There are bands that just don’t know when it is appropriate to hang it up. Tuesday, however, people witnessed Mötley Crüe‘s Vince Neil, Mick Mars, Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee in a Hollywood hotel at a signing ceremony for a “cessation of touring agreement” and their retirement.
The terms of the agreement are to take effect after what has been dubbed their retirement tour, which is to start later this year and conclude in 2015. In legal terms, once the tour ends, each member has agreed to never tour as Mötley Crüe again.
Livenation announced that general sales for tickets will start this Friday, with some tickets being made available for as little as $15.
This is not a time to mourn or cry. This goes for a celebration to a band that said, “Let’s do it our way.”
Mötley Crüe started out of Los Angeles’ Sunset Strip in 1981 to reach the successes of multiple Las Vegas residencies, car commercials, Hot Tub Time Machine, a New York Times bestseller, 80 million records sold, and famous girlfriends galore before all was said and done more than 30 years later. If Sex, Drugs, and Rock and Roll was in the dictionary, there, you would see “Mötley Crüe.” This band has done it all.
“If I was playing at small clubs and county festivals in front of a small crowd with just one or two original members, THEN I would be sad,” said Nikki Sixx, founder, main song writer, and the brains of the Crue operation. Which is why 2014 is a good time to call it quits.
Upstate New York is fortunate enough to have shows scheduled in Darien (CT), Saratoga, and Syracuse. Sharing the playbill will be legendary rock artist, Alice Cooper giving everyone in New York the last chance to FINALLY experience what a Mötley Crüe show is all about. And, it gives fans a chance to bid farewell and say “thank you” one last time.
Anyone who is a fan Mötley Crüe, or even if you’re NOT a fan of them, but are a big fan of rock and roll and metal should read the book The Dirt to really get a taste and an appreciation of how far this band has gone to reach success, and understand the hardships of being in a dysfunctional band.
Tommy Lee has been doing his thing as a DJ and has done some experimental music along the way.
Nikki Sixx seems to have struck thunder twice with his alternate band Sixx A.M., while Vince Neil is still touring with his solo band and releasing material.
Mick Mars deals with ankylosing spondylitis. According to the National Library of Medicine, Ankylosing spondylitis is a long‑term type of arthritis. It affects the bones and joints at the base of the spine where it connects with the pelvis. These joints become swollen and inflamed. Over time, the affected spinal bones join together. Despite his condition, Mars has some musical calibrations of his own.
In all fairness, The Crüe has nothing more to prove. It has all been done.
This will be one last time to “Shout at the Devil,” so catch Mötley Crüe with Alice Cooper in upstate New York at any of the following dates:
Aug. 26 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Performing. Arts Center
Aug. 31 – Darien Center, NY – Darien Lake Performing. Arts Center
Bogies executive, and Albany scene heavyweight, Mike Valente recently put out a call for donations to the renowned club for what he calls a “facelift.” The proprieter is seeking help in the tune of $10,000 to cover overdue upkeep costs and miscellaneous upgrades.
Specifically, Valente noted that the money would cover a leaking roof, bad floors, and general “rejuvenation.” And as any band who has played there knows, new mic stands would be great.
An account was established at gofundme.com to administer donations.
The 30-year old-club has gone into decline, and as Valente wrote, “there are some costs and expenses that go beyond our reach.” He further explained that he has never seen a profit off of the shows put on at the club — even those that have featured renowned talents as Black Flag and Born of Osiris. All money goes into expenses such as staffing — who have donated time before because of their love of the music over the tight finances, add Valente.
As such, the financial woes have clipped advertising for shows.
Located on Albany’s Ontario Street, Bogies is one of the most important venues in the scene, especially for up – and – coming bands. To keep it running, is a necessity.
Within the first 24 hours, $890 was raised by 29 donors. Anyone wishing to donate to the cause can do so here, either publicly or anonymously:
Oliver Withöft died January 20 at 49. We’re late to report, but it would be remissible of us here at Upstate Metal to not recognize the loss of Century Media co-owner Oliver Withöft.
