Unearth has remained present in the metal landscape for over fifteen years. This has everything to do with their work ethic, constant touring, and producing quality albums for that entire time. Their newest record, Watchers of Rule, is another incredible heavy masterpiece from this band that has consistently kept metalcore music heavy as ever.
The forty-second intro works as a bridge, dragging the listener to the top of the mountain to prepare them for the first single from the album, “The Swarm”. This track launches itself from high above the already lofty expectations from such a talented band. Incredible double guitar attacks revel in their technical prowess, but never get lost; the beautiful chaos bleeds seamlessly into crushing breakdowns with unwavering double bass drum beats. Metal at it’s best keeps the listener entertained, and Unearth does that to perfection on this record.
There are also more straightforward genre songs. “Lifetime in Ruins” is a great example of a well-worn groove with an unshakeable rhythm section, but it delivers exactly what it sets out to achieve. The nice thing about a record like this, is that you go into it believing you will get a specific type of heavy metal, and Unearth never deviates from that plan. They sing about the oncoming assault of Hell with dragons and demons laying waste to kings and their kingdoms, heavy with metaphors on life and personal experience. Their music reflects those sentiments as well, never falling away from the metalcore ethos they have carved out throughout their career. This record is a culmination of everything they have achieved thus far, and where they plan to go.
With Mark Lewis at the helm, producing and engineering this project, it has the polished feel of a well crafted record. He has worked with DevilDriver, Whitechapel, Deicide and many more, most recently producing Cannibal Corpse’s new record, A Skeletal Domain. (check out our review of that record here.) The vocals, done by up to three other members with Trevor Phipps taking lead, sit perfectly in the middle of the audio onslaught. Heavy music of this calibre is so vital in the metal scene because poorly produced metal albums lose so much of what was put into them. This record shines through and gives the listener a true representation of everything that happens between the five musicians. It will be interesting to see these songs performed live as the band prepares to embark on their next tour.
Tour starts October 13.
“Guards of Contagion” is a track that allows the whole band to bring all their tricks to the table, with unstoppable guitars blending into a heavy, sludge-riddled low-end, and vocals that eat at your core. The title track is the bookend to a record that doesn’t pull punches, and remains true to its core from the first song to the last. Just when you think you are sufficiently destroyed by all this record has to offer, “Watchers of Rule” brings everything even higher.
“They aim to save the world” the song explains, and Unearth just might achieve that with such a generous offering of brutally infectious metal. The intense precision permeates each song, but many tracks are rooted in heavy groove metal, making it impossible to keep still while listening. This record should come with a disclaimer: Listen at your own risk, for your body will not be able to stop moving. You will sing along, you will bang your head, and if you listen to this in your car, you will speed.
Key tracks: The Swarm, Guards of Contagion, Burial Lines, Never Cease
Watchers of Rule will be available from eOne Music on Oct. 27. You can pre-order the album and special merchandise here.
If you’re in the Upstate area and looking to catch these guys live, the band will be playing a show at Montage Music Hall in Rochester on Friday, Oct. 17. Opening the night will be Darkest Hour, Carnifex, Origin, I, The Breather, Black Crown Initiate, and local support from Order of the Dead. Tickets can be purchased here for $22 and the show starts at 7pm.
Ahead of release, California death metal band Rings of Saturn are streaming their third full length album via YouTube, Lugal Ki En. Which translates in Ancient Sumerian Cuneiform to “King of the Earthlings, Lord of the Cosmic World,” according to guitarist and founding member Lucas Mann. The album does not sound much different from their last effort, Dingr, in most cases. However, this time around, there have been multiple claims surfacing of “unrealistic editing” — that is, the band, and mostly guitarist Lucas Mann have been accused of altering their parts in the studio if they cannot be played, such as speeding up tracks, over-triggering drums, and so forth.
Whether these claims are true or not is basically pointless. The most important aspects of this album are its writing and how it sounds, not whether it can be repeated live. Overall, it is at best a fun listen, but nothing about it is truly unique. The guitar work is fast, as are the drums, and the vocals are brutal. Fans of death metal band Thy Art is Murder or Suicide Silence (the last track on Lugal En Ki is a cover of Suicide Silence’s “No Pity for a Coward”) will enjoy the rhythm while Jeff Loomis fans may enjoy the style of leads that the band pulls: extremely fast runs with no holding back. Overall, Lugal Ki En is a semi-solid effort, but it’s nothing more than a rehashing of many other deathcore albums. It’s part of the modern trend, aside from a few unique moments.
Looking at the musical aspects alone, we see an album that is composed of the same thing every other deathcore band pulls: low, cutting triplets, with the same note played over and over. Guitar leads possibly reach a level of annoying. Guitarists Lucas Mann and Joel Omans have actually gone beyond the call of duty to play as many possible notes within one measure without giving any regard to what they are actually playing.
The two exceptions to this rule are the third track, “Lalassu Xul,” which features dissonance, unique chord changes, and new ideas on the face of deathcore. Rather than swarming the listener with “breakdowns” the band has elected to write a strange song which features multiple changes, acoustic guitars, and quite the ambiance. If more songs on the album contained this level of experimentation, Lugal Ki En would be more than just a shallow idea, and certainly listenable more than just three or four times.
Also fitting this profile, we see the eleventh track, “The Heavens Have Fallen”. The instrumental features the same level of experimentation and includes heavy use of piano, samples, and keeps the listener the whole way through.
Unfortunately, these are the high points of the album. Aside from the fact that Rings of Saturn’s lineup has changed twice almost every album, if not more, the current musicians display a lack of interest in their work. Most of it is simply mediocre. For more reference, we’ll look at the vocals of the album. Vocalist Ian Bearer sounds just like many other deathcore vocalists, especially Mitch Lucker (deceased vocalist of Suicide Silence). Further, his words are unintelligible and those which can be understood, or read from a lyric booklet, are written weakly and display a general lack of character. The vocals amount to sludge and the lyrics amount to cartoon violence.
