also known for utilizing a drum kit the size of the Sistine Chapel.
Gearing up for a tour consisting of twenty dates in North America starting in mid August 2018, Terry was recently interviewed by Sonic Perspectives collaborator Rodrigo Altaf and discussed his approach to improvisation on stage, several aspects of his career with and without Frank Zappa, and what would drive him to join a band again after so many years as a solo artist. Check out their conversation in the audio player below, and remember to subscribe to our Podcast in several platforms to listen and be notified about new interviews and contents we publish on daily basis.
Few people are as dedicated to metal as TESTAMENT singer Chuck Billy. Billy, along with guitarist Eric Peterson, has steadfastly flown the metal flag for over thirty years, unwavering even in the darkest hours. Nine years and two bouts of cancer after the seminal album The Gathering, TESTAMENT came roaring back with 2008’s excellent The Formation of Damnation and have maintained a hectic schedule ever since.
Billy was gracious enough to chat with Sonic Perspectives resident metal guy Gonzalo Pozo from Atlanta, where TESTAMENT were set to perform that evening as part of SLAYER‘s farewell tour. The two chatted about TESTAMENT ‘s legacy and perseverance, as well as Billy‘s Pomo heritage and his quintessentially Bay Area dabbling in blockchains, cryptocurrency, and vaping pens. Check out their conversation in the video below, or subscribe to our Podcast in several platforms to listen and be notified about new interviews and contents we publish on daily basis.
As one half of TESTAMENT‘s heart and soul, Eric Peterson is reaping the benefits of his and Chuck Billy‘s fervent resolve. Never one to just sit around, Peterson recently resurrected his symphonic black metal side project DRAGONLORD, who will release their first album in thirteen years “Dominion” on September 21, via Spinefarm Records. “Dominion” features Eric Peterson on vocals, guitar and bass, Lyle Livingston (PSYPHERIA) on orchestrated keys and pianos, Alex Bent (TRIVIUM) on drums, and notable fantasy metal singer Leah — who has performed/recorded with members of BLIND GUARDIAN, NIGHTWISH, DELAIN and others — on female vocals and choirs; and it about four years to complete, between TESTAMENT tours and albums. Peterson produced the album with an assist from engineer/mixer Juan Urteaga (TESTAMENT, MACHINE HEAD, M.O.D.), and mastering by famed producer/engineer Jens Bogren of Fascination Street Studios in Sweden. For more detailed information about the record, including video trailers, check out this story.
Peterson talked with Sonic Perspectives metal dude Gonzalo Pozo from the SLAYER‘s Nashville tour stop during the second leg of the ginormous farewell tour to talk metal, Testament, Dominion, and the surprisingly literate geekery that inspired it. Check out their conversation in the video below, or subscribe to our Podcast in several platforms to listen and be notified about new interviews and contents we publish on daily basis.
Symphonic Prog fans take note: Sean Timm’s band SOUTHERN EMPIRE’s has created a sumptuous feast for your ears with their sophomore album “Civilisation”. In between listenings, you can check out this interview with Sean where he discusses the new album, what makes this band so special, and the challenges of global domination when you’re originating from Down Under.
Sonic Perspectives correspondent Scott Medina covers all of this and more in this 45-minute interview, which you can download as a podcast or stream via the YouTube link or audio widget below. Be sure to follow/subscribe to Sonic Perspectives on your social media channels to see our latest reviews and interviews. Enjoy!
Welcome to what was a truly fun and powerhouse discussion, the middle section of which left friendships in tatters and battle scars for all. Joining Nick once again was Gonzolo and Jordan, and after discussing the upcoming Pineapple Thief album entitled Dissolution due out August 31 the group went on to discuss their unpopular opinions. Whether it was Jordan saying that Snow was Neal Morse‘s best work, Gonzolo berating Kamelot (including the Khan-era, and including Khan himself), or Nick decrying a Porcupine Tree favorite in Fear of a Blank Planet there were plenty of disagreements to go around. The discussion was so fun in fact that we’ve decided that Episode 12 will feature part two of the discussion. Finally we ended things talking about Facing the Incurable, the debut album from A Dying Planet due out August 14 and featuring some of the gentlemen best known as a driving force behind Zero Hour.