Withöft fell ill several months ago, and ultimately succumbed to the illness on January 20th. Coupled with the fact he died at such a young age, Century Media had only just celebrated their 25th anniversary. Withöft had been with the independent record label for all but the first 18 months.
Century Media has a worldwide influence upon the music industry, and we’re indebted to their dedicated employees for helping us provide the information to our readers, and bring us some of the best music available to music lovers.
Born in Dortmund, Germany in 1964, Withöft studied linguistics, business and history in both Germany and the U.K. Robert Kampf started Century Media Records 25 years ago simply to create a suitable label home for his own band, Despair. He was looking for a trustworthy and strong partner to lead the company with and found this person in his best friend and fellow musician Oliver Withöft, who joined the company eighteen months later, sharing the same love and passion for music, and metal in particular. Since that very day, these two friends developed one of the most important independent record labels on the planet. Today the company has around 100 people on payroll in Dortmund, London, Los Angeles, Berlin, Paris, Milan, Madrid, Melbourne and the Netherlands. A lot of musical careers were developed over the years: Lacuna Coil, Shadows Fall, Suicide Silence, In This Moment, Otherwise, Iced Earth, Die Broilers, Arch Enemy and Heaven Shall Burn are just a few of them. Century Media became a brand name recognized across the world. Oliver Withöft was always the strategic, legal and financial mind behind the organization. He was not only a strong fighter for the company, but also a very intelligent and forward-thinking leader. When the music industry drastically changed in the ’90s, he was the first to think about new ways to adapt to the needs and challenges of the rapidly-changing market. We have lost a great man with an amazing sense of humor, a warrior, and an overall very human being. Oliver leaves behind a wife, Judith, and their three daughters.
Antje Lange, CEO of Century Media Records: “I learned a lot from him in regards to business, the world and life. He was an extremely smart and visionary business man who cared a lot about the people working for him. He was one of the most open-minded and knowledgeable persons I have ever met. Oliver was responsible for a lot of successful artists’ careers and an impressive amount of albums that had an impact in the music world. It has never been easy for him, but he was a strong fighter. A great man with an amazing sense of humor whose departure leaves a large gap in our lives.”
Ula Gehret, who handles business affairs for Century Media Records with his company Clandestine: “He had a razor-sharp intellect and keen business acumen, and as a number of people can attest to, he was not someone you wanted to be sitting across from at a negotiating table. After a few years at the label, he introduced me to how legal contracts worked. Eventually, with training, that became my full-time occupation. It is no exaggeration to say that without his tutelage and patience, I would not be where I am today, doing something I love, and with principle. He was my mentor.”
Oliver was a very special person who touched many people’s lives in a positive and special way. This is a tremendous loss for all who knew him and it will take some time for us to grieve the passing of such a great person.
“Oliver was always a winner, one of those that I somehow thought would live forever. A genius, a friend and the best advisor I’ve ever had. It was all him behind the scenes.”
–Kobi Farhi, Orphaned Land
“Oliver and Robert had the guts, trust and belief to sign us when we were just a bunch of kids trying to play metal. Without these guys, I doubt we would be where we are today. He was not the easiest to work with back in the day, but a very cool guy.”
–Ola Lindgren, Grave
For those who would like to honor his memory:
His family have asked that – instead of sending flowers – they would appreciate it if you could donate to “The Oliver Withöft Scholarship”, a fund raised as part of the Kindred Project (www.thekindredproject.gl).