Rings of Saturn would be wise to think about keeping the same lineup for more than one album, and try putting some effort in. If Rings of Saturn were trying to make a joke, they hit the nail on the head. If not, they’ve made another mediocre album with just enough catchy riffs to slide by with a C minus. Regardless, we give this one a failing grade.
In the world of hard rock and heavy metal, there are drummers, and then there is Vinnie Paul. Starting up his first project in 1981, which would soon become the game-changing metal band Pantera, Vinnie has been delivering crushing drum beats for three solid decades. When tragedy struck in 2004 while playing with Damageplan, it was unclear if Vinnie would ever play drums again. But you can’t take the music out of the man, and soon Hellyeah, a veritable metal supergroup, was formed in 2006 with Vinnie once again behind the kit. interview
On the recent Five Finger Death Punch and Volbeat tour, Hellyeah brought their incredible sound and heavy presence in support every night. When the tour came to The Times Union Center in Albany New York, I was lucky and honored to be able to talk with Vinnie about the road, the band’s newest record, and the future. Because of a scheduling error, Jim Gilbert and myself were rushed into a small back room with a broken cooler and a chair, and were warmly welcomed by rock royalty.
Vinnie Paul (Hellyeah, Damageplan, Pantera) and Jeff Ayers (NYSMusic)
Jeff Ayers: So how has this tour been going? I’ve been following you on social media, it looks great.
Vinnie Paul: Absolutely awesome. One of the favorite tours I have ever been a part of. Every band is different from each other, and unique from each other. It’s been sold out, or nearly sold out every night, and it’s a great opportunity for us to play to a lot of people that have never seen us, and to play to people who have seen us before. It’s just been awesome man. Five Finger and Volbeat have been treating us great, and we are all really good friends, everybody gets along, so everybody’s having a great time.
JA: That’s great. Speaking of social media, you really do a lot on the internet.
VP: I try to keep the fans informed as much as I can.
JA: You definitely do, and speaking from people who came up in the music business before all that, was that easy for you to pick up, or did it take some getting used to?
VP: You just have to catch up, you know? Back in the day it was word of mouth. “You gotta check this band out”. This guy went and told this guy, and that guy went and told these girls, and those girls went and told their friends. Five people told ten people, and that is how it spread. Nowadays you can touch so many people with just a touch of the button, it’s incredible.
JA: Recently in the press, Gene Simmons said Rock is Dead. Your band, and this tour, is direct opposition to that statement. In your own opinion, what do you believe is the current state of rock music?
VP: I think Gene was speaking from a different perspective. We are talking about, if you wanna look at the bands that are still headlining huge festivals and stuff, it’s still KISS, it’s still Motley Crue, it’s still Metallica. It’s the same bands that were doing it fifteen or twenty years ago. There hasn’t been any bands that have stepped to the forefront to be as big as those bands. So that’s where his perspective is coming from. But as far as rock and metal being dead, there is no way it will ever die. It is the greatest form of music there ever was, people love it and still support it. Sometimes it goes through phases of more popularity or less popularity, unfortunately with all the downloading that goes on it is harder and harder for artists to tour, especially young bands that are just coming up. But there are still people who are out there fighting, we are here, Five Finger is here, Volbeat is here, there are a lot of great bands out there doing this. I’m not going away from it. It has changed a ton from when you would buy Pantera albums, and not CD’s and all that, but you either get in line with or you fucking fall by the wayside.
Album Cover
JA: Very true. As a drummer, and from maybe a non-metal area, what are some of your lesser known influences? Maybe something that drives you from the beginning of your career, or music that you have found as your career has taken you places?
VP: I’m a fan of any kind of music except hip-hop. Hip-hop just doesn’t do anything for me. I grew up listening to a lot of country and western, a lot of David Allan Coe, Waylon Jennings, and stuff like that. And, you know, all the bands from Texas; Kings X, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Edie Brickell and The New Bohemians, all that stuff was really influential and good to go watch at an early age. I don’t think there are any big ‘secrets’ as to something in my [music] vault that you don’t know anything about. I love female singers. I like Christina Aguilera, and I like the Heart sisters. Lzzy Hale, from Halestorm is an amazing vocalist, Pat Benetar, so maybe that’s something people didn’t really know.
JA: Lots of great music. Pat Benetar is actually going to be [in Albany] very soon. So this just hit me, because you mentioned David Allan Coe, how did the album that you guys did [Vinnie, his brother Dimebag Darryl and Rex Brown from Pantera] with David Allan Coe come about? What’s the story behind Rebel Meets Rebel?
VP: Well it’s really crazy. Like I said, my brother and I used to hear him [a lot], he was one of my mom’s favorite country artists back in the day. My brother went over in 1999 to see David Allan Coe play at a place called Billy Bob’s in Fort Worth, Texas. So, you know, we always would take our Pantera CD’s and DVD’s with us to pass them off to people, and Dime actually stood in line, the meet and greet line, for David Allan, and he stood there with like a hundred people and he was at the end of the line. So when he got up to David he said “Hey man, I know you don’t know who I am or anything, but I play in this band Pantera and I love your music, and I wanna give you a DVD, and maybe we can get together and write some songs sometime.” So Dime gave him his phone number, and the next day about eight o’clock in the morning, Dime said his phone rang, and he said there was this country dude on the phone and [laughs, in his best David Allan impression] “Hey man, this David Allan Coe” and Dime was like David Allan Coe? At eight o’clock in the morning? What’s going on?