You can listen to the whole chat below, or subscribe to our podcast to be notified about the upcoming episodes, as well as any other content we publish almost on daily basis.
For the second straight week we have a discussion that involved Nick, Gonzo, and Jordan, this time talking mainly about albums we found had an immediate impact on us as opposed to those that took repeated listens for us to fully enjoy. We also dug into the archives and made the 2nd half of the podcast a discussion we had with Gordon Ireland, Austin Kokel and Joel Barrios about the music business and owning a record shop.
You can listen to the whole chat below, or subscribe to our podcast to be notified about the upcoming episodes, as well as any other content we publish almost on daily basis.
One of the pioneers of female fronted metal bands, Doro Pesch is back with a new album, and this time she really means business. With 25 tracks, “Forever Warriors, Forever United” is set for release on August 17th 2018, and showcases several guest appearances: Johan Hegg (Amon Amarth), Doug Aldrich (ex-Whitesnake, Dio, The Dead Daisies), the late Warrel Dane (Nevermore, Sanctuary) and many others.
While she was getting ready for her performance at the Wacken Open Air Festival, which happened last weeked, Doro spoke with Sonic Perspectives author and interviewer Rodrigo Altaf about how Lemmy influenced the new album, her touring plans, and the idea of putting together a “ladies of metal” tour, amongst other topics. Check out their conversation in the audio player below, or read the transcript available; and remember to subscribe to our Podcast in several platforms to listen and be notified about new interviews and contents we publish on daily basis.
INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT My guest today is someone you can call a metal pioneer. She played with Warlock for a number of years and she’s had a lengthy solo career since the mid 80’s. Ladies and gentlemen, the Metal Queen herself, Doro Pesch! How are you today, Doro?
Hey, very good. Very good! I’m just getting prepared for Wacken – we’ll play in Wacken in a couple of days and other summer festivals, and it’s all good!
Tell us about the new album, “Forever Warriors, Forever United”! Are you going to release them together or separately?
Together! It’s like two records but it’s my first double album with twenty five songs on it and lots of anthems like “All for Metal”, some cool stuff like “If I can’t have you no one will”, which was just coming out on video yesterday. It’s a duet with Johan Hegg from Amon Amarth All good stuff!
Yeah, I listened to it the other day and with 25 songs, how long did it take you to write and record the whole thing? Did you have help from outside writers this time?
Actually I did! It took about two and a half years and some songs did it with my band, some songs I worked with my old producer and guitar player Joey Balin, who did the “Triumph And Agony” and “Force Majeure” albums with me. One song was written with Jack Ponti, which is the song “Backstage to Heaven”. And one song I wrote with David Bryan, he is the keyboarder and piano player in Bon Jovi, and he wrote a nice ballad called “It Cuts So Deep”, which I think is a killer song! Some songs I wrote by myself, others I did with a great guy with whom I’ve been working for many years – his name is Andreas Bruhn, the ex-guitar player of Sisters of Mercy, and we’ve been working together for at least 22 years, and we did most of the stuff. And every song came out in a different way and the first song, which was actually the inspiration for this album was a song written for Lemmy, called “Living Life to the Fullest” because when Lemmy left, oh man, it was so painful, so heartbreaking. And I went to his funeral and while I was sitting in the airplane, I was having this idea for the song “Living Life to the Fullest” to honour him and to thank him, and lyrics, melody, everything was there! And then I called my friend Andreas and said “I wanna record this right away” and we did it. And this song is what really started the whole process [of the new album]because you never know what would happen in one year, so I’ve had this kind of urgency to do a new record right now and it took like about two and a half years, we had about 40 songs and then I called the record company and they would only take like twelve songs. But then a couple of months ago they said, okay, go for it. And then we picked our favorites and ended up with 25 songs.