Donation reference:
Account holder: Kindred Project Oliver Withoeft
Reference: The Oliver Withoeft Scholarship
IBAN: GI89 BARC 0204 5216 2863 922
SWIFT: BARCGIGI
If you would like to share your memories and condolences, please email:
In October 2007 At The Gates vocalist Tomas Lindberg told Blabbermouth.net, “No new record will be recorded. The legacy of Slaughter of the Soul will remain intact. It would be fun to write together, but not under the name of At The Gates.” This was further backed by guitarist Anders Björler, when he said, “It would be pointless to release something more than ten years after Slaughter of the Soul… it would just disappoint people.”
Well, times have changed.
The pioneers of melodic death metal, At The Gates, announced a change of heart and are following up on the recent success of reunion concerts with a planned release of a follow-up to Slaughter of the Soul.
At The Gates plan to release a new album this fall, their first since 1995. (Photo Credit: Daniel Falk/Century Media Records)
Century Media Records recently announced that the rockers from Sweden – hence, why the genre is also known as “Swedecore” – are currently working on a new album. The follow-up, which is tentatively planned for release by October or November, is nearly 20 years in the making.
“We are fully aware that we have made some very drastic statements in interviews as well as the closing words on the DVD about the longevity of AT THE GATES,” stated band members in a recent press release, “but things change, situations change and people change. When Anders sent the first song last summer, we had zero expectations of the outcome. We only knew one thing – That it sounded amazing! At the time we weren’t even sure there would be an album, but as things progressed, more songs came into existence, and we knew we were on to something great.”
At The Gates started off in 1990, and achieved success four years later after the release of their third album Terminal Spirit Disease. In 1995, the band reached the apex of their success after the release of Slaughter of the Soul. Unfortunately, the band broke up immediately afterwards in 1996. Since then, they have held reunion concerts, starting with the first in 2008.
Said the band, “So, here we are almost 24 years since the birth of AT THE GATES, and some 18+ years since our latest album ‘Slaughter Of The Soul’. A lot of years have passed and we have embarked on some life-changing reunion tours and shows the last couple of years. So, why make a new album you might ask, and why now? Well, what we learned from the last couple of years hanging out and playing shows together, is that we enjoy what we do to the fullest extent. We love playing music together, and we love to hang out as friends. But, as a musician, we constantly write new music.
It’s a huge part of our identities.”
Century Media Records added: “We are extremely proud and super excited to have teamed up with one of the most legendary and influential bands in metal. AT THE GATES have not only been a staff favourite since their very inception, but also a group of members that we individually like, respect and are always glad to support. As the reunion shows of the recent years have demonstrated, AT THE GATES are currently on top of their game and more relevant than ever before within and for the metal scene of these days. We truly look forward to pushing AT THE GATES to new heights with their new album ‘At War With Reality’. Let’s…GO!!!”
Most recently, AT THE GATES has launched the following two teaser clips to introduce their return:
08.03.2014–Trondheim (Norway)–Trondheim Metal Fest / http://trondheimmetalfest.no
26.04.2014–Santiago (Chile)–The Metal Fest / http://www.themetalfest.cl
23.05.2014–Baltimore (US)–Maryland Death Fest / http://www.marylanddeathfest.com
10.07.2014–Neskaupstadur (Iceland)–Eistnaflug Festival / http://www.eistnaflug.is
(More shows to be announced soon)
AT THE GATES line-up 2014:
Tomas Lindberg – Vocals
Anders Björler – Guitars
Martin Larsson – Guitars
Jonas Björler – Bass
Adrian Erlandsson – Drums
AT THE GATES Discography:
Gardens Of Grief / EP – 1991
The Red In The Sky Is Ours – 1992
With Fear I Kiss The Burning Darkness – 1993
Terminal Spirit Disease – 1994
Slaughter Of The Soul – 1995
Purgatory Unleashed / Live – 2010Stay tuned about AT THE GATES’ upcoming studio album, At War With Reality, and the band’s future live schedule coming soon!
There’s a rumbling coming from Western New York as of late; or so it seems from the perspective of the editor’s desk here at Upstate Metal, as we’ve had our eyes forcibly opened ala Clockwork Orange to the music scene out of Rochester, New York.
