Up-And-Coming Guitarist To Tour With Malmstein

Rising guitar star Ethan Brosh will hit the road this spring and summer with veteran guitarist and virtuoso musician Yngwie Malmstein.  The tour, which is in support of his upcoming sophomore full length studio release, will span twenty-five cities across the U.S. and Canada.  Brosh’s upcoming album is titled Live The Dream.  Bassist Dave Ellefson joins Brosh on this new release.  Ellefson isn’t the only huge name to have a hand on Bosh’s latest record.  Max Norman (Ozzy Osbourne, Megadeth) mixed the record, and Bob Ludwig (Bon Jovi, Def Leppard, Iron Maiden) mastered it.  Joe Petagno (Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd) crafted the album’s artwork.

Brosh’s debut album, 2009’s Out of Oblivion featured its own roster of who’s who in rock. Mike Mangini (Dream Theater, Extreme, Steve Vai) covered the drums for the record.  Mangini was just one of the big name musicians to make a guest appearance on Out of Oblivion.  He was joined by George Lynch (Dokken) and Greg Howe (Michael Jackson).  Derek Riggs (Iron Maiden) created the artwork for the album, while Chris Tsangarides (Judas Priest, Ozzy Osbourne) ran the boards.

Brosh has obviously made quite the name for himself as a solo artist.  And while he has done so, he doesn’t rest on his laurels as he also performs with another group called Burning Heart.  Burning heart will join the Yngwie tour on its second leg.  The tour will mark the first ever national tour for the band. 

A current list of tour dates is available below.  And for the latest tour updates and all the latest news from Ethan Brosh, fans go “Like” him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ethan-Brosh/88968151778.  Fans can also get the latest from Ethan Brosh online at http://www.ethanbrosh.com, http://www.myspace.com/ethanbrosh, and http://twitter.com/ethanbrosh.  Audiences can also check out Ethan’s music via YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/ethanbrosh.

04/24/13        CLEVELAND, OH           HOUSE OF BLUES
04/25/13        DETROIT, MI                             ST. ANDREW’S HALL
04/26/13        TORONTO, ON                     PHOENIX THEATRE
04/27/13        HARTFORD, CT                    THE WEBSTER THEATER
04/28/13        MUNHALL, PA                     CARNEGIE LIBRARY MUSIC HALL OF HOMESTEAD
04/29/13        BOSTON, MA                      THE WILBUR THEATRE
04/30/13        NEW YORK, NY                    IRVING PLAZA
05/03/13        MEMPHIS, TN                     TOM LEE PARK – BEALE STREET MUSIC FESTIVAL
05/04/13        CHICAGO, IL                     HOUSE OF BLUES
05/05/13        ST. CHARLES, IL                 THE ARCADA THEATRE
05/07/13        DENVER, CO                      THE SUMMIT MUSIC HALL
05/09/13        ANAHEIM, CA                     HOUSE OF BLUES
05/10/13        W. HOLLYWOOD, CA                HOUSE OF BLUES
05/11/13        FRESNO, CA                      TOWER THEATRE
05/12/13        VENTURA, CA                     MAJESTIC VENTURA THEATER
05/13/13        SAN FRANCISCO, CA       THE REGENCY BALLROOM
05/14/13        SAN DIEGO, CA                   HOUSE OF BLUES
05/16/13        DALLAS, TX                              GRANADA THEATER
05/17/13        SAN ANTONIO, TX         BACKSTAGE LIVE – OUTDOORS
05/18/13        HOUSTON, TX                     OUTDOORS HOUSTON GUITAR FESTIVAL
5/21/13         SAUGET, IL                              POPS
5/23/13         NEW ORLEANS, LA         HOUSE OF BLUES
5/24/13         ORLANDO, FL                     PLAZA THEATRE
5/25/13         MIAMI, FL                               GRAND CENTRAL
5/26/13         TAMPA, FL                               ORPHEUM THEATRE

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Re-Machined More Than Just A Tribute Record

Courtesy: Eagle Records/Eagle Rock Entertainment

Famed British hard rock band Deep Purple is set to drop its new album next month.  The album, titled Now What?! will be released in the United State Tuesday, April 30^th.  While fans wait for the release of this highly anticipated album, they have another recent release to tide them over in the form of the tribute album, Re-Machined: A Tribute to Deep Purple’s Machine Head.  It may be a tribute album, but it is still a great album for both new and long-time fans of Deep Purple.

