The Metal Hall of Fame Charity Gala To Be Filmed for Amazon Prime

Posted on December 18, 2019 by newsteam

Big news! The Hall of Heavy Metal History a.k.a. The Metal Hall of Fame has announced that the 2020 Annual Metal Hall of Fame Celebrity Charity Gala will be filmed live and will air on Amazon Prime. Hard rock and heavy metal fans in attendance will be featured in the filming, which will take place on January 15 at the Marriott Delta Garden Grove in Anaheim, CA. The world premiere of the film will air in early 2020, reaching more than 100 million subscribers. Metal Hall of Fame President/CEO Pat Gesualdo says, “Having the World Premier for the 2020 Metal Hall of Fame Gala on Amazon Prime is a great honor. We are excited to share the most important night in metal with music fans everywhere, and to let so many people take part in our charity event.” 2020 Metal Hall of Fame inductees include Steve Vai, Geoff Tate (Queensryche), Don Dokken (Dokken), Stephen Pearcy (Ratt), Graham Bonnet (Rainbow, Michael Schenker Group, Alcatrazz), Joe Satriani, legendary metal promoter Stone City Attractions, Metal Church, Prong, and former Megadeth guitarist Chris Poland. Continue reading →

Ratt Books Late 2019 East Coast Tour Dates

Posted on November 14, 2019 by newsteam

The reunited Hard Rock legends RATT have announced a dozen shows in December as part of its “In Your Direction” tour. Kicking off December 12th in Buffalo, New York and will end on December 29th in Cincinnati, Ohio. All dates are on sale below. RATT’s current lineup includes original members Stephen Pearcy (vocals) and Juan Croucier (bass), along with drummer Pete Holmes (Black ‘N Blue) and guitarists Jordan Ziff and Chris Sanders (Britny Fox, Knight Fury). The band is presently working on a new album for a 2020 release.

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Heavy Montreal 2018 To Feature Avenged Sevenfold, Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson, And More!

Posted on February 21, 2018 by News Team

After skipping 2017, Heavy Montreal is officially back, and the 2018 lineup is HUGE. Continue reading →

Extreme, Tom Keifer, Sebastian Bach, Dokken, etc Confirmed For Cathouse Live

Posted on May 15, 2015 by newsteam

Riki Rachtman’s World Famous Cathouse will return to Southern California for one night as Cathouse Live At Irvine Meadows on Saturday, August 15, 2015 at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre (recently known as Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre) in Irvine, CA. Riki Rachtman created the original rock dance club that dominated the Hollywood scene from 1986-1993. The lineup confirmed for this evening include:

All-Star Jam
Extreme
Tom Keifer (Cinderella)
Sebastian Bach
Dokken
Faster Pussycat
Stephen Pearcy (the voice of RATT)
Saigon Kick
Gilby Clarke
Dangerous Toys
L.A. Guns
Junkyard
Trixter
Autograph
Black ‘N Blue
Tracii Guns
Enuff Z’ Nuff
BulletBoys
Bang Tango
Jetboy
Pretty Boy Floyd
Tuff
Little Caesar

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Black Star Riders Confirm Upcoming April Shows

Posted on April 21, 2015 by newsteam

Black Star Riders. L-R: Robbie Crane • Damon Johnson • Ricky Warwick • Jimmy DeGrasso • Scott Gorham

Black Star Riders have confirmed five US tour dates in late April. The band features guitarist Scott Gorham (Thin Lizzy, 21 Guns), vocalist Ricky Warwick (Thin Lizzy, The Almighty), guitarist Damon Johnson (Thin Lizzy, Alice Cooper, Brother Cane), drummer Jimmy DeGrasso (Y&T, Megadeth), and bassist Robbie Crane (Ratt, Lynch Mob). They are supporting their new album The Killer Instinct, which was produced by Nick Raskulinecz (Rush, Foo Fighters, Alice In Chains, Mastodon)

Apr 24: Potawatomi Casino – Milwaukee, WI (with Europe)
Apr 25: Rascals Live – Moline, IL
Apr 26: Granada—Lawrence, KS
Apr 28: House of Blues – Chicago, IL (with Europe)
Apr 30: Irving Plaza – New York, NY (with Europe)

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Santa Cruz – Santa Cruz

Posted on March 9, 2015 by Steve Tovey

The opening of thirty seconds of the self-titled sophomore album (Spinefarm) from Finland’s Santa Cruz teases of this being (yet another) post-hardcore album before, like Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible II, rips off the covering mask with a stomping cojones-to-the-max Sleaze Rock riff. We’re implored to get our “middle fingers up” and raise our “fucking hands in the air” before being swept up into the type of chorus that used to get millions of mulleted and permed peeps singing along.