The epicenter is discernablly originated from underneath whichever stage AFR plays. The heavy metal group phones out from the 585 Area Code, and in the short time since they formed in April of 2012, they’ve fostered a following with an enormous fan base – geographically speaking.
AFR comes off as an eclectic sounding band, listing a broad focus of infuences that range from Dream Theatre to Lamb of God. Signed by Buffalo’s Dead Trash Mob records, the boys like to describe their sound as, “if Pantera and Lamb Of God had a baby.”
Upstate Metal recently had the opportunity of communicating with the band’s bassist, Todd Church. Church is the neophyte of the band, stepping on board with AFR last October. As with many local rockers, Church has a day job to pay the bills. Only, as you’ll quickly learn, his day job is almost as interesting as his nighttime persona. We talk to him about that, and more, plus what fans should expect from the band in the next few months.
Hallisey: You joined the band in October of last year, right? Tell me a little bit about how you joined the crew, and what kind of struggles do you have being with a band that’s already struck out on its own before you came along?
Church: Actually the band was advertising on Craig’s list back in the summer of 2013 and during that time I went to see one of their shows to check them out and was really impressed with the show and the music. After the show, I met up with the guys and hit it off pretty good. The transition from me learning the songs and doing my first show was literally two weeks when the lead singer Alan called me up and asked me to play that coming weekend show at the Montage Music Hall in Rochester, NY. Sometime in September. Surprisingly it went really well with the short time I had to learn their set list.
Hallisey: You’re a chemist, scientist? Is being a musician your alter ego?
Church: Definitely, I’m an Environmental Scientist these days; listening to a little Lamb of God or Pantera while working away! It’s always been kind of a joke in just about all the bands I’ve been in over the years. I would tell people I’m a scientist and everyone would be like, yeah right!
Hallisey: I don’t assume you’re cooking meth in an RV out in the New Mexico desert, am I right?
Church: Laughs. No! I’m pretty much tied to a computer these days. I currently work as a consultant providing chemistry/biology technical support to project teams and field sampling teams globally.
Hallisey: Is rock and roll a dream or a pastime for you? Do you see professional aspirations conflicting with your music?
Church: I never did or will quit the dream! I’ve been a musician most of my life starting in my elementary band playing the trombone. I’ve played in metal bands for long time. At one point in my life toured with my metal band throughout Michigan whom is still together but under different name now. Fortunately my job is pretty demanding but also flexible as well so seems to work out good. It would definitely be an easy decision on which way to go if the opportunity and money was right!
Hallisey: Speaking of music, how involved are you in the song writing?
Church: I’m at a point now with AFR that I am contributing to the music writing process with our upcoming EP that we have been working on. Each of us encourage each other to help with the writing process so it’s actually a fun and rewarding process.
Hallisey: Where do you draw your inspiration from?
Church: As with most musicians and artists alike, inspiration comes from the soul. We all have a history whether good or bad, and being able to convey it to the music is incredibly fulfilling.
Hallisey: Who are your idols, and what characteristics do you try to take from them into your own play?
Church: I have been a huge fan of music in general as long as I can remember listening to my parents old Motown and classic rock records growing up. After being introduced to Geezer Butler of Black Sabbath, I knew that is what I wanted to do! Throughout the years, I would have to say Steve Harris from Iron Maiden as well as Cliff Burton, Jason Newsted and Robert Trujillo were also huge influences on me as well. Robert is a madman to watch play!
Hallisey: I often hear musicians today speak of being involved in a battle to revitalize rock and roll. How do you feel being a part of such a scene where pop culture seems to have left it behind?
Church: I definitely have witnessed that over the years. Not only with music but even dealing with venues/clubs who have completely changed their lineup due to low attendance with the Rock culture and changing over to country music in hopes to draw more crowds. I’m not sure if that has changed today, but believe the metal/rock scene is just as strong today. I’ve always been involved with original bands and finding venues and getting large crowds to come see you has always been challenging.