Jim Gilbert: I would not think he would be up at eight in the morning.
VP: Yeah, right? [laughs] But he was like, “I just watched this DVD you gave me man, and you guys are like the fucking Beatles of fucking 1999 man! When are we gonna get together and start writing some songs?” That is basically how it happened. So he came into town, and everytime he would come to town after that we would write a few songs with him. This happened like four times and by that point we had enough stuff for a record, and we finished it. At that time, we were doing Damageplan, and the fans were really confused as to what had happened with Pantera, and we didn’t want to confuse them further, so we put it on the shelf. Then, after the horrible thing that happened with my brother, it took me about eight months to get my life together, and the first thing that came to me was man, Dime was really proud of that album, and I gotta get it out for him, you know? It was really important to me, so I started my own label and put it out, and it did really well.
JA: Yea, I love that record.
VP: Thank you. Honestly, it was the first true collaboration between a heavy metal outlaw band and a country outlaw together. Some people had done it with a single or something, but that was the first full length record.
JG: Also, country music influencing metal right now, is so popular, there is such a blend.
VP: Yeah there is a great crossover there, for sure.
JA: So back to Hellyeah. Blood for Blood, marks in my opinion, the best, most coherent version of the band to date.
VP: Thanks man.
JA: Did you guys go into the studio with that mindset, or was that born from the recording process?
VP: Well, we felt like we got back on track with what we wanted to do, and what the fans wanted us to do, being a metal band. The first two records were really experimentally, doing things outside of what we had done with Nothing Face, Mudvayne and Pantera, and songs like “Alcohaulin’ Ass” and “Hell of a Time” were songs that wouldn’t work in those bands. So once we got that out of our system, we got back to doing what are roots are, which is metal, with Band of Brothers. Once we finished the Gigantour last year with Megadeth and Black Label Society, we felt like we pulled the heavy fans back in. We wanted to get in the studio and make the best record of our careers. At that time, that is when we realised that Greg [Tribbett] and Bob[Zilla] didn’t have the same vision or focus, and they both had serious personal issues that were taking away from the band, so we parted company. So myself, Tom [Maxwell] and Chad [Gray] wrote the entire record with a brand new producer [for us] Kevin Churko, and he really understood the vision we had and we made the best record we ever made, so we are really proud of it.
JA: You should be, it is a really great record. You said that the track “Say When” is the first time you have written a drum part that extreme since the Far Beyond Driven days. Do see more parts like that in the future?
VP: Yeah man, especially with the direction we are going, it allows for more drumming, and heavier stuff. Like I said, the other records, the earlier Hellyeah was more rock and roll influenced, so it required me to be more of a back beat on things. Going back in the metal direction, it gives me more freedom as a drummer to tear it up and do more.
JA: Awesome! What’s next for Hellyeah after this tour?
VP: Well we have a long tour to go, this is only the tenth show! [laughs]. So this goes until November, then we will be off until New Years Eve, with a show I can’t talk about yet, and then next year is a whole year of touring. Definitely a tour of the U.S., Europe again in the spring, we will be going to South America, Japan, all that and non-stop touring until probably October next year, then back to the studio and do it all over again!
Sixx A.M. released their third full-length album Modern Vintage on October 7 and has struck lightening once again. What makes this Eleven Seven Music released album even more intriguing than the previous two releases, is that this marks the first time that Nikki Sixx, James Michael, and D.J. Ashba have written an album without using a Nikki Sixx novel as source material.
Opening track “Stars” has brilliant guitar work while “Gotta Get It Right” song sounds like something Queen would write. This album fully shows off the kind of music that influenced them. The songs seem a lot shorter than songs off their previous releases. It’s definitely a step in a different direction. The material isn’t as heavy as the other two releases, but by no means lacks energy in the songs.
“Get Ya Some” is a nice change of pace with the acoustic guitar, then “Let’s Go” cranks things real loud really showcasing the band’s depth. James Michael’s vocals throughout the album are absolute gold. He has such an Elton John flavor with a touch of 90’s alternative to his voice that really makes this band really stand out among other hard rock bands. Sixx A.M. is not just riding high because of the name. The band has real talent.
It was recently revealed current Black Label Society drummer Jeff Fab laid down the drums for this album and will be playing behind the kit for the live shows.
Midway through the album, Sixx A.M. goes into a power ballad with “Drive” before going into the Motley Crue like “Give Me A Love” which is also a catchy tune. Going into the end of the album, “Miracle” is clearly a nod to the eighties, while closing track “Before It’s Over” ends the album on a rather strange note.
Overall, a solid release from Sixx A.M. A departure from the previous two releases, however, Sixx A.M. is here to stay. I would expect after Motley Crue wraps up their farewell tour, Nikki Sixx will make Sixx A.M. his full-time gig, And I would imagine D.J. Ashba will have plenty time off with Guns N’ Roses to be a part of it.
Retired? Definitely not. Fans in Rochester lined up around the block on a beautiful, early autumn evening in Rochester to catch the eponymous demigods and kings of metal Judas Priest kick off their world tour. The band had previously announced their retirement in 2011, but thankfully decided that the metal must live on. Despite multiple lineup changes over the years, most of the band’s core remained intact with head screamer Rob Halford, guitarist Glenn Tipton, founding member Ian Hill, and long-time drummer Scott Travis. Joining them to replace the departed K.K. Downing would be Richie Faulkner formerly of the Lauren Harris band.
Kicking things off, reportedly (repeatedly on stage by Steel Panther themselves) for a $50 paycheck, was Los Angeles, California’s Steel Panther. Well known for reviving the once stagnant metal scene on the historical Sunset Strip, Panther’s show falls somewhere between Motley Crue and your mom’s worst freaking nightmares. Featuring songs like “Asian Hooker” “Gold Diggin’ Ho” and “17 Girls in a Row,” the band had the audience simultaneously head-banging and laughing their asses off for their hour set. Don’t worry guys, we were laughing WITH you, not at you.