The new honorary compilation hit stores in late 2012 as part of the 40^th anniversary of the landmark album’s original release.  It features all seven tracks from Deep Purple’s original iconic album plus a pair of bonuses.  One of those bonuses comes in the form of Metallica’s cover of ‘When A Blind Man Cries.’  As Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich notes in the compilation’s liner notes, “I have a list of songs in my head that Metallica should play before we either break up or die, and Deep Purple’s ‘When A Blind man Cries’ is one of those songs.”  The song in question is a bonus in that it actually never made the record.  Again, the liner notes shed light on this.  The notes, written by Classic Rock Magazine’s Mark Blake note that the song in question was originally a B-side to the song, ‘Never Before’ but has become a fan favorite throughout the years.  So it only made sense to have it included on this tribute record.  And it’s just one of the pieces that make this album a must not just for any Deep Purple fan but for any hard rocker, period.

‘When A Blind Man Cries’ is just one part of what makes Re-Machined such an impressive album of covers.  Going back to Ulrich, he and Metallica constitute just one of the acts brought together to record this album who openly tout Deep Purple as an influence in their own career as musicians.  Blake writes of Iron Maiden’s front man Bruce Dickinson (whose band also covers a track on the disc) that he [Dickinson] was also a “serious Purple aficionado.”  He quotes Dickinson as saying, “I cut my teeth as a kid on Deep Purple.  It’s what I grew up with.  It’s what got me out of bed in the mornings.”  Now if that isn’t a tribute in itself to the importance of Deep Purple in the music world, it’s anyone’s guess what is.  Dickinson and company ended up recording ‘Space Truckin’’ for the record, which is an absolutely outstanding piece both originally and as a cover here.  The way that it drives (no pun intended), it will have fans pumping their fists and singing along loud and proud. 

If Iron Maiden’s ‘Space Truckin’’ isn’t enough to convince fans of this compilation’s importance, then maybe the album’s opener will.  Carlos Santana (yes, that Carlos Santana) joins Papa Roach front man Jacoby Shaddix for a cover of what is arguably the band’s most famous song of all time, ‘Smoke on the Water.’  What’s really interesting about this cover is that while it is a cover, it doesn’t feel or sound like one.  Far too often, bands and artists try to take classic songs and update them.  That’s not the case here.  Shaddix and Santana have taken the classic and made it their own while still paying homage to the original.  It makes perfect sense as to why the album would open with this cover in hearing Santana’s guitar chops and the solid vocals of Shaddix.  It also serves one more purpose that at a passing glance is missed.  But in really thinking about the generational mix presented here, one sees the purer purpose of using it as the compilation’s opener.

On the surface, having a bunch of bands and artists resurrect one of rock’s most important and iconic albums is a great thing.  Having the album resurrected by a collection of rock’s greatest names past and present is even greater.  What this does is it makes it more than just a tribute album.  It makes the album a music history lesson in and of itself.  As evidenced in the opening number, young audiences will be pulled in by the inclusion of Papa Roach’s Jacoby Shaddix.  Older audiences will be pulled in from both the fact that it’s Deep Purple and that fellow veteran musician Carlos Santana is on the track.  Also because of the inclusion of Santana, those same younger audiences will potentially be introduced to the music of not just one great classic act, but two in both Deep Purple and Carlos Santana, thus preserving both acts’ legacies for a whole new generation.  The same could be said of the inclusion of Chickenfoot’s live cover of ‘Highway Star’ and Black Label Society’s cover of ‘Pictures of Home.’ 

