Join The Dead-Join The Dead

Roxx Records
2012


Join the dead? Well, I might feel like the dead first thing in the morning before my coffee (just fair warning to everyone out there-PLEASE do not approach me before I've had my coffee! I am dangerous when cornered!), but life does hold so much promise so maybe I'll hang on to the living for awhile. In reality what we have here is not so much a plea towards death or even an acceptance that you might become one of the walking dead (what with the zombie apocalypse in full bloom!), but rather a new thrash band from Roxx Records. This Northern California based thrash band features Michael Phillips (Deliverance, The Sacrificed, Fasedown) Paul White (Decadence) and Tim Kronyak (Deliverance) meaning while they might be "new" there is a lot of back bone to this outfit. This is full-on thrash meaning a bunch of guys moshing it up the old school way. Exodus, Forbidden, Vio-Lence, Death Angel, Testament, early Metallica, etc. Too be honest none of this is new as Join The Dead recycle a lot of classic thrash riffs. On their debut release the band blasts through four tracks of old school metal and what it lacks in originality it makes up for in epic thrashing. These four tracks will be released in digital format. That said, the EP will also be available in a "Limited Edition" CD pressing that will include 13 bonus tracks. This might just be the one to spring for if you are a Christian thrash freak. The bonus material features previously unreleased demos and live recordings that, more or less, tell the story of Join The Dead. These early recordings features material from some all time greats from the Christian thrash scene including The Crucified's Greg Minier (who by the way released one killer self-titled EP worth hunting down), Tim Kronyak, Michael Phillips, Paul White, Jim Chaffin and Jimmy Brown. The CD release will include a full color booklet telling the story and history of Join The Dead and offer up insight into the unreleased tracks. While all I had to review was the simple four track EP my gut tells me the CD release will be even better considering the who's who involved in it's making.

Ultimatum / Join The Dead-Promotional Sampler

Roxx Records
2012

As Metal Mark said yesterday " The promo links are piling up.". With that being said (and with the express understanding that I am still only typing with one hand so any/all reviews from me will be short and sweet) I am also going to try to knock a few more out of the way over the next several days. This particular promo sampler features two solid Christian thrash outfits. Ultimatum are a band I'm rather familiar with. Lead by
Scott Waters (of No Life 'til Metal blog site fame) the band plays old-school thrash that is heavy and hard-hitting. I've always thought they sounded like a cross between Exodus and Metallica. In both cases I'm talking the earlier (and better) of both of those bands. All around good thrash that will make you want to turn your living room into a mosh pit. Excuse a bit of the old "cut and paste" here, but (per the promo):

Tracks 1 through 5 were taken from the brand new Ultimatum Album titled 'Heart of Metal - 20 Years of Ultimatum'

1. Heart of Metal [Remix 2012]
2. Blood on a Thousand Hills [2012]
3. Scattered (Body Parts) [2012]
4. Hook, Line & Sinker [2012]
5. Rip 'n' Tear [2012]

Meanwhile, tracks 6 through 9 were taken from the debut self titled album by Join the Dead  which I am fairly certain is the same EP I covered once already:
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/search?q=Join+The+Dead-Join+The+Dead+


Anyway, they tack on four very cool thrash tracks:
6. Mask of Fear [2012]
7. Out of Breath [2012]
8. Self Inflicted Pain [2012]
9. Idol Faith [2012]

And finally, track 10 is an "Exclusive Bonus Track made available only to 'You' and only here on this promotional sampler.". OK, I  can dig that. Said "exclusive bonus track" is a cover of the the Deliverance number " What A Joke?" and features Michael Phillips of Join the Dead and Scott Waters of Ultimatum. Is it any good? Well, it's a cover track so let's just leave it at that. Incidentally I actually caught Deliverance live when they played in the basement (yes, the basement!) of the local library "down the road". This was back when I was still in high school. They played with fellow Christian band Sacrament and made me realize that Christian thrash wasn't as bad as I had been lead to believe. Of course these days "White Metal" isn't as much of an issue anymore as the fine line between Christian and secular has been thoroughly blurred. It's easy enough to enjoy bands like this even if you are not a Christian as the music is, at it's core, just good old-fashioned thrash.

Various Artists-Thrashmageddon Volume 1

Roxx Records / Metal For A Dark World
2013

 This upcoming compilation, which is due for release on November 26, 2013 (In both digital and physical fashion with the physical CD release being a "Limited Edition", one time only/you snooze and you lose affair!), is a collaboration between Roxx Records and Metal for a Dark World Records. And, as the time so helpfully points out, this one covers thrash from both older, more established acts and new, up-and-coming ones. Being that it's on Roxx Records it should go without saying that it's all about Christian thrash, but when it comes to some bands like Tsavo Inc. and Supresion it's not as if you can really tell (as, at least with those two acts, the music is plain nasty and comes packaged with gnarly solos that promise to tear apart your body and leave it just lying there for all to see!). With this compilation there were some bands that I had heard before (Deliverance, Join the Dead, Ultimatum and Boarders), some bands that I had heard of but never heard anything (music-wise) by them (Step Cousin being the one band I was most curious to hear as their name had popped up on a lot of Christian metal discussion boards) and bands that I had never heard of before period! That last collection/description of groups dominated most of this album for me which was good as it gave me something to look forward to with each new track!  Things start off with Deliverance who I believe I've mentioned in the past. If not then the short end of the story is that I first heard these guys with their 1990' "Weapons Of  Our Warfare" album and then I actually saw them play live in the basement of my local library! They were pretty good, but I remember being turned off by the group's later work as it always (at least to me) paled in comparison when put next to the Metallica-like "Weapons...". They sound as if they have returned to form with the opening number. This unreleased demo version of "The Annals of Subterfuge" looks as if it's is a sneak peek at what awaits fans when it comes to the group's upcoming new album "Hear What I Say!". As for the rest of the tracks though? It might be a bit too much to do a track by track breakdown, but I did walk away with a few observations and the desire to hear more out of a couple of these bands. Let's see, while that opening cut by Deliverance is really good (very cool power metal/heavy thrash combo!) the next track by Join the Dead is about two minutes to long! We're talking about a cut that runs like six minutes! I had to fight the urge to just hit "next" so while it's a fine thrash track it just goes on and on and on and for w-a-y too long at that! When you look at this compilation's track listing it does seem as if they tried to stack the more well-known acts up front. Take a look-

1. Deliverance – The Annals of Subterfuge (from the forthcoming album ‘Hear What I Say’)
2. Join the Dead – Idol Faith
3. Ultimatum – Blood on a Thousand Hills
4. Tsavo Inc. – Immunodeficiency
5. Boarders – IV Reich
6. Kyrius – Cara a Cara (Face to Face) (Previously Unreleased)
7. Step Cousin – Bitter Reminder
8. Disaffection – Prepare to Die (Previously Unreleased)
9. Divulgence – The Swarm of Eden
10. Last Rites – Wisdom of Job
11. Puritan – Faixa De Gaza
12. Supresion – Total Thrashing
13. Truster – A.C.D. (Attack Against The Devil)
14. Temple of Blood – Fearsome Warrior (Remastered)
15. Spirit’s Breeze – Another Day
16. ESDRASH – Suicidio N.E.L.S
17. Moshketeers – Internal Torment (Previously Unreleased)

With the exception of Tsavo Inc. those first few bands seem to be the bigger names right? Well, as you go along it's actually some of those less known tracks that end up being the better material here. To cut through the clutter I decided to just give each track a rating. With one "+" being an "decent at best" rating it will go like this:
+=Decent at best.
++=Good, if nothing special, metal.
+++=Solid metal that's worth checking out as it comes packed with some cool ideas.
++++=Now we're talking! This band is cooking with real fire folks!
+++++=Must hear! Where have these guys been all my life? I'm off to look for CDs by this band right now!