As set break ensued, the black-clad masses rushed to grab a smoke or a cold Labatt’s while the time of the legends entrance drew near. A mishmash of an audience with as many gray maned old timers and grizzled bikers as excited youngsters. A giant Priest banner shrouded the stage as fans surged – and in many cases stumbled – towards the front. The house music suddenly blared the Black Sabbath metal anthem “War Pigs” as palpable excitement ignited throughout the throngs of attendees. The curtain dropped and the true kings of metal broke directly into the last and first songs respectively from their brand new 2014 release Redeemer of Souls – “Battle Cry” and “Dragonaut”. With such a rich history of 40+ years of albums, it’s refreshing and a sign of huge cojones to see Priest engaging the crowd with brand new material right off the bat and throughout the night.
After some brief and apropos banter from Mr. Halford, the band continued with two tracks from the bands impressive catalog – 1982’s “Devil’s Child” and 1976’s “Victim of Changes” – before continuing to showcase their new material with “Halls of Valhalla”. One more new song would make an appearance – title track “Redeemer of Souls” – before the band finished out the set with a grand m/etal finale of hits. ’84s “Jawbreaker” had the crowd in a signing, headbanging frenzy and everyone’s favorite “Breaking the Law” only amped the energy up to new levels. Naturally, no Priest show is complete without a Harley revving across the stage and this one would be no exception with Rob revving his bike fittingly to the tune of “Hell Bent for Leather”.
As the clock approached midnight, the band came out for a quick encore and bid the well satiated crowd adieu. Forty (plus) years of metal and this band shows no signs of decay. We can only pray (to the devil) for 40 more. Sad you missed the fun? Our ROCtober article has all the big shows coming to town, so get off your couch and go see some live music!
Steel Panther Setlist
Pussy Whipped, Party Like Tomorrow is the End of the World, Asian Hooker, Tiger Woods, Gold Diggin’ Ho, Girl From Oklahoma, Community Property, Eyes of a Panther, 17 Girls in a Row, Gloryhole, Death to all but Metal, Party all Day
Judas Priest Setlist
Battle Cry * > Dragonaut, Metal Gods, Devil’s Child, Victim of Changes, Halls of Valhalla, Love Bites, march of the Damned, Turbo Lover, Redeemer of Souls, Beyond the Realms, Jawbreaker, Breaking the Law, Hell Bent for Leather
Encore: You’ve Got Another Thing Coming, Living after Midnight
Rock music was alive and well at the Times Union Center on Saturday, Sept. 27. Two of the most popular heavy rock bands in the mainstream radio today, Volbeat and Five Finger Death Punch, brought the noise and the fun to a semi packed house of screaming fans. As the crowd waited patiently outside for doors to open, they were treated to choice rock and heavy metal covers by a group of young kids named Time Machine.
Promptly at 6:05, Nothing More from Texas and New Orleans took the stage. The crowd was sparse due to this early start time, but the ones that were there were ready for a whole night of rock. The four piece came right out of the gate with a lot of energy, lead vocalist Johnny Hawkins belting out his songs shirtless and shoeless. The second song of the night was started with a mouth-picked guitar solo, and the gimmicks didn’t stop there. They brought out a massive installation that housed a bass guitar, and the guitarist, bassist and eventually Johnny as well all percussively played the instrument to a crescendo. The final song started with a prerecorded bass line and ended with a weak drum circle. These antics probably do wonders in smaller clubs, but were somewhat lost on the arena audience.
Vinnie Paul of Hellyeah came out first, taking his throne upon his drum riser to monstrous applause. With the rest of the band in tow, Chad Gray, the vocalist (also of Mudvayne) whipped the crowd immediately into a frenzy, getting everyone to get on their feet for their title track off the new Hellyeah record, Blood for Blood. Chad really worked the crowd, using the whole stage and jumping up on the banks of PA’s to make his own catwalk to the audience. The new addition of Kyle Sanders on bass, formerly of Bloodsimple, was a great fit, and his bass work along with Vinnie Paul’s stellar drumming kept the whole set nailed to the floor. At one point, Chad told the audience that one thing he loves about New York is the mosh-pits, and we are all brothers and sisters, so if someone goes down, you help them up. This was an accidental foreshadowing of the end of the night.
Just the dropping of Volbeat’s backdrop as the crew set up the stage gained a massive response from the crowd. Fans were evenly split throughout the venue, half wearing Volbeat shirts, and half wearing Five Finger Death Punch shirts. With a slightly different sound than the rest of the acts, Volbeat came out to a rolling banjo track laden with guitars. The style of rockabilly mixed with hard rock is what makes this band so interesting, and also what makes the crowds just want to move and dance along to the music. Singer Michael Poulsen traded his time between three different mics set up on stage, and the rest of the band interweaved with him, all having a good time up there. New guitarist Rob Caggiano, of Anthrax fame, seemed right at home with this four piece band from Denmark, and was in a very unique position, playing these songs live and also producing them on their newest album, Outlaw Gentlemen and Shady Ladies. Micheal explained to the crowd that he was influenced heavily by Johnny Cash and Elvis, and it showed with his vocal capabilities, and his style, sporting a slick back hairdo and a badge on his guitar strap. They had an impressive light show to couple with their infectious party anthem rock and roll, and no one was in their seats by the time they welcomed a special guest to the stage. Jerry Only, from the legendary Misfits, walked out in full Misfits regalia, and the band went into a great rendition of AngelFuck.
