Away Team

FLOGGING MOLLY

Speed Of Darkness

Borstal Beats Records

8 out of 10

Flogging Molly is best known as an Irish Drinking Punk Band. So somewhere in the mix of Jameson, Guinness, violins and accordions are the politics of an Irish Pub band. Frontman Dave King and crew have turned their focus this time on the current economic blue collar common man climate of the Mid West United States.

With Speed Of Darkness, Revolution, & Don’t Shut Em Down the bands lyrics look at the working class Middle American worker struggling to make ends meet in our toughest economic times in almost 100 years.

If you aren’t familiar with Flogging Molly this is actually a perfect record to pick up and sink your teeth into. Musically it is Flogging Molly at their finest, and lyrically it may be the easiest FM album to absorb and rock out with as the subject matter hits closer to home than their previous efforts.

The Powers Out while lamenting the inability to pay the power bill, the song itself is a great jig that moves from raucous noisy and cheering to quiet mandolin interludes. ‘The Power is out, well there’s fuck all to see. Well the powers out, like this economy. Yeah the powers out, its par for the course unless you’re a bloodsucking leech CEO.’ Sure it isn’t ‘feel good’ music, but when are Irish jigs? It’s about commiserating over warm pints locking arms and shoulders and roiling through the pain and despair. And nobody does it better than Flogging Molly.

There are the quiet moments like So Sail On to give one a chance to catch their breath, refill their pint glass, shoot a lil whisky and brace for the next anthemic ditty which in this case is the very next track Saints & Sinners replete with its sing along at the end.

This is Flogging Molly at their finest in my opinion. I don’t know if it is because I can relate to the subject matter of the lyrics more than previous efforts, or the songwriting is just that much better than previous albums. But beginning to end this is a solid album and the first Flogging Molly album that I can listen to the entire thing without wanting to change it.

They have many great songs in their repertoire, but this is the first full album of good songs to me.

So, grab a pint or ten, a bottle of good Jameson, and fire up Speed Of Darkness. But don’t do it alone. Irish Drinking music isn’t made to be enjoyed alone. You can’t commiserate with yourself now can you? And who wants to drink Jameson alone, who’s going to hold your hair back at the end of the night?









For more FLOGGING MOLLY click here.

CROSSFADE

We All Bleed

Eleven Seven Music

2 out of 10








Crossfade came on the radar of most of our consciences in 2005 when their first single ‘Cold’ took over every Active Rock station on the FM dial (and Sirius/XM too). Cold was a catchy Modern Rock tune that earned the South Carolina boys some well deserved attention.

Their second album Falling Away failed to capitalize on the buzz they had created and they were dropped by their major label in 2006.

Five years later Crossfade returns with We All Bleed on Eleven Seven Music.

The story of the last five years of their singer Ed Sloan would make for a great album if it were put into good songs. Way too many noises and processes in the music is a cheap attempt at hiding simply poor songwriting. If you are a live rock band, I want to know how you are going to play all these noises and effects on stage and make it appear you aren’t playing to tape?

Crossfade is not a progressive rock band. And they do not have the chops or songwriting ability to try and pretend to be. If you want the music to be druggy and edgy like you hear in your head as you are battling your personal demons and now trying to capitalize on them on record, let me help you.

Write a good song first. Add the trippy effects AFTER the song is GOOD. Don’t try to make a crap sandwich a shiny crap sandwich. Because it will taste like shit no matter how much you try to polish it. And a turd album will still leave shit in your ears no matter how much you try and put ‘cool’ noises in it.

More power to Ed Sloan for returning from his own personal brink and being able to turn himself around and attempt to continue his dream in music. But while this album may be his most personal and honest one, that sadly does not automatically make it good.

For more CROSSFADE click here.

Queensryche are offering a once in a lifetime chance to become ‘Ryche and Roll Royalty.’ two lucky winners will be chosen to be members of the Queensryche tour party for their entire tour supporting Judas Priest through the UK.

That’s right – you can be a fully fledged member of the ‘Ryche entourage for 10 days, from the first show day in Newport, England to last show at Bournemouth, England. You will travel on the bands tour bus through out the UK, including 8 stops in Scotland and England. You will have an ALL ACCESS PASS for each of the 8 Queensryche shows, backstage catering at every show, hotels with the band and crew. You are on the road with the band! You basically get everything the band and crew get, you are ‘Ryche and Roll Royalty’!

Queensryche is offering this once in a lifetime chance to only two fans.

As part of the tour party, each winner will receive the following:
An ALL ACCESS* PASS valid for EVERY SHOW on the forthcoming Queensryche UK tour – Dates 15th July 2011 through July 24th 2011 Inc. This includes all show tickets to all 8 shows. Every performance the band plays between the above dates you will be there with them – shows, soundchecks, backstage – everything!
A printed and bound tour Itinerary with full tour schedule and details – including your name printed in the ‘Tour Party’ section. 7 nights bunk accommodation aboard the Queensryche nightliner bus traveling overnight from city to city.
2 nights hotel accommodation at the same hotel as Queensryche band and crew.
All internal transport as required as part of the tour entourage.
Show day meals, as provided to the Queensryche band and crew.
A special Queensryche tour merchandise selection with various t-shirts and collectables

So there you go – wake up in a different city, enjoy a day sightseeing, come back for Soundcheck, have dinner, watch the show, hang out with the band, grab a slice of aftershow pizza, hang out on the bus, go to sleep and do it all again the next day…and the next!

To participate in this once in a lifetime opportunity, you will need to be a Queensryche Fan Club member and must bid via Silent Auction, Minimum starting bid is $4000.00 USD. You may bid any amount of times but each bid is a binding contract for you to pay that amount should you be chosen as a lucky winner.

The Auction to be ‘Ryche and Roll Royalty’ opens at Wednesday 1st June at 10am PST and ends Wednesday 22nd June at 10pm PST

For more QUEENSRYCHE click here.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Photos by Marcy Royce

May 19, 2011
Away-Team writer: Marcy Royce
Pop Evil members: Tony Greve and Matt DiRito

I became a  POP EVIL  fan in August 2009 after catching their live show at Merriweather Post Pavilion when they were the support act for KIX and JUDAS PRIEST on the British Steel Tour. And I have been following them ever since.  Their music is that good to me. I was excited to know that I would have the opportunity this night to interview two of the members of POP EVIL , Tony Greve, guitarist, and Matt DiRito, bassist. Both joined the band in 2007, just months apart.

Now, let me prefaced the following with this: I have NEVER, and mean NEVER, had so much fun doing an interview as I did with Tony and Matt. I’ve never laughed so much in between questions and I’ve never been sidetracked with so much fun.  Read on to see what these guy had to tell me about POP EVIL , their new upcoming release; War Of Angels, their management team and being on the road.

And just for the record, 7.5 ounces will live on, forever.  You would have had to been there to understand this. Too funny! Thanks guys.

This is Marcy Royce with away-team.com speaking today with Tony Greve and Matt DiRito from POP EVIL .