It should be clear by everything noted here that Re-Machined is more than just a tribute to a band.  It’s a tribute, yes.  But it’s also a tribute to everything that was and still is right with rock and roll.  It’s a musical love letter to real rock and an excellent way to get a whole new generation of hard rockers and metal heads into what is without a doubt, one of mainstream rock’s greatest bands.  The album is available now in stores and online.  Audiences can get more information on this album, the band’s upcoming new full length studio release and its tour dates online at http://www.deeppurple2013 and http://www.facebook.com/officialdeeppurple. 

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Giant X’s Debut LP Is Giant Fun

Courtesy: Steamhammer/SPV

Giant X, the brainchild of Running Wild band members Rolf Kasparek and Peter J. Jordan brings back all the flare and bombacity of rock’s golden era.  Right from the first moments of the album’s opener, ‘On A Blind Flight’, audiences are instantly transported back to the days of big rock and in many cases, big hair.  ‘Blind Flight’ is a solid mix of Judas Priest and Iron Maiden with its solid driving guitars and soaring vocals.  The duo hardly let up from there as it launches into what is sure to be a fan favorite in ‘Don’t Quit Till Tomorrow.’  At this point, there are no plans for Giant X to tour.  But should the band ever manage to h it the road, there’s no doubt that this song would become an instant arena anthem for the band.  The song opens with the simplest of chants that conjures the image of a massive crowd singing along, fists pumping in the air.  Lyrically, this is an equally empowering song.  Kasparek sings near the song’s end, “When the times are getting crazy…don’t quit till tomorrow.  Raise your hands for rock and roll.”  Simply put, what is being said here is don’t let the tough times get you down.  Don’t give up.  Keep pushing through.  The positive message mixed with a solid rocking musical baking makes this one of the album’s best songs, hands down.  Things don’t let off here though.

As the last tones of ‘Don’t Quit Till Tomorrow’ fade away, listeners are able to catch their breath just enough to get ready for even more solid rock in the form of ‘Badland Blues.’  This blues based southern rock style piece is a rock song, plain and simple.  It’s just a great near five minute musical experience.  The only time that the record slows down any is on the semi-ballad, ‘Nameless Heroes.’  This one seems to be a tribute to the men and women in uniform the world over, as Kasparek and Jordan sing, “This goes out to all the nameless heroes/This goes out to all the ones that paid.”  The band leaves little doubt as to whom they are singing for here.  And it’s a fitting tribute to those individuals, too.  It’s one more that’s bound to be a fan favorite regardless of whether or not Giant X tours in support of this record.

‘Don’t Quit Till Tomorrow’ and ‘Nameless Heroes’ are both bound to be fan favorites from Giant X’s debut.  There is at least one more (if not more) that will be another fan favorite.  That song is the album’s very next track, ‘Go 4 It.’ It makes for a perfect transition from ‘Nameless Heroes.’  The song instantly kick starts its listeners after the more emotional ‘Nameless Heroes.’  The first thing that listeners hear from this song is a rather fast guitar intro that leads into Kasparek singing, “You feel the gasoline in your blood…You reek of gas/And you’re kickin’ ass/You are hell on wheels.”  There’s a certain something about this song that oozes the likes of Poison as an influence.  It’s just one more of so many tracks that any fan of big hair and big guitars will appreciate on this upcoming new album.  And for those wondering, Giant X’s debut album, I is due to be available in stores and online in the U.S. on January 22^nd.  To find out if the band will be touring in support of its debut, I, fans need just go online to http://www.running-wild.net, and http://www.facebook.com/pages/Giant-X/176387661550. 

To keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news, go online to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it or its companion page, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Reel-Reviews/381028148587141.  Fans can always keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news, in the Phil’s Picks blog at http://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Gypsyhawk’s Sophomore LP Another Hit For Metal Blade

Courtesy: Metal Blade Records

Guitars, bass, drums, and vocals.  That’s really all rock and roll needs.  And that’s what Pasadena, California’s own Gypsyhawk has brought to the game once again with its new album, “Revelry and Resilience.”  This album is a straight forward hard rocking work that will have every warm blooded rocker out there banging his or her heard, and putting his or her horns high with pride.  “Revelry and Resilience” is an example of everything that is and ever has been right with rock music.