By 9:30, the crowd was sufficiently amped up to welcome Five Finger Death Punch to the stage. A deafening bass drone ushered the band to the stage, and singer Moody growled at the audience while brandishing a bat. Jeremy Spencer, the drummer, was in full costume of a skeleton with LED lights throughout him and his drum set. The stage setup was simple, with light rigs behind brushed steel arches, but everything was used to it’s fullest, creating an immersive experience both visually and sonically. This five piece is much more aggressive than the previous bands on tour, with gigantic double guitar attacks and bottoming out low-end bass drops. The sound on the night was full of slight mishaps, with feedback being rampant through the other bands sets, and 5FDP having trouble keeping the ear-splitting double bass drum sounds from taking over the show. A very crowd friendly band, at one point they called out all the people in the audience who have served in the military, and then dedicated their cover of Bad Company to them all. They also brought on stage a bunch of children from the audience for a chance to spotlight the “next generation of metal”.
Mid-set, the band decided to take a completely different turn, first with a drum solo that bordered on electronic dance music, and then into two acoustic guitar ballads, bringing the mood of the show down considerably. But, this didn’t quell the raucous energy they had already instilled in the crowd, and by the time they launched into their first encore song of the night, the floor erupted again into a writhing pit. Moody stopped the song abruptly, seeing one of the fans being really hurt in the pit. He called out the audience member who he saw do the deed, and told the crowd that he would personally kick his ass, and would not finish the show until he apologized to the injured man, stating that this is what makes heavy metal look bad. “Where are the days of Pantera,” Moody scolded the audience, “when people would take care of one another.”
This one incident was not the face of the entire night though, by a long shot. Young and old were all in attendance having a great time, and the crowd seemed generally pleased with each performance. Other than this one bad moment, the show was met with consideration and a party-like atmosphere, truly showing what heavy music can do for people, as they use it for an escape or metal therapy to ‘get their aggression out’ through music.
The massive success of Volbeat and Five Finger Death Punch in the last year has led to a co-headlining tour that is built on epic proportions. The lineup is filled out by rockers Hellyeah and Nothing More, and will wind up playing two shows in the Upstate area. I got the chance to talk with Rob Caggiano, the new guitarist of Volbeat, as well as alumni of the bands Anthrax and The Damned Things. We talked about what it’s like to be in Volbeat, and what this tour has in store for the fans.
Photo by Amy Harris from thefirst3songs.com
Jeff Ayers: So the tour started last night Sept. 16, in Salt Lake City, how did it go? How was the first show?
Rob Caggiano: The first show went great, really good. As to be expected though, with any ‘first show’ on a tour like this, there are some kinks that need to be worked out, some technical stuff, but overall it was killer, and a great crowd.
JA: Yea I saw pictures online, that crowd looked insane! This tour is being heralded by the press as the two hottest rock bands co headlining a U.S. tour. Rightfully so, with both bands increasing successes. The response from the fans when you announced this tour must have been incredible.
RC: Yeah, there was a lot of excitement about this lineup, and it feels really good. We are very excited to be on this run, and all shows coming up.
JA: Awesome. Speaking on that a little, Volbeat and Five Finger Death Punch both have been doing great things for rock, and heavy rock, on the charts and off. Do you have any thoughts on Gene Simmons recent comments about how rock is dead?
RC: He’s been making a lot of comments lately, about [all kinds of] stuff. [laughs]. I don’t know where he was going with that. I saw something on twitter about that, but obviously, rock is not dead.
JA: You guys are a testament that it is not!
RC: I mean, the music business is very different these days, than it was even five years ago. So it’s changing rapidly, and things are different. Record sales aren’t even what they used to be, it’s a totally different landscape right now. That might be what Gene Simmons was referring to, but I don’t know. It is certainly not dead.
JA: [The album] has done really well since it’s release. You helped produce that album, how was that experience?
RC: It was great. We were in Denmark, on the countryside at a place called Randers, and it was cool. We were isolated in the studio, and totally focused on the record. We had a great team too, Jacob Hansen was also there, and has been Volbeat’s long time producer. I had one of my engineers out there too, Brian Russell, and it all came together. I am really proud of this record.
JA: Cool. You joined up with Volbeat in the midst of recording the album, correct?
RC: Yes.
JA: How did that come about, you guys all just hit it off in the studio?
RC: I have been friends with the guys for a few years, before I got that call to produce the record, so we get along great. I‘ve known them since about 2010 when they took The Damned Things on tour, and we would hang out every night on that tour. But I got [to produce the record] and we started going over the pre-production, to figure out what was going to be on the record. There were a few songs that were unfinished, and Michael and I started collaborating on few things. The chemistry was really great, and from that first pre-production meeting, it kind of set the tone for everything. A couple of weeks later they asked me to be a part of the band.
JA: That’s awesome. Before you joined up with Volbeat, you pretty much exclusively behind the soundboard for a little bit. Were you actively looking for projects at that time, or did this kind of fall in your lap?
RC: I think people misunderstood what I said in my press release when I quit Anthrax. It was never about not wanting to tour anymore, or not play guitar anymore. It was just about wanting a change, and I just wanted to produce some records while I figured out what I wanted to do next with my career as an artist, as a guitarist. When the Volbeat record came across my table as a production gig, I was like “Wow this is perfect!” I love the band, and always thought we could make a great record together. It was something we talked about on The Damned Things tour, years ago. Everything just happened at once! [laughs] I ended up producing a record and joining the band.
JA: You can’t beat pure serendipity like that though!
RC: Yes! Yeah, totally.
JA: Volbeat as a band is always so busy, since you joined, how many tours have you played with them?
RC: Wow. That’s a good question. Not sure I know that myself. [laughs]
JA: Yeah, I was trying to look online, and it just seems that Volbeat is constantly on tour.