AWAY-TEAM: I’m really glad I had the opportunity to do this interview with you guys. I’m with away-team. com and I’ve been with them for over a year now.

TONY GREVE: It’s cool that this worked out and you could come in and chat and do this interview. It works out both ways, it’s good for us too.

AWAY-TEAM: How was the trip last night from Indiana?

MATT DIRITO: Yeah, it was easy. I slept the entire way. Not a big deal for me.

TONY GREVE: It was a pretty easy ride. It’s crazy though. We will pass out in one city and wake up another city.

AWAY-TEAM: (laughs) Good to have a dedicated bus driver.

TONY GREVE: Definitely!

MATT DIRITO: That’s why we have to take care of him and make sure he gets good sleep. I think he’s in his hotel room now sleeping.  

TONY GREVE: That definitely helps out. He’s gotta be well rested, that’s for sure. He’s got everybody’s lives in his hands.

 

AWAY-TEAM: You guys just did Carolina Rebellion almost 2 weeks ago, and this weekend you are doing Rock On The Range. And next weekend you are going to Rocklahoma.

MATT DIRITO: Yeah. Lotsa rockin’! 

TONY GREVE: Holy shit yeah! 

AWAY-TEAM: How do you feel about all these being packed into one month? 

TONY GREVE: It’s kinda cool, ya know. We’ve already had how many festivals we did. We did U Fest in Arizona, Carolina Rebellion, there’s been so many festivals going on. That’s the cool thing about summer, all the big outdoor festivals that they put on and we get to be a part of.  

AWAY-TEAM: Do you like the outdoor festivals better than the other places you do in the winter when you are inside confined in a building?

MATT DIRITO: Yeah. I do. I look forward to it all year and we know that these things are booked so far out because so many bands are going to be there. It’s crazy. We’re looking forward to it all year and all of a sudden it’s here. We’re like, oh, that’s next weekend already. Shit man! And they are all right in a row, too. It goes by like a flash. But just last weekend we did 3 outdoor festivals in a row. Friday, Saturday, Sunday. Every single one of them were cold and rainy.

TONY GREVE: I’m talking pouring rain. It was raining sideways.

AWAY-TEAM: I saw that on POP EVIL’s Facebook Page. Day 2 of rain, cold.

TONY GREVE: It’s still raining. We can’t get away from it, dude!

MATT DIRITO: I know dude! It sucks.

AWAY-TEAM: You just can’t get away from it.

TONY GREVE: It’s following us.

AWAY-TEAM: We’ve been dealing with it since Sunday in this area. I don’t know how long you’ve been dealing with it? It’s been awful here.

MATT DIRITO: It started in Denver for us last Tuesday and hasn’t stopped.

TONY GREVE: Everywhere we go, all the outdoor shows are rain and cold.

AWAY-TEAM: How have the fans been with it all? Are they still packed in?

TONY GREVE: Yeah!

MATT DIRITO: What’s cool about it is, and I think it’s kinda fun is, that you get the really hardcore fans that come out.

TONY GREVE: They’ll be out there in the rain, soaking wet, and just rockin’. It’s awesome!

MATT DIRITO: Covered in mud, and shit. They’re just like…

TONY GREVE: Remember that one guy that stopped us and asked to get a picture with us. He was covered in mud. Dude, was he rolling around in it or what? (laughs).  From head to toe he just looked like a mud monster.

MATT DIRITO: It looked like Woodstock.

TONY GREVE: Yeah, it did! (laughs).

AWAY-TEAM: Wonder if he just fell into it and he just said, eh, screw it I’m caked in mud. Who cares? I’ll just shower later. (laughs).

TONY GREVE: That’s cool to see the fans that are that hardcore and dedicated to just stick it out. You’re talking festivals that go from noon until ten o’clock at night or even midnight. And they’re out there the entire time.

AWAY-TEAM: For hours!

MATT DIRITO: Yeah. It’s kinda insane.

TONY GREVE: I like to call them rock and roll soldiers. Man, they’re definitely sticking it out.

AWAY-TEAM: Absolutely. For hours upon hours they muster through hot sun or cold rain. The fans are going to get the gamut with those festivals when it comes to the weather. You never know what you’re gonna have. You guys are protected on the stage, somewhat. Do you guys have side protection at all?

MATT DIRITO: Sometimes. It always seems if it’s raining it’s going to get everywhere.

TONY GREVE: Dude, the stage was soaked in Rockford, Illinois. I remember that. I walked offstage and my feet were soaked, soaked, soaked.

MATT DIRITO: Slipping and sliding.

TONY GREVE: Yeah.

MATT DIRITO: This was kinda cool. I was playing and my bass amp was vibrating on the stage around me. Puddles were vibrating. (demonstrates to my laughter). Like Jurassic Park. You could see the ripples in the water, you could see the ripples on the stage. It was sweet! YEAH! (shows rock horns).

AWAY-TEAM: (laughs).

AWAY-TEAM: The first time

I ever saw POP EVIL was at Merriweather Pavilion in August of 2009 when you guys were with Kix and Judas Priest.

TONY GREVE: In Baltimore?

AWAY-TEAM: Yeah, Baltimore kinda. It was Columbia, MD.

TONY GREVE: Is that when Kix played, that show?

AWAY-TEAM: Yeah.

TONY GREVE: Dude, that was one show wasn’t it?

MATT DIRITO: Yeah, that was the one.

TONY GREVE: (goes into singing the chorus from Don’t Close Your Eyes).  Yeah.

AWAY-TEAM: Exactly! That’s when I saw you guys for the first time. I had never heard of POP EVIL before that.

TONY GREVE: Before that show?

AWAY-TEAM: Yeah. And I’ve been following you since.

TONY GREVE: Really?

AWAY-TEAM: I was really, really impressed with you guys that day.

TONY GREVE: That is SO awesome! Thank you. (gives me the high five).

MATT DIRITO: Yeah, that’s cool. That was almost 2 years ago.

TONY GREVE: Yeah, that’s crazy.

AWAY-TEAM: And honestly, I have seen you guys grow so much in that time. You’ve solidified things, you’ve really moved forward and I am SO EXCITED for War Of Angels.

MATT DIRITO: Can’t wait for you to hear it.

AWAY-TEAM: I’ve read somewhere online that the release date is in June, not sure how true that is. However, I’m more than ready. POP EVIL is having this big announcement on Sunday at Rock On The Range, just under 70 hours or so and I’m interviewing you a few days too early. Damn! I know you can’t tell me anything.

MATT DIRITO: I don’t even know anything for sure. There’s still a bunch of stuff that is going on pertaining to the release of War Of Angels.

TONY GREVE: We’re always trying to grow and push forward, ya know.

MATT DIRITO: Yeah.  I think if we weren’t we’d be going down.

AWAY-TEAM: I can tell as a fan, you guys have definitely risen by leaps and bounds since the first time I saw you. I mean, you were good then in 2009, enough for me to take notice and for me to start following you. Getting Lipstick On The Mirror and really play it, dissect it in my iPod. I use it for my workout at the gym, too. Hero is one of my go-to tunes for my ab workout.