We have been blessed with great venues and fans across upstate New York and don’t really feel that there is a battle at all and that there is always a place for metal.
Hallisey: What do you bring to the table for the band, that makes this band shine?
Church: When I first saw AFR play live, I felt a connection with the music and vibe instantly. I’d like to think I bring a prominent and heavy but unique sound quality that I believe will compliment what is already a powerful sound.
Hallisey: What does the band bring to the table for metal, to help metal make a comeback?
Church: Since I’ve been in upstate NY I have seen a lot of great cover and original bands. I think AFR stands out from the crowd with the some familiarity of the their sound but yet uniqueness which I see draws listeners interested from the first note until the last. Its been a great experience this far and looking forward to the future of this band.
Hallisey: You guys are working on a new EP, how far along are you with that?
Church: Yeah, we have been working really hard on our new upcoming EP since late November early December and pretty excited about. We have a few songs that are completed now but we wanted to spend the time to give our fans more than just a single release or two. It’s definitely going to have a new heavy feel but keep true to our roots.
Hallisey: When can we expect a release?
Church: Our first EP, A Hero to Villains, which was released in 2012 under the Buffalo, NY record label Dead Trash Mob Records, has had a really good response and we’re expecting to release our new upcoming EP late spring/early summer 2014.
Hallisey: A radio show in Germany knows about you guys. How does that happen, and does that obligate you guys to cover a David Hasselhoff tune or two?
Church: Well, if we end up touring Germany, we will be sure to call our ride “K.I.T.T.”! Laughs.
Today, it’s almost endless on how or where to advertise at a touch of a button. You can find out music on iTunes, Google Play, Spotify, Facebook, Reverbnation and more. One of the best ways is always by word of mouth and the social networking apps like Facebook but of course, you still have to have a descent product so people do pass along. Its been great how our fan base has been growing and spreading to new fans worldwide, including Germany, in such a short amount of time.
AFR comprises of Alan Rohr (Vocals), Ledwing Hernandez (Guitars), Zach Sweedler (Guitars), Todd Church (Bass), and Brandon Lewis (Drums). (Photo Credit: Courtesy of AFR)
A local band from Buffalo, New York that goes by the name of Dollar Diplomacy is making quite a name for themselves.
Dollar Diplomacy is Brad Martynowicz (lead vocals), Tyler Wright (lead guitar, rhythm guitar), John Harrington (percussions) and their newest member, Zenon Maciejewski (bass and back up vocals).
Dollar Diplomacy self-describes itself as a heavy-blues rock band with vocalist Martynowicz adding that they are “very jamming”. Their biggest influence is the immortal powerhouse band, Led Zeppelin.
The band’s first time performing was in 2011 when theyopened up for Davy Zee And The Renegades in Ellicottville, New York for Oktoberfest. The band had a different identity at the time, playing under the name Cut Short with a different bassist. The post-concert rush ended however and a few months later, Cut Short broke up. Wright and Harrington tried forming a new band and had multiple different members but nothing was working until they asked Martynowicz to help form a band. They had a solid line up for a year with all the remaining original members of Cut Short until the band changed the name to Dollar Diplomacy. Maciejewski later joined the band after their original bassist left the band a few months later.
The band’s unique name actually came from a history lecture when Harrington was sitting in class and his professor mentioned President William Taft’s “Dollar Diplomacy” and the name stuck ever since.
When asked how the band works for song writing and composing, the band described that they start with a rough draft of an idea and keep revising the idea over and over until they are kind of content with the end product, figuring out ways to make new songs work for them rather than them working for the new songs. Collectively, the entire band collaborates on a new works, however, the band is in consensus that Wright and Harrington are the main songwriters. As a band they compose and write lyrics together but they all agreed Wright and Harrington are the main songwriters.