1. Deliverance – The Annals of Subterfuge (from the forthcoming album ‘Hear What I Say’) ++++
2. Join the Dead – Idol Faith  +++
3. Ultimatum – Blood on a Thousand Hills +++
4. Tsavo Inc. – Immunodeficiency +++++
5. Boarders – IV Reich  ++++
6. Kyrius – Cara a Cara (Face to Face) (Previously Unreleased) +++
7. Step Cousin – Bitter Reminder ++++
8. Disaffection – Prepare to Die (Previously Unreleased) ++++
9. Divulgence – The Swarm of Eden ++
10. Last Rites – Wisdom of Job ++++
11. Puritan – Faixa De Gaza +
12. Supresion – Total Thrashing +++
13. Truster – A.C.D. (Attack Against The Devil) ++
14. Temple of Blood – Fearsome Warrior (Remastered) ++
15. Spirit’s Breeze – Another Day +
16. ESDRASH – Suicidio N.E.L.S ++
17. Moshketeers – Internal Torment (Previously Unreleased) ++
  

So, there you have it. There were some great surprises and some disappointments. I walked away with some new bands to check out like Tsavo Inc. and Disaffection, but found myself longing for more out of Ultimatum (Their track is basically early Exodus meets early Metallica, but it just feels as if it doesn't stand up next to some of their other, better, material that I've heard). Also, the much-hyped (at least in the promo) "Long Lost never before released classic track" from 80's thrash act the Moshketeers was just alright. Nothing at all that special really. It was one of the tracks I was simply dying to hear as the Moshketeers were underground heroes back in the day and one of the few Christian thrash bands that really seemed to be a legit alternative to what was happening in the secular scene. I remember getting a third or forth generation tape of the Moshketeers back in high school and being really impressed by what these guys had to offer. I was surprised then when they never really took off. Back then it seemed as if someone had really dropped the ball, but that happened with a ton of good metal and thrash bands in both the Christian and secure market. It was just one of those things. As for this compilation then? If your a thrash fan then I'd say yes, look into getting this. The better aspects of this compilation out-way the so-so parts and with 17 tracks there really is quite a bit of variety on display here!

LNJ / JTD / Sacrificed-Roxx Christmas 2012

Roxx Records
2012

 
I've lost count of how many holiday-themed promos I've received in the last week or two. This 3-track release is a Roxx Records Exclusive EP. During this Christmas season, 2012, if you purchase any item from Roxx Records they will throw this in as a freebie. I'm not quite sure if what is being offered is a digital download or a physical item so be sure to check out the link below for more information. Now, as for the actual EP, what would make this release any different then the bulk of similar seasonal releases? Sure, there is the fact that Roxx Records is a Christian label. What difference does that make? Well, the sentiment behind some of the music, as well as the label's actual stance, is most likely more sincere. They want to remind the listener to keep Christ first this Christmas. Considering how commercial and materialistic the holiday season has become anyway it's not such a bad thing at all to take a step back and reflect on something other then the latest and greatest "must have" seasonal purchase. That's just an observation on my part so, as much as I'm sure everyone just loves my daily reflections on life, let's get to this EP. With only 3 songs it's a quick listen. Up first is Liberty n' Justice with a cover of "The Grinch". It's unfortunate that no line-up information was provided with this promo as the music is slick, old-fashioned hard rock/heavy metal with some great solo work out of the guitarist. Music-wise this can't be beat and all it does is make me hunger for Liberty n' Justice's upcoming "The Cigar Chronicles". But, "The Grinch" really doesn't match-up very well when it comes to lyrics verses music. More then anything it just seemed like an odd fit. Track number 2 is Join the Dead with a heavy thrash version of  "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen". I thought
the debut album from this Bay Area thrash band, which was released earlier this year, was a winner with it's old-school take on thrash metal. Join The Dead does the same thing with this cover. If you've always wondered what a Bay Are thrash cover of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" was like then wonder no more. This track isn't anything fancy, but it's got a certain charm all it's own. Last up is The Sacrificed. They cover "The Little Drummer Boy" and, for the record, this one track was released before. Without looking through my reviews I'm 99% percent positive I said the same thing then as I'll say now-it's OK. It really doesn't offer the listener anything interesting so I'm holding out for some more material from The Sacrificed. The promo says that it might come out "before 2013 comes to an end" so I'll look ahead to that. So, while this might not be all that special, it is free with any purchase so there's no real reason to complain out it.


http://www.roxxproductions.com/ 

The Dead End Kidz interview

The Dead End Kidz hail from Mineola, New York and remind me of late 1970's hard rock with a sound that's a bit of a mixture of AC/DC, KISS, Ted Nugent, UFO and Thin Lizzy. I recently got to interview vocalist John Erigo to learn more about this band.



Hello, please introduce the members of your band.

Alrighty then! The Dead End Kidz have got Michael LoBianco on Guitars/Backing Vocals, Kevin Edell on Bass/Backing Vocals, Scott Carlson Guitars, Tom Mahalko Drums/Backing Vocals and some guy named John Erigo trying to sing! LOL!

Tell us a little about the history of your band.

Well, Tommy, Scott and myself started out in a cover band called BASKET CASE. Eventually 2 members of that band left, and we decided to not only stay together, but we agreed to start writing songs. We added the remaining players through the audition process. Michael was actually our first bass player because he was friends with our at-the-time guitarist Marc Weiss. Marc left the band, Mike jumped on guitar and my old friend Kevin Edell came down to check us out and liked it so much he wanted to join. We've been kickin' ass ever since then!

What are you currently up to?

Well, we had some plans for the Summer, but they kind of got side tracked(more on that later!). So, for now we're doing all we can to promote the cd and get it out there so everybody knows who we are. We are hoping that towards the end of 2008 we can get some quality gigs. So, we're concentrating on doing interviews like this one(thanks for having us!), airplay on radio/internet stations, and reviews on websites and in magazines.

Who are your musical influences?

Me, personally? For me first and foremost it is KISS. They were the first band that opened my eyes to LOUD rock n roll. I also enjoy mostly older stuff like Van Halen, AC/DC, Ted Nugent, Thin Lizzy, UFO, Riot, Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, Aerosmith. The Metal head inside me loves Metallica, Anvil, Raven, Saxon, Accept. The Japanese person inside me loves Loudness, Anthem, Seikima-II, Canta, X Japan, Siam Shade. I love lots of different kinds of music!I just recently got into Turbonegro, Danko Jones, The Hellacopters. For OUR influences as a band, lots of these bands would come up. Others would include Rush, The Cult, The Black Crowes, and so on and so on.

What is your favorite decade for music and why?

That's a tough one. I am sure after listening to our new cd UNFINISHED BUSINESS, it seems obvious that it's the 70's. But not the early 70's, more of the mid to late 70's. Before there were so many sub genres and before Hair Metal. Music was pure and full of rock n roll attitude and wasn't diluted into who's hair sticks up higher, and all the bulls**t that came later on in the 80's.





What do you think about the hard rock/metal scene in general today? Is it improving, on the decline or about the same?

I would say the music scene in general is cool today. A lot of people complain about file sharing/downloading, but the internet has made it so easy to find new bands, that in the old days, you would've had no clue that they existed. The truth is that most bands can not make money off of album sales anymore, so it's back to the old "make money on the road" attitude. There are so many bands to discover!

I didn’t see any upcoming shows listed on your Myspace page. Do you any in the works?