RC: Yeah we are. I haven’t been home at all, it’s crazy. We have been all over the world a couple of times now, and honestly I don’t know the exact number.
JA: That is totally fine! [laughs] It’s great work if you can’t even count all the jobs. Speaking of circling the world though, with all the times you have with Volbeat, and also with Anthrax especially playing on The Big 4 tour, personally speaking, do you have a favorite place to play or return to?
RC: Oh, I have so many favorite places to play. In America, I love playing New York, I love playing Chicago, Los Angeles, I love Europe as well though. Scandinavia is great, and I love Germany. One of my favorite places in the world is Australia, because it’s so beautiful. I love going over there.
JA: Being an American in a Danish band, is there any culture shock?
RC: I don’t know if you would call it culture shock. It’s a little different for me, coming from New York, everything with me is fast paced, because of New York.
JA: Hell yeah!
RC: So I am always in that mode, where as these guys are little more laid back, which is great. We get along great, it’s really cool.
tour flyer
JA: So for this tour, with Five Finger Death Punch, Hellyeah and Nothing More, what can fans expect, are there any surprises in store from Volbeat?
RC: Well if we did have any surprises, I wouldn’t tell you!
JA: Good answer!
RC: [laughs] It is just going to be a great all around rock and roll show. I think the fans are going to be in for a real treat.
JA: Well the tour is going to be making a few stops in Upstate New York, one at the OnCenter in Syracuse on September 23rd, and then at the Times Union Center on the 27th. You being from the Bronx, and being in multiple bands, you have played this area a bunch. Do you like playing around here, any thoughts on Upstate NY?
RC: I always loved Upstate New York. To me, it’s so crazy. You know, coming from the city, there are so many amazing, beautiful places in New York, if you are a city person, you don’t even realize they are there. The crowds are always great up there though. Joey Belladonna from Anthrax, he’s from up there. [Oswego]. It’s cool, I love it up there.
JA: Cool. What’s next for Volbeat after this tour? Another tour? [laughs] Or are you guys going to take a break and write material, or what?
RC: After this tour, we are actually going back to the U.K. That will be the last thing we do for this year. Then we are going to lay low, the holidays will be coming up, and then we will get into creative mode basically.
JA: This tour ends in Vegas, what are your experiences playing there?
RC: Vegas is cool. For me, I have a three-day limit on Vegas. In three days I have to get out of there, because it is crazy. [laughs] But the crowds are really good, and Five Finger Death Punch is from Vegas, so that final show should be completely off the wall.
When Clutch came to Upstate Concert Hall in September, I was lucky enough to sit down with the bassist, Dan Maines. The lineup of the band has added members to it’s roster over the years, but the core lineup of Dan, Neil Fallon, Jean-Paul Gaster and Tim Sult has remained the constant for over twenty years. Clutch has been a staple to the Upstate New York music scene for most of their career, and it was great to talk about the area, the band and the process with Dan. Also, for the first time, we brought along a local musician, Dustin Alexander, who plays in the band Jesus Christ and the Hallucinogenic Allstars to ask a few questions, bassist to bassist.
Dustin Alexander (JCHA), Dan Maines (Clutch) and Jeff Ayers (NYS Music) backstage of Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park, NY. Photo by Jim ‘JT’ Gilbert / JTGphoto.com
Jeff Ayers: In your personal opinion, how has playing in the heavy rock scene changed in the last two decades? Do you still feel like it’s an uphill battle?
Dan Maines: I don’t know, that’s kind of a hard question to answer. We are not in the position to really know what it’s like for a band starting out now. It might be a little more difficult for them now, as opposed to when we started. We were coming up at a point in time when a whole new genre of music was moving into the mainstream. Bands that we were listening to for years, that we were looking at as influences, they were suddenly becoming major label bands. That happened for us as well, and we got swept up in that frenzy, to jump on that bandwagon. What people were calling alternative, or grunge rock, and some bands that didn’t even fit into that category were swept up too, for better or worse. Talking with the band we are on tour with now, Lionize, they are in a better position nowadays. Hearing the things they pick up on [coming up in the industry.] Now, it seems like it’s not even mandatory to be a legitimate band anymore.
JA: Yeah, I see that too.
DM: Bands that play along to recorded tracks, that isn’t really being in a band. The whole thing for us is playing a live show, to be entertaining for us and the live audience.
JA: You guys do that very well, I have to say.
DM: Thank you. I mean if you can’t do that as a band, without the use of computers or backtracks, you should probably rethink your approach.
JA: I totally agree. You talked about being swept up by the major label race in the 90’s to sign a bunch of bands. You guys started on Atlantic or Columbia Records right?
DM: We started on East West. Which was part of that Atlantic family, and that was in 1992, when we signed, and the record (Transnational Speedway League) didn’t come out until 93. We actually released an EP on Earache Records before that. (Passive Restraints).
JA: Then in 2008, you started WeatherMaker Records. How was that process, being in the business for a while at that point then starting your own label? Was it tough?
DM: Yeah, it definitely was. We were on East West, then moved to Columbia, and then Atlantic. We just got fed up with the game. It’s a weird business, so many personal changes happen on the fly, on a weekly basis sometimes. We felt like there wasn’t any real direction, and nobody knew what the hell to do with us. We signed with an independent label, DRT, and put out three records with them. But that was the slow decline with our relationship with labels. We had to go to court, and winning that decision bolstered our resolve to just say, “Let’s do it ourselves”. At that point, we were in the right position, we had already put out records on our own. We put out Jam Room on Riverroad Records, which was basically selling records out the backdoor of the van. So we had been doing it already to a point, and the only thing we didn’t have was distribution. So we had to find a couple of really good people in that field to work for us in an unconventional label.