Wright explained how at their last practice they wrote a song that they were definitely eager to perform. Wright said that he had a riff that he has been excited to play, at practice he said he just started the new riff and rest of the band joined in and, spontaneously, they formed a new song. Martynowicz added that he recorded the song on his phone and he started writing corresponding lyrics for it. Afterwards, they performed it as a band to see what works and what doesn’t.
The band finds it boring to play the same old songs over and over again and they often eventually reach a point where change is needed. At this point, they re-enter the song writing process.
The band was set to record an album last December. They have yet to be signed to a record label but they have been putting songs on their Facebook page and have been going to local Hot Topic’s and giving out demo CDs. There is currently no set release date on the album but their album will be available both on CDs and on ITunes.
Dollar Diplomacy performed with, Reloaded at Niagara Falls Hard Rock Café on January 10th.
Rock on the Range is finally here! The playbill and corresponding dates were recently announced, marking another spectacular three days in rock. Rock on the Range dates have been set for the weekend of May 16-18, 2014. Crew Stadium, in Columbus, Ohio, hosts the event each year.
This year’s playbill for Rock On The Range has the likes of Avenged Sevenfold, Guns ‘N’ Roses, Kid Rock, Five Finger Death Punch, Slayer, Staind, Moterhead, Seether,Chevelle,Alterbridge, Killswitch Engage and more.
Rock on the Range is now considered an annual rock festival, and for the first time since its debut in 2007, the festival will now be three, full days of music. It will also feature a comedy tent for additional entertainment. Rock On The Range usually consists of mainstream rock bands with a classic band as the headliner each night.
Three different stages keeps the music flowing all day. In 2009-2011, the festival added a second city into the mix. Winnipeg, Manitoba, in Canada, held the event in the month of June for 2009 and in August 2010 and 2011, at the Canad Inns Stadium. The concert saw over 100,000 rangers attend the festival in 2013, and over 330,000 fans since it’s birth.
Observers of this event and genre of music say that a lot of the summer festivals, such Rockstar’s Mayhem and Uproar, spin-off from Rock On The Range.
Revolver Magazine’s “Hottest Chicks In Hard Rock Tour” is slated for a 20-city, winter tour starting February 20th in Wilmington, NC, and runs through March 20 in Anaheim, CA.
Slated for the tour is Sick Puppies, Lacuna Coil, Eyes Set To Kill and Cilver.
On the heels of the tour’s news release, Lacuna Coil also announced the April 1, 2014 launch of their new studio album Broken Crown Halo in North America (March 31 in Europe, Australia, New Zealand). The album is the band’s seventh studio effort, and the highly anticipated follow-up to Dark Adrenaline, which was released in January 2012 and saw the band tour with acts including Megadeth, Motorhead, Volbeat and Sevendust after debuting at No. 15 on the Billboard Top 200 album chart.
The band will return to the road to introduce North America to Broken Crown Halo as part of the REVOLVER HOTTEST CHICKS IN HARD ROCK TOUR. See can see the complete itinerary below, and visit www.hottestchickstour.com for additional details and VIP packages.
They recently announced a tour with Escape the Fate for next month. Their hit single “Immortal” was named among Octane’s Top 25 hits for 2013. But in the twelve years Eve to Adam has been fighting to keep Rock alive, it hasn’t been all rainbows and sunshine. 2013 may be the year that launched these New York City rockers out of relative obscurity, and our Cathy Bechle recalls an October evening at Los Angeles’ legendary Whisky A Go Go, when the band stood upon the storied stage to promote Locked and Loaded – and perhaps capture the magic that helped catapult so many more careers.