And it almost feels like a tribute to Lemmy, because like you said, you have a song that was inspired by his death called “Living life to the Fullest”, you’ve covered a Motorhead song called “Lost In The Ozone” and you duet with Lemmy on the song “It still hurts”, right?
Yes! We did many duets together. And I worked with Lemmy, I think, the first time was in 2000, and the last time on “It still hurts”. I loved Lemmy so much, he was my best friend – him and Ronnie James Dio. And I miss him so much, and I thought it should start with Lemmy and it should end with Lemmy. There are some bonus tracks, but I love that song so much because it has such great lyrics, and I I think Lemmy was such a great lyricist! He really hit the nail on the head and was so deep, so honest and sad…and the whole CD is dedicated to Lemmy – it says so on the booklet, and I miss him every day.
And there are original songs and six covers from Motorhead to Whitesnake. Who else did you cover on this album?
It’s three covers, everything else is original. There are six bonus tracks. The last cover song is called “Caruso”, and it’s an Italian song. A great songwriter wrote it, his name is Lucio Dalla, and it’s a beautiful song – the first one I sing in Italian. Last year I was in Italy, we were touring, and then so many Italian friends said, “hey, you’re always singing in English and French and German, Spanish, Portuguese etc., how about an Italian song?”. I said, “that’s right”. And that song I always wanted to sing and then I called my guitar player who’s actually Italian and said “hey, can you coach me, can you help me with the lyrics” and then we recorded it. This was actually the last song which got recorded. And he played it to his mom and she got tears in her eyes! I like when my music makes people feel something, you know?
Very cool. The first song that caught my attention was “All for Metal”, which of course has icons such as Mille from Kreator, Chuck Billy, the guys from Sabaton and Warrel Dane contributing and that’s quite an anthem. How did you come up with that song and the recordings for the guest appearances weren’t done all at once, right?
We came up with it a year ago, or one and a half years ago and at first it was just melody – this really nice melody, you know, a hooky chorus! And then I was in Wacken last year and I sang one song with Amon Amarth, because on their last album “Jomsviking” I sang a duet with Johan Hegg called “The Dream That Cannot Be”. And they invited me and said “come on up”, and I sang one song, and they had all this DVD production there…so that was the first time that I didn’t have my own show and I could walk around, talk to everybody, talk to all my friends and other bands. I saw Jeff Waters, and next to him was Warrel Dane! He was a great friend of mine for many years. We did a long tour in 1988 with Megadeth, Sanctuary and Warlock, and we became great friends. And then last year I told him I was working on a new record, and all of a sudden he was singing in it with me! And eventually, other friends joined too… unfortunately, it was the last time I saw him. He looked really good, in good spirits and then a couple of months later I heard that he passed away, and that’s really sad.
I actually saw you and Warrel in the same festival in 2006. It was the Live N ‘Louder Festival in Sao Paulo in Brazil. He was there with Nevermore and you played there just after them!
Yeah, I remember! I hope Warrel is in a better place now – it’s really sad.
Another song that couldn’t go unnoticed when I listened to is the one you mentioned before, “If I can’t have you no one will”, the duet with Johan. Tell us about that one.
We had this idea, Tommy Bolan, our guitar player in Warlock on the “Triumph and Agony” days and I. We were always great friends and last year we did a couple of shows where we played only the “Triumph and Agony” album, which was, I think, one of our best records and it was actually released 30 years ago, in 87. And I asked Tony, “hey shall we celebrate the anniversary?” He said “yes, I’d love to”. So we went to play a couple of shows, did a tour in America, and played Sweden Rock Festival and Norway Rock. We had so much fun! And then it was like about 5:00 in the morning, 7:00 we had to leave to take a plane, and then we were talking and talking, and I said: “hey, shall we do a little jam session?”. So we jammed in our hotel room, and the song “If I can’t have you no one will” came out and we did a demo and then I told Tommy “I think Johan would be great!” So I sent it to Johan and asked him to write the lyrics for the verses, which he did. And then he sang on it, and now we did the video, which actually came out recently. And I think it came out so great! You gotta check it out on YouTube and I think it’s one of the coolest songs, very different, brutal, you know!