Santa Cruz have unveiled their true selves.

But let’s get some disclaimers in early before we end up doing Santa Cruz a disservice and having you all rolling your eyes to the heavens and thinking this is some kind of retro throwback, na-na-na (as many a great chorus’ go), this is sleaze and glam but up-to-date. Yes, the roots of the rock swagger on display have been led from Park Avenue to Skid Row, but there are also similarities to The Used and Hardcore Superstar in there.

OK, there is no musical revolution going on here, but when you have songs as massive as ‘6(66) Feet Under’ or ‘My Remedy’ you don’t need to be setting a new agenda, you’ll win hearts and minds just by producing damn good, catchy, slick spirited rock songs; ‘Wasted & Wounded’ is, (woah-oh-oh, woah-oh-oh), the song Black Veil Brides have always been striving for.

Vocalist “Archie” has Seb Bach ‘tood in his voice and “Johnny” Parkkonen is happy slamming riffs, chugs, and searing widdling leads (the solo to ‘Vagabonds’ is pure Marty Friedman – love it!), but between them the quartet stay on target for the duration of the ten tracks on display, high-energy rock music, excellently captured with enough heaviness, balls and vibe in the sound to help them stand out, and to indicate a live show would a great night out.

There’s a line between disposable, retro hero-worship rock (that frankly bores the fuck out of me and flatters to deceive) and being a goddamn good rock band, and Santa Cruz are man-walking, chests out, over there; the line is a dot to them. With the power of a Bullet For My Valentine, and the choruses of Ratt, Santa Cruz is an album that’ll get your boogie on, get your hand in the air, your air guitar out and get your mouth singing along.

And you can’t argue with that.

8.0/10

Santa Cruz on Facebook

STEVE TOVEY

Bloodsoaked Making All Four Albums Available As Free Downloads

Posted on March 4, 2015 by newsteam

North Carolina one man death metaller Bloodsoaked has made all four of their albums available via free downloads. Go here and download 2007’s Brutally Butchered, 2009’s Sadistic Deeds…Grotesque Memories, 2011’s The Death of Hope, and 2014’s Religious Apocalypse for free.

The most recent of the four, Religious Apocalypse, was released last year on Comatose Music and included new cuts, live tracks and brutalized renditions of Cinderella‘s “Shake Me” and Ratt‘s “You’re in Love.”

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The Dead Daisies Part Of Cultural Exchange With Cuba

Posted on February 24, 2015 by newsteam

The Dead Daisies are in the midst of their cultural exchange as guests of the Cuban Ministry of Culture, Cuban Institute of Music and the Cuban Rock Agency. View the photos of their trip here.

The venture is one of the first for a U.S. rock band since Obama loosened travel and trade rules for the country and the band for this excursion includes Richard Fortus (Guns N Roses, Psychedelic Furs) on lead guitar, Marco Mendoza (Thin Lizzy, Whitesnake) on bass, Dizzy Reed (Guns N Roses, Hookers & Blow) on keyboards, David Lowy (Mink, Red Phoenix) on guitar and Brian Tichy (Ozzy Osbourne, Billy Idol) on drums. Also along for the ride are Darryl Jones (Rolling Stones, Sting, Peter Gabriel), John Corabi (Motley Crue, RATT) and Bernard Fowler (Rolling Stones).

While in Cuba, The Dead Daisies are performing both acoustic and electric shows as well as recording tracks for their upcoming album. Joining them in the Cuban studio is producer Ben Grosse (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Sevendust, Stone Temple Pilots), who tagged along for the trip and will be behind the boards at Abdala Estudios for the sessions.

In addition to recording their new album, The Dead Daisies will also be jamming with Cuban musicians Yasek Manzano, Carlos Miyares, Michel Herrera, Alejandro Martinez, Harold Lopez and Yaimi Karel. The group will also visit schools and conduct workshops with students and local musicians.