TONY GREVE: Nice!

AWAY-TEAM: (laughs).

TONY GREVE: I’m the kind of person that thinks like I’m never happy no matter what situation I’m in. Ever. It doesn’t matter. So unless something is constantly changing or growing or moving in one direction or another, either way, I just can’t be stagnate and still. Ya know? Some bands are just like okay with where they are at. We’ll never just be okay with where we’re at.

MATT DIRITO: It’s good to have that drive, ya know.

AWAY-TEAM: If you lose it, that drive, then things are going to change. And they are not going to change for the best either. You’ve gotta have that drive for the position you guys are in. I mean, you are really working your way up the ladder, you’ve got to keep putting your hook into things. Already I can see that.

AWAY-TEAM: I was on YouTube in the last week or so and I saw the teaser video for 10 tracks from the War Of Angels cd. I have watched that so many times. I’m trying to pick up the lyrics, pick up the riffs, pick up the hooks, pick up whatever is in there. I keep trying to really dig into it. I really want to get my hands on the cd so I can review it for www.away-team.com.  I know the beginning of May you interviewed with a guy from another publication  and I keep reviewing his interview. He already must have had War Of Angels and reviewed it. He was specifically talking about things in each track.

MATT DIRITO: We’d love to have you do a review of it.

TONY GREVE: Listen to the entire thing ahead of the release date and give us your feedback.

AWAY-TEAM: I can’t wait to hear more than what is on that video.  I know that guy asked each one of you which song you like to play live the most from War Of Angels.

TONY GREVE: Yes, yes he did.

AWAY-TEAM: Both of you said Boss’s Daughter.

TONY GREVE: It’s like a rock and roll song, ya know. It’s all about rockin’. It’s all about the party. It’s all about the Boss’s Daughter. Who doesn’t want to bang the Boss’s Daughter, right?

MATT DIRITO: Like the chick yesterday. Right? (laughs).

AWAY-TEAM: (laughs).

MATT DIRITO: You just don’t want to trip over your own feet.

TONY GREVE: Yeah.  And it’s just a heavy hitter. It’s a good rock and roll anthem.  Cool thing about it, I got to cowrite it with Mick Mars. Mick and I wrote the music to it. Guitar parts, the riffs and stuff. I went and spent the day at his house, we sat down and played guitar all day. What we came up with was the music for the riffs. The meat and potatoes for Boss’s Daughter.

MATT DIRITO: We put the lyrics to it.

AWAY-TEAM: How did that opportunity come up with Mick Mars? 

TONY GREVE: Well, at the time we both had the same publishing company. 

MATT DIRITO: He owed me money so I was like, Mick you owe me money. So let’s just hash this out… 

TONY GREVE: Let’s just do this and call it even. (laughs).  

MATT DIRITO: That’s a joke. That’s really just a joke.

TONY GREVE: That publishing company is always looking to get people together to write and see who comes up with what.  Our manager called me and said, guess what, guess who you get to work with? I said, I don’t know. Slash? He said no. But then he said Mick Mars. I said, that’s even way f’in cooler. He’s one of the most underrated guitar players, EVER!  

MATT DIRITO: He really is. He’s a great player.  

TONY GREVE: Being as f’in awesome as he is. He’s so good, it’s unreal.

AWAY-TEAM: So how long did you spend with him?

TONY GREVE: An entire day almost. Noon to midnight pretty much. He looks like he would be quiet and shy, and he’s none of that. He talks a lot and likes to tell stories. It was great, he was very talkative. You can tell he’s had his share of health stuff going on, but he was much better than I expected.  

AWAY-TEAM: That’s really cool that he worked with you on Boss’s Daugther. And I really do like that track off War Of Angels. And it’s one of my favorites off the teaser video. 

TONY GREVE: We had none of those riffs for Boss’s Daughter before we went in. We just sat down and we came up with all of it. It was way cool!

AWAY-TEAM: What other songs did he work with you on?

TONY GREVE: Just that one, that’s it.

AWAY-TEAM: Did you work with anyone else on any of the other songs?

TONY GREVE: I did not personally.

MATT DIRITO: Well, there is that song with Jack Blades.

TONY GREVE: Jack Blades, yeah.  From Night Ranger. That was more Leigh and Jack working on that. There’s a song on the album, well, maybe it will come out on this version of it or it may be a special bonus track in the future. I’m not sure. But we did a song called The Good With The Bad with Jack Blades. And that was pretty cool and he’s very awesome, too.

AWAY-TEAM: I know the big thing right now is the upcoming release of War Of Angels. I’ve read  another interview you had at the beginning of May and also listened to the radio studio stuff with Carson earlier today from 105.7, The X. And with War Of Angels, there are 10 songs on that teaser video. Is there going to actually be 12 songs total?

MATT DIRITO: We don’t know yet. That’s something we’ve got to work out.

AWAY-TEAM: I downloaded the song from POP EVIL‘S Facebook page, Save The World.  And I like that too.

MATT DIRITO: There’s another one that you can download, too. It’s an acoustic version of Monster You Made.

TONY GREVE: Yeah, yeah. Have you heard that one yet?

AWAY-TEAM: Yes!

AWAY-TEAM: POP EVIL played with Rev Theory at Ram’s Head Live in Baltimore in March of this year. And I was there covering them and I also photographed you guys as well.

TONY GREVE: Oh, awesome!

AWAY-TEAM: Your photos are on my Facebook page, my Flickr page as well as on the Away-Team page under the photos section. There is also a brief review of you guys in the show review for that night.

MATT DIRITO: Sweet!

AWAY-TEAM: And Tony, you have a lot of flying V’s.

TONY GREVE: Yeah, the Dean Guitars. I’m a Dean Guitar player. And I’m branded for life now. (shows me his Dean Guitar tattoo on his wrist).  I love the way those guitars are shaped, they’re so awesome. 

AWAY-TEAM: And Matt, you are on the Spector Bass website.  A photo of you is there.

MATT DIRITO: I am on the Spector website.

AWAY-TEAM: Matt McCloskey of Rev Theory saw my photos from that show in Baltimore in March and contacted me about 2 particular photos that he liked. He wanted permission to send them to Spector. So one of those photos is just below yours on the left hand column.

MATT DIRITO: Oh. You shot that one? That’s awesome.

AWAY-TEAM: Yeah, thanks! Do you play Dean as well as Spector?

MATT DIRITO: Yeah, I do play Dean.

AWAY-TEAM: I noticed the head stock on the white one. Is there more than one?

MATT DIRITO: Yeah. Right now I use all Deans. I think I probably used a Spector about a year ago. It was just kind of a fill in bass here and there. But right now I only used Dean.  But Spector still has me up on the website. I still talk to the guys over there. They are really cool at Spector.

AWAY-TEAM: Well, with you guys moving farther up the ladder as a band and becoming bigger and bigger, Spector wants you on that site. They want you to help promote Spector. So as long as you are okay with it, they are okay with it.