One of my favorite songs on the album is one I haven’t heard you talk about too much yet – the ballad “Heartbroken”. So tell us about that one as well!
It’s one of my favorites, and the solos on that song were played by Doug Aldrich, who played in Whitesnake and Dio, and is now with The Dead Daisies. We played together in many festivals, and a couple of years ago we played in Las Vegas, and then I asked him if he wants to come up and play a song with us, and we did “Breaking the Law”. I always loved playing that Judas Priest song, and when Doug played, I was blown away. I asked him to play a solo in one of my songs, and he said “yes, send me some songs!” We had this song “Heartbroken” which I wrote with Andreas, and I thought this could be something for Doug. And then I sent him and I was hoping that he would like it, and he loved it! So he played on that, and I think he’s one of the greatest guitar players of all times, and the nicest guy too, so it was quite an honor!
Yeah. I actually met him a couple of times in the last time was just a month ago here in Toronto. He was doing a clinic here, and he’s a nice guy for sure!
Yeah, and such a great player! I like it when good people are playing on the songs on the record. It always motivates me and I like having great people as guests, or people you know for a long time. It’s a big treat!
Tell us about the lineup of your band these days. Most of the guys have been with you for a long time now, right?
Yes. Yeah, our bass player Nick Douglas has been with us for 28 years! Our drummer Johnny Dee has been with us for 25 years. Luca Princiotta, our Italian guitar player, has been with us for 10 years, and Bas Maas our other guitar player is from The Netherlands and has been with us for nine years. And sometimes we have a special guest, Tommy Bolan because we got along so great, and sometimes we do a few shows, and as I said he’s the guitar player from the “Triumph and Agony” album. It was actually 1987 and he’s such a powerhouse and he will join us in Wacken because it’s a special show, with pyrotechnics and many guests. I think he’s just, as we speak, he’s flying over and he’ll be joining us on many, many other gigs and festivals. We did an American tour together and we had sometimes three guitar players on stage, so a lot of shredding and solos and lots of fun and lots of energy, I love that! Especially, Tommy – he’s always great because he always gives 180 percent, you know, he never has to think twice about it – he’s on the floor rolling in sweat and blood and that’s what I love. I love to make people feel good and you know, to get the energy going and Tommy, he’s a funny guy and a crazy performer. Definitely, something to look forward to!
One thing that caught my attention is how great your voice is after all those years. What kind of care do you have with your voice these days, and do you find it more difficult to get proper rest between shows nowadays?
Actually, when I go onstage, I tend to be sick as a dog. But when I see the fans, it just pops out and I can belt it out! Before and afterward, it’s a different story. And in this day and age, we don’t take so many days off anymore, so it’s sometimes hard and when we tour in the winter time I always think I’m fucking dying! But yeah, it comes with the territory. It’s great playing live and you know, when I get great feedback of the fans, I’m in Heaven – nothing ever hurts onstage and I don’t feel any pain, nothing, you know, I can break a leg, It doesn’t matter! And touring is sometimes hard, but it’s always worthwhile when I see the people, and it can be big or small. It can be Wacken in front of whatever, 80,000 people. It can be a smaller club in front of three, four, 500 people. It doesn’t matter as long as I see them and we’re connecting and you know, and I live for metal. I made up my mind when I was 24, and I’m so happy that I made this decision because I’m so grateful and so happy. And physically it’s always, it’s always cool. I’m a big fan of martial arts and do it to keep the body strong and you don’t feel any pain when you’re training, sometimes you get hit or something happens and then my trainer says “okay, you can sit down or you can just go on!”. So whatever happens on stage, you know, I don’t, I don’t feel any pain. Yeah, it’s pure joy, pure joy and I do every concert like it could be the last, you know.