JA: Speaking a little about Upstate NY, you guys have been coming to this area for a long time. I can’t even count the amount of times I have seen you play this area. Do you enjoy Upstate NY? Are you happy with the response you get from this area?
DM: Definitely. That is kinda how we started out. Being from Baltimore, we would play up to Boston, and then head to Detroit, and then play our way back home. So this became our spot, or one of them.
Dan Maines (Clutch) at Upstate Concert Hall. Photo by Jim ‘JT’ Gilbert / JTGphoto.com
JA: Do you remember Saratoga Winners?
DM: Absolutely. I mean they were one of the earliest supporters of us, even more so than our hometown. This has always been a really great place for us to play.
JA: We have a great metal scene in this area, but also a great jam scene. You guys fit into so many pieces of that puzzle.
DM: Yeah that’s good. Man, I’ve never even thought about that. Makes sense.
JA: Personally speaking, I started listening to you guys in the mid nineties because a local radio station was playing you (Z-Rock), and then you guys started playing up here. Not only a fan of you guys, but through the times I have seen you tour, I have found favorite bands because the were your openers. Like The Sword, and Mastodon. Do you hand-pick your tour mates?
DM: We get a lot of help from our booking agency, when we are planning on touring, they also have bands on their roster that they suggest to us. Also, bands that we might not know exist, but want to tour with us, submit themselves through our booking agency. We are with The Agency Group. That’s how we found out about American Sharks, when we were touring with The Sword. Kyle (Shutt) suggested that we play with them, and I am really glad he did, because they are great.
JA: You guys have been really lucky to have your music attached to other aspects in the media. You have your songs used in sports games and broadcasts, and video games like Tony Hawk, and also television. Do you see a big help from that stuff? More recent example was when “Regulator” was used in a 2012 episode of The Walking Dead.
DM: That was huge for us!
Dustin Alexander: Are you a Walking Dead fan?
DM: Absolutely! I lost my mind when I got that email.
DA: I got the chills when that song came on.
JA: Dustin and I were watching that episode together, and we jumped off the couch when that scene happened, screaming “Clutch is on the Walking Dead!”
DM: That was amazing. It definitely helped us reach new people, too. Before that episode came out, we keep track of what songs and albums are doing the best on iTunes for example. After that episode aired, there was a huge spike in interest in that song. Same thing goes for like hockey or baseball teams that will sometimes use one of our tunes. I think the Vancouver Canucks, they were using ‘Electric Worry’ as their goal song.
JA: So cool!
DM: Yeah, it’s a hockey stadium, so I guarantee you that more than half the people in that place have never heard of us before. They get that [song] in their heads, and they go ask their friends, or they go look it up. It all helps.
JA: Because I am a giant nerd, I have to ask you this question. On the new record, “Earth Rocker”, the song ‘Unto the Breech’ has a lot of Doctor Who references. Who is the fan in the band?
DM: Neil! To be honest, I didn’t know about half the shit he was talking about.
JA: Ha! But whatever works for the song I guess?
DM: Oh yeah.
JA: I’m going to turn this over to Dustin Alexander, who is a local musician playing in the same genre as you guys, to ask a few more questions:
DA: My biggest concern, as far as touring, is how do you keep healthy? You guys play hard and long, and are playing huge sets night after night. How do you maintain yourselves?
DM: I drink a lot more water than I ever did. That is the biggest thing. Because, you are not gonna stop drinking beer, that just isn’t gonna happen. You are not gonna stop eating pizza. You can eat less pizza, but just drink as much water as you can. I wish I knew that fifteen years ago. It catches up to you. Don’t eat McDonalds.
DA: Since you guys have been together for so long, how do you get everybody to be on the same frequency and the same mindset? How has that worked out for you in Clutch, creating records?
DM: You kinda just have to be honest about it. It’s a weird thing for us. As long as it doesn’t remind us of something we have already done, or another band entirely, we are always down to try something a little different. At the same time, there is never any spoken direction. We don’t even know what the hell we are doing sometimes. We are writing a new record right now, and the only goal posts we have is to write. The more open you are to musical ideas, the easier it is to write songs, because you aren’t pigeon holed into a specific sound. There are instances where individual instruments can throw something new into a song that the other members won’t pick up on[right away]. Like, Jean-Paul could do some kind of a New Orleans shuffle kind of beat in a song, and that song could have nothing to do with funk whatsoever, but it fits that groove.
DA: Sometimes you are in the studio and laying down stuff, and you pick up on things you didn’t even know were part of the song.
DM: That’s what makes it interesting, especially in this band.
DA: What’s next after the tour, are you planning on going back in the studio?
DM: This tour is the last “Earth Rocker” tour that we will do. We are going to take three months off, and write and finish the material for this new record, and hopefully go into the studio as soon as we can next year and get something out.
DA: Do you guys have a method you follow each year, time to tour, time to get in the studio kind of thing?
DM: Yeah we have to plan it out quite a bit, because we don’t really write on the road. It’s hard to set aside a big chunk of time at home to write. So when we are home, we get together as often as we can at our studio and record every single idea we have. Whether it is a single riff, or a whole song, we get it down on tape and move on. Then a few months later we go back to it, and listen to everything we have and try to see what we can piece together into a song or an album. Sometimes it comes together in the matter of an hour, sometimes it takes weeks.
DA: Do you feel like after you write the riffs and give it that break, it helps?
DM: Sure, it does.
DA: As a bassist, I have to ask, your rig set-up is pretty rad. Are you using the Orange Tiny Terror?
DM: Yeah, I got the terror running through the Orange fifteen, and the SVT through the other cab.
DA: Is that the 1000 watt head or the 500?
DM: I’m not sure. I have both, and one is set up for the European tours, and the other is for the U.S.
DA: I have the 500 watt and i’ve been so happy with it.