MATT DIRITO: Yeah. Anything that gets us out there, you know.

AWAY-TEAM: And Matt, you are a joy to photograph. Let me tell you.

MATT DIRITO: Oh, well, thank you!

AWAY-TEAM: It’s the hair, it’s the moves, it’s your stage presence, it’s…

TONY GREVE: He’s a joy to party with too. (winks).

AWAY-TEAM: (laughs). I wouldn’t mind doing that! (laughs).

TONY GREVE: Well, ALRIGHT!

MATT DIRITO: YEAH!

TONY GREVE: You just opened a whole new bag of worms! (gives me another high five).

Sidenote: Much laughter and off subject material happened here. Sorry. Just had to be there. I laughed so hard! Now back to the interview… (ha ha).

AWAY-TEAM: Who’s idea was it to market Last Man Standing to the NHL, the NFL, auto racing, the boxer, Mir? How did that all happen?

TONY GREVE: It was just kind of a no brainer, really, for us to pitch it to all of those guys.

MATT DIRITO: Good management.

TONY GREVE: Great management! You listen to that song and that song is a battle anthem. Going head to head, can ya handle it?

MATT DIRITO: We wanted to get it out as many ways as possible. It’s even on a video game now too. It’s on NX vs ATV, or something like that.  It’s an off road racing game. Last Man Standing, YOW!

TONY GREVE: It’s a battle anthem song that gets you pumped up. Whether you’re playing sports or MMA fighting, it’s gonna get ya!

AWAY-TEAM: I heard that song on Nascar one day and thought, I know this song.

MATT DIRITO: That’s awesome! So cool!

TONY GREVE: It’s great management too. Those guys really push us and work hard at what they do and they really care about this band. And it shows.

MATT DIRITO: They’re really good looking too!

TONY GREVE: Best looking managers out there.

AWAY-TEAM: (laughs)

MATT DIRITO: George and George, man. G and G. Get between 2 slices of George bread, ahhhh.

TONY GREVE: Make a little George bread pie.

MATT DIRITO: Yeah!

AWAY-TEAM: How often do you guys see them?

TONY GREVE: They come out quite a bit. George Jr. was just out with us a couple days ago.  Yeah, they’ll come fly out and stay a few days or a week or for however long.

MATT DIRITO: They’ll be at Rock On The Range for sure.

AWAY-TEAM: So they’re very supportive, they’re very interested in you and pushing you and taking you to new levels.

MATT DIRITO: Anytime, day or night, we can talk to them.

AWAY-TEAM: So you can call them at 2 in the morning and they’ll answer?

MATT DIRITO: Yeah, I can call them right now. We can drunk dial them later, ha ha!

TONY GREVE: Oh my gosh, YEAH!

AWAY-TEAM: (laughs hysterically).  How often do you do that?

MATT DIRITO: Every once in a while. Maybe you don’t want to put that in the interview. Sorry George! (waving). He’ll just tell us to go focus on the next hit. And ask me when I’m gonna give him the next hit.

TONY GREVE: Please don’t show him this. (laughs).

Sidenote: I’ll stop at the boys request. However, they did share interesting tidbits.

AWAY-TEAM: Talking about how great G & G is, I know that you can’t say a lot about Universal but what can you tell me? How bad did they “f” you over? Because you’re going with a new label now for reasons.

TONY GREVE: I almost want to wait to answer that comment. Wait until everything is complete.

MATT DIRITO: Until we make the announcement. The new label is not going to “f” us over. We’re going to keep doing what we do not matter what.

TONY GREVE: That’s true.

MATT DIRITO: But I’m pissed that it ended up affecting the fans with the release date of the new album and everything. That’s what makes me mad. It’s everywhere we go, it’s every night, everyone’s asking us when the album is going to be released.  And I have to say I’m sorry. They sometimes get mad at us.

TONY GREVE: They just don’t realize.

MATT DIRITO: I’m on their side, too. I’m angry that it’s not out.

TONY GREVE: We want it out, too.

AWAY-TEAM: From a marketing standpoint I think it’s helping you in a way for the fact that they know it’s not you, but yet you’re playing stuff from it live, it’s bringing the fans out more to your live shows than maybe they had been. I don’t know. It’s hard to tell with different fans and different reasons those fans may or may not have. I think it’s helping you. It’s building momentum, it’s really creating…

TONY GREVE: You think so?

AWAY-TEAM: Me, I’m salivating for it. I CAN NOT WAIT!

TONY GREVE: I think it is, as long as you don’t wait too long. There comes a point where you build the hype and momentum but if you don’t put something behind it, the momentum will die.

MATT DIRITO: You can’t have too much space in between.

TONY GREVE: It’s gotta come out.

AWAY-TEAM: It was supposed to be released in February, correct? And Last Man Standing was released as a single last fall.

TONY GREVE: Yeah.

AWAY-TEAM: So we are 3 months, almost 4 months past that original date. Sometime in June?

MATT DIRITO: Before the end of summer it will be out. Yeah.

AWAY-TEAM:  I cannot wait.

TONY GREVE: Us either. We’re ready to get this thing out and be able to tour on it, and play on it. And have everyone know the songs and sing them back to us.

 

AWAY-TEAM: Since you are playing the songs now, what is the percentage of songs from Lipstick On The Mirror to War Of Angels is there?

MATT DIRITO: It’s 50-50 pretty much. As far as the set goes.

AWAY-TEAM: So it looks like you are doing 12 songs tonight for the set. That’s awesome.

TONY GREVE: It will be a good show.

MATT DIRITO: Yeah, I’m going to be exhausted. (laughs).  It’s been awhile since we’ve done a set that long.

TONY GREVE: Yeah, we’ve been doing these tours with Drowning Pool, Papa Roach and we’re only used to doing 6 songs in the set during those tours.

MATT DIRITO: It’s no longer than 30 minutes for the set.

AWAY-TEAM: You just get warmed up… and you’re done.

TONY GREVE: Yeah pretty much.

AWAY-TEAM: You’re really into it, you’re hitting your groove. And you’re done!

TONY GREVE: This one is going to wipe us out tonight! (laughs).

MATT DIRITO: It’s kinda like when I have sex. You just get into it and, bam, it’s done.  It’s over before you know it.

AWAY-TEAM: So the new label you guys are with, they are more inline with where you want to go as a band? With your goals?

TONY GREVE: There going to stand behind us.

MATT DIRITO: We think so. Their already doing good stuff for us. Just showing interest in how we present ourselves and stuff like that. It’s cool. The entire time we were with Universal I had no contact information for anybody even at the label. If I wanted to go talk to someone, like an AR rep or anyone who represents us from publishing to marketing, I didn’t know who to talk to.

AWAY-TEAM: Totally disconnected. Unreachable.

MATT DIRITO: I didn’t have any emails. Nothing from nobody. The only people’s names I know are the presidents of the label. They were the only ones we met really. Well, we kinda met everybody once but I wouldn’t have known who to talk to. These guys from the new label are already showing interest in being hands on with us. We’ll be able to tell you more in year or so.