And you mentioned the Wacken festival that’s coming up in a few days. That’s got to be a highlight for you for sure. And what can fans expect in terms of set list *and performance from you?*
Many special guests. We’re up on stage and Johan Hegg will come and we’ll do the song “If I can’t have you, no one will”, and maybe “A dream that cannot be”, and we have a couple of guests. You know, I grew up in the glam rock times with like Sweet, Slade, T Rex, Alice Cooper, and one band that I always loved was Sweet. When I was like seven, eight years old, I already felt that music was one of the most important things in my life, and I actually met the guys of Sweet, Andy Scott, a great guitar player, and I invited him to play, so we will probably perform Ballroom Blitz, one of my favorite songs. We’ll have pyrotechnics, fireworks, you know, the biggest show, and the stage will look like a Mad Max movie. It will definitely look bigger than life!
One question that probably comes up in all your interviews is, what was it like starting off in the 70’s/80’s when metal was dominated by men. Do you have any reflections on that? Was it harder then than it is now?
I think now we have much more freedom when you want to start a band or something – there’s a lot more opportunity to reach your fan base on Twitter, Facebook. I think that it’s great. When I started it was very underground. I started in the 80’s, and there weren’t any magazines in Germany, only fanzines which we photocopied. We had to do a lot of work to get to know other bands or to find out or somebody was playing close to your country. So you definitely have to make much more effort and I think sometimes maybe it meant a little bit more to you if had to work hard to get special records, and especially working hard to see a special concert. I love vinyl records, which are very rare now, but we’re still putting out vinyl with the whole package, double vinyl, picture discs that the fans can hang on the walls. Something for collectors and I miss that sometimes. I like to have something in my hands and we always try to make a beautiful artwork. That booklet that the painting on the cover it usually it’s painted by Geoffrey Gillespie – he’s been doing all my covers since the “Triumph and Agony” album. And then if you have something in your hands, a piece of art, I like it that way. But in the 80’s it was very exciting. There weren’t any rules or limitations or security, people could just come up and stage dive, and some of them even were hanging out on stage! And now it’s more, more rules, of course, I want people to stay secure, you know. When I started my first band, I was 15 and I didn’t even know that we would do heavy metal. And then some fans that came into the dressing room and I said, “well you guys are a heavy metal band”. And we said, “that sounds pretty cool!”. I think every time, it’s difficult to keep your band going, you have to fight for them, Yeah, I think it’s always tough.
And one can say you were a pioneer back then along with Lita Ford, Leather Leone, and a few others like maybe the girls in Vixen. Would you consider doing a tour with just the metal ladies? I think there’ll be a market for that, don’t you think?
Yes, that would be great! I got along so well with Lita Ford – we did a Monsters of Rock cruise some months ago and we got along so great. And you know, we started talking about doing something together. And yes, I would love to do that – it would be something special. I would love it. There’s another great band which I admire that got together again – Rock Goddess, from England. Of course Girlschool, we were always great friends…and of course Lee Aron from Canada. And eventually, you know, we have to do that.
And I think there’s a couple of other newer bands that you influenced as well – Halestorm, Evanescence, Lacuna Coil, wouldn’t you say?
Yeah! I love Lzzy Hale, Arch Enemy, Lacuna Coil… great bands! There’s a better balance now! No, it’s awesome actually. So yeah, I think eventually we should do, we should get together and do maybe a big festival. I’d love that, yeah!
And aside from Wacken, what other touring plans do you have for the new album?