DM: Yeah, they are awesome.
DA: Your rig sounds powerful up there. Do you use a pedal rig at all?
DM: No, I used to try and mess around with a wah pedal, and I liked the stuff I used it for on the records, but it’s kind of a trap for me I think. So I took it out of the mix completely, to force myself to think of something to play, rather than rely on the crutch of a pedal.
DA: I noticed that your lines are sturdy, and hold the floor down, and not too intricate. Do you notice yourself pulling back a bit to keep it a little less complicated?
DM: Yeah. That is the kind of playing a like in a bass player anyway, for the most part. The Band of Gypsys is my epitome of perfect music. Billy Cox is solid as a rock, and I use that as a starting point to my approach to playing. When I feel like I can elaborate a little, and do a “Look what I can do” riff, then I’ll do it. It’s not like, “Where can I do something sick in this song?” That’s not what it is about for me. You can find the balance though.
DA: Well that is why I like your playing because of how sturdy you keep it.
DM: Well, I get to play with Jean-Paul, so I’m lucky.
No stranger to bringing quality music to the area, Bogies in Albany is at it again on Sunday, September 21st. A co-headlining onslaught of heavy music in Rivers of Nihil and Black Crown Initiate, with some great local openers to round out the bill.
Rivers of Nihil and Black Crown Initiate at Bogies Albany
Forest of Remorse is a newly reformed project from Lyme, NY. Promising heavy riffs and brutal slam beats, it will be one of those rare times to see a show with a budding band, that could surprise you and blow up in the near future. King Pariah from Argyle, NY is another up and coming metal band, who have already shared the stage with some big names. They helped open the Summer Slaughter tour at The Palladium in Worcester, MA with Morbid Angel and Dying Fetus.
Troy locals The Final Sleep are playing just in their backyard and bring a progressive metal edge to the stage, and have just welcomed their new drummer, Mike VanDyne of Arsis. With a technical barrage of three guitars, this is an act not to be missed. Black Crown Initiate is just about to release their brand new record, The Wreckage of Stars, dropping September 30th. So you can expect them to bring all of their intricate epic metal to this show in support of that record. Making waves in the metal scene as of late, these guys might not be playing small clubs like Bogies for too much longer. Check out my review of their new album here.
Rivers of Nihil also comes from Reading, PA like Black Crown Initiate, and they also have a new record, The Conscious Seed of Light. After signing with Metal Blade Records in 2013, this is their debut album on that label, after a few years of hard work and relentless touring. The double bill of these two bands will be an incredible sight to see and an awesome show to hear. For any fan of death metal, hard, fast and heavy metal, this show is one of the few that has it all and is making it’s stop in Upstate NY.
Cannibal Corpse are nothing if not punishing and unrelenting, but since their career defining album Kill in 2006 they’ve also become complacent, yet at the same time they’re consistent. Cannibal Corpse has yet to put out a bad album but they also haven’t put out any material since Kill that pushes the band outside of their comfort zone, a zone they’ve been in since the band started.
Fans know what to expect with the band and on their 13th effort A Skeletal Domain they deliver the goods. The album is a great death metal record. Songs are heavy, dark, fast, and full of the slightly cheesy but oh so good twisted lyrics that the band is known for. A Skeletal Domain doesn’t have the same pop some of their other efforts do but there are a couple of songs here that will find a long stint on their live setlist.
Cannibal Corpse leave producer Erik Rutan, who did their last three releases, in favor of Mark Lewis. Lewis himself is becoming a go-to producer having been behind the boards for the fantastic Die Without Hope by Carnifex, Our Endless War by Whitechapel, and Battlecross’ War of Will in the past two years alone. Cannibal Corpse made a great choice because Lewis makes the band sound as heavy as ever with a great mix. Each instrument is fully represented and you don’t get that weird “where did the bass go?” feeling a lot of metal albums have.
Speaking of the bass player though, Alex Webster is a little less pronounced this time around. The legendary bassist has long been herald as one of the all time greats and usually has a few songs where you get a taste of his technical skills. But even without those moments, the musicianship on display here is at the same level it’s always been with Cannibal Corpse, at the highest of those in their genre.
Two of the songs on A Skeletal Remain rise above the rest. The opening salvo “High Velocity Impact Splatter” starts things off right. A relentless assault of guitars and blistering drums that lets you know that the kings of old school death metal are back with a new record. The highlight track of the album has to be “Kill or Become”, which will no doubt become a fan favorite when played live. Just picture a room full of metal junkies screaming along with vocalist George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher when he bellows “Fire up the chainsaw!”
However, that complacency does start to become apparent as the album moves through its middle stages. Few of the middle tracks have parts that stick with you. It isn’t until the final few songs that things pick up again. The album starts off great and finishes strong but songs like “Bloodstained Cement” sound like they’re using recycled riffs from albums past.
It’s hard to complain about sameness with a band like this; this is what they do. They make great death metal. They have a recipe and they stick to it. And after all these years it still isn’t old. Some bands can’t figure out what they want to sound like and go from album to album bouncing from gimmick to gimmick never finding their footing. Cannibal Corpse stuck their hooks into old school slamming death metal decades ago and they’ll never stop and they’ll never change. And to be honest, I don’t think anyone wants them to.
Key Tracks: Hight Velocity Impact Splatter, Kill or Become, Asphyxiate to Resuscitate
Sixx A.M
Fans know what to expect with the band and on their 13th effort A Skeletal Domain they deliver the goods. The album is a great death metal record. Songs are heavy, dark, fast, and full of the slightly cheesy but oh so good twisted lyrics that the band is known for. A Skeletal Domain doesn’t have the same pop some of their other efforts do but there are a couple of songs here that will find a long stint on their live setlist.