AWAY-TEAM: After you’ve been through the honeymoon period with them.  Everything gets worked out. You get used to them, they get used to you.

MATT DIRITO: Yeah. We never got a honeymoon period with Universal. They kinda f’d us in the ass and left us on the curb.

TONY GREVE: (laughs). That’s a great analogy! Awesome dude! That’s true though.

MATT DIRITO: There was no wining and dining, bro.

TONY GREVE: No phone call, no nothing.

MATT DIRITO: Not even a damn reach around.

TONY GREVE: They didn’t even have the common courtesy to give that guy a f’in reach around. (laughs).

MATT DIRITO: What the f*^#!

AWAY-TEAM: So how long have you been working with G & G then?

TONY GREVE: We met them before Universal.

AWAY-TEAM: So they’ve been with you through thick and thin.

MATT DIRITO: Yeah. All the success that we’ve had up to this point it due to George.

TONY GREVE: All credited to them. Universal never got us one radio ad. Never one radio play. Nothing. It’s been George, he’s done everything.

MATT DIRITO: After all this time, people at Universal didn’t even know we were signed to their label. So the people that were supposed to be working us to the radio didn’t even know we were signed to the label.

AWAY-TEAM: That’s messed up. So it’s very good that the band has moved on to a different, and better, label. It sounds like they are going to take you where you need to go just from what they’ve already started to show to you guys. Along with G & G. And are the new label and G & G married together to making POP EVIL what it needs to be in the future?

TONY GREVE: G & G are in the thick of it.

MATT DIRITO: They’re in the trenches taking grenades right now.

TONY GREVE: Yeah, they are.

AWAY-TEAM: As a fan, I really want to see you guys rise to the level of Motley Crue, Poison, Guns & Roses.  I really want to see POP EVIL do arenas. On your own, headling. Not opening for anyone.

TONY GREVE: We’re trying.

MATT DIRITO: That would be bad ass!

TONY GREVE: Maybe some day. Right? We’ll just keep pushing this f’in train forward.

AWAY-TEAM: So, the order of the tracks from War Of Angels, do they have a progression of a story or are you trying to say something with the way they flow?

MATT DIRITO: We tried to set it up that way. I think the goal was to really do sort of a theme album. And I think we are close to it. That’s just my opinion.  So when I think of theme albums I think of Pink Floyd, The Wall.

TONY GREVE: Or Dark Side Of The Moon.

MATT DIRITO: It literally tells a story, from start to finish. It’s like you can see a movie happening in your head. I don’t think ours is that crystal clear but it really does show a lot of what we’ve been through in the past few years as far as the transition from doing this part time, having day jobs, to where we are at now. Getting used to touring and being on the road. And how people respond to you and react to you.  Dealing with management and other bands, just everything that comes along with it. So I really do think it tells the story of all that and we did try to put it in order that way. It is interrupted in a few spots with a song that might be about getting a broken heart, somewhere in the middle of that. Sorta like you wouldn’t really know how it relates to us unless you sat down with us and went through it song by song, I guess.

AWAY-TEAM: Which one is the broken heart song? I don’t want to guess and be wrong.

MATT DIRITO: You can guess. That’s actually what’s cool about it. A lot of these songs can be taken in so many different ways. Like our next single, Monster You Made, to us, and to me personally, is a song about how our skin has become thick by being on the road, working with the record labels, and how the industry is. And about how it’s a horrible time to try and be breaking into this industry. It’s kinda changed us. I think people always change. If you’re not changing you’re not growing and becoming better. If you’re just staying the same, it’s just not good.

AWAY-TEAM: Did POP EVIL pull for these songs on War Of Angels, any influences

you may have from bands of the 80’s? It seems to me like a lot of flavor there from 80’s bands.

TONY GREVE: One of the coolest things is that, for me, music that has influenced me from the 80’s have been Slash, and many of those guitar players. I’m really not influenced by anything modern so the way I play would naturally come off that way. Slash and Dimebag…

MATT DIRITO: YEAH! Tony and I kinda grew up on that music. We grew up on Queen.

TONY GREVE: Yeah, Queen, Zak Wilde, Randy Rhoads and others. That stuff just has rock and roll heart and soul.

MATT DIRITO: Tony and I are the youngest guys in the band but we’re probably the most 80’s influenced.

TONY GREVE: Kinda funny how that works out.  We are pretty much the same age.

MATT DIRITO: We’re twins, separated by 3 minutes or so.

TONY GREVE: Yeah. Three minutes apart.

AWAY-TEAM: (laughs). So, ha ha, if you are ‘twins’, how much do you find yourselves being alike and thinking alike?

TONY GREVE: I just look at him and I already know what he’s thinking.

AWAY-TEAM: You’ve been together that long that you can do it?

TONY GREVE: I can just tell by his face and be like… Yeah, me too!

MATT DIRITO: Oh yeah!

TONY GREVE: We don’t even have to discuss what it is. I just say, yeah, I feel the same way.

MATT DIRITO: It’s true, that actually does happen. It really is true.

 

AWAY-TEAM: Is there anything else you guys want to tell the fans, tell me. Anything else you want to be know about this tour and War Of Angels?

TONY GREVE: Yeah. We want to thank the fans for everything, ya know. We really appreciate everything they’ve done and been through with us and for supporting us. We always, always want to thank the fans.  Without them there is no band, no show. None of this even matters without them. We wouldn’t even be having this interview right now.

AWAY-TEAM: You are so right.

TONY GREVE: So thank them, God bless them for everything. For this opportunity to do this. To be able to write and perform this music that we love so much. And sharing it with all of them means everything to us.

AWAY-TEAM: With War Of Angels, I really think POP EVIL is going to hit gold with this. It is so awesome from what I’ve heard so far.

TONY GREVE: I just want to move the fans. From in here (clutching chest). Ya know.

AWAY-TEAM: Like you said, it talks to everyone differently. Everyone has a different situation. But yet everyone can relate to the songs in their own special way. One song, different meanings to everyone.

TONY GREVE: Yeah, exactly. That’s what is so cool about it.

MATT DIRITO: It’s like my favorite albums that I listen to. If they get too specific on something it’s like you can’t always relate to it. But the songs that really hit home are the ones that are open to where you can apply it to your own life. They may have not be written like that but it’s how they are used. It’s how the meanings are taken from it.

AWAY-TEAM: Tony, you started Purple, right?

TONY GREVE: Yeah. It started with a friend of mine. We both got matching flower tattoos on our shoulders that are purple so I started writing it about that. Then Leigh took it to a whole new level with a new mindset, new mindframe.

AWAY-TEAM: And all of you contribute to every song?

MATT DIRITO: Not all the time. Sometimes it might be more Tony, sometimes more me.

TONY GREVE: It’s always different.

AWAY-TEAM: But everyone is comfortable where everyone else is with sharing of things.

MATT DIRITO: Yeah, we work on it.

TONY GREVE: It has to come to an agreement at the end of it.

MATT DIRITO: We all just want to have the best songs for our band and to move it forward with that.  So it’s not really an issue.