The whole rock party kicks off with fittingly with the song, ‘Overdrive.’   To quote the line, this song is all killer, no filler.  From the killer guitar solos from Andrew Packer and Erik Kluiber, to front man Eric Harris’ Lemmy Kilmister-like vocals, to drummer Ian Brown’s driving beat, this song is a perfect start to the record in every way.  The band barely lets up from here, kicking right into ‘The Fields’ with equal adrenaline.  ‘Hedgeking’ follows in similar fashion, keeping the adrenaline and the blood flowing in its listeners’ veins from start to finish. 

There’s little letting up from there on throughout the remainder of this record.  Gypsyhawk’s sound has obviously evolved from its first album, “Patience and Perseverance.”  The band had a solid old school rock and roll sound on that record.  But the band’s sound seems even more honed this time out.  The band is right up there with the likes of Fireball Ministry, Airbourne, and others of that ilk on this album.  What makes Gypsyhawk better than those bands though, is its ability to cross the rock and roll spectrum, rather than stick to one style.  Airbourne is more closely linked to AC/DC and Fireball Ministry is compared more to classic Ozzy.  In the case of Gypsyhawk, this band has guitar work that pays homage to Lynyrd Skynyrd, Judas Priest, and even Iron Maiden just to name a few.  And as already noted front man Eric Harris’ vocals are weirdly similar to that of Lemmy Kilmister.  All of that being noted, Gypsyhawk’s new album, “Revelry and Resilience” will be a favorite among the fans of true old school guitar driven rock and roll, this reviewer included.  In fact, there is little doubt that by the end of the year, it will find itself on this reviewer’s list of the year’s best hard rock and metal albums.

“Revelry and Resilience” will be available in stores and online next Tuesday, August 28th.  It can be ordered direct through Metal Blade’s website at http://www.indiemerch.com/metalbladerecords/band/gypsyhawk.  The band will be performing a handful of live dates this Fall and Winter to support the album.  Fans can check out those dates and all the latest from the band online at http://www.facebook.com/Gypsyhawkusa, http://gyspsyhawk.bandcamp.com, and http://gypsyhawkusa.blogspot.com.  

To keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news, go to http://www.facebook.com/philspicks and “Like” it or its companion page, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Reel-Reviews/381028148587141.  Fans can always keep up with the latest entertainment reviews and news in the Phil’s Picks blog at http://philspicks.wordpress.com.

Iced earth spread the metal this Summer

Iced Earth heads across America this Summer.  The band released its tenth full length studio release, “Dystopia”  last year.  And this Summer, it will continue its tour in support of that album with a tour across the country.  The band will be joined by Volbeat, Hellyeah (who will also be touring in support of their new album), and The Sixxis.

Iced earth kicks off its Summer tour today in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.  The band’s current slate of dates will take it largely throughout the Midwest.  Although there will be some dates through the Northeast.  Fans who make it out to see Iced Earth on tour this Summer will get the chance to pick up a limited tour edition of “Dystopia.”  the limited edition will include a second disc that has covers of songs from fellow metal legends, Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath.  It will also include bonus music videos for a pair of songs from “Dystopia” as well as a making of featurette, band incterview, cell phone skins, desktop wallpapers and more.  There’s even a re-release of the band’s hit song, ‘Dante’s Inferno’ that was recorded with vocalist Stu Block.

To get all the latest tour dates and information on Iced Earth, fans can go online to http://www.IcedEarth.com, http://www.facebook.com/OfficialIcedEarth, http://www.myspace.com/IcedEarth, and http://www.youtube.com/OfficialIcedEarth.

To keep up with all the latest entertainment news and reviews, go to http://www.facebook.com/PhilsPicks and “Like” it or its companion page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Reel-Reviews/381028148587141.  fans can also keep up with all the latest entertainment news and reviews at http://philspicks.wordpress.com.