With metal reigning from all across New York, our humble home has some great names under the NY banner when it comes to the death metal genre. From NYC and Yonkers, we have Immolation, Mortician, and Suffocation. In the bustling and rampaging gore infested Buffalo area the legendary Cannibal Corpse started to take shape. Yes, these bands are the best of the best when it comes to pure disemboweling death metal in our own backyard! With the torch still burning bright, another great band accepts the challenge to keep the nightmare alive. The band is known as After The Storm and they just released their latest EP, Into A New Era, and it’s time to once again show our local bands the support they need in this album review!
After The Storm is a studio project shaped by the hands of Matt Swistak and Pat McFeely. Both are very talented guitar players in their own right. Seeing how two great minds can create such a monstrous beast of a sonic attack, you will get lost in the music as much as I did! The album has such powerful influences drawn from many melodic death metal acts like Soilwork and Solution .45, to name a few inspiring groups. The track “The Awakening” goes for the kill right out of the gate. The finger work of both guitar players are displayed with such beauty and malice. It has the right amount of melody and sheer relentlessness power. For me it is hard to get into modern melodic death metal bands because they focus mostly on either more of the harmony driven riffs and forget about the more destructive fueled constructs. The boys although, have done a wonderful job balancing the two sides that make melodic death metal amazing. You see this in other tracks on the EP like “Rise as They Fall” and “Stand Unified.” These guys really know how to produce a great sound with perfect form!
My personal favorite track on this piece would be “A Great Sacrifice.” The overall tone of the track carries the overall vibe and atmosphere the album generates. Deep down I think the reason this track is my personal favorite is because of the call to arms and giving it up to achieve the goals in life we want to grasp in our hands. Such powerful lyricism and eagle-like soaring riffs, this cocktail of pure ingenious creativity cannot be denied by anyone who listens to this EP!
After The Storm has done us New Yorkers and metalheads proud with this amazing and perfectly executed piece of music that is Into A New Era. It gets a solid 5 out of 5 pentagrams from this metalhead! Go check the band’s Facebook now to follow their journey.
Key Tracks: A Great Sacrifice, The Awakening, Rise As They Fall
Songwriter Sydney Worthley will release her first full album on September 9 on Ambassador Music Group, with an exciting album release show to follow at Jupiter Hall in Albany. The show will feature Worthley’s set, along with other artists such as Ryan Clark and Zan Strumfeld. With 14 tracks on the new album Strong, this event will surely feature a large selection of songs for fans to hear. In advance of the release date, Ambassador Music Group has released the title track of the album as a single.
If you’re in the Albany area, you don’t want to miss this pop-country fusion when Sydney Worthley graces the Jupiter Hall stage at 7pm. The event is posted on Worthley’s website, and the official RSVP can be found on Facebook.
On August 24, the 3-piece hard-rock trio, Chevelle, brought their brand of rock from Illinois to the New York State Fair. Check out the setlist and photos below.
Setlist: Another Know It All, The Clincher, Young Wicked, Take Out the Gunman, An Island, Jars, Vitamin R (Leading Us Along), Closure, Rivers, Joyride (Omen), Face to the Floor, Still Running, I Get It, Door to Door Cannibals, Hats Off to the Bull, The Red, Comfortable Liar, Send the Pain Below
There are many people out there who would argue that rock is losing its edge. Countless old folks continue to make the bold statement that “rock n roll is dead.” Anyone who believes this laughable claim has yet to listen to The Rifts’ debut EP, Off the Rails.
Although they are based out of Buffalo, The Rifts originally came together in Fredonia, NY. The band consists of Cory Clancy (lead guitar), Brendan Hoare (vocals/rhythm guitar), Dylan MacDonell (drums), and Ryan Donohue (bass). Their self-proclaimed influences consist of classic acts Led Zeppelin and The Doors, as well as modern day alt rockers The Black Keys and The Strokes.
The Rifts recorded the EP with Alex Maiola and Nathan Chordas-Ewell (Chordola Audio) in their home studio. It was released on SoundCloud June 11, 2017, and became available on streaming platforms June 16, 2017.