AWAY-TEAM: Well guys. I think that is about it. I want to thank you for your time tonight. Away-Team is grateful for this opportunity to speak with you both. And I look forward to see you again soon in the near future.

TONY GREVE: Yeah, Marcy, it’s been fun. A blast!

MATT DIRITO: Sure. We’re glad you were here.

 

 

Check out all that is going on with POP EVIL at their site: http://www.popevil.com

Also check these sites:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/popevil

Myspace: www.myspace.com/popevil

And for really cool stuff: www.evil-nation.com

YouTube videos you should check out:

                For War Of Angels  Last Man Standing: http://youtu.be/4YB6H5q_gyU

                Teaser Video for War Of Angels: http://youtu.be/2Ptq4jMH5OM

                For Lipstick On The Mirror  100 in a 55: http://youtu.be/DcfmwfY2GOE

Take it from me, you MUST go see these guys if you haven’t already. If you have seen them, you MUST see them again. They just keep getting better and better. And on June 28 be sure to get your own copy of War Of Angels through your favorite retailer or on Amazon or iTunes. This new album will kick your ass!

Special thanks to Tony Greve and Matt DiRito for taking the time to speak with me, and to George Cappellini at G & G Entertainment and Chris Iteen, Tour Manager, for helping to make it happen. It was a great pleasure and a thrill to do this interview.

Valleyheart, the third album by alternative rock outfit She Wants Revenge, was released, May 23rd on Five Seven Records, a division of Eleven Seven Music. Valleyheart is a musical love letter to the band’s West Coast upbringing, and is a refreshed and inspired body of work that serves as their defining musical statement. The album is currently streaming in full on She Wants Revenge‘s Facebook page, in addition to AOL Music and MSN Music. An exclusive look at the making of Valleyheart premiered today on ArtistDirect.com.

For She Wants Revenge‘s core duo of Justin Warfield (vocals/guitars/programming) )and Adam Bravin (bass/keyboards/sounds/tones), years of living on the road caused them to look homeward to the neighborhood they both grew up in, Los Angeles’s San Fernando Valley. Now, She Wants Revenge has emerged with an album that shakes off their influences, establishing them as a creative force to be reckoned with while also proving that, in fact, you can go home again.

In support of Valleyheart, the band has hit the road for a headlining tour with support from Nico Vega. The tour kicked off May 13th in Kansas City, MO at The Midland and wraps up on June 19th with a show at the Canyon Club in Agoura Hills, CA.

She Wants Revenge:
Justin Warfield – Vocals/guitars/programming
Adam Bravin – Bass/keyboards/sounds/tones
Scott Ellis – Drums
Thomas Froggatt – Guitars

She Wants Revenge tour dates:
5/23 The Roxy (Los Angeles, CA)
5/27 St. Andrews Hall (Detroit, MI)
5/28 Verizon Wireless Music Center (Indianapolis, IN)
5/29 Double Door (Chicago, IL)
5/31 Brighton Music Hall (Boston, MA)
6/2 Music Hall (Brooklyn, NY)
6/3 Maxwell’s (Hoboken, NJ)
6/4 WRFF show (Philadelphia, PA)
6/6 The Basement & Outland Live (Columbus, OH)
6/7 Firebird (St. Louis, MO)
6/8 George’s Majestic Lounge (Fayetteville, AR)
6/9 Emo’s (Austin, TX)
6/10 White Rabbit (San Antonio, TX)
6/11 Warehouse Live (Houston, TX)
6/13 The Loft (Dallas, TX)
6/15 Club 101 (El Paso, TX)
6/16 The Clubhouse (Phoenix, AZ)
6/17 House of Blues (Anaheim, CA)
6/19 The Canyon Club (Agoura Hills, CA)









For more SHE WANTS REVENGE click here.

Internationally established thrash metal band INDESTRUCTIBLE NOISE COMMAND and Candlelight Records have teamed up to distribute the band’s upcoming full-length release, Heaven Sent…Hellbound, on it’s new release date, August 9th, 2011. The album is being released on Rising Records, and is the band’s first full-length offering in over 20 years.

INDESTRUCTIBLE NOISE COMMAND just wrapped up on shooting two new music videos for the singles ‘Fist of Fascista’ and ‘Swallowed’ a few weeks ago in Brooklyn, NY. A new “behind-the-scenes” video is now available for viewing at MetalInjection.net. The video was shot by director Russell Hasenauer, and the “behind-the-scenes” footage was edited by Kevin Juliff.









For more INDESTRUCTIBLE NOISE COMMAND click here.

“Screaming Eagles” the new video by Swedish war historians SABATON has been released.

The video was directed by Nicholas Dackard, produced by Janusz Dackard and features reenactment groups Wrzesien 39 and Big Red One Historical Association Poland.

The song “Screaming Eagles” comes from the 2010 album Coat Of Arms which can be purchased at iTunes, Amazon, or the Nuclear Blast USA Webshop.














For more SABATON click here.

For the first time on CD, on May 31, Eagle Rock Entertainment will release ZZ Top Live in Germany 1980. This 16-song Texas manifesto features guitarist Billy F Gibbons, drummer Frank Beard and bassist Dusty Hill, in an onstage explosion of barrelhouse jump blues and boogie.

The Grugahalle in Essen was rockin’ on that night in 1980. ZZ Top, touring in support of 1979’s Deguello, is totally energized on nine of Deguello’s tracks, complemented by fan favorites from Tres Hombres (1973) and Fandango (1975), as well as righteous roots-reverent covers of Elmore James and Elvis Presley. (The concert was filmed for German television’s popular Rockpalast program and released on DVD as Double Down Live in 2009.)

Rock’n’Roll Hall Of Famers ZZ Top have never had a personnel change over the course of their 40-year career. These instantly-recognizable musicians are larger-than-life, their image clearly defined in American pop culture. They’re known as much for their dedication to the blues as they are for their self-designed custom-made guitars. Whether kicking off the MTV generation in 1983 with their groundbreaking videos or continuing to put on world class shows today, ZZ Top are as pioneering now as they ever were, yet still mindful of all who came before them in the glorious longtime tradition of this great music.

Track Listing:
El Deguello
I Thank You
Waitin’ For the Bus
Jesus Just Left Chicago
Precious And Grace
Manic Mechanic
Lowdown In The Street
Heard It On The X
Fool For Your Stockings
Cheap Sunglasses
Arrested For Driving While Blind
Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers
La Grange / Sloppy Drunk / Bar-B-Q
Dust My Broom
Jailhouse Rock
Tush








For more ZZ TOP click here.

Dropkick Murphys have announced additional North American summer tour dates in support of their critically acclaimed Going Out In Style CD (Born & Bred Records/ILG), which debuted at #6 on the Billboard 200–the group’s highest chart debut to date. The recently confirmed gigs include a performance at Milwaukee’s Summerfest, as well as shows in Pomona, CA; Ottawa, ON; Quebec City, QC; Sayreville, NJ; Monclair, NJ; Essex Junction, VT; St. John’s, NL; Halifax, NS; Moncton, NS and Montreal, QC.