The Whisky A Go Go on Los Angeles’ Sunset Strip has been the launching pad for many a musical careers, including The Doors, Janis Joplin, Guns ‘N’ Roses, Metallica and Mötley Crüe. (Photo Credit: Mike Dillon/Wikipedia) Read more at NYS Music…
Eve to Adam rocked in the nightclub Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, CA. This is a famous club located on Sunset Strip. October 15th, 2013 Eve to Adam took that famous stage and performed accordingly. For Eve to Adam to show their skills and perform their music on this stage was awesome to see! Needless to say, to even go to this club is a cool feeling. Musical careers took off from their performances at this venue. Eve to Adam was about to play on the same stage that Alice Cooper, The Doors, Metallica’s bassist Cliff Burton (recruited by the band after seeing him play there), Neil Diamond, System of a Down had played on before!
Axl Rose at The Whisky
The energy on stage by each of the members was “on” for every song and every moment. The sound is best described as melodic hard rock and the vocals were powerful and spot on.
The band played songs from their new release LOCKED & LOADED album which is a must for anyone of a fan of this style music must purchase (http://www.evetoadam.com/music.html). The fans were pumped and energized by each of the songs. Crowd favorite songs that were played of LOCKED & LOADED, IMMORTAL, STRAITJACKET SUPERMODEL and BENDER stand out but there was not one moment of a lull in the audiences focus on this band while they played.
All songs that are on the LOCKED & LOADED album will become favorites for sure. It is one of those albums where it is hard to decide which your favorite song is. It is like your favorite movie that never gets old and you get new enjoyment each time you listen to it. Videos that are stunning can be viewed at: http://www.evetoadam.com/videos.html and all music for your purchasing pleasure go to: http://www.evetoadam.com/music.html you will not be sorry!
With Iced Earth‘s Plagues of Babylon screaming in my ears, I was taken back in time to my cousins’ bedroom, lying underneath posters of muscle cars and Heather Thomas as we listened to tape cassettes of Megadeth and Dio.
Iced Earth’s Plagues of Babylon is scheduled for release next Tuesday, Jan. 21st. (Photo Credit: Century Media)
Plagues of Babylon is scheduled for release on Tuesday, January 21st, and it will mark the band’s 11th studio album since forming in 1985. (Century Media announced that 500 hand-numbered, bootleg copies of the LP are available today, Jan. 14 at select record stores.) Guitarist and song writer, Jon Schaffer, has been with the band since the very beginning, and that early day influence is ever-present in the music.
Today, metal plays in an underground environment and has more in common with college radio than Casey Kasem’s American Top 40 Countdown. But, speak to anyone in heavy metal, and he or she is likely to reminisce over the heyday of the 80s and early 90s, when the genre had a voice on MTV, and shared play time across the nation’s Top 40 stations. Iced Earth retains the very signature of what made the sound so popular back then: Melodic lyrics, precision guitar play, epic solos – all of which seem to be forgotten in today’s core mentality.
Plagues of Babylon is the follow up to the band’s 2011 album Dystopia, and is the first to feature both bassist Luke Appleton and drummer Raphael Saini.
Saini puts on a textbook display of how to play drums, which his abilities seem to shine the most on the CD’s fifth track, “Resistance”, where the song transitions between classic, military marching style to a full-out, heavy metal solo.
Frontman Stu Block returns as the band’s lead vocalist, after making his debut under Dystopia. His succinct delivery of each lyric, with an embellishment you’d come to recognize, perfectly compliments the overall sound of the band.
As mentioned before, Iced Earth has a sound that now contrasts with the contemporary scene, and that is defined mainly due to the band’s two guitarists. Schaffer and Appleton do not thrash, but play precisely and cleanly. And, of course, I welcome the always appropriate guitar solo. “Cthulhu” (not to be confused with Metallica), was a quick favorite because of all these reasons.
Iced Earth has amassed a strong following over the nearly 30 years of their collective lives. Those souls are destined to purchase the album next week; however, for those of you not familiar, or are just getting into the music, you are obligated to listen. Whether you’re of Generation X or younger, Plagues of Babylon is the very definition of heavy metal.
Iced Earth is to launch a two-month, North American tour in April, along with Sabaton and Revamp; details are below.