The EP title Off the Rails says a lot more than the train crash shown on the album artwork. With this release, The Rifts break away from the monotonous track that too many popular bands seem to follow nowadays. The EP is firmly built around Cory’s electrifying guitar riffs, and each track is a portal that sends listeners back to “the good old days of rock n roll.”
If you’re still unconvinced after reading this review, take a listen for yourself. Off the Rails is available on Spotify, iTunes/Apple Music, and SoundCloud.
The drive to Night Lights consists of winding hills, endless woods, and a considerable amount of horse-drawn carriages.
Upon arrival, you can expect to be greeted by the gatekeeper with a genuine “Welcome home!” If you’re lucky, you might also have a friendly encounter with the Parking Wizard.
The Heron takes an entirely different form when the sun goes down. The trees are lit up all throughout the woods, creating a breathtaking atmosphere. And last but not least, the musicians that brought the NLMF family together.
As the weather turned fall-like on Day 9 of the Great NY State Fair on Thursday, August 31, country music’s Leann Rimes took to the stage and welcomed both the cooler weather and the crowd that braved the elements as they sat huddled in hoodies, sweaters, and blankets. Beginning her set with a bluesy tune called “Love Line,” it was apparent her powerful vocals could make every genre of music sound amazing.
Leann Rimes is a multiple award winning musician, collecting awards from the Academy of Country Music, American Music Awards, Country Music Association, and Country Music Television, to name a few, however she’s probably best known as the youngest to win a Grammy with her rendition of Bill Mack’s song, “Blue.” Although the song was to be recorded by Patsy Cline, it never was to be and although it did go on to be recorded by others, it would be Leann Rimes to make the song a top ten hit for Bill Mack. Rimes is often compared to Patsy Cline as they both share a similar soprano vocal style. She was asked to honor Patsy Cline a few years ago with a melody of Patsy’s hits, which she once again performed for fair goers last evening to their happy approval.
With an eclectic mix of both old and new tunes performed throughout the evening, Leann wowed the crowd and warmed them up one-by-one with her most amazing vocals all night long, ending the evening with a tribute to those victims in Texas singing Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.” Although Leann Rimes is best known for her number “Blue,” I can guarantee you that not one fan left last night in that state of mind.
Setlist: Love Line, Nothin Better To Do, One Way Ticket/Fast Car, Blue, Patsy Cline Medley, I Need You, Love Is Love, How Do I Live?, Commitment, Long Live Love, Bottle Let Me Down, What I Cannot Change, Life Goes On, Can’t Fight the Moonlight, Summertime
Walter Becker, bassist and guitarist for the highly successful rock duo Steely Dan died Sunday at the age of 67. His death was announced on his website with a simple diptych of Becker as a child and an adult with the caption, “walter becker feb. 20 1950 – sept. 03 2017.” No further details on the cause of death were provided.
Becker missed both July Steely Dan dates of the Classic West and Classic East shows due to a procedure, his performing partner Donald Fagen revealed in an August interview in Billboard. Fagen didn’t elaborate. The band also recently announced a fall tour with a scheduled stop at Shea’s Performing Arts Center in Buffalo Oct. 17.
Becker was born in Queens and graduated from Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan in 1967. He met Donald Fagen while both were students at Bard College in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York that same year. A quick friendship was formed when both realized similar interests in music and the beat poets. They performed in various local groups, including the Leather Canary, which included comedian Chevy Chase on drums.
Upon Fagen’s graduation in 1969, the two moved to Brooklyn. Becker and Fagen became touring musicians for Jay and the Americans for a brief time before leaving due to a pay dispute. Their biggest success while still in New York was Barbra Streisand’s recording of their song “I Mean to Shine.” The duo recorded a series of demos and scored a soundtrack for an early Richard Pryor film before making tracks to Los Angeles.
The move to Los Angeles proved fruitful for the eventual Steely Dan. It was here that they connected with ABC Records producer Gary Katz. Katz hired Becker and Fagen as staff songwriters for the label and would go on to produce all of Steely Dan’s 1970s output.
It was in Los Angeles where the two musicians struck out on their own, recruiting guitarists Denny Dias and Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, drummer Jim Hodder and singer David Palmer to form Steely Dan. The name was chosen as a nod to beat writer William S. Burroughs. The “Steely Dan” was a sex toy mentioned in Burroughs’ Naked Lunch.
What followed was one of the most unlikely string of successful albums put to tape. From Steely Dan’s debut, Can’t Buy a Thrill in 1972 through the 1977 pinnacle album Aja to 1980’s Gaucho, the band’s penchant for obscure references, dark humor, quirky time changes and studio perfection landed them in an unlikely spot on the Billboard charts time and again.
The duo parted ways in 1981, with Becker taking his family to live in Maui, HI where he quit using drugs and, according to the Steely Dan Timeline, became “a gentleman avocado rancher and self styled critic of the contemporary scene.” During this time, Becker began producing in earnest as well as working with English pop band China Crisis.
Despite the inactivity of Steely Dan, Becker and Fagen still managed to work together formally and informally during their hiatus. Becker sat in with Fagen’s New York Rock and Soul Revue in 1991, which led to his producing Fagen’s 1993 solo album, Kamikiriad. Fagen returned the favor, producing Becker’s 1994 solo outing 11 Tracks of Whack. These collaborations renewed the Steely Dan spark and led to the band’s first tour in 19 years.
They continued to tour and in 2000 dropped an album of all new material, Two Against Nature that garnered Steely Dan four Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year. In 2001, Steely Dan was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and was honored with an Honorary Doctor of Music degree from Berklee College of Music.
Another Steely Dan album followed in 2003, with Becker making his vocal debut on the track “Slang of Ages” and the band continued touring through the mid 2010s, including a headlining spot at 2015’s Coachella Festival in Indio, CA.
Becker’s work left an indelible mark on the music industry and musicians worldwide have been offering tribute to him since his death was announced. Josh Kroop, former manager for Connecticut jamband Kung Fu shared professionally shot video of the band’s The Royal Scam set from two years ago, featuring members of the Steely Dan band, Bernard Purdie on drums and Jon Herington on guitar.
On Sunday, Fagen shared a note remembering his long-time friend and collaborator. The full text is below:
Walter Becker was my friend, my writing partner and my bandmate since we met as students at Bard College in 1967. We started writing nutty little tunes on an upright piano in a small sitting room in the lobby of Ward Manor, a mouldering old mansion on the Hudson River that the college used as a dorm.
We liked a lot of the same things: jazz (from the twenties through the mid-sixties), W.C. Fields, the Marx Brothers, science fiction, Nabokov, Kurt Vonnegut, Thomas Berger, and Robert Altman films come to mind. Also soul music and Chicago blues.
Walter had a very rough childhood – I’ll spare you the details. Luckily, he was smart as a whip, an excellent guitarist and a great songwriter. He was cynical about human nature, including his own, and hysterically funny. Like a lot of kids from fractured families, he had the knack of creative mimicry, reading people’s hidden psychology and transforming what he saw into bubbly, incisive art. He used to write letters (never meant to be sent) in my wife Libby’s singular voice that made the three of us collapse with laughter.
His habits got the best of him by the end of the seventies, and we lost touch for a while. In the eighties, when I was putting together the NY Rock and Soul Review with Libby, we hooked up again, revived the Steely Dan concept and developed another terrific band.
I intend to keep the music we created together alive as long as I can with the Steely Dan band.
At the famed Red Rocks Amphitheatre on Thursday, August 31, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead performed to a sold out crowd for their first ever show. The performance was an exclamation point on the talent and meteoric growth and appreciation for the super group’s knowledge of the Grateful Dead’s catalog.
The setlist below speaks for itself: JRAD took every twist and turn in the first set, weaving “New Speedway Boogie” throughout the set, a roaring “Dancin in the Streets” and emotional “Box of Rain” sung by guest bassist Oteil Burbridge.
The crowd exploded with joy at every twist and turn of the night, hanging on each note as they battled on and off rain all night.
The second set featured a jam on “Harry Hood,” the debut of Donovan “There is a Mountain,” and an explosive “I Know You Rider.” JRAD will perform next at Brooklyn Bowl October 5-7 and 12-14.
LOCKN‘ 2017, held annually at Infinity Downs Farm in Arrington, Virginia, draws lovers of funky jams, old school blues, and gritty hard rock from all corners of the country. This year, residents from every single state migrated to the mountainous landscape on a late summer weekend, August 24-27. Beautiful sunny weather with a scattering of clouds provided much welcome shade as festival goers danced and mingled, sampling a variety of local brews and food. All-star jams and vibrant performances by local artists studded the four-day event with excitement and musical release.
Opening the evening at Darien Lake Amphitheater for the Grammy award winning Green Day, was the British punk rockers Catfish and the Bottlemen. New to some, however highly popular with the younger crowd in attendance, these four young musicians filled the amphitheater with smoke and energy setting the scene for the crowd, who already was primed, to see their favorites, Green Day.
Oakland based punk and Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, Green Day, graced western New York’s Darien Lake Amphitheater, Saturday, August 20 with the summer stretch of the Rev-Rad Tour.
Band members Billie Joe Armstrong (lead vocals and guitar), Mike Dirnt (bassist), and Tre’ Cool (drummer) were joined by Jason White (guitar) and Jason Freese (keyboards, accordion, and saxophone). While Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” played, the audience sang along in unison; you could feel the excitement and energy through the venue.
Green Day immediately had fans screaming and to their feet as they took the stage with “Know Your Enemy” and “Bang Bang” leading straight into “Holiday” and his decree about Nazis, racism, and sexism and his dislike of Donald Trump. He was then quoted as saying “This night isn’t going to be about politics, just fun,” and it was clear to all present that he got the message across that maybe the best medicine against hatred is joy and unity.
Armstrong is indeed quite the showman, to him there was no barrier between the rock legends and the simple fan. He invited one teenage girl on stage to sing “Know Your Enemy” sending her back to her spot with a swan dive into the crowd. He soon thereafter invited an 11 year old boy on stage to sing the lyrics to “Longview,” and immediately followed that performance with a 15-year-old girl as she played guitar on Operation Ivy’s “Knowledge,” giving her the instrument to keep as she exited.
Green Day did not disappoint fans reaching far back into their catalog with Kerplunk, playing “2000 Light Years Away,” right up to ending the two and half hour setlist with songs from their newest album Revolution Radio, playing “Still Breathing” and “Forever Now.” The group then returned on stage for an encore of “American Idiot,” and “Jesus of Suburbia” off their concept album and highly acclaimed “Punk Rock Opera” American Idiot.
Ending this incredible evening Armstrong played an acoustic version of “21 Guns” then right into “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)” and yes Billie Joe this audience indeed had the time of their lives.
After The Storm is a studio project shaped by the hands of Matt Swistak and Pat McFeely. Both are very talented guitar players in their own right. Seeing how two great minds can create such a monstrous beast of a sonic attack, you will get lost in the music as much as I did! The album has such powerful influences drawn from many melodic death metal acts like Soilwork and Solution .45, to name a few inspiring groups. The track “The Awakening” goes for the kill right out of the gate. The finger work of both guitar players are displayed with such beauty and malice. It has the right amount of melody and sheer relentlessness power. For me it is hard to get into modern melodic death metal bands because they focus mostly on either more of the harmony driven riffs and forget about the more destructive fueled constructs. The boys although, have done a wonderful job balancing the two sides that make melodic death metal amazing. You see this in other tracks on the EP like “Rise as They Fall” and “Stand Unified.” These guys really know how to produce a great sound with perfect form!
Although they are based out of 
The drive to Night Lights consists of winding hills, endless woods, and a considerable amount of horse-drawn carriages.
Becker missed both July 