The current run of shows kicks off this weekend with a May 28 headlining performance at the Punk Rock Bowling & Music Festival in downtown Las Vegas. Next, Dropkick Murphys will headline the USA 7’s Collegiate Rugby Championship (CRC) at PPL Park in Chester, PA in a post-event concert on June 4. The band then heads north for a string of shows starting June 19 in Winnipeg, MB. The summer tour is also highlighted by a headlining slot at the annual 4th of July weekend Hootenannyin Irvine, CA, where DKM will be joined by such artists as Reverend Horton Heat, Murder City Devils, Supersuckers, Swingin’ Utters, Royal Crown Revue, John Doe and more. The current North American tour will wrap August 5 when the band heads overseas for European festival dates from August 12-21.

Date City Venue
Saturday, May 28 Las Vegas, NV Punk Rock Bowling (outdoor festival
at 6th Street and Fremont St. East)

Saturday, June 4 Chester, PA USA 7’s Collegiate Rugby
Championship at PPL Park

Sunday, June 19 Winnipeg, MB Burton Cummings Theatre
Tuesday, June 21 Saskatoon, SK Odeon Events Centre
Wednesday, June 22 Edmonton, AB Edmonton Event Center
Thursday, June 23 Calgary, AB MacEwan Hall
Saturday, June 25 Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom
Sunday, June 26 Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom
Monday, June 27 Seattle, WA Paramount Theatre
Tuesday, June 28 Portland, OR Roseland Theatre
Wednesday, June 29 San Francisco, CA Warfield Theatre
Friday, July 1 Pomona, CA Fox Theater
Saturday, July 2 Irvine, CA Hootenanny (Oak Canyon)
Sunday, July 3 Tempe, AZ The Marquee Theatre
Tuesday, July 5 San Antonio, TX Sunset Station
Wednesday, July 6 Oklahoma City, OK Diamond Ballroom
Thursday, July 7 Omaha, NE Sokol Auditorium
Friday, July 8 Milwaukee, WI Summerfest
Sunday, July 10 Ottawa, ONT Cisco Ottawa Blues Fest
Monday, July 11 Quebec City, QC Festival d’été de Québec
Wednesday, July 27 Sayreville, NJ Starland Ballroom
Thursday, July 28 Montclair, NJ Wellmont Theatre
Friday, July 29 Essex Junction, VT Midway Lawn at Champlain Valley
Expo Center
Monday, August 1 St. John’s, NL George Street Festival
Wednesday, August 3 Halifax, NS Multipurpose Centre
Thursday, August 4 Moncton, NS Oxygen Nightclub
Friday, August 5 Montreal, QC Metropolis

Friday, August 12 Püttlingen, Germany Rocco Del Schlacko
Saturday, August 13 Eschwege, Germany Open Flair
Sunday, August 14 Rothenburg, Germany Taubertal
Friday, August 19 St. Pölten, Austria Frequency Festival
Saturday, August 20 Lüdinghausen, Germany Area 4
Sunday, August 21 Großpösna, Germany Highfield









For more DROPKICK MURPHYS click here.

Yes I love Queensryche. Yes I have the TriRyche tattooed on my bicep. Yes I have every album. Yes I still go to every show I can. Yes I still promote them as much as I can. But they haven’t put out a good album since 1994′s Promised Land in my opinion. It sucks, I hate that they apparently can’t write a decent song or album without Chris DeGarmo.

Hear In The Now, Q2K, Operation: Mindcrime 2, and even American Soldier (which was ALMOST a good album)… I can’t listen to them… I want to, I try every couple of years to go back to them and see if they improve over time or my taste changes enough to enjoy/love those albums. But alas its not to be.

Again I still go to every show because they sound great, when the newer stuff get played I kind of tune out and just focus on Geoff singing or Scott killing the drums. All though on their last tour they did a suite from 3 albums, Empire, Rage For Order, and American Soldier, the American Soldier stuff was really good live, just not on CD.

I so badly want them to put out a good album, I so badly want to love whatever they do… But I can’t. The music without Chris is just missing…. Emotion, depth, something.

I am all for bands changing, maturing, stretching, etc… I mean I can’t listen to the last 5 AC/DC or Aerosmith albums because they are indistinguishable between the previous 5 they’ve each done. They’re stuck in a writing formula that works for them, and sells records, but it doesn’t make for good music to me.

Listen to Queensryche‘s EP. Then Empire. Then Promised Land. Listen to the vast difference in sound and songwriting between those three albums. Then listen to the last 4 albums. Worlds apart in songwriting. It isn’t about stretching and failing.. it’s about crappy songwriting.

And so now we have Dedicated to Chaos, Queensryche‘s new album and Get Started, the first single off that album. Geoff Tate has said in the press recently that this is a departure for the band, that sound wise it is something they have never done yet. That is is a ‘headphone’ album, best heard/experienced with headphones on. So when I read that I got excited. For he has said that before about Promised Land. In fact for the premier listening party of Promised Land they had everyone sitting in chairs with headphones on listening to the album.

So if Geoff is somehow comparing Dedicated To Chaos to the sonic quality of Promised Land, then color me All In!
Sadly, I received the single Get Started today. And as I listen to it for the 10th time or so (yes with my headphones on), I’m afraid this is no Promised Land, this is more of the same, more of the last 4 albums instead of the first 4.

And sonically, I don’t see the ‘need’ for headphones, where Promised Land was a rich sonic texture that still unveils new layers 16 years later, Get Started is well produced, but not sure it has any layers that reveal themselves upon multiple listens.

Here’s hoping that Get Started is just that… The band getting started, and that the rest of the album is truly a departure from the last 15 years of recorded Queensryche.

You can pre-order the single Get Started here and pre-order Dedicated To Chaos here.
For more QUEENSRYCHE click here.

DAVID BYRNE

RIDE RISE ROAR

Eagle Rock Entertainment

9 out of 10







My introduction to the Talking Heads was in high school at a party one Friday night. Stop Making Sense had come out on VHS (you remember VCRs right? Well that was the tape that went into VCRs). And a friend was playing it at a party I was at. I was blown away by the show itself, and the music much later.

If you have never seen Stop Making Sense, then stop what you are doing (yes, that means stop reading this review right now…) and go pick up the DVD of Stop Making Sense AND get Ride Rise Roar at the same time, you’ll thank me later. It is regarded as the best concert video ever, and for good reason. Not just because of the camera work, or because of the band, but because of the production surrounding the band. The show itself, the production on stage is the star of this film, as it is about how a show is put together, how the production that goes into a show is built.

Most concerts are about the band, and about the music. This concert was about more than that. As the show progresses from song to song, more band members join in, and the light production is built around them. From just David Byrne on stage with a boom box and an acoustic guitar to a full band with full production around them. The show continues to build and build unto a mighty crescendo.