The Dead Daisies Cuba Schedule
Feb 22: Welcome Cocktail Party with Cuban Ministry, Institute & Musicians – Havana, Cuba
Feb 23: Press Conference & Acoustic Performance at la Fábrica de Arte – Havana, Cuba
Feb 24: Cuban Recording Sessions with local Cuban musicians – Havana, Cuba
Feb 25: Cuban Recording Sessions and Club Gig at Maxims – Havana, Cuba
Feb 26: Music School & Master Class Visits – Havana, Cuba
Feb 27: Cuban Recording Sessions – Havana, Cuba
Feb 28: Cuba Rocks For Peace concert at Salón Rosado de La Tropical – Havana, Cuba (with David Blanco y su grupo and Anima Mundi)

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Maverick – Quid Pro Quo

Posted on December 16, 2014 by Steve Tovey

They say rock and metal is dead… If so no-one told the 10-legged monster of rock and metal from Northern Ireland that is Maverick who, in a true 80s cliché, are coming your way. The band’s début release on Massacre, Quid Pro Quo is a heady, high octane take on ‘retro’ rock.

Already familiar thanks to a video release ‘Paint By Numbers’ is a fist in the face of hipsters, scenesters, and fashionistas, but ‘Got It Bad’ is where listener has to make up their mind, and where some may shy away from Maverick. It is a great song, and had it been released in the mid-80s it would have been on constant rotation on AM radio in the US – itt’s as catchy as Ebola in Sierra Leone, while vocalist David Balfour showcases his range on ‘Snakeskin Sinner’ and ‘Electric’, and Ryan Sebastian Balfour’s tasteful, melodic soloing complements the sound throughout

But do we need another band who re-tread the sound of Ratt, Crue, MTV-era Whitesnake, Y&T etc? The love of music is at the heart of the Maverick matter and is dealt with on ‘In Our Blood’ as David declares when younger he would “put all my CDs on and have a concert in my room”. On the other hand the track ‘One More Day (Quid Pro Quo)’ deals with serious matters in a narration of the real personal toll the conflict in Northern Ireland took.

Whether it be the lusting or the longing; whether it is ranting or the wrongdoing of paramilitaries; or whether it is just heads down hard rockin’ Maverick know that telling the tale within each song is about composition and depth. Sure you can write off this release too easily as looking back at a lost time, this simply about declaring their love of the era that spawned so much modern rock and metal.Maverick have produced a chest thumping, raucous, powerful, pounding, melodic release oozing with passion as the Maverick monster pounds all into submission on Quid Pro Quo, as if the 80s never went away

9.0/10

Maverick on Facebook

JONATHAN TRAYNOR

Bloodsoaked – Religious Apocalypse

Posted on September 4, 2014 by News Team

Hailing from Raleigh, North Carolina, Bloodsoaked is the vision of one Peter Hasselbrack, a scene veteran who handles all the instruments and songwriting himself, and as can be expected by his chosen band name, plays brutal death metal. New EP Religious Apocalypse (Comatose Music) is actually lengthier than all three of their previous full length outings, but instead of a whole set of new material, we are instead offered three new tracks, two covers and four live cuts. For an introduction to Bloodsoaked it serves a fine purpose. Unfortunately any new listeners are unlikely to hang around too long for there’s little worth seeing here.

As with most brutal death metal bands, there’s a strong emphasis on gore, trebly, low-end guitars and guttural vocals, although to his credit, Hasselbrack has decided to branch out slightly by attempting to imitate early Deicide in the new tracks on offer, especially on ‘Abomination’ and the title track. Opening number ‘Devouring’ features some hefty chugs and a satisfyingly thick bottom end, although the drumming and songwriting remain strictly average. Far better are the covers of ‘Shake Me’ by Cinderella and ‘You’re in Love’ by Ratt, which are fun in a goofy way, although it may be a case of smearing lipstick on a dead hooker as these songs were terrible to begin with. The live tracks are well recorded, but nothing special with even the cheers at the end sounding half-arsed.

With death metal in rude health, bands like Bloodsoaked really should be trying to raise their game rather than relying on standard formulas and silly covers. Existing fans may lap it up but for the band to rise above their current place in the also-rans, they will need to offer much more in future.

5/10