Ah, now we get to the "later" I referred to earlier. We were planning on some Summer gigs, but in June I was diagnosed with a huge kidney stone. I have been undergoing treatment for it ever since. I won't go into the details, but my present condition is very uncomfortable and annoyingly painful. So.....I am scheduled for surgery in early September, and hopefully I can resume with DEK by the end of that month and we'll gear up for some ass kicking for the end of 2008!

Do you play any cover songs live?

Well, that depends on how long of a set we get. We have in the past played a bunch. This past April, one of our staple cover songs was released on a tribute cd. We did our version of Ace Frehley's NEW YORK GROOVE on the cd "Lick It Up:A Millennium Tribute To KISS". The cd was put out by Versailles Records and can be found on Amazon.com, or you can cruise to our myspace page www.myspace.com/dekmusic to hear it. We've also been known to do songs like COLD GIN(KISS), TOO HOT TO HANDLE(UFO), CAT SCRATCH FEVER(TED NUGENT), JAILBREAK & DANCIN' IN THE MOONLIGHT(THIN LIZZY), LIT UP(BUCKCHERRY), TOYS IN THE ATTIC(AEROSMITH)just to name a few.

What do you think is your band’s greatest strength?

The way we approach songwriting. I really think it's important as a vocalist to really have the musicians happy with the music before the lyrics/vocals are added. We write as a group, and the process is right for us. They build the house, and then I paint it.

In what area(s) do you think that you still need some work?

Well, personally I wish I was a better vocalist--I think every singer thinks that way. I couldn't point ANY flaws in my bandmates because they just kick ass and amaze me all the time.





Are any of you in other bands or musical projects as well as being in the Dead End Kidz?

It's DEK or bust for me! Kevin has been in a cover band called JERRY AND THE NEWCOMERS and he also had gigged a short while ago with his old band NINJA.

You have a whole lot of friends on Myspace. What else are you doing to get the word out about your band? Is it helping to get you noticed?

I think I touched on it before. We are not JUST concentrating on myspace, although it is easy to because it's free! Like I said, old school marketing. I have been writing to radio stations and websites, magazines, anybody who'll listen. We're trying to blitz every media outlet we can.

What goals do you have for your band for the near future?

The main objective, as always, is to get our music out there so as many people as possible can hear it. From there on out, it's up to them to decide our fate. Hopefully the people that have encountered The Dead End Kidz have enjoyed what they have heard. We've gotten like 99% positive feedback so far, so we must be doing something right!



Pick the band from each of the following pairs that you prefer and tell why.

Are you kidding me?! DUDE! This is going to be impossible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Scorpions or Van Halen

Ugh---I have to go with VH just for the legacy. Klaus, Rudolph, I LOVE you guys but VH wins this one.

Aerosmith or Ted Nugent

Oh man, you suck! LOL! For me personally, it's Uncle Ted, but for the rest of DEK we'll go with Aerosmith. How's that?

Thin Lizzy or UFO

Oh you didn't! These 2 bands BOTH produced what could be agrued as THE BEST live album of all time. Thin Lizzy's LIVE AND DANGEROUS and UFO's STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT. For me, I have to pick Thin Lizzy because of Phil Lynotts amazing songwriting. Kevin Edell(DEK Bassist) and Scott Carlson(DEK Guitarist)will pull for Michael Schenker and the old UFO.

AC/DC or KISS

Now that's just not fair! I said it before, it has to be KISS for me, the rest of DEK would probably pick AC/DC, but it is a tough call.


Is there anything else that you would like to say about your band or your music?

I would like to thank you for showing an interest in THE DEAD END KIDZ. We really do appreciate the exposure. For anybody that hasn't heard of us, or has never heard our music--all we ask is you give us a chance. If you like hard driving, no filler, loud, guitar crankin' ROCK N ROLL, you'll enjoy DEK. Buckle up that seat belt and get ready for the ride! Thanks!



http://www.myspace.com/dekmusic

Various Artists-Summer Sampler 2012

Roxx Records
2012

This was a nice surprise to find in my inbox last Friday. I mean first off all I really like sampler albums and secondly I really like a lot of what Roxx Records has to offer. A few of these artists I've reviewed in the past like The Sacrificed and Jump Ship Quick. Some I know of (Ultimatum for one is lead by my freind over at No Life 'Til Metal, Scott Waters) while the rest were new to me like ForChristSake and Ascendent. Overall this is a nice little sampler covering everything from hard rock to punk to thrash. The track list is as follows:


The Sacrificed – Behold The Power of God
* Taken from the Roxx Records Release ‘III’ (Now Available)
Liberty N Justice – Get Down
* Taken from the Roxx Records Release ‘Hell is coming to Breakfast’ (Now Available)
Jump Ship Quick – Hollywouldn’t
* Taken from the Punk Roxx Records Release ‘Where thieves cannot tread’ (Now Available)
Join The Dead – Out of Breath
* Taken from the Roxx Records Release ‘Join The Dead’ (Release Date August 7, 2012)
Liberty N Justice – Jesus Love Shout
* Taken from the Roxx Records Release ‘Before the Revolution - Best of LNJ The Early Years’ (Available Fall 2012)
Ultimatum – Heart of Metal (Metal Pulse Radio Mix)
* Taken from the Roxx Records BONUS DISC version ‘Heart of Metal – 20 years of Ultimatum’ (Available Fall 2012)
ForChristSake – Red Moon
* Previously unreleased live version recorded on the 11th of May in Midtown Wales UK! Watch for their debut album on Roxx Records ‘Apocalyptic Visions of Divine Terror’ (Available Fall 2012)
Ascendant – The Alteration
* Taken from the album ‘The Alteration’ with US Distribution through Roxx Records (Now Available)


Per the promo:

"If you like what you hear jump over to our website www.roxxproductions.com or any of our retail outlets and pick up a copy to support the cause! Roxx Records titles are available at Amazon, Century Media, CD Baby, iTunes and wherever fine indie music is supported!"

Indeed, good stuff folks!

Interview with Norman Skinner

Recently I had the absolute pleasure of talking with Norman Skinner. As the lead vocalist of both Skinner and Hellscream (two exceptional metal acts!) he brings a powerful set of lungs and a clear and demanding presence to the stage. If you have yet to read my reviews of both band's latest releases I've provided links at the bottom of this article. And finally I just want to thank Norman for taking the time out of his crazy busy schedule to chat about Skinner and life in general!

Andy-Could you briefly tell us about Skinner? Who's who these days as far as the line-up is concerned?

Norman-Definitely! This is easily the best combination of talent I have worked with to date. Also I need to add the most cohesive unit as everyone works well together and seamlessly. The band started with 3 of us founding SKINNER. Myself… Norman Skinner (Vocals), Robert Kolowitz (Guitars), & Jim Pegram (Bass). Jim took a short hiatus from the band during the time of our debut EP but has since returned to the line-up. We were the 3 former Imagika members that decided to move forward with a new band. The next addition was Robert’s son Grant Kolowitz (Guitars). Alfred San Miguel (Guitars) was next to join the ranks 1^st as a guest lead player on our EP “The Enemy Within” but soon after permanently as our third guitarist. The newest member is Noe Luna (Drums). He was the missing and final piece to the puzzle. I now believe we have a killer and hopefully long-term line-up.

Andy-You're a man of many hats Norman, Just how do you find the time for everything?

Norman-Honestly there are times when I feel I do not have time for everything. Ultimately it all comes down to prioritizing. I have a job & family. 2 full-time bands Skinner & Dire Peril and a couple projects Hellscream & Tramontane. I also do various guest vocals on albums and live performances which really keeps my plate full. I run a yearly Metal Show called “Screams of Metal” Festival and have just this month launched my own record label “Dead Inside Records”. Let’s just say I am passionate about Metal and must be a bit crazy!!

Andy-Your debut EP is straight-up METAL!!! Can we expect more of the same out of the new album?