We’re doing a lot of summer festivals and then the tour will start in November/December, and restart in March again. On our world tour, we’ll go into America and Canada and Brazil and Russia and all over the world. And I would like the fans to pick their favorite songs [to hear live]because now there are 25 new songs! I love them all. I really am excited about all the songs. I’d like the fans to pick the songs we play live. Obviously a song like “All for Metal” we’ll play on all the shows. Sometimes we play two, three hours and we are touring nonstop and hopefully play in many festivals and in America, in America, Brazil, Canada. I’m a big fan of festivals, I love them! And maybe next year I’ll do like you said – something with the ladies of metal.
Yeah, that’d be cool! So let’s finish off with a message to the fans who want to see live.
Metalheads, my dear friends and fans, I love you more than anything in this world, and I can’t wait to see you guys live and play the songs on my new record! I hope you guys love the new record. It’s called “Forever Warriors, Forever United”, and it has a lot of anthem songs and I wish everybody the best. Thank you so much for your support, and I love you with all my heart!
Doro, it’s been a pleasure talking to you. All the best with the new album. And let’s be in touch, Ok?
Yes! Most definitely! Which city are you located in?
I’m in Toronto!
Oh, Toronto! We always play there. Then I definitely see you in Toronto and are the best and great talking to you and stay metal!
Robert Berry is realizing a 30 year old dream with the release of 3.2 album “The Rules Have Changed”, scheduled to hits the streets on August 10, 2018 via Frontier Records. This is and forever will be the last works of keyboard legend Keith Emerson, as the two were working on this project when Keith passed away in March of 2016. The two were noted for releasing the progressive-rock album ‘3’ – To The Power Of Three, with Carl Palmer in March of 1988. The 3 album contained the hit ‘Talkin Bout’ which topped the Billboard Charts at #9.
Sonic Perspectives correspondents Ron Matthews and Geno Salvati sat down with Berry, and in a very friendly and relaxed conversation they explored the creation of this material with Keith and the excitement building in the prog-rock world due to the album release, along with stories of touring with Keith and Carl in the band 3. Robert Berry is a world renowned musician, producer, composer and singer-songwriter who has performed with such legendary bands as Hush, GTR, Alliance, 3, Sammy Hagar, Ambrosia and The Greg Kihn Band, and he continues to produce such bands as Tempest and numerous solo projects.
Check out their conversation in the video below, or subscribe to our Podcast in several platforms to listen and be notified about new interviews and contents we publish on daily basis.
Formed in 1997 by members and ex-members of Sinner and Gamma Ray, the German metal band Primal Fear has made a name for itself for consistently delivering high-caliber, Judas Priest-inspired, adrenaline-fueled metal that never. Along with Sweden’s Hammerfall, they are widely credited for revitalizing heavy metal during the grunge-alternative heyday of the 90s and have the enviable distinction of never having released a weak album.
Pumped for the August 10th release of Primal Fear‘s new album Apocalypse (you can read our own review of the album here), ever-cordial on again/off again Primal Fear guitarist Tom Naumann was kind enough to stay up well past his bedtime just to give Sonic Perspectives shooter/scribe Gonzalo Pozo one of the most genial conversations he’s had the pleasure of having with a rocker dude, and to show off that he has Steve Lukather‘s cell phone number and you don’t.
Check out their conversation in the video below, or subscribe to our Podcast in several platforms to listen and be notified about new interviews and contents we publish on daily basis.
Sorry it’s been awhile since one of our spirited musical discussions! Nick was off to Europe for a few weeks that ended with some festivities at Night of the Prog, which is one of the topics he ended up talking about with Gonzo and Jordan. Coming out the same day as this podcast is the debut solo album from longtime Symphony X guitar ace Michael Romeo titled War of the Worlds Pt. 1, and was our lead topic. We also managed to conquer about 0.1% of a discussion on the broad subject of 80’s progressive rock scene and finished things off talking about what we are looking forward to in the latter half of 2018.
You can listen to the whole chat below, or subscribe to our podcast to be notified about the upcoming episodes, as well as any other content we publish almost on daily basis.