The Talking Heads are no more. David Byrne has gone on to do many various projects in and out of music and art. Always pushing the edge, always blurring the media he uses, always trying to push the audience as well as himself. Sometimes executed to perfection, sometimes the idea was better than the end result.

Enter Ride Rise Roar. A film by David Hillman Curtis that documents the course of the 2008/2009 Songs Of David Byrne & Brian Eno Tour. The Stop Making Sense film is such a stunning achievement that it is so very hard to not compare Ride Rise Roar to it. Try as I might I kept finding myself trying to not make comparisons. Making it harder still was the fact that the film opens with Once In A Lifetime. A monumental Talking Heads song from SMS also.

And other than an avent garde style of show is featured in both films the similarities truly end there. Ride Rise Roar shows the seeds of the beginning of the tour, the spawning of ideas and how to present the songs on stage. The auditions of the uncommon dancers. How they came to be hired, and why.

For me the one moment that made me back up the DVD and watch it over and over was the moment in the auditions that David describes how he gave the dancers an order to pick 4 moves, and once they found the strongest moves just begin repeating them over and over. And if they saw another dancer doing a stronger move than them, to copy them. So in time all the dancers ended up doing the same four moves. Evolution proven. Survival of the fittest. It for me was quite a stunning moment. Not sure why it resonated so much but it did.

The music throughout the film and concert are a mix of Talking Heads and David Byrne (with/without Brian Eno) solo works.

This isn’t Continue To Stop Making Sense, this is David’s baby front to back. At times the backup dancers can be a little distracting and they may take away visually from the music, but the times they actually seem to add to the music more than makes up for it. For a few songs it almost seems as if they are acting out the song in some strange interpretative dance that transcends the dance itself and the music singularly, so that artist, dancer, and musician coalesce into one being on stage and for that brief moment it works and we are transported to a special place. And then Road To Nowhere comes on, and we can’t wait until it is over so that we can enjoy the rest of the show and music.









You can pick up Ride Rise Roar right here. And you can thank me later…

HEAVEN & HELL

Radio City Music Hall Live

Eagle Vision

10 out of 10




On March 30th, 2007 Heaven & Hell (Tony Iommi, Ronnie James Dio, Geezer Butler, and Vinny Appice) took the stage at Radio City Music Hall in New York City. The band performed for over 2 hours to a sold out rabid crowd. On May 15th Eagle Rock Entertainment released the Blu Ray edition of this 15 song extravaganza that not only showcases the might and the power of Heaven & Hell but is a touching tribute to Ronnie James Dio who passed away a year ago succumbing to cancer.

The concert itself is enough reason to purchase this amazing DVD. I mean what really needs to be said about Heaven & Hell performing such killer songs as Mob Rules, Lady Evil, Computer God, Fallin’ Off The Edge of The World, Heaven And Hell, Neon Knights, and Sign Of The Southern Cross?

Do I really need to go into how amazing Dio’s voice is after all these years? How strong and powerful his singing still is? How for such a demure man, he stalks the stage and commands the crowd like a 50 foot giant? How skilled and spot on Tony’s playing is? How deft Geezer still is playing the jazzy hell out of the bass and still remaining criminally underrated as one of the most amazing bassists ever? Do I? Really? I mean it’s HEAVEN & HELL for fuck’s sake!!! Did you expect any less? Of course not.

What I can add to a stellar performance that is above critique is that the camera work, and High Definition conversion of this show is what puts it over the top. The lighting and stage production are brought to life on the Blu Ray disc. It’s as if you are standing right beside RJD himself and throwing the horns at the crowd.

The added features of the Blu Ray are simply icing on the cake as I’ve already said the show is a MUST HAVE for any Dio/Sabbath/Heaven & Hell/Heavy Metal/Music fan. From a behind the scenes look at the 2007 tour, to the in depth look at the chemistry of the four that make up Heaven & Hell, to a behind the scenes look at the Radio City Music Hall and Heaven & Hell’s fans.

The best piece of bonus material is ‘The Wisdom Of Dio’. Shot after Dio’s death, the interviews with the band about the man, the myth, the greatest voice in Metal, Ronnie James Dio is very touching, and a great testament to the man that everyone loved.









HEAVEN & HELL: RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL LIVE is available now for purchase right here.

The annual Rockstar Energy Drink UPROAR Festival returns August 26 through October 15 to conquer North America with a massive active rock lineup. Leading the charge is multi-platinum headliner Avenged Sevenfold, making their triumphant return after co-headlining the 2010 debut Rockstar Energy Drink UPROAR Festival.

Three Days Grace, Seether and Bullet For My Valentine, along with Escape The Fate will also be featured on this year’s main stage. The touring music and lifestyle festival–which Revolver called “one of the most electric tours of the year” in 2010–also includes the Best Buy Music Gear Stage headliners Sevendust, as well as Black Tide, Art Of Dying and The Black Cloud Collective.

“When we started hearing from our fans they wanted to see us back on UPROAR this year, we thought, last year was a blast so let’s do it again. The fans are crazy and the bands kick ass,” says Avenged Sevenfold‘s frontman M. Shadows. “We’re spending the first half of summer playing some big European festivals so we’re going to be ready to get back home and play America’s top rock festival.”

“We’re thrilled to have Avenged Sevenfold back as headliners,” adds tour producers John Reese and John Oakes. “Their epic stage show helped elevate UPROAR 2010 far beyond the standard outdoor festival. The fans wanted more, and we listened.”

For more Rockstar Energy Drink UPROAR Festival click here.

JUDAS PRIEST announced during a press conference in Los Angeles, California their North American Epitaph Tour dates with support from THIN LIZZY and BLACK LABEL SOCIETY.

JUDAS PRIEST NORTH AMERICAN EPITAPH TOUR dates:
Oct. 12 – San Antonio, TX – AT&T Center
Oct. 14 – Corpus Christi, TX – Concrete Street Ampitheater
Oct. 15 – Houston, TX – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Oct. 16 – Allen, TX – Allen Event Center
Oct. 18 – Tucson, AZ – Ava Ampitheater
Oct. 19 – San Diego, CA – Cricket Wireless Ampitheater
Oct. 21 – Phoenix, AZ – AZ State Fair
Oct. 22 – San Bernardino, CA – San Manuel Ampitheater
Oct. 23 – Las Vegas, NV – Hard Rock
Oct. 25 – Los Angeles, CA – Gibson Ampitheater
Oct. 26 – Oakland, CA – Oracle Arena
Oct. 29 – Seattle, WA – WaMu Theater
Oct. 30 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
Nov. 01 – Edmonton, AB – Shaw Conference Center
Nov. 02 – Calgary, AB – Scotiabank Saddledome
Nov. 04 – Salt Lake City, UT – Maverik Center
Nov. 05 – Denver, CO – 1st Bank Center
Nov. 12 – Chicago, IL – The Venue At Horeshoe Casino
Nov. 13 – Detroit, MI – Joe Louis Arena
Nov. 18 – East Rutherford, NJ – Izod Center

There will be additional tour dates forthcoming taking tour into December 2011.









For more JUDAS PRIEST click here.