Norman-Thank you so much!! This new album “Sleepwalkers” due out May 6^th is everything “The Enemy Within” was just taken up a notch. “The Enemy Within” in reality is simply a demo that we self-released to hold everyone over until the entire album was completed. All 4 songs were re-recorded along with a ton of new material so if you liked the EP you will love the full-length.

Andy-Any fave moments on the new album?

Norman- I love how the songs we originally recorded for the EP sound so much more epic on the new CD. Added tunes like Guilt-Ridden, Orphans of Liberty, & The Breathing Room are personal favorites off the CD. I can’t wait for everyone to hear them.

Andy-What does the rest of 2014 hold in store for you personally and for the band?

Norman-For Skinner we just released our 1^st music video for the song “Sleepwalkers” off our upcoming CD. We will be releasing a lyric video for “Orphans of Liberty” and most likely a full video for “The Breathing Room”. We have only 2-3 more songs to finish writing before we head back into the studio to begin recording our next untitled full-length release. Besides all the exciting things happening with Skinner I will be releasing 2 EP’s with Dire Peril titled “Queen of The Galaxy” & “Through Time And Space”. Dire Peril already has another full-length album written titled “Final Scenes For Forgotten Worlds” and we will most likely start tracking that at the end of the year. No news just yet but I be involved in a couple other projects this year… I’m always putting my fingers in something. Finally this year I plan to begin signing acts to my new label and growing it as much as I can.

Andy-Any parting shots? The mic is all yours Norman!

Norman- I just want to really thank anyone and everyone that has supported any of my musical endeavors. It’s no secret I love what I do and I love collaborating and sharing the adventure with as many fans\friends as possible am excited to see what the rest of this year holds. If you are a new band looking to sign with a startup label please send your submissions to deadinsiderecords@gmail.com. My team is currently accepting and reviewing all press kits.

Norman L. Skinner III
Metal Vocalist - Skinner \ Dire Peril \ Hellscream
CEO\COO - Dead Inside Records LLC.
(650) 515-1178

Official Websites:http://www.normanskinner.net
http://www.deadinsiderecords.com
FaceBook:https://www.facebook.com/normanskinnermetalvocalist
https://www.facebook.com/deadinsiderecords


Reverbnation:
http://www.reverbnation.com/normanskinner



Twitter:
https://twitter.com/NormanLSkinner3https://twitter.com/DeadInsideRecor



Youtube:http://www.youtube.com/user/Savascream

Review of Skinner's "The Enemy Within":
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/search?q=Skinner-The+Enemy+Within+

Review of Hellscream's "Made Immortal":
http://metalmark.blogspot.com/search?q=Hellscream-Made+Immortal+

Deliverance-Hear What I Say!

Roxx Records/3 Frogz Records

2013

A lot of ink has been spilled over the Christian metal band Deliverance since they first came into existence back in 1985. Founded by vocalist/guitarist, and sole original member (!), Jimmy P. Brown (whose vocals,incidentally, are still as powerful as always even after all these years!), Deliverance's first two albums, which can be found as a two on one CD these days if memory serves me correct, are nothing short of classics. Those two albums, "Deliverance" and "Weapons of Our Warfare" (released in 1989 and 1990 respectively) are everything that speed metal/thrash should be. If you've never heard either then I would strongly urge you to check them out as album number one should easily appeal to fans of Death Angel and Hirax while the group's sophomore release showed an appreciation for groups like Metallica, Megadeth and even Slayer!  I was actually my teenage daughters age when I first discovered the group's "Weapons of Our Warfare" on cassette tape and subsequently saw them play live with Sacrament at the Aurora Library. Back then I was a lost teenager looking for the light, any light really, at the (supposed) end of a very dark tunnel. Thankfully that's not entirely who am now and as far as my own 15 year old? Well, I see her and I see a girl with more conviction and passion then I ever had at that age. But, that's another story for another time as we're hear to talk about this group's latest release right? With this serving as their (reported) final album what exactly can fans expect when "Hear What I Say!" drops on December 10th? Well, while the album's unnecessary intro, "Liber 111", isn't something I'd go rushing to stop the presses over (in other words it doesn't really build any sense of climax) that all changes once "The Annals of Subterfuge" kicks in. Having previously heard the demo version of this song on the "Thrashmageddon" compilation I was anxious to hear how it sounded in full, all guns blazing, living color. Needless to say it did not disappoint! Michael Phillips (also of The Sacrificed, Join The Dead) plays lead guitars on "Hear What I Say!" just as he did on the group's last studio-release, 2007's "As Above - So Below" and man if he doesn't make the album version of "The Annals of Subterfuge" sound killer then I just don't know what qualifies as "killer" anymore!  At about 2:45 or so into "Angst" (the third track on this release after the intro and "The Annals of Subterfuge") things gets epic thanks to his lead skills and from that point on, except for one misstep (which I'll soon enough address), there seems to be no stopping this bunch as they keep the positive energy flowing this ten track release! Manny Morales, who seems as if he has played with Deliverance on and off since 1993's "Learn", joins in on the fun of "Hear What I Say!" as does veteran drummer Jayson Sherlock (Mortification, Horde, Revulsed). If this truly is set to be Deliverance's last studio-album then at least they gave it their all and are going out of top! Heavier cuts like "Detox", which is like a N.W.O.B.H.M.-embracing Pantera trying to corner the market on all things Megaedth, "Nude" and the speed metal-tinged "Passing"' all showcase a band that seems strong and confident. Interestingly enough then some of "Hear What I Say!" sounds as if it is written from a very personal place. "Hope Lies Beyond" comes off as quite reflective as does "Nude" and "A Perfect Sky".  It must be said though that when it comes to "A Perfect Sky", while it's a fine song in it's own right and all, it really sticks out like a sore thumb on this release as it's most straight=ahead rock and roll then anything else. I'm not sure what was going on there. At least Jimmy Brown and company chose to follow it up with a solid cover of Iron Maiden's "Where Eagles Dare". The album ends on a good note with a German version of the track "Detox" called "Entgiftung". So, album number ten features ten tracks in all (well, nine I guess as the intro isn't much to write home about) and other then maybe "A Perfect Sky" it's most certainly a nice goodbye letter to fans. For a group that has had a few hiccups along the way (I'm looking at you "What A Joke"!) and had been criticized  for being a Metallica clone ("Weapons of Our Warfare") this release should silence some of the critics and doubters. Diehard fans will likely come away happy although I do wish there was a bit more to this release as far as the actual material goes. I would have loved to had more tracks like "Detox, "Angst" and "Passing" from Jimmy Brown and Deliverance as that might have really cemented this one as a thrash metal classic. But, it is what it is and at the end of the day "Hear What I Say!" is a fine collection of metal tracks with quite a bit of variety (style-wise) and more then enough emotional depth to make you really think about what you're digesting. Iff this is the last dance for Deliverance then let me be the first to thank them for all they did for the Christian metal community and wish them nothing but the best as they move on. 

So pick up a copy of "Hear What I Say!" from either:
www.3frogzstudio.com or www.roxxproductions.com

Interview with George Neal of Halloween

Well, it's Halloween and fittingly enough I have an interview with Geaorge Neal who is the bass player for Halloween. Halloween are from Detroit and they formed back in the early 1980's. They did a few albums and then continued to play a few shows on and off in the 1990's. They are still going playing shows today and working on material for a new album.


MM -Who are your influences?
George Neal- Obviously KISS and ALICE COOPER. Before we became HALLOWEEN we were called BITCH and we did a lot of cover songs. They varied from SCORPIONS, IRON MAIDEN, DAVID BOWIE, BLACK SABBATH, AND OZZY during the RANDY RHODES era. You will find a lot of the RANDY RHODES influence in Rick Craig’s playing on the Don’t Metal With Evil album.




MM -Back in the 1980’s did you ever play many shows outside of your home state?
George Neal -After the Don’t Metal With Evil album came out we started to get radio play here in Detroit. Eventually we branched off further from home. We headed over to Canada and did some shows then we ended up headlining a tour along the east coast and down south.
We eventually hooked up shows with bands such as SAVATAGE, CRIMSON GLORY. Not sure of the timeline of those two bands, but it was either the late 80’s or early 90’s. So we did play outside of Michigan a lot.




MM-You used the tagline “The Heavy Metal Horror Show". What did your stage show involve back around the time of your debut “Don’t metal with evil”?
George Neal -It started back when the band was still called BITCH before I came along. The basement that the band would rehearse at had posters of naked girls everywhere . When October rolled around (Halloween Season of course) we would decorate the basement with black lights, spider webs, candles, and skulls. People would come to see the band practice and comment on how cool it looked. Eventually all of the Halloween decorations ended up on the truck with the equipment and it started from there. That’s when the seed for the band HALLOWEEN was planted. The stage show eventually grew to include pillars, gates and a cemetery scene. Kept on growing into a multi-level style stage with drum risers, etc.




MM-What is your stage show like now?
George Neal -The stage show varies from a wall of Marshall Amps to truck loads of Halloween props and stage gear. We now have so much props that the storage is busting out at the seams. As a matter of fact one of the props includes a real Christmas tree that we used back in the early 90’s, but it looks a lot cooler now that it is dead with cobwebs. Our setup depends on the type of venue we are playing.


MM- Did you ever have a stage prop not work like it was supposed to?
George Neal -Nothing as drastic as SPINALTAP. Thankfully none of us were trapped in a pod. Back during BITCH we were using pyro and a flame projector went off while Brian was standing directly over it. It melted his spandex pants to his legs and at that time he would wear painted skulls on his face from clown makeup. Unfortunately the makeup was oil based. The impression of the skulls were burned into his skin and he lost some of his hair. Brian continued to do two songs before taking a trip to the hospital. I was sitting in the waiting room when he came out. Me being the smartass that I am with no sense of timing. I tried to cheer him up by saying “ Look at the bright side Brian, now the skulls are burned onto your face, you should not have a problem getting them right every time, just trace the lines.”
A few years later it was my turn. We were playing a show and during the intro the gates were rigged with flash and gunpowder. They went off pre-maturely when I was leaning against the gate. I did not notice. The funny thing was that people were screaming and yelling and I thought to myself hey this was a cool crowd really into the show! Next thing I knew a Roadie was running across the stage with a wet towel and draped it over my entire head. I was a bit pissed at first because I thought someone was messing around and I had just wasted two cans of Aqua net hairspray in my hair. Which by the way ignites quite nicely. The roadie yelled to me that my head was on fire. During this whole time the intro tape is still playing. I ran off to the side of the stage to get to a mirror. When I touched the side of my head my hair came off in my hands. I reached for my trusty can of Aqua Net and sprayed what was left of my hair back to my head. It was a bit stiff, but it worked. Needless to say I looked like the singer from RATT for at least 6 months after that.

MM-Did you ever get any interest from major labels in the 1980’s or early 1990s?
George Neal -Yes we have gotten a few and it all seemed to be the same story when we spoke to them. One instance was when an A&R from CAPITAL RECORDS came out to see us. He said he loved the band and wanted to sign us but wouldn’t know how to market us. He said there was not specific category for a band like us. We weren’t a glam or hair band. our music wasn’t “Poppie”. We didn’t play the typical pop metal or write songs about hot chicks in convertibles or strippers. It was heavy, we wore gore makeup (not pretty makeup). He didn’t know really what market to put us in. Our response was Metallica didn’t have a market when they came out, but eventually someone created one for them. That has always seemed one of the biggest problems we‘ve had to endure. Nobody knew where we fit.
One of the other problems was the mix-up between HALLOWEEN AND HELLOWEEN. We had record labels offer us a deal if we would change our name. We refused to because we already had enough time and effort invested in HALLOWEEN and we were around before HELLOWEEN. The name HALLOWEEN fit the music and what we were doing. It’s who we are and will always be. If you take the time and nurture something that is new and different, you can create a category. Look how many bands came out after METALLICA that sound just like them. So yes you can say we had some interest from some record labels.



MM-What was the Detroit metal scene like in the 1980's?
George Neal-Back in the 80’s the metal scene was like any place else, HUGE. It wasn’t just music back then, it was a way of life. No matter where you played, the venue would always be packed. People lived for music back then. It wasn’t really all about going out to hook up with someone. They were actually there for the music. If they did hook up with someone that was just an added bonus. Just as it is now over in Europe. We just got back from Germany and the people that were at the shows were so into the music….it made our 80’s look lame. We are looking forward to heading back to Europe someday soon.

MM-Back in the mid-late 1980’s did you ever think about leaving Detroit and going to LA instead?
George Neal -You know, back then it never really crossed our minds. LA was swamped with bands. The band was born here in Detroit and the fans became family to us. I think had we made the decision to move to LA the band would not be together today. There are several bands that jumped into that scene that ended up dieing within a few years. You’ve got some bands now such as POISON and MOTLEY CRUE and a handful of others that are still around, but over 70% of them are gone. I don’t think that the band would have survived the 24 years it has if we were in LA. Not quite sure which is harder….being with a major label for a short time and losing the deal or not having one at all. So I think staying here in Detroit was a good move for us. Back then we would have been lumped in with the bands in LA and currently you would find us on “Where are they now?” on VH1.

MM-Why was your second album shelved for years?
George Neal -We had recorded Victims Of The Night about 1 ½ years after Don’t Metal With Evil. Due to production, engineering , time and money we weren’t able to release it till a few years later. Bill Whyte and the engineer wanted to experiment with triggered drums. They rented the triggers for the drums and had no idea how to use it. During the process of the recording they erased the original drum tracks. Only thing left was the trigger drums so we kept in on the album. We had no other choice at that point. We weren’t even sure if this album was going to be released at all. Years later we were approached by a record distributor asking if we had any un-released material. That is when Victims Of The Night came up. We knew the drum tones were not great, but we knew there were some great songs on that album and in spite of the drum tones Bill Whyte did an awesome job and it would have been a shame to never release those songs.


MM-What were you doing in the 1990’s?
George Neal -We were still playing shows here and there. And started recording No One Gets Out Album. We actually recorded that album twice. Once here in Detroit at RT audio and once in NJ with Jon Oliva from SAVATAGE who was producing and engineering . When we got to this “awesome” studio in NJ we found out that the recording equipment was less to be desired. Jon and us were told this was the best studio in NJ. When we got there we were in shock. we all stood in the driveway and said “What the fuck are we doing here”. We did what we could recording wise and threw it up against the wall to see what would become of it. Eventually we ended up releasing the RT audio from Detroit version of the album. , but is was awesome working with Jon. We became great friends. A couple of years after No One Gets Out we took a break. Brian and I started working with some friends from another band CRUCIFIED NATION . Brian had hooked up with them and was singing for them. A few months later Brian called me and asked if I wanted to check out this band. I agreed to join and the band became ABANDON. We did that for a few years and had HALLOWEEN on the back burner for awhile. Then eventually it was time to put HALLOWEEN back to the front burner. Rick Craig and Bill White (original guitar player and drummer) hooked up with the band . We wanted two guitar players so we called Donny Allen back from the No One Gets Out album. It was amazing seeing these two guitar players together. It only lasted for a short while. Rick moved to Atlanta. Bill eventually moved on as well. After playing with several different drummers, a few years ago we ended up with this “ fucking beast “ of a drummer Rob Brug who is currently on the Horror Fire Album and soon to be released Terrortory. Rob as helped make a major change to the band not only with his drumming, but his guitar playing and song writing talent and all around musicianship.


MM-I am guessing at least someone in the band loves horror movies. What's your favorite horror movie?
George Neal -I cant speak for everyone, but Brian and I were just talking about this not too long ago. We are not really into the slasher/cuttem’ up movies. Movies we like are along the lines of The Omen, and The Amityville Horror. As a matter of fact , you will find reference to the Amityville Horror on the Horror Fire album. That story intrigued Brian mostly because he grew up in that area where the murders took place. On Horror Fire track 8 and 9 are the ones that refer to the murders. Track 8 is an intro called The End And The Beginning. Which if you listen carefully it’s our version of the murders taking place. Track 9 Nobody’s Home is the story about the murders after they took place. So in answer to your question I would have to say that Amityville Horror is up there.


MM-Do you get more or better offers for playing shows around or on Halloween?
George Neal -No not really. It is pretty steady all year round. Although because of the season people talk about us more and some people who would normally not come to a regular show would come out of curiosity and then keep coming after. We try to pick a choose our shows cautiously around Halloween time because we don’t want to be labeled as a seasonal band.

MM-Do you sell more albums and t-shirts through your site around the holiday?
George Neal -There really is no time when we sell more. We sell our merchandise all year round and it seems we sell more if we have something new out as apposed to the time of year.


MM-What are you currently up to?
George Neal -We are currently in the studio recording a new album titled Terrortory. I will start laying bass tracks by the beginning of November and we are hoping the album will be done by Christmas. But if the past reflects the future it may take a bit longer. You never know when shits going to happen when you are recording.



Thanks to George for doing the interview and Happy Halloween to everyone.

http://www.myspace.com/halloween1031

Interview with Jim Warmon of Witch

Witch were very much a part of the 1980's LA scene. They played many of the big clubs with a lot of the top bands of the day. I recently had the pleasure of interviewing bass player Jim Warmon to find out about their past and the possible future of this band.

MM-Hello, what are you currently up to?

JW-Well me and Punk have been working on a couple of projects. Witch and Punching the Clown.PTC is basically an offshoot of Witch, It’s the music we both love performing, basically hard driven backbeats with a melodic vocal…..Anthem rock comes to mind. As far as Witch goes it’s a labor of love to reunite with these great musicians and to re-visit the material. We (Witch) got together over the Labor day weekend to begin re-hashing the material. It took about 4 tunes to shake off the cobwebs and by the second day of rehearsal the band sounded better than ever! It looks like we’re gonna be doing a Halloween special at Elsinor stadium, then the plan is to head off to Germany for a series of festivals……everyone’s very excited and looking forward to getting back out on the road. BTW…..the Punching the Clown stuff is available for free downloads off either the Myspace Punching the Clown icon on my page or off the www.witchtheband sight under the records and CD’s tab. Take a listen…..I’d love to know what you think!

MM-Now you are originally from Minnesota. When did you move to LA? Did you move with a band to make it or did you go out hoping to find a band to join?

JW-Actually I hail from Boston, Home of Tom Brady and the greatest team ever assembled the “New England Patriots” I came out cause I was hearing about this band called Crue and the buzz they were generating in LA. This was/is exactly the kind of band I wanted to be part of.

MM-What bands were you in before Witch? Were they all hard rock or metal bands?

JW-I started out getting my feet wet with a band called Messenger. Great studio band but they had no desire to play out live, sooo the writing was on the wall for those guys as I couldn’t hang with that for long. Then I jumped into a group called Jekel n Hyde….Good band more along the metal lines I was looking for and they gigged their balls off……But I was still looking for “:THAT BAND” My Band….ya know? For some reason I ended up with all the chicks in that band and it started causing a few problems when band mates girlfriends started calling me in the middle of the night ya know? ….Just for the record….I never fucked any of my band mates chicks….that was until I got in Witch that is….then all bets were off! (Witches Bitches were model quality and who the hell could say no to that?)

MM-Now I believe you were offered the job in Witch before they started playing shows and you turned it down. Why?

JW-Yeah, that’s true. I actually hold the record for the dumbest bullshit ever pulled by anyone ….well I think me n Vince Neal are tied for that mistake! I had just joined Hyde and was pretty comfortable with their playing when Pete the singer from this brand new group walks in like he owns the place and hands me a note. (I thought it was weird cause I kept seeing him in the front row at all the Hyde gigs before this happened) I guess he was scouting me for the new group. Anyway he hands me this note in front of my band so I had no choice but to read it……it was something like, fuck this loser shit come jam with me n Punk in Witch! I turned it down and Pete told me I had just made the worst mistake of my life……he was right!! The reason I turned it down was I had actually jammed with Pete in Messenger for a little while and the guy was a total flake, So I thought yeah right, this guy again huh? But it turns out he just wasn’t into Messenger at all and in retrospect I can’t blame him…..we were both looking for that “Special” something that can’t be defined…..It’s either magic or not.

MM-So then you accepted the second time they offered the job right? Why did you accept that time and is there a story that goes with it?

JW-Oh Yeah, Well just for yuk’s I went to Witches opening debut……it was like Ozzy meets Motley!! And I shit right then and there …I shit! Oh my God I have turned down the biggest best band I have ever seen……I was bummed to say the least. But then I began hearing rumors that the band wasn’t getting along with their second choice…..Hmm….maybe all is not lost. I was getting phone calls from their manager Johhny Schultz owner booker of the Woodstock (a freaking great club in Anahiem that really should get credit for starting all this great music that began coming out of the O.C. Johhny was like ….they hate this guy man…..they want him out of the band ASAP…..So with Johhny’s insistance I was re-offered the gig……Punk drove up to my place, I hopped in his van and off to Hollywood we went. I had 3 days to learn the entire set and choreograghy and then play a sold out Troubador gig. Life got good baby, real good!

MM-What were your thoughts when you were you first joined them? Were they different from other bands that you had been in? If so then how?

JW-My thoughts were there is a God! It’s very, very hard to describe a band that has “that magic” something……you basically have it or you don’t…Witch had it period”! There were no rules to this thing called Witch….it was a hundred miles an hour 24/7….literally all the whores, guns, fire trucks and narcotics you could ever want. Again….life was good brotha!The thing with Witch is….these guys were for real…..a perfect example was at a Witch gig, we would wonder over to Rikk Fox’s dressing room (he was in Sin at the time) and they were sitting around cutting out buttons and making promo stuff like it was family night or something…..then you go over to our dressing room and the place LITERALLY WAS ON FIRE!!!! No shit….I don’t know how we never burned a place to the ground cause we set just about everything on fire…..I think Great White (A band I have always loved, Great guys to!) got a really bad bad shake out of that whole Rhoad Island club fire thing…..hell they weren’t even known for using fire…..whereas we had the fuckin fire department following us around from gig to gig! God I love Jack Russel's voice and Mark's guitar playing always reminded me of George Harrison….Great Band! Again guns, whore’s and fire trucks man…..it was fuckin crazy!

MM-How fast were things going like during your first year in Witch?

JW-I’ve been asked this before honestly the best answer I got is: Imagine being loaded into a gun and fired into the air…..that’s what Witch was like! From being the featured band in feature films, to centerfold Hustler shoots and anything and everything in between…..giging our asses off, constantly on the road, constantly in the studio……the old cliché of sex drugs and rock n roll desribes it perfectly…..Hanging out with Crue, Ratt, Wasp, Van Halen….Jesus it was nice!

MM-So by like Spring of 1984, you guys were getting some notice. Slayer and Lizzy Borden opened for you at one point. What were your thoughts around that time?

JW-Slayer was always pissed that they were never the headliners at all the gigs we did together, We did the culver auditorim gig with them opening and we had to be separated in order to reduce the backstage fist fights. The thing is …it was based on record sales and we were out selling the shit outta them at that point. (interesting point to note: I talked with Axel Rose at a party a while after the Appetite for Destruction album came out and he told me that he was at the Culver show….working security!!) I remember Slayer was gigging at a club about 300 yards away from us and they were all over the radio saying shit like…"There’s gonna be a Witch burning tonight”……turned out we out drew them 3 to 1 that night…..I remember a Wolf and Rissmiller Country Club gig where we had Poison and Stryer opening….if ya know the country club the stage is about 10 feet up in the air….So Poison opens the night by Brett walking straight out and off the front of the stage BAMM!!!!LOL!!! They carried him out on a stretcher with a broken collar bone!......Ya gotta remember “The Hex is On” was outselling Kiss and Dio in Japan at the time (granted it was Kiss’s Elder days so I’m not sure how impressive that was) but it was nice to know that as I am a lifetime KISS Aholic!!

MM-Why did you guys not get signed back then?

JW-Man good question and it’s gonna take a little splainin Lucy! First of all we were offer’d a deal with “Combat” Metallicas first label but out management company (who it turns out needed us wayyyy more than we needed them) would not allow it. So we talked with Brian over at Metal Blade…very cool deal. Brian offered us everything including the kitchen sink! We closed a verbal deal with Brian and gave him our word that we would sign with him. Again Tapesty Artist’s (our management would not allow it) They had us by the balls with their F’n contact that we all regretted signing! They were holding out for a deal they had in the works with Capitol that never materialized. So we had to walk away from Brian…a move we regret to this day! Brian didn’t get what the hell the problem was and has put a ton of resources into signing his new band Witch……I think Brian is still mad to this day! Guess what…..So are we!!! Later our management company were shot dead by a guy who went crazy on them……to be honest, my first thoughts were….Wow, somebody beat me to it!!@We fired the management company as soon as the contract expired by refusing to renu with them but the damage was done! Same kinda thing happened with Atlantic, Epic….and everyoine in between……it’s takin' me years to get over all that shit…..man, fucking paper pushers running the careers of artists is just inherently bad for the art itself……you have to realize these manager bastards are out to line their own pockets……nothing more!

MM-Why did you break up in 1985?

JW-Had no choice, Punk was in trouble with the law and was going to jail and contractually we couldn’t perform without him. Yet the band had several commitments to complete….so he had to be let go…..something none of us wanted to do but there was no other option for the band at the time.

MM-The band reformed and added two guitarists in 1986. Do you think that version of Witch was as strong as the previous version? Why or why not?

JW-The 2nd run of the band was technically much better than the first. It had a great energy but you never forget your first love, that being the first and original lineup that took the bull by the balls and ran with it! Also ….and this was a biggy for me, the material started to get softer with the 2nd lineup…..fuck that!

MM-Were things as crazy with the late 80’s version of Witch as they were in say 1983-85? Why or why not?

JW-Yeah the crazy aspects were always there, but again nothing can top your first time thru!The guitar players were kinda like the guys in Sin that I mentioned earlier…..a little girly for my tastes but the deal vreaker was when they guitarists submitted a song called LOVE LOVE LOVE? They were quickly replaced. (David Ezrin son of Bob) was brought in at that time and pretty much had the same results…..David just lacked the killer instinct to survive in Witch. So it was back to Ronny on guitar (who was currently jamming in Max Havoc) and all was well with the world again.

MM-What were you doing that was getting you noticed in what was a very competitive scene?JW-What set Witch apart from the crowd was the fact that this wasn’t an act….these guys were the real deal…..that turned out to be a DBL edged sword cause a lot of the labels were afraid to sign the group cause they didn’t wanna be responsible for someone dieing out there on the raod……we basically frighten’d them. We had Crue old stage setup (they gave us their gear when they signed with Elecktra). Our look was freaking unreal combined with the heavy music we were dubbed the world first Death Metal Glam Band…..fire/fog….again it was more magic than any other single thing…..again and I can’t say this enough…..you either got it or you don’t….Witch had it!

MM-You guys used some pyro on stage quite often. Who got caught on fire? Didn’t a ceiling once catch fire as well?

JW-Every member of the band went up at one time or another…everyione except Pete! (lucky bastard) I remember one gig….Ozzy had just given Ronny 2 new outfits to wear…..custom leather shit…..really nice….really expensive…Ron missed rehearsal the night before the show and Punk was so pissed he changed the fire ques with the road crew……needless to say Ronny was standing directly over one of the pots when it went off on que….(the new que)He completely went up in flames…..the guy was hurt bad…..his outfit was burned almost completely off his entire body…..anyone else I know would have gone straight to the emergency room….but Ronny just had his tech wrap a towel around him to cover up his exposed everything and he completed the show….(note: he went up during the first tune and finished the entire set before going to the emergency room for treatment). You gotta understand Witch was tough man, these were dangerous guys and people got hurt…..mostly US!!!! We did the Stardust ballroom and got sued by them for using fire, the stage mamager for the club was on top of us all day screaming and threatening us that if we use any fire they’d pull the plug and we’d never play there again…….We assured her that we were not like that and would never dream of using fire! The crew didn’t like this to much so they DBL’d the pyro explosions…….there we are, the band just starts playing when the first blast goes oiff…….BAM!!!!The flames reached about 30 feet into the air catching the stage curtains and riser on fire….the blast was so powerful that the can the blast was loaded into shot off the stage right past me and tagged the clubs stage manager in the chest blowing her off the stage and down a flight of stairs where she lay for quite some time……can you say “Law Suit”?

MM-What are some of your most memorable shows with Witch?

JW-Honestly, All of them….every last one. Fucking insanity in a bottle baby! New Years with Great White, Roxy with Mallice, Troub with WASP…..there’s a freaking book to every F’n one of them man….that’s actually why "The hex is on" was released on OTT Records….over the top…..way over the top.

MM-Is there anything that you wish that you had done differently in your music career?

JW-YES!!! Truly and honestly I wish we had the balls and the experience to fire the fuck out of our management company when they told us not to sign with Metal Blade……Tapestry Artists along with some broad name Jennifer should have been sent to the curb as the incompetent hacks they were….I truly believe that had we honored our commitment to Metal Blade and Brian Slagel…..we’d still be with them to this day…….But as I said earlier …some crazed gunman got even for us!

MM-Pick the band from each of the following pairs that you prefer and tell why you picked that band.

Quiet Riot or Twisted Sister

Quiet Riot they freaking rocked with Randy and I had know them well before they broke in LA. Twisted was nothing more than a carnival of guys that were typical of bands of the day……they were all image and no substance…..again see earlier reference to Sin…

Guns and Roses or Poison

I admired Poison for what they were able to pull off…..Me n CC used to exchange earings we stole off of bitches we’d fuck’dBut my hats off to Axl and Guns cause when they were faced with the same shitty management bufllshit he straightend them right to fuck out by saying fuck you were signing with Geffen period…..if he had allowed the standard shopping around bullshit that happened to us they may never have done anything. Plus they fuckin rock yo!

Ratt or WASP

Love both bands…..know them both well but I must say WASP was thee best metal band I have ever heard period!@ Witch was never humbled by any other band and had even less respect for all the pussies out there at the time but WASP was one group that delivered….they were for real! Best vocals in the world award goes to Blackie, Ronnie James and Peter….The 3 best singers I’ve ever heard in my life!!

KISS or Motley Crue

Kiss, hands down……Crue to me never really delivered….the guitar playing was weak as was the vocals…..Tommy and Nikki were of the killer variety but of all the bands that broke….why Crue? I don’t get it.

MM-Is there anything else that you would like to say about yourself, your music or anything else?

JW-Just that it’s been a pleasure to get a few things straight out there. There’s been a lot of print that gets some of it right but mostly not. As I said earlier I’m in the writing stage for the next PTC disc and am hoping to submit it to Metal Blade and a host of others to see if we can get a new disc out in the not to distant future. Old School records founder King Fowley has already offered to release it or the next Witch disc that we’ll be entering the studio to record in early December…So just remember“THE HEX IS STILL ON” BRUDDA

http://www.myspace.com/jimwarmon

http://www.myspace.com/witchtheband

Interview with N.W.O.B.H.M. band The Deep

One week ago today I covered the 2013 debut-demo from London's The Deep. You can check out that review right here (http://metalmark.blogspot.com/2014/04/the-deep-demo-2013.html) and up-front let's just call it like it is. Had I heard the 4-track demo before the cut-off date for my "Best of 2014" list it would have easily made it as it's about as good as you can get when you're talking about classic heavy metal! This (soon to be household name if the metal gods would just get up off their lazy butts and do something about it!!!!) N.W.O.B.H.M. act, which has ties to bands such as Deep Machine, Rogue Male, Angel Witch and Vardis,  was kind enough to sit down and discuss the past, present and future and for that I give a hearty "Thanks" while I throw some devil horns up in the air as homage to what has proved to be one dead-serious kick-ass heavy metal outfit!

Andy-First things first. Tell us about The Deep would you please?

The Deep-Well, although it’s a new name, the roots of the band go back to 1982 when most of us were together in a band called Deep Machine. It was a great band. There was myself on vocals, Tony Harris and Paul W. Smith on guitars, Andy Wrighton on bass and Steve Kingsley on drums. I think we all felt it was the best band any of us had ever been in, and we felt that we really should have been signed up by a label. Thirty years later we decided to have a jam together and it was brilliant, so we decided to re-form. However, by now the name Deep Machine was being used by a different line-up, hence we adopted the name The Deep.

Unfortunately, two of the members; guitarist Tony Harris and bassist Andy Wrighton couldn’t continue with us. Andy was already heavily committed to Tokyo Blade and found working in two bands impractical. Sadly, Tony developed an ongoing physical illness which makes it hard for him to play guitar anymore – which is a terrible shame. Although that was very disappointing for us, we were very lucky to get back in touch with an old friend, guitarist Mick Feleppa. Then, after quite a search, we eventually found bassist Don Whiberley.
 
Andy-Wow, it sure sounds as if you've come a long way just to make it to this point! As hinted at though your band has ties to some of the greats, heavy metal and N.W.O.B.H.M bands alike! There is a lot of experience packed into The Deep. Just how do you keep it all contained?

The Deep-Yeah, we’ve all been around and played with some great musicians in other bands too. I was with Airrace for a while and also in another band with drummer Les Binks of Judas Priest. Steve was in Rogue Male after Deep Machine split up and was also in Vardis for a time. Curiously, both Deep Machine and The Deep historically have ties with members of Angel Witch. Kevin Heybourne was with Deep Machine just prior to our line up forming and our current band, The Deep, had Kevin Riddles on bass for a few months.

There’s no doubt that in terms of experience we’re very fortunate. However, more importantly, I think we are all very creative people and as a band we all gel. The personality mix has a great bearing on the effectiveness of a band and when things are in equilibrium, the creative processes flow. When we were looking to recruit new members our drummer, Steve Kingsley, was especially keen to find the right people as well as the right musicians. We’re all different personality types, but the balance is good and we all respect each other and listen to each other. I guess we’re all pretty grounded really.
 
Andy-I've just got to say that your 2013 demo is fantastic! How did that come about? What has been the reaction to it so far from fans and critics alike?

The Deep-Thank you, that’s very kind of you to say so. Well, we were keen to record quite early on because we already had the songs. Most of the stuff we’d been playing was mostly written by myself and Tony Harris in the eighties. We’d spent most of 2013 trying to get the line up completed and we’d got to the stage where we had Mick on board and we’d been working with a bassist by the name of Bob Allen. We’d been rehearsing for weeks and were getting ready for the demo when Bob decided to quit too.

By this point we just decided to go ahead with the recording and let Mick and Paul play the bass parts. It was actually a good friend of ours Terry Whiberley who suggested we try out his son Don, who was a bassist. Boy were we glad we did! First we jammed with him at a rehearsal and then threw him in at the deep end (no pun intended) by letting him record one of the tracks. He impressed the hell out of us so we asked him to join and he finished the demo with us.

We were all pleasantly surprised with the demo as an end-product. Things often sound good in the studio, but when you take them home and listen, you start to hear problems. This demo just seemed to sound pretty good from start to finish. The engineer, Steve Good, has had a lot of experience with rock bands and is into rock music. The recording studio is actually part of the rehearsal complex where we rehearse each week, so the engineer had heard us dozens of times and knew the sound we wanted before we even started recording. That obviously paid off for us. Plus the approach has to be right. If you treat it like a demo it’ll probably end up sounding like one. We treated it like an album and try to play well, and hopefully that shows.

Reception has been great, very positive from public and press alike. So we’re very happy with that. But it’s still early days and we’ve got a lot of work ahead of us yet.
 
Andy-Well, I'd argue that you're more then have way there if the EP is anything to go by! And speaking of which, some labels have shown interest in sighing you correct? Based on the strength of that EP alone I'd wager! 
The Deep-That’s true, there are a number of labels showing interest, but we’re in no rush. Our focus at the moment is to promote ourselves and we believe the best way to do that is to gig. We also believe our strength is going to be in our live performances. Hopefully, from that we’ll develop a following. When the time is right we’ll decide how we’re gonna go about doing the album, either as part of a label, or independently.

Andy-Count me in then on your that following! I'm on board and ready to roll! Now, we all know that the studio has been kind to you (again, the 2013 demo is killer folks!), but it also sounds as if The Deep has already made a splash on the live scene. How has the reaction been? Are there some shows coming up that you'd like to plug?

The Deep-Actually, apart from a couple of low-key unannounced warm up gigs we’re just started to book them now. Don had to learn all the material and we’ve been tweaking song arrangements and also been writing new stuff too. We’ve got a few confirmed dates booked from May onwards. The biggest one so far is a metal festival, Metalwave 2, just outside London, which is really cool. A few of our NWOBHM friends are playing that one too, so that will be fun. I think the audience is going to expect a lot from us because back in 1982 we had a great reputation for live performances. I can promise you that we plan to deliver this time around too.

I also can’t wait to play in Europe again, that was brilliant last time around. We’re looking at playing one or two of the festivals there next year. Maybe we can get some dates arranged in the States next year too, fingers crossed. There are numerous bands we’re looking forward to playing with: Chariot, Midnight Messiah, Soldier, Monument, Weapon UK, House of X…just to name a few. It would be especially nice to do a gig or two with the current line up of Deep Machine, so audiences can hear all the songs from the eighties, the ones we play and the ones they play. I think fans would really appreciate that.

Andy-All of that sounds awesome and I wish you guys nothing but the best! How can our readers get in touch with you about purchasing the demo?

The Deep-The web site won’t be up and running for a few weeks yet, in the meantime they can email us: the(dot)deepnwobhm(at)btinternet(dot)com
Or drop us a line on our Facebook page:
http://www(dot)facebook(dot)com/thedeep(dot)nwobhm


Andy-Well, I'd just like to encourage all of our readers to check out the band's 4-track demo for themselves and, if you live on the other side of the pond, see The Deep live! I thank you once again for taking the time to talk with us and be sure to keep